Duke 'locker room secret' revealed: Players signed ball dedicating efforts

Published Apr. 7, 2015 10:24 a.m. ET

Brett Smiley

Before the Duke Blue Devils took the national championship from Wisconsin in a thrilling 68-63 victory, apparently the players took turns marking a basketball in the locker room to dedicate their efforts in writing.

That's a pretty cool ritual. Tyus Jones wrote four names: Mom, Dad, Jodee and Tre. Former Blue Devil and current Milwaukee Buck Mason Plumlee got some brotherly love with top billing from his younger brother Marshall, a 7-foot Duke senior.

This is supposed to be a locker room secret, but the secret's out. The ball has names who each player is playing for. pic.twitter.com/KjmMs4gkJS
— Kami Mattioli (@kmattio) April 7, 2015

Another angle: pic.twitter.com/1Y8QVkA3xQ
— Kami Mattioli (@kmattio) April 7, 2015