Hating on Duke?

     Heading into the 2010 Final Four it felt as if the entire country was rooting for anyone besides Duke. I’ve asked a few people to give their reasons on why they dislike Duke so much and the responses I got were pretty ridiculous. “Because, I just don’t like them”, one said.

     The truth of the matter is, majority of the fans that hate Duke do not have a genuine reason on why. But, how could you hate Duke? They’re not a team from a big city who bought their championship, cough Yankees. They are not a team with a starting lineup filled with top 10 picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. When you really analyze it, Duke is just a basketball team that wins consistently and does it the right way.

     The Blue Devils are similar to that one family relative that gets all the attention at parties and gets talked about so much on how perfect they are. It is natural to be jealous sometimes and envy someone. However, if you are going to dislike someone, at least have a legitimate reason and “Because” is not a good one.

If you have nothing on your paper, here are 10 reasons to love Duke.

1. Legacy
Duke University is well known for its basketball program. Very few teams have the respect and history that Duke has. It almost seems as if every year Duke is a top dog and in today’s basketball scene, this is very rare. North Carolina went from National Champs, to barely making the NIT tournament. Duke’s consistency, history, and legendary head coach, make their legacy almost untouchable.

2. Respectful Athletes
You rarely see any Duke University athlete ever bad mouth someone or talk trash. Also, you rarely here about any disciplinary issues that go on which makes Duke almost a role model. In a day in age where you hear about numerous athletes getting cut from teams due to academic or disciplinary reasons, Duke has kept a respectful background and done its best to stay that way.

3. Christian Laettner
If you Google the best basketball buzzer beaters in history, Christian Laettner’s name will be in the top of that list. Laettner was the ultimate college basketball star. He is the only player in the history of college basketball to start 4 straight final fours. His jersey was retired and he will always be remembered as one of the greatest college basketball players. Oh yea, by the way, he played for Duke.

4. Academic Profile
Although Duke’s basketball gets most of the spotlight, people tend to forget just how good of an overall university Duke really is. They are always ranked in the top ten in the country when it comes to academics and they also have one of the best graduation rates in division 1 college basketball.

5. Lack of Athleticism
This year’s Duke basketball team was no wear near perfect. They were often called “unathletic” and had a team with not 1 top 20 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. However, they still managed to come out on top due to heart and determination. They are not future NBA stars that will make millions in a few years. They are just a group of kids who know how to play the game, and play it the right way.

6. Cameron Crazies
They are the best fans in college basketball. There is no harder place to play in any college basketball arena than Cameron Indoor Stadium. It is almost surreal how much energy you get just by watching the game and watching the crazies go absolutely fanatical, just from a made free throw.

7. No “one and done”
One of the biggest debates in college basketball right now is the amount of players leaving after their freshmen year in college to go to the pros. In my opinion, this is setting a bad example to our younger society. It’s basically saying that college is not that important. In Duke, you will never see an athlete leaving after just one year to head to the pros. You have to give credit where credit is due and you have to admire that about Duke.

8. Duke & North Carolina
“For every hero, we need a villain.” Duke is involves in quite possibly the biggest rivalry in sports. Every game these two teams play is always played hard and with passion. Whenever the Blue Devils play the Tar Heels, something special happens.

9. Butler Game
Duke’s game against Butler showed just how much passion and heart both teams had. This game proved that Duke is tough and passionate about the sport of basketball. They gave it there all for every single possession and deserved to win their 4th National Championship.

10. Coach K
Mike Krzyzewski is arguably the greatest coach in all of sports. He wins and does it the right way. There is nothing negative about Coach K. I could give you hundreds of reasons about why he is such a good coach, but that would be another article.

Top 7 Impact Players from the 2010 NBA Draft

“Last years draft only had about 7 players make an impact- this year will be very similar!” – Dickie V

The NBA Draft has past and this year’s class is absolutely filled with underclassman. I completely agree with Dickie V’s statement above. The reason there will be probably seven or less players that will make an impact this year is because of their inexperience. To be honest, the NBA Age Limit policy is getting out of hand and it is also hurting not only hurting college basketball, but the NBA as well. But hey, if you want to give a player $23 million dollars a year before they even practice yet, be my guest. It’s your franchise, not mine, that is going to suffer in the long run.

So with that being said, here are the Top 7 players that will make an impact for his team.The 2010 NBA Draft

1. John Wall (Washington Wizards) – Wall was the number one overall pick before his freshman year even started. There is no doubt that this kid has got the talent, but what I want to know is does he have the heart. The 2009/2010 Men’s Kentucky Wildcats team had 5 players go in the first round, and they did not reach the final four. This can only mean one thing that they still have a lot to learn. John Wall is going to be a star, however, it will take him a while. But, that’s not to say that the kid will make a huge impact for the Washington Wizards who right now are in a interesting position with 3 solid point guards who all want playing time.

2. Wesley Johnson (Minnesota Timberwolves) – Out of all of the top five picks, Wesley Johnson is probably the closest one to NBA ready. Plenty of college experience and athleticism, Johnson is also a terrific defender as well. He is definitely a role player, as he still needs a bit more polishing in certain areas of his game. However, he is going to make a huge impact for the Timberwolves.

3. DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings) – DeMarcus Cousins is the kid in high school that everyone hated because he was big, arrogant, and talented. Cousins’ is arguably the most gifted out of all the prospects, and also the one with the biggest attitude. This pick from Sacramento is going to be a hit or miss. If it hits, DeMarcus Cousins will be a big time player in only a couple of months. On the other hand, his work ethic and immaturity can easily land him on the all time “bust” list.

4. Avery Bradley (Boston Celtics) – Bradley is a Tony Allen type player. The only difference is that he can actually score. Tony Allen is a tremendous basketball player with incredible defensive awareness. He annoyed the hell out of Kobe during the Finals’. The only problem was that when the Celtics were on offense, Allen was nowhere to be found. This is where Avery Bradley comes in. He is not only going to lock down the opposing team’s best player, he is also going to score as well.

5. Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons) – Detroit desperately needed a big man, and they got one. Monroe could have gone to the draft last year, however he stayed for one more year. Although he didn’t improve as much as people thought he would, there was improvement shown. Monroe will most likely start as soon as the season starts and could easily lead the team in rebounding and scoring.

6. James Anderson (San Antonio Spurs) – The Spurs are the New England Patriots of the NBA. Anderson is in a perfect system, as he is not required to carry the load. He is a 6’6 shooting guard who can shoot it from three and can score at will. There is no doubt that James Anderson will be a game changer for the Spurs.

7. Derrick Favors (New Jersey Nets) – Some say that DeMarcus Cousins is more talented than Favors. But any college basketball player who goes to the gym to work out right after they lose a tough game deserves to be in the top three. Favors had a fairly weak Georgia Tech team yet still found a way to win and execute. The Nets need all the help they can get and Favors will certainly help them. Also, he is not the only big man on their frontcourt as Brook Lopez will be right next to him posting up as well.

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