2001 NCAA Championship Preview

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Shane Battier	Michael Wright
20.0 ppg	15.8 ppg

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[1] Duke vs. [2] Arizona
April 2, 2001 - NCAA Tournament
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome - Minneapolis, Minn.
Time: 9 p.m. ET (CBS)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - It will be Arizona's lightning quick Wildcats against the resilient Duke Blue Devils in Monday night's NCAA championship game.

Arizona used a big second half and a fierce zone defense to shut down defending national champion Michigan State 80-61 in the first semifinal March 31. Duke overcame a 22-point first-half deficit and advanced with a 95-84 victory over Maryland in a battle of Atlantic Coast Conference rivals.

The championship game matches coaches Lute Olson of Arizona and Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, both finalists this year for the basketball Hall of Fame. Both have taken their schools to this championship before, Olson in 1997 and Krzyzewski in 1991 and 1992, the last repeat champions.

After beating Illinois and Michigan State, Arizona will be after its third No. 1 seed against Duke. The only other time a team has beaten three top-seeded schools was Arizona in 1977. Duke is looking for its third victory over a Pacific-10 team after knocking off UCLA and Southern California to reach Minneapolis.

The championship game matches a pair of outstanding sophomore guards - Duke's Jason Williams and Arizona's Jason Gardner. Williams scored 23 points and hit the 3-pointer that put Duke ahead to stay with 6:46 left against Maryland. Gardner led Arizona with 21 points and had three of a dozen steals that left Michigan State dazed.

Williams' backcourt partner is freshman Chris Duhon, who had 10 points and six assists against Maryland and was dazed by a late collision with the Terps' Steve Blake. Gardner teams with Gilbert Arenas, who scored 17 points and had six steals against Michigan State and also missed playing time with a bruised right arm.

Both teams have important seniors up front. Duke's Shane Battier is the Player of the Year and brought the Blue Devils back against Maryland, scoring 25 points. Seven-footer Loren Woods, Arizona's man in the middle, had 11 points and eight rebounds against Michigan State.

TOURNAMENT RECAP

Final Four
Semifinal: Saturday, March 31
Minneapolis, Minn.	No. 1 Duke 95
Recap \| TotalCast Stats	No. 3 Maryland 84
The Blue Devils trailed by as much as 22 points in the first half and shook off an 11-point deficit at halftime to complete the biggest comeback in an NCAA Tournament semifinal game. The play of Carlos Boozer inside was key down the stretch, as Duke's big man muscled past Maryland in the paint for points and rebounds.

Regional Final
East Region: Saturday, March 24
Philadelphia, Pa.	No. 1 Duke 79
Recap \| TotalCast Stats	No. 6 USC 69
With USC defending the Blue Devils' more prolific scorers, freshman Chris Duhon took advantage with clutch three-pointers down the stretch that sealed the win against the Trojans, sending Duke to its 13th Final Four.

Regional Semifinal
East Region: Thursday, March 22
Philadelphia, Pa.	No. 1 Duke 76
Recap \| TotalCast Stats	No. 4 UCLA 63
Duke's defense kept UCLA off balance, and Jason Williams provided the offense by tying a career-high with 34 points, including 19 straight in the second half.

Second Round
East Region: Saturday, March 17
Greensboro, N.C.	No. 1 Duke 91
Recap \| TotalCast Stats	No. 9 Missouri 84
Jason Williams and Shane Battier continued their dominance in the tournament, accounting for 58 points in a win over Missouri, coached by former Duke player and assistant coach Quin Snyder.

First Round
East Region: Thursday, March 16
Greensboro, N.C	No. 1 Duke 95
Recap \| TotalCast Stats	No. 16 Monmouth 52
Shane Battier kicked off Duke's run to the Final Four with a double-double -- 21 points and 10 rebounds -- in a lopsided win. Jason Williams ended doubts about his injured ankle with 20 points in the first half.

All photos courtesy of the Associated Press

2001 NCAA Championship Preview

TOURNAMENT RECAP

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