MBB: Duke 79, Virginia 54 Post-Game Thread [Archive]

Jumbo

02-01-2009, 04:15 PM

Obviously, this probably was as easy a game as we had left on the schedule. Still, a 25-point win is impressive. This game never was in doubt.

Things I loved:
-Starting Lance. None of us really knows whether it was an attempt to jump-start him or there was some other motivation. I'm going to assume K had that in mind, though. That's a smart approach and it worked. We need him.
-Transition baskets. If this team is going to win a title, it needs to turn its great defense into a few easy baskets. Today, we forced a ton of turnovers and got run-outs off them, but we also looked to push the ball off rebounds. I was really happy about that.
-Nolan Smith looking aggressive on offense. I mentioned this in the in-game thread, but this team doesn't need him to be a pure point guard. If we're running a motion offense, everyone is a playmaker. But we need Nolan to look to score when he gets the ball -- to be a threat. He adds a different dimension to the offense, and if he's clicking along with Singler, Henderson and Scheyer, that changes things.
-Steve Johnson!

Things I Liked:
-Zoubek looked much more comfortable and aggressive. Granted, he wasn't facing anyone his size, which continues a recent pattern. But he moved well defensively, held his ground on the boards and didn't turn it over on offense. I really loved the hook shot in the lane, too. That's a shot that can't be defended, and I wish he'd go to it more often.
-Scheyer knocking down three threes. He was wide open, he took is time, and he knocked them down. He still doesn't look like himself, though. Earlier in the season, he was hitting contested shots. More importantly, he looked MUCH better off the dribble. He really had a knack for breaking down his man off the dribble and getting to the rim, either for the basket or the foul. He's not doing that as much lately. Part of it might be Henderson's emergence -- we're running more through G, so there's less room for Jon to operate. But he also looks less comfortable with his handle. If his jumper is off, and his handle is a little off, maybe he's hurt? Then again, his D is great and he's still rebounding and passing well. So, who knows? He has to be a big part of the offense, either way. Hopefully the threes are the start of the road back for him.
-Plumlee looking poised when he came in. It doesn't bother me that he didn't play in the first half -- we needed to get Lance going and continue to show faith in Zoubek. Miles can grow as much through practice as games. Plus, we need him situationally, and UVA isn't the type of team where his size/athleticism is necessary. But when he came in, he made very few mistakes, he finished well and he looked like he really belonged there. That's good -- keep that confidence up.

Things that Concerned me:
-Elliot Williams is playing out of control. I mentioned this in the thread dedicated to him. I'm assuming Marty is hurt, since we didn't see him. But I don't think anyone can say E-Will isn't getting a chance. He's just not producing at a level where he should be a regular part of the rotation right now.
-Paulus jacked up too many quick shots. I know he's trying to find his jumper, but he still needs to play smart and under control.

Great win, on to Clemson!

tbyers11

02-01-2009, 04:16 PM

I had no TV coverage today so I listened to the game on the radio. Another excellent defensive effort by the Blue Devils holding Virginia to 54 points. The Cavaliers had 18 first half turnovers and at one point Bob Harris reported Duke had outscored Virginia 25-0 off of turnovers. This is a really good defensive team.

It was a very good defensive performance all game. But the half court trapping pressure to start the game worked really well against UVa. Forced them into a lot of turnovers and made them play way too fast. It was a great coaching move and the game for all intents and purposes was over with 10 minutes left in the first half.

BlueintheFace

02-01-2009, 04:18 PM

everyone got some playing time.

G was on fire in the first half, but kind of checked out mentally in the second half.

Scheyer was hitting those threes again. Please let it continue...

Nolan stood out the most to me as he penetrated and found creases in the lane which led to good things.

Z played really good D.

Paulus had trouble shooting, but K obviously told him to just keep going and going, and he started hitting them eventually.

Remember when every Henderson drive was an offensive foul, out of bounds on the base line, or acrobatic shot? That is E-will right now. When he learns to slow down a bit in his head and on the floor, he will be able to see the angles and open men on the drive. It'll come, but I'm not so sure the light will go on this season. He has all the tools though.

Time for another good test.

mike88

02-01-2009, 04:21 PM

Obviously, this probably was as easy a game as we had left on the schedule. Still, a 25-point win is impressive. This game never was in doubt.

