Final Four 2015: Scores, Highlights, Top Comments and Championship Predictions

It's only fitting that in an NCAA tournament somewhat lacking in shocking upsets compared to past years, the Big Dance saved its biggest surprise for the Final Four.

The Wisconsin Badgers and Duke Blue Devils both booked their place in the national championship in Indianapolis with victories Saturday.

The Kentucky Wildcats fell two games short of perfection, losing to Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils ended the Michigan State Spartans' dream run to the semifinals. It was certainly one of the more memorable Final Four Saturdays in some time.

Final Four Recap

Duke 81, Michigan State 61

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Most have marveled at how Tom Izzo took a good Michigan State team and turned it into a great Michigan State team during the NCAA tournament. It's one of the best coaching jobs of Izzo's legendary career. Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde called this group the worst he'd taken to the Final Four:

The Spartans' magic was bound to run out at some point, and in Duke, they met a team that was simply too good and too talented. After a sluggish start to the game, the Blue Devils gained the upper hand and didn't let up.

Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow combined to score 37 points and grab 15 rebounds. Michigan State didn't have an answer underneath for Okafor, and the freshman center was able to beat the Spartans in transition. An example of that would be his one-handed jam roughly two-and-a-half minutes into the second half:

The moment at which it became readily apparent that the game was over came when Grayson Allen, who's averaging 3.9 points this year, missed a three-pointer, only to grab his own rebound and slam it home:

As a team, Duke shot 52 percent from the field and knocked down 27 of its 37 free-throw attempts. The Blue Devils are one of the best offensive teams in the country and proved exactly why Saturday.

Despite the loss, Michigan State's players refused to get too downbeat.

"I just looked at [Izzo] and said, 'I'm gonna get you here next year, coach,'" said Denzel Valentine, who is only a junior, per Mike Griffith of MLive.com. "It was a heck of a run. I'm just mad we lost because of BJ (Branden Dawson) and Trav (Travis Trice) what they've been through, and what we've been through as a team this season."

If Izzo can take the 2014-15 Spartans to the Final Four, why would anybody rule out the chance he returns next year?

Wisconsin 71, Kentucky 64

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Admit it: When Willie Cauley-Stein threw down that vicious alley-oop early in the first half, you were beginning to wonder if Kentucky would beat Wisconsin in a rout. Here's the dunk:

Somehow, the Badgers managed to overcome that 5-0 deficit and prevail. They got their revenge on the Wildcats, who knocked them out of the Final Four last year.

Frank Kaminsky continued his strong tournament, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The win was particularly sweet for the senior big man since he celebrated his birthday Saturday.

"Best birthday present I've ever had," Kaminsky said after the game, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com.

He and his teammates had some fun in the locker room, per the team's official Twitter account:

Sam Dekker also stepped up in a big way, scoring 16 points. His three-pointer with one minute and 44 seconds left gave the Badgers the lead, and they never trailed after that point. The junior forward isn't going to rest on his laurels, though:

"

One more.

— Sam Dekker (@dekker) April 5, 2015"

The mood was more melancholic in the Kentucky locker room. The Wildcats' reliance on one-and-dones means that it's impossible to know what the roster will look like in a year's time. This will also be the only shot many UK players had to win a national title.

Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal in Louisville captured some of the more compelling reactions:

Karl-Anthony Towns was also crestfallen, per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv:

"

You would do anything for your brothers. If I had to take a bullet for Willie, I would be the first one to take it. If I had to get hit by a train for Andrew, I would have to. That's not even question. It doesn't even come through my mind that I would do what I have to do for my brothers. I think that's why it hurts so much.

"

You can't definitively say that nobody in men's college basketball will ever finish with an unbeaten record in the future, but if Kentucky couldn't get it done, then it's hard seeing anybody else accomplish the feat anytime soon.

Championship Prediction

From a story perspective, it would've been nice to see Duke and Kentucky face off. The two have had some historic clashes in the NCAA tournament, and having the Blue Devils be an underdog in a national championship offered a different dynamic.

With that said, from a purely basketball perspective, Duke and Wisconsin should prove more engaging. According to KenPom.com, the Badgers and Blue Devils rank first and third, respectively, in adjusted offense.

The difference between the two is small, which Fox Sports 1's Clay Travis believes is a rarity at this stage of the season:

If the game comes down to which team has the better offense, the Badgers get the slight edge. When you watch them live, they don't look to be all that effective. And then you see the numbers after the game and understand how efficiently they score.

Wisconsin will bleed out the clock, slow the game down and hammer the Blue Devils with body blows. The Badgers won't win beautifully, but they'll get the job done.