Arizona 93, Duke 77 -- Upset city

They're too young. They're too inexperienced. They're too small. Derrick Williams is their only offensive weapon. 

Duke's too good. Coach K is too seasoned. Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving are too much for Arizona's guards to handle.

That's all the Wildcats have heard over the last few days. 

What is there to possibly criticize now?

Arizona's near-flawless 93-77 Sweet 16 upset over defending national champion Duke made every critic eat his words.

Behind Derrick Williams' Superman-like 32 points, 13 rebounds and five triples, the Wildcats played like like a group of seniors, not sophomores and juniors.

They weren't fazed by the fact that only three players on the roster had NCAA Tournament experience, while Duke is fresh off a national championship. 

The WIldcats played with poise and grit as they stomped the Blue Devils to move the Elite 8 -- where they will take on UCONN -- for the first time since 2003. 

Everything went right for Arizona, and the Wildcats earned every part of this upset victory. After combining to score only 13 points in the first half, everyone not named D-Will came to play in the second half as the role players ultimately combined for 61 of Arizona's 93 points. 

Momo Jones nearly matched the play of Irving and Smith, leading a sprited second-half comeback and finishing with 16 points, six assists and zero turnovers against Duke's constant ball pressure. Solomon Hill chipped in 13 points and five rebounds, while Kyle Fogg dropped eight points and Jamelle Horne and Kevin Parrom each chipped in with seven. 

But the box score doesn't show the magnitude of the togetherness Arizona played with, especially after they displayed none of that during the first half. 

While Williams scored a ridiculous 25 points (five threes) in the first 20 minutes, the role players were nowhere to be found. Duke and their big front line had absolutely no answer for Williams' interior play along with his outside stroke, but thanks to Kyle Singler and Kyrie Irving's combined 28 first-half points and Arizona's lack of a supporting cast, Duke led 44-38 heading into halftime. 

But Arizona head coach Sean Miller must have given an inspiring halftime speech because the Wildcats, in particular the role players, looked like a completely different team in the second half. 

Arizona opened the half on a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to 48-47. Duke pushed its lead back to four with 15:55 on the clock, but the Wildcats hit stride from that point on, rattling off a 17-2 run to surge ahead 66-55. Five different Arizona players scored during the run, led by Jones' six points. 

Chants of "U of A" inhibited the Honda Center and Arizona rode that momentum and its balance and energy all of the way to the finish line. The Wildcats outscored Duke 44-24 during the final 15:55 and Williams, Jones and company celebrated their seemingly improbable upset. 

Williams was the catalyst, proving why he should be considered as the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft. He tore the rim down on several different occasions and showcased the three-point shooting that could elevate him at the next level. 

He carried his team when they had zero life early and gave them a chance to believe. But it was the role players and Arizona's defensive intensity and rebounding that took the Wildcats over the hump. 

They were expected to get killed on the boards, but due to pure fight and energy, they outrebounded a much bigger Duke team 35-26. While Irving went off for 28, Jones and Arizona's guards held Smith (who averaged 21 points per game heading into tonight) to eight points on 3-for-14 shooting. 

Smith also committed six turnovers and Arizona's depth on the perimeter outweighed the Blue Devils' star power. Nine different Arizona players scored, none of it coming in the little garbage time that there was. 

Arizona answered every question that there was about it tonight as the Wildcats head to the Elite 8 to take on Kemba Walker (Jones' best friend) and UCONN.