Things I loved:
-Starting Lance. None of us really knows whether it was an attempt to jump-start him or there was some other motivation. I'm going to assume K had that in mind, though. That's a smart approach and it worked. We need him.
-Transition baskets. If this team is going to win a title, it needs to turn its great defense into a few easy baskets. Today, we forced a ton of turnovers and got run-outs off them, but we also looked to push the ball off rebounds. I was really happy about that.
-Nolan Smith looking aggressive on offense. I mentioned this in the in-game thread, but this team doesn't need him to be a pure point guard. If we're running a motion offense, everyone is a playmaker. But we need Nolan to look to score when he gets the ball -- to be a threat. He adds a different dimension to the offense, and if he's clicking along with Singler, Henderson and Scheyer, that changes things.
-Steve Johnson!

Things I Liked:
-Zoubek looked much more comfortable and aggressive. Granted, he wasn't facing anyone his size, which continues a recent pattern. But he moved well defensively, held his ground on the boards and didn't turn it over on offense. I really loved the hook shot in the lane, too. That's a shot that can't be defended, and I wish he'd go to it more often.
-Scheyer knocking down three threes. He was wide open, he took is time, and he knocked them down. He still doesn't look like himself, though. Earlier in the season, he was hitting contested shots. More importantly, he looked MUCH better off the dribble. He really had a knack for breaking down his man off the dribble and getting to the rim, either for the basket or the foul. He's not doing that as much lately. Part of it might be Henderson's emergence -- we're running more through G, so there's less room for Jon to operate. But he also looks less comfortable with his handle. If his jumper is off, and his handle is a little off, maybe he's hurt? Then again, his D is great and he's still rebounding and passing well. So, who knows? He has to be a big part of the offense, either way. Hopefully the threes are start of the road back for him.
-Plumlee looking poised when he came in. It doesn't bother me that he didn't play in the first half -- we needed to get Lance going and continue to show faith in Zoubek. Miles can grow as much through practice as games. Plus, we need him situationally, and UVA isn't the type of team where his size/athleticism is necessary. But when he came in, he made very few mistakes, he finished well and he looked like he really belonged there. That's good -- keep that confidence up.

Things that Concerned me:
-Elliot Williams is playing out of control. I mentioned this in the thread dedicated to him. I'm assuming Marty is hurt, since we didn't see him. But I don't think anyone can say E-Will isn't getting a chance. He's just not producing at a level where he should be a regular part of the rotation right now.
-Paulus jacked up too many quick shots. I know he's trying to find his jumper, but he still needs to play smart and under control.

Great win, on to Clemson!

that's a great summary, Jumbo, but I think at least part of Zoubek's good play came against Virginia's 7ft. freshman. I made a note to myself at the game that it was good to see him play well in a scenario where he didn't have a 6 inch height advantage.

chrisheery

02-01-2009, 04:23 PM

_Gary

02-01-2009, 04:24 PM

G was on fire in the first half, but kind of checked out mentally in the second half.

Maybe it was just me, but I was a tad concerned that Gerald might have pulled a hamstring or twisted something in his thigh early in the second half when he drove the baseline and then kicked the ball out to, I believe, Jon for a three. He landed very awkwardly and I thought he pulled something. He kinda jogged it off eventually but he never looked as explosive after that. Maybe it was just a function of us having a big lead. But the play worried me and I'm still not sure he didn't tweak something just a tad on that landing.

BTW, as much as it pains me to say so, I have to agree with Jumbo's summary point for point this time. ;)

Gary

superdave

02-01-2009, 04:27 PM

I agree with everything Jumbo said.

This team is still identifying roles and trying to figure out what works well, what doesnt, what works in certain situations (like the pre-halftime timeout plays that K sets up), and who can make the leap (Gerald). If they start to gell in March and get hot, then watch out!

Also, look at the minutes guys are now playing - 25-26. It's good to blow teams out and play the bench a lot!

Bob Green

02-01-2009, 04:30 PM

I'm assuming Marty is hurt, since we didn't see him.

I've heard that Marty hurt his hand and is unavailable.

