Bracketology 2024

Northeast Stinger

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NCSU isn’t a tremendously talented team. It’s Burns and Horne and a supporting cast that works hard. Burns only had 4 def reb last night. He’s a terror to guard though. If they can get through Purdue they have a puncher’s chance.
They have a chance and, to me, it’s because they have nothing to lose. They’ve exceeded expectations, are having fun, and are loose and confident.

By contrast, UConn, as great as they are, is under a lot of pressure to win it all. If they have an off night against a team that isn’t scared of them they could trip up.
 

Root4GT

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I said this back in January, but last night confirmed it. They might have the best starting lineup in college basketball, but they are not a good team. How can the staff not get something from Procter? How does a starting lineup with five 5* players give up 55 points in one half? I think Duke needs to ask themselves if Jon Scheyer is the right guy. If this lineup can't beat NC State, there is some bad wrong with what they are doing.
Check the ages of Duke players vs the teams in the Final Four. There is a glaring difference in age/experience. That matters. Kentucky has the same issue. They both may have to rethink their approach to roster construction.
 

g0lftime

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I think I heard Burns in a post game interview mention how once they got on a run, players started showing up on time, nobody caused problems. So the team had issues working and playing together earlier.

Btw especially enjoyed watching that Filipowski ******* go down.
The team is essentially all transfers.
 

Dettmann1

Georgia Tech Fan
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13
The team is essentially all transfers.
I was at the game yesterday and that’s what struck me the most when doing the intros at the beginning - literally the entire starting 5 except 1 was a grad transfer. That lone guy not a grad transfer was a senior - that’s a ton of experience to have for a team.

Also - Burns just seems to wear teams down like you’d see with a dominant O or D line in football. He’s amazing to watch
 

TechPhi97

Ramblin' Wreck
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748
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Davidson, NC
Anyone watching UConn open up the industrial size can of whoop asss on the Illinois?
59-30 with 9:15 left...
Illinois scored 0, yes, zero points in the first 7+ minutes of the 2nd half. Only 7 points in the first 11 minutes of the half.
I watched most of the 30-0 run. Even the UConn players couldn’t believe it.
 

Jack

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
252
I said this back in January, but last night confirmed it. They might have the best starting lineup in college basketball, but they are not a good team. How can the staff not get something from Procter? How does a starting lineup with five 5* players give up 55 points in one half? I think Duke needs to ask themselves if Jon Scheyer is the right guy. If this lineup can't beat NC State, there is some bad wrong with what they are doing.
I think they need to shift priorities like Kentucky to maintain some second and third and fourth year players. Youth can crack at the crunch time of the tournament.
Juniors and seniors are stronger and smarter.
 

Northeast Stinger

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I think they need to shift priorities like Kentucky to maintain some second and third and fourth year players. Youth can crack at the crunch time of the tournament.
Juniors and seniors are stronger and smarter.
The Final Four seems to confirm your theory.
 

orientalnc

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Retired Staff
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He played sax in his highschool band. I love his infectious smile.
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g0lftime

Helluva Engineer
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I think they need to shift priorities like Kentucky to maintain some second and third and fourth year players. Youth can crack at the crunch time of the tournament.
Juniors and seniors are stronger and smarter.
Duke has seven recruits coming in . Most are 5*. I think they are all 2024. It's a complete rebuild. Not sure if any starters are returning. Roach is a senior. Filapowski most likely gone as are McCain and Proctor. Not much room for transfers and unless grads, I doubt they go for transfers this year.
 
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