Originally Posted by
cspan37421
I'm with Blue in the Face. A #1 seed is nice, but if relative strengths are at selection time what they are now, Duke would be perceived as undeserving (to get a #1 seed). Add to it our recent tourney history of not going particularly deep, and the burden of expectations becomes heavy (at least it does for us fans - I know the team will do its best always). I would rather us be perceived as getting the seed we earn, and going from there. If I thought the team would play different if we were slighted by a lower-than-deserved seed, then, yeah, let's play with a chip on our shoulder and prove everyone wrong. But I can't help but suspect that's a bigger factor for fans than the team itself. Sure, some teams play the "chip on shoulder" card, but that doesn't necessarily work as a strategy. [You notice who in that situation wins, and then in hindsight attribute it to the chip. Those who lose despite a chip are judged to have been justly slighted. Attribution bias I guess]
I care a lot more about Duke winning >=3 games in the NCAAs (and 3 in the ACCs) than a #1 seed in either. If we drop one or two between now and then as we get used to a modified lineup, but that helps us down the road, OK. (but man, let's definitely hand MD a loss, today of all days!]