Duke MBB vs. Pittsburgh Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[heath_harshman4]

What do we have to do?

Thoughts, comments are welcome.

I think we have to run, run, run, and run some more.

I think with LT out Zoubek, Singler, and McClure have to play well in the post, not great, but well.

Good "D" all around, especially at the 3. IF Michigan had anyone on their team who could hit a 3 that game would've been a lot closer. WAYY too many open 3 looks.

I think Henderson and Nelson need to continue using their great athleticism to get rebounds.

and most importantly of all, good FG%. With LT out and Blair down low we have to hit a good percentage of our 3's and mid range jumpers in order to win. Which I think Coach K will have them ready to do.

I call Duke by 10 hitting some key FT late. Good game to help the March Resume'.

[Ignatius07]

I think Pittsburgh is overrated. This game will be a good test, but don't be fooled by their high ranking.

[Saratoga2]

What do we have to do?

Thoughts, comments are welcome.

I think we have to run, run, run, and run some more.

I think with LT out Zoubek, Singler, and McClure have to play well in the post, not great, but well.

Good "D" all around, especially at the 3. IF Michigan had anyone on their team who could hit a 3 that game would've been a lot closer. WAYY too many open 3 looks.

I think Henderson and Nelson need to continue using their great athleticism to get rebounds.

and most importantly of all, good FG%. With LT out and Blair down low we have to hit a good percentage of our 3's and mid range jumpers in order to win. Which I think Coach K will have them ready to do.

I call Duke by 10 hitting some key FT late. Good game to help the March Resume'.

I watched them today and they are quick and athletic, shoot well and defend well. They are not a really big team though and are quite like Duke in that regard. We need to play good defense all over the court and stop the open looks for 3 balls. We also need to rebound and block out. Our offense will get points by running for the easy basket or kicking out for the three. We could use Thomas in this one. Hope he heals quickly.

[jjasper0729]

must focus on Albany first though

[Memphis Devil]

What do we have to do?

Thoughts, comments are welcome.

I think we have to run, run, run, and run some more.

I think with LT out Zoubek, Singler, and McClure have to play well in the post, not great, but well.

Good "D" all around, especially at the 3. IF Michigan had anyone on their team who could hit a 3 that game would've been a lot closer. WAYY too many open 3 looks.

I think Henderson and Nelson need to continue using their great athleticism to get rebounds.

and most importantly of all, good FG%. With LT out and Blair down low we have to hit a good percentage of our 3's and mid range jumpers in order to win. Which I think Coach K will have them ready to do.

I call Duke by 10 hitting some key FT late. Good game to help the March Resume'.

No offense but how does this differ from any other game that we will play against a talented team. What you are describing is essentially Duke's M.O. I think that it goes without saying, in order to win, we must get solid inside play, rebound aggressively, shoot a high % from 3, pressure defensively, and (you forgot) limit turnovers. Now that I think about it, you can probably find this advice on every coaches blackboard across the country.

[3rd Dukie]

I was very impressed with Blair this weekend. However, my thinking is that Kyle, and perhaps others, will need to take the ball directly at Blair, hoping to draw fouls. Going away from him does not seem to work. He has a very quick recovery and great timing. With him on the bench, they seem much, much weaker.

Just my opinion.
Also, obviously much easier said than done.

[bdh21]

http://kenpom.com/sr.php?team=Pittsburgh

Pitt does two things very well on offense.

1) They don't turn the ball over very often. Duke needs to simply go about its business here. Do what Duke does. Pressure the ball 30 feet from the basket and remain aggressive on defense no matter the score/clock situation. Duke may not score a ton of points off of turnovers this game against a Pitt team that takes good care of the ball but Duke should make the Panthers uncomfortable.

2) When Pittsburgh misses shots, they grab nearly half of available offensive rebounds. For all the hype about the Blair kid at Pitt he has one big-time talent. He averages 4.3 offensive rebounds in just over 20 mpg. He picks up garbage and puts it back in the can. And he is outstanding at it. When he is not in the game Biggs and Young are also excellent offensive rebounders. Duke needs all 5 men on the court to get into the lane on defense and secure the ball. This is especially important for Duke because their aggressive help defense can leave opposing big men open for rebounds with no one to box out. Demarcus and Gerald are excellent rebounding guards but they will have a big responsibility in this game. Duke has been an above average defensive rebounding team so far (60th in D1 in Offensive Rebounding % allowed) so something will have to give. Look for Pitt's offensive rebounding to be a key factor in the game.

[Ben63]

I hate to look ahead to games, but I saw Pitt in person on Saturday and I want to write this with them fresh in my mind.

The Starters

G- Ronald Ramon (6-1, 185, Sr.)- Ramon is an explosive guard with a deadly 3 pointer. He can drive to the basket and finishes well. Pull up game is not as polished as it could be, but nonetheless is solid. His relase is lightning quick (not quite like Taylor King, but close.) He plays good defense and can steal the ball. Not as athletic as Fields.

