Duke Vs West Virginia
- Thread starter THE KOD
- Start date
March Madness 4-0 + $ 2,144.00
Got to go with Duke here for the money. I doubt West Virginia will play their 1-3-1 zone against Duke after what Duke did to Baylor.
Got to go with Duke here for the money. I doubt West Virginia will play their 1-3-1 zone against Duke after what Duke did to Baylor.
Why West Virginia won't win
West Virginia has a tendency to let teams back into games.
In the regional final, Kentucky couldn't hit the ocean on 3-pointers and missed a number of free throws, but still rallied from a 16-point deficit.
Coach Bob Huggins has been to just one other Final Four and, whether it's fair or not, until he wins that will always be a question mark.
Why Duke will win
Duke is a lot like Butler -- in the sense that no one wants to give it credit for its success this season.
All Duke's done is win the ACC in the regular season and the conference tournament. It just wins games and has a ton of experience when times get tough. Senior G Jon Scheyer (18.1 ppg.) and junior Nolan Smith (17.1) have quietly had big years.
Oh, by the way, coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't bad either.
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Got to love the way Nolan Smith and the Plumbee brothers played in the Baylor game.
Smith was on fire.
GO DUKE !
West Virginia has a tendency to let teams back into games.
In the regional final, Kentucky couldn't hit the ocean on 3-pointers and missed a number of free throws, but still rallied from a 16-point deficit.
Coach Bob Huggins has been to just one other Final Four and, whether it's fair or not, until he wins that will always be a question mark.
Why Duke will win
Duke is a lot like Butler -- in the sense that no one wants to give it credit for its success this season.
All Duke's done is win the ACC in the regular season and the conference tournament. It just wins games and has a ton of experience when times get tough. Senior G Jon Scheyer (18.1 ppg.) and junior Nolan Smith (17.1) have quietly had big years.
Oh, by the way, coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't bad either.
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Got to love the way Nolan Smith and the Plumbee brothers played in the Baylor game.
Smith was on fire.
GO DUKE !
Duke's road wasn't easy
All the hatred for Duke is easy to see; from the conspiracy theorists, to the media's portrayal of the Blue Devils being handed a trip to the Final Four.
The fact is the Blue Devils played the highest seed they could possibly face in every round except the Elite Eight.
Duke knocked off Arkansas Pine Bluff (No. 16), California (No. 8), and Purdue (No. 4). With the exception of the Golden Lions, every team the Blue Devils have beaten, including Baylor (No. 3) is in a power conference.
But the fact is that no matter how far they get, to some people, Duke still shouldn't be in the Final four.
The Blue Devils played only one team that was a double-digit seed, and Baylor, arguably played the best of any three seed in the tournament.
The Bears may have been the best team Duke has played this season outside of Wisconsin, Georgetown, and Maryland.
They clearly presented match up problems with their athleticism and size but in the end Duke's experience paid off.
And that is the mark of a Final Four team.
Poise, Defense, and Rebounding
Perhaps it was three years of frustration and tough experiences that allowed Duke to make plays in the clutch.
First it was against Purdue, when Duke had an answer for every Boilermaker run.
Then the Blue Devils poise and experience proved decisive against a very game Baylor team. Just when you thought the Bears would pull off the upset, Duke found an answer.
Like most of the season, that answer came in the form of rebounding and defense.
Baylor had not yet faced the type of defensive pressure that Duke brought Sunday night. And while Bear's guard LaceDarius Dunn showed he is the real deal, even his stellar play couldn't put Baylor over the top.
Down the stretch against the Bears, Duke's offensive rebounding proved to be the decisive blow. The Blue Devils netted 17 offensive rebounds in the second half.
Those rebounds led to second chance points many coming in the form of three point shots.
None of the second chance opportunities was more important than Lance Thomas' put-back off a Kyle Singler missed three. The dunk and the foul gave Duke a nine-point lead and the game effectively became a free throw shooting contest from there.
Duke's defense has been very good for most of the year and it showed when it counted Sunday night.
Ultimately it looked as if the Blue Devils poise, even with a five-point deficit with less than four minutes to play, allowed their defense to force shots from the much tenser Baylor squad.
Kudos to the Secondary Players
Against Baylor, Duke was able to count on contributions from its non Big Three contingent to keep them in the game and provide a major lift when the team appeared to be struggling.
Andre Dawkins, who has played sparingly the last few rounds, was forced into action when Kyle Singler picked up two early fouls. He acquitted himself nicely, hitting two big threes, one of which helped keep Duke within three at halftime.
Thomas, his put back aside, played his usual game picking up some junk points, and Mason and Mile Plumlee both provided some athleticism in the post against a very impressive front line for Baylor.
Nolan Smith plays one for Dad
Duke would not be in the Final Four without the amazing effort and play of Nolan Smith.
Smith scored a career high 29 points against the Bears. He did it with his three point shooting, mid-range jump shot and his ability to get to the rim and in the lane.:00hour
He also played solid defense on Baylor point guard Tweety Carter and helped force the Bears into a slower half-court offense.
