Not sure whether to say MSU is better at defense, or Duke is worse at offense. Probably a little of both, but boy is Duke’s offense ugly today
Anyone raising their MSU predictions?
A lot of people here were way down on this team…
Are my expectation too high or is this a really rough game for two top ten teams. Even MSU is pretty choppy.
I think you forgot what college basketball looks like usually 
Champions Classic games are usually pretty low scoring. Freshmen might not know what’s going on but talented freshmen are real athletic and can usually play some defense. They also don’t really know how to play offense.
Yeah I was about to grant that I’ve seen lots of NBA but little college since March.
Reminds me why I watch very little outside Michigan until the tournament.
I had them third and I’m not sure I’m ready to change that prediction yet. I think Big Ten’s top 4 teams are all better than Duke. I have not been impressed with them at all. No offense, bad defense and only one lottery pick talent to try to make up for the deficiencies
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Am I crazy or is this the least talented Duke team I’ve seen take the floor in a long time?
They seem way short on the obvious first round picks they’ve been lousy with every year.
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Does Izzo have MSU at the strongest point they’ve ever been? 3 straight conference championships, a final four, elevated recruiting…
I guess probably not higher than 1998-2003 (of which I am not old enough to really remember), but def the highest since then.
Yeah if they don’t take even a slight dip this year, that’s pretty terrifying. Lose Winston and Tillman and just stay…exactly the same? With a really nice class coming next year too and only one (fifth year) senior on the roster
I mean this Duke team has eight top 40 players
I realize they don’t have a Zion or a Jabari or a Jahlil
But if they aren’t good it’s because they didn’t develop their talent.
6 top 30 kids
8 top 40 kids
9 top 50 kids
If Izzo recruits like that people right about the generational talent he’s recruited.
Roster management wise they’re just on a level above every team in the country I think. Lose Tillman? Have a top 60 developmental big on his 3rd year to replace him, along with a senior program guy that can hustle. Lose Winston? Got another top 50 sophomore and a gaggle of junior wings (all of which are highly ranked and one could be in the nba) to take his place. Just crazy.
Just not really any big busts on any recruits. No one transfers. No one leaves earlier than expected for the NBA. No other program in the country has those 3. Beilein never managed it. I’m not sure it’s even possible to completely replicated
Kansas is the other team that comes to mind that checks the same boxes. And well they dominate their conference at a level no one else has
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Duke is not offensively capable of completing this comeback IMO. Especially with only 6 minutes left
What do you see on the floor? To me, this is a shocking drop off from every Duke team I’ve seen in the last decade.
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God who are those dbag Sparty assistants on the baseline? Would love to see them accidentally wiped out after a play at the rim. Tools.
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Top 40 doesn’t mean the same thing as OAD lottery talent. Plenty of top 40 guys aren’t anything special in their freshman seasons. Think Walton, Irvin, Chatman, etc. I wouldn’t want to rely on my entire core being young inexperienced top 40 guys. That said, this could be the first freshman class that K has had in awhile that will have most of the class stick around for 2-3 years. So it could be good for the program. This year may be a struggle by Duke standards though
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Then that’s on coach K.
The consensus scouting opinion is that this is, by FAR the most talented team in the ACC, and significantly moreso than MSU. If they don’t play that way, well…
Sort of an interesting dynamic to think about when you consider that Michigan’s team next year is going to be loaded with 10-60ish ranked kids – who will need to contribute right away.
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