Brad Stevens

[Troublemaker]

link for those that want to listen: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=12925996

[nmduke2001]

I agree that it seems crazy to re-watch the game. But I think it is actually fairly common among coaches to re-watch the game later that night (even the championship game) win or lose. These guys are almost all pretty crazy.

That said, I do like Stevens. Seems like a good dude. Crazy that he is only 2 years older than us, nmduke2001!

I think the championship game is different. You're not preparing for another game in two nights. The season is over. During the season, sure, most of these guys will watch the game again quickly, but not their last game of the year.

I watched this year's title game twice after it was over (and after going out to celebrate). I then watched it again after waking up after a couple hours. So, it's not surprising to me that Brad Stevens watched the 2010 game once afterwards.

But we won. Were you a Duke fan in 1999? Did you watch that game again the same night? I've only seen that game once since and hated every moment of it because I knew how it was going to end. JJ's last game, Duhon's last game, I never watched again.

When Tark the Shark died recently, ESPN played a bunch of tributes. On one, they asked if he had ever watched the 1991 loss to Duke. He said that he had only watched it decades later, It was too hard for him to watch until then. I think that is more common for coaches with an end of the season loss than what Brad Stevens did.

[UrinalCake]

I've never watched a replay of the 1999 loss. Too painful. Even now, 16 years and three titles later, that loss still hurts more than any other.

[Tom B.]

I also remember Singler throwing up an airball coming off a screen late in the game...

You mean this play?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...0wfyuQjY#t=139

That was the play that gave Butler the ball back, down by one (60-59), with a chance to take the lead. I'd forgotten about that one, but you're right -- that's another good example of how we were running on fumes down the stretch.

Watching Butler's final sequence with the ball, I'm reminded of how crucial Zoubek's defense was at the end. On Butler's last possession, Zoubek: (1) not once, but twice, hedged on screens set by Howard on the perimeter, which prevented Nored and Mack from getting loose to penetrate, then recovered with perfect timing to prevent the dump-off pass to the rolling Howard; (2) got his hand in the passing lane and deflected a pass by Mack out of bounds, after Mack had beaten Thomas off the dribble; (3) defended the inbounds triggerman (Hayward) so well that Butler had to burn a timeout -- its final timeout, which is why Butler had no timeouts remaining after; (4) Zoubek rolled down to help defend Hayward, got his hand in Hayward's face, forced a miss shot, then rebounded the miss with 3.6 seconds left.

[Richard Berg]

Yup, Zoubek is the clear MVP of the last 90 seconds.

[Edouble]

I've never watched a replay of the 1999 loss. Too painful. Even now, 16 years and three titles later, that loss still hurts more than any other.

Yeah, I will never watch that game. It might unearth some strong emotions and feelings that I would rather stay buried. With each successive championship, it hurts a bit less... but it was still the Duke team that I have been most connected to, being that it was my senior year team.

[TruBlu]

Mods, not sure where to put this but I found it pretty interesting.

Brad Stevens was on Mike and Mike this morning. Stevens was asked if he had ever been on Letterman. Stevens said that he had been on the day after the Duke Championship game. He explained that we was not originally scheduled but they called him at 5:30 am the morning after the game. He said that he got home from the game around 3:30 am (remember Butler was a few miles from Lucas Oil). He had just gone to bed right before they called because once he got home he rewatched the championship game. Holy cow! Four hours after losing a National Championship by about half an inch, he decided to come home and watch the game again. That's fascinating to me. I can't imagine many coaches or players willing to do that.

Possibly, he is like us Duke fans, and believes that shot is going to go in every time we rewatch it. He was probably rewatching the game about the same time that I was, after getting home from the game. My heart stops for about 10 seconds every time I watch it.

[wsb3]

I've never watched a replay of the 1999 loss. Too painful. Even now, 16 years and three titles later, that loss still hurts more than any other.

Agreed. Even worse for me is the 86 NC. Too painful...

[moonpie23]

i won't even watch clips from 99....to painful...

[Des Esseintes]

You mean this play?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...0wfyuQjY#t=139

That was the play that gave Butler the ball back, down by one (60-59), with a chance to take the lead. I'd forgotten about that one, but you're right -- that's another good example of how we were running on fumes down the stretch.

Watching Butler's final sequence with the ball, I'm reminded of how crucial Zoubek's defense was at the end. On Butler's last possession, Zoubek: (1) not once, but twice, hedged on screens set by Howard on the perimeter, which prevented Nored and Mack from getting loose to penetrate, then recovered with perfect timing to prevent the dump-off pass to the rolling Howard; (2) got his hand in the passing lane and deflected a pass by Mack out of bounds, after Mack had beaten Thomas off the dribble; (3) defended the inbounds triggerman (Hayward) so well that Butler had to burn a timeout -- its final timeout, which is why Butler had no timeouts remaining after; (4) Zoubek rolled down to help defend Hayward, got his hand in Hayward's face, forced a miss shot, then rebounded the miss with 3.6 seconds left.

