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2017-18 Will Be 8th Time Duke Has Been Preseason #1 Under K; He's Won Title Once (1992)

It will be one of the few times where the talent outweighs the experience. Even with Bagley, they can't afford an injury. They have only Allen returning who is an impact player. Coach K has his work cut out for him.
 
Fine if they're preseason No. 1; that'll make their fall more enjoyable. I don't care how much talent a team has coming in but it's ridiculous to anyone No. 1 when they'll be starting four freshmen.
 
You mean to tell me that in this MILLENNIUM, Coach Rat hasn't taken a preseason number 1 past the Sweet Sixteen? That is hilarious.
 
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I don't see any way possible that their team this year will have a higher cieling than last year's. Tatum, Kennard, etc. were really good.
 
@meeksfor3 definitely possible. If it IS a legit injury, that stuff can always come back. If it was him bailing on a team, it's not like this team is any easier for him. It's even younger than last year.

@Cardsstink At the end of the season, maybe. But they had no Giles, Tatum was arguably not 100%. Allen's issues. Coach K leaving the reigns to shitty ass Capel. Next year's Duke team absolutely has the chance to have less than 8 losses and get past the opening weekend. I'd bet money on it, actually. Just don't see a ton of top-tier talent not winning games for Duke, who is going to get bailed out by the officials anyways.
 
dlh331 said:
1989 Lost in Final 4 by 17
1992 won title....barely
1999 Lost in title game by 3
2002 Lost in Sweet 16 by 1
2006 Lost in Sweet 16 by 8
2011 Lost in Sweet 16 by 16
2017 Lost in Round of 32 by 7
2018 ?????
Click to expand...
I'm sure Vitale will be pointing that out.:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
 
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dlh331 said:
1989 Lost in Final 4 by 17
1992 won title....barely
1999 Lost in title game by 3
2002 Lost in Sweet 16 by 1
2006 Lost in Sweet 16 by 8
2011 Lost in Sweet 16 by 16
2017 Lost in Round of 32 by 7
2018 ?????
Click to expand...


But this year Coach K Has Talent, he's never had any elite talent in the past. Can you imagine what a coach like he will do with Talent like Calipari has?
#majorsarcasm

:popcorn:
 
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LineSkiCat14 said:
@meeksfor3 definitely possible. If it IS a legit injury, that stuff can always come back. If it was him bailing on a team, it's not like this team is any easier for him. It's even younger than last year.

@Cardsstink At the end of the season, maybe. But they had no Giles, Tatum was arguably not 100%. Allen's issues. Coach K leaving the reigns to shitty ass Capel. Next year's Duke team absolutely has the chance to have less than 8 losses and get past the opening weekend. I'd bet money on it, actually. Just don't see a ton of top-tier talent not winning games for Duke, who is going to get bailed out by the officials anyways.
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Stop being a Duke apologist. Jesus Christ.

a) Your facts are off

and

b) THIS ISN'T A ONE YEAR THING

Just stop posting on this topic. You're in the can for those flopping Bs and it's disgusting.
 
wcc31 said:
Stop being a Duke apologist. Jesus Christ.

a) Your facts are off

and

b) THIS ISN'T A ONE YEAR THING

Just stop posting on this topic. You're in the can for those flopping Bs and it's disgusting.
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The only fact that was EVER off was Tatum's injury time table. And a one year thing? What their tournament futility? It's the most volatile sporting event there is. Very little of the past success has much to do with the future. Nova was always considered a fraud in the tournament, they then go on to win the title with one of the hardest runs in HISTORY!

Apologist? Because I'm not dumb enough to assume Allen is going to trip 8 players again and that Coach K will for sure collapse.

You seem sure Duke is destined to fail miserably again and is worse this year than last (and apparently pumping the brakes on that assumption means "I'm in the can" with them). So let's bet on it. easy, $10.

I win if Duke finishes with 6 losses or less and makes it to the Sweet 16. You win if Duke finishes with 7 or more losses and loses in the opening weekend. If those two cancel out, it's a wash.
 
