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Tuesday, April 3
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Duke turned a 22-point deficit in the first half into an 11-point win over Maryland. Add up the numbers and that's a 33-point turnaround. The 11-point deficit Duke faced at halftime was also the largest ever overcome by a winning team in the Final Four. | 
Title matchup
well worth the wait
How rare is this? The matchup the consensus predicted, basically wanted to happen, actually will occur Monday night in the NCAA Tournament title game. Duke vs. Arizona, two teams that took turns gracing the preseason magazine covers, will play for the 2001 title at the Metrodome. It has happened before, two years ago, when Duke and Connecticut met in the title game in St. Petersburg, Fla. But go back through the rest of the '90s and it just didn't occur.
More ...
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An Empty Feeling
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Chad Latz sits in a lonely Breslin Center after watching his alma mater Michigan State lose to Arizona.
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Question of the Day
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What is the key matchup in Monday night's title game?
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ESPN.com's Andy Katz
The backcourts could end up having a sensational night of matching big shot for big shot, steal for steal, stop for stop. But the difference should be on the boards. Arizona and Duke both want to rip and run. The undersized Blue Devils rebound well, but they'll have to step it up against Arizona's Michael Wright, Loren Woods and Richard Jefferson. The 'Cats will likely send three players to the boards and if they can grab it and go they'll have an advantage. Neither team wants this game played in halfcourt sets. Expect Arizona to mix up defenses but they probably won't use as much zone, if any, as they did against Michigan State. They can't afford to let Jason Williams and Shane Battier open for 3s.
ESPN's Dick Vitale
I see the point-guard battle between the Jasons -- Duke's Jason Williams vs. Arizona's Jason Gardner -- as the key matchup in the national championship game. Gardner was brilliant against Michigan State, hitting the trifecta, playing excellent defense and turning the ball over just once in 38 minutes. His 21 points led the 'Cats. Williams has to have a better game Monday night than he did in the win over Maryland. He only hit 1 of 9 from 3-point range, but he came through down the stretch, finishing with 23 points. Williams vs. Gardner should be a thriller -- and whoever wins this battle could well lead his team to the winner's circle.
ESPN's Len Elmore
The key matchup in Monday night's title game will be Gardner vs. Williams at point guard. This game is going to be about who can generate offense and get the ball where it needs to be. Defensively, Jason Gardner will certainly be tested -- although I doubt he'll play Jason Williams by himself. You'll probably see Richard Jefferson guarding Williams at times; if the Duke star starts hitting 3s, Jefferson's 6-7 frame and long reach might serve as a deterrent. Arizona guard Gilbert Arenas may also spend some time guarding Williams. There are going to be key matchups all over the place, but pay special attention to this point-guard battle.
ESPN's Jay Bilas
The best matchups will be in the backcourt, where I don't really think it matters who covers who. Chris Duhon may start out on Jason Gardner, leaving Gilbert Arenas on Jason Williams. But that could change throughout the game. The most interesting matchup, however, may be whoever Michael Wright ends up guarding. He can't be asked to chase Shane Battier or Michael Dunleavy, but may wind up doing so at times. If Richard Jefferson guards Battier, which I think he will Monday at times, he has the ability to really stay with him. He's been locking people down like Casey Jacobsen and Jason Kapono for the better part of a month and then tonight he just totally shut Jason Richardson down. But it'll be interesting to see just who Wright ends up guarding Monday night. That may end up being the key defensively for the Wildcats.
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Sunday's Storylines
PLAYER OF DAY..............................
Shane Battier. In a game this big, who else would you expect to step up? Battier refused to let Duke lose, scoring a team-high 25 points (15 in the second half) and grabbing eight rebounds and blocking four shots. While Jason Williams (23 points) hit the 3 to give Duke its first lead, Battier put the Devils in position for another remarkable comeback by hitting 3 of 4 three-pointers in the second half
RANDOM THOUGHTS.............................
Andre Hutson struggled in the first half. But his starting mates struggled all night. Hutson (20 points) had nine of the Spartan starting five's 16 field goals. Charlie Bell (3 points), Jason Richardson (6 points) and David Thomas (8 points) were a combined 7 of 27 from the floor, while Aloysius Anagonye missed his only attempt.
Michael Wright was invisible once again in the first half, taking just one shot and collecting two fouls. But he scored Arizona's first basket in the second half and finished with 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting.
Eugene Edgerson, Shane Battier and Nate James are the only players with national-championship game experience. Edgerson scored two points as a freshman when Arizona outlasted Kentucky in overtime 84-79 in the '97 title game. Battier scored six points, while Nate James grabbed a rebound in the Blue Devils' 77-74 loss to Connecticut in '99.
The team that led at halftime of all four Duke-Maryland games eventually lost.
Juan Dixon scored 16 of his 19 points in the first half, hitting 5 of 9 shots (3 of 5 three-pointers) in the first half. He made just a trey after halftime, missing seven other shots from the field.
STOCK RISING.....................................
ESPN.com & Dick Vitale: Not to blow our own horns (but we will). But the preseason No. 1 picks by both ESPN.com and Dick Vitale will play for the national championship Monday night. Arizona was ESPN.com's choice, while Vitale's preseason magazine tabbed Duke as the nation's best.
STOCK FALLING..................................
Defending champions. It's now nine years and counting since a champion defended its crown: Duke in 1991 and '92.
HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU................
Here in Minneapolis, red has been the dominate color on the streets, in bars and in the Metrodome stands with both Maryland and Arizona in town. And until Duke's comeback Saturday stunned Terp fans, rumor had it the Dome was scheduled to be painted red Sunday.
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At this point, a No. 2 beating a No. 1 will have to do. But Arizona did prevent a No. 1 vs. No. 1 national championship -- something that's only happened twice (1993, 1999) since the tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
ESPN BRACKETS
SportsCenter anchor Jim Frazier is the Big Man on Campus, picking all four Final Four teams and the title game showdown. His pick Monday night is Duke in ESPN's featured group in the Tournament Challenge. Check it out at Bristol University's Best.
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"I do give Arizona a lot of credit. And yet, you're talking to a guy who's totally confused on what happened to us today as far as the turnovers we had, how we had them, and what we did."
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo after his team's loss to Arizona.
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Shane Battier talks with ESPN's Brad Daugherty after the Blue Devils' victory over Maryland.
Jason Gardner tells ESPN's Brad Daugherty he will take whoever shows up for the finals.