MBB Duke vs. Purdue Pre-Game Thread

[DavidBenAkiva]

I just found out that my mom, dad, and I should get tickets to go see Duke in West Lafayette, Indiana next Tuesday. I am REALLY excited (with all respect to Duquesne) about this game! Here's my first thoughts about the game:

Obviously, the key matchup in the game is a going to be a pair of 6-8 blondes: Robbie Hummel (from my hometown of Valparaiso) and Kyle Singler. After watching a couple of Purdue games, Singler has the obvious advantage in size while Hummel is a quick deadeye shooter from long range. Both of them can handle, rebound, and pass very well. It's scary how close their stats are this year:

Singler 16.7 pts 6.8 rbs 3.2 asts 36.4% 3pts
Hummel 15.0 pts 6.0 rbs 2.8 asts 50.0% 3pts

Through 6 games, Singler has taken 46 free throw attempts to Hummel's 17 (in 5 games). Singler plays more on the interior and drives to the basket. Many consider Hummel to be the favorite to win the Big 1(1)0 player of the year, while it doesn't seem that Singler gets as much national attention. It should be a really good matchup.

If Hummel is their best player, then E'Twaun Moore is not far behind. He leads the team in scoring at 15.6 pts, is at or near the top on the team with 3.8 asts, and rebounds very well for a gaurd. He reminds me a lot of Brandon Roy, minus 2 inches. It should be a really good matchup with Jon Scheyer.

The third highly-touted sophomore from Purdue is 6'10" 215 lb. C JaJuan Johnson. Despite his height and length, he hasn't really rebounded very well down low so far this year. He has doubled his scoring from a year ago so far, averaging around 10 pts per game. Zoubek should present Purdue with quite a challange since they don't seem to have anybody to body up on him. Johnson may be able to block some shots and front Z, and backup Nemanja Calasan adds some bulk down low (6'9" 247 lbs). In all honesty, Hummel, Johnson, and Calasan are the only guys with any size and weight to them. Zoubek, Singler, Thomas, and Miles Plumlee may all be able to take advantage down low.

The strength of Purdue comes from defense. Chris Kramer is a guard that doesn't score much, but he plays a lot of minutes and is a real hard-nosed player. If they don't put Kramer on Henderson, he will guard Scheyer. My guess is Kramer will guard Henderson and will try to take advanatage of his quick hands since Gerald doens't handle the ball as well. Junior Keaton Grant is the point guard, and he's tall for his position. He should make life a little difficult for Nolan Smith.

The other rotation players are 6'6" senior guard Marcus Green and the speedy 5'9" freshman point guard Lewis Jackson. Despite winning their games fairly easily so far this season, they only go 8 deep, so Duke should have a bench advantage at nearly all positions. David McClure seems like he will be able to defend Hummel well, Lance Thomas and Miles Plumlee add frontcourt depth, and Paulus, Elliot Williams, and Martynas Pocius all bring something to the table.

On paper, Duke has the obvious athletic and talent advantage. They have more size, more depth, and more scoring ability. If Duke decides to run, they may turn the ball over a lot, but they might wear down Purdue by the end of the game. If they play a more disciplined half court game, they should be able to drive to the lane and get Johnson and Calasan into foul trouble. If that happens, they won't have anyone to put in their place.

It should be really interesting to see how they handle Blake Griffen and Oklahoma tomorrow in the finals for the NIT season tip-off. Hummel and Moore are excellent players, but I question if they have enough depth to play a bigger, stronger team a whole 40 minutes. Boston College, who lost by 7 to Purdue tonight, doesn't look like a very good team, but they do have size. They had the rebounding edge against Purdue. Purdue is a jump shooting team, but they will be playing on their home nets.

I've heard tickets are going for $300 - $800 each, so I know that the crowd will be into it. I think that Duke should win, but it will be the first true road game of the year against a really good team. I'll say Duke wins 77 - 68.

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

[Cavlaw]

I'm thinking about driving down for this; Purdue's athletic site shows tickets still available for $100.

[shadowfax336]

Didn't we learn anything from the RI game about taking them 1 at a time?

[Newton_14]

Didn't we learn anything from the RI game about taking them 1 at a time?

You read my mind... We did this prior to the RI game and it nearly came back to haunt us.. the most important game on the schedule as of right now is tommorrow against the dukes...

[CameronCrazy'11]

Didn't we learn anything from the RI game about taking them 1 at a time?

Whether "we" look past Duquesne or not doesn't matter at all. We are fans discussing this on an internet message board. As long as the coaches and players are taking every game seriously, we're fine. However, I see no reason why we can't discuss the game after next.

[nyr484]

I was thinking that since Purdue lost to Oklahoma, this next game becomes kind of a lose-lose for Duke (from the media's perspective)... If Duke wins, well, nice win, but Oklahoma just beat them. If Duke loses, then we are not as good as Oklahoma or Purdue. I don't necessarily agree with this statement, especially since Duke will be playing Purdue at their place while Oklahoma played Purdue on a neutral court. It's just something I was thinking about. Anybody else have any thoughts on this?

