I'd be interested in what, if anything, Duke fans learned from the game about structuing a team to be competitive in the national championship. Since the game was close throughout, both teams had winning characteristics. What can Duke do to be there in the future?
We need more players with tatoos.
-Don't get the flu.
-Make your free throws.
haha. POTD! Seriously, it seems like everybody on Memphis has an excessive number of tattoos. And Kansas players had a fair share too. For some reason, Duke players don't typically have tattoos, although G does...Dock had them...even JJ had a bible quote somewhere (although not visible when wearing his jersey). Nolan also has a tattoo. Is that it? Just G and Nolan right now? Dmarc has one too, right?
Some championship characterstics that I saw:
good team defense
good inside/outside balance
at least a few players who can dribble drive effectively
players who can finish at the rim
good free throw shooting, esp. in the clutch
good game management by coaches
Duke has some of these elements in place, and we are aware of our deficiencies, lack of inside scoring/defensive presence and some weakness on team defense, both to the inside game, and dribble penetration.
Have Roy show up with a Blue Devil sticker on his shirt.
Better atletes. I know many disagree or are sick of hearing it, but if you watched that game and don't believe it, I am not sure what to tell you. Doc
I agree. I know it's something Duke fans hate hearing but it's so true.
I also think the mid-range game is something that needs to be addressed. You saw players like Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts with superb mid-range abilities. So many times this year, it looked like Duke was either hoisting up 3s or trying to get layups. There's nothing wrong with that but did you notice that Duke was at its best in February when we had players (Gerald, Scheyer) that really had their mid-range games going? That was a part of Gerald's game that was really starting to blossom until his wrist injury.
Gerald's mid-range disappeared with his wrist injury and that hurt because he was one of only two players (Scheyer) that consistently exhibited a mid-range game for us. If there was one glaring thing missing from Demarcus' game it was the ability to stop short of the rim (and a charge) and hit the short-to-intermediate range jumper. In four years, he just never developed it.
Once teams figured out how to keep us out of the lane by drawing charges and forcing us to rely on 3s, we were playing Russian Roulette everytime we stepped on the floor; luck ran out against WVU.
Here's the part of this argument I've never understood. Who wouldn't consider Gerald, Markie, Scheyer, Smith, Singler, etc. to be excellent "athletes?" Gerald and Markie, in particular, could go leap for leap, bench press for bench press and stride for stride with any wings in the country. Next year we lose Markie but gain Williams and Czyz. Duke might not have a guy who is 6'10" with major hops and speed, but otherwise, Duke has plenty of "athletes," regardless of ones specific definition of that term. (I realize Paulus is not particularly quick or a good leaper and that he's slated to play a lot, though.)
I've only seen EW once and have yet to see Czyz so I can't comment on them. Besides Gerald and Nolan, I don't think Duke has any above average athletes (not basketball players, athletes) on a D-1 level. Demarcus would fall within the category of above average but he ain't walking through that door anytime soon. As far as Scheyer and Singler go, they're 2 unbelievably gifted basketball players but "athletic" is just not the first thing that comes to my head when thinking of either player. They're certainly not unathletic but you get my point. I'm not gonna beat a dead horse when it comes to Paulus but let's just say he's not the fleetest of foot. Lance and Zoubek clearly don't stand out athletically.
I don't think Duke is unathletic; in fact, I think Duke is sufficiently athletic to be successful. You can't be unathletic and rely on the drive-and-kick like we did and I don't think a lack of athleticism is what ultimately did us in. But when you look at some the elite teams in America and look at Duke, I see a noticeable disparity. And that disparity didn't used to be there.
Obviously those Final 4 teams are more athletic than 99% of the teams in Division 1 basketball but even compare this year's Duke team to past Duke teams and there's a gap as well.
Beyond the lack of height, Duke was exposed when the games got increasingly physcial (Pitt, Miami - I was there, WVU to a degree); what types of teams thrive when the game gets physical? Athletic teams. Last night's game was extremely physical and Memphis was the athletically superior team (though not by much); they didn't win but we can all agree that they probably should have.
Say what you want about the flu but teams that are athletically superior put Belmont away without a problem. Who was in fact the difference for us in the Belmont game? Our best athlete.
Jumbo,
Don't worry, I do not intend this to be a bash GP thread, but your last parenthetical comment is crucial. I love GP's heart and hustle but do you honestly think he could guard any of the point guards in the final four? Our defensive system requires ball pressure, and if the point gets beat, someone helps. Kyle is not a shot blocker so who helps when Greg gets beat? If GP's minutes remain or increase we will be limited. Nolan, G, and Markie are all excellent athletes, and two of the critical aspects of athleticism are natural strenght and vertical. Jon and Kyle are good but not great athletes. Whatever athletic shortcomings they have can somewhat be overcome by smarts and skill, but not totally. The college game has unfortunately evolved into an NBA like game, and that game is played at or above the rim. Doc
I do question whether Duke has enough overall team quickness to play our style of D, which requires a lot of quickness, at a championship level. I think over the second half of the season, opponents scored on our defense with pretty good efficiency. We discussed the reasons why, and my belief was that as opposing offenses became more in-sync over the course of the season, they started to better take advantage of weaknesses in our defense. I think one of those weaknesses might be overall team quickness to play Duke's style of defense. And while it's possible that it all boils down to just one spot on the floor, that spot seems to be making a big difference. Overall, I think it's accurate to say that Kansas and Memphis have more quickness than Duke, and therefore it's easier for them to play great, championship-level defense.
Athleticism counts but isn't everything. When the US national team with great athletes went out to play in the world and lost, it was because they didn't shoot as well as the other teams. There are all sorts of ways to win. The reason college basketball is more entertaining to me than the pros is because of things beyond athleticism: team play, heart and the emotional roller coasters that teenagers and early twenty-somethings are.
Singler is more athletic than the critics here admit. Did you notice how Duke put away games when they were ahead at the end? Put Kyle out front, clear the middle and let the other team's big guy try to stay with him.
You comments about Paulus are fair. While I think there's no sense rehashing them every week, he certainly struggles on the defensive end. The same cannot be said about Singler or Scheyer. Scheyer, in particular, is a fantastic wing defender, and has shut down many an "athlete," from Ellington on three occasions to Thaddeus Young last year. I have no worries about his being quick enough to stay with any wing. And the same goes for Singler guarding fours.