Is this another "team of the century" year for Duke?! | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Is this another "team of the century" year for Duke?!

RuffRuff said:
Again, look at their numbers. Flagg was 17. Boozer is a man.

Someone tell me what made Flagg a better college player, with some numbers behind it. I don’t need subjectivity of this boards “experts”. Like the ignoramus uconngb.
A guy who uses names before forming a counter, because he doesn’t like an opinion on a thread discussing Duke.
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So since Boozer is older, that makes him better. Well, you did again!! You managed to out-dumb yourself one more time.

Go post on the Dook board since you are such a fan. Or Michigan. Or Arizona. Dammit, which team is it this week?

So hard to keep track of all your crushes.......we all just know that it isn't UConn.
 
uh-no said:
which piece, exactly? reibe and smith have generally proven to be pretty big downgrades from the starters as the season has worn on and seen few minutes.

Ross and Stewart have been good pieces, but inconsistent.

I'm not suggesting duke is loaded on the bench or anything, but our depth hasn't exactly been what's carried us in conference play.
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We are a better team when the 4 bench guys (Stewart, Ross, Smith, and Reibe) get minutes and are allowed to play through their challenges. The depth has helped during the out of conference slate and it showed up well the last 3 games after Hurley admitted to not giving them their minutes.
 
RuffRuff said:
You think our depth is an advantage? We rank 280th in the country in bench points. I am not being anti, but when we blindly call things advantages in sizing up the field, really need some substance behind it.
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Did you watch the last 3 games or any of the out of conference games? It’s hard to score points when the coach admits to making a mistake in not giving them minutes. More importantly, their impact is not always points (e.g. Ross and Stewart’s defense) so the stat you quoted is misleading.
 
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uconngb said:
When did I say anything about the Big East? I was talking about one of the so called P4 conferences.
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And I’m saying the ACC is much better than the New Big East. Yeah, the bottom of the league stinks but so does the bottom of the NBE. In fact the middle of the league is not very good either. Without UConn it is a mid-major. And the NBE wants to be considered a Power league in basketball.
 
RuffRuff said:
Do we?

Who does? Do you like AZ or Houston?
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Demary is a championship level G. Tier above Foster, Cadeau and Lee. Bradley and Burries are chip level Gs too. Houston has good Gs it’s their bigs that are the problem.
 
freescooter said:
And I’m saying the ACC is much better than the New Big East. Yeah, the bottom of the league stinks but so does the bottom of the NBE. In fact the middle of the league is not very good either. Without UConn it is a mid-major. And the NBE wants to be considered a Power league in basketball.
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Great….i never said anything about the Big East. Good for you.
 
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Ahem.

ACC is a one team (Duke) squad that realistically can win it all, but suffers from being led by a freshman who has never played in March Madness pressure. If Boozer gets into any foul trouble, that team is in trouble and not playing at Cameron is similar to Kansas not playing at Phog. They beat Michigan in a very close (5 pts) neutral court game in DC so there's that, but less pressure than in an Elite 8 type game where lose and you're out.

Duke realistically had a softer schedule playing most hard games at home, very few on the road (they lost @UNC but never had to play @Charlottseville. They also lost at home to Texas Teach (by 1). They next play at NC State who is 19-10 so like Seton Hall but Duke will win that handily. Their last game is home vs UNC who they will beat.

The Big East is too small really. That's our problem. We have 3 top teams in us, St. John's and Villanova then a 2nd tier with Seton Hall only, a glut of 3rd tier teams like DePaul/Creighton/Providence/Xavier/Butler, and bottom of Georgetown/Marquette. Seton Hall gets no real credit unless they beat a top 3 team. Now remember, Seton Hall beat NC State by 11 and that is who Duke plays next - let's see how ESPN plasters Boozer on the NCAAM page for a slam while Seton Hall gets what for having beaten NC State? If Seton Hall wins @ Xavier (doable) they are 20 wins. Then @St. John's in MSG they would need play 40 minutes of A game for sure just to get to 21-10 and possibly a 4th team in if no glut of bid stealers emerge this year.

Conversely, the SEC has ~7 top teams with 20+ wins, a middle with Texas/Texas A&M and then a bottom of Auburn/Miss St/Oklahoma St/Ole Miss, LSU/South Carolina.

The problem is writers credit the SEC middle if they beat up on each other or the bottom dwellers. Putting Texas on the bubble at current 18-11 and 9-7 in conference they only beat a top 10 team at home, and lost vs every other top 10 team. They just beat A&M by a whopping 6 pts and somehow that moves them up. They scream of NIT not NCAA! We get no credit for beating Seton Hall just that we should have but if Alabama beats Georgia it's like they proved something (Georgia is 8-8 in the SEC, 20-9 overall feasting on the bottom - wow they beat South Carolina who is 3-13! and next play Mississippi State a 13-16 team, 5-11 in SEC).