[BlueintheFace]

Is Duke the only team in the ACC-Big10 challenge that is still undefeated since the beginning?

[Indoor66]

Is Duke the only team in the ACC-Big10 challenge that is still undefeated since the beginning?

I believe that is correct. IRRC, Duke is the only undefeated team in the challenge.

[phaedrus]

Thanks, ESPN, for once again scheduling us in the 9 pm slot following a 7 pm game. How much of the first half do you think we'll see this time?

[lifelongdevil]

and thank you to undergrad calculus teachers scheduling the end of semester exam the next day

[Jim3k]

and thank you to undergrad calculus teachers scheduling the end of semester exam the next day

Study for the exam. Record the game.

Heresy , I know. :)

[juise]

and thank you to undergrad calculus teachers scheduling the end of semester exam the next day

At least it's not a home game... a 2-2.5 hour commitment in your room (or commons) is not so bad. You'll never miss those hours of sleep. :)

[Cavlaw]

I was thinking that since Purdue lost to Oklahoma, this next game becomes kind of a lose-lose for Duke (from the media's perspective)... If Duke wins, well, nice win, but Oklahoma just beat them. If Duke loses, then we are not as good as Oklahoma or Purdue. I don't necessarily agree with this statement, especially since Duke will be playing Purdue at their place while Oklahoma played Purdue on a neutral court. It's just something I was thinking about. Anybody else have any thoughts on this?
Hmm, I can honestly say that's not a concern I have.

[davekay1971]

First of all, thanks for the breakdown on Purdue. The only game of their's that I've seen is part of the Oklahoma game, so that this was very helpful.

Win or lose, this is a fantastic game for us. Purdue is definitely a capable team. Playing in their house, with the team and their fans completely amped up, will be invaluable experience for us, particularly for Williams and (if he sees the court) Plumlee. Obviously I hope we win (how nice would it be, although highly improbable, for us to go undefeated in a year that the all-knowing media is predicted said glory for the 'Holes?), but, as long as we play well, I'll be happy just for the experience this gives us heading toward what Jumbo would call Phase III.

[roywhite]

Win or lose, this is a fantastic game for us. Purdue is definitely a capable team. Playing in their house, with the team and their fans completely amped up, will be invaluable experience for us, particularly for Williams and (if he sees the court) Plumlee.

This game has extra meaning for the Plumlees. Their home town of Warsaw, IN is less than 100 miles from West Lafayette, and Mrs. Plumlee played basketball at Purdue.

[Ders24]

Apparently the students there are going to have their first camp out for the game.

[Carlos]

Purdue has two huge advantages over Duke in this one in that it's a home game for them and that they've already played another ranked team in their OT loss to Oklahoma.

I think people are underselling Purdue's athleticism. Their backcourt rotation matches up pretty well with Duke. I'm actually betting on Kramer covering Scheyer rather than Henderson because I think Gerald could take advantage of Kramer by posting him and because I think Scheyer is more key to Duke's offense.

On the other end of the floor the question is how well Scheyer can defend Moore who IMO is the best player on the Boilermakers.

I like the Hummel matchup with Singler and agree with the OP that Singler is the more physical of the two players. One area to watch though is the other big matchup as JaJuan Johnson may prove too be too mobile for Zoubek. OTOH, Zoubek is a good matchup against Calasan, the other post player for Purdue. With Johnson we may see more of Lance out there and it will be interesting to see if he can continue his offensive progress against bigger players.

[Saratoga2]

Duke this year is a very good team that has shown determination when faced with a tough situation. The team is developing nicely and will give a good account of itself. Purdue is also a very good team who has some strengths that we haven't as yet faced this season. It should be a good game, and I will be rooting for our guys but not too down if they lose. We will lose games this year and it will not be the end of the earth and will not diminish the accomplishments of our players and coaches. Go Duke

[PURDUE7]

I gotta agree with Carlos. While DUKE gets better recruits than PURDUE I think the BOILERS can match athletes with almost any team.
Not sure why anyone would worry what the media thinks about this game...win or lose for either team its a learning experience.
What scares every PURDUE fan is a repeat of 46-5 FT in the OK game.

I have seen every PURDUE game for 30+ years and watch a ton of ACC on ESPN.
I think PURDUE and DUKE are really alike. They both play pressure D and look to draw and kick, high pick and roll to get into the lane. Not many true post players for either team. Great guards and wing players.

Hummel: He is kinda like a point forward. Great outside shooter with a nice pull up jumper. Almost never takes it to the rack....hopefully he learns.

Moore: Not a great athlete but very long. Has great extension on his jumper. Is kinda herky jerky(pretty sure I have never spelled that before) but seems to be able to get into the lane at will. Average D and solid on the boards. Pretty comparable to Sheyer in size, build and athleticism.

