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View Full Version : MBB: Duke 101, Wake Forest 91 Post-Game Thread



Bob Green
02-22-2009, 09:57 PM
Discuss the game here.

Hancock 4 Duke
02-22-2009, 09:58 PM
AWESOME win for Duke. Best game for G, Scheyer and EWILL. Discuss this here.

91.92.01DUKE
02-22-2009, 09:58 PM
Wow... Gerald Henderson's performance was nothing short of amazing.

devildownunder
02-22-2009, 09:58 PM
100 points and a win. Let's all celebrate!

DukieBoy
02-22-2009, 09:59 PM
Only saw the second half, but....

G and Scheyer were the men tonight.

E-Will played great tonight.

This gives some pay back after the Wake game earlier this year.

And I loved the "One More Year" chants from the Crazies while G was being interviewed.

One question, when was the last time we had two guys score 30 in a game. I would think it was sometime when we had J.J. and Sheldon.

RainingThrees
02-22-2009, 10:00 PM
Great game by G and Scheyer. I think Elliot has officially arrived for Duke!!

mgtr
02-22-2009, 10:01 PM
Wow! Lets all gang up on Singler -- then G and Jon wipe the floor with them. This should also put paid to those who criticized playing EWill. A great performance from the frosh. 65 points by the roomies, too.

Faison1
02-22-2009, 10:01 PM
Phew!!! I was getting REALLY worried when the lead got down to 2, and no one could stop their guards.

Great heart to pull that one out!! If E-Will can play like that, he will be a Godsend.

I feel horribly for Zoubs....did he get 1 minute?

But, on the good/great side, G....what can you say.....big time star!!!!

FerryFor50
02-22-2009, 10:02 PM
Huge, huge win.

Breaks up an offensive slump. Shows that Duke has more depth and that K is FINALLY willing to play some of the young blood.

Also lends some credence to the fact that Duke is indeed a top 10 worthy team.

Still got some toughies to go, though... FSU scares me as an overlook game with UNC right after.

FerryFor50
02-22-2009, 10:03 PM
Phew!!! I was getting REALLY worried when the lead got down to 2, and no one could stop their guards.

Great heart to pull that one out!! If E-Will can play like that, he will be a Godsend.

I feel horribly for Zoubs....did he get 1 minute?

But, on the good/great side, G....what can you say.....big time star!!!!

Z was not going to get any playing time against Wake. Horrible, horrible matchup for him, as we saw last time they played.

miramar
02-22-2009, 10:03 PM
Extraordinary game with a postseason feel.

When was the last time Duke had two players score 30? I guess the new uniforms work!

The 61% FG defense was bad, but the 36 free throws were impressive, even though we had some real problems at the end.

Henderson's and Scheyer's back-to-back threes were huge.

We only had one field goal off the bench, but Williams' 11 points and early steals were big.

jv001
02-22-2009, 10:04 PM
Man these games with Wake are too exciting for me. If this keeps up(tournament) I may have a stroke. Great game for the team and Jon and Gerald in particular. I am not going to say anything negative about this game come hell or highwater. We really needed this game and the guys came through. Go Duke!

34dukegal
02-22-2009, 10:04 PM
So happy to see Jon looking more comfortable in his shot again. I really love the move Coach K made with the starting lineup, the confidence seems to have shot up for the team. Loving the way Williams is playing as well, he makes some mindless mistakes here and there but that will get better with more playing time.

Faison1
02-22-2009, 10:04 PM
Still got some toughies to go, though... FSU scares me as an overlook game with UNC right after.

What about @Maryland on Wed, or @VT? They are all tough. Frankly, 2 and 2 would not surprise me....actually, nothing would surprise me....

All of those teams are excellent.

JDev
02-22-2009, 10:04 PM
Hit the century mark! G was just unreal, as was Scheyer. There were also a number of key perfomances, including Elliot proving he belongs. Lance was also great. Duke finally slowed down Wake's guards a little in the last five minutes by putting Lance on the ball. Great coaching move, and it is nice to have a 6'8 guy that athletic.

micah75
02-22-2009, 10:06 PM
The best defense is a good offense.

The most enjoyable game I've watched this season. Superb games by both Gerald and Jon.

Indoor66
02-22-2009, 10:06 PM
When was the last time Duke had two players score 30? I guess the new uniforms work!

1980 vs Clemson at Clemson. Banks and Geminski both were over 30. Duke lost.

HDB
02-22-2009, 10:06 PM
This game is exactly what the doctor ordered for Duke. Great win guys, now let's carry that momentum forward through the next several weeks and on into the tourney!

jdj4duke
02-22-2009, 10:06 PM
It's always a pleasure to know that the Duke crowd does NOT storm the floor. I did storm my own living room however.

FerryFor50
02-22-2009, 10:07 PM
What about @Maryland on Wed, or @VT? They are all tough. Frankly, 2 and 2 would not surprise me....actually, nothing would surprise me....

All of those teams are excellent.

I feel better about those games in terms of preparedness... Plus, while MD is playing better, they're still doo-doo.

VT will be tough.

jwillfan
02-22-2009, 10:07 PM
Does anyone have any ideas what's going on with him? 5 fouls in very few minutes played. He's fallen off tremendously and it seems to me we need the Nolan of a month or so ago to add to our depth to make any sort of post-season run. Missed FTs at the end == fatigue. 2 games in a row.

FerryFor50
02-22-2009, 10:08 PM
It's always a pleasure to know that the Duke crowd does NOT storm the floor. I did storm my own living room however.

I think we should all sneak in to Lawrence Joel and storm their court.

jv001
02-22-2009, 10:08 PM
Now we have to get back up for Md. They would like nothing better than back to back wins against Duke and unc. If we come to play early like we did tonight they can't beat us. Go Duke!

fisheyes
02-22-2009, 10:09 PM
When was the last time Duke had two players score 30?

The announcers said it was by the G-man and Banks at Clemson in a loss in 1980.

FerryFor50
02-22-2009, 10:09 PM
Does anyone have any ideas what's going on with him? 5 fouls in very few minutes played. He's fallen off tremendously and it seems to me we need the Nolan of a month or so ago to add to our depth to make any sort of post-season run. Missed FTs at the end == fatigue. 2 games in a row.

he was getting hosed on some of those calls. One was a weak hand check. Another was wrong place, wrong time.

hedgehog
02-22-2009, 10:09 PM
And I loved the "One More Year" chants from the Crazies while G was being interviewed.

One question, when was the last time we had two guys score 30 in a game. I would think it was sometime when we had J.J. and Sheldon.

I think the "One More Year" Chant was for the senior cheerleaders and dance team members, although the timing synchronized well with G's interview.

oh, btw, Shelden

Oriole Way
02-22-2009, 10:10 PM
An awesome win. G and Scheyer had career games.

I wouldn't be terribly concerned about Wake's FG% tonight. When these two teams play, more often than not, it is going to be a score-fest. There have been some great games between Duke and Wake.

I think the big key was that we didn't turn the ball over tonight. At Wake, we turned it over way too much, and it crippled our chances.

Now, I want to see this team play better on the road. We shoot significantly better at home, and to make the next step to being a legitimate Final Four contender, we need to play much better on the road. I expect the new lineup will help greatly.

arnie
02-22-2009, 10:10 PM
Does anyone have any ideas what's going on with him? 5 fouls in very few minutes played. He's fallen off tremendously and it seems to me we need the Nolan of a month or so ago to add to our depth to make any sort of post-season run. Missed FTs at the end == fatigue. 2 games in a row.

A truly fun game to watch - can't exactly figure out what happened on D, but loved seeing Eliot get all those minutes. I think Smith/Paulus will still help out, but believe this is the starting lineup for the rest of the year.

Faison1
02-22-2009, 10:11 PM
I feel better about those games in terms of preparedness... Plus, while MD is playing better, they're still doo-doo.

VT will be tough.

I wouldn't overlook Maryland.....coming off UNC, they are confident, on their homecourt, and looking for revenge from January. I'm still confident, but none of those games are gimmes......

Saratoga2
02-22-2009, 10:13 PM
Make no mistake about it, the offense was there tonight. Henderson was efficient with 35 points and got a lot of points from the line. Scheyer got 29 tonight by my count and did that with very few if any turnovers. He is a very steady point for us and allows us to play Williams, who was in double figures and played excellent defense. He has learned not to force the ball and is very valuable to this team

Thomas won't get a lot of props for this game, but he has really picked his game up and is an asset now. Singler was quiet but effective.


Clearly, neither Paulus nor Smith had good games tonight. We wouldn't have won this game if they had played big minutes. Smith is a special talent and needs to get his confidence back. If he can, he will be a big assest.

McClure gave good minutes and I also thought Plumlee looked good and was a little mystified when he didn't get back in. Zoubek is clearly moved down the bench.

One question which emerged is whether Wake is that good offensively or our defense is incapable of holding opponents shooting percentage down? They were close to 60% at one point late in the second half.

captmojo
02-22-2009, 10:14 PM
Anytime you can beat a team that was as hot shooting as Wake was tonight, it takes a superb effort. Great job men! On to Md. Win there too. :)

elvis14
02-22-2009, 10:14 PM
What a fun game to watch. G was the guy we always thought he could be. Jon was the guy we know he can be (and he has been in the past). Elliot was great. The slump by Nolan and Greg has given Elliot a chance to play for real and he has responded. Just think if Elliot keeps playing this way and Nolan and Greg pick it back up! Sweet. I like the tough man to man signature but I also like the "we'll put up 100 on you" too :D I liked getting some baskets in transition. Most of them were off steals, I'd like to see us push some more off of rebounds and made baskets because we have some guys that can finish.

Loved the passion from K tonight. Loved the way the coaching staff all hugged G when he came out. Loved the "one more year" chant for G. Did I mention how much fun that game was to watch?

LGD!

