I would hate to be Penn State on Saturday
Frank Mason Jr. celebrating the game winning shot that sent Kansas past Duke, 79-77.
After being crowned pre-season No.1 with what, on paper, looked to be the best recruiting class in the nation, the Duke Blue Devils took one on the chin last night with a 79-77 loss the Kansas Jayhawks, in Madison Square Garden with all the college basketball world watching.
Hate cliches and I'm almost throwing up on myself typing this but dang if last night's good loss couldn't have come at a better time.
Having that enormous mantle of feeling good about yourself as the No. 1 team in the country, with a ton of basketball blue-bloods coming aboard, and seeing the real No. 1 team in the country, Kentucky, destroy Michigan State then and getting a face-full from another college basketball heavyweight, Kansas, Coach K has plenty of teaching ammunition. The Blue Devils ready to take on Penn State and then, either Cincinnati or Rhode Island in the Uncasville, Conn. classic this weekend.
The truth is Duke was lacking some serious firepower last night, and while the freshman will work their way into the lineup, nothing like Coach K convincing his kids they were the 4th best team on the floor at Madison Square Garden to get everyone dialed in and on the same page.
The truth is Grayson Allen didn't player very well last night, 4-15 from the field, 1-7 from deep.
The truth is Duke got crushed on the boards last night, 34-22.
The truth is the Kansas guards outplayed Duke's guards.
Suddenly, any thoughts of a perfect season are gone and the enjoyable bubble of hype and hysteria is burst.
Time to go back to work, get people healthy, do it the Duke way, all with a veteran coach who's likely to light a fire with some intense and precise practices this week.
Nothing like getting a team's attention early....Be nervous Penn State, very nervous!