Lord Ash

02-01-2009, 04:32 PM

Good game, nice to see Nolan more aggressive, and liked seeing Plumlee in. Gerald looked great, as has been the case recently, although he does get distracted a touch when he thinks he is fouled and nothing is called... hasn't bitten him yet, but... nice to see him really get back to the mid-range jumper, which is just that essential last piece of the puzzle... when you can shoot the 3, drive all the way, OR pull up and elevate over ANYONE to shoot, you are unstoppable. Oh, and the G-Man is a funny guy!

Anyway... see my sig for more thoughts.

grossbus

02-01-2009, 04:32 PM

"I'm assuming Marty is hurt"

well, that would sure be a downer.

diesel

02-01-2009, 04:36 PM

I'm wondering how much Greg is still hampered by his injury. I noticed he still had finger stalls today and he has been playing with that blue sleeve on his arm.

I was only able to watch the second half today--courtesy of Comcast--so I had resigned myself to seeing the bench play a lot against a weaker opponent. But I was impressed with Brian Zoubek's blocks and hook shot and it was good to see Email and Plumlee contributing.

On the other side, that kid Landesberg is the real deal.

Got_Duke

02-01-2009, 04:40 PM

I didn't get a chance to watch anything but ESPN's gamecast. Did Singler get hurt or did Coach K just rest him up? If he wasn't injured, he seemed to be MIA against a lower than average UVA team.

duke74

02-01-2009, 04:44 PM

That kid for Virginia is a real player. How do these guys sneak under the radar like this? He is so poised and just makes smart plays. He's like a 30 year old at the YMCA playing against teenagers. He doesn't do it with pure athleticism (though he is a good athlete). He does it with smarts and decision making.

I may be wrong, but I thought he was well-recruited last year out of Holy Cross High School here in Queens, NY. Pretty highly ranked as well.

chrisheery

02-01-2009, 04:48 PM

I may be wrong, but I thought he was well-recruited last year out of Holy Cross High School here in Queens, NY. Pretty highly ranked as well.

That is probably true. I am not the keenest with regard to recruits around the country that Duke is not interested in. I just figured he couldn't have been highly recruited if he ended up at Virginia. Sorry, that's messed up.

tbyers11

02-01-2009, 04:53 PM

I didn't get a chance to watch anything but ESPN's gamecast. Did Singler get hurt or did Coach K just rest him up? If he wasn't injured, he seemed to be MIA against a lower than average UVA team.

Kyle got his second foul fairly early in the 1st half and sat a few extra minutes there. He also didn't shoot much in the first half b/c G was hot early and we got a lot of our offense off the fast break.

In the 2nd half, he and the other big 3 sat quite a bit the last 10 minutes b/c it was a blowout. Overall, he didn't shoot much but he didn't need to.

JDev

02-01-2009, 05:05 PM

Oh, and the G-Man is a funny guy!

Agreed. I love it when Duke has G-Man calling their games (typically on the FSN Sunday Night games). It was great when he discussed G chasing his Super Bowl Sunday scoring record. He does a terrific job, and the Duke connection is great because he doesn't harp on it, but he has no problem discussing it and using it in his color commentary.
As far as the game, Nolan's solid play was the high point. After his admitted mental breakdown against Wake, and a reasonably bad game overall, he bounced back quite nicely and exemplified "next play." As many people have discussed, when he and Jon get going offensively, Duke goes from good to great.

delfrio

02-01-2009, 05:08 PM

I don't mind Kyle not being aggressive as possible in this game. It wasn't necessary. He still rebounded with force when necessary, but he didn't force much which was good to see.

Is it just me, or does Dave Leitao win the "biggest shoulder pads in history" award?

JDev

02-01-2009, 05:11 PM

That is probably true. I am not the keenest with regard to recruits around the country that Duke is not interested in. I just figured he couldn't have been highly recruited if he ended up at Virginia. Sorry, that's messed up.

Haha, that's rough on UVA, but I hear ya. Landesburg was highly regarded, top 20 recruit. He was #19 on ESPNU's top 100 of '08 (one spot behind #18 Elliot Williams, for whatever that is worth, and one spot ahead of Duke recruit and Georgetown commit Greg Monroe).

MChambers

02-01-2009, 05:13 PM

I'm assuming Marty is hurt, since we didn't see him.
I read somewhere that Marty cut a finger on Tuesday, so that's why he didn't dress Wednesday. Sounds like he could return very soon.

