This is the 2nd game of Saturday's Final 4 between the Houston Cougars and the Duke Blue Devils. The winner will play in Monday's National Championship game vs. the winner of the Florida and Auburn. This game is scheduled to tip at 8:49pm. Duke is playing great ball now and Houston is known for the great defense. It will be interesting to see which one prevails in this one the Blue Devils offense or the Cougars defense.

Old model vs new model.

One and done/talent vs portal/experience.

Duke starting 5 NBA draft picks, #1 pick generational level talent, a lottery pick and another first rounder, all freshmen.

Houston starting 2 seniors, 2 juniors and a sophomore not a one listed as NBA draft pick.

If this Duke team doesn't win it all, it is another huge statement that one and done is finished as a championship model.

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

If this Duke team doesn't win it all, it is another huge statement that one and done is finished as a championship model.

They are in the Final Four and have dominated a series of teams with the "new model." To say that if they lose in a one-game scenario, in the Final Four, as evidence that their model can't work is oversimplifying things. If the two choices are Cooper Flagg or Jaxson Robinson (using him as an example, being a vet) for a final scholarship slot, and you pick the latter, as an AD I would terminate the coach on the spot.

Generational talent is the key differentiator here. You don't bypass Anthony Davis, Zion, Wemby (if he were American), etc. I don't care what era of college basketball we are in. Yeah, winning it all with a touted freshman class, sans generational talent, will probably not happen. Of course, that's never really been the case despite several teams being on the cusp.

Rooting for Houston, though! I have a lot of respect for what Sampson has been able to accomplish as a head coach.

But if I am being honest, this is an incredibly likable Duke team.

The winner of this game will be the National Champion. 

2 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

If this Duke team doesn't win it all, it is another huge statement that one and done is finished as a championship model.

If by one and done you mean a team full of freshmen, I completely agree. I think that's already obvious. 

We are living in a different one and done era now, in the form of the transfer portal. 

24 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

If by one and done you mean a team full of freshmen, I completely agree. I think that's already obvious. 

We are living in a different one and done era now, in the form of the transfer portal. 

I said this earlier in the season, but it is the irony of all ironies that the better part of the last 25 years, everyone has railed on "one and done" players and team-building philosophies. And that is literally the only thing college basketball is now.

19 minutes ago, bugatti said:

I said this earlier in the season, but it is the irony of all ironies that the better part of the last 25 years, everyone has railed on "one and done" players and team-building philosophies. And that is literally the only thing college basketball is now.

Yep. The only difference is the age. 

15 hours ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

This is the 2nd game of Saturday's Final 4 between the Houston Cougars and the Duke Blue Devils. The winner will play in Monday's National Championship game vs. the winner of the Florida and Auburn. This game is scheduled to tip at 8:49pm. Duke is playing great ball now and Houston is known for the great defense. It will be interesting to see which one prevails in this one the Blue Devils offense or the Cougars defense.

I think the offense part is what makes this Houston team different this year. As Houston has quietly been one of the best offensive teams in the country this year, including being one of the best three point shooting teams. 

With that said Duke has also been one of the best defensive teams in the country this year, to go along with their offense. This definitely should be a great game!

As a college basketball fan unless your favorite team was in it. You really couldn't ask for a better final four weekend. 

This Duke team will be to much for the Houston squad, give me the Dukies by 10.

11 hours ago, bugatti said:

They are in the Final Four and have dominated a series of teams with the "new model." To say that if they lose in a one-game scenario, in the Final Four, as evidence that their model can't work is oversimplifying things. If the two choices are Cooper Flagg or Jaxson Robinson (using him as an example, being a vet) for a final scholarship slot, and you pick the latter, as an AD I would terminate the coach on the spot.

Generational talent is the key differentiator here. You don't bypass Anthony Davis, Zion, Wemby (if he were American), etc. I don't care what era of college basketball we are in. Yeah, winning it all with a touted freshman class, sans generational talent, will probably not happen. Of course, that's never really been the case despite several teams being on the cusp.

The last team to win a title with more than one freshman in the starting lineup was Duke in 2015. Ten years ago. I believe in the nine years since then there have been only three freshmen in total that started for a title winner.

I would love it if Houston wins, but I think Duke will be too much offensively and defensively for Houston. I would be very happy for Kelvin Sampson to advance to a championship and win it, but I don’t see it happening on Saturday.

Duke walks over the Cougs. Duke simply has no offensive droughts and their scoring puts pressure on the opponent forcing them to play with a higher sense of urgency and into more turnovers.

1 hour ago, Jumper_Dad said:

Duke walks over the Cougs. Duke simply has no offensive droughts and their scoring puts pressure on the opponent forcing them to play with a higher sense of urgency and into more turnovers.

They have had offensive droughts especially early on going into early conference play.  The difference is now they seem to realize IF they begin to have a bad shooting stretch Cooper Flagg gets the ball to score.  But every team is susceptible to those bad offense stretches.  Duke appears to have the go to guy figured out though when they hit those.

4 hours ago, cincyswords said:

They have had offensive droughts especially early on going into early conference play.  The difference is now they seem to realize IF they begin to have a bad shooting stretch Cooper Flagg gets the ball to score.  But every team is susceptible to those bad offense stretches.  Duke appears to have the go to guy figured out though when they hit those.

They had droughts 2 months ago, I haven't seen one in the last month. They just wear teams down with efficiency on offense and solid defense.