Beating Duke. So Easy The Twerps Can Do It...Twice

Beating Duke. So easy a Caveman can do it was one of the many clever signs in College Park the last time Duke played Maryland and consequently lost 72-60. Dating back to the 2004 ACC Tournament Final, Duke has now lost 5 of the last 7 against Maryland. I think it's fair to say that they have Duke's number. Gary Williams always gets them up to play at Cameron and last night was no different. The Twerps executed their game plan to perfection putting 85 on the board against an historic defensive team in the Dukies. What can I say? They are a terrible matchup for Duke. An athletic backcourt with a number of adequate, front court options. If you look at all 8 Duke losses this season, all of them have come to teams with much more athletic backcourts.

Mike Jones, who?, had 25 points last night. For most of his career, he's been hit or miss, with the latter happening much more. But, when he gets going, Maryland is virtually unstoppable and they proved it last night. This clown Vasquez, who is going to be a solid player, is easily becoming my most hated person in college basketball right now. Really, the difference in this game was experience. Maryland has a ton of Seniors and right now, they are on a mission. They will beat NC State at home this weekend and fulfill the prophecy of DJ Strawberry before the first Duke game that they would win 7 straight games.

Greg Paulus, although Vasquez presents matchup problems for him, continues to be fantastic shooting the ball. Sheyer heated up late but he didn't get enough touches at the end of the game. Gerald Henderson is beginning to show signs that he will be the go-to guy come next year. He is much too talented offensively to be scoring 5 points a game. Brian Zoubek, for the most part, played inspired basketball but it's tough for him to succeed down the stretch when he's never gotten big time late minutes before. Josh McRoberts wasn't on Planet Earth last night. There are games where his mind just isn't there and last night was one of them. I can't believe they didn't go into McRoberts in the post more. He dominated them in the loss on Feb. 11th.

Here's why I'm not really upset with the loss last night. First, Duke ran up against one of the hottest teams in the country and couple that with their own personal hatred for Duke then I don't care where they play, it will be a struggle. Second, even if Duke had won, they would've had to beat UNC and had Maryland lose at home on their Senior Day against NC State to get 5th in the ACC. The reports that Duke still had a shot at the 4th spot and a bye were completely overblown. For that to have happened, Duke would've had to sweep and BC, and only BC, would've had to lose their final two games. If UVA and VA Tech had lost their remaining games, they would've still had the tiebreaker over Duke head-to-head since they beat Duke and played them only once this season. So, really the difference between finishing 5th or 6th in the conference means nothing to me. Instead of playing Miami in the 1st Round of the ACC Tournament, they'll play Wake Forest, a game they should win. Then, instead of playing BC, they'll probably play Virginia, who I would love to have another shot against after that heartbreaking loss on Feb. 1st.

Next up for Duke is North Carolina in the Dean Dome on their Senior Day. Talk about a tough game. I love Duke and expect them to come out and fight but it would be nothing short of being a homer picking them to win. They have a shot but everything better go right. Let's do to them what they did to us last year and that's ruin Senior Night. Even if Duke goes down, all they really have to do to lock themselves into a high seed (I mean a #5 or less) is win in the 1st Round of the ACC Tournament. Two wins would be nice and reasonable.

Prediction: Duke plays hard and leaves it all on the court. Ahhh, what the hell, Duke 69 UNC 68

Ladies Night

I don't normally do this because frankly, for the most part, I don't care about Women's College Basketball but I have to give some props to the ladies. How can I not? This team loses two big-time players, including Monique Currie who went really high in the WNBA Draft, and they are picked to finish a distant 3rd in the ACC this year and what do they do? They go undefeated 29-0. One thing about the top ladies programs, which usually isn't indicative of the men is that in order for these teams to get on national television, they have to schedule each other. So, for instance, this 29-0 is not watered down sort of like St. Joseph's undefeated run until they lost to Xavier in the A-10 Tourney was in 2004. This team is 10-0 against Top 25 teams, including an astounding 4 wins over Top 5 opponents. They've beaten UNC twice, Maryland (the national champion last year) twice, Tennessee (on the road with Bruce Pearl not wearing anything but orange body paint which was like one big dry heave), and UCONN.

