The too-perfect basketball story with the too-perfect ending is still available on DVD. The real celebration for the new national champion — that’s taking place on Tobacco Road.

Kyle Singler scored 19 points and Brian Zoubek rebounded Gordon Hayward’s miss with 3.6 seconds left Monday night to help Duke beat Butler 61-59, ending the tiny underdog’s try for a “Hoosiers” sequel one win short of the Hollywood ending.

The Bulldogs had a chance to win it at the end in an amazing sequence that defined this tournament. Gordon Hayward’s half-court shot at the buzzer went flying, thudded off the backboard and rim, and out and most of the crowd of 70,930 gasped, “Ohhhh.” So close

The Blue Devils (35-5) snapped Butler’s 25-game winning streak and brought the long-awaited fourth national title back home to Carolina and the Cameron Crazies.

The “Big Three” — Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith — won the Big One for coach Mike Krzyzewski, his first championship since 2001 and the fourth overall, tying Coach K with Adolph Rupp for second place on the all-time list.

“First of all, it was a great basketball game. I want to congratulate an amazing Butler team and their fans,” Krzyzewski said. “Fabulous year. We played a great game, they played a great game. It’s hard for me to say it, to imagine that we’re the national champions.”

Nobody figured this would be easy, and it wasn’t — no way that was going to happen against Butler, the 4,200-student private school that turned the tournament upside down and drove 5.6 miles from its historic home, Hinkle Fieldhouse, to the Final Four.

Butler (33-5) shaved a five-point deficit to one and had a chance to win it, when its best player, Hayward, took the ball at the top of the key, spun and worked his way to the baseline, but was forced to put up an off-balance fadeaway from 15 feet.

He missed, Zoubek got the rebound and made the first of two free throws. He missed the second one intentionally, and Duke’s title wasn’t secure until Hayward’s desperation heave bounded out.

What a game to end one of the most memorable tournaments in history, the kind that could be history if the NCAA goes ahead with what an expansion to 96 teams — something very much on the table for next year.

“Both teams and all the kids on both teams played their hearts out,” Krzyzewski said. “There was never more than a couple, a few points separating, so a lot of kids made big plays for both teams.”

Nobody led by more than six.

Playing against the Bulldogs and working against a crowd of 70,390 with very few pockets of Duke fans, the Blue Devils persevered — never leading by more than six but never falling behind after Singler hit a 3-pointer with 13:03 left for a 47-43 lead.

The Blue Devils won with defense. Holding the Bulldogs to 34 percent shooting and contesting every possession as tenaciously as Butler, which allowed 60 points for the first time since February. Zoubek, the 7-foot-1 center, finished with two blocks, 10 rebounds and too many altered shots to count, but also came out to trap the Butler guards and disrupt an offense that was already struggling.

They won with some clutch shooting, including Singler’s 3-for-6 effort from 3-point range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line in the second half until Zoubek’s intentional miss.

They won with a mean streak, most pointed when Lance Thomas took down Hayward hard to prevent an easy layup with 5:07 left. The refs reviewed the play and decided not to call it flagrant — one of a hundred little moments that could have swung such a tight, taut game.

In the true team fashion that has defined “The Butler Way,” the scoring was distributed almost perfectly even. Hayward and Shelvin Mack had 12 each. Matt Howard, coming off a concussion in the semifinal win over Michigan State, finished with 11, and 2-point-a-game scorer Avery Jukes kept Butler in it with all 10 of his points in the first half.

But Butler’s 33-year-old coach Brad Stevens was correct when he said his team couldn’t endure another 15-for-49 shooting night — what Butler shot Saturday in the semifinals. The Bulldogs went 20 for 58 this time — 34.5 percent — almost every bit as bad. All the heart in the world can’t overcome that.

“I said yesterday that when you coach these guys, you can be at peace with whatever result you achieve from a won-loss standpoint because of what they gave — they gave everything we had,” Stevens said. “We just came up a bounce short. There’s certainly nothing to hang your head about. I told them in there, what they’ve done, what they did together, will last longer than one night, regardless of the outcome.”

A disappointing ending to those who wanted to see the “Hoosiers” sequel play out in real life. In that movie, based on the high school championship won by tiny Milan High in 1954, Jimmy Chitwood hits the game-winner at the buzzer to win one for the little guys.

Despite losing, Butler may have proven its point nonetheless.

Mega-money and power conferences aren’t the only ones with a chance in big-time college sports. Nothing proves that better than the NCAA tournament — March Madness, a great event that stayed good into April this year.

Source: AP as posted on GoDuke.com

Duke and Coach K are back in the Final Four, although it’s going to be a new experience to this group of Blue Devils.

Nolan Smith scored a career-high 29 points, Jon Scheyer sank five 3-pointers and added 20 and top-seeded Duke restored some order to the topsy-turvy NCAA tournament on Sunday with a 78-71 win over Baylor in the South Regional final.

The Blue Devils (33-5) are back in the national semifinals for the first time since 2004, a six-year drought that was the longest since Mike Krzyzewski made his first Final Four in 1986.

They won’t have to answer questions about that anymore.

“I don’t know if it’s a relief,” junior forward Kyle Singler said, “but it’s nice that no one can say that we haven’t been to a Final Four in so many years.”

The Blue Devils became the only No. 1 seed to advance to Indianapolis and earned their 11th Final Four berth under Krzyzewski. They’ll play West Virginia (31-6) in Saturday’s second semifinal.

