Arizona, Duke to Face Off in NCAA Championship
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the Final Four frenzy got out of hand in College Park, Maryland overnight. Disappointed Terrapin fans set several fires on the University of Maryland campus. One of the fires knocked out power to thousands of cable customers. Police say one person was hurt, but no one was arrested. Duke beat Maryland 95 to 84 yesterday in the NCAA semi-final action. Now, with Duke's win over Maryland and Arizona's win over Michigan State, the scene is now set for the Final Two. CNNSI's Larry Smith is Minneapolis on more on how the Final Four were whittled down. Larry, are you having a good time.</s>LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, we're having a ball. It's been a great tournament so far. A little colder than what I would like, but it's Minneapolis in March, so what can you do.</s>SMITH (voice-over): But, still, they've talked about it being a classic final four, and that it has been so far. As you mentioned, Duke and Arizona both getting big wins last night to move on to tomorrow nights championship game, but both wins coming in different styles. Duke fell behind 22 points in the first half to ACC rival, Maryland. But then overcame the biggest half-time deficit in national semi-final history. All American Shane Battier and Jason Williams combining to score 34 of their 48 points in the second-half to dig out of an 11 point half-time hole and get the win.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really ironic that in the four games each team that's won the game has come down from double-digits and that was in the back of my mind. We were down by 20 and I was hoping to continue that trend.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think our team this year proves some things to our university, to our state, where we can be as a basketball program, and we're going to try and go from here.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've had some teams with heart that, this one is right there. You know, we've won a lot of games like this. Not with being behind, but making big plays.</s>SMITH: Mike Kryzewski now 7 and 2 in NCAA tournaments semi- final, national semi-final play. Meanwhile, Arizona stymied defending champion Michigan State with an incredible defensive run in the first game. 12 steals, 15 forced turnovers, to run away with an 80 to 61 win and end the Spartan's 10 game win streak in NCAA tournament play.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think our changing up with our defense, I think, bothered them. They're a team that once they get into rhythm, they're awfully good. And we changed up from man-in-zone and tried to keep them off balance.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our senior class has had an incredible journey and I don't want one game to mar that. I do give Arizona a lot of credit, and let I, you're talking to a guy who is totally confused on what happened to us.</s>SMITH: That was quite a game last night. So, Arizona versus Duke. The coaches, Lute Olson versus Mike Krzyzewski. And you talk about classic, how's this for classic. The last time that two coaches who both already had championship rings met with another ring on the line was 1993 when Dean Smith of North Carolina beat Michigan's Steve Fisher. Should be a great match-up for Monday night.</s>PHILLIPS: Alright, Larry, thanks. Bundle up. Get inside and shoot some hoops and warm up, OK?</s>SMITH: OK.</s>PHILLIPS: Larry Smith, thanks so much. Well, let's get a preview now of this men's championship game set for Monday, and maybe a prediction. David Scott joins us from Minneapolis. He's editor of "The Basketball Times," the Bible of what's going on in basketball for the coaches and players. Good morning, David.</s>DAVID SCOTT, "THE BASKETBALL TIMES": Good morning, Kyra. How you doing?</s>PHILLIPS: I'm doing alright.</s>SCOTT: March madness striking you in Atlanta as well?</s>PHILLIPS: I'm definitely, I'm starting to feel it. You can't help it, right?</s>SCOTT: I think so. Absolutely.</s>PHILLIPS: My mom sent me a Final Four pin. So, you know, she told me to wear it. I'm holding on to it.</s>SCOTT: Wow. Wear it with pride.</s>PHILLIPS: There you go. Let's talk about Duke and Arizona. Arizona here, definitely on an emotional mission. Coach Lute Olson losing his wife -- there's sort of some special meaning going on here, isn't there?</s>SCOTT: Yes, there really is, Kyra; and it's a story that, certainly, the nation has latched onto. And you never want to have something like this overshadow an event as special as the Final Four, but I think Lute Olson losing Bobbi in the -- towards the beginning of the season really had an effect on this team and, in a strange way, brought them closer together as a family. And I think we;re seeing the results of that now.</s>PHILLIPS: Wow; and Larry Smith was telling us about the billboards that said "Four Bobbi" -- "</s>F-O-U-R." SCOTT: Yes it's really special how everybody's kind of embraced this team and it's really a special match up because Dike has certainly been America's team for many years now, with coach Krzyzewski ad what he's been able to build there. But I think a lot of America will be pulling for the Wildcats tomorrow night.</s>PHILLIPS: All right; well then we have Duke -- a lot of tradition with this team. Is that going to be an advantage here?</s>SCOTT: Well, in a one-game situation, I'm not sure that tradition really matters, but certainly the Duke players having the experience and having been there just two years ago, and some of them still having a chip on their shoulder for a game where coach Mike Krzyzewski surprisingly got out-coached by Jim Calhoun two years ago when the Connecticut Huskies surprisingly won the championship. And I think coach Kay (ph) has something to prove, as well -- that that was just a fluke.</s>PHILLIPS: And he's got his All-American Shane Battier. Well, what's your call, before we let you go?</s>SCOTT: I think I've got to go with Arizona. I've been on their bandwagon for a while, and I love the emotional story that it's brought to the Final Four. And I think if you have half a heart, you have to root for Lute Olson.</s>PHILLIPS: David Scott, thank you, sir.</s>SCOTT: Thanks, Kyra; great to see you again.</s>PHILLIPS: Good to see you, too.