The Cameron Indoor Library (A TDCB Duke Anti-Dynasty 2007-2008 Season).

[WussGawd]

2007-2008 Season

Yes, we're back for another season of carpet bombing the Duke Blue Devils back into the age of peach baskets and chicken wire cages around the court.

For those of you who are arriving late to the party, you can find the previous seasons of the Dynasty here:

2002-2003 Season
2003-2004 Season
2004-2005 Season
2005-2006 Season
2006-2007 Season

In the first three years, we suffered the agonies of the damned, as we sought to dismantle Coach K's work of art one crummy recruit at a time. In the fourth year, with only 7 good players left, and a handful of injuries, we began to make progress, ending a 17-2 season start with a 4-11 end of season swoon that included a first round tournament loss to lightly regarded Louisiana-Monroe (who then promptly lost to Cal-Berkeley by 50 in the second round).

Last year, further progress was made. The team enjoyed its first 20 loss season, going 9-22, missing the post season for the first time since Coach K took a year off for back surgery back in the mid-90's. All in all it was a good year.

To make the news even happier, there are no recruits left on the roster rated higher than 2 stars. The fans have begun to disguise themselves with paper bags or further disguising themselves as empty seats, leaving Cameron Indoor Library sounding like an echo chamber.

Finally, I secured another five years to take down the dynasty. More on that in a bit.

[WussGawd]

A Foul Stench out of Tobacco Road

by Ed Brown, Charlotte Fishwrap-Times

What's wrong with Duke? It's a question running rampant throughout North Carolina. It's asked by the Blue Devils faithful. It's being asked (admittedly with a smirk) by devotees of the Wolfpack and Tar Heels. But the question is on everybody's mind.

Duke's problems arose a few years ago with the hiring of Wuss Gawd, an assistant on Coach' K's staff. It shames me to admit that I applauded the hire as a step towards continuity. That attitude now appears to be naive.

In the four seasons that this has truly been Gawd's team, he has done virtually everything possible to damage the program. He's feuded with alumni and the media, he's recruited badly, and coached worse. He was spotted on at least two occasions last year as dozing during non-conference games. One almost gets the impression at times that he is sabotaging the team, were it not so unbelievable a scenario.

Yet Duke's answers to these obvious failures and derelictions of duty was to reward him with a five year contract extension containing some unusual clauses that basically require he commit a felony to be removed as head basketball coach.

The alumni are grumbling, the fans are canceling season tickets, and local media are unable to get key administration officials to comment on the unusual contract.

In many ways, this season may wind up being a referendum on the future of Duke Athletic Director Warren Brown, who both hired the controversial Coach Gawd, and extended his contract. The football program remains in disarray and the athletic department's cash cow (basketball) is looking painfully thin. If the trend continues, Warren Brown should lose his job, sooner rather than later.

[WussGawd]

2007-2008 Preseason, Part One

The carnage of last season has taken a heavy toll on the Duke basketball program.

To begin with, no Duke player is drafted for the first time in the history of the dynasty. I suspect it won't be the last.

Let's meet the boys who will carry us to that last place finish in the ACC:

Pointless Guards

Derek Hicks
Junior Point Guard
5'9", 140 lb, GPA: 3.51
Albuquerque, NM
Strengths: Free Throw Shooting, Passing
Weaknesses: Just about everything else.
Probable Role: Backup Point Guard

Derek has actually regressed since he joined the program. he's basically end of the bench material, even on a team as bad as ours.

Mike Millford
Junior Point Guard
5'11", 146 lb, 3.35 GPA
Starke, FL
Strengths: Offense
Weaknesses: Defense, Court Awareness
Probable Role: Starting Point Guard

Mike would probably make a solid #2 Guard. As a point guard, however, he's basically useless.