News Archive for Duke

NCAA Basketball Championship Preview: Duke Vs. Butler

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Coach K will be looking for his fourth National Title tonight.

Tonights NCAA Basketball game features a team with a storied history versus a team looking for a Cinderella story ending that no one could of envisioned.

Duke will be looking for their fourth national championship ,while Butler will be looking for their first. Even though Butler has not loss in over three months and have been ranked in the top ten all year, they are decided underdogs on home turf and will be looking to shock the sports world tonight in Indianapolis.

Duke i s playing their best basketball of the year. In their last victory over West Virginia, they showed a true team effort and all their players know their role. The big three of Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler all played great last game. If they play as well tonight, it will be a long night for the Butler Bulldogs. These players can beat you both inside and outside ,and Butler will have to play tenacious defense to keep these players at bay. Add to the fact that Coach Mike Krzyzewski has called this the closest team he has ever coached, and you have a team that is going to be very tough to beat. Coach K has also expressed how much he truly loves this team. Duke has a lot going for them tonight both on and off the court.

Butler has used their defense to secure a spot into tonight’s championship game. They grinded out a victory over Michigan State on Saturday night. They are lead by their superstar Gordon Hayward. Hayward will need to carry the offensive load to try to match the fire power of Duke’s offense. Point guard Shelvin Mack will need to manage the tempo of this game possession by possession to keep Duke form having the ball. This will be crucial and a must to pull off the upset. Center Matt Howard is questionable with a concussion. Butler will need his defense and rebounding. If he dopes not play, they will need a minor miracle to win. Butler needs a lot of things to go right to come out victorious tonight.

I would love to see Cinderella win tonight, but I do not think it will happen. Duke has too much offensive fire power and continuity for Butler to handle. Duke wins championship  number four.

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Posted in Butler University, College Basketball, Michigan State University, West Virginia University | 1 Comment »

Friday Night Analysis

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Tonight’s matchups in the NCAA tournament has some intriguing games and are worth taking a closer look. Here is the way I see these four games playing out…

Midwest Region

Can Northern Iowa keep their Cinderella story going?

Tennessee vs. Ohio State

This game comes down to who  has the most dominant player between the two. Ohio St. has possibly the best player in the tournament in Evan Turner.  Turner is the type of player that can carry his team on his back. The Buckeyes have taken care of business so far and is a team focused on the Final Four with Kansas being knocked out of their region. Both teams have a lot of talent, but the Buckeyes have the outside shooting along with Turner that will be the difference in this game.

Prediction: Ohio State

Northern Iowa vs. Michigan State

Northern Iowa is becoming the Cinderella story of this tournament with their recent victory over the top seeded Kansas Jayhawks. They have all the ingredients that it takes to win this game and get to the Final Four ala George Mason a couple of years ago. They have a lot of momentum and confidence that should carry them to victory. The Spartans showed some resiliency in their victory over Maryland inspite losing their best player Kalin Lucas. No Lucas and a couple of more beat up players spells a loss. Northern Iowa keeps the slipper on.

Prediction: Northern Iowa

South Region

St. Mary’s vs. Baylor

St. Mary’s is another intriguing story in this tourney and  are coming off a impressive victory over Villanova. They are a patient, good shooting team that make good decisions on offense.. They will need to play their offensive best against a very good and athletic defensive team in the Baylor Bears. Baylor has won their first tournament games in 60 years. Baylor came in as a number three seed and are playing near home in Houston. The combination of being near home and hunger will propel them to victory.

Prediction: Baylor

Duke vs. Purdue

Duke has looked impressive on the defensive side so far and will pair up against another stellar defensive team in Purdue. Purdue is another team that has showed resiliency in their two close victories including their last one against Texas A+ M  in overtime.They have advanced without their star Robbie Hummel. Duke will make it too hard on Purdue to score, and Hummel will be sorely missed in this one. Duke should roll in this one.

Prediction: Duke

Hopefully these games are both exciting and competitive. These type of matchups make March Madness live up to the hype year after year.

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Posted in Baylor University, College Basketball, Duke University, Kansas University, Maryland University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Tennessee University, Texas A&M University, Villanova University | No Comments »

Sweet Sixteen Analysis

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

The NCAA Basketball Tournament has been trimmed down to sixteen teams and it has been a wide open tournament from the opening tipoff. The #1 overall seed Kansas Jayhawks were shocked in the second round with a loss to Northern Iowa, and the  third seeded Georgetown Hoyas did not even taste victory as they were bounced in the first round by Ohio. How does the tournament shape up with the remaining survivors is the question? Here is the way I see it…

MIDWEST

This region saw the aforementioned upsets above with Kansas and Georgetown wondering why they were sent packing. With those teams out, it is set up nicely for the Ohio St. Buckeyes to come out of this region. They have been workmenlike  like so far, and  they should  take out Tennessee in their next game and then  the winner of the Michigan State/Northern Iowa game. Ohio St. looks real  good for the Final Four.

