I've got to re-think my perspective and enjoy this season

[jcastranio]

Watching the Miami game yesterday, yelling at the players if they made a mistake or missed a shot, I realized that I have spent the whole season inwardly castigating the team (and coaches) for not performing up to "my" expectations. I wanted all those talented freshmen to perform like seasoned three year veterans (despite the fact that that didn't have the practice time or experience to live up to that).
In doing so, I have missed the season. I haven't relished the individual effort and performances. Coach K is the greatest, but his greatness requires time to teach, coach, and drill young players into becoming the players they can be. Circumstances have prevented that.

It's a new day. My freshman year (1977-1978) we were coming off of 4 straight last place finishes in the ACC. We cheered like crazy just to be in the game - and we were playing three freshmen, two sophomores, and a new transfer student. I gotta get back to that attitude as a fan. This entitlement is killing me.

[Eakane]

I need to reset my expectations too, and come to grip with reality. The reality is, whether it's due to injury or missed time, neither Giles nor Bolden are nearly as good as advertised. The reality is, as good as Tatum has been, he continues to make phenomenally bad decisions with the ball. I could go on...

Coming into the season, I really believed we were looking at a team like the 2015 team, only better. But we do not have any center near as good as Jah, no point guard at all, and no multi like Justise.

We're a good team, but not a great team. Maybe we have a run in us, but I'm changing my attitude starting today

[wsb3]

Watching the Miami game yesterday, yelling at the players if they made a mistake or missed a shot, I realized that I have spent the whole season inwardly castigating the team (and coaches) for not performing up to "my" expectations. I wanted all those talented freshmen to perform like seasoned three year veterans (despite the fact that that didn't have the practice time or experience to live up to that).
In doing so, I have missed the season. I haven't relished the individual effort and performances. Coach K is the greatest, but his greatness requires time to teach, coach, and drill young players into becoming the players they can be. Circumstances have prevented that.

It's a new day. My freshman year (1977-1978) we were coming off of 4 straight last place finishes in the ACC. We cheered like crazy just to be in the game - and we were playing three freshmen, two sophomores, and a new transfer student. I gotta get back to that attitude as a fan. This entitlement is killing me.

Good post. Beginning in 84 we have made the NCAA tourney every year but 95 & only then because Coach K was out. Finished above 500 in the conference in all but 4 of those years.

I take nothing for granted & most years I sweat out getting a conference record that is good enough to get us in the NCAA's.

This year has been unlike any I can recall. One injury after another & yet we are still going to the dance. Who knows... if we could get healthy enough we might make a run.

The vast majority of schools would kill for what we complain about.

You are correct. We are not entitled.

I love DUKE BASKETBALL..Grateful for all the success..

[MCFinARL]

I need to reset my expectations too, and come to grip with reality. The reality is, whether it's due to injury or missed time, neither Giles nor Bolden are nearly as good as advertised. The reality is, as good as Tatum has been, he continues to make phenomenally bad decisions with the ball. I could go on...

Coming into the season, I really believed we were looking at a team like the 2015 team, only better. But we do not have any center near as good as Jah, no point guard at all, and no multi like Justise.

We're a good team, but not a great team. Maybe we have a run in us, but I'm changing my attitude starting today

There's one key difference between this year and 2015. Another is that 2015's injury problems were not as severe or as early as this year, so the team had more chance to develop as a team. A third may be that Jah, Tyus, and Justise had all played together extensively with USA basketball, etc., and so had a bit of a leg up on team cohesion over this year's crew.

All that being said, I too had outsized expectations for this year's team (and every year's), which I need to learn to control.

[dukelion]

Been thinking about this all weekend.

At this point Jefferson, Allen and Giles won't be 100% at any point this season. That's just something people have to accept in addition to what that means for our chances of winning the tourney.

It's still a very good team but things just haven't fell into place like they did for the 2015 team.

[brevity]

Watching the Miami game yesterday, yelling at the players if they made a mistake or missed a shot, I realized that I have spent the whole season inwardly castigating the team (and coaches) for not performing up to "my" expectations. I wanted all those talented freshmen to perform like seasoned three year veterans (despite the fact that that didn't have the practice time or experience to live up to that).
In doing so, I have missed the season. I haven't relished the individual effort and performances. Coach K is the greatest, but his greatness requires time to teach, coach, and drill young players into becoming the players they can be. Circumstances have prevented that.

It's a new day. My freshman year (1977-1978) we were coming off of 4 straight last place finishes in the ACC. We cheered like crazy just to be in the game - and we were playing three freshmen, two sophomores, and a new transfer student. I gotta get back to that attitude as a fan. This entitlement is killing me.

I've been trying to say this in DBR Chat for months now. One of my pet peeves are fans who live in the past. Not just remember the past, which is fine and important, but allow their longing of the past to cloud their present. Fans who are still viewing this season from a preseason #1 point of view are doomed to be miserable, much like ACC fans who still want the league to scale back down to 8 teams and have a double round robin schedule. You are, of course, entitled to that opinion, and I am also free to point out that such an opinion will only cause you pain.

I had some misgivings about the 2016-2017 season before it started, but I fully dropped any preseason expectations once Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, and Marques Bolden were injured. I recalibrated to a somewhat more reasonable expectation that everyone's health would improve and the team would come together by January and dominate conference play. Health didn't improve so easily, and on the day that UNC's scandal made the ESPN ticker and would have stayed there through Christmas and all those bowl game viewers, Grayson Allen decided that Steven Santa Ana's chippy play in the Elon game was more important than anything else and lost his perspective. (Given nearly every postgame thread I've read this season, I'm sure most of you can relate.)

I recalibrated more vigorously this time, deciding to accept the season as it happens but hoping that Grayson's behavior would be the only distraction. I was half-wrong, with ESPN finding fire where there was no smoke. But I was also half-right in my approach, which helped me process the injury to Amile Jefferson and Coach K's need to take time off. Now I just accept the negative (slow and uncertain recoveries, career games from opposing guards, close road losses) with the positive (flashes of brilliance, 7-game winning streak, taking down UNC). I want this team to do well, but all I expect them to do is play cleanly and not trip any opponents.

Look, I get it. Duke is all about the point guard. The coach on the floor, the quarterback of basketball, blah blah blah. Assistant/interim coach Jeff Capel was a Duke point guard. Assistant coaches Smith and Scheyer also brought up the ball for Duke. Coach Wojo was a Duke point guard. Coach Hurley was a Duke point guard. Coach Amaker was a Duke point guard. Coach K himself was an Army point guard. A good point guard will cover up a lot of flaws on a team, and expand their margin for error. This year's team does not have that, but I'd like to point out that it never did. And yet I keep hearing about it like it's news.

