Duke getting jobbed! Never thought I'd see this...

From some of the posts, some of you are totally surprised by Indiana's victory.

You shouldn't be, Duke is a 'donut' team.

Even the 'experts' admitted that a team with solid inside play and solid ball-handling could give Duke all it wanted, and that's what happened.

And as far as the officiating goes, Duke was up at one point by 17 in the second half. Duke had their chances, but couldn't close out the deal. At least Coach K is sensible enough to know that.

 

Hating Duke is kinda harsh. Being glad they're out of the tournament is just fine, though (as I am, although I had the team losing in the Final 4 to Oklahoma).

I think the reason I'm glad to see the Blue Devils go is because of things like, well, if anyone saw Mike Davis' post-game comments, he mentioned overhearing Blue Devil players asking each other, "When do we play Saturday?" Well, guess what, dumbass: you don't.

I suppose I can understand the team's arrogance but I would prefer a more professional, adult attitude, and I don't mind someone popping that oversized Duke ego.

As someone pointed out, though, Coach K has class. Maybe he's reached that serenity of nirvana; he certainly knows he can come back next year and/or the year after that....

 

OK, looking back, I was a little harsh with my comments about Vitale, even though he did sound like he was about to cry, and probably was.

ROXTXIA, hate here is a relative term. Do I really hate Duke, as a basketball team? Yes. But do I hate Dunleavy, Boozer, or Williams? No. I think they're individually overrated, but I have nothing personal against them. Same with all the players I "hate" in the NBA. It's just the nature of the sport, you have teams you love, teams you hate. But it's not the hate I have reserved for Hitler, bin Laden, or giddyup.

<------------------------ giddyup, if I could make that wink any bigger, I would.

 

What a group I'm in!

 

If its true, I wonder if that dufus Todd Christensen is responsible for that comment. He was more upset than anybody when they lost. Wasn't he supposed to be some deeply religious kid who missed a couple of seasons on a mission. I wonder how many expletives he shouted at the officials at the end of the game.

 

Man, what was up with that? If only all scrubs could be as passionate.

 

Two other factors in the game that I don't think I've seen mentioned yet.

1. The Crowd! WOW! They really energized the Hoosiers when they made that run. It was almost like the Dukies were playing Maryland in Cole Field House! Something just doesn't seem right about the higher seeds never having the advantage of the crowd. The only real solution would be to let the higher seed play at home, but that would be way to drastic, especially since the seedings are pretty iffy already. I think that's part (however small) of the reason there are so many upsets. The crowds really get behind the underdogs and give them confidence. Hell, I'd be cheering for the underdog too 9 out of 10 times if I was there, but I still think something doesn't seem right about it. The only semi-solution I could come up with is only let the fans buy tickets to one game. Then rather than having four sets of fans at a game with 75% of them going for the underdog, you'll only have two sets of fans with hopefully closer to 50% rooting for each side. I just think in college sports the crowds definitely have more of an impact on the game than they do in the pros, and to put a team at a disadvantage like that, who in all likelihood had a better season than the team they were playing, seems a little bit skewed .

2. After the great game Daniel Ewing played against Notre Dame, he was making freshmam mistake after mistake all game long against Indiana. Allowing his man to get free all the time. The Dukies lack of a deep bench really showed. Indiana on the other hand had that kid who really stepped up off the bench, and in my opinion was the most valuable player of the game. Coach K usually only has his 5 starters, and one or two guys he knows will fill their spots in the future. The rest seem like they sit the bench the entire four years. I think it would help Duke greatly if they could become a little bit deeper. And lordamercy, they need to start recruiting some big men! I hear there incoming class next season is unbelievable.

 

I didn't see anyone mention this, but Mike Davis said he talked to a Maryland asst coach who designed their gameplan for them!!!

Indiana coach Mike Davis -- who with the win perhaps moves out of the shadow of Bob Knight -- called Maryland assistant Dave Dickerson this week because the Terps, playing today in the East Regional, beat Duke 87-73 this season.

"This was Dave Dickerson's game plan, not mine," Davis said.


Good call by Mike Davis to get advice from people who had already beat them! Duke and Maryland's rivalry just grew a little bit as well.

 

Actually, I know that this is a "relative hate." I shouldn't have sounded lecturing, I use the term "hate" for the Jazz, and I don't really...hate...them....I....wait a minute, I do hate the Jazz, that's a bad example. But I think we're on the same page.

Now you can slam Dickie V. all day and all night. Hell, I'll fly out to where you live and buy the brews and we can shoot the s*** about how much that guy pisses me off.

Do I hate Dickie V.? Well, here we are with relative hate again. What is it with this guy? Does he play well on the East Coast with the basketball fans and community there? Did he save the life of an ESPN executive when they were in some war together? Because here in the Midwest, he goes over like a turd in a punchbowl.

