I don't know do you remember Grant and Thomas' haircuts in 1991? I couldn't find any pictures to link but here a youtube video of the NC game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm7_uFQwW_I
So i guess you guys didnt see anyone playing any D At all? seems to be he didnt play a lick of D, you can make all your little remarks but from what i saw he didnt try one bit to guard anyone! im sure his D is alot better than it showed tonight but from my first look, i was wanting to see more effort
I don't know do you remember Grant and Thomas' haircuts in 1991? I couldn't find any pictures to link but here a youtube video of the NC game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm7_uFQwW_I
The thing I love about Nolan, and Williams may have it to, is that he is not afraid to push the ball down court with a purpose. They got speed, a handle and they are a threat to score. It creates opportunities. Maybe Greg can start to do it next year. I just hope to see more of it.
E-Will finished with 10 points tonight. He had a really good drive to the basket through traffic.
Georgetown recruit Greg Monroe finished with 1 point and 6 rebounds.
Yeah he sounds like he will fit in nicely with the program doesn't he? I like to watch ANY college kid who has the skill but is humble enough to go with it. That was a lot of what I loved about JWill, he was amazing on the floor, yet just a normal guy off it. At least thats the impression I got from the one time I met him, and he treated me like an old friend. His is one of only two Duke jerseys that I own (His 22 and a white 33 jersey from when I went to camp at Duke)
I know that you can't judge a player by 1 game and especially if the one game is an all star type game but I was not impressed with what I saw from Monroe last night. He didn't show much effort and got schooled a couple of times. I'm sure that he will o fine at G'town but if this had been the prom to pros years that would not have been a very good audition.
I only watched a little over 1/2 the game but EWill looked like a nice player. Of those coming to the ACC next year, only Davis impressed me. Aminu, Singleton, Zellar, Drew, Shumpert and Landesburg did not impress. Of course it is an All Star game and many of these players, including EWill, may be better in a team setting. Of the bigs, the only player who caught my eye was Mullens. He can move, catch the ball and he goes hard to the basket. Monroe barely touched the ball. My overall assessment is that next year's freshmen class is very weak if these were the best players. Jennings and Holiday may be impact players but it is not obvious that the others will be.
gw67
I find this post to be somewhat (name a word that will not get be disciplined by the monitors). Apparently the claim is that our current players don't have fun. Where did you find the "fun meter" to make this statement? Also don't understnd the "finally someone . . ." comment. Can't slash? Nelson, Henderson, Smith . . No quickness? What team does this refer to? The team was 28-6 this year as I recall.
Do not put much stock in these "display of talent' games but...
1) if this is the best of the best then I thought that this years class is perimeter heavy but not an overly strong class.
2) Williams looked good I thought. I felt he was about the only kid making an attempt to play a little respectible defense. He got a steal as I recall and despite some repeated camera vantage changes in the middle of action it appeared he tiped a couple of passes as well. I've seen 1 game + this one along with the stuff on YouTube and that doesn't allow a fan to get a good look but he appears athletic with good ability to slash. In everything I've seen he is a spot-up 3-point shooter who turns his body to the right to get off his left-handed shot. Not sure how that will affect his ability to hit a jumper while going to his left.
3) I felt Jennings has the most overall talent. He seemed to me to have a street ball talent and mentality. I'm not a fan of that and find it to be playing a bit out of control but it is entertaining. I'd guess he's a one and done but I'm sure AZ current point will have something to say about how much he plays.
4) All-Star games are perimeter games with no defense and a stage for running and open floor play but I was not impressed with Monroe in THIS game. Haven't seen him play before. He may be #1 for a reason and K wanted him so I'm sure he is really good but I didn't see much last night... In fact, can't recall a past #1 player having as much an un-inspiring effort in this All-Star game as he did...
Anyhow, impressed with Williams and sounds like he is a great kid to have on your campus as well...
"6-4 combo-guard Elliot Williams (Duke): Williams, when playing the point, likes to use his electrifying quickness to drive past opponents and get to the rim. Once in the paint, he will have to add strength and muscle as defenders easily knock him off his path in the paint. Williams also has to get a handle on his shot selection issues."
most of the MDAA games are very much like an all star game....if jennnings tried half that stuff in a real game, he'd be on the bench....he wikll be flashy and fun, for sure, but a couple turnovers in a big game and he will be toning it down...
I think i trust K and the staff to see what's really in a recruit, rather than one nationally televised MickyD's game...
To be fair, I do think there's something to the idea that Duke's doesn't have enough fun. Unlike the original poster, I don't think it has anything to do with our players' natural dispositions. I think there's just a ton of pressure when you play at Duke and many aspects of that pressure aren't experienced at other schools -- the constant hatred, the balancing of basketball and academics, etc etc. I think the pressure wears them down a bit. And you get situations like Demarcus where he ends up "trying too hard," as Coach K theorized, and not playing well at the end of the season (he also was perhaps ill).
I definitely think one way Duke can improve is to figure out a way for the players to have more fun. Stress kills. And stress can do weird things to you physically, not just mentally. The era of Duke injuries has coincided pretty well with the era of intense Duke hatred, for example. Obviously, correlation does not imply causation, and even I don't believe what I'm suggesting, but it's something to keep in mind. I remember last fall, Coach K wondered aloud why Duke used to hardly ever get injured and now we get injured all the time. This season alone -- Pocius' ankle out for the season, Zoubek broken foot twice, Henderson's wrist (will need surgery), Smith's hyperextended knee, and maybe some others I can't remember. I still lean towards bad luck, but maybe there's an actual cause.
Because he doesnt have the athleticism,defensive skills,and he makes his living on the free throw line.
If Hansbrough were to come out this year even after a NC,he wouldnt go higher than 25th.
I still dont know why he'd come out early when the 2009 Draft class featuring some players who decline this years draft and some of the McDonalds All Americans is being considered right now as the worst draft class of this decade.
When your only elite prospects who could potentially be in the draft are Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio its very likely the draft wont be good.
Last edited by Jumbo; 03-27-2008 at 10:36 AM. Reason: Say goodbye to your italics...
With all due respect to ESPN (and everyone here knows how much I respect ESPN) I saw nothing in Elliot's game that indicates to me he can be a point guard. He's a 2 all the way, not a combo, from what I saw last night. All the usual caveat's apply because I admit that's the only in game action I've seen the kid play in, but still... I don't think he's anything close to a 1.
Gary