Nobody expected this kind of a blowout today. There is no doubt that Pitino studied game video from Maryland’s ACC victory over the Devils. Duke seemed slow that day as Dez Wells ran through Duke, much as Louisville’s guards (Silva and Smith) did today. Furthermore, with the press Turgeon made every Duke player a decision maker as Pitino did today. Coach K admitted after the game that by Curry breaking the press, he was taken out of his game the first half.
So why do I say this might be the last hurrah for Duke. Louisville and Syracuse are coming into the league next year. Duke will never dominate as it has the past 2 decades. Football —-the ACC will continue to be far less then mediocre but for the time being, the cream of the big East will elevate ACC Basketball.
The 4 games of the great eight were all pathetic blowouts save a belated OSU comeback. The horrific injury to Kevin Ware was one of the worst injuries ever on live sports TV. Here are my predictions for this weekend:
Syracuse 59 Michigan 56——-The zone will do Michigan in. Sorry Karl.
Louisville 79 Wichita 65——-Different leagues
And in the Big East errrrrr NCAA Final Louisville 59 Cuse 53
By the way the only ACC team still in action is Maryland.
Mricklen
Bruce, the only way you can not win the brackets, is if Michigan runs he table and Dino sneaks in to the winners circle.
Well done!
· 11/12/2019
Mricklen
Oooops posted before reading your post below…
· 11/12/2019
brian2580
Think it might be a bit premature and wishful thinking to argue that this is Coach K’s last hurrah. In my opinion this Duke team overachieved much of the year. They weren’t very deep and were almost solely reliant on the 3 pointer which doesn’t cut it when you play against good defenses. By going after the “1 and dones” in Kyrie Erving and Austin Rivers, it hurt the team’s depth and went against what has made Duke so successful over the last 20 years. I have a sinking feeling that Brad Stevens is just waiting until the Duke job opens up and will come in a pick right up where Coach K left off when he does eventually retire.
I’m interested to see how Syracuse will fare in the ACC. ACC officiating is significantly different from the Big East and from tourney officiating. Syracuse is used to being able to play physical which won’t fly in the ACC. Also, doesn’t Louisville not join the league until the 2014 – 2015 season?
· 11/12/2019