Enthusiasm is one thing, histrionic hollering is another.

 

Unfortunately, I think it will be made of of similar perimeter-oriented players and they will likely be taking the court without Boozer.

Here's an idea for a Shipley's/Dunkin' Donuts/Krispy Kreme promotion idea: an over-sized cake donut called "The Duke."

 

Man, I always liked Vitale. Yes, he's obviously a HUGE Duke fan, but I think he also gives a lot of the lesser known players a lot of exposure as well. I think there would be a lot more players who go through college as complete unknowns if it wasn't for all the name-dropping that Vitale does. And he definitely exagerrates (I think there's probably one player on every team that he calls one of the best players in college basketball), but I think it really drives home the point. I mean College basketball is so huge, with so many teams, so many players, without DickieV, I probably wouldn't know half as much as what's going on in the college basketball world. He's like the ultimate college basketball source. And since he managed to coach a small school to success many years ago, he has appreciation for both the large AND the small schools.

But if you don't like him because of how annoying he can be, I'm not going to argue with that. I can't only take so much of him at one time myself.

 

Well, I think they're recruiting five of the top 25 high schoolers...three of the top 10. One of them is 6-9, two are 6-10, and the other two are guards. So it looks like they're getting some height at least. The 6-9 guy looks like Mike Dunleavy Part II(http://nbadraft.net/profiles/shavlikrandolph.htm). One magazine had him ranked as the top high-schooler going to college. In any event, it doesn't look like Duke will have to do much recruiting for at least the next three years.

PG: Sean Dockery 6-2
SG: J.J. Redick 6-4
SF: Shavlik Randolph 6-9/210
PF: Shelden Willaims 6-10/230
C: Michael Thompson 6-10/250

Throw Ewing and Dunleavy and Duhon into that mix, and its looks like Duke will probably be among the best again next season.

 

Poor, poor Dukie V, his precious Blue Devils go BYE BYE! HAHAHA! Seeing Duke go down in flames made my night. Why do I dislike Duke? Why did people dislike Chicago? Or dislike the Lakers? Because they were the media darlings even when others were winning titles. Houston wins the title, people are talking about Jordan. The Spurs win the title, people talk about the Lakers. UConn wins the title it's all about Duke. Michigan State wins the title, it's all about Duke. Duke this, Duke that, and all you hear is Duke Vitale kissing their @ss. I actually started like Dick Vitale, but my annoyance of him started 2 years ago when he lost all reason and road the Duke/ACC bandwagon. Call me shallow, but I'm happy as you-know-what that Duke is OUT of the NCAAs! BOOOYAAAHHHH!!!

 

And thank you Indiana for all you have done for college basketball last night! Seeing Vitale nearly cry made my heart skip a beat.

 

Off-topic, but here's my $0.02 on Dick Vitale's love affair with Duke.

He's said several times that the reason why he's such a big Duke guy is because Duke 'does it the right way.' And, like it or not, he's right.

Coach K is a class-act who, in all honesty, gets the most out of solid student-athletes; he's a nicer, milder Bobby Knight. Duke kids, with the exception of a few, are traditionally good but not necessarily great individual talents. Coach K is one of the all-time best at getting his kids to maximize their abilities and play the team game. And his kids are good students, and class-acts on and off the floor (though Battier can be a little annoying sometimes....just kidding ).

Vitale doesn't have to be so flippin' annoying about Duke, but he's right, it's hard not to at least admire what Duke and Coach K have done.

 

You reallly hate Dick Vitale, not Duke. It's the same as the gun argument. People kill people, guns don't kill people.

I can understand the hostility but the sad part is that Duke is so deserving of everyone's respect at the very least. They do things the right way WITH NO HINT OF SCANDAL.

In a 20 year career, it probably took Coach K 5 years to get the program competing at a high level and he has pretty much kept them there. That is very difficult to do.

He has the same number of scholarships as everyone else. He can't buy players like the Lakers have done.

Coach K is classy. I can hardly believe that he ever toiled under Bobby Knightmare. You could see that he was pissed walking off the court last night but he was completely generous about not taking away from Indiana's victory by criticizing the officiating or blaming Williams for missing the free throw.

Most of this dislike is just envy eating you up. You have my sympathy! Come on over to our side...

 

Yeah, Vitale really seems like he's about to cry. DickieV may deservingly lay more praises on Duke than other teams, but he praises EVERYONE!!! I rarely ever hear anything but positive comments from that guy. I think some of y'all are just delusional...or you're just blinded by your hatred for Duke.

http://espn.go.com/dickvitale/vcolumn020321sweet16recaps-south.html

Hoosiers stun Duke, advance to Elite Eight
By Dick Vitale
SPECIAL TO ESPN.COM


V-RECAPS: Sweet 16 | March 21
ESPN.com's NCAA Tournament coverage

SOUTH REGION
(5) Indiana 74, (1) Duke 73: Who would have believed it? The Dukies are out!

