Duke superteam?

[Orange Barrel]

Player A: 35.9 MPG, 25.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.9 BPG, 1.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, .473 FG%, .404 3P%
Player B: 36.4 MPG, 22.2 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 0.9 BPG, 2.4 APG, 1.7 SPG, .453 FG%, .337 3p%


I'd like to know what people are smoking who doesn't think this debate has legs.

Melo played against better competition in a much better league. We absolutely smoked the Big XII that season.

 

[Orange Barrel]

Not so sure about our experience down low trumping their young talent. Rak was having a career senior year and got schooled twice by frosh Okafor.

 

[HOFCeluck]

much better league.

Debatable

 

[cuseattle]

I think it's a fair question if you ask who was the better college basketball player. I would give the nod to Durant in the regular season, but Melo progressed as the season went along and given that he had a chance to shine and thrive in the pressure situations you can't say Durant was the better player.

But who had more success -- clearly Melo since he won the title.

What is amusing about Melo's frosh year, is in 2003 (before the tourney) analysts were still of the old view that Freshman could not be the best players in CBB. Carmelo Anthony received less All America votes then freaking Hollis ???? (forgot his last name) from Oklahoma.

After Melo, the narrative switched fairly quickly that freshman could dominate in the new era, and they were fairly appreciated in national rankings (if not over appreciated)

Hollis Price. Funny I remember that, but everyday I spend ten minutes looking for my keys.

 

[sufandu]

Melo played against better competition in a much better league. We absolutely smoked the Big XII that season.

You remember that Melo and Durant weren't the same year, right? I do think Melo faced tougher competition, but us smoking them during our run has nothing to do with how good the Big XII was during Durant's year.

 

[Orange Barrel]

You remember that Melo and Durant weren't the same year, right? I do think Melo faced tougher competition, but us smoking them during our run has nothing to do with how good the Big XII was during Durant'S year.

Well aware. Big XII was better in 2003 than 2007 and we dominated them. Big East was better than Big XII both years.

 

[jncuse]

Well aware. Big XII was better in 2003 than 2007 and we dominated them. Big East was better than Big XII both years.

The Big East was still not at that level it would be around 2008-2010. The level of play compared to B12 was about the same, and this could be seen from reviewing KenPom ratings from 2003.

Syracuse dominated the B12 in the tourney not because the BE was much better, but because it was a young team with its 3 dominant players (2 frosh + 1 soph) who were growing and developing rapidly.

That being said in 2003 the BE was starting it's upswing from a somewhat lacking 10-12 year period for the conference (other than 1996)

 

[Briancuse]

You remember that Melo and Durant weren't the same year, right? I do think Melo faced tougher competition, but us smoking them during our run has nothing to do with how good the Big XII was during Durant'S year.

We played some really good teams during the 03 run. Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma were really good,and that Manhattan team was no joke either.

 

[Dave85]

We played some really good teams during the 03 run. Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma were really good,and that Manhattan team was no joke either.

It just seems like to me we are always in the bracket with the teams having the best 3-point shooting percentages in the country. I've always wondered if this was by design.

 

[HOFCeluck]

It just seems like to me we are always in the bracket with the teams having the best 3-point shooting percentages in the country. I've always wondered if this was by design.

Yes

 

[HOFCeluck]

I think people forget how down the big east was in the early 2000's.

 

[sufandu]

We played some really good teams during the 03 run. Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma were really good,and that Manhattan team was no joke either.

I know. Texas and Oklahoma were #1 seeds and Kansas was considered the top #2 seed. My point was that that had no bearing on the discussion comparing Melo to Durant. And team success doesn't immediately translate to a single player being better than another single player.

 

[OttoMets]

I've got to scratch my head at superteam sorts of predictions in July (the same goes for top-ten Syracuse talk). Duke and Syracuse are in the same boat - talented, OK, but a group of kids who've never played together. Maybe they're Final Four teams, maybe they'll lose 10 games, but nobody knows.

Seems that people were raving about Duke and Kentucky's chances at this time last year. What everyone forgot: half these high school 'stars' don't pan out, can't form a cohesive winning team.

This free agent era makes it impossible to guess what kind of season a team is going to have.

Preemptive bump, before the Bagley commitment leads people to make hyperbolic claims again.

Here's predicting that Duke won't go 40-0 or advance past the national semifinal.

 

[skurey]

Bold predictions

 

[007]

Preemptive bump, before the Bagley commitment leads people to make hyperbolic claims again.

Here's predicting that Duke won't go 40-0 or advance past the national semifinal.

So, despite the preemptive bump, you are predicting that Duke will lose at least 1 game and make it to the Final 4?

Seriously though, your point is well taken about making "super team" predictions in July and August.

 

[Shark58]

Assuming Andrew White joins the fold (hopefully today!), Syracuse should be 1 of about 8 or 10 schools with the talent and experience to compete for a national title next year.

But the field is not as wide open as last year. Duke will have their best team since 2002 and will be a clear favorite - very tough to beat. But ... a "superteam???"

Duke is bringing the superteam back to college basketball

Hopefully, Syracuse will get 3 cracks at them next year. Can't wait!

do you think White will play the 2 or 3?

 

[Trueblue25]

Bad News Cuse 88
Duke Super Team 85

Cameron Indoor is ours again.

 

[Brooky03]

Duke, do you even basketball, bro?

No, didn't think so. Cuse - 90 Duke - 72.