Duke wins national championship, beating Wisconsin in title game

The Duke Blue Devils won their fifth national championship by beating the Wisconsin Badgers 68-63 in the NCAA title game on Monday night.

Author:
Ted Keith
Publish date:
Apr 6, 2015

Duke overcame a nine-point second-half deficit and foul trouble to its two biggest stars to win the fifth national championship in school history, beating Wisconsin 68-63 on Monday night in Indianapolis.

The Badgers took a 58-56 lead with 4:25 to go on a Sam Dekker layup, but the Blue Devils responded with a 10-0 run, capped by a Tyus Jones three-pointer, for a 66-58 lead with 1:24 remaining. A three by Frank Kaminsky and a dunk by Nigel Hayes pulled Wisconsin within 66-63, but Jones hit two free throws to restore a five-point lead and Wisconsin missed a pair of three-pointers on its final trip down court.

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Kaminsky, the national player of the year, had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Badgers while his All-America counterpart for the Blue Devils, JahlilOkafor, was limited to 10 points and three rebounds while sitting for much of the second half with four fouls. Duke's Justise Winslow also had four fouls but finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Bo Ryan was not happy after Wisconsin's loss

Wisconsin opened up a nine-point lead at 48-39 with 13:23 remaining, but freshman guard Grayson Allen led the Blue Devils back by responding with a three-pointer and a three-point play on Duke's next two possessions to cut the deficit to three.

The Blue Devils were within 52-51 when Okafor came back in the game with three fouls, but he missed a jumper in the lane that would have put Duke in front. On the other end, Kaminsky spun past Okafor, who drew his fourth foul. Kaminsky completed a three-point play that put Wisconsin back up by four at the 9:18 mark.

The Blue Devils wouldn't go away though, tying the game at 54 on a jumper by Jones with 6:58 to go and going in front on a layup by Allen at 56-54 less than a minute later. Jones and Allen carried Duke in the second half while Okafor and Winslow were in foul trouble. Jones finished with 23 points—19 in the second half—and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four while Allen, who averaged just 4.0 points per game, had 16.

The game was tied at 31 after a first half that featured 13 lead changes.

Athletes react to Duke's national championship game victory

Duke shot 47.1% from the floor and 80% at the free throw line while turning it over just five times. Wisconsin also had only five turnovers but shot 41.0% from the field and 60% from the line, and the nation's most efficient offensive team scored only four points in an eight-minute stretch after Kaminsky's three-point play, while Duke went from a four-point deficit to an eight-point lead.

It was the fifth championship in nine trips to the title game for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his third championship won in the city of Indianapolis, joining 1991 and 2010. Krzyzewski broke a tie with legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, who won four NCA titles at Kentucky and is now second only to John Wooden, who won the tournament 10 times at UCLA. The Blue Devils are now tied with Indiana and archrival North Carolina with five championships, trailing only Kentucky (eight) and UCLA (11) in college basketball history. Wisconsin was playing in its first championship game since winning the title in 1941, the third year of the NCAA tournament's existence.

GALLERY: SI'S BEST PHOTOS OF THE NATIONAL TITLE GAME

SI's Best Photos of the Duke-Wisconsin National Title Game

Duke won its fifth national title in college basketball with a 68-63 victory over Wisconsin on April 6 in Indianapolis. Here are SI's best photos of the game.

Jahlil Okafor (15), Matt Jones (13) and the rest of the Duke team celebrate the final buzzer that sealed the program's fifth championship.

Duke players pile on each other in celebration in the moments following their 68-63 national title game triumph over Wisconsin.

Quinn Cook (holding trophy) and the rest of the Duke squad pose amidst cheers and confetti with their national championship prize.

Guards Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook were front and center for Duke this season and also on the podium after Monday's game.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski cuts down the Final Four nets for the fifth time as Duke head coach. The 2015 title pushed Krzyzewski past Adolph Rupp into sole possession of second place on the list of championship-winning coaches, behind only John Wooden with 10.

Justise Winslow and Grayson Allen celebrate a key play during Duke's 68-63 win. Winslow and Allen finished with 11 and 16 points, respectively.

John W. McDonough for Sports Illustrated

Wisconsin's Josh Gasser discovers blood on his face during his team's championship game loss. The senior was held scoreless on one shot in his final college game.

Grayson-Allen-Traevon-Jackson-X159490_CT1_01958-rawfinal_0.jpg — Greg Nelson for Sports Illustrated

Guards Traevon Jackson and Grayson Allen race for a loose ball. Allen had the better day of the back-up guards, scoring 16 points on 5-8 shooting.

Grayson Allen takes a tumble after lunging for a loose ball against Traevon Jackson and Wisconsin.

Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky got the better of Duke's Jahlil Okafor in a battle of All-Americans. Kaminsky tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds in his team's loss.

Wisconsin's bench celebrates a big play during Monday's title game. The Badgers led by as many as 9 points in the second half before falling 68-63.

Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky battles for position against Duke's Amile Jefferson. As Jahlil Okafor struggled through foul trouble, Jefferson provided key defense on Kaminsky throughout the night.

Frank-Kaminsky-Jahlil-Okafor-Josh-Gasser-X159490_CT1_01699-rawfinal_0.jpg — Greg Nelson for Sports Illustrated

Wisconsin contained Duke center Jahlil Okafor for most of Monday night, holding the freshman to 10 points and three rebounds.

Grayson-Allen-Frank-Kaminsky-X159489_CT2_00574-rawfinal_0.jpg — John W. McDonough for Sports Illustrated

Duke's forgotten freshman Grayson Allen jumped off the bench and became Duke's national championship hero.

Justise Winslow and Duke overcame a nine-point second-half deficit in the win.

Tyus Jones shoots a layup for two of his 23 points. The Duke freshman was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

Duke point guard Tyus Jones hoists a tough lay-up over Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig. Jones was the Blue Devils' hero, scoring 23 points and drilling several clutch 3-pointers.

Duke freshmen guards Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen combined for 39 points of their team's 68 points Monday night.

Wisconsin alum and Houston Texans star J.J. Watt left disappointed Monday, as his alma mater lost 68-63 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Duke forward Justise Winslow soars toward the basket. Despite shooting only 3-9 from the field, Winslow managed 11 points and added nine rebounds.

Duke guard Grayson Allen contorts his body to lift a shot over two Wisconsin defenders. In addition to 5-8 shooting, Allen reached the free throw line five times and made all five shots.

Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig attempts to lay the ball in over Duke forward Justise Winslow. Koenig scored 10 points on 4-9 shooting.

Grayson Allen flies toward the backboard over the contest of Wisconsin's Sam Dekker. Allen was among Duke's heroes Monday despite averaging only 4.4 points per game on the season.

After lapsing on defense periodically throughout the season, Duke stepped up on that end Monday, holding Sam Dekker and Wisconsin to 41 percent shooting.

Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker, one of the NCAA Tournament's best players through five games, shot 6-15 Monday including 0-6 from 3-point range, scoring 12 points.

Duke center Jahlil Okafor draws all eyes as he lifts a lay-up during Duke's national title game victory over Wisconsin.

In a matchup of arguably the nation's two best players, Frank Kaminsky put up the stats but Jahlil Okafor and Duke got the victory.

Duke guard Tyus Jones clashes with Wisconsin center Frank Kaminsky as the freshman attempts to score at the basket. Jones (23 points) and Kaminsky (21 points) led their respective teams in scoring Monday night.