FINAL FOUR BABY!!! (the jubilation thread - no content allowed)

[CrazieDUMB]

Final four baby!!!!!!! Woooo!!!!!

Nolan smith is tha bomb!!!!

Jon scheyer owns fools!!!

Singler is an inhuman machine!!!!!

How bout them babies plumlee and dawk????

Zou and lt down low owning the boards!!!!


Final four!!!!!!

[northernduke]

Nolan's grin is an all time classic!!!!!!

[flyingdutchdevil]

Nolan's grin is an all time classic!!!!!!

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

I love Nolan. Represents everything that Duke should be.

[Les Grossman]

That's how I'm feelin right now!

[LSanders]

Don't forget to give some to LOVE to LANCE!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D

[terrih]

Awesome TEAM win.

[ohioguy2]

Whooee!!

[hc5duke]

only team with a road win in the tournament! :D

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

FINAL FOUR BABY!!!!!!!!! Final four YESSSS

[davekay1971]

Wooooo Hoooooo! Great win!

That one was for everyone who said again and again that Duke's "not a Final Four team", that they "are gonna choke in the Sweet 16", etc etc etc. This team deserves every accolade and every achievement they get!

[dukelifer]

Final four baby!!!!!!! Woooo!!!!!

Nolan smith is tha bomb!!!!

Jon scheyer owns fools!!!

Singler is an inhuman machine!!!!!

How bout them babies plumlee and dawk????

Zou and lt down low owning the boards!!!!


Final four!!!!!!

No more listening to Duke hasn't been in a Final Four since 2004! That alone is reason for celebration!

[Neals384]

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FINAL 4!

[DevilHorns]

Arheahosdfoagsoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooi ahjsdfhashdovaooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!1

[MrBisonDevil]

Woot. Final Four in my town! Time to get a ticket.

[sivartrenrag]

I am just so happy right now. That's really all I can say. So happy.

[JBDuke]

FYI, in honor of Duke going to the Final Four, I won't be enforcing our "needless post" rules in this thread.

Outside of it, the rules will still be enforced.

That said,

CONGRATS Devils! What a huge win.

[4decadedukie]

A team -- and an accomplishment -- that equals ANYTHING in our basketball history. Who would have dared to speculate, in mid-October, that we would be in the Final Four . . . and the only #1 seed in the Final Four. Fight Blue Devils, Fight!

[dukenilnil]

Duke and the Final 3 once again! Woohoo!

[Rich]

As they used to write on the scoreboard at NY Islanders games in the early 80's after a close win,

OUTCOME NEVER IN DOUBT!!!

Great win, but our destiny is to hold the Championship trophy! Movin' on to Indy!

[delfrio]

I am posting without any redeeming qualities (me or the post I guess)! Woooo! FF babee!!

[paul plumlee]

Great win for Duke. I really feel like we can win the title this year

[tb3]

FINAL FOUR!!!!

I love this team!

[mgtr]

I was worried, but these guys stepped up big time. Time to celebrate! Oh, and whose birthday was it today? The birthday gods smiled on all of us!

[TobaMom]

Awesome team, awesome win! Final Four -- WOOOHOOO!!! 'nuf said.

[summerwind03]

Sure, I'll join in . . . I'm so proud of this team!! Love 'em.

[devildownunder]

only team with a road win in the tournament! :D

HAHA! Win!

We may need another one if we want to win the title!

[cspan37421]

Love, love, love this team!

So glad for Coach K. What does it say about a coach that, if you go 5 years without a Final Four, people say "what's happened to you guys?" They expect it, because Duke is synonymous with great basketball - and not just great regular season basketball.

Remember when they called it the Duke Invitational?

Don't know about you, but I can really see K as more demonstrable this year. I'm sure he wants it every year, but he's showing it more than lately. Maybe the team feeds off of that more.

Sure hope he can coach us through another bruising, yet winning, weekend. Rip em up, tear em up, give em (40 minutes of) H3LL, Duke!

[cptnflash]

Andre!! Andre!! Andre!! Andre!! Andre!!

We were reeling until he hit that 3 with 30 seconds to go in the first half. Way to go kid!!

[theAlaskanBear]

Way to gut out a win! This feels great! THANK YOU DUKE BLUEDEVILS!

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

AHHHHHHH this feels so good.

[Coastal Devil]

Oh yeah baby! GO DUKE!!