KandG
02-22-2009, 10:14 PM
Wonderful win. I have to admit I still have to get used to the UNC level defense, but I'll give this to Wake, they are a very impressive scoring team. I was really impressed that we didn't wilt despite them cutting it down to a single basket multiple times.

I am so glad to see EWill get his moment. I may get flamed for saying this, but I think he's more talented than Brian Davis or Thomas Hill, and both of them got playing time as freshmen for a Final Four team, so I figured it was just a matter of time for him.

I'll savor the performances of Gerald and Jon, and I like the way our offense flowed today...didn't feel like it was all dribbling for 20 seconds and moving around the perimeter before attacking.

roywhite
02-22-2009, 10:15 PM
Our 62-yr old coach still has some life in him, eh?

Indoor66
02-22-2009, 10:16 PM
Our 62-yr old coach still has some life in him, eh?

62 is not old! :(

Ian
02-22-2009, 10:17 PM
Love Scheyer's play at PG. Not turning the ball over was probably the key to this win.

jipops
02-22-2009, 10:19 PM
Hit the century mark! G was just unreal, as was Scheyer. There were also a number of key perfomances, including Elliot proving he belongs. Lance was also great. Duke finally slowed down Wake's guards a little in the last five minutes by putting Lance on the ball. Great coaching move, and it is nice to have a 6'8 guy that athletic.

Great point on Lance's on the ball defense. That was just as huge at crunch time as G and Jon's 3's.

BlueintheFace
02-22-2009, 10:19 PM
(Taking Time Machine back to Hypothetical Lunch Time Encounter)

Random Dude: Hey Blueintheface, I bet you $1,000 WFU scores 90 pts or more and loses.

Me: (salivating) MAKE IT TWO!!

- This game really felt like a turning point for us. The new lineup has given the team a real boost and I hope it keeps us going into March. I just felt so pumped throughout the game and it was obvious that the team was playing with a new energy. I also think it was huge to be back at home again.

- G is a beast and I pray to god he comes back next year (if we don't win a championship) and finishes what he came here to do. The head fake and leaner jumper from the top of the key was so kobe-esque and after watzone's interview with Jon, I think we know where he got it from.

- Jon had a spectacular game as well. Carer high for him too I think!

-Those back to back 3's by G and Jon inside of 3 minutes were true daggers

- E-Will didn't turn the ball over and mostly played very smart. Really set the tone early on for the whole team.

- Teague is literally unstoppable when he has it in his head to score

- Refs really do not like Nolan's hand checks. I think 4 of his fouls came from hand checks.

- We definitely went small and did we get beat down low by the big men? Nope.

- The ONLY negative from this game was Nolan's body language through out the game. It was not a problem tonight, but it could be a reason for concern... or not.

elvis14
02-22-2009, 10:20 PM
Love Scheyer's play at PG. Not turning the ball over was probably the key to this win.

It was a key but THE key was G!

dukestheheat
02-22-2009, 10:20 PM
As great as G and Scheyer were tonight, I am just so pleased to see Elliott Williams playing like he is! That defense, those steals, and his energy and athleticism are sparking Duke right now.

I think we're going to look back at the St. John's game as a late season turning point for this team.

And, having Superman as coach doesn't hurt and I love the way he fired up Duke and the fans tonight.

dukestheheat!

-bdbd
02-22-2009, 10:21 PM
Ever since the Clemson beat-down I've felt like the guys were frequently playing scared. They needed a big, important, tough-fought win to give them their confidence back. I'm hoping this was that win. Great overall defensive intensity. Tremendous efforts by G and Scheyer. Really incredible. Scheyer seems to be confident in his shot again, and G, as we all knew he could, has turned it up another gear. He has the physical ability to put a team on his back when he wants to. I thought Lance's efforts against their big front line didn't get enough credit either. He seems like he's, in some ways, become a real emotional leader on this squad. I LOVE his intensity, and it is contagious. Nolan can't BUY a break though! If you didn't believe that stars get ref'd differently than regular players, just isolate on Teague and Smith tonight. A couple time Smith would get whistled for a ticky-tack something, only to go down the other way and, within a couple plays, have Teague apply even more physical contact and not get anything (other than a takeaway).

Heads up on the Terps. I know we may go into College Park thinking "Hey, we blew out these guys last month," but MD thinks they are going to win this game! I'll be there (probably getting pelted with pennies and batteries), but don't overlook the team that just took out Kerlina and SHUT DOWN Hanstravel. If the chip wasn't already there for the humilliation we dished out in Durham, then them tinking they are squarely on the bubble will add more fuel to that fire. But with this new lineup and intisity, I do like our chances (though expect it to be close).

Now, about those late-game free-throws....

Great win tonight guys!!!



-BDBD :-)


P.S. For those worried about Zoubs, look for him to get a lot more play vs the Terps -- they really had no answer for him last time. I think Kyle will be ready to bounce back too.

Kfanarmy
02-22-2009, 10:22 PM
It was there tonight. Energy throughout the game. Fighting off the comeback for the whole second half. Great stuff.

FerryFor50
02-22-2009, 10:23 PM
- The ONLY negative from this game was Nolan's body language through out the game. It was not a problem tonight, but it could be a reason for concern... or not.

I don't blame Nolan for looking like that. He was getting shafted on some of those calls.

JDev
02-22-2009, 10:23 PM
Beating a top-ten team that shoots 61% from the floor and scores 91 points is no easy task. The offense has never looked better. There are still issues with keeping quick guards out of the lane, but Duke will continue to work on finding the best way to get that accomplished. Tonight it was putting Lance on the ball inside the last five minutes, and it slowed Wake.

COYS
02-22-2009, 10:24 PM
So much fun to watch this game. Both teams were playing great basketball (minus a few stretches for Wake at the beginning and Duke at the end of the first half, first part of the second). I'm not going to worry about the D, tonight. I'm just going to soak up this win. Man, seeing Elliott come alive is, frankly, amazing. I don't care if this is proof that he should have played more earlier or proof that K really does know when a kid is ready for the primetime, but man does he change the dynamic of this team.

Oh, and G and Jon, this was a performance for the ages. They played as well and were as fearless as anyone could be tonight. We needed every one of their buckets.

roywhite
02-22-2009, 10:27 PM
Wake shoots over 60% each half, shoots over 50% from 3-pt, and over 80% FT; they also out-rebound Duke by 11....and LOSE. Wow.

FerryFor50
02-22-2009, 10:28 PM
Wake shoots over 60% each half, shoots over 50% from 3-pt, and over 80% FT; they also out-rebound Duke by 11....and LOSE. Wow.

Helps when you go to the line 36 times. About time they started driving more.

Duke79UNLV77
02-22-2009, 10:28 PM
Quick penetrators are going to get in the lane against us. It's a gamble built into the overplay system, and it's definitely an issue with this team. We need someone waiting who can challenge those layups. Could it be Plumlee?

I'm not saying we should start him. LT is playing great and is becoming an emotional leader, but I like to see more Plumlee when the other team starts running layup drills. He's definitely shown progress when he's played lately.

jv001
02-22-2009, 10:28 PM
I wouldn't overlook Maryland.....coming off UNC, they are confident, on their homecourt, and looking for revenge from January. I'm still confident, but none of those games are gimmes......

Let's make Gary sweat. I say Coach K will have the team ready. Go Duke!

Kfanarmy
02-22-2009, 10:29 PM
Wake shoots over 60% each half, shoots over 50% from 3-pt, and over 80% FT; they also out-rebound Duke by 11....and LOSE. Wow.

The game was won off of Wake turnovers in about a 6 minute stretch in the first half...

COYS
02-22-2009, 10:31 PM
Helps when you go to the line 36 times. About time they started driving more.

Our offensive boards were money, too.

elvis14
02-22-2009, 10:32 PM
Love Scheyer's play at PG. Not turning the ball over was probably the key to this win.


The game was won off of Wake turnovers in about a 6 minute stretch in the first half...

I can't agree. Wake got too close in the second half. The G and Jon hit back to back 3's in the second half....

dalmatians98
02-22-2009, 10:32 PM
A really nice win that has to be a confidence builder for this team.

fisheyes
02-22-2009, 10:32 PM
The game was won off of Wake turnovers in about a 6 minute stretch in the first half...

Totally agree...just look at the slope of the scoring curves on ESPN.com

Ian
02-22-2009, 10:35 PM
It was a key but THE key was G!

Yeah, but how many of G's play does not happen at all if we turned the ball over before we got the ball to him?

COYS
02-22-2009, 10:39 PM
Yeah, but how many of G's play does not happen at all if we turned the ball over before we got the ball to him?

I completely agree. All season our offense has been hampered by poor turnovers at inopportune times. It has made it hard for us to develop an offensive rhythm and it has made it hard to keep the ball in the hands of the guy who's hot at any given time. Tonight, Jon was steady and consistent. He attacked the defense, and/or and got our offense going on the right foot where it stayed the whole game. This was exactly what the doctor ordered. G would never have had 35 if we had 14-15 turnovers . . . and we would never have overcome 61% shooting from Wake, especially since we knocked down less than 35% of our trey attempts.

Lord Ash
02-22-2009, 10:40 PM
I am not sure I have seen too many players who seem to have as close a connection as these two. I know they are roommates, but when you watch them play they look for each other constantly. I don't just mean "look for" as in passing, but in ALL ways; for approval after a good play, for reinforcement, for a shared laugh... I love the connection these two have, and I think it will only make our team better.