LineSkiCat14 said:
@meeksfor3 definitely possible. If it IS a legit injury, that stuff can always come back. If it was him bailing on a team, it's not like this team is any easier for him. It's even younger than last year.

@Cardsstink At the end of the season, maybe. But they had no Giles, Tatum was arguably not 100%. Allen's issues. Coach K leaving the reigns to shitty ass Capel. Next year's Duke team absolutely has the chance to have less than 8 losses and get past the opening weekend. I'd bet money on it, actually. Just don't see a ton of top-tier talent not winning games for Duke, who is going to get bailed out by the officials anyways.
Click to expand...

B.S....Tatum was 100% by end of DEC.
 
gracetoyou said:
B.S....Tatum was 100% by end of DEC.
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Ehh, I'm not sure. Either way, apparently, Allen wasn't 100% at season's ends. The injuries aren't the biggest part of this, it's the rare occasion a player has head issues AND a coach has "medical issues". What do you give the chances of both those happening next year? Those were serious detriments to the team, and there's no reason to count on them happening again.

Also, Duke's recruiting class last year, in retrospect, really wasn't that good. Giles was basically a 4-star at that point, Bolden was a joke, Jackson was a bit of a bust and also discontent.. Tatum was the only player that lived to his ranking. That haul turned into a real letdown.
 
Again moron, this isn't a one year thing. They have underachieved more times than not the last 13 years.

Get off their sack and stop buying into their excuses.

Getting tired of having to come here and smack you around.
 
Then make the bet. You seem so sure this is some 10-loss, can't get out of the first weekend team.. $10.

You haven't. And why? Because you're absolute hot air at this point. You're a grouchy old man shaking your stick at posters from your front porch. You continue to just get all amped up and there's no substance.

Every year is different. Duke's only started amping up their recruiting to our level in the last few years, so your 13-year mark is nonsense. They lose some great experience in Kennard and Jefferson, but this years class, on paper, blows last year's out of the water.

I'm not assuming they make a Final4.. why are you acting like this team is going to be horrible?
 
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WITHOUT saying "Cause they did it for 13 years! I'll beat your ass you little whipper snapper!".
 
GonzoCat90 said:
He just rolls the balls out with the best talent. With Nike and WWW funneling him players it's easy to do.

A+ recruiter, average coach.
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With experienced players and strong bench, he's more then average I hate to say. But we have seen a difference since he enlisted the OAD players. Yes he did it with 3 new players and a ton of experience on the bench similar to what Cal did in 2012. But unlike Cal, losing those experienced leaders gradually and trying to incorporate the newbies have been a challenge that K will even admit. Let's see how he handles his highly talented teams this year and next.
 
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LineSkiCat14 said:
Then make the bet. You seem so sure this is some 10-loss, can't get out of the first weekend team.. $10.

You haven't. And why? Because you're absolute hot air at this point. You're a grouchy old man shaking your stick at posters from your front porch. You continue to just get all amped up and there's no substance.

Every year is different. Duke's only started amping up their recruiting to our level in the last few years, so your 13-year mark is nonsense. They lose some great experience in Kennard and Jefferson, but this years class, on paper, blows last year's out of the water.

I'm not assuming they make a Final4.. why are you acting like this team is going to be horrible?
Click to expand...

:joy: Old man. Guarantee I look younger than you.

It's bad enough we have to deal with the media constantly excusing Duke, I'm not going to deal with it from a supposed fellow UK fan.

Duke wasn't a bust because of injuries. They were a bust because Allen, Tatum and Kennard were awful defenders, which has become common with Duke teams the last decade.

I don't GAF about your silly little bet, so shut up about it and stop posting.
 
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Oh gee oh boy, I better stop posting! Gosh golly.

What are you possibly going to do, aside from continue throwing a tantrum?

Duke was a bust for a PLETHORA of issues. Lack of defense, Coach K not handling young talent, Injuries, Allen being a d-bag, medical issues for K..

USCJR was a tough matchup for them, and that team was hot. It was a team that often played like a top10 team, and they were ranked quite a few times throughout the year IIRC. Sometimes you get clipped.

If Allen/K don't have issues, are they good enough for a 1-seed? If Giles was 100%, does it make a difference?
 