If this season were a book, and let's pray that it won't be, its theme is health. Not just the health of players and coaches, but our health. If the chat and postgame threads are any indication, old and unreasonable expectations are causing fans to have bad health. I have high blood pressure for genetic reasons, not sports reasons, and I have been pretty zen about everything that happened this season except some of the reactions of my fellow fans. So recalibrate. If you won't do it for you, then do it for someone a lot more important: me.

[ipatent]

It's hard to win a national championship. Duke had zero in any sport for a long time. Was hopeful we'd get one when I was a senior, when the soccer team went eight overtimes with IU in Ft. Lauderdale, but it wasn't to be.

[Bob Green]

It's a new day. My freshman year (1977-1978) we were coming off of 4 straight last place finishes in the ACC. We cheered like crazy just to be in the game - and we were playing three freshmen, two sophomores, and a new transfer student. I gotta get back to that attitude as a fan. This entitlement is killing me.

Solid post! I've stated multiple times in various threads that I intend to enjoy the ride. It is important to stop and smell the roses. As fans, we all need to enjoy each and every year for that year complete with the pros and cons of the team. Injury has been a major con in 2016-17 season, but there have been pros as well and the season is not over yet.

[CarmenWallaceWade]

Great initial post followed by some sensible and reflective responses. Our expectations were incredibly high at the beginning of the season; it's hard to change to a realistic view. But we as fans aren't entitled to anything. Enjoy what you have while you have it. I'm grateful for this team, the coaches, and the classy fans on this board.

[Troublemaker]

Good posts in this thread.

Let me add that yesterday's loss to Miami represented progress, and if you couldn't see it as progress, you may be hanging on to something that you shouldn't. Whether that be the dream of a 2 seed (or maybe a 1 seed), a regular season title (dashed now), a double bye in the ACCT, or what have you. I'm not saying Duke couldn't have or can't accomplish some of those things if we receive some breaks, but don't get your hopes up. Let those things go, because that's not where Duke's focus is going to be.

The reality of Duke's situation is this: The NCAA tournament begins in two weeks, and Duke has a severely hampered starting point guard and a severely hampered starting center. You know, the two most impactful positions in basketball. What Duke needs to focus on -- to the exclusion of everything else -- is changing the situation at those two positions, as best we can.

I truly believe we can be a tough out if we have decent health for the NCAAT. And that's where the focus needs to be. Sorry, if that means losing out on seeding, a double bye, etc etc.

[OldPhiKap]

It's hard to win a national championship. Duke had zero in any sport for a long time. Was hopeful we'd get one when I was a senior, when the soccer team went eight overtimes with IU in Ft. Lauderdale, but it wasn't to be.

I was a student when Duke won its first national championship in any sport. Soccer, 1986. We have come a looooong way.

Enjoy every sandwich. Er, season. No birthrights in sports.

[weezie]

Absolutely agree with my peeps above. Being a Duke fan is far preferable to any other school fandom and much better than getting wisdom teeth removal surgery.

Just keep that in mind.

[gofurman]

I was a student when Duke won its first national championship in any sport. Soccer, 1986. We have come a looooong way.

Enjoy every sandwich. Er, season. No birthrights in sports.

THIS. NO BIRTHRIGHTS. NO ENTITLEMENT Ever. It can be gone in a hurry. If you realize and appreciate how lucky you are you are more likely to enjoy things along the way. Example: Football, Notre Dame. Another example? Basketball, UCLA. Yes, they are great again this year... But after John Wooden it was a long time before it came around again I think

I am passionate about this because I posted this same thing about three weeks ago in a thread that caught some heat - something like "how many wins to get in the NCAA" - something akin to that. People said "that's ridiculous...we always get in the tourney.. This is a pessimist"

While I get that ... I really wasn't even saying we were on the bubble. I was just being Goal-Oriented. Most every coach posts goals at the beginning of the year. I suspect Duke has some like this ( COMPLETE GUESs%^*) :

1. Graduate players / keep an X' GPA. (This goal apparently is not applicable at a school 8 miles away)
2. Win the ACC regular season
3. Win 20 games
4. Win the ACCT
5. Get invited to the NCAAT
6. Make the Sweet 16
7. Make the FF
8. Win the National Title

So I start every year wondering how many wins do wee need to hit goal 5 as goals 2 and 4 are very tough.

[Furniture]

I can't stand the DBR chat when Duke are losing. At least tô my eyes there are posters in chat that I never see post on regular threads. The extreme views are so bad that it does cross my mind if they are trolls or not. If not trolls then it's just entitlement.

[UrinalCake]

Totally get what the OP is saying, but I don't think we were unjustified in our excitement about this season or our expectations of winning a title. Nearly every major sportswriter in the country had us as the preseason favorites, and most shared our belief that our talent was well above everyone else's. The national polls reflected the same. Some years I think we as Duke fans are biased and overrate our team, but this was not one of them.

Nobody in their wildest dreams could have foreseen the number of injuries that have hit this team, and the impact on the freshmen in particular has been devastating in their development. And the lack of a PG was a bigger deal than I think many wanted to admit. Still, the potential of this team should have been sky high. Agree that we all need to readjust expectations, but part of me will continue to wonder what might have been had everyone stayed healthy including K.

[richardjackson199]

Watching the Miami game yesterday, yelling at the players if they made a mistake or missed a shot, I realized that I have spent the whole season inwardly castigating the team (and coaches) for not performing up to "my" expectations. I wanted all those talented freshmen to perform like seasoned three year veterans (despite the fact that that didn't have the practice time or experience to live up to that).
In doing so, I have missed the season. I haven't relished the individual effort and performances. Coach K is the greatest, but his greatness requires time to teach, coach, and drill young players into becoming the players they can be. Circumstances have prevented that.

It's a new day. My freshman year (1977-1978) we were coming off of 4 straight last place finishes in the ACC. We cheered like crazy just to be in the game - and we were playing three freshmen, two sophomores, and a new transfer student. I gotta get back to that attitude as a fan. This entitlement is killing me.

Thanks for this thread. This perspective is much more gratifying than, say, listening to Wheat tell us how this team and our coaches are failing to realize expectations.

This team has high character, passion, and still has several opportunities to smell the roses.

