Great retrospective Duke-Butler article

[bullettoothtony]

This is well worth your time if interested. Lots of quotes from players and coaches.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...-59-journey-college-basketball-biggest-moment

 

[timo0402]

I can’t believe it’s already been ten years.

 

[bullettoothtony]

I can’t believe it’s already been ten years.

Me neither tim. Not at all.

 

[jwill133]

Haywards shot went in, right? It was straight on and at the perfect angle.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

My sphincter tightens up every time I watched that game and Hayward's shot goes up at the buzzer. I accidentally knocked two people down to the floor in the room I was watching that when it bounced off.

 

[df64]

Great article. Dont think us fans really appreciate how hard that last play was to defend. A two would have tied it and a 3 would have beat us, so we really had to defend the whole floor and each Butler player. 3.6 seconds can be a lot of time for a well coached team that doesnt panic.

 

[Mac9192]

It worked out but my heart would have been better had K asked Zoubek to try making it.

 

[OriginalJayWill]

Great article. Dont think us fans really appreciate how hard that last play was to defend. A two would have tied it and a 3 would have beat us, so we really had to defend the whole floor and each Butler player. 3.6 seconds can be a lot of time for a well coached team that doesnt panic.

Howard's screen might have been "a tad illegal".

 

[dukiejay]

That was a fun, and intense, article to read. It brought back a lot of memories and shed light on so many different facets. Excellent.

I watched the game Sunday on CBS and found myself sitting at the edge of my seat the whole time. Like the article said....no separation whatsoever. Three or four different times I found myself saying to the TV, "get a score and a stop!" But it never happened.

I'll echo what Chris Collins said in the article....even watching that shot over and over on replay over the years I expect it to go in at some point. As jubilant and excited as I was when the game finally ended, I still think it was more relief than the other emotions. Watching the game on replay is almost as intense 10 years later as it was watching live.

 

[politicsasusual21]

Our last 2 championships were outstanding basketball games.

 

[christophero]

Butler implemented the perfect game plan to beat us. But we were experienced and tough, and survived. Great title by a great team.

 

[jwill133]

Our last 2 championships were outstanding basketball games.

2 incredibly well-played intense basketball games.
Basically the exact opposite of that UNC Gonzaga title game in 2017 where 9274 fouls were called, the game had zero rhythm, and all of Gonzaga's big-men were in unnecessary foul trouble.

 

[bullcity gamer]

3 of Duke’s National Championships, including the last 2 have been earned in Indianapolis, the same city hosting the 2021 Final Four. Hopefully, Duke earns the trifecta in April 2021.

 

[HuffyJB]

That is a really great article.

I know it was discussed in the other thread, but that decision to have Zoubek miss the second free throw has been my biggest question of K since I have been watching. I had heard his explanation multiple times, but reading that article has actually made me more appreciate of the call. Hearing Butler coaches and players echo K's sentiments that Butler would have been significantly better suited to attach with a baseline out of bounds set, as well as acknowledging the tenor of the crowd, makes the decision make more sense (granted, I still would have never done that). I think it just gets more scrutiny because of how close the shot came and the kind of look Hayward actually got. With Howard's blindside crack-back block, he got quite literally the very best look you could get under those circumstances. 9 times out of 10 he is shooting that from 15+ feet further back and under more duress and it is nowhere close.

I also loved their acknowledging how important that title was to put Duke right back on top after some lean years, and how it still reverberates today.