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View Full Version : MBB: Duke 74, Texas 69 (NCAA Tournament) Post-Game Thread



Jumbo
03-21-2009, 10:40 PM
Survive and advance -- isn't that what they say? On to the Sweet 16!

feldspar
03-21-2009, 10:41 PM
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Sweet 16, baby.

Great win against some tough circumstances. This just feels good. :D

roywhite
03-21-2009, 10:42 PM
Whew. Good win, guys.

Never fell behind; made some key plays in the last minute; beat a good team. On to the next round!

MarkD83
03-21-2009, 10:42 PM
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

Troublemaker
03-21-2009, 10:42 PM
Scheyer's sideline ball save into the backcourt is going to be legendary.

mgtr
03-21-2009, 10:43 PM
Great win, another wonderful team effort. A lot of good work by our guys, and some luck thrown in. I'll take it!

GoingFor#5
03-21-2009, 10:43 PM
Breaking News: Scheyer, Henderson, Zoubek have just fouled out.....

Update: Greg Paulus has now fouled out.

loran16
03-21-2009, 10:43 PM
This game was eerily similar to Duke-LSU 3 years ago, in that we didnt hit a field goal for the last 6+ minutes. Something that needs serious work on in the next 3 days.

willowglen
03-21-2009, 10:43 PM
relief...

FireOgilvie
03-21-2009, 10:43 PM
Here's to not fouling out in the Sweet Sixteen!

DukeUsul
03-21-2009, 10:43 PM
Whew! and Woooo!

ice-9
03-21-2009, 10:43 PM
PHEW!

Thank God
- Ward didn't discover how good he is against Duke until the second half
- Texas missed as many free throws as they did

Somehow, I just *knew* Elliot was going to miss those two free throws at the end. Anyone else??

Gerald didn't shoot well from the field but he was clutch on the free throw line.

Kyle was much better in the second half.

Jon, Nolan and Zoubek played excellent games.

Our fantastic D and clutch free throw shooting (Elliot's aside) won this game.

Next: Villanova. We're going to have our hands full for that game -- don't they have 2 or 3 Ward-type players?

Bob Green
03-21-2009, 10:43 PM
Scheyer's sideline ball save into the backcourt is going to be legendary.

Play of the Game!!!

MarkD83
03-21-2009, 10:44 PM
yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sm not sure if I am more relieved or excited, but I will enjoy watching all of the highlights and sweet 16 shows for the first time in three years.

NSDukeFan
03-21-2009, 10:44 PM
I haven't seen the stats about rebounding, but when we missed some shots at the end, man did we ever go hard to the boards. I loved Singler's tip-in, where he seemed to run from a ways away and just out-hustle everyone and then a couple of other key boards for second chance points. What a gutty win! I was thinking as Clark Kellogg made a comment that the higher seeded team playing closer to get home would get nervous, how many tight games we have been in and won this year and though my heart was beating hard, thought we would find a way. Great win!

TaiAdmiral
03-21-2009, 10:44 PM
Excitement on east campus!!

_Gary
03-21-2009, 10:44 PM
Huge win in difficult circumstances. Sometimes teams that just barely escape in the first weekend actually make long runs in the tourney, so here's to hoping for good things next week in Boston.

House G
03-21-2009, 10:45 PM
This team is very special! We are reaping the benefits of having played a very tough schedule and finally having sufficient depth to weather guys in foul trouble.

ndkjr70
03-21-2009, 10:45 PM
Relief? Can someone say "we've been spoiled"? We're going to the sweet-16 for the first time since 4 and 23 roamed the court as opposed to the rafters; I'd call that EXCITEMENT, BABY!!

AIRFORCEDUKIE
03-21-2009, 10:45 PM
Excitment were going to the sweet 16 baby it couldn't get any better than that tonight

taiw93
03-21-2009, 10:45 PM
I can say, quite confidently, that last year's team would NOT have won this game. We looked like a veteran group out there, and everyone played their butts off. The team, especially Jon and G, was very clutch down the stretch. This team has learned a lot from past shortcomings, and has thus improved dramatically. Regardless of what happens Thursday or throughout the rest of the tournament, I am very proud of the team this year (not that my opinion matters ;))

ice-9
03-21-2009, 10:45 PM
Big relief. When Texas tied the game late, I was thinking "Uh-oh, here we go again..."

kaufmjo
03-21-2009, 10:45 PM
To quote Nance, we DEFINATELY caught some breaks there at the end. That being said this was a game we lose the past few years, but this team seems to have luck on its side for once. They played great in the face of terribly inconsistent officiating but pulled it out. There will be lots to work on b4 Nova but a hard earned win is probably useful as opposed to a blowout. Back to the 16 - its been too long!

miramar
03-21-2009, 10:46 PM
That was a really satisfying victory against a very determined Longhorn team. We shouldn't have given up that 10-point lead, but Duke came back strong in the end, albeit with some help from the three-point gods.

Duke got the five-point margin at the free-throw line. Texas went 16/25 (64%) and Duke 21/27 (78%).

That makes 30 wins and 9 out of ten! Let's keep it going against Nova.

rthomas
03-21-2009, 10:46 PM
I've paid my dues -
Time after time -
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime -
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face -
But I've come through

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions - of the world -

Sweet 16!!!!!

dukelifer
03-21-2009, 10:46 PM
Survive and advance -- isn't that what they say? On to the Sweet 16!

What a gutty win. Even though Duke gave up a lot of shots- Texas never really got in a rhythm. They took Abrams and Pittman out of the game and let the other guys beat them- and they almost did- that three was in an out. But Duke really could have folded when they gave up the big lead- but the guys hit their throws (well mostly) and made heady plays when it counted. The save by Scheyer was the play of the game- just amazing as he knew exactly what he needed to do. At the end, Dave McClure helped to get the rebound after the Williams miss. That was a huge play. Duke played well when they had to and withstood a good effort by Texas. But all you need to do it win em. Now to the next round. Great to be back to the sweet 16.

HK Dukie
03-21-2009, 10:46 PM
EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

I love this team. Can't wait for the next play!

jv001
03-21-2009, 10:46 PM
The game was not very pretty due to the physical play, and it was sure nerve racking. Glad we won for Elliot's sake. Those missed FTs could have killed us. Elliot has to do something about that flying chicken wing that he has (poor form). Well on to Boston and a date with Villanova. No one will pick us to win so let's show them "We Are Duke".

arnie
03-21-2009, 10:47 PM
Nolan and Scheyer when it counted. Very gutty as usual by everyone. Don't see us beating the stronger teams next weekend - but you never know!

ndkjr70
03-21-2009, 10:47 PM
I can't remember a more pivotal play in a basketball game that won't show up on the scoresheet (even moreso because someone missed some free throws), but that single play is one of the best I've seen from duke in the past 3 years.

devildownunder
03-21-2009, 10:47 PM
I'm going to call him Jon "Magic" Scheyer after this -- for at least until Thursday. :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZnLgYfhhKw&feature=related

CameronCrazy'11
03-21-2009, 10:47 PM
Relief briefly, now excitement.

ndkjr70
03-21-2009, 10:48 PM
Nolan and Scheyer when it counted. Very gutty as usual by everyone. Don't see us beating the stronger teams next weekend - but you never know!

Only 3 posts in, I can tell how positive everyone is!! [/sarcasm]

BobbyFan
03-21-2009, 10:48 PM
Games like this make you appreciate the phenomenal run we had in the late 80s/early 90s when a Final Four appearance was the norm. It's hard to remember how we made it seem so easy then.

Regardless, a Sweet Sixteen is a major accomplishment for this group.

_Gary
03-21-2009, 10:50 PM
To quote Nance, we DEFINATELY caught some breaks there at the end.

Maybe, but Texas caught huge breaks via the refs on the phantom 4th called on Kyle when we were up by 10 and he had just forced Abrams into a 3 point miss. That play, along with Jon getting his pocket picked, put Texas right back in the thick of things. I believe had that call not gone against us we would have pulled away for a convincing win. But whatever. Nance can say whatever he wants. We won and are advancing. That's the main thing.

OldPhiKap
03-21-2009, 10:50 PM
Both.

Survive and advance, baby.

LGD!!!

kaufmjo
03-21-2009, 10:50 PM
Lets not forget how clutch Singler's flying tip in of G's miss. Incredibly athletic play that could have been huge if we didnt score

grossbus
03-21-2009, 10:50 PM
stomach pains, but i can take it.

GoingFor#5
03-21-2009, 10:51 PM
Maybe, but Texas caught huge breaks via the refs on the phantom 4th called on Kyle when we were up by 10 and he had just forced Abrams into a 3 point miss. That play, along with Jon getting his pocket picked, put Texas right back in the thick of things. I believe had that call not gone against us we would have pulled away for a convincing win. But whatever. Nance can say whatever he wants. We won and are advancing. That's the main thing.

I agree with this. The Singler phantom foul along with a clear over-the-back that was uncalled contributed to all the anxiety at the end. I felt like we would have won by about 10 otherwise. After we got that lead, it seemed the refs pretty much dictated everything the rest of the game.

HCheek37
03-21-2009, 10:51 PM
Just joined the forum and man it is a relief to get that game. The guys did not flow really well on offense, had some defensive lapses, and missed some late FTs, but as it has been all year, they found a way to win a game that they probably would not have won the previous two years.

It seemed to me like Texas had 3 or 4 3pointers that were halfway down and could not stay there, so i guess if the refs were not too fair the rims made up for it.

I am excited for next weekend, while the Sweet 16 is not the ultimate goal, it is good to be back and we KNOW this team is not going down easy.

concrete
03-21-2009, 10:51 PM
Maybe, but Texas caught huge breaks via the refs on the phantom 4th called on Kyle when we were up by 10 and he had just forced Abrams into a 3 point miss. That play, along with Jon getting his pocket picked, put Texas right back in the thick of things. I believe had that call not gone against us we would have pulled away for a convincing win. But whatever. Nance can say whatever he wants. We won and are advancing. That's the main thing.

then we got the palming call on Nolan... so it was almost 3 plays in a row

JDev
03-21-2009, 10:51 PM
To quote Nance, we DEFINATELY caught some breaks there at the end. That being said this was a game we lose the past few years, but this team seems to have luck on its side for once.

I always tell my guys that the harder you work the luckier you get. The loose balls seem to bounce your way, but it is because you are hustling after it and putting yourself in that position.
Good tough win. Duke never surrendered the lead, despite sporadic scoring in the final 5 minutes. It would have been very disheartening if Ward, a 3pt. scorer, had effectively beaten Duke. Texas was a preseason top ten team, and that was a high quality win. It is great to advance and Villanova will be tough.

Coballs
03-21-2009, 10:53 PM
Great W. To lose this one would have been painful. I thought we had this one going away, but then came Singler's 4th (and 5th) fouls. I would love to see a replay of that call. It sure looked like a phantom foul to me. It almost became the pivotal play of the game, giving Abrams 3 FTs and Texas new life. Of course, no replay from CBS.

