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wsb3
03-12-2017, 01:19 PM
Having enjoyed a few hours & allowing my euphoria to wane just a bit so I don't make over the top declarations I keep speculating as to where this Championship ranks with fellow DBR posters.

I think we would all agree that this was a very special Championship, though all are to be treasured. What are your thoughts about how this one stacks up with the other 19? I am genuinely interested in your thoughts..opinions. There is certainly no right or wrong answers at least from where I sit.

The 60's when you had to win to go to the NCAA Tourney.. For me 78 was special because we had such a drought. 86 because I loved that team so much. Of course It was Coach K's first. 88 very special because we beat UNC in the final & swept all 3 games that year. 01 because we won without Boozer & UNC quit in the second half. & many others..

One comparison that comes to mind is the 80 Championship.. Classic one point win vs Maryland & we were seeded 6 that year with a 500 ACC record.

Love to hear what the thoughts are.

GO DUKE Got a feeling we are all smiling today..

proelitedota
03-12-2017, 01:32 PM
Having enjoyed a few hours & allowing my euphoria to wane just a bit so I don't make over the top declarations I keep speculating as to where this Championship ranks with fellow DBR posters.

I think we would all agree that this was a very special Championship, though all are to be treasured. What are your thoughts about how this one stacks up with the other 19? I am genuinely interested in your thoughts..opinions. There is certainly no right or wrong answers at least from where I sit.

The 60's when you had to win to go to the NCAA Tourney.. For me 78 was special because we had such a drought. 86 because I loved that team so much. Of course It was Coach K's first. 88 very special because we beat UNC in the final & swept all 3 games that year. 01 because we won without Boozer & UNC quit in the second half. & many others..

One comparison that comes to mind is the 80 Championship.. Classic one point win vs Maryland & we were seeded 6 that year with a 500 ACC record.

Love to hear what the thoughts are.

GO DUKE Got a feeling we are all smiling today..

This had to be the best championship in terms of difficulty. Played 8 seed, 2 seed, 1seed, and 3seed teams in 4 days. 3 of the latter games have come from deficit in the second half. Degree of difficulty is quantum physics level. I hope we have enough heart left in the tank for the NCAA.

Olympic Fan
03-12-2017, 01:35 PM
For me, this championship reminds me of 2005.

That one was not as sweet, because (1) we only had to win three games; (2) didn't have to beat three ranked teams in a row' and (3) didn't get to beat UNC along the way.

Still, I like the comparison because Duke was the ACC's third-best team in 2005 (behind No. 2 UNC and No. 5 Wake Forest). But both of those powers stumbled in the early rounds and we beat Virginia, N.C. State and Georgia Tech to win an unexpected title and a very unexpected No. 1 seed.

In terms of surprise and impact, I would rate my first -- and Duke's first -- ACC title as the closest comparison. Duke was nothing in 1960 -- fourth in an eight-team league (7-7 overall) and not even an afterthought in the tourney debate. The opening win over South Carolina was no big deal (the Big Four teams always beat the out-of-state teams in those days), but the next two nights, Duke beat ACC regular season co-champs UNC (with Doug Moe, York Larese and Lee Shaffer) and Wake Forest (with Lennie Chappell and Billy Packer) to claim a title that was at least as remarkable as this one -- maybe more so in that Duke was not regarded as a national power at that time.

That Duke team surprisingly make it to the Elite Eight, which brings up an interesting point.

Of Duke's 19 ACC championship teams, three have won national titles (192, 2001, 2010), seven others have reached the Final Four, two have topped out at the Elite Eight level and seven have reached the Sweet 16.

NO DUKE ACC CHAMP HAS EVER LOST BEFORE THE SWEET 16 ROUND. More than half of Duke's ACC champs reach the Final Four

Those are nice historical precedents going forward.

cspan37421
03-12-2017, 01:58 PM
Degree of difficulty is quantum physics level.

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

duke74
03-12-2017, 01:59 PM
This had to be the best championship in terms of difficulty. Played 8 seed, 2 seed, 1seed, and 3seed teams in 4 days. 3 of the latter games have come from deficit in the second half. Degree of difficulty is quantum physics level. I hope we have enough heart left in the tank for the NCAA.

A mixed metaphor....I agree...the heart will be there...just hope we have enough gas left.

BigWayne
03-12-2017, 02:03 PM
One comparison that comes to mind is the 80 Championship.. Classic one point win vs Maryland & we were seeded 6 that year with a 500 ACC record.



