At the conclusion of every NCAA Tournament, it’s always fun to review all the amazing games, shots, and moments that took over sports fans’ lives during March Madness. YouTube clips are easily acceptable, CBS’s One Shining Moment infiltrates our television, and chatter amongst friends is unavoidable. Before we move on to the NBA and NHL playoffs, start of the MLB playoffs, and circus of the NFL Draft, it’s time to reflect on the incredible tournament of the last month.

The obvious stories of the NCAA Tournament revolve around the upsets, crazy shots, Cinderella runs into later rounds, and Final Four participants. Those are all great, but sometimes we forget that coaches and players worked their tails off all season to get a chance to win 6 games in a row, and not be subjects of bracket betting and buzzer beaters.

Now that the tournament has ended, it’s time to analyze how the champions were able to get it done, and what we can learn from their 6 tournament wins to end their season on top. Not all championship teams are built the same, and no one style is always going to produce a winner, and that’s why it’s fun to look at how each year’s champion was able to win. Last year, North Carolina was crowned champion solely based on their incredible star power. A Hall of Fame coach, an NBA point guard, an NBA 2-guard, an NBA center, and McDonald’s All-Americans on the wings and off the bench. The talent across the board was too overwhelming for any other team to compete with.

But this year, it was the Duke Blue Devils’ time to shine, and their formula for success was much different. This team might not have a single NBA first round pick on the roster. So let’s take a look at the major factors that led Duke to its championship success:

GUARD PLAY - It’s said every year, and usually gets proven true every time. You can’t win the NCAA Tournament without great guard play. Whereas NBA champions are often built around a franchise center or a low post scorer, college champions usually require great perimeter players. This year’s Duke team was highlighted by its tremendous guard play. Jon Scheyer, senior point guard, and Nolan Smith, junior off guard, combined to form arguably the best backcourt in the country. Both players could score, both could shoot, and both could create for others. Scheyer’s top skills were his three point shooting and his great decision making, leading to a high assist to turnover ratio. Smith’s strengths were his strong driving ability and consistent mid-range game. Any way you want to break it down, Duke had the guard play they needed to win the championship. The ability to hit threes, create shots, drive to the basket, make free throws, and make teammates better. The Duke guards had it all.

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UNSELFISH BIG MEN - As the trend goes about needing dominant guard play, teams don’t necessarily need stars in the front court in order to win. Duke’s forwards and centers were the perfect complements inside to their stars on the perimeter. Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek, Miles Plumlee, and Mason Plumlee were the perfect big men for the Blue Devils. None of these guys demanded the ball or needed a high volume of shots to be effective. They were unselfish, tough players whose sole purpose was to give it their all to grab every rebound off the rim. Duke was a top 10 team in the country at offensive rebounds, and their big guys were incredibly valuable to their success. Having star scoring forwards like Texas’ Damion James and North Carolina’s Deon Thompson may not have helped Duke any more than their current array of unheralded forwards. The Blue Devils' big men crashed the boards hard on every possession, and focused their games on their defense, rebounding, and passing to three point shooters. Scoring was in the back of these guys’ minds, and it was for the better of the team.

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VETERAN STARTERS - The eligibility years of the Duke starting lineup went as follows: Senior, Junior, Junior, Senior, Senior. The veterans in the starting lineup provided the leadership, chemistry, and toughness that championship teams need. Sure, the ’03 Syracuse team featured 2 freshmen stars in Gerry McNamara and Carmelo Anthony, and there are other examples of young stars leading their teams to the title. But this year, it was all about the veteran team play. A full starting lineup of upperclassmen who have played together for 3 years was an important factor for Duke. Singler, Scheyer, Smith, Zoubek, and Thomas set the tone from the tip-off and have all improved over their careers. By their 3rd or 4th years on the team, these guys had the hunger and desire to win a championship that was noticeable to viewers.

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YOUTH, ENERGY OFF THE BENCH - While the starting lineup needed to be composed of consistent, motivated veterans, it was a major help that the Duke bench players were all energetic young players. Some coaches like to select one of their better players to come off the bench as a 6th man, since he might provide a spark when he comes in the game. This Duke team had 3 young guys that filled that role. Andre Dawkins, a freshman guard, Mason Plumlee, a freshman forward, and Miles Plumlee, a sophomore forward, all played significant minutes off the bench. Dawkins was a small, quick guard that could shoot the three very well and worked hard during every minute on the floor. And the Plumlee brothers were both big-time hustle guys that gave important interior minutes and crashed the boards hard on every shot. Although Coach K decided to play his veteran starters for most of the championship game against Butler, there’s no question that the energetic bench players were important players for the Duke team.

All in all, this Duke team lacked the super talents that often reside on championship rosters. But they had quite a formula for success that makes them the prototypical perfect team. Strong guard play to provide scoring, a veteran starting line-up to provide leadership, unselfish big men who crash the glass, and young talent off the bench to provide a spark. It’s certainly not easy to create that kind of team in a year or two, but strong recruiting and strategizing can make it possible to build that kind of team without having a loaded roster of 5-star recruits. Congratulations to the 2010 National Champion Duke Blue Devils, a well-built team from top to bottom.