Florida is the hot team in the SEC now. Why? 9 game win streak including 2x vs South Carolina, 1x Ole Miss, home vs Kentucky (25th ranked), home vs Arkansas (20th ranked), home vs Alabama (23rd ranked). Before the streak they lost to Auburn at home and Auburn is now a 15-14 team. This streak is littered with easies, and home advantage of 20th and worse ranked teams. They have 2x our losses and we beat them at MSG. I am not believing this hype!

So the SEC size of 16 teams let's this happen.
 
bendm said:
Demary is a championship level G. Tier above Foster, Cadeau and Lee. Bradley and Burries are chip level Gs too. Houston has good Gs it’s their bigs that are the problem.
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100% on Demary, especially defensively.

Houston's bigs shouldn't be a problem - Tugler is a great defender, Cenac is a very talented kid. It's more that their perimeter defenders don't distrupt as well, and Cenac hasn't really played the role of Roberts all that well - he's more offensive minded, and a step slow. Houston should be unreal on paper.
 
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Lafayette said:
Ahem.

ACC is a one team (Duke) squad that realistically can win it all, but suffers from being led by a freshman who has never played in March Madness pressure. If Boozer gets into any foul trouble, that team is in trouble and not playing at Cameron is similar to Kansas not playing at Phog. They beat Michigan in a very close (5 pts) neutral court game in DC so there's that, but less pressure than in an Elite 8 type game where lose and you're out.

Duke realistically had a softer schedule playing most hard games at home, very few on the road (they lost @UNC but never had to play @Charlottseville. They also lost at home to Texas Teach (by 1). They next play at NC State who is 19-10 so like Seton Hall but Duke will win that handily. Their last game is home vs UNC who they will beat.

The Big East is too small really. That's our problem. We have 3 top teams in us, St. John's and Villanova then a 2nd tier with Seton Hall only, a glut of 3rd tier teams like DePaul/Creighton/Providence/Xavier/Butler, and bottom of Georgetown/Marquette. Seton Hall gets no real credit unless they beat a top 3 team. Now remember, Seton Hall beat NC State by 11 and that is who Duke plays next - let's see how ESPN plasters Boozer on the NCAAM page for a slam while Seton Hall gets what for having beaten NC State? If Seton Hall wins @ Xavier (doable) they are 20 wins. Then @St. John's in MSG they would need play 40 minutes of A game for sure just to get to 21-10 and possibly a 4th team in if no glut of bid stealers emerge this year.

Conversely, the SEC has ~7 top teams with 20+ wins, a middle with Texas/Texas A&M and then a bottom of Auburn/Miss St/Oklahoma St/Ole Miss, LSU/South Carolina.

The problem is writers credit the SEC middle if they beat up on each other or the bottom dwellers. Putting Texas on the bubble at current 18-11 and 9-7 in conference they only beat a top 10 team at home, and lost vs every other top 10 team. They just beat A&M by a whopping 6 pts and somehow that moves them up. They scream of NIT not NCAA! We get no credit for beating Seton Hall just that we should have but if Alabama beats Georgia it's like they proved something (Georgia is 8-8 in the SEC, 20-9 overall feasting on the bottom - wow they beat South Carolina who is 3-13! and next play Mississippi State a 13-16 team, 5-11 in SEC).

Florida is the hot team in the SEC now. Why? 9 game win streak including 2x vs South Carolina, 1x Ole Miss, home vs Kentucky (25th ranked), home vs Arkansas (20th ranked), home vs Alabama (23rd ranked). Before the streak they lost to Auburn at home and Auburn is now a 15-14 team. This streak is littered with easies, and home advantage of 20th and worse ranked teams. They have 2x our losses and we beat them at MSG. I am not believing this hype!

So the SEC size of 16 teams lets this happen.
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You are right that here is a size issue in the NBE. It also has a quality issue as in not enough. If you want to discount Florida’ s streak you need to do the same with St John’s 13 in a row. Butler, Xavier, Creighton, Marquette each twice. Providence and DePaul once. So 10 of 13 wins against weak opponents. They get credit for Villanova and us and a bit for Seton Hall. But the rest are not good. Half the league, and 9 of their 13 wins have losing records.
 
freescooter said:
And I’m saying the ACC is much better than the New Big East. Yeah, the bottom of the league stinks but so does the bottom of the NBE. In fact the middle of the league is not very good either. Without UConn it is a mid-major. And the NBE wants to be considered a Power league in basketball.
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4 of the last 9 NCs should be enough.
 
