Well u gotta realize we have alumni and that out of state support too, it's just that under pope he doesn't resonate with them. He doesn't embrace the nba and star power that uk should have
Duke's Roster
- Thread starter BookofMormon
- Start date
STFU. I’m going to call your trashy arse out every time I see you post. I don’t care what the post is about. We know you’re garbage and what you’re doing.
So butler, Brea, amari, otega, Jaxson, Chandler even aberdeen didn’t get better?
There’s plenty to be upset about Pope to this point but UKBBNever is just a miserable soul. It’s all he does.
Go check IG followers - it's a fairly significant data point, especially amongst the younger generation, yeah know, the one that isn't about to die.
Yeah idk, i get the sense that Duke is a little bigger than we realize, and UK is a little smaller than we realize.. at least when it comes to Fandom.
A lot of fans here sometimes think Kentucky is among the Cowboys, Yankees, Bulls type of nationwide fandom.. and ive just never really seen it. I think Kentucky Fandom is hyper concentrated in the state of KY, and it spreads well into the South East.. but i think Duke is really more of the "Dallas Cowboys" of college basketball (they also get overhyped like the Cowboys every year lol) .. you go in any city across America and youre gonna see some Duke hats, hoodies, etc. I dont think Kentucky is far behind, were not some school like Providence, just dont think we have quite the pull of Duke.
I also dont know what to make of the notion that Duke is some big tie to Jersey/philly. I think what youre seeing is what I described above: they have a massive nationwide following. In Albany NY, I know of at least 10 duke friends and acquaintances and not a single one has a single tie to the school. I then see probably a Duke fan in passing once a month. I *never* see Kentucky represented up here.
A lot of fans here sometimes think Kentucky is among the Cowboys, Yankees, Bulls type of nationwide fandom.. and ive just never really seen it. I think Kentucky Fandom is hyper concentrated in the state of KY, and it spreads well into the South East.. but i think Duke is really more of the "Dallas Cowboys" of college basketball (they also get overhyped like the Cowboys every year lol) .. you go in any city across America and youre gonna see some Duke hats, hoodies, etc. I dont think Kentucky is far behind, were not some school like Providence, just dont think we have quite the pull of Duke.
I also dont know what to make of the notion that Duke is some big tie to Jersey/philly. I think what youre seeing is what I described above: they have a massive nationwide following. In Albany NY, I know of at least 10 duke friends and acquaintances and not a single one has a single tie to the school. I then see probably a Duke fan in passing once a month. I *never* see Kentucky represented up here.
Second starting 5:
SO Cayden Boozer
FR Deron Rippey
FR Bryson Howard
SR Drew Scharnowski
FR Joaquim Boumtje
You think that lineup is better than ours?
Nope. Some people just say what they hear without doing any actual looking.
My experience is the exact opposite. I have met many UK fans across the country and very few true Duke fans. I think Duke takes up the Northeast pretty well. I have lived in KY, Midwest area (OH and IL) and now out west (CO) and can count on one hand the amount of Duke fans I have encountered out and about. Run into plenty of people in UK gear or people who give me a "Go Cats" when they see me in UK stuff.
Im just telling you what its like up in the northeast. And not just in Albany. But Western NY, NYC, Boston, Maine, Vermont, Philly, etc.
I cant comment on the west coast, but Id be very surprised if Kentucky is represented west of the Mississippi any better than Duke was.
I mean, correct me where I'm wrong. I think Kentucky has BETTER fans, far less band wagoning. But I think thats what makes Duke similar ro the Cowboys and Lakers and Yankees... those are all big band wagon teams. Front runners. Casuals. A lot of success in the 90s and beyond made them teams that a lot of people either grew up rooting for, or hating.
I don't think Duke fans actively show or wear their support like Kentucky fans do. Also, I think if Duke had a few seasons like we've had over the last 5 or so years, their support would nosedive.
I’m just giving you a hard time but if you think the the New Jersey thing is a myth. I’m not sure what to say. You won’t see Duke fans across the country like UK fans. I’m sure there are plenty of “good” Duke fans but they don’t have the generation to generation fans UK does. It’s just not even close.
