CBS has to be breathing a sigh of relief after Sunday's games.
Can you imagine a Final Four that would have featured Butler, Baylor, West Virginia and Tennessee? It would have been a ratings nightmare for CBS and the NCAA, which is trying to renegotiate its TV contract for the tournament.
Now, Duke will provide one of the biggest national TV draws, and Michigan State will attract strong viewership in the Midwest.
Duke might be the only college basketball team this season to play in front of a current and former U.S. president.
George H.W. Bush attended Sunday's game, sitting immediately behind press row, a few rows behind Duke's bench. President Barack Obama attended Duke's Jan. 30 loss to Georgetown in Washington.
In one of Duke's biggest rebounding challenges of the season, big performances by seniors Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas helped the Blue Devils gain a 43-37 edge over a huge, tough Baylor team.
Zoubek and Thomas grabbed nine rebounds each. Two of Thomas' rebounds in the final four minutes led immediately to a total of six Duke points.
The significance of a charge Zoubek drew on Quincy Acy with 4 minutes, 37 seconds remaining might be forgotten after the way Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer made important 3-point shots down the stretch.
But if Zoubek hadn't drawn that charge, Acy's basket would have put Baylor ahead by four points. Not surprisingly, the call was extremely unpopular with the primarily pro-Baylor crowd.
Ken Tysiac
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Dave Harding, 10 of his fellow Duke offensive linemen and a strength coach went to Ethiopia in part to help construct wells where international organizations estimate that 76 percent of the eastern African country does not have access to clean water. The trip was something close to an unqualified success. 
N.C. State pitcher Carlos Rodon keeps winning. The freshman from Holly Springs won nine games during the regular season and two ACC awards on Monday. 
For winning the national title in 2010, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski received a $2.5 million raise, boosting his total compensation by 54 percent to more than $7.2 million. 
The Blue Devils program capped a tumultuous start to the offseason with a recruiting coup and optimism about a strong returning lineup. 
League commissioner John Swofford announced Wednesday that when Syracuse and Pittsburgh join the ACC, the expanded bracket will include two opening games featuring the regular season’s bottom four teams. The ACC also sorted out a format for a nine-game conference football schedule at its annual spring meetings. 
The McDonald’s All-American recruit announces his intent to play for the Blue Devils, passing on offers from the Wolfpack, Kentucky, Ohio State and Villanova. 
The build-up to Amile Jefferson’s college decision, picking Duke over N.C. State and others, may create unrealistic expectations for the 6-foot-8 forward next fall. The Blue Devils, who badly needed him, will be happy to deal with that problem. Keep up with the latest sports stories with our free e-mail newsletters, delivered to your inbox!
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