Today's Coach K Press Conference

[watzone]

Listen for yourself. Part I is opening statements and Part II is Q and A. Part III coming. About thirty minutes total - http://bluedevilnation.net/2009/10/b...ning-comments/

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Listening to it as I type!

[Greg_Newton]

Here's some quotes from it: http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/6218155/

A couple things K said:

-Miles is up 18 lbs from last season, Lance is up 8lbs. (I also hadn't noticed that Zoubs is down 20 lbs from last season... our frontcourt would look completely different even without Mason!)

-Ryan is a "very smart player" and will contribute right away. A great shooter and has been playing almost exclusively on the perimeter in preseason drills to improve his quickness and footwork.

-Not only will it be his biggest team ever, it's also a very athletic team.

[Greg_Newton]

Couple other things I thought were interesting:

-When discussing heights, Coach K called Kyle 6'9 and Nolan 6'3 or 6'4. Seems like he'd see them enough that that wouldn't be wildly inaccurate, at least.

-Lance might sub in for Nolan at times, leaving a lineup of:
Jon (6'5)
Lance (6'8)
Kyle (6'9)
Mason (6'11)
Miles (6'10)

...which would sure be interesting.

-Key for Miles starting/playing a big role: keeping it simple and understanding his role. Basically, getting really good at finishing, rebounding, screening and running, and not worrying about anything else.

-Nolan is "as good a player as we've had" in the preseason.

-Singler may be bringing the ball up some (point forward, anyone?).

-If there was a today, Andre wouldn't just be the first guard sub, he'd be the first perimeter sub (meaning 1-3 spots).

[devilboomer]

Couple other things I thought were interesting:

-If there was a today, Andre wouldn't just be the first guard sub, he'd be the first perimeter sub (meaning 1-3 spots).

I'd have to think this means Singler slides over to the 4 and one of the Plums remain, giving us a lineup of Nolan, Scheyer, Dawkins, Singler, Mason.

[jimsumner]

I get the feeling K is thinking of Scheyer, Smith, Singler, Dawkins, Kelly, and Davidson as perimeter players, with Thomas, Plumlee, Plumlee, and Zoubek as post players.

Not sure where Czyz fits in.

But Singler and maybe Kelly will play inside some this year.

[roywhite]

I get the feeling K is thinking of Scheyer, Smith, Singler, Dawkins, Kelly, and Davidson as perimeter players, with Thomas, Plumlee, Plumlee, and Zoubek as post players.

Not sure where Czyz fits in.

But Singler and maybe Kelly will play inside some this year.

Trying to think of a previous Duke team under Coach K that had this much size.

The 1988/89 team had Abdelnaby, Laettner, and Ferry playing key roles; the roster also included Clay Buckley, Crawford Palmer, and George Burgin, but they really didn't play much.

[jipops]

I get the feeling K is thinking of Scheyer, Smith, Singler, Dawkins, Kelly, and Davidson as perimeter players, with Thomas, Plumlee, Plumlee, and Zoubek as post players.

Not sure where Czyz fits in.

But Singler and maybe Kelly will play inside some this year.

I get the impression it's going to be quite a challenge for Kelly to carve out a role. MP2 and Dawkins seem a little more defined. But having Kelly be a perimeter guy in some cases and front court guy in others... seems like a lot for a freshman to try to adjust to.

[jipops]

Trying to think of a previous Duke team under Coach K that had this much size.

The 1988/89 team had Abdelnaby, Laettner, and Ferry playing key roles; the roster also included Clay Buckley, Crawford Palmer, and George Burgin, but they really didn't play much.

The '02-'03 squad had:

6-9 fr. Shelden Williams
6-10 fr. Shavlik Randlolph
6-10 fr. Michael Thompson
6-11 sr. Casey Sanders
6-10 jr. Nick Horvath

by late February Dahntay Jones was the starting pf.

[MChambers]

The '02-'03 squad had:

6-9 fr. Shelden Williams
6-10 fr. Shavlik Randlolph
6-10 fr. Michael Thompson
6-11 sr. Casey Sanders
6-10 jr. Nick Horvath

by late February Dahntay Jones was the starting pf.

These examples worry me, because they remind me that K's best teams have featured very mobile players. Twin towers haven't generally been as good. I assume it is mostly an issue with man-to-man defense, but haven't bothered to do any research or anything.

[jimsumner]

"These examples worry me, because they remind me that K's best teams have featured very mobile players. Twin towers haven't generally been as good."


True. But are size and mobility mutually exclusive?

Check out 1989 and 1990 for examples of K's ability to adequately utilize twin towers.

[MChambers]

"These examples worry me, because they remind me that K's best teams have featured very mobile players. Twin towers haven't generally been as good."


