Heroes in a half-shell ... TURTLE POWER!

72-60, Maryland over Dook ... Four ACC losses in a row (three to UNRANKED opponents) now for the Blow Devils. IF they win out, they'd have ten ACC wins. That is a big if, as they have to go to Boston College, Clemson and UNC ...

From start to finish, this game was all Maryland. Dook grabbed the lead after the first two baskets, but couldn't get it back for the last 47 minutes ... Greg Paulus had more turnovers than assists - again - and - again - failed to create the offense that Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski uses to get to the Sweet Sixteen ... and no further.

Oh, and is there some way Pete Gaudet is going to be blamed for all these losses? Is the NCAA being petitioned now? The "Too Many White Starters" Rule, perhaps? The "Too Many Average Former Players as Assistant Coaches" Rule?

... Dook loses again ... It's kind of not even exciting anymore ...

Back-to-back ACC losses for the Blue Devils? Check. How about 5-6 in their last 11 ACC games?!? Check. (Blame this on JJ Redick getting his jersey retired. That guy looks like the south end of a horse going north these days ...)

The Blue Devils are, in my eyes, a Dave McClure lay-up / referee BJ from being un-ranked. I said it before the season started, and I'll say it again: This team will not make the NCAA Tournament. They'll be a high seed in the NIT, though. If Greg Paulus can hit a wide-open shot, that is. (That's two games in a row he's missed the game-winner, FYI.)

What? You don't buy that? Who have they beaten? Georgetown? They'll be the other top NIT seed. They lost to a ranked Marquette team. They beat a bad ranked Gonzaga team - another NIT team. They screwed Clemson - (who will probably end the season unranked having started a nice ACC skid of their own.)Now this is four losses to unranked ACC teams ... That's bad. Keep in mind they still have to play UNC - twice - Go TO Clemson and Boston College, play Maryland -twice - and a decent Georgia Tech team that already beat them!

This is a ten-loss team; with no quality wins and some bad, bad losses. That's the definition of a poor bubble team, and honestly, with the way those mid-majors stepped up last season, it wouldn't surprise me to see them take a few more risks in terms of picks. That means: Dook Bleu Devils, NIT favorites, baby!

Fuck you, Dave McClure ...

Dave McClure - the guy on the left in the picture up top - absolutely saved Dook's ass tonight versus Clemson. Yes, Clemson; the team picked to finish in the bottom half of the ACC. McClure, so bad Clemson decided not to cover him, got lucky and hit an awkward lay-up as time expired. If Coach K didn't have snipers aimed at all the ACC ref's heads, you can bet your ass it would've gotten reviewed and probably over-turned, but that's ACC life ...

In closing, however, let me just point out that if this is how Dook plays at the end of big games, then watch out for the Heels, Terps and BC Eagles ... 3 seconds to go and you give up 5 points? Paulus is a joke. He should've played football instead ...