D4
S
KLMNO
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Duke and West Virginia pride themselves on doing dirty work
grit from D1
“I can’t remember the last time we won a pretty game,” Mazzulla said. “We just try to grind things out.” The Mountaineers have ac- cepted their roles and have ac- cepted their identity. They were walking around the stadium this week wearing T-shirts that read “Do What We Do” on the front. The same garb could be issued for the Blue Devils, as well. This could be the least talented of the 11 Final Four teams that Coach Mike Krzyzewski has had at Duke. Their credentials as a No. 1 seed were questioned and they were widely viewed as the top seed most likely to be eliminated first. But here they are. “They have accepted who they
MICHAEL CONROY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Butler players take the court for their shoot-around, which was attended by thousands of Bulldogs fans.
Butler braces for the blessing and burden of being at home
hosts from D1
sits about six miles from the site where the college basketball sea- son will culminate. “This is unique,” Butler Coach
Brad Stevens said. “Indianapo- lis, most of us, they’ve all been here for a little bit of time, and I’ve been here almost my whole life. It certainly is a different lev- el of energy and enthusiasm for Butler than ever before. But I think our guys will do a pretty good job of managing that.” The primary challenge out- side of competing in the game it- self, said several Spartans who were at last year’s Final Four, is finding the medium between getting caught up in all the at- tention that accompanies play- ing for a national title in your own back yard and absorbing an inimitable experience. Those same Michigan State
players also said such a task is easier stated than achieved, which the Bulldogs quickly real- ized. Stevens said he can hear “One Shining Moment”— the Fi- nal Four’s unofficial theme song — followed by the Butler fight song playing on what seems like a continuous loop outside his hotel room window. Stevens tried to keep to his normal routine earlier this week by stopping off at Broad Ripple Tavern, a local establishment, for lunch. He sits at a secluded
table in the back once a week to plan out team practices and “kind of get away.” This week, he looked up at one of the televisions and saw one commentator breaking down Butler’s offense followed by an- other breaking down Michigan State’s offense followed by a third that was interviewing for- mer Butler guard Bobby Plump, who starred on the Milan High team that inspired the movie “Hoosiers.” “Wow,” Stevens said he thought. “There’s a lot of people talking about this.” Indianapolis Mayor Greg Bal- lard declared Wednesday “But- ler Bulldog Day,” hosting a pep rally downtown that drew about 2,000 people. At night, the lights in one of buildings at Monu- ment Circle are arranged to read “BU.” These are the sort of quaint signs of support that many com- munities put forth when their teams advance to college basket- ball’s grandest stage. The differ- ence for the Bulldogs is that they will continue to see such mass admiration right up until tip-off. “Just turning every corner and seeing Butler, you know, shirts, Butler jerseys, Butler hats, whatever, any kind of But- ler apparel on every corner, I don’t think it gets much better than that,” Butler guard Ronald Nored said. “I think that could
be the case if we were playing anywhere, but for it to be here in Indianapolis makes it even more special.” Several Bulldogs said they
don’t anticipate the home-crowd advantage having any sort of tangible effect on how Saturday night’s game plays out, and Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo concurred. “Geez, I hope not,” he said.
What will make a difference, Butler forward Matt Howard said, is how well the Bulldogs re- bound against a Spartans squad known for crashing the boards and how quickly Butler’s array of skilled shooters can find their rhythm.
But then Howard’s thoughts
drifted back to a few moments earlier, when he and his team- mates looked up from the court and saw tens of thousands of their fans watching their every move. He estimated that 50 to 70 people typically show up for the team’s shoot-arounds. “Pretty in- credible,” Howard said. “You’ve got to realize that the
job’s not done,” Michigan State forward Delvon Roe said. “You didn’t just try to play 21
⁄2
weeks
of basketball; you’re trying to play three weeks of basketball. You didn’t just come here to be satisfied with the Final Four and enjoy the festivities. You came here to win a championship.”
yandas@washpost.com
are,” Krzyzewski said. “And they have tried to become better at who they are, instead of trying to become somebody they are not.” Duke has found different ways to win when some of its best scor- ers are having off nights. Leading scorer Jon Scheyer made 1 of 11 field goal attempts in a second- round victory over California, and forward Kyle Singler missed all 10 of his field goal attempts in the South Region final against Baylor.
