MBB: Duke 88 FGCU 67 Post-Game Thread

[JBDuke]

Put your post-game thoughts here.

[licc85]

Great game by everyone!

Mason was a beast, he's somehow automatic from the free throw line now, let's hope that continues

Rasheed looked great, hitting jumpers and being aggressive getting to the foul line. He's leading the team in FG attempts through 3 games, and I believe he will be our 2nd leading scorer behind Mason.

Seth came back down to earth after a stellar UK game, and settled for too many jumpers, but his leg may have been bothering him. Would like to see him be a bit more aggressive and attack the paint more.

Quinn had 9 assists . . . he was absolutely awesome. Had a couple of turnovers that could have been avoided but I like the way he's looking for his teammates, and he will only get better. Hopefully that wrist is fine.

Ryan continues his cold shooting start (below 30% from 3 including this game), but I'm not too worried, he'll get hot at some point.

[blueduke59]

With 5 minutes left in a blowout and there were still 4 starters on the floor (Seth included). Kinda hard to develop a bench when they can't get any burn

[Dukeblue91]

Slow start but then the 3's started falling and we started looking good.
I first want to say that I was glad to finally see Alex although pretty limited.
Mason looked just awesome on both sides of the ball.
Rasheed is going to be our next super star no questions.
Cook looked good too.
Seth, good that we did not really need him much tonight.
Overal a good game by Duke.

[Saratoga2]

It will be good to hear from those who attended the game. Lots of good things happened but we started slowly and missed a lot of 3 point shots and had a fair number of turnovers. My questions:
1. Were our 3 points shots contested enough to put us at approx 30%?
2. Were we unable to defend their 3 point shooters? Were they bigger and shooting over our guards?
3. What is going on with the slow starts?

Congratulations to Mason for a strong game.

[uh_no]

It will be good to hear from those who attended the game. Lots of good things happened but we started slowly and missed a lot of 3 point shots and had a fair number of turnovers. My questions:
1. Were our 3 points shots contested enough to put us at approx 30%?
2. Were we unable to defend their 3 point shooters? Were they bigger and shooting over our guards?
3. What is going on with the slow starts?

Congratulations to Mason for a strong game.

I think mason may be the NCAA pump-faking champion by year's end. He destroyed UK guys with it, and did it again today.

[superdave]

Solid defense. I'm encouraged. Mason played well without fouling. Cook and Sulaimon were all over the place tonight.

Here's hoping we get to see these guys play and win three games in three days.

[throatybeard]

I just found out this school was founded in 1991 and is somewhere among Fort Myers. Thank you, Wiki.

[ChillinDuke]

Nice game all around.

Murph got some burn, thankfully. Looked OK.

Seth, Quinn, Rasheed, The Resident Irishman (Ryan), and Mase all looked good. In that particular order. Maybe flip Rasheed and The Resident, depending on your view.

Can someone please explain to me what this talk is about Seth not warming up? Is that even possible? How does someone not warm up yet still play?

- Chillin

[chaosmage]

Apparently, because of his leg issues, he's warming up on his own, but not doing layup drills, shooting drills, etc. with the team. That's my impression.

Thoughts/Confirmation?

[Cameron]

Great game by everyone!

Mason was a beast, he's somehow automatic from the free throw line now, let's hope that continues

Rasheed looked great, hitting jumpers and being aggressive getting to the foul line. He's leading the team in FG attempts through 3 games, and I believe he will be our 2nd leading scorer behind Mason.

Seth came back down to earth after a stellar UK game, and settled for too many jumpers, but his leg may have been bothering him. Would like to see him be a bit more aggressive and attack the paint more.

Quinn had 9 assists . . . he was absolutely awesome. Had a couple of turnovers that could have been avoided but I like the way he's looking for his teammates, and he will only get better. Hopefully that wrist is fine.

Ryan continues his cold shooting start (below 30% from 3 including this game), but I'm not too worried, he'll get hot at some point.

