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Hancock 4 Duke
01-04-2009, 11:41 PM
Now Davidson is very different than Duke. They have one really awesome person (Stephen Curry) who scores a lot. Duke has 5 pretty awesome players that score about 15-20 points a game. Please post what you think.

RainingThrees
01-04-2009, 11:43 PM
This is not the same Davidson as last year, and by that I mean not as good the only other good player for Davidson is undersized Andrew Lovedale who will have a tough time against Zoubek and should be about even with Lance. Duke blow out.

geraldsneighbor
01-05-2009, 01:17 AM
Curry will need to not only have a career game, but will need atleast 1 or 2 others to do the same. I think Curry could have 30 points and Duke can still win by 15. I'm hoping we continue to see the emergence of Zoubek. In a big game he has the chance to sort of bully a teams top big man.

Regardless, Duke played these guys tight last year, and they were an elite 8 club. This is an important mid-week win no matter which way you cut it.

Oriole Way
01-05-2009, 01:33 AM
I will be impressed if Curry scores a boatload of points, because Duke's defense (with the exception of the second Michigan game) has been pretty stifling when it comes to shutting down their opponents' top scoring threats.

studdlee10
01-05-2009, 06:02 AM
Curry is a phenomenal player, but we have 3-4 guys we could easily throw at him. Scheyer, Henderson, Nolan, and even Elliot can take turns guarding him. Each poses a different match-up (scheyer the heady D, Hendo the athleticism, Nolan the length, etc) that can help us somewhat contain Curry. Hell, we can let him score 30+ as long as it's a tough 30 and with that rotation of players guarding him, I'm confident we can.

CameronCrazy'11
01-05-2009, 06:16 AM
McClure would be good guarding him. He's got a distinct height advantage. If things get really rough, we could even Singler on him. It worked on Jimmy Baron, sorta (how's that kid doing, btw?).

jv001
01-05-2009, 08:10 AM
One thing I don't think you will see is a gimmick defense as Loyola MD threw at Curry. Nolan and Jon with Dave occasionally guarding him. Just as long as we win I don't care how many points he scores. Go Duke!

dyedwab
01-05-2009, 08:54 AM
They are ALWAYS a disciplined, smart basketball team that understands what it can do well and makes you play a tough game. Add a ridiculously good player like Curry and they can take anyone.

I like that this is the game of Va Tech. Va Tech played a physical game that require us to adjust and respond to it. Davidson will be different. They will be patient and disciplined...and require us to adjust to that.

This Duke team is beginning to show the signs of flexibility and resiliance that allow a team to put together a great season.

And if you are a basketball fan, watching Stephen Curry is must-see TV.

ddsdevil
01-05-2009, 09:57 AM
I respect Curry and Davidson a lot but I believe that we will win convincingly. I would really like to see E-Will and Plumlee get some extra minutes in this game.

BlueintheFace
01-05-2009, 11:25 AM
I'm interested to see if the curry defenders will pick up the typical duke full court man pressure. If Nolan, Scheyer, etc... push him from his own baseline, then we can A) eat some clock B) Tire him out (maybe) C) possibly harass him into giving up the ball.

Some important points in my mind-

1) Thanks to our defensive versatility, we can switch on most every screen and be okay (this especially includes off-ball screens... which leads me to my next point).

2) 50% of slowing down Curry is denying when he DOESN'T have the ball. Lucky for us, Nolan is great at this and Paulus is the master (although I don't want to see him guarding Curry). We will be better equipped to keep Curry away from the ball once he gives it up than most teams with our defensive versatility. Plus, this fits in perfectly with our usual defensive gameplan. Denying talented guards possession is just what we always try to do. Lucky us.

3) All of this being said, Curry might go for 40 anyways...

Troublemaker
01-05-2009, 12:03 PM
Nolan will probably be the primary check on Curry since he's Davidson's point guard this season. Jason Richards graduated and he was a very good player for them so Davidson is probably not as good this year.