Kramer: A strong safety playing hoops. He is a BUZZ SAW on D! Solid handle who is strong with the ball. Very average to below average outside shooter. Not a pure PG.....average passer.

JJ: Skinny 6'10" good shot blocker. Below average catching the ball and rebounding. Average face up game.....almost no post moves to worry about. A year and 20 pounds away from being a really good player.

Grant: Will stick the open 3. Good D and solid combo guard skills.

Green: He may be listed as a guard but basically plays the 4 at PURDUE. Good athlete but not a great ball handler or decision maker with the ball. Can stick the open 3 and get garbage points.

Calasan: Strong player who plays like he is 6'5". Not a great finisher. Can stick and will take the open 3. He had 20 against SOONERS so maybe he is putting it together....PURDUE fans doubt this but hope we are wrong.

Jackson: Might be 5'8" but is a jet. Not a jet like Jason Terry(Mavericks PG) who is not fast and calls himself Jason the Jet.......sorry I had to get that out. Lewjack as he has been called is really quick. He actually made a few 3's in the SOONER game. Not sure he is that good of an outside shooter. He is young and I think a big game like this one will be hard on him.

These things I know for sure.
1. PURDUE will play extremely hard.
2. The crowd will be fired up.
3. Duke is gonna be the best opponent so far....I guess I am hating on the SOONERS but still think the FT edge and Hummel fouling out killed PURDUE.
4. PURDUE is 8 deep so fouls could be important. I don't think they will get tired.

P.S. I gotta ask. Do BLUE DEVIL fans hate Vitale? I think he alone brings a lot of DUKE HATE on you guys. If Knight, Coach K or Dean Smith make a quick stop......you know where Dicky V's nose ends up!

[roywhite]

P.S. I gotta ask. Do BLUE DEVIL fans hate Vitale? I think he alone brings a lot of DUKE HATE on you guys. If Knight, Coach K or Dean Smith make a quick stop......you know where Dicky V's nose ends up!

Thanks for a great writeup, and certainly looking forward to a great game.

As to Vitale, do you hate a puppy dog that continually shows you affection? Dickie V loves hoops, loves programs that do it the "right way"", but talks too much. He is what he is.

[MChambers]

P.S. I gotta ask. Do BLUE DEVIL fans hate Vitale? I think he alone brings a lot of DUKE HATE on you guys. If Knight, Coach K or Dean Smith make a quick stop......you know where Dicky V's nose ends up!

Put it this way: not many of us like Vitale.

Thanks for the report.

[jv001]

P.S. I gotta ask. Do BLUE DEVIL fans hate Vitale? I think he alone brings a lot of DUKE HATE on you guys. If Knight, Coach K or Dean Smith make a quick stop......you know where Dicky V's nose ends up!

Dicky V has been an out spoken fan of unc lately and has not hidden it. However I'm like Dicky V more than several tv announcers. Len Elmore is by far the one I dislike most. He seems to be a Duke hater. Bilas and Jay Williams lean over backwards to not give Duke much credit. I like the "G-Man" the most. Go Duke!

[SilkyJ]

Is Duke the only team in the ACC-Big10 challenge that is still undefeated since the beginning?

Yes, Duke is the only undefeated team since its inception.

BC is also undefeated though they've only played twice I believe.

[PURDUE7]

Thanks for a great writeup, and certainly looking forward to a great game.

As to Vitale, do you hate a puppy dog that continually shows you affection? Dickie V loves hoops, loves programs that do it the "right way"", but talks too much. He is what he is.

Love my 2 dogs but I don't let them lick me 24/7.

I just don't understand why Dicky V has to kiss up to coaches who are not even in the game he is doing? How many times did he mention RMK(Robert Montgomery Knight) in a great CUSE/Kansas game?

[PURDUE7]

P.S. I gotta ask. Do BLUE DEVIL fans hate Vitale? I think he alone brings a lot of DUKE HATE on you guys. If Knight, Coach K or Dean Smith make a quick stop......you know where Dicky V's nose ends up!


Dicky V has been an out spoken fan of unc lately and has not hidden it. However I'm like Dicky V more than several tv announcers. Len Elmore is by far the one I dislike most. He seems to be a Duke hater. Bilas and Jay Williams lean over backwards to not give Duke much credit. I like the "G-Man" the most. Go Duke!

I like Bilas and have seen a little of Williams.......Tyler is a bigger Brain Cardinal....interesting.

I think PURDUE and DUKE are in the same boat this year......probably not #1 seed material but looking to for the 2-3 seed to avoid the #1's!

[wilson]

P.S. I gotta ask. Do BLUE DEVIL fans hate Vitale? I think he alone brings a lot of DUKE HATE on you guys. If Knight, Coach K or Dean Smith make a quick stop......you know where Dicky V's nose ends up!

