Maryland vs Duke

[DocBarrister]

Why does every thread on this forum end up as a discussion about Hopkins? It's ridiculous. Is it any wonder every fanbase roots against them? You guys have the most active page in the forum. Talk about Hopkins there. Please stop with the Hopkins beat team X (or played them close), team X beat team Y and team Y beat team Z, so Hopkins would beat teams Y and Z and therefore was one of the best teams in D1. Those comparisons are absurd.

Why are you talking about Johns Hopkins? This is the Maryland-Duke thread. What’s the matter with you?

DocBarrister

[a fan]

I don’t think I’ve really speculated about anything,

You say this...and then follow with wild speculation.

but to answer your question: obvious bias from the national media and the selection committee is a big reason why the ACC was so heavily featured in the semis.

The media---as tiny as it is for our sport----has NOTHING to do with who gets NCAA bids.

As for the selection committee-----do you know who is on the committee this year?

Playing a conference only schedule, with a potentially historically-great team and another very good team at the top, meant the other four teams were basically spotted four losses each. So of course they all ended up with losing records.

Read these two sentences out loud. Does that sound like you are describing a tough conference top to bottom-----or a conference with two great teams, and four "meh" teams that have no chance of beating the two great teams? ....you're not making much of a case here.

You and most everyone else took that to be proof that the conference was weak

No. I take the simple fact that there are 3 ACC teams in the Final Four, and just one Big Ten.... as proof that the ACC was stronger this year.

Pretty solid evidence, no?

Enjoy the game monday! Should be a great one!

[Essexfenwick]

^^^^ end of the year Hopkins would have been in the final 4. Rutgers would have beaten Duke. Best 4 teams are UMD UVA Hopkins ... then a tie Rutgers..UNC..ND

[Matnum PI]

Duke looked awful...

[CU77]

then a tie Rutgers..UNC

Gee, I could have sworn I saw a game where Rutgers lost to UNC ... must have been a dream ...

[NYterp09]

I don’t think I’ve really speculated about anything,

You say this...and then follow with wild speculation.

but to answer your question: obvious bias from the national media and the selection committee is a big reason why the ACC was so heavily featured in the semis.

The media---as tiny as it is for our sport----has NOTHING to do with who gets NCAA bids.

As for the selection committee-----do you know who is on the committee this year?

Playing a conference only schedule, with a potentially historically-great team and another very good team at the top, meant the other four teams were basically spotted four losses each. So of course they all ended up with losing records.

Read these two sentences out loud. Does that sound like you are describing a tough conference top to bottom-----or a conference with two great teams, and four "meh" teams that have no chance of beating the two great teams? ....you're not making much of a case here.

You and most everyone else took that to be proof that the conference was weak

No. I take the simple fact that there are 3 ACC teams in the Final Four, and just one Big Ten.... as proof that the ACC was stronger this year.

Pretty solid evidence, no?

Enjoy the game monday! Should be a great one!

So I offered some speculation after you had already accused me of speculating...and that somehow vindicates the original accusation? That backwards logic aside, you are honestly doing a terrible job at making this argument. Please just stop. So the B1G having two great teams at the top somehow diminishes the quality of the rest of the teams in the conference? Do you even hear yourself talk? Didn’t look like Duke had much of a chance of beating one of those great teams today, so are they just a “meh” team? Cuz every team in the B1G put up a better showing than they did today.

[calourie]

Duke looked awful...

Terrible showing by Duke today. Has no bearing on what will happen Monday.

[Matnum PI]

Terrible showing by Duke today. Has no bearing on what will happen Monday.

I hope so. Otherwise, UVA is in for a long day and viewers are in for another blow-out (which is not so enjoyable).

[Henpecked]

Can we put an end to JT Giles-Harris talk about being the best defenseman in college lacrosse? There were three guys on the field in today’s game that are better defensemen and one is his teammate.

Grill
Makar
Brower

In that order.

[a fan]

So I offered some speculation after you had already accused me of speculating...and that somehow vindicates the original accusation? That backwards logic aside, you are honestly doing a terrible job at making this argument. Please just stop.

