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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    New Bern, NC unless it's a home football game then I'm grilling on Devil's Alley

    WBB: MSU 63, Duke 49 (NCAAT 2R)

    Everyone's biggest beef about Duke's #1 seeding was their lousy venue, but you have to believe the committee knew exactly what they were doing. This is women's basketball, and it doesn't get much attention without some added drama. Most high seeded games don't have any naturally on the court (although Auburn and UNC might question that today), so if it won't be on the court, then create it at least on the sidelines.
    Coach P will be coaching against her former team on their home court in front of fans who welcomed her back on day one with a shower of boos. I don't know much about MSU other than they barely survived round 1, but they did it in a way Duke is familiar with. They were down 15 in the second half and fought back for the win, a scenario that Duke has played out a few times this year. Duke has also let big leads slip away, so this really might be a hard fought game.
    Chante Black was able to block shots vs. Austin Peay without even jumping, she'll have to give a little effort tonight. One of their leaders is Allyssa DeHaan, who is 6' 9"! Hopefully Abby Waner will be back as well, I believe it's a game time decision. You know Abby wants to be out there and she has said she expects to play.
    GO DUKE!!!
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

  2. #2

    MSU

    I don't know much about MSU either except for the name of their former coach, but the people who write the game notes sure do.

    They are 21-10 and 13-5 in the Big Ten. They seem to be a typical Big Ten team in that they don't score much. In fact, their two leading scorers are Jefferson with 11.4 and DeHaan with 10.5. After that, it's 7.7, 7.0, 6.5... DeHaan is 6-9, so she'll have a four-inch height advantage on Chante Black.

    Unfortunately, when you look at the statistical comparisons, you see that Duke has become a Big Ten team as well:

    Shooting percentage: Duke 41.5, MSU 42.0
    Shooting pct. allowed: Duke 34.7, MSU 34.5
    Three point pct.: 32.1 & 27.3

    So MSU can play defense, but they are even worse on threes than we are. Free throws: an identical 69.7%. While we turn the ball over too much (19.3), they are again worse (20.3). Duke has also been forcing 23.3 turnovers per game, the highest in school history. (It's rather amazing to think that the typical Duke game features 42.6 turnovers.)

    So the teams seem to be similar, but the results are not. Duke's rebounding margin is much better (+15.4 vs. +8.1), and so is Duke's scoring (72.8 PPG vs. 63.4 PPG). Points allowed are similar, with Duke at 57.4 and Michigan State at 55.1.

    The saving grace in all this is that of late Duke has been playing more like an ACC team. During the last four games Duke has shot 48.6% and 44% from threes, so an exciting and fast-paced game will favor the Blue Devils. Michigan State will slow it down (Duke has 369 more shots with only one more game than MSU) but Duke's athleticism and skill will carry the day. Even with all the boos.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    greater New Orleans area

    How does it happen

    Can someone explain how a 1 seed ends up playing on anyone else's homecourt during a championship tournament? I've never particularly like either team to have that kind of advantage during a tourney, let alone the 9 seed holding home court to a #1. Do they simply set the locations and if the home team makes the tourney the home team gets to play there? Curious.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Cary, NC
    I think I saw this in another thread, but the crux of it is that a few years ago, the NCAA went to pre-determined first and second round sites for the women. This was so they could "grow" the game and pre-sell tickets for the early rounds ahead of when the brackets are announced. However, in order to make sure there is enough interest, they do not pick neutral sites generally. Also, the "host" team gets to play there. We are not the only ones to get hosed in the bracket (let's hope in the game). Auburn (2) lost to Rutgers (7) on Rutgers' home floor last night. That was inherently unfair.
    Duke '96
    Cary, NC

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Lewisville, NC

    Attendance

    Quote Originally Posted by jjasper0729 View Post
    I think I saw this in another thread, but the crux of it is that a few years ago, the NCAA went to pre-determined first and second round sites for the women. This was so they could "grow" the game and pre-sell tickets for the early rounds ahead of when the brackets are announced. However, in order to make sure there is enough interest, they do not pick neutral sites generally. Also, the "host" team gets to play there. We are not the only ones to get hosed in the bracket (let's hope in the game). Auburn (2) lost to Rutgers (7) on Rutgers' home floor last night. That was inherently unfair.
    Yeah, it's hard to justify the higher seeds playing on the opponent's home floor.

