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Duke Basketball Tickets - Are We Seeing A Swoon Or A Permanent Downturn?
Duke basketball tickets have long been some of the most difficult basketball tickets to find in the United States. The program has been almost a gold standard by which all other programs are measured, and that includes not only their on-court success but also their sterling reputation as student athletes. No one questions the fact that Duke runs a clean and successful program under the legendary stewardship of Mike Krzyzewski.

However, the 2006-07 season has been a disappointment for the Blue Devils, and that was never more apparent than in their recent loss to arch-rival North Carolina. The Blue Devils played extremely hard and extremely well, but still could not overcome the talent and ability of the Tar Heels. Below we’ll examine whether this season is an indication of things to come or merely a minor blip on their radar by examining a few specific issues.

Youth

Although youth is becoming somewhat of an antiquated problem in college basketball as more and more stars leave early for the NBA, Duke is an extremely young team. The Blue Devils’ rotation features only one junior and no seniors who average more than one minute in playing time per game, and none of their starters are averaging more than 14 points per game. Simply put, the Blue Devils are still learning how to win, and that can only come with time.

Athleticism

Duke may not only lack experience, but several experts have noted the Blue Devils’ overall lack of pure athleticism on the floor at any given time. This was on display in a prevalent way against North Carolina, as Duke was on fire early and stormed to a big lead. However, they simply could not hold on as the Tar Heels sent waves of athletes to the hoop and attacked the floor and Duke’s defense mercilessly. Duke just could not handle that pressure on either end of the floor, and what looked to be a potential upset wound up being an extremely bitter loss, leaving those lucky enough to score Duke basketball tickets for this classic rivalry game disappointed.

Luckily, Duke has a couple of factors working in its favor. First, their biggest “star” is their coach, and he’s taken under-talented teams to overachieving levels several times in the past, and there isn’t any doubt that he can do so again. Secondly, Duke does still sit with a record of 18-6, which means that barring a total collapse, they’ll still be able to get into the NCAA Tournament, where anything can happen in a single-elimination format.

Overall, Duke has had a few tough years during Krzyzewski’s time in Durham, and they’ve always bounced back. Basically, Duke basketball tickets are still worth the effort to obtain, as this is a program that won’t stay down for long.

Written by Jay Nault, sponsored by www.stubhub.com/ . StubHub sells Duke basketball tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and more to just about any event in the world.

Nj Nets 2006-07 Preview
Going into the 2006/07 season, the New Jersey Nets are one of the biggest question marks in the NBA. While they have had enough talent to make the playoffs consistently for a good while, they have never been able to get over the hump and win a championship.

The good news for the Nets is that they reside in one of the weakest divisions in the NBA. None of the other teams in the Atlantic division pose a serious threat to the Nets. Aside from that, however, the Nets are composed of three star players and one or two nice role players. Jason Kidd is no longer the best point guard in the league, as surgeries and age have slowed him. He still, however, is able to get take good care of the ball while setting up his talented teammates.

The Nets best players are high-flyers Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter. Carter has long been one of the most talented players in the NBA, and is a threat to explode for a large amount of points any game during the season. His health issues have been a non-factor with the Nets, as he has only missed 8 games in the last two seasons. Richard Jefferson is another talented wing player who does not have as much experience in the NBA as Carter does. He should average around twenty points a game as usual.

In the post for the Nets are Nenad Kristic and Jason Collins. Kristic is a talented young center who had Nets personnel raving by the end of last season. He is expected to improve further and to help solidify a shaky center position for the Nets. Collins is another young post player who has been disappointing through his first five seasons in the league. His career points average of 5.3 is just not getting the job done nor is his career rebounds average of 4.9. New Jersey should hope for at least a fifty percent improvement in both of those categories from Collins.

Aside from their starting five, the Nets really do not have much depth to rely on. Clifford Robinson is a player who has been in the league forever, but is too old and unreliable to depend on as a backup. Eddie House is a good sparkplug off the bench, but there is a reason why he has bounced from team to team over the past few seasons.

The New Jersey Nets have enough talent to win a weak division with their starting five rotation, but without any depth they will fall short again of a title run.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.