Whats even better (for me and us as Duke Fans) is not responding to all the text messages from Tarheel fans during the game when Baylor was winning!

I just enjoyed the Duke W speaking for itself!!!

I'm sooooo happy to belong and pull for a program with class!

GO DUKE!!!

[NSDukeFan]

WooHoo, what a great team win. Lance was the man, of course everyone who played for us tonight was also the man!!! So excited!!!

[monkey]

Warriors man, warriors. This was a war. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Great game for the team.

Feel like playing the (in)famous classic "Get in the Ring" from Guns N Roses to all the Duke haters who said we would get knocked out early ... "and to all those opposed .... well". Only #1 seed to make it.

[soccerstud2210]

wow

wow

wow

to win like that without a singler bucket!

that is HUGE!!!!!!

FF

FF

FF

[J_C_Steel]

And my harsh standards have been met.

Kudos to all of the Blue Devils, who earned their trip to Indianapolis the old-fashioned way. They EARNED it.

:D

[Devilsfan]

Hey Greg Monroe, John Wall, Patrick Patterson. Hope you enjoy watching the Final Four knowing Coach K offered you a chance to Play in it rather than just watching TV.

[Bluedevil114]

I can not get this huge grin off of my face!! I live in the heart of Terrapin Nation hence my signature. When ever Duke loses I get texts, phone calls and emails for hours afterwards. Obviously during a season those occurences happen not that often since Duke usually wins.

Amazing..........I have not heard from anyone tonight!!

FINAL FOUR BABY!! I love this Duke team!! Scheyer struggles in earlier games, Singler struggles tonight and yet we still win!!

GO DUKE!!

[dukeimac]

You could add King to the list. I thing Boykin and Boteng would have graduated last year.

Probably the worst has to be Patterson. So close yet so far.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Hey Hey Hey, let's not settle here, TWO MORE WINS!!!!!

[mgtr]

Hey Greg Monroe, John Wall, Patrick Patterson. Hope you enjoy watching the Final Four knowing Coach K offered you a chance to Play in it rather than just watching TV.

I have thought this a number of times, but was reluctant to bring it up. Glad somebody did.

[GODUKEGO]

I love my signature below. I have been counting down from 9 at the beginning of the ACC Tournament. 2 MORE!!!!

[GODUKEGO]

I love my signature below. I have been counting down from 9 at the beginning of the ACC Tournament. 2 MORE!!!!

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Two more wins baby two more wins !!!!!

[DukeSean]

Yes yes yes! Go duke!

[J_C_Steel]

Hey Hey Hey, let's not settle here, TWO MORE WINS!!!!!

I'm not settling at all. Just saying that the year has been a success no matter what happens from here on out.

It can still be a HUGE, 100% success if the team wins a championship. And I still have faith that can and will happen.

[dukeimac]

For me, this was just a win, a good win but nothing that great. When Duke beats Butler for the championship, then I will be very happy. If you over celebrate this win it might be the last.

Since and never, just think about the meaning of those words.

[Dukie@Wake]

Has anyone seen my voice? I seem to have lost it!!!!!!

[NYDukie]

Much love to this whole team, one of my most fav Duke teams ever no matter what happens in the Final 4, though we all know they will be cutting down the nets in Indy!!!!

With that said, I cannot say how happy I am for Scheyer, Smith, Singler, LT and Z as they have been at the epicenter of a lot of grief, criticism and whatever from the media, pundits, experts, opponent fan bases and even our criticism at times. I was so hoping they were going to do it because we all know they still had that monkey on their back even after the Sweet 16 win. Again, awesome win, feel great for them and have to admit, got a slight lil tear of happiness for them as I know how much they wanted it....I know, you can make fun of me...LOLLLLLL

[slower]

Team "Onions"!


Seriously, though, this was a HUGE win. Winning it all is eminently doable. And win or lose, I think another trip to the Final 4 will pay huge recruiting benefits. Depending on who comes back next year, this could be the start of the next great period for Duke basketball.

This year's team may have permanently erased the "soft" label that has been hanging over our heads. You KNOW that Baylor thought they could punk us, just as West Virginia now probably does.

So let's DO this and shove it down the blowhole of all the haters. As they say, winners write history.

[Newton_14]

HOW SWEET IT IS!!!!

How bout em???? How bout this team??

