Duke MBB vs. Ga Tech Pre-Game & In-Game thread

[-jk]

Post your thoughts here!

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[gofurman]

Post your thoughts here!

-jk

I was hoping for a tired Virginia.

[dukelifer]

Let's hope they just peaked in the tourney.

[Classof06]

The way I look at it, Georgia Tech is good test for Duke in the sense that this game should have a tournament feel. Georgia Tech is the caliber of team Duke can expect to see in the first 1 or 2 rounds; Tech was only a game under .500 in the league.

The only the way the Yellow Jackets are getting to the NCAAs is winning the tourney so they'll be desperate and play with reckless abandon like any team Duke will face as a favorite in the first couple rounds of the tourney.

[Troublemaker]

Oh, this game will be tough. Consider also that Duke will have a bit of a hangover after the Senior Night lost to UNC; in '06, in the same circumstance, Duke kinda slugged through an 80-76 win over Miami in its first ACC tourney game post-UNC before regaining its footing and going on to win the thing.

I expect this game to be really close and otherwise, I'll be impressed if Duke can win comfortably.

[Lavabe]

What this means here in Atlanta is:
1) No listening to the Sportstalk station, 790 the Zone, the flagship station for Tech. They also have a few yahoos who are riding the Duke Hatred Tsunami.
2) Loads of people at work (my wife's work) who will make life unbearable.
3) People will sneer at me a lot.

Better stay home, and get on the Chat!
Cheers,
Lavabe

[captmojo]

What this means here in Atlanta is:
1) No listening to the Sportstalk station, 790 the Zone, the flagship station for Tech. They also have a few yahoos who are riding the Duke Hatred Tsunami.
2) Loads of people at work (my wife's work) who will make life unbearable.
3) People will sneer at me a lot.

Better stay home, and get on the Chat!
Cheers,
Lavabe

Wow! I'm impressed that you've encountered people in Georgia that don't have bulldawgs tattooed all over their posteriors. I thought that's all the natives were interested in.

[TwoDukeTattoos]

This game is the perfect recipe for an upset. Forget that GT is 15-16 on the season. In the past five games the Jackets are 4-1 and the lone loss was a only a 2 point loss to VA, who they handled easily last night.

GT's recent success is credited to teamwork and moving the ball around and it's been paying off. They are clearly a different team. And they have a chip on their shoulder. Duke must hit shots to win this game.

GO DUKE!!!!

[Bob Green]

We will need to play great defense the kind of defense that limited GT to 58 points on 37.7% shooting from the field in our regular season victory. Duke forced 20 GT turnovers and limited the Yellow Jackets to three assists.

On offense, we go with what worked all year: the drive and dish, and pick and pop. Hopefully, we shoot the ball better from downtown as we were 2-15 from 3-point land on Feb. 27th.

I'm predicting a 12 point Duke victory, but it will not be easy.

[Slurpie King]

Duke will have no problem with Ga Tech as long as we can shut down Causey and Morrow. Anthony Morrow can run the fast break and set up for the jump shot in a split second. We have to stop the penetration to the hook with Causey cause he may kick it out to Morrow who can shoot the jumper. Also, Duke needs to come out with intensity and establish the tone the team wants to have for the tournament. If we come out looking sharp and maintain flawless basketball which is possible, the Tar Heels will have no chance since revenge will be on the minds for the defeat on senior night.

[whereinthehellami]

There were alot of open looks on both sides of the ball last night. Duke should be able to reduce the number of open looks that GT sees with agressive man defense. GT was also effective getting into the lane last night. The tone of this game will be important and how it is called. Can Duke get some early charges against the penetration of GT? Duke needs to try and make GT shoot more from the outside and become more one dimensional. When GT is getting good penetration and open outside shots they are a very tough team to beat.

[moonpie23]

duke better not even THINK about tomorrow...much less sunday. IF....we get by tech, clemson will be a much tougher test tomorrow...


if we can't get by tech today, we're not gonna do much next week.

[JBJL8]

Couldn't agree more Moonpie. Let's be honest folks...GT is playing better...good for them. There is no conceivable situation where losing this game would be anything other than a colossal choke on our part.

We're rested, focused and have something to prove after the UNC game and the debacle in the ACC tourney last year.

Let's go out, play our game (which has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of this year as a fan) and throttle these guys...

[whereinthehellami]

I agree with the Moonpie also. This game will be an indicator of where Duke's toughness is at. Are they where they need to be at mentally? is the desire to shut GT down there? Will they make GT start their offense from midcourt all game long? Will they beat GT back down court every time. GT played yesterday, so there is no reason for Duke not to get most of the loose balls and hustle plays.

I'd love to see Duke destroy GT today. Just come out swinging and blow them out of the gym. Send a message to the basketball world.

[soccerstud2210]

let's just hope we shoot a little better than we did in our last meeting with ga tech... we shot .133% from 3-point land, and shot .42% from the floor... Sheyer only has 6 pts too... if we play solid we can win easily... but ga tech is hot right now... they are 4-1 in the last 5 games.. and have nothing to loose...let's go duke!

[Kilby]

Duke will have no problem with Ga Tech as long as we can shut down Causey and Morrow. Anthony Morrow can run the fast break and set up for the jump shot in a split second. We have to stop the penetration to the hook with Causey cause he may kick it out to Morrow who can shoot the jumper. Also, Duke needs to come out with intensity and establish the tone the team wants to have for the tournament. If we come out looking sharp and maintain flawless basketball which is possible, the Tar Heels will have no chance since revenge will be on the minds for the defeat on senior night.

In the last game Ga. Tech had Duke's number until Causey went down with his concussion. Duke needs to be able to play better defense on PG's without using Demarcus.

[whereinthehellami]

Duke needs to be able to play better defense on PG's without using Demarcus.

Especially against teams with inconsistent backcourts. Miller looked pretty good last night but Duke needs to win that battle to win the war.

[Troublemaker]

duke better not even THINK about tomorrow...much less sunday. IF....we get by tech, clemson will be a much tougher test tomorrow...

if we can't get by tech today, we're not gonna do much next week.

I honestly don't think it matters that much. Duke could win the ACC tournament and lose in the round of 32. Duke could lose to GaTech and go to the Final Four. It really just depends on matchups and luck in the NCAA tourney. There's something to be said for confidence/momentum going into the tourney, of course, but ultimately, I'm much more interested in what teams will be in our bracket than how we fare in the ACC tourney as a predictor for how Duke will do in the NCAA tourney.

[dukelifer]

In the last game Ga. Tech had Duke's number until Causey went down with his concussion. Duke needs to be able to play better defense on PG's without using Demarcus.

Tech may have had a one or two point lead- not sure I would call that having Duke's number.

[juise]

Tech may have had a one or two point lead- not sure I would call that having Duke's number.

Tech had a one-point lead 4 times, the last being 19-18 with nine minutes left in the first half... 4 minutes later, Duke was up 30-19.