And what sweet roses we've sampled already. How sweet was that win in Cameron over UNC (with Duval in the house), watching Grayson swish 3 after 3? How sweet was the insane offensive performance in both wins over Wake Forest? How sweet has it been to watch the brilliance of this year's Luke Kennard? How sweet was watching Capel coach alongside his dad, and seeing K hug Capel Sr. after that incredible win? How sweet was watching Tatum emerge against Florida, or what he did at UVA? How sweet was Matt Jones 2nd half in Cameron over Miami, that smile, and watching Larranaga ask his assistants "Can you believe this s**t?" after we completely shut down his team's ability to score? How sweet was Grayson's 2nd half in Vegas? How sweet was our other-worldly performance against Georgia Tech? How sweet was finally beating Notre Dame on their home floor with near perfection from the free throw line? Gutting out a win over a tough Pitt team after they'd just played the heels close in Chapel HIll? Or winning an important game over a ranked Rhode Island who had just beaten Cincy?

And the best could be yet to come. We aren't going to win the ACC Regular Season, get a #1 seed, or get a double bye. Who cares? That should remove all pressure. We just need to try to play more as a team, share the ball, get better every day, and enjoy these moments with this fun team while they're here.

How sweet would that rose smell to rock Cameron on Senior Day and beat FSU with Knox in the house? To hear these seniors speak after celebrating that huge win?
How sweet would beating the cheats in their house be, and yes sweeping them?

Then we start the ACC tourney 0-0, just like the others. It's no real pressure with a great chance to practice tourney atmosphere before the big dance. Could this team win the ACC Tourney? Damn right they could. And cutting down those nets would be another sweet rose in Coach K's legacy.

Then we start the NCAA Tourney 0-0. Kedsy is absolutely right in his outstanding post in the post-Miami thread. We can expect an extremely difficult road. But that could be just what this team needs. We'll have a chance as the hunter, not the hunted. Things haven't broken our way all year, so maybe March is when they do. We could still get pretty healthy, and have an opportunity to play 1 game at our time together playing our best ball of the year. If this team just plays their absolute best together, they could win 2 tough games and make the Sweet 16. Would those feel sweet. Our group could absolutely win 2 more tough games and make the Final 4. How sweet would that be this year?

And as 2015 recently showed, at that point anything is possible with a Coach K team playing their best ball together. I don't think anybody wants to see Grayson Allen, Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones, Jayson Tatum, Frank Jackson, Luke Kennard, Harry Giles, Marques Bolden, and Coach K in the National Championship game, except us of course. This team could hit their ceiling on that stage.
Perhaps not all of these roses will happen. But if we play together, any still could. I'll make sure to enjoy smelling any of these roses that happen. This is a fun team, and the best could be yet to come.

I don't mind being a Duke fan, often enough it means many incredible moments to enjoy. Bring on March!

[jipops]

The media consensus before the season was that this Duke team was going to be one of K's most dominant ones. So it was easy to base expectations off of that. This totally ignored the fact that Harry was still recovering from being out for a full year, the unknown of Duke's defensive makeup, and the unknown of who Duke's actual facilitator would be. Sometimes you have to set aside the media hype machine and actually scrutinize the known quantities and weigh what is unknown.

And then the injury epidemic went down along with the tripping fiasco and it's all been hanging by a thread since. Some things you just can't predict and are out of anyone's control.

[richardjackson199]

The media consensus before the season was that this Duke team was going to be one of K's most dominant ones. So it was easy to base expectations off of that. This totally ignored the fact that Harry was still recovering from being out for a full year, the unknown of Duke's defensive makeup, and the unknown of who Duke's actual facilitator would be. Sometimes you have to set aside the media hype machine and actually scrutinize the known quantities and weigh what is unknown.

And then the injury epidemic went down along with the tripping fiasco and it's all been hanging by a thread since. Some things you just can't predict and are out of anyone's control.

Yep, I strongly suspected by halftime of our first exhibition game that this was not that "superteam." By halftime of the Elon game I knew this was not that team. Without all the injuries, who knows? But adversity can also bring a team together and make them stronger. They have to rely on each other to be their best.

I love who this team actually is, and am obviously excited about some of the things they could still accomplish.

[ipatent]

There's one key difference between this year and 2015. Another is that 2015's injury problems were not as severe or as early as this year, so the team had more chance to develop as a team. A third may be that Jah, Tyus, and Justise had all played together extensively with USA basketball, etc., and so had a bit of a leg up on team cohesion over this year's crew.

All that being said, I too had outsized expectations for this year's team (and every year's), which I need to learn to control.

Three other differences come to mind:

1. No real point guard on this team like T. Jones.

2. Big Amile fan for what he is but no consistent post threat drawing double teams like Okafor.

3. No single player is outstanding on both ends of the court.

[BG05]

Watching the Miami game yesterday, yelling at the players if they made a mistake or missed a shot, I realized that I have spent the whole season inwardly castigating the team (and coaches) for not performing up to "my" expectations. I wanted all those talented freshmen to perform like seasoned three year veterans (despite the fact that that didn't have the practice time or experience to live up to that).
In doing so, I have missed the season. I haven't relished the individual effort and performances. Coach K is the greatest, but his greatness requires time to teach, coach, and drill young players into becoming the players they can be. Circumstances have prevented that.

It's a new day. My freshman year (1977-1978) we were coming off of 4 straight last place finishes in the ACC. We cheered like crazy just to be in the game - and we were playing three freshmen, two sophomores, and a new transfer student. I gotta get back to that attitude as a fan. This entitlement is killing me.

I was a freshman then too -- great times! It is really important that we *support* the team. They don't owe us anything. I think people get mad at the team because if the team loses, we lose bragging rights at the water cooler. I know I have gotten angry at the team at various times over the years. But, eventually, I learned that it was ridiculous to get angry at them. I have no right to get angry at them. Maryland fans just booed the team at a home game a few days ago and that is a total loser approach.

We often forget that we have quite possibly the greatest coach in the history of the game, that we have made the tournament every year except one since -- can you believe it -- 1984, that we have had the opportunity to see so many incredible players developing, that we have won the NCAA five times since 1991.

So I totally totally agree -- enjoy for what it is worth. So many people (my UVA friends, for example) would kill to have the "problems" we do. Let's Go Duke!

[moonpie23]

when we punch our ticket for monday, all the heads will back pedal so quickly you won't believe it....every one of them will say "Well they were picked to be here way back before the season started. Everyone knew they had the talent, best coach, blah, blah, blah de blah....."

