Wisconsin Must Remain Focused Ahead Of National Title Tilt With Duke

The date was April 1, 1991 and the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels seemed destined for a run into history. Not only had Jerry Tarkanian’s high-powered outfit entered the Final Four consensus favorites to claim a second-straight national title, they did so sporting an undefeated 34-0 record.

A funny thing happened to the Rebels that night however. The Duke Blue Devils, massive underdogs in their semifinal matchup with mighty UNLV, upset the apple-cart with a 79-77 semifinal victory on the way to winning the first of two consecutive championships.

Fast forward nearly a quarter century, and the Wisconsin Badgers find themselves following a similar path. Can Bo Ryan’s team follow in the footsteps of that Duke team of yesteryear? To do so, they’ll need to defeat the coach and program that established the blueprint 24 years ago.

There won’t be a lack of familiarity between the two teams once they take the court Monday night inside Lucas Oil Stadium. After all, the two sides met earlier in the season, resulting in an 80-70 Blue Devils win as part of the annual ACC/Big 10 Challenge.

Considering that meeting took place more than four months back, don’t be surprised if neither team puts much stock into what transpired at the Kohl Center back in December. Teams invariably evolve through the course of a college basketball season, and both sides will likely point out they’re much different squads at this point of the campaign.

Nevertheless, the matchups for Monday’s rematch are intriguing to say the least.

For Wisconsin, the inevitable matchup of Frank Kaminsky and Jahlil Okafor serves as a main storyline. Kaminsky was his usual standout self in the Badgers’ 71-64 upset of Kentucky on Saturday evening. He posted a 20-point, 11-rebound outing against the Wildcats’ formidable trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Lyles. Kaminsky also scored several key buckets down the stretch that helped keep Wisconsin close even as Kentucky tried to seize control in the last 10 minutes.

As for Okafor, the immensely talented post scored 18 points for Duke in their 81-61 victory over Michigan State in the other semifinal in Indianapolis. Like Kaminsky, the 6-foot-11 freshman possesses outstanding footwork and a feathery touch around the hoop. The first time Kaminsky and Okafor squared off, the Wisconsin big-man finished with 17 points while Mike Krzyzewski’s phenom had 13. Their second head-to-head matchup figures to provide even greater interest.

For Wisconsin, the X-factor could be Sam Dekker. In the two teams’ first meeting, Dekker scored just five points on 2-of-5 shooting. The Sheboygan native struggled to establish a rhythm on offense against the likes of Justice Winslow and Amile Jefferson. However, Dekker has been stellar through the Badgers’ run to their first national championship game since 1941.

Coming off an incredible 27-point effort against Arizona in the West Regional Final, Dekker continued his strong play with a 16-point outing against Kentucky on Saturday. He’s been equal parts aggressive and efficient during the NCAA tournament, and if he can continue to attack on Monday, the Blue Devils will have a major problem.

Individual matchups aside, perhaps the biggest factor for Monday night’s title tilt will be Wisconsin’s ability to collect themselves emotionally. Defeating any unbeaten team on such a big stage invariably takes an emotional toll and the Badgers have just 24 hours to refocus on the task at hand.

Back in 1991, Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils continued to roll two nights later by defeating Kansas to win their first national championship. Can the Badgers do the same? It won’t be easy considering the relative ease Duke had in handling Michigan State. The Blue Devils figure to be relatively fresh while Wisconsin could be fighting a bit of emotional fatigue before opening tipoff.

With that said, underestimating a Bo Ryan-coached team is never a good idea. Wisconsin has always maintained unshakeable consistency during his tenure. Ryan’s teams are always well prepared for the task at hand, both mentally and physically. It might just be enough to claim a national title for the natives back in Madison.

Matt Johnson is a Big 10 basketball writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter at mattytheole or “like” him on Facebook.