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View Full Version : This team is trending...



KyDevilinIL
03-15-2008, 06:12 PM
...just like the past two or three years. Maybe it's post-loss misery, but I dunno if we're making it out of the first weekend.

JBJL8
03-15-2008, 06:27 PM
For a team that was supposedly refreshed amd ready to go,,,they sure looked like they were pulling a plow out there for most of the game.

Mid Feb...I would've thought we were Elite Eight bound....we will be incredibly lucky to get out of the first weekend now and I will be on the edge of my seat for the first game....which is unbelievably frustrating for a Duke team.

I've enjoyed this year as much as any other over the past 20 plus years...but man...why are we dying on the vine AGAIN?? We got out played today and that stinks.

If Hendo is hurt...stick a fork in us Jerry....

billybreen
03-15-2008, 06:46 PM
Regardless of what happens from here on out, this was a good season and the future looks bright. I'm happy with what we've done and won't be disappointed if we don't make the Sweet 16.

Duvall
03-15-2008, 06:49 PM
...in the same direction as most Internet fora over time.

BobbyFan
03-15-2008, 07:02 PM
...we will be incredibly lucky to get out of the first weekend now

Really?

_Gary
03-15-2008, 07:05 PM
Regardless of what happens from here on out, this was a good season and the future looks bright. I'm happy with what we've done and won't be disappointed if we don't make the Sweet 16.

Really? You won't be disappointed at all if we don't make the Sweet 16? More power to you, my friend. Wish I could feel that way, but I don't.

mapei
03-15-2008, 07:08 PM
...in the same direction as most Internet fora over time.

I know that seems to be the prevailing opinion but, a few lecturing threads aside, I see it as a mostly great bunch of people who all have love of Duke basketball in common, and enjoy venting and/or talking about it. Maybe it's more informal than in the good ol' days, but I wasn't around so much then and might have been intimidated if I had been.

I think it's the best sports board on the Internet, and #2 isn't close.

jimbonelson
03-15-2008, 07:09 PM
Regardless of what happens from here on out, this was a good season and the future looks bright. I'm happy with what we've done and won't be disappointed if we don't make the Sweet 16.
come on were going to the sweet 16

mapei
03-15-2008, 07:11 PM
come on were going to the sweet 16

I would anticipate that, too, unless we get a really bad matchup.

RockyMtDevil
03-15-2008, 07:15 PM
Do you really think as a 3 seed we are a lock for the sweet 16? Have you seen who is on the line as the 6 seeds?

Drake
Mich St.
Xavier
Marquette
Pitt
Gonzaga
Wash St.
Purdue
Vandy

Why in the world, after watching this team play for the last 4 weeks, would anyone think we were a lock to beat any of these teams? We've just lost three games to unranked teams, and teams that have major, major holes in their game.

K needs to evaluate what is going on, this is too familiar of a trend.

jimbonelson
03-15-2008, 07:19 PM
Do you really think as a 3 seed we are a lock for the sweet 16? Have you seen who is on the line as the 6 seeds?

Drake
Mich St.
Xavier
Marquette
Pitt
Gonzaga
Wash St.
Purdue
Vandy

Why in the world, after watching this team play for the last 4 weeks, would anyone think we were a lock to beat any of these teams? We've just lost three games to unranked teams, and teams that have major, major holes in their game.

K needs to evaluate what is going on, this is too familiar of a trend.

so we will have a tough match in the second round

jimbonelson
03-15-2008, 07:21 PM
Do you really think as a 3 seed we are a lock for the sweet 16? Have you seen who is on the line as the 6 seeds?

Drake
Mich St.
Xavier
Marquette
Pitt
Gonzaga
Wash St.
Purdue
Vandy

Why in the world, after watching this team play for the last 4 weeks, would anyone think we were a lock to beat any of these teams? We've just lost three games to unranked teams, and teams that have major, major holes in their game.

K needs to evaluate what is going on, this is too familiar of a trend.

do you really think we cant beat any of those teams if we bring our A game

RockyMtDevil
03-15-2008, 07:52 PM
Anyone heard anymore about Gerald's wrist?

billybreen
03-15-2008, 07:53 PM
Really? You won't be disappointed at all if we don't make the Sweet 16? More power to you, my friend. Wish I could feel that way, but I don't.

Nope. The beauty of last season's disappointment is that it allowed me to adjust my expectations from their previously ridiculous levels. If we play hard but the shots aren't falling, I won't be disappointed at all.

billybreen
03-15-2008, 07:54 PM
come on were going to the sweet 16

Probably, but my point was that I won't be disappointed if we don't.

Bob Green
03-15-2008, 08:02 PM
Our last two losses were to the #1 team in the country and to a very talented Clemson squad. While we have struggled with our shooting stroke of late, it is a mistake to underestimate the strength of our opponents in the losses. I refuse to panic. We just need to play our game and we will be fine. And I agree with billybreen 100 percent, no matter what happens this has been a great season.

dukelifer
03-15-2008, 08:26 PM
Our last two losses were to the #1 team in the country and to a very talented Clemson squad. While we have struggled with our shooting stroke of late, it is a mistake to underestimate the strength of our opponents in the losses. I refuse to panic. We just need to play our game and we will be fine. And I agree with billybreen 100 percent, no matter what happens this has been a great season.

Both teams had a 10-6 conference record going into the tourney seasons. If they can pull off the major upset tomorrow- who knows. All year- Duke has made shots. Their recipe for success is pretty simple- make steals and threes they win- miss threes they lose. They can easily have a run of good shooting. It is certainly more likely than Zoubek having several 20-10 games in a row. We will just have to see. Basketball is a very odd game sometimes- teams can get hot at any time.

