NCAAM: Duke 52, Tennessee 65 Post-Game Thread

[ClemmonsDevil]

How exactly do you prepare for the physicality?

Easy! Be a year older!

[SouthernDukie]

Glad I am not Flip's insurance company. Sheesh. He's been a punching bag all season long. He may decide to go pro just because he's tired of being beat the hell up all the time. You can't get away with that stuff in the NBA.

I've honestly never seen a Duke player get hit so hard in the head and chest as I've seen with Flip this year. He probably took a half dozen shots that could easily have been F1's or F2's this season. It was ridiculous.

[dukelifer]

Not that Duke was going to win it all this season, but every team has a bad matchup in the field and you hope your team doesn't run into that along the way. That happened today compounded with them playing the offensive game of their lives. That is the bracket nightmare. Now I have to pick a consolation team to pull for. Gonzaga?

Maybe Marquette?

[Acymetric]

I've honestly never seen a Duke player get hit so hard in the head and chest as I've seen with Flip this year. He probably took a half dozen shots that could easily have been F1's or F2's this season. It was ridiculous.

Quoting for emphasis.

[weezie]

Look, when Roach has 4 fouls while Tennessee has 3 on the half you can't pretend officiating didn't play a factor. I get the aversion, but an objective view here would say that TN benefitted from very loose officiating while Duke was not afforded that same opportunity.

Absolutely right.

[FastBreak]

I am sad we lost but am not angry or frustrated about it. The better team tonight won. Truly bad luck that Mitchell was out and we can play "what if" all day, but this is the season we had. So much adversity but our guys kept fighting and I think that's why this season feels so satisfying even with this ending. This will go down as one of the most fun years I've had watching a Duke team. I truly hope a couple of the freshman stay for a special season next year.

We all have to feel great about Scheyer and what the future holds. What a masterful job he did with this team. I'm excited for what lays ahead. Thank you Blue Devils for your heart and soul this year.

[SouthernDukie]

I know I'll be in the vast minority on this, but is there anyone else that has now completely lost interest in the Tournament? I'll still watch some of the games, but I won't be paying much attention.

[jipops]

Not sure I get all the breast-beating about losing Mitchell. Sure, an injury hurts ... but believe me, having seen them all year long, Tennessee is much more hurt by losing Ziegler (it will, in all probability, keep them from seriously contending for the championship). It's all part of the game. Each team needed to impose stifling defensive pressure in this game, and the Vols were just better at it.

Because any defensive game plan was suddenly out the window. This young team was forced to adapt with zero prep. That is far different than being a veteran team that has been accustomed to being down a guy for 9 games.

[Acymetric]

I know I'll be in the vast minority on this, but is there anyone else that has now completely lost interest in the Tournament? I'll still watch some of the games, but I won't be paying much attention.

Not planning to watch another game. Reserve the right to change my mind once I cool off, but I'm already not watching Alabama so my opportunities will likely be limited going forward anyway.

College basketball has to fix officiating.

[RepoMan]

Not sure I get all the breast-beating about losing Mitchell. Sure, an injury hurts ... but believe me, having seen them all year long, Tennessee is much more hurt by losing Ziegler (it will, in all probability, keep them from seriously contending for the championship). It's all part of the game. Each team needed to impose stifling defensive pressure in this game, and the Vols were just better at it.

Well,TN had quite a bit of time and several games to adjust to the injury. So, it’s not really the same thing. But, sure, injuries are a crappy part of sports and you have to play the cards you are dealt.

[fgb]

Proud of this team. And I would rather lose playing the gave as we play it, than win playing dirty basketball, and day of the week.

[rsvman]

Not that Duke was going to win it all this season, but every team has a bad matchup in the field and you hope your team doesn't run into that along the way. That happened today compounded with them playing the offensive game of their lives. That is the bracket nightmare. Now I have to pick a consolation team to pull for. Gonzaga?

Oh, hell to the no! Have you not noticed that they have Drew Timme on their team?

[scottdude8]

I know I'll be in the vast minority on this, but is there anyone else that has now completely lost interest in the Tournament? I'll still watch some of the games, but I won't be paying much attention.

Weirdly, the fact that UNC isn’t in it means there’s less rooting interest because we don’t have them to root against. I’ll still watch to make sure Kentucky loses, and it’d be nice to see anyone but Alabama win. But yeah, it’s gonna be tough to keep watching.

[Jedweb]

That was a hell of a scrum. Rick Barnes' style hasn't changed much since he was at Clemson. Mitchell's absence was significant, but whether his availability would have changed the outcome is speculation. Like the announcers, anyone who isn't emotionally invested must have agreed that the charging call (#3?) on Filipowski when his defender clearly jumped right in front and impeded his path was remarkably bad, but, again, that one incident was more symptomatic of the game than determinative of the outcome.

Some of the IC buzzard breaths will no doubt crow and wallow in their happiness, but no point expecting any better from that outfit.

I admit that the result caught me a little by surprise. Nevertheless, one can only admire the development of a team which was so dependent upon freshmen led by a coach who is a young man, in his first season as HC, and following a legend, dealing no only with inexperience but also with multiple injuries which impede development. Really proud of those guys and of the coaching. It's hard to blame athletes with such extraordinary ability to accept the absolutely silly money which will be available and to leave for the pros. I have no idea whether there's a reasonable chance that Flip comes back. I hope so, and Mitchell as well and certainly Proctor. Given the excellent chance that none may, Scheyer's declared intent to alter recruiting strategy a bit makes sense.

Thanks to the players and the coaches for one heck of a year. It was great.

[ClemmonsDevil]

I am sad we lost but am not angry or frustrated about it. The better team tonight won. Truly bad luck that Mitchell was out and we can play "what if" all day, but this is the season we had. So much adversity but our guys kept fighting and I think that's why this season feels so satisfying even with this ending. This will go down as one of the most fun years I've had watching a Duke team. I truly hope a couple of the freshman stay for a special season next year.

We all have to feel great about Scheyer and what the future holds. What a masterful job he did with this team. I'm excited for what lays ahead. Thank you Blue Devils for your heart and soul this year.

This is where I am. I loved the early response to adversity in the early season. Loved the ACC title. Felt like Duke fought incredibly hard today.

[FastBreak]

Also want to add that after watching this game - I feel peace because I don't think we would have matched up to the Final Four caliber teams like Alabama and Houston. Those are teams with size, age and physicality that our freshman, despite all noble attempts, would struggle to keep up with.

[CameronDuke]

I know I'll be in the vast minority on this, but is there anyone else that has now completely lost interest in the Tournament? I'll still watch some of the games, but I won't be paying much attention.

I have lost all interest minus the bit of interest I have to root for Coach Jeff Capel, III and Pitt as well as our ACC brothers at Miami, FL.

But 60% of the 5 ACC teams in the NCAAT were bounced in the first weekend already. Not a good look for the league. The ACC was horrific this year by and large.

[arnie]

Weirdly, the fact that UNC isn’t in it means there’s less rooting interest because we don’t have them to root against. I’ll still watch to make sure Kentucky loses, and it’d be nice to see anyone but Alabama win. But yeah, it’s gonna be tough to keep watching.

I’ll pull for Pitt to have miracle run.

[Buckeye Devil]

When I want to watch football, I watch Ohio State or the NFL. That was not basketball, even by B1G standards. The referees set the tone for the game early on. Even my wife commented on how rough of a game it was. Other reasons for the loss but that certainly contributed largely to the outcome.

[Bull City Proud]

Refs killed it. Let them have a wrestling match, not a basketball game. Reminds me of the south carolina loss some years back. Nonsense.

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