NOTES : In the Final, Duke Will See Michigan’s Kids Have Grown Up

The NCAA tournament final between Michigan and defending champion Duke on Monday night at the Metrodome is a rematch of a game won by Duke in overtime, 88-85, last Dec. 14 at Ann Arbor, Mich.

The top-ranked Blue Devils didn’t seem too surprised that Michigan had made it this far, despite the Wolverines’ youth.

After their first meeting, Duke’s Grant Hill said that Michigan was more athletically gifted than the Nevada Las Vegas team that was unbeaten last season before losing to Duke at the Final Four.

“Potentially, they could be better than UNLV,” Hill said Saturday after the Blue Devils defeated Indiana, 81-78, in the semifinals. “One thing Vegas had was experience. But talent-wise, (Michigan is) amazing. And the fact that they’re (mostly) freshmen is even more amazing.”

Duke was warned four months ago about the Wolverines’ ability.

“Coach (Mike Krzyzewski) told us they could be the most talented team we’d play all year, and Coach is usually not wrong,” Hill said. “We knew that even if we played well, they could still beat us.”

They came close.

The Wolverines overcame a 17-point deficit and led by five points with less than two minutes to play in regulation before Duke point guard Bobby Hurley made a three-point shot and, after a free throw by Michigan, added three free throws to send the game into overtime.

Hurley led Duke with 26 points, a personal best matched Saturday. Christian Laettner scored 24 points for the Blue Devils, with Grant Hill adding 16 and Brian Davis 12.

Michigan freshman Chris Webber scored 27 points and took 12 rebounds, making 11 of 15 shots before fouling out in overtime. Jalen Rose added 18 points, Jimmy King scored 15 and James Voskuil scored 11.

Davis has kept an eye on the Wolverines ever since.

“It’s intriguing to see five freshmen play so well, especially in the (NCAA) tournament,” Davis said. “And they’re very confident. They’re just very interesting to watch on the court. They have a lot of fun.”

Bryan Burwell of the Detroit News reported this week that Laettner spent much of that first game chattering away at Webber, challenging the freshman by saying: “Come on rookie, let me see what you can do.”

At one point, Webber threw down a vicious dunk and, as the players ran back down to the other end of the floor, glared at Laettner and said, “You just got dunked on on national TV . . . by . . . a . . . rookie .”

Webber is no fan of Laettner.

“We are nothing alike off the court,” he told Burwell. “ Nothing alike . He’s totally arrogant. Everything about him is that way. But on the court, we are alike in our competitiveness. I will admit that.”

The floor being used at the Metrodome this weekend was built for the Final Four.

After Monday night’s championship game, it will be taken apart, repainted and moved to a new arena that is being built on the campus at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del.

The floor from last year’s Final Four at Indianapolis was sold to an Iowa company that cut it up and sold the pieces as souvenirs.