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west_coast_devil
10-15-2009, 06:22 PM
Duke #12.... It was interesting to read his "what if" prediction for next year :cool:.

Go Duke!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/luke_winn/10/15/preseason/index.html?eref=sihp

CameronBornAndBred
10-15-2009, 06:29 PM
Duke #12.... It was interesting to read his "what if" prediction for next year :cool:.

Go Duke!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/luke_winn/10/15/preseason/index.html?eref=sihp

Interesting, but I want to enjoy this year first...the one that hasn't even begun...before I think about next year.

FireOgilvie
10-15-2009, 07:11 PM
Not bad except for UCon at 3 (after losing their 3 best players including Thabeet) and Butler at 10 ahead of Duke. Butler has to be one of the most overhyped teams ever. The only decent team they beat last year was Xavier, which Duke CRUSHED. They also couldn't even win the Horizon League conference tournament, and lost to Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Loyola, not to mention Cleveland State and Ohio State (and neither of them are in the top 10 this year). If Butler was in the ACC last year, they would have finished in the middle to lower end of the conference.

Wander
10-15-2009, 07:19 PM
Butler's going to be really good. They were very young last year, but return every key player, so they should improve quite a bit. I think they'd contend for an ACC title with Duke, UNC, and Maryland if they were in the conference.

Yeah, UConn at 3 is a little off.

BulldogDancer81
10-15-2009, 07:42 PM
FireOgilvie, how many Butler games have you really seen? Do you know anything about the team? My guess is probably not. My guess is that you simply looked at results from last year. Butler started 3 freshmen last year and most Butler fans thought it would take them quite awhile to get back to the level of play of previous years. They exceeded and surpassed all expectations. Like Wander said they return all 5 starters-actually they return everyone and the freshmen now have a year under their belts. Barring injury they will be good this year, I guarantee. While 10 is one of the higher rankings I have seen, it is justified. They have a challenging non-conference schedule and I fully expect them to do quite well and be a staple in the top 10-15 all year.

eightyearoldsdude
10-15-2009, 07:49 PM
UConn is too high. I think he has UNC & Duke ranked about right (I might put UNC down to 8 or 9), but he spent more time talking about 2011 than 2010 which was irritating.

eightyearoldsdude
10-15-2009, 07:52 PM
OK, can I just say that I love my new promotion? Elton is a bad***

(and he writes great emails :))

eightyearoldsdude
10-15-2009, 07:53 PM
Demoted before I even posted. Ouch.

FireOgilvie
10-15-2009, 08:12 PM
Butler's going to be really good. They were very young last year, but return every key player, so they should improve quite a bit. I think they'd contend for an ACC title with Duke, UNC, and Maryland if they were in the conference.

Yeah, UConn at 3 is a little off.

I've seen Butler play. I know they're talented. But, it's a big jump between 15-3 in the Horizon League, with no conference tournament championship, to competing for the top spot in the ACC (or top 10 in the entire country).

Butler has a few decent teams on their schedule this year, so we'll at least get to see how they'd fare against a few major conference teams. They play Xavier, Georgetown, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, and possibly UCLA in an early-season tournament. According to Luke Winn (and you), they should be favored in all of those games.

I know they have talent with Hayward and Howard, and those guys may possibly play pro basketball somewhere one day, possibly in the NBA, but they don't have the same NBA lottery pick talent that UNC and Duke have. I think athletic ACC teams would eat Butler alive.

BulldogDancer81, yes I have actually seen Butler play multiple times and I saw their guys that played on the US age group team. I don't think they're that good. Maybe after this season. Sorry.

BulldogDancer81
10-16-2009, 12:28 AM
Okay good to know. I just get a bit defensive and very annoyed when people make assumptions about Butler because they are a mid-major. If you haven't made the connection between my last post and my boardname I am a Butler Alum so I am a bit protective of them.

Also Butler usually does very well against teams from the Big 6 Conferences so hopefully that will continue this season. And trust me when I say that every Big 6 team that Butler plays, all their fans can talk about is how the athleticism would overpower Butler and it never does. Butler may not win all those games but I can't remember a Butler game in the past 3 seasons where they were completely overpowered by another teams athleticism. I also can't remember a time Butler was "eaten alive" by anyone.

mkline09
12-04-2009, 11:11 AM
Winn has his new Power Rankings Up.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/luke_winn/12/03/power.rankings/index.html

I find them comical at best. Duke is 14th, UNC is 9th. Of course he as he often does, sites something obscure. At least somewhat basketball related this time. I'm not surprised he takes a crack at Duke by saying Zoubek's numbers come against weak competition.

Kedsy
12-04-2009, 11:35 AM
Winn has his new Power Rankings Up.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/luke_winn/12/03/power.rankings/index.html

I find them comical at best. Duke is 14th, UNC is 9th. Of course he as he often does, sites something obscure. At least somewhat basketball related this time. I'm not surprised he takes a crack at Duke by saying Zoubek's numbers come against weak competition.

Duke is actually 15th. But why should we care?

(Not trying to be snarky, just saying I like it better when we're underrated by guys like this and not overrated.)

mkline09
12-04-2009, 11:43 AM
Yes 15th sorry about that. 14th would have been too high ;) You are right though no need to care just interesting food for foder. I think Duke does better when underrated anyway.