Big Duke Question....

[KDSTONE]

"Very good points. I think something that often gets overlooked with the earlier teams is the sheer #of very skilled, very athletic, very experienced teams throughout the ACC and NCAA. If 86 struggled to score attimes, they were struggling to score against very good, very, mature, and very experienced teams."

True. The eras are entirely different; back then there were more good, deep teams with tons of experience. Those GT teams with Price, Salley, Dalrymple were outstanding and didnt even make a FF would be just one example.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Has anyone noticed the sheer amount of Duke losses being added to the YouTube NCAA March Madness channel? Wtf? I want to see the damn Duke/USC '01 Elite Eight game. Where is the '15 Elite Eight game against Gonzaga? I know, I am bias. Or what about more of the 80's and 90's obscure tourney wins?

 

[christophero]

Thats because everyone else on planet Earth likes watching Duke lose ha.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Thats because everyone else on planet Earth likes watching Duke lose ha.

Fair point, haha I guess with very little free time to decompress I keep hoping to come across some gems being added from the past. Eh, it's yet to happen. The last two added were the Duke losses to Arkansas '94 and the '98 meltdown to Kentucky. Both games I have yet to get over, haha Just painful reminders of what could've been, haha

 

[christophero]

The Duke UCLA sweet 16 game is a fun one. From 01. Its on Youtube.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

I loved that game. Jason Williams took over. I remember both teams started so slow too. But, he had a stretch where he scored like 18 or 19 straight points on his own. I couldn't find it when I looked the other day.

 

[RanDEVILman]

I watched the UCLA and USC game, followed by the Maryland and Zona games in the FF. They were all on YOuTUbe not that long ago.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

I watched the UCLA and USC game, followed by the Maryland and Zona games in the FF. They were all on YOuTUbe not that long ago.

Only the Maryland and Arizona games now.

 

[christophero]

I watched the Arizona game Saturday. Loren Woods kind of had his way in the first half. Even Shane couldn't stop him. If Dunleavy doesn't get hot that game could have gone another way. Williams was in foul trouble and Duhon was gimpy. But we stepped up when we had to. We got lucky on a no call in the first half when Williams ran into their guard. Would have been his third foul.

 

[HuffyJB]

I watched the Arizona game Saturday. Loren Woods kind of had his way in the first half. Even Shane couldn't stop him. If Dunleavy doesn't get hot that game could have gone another way. Williams was in foul trouble and Duhon was gimpy. But we stepped up when we had to. We got lucky on a no call in the first half when Williams ran into their guard. Would have been his third foul.

I remember the Duhon collision with Steve Blake in the semis. He looked so bad leaving the floor, like he could barely move. Then like 10 minutes later he is back in the game.

 

[timo0402]

I remember the Duhon collision with Steve Blake in the semis. He looked so bad leaving the floor, like he could barely move. Then like 10 minutes later he is back in the game.

I rewatched that game two weeks ago, the clicked each other and Chris’s head bounced right off the deck. Would have never came back in 2020.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Had to listen to that Duke/Maryland game on the radio. Didn't see the collision until Sportscenter that night. Felt there was no way he was coming back in listening to Harris call the game. You're right timo, most guys wouldn't come back into the game these days.

 

[christophero]

That 2001 team is my favorite. Should have repeated.

 

[timo0402]

That 2001 team is my favorite. Should have repeated.

Yea they should have. That Indiana game collapse is up there for me as one I’ll never get over.

 

[christophero]

Sanders played good in the final four. He blocked and rebounded. Boozer still wasn't 100 percent.

 

[dukiejay]

I went out to eat with my girlfriend (now wife) and parents the night of the Indiana game. It was the first time she met them. To this day I can’t figure out why that dinner wasn’t canceled.

Wasn’t it like 29-12 about midway through the first half? We had no excuse for collapsing against that Indiana team. Duke was a lot better. What a depressing evening.

(My parents do like my wife and vice-versa, btw.)

 

[df64]

Remember William's getting a steal and flying in for a fast break layup that he missed when up by like 17. Would have/could have been one of those nail in the coffin, demoralizing plays if he made it. Clearly remember getting one of those jinx feelings, thinking, boy, hope that doesn't come back to haunt us.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Remember William's getting a steal and flying in for a fast break layup that he missed when up by like 17. Would have/could have been one of those nail in the coffin, demoralizing plays if he made it. Clearly remember getting one of those jinx feelings, thinking, boy, hope that doesn't come back to haunt us.

Remember that play like it was yesterday. That really is one of the worst meltdowns we've seen from a Duke team.

 

[christophero]

the 98 Kentucky game was pretty bad.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

the 98 Kentucky game was pretty bad.

Yeah, that one too. Worst tourney losses of all time, there are a few of them. My top ten would consist of the following: First I do want to mention the '07, '12, '14 first round losses, those got me bad. Just didn't want to include those in the overall worst top ten. Mainly because none of those teams were winning a title. The '17 loss to South Carolina was horrible, but again, that team wasn't winning a championship. '93 is a what if because Grant wasn't fully healthy going into the tourney that year if I am remembering correctly. So, I do wonder if he and Bobby could've carried us to another final four appearance had he been. '06 is another tough one because I think about it being JJ and Sheldon's last game. Losing to big baby Davis and LSU was a tough one to swallow. These are the ten that gutted me the most though: 10. '19 Elite Eight (Zion losing one shy of a final four trip and watching Tre break down is as close to tears I have come to as an adult after a loss), 9. '90 Championship (first title game I remember watching. I was so excited to be staying up late to watch the game with my family....ugh), 8. '11 Sweet Sixteen (Kyle and Nolan deserved to go out on top or with a damn fight. Arizona got everything they wanted that second half. Still not sure if we should've brought back Irving), 7. '94 Championship (Thurman's 3, nuff said), 6. '13 Elite Eight (Ware's leg, nuff said), 5. '98 Elite Eight (We were having a family cookout that day. Let's just say, I was told to stay in my room after the game), 4. '02 Sweet Sixteen (This one brought me close to tears. Couldn't believe that team lost to Indiana. Still believe we get to the championship and beat Maryland that year), 3. '18 Elite Eight (G's shot rolling out killed me and then IT WAS A CHARGE.), 2. '99 Championship (Langdon tripping is my first memory every time I think of that team, the season, and the game.) , and 1. '04 Final Four (I've never gotten more pissed watching a basketball game than this one. Okafor should've fouled out 4 or 5 times in that one. Can't bring myself to watch it again).

 

[christophero]

The worst part of the Indiana loss in 2002 is I didn't even see it. For some insane reason CBS had switched to another game. I just had to watch the score at the top of the screen. When the game ended CBS just showed the last play. I was living in Colorado. Ugh.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

That would've been horrible. Already bad enough because you feel helpless in those scenarios because there's nothing you can do as a fan to help the team. I've coached rec league play and watching a team blow a big lead late from the sidelines is no better either. You can't suit up and play it for them.

 

[jwill133]

98, 99, 02, and 04. All 4 of those losses are some of the worst ever. It's insane how dominant Duke basketball was from 1998-2006 (and yes i agree with people who believe the 06 team was slightly overrated).

We got 1 title out of it, could have had 4. Definitely SHOULD have gotten 2 or 3 titles out of that stretch.