Love em, hate em, Duke finishes ranked #1 in final poll , 5th time in 7 years

Journeyman · Mar 13, 2006

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Duke is No. 1 in final poll for seventh time, and 5th in 7 years!</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER height="1" type="block" width="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

Duke was back in a familiar place in The Associated Press' final college basketball poll Monday.
The Blue Devils (30-3), the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, were the top-ranked team in the season's final poll for the fifth time since 1999.

They moved back to No. 1 from third after winning the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament last weekend, while Connecticut and Villanova, the teams ahead of them last week, both lost in the Big East tournament.
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trytrytry · Mar 13, 2006

they are a great team. inside and outside and coaching. hard to beat.

NickPappagiorgio · Mar 13, 2006

When was the last time they were ranked #1 in April, when it actually matters. Shows that they are an overrated team since they have not won 5 National Championships in the last 7 years. Dont see them being athletic enough to win it this year either.

Journeyman · Mar 13, 2006

I know a good precentage of people hate Duke and K, but you cannot take anything away from this accomplishment. Duke hasn't even been nearly as dominant in recent years, last 3 especially but still finishing #1 5 of last 7 years in this era is remarkable. K is at the very top of alltime coaches.

trytrytry · Mar 13, 2006

they won one here in MPLS 5 years ago I think?

Journeyman · Mar 13, 2006

tvwatchr said:
When was the last time they were ranked #1 in April, when it actually matters. Shows that they are an overrated team since they have not won 5 National Championships in the last 7 years. Dont see them being athletic enough to win it this year either.

I knew this would be posted.

very true but, there is only one WINNER, it's not as easy as Duke makes it look, that is for sure.

TTinCO · Mar 13, 2006

I can't wait to see this team get knocked off......

Seymour · Mar 14, 2006

Duke has a truly great program that receives an insane amount of promotion - reality is the best team over the last decade is UCONN.

blueedwards · Mar 14, 2006

TTinCO said:
I can't wait to see this team get knocked off......

i will take the points against the dukies every time except for the first round game.

honzie · Mar 14, 2006

If you cannot step up and give the Devils their due, you're in denial or you don't know basketball. Refs did not hand them half their wins as some claim (no more than a dozen), but good debate can be had with Duke vs UConn in past 10 years :103631605

WildBill · Mar 14, 2006

Journeyman said:
I know a good precentage of people hate Duke and K, but you cannot take anything away from this accomplishment. Duke hasn't even been nearly as dominant in recent years, last 3 especially but still finishing #1 5 of last 7 years in this era is remarkable. K is at the very top of alltime coaches.

It's part of his role, but they are here every year because somehow Coach K convinces 4 or 5 of the best HS players in the country that they will get playing time. Then the guys that don't really fit in the program for day one are the ones who end up being the great pros. Brand left early, partly from talent, but partly because he supposedly wasn't happy with sharing the ball with other talented guys. Same for Maggette. Two best pros from Duke and they were among the lone players to jump ship before their time was up. Maybe it says something about Coach K's system as well though.

RobFunk · Mar 14, 2006

Duke has 1 title in 13 years. Easy there killer. They might get the calls in their little puke league, but let's not get carried away here.

Fishhead · Mar 14, 2006

They will be a TOP TEN team for the next 5 years too........and probably beyond.

Without question the best CBB program in the country.

gijoe · Mar 14, 2006

The team that beats them will have to play a super game because Duke will get all the close calls. Coach K is the best at working the ref's.

jwunderdog · Mar 14, 2006

" know a good precentage of people hate Duke and K, but you cannot take anything away from this accomplishment. Duke hasn't even been nearly as dominant in recent years, last 3 especially but still finishing #1 5 of last 7 years in this era is remarkable. K is at the very top of alltime coaches."

In the polls yes , on the court after it is all said and done, they have proven to be #1 one time in the last 13 years. In NCAA basketball where you finish in the Tourney is where it counts, not where the polls put you before the tourney. If you compare what Calhoun has done verses Coach K it is not even close. Before Coach K was at Duke they had made it to the final 4 several times, I am not sure UConn ever made it to the NCAA tourney, let alone won it before calhoun got to uconn.

DOn't get me wrong both have done a great job, but Calhoun started with "Zero", Coach K was given a team with some tradition.

Journeyman · Mar 14, 2006

funny comments in this thread...'little puke league' 'Duke gets all the calls' 'Coach K was given tradition' 'players unhappy'

It all comes with the territory I guess...I guess Duke and coach K have done nothing right the past 20 years...surely its all been some reason or another besides the fact he is a pretty talented coach.

thetout · Mar 14, 2006

they lost two times in one week and went from first to third kind of odd if you ask me i really dont care about the rankings because they usually dont mean anything except after the tourney i think duke goes home early this year.

stolidog · Mar 14, 2006

stolidog · Mar 14, 2006

RobFunk · Mar 14, 2006

the tout, that is what I think also. People make this guy sound like Wooden. Do something like what Wooden did, then we'll talk. I don't care about the ACC and the polls. Means nothing in terms of being elite. He's a great coach. But there's a lot of other great coaches out there. Putting Mike on a pedestal is rediculous. Mike is no better than Calhoun, Boeheim, Roy Williams, Calipari, etc etc. He just happens to be in a stable situation. He's mediocre as a recuiter, coaches pretty good and knows to lie to kids and that is easy since they cant do nothing but hang around. Afterall, they are not NBA bound for the most part. Mike also excels at working the refs. Thats what karakasizsky brewsky for me and youski does.

And the way he handled Maggette is a disgrace, and just shows he is nothing more than a smart guy good at working the system. He kept Cory on the bench becuase he wanted to see him grad as a senior, even though he's the best player on the team. But he left early and got drafted first round. Coach K gets served. I think sha-shef-ski is a punk. I'll never respect the guy. I loved it when UCONN beat them in the title game. I was cheering for that shrimp El-Amin while kryakasizskishaski gave it to the no talent punk Langdon to take it length and try and win it. Total noob coaching call. I hate them with a serious passion.