CTU2fan
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You should never root for Duke, ever. Though in this case rooting against Duke means rooting for Bob Huggins...ugh.
You should never root for Duke, ever. Though in this case rooting against Duke means rooting for Bob Huggins...ugh.
I'm pretty sure whichever team wins this game will win the championship game by at least 15 points.
I'll take Butler + 15 if you're offering...
i probably won't be awake for the baylor/uconn women's game. but i hope the bears and griner kick geno's and uconn's collective asses.
Howard being available (and effective) gives Butler a chance.
"If you want to hate us because we have kids who go to school, graduate, play solid, team ball and win a lot, go ahead."
-Mike Krzyzewski
it's not northern iowa vs. cornell, but close enough for me. i am thrilled with this national championship game... two teams who do things the right way, one out of necessity, one by choice.
it's a win win for college basketball today, no matter who wins... we're either going to have a mid-major national champion, or another championship for a coach and program who refuse to sell their soul.
and that's why i'm pulling for duke here... i think butler just getting there says a lot for the mid-majors out there. and i hope stevens stays right where he is and continues to build a dominant program and not be swayed by the big money programs.
i know why duke is hated. i get it. but i love 'em. they don't sell out. if you have off the court issues... be they academic or personal... duke simply doesn't want you. if all you are is an athletic freak with no real basketball ability? duke doesn't want you. they're more interested in what you can do vs. what you could do.
i don't know if it'll really change anything in basketball... but one can only hope.
as for the actual game... i think duke wins by 10-15 points, maybe more if matt howard is out. the difference between this duke team and ones that have flamed out in the past, going back to the JJ Redick and Sheldon Williams team that lost to LSU in the final four, is how big they are. they have a ton of big players. duke's problem in past tournaments was that if the three pointer isn't falling they were done. but this team actually out rebounds most opponents, both offensively and defensively. when you have three legit scoring options in scheyer, singler and smith, senior leadership, add in all those big kids and you're a very tough out in tournament play.
By the way, this was a great post.
I cannot stand Duke, but, I will admit to greatly respecting their program. I've been a UVA fan since Ralph Sampson was a Freshman, so my antipathy for all other ACC teams is strong, but, yeah, it's hard to argue with Duke's success, and the way they've achieved it.
Oh, Duke basketball has definitely played loose/broken rules about recruiting, academic standards and such before (not to the degree that other schools do it, of course). I wouldn't hate them nearly as much as I do if they weren't constantly being held up as a bastion of academic and athletic purity in the media.
Also, Krzyzewski coaches his players to draw charging calls by any means possible, and that tilts me to no end.