Even though I've only seen bits and pieces of a few games, this team looks like they have it all. They have Allison Bales, who at 6'7'' would make me nervous if I met up with her in an alley, Lindsey Harding who is probably the favorite for POY, and Abby Waner, Greg Paulus' boo, who may even be a better shooter than he is.

The problem with this team is the same problem that plagued Duke in the late 80s and early 90s: the perception that their coach, Coach G, can't win the big game. Many people forget but before Roy Williams got the royal treatment for not winning the big game, Coach K was vehemently criticized for not winning one. He had come up short in 86, 88, 89, and 90 and there were murmurs who would bail to the NBA to take the Celtics job because he couldn't handle the unfair criticism he received. Now, 3 Championships, 700 wins, and 6 more Final 4's later and all of those critics seem to be hiding. Unfortunately, for Coach G, the same perception will exist. I believe she's made it to 4 Final 4's including the title game last season where in vintage Duke fashion, they blew a huge 2nd Half lead to fall to Maryland in OT.

No matter what, they have the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. So, the age old argument appears: Would a loss be beneficial to the Blue Devils to alleviate some pressure? Some would say yes, I would say no just because even if they lose, they have been far and away the best team in the nation that even a loss wouldn't alleviate the pressure they have to win a national title. Good luck to the ladies. This will be my first and last post for the ladies unless they cut down the nets the first week in April, hopefully, at least in my fantasy world, a day after the men's team does the same.

Devils "Storm" Out To Big Lead, Never Look Back

Duke absolutely dismantled St. John's earlier today 67-50 with myself in attendance. How refreshing was it to see Duke win with such ease considering even their non-conference games against mid-majors were a little too close for comfort? The Blue Devils "stormed" out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back. They were efficient on offense and their defense, which has been tremendous all year, was even more suffocating today holding the Red Storm to 10, count them, 10 1st Half Points.

Up 34-10 at the break, I knew the game was over even if DeMarcus, Greg, and Josh all got hit my elephants on the way to the locker room. And, for anyone who knows me, they know how pessimistic I am. My girlfriend wondered why I wasn't happy when Duke was up 21 at Clemson earlier in the week. I told her "I've seen them blow leads just like this" And guess what? They almost did. But, almost doesn't count. If my grandma had wheels, she'd be a car but she doesn't have wheels. My point, after that long digression, is that I am so confident in this team right now. They have showed their grit time and time again this season and now they are playing Top 10 basketball, not Top 25. Are they better than UNC, Florida, Ohio State, Wisconsin? No, I don't think so. Those teams, even though three of them went down this weekend, seem to be more of a finished product than Duke but can't you see them getting there?

I've been saying all week that I wasn't so much upset about the 4-game losing streak but I was upset that they were losing these games despite exerting tremendous effort and playing winning basketball. Outside of the first few minutes at Maryland, they played winning basketball and hurt that they couldn't reap the benefits. Is this team winning the championship? Odds say they will not and unfortunately, I will concur with the odds but I'm telling you something now that I didn't believe earlier in the year, I wouldn't be surprised if this team made a run and when I say run, I mean straight to Atlanta for the Final 4 (given the right matchups). Now, with that said, this team could get bounced in the 1st Round as well and to be honest, this team has the look of the 1996 team that was upset by Earl Boykins and Eastern Michigan in the 1st Round. But, given the way this team competes and plays defense, this team could certainly make a run and upset one of these giants atop the nation to go to Atlanta.