LineSkiCat14 said:
Ehh, I'm not sure. Either way, apparently, Allen wasn't 100% at season's ends. The injuries aren't the biggest part of this, it's the rare occasion a player has head issues AND a coach has "medical issues". What do you give the chances of both those happening next year? Those were serious detriments to the team, and there's no reason to count on them happening again.

Also, Duke's recruiting class last year, in retrospect, really wasn't that good. Giles was basically a 4-star at that point, Bolden was a joke, Jackson was a bit of a bust and also discontent.. Tatum was the only player that lived to his ranking. That haul turned into a real letdown.
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Mentally is Allen ever going to be 100%?
 
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He didn't trip anyone the last 8-10 games... so IDK. Maybe?

Some people here think this kid is going to take an AK47 to the locker room by December.

My best guess is that K and Staff sat his ass down a few times between now and his last incident. The staff, Him, and his teammates have to know if this comes back up it could be a total disaster. You can excuse a bad season, maybe. Not a whole career.

I'd be very surprised if he continues his antics. And if he does, I'll be even more surprised if K doesn't yank him. Remember, a lot of it came during Coach K's "issue".
 
LineSkiCat14 said:
He didn't trip anyone the last 8-10 games... so IDK. Maybe?

Some people here think this kid is going to take an AK47 to the locker room by December.

My best guess is that K and Staff sat his ass down a few times between now and his last incident. The staff, Him, and his teammates have to know if this comes back up it could be a total disaster. You can excuse a bad season, maybe. Not a whole career.

I'd be very surprised if he continues his antics. And if he does, I'll be even more surprised if K doesn't yank him. Remember, a lot of it came during Coach K's "issue".
Click to expand...
He has been a tripper for the last two years, not just last year. He is what he is. A dirty little bitch. Btw the big sissy fit he threw after he tripped the player from Elon came with Coach Ratface on the bench.
 
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LineSkiCat14 said:
Oh gee oh boy, I better stop posting! Gosh golly.

What are you possibly going to do, aside from continue throwing a tantrum?

Duke was a bust for a PLETHORA of issues. Lack of defense, Coach K not handling young talent, Injuries, Allen being a d-bag, medical issues for K..

USCJR was a tough matchup for them, and that team was hot. It was a team that often played like a top10 team, and they were ranked quite a few times throughout the year IIRC. Sometimes you get clipped.

If Allen/K don't have issues, are they good enough for a 1-seed? If Giles was 100%, does it make a difference?
Click to expand...

Who GAF? Giles was never going to be 100%. They had another supposed lottery pick on the bench along with Jefferson who played really well.

:joy: Love that NOW SC was such a great squad. I certainly don't recall ONE person claiming they'd beat Duke beforehand.

Keep pissing out Duke excuses and I'll keep sending them back.

You're awful and it's been fun backhanding your ishy takes. MORE PLEASE.
 
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BlueDevilWildcat said:
Duke has underperformed in the tourney vs. their end-of-season rank, hard to argue against that.

I agree with LSK14 that last year, just about everything that could go wrong did, especially how little we got from Giles and Bolden. If this year's recruits perform close to their projected draft status, and we stay healthy, I think this year's team will go a lot farther than the first weekend.
Click to expand...

Yeah maybe they'll be the fourth Duke squad in 14 years to actually play in the Elite 8!

Don't worry even if/when you choke again, you'll have the media and fbois like LS14 making excuses for you.
 
Id put them #1 as well.

I think they have the best starting lineup in the country.
On paper at least.
 
dlh331 said:
1989 Lost in Final 4 by 17
1992 won title....barely
1999 Lost in title game by 3
2002 Lost in Sweet 16 by 1
2006 Lost in Sweet 16 by 8
2011 Lost in Sweet 16 by 16
2017 Lost in Round of 32 by 7
2018 ?????
Click to expand...

how do you consider winning by 20 points 'barely' winning?
 
Polls are like recruiting rankings, useless. (Name all the teams who were able to start and finish #1 in the 64+ era. It's a very short list).. A lot of recruiting Championships in Lexington lately (and Durham for that matter) not so much at the end of the season.
 