Side note. ESPN's announcing team for this game will be their NBA guys -- Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson. It'll be interesting to hear what they have to say about Duke's players and Curry WRT their prospects for the Association. Van Gundy, in particular, is a pretty sharp analyst and should call a good game.

SilkyJ
01-05-2009, 12:47 PM
Now Davidson is very different than Duke. They have one really awesome person (Stephen Curry) who scores a lot. Duke has 5 pretty awesome players that score about 15-20 points a game. Please post what you think.

We have 4 pretty awesome players, but only 1, Kyle Singler, scores more than 15ppg. Scheyer, Hendo, and Nolan all average 11-14ppg.


I'm interested to see if the curry defenders will pick up the typical duke full court man pressure. If Nolan, Scheyer, etc... push him from his own baseline, then we can A) eat some clock B) Tire him out (maybe) C) possibly harass him into giving up the ball.

Some important points in my mind-

1) Thanks to our defensive versatility, we can switch on most every screen and be okay (this especially includes off-ball screens... which leads me to my next point).

2) 50% of slowing down Curry is denying when he DOESN'T have the ball. Lucky for us, Nolan is great at this and Paulus is the master (although I don't want to see him guarding Curry). We will be better equipped to keep Curry away from the ball once he gives it up than most teams with our defensive versatility. Plus, this fits in perfectly with our usual defensive gameplan. Denying talented guards possession is just what we always try to do. Lucky us.

3) All of this being said, Curry might go for 40 anyways...

Agree with everything, except I think SCHEYER is really our master of denying his mark when the mark is playing off the ball. His work on Vasallo last night was AWESOME. I expect Nolan to guard Curry most of the time simply b/c he is now playing PG, but I expect to see Scheyer on him quite a bit as well.

yuedana
01-05-2009, 02:57 PM
It will not be a single guy guarding Curry. It really will be a team effort. There certainly will be a lot of ball denial, but there will be a lot of switching to keep Curry from getting open. This team is one of the better (??best) teams at switching on screens that I have seen. With the exception of Zoubek, everybody on the team is fairly versatile and can cover a number of positions.

I feel like I see Lance on the perimeter covering the point guard as much as I see Paulus stuck in the post with a big after switches. The defense has been very active on the perimeter and has been a little susceptible to the penetration but I feel like that the defense has been tremendous in ball pressure and denial. In the Va tech game, ?diakite was open underneath the basket after a botched screen and switch but ?delaney was unable to get him the ball from 25 ft because mcclure deflected the entry pass. I would expect more of the same.

Channing
01-05-2009, 06:57 PM
If any coaching staff is situated to draw up a game plan for Stephen Curry its ours, after coaching JJ for 4 years, they should have an idea how to deal with a player with a tireless motor who is a dead eye shot.

Clipsfan
01-05-2009, 07:13 PM
Davidson should not be dismissed this year and they will not be overlooked by Duke. They have been on TV a ton here on the west coast (and as most of those have been national games, I would assume that others of you should have been able to catch them on TV). They are the only team to beat W. Virginia (ranked #1 according to Pomeroy) and played Oklahoma very tough (could have won that game, was a 4 pt loss). Curry had an awful night against Purdue and they lost that game badly, but Davidson has won every other game this season.

Sure, they lost a great PG in Richards, but Curry has turned into a great assist man on top of his ability to get off shots at a ridiculous rate. He doesn't always make them, but the potential is always there and if he is hot there is little that most teams can do to stop him. I would bet that he will take around 25 shots (many of them 3s) against Duke and get to the line quite a bit as well and get his points. The key will be to execute on offense and keep the rest of Davidson from killing us. It's the classic let him get his (but make him work for it) and just win the other aspects. I'm looking forward to watching the game.

Davidson09
01-06-2009, 12:19 AM
Every team not in the Southern Conference always has the answer to shut down Curry whenever we pay them. Gonzaga tried it last year. So did Goergetown and Wisconsin. Kansas was lucky he was tired towards the end of the game and ONLY got 25 points.