As for the game, someone forgot to tell Josh that block parties are usually in the summer because he blocked 6 shots and it seemed like 12. Lamont Hamilton looked like a little girl out there against Josh and he's a big guy, I've seen him doing his homework (talking to some ladies on MySpace) in the computer lab. Even though Josh and DeMarcus were great, the MVP was Greg Paulus. He had a game high 19 points but again, he hit big shots and I will reiterate, he is their money guy.

On a sad note, you may never see Marty Pocius play again after his negligent behind the back bounce pass. If you've watched Duke basketball over the years, the one thing K will not tolerate is unnecessary fanciness. Note to Marty, you play about 5 minutes a game, save the behind the back bounce pass for the Lithuanian National Team. Also, I feel bad for Brian Zoubek. I really hope he stays with Duke after this year even if they get Patrick Patterson because despite what we've seen, I think he could be good. But, he's having a hard time adjusting to Coach K's man-to-man principles since he admittedly has played zone his whole basketball life. Hang in there Zoub, your time will come especially if Josh bolts after this year, which I still go on record as saying that it would be an immense mistake. He belongs in the college game right now, nowhere else.

Next up for Duke is Maryland on Senior Night on Wednesday. The emotion, however, won't be as high in previous Senior Nights because there are no scholarship Seniors on the team. I believe only Jordan Davidson, a walk-on, is a Senior. This will be a tough game considering Maryland could be one of the hottest teams in the country over the past few weeks, seemingly after they beat Duke. DJ Strawberry, at 3-6 in conference, guaranteed they would win the next 7 games and at 8-6 now, he has made good on that promise. If he stays away from the nose candy, that his father obviously couldn't, he could be a pro. Watching Maryland upset UNC tonight though, I realized that this guy Vasquez is the straw that stirs the drink for this team and he gave Paulus some fits in their first meeting. I expect Duke to use the crowd to their advantage and win this game. I also think the Terps may have a letdown, even though they are playing hated Duke, because the UNC win made them a lock in the NCAA's. I am so proud of this team.

Prediction: Duke 75 Maryland 71

Hugs v. Thugs Sunday

If anyone thinks this St. John's game is going to be easy this year, you need to get your head examined. Duke should and in all probability will win the game but it will be a war. The Johnnies are always ready to play Duke and they usually give Duke problems offensively since they play that playground defense. Ever since 1999, these games have been absolute duels and whoever is left standing wins. Remember, in 1999, Duke was unbeatable with their only loss coming in this 1st week of the season on a dunk at the buzzer against Cincy and they walked into MSG and it was one of the best games of the year in college basketball. It went to 2OT's with Bootsy Thorton scoring 40 points but in the end, it was too much Elton Brand. The next year, the Johnnies went into Cameron and shocked the Blue Devils 83-82 on a last second shot. In fact, that loss to St. John's in 2000 is the last non-conference loss Duke has had at home.

After two hard fought wins in 2001 and 2002 for Duke, the Blue Devils went into MSG ranked #5 in the country against a St. John's team that was reeling. This was the first Duke game I ever saw in person. God, I was excited. I was in awe watching them warm up and then to see K in person was amazing. For 38 minutes, the game went according to plan. It was a grind but Duke held a consistent double-digit lead the entire game. The lead was 71-60 when Dahntay Jones, a Jersey native, fouled out of the ballgame with two minutes left. Then, St. John's hit a 3 and my brother made the remark that he will NEVER live down for the rest of his life. This remark earned him the status as the biggest jinx in history. After the 3, St. John's pressured full court and Duke broke the press. In a crowd of red, my brother stands up and taunts the fans saying "You can't press Duke baby, you can't press Duke!!" Duke then turned the ball over and the Johnnies came down and scored. Duke then proceeded to turn the ball over 3 consecutive times due to that full court press that my brother was so adamant that Duke could break and the Johnnies tied the game up. At 71-71, Duke held the ball for what seemingly would be the last shot. With about 5 seconds left, Daniel Ewing tried to make a move with the ball and Marcus Hatten, in what was a worse molestation than anything Michael Jackson could've done, knocked Ewing on the floor, stole the ball, and rushed down the court where he missed a layup as time expired. Okay, I said to myself, let's go to overtime and win this thing until I hear "He was fouled" They called a foul on Chris Duhon for apparently breathing on Hatten and he was awarded free-throws with no time left in the game. Still, no one can explain to me how if he was fouled shooting the ball, why no time would be on the clock. Or better yet, what did Duhon do? On the replay, it shows that Duhon doesn't touch Hatten at all. Hatten sinks the first free throw, St. John's wins in improbable fashion, I feel nauseous and start screaming at St. John's fans at the top of my lungs "Enjoy the NIT, enjoy the NIT" That was indeeed a dark day.