I will second the 1980 champs. While that was only 3 days, it did include the ingredient that failure to win all three days meant we would miss the NCAA tourney.

arnie
03-12-2017, 02:14 PM
I will second the 1980 champs. While that was only 3 days, it did include the ingredient that failure to win all three days meant we would miss the NCAA tourney.

1978 led to SI cover of Gene Banks. The inside article entitled "A Forgotten Team Gets One to Remember". Hard to believe that was the case nearly 40 years ago.

Kedsy
03-12-2017, 02:19 PM
I will second the 1980 champs. While that was only 3 days, it did include the ingredient that failure to win all three days meant we would miss the NCAA tourney.

We also beat 3 ranked teams in that tournament (#19 NCSU, #10 UNC, and #7 Maryland).

wsb3
03-12-2017, 02:21 PM
For me, this championship reminds me of 2005.

That one was not as sweet, because (1) we only had to win three games; (2) didn't have to beat three ranked teams in a row' and (3) didn't get to beat UNC along the way.


Olympic Fan I very nearly included the 2005 Championship in my post..I thought about that one as well..

Olympic Fan
03-12-2017, 02:31 PM
I will second the 1980 champs. While that was only 3 days, it did include the ingredient that failure to win all three days meant we would miss the NCAA tourney.

Think that's an exaggeration.

It was pretty much assumed that when Duke beat UNC in the semifinals that Duke was safely in ... they probably were after beating No. 19 NC State in the first round.

That team entered the ACC Tournament 19-9 with pre-tourney wins over No. 3 Kentucky, No. 6 UNC, No. 12 Maryland, No. 16 NC State, No. 12 Clemson, Princeton, Providence, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. It was ranked No. 19 nationally the week about the ACC Tournament. the Yeah, they had a bad run in February -- due to injuries -- but I don't remember any real concern about making the field (note: all rankings at the time of the game)

Duke ended up getting a No. 4 seed ... that's would be a hefty jump based on one or two wins in the ACC Tournament.

PS 1980 was the first year of the Bill Brill Bracketology Show -- always held the night before the ACC finals. He was not yet riding into the media hospitality room on a luggage rack, but he did break down the projected 48-team field. And he definitely had Duke in the field before beating Maryland.

But 1980 was a great run ... similar to this year in that Duke was No. 1 early in the season, stumbled due to injuries, then got it together for a great postseason run.

sagegrouse
03-12-2017, 02:40 PM
That Duke team surprisingly make it to the Elite Eight, which brings up an interesting point.

Of Duke's 19 ACC championship teams, three have won national titles (192, 2001, 2010), seven others have reached the Final Four, two have topped out at the Elite Eight level and seven have reached the Sweet 16.

NO DUKE ACC CHAMP HAS EVER LOST BEFORE THE SWEET 16 ROUND. More than half of Duke's ACC champs reach the Final Four

Those are nice historical precedents going forward.

OF's post was a valuable summary. I'll add a couple of things, just to color in some of the background:

Three of the ACC winners got byes to the Sweet Sixteen: 1963, 1964 and 1966. It was a 22-team field IIRC (and there is always a first time), and the ACC by 1963 was getting a bye based on past tournament results.
Three of the ACC winners played their first game in the round of 32. The 1960 team had to beat Princeton in MSG before going to the regionals in Charlotte. The 1978 ACC champs played in a field of 32 teams. The 1980 champs, as the fourth seed in the Mideast, received a bye in the first round of a 48-team field.
After 1985, the field had expanded to 64 teams, now 68; therefore, it took Duke two wins to reach the Sweet Sixteen in 1986, 1988, 1992, 1999 and all the other more recent years.

Indoor66
03-12-2017, 02:58 PM
It is the most recent, so it is the best.

