MBB: FSU 66, Duke 61 Post Game Thread

[jipops]

If you are one that is surprised by tonight's result, you really have not paid attention. This had all the makings of a battle judging just from the matchups.

My biggest disappointment is not really the loss itself, but the fact that we played no defense in crunch time in this game. We gave ourselves no chance to win with such poor work on the defensive end.

[Sgt. Dingleberry]

We played better in the second half, so I have no ill will towards this loss. It happens...

Three plays stick in my mind...

1.Kinchen's 3 right after we had tied the game. He clanked it off the back rim and it somehow came right back down through the hoop.
2.I believe the game was tied again, or maybe a 2-point margin. Singler got fouled via the body by FSU's big 7-foot goon (who had a couple body fouls that were not called) and there was no call. FSU came back down and Kinchen got a very similar body foul called.
3.Mason got lost on the perimeter doubling Nolan's man and Singleton drained a wide open 3 right after he had returned to the game following his sit on the bench.

[KShip21]

No irving, less than advertised curry (so far), 2 lost plums. This team has no shot at a NC. Especially if one of the big 2 has a mediocre night God forbid a completely off night. One weapon short...

[CLW]

Smith seems to be forcing the issue in ACC play. He is taking some tough/bad shots instead of dishing. I suppose its partly due to him not being a "true PG" but some of the shots he throws up with guys blanketing him when he could easily dish the ball off to an open man have me scratching my head.

What in the world has happened to the Plumlees? We have ZERO post presence right now. Since KI's injury Mason just looks lost out there and Miles appears to be in the "dog house". Neither Plumlee seems to have the mean streak/edge/attitude/anger either. Hoping the light will finally hit them come February/March b/c we are DEFINITELY going to need more than 3 points from those guys.

Singler recovered nicely and kept us in the game in the 2nd half.

[SCMatt33]

I really have to give all the credit to FSU here. I didn't think that someone would beat us this year without Duke "beating themselves," but I really think that FSU just plain locked us down. Despite starting 0-10, Duke didn't have one of those 10% three point nights that can lose a game. Dickie V kept talking about nothing going on inside, but that was due to the lockdown D. Our inside guys just aren't throw it to them and the them score types, and most importantly, pretty much every layup on a drive was contested, making scoring in the paint impossible.

Our defense did a pretty good job in getting some steals to help us get back into it, but unless Duke started making more of the contested shots or FSU missed more average to open looks, I didn't see anything to point to where I could say, "Duke could have done x better regardless of how FSU was playing and won the game."

[Billy Dat]

ACC coaches with any length of tenure typically outcoach K when the talent doesn't match up.

My my, are we already going there?

FSU came out like it was a must win game for them, which it was. We never matched their intensity. Their defense was suffocating, especially on our ball handlers. Yes, I wish we had looked inside a few times, but I saw our bigs trying to post up and not providing very good targets for the catch. FSU is an elite defensive team and it really showed tonight keeping us well below our season average.

Still, playing ugly, we were right there at the end. We never took a lead after our comeback which was significant, and they hit a lot of big shots when we would draw even. Kitchen killed us, and Singleton's 3 when we cut it to 2 late was a back breaker. We also missed a few free throws down the stretch that would have kept more game pressure on them, and they nailed every big FT down the stretch.

It was their night.

[buddy]

We won't lose 10 games in regular season, and we will get a tournament bid, but without an inside game, we will not advance far. This is essentially the same team that won the NCAA minus Scheyer, Thomas, and Zoubek, and plus Curry. Too much lost, and not enough gained. But the inside play (or lack thereof) is really disappointing, and without Irving, will be limiting. We seem not to be able to execute in the half court, and tournament games are half court games. It's not like this is the first time we have lost at FSU, but we have not made the Final Four losing at FSU.

[dukeblue1206]

Hats off to FSU on the win. For Duke to shoot 31% from the floor and still have a chance to win on the road makes me feel a little better about the loss. It was the first 5 minutes of each half where Duke lost the game IMO. First 5 of the first half we miss just about everything and the first 5 of the second half they made a lot and we played careless. Saturday can't get here fast enough for me to see if Coach K makes any changes. I'm thinking Mason may start and Kyle at the 4. Mason's offense is painful to watch right now but he is playing hard on defense and the boards.

[aav2aav2]

Plumlees were MIA tonight. This season has been, for the most part, a huge disappointment for them. Kyrie going down significantly impacted their performance as they have no traditional low post game. It has been way too long since we had a real big man on our team.

[DukeHoopsGuru]

It's sad AND a true testament to recruiting when a single player is the obvious difference between a "good" team and a "great" one.