The last two matchups have been grinds but Duke has won each one. However, Dockery got hurt in the 2005 matchup because of the blatant thuggery of St. John's. So, tomorrow it's the battle of the Hugs, the finesse team, and the Thugs, the bruiser team. Who will prevail? Hopefully, Duke. If not, you can see me on suicide watch with Britney Spears on Monday. I am a Johnnies student but my allegiance is with the Blue Devils.

YEAH!!!! Devils Top Tigers @ Littlejon

For all you rap fans, you know you love my title. Duke held on for dear life tonight to beat a desperate Clemson team that turned it on a little too late and that may have cost them an NCAA Tournament bid. Amazing, considering Clemson was the last Division I undefeated team at 17-0 but let's be honest, that had a little something to do with that Charmin soft non-conference schedule that Oliver Purnell put together. Since that red hot start, the Tigers are 2-8 and should basically start packing for Madison Square Garden now because they are headed for the NIT. That really isn't fair because you can't tell me that Clemson is not one of the best 65 teams in the country. Should they penalized for playing in the toughest conference in America? Enough Clemson.

It was a tale of two halves. The first half, although I missed about half of it due to that brutal Corporate Finance Midterm I had but that's a different story, was tremendous. Duke took advantage of Clemson's overplaying on defense and Greg Paulus has really come into his own. I'll be the first to admit, after the first G Tech game, I had come to the conclusion that Paulus was going to be mediocre at best but every since he's been aggressive shooting the ball, he's been a totally different player. In fact, I think it's fair to say that he's their money guy right now. Against Tech on Sunday, it was his big 3 that stopped the Tech run and tonight he hit a cold blooded 3 pointer when things werent going well.

The 2nd Half was certainly a struggle for Duke but I pretty much expected Clemson to come back because this was really their season on the line tonight. Even though I didn't like the turnovers off the press, I loved the fact that they didn't air out the ball at the end of the game. They stayed aggressive (i.e. Josh down the lane) and that's why they will head up the New Jersey Turnpike winners of 3 straight and have an NCAA birth in their pocket. Jon Sheyer hit two huge 3's, one out of a timeout that essentially clinched the game for Duke.

I'll tell you what, for as much as this team has struggled this year, they are 21-7 with the 3rd hardest schedule in the nation. Considering their age and absence of a true superstar, this has been a tremendous season even though it may not be living up to the "Duke tradition" I love this team, I love how hard they play, I love that they have flaws but work their asses off to make up for them. Huge road win for Duke!

Next up is a non-conference showdown with St. John's, of which I will be in attendance. Now, I do go to St. John's but don't think that I hold any type of allegiance to them. They pay my tuition that's it. Duke is where my heart is and that will never change. Although I think Duke is more talented and will win, I have a nervous feeling about a let down in addition to the altercation I had with Anthony Mason Jr. on campus where he shouted at me " Yo, Duke sucks homey" of which I responded "They beat you last year" So, basically Mason will go for 50 points and the Johnnies will pull off the upset. Hey, don't laugh. I was there with my brother in 2003 when Duke blew an 11 point lead with 2 minutes left against an inferior St. John's team led by Marcus "Man" Hatten. That was the first Duke game I ever saw live. It was the only loss. Let's keep it that way guys.