G- Levance Fields (5-10, 190, Jr.)- Don't let his height fool you, he does not play like he is only 5-10. He has a fantastic jump shot, his ability to drive is similar to DeMarcus Nelson's. He can also pull up and drill the shot. He must be guarded at all times or he will burn you. Only flaw in his game is he will dribble to much and can be a ball hog at times. If he has the ball, dont expect a pass, he will shoot first.

G/F Mike Cook (6-4, 215, Sr.)- Cook is the do-it-all player for Pitt. He passes, shoots, and plays defense well. His shot does not compare with Ramon's or Fields', but it is good and must be honored. Cook's defense is the best part of his game.

F- Sam Young (6-6, 215, Jr.)- Young is tall and athletic and can shoot. He can finish inside but like Cook his defense is his best attribute. Not much esle to say about Yong except his defense is fantastic.

F- DeJaun Blair (6-7, 265, Fr.)- Blair is far and away Pitt's best player. He finishing is excellent, he rebounds with the best of them, he also blocks shots. Blair will run the floor in transition and can finish. He is short for a PF but that does not effect his shot blocking ability, he can deny anyone inside. He is big and bulky and is extremly strong. He will outmuscle anyone and finish.

Other player who will see significant minutes:

G/F- Keith Benjamin (6-2, 190, Sr.)
F- Tyrell Biggs (6-8, 240, Jr.)
G/F- Gilbert Brown (6-6, 190, Fr.)

Opinion- If Duke is going to win this game, they must stop DeJaun Blair, it is that simple. Zoubek has a height advantage, but Blair is much better inside and will block a few shots. With the injury to Lance Thomas, Zoubek is the only hope. If he gets in foul trouble, Duke will be in trouble. His presence will effect the ability of Nelson and Henderson to drive inside and finish. Duke must be on from outside and must score alot of points. This is the most athletic team Duke has faced and they will be tested. To win this game Blair must be stopped.

Kyle Singler is the key to this game. If Benjamin covers him he will shoot over him, and is Sam Young covers him he will move outside and shoot the 3. Singler must be on for Duke to suceed. Paulus has a height advantage on Fields but Fileds can beat him off the dribble. Help defense will be important. Another key: Do not leave Ramon uncovered, he will kill you with the three.

[Ben63]

Very Simple. Must Stop Blair.

[BlueDevilBaby]

I too watched Pitt on Sat (although not in person) and agree that Blair will be a handful - it will be critical to keep him off the offensive boards, as someone in another thread previously said. However, I don't think Duke needs to depend so heavily on Singler to be the hero, or even for him to have a great all-around game. The boys have done quite all right with a balanced scoring attack, and I almost prefer it, because then they are all into the game and having fun.

[Channing]

i have never seen Blair play, but from what I have heard he is a handful. However, a lot of shotblockers, especially freshman, can be exploited with a head fake and dump off. Shelden, who is one of the best shotblockers I have ever seen, took 2 years before he was able to restrain from coming over to help on a block, only to be burned by an easy layup if the ball was dropped off to his man.

[jacone21]

I watched that game as well, and was very impressed with Blair. He has quick feet, wide body, long arms, and bounce... seems to jump twice in the time it takes most guys to jump once. He reminds me of Elton Brand at that age.

One thing I did notice, however, is that the Cowboys did not apply the same kind of ball pressure that Pitt will have to deal with against Duke. Often the Panthers were able to set up and comfortably run offense, including entry passes to Blair. Now we all know that Dukes defense is predicated on ball pressure on the perimeter. A guard has to be able to see Blair in order to get the ball to him. When Demarcus is up in your grill, 28 feet from the basket, that gets harder. That perimeter pressure will be key.

I saw a Pitt defense that is vulnerable to attacking the basket. If Duke's guys can get into the lane, good things should happen. One strategy that can be used against a talented, young big like Blair, is to attack him. Duke should do just that. Go at him a few times and make him defend. Next thing you know, he'll have 3 fouls, and the Pitt fans will be crying conspiracy. Don't be surprised if that happens.

I also saw a Pitt defense that will give up some open looks from three. If the shots are falling... watch out.

Still, the boards may be a serious weakness for the Blue Devils. Duke has to rebound aggressively... and box out for goodness sake. Does anyone block out anymore? Seriously.

Anyway, based on what I saw, I like the match up. Look for Duke's defense to be the deciding factor. Sound familiar?

[Karl Beem]

We need to outscore Pitt.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Well said, Mr. Beem. The simplest solution is the best solution. No more need for discussion.

[Classof06]

I'm flying home for the holidays on Thursday and I made sure--even if there are delays--that my flight won't make me miss the 7pm tip.