OldPhiKap
03-21-2009, 10:53 PM
Just joined the forum and man it is a relief to get that game. The guys did not flow really well on offense, had some defensive lapses, and missed some late FTs, but as it has been all year, they found a way to win a game that they probably would not have won the previous two years.

It seemed to me like Texas had 3 or 4 3pointers that were halfway down and could not stay there, so i guess if the refs were not too fair the rims made up for it.

I am excited for next weekend, while the Sweet 16 is not the ultimate goal, it is good to be back and we KNOW this team is not going down easy.

Welcome, HC37. Good day for your first post.

BlueintheFace
03-21-2009, 10:53 PM
SURVIVE!!!! ... and advance.

1) How can G be so infuriating and so awesome at the same time

2) I really think we need to run through Kyle a bit more.

3) JON "HERO" SCHEYER. His defense on Abrams... his poise... "The Save." Just Amazing.

GoingFor#5
03-21-2009, 10:54 PM
"The Save" goes nicely with "The Shot" and "The Alleyoop"

JDev
03-21-2009, 10:55 PM
Coach in his presser just gave Kyle big props on his tip-in to put Duke up two. That was as big a play as Jon's sideline save. He also compared Jon's save to a play Magic Johnson would make, and Jon got a kick out of that comparison. K then reffered to him as "Magic."

jv001
03-21-2009, 10:57 PM
Hey isn't that where Taylor King transferred to? Let's start his experience off right. Go Duke!

miramar
03-21-2009, 10:57 PM
stomach pains, but i can take it.

You are not alone!

dukestheheat
03-21-2009, 10:57 PM
Survive and advance -- isn't that what they say? On to the Sweet 16!

That is what this whole tournament is all about. You only need one more point than your opponent when the final horn sounds, and today we got five more.

That play with Scheyer was really cool and also funny at the same time: Scheyer throws it in and then Williams takes off and runs like a deer getting away from a forest fire! That was a great play and thank goodness the referee was looking not only at the ball position but at the player, or he would have missed the shove with Johnson on Elliott.

I am so proud of this team and K and the guys are really rolling. We owe this team our gratitude and this is just one more reason it's the best thing in the world to be associated with Duke!

On to preparing for Villanova!

One game at a time!

dukestheheat.

BobbyFan
03-21-2009, 10:59 PM
Coach in his presser just gave Kyle big props on his tip-in to put Duke up two. That was as big a play as Jon's sideline save.

Bigger, IMO.

jipops
03-21-2009, 11:00 PM
I'm so relieved and happy for the win!!!

BUT CAN WE PLEASE MAINTAIN A GOD FORSAKEN LEAD!!!

Uncharacteristic turnovers near the end but huge guts to pull this one out.

Virginian
03-21-2009, 11:00 PM
But far too exciting at the end. My wife declared she couldn't stand to watch and left the room. I had to keep running into the next room and giving updates: "we're up by three with 27 to play and shooting free throws." Then I'd dash back to watch. Back and forth it went. Too much, but worth it.

mapei
03-21-2009, 11:01 PM
Nothing to add, just wanted to be part of the crowd. Luck helped but, as someone posted, we put ourselves in position to benefit from luck when it came. Our big 3 all made huge plays at various times. Texas is better than their seed would suggest.

GADevilFan
03-21-2009, 11:01 PM
Great, exciting win.... I was yelling at the TV!

And .... I don't care what those other two posters think, Geg P. is awesome, and I will miss watching him play next year. Support your team ... don't attack your own imho

devildownunder
03-21-2009, 11:01 PM
This game was eerily similar to Duke-LSU 3 years ago, in that we didnt hit a field goal for the last 6+ minutes. Something that needs serious work on in the next 3 days.

Singler's putback came in the last minute or so.

InSpades
03-21-2009, 11:01 PM
Great win, dunno if I can take too many more of those (but if we can get 4 more it will all be worth it).

I was very impressed w/ Abrams. I mean he is very 1-dimensional (so it seemed) but that 1-dimension is amazing. His release is as quick as any I've ever seen and he hit some shots that I thought were awful decisions. Lots of credit for the win goes to the defensive effort on him and while it was mainly Scheyer, the whole team should get credit as everyone switched onto him at one point or another.

I think Texas lost the game because of Balbay. His lack of an offensive game allowed Duke to play much better defense against the other 4 Texas players on the floor.

Good all-around game from the Blue Devils. It seems like everyone contributed in some way or another. One of the biggest plays was McClure keeping alive the rebound after Elliot's 2nd miss. Scheyer's amazing save.

I was lucky enough to have CBS go away from the Duke game to show Western Kentucky and Gonzaga go into overtime :(. So I missed Singler's tip-in and the following foul. I'm assuming this was not the case for everyone else.

Duke76
03-21-2009, 11:01 PM
Jon's play to something Magic would have done. Jon should have said "yea but Magic would have made it"

great win

Saratoga2
03-21-2009, 11:01 PM
Zoubek and Thomas held their own in there but having them and Singler in foul trouble really contributed in Texas getting back into the game.

A series of plays toward the end almost lost us the game, but this team is resilient and managed to out hustle Texass in the last minute to secure the win.

We contained Abrams fairly well, but then the Singler foul on the Abrams 3 point play (was it really) caused Singler to sit and putting us at a disadvantage. Then we had Scheyers pocket picked, followed by a Smith palming and finally a Henderson fumble out of bounds. Still we won.

Williams on the ball defense seemed to be better at stopping penetration tonight.

4 scorers in double figures and an excellent game by Henderson. On to Villanova.

Dukefan4Life
03-21-2009, 11:02 PM
Yesssssssssss! what a game! what great Defense we played tonight! on to the sweet 16!!!!!!!!:D:D

devildownunder
03-21-2009, 11:04 PM
PHEW!

Thank God
- Ward didn't discover how good he is against Duke until the second half
- Texas missed as many free throws as they did

Somehow, I just *knew* Elliot was going to miss those two free throws at the end. Anyone else??

Gerald didn't shoot well from the field but he was clutch on the free throw line.

Kyle was much better in the second half.

Jon, Nolan and Zoubek played excellent games.

Our fantastic D and clutch free throw shooting (Elliot's aside) won this game.

Next: Villanova. We're going to have our hands full for that game -- don't they have 2 or 3 Ward-type players?

Let's give E-Will a bit of a break. I remember another Duke freshman who missed a couple of huge free throws once, too. He wore #32 and turned out all right. It's an extremely tough situation and despite what happened we won. I hope we can resist harping on it.

bsktballpunk2253
03-21-2009, 11:05 PM
After that save, I think I actually fell to the floor in front of the TV and bowed down to Jon Scheyer...

This game was so stressful, but I enjoyed watching it so much!

concrete
03-21-2009, 11:07 PM
Great win, dunno if I can take too many more of those (but if we can get 4 more it will all be worth it).

I was very impressed w/ Abrams. I mean he is very 1-dimensional (so it seemed) but that 1-dimension is amazing. His release is as quick as any I've ever seen and he hit some shots that I thought were awful decisions. Lots of credit for the win goes to the defensive effort on him and while it was mainly Scheyer, the whole team should get credit as everyone switched onto him at one point or another.

I think Texas lost the game because of Balbay. His lack of an offensive game allowed Duke to play much better defense against the other 4 Texas players on the floor.

Good all-around game from the Blue Devils. It seems like everyone contributed in some way or another. One of the biggest plays was McClure keeping alive the rebound after Elliot's 2nd miss. Scheyer's amazing save.

I was lucky enough to have CBS go away from the Duke game to show Western Kentucky and Gonzaga go into overtime :(. So I missed Singler's tip-in and the following foul. I'm assuming this was not the case for everyone else.

I'm happy Abrams wasn't taking more shots at the end, i think he could have hit from anywhere (a la Jack McClinton)

marinbobbyduhon
03-21-2009, 11:08 PM
This game was eerily similar to Duke-LSU 3 years ago, in that we didnt hit a field goal for the last 6+ minutes. Something that needs serious work on in the next 3 days.

I think Kyle's tip-in qualifies for a field goal! And it was one of the most important plays of the game, to boot. This team just does not quit. I am really proud of them.

mcdukie
03-21-2009, 11:09 PM
No matter what, in a close game like that people are going to say we won because of the refs. I am watching a wrap-up show on CBS Sports saying Duke got some calls. Did the refs have anything to do with Texas missing free throws and not rebounding. It can be tough to be a Duke fan....But I Love It!! Let's just enjoy going to the sweet 16 for the 1st time in a few years. We can be negative on another night. Last years team would not have won that game. Feels good to be a Dukie!!!!!

devildownunder
03-21-2009, 11:09 PM
To quote Nance, we DEFINATELY caught some breaks there at the end. That being said this was a game we lose the past few years, but this team seems to have luck on its side for once. They played great in the face of terribly inconsistent officiating but pulled it out. There will be lots to work on b4 Nova but a hard earned win is probably useful as opposed to a blowout. Back to the 16 - its been too long!

What did luck have to do with this win? Down the stretch we out-hustled, out-rebounded and out-smarted (thank you Scheyer) Texas. Luck my tail feathers.

Son of Mojo
03-21-2009, 11:10 PM
This team is tempered--they've been through some tough games all season (hard to believe the first real one this season was 3 games in with Rhode Island so long ago........) and it's made them better. I was glad to face Texas because they're really good. So was Binghamton (they were just too amped up in spots). Now it's time to keep this thing going--survive and advance......mini-tournament 1 complete. Let's get to & through mini-tournament 2!!!

moonpie23
03-21-2009, 11:11 PM
awesome AWESOME win.....gritty..

jon, you da man....that throw-back was amazing...


thanks guys........the onus is off...

on to VILLANOVA !!!

devildownunder
03-21-2009, 11:11 PM
No matter what, in a close game like that people are going to say we won because of the refs. I am watching a wrap-up show on CBS Sports saying Duke got some calls. Did the refs have anything to do with Texas missing free throws and not rebounding. It can be tough to be a Duke fan....But I Love It!! Let's just enjoy going to the sweet 16 for the 1st time in a few years. We can be negative on another night. Last years team would not have won that game. Feels good to be a Dukie!!!!!

Forget whatever nonsense they say on TV. We didn't get any calls tonight. What calls do they mean? The two phantom ones on Scheyer? The 3pt-shot foul by Singler on Abrams? The fifth fouls on Zoubek and Singler? Were those the calls we got? People can say whatever they want as sour grapes. Anyone who watched that game knows, deep inside, Duke took this one away from Texas, and took it because we wanted it more than they did. They're just going to have to deal with that.

