Villanova's loss opens bracket for the evil empire

As soon as the final horn finished buzzing for Wisconsin's 65-62 upset of No. 1 Villanova on Saturday, another sound signaled the ascendance of an evil empire.

"Da da da dum da da dum da da dummm ... "

Yes, that would be "The Imperial March," and it means the path is clear for Duke - the Darth Vader of college basketball - to reign again in the NCAA tournament.

The Blue Devils were already fortunate in Round 1, when potential Elite Eight foe SMU went down to USC. Now, the Blue Devils can reach the Final Four without having to go through SMU or the tournament's top overall seed, the two teams many believed to be the most dangerous in the East Region.

Of course, Mike Krzyzewski's team could fall at any time, just like Jay Wright's and Tim Jankovich's squads before it, but it's hard to imagine the Blue Devils losing to any inferior opponent given the way they've been rolling of late.

Duke already looked to be peaking at the right time following victories over Louisville, North Carolina, and Notre Dame in a three-day span to win the ACC tournament championship. The Blue Devils then clobbered Troy on Thursday in the Round of 64 to open their March Madness journey.

After struggling through the latter portion of the regular season, Grayson Allen rediscovered his game. Jayson Tatum continues to cement himself as the best freshman in the country. Even Harry Giles - the nation's No. 1 overall recruit who did next to nothing in the regular season - suddenly emerged as a viable backup for Amile Jefferson in Duke's thin frontcourt.

Under Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils have won five national championships - most recently in 2015 - and made 12 Final Four appearances.

And everything seems to be clicking for Duke this March, even when Coach K and Co. aren't on the court. It seems like only a matter of time before he and his Blue Devils squad are cutting down nets again.