As a kid, junior DeShawn Sims never dreamed of beating Duke.

"I dreamed about being at Duke," the power forward said. "So just being able to beat a team that's so superior as the Duke program, you can definitely tell the story for the rest of your life."

Before Saturday's game against the fourth-ranked Blue Devils, Sims knew he would need to have a good game if the Michigan men's basketball team was going to pull off the upset.

In last month's 71-56 loss to the Blue Devils, Duke held Sims to a season-low 10 points. Saturday, he had 11 in the first half and finished with a career-high 28.

"Definitely biggest game of my career," Sims said. "Biggest game I ever played."

Sims came out firing, scoring Michigan's first two baskets. He missed a number of seemingly easy layups earlier in the game, but it didn't affect his confidence.

In New York, Sims was pushed around by Duke's big men and wasn't an offensive threat inside. Saturday, Sims pushed back.

He outmaneuvered the Duke defense in the paint all game. About five minutes into the game, Sims received a pass on the left block and backed down Blue Devil forward Kyle Singler for an easy hook shot. A few possessions later, he showed his range, draining a 3-pointer.

Last year, Sims played more on the perimeter to spread the opposing team's defense. Michigan coach John Beilein moved Sims closer to the basket this season. The move allows him to play more of a 15-foot game, but still allows him to step out for occasional 3-pointers.

"Last year, we tried to make him a perimeter four," Beilein said. "It was helpful because he has more skill than before, but he really loves that middle of the floor whether it's in the block or whatever. He's passing the ball. He's getting more comfortable with what he has to do."

Moving Sims inside has forced him to be a more physical and complete player. Michigan has struggled to grab rebounds this season, but Sims is leading the team with 8.4 per game. He tied his season high with 12 rebounds Saturday.

"He played with a lot of maturity," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I thought a couple of rebounds in the first half were huge for them. He came up with some big time rebounds and a couple really nice passes, and that's not something he's been doing as well."

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Michigan students stormed the court and Sims found himself pushing through the crazed crowd.

After making his way through the crowd, Sims jogged into the tunnel towards the locker room, stopping to hug Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez and some other friends. Later, as the media poured into the locker room and surrounded Sims, he cracked a smile, telling the story of the biggest game of his career.

"I've never been through a stampede," Sims said. "The only thing I heard about a stampede is a guy passing out because it was too hot, so I just tried to get out of there. But I'd rather a stampede than guys going home, walking to their cars mad at another bad Michigan performance."