Monday, March 14, 2005 | 9:16 a.m.
SUN WIRE SERVICES
Perhaps it is true what they say about Duke, that this is not a vintage group of blue-chip Blue Devils.
They may lack depth behind the scoring of the brilliant J.J. Redick and his sidekick at guard, Daniel Ewing, and the low-post power of Shelden Williams, a center who intimidates at each end of the floor.
But what is not to like about a 25-5 record and an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship after Sunday's 69-64 victory against Georgia Tech at the MCI Center in Washington? Duke is still Duke, a talented team many love to hate and some learn to fear.
Led by the veteran coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Devils will open the NCAA tournament seeded No. 1 in the Austin Region.
"You can expect a lot from us," Ewing said. "We believe in ourselves. So far this year, we've just been building. We'll be a typical Duke team in the tournament."
In the final, Redick led Duke with 26 points, Ewing had 15 before fouling out, and Williams was pivotal with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Williams punctuated the victory with three seconds left when he rebounded a missed free throw by Duke's David McClure and tipped the ball in to end a Yellow Jackets comeback that had cut a 13-point Duke lead to 2 with 1 minute 27 seconds left. Williams blocked six shots in all and helped hold the Jackets to 29.6 percent shooting from the field.
"There's not a better defensive player in the country," Krzyzewski said of Williams.
Big Ten
With tournament MVP James Augustine and Roger Power clogging up the middle for most of the game, the Illini built a 16-point lead and held on Sunday to beat No. 23 Wisconsin 54-43 for the Big Ten title at Chicago.
"He (Augustine) said, 'I'm so hungry, what the heck are they going to have in that room?' He really wasn't thinking about being the MVP. They're all like that. They're loose and free and very competitive," said Illinois coach Bruce Weber, who coached his second game following his mother's death Friday.
Known for its stellar guard play, Illinois' big men were a major factor in sending the Illini to a school-record 32nd win.
Now on to the NCAAs, where the overall No. 1 seed (32-1) faces Fairleigh Dickinson in the opening round Thursday at Indianapolis, a two-hour drive from Champaign.
Southeastern
Matt Walsh cut down the net, put the bundle of nylon around his neck and savored the significance of the moment. Florida had finally won the Southeastern Conference tournament -- and beating Kentucky made it even more special.
Walsh scored 26 points, including consecutive 3-pointers that sparked a stunning 21-2 run, and the Gators routed No. 4 Kentucky 70-53 at Atlanta for their first SEC tournament championship.
"We wanted to take down the champ," said Walsh, the tournament's MVP. "I can't imagine a better feeling than beating Kentucky for the championship."
Florida (23-7) had beaten the Wildcats a week earlier in the regular season finale, and this one knocked them out of contention for a No. 1 seed.
Big 12
Oklahoma State managed to withstand Texas Tech's second-half charge and the Cowboys escaped with a 72-68 victory and the Big 12 title at Kansas City, Mo.
Successfully defending their 2004 title, the Cowboys (24-6) appeared to be in control with an 11-point lead five minutes into the second half. But Texas Tech (20-10) stiffened, holding Oklahoma State to just two points over a 10 1/2-minute stretch.
The Raiders' 19-2 run, fueled by nine consecutive points from Martin Zeno, gave them a 59-53 lead with 5:19 left on a tip-in by Devonne Giles. But then John Lucas, who led the Cowboys with 19 points, pulled them together.
Lucas scored eight of OSU's final 19 points, including a 3-pointer with 1:33 left that gave the Cowboys the lead for good.
Southland
Ricky Woods scored 16 points and Southeastern Louisiana (24-8) a suffocating defense to win the Southland Conference championship game, 49-42, against Northwestern State at Natchitoches, La.
Southeastern Louisiana, the tournament's No. 2 seed, ended a 10-game winning streak for top-seeded Northwestern State (21-12) by holding the Demons to their lowest point total of the season.
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