MBB: Georgia Tech 71, Duke 67 Post Game Thread

[YourLandlord]

I think Ferryfor50 said it best:

"Outrebounded, out-hustled, out-worked."

Disagree, they were just more physical than us. And when they're physically larger at most positions, when you lose that battle it's not because they tried harder -- they're just bigger.

[miramar]

Singler was 2-13 and Smith was 4-10 after hitting a couple of shots towards the end. The team was 21% from 3 PT.

Kyle is now shooting 41% on the year, which is a real concern.

[natedog4ever]

I think it's safe to say that Singler is not as effective playing in this year's offensive structure. The coaches have to do something to get him some easier offense, because Jon can't do it himself, now or in March.

[soccerstud2210]

as frustrating as this loss is, its ok. its early. teachable. and encouraging because despite being out hustled out rebounded and out shot and out played, we were right there with a chance up until the last seconds.

sucks, but hopefully this makes us better in the end

[Saratoga2]

It was a very physical game that saw Scheyer have another very good game and I think Mason and Miles Plumlee also played very well. They are emerging as players who can defend as well as handle the ball and score some. Dawkins is also pretty green and seems to have lost his touch for the time being.

Unfortunately, neither Singler or Smith had stong offensive games and seemed to have difficulty dealing with the pressure applied. Both wound up turning the ball over too often, giving Tech extra opportunities.

Our defense was solid throughout, with the final score inflated by all the FT they shot at the end.

Give GT credit. They hit all their free throws down the stretch, giving us no chance to get the lead back. Favors didn't do a lot and it was up to Gani Lawal to provide their offense and he came through.

[OldSchool]

GT did a very good job of using their length and athleticism to take us out of our normal half-court passing offense. Their on-ball defense was very effective in making us pass to positions that were farther out from our normal comfort zone.

They were greatly helped by the fact that the game was called loosely for much of the game. If the officials had been sticklers for bumps and reaches on the perimeter, GT could not have maintained that kind of defensive pressure.

Even with that, if the team hits 30% from 3 we win this game.

[BlueintheFace]

One of Singler's worst games ever.

Glad to see Plumlee have a great game, but he really needs to be playing at the same time as his brother, in other words, both Plumlees need to start, and the sooner the better. Zoubek and Thomas are solid role players, but Mason and Miles are substantially more talented and the future of this program. Really hope to see Mason in the starting lineup immediately.

Strongly disagree. We need either Z or LT on the floor most of the game for defense.

[devildownunder]

Two reasons:

1) Not attacking the press consistently
2) Missing wide open shot after wide open shot

There you have it.

I think we got a lot better against the press in the 2nd half. i'm actually not too worried about that anymore -- especially with mason out there. with his size attacking the press w/the dribble, team will back off that in a hurry. he'll kill 'em.

Agree we missed a lot of open shots but i don't think many of those open looks we had down the stretch were actually good ones. jon and kyle both forced shots down the stretch from way way outside, and completely out of the offense. kyle's were especially deep on multiple occasions.

I'm more concerned that we seemed to regress to 3balling wildly when things got tight -- especially singler.

[Jumbo]

#1 reason why we lose when to teams we shouldn't...is the resons why its risky to build teams so built off the three

Do you really think Georgia Tech is a team "we shouldn't lose to?" They were ranked 17th and playing at home. Going by your standard, then, there's no game remaining on Duke's schedule that the team should lose. Also, only 32.6% of Duke's shots are 3-pointers -- 154th in the country. So there are 153 other teams that rely on the 3 more than Duke.

[_Gary]

Disagree, they were just more physical than us. And when they're physically larger at most positions, when you lose that battle it's not because they tried harder -- they're just bigger.

They are very physical. I don't deny that. But I also maintain they played with more intensity and aggressiveness. Agree to disagree if you want.

[Oriole Way]

Singler was 2-13 and Smith was 4-10 after hitting a couple of shots towards the end. The team was 21% from 3 PT.

