Duke 110, Colgate 58 Post-Game Thread

[Dukeface88]

I thought the Plumlees both had fairly good games. They played more effectively and looked more confident, although they obviously need to cut down on fouls. I think the next few games are really critical to their development.


Kyrie looks like the real deal. Can't wait to see how he does against Pullen and Lucas.

Nolan looks has made big strides as a point; he's 2:1 on A/TOs so far. This is going to be really helpful if Kyrie gets in foul trouble again.

Kyle's a warrior. 18 and 9 with food poisoning (which explains his shot being a bit off).

Hairston and Kelly have been very impressive so far. Kelly really does not want to give up that starting spot; he was all over the place tonight. Hairston has been quiet, but I love his hustle. I think he's gonna be a special player.

Dre has really elevated his game. He's moving better without the ball, and is a legit threat in the lane.

Seth struggled a bit tonight, but he still looked pretty good. I think he's still settling into playing a more complementary role.

Tyler continues to be better than I expected. He should be in the picture for the starting point next year.

In general, I've been really encouraged by our bench play so far; it bodes well for next season as well as this one. Looking forward, Marquette's apparently got a pretty good stable of guards and wings. However, they don't have much size, so I don't think our biggest question mark (defense against a dominant post player) is going to be answered just yet.

[Kedsy]

Curry - I hope he isn't regretting his Transfer to Duke. I know he won't show it, but inside I kinda feel like he's not getting everything he was expecting.. (Not from Duke, but from Himself) Hopefully he was just a little off and that is a bad feeling I've gotten.

I know others have responded to this, but I felt the need to answer as well -- what are you talking about? Seth has so far averaged 23 minutes per game and 14 points per game. What more could he be expecting?

He shot poorly today but still got his points from the free throw line. And no question I'd rather have his stat line (and game result) than Harrison Barnes's tonight.

Plumlees - Gotta do better. We need more from them inside. Sometimes they look like they're trying too hard. Mason had some pointless fouls 30 foot from the basket. Miles just acts like a linebacker sometimes.

Again, others have responded, but again, huh? I realize they both fouled out, and we were playing a weak opponent, but the Plumlees combined to score 18 points on 8 for 11 shooting, pull down 12 rebounds, with 2 blocks and 4 steals. In only 37 minutes. If they were one person playing 37 minutes with those stats they'd undoubtedly be leading the MOTM voting.

[Vincetaylor]

I know others have responded to this, but I felt the need to answer as well -- what are you talking about? Seth has so far averaged 23 minutes per game and 14 points per game. What more could he be expecting?

He shot poorly today but still got his points from the free throw line. And no question I'd rather have his stat line (and game result) than Harrison Barnes's tonight.



Again, others have responded, but again, huh? I realize they both fouled out, and we were playing a weak opponent, but the Plumlees combined to score 18 points on 8 for 11 shooting, pull down 12 rebounds, with 2 blocks and 4 steals. In only 37 minutes. If they were one person playing 37 minutes with those stats they'd undoubtedly be leading the MOTM voting.

Fouling out in 13 minutes against Colgate is bad. I'm not worried since it is only our 3rd game of the season, but we will need the Plumlees to stay out of foul trouble against the MSU's of the world. Zoubek always had great stats per minute, but he wasn't a good player until he was staying on the court(out of foul trouble) and actually getting those stats.

[Dsuke17]

Combined numbers were good and some flashes were here and there. But watching the way they fumble rebounds which they should grab or commiting silly fouls, I think we need season long development from both of them in order to compete for NC. Right now, I just don't see our bigs can play against good frontcourt.

But we saw how Lance and Zoubs developed last season, so obviously there is great chance they will develop during the season. I think we will see where our bigs stand in next two weeks when we play some good inside players like Kelly ( if he plays), Green, Roe and Howard. I'm anxious to see how Plumlees and other our bigs will defend and rebound against some good inside players.

[DevilHorns]

Coach K post game audio and game observations - http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/11/b...game-comments/

Coach K praises the Crusties

"And it's not just the students... the upperdeck... the stands... it's just a really good atmosphere."

[oldnavy]

You want to know the really cool part of all of this?? Defense is always ahead of offense at this time of year..

What that means is that while our defense is going to get better as the year goes on, and it is already REALLY good, our offense is going to get MUCH better as we go on...

That is a wonderful thought considering the level the offense is already at!!

[jv001]

You want to know the really cool part of all of this?? Defense is always ahead of offense at this time of year..

What that means is that while our defense is going to get better as the year goes on, and it is already REALLY good, our offense is going to get MUCH better as we go on...

That is a wonderful thought considering the level the offense is already at!!

And I expect the Plumlees to improve as well. Just wish they were stronger in going for rebounds. Lot's of times they seem to take the rebound for granted by going after it with one hand. Good thing is our coaching staff will work that out. This team has the potential to be great. GoDuke!

[DevilHorns]

The praise is easy. Our perimeter play is phenomenal and completely out-matched whatever Colgate had to offer. That goes from Kyrie, Nolan, and Dre.

