UNC underdog vs the cat

[gofurman]

fwiw, unc is a one point dog vs ky... basically a pick em

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

It will be difficult for me to watch this game, as I'll be hoping that both teams lose.

[NYC Duke Fan]

Either Calipari or Roy will be in the Final 4 and there is a good chance that Calhoun will join one of them.

That said I do have to tip my hat to both Williams and Calhoun. After a few games this year how many of us thought that UNC and UConn would advance higher in the NCAA than Duke ? Williams and Calhoun have done terrific jobs this year and no matter how much you hate UNC and UConn, you have to acknowledge that both of them are helluva coaches..right there with Coach K...probably a drop lower but not by that much.

[1 24 90]

It will be difficult for me to watch this game, as I'll be hoping that both teams lose.

I plan on DVRing the game and if Kentucky wins, I'll watch it. I don't think I can stomach watching UNC win and giving them 2 hours of my life.

[kinsman_bob]

Either Calipari or Roy will be in the Final 4 and there is a good chance that Calhoun will join one of them.

That said I do have to tip my hat to both Williams and Calhoun. After a few games this year how many of us thought that UNC and UConn would advance higher in the NCAA than Duke ? Williams and Calhoun have done terrific jobs this year and no matter how much you hate UNC and UConn, you have to acknowledge that both of them are helluva coaches..right there with Coach K...probably a drop lower but not by that much.

Calhoun and Calipari are both NCAA identified cheaters and Ol'Roy is an identified whiner, so I can't root for any of them. Now that Butler is in the FF, I'm definitely rooting for them.

[-bdbd]

Either Calipari or Roy will be in the Final 4 and there is a good chance that Calhoun will join one of them.

That said I do have to tip my hat to both Williams and Calhoun. After a few games this year how many of us thought that UNC and UConn would advance higher in the NCAA than Duke ? Williams and Calhoun have done terrific jobs this year and no matter how much you hate UNC and UConn, you have to acknowledge that both of them are helluva coaches..right there with Coach K...probably a drop lower but not by that much.

This is a classic case of, "Can't they BOTH just lose??!"

In the meantime I am sticking with ABC x 3.
Anybody but Carolina, Connecticut, or Calimari.

If you choose to look at the glass as half-full, then we should get to watch all three of our most disliked foes lose in each of the next three rounds - KY or NC Sunday, then either U-Con or the KY/NC winner next Sat., and then the surviver losing to (I would predict) Kansas in the NC game. Sounds like a pretty fun last three rounds to me! :rolleyes:

[Duke: A Dynasty]

I feel unc should be the favorite here but I am not getting paid to make that judgement. Anyway this is a no-brainer to me.

LETS GO UK!!!!!!

[Devilsfan]

Hoping for UK by 50!

[gumbomoop]

As the title of this thread isn't, "Whom do you detest more?" - there are other threads on that theme - I'll comment that I'm hoping this will be an exciting game. I posted on the Sweet 16 thread about how the OSU-UK game was a defensive classic, akin to the intensity of the Duke-Butler NC.

Although I do understand that many DBR posters can think of nothing but ABC, I hope to see a great game, between 2 intriguing teams: (1) UK because of its gradual and considerable improvement, the amazing development of Josh Harrellson, the fine play of Brandon Knight, the Cats buying into Cal's D-focus, big contributions by both Jones and Lamb, and intermittent good D by juniors Liggins and Miller. Cal is excellent X/O guy, and the story about how he challenged Harrellson is compelling.

(2) UNC? Well, sure I hope they lose by 30. But their front line has developed into a really strong unit, Henson being intimidating, Zeller being an excellent soft-pass-into-post-stealer, Marshall is a beautiful passer and mostly steady PG [save for his uncharacteristic tendency to leave his feet too often with no pass obviously available], Barnes is a piece of work , and McDonald is actually hitting some 3s. Roy actually has them playing D - some of the time, just often enough, so far.

This should involve great matchups and issues: (1) Can Jones and Harrellson deal with the now very formidable Zeller and Henson? (2) Will Harrellson be exhausted from his great effort v. Sullinger? (3) Will anyone actually challenge Henson by going strong [I]right up and into his chest and face, as opposed to being intimidated? (4) Will Knight erupt, given that - to put it kindly - neither Strickland nor [especially] Marshall is in the same universe as Aaron Craft as a defender. (5) Will Lamb hit 3s? How about Barnes? (6) Will any of either team's bigs pull a Derrick Williams and commit silly, bench-necessitating, fouls in the first half? (7) Will Liggins and Miller show up?

To repeat: I suspect I'll be one of the relatively few DBR folks who will give a royal crap about watching this game. I have the advantages of not having to put up with obnoxious Heel co-workers, and of believing Duke in 2011-12 will be a fascinating and talented team.

For the record, yes, I'm for ABC, so I'd prefer this year's NC be Butler or VCU, but realize that Kansas is the best bet for ABC. But the story of each of the " blecchhhh Cs" is, in some ways, not-blecchhhh.

[UrinalCake]

I have to root for Kentucky in this game. As much as I don't like them, at least I don't live amongst thousands of their fans whom I'd have to face daily, as is the case with UNC. Plus, for some reason this year's UK team doesn't annoy me as much as last year's. Maybe it's because they haven't been hyped up so much, and weren't rated as highly during the year. Maybe it's because I know their players will all be unemployed next year due to the lockout. I still don't want them to win it all, but it's a little easier for me to stomach them getting to the Final 4.