This team just refuses to lose and are tough as nails. Unreal. I was really worried with 10 to go, more worried with 5 to go, but when Nolan's 3 in front of K went down, and then Jon's 3 on the left wing went down I yelled loud enough to be heard in Texas!!!

This team is special, they have that "something" that some teams have and to get to the Final Four is just awesome!!

These last 2 ballgames have been wars and today was one of the hardest wins I have ever seen a Duke team pull out. Definite road game. When the Baylor fans got loud it was like being at Maryland all over again, but our boys sucked it up, played thru it and got it done!!

Way to go Duke Blue Devils!! A Great Accomplishment! Might as well win 2 more!!!

Lastly, GTH Steve Lavin GTH!!!

[JamminJoe]

Wooooooooooooooooooooooo-hooooooo! Great win for the entire team.

[WeepingThomasHill]

Unbelievable effort today and contributions from everyone that played.

Banner 4 is coming. Believe!

[Brim]

WAY TO GO DUKE! What a great game!

I'm very proud of this team's accomplishments. I love these guys.

Nolan, Kyle, Jon, Zoubs, Lance: THANK YOU! Now, let's go win it all!

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I believe!!! Yes sir!

[elvis14]

Like everyone else, I'm just happy right now. This is just too sweet.

[YourLandlord]

Unbelievable effort today and contributions from everyone that played.

Banner 4 is coming. Believe!

Love your picture.

[YourLandlord]

unnecessary.

Go Duke!

[prefan21]

Weeee're gonna win tonight... Carolina go to hell! * *

Terrible camera phone pic of Nolan cutting down the nets :) Go Duke!!

[NYDukie]

Team "Onions"!


Seriously, though, this was a HUGE win. Winning it all is eminently doable. And win or lose, I think another trip to the Final 4 will pay huge recruiting benefits. Depending on who comes back next year, this could be the start of the next great period for Duke basketball.

This year's team may have permanently erased the "soft" label that has been hanging over our heads. You KNOW that Baylor thought they could punk us, just as West Virginia now probably does.

So let's DO this and shove it down the blowhole of all the haters. As they say, winners write history.

Funny how things work but I remember the WVU loss in the 2nd Round being one of the "defining" moments of the "soft" label that really gained steam the past few years and now lo and behold, guess who Duke plays in the Final 4. Yes, WVU! I have tons of respect for WVU and Huggins, though he isn't my cup of tea as Coach K and Tom Izzo are for example but I am positive this game will not be nearly the same as then, when that Duke team was essentially punked. Both teams are top offensive rebounding teams and it will be interesting to see how they both battle there.

[GODUKEGO]

Tomorrow when I go out to get the paper, the sky will be Duke blue, the flowers will all be blooming, the trees will all have their leaves, the air will be mountain crisp. LIFE IS GOOD!!! Duke won and Kentucky lost!!

[Chard]

Aw.

Yeah.

[bhop22]

Great game!!! Great team!!!! 2 more to go!!!

[miramar]

considering that as late as December everybody was saying that Duke is alarmingly unathletic, with only two proven guards, nobody in the middle, can't compete with Carolina, can't recruit the top players, has Coach K spending too much time with the Olympics, can't play away from home, has too many transfers, lost out on John Wall, couldn't even get Harrison Barnes who was supposedly a Duke guy, hasn't beaten Carolina at home in four years and it's not going to get any better with that monster freshman class ol' Roy is bringing in, gets burned by teams with quick guards, underachieves in the NCAAs, shoots too many threes because they can't do anything else, doesn't even have a true point guard and you can't be successful in the tournament without one.

I apologize if I've left anything out...

It's funny to think back to that Lindy's preseason magazine with ol' Roy knocking out Coach K and some so-called expert saying that Duke would never compete with Carolina until we got a new coach.

What a difference three months make.

Finally, let me say that Indianapolis > New York. Ol' Roy can keep the city that never sleeps.

[dukestheheat]

I am so proud of Duke I simply cannot stand it. I stood up and shouted with great affirmation when I realized that we were going to win it. I could not contain myself.

GO DUKE!

dukestheheat.

[slower]

Tomorrow when I go out to get the paper, the sky will be Duke blue...

and the water in your toilet will be that other shade of blue. Fitting!

[dukestheheat]

WhooooooooooooooHooooooooooooooooooooooo!

(great shouts of joy and total Cameron Craziness boyishness back-in-the-dayishness ensuing, basically looking so crazy whole family threatens to disown me).

dth.