But Duke got 23 offensive re- bounds against Baylor — includ- ing two that led to second-chance points in the final minutes of a tight game — and the Blue Devils dominated Purdue on the boards, 48-27, and held the Boilermakers to 37 percent shooting. Through four NCAA tourna- ment games, Duke is averaging 15.8 offensive rebounds per game and is holding opponents to 25 percent shooting from three- point range. “You have to play shots as missed shots,” Krzyzewski said. “I don’t know how many teams in the United States rebound more than 40 percent of their misses like both of us [Duke and West Virginia] do. The boards will be a huge part of this game.” The onus will also be on Maz- zulla to handle Duke’s pressure because point guard Darryl Bry- ant (fractured foot) is not expec- ted to play. The Blue Devils also will try to force the Mountaineers to shoot over their big men. One advantage for West Vir- ginia could be the presence of versatile forward Kevin Jones — a 40.6 percent three-point shoot- er — who could pull Duke’s big men away from the basket at times. But strategy aside, both teams expect grit to be the game’s determining factor. “They are a very tough team,”
Jones said. “I think we’re a tough team, too, and we just expect to
SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2010
BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS
John Flowers, right, and Joe Mazzulla — here guarding Kentucky’s Eric Bledsoe — help West Virginia present matchup problems.
come out and play harder than them.” West Virginia’s offense is not
always smooth or balanced. Against Kentucky in the East Re- gion final, the Mountaineers made eight three-pointers in the first half but didn’t score a two- point basket because of the Wild- cats’ length and size. But in that same game, West Virginia held Kentucky, a poor three-point shooting team all season, to 4-of-32 shooting from three-point range. West Virginia was dominated in the rebound- ing battle, but the Mountaineers, who can play man-to-man or a 1- 3-1 zone defense, also held Ken- tucky to 34.3 percent shooting from the field. Mazzulla said the 1-3-1 can be
particularly frustrating for oppo- nents because gaps close quickly. Krzyzewski said forward Devin Ebanks causes problems at the top of the zone because of his 7- foot wingspan. Jones (6 feet 8) and Da’Sean Butler (6-7) on the
wings also loom as concerns. “We feel comfortable attacking it in practice,” Krzyzewski said, “but we can’t simulate that length.”
During the season, West Vir-
ginia ranked 10th nationally in rebounding margin. The Moun- taineers also set a school record for offensive rebounds with 574. And defensively, West Virginia has held six of its last seven oppo- nents to 59 points or less. While the game at Verizon Center two years ago has no bear- ing on Saturday’s matchup, Duke’s players remember the loss and remember how they were manhandled. They feel they are better equipped for the matchup this season because 2008’s weak- ness is now a strength. Of course, there is always a chance Mazzulla gives the Blue Devils another floor-slapping sa- lute.
Smiling, Mazzulla only said, “Depends on how the game goes.”
prisbelle@washpost.com
BUTLER (32-4)
TEAM STATISTICS
CATEGORY
Points Per Game Field Goal Percentage
Three-Point FG Percentage Three-Pt. FGs Per Game Free Throw Pct.
Rebounds Per Game Turnovers Per Game Steals Per Game Blocks Per Game
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Starters
Ht.
Shelvin Mack Ronald Nored
Gordon Hayward Matt Howard Willie Veasley
Reserves
Zach Hahn
Shawn Vanzant
November
14 Davidson W, 73-62 18 at N’west W, 67-54 21 at E’ville W, 64-60 26 Minnesota L, 82-73 27 UCLA W, 69-67 29 Clemson L, 70-69
December
5 Valparaiso W, 84-67 8 GeorgetownL, 72-65 12 Ohio State W, 74-66 19 Xavier W, 69-68 22 at UAB L, 67-57 31 Green Bay W, 72-49
January
2 Milwaukee W, 80-67 8 at Wright St.W, 77-65 10 at Detroit W, 64-62 14 Cleve. St. W, 64-55 16 Youngs. St. W, 91-61 21 at Loyola W, 48-47
BUTLER
69.4 .449 .345 6.9
.739 32.6 12.2 7.0 2.3
OPP
59.6 .415 .317 5.1
.683 29.7 13.9 5.3 3.0
Yr. Pts. Reb Ast.