34dukegal
03-21-2009, 11:12 PM
No matter what, in a close game like that people are going to say we won because of the refs. I am watching a wrap-up show on CBS Sports saying Duke got some calls. Did the refs have anything to do with Texas missing free throws and not rebounding. It can be tough to be a Duke fan....But I Love It!! Let's just enjoy going to the sweet 16 for the 1st time in a few years. We can be negative on another night. Last years team would not have won that game. Feels good to be a Dukie!!!!!

I'm watching the same show and I can not believe that they said the push on E-Will shouldn't have been called. How does that make any sense, he was shoved therefore he was unable to catch the ball (even though he probably wouldn't have). It was a very obvious shove, I was really surprised they actually said that though.

House G
03-21-2009, 11:12 PM
I think the joy on the faces of K and the players after the game may in part reflect finally getting beyond the 2nd round. Here's hoping that "getting the monkey off their backs" will allow them to now play "as if they have nothing to lose". By the way, only two more wins before we can kick Carolina's a**! :D

OldSchool
03-21-2009, 11:15 PM
A number 1 poll ranking

ACC Champions

30 wins

Sweet Sixteen

healthy, deep and still going strong...

Congratulations team!

On to Boston

RelativeWays
03-21-2009, 11:16 PM
Again, I want to remind us fans of the ides of February and how things were quickly getting dire, since then we've won 10 out of the last 11 games, the ACC tourney and now a trip to the sweet 16. 2009 has done a lot to revive this program, I think a win over 'Nova would announce our comeback, much to the haters chagrin. Let them whine about us "getting all the calls" and our "whiney elitists players". I have a special salute for the pundits.

JDev
03-21-2009, 11:17 PM
People can say whatever they want as sour grapes. Anyone who watched that game knows, deep inside, Duke took this one away from Texas, and took it because we wanted it more than they did. They're just going to have to deal with that.

Absolutely right. Complaining about the officials is usually the refuge of sore losers and/or people who don't really understand the game.

House G
03-21-2009, 11:17 PM
Again, I want to remind us fans of the ides of February and how things were quickly getting dire, since then we've won 10 out of the last 11 games, the ACC tourney and now a trip to the sweet 16. 2009 has done a lot to revive this program, I think a win over 'Nova would announce our comeback, much to the haters chagrin. Let them whine about us "getting all the calls" and our "whiney elitists players". I have a special salute for the pundits.
A one finger salute?

Duke79UNLV77
03-21-2009, 11:19 PM
12-3 in the last 4 games! what character he's shown in turning his season around!

Oriole Way
03-21-2009, 11:19 PM
Great win. We caught some breaks, but every call we got in the last couple minutes was legitimate. We were still owed some fouls after the atrocious 4th foul on Singler, which is one of the worst calls I've seen this year (and there have been many terrible calls against Duke this season).

Singler getting his fourth was a turning point, and we almost lost the game because of it. Instead of an 8-pt lead (I assume Texas would have scored that putback), it's 7 and one of our best scoring and rebounding options has to sit. Absolutely terrible call and a devastating disadvantage.

dukepsy1963
03-21-2009, 11:20 PM
This old Dukie thanks the entire team for a great, great birthday present!!!

34dukegal
03-21-2009, 11:20 PM
I want to know who this bitter idiot is on the CBS March Madness highlights show is. I missed the intros so I'm not sure but he's just awful.

First he's talking about the calls and how Barnes must be furious, then when they mention that Duke and Carolina are all that's left from the ACC he smugly says "that tells you something about the ACC."

DevilYouthCoach
03-21-2009, 11:25 PM
I have been trying to think about the "thinking" that went into making that play. Somehow he had it all programed into his body when he went after that ball, caught it, shifted it to his left hand, for goodness sakes, and threw a perfect high arc over everyone's head that soared fifty feet and landed in a perfect place downcourt where EWill would have caught it, had he not been completely shoved out of the way. And all of Scheyer's movements and motions took less than two seconds. How the dickens did he think of doing that? I have never seen it done, and he did it perfectly. I think that play was comparable in imagination and execution to "The Shot." It turned the game and made it nearly impossible to lose. Not to mention inspiring the team and all of us crazy fans. Wow! I will dream about that play for a long time. :D

cspan37421
03-21-2009, 11:27 PM
Paulus appeared to be one of the first to embrace E-Will when he got to the sideline after the game. Class all the way. We are a team. Doesn't matter if your job is "just" to prepare the starters by emulating the next opponent - everyone counts.

We've won a lot of close games this year. I'm sure it's just the recency effect that had some saying their heart told them we weren't going to win. It's time to get some new expectations.

Villanova is a formidable opponent. They took UCLA to the woodshed today. I thought they played excessively physical, but would have won anyway. Point is, though, if the refs let as much go against us as they did against UCLA (and more generally today), we're facing an uphill battle.

davekay1971
03-21-2009, 11:28 PM
Phew! Great job!

DukieBoy
03-21-2009, 11:28 PM
I have been trying to think about the "thinking" that went into making that play. Somehow he had it all programed into his body when he went after that ball, caught it, shifted it to his left hand, for goodness sakes, and threw a perfect high arc over everyone's head that soared fifty feet and landed in a perfect place downcourt where EWill would have caught it, had he not been completely shoved out of the way. And all of Scheyer's movements and motions took less than two seconds. How the dickens did he think of doing that? I have never seen it done, and he did it perfectly. I think that play was comparable in imagination and execution to "The Shot." It turned the game and made it nearly impossible to lose. Not to mention inspiring the team and all of us crazy fans. Wow! I will dream about that play for a long time. :D

I pray that someone Youtube's this, because that was an amazing play.

Great win in a tough game. Like everyone else said, last year's team would not have won this.

Anyone remember earlier this year when people were saying we couldn't have 3 "go-to-guys"? I think tonight shut them up.

Bring on Nova (and Taylor King).

cspan37421
03-21-2009, 11:29 PM
BTW, isn't Taylor King off their roster for a year, sitting out due to transfer?

DevilYouthCoach
03-21-2009, 11:32 PM
A bruising game like this one is great preparation and a great confidence builder. Can't take that away from us now!:)

roywhite
03-21-2009, 11:32 PM
BTW, isn't Taylor King off their roster for a year, sitting out due to transfer?

Correct.

Villanova looked very good against UCLA and will be a tough opponent. But I like our chances; we've got some clutch players on our side.

Duke76
03-21-2009, 11:33 PM
good question, I think Taylor King will still be on bench, dressed in street clothes though

Bluedog
03-21-2009, 11:33 PM
Wow! What a game! Three HUGE smart plays at the end: Singler tip-in off the G miss, Scheyer miraculous save, and McClure fighting for the rebound when he's the only Duke guy there are there are 5 guys on Texas. All were HUGE and I'd give MOTM to them all.

Lots of fouls called in the second half - but on both sides. Seemed like officiating was fair and they just called fouls when guys were making moves to the basket. Of course, that caused our entire frontline to foul out, which is never good.

I certainly didn't have confidence in EWill to make those fts - but he played great D the whole game and we don't win the game without him. McClure also made some huge plays, as did Nolan, Jon, Singler, G, Zoubek, and everybody really.

It seems like we're winning the close games as of late. Last year, we lost a lot of close games. We've been much more clutch and I think this shows the additional experience, poise, confidence, and talent of this team.

Villanova certainly isn't going to be easy, but we have a good shot and they should also be afraid of us. They dont' have anybody down low that will destroy us really and are a perimeter-oriented team, which I think we defend better. I think Singler might be the major mismatch (and G, who is a mismatch with everybody) and expect him to have a good game.

It feels good! Wahoo!

DukeChapel'90
03-21-2009, 11:38 PM
We just beat a team that was in the Top 10 early in the season and has great talent. Lots of "experts" expected us to lose this one. Yet we won because we have PLAYMAKERS! Jon's "save", McClure's rebound/tip of Elliott's miss, Singler's tip-in, and what about Nolan's clutch free throws...nothing but net on them both. At crunch time, our playmakers made plays.

If you had told me before the game that Lance and Kyle were going to foul out, I would have guessed a sizable loss. We just don't quit and we continue to step up.

I am so proud of this team. This was absolutely the toughest draw of any of the 2 seeds for the second round. And we beat another team with BIGS!

I'm a very excited I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.ie and I say LOOK OUT 'Nova, you haven't seen the playmakers that we have and the heart!

Newton_14
03-21-2009, 11:43 PM
Congrats to this team! Once again they come through in the clutch and snatch a victory away from a tough opponent. They had alot of things go against them tonight and could have easily hung their heads and let it get away. But they never stopped fighting and to me, their body language down the stretch conveyed that they fully believed they were going to make enough plays to win the game!

They did not execute as well as they have been doing lately but they did not let that faze them. And it is great to be returning to the Sweet Sixteen!

And let's cut E-Will a little slack on the free throws. It is not like he is an 80% foul shooter. It is something he struggles with and I expect he will continue to work hard to get better at. He played good D tonight and got several key rebounds, and his hustle to get to the "Great Pass" from Scheyer is what led to drawing that foul in the first place.

All in all, another game in which alot of guys made good contributions which is great to see! Let's keep this thing going!!

P.S.- Hope all those bandwagon Texas fans wearing the puke shade of blue had a good ride home from Greensboro back to Chapel Hell tonight. We thank you for inspiring our team to a big win!!!

GO DUKE!!!!!

GTHC GTH 9F 9F 9F

Bostondevil
03-21-2009, 11:44 PM
I just wanted to take a minute and reflect on this season before we move on to the second weekend.

I love this team, I love this season, I love Coach K.

GoingFor#5
03-21-2009, 11:46 PM
I youtubed Scheyer's save

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oplyXUiE8yo

jkidd31
03-21-2009, 11:47 PM
Didn't see most of the game, they showed the WKU/Gonzaga game here. Just happy to be watching the team into the 2nd week of the tournament. The last couple years have been tough.

roywhite
03-21-2009, 11:47 PM
http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=3698058

Varez Ward was this week's Biko Paris, a reserve who has a career type game

Turnover margin (9 for Duke; 15 for Texas) again a key stat

The play-by-play indicates a steal by Scheyer at 0:14 and then a foul on Texas at 0:11; those key facts don't begin to describe that play!

biscuit30
03-21-2009, 11:47 PM
Great win. We caught some breaks, but every call we got in the last couple minutes was legitimate. We were still owed some fouls after the atrocious 4th foul on Singler, which is one of the worst calls I've seen this year (and there have been many terrible calls against Duke this season).

Singler getting his fourth was a turning point, and we almost lost the game because of it. Instead of an 8-pt lead (I assume Texas would have scored that putback), it's 7 and one of our best scoring and rebounding options has to sit. Absolutely terrible call and a devastating disadvantage.[/QUOTE]

I like how CBS didn't show a replay of Singler getting his fourth called on him. Somewhere it was said that when calls go against Duke, they most likely don't show th replay.

beltwayBD
03-21-2009, 11:48 PM
Love it! Watching this team grow, and evolve over the last three years has been amazing. And tonight was the best so far. First time since JJ and Shelden.