[MChambers]

Thanks to jcastranio for starting this thread. I've been thinking along the same lines. Before the season, I really thought this team was the most talented, on paper, that Duke has ever had. I was worried about the defense, especially the lack of a quick guard used to guarding another team's point, but I figured the other strengths would outweigh that.

But the injuries have taken their toll, and I just have to enjoy have yet another very good, but not great team. It's a surprisingly hard adjustment.

[duke4ever19]

when we punch our ticket for monday, all the heads will back pedal so quickly you won't believe it...every one of them will say "Well they were picked to be here way back before the season started. Everyone knew they had the talent, best coach, blah, blah, blah de blah...."

And a sizable portion will complain, "Duke got put in a cupcake region! The committee always favors Duke!"

[Ultrarunner]

I can't stand the DBR chat when Duke are losing. At least tô my eyes there are posters in chat that I never see post on regular threads. The extreme views are so bad that it does cross my mind if they are trolls or not. If not trolls then it's just entitlement.

It's barely tolerable when they're winning. I pretty much don't log-in anymore. I also don't come to the forum after a loss. I can find a bunch of places willing to dump on the young men of Duke without having to encounter it from the fans.

[Rich]

It's barely tolerable when they're winning. I pretty much don't log-in anymore. I also don't come to the forum after a loss. I can find a bunch of places willing to dump on the young men of Duke without having to encounter it from the fans.

I have to admit, I check the forum after games (wins or losses) but only read comments by monikers I recognize and/or have multiple sporks. There are a lot of posters with a single spork that troll and try to bait, but I purposefully avoid those. You'd be happily surprised by the optimism (or at least realism) of most of the regulars, for whom I'm thankful, and reading those threads usually makes me feel a little better. Admittedly, you do have to wade through the muck to find the oasis though.

[duketaylor]

The media consensus before the season was that this Duke team was going to be one of K's most dominant ones. So it was easy to base expectations off of that. This totally ignored the fact that Harry was still recovering from being out for a full year, the unknown of Duke's defensive makeup, and the unknown of who Duke's actual facilitator would be. Sometimes you have to set aside the media hype machine and actually scrutinize the known quantities and weigh what is unknown.

And then the injury epidemic went down along with the tripping fiasco and it's all been hanging by a thread since. Some things you just can't predict and are out of anyone's control.

Especially the bottom sentence, we're "hanging by the thread" with two injured guys (maybe a third) at #10 in the nation (til tomorrow) and 7 losses. Maybe we'll move to 5th or 6th seed line before long. So be it, no other coach wants to be matched up with this team, no freakin' way. Let's just take a deep breath and enjoy this for as long as we can!!

[Atldukie79]

Great thread!

Perspective is important. I, too, expect every shot to go in and every decision to be sound.
I tend to judge every current mistake against the best performances of prior teams.

I went back and looked as some of the "classic" games from prior years recently and had to admit that were plenty of bonehead plays and missed shots, and poor judgments. Think how differently we would view the "greatest game ever" if Laettner's shot misses. We would be railing on all the missed opportunities, the defensive lapses. Instead we recall perfection.

The truth is, success in hoops is a fine line. This team can beat anybody and they still just might.

And titles are precious. You not only need to be good, you need to be fortunate. How many titles would we have if Verga doesn't get sick ('66), if the never nervous Pervis airball is caught by Duke instead of a Louisville player ('86), If Lang blocks Scotty Thurman's 3 pointer ('94) etc.

[mgtr]

Thanks to the OP for this thread. Glad to see that others have the same feelings as I do. One aspect is that I hate to see our injured players, who are so good, seem so poor. I would really like to see them rested for several games, even though we will lose more. It would be wonderful to see this team finally play a game with healthy players and actually play to their potential. It would make the season. Hate to lose Jefferson and Jones on a sour note.

[MrPoon]

I too really appreciate this thread. I've been trying to include a similar view in my posts leading up to but especially after the SY game. Not a surprise but the board has been riddled with two views. Either the sky is falling, these guys can't defend or shot and don't show effort. Added to that is the fact that K has lost his touch and has misused his bench especially Giles and Bolden. The other extreme view seems to be K can do no coaching wrong and these guys are trending the right way and any moment they'll be a FF team.

The season has really encouraged me to cheer for these guys in the moment. Luke's development has been a revelation, GA and Amile have been amazing, battling every game, perhaps even in pain. Giles has battled amazingly high expectations with so few even knowing what he knee would be like. Jackson has been injured and still has played well. Tatum has recovered from an injury to become one of the more natural scorers I've seen. K and Capel have this team in the race for a double bye despite a lineup that seems to change every night and responsibilities shiftingn unpredictably. Leadership is such a big part of his system and K can't count on any leader (perhaps Jones) to be in the lineup game to game.

With these headwinds, this season's results in a very highly competitive ACC should leave us all proud. And yet, I watch this team and see the pieces. You see the athleticism and the staff on the sidelines and it was all supposed to be so much easier. But the boys know that. Perhaps that is the hardest part psychologically for this young team is the massive hardships vs the expectations, its not just that they have had unbelievable bad luck, they were supposed to go undefeated (according to the experts). Giles and Tatum have been talking about the season for a year or two leading up to this. Bolden did not plan on this season and neither did GA. K's injury alone would be massively disruptive on such a young team. Every game has been a battle and win or lose, the team worked hard. The close losses have to be so hard.

This team may be fundamentally flawed. The roster, even without injures may not have been able to fit together. With the injuries, perhaps we will never know. Perhaps K would have done things different with hindsight. Or perhaps GA and AJ gets healthy enough and Bolden and Giles pick up an extra 10% on D. The guards start to see what a weapon Giles could be and the pieces start to fit. Jones finds a little more rhythm with a little more rest. The three's start to drop and team's can't "pick their poison". Duke comes in as a low 4 high 5, gets a good match up or two and gains confidence ... both seem highly likely. I worry the first seems more so, but even the best teams need the ball to bounce the right way to win it all. And this team has the pieces ... if their luck turns and the ball bounces the right way... a good match up or two... GO DUKE!

[Utley]

Perhaps my favorite post of the year - thanks for the kick in the head.

It's so hard to not be anchored in our history of success and the seasons expectations. Locking in on this perspective can cause us to miss perhaps our most interesting season - one focused on overcoming obstacle after obstacle. I also can remember a season featuring more compelling games - they may not have all gone the way we wanted but they were almost all riveting.


Looking forward to just enjoying the rest of the ride and hoping it's a long one.