Reddevil
03-12-2017, 03:33 PM
They are all great. Championships during dominant years are reaffirming, but championships during more difficult years are so gratifying. I understand recency bias, but come on. Four wins in four days including the ungulates, after all this team has been through? Everyone will smile a little wider when seeing this one in the rafters. K passes Dean. Matt's shot. Oh my!:o

Olympic Fan
03-12-2017, 03:46 PM
OF's post was a valuable summary. I'll add a couple of things, just to color in some of the background:

Three of the ACC winners got byes to the Sweet Sixteen: 1963, 1964 and 1966. It was a 22-team field IIRC (and there is always a first time), and the ACC by 1963 was getting a bye based on past tournament results.
Three of the ACC winners played their first game in the round of 32. The 1960 team had to beat Princeton in MSG before going to the regionals in Charlotte. The 1978 ACC champs played in a field of 32 teams. The 1980 champs, as the fourth seed in the Mideast, received a bye in the first round of a 48-team field.
After 1985, the field had expanded to 64 teams, now 68; therefore, it took Duke two wins to reach the Sweet Sixteen in 1986, 1988, 1992, 1999 and all the other more recent years.


Good points, but even with the byes, every Duke ACC champ won at least two NCAA Tournament games -- the 63, 64, 66 teams seeded into the Sweet 16 each won twice and reached the Final Four. The 60, 78, and 80 teams all got byes, but won at least twice.

So I repeat ... it's fair to assume Duke wins at least two games and reaches the Sweet 16 ... and a good chance on a Final Four run.

Reilly
03-12-2017, 03:54 PM
65% of #1 seeds reached the sweet 16 in 2000-2015, per http://www.bostonsportshub.com/ncaa_trends1.htm

uh_no
03-12-2017, 03:57 PM
65% of #1 seeds reached the sweet 16 in 2000-2015, per http://www.bostonsportshub.com/ncaa_trends1.htm

??? that's not what the article says at all....

"#1 seeds have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen 54 of 64 times since 2000 (84%)."

Reilly
03-12-2017, 04:02 PM
thanks ... looks like 65% was advancing to elite 8

wsb3
03-13-2017, 09:35 PM
I will second the 1980 champs. While that was only 3 days, it did include the ingredient that failure to win all three days meant we would miss the NCAA tourney.

One of the ironic things of 1980 is not only did Duke lose in the regional final but Clemson lost to UCLA in regional final as well. Their deepest run ever I believe.

duke4ever19
03-13-2017, 09:51 PM
One of the ironic things of 1980 is not only did Duke lose in the regional final but Clemson lost to UCLA in regional final as well. Their deepest run ever I believe.

That's the deepest they've ever gone in the tourney? Wow, I could've sworn they had at least one Final Four in there somewhere.

Clemsoning.

Or has their football team shrugged off the "clemsoning" for good? Their basketball team sure didn't seem to get the memo this year, though.

DU82
03-13-2017, 10:28 PM
That's the deepest they've ever gone in the tourney? Wow, I could've sworn they had at least one Final Four in there somewhere.

Clemsoning.

Or has their football team shrugged off the "clemsoning" for good? Their basketball team sure didn't seem to get the memo this year, though.

Looks like they've made the sweet 16 twice in addition to the Elite Eight in '80. The first time was against UConn in 1990, where they lost on a last second full court heave, a game before UConn lost to Christian Laettner's first buzzer beater. (The second time losing to Minnesota in'97 in two OTs.)

sagegrouse
03-13-2017, 11:41 PM
One of the ironic things of 1980 is not only did Duke lose in the regional final but Clemson lost to UCLA in regional final as well. Their deepest run ever I believe.

What I remember about Clemson was the 1990 eastern regional round of sixteen, where Clemson had a lead over UConn with only a second remaining. UConn threw a 3/4 court pass and made a difficult jump shot as time ran out. Was this the game that caused the NCAA to give us "tenths of seconds" on the game clock in the last minute? That shot gave Duke a chance to beat UConn in the regional finals two days later with Laettner's first magic shot off an out-of-bounds play at the end of the game.

Added: Ooohh, good post DU82! You beat me to it, but our accounts seem to jibe perfectly.

Matches
03-14-2017, 08:51 AM
I became a Duke fan when I enrolled, so can really only comment from the '92-'93 season onward - but this one was my favorite by a good bit. Running the murderers row of opponents, knocking off three straight higher seeds, beating the Smurfs along the way, and the games all being tight and highly competitive - most fun ever.

2001 was pretty great too, with the buzzer beater against Maryland and then stomping the crap out of UNC in the finals. '11 was great too with the big finals win over UNC.

I don't think it's just recency bias though, this year was really really special.

wsb3
03-14-2017, 09:15 AM
2001 was pretty great too, with the buzzer beater against Maryland and then stomping the crap out of UNC in the finals. '11 was great too with the big finals win over UNC.

The Nate James tip at the buzzer..Those were some great games vs Maryland.