Beating Illinois and Marquette on consecutive nights in Maui told us this team is better than last year. I think Thursday will give us an even better idea of just how solid we are this year. What I love about Pitt is that defensively, they're very similar to Duke and I think this game is going to be a backyard brawl, coming down to the final few minutes.

Duke needs to do two things:

1) Neutralize Ronald Ramon and Levance Fields - These two guys are the head of Pitt's offensive snake. Fields is a fantastic PG who can push the ball and create for himself or his teammates; our transition defense off missed shots will be crucial in slowing Fields down. Ramon is their glue-guy and is a flat-out scorer. Despite coming off the bench last year, he was still one of their most important players; a lot like Scheyer this year. If Duke can defend against 3s as well as they normally do, we should be able to at least slow Ramon down.

2) Get the defensive rebounds - Pitt is phenomenal at crashing the offensive glass, so Duke cannot afford to give the Panthers multiple chances on the offensive end of the floor. DeJuan Blair and Sam Young are thick and athletic, respectively, so we've got to make sure we crash the defensive glass, get the rebounds and get out in transition. This might be the difference between a win and a loss and I hope Lance is ready to go with that sprained ankle. We're gonna need him.

I'll wait a few days to give a prediction...

[dukestheheat]

(ok, that's a long title but please hear me out on this one....).

I think that if Duke is hitting shots and running up and down, we can trade a very good inside game going to any of our competition (including the boys from the lesser shade of blue) for a few more threes and foul shots on the other end going to Duke. So, trade many twos for a 23 point game from King and then several of the other guys shooting and hitting threes like they've been doing all year long and Duke is in good shape to win any game we're going to play this year.

We have so much firepower that I don't really know if it matters all that much if Duke gets hammered in the paint; just keep Singler in the game, out of foul trouble and able to contribute.

Or, put another way: If we only have two outside scorers on Duke and then a strong inside game (rebounds, blocked shots, and scoring) , it might matter if we get blasted inside the paint, but Duke this year has seven guys that can score points in droves: Singler, Henderson, Smith, King, Paulus, Scheyer and Nelson.

It only takes one point to win any game, and I just think that Duke looks like a battleship this year: loaded with enough offense to ruin your day.

we shall see, but for now, GO DUKE!

dth.

[Uncle Drew]

What do we have to do?

Thoughts, comments are welcome.

I think we have to run, run, run, and run some more.

I think with LT out Zoubek, Singler, and McClure have to play well in the post, not great, but well.

Good "D" all around, especially at the 3. IF Michigan had anyone on their team who could hit a 3 that game would've been a lot closer. WAYY too many open 3 looks.

I think Henderson and Nelson need to continue using their great athleticism to get rebounds.


and most importantly of all, good FG%. With LT out and Blair down low we have to hit a good percentage of our 3's and mid range jumpers in order to win. Which I think Coach K will have them ready to do.

I call Duke by 10 hitting some key FT late. Good game to help the March Resume'.

Well I think we all know the first key to beating Pittsburgh is getting penetration and pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. If you give him all day to stand in the pocket he'll kill you. Next priority is to not give Adam LoRoche any good pitches to hit and by all means keep the ball low in the strike zone or he'll knock it out of the park. Finally and most importantly put a body on Sidney Crosby and don't let him get free. If worse comes to worse check him hard into the boards and if a penalty is called take your chances one man short.

[shadowfax336]

Don't get too caught up in the need to stop Dajaun Blair. The dude is a stud, but as somebody who's watched Pitt for the last 10 years, and not just for one on saturday where Blair ran wild, the heart of this team is Levance Fields and Sam Young. I'm gonna write something more detailed later, but just keep in mind that Pitt is a top 10 team because they have a solid basketball player at every spot in the starting lineup, and some very decent players on the bench as well, not because they have one or 2 stars. Blair is very good, but quite honestly he's not even definitely one of the top 3 players on the team. Fields, Ramon, and Young are all very very very good. Blair could end up being that good or better, but to say that stopping him is the key to beating Pitt is ignoring some very dangerous players.

[shadowfax336]

Well I think we all know the first key to beating Pittsburgh is getting penetration and pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. If you give him all day to stand in the pocket he'll kill you. Next priority is to not give Adam LoRoche any good pitches to hit and by all means keep the ball low in the strike zone or he'll knock it out of the park. Finally and most importantly put a body on Sidney Crosby and don't let him get free. If worse comes to worse check him hard into the boards and if a penalty is called take your chances one man short.

You've got to be careful though because if you let Ben get outside of the pocket he's very dangerous throwing on the run

[Bob Green]

... and I just think that Duke looks like a battleship this year: loaded with enough offense to ruin your day.

We are definitely a destroyer: sleek, fast, and deadly!