MBB: Duke vs Kansas Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[weezie]

Kind of already getting worked up for Tuesday night!

[juise]

Last time on Duke vs. Kansas in November...

[DevilFalcon]

Here's to Tyler hitting a crazy off balance impossible 3 at a critical point in the game again. I just hope we're comfortably ahead this time.
After this game the taking heads will label us for real.

[JPtheGame]

Get ready to be destroyed inside by the tandem of Black, Ellis, Embid, and Traylor. This unstoppable quartet made a whopping 8 shots versus the mighty Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. I'm not sure why Duke is even bothering to show up.

[kAzE]

Get ready to be destroyed inside by the tandem of Black, Ellis, Embid, and Traylor. This unstoppable quartet made a whopping 8 shots versus the mighty Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. I'm not sure why Duke is even bothering to show up.

THANK YOU. I'm not sure why everyone is talking up Kansas' big men so much. They've got Wiggins, who is, admittedly, very, very talented, and then not much else . . . Ellis has a lot to prove before he lives up to all the hype he's getting this preseason, and Black has 4 years of game tape of being thoroughly mediocre despite his physical gifts. And then there's Embiid, who has crazy potential, but is about as raw offensively as it gets. If we played them in February, it might be a different story, but Jay Williams needs to calm it down with the proclamations of KU's inside dominance.

[DukeAlumBS]

THANK YOU. I'm not sure why everyone is talking up Kansas' big men so much. They've got Wiggins, who is, admittedly, very, very talented, and then not much else . . . Ellis has a lot to prove before he lives up to all the hype he's getting this preseason, and Black has 4 years of game tape of being thoroughly mediocre despite his physical gifts. And then there's Embiid, who has crazy potential, but is about as raw offensively as it gets. If we played them in February, it might be a different story, but Jay Williams needs to calm it down with the proclamations of KU's inside dominance.

I agree regarding Kansas and Jay. I see a 50 point blow out. Course all my Duke picks are 50 point blowout. What I saw with the combination of Hood and Parker . Allows our other shooters to toy with Kansas with their 3! I feel we are quicker and this will help! Go Duke
Jimmy

[bbosbbos]

LOL

Get ready to be destroyed inside by the tandem of Black, Ellis, Embid, and Traylor. This unstoppable quartet made a whopping 8 shots versus the mighty Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. I'm not sure why Duke is even bothering to show up.

[TexHawk]

Ellis has a lot to prove before he lives up to all the hype he's getting this preseason

Care to show where this preseason hype is? Andrew Wiggins is getting preseason hype. As is Joel Embiid. All Perry Ellis has is an honorable mention on the Big 12 preseason award list. KU fans are excited because he came on strong at the end of the year last year (10+ ppg over the last 10 games, Big12 Tourney MVP), and most fans would be ecstatic if he could keep that up for this entire year. But he's very clearly a four year player.

[TexHawk]

Get ready to be destroyed inside by the tandem of Black, Ellis, Embid, and Traylor. This unstoppable quartet made a whopping 8 shots versus the mighty Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. I'm not sure why Duke is even bothering to show up.

Weird you single out the makes only. Those 8 came on 12 shots. Which probably had something to do with the fact that KU's PG and primary post feeder was suspended for this game. If Duke wants to come in with a plan to allow KU to shoot 67% from inside, I think Bill Self would take that.

[Gthoma2a]

Weird you single out the makes only. Those 8 came on 12 shots. Which probably had something to do with the fact that KU's PG and primary post feeder was suspended for this game. If Duke wants to come in with a plan to allow KU to shoot 67% from inside, I think Bill Self would take that.

This is one of the things I don't understand. I don't really fear Kansas' inside D, right now. By the admission of the Kansas people that I hear, the interior D is not very good right now. It is rebounding/foul trouble that could really hurt us.

As for their shooting on the inside, their shooting will not be more efficient than Amile's. Amile is very capable of making baskets because he plays within himself (takes high percentage shots). If we add in the 4 and the 3, we are likely to have significant advantages (especially this early into the career of Wiggins; most of those who are realistic think he will become special in the league, but recognize he is not that guy yet). No matter what they shot from the post, we just shot the lights out from all positions. Small sample size, but there is no one who really wants to push the "we shot really well" card against us right now.

It will be a good game, but .667 probability of a make from a couple of feet away makes me feel better because it means we will get some second chances at getting the defensive rebound, even on the gimmes.

