by Micah Hart
For the complete Bragging Rights rules and to vote for other matchups, click here. We now move to the fourth and final region, the South, with No. 1 seed Duke taking on play-in winner and 4-seed LSU, which won the battle of the bigs against Stanford to reach the Sweet 16.
 |
VS |  |
Duke Blue Devils
Starters (all stats per 48 minutes):
Carlos Boozer, Bulls: 27.1 points, 14.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.0 steals
Corey Maggette, Bucks: 27.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.7 steals
Elton Brand, Sixers: 20.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 blocks, 1.6 steals
Grant Hill, Suns: 20.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.7 blocks, 1.3 steals
Luol Deng, Bulls: 21.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 blocks, 1.2 steals
Missed the cut: Shane Battier, Grizzlies; Chris Duhon, Magic; Mike Dunleavy, Pacers; Gerald Henderson, Bobcats; Dahntay Jones, Pacers; Josh McRoberts, Pacers; JJ Redick, Magic; Shelden Williams, Knicks
Team synopsis: People have a tendency to think that Duke players don’t do so well in the pros, but man, look at this lineup. Big and burly, and good luck keeping Brand, Boozer, and Maggette off the offensive glass. The only thing that could pose a problem for the Dookies is a lack of a top-notch outside shooter or true distributor, but Hill and Deng are good enough. Each guy on this team can put the ball in the basket.
LSU Tigers
Starters (all stats per 48 minutes):
Glen Davis, Celtics: 19.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.7 blocks, 1.5 steals
Tyrus Thomas, Bobcats: 23.5 points, 12.5 rebounds 1.7 assists 3.7 blocks 1.7 steals
Shaquille O’Neal, Celtics: 21.6 points, 11.4 rebounds 1.7 assists 2.7 blocks 1.0 steals
Brandon Bass, Magic: 21.0 points, 10.6 rebounds 1.6 assists 1.2 blocks 0.7 steals
Marcus Thornton, Kings: 25.4 points, 7.0 rebounds 3.5 assists 0.3 blocks 1.8 steals
Missed the cut: Anthony Randolph, Timberwolves; Garrett Temple, Bobcats; Chris Johnson, Trail Blazers
Team synopsis: Tons of bulk on the LSU squad, but not a lot of finesse or perimeter shooting skills. When Shaq is arguably your team’s second-best ballhandler, it puts a lot of pressure on Thornton to produce.
All Ball’s take: LSU actually draws the one top seed without a lot of guard power, which helps them tremendously. No one on Duke has the bulk to hang with Shaq, though he’s not the offensive threat he once was. This seems like another battle that will be won in the paint, and though the Tigers own the advantage in mass, the Blue Devils would seem to have enough of a talent advantage to overcome it.
Results: LSU has bulk, but doesn’t have the speed to chase around Duke fleet of scorers. The Dookies move on, 61%-39%.
Seen something that belongs on All Ball? Let us know via email or Twitter.
Catch up on every single game-winning buzzer beater during the season and see how it rates on the Horry Scale.
The Duke Alumni is just far more talented. LSU has size but not enough to stop Duke.
You guys talk about Duke being offense of players but tell me how many of them bring the talent they had into the NBA none of them, atleast you see shag win championships and Big baby’s making clutch shots for the Celtics!!!!
“When Shaq is arguably your team’s second-best ballhandler, it puts a lot of pressure on Thornton to produce.”
lol that made me laugh, so what shaq daddys gunna be running the 2 bringin up the ball or what
haha
Leave them kids alone
What’s the point of this? How many of these guys (except the Duke players), actually finished college? Or how many of them actually went more than one year?
make shaq 10 years younger, and he gonna play 1v5.
Duke easily and ask this question next year Kyrie Ervng & Nolan Smith will be in the team
Duke players look better on paper but the LSU players have CHAMPIONSHIPS……..what more important Flash or Winning Titles?
I thought Randolph played for Michigan State.
Dude, this is NBA.com. There’s a whole directory of players. You could have easily checked Anthony Randolph’s profile. By the way, you were thinking about Zach Randolph.
Whoever Marcus Thornton has to guard will simply post him out of the game.
not anyone on the duke team has won a championship
LSU have Glen “Baby” Davis..
We have Glen “Baby” Davis: LSU
theres is no doubt LSU can massacre duke if shaq were 10 years younger!!
I like turtles!
guys, please wait..carlos boozer will have a ring this season..thanks Derek rose
Slow down there dustin. I to believe the Bulls will be in the finals. But keep in mind this will be pretty much every player on the bulls team first time in the finals except the coach. Do you really think the bulls willa beat let say the Lakers. With all the experience the Lakers have being in the finals, i seriously doubt Derek Rose and the bulls have the experience to beat the Lakers in the finals. Not to mention stop Kobe from getting his 6th ring.
players don’t decide things politics does the better your team’s favor rating the higher of chances you’ll get a ring just as the lakers