The key three: Duke basketball vs. Louisville

And just like it was supposed to, the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game is down to the two highest ranked teams in the bracket. The No. 5 Blue Devils will face No. 2 Louisville in the finals at 9:30 p.m. in the first matchup between Mike Krzyzewski and Rick Pitino since the Christian Laettner's "The Shot" propelled Duke to a 104-103 victory and a Final Four berth.

Here are the three keys to tonight's action:

What's Curry's "gait" like?

Krzyzewski pulled Seth Curry, who has been limited all season with a nagging leg injury, early in Duke's game vs. VCU because he didn't have the "right gait," in Coach K's words. Curry came back and rallied for a 15-point performance, but it was on 3-of-9 shooting. Overall, Curry hasn't put together two strong back-to-back performances this season. He led the Blue Devils in their wins vs. Kentucky and Minnesota, but has been much less of a factor in the other three. Three games in three days is a tough feat for anybody, not to mention somebody who is not in top-notch shape due to limited practice time and the injury. Curry's ability to bounce back and grind out a strong 30-minute effort is crucial.

Updated: Mason gets a break

Mason Plumlee faced his first big test of the season in the Blue Devils' contest against Kentucky, and he thrived, particularly in the first half, when he scored 14 of his 18 points. Battling against Nerlens Noel, Plumlee made 7-of-8 field goals, but also only grabbed three boards. Plumlee was supposed to have another difficult matchup tonight against Louisville, but a recent injury will keep one of the Cardinals' top big men out of action in tonight's contest. Gorgui Dieng, a 6-foot-10 physical specimen who would have been among the strongest post players Plumlee could see all season, will not play due to a wrist injury. Plumlee is amid a breakout season—he's averaging 20.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.0 BPG and is making 68.6% of his field goals and 80.0% of his free throws. Now that Pitino's No. 1 option to defend Plumlee is out, he'll have to take advantage on the inside for Duke.

Who is the top floor general?

Quinn Cook has come into his own as Duke's starting point guard, recording nine assists in two of Duke's last three games. But the sophomore could learn a lot from Cardinal senior point guard Peyton Siva, who averages 8.6 points and 6.8 assists per game in this young season. Siva is a true leader on the floor and makes up for his subpar shooting abilities with his precision in leading the offense. Cook has more potential as a scorer than Siva, but does not lead on the floor yet the way Siva does. Both are undersized guards—both listed at 6-foot-0—and could lead their team to victory by running the offense effectively.