MBB: Duke v. Miami, Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[bjornolf]

Next play.

While we are all still licking our wounds from last night's debacle, I think it's equally important to move forward. We got a game in a couple days, and we (both the team and the fans) really need to tighten those belts and get down to it if we're gonna right this ship.

On that note, is there any chance that a talented but young Miami team has a letdown after that HUGE home win over Wake? Can we take advantage of that? I think that if our boys are galvanized by that loss, and the crazies really show up to support them, we can take this one.

On another note, I think K needs to devote a couple of practices before the Miami game to breaking the press, cause you KNOW we're gonna start seeing a LOT more of it, even from teams that aren't really equipped to pull it off. I think Miami is a team that has the athleticism, if not the discipline, to use it against us, at least for a while, long enough to put us in a hole anyway. If we can't make the passes, it won't matter if they're disciplined enough.

Thoughts? Is there any chance that WE press to open the game? I don't know if I've ever seen a game where BOTH teams commit to a press early on. How does that work? I guess it'd come down to bench and conditioning at that point.

[SMO]

I think a letdown by MIA is likely, but more importantly I think Duke will come out angry. I just hope they don't overdo it and try to undo the last game in the first 5 minutes. I expect to see a gritty performance by Duke.

[CDu]

On that note, is there any chance that a talented but young Miami team has a letdown after that HUGE home win over Wake? Can we take advantage of that? I think that if our boys are galvanized by that loss, and the crazies really show up to support them, we can take this one.

Miami isn't a young team. They play eight upperclassmen (four seniors, four juniors) and only one underclassman really plays at all (the freshman Jones). They're inconsistent, but it's not due to youth. They are just a streaky offensive team that wins in large part due to extra effort on both ends of the floor, and sometimes that's not enough.

I think it's very possible that we come out at home and beat Miami handily. It's also possible that they build off that win and give us fits - after all, they can do essentially the same things Clemson can do on the right night. They have an athletic monster (at times) in Collins, a prolific shooter in McClinton, and lots of athleticism and effort from their role players. If Hurdle is having a good night, they can be a pretty darn good team. If he's having a bad night, they pretty much become a one man show.

Thoughts? Is there any chance that WE press to open the game? I don't know if I've ever seen a game where BOTH teams commit to a press early on. How does that work? I guess it'd come down to bench and conditioning at that point.

Both teams can press, but you can really only press if you score. So if the press is working for one team, it's unlikely that the press will work for the other team. We might press. Miami likes a steadier pace, and they seemed to struggle with it late in the game last year.

[bjornolf]

Sorry, I got NO sleep last night. I'm confusing Miami's basketball team with their young FOOTBALL team. Oops.

[geraldsneighbor]

This is as close to a must win as your ever going to see. I will be unable to view the contest here since it is a raycom special and I don't get espn360 at home. Hopefully we turn up the intensity on defense and some guys break out of slumps. Win this game and all is forgotten.

[CDu]

Sorry, I got NO sleep last night. I'm confusing Miami's basketball team with their young FOOTBALL team. Oops.

No sweat. Hopefully, they get the bad versions of Collins and Hurdle this weekend, and we get a W. We could certainly use one of those after the beatdown last night.

[JDev]

This game can't get here fast enough. Miami is a good squad, as they showed in beating Wake last night, almost to the tune of the butt-whipping Duke received. I expect a more hungry Duke team. Duke just has to get production from Smith and Scheyer to be successful. It will not be an easy game by any stretch. One team is coming off a huge win, the other coming off one of the worst losses the program has seen. I think an attitude adjustment will be the biggest and most evident change. Duke will be more aggressive on both sides of the ball, communicate more, and play with more enthusiasm.

[SMO]

The main things that concern me about MIA are McClinton going off and their athleticism. I think Duke is very well positioned to stop McClinton with tough man-to-man. The big question on matching strong big guys is which team will show up? The one that handled Xavier and went toe-to-toe with Wake's athletes, or last night's squad?

[DukeDevilDeb]

This game can't get here fast enough. Miami is a good squad, as they showed in beating Wake last night, almost to the tune of the butt-whipping Duke received. I expect a more hungry Duke team. Duke just has to get production from Smith and Scheyer to be successful. It will not be an easy game by any stretch. One team is coming off a huge win, the other coming off one of the worst losses the program has seen. I think an attitude adjustment will be the biggest and most evident change. Duke will be more aggressive on both sides of the ball, communicate more, and play with more enthusiasm.

Smith and Scheyer, yes... but we need production from Singler too. He just didn't seem to be there last night... there being in the game.

[geraldsneighbor]

Smith and Scheyer, yes... but we need production from Singler too. He just didn't seem to be there last night... there being in the game.

Singler also was a non-factor in the Win Sunday. I think the question that needs to be asked after that loss is: Did we play our best in December and January and are fading now or do we improve from January and do something about what happened last night? No reason we can't get better IMO.

[Diddy]

I don't know how much full court press we will see. If pressing is something that your entire team has really worked on, then it can be a valuable weapon. If not, trying to slap one together and use it can be disasterous. If you run a press, and don't execute it very well, and it gets beaten, you will get crushed. A beaten press means loads of open shots. Other teams will try, but it is like a gimmick O in football. It works because the opposition rarely sees it, and even rarer still well executed.

Clemson uses their press a lot. Against UNC it backfired, completely. That is the danger of the press.

