WVU was better than UK that night... There's no fluke to it. They executed their game plan, UK didn't. WVU made shots, UK didn't. Kinda disrespectful to WVU to call it a fluke. JMO.

 

I agree with this statement. :thumb:

Bottom line Duke has shooters UK has athlete's Duke hit shots and put the pressure on WVU UK never did do that.

Hate to say it but UK got outcoached in that game. Why they didnt pound the ball inside all night long I will never know. Why they shot so many 3pters after they missed their first 18 I will never know.

 

Duke is better coached and didnt fall for the same crap that the Cats fell for in their game. Duke was better prepared IMO and they guarded the perimeter and attacked the paint against WV. Singler/Sheyer/Big Z all had nice points in and around the paint. Duke also shot well from the perimeter so that also comes into play.

 

I just was not impressed with WV last night at all and I honestly think it was a FLUKE that they beat UK. That is the way it goes though, you have to have some luck to advance in the tourney.

 

:thumb: I'll agree.

If UK had made shots, the outcome would have been similar to the WVU loss to Duke last night.

I think if UK played West Virginia 10 times they would beat them 8, maybe 9. If that's being disrespectful to West Virginia, so be it. It's just the way it is. UK had a better team and should have been in the Final Four.

 

UK couldn't hit wide open shots on that day. They were 4 for 32 from behind the arc. If they go 7 for 32 (22%), they win the game. They simply had a South Carolina game at the wrong time. And West Virginia shot way, way over their head imo.

 

UK did much more to beat themselves than what West Virginia did to beat them. Yes it was a fluke game. Just like when North Carolina State beat Houston in '83 or Villanova beat Georgetown in '85. It happens sometimes.

If UK and WVU played 10 times, UK would win 8. No way WVU shoots that well and UK shoots that terribly again if they play again.

WVU was better than UK that night... There's no fluke to it. They executed their game plan, UK didn't. WVU made shots, UK didn't. Kinda disrespectful to WVU to call it a fluke. JMO.

 

:thumb:

 

Anyone who didn't think WVU was capable of knocking UK off didn't watch much hoops this season. I doubt anyone expected the game to play out the way it did, but the result shouldn't have shocked anyone.

 

WVU shot great from distance, and UK could hit the broad side of a barn, thus allowing a rugged and athletic West Virginia team to defend only 15 feet and in. Regardless of the shooting though, UK could have still won the game had they stayed composed, continued to play great defense and attack the basket whether through penetration or getting the ball inside to their bigs. A team as hot and cold as UK was from long range, can't be surprised when they lose a game that they relied on their shooting to win. West Virginia simply outexecuted and outplayed UK.

 

Duke is a completely different matchup for West Virginia. For starters, you have to defend the entire court and they did a poor job of that last night. Second, West Virginia isn't strong inside, so Duke's ability to stretch the defense and force them to defend more of the court opened up the inside for scoring opportunities and rebounds. UK never got that chance because they couldn't force West Virginia to stretch their defense.

 

And, on top of all that, Duke is playing its best basketball of the season right now, IMO, and most certainly played one of its better games last night (if not its best).

 

I think Seth Davis made the comment that you could count on one hand the number of times that Scheyer, Singler and Smith had played well in the same game this season. West Virginia unfortunately caught them on one of those nights.

UK didn't start making their comeback until Mazzulla fouled out. Before that, they were rolling as UK had nobody who could stop him.

 

I think some of you aren't giving West Va enough credit. This was a team that won 30 games this season, despite playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country. You can say UK did this or that, but the bottom line was that West Va's length and athleticism bothered UK at both ends of the floor. They attacked the rim which got UK in foul trouble. Cats settled for jump shots and got beat. End of story.

 

Honestly, I don't think it mattered who won the WV-UK game. Duke would have beaten both. Why? They can consistently knock down the trey, play disciplined, fundamental basketball, play tough hard-nosed defense, and most importantly have the size and length to match up with UK.

Actually, WVU shot better from the field and from 3pt range last night than they did against UK.

 

The difference was Duke made shots, UK didn't. It's that simple.

UK didn't start making their comeback until Mazzulla fouled out. Before that, they were rolling as UK had nobody who could stop him.

 

I think some of you aren't giving West Va enough credit. This was a team that won 30 games this season, despite playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country. You can say UK did this or that, but the bottom line was that West Va's length and athleticism bothered UK at both ends of the floor. They attacked the rim which got UK in foul trouble. Cats settled for jump shots and got beat. End of story.

 

Honestly, I don't think it mattered who won the WV-UK game. Duke would have beaten both. Why? They can consistently knock down the trey, play disciplined, fundamental basketball, play tough hard-nosed defense, and most importantly have the size and length to match up with UK.

 

:thumb:

Hard to say but I don't think you are to far off. That is the nature of the beast with a tournament like that. Teams that are hot move on and teams with a bad game like UK get beat. I think if UK and WVU play 10 times(With Mazulla at PG) UK probably wins 7 or 8 times. Just happened to be one of those games. Might have been a good thing because a loss to Duke in the FF would have been an epic meltdown in Big Blue Nation. :lol:

I have said that I feel UK would've beat WVU 18 of 20 times.

Would Duke have played Man against UK the way they did against WVU.

 

I'd like UK's chances against any team not in the NBA that tried to play Man to Man D against them.

Doesn't matter at this point.

I have said that I feel UK would've beat WVU 18 of 20 times.

 

Without their point guard, I agree. With him, I disagree.

 

The beauty of the tourney is that all it takes is one bad/good game for a top team to fall or a Cinderella to advance.

No fluke, UK just did what they did in their other two losses on the season, stopped going inside, kept kicking it out for the wide open miss, and couldn't help but miss free throws or turn the ball over once they got the score within two posesssions. Not to many better recipes for a loss out there.

:thumb:

 

Anyone who didn't think WVU was capable of knocking UK off didn't watch much hoops this season. I doubt anyone expected the game to play out the way it did, but the result shouldn't have shocked anyone.

 

WVU shot great from distance, and UK could hit the broad side of a barn, thus allowing a rugged and athletic West Virginia team to defend only 15 feet and in. Regardless of the shooting though, UK could have still won the game had they stayed composed, continued to play great defense and attack the basket whether through penetration or getting the ball inside to their bigs. A team as hot and cold as UK was from long range, can't be surprised when they lose a game that they relied on their shooting to win. West Virginia simply outexecuted and outplayed UK.

 

Duke is a completely different matchup for West Virginia. For starters, you have to defend the entire court and they did a poor job of that last night. Second, West Virginia isn't strong inside, so Duke's ability to stretch the defense and force them to defend more of the court opened up the inside for scoring opportunities and rebounds. UK never got that chance because they couldn't force West Virginia to stretch their defense.

 

And, on top of all that, Duke is playing its best basketball of the season right now, IMO, and most certainly played one of its better games last night (if not its best).

 

I think Seth Davis made the comment that you could count on one hand the number of times that Scheyer, Singler and Smith had played well in the same game this season. West Virginia unfortunately caught them on one of those nights.

This is a brilliant post.....UK in reality was one of the two best teams in the country, IMO.....actually likely would've beat Duke. That's the beauty of the tournament, any team can win any night. Duke has been good when needed, can they continue it one more night? No tellin'.....I am glad that they have the opportunity.