Are Duke and Michigan rivals?

Submitted by ThadMattasagoblin on

During the fab five era, the 2008 season, last year, and this year.  Everything's on the line when they play time and time again.

PeterKlima

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^

...but we our not in their conference and we play infrequently.  Not sure a "rivalry" is the best way to describe something like that.

 

 

PeterKlima

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^

1. Geographically, between teams in same conference.  That is like MSU/UM, NW/Illinois, Purdue/Indiana, etc.  These are your "de facto rivalries."

2. Long period of time playin each other consistantly with equal success against each other and nationally.  Maybe there is even a geographic element, but it is not essential.  I think of these as UM/OSU, Duke/UNC, Texas/OK, ND/USC, etc.  These are "great rivalries."

These are not exclusive and both can apply to a rivalry.

We are not on the same level with Duke nationally or str8 up.

We do not play often and we are not in the same conference.

Geographically, we are distant.

So, not a rivalry...but maybe an "interesting matchup" or "heated game"???

 

ijohnb

November 22nd, 2011 at 6:45 PM ^

1990 game was a classic (it was like 125-116), the fab five games were fantastic, Duke getting the better (including the 94 game at Crisler that is still pissing me off as we talk about it). Huge M upset of #1 Duke in 97, Traylor dunks all over their asses in 1998 for the win at Cameron, the split 2009, last year was a classic.  It went for down period where Duke was cleaning up, but I think Michigan has consistently given them all they can handle.

plisar

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^

I can't imagine it's an equal rivalry on both sides. Duke basketball is a lot like Michigan Football...a lot of people view us as their rivals, but we just yawn. I wonder if it's the same for Duke towards us...

However, god knows I really hate Duke and hope we pound them tonight.

Michael Scarn

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^

Definitely not.  Michigan calling Duke a rivalry is like Illinois saying they have a rivalry with Michigan in football, except worse because we're not in the same conference.  Just as everyone wants to take a shot at Michigan Football, everyone loves beating Duke in basketball.  Not even close.   

ChiCityWolverine

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^

The two programs do have a lot of history though. I would say the fan bases and media recognize it as a special matchup whenever it comes by, but we are certainly not rivals. I think older Duke people still feel a bit of disgust for the Fab Five, and Michigan people have as much dislike for Duke as the next guy. It's interesting how this is the 4th meeting in the last 4 years though.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:45 PM ^

Not exactly rivals, but it's not just another game against a powerhouse opponent either.  There's a little bit of history and something extra.  Sort of like, maybe, Miami or Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame in football, or Michigan-USC.

My name ... is Tim

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:50 PM ^

It's certainly not a fierce rivalry. Depends on your own subjective requirements for a rivalry I guess. I'd consider it a rivalry in the same vein that Michigan-USC is a rivalry. They've played each other more than a few times in high profile/important games, but ultimately you don't necessarily automatically derive joy from them losing to other teams.

In reply to by lbpeley

My name ... is Tim

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^

I don't root against Duke always. I'd much rather have Duke win than some John Calipari led team of quasi-professionals or Ohio State/MSU. Same thing with USC v. Notre Dame, Ohio State or an Oregon type of team where USC might be a big underdog.

RDMB2003

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:51 PM ^

Yes, we are most definitely rivals when it comes to basketball.  I've had an unhealthy dislike for Duke ever since the Fab Five days and it continues to grow with every game we play.  I also think John Beilein really embraces each opportunity to get a W against Coach K.

ps. The Fab 5's 30 for 30 show did an excellent job highlighting the beginning of this rivalry and last years tournament game brought it back to life!

RDMB2003

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:08 PM ^

I found this pic online a couple months ago when I was surfing the internet for content on Michigan.  I believe it came from a top 30 hottest college something or another list...I've been trying to find it again but I haven't had any luck yet...I do know that she is European and Super Hot! 

RDMB2003

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:40 PM ^

I was definitely trying to search for my two favorite things that day, anything Michigan and super hot women! Obviously I hit the jackpot with this beautiful women rocking Michigan gear.  I hadn't even started my MGoBlog account then but I knew I wanted this women as my avatar...

WolverineHistorian

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^

We're not rivals. The Fab Five and us beating them in 95, 96 and 97 could have led to a mini-rivalry but starting in 98, when the basketball program took a nose dive to hell, Duke started beating us by 40 every year and that pretty much shot any chance of any sort of rivarly. 

I think the Fab Five documentary, which led to Duke's feelings being so hurt, might have misled some folks into thinking Michigan/Duke was a rivalry.   But we're no different than the rest of the teams in America who hates those pieces of shit. 

It can be compared to hating Notre Dame in football.  Only difference is Duke actually has the results to back up their arrogance. 