Anyway... nice stuff to see.

dukelifer
02-22-2009, 10:44 PM
This was like old time ACC basketball- high scoring- big runs- back and forth big plays. Make no mistake- this win was earned. Wake was playing amazing basketball in the second half. They could not be stopped- but neither could Duke. Gerald was at another level, tonight. Maybe the best all around game an ACC player has had all year. That step back three that gave him 35 was a beautiful shot- he did his idol Kobe proud on that move. But Scheyer is steady out there- He is not flashy but he does not need to be. As someone mentioned- not turning the ball over in critical situations is giving Duke more opportunities. But tonight he hit big shots, he got to the line and if not for G's great night- Scheyer would have been the standout. Duke is still having a hard time stopping penetration- something needs fixing or perhaps a little more zone moments- but Duke weathered the storm of great Wake play. Most teams would have wilted. Elliot continues to give great energy and really his play has helped to inspire the older guys- a little youthful high level play always is good for the soul. You can tell he is much more at ease out there. Overall an excellent win. They still some fight left in this team. They need to keep it going.

jipops
02-22-2009, 10:46 PM
So I guess Henderson is further proof that K doesn't develop players.

Duke84
02-22-2009, 10:54 PM
Our 62-yr old coach still has some life in him, eh?

It's pretty amazing that he's only 62, since he's been at Duke since 1980. He was 33 when he took the job, and has been there for 29 years. His hair never changes, and mine is rapidly abandoning me.

And, in a stunning, rarely-seen development, Wake fans are blaming the refs for this one. Chuckles.

Billy Dat
02-22-2009, 10:55 PM
This was the biggest win of the year by far. In fact, considering that Lawson didn't play at the Dean Dome last year, I feel like it's the biggest win since the ACC Tourny title in '06. The optimist in me says this was the win that will prevent the 3 year string of late swoons.

What a peculiar season so far.

You've got to hand it to K...going with Elliott as a starter these past two games, after he has played really only spot minutes to date (with a few exceptions) was not a no brainer. It reminds me of the story he tells about the first half of the 2001 national semi-final against the Terps when he compared his attempts to get the team going to the paddles they use to restart people's hearts...I guess EWill represents the 3rd shock. Who woulda thunk it?

Despite Nolan's healthy foul total, the kid still had the stones to knock down that 3. I feel like EWill's emergence kind of takes the pressure off him a little - I think it will help him.

I don't have a good feel for Kyle's game, I'll have to go back and watch the tape (with pleasure). I was cursing him during their run as I felt like he was letting anyone take it right at his chin and lay it in - but I was too harsh. We needed him on the floor and he would have fouled out had he been too aggressive on those drives. But, teams are simply going to drive it down our throats the rest of the year, we've got to come up with a counter. I feel like when I watch again, Kyle's performance will age well. He sure hit a couple of huge buckets in that final 10 minutes.

Saving the best for last - G and Scheyer - can words describe a great work of art? Laying it on thicker - I am speechless. Those 3s they hit were the game - finally we get the break when we needed it.

WHAT A GREAT WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Virginian
02-22-2009, 11:00 PM
I don't care what happened in the second half -- and it was very exciting indeed. To my mind the game was won in the two-minute stretch between 8 and 6 minutes to play in the first half when Henderson made 12 straight points including three huge dunks. Oh, and Wake was scoreless in that stretch, and the score was something like Henderson 18, Wake 19.

Does anyone remember one of our players having a scoring burst like that in any game in the last 5 years?

Wow.

jv001
02-22-2009, 11:01 PM
When Coach K made the switch to Elliot in the starting lineup, I thought that it was to improve our defense. And while it may have been for that very reason, it has also helped our offense. It has really improved our speed and driving ability. Now with Nolan coming in as the 6th or 7th player, we are quicker on defense and offense. It looks like Greg is the odd man out unless he begins to hit some shots. Go Duke!

BlueintheFace
02-22-2009, 11:02 PM
I don't care what happened in the second half -- and it was very exciting indeed. To my mind the game was won in the two-minute stretch between 8 and 6 minutes to play in the first half when Henderson made 12 straight points including three huge dunks. Oh, and Wake was scoreless in that stretch, and the score was something like Henderson 18, Wake 19.

Does anyone remember one of our players having a scoring burst like that in any game in the last 5 years?

Wow.

uhhhh, yah kind of. He is the all-time scoring leader in the ACC, but it was still very impressive by G.

Newton_14
02-22-2009, 11:02 PM
Just a gutty performance. I was so worried that after they blew the big lead so early, that we would see a repeat of the UNC game with a scoring drought leading to a Wake victory. That would have been a back breaker.

Instead, the guys refused to lose and showed alot of heart. Great to see Gerald and Jon in the zone at the same time. Another good performance by Ewill as well. I felt his defense got the party started in the 1st half and was a real key.

Like I said before, this team has talent and good players. If they can ever get the top 5 or 6 guys playing well at the same time, they will be hard to deal with. Kyle had an off night by his standards on offense. Had he hit a few more of his shots, this game would have never gotten as close as it did.

I felt we took Wake's best shot tonight. Gaudio played his starters heavily and basically went with his top 6 guys.

Overall I took this Duke performance as a message this team is not done yet as some naysayers have predicted.

dukelifer
02-22-2009, 11:03 PM
So I guess Henderson is further proof that K doesn't develop players.
Well also further proof that a player is not a finished product in his sophomore year.

FireOgilvie
02-22-2009, 11:05 PM
Quick penetrators are going to get in the lane against us. It's a gamble built into the overplay system, and it's definitely an issue with this team. We need someone waiting who can challenge those layups. Could it be Plumlee?

I'm not saying we should start him. LT is playing great and is becoming an emotional leader, but I like to see more Plumlee when the other team starts running layup drills. He's definitely shown progress when he's played lately.

I completely agree. Plumlee provides great defensive presence in the post. He alters most every shot taken within several feet of him. Our interior defense today was, quite frankly, terrible. Singler got burned time after time down low and Lance was nowhere to be found. We only had 12 defensive rebounds in the game and gave up 12 offensive rebounds to Wake. Not acceptable if we expect to go anywhere in the Tournament.

I obviously love what we did on offense, and it was really what kept us in it at all.

Virginian
02-22-2009, 11:07 PM
uhhhh, yah kind of. He is the all-time scoring leader in the ACC, but it was still very impressive by G.

I shoulda said last THREE years for sure. Anyway, it's what we've been missing. I hope we've "found" it now.

mgtr
02-22-2009, 11:10 PM
I understand that I am setting a high bar indeed, but I can see EWill turning into a left-handed G. That is a superb compliment to EWill's possibilities. If we keep these guys intact for next year, and bring in some more height, we will be good, very good.
I think we do very well for a team with five forwards (with all due respect to Coach Knight).

loran16
02-22-2009, 11:15 PM
As good as Wake was shooting there was some obvious Defensive failures by Duke today....

One that kept driving me nuts was Kyle, particularly vs Johnson. A guy would try to blow by him, Kyle would try to stay with him and as Johnson or another player would stop to shoot, Kyle would just stand there, hands at his sides. No hands up at all to block the view of the shooter or even make the shooter have to arc the shot. It wasn't like it was that sudden of an offensive move. If Kyle keeps his hands up there in the multiple shots that occured like this, at least a few of them don't go in imo.

quickgtp
02-22-2009, 11:16 PM
K has got to start playing Miles more to have some sort of post presence against the dribble drive. We are more aggressive on the offensive end though with Jon running PG and Email playing wing. Keep it up!

roywhite
02-22-2009, 11:16 PM
http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=3676714

Several great individual performances in this game. James Johnson with 26 pts and 11 rebounds, Teague with 28 points, Scheyer 30 pts and only 1 turnover, and of course Gerald Henderson with 35 points in 31 minutes played.

Favorite team stat---Steals---Duke 10 Wake 1.

This was just a very high quality game.

Newton_14
02-22-2009, 11:17 PM
I completely agree. Plumlee provides great defensive presence in the post. He alters most every shot taken within several feet of him. Our interior defense today was, quite frankly, terrible. Singler got burned time after time down low and Lance was nowhere to be found. We only had 12 defensive rebounds in the game and gave up 12 offensive rebounds to Wake. Not acceptable if we expect to go anywhere in the Tournament.

I obviously love what we did on offense, and it was really what kept us in it at all.

Kind of hard to get defensive rebounds when the opponent makes 60% of their shots. We also hurt Wake with offensive rebounds, especially in the 2nd half. When we finally got a few stops in the last 6 minutes, we rebounded better with alot of toughness. K made a critical change in the last 5 minutes putting Lance on the point of the defense and Wake's guards found it harder to get to the rim. That was a key move IMO..

Newton_14
02-22-2009, 11:23 PM
I totally agree with you and it is one of the reasons I feel we may get Gerald back next year. (Wishful thinking, I know). Those two guys have a great bond and it is great to see.

Let's hope years from now they look back on their FOUR years together at Duke as great times!

DukeCO2009
02-22-2009, 11:29 PM
1) See what happens when we don't pound the ball for 20-25 seconds before trying to score? This team, as I've said before, has the talent to put up a lot of points. Glad we finally broke through and got 100--from personal experience, seeing triple digits on the scoreboard is a huge, huge confidence booster.

2) Elliot continues to impress. Had to have had 5 or so steals. His intensity gives this team new life, and his aggression with the basketball is quite welcome.

3) Defense was pretty weak, but our problems preventing quick guards from getting to the hoop are nothing new. Wake shot the lights out and the game was fast-paced, so getting 91 hung on us doesn't worry me in this instance as much as it normally would. Singler, though, needs to do a better job staying in front of his man.

4) Lance! 7 and 6, IIRC. He was great, and has turned into this team's emotional co-leader with Paulus. Plumlee also go some nice minutes off the bench. Normally I'd say he should have played more, but the five starters were clicking so well together that I can't argue with our second half personnel decisions. Zoubek's a nice guy who tries his heart out, but quite frankly we're a better team when the vast majority of our 5-man minutes go to Lance and Miles. Z just isn't athletic enough to hang with big-time centers on either end.

5) Nolan's play continues to worry me, but I was really pumped to see him drill that three. That bucket showed that he's not totally drained of confidence, which appeared to be the case against chapel hill, BC, and St. Johns. Too bad that he fouled out--a couple of those calls were pretty ticky-tack.

