Tudor's take: Counting chickens

INDIANAPOLIS -- As Duke went through Sunday’s Final Four ritual of media interviews, it was easy to draw some comparisons to 1983 and N.C. State.

Against Butler (33-4) on Monday in the NCAA title game at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Blue Devils (34-5) have been made a 7-point favorite.

There’s a feeling, even among some Butler faithful, that a minor miracle would be needed for Duke to lose.

It’s much the same talk that marked State’s ’83 bid against mighty Houston in Albuquerque, N.M. Almost no one gave Jim Valvano’s team a chance.

The Wolfpack won it 54-52, and it did take a minor miracle at the end when Lorenzo Charles turned a Dereck Whittenburg air ball into the winning basketball. That game still rates among the most shocking in NCAA history.

But no one has a better appreciation of basketball history than Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was good friend of Valvano. You can bet Duke’s players will be reminded of that night in New Mexico at least a couple of times before they take on Butler.

Duke’s players made certain Sunday not claim the trophy early, something Houston’s players flirted with doing the day before they faced State.

“They play as hard as anyone and this is going to be a hard game, very hard,” Duke forward Lance Thomas said.

Kyle Singler: “We completely respect Butler. No one on our team is going to overlook them at all.”

The last huge championship game upset was Villanova over Georgetown in 1985 at Lexington, Ky. The Hoyas were favored by eight, but the situation was different from Butler-Duke and State-Houston.

Villanova and Georgetown, both Big East teams, were totally familiar with each other.

“We had the advantage of scouting them several times in regular season,” Villanova coach Rollie Massimino said shortly before Butler’s win over Michigan State in Saturday’s semifinal round.

State was able to surprise Houston in 1983 by using Thurl Bailey to attack the baseline early in the game. When Houston made defensive adjustments, the Pack turned to its dependable perimeter shooting.

Defensively, Valvano seldom gave the Cougars the same look on three straight possessions. Houston was uncomfortable throughout and never generated any offensive momentum.

Butler could beat Duke, but it will not be the result of surprise tactics. Krzyzewski will have his players prepared for everything Butler has done during and before the tournament.

-- Caulton Tudor, staff columnist