March Madness 2019: Duke Basketball winning is what the sport needs

Duke Basketball is about to face off in a Sweet 16 matchup as part of March Madness. But whether you like them or not, the Blue Devils are needed for the sport.

Despite hating them, we all need Duke Basketball in this March Madness Tournament more than any other team.

A good portion of us hate the Blue Devils like they did something personal to us; which if you have watched college basketball long enough, they probably have. Seemingly breed into each of us is this hatred, made only worse by those infuriating traitors who are supposed to hate them as much as the rest of us but then join the enemy.

The only squad that holds this kind of universal contempt across all fanbases is the New York Yankees. Deep-seated hatred passed down from generation to generation. My father taught me how to hate this team, as his father taught him, and as I will show mine.

But, unfortunately, we need them.

For starters, Duke has one of the top 10 most entertaining basketball players in the country. Not college basketball. Basketball. Zion Williamson has lit up the hardwood with breathtaking dunks and soul-crushing blocks.

Averaging 22.5 points per game and 8.8 rebounds, the anticipation for Williamson headed into the Tournament was extreme, reaching an even higher level when he returned from injury. It turns out you cannot truly appreciate the best things until someone takes them away.
And when a man who averages 41.7 points per 100 possessions comes back, instead of kicking back for the draft, it seems akin to the second coming.

Better yet, he has not disappointed in the slightest.
Posting 28.5 points per game and shooting a blistering 60 percent from the field, he has also added 4-of-9 shooting from downtown.

Stepping up to the plate, taking the tough shots at the end of the game, controlling the pace of stretches or halves and imposing his will in the biggest spotlights has come easily.
This man went up against an actual, real life, Game Of Thrones giant and won.

Williamson is also set apart from the stereotypical college big man by his ability to distribute. He has proven his court vision, which extends to 94 feet, racking up an 18.2 assist percentage throughout the season.

More Zion is a must.

Entertainment value of the Blue Devils

There have been some dreadful stretches of games already, with the second round marked by a heavy dose of trouncings. Outside of LSU vs. Maryland and Kentucky vs. Wofford, every game on Saturday was an uncontested blowout. Double-digit wins were everywhere, as most teams struggled to keep from losing by 20 points.

Sunday was more of the same. Iowa needed an incredible 25-point comeback to force overtime early in the day to get the pulse going at all.
But then, Duke vs. UCF came on, saving a 24-hour run of whopping and giving the people an instant March Madness classic.

Duke has the perfect mix of star power to draw the wonder of the most bitter Blue Devil hater, the talent to push their play into another level and the flaws to give opponents a false window of hope before an R.J. Barrett put-back crashes it closed.

This team is by far the most compelling team in the Tournament, and even more important to keep around in a year when there is no true Cinderella headed into the Sweet Sixteen.

These games are almost as crucial on an individual level as they are on a collective for the Blue Devils. Williamson is a lock for the No.1 pick. R.J. Barrett is bolted in at the two to four range. But for the likes of Cam Reddish and Tre Jones, there is quite a bit of flux that could be heavily impacted by a combination of a sound title run and great pre-draft workouts.

Jones is a reliable point guard buried underneath three of last years top five recruits. Reddish has an elite ceiling but simply disappeared for significant stretches of the season (where did you go in January bro?). His raw physical gifts already make him a lottery pick despite several puzzling and disappointing stretches this season. But a March Madness bump could vault him into the top four picks.

Both could boost their draft stock in a big way with consistent play on the biggest stage in college basketball. A few Tournament moments from either could be all the difference for both prospects.

Love or hate them, the Blue Devils have out attention

The twin duality of watching Duke this year is a study worth many theses, written by people far smarter than I.

As presented above, Duke needs to win for the good of the entire Tournament. But there is nothing better than cheering for a team slated against Duke, no matter who that team may be. I cared about 10 other teams far more than UCF headed into Sunday. However, 30 seconds into the game, UCF mind as well have been the only college in existence. The value of a Duke opponent is second only to Duke’s value to March Madness.

Collectively despising Duke has created a natural love of their next opponent; a short-lived devotion made greater in nail-biting games.

Duke’s continued presence adds value to each team the face, a value heightened if they also play these games close to the chest every time they take the stage.

Hating to need to love Duke, while other schools present a team to love more despite the prospect of crushing defeat makes the loving of hate so much better. Make sense?

For better or worse, no matter how much we may hate it, Duke must go on. For all of us.