[BlueintheFace]

The pre-season expectations of even the harshest Duke fans have been met (at the very least) now.

Everybody have fun.

[gotoguy]

Site of the first championship in '91. GO DEVILS!!! Survive and advance!

[basket1544]

My throat is sore from yelling, my ankles and knees are going to be sore in the morning from jumping and my husband and dog are looking at me as if I am CRAZYYYY right now but I don't remember a team I loved more than this one. They have heart and soul. ON TO INDY indeed!

[Merlindevildog91]

Don't want to burn either couch! But YIPPPPEEEEE! GO DUKE! Lovin' these guys. Love Duke no matter what, but what a gritty bunch of guys who represent us so well.

Thanks, men. You did it!

[Lord Ash]

Woooooo!!!!!

[Son of Mojo]

:D Game had me way nervous in spots but the back to back 3's settled me into my screaming normal self. I kept my lucky hat (with the horns, ears, and eyebrows) on for about 2 hours after the game. Let's go back to Indy and seal the deal!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!! Wooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[the_grad_student]

I think these guys are starting to LIKE that nobody's been paying attention to them as a serious contender! They gotta be paying attention now!!!

[Dr. Tina]

I am SO PROUD of our guys!!! 2 more, baby....2 more!!!

[Jarhead]

Love, love, love this team!

So glad for Coach K. What does it say about a coach that, if you go 5 years without a Final Four, people say "what's happened to you guys?" They expect it, because Duke is synonymous with great basketball - and not just great regular season basketball.

Remember when they called it the Duke Invitational?

Don't know about you, but I can really see K as more demonstrable this year. I'm sure he wants it every year, but he's showing it more than lately. Maybe the team feeds off of that more.

Sure hope he can coach us through another bruising, yet winning, weekend. Rip em up, tear em up, give em (40 minutes of) H3LL, Duke!

Good post, cspan. Coach Mike Krzyzewski deserves all the accolades we can bestow on him. I am sure that the young men on the team would agree with me. For all of those critics, including some on this forum, who were saying that he was overextended, that his coaching and recruiting will go downhill. Now he has lead his team to the Final Four. And I'll bet his face book page is getting loads of kudos from his USA Basketball Gold Medal team. Perhaps one of those critics could start a thread for all those apologies.

oooooOOOOOO RAH

[Dr. Tina]

DUKE in the FINAL FOUR!!!! I LOVE it that we are the LAST #1 SEED STANDING!!!! Such a great feeling!!!

I'm so proud of our guys and how hard they've worked this year. I am particularly happy for our senior class. They've been dealing with the critics since they got to Durham and now they're shutting them up.

I BELIEVE...WE CAN DO THIS...Only 2 more games...and we could be NATIONAL CHAMPS AGAIN!!!!

LETS DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[calvindog]

I agree, now I can honestly say that this year has surpassed expectations -- which is the first time in a while I feel that to be the case. ACC championship is great but hardly unexpected. This FF is. I never thought this group could get it done but the tenacious interior play and offensive rebounding has made me a true believer. I love this team for bringing Duke back where it belongs.

[Indoor66]

I am SO PROUD of our guys!!! 2 more, baby....2 more!!!

It is always a joy to be a Duke fan. I am always proud of our players, coaches and fans. I agree, two more. But in any event, I am proud!

[RockyMtDevil]

In July, if anyone would have predicted a Final Four from a two guard offense and several role players, most of us would have laughed you off this board. I was one of the loudest critics then, and boy did K make me and others eat our words.

He has to be the greatest coach alive today, period for what he has done with this unit. Great, great win against an amazingly talented and fierless Baylor squad.

Classy guys too, did anyone see the Baylor press conference? Great kids and a great young coach with a lot of class.

Wow, I still can't believe we are on to Indy.

[hurleyfor3]

63 64 66 78 86 88 89 90 91 92 94 99 01 04...

...10!

It feels great to play basketball games in April again.

[jipops]

considering that as late as December everybody was saying that Duke is alarmingly unathletic, with only two proven guards, nobody in the middle, can't compete with Carolina, can't recruit the top players, has Coach K spending too much time with the Olympics, can't play away from home, has too many transfers, lost out on John Wall, couldn't even get Harrison Barnes who was supposedly a Duke guy, hasn't beaten Carolina at home in four years and it's not going to get any better with that monster freshman class ol' Roy is bringing in, gets burned by teams with quick guards, underachieves in the NCAAs, shoots too many threes because they can't do anything else, doesn't even have a true point guard and you can't be successful in the tournament without one.

