Official game day thread- Duke vs Houston SWEET 16

[pisgah101]

📍 Dallas
📺 CBS
⏰ 9:39

We enter the sweet 16 as a 4.5 point underdog against the undersized but bully ball expert Houston rocke…. I mean cougars. Kenpom has this as the #2 and #5 team playing each other. Yall old timers better get some rest today, some of us young folks might need to as well cuz this will prob be a rock fight!

Do we bring it? That’s the question.. I’m anxious to seeing what Duke team shows up.. if it’s good Duke I really like our chances here

Duke-63
Houston-55

 

[hart2chesson]

📍 Dallas
📺 CBS
⏰ 9:39

We enter the sweet 16 as a 4.5 point underdog against the undersized but bully ball expert Houston rocke…. I mean cougars. Kenpom has this as the #2 and #5 team playing each other. Yall old timers better get some rest today, some of us young folks might need to as well cuz this will prob be a rock fight!

Do we bring it? That’s the question.. I’m anxious to seeing what Duke team shows up.. if it’s good Duke I really like our chances here

Duke-63
Houston-55

I will be chasing Jack with Coffee, Pisg!!! Duke wins...

OFC

 

[sheyduke]

Exactly . Which Duke team is going to show up ! I’m going with Duke by 2 in a dog fight

 

[AlanInNJ]

Yep. Which Duke team shows up? Houston is good, no doubt, they've been in the top 5 all year and have some great players. But I think we are a bad matchup for them. Flip is due to go off. We need to value the ball and not get rattled if (probably) this game turns into a schoolyard rumble. I like Duke.

Duke 72
Houston 67

 

[Mac9192]

Houston reminds me of Virginia from a few years ago, but a little better on offense. The first five minutes will tell us if the team is ready. We need to be engaged, aggressive, and stay out of foul trouble.

Ball movement is very critical.

 

[christophero]

Hard one to predict. If we go cold from 3 tough to see us advancing. I will pick us; but it is going to be a war.
Duke 68
Houston 64

 

[The_Only_Blue]

Like Mac said, we have to come out strong. Value the ball and limit turnovers. I'm assuming whoever their best defender is will be on McCain so someone else has to step up.

 

[bleudevils2015]

Gonna be a fistfight, Flip better be ready to kick on doubles and attack single coverage, and hopefully Roach, Proctor and McCain have some carryover from the JMU game.

Duke sends the Cougars to the retirement home, 69-60.

 

[christophero]

If we win today I think we can get to the final four. That would be a great accomplishment. The season would be a relative success if we lost today, maybe slightly disappointing considering the talent. Being a 4 you are going to get a tough round 3 game.

 

[Jjallen]

Not confident in making free throws down the stretch but if we Take care of the ball, we have a chance.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

It all depends on how it is called. After all this team has been through, I don't think many of us expected Duke to be here with a chance to knock off a one seed—something we haven't done as a lower seed since 1994. It will be a battle. Us against the world mentality. Duke wins in a war.

 

[bullcity gamer]

Duke NEEDS TO take the fight to Houston from the opening tip. Nothing easy for the Cougars tonight. Duke needs to value the basketball and get into the paint. Roach, Proctor, and McCain are more than capable of dissecting the houston defense and getting into the paint. Let’s Go Duke!

Houston reminds me of the Texas Tech team with Shannon Jr. and McCullar Duke eliminated in the 2022 Sweet 16.

 

[christophero]

We don't have an all NBA first teamer though. If McCain scores 20 plus I think we win.

 

[bullcity gamer]

If any of you on here reside near the Dallas Area, please buy yourself a ticket if you are able to and Go Support The Blue Devils!

 

[sheyduke]

We don't have an all NBA first teamer though. If McCain scores 20 plus I think we win.

Mitchell and Young inside will be the xfactor. Mitchell needs to bring that bull dog mentality and Young needs to spell Flip with meaningful minutes and play hard in the paint when Flip is out . Power and Stewart please just do as needed. It’s going to be a fight and all the hype is we can not handle Houston’s physicality .

 

[christophero]

Houston is also battle tested, winning the Big 12 in their first year. But we have a shot to win.