But why? Doesnt make sense to me. Why would the northeast lean Duke, but not the south or the west coast or mid west? NY/NJ does make up a lot of Duke's student body (outside of NC), but so does California, Texas, and Florida.
The only thing I could think of is that the Northeast is maybe a little starved for an elite basketball program.. but even as I write that, it doesnt sit well with me. We have Villanova, Syracuse and Uconn. Why would Joe Schmoe of Manchester VT, pick Duke over Kentucky or Florida or USC or Michigan?
Didn’t say the NE, said NJ and my guess is it may have something to do with their founder.
lol. Not necessarily Numbnuts. There have been things in the past I may have agreed with but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid enough not to see WHO you are and what you’re doing. You’re not smart enough to be in this debate. Take my advice and STFU.
This is the only thing that makes any sense. People are not going there to date their cheerleaders or because they like their gay goateed mascot. When K was still there we could believe it was they wanted to be coached by the best or at least what pop culture named the best. This far into Scheyer’s tenure it’s clearly something else. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit to discover the real number was closer to three hundred million than to thirty.
I hate K, but he absolutely made sure duke was set up for success once he left. From the US bball connections, to Nike, to ESPN slurp fests. He made sure the machine kept rolling.
They really cant. I posted this Pope's first year and everyone acted like i was just insane. UK is never again going to win the overall financial war in college basketball.
UK never had the most money. We just cared the most. Now big 10 schools have so much money they can still outspend us even if they barely care about basketball.
Duke has access to endless money. Yes endless. They literally buy whomever they want.
The days of us being THE financial juggernaut in basketball is over.
Lol no it isnt. This is the worst yet of your bad takes. IG followers mean nothing.
Duke has the biggest brand. They dont have the biggest fanbase.
The crazy thing is the brand is much more important in this current basketball state. Take your victory there and be happy.
UK is not the Cowboys or Yankees. Right now, it's single biggest national branding quality is it's NBA alum. A lot of that equity left with Calipari, since it was all him. I mean WTF are we talking about here in terms of what popularizes UK? They have one title in almost thirty years. Why would they be more popular than UNC nationally?
Duke fans are everywhere. UK fans are in Kentucky and surrounding region. As a state, they are rabid, sure. But it's a local crowd. If you think otherwise, you're myopically foolish and are likely instate and persuaded by what you see around you. The best comp is Notre Dame football. They are a state agnostic private school with an aura.
So you're talking about states that border UK primarily? Leakage. Sure. There are zero Kentucky fans in the densely populated Northeast and Atlantic seaboard for the most part.
You are an ignoramus extraordinare. Skull must be a direct descendant of the Appalachia cromagnon. We can let AI end the debate, and clunk you over the thick skull.
Duke generally commands a larger national fan base when factoring in casual viewership, global brand recognition, and digital footprints, while Kentucky holds a more concentrated, fiercely dedicated, and travel-ready fan base known as Big Blue Nation (BBN). [1, 2, 3, 4]
National Popularity vs. Local Devotion
Data from Nielsen's college basketball rankings highlights that Duke captured the No. 1 spot for overall popularity based on TV viewership and social media engagement, with Kentucky closely following at No. 2. [1]
- The Case for Duke (The Global Giant): As a prestigious private institution, Duke has cultivated a massive, nationwide network of casual fans—and equally passionate "haters"—making them a massive television draw. They routinely lead college basketball in national TV ratings, driven by neutral fans tuning in to watch them play. Duke also boasts the largest digital footprint in the sport, including 1.7 million followers on Instagram alone. [1, 2, 3]
- The Case for Kentucky (The Die-Hard Army): Kentucky basketball is effectively professional sports for the state of Kentucky. BBN dominates in local television market shares and regularly beats Duke in physical home attendance due to the massive capacity of Rupp Arena compared to the tiny Cameron Indoor Stadium. Kentucky fans are also legendary for traveling nationally, routinely taking over neutral-site arenas during regular-season tournaments and March Madness runs. [1, 2, 4]
About 100 reasons. It's not because there is starvations of elite basketball - the NE has what is currently the best program in the US.
I guess NJ because it goes a good 5 hours south, so youre starting to get *some* proximity to NC. But south jersey is also just as close to Philly/Nova.. so idk.
