Alright you basketball gurus, throw the stats out the window because this has never happened before. Two arch rivals matched up in the final four. Who has the edge and how do they matchup?
Duke vs UNC final four matchup
- Thread starter jackrabbit slim
- Start date
I am going with UNC, based on their guard play
This is a beast matchup. You gotta know Duke is pissed about that tourney beat down they took in K's last game against them in conference play. I think Duke comes out blazing and takes this one by 10.
Oh, I could see that easily. They will be highly motivated. Especially for Coach K. This match up is so interesting.
It really is and my money is it gets chippy early and foul trouble will be the order of the day.
That is what I love about rivalry games. I hope all the good players stay on the floor though. Like UCLA vs UNC. That was the best game I watched in the tournament this far
I love it when the ref lets them play but in a game where it's impossible to check your emotions at the door as a player for either team, the refs will have to establish authority or it could get out of hand.
Bilas and Kenny Smith working on their gag reflex suppression exercises.
Last edited:
Oh you gotta know they are all beating off to the band right now.
Living here in NC, this is going to be a big deal because we have a week to hear all the hype.
It's gonna be on a level you have never experienced Hole fan. This is a chance at the ultimate fk you at K. A foot in his ass on the way out the door in his last dance?!? This is every Hole fan's wet dream.
WoooooooooooooodNational media working on their gag reflex suppression exercises.
THB, this is a really, really good take. Being involved in many, BIG TIME rivalry games, with huge stakes, as officials you certainly keep this in mind....Look for a very tight whistle, early----and anything that involves a "violent collision,contact", rather a foul or not, will get called. You have to gain control early as a crew, b/c a game like this, could get away from you very quickly. Very difficult TBH to officiate in that aspect...You wanna let guys go out and play, but at the same time, you gotta have cntrol. Not so sure that means we will get a lot of early tick-tack stuff, but anything that involves a lot of contact, is probably gonna get whistled.
I don't think anything that happened this year, is gonna have any relevance---its Duke---its Carolina. Never met in the NCAAT, and now, you are meeting in the FF. I think whoever is able to keep their emotions in check, and play the game, especially early, is gonna have a huge advantage....Are guys gonna take the easy play, or try to make the spectacular, one? In other words, which team is gonna just play the game?
I like Duke simply b/c K has been there, done that, at this level. No he hasn't faced UNC in this situation, but he has been on this stage, in some very big games....
If either team gets caught up in other stuff outside of the game, i.e. being possibly K's last game, playing Duke for the first time ever in NCAA's, it could cause them to get away from just playing..
Who can control those emotions better IMO, is the team that has a huge upper hand.
I like Duke in a thriler-----88-85.
Too bad @shun1 passed away last year (probably). 
Being deceased is the ONLY way he’d be absent for the first 3/4 of the season. He had way too much integrity to show up now; that would just seem like he’s only here for the good times and he was just too classy of a full-time fan to show up only for the confetti . . . just for the party like any average, fair-weather fan. Shun was ride or die.
Probably buried in his powder blue jockstrap. RIP, Shun.
Being deceased is the ONLY way he’d be absent for the first 3/4 of the season. He had way too much integrity to show up now; that would just seem like he’s only here for the good times and he was just too classy of a full-time fan to show up only for the confetti . . . just for the party like any average, fair-weather fan. Shun was ride or die.
Probably buried in his powder blue jockstrap. RIP, Shun.
Last edited:
UNC wins and I think duke wants it so badly they would do things out of character. And I'm a homer to boot so yeah, UNC takes it.
We spoiled his last home game, it would be fun to punt his ass out the door in his final tournament game.
I think it would be a huge win (obviously) but both teams have already changed the narratives regardless. Duke getting to the Final Four redeemed the loss to UNC on K night. Unfortunate but true I think. UNC beat K on the day of worship there and now is in the Final Four, which makes Hubert a smashing success this year.
It's big but honestly doesn't seem as big as it would normally be. Maybe that's just me though. The year is already a success to me. More would be pretty awesome though.
It's big but honestly doesn't seem as big as it would normally be. Maybe that's just me though. The year is already a success to me. More would be pretty awesome though.
100% could and probably will play a role...On the other hand, I can also see K being able to harness those emotions. He has done a great job doing that in this tourney.....Seems he has called a TO when he has sensed his team doing just this, harnessed that emotion, and they seem to have responded each time...
I know this----as a CBB fan, I cannot wait for this game. Just like UK/UL a few years back.
It’s going to make me sick if the coverage tries to build this up to be a masterful coaching job by K. He has the best roster in the country, hands down. They should have been prohibitive favorites all year.
I’ll be pulling for UNC for two reasons. To end the slobber fest and because I think KU has at least a slightly better chance of beating them.
Duke has the best roster in the country now that they are in the final four. Didn't hear anyone claiming that throughout the year.
That’s fair - I have to check back, but I don’t think any of the experts on ESPN or CBS Sports had Duke winning the title before the tourney started .
**** you but also thanks for giving them the kiss of death.
I’ve thought that for most of the year, but it’s become more apparent since Griffin and Roach emerged.
And wasn’t all the Vegas money pouring in for Duke before the start of the tourney?
Btw, for the record, I don’t have a problem with the Duke program or fans. I’m just not a K fan. Someone from my HS played for K, so I’ve heard stories about the way he treats people.
His arrogance is off the charts, and the attention whoring this season has been absurd. He should’ve taken notes from the way Roy retired with humility and class.
His arrogance is off the charts, and the attention whoring this season has been absurd. He should’ve taken notes from the way Roy retired with humility and class.
They all fell for the Gonzaga hype. I’ll bet Duke would have been the next pick for a lot of them though.
More bets were placed on Duke than any other.
Having the best talent doesn't mean you don't have to coach.....I mean its not like KU, UNC or Nova, has a roster full of 2 stars..
Kansas can beat any team in the FF....So can Duke....So can UNC, and so can Nova. Its a very even and balanced FF...I don't see one team being a bad match-up for the other...All 4, sans possibly Nova, have the size to compete with the other....All four have terrific guards, who can control/take over a game...All four have "that guy": Duke with Banchero....Carolina with Love....KU with Abgaji...Nova with Gillespie...So IMO its probably gonna come down to coaching....K has been there....Self and Wright as well. HUbert has not, and that could be the differrence.
I just think its, well for the lack of a better word, "silly" to think just b/c a team has the most talent, that coaching isn't needed---or that a coach couldn't do or hasn't done a terrific job with that talent.
I just get annoyed when somebody who was expected to be there before the year gets the “how on Earth did he do it?!” treatment. But it’s to be expected during his swan song.
KU has one top 50 recruit and some starters who weren’t even close to top 100. Duke is full of highly-rated pros and it shows.
That doesn’t mean that KU can’t beat them, but I think they’ll definitely have less margin for error.
I get what you're saying. But Duke was getting shit for being a two seed instead of a three and most people (by a large margin) agreed. Now you're making it out like everyone expected Duke to be in the FF and if not it was going to be an epic failure by K. So was it the biggest shock ever? No. But it still took good coaching to get this team to play with a purpose and the things they have improved on in such a short period of time doesn't just happen because of talent. So on the flip side of you not wanting to hear how impressive it is for K to get this team to the FF, you don't want to give enough credit.
Similar threads