WEST

Will the Kentucky Wildcats hang a championship banner from the rafters in 2010?

The West region still has their number two seeds remaining  in Syracuse and Kansas St. Syracuse has looked impressive including yesterday’s victory over Gonzaga. Kansas St. has looked true to form also and knocked off BYU in their latest victory. These two teams are on a collision course to meet in the Elite Eight and that should make a incredible game. But in the end, I see the Orangemen advancing and being a little too much for KState  to handle.

EAST

This region has  my prediction  champion Kentucky Wildcats playing as well as anyone in the tournament. Kentucky is coming off a thirty point blowout over Wake Forest and are riding on a high. They will have stiff competition down the road in Big East champion West Virginia. That game sets up for a very intriguing matchup. Kentucky is too deep and talented to the Final Four pass them by.

SOUTH

The South hosts the #1 seeded Duke Blue Devils. Duke has advanced with smothering defense and looks like a lock to get to the Eight where they will probably face a hungry Baylor team that has won their first tourney games in sixty years. I think Baylor will take out Duke and become the best story of the Final Four.

As you can see so far, anything can happen in this tournament. This makes it very tough to predict but makes the watching that much more exciting. I am looking forward to Thursday to see what transpires. It has left me wanting more!

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Posted in Baylor University, Brigham Young BYU University, College Basketball, Duke University, Georgetown University, Gonzaga University, Kansas State University, Kansas University, Kentucky University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Syracuse University, Tennessee University, Wake Forest University, West Virginia University | 9 Comments »

Final Four Predictions

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

This years NCAA Basketball tournament appears to be wide open. My predictions have chalk in them but also have a bit of a surprise in them compared to what most of the experts are going with. Here are my Final Four predictions…

March Madness is upon us. It is time to pick your Final Four.

This is where my surprise come in. Kansas is the top seeded team in this tournament, and most people have them not only making it to the Final Four but winning the whole thing. I do see Kansas getting to the Elite Eight, but I see the Georgetown Hoyas beating them there. Georgetown  has a tough path to get to Kansas including possibly playing Ohio State on there way to Kansas. I like the way Georgetown plays and are coached. They run a good offense, have a good defense are were so close to winning the Big East tournament. They are peaking at the right time.

Prediction:Georgetown

WEST

I see this region as the chalk winning it. Syracuse is the #1 seed. I see the Orangemen winning this region even though they have limped into the tournament and do have a injury concern. Cuse has a pretty easy road to the Elite Eight where they will likely face Kansas St. I think by then, they will be both healthy, and a team playing at their best. Syracuse is the class of this region and is too talented to let the Final Four pass them by.

Prediction:Syracuse

EAST

The East region features the freshmen talented Kentucky Wildcats. I think Kentucky has the most talent of any team in the tournament, and they will show they can play as a team with that talent. Kentucky won a lot of close games this year including a unlikely win in the finals of the SEC tournament. This type of winning brings a team together. Kentucky has become a team with awesome talent and will be tough to beat in this tournament. Kentucky takes out West Virginia to get to the Final Four.

Prediction:Kentucky

South

The South region features the Duke Blue Devils as the #1 seed. Duke has the easiest road to the Elite Eight and should not have much of a problem getting there. They are more than fortunate to get this kind of draw. While I would like to pick the Blue Devils because of their fortune, I do not believe on they will get to the Final Four. I am going to go with the Villanova Wildcats. Nova did not end the season on much of a road as they had a very tough schedule to end it. I think that with their hard ending schedule, the competition of the Big East conference, and the talent they have as a team, Villanova will come out of the South and take out Duke.

Prediction:Villanova

My final four has two number ones, a two and a three. I have three Big East teams making the final four. I see Kentucky taking out Georgetown in the finals. The Wildcats with three freshmen cut down the nets.

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Posted in College Basketball, Duke University, Georgetown University, Kansas State University, Kansas University, Kentucky University, Ohio State University, Syracuse University, Villanova University, West Virginia University | No Comments »

NCAA Tournament Analysis: The #1 Seeds

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Looking at the #1 seeds in this years NCAA Basketball Tournament leaves me with the question on what the committee was thinking when they put together the brackets. Kansas is the #1 overall team in the nation but was not treated as such. Here is the way I see how the #1 seeds have it in fashion with difficultly…

How do the #1 seeds have it in March Madness?

The fore mentioned Kansas Jayhawks have the hardest road even though they were the #1 ranked team to end the season. Kansas, in the MIDWEST bracket, will have to go through Maryland to get to the elite Eight and will then in probability take on the Georgetown/Ohio State winner. Those two teams are among the best teams playing right now and will give Kansas a tough run to the Final Four.