Scheyer, what a dive and throw! And I love Elliot for going for it even if he missed the free throws. I thought he had a dozen rebounds by the end, E-Will was everywhere. And Nolan has been giving us some incredible minutes since he's been back -- his shot has a nice stroke. And Zoub! Stood up against a reputedly top big man!

In short, everyone made a contribution. Now, at least I can rest for a week. Maybe just tune in a little bit tomorrow, but I think I need a break.

Billy Dat
03-21-2009, 11:48 PM
Before we kill EWill for missing the free throws, let's give him huge credit for what transpired during that now famous play. Texas is coming down on O, down 3, and looks like they are going for the quick 2 and the foul. I think Abrahms put up a runner that missed. James, I think, came flying to the glass and barely missed a tip. EWill goes off two feet, extends those go-go-gadget arms, and pulls the ball down to where it knocked out toward the sideline - Scheyer makes his behind the back-toss and EWill's pursuit draws the foul on James. While, I would prefer he makes the free throws, McClure makes the next huge play and bails him out, along with a bounce going our way.

Down the lass few exchanges, nearly every one of our players made a huge play...Singler's tip, Scheyer/EWill/McClure as describe above, G free throws, Nolan rebound and free throws. That's 6 different guys coming through in the clutch in the final two minutes.

Also, Digger Phelps pointed out how we only shot 14 3s and really focused on taking the ball to the hole and drawing fouls. That adds a nice dimension to our overall effectiveness and I hope we keep doing it.

Beantown!

AWESOME!

cspan37421
03-21-2009, 11:58 PM
I like how CBS didn't show a replay of Singler getting his fourth called on him. Somewhere it was said that when calls go against Duke, they most likely don't show th replay.

I noticed that too - in many games, not just Duke's. Sequences involving calls that may make the refs look bad don't get replayed, if at all possible. CBS is not in the business of alienating you as a fan.

mgtr
03-22-2009, 12:05 AM
One element of this and other wins vs. the past few years is our bench. For once we have a healthy, quality bench upon whom we can draw to fill in in specific areas. Paulus can fill in at guard, Smith can fill in (very well) at guard, Zoubek is healthy and can be counted on to make a couple good plays, McClure is healthy and is, well, McClure.

KyDevilinIL
03-22-2009, 12:09 AM
Hope all those bandwagon Texas fans wearing the puke shade of blue had a good ride home from Greensboro back to Chapel Hell tonight. We thank you for inspiring our team to a big win!!!

I'd like to extend special recognition to a handful of idiot Holes fans who were in section 117. You know who you are. Go eat a bag.

Go Duke. Fantastic effort and victory. I'm a nervous wreck about Nova, but I'm happy as heck to be in the second weekend.

bjornolf
03-22-2009, 12:11 AM
Games like this make you appreciate the phenomenal run we had in the late 80s/early 90s when a Final Four appearance was the norm. It's hard to remember how we made it seem so easy then.


What a great game. Our guys REALLY came through in the end.

Bobbyfan mentioned the run in the 80s/90s of tournament success, and I think that a lot of it has to do with there being a LOT more parity in college basketball in general. Players leaving early in droves and the phenomenon known as the "one-and-doner" have basically eliminated the dynasty team. Many players that DO stay in college want their time in the spotlight and end up transfering instead of waiting their turn and working hard to earn their spot. Teams have to reload every year or two. Back then you could just bring in a couple guys a year and the older guys would have them trained and integrated into the system by the time they had to step up. The REALLY good and consistent teams only had to reload once every five or six years, instead of every year or two. Coaches were around for a long time, too, creating stability.

In recent years, every group coming in faces a war of attrition. Just look at Duke the last decade. Classes of four or five talented guys come in. A couple leave early. One transfers out. Another doesn't pan out. Suddenly, a class of four or five has become a class of one starter and one guy sitting the end of the bench. Duke isn't the only one facing this, either. It hurts consistency and team chemistry year to year, and it contributes to overall parity throughout the basketball landscape. One of K's great strengths is binding these guys into a single unit over the years. That strength is somewhat nullified by these trends, and he's had to find new ways to succeed. With a little luck, we'll be one of K's juggernauts next year. If G and Kyle and the rest stick around, we'll be REALLY good next year. We'll be similar to one of those teams from the good old days.

JMHO.

But enough of that...let's enjoy this one and get ready for the next one! Go DUKE!

Coballs
03-22-2009, 12:14 AM
So which exactly were the calls down the stretch that Duke got and that Texas fans are supposed to be pissed about? The shove with E-mail chasing after Scheyer's flip? C'mon. What else? I honestly can't think on any.
Seriously, which ones?

geraldsneighbor
03-22-2009, 12:15 AM
Bit of irony here is G selected Duke over Villanova. Man am I thankful we take #15 into battle with US on Thursday and not the other way around. It tastes real good to be playing next week. Let's win a few more and keep the journey going as long as possible. This year has been unbelievable.

ice-9
03-22-2009, 12:16 AM
Let's give E-Will a bit of a break. I remember another Duke freshman who missed a couple of huge free throws once, too. He wore #32 and turned out all right. It's an extremely tough situation and despite what happened we won. I hope we can resist harping on it.

Did I come across as harping on Elliot? I hope not, because I'm a huge Elliot fan!! We wouldn't have been able to turn our season around starting from the St. John's game had it not been for Elliot. I also thought he put in a solid game against Texas -- I'm guessing his +/- would be somewhere between -2 to +4.

But when Elliot went to the free throw line, there was something in his expression and body language that told me he was going to miss. Which is understandable -- he's a freshman playing in his first NCAA tournament, shooting free throws with the game on the line. That's an incredible amount of pressure. I'd miss too, never mind my 10% career free throw percentage. :D But then McClure gets the rebound and Henderson sinks two clutch free throws to put us up by 5 and effectively end the game.

All is forgiven: next play!

bjornolf
03-22-2009, 12:20 AM
James went WAY over-the-back ON SCHEYER on the put back miss right before Scheyer's BIG save. Great job by Jon to keep his head in it and make that play. He not only made the save, he's the one that knocked it out of James' grip to prevent another putback and make the save play available at all. And one of the best parts of that play was that he rainbowed that so nicely that it ate up another 4 seconds. In a 3 point game with less than 15 seconds left, 4 seconds is a HUGE amount of time. What an amazing all-around play by a heady player.

geraldsneighbor
03-22-2009, 12:21 AM
Did I come across as harping on Elliot? I hope not, because I'm a huge Elliot fan!! We wouldn't have been able to turn our season around starting from the St. John's game had it not been for Elliot. I also thought he put in a solid game against Texas -- I'm guessing his +/- would be somewhere between -2 to +2.

But when Elliot went to the free throw line, there was something in his expression and body language that told me he was going to miss. Which is understandable -- he's a freshman playing in his first NCAA tournament, shooting free throws with the game on the line. That's an incredible amount of pressure. I'd miss too, never mind my 10% career free throw percentage. :D But then McClure gets the rebound and Henderson sinks two clutch free throws to put us up by 5 and effectively end the game.

All is forgiven: next play!


McClure absolutely willed that ball to the hands of Gerald. I am glad they fouled Gerald before he got it to EWill so G was able to hit those FT at the end. I am really encouraged by Nolan being able to do what he does.

On a side note: Many will probably point out the inability to stop the penetration tonight by their PG's. I just want people to realize which I am sure this board does, the No. 1 assignment tonight was to deny the ball from Abrams. Duke did a great job of that tonight keeping him from finding a great rhythm. I think our D was exceptional in spots tonight.

Survive and Advance!

pfrduke
03-22-2009, 12:27 AM
I'd like to give some credit to Clark Kellogg. Every single call that was made down the stretch, he took a look at it, and said it was the right call. He never harped on "Duke getting calls," which would have been an easy way out. Instead, he called the game very objectively. I occasionally tire of his shtick, but I really thought he did an admirable job tonight of identifying when the right call was made. Neither he nor Nantz tried to make a conspiracy theory out of the refs blowing the whistle on several easy foul calls in the end game.

Orange&BlackSheep
03-22-2009, 12:28 AM
Texas is better than their seed would suggest.

I don't think that is the case at all. We played a good, solid game for the most part and were clearly the better team on the floor. But basketball is a funny game where a few, small mistakes at key moments make a comfortable game decidedly less so. You always have to give the other team credit, but most of the bad turnovers that kept Tejas in the game were very much errors on Duke's part (great defense created a turnover/3 on 1 break where Singler then threw it too long; the Abrams steal on Magic + Nolan's carry + Henderson's kneeing the ball out of bounds as he drove to the hoop).

Still, you had to love the clutch free throw shooting by Nolan and GH. And plays like Kyle's tip-in and Magic's behind the back throw are what makes a good team great.

Looking forward to locking horns with Villanova who does not have the problem of scoring coming from 1 or 2 sources.

Sandman
03-22-2009, 12:28 AM
The reason Ward was able to look good is that we effectively kept presure on Abrams and prevented him from beating us -- Ward could come close, but he couldn't get off like Abrams can.

-bdbd
03-22-2009, 12:28 AM
Wow - what a terrific game. It will be considered one of the classics for a while! Great TEAM play by all of the guys. As has been said, every one of them made a big play down the stretch. Great consistent effort. Never say die, especially when they could have wilted after the lead was fading, then gone, and 20,000 faded-blue Longhorn fans were giddily rooting against them. I really like this team for its determination, heart and consistently great effort.

Am curious, as I was puzzled why Zoubs sat for so long down the stretch after getting PF number 4. Was there a reason he didn't come back in earlier (until the last minute or so)? I thought he played well when in, standing up to that stud Pittman. BTW, a MAJOR key to this win was our shutting down Abrahms for most of the second half. That was incredible. It forced TX guys unused to it having to step up and make plays. To their credit some they did...and some they didn't.

I was in a bar and couldn't hear a lot of the audio, and CBS really didn't show much of the UNC-ch fans cheering (likely against us), or the crowd in general (lots of empty seats???). But, to anyone who was there, was the crowd loud and anti-Duke? Was it as bad as Charlotte was a couple years ago? Or were there more, louder Duke fans this time?

I like our matchup vs Nova, though they are a really good team. I didn't see them today - do they have anyone who could stop Zoubs down low? We've got three above-average defenders on the perimeter, who play terrific as a TEAM. So we'll defend the outside shooting stregth of theirs well. 'can't wait. Fear us Nova! You should.

-BDBD :D

gumbomoop
03-22-2009, 12:29 AM
A few comments on those key plays in last 1:30 (I think):

(1) Singler's tip-in was in-the-ballpark-reminiscent of Shane's amazing back-of-pinky-finger-wrist tip-in v. Arizona in NC.
(2) DMc gives us, on average, 3-4 extra possessions per game. Maybe it was only 1 or 2 tonight, but he kept that ball alive at the end. Typical DMc. Glue.
(3) I have asked, seriously but to no avail, whether there is a single player at the college level with Scheyer's court awareness. I ask it again; I'm not asking a rhetorical question. I wouldn't quite contend, nor did Scheyer in the post-presser, that he knew exactly what he was doing, but he knew something; it wasn't merely luck.

