Telling the Story: Duke vs. Maryland

Looking at some of the stories being written in the aftermath of Duke's 85-44 thrashing of Maryland Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Ken Tysiac at the News & Observer wins "Lede of the Day":

With 90 seconds remaining, Duke's students announced their team's return to territory that's historically familiar yet has been famously elusive over the past few years.

It's unlikely that any team could look better than Duke did Saturday during an 85-44 humiliation of Maryland at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and the students knew that the reward almost certainly will be a move up to the top spot in the polls Monday.

"Num-ber one," they shouted. "Num-ber one."

Carlton Tudor adds his two cents at the N&O, centering the discussion on Brian Zoubek.

If there is any doubt why the Blue Devils will assume the top position in the polls this week, examine the first 30 minutes of their 85-44 demolition of Maryland. Say what you will about any deficiencies – such as the lack of an offensive post presence – but Coach Mike Krzyzewski has a bevy of interchangeable parts that comprise a defense that has been both tenacious and suffocating.

AOL Fanhouse's Chas Rich takes the Maryland perspective:

There's no shame in losing to Duke in Cameron. There's not a lot, even in most double-digit losses. This, however, was absurd. The whispers of Gary Williams starting to lose job security at Maryland only grow louder after games like this.

This kind of loss goes deeper than talent difference, home court advantage, being outcoached, outhustled and outplayed. It suggests the Terps are a team that does not care; and a coach that no longer can connect to his players. Whether that means those players have to go, or the coach, remains to be seen.

Duke Basketball Report tries to be sympathetic:

Ever find yourself really disliking someone, say a co-worker, and wishing they were out of your hair, or maybe sometimes worse?  But then they’re cut down to size and you feel guilty for wishing ill on them?  That’s what it was like watching Maryland on Saturday.

Don’t get us wrong, we enjoyed watching them take a beating, but this was a program that, not long ago, was on the verge of true greatness. The national title was impressive, but back-to-back Final Fours more so.

So seeing them all but completely impotent, losing 85-44, and not only to lose that badly but to lose their will to fight back - well, it was definitely fun, but also a bit sad.  And a loss like that can have consequences for a coach.

Mike Burke at the Cumberland Times-News has a more personal touch to it:

Yet I’m also ready to admit things are not as they should be now for Maryland basketball, not because the Terps were whipped by Duke in Cameron. That can happen to anybody, because Duke is ... well, Duke is Duke. But Maryland is no longer Maryland, and there is nobody who understands that better than the Maryland coach.

The Examiner goes deeper with the hypotheticals, wondering if Williams' possible successor in College Park will be a Dukie.

The Sporting News learned a few things while on press row at Cameron.

The writers of The Diamondback's sports blog at Maryland are letting the numbers tell the story, if only because they probably can't print the words they want to use.

And for posterity's sake, the AP story. Try to ignore its mathematical error at the bottom.