The West bracket has the Syracuse Orangemen as the #1 seed and they have it pretty good. They should cruise to the Elite Eight where they will probably take on Kansas St. or Pittsburgh. This is a easier matchup than what Kansas has to deal with. Syracuse was lucky to be a #1 seed as they limped into the tournament, but they seemed to get rewarded for it.

The East bracket has the Kentucky Wildcats as the #1 seed. Kentucky is the hottest team in the NCAA right now but have a tough road to the Final Four. They will probably have to face a talented and underachieved Texas team along with Temple on their way to the Elite Eight. If they are fortunate to get there, they will probably face either West Virginia or New Mexico on their way to the Final Four. A tough draw for the red hot Wildcats.

The South bracket has the Duke Blue Devils as the #1 seed. Duke has the easiest road to the elite eight and should make it with not much of a problem. There, they will probably face either Villanova or Baylor. Not a bad draw by any means. If Duke can get there, they should be the freshest team in the Final Four.

While all this is speculation and prediction, I see Duke having the easiest road to the Final Four followed by Syracuse, Kentucky and Kansas. We will have to see how this all plays out, but I am ready to see it. MARCH MADNESS is only a couple of days away.

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Posted in Baylor University, College Basketball, Duke University, Georgetown University, Kansas State University, Kansas University, Kentucky University, Maryland University, New Mexico University, Ohio State University, Pittsburgh University, Syracuse University, Temple University, Texas University, Villanova University, West Virginia University | 1 Comment »

Six first-weekend Upsets…please let me get at least one

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

You may not have heard these here first, but you still heard them here.  Upsets and the Little Guy are two of the most gripping things about March Madness so here are six games in the first weekend that will go to the underdog…in no specific order:

Houston (13) over Maryland (4)- Midwest Region first round

Murry State (13) over Vanderbilt (4)- West Region first round

Washington (11) over Marquette (6)- East Region first round

Siena (13) over Purdue (4)- South Region first round

St. Mary’s (10) over Richmond (7)- South Region first round

Cal (8) over Duke (1)- South Region second round

Siena (13) over Texas A&M (5)- South Region second round

The theme here is the 13s over 4 seeds, and no 12s beating any of the number 5 seeds.  The five seeds always look strong then get caught and while I know I am missing at least one but this could be the year of the 13 seed and doesn’t just about everyone outside of West Lafayette have Purdue going down to Siena?

Riding the Siena bandwagon into the Sweet 16 is a stretch but 4 guys in double figures and Ryan Rossiter’s 13.9 ppg and 11 rpg combined with 17-1 in the Metro Atlantic have me believing in these Saints.

Cal over Duke is already getting a little buzz and you have got to like a group of seniors like Cal has who can score from inside and shoot the 3-ball like they have in Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson.

Washington is underseeded and they should be able to expose Marquette in the backcourt.  Quincy Pondexter and Lazar Hayward should be an interesting matchup to watch within this one with their athleticism and length.

St. Mary’s just looks like  team that isn’t going to allow anyone to take them out of their game and they won’t be disheartened if they fall behind.  They have shooters and Ben Allen is going to be a tournament favorite especially for people who haven’t seen St. Mary’s.

Murry State is just a gut-feeling and Houston over Maryland is more of a shot at the ACC than anything else and don’t be surprised if only one ACC team is standing after the first round.

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Posted in California Cal University, College Basketball, Duke University, Houston University, Marquette University, Maryland University, Purdue University, Richmond University, Siena University, Washington University | 1 Comment »

Tar Heels Lose Again: Tournament Chances In Real Jeopardy

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered another loss last night, and their nightmare season keeps getting scarier.  This time they lost against their fierce rival Duke 64-54.  Carolina shot a pathetic 35%, a season low, and it was their lowest point total under current coach Roy Williams.

Roy Williams is irate on how the Tar Heels are playing this year.

They have shot poorly all year long ,and they have also turned the ball over way too much.  They fell to 13-11 and just 2-7 in conference. Carolina has lost eight of ten and four in a row.

Duke was lead by Jon Scheyer who poured in 24. Duke is now 20-4 and 8-2 in conference.  Duke was bigger up front  and used that to advantage with second chance opportunities.

The defending National Champions and preseason Top five will have to likely win their conference tournament just to get invited to the dance.  It has been a colossally disappointing season thus far for the Tar Heels and they would never imagined they are fighting for their tournament lives.

Beyond the losing, it is the way they have lost.  There have been too many blowout losses and embarrassing defeats.  The fans of Chapel Hill are not used to this.  Coach Williams and the team are in a state of shock.  Williams does not know what to do at this point and has even questioned his techniques that have been successful throughout  his coaching career.

Carolina is likely looking at a NIT bid unless they have a amazing turnaround.  Their season is in real jeopardy.

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Posted in College Basketball, Duke University, North Carolina University | No Comments »