High Expectations

[Atldukie79]

So a tobacco road team loses in the Final Four but returns all the key players for next season. Preseason accolades and a number 1 prediction...not only should they win the national championship, but they just might go undefeated... or so went conventional wisdom. But things don't go as expected. The team begins to lose...back to back in fact!

If this sounds like UNC in 2009, you are right. But I shiver to recall a beloved Duke team in 1979...my senior year at Duke. Returning all key players froom the Final Four in St Louis, Duke stumbled in back to back games against St. Johns and Ohio State in Madison Square Garden the following season and never really got on track. We ended with a record of 22- 8. Disaster!

Now I won't go so far as to suggest that kind of record will happen to the Heels (though I would like to see that), there are some similarities to that sad Duke story from back in the day.

Duke clearly had chemistry problems then, as I think UNC does now. I think both teams possessed talent. G-man was no worse than an avg. NBA center for many years. Banks started for most of his shortened career. Spanarkle was the last "surviving" member of the expansion Dallas club. None of them were "stars" at the next level. I wonder if this UNC bunch will have a similar NBA experience?

In any event, I am delighted for Heels fans to share the experience!

[CameronBlue]

1979--how often have I imagined a Duke--Indiana St. championship game, launching the timeless rivalry of Tinker Bell and Bird that could've revived interest in the professional game. Instead a completely meaningless NC title game, ahh what could've been but wasn't.

[TillyGalore]

So a tobacco road team loses in the Final Four but returns all the key players for next season. Preseason accolades and a number 1 prediction...not only should they win the national championship, but they just might go undefeated... or so went conventional wisdom. But things don't go as expected. The team begins to lose...back to back in fact!

If this sounds like UNC in 2009, you are right. But I shiver to recall a beloved Duke team in 1979...my senior year at Duke. Returning all key players froom the Final Four in St Louis, Duke stumbled in back to back games against St. Johns and Ohio State in Madison Square Garden the following season and never really got on track. We ended with a record of 22- 8. Disaster!

Now I won't go so far as to suggest that kind of record will happen to the Heels (though I would like to see that), there are some similarities to that sad Duke story from back in the day.

Duke clearly had chemistry problems then, as I think UNC does now. I think both teams possessed talent. G-man was no worse than an avg. NBA center for many years. Banks started for most of his shortened career. Spanarkle was the last "surviving" member of the expansion Dallas club. None of them were "stars" at the next level. I wonder if this UNC bunch will have a similar NBA experience?

In any event, I am delighted for Heels fans to share the experience!

The Holes haven't lost back to back games. They beat College of Charleston the middle of last week.

[roywhite]

Loved that 1978 team. I recall watching the final in the Checker Dome in St. Louis, and though disappointed with the Kentucky win, Duke fans chanted "We'll be back." Easier said that done.

John Feinstein tried to immortalize the team with his book "Forever's Team". The premise didn't quite hold up as the 1979 final with Indiana St vs Mich St was much more memorable than 1978.

To the original point, it's entirely possible that the Heels could have a disappointing season. Not that they don't have talent and experience, but the idea that they were head and shoulders above the competition is not bearing out.

[msdukie]

Just wait...never forget that they are EVIL and these losses are merely a part of their master plan....

[BlueDevilBaby]

The Holes haven't lost back to back games. They beat College of Charleston the middle of last week.

All right, back to back ACC games. Yay!!

[jimsumner]

1984-UNC
Michael Jordan
Sam Perkins
Brad Daugherty
Kenny Smith
Matt Doherty
Steve Hale
Joe Wolf
Buzz Peterson
Dave Popson

Coach Dean Smith


2002-Duke
Jason Williams
Carlos Boozer
Mike Dunleavy
Chris Duhon
Dahntay Jones
Daniel Ewing
Casey Sanders
Nick Horvath

Coach Mike Krzyzewski

The next time somebody tries to tell you that any college basketball team is a lock for the NCAA title or even the Final Four, ask them to compare rosters and coaches with these two teams, both of which lost in the third round of the NCAAs to vastly inferior teams.

The NCAA Tournament is a crap shoot. That's what makes it so much fun. But nothing is inevitable, no team invulnerable.

[dukelifer]

So a tobacco road team loses in the Final Four but returns all the key players for next season. Preseason accolades and a number 1 prediction...not only should they win the national championship, but they just might go undefeated... or so went conventional wisdom. But things don't go as expected. The team begins to lose...back to back in fact!

If this sounds like UNC in 2009, you are right. But I shiver to recall a beloved Duke team in 1979...my senior year at Duke. Returning all key players froom the Final Four in St Louis, Duke stumbled in back to back games against St. Johns and Ohio State in Madison Square Garden the following season and never really got on track. We ended with a record of 22- 8. Disaster!

Now I won't go so far as to suggest that kind of record will happen to the Heels (though I would like to see that), there are some similarities to that sad Duke story from back in the day.

