We don't have a true "go to" guy

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

NOLAN SMITH...NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR!!!

WINNING.....DUH!!!!!!!!

[robertduke32]

The drug that is Nolan Smith...you can't be Nolan, cause your body would explode....WINNING!!

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

Well, Duke certainly doesnt have an inside game! Plumless are consistently..... inconsistent. DAMN! No inside game......Thanks boys.... You sent Nolan and Kyle home, without returning to the Final 4

NOW, Mason can go to Jasmines games, and watch her win. Thats right, the Girls are in the Uconn bracket. At least mason's Girl..... knows how to win and be consistent.

[wilson]

Well, Duke certainly doesnt have an inside game! Plumless are consistently..... inconsistent. DAMN! No inside game......Thanks boys.... You sent Nolan and Kyle home, without returning to the Final 4

NOW, Mason can go to Jasmines games, and watch her win. Thats right, the Girls are in the Uconn bracket. At least mason's Girl..... knows how to win and be consistent.

This is pretty unfair. Mason and Miles "sent Kyle and Nolan home"? It didn't have anything to do with the fact that Nolan had his worst game of the season vs. Arizona? It didn't have anything to do with the fact that Arizona played absolutely out of their minds?
I enjoyed watching the Plumlees improve this season, especially during conference play, and I expect big(ger) things from them next year.
I don't think your assessment holds much water, and I think you need to reconsider what it means to be a fan of a team that, year in and year out, fields a bunch of kids who play their hearts out.

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

I feel for Nolan and Kyle and their families to have their dreams and goals abruptly ending the way it did. Two of the finest young men that have ever worn a Duke jersey. I will miss them so much.

[wilson]

OK, several things.
1. Just because you go to all of the games doesn't mean your basketball knowledge is through the roof. I've watched every Duke game for the past 25 years, and it means no more than your ability to attend a lot of games every season. However, I do believe that my insights on the game have merit, and that opinions are all valid, provided that they are expressed effectively and constructively (that last word is one you may want to give a bit more attention).
2. Never did I claim to "know it all"; rather, I simply pointed out that I don't think your assessment of the Plumlees' play holds much water [emphasis added for apparently needed clarity]. Are the Plumlees the most gifted post players ever? Of course not. But to claim that they didn't improve this year, didn't play hard this year, and didn't give us lots of moments of very good basketball this year, quite frankly is ridiculous. Furthermore, it is beyond ridiculous to claim that Duke's loss on Friday night was directly or solely attributable to those two players. I 100% guarantee that Coach K would just about run you out of the room if you made such a statement in his presence.
3. I assure you that I have watched the same games you have. I have even had my moments of frustration. However, unlike you, I have managed to retain some perspective about it all and remember that, as I stated before, these are kids. They are still developing as players and as men, and for you to belittle their efforts and spew such bilious assessments of a wonderful season and two wonderful careers punctuated by disappointment at the end is remarkably immature. Moreover, it is directly at odds with the spirit we aim to maintain in this forum.
4. I don't doubt that your circle of family and friends agrees with you. I am not casting aspersions on your right to feel frustrated with moments of inconsistency, or even of flat-out bad play. However, I cannot respect your choice to single out a couple of players and claim that they are "at fault" for the way in which our season ended. If you and your family and friends operate this way, then I will say again, more directly, about both you and them: you're not being very good fans.

One more time, I will remind you that these are kids. Not only that, they are our kids. They will make mistakes, they will frustrate and sometimes disappoint us, and almost every season, their journey will end somewhere short of where we'd all like for it to take us. However, if you watch Duke basketball as closely and love it as much as you claim to, then you should be well aware that the ethos of our program is about a lot more than the final score of any season's final game. It's about watching every player "run his own race," rejoicing with them in the victories along the way, and encouraging them in the failures, while always supporting them as basically the most public face of the university we all deeply love. If you'd rather spend your time criticizing players when their efforts fall short of whatever it was that you wanted (and by the way, I assure you that our disappointment as fans pales in comparison to their disappointment as teammates and Duke Blue Devils), and then responding with unnecessary vitriol when fellow fans remind you that perhaps you should be a bit more patient and supportive, then perhaps you should try a lighter shade of blue.

