The final game of the 2015 NCAA Tournament has been set. The Wisconsin Badgers were able to fend off the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats and earn their spot in the final. A young Duke team led by Coach Mike Krzyzewski pounded Michigan State in order to punch their ticket to the finals as well. The two teams are set to play on Monday, April 6th at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This game will be a rematch of the ACC-Big 10 Challenge game that took place earlier in the season. Duke was able to edge the Badgers by 10 points, but that was with a hobbled Sam Dekker, who was slowed by an ankle injury and only had five points in the contest.
Frank Kaminsky was named the Naismith Player of the Year in the wake of their win over undefeated Kentucky last week. But for the Blue Devils, the massive center may not even be the biggest threat they have to prepare for. Dekker has been shooting the lights out for Wisconsin all tournament long and has hit multiple clutch shots as time winds down. The junior from Sheboygan, WI has put up some massive numbers in the tournament, considering that he averaged 13 points per game before the tournament. Dekker scored 27 in the Elite Eight against Arizona and another 23 against North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen. Matching up with Kaminsky and Dekker will be a huge challenge for the Blue Devils, who have shown a few weaknesses defensively this season.
This young Duke team is going to have its hands full with the veteran lineup from Wisconsin. The Blue Devils do have the advantage of being coached by Coach K, who is appearing in his ninth title game. If anyone can handle figuring out how to shut down two of the hottest scorers in the nation, it would be him. In their massive win over Michigan State, Duke was able to penetrate the Spartans defense and get to the line, scoring 27 points from the line in that game. However, Wisconsin gives up the least fouls against them in the country, meaning it will be difficult to replicate that same result. The key for Duke will be to get their phenomenal freshman, Jahlil Okafor, scoring. Okafor has been a monster down low this season and averaged 17 points per game from the center position. Many believe that he will be the first pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. This game will be a matchup of the two best college basketball players going to head to head for the title.
Hipmunk.com will help any college basketball fan get to the action, with thousands of flights to and from Indianapolis. After your team wins, celebrate without worrying about rushing home as Hipmunk offers hotels near Lucas Oil Stadium from $89.
As always with games of this magnitude, a lot is on the line for all coaches, players and programs. According to TiqIQ.com, the average ticket price to the NCAA Championship Game is $613.86 with a walk-in price of $126. The belief that ticket prices would plummet with Kentucky’s elimination have been wiped away, as ticket prices have only had a small, marginal drop since Saturday night.