6) G and Jon--WOW! Won't bother repeating what everyone else has said, but the move to the point has clearly made all the difference for Jon, and Gerald is just a beast. Hell of a performance from each of them.

COYS
02-22-2009, 11:30 PM
I completely agree. Plumlee provides great defensive presence in the post. He alters most every shot taken within several feet of him. Our interior defense today was, quite frankly, terrible. Singler got burned time after time down low and Lance was nowhere to be found. We only had 12 defensive rebounds in the game and gave up 12 offensive rebounds to Wake. Not acceptable if we expect to go anywhere in the Tournament.

I obviously love what we did on offense, and it was really what kept us in it at all.

Of course, they didn't miss too many shots and we had 11 offensive boards on the other end of the floor. No one is going to slow Wake down too much when they're hitting on all cylinders like they were tonight. They're extremely quick and long and crafty in the lane. Sometimes against a team as talented as Wake, the best defense is an efficient offense. That's exactly what we had tonight . . . and that was against one of the longest and most talented defenses in the country. We're not a perfect team so I doubt any win will be perfect and clearly we have some issues to solve, but this was simply a well played game by our guys.

CameronCrazy'11
02-22-2009, 11:33 PM
Also hard to get many defensive rebounds when the other team turns it over 20 times.

Faustus
02-22-2009, 11:39 PM
The real crime this regular season is that Wake and UNC do not play a second time. Not only does it mean one of the two likely would have had another very useful loss in conference record, but I really would have enjoyed seeing those two play again if it were anything like this game was. Delighted Duke could be as high-powered tonight.

Ders24
02-22-2009, 11:44 PM
Incredibly fun game to be at. Great win for our guys.

phaedrus
02-22-2009, 11:51 PM
One question, when was the last time we had two guys score 30 in a game. I would think it was sometime when we had J.J. and Sheldon.

Isn't that also the last time we had one player score 30 in a game? I can't recall any 30-point performances in the last 2+ seasons.

fan345678
02-22-2009, 11:52 PM
The game was won off of Wake turnovers in about a 6 minute stretch in the first half...

The stretch in the second half that preceded G and Jon's threes was big. Jon got to the line, which allowed us to set up our D. We forced a TO, then got a score, then Gaudio called timeout. That also allowed us to set up on D, and we forced another TO (or they missed; can't remember which). Then came a three, and our D was back in rhythm again.

I'm not sure if it exactly happened like that, but our FT sets and the Gaudio timeout gave us a few consecutive possessions before which the game had been slowed. After that point, our D was able to figure some things out while we kept scoring on the offensive end.

sivartrenrag
02-23-2009, 12:00 AM
Does anyone have that picture of them hugging during the game tonight?

Cameron
02-23-2009, 12:00 AM
Isn't that also the last time we had one player score 30 in a game? I can't recall any 30-point performances in the last 2+ seasons.


Yep, not since JJ scored 30 against Miami in February 2006 had a Duke player amassed the mark.

That's quite a long time. Jon almost did it in '07, as a frosh against Carolina, when he went for 26, and again this past December against Xavier. And it looked like Kyle was getting very close on several occasions the past couple years. But it hasn't been until tonight that 30 plus has happened in the post-JJ era.

Fun night. Kind of makes you appreciate JJ's three 40 plus games his senior year. Whoa!

Highlander
02-23-2009, 12:03 AM
The second half of this game was just a prize fight. Both teams were throwing haymakers and making contact repeatedly. During one 4 minute stretch, I think there were only two empty posessions, one for each team. We couldn't stop Smith or Teague from driving into the lane and taking a short 8' jump shot, and Wake had absolutely no answer for Henderson, who was an absolute beast. That late 3 was ridiculous. Wake got him to take the shot they wanted and he still drained it. Reminded me of Battier guarding Kobe in that article last weekend.

The only downsides I saw were on defense and clutch FT shooting. Singler seemed to have a real tough time tonight staying in front of his man, and Nolan and Paulus couldn't cover Teague or Smith effectively at all. Plus, missing 4 FT's in the last 2 minutes of the game (2 of which were the front end of a 1&1) is a bit concerning, especially since it's the second game in a row we've done that.

But we got the win that we had to have to show that we are a legit top 10 team.

One side note on Williams. I really like what he has brought to the starting lineup, which is his ball pressure and opportunistic offense. Preseason, I had hoped he could slide into Nelson's role as another off guard/SF, but up until now that hasn't happened. K mentioned before the game that Williams 'earned' his spot in the starting lineup, and that he didn't give it to him. K went on to say that some people like to be given things, but he believes those things (like minutes) need to be earned in practice. Many people on these boards have been clamoring to 'give' Williams more minutes for a while, and reference the last two games as proof that he should have been getting them all along. However, many of those same people have said that it is game minutes, not practice time, that develops players. Yet somehow, Williams comes in as a starter against St. John's and Wake having played very little in the 10 or so games before that, and is very successful after not showing it really at all this season. To me, I think it happened in practice, and K's strategy of waiting until Williams is ready before moving him into the starting lineup is proof that you don't have to have X min/game to get better.

Regardless of whether you believe Williams was good all along, or got much better through hard work in practice to earn his spot, having him in the starting lineup is paying dividends. If he can give us an added dimension to the team at the most important time of the year, then we get better as a team at the best possible time of the year. That's something we can all agree on.

Great win tonight. Congrats to the good guys for a hell of a game!

DukeCO2009
02-23-2009, 12:09 AM
I noticed tonight that the new scoreboard didn't flash "100" when we went over the century mark. That was always one of my favorite things about dropping a bunch of points--we'd hit a shot, the scoreboard would acknowledge that we'd gone to triple digits in tacky multi-colored script, and the building would go nuts. Anyone have any info on why this wasn't done tonight? Seems like it would be easy enough to get a similar graphic up on the new scoreboard. I found myself missing the old scoreboard tonight.

BlueintheFace
02-23-2009, 12:10 AM
"Not Really. I think they're pretty good."

-Dino on whether or not he wants to play Duke again in Atlanta

DukeCO2009
02-23-2009, 12:15 AM
Does anyone have that picture of them hugging during the game tonight?

Forgive me for thinking that's a bit creepy :p

Anyway, I think the camaraderie you see between Jon and G is pretty representative of the way everyone on the team feels about each other. They all get along on and off the court, which is great. Makes us better.

sivartrenrag
02-23-2009, 12:18 AM
Forgive me for thinking that's a bit creepy :p

No, no! It's about camaraderie! Camaraderie! :cool:

EDIT: Hah, I responded before I even read the second half of your post. Yes. Camaraderie.

DukeCO2009
02-23-2009, 12:24 AM
No, no! It's about camaraderie! Camaraderie! :cool:

EDIT: Hah, I responded before I even read the second half of your post. Yes. Camaraderie.

Camaraderie, indeed. :D

LetItBD08
02-23-2009, 12:37 AM
I used to love that graphic too...I especially loved the fact that it was so noticeable that just about every third bulb was burnt out. That was a great scoreboard.

InSpades
02-23-2009, 12:42 AM
Great win for the good guys!

Love the look of the new lineup, the steals Elliot had were very impressive and just what the doctor ordered considering how effective Wake was shooting the ball. He's also impressive on the offensive end, though the 3 he took was very ugly (maybe shouldn't be taking too many of those).

I really think if K can figure things out on the defensive end of the court that this team can make a great run for the rest of the year. People seem to be giving wake a lot of credit, and they undoubtedly deserve some of it, but we have been giving up a ridiculously high FG% the past few games (even to a team like St. John's). I'm not sure what the answer is... but I'm hoping K can figure it out. It was great to see us match Wake shot for shot but our offense won't be like that every night.

Gerald has become a very special player. He's shown flashes of Kobe-esque talent all year but tonight it was even more pronounced. No one is Kobe, but if you can get people to even compare you to him then you are doing something right out there. His ability to get to the line was a HUGE factor in the game.

ncexnyc
02-23-2009, 12:52 AM
Who is this number 20 for Duke? Where has he been hiding all season?

Elliot was playing like a man possessed at the start of the game. One steal right after another. Truly amazing! I was also quite surprised that Elliot stayed in the game even after launching that brick of a 3. Coach K must really believe in this kid now.

Jon at the PG slot looks like a pretty smart move now. He takes care of the ball and understands how to step things up for the rest of the players.

G was fantastic. Go back to the start of the season and look at some of the early threads where people were doubting his ability and mocking those who made lofty predictons about G's future.

Kyle had a rough night, but Johnson is a stud and he is just to physical for Kyle.

Lance was very steady again.

Nolan couldn't catch a break. As soon as he stepped onto the court the refs were blowing their whistles.

Dave wasn't too visible tonight. He may have still been feeling the effects of that bug he had.

Miles is coming along and I have a feeling that by the end of the regular season we will be seeing a great deal more of him.

Greg's appears to be really struggling. He used to be a very dependable freethrow shooter, but even that part of his game seems to be fading.

Brian is now keeping Marty company at the end of the bench. I'm sorry to see this happen as Brian tried really hard, hopefully he can still make a major contribution to this team.

If this continues I will need that bottle of Texas Pete.;)

Bluedog
02-23-2009, 12:54 AM
Does anyone have that picture of them hugging during the game tonight?

Here's a hug:

http://a.espncdn.com/media/apphoto/82b641c5-6c34-4e80-8590-2487f3c8950f.jpg

FireOgilvie
02-23-2009, 12:56 AM
It's good to see Gerald attacking more and more. The last two games he's had double digit free throw attempts... the only games he's done that this year.

Devil in the Blue Dress
02-23-2009, 12:58 AM
Tonight's game is best of the season so far. The "five forward" line up as Bobby Knight calls it, maximizes ball handling, speed and shooting.

