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Bored... Doing rankings today. Ranking Champions 2000-2022

Dude who can hold a candle athletically to

Brian Zoubek
Lance Thomas
Kyle Singler
Jon Scheyer
Nolan Smith

They were like the 27 Yankees

We went 15-1 in those final 16 games of the season where Zoubek started. Feel like most people don't appreciate how good he was. He was a load down load. He had a higher offensive rebounding percentage (21.5%) than Oscar Tshiebwe did this past season (19.5%). Zoubek was 7th in total offensive rebounds in the nation - and he averaged less than 19 minutes a game on the season. At his rebounding rate, he would have led the nation in offensive rebounds if he averaged just 24 minutes a game.

Also...

Kyle Singler- 2x 1st team All ACC, Final Four MOP
Jon Scheyer- 2nd Team All-American
Nolan Smith- 1st Team All-American in 2011 (2nd Team All-ACC in 2010)
Lance Thomas- superb defender - and played 9 years in the NBA
Mason Plumlee- 2nd Team All-American in 2013
Miles Plumlee, Andre Dawkins, and Ryan Kelly also played in the NBA

#1 rated offense
#5 rated defense
#10 rated KenPom team of all-time (5th among national champions)
 
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I wasn't watching college hoops back then but its just nuts that team didn't win the title. They just steamrolled through the ACC.

The '99 UConn team was really, really good. They have an argument for being one of the top 10 teams of the past 25 years.

Still feel like we were the better team. K got outcoached. Maggette only getting 11 minutes of playing time... plus Brand practically getting no touches the final 8 minutes of the game. Ugh. Voskuhl was tough and physical with Brand, but how can you not let the best player in the country get more touches?

The '99 team was crazy dominant, though. 34 of our 37 wins were by double-digits. The Georgia Tech game in Atlanta (8 point win) was the only ACC game where the margin of victory was single digits. We just as easily could have been 39-0. Despite not effectively utilizing Brand, we still had a chance to win the game late - we were down by 1 and Langdon had the ball with 10-15 seconds left. But, of course, he traveled when he tried to drive to the basket.
 
I don't think the argument is against how Duke rated against the competition in the year they won, or what the computers tell you about how they compared to other teams in the same year.

I believe the counter point is competition that year was down. Those other top teams that year weren't that great, and neither were those next level down teams.

Duke beat the Horizon champ by 2 points in the title game almost lost on a buzzer beater. No other 1 seed reached the F4.

When you start looking at the players that excelled in the season, it's not littered with too much NBA All Star level type of guys. Jordan Williams was 1st Team All-ACC. If we're being honest half this board doesn't know who he is. Same goes for Malcom Delaney.

1st Team AA Wes Johnson. Evan Turner. These guys being mediocre at best pros doesn't boost the perception of the talent that year. Scottie Reynolds too. Just weak really. I understand good college careers. No need to go get computer #'s to support that.

Luke Harangody was 2nd team AA.
 
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I don't think the argument is against how Duke rated against the competition in the year they won, or what the computers tell you about how they compared to other teams in the same year.

I believe the counter point is competition that year was down. Those other top teams that year weren't that great, and neither were those next level down teams.

Duke beat the Horizon champ by 2 points in the title game almost lost on a buzzer beater. No other 1 seed reached the F4.

When you start looking at the players that excelled in the season, it's not littered with too much NBA All Star level type of guys. Jordan Williams was 1st Team All-ACC. If we're being honest half this board doesn't know who he is. Same goes for Malcom Delaney.

1st Team AA Wes Johnson. Evan Turner. These guys being mediocre at best pros doesn't boost the perception of the talent that year. Scottie Reynolds too. Just weak really. I understand good college careers. No need to go get computer #'s to support that.

Luke Harangody was 2nd team AA.

It was a bad year of college basketball and Duke capitalized thanks to two clearly better teams choking (KU and UK). Listing that team ahead of 2012 UK is hilarious and full homer though. I think your title team was quite a bit better too.
 
It was a bad year of college basketball and Duke capitalized thanks to two clearly better teams choking (KU and UK). Listing that team ahead of 2012 UK is hilarious and full homer though. I think your title team was quite a bit better too.
I'm not sure a computer truly captures what the hell Anthony Davis did out there, maybe it does. What I can tell you is that dude blocked roughly 5 shots per and probably changed and scared the shit out of 10-20 more. You have a bench warmer transfer out and go 3rd team AA a few years later. It was something.
 
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It was a bad year of college basketball and Duke capitalized thanks to two clearly better teams choking (KU and UK). Listing that team ahead of 2012 UK is hilarious and full homer though. I think your title team was quite a bit better too.
It was a perfect storm the other 1 seed Syracuse was strong but Fab Melo DPOY got injured before the NCAAT and that pretty much eliminated them from title contention also.
 
It was a perfect storm the other 1 seed Syracuse was strong but Fab Melo DPOY got injured before the NCAAT and that pretty much eliminated them from title contention also.

In 2010, I believe it was Onuaku.

Also, I wouldn't say it was a perfect storm. We beat 5 of the top 15 KenPom teams. Wasn't like we had a cakewalk.
 
I'm not sure a computer truly captures what the hell Anthony Davis did out there, maybe it does. What I can tell you is that dude blocked roughly 5 shots per and probably changed and scared the shit out of 10-20 more. You have a bench warmer transfer out and go 3rd team AA a few years later. It was something.

Never seen a player that single handily changed offensive gameplans as much as he did. It's also (along with me being a homer) why I think Kentucky is at the very top of these lists. Kentucky would have the best player in every single hypothetical matchup.

In 2010, I believe it was Onuaku.

Also, I wouldn't say it was a perfect storm. We beat 5 of the top 15 KenPom teams. Wasn't like we had a cakewalk.

Final 3 games were against teams underseeded. 3 seed Baylor, 2 seed WVU, 5 seed Butler in the title game. That was a pretty great storm not having to play a single "equal" team.
 
In 2010, I believe it was Onuaku.

Also, I wouldn't say it was a perfect storm. We beat 5 of the top 15 KenPom teams. Wasn't like we had a cakewalk.
Those Syracuse bigs I tell ya they were all pretty underrated.

It was a perfect storm because Duke dodged the alleged top teams. UK, KU, and Syracuse were the other 1 seeds. Duke played the Horizon League champ for the title and survived a last second shot miss. Those guys lost to UAB by 10 that year, and to a handful of their other OOC opponents with a pulse.

It was a great coaching job by Coach K though. It really was. So I can understand why some Duke fans are gonna love that team.
 
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