This thread will put a smile on your face

[B1GEast]

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=167&f=1386&t=12976381

Here are some gems

It's 1999 and it's not close. That was our most talented team ever and I didn't see that team losing to anyone that year

The complete jacking in 04. That one hurt me even more than 99 because we outplayed them and every guy over a inch tall fouled out.

1999- The first out of two blows by Calhoun. That team from a talent standpoint was one of, if not the most talented teams of all time.

2004- Don't want to even get into it what happened vs. Uconn. Still have nightmares about it.

2011- The Kyrie turftoe. That team would have won it all. That team was perfectly built and had an incredible talent and were still a #1 seed after Kyrie injured his toe.

1999 and second place isn't close.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Duke fans seem to forget that Kyrie played absurdly well in their sweet 16 loss to Arizona. The other players on their team just didn't show up. In a single elimination tournament, that same scenario could've played out just as easily if he didn't get hurt.

 

[EricLA]

Shoulda, woulda, coulda. There are thousands of fans from many teams who feel their team coulda won "if only ____ hadn't happened". Back when UCONN beat Butler in a mostly awful all around NC game, some people whined about how there should be an asterisk after the NC win. Who the duck cares? UCONN won and as time moves on, all anyone remembers is that UCONN now has 4 total NC's.

My point is, Duke wasn't even in the NC game and who cares if someone was hurting, or not hurting, or whatever. Between the men and women's teams, UCONN is 13-0 in NC games.

 

[noeynox]

Our 1999 team, had three NBA playes, and never lost a game at full strength that year. Duke was best the team in the regular season that year, I thought we were clearly the second best team in the regular season and it provided a matchup between the two best teams that year. Going into that, I didn't feel we were as big an under dog as poeple were saying.

 

[Kitaman]

dook 99 was the best collection of players many had seen in years. They were a dominant machine. The big difference to me was Calhoun and his game plan against Elton Brand (a beast). I will say having the best offensive player on the court in Rip and the best defensive player on the court in Rick helped tremendously. K-Free made the flopper look like a punk (remember when he stood over him after he tried to flop and hollered "play f-kin basketball". Oh and without Wane's contributions we lose.

It was truly a great game of two equals. I may be old now but I can remember that game like it was yesterday.

 

[nomar]

Lots of griping about officiating in the 2004 Final Four. Bottom line: Shelden Williams and Emeka both had 2 fouls, Coach K kept Williams in there so he picked up his 3rd, and JC benched EO for the rest of the half. Then in the 2nd half, a well-rested Okafor absolutely dominated everyone they put on them, until all the Dukies had left was Horvath. Emeka was the best player in the country and beat your butts. I do think JJ Redick's forearm got raked, but that's one call in a long game. That's not even what they're crying about. A couple fans recognize that we were the better team and the favorite going into the game.

I have to say, I know a lot of Duke fans, and they don't blame the refs for 1999 or 2004. A lot of crybabies on the internet, though.

 

[Horatio]

.... And As I mentioned in a thread a few months ago, all Duke hate must be thoroughly maintained. Forever and ever , Amen.

 

[Scot-e]

Except my hate for Pitt (scum) and Quse has elevated to the point I am not sure who I want losing in those games anymore. I used to route for BE teams now I would rather have the traditional powers in the ACC do well- I just would hate to see Quse and Pitt do well. Can't help it.

Duke did have the balls to schedule a game with us where Quse did not- I have to give them props for that even though it pains me to do so. The newest wounds are the ones that are most raw and Duke has not done much to hurt us in quite a few years. I may be getting soft.

 

[B1GEast]

I don't hate dook, but I love not liking them, we've surpassed them IMO. We are just better.

 

[sdhusky]

Our 1999 team, had three NBA playes, and never lost a game at full strength that year. Duke was best the team in the regular season that year, I thought we were clearly the second best team in the regular season and it provided a matchup between the two best teams that year. Going into that, I didn't feel we were as big an under dog as poeple were saying.

