Katz Article ignoring the Hoyas

[doublehoya]

sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=2315993

This article kills me. The jist of it is that Duke "benefitted" from the BC game because they haven't had any close games in a while. Didn't we JUST BEAT THEM in a CLOSE game 13 DAYS AGO?

Here's my favorite delusional quote, from Shelden Williams:

""We haven't had a close game in a while and we let up a bit," Williams said. "We weren't strong with the ball late. We gave them a turnover. We had to regroup and concentrate in the final minutes."

It is almost like the Dukies have blocked any memories of their loss to the Hoyas!

OK, maybe I am being hard on Shelly -- I just looked at his stat line from the Hoyas v. Duke game again -- Of course he doesn't remember the game that day -- his performance was utterly forgettable:

sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore?gid=200601210229

How can you writte an article like this and not point out that Duke was not only in a close game, but actually lost said game, less that two weeks ago?

[pkhoya03]

Can't fault Shelly.

He's obviously had way too much nerve tonic:
www.duke.edu/~ak19/2004_01_18_archive.html

[CO_Hoya]

Franky, for most of the game, it wasn't really close.

[Boz]

It should come as a surprise to no one that everyone who talks regularly about Duke wears blinders.

From the Duke-BC broadcast:
Vitale: Some team is going to make a big mistake by not drafting JJ Redick.
Patrick: EVERY team that passes on him in the draft will regret it.

Really? #1 in the draft, huh? You wouldn't rather have, say, Adam Morrison? LaMarcus Aldridge? No, no. Give me the the 6'2" 150 guard who can't play the point.

If pressed on this, I am sure Katz will defend himself by saying he meant a close game that Duke won, but I guarantee he wasn't thinking about the Georgetown game at all.

[HeartAttackHoya]

Georgetown beat Duke?

[MCIGuy]

There is not a greater tool than Patrick. His lack of knowledge of college basketball is stunning but understandable since he has made a vow to only watch ACC games. He's worse than Vitale and man is that saying something.

[AvantGuardHoya]

cohoya said:

Franky, for most of the game, it wasn't really close.

I think CO's got it right: we lead Dook by so much for so long in our game that even they don't think of it as "close". They managed to get back in the game, but we had them spanked. The BC game was a 40 minute nip and tucker.

[doublehoya]

avantguardhoya said:

cohoya said:

Franky, for most of the game, it wasn't really close.

I think CO's got it right: we lead Dook by so much for so long in our game that even they don't think of it as "close". They managed to get back in the game, but we had them spanked. The BC game was a 40 minute nip and tucker.

This may be true, but I know I was biting my nails in the final minutes. Also, even if this is true, the way I read it was "We've blown every opponent out of the water this season, so we were not used to playing 40 tough minutes."

Don't you think if you were Katz you would say, "The Georgetown Hoyas made Duke its prision bitch less than two weeks ago, so take Shelly's quote with a grain of salt" -- or, you know, something to that effect?

[SFHoya99]

I think Katz's point was simply that Duke hadn't had to hold a close lead, and says so in the opening paragraph, I think.

OTOH, since they blew an 18 point lead to get that close one, not sure what they learned.

Shelden's quote, on the other hand...well, I'd black it out if someone made me their woman, too.

[theexorcist]

Don't fault Katz. The issue is not Duke and close games. The issue is Duke protecting a lead.

"But they hadn't had to protect a lead down to the final possession since Memphis and Virginia Tech, games that were well before New Year's."

It's reasonable to assume that, in most cases in the future, Duke will lead at *some* point in the game, and, in most cases, will have a lead against a good team late. Closing teams out is important.

[AvantGuardHoya]

Double:

Clearly this is about interpretation. As I read the open to Katz's article his premise had more to do with Duke having to protect a lead down the stretch, apparently something they haven't had to do since December. Again, that wasn't an option vs. us. We had them in the hole; one they couldn't quite climb out of. Yes, our game became close late. But for the vast majority of the contest we had their number.

So I can live with Katz's storyline. It seems to me to have more to do with a reality that was different from what Duke experienced in our game. Call me generous today !

[AvantGuardHoya]

Like theexcorcist said....

[AvantGuardHoya]

Oops.... and SFHoya99, too.

Y'all be typin' and postin' faster than I can read!!

[doublehoya]

I can forgive Katz -- but Shelly is clearly delusional!

[CAHoya07]

I had the exact same reaction as doublehoya when I saw this article. "Gut-check can do wonders"? He wouldn't call their loss to us a gut check? Makes it sound as if Duke had blown everybody they had played out of the water this entire season. Also, umm, remember the Virginia Tech game back in December? They had to protect THAT lead down to the final possession, and they actually blew it and needed nothing short of a miracle shot by Dockery to win it.

I'm not at all opposed to the article, but the tone just kind of Editeded me off. But whatever, let's not worry about Duke now, let's just beat Pitt on Sunday and climb higher in the rankings and RPI.