The morning after

[feldspar]

I woke up this morning the same way I’ve woken up 17 out of the previous 20 seasons: I wipe the sleep from my eyes, try to remember what day it is, and then it hits me. I remember that Duke lost last night. The season is over.
For a very brief moment, the frustration of last night washes over me. I was upset last night not just because Duke lost, but the way Duke lost. To lose after putting in a stellar effort is one thing. To be dominated by a team that so clearly had your number is another.

But then, I went through my morning routine and thought about this season. This was supposed to be the season where Duke lived completely in UNC’s shadow and the glory romp that Hansblahblah and Toe Lawson were supposed to make through the ACC.

And yet, despite all the prognosticators, despite all the pre-season hype, we won the ACC.

And then I thought about this team. I thought about Kyle beefing up over the summer and taking shot after shot from teams like Virginia Tech and Florida State and never backing down. I thought about Jon Scheyer embracing a new role and growing into it (although not fully) and thus helping us morph into a tough team to beat. I thought about Gerald Henderson’s monster dunks game after game and that giddy feeling I would get when I’d see him turn the corner with the lane wide open and know someone was about to get posterized. The same feeling you would get when JJ would spot up for 3 and you knew before the ball even left his hands that it was good.

We won 30 games this season. That’s a number most Division-I programs have never even dreamed of.

This has been a fun season. It really has. It’s so tough to think like that the night of a loss like last night’s was. It’s tough to be grateful for all the moments these guys gave us this year, like Coach K’s animated behavior before and during the Wake game at Cameron. Like the way the team transformed after the Clemson loss. Like the ACC Championship and getting to see our boys in blue cut down some nets (real nets...not fake ACC champion nets).

One of the reasons we all take following Duke basketball so seriously is that we get emotionally invested. We get to know the players, the coaches and we almost feel as if we’re part of the team. That’s natural. So as part of the team, I’m not going to look back on this season as any sort of a failure. I’m going to be proud of all we accomplished together. I’m not going to criticize Coach K for the myriad of things the media or fans of other teams or even some Duke fans want to criticize him for.

I wallowed for a few hours last night, and I was in a funk for a few hours this morning. But now I’m going to pick my head up and think about the Next Play, because I know, for a fact, that as part of the team, part of the larger "6th man", this is what Coach would want me to do.

So....when does practice start?

GO DUKE!

[Reddevil]

Upon reflecting the loss, it occurred to me that losing that way seems easier to swallow than a heartbreaking buzzer-beater. It brought to light what a great job a limited team did. They took it as far as they could. 'Nova was just a really bad matchup, and that happens in tournament play. Duke did not lose. Villanova won. Congratulations. Good luck. Next play.

[weezie]

Right on feldspar. You've nailed it. Sure, it stings...but we'll be back. Husband and I are driving back to VA from Bos as I type and we are stopping in Philly for a cheese steak and to withstand the slings and arrows from nova fans. We will represent and stand tall.

[cspan37421]

So....when does practice start?

Today, if Pat Summitt's coaching the team.

[hurleyfor3]

Upon reflecting the loss, it occurred to me that losing that way seems easier to swallow than a heartbreaking buzzer-beater.

Right. A loss like this makes it pretty clear a Final Four was never in the cards. Also, for whatever reason it doesn't feel so bad to lose to a basketball school as opposed to a football school playing football (2000, 2005, 2006).

We had a nice recovery from our mid-season swoon. Not best-case, but in no way embarassing.

[drksuh]

Unfortunately, we got exposed for some flaws in our system. Not just "if you live by the three, you die by the three," but much more. Basically we had three shooting guards and two small forwards playing against a very good defensive team with balance.

We need to undergo metamorphosis into an athletic team with balance. Our recruiting must simply improve which will then allow our strategy to be more relevant and more effective in this modern era.

In some sense, we have a vicious cycle, because our forced playing style hinders our recruiting of the outstanding athletic players at every position. Certainly we get some athletic players like G and Elliott, but we get more than our share of cerebral and lesser athletic specimens lately like John, Greg, Brian, etc. Yes we are Duke, a top seven university of higher learning, but we are also Duke with a National Championship Basketball tradition without parallel except for maybe Kentucky, Indiana, UCLA, and yes, carolina.

[watzone]

Your finest moment, feldspar! Very well said ..

[KyDevilinIL]

By the standards of about 97 percent of Division I programs, we had an absolutely fabulous season. The guys played their tails off, and K seemed to work a couple of coaching miracles in helping the guys achieve what they did.

That said, the frustration about last night stems mainly from the fact that we didn't perform at the level of the 3 percent of programs which legitimately strive for better things – a group we belong to. Rightly or wrongly, as a collective fan base, we've come to expect certain things from Duke's program. When we don't get there, sometimes we overreact. Especially after games when it certainly looks like we don't belong, which is what happened last night.

But things will be fine. I don't know when we'll be a serious Final Four contender again – my gut tells me, especially if GH goes to the NBA, that it won't be next season – but we've got a couple more runs in us under K.

