Strange, but true: Geographic connections between Duke's Final Four runs

HOUSTON—Duke's triumph in the South Regional final wasn't quite déjà vú, but it definitely had an air of familiarity.

The Blue Devils triumphed against second-seeded Gonzaga 66-52 Sunday, earning a trip to Indianapolis for the Final Four. The last time Duke won a national championship, five years ago, the Blue Devils won the South Regional in Houston before advancing to Indianapolis and topping upset-minded Butler.

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This isn't the first case of repetition in Duke's NCAA tournament past. The Blue Devils' first-ever national championship in 1991 also came in Indianapolis. Duke's national championships in 1992 and 2001 were both in Minneapolis by way of the East Regional in Philadelphia and first round games in Greensboro, N.C.

Nobody knows what it is, but there's something about cities ending in -apolis that ties into Duke cutting down the nets in March. So if next year's Final Four does by chance end up being "in the Annapolis" like Charles Barkley mistakenly thought, the Blue Devils could be in luck.

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