The Purdue game was an anomaly. Don't think that's the Curry you'll see on a regular basis.

As per our team, this game will be a lot closer than a lot of you think. I'm not saying Davidson will win or that Duke will win, but it's going to be a battle to the very end. Stephen Curry will get his points. Andrew Lovedale may not be as tall as Zoubek, but he is certainly as athletic, if not more so. William Archambault has come to life, and he is a threat from outside, as well as with the possibility of an inside game. and BTW, Max will be a defensive hound the entire game; he will disrupt your offense, he will get 5-second inbounds calls, and he will cause turnovers.

True, we don't have 4-5 guys who can score 20 points on any given night. But we have the best player in America. We have a guy who makes his teammates play better basketball. We have a guy who can score 44 points on an off-night (see: Oklahoma).

Again, I'm making no claims as to who will win, or whatnot. But please, realize that the only way Duke wins by 15 points is if we have another Purdue game. Davidson is a well-coached team, set in the fundamentals of the game. Our play is designed to capitalize on our system.

Good times ahead.

duketaylor
01-06-2009, 01:24 AM
I agree that this will be a tough game, no telling how many points Curry will score. He'll have probably 3-4 different guys covering him during the game; Nolan, Scheyer, I'm guessing a little McClure, Henderson and maybe even some Singler. I would think K would rotate guys against Stephen the entire game in an attempt to tire him and keep us as fresh as possible. You might also see a minute here or there of Greg, Elliott even Lance trying to keep up. It would be interesting to log how many Blue Devils try to contain Curry, maybe 7-8. And I'm serious, it could be.

I've heard rumors that Jordan Davidson will suit up and play Curry all 40 minutes by himself;) With one arm tied behind his back!! No, both.

OZZIE4DUKE
01-06-2009, 01:29 AM
I'm interested to see if the curry defenders will pick up the typical duke full court man pressure. If Nolan, Scheyer, etc... push him from his own baseline, then we can A) eat some clock B) Tire him out (maybe) C) possibly harass him into giving up the ball.

Some important points in my mind-

1) Thanks to our defensive versatility, we can switch on most every screen and be okay (this especially includes off-ball screens... which leads me to my next point).

2) 50% of slowing down Curry is denying when he DOESN'T have the ball. Lucky for us, Nolan is great at this and Paulus is the master (although I don't want to see him guarding Curry). We will be better equipped to keep Curry away from the ball once he gives it up than most teams with our defensive versatility. Plus, this fits in perfectly with our usual defensive gameplan. Denying talented guards possession is just what we always try to do. Lucky us.

3) All of this being said, Curry might go for 40 anyways...

Me thinks that you watched the Coach K show on Sunday (which I did Monday night). He said ways to limit a big scorer's scoring are to 1) deny him the ball and 2) tire him out by making him play defense. There are also some other things they can do. That being said, he might still score 40, but I doubt it.

OZZIE4DUKE
01-06-2009, 01:32 AM
Hey DukeTaylor - you never answered my PM from last week. Did you see it?

Indoor66
01-06-2009, 09:05 AM
Duke by 18!

DukieInBrasil
01-06-2009, 09:52 AM
all this speculation about who will be guarding Curry, Gerald said flat-out that he wants it. I donīt think Coach K takes orders from players, but if G said he wants it i think K will let him try to guard Curry until it doesnīt work. Who knows, maybe G wil shut him down.

Clipsfan
01-06-2009, 03:10 PM
all this speculation about who will be guarding Curry, Gerald said flat-out that he wants it. I donīt think Coach K takes orders from players, but if G said he wants it i think K will let him try to guard Curry until it doesnīt work. Who knows, maybe G wil shut him down.

I don't remember who did the majority of the work against him last year? Does anyone? I would guess Scheyer spent a lot of time guarding him.

SilkyJ
01-06-2009, 03:30 PM
all this speculation about who will be guarding Curry, Gerald said flat-out that he wants it. I donīt think Coach K takes orders from players, but if G said he wants it i think K will let him try to guard Curry until it doesnīt work. Who knows, maybe G wil shut him down.

