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Biggest “what if” players in Duke history

pisgah101

pisgah101

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Dec 26, 2005
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With the coward announcement I thought this would be fun. This can include people that committed or we barely missed-

1a. Shaun Livingston- we run through everyone if he joined that team and prevent a UNC ship

1b. Patrick Patterson this one hurt our post was severely limited and he would have provided so much for this teams

2. Greg Monroe- same as PP
 
Kyrie and Zion. They both had significant injuries that may have contributed to cohesion issues in the NCAAT.
Someone, anyone, who could've guarded Caleb Love.
 
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As far as Duke missing out on recruits, I know Kobe said he would have gone to Duke, but he never signed. So the 05 team is a big "what if" with Livingston changing his mind and Deng leaving.
 
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I was bummed enough about losing in 99 but then Maggette and Avery went pro. Before that we were the school where no one left early to the NBA. Imagine that. Brand was the best player in the country in 98 and still came back.
 
Chris, I believe 99 was the year Brand was the best player in college basketball. Elton was good in 98 but was injured. He only played in 21 games and 18 starts averaged 13.4 ppg and 7.3 rebs. The 1998/1999 season he was a monster 17.7 ppg and 10 rebs leading him to consensus national player of the year.
 
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AlanInNJ said:
It's been almost 2 months, and I still haven't made any comments here about the Houston game. Still makes me sad, trying to block it out of my memory completely. :(
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The obvious is the obvious. We played a team that we could not beat down the stretch. Their experience and maturity was too much for our team. Baylor had me nervous like that. The 'Talent of Duke' got us over the hump.
 
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Seems like we had the perfect blend of youth and experience. We did get over the elite eight hump. Still, starting 3 freshman is young no matter how you slice it. You have to perform in the big moments. Yea our seniors froze too. We were fine blowing teams out, but when it got tight...we seemed to not know what to do. but as I said FF is an excellent year.
 
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jamsession2 said:
The obvious is the obvious. We played a team that we could not beat down the stretch. Their experience and maturity was too much for our team.
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This is what I rationalize over one of the most painful losses ever. Houston's "experience and maturity" could not be overcome. They were not going to lose that game. Still love that Duke team as much had they won it all.

OFC
 
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hart2chesson said:
This is what I rationalize over one of the most painful losses ever. Houston's "experience and maturity" could not be overcome. They were not going to lose that game. Still love that Duke team as much had they won it all.

OFC
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I think I can honestly say that the three most painful losses I have ever experienced as a Duke fan have come in the last 4 seasons. K's final home game, Final Four loss to the holes, and this last one to Houston. I think they've eclipsed everything else from my almost 4 decades of fandom. I'm 42, but my first actual memory of Duke playing basketball is probably the '90 title game loss, just because my mom let me stay up to watch it with her, and then I cried myself to sleep. The pain of losing when you're a kid is the worst. Or at least I thought it was until these last few Final Four losses.
 
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bleediteveryday30 said:
'99 doesn't bother me because we won in '01. '04 was way more painful. And '22 and '25 beat them all.
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99 and 25 are the worst to me bc we were so much better than everyone and simply folded. 2004 hurts bc we were screwed and that game was the championship bc the winner of that game was clearly going to win Monday night. 2002 hurt bad, absolute choke job. 2019 is tough bc of Zion. 2022 is a blur and that won hurts too but for some reason I just don’t care as much as the others above. 94 sucks big time too. Even 98 sucked bc it was another choke job down the stretch.
 
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Maybe Brand was not the best player in the country his freshman year but before he broke his foot but he was right up there. Just dominant and made us instantly elite. Still think we win in 98 if he is 100%.
 
jamsession2 said:
Mac needed leadership. He was not ready to lead that team.
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Nor should he have been. He played two seasons at Duke. The first he was the starting 4, and at best third option to JJ and Shelden. He excelled in that role. The next year we whiffed on some centers, the freshmen were not physically ready and paulus tried to be the leader. It was frustrating for a player that really was under-appreciated for who he was, a do it all combo forward. I think he gets a bad rap, but that team was trash by Duke standards and it was hardly if any on him.
 
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timo0402 said:
Nor should he have been. He played two seasons at Duke. The first he was the starting 4, and at best third option to JJ and Shelden. He excelled in that role. The next year we whiffed on some centers, the freshmen were not physically ready and paulus tried to be the leader. It was frustrating for a player that really was under-appreciated for who he was, a do it all combo forward. I think he gets a bad rap, but that team was trash by Duke standards and it was hardly if any on him.
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Agree.
 
timo0402 said:
Nor should he have been. He played two seasons at Duke. The first he was the starting 4, and at best third option to JJ and Shelden. He excelled in that role. The next year we whiffed on some centers, the freshmen were not physically ready and paulus tried to be the leader. It was frustrating for a player that really was under-appreciated for who he was, a do it all combo forward. I think he gets a bad rap, but that team was trash by Duke standards and it was hardly if any on him.
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Zou would've played more that year. Mac did not want to be a center. Possibly convince Jamal to stay would've help too.
 
I remember Paulus being the USA Today player of the year in basketball and football in high school. Pretty impressive.
 
Bill Bradley. Duke thought he was coming until September, the day freshmen were supposed to show up for orientation. Coaches were in their office, waiting for the call to pick him up at the airport. Instead the call came from Bradley's father back in Missouri telling them his son would be going to Princeton.
 
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