I apologize if I've left anything out...

It's funny to think back to that Lindy's preseason magazine with ol' Roy knocking out Coach K and some so-called expert saying that Duke would never compete with Carolina until we got a new coach.

What a difference three months make.

Finally, let me say that Indianapolis > New York. Ol' Roy can keep the city that never sleeps.

karma

[wallyman]

have to admit, i kept thinking they were too....athletic for us.
what a game. props to all, but lance's rebound and slam belongs in the top 10 of big-time duke plays ever.

[devildeac]

I can not get this huge grin off of my face!! I live in the heart of Terrapin Nation hence my signature. When ever Duke loses I get texts, phone calls and emails for hours afterwards. Obviously during a season those occurences happen not that often since Duke usually wins.

Amazing..........I have not heard from anyone tonight!!

FINAL FOUR BABY!! I love this Duke team!! Scheyer struggles in earlier games, Singler struggles tonight and yet we still win!!

GO DUKE!!

You haven't heard from anyone because they are probably rioting/burning comcast to the ground...:rolleyes:

[devildeac]

Tomorrow when I go out to get the paper, the sky will be Duke blue, the flowers will all be blooming, the trees will all have their leaves, the air will be mountain crisp. LIFE IS GOOD!!! Duke won and Kentucky lost!!

and carolina will still be in hades...

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

considering that as late as December everybody was saying that Duke is alarmingly unathletic, with only two proven guards, nobody in the middle, can't compete with Carolina, can't recruit the top players, has Coach K spending too much time with the Olympics, can't play away from home, has too many transfers, lost out on John Wall, couldn't even get Harrison Barnes who was supposedly a Duke guy, hasn't beaten Carolina at home in four years and it's not going to get any better with that monster freshman class ol' Roy is bringing in, gets burned by teams with quick guards, underachieves in the NCAAs, shoots too many threes because they can't do anything else, doesn't even have a true point guard and you can't be successful in the tournament without one.

I apologize if I've left anything out...

It's funny to think back to that Lindy's preseason magazine with ol' Roy knocking out Coach K and some so-called expert saying that Duke would never compete with Carolina until we got a new coach.

What a difference three months make.

Finally, let me say that Indianapolis > New York. Ol' Roy can keep the city that never sleeps.

I agree with all of that except the last statment, this is non basketball related but New York>>>>>>>>>>Everywhere else.

But yes what a difference three months make. AMAZING.

[DevilHorns]

ok im going to sleep. but before i go


asdkhgfhakjshd;lkjfhado;fhadsflkajdlkfjalkjdflkajd lkjYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!11oh ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!wwwowowowowowowooooooooooooooohoo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Duke Mom]

After winning against Purdue's exhausting monster defense, I was worried about whether or not our guys would have enough left in the tank, but apparently they are running on jet fuel! These guys play with so much heart. What a joy to watch. They've given us so much pleasure and fun!

Yeahhh Babyyyyy!

Go Duke!

Next!!!!!

[mehmattski]

Everyone should be required to read this thread:

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19615

No, we're not there yet, but we're going to need a whole lot of crow for some of these folks to eat.

[Faustus]

Yes.

[bluedevil2012]

What a good year for the triangle. Duke and UNC both make a final four! :D

[proelitedota]

Kishiznit is the new Nostradamus.

Quick make some more predictions!:cool:

[PhillyDuke]

YES!!! Tough, gritty win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Troublemaker]

Posting from vegas, really tired, a bit drunk. But deliriously happy after witnessing our boys show such toughness, resiliency and togetherness in getting tothe Final Four! Not to mention disappointing an entire sports book full of duke haters whining about calls, etc. F them.

The Final Four!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woooooooooooooooo

[mehmattski]

Woke up this morning, checked the bracket at cbs.com, and...

...hey, Duke is STILL in the Final Four! It wasn't a dream! And I'm going to Indianapolis to watch them compete for a national championship! Hooray!

[Troublemaker]

Congrats on getting the tix mehmattski. All you students who are making it to indy. You will be outnumbered 3 to 1. But this team has overcome worse odds. Make it rain noise from the duke section, my brothers. Love everyone at dbr. It's been a great season with more to come. Woooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

[Delmer]

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t200/elmerfudd123/bildeCATT6QI5.jpg

Good work !