A couple more thoughts about the heart-stopping last 5 minutes:

(4) I, too, wish we could have seen a close-up replay of the maybe-phantom Singler foul on Abrams. If he did foul, bad mistake. Need to adopt Shane's rule: hand in face of jump shooter, period. Shane plays the odds; do what Shane does.
(5) From Playcaller, early in season: "Jon Scheyer is very good at playing basketball." Perhaps the most shocking Scheyer moment, thus, was not #3 above, but letting Abrams pick his pocket.
(6) Nolan palms the ball - bad.
(7) But fortunately, our guys who made bad plays - it happens - turned around and made miraculously good plays (Singler/Scheyer) or calmly confident ones (Nolan's free throws).

Madness.

pfrduke
03-22-2009, 12:30 AM
On a side note: Many will probably point out the inability to stop the penetration tonight by their PG's. I just want people to realize which I am sure this board does, the No. 1 assignment tonight was to deny the ball from Abrams. Duke did a great job of that tonight keeping him from finding a great rhythm. I think our D was exceptional in spots tonight

Jon Scheyer plays some of the best off-ball defense that I've ever seen. He's exceptional at ball denial, and has been since his freshman year. He's done it to talented shooting guards all over the place, and he did it to Abrams tonight. AJ had to work extremely hard just to get the ball in his hands, and I think it affected him by the end of the game. There was even the play where he had an open look at a runner, but instead tried to rifle a pass to Pittman and committed a turnover - I think there were some tired legs that came into play there that made him tentative about taking the shot. Really, really excellent defense by Jon.

bjornolf
03-22-2009, 12:33 AM
Is it just me, or was Texas better WITHOUT Pittman in there? Ward in particular seemed to go off when big man wasn't in there clogging up the middle. Having Pittman in there usually meant Zoubek was in there too, and there was just too much beef for a driver to be effective with all the other guys running through the lane. When Pittman and Zoubek went out, it cleared up a LOT of space for their drivers, especially Ward, I thought.

KyDevilinIL
03-22-2009, 12:38 AM
I was in a bar and couldn't hear a lot of the audio, and CBS really didn't show much of the UNC-ch fans cheering (likely against us), or the crowd in general (lots of empty seats???). But, to anyone who was there, was the crowd loud and anti-Duke? Was it as bad as Charlotte was a couple years ago? Or were there more, louder Duke fans this time?

A considerable portion of the crowd was anti-Duke early, but it became more pro-Duke as the UNC folks thinned out as the game went on. When Texas pulled even, it got pretty loud. But then the cheer when Duke won was pretty robust, too.

I wasn't at Charlotte, but I didn't think this crowd was too bad. It was a tough environment, no doubt, but nothing our guys aren't used to by now.

Sandman
03-22-2009, 12:44 AM
I want to know who this bitter idiot is on the CBS March Madness highlights show is. I missed the intros so I'm not sure but he's just awful.

First he's talking about the calls and how Barnes must be furious, then when they mention that Duke and Carolina are all that's left from the ACC he smugly says "that tells you something about the ACC."
The CBS analysts were Steve Lapus and the Nebraska coach. I got so mad at their comments that I turned the TV off. Those were the most biased, WRONG comments I have heard this season on TV. Can't believe CBS had to stoop to digging up those moldy corpses -- they must work really cheap!

geraldsneighbor
03-22-2009, 12:51 AM
The CBS analysts were Steve Lapus and the Nebraska coach. I got so mad at their comments that I turned the TV off. Those were the most biased, WRONG comments I have heard this season on TV. Can't believe CBS had to stoop to digging up those moldy corpses -- they must work really cheap!

Lapus can really hold a job. He ran Nova into the ground and lasted like 3 years at UMass before they canned him. He is so annoying. I can still hear the Nova fans chanting "Fire Lapus" at the Pavillion in my head.

LGD!

DU82
03-22-2009, 01:17 AM
Am curious, as I was puzzled why Zoubs sat for so long down the stretch after getting PF number 4. Was there a reason he didn't come back in earlier (until the last minute or so)? I thought he played well when in, standing up to that stud Pittman. BTW, a MAJOR key to this win was our shutting down Abrahms for most of the second half. That was incredible. It forced TX guys unused to it having to step up and make plays. To their credit some they did...and some they didn't.

I was in a bar and couldn't hear a lot of the audio, and CBS really didn't show much of the UNC-ch fans cheering (likely against us), or the crowd in general (lots of empty seats???). But, to anyone who was there, was the crowd loud and anti-Duke? Was it as bad as Charlotte was a couple years ago? Or were there more, louder Duke fans this time?

I like our matchup vs Nova, though they are a really good team. I didn't see them today - do they have anyone who could stop Zoubs down low? We've got three above-average defenders on the perimeter, who play terrific as a TEAM. So we'll defend the outside shooting stregth of theirs well. 'can't wait. Fear us Nova! You should.

-BDBD :D

Zoubek sat because the big guy from Texas was also on the bench. Lance provided a better match-up at that point.

The crowd was nowhere near as bad as Charlotte in '05. Props to the students who were loud and didn't sit on their behinds when things were shaky. (Pop quiz: before they put the score on the screen full-time, how could you tell who was winning when UNC was playing? If the crowd was cheering, UNC was up, if they were silent, the other team was. Something you never see/hear in Cameron.)

There were very few empty seats. There were plenty more "I need two" outside before the game than tickets changing hands. A fair number of the faded blue left when we got up by ten, which resulting in it looking more empty than it really was.

Something that I'm sure didn't make the broadcast. After the game, when the team went off to the locker room, all the players were surrounding Dave McClure, almost to the point of carrying him off the court. He didn't play much in the second half, but coming off the bench cold, he still makes one of the three plays of the game.

I saw Villanova play at home against Navy just before Christmas. I was not impressed. They looked like 5 individuals rather than a team. Navy, playing much more "team" ball, was down only 3 with 3 minutes to go, and outplayed them. I recognize that it was just after their exams, and I'm sure they were rusty from not playing for over a week, but I was hoping we'd see them sometime down the road. Of course, two and a half months later, they certainly seem to be playing better, or perhaps UCLA was just that bad today. I think we match up very well against them.

TNTDevil
03-22-2009, 01:19 AM
Jon Scheyer plays some of the best off-ball defense that I've ever seen. He's exceptional at ball denial, and has been since his freshman year. He's done it to talented shooting guards all over the place, and he did it to Abrams tonight. AJ had to work extremely hard just to get the ball in his hands, and I think it affected him by the end of the game. There was even the play where he had an open look at a runner, but instead tried to rifle a pass to Pittman and committed a turnover - I think there were some tired legs that came into play there that made him tentative about taking the shot. Really, really excellent defense by Jon.Word.

The Devils are in the details. Scheyer is a g-d pest for guys like Abrams. Making him run, a-l-l-n-i-g-h-t, finally paid off (rememeber the CBS stat that Abrams played all 40 minutes in nine of the last eleven games?)

Abrams was clearly fatigued, which is why Texas began to run the same play on every posession in the waning minutes of the game (ball went right-to-left, Abrams went left-to-right via baseline o-o-b and then reentering to catch the ball, off a screen, out at the deep elbow) in order to free him. However Coach called a TO and told the player on the screener to switch off, that effectively negated that play. +1 Coach K.

sagegrouse
03-22-2009, 01:49 AM
Maybe, but Texas caught huge breaks via the refs on the phantom 4th called on Kyle when we were up by 10 and he had just forced Abrams into a 3 point miss. That play, along with Jon getting his pocket picked, put Texas right back in the thick of things. I believe had that call not gone against us we would have pulled away for a convincing win. But whatever. Nance can say whatever he wants. We won and are advancing. That's the main thing.

You said it. There were three plays where Texas pulled serious REEE-tard moves with the ball, and the refs bailed them out with phantom fouls. There were probably some the other way, but it led to us playing the last three mins. w/o our best player.

sagegrouse

sagegrouse
03-22-2009, 01:52 AM
Let's give E-Will a bit of a break. I remember another Duke freshman who missed a couple of huge free throws once, too. He wore #32 and turned out all right. It's an extremely tough situation and despite what happened we won. I hope we can resist harping on it.


I mean anyone can miss a FT. If he had merely "missed" the 2nd FT, Texas would have rebounded and perhaps scored and won. But EWill clanked it big time, giving McClure a chance to tip the ball to Henderson.

Seriously, the kid played great. Lets give him some slack.

sagegrouse

TNTDevil
03-22-2009, 02:10 AM
I'd like to give some credit to Clark Kellogg. Every single call that was made down the stretch, he took a look at it, and said it was the right call. He never harped on "Duke getting calls," which would have been an easy way out. Instead, he called the game very objectively. I occasionally tire of his shtick, but I really thought he did an admirable job tonight of identifying when the right call was made. Neither he nor Nantz tried to make a conspiracy theory out of the refs blowing the whistle on several easy foul calls in the end game.Once again PFR, you're spot on. Nance made the comment that he "thought Singler was in the cylinder on the tap" but, to CBS and Mr. Nance's credit we actually got to see the replay and Mr. Nance's mea culpa.

Too bad we never got to see Kyle's "foul" on Abrams which sparked UT's run.

texas
03-22-2009, 03:06 AM
congrats to duke in a tough game they were clearly the better team. your defense was the difference in this game, causing way too many turnovers by the horns. i was shocked that we made the comeback in the second half but pleased we made it so close. if we make the free throws we win that game but guess what, we didn't do it all year so why start now? clearly the officiating was terrible, but it was on both sides, so likely a wash. duke made the plays at the end and they deserved to win. good luck in the rest of the big dance.

heyman25
03-22-2009, 03:21 AM
Great win, dunno if I can take too many more of those (but if we can get 4 more it will all be worth it).

I was very impressed w/ Abrams. I mean he is very 1-dimensional (so it seemed) but that 1-dimension is amazing. His release is as quick as any I've ever seen and he hit some shots that I thought were awful decisions. Lots of credit for the win goes to the defensive effort on him and while it was mainly Scheyer, the whole team should get credit as everyone switched onto him at one point or another.

I think Texas lost the game because of Balbay. His lack of an offensive game allowed Duke to play much better defense against the other 4 Texas players on the floor.

Good all-around game from the Blue Devils. It seems like everyone contributed in some way or another. One of the biggest plays was McClure keeping alive the rebound after Elliot's 2nd miss. Scheyer's amazing save.

I was lucky enough to have CBS go away from the Duke game to show Western Kentucky and Gonzaga go into overtime :(. So I missed Singler's tip-in and the following foul. I'm assuming this was not the case for everyone else.
They cut away where I was. I thought I saw the Kyle tip in Live but not sure now.Very happy we won. This team deserves great wins like today.I know we can play better,just hope we focus and keep our composure against Villanova. It will take our A game to advance.