Sixthman

02-01-2009, 05:26 PM

Marty dressed today, but was clearly unavailable. There was speculation at Cameron, some appearing to be informed, that Kyle was under the weather today. I wonder if the decision to start Lance was in part to have someone in who could give Kyle some more help on defense. i think EW had his best game defensively today. He got lost at least once, but at most twice. Given how much PT he had, this is a huge step forward. I think the amount of concentration he is giving to defense is taking away from his potential as a scorer and rebounder, but better defense is what he needs to get PT in more challenging games. His offense was much better. In even recent games, I have seen other players directing him as to where to go in an offensive set. None of that today. He was in the right place at the right time. He may have been a little timid -- afraid to make a mistake that might get him pulled -- but still a big step forward. I also share everyone's aspirations for Plumlee, but believe his defensive mistakes have been generally understated on these boards. Sometimes he loses the ball and misses his help responsibilities. Like many freshman big men, he makes some unhelpful fouls. With the ball, he sometimes seems smooth and confident and sometimes overwhelmed. I think this is a function of the quality of the competition.

Jumbo

02-01-2009, 05:51 PM

An interesting comment (http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=3659596)from Coach K: "We got a few guys with some bumps and bruises – we played well but we have to get a little bit healthier before going down to Clemson."

DukeCO2009

02-01-2009, 06:09 PM

The Good:
1. Nolan was much more aggressive today than he was against Wake. He took it to the hoop a lot and wasn't afraid to shoot when left open. Great game on his part.
2. Henderson continues to play outstanding basketball. I agree that he may have mentally checked out in the second half, but given the nature of today's game that's OK.
3. Nice game for Scheyer to get back on track. The quality of his shots were, for the most part, much better than they have been the past few weeks. His presence on the glass was also great.
4. Loved Lance's play. That move where he pumped the guy on the elbow, drove, and threw one down over a UVa player was nasty. IMO, the ability to put the ball on the floor and face up makes Lance the starter over Zoubek for now.
5. Plumlee and EWill both got good minutes. Miles was steady, and really looked comfortable out there for the most part. I love how aggressive he is going to the rim. EWill looked a little erratic at times, but you can just tell that he's a special talent. FWIW, his 3-point woes seem to be a moot point when he's on the move/stepping back. Perhaps he would benefit from having a few screens set for him instead of getting set shots? Just a thought.

The Not-So-Good
1. We shot too quickly on a lot of possessions. The shots were open, yes, but often times we didn't have anyone in position under the glass.
2. Zoubek continues to play shorter than he is. While I loved seeing that hook shot, he needs to grab more than 3 boards in 14 minutes.
3. Singler looked out of synch, both on the glass and from the field. I think he was due for an off-day, though, so I'm not worried.

juise

02-01-2009, 06:18 PM

Haha, that's rough on UVA, but I hear ya. Landesburg was highly regarded, top 20 recruit. He was #19 on ESPNU's top 100 of '08 (one spot behind #18 Elliot Williams, for whatever that is worth, and one spot ahead of Duke recruit and Georgetown commit Greg Monroe).

ESPN's ranking are always a little wacky. RSCI (http://www.rscihoops.com/) is a good resource since they average out rankings. Their final rankings index shows Monroe as #6 (was #1 in the fall), Williams at #15 and Landesberg at #33. So while Landesburg was definitely not off the radar, he has outperformed many of the players who were rated above him.

Anyway, I was glad to see the Devils come out with their foot on the gas pedal today. Duke's advantage was clearly when Virginia had the ball and we exploited it well. I was also glad to see the offense play well. Nolan's aggressiveness is definitely a key for continued success.

ChicagoCrazy84

02-01-2009, 06:37 PM

I am going to sound like everyone else here, but the best thing I saw today was Nolan Smith. You know what you're going to get from G every game, he's that good. Nolan was the key for me today. He had a rough night against Wake and I am sure that Coach K wanted him to be aggressive today. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Nolan is too darn athletic and talented to end up like another Sean Dockery.
I have heard people saying EMail looks a little erratic. This is true, but it's good he gets to learn behind G and Scheyer. As long as the guy get minutes and uses his long arms to disrupt opposing guards, I am happy. I think the kid just needs to take a deep breath and relax. One of the things I see with him, and my HS team heard this a lot from our coach, "Penetrate with a purpose. Don't just drive for the sake of it and to show off you can break your man down." You have to have a purpose, either to pull up, kick it out, or draw contact. These are the things he has to learn to do when he gets in the lane. I am pretty confident it will come.
I liked the idea of starting Lance. If anybody has seen my posts, you know I am not a fan of Zoubek. He (Lance) looked a little more bouncy out there and I love the way he can disrupt guard play out at the perimeter. Also, does anyone notice how Plumlee is so much stronger and fearless? This guy can finish and with some more time, he will develop into a nice inside player. Zoubek does not have the strength or the athleticism to finish at the rim that Plumlee does. I like the future of this kid!