Some do and some don't. Personally, I used to really like him, but I basically can't stand the guy anymore. You're absolutely right that he draws a lot of animosity upon us, and he doesn't talk about the game at hand anymore. In my eyes, he's just playing an annoyingly one-dimensional character at this point.

[sagegrouse]

P.S. I gotta ask. Do BLUE DEVIL fans hate Vitale? I think he alone brings a lot of DUKE HATE on you guys. If Knight, Coach K or Dean Smith make a quick stop......you know where Dicky V's nose ends up!

Several thoughts about Dick Vitale:

1. As my late father remarked 20 years ago, "Dick Vitale is the reason they invented the mute button."

2. He is a shameless cheerleader for college basketball. If you are a top team, he is over the top in his praise. In the long-term, Duke has been a top program for over 20 years, so all viewers (including Dukies) are getting extremely tired of Dickie V.'s act. On the other hand, if he isn't singing your praises -- that's a bad sign. He is more vocal for top-ranked UNC now than for Duke -- so maybe some of the anti-Duke sentiment will be deflected in a different direction.

3. I bet we miss him when he's no longer on TV. I've only met him a couple of times, and he is the nicest, most genuine person imaginable. College hoops without Dickie V. would be like TV without infomercials blaring "But wait -- there's more." You hate it -- but it really is amusing.

sagegrouse

[merry]

Love my 2 dogs but I don't let them lick me 24/7.

I just don't understand why Dicky V has to kiss up to coaches who are not even in the game he is doing? How many times did he mention RMK(Robert Montgomery Knight) in a great CUSE/Kansas game?

Thanks for noticing...most people only seem to point out how much he talks about Duke!

[Carlos]

Count me in the group that used to like Vitale and his enthusiasm but not so much these days. Anymore he's really just self-parody. He was doing a game the other night and went on for at least 5 minutes of game action without commenting on what was actually happening on the floor. And it's not like that happened in a blowout or that it's an infrequent occurrence anymore.

[gotham devil]

Duke is a two point road underdog.

[mgtr]

Duke is a two point road underdog.

That could be a good thing. Coach K can refer to that over and over. "The betting is that you guys will blow this game. Prove them wrong!" I suppose that kind of thing still works, although perhaps a bit more subtlety is needed.

[ACCBBallFan]

Singler - Hummel matchup will be interesting if they can each stay out of foul trouble.

Will be interesting to see if Moore is guarded by Nolan or Scheyer with perhaps Elliott subbing in to help.

Rating NAME
400 Kyle Singler 6'8"220 F Soph
355 E'Twaun Moore 6'4" 188 G Soph
339 Jon Scheyer 6'5" 180 G Jr.
316 Robbie Hummel 6'8" 212 F Soph
316 Team Totals - Duke
307 Gerald Henderson 6'4" 210 G Jr.
303 Nolan Smith 6'2" 18 G Soph
260 Keaton Grant 6'4" 208 G Jr.
244 Lance Thomas 6 8" 220 F Jr.
241 Team Totals - Purdue
239 Chris Kramer 6'3" 207 G Jr.
227 JaJuan Johnson 6'10" 215 C Soph
223 Nemanja Calasan 6'9" 247 F Sr.
202 Marcus Green 6'6" 224 G Sr.
199 Brian Zoubek 7'1" 260 C Jr.
174 Lewis Jackson 5'9" 165 G Frosh
173 Greg Paulus 6'1" 185 G Sr.
152 Elliot Williams 6'4" 180 G Frosh
149 David McClure 6'6" 200 F Sr.
103 Miles Plumlee 6'10" 220 F Frosh
101 Martynas Pocius 6'5" 190 G Jr.
57 Ryne Smith 6'3" 173 G Frosh
42 Olek Czyz 6'7" 240 F Frosh
25 Bobby Riddell
18 Mark Wohlford
7 Chris Reid
6 Steve Johnson

[Troublemaker]

Duke has opened as a 3-pt underdog in this game.

FYI. Some folks may be surprised by that (including me, actually).

[Troublemaker]

Meant to provide link: http://www.sbrlines.com/LinesWebsite/Lines.aspx?l=6 (this is a very slow-loading webpage that continually updates the lines so don't open if you're easily annoyed). Line now down to 2/2.5.

[Troublemaker]

Should be a fun game. Mackey Arena will be rocking. The one thing that could potentially ruin the entertainment value for both Duke and Purdue fans is a tightly-officated game. Both teams really get after it defensively and the game could easily turn into a free-throw fest. I hope it doesn't play out that way even though it would favor Duke, the deeper team.

This game is a big test for Duke's ball-handling and in particular I'm interested in seeing how Nolan handles his first big challenge at PG, in a hostile atmosphere. If we're loose with the ball and we overpenetrate against Purdue, this could easily be a 18-20 turnover game for us. Purdue can hound and play help D real well, and I agree that in many ways, they're Duke's mirror image.