After the game Smith, who features a tattoo of his late-father Derek Smith on his arm, admitted he played for his dad.
I can't imagine he could be any prouder.
On to Indy
Duke moves on to Indianapolis the sight of its first National Championship in 1991. While it is a new arena and different opponents, the Blue Devils appear to have some of that swagger back.
They bring in three of the best players in the nation in Singler, Smith and Jon Scheyer, who has bounced back nicely from an early tournament slump.
Nothing is a given though, and West Virginia is sure to give Duke all they want and then some.
The Blue Devils would love to pay the Mountaineers back for knocking the Devils out in the second round in the 2008 tournament. West Virginia would love to knock off another No. 1 seed on its quest to get coach Bob Huggins his first every National Championship.
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All the hatred for Duke is easy to see; from the conspiracy theorists, to the media's portrayal of the Blue Devils being handed a trip to the Final Four.
The fact is the Blue Devils played the highest seed they could possibly face in every round except the Elite Eight.
Duke knocked off Arkansas Pine Bluff (No. 16), California (No. 8), and Purdue (No. 4). With the exception of the Golden Lions, every team the Blue Devils have beaten, including Baylor (No. 3) is in a power conference.
But the fact is that no matter how far they get, to some people, Duke still shouldn't be in the Final four.
The Blue Devils played only one team that was a double-digit seed, and Baylor, arguably played the best of any three seed in the tournament.
The Bears may have been the best team Duke has played this season outside of Wisconsin, Georgetown, and Maryland.
They clearly presented match up problems with their athleticism and size but in the end Duke's experience paid off.
And that is the mark of a Final Four team.
Poise, Defense, and Rebounding
Perhaps it was three years of frustration and tough experiences that allowed Duke to make plays in the clutch.
First it was against Purdue, when Duke had an answer for every Boilermaker run.
Then the Blue Devils poise and experience proved decisive against a very game Baylor team. Just when you thought the Bears would pull off the upset, Duke found an answer.
Like most of the season, that answer came in the form of rebounding and defense.
Baylor had not yet faced the type of defensive pressure that Duke brought Sunday night. And while Bear's guard LaceDarius Dunn showed he is the real deal, even his stellar play couldn't put Baylor over the top.
Down the stretch against the Bears, Duke's offensive rebounding proved to be the decisive blow. The Blue Devils netted 17 offensive rebounds in the second half.
Those rebounds led to second chance points many coming in the form of three point shots.
None of the second chance opportunities was more important than Lance Thomas' put-back off a Kyle Singler missed three. The dunk and the foul gave Duke a nine-point lead and the game effectively became a free throw shooting contest from there.
Duke's defense has been very good for most of the year and it showed when it counted Sunday night.
Ultimately it looked as if the Blue Devils poise, even with a five-point deficit with less than four minutes to play, allowed their defense to force shots from the much tenser Baylor squad.
Kudos to the Secondary Players
Against Baylor, Duke was able to count on contributions from its non Big Three contingent to keep them in the game and provide a major lift when the team appeared to be struggling.
Andre Dawkins, who has played sparingly the last few rounds, was forced into action when Kyle Singler picked up two early fouls. He acquitted himself nicely, hitting two big threes, one of which helped keep Duke within three at halftime.
Thomas, his put back aside, played his usual game picking up some junk points, and Mason and Mile Plumlee both provided some athleticism in the post against a very impressive front line for Baylor.
Nolan Smith plays one for Dad
Duke would not be in the Final Four without the amazing effort and play of Nolan Smith.
Smith scored a career high 29 points against the Bears. He did it with his three point shooting, mid-range jump shot and his ability to get to the rim and in the lane.:00hour
He also played solid defense on Baylor point guard Tweety Carter and helped force the Bears into a slower half-court offense.
After the game Smith, who features a tattoo of his late-father Derek Smith on his arm, admitted he played for his dad.
I can't imagine he could be any prouder.
On to Indy
Duke moves on to Indianapolis the sight of its first National Championship in 1991. While it is a new arena and different opponents, the Blue Devils appear to have some of that swagger back.
They bring in three of the best players in the nation in Singler, Smith and Jon Scheyer, who has bounced back nicely from an early tournament slump.
Nothing is a given though, and West Virginia is sure to give Duke all they want and then some.
The Blue Devils would love to pay the Mountaineers back for knocking the Devils out in the second round in the 2008 tournament. West Virginia would love to knock off another No. 1 seed on its quest to get coach Bob Huggins his first every National Championship.
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Zoubek is the 2nd leading offensive rebounder in the country !
I love the passion in this big guy.
When he fouled out of the Baylor game he went up to one of the Plumlee brothers and screamed
You got to do it for us now !
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I still haven't made a play on this game or the other one yet but I am leaning, like yourself, towards the Dukies on the moneyline. The question I have for you scott is why not Duke at +145 to win the whole tournament? Below are the current odds for futures on thegreek.
Duke +145
WV +215
Butler +425
MSU +465
It seems to me like this might be the smarter play because we know if Duke wins they are going to the be the favorite and most likely a -4 to -6 favorite in the championship game.