“They got me to a Final Four, finally,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s not about the moments that I’ve been in, it’s the moment that your players put in right now. I’m really happy for this group. It’s something that will be part of your life forever.”

Duke also ended Baylor’s inspiring run to redemption. LaceDarius Dunn had 22 points and Ekpe Udoh scored 18 for the third-seeded Bears (28-8), whose program was in shambles when coach Scott Drew took over in the wake of murder and scandal less than seven years ago.

Drew rebuilt Baylor from the ashes to the brink of its first Final Four appearance since 1950. After setting a school record for victories, maybe the program will finally be recognized more for its success, than the tragic summer of 2003.

“The toughest part of every season is always just the thought that it’s the last time you’re going to get a chance to coach the team, the last chance they’re together,” Drew said. “That’s always the toughest, especially when it’s been a real close team, and a team that obviously has done wonders for our program and the school.”

The Blue Devils have won 11 of their last 12 regional finals under Krzyzewski, but haven’t won a national title since 2001. The program has waited a long time to get this close again, after losing in the regional semifinals in three of the previous five seasons.

“Gratifying is an understatement,” senior forward Lance Thomas said. “We have worked so hard to get here, we are so excited to get here. Every time we’ve been to the tournament, it’s been extremely tough for us.”

Duke took the lead for good after Thomas grabbed a key offensive rebound with 3:36 left. Thomas passed back to Smith, who hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to put Duke up 64-61.

The bigger Blue Devils pulled down 23 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second-chance points, the difference in the game. Duke improved to 18-2 this season when finishing with at least 15 offensive boards.

“It’s definitely will and perseverance,” Thomas said. “We’ve been through situations this season when it’s been tough to score, tough to get a stop, but it hasn’t broken us. The fact that we’re in the position we’re in speaks to that.”

Scheyer extended the lead to six with his fifth 3-pointer.

“Those two 3s in a row, by Nolan and then Jon, those were big-time plays,” Krzyzewski said. “The big guys kicked it out and those are the best 3s to take.”

The Blue Devils made 11 of 23 3-pointers (48 percent) — and shot only 11 of 38 from inside the arc. But they pulled away down the stretch and didn’t need a miracle shot on the 18th anniversary of Christian Laettner’s game-winner against Kentucky in the 1992 tournament.

“This team, from the beginning of the tournament, has been living in the moment,” Smith said. “And it just feels great right now.”

Many of Baylor’s players, meanwhile, were in tears after coming up short. Playing within a 4-hour drive of their campus, the Bears couldn’t ride the momentum from a roaring crowd of their fans like they did in a 72-49 win over Saint Mary’s in Friday’s regional semifinal.

This time, the storybook was not meant to be.

“It’s not over for this program. It was a great season,” a misty-eyed Dunn said. “Teammates should hold their head up high and be proud of the things we accomplished this year.”

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Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was inducted in the Army Sports Hall of Fame, along with seven others, during a “black-tie” induction banquet Friday evening at West Point’s Eisenhower Hall.

Krzyzewski, a 1969 graduate, was the team captain his senior season and helped the squad to two trips to the National Invitational Tournament. He took over as head coach at Army in 1975 and posted a 73-59 mark during his five-year tenure. Among the highlights of his time on the West Point sidelines was a trip to the NIT in 1978, Army’s most recent berth in that prestigious tournament.

“This is a tremendous honor,” said Krzyzewski, during his 10-minute acceptance speech.”To be named to the hall of fame by the best school in the country is truly special.”

Krzyzewski, who was introduced by his former head coach at West Point, Bob Knight, went on to praise the accomplishments of each of the other seven members of the induction class. He also credited Knight for being the best educator he experienced during his time at the Academy.

“West Point has been the foundation for everything in my life. It produces very genuine people. I am honored to represent our class tonight. On behalf of our class I say, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Best-selling author and Duke graduate John Feinstein served as the master of ceremonies, while ITT Knight Vision carried the opening remarks from Superintendent Lt. Gen. Franklin K. Hagenbeck, video highlights, plaque presentations, remarks from Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson, the class acceptance speech from Krzyzewski as well as interviews with the inductees live.

The Class of 2009 encompasses nine sports and the second administrator to earn distinction in the Hall of Fame. Among the many accomplishments of the group are three Army Athletic Association Award winners, inductees into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, an athletic director that retired with the rank of Major General, a three-time Patriot League Player of the Year, a five-time All-American and a three-time All-American selection.

The group is comprised of former men’s basketball player and coach Mike Krzyzewski, Bill Carpenter (football and lacrosse), Ralph Chesnauskas (football, hockey and baseball), Tracy Hanlon (track and field and women’s basketball), Ray Murphy (Athletic Director, lacrosse, basketball, football), Nicki Robbins (softball), Jack Rust (lacrosse) and Thomas Truxtun (lacrosse and men’s soccer).

The list of prestigious honorees, including the second administrator to be elected, brings the total number of Army Sports Hall of Famers to 66.

The group will be honored during a special halftime ceremony at Saturday’s Army-Duke football contest. The game will be televised nationally by CBS College Sports Network with kickoff at Michie Stadium slated for 12:02 p.m.

The Army Sports Hall of Fame is a subset of the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, a comprehensive museum displaying Army’s rich and proud intercollegiate athletic program. It is located on the third floor of the Kimsey Athletic Center, Army’s massive football training facility that opened four years ago.

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