[dbd4ever]

I have only seen Purdue for a few seconds this year, but everyone is saying how great of a defensive team they are. Are they as good defensively as we expect Duke to be night in and night out? Or is this that "great defense" that the rest of the country refers to until they get smacked in the face with that trademark Duke pressure defense. I expect Nolan to pick up full court and give Purdue a look of pressure they have never experienced.

I mean Wisconsin was supposed to give us such a run last year and we all know how that ended. The Big Ten to me is usually overrated and we see that tend to pan out year after year. The only team that seems to give us continuous trouble is Michigan State, and that is when they have their most athletic teams. I don't know!!! Maybe I am wrong about all of this. Please HELP!!!!

[PURDUE7]

I have only seen Purdue for a few seconds this year, but everyone is saying how great of a defensive team they are. Are they as good defensively as we expect Duke to be night in and night out? Or is this that "great defense" that the rest of the country refers to until they get smacked in the face with that trademark Duke pressure defense. I expect Nolan to pick up full court and give Purdue a look of pressure they have never experienced.

I mean Wisconsin was supposed to give us such a run last year and we all know how that ended. The Big Ten to me is usually overrated and we see that tend to pan out year after year. The only team that seems to give us continuous trouble is Michigan State, and that is when they have their most athletic teams. I don't know!!! Maybe I am wrong about all of this. Please HELP!!!!

LOL
I realize we are just PURDUE.......so I am not trying to talk trash. There are 2 types of D in hoops. The Wiscy type that is more about keeping everyone in front of them and having you shoot over taller players in the lane. Light pressure not looking to force turnovers but to make you work for a decent shot.
Or the PURDUE/DUKE D.....get after you on the perimeter and try and force turnovers and players into bad shots/decisions. I often think PURDUE overplays and gets hurt by penetration...usually by wing players. This is where I think DUKE will hurt the BOILERS if they handle the pressure.

I agree the BIG TEN has sucked in hoops for the last few years overall. I think with Tubby and some rebuilding at IU and ILLINIOIS....maybe even Michigan the conference is looking up.

P.S. When is the BIG TEN/ACC Football challenge? I think you guys would have won it this year......

[BlueintheFace]

I think that a big part of why Purdue is said to have a good defense is that they controlled tempo very well last season. They slowed some faster offenses down and over-achieved, in part, as a result of this. However, I have seen no evidence this season that Purdue has the quality of defense on par with UCLA, Duke, Georgetown, or Tennessee (taking teams from different conferences).

I guess we will see...

[duketaylor]

Fun to read some quality college hoops discourse about tomorrow night's game. I'm looking forward to this game as it has NCAA seeding implications and should help answer some questions each team has about itself. i think this will be a very good Duke team, meaning FF potential, tomorrow's a great barometer, IMO. Which team controls tempo will be important I think and which team is just better defensively is always key. When we crushed Wisconsin last year I was surprised, I really doubt there's any crush tomorrow night. Should be an awesome game.. GO DEVILS!! Kyle and G lead the way with a good performance from Nolan, keys to me.

[PURDUE7]

I think that a big part of why Purdue is said to have a good defense is that they controlled tempo very well last season. They slowed some faster offenses down and over-achieved, in part, as a result of this. However, I have seen no evidence this season that Purdue has the quality of defense on par with UCLA, Duke, Georgetown, or Tennessee (taking teams from different conferences).

I guess we will see...

PURDUE is not on the level of UCLA and Georgetown on D. They don't have the bigs. Don't confuse high pressure with low scores. PURDUE will run and gun if they can. They basically start 4 guards(Hummel has those skills) so they want to push the tempo.

I don't consider PURDUE a great defensive team.....but they have quick guards and they play hard on D.

[whereinthehellami]

STATS
Here are some interesting stats for tonight's game:


Purdue had 2 guys shooting over 40% from 3 (Hummel 48%, Moore 41%), Duke has 0.


Duke averages a 1:1.1 Assist to TO ratio. Purdue is at 1.6:1 in the right direction.


Duke averages 11 steals a game, Purdue averages 7.


Calasan leads Purdue with 3.2 FT attempts per game. Singler (7.1), Scheyer (4.7), Thomas (4.4), and Henderson (3.9) all average more FT attempts a game than Calasan.


Lance Thomas is the only player on either team to have more offensive than defensive rebounds (17 to 13).


OUTLOOK
I'm looking forward to this game. It should be an intersting matchup. I like Duke if they try to drive to the hoop or if they find their mid-range game. I don't see Duke winning the TO battle though and that could be a deciding factor in this game.

I like Purdue to win if they can Duke into an outside shooting contest. I also like Purdue to win if they can avoid foul trouble. That will be a tall order for the Boilermakers with the way these teams like to mix it up on defense and with the intensity of a big game like this.

