I couldn’t stand every Duke player besides Grant and TatumI can’t stand Jeremy Roach
I couldn’t stand every Duke player besides Grant and TatumI can’t stand Jeremy Roach
This is the kelvin sampson theory - just pound the shit out of every player on every play and assume the officials won’t call a foul on every single trip downThis feels like Wisconsin playing Wisconsin.
Creighton turned it aroundTennessee just destroying Creighton out of the gate in the second half with an 18-0 run.
Yup. No excuses. Shead injury such a killer for Houston. They looked great early on.Vermont, James Madison, Houston without Shead, NC State. I don’t think Duke could have dreamed for an easier road to the Final 4.
Not sure it matters too much. If Connecticut gets to the final they can only play one team from that side of the bracket and Purdue is still tracking to have the best chance.Feel bad for Houston, awful break. And UConn's chances to win got a lot better.
I am old enough to remember your prognostications from…yesterdayIt’s UConn and then a few steps down Purdue and then over a cliff everyone else. It’s been that way all year.
Duke lost to NC state like last week - easy to happen againVermont, James Madison, Houston without Shead, NC State. I don’t think Duke could have dreamed for an easier road to the Final 4.
Weird guy to say you hate IMO. Seems to just go about his way. Doesn’t talk, doesn’t preen.I can’t stand Jeremy Roach
Let's not forget that Duke was the #2 team in the preseason polls, and is currently #5 in kenpom. They were neck and neck with UNC heading in to the last game of the year; then they lost, and lost again to NCSU, and fell to the 4 line.If Duke somehow gets to the final then UConn won’t have had to play anyone better than a three seed to win it all. And if Clemson gets past Alabama, and Duke gets to the final, here would be UConn’s road:
16 Stetson
9 Northwestern (missing two starters)
5 San Diego State
3 Illinois
6 Clemson
4 Duke
Obviously some IFs there but it would be crazy for UConn to once again not have to face a top team on the road to a title.
We probably really need to see UConn vs. a fully healthy Purdue team in the final.
Duke is definitely better than the average 4 seed. But all games count, and they were a 4 seed for a reason. But my point stands. UConn for the second year in a row will have had a pretty easy schedule in the tournament. You just expect to have to beat a lot of really good teams to win it all. When SU won it in 2003, for example, their last three games were against #1 Oklahoma, #1 Texas, and #2 Kansas. UConn hasn't had to face a single team of that caliber and SU had to face three in a row.Let's not forget that Duke was the #2 team in the preseason polls, and is currently #5 in kenpom. They were neck and neck with UNC heading in to the last game of the year; then they lost, and lost again to NCSU, and fell to the 4 line.
He also gave precisely zero credit to Duke in his post-game presser. Did not congratulate them. Did not even mention them! Super classyThis is the kelvin sampson theory - just pound the shit out of every player on every play and assume the officials won’t call a foul on every single trip down
That and endless NCAA violations
real standup guy
Duke's not gonna make it and very well might lose to NC State again. They were being handled pretty easily last night until the best player in the game went down with an injury.If Duke somehow gets to the final then UConn won’t have had to play anyone better than a three seed to win it all. And if Clemson gets past Alabama, and Duke gets to the final, here would be UConn’s road:
I don’t know if I’d go quite that far. Duke fell behind 8-0 in the first 2 minutes and then out scored Houston 13-8 over the next 13 minutes of horrible basketball even with Shead in. It’s not to say he didn’t matter, because it’s obviously a different game with him playing, but Duke righted the ship after a horrible start with turnovers on their first three possessions, and Houston couldn’t score even with Shead playing.Duke's not gonna make it and very well might lose to NC State again. They were being handled pretty easily last night until the best player in the game went down with an injury.
Would have some parallels too, given that people talk about this Connecticut team like people talked about that 199 Duke team. But I actually think Purdue beating UConn would be more like 1999. UConn had a great year that year but nobody talked about anything but Duke after the turn of the year. I could see Purdue kind of feeling that way.A Duke victory over UConn would be especially sweet given the 25th anniversary of the 1999 final.