[greybeard]Don't forget when Zoubek scored the first 16 points of the game off of post moves Brian himself invented. And also when he picked up Shelvin Mack by the throat at the pregame coin toss, a display of dominance that may well have provided the winning edge in what would prove to be a razor's edge contest. Or, crucially, when--and obviously Big Z doesn't get complete credit here--he and Duke assistant coach Lance Stephenson drew up the winning offensive play, which was to scream in everyone's face to RELEASE THE DANCER WITHIN. [/greybeard]

[gam7]

Maybe the outcome does change the more one watches it - Marv Albert just credited Shelvin Mack (during Cavs-Hawks) with missing the half court shot at the buzzer of the 2010 championship game (and as I type this, he just corrected himself). Not sure how he could get something like that so wrong.

[miramar]

I also remember Singler throwing up an airball coming off a screen late in the game so K was probably right About being too gassed and if you add in the home court underdog aspect you can easily see why he didn't think we would win in overtime.

I am also a celtics fan so I really like Stevens. They won half their games this year because they simply played harder than the opposition. Probably is in the playoffs you don't have that luxury since you are getting everybody's best shot

I still have the game recorded and I watched the second half recently. Coach K was right, as usual. I don't think Duke had the legs for another five minutes.

[Edouble]

Maybe the outcome does change the more one watches it - Marv Albert just credited Shelvin Mack (during Cavs-Hawks) with missing the half court shot at the buzzer of the 2010 championship game (and as I type this, he just corrected himself). Not sure how he could get something like that so wrong.

I heard that too. Man, that was strange. It's not like Shelvin Mack was the star of the team and some other obscure player took that shot. It was Hayward's team and Hayward took the shot. Pretty easy to remember.

[gam7]

I heard that too. Man, that was strange. It's not like Shelvin Mack was the star of the team and some other obscure player took that shot. It was Hayward's team and Hayward took the shot. Pretty easy to remember.

Right - it would be like saying that Ray Jackson called the timeout that Michigan didn't have in the 1993 final. And it's not like Hayward was playing in the game, in which case, you could understand if he just mixed up his pre-game notes in his head between Mack and Hayward.

I give announcers a ton of leeway - they have voices constantly in their ears, may be trying to keep score to some extent themselves, and are trying to stay on target with what's on the video feed/on-screen graphics, so they usually have a lot going on. But he didn't seem to misspeak in this case. He was very deliberate and Marv-esque in delivering that piece of information. And he didn't correct himself until after the commercial break, during which the producer or director probably told him he got it wrong. It was really an embarrassing mistake. I don't think I am overstating it by saying that it was one of the most iconic moments in recent college basketball history. Come on, Marv.

[NSDukeFan]

Right - it would be like saying that Ray Jackson called the timeout that Michigan didn't have in the 1993 final. And it's not like Hayward was playing in the game, in which case, you could understand if he just mixed up his pre-game notes in his head between Mack and Hayward.

I give announcers a ton of leeway - they have voices constantly in their ears, may be trying to keep score to some extent themselves, and are trying to stay on target with what's on the video feed/on-screen graphics, so they usually have a lot going on. But he didn't seem to misspeak in this case. He was very deliberate and Marv-esque in delivering that piece of information. And he didn't correct himself until after the commercial break, during which the producer or director probably told him he got it wrong. It was really an embarrassing mistake. I don't think I am overstating it by saying that it was one of the most iconic moments in recent college basketball history. Come on, Marv.

It kind of reminds me of when Brian Davis made the 3/4 court pass to Danny Ferry for the turnaround jumper to beat UK in the Regional Finals in one of the greatest games in college basketball history.

[gam7]

It kind of reminds me of when Brian Davis made the 3/4 court pass to Danny Ferry for the turnaround jumper to beat UK in the Regional Finals in one of the greatest games in college basketball history.

Yeah, and that play was made all the more special by Ian Eagle's classic call.

[hurleyfor3]

Maybe the outcome does change the more one watches it

Of course it does; it's a law of physics.

[Billy Dat]

[greybeard]Don't forget when Zoubek scored the first 16 points of the game off of post moves Brian himself invented. And also when he picked up Shelvin Mack by the throat at the pregame coin toss, a display of dominance that may well have provided the winning edge in what would prove to be a razor's edge contest. Or, crucially, when--and obviously Big Z doesn't get complete credit here--he and Duke assistant coach Lance Stephenson drew up the winning offensive play, which was to scream in everyone's face to RELEASE THE DANCER WITHIN. [/greybeard]

None of those moves being possible had Z not been a dedicated student of the Feldenkrais Method.

[NSDukeFan]

None of those moves being possible had Z not been a dedicated student of the Feldenkrais Method.

No offense to Des Esseintes, but I knew it wasn't really greybeard when there wasn't a single foot reference in the post.

[Des Esseintes]

No offense to Des Esseintes, but I knew it wasn't really greybeard when there wasn't a single foot reference in the post.

I realized afterward that I'd neglected my speling, too.