I am a huge Duke fan!  I have no ties to the university except I grew up watching ACC basketball with my Dad.  In fact, I cut my teeth sitting in an antique child-sized rocking chair watching ACC basketball and NCAA tournaments.  After MD shafted Lefty over the Len Bias debacle, I switched my loyalties to Duke and that is where they have been ever since.  When Coach K wrote a book, I immediately bought it and read every word.  Every year I fill out my brackets, sometimes taking a chance on Duke, even when I know it's against my better judgement.  

For me, the tournament is over.  My Dukies lost in the first round.  I'm rooting for some other teams now, but my loyalties still lie with Duke.  

Over the years I have observed some things that Coach K has seemed to miss, so Coach K...this is for you.  This 54 year old former NCAA Sun Belt Championship Team member grandma has some advice for you.  

When I went to college, I was recruited by an ACC school and a Big 12 school, but I ended up as a walk-on center at the university of my choice.  In those days... and Coach K, you will remember this...there was no future for women in basketball except for a few low paying or volunteer coaching jobs.  That was until my contemporary, Nancy Liberman put women's basketball on the map.  I picked my school for academics, not sports, or scholarships.  What my coach liked about me was that I was big...well tall...and strong... and quick...and a great defensive player.  And I could jump...high.  Most big girls in those days were lucky if they could walk and chew gum at the same time much less jump.  

I said all that to say this to you Coach K.  I am always amazed at the quality people you recruit.  I have a feeling that they are much better quality once you are done with them.  When the rubber hits the road, this is what really matters.  But when it comes to basketball, Coach K, it matters that you have big, strong, quick middlemen who can jump!  The Plumlees and those you've had in the past, with the exception of The Landlord, have been able to cut the mustard in the ACC, but once you get out into tournament land, they are more likely to get smeared like mustard.  They can plug up a lane, but they aren't agile enough to guard without fouling so they end up taking up space and oxygen and that's about it.  They are gonna face big farm boys in the Midwest and tough thug types from the south.  Why not be those boys instead of facing them?

Let me reiterate.  I'm just a 54 year old grandma who loves basketball and has been watching it since before I was old enough to understand the game.  I probably don't know much.  But it just seems to me that this is always the thing that kills Duke in the tournament and just in case you missed it,  (sometimes it is hard to see things clearly when you are too close), I wanted to mention it to you.

With Kind Regards,

Mimi