The 1991 Road to Final Four - come along for a retrotour!

[Tripping William]

I look forward to the national outrage for Brad Sellars hitting Laettner in the head twice. Banging his head on the floor with the second. At least there will be a foul and a technical called for certain. Let me guess the same people who will say one year later that Laettner stomped on a player who immediately jumped up from said stomping and ran down the court clapping his hands will say there was nothing here. Just move along folks.

Boy Koubek had a great game, didn't he? MOTM

I predict had Sellers tried to trip Laettner, there would have been national outrage. Just a hunch.

[roywhite]

Bring on St. John's. Do we play these guys a lot or does it just seem that way?

The Red Storm (or were they called the Redmen at that time?) finished 2nd in the Big East.
Best player -- Malik Sealy, a versatile 6'8" player who averaged 22 points and 7.7 rebounds.

[dukelifer]

Bring on St. John's. Do we play these guys a lot or does it just seem that way?

The Red Storm (or were they called the Redmen at that time?) finished 2nd in the Big East.
Best player -- Malik Sealy, a versatile 6'8" player who averaged 22 points and 7.7 rebounds.

I will never forget Black Sunday when Duke lost to St Johns and UNC to Penn in Raleigh in the NCAA tourney. Duke was preseason number 1 that year and then lost two games in a Christmas Tourney at the Garden- had a 17 point lead against Ohio State and the wheels fell off - losing and over time and then had to play St Johns and again after big lead let it slip away. Lots of bad memories with them- let’s hope that does not become a pattern.

[Tripping William]

Bring on St. John's. Do we play these guys a lot or does it just seem that way?

The Red Storm (or were they called the Redmen at that time?) finished 2nd in the Big East.
Best player -- Malik Sealy, a versatile 6'8" player who averaged 22 points and 7.7 rebounds.

I really, really hope Sealy isn’t a Thorn-ton in our side ...

[arnie]

I will never forget Black Sunday when Duke lost to St Johns and UNC to Penn in Raleigh in the NCAA tourney. Duke was preseason number 1 that year and then lost two games in a Christmas Tourney at the Garden- had a 17 point lead against Ohio State and the wheels fell off - losing and over time and then had to play St Johns and again after big lead let it slip away. Lots of bad memories with them- let’s hope that does not become a pattern.

Now in all fairness against St Johns on Black Sunday; as I recall Bender had an appendectomy after Dean served him bad BBQ, Dennard broke his ankle due to extra practice and think G-man was sick tossing cookies during the game. May not remember all the details, but we didn’t have much depth to begin with.

[MarkD83]

Right into the Final 4...

So half the Duke Invitational is set (going to 4 Final 4s in 5 years allows us to say that)...

1 UNC 75 vs 10 Temple 72
1 Arkansas 81 vs 3 Kansas 93

The team can't let Dean Smith host the Duke Invitational...time to beat St Johns

Of course Duke's potential Final 4 opponent could be a nightmare like last year...

2 Duke vs 4 St. Johns
1 UNLV vs 3 Seton Hall

[Tripping William]

Right into the Final 4...

So half the Duke Invitational is set (going to 4 Final 4s in 5 years allows us to say that)...

1 UNC 75 vs 10 Temple 72
1 Arkansas 81 vs 3 Kansas 93

The team can't let Dean Smith host the Duke Invitational...time to beat St Johns

Of course Duke's potential Final 4 opponent could be a nightmare like last year...

2 Duke vs 4 St. Johns
1 UNLV vs 3 Seton Hall

A UNLV/Carolina final. Book it. 😑

[House P]

Best player -- Malik Sealy, a versatile 6'8" player who averaged 22 points and 7.7 rebounds.

Sadly, Malik Sealy is the second Duke opponent from the 1991 tournament who died young in a car crash. Unlike Iowa’s Chris Street who died when he was still in college, Sealy went on to a productive NBA career until he died in 2000 at the age of 30.

[Tripping William]

Jim’s write-up and the video of the St. John’s game have dropped. Good to give Louie the Boot. On to Indy and a Rebel rematch. I just hope we can keep it within 30 this time.

[roywhite]

Jim’s write-up and the video of the St. John’s game have dropped. Good to give Louie the Boot. On to Indy and a Rebel rematch. I just hope we can keep it within 30 this time.

Strong regional performance for the Blue Devils. No time to celebrate as the Running Rebels await.

[robed deity]

Laettner with another efficient game. He really shows up in these regional finals.

[Tripping William]

Strong regional performance for the Blue Devils. No time to celebrate as the Running Rebels await.

Playing with house money (ha!) at this point. I suppose there is a non-zero chance that we could win. But just barely non-zero. Vegas is a juggernaut.

[roywhite]

Playing with house money (ha!) at this point. I suppose there is a non-zero chance that we could win. But just barely non-zero. Vegas is a juggernaut.

Yeah, what to do vs a team that is scoring nearly 100 points a game and beating opponents by 30 on average?

But...here are their last 3 scores in the tournament:

UNLV 62 Georgetown 54
UNLV 83 Utah 66
UNLV 77 Seton Hall 65

Are they mortal if somehow their running game can be slowed down?

[accfanfrom1970]

Yeah, what to do vs a team that is scoring nearly 100 points a game and beating opponents by 30 on average?

But...here are their last 3 scores in the tournament:

UNLV 62 Georgetown 54
UNLV 83 Utah 66
UNLV 77 Seton Hall 65

Are they mortal if somehow their running game can be slowed down?

If those teams can keep it to an average of a 12 point spread - Duke should be able to keep it under 10. That would be a victory.

[robed deity]

If those teams can keep it to an average of a 12 point spread - Duke should be able to keep it under 10. That would be a victory.

Never know, get them in a close game, maybe they'll panic a bit.

[dukelifer]

Strong regional performance for the Blue Devils. No time to celebrate as the Running Rebels await.

Just what I was afraid of- Rebels and if we get past them Carolina. If Duke loses to UNC in the championship game - that will be the end of Duke basketball as we know it- never will live that down. In some odd way I hope we lose to UNLV so UNC can suffer the same fate as Duke from last year. Duke never catches a break it seems. Maybe Roy can pull the upset- I suspect that will be the first game- not sure.

[Tripping William]

Yeah, what to do vs a team that is scoring nearly 100 points a game and beating opponents by 30 on average?

But...here are their last 3 scores in the tournament:

UNLV 62 Georgetown 54
UNLV 83 Utah 66
UNLV 77 Seton Hall 65

Are they mortal if somehow their running game can be slowed down?

They’re gonna be amped up. If we can’t score 80, we have no chance.

[dukelifer]

They’re gonna be amped up. If we can’t score 80, we have no chance.

8 teams have scored 80 or more on them- so it is possible - but of course UNLV have scored an average of 115 points in those games- so there is that

[Tripping William]

8 teams have scored 80 or more on them- so it is possible - but of course UNLV have scored an average of 115 points in those games- so there is that

Indulge my fantasy. Say we can somehow keep it close. (I know, I know; dream on.) Maybe it becomes a game where free-throw shooting is important. I could totally see that shot-fake motion of Larry Johnson’s drawing a lane violation, and getting him an extra attempt. Not sure any team could overcome something like that on a Final Four stage.

[roywhite]

UNLV scoring 100 points or more, and beating opponents by 30 -- would that remind this Duke team of the score of their last game in 1990?