We've choked away at least one. Arguably 2 under Cal. Is what it is. Winning march madness is hard. The favorite rarely wins because typically there's not a ton of separation from the top 5-8 teams or so.

UNC was extremely fortunate this past season. As lucky as any champion I can remember.

I'm happy with Cal but his weakness is obvious to me. He struggles to finish. I think if he sticks around long enough he'll figure it out though and at some point he'll roll off 2 or 3 in a 6 or 7 year span. He's clearly got the recruiting chops and coaching acumen. Just has to figure out how to keep his guys, and himself loose down the stretch.
 
Montana81 said:
We've choked away at least one. Arguably 2 under Cal. Is what it is. Winning march madness is hard. The favorite rarely wins because typically there's not a ton of separation from the top 5-8 teams or so.

UNC was extremely fortunate this past season. As lucky as any champion I can remember.

I'm happy with Cal but his weakness is obvious to me. He struggles to finish. I think if he sticks around long enough he'll figure it out though and at some point he'll roll off 2 or 3 in a 6 or 7 year span. He's clearly got the recruiting chops and coaching acumen. Just has to figure out how to keep his guys, and himself loose down the stretch.
Click to expand...

I guess every coach's weakness is that they usually lose the last game. All are chokers other than Wooden.
 
Neue Regel said:
Polls are like recruiting rankings, useless. (Name all the teams who were able to start and finish #1 in the 64+ era. It's a very short list).. A lot of recruiting Championships in Lexington lately (and Durham for that matter) not so much at the end of the season.
Click to expand...

When you have to run the gauntlet we do every year, its a little tough to close out.
 
Montana81 said:
We've choked away at least one. Arguably 2 under Cal. Is what it is. Winning march madness is hard. The favorite rarely wins because typically there's not a ton of separation from the top 5-8 teams or so.

UNC was extremely fortunate this past season. As lucky as any champion I can remember.

I'm happy with Cal but his weakness is obvious to me. He struggles to finish. I think if he sticks around long enough he'll figure it out though and at some point he'll roll off 2 or 3 in a 6 or 7 year span. He's clearly got the recruiting chops and coaching acumen. Just has to figure out how to keep his guys, and himself loose down the stretch.
Click to expand...

Look at who Cal has beaten in March and then consider that three of his losses have come to the eventual champ- all tight games.

Kentucky routinely has to travel roads others don't. It's tough to beat three Top 10ish teams to get to the F4- which we almost did last year.

If you really break down WHO we have beaten compared to our contemporaries, it's a JOKE.

We have as many big March wins as the rest combined.
 
Meanwhile, Duke gets:

- Butler in the 2010 title game
- In a season with four great teams, Duke is on the opposite bracket of the other 3 in 2015, and basically gets a light scrimmage against 7-seed Michigan State.

The emotional attrition of big NCAA wins can't be calculated.
 
Aike said:
I guess every coach's weakness is that they usually lose the last game. All are chokers other than Wooden.
Click to expand...

It's not just losing the last game. He's had arguably the best team left standing late in the tournament 5 times since he's been here.

We choked against WVU bad. Probably again against Uconn in both 2011 and 2014 and absolutely against Wisconsin.

I think the 2 Uconn games are at least debateable howecer. I think they had the stronger team in 2011 and we were without an all first team defense center in 2014.

I don't fault him for losing the last game in 2016 or 2017. We had 1 legit big man on the roster last season. I think all in all he's done a hell of a job. No coach is perfect.

And no one wins them all either. Just feels like of 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015 he would/should have closed at least one of those out. We had a huge talent advantage over what was left of the field at those points in both 2010 and 2015 as well.
 
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wcc31 said:
Look at who Cal has beaten in March and then consider that three of his losses have come to the eventual champ- all tight games.

Kentucky routinely has to travel roads others don't. It's tough to beat three Top 10ish teams to get to the F4- which we almost did last year.

If you really break down WHO we have beaten compared to our contemporaries, it's a JOKE.

We have as many big March wins as the rest combined.
Click to expand...

That's fair. He's had to go against some ridiculous draws. 2014 and this past season were utterly ridiculous.
 
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