Duke's Domineering D Bedevils Badgers

A couple of Big Dance rounds ago, it was suggested on these pages that if any team was going to knock off Kentucky, it would have to be a physical game.

In that speculation, Gonzaga and Arizona were mentioned as possibilities.

Ultimately, Duke out-banged the Zags. Ironically, Wisconsin out-finessed the Wildcats.

Right elements. Wrong combination. It happens.

It's all so clear, now:

• The team with the most physical defense ...
• Would prevail over the team that coulda beaten Kentucky with a physical defense ...
• So it would dominate the team that did beat Kentucky without being physical ...
• By turning up the bang-o-meter when the rubber met the road.

Damn! And 8% to 9% of the bracket world had that figured out! Including a 12-year-old:

Maybe not Sam, but perhaps the rest of them remembered:

It feels like an eternity ago, but don't forget that on Dec. 3, the Dookies went into the famed Kohl Center and physically manhandled Wisconsin, emerging victorious 80-70, while ... [Wisconsin] was held to under 41 percent shooting -- an almost impossible number for a team coached by Bo Ryan.

Well, this time around, the Blue Devils held the Badgers to 41% shooting again. Coach K is nothing if not consistent. Here he is after eliminating Gonzaga in the South final:

Coulda been talking about the title tilt.

In fact, it's amazing that in both victories, a key play in putting distance between the Dookies and their opponents was a blown bunny. Kyle Wiltjer was wide open and gagged for the Zags in the final minutes, and Nigel Hayes did the same thing last night.

What's more, both Gonzaga and Wisconsin hit dry spells at vital times in the second half. The only difference was that the Zags didn't whine about why.

Hell, if they're not gonna call it, then suck it up and play through it!

And that's the story. Physical play. Duke figured it out. Wisconsin didn't.

Now, zip it and get ready to fill out those brackets for the Stanley Cup playoffs next week.