[gofurman]

The media consensus before the season was that this Duke team was going to be one of K's most dominant ones. So it was easy to base expectations off of that. This totally ignored the fact that Harry was still recovering from being out for a full year, the unknown of Duke's defensive makeup, and the unknown of who Duke's actual facilitator would be. Sometimes you have to set aside the media hype machine and actually scrutinize the known quantities and weigh what is unknown.

And then the injury epidemic went down along with the tripping fiasco and it's all been hanging by a thread since. Some things you just can't predict and are out of anyone's control.

I hope people remember this when the hype machine starts a Rollin next year... We could be good but objective analysis should always be welcome. We will lose our top three defenders - Amile, Matt and Tatum. We will probably lose two of our top offensive threats. Grayson and Tatum.

HOPEFULLY Luke comes back and Frank Jackson. That's a start. Junior Luke and sophomore Frank but without Tatum and Grayson that's a lot of points to make up. And Amile has been the backbone of our D. That's for sure. The communicator etc. that's a HUGE loss. Without him we had no chance v Louisville and fsu. Yes, yes, Wendell Carter and Trent but you never know how Freshman will do. So we will hopefully have Bolden and he will improve some.

[rsvman]

I've long since taken the approach of getting really excited and happy if they win, while at the same time taking losses in stride ("it's just a game"). It works for me.

By the way, I take the same approach (pun intended) on the golf course.

Makes life just a little sweeter and more enjoyable.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

In 2015 I started the Optimism Thread at a low point, and it worked out quite well. I almost broke out a similar thread this weekend, but I much prefer this one.

I resigned myself to "let's enjoy the ride" back in December, and I feel I have enjoyed the wins much more and weathered the losses more easily.

Very gratifying to read this thread and find I am not alone. Voices of panic or gloom and doom just seem much louder on this message board, I suppose.

I do still feel anything is possible. We may look back at this as one of K's finest coaching seasons in an excellent career - or, as the "season that got away." But in the meantime, I will be enjoying each game and rooting my tail off.

Let's send the seniors out with a win at home this week, a sweep of UNC, and then as many W's in a row as we can muster.

[bluedev_92]

Great Posts. I've taken up this philosophy as well. Certainly yelled at times during the Miami game (mainly at many shots that just rimmed out & some silly shots) However, when the game was over I took it as a positive step. Giles & Bolden made progress. Have to mention Giles skying for some rebounds while surrounded by Miami players. He looked quick doing it. Bolden had some nice blocks. The offense will come. Thought they played tough in a very tough environment. Defense held home team to 55 points.

Let's see what the next month brings. I'm looking forward to it!

[Matches]

I've always really abhorred the idea of using injuries as an excuse... but sometimes they are an explanation. Yea they're part of the game, every team deals with them yadayada - but for any team, there comes a point where injuries simply overwhelm the team's ability to compete. I was sky-high about this team pre-season - talked a TON of trash at work which I generally do not do even in our best years. It just hasn't gone the way I or many others thought it would. Injuries clearly have been a big part of the reason why (though not the only one).

Can't be helped. K and Capel have kept this team competing at a pretty high level most of the time despite everything that's happened, but some years are just snakebit. 2013 Kentucky comes to mind as a similar situation. Anything is still possible but for this team, "possible" <> "likely". Who knows? The talent is still there - if anyone can put it together and pull off a run, it's K. But if not - well - enjoy the ride as long as it lasts. Definitely agree with the OP, a lot of the frustration that many of us, myself included, feel is based on our preseason expectations. Those expectations aren't reality. Sooner we accept that, the happier we'll all be.

[BandAlum83]

It's hard to win a national championship. Duke had zero in any sport for a long time. Was hopeful we'd get one when I was a senior, when the soccer team went eight overtimes with IU in Ft. Lauderdale, but it wasn't to be.

That was something else, wasn't it. And before ESPN and everything being on TV. I was at the rathskellar as we were all trying to get whatever updates we could and trying to hear on radio if I recall correctly.

[duketaylor]

Since we're looking back, where else on West Campus could we dine? Cambridge Inn, The Rat, The Dope Shop, the cafeteria, The Oak Room, what else?
About the soccer match, remembering just getting updates, another overtime, etc. Thought Tom Cain and Jay Heaps, et. al. were bringing back the first NC. Still stings a little.
All the more reason for this perspective thread. We had zero for a long time, now we're in double figures with Dan Brooks leading the way with 6.

[BandAlum83]

Since we're looking back, where else on West Campus could we dine? Cambridge Inn, The Rat, The Dope Shop, the cafeteria, The Oak Room, what else?
About the soccer match, remembering just getting updates, another overtime, etc. Thought Tom Cain and Jay Heaps, et. al. were bringing back the first NC. Still stings a little.
All the more reason for this perspective thread. We had zero for a long time, now we're in double figures with Dan Brooks leading the way with 6.

Just to recap:

Duke has 16 NCAA team national championships.

Men's (9)

Basketball (5): 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015
Lacrosse (3): 2010, 2013, 2014
Soccer (1): 1986

Women's (7)

Golf (6): 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014
Tennis (1): 2009

[BandAlum83]

Since we're looking back, where else on West Campus could we dine? Cambridge Inn, The Rat, The Dope Shop, the cafeteria, The Oak Room, what else?
About the soccer match, remembering just getting updates, another overtime, etc. Thought Tom Cain and Jay Heaps, et. al. were bringing back the first NC. Still stings a little.
All the more reason for this perspective thread. We had zero for a long time, now we're in double figures with Dan Brooks leading the way with 6.

There was on-campus Pizza Delivery also. Can't remember what is was called, however.

CI - Beer for points!

About the soccer game, I remember them saying they would declare co-champions at the end of the 8th overtime if no one scored. I don't know if that's true or not.

[Billy Dat]

When the triple threat of Grayson trip, Amile injury and K surgery struck just as the freshmen had come back, I definitely re-calibrated my title expectations. The Amile/Grayson-can't-get-healthy recent stretch has re-calibrated them further. If we need to sit them to try and get them right for the postseason this week, even if we go 0-2, I think I'd be in favor. My perspective now is to try and play spoiler and hope for some magic.

[Rich]

Since we're looking back, where else on West Campus could we dine? Cambridge Inn, The Rat, The Dope Shop, the cafeteria, The Oak Room, what else?
About the soccer match, remembering just getting updates, another overtime, etc. Thought Tom Cain and Jay Heaps, et. al. were bringing back the first NC. Still stings a little.
All the more reason for this perspective thread. We had zero for a long time, now we're in double figures with Dan Brooks leading the way with 6.