Not a fair statement. Take arguably the #1 draft pick off any team and they struggle. Take John Wall of UK last year and they are worse than this Duke team with 1st rounders and "great" recruiting. I think that is an unfair statement. You can't lose a superstar and not expect to take a dip.

[Gewebe14]

2006 was different team. Disagree with most of the comparisons honestly, reddick = smith?? in what way. Anyway, this is last years team without late season Zoubs. If that doesn't change (PLUMLEES) we will be what we were most of last year.

[Fuqua's Finest]

Having Irving show up was the worst thing to happen to this team. They would be better right now if he never came. They forgot how to play basketball with him around and now they are just lost. It's like the days of JJ watching, but with Nolan and Kyle.

Don't jump!!! I'm as disappointed as the next fan, but we are still 15-1. I think every sane person on this board knew we would lose eventually. I just think the teams needs to refocus and find some type of offensive balance. Jacking 20+ 3's a game with 3 post passes isn't going to work. People rag on Mason but he had 14 rebounds, wayyy more than anyone else on our team. He only took 3 shots all game. It's hard to produce when you never get the ball. Mason is not Zoubek. He should not be used a designated rebound and kick-out man. Until we realize there are post players, we will lose more. We have shooters but there will be plenty of off shooting games. We need some post presence and that starts from the outside. Nolan needs to learn how to pass effectively or be permanently moved to the 2. When his driving lanes are shut down, he gets so much out of his game. I love my Devils to death, but we must evolve without Irving.

[jv001]

I hate that we lost this game but I'm not going to throw in the towel for the entire season. Without Kyrie most knew this team was not going undefeated. What I do see is this team needs a lot of work. Without Kyrie, we have no one that can drive the ball except Nolan. We do have some good shooters from the perimeter, but they need to be open to make those shots. They cannot create their own shots. So we can pray Kyrie comes back or go back to the drawing board and get our big men involved in the offense. Mason needs to be stronger in going up with the ball as he missed two easy layups tonight. We fouled their best free throw shooters and over all did not play smart basketball. Next Play! and Go Duke!

[micah75]

Well darn. I added 512 mb ram and deleted a bunch of needless programs so I could have some virtual to watch the espn3, which was before, unwatchable.

FSU has a history of upsetting us, going back 10 years or so. If we had scored more than 70, then we win. But, 61 ain't gonna cut it. Certainly not blaming the team... we have a huge injury obviously, but still, a couple of players (frontcourt most likely) need to step up in these big games.

[OldPhiKap]

Congratulations to Florida State. They deserved the win.

It's conference play. Now we can end the stupid @#$% about undefeated seasons, etc. and get down to the task at hand.


Next play.


And again, the team that played harder and better deserved to win. Tonight that was FSU at home.

[wtm001]

We shot 28% and still had a chance to win, that's not that bad.

[gofurman]

A road loss to a good team isn't the end of the world, but this is 2006 without Kyrie. It's scary how similar they are.

1. Redick = Smith
2. Williams = Singler
3. McRoberts = Mason (Both overrated white McDonald's AA)
4. Nelson = Dawkins (both 1 dimensional in what they do offensively)
5. Paulus = Curry (both good shooters, good hoops IQ, can't sniff a drive)

Again not the end of the world, but could see a Sweet 16 exit against a team just like this and just like LSU.

Redick = Smith??? Nolan Smith is MUCH more versatile than Reddick... passes, drives, etc. Redick was a better shooter for his career no doubt but Nolan Smith is much more than Redick as a 1.5 guard. Think more Daniel Ewing than Reddick. If it were Redick and Singler instead of Nolan and Singler Duke would not be near as good bc of the need for a PG right now. Nolan fills that slot much better

[DukeGirl4ever]

Someone asked this earlier, but why the lack of minutes for Miles?

I didn't think he played poorly...he just didn't really do anything while he was in there, and I think that's because he wasn't in there long enough.

When both brothers were in the game together, we went on a bit of a run.

[ncexnyc]

A tough loss and the knuckleheads suddenly come out of the woodwork.

[dcdrumsinc]

1. Kyle and Nolan as awesome as they can be, shot selection is a concern. When they finally do get andre or seth the ball, it's usually a rushed, "I better my shots up ASAP," thing from andre or seth.
2. No inside game AT ALL, partially because duke is too perimeter and 3 point happy.
3. Coach K, don't turn into Mike D'antoni...
4. Without #1 in the lineup, duke is average athletically, at best
5. Maybe Coach K should consider some TRUE road games prior to ACC play?
6. Without #1, Duke is down with the rest of the pack and not the most balanced team in the nation at this point.