J-Hawk,
I have noticed this, especially amongst the underclassmen, and while I don't think it is a "showboating" thing, I do think it is partially to get the attention of the coaches, and also to be a "dukie."
I also think there is an analogy to be drawn here with our defense and overplaying the passing lanes:
Sometimes I do think we should maybe not dive for a ball or go for a steal, but on the other hand, that's what makes us Duke. We give 110% on every play and sometimes we pay for it, meaning, if we overplay a passing lane and go for a steal and juuuuuust miss it well now we've overrun the play and its essentially 5 on 4 until that person can get back on D, and sometimes that will lead to an easy bucket for our opponent. But in most games I think it works out for us as we get more turnovers than give up easy buckets.
Same with hustling/diving: it may cost us a couple times if we dive and dont get the ball (now we have to get up and run back on D, and while we were doing that, the other team may have scored) but on the other hand hopefully that hustle will lead to us getting more loose balls and TOs than the other team...
But yes, I have noticed this but I only think its primarily from underclassmen and a desire to do things "the duke way." I guarantee you the upperclassmen are hustling and diving on the floor in practice and pickup games (not to the same extent necessarily) so this rubs off on the underclassmen.
Sorry you had to take grief, but you have to understand that we get a lot of trollers around here and more often that not this type of post is from a troller. Glad to have you around though