March 18, 2006
It is absolutely amazing to see what Duke has accomplished with its ninth straight trip to the Sweet 16. I know the naysayers and critics of the Blue Devils and coach Mike Krzyzewski don't want to hear about it, but the facts are the facts.
The numbers don't lie, and making it to the Sweet 16 nine straight seasons is simply amazing. No other school has an active streak of more than three, so that should tell you something.
Duke was razor sharp in attacking George Washington's athletic team, handling the pressure with ease. The Blue Devils raced to a 36-20 lead in the first half and led by as many as 18 points.
J.J. Redick (20 points) and Shelden Williams (17 points, 14 rebounds) were dominant again, but unlike the NCAA tourney opener against Southern, the supporting cast came through. Josh McRoberts (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Greg Paulus (10 points, six assists) are listed as Diaper Dandies, but they now have a season under their belts and it shows.
Duke did an excellent job defensively to advance to face the LSU-Texas A&M winner.
For George Washington, it was a truly great season. The Colonials finished 27-3 and spent much of the season ranked in the Top 10. Going unbeaten in the Atlantic 10 through the regular season is a major accomplishment.
Now the questions will come about GW coach Karl Hobbs. He did a phenomenal job this season, and rumors will fly about his future. He will be a hot name, with so many vacancies already. I believe one school that will be interested is Cincinnati. Will the GW coach want to return to the Big East, where he served on Jim Calhoun's staff at Connecticut for a long time?
The Bearcats will be interested in a veteran coach who has worked well in an academic environment. I think he will be in the mix for that job, if he's interested. Will George Washington be able to keep him? The school's administration should make every effort to convince him to return. Hobbs has been such a positive force at GW.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Hobbs.
It will be fun to watch Duke continue its march toward Indianapolis and another Final Four appearance. Nine straight years to the Sweet 16 is awesome, baby, with a capital "A"!
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.