NSDukeFan
03-22-2009, 08:30 AM
Great W. To lose this one would have been painful. I thought we had this one going away, but then came Singler's 4th (and 5th) fouls. I would love to see a replay of that call. It sure looked like a phantom foul to me. It almost became the pivotal play of the game, giving Abrams 3 FTs and Texas new life. Of course, no replay from CBS.

I agree I would have liked to see a replay on that one as it looked great D forcing Abrams to take a tough shot over Kyle's 6'9" and it looked like Kyle closed real well. He either made an unfortunate follow through or that was a terrible call to give him his fourth. Since Duke gets all the calls, I will have to assume that he punched Abrams in the face off camera and was lucky to not get more.

NSDukeFan
03-22-2009, 08:31 AM
"The Save" goes nicely with "The Shot" and "The Alleyoop"

Should we also add "The Tip"?

CDu
03-22-2009, 08:32 AM
So which exactly were the calls down the stretch that Duke got and that Texas fans are supposed to be pissed about? The shove with E-mail chasing after Scheyer's flip? C'mon. What else? I honestly can't think on any.
Seriously, which ones?

The foul called on James that sent Smith to the line with a tie game and about a minute to go is the one that stands out. That call was VERY iffy - way more iffy that the shove on Williams (which was obviously the correct call). Of course, it's offset by the phantom foul on Singler (his fourth) that sent Abrams to the line for three. But that happened substantially earlier, so people forget it.

The problem is that people look for a reason to say Duke gets all the calls. And in any close game, you can almost always point to a bad/close call that goes the way of the winning team.

slower
03-22-2009, 08:32 AM
Next: Villanova. We're going to have our hands full for that game -- don't they have 2 or 3 Ward-type players?

Actually, it sounds like they have 2 or 3 Ward-type players that are better than Ward. Not sure if they have a Pittman-sized presence in the middle, so it may be a wash.

arnie
03-22-2009, 08:47 AM
I'd like to give some credit to Clark Kellogg. Every single call that was made down the stretch, he took a look at it, and said it was the right call. He never harped on "Duke getting calls," which would have been an easy way out. Instead, he called the game very objectively. I occasionally tire of his shtick, but I really thought he did an admirable job tonight of identifying when the right call was made. Neither he nor Nantz tried to make a conspiracy theory out of the refs blowing the whistle on several easy foul calls in the end game.

Good Post - can you imagine if Packer was doing the game? Kellogg or Nance initially though Singler's tip was goaltending, but they replayed it and he made the point that is was a good play. I thought the announcing was fine - the idiots afterward don't have any cred.

roywhite
03-22-2009, 08:50 AM
How nice to get up the next morning and re-confirm that we did indeed win that game. :)

As much as this team has accomplished, it still would have been devastating to lose that game. But now, with 30 wins, an ACC championship, 2 NCAA wins, and several clutch players, it's all good.

On to play a tough Villanova team. I have no doubt Duke will play a strong, tough game, and has every chance of winning.

CDu
03-22-2009, 08:59 AM
Not the best job of closing I've ever seen (gave away a 10 point lead in about 5 minutes). But it was good that we were able to gut it out. I thought the officials made two bad pretty bad calls in the last seven minutes - one in Texas's favor (the Singler "foul" on Abrams) and one in our favor (the James "foul" on Smith). I think the net effect of those was a benefit for Texas. But regardless of that, all that matters is that we're playing next weekend and Texas is not.

It wasn't a fantastic game for the good guys, but Duke managed the win. It's not always (maybe even not often?) going to be a thing of beauty. The entire team did a great job of chasing Abrams as a team. They switched magnificently off of screens, communicated well, and blanketed him when he had the ball. We were NOT going to let him beat us. Scheyer took the primary responsibility, but Smith, Williams, Henderson, Singler, McClure, and even Thomas got their time in as well, either off of screens or by assignment.

We didn't do a good job on Pittman or Ward. Fortunately, Pittman returned to his old fouling ways and took himself out of the game. I suspect fatigue had a lot to do with the fouls, as we worked him pretty hard. Ward just torched us off the dribble. That's going to be a concern against Villanova, as they have several guys who can take you off the dribble. Of course, they don't have a guy that we're going to have to overfocus on either, so perhaps our team defense can step it up.

I thought we got a little too reliant on Henderson in the second half. He had a pretty bad first half, a very nice beginning of the second half, and a not-so-great second half of the second half. We seemed to struggle down the stretch, as we scored only 7 points in a 7+ minute stretch late in the game. I'm not sure if that was fatigue, nerves, or just an over-reliance on Henderson (who just wasn't hitting his jumpers for the most part).

But, enough dissection for now. We just accomplished something special - a 30-win season and a trip to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. With the exception of Paulus, our guys have exactly 1 minute of Sweet-16 experience (McClure played in one minute of the loss to MSU in 2005 and sat out the 2006 season). This will be a new experience for them. Hopefully, the monkey is off their back and they can come out confident and aggressive against a tough Villanova team.

devildownunder
03-22-2009, 09:04 AM
How nice to get up the next morning and re-confirm that we did indeed win that game. :)

As much as this team has accomplished, it still would have been devastating to lose that game. But now, with 30 wins, an ACC championship, 2 NCAA wins, and several clutch players, it's all good.




Agreed. Some will probably call me a bad or spoiled fan for this but I end up setting goals that I have for each team. There's no science to it. They just develop over the first two-thirds of the season or so. They're different every year. Once the team achieves those goals, or at least most of them, I feel good about the season -- like it has been a success. I've reached that point with this team now. It's all gravy from here on in to me. Here's hoping there's a lot of gravy!

whereinthehellami
03-22-2009, 09:29 AM
A couple of things form the boxscore:


Duke only had 9 assists against 9 TOs. The assists need to be alot higher. On the other hand Duke forced Tejas into 15 TOs to only 8 assists, which is very good, and the difference in the game.


Duke allowed Tejas to shoot 50% FG while only shooting 43% FGs. That needs to be reversed. This has happened to Duke a fair amount this year. Alot of it is Duke being beaten off the dribble, leading to layups. Unless something changes quickly, this will catchup to Duke hard against Vill. Duke did hold Tejas to 25% from 3 while they shot 50% (and needed every one of those). But Vill will drive first and shoot the open 3 (should get a higher %). Duke can't settle for jumpshots agaisnt Vill or it will be a long Thur night.

Chard
03-22-2009, 10:02 AM
Scheyer's D last night was so good his sweat played defense. I can't believe everyone is forgetting the best play by Scheyer.

In the first half, Scheyer deftly falls to the floor after contact, spreading a copious amount of sweat on the floor. Little did the Texas player know that this was an elaborate trap laid by Scheyer. Seconds later, the Texas player attempts to drive baseline with Scheyer right on his hip but Scheyer knows his trap is lying in wait and the Texas player slips and falls to the floor. However, the ref clearly sees the mastery of Scheyer's deceptiveness and decides to let the Texas player out of the trap by calling a foul on Scheyer's sweat. If not for the foul, that would have been the play of the game. :)

KrazyKfan
03-22-2009, 10:12 AM
I've paid my dues -
Time after time -
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime -
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face -
But I've come through

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions - of the world -

Sweet 16!!!!!

Last time I checked the Sweet 16 wasn't the national championship.

Here's getting to the Elite 8 and beyond.

KrazyKfan
03-22-2009, 10:15 AM
How nice to get up the next morning and re-confirm that we did indeed win that game. :)

As much as this team has accomplished, it still would have been devastating to lose that game. But now, with 30 wins, an ACC championship, 2 NCAA wins, and several clutch players, it's all good.

On to play a tough Villanova team. I have no doubt Duke will play a strong, tough game, and has every chance of winning.

You know we're the favorite, right? ;)
No, but seriously, have a little faith.

DukeUsul
03-22-2009, 10:15 AM
Last time I checked the Sweet 16 wasn't the national championship.

Here's getting to the Elite 8 and beyond.

I believe rthomas is referring to K's philosophy of making each weekend of the greater tourney it's own mini-tourney in itself. We won the opening rounds tournament this weekend. On to the regional tournament next week.

Duke76
03-22-2009, 10:20 AM
The foul called on James that sent Smith to the line with a tie game and about a minute to go is the one that stands out. That call was VERY iffy - way more iffy that the shove on Williams (which was obviously the correct call). Of course, it's offset by the phantom foul on Singler (his fourth) that sent Abrams to the line for three. But that happened substantially earlier, so people forget it.

The problem is that people look for a reason to say Duke gets all the calls. And in any close game, you can almost always point to a bad/close call that goes the way of the winning team.

That was a clear push, pal. By far the worse against Duke was Kyle's phantom foul on Abrams. He didn't come close to touching the guys, he just falls down and whistle was so late because the ref doesn't blow the whistle until AJ is on the ground. That completely changed the mo. from being up 10 with the ball to only up 7. Had we lost the game that clearly, imo was the mo. changer.

The defense on AJ should be in everyone's video file for how a team stops a great, great shooter. Great game guys!!

tbyers11
03-22-2009, 10:34 AM
The foul called on James that sent Smith to the line with a tie game and about a minute to go is the one that stands out. That call was VERY iffy - way more iffy that the shove on Williams (which was obviously the correct call). Of course, it's offset by the phantom foul on Singler (his fourth) that sent Abrams to the line for three. But that happened substantially earlier, so people forget it.

The problem is that people look for a reason to say Duke gets all the calls. And in any close game, you can almost always point to a bad/close call that goes the way of the winning team.

You are correct that Duke haters can look at any play and whine about a foul here or a foul there as evidence that Duke gets all the calls. However, I have to disagree about James' foul of Nolan on the putback of Gerald's missed jumper. I've watched it a couple of times and IMO James clearly hit Nolan on the arm as he was shooting. I try to think that my vision isn't overly tinted Duke blue, but that was definitely a foul.

For further evidence that may or may not be worth anything, Nantz and Kellogg seemed to question every close call for Duke down the stretch (Kyle's tip, the foul against Williams by Johnson) and they didn't question the above call at all.

SMO
03-22-2009, 10:53 AM
A few comments on those key plays in last 1:30 (I think):

(1) Singler's tip-in was in-the-ballpark-reminiscent of Shane's amazing back-of-pinky-finger-wrist tip-in v. Arizona in NC.
(2) DMc gives us, on average, 3-4 extra possessions per game. Maybe it was only 1 or 2 tonight, but he kept that ball alive at the end. Typical DMc. Glue.
(3) I have asked, seriously but to no avail, whether there is a single player at the college level with Scheyer's court awareness. I ask it again; I'm not asking a rhetorical question. I wouldn't quite contend, nor did Scheyer in the post-presser, that he knew exactly what he was doing, but he knew something; it wasn't merely luck.