He might let G start on him or guard him a lot, but I don't know if thats the right play for a couple reasons, the first being that I think curry is took quick for him, and the second being that even if G can guard him, we have others who can do a comparable job on him and those some people (nolan and scheyer) can't do a comparable job on person with more size, so we should let G guard the guy with more size...

ddsdevil
01-06-2009, 03:33 PM
I think that regardless of who will be guarding him he will score. He is just too good at moving without the ball and creating shots. The only way that we stop him is if he has an off-night shooting.

stals
01-06-2009, 03:42 PM
Every team not in the Southern Conference always has the answer to shut down Curry whenever we pay them. Gonzaga tried it last year. So did Goergetown and Wisconsin. Kansas was lucky he was tired towards the end of the game and ONLY got 25 points.

The Purdue game was an anomaly. Don't think that's the Curry you'll see on a regular basis.

As per our team, this game will be a lot closer than a lot of you think. I'm not saying Davidson will win or that Duke will win, but it's going to be a battle to the very end. Stephen Curry will get his points. Andrew Lovedale may not be as tall as Zoubek, but he is certainly as athletic, if not more so. William Archambault has come to life, and he is a threat from outside, as well as with the possibility of an inside game. and BTW, Max will be a defensive hound the entire game; he will disrupt your offense, he will get 5-second inbounds calls, and he will cause turnovers.

True, we don't have 4-5 guys who can score 20 points on any given night. But we have the best player in America. We have a guy who makes his teammates play better basketball. We have a guy who can score 44 points on an off-night (see: Oklahoma).

Again, I'm making no claims as to who will win, or whatnot. But please, realize that the only way Duke wins by 15 points is if we have another Purdue game. Davidson is a well-coached team, set in the fundamentals of the game. Our play is designed to capitalize on our system.

Good times ahead.
Pomeroy shows Duke with a 17 point win. Sounds about right. Davidson had trouble with a middling College of Charleston squad last game.

BlueintheFace
01-06-2009, 04:43 PM
He might let G start on him or guard him a lot, but I don't know if thats the right play for a couple reasons, the first being that I think curry is took quick for him, and the second being that even if G can guard him, we have others who can do a comparable job on him and those some people (nolan and scheyer) can't do a comparable job on person with more size, so we should let G guard the guy with more size...

What size? check out their lineup

BlueintheFace
01-06-2009, 04:44 PM
Me thinks that you watched the Coach K show on Sunday (which I did Monday night). He said ways to limit a big scorer's scoring are to 1) deny him the ball and 2) tire him out by making him play defense. There are also some other things they can do. That being said, he might still score 40, but I doubt it.

I'm afraid I didn't, but you just made my day!!

msdukie
01-06-2009, 04:53 PM
I've heard rumors that Jordan Davidson will suit up and play Curry all 40 minutes by himself;) With one arm tied behind his back!! No, both.


Patrick Davidson would do the same with both legs tied behind his back and blindfolded.

dukelifer
01-06-2009, 05:05 PM
Pomeroy shows Duke with a 17 point win. Sounds about right. Davidson had trouble with a middling College of Charleston squad last game.

Davidson is a very well coached team. They have a great player. They have played this Duke team before. They are not traveling far. This is a big time game for them- much more so than the College of Charleston. The game will have a big national audience. They will be up for this and play hard. Duke may win- but Davidson will fight very hard. Duke will have to play an excellent game and very hard every minute. If this is a 8 point game with under 3 minutes- Davidson has a great chance to win- that is how good Curry can be. He is very dangerous- particularly when you think they are dead. I no way see a blow out here- but I would be very happy to be wrong.

rsvman
01-06-2009, 05:10 PM
.... Just as long as we win I don't care how many points he scores. Go Duke!

