MBB: Duke 61, Butler 59 - 2010 NCAA Champs!!!

[Merlindevildog91]

This video was on the DukeBluePlanet Twitter feed (which has some awesome stuff, BTW). It gave me chills... almost like I was watching it for the first time. Oh how I miss Cameron.

Tears in my eyes on this. I didn't cry last night like I thought I would, but I am now.

[devildownunder]

By not calling the game the way the rules are stating, you are implicitly NOT letting the players decide the game. That's the problem. Should we have been allowed to body-check Hayward out of bounds as he was dribbling it up court? Because according to your logic here, the answer is yes.

The probability of Hayward making the shot is irrelevant to the decision to call a foul there. If Howard made an illegal play that improved Hayward's chances of making the shot, then a foul should have been called.

It reminds me of something someone said when I was getting a brief instruction on how to ref: "you have the whistle - don't be afraid to use it."

I typically agree with this sentiment. You're deciding the game by not calling the rules, but, in that case, I would not have called that foul. I'm not even saying that's absolutely the right way to be about it. I'm just saying that, in that situation, the odds of a ref calling that foul are slim to none. And I think even that might be too optimistic.

Let's just thank whatever we consider holy that the shot didn't go in. Dang thing was so close, every time I see it I still think it's going through the hoop.

[Troublemaker]

Almost a full day later, I'm still breathing a sigh of relief.

I'm just really, really happy and relieved for this great group of guys, especially the seniors who get to go out with not just a trophy but the respect that they deserve nationally. I kinda doubt the national media as a whole would've treated us well had we lost to Butler (that's probably an understatement), which is unfair since our guys played just as hard and as well as Butler did. But, thankfully, we did win, and going forward, Jon and Lance and Z will always get to smile a little bit inside when they hear Duke referred to as the national champions of the 2010 college basketball season.

[mcwp98]

One reason why this 'ship has been four years in the making. Thomas said this when he was deciding between Duke and Rutger.

"I just want to play. The 3 or the 4. I’m going to do what it takes to win. I’m not on the floor for numbers or anything. I played for a winning program under Coach Hurley. Winning is in my blood. I’ll do the little things to win. I don’t have to score points to effect the game, but I can score. Whatever position they put me in, I’m going to play." -Lance Thomas in April, 2006

[mr. synellinden]

I just watched the game again. I don't know if anyone else has pointed this out, but every time Butler took a lead, Duke either took the lead back or tied the game on the very next possession.

Every time.

That means that Butler never once had the lead and possession. In a game that was so tight the whole way, that is a very telling stat/fact that demonstrates the mental toughness of this GREAT team.

[dukestheheat]

I was working today so no chance to get to Cameron, and yes, I did listen to the arrival ceremony (all of it) on the car radio; I cried like a baby several times when K or some of the guys were speaking. I was in such shock last night when we won, what with the way it happened, that I was just stunned so I couldn't get that emotion out. Way proud of this team!

dth.

[nyesq83]

When K said that the current students could return to Cameron in the future and claim the championship banners as their own, it made me realize that all alumni can claim them as well, because we support the students and the University - financially, or just by being good human beings and positive representatives of Duke.

The ceremony almost made me weep. But not quite.

[weezie]

When K said that the current students could return to Cameron in the future and claim the championship banners as their own, it made me realize that all alumni can claim them as well, because we support the students and the University - financially, or just by being good human beings and positive representatives of Duke.

The ceremony almost made me weep. But not quite.

I fully intend to claim a tiny fiber of that banner as mine, count on that! After the happy tears that I shed last night in Indy, I hope I have cried myself out a bit...so I can replenish in time for the basketball banquet on April 22!!!
I actually had to wipe my tears with my Duke flag after the game, what a way to go!

[coldriver10]

Here are some more videos on the Chronicle website from campus last night, two from inside Cameron and two from the bonfire. That moment in Cameron was one of the best in my life so far (as I'm sure it was for many of you, too!).

http://sports.chronicleblogs.com/201...Sports+Blog%29

[-bdbd]

Hey everyone, don't look now, but SI already has a VERY early 2010-11 rankings set up.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/bas...nt/?eref=sinav
And, yes, Duke is #1 primarily due to strength at the 1-2-3 positions :

1. DUKE: The Blue Devils are here for the backcourt-related reasons stated above, and the breakout year I expect from sophomore Mason Plumlee, who missed time this season with a broken wrist.