The more I think about it, the more I think you are probably right re Rasheed finishing in the top three in scoring on this team at the end of the year. He will at least seriously contend for a spot there. As I pointed out in the in-game thread and as you allude to here, Rasheed gave an interview heading into the season that, in effect, explained that the coaching staff wants him to be aggressive and put points on the board, and to not defer to the upperclassmen. The fact that he has shot 15 threes and 26 jumpers overall in the last two games against UK and Gulf Coast really drives that point home. The coaches knew Rasheed was a big time offensive talent in high school and an excellent long-range shooter, so it should be no surprise that they have given him the blinding green light to bomb away. Thus far, it's paying big dividends, and, as you point out, Rasheed's confidence and feel for the game is only going to progress as the season marches on.

Quinn once again took our offense to another level when at the wheel of the team. He's wired for speed, and that energy is absolutely contagious. There were moments tonight and against Kentucky that really make me think that this team might be at its best when playing as hurriedly as possible. We have the shooters, athleticism on the wing, a center that excels on the run and a point guard built for making decisions on the fly. Quinn is far from a finished product, but if he is great at anything right now, it's his ability to find teammates in the frenzy of the open court. He almost seems more calm and in control in the center of chaos than he does in the traditional half court. And he has improved dramatically as a three-point shooter. Quinn is shooting 50% from three (5-of-10) through three contests. His release is lightning quick and range seems to now be anywhere 22 feet and in. Two of Quinn's triples tonight were from at least two feet beyond the arc.

Anybody who thought we were going to struggle shooting the basketball, fear not. We have a legitimate four guys who can absolutely fill it from deep in Seth, Rasheed, Quinn and Ryan (although he's been struggling early, he'll relocate the range), and a fifth in Thornton, who is a bit of wildcard but can get hot in spurts and provides great spot shooting off the bench.

The 30-0 run was a thing of beauty tonight. Really excited about this team.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

It will be good to hear from those who attended the game. Lots of good things happened but we started slowly and missed a lot of 3 point shots and had a fair number of turnovers. My questions:
1. Were our 3 points shots contested enough to put us at approx 30%?
2. Were we unable to defend their 3 point shooters? Were they bigger and shooting over our guards?
3. What is going on with the slow starts?

Congratulations to Mason for a strong game.

I wasn't at the game, but I watched the whole thing. As far as the start, we weren't playing too poorly, I think they just came out hitting and we weren't. Sure they had a few good looks but what is a good look without plain knocking them down? Bernard Thompson was on fire pretty much all game, he's a solid player. I was pretty happy with our game, we got to the lane, hit a good amount in and around the paint, mostly thanks to Mason. I personally don't think that the 3 point shot will be our main strength this year. Seth is solid, Sheed will probably be around 40% this year, and Ryan can hit but he's inconsistent. I think were a better mid range team and paint scoring team. It's not a bad thing, but I just don't personally think we're loaded this year with 3 point shooters, especially off the bench. It was a solid game though, Im excited for the Ohio St game.

[Olympic Fan]

It's a funny thing -- they played nothing like they did when they beat Miami. In that game, Florida GC was awful from 3-point range (1-of-11) and dominant in the paint (they outscored Miami 40-14 inside). They hung with Duke with some torrid 3-point shooting and an aggressive defense. They played a bit of zone, but mosly a sagging man-to-man that took away the inside game, but gave us open 3s. We were cold early, but Quinn finally kick-started things with back-to-back 3s, then Ryan, who was sleepwalking to that point, woke up and was dominant during the 30-0 stretch to end the first half and start the second. Once the 3s starting falling, the inside opened up just enough for Mason to tear them up.

Great to see Quinn in the starting lineup. He was a great floor leader with nine assists and his defensive pressure had a lot to do with their 25 turnovers.

It was a funny game in one way -- despite the fast tempo, neither team could convert in transition. Officially, neither team scored a fastbreak basket -- although both had plenty of chances.

[juise]

With 5 minutes left in a blowout and there were still 4 starters on the floor (Seth included). Kinda hard to develop a bench when they can't get any burn

There was one healthy scholarship player who didn't get double digit minutes (Alex). He plays SF and up to now, really hasn't shown the ball handling to play at guard or the interior defense to play in the post. So the question is whether Amile or Rasheed should sit so he can get more minutes? Or move Amile to the post and sit Josh? From what I saw on the court, the distribution of minutes was good. Remember that it isn't just players that need to develop. Teams also need time to develop and that requires the starters to be on the floor.