[CameronBornAndBred]

When I woke up this morning, I had overslept a half hour. My clothes were still wet in the dryer. It was pouring down rain sideways outside. When I finally got in to work, I found out I was the only tech to show up, the other two called in sick. I couldn't make coffee because I was out of cups. And to top it all off, it's Monday.
AND I HAVE THE BIGGEST SMILE ON MY FACE!!! WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!

[davekay1971]

To make today even more fun, waltz on over to IC. It's wonderful reading material. An already angry and insecure fanbase just became even more miserable and unpleasant. It's glorious to read how we got lucky, the refs gave it to us, the committee gave it to us, Cornell and Northern Iowa would have beaten us, etc etc etc. Meanwhile the 'Holes are alive for that NIT crown. LMAO. It's beautiful!

[bird]

Everyone should be required to read this thread:

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19615

No, we're not there yet, but we're going to need a whole lot of crow for some of these folks to eat.

I'm feeling pretty good about my post:

"If I was assigning probabilities, I would give higher probabilities to Kansas and Syracuse than Duke. I am not sure I would give anyone else a higher chance.

First, the Duke team has several of the "markers" of a contender:

-- strong defense (No. 14 in Kenpom)
-- good foul shooting (No. 14 in Kenpom)
-- experience in the backcourt

These are factors that I hear often discussed as being typical attributes or requirements of a potential championship team that can get through the defensive-oriented grind of the tourney.

Second, I would add to this list Duke's ability to score efficiently and often. Put simply, on a given night Duke's offense can beat anyone. We have No. 1 offensive efficiency in the bleeping nation, according to Kenpom. And anyone paying attention to these boards, to the games and the comments of the coaching staff know that the Duke offense, as good as it has been overall, has plenty of room for improvement.

The big knock on Duke is the lack of NBA "bodies" on the team. I think Moneyball - how the fascination with "bodies" and "I know it when I see it" can blur clear vision on actual sports productivity. I repeat, we have the No. 1 offensive efficiency in the bleeping nation without the Favors and Lawalls of the world.

Maybe Duke has a one-in-ten chance of winning the championship. I like our chances, gentlemen."

[kmmk]

I am incredibly proud of this year's team. They have surprised many people and they deserve all of the success that is coming their way. Some of those surprised people are Duke haters who are surprised every time they win a game (stupid people are funny sometimes, lol). But I'm a die-hard Dukie and I'm still surprised by this team.

I didn't have a gut instinct at the start of the season that this team would be one of the last four standing. And I let that gut instinct control me. I'm overjoyed to be proven wrong. These guys are showing all of the critics and haters that you can't judge every team by the same check list. This team is certainly winning with talent, but they are also winning with heart, determination, teamwork and all of those other attributes on Coach K's lists for success. And those things can't be measured by a box score or an RPI index. This team won't back down from any challenge and they are reaping the rewards for their mental and physical strength.

The first Duke game I ever watched was the 1992 Final Four game vs. Indiana so it was an easy trip to a championship for me that year. (I know, I missed the Greatest Game EVER by one game but I'm always the last to know everything. lol). In 1999, I thought we had UConn no problem and my instincts took a hit.

In 2001, I had such a confident feeling (one I never felt before) that we'd win it all from the first game of the season, and that was rewarded. But in subsequent years that cocky feeling of confidence returned and I started thinking I needed to really check my gut instinct. It didn't tell me 2010 would be the year but I'm now learning that sometimes a little belief can go a long way.

As a proud Duke fan for nearly 20 years, I'm always in the teams' corner. But I'm really crossing my fingers that they take the next two games and make a lot more believers out of those doubters out there.

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to share my thoughts. I want to thank the guys in charge here at DBR and everyone posting on the forum for sharing your insights. They've been helpful to me throughout the tournament.

xxKelly

[superdave]

I have to say that after seeing Nolan's tweet about his Dad yesterday, I am more happy for him than anything. What a great kid and a great tribute. We are priviledged to be able to watch him grow.

Super "That made me sound old to say" Dave

[Duke of Nashville]

:D Yeehaw~! haha <--first Yeehaw I have ever seen on DBR. Maybe that is what the search tool is for...

[David]

Almost 24 hours later and I am still smiling. :D Go DUKE!!!

[ReformedAggie]

Cardiac arrest aside, I love watching this team. Go DUKE.