I was briefly distracted by the new uniforms, but forgot about that issue entirely as the starting line ups were introduced. There was an electricity in the air that reminded me of the old games between Duke and Wake when the play was intense and the tempers short. Dukelifer's comment on old time ACC basketball was right on point.

Coach K changed his own approach to the game.... including running off the court at the end of the game. He looked and acted more like the guy who played at Army. In his post game comments, Coach K sounded the most vital he's sounded in years. He spoke of "something new we're trying."

What a great night! GO DUKE!

chi
02-23-2009, 02:00 AM
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3927360

"But for one night at least, these Blue Devils looked different.

They looked like a Final Four team again. "

wisteria
02-23-2009, 02:33 AM
I think Gerald loves this team very much and he will come back.

DukeCO2009
02-23-2009, 04:33 AM
I have to agree. If we can start scoring the ball in the high eighties or low nineties and tune up our defense a little bit, we're a contender. Only one team since 1986 (Maryland in 2002) has won a national championship scoring less than seventy points. Bottom line: if you want to win in this day and age, you've got to score a lot of points. Title winners are rarely one dimensional, which is why the "we'll get by on our defense" talk that has taken root around these parts has worried me so much.

The G-Kyle-EWill-Lance-Jon (with Greg and Nolan getting about equal time, Dave getting good minutes, and Miles getting increasing burn) incarnation of this year's team is much more equipped to run and score than the G-Kyle-Jon-Greg/Nolan-Z (plus Greg/Nolan, Dave, and Lance in reserve roles) version. IMO, K can use this lineup to totally change our gameplan-we can attack the basket more often, jump out quicker in transition, and press harder. We might give up 70 points a game, but that's not a bad thing if we can also score 85 or 90 ourselves. It's not a sign of bad defense, either: it's simply a product of our offensive pace. If we stick with the rotation we used against Wake and continue to play faster basketball, we can beat anyone in the country; if we revert back to the our stand-around-on-the-perimeter-and-wait-for-someone-to-get-open offense, we yet again won't make it past the first weekend of the Big Dance.

heyman25
02-23-2009, 05:38 AM
This was like old time ACC basketball- high scoring- big runs- back and forth big plays. Make no mistake- this win was earned. Wake was playing amazing basketball in the second half. They could not be stopped- but neither could Duke. Gerald was at another level, tonight. Maybe the best all around game an ACC player has had all year. That step back three that gave him 35 was a beautiful shot- he did his idol Kobe proud on that move. But Scheyer is steady out there- He is not flashy but he does not need to be. As someone mentioned- not turning the ball over in critical situations is giving Duke more opportunities. But tonight he hit big shots, he got to the line and if not for G's great night- Scheyer would have been the standout. Duke is still having a hard time stopping penetration- something needs fixing or perhaps a little more zone moments- but Duke weathered the storm of great Wake play. Most teams would have wilted. Elliot continues to give great energy and really his play has helped to inspire the older guys- a little youthful high level play always is good for the soul. You can tell he is much more at ease out there. Overall an excellent win. They still some fight left in this team. They need to keep it going.
I liked this post the best. I think Elliott can guard Greivous Vasquez in the beginning. Nolan I think will come back on pride alone. Fouling out in 9 minutes hand check or not is embarrassing. Zoubek has not had the light bulb go on yet. Until that time use Miles Plumlee. David McClure is great in every facet except scoring. Greg Paulus will get time when the matchup is right. He needs to still remember to shoot if he has the open look.Duke is back on track. They can not relax, every game will matter. If we play this hard good things will happen.

ice-9
02-23-2009, 05:49 AM
Great game, GREAT WIN! It was exactly what we needed -- a difficult game which both sides played well in, but one which we won. :) Elliot was awesome and Thomas deserves props. Henderson was INSANE and Scheyer looked like the player we saw in November and December.

Wake also played a huge game -- those back-to-back 3 point bombs Teague scored to spark the comeback were WOW -- but we pulled through in the end.

The only thing I didn't like was the way we defended drives in the second half. We gave the dribbler way too much space for the pull-up jumper. If it's a long two, sure, good decision, but in the paint that pull-up jumper is a high percentage shot. We need to seal off the drive earlier, provide help defense, or defend closer during the drive. Either way we can't give opposing guards semi-open shots in the paint, especially guards like Teague.

Fortunately, it seemed we made enough adjustments late in the second half to contain those drives and spark our own run to win the game.

roywhite
02-23-2009, 07:37 AM
Remarkable how many similarities between this game and one played 4 years ago (2/20/05) vs Wake:

Both teams came in ranked in top 10
Coach K was super intense
Cameron was rocking
Great shooting by both teams
A 30+ point performance by Blue Devil (Redick)
Final score 102-92

Lulu
02-23-2009, 09:13 AM
I had to catch this one recorded, and don't usually have a ton of thoughts, but I'd love to know where exactly the idea for this new lineup came from, or how it developed among the coaching staff.

I was so tired of the kick-out-for-a-three offense which was quite plainly becoming a bore to watch, especially when we weren't even executing it that well. This looks more like the Duke teams I remember, funny that we don't really need a point guard.

Speaking of which, Scheyer is more trustworthy with the ball than either Paulus or Smith. I love both, but it's just true. Even when Wake started pressuring Scheyer, they really never got close to turning him over. We always needed him to touch the ball more.

Nothing needs to be said about Henderson.

Williams is the other great surprise. I cannot believe we've kept him hidden on the bench this long, or else he's just really developed while riding the pine this year. His defense and slashing ability are great, not to mention his energy, if it lasts. We will be an immense problem for other teams with him, Henderson, Scheyer, and Singler all on the perimeter. I can't wait to see how well this continues to work in our upcoming games.

I'm stunned that I almost forgot about Singler, of all people.

jv001
02-23-2009, 09:23 AM
I loved the post game comments from Coach K and the players. Jon said that Gerald was pumped even in the warmups and he was getting everyone else pumped as well. Lance said the Elliot was freaky athletic or something to that effect. Nothing negative coming out of my mouth about this game. Go Duke!

Houston
02-23-2009, 09:24 AM
I love the new line-up! As mentioned earlier, the offense is more dynamic. JS is doing an excellent job at the point. I found it very interesting that JS was running point when he was in the game with GP3.

Wake's shooting percentage is over-stated. The statistic needs to be adjusted for turnovers. If the defense can continue to turnover their opponent 20+ times per games (and not get killed on the boards), I think there is a lot of basketball left this season.

I like the way the team is trending. Congrats to EW.

NSDukeFan
02-23-2009, 09:33 AM
What a great win!
I really like the motion offense, as Kyle, Jon and G can all make things happen off the dribble and E-Will has been making good decisions about when to attack as well. We have been a lot more fun to watch on offense lately and obviously last night.
I would say after this weekend, it is probably best not to look past Maryland in College Park.

davekay1971
02-23-2009, 09:33 AM
I went to the game last night, my first time back in Cameron for a game since I was a student. Oh my God! I want to give hats off to the students - who are every bit as loud, intense, active, and creative as we were for any game back when I went there. Well, except for the twinkie thing we did with Dennis Scott.

As for the game, I'm still blown away by the intensity and the skill on that court. I'd love to critique us for allowing 91 points and a high schooting percentage to Wake, but Wake just deserves credit for making great shots. As for us, there is so much to like about what we're doing right now. Scheyer has definitely found his offensive groove. And have you ever felt as confident in Paulus or Smith running the offense as you do with Scheyer? Williams has found his spot and is contributing so much now. Henderson was an animal. Singler is just solid (iron, that is).

I know there are still questions with the team. It would be nice for us to have more of a presence with a traditional low post player. Smith still is struggling awfully. But I just can't worry about those questions right now.

I just saw a Duke team win a great basketball game, against a talented opponent, in Cameron. I had seats (don't ask how I got them, it's too complicated) in the folding chairs on the floor, 2nd row, under the basket at Duke's end. It was an incredible experience, and I loved every second of it.

Go Duke!

RepoMan
02-23-2009, 09:49 AM
Haven't seen an offensive explosion like that in ages.

It was huge that we matched them bucket for bucket in the second half when it looked like they might tie it up or get the lead. Whoeever said it was like a prizefight is right.

Each starter played really well.

Nolan had some bad luck with the fouls. We need him to round back in to form, and I am optimistic. McClure did his thing.

Paulus and Z can help situationally.

We won't be able to play at that emotional level every game, and we have a tough schedule. Can't wait to see how it turns out. The environment at the MD game should be wild.

jipops
02-23-2009, 10:13 AM
I'm a little curious as to why K only went to the 1-2-2 zone for only a couple of Wake's possessions. This a defense that Wake has struggled with all season as they're not one of the better 3pt shooting teams. If memory serves me correctly we did get one stop from those two possessions.

Dukerati
02-23-2009, 10:14 AM
Did anyone else see the kiss that Coach K gave G at the end? A hug and a kiss... and I was jealous that Coach K got to give it:) The announcers made a good point about how we shoot much better at home than on the road so let's hope some of this magic we had tonight carries over.... G baby!!!

brianl
02-23-2009, 10:19 AM
A Big Win for the Guys. I like the insert of Williams, he and G on the floor together is a tough defend for most teams.

I also think Williams has the potential to provide some big minutes in about 3-4 weeks as we move through rounds 1-2 and the sweet sixteen round.

Matches
02-23-2009, 10:19 AM
I'm a little curious as to why K only went to the 1-2-2 zone for only a couple of Wake's possessions. This a defense that Wake has struggled with all season as they're not one of the better 3pt shooting teams. If memory serves me correctly we did get one stop from those two possessions.

We were getting eaten up on the d-boards while we were in the zone. We did get them to finally miss a few shots but they ended up scoring on putbacks.

MB in MD
02-23-2009, 10:19 AM
This was an absolutely exhilarating game, and anyone who calls himself a fan of college basketball would have to have enjoyed watching it. In the back of my mind I was concerned about going into one of our 5 minute offensive droughts (which obviously would have been fatal in this game), but it never happened. Earlier in the year, we could withstand those because we were equally capable of holding another team scoreless as well (see 1st half vs FSU), not by turning them over, but by shutting them down.

