Duke v Michigan State Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[ice-9]

I would worry more about a team that outrebounds Duke by quite a bit getting a big advantage that way. Fortunately, MSU does not seem to have hit their stride in the rebounding department yet this year, but their center Nix is now back. They were in the top 10 in the NCAA in offensive rebounding percentage the last 4 years, but currently rank 109th at 35.2% http://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Michigan%20St.
I expect that is something MSU will improve on as the year progresses, hopefully it won't start against Duke.

They did get their big man back from suspension in their last game against Tennessee Tech -- a 6'8, 280 pound bruiser in Derrick Nix who averaged 12 rebounds per 40 minutes last season as a freshman.

[Cell-R]

Y'all are smart kids. When they issue the thunderstorm and/or tornado warnings tonight, number yourselves and get indoors, OK? Nuff said.

Annndddd we had a tornado warning last night! Got to take a taxi back to east at 4am... Now we are all back - our tarps are destroyed and would probably function better as submarines. At least that was the last night. Tonight = GAMETIME!

[uh_no]

Annndddd we had a tornado warning last night! Got to take a taxi back to east at 4am... Now we are all back - our tarps are destroyed and would probably function better as submarines. At least that was the last night. Tonight = GAMETIME!

to clarify for everyone else: grace was given until 9am

[Daniel tosh]

Tonights game commentators are Dan Shulman and...Dickie V.Ugh not again.

[wilson]

Dickie V.Ugh not again.

No offense is meant by this question, but are you a newly-minted Duke fan? Vitale has called fully half of our games for the past 20 years or so (Not for nothing do they derisively call him "Dukie V".). I find him annoying too for the most part, but you'd better just get used to it.

[Daniel tosh]

No offense is meant by this question, but are you a newly-minted Duke fan? Vitale has called fully half of our games for the past 20 years or so (Not for nothing do they derisively call him "Dukie V".). I find him annoying too for the most part, but you'd better just get used to it.

No offense taken,Im not a new Duke fan,and I love that he praises Duke and Coach K the way he does.He just goes a little overboard sometimes and gets annoying.

The game tonight should be a great game and the Crazies should give us a huge advantage,would like to see Seth get back track tonight.How he,Andre,and Ryan play could be the key to the game.

[moonpie23]

i like listening to the radio broadcast....it's about 2 seconds ahead of the TV..(4 if you have uverse)


hey, i guess i missed it....but what is up with bob harris?

[Bob Green]

Tonights game commentators are Dan Shulman and...Dickie V.Ugh not again.

I'll be sure and test operate my mute button prior to game time. Vitale is beyond irritating and I cannot listen to him as he ruins the game experience. Once a year, I utilize the "Contact Us" feature on ESPN to request they fire Vitale. So far, they aren't listening to me.

[Duke of Nashville]

Tonights game commentators are Dan Shulman and...Dickie V.Ugh not again.

IT'S AWESOME BABY!!!! I, as well as many others, find Vital to be very annoying. But it helps me to think that there is no one else like him, will never be anyone else like him, and we should enjoy it--regardless of how painful it may be--while it lasts. The man is a legend in the booth and has paid his dues to the game.

I can only hope Bob Knight hangs around the broadcasting booth long enough to get more Duke Basketball games. I enjoy his commentary. It's clear, precise, and I feel like I learn something every game whether it be a story or technique.

[CampbellBlueDevil]

For my 21st birthday I would like a decisive Duke win. That is all.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

No offense taken,Im not a new Duke fan,and I love that he praises Duke and Coach K the way he does.He just goes a little overboard sometimes and gets annoying.

The game tonight should be a great game and the Crazies should give us a huge advantage,would like to see Seth get back track tonight.How he,Andre,and Ryan play could be the key to the game.

Dickie V drives me up the wall from time to time. Granted yes, he does go out of his way to lavish praise on our shade of blue, but his tangents have gotten longer-winded and further flung over the last 25 years. And someone should explain to him that the word "special" loses its meaning when used three times a minute. I really don't need to know all the family details about the high school coach that a bench player who overcame the odds and his mother's cooking and his brother the stock broker and how the kid has some really interesting hobbies... etc etc etc

Frequently the game gets lost in the shuffle for minutes at a time.

He gushes about other programs too, but has a "special" place in his heart for Duke. I can't imagine how annoying it would be if you were a non-Duke fan.

Whatever - I'm watching tonight at the bar where I won't be able to hear the commentary anyway.