I know people here love KenPom, here's his analysis:I don’t know if I’d go quite that far. Duke fell behind 8-0 in the first 2 minutes and then out scored Houston 13-8 over the next 13 minutes of horrible basketball even with Shead in. It’s not to say he didn’t matter, because it’s obviously a different game with him playing, but Duke righted the ship after a horrible start with turnovers on their first three possessions, and Houston couldn’t score even with Shead playing.
With all due respect to UConn - they are a juggernaut and IMO head and shoulders above everyone else - they shouldn't be talked about like that 1999 Duke team. That team lost a single game all year prior to the final, by 2 points, on a last second bucket in the Great Alaskan Shootout against 15th ranked Cincinnati. They outscored their opponents by nearly 25 PPG.Would have some parallels too, given that people talk about this Connecticut team like people talked about that 199 Duke team. But I actually think Purdue beating UConn would be more like 1999. UConn had a great year that year but nobody talked about anything but Duke after the turn of the year. I could see Purdue kind of feeling that way.
Again looking at Kenpom, that 1999 Duke team might have been the best college team ever. He'd have them as a double-digit favorite over 2024 UConn.Would have some parallels too, given that people talk about this Connecticut team like people talked about that 199 Duke team. But I actually think Purdue beating UConn would be more like 1999. UConn had a great year that year but nobody talked about anything but Duke after the turn of the year. I could see Purdue kind of feeling that way.
ESPN's win probability (unsure how they calculate it) had Houston at 75.5% to win prior to tip, and 77.1% to win when he got hurt.I know people here love KenPom, here's his analysis:
The red line is when Shead went out, a near-bottoming out of Duke's win probability. It was all roses after that.
That's interesting, they're basically at the same number when the injury occurred but had very different pre-game probabilities (Kenpom liking Duke quite a bit more than ESPN).ESPN's win probability (unsure how they calculate it) had Houston at 75.5% to win prior to tip, and 77.1% to win when he got hurt.
With all due respect to UConn - they are a juggernaut and IMO head and shoulders above everyone else - they shouldn't be talked about like that 1999 Duke team. That team lost a single game all year prior to the final, by 2 points, on a last second bucket in the Great Alaskan Shootout against 15th ranked Cincinnati. They outscored their opponents by nearly 25 PPG.
This year's UConn team has lost 3 times, including twice by 15+. Their margin per game is 18.
All that said, I hope we get a reversal of history.
Edit: 1999 Duke won 15 games by 30+. They were the 2007 Pats.
Too bad they didn’t give a trophy for that. :0)Again looking at Kenpom, that 1999 Duke team might have been the best college team ever. He'd have them as a double-digit favorite over 2024 UConn.
You’re totally right about Purdue (and similar could have probably been said about Houston prior to the injuries)Too bad they didn’t give a trophy for that. :0)
Seriously, I wasn’t trying to compare them other than with respect to how everyone talks about them. Could they win against the worst NBA team, all that stuff.
UConn was fantastic in 1999 and did not get discussed much because Duke took all the oxygen in the room. Same is happening a bit with Purdue this year. That is the only point. I wasn’t trying to besmirch that fantastic runner-up Duke team! (Ok, that really was unnecessary. I couldn’t resist.)
I'll take Duke-UConn.I think everyone can agree the championship game we want is UConn-Purdue.
But the 1999 Huskies weren’t the NY Giants. They were absolutely awesome too. And though I think that Duke probably wins 6 out of 10 times against them, by no means was UConn outmatched in that game. They were a powerhouse in their own right.With all due respect to UConn - they are a juggernaut and IMO head and shoulders above everyone else - they shouldn't be talked about like that 1999 Duke team. That team lost a single game all year prior to the final, by 2 points, on a last second bucket in the Great Alaskan Shootout against 15th ranked Cincinnati. They outscored their opponents by nearly 25 PPG.