+1


I don't care if he scores 48 points as long as the Duke TEAM outscores the Davidson TEAM. It's the "anti-Loyola" approach. ;)

Kedsy
01-06-2009, 05:13 PM
+1


I don't care if he scores 48 points as long as the Duke TEAM outscores the Davidson TEAM. It's the "anti-Loyola" approach. ;)

But 49 would bother you?

natedog4ever
01-06-2009, 05:14 PM
I don't know who will draw Curry the most, but I hope it's Scheyer. I went to the game last year and as I was finding my seat, I hear the Davidson radio dumbass, John Kilgo, say "Sheyer guarding Curry, HE CAN'T GUARD HIM!!" Screeching like some hyena on crack. I've heard the same sentiments expressed today on NC sports radio. We all know different and I'd be really satisfied if Jon were given first dibs. We are going to pound them.

-jk
01-06-2009, 05:50 PM
The actual defender at any given moment will depend on the switches. I feel certain K will rotate the primary defender throughout the game - I don't think we have a DNPotY on this team to draw the full game assignment the way Grant or Billy used to.

-jk

juise
01-06-2009, 08:18 PM
In Andy Katz's Weekly Watch (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/notebook?page=notebook/weeklywatch097), he lists Duke/Davidson as a game to watch, saying, "Sharpshooting will be on display at Cameron with Stephen Curry and Jon Scheyer likely to launch plenty of 3s in what should be an entertaining affair."

I thought this was funny because Scheyer attempts less than four 3's per game, which is second on the team (Kyle attempts just over four). On the other hand, Curry shoots exactly ten 3's per game. Not exactly a good comparison.

SilkyJ
01-06-2009, 08:30 PM
In Andy Katz's Weekly Watch (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/notebook?page=notebook/weeklywatch097), he lists Duke/Davidson as a game to watch, saying, "Sharpshooting will be on display at Cameron with Stephen Curry and Jon Scheyer likely to launch plenty of 3s in what should be an entertaining affair."

I thought this was funny because Scheyer attempts less than four 3's per game, which is second on the team (Kyle attempts just over four). On the other hand, Curry shoots exactly ten 3's per game. Not exactly a good comparison.

He's a 6'5 190lb SG who's white and goes to Duke, so he kind of reminds people of good 'ol #4...heck when he was a frosh and even a soph a lot of people on this board continued to think of him as shooter or a replacement of sorts to JJ

jv001
01-06-2009, 09:56 PM
In Andy Katz's Weekly Watch (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/notebook?page=notebook/weeklywatch097), he lists Duke/Davidson as a game to watch, saying, "Sharpshooting will be on display at Cameron with Stephen Curry and Jon Scheyer likely to launch plenty of 3s in what should be an entertaining affair."

I thought this was funny because Scheyer attempts less than four 3's per game, which is second on the team (Kyle attempts just over four). On the other hand, Curry shoots exactly ten 3's per game. Not exactly a good comparison.

Not a good comparison as Jon is a scorer not a shooter. JJ and Curry are shooters. You might even say Curry is a scorer as well. Go Duke!

mgtr
01-06-2009, 10:03 PM
I expect this to be one of the most interesting games this season. We have handled Davidson in the past, and may well handle them tomorrow. However, to stea a line from a famous coach from the Durham area, Curry is a special player. Why didn't top teams go after him? Or at least go after his brother?
The answer probably is that coaches don't have any better crystal ball than anybody else.
I certainly want Duke to win, and expect that will be the case, but I want to see Curry do well -- he seems like a good kid who plays hard. That is what it is all about. I think we win by 10+, but Curry has 30 or so.

Johnboy
01-06-2009, 10:50 PM
I certainly want Duke to win, and expect that will be the case, but I want to see Curry do well -- he seems like a good kid who plays hard. That is what it is all about. I think we win by 10+, but Curry has 30 or so.

One of my favorite games ever in Cameron was when Maryland visited in 1986. Len Bias shot 14-20 from the floor and a perfect 13-13 from the line for 41 points in an awesome display. We played him straight up, and he was too good for that, but we didn't let anyone else score - no other Maryland player was in double figures (Tony Massenburg was their next highest scorer with 8). Duke won that game 80-68, but we were treated to an amazing individual performance by a great player.

