HOUSTON — A special group of freshmen is taking Duke and Coach K back to the NCAA Final Four.
The Blue Devils and their trio of freshmen starters are going to their 16th Final Four, a record-matching 12th for coach Mike Krzyzewski, after a 66-52 win Sunday in the South Regional over Gonzaga.
Justise Winslow, the freshman playing home in Houston, had 16 points, including a big 3-pointer in the closing minutes. Matt Jones had also had 16 points while freshman Tyus Jones had 15 points, while Jahlil Okafor nine points and eight rebounds.
Duke (33-4), the region’s No. 1 seed, is going to Indianapolis to play Michigan State in the Final Four. The other national semifinal game Saturday matches undefeated Kentucky and Wisconsin.
Krzyzewski will match UCLA’s John Wooden for the most Final Four appearances by a head coach and five more than anyone else.
No. 2 seed Gonzaga (35-3) had taken a 38-34 lead less than four minutes into the second half, putting the Blue Devils in their largest deficit of this tournament.
These young Blue Devils responded with nine consecutive points and never trailed again. They had stretched it to 60-51 when Winslow made a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2:28 left.
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