[roywhite]

Weird you single out the makes only. Those 8 came on 12 shots. Which probably had something to do with the fact that KU's PG and primary post feeder was suspended for this game. If Duke wants to come in with a plan to allow KU to shoot 67% from inside, I think Bill Self would take that.

TexHawk, I'm curious; will you be pulling for Kansas to win this game?

[rsvman]

I don't know if it's really about the amazing strength/talent of the Kansas inside guys. I saw some significant weakness on the inside in the Duke-Davidson game. If this team has a weakness, it's definitely inside defense and defensive rebounding.

So if the Kansas guys are reasonably good, they could give us some trouble. I think that if Duke really wants to compete for the Final Four or a championship, one of things that they're going to have to do is shore up the interior defense over the course of the season. I think they will do that, and be in the mix at the end of the year, but this is only the second game of the season. I would not be surprised to see us struggle a bit inside against this Kansas team.

[Henderson]

Rebounding and foul shooting. Those two things scare me, because they have been questionable. But for those two deficiencies, I'd really like our chances. As it is, I dunno. I say it's a pick 'em. Kansas will have its point guard back, and we aren't going to shoot 70+% against them. Nor will we likely commit only 4 turnovers against 16 assists. I liked what I saw against Davidson (except the aforementioned rebounding and FT stats), but we can't count on playing that well every game. One thing for sure: both teams are going to learn a lot about themselves in this one.

Wiggins? Known quantity, even as a freshman. We can manage him.

[Indoor66]

I am of the very strong opinion that we will score more points than they will and that this fact will determine the outcome.

[TexHawk]

This is one of the things I don't understand. I don't really fear Kansas' inside D, right now. By the admission of the Kansas people that I hear, the interior D is not very good right now. It is rebounding/foul trouble that could really hurt us.

KU's interior D is atrocious right now. ULM does not have a player over 6' 7", and they scored pretty much at will at the basket. A lot of back cuts and layups. Embiid will be a special defender at some point, but I doubt we'll see it before he leaves Lawrence. Traylor, Ellis, and Black are average right now (Traylor was horrific on Friday night, but he was fine last year.)

Small sample size, but there is no one who really wants to push the "we shot really well" card against us right now.

I was merely responding to the "tee hee, they only made 8 shots" post. It would be one thing if they consistently had the ball in good position and couldn't score against a short team, but they were only able to shoot the ball 12 times. That includes put-backs off offensive rebounds. That's crazy awful from an offensive execution point-of-view, but not really the one stat you want to pull out to denigrate the KU big men.

[weezie]

I am of the very strong opinion that we will score more points than they will and that this fact will determine the outcome.

Go with your gut, Mr. Indoor! You, sir, are a scholar and a gentleman with a true understanding of the game.

[NYBri]

I am of the very strong opinion that we will score more points than they will and that this fact will determine the outcome.

I am in complete agreement with this analysis.

[bbosbbos]

Can not agree more.

I am of the very strong opinion that we will score more points than they will and that this fact will determine the outcome.

[Gthoma2a]

KU's interior D is atrocious right now. ULM does not have a player over 6' 7", and they scored pretty much at will at the basket. A lot of back cuts and layups. Embiid will be a special defender at some point, but I doubt we'll see it before he leaves Lawrence. Traylor, Ellis, and Black are average right now (Traylor was horrific on Friday night, but he was fine last year.)



I was merely responding to the "tee hee, they only made 8 shots" post. It would be one thing if they consistently had the ball in good position and couldn't score against a short team, but they were only able to shoot the ball 12 times. That includes put-backs off offensive rebounds. That's crazy awful from an offensive execution point-of-view, but not really the one stat you want to pull out to denigrate the KU big men.

I understand.

I think one of the things that makes every little post seem to be a point of contention (not as much here as on other forums), more than for most other games, is the fact that we have so much subtext. This is not only a game, but one that comes in the midst of a recruiting battle that could really shape our programs next season (possibly even having implications for the future beyond that to the extent that it changes the alleged perception), and we have the best pro prospects in the nation (with some debate as to whether upside that is unfulfilled is greater than or equal to incredible skill that is already apparent). After all of this is over, I think I, for one, will be back to thinking of Kansas as another of the "good guys" of college basketball again. If UNC makes the tournament, I certainly want KU in their bracket, as it has worked out well for us in the past.

[OldPhiKap]

I am of the very strong opinion that we will score more points than they will and that this fact will determine the outcome.

I disagree int he strongest of terms.

MY gut tells me that our defense will prevent Kansas from scoring more points that we do, and THAT will bet he determinative factor.