Just what the doctor ordered—Duke's Matt Jones and Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig

INDIANAPOLIS—Coming in the form of two much-improved sophomores, a pair of January losses ended up being addition by subtraction for the Blue Devils and Badgers.

Despite entering the title game with just a combined five losses, both Wisconsin and Duke have had their fair share of trials and setbacks this season. But part of the reason that the two are the last teams standing in the Big Dance is because when Matt Jones and Bronson Koenig were called upon to step into starting roles, they did so seamlessly.

“The upperclassmen did a really good job of putting their trust in me, teaching me how to play under Coach Ryan, and [playing] in the Wisconsin system," Koenig said. "I’m really thankful for guys like Josh Gasser and Traevon [Jackson] for just helping me out along the way to help me develop into the player that I am now.”

When starting Wisconsin point guard Traevon Jackson went down with a broken foot in a 67-65 upset loss to Rutger Jan. 11, many questioned whether the Badgers could continue to be elite. Jackson, though not as consistent as center Frank Kaminsky or forward Sam Dekker, had still been an explosive threat for Wisconsin—he dropped a career-high 25 points against Duke—and was a commanding veteran presence.

After the Blue Devils lost on the road to Notre Dame Jan. 28, they announced the next day that guard Rasheed Sulaimon had been dismissed from the team. This came just a month after forward Semi Ojeleye elected to transfer, leaving Duke with eight remaining scholarship players.

Both teams were low on options at a crucial time in conference play, but luckily for Wisconsin and Duke, Bronson Koenig and Matt Jones were not low on confidence.

The man set to replace Jackson—Koenig—was a sophomore out of La Crosse, Wis. The 6-foot-4 guard had played roughly 20 minutes per game for Wisconsin up to that point in his second campaign but had never really taken over the game on his own. With Jackson out, the ball handling duties fell to the freshman, and he delivered.

During the 19-game stretch in which Jackson was gone, Koenig stepped up to the plate—playing at least 30 minutes in all but two games—and was a key cog as the Badgers went 18-1 in those contests, putting up 9.9 points and 2.1 assists per game in Big Ten play.

Koenig really picked it up on offense in the final four games prior to the NCAA tournament—three of which were Big Ten tournament contests—averaging 16.0 points during the stretch to head into the Big Dance with momentum. After failing to hit double digits in the first three games of the tournament, Koenig finally broke through and dropped 12 points in the Final Four win against previously-undefeated Kentucky.

"I've been struggling with my shot a little recently," Koenig said. "So it was great to get back to Madison and get a couple days of rest and recuperate and it felt pretty great [Saturday]."

Jones entered the season off what can be described at best as a disappointing rookie campaign. The DeSoto, Texas, native came to Durham in the 2013-14 season being heralded as the next great shooter at Duke but shot just 14.3 percent from long range and averaged 1.8 points per game.

This season, though, Jones has stepped things up, as he is shooting 38.0 percent from downtown and since the Notre Dame loss has averaged 7.7 points per game. But that is not where his effect is felt most. Jones has been Duke's top one-on-one perimeter defender and is often put on the opposition's best shooter, making his mark with consistent defense and hustle plays as games wear on..

Against the Badgers Monday, he will likely be matched up against either Nigel Hayes or Sam Dekker, both of whom outsize the 6-foot-5 Blue Devil guard. But what he lacks in size, Jones has made up for in gritty defensive play, as he often draws charges and comes up with steals—he has eight already in the tournament.

Heading into Monday's title game, the Blue Devil guard will once again face the task of shutting down a team that boasts one of the nation's top backcourts.

"We're just going to try to minimize their talent in as many ways as we can," Jones said. "If we can bring a lot of energy and intensity to the defensive end, we should be okay."

Jackson has returned for Wisconsin, but Koenig has remained the starter for the Badgers. Jones has moved from a reserve to a starter since a Feb. 21 win at Clemson. Although neither player has dominated the tournament in the vein of Sam Dekker or Jahlil Okafor, look for both guards in Monday's title game to keep on doing what they do best—stepping up when their teams need them most.