I'm not the one trying to convince myself that the Big Ten was the best conference in 2021, when 5 of the 7 teams didn't play one single game against a non conference team---and all 5 missed the NCAA playoffs entirely. But sure, I'm the guy who isn't make sense here. Your argument is rock solid.

Didn’t look like Duke had much of a chance of beating one of those great teams today, so are they just a “meh” team?

Nope. They're literally tied for 3rd best team in the NCAA. Scoreboard. Here's how it works in our sport (thankfully): if you want Duke's claim as tied as the third best team in the NCAA? Quit making excuses, and make it to the Final Four. Period. Every Big Ten team had their chance to do that. Only one made it. Scoreboard.

Cuz every team in the B1G put up a better showing than they did today.

So what? My Syracuse team beat the cr*p out of UVa earlier this year. Is it your plan to tell us that Syracuse is the best team in the country if UVa wins on Monday?

Or are you going to realize that this line of thinking is moronic, and that Syracuse lost in the first round, fair and square.... and just let it go and enjoy the last game of the year?

[NYterp09]

So I offered some speculation after you had already accused me of speculating...and that somehow vindicates the original accusation? That backwards logic aside, you are honestly doing a terrible job at making this argument. Please just stop.

I'm not the one trying to convince myself that the Big Ten was the best conference in 2021, when 5 of the 7 teams didn't play one single game against a non conference team---and all 5 missed the NCAA playoffs entirely. But sure, I'm the guy who isn't make sense here. Your argument is rock solid.

Didn’t look like Duke had much of a chance of beating one of those great teams today, so are they just a “meh” team?

Nope. They're literally tied for 3rd best team in the NCAA. Scoreboard. Here's how it works in our sport (thankfully): if you want Duke's claim as tied as the third best team in the NCAA? Quit making excuses, and make it to the Final Four. Period. Every Big Ten team had their chance to do that. Only one made it. Scoreboard.

Cuz every team in the B1G put up a better showing than they did today.

So what? My Syracuse team beat the cr*p out of UVa earlier this year. Is it your plan to tell us that Syracuse is the best team in the country if UVa wins on Monday?

Or are you going to realize that this line of thinking is moronic, and that Syracuse lost in the first round, fair and square.... and just let it go and enjoy the last game of the year?

Honestly why do people like you even come to message boards? You’ve got the most tired, old-school boomer takes on everything and add nothing to the discussions. The rest of us use our eyes and our brains and understand things like nuance and circumstance.

[10stone5]

Michael Sowers,

still one of the best to come out of SE PA.
But, Rambo took the Terps to all those Finals and
broke the 40+ years Terp national title streak,

so Rambo gets the nod.

But with Duke,
that team was never built where you could re-create
that incredible Princeton-Sowers offense of last year.

Skills wise, they were talking about Sowers as a star
player when he was in eighth grade, so, a decade later,
I’d say Sowers delivered.

[bananas]

Duke only two advantages coming in were at fogo and goalie. McNaney and Shockey outdid Adler and Naso. Game over

Duke could easily have been a .500 club. Sowers and co. the greatest story ever sold. Danowski is a hof coach but he has to share some blame.

Expecting Terps to win Monday because they are the better team but also expect them to get a much stiffer test from UVA.

[Gobigred]

This is not the Ivy League, yes it’s a step above.

Maybe, maybe not. Last time the Ivies played, Cornell beat OSU in the horseshoe and Penn State on a neutral field. Yale beat Penn State in happy valley. Brown and Princeton took down the eventual champ, Virginia. That's top step lacrosse.

I agree with your point about moving the ball, though. Duke tried to do that yesterday, but Maryland's defense just smothered.

[a fan]

So I offered some speculation after you had already accused me of speculating...and that somehow vindicates the original accusation? That backwards logic aside, you are honestly doing a terrible job at making this argument. Please just stop.

I'm not the one trying to convince myself that the Big Ten was the best conference in 2021, when 5 of the 7 teams didn't play one single game against a non conference team---and all 5 missed the NCAA playoffs entirely. But sure, I'm the guy who isn't make sense here. Your argument is rock solid.

Didn’t look like Duke had much of a chance of beating one of those great teams today, so are they just a “meh” team?