74polSKA

November 22nd, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^

but I've definitely grown to despise the Blue Devils.  They've had so many unlikeable players over the years.  Getting Team USA basketball back on track hasn't given me the warm fuzzies towards Mike Krzyzewski either.  We will the champions of Maui.  Go Blue.

RONick

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^

Agree with most other posters.  Us thinking we have a rivalry with Duke is like CMU thinking they have a rivalry with MSU in football.  Sure, CMU has beaten MSU a few times (early 90's and a couple of years ago).  But for the most part, MSU wins these games handily, they are not in the same conference and they play infrequently.

I know that this is not the perfect analogy, but let's face it, UM basketball has not been exactly a world beater the past decade+.  Also, re-reading that and comparing MSU football to Duke basketball makes me want to vomit...

hart20

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:03 PM ^

we're more than just 2 teams playing against each other. We have more history than 2 random teams but we have less history than rivals. That being said, I hate Duke.

BursleysFinest

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:09 PM ^

Duke basketball is like UM Football (in terms of prestige)  every other team considers them a rival, while for the most part, Duke could care less

See; NC State, Maryland basketball teams, and Purdue, Illinois, any other Big Ten football team.

snoopblue

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:15 PM ^

In respect to the game today - the tough part about beating Duke is that you also have to beat the refs. The Duke players get any and every single call - basically against a Duke player, contact = foul. No matter who Duke plays, or where, the refs call a ACC style finesse game.

Another thing that bothers me is that ESPN and other national outlets view Michigan as a wacky John Beilein team that just puts up 3's all day and plays the 1-3-1. They also think we have no talent (no mention of mcgary, you'd think ESPN would cut to the footage that was on ESPNU), and against Memphis they were saying "Hustle plays beat talent" etc. All these things are completely wrong. We do have talent. Smot was a touted player, Hardaway and Burke were as well. I view Morgan and Horford as developing diamonds in the rough. We play great man to man and team defense, in addition to the 1-3-1. Our offense is diverse. Hardaway or Smot can take it to the rack. We TRY very hard to crash the boards, it doesn't always work.

If teams believe the things they hear from ESPN, I guess it works to our benefit because we will catch them on their heels when they find out what we are really about. It just bothers me that we can't get the respect of being a good basketball team.

CLord

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^

Anyone who questions the Duke/UM historic rivalry must be under 30.  The last ten-12 years there hasn't been much of a rivalry because we've been down, but the 15-20 years before then, UM was a legit national power with Duke as one of it's few national peers.  Also both schools share the exact same era as their "glory days."  Duke - Hurley, Laettner, Hill.  UM - Fab Five.  Those eras defined both programs, and they had historic early season clashes each of those years, and obviously, in the finals.  The entire country was rooting for us - a band of freshmen - against the senior laden, proven, "establishment" that was Duke at the time.

Thus, any UM bb fan over 30 has traditionally rooted for the following:

UM win

MSU loss

OSU loss

Indiana loss

Duke loss.

It is thanks to those years I speak of that UNC has become my second favorite team for no reason other than my despising Duke.  In sum, Duke is without question UM's biggest "traditional" out of conference rival, we just haven't been holding up our end of the bargain for a decade.

MGoPietrowski

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:20 PM ^

The best way I can think to respond to this question is this:

You know how we are, and always will be, the greatest program in the history of college football? And you know how everybody who plays us more than once a decade thinks that just because they want to beat us badly, it means that we're their rivals, and we laugh at the notion?

That's kind of how I see this. Duke reigns supreme (with a few others in NCAABB) and the only time they ever give a damn about us is when we're on their immediate schedule. They are not our rivals. If we consider them our rivals simply because we've played them alot recently and because we want to beat them badly, as a fan base, we'll look just as stupid as Iowa fans and Indiana fans who think that Michigan football is their rival.

Kapeesh?

MGoPietrowski

November 22nd, 2011 at 4:40 PM ^

But do you not realize that you sound the same as an Iowa fan? They would say something along the lines of "maybe recently, but for older Iowa and Michigan fans, we look at each other as historic rivals." 

You can't just base it on one demographic, but if you do, I'd base it on Duke fan's opinions. And the dudes in my office I've asked since this thread was created have all laughed at me when I ask if Michigan is one of Duke's basketball rivals. They laughed like I laugh at my Indiana friends when they try to say the same thing about football. EVEN THE 40 year olds laughed. 

I guess you could go even older, maybe people in their sixties and seventies will think of it as a rivalry, but if that's the case, I'm prepared to stop arguing about this and congratulate you on figuring out how to use the internet and the method for posting on blogs. Could you maybe show my dad? He can't figure it out and won't leave me alone about it...