You're forgetting the "U"niversity Room and the Pits.

[duketaylor]

Thanks, knew I was. Luckily I was absent during the infamous food-fight!!

[ipatent]

That was something else, wasn't it. And before ESPN and everything being on TV. I was at the rathskellar as we were all trying to get whatever updates we could and trying to hear on radio if I recall correctly.

You can credit Dave Grocer, the student manager of WXDU (which was recently the successor of WDUK) and my next door neighbor in Stonehenge, who set up an ordinary telephone line for the broadcast. He was probably getting worried about the long distance charges after a few overtimes!

[ipatent]

You're forgetting the "U"niversity Room and the Pits.

The Down Under (DU) on East Campus.

[camion]

I remember during at the beginning of the BC game when one of the tv crew mentioned that BC had used the same starting five for each of their games. At that point I believe we had only two of our top players healthy enough to start all our games (Luke and Matt). This season the team's progress has been sidetracked multiple times by injury and there is no way to fully recover from the lost time to be the team that was envisioned in the preseason. Too much time has been lost both by individuals and in team development too reach those expectations.

That being said, I'm proud of these guys for fighting through one setback after another and am pulling for them to show what a reasonably healthy group can do in March.

[elvis14]

I think everyone that has any objectivity has had to recalibrate how this team is viewed, expectations, etc. I don't agree with equating having high expectations for this team to having a sense of entitlement. Having a sense of entitlement would mean that we expect our team to be the best team every year and to have a high level of success just because it says "Duke" on the front of the players jersey. Looking back at what we had coming into this season:


Preseason NPOY, Grayson Allen. A national champion, junior coming of an incredible sophomore season
Fifth year senior Amile Jefferson, who was basically averaging a double-double when he was injured last year and is a leader on defense
Senior Matt Jones, a smart role player, a great 3 and D guy
Sophomore Luke Kennard who many expected to make the second year jump (he did)
#1 recruit Harry Giles (coming off a knee injury)
Top 10 recruit Jayson Tatum
Top 15 recruits Frank Jackson and Marques Bolden
Top 40 recruit JavinD - a great athlete top 30? recruit, I think
Sophomore Vrank - you can't teach size and he's a sophomore who's had a year to learn from the best


Looking at the combination of talent, experience, depth, etc. I don't think it was a sense of entitlement that gave us great hope and high expectations. In today's college basketball, what we had was THE recipe for creating a great team. Additionally, like last year, there weren't any other 'great' college hoops teams coming into this year. So yeah, we had a deep, experienced, talented team coming into a year where we don't expect too many 'great' teams and our expectations were very very high and I don't think we were wrong to have those expectations.

As time has passed, however I think many of us (myself included) have failed to alter those expectations to meet reality. Part of this failure can be attributed to the fact that there still aren't any great teams in college basketball teams this year. So even though we haven't played up to our expectations, it's easy to look at the big picture and say "when we get our ish together we are going to have great success". The expectation was that 'off' games would be the exception and not the rule (note we can still win an 'off' game, see Clemson). For me, the two losses last week changed everything. Just when it started to look like we might, finally, be getting over the hump we lose 2 ugly games to 2 teams that frankly aren't very good (sorry U and 'cuse fans).

I freely admit that I have not enjoyed this season as much as I would have liked. I don't know if this is simply because of the team not meeting expectations or just that I don't like watching our team play poorly and at times without it's usual, trademark heart (see the difference between Frank Jackson Saturday and everyone else IMHO). The thought of 'we will be OK once we get everyone healthy and guys grow into their roles' has stuck with me for most of the season but with just 2, tough, games left, Amile and Grayson hobbled, guys having not grown into their roles, the usual short bench, etc., I'm trying really hard to just step back and enjoy the games no matter what. It's difficult, especially when the team just plays poorly. I mean really, who could enjoy that Miami game, irregardless of preconceived notions? Of course after typing that last sentence, I can see how this is going to be difficult. Maybe they'll surprise me, that would be cool, but I'm expecting it :-)

[SoCalDukeFan]

In sports you are never sure of anything. Injuries can ruin a season or a career.

Basketball is a team game. It may not have "positions" but it does have "roles" that must be filled.

High school greatness does not always translate to greatness as a college frosh.

A season is not over until you lose or win your last game.

SoCal

[Duke79UNLV77]

Summarizing the injuries we've dealt with this year for our coach and scholarship players.

K, missed a month with back surgery.
Tatum, missed 8 games. Seems fully healthy, but the lost practice/learning time can't be fully made up for a freshman.
Giles, missed 11 games. Besides the lost practice/learning time, Capel has commented that we likely won't see the real Harry this year. He's been promising, but not been able to show nearly his full ability as the 2nd coming of Webber/Garnett.
Bolden, missed 10 games. Besides the lost practice/learning time, it appears we won't see the real full-strength Bolden this year either.
Jefferson, missed 2 games, won't be fully recovered this year. Limited to 5 minutes in 2nd half against Miami and K has considered resting him. Before the injury he hit double figures in points 13 times and in rebounds 8 times in 16 games. Since, he's hit double figures in points 3 times and in rebounds once in 11 games.
Allen, missed 2 games so far for injuries and may be limited for remainder of the year. Played well below 100% due to several injuries early in the year. Had a healthy stretch before the Clemson game in which he averaged 21.5 points in 4 games on excellent shooting. Since, he's averaged 8 points on terrible shooting and slow defense.
Jeter, missed 13 games. Missed a couple of games with a sprained ankle and has not played since back surgery. Could be getting some DNP-CDs even if healthy now.
Jackson, missed 1 game and not at 100% for a few games after that.
DeLaurier, missed a couple of games, I believe with an ankle injury. Admittedly, would be getting mostly DNP-CDs anyway.
Obi, likely never able to play again because of bad knees.
Jones, hasn't missed a game, though was a game-time decision once or twice with a twisted ankle that limited him.
Kennard, hasn't missed a game, but wore a boot off the court for the 1st 6 weeks or so of the season. Presumably used his Jedi powers to avoid the curse.
White, regularly has to have knee drained, though would still get mostly DNP-CDs regardless.
Vrankovik, you can't hurt Vrank the Tank!

