Roundtable: Duke or Wisconsin?

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) dribbles past Kentucky Wildcats forward Karl-Anthony Towns (12) in the first half of the 2015 NCAA Men

How shocked are you that Kentucky lost?

Stephen Shepperd (@ShepHoops): It appears to be the popular thing to say that that they saw this loss coming for Kentucky for the past week. Wisconsin has been my favorite team to watch all season long, but after seeing how UK pulled off a W no matter how bleak it looked at the end of games this year, I felt you had to ride the Wildcats until proven wrong. “Shocked” is a word that not too many people are using after the Badgers ended the run towards perfection, but it doesn’t mean that it was expected.

Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck): I was certainly surprised, but it wasn’t a complete stunner. Wisconsin is a very good team that had a ton of motivation to be the team to slay Kentucky, and the Wildcats had a tendency to get into treacherous situations all season. The difference between Saturday night’s game and their other brushes with defeat was their inability to close it out. It took an excellent performance from a motivated, talented team to overcome Kentucky — no shame in that.

Andrew Ford (@AndrewFord): After the historical season Kentucky had, it’s hard not to be at least a little surprised by the loss to Wisconsin. However, the Wildcats played several close games this season against teams not nearly as good as the Badgers which led me to believe they were beatable. Wisconsin’s talented, veteran roster was always going to be a tough out, and they executed flawlessly against Kentucky.

Chris Stone (@cstonehoops): Shocked isn’t the right adjective for me. A little surprised seems more apt. Sure, there were shocking moments like Kentucky’s multiple shot clock violations late in the game, but after Kentucky struggled to slow down Notre Dame’s offense in the Elite Eight, it became clear that spreading the floor was an effective tactic against the Wildcats. Wisconsin–with better players than the Irish–was able to do so with incredible efficiency, scoring 1.22 points per possession on Saturday.

Who’s going to win: Wisconsin or Duke?

Stephen Shepperd (@ShepHoops): This is shaping out to be Wisconsin’s year. Dekker, Kaminksy, and Hayes will go down as legends in Madison no matter what the box score says at the end of the game, but I don’t foresee their story ending going down in the championship game. Duke has been a solid squad throughout the tournament, but their road hasn’t been as tough as Wisconsin’s, nor as exciting. Bo Ryan’s guys have the look in their eyes that says “Losing is not an option.”

Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck): I’m inclined to say neither, because I’m in denial that two coaches I loathe for different reasons are in the title game. Wisconsin already slayed the giant, but I think I’m betting on Duke in this one. Winslow has been the best player in the tournament for my money, which makes Jahlil Okafor’s job a little bit easier and opens up a ton of things for the rest of the team. I think it’s close either way, but I’ll give the Dukies a slight edge.

Andrew Ford (@AndrewFord): Wisconsin. I have already picked against the Badgers multiple times during the tournament, so I feel like I owe it to them. Both teams possess experience, but Duke is carried by youth. I think Wisconsin’s veterans give it the edge, because they have literally been there, done that.

Chris Stone (@cstonehoops): I’m going with Wisconsin. The combination of Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky during this tournament run has been incredible. I expect them to pull off one more great performance against Duke in the final despite the fact that the Blue Devils got the better of them earlier this season. Remember, Dekker was limited by an ankle injury in the first meeting.

Which matchup are you looking forward to more: Winslow vs. Dekker or Kaminsky vs. Okafor?

Stephen Shepperd (@ShepHoops): Dekker has been an amazing go-to guy for the Badgers so far in the tournament, but I think that Wisconsin relies on Kaminsky to finish off this impressive run. I’m excited to see Frank stretch Okafor out towards the perimeter more than most players do. I think this game could be huge for Okafor, in the eyes of NBA scouts, as he is tested with a more athletic big man who can knock down shots when he wants to. Jahlil’s pro defensive potential will either be exposed or reaffirmed in this championship game.

Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck): Okafor vs. Kaminsky, easily. I’ve written about my concern with Okafor’s defense heading into the league, and I think Kaminsky will be a solid challenge for him to overcome on that end. I would imagine Coach K will try to avoid having Okafor chasing him around the perimeter — that would end poorly — but dealing with an NBA-caliber player who can step out and hit jumpers is a big test for Okafor. I think the game hinges on how this battle goes.

Andrew Ford (@AndrewFord): Winslow vs. Dekker. Despite a tremendous tournament, Dekker must continue to prove himself. Questions remain about his ability to get to the rim in different ways than just bullying his way there, and Winslow will give him his stiffest test yet. Both guys are great defenders who might end up cancelling each other out, but it will certainly be an intense battle. If Dekker has a great game against Winslow leading Wisconsin to victory, his stock will be through the roof.

Chris Stone (@cstonehoops): I’m going to give a really slight edge to Winslow vs. Dekker. Certainly Okafor and Kaminsky will put on a show, but Winslow and Dekker have been two of the top five players in the tournament so far. I don’t think we can say the same about Okafor and Kaminsky after the former’s lackluster performances against Utah and Gonzaga. Dekker has the chance to send his draft stock soaring even higher as he faces off with one of the better defenders in college basketball.