<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SPOKANE, Wash. -- Duke and Gonzaga, two of the most successful college basketball programs of the past decade, have never played. Until now. The Blue Devils will play the Bulldogs on Dec. 21 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Where are J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison when we need them? "This is a game we've been working on for a number of years," Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said Tuesday. "It's just been difficult to put together from the standpoint of trying to find a location and a date that would work for both institutions." This will be the first meeting between the two schools, which were ranked in or near the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25 all last season. Duke is first and Gonzaga is second in winning percentage among all of Division 1 basketball over the past six years, and Duke and Gonzaga are the only teams in the nation to have avoided a 10-loss season in the past eight years. In addition, Morrison of Gonzaga and Redick of Duke engaged in a season-long showdown for the national scoring championship. Morrison won the scoring title with an average of 28.1 points per game, while Redick averaged 26.8. But Redick edged out Morrison in most player-of-the-year selections. Redick has used up his eligibility, while Morrison opted to skip his senior year and declare for the NBA draft. Duke, coached by Mike Krzyzewski, finished the season 32-4 after losing in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga, coached by Mark Few, finished 29-4 and also lost in the third round.</div> Source A year late for this matchup, but I like the competitive nature of Mark Few. The Gonzaga basketball program has come along way and hopefully they can give Duke a good fight in this game.
Thanks NCAA for not doing something like that THIS year. It would have been phenomenal. J.J. vs. Adam, Shelden vs. J.P. I would have killed to see that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 50:</div><div class="quote_post">Thanks NCAA for not doing something like that THIS year. It would have been phenomenal. J.J. vs. Adam, Shelden vs. J.P. I would have killed to see that.</div> NCAA don't have anything to do with this.....It's the teams!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 50:</div><div class="quote_post">Oh my bad. I still think they could have forced them to somehow.</div> NCAA can't force anyone to play each other unless it's the NIT or NCAA Tourney. Even after that, they don't have to accept the invitations....
Forget the matchup that could have been. This will still be an intruiging game, especially if Josh Heytvelt turns out to be half the player I think he can be. Call me crazy, but I was blown away by his brief stint of play in Maui before he got injured. He's a borderline seven footer with great length, and he's incredibly quick and athletic. As strange as it sounds, I don't have that much trouble seeing him going from a 3.4 ppg player to a 15-20 ppg player next season, especially with a point guard like Derek Raivio still running the show. Also, oddly enough, the year they lose Adam Morrison, it sounds like they're finding a very comparable replacement in their top recruit, Matt Bouldin. I haven't had a chance to see him play yet, but from everything I've read he's very much like Morrison, just a very smart and intelligent basketball player who can do a little bit of everything and always finds a way to score.
Gonzaga will also have Micah Downs next season. Paulas v. Ravio is going to be the match-up I'm looking forward to.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Gonzaga will also have Micah Downs next season. Paulas v. Ravio is going to be the match-up I'm looking forward to.</div> I don't think Downs will be eligible for the Duke game though, will he? From what I understand, he'll have to sit out for the first half off the season.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Voodoo Child:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't think Downs will be eligible for the Duke game though, will he? From what I understand, he'll have to sit out for the first half off the season.</div> Ya, he decided to transfer towards the beginning of Conference play, so he won't be back yet....
