Why Gary Parrish Is Smarter Than You Think
And Duke Could Win the National Championship
CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish continues to rank Duke as a Top 10 team. Gary's readers continue to send him hate mail for not hating on the Blue Devils.
Who is right? Parrish, without a doubt. Not only are the Blue Devils one of the nation's best clubs, but Duke also deserves significantly more national championship consideration than the Blue Devils have received to date.
Gary is right to praise Duke's body of work. The Blue Devils are 12-5 against the RPI Top 75 and haven't lost to a team outside the RPI Top 50. More importantly, the Blue Devils are also the only team in the country that ranks in the Top 12 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Duke is the country's sixth most prolific team on offense, averaging 1.17 points per possession, and seventh most stingy team on defense, allowing opponents only 0.88 points per possession.
Why should you care? Because according to KenPom.com, all five of the most recent NCAA Tournament champions were among the nation's Top 12 most efficient clubs on both offense and defense.
Who besides Duke may cut down the nets in April? Connecticut, North Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, and BYU. (Ok, maybe not BYU). All five clubs (the Cougars included) are among America's 20 most efficient clubs on both offense and defense.
Which teams deserve less love than they’ve been receiving? Pittsburgh and Memphis. While the Panthers are the nation's best team on offense, they are only the 34th best team on defense. Similarly, while the Tigers are the country's best defensive club, they are only the nation’s 32nd best offensive squad.
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