The game earlier this season against Rhode Island was similar in that regard, with Jimmy Baron going off while Duke pulled out a win.

I'd prefer another game like the one in '86 though, because I was never nervous about Duke winning that one - Duke led 49-31 at halftime (http://www.sportsstats.com/bball/boxlines/DUKE/1986) and was a great team. Damn, I'm old.

mgtr
01-06-2009, 10:54 PM
Damn, I'm old.


I am also old (I went to high school with Don Nelson). Please remember that old age is better than the alternative!

roywhite
01-06-2009, 11:13 PM
I hear the Davidson radio dumbass, John Kilgo, say "Sheyer guarding Curry, HE CAN'T GUARD HIM!!" Screeching like some hyena on crack. I've heard the same sentiments expressed today on NC sports radio.

Ah, "Killer" Kilgo. I remember him back from his Tarheel broadcasting days when he did ElDeano's TV show. His affection for Dean bordered on worship.

I don't think Kilgo will enjoy this trip to Cameron.

Be4America
01-06-2009, 11:19 PM
Davidson is a very well coached but a different team from last year. Richards the PG and Sander (6'8") were extremely good defensive players and between them averaged 20+ points with greater than 50% shooting. The key was crunch time. They were able to shut down another offense while Curry lobbed in several 3's. Sadler (6'8") and Lovedale (6'8") were strong enough to hold their own defensively against anyone. Richards and Sander graduated. So what has changed this year. This year there is simply no replacement for either Richards or Sander. Curry has actually improved and gotten a lot better. He plays much better defense. He is a much more complete all around player. He is still developing as a playmaker. Lovedale has also improved, but the two of them are not going to take on and defeat Duke. This team, today, is not as good as last years team that made it to the final 8, but they may be by the time the southern conference schedule completes. What is key for McKillop, the coach, is to help them develop as a team. When you look at Duke, they operate as a finely crafted machine. Davidson was like that at the end of last year. Curry has been carrying them thus far but the rest of the team is going to have to improve, particularly on defense, if they are going to upset Pittsburgh in round 2, thus paving the way for a Duke National Championship. Curry is like the Bismark in WWII with the entire British Navy after it. Its hard for anyone to hit when you have 3 or 4, 6'6" players with their hand in you face every time you take a shot. It is remarkable that he has been able to hold up to much greater pleasure this year. If he was playing for Duke he would be averaging 45 points a game. He is also an unselfish player and would be happy to score no points if it would help his team mates win.

FireOgilvie
01-07-2009, 12:08 AM
My prediction: Duke by 20... 83-63. Curry goes for 22 and shoots under 40 percent for the game.

Davidson isn't the team they were last year. They are the type of team that Duke consistently beats... small and unathletic. Davidson reminds me of a worse Purdue team plus one really talented guy (Curry).

Scorp4me
01-07-2009, 01:37 AM
I believe Scheyer usually gets the other teams best offensive threat.

I read that Henderson wants a shot at him.

Smith will probably end up on him due to position I suppose.

I personally would love to see McClure on him for extended periods of time.

That being said I'm ok with any of them guarding him and even happier with all of them guarding him. He may not be the whole team, but he's definately the motor that drives them.

mgtr
01-07-2009, 06:54 AM
I definitely believe that we will win, but I don't see us shutting down Curry. However, as other have pointed out, Davidson is not the team they were at the end of last year. If they were, it would be a great game, and worrisome. As it is, I say Duke wins by 15+.

Indoor66
01-07-2009, 09:42 AM
I believe Scheyer usually gets the other teams best offensive threat.

I read that Henderson wants a shot at him.

Smith will probably end up on him due to position I suppose.

I personally would love to see McClure on him for extended periods of time.

That being said I'm ok with any of them guarding him and even happier with all of them guarding him. He may not be the whole team, but he's definately the motor that drives them.