[licc85]

The more I think about it, the more I think you are probably right re Rasheed finishing in the top three in scoring on this team at the end of the year. He will at least seriously contend for a spot there. As I pointed out in the in-game thread and as you allude to here, Rasheed gave an interview heading into the season that, in effect, explained that the coaching staff wants him to be aggressive and put points on the board, and to not defer to the upperclassmen. The fact that he has shot 15 threes and 26 jumpers overall in the last two games against UK and Gulf Coast really drives that point home. The coaches knew Rasheed was a big time offensive talent in high school and an excellent long-range shooter, so it should be no surprise that they have given him the blinding green light to bomb away. Thus far, it's paying big dividends, and, as you point out, Rasheed's confidence and feel for the game is only going to progress as the season marches on.

Quinn once again took our offense to another level when at the wheel of the team. He's wired for speed, and that energy is absolutely contagious. There were moments tonight and against Kentucky that really make me think that this team might be at its best when playing as hurriedly as possible. We have the shooters, athleticism on the wing, a center that excels on the run and a point guard built for making decisions on the fly. Quinn is far from a finished product, but if he is great at anything right now, it's his ability to find teammates in the frenzy of the open court. He almost seems more calm and in control in the center of chaos than he does in the traditional half court. And he has improved dramatically as a three-point shooter. Quinn is shooting 50% from three (5-of-10) through three contests. His release is lightning quick and range seems to now be anywhere 22 feet and in. Two of Quinn's triples tonight were from at least two feet beyond the arc.

Anybody who thought we were going to struggle shooting the basketball, fear not. We have a legitimate four guys who can absolutely fill it from deep in Seth, Rasheed, Quinn and Ryan (although he's been struggling early, he'll relocate the range), and a fifth in Thornton, who is a bit of wildcard but can get hot in spurts and provides great spot shooting off the bench.

The 30-0 run was a thing of beauty tonight. Really excited about this team.

Great analysis man.

I went back to watched some of the game and I'm super excited about what we have in this team. I'm not worried at all about our slow starts. All of our early shots were good, high percentage looks that we just didn't hit. That's nothing to sweat over, because this team is legit.

I think Mason's always been this good, he's just never had a guy like Quinn over his entire career with the exception of 11 games with Kyrie Irving. Now that he's getting the ball consistently, he doesn't have to worry about a few bad plays here and there because he knows he will have more chances, and it's REALLY helped his confidence. He's just dominating out there.

Quinn consistently looked for Mason and I like what we have with that pair of guys. We need to develop some sort of pick and roll game with Quinn and our 2 big guys, it would be devastatingly effective with Quinn's great decision making, Mason's beastliness inside, and Ryan's Euro-game. Honestly, If Quinn was this good last year, then last year's team might have had a chance to be even better than this current team. We had Miles last year, and he was basically a stronger but less skilled Mason, and just as deadly a finisher at the rim. Plus, with Austin as a more dynamic but perhaps less savvy version of what we have in Sulaimon this year, last year's team could REALLY benefitted from a true point guard.

Speaking of Sulaimon, he looks like a vet out there shooting with confidence, getting to the free throw line, and diving on the floor for balls. I like the energy and swagger he brings to this team.

Ryan was only 1-5 from three but he actually played pretty great. He's been pretty active on both sides and is making nice hustle plays all over the place.

Seth has a noticeably improved handle from last year. I see him get in to trouble while dribbling now and still keep the ball away from his defender with his dribble. He's been doing a much better job taking care of the ball than in the past.

Amile needs to pass Josh Hairston on the depth chart, he's much more active when he's in the game, trying to make plays for his teammates, and just having a good nose for the ball. He's probably our 8th man right now and he's pretty solid.

With all that, I think I can safely say this team is definitively better than last year's. All of our returning guys got better, Austin and his insatiable demand for touches is now gone, and with the huge addition of Rasheed, and solid bench contributions from Tyler and Amile, and even without Alex and Marshall really getting in the mix yet, this Duke team a dangerous collection of high quality players with skill at every position. The whole key is still Quinn Cook. If he can keep this level of play up and Mason plays like a legit All-American, I could see us being #1 at some point this season and easily grabbing a #1 seed. Very very exciting.