Rip was the best player on the floor and it wasn't close.

Same as Emeka. Same as Kemba. Same as Bazz.

 

[willie99]

in 2004, the refs actually kept Dook in the game

if Meka wasn't in foul trouble missing something like 16 minutes in the first half and the better part of the first 10 minutes of the second half, that game is not even competitive

with Meka on the floor, it was men vs boys, it was a blowout much like the championship that followed was

so the refs taking Meka out of the game gave Dook a chance, they should be thanking the refs. Then again, Dookies actually think basketball players hone their skills in drama class, so what more should we expect from them

 

[Matrim55]

Our 99 team wins that game 9 times out of 10. Mentally tougher, better coached, and Dook had an easily exploitable weakness: only one ball handler.

I KNEW we were winning that game. Our team was so damn tough, and so balanced.

 

[SallyH]

Aren't all of Duke's 99 wins vacated, because of some ineligibility or impropriety of Magette? Or am I wishful thinking here?

 

[Hoophound]

The thing that people underestimate in the 99 game is that Langdon wasn't much of a pg and he couldn't create his own shot off the dribble well enough to deal with Ricky. They needed William Avery to play a good game to win. We were deep, experienced and strong at the guard positions. Ricky Moore grew up schooling Avery in Georgia as the older, stronger player. When Ricky went off in the first half, it wasn't luck, it was him knowing that he could steal Avery's lunch and he couldn't do anything about it. The psychology was on our side. Ricky intimidated Avery and at the same time Ricky was ultra confident in his ability to destroy him.

 

[donyell34]

So true. Duke had a real tough time against St. John's. We torched them 3 × .I knew then we could beat them. Never understood the 9 pt spread , or the big upset they spun. At best a 2or 3 pt. Dog no more than that.

 

[7774]

It's pretty hilarious how much people on their board (and I guess some people on this board) overrate that 1999 team. They got a great reputation by going undefeated in the ACC, and that only happened because the conference was garbage that year.

3 ACC teams made the tournament in 99. A North Carolina team that lost to Weber State in the first round. A Maryland team that got their doors blown off in the Sweet 16 by the St. John's team we destroyed 2 weeks earlier in the Big East final, and Duke.

I'm also pretty sure that we and Duke shared 6-7 common opponents that year and we beat every one by more than they did. If those 2 teams played 1000 times Duke would have been incredibly lucky to win 400.

 

[J-dog]

Aren't all of Duke's 99 wins vacated, because of some ineligibility or impropriety of Magette? Or am I wishful thinking here?

per the rules (however stupid they are) they all should have been vacated but Duke has a different set of rules they are governed by, similar to another ACC blue blood that may not escape the noose this time...

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I'm also pretty sure that we and Duke shared 6-7 common opponents that year and we beat every one by more than they did.

I'm not going to look it up, but I think we only had two common opponents: CCSU & Michigan State. That said, our victory margins were larger. Also, note that Duke came within 3 points and had a mathematical chance on the final possession. They were quite good. But I agree that UCONN needn't have been a big underdog at all.

 

[CL82]

1999- this is the one that really sucks! Game should never have been that close. UCONN was a very good team but Duke played too tight all game and Coach K going with Langdon on the final shot was a poor decision and too much loyalty for senior whose game was not creating off the dribble!
-----------
99 because it was our most dominant team.

04 because we were robbed by officiating.
----------
1999 by far. I don't think I will ever be as devastated by a sporting event again in my life time (or at least I sure hope I won't be).

2004 is second for me, just because the officiating in that game was an absolute travesty and was directly responsible for our loss. The worst officiated NCAA tournament game I have ever witnessed. I personally don't consider that '04 UConn title legitimate.
----------
1999 - Absolutely one of the worst. Still can't cheer for UConn because of this.
----------

Ahh, Dook...your whining is like sweet, sweet nectar to me.

 

[donyell34]

They did play the johnies and barely won. Check it out.