Title on line

Wisconsin gets Duke in final

Throw the Duke win over Wisconsin back in December out of the window. This one is for a much bigger prize. 

Duke, suddenly a defense minded bunch have been tough on opponents through the tournament but will have to play "D"  for the full 35 seconds of every possession against the Badgers. Conversely, Wisconsin has beaten the highest seeds on their trip through the brackets to the title tilt and weathered the storm admirably. Remember, this team is a heartbreaking loss to Kentucky in the 2014 Final Four from a possible chance at playing for back to back titles.

In picking a winner, Duke has been dependent on four freshmen along the way this season with no consequences except a sloppy loss to Miami at home and a couple of other hiccups. Monday night may see it finally catch up to them as Wisconsin will make them pay for mistakes and all-everything Jahlil Okafor will be tested at the free throw line with the Badgers ready to run on misses.

Prediction: Wisconsin by 7