INDIANAPOLIS—Duke defeated Michigan State 81-71 Saturday to send the Blue Devils to the national championship game behind a dominant 18-point performance from Jahlil Okafor.
The day before, though, it was announced at Wisconsin's Final Four press conference that center Frank Kaminsky had won the AP Player of the Year award by a landslide, garnering 58 of 65 votes. Of the remaining seven votes, Okafor pulled in five.
Following the game, before writers were let into the Duke locker room, Okafor's father, Chucky Okafor, and uncle, Emeka Okafor, stood outside letting the AP voters in the crowd what they thought of their decision to cast just five votes for the future NBA lottery pick.
Asked about it after the game, Jahlil Okafor laughed and said the voting did not really affect him, but that he knew his family had his back.
"They don’t talk to me about none of that stuff," Okafor said. "I know they’re just happy we won. That’s my family. That’s my dad. He’s my biggest fan and biggest supporter. He thinks very highly of me."
Ultimately, the voting will not matter, as Okafor is all-but-guaranteed to be the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in this year's NBA draft and was on the winning side of a 20-point blowout in the Final Four.
And with a spot locked up in the national title game, even Emeka Okafor couldn't stay mad for long. Later on—quoting Drake—he would say it best:
"Waaayyyyy up, I feel blessed!"
The Okafors will have one last chance to cheer on the standout center this season, as Duke will tip off against the winner of the Wisconsin-Kentucky semifinal Monday at 9:18 p.m.
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