I think you will see allof the above during the course of the game. K often switches players guarding opposing scorers. It alters the game for the scorer.

I will again say, Duke by 18.

elvis14
01-07-2009, 10:23 AM
Again, I'm making no claims as to who will win, or whatnot. But please, realize that the only way Duke wins by 15 points is if we have another Purdue game.

Note that we beat Purdue like a drum. And no, we don't need Curry to go cold to win by 15. We are deep talented team that is playing good defense and Davidson just doesn't match up very well with Duke this year. First, as others have mentioned we switch on screens and have 4-5 guys that will be trying to make sure that Curry has to work for his points. The other thing that people that haven't been watching Duke games this year don't realize is the impact of a healthy and confident Brian Zoubek. Brian has been very effective and even at times nearly-dominant especially against teams that don't have much size. Jon is a great defender and Kyle is just a nightmare of a match up. Add in the fact that Duke is playing really well right now and we just have so many guys that can make plays on both ends of the floor and you have a recipe for a 15+ point win even without Curry having a terrible night like he did vs Purdue. I envision a good hard fought game, where Duke pulls away on the scoreboard steadily. Not a blow out where we we get a big lead and coast to 15 point win.

calltheobvious
01-07-2009, 10:50 AM
Nolan will probably be the primary check on Curry since he's Davidson's point guard this season. Jason Richards graduated and he was a very good player for them so Davidson is probably not as good this year.

Side note. ESPN's announcing team for this game will be their NBA guys -- Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson. It'll be interesting to hear what they have to say about Duke's players and Curry WRT their prospects for the Association. Van Gundy, in particular, is a pretty sharp analyst and should call a good game.

I know where you're coming from, but for me this is no side note. I'm looking forward to A) learning something about basketball from Van Gundy and Jackson, and B) reading the critics' reviews of Vitale after he sends NBA fans from coast to coast scrambling for their mute buttons. I have yet to hear a convincing rebuttal to the claim that using really smart commentators who stay on-topic would do just as much to increase the popularity of college basketball as trotting out a vacuous, cheerleading cartoon character.

hurleyfor3
01-07-2009, 10:56 AM
Pomeroy shows Duke with a 17 point win. Sounds about right. Davidson had trouble with a middling College of Charleston squad last game.

Those of us familiar with Duke's history of blown 17-point leads think this is a BAD thing :eek:

Anyone else looking forward to the "announcer switch" espn is pulling for this game? We're getting their nba announcers, Tirico and company. How much will they mention trying to stick three guys up in the chicken coop?

jacone21
01-07-2009, 12:06 PM
...
Anyone else looking forward to the "announcer switch" espn is pulling for this game? We're getting their nba announcers, Tirico and company. How much will they mention trying to stick three guys up in the chicken coop?

During the broadcast a few days ago, Elmore was talking about how unhappy those guys would be stuffed up there in the rafters. I think I heard a bit of pleasure in his voice at knowing the NBA guys would be up there.

I just hope we get to see the game from a decent camera angle.


As for the game... it sounds trite, but I think Duke just needs to play their game. Davidson doesn't have the defensive prowess required to force Duke out of the things Duke wants to do. The Devils just need to be patient and run their sets.

On the other side of the ball, I think Davidson will be knocked back a bit by the defensive intensity they will face early. Curry will have his point skills put to the test, as he faces intense pressure. Duke routinely forces guys to start their offense 30 feet from the basket. If they can get by the Duke defenders, it can open up some opportunities, but I think Davidson will struggle offensively at time. Curry can make bad shots look good, but if he has a weakness, it's his shot selection. If you can force 90% of his shots to be tough ones, you can neutralize him.

That pressure defense, combined with Duke being able to execute offensively, should result in a win for the Devils. 87-68 Duke.

Classof06
01-07-2009, 12:53 PM
I expect Duke to win comfortably. People see Curry and automatically assume Davidson is as good as they were last year and that's just not the case. And even as good as they were last year, we beat them. Davidson's still a solid team but the graduation of Jason Richards is a huge loss that never really gets talked about.