The next few:
2. MSU
3. Butler
4. KSU
5. Purdue
6 Nova
7. Pitt
8. OSU

Kerlina, I think, once again gets a "reputation" bene and is over-ranked, as they were also this past year, at #13. Hard to go from a .500 regular season record to #13 nationally, even WITH a couple good freshmen coming in...

[Kfanarmy]

I wouldn't put it that way...

Brian had shown spurts all throughout his career...but this year was when he finally put it together.

He earned the heckles throughout the years...

Yeah his purposeful foot injuries to thwart fandom sure earned him some heckles.

[Kfanarmy]

The play during the last minute of the game under the Butler basket, where Brian gets his leg pulled out from under him by the guard and then the ball goes off his foot. Where was the foul on that play?

don't recall who it was, but the Butler player literally grabbed Zou behind the knee, lifted and knocked him over...Zs foot hits the ball and its Butler's ball. I know the officials didn't see it, but the cameras sure did.

[CameronDuke]

You bet it is!

Let's Go Duke!

National Champs - 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010

(Mods feel free to do what you want with this, I just simply am so excited still about the victory on Monday night!)

[SeattleIrish]

You just slow-rolled your quads.

That'll get you shot in Vegas

s.i.

[devildeac]

It worked out in the end, but I disagree with K here. I would much rather play 5 more minutes than leave the game in the hands of a half-court heave.

Not with those refs.

[Rudy]

don't recall who it was, but the Butler player literally grabbed Zou behind the knee, lifted and knocked him over...Zs foot hits the ball and its Butler's ball. I know the officials didn't see it, but the cameras sure did.

I recorded the last minute and looked at this play again. It was Howard who was climbing on Z's left side and Brian tossed him down backwards with his left arm, which is why he couldn't corrall the ball with just his right hand. Howard going down brought Z down and the other Butler player on Brian's right knocked the ball onto Brian's foot. A foul could have been called for or against us on that one.

[MChambers]

I recorded the last minute and looked at this play again. It was Howard who was climbing on Z's left side and Brian tossed him down backwards with his left arm, which is why he couldn't corrall the ball with just his right hand. Howard going down brought Z down and the other Butler player on Brian's right knocked the ball onto Brian's foot. A foul could have been called for or against us on that one.

Watching it live, I thought Howard was grabbing Zoubs. But I haven't watched a replay, and I'm biased, and I don't really care, because we won.

[hedevil]

Can someone please post the link of the team returning to Cameron yesterday. The link with the speeches of K and the players. THANK YOU!!

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

One more time, YEAH BABY DUKE TITLE NUMBER #4, still happy about the win, will be for the next 362 days, but I must admit my favorite part was seeing Nolan and Coach K connect right after winning, that was a heartfelt moment.

[sagegrouse]

My top nine impressions 100 feet behind the Duke basket were all in the last three minutes:

1. Surely, up by five, we can get a basket and breeze to the championship.

2. Surely, up by three, we can get a basket and reduce the suspense.

3. Surely, up by one, Kyle or Jon or Nolan will take me out of my misery and give us a non-losing margin.

4. This can't possibly be 1994 redux, where we gave up a ten point lead in the last seven minutes, can it? [This is called in the sports fan analysis world "whistling past the graveyard."]

5. This can't possibly be like 1994, where I was present, and we lost a seven point lead in the last 2+ minutes against UConn, can it?

6. Butler has the ball with 13 seconds left after a great defensive play by Duke. Can't we stuff the in-bounds pass? Good! No timeouts left -- may be significant.

7. Inbound to the dreaded Hayward. There's the shot. It's up over Zoubek! Ahhhhhhh! Missed! Zoubs rebound and a foul.

8. Free throws. Make it, make it! Ahhhhhh! Miss it, miss it! Ahhh!

9. A shot from half court -- no way! Oh, my! Uhhhhh.... It missed! What's next? Oh? Zoubs is running around the court like a chicken with his head cut off. Hey! Game over! We win!

sagegrouse