As much fun as last night was, I miss that team. In the second half Wake had close to 1.5 pts per possession and with only 2 or 3 threes that is a pretty scary number. It's very stressful feeling we have to score every time down--it's much more relaxing knowing that even if we don't, there's no way they are going to score on us. I was particularly disappointed with our attempt at a zone, which many teams have used effectively against Wake. A zone has weaknesses but they are supposed to be different ones, but ours was so passive that the Wake guards were able to penetrate that at will too.

I think K misses that team too. He is not and will never be a coach in the ol' Roy mold of trying to outscore his opponent, but for one night (one half really), it was fun to watch Scheyer and Henderson do just that. I hope K finds some way to get it together on the defensive end, but for now I am just enjoying what our revamped offense was able to do.

It will be interesting to see how we will approach Maryland. One of my Terp friends (OK, so that's something of an oxymoron) said playing small like we did will play right into their hands. It is true that the MD game might have been Z's best this year, and he probably will get off the bench some in this game, but I can't see us departing from this new way of playing.

jipops
02-23-2009, 10:27 AM
We were getting eaten up on the d-boards while we were in the zone. We did get them to finally miss a few shots but they ended up scoring on putbacks.

True, just seemed to take a long time to actually go into this defense. And K seemed very quick to bail on it. Though I guess the switch to put Lance on the ball worked out quite well anyways.

DoubleDuke Dad
02-23-2009, 10:38 AM
So for all of you people (me included) who say they don’t like the NBA style of play (no D all O, one-on-one play, clear outs, taking it to the hole), I guess we will have to make an exception for this game. As long as Duke is on the winning end of the score, what’s not to like! :)

Skitzle
02-23-2009, 10:46 AM
11 pts of 176 (6%) in the last two games have come from the bench.

Is this a cause for concern?

Figured I'd bring it up, though it could just be the "too many minutes for starters" repackaged....

Thoughts?

ncexnyc
02-23-2009, 10:49 AM
I think that in a perfect world, the bench of DMc, Greg, Nolan, Miles, and Brian would be able to provide us with at least 15 points per game combined.

lap814
02-23-2009, 10:58 AM
In an article from The Sporting News it says that the Cameron crazies were at less than capacity last night. Is this true?

Rudy
02-23-2009, 11:01 AM
For those who fret about Singler not staying in front of his man and Wake's guards going around ours: Singler was guarding Aminu most of the time, I think. Aminu is really quick if anyone hasn't noticed before. But he was held under 10 points for the game. Ditto on Teague and Smith's quickness. Hey fans, those guys are really good. Not quite Lawson, but not far off and Wake has 2 of them!

Wake's weakness this year is their youth and its propensity for rashes of turnovers in pressure situations and excessive fouling. Witness the first half in particular. When they got better protecting the ball and not rushing their offense so much in the second half, they closed the gap. But overall they had 19 TO to Duke's 6.

It took two of our scorers to get hot to beat this team. Great intensity by both teams--every time there was a loose ball 3 or 4 guys were diving after it. I'm not sure how we avoided a 15 yard penalty when one of our guys upended a Wake player in their backcourt diving for a loose ball. It looked like clipping to me.

Handchecking by guards out front was a point of emphasis for the refs a couple of years ago, but its use by players has crept back in. Nolan suffered the refs' reawakening on that during this game. I hope he can adjust. I also hope he can work through what seems to be a crisis of confidence of late. It's understandable but he is needed for this team to go on the long streaks of wins the tournaments need.

This season has been filled with so many upsets of teams at the top. Poor Oklahoma didn't even get a chance to take over the #1 spot before being knocked off. It makes me think that no team is good enough to win 6 games in a row in the NCAA tournament. But then, by definition someone will.

Onlyduke
02-23-2009, 11:06 AM
In an article from The Sporting News it says that the Cameron crazies were at less than capacity last night. Is this true?

Figures from today's paper says 9,314 in attendance.

davekay1971
02-23-2009, 11:14 AM
Figures from today's paper says 9,314 in attendance.

Cameron was at capacity. There were two seats open in the fat-cat section next to me, which is just a heinous crime. But otherwise I didn't see an empty seat in the house.

Also note, since the student section is bleachers, and America becomes more obese by the minute, our capacity will diminish as more students become obese and fewer bodies can be sardined in there :D

davekay1971
02-23-2009, 11:22 AM
I'm throwing this thought in the Wake post-game thread because I get the feeling a lot of us are already looking at Maryland as a potential landmine.

Maryland is undoubtedly going to be as pumped for this game as we've ever seen them. They're on the bubble, and a win against us tips the scales in the direction of them getting in. This is a crucial game for their post-season hopes. Gary will let them know that. And then there's the butt-whuppin' we laid on them in Cameron. Gary will be reminding them of that approximately 100 times a day this week.

I think we match up well with Maryland. Position for position, we should win this game handily. But we're playing in their house, with a crowd that is absolutely venomous towards us, against a team that is playing with the dual motivation of revenge and the belief that a win gets them in. If we can win in that situation, I think we can forget about any late-season swoon. If we can win this game, we're mentally a very, very tough team.

Devil in the Blue Dress
02-23-2009, 11:24 AM
I had to catch this one recorded, and don't usually have a ton of thoughts, but I'd love to know where exactly the idea for this new lineup came from, or how it developed among the coaching staff.

I was so tired of the kick-out-for-a-three offense which was quite plainly becoming a bore to watch, especially when we weren't even executing it that well. This looks more like the Duke teams I remember, funny that we don't really need a point guard.

Speaking of which, Scheyer is more trustworthy with the ball than either Paulus or Smith. I love both, but it's just true. Even when Wake started pressuring Scheyer, they really never got close to turning him over. We always needed him to touch the ball more.

Nothing needs to be said about Henderson.

Williams is the other great surprise. I cannot believe we've kept him hidden on the bench this long, or else he's just really developed while riding the pine this year. His defense and slashing ability are great, not to mention his energy, if it lasts. We will be an immense problem for other teams with him, Henderson, Scheyer, and Singler all on the perimeter. I can't wait to see how well this continues to work in our upcoming games.

I'm stunned that I almost forgot about Singler, of all people.
Coach Knight and Coach K spent a little time together before the St. John's game. During that game Coach Knight commented frequently about the "five forward" lineup and its virtues for Duke. Coincidence? I don't think so.

91devil
02-23-2009, 11:43 AM
In an article from The Sporting News it says that the Cameron crazies were at less than capacity last night. Is this true?

The bleacher seats next to the band were wide open, probably the last thirty feet or so of bleacher space. The Crazies were NOT at full capacity last night.

The official listed attendance is always 9314 because the upper level seats are sold out AND the figures assume that the bleachers are always full. Difficult, I would say, to ascertain how many 'empty' student bleacher seats there were.

But the student section was decidedly not full.

Acymetric
02-23-2009, 11:44 AM
Cameron was at capacity. There were two seats open in the fat-cat section next to me, which is just a heinous crime. But otherwise I didn't see an empty seat in the house.

Also note, since the student section is bleachers, and America becomes more obese by the minute, our capacity will diminish as more students become obese and fewer bodies can be sardined in there :D

No, there was quite a bit of empty space in the student section. The corner by the band, and it looked like the back row (or 2) might have been empty as well.

davekay1971
02-23-2009, 12:05 PM
Consider me corrected about attendance then. I really didn't notice the empty sections. I got in off of a pretty crazy connection, but that was a one-time thing. Alumns and fans (like me) would definely scoop up the tickets if they were made available. While I still give props to the students that were there for being loud and enthusiastic, if the student body as a whole can't fill up the section for a big conference game like Wake, I wouldn't blame the administration at all for making some extra coin selling those premium seats.

Channing
02-23-2009, 12:22 PM
What were (honest) impressions of the officiating last night? For the most part, I thought it was fine. Its no secret that the refs have not made many friends among ACC fans this year - and last night I saw one of the most blatant (more so than Hansbrough) no calls on a walk I have ever seen (with E. Williams). A Wake friend asked me how Duke outshot Wake by ~10 free throws before Wake started fouling, when Wake took the ball to the hole almost every posession in the 2nd half. I figured it was because they were taking pull ups from 6-8 ft rather than going all the way to the rim.

Highlander
02-23-2009, 12:33 PM
The bleacher seats next to the band were wide open, probably the last thirty feet or so of bleacher space. The Crazies were NOT at full capacity last night.

The official listed attendance is always 9314 because the upper level seats are sold out AND the figures assume that the bleachers are always full. Difficult, I would say, to ascertain how many 'empty' student bleacher seats there were.

But the student section was decidedly not full.

The bleacher seats next to the band have never been part of the student section. They are usually used for varsity athletes, recruiting (fb mostly), or the dance teams. Never in my 4 years were regular students allowed to sit there.

That would probably explain why they were empty; if the athletic office had them allocated to some group and they bailed out at the last minute. If so, they should have filled the section with people from the walk up line. Hopefully no one was turned away.

Then again, my knowledge is from over 10 years ago, so things may have changed.

Bluedog
02-23-2009, 12:39 PM
The bleacher seats next to the band have never been part of the student section. They are usually used for varsity athletes, recruiting (fb mostly), or the dance teams. Never in my 4 years were regular students allowed to sit there.

That would probably explain why they were empty; if the athletic office had them allocated to some group and they bailed out at the last minute. If so, they should have filled the section with people from the walk up line. Hopefully no one was turned away.

Then again, my knowledge is from over 10 years ago, so things may have changed.