I think we were justified in thinking we had the most talented team in the country and one of the most talented Duke teams ever this year. We got to see a few glimpses of that in the UNLV, Florida, and Ga Tech games. Unfortunately, I've never seen any team in any sport have such a tough luck year of injuries, not to mention the distraction and extra missed game from Grayson Gate. That makes this year very frustrating, much like Istill think about what might have been if we'd had a full year of Kyrie. I agree that we have to adjust our expectations, and we certainly can't fault players for being less than full strength. I'm sure K and the team are still aiming and believing they can win a national title. From the outside, while I also thank that's possible (and have almost every year since 1986), it's not likely. It's amazing, though, that Vegas made us the favorites again just within the last couple of weeks.

[jcastranio]

I swear I went from the Stonehenge TV room to the CI for a Realburger during a TV timeout and made it back before the game started again.

[rsvman]

..... I mean really, who could enjoy that Miami game, irregardless of preconceived notions? ...

I don't know, I kind of enjoyed it. I thought there was some great D being played on both ends of the floor. We had a lot of shots go in and then back out; that was the most frustrating thing to me. If Grayson had been healthy and playing, I think we would have come away from Miami with the W.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

[Rich]

I don't know, I kind of enjoyed it. I thought there was some great D being played on both ends of the floor. We had a lot of shots go in and then back out; that was the most frustrating thing to me. If Grayson had been healthy and playing, I think we would have come away from Miami with the W.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

I'll have what s/he's having! Man, do I envy your optimism!

If that loss occurred earlier in the season, or if we had won the 'Cuse game, I might feel the same way, but at this point I only see our Tourney seeding dropping. At this point, in my mind, there are no more moral victories.

[SlapTheFloor]

The injuries have definitely been a factor in the team's development, but it's also kind of an odd team in terms of configuration. We don't have a true point guard. We have a lot of depth, but it's all at center. We've become accustomed to Coach K having some sort of ah-ha moment and figuring out a way to make it work, but it's possible that's not going to happen this year. That said, I like the main point of this thread: We should appreciate what we have and enjoy whatever amount of season we have left. It's been a bumpy ride, but we've had the pleasure of watching Kennard emerge as one of the best players in the nation. We've watched Tatum start to realize some of his immense potential. We've watched Giles battle his way back from a crippling series of knee injuries. There's a lot of positives to focus on.

[richardjackson199]

How Sweet it Is!

smelling roses

[-jk]

How Sweet it Is!

smelling roses

I'll miss Bob... He's been great!

-jk

[53n206]

I mentioned to my wife, toward the end of the first half, that this was how we had become acustomed to seeing Duke play. Somewhat of a regression during the second hal, but we were never really in any serious trouble. Just not like the old Duke teams. How easy it is to be spoiled, And how much fun it is.

[Skydog]

That was something else, wasn't it. And before ESPN and everything being on TV. I was at the rathskellar as we were all trying to get whatever updates we could and trying to hear on radio if I recall correctly.

I was there and remember that night well. It was my first year as a grad student at Duke and I went down and joined a bunch of soccer fans just sitting around tables trying to hear a piped in crackly, barely audible radio. Players were cramping up so bad by the end of the 6th overtime I think both teams just wanted someone to finally win - didn't matter much who. That game caused NCAA soccer to change the rules to limit overtimes. Joey Ulrich in the back and Tom Cain up front I think were our stars then.

[MCFinARL]

I mentioned to my wife, toward the end of the first half, that this was how we had become acustomed to seeing Duke play. Somewhat of a regression during the second hal, but we were never really in any serious trouble. Just not like the old Duke teams. How easy it is to be spoiled, And how much fun it is.

Yes. But--in line with the theme of the thread, senior night was a game that was very easy to enjoy for what it was--and I did.

[MarkD83]

First, the season is not over yet and for some it has not even started.

Second, the ACC this year is very tough and road games in the ACC are always very hard.

That being said this team has 1 out of conference loss (that is all just 1) on a last second shot to the current #1 team in the nation.

This team is also 11-6 and one win away from 12-6. At the start of the year I believed that 12-6 would definitely be top 4 in the ACC and maybe even regular season champion. Where the 6 losses have occurred is a bit disappointing but that means that there were also wins that were unexpected (at UVA, at ND...)

With all due respect to Coach Capel, 4-3 while Coach K was incapacitated is OK but with Coach K on the bench Duke could easily have been 5-2 and the UNC game on Saturday would be for the ACC regular season championship.

So...is this team a juggernaut like 1999? No
Have they exceeded expectations? No (especially if we expected them to be like 1999).

Can they still win
1) 2 games against UNC YES!!!!!!
2) the ACC championship YES!!!!!!
3) Final Four YES!!!!!
4) NCAA championship YES!!!!!

I don't have expectations that any of these will happen, but will cheer hard and do what I can to help the team win (all of my game day superstitions are ready to go!!!)

Go Duke!!!

[eddiehaskell]

I hear a lot of talk about UNC possibly being the best team in the country, #1 seed and the favorite to win it all - does a win on Saturday mean Duke will leap frog UNC in those discussions? Both would have 7 losses with Duke winning both H2H matchups. Should having 1 less (assuming Duke wins!) conference loss make UNC a #1 seed over Duke? I would think the ACC tourament would decide things.

Considering the comittee does weigh things like injuries, how could Duke be any worse than a 2 seed if all goes well Sat?

[rsvman]

That danged NC State loss is still a bummer, isn't it?

[MarkD83]

That danged NC State loss is still a bummer, isn't it?

In retrospect that is the game that got away and is still a bummer.

[wallyman]

In retrospect that is the game that got away and is still a bummer.

And the Cuse game with those two lucky shots off the backboard. But NC State at home? Ouch.

[Saratoga2]

And the Cuse game with those two lucky shots off the backboard. But NC State at home? Ouch.

We still have 2 high performing sr/grad student players in Matt and Amile, and Amile looks like he has gotten healthier. We have a top notch, experienced scorer and all around player in Luke. We have two freshmen who rate up there in talent and with the best freshmen in the country and both have had a lot of PT at this stage in the season.

Our starting team is solid and if Grayson can recover his health, he represents a player who was seriously in consideration for National POY before his injury.

For depth, we have two athletic big men who could contribute on any given night.

We have an excellent coaching staff and a long history that proves their worth.

Based on talent and experience, we have to be considered a tough out going forward. My perspective is positive and will stay that way, win or lose on Saturday evening.

[Indoor66]

We still have 2 high performing sr/grad student players in Matt and Amile, and Amile looks like he has gotten healthier. We have a top notch, experienced scorer and all around player in Luke. We have two freshmen who rate up there in talent and with the best freshmen in the country and both have had a lot of PT at this stage in the season.