Quote from Kyrie (regarding Nolan):

"We're both trying to get double-doubles every night," Irving said. "We can definitely do it on this team, [with] the amount of weapons we have on this team. We're always in competition with one another."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303230150

You gotta love that!

Seth had a little bit of an off night, and it's clear to me that he has the green light to launch the ball from the moon if he likes. Sometimes I think he could push the ball around but I think he just wanted to get into his groove. He's been generally good in terms of shot selection the first 2 games, but IMHO, took at least a few poor shots vs Colgate. Tyler did make a clearly poor pass on our end of the floor that was stolen for an easy 2. Overall though I think he played well; I can recall one really good athletic drive in the second half for him.

Ryan Kelly just had the best game he's had as a Blue Devil. Just a natural. When he's involved, good things tend to happen. He makes kids around him better. I counted 2 poor plays that he committed all night (the 'over-and-back' pass when he had decent offensive position, and was relaxed slightly on one 3-point attempt by the opposition). Besides that, he was all over the place defensively. Multiple sequences where he was the man causing the play again and again. As K said to his assistants in the Training Days ESPN Special, 'Ryan is going to be Real Good.' K's usually right.

Needs Improvement? Our rebounding form and our big men's propensity for tickytack fouls. If we run into a team with a strong inside presence (maybe a Sullinger from Ohio State for example, and we'll have a good early season test vs MSU) that will be a true test of our biggest weakness. Right now we can easily sizzle by teams with our perimeter play and athleticism. If someone wants to grind the ball down low against us, how will we respond? That said, Mason is improving, and I think Miles is going to respond to his demotion, but it will take time. Miles has an intensity about him that I think can translate to a very tough rebounder and defensive player. Mason is a bigger weapon, but I think he needs to get a little more rough around the boards to grab some of those loose balls. One thing that I don't really see a lot of on DBR is praise for Mason's passing ability (usually if it's a big man's passing ability, it's praise for Ryan). Mason has a strong and accurate pass in his arsenal. If he rounds out some of his offensive game, he will be an incredible weapon to stretch the D.

[slower]

But watching the way they fumble rebounds which they should grab ...
But we saw how Lance and Zoubs developed last season, so obviously there is great chance they will develop during the season. I think we will see where our bigs stand in next two weeks when we play some good inside players like Kelly ( if he plays), Green, Roe and Howard. I'm anxious to see how Plumlees and other our bigs will defend and rebound against some good inside players.

Yep. I remember having the EXACT same gripes about Z and Lance last year, so hopefully things will progress similarly this season.

We'll find out in a few days, when the season REALLY starts.

[whereinthehellami]

Kyrie makes it look easy. His decisions and speed with the ball in traffic are amazing. As far as being a freshman, you can't tell...so far.

Kelly is alot of fun to watch. He is not the fastest or most athletic player but you can see the game slowing down for him. He has an incredible basketball IQ and you can tell he is a gym rat. I'd like to see him exhibit his inner ID and take that 5th spot outright. I think he is close and that the proverbial light bulb is about to go off...big time.

I love that Kyle and Nolan have allowed the rest of the players to deomonstrate their skills. That takes alot of confidence to step back like that as seniors. You just know that when it counts they will step up and take over.

[elvis14]

I really enjoyed the game last night. A few random thoughts:

• Ryan Kelly played a really good, really smart game. Having a big that can hit the 3 is going to give us some great flexibility on offense.
• Like others, I'm really enjoying watching Kyrie play. I love the way our pace picks up when he's pushing the ball.
• Love Ryan's overall improvement, Dawkins overall improvement, Nolan's improved passing an court vision.
• Obviously nobody wants to see MPx2 foul out but I thought they played pretty well. A few of their fouls are things they can change. I thought a few of their fouls were bad calls as well (of course that might be my Duke-bias!). Is it really fair to compare them to Lance and Z? If so, let's remember that both of those guys played great the second half of last year...that's the second half of their senior year!
• I watched the game after midnight on ESPN3. It was my first time watching on ESPN3 and it was pretty decent. I also thought Dino did a pretty good job.
• I'm really looking forward the next several games. We dont well against the weaker teams and I think we used the games to gel. I think we are ready for some real competition. I can't wait!
• If this thread deteriorates into an argument over big vs small lineups I'm going to have to kill some you all

[Delmer]

Didn't see the game, but caught the Miles reverse dunk on the top 10 plays. I was watching Marshall Plumlee here in Arden.

[Jderf]

Kyrie makes it look easy. His decisions and speed with the ball in traffic are amazing. As far as being a freshman, you can't tell...so far.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that you can't tell he's a freshman. While Kyrie has certainly been spectacular, there are still moments when his youth can bubble to the surface. As one example, he picked up two quick, silly fouls against Miami (OH) and had to sit out most of the first half. Also, though Kyrie has been phenomenal on the fast-break for the most part, occasionally he will force it when he doesn't need to. Hard to imagine Jon doing that his senior year. Obviously I'm not critiquing Kyrie's performance so far in any way. The kid has been simply outstanding. I'm just saying that, for all his poise and talent, he is still (like anyone) prone to the occasional freshman mistake.

