Duke factoid

[Blueheart32]

Am I willing to bet against the Rory Mcilroy of college basketball? Probably,. First tell what an avatar bet is?

Duke makes it to the elite 8, I pick out an avatar that you have to use the entire next season. They don't make it to the elite 8, you pick mine.

 

[gharding07]

The Kenpom rankings for previous years are all post-tournament.

Found it.

 

[ftp000]

Duke makes it to the elite 8, I pick out an avatar that you have to use the entire next season. They don't make it to the elite 8, you pick mine.

Bet

 

[lakercat]

People are really letting their anti-Duke bias get in the way of evaluating their team this year. I get it, Duke might be the most annoying team in college basketball. But the weak conference argument is really overblown.

Gonzaga plays in a weak conference and it's never hurt them in the tournament. They have the longest consecutive sweet 16 streak and recently got to two Final Fours and a title game.

Houston was supposed to be overrated because they played in the AAC. "Wait until they get to the Big 12 and they'll learn what a real conference looks like," everyone said. Well they just won two straight conference titles.

Our 2012 title team played two ranked games in conference, both against Florida. Our 1996 title team played one ranked team in conference.

If you're banking on Duke being overrated because of their easy competition you're going to be disappointed. Everything about them is elite and they're ranked #1 in the NET, Kenpom, and Barttorik. Advanced metrics aren't everything, but when everything is in this strong of an agreement it's impossible that they're all that wrong. Duke is elite this year and probably at minimum the second best team in the country.

Duke is good. The ACC is trash. Duke is destroying bad teams. None of these are mutually exclusive

 

[Blueheart32]

Bet

Cool! Should be fun!

 

[ukcatz12]

Yeah, the stat is always pre tournament though. Just like only 2 teams outside the 20/20 club(off and def efficiency) have ever won a title in the kenpom era. That's always before the tournament starts.

The efficiency numbers definitely aren’t pre-tournament. The day the 2021 tournament started Baylor had the 44th ranked defense but at the end of the season it was ranked 22nd.

 

[Haggin_Hall_1983]

I think it has been pretty obvious that two teams are better than the rest this season: Duke and Auburn. I won’t be surprised if those two meet in the championship game like Gonzaga-Baylor in 2021, which was another year where two teams were far better than everyone else

Florida is the best and most balanced team in the country when healthy. Top defense, 2 guards that can create their own shots, make the 3, and drive the basketball. their 2 bigs are very good, especially when they play at the same time. That made Auburn look silly at times- Auburn did not match up with them. Just my opinion

 

[gharding07]

The efficiency numbers definitely aren’t pre-tournament. The day the 2021 tournament started Baylor had the 44th ranked defense but at the end of the season it was ranked 22nd.

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Yes they are.

 

[gharding07]

The efficiency numbers definitely aren’t pre-tournament. The day the 2021 tournament started Baylor had the 44th ranked defense but at the end of the season it was ranked 22nd.

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Only 2 teams have won it outside the 20/20 club.

"Dating back to 2002, all but two teams have been inside KenPom's adjusted offensive and defensive metrics top 20. The teams that win it all are not only elite but are balanced and able to win in different ways more times than not.

The two teams that didn’t are 2014 Connecticut, paced by a sensational run from Shabazz Napier, and 2021 Baylor, who had a mid-season blip that weighed down the team’s overall rating."

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

Florida is the best and most balanced team in the country when healthy. Top defense, 2 guards that can create their own shots, make the 3, and drive the basketball. their 2 bigs are very good, especially when they play at the same time. That made Auburn look silly at times- Auburn did not match up with them. Just my opinion

Possible you may be right. In terms of preference, I’d much rather see a 64-year old head coach lead Auburn to their first national title rather than a 39-year old head coach lead Florida to their third national title. I’m actively cheering for Auburn to win the title if Kentucky doesn’t. That keeps Duke from winning and also Florida.