Its certainly not because of who founded Duke. I havent lived in Jersey, but ive lived about 3 miles from the Jersey border and id wager I know more Jersey folks than most here (plus family in jersey). My college graduation class wss probably 1/3rd Jersey residents. There doesnt seem to be any difference for that ive seen from other states.. but that is anecdotal so I cant really call it either.
Bruh take your AI slop and move to Durham, I’d much rather have the fan base that “regularly beats Duke in physical game attendance” than a bunch of AI bot insta followers
They command a high viewership because 1) theyre given the best slots by espn and always have and 2) loads of people watch, hoping they will lose.
I already addressed both those in a previous post. Now you're just going in circles and no amount of ai can turn a bad point into a good one.
I will end my part of this conversation with this note: you as a Duke fan should be thrilled with where you are. You have access to the most money which will buy the best players. You have the best Media and marketing relationships, which make you the biggest brand.
Enjoy the good things you have going on.
Maybe because Duke is essentially a Northeast school that somehow got misplaced in NC. At least in terms of its nature and character.
The Northeast has always been where a hugely disproportionate share of Duke students are from, its where its alumni base is centered, it’s where its big donor money comes from. Hell, the school’s whole model from the day it was founded was to try to copy the snobby elitist Ivy schools of the northeast.
So it kinda figures that its fan base would also skew toward the NE.
Far from a Duke fan - I'd qualify in the hater category. I respect their program, as I do all successful programs. This was meant to be conversational and all caution to the wind that in this era, they have a model, that if the coach showed had a clue, could dominate. I'm simply flummoxed as to how any program in this era can sock away top players on their bench, when they have a plethora of quality programs they can go to and get guaranteed playing time. I'm personally hoping they bomb this year as any coach that can run programs this deep in talent is going to have a massive advantage. As someone above mentioned, hoping for some chemistry or locker room issues with those players that aren't seeing time. Make no mistake, I enjoy Duke losing. This argument their fanbase couldn't fill a Rupp Arena sized campus arena was folly, and honestly unimportant.
So idk if thats fully true. Yes NY and NJ apparently make up like 10 to 15% of the student body.. but states like Florida and Cali and Texas are right behind. Its ehy id be very surprised if California had more Kentucky fans than Duke fans.
The snobby thing might be onto something though. That kind of is what the Northeast does well. Lot more money up this way. I have always thought that Duke did that well: being the white villain which draws in a lot of fans. Lot of famous white players, etc.
Didnt you say above it might have to do with their (Duke) founder? Did I misread that?
Almost 10 years out west, hardly any duke fans and plenty of UK fans. Saying there are zero UK fans in the northeast is certainly a take.
I did say that. I was responding to what I quoted. You don’t think the founder, James Duke, who had a 2,700 acre estate/farm in New Jersey may have a bit to do with the Duke University/New Jersey connection through the years?
The good news is....when Coach K retires Duke's recruiting will fall off a cliff.
Not really. Jersey people are dumb anyways. There's no way that even 5% of Jersey residents are even aware of who James Duke is or what school he founded (although the last name would give it away in a trivia question).
I think if anything, its that southern Jersey is basically mid-atlantic. But other than that, I think Jersey Duke fans are just rooting for the team they see most on TV, the program that ESPN loves, and its just one of the few college basketball teams where you either love them or hate them. Again, its just why IMO they are more like the Cowboys, Lakers, Yankees, etc.
But again, I will also say, I can only really speak on the northeast. Maybe this doesnt apply to the Midwest or the west coast.
Im telling you there are not a lot, at all. Idk where theyre all hiding, because when I see one I basically pounce on them like a kid who sees a puppy.
Duke without a doubt, is far more represented up this way. UNC, too, for that matter.
I was in NYC a couple months back and someone saw my UK shirt and came up to talk UK football lol.
I do not find it a shocker that area of the country would be more duke, unc, whoever... just like the southeast will be more UK, tenn, bama, etc. It's just a wild take to see someone say UK fans are only in KY (not you, but op). We can only go off of our own experiences, but just about anywhere I've been in the country, I've found UK fans.
If we want to talk about seeing large fanbases outside of their campus/state area, I think IU might take the cake.