Great game overall, I think we'll beat Clemson!

Ian

02-01-2009, 06:50 PM

Landesburg looked good, but he reminds me a lot of another Virginia player from the recent past, Chris Williams, who was ACC freshmen of the year in 99.

He's very skilled, but not athletic enough to have a high ceiling. He'll be a very good player for the next few years, but he doesn't have the high potential that some of the players ranked ahead of him has.

DU82

02-01-2009, 07:18 PM

Maybe it was just me, but I was a tad concerned that Gerald might have pulled a hamstring or twisted something in his thigh early in the second half when he drove the baseline and then kicked the ball out to, I believe, Jon for a three. He landed very awkwardly and I thought he pulled something. He kinda jogged it off eventually but he never looked as explosive after that. Maybe it was just a function of us having a big lead. But the play worried me and I'm still not sure he didn't tweak something just a tad on that landing.

It appeared that Gerald had the flu or something. Early in the second half, when he came out at a media timeout, he went down and sat on the bench during the timeout (the players not in the game at the time usually stand around.) He also put his warmup jacket on during that time, which I don't normally see him do. I don't think this was related to his clock getting cleaned early in the game by Scott's elbow.

I've noticed that he does stretches before the second half, and once or twice during games recently. That might be an indication of a slight pulled hamstring. Too bad he's hurt and isn't playing that well. :-)

Lord Ash

02-01-2009, 07:34 PM

Anyone else notice when that UVa player got a cramp and walked to his bench, they cut to a shot of him walking down to the bench and down the length of it, and not one guy seemed to care at all that the guy was in pain? I mean, I know cramps aren't a big deal, but when a teammate got one, I still gave them a sympathetic pat or something. Anyway, thought it was a great camera angle on the moment.

MonitorMom

02-01-2009, 07:45 PM

was running faster than he was. He kept wiping it and he had the red and chapped look of major cold and flu season. And he's not even sleeping in a tent. Hes a tough guy . I'm sure he'll fight off any bug he has as long as he doesn't celebrate with Steve tonight! Happy Birthday!

jimsumner

02-01-2009, 07:52 PM

Pocius cut his finger and had to have stitches.

Henderson and Smith tweaked their lower backs in practice Friday. That practice was devoted to defense and reportedly was an intense practice. Henderson had some trouble staying loose today. That accounts for the gingerly-walking we saw on occasion.

RE: Zoubek. Virginia has as much size as anybody in the ACC. Quality size? Different question but BZ was playing against some big bodies. And yes, the PA announcer did introduce his as Greg Zoubek the first time he came in.

I also heard that Singler might be under the weather a tad but was unable to confirm.

devildeac

02-01-2009, 08:31 PM

I've heard that Marty hurt his hand and is unavailable.

Forgive me if I'm late, but Marty did have a finger (or two) taped so it is a hand injury but don't know to what extent/degree.

Saratoga2

02-01-2009, 08:33 PM

We got very few free throws today as Virginia was back in a zone. We did however get 9 threes and more than 20 points off of turnovers.

I too liked what I saw from Nolan today. Much more aggressive on offense and the team just plays much better with him in the game.

Both Lance and Brian had flashes of good play. After the past few games that was improvement. That Plumlee also got quality minutes was fortunate. He has both the size and the athleticism to be a force inside.

E-Will also looked good at times, even though somewhat erratic. He was looking to slash, but it wasn't there against the zone so he didn't waste possessions trying that. He is a special talent and it is great to see his development going forward.

Good game and we look forward to a much tougher game wiith lots of pressure at Clemson.

captmojo

02-01-2009, 08:45 PM

jv001 came up with a great prediction and deserves props for claiming 75-58.

