Championships

Well, honestly, I am surprised Duke won by 17. It's a complete turnaround from the last month's play. But they looked like a team. A NCAA championship worthy team. Everyone contributed. Thank you UNC for awaking the Duke firepower. We're back!

Nolan Smith of course got the MVP and was 1st team all ACC for the tournament. Kyle Singler joined him.

Kyle was a beast on defense. Seriously. Best defender of the game and tournament. He finally broke his scoring slump against UNC just in time to win the ACC Championship. Way to go Kyle!

The inside guys were phenomenal! Miles, Mason, and Ryan together shot around 72% I believe. That's pretty awesome isn't it? I mean they stepped up majorly.

Andre and Seth of course sent those 3s through the nets. They were on fire and helped Duke always when UNC went on a run.

And if you didn't know, Kyrie Irving has a good chance of playing in the tournament. Everyone should just give up if Kyrie comes back. Duke is unstoppable with him.

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UConn won the Big East. They beat an outstanding Louisville team. I was highly impressed by the team effort behind Kemba Walker. If Smith doesn't get player of the year, I would want him to have it. I was so happy to see UConn pull it off in the end.

Kentucky won the SEC. Slightly surprised by that. They are good, but honestly, not better than Florida or Vanderbilt. They have a ton of talent, but won't make it far in the tournament. They crack too easily.

Kansas unfortunately won the Big 12 championship. I have no idea what happened to Texas. They looked like a different team from the one that beat Kansas at Kansas. I just shook my head when I watched that game. Texas, where'd you go?

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Well, these are the championships I watched. Ohio State is going on right now. I don't really see a Penn State team beating a team like OSU, but the Big Ten has gone downhill pretty fast. There is only one good team now, being Ohio State, so they will win their championship.

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Brackets come out tonight. My #1 seeds are Ohio State, Kansas, Duke, and Notre Dame. Ohio State and Kansas are obvious #1 seeds. Duke definitely got a #1 seed for me after their dominating performance against UNC in the ACC Championship game. Pitt lost their #1 seed for me after going out early in their conference tournament.

Can't wait for March Madness to start. It's what everyone waits for all season. It's finally here! Go Duke!

"It's not goodbye, just goodnight. I'll be back."

So Kyle Singler, Casey Peters, and Nolan Smith finished their careers at Cameron Indoor tonight. It's been an amazing 4 years of basketball thanks to them.

Kyle Singler had 18 points and 11 rebounds in his final game on Duke's home floor. He will finish his home season in the top 5 on Duke's all time scoring list. He could finish as high as 3rd at the end of the postseason. That's surely something special at a historic basketball school like Duke. He's been a team leader, a guy you can always rely on. I know that one day his jersey will hang high in the rafters of Cameron Indoor. He will be a part of the Crazies forever.

Nolan Smith, one of the players in the running for National Player of the Year, had 21 points and 7 assists. He, in my opinion, should be player of the year for the way he holds together the team. He's the emotional leader of the team and will be greatly missed. You always see him in videos hanging out with Kyrie, Josh, and Tyler (the trio). Hilarious. His personality is infectious to the team. His jersey will also hang high in those Duke rafters someday. He will live in the Crazies hearts for a lifetime.

And you can't forget Casey Peters. He's been a part of the team for the past 3 years as a manager. Good friends with Kyle and Nolan through the years. He's been working hard every day to get his place on the team. After all that hard work, before the season started, he got a coveted Duke jersey and got to join the team once again, not as a manager, but as a player. It had to be so special for him to get the jersey for the final senior season. He's been a vital part of the team.

Duke finishes another undefeated season at home. They once again get to cut down the nets at Cameron Indoor. They are the defenders of their home floor and have only 2 losses at home with Singler and Smith as a part of the team.

Duke, should they beat UNC on Saturday at Chapel Hill, will win the regular season championship and move to #3 due to BYU's loss. They will get a #1 seed in the tournament and will make a run for the national title once more.

It's been an amazing season to watch. Fewer losses than last year, scoring better, and shooting the 3s about the same. If Duke lights the fire against UNC, they might just be unstoppable for the rest of the postseason.

Duke basketball is what basketball should be about. The love for the game and the drive to win. They don't run around getting mad at every call that didn't go their way. They always feel like they can win. They are humble guys at their core and take nothing for granted. Plus they have the best coach in men's basketball. Coach K has helped the seniors get to where they are today. It must be a blessing to play for a legendary coach.

All us Crazies love the seniors. The heart and soul of Duke. It doesn't matter if Duke gets another championship this April. We love our team and will be there with them through thick and thin. Don't forget that a national championship banner already hangs in the rafters due to them. Never ever forget that.

You are already champions in our heart!!


As Nolan Smith says...."It's not goodbye, just goodnight. I'll be back."