Duke clearly had chemistry problems then, as I think UNC does now. I think both teams possessed talent. G-man was no worse than an avg. NBA center for many years. Banks started for most of his shortened career. Spanarkle was the last "surviving" member of the expansion Dallas club. None of them were "stars" at the next level. I wonder if this UNC bunch will have a similar NBA experience?

In any event, I am delighted for Heels fans to share the experience!

That team was definitely snake bit. They lost a lot of close games- and 4 of the eight losses were to St Johns and UNC. They only had one bad loss to Clemson and were able to hold UNC scoreless for 1 half, inspiring the birth of the "Air Ball" chant in college bball fandom. This team was good- but to some degree- the 1977-1978 team overachieved given their youth.

[jv001]

1984-UNC
Michael Jordan
Sam Perkins
Brad Daugherty
Kenny Smith
Matt Doherty
Steve Hale
Joe Wolf
Buzz Peterson
Dave Popson

Coach Dean Smith


2002-Duke
Jason Williams
Carlos Boozer
Mike Dunleavy
Chris Duhon
Dahntay Jones
Daniel Ewing
Casey Sanders
Nick Horvath

Coach Mike Krzyzewski

The next time somebody tries to tell you that any college basketball team is a lock for the NCAA title or even the Final Four, ask them to compare rosters and coaches with these two teams, both of which lost in the third round of the NCAAs to vastly inferior teams.

The NCAA Tournament is a crap shoot. That's what makes it so much fun. But nothing is inevitable, no team invulnerable.

That Duke team was a really good team. You are correct in that the NCAA Tournament is a crap shoot. Health, getting hot at the right time and a little luck goes along way in the tourney. I loved that Duke team. Go Duke!

[dukelifer]

1984-UNC
Michael Jordan
Sam Perkins
Brad Daugherty
Kenny Smith
Matt Doherty
Steve Hale
Joe Wolf
Buzz Peterson
Dave Popson

Coach Dean Smith


2002-Duke
Jason Williams
Carlos Boozer
Mike Dunleavy
Chris Duhon
Dahntay Jones
Daniel Ewing
Casey Sanders
Nick Horvath

Coach Mike Krzyzewski

The next time somebody tries to tell you that any college basketball team is a lock for the NCAA title or even the Final Four, ask them to compare rosters and coaches with these two teams, both of which lost in the third round of the NCAAs to vastly inferior teams.

The NCAA Tournament is a crap shoot. That's what makes it so much fun. But nothing is inevitable, no team invulnerable.
Duke beating that UNC team in the ACC tourney basically started the recent Duke dynasty. That UNC team lost by 1 to Arkansas, 2 to Duke and 4 to Indiana. They were undefeated in the regular ACC season. The ending of the season for that team must have kept Dean Smith up at night for a long while- maybe still does.

[bdh21]

The next time you hear the talking point of how all the Tar Heels passed on the NBA, remember that Lawson is the only player who realistically had a shot of being drafted in the first round, and most likely he would not have been a lottery pick. This Carolina team has a lot of talent to be sure. But they are certainly not a cosmic alignment of basketball stars.

[Wildling]

1984-UNC
Michael Jordan
Sam Perkins
Brad Daugherty
Kenny Smith
Matt Doherty
Steve Hale
Joe Wolf
Buzz Peterson
Dave Popson

Coach Dean Smith


2002-Duke
Jason Williams
Carlos Boozer
Mike Dunleavy
Chris Duhon
Dahntay Jones
Daniel Ewing
Casey Sanders
Nick Horvath

Coach Mike Krzyzewski

The next time somebody tries to tell you that any college basketball team is a lock for the NCAA title or even the Final Four, ask them to compare rosters and coaches with these two teams, both of which lost in the third round of the NCAAs to vastly inferior teams.

The NCAA Tournament is a crap shoot. That's what makes it so much fun. But nothing is inevitable, no team invulnerable.

Hmm... I think the 99 team was the most dissapointed I have ever felt when I watched Rip Hamilton just rip my dreams apart for another NCAA title.

Avery
Langdon
Carrawell
Battier
Brand

And the fastest 10 points in 2 minutes you could ever see coming off the bench from Maggette.

I still cringe thinking about that year and how bad Duke was blowing teams out by halftime. Vegas wouldn't even put lines on some of their games they were rolling so good.

[bdh21]

Hmm... I think the 99 team was the most dissapointed I have ever felt when I watched Rip Hamilton just rip my dreams apart for another NCAA title.

Avery
Langdon
Carrawell
Battier
Brand

And the fastest 10 points in 2 minutes you could ever see coming off the bench from Maggette.

I still cringe thinking about that year and how bad Duke was blowing teams out by halftime. Vegas wouldn't even put lines on some of their games they were rolling so good.

IIRC, UCONN was actually ranked #1 for more weeks than Duke was that season. Duke had a team for the ages, but UCONN was outstanding as well. Oh, and Jake Voskuhl is still in the league?!