Pretty darn close, folks. Good job jv.

Lord Ash

02-01-2009, 08:59 PM

Forgive me if I'm late, but Marty did have a finger (or two) taped so it is a hand injury but don't know to what extent/degree.

Look up one post from your own.

;)

devildeac

02-01-2009, 09:06 PM

Look up one post from your own.

;)

Saw it after I entered mine:o. I usually read the posts sequentially and reply in that order. Guess I could read the whole thread and then selectively reply to the posts.

Lord Ash

02-01-2009, 09:13 PM

*laugh* I do it ALL THE TIME. And the 20 minute window of editing usually is not enough for me to catch my mistake:D

DukeDevilDeb

02-01-2009, 09:29 PM

Marty cut his ring finger last week just before the Wake game... It required stitches but should be only a short-term problem.

I have Kyle in class and, on Thursday, he was coughing and sneezing (and probably giving me a cold!). There is so much stuff going around now, it would be a miracle if no players got colds. I think a couple of days, and he'll be better.

This is the time of year when colds and flu and bronchitis and whatever can really wreak havoc with the lineup. I hope Kyle drinks plenty of OJ to get vitamin C, and I hope he doesn't give his cold to the rest of the team.

What a good game!

AndI know we've had comments about this, but man is this year's Devil sensational!!!! I would almost pay $40 just to see him! He is animated and alert, exceptionally athletic (some of his back flips are awesome) and a great surfer! He also pays attention to the game (something some of the other Devils have sometimes neglected to do!).

I'd like to write to the person in charge of the Devil and offer my congrats. Anyone know who that is?

jv001

02-01-2009, 09:38 PM

We came out really focused on playing great defense and we accomplished that goal. It was good to see Jon shoot well. However I have to agree with Jumbo he still does not look 100%. I really have to be he has a minor injury we don't know of. Still too valuable to take out of the lineup. I was surprised that Lance started, but I think maybe Coach K did this to give him some confidence. I think it worked. Zoubs did ok in 14 mins, 4 points, 3 rebs, 0 TOs, 1 block and 1 steal. I really like that hook shot. No way he gets that blocked. Please use it more. Henderson was his usual self, especially in the first half. Looked like he never got loose in the 2nd half. Nolan really came back strong from the Wake game. We need him to play this way. Kyle looked like he had a bug. Not himself. Plumlee played ok and continues to look more comfortable on the court. Was a good all around game and now on to Clemson. Go Duke!

COYS

02-01-2009, 11:14 PM

Obviously, this probably was as easy a game as we had left on the schedule. Still, a 25-point win is impressive. This game never was in doubt.

Things I loved:

-Nolan Smith looking aggressive on offense. I mentioned this in the in-game thread, but this team doesn't need him to be a pure point guard. If we're running a motion offense, everyone is a playmaker. But we need Nolan to look to score when he gets the ball -- to be a threat. He adds a different dimension to the offense, and if he's clicking along with Singler, Henderson and Scheyer, that changes things.

Jumbo, I'm glad you brought up this point. I have often thought that Nolan seems to try too hard to be distributor and in the process has lost some of his instincts as a scorer. Today he looked for ways to score and his step back jumper, while not Henderson-pretty, was extremely effective. I hope we see a little bit more of it. His defense has been stellar all year, but if he can find a bigger role as a scorer in the offense, it will make us all the more dangerous.

Devil in the Blue Dress

02-01-2009, 11:21 PM

It appeared that ALL the Plumlees were in the house for this game. Mason was spending some time with the coaches as was another recruit.... John Wall?

_Gary

02-02-2009, 12:09 AM

At least I know now that I'm not crazy. I'm positive that Gerald tweaked (or re-tweaked) his lower back after he made that baseline drive where he got caught up in the air behind the backboard and had to scramble (in mid-air) to find an open shooter on the wing (Jon). It took place shortly before the first TV time out in the 2nd half. He just came down with his legs spread apart a bit more than usual and his back kinda bent strangely to one side. It was immediately after this that he slowed down considerably and never really regained the strong athleticism that he dominated with in the first half. Hopefully it's something that some ice and heat can take care of over the next few days. One thing's for sure: This team needs him at full athletic strength!