[Lord Ash]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that you can't tell he's a freshman. While Kyrie has certainly been spectacular, there are still moments when his youth can bubble to the surface. As one example, he picked up two quick, silly fouls against Miami (OH) and had to sit out most of the first half. Also, though Kyrie has been phenomenal on the fast-break for the most part, occasionally he will force it when he doesn't need to. Hard to imagine Jon doing that his senior year. Obviously I'm not critiquing Kyrie's performance so far in any way. The kid has been simply outstanding. I'm just saying that, for all his poise and talent, he is still (like anyone) prone to the occasional freshman mistake.

Yes, it is hard to imagine Jon doing that

I'll be honest, I agree that Kyrie hasn't looked at ALL like a freshman, and his three total turnovers really reflect that. He plays SO completely within himself... his poise is superb, the best I've seen of any freshman at Duke in a prominent role.

[bird]

I am a Kyrie believer. This is better than a Hurley freshman. This is maybe a Wall freshman, maybe even a Carmelo freshman.

He is working hard, interacting well on the court, especially with Nolan and Kyle. Those three just seem to know where each other are when they play together.

He shoots, he pushes, he grabs rebounds, he's chasing stuff off the court.

The skills and quickness and speed - its all there.

Maybe I am gushing because its been a while since we've had a classic point guard at Duke. This makes this team fundamentally different than anything we have seen since Duhon.

[oldnavy]

Kyrie makes it look easy. His decisions and speed with the ball in traffic are amazing. As far as being a freshman, you can't tell...so far.

Kelly is alot of fun to watch. He is not the fastest or most athletic player but you can see the game slowing down for him. He has an incredible basketball IQ and you can tell he is a gym rat. I'd like to see him exhibit his inner ID and take that 5th spot outright. I think he is close and that the proverbial light bulb is about to go off...big time.

I love that Kyle and Nolan have allowed the rest of the players to deomonstrate their skills. That takes alot of confidence to step back like that as seniors. You just know that when it counts they will step up and take over.

I think he has. He is better than Miles right now and is a better weapon. NO OFFENSE to Miles, I love him, but Ryan is just playing better ball right now. In fact, I will go out a bit on a limb and say he is the best of the bigs right now, although Mason had a very good game last night.

[MulletMan]

I am a Kyrie believer. This is better than a Hurley freshman. This is maybe a Wall freshman, maybe even a Carmelo freshman.

He is working hard, interacting well on the court, especially with Nolan and Kyle. Those three just seem to know where each other are when they play together.

He shoots, he pushes, he grabs rebounds, he's chasing stuff off the court.

The skills and quickness and speed - its all there.

Maybe I am gushing because its been a while since we've had a classic point guard at Duke. This makes this team fundamentally different than anything we have seen since Duhon.

Your first statement is a little over the top, don't you think? We've seen Kyrie play 3 games. 3... against Colgate, Miami and... I literally can't remember who else we played...

Yes the skills are there, but I point you to JWill and Will Avery to look at how a freshman PG needs to learn to play the game at the right speed. Both of those guys became much better PGs once they learned that their speed and quickness could be used at specific times to the greatest effect. They didn't need to go 100mph every play with the ball in their hands. Kyrie has not learned this yet, but he will.

For those who didn't see the game, something that didn't show up in the stats was Seth Curry's excellent defense last night. He really was fantastic at locking his man down and deflecting passes. I was impressed, and was less than giddy about his D the first couple of games. Hopefully he can keep it up. There's no way he thought that he was going to transfer to Duke and average 20ppg. Not with this team.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

I have a feeling that its gonna come down to Sullinger or Irving as freshman of the year. But its still early. I love this new high pace offense from our Devils.

[Jderf]

I am a Kyrie believer. This is better than a Hurley freshman. This is maybe a Wall freshman, maybe even a Carmelo freshman.

He is working hard, interacting well on the court, especially with Nolan and Kyle. Those three just seem to know where each other are when they play together.

He shoots, he pushes, he grabs rebounds, he's chasing stuff off the court.

The skills and quickness and speed - its all there.

Maybe I am gushing because its been a while since we've had a classic point guard at Duke. This makes this team fundamentally different than anything we have seen since Duhon.

The one thing I absolutely love about Kyrie is his hustle. He hasn't been sitting back and letting his talent carry him through. In the first and last minute of the game, on offense and defense, Kyrie's motor is going at full speed. He is just all over the court, every second of every play.

[CampbellBlueDevil]

Fouling out in 13 minutes against Colgate is bad. I'm not worried since it is only our 3rd game of the season.

I'm worried... 13 minutes... Colgate???

It's going to be tough for him to get good minutes when we need him against stiffer competition. What's going to happen when he has to try and contain Tracy Smith, Jordan Williams, or Heaven forbid Sullinger.