[roywhite]

What's the over/under on the amount of game action we miss due to Duke/Purdue being a 9:00 game immediately following a 7:00 game?

I'll say about 5 minutes into the game before we get the live feed.

This stacked up scheduling is one of many peeves about ESPN. Don't even mention the possibility of overtime in the early game. :(

[EarlJam]

What's the over/under on the amount of game action we miss due to Duke/Purdue being a 9:00 game immediately following a 7:00 game?

I'll say about 5 minutes into the game before we get the live feed.

This stacked up scheduling is one of many peeves about ESPN. Don't even mention the possibility of overtime in the early game. :(

We must have some ESP going on, because I was just thinking the same thing.

I'm guessing there will be about 11:00 left in the first half before they switch to the Duke game.

Morons.

-EarlJam

[PURDUE7]

STATS
Here are some interesting stats for tonight's game:


Purdue had 2 guys shooting over 40% from 3 (Hummel 48%, Moore 41%), Duke has 0.


Duke averages a 1:1.1 Assist to TO ratio. Purdue is at 1.6:1 in the right direction.


Duke averages 11 steals a game, Purdue averages 7.


Calasan leads Purdue with 3.2 FT attempts per game. Singler (7.1), Scheyer (4.7), Thomas (4.4), and Henderson (3.9) all average more FT attempts a game than Calasan.


Lance Thomas is the only player on either team to have more offensive than defensive rebounds (17 to 13).


OUTLOOK
I'm looking forward to this game. It should be an intersting matchup. I like Duke if they try to drive to the hoop or if they find their mid-range game. I don't see Duke winning the TO battle though and that could be a deciding factor in this game.

I like Purdue to win if they can Duke into an outside shooting contest. I also like Purdue to win if they can avoid foul trouble. That will be a tall order for the Boilermakers with the way these teams like to mix it up on defense and with the intensity of a big game like this.

I think you hit the nail on the head......no more breaking down the teams.....lets play ball!

[PURDUE7]

Local paper write up....even they agree.

http://www.jconline.com/article/20081202/SPORTS02010201/812020347/1037/SPORTS

[SilkyJ]

Kyle and G lead the way with a good performance from Nolan, keys to me.

Everyone keeps talking about G but Scheyer is our 2nd best player offensively right now and is initiating a lot of the offense much like demarcus did last year. He's also probably our steadiest player, tho maybe tied with Singler for that distinction. I wouldn't mind a little breakout game from G too.

Here's to hoping Lance/Zoubs continue their good play.


STATS
Here are some interesting stats for tonight's game:

Purdue had 2 guys shooting over 40% from 3 (Hummel 48%, Moore 41%), Duke has 0.

Duke averages a 1:1.1 Assist to TO ratio. Purdue is at 1.6:1 in the right direction.

Duke averages 11 steals a game, Purdue averages 7.

Calasan leads Purdue with 3.2 FT attempts per game. Singler (7.1), Scheyer (4.7), Thomas (4.4), and Henderson (3.9) all average more FT attempts a game than Calasan.

Lance Thomas is the only player on either team to have more offensive than defensive rebounds (17 to 13).



Great stuff! Thanks!



This stacked up scheduling is one of many peeves about ESPN. Don't even mention the possibility of overtime in the early game. :(

ugh. way to jinx it ;)

Also, many thanks to the purdue Fan(s) who participated in this and other threads getting us prepped for the game. Being duke fans makes us college bball fans and I love learning about other teams as well (mainly so I can bust those brackets in March!)

[elvis14]

Count me in the group that used to like Vitale and his enthusiasm but not so much these days. Anymore he's really just self-parody. He was doing a game the other night and went on for at least 5 minutes of game action without commenting on what was actually happening on the floor. And it's not like that happened in a blowout or that it's an infrequent occurrence anymore.

Carlos has stated precisely how I feel about Vitale. I really used to like the guy (even when others hated him) because of this love and enthusiasm for the game.


PURDUE is not on the level of UCLA and Georgetown on D. They don't have the bigs. Don't confuse high pressure with low scores. PURDUE will run and gun if they can. They basically start 4 guards(Hummel has those skills) so they want to push the tempo.

I don't consider PURDUE a great defensive team.....but they have quick guards and they play hard on D.

I didn't realize that PURDUE was an acronym :D

This will shock nobody, I like Duke in this game. We have steadily improved over the last couple of weeks, guys are learning their roles, Nolan and G are picking it up, Kyle and Jon are rock solid, our 3 headed center position is being productive, etc. Also, I think that the experience we gained in the game against SIU (another team that plays man to man defense) will prove beneficial tonight. Hey, maybe Marty will have a good game and guys can spend another 8000 posts discussion his role :D

[nyr484]

What's the over/under on the amount of game action we miss due to Duke/Purdue being a 9:00 game immediately following a 7:00 game?

I'll say about 5 minutes into the game before we get the live feed.