Gary

norduck

02-02-2009, 12:35 AM

VAGentleman05

02-02-2009, 09:06 AM

That is probably true. I am not the keenest with regard to recruits around the country that Duke is not interested in. I just figured he couldn't have been highly recruited if he ended up at Virginia. Sorry, that's messed up.

We do compete every once in a while, you know. We were in the running late with Eliot Williams, Ed David and Patrick Patterson, among others. And that Singletary kid was pretty good.

FWIW, the game went exactly as I expected. My goal was to look better than Maryland did in Cameron, and we achieved that. Now on to a victory in Chapel Hell on Saturday!

davekay1971

02-02-2009, 09:08 AM

Great game all the way around. The first half was a thing of beauty - absolutely dominating defensive play at one end, and Henderson in all-world mode at the other. It was nice to see us crush an ACC opponent, even with Singler having an off game.

VAGentleman05

02-02-2009, 09:16 AM

RE: Zoubek. Virginia has as much size as anybody in the ACC. Quality size? Different question but BZ was playing against some big bodies. And yes, the PA announcer did introduce his as Greg Zoubek the first time he came in.

On paper, that might be right. But Assane Sene (a true freshman from Senegal who is talented but VERY raw) is the only guy with any size who gets minutes. Zoubek pretty much had his way with him, as I would've expected.

As a side note, one thing that I was really impressed with was when Mike Scott started cramping up while Duke had the ball, Coach K got the ref's attention and had him stop the game. I know it wasn't really a competitive game at that point where losing an advantage like that would matter, but I still thought it was a classy move.

I was less impressed with the guy in the Duke grad student section who was bashing the UVA coaches as "classless" for wearing sneakers to the game and then got really quiet after your guys came out in the same. You've got to know your stuff if you're going to hate on the other team, IMO.

Madrasdukie

02-02-2009, 11:20 AM

Maybe someone has already mentioned this but I wasn't sure.

The Hearld Sun article that is linked to in the DBR article about yesterday's game mentions a few injuries(minor presumably)-

Gerald and Nolan have some back problems.

Kyle is coming off some illness.

Here's the link:

http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/sports/18-1086424.cfm?

throatybeard

02-02-2009, 01:19 PM

Is it just me, or does Dave Leitao win the "biggest shoulder pads in history" award?

There's still a special place for Kelly McGillis

http://edubuzz.org/blogs/mothersoup/files/2008/04/top_gun_instructor_kelly_mc_gillis.jpg

Kedsy

02-02-2009, 01:31 PM

Now on to a victory in Chapel Hell on Saturday!

We're all rooting for you.

VAGentleman05

02-02-2009, 01:36 PM

We're all rooting for you.

Haha...thanks! I actually think we match up a little better with them, because they don't play anything close to the kind of stifling defense that Duke does. If they have an off day shooting the ball (and don't get every call), we might just be able to hang around for a while.

devildeac

02-02-2009, 02:53 PM

Haha...thanks! I actually think we match up a little better with them, because they don't play anything close to the kind of stifling defense that Duke does. If they have an off day shooting the ball (and don't get every call), we might just be able to hang around for a while.

unc?

not get every call?

at home?

surely you jest;):o

78Devil

02-02-2009, 04:26 PM

I was at the game Sunday, and have to say that television does not do justice to the reality of how smothering our defense is as watching live and getting to see the whole court.

I would also say that, other than Gerald's 1st half spurt (it was awesome) and some good play from Nolan Smith, I was not that all that happy with our offense. Part of that may just be the zone. Does anyone know our 3 point shooting percentage? It seemed like we missed alot of them, but then got lucky on rebounds, but that may just have been my anxiety. Jon definately shot a little better, but poor Greg had a pretty bad shooting night.

sagegrouse

02-02-2009, 04:50 PM

I would also say that, other than Gerald's 1st half spurt (it was awesome) and some good play from Nolan Smith, I was not that all that happy with our offense. Part of that may just be the zone. Does anyone know our 3 point shooting percentage? It seemed like we missed alot of them, but then got lucky on rebounds, but that may just have been my anxiety. Jon definately shot a little better, but poor Greg had a pretty bad shooting night.

Here's a link (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=290320150) to the box score.

Three point shooting was just ok -- 9 for 27. Kyle had an off-night (0-5 from 3PT) but was a force nonetheless because of everything else he did.

sagegrouse