Teams to Avoid/ Want to play

[jwill133]

With the tournament 3 weeks away from today (wow, just realized that) which teams would you want to avoid in Duke's bracket, and which teams would you want placed in Duke's bracket?? I am going off the assumption that we are going to be a 3 or 4 seed, though I think if we win our last 4 games plus the ACC tournament, than we are a 2 seed.
For matchups sake, lets assume that Amile is back and we have our full artillery of 8 guys. Feel free to give you guess on if Amile will start or not, but I'm assuming he comes off the bench for 20-25 minutes behind Brandon and Marshall.

Teams I want to avoid- MSU: Not only are they one of the best teams in the country, I think Izzo is due to finally beat us. When was the last time MSU beat us??? We beat them twice last year, and also knocked them out of the 2013 tournament. I'm guessing we have beat them 7 or 8 times in a row. If there was ever a time for Izzo to get us.............
UK: I think we could beat them, but I believe they will be scarier than what their seed indicates.
Kansas: They have 5 "usable" bigs so there depth scares me, plus they have to reach the Elite 8 eventually right??? I think this is the year Kansas finally avoids a big upset.
Wow, I just named the Champions classic field.

No other team really scares me at all. My dream bracket would include
1. Xavier: they aren't very big, and if we met them in the Elite 8, maybe the moment is too big for them.
2. Miami: REVENGE REVENGE REVENGE, plus I just think we are better.
3. Duke
4 Iowa: they are starting to slip, plus come on, they don't have top 10 talent.
5. Utah: 0% chance they beat us again. Zero.

 

[twdukefan]

With the tournament 3 weeks away from today (wow, just realized that) which teams would you want to avoid in Duke's bracket, and which teams would you want placed in Duke's bracket?? I am going off the assumption that we are going to be a 3 or 4 seed, though I think if we win our last 4 games plus the ACC tournament, than we are a 2 seed.
For matchups sake, lets assume that Amile is back and we have our full artillery of 8 guys. Feel free to give you guess on if Amile will start or not, but I'm assuming he comes off the bench for 20-25 minutes behind Brandon and Marshall.

Teams I want to avoid- MSU: Not only are they one of the best teams in the country, I think Izzo is due to finally beat us. When was the last time MSU beat us??? We beat them twice last year, and also knocked them out of the 2013 tournament. I'm guessing we have beat them 7 or 8 times in a row. If there was ever a time for Izzo to get us.............
UK: I think we could beat them, but I believe they will be scarier than what their seed indicates.
Kansas: They have 5 "usable" bigs so there depth scares me, plus they have to reach the Elite 8 eventually right??? I think this is the year Kansas finally avoids a big upset.
Wow, I just named the Champions classic field.

No other team really scares me at all. My dream bracket would include
1. Xavier: they aren't very big, and if we met them in the Elite 8, maybe the moment is too big for them.
2. Miami: REVENGE REVENGE REVENGE, plus I just think we are better.
3. Duke
4 Iowa: they are starting to slip, plus come on, they don't have top 10 talent.
5. Utah: 0% chance they beat us again. Zero.

For all the fear some Duke fans have of Izzo's teams, I think they've only beaten Duke once (2005). This would probably be their best shot to beat Duke in a while if they were to run into each other in the tourney. I'm curious to see how Duke finishes the year. With Amile, Matt, and Chase on the rise, the likelihood of getting to the ACC tourney semis increased in my mind.

 

[aah555]

For all the fear some Duke fans have of Izzo's teams, I think they've only beaten Duke once (2005). This would probably be their best shot to beat Duke in a while if they were to run into each other in the tourney. I'm curious to see how Duke finishes the year. With Amile, Matt, and Chase on the rise, the likelihood of getting to the ACC tourney semis increased in my mind.