This year's UConn team has lost 3 times, including twice by 15+. Their margin per game is 18.
All that said, I hope we get a reversal of history.
Edit: 1999 Duke won 15 games by 30+. They were the 2007 Pats.
Correct, they were much more like the 2007 Packers who finished 13-3 with a +144 scoring differential.But the 1999 Huskies weren’t the NY Giants. They were absolutely awesome too. And though I think that Duke probably wins 6 out of 10 times against them, by no means was UConn outmatched in that game. They were a powerhouse in their own right.
The 1999 team was pretty well regarded as the second best team in the country all year. They finished the year 34-2 and their only losses were to ranked opponents — one with two starters out with injury (Rip Hamilton and Jake Voskhul).Correct, they were much more like the 2007 Packers who finished 13-3 with a +144 scoring differential.
IIRC that UConn team was very hyped pre season but went through some struggles thus lowering expectations - or was that the 2004 team? Maybe 2004 as they slipped to a 2 seed?
Yeah must have been 2004 that I am thinking of. They finished with 6 losses, including back to back losses in mid-February. They rebounded to win 5 in a row, lost the regular season finale at Syracuse, then won the BET and of course the title. So, they won 14 of their last 15.The 1999 team was pretty well regarded as the second best team in the country all year. They finished the year 34-2 and their only losses were to ranked opponents — one with two starters out with injury (Rip Hamilton and Jake Voskhul).
You’re ten years off but yeah. That 2014 team had such a weird year. They went into the year with relatively low expectations then beat three excellent team on Maui. Then dipped. The Big East was so stacked that year that even though they were a 9 seed in the Big East tournament, they were nationally ranked and a shoe in to make the NCAA tournament. They beat four ranked teams in those five games.Yeah must have been 2004 that I am thinking of. They finished with 6 losses, including back to back losses in mid-February. They rebounded to win 5 in a row, lost the regular season finale at Syracuse, then won the BET and of course the title. So, they won 14 of their last 15.
No. The 2004 team was incredibly hyped but didn’t live up to expectations during the regular season, dropping to the 2 seed line.You’re ten years off but yeah. That 2014 team had such a weird year. They went into the year with relatively low expectations then beat three excellent team on Maui. Then dipped. The Big East was so stacked that year that even though they were a 9 seed in the Big East tournament, they were nationally ranked and a shoe in to make the NCAA tournament. They beat four ranked teams in those five games.
Oh sorry. And yeah I was thinking of 2011 not 2014.No. The 2004 team was incredibly hyped but didn’t live up to expectations during the regular season, dropping to the 2 seed line.
Not all that dissimilar to this year’s Duke team.
Edit: the 2004 team was preseason #1. That’s exactly what I was thinking of.
Tennessee ClemsonI think everyone can agree the championship game we want is UConn-Purdue.
That year, Okafor was plagued with back issues the entire season so that did not help things. But, he was healthy enough in the BET and the NCAA's to make his full impact on the game.No. The 2004 team was incredibly hyped but didn’t live up to expectations during the regular season, dropping to the 2 seed line.
Not all that dissimilar to this year’s Duke team.
Edit: the 2004 team was preseason #1. That’s exactly what I was thinking of.
Ah that’s right, the back issues.That year, Okafor was plagued with back issues the entire season so that did not help things. But, he was healthy enough in the BET and the NCAA's to make his full impact on the game.
As far as the greatness of this year's UConn team, it's really hard to compare teams of this age to 10-15-20 years ago. The portal has completely changed the game of team building. Teams back in the 90's-early 2000s were able to stay together and build cohesion over multiple years. That '99 Duke team was special because a lot of the key contributors were sophomores and juniors(Langdon the only senior) but that was the exception back then and not the rule.
This year's UConn team is special in part because they have multiple ways of dominating a game. They can win at any pace and multiple guys can beat you at any time.