This stacked up scheduling is one of many peeves about ESPN. Don't even mention the possibility of overtime in the early game. :(


Ugh I hate that! What is so hard about scheduling games 2 hrs and 15 mins apart like FSN and CBS do? You know what's the worst is when the team that's losing in the early game is still fouling/calling timeout down by 12 with 30 seconds left. Do we really need to see every last second of a blowout when there is another game starting?? Hopefully the 7:00 game will actually start on time, but I bet we'll come into the Duke game after the 1st TV timeout with something like 15 minutes left...

[Kim*]

Ugh I hate that! What is so hard about scheduling games 2 hrs and 15 mins apart like FSN and CBS do? You know what's the worst is when the team that's losing in the early game is still fouling/calling timeout down by 12 with 30 seconds left. Do we really need to see every last second of a blowout when there is another game starting?? Hopefully the 7:00 game will actually start on time, but I bet we'll come into the Duke game after the 1st TV timeout with something like 15 minutes left...
The worst is the moment when they start showing the score of the 2nd game all tiny in the top right-hand corner of the TV. So it's just sitting there taunting you, clock ticking away, as you're forced to watch the end of this other game that you don't even care about.

[PURDUE7]

Why wasn't this game yesterday? Why jam it in with a bunch of other games....running the risk of missing any of it? PURDUE fans have been looking forward to this game since it was announced.....DUKE fans think perdue is a chicken and it makes them hungry every time it is talked about.

As far as the game.....I hope the refs let them play. Nobody wants a FT contest or star players on the pine. I often wonder why basketball has DQ's.

[PURDUE7]

The worst is the moment when they start showing the score of the 2nd game all tiny in the top right-hand corner of the TV. So it's just sitting there taunting you, clock ticking away, as you're forced to watch the end of this other game that you don't even care about.

Not that DUKE fans care.....but I think CBS used to have this problem with B2B games. I remember PURDUE @ IU......we missed the first minute of the game......so on comes game and Brad Miller is not on the floor....we assume Keady didn't start him to save him from fouls????? NO...he had 2 fouls in the first minute....GAME OVER!

Do Blue Devil fans hate UNC like BOILERMAKERS hate IU? I know you are 12 miles apart.......does that make it better or worse?

[Classof06]

Can't wait to see this game for a multitude of reasons. First, it's the first true road game of the year (our first true roadie of the year last year was Temple....on 1/8/08). Second, it'll be the toughest team we've played all year; as a guy that's still in football mode, this matchup grabs my attention quicker than any Duke game thus far.

But the most intriguing reason is that these are the two best teams in th country that rely primarily on perimeter talent to win. Purdue and Duke are two of a kind, if you will, very similar teams. The best player on our team is widely considered to be Singler, who's eerily similar to Robbie Hummel, widely considered to be Purdue's best player (though one could make a strong case for E'Twaun Moore).

Singler vs. Hummel and Henderson vs. Moore are matchups that have me salivating and I'm also very interested in seeing how Nolan Smith handles himself. It's a lot different when you're starting, no matter what Krzyzewski says.

Bottom line, I'm excited because we're going to find out a lot more about this team tonight. Hopefully, it'll be a win. Go Duke!!!

[Kim*]

(our first true roadie of the year last year was Temple....on 1/8/08).
Ha, I was at that game. I somehow ended up sitting in the Temple alumni section. It was hilarious, just a herd of middle-aged and elderly Philadelphians in a sea of maroon.. and then there's little ol' me decked out in blue haha. Good times, good times.

[Highlander]

I'll second the notion earlier about the Purdue fans who joined to add insight to their team. I've enjoyed reading about your team and the passion you have for your program.

It's very uncommon that you can have a civil discussion on an anonymous internet message board about something as passionat as sports, especially between rival fans. The fact that we can all do it here without devolving into petty insults and profanity really does make this place unique in a lot of ways.

Go Duke!

[Kedsy]

Do Blue Devil fans hate UNC like BOILERMAKERS hate IU? I know you are 12 miles apart.......does that make it better or worse?

We had a whole thread on who we would root for if UNC was playing Nazi Germany. A couple people said UNC.

[Kedsy]

Ha, I was at that game. I somehow ended up sitting in the Temple alumni section. It was hilarious, just a herd of middle-aged and elderly Philadelphians in a sea of maroon.. and then there's little ol' me decked out in blue haha. Good times, good times.

Hey, I was there too. A friend of mine offered me a seat in the Temple alumni section but I managed to score one in one of the Duke boxes instead.

[bigj4194]

Do Blue Devil fans hate UNC like BOILERMAKERS hate IU? I know you are 12 miles apart.......does that make it better or worse?