I have respect for Izzo -- but, at this point, certainly not fear. Aside from that upset in 2005 that knocked us out of the tourney, I think Izzo's gone a combined 1-17 or 18 against Duke and UNC. At some point, it becomes a trend. With that said, there's obviously some luck / circumstances involved in that type of discrepancy. For instance, on balance, we've typically played them in years where we had the more highly regarded team and were favored by the gamblers heading into the contests -- whereas we've avoided them in relative down years. Also, though I think we've played in East Lansing once (when we had a final four team), I think they've played us a few times in Cameron and on neutral courts where we had a rooting advantage (e.g., NY and Charlotte). Accordingly, while I think we certainly could beat MSU this year, I wouldn't say past history provides me a lot of comfort. From a talent perspective, this is a far more even fight than last year -- where I was frankly stunned that MSU even made it to the final four.

 

[twdukefan]

I have respect for Izzo -- but, at this point, certainly not fear. Aside from that upset in 2005 that knocked us out of the tourney, I think Izzo's gone a combined 1-17 or 18 against Duke and UNC. At some point, it becomes a trend. With that said, there's obviously some luck / circumstances involved in that type of discrepancy. For instance, on balance, we've typically played them in years where we had the more highly regarded team and were favored by the gamblers heading into the contests -- whereas we've avoided them in relative down years. Also, though I think we've played in East Lansing once (when we had a final four team), I think they've played us a few times in Cameron and on neutral courts where we had a rooting advantage (e.g., NY and Charlotte). Accordingly, while I think we certainly could beat MSU this year, I wouldn't say past history provides me a lot of comfort. From a talent perspective, this is a far more even fight than last year -- where I was frankly stunned that MSU even made it to the final four.

Right; I just saw that over the years when some posters would hope to avoid an Izzo team in the tourney, and while he certainly gets the most out of his teams, he hasn't gotten it done against Duke for the most part.

 

[jwill133]

It surely does seem like everytime we meet MSU, it is with one of our "loaded" teams. I gotta admit, I didnt think we would beat them in the '13 NCAA tourney, thought they were too big and physical. Seth Curry and Mason Plum proved me wrong.

If Izzo is really 1-17 or 1-18 against Duke/UNC, that is astonishing. Anyone know K's worst winning percentage against a school?? Obviously, playing someone 1 time and losing should be excluded.
My best guess would be Notre Dame, due to going 1-4 against them the last 3 years.

 

[Willcampbell]

jwill:you've been a busy little boy on your first day in your "own little office." Don't forget to work a little bit here and there! Teams I want to avoid are KY and Kansas. The latter 'cause they are very good, and the former 'cause, if we were to lose, the KY trolls would be merciless, and I don't need to read that shit.
OFC

 

[skysdad]

I don't think anyone fears Duke right now. That could be a good thing if our guys use it to motivate them . OFC

 

[DukeDenver]

I actually think Miami would beat us in the tourney. They have the short guards to get by our taller guards, and they have plenty of bigs and three point shooters. I want no part of that.

Also, I really hope Duke doesn't draw my other favorite team: the Gamecocks. That is a nightmare matchup for us and one we'd not be strong favorites to win IMO.

 

[poppycat]

jwill:you've been a busy little boy on your first day in your "own little office." Don't forget to work a little bit here and there! Teams I want to avoid are KY and Kansas. The latter 'cause they are very good, and the former 'cause, if we were to lose, the KY trolls would be merciless, and I don't need to read that shit.
OFC

If both UK and DUKE get healthy, each would wish to avoid the other as long as possible.
Some folks just don't realized how Duke has progressed since AJ went down and what he really brings. A good dose of AJ and a little of Jeter (at his best) could mean a FF.
Same for UK, with injuries to Poy and recent to Willis, has brought on a new approach.
More Humphries and less Skal with all bodies healthy means a very good chance to go deep.

UK (with Poy out) took KU to overtime at Kan. Kan is not so much better despite what the polls say. I really don't see anyone strong enough to cover the loss of a starting player..

 

[Dad2ze]

If we play like we did against UNC with the heart and drive...I think we can hang with anyone and beat anyone. That's just me.

 

[LetsGoDukies]

I was going to say I want to avoid Texas but they are getting owned by Kansas at home right now.

 

[DukeRulesBasketball]

I would like to have a shot at Maryland. A rivalry renewed in the tournament and also the fact Sheed plays for them it would make a great tournament storyline.

