I was this damn close to turning this game off with Duke up 14.
Saturday Final Four Thread
- Thread starter TortElvisII
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Sampson's teams just fight like he**. That pretty much sums it up as to why they win.
But like this just illustrates things
Duke was the favorite. They earned that. Had the best season.
But it wasnt as if there was some massive gulf between Houston and Duke. or UF and Duke or Auburn and Duke.
Four really good teams. Houston just happened to close it out.
This will be painted like Duke fumbled this and to a degree they did. But I feel like your doing Houston a disservice if you just look at it that way.
That team lost four total games all year.........3 in OT and the other one by a mere 5 points.
Duke was the favorite. They earned that. Had the best season.
But it wasnt as if there was some massive gulf between Houston and Duke. or UF and Duke or Auburn and Duke.
Four really good teams. Houston just happened to close it out.
This will be painted like Duke fumbled this and to a degree they did. But I feel like your doing Houston a disservice if you just look at it that way.
That team lost four total games all year.........3 in OT and the other one by a mere 5 points.
Born on 3rd base and still couldn’t win it with Zion Williamson or Cooper Flagg, couldn’t win it with an entire TV Network behind them.
Lost every close game they had.
Duke was ready to hire Tommy Amaker and Splinter pulled the rug out from under him and they hired Sheyer at Splinter's command. It’s about time they had some bad luck after all of the good they have had.
It is me or are the birds chirping a littler louder today? Is the sun a little brighter? What a good day.
And analysts, TV shows, magazines, bandwagon fans, and dark money, referees, and Coach K’s legacy.
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I freaking fell asleep on accident when they went up 14. Kicking myself now even though I've watched the highlights 3 times it's just not the same.
Even my wife woke up and was high five-in me during the collapse.
Yeah she is pretty awesome, I wish she would watch UK more with me again but ever since 2015 she can’t take it anymore.
I can understand that. My GF watches all the games with me. When she got home from work she told me Duke lost and I didn't believe her. Came here and was stunned.
I know that entire game felt like they had it on lock and they should have. I mean up 67-61 with 33 seconds left. Ouch. They had to do everything wrong to lose that game and they did.
But they absolutely did fumble it. That game should have been over. I guess both can be true. Yes Houston was not far behind Duke.. but Duke pretty handle won that game for 39 minutes. And they choked. Not even sure that was mostly caused by the opponent. Duke didn't have much experience needing to close games out this year and when Houston hit that first 3 I think the Duke team kind of didn't know how to respond.
I think this loss is really going to haunt Duke for years to come. This was it, one of their best teams probably in 20-30 years. A pretty eaylst schedule to work with. Sure fire #1 pick and generational type player. Two more possible lottery picks.
They may get someone to stay to try and "finish the job".. but scheyer is a pretty mediocre coach so far. They won't have this type of team next year and now we know they have to out spend anyone and everyone just to compete.
I think this could have ramifications like it did for Cal/UK when we got upset in 2015.
Now multiply that scenario by 1000 and you just described Dook. LoL!!
That was my immediate thought. This was their version of 2015. Loss was absolutely brutal for them.
The weird thing is........things happen in close game. I'm not so sure I believe this notion that some teams can close out games and others cannot. Good teams tend to be good teams in close games as well and bad teams tend to be bad teams in close games as well.
I mean look at Houston. They won a bunch of close games lately but that was a team coming into the tournament that didn't win a bunch of close games in the season. In fact, they lost a good portion of them. Much like Duke. Good teams when they lose, tend to lose by little tho.
This is why margin of victory matters tho. You don't want to put yourself in this situation because things happen. Just like a one and done tournament funny things happen, things also happen when games come down to single possessions.
If you take the best college team and the worst college team.....the best team wins over 40 mins 99.99% of the time. You take those same two teams and give them both one possession with a 30 second shot clock, the best team still wins but it's wayyyyyy closer to 50/50.
That's why I was a bit surprised people were writing off Houston. Despite for a large portion of this game Duke controlling it, it was always like to be a 55/45 type game.
I mean look at Houston. They won a bunch of close games lately but that was a team coming into the tournament that didn't win a bunch of close games in the season. In fact, they lost a good portion of them. Much like Duke. Good teams when they lose, tend to lose by little tho.
This is why margin of victory matters tho. You don't want to put yourself in this situation because things happen. Just like a one and done tournament funny things happen, things also happen when games come down to single possessions.
If you take the best college team and the worst college team.....the best team wins over 40 mins 99.99% of the time. You take those same two teams and give them both one possession with a 30 second shot clock, the best team still wins but it's wayyyyyy closer to 50/50.
That's why I was a bit surprised people were writing off Houston. Despite for a large portion of this game Duke controlling it, it was always like to be a 55/45 type game.