Duke -6.5
- Thread starter Wonky
- Start date
Well, I figured Duke won this game Thursday, when Bama hit 26 threes. There was bound to be a fall off from that. I didn’t, however, think they’d go 8-31, and I didn’t foresee Sears ending his career with a 2-12, 6 point effort.
If you bet against the betting opinions of this board you'd be richer than Elon Musk. Bet the opposite and it'll hit every single damn time without fail.
It's just one of those things. Vegas is usually pretty good at setting lines. There's usually a reason for things lol.
Never seen someone on a UK board so excited about a Duke Fnal Four.
Duke is good. Bama shot like garbage.
Some have forgotten that Florida did the same thing to Bama 2 weeks ago. Worse actually. Bama had ridiculous highs and some pitiful lows.
Duke is good. Bama shot like garbage.
Some have forgotten that Florida did the same thing to Bama 2 weeks ago. Worse actually. Bama had ridiculous highs and some pitiful lows.
Agreed. I’m genuinely miserable. Duke is to me what Tennesee, Indiana and Louisville are to the rest of the board. I genuinely loathe Duke.
I think there was just a bunch of people that assumed that given what Bama had to deal with the entire season, going through the SEC that they would be more battled tested than a team that ran through the ACC against weak competition.
It's understandable
I expected Duke to win it all and picked as such. I definitely didn’t think anyone on the right side of the bracket could beat them.
I expect they will probably play Tennessee in the semis.
I expect they will probably play Tennessee in the semis.
I won't say I'm excited or happy Duke made the Final Four. But I've been a pretty vocal Duke truther all year long on this board trying to tell people they're an elite team, because to me it's objectively true, and most of the time it's been met with laughing emojis and troll accusations. I would be lying if I said I don't feel a little bit vindicated after they just ran Bama off the floor.
Lot of people around here still routinely overreact to any one game.
Tip your cap to Duke tonight. Doesn’t mean they will run through the Final Four this way. They were just pushed by Arizona 2 nights ago, and Auburn and Florida are both better than Arizona.
Houston and UT are also much sturdier than Bama, though I don’t really love the chances of either vs. Duke.
Tip your cap to Duke tonight. Doesn’t mean they will run through the Final Four this way. They were just pushed by Arizona 2 nights ago, and Auburn and Florida are both better than Arizona.
Houston and UT are also much sturdier than Bama, though I don’t really love the chances of either vs. Duke.
I mean, I don’t think it’s like college football and they’re Boise State or something. They played us, Auburn, Arizona and Kansas (when that meant something). The Auburn game made me believe and it’s just they’re that more talented.
The semis will legitimately be the four best teams in the country so we will get to see how it all plays out. Shouldn’t be any more blowouts the rest of the way.
To each their own, I guess. I still love Florida’s chances. I think they are deeper and have a better backcourt.
And now that they crawled out of the shadow of their own grave, and have a week to get Condon healthy, maybe they will recapture their late season form.
I have Florida as my champion in my bracket. The history of college basketball is littered with elite teams who didn't win the title. Some of the best of all time didn't. This current Duke team is the second highest ranked Kenpom team in the metric's history. The first highest ranked team of all time didn't win the title, and funny enough it's Duke's '99 team.
Duke is very good. “Elite” is a subjective label. Kenpom numbers are one data point, inherently flawed like all data points.
Let’s see how things play out. Glad you’re excited.
I think the 1999 Duke team was overrated too because the ACC only got three total teams in the tournament that year. 😉 Has the SEC been “murderer’s row” every time Kentucky has made the Final Four?
BBN has way too overinflated a view of that 2019 Duke team, clearly because of that regular season match up with Kentucky early on. Duke was a 30% three-point shooting team that year. That’s not gonna cut it ultimately.
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I thought the 1999 Duke team was one of the best teams I’d ever seen. Was thrilled when they went down.
I think this is Duke’s best team in a while. Unfortunately for you, Auburn and Florida are both extremely strong in the same season.
Haven’t run the numbers, but back of napkin I’d put you guys around 33% to win it all as we speak. I like you 60/40 ish in the next game, and consider the title game close to a tossup if you see Auburn or Florida. Michigan St. remaining alive improves your odds slightly, imo.