We good value on Duke at +145 and for those that like free money assuming Duke wins you can play the other side in the championship game.
Again I haven't made a play just wanted to see what your thoughts are on this. Respect your plays and think it is Win-Win.
seth
Duke +145
WV +215
Butler +425
MSU +465
It seems to me like this might be the smarter play because we know if Duke wins they are going to the be the favorite and most likely a -4 to -6 favorite in the championship game.
We good value on Duke at +145 and for those that like free money assuming Duke wins you can play the other side in the championship game.
Again I haven't made a play just wanted to see what your thoughts are on this. Respect your plays and think it is Win-Win.
seth
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That would take away my ability to play against Duke in the Championship game.
I honestly think that MSU will win the game over Butler. I will just be watching that game to set up the play on the national championship game.
Its part of my patience and reduce the risk of the bankroll I have won so far.
Also, the +145 as champs is about the same as a parlay of the -160 and the final, if it be roughly -200, say at -4 or -4.5.
Could be more, could be less.
good luck
Could be more, could be less.
good luck
In the Baylor game Coach K had a hella rotation going. He seems to know just when to take guys in and out at the optimum levels. Its one of the things that makes him such a great Coach.
This game is going to be lost by the WV point guard, Joe Mazzulla. You know the one that was inserted after their other point guard went down and out. And the other guy had his own point guard issues. Mazzulla is under a 40% shooter.
Joe Mazzulla is normally not a huge scoring threat. He played great against Kentucky cutting to the basket, but I think that was part of Kentuckys game plan to have him shoot the ball so much.
They wanted to keep it out of DeSean Butlers hands as much as possible.
I doubt we will see Masslla driving inside like he did against Kentucky. Duke will body him up and force him to the right.
Duke full court press will also take it out of Joe Mazzulla's hands if need be.
KOD
This game is going to be lost by the WV point guard, Joe Mazzulla. You know the one that was inserted after their other point guard went down and out. And the other guy had his own point guard issues. Mazzulla is under a 40% shooter.
Joe Mazzulla is normally not a huge scoring threat. He played great against Kentucky cutting to the basket, but I think that was part of Kentuckys game plan to have him shoot the ball so much.
They wanted to keep it out of DeSean Butlers hands as much as possible.
I doubt we will see Masslla driving inside like he did against Kentucky. Duke will body him up and force him to the right.
Duke full court press will also take it out of Joe Mazzulla's hands if need be.
KOD
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1. Get on the right side
2. Reduce your risk
3. Don't be a homer
4. Reduce the plays you make
5. Cash the ticket
6. No woman, No children
THE KOD
2. Reduce your risk
3. Don't be a homer
4. Reduce the plays you make
5. Cash the ticket
6. No woman, No children
THE KOD
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thanks tulah
Guess we will see come Saturday night about
midnight
Kentucky was 4-32 from behind the arc and only lost by 7 points. Thats a pretty sad state of affairs.
Kentucky lost because they had a horrific night shooting and making baskets, not because West Virginia was in their face all night. Kentucky had good looks they just didnt drop.
Unless Duke has the worst shooting night of the year West Virginia is going to be fighting for points. They just dont have the offensive horses to keep up with Duke in this game.
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Kentucky lost because they had a horrific night shooting and making baskets, not because West Virginia was in their face all night. Kentucky had good looks they just didnt drop.
Unless Duke has the worst shooting night of the year West Virginia is going to be fighting for points. They just dont have the offensive horses to keep up with Duke in this game.
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WVU was not in Kentucky's face on D:142smilie what game did you watch.
WVU had 8 blocks 14 steals and 18 tounovers forced against cats, kentucky missed all shots almost unless they got a break away or a open shot from down under and after the 12 min mark of the 1st wvu for the most part shut down that part (the inside game) of kentucky. Only beat them by 7, hell they were the number 1 ranked team ost of the year them and kansas, they were to be unstapable, wvu beat them down in all parts of the game, except 1 they had 14 more rebound then wvu but hell you miss 58 shots which kentucky did they should have more rebounds and that was only 37-51 .
You act like WVU has no chance in what you post and say, like they should not even be there.
Well dukes stats do not blow wvu away and who they played does not either. not saying who will win yet but Duke will not score at will against wvu and wvu is faster then duke in this match-up.
WVU had 8 blocks 14 steals and 18 tounovers forced against cats, kentucky missed all shots almost unless they got a break away or a open shot from down under and after the 12 min mark of the 1st wvu for the most part shut down that part (the inside game) of kentucky. Only beat them by 7, hell they were the number 1 ranked team ost of the year them and kansas, they were to be unstapable, wvu beat them down in all parts of the game, except 1 they had 14 more rebound then wvu but hell you miss 58 shots which kentucky did they should have more rebounds and that was only 37-51 .
You act like WVU has no chance in what you post and say, like they should not even be there.
Well dukes stats do not blow wvu away and who they played does not either. not saying who will win yet but Duke will not score at will against wvu and wvu is faster then duke in this match-up.