The program does things the right way, the guys perform admirably under the weight of expectations and against the burden of misguided distain. There are issues to be addressed, and I'm sure they will be, but there is no reason for anger and shame today.

[watzone]

Unfortunately, we got exposed for some flaws in our system. Not just "if you live by the three, you die by the three," but much more. Basically we had three shooting guards and two small forwards playing against a very good defensive team with balance.

We need to undergo metamorphosis into an athletic team with balance. Our recruiting must simply improve which will then allow our strategy to be more relevant and more effective in this modern era.

In some sense, we have a vicious cycle, because our forced playing style hinders our recruiting of the outstanding athletic players at every position. Certainly we get some athletic players like G and Elliott, but we get more than our share of cerebral and lesser athletic specimens lately like John, Greg, Brian, etc. Yes we are Duke, a top seven university of higher learning, but we are also Duke with a National Championship Basketball tradition without parallel except for maybe Kentucky, Indiana, UCLA, and yes, carolina.

There are several threads where this kind of analogy belongs. Does this have to be another one of them? I thought there was a nice positve tone going on here and hoped we wouldn't pick every little thing apart in yet another thread.

[_Gary]

Your finest moment, feldspar! Very well said ..

Agreed. And now, Watzone, you need to work some serious mojo and help get us some solid recruits at the 1 and the 5. Still think that's what it all boils down to at the end of the day. We've got the Coach. We've got the classy fans. We've got the School, the Stadium, the floor. We just need a few solid guys to fill up those buckets at Cameron and help some of the wonderful young men wearing the Duke Blue right now.

[Madrasdukie]

Very nice post, Feldspar.

Losses sting, season ending losses more than sting, but as a fan I couldn't ever ask for more than what this Duke team (or any of the other Duke teams) have shown - play with passion, play with class, and play with heart.

[drksuh]

Um, Gary, the great players are the most important element to achieving success. But I know what you are saying, and agree otherwise.

[Ignatius07]

There are several threads where this kind of analogy belongs. Does this have to be another one of them? I thought there was a nice positve tone going on here and hoped we wouldn't pick every little thing apart in yet another thread.

I'm all about accommodating multiple viewpoints, but I am pretty sure based on his posts in several threads this morning that drksuh is just a UNC troll.

[RelativeWays]

I'm all about accommodating multiple viewpoints, but I am pretty sure based on his posts in several threads this morning that drksuh is just a UNC troll.

You think the "K is the victim here" gave it away just maybe? Last night sucked, no two ways about it, but a 30 win season, ACC championship and sweet 16 appearance are hard to get too depressed about.

[MChambers]

I'm all about accommodating multiple viewpoints, but I am pretty sure based on his posts in several threads this morning that drksuh is just a UNC troll.

I liked his suggestion that we need to stop recruiting so many cerebral players! Now I understand his perspective.

[Atlanta Duke]

In terms of difference in points, this was the worst loss since the 1990 UNLV beatdown but it certainly does not hurt like such tournament losses as 1986, 1998, or 2002.

And after that 1990 loss the next 2 seasons turned out pretty well.

Onward and upward for next season!

[Devilsfan]

Not with what he had to work with! Great coaching! Now let's ask him to recruit as good as we know he can coach. I believe in Coach K. I know he can do about anything he determines he needs and wants to do. A brilliantly sucessful human being. Go Devils!

[Scorp4me]

You think the "K is the victim here" gave it away just maybe? Last night sucked, no two ways about it, but a 30 win season, ACC championship and sweet 16 appearance are hard to get too depressed about.

I was amazed to see even before I went to bed last night about another Duke flame out, how we failed again, another disappointing season, perhaps K has lost his touch. Wow, I knew people held Duke in high exteem but that's beyond high. I agree with you 100% there RelativeWays. We were picked 2nd in the ACC preseason. Wanna know where we were seeded for the tournament (ok actually we tied for 2nd so we go the 3rd seed)? We won 30 games this year. Wanna know how many teams did that? We lost our last game of the season. Wanna know how many teams will have to do that? We won our conference. Wanna know how many teams do that?

It was a great year and anyone trying to say otherwise is just trying to get hits. The article also said this was yet again another year that Duke didn't get past the regional semi's. Really? That's strange, I thought it was getting past the 2nd round. Heck if we lost in the championship game they'd still be talking about how it was another year where we just couldn't win it all.

Fact is if you're a Duke fan you should be very proud. Heck I'll go further, there are alot of teams that should be proud. Should Carolina not be proud because they didn't live up to the unreal expectations put on them and actually lost a few games? No, of course not. Much as it pains me to say it should Maryland not be proud for getting things together and turning their season around. There are some teams out there that legitimately didn't do well, there has to be for other teams to do well. I just don't see too many of them around here.

Even the Big East for all their talk of superiority is simply doing what they should do. They have 5 teams left? Well I would hope so the second weekened isn't even over and you have three #1 seeds I would certainly hope you have at least 3. Perspective. Expectations. You have to take them all into consideration. I'll jump off my soap box now.