Curry had 20 against us last year and if Duke plays the kind of D that we're capable of, I really don't envision him getting much more than 20 tonight, either. Keep a fresh body on him and I think we'll be alright.

I see why this game has been hyped up a little bit, but I think Duke wins without having to break a legitimate sweat.


As far as the commentators go, I'm VERY excited to hear Van Gundy and Mark Jackson's comments on Duke's players and hopefully they might talk about how some of our guys translate to the NBA. I'm really glad ESPN picked our game to be called by the NBA guys.

devilirium
01-07-2009, 01:43 PM
I know where you're coming from, but for me this is no side note. I'm looking forward to A) learning something about basketball from Van Gundy and Jackson, and B) reading the critics' reviews of Vitale after he sends NBA fans from coast to coast scrambling for their mute buttons. I have yet to hear a convincing rebuttal to the claim that using really smart commentators who stay on-topic would do just as much to increase the popularity of college basketball as trotting out a vacuous, cheerleading cartoon character.

Bingo, I'm not exactly sure why DBR questioned Vitale not being at Cameron to begin with? His stints at Cameron have been reduced (thankfully) by quite a bit over the years. Nice man, but he is ADD (and I have it too) gone amuck with every broadcast. He would be better suited raising money for Jimmy V.

bird
01-07-2009, 02:01 PM
Those of us familiar with Duke's history of blown 17-point leads think this is a BAD thing :eek:



In our family, we have specific 17 point rules. If Duke takes an 18 or larger point lead in the second half, OR never lands exactly on 17 points, we are allowed to relax and not mention the incipient problem. But if Duke lands exactly on 17 points, and the lead begins to narrow, in either half, we are required to collectively freak out.

Troublemaker
01-07-2009, 02:02 PM
I know where you're coming from, but for me this is no side note. I'm looking forward to A) learning something about basketball from Van Gundy and Jackson, and B) reading the critics' reviews of Vitale after he sends NBA fans from coast to coast scrambling for their mute buttons. I have yet to hear a convincing rebuttal to the claim that using really smart commentators who stay on-topic would do just as much to increase the popularity of college basketball as trotting out a vacuous, cheerleading cartoon character.

That's true, I did not emphasize enough that it will be utterly refreshing to both avoid Vitale and hear good basketball analysis on the game tonight. I agree completely.

As for the game, how we defend Davidson's screen and rolls will be as important as how we defend Curry. Last year, they really killed us by slipping the screen and rolling to the basket for easy buckets.

hurleyfor3
01-07-2009, 02:07 PM
In our family, we have specific 17 point rules. If Duke takes an 18 or larger point lead in the second half, OR never lands exactly on 17 points, we are allowed to relax and not mention the incipient problem. But if Duke lands exactly on 17 points, and the lead begins to narrow, in either half, we are required to collectively freak out.

That's the way it works in chat, too.

roywhite
01-07-2009, 03:42 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3814154

Lots of attention on the perspective of Tirico, Mark Jackson, and Van Gundy covering the game. Sounds like they are excited for the opportunity:

FTA:Jackson on Duke-Davidson

I'm so excited to have the opportunity to cover a college game this week and especially a big game like Duke-Davidson. I'm a huge college basketball fan....

mapei
01-07-2009, 05:15 PM
I like Mike Breen, too. I don't follow the NBA much but his sportscasts for WFAN were frequently hilarious.

jacone21
01-07-2009, 05:37 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3814154

Lots of attention on the perspective of Tirico, Mark Jackson, and Van Gundy covering the game. Sounds like they are excited for the opportunity:

FTA:Jackson on Duke-Davidson

I'm so excited to have the opportunity to cover a college game this week and especially a big game like Duke-Davidson. I'm a huge college basketball fan....

They're probably just happy to not have to hear the Addams Family theme over the loudspeakers for the 20348723923497th time. :D Rock Lobster is going to be sooooo much better than that!