Duke University's men's basketball team -- led by four freshmen (first-year players) -- defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 68-63 Monday night in Indianapolis, Indiana to claim the 2014-15 U.S. college basketball national championship.
Tyus Jones scored 23 points and Grayson Allen added an additional 16 points to help the Blue Devils overcome a nine-point deficit early in the second half. Allen came off the bench in place of another of Duke's heralded freshmen, Jahlil Okafor, who got into foul trouble and had to sit out much of the second half. Okafor finished with 10 points.
Frank Kaminsky, the national player of the year, led the Badgers with 21 points, while teammates Nigel Hayes scored 13 points and Sam Dekker scored 12. Wisconsin advanced to the national championship game after defeating Kentucky last Saturday in the Final Four, ruining the Wildcats' hopes of completing an undefeated season.
Monday's win solidifies Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski's place as one of the greatest coaches in U.S. college basketball history. Since taking over the program in 1980, the Blue Devils have won five national championships, putting him second behind the late John Wooden, who won 10 titles at UCLA during the 1960s and 70s. The 68-year-old Kryzewski has also reached the Final Four 12 times, and has won two gold medals as coach of the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team in 2008 and 2012.