[COYS]

Clemson uses their press a lot. Against UNC it backfired, completely. That is the danger of the press.

And quite frankly, it should have backfired last night, too, if we had shown the least amount of poise. At the very least, we should have made it a non-factor. Press or no press, athletes or no athletes, I think the biggest question mark for the Miami game will be our guys' psychological state. If they play the way they know they can and get back to basics and use the debacle in Clemson as a motivator, we can definitely beat Miami. The game against Miami will say a lot more about our team's psyche than their ability.

The good news is, we have an experienced head coach who has seen it all and overcome it all. We also have players that don't like to lose and will be willing to do anything it takes to rebound.

[roywhite]

A question relating to preparation and practice time:

What time did the team get back from Clemson? That used to be a long bus ride; perhaps they fly now, but with a 9:00 PM game and various postgame activities, it's got to be midnight or so before they leave the building?

So is today Thursday limited in practice time at all by travel from last night's game? Or perhaps the normal practice schedule has been uh...somewhat altered due to our performance?

Watched some of the Miami/Wake game last night. Miami will be plenty tough to beat.

[geraldsneighbor]

A question relating to preparation and practice time:

What time did the team get back from Clemson? That used to be a long bus ride; perhaps they fly now, but with a 9:00 PM game and various postgame activities, it's got to be midnight or so before they leave the building?

So is today Thursday limited in practice time at all by travel from last night's game? Or perhaps the normal practice schedule has been uh...somewhat altered due to our performance?

Watched some of the Miami/Wake game last night. Miami will be plenty tough to beat.

I agree and I don't think this is the time to just murder our team in practice with big games looming. I think they should have a couple of intense practices however that really play alot of emphasis on defensive rebounding and getting back our flow on offense.

[mgtr]

Singler also was a non-factor in the Win Sunday. I think the question that needs to be asked after that loss is: Did we play our best in December and January and are fading now or do we improve from January and do something about what happened last night? No reason we can't get better IMO.

I have wondered about this for some time. Maybe we are better prepared and better conditioned early in the season, but as the season goes on, others catch up with us and some pass us. Just a possibility, but worrisome if true.

[geraldsneighbor]

I have wondered about this for some time. Maybe we are better prepared and better conditioned early in the season, but as the season goes on, others catch up with us and some pass us. Just a possibility, but worrisome if true.

I wonder if there will be anyone in that locker room to say that last night wasn't acceptable and we will do something about this. I'm not sure who the vocal leader is of this team with Paulus in a limited roll. We need a Dahntay Jones type guy in there, hopefully there is one.

This team IS better then last year. Where else has anyone played 4 top ten teams this year (non of which at home) and is still sitting at 19-3?

Kyle is a better player then last year.
G is better.
LT and Zoub have shown flashes.
Scheyer WILL find it.
Nolan will be better...
This team has the pieces but its a matter of finding them...and quickly.
People who are writing off a Duke team like this on the 5th of February are making a mistake.

[RelativeWays]

I harbour no grudge towards Miami but I want to see our team destroy them, its a huge statement that needs to happen if this team has any true desire of doing something in the postseason. Problem is, I can't remember the last time a Duke team exacted revenge for a poor performance on its hapless next opponent. Some here might point to the UVA game last Saturday after the loss to Wake, but I'm not sure how much of that victory was Duke exorcizing frustration and how much was UVA's terrible, terrible play.

[Kishiznit]

Below are my starting lineup predictions against Miami..thoughts?


PG - Smith; Regardless of what he does, he is the best option at point and not sure a wake up call is waranted.

SG - EWil; I like this move to get Jon coming off the bench (again) - less pressure and work him in early to get a layup or knock something easy down. Would also be interesting to see how E reacts in the starting lineup.

SF - G

PF - Lance; give him a shot at 4 - he definitely deserves to be in the starting lineup after last night.

C - Z; Miami is long so his inside presence can buy early minutes (and probable late minutes as well).

Obviously it's not who starts it's who finishes the game that matters but I think this squad would be interesting and could definitely hold their own on the defensive side of the ball.

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Below are my starting lineup predictions against Miami..thoughts?


PG - Smith; Regardless of what he does, he is the best option at point and not sure a wake up call is waranted.

SG - EWil; I like this move to get Jon coming off the bench (again) - less pressure and work him in early to get a layup or knock something easy down. Would also be interesting to see how E reacts in the starting lineup.

SF - G

PF - Lance; give him a shot at 4 - he definitely deserves to be in the starting lineup after last night.

C - Z; Miami is long so his inside presence can buy early minutes (and probable late minutes as well).

Obviously it's not who starts it's who finishes the game that matters but I think this squad would be interesting and could definitely hold their own on the defensive side of the ball.

Not much offensive firepower in that lineup. In fact, other than G I'm not sure there's any. I strongly suspect the lineup will be based on who responds well in practice over the next day or two. I'd assume Kyle and G will start. The other three spots, IMO, are up for grabs.

[geraldsneighbor]

Not much offensive firepower in that lineup. In fact, other than G I'm not sure there's any. I strongly suspect the lineup will be based on who responds well in practice over the next day or two. I'd assume Kyle and G will start. The other three spots, IMO, are up for grabs.

I agree. If anything, I think Kyle moves to the 3 to atleast lighten his load a little. I think the line-up will be Smith, Hendo, Singler, McClure, LT.