That 2019 team three sometimes four guys that were legitimate threats on offense, and like you said, struggled to shoot consistently across the board. Zero bench production. And they struggled at the free throw line, which ultimately cost them the game against Michigan State.
This years Duke team has a legit star, and then another 5 to 6 guys that can all come in and contribute on the offense one way or another. Plus they All are long tall and athletic. If both teams were performing at their peak, I think this version of Duke would walk away with a win.
It’s gonna take a team playing their A game and Duke playing a subpar game to knock this team off. They just have too many ways to adjust even when Flagg is struggling. He had a tough game against Bama, yet Duke controlled the game from Tip to Buzzer.
Boy I was wrong. Didnt expect a blowout. The Duke team reminds me of our 2012 squad if I’m being honest. Really impressive. I had Florida winning in my bracket. But if Auburn captures their mid season form I think they have the best shot of beating Duke. @ukcatz12 slow your roll or you’re losing your Kentucky card bro! I know you’re from the NE dont let that make you start acting crazy
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Lol I know my opinion about this isn't popular. I'm not happy Duke is so good this year. I just try to look at things objectively and try not to let my bias get in the way. When I was younger I would have tried to come up with every excuse in the book why any given Duke team wasn't actually good. But as I've aged I've mellowed out a bit.
It just gets a little old reading the same comments over and over again about how Duke is a product of their weak schedule and wasn't actually good. I dont know how anyone can watch them play and not see how good they are. If you removed the name Duke from their jersey and were presented with a team that's 35-3, a 1 seed, has potentially 3 lottery picks in their starting five, is in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and just absolutely ran Bama off the floor how could you possibly argue they're overrated? It's only after you'd learn it was Duke would the excuses start coming out.
I wish Schyer looked to be more of a Hubert Davis from a coach point of view, but it looks like he can flat out coach. Their defensive rotations last night were top notch and Bama struggled to get any sort of good shot off for most of the game.
I know this is a fan board, and being a fan is kind of the opposite of being objective about things, but I still try to be as objective as possible. I tried to be objective about Cal and half this board still thinks I'm a "calboi" or whatever they'd say. I've disagreed with what little Pope criticism there's been because I didn't think it was based in reality. And I'm sure if I'm still here if and when Pope wears out his welcome I'll be accused of being fan of Pope and not UK.
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Duke is really good. They were also leading Arizona by 5 with 2 minutes to go 3 nights ago. Midseason Auburn and late season Florida are both better than Arizona. Lest we forget, Florida blew Alabama out just 2 weeks ago.
Recency bias is a thing. Affects all of us to some degree. Florida has certainly been challenged in this tournament. Even gotten a little lucky. Also been dealing with an ankle injury to their best interior player.
Honestly think you could toss Auburn, Duke, and Florida in a hat and pick em. Any of the three is similarly capable of winning it all.
Personally, I like Florida’s depth and the level-headed nature of their backcourt. I’ve seen Duke struggle the few times that real game pressure has been applied late game. I’ve seen Florida thrive.
What’s the word on that ankle injury? Will he be back to pretty much 100% with another week off. Butler was the only one that showed up for us against UT, the time off helped his shoulder tremendously.
Haven’t heard on the ankle. He still played on it, although it looked at first like he might not be able to go.
Non-medical opinion of someone who has sprained ankles lots of times is that he’ll be good to go, with a little extra risk of re-injury.
Duke played a hell of a game and Bama played a really stupid game. Reminded me of our 2009 team against WV that kept shooting bricks from 3 and refusing to change course. Alabama totally negated their athleticism by refusing to attack much in transition or in the paint. Duke deserves credit for an impressive win, but I was not impressed with Oates coaching. He is usually better than that. (Seriously, what sort of Kentucky fan comes back and talks shit over a Duke win?)
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They said the same thing with us in 2015 and Wisconsin happened (and before that nearly ND happened).
Duke is the favorite but it's not as if there's some massive gap between them and the other three teams.
Any of the 4 teams can win it and nothing would be a big upset. As far as favorites betting wise it's Duke, Florida, Houston, Auburn.
said the same thing about 99 duke.......then...uconn..
Well said Aike. I said in February I'd take Florida's roster over anyone's going into the tournament. I'm hoping them or Houston can beat Duke. Auburn less so but if they do beat Florida I hope they take Duke out.