6-3 Soph. 14.2 3.8 3.1 6-0 Soph. 6.0 2.9 3.7 6-9 Soph. 15.5 8.2 1.7 6-8 6-3
Jr. 11.8 5.3 0.8 Sr. 10.1 4.3 0.9
Ht.
6-1 6-0
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
23 at UIC W, 84-55 29 at G. Bay W, 75-57 31 at Milw. W, 73-66
February
4 Detroit W, 63-58 6 Wright St. W, 74-62 8 Loyola W, 62-47 11 at YSU W, 68-57 13 at CSU W, 70-59 17 UIC W, 73-55 20 Siena W, 70-53 26 at Valpo W, 74-69
March
6 Milwaukee W, 68-59 9 Wright StateW, 70-45 18 UTEP W, 77-59 20 Murray St. W, 54-52 25 Syracuse W, 63-59 27 Kansas St. W, 63-56
Yr. Pts. Reb Ast.
Jr. 5.1 0.9 0.7 Jr. 2.8 1.7 1.2
MICHIGAN STATE (28-8)
TEAM STATISTICS
CATEGORY
Points Per Game Field Goal Percentage
Three-Point FG Percentage Three-Pt. FGs Per Game Free Throw Pct.
Rebounds Per Game Turnovers Per Game Steals Per Game Blocks Per Game
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Starters
Durrell Summers Korie Lucious Derrick Nix
Raymar Morgan Delvon Roe
Reserves
Draymond Green Chris Allen
November
13 Florida-GC W, 97-58 17 Gonzaga W, 75-71 20 Toledo W, 75-62 22 Valparaiso W, 90-60 27 Florida L, 77-74 28 U-Mass. W, 106-68
December
1 at UNC L, 89-82 4 Wofford W, 72-60 7 at Citadel W, 69-56 10 Oakland W, 88-57 19 IPFW W, 80-58 22 at Texas L, 79-68 30 UT-ArlingtonW, 87-68
January
2 at N’west. W, 91-70 6 Wisconsin W, 54-47 9 at Iowa W, 71-53 13 Minnesota W, 60-53 16 Illinois W, 73-63
Ht.
6-4
MSU
72.4 .472 .343 5.1
.688 38.6 13.9 6.6 3.3
OPP
64.1 .408 .331 6.8
.709 29.9 12.5 6.4 2.6
Yr. Pts. Reb Ast.
Jr. 11.2 4.6 0.9
5-11 Soph. 5.4 1.7 3.3 6-8
Fr. 2.4 2.1 0.2
6-8 Sr. 11.5 6.2 1.8 6-8 Soph. 6.5 5.0 1.1
Ht. Yr. Pts. Reb Ast.
6-6 Soph. 9.8 7.8 3.1 6-3
Jr. 8.5 2.9 2.1
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
20 Iowa W, 70-63 23 at Minn. W, 65-64 26 at Michigan W, 57-56 30 N’western W, 79-70
February
2 at Wisc. L, 67-49 6 at Illinois L, 78-73 9 Purdue L, 76-64 13 at Penn St. W, 65-54 16 at Indiana W, 72-58 21 Ohio State L, 74-67 28 at Purdue W, 53-44
March
4 Penn State W, 67-65 7 Michigan W, 65-48 12 Minnesota L, 72-67 19 N.M. State W, 70-67 21 Maryland W, 85-83 26 North. Iowa W, 59-52 28 Tennessee W, 70-69
DUKE (33-5)
TEAM STATISTICS
CATEGORY
Points Per Game Field Goal Percentage
Three-Point FG Percentage Three-Pt. FGs Per Game Free Throw Pct.
Rebounds Per Game Turnovers Per Game Steals Per Game Blocks Per Game
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Starters
Ht.
