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

[House P]

This thread is one of the better things in my life these days. Thanks, friends.

The best thing about this thread is that we know it is all going to turn out well (extremely well, in fact)!

[MarkD83]

The best thing about this thread is that we know it is all going to turn out well (extremely well, in fact)!

Wait are you clairvoyant or something like that...I am worried Duke won't get to the Sweet 16. Of course I worried about that since 1983 after enduring a 10 and 11 win season.

[dukelifer]

I am really hoping Duke makes it to another FF- but I am not sure I can handle another loss. '86 was very sad- I thought Duke was the best team - but getting there and losing in the semis was tough enough but then getting crushed by UNLV last year was almost too much. UNLV is a crazy good team- it will take a monumental effort to beat them and if it gets to that- Duke will have to do it in the semis. That said- that may be the best chance to beat them as K has a week to prepare- perhaps they will take Duke a bit lightly given their dominance- one can only hope.

[House P]

Wait are you clairvoyant or something like that...I am worried Duke won't get to the Sweet 16. Of course I worried about that since 1983 after enduring a 10 and 11 win season.

Just to clarify. I have no idea how the 1991 tournament is going to work out for Duke. When I said that it would end well I was referring to the fact that, regardless of the outcome, folks at DBR will react well - because nobody here ever reacts by poorly by spouting emotion nonsense following an unexpected loss.


(Is that in keeping with the spirit of this thread?)

[Truth&Justise]

I am really hoping Duke makes it to another FF- but I am not sure I can handle another loss. '86 was very sad- I thought Duke was the best team - but getting there and losing in the semis was tough enough but then getting crushed by UNLV last year was almost too much. UNLV is a crazy good team- it will take a monumental effort to beat them and if it gets to that- Duke will have to do it in the semis. That said- that may be the best chance to beat them as K has a week to prepare- perhaps they will take Duke a bit lightly given their dominance- one can only hope.

No chance. We'd better hope UNLV just has a terrible night at some point along the way and someone else can take them out. It's possible--New Mexico State played them close twice, in a pair of 12-point losses. Arizona has the size we lack (Bison Dele and Sean Rooks) to keep UNLV off the boards and has some good scoring guards. And we all know how good of a program PJ Carlesimo has at Seton Hall--they've got a talented inside-out combo with Terry Dehere and Anthony Avent.

So maybe one of those squads has a chance if UNLV has a really bad night. But--IF we make it to the Final Four again--another big loss to UNLV would really cement our rep as a little brother in college hoops that just can't win the big one.

[Tripping William]

I really, really worry about Hurley. Aside from the abuse he's endured about his digestive health during last year's Final Four, he just has this propensity to take really dumb, high-risk shots (usually from long-range) when he doesn't need to. I mean, I can totally see us being down, like, five points as one of these games winds down, and him jacking up some three early in the shot clock that clanks off the rim and kills any comeback. K needs to address that problem, and soon.

[Tripping William]

No chance. We'd better hope UNLV just has a terrible night at some point along the way and someone else can take them out. It's possible--New Mexico State played them close twice, in a pair of 12-point losses. Arizona has the size we lack (Bison Dele and Sean Rooks) to keep UNLV off the boards and has some good scoring guards. And we all know how good of a program PJ Carlesimo has at Seton Hall--they've got a talented inside-out combo with Terry Dehere and Anthony Avent.

So maybe one of those squads has a chance if UNLV has a really bad night. But--IF we make it to the Final Four again--another big loss to UNLV would really cement our rep as a little brother in college hoops that just can't win the big one.

I have no idea who this Dele character is, but Arizona's Brian Williams is a really good big.

I suppose the one thing that could conceivably rattle UNLV is if their point guard gets into foul trouble.

[91Duke]

ooh I really love this thread -- thanks for the welcome distraction and nostalgia-trip back to my Senior year. I'll have to dig out my "What is it like NOT to go to the Final Four? Class of '91" t-shirt -- if we make the FF, of course.

The horrible (and I mean horrible) loss to UNC in the ACC tourney really put a damper on expectations going into the tournament, but Laettner and Hurley have such a will to win.

[Nugget]

I am really hoping Duke makes it to another FF- but I am not sure I can handle another loss. '86 was very sad- I thought Duke was the best team - but getting there and losing in the semis was tough enough but then getting crushed by UNLV last year was almost too much. UNLV is a crazy good team- it will take a monumental effort to beat them and if it gets to that- Duke will have to do it in the semis. That said- that may be the best chance to beat them as K has a week to prepare- perhaps they will take Duke a bit lightly given their dominance- one can only hope.