Prediction: Duke 68 SJU 50

TECH-nically In...

Of course, I am referring to Duke and the NCAA Tournament. After nailing down their 7th ACC win by stinging back the Yellow Jackets on Sunday and couple that with their strength of schedule and low RPI and Duke is just about in the tourney barring a monumental collapse that would probably mean Duke losing the rest of their games and bowing out in the 1st Round of the ACC Tournament.

Duke came out inspired and although Tech crawled back in the game in the 2nd Half, I never felt like they were going to lose, mainly because Greg Paulus answered the bell every time they made a big run. Paulus was amazing today and with good contributions from Sheyer, Nelson, and Lance Thomas defensively, Duke would not be denied. They outplayed Tech from the opening tip and that effort earned Coach K his 700th win at Duke, a feat that must be recognized.

This post will be brief because BRB is currently swamped with school work but great win for Duke, congratulations to Coach K, and hopefully they can keep this momentum going into Clemson, a game that will be a payback game for Clemson after ClockGate. This season has been a year of streaks for Duke. They started off winning their first four games before losing to Marquette. Then, they won 9 straight until they lost two in a row to open ACC play against VA Tech and Georgia Tech. Then, Duke went on a 5 game winning streak only to give it back by losing 4 in a row. Now, Duke has won two in a row and hopefully they can turn that into 3, 4, 5 etc...

Next up is Clemson on Thursday night. Even though it will be a revenge game, I see Duke winning this game. Clemson has clearly lost their confidence and after starting the season off 17-0, they are 19-7 and coming off a blowout loss to Maryland at home. If Duke can stay out of foul trouble, I see Duke locking up an NCAA bid on Thursday night.

Prediction: Duke 70 Clemson 58

Every Miss Begins With K

First off, I love Coach K. But, I've been all over message boards ever since the Virginia game and everyone and anyone with a brain realizes that taking the air out of the ball is a bad idea, ESPECIALLY with this team.

For 15 years, I've been a devout Duke fan and I have seen them implore this style over and over again and sure, it works a majority of the time but it doesn't a percentage of the time and that percentage, even if it is small, leads to the most agonizing losses I've experienced as a sports fan. Outside of the Giants blowing a 38-14 lead in a playoff game against San Francisco, all of the most brutal losses I've ever experienced have been from Duke. Whether it was blowing a 10-point lead at the end of the 1994 Title game because of pulling back on the offense or blowing an 18 point lead in the Elite 8 against Kentucky, which gift wrapped a title for the most overrated coach in history, Tubby Smith or blowing a 17 point lead in the 2002 Sweet 16 to an inferior Indiana team, which I will over and over deem as the worst Duke loss in history considering the way it happened, how good the team was and how bad Indiana was or the 2004 National Semifinal against UCONN when they blew an 8-point lead with 2 minutes left and pissed away their 4th National Title.

I hate this philosophy. It is the equivalent to a prevent defense in football and in both cases, they prevent you from winning. You can't play not to lose especially with this team. For years, Duke has gotten away with imploring this strategy because they had the Johnny Dawkins, the Grant Hills, the William Averys, the Jason Williams, the Chris Duhons of the world that could wind the clock down all the way and then use their superior dribble penetration skills to either drive to the hoop or drive and kick to an open shooter. However, this year, Greg Paulus and Jon Sheyer are not dribble penetrators. They are excellent shooters but they can't create their own shot either so when they wind the clock down they never get a good shot.

Now, next year with Nolan Smith, this strategy will work a little better but please, for the love of God, stop doing it and if you're going to do it then please, throw Josh in the post and don't keep at the top of the circle. Let's see if they abandon this philosophy come Sunday against Georgia Tech or they give me, and every other Duke fan, a heart attack. It's not the team, it's the philosophy. Every good coach adapts to his players and in order for this team to maxmize its potential, it must run its normal, half court offense for a FULL 40 MINUTES!!