Indiana is heading to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993.
That's right, defending national champ Duke is gone, sent packing by coach Mike Davis and his fighting Hoosiers. Indiana spotted Duke to a 17-point lead but battled back behind super soph Jared Jeffries, who was sensational.

Jeffries' versatility was incredible -- he scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds (nine on the offensive glass). Indiana's Jarrad Odle was also tough inside, scoring 15 points (7-of-9 from the field).

Duke, the No. 1 seed in the South Region and No. 1 in the polls, had a problem all season on the interior. It showed in this game, as Indiana dominated the boards, with a 47-32 rebounding edge. When you rebound like that, baby, you've got a great chance to win.

What a courageous defensive effort by the Hoosiers. After they got down by 17, their D was absolutely superb. And in the second half, they took advantage of Jeffries' versatility. A.J. Moye (14 points) was also brilliant off the bench.

Indiana is heading to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993, when the Hoosiers lost to Kansas just shy of the Final Four. Davis had his kids ready to play against Duke -- his emotion was pouring out, and he would not let them quit.

Isn't it ironic that Jason Williams, Duke's consensus All-American and player of the year -- who has struggled all season from the free-throw line -- would miss the free throw at the end that could have sent the game to overtime? Give Williams credit for hitting a tough 3-pointer, but his bid for a rare four-point play to tie the game with 4.2 seconds left bounced off the back rim.

Williams and his fellow All-American, Mike Dunleavy, struggled shooting the rock (a combined 11-of-35 from the field). Duke finished with a 2-3 record in games decided by three points or less, and this game demonstrated again that one of their serious liabilities was free-throw shooting (10-of-19 at the stripe).

Congratulations to Indiana and Mike Davis -- they can almost see Atlanta, baby, from Bloomington, Ind. Hats off to Davis and his gutsy Hoosiers!

 

I trully don't hate Duke. But along with the Jazz, old Sonics, 49ers, Skins, and especially the Yankees, I stronly dislike those teams--usually for no good reason other than they are rivals of the teams I do like. Doesn't mean I don't respect K, or acknowledge the phenom games of some players like Battier, Williams or Grant Hill though.

I don't buy some of the other arguments. 1) Duke shouldn't be rassed because their "only" college kids. Come on, has anyone ever been to an intense high school rivalry game in football or basketball? It comes with the territory and these kids choose to compete at this level. 2) Duke should be liked because they don't ignore academics. Give me a break. I don't see Stanford, even better academically with a better overall sports program and nearly as good basketball program over the last 6 years getting 1/10 the exposure. Duke simply is trendy, like the Yankees, Cowboys (which I like), Lakers, or Bulls. And unless you personally know the players or families for some of these making character or other judges makes little sense IMO. If you are a UT or AM or Coog fan do you not rass Rice teams? Heck no, you like the sports teams you like, you don't like who you don't like, and most of it has nothing to do with anything we trully know about the persons who play for those teams.

So again, good riddence Dukies!!!!

 

Oh, I didn't watch the game until later where I watched the tape over and over and in slow mo (at least the first few minutes and last few minutes).

Duke did not get jobbed. Duhan's slap was clean but his off hand was on the Indiana player. Also the JW foul was questionable, he leaned in to draw contact and 90% of the time in that situation the refs don't call it. Finally Boozer moved in the lane milliseconds before it left JW's hand (technically a lane violation) and he pushed Jeffries. It would have been a crime had they colled the foul on Jeffires on the follow up after those events (yes Jeffries fouled his face, but that was after Boozer moved into the lane before the ball left JWs hand and after he pushed Jeffries to get position.

I certainly won't say Duke benifited from the calls--nothing was remotely as blantant as the Kent State game (lucky they overcame it), but K is right the game was won and lost by the players.

 

1 more Duke rant. Another reason we don't like them is there players are overrated and much of the hype isn't deserved.

Mike Dunleavy making a 1st team all-america on one list, what a complete joke.

Saying Dunleavy is a better college basketball (a different issue than pro potential) player than Butler, Sam Clancy, Frederick Jones, Dan Dickou, Casey Jaconsen, Aaron McGhee, Lonny Baxter, Jared Jeffries, T. Prince, or Kareem Rush is a joke. You take any of those players off their team and replace them with Dunleavy and those teams are worse college basketall teams. All-america should be determined from what you do on the court--not potential, not media attention.

I could by Dunleavy's being 3rd team all-american, he is a very good all-around college player. But he was just as much of a joke of a 1st team AA as the overrated Carolina guard of last year (see Duke isn't the only school that at times have been media darlings).

Just another example for the ill-will towards Duke.