Evers picks Wisconsin to defeat Duke for NCAA championship

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers says Wisconsin will somehow beat Duke to win the NCAA men’s basketball championship.

Evers, a Wisconsin alumnus, issued a news release Thursday predicting Wisconsin, Duke, Texas Tech and North Carolina will reach the Final Four. He predicts Badgers big man Ethan Happ will draw so much defensive attention that other Wisconsin shooters will get open shots.

Wisconsin is 23-10 and faces Oregon in the first round Friday. Duke, a perennial college basketball powerhouse, is 29-5 and boasts freshman phenom Zion Williamson, a potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft in June.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has picked Wisconsin, Marquette, Kansas and Maryland to advance to the Final Four. He thinks Kansas will beat Maryland in the championship.

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