Our starting team is solid and if Grayson can recover his health, he represents a player who was seriously in consideration for National POY before his injury.

For depth, we have two athletic big men who could contribute on any given night.

We have an excellent coaching staff and a long history that proves their worth.

Based on talent and experience, we have to be considered a tough out going forward. My perspective is positive and will stay that way, win or lose on Saturday evening.

All we need is an 11 game win streak and we have one of them already.

LET'S GO DUKE!

[BoiseDevil]

I've been trying to say this in DBR Chat for months now. One of my pet peeves are fans who live in the past. Not just remember the past, which is fine and important, but allow their longing of the past to cloud their present. Fans who are still viewing this season from a preseason #1 point of view are doomed to be miserable, much like ACC fans who still want the league to scale back down to 8 teams and have a double round robin schedule. You are, of course, entitled to that opinion, and I am also free to point out that such an opinion will only cause you pain.

I had some misgivings about the 2016-2017 season before it started, but I fully dropped any preseason expectations once Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, and Marques Bolden were injured. I recalibrated to a somewhat more reasonable expectation that everyone's health would improve and the team would come together by January and dominate conference play. Health didn't improve so easily, and on the day that UNC's scandal made the ESPN ticker and would have stayed there through Christmas and all those bowl game viewers, Grayson Allen decided that Steven Santa Ana's chippy play in the Elon game was more important than anything else and lost his perspective. (Given nearly every postgame thread I've read this season, I'm sure most of you can relate.)

I recalibrated more vigorously this time, deciding to accept the season as it happens but hoping that Grayson's behavior would be the only distraction. I was half-wrong, with ESPN finding fire where there was no smoke. But I was also half-right in my approach, which helped me process the injury to Amile Jefferson and Coach K's need to take time off. Now I just accept the negative (slow and uncertain recoveries, career games from opposing guards, close road losses) with the positive (flashes of brilliance, 7-game winning streak, taking down UNC). I want this team to do well, but all I expect them to do is play cleanly and not trip any opponents.

Look, I get it. Duke is all about the point guard. The coach on the floor, the quarterback of basketball, blah blah blah. Assistant/interim coach Jeff Capel was a Duke point guard. Assistant coaches Smith and Scheyer also brought up the ball for Duke. Coach Wojo was a Duke point guard. Coach Hurley was a Duke point guard. Coach Amaker was a Duke point guard. Coach K himself was an Army point guard. A good point guard will cover up a lot of flaws on a team, and expand their margin for error. This year's team does not have that, but I'd like to point out that it never did. And yet I keep hearing about it like it's news.

If this season were a book, and let's pray that it won't be, its theme is health. Not just the health of players and coaches, but our health. If the chat and postgame threads are any indication, old and unreasonable expectations are causing fans to have bad health. I have high blood pressure for genetic reasons, not sports reasons, and I have been pretty zen about everything that happened this season except some of the reactions of my fellow fans. So recalibrate. If you won't do it for you, then do it for someone a lot more important: me.

I forgot who posted this about halfway through....

Still a good post, but it shouldn't have come from Brevity... LOL

[richardjackson199]

Thanks for this thread. This perspective is much more gratifying than, say, listening to Wheat tell us how this team and our coaches are failing to realize expectations.

This team has high character, passion, and still has several opportunities to smell the roses.

And what sweet roses we've sampled already. How sweet was that win in Cameron over UNC (with Duval in the house), watching Grayson swish 3 after 3? How sweet was the insane offensive performance in both wins over Wake Forest? How sweet has it been to watch the brilliance of this year's Luke Kennard? How sweet was watching Capel coach alongside his dad, and seeing K hug Capel Sr. after that incredible win? How sweet was watching Tatum emerge against Florida, or what he did at UVA? How sweet was Matt Jones 2nd half in Cameron over Miami, that smile, and watching Larranaga ask his assistants "Can you believe this s**t?" after we completely shut down his team's ability to score? How sweet was Grayson's 2nd half in Vegas? How sweet was our other-worldly performance against Georgia Tech? How sweet was finally beating Notre Dame on their home floor with near perfection from the free throw line? Gutting out a win over a tough Pitt team after they'd just played the heels close in Chapel HIll? Or winning an important game over a ranked Rhode Island who had just beaten Cincy?

And the best could be yet to come. We aren't going to win the ACC Regular Season, get a #1 seed, or get a double bye. Who cares? That should remove all pressure. We just need to try to play more as a team, share the ball, get better every day, and enjoy these moments with this fun team while they're here.

How sweet would that rose smell to rock Cameron on Senior Day and beat FSU with Knox in the house? To hear these seniors speak after celebrating that huge win? Check.
How sweet would beating the cheats in their house be, and yes sweeping them? Well we didn't sweep them, but the way we came back to beat them twice couldn't have been much sweeter. Still think Giles is overrated Heels? Wanna keep booing Grayson little old ladies? Please do, it awakens the assassin.

Then we start the ACC tourney 0-0, just like the others. It's no real pressure with a great chance to practice tourney atmosphere before the big dance. Could this team win the ACC Tourney? Damn right they could. And cutting down those nets would be another sweet rose in Coach K's legacy. Emphatic check. How sweet it is!

Then we start the NCAA Tourney 0-0. Kedsy is absolutely right in his outstanding post in the post-Miami thread. We can expect an extremely difficult road. But that could be just what this team needs. We'll have a chance as the hunter, not the hunted. Things haven't broken our way all year, so maybe March is when they do. We could still get pretty healthy, and have an opportunity to play 1 game at a time together playing our best ball of the year. If this team just plays their absolute best together, they could win 2 tough games and make the Sweet 16. Would those feel sweet? Our group could absolutely win 2 more tough games and make the Final 4. How sweet would that be this year?

And as 2015 recently showed, at that point anything is possible with a Coach K team playing their best ball together. I don't think anybody wants to see Grayson Allen, Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones, Jayson Tatum, Frank Jackson, Luke Kennard, Harry Giles, Marques Bolden, and Coach K in the National Championship game, except us of course. This team could hit their ceiling on that stage.
Perhaps not all of these roses will happen. But if we play together, any still could. I'll make sure to enjoy smelling any of these roses that happen. This is a fun team, and the best could be yet to come.

I don't mind being a Duke fan, often enough it means many incredible moments to enjoy. Bring on March!

Still enjoying every moment this season brings - mightily. And the best could be yet to come.