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RuffRuff said:
Hurley will have plenty of BB material for this run, no shortage.

I will say this - this Duke team feels different, starting with Boozer. Kid had a reputation of a winner coming in and it's transcended. At the college level, he's a better player than Flagg. They are the team to beat in my book - would scathe at the idea of them winning it. Last year's team felt younger as they were lead by three freshmen. This year their second and third best player are sophomores with a year in the system.

It would be fun to get a shot, we're due as it's been awhile.
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"Duke is the new Michigan"
 
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jibsey said:
Hey, we wouldn’t turn away many of their players given the chance. Scheyer hasn’t created anything new he’s continued on K’s recruiting coattails at one of the top universities in America, in a major conference. A conference where Duke talent wise is the Globetrotters playing the Generals.
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I was hoping Duke would take a step back after Coach K retired but I have to give Scheyer credit for keeping them a recruiting juggernaut. But until they win a title, it will not mean much historically.
 
bendm said:
Duke and Michigan and Florida don’t have championship guards
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All three have strong frontcourts. It is rare for a championship team to be great at every position. Florida Xaivian Lee looked pretty good against Arkansas on Saturday. 7 players in double figures. Team finished with 111. They look scary. Of course Florida fans watching UConn beat St. Johns might have been a little scared as well.
 
Donyell 360 said:
All three have strong frontcourts. It is rare for a championship team to be great at every position. Florida Xaivian Lee looked pretty good against Arkansas on Saturday. 7 players in double figures. Team finished with 111. They look scary. Of course Florida fans watching UConn beat St. Johns might have been a little scared as well.
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We get into it with a Florida, we are not allowing a pace that is getting to triple digits. It will be, can you execute in a full shot clock on both ends?
 
I would say between Silas and Malachi we have good defensive guards. Silas has made some great clutch steals to seal games, and Malachi can be a pest. I even think Tarris can disrupt the point guard/whomever is handling.

Could be gravy for us to have great guards steal from them and put them under pressure cooker since it's one and done!
 
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bendm said:
Demary is a championship level G. Tier above Foster, Cadeau and Lee. Bradley and Burries are chip level Gs too. Houston has good Gs it’s their bigs that are the problem.
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Purdue was regarded as the best backcourt in country at the start of the season but they don't scare me as much as Duke or Michigan. Arkansas has a good young backcourt but they don't scare me either. I agree AZ's backcourt is a strength. They might be the team to beat. Then again, Michigan beat them and Duke beat Michigan.

If Demary and Ball are good enough to win a championship then they are one of many backcourts that can do so. Certainly AZ and Florida. Even if Michigan and Duke have weaker backcourts, their front court makes up for it.
 
RuffRuff said:
We get into it with a Florida, we are not allowing a pace that is getting to triple digits. It will be, can you execute in a full shot clock on both ends?
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You need to be a little more specific when you say “we”. Are you talking about Duke, Michigan or Arizona??
 
Donyell 360 said:
Purdue was regarded as the best backcourt in country at the start of the season but they don't scare me as much as Duke or Michigan. Arkansas has a good young backcourt but they don't scare me either. I agree AZ's backcourt is a strength. They might be the team to beat. Then again, Michigan beat them and Duke beat Michigan.

If Demary and Ball are good enough to win a championship then they are one of many backcourts that can do so. Certainly AZ and Florida. Even if Michigan and Duke have weaker backcourts, their front court makes up for it.
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When did Michigan beat Arizona? Two losses - Texas Tech at home and at Kansas.
 
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Donyell 360 said:
All three have strong frontcourts. It is rare for a championship team to be great at every position.
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I’m aware, but a strong backcourt is more important than a strong frontcourt in march, if any fanbase should realize that it’s UConn’s. Purdue has 2 good players they aren’t an exception to the rule they just aren’t that good.
 
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RuffRuff said:
I'm no Scheyer fan, but in his first three years, he's gotten to a F4 and an Elite 8. I would say that's pretty good, no matter what the resources and league. And now he has the top overall seed. Results do matter and I'd call those pretty good.
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I think Duke fans have been pretty disappointed with the tourney results given expectations especially last year
 
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I love seeing Duke "has" the overall No. 1 seed in present tense, as if the season is over. Why play the games?
 
superjohn said:
This is hilarious, RuffRuff is now 100% all in on Duke. We're a couple days away from him saying this is one of the greatest college basketball teams of all time.
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Until Carolina upsets them. Then the goldfish will find something new
 
Edward Sargent said:
D You may be right but I know I'd pay dearly to see Duke play Seton Hall in a 1 v 16 game - wouldn't you?
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In the Big East maybe. In the tournament, every player on SH would foul out. They’d have to forfeit the game.
 
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