Although Binghamton University alumnus Tony Kornheiser may have put down the Blue Devils to move on to the next round, many bloggers and journalists from sea to shining sea are predicting an upset of Duke by the Bearcats on Thursday.
On a forum from Dukebasketballreport.com, many posters commented on how Binghamton University may have a good chance, considering the colleges from where the players came. They alluded to the Duke-Belmont game last championship in which No. 2 Duke just squeezed past No. 15 Belmont by a score of 71-70.
Twitter has been an application through which many bloggers have predicted a Bearcats victory. Among them is Steve Krakauer, the associate editor of TVNewser.com, who also picked Binghamton over Duke. Bloggers on Twitter.com have argued that the Bearcats match Duke in “athleticism and speed.” After having won its last 11 games, Binghamton is on fire going into Greensboro. One fan remarked how the team’s clutch plays in the season have been able to get the team in place.
Detroit blogger Karl also posted on how teams with large win streaks have the potential to continue winning games. He also mentioned how much of a possibility Binghamton has in clinching the first round, pointing to a 2001 championship game in which Hampton defeated Iowa State, 1997, where Coppin State beat South Carolina, and 1991 when Richmond trumped Syracuse. One thing that Karl said the teams all had in common is “finishing its seasons with remarkable finishes.”
Matt Crossman from sportingnews.com stated Binghamton’s potential to win if Duke gets into foul trouble early in the game. He also stated how the Bearcats are a “good team, probably better than a 15 seed,” and how junior D.J. Rivera could send the Devils packing if they “go too far into their bench.”
Pete Thamel of The New York Times also gave Binghamton the benefit of the doubt on his Quad Blog. He did not say that they would win the game, but that they would come surprisingly close to defeating the Blue Devils.