 

[Red Dragon Coog]

We're bringing a full house tonight. Hope your guys are ready to play an away game

 

[youngman42]

If we show up with defensive intensity, don’t turn it over, and make shots, I think we can win.

That said I’ve always thought this Duke team was at best a sweet 16. So I’m actually pretty happy we made it here. Good accomplishment. Especially without arguably our 6th man and most important bench player in Foster.

But Houston is so mature, deep, and physical. I struggle to see a win. I wouldn’t necessarily call them undersized. In height, yes. But their three big men they rotate are Sr. 6’7, 235; Jr 6’8, 240; & F 6’7, 230. That’s a lot of strong mass that can overpower our forwards. And 2 of their guards are short but quick and physical. Cryer and Shead. In fact, both outweigh all our guards except Blakes (who has no bball skills aside from D). They will be hard to stop. Not sure how we handle their penetration. Their 3rd guard Dunn is also older - Sr. - and much more physical than any of ours (6’5, 205).

Not real optimistic tonight. Hope it is competitive however. Win would be golden.

 

[Neue Regel]

I would be shocked if Duke does not play well. Houston is the favorite top seed (and #2 team in the Country) playing in their home State while Duke is the four seed and #13 I believe in the final AP poll to end the RS? Win or lose it’s a great opportunity for Duke to do some big time damage in this tournament as a lower seed with less expectation.

Kyle needs to be big and obviously the outside shooters need to hit like others have mentioned. Someone posted Houston’s offensive numbers the other day, including how bad they are nationally in free-throw shooting. (295th?) If some of their offensive deficiencies rear their ugly head it could be a good night for Duke. This isn’t Carolina versus Alabama like last night, this Duke team is a better team defensively than what Alabama brings to the table and has some size to battle.

 

[sheyduke]

We're bringing a full house tonight. Hope your guys are ready to play an away game

Why wouldn’t you ? Aren’t we playing in Texas ? I’d be more surprised if you didn’t .

 

[JimboSlice00]

We're bringing a full house tonight. Hope your guys are ready to play an away game

Yeah like Duke isn't everyones super bowl. Not Duke's first rodeo in playing in a hostile environment.

 

[bullcity gamer]

Our fans travel well! I am sure they will show up in Dallas!

 

[dukesince91]

Duke 74 - 67
I just don’t want it to come down to our last possession to win or go home. Who do we want to have the ball in their hands if it does? I’ll take McCain.

 

[pisgah101]

We're bringing a full house tonight. Hope your guys are ready to play an away game

Oooogyyyy booooogyyyy

 

[Jjallen]

Our fans will be out numbered due to all 3 other teams rooting against us. McCain and roach feed off that though. Just don’t need the refs feeding off the energy.

 

[christophero]

Going for a second hike. Need to burn off some nervous energy.

 

[JimboSlice00]

Early look in the stands and I see a decent amount of blue.

 

[Jjallen]

Unc lost, Braves won opener. Now I just need the guys in Duke blue to show up with confidence and take care of the basketball.

 

[sheyduke]

Going for a second hike. Need to burn off some nervous energy.

Don’t take the hike drink a shot Chris . Lol

 

[christophero]

I might have a few Coors Lites

 

[sheyduke]

I might have a few Coors Lites

lol , no beer sticking to the same thing I drink against JMU .

 

[sheyduke]

Ok boys it’s getting time for war ! Let’s go !

 

[denverexpat]

The first 5 mins are critical..need the JMU energy...Key matchup is Shead...who takes him? We will need to be strong...no repeat of the UT game pls...lets go Duke!

 

[christophero]

Slaps floor. We can do this.
Looks like 10 pm tip off.

 

[sheyduke]

Slaps floor. We can do this.
Looks like 10 pm tip off.

They want us to play late . You said it Chris ! Slap the floor and lock in . Let’s go !

 

[christophero]

If we want to show people we are tough the world is watching.

 

[sheyduke]

If we want to show people we are tough the world is watching.

Tonight is the night . Slap the floor and make JWill stand up and say let’s go Duke !

 

[Acc1950]

I think Houston comes at them hard early and tries to intimidate Duke (veterans vs young guys) but if Duke can withstand this it could be a game.

 

[christophero]

We have 3 sophs and one senior who started the Tenn. game last year. This is why they came back.

 

[Jnood]

So it’s this Duke team.