[moonpie23]

was there any followup to quinn getting his wrist smacked? he looked like it hurt a lot....

[Matches]

The 30-0 run was just surreal. Loved Ryan's effort in particular during that stretch.

Overall lots of positives. Still plenty of room for improvement but that's natural this early in the season.

[roywhite]

Mason through 3 games
24-31 FG 77.4%
17-22 FT 77.3%
delightful

Ryan through 3 games
40.7% FG
53.8% FT
27.3% 3-pt
small sample, but a bit puzzling

[devildeac]

was there any followup to quinn getting his wrist smacked? he looked like it hurt a lot....

He re-entered the game a few minutes later with no brace/wrap and looked comfortable.

[DukieInBrasil]

Seth has a noticeably improved handle from last year. I see him get in to trouble while dribbling now and still keep the ball away from his defender with his dribble. He's been doing a much better job taking care of the ball than in the past.

Amile needs to pass Josh Hairston on the depth chart, he's much more active when he's in the game, trying to make plays for his teammates, and just having a good nose for the ball. He's probably our 8th man right now and he's pretty solid.

With all that, I think I can safely say this team is definitively better than last year's. All of our returning guys got better, Austin and his insatiable demand for touches is now gone, and with the huge addition of Rasheed, and solid bench contributions from Tyler and Amile, and even without Alex and Marshall really getting in the mix yet, this Duke team a dangerous collection of high quality players with skill at every position. The whole key is still Quinn Cook. If he can keep this level of play up and Mason plays like a legit All-American, I could see us being #1 at some point this season and easily grabbing a #1 seed. Very very exciting.

I agree with you on this, but #1 at any point in the season takes a distant back seat to being #1 at the END of the season, which this team could possibly do.
I like Rasheed much more than Austin, and think that he may end up scoring more than Austin did last year. As you mentioned, Mason is a beast this year and i think that has a lot to do with Quinn Cook really getting him the ball whereas Austin refused to or just couldn't get him the ball in good spots. However, I'm not a particularly big fan of Rasheed getting more shots than Mason, which he has done in 2 of 3 games. Mason's efficiency has been spectacular (77.3%), while Rasheed's has been close to abysmal (32.4%), well, if you add their percentages together they're making ~100% of their shots!!!! ;-) Rasheed has done lots of good things so far, but his shot selection needs to improve a lot.
Ryan's shooting woes are quite mysterious, although he's still playing a solid all-around game.
Quinn deserves some serious props. He started the game, and rewarded his coach and his team, by playing one of his best games at Duke.
In fact, our youngsters showed quite a bit of promise, Rasheed, Amile, Quinn all did good things. Only Alex didn't really show much, although he grabbed 2 boards and tripled his number of minutes from the last time out. Once Marshall starts playing again, we will get to see that we have a deep squad of young'uns to really build around.
In fact, the balance on this team between talented youth and quality experience is something to really be excited about.

On to our first tournament championship opportunity, which i know K really values as an opportunity to build that mentality that will be so necessary later in the year. We will potentially have a pretty stiff gauntlet of teams to test us, but i believe we have all the tools to win it. Commanding interior presence: check. Versatility at the PF, SF and SG positions: check. Quality distributor at the PG: check. Quality depth to turn to in case of foul trouble or otherwise inexplicable lack of productivity from a starter at any position: check. The only thing we haven't shown yet is Marshall, who will provide cover in the post for Mason and Ryan. However, as he showed vs UK, Josh can provide that at a level that we (the royal "we", meaning I) haven't seen much of before. Neither Josh nor TT had very noteworthy games vs FGCU, but then again, neither was really called on to situationally save our skin, which they both did in the much higher stakes situation vs UK.

I'm not worried about Alex, we have won without him doing much of anything, and he will continue to improve in practice and in whatever minutes he gets on the court. If he ends up playing very little this year, stays at Duke and contributes further down the road: great. If he ends up playing very little and transfers mid-season or at the end of the year: best of luck to him wherever he ends up. If the light turns on for him at some point this year and plays like the player K has spoken of in the press: even fantastic-er. He's still just a kid, and any comparisons of him to other former Duke legends are unnecessary and unhelpful to us as fans, but also to him as a player. As some former rock legend said (paraphrasing): the kid is alright.