A couple more thoughts about the heart-stopping last 5 minutes:

(4) I, too, wish we could have seen a close-up replay of the maybe-phantom Singler foul on Abrams. If he did foul, bad mistake. Need to adopt Shane's rule: hand in face of jump shooter, period. Shane plays the odds; do what Shane does.
(5) From Playcaller, early in season: "Jon Scheyer is very good at playing basketball." Perhaps the most shocking Scheyer moment, thus, was not #3 above, but letting Abrams pick his pocket.
(6) Nolan palms the ball - bad.
(7) But fortunately, our guys who made bad plays - it happens - turned around and made miraculously good plays (Singler/Scheyer) or calmly confident ones (Nolan's free throws).

Madness.

I think Nolan's mid-range jumper for 2 just before halftime was a big play that gets lost in the madness of the last 7 minutes. That let Duke take a 7pt lead into halftime which felt a lot better than 5.

Chard
03-22-2009, 11:11 AM
A couple of things form the boxscore:


Duke only had 9 assists against 9 TOs. The assists need to be alot higher. On the other hand Duke forced Tejas into 15 TOs to only 8 assists, which is very good, and the difference in the game.


Duke allowed Tejas to shoot 50% FG while only shooting 43% FGs. That needs to be reversed. This has happened to Duke a fair amount this year. Alot of it is Duke being beaten off the dribble, leading to layups. Unless something changes quickly, this will catchup to Duke hard against Vill. Duke did hold Tejas to 25% from 3 while they shot 50% (and needed every one of those). But Vill will drive first and shoot the open 3 (should get a higher %). Duke can't settle for jumpshots agaisnt Vill or it will be a long Thur night.


Having teams shoot higher percentages against the team is worrisome but there has to be another side to the story. Duke has been turning opponents over at a greater ratio. Scheyer at the point has a lot to do with that but Smith has improved on turning the ball over since coming back. Duke also only took 14 shots from 3 land yesterday. They hit a high percentage of foul shots as well. Recently, Duke has been trying to take better 3 point shots but driving when they aren't there. The adjustments they need to make in the game are being made. The team has matured in many aspects of their game.

Texas threw a couple of strategies at Duke and Duke was able to counter them. A big man in the middle was countered with either Zoubek or double teaming the big man when he had the ball in the post. When Texas took the big man out, Duke countered and went with a smaller lineup to match Texas. When Scheyer had two early fouls, Smith was able to run the point and run it well. When Singler and Thomas fouled out, Duke adjusted with McClure and Zoubek. I like the various line ups and strategies the Duke is able to employ which is why I think they have a pretty good chance to make the FF.

Anyways, Duke plays perimeter defense which forces more turnovers but allows teams to shoot a higher percentage once they break that defense down. The other teams can shoot 50% for all I care as long as Duke scores more at the end. :)

calltheobvious
03-22-2009, 11:17 AM
The foul called on James that sent Smith to the line with a tie game and about a minute to go is the one that stands out. That call was VERY iffy - way more iffy that the shove on Williams (which was obviously the correct call). Of course, it's offset by the phantom foul on Singler (his fourth) that sent Abrams to the line for three. But that happened substantially earlier, so people forget it.

The problem is that people look for a reason to say Duke gets all the calls. And in any close game, you can almost always point to a bad/close call that goes the way of the winning team.

Really? Usually when a guy catches an offensive rebound cleanly and tries an immediate put-back from three feet, only to see the ball go nearly straight up into the air, I think something happened. In this case, something did happen, and that something wasn't a clean block, nor was it the ball slipping out of Smith's hands. It was Damian James pushing him.

How much of a disadvantage does a player have to be put at on a foul call for it to cease to be 'VERY iffy'?

JDev
03-22-2009, 11:41 AM
In looking at the post-game comments, I was very surprised to see that Barnes didn't realize that the foul of Williams after Jon's save would be a shooting foul. He knows his team is in the bonus, and he knows that was a push, not a player control foul. He said that had he of known Duke was shooting he would have had different personel in to rebound. It just seems really odd that he did not know the deal in that situation.

Eckster
03-22-2009, 11:43 AM
A considerable portion of the crowd was anti-Duke early, but it became more pro-Duke as the UNC folks thinned out as the game went on. When Texas pulled even, it got pretty loud. But then the cheer when Duke won was pretty robust, too.

I wasn't at Charlotte, but I didn't think this crowd was too bad. It was a tough environment, no doubt, but nothing our guys aren't used to by now.

Took my wife and kids to see the game in Greensboro. We arrived just after halftime of the Carolina-LSU game. The game was close and the Heels fans were going crazy. It seemed like EVERYONE was wearing Carolina blue. We quietly cheered for LSU but not much to cheer for. We were glad when that game ended and when Duke took the court to thundering "Boos" with the Carolina fans cheering "lets go Texas", I thought it was going to be a long night. The "Let's go Duke" cheers were drowned out quickly by the scattered Texas fans backed up by the multitude of Carolina faithful.

Fortunately, as Duke began to play well, many of the Heels fans began to trickle out and the Duke cheers could be heard. By the end, it felt more like a Duke crowd. It turned out to be a great experience, obviously by the win but also appreciating that there were more Duke folks on hand than it first appeared. Terrific game. On to Boston!

tele
03-22-2009, 11:53 AM
For further evidence that may or may not be worth anything, Nantz and Kellogg seemed to question every close call for Duke down the stretch (Kyle's tip, the foul against Williams by Johnson) and they didn't question the above call at all.

The worst instance was when Zoubek got hit in the nose again. They had to stop the game to clean the blood up and all kellog could say was, Zoubek put his face in front of the texas guy's arm. The tejas guy swung down after his shot and made a direct hit on Zoubek. No call?? They should have thrown the tejas player out of the game for a flagrant foul, looked deliberate to me.

I just hope it didn't re-injure Zoubeks nose. No one would ever know that he already had a broken nose of course since it was never mentioned by the dynamic duo of announcers (not a toe). A few times I thought the sound wasn't working on my tv, then when the announcers started talking again, I thought the sound may as well still be off.

CDu
03-22-2009, 12:04 PM
Really? Usually when a guy catches an offensive rebound cleanly and tries an immediate put-back from three feet, only to see the ball go nearly straight up into the air, I think something happened. In this case, something did happen, and that something wasn't a clean block, nor was it the ball slipping out of Smith's hands. It was Damian James pushing him.

How much of a disadvantage does a player have to be put at on a foul call for it to cease to be 'VERY iffy'?

There is contact on literally every rebound attempt. Well more than 90% of the time that contact is not called. In fact, there was contact that caused James not to get the rebound in the first place, which allowed the ball to go in Smith's direction. No call was made in James's favor. That's why I said it was very iffy.

I'd appreciate people not jumping down my throat about it. The post I was responding to seemed to imply that there wasn't a single call worth debate that went in our favor. I simply pointed out a call that was much more borderline than the shove on Williams (which was a very clear foul).

And I also noted that we got the extreme disservice of the call on Singler's fourth "foul." I agree it was probably the worse of the two calls, though we got hosed out of a replay to know for sure. The Singler play changed the momentum, gave them at least an extra point (if not 3 extra points - can't remember if UT got the board) and caused Singler to have to sit for a few minutes with four fouls (and ultimately foul out). The James call simply gave us two points. I just don't understand why people can find any evidence that we get hosed on calls (and there is certainly such evidence), but won't admit when we catch an occasional break as well. I definitely think we took the worst of those two calls, but the foul call we got is one that is largely not called, ESPECIALLY late in games.

But regardless, I don't want to get in any further argument over something that's irrelevant now. We should be celebrating the win. I apologize for answering the previous poster's question.

tbyers11
03-22-2009, 12:08 PM
In looking at the post-game comments, I was very surprised to see that Barnes didn't realize that the foul of Williams after Jon's save would be a shooting foul. He knows his team is in the bonus, and he knows that was a push, not a player control foul. He said that had he of known Duke was shooting he would have had different personel in to rebound. It just seems really odd that he did not know the deal in that situation.

I'm not sure that was completely Barnes' fault. In Coach K's press conference he talked about how he wasn't sure if Duke was going to get the ball out of bounds or if Elliot was shooting. He said that he wouldn't have taken a timeout (that in essence helped freeze Elliot) if he thought that Elliot would have been shooting.

It seemed obvious to me that Elliot would be shooting, but for some reason the refs made both coaches think (at least temporarily) that Duke would be inbounding the ball.

calltheobvious
03-22-2009, 12:09 PM
In looking at the post-game comments, I was very surprised to see that Barnes didn't realize that the foul of Williams after Jon's save would be a shooting foul. He knows his team is in the bonus, and he knows that was a push, not a player control foul. He said that had he of known Duke was shooting he would have had different personel in to rebound. It just seems really odd that he did not know the deal in that situation.

K expressed the same uncertainty in his part of the presser. The reason that both coaches were unsure is that apparently a member of the crew told each coach at some point that the foul would be non-shooting, only to get the issue corrected later. In Duke's case, K took a time-out that he wouldn't have had he known Elliott was going to the line.

I'm not sure why there would be any confusion among the officials there, unless the question had been whether James caught the ball and then pushed Williams, in which case it would have been player-control, Duke inbounding on the baseline.

diveonthefloor
03-22-2009, 12:13 PM
Should we also add "The Tip"?

Are you referring to Shane's backhanded tip in during the 2001 Championship game? Or Kyle's tip last night?

CDu
03-22-2009, 12:13 PM
K expressed the same uncertainty in his part of the presser. The reason that both coaches were unsure is that apparently a member of the crew told each coach at some point that the foul would be non-shooting, only to get the issue corrected later. In Duke's case, K took a time-out that he wouldn't have had he known Elliott was going to the line.

I'm not sure why there would be any confusion among the officials there, unless the question had been whether James caught the ball and then pushed Williams, in which case it would have been player-control, Duke inbounding on the baseline.

That's weird, but it is at least an explanation. We were clearly in the bonus (in fact, the double bonus). The ball was a loose ball foul not a player-control foul, so free throws were the only feasible outcome, right? Strange that an official would give everyone the wrong info on that. Oh well - alls well that ends well, I guess.

devildownunder
03-22-2009, 12:20 PM
Forget whatever nonsense they say on TV. We didn't get any calls tonight. What calls do they mean? The two phantom ones on Scheyer? The 3pt-shot foul by Singler on Abrams? The fifth fouls on Zoubek and Singler? Were those the calls we got? People can say whatever they want as sour grapes. Anyone who watched that game knows, deep inside, Duke took this one away from Texas, and took it because we wanted it more than they did. They're just going to have to deal with that.

whoops, meant Thomas and Singler.

GoingFor#5
03-22-2009, 12:42 PM
A couple of things form the boxscore:


Duke only had 9 assists against 9 TOs. The assists need to be alot higher. On the other hand Duke forced Tejas into 15 TOs to only 8 assists, which is very good, and the difference in the game.


