the 2000 lb elephant in the room

[DukeDevil]

Which could be said about ANY two teams left standing.

That said, I'm more concerned with foul than ungulates at this moment.

While the short bench always makes the foul situation concerning, I'm going to have to cry fowl here (or assume you meant to!).

[slower]

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!

Yes, but...not worth the risk this year. Can you imagine how insufferable UNC fans would be? And honestly, they'd probably beat us. Just...not...worth...it.

[Skitzle]

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

Because UNC will have a 100 year ban on making the post-season?

Definitely.

[huey]

Amile hobbles out of the Duke locker room in game clothes. The UNC players all stop shooting warmups and stare at him. Brice Johnson's soul cracks as he realizes his streak of 20 rebound games is over.

[Henderson]

That elephant you see in the room is a hallucination. It happened to Dumbo one time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoysQe-2HS4

There might be an elephant in the room early next month. Right now it's just a duck.

Roast duck.

I'm thinking that's what'll be on the plate Thursday evening in the Henderson household. If the game turns out well, the duck grease dripping down our chins will represent a sacrament. If the game turns out poorly, at least we had roast duck for dinner.

[Dukehky]

I don't care if our 1992 team was going up against UNC's 2010 team. The risk to reward ratio is still just off the scales. I don't ever want us to meet in the tournament. I can barely deal with it in the 2 games I know we have to play against them every year.

Yes, winning would be awesome, but the potential to lose that game is the most dreadful sporting result that could ever happen, and I don't want to risk it. Like, if we were both in the final four this year, and they won the first game, i would almost want Duke to lose the second game. Almost.

[BLPOG]

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

Then count me as a member of The Odds Are Too Damn High Party.

I'll need some elephant tranquilizers for the anxiety that would cause me. I'd rather just keep ignoring it until the room gets a little smaller, so to speak.

[slower]

Yes, winning would be awesome, but the potential to lose that game is the most dreadful sporting result that could ever happen

This. Absolutely. This is not the year to risk it, no matter HOW optimistic you are.

[oldnavy]

This. Absolutely. This is not the year to risk it, no matter HOW optimistic you are.

Or... this would be the perfect year to risk it... we go in as big underdogs. We win, we OWN UNC from now on... we lose, we'll we were supposed to lose after all we just won the NC and essentially lost all five starters when Amile went down. We would be able to brag that we got farther than we ever should have...

This scenario is preferable to us meeting them in a year where we are a 1 seed with high expectations and getting upset. I still get crap from my son over Mercer and Lehigh.

Personally I don't ever want to play them in the NCAA's just because I would have to be heavily medicated just to get through the game, and then depending on the results, I may be in therapy for years afterward. Even if we play and win, I would still have to live with my wonderful wife who would be very unhappy for a long time (happy wife = happy life, and vice versa).

Just too much on the line for the OldNavy household...

[cato]

While the short bench always makes the foul situation concerning, I'm going to have to cry fowl here (or assume you meant to!).

Yikes. Guess I'll duck out of the thread now. Sheepishly.

[SlapTheFloor]

Amazing. We played UNC-W last week and everyone was seeing shadows of Lehigh and Mercer. Now we're playing the #1 seed in our region and everyone is already looking past them to the title game. I'm very proud of what this team has accomplished, but we won two close games against the two worst teams we will see in this tournament. I don't know about you, but I'm not booking my flight to Houston just yet.

[devildeac]

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.

Scenario 3:

2015

They lose (whenever) and we win. Everything.

[OldPhiKap]

No. Never. Not under any circumstances.

No.

[Olympic Fan]

Well UNC WAS going to beat MSU...
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.

And some of us aren't sold on UNC's toughness or the tactical brilliance of Huckleberry Hound on the bench. Some of us don't agree that the road has been cleared for them. And some of us don't agree that they are the best chance to make the late rounds (Hello, Kansas!). 538 is a good site and they were pretty good in 2012, but their track record since then is spotty.

Most of all, I'm embarrassed by the reaction of Duke fans in their thread who seem to embrace the worst.

First, there is almost the assumption that UNC will get to the title game

Second, there is an unwarranted assumption that Duke will waltz past Oregon, probably Oklahoma and probably Kansas to get to the title game.

Third, there is the absolutely ridiculous fear that after walking that road, we'll get to the title game and lose to a team that we beat on their home floor.

I'm ashamed of most of you. What a bunch of nervous nellies.

And, finally, allow me to suggest this ... if the worst case happens and UNC wins the title, would you really rather see them beat somebody else in the finals? ... my point being that you'd actually feel better if Duke were to lose to say Oregon to avoid losing to UNC in the title game? I don't get that. I don't want to see UNC win it call (and I don't think they will) ... But I want Duke to go as far as possible ... and if that's a title game loss (which I don't think will happen), then that's better than a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight loss.

[slower]

And, finally, allow me to suggest this ... if the worst case happens and UNC wins the title, would you really rather see them beat somebody else in the finals?.

Um...yes.

Are you freakng serious?

Do you have any idea how obnoxious they would be?

[throatybeard]

I don't care if our 1992 team was going up against UNC's 2010 team. The risk to reward ratio is still just off the scales. I don't ever want us to meet in the tournament. I can barely deal with it in the 2 games I know we have to play against them every year.

^ Okay, see this, y'all? This.

Even if we win, we lose. How do you think they're going to act if they're on the losing end of that? It won't be shutting up, you can bet your last CDO on that.

Look, there's a good chance the New Madrid fault is going to blow like Gary Williams, during my lifetime. It was so, so bad 200 years ago. We don't think about it around here in the New Madrid seismic zone, because there's nothing you can do about it except move away, and if you're not doing that, you're not doing that. There's nothing you can do except hope/pray/deny. There just ain't much point in puttin water jugs up in the basement if the second floor in going to be in the basement. So you live your life, day by day, each one a gift.

Repeat after me. We will not let the CAT5 Carolina Killstorm national final affect our lives. It is not worth preparing for, because no preparations could possibly be made, short of a Helms' Deep-type situation on West Campus. If it does happen, we can only hope that by then our children and children's children have passed from this earth. Or at least til none of them live in North Carolina.

[hurleyfor3]

Google says that's a pretty small elephant.

My narrative will be that we waaaaaaay overachieved to get to the championship game. I miss those years, actually.

[OldPhiKap]

^ Okay, see this, y'all? This.

Even if we win, we lose. How do you think they're going to act if they're on the losing end of that? It won't be shutting up, you can bet your last CDO on that.

Look, there's a good chance the New Madrid fault is going to blow like Gary Williams, during my lifetime. It was so, so bad 200 years ago. We don't think about it around here in the New Madrid seismic zone, because there's nothing you can do about it except move away, and if you're not doing that, you're not doing that. There's nothing you can do except hope/pray/deny. There just ain't much point in puttin water jugs up in the basement if the second floor in going to be in the basement. So you live your life, day by day, each one a gift.

Repeat after me. We will not let the CAT5 Carolina Killstorm national final affect our lives. It is not worth preparing for, because no preparations could possibly be made, short of a Helms' Deep-type situation on West Campus. If it does happen, we can only hope that by then our children and children's children have passed from this earth. Or at least til none of them live in North Carolina.

{drops mic}

[OldPhiKap]

Google says that's a pretty small elephant.

And Wikipedia says that the population of elephants in India has tripled in the last decade.

[throatybeard]

And Wikipedia says that the population of elephants in India has tripled in the last decade.

And what of Carolina fans? I don't know tripling in ten years, but there are more than they were in 2006.