MBB: Duke vs. Miami Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[sagegrouse]

Anybody feeling guilty that our two scheduled ACC-T games are against the #9 and #12 seeds, both missing their best player? You over there. Anyone else? Nope. So it's 47-1 against feeling guilty.

Miami beat VT despite having 18 TOs (vs. 8 for VT). The Canes outrebounded the Hokies by 42-29. The immense Reggie Johnson followed up a 22-point game with 12 RBs. Scott and Jones provided the firepower with 17 and 14 pts.

Questions to get started:

1. Any guesses as to how Jon will shoot against the Canes and for the remainder of the tourney? Is there a chance we can be spared Len Elmore's idiotic commentary about tired legs (in the first two minutes of the game)?

2. How does Duke control the Canes' jitterbug guards? The problem against the Hoos was that a number of our 3's clanged off the rim and led to easy fast breaks.

3. Who steps up among the bigs? Today, all played about the same minutes, and both Miles and Mason made good contributions.

4. Re the DFL Canes, who demolished Wake and edged out VT: "Who are those guys?" asked Butch Cassidy.

sagegrouse

[OldPhiKap]

The Miami and UVa efforts show that sometimes it is hard to play against someone who has already gotten a win under their belt and are over the initial tightness of the tourney. But I think the fatigue starts to catch up to Miami tomorrow.

[Billy Dat]

Of Miami's 4 ACC wins prior to this tournament, 2 were against Wake and VT, so maybe there was a little extra confidence.

They certainly have the potential to give us all kinds of problems if they are playing loose and confident. They rebound well which potentially negates on our our advantages, they play good D, and they have a lot of quickness on the perimeter.

The game will, hopefully, be more about us then them. I think it's good that we got such a scare down in Miami last month because we won't be likely to take them for granted. If we can build a 5-10 point lead by the half, hopefully their fatigue will kick in.

[CameronDuke]

One thing is for sure: I feel more confident about our chances of reaching the ACC Championship game on Sunday by playing Miami on Saturday that I would have felt if we were playing Virginia Tech on Saturday.

I think Duke comes out on fire and starts knocking down some open 3s. We struggled a bit down in Miami earlier this season, getting down by double digits early. I think we get out to a quick lead and nail some jumpers and our defense proves too much for a Miami team playing their third game in three days. If we can come out even on the boards with them and our big three are hitting for a better percentge of made shots tomorrow than they did today, I see Duke having great chances of advancing. Hats of to the 'Canes, though. They steamrolled Wake and beat a good Hokie team today.

Should be an interesting day tomorrow!

Let's Go Duke.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Since you guys are covering the technical side of tomorrow's anticipated game, I'm going to comment on a different aspect of Miami's game plan: those uniforms worn today. The colors have to be some of the most depressing Nike has available. I expect some bad karma to be stirred up by this unseemly choice.

[Kedsy]

Is there a chance we can be spared Len Elmore's idiotic commentary about tired legs (in the first two minutes of the game)?

In the first two minutes after a six day rest, no less.

[Kedsy]

Since you guys are covering the technical side of tomorrow's anticipated game, I'm going to comment on a different aspect of Miami's game plan: those uniforms worn today. The colors have to be some of the most depressing Nike has available. I expect some bad karma to be stirred up by this unseemly choice.

Except Durand Scott wore bright orange shoes while all the other players wore black. It was like a spotlight was following him everywhere on the court.

[Kedsy]

I think it will be a tough game. Durand Scott looked close to unstoppable today, and Reggie Johnson has been a beast. If it's Miami's individual performances against our team performance, I think we win by low double digits. If we start going mano y mano (or is it mana a mano?) against them and try to match them as individuals, it goes down to the wire.

[JohnGalt]

In the first two minutes after a six day rest, no less.

At the 5 minute mark, following the 5th time he mentioned Jon's tired legs...he was given the mute button...

Regardless, the tournaments - whether conference or national - are all about hot teams. If this can be called a peak, the Canes are peaking at the correct time. IMO, Duke has too much mental toughness for a loss though...they'll win by 12.

Should they lose, the committee is going to have one hell of a time seeding the NCAAs...