Nope. They're literally tied for 3rd best team in the NCAA. Scoreboard. Here's how it works in our sport (thankfully): if you want Duke's claim as tied as the third best team in the NCAA? Quit making excuses, and make it to the Final Four. Period. Every Big Ten team had their chance to do that. Only one made it. Scoreboard.

Cuz every team in the B1G put up a better showing than they did today.

So what? My Syracuse team beat the cr*p out of UVa earlier this year. Is it your plan to tell us that Syracuse is the best team in the country if UVa wins on Monday?

Or are you going to realize that this line of thinking is moronic, and that Syracuse lost in the first round, fair and square.... and just let it go and enjoy the last game of the year?

Honestly why do people like you even come to message boards? You’ve got the most tired, old-school boomer takes on everything and add nothing to the discussions. The rest of us use our eyes and our brains and understand things like nuance and circumstance.

And by "nuance", you mean call anyone who dares to disagree with you a "boomer", and get upset when anyone dares to tell you that you're not making any sense. Bu hey, you win, my man! The Big Ten is CLEARLY the best conference in the nation. I was crazy to think otherwise. Good luck tomorrow!

[Peter Brown]

So I offered some speculation after you had already accused me of speculating...and that somehow vindicates the original accusation? That backwards logic aside, you are honestly doing a terrible job at making this argument. Please just stop.

I'm not the one trying to convince myself that the Big Ten was the best conference in 2021, when 5 of the 7 teams didn't play one single game against a non conference team---and all 5 missed the NCAA playoffs entirely. But sure, I'm the guy who isn't make sense here. Your argument is rock solid.

Didn’t look like Duke had much of a chance of beating one of those great teams today, so are they just a “meh” team?

Nope. They're literally tied for 3rd best team in the NCAA. Scoreboard. Here's how it works in our sport (thankfully): if you want Duke's claim as tied as the third best team in the NCAA? Quit making excuses, and make it to the Final Four. Period. Every Big Ten team had their chance to do that. Only one made it. Scoreboard.

Cuz every team in the B1G put up a better showing than they did today.

So what? My Syracuse team beat the cr*p out of UVa earlier this year. Is it your plan to tell us that Syracuse is the best team in the country if UVa wins on Monday?

Or are you going to realize that this line of thinking is moronic, and that Syracuse lost in the first round, fair and square.... and just let it go and enjoy the last game of the year?

Honestly why do people like you even come to message boards? You’ve got the most tired, old-school boomer takes on everything and add nothing to the discussions. The rest of us use our eyes and our brains and understand things like nuance and circumstance.

And by "nuance", you mean call anyone who dares to disagree with you a "boomer", and get upset when anyone dares to tell you that you're not making any sense. Bu hey, you win, my man! The Big Ten is CLEARLY the best conference in the nation. I was crazy to think otherwise. Good luck tomorrow!

I miss you, a fan.

[wgdsr]

So I offered some speculation after you had already accused me of speculating...and that somehow vindicates the original accusation? That backwards logic aside, you are honestly doing a terrible job at making this argument. Please just stop.

I'm not the one trying to convince myself that the Big Ten was the best conference in 2021, when 5 of the 7 teams didn't play one single game against a non conference team---and all 5 missed the NCAA playoffs entirely. But sure, I'm the guy who isn't make sense here. Your argument is rock solid.

Didn’t look like Duke had much of a chance of beating one of those great teams today, so are they just a “meh” team?

Nope. They're literally tied for 3rd best team in the NCAA. Scoreboard. Here's how it works in our sport (thankfully): if you want Duke's claim as tied as the third best team in the NCAA? Quit making excuses, and make it to the Final Four. Period. Every Big Ten team had their chance to do that. Only one made it. Scoreboard.

Cuz every team in the B1G put up a better showing than they did today.

So what? My Syracuse team beat the cr*p out of UVa earlier this year. Is it your plan to tell us that Syracuse is the best team in the country if UVa wins on Monday?

Or are you going to realize that this line of thinking is moronic, and that Syracuse lost in the first round, fair and square.... and just let it go and enjoy the last game of the year?

Honestly why do people like you even come to message boards? You’ve got the most tired, old-school boomer takes on everything and add nothing to the discussions. The rest of us use our eyes and our brains and understand things like nuance and circumstance.