[ArkieDukie]

OK, several things.
1. Just because you go to all of the games doesn't mean your basketball knowledge is through the roof. I've watched every Duke game for the past 25 years, and it means no more than your ability to attend a lot of games every season. However, I do believe that my insights on the game have merit, and that opinions are all valid, provided that they are expressed effectively and constructively (that last word is one you may want to give a bit more attention).
2. Never did I claim to "know it all"; rather, I simply pointed out that I don't think your assessment of the Plumlees' play holds much water [emphasis added for apparently needed clarity]. Are the Plumlees the most gifted post players ever? Of course not. But to claim that they didn't improve this year, didn't play hard this year, and didn't give us lots of moments of very good basketball this year, quite frankly is ridiculous. Furthermore, it is beyond ridiculous to claim that Duke's loss on Friday night was directly or solely attributable to those two players. I 100% guarantee that Coach K would just about run you out of the room if you made such a statement in his presence.
3. I assure you that I have watched the same games you have. I have even had my moments of frustration. However, unlike you, I have managed to retain some perspective about it all and remember that, as I stated before, these are kids. They are still developing as players and as men, and for you to belittle their efforts and spew such bilious assessments of a wonderful season and two wonderful careers punctuated by disappointment at the end is remarkably immature. Moreover, it is directly at odds with the spirit we aim to maintain in this forum.
4. I don't doubt that your circle of family and friends agrees with you. I am not casting aspersions on your right to feel frustrated with moments of inconsistency, or even of flat-out bad play. However, I cannot respect your choice to single out a couple of players and claim that they are "at fault" for the way in which our season ended. If you and your family and friends operate this way, then I will say again, more directly, about both you and them: you're not being very good fans.

One more time, I will remind you that these are kids. Not only that, they are our kids. They will make mistakes, they will frustrate and sometimes disappoint us, and almost every season, their journey will end somewhere short of where we'd all like for it to take us. However, if you watch Duke basketball as closely and love it as much as you claim to, then you should be well aware that the ethos of our program is about a lot more than the final score of any season's final game. It's about watching every player "run his own race," rejoicing with them in the victories along the way, and encouraging them in the failures, while always supporting them as basically the most public face of the university we all deeply love. If you'd rather spend your time criticizing players when their efforts fall short of whatever it was that you wanted (and by the way, I assure you that our disappointment as fans pales in comparison to their disappointment as teammates and Duke Blue Devils), and then responding with unnecessary vitriol when fellow fans remind you that perhaps you should be a bit more patient and supportive, then perhaps you should try a lighter shade of blue.

Again, I agree with wilson. I'll add that there are times when it's easier to see things on TV that aren't as obvious when you're at the game. For instance, our bigs move pretty well without the ball. Plumlees scare me a bit when they dribble, but that's true of most bigs. With regard to fouls, I saw at least one occasion where Mason was elbowed in the stomach when he went after a board. No call, of course. AZ players said before the game they were going to be physical and throw lots of elbows. Apparently the refs chose to ignore elbows and call ticky-tacks, as usual. Not the way I wanted our guys to end the season, but I believe they represented our university well. As Ima says, win or lose, I'll still be proud these guys are the ones taking the bus home to Duke.

[EarlJam]

Wilson, when I didn't have a car, you gave me a ride home from work. But though you offered, you didn't insist on giving me any more rides. I missed two days of work because of your lack of caring and I missed out on sales. Now I'm "in the hole" in sales......all because of you. Thank you for ruining my life you bastard.

-EarlJam

[ArkieDukie]

Wilson, when I didn't have a car, you gave me a ride home from work. But though you offered, you didn't insist on giving me any more rides. I missed two days of work because of your lack of caring and I missed out on sales. Now I'm "in the hole" in sales......all because of you. Thank you for ruining my life you bastard.

-EarlJam

[lawgrad91]

There isn't a one of us that isn't disappointed with how the season ended. A fellow Duke fan asked B at church this morning how I was doing, and B told him it would probably take months for me to get over this. I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, but maybe not that much.

Saying that, it isn't my place to say this guy had a bad game, or that guy was asleep at the switch, etc. Arizona hit us where we were vulnerable all year, the drive and dish. And they were unconscious in their shooting, even when we had hands in their faces. With our vulnerabilities showing on defense, it caused us to try to do things offensively that we weren't capable of. Certainly the referees were not reading the paper when Arizona flat-out told them that they would resort to using elbows and other things that aren't exactly in the legal sections of the rule book, but the referees didn't lose this game for us. It was Arizona's night, and it was our misfortune to have a St. John's/unc in chapel hell type night when we needed to be hitting on all cylinders to win.

At this point, we need to be grateful to the classy young men that represent our institution so well, and be proud of what they accomplished this year.

jAnd something we all agree on....

[Bob Green]

OK, several things...

I need help from a Mod as I desire to give wilson props for this post but I can't find the pitchfork icon.

[CameronBornAndBred]

OK, several things...

I need help from a Mod as I desire to give wilson props for this post but I can't find the pitchfork icon.

[captmojo]

OK, several things...

I need help from a Mod as I desire to give wilson props for this post but I can't find the pitchfork icon.

[wilson]

I can't find the pitchfork icon.

Thank you.

[YmoBeThere]

Jason Williams just said it on ESPN. Well, he asked, "Who is their "go to" guy?"

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

WHO will be the GO TO GUY for the upcoming season???

And now, our League is Loaded! More very good teams in the mix. ACC will be the best league in NCAA basketball!!!