Duke allowed Tejas to shoot 50% FG while only shooting 43% FGs. That needs to be reversed. This has happened to Duke a fair amount this year. Alot of it is Duke being beaten off the dribble, leading to layups. Unless something changes quickly, this will catchup to Duke hard against Vill. Duke did hold Tejas to 25% from 3 while they shot 50% (and needed every one of those). But Vill will drive first and shoot the open 3 (should get a higher %). Duke can't settle for jumpshots agaisnt Vill or it will be a long Thur night.


I'm not particularly worried about the low assist numbers. Some have pointed out we have low assist totals, but it's not a big deal. We do pass the ball enough, IMO, but I guess the way we move the ball we just create matchups for our guys to go 1-on-1 so no assist is credited. A lot of times we use our movement and passing to get G or Singler the ball in a triple threat position and then they go 1-on-1 so no assist is credited, but I believe it is a team effort. Also, our turnovers have been consistently low with Scheyer at the point which I think is a HUGE advantage that a lot of analysts are overlooking, and could be what allows us to make a SERIOUS DEEP RUN and maybe....

mapei
03-22-2009, 12:57 PM
Are you referring to Shane's backhanded tip in during the 2001 Championship game? Or Kyle's tip last night?

He's talking about Nate versus Maryland.

Saratoga2
03-22-2009, 01:25 PM
Good Post - can you imagine if Packer was doing the game? Kellogg or Nance initially though Singler's tip was goaltending, but they replayed it and he made the point that is was a good play. I thought the announcing was fine - the idiots afterward don't have any cred.


I thought Williams was the best on the ball defender we had yesterday. He does tend to commit fouls at times but Warm would have found it difficult to get by him and Villanova will also find him a tough defender. Too bad for us that his offense hasn't caught up with his defense. I expect he will make a lot of progress in the off season.

Dukerati
03-22-2009, 01:36 PM
My heart almost stopped when James shot that three for the lead in the final minute. That shot was more than halfway in but it rimmed out and the rest is history... bring on Villanova baby!!

arob
03-22-2009, 03:04 PM
Did anyone see what happened to James when he collapsed infront of the check in table near the end? I sitting behind the bench, and we couldn't see what was going on.

Also, I just want to note that UNC was classless for starting a Tar-hole chant while he was down.

SMO
03-22-2009, 03:11 PM
Did anyone see what happened to James when he collapsed infront of the check in table near the end? I sitting behind the bench, and we couldn't see what was going on.

Also, I just want to note that UNC was classless for starting a Tar-hole chant while he was down.

I think he got a stinger when his elbow hit Pittman's face.

I also noticed the chant, which was in very poor taste.

Newton_14
03-22-2009, 03:32 PM
I think he got a stinger when his elbow hit Pittman's face.

I also noticed the chant, which was in very poor taste.

I believe you are correct. His elbow came down hard on Pittman's shoulder, and that sent Pittman down. Evidently as James started back up court the pain kicked in. I actually thought James had maybe dislocated his own shoulder the way he was holding his arm. But they later said it was the elbow that was injured. Weird play.

-jk
03-22-2009, 03:59 PM
I don't think I've seen this brought up: we won 5 games in 9 days, with 4 of them over top 50 teams! (It's no wonder yesterday's game was ugly.)

Here's to some rest before 'Nova.

-jk

A-Tex Devil
03-22-2009, 04:32 PM
Great game, and I think both teams played well overall, which is all you can ask for. The Varez Ward thing was mindboggling. Not because we couldn't guard him, but that he's been stuck at the end of the bench when he's had that in him. His 2nd half would be akin to Marty Pocius coming off the bench against UNC a couple weeks ago and getting 8 to 10 points in under 10 minutes.

I am not too worried about what Ward did from a Duke perspective. 'Nova is going to get to the rim on occasion next week - it's just a fact. I think if we play like we did last night but stay out of foul trouble (which should be easier for our bigs next week), we should win. Texas beat 'Nova on a neutral site, and although that was much earlier in the year, I'm not so sure they still aren't better than 'Nova, and Texas played well last night.

dukemath
03-22-2009, 07:58 PM
I youtubed Scheyer's save

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oplyXUiE8yo

A good video of the save is currently at
http://www.ncaa.com/pontiacgcp/?cmp=ncaabb09vanurl
On March 30th we can do some poll skewing.

texas
03-22-2009, 08:08 PM
Did anyone see what happened to James when he collapsed infront of the check in table near the end? I sitting behind the bench, and we couldn't see what was going on.

Also, I just want to note that UNC was classless for starting a Tar-hole chant while he was down.

james said in the press conference after the game that his arm went numb after that collision under the hoop.

RainingThrees
03-22-2009, 10:09 PM
I though Pttman was going to light us up with the start he had. Thankfully he cooled off and got into foul trouble. Good job Zoubs.

Dr. Tina
03-22-2009, 10:23 PM
I threw caution to the wind, managed to get a decent ticket for the 2nd round in Greensboro, and cheered for Duke at the game! I flew down solo on Friday afternoon and came back home today. It was my first NCAA tournament, my first time in North Carolina, etc. IT WAS AWESOME! Totally worth it!

Some general observations...

1. The Coliseum was a sea of baby blue! That's probably not surprising, but to actually see it in person is another thing! I was surrounded by Tarheel fans. There were a few around me that cheered for Duke, though, because they're loyal to the ACC. They were cool. When the guys came out, though, there was A LOT of loud booing. I thought they would be really bad during the game, and they were some of the time, but it wasn't so bad. I do have a new appreciate for our team, though, and what they go through when they're in "enemy territory!"

2. I thought the guys made a lot of tough plays down the stretch! Jon's miracle throw was great! So was Kyle's tip in! I know Coach K said they were going to sink or swim with G, but it bothered me that their offense became so stagnant. I didn't see a lot of off the ball movement and I felt like they were all watching G to see what he would do. I thought that kind of hurt us offensively. I thought we showed a lot of character and toughness in the final minutes with our 2 front line guys fouling out!

3. After the game, Coach K pointed to the Duke fans (especially the families and group behind the bench) and seemed to be thanking us for all the cheering. He was really excited, hugging his guys and stuff. In a lighthearted moment, the Duke Blue Devil mascot went up to him and tapped him on the shoulder and they were going to shake hands, but then they had a big hug. Even the Tarheel fans next to me cracked up and thought it was funny! Also, I got to tell Jon's father (briefly in passing) what a great pass Jon had!

I'm really excited they won and stuck it out! I really think we can take Villanova!

NSDukeFan
03-23-2009, 01:04 PM
Are you referring to Shane's backhanded tip in during the 2001 Championship game? Or Kyle's tip last night?

I was referring to Kyle's vs. Texas,which wasn't in as key a game as Shane's, but I would argue a more impressive play.

dball
03-23-2009, 02:36 PM
Word.

The Devils are in the details. Scheyer is a g-d pest for guys like Abrams. Making him run, a-l-l-n-i-g-h-t, finally paid off (rememeber the CBS stat that Abrams played all 40 minutes in nine of the last eleven games?)

Abrams was clearly fatigued, which is why Texas began to run the same play on every posession in the waning minutes of the game (ball went right-to-left, Abrams went left-to-right via baseline o-o-b and then reentering to catch the ball, off a screen, out at the deep elbow) in order to free him. However Coach called a TO and told the player on the screener to switch off, that effectively negated that play. +1 Coach K.

Did you notice that once when Scheyer was following Abrams, the screener stepped out of bounds to impede his progress? That was pretty blatant but not called. Just an observation, not a Terp :)

gumbomoop
03-23-2009, 03:05 PM
I was referring to Kyle's vs. Texas,which wasn't in as key a game as Shane's, but I would argue a more impressive play.

I am about to engage in a friendly (enough) argument for argument's sake on a Monday aft before things get tense against 'Nova.

I've watched Shane's play on tape repeatedly, and Kyle's 3-4 times. Kyle's is very impressive, spectacular, as he had to go over without fouling an opponent and one of his own players, Zoubek, no less! And with his left hand! Yikes!

Shane's was coming in from the right side of the basket, and he went between 2, maybe 3, players, was off-balance and so had to - spectacularly - tip it in with the back of his pinky-ring-finger-wrist. Yikes!

So I'm claiming in the 10 Greatest Duke Plays Ever, Shane's makes top 5, Kyle's not quite.

wisteria
03-23-2009, 03:23 PM
I think I am probably the only one, but all the talk about 'Nova's physical toughness brought back some memory from the start of the season. Everyone remember when we played in CVC pre-season tournament, how the southern Illinois team/fans were saying that duke would not be able to withstand their extremely tough style? Their toughness turned out to be thugness that almost caused Singler severe injury. Remember the "saluki-hangover"?

Now now, I am in no way implying that 'Nova is like the Salukies. It's just that somehow I have a feeling that this duke team will not be easily bullied or punked. If we are going down, I think we'll go down fighting.

Another reason it reminds of the CVC is that, we also played a team (Michigan) who just beat UCLA. I am hoping for same result!!!

NSDukeFan
03-23-2009, 03:31 PM
I am about to engage in a friendly (enough) argument for argument's sake on a Monday aft before things get tense against 'Nova.

I've watched Shane's play on tape repeatedly, and Kyle's 3-4 times. Kyle's is very impressive, spectacular, as he had to go over without fouling an opponent and one of his own players, Zoubek, no less! And with his left hand! Yikes!

Shane's was coming in from the right side of the basket, and he went between 2, maybe 3, players, was off-balance and so had to - spectacularly - tip it in with the back of his pinky-ring-finger-wrist. Yikes!

So I'm claiming in the 10 Greatest Duke Plays Ever, Shane's makes top 5, Kyle's not quite.

Fair enough, I was just really impressed with Kyle's play and haven't looked at them as many times as you. It seemed to me Kyle was not in great position to make that play but had a determination that he had to make it that was very impressive. You could say the same about Shane's.

NSDukeFan
03-23-2009, 03:33 PM
I think I am probably the only one, but all the talk about 'Nova's physical toughness brought back some memory from the start of the season. Everyone remember when we played in CVC pre-season tournament, how the southern Illinois team/fans were saying that duke would not be able to withstand their extremely tough style? Their toughness turned out to be thugness that almost caused Singler severe injury. Remember the "saluki-hangover"?

Now now, I am in no way implying that 'Nova is like the Salukies. It's just that somehow I have a feeling that this duke team will not be easily bullied or punked. If we are going down, I think we'll go down fighting.

Another reason it reminds of the CVC is that, we also played a team (Michigan) who just beat UCLA. I am hoping for same result!!!

Unfortunately, after the game early in the year you are referring to, the Salukis apparently had a hang-over for the rest of the season. I agree with your sentiments.

roywhite
03-23-2009, 03:34 PM
I threw caution to the wind, managed to get a decent ticket for the 2nd round in Greensboro, and cheered for Duke at the game! I flew down solo on