MINNEAPOLIS — Before a game was played this season, Arizona and Duke were considered the best teams in the country.

After more than 4,500 regular-season games and another 63 in the NCAA tournament, the season ends Monday night with those two teams playing for the national championship.

"It's fitting, I think, that the two best teams are meeting to play for the national championship. That's the way it should be," Duke forward Shane Battier said Sunday. "The true champions should have to beat the best teams."

This is the fourth time the top two teams in the preseason poll, which started in 1961-62, have met in the title game. Each of the three previous meetings were won by the team ranked second.

So, the historical edge goes to Duke, which was No. 2 in the preseason but comes into this game ranked No. 1, the third straight season the Blue Devils (34-4) held the top spot entering the tournament.

Arizona (28-7) was fifth in the final poll, but the Wildcats know something about beating the best teams. When they won their only title in 1997, they became the first team to beat three No. 1 seeds in a tournament.

Their last two wins have been over No. 1 seeds Illinois and Michigan State and now comes Duke, a No. 1 seed for the fourth straight year.

"I think it's something that should be done if you're going to win the thing," Arizona coach Lute Olson said. "You should have to go through the best teams to do it."

Duke went through this city to win its last national championship. In 1992, the Blue Devils became the first team to repeat since the UCLA dynasty of the 1970s with a 20-point win over Michigan.

Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has a chance to join his college coach, Bob Knight, in third place on the career list with three titles. John Wooden won 10 at UCLA and Adolph Rupp won four at Kentucky.

"It's a different team each time, different kids," said Krzyzewski, entering his seventh national championship game. "The fact that I've been here, or I'm sure Lute would say the same thing, you kind of live the season through the kids on your team, which is what makes it exciting."

Olson, who won his only championship game with that 1997 Arizona team, would become the oldest coach to win it all. He is 66 1/2, two months older than Phog Allen was when Kansas won it all in 1952.

Arizona has one game left in its emotional season. Olson's wife of 40 years, Bobbi, died of cancer on Jan. 1.

"As far as this team is concerned from the very start of the year, their focus has been on getting to this Monday night game and having a chance to win the national championship," Olson said.

"There have been some difficult times along the way, which I think have been documented enough. I just think when you're having a chance to play for the national title, it's a special situation and I think we've looked at that from the start."

Both teams expect to be at full strength despite some injuries Saturday.

View Comments

Arizona guard Gilbert Arenas, the Wildcats' leading scorer at 16.3 points a game, was being treated Sunday morning after taking a shot to the chest in the 80-61 win over Michigan State.

"He should be able to play. We don't envision any problems with it," Olson said. "He had it X-rayed immediately and that's why he came back on to the court as soon as he did."

Duke starting guard Chris Duhon was involved in a violent collision with Maryland's Steve Blake late in the Blue Devils' 95-84 win, striking his head on the floor. He was helped to the locker room but returned to play in the final minute.

"My head still hurts," he said Sunday. "I'm not feeling any signs of dizziness or anything like that. Hopefully, I'll take some Tylenol and be ready to go at it."

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.