UNLV has been amazing to watch - - both their man-to-man and amoeba defenses have swallowed up the opposition. Their beatdown of #2 Arkansas at Barnhill was especially impressive and prompted a great Tarkanian quote: "They said it would be 40 minutes of hell; instead, it was 40 minutes of layups."

[dukelifer]

I really, really worry about Hurley. Aside from the abuse he's endured about his digestive health during last year's Final Four, he just has this propensity to take really dumb, high-risk shots (usually from long-range) when he doesn't need to. I mean, I can totally see us being down, like, five points as one of these games winds down, and him jacking up some three early in the shot clock that clanks off the rim and kills any comeback. K needs to address that problem, and soon.

I don't agree- He has been shooting much better of late- the ACC finals notwithstanding where King Rice was all over him. The kid is shooting 40% from three. The big issue is his driving and getting swatted. I feel this kid has a couple of big threes in him.

[MarkD83]

No chance. We'd better hope UNLV just has a terrible night at some point along the way and someone else can take them out. It's possible--New Mexico State played them close twice, in a pair of 12-point losses. Arizona has the size we lack (Bison Dele and Sean Rooks) to keep UNLV off the boards and has some good scoring guards. And we all know how good of a program PJ Carlesimo has at Seton Hall--they've got a talented inside-out combo with Terry Dehere and Anthony Avent.

So maybe one of those squads has a chance if UNLV has a really bad night. But--IF we make it to the Final Four again--another big loss to UNLV would really cement our rep as a little brother in college hoops that just can't win the big one.

Duke did play well against AZ in Tuscon earlier this year even though we lost in 2OT. Here is a video of the game in case you don't remember.

96-103 2OT loss at Arizona (the second link is the end of regulation and the overtimes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4tLqlhd2Xs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8GWK-C68vU

[MarkD83]

Of course if you can't recall Duke did beat unc right after that so maybe there is hope for us in the tournament.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/searc...00&action=view

[Gooch]

Hey guys--all this talk of UNLV is making me nervous. We can't afford to look past Louisiana-Monroe, even though we are probably going to be a 30+ point favorite.

I know a 15-seed has never won in the tournament before, but it's only a matter of time before someone like a Richmond, Lehigh, or some random-school in Florida that no one has ever heard of pulls a big upset. I'm sure there will never be a 16-1 upset in our lifetime, but a 15-2 upset seems pretty likely sooner rather than later. Let's make sure it's not us.

[dukelifer]

Hey guys--all this talk of UNLV is making me nervous. We can't afford to look past Louisiana-Monroe, even though we are probably going to be a 30+ point favorite.

I know a 15-seed has never won in the tournament before, but it's only a matter of time before someone like a Richmond, Lehigh, or some random-school in Florida that no one has ever heard of pulls a big upset. I'm sure there will never be a 16-1 upset in our lifetime, but a 15-2 upset seems pretty likely sooner rather than later. Let's make sure it's not us.

Lehigh? come on- let's get serious now.

[Truth&Justise]

Hey guys--all this talk of UNLV is making me nervous. We can't afford to look past Louisiana-Monroe, even though we are probably going to be a 30+ point favorite.

I know a 15-seed has never won in the tournament before, but it's only a matter of time before someone like a Richmond, Lehigh, or some random-school in Florida that no one has ever heard of pulls a big upset. I'm sure there will never be a 16-1 upset in our lifetime, but a 15-2 upset seems pretty likely sooner rather than later. Let's make sure it's not us.

I'm not worried about the team being focused for Louisiana-Monroe--not only has a 15-seed never won a game, but Duke has never lost in the first round since the field expanded to 64. Coach K will have them prepared.

But it's hard not to talk about UNLV when really there are two tiers of teams in this tournament: UNLV, and everyone else.

[Tripping William]

I don't agree- He has been shooting much better of late- the ACC finals notwithstanding where King Rice was all over him. The kid is shooting 40% from three. The big issue is his driving and getting swatted. I feel this kid has a couple of big threes in him.

Yeah, well. After what King Rice just did to Hurley, this team won’t make it out of the first weekend.

[summerwind03]

Yeah, well. After what King Rice just did to Hurley, this team won’t make it out of the first weekend.

King Rice, he sucks, he really really sucks!

[fidel]

Hey wait...did someone start a bracket competition??? Did I miss it?

[Tripping William]

Hey wait...did someone start a bracket competition??? Did I miss it?

I’ll bet a great big pie that I finish first. It might be a tie for first, but still ....

[MarkD83]

I’ll bet a great big pie that I finish first. It might be a tie for first, but still ...

There is a tie-breaker...who will win the 1992 NCAA championship....