 

[tarheelguy124]

Mind Boggling what Kansas did to texas. I don't want to play Kansas.

 

[GAAP]

Mind Boggling what Kansas did to texas. I don't want to play Kansas.

Kansas will find a way to lose. They are the Atlanta Braves (1991-2005) of college b-ball. Win their conference every year. Different story in the NCAAT.

 

[Willcampbell]

I got a feeling it's Self's year.
OFC

 

[DukeRulesBasketball]

Kansas will find a way to lose. They are the Atlanta Braves (1991-2005) of college b-ball. Win their conference every year. Different story in the NCAAT.

Wouldn't be surprised they get the one seed and lose in the second round to an 8 or 9 seed. Seems like that's how the Jayhawks roll.

 

[hpnole]

Frankly, I felt a lot better about this team before the Pitt game. I hate to sound like what we have laughed at the Tarholes for saying all these years, but , I can't wait for next year. I really don't have faith this team will go very far this year, especially if they get in the bracket that someone posted on another thread. The one with Kan. and Ky.

 

[pisgah101]

One game like the Pitt one shouldn't change your mind that much. We basically ran into a good team that needed a signature win on senior night and played the best offensive game of their season

 

[jwill133]

The Pitt loss stung, but I'm not ready to write this team off yet. As long as Amile is back, I think we can beat anyone.
With the field being so wide open this year, there isnt a single team that scares the heck out of me, but I'd still prefer to avoid Kansas and MSU's bracket, there depth and size (much like Pitt, but much better) being the only reason.

 

[dukiejay]

I don't want to play UNC. But it's not because I don't think we couldn't beat them. I just never want to play them in the NCAAT under any scenario. It's one of those things where a win would feel so good, but a loss might feel worse.

Kansas has struggled some in the tournament, but people need to look past that. This isn't those Kansas teams. It's no different than others viewing us the kind of team that will go home in round one again. The Jayhawks are loaded. Anybody that watched the exhibition they put on last night at Texas has to be impressed. They completely dominated that game from the opening tip.

 

[dbav]

My attitude toward this question has always been the same: I don't care who we play because we will always have the better coach that will generate the superior gameplan. I always like to look back at 2010 when we had 2 "matchup nightmares" in Baylor and West Virginia. We know how that went.

I say bring on anyone. We are capable of beating anyone even if it doesn't actually happen.

 

[GAAP]

Anybody that watched the exhibition they put on last night at Texas has to be impressed. They completely dominated that game from the opening tip.

Shooting 69% on threes (11-16) will make anyone look good, especially when the opponent shoots 30% from the field. KU's free throw shooting was atrocious (11-24; 46%).

Pitt dominated Duke from opening tip, too.

 

[dukiejay]

But Kansas has been playing incredibly well for the past month. It goes without saying they've been the best team in the country during that span.

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

I don't want to play UNC. But it's not because I don't think we couldn't beat them. I just never want to play them in the NCAAT under any scenario. It's one of those things where a win would feel so good, but a loss might feel worse.

This is how I feel about that scenario too. I don't want to play UNC either because it would just suck if we were to lose to them in the NCAAT.

 

[Willcampbell]

Am I correct, that somehow we have avoided UNC all these years? Seems hard to imagine, given how far both of us usually go.
OFC

 

[BlueDevils725]

My attitude toward this question has always been the same: I don't care who we play because we will always have the better coach that will generate the superior gameplan. I always like to look back at 2010 when we had 2 "matchup nightmares" in Baylor and West Virginia. We know how that went.

I say bring on anyone. We are capable of beating anyone even if it doesn't actually happen.

Ahh, I was @ the West Virginia game. A bunch of their fans were walking around to Duke fans saying "Kyle Stinkler" and "Rat face". It was hilarious watching them sell their tickets to the championship after that 20+ point blow out. The only real teams that are actually scary right now are Kansas and Virginia imo. Virginia can actually score this season, and Kansas has some big wins. I would say Oklahoma, but their play is really suspect at the moment.