MBB: Duke vs. Butler for the NCAA Championship

[KyDevilinIL]

I keep starting posts and deleting them, because there's just so much going on with this game that I can barely wrap my head around it, much less type something that makes sense.

So I'll just say this: This game is far, far, far from in the bag for Duke, and anyone who thinks otherwise is nuts. Butler is good, will have no fewer than 60,000 people in its corner, and our guys can't get ahead of themselves or lose sight of all the little things that brought them to this stage.

If we are in a position at any point to take the crowd out of this one, it's important that we do so. From my seat, I wasn't floored by the Butler turnout on Saturday, although it was certainly the largest of the four. But I expect a wall of Bulldog blue on Monday.

[phaedrus]

Does Butler even have 60,000 fans?

I mean, other than the fact that everyone in America is a Butler fan for the next 2 days.

[NashvilleDevil]

How come sagegrouse didn't start this thread?

[House G]

We were favored in every game we played this tournament. No, not by the "analysts", but by people who put their money where their mouths are.

Vegas had us favored in every game, we were a 3 pt favorite over WV and for this game Duke has opened as a 6.5 pt favorite.

Not only have we been favored in every game, I think we have covered the spread in every game--certainly against West Virginia, Baylor, Purdue, and Cal. A buddy of mine who bets only "dogs" has lost every time he bets against Duke. He refers to Duke as the "covering Caucasians"--his words, not mine.

[-bdbd]

Does Butler even have 60,000 fans?

Are you kidding?? Monday night they will have MILLIONS of fans rooting for them!

That's fine by me, as long as we win. Then nobody remembers who rooted for who. Just that we won.


Let's stay focused on the game. Play our Duke brand of D. Use our size on the boards. Make some good shots. But mostly, stay focused.

[Sgt. Dingleberry]

In the WVU post game thread I thought we had already won the National Championship...It's good to see more perspective in this thread...

Duke is capable of losing to anybody if we don't shoot well...We have a size advantage, but I don't expect to see Z and the Plumlees posting up Butler...Our size advantage will lead to second chance opportunities, that is the one of the advantages I see for us...

The other big advantage for us is our defense...I think it will be tough for them to score consistently...

Remember the Wisconsin game? The first half of the Purdue game? I could easily see this game becoming similar to those games...

If Butler shoots well and we shoot poorly we will probably lose...

This is going to be an intense grinder where the team that makes the most shots will probably win...

I might need more than a 6-pack for this one...LGD!!!!

[ndkjr70]

I loved Coach K's quote on Butler; "You don't beat Syracuse and Kansas State with a horse and carriage." and he's exactly right. A 25 game win streak and wins against very very good teams should have eliminated the word "cinderella" from any discussion about Butler, but ESPN loves a story about the Big Bad Dukies ruining a dream for the poor little cinderella.

[roywhite]

Duke will be a solid favorite for this game and should be. The Blue Devils are playing well and have more offensive weapons.

Still, in a single elimination format, upsets happen.

I'm confident because of:
the experience of our coach in these situations
the leadership of our seniors
the hunger that the Duke team has to finish the job

[Sgt. Dingleberry]

I loved Coach K's quote on Butler; "You don't beat Syracuse and Kansas State with a horse and carriage."

Great point...I think Syracuse was a little overrated, (if Wes Johnson had a nasty streak and took over games they could be dominant) but Kansas State was underrated and one of the top teams in this tourney IMO...

Look at the box score for that game...http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=300862306

If Butler shoots like that again and we shoot similarly to KSU we are in trouble...

[terrih]

CBS sports channel is broadcasating live press conference with Duke right now. 1:30PM Eastern.

[K.ERA]

I have been reading posts for five years, and finally can post...happy to join you all, have been a duke fan for 24 years as I live by every shot that is put up, anyways lets go DUKE!!! and we will win this game with Defense and determination, we get everyones best shot every game, ....Coach K will have us prepared...

[NashvilleDevil]

Great point...I think Syracuse was a little overrated, (if Wes Johnson had a nasty streak and took over games they could be dominant) but Kansas State was underrated and one of the top teams in this tourney IMO...

Look at the box score for that game...http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=300862306

If Butler shoots like that again and we shoot similarly to KSU we are in trouble...

Butler out rebounded K-State by 9 in that game. I would be very surprised if they are able to out rebound Duke by a similar margin. Also Duke has had plenty of games where they shot horrible from the field but their ability to hit the glass on the offensive end has offset some of those poor shooting nights.

[fisheyes]

How come sagegrouse didn't start this thread?

I need to see that smiley face...come on Sagegrouse!

[mgtr]

The first time I saw Butler play in the tournament I thought "glad they are not in our bracket!" They actually remind me of Duke -- disciplined, persistent, and they find a way to win.

[CDu]

Butler is somewhat similar to Purdue in that they're a very good defensive team (roughly as good defensively as Purdue overall), but only a decent offensive team. They'll want to keep the game in the 50s and hope to win a 55-50 type of game.

Defensively, what they do best is rebound. They are 14th in the country in limiting offensive rebounds. However, they haven't faced a team as good at pounding the offensive glass as us. So that will be an interesting matchup. They are just okay across the board defensively otherwise, with the exception of shotblocking where they are nonexistent.

Offensively, they aren't a great 3pt shooting team. They rely primarily on Hayward and Mack to create off the dribble, and on Howard to make crafty shots in the post. Both Hayward and Mack are very good off the dribble. Mack is also a terrific 3pt shooter. Hayward is not as great a 3pt shooter, but he certainly hits big shots. Veasley and Hahn are good from 3 as well. Howard is very crafty on the blocks and finds his way to points. And they shoot free throws pretty well as a team. And they do a great job of avoiding turnovers, which gives them a chance on every possession.

We match up really well with them, though. I will be surprised if they are able to compete with us on the boards, on either end of the floor. We may or may not have a great shooting night, but if we protect the ball and take decent shots, we should get some second-chance opportunities. Of course, I would have said the same thing about MSU (the 10th-best offensive rebounding team in the country), and they only got 6 offensive rebounds.

[NashvilleDevil]

Of course, I would have said the same thing about MSU (the 10th-best offensive rebounding team in the country), and they only got 6 offensive rebounds.

Has Butler faced anyone with Duke's size? Michigan St. is a great rebounding team on both ends but I don't think they had any 7'1, 6'8, 6'10 and 6'11 guys going after rebounds.

[CDu]

Has Butler faced anyone with Duke's size? Michigan St. is a great rebounding team on both ends but I don't think they had any 7'1, 6'8, 6'10 and 6'11 guys going after rebounds.

No, they have not. I'm pretty confident we'll win the rebounding battle - I just wanted to caveat that MSU should have done so as well. But we're substantially bigger than MSU (who rotates 6'8", 6'8" and 6'6" at their two frontcourt spots and then is 6'4" and under at the wings).

[ccrazies_708]

Don't know if this was already posted, but Butler may be without their lone post presence monday night:
http://www.comcast.net/articles/spor...Butler-Howard/

[Spy]

I don't want to be over-confident, but every time I look at the matchups and go over their last performance, I can't see this being that close of a game, especially if Howard doesn't play.

Am I wrong?

[slower]

How come sagegrouse didn't start this thread?

Can the mods have Sage start a new thread and then merge this one into it?


I'm halfway serious.

Please, folks, be wary of overconfidence. Eyes on the prize.

This game is the perfect storm for Duke haters, so let's not give them anything to be happy about. Game faces, people, game faces. Duke will NEVER be loved by the vast majority, so let's not try to get them to love us.
Scoreboard - that is the ONLY answer.