People aren't talking about the bleacher seats literally next to the band and behind the basket. Those aren't bleachers anymore and have been replaced with blue cushy comfy seats (I believe davekay1971 was referring to these as the "fat cat" seats). Those are for "special" people who are typically extremely quiet and not students; and they frequently are fairly empty for non-big games, although fill up for the big ones. No idea who gets those but I don't think they're season ticket holders. The bleachers next to the band are the ones on the TV side behind the baseline, so in the corner, but not in the same portion as behind the basket seats. Still in the student section you see on TV, just on the very edge. There were probably 100 or so more people that could have squeezed in there. I'd say it was 95% full. Sunday nights are usually the worst for attendance as lots of people have meetings (lots of sororities, which is 40% of the female population; and, yes, they don't reschedule for basketball games). And I'd guess it's a big mid-term week. Not that I'm making excuses for others...but the majority of students only attend when it's convenient. Add on top of that that the Oscars were at the same time, which certain people care about more...It definitely wasn't at 100% capacity.

Highlander
02-23-2009, 12:47 PM
People aren't talking about the bleacher seats literally next to the band and behind the basket. Those aren't bleachers anymore and have been replaced with blue cushy comfy seats (I believe davekay1971 was referring to these as the "fat cat" seats). Those are for "special" people who are typically extremely quiet and not students; and they frequently are fairly empty for non-big games, although fill up for the big ones. No idea who gets those but I don't think they're season ticket holders. The bleachers next to the band are the ones on the TV side behind the baseline, so in the corner, but not in the same portion as behind the basket seats. Still in the student section you see on TV, just on the very edge. There were probably 100 or so more people that could have squeezed in there. I'd say it was 95% full. Sunday nights are usually the worst for attendance as lots of people have meetings (lots of sororities, which is 40% of the female population; and, yes, they don't reschedule for basketball games). And I'd guess it's a big mid-term week. Not that I'm making excuses for others...but the majority of students only attend when it's convenient. Add on top of that that the Oscars were at the same time, which certain people care about more...It definitely wasn't at 100% capacity.

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.

InSpades
02-23-2009, 12:53 PM
What were (honest) impressions of the officiating last night? For the most part, I thought it was fine. Its no secret that the refs have not made many friends among ACC fans this year - and last night I saw one of the most blatant (more so than Hansbrough) no calls on a walk I have ever seen (with E. Williams). A Wake friend asked me how Duke outshot Wake by ~10 free throws before Wake started fouling, when Wake took the ball to the hole almost every posession in the 2nd half. I figured it was because they were taking pull ups from 6-8 ft rather than going all the way to the rim.

Overall the fouls were pretty even (22-18) considering Wake fouled a lot at the end of the game intentionally. They were just different fouls. Duke was called for fouls trying to deny penetration, Wake was called for fouls trying to block shots. I think this comes down to how the teams play defense (or don't play defense). Duke does a bad job of contesting shots, which led to Wake's very high percentage shooting but also kept them off of the line. Wake goes for a lot of blocked shots which will naturally lead to a lot of shooting fouls (some of them were downright silly, like the foul on Paulus shooting a 3). The only questionable call was the turnover by Teague in the 2nd half along the baseline, but it didn't look bad to me.

jjasper0729
02-23-2009, 01:08 PM
What were (honest) impressions of the officiating last night? For the most part, I thought it was fine. Its no secret that the refs have not made many friends among ACC fans this year - and last night I saw one of the most blatant (more so than Hansbrough) no calls on a walk I have ever seen (with E. Williams). A Wake friend asked me how Duke outshot Wake by ~10 free throws before Wake started fouling, when Wake took the ball to the hole almost every posession in the 2nd half. I figured it was because they were taking pull ups from 6-8 ft rather than going all the way to the rim.

I thought they were a little picky out front with the hand checks, but let a lot of banging go inside throughout the game (there was a play or two where Kyle got knocked down pretty hard going for a rebound).

Wake took the ball into the defense in the second half, but almost always seemed to pull up before help could rotate over and contest anything, hence no foul there. Also, the help probably couldn't come because that would leave one of the wake players a huge opening for a quick pass and a dunk or lay up. The guards for wake were very good in the second half of dishing when contested or pulling up for a mid range jumper.

i thought in the first half, we went to the hole a lot and it paid off by going to the line. I got concerned in the beginning of the second half because we seemed to be settling for jumpers again, just like against the 'holes, but then went back to the bread and butter of the drive and things turned back around for us in terms of momentum.

geraldsneighbor
02-23-2009, 01:18 PM
Any one hear the "One More Year" chants at G after the game? Hopefully, G decides to oblige.

roywhite
02-23-2009, 01:25 PM
Any one hear the "One More Year" chants at G after the game? Hopefully, G decides to oblige.

Gerald has been a good player at Duke, but he's been at a different level in the last two months, and perhaps never better than he was yesterday. It would seem strange if yesterday's game was his next-to-last game in Cameron.

I respect whatever his decision may be as to when to turn pro, but I'd love to see him back for Duke next season. :) What a great player to watch.

JDev
02-23-2009, 01:36 PM
I have been thinking about the 61% shooting Duke gave up, as that is a huge number, and trying to determine whether the greatest attributer was defensive struggles or Wake playing excellent offensively. Duke did let Wake's guards get in the lane far too often, but they generated 20 turnovers which turned into a lot of points. Plus, in crunch time in the last five minutes, Duke tightened and Wake had many more empty possessions as Duke stretched the lead back out to double digits. According to G-Man last night, one of the things that Wake worked on was obviously spreading and driving, but being careful not to over-drive and get a charge. Wake's guards hit a bevy of running, pull-up banked jumpers from 6-8 feet, as opposed to trying to get all the way to the rim. That is a tough shot, as you are generally moving at full speed, then stop on a dime and elevate just short of the defenders in front of you, and use the glass on the shot. As I can recall, I don't think Wake missed a single one of those shots.

geraldsneighbor
02-23-2009, 01:40 PM
Gerald has been a good player at Duke, but he's been at a different level in the last two months, and perhaps never better than he was yesterday. It would seem strange if yesterday's game was his next-to-last game in Cameron.

I respect whatever his decision may be as to when to turn pro, but I'd love to see him back for Duke next season. :) What a great player to watch.

Very well said. He represents Duke is a very positive matter as well. I would hate to see him leave when it feels like he has just found himself as a player. He is special to watch.

bjornolf
02-23-2009, 01:59 PM
If I remember correctly, we used to SCHEDULE our fraternity meeting AROUND the basketball schedule, and if a game got moved for some reason, we moved the meeting. I think we may have even had an informal meeting in the tents once or twice. This was before there was internet and power in the tents, so it was a lot harder to get productive work done back then in K-Ville (like breaking our solitaire records!)

As for the game, people were commenting on the rebounding and field goal percentage. Wake only missed 23 shots in the game and we got half those boards, it says we got 12 deffensive and they got 12 offensive. Considering their size advantage and offensive style, that's not bad. They killed us on the other end, where they got 22 def. to our 11 off. boards, since we only missed 28 shots. However, again, with the size difference and our offensive style, that's really not that bad (plus, I think five of those came on our missed FTs, and it's pretty hard to get offensive rebounds on those with their size compared to ours...Wake only missed 2 FTs, so we had fewer opportunities for fairly easy boards there). There weren't as many rebounds available in this game because both teams shot pretty well, and Wake had so many turnovers without getting a shot. So, I didn't think the rebounding edge meant THAT much, especially since we missed a lot more FTs than they did (since we took so many more) and forced 14 more turnovers.

JMHO.

ncexnyc
02-23-2009, 02:31 PM
What were (honest) impressions of the officiating last night? For the most part, I thought it was fine. Its no secret that the refs have not made many friends among ACC fans this year - and last night I saw one of the most blatant (more so than Hansbrough) no calls on a walk I have ever seen (with E. Williams). A Wake friend asked me how Duke outshot Wake by ~10 free throws before Wake started fouling, when Wake took the ball to the hole almost every posession in the 2nd half. I figured it was because they were taking pull ups from 6-8 ft rather than going all the way to the rim.

I'm pretty sure I know which EWill play you're talking about. He got the ball way out on the side and the defender came out to challenge him and it appeared he just starting shuffling both his feet before he decide to make his move.

roywhite
02-23-2009, 02:33 PM
As for the game, people were commenting on the rebounding and field goal percentage. Wake only missed 23 shots in the game and we got half those boards, it says we got 12 deffensive and they got 12 offensive. Considering their size advantage and offensive style, that's not bad. They killed us on the other end, where they got 22 def. to our 11 off. boards, since we only missed 28 shots. However, again, with the size difference and our offensive style, that's really not that bad (plus, I think five of those came on our missed FTs, and it's pretty hard to get offensive rebounds on those with their size compared to ours...Wake only missed 2 FTs, so we had fewer opportunities for fairly easy boards there). There weren't as many rebounds available in this game because both teams shot pretty well, and Wake had so many turnovers without getting a shot. So, I didn't think the rebounding edge meant THAT much, especially since we missed a lot more FTs than they did (since we took so many more) and forced 14 more turnovers.

JMHO.

In looking at team stats for conference games only (theacc.com is one site that has that info), we are not at the top in many stats, but are still #1 in a significant category---turnover margin.

UrinalCake
02-23-2009, 02:43 PM
A lot of times what happens is that those corner seats are full at the start of the game, but as the game progresses everyone naturally "pinches" inwards to get a better view. So the cameras will show some empty seats on the very sides of the student sections and assume that the place isn't full, but it's only because the students, who were already squashed in to begin with, have compacted in even farther.

The only thing I found to be more cramped than Cameron were the buses returning to East Campus at 2am 8-).

throatybeard
02-23-2009, 02:48 PM
The bleacher seats next to the band have never been part of the student section. They are usually used for varsity athletes, recruiting (fb mostly), or the dance teams. Never in my 4 years were regular students allowed to sit there.

That would probably explain why they were empty; if the athletic office had them allocated to some group and they bailed out at the last minute. If so, they should have filled the section with people from the walk up line. Hopefully no one was turned away.

