However, the rest of the Blue Devils know their roles and make critical contributions each and every game. While Battier and Williams combined for 48 points in Saturday's 79-69 victory over Southern California in the East Regional final, it was two critical 3-pointers by freshman Chris Duhon down the stretch that were the final nails in the USC coffin.

Shane Battier (left) and Jason Williams know their jobs wouldn't be as easy without their teammates there to support them.(AP)

"We are a team," said Battier, the national player of the year that has recorded a double-double in all four of Duke's NCAA tourney games this season. "Every night a different player steps up on this team. We all have a lot of faith in each other."

The player who stepped up the biggest this winter turned out to be one of the least publicized Blue Devils -- sophomore center Casey Sanders. As a freshman the 6-foot-11, Tampa, Fla., native averaged just a 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. Over the first 31 games of this season he wasn't doing much better, often seeing just mop-up time. In 12 games he played less than 10 minutes. In four others he never got off the bench.

But when starting center Carlos Boozer Jr. went down with a fractured right foot Feb. 27, Sanders suddenly became a critical player. Coach Mike Krzyzewski inserted him into the starting lineup and asked the athletic Sanders to play defense, rebound, block shots and give Duke some kind of post presence.

While the numbers haven't been overwhelming -- he still is averaging just 2.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game -- Sanders' effective efforts have keyed the Blue Devils. Duke hasn't lost (8-0) since.

"Casey has come in and not tried to be Carlos," said Battier. "He's just been Casey and that's running the court and rebounding."

For Sanders, the past eight games have been the payoff for two seasons of hard work in the face of both obscurity and reality. Although he was named a McDonald's All-American after his senior season at Tampa Prep, Sanders came to Duke and realized he was not ready to play at the highest level of Division I. Part of that is because, although talented, Sanders only has been playing organized basketball for five years.

"He had a huge learning curve to overcome," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Krzyzewski and Sanders sat down last season and discussed the situation, his future and what needed to be done to become a player in Durham.

"Coach said everybody runs on their own race," said Sanders. "He said everybody has their time. I ran with that and came up with my own saying, 'everybody has their time on the pine. How I mature and develop as a player during my time on the pine will determine what I become.'"

With Krzyzewski showing the way, Sanders took the mature route and went with the plan. He could have transferred to a school where playing time was available. Instead, he worked hard in practice, learned the game and spent seemingly endless hours in the weight room, adding nearly 35 pounds of muscle in two years.

"Casey put in even more effort," said Krzyzewski, "In terms of lifting, we went to four times a week this year. We needed him and he stepped up. He's a good kid and he's worked with us well."

And when the time to get off the pine came, Sanders was prepared. He hasn't been Boozer -- who was averaging 14.6 points and 6.5 rebounds a game -- but he has strengthened Duke's interior defense and made solid contributions. With Boozer now back from injury, but not in midseason game-shape, Krzyzewski is still calling on Sanders. Duke is better and deeper now then before the injury.

"I knew my time would come," said Sanders. "It came in an awkward kind of way with Carlos going down, but it was still my time. I just wanted to go out and play hard and now I am playing with a lot of confidence."

Sanders is now one of Duke's supporting players, glad to let superstars Williams and Battier get the glory and the points, while realizing they have key roles also. The beauty of the Blue Devils is that Krzyzewski is able to sell all these players on the glory of winning. It's also that four -- Sanders, Duhon, Nate James and Mike Dunleavy -- of the so-called supporting cast who were McDonald's All Americans in high school.

If Duke is to capture its third national championship this upcoming weekend in Minnesota, it will need great play from its best players. It will also need a championship effort from the rest of the team. And at some point, a Duhon, a James or maybe even a Sanders, is going have to step up and make a critical play.

Know that at the very least, all of them will be ready for the opportunity.