So Duke basketball is 2-1, and I’m still 100% sure we’re going to win the national championship.

You might be wondering how my faith in this team is unshaken. You might also be wondering how the team ranked #1 in the preseason could fall to #7 Kansas. But, you know, after watching that game, I’m pretty convinced that Duke basketball has still got this in the bag. In fact, I’m even more convinced than I was before. Regardless of what our record may look like after these first few days, I know that Duke basketball will come out on top. We’re #StrivingforSix and we’re going to make it happen.

First of all, we nearly won the game even without three of our top recruit freshmen. Imagine what our rebounding will be like with Harry Giles and Marques Bolden in there. Imagine when Grayson can pass to Jayson and he can sink those shots, no problem. However good we look now, we’re going to look even better once we get those three back on the court and synced up with the rest of the team.

Secondly, our sophomores (Luke Kennard and Chase Jeter, mostly) have definitely improved since the last year. Luke’s shooting was impeccable last night, landing him a full 22 points, and even Chase Jeter, infamous for his fouling, managed to stay in and have some terrific blocks and shots. Of course they can always improve, but that’s what the rest of the season is for, and I can’t wait to see their progress.

Amile and Matt also displayed a lot of prowess in the Kansas game. They played a good majority of the game, but showed no signs of slowing down. Matt shot 3 of 4 from the three-point line, and Amile had quite a few good plays as well. They showed a lot of leadership that is to be expected from the top boys on the team. Even Grayson, though clearly not on his game for much of the time, showed up in the end to drive us back to a tie. If Grayson can show up like that all game every game, then I know that Duke will be unstoppable.

That’s not to mention Frank Jackson, who was another major driving factor in our almost win. Though his playing in the first part of the game was mediocre, he certainly showed up in the end with his impeccable three pointers. If Jackson keeps improving and the other three top recruit freshmen are able to play again, no one will be able to take on Duke and live to tell the tale.

The loss last night was understandable, but definitely somewhat heartbreaking. It’s only served to convince me, though, that this is a team deserving of the National Championship title, and a team that will give it all they’ve got to get there. If I could fill in my bracket now, I’d definitely slot us to win it all. Kansas, we’ll see you again in the NCAA Tournament, and this time, we won’t be holding back. #StrivingforSix