Then again, my knowledge is from over 10 years ago, so things may have changed.

I stood in that area for a few games in 1994-95, mostly before ACC season.

Devil in the Blue Dress
02-23-2009, 02:50 PM
A lot of times what happens is that those corner seats are full at the start of the game, but as the game progresses everyone naturally "pinches" inwards to get a better view. So the cameras will show some empty seats on the very sides of the student sections and assume that the place isn't full, but it's only because the students, who were already squashed in to begin with, have compacted in even farther.

The only thing I found to be more cramped than Cameron were the buses returning to East Campus at 2am 8-).

While your observation fits what can happen at a game, it's not what I observed last night. My seats are in the fourth row overlooking the Duke team's exit to the locker room and the adjacent student section. The seats just weren't filled. Late comers did come in as the game progressed, but there were a number of seats still available. Upstairs there were a surprising number of unused seats as well.

captmojo
02-23-2009, 02:57 PM
What were (honest) impressions of the officiating last night? For the most part, I thought it was fine. Its no secret that the refs have not made many friends among ACC fans this year - and last night I saw one of the most blatant (more so than Hansbrough) no calls on a walk I have ever seen (with E. Williams). A Wake friend asked me how Duke outshot Wake by ~10 free throws before Wake started fouling, when Wake took the ball to the hole almost every posession in the 2nd half. I figured it was because they were taking pull ups from 6-8 ft rather than going all the way to the rim.

Grade B+ They caught most everything. I grimaced when I saw that 1-2-3-4 side rocking shuffle and could not have put out if it were called. Really, it should have been seen. :o


The bleacher seats next to the band have never been part of the student section. They are usually used for varsity athletes, recruiting (fb mostly), or the dance teams. Never in my 4 years were regular students allowed to sit there.

That would probably explain why they were empty; if the athletic office had them allocated to some group and they bailed out at the last minute. If so, they should have filled the section with people from the walk up line. Hopefully no one was turned away.

Then again, my knowledge is from over 10 years ago, so things may have changed.

...and in the second half, Coaches Wojo and Collins had to get on those sitting there to get up and cause distraction for Wake free-throw shooters. :(

Highlander
02-23-2009, 02:57 PM
I stood in that area for a few games in 1994-95, mostly before ACC season.

U sure it wasn't for a women's game? That section was open for those games. I remember our free throw distraction technique of running down the bleachers at full speed towards the shooter, screaming all the way. It was fairly effective.

Anyway, I don't think it is policed normally, so I don't doubt your recollection. I just remember that section was typically always being used by someone in the athletic department. The women's bball team sat over there a fair amount. Oh, and the band was a lot bigger in my day, so there was less room than there is now.

dbd4ever
02-23-2009, 03:08 PM
No, there was quite a bit of empty space in the student section. The corner by the band, and it looked like the back row (or 2) might have been empty as well.

This crap makes me sick!!! I try all season to find tickets and I can't find them for less than hundreds of dollars each. I am almost 5 hours away so it's kind of a stretch to drive all the way to Raleigh for a week night game or any game without some certainty of getting tickets. But it makes me sick to hear people talk about the empty sections and it's even gotten as bad in some games that you could see the sections of empty seats on the TV during the game. If you don't want your tix please put them on the board and I promise someone will buy them or just take them off of your hands. It doesn't matter what section they are in!! Just a little rant!! I've never been to a game and would die to have the chance!!!

Rudy
02-23-2009, 04:31 PM
This crap makes me sick!!! I try all season to find tickets and I can't find them for less than hundreds of dollars each. I am almost 5 hours away so it's kind of a stretch to drive all the way to Raleigh for a week night game or any game without some certainty of getting tickets. But it makes me sick to hear people talk about the empty sections and it's even gotten as bad in some games that you could see the sections of empty seats on the TV during the game. If you don't want your tix please put them on the board and I promise someone will buy them or just take them off of your hands. It doesn't matter what section they are in!! Just a little rant!! I've never been to a game and would die to have the chance!!!

Have you read the advice on the ticket exchange section of this site? If you've never seen a game in CIS you could drive there for the weekend and try one of those ideas. Chances seem pretty good if you pick something other than a premier (Wake or UNC) game. http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4387

BahamaDukie
02-23-2009, 11:52 PM
As a long time Duke supporter and fan, I have just joined this board, and while last night looked good, I still have concerns.

Now every fan has concerns about their team and there is no way these guys can play great night in and night out,..... but IMHO we got away with alot last that we have not in previous games....

in other words, we did not have a different plan of attack per se, but things just went our way......

we shot much better....not that I think our shot selection was good again...too many 3's, but they fell. If they don't we probably lose or it comes down to the buzzer.

In the process, of poor shot selection, we continued to get beat off the dribble by quicker guards.....fortunately last night we came back down and scored often enough.

Our man to man is not real good, because our inside presence in not the least bit intimidating...shot blocking is not a real worry for opponents.
I would love to see some zone, to slow teams down, and save our legs which we have not had in March for years....and then Zoubek could give us some much needed minutes

Gerald was great....but we may not see him Cameron but one more time....sadly

Scheyer was very good offensively, and his shot seems to be back....plus the team looked much more confident with him at the Point...

Williams is coming into his own, and talk of him transferring will hopefully stop...he can play.

Nolan is struggling, and it looks to be mental...hopefully he will bounce back soon.

K looked stressed to me, but very happy with his teams performance at the end....lots of smiles!

As a kid, I snuck into Cameron when nobody cared, even rebounded for the team when they warmed up.. back then nobody cared.....I watched McGeaghy and Waters teams, and was in St. Louis with Foster's Final Four Team.....so I have seen the good and the bad for many years now.

I hope that my comments will be accepted as thoughts, concerns and humble opinions, and that we can discuss what we watch, versus defy those that see things differently.

I hope we make a run, but feel that we have a very tough stretch against teams we may not match up very well with....

Go Duke

yancem
02-24-2009, 12:23 AM
I think that your concerns are reasonable and legit. We do at times rely to heavily on the three. I think that Singler is the biggest culprit but Scheyer sometimes gets stuck in three mode. Singler seems to have better games (and actually this includes 3pt shooting) when he starts off with a few closer shots to get into a rhythm.

The guard penetration is a little more tricky. Yes, Wake drove by us like we were standing still but Teague and Smith are incredibly quick and really, they do that to just about everyone when they decide to be aggressive. They also are about as good as you can find at pulling up for 5 footer. I larger shot blocking presence would help and I think that Plumlee will play that role eventually but I'm not sure if he can step up enough by the end of the season. Then again, I wasn't sure that Williams would be able to either and I was wrong about that.

Nolan is one of my biggest concerns. He is very gifted athletically and is a strong defender. He just needs to clear his head and stop thinking so much. If he can shake loose of his funk, he and Williams might be able to address the penetration issue.

After last night though, I have renewed confidence. First Henderson has really stepped it up and has demonstrated that he can carry the team for pretty long stretches. Second, Scheyer seems to have taken to being the floor general and not only has his shot seemed to returned but the reduction of turnovers has made the offense more efficient. He also doesn't have the propensity to stand near mid court dribbling the ball to death. Against St Johns and again against Wake, there was much better ball movement. Also, with Williams getting more minutes we have an extra slasher of our own.

The offense is working much better than earlier in the year and hopefully as Williams gets more comfortable with the team aspect of defense (and maybe better minutes from Smith with a little more Plumlee in the middle) we will improve on that end of the floor as well.

I just feel bad for Paulus because the revamped lineup doesn't seem to provide many minutes for him and that is a shame because has worked so hard and been such an integral part of the team for the past 4 years. you hate to see a senior go out like that. Here's a deep run in the tourney with maybe a couple of clutch shots from Paulus so that he can go out in style.

BahamaDukie
02-24-2009, 12:35 AM
Paulus is a great kid, but his inability to play man to man against most PG's is a huge liability.
He had a great career, and who thought he really could early on.

K loves him, and I expect to see him coaching somewhere.

With him on the court playing strictly man to man, again he is a liability...IMHO, another reason we should play more zone, more players and stay stronger into the tourney.....but not holding my breath!

BlueintheFace
02-24-2009, 12:39 AM
Winning is so unfulfilling sometimes... wait, no it isn't.

You make some valid points, but there is no such thing as a perfect game. Every team has holes on offense and defense. The key is to hide them as best you can and win. Lets hope we can keep doing that.

dukeblue4ever
02-24-2009, 07:34 AM
Grade B+ They caught most everything. I grimaced when I saw that 1-2-3-4 side rocking shuffle and could not have put out if it were called. Really, it should have been seen. :o



...and in the second half, Coaches Wojo and Collins had to get on those sitting there to get up and cause distraction for Wake free-throw shooters. :(And did anybody else see that blatant forearm a Wake guard threw at Kyle when he set a backcourt pick?

DukieInKansas
02-24-2009, 10:19 AM
And did anybody else see that blatant forearm a Wake guard threw at Kyle when he set a backcourt pick?

Couldn't have happened - no foul was called and we all know Duke gets all the calls. :rolleyes:

Yes, I saw it and couldn't believe there wasn't a call and also that it caught Kyle off guard enough to knock him down.

CDu
02-24-2009, 10:23 AM
And did anybody else see that blatant forearm a Wake guard threw at Kyle when he set a backcourt pick?

I thought it was just a hard shoulder to Singler's chest, not a forearm. Smith basically just ran through the screen. In either case, a call should have been made when a guy runs through a screen like that.

dukeblue4ever
02-24-2009, 03:18 PM
I thought it was just a hard shoulder to Singler's chest, not a forearm. Smith basically just ran through the screen. In either case, a call should have been made when a guy runs through a screen like that.The way the contact was made looked like that; however, as Kyle was falling down, the Wake dude (smith?) followed through with the blow. I watched this at least twenty times, and I can't believe how it wasn't called.