Make it 8 miles actually. and to answer your question, my mother is from indiana and so i have had family go to both IU and Purdue...from what I have seen the hatred of UNC by us Duke fans is greater than the hatred of IU by Purdue. Now from a student perspective, i haven't seen the IU/PU hatred first hand so it may be close to Duke/UNC but I think in rivalries and hatred Duke/UNC beats everyone (then again I am a Duke student), but it was also from everything that I have seen before attending Duke

[Huh?]

lets go!

[rsvman]

Do Blue Devil fans hate UNC like BOILERMAKERS hate IU? I know you are 12 miles apart.......does that make it better or worse?

I don't know how much you hate IU, but I can tell you that we hate UNC with passion and precision.

[jpfrizzle]

Go DUKE ! ! ! !

[BlueintheFace]

Do Blue Devil fans hate UNC like BOILERMAKERS hate IU? I know you are 12 miles apart.......does that make it better or worse?

You are on DBR so I know you have access to the outside world....

[CameronBlue]

and thank you to undergrad calculus teachers scheduling the end of semester exam the next day

Awww man, c'mon it's undergarad calculus..a couple of integration by parts, a chain rule or two, the daily jumbles are harder man!

[sagegrouse]

MIracle of miracles -- we are going to see the entire game -- at nine o'clock -- on ESPN!!

sagegrouse

[mgtr]

Halftime - Going to be a lot bruises for the trainers to work on. Pretty rough out there. McClure made a three! However, except for one beautiful move, Hendo has sort of disappeared, and didn't even play at the end of the half. I hope he is not injured. Scheyer is doing well, Singler is Singler.
I wish they would call the same fouls at our end of the court as they do at Purdue's end. We have been mugged more than a couple times with no call.

[A-Tex Devil]

We are a much better team with Nolan in the game -- but 4 fouls!!

Nice to have Paulus as someone to come off the bench though. Great D, tonight.

[CBDUKE]

The same ref seems to be calling all the fouls. Time for Greg to shine!

[ChrisP]

The same ref seems to be calling all the fouls. Time for Greg to shine!

But...we're getting HOMERED! With what look to me like ACC refs, no less! Yeah, I know it's a little silly to complain about this when we're up 16 but...dang!

[ChrisP]

Those last 2 against Purdue looked suspiciously like make up calls to me

[FerryFor50]

Those last 2 against Purdue looked suspiciously like make up calls to me

Touch fouls, sure. But at least they're not getting hosed on charges.

[ChrisP]

Touch fouls, sure. But at least they're not getting hosed on charges.

Word!

Scheyer has had a heck of a game but...dude...stop throwing it away with so much time left please!

[FerryFor50]

Word!

Scheyer has had a heck of a game but...dude...stop throwing it away with so much time left please!

I just wish Paulus would remember how to hit FTs...

[CBDUKE]

Lots of time left. Free throws will be big. Need to hit a few.

[ChrisP]

I just wish Paulus would remember how to hit FTs...

Again...word! I know we'll probably win this game but we sure do seem to be trying - hard - to find ways to give it away...

[FerryFor50]

Again...word! I know we'll probably win this game but we sure do seem to be trying - hard - to find ways to give it away...

Well, they've gone into clock-milk mode... which has been a point of contention on these forums before.

So rather than voice my opinion on the matter, I'll just sit back and sweat it out. :p

[FerryFor50]

On a side note... Singler is just plain dirrrrty. :D

[dbd4ever]

singler is a stud!!!!!!!

[ChrisP]

Well, they've gone into clock-milk mode... which has been a point of contention on these forums before.

So rather than voice my opinion on the matter, I'll just sit back and sweat it out. :p

Maybe I'm crazy but it seems like the clock milking is a bit different this time. It usually drives me nuts (although I do understand it's a good strategy in theory) but we seem to running it well. I suppose it helps when you...ya know...actually get a shot at the end of it.

[ChrisP]

singler is a stud!!!!!!!

Word to that too!

[FerryFor50]

Maybe I'm crazy but it seems like the clock milking is a bit different this time. It usually drives me nuts (although I do understand it's a good strategy in theory) but we seem to running it well. I suppose it helps when you...ya know...actually get a shot at the end of it.

Good point. But it just seems to disrupt what had been a good flow on offense... and Purdue has been chipping away now that they get to play a more comfortable Big 10 type of pace.

[ChrisP]

Good point. But it just seems to disrupt what had been a good flow on offense... and Purdue has been chipping away now that they get to play a more comfortable Big 10 type of pace.

Yeah, I hear you. It just didn't worry me tonight like it usually does. Let's hope this is the start of a loooooong trend in excellent clock-milking execution!

[FerryFor50]

Yeah, I hear you. It just didn't worry me tonight like it usually does. Let's hope this is the start of a loooooong trend in excellent clock-milking execution!

Agreed! While I'd like to see a 30 point blowout win, I'd take a 10 point grind out win. :D

[CBDUKE]

What a BIG win. Great game DUKE!!

[ChrisP]

Yes, great game. I was worried for no reason. I like that.