Kyle is now shooting 41% on the year, which is a real concern.

It's shouldn't be too surprising considering he's playing on the perimeter now. Honestly, he's a better player playing the 4 spot on offense, but given the makeup of the rest of the team (having so many big men and a lack of a true 3), Kyle plays almost exclusively on the wing.

I do agree in the sense Singler has simply not looked good this season. He has regressed, which I really didn't expect.

[BlueintheFace]

I have questions about shot selection down the stretch... surprisingly by Jon. I'm sure that will be addressed tonight or tomorrow.

[soccerstud2210]

Disagree, they were just more physical than us. And when they're physically larger at most positions, when you lose that battle it's not because they tried harder -- they're just bigger.

disagree. they out hustled us plain and simple. and pushed us around on the boards.

ya the ball bounced their way a lot today, but thats no excuse

[devildownunder]

GT did a very good job of using their length and athleticism to take us out of our normal half-court passing offense. Their on-ball defense was very effective in making us pass to positions that were farther out from our normal comfort zone.

They were greatly helped by the fact that the game was called loosely for much of the game. If the officials had been sticklers for bumps and reaches on the perimeter, GT could not have maintained that kind of defensive pressure.

Even with that, if the team hits 30% from 3 we win this game.

We made their D a lot better by never forcing the issue and working to get into attacking positions on the offensive end. we were way too passive today. nolan is the biggest factor in eliminating that problem. All he needs is confidence. You can see it. It's frustrating to know he's so close to being really great.

[Duvall]

They are very physical. I don't deny that. But I also maintain they played with more intensity and aggressiveness. Agree to disagree if you want.

Foul trouble. Can't dive after loose balls if it might lead to a DQ.

[dukeblue1206]

I think it is most everyone can see that Kyle has struggled with the change to playing on the wing. He is doing fine defensively with the change but on offense, he is having a hard time driving. Keeps getting stipped because he can not get his shoulder past his defender like he did when he had a power foward chasing him outside. It is just going to take him some time to find his go to moves from certain spots on the floor with someone smaller guarding him.

I also hope that this game with get Mason into the starting lineup. He was a bright spot in the game.

[devildownunder]

Do you really think Georgia Tech is a team "we shouldn't lose to?" They were ranked 17th and playing at home. Going by your standard, then, there's no game remaining on Duke's schedule that the team should lose. Also, only 32.6% of Duke's shots are 3-pointers -- 154th in the country. So there are 153 other teams that rely on the 3 more than Duke.

we did regress into wildly hoisting 3s down the stretch though. And we were too passive on offense in general. However, this year I think that problem is fixable. Last year, I really don't think it was.

[Oriole Way]

Strongly disagree. We need either Z or LT on the floor most of the game for defense.

I strongly disagree as well. I think both Plumlees can turn into strong defenders, and already bring a lot of good defense to the table as it is, and the defense both Z and LT provide can also be utilized coming off the bench. Either way, it's more an issue of talent and the long-term outlook for this team. Miles and Mason are more talented than Zoubek and Thomas, plain and simple. More importantly, I am convinced that the Plumlee brothers will make each other better playing at the same time. They already have chemistry, and they complement each other very well on both ends of the floor.

I guarantee you that you can expect more games like this from Thomas going forward against ACC competition. Seeing Miles and Mason work together makes me excited for the team's prospects, but they need to be on the floor together for that to happen.

[Stray Gator]

IMO, the main problem that did us in today was the maddening inability to corral loose balls and rebounds. Time and again, GT players outhustled, or outpositioned, or outmuscled our players for the ball. If an equal number of those contested possessions go to Duke instead of GT, that alone would probably represent at least a 6-8 point swing.

[CMARTZ]

I don't mean to suggest that our offense was effective in this game, but the outcome could have been different had a few of the many blocked/air-balled GT shots not landed directly in the hands of a guy under the basket...