Duke's Triumph: A Look Back at the 2001 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship
The 2001 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was a memorable event, filled with upsets and unforgettable moments, culminating in Duke University's victory over the University of Arizona. This tournament, featuring 65 teams for the first time, showcased the excitement and unpredictability of college basketball.
Tournament Structure and Key Changes
The 2001 tournament marked a structural change with the Mountain West Conference receiving an automatic bid, expanding the field to 65 teams. To accommodate this, the NCAA introduced a play-in game between the two lowest-ranked teams. The winner advanced to face a #1 seed in the first round. This tournament also represented the conclusion of an era, as it was the last time the first- and second-round sites were tied to specific regionals.
Memorable Upsets and Surprises
The tournament was notable for several upsets, particularly in the early rounds. Several lower-seeded teams defied expectations, advancing further than anticipated.
Hampton's Historic Victory: The most significant upset occurred when #15 seed Hampton University defeated #2 seed Iowa State 58-57 in the first round. Overcoming an 11-point deficit, Hampton outscored Iowa State 10-0 in the final seven minutes, with Tarvis Williams hitting the game-winning shot. This victory marked only the fourth time a #15 seed had won a game since the tournament expanded in 1985, and the first since 1997.
Temple's Elite Eight Run: As an #11 seed, Temple University made a remarkable run to the Elite Eight, upsetting #6 Texas and #3 Florida along the way. Temple became just the third #11 seed to reach the Elite Eight since the tournament's expansion.
Gonzaga's Sweet Sixteen Appearance: #12 seed Gonzaga continued their tournament success, reaching the Sweet Sixteen for the third consecutive year as a double-digit seed.
These upsets contributed to the tournament's excitement and demonstrated the potential for any team to make a deep run, regardless of their seeding.
The Final Four Showdown
The Final Four featured compelling matchups, with Duke facing off against Maryland and Arizona taking on Michigan State.
Duke vs. Maryland: In a highly anticipated contest, ACC rivals Duke and Maryland met for the fourth time. After Duke won 84-82 in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Atlanta en route to winning the tournament, Maryland jumped to an early 39-17 lead. Duke, however, rallied to cut the lead to 49-38 at halftime. Led by senior Shane Battier, Duke completed the comeback, securing a 95-84 victory and a spot in the championship game. Jason Williams drained a three to give Duke the lead 73-72 with 6:48 to play.
Arizona vs. Michigan State: Arizona faced defending national champion Michigan State. The game was close at halftime with Arizona leading by just 2.. Arizona blew out defending national champion Michigan State.
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The Championship Game: Duke vs. Arizona
The championship game pitted Duke against Arizona. The second-ranked team coming into the NCAA tournament would leave giving coach Mike Krzyzewski his third National Championship at Duke. Arizona cut Duke's lead to 39-37 early in the second half, but Mike Dunleavy Jr. connected on three three-pointers during an 11-2 Duke run. Dunleavy Jr. led the Duke Blue Devils with 21 points. The Arizona Wildcats would cut the gap to 3 four times, twice inside the four-minute TV timeout. However, Shane Battier proved himself too much for the Wildcats to handle as he hit two critical shots to put the Blue Devils comfortably ahead. Jason Williams, despite a poor shooting night, iced the game with a three-pointer from the top of the key with under 2 minutes to play to give Duke an eight-point lead. Duke defeated Arizona 82-72 in the national championship game to win their third national title and first since 1992.
Key Players and Performances
Several players delivered outstanding performances throughout the tournament. Shane Battier's leadership and clutch shots were crucial to Duke's success. Mike Dunleavy Jr. 's sharp shooting also helped propel Duke to victory.
Catholic University's Division III Championship
While the Division I tournament captivated the nation, Catholic University (CUA) achieved its own basketball glory by winning the NCAA Division III Championship.
The Championship Game
The game attracted 3,317 fans to Salem Civic Center and was televised live by Fox Sports South. Andy Rice led the 14th-ranked Cardinals (28-5) with 17 points, five assists and two steals. Pat Maloney, named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, had 16 points and a team-high five rebounds. Tim Judge added 12 points and two steals. For the fifth straight playoff game, the Cardinals found themselves trailing in the final 10 minutes, this time 48-45 on a Jenkins jumper with 8:59 remaining. Judge pushed the lead to five a minute later with a steal and layup.
Key Players and Moments
Pat Maloney's performance in the Final Four earned him the Most Outstanding Player award. In the championship game, Maloney had 16 points and a team-high five rebounds. Andy Rice contributed 17 points, five assists, and two steals. Tim Judge added 12 points and two steals, including a crucial steal and layup. Maloney got the ball on a pass from Rice right in front of the Cards' bench with the shot clock under five seconds. "The shot clock was winding down and I think everyone thought Rice was going to (drive) to the basket," said Maloney, CUA's sixth all-time scoring leader (1,648 points). "But he passed it to me, I got squared and just let it go. The Cardinals then hit 11 consecutive free throws to finish 32 of 42 (76.2 %) from the line.
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Overcoming Adversity
Sorrow and tragedy also marked the season. Sophomore Brian Meyer's 17-year-old sister, Lindsay, died of cystic fibrosis in late January a few weeks after receiving a lung transplant from each of her parents. Moreover, Rice, Hartman, Maloney and Judge were still grappling with the memory of losing housemate Anthony Bottoni, who wore No.
Coach's Perspective
"What you saw today was the true meaning of a team," Lonergan said. "We might not have the best players in the country, we might not have the best coaches in the country, but our guys have stuck together, especially our senior class. "It's a great feeling to win the national championship, especially with what our players have been through," Lonergan said. "I believe in God, but I don't believe God chooses who wins and loses and all that stuff. But to see the scoreboard with No. 76 up there and it being St. Patrick's Day, I don't know, …
Opposing Team's View
Horace Jenkins scored a game-high 21 points for No. 11 William Paterson (26-5), which lost in the playoffs to CUA for the second consecutive year. Jenkins, the only Division III player invited to this year's NBA pre-draft camp in Portsmouth, Va., finished just 7 of 25 from the field, including a dismal 1-for-12 from three-point range. "Catholic did a good job of defending me," said Jenkins, who was held to a season-low 12 points last year against CUA on 4-for-19 shooting. "They knew what I wanted to do. I never got a good look.
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