the 2000 lb elephant in the room

[dukelifer]

you all know what it is...

could this be the year?

I fear the team that won that game would suffer some horrible fate from the basketball gods. For that reason it shall never come to pass.

[WillJ]

In this event, my anxiety would require some serious pre-game medication.

[arnie]

Yes it could be the year for 4 ACC teams in the final four.

It will be fun to watch Duke v Miami and UVA v Notre Dame.

That Final 4 might cost Roy his job. What a glorious buildup it would be in the Triangle area with Heels on sideline.

[gurufrisbee]

That said, who's going to beat the cheat?

Given the first halves they had against Providence and Florida Gulf Coast - ANYONE.

[devildeac]

I have seen the future if this ever occurs and this is me:

220px-Straitjacket-rear.jpg


After several of these:

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No thanks.

Go Hoosiers!!

devil9f.gifdevil9f.gif

[duke blue brewcrew]

That match-up is a bucket list dream come true kind of thing. It's too early to talk about, Duke has a really big game to win on Thursday, and then they have another even bigger one to win after that before this can be discussed

[throatybeard]

[Reilly]

If it didn't happen in 1991... how could it ever happen?

1991: K v. Roy
2016: K v. Roy (25th anniversary edition)

[ClosetHurleyFan]

You guys are funny. But from my unc perspective I have to admit I think I would probably blow a gasket prior to the game much less during it. I would be insufferable, the cursing I might do in front of my kids if duke started pulling away.

[throatybeard]

That match-up is a bucket list dream come true kind of thing. It's too early to talk about, Duke has a really big game to win on Thursday, and then they have another even bigger one to win after that before this can be discussed

If 538's models we may trust, the chances of this matchup occurring are presently 2%. (UNC .34 X Duke .06)

[bluedev_92]

ah. I got it now. I can't imagine what it was like for UL and UK to face eachother a few years ago in the final 4.

I have no interest in ending a night with the chance of the cheats celebrating at the cost of a duke title game loss.

That said, who's going to beat the cheat? There's no one left in their region really going to put up a fight. They've beaten UVA on a neutral floor (and kept them close away). kansas? Oklahoma? UNC currently has the best chance of ANY team to be in the final 4 AND title game (per 538). Flawed? Maybe...but even a beat up buggy can travel good road.

Duke on the other hand...we'd have to roll oregon, THEN oklahoma, THEN kansas...which is why we're rocking 6%.

SO currently the 2000 lb elephant is about about a .021 pound elephant

I understand what you're saying (current outlook), but who says Oklahoma or Kansas will even be around? I don't know what will happen, but there's a very good chance that it won't end up like looking like the chalk line would suggest & we've certainly seen Kansas Self-destruct on several occasions!

[Reilly]

As to the possibility of this happening, it'd be sort of neat if UNC's final loss ever were in the national championship game to Duke, right before the NCAA gives Carolina's program the death penalty for its massive cheating over the last generation. A fitting coda to the whole winners v. losers thing.

[throatybeard]

[uh_no]

Who was going to beat Michigan State?

Well UNC WAS going to beat MSU...

Who was going to beat Kentucky last year?

Some of us weren't sold on UK's mostly weak conference schedule and had them losing to ND. Some of us were almost correct...and then vindicated by Wiscy.

I think the ultimate point is UNC has the best chance of any team to make the late rounds, mostly because of how the road has cleared out for them. Claiming that they could get upset isn't really an issue as EVERY team could get upset...so their apparently "flawed" nature doesn't impact that.

[Skitzle]

Question:

Would sentiment about this match-up change if
1. Duke was a 1 seed, had won the ACC Tournament and the latest matchup against UNC, and trample the competition in the first two rounds.
2. UNC was a 4 seed and struggled in Round 1 and 2.

It would change for me

[Edouble]

Wow, blast from the past. They used to show that PSA like clockwork, everyday during the first afternoon cartoon at 3:00 PM.

I remember thinking how old and sophisticated those mean boys were. I also never understood why they were trying to give him what I thought was a lollipop stick with no candy on it.

[slower]

Question:

Would sentiment about this match-up change if
1. Duke was a 1 seed, had won the ACC Tournament and the latest matchup against UNC, and trample the competition in the first two rounds.
2. UNC was a 4 seed and struggled in Round 1 and 2.

It would change for me

Absolutely. This may not be the best year for us to take them on. Would you rather make it to the final and then lose to UNC (and NEVER - and i mean NEVER - hear the end of it) or have both teams lose before the final? I'm going with choice 2.

Because nothing would suck more than scenario 1.

[rsvman]

No

No no no no no no no

No.

Please no.

I thought I was a nervous wreck when we were down 9 to Wisconsin and down 17 to Maryland in 2001.

This would be the end of basketball as we know it.

No.

Pretty sure we were down 22 to Maryland in the national semifinal, not 17. And yes, it was nerve-wracking.


As for the original question, the answer is a resounding no. Not only not this year, but not ever. This is something that can never, ever take place. Ever. Will not. Cannot. Must not. No, no, a thousand times no.

[Wayne's World-era Mike Myers] Yeah, we're gonna play UNC for the national title. NOT! [/Wayne's World-era Mike Myers]

[Bush senior] Not gun do it. Wouldn't be prudent at this juncture. [/Bush senior]

[office space boss] Umm...yeah. I'm gonna have to ask you to make sure that Duke doesn't play UNC for the national title, mmmkay? That'd be great. [/office space boss]

[Boomhauer] I tell you what, man, you take that dang ol' Duke and that dang ol' UNC and then dang ol' put'em in the title game, man...naw, man that aint gonna work. [/Boomhauer]

[BD80]

It would be a lot of fun next year at this time

[Kfanarmy]

Absolutely. This may not be the best year for us to take them on. Would you rather make it to the final and then lose to UNC (and NEVER - and i mean NEVER - hear the end of it) or have both teams lose before the final? I'm going with choice 2.

Because nothing would suck more than scenario 1.

yes...but. How sweet would it be to beat the preseason favorite as an underdog in the NCAA tourney and repeat as National Champs by beating UNC...bragging rights fo' eva!