    Attendance, particularly in the 1st and 2nd rounds, is a big issue/concern.

    http://www.newschannel9.com/news/big...ses_money.html

    According to a poster on TDD, the Cal/UVa tournament game was played in Los Angeles and had a turnout of only 686. Not good.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Cary, NC
    i was watching the unc/purdue game last night and the arena wasn't very full... in chattanooga even (a supposed hotbed for women's hoops if you listen to the SEC)...

    I am of a mind that they should go back to the top four seeds in each region hosting the first 3 games in a "pod".

    and for that matter, I don't like the pod system for the men either... we should have been at the same site as villanova... but that's an argument for a different thread
    Duke '96
    Cary, NC

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    I'm at work, but GameCast shows that this one is pretty ugly. Duke is shooting 28% and trailing 22-18 with 2:35 to play in the first half. Yuck.

    Let's turn it around, team!

  8. #8
    scared...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    New Bern, NC unless it's a home football game then I'm grilling on Devil's Alley
    Quote Originally Posted by godukecom View Post
    scared...
    Lotta game left, only half, I'm not worried. Still, bleah!
    We are looking like our January selves, not the team that has been playing the last month.
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Cary, NC
    they are settling for jump shots (not a staple of this team) and being VERY careless with the ball... MSU has packed their zone in and is daring the women to go to the basket
    Duke '96
    Cary, NC

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Tied at 42 with 9:30 to go. We will need to improve our FT shooting to pull this one out.

  12. #12
    I'd love to watch, but ESPN is insisting on letting all of us in Florida slog through uconn's 30+ point blowout until the very end, instead of switching games.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Back in the dirty Jerz
    This homecourt advantage thing for a #9 seed is ridiculous.

  14. #14
    On top of the just stupid home court advantage for the lower seed, the refs arent calling anything. It looks like a big east mens game... shoving, wrestling, clawing...

    Used to be the argument for womens basketball is it was 'purer' or more traditional, more fundimentally sound, than the mens game. Well, if this is an example, it looks just as ugly as the worst examples of the mens game.

    While writing this things have gone downhill fast for the devils... seemed to me the spartans were really feeding off the crowd back when it was tied up.

    What a crock.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Not looking good with about 2 minutes to go. MSU up by 6 with the ball. Make that 8. The girls are headed home.

    It really stinks that this setup allowed MSU to play a home game. And don't think for one second it didn't make a huge difference. The crowd has been rabid for most of the 2nd half, but has really made a difference for the Spartans late in the game.

    And yes, this game has looked like a men's Big East game. Extremely physical and that has played into MSU's hands. Duke missed a ton of bunnies in the 2nd half because of all the contact allowed. It's really pathetic.

  16. #16
    What a shame. The women had a really good year. I'm sorry they didn't advance farther.

  17. #17
    I'm glad I don't watch women's bball. I feel like I'm watching a different sport considering the officiating.

    I won't pretend that I care, but what kind of nonsense is this that the #1 seed is playing #9 on their home floor? Remind me not to watch next year.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Back in the dirty Jerz
    I really hope this gets the conversation going about taking the 1/2 round model back to the way it used to be. We may not have won this at Cameron, but it certainly would have helped.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    This game has pissed me off beyond belief. And I don't use the "p" word very often. I just can't believe the Committee allowed this type of setup where MSU could get to play a 2nd round game at home. What an absolute crock!

    MSU 63, Duke 49.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    New Bern, NC unless it's a home football game then I'm grilling on Devil's Alley

    Thank you ladies for a great year

    Well crapola. I know that's not the way anyone wanted it to end, but it's over. The team did lots of things to be proud about this year, they were a lot of fun to follow. Thanks especially to the seniors for 4 years of fun.
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

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