Richard Berg
03-15-2008, 09:04 PM
Why in the world, after watching this team play for the last 4 weeks, would anyone think we were a lock to beat any of these teams?
You're being result-oriented. We've played very good basketball the last 2 weeks.

coastal1
03-15-2008, 09:41 PM
You're being result-oriented. We've played very good basketball the last 2 weeks.

3-2??

3/1 - 1 point win over Cow College. Bad basketball, took a collapse by State to win

3/5 - Solid win over UVA, any ACC road win is a good win, but they are not good

3/8 - Loss to a #1 team is not bad, but neither team played particularly well And a loss is a loss

3/14 - Similar to 3/5 but on neutral court

3/15 - Not good, Not good.

CDu
03-15-2008, 09:56 PM
do you really think we cant beat any of those teams if we bring our A game

The previous poster said we aren't a lock for the sweet 16. I definitely think we can (and should) beat all of the teams listed in the #6 seed range. But we are far from a lock to do so. I wouldn't even call us a heavy favorite. Losing in the second round wouldn't be a huge surprise at this point. We are absolutely not a lock for the sweet 16.

And I'm not saying that to be negative. Objectively, we've lost four of our last seven games. In January or so, I felt we were an elite-8 caliber team with a chance to get upset in the sweet 16 and a chance to make the final four if we catch a good draw. At this point, if we fall to a #3 seed, I'd say we're a sweet 16 team with a chance to get to the elite 8 and a chance we could get upset in the second round.

And realistically, I'd say that's pretty good for a team without a true attacking/penetrating point guard and without any consistent post presence.

Hopefully, Singler can find some of the spark that he had not too long ago, and that the team can get the bounce back in their step. Hopefully, we can catch some breaks in the tournament.

devildownunder
03-16-2008, 12:18 AM
You're being result-oriented.

I suspect the winners of ncaa games will be determined by results as well, not who's "playing good basketball".

calltheobvious
03-16-2008, 09:55 AM
I suspect the winners of ncaa games will be determined by results as well, not who's "playing good basketball".

Sure. The point is that as a predictive measure, don't you think that "playing well" is a better indicator of future success than simply "winning"?

This is a separate question from whether Duke actually is playing good basketball, but as constructed, the comment about NCAAT format seems a non sequitor.

wiscodevil
03-16-2008, 10:11 AM
...in the same direction as most Internet fora over time.

exactly.

throatybeard
03-16-2008, 11:00 AM
This board is trending in the same direction as most Internet fora over time.

...pouring like an avalanche coming down the mountain

YmoBeThere
03-16-2008, 11:19 AM
...in the same direction as most Internet fora over time.


I think mean reverting is the appropriate phrase. One of a truly democratic bent should find this acceptable. Oh wait, I didn't send us to the PPB did I?

TwoDukeTattoos
03-16-2008, 12:37 PM
Duke finished the last 10 regular season games with a record of 7-3 and, of course, did not win the conference tourney. However, that trend is not necessarily concerning when thinking of national title hopes:

Of the last seven national champions only one team finished the last 10 regular season games undefeated. And four of the last 7 national champions finished their last 10 regular season games with a 7-3 record or worse. Additionally, of the last seven national champions, three DID NOT win their conference tournament.

LAST 10 REGULAR SEASON GAMES:

Duke - 2008, 7-3
Florida – 2007, 7-3
Florida – 2006, 6-4
UNC – 2005, 9-1 (did not win conference tourney)
UConn – 2004, 7-3
Syracuse – 2003, 9-1 (did not win conference tourney)
Maryland – 2002, 10-0 (did not win conference tourney)
Duke- 2001, 7-3

Mudge
03-16-2008, 12:55 PM
I think mean reverting is the appropriate phrase. One of a truly democratic bent should find this acceptable. Oh wait, I didn't send us to the PPB did I?

HIGH-larious!... my submit for post of the Day (on the PPB board, of course.)

Mudge
03-16-2008, 01:08 PM
3-2??

3/1 - 1 point win over Cow College. Bad basketball, took a collapse by State to win

3/5 - Solid win over UVA, any ACC road win is a good win, but they are not good

3/8 - Loss to a #1 team is not bad, but neither team played particularly well And a loss is a loss

3/14 - Similar to 3/5 but on neutral court

3/15 - Not good, Not good.


Your assessments of the 3/8 and 3/15 games seem well off-- certainly well off what informed television commentators (e.g.- Bilas) and Coach K think of our performances in those games-- UNC played perhaps their single best game of the season defensively to beat us by 8; Clemson shot free throws and three-pointers about as well as they have all season to beat us by 4... both games were against bigger, more physical, more athletic teams, and yet after being down double digits (almost, it was only 9 against Clemson) in the 2nd half, against both teams, we managed to pull it together to come back and take the lead late, before losing close games.

Yes, we did not play our best (our three-point shooting deficiencies cost us both games), but if we get back on track (which is likely to happen, as shooters generally revert to the norms over time, and we are unlikely to continue to shoot poorly, after a season of shooting well), then I think we can expect to do well going forward. Certainly, Coach K seems to be very enthused about where the team is right now, with more bench contribution than we have had all season-- he seems to think that if Singler can get rested by next week, and Henderson's wrist is not seriously injured, we have a better team now than at any time during this season.

Thus, I would say that in the last 5 games, we have two solid wins, one weak win (State), and two very good losses to two very good teams, that could easily have gone our way. I'd bet on Clemson being a 4 seed if they beat UNC and a 5 seed if they lose close; Miami will likely make the tourney as about a 7 seed, and Pitt will likely be a 3 seed-- that means that our 5 defeats include 4 losses to teams in the top half of the NCAA tourney, and 3 losses to teams in the Sweet 16 seeds, with one other loss to team that will probably go quite far in the NIT-- not too many bad losses there, in my opinion.