Saved By the Blog - Est. 2004

Okay, so maybe that's wishful thinking on my part, but it is (or should be) totally realistic to believe Duke could miss the Tournament this year.  After losing three straight in the ACC, they are 5-5 in the conference with six ACC games left.  Because Duke always gets the luxury of playing all their early season games at home, only two of their remaining six games are in Cameron.

Their final six ACC games, in order: at Maryland, at BC, GA Tech at home, at Clemson, Maryland at home, and at UNC.  It is entirely possible that Duke will finish the season with only seven ACC victories, which should not be good enough to earn them a spot in the Tournament, unless they somehow beat UNC on the road to finish the season or make a deep run in the ACC Tourney.

On top of that, their non-conference victories are nothing special.  The beat Air Force, Indiana and Georgetown, all within the first three weeks of the season and all in Durham, of course, because they're too scared to play any games away from home prior to ACC play.

But alas, I realize that we live in a world where Duke means money and if you asked Mike Patrick and Dick Vitale, the Blue Devils are still the best team in the country.  Their RPI is currently very strong as well (top 15), but it's not often seven conference wins gets you a bid, and I'm sure the rest of the ACC would love nothing more than to beat Duke and force them to take their cheer sheets to the MSG.

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• #3 Comment from sportzassassin 
  2/8/07 1:19 PM | Permalink

  Chris, you are way off base.  Duke doesn't play all it's early games at home!
  
  They take on all prominent non-conference foes in the New York area, duh!  Duke won't play anyone on their home court....they go to New York.  Unless it is St. John's or Seton Hall, who already play in New York.  
  
  I mean, it is a complete neutral site game when Duke takes on Gonzaga at MSG.  All you Dook haters are the same!!!
  
  Oh, and spank them on Sunday night.  Heels 79-73
  
  -Sportz
• #2 Comment from sportzassassin 
  2/8/07 1:14 PM | Permalink

  McRoberts was crying in a towel with Coach Wojo yelling at him like a spoiled kid.  That's what Tar Heels do in Durham....make Dook "stars" cry.  JJ last year, McRoberts this year.
  
  -Sportz
• #1 Comment from dcsportsguy 
  2/8/07 1:08 PM | Permalink

  I didn't see this in-game, but SportsCenter highlights show that McRoberts may or may not have been crying into a towel after getting pulled out for his fourth foul with most of the second half remaining.