True. But are size and mobility mutually exclusive?

Check out 1989 and 1990 for examples of K's ability to adequately utilize twin towers.

1989 was a good year, I'll give you that, but 1990 was not that good. Yes, the team made the NCAA finals, but it was probably the weakest of coach K's teams to reach the final four. The team finished the regular season poorly and didn't do well in the ACC tournament. It made the final four by the narrowest of margins, the first Laettner last second shot, got by an overrated Arkansas team, and got hammered in the finals.

I'm willing to think that coach K may have learned a thing or two in 19 years. I'm also willing to hope that this team is sufficiently talented to have an edge on the 1990 roster.

I think a lot will depend on how successfully the coaching staff can adjust the team's approach to fit the roster.

[jipops]

1989 was a good year, I'll give you that, but 1990 was not that good. Yes, the team made the NCAA finals, but it was probably the weakest of coach K's teams to reach the final four. The team finished the regular season poorly and didn't do well in the ACC tournament. It made the final four by the narrowest of margins, the first Laettner last second shot, got by an overrated Arkansas team, and got hammered in the finals.

I'm willing to think that coach K may have learned a thing or two in 19 years. I'm also willing to hope that this team is sufficiently talented to have an edge on the 1990 roster.

I think a lot will depend on how successfully the coaching staff can adjust the team's approach to fit the roster.

1990 was not a good year, are you serious? If we are at all able to replicate the 1990 season myself and pretty much the rest of the Duke fan base will be ecstatic. Sure the '90 reg season didn't end on a strong note. But let's remember that team was being directed by a freshman pg who was rarely resting on the bench.

[theAlaskanBear]

Got to listen to part I and II...is III somewhere?


Anyways, I am really excited about the season. I think the most important notes from what I heard:

Team will run a motion offense, he talked alot about cutting, advancing the ball through passing, movement without the ball. We could be seeing some "princeton" offense (my words not his, anyone else think this?). It would make sense with out personnel. Coach K really emphasized rebounding, to the point where he made a joke god asking him during a thunderstorm about rebounding.

About player roles:

He blamed himself and the coaches for not putting Nolan in position to play his strengths last year, and he said while Nolan is the only person on the team who can break down defenders with the dribble, he is not good enough to run the offense through that. So Nolan I would guess Nolan becomes a SG/wing scorer for most of the year and plays really aggressive.

Thomas will play the 6th defensive utility man role. He talked about Thomas guarding 1-5 on the floor, perimeter defense and forward offense (think about the opposite of Singler, who will be playing perimeter offense at times, but probably gaurding the 3 or 4.

Talked about the benefits of being healthy to start the season! Said both Nolan and Dawkins have had really good falls.

I agree that Ryan will have the hardest time finding a role, but it will not be playing inside...he would be a perimeter offensive threat, and would be hidden defensively down low I think. Think Taylor King.

Man I cant wait!!!!!!! Especially with my Cards so embarassingly bounced from the BB playoffs!

[jipops]

These examples worry me, because they remind me that K's best teams have featured very mobile players. Twin towers haven't generally been as good. I assume it is mostly an issue with man-to-man defense, but haven't bothered to do any research or anything.

I don't think it's the best example though. Michael Thompson was obviously not ready to contribute, Shav suffered a foot injury early, Horvath was a career spot player, and Casey could never get himself a reliable set of hands. There even ended up being a HUGE difference between freshman Shelden and senior Shelden.

I'm confident that the bigs we feature this season bring a much broader skill set than what we featured back in '02-'03.

[jimsumner]

"but 1990 was not that good. Yes, the team made the NCAA finals, but it was probably the weakest of coach K's teams to reach the final four"

Right. I really sneer at that team. The nerve of them making the NCAA title game.

[SMO]

Couple other things I thought were interesting:

-When discussing heights, Coach K called Kyle 6'9 and Nolan 6'3 or 6'4. Seems like he'd see them enough that that wouldn't be wildly inaccurate, at least.

I recall reading that Nolan's father grew something like 4-6 inches while in college. That would be a crazy big lineup if Nolan is a legit 6'3" or 6'4".

[devildeac]

"These examples worry me, because they remind me that K's best teams have featured very mobile players. Twin towers haven't generally been as good."


True. But are size and mobility mutually exclusive?

Check out 1989 and 1990 for examples of K's ability to adequately utilize twin towers.

2004 was pretty good, too, IIRC, except for some marginal (cough) officiating in the national semi-final game.

[jimsumner]

FWIW, the 1990 team started two 6'10/11" players and somehow averaged 89.1 ppg.

[MChambers]

2004 was pretty good, too, IIRC, except for some marginal (cough) officiating in the national semi-final game.

2004 wasn't twin towers. Deng got most of the minutes at the 4.