This bittersweet day had to come at some point and now we are here, coach Ks last game in Cameron. I for one will be a wreck over this. I’m 34 years old and my whole life of sports fandom has been duke basketball and coach k. All 5 titles have happened in my life, with the first coming when I was 4 and the first I remember in 2001. This Duke team has impressed me all year with being able to play at a high level with the added pressure and attention of “winning this one for the gipper”. But Saturday is going to be 1000x any other game thus far. I expect a ton of former players and people of significance to be in attendance. It’s really a historical event that I may never see in my lifetime again for any coach or sport. Going to try to drink it in without having an anxiety attack. May have to literally drink it in to make it through haha.
As for the game it’s not very complicated. We are a better team, arguably at every single position:
Offensively: do what we have been doing. Good ball movement, limit turnover, make open shots and attack the rim when it’s there. We are balanced enough that we don’t have to have 1 or 2 guys do it all, and they can’t focus on 1 or 2 guys either. We match up extremely well with them at each spot and they are overall a poor defensive team. Find the matchups and attack them
Defensively: not to sound repetitive but do what we have been doing. Send 4-5 to the boards and win the rebounding battle. One player will not beat us, so scheme accordingly and eliminate the biggest threats. Manek went off last game and we still crushed them. Like I said, we match up well so it’s all about effort and communication.
My prediction: I think it’s a tight first half but we pull away and win by double digits.
Duke 83
UNC 72
As for the game it’s not very complicated. We are a better team, arguably at every single position:
Offensively: do what we have been doing. Good ball movement, limit turnover, make open shots and attack the rim when it’s there. We are balanced enough that we don’t have to have 1 or 2 guys do it all, and they can’t focus on 1 or 2 guys either. We match up extremely well with them at each spot and they are overall a poor defensive team. Find the matchups and attack them
Defensively: not to sound repetitive but do what we have been doing. Send 4-5 to the boards and win the rebounding battle. One player will not beat us, so scheme accordingly and eliminate the biggest threats. Manek went off last game and we still crushed them. Like I said, we match up well so it’s all about effort and communication.
My prediction: I think it’s a tight first half but we pull away and win by double digits.
Duke 83
UNC 72
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