Like most of you, I didn't have Duke in my Final Four. In fact, the only Final Four team I picked correctly was West Virginia. The Mountaineers looked tough and imposing to me. The Blue Devils looked like the Blue Devils. I kept thinking of their lopsided road loss to Georgetown. Against an athletic team, they'd be too fragile and slow.
But when they had to be tough Sunday against the athletic Baylor Bears, they were. All the huge rebounds that enabled them to score decisive second-chance baskets were theirs.
They grabbed 23 offensive rebounds -- six more than Baylor. Lance Thomas grabbed eight offensive rebounds, Brian Zoubek four and Miles Plumlee -- I think it was Miles -- three.
The Blue Devils are unselfish, play superior defense and don't panic. Even when their best player, Kyle Singler, failed to hit even a single field goal Sunday, they didn't panic.
Duke did have the easiest path to the Final Four among the top seeds. But nobody gets to the Final Four without earning it.
Perhaps the surprise is that so many of us are surprised. Perhaps we should have seen this coming.
Congrats on picking WVU. I doubt anybody picked the entire final four. Dook was my only correct choice.
Posted by: Ben | March 29, 2010 at 11:16 AM
Hey Tom. Last night on The Simpsons, Homer referenced the Carolina Panthers two times. One where he whooped out his Carolina Panthers credit card. And the other where he fell into a truck full of pre-owned yarmulkes and pulled out a Carolina Panthers one.
Any chance you can run down the backstory on that one?
Posted by: telamon | March 29, 2010 at 11:21 AM
Nice little piece Tom.....I was tired of reading Observer Sports pieces predicting Duke's demise over quicker and more atheletic teams.....
Posted by: greatscot123 | March 29, 2010 at 02:07 PM
You have to hand it to Mike K. This guy proves he is of Dean Smith (who retired way too early) calibre and time and time again will take good playmaker teams without hotdog superstars and teach them team ball concept to make the F4 and maybe the top prize. He did play for Bobby Knight way back so that was an added plus.
Tradition and good coaching with hard work pays off. Getting to the F4 separates the men from the boys.
Posted by: Go Dookies | March 30, 2010 at 08:11 AM