[hq2]

They'll bang, we'll run, we'll win. No sound tonight; can't take Vitale any more. He's become a total babbling idiot (not that he was ever anything else!)

[Billy Dat]

As the board's resident Spartan, figured I'd contribute a scouting report.

The matchup Duke should be concerned with is Draymond Green. Green has been coming off the bench, largely to save him from foul trouble, but he may start tomorrow. Green reminds me much of Carrawell in that he fills multiple roles and is the toughest guy in most any room he walks into (Kyle will give him competition tomorrow). Green has added the 17-20 foot J to his game, and remains the team's best rebounder. If Green stays out of trouble, Duke does not have a player to match his strength and quickness combination.

dukemsu - thanks for this insightful scouting report.

If we have shown a defensive weakness this year, it has been allowing too many wide open 3 point shots and guarding 6'7" players with a face-up/slashing game. Marquette's Jimmy Butler and K-State's Curtis Kelly gave us big problems, so I think your comments about Green are well founded.

This MSU team seems to shoot the 3 pretty well. If I am Izzo, I try and get some good early looks to see if my team can knock them down. I also try and make Duke's frontline carry the scoring load by limiting clean 3 point looks and transition.

[Reddevil]

dukemsu - thanks for this insightful scouting report.

If we have shown a defensive weakness this year, it has been allowing too many wide open 3 point shots and guarding 6'7" players with a face-up/slashing game. Marquette's Jimmy Butler and K-State's Curtis Kelly gave us big problems, so I think your comments about Green are well founded.

This MSU team seems to shoot the 3 pretty well. If I am Izzo, I try and get some good early looks to see if my team can knock them down. I also try and make Duke's frontline carry the scoring load by limiting clean 3 point looks and transition.

Yes, but the Spartans will have to deal with the "shake and bake" of Kyrie and Nolan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacmF...eature=related

[Kedsy]

He's become a total babbling idiot (not that he was ever anything else!)

Actually, if you ever have a chance to watch an old (20 or so years ago) game on ESPN Classic with Vitale announcing, you'll be shocked by how good he was. Hardly any shouting, real basketball insights, and few enough unrelated stories (which also were less unrelated than they are now) that they're interesting. You'll barely even recognize his voice.

He was a top basketball analyst at one time. It's just that at this point he's become a caricature of himself.

[lotusland]

I'll be sure and test operate my mute button prior to game time. Vitale is beyond irritating and I cannot listen to him as he ruins the game experience. Once a year, I utilize the "Contact Us" feature on ESPN to request they fire Vitale. So far, they aren't listening to me.

I like Vitale but admittedly he provides less in the form of actual analysis and more kitsch than 10 years ago. It's funny to me how different fans react to announcers. I like to lurk on the Cats Pause board because they are amusingly unhinged and I find it interesting that, generally speaking, they hate Bobby Night as an announcer and love Jay Bilas. I know Jay always defends himself well on here as far as going overboard to appear unbiased but I can't help but take the UK love as an indictment.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Nice piece by Dana O'Neil about tonight's match-up. Primarily focuses on MSU and Izzo, but it's worth reading for the Izzo quotes. Izzo grows on me year after year. Easily my number two coach in the game

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/column...ana&id=5865980

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Singler/Smith/Irving are too much for anyone, then throw in the Plum's, Dawkins, Curry and it's a nightmare for anyone!

Go Duke!
=======
the Plumlees' and dawkins arent that good...duke thrives on singler smith and irving...those 3 are the key to that team winning again



A conversation on espn about the Duke vs Michigan State game tonight. Sounds like someone is in denial about Dukes team outside of our 3 starting backcourt players.

[diesel]

I'll be sure and test operate my mute button prior to game time. Vitale is beyond irritating and I cannot listen to him as he ruins the game experience. Once a year, I utilize the "Contact Us" feature on ESPN to request they fire Vitale. So far, they aren't listening to me.

I feel exactly like Bob, but my condition is worse: the mute button on my remote doesn't work! I guess I'll have to turn the sound off completely. Ah well, I wasn't getting the details of the game I needed from Vitale anyway.

It pains me to think that if Vitale is doing all our games I shall have to wait to Xmas until my son the IT engineer (Supergeek) arrives to fix my unnecessarily complex surround sound system with the problematic universal remote.

It likewise pains me to think how few games I see with the General commenting. I actually learn something from his participation.

We're the best team in the land. Why can't we have the best commentator?

[PADukeMom]

Who would you rather announce the game, Dickie V or Billy Packer?