Nolan Smith did it for his dad.

Thirty years after his late father won a national championship in this city, Smith and his Duke teammates took home their own title, beating Butler 61-59 on Monday night.

Derek Smith was a sophomore forward on the Louisville team that beat UCLA 59-54 in 1980. Nolan Smith is a junior guard who matched his father’s accomplishment.

Nolan Smith has kept his father’s championship ring with him. Now he has his own.

“I can’t explain how happy I am,” he said on the court right after the Blue Devils’ victory. “This is for my dad. Like father, like son. This is so special to me right now.”

About 5 hours before Smith had 13 points and four assists to help Duke win its fourth national championship, he sent a tweet letting everyone know who was on his mind.