[bjornolf]

What time is the game tomorrow?

[superdave]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=300482390

Here's the link from our win vs. Miami earlier this year. We were down 12 at the half. Won 81-74.

[RoyalBlue08]

In the first two minutes after a six day rest, no less.

The funny part about this tired legs thing is when watching the Big East tournament the announcers were trying to convince me that the teams playing their third game in three days had an advantage over the "double bye" teams. I guess legs only get tired in the South...

[TNDukeFan]

what time is the game tomorrow?

1:30 et, espn

[Wildling]

I'm just glad Raycom sports has taken over the games. I laugh when you guys complain about Elmore on ESPN. When he calls Duke games I cringe. Almost as bad as when Billy Packer called a few Duke games in his day.

Almost.......

[ElSid]

In the first two minutes after a six day rest, no less.

this drove me crazy. len elmore is bad at hiding his dislike of duke. also, media personnel generally are like penguins only good at regurgitating some stink fish comment they picked up somewhere else in the putrid ocean of (anti-duke) basketball commentary.

jon has shot well from 3, today aside. which to me means he has fresh legs. his shooting percentage is damaged by driving into the lane and remembering he can't jump very high and getting forced into a terrible circus shot or a rejection. today he missed a couple gimmes in the lane too. but he got separation and made it into the lane and was in great position to score...rimmed out.

who is worse than len elmore? mike patrick? who else? hate to say it but dickie v is almost unlistenable for me anymore.

[ElSid]

At the 5 minute mark, following the 5th time he mentioned Jon's tired legs...he was given the mute button...

Regardless, the tournaments - whether conference or national - are all about hot teams. If this can be called a peak, the Canes are peaking at the correct time. IMO, Duke has too much mental toughness for a loss though...they'll win by 12.

Should they lose, the committee is going to have one hell of a time seeding the NCAAs...

I think Michigan almost beating Ohio State has to look suspect to the committee, so I'm guessing OSU hurt their chances of sneaking in. West Virginia is the most likely to sneak in there. Depends on how they do tonight.

I don't care, particularly. I just don't really want to see G'town again, Villanova, Baylor, UTEP, Wofford (for real) in my bracket.

I think Duke wins this game. I think today counts as a warm up. Everyone was a bit rusty out of the gate, except Nolan, thanks god.

[SharkD]

Everyone was a bit rusty out of the gate, except Nolan, thanks god.

Two things popped into my mind, while watching the first half vs. UVA:

1. the Blue Devils, like the other top 3 teams, hadn't had a full-practice on the court at Greensboro, due to the 1st-day bye, and
2. collapsible basketball goals, particularly the long-arm style in use in Greensboro, can produce funny bounces off the rim

[DukieInBrasil]

I think it will be a tough game. Durand Scott looked close to unstoppable today, and Reggie Johnson has been a beast. If it's Miami's individual performances against our team performance, I think we win by low double digits. If we start going mano y mano (or is it mana a mano?) against them and try to match them as individuals, it goes down to the wire.

mano a mano. That means "hand to hand", mano y mano = "hand and hand", subtle but important difference.

We could win big if we can shoot the ball better. We'll probably play really tough D, seems we do that regardless of who we play. Shooting 30% in the 1st half will make things tough for us.

[Kedsy]

mano a mano. That means "hand to hand", mano y mano = "hand and hand", subtle but important difference.

We could win big if we can shoot the ball better. We'll probably play really tough D, seems we do that regardless of who we play. Shooting 30% in the 1st half will make things tough for us.

I knew those were the literal meanings, but you see "mano y mano" so much I figured maybe it was an idiom.

[sagegrouse]

What's your take? How about these?

1. Quick start on offense from the usual suspects, especially Jon. Yeah, I know. I really like to get ahead early.

2. Continued defensive intensity. Absolutely critical, in that Miami is a streaky team that can put up points.

3. Some offense from the big guys. Would help in getting big ol' Reggie Johnson in foul trouble or panting to catch his breath.

4. Surely, someone else has better ideas than these.

It probably won't happen, but wouldn't it be great if midway through the first half, Miami is thinking how great it was to win two games at the ACC's and how great it is to be in Florida during March?

sagegrouse