Jon Scheyer Nolan Smith
Lance Thomas Brian Zoubek Kyle Singler
Reserves
Miles Plumlee Mason Plumlee
November
13 UNCG W, 96-62 16 C. Carolina W, 74-49 17 Charlotte W, 101-59 21 Radford W, 104-67 25 Arizona St. W, 64-53 27 U-Conn. W, 68-59
December
2 at Wisc. L, 73-69 5 St. John’s W, 80-71 15 G-Webb W, 113-68 19 Gonzaga W, 76-41 29 L.B. State W, 84-63 31 Penn W, 114-55
January
3 Clemson W, 74-53 6 Iowa State W, 86-65 9 at Ga. Tech L, 71-67 13 Boston Coll.W, 79-59 17 W. Forest W, 90-70 20 at NCSU L, 88-74 23 at Clemson W, 60-47
DUKE
77.4 .439 .382 7.4
.761 39.3 11.1 6.7 4.1
OPP
61.1 .402 .278 3.9
.685 32.8 14.4 5.4 4.0
Yr. Pts. Reb Ast.
6-5 Sr. 18.2 3.6 4.8 6-2
Jr. 17.6 2.8 2.9
6-8 Sr. 4.8 4.9 0.9 7-1 6-8
Sr. 5.5 7.6 0.9 Jr. 17.6 6.9 2.3
Ht. Yr. Pts. Reb Ast.
6-10 Soph. 5.4 5.1 0.3 6-10
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
27 Fla. State W, 70-56 30 at G’town L, 89-77
February
4 Ga. Tech W, 86-67 6 at BC W, 66-63 10 at UNC W, 64-54 13 Maryland W, 77-56 17 at Miami W, 81-74 21 Va. Tech W, 67-55 25 Tulsa W, 70-52 28 at Virginia W, 67-49
March
3 at MarylandL, 79-72 6 UNC W, 82-50 12 Virginia W, 57-46 13 Miami W, 77-74 14 Ga. Tech W, 65-61 19 Ark-PB W, 73-44 21 California W, 68-53 26 Purdue W, 70-57 28 Baylor W, 78-71
Fr. 3.8 3.3 0.9
WEST VIRGINIA (31-6)
TEAM STATISTICS
CATEGORY
Points Per Game Field Goal Percentage
Three-Point FG Percentage Three-Pt. FGs Per Game Free Throw Pct.
Rebounds Per Game Turnovers Per game Steals Per Game Blocks Per Game
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Starters
Joe Mazzulla
Wellington Smith Devin Ebanks Da’Sean Butler Kevin Jones
Reserves
John Flowers Casey Mitchell
November
15 Loyola W, 83-60 24 The Citadel W, 69-50 26 L.B. State W, 85-62 27 Texas A&M W, 73-66 29 Portland W, 84-66
December
9 Duquesne W, 68-39 12 Coppin St. W, 69-43 19 at Cleve. St.W, 80-78 23 Mississippi W, 76-66 26 at S. Hall W, 90-84 29 Marquette W, 63-62
January
1 at Purdue L, 77-62 6 Rutgers W, 86-52 9 at N. Dame L, 70-68 13 at USF W, 69-50 16 Syracuse L, 72-71 20 Marshall W, 68-60 23 Ohio State W, 71-65
Ht.
6-2
WVU
72.8 .431 .336 6.8
.703 38.9 11.9 5.7 4.1
OPP
63.1 .413 .316 5.3
.678 32.3 13.6 6.2 3.0
Yr. Pts. Reb Ast.
Jr. 2.6 1.8 2.4
6-7 Sr. 6.5 4.1 1.2 6-9 Soph. 12.0 8.2 2.5 6-7
6-8 Soph. 13.7 7.2 1.1
Ht.
6-7 6-4
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
26 at DePaul W, 62-46 30 Louisville W, 77-74
February
3 Pittsburgh W, 70-51 6 at St. John’sW, 79-60 8 Villanova L, 82-75 12 at Pitt. L, 98-95 17 at Prov. W, 88-74 20 Seton Hall W, 75-63 22 at U-Conn. L, 73-62 27 Cincinnati W, 74-68
March
1 GeorgetownW, 81-68 6 at Villanova W, 68-66 11 Cincinnati W, 54-51 12 N. Dame W, 53-51 13 GeorgetownW, 60-58 19 Morgan St. W, 77-50 21 Missouri W, 68-59 25 WashingtonW, 69-56 27 Kentucky W, 73-66
Yr. Pts. Reb Ast.
Jr. 3.0 2.4 1.2 Jr. 3.8 0.9 0.4
Sr. 17.4 6.3 3.2
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