And by "nuance", you mean call anyone who dares to disagree with you a "boomer", and get upset when anyone dares to tell you that you're not making any sense. Bu hey, you win, my man! The Big Ten is CLEARLY the best conference in the nation. I was crazy to think otherwise. Good luck tomorrow!

maryland had a couple close games this year and they're in the finals. watch the games.

[Cno3putts]

Shoulda
Coulda
Woulda
These kids today are faster. bigger, better athletes. Have a friend that was an all American at Syracus in early 80s. Said he couldn't play then at the level these kids play today. Let's enjoy this season ending game. Past is gone. Today and possibly tomorrow is what we have.

[NYterp09]

So I offered some speculation after you had already accused me of speculating...and that somehow vindicates the original accusation? That backwards logic aside, you are honestly doing a terrible job at making this argument. Please just stop.

I'm not the one trying to convince myself that the Big Ten was the best conference in 2021, when 5 of the 7 teams didn't play one single game against a non conference team---and all 5 missed the NCAA playoffs entirely. But sure, I'm the guy who isn't make sense here. Your argument is rock solid.

Didn’t look like Duke had much of a chance of beating one of those great teams today, so are they just a “meh” team?

Nope. They're literally tied for 3rd best team in the NCAA. Scoreboard. Here's how it works in our sport (thankfully): if you want Duke's claim as tied as the third best team in the NCAA? Quit making excuses, and make it to the Final Four. Period. Every Big Ten team had their chance to do that. Only one made it. Scoreboard.

Cuz every team in the B1G put up a better showing than they did today.

So what? My Syracuse team beat the cr*p out of UVa earlier this year. Is it your plan to tell us that Syracuse is the best team in the country if UVa wins on Monday?

Or are you going to realize that this line of thinking is moronic, and that Syracuse lost in the first round, fair and square.... and just let it go and enjoy the last game of the year?

Honestly why do people like you even come to message boards? You’ve got the most tired, old-school boomer takes on everything and add nothing to the discussions. The rest of us use our eyes and our brains and understand things like nuance and circumstance.

And by "nuance", you mean call anyone who dares to disagree with you a "boomer", and get upset when anyone dares to tell you that you're not making any sense. Bu hey, you win, my man! The Big Ten is CLEARLY the best conference in the nation. I was crazy to think otherwise. Good luck tomorrow!

Man you just live and die by the straw man, don’t you?

[a fan]

Man you just live and die by the straw man, don’t you?

Nope. I'm simply willing to move on. But you want to keep going. Okay. Let's keep going. I was happy to let it drop.....

Heres' YOUR words. No strawman needed: "Cuz every team in the B1G put up a better showing (against Maryland) than (Duke) did today."

This is, frankly, one of the dumber claims I've seen here. And it's dumb (the claim), because you boys "forgot" that Duke beat Syracuse, UNC, UVa, Notre Dame, Denver and Loyola-----six freaking tournament teams----....and EARNED their way to the Final Four. But sure, act like winning those six games is just no big deal.

You...and some of your fellow posters have convinced yourselves that "because" Maryland beat Duke badly....using magic Fairy Dust and half-*ssed logic....that "means" that any team in the Big Ten that played Maryland close is a Final Four caliber team. And "therefore", the Big Ten is just as good as the three ACC teams in the Final Four.

Who did Hopkins, Ohio State, Penn St., UMich, and their losing records beat, NYTerp09? Go ahead and list their big wins against 2021 NCAA tournament teams.

Take your time. We'll wait.



Did you have a look? Great. Did you notice anything? Yeah, so did I.

Hopkins, Ohio State, Penn St., UMich COMBINED didn't have one single solitary win over a 2021 NCAA tournament team. Duke? They now have 8 wins against NCAA tournament teams. And last I checked, 8 is more than 0.

And yet here you are with some other posters, trying to convince yourselves that the Big Ten was awesome this year. And the "reason" (snicker) you guys give us is that UMich "almost" beat Rutgers or Hopkins "almost" beat UMd. Or some other such nonsense. And then claim that you're using "nuance". Nuance, of course, means ridiculous reasoning that doesn't make sense.

You can---at best---- reasonably conclude that we simply can't tell how good the BigTen was this year, because they only played themselves in the regular season (and BigTen tournament).

Anything more than that is.....