Likes/Dislikes from Virginia’s 52-50 upset of #7 Duke

Dislike: Anybody who thinks 52-50 games are boring

Are you serious? (I say that not having heard the game broadcast, and assuming you’re tired of having heard Dick Vitale say that a million times.)

Is that game better if it’s 82-80 or 102-100?

Maybe, but probably not.

If you were there in JPJ, you wouldn’t have noticed a difference, honestly.

I will say, if it’s 92-90, and it’s two teams playing great offense against quality defenses to get there, then, I’ll take that kind of 92-90 game.

If it’s 52-50, and you’re seeing two teams playing elite defense, making the offenses earn every bucket they get to go in, then, that’s sublime.

Duke, OK, got torched for 113 in the double-OT loss to Wake earlier in the week, get that.

Still, the Blue Devils are ninth nationally in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com.

Virginia: second.

That was a(nother) thing of beauty.

Dislike: The metrics

The. Metrics. Are. Broken.

Virginia beat Duke, OK, we’ve established that.

The ‘Hoos lost a spot in the NET, from 51 to 52, with the win.

What in the blue hell, yeah, I get it.

Virginia is now 4-3 against Q1 and 10-6 against Q1 and Q2.

Duke: 4-3 against Q1, 10-5 against Q1 and Q2.

Duke in the NET: 6.

The win improved Virginia to 46 in KenPom (from 47).

How maddening this BS can be: Liberty, beating Lipscomb (14-15, NET 274) on Saturday, moved up three spots in the NET, to 47.

Liberty’s record against Q1 and Q2: 1-1.

The people in charge of these metrics should be sacked.

(Cue John Goldstone and Ralph the Wonder Llama.)

Story by Chris Graham