In Reply to: Yes, I agree it's way to early to come to any conclusions posted by traprh on October 24, 2026 at 07:10:58
college BB in general. I watch a lot of college basketball, and every once in a while, an NBA game. So far this year, I've been looking to get an idea of how UCLA would match up, not only in the Big 10 but also nationally. At this point, I've seen several of the top-rated teams in exhibitions. Granted, exhibitions mean nothing but you can get a feel for the character and quality of a team.
But of the ones I've seen, none appears to be as talented or just plain as good as Duke. With their speed, size, athleticism, and skill level, they look almost like an NBA team. I was amazed watching the ease with which they dismantled a top-ten-rated team in Tennessee 103 to 63 with 6 players in double figures. One of the portal recruits UCLA was after, John Blackwell, finished second in scoring with 18 points. I haven't seen enough top teams yet to put Duke at the top of the heap but I seriouosly doubt there would be many at their level. In saying all of this, I've never been a Duke fan. But I can recognize a really good team when I see one.
I'm looking forward to the UCLA vs Arizona game coming up soon. That will give us a much better idea of how this current UCLA squad measures up against top 10 competition.