GoD
Quote Originally Posted by Wheat/"/"/" View Post
Lehigh's a good team and made some plays, so we first have to credit their focus.

You know what's coming from me... what I've been predicting and saying all year...No commitment to feeding the inside and lack of back to the basket post offense caught up with Duke on a poor shooting night.

I have great respect for coach K, but it's been obvious, at least to me, that Duke needed to loosen up the perimiter by feeding the post to create the balance necessary to be an elite team.
It seemed coach K saw it too, but he never got this team to do it consistently.

Duke could not manufacture points by feeding the post effectively all year. Duke could score inside, but if you look back this season, very few plays inside resulting in scores began with a post player having his back to the basket. Watch the teams that continue on in the tourney and you will see the best teams looking to feed the back to the basket post players in close games, creating oportunities and forcing defenses to pack it in.

This Duke weakness allowed teams to stick to the shooters and force more contested shots, especially the ones off the dribble, which are tougher than those spot up jumpers Duke was getting from kick outs or space created when teams were concerned about inside play earlier in the season. Teams challenged Duke by giving up the post and Duke did not capitalize.

We also need to recognize neither Kelly or Hairston is Kyle Singler, it's a talent issue.
Singler's play allowed Duke to use the center spot as a cleanup, rebounding or transition scoring position and not depend on dumping it inside to score. This team did not have that luxury. They not only needed some post scoring, but needed it in a way that would open up the outside.

Also a lack of communication on defense hurt, which coach K has preached about all season, and gave up some key baskets.

It wasn't a bad season, and I thought they played hard, if not totally together, all year.

UNC is gonna get bounced too, sooner or later, if they can't shoot better from outside. Their weakness is just as great as Dukes was inside, IMO.
Good post Wheat. At the beginning of the year we got the ball into Mason and Miles and they showed a good jump hook shot. But for some reason we went away from that. We had no one that could drive and finish and also distribute the ball to the open man. Seth went from a pretty good ball handler to a bad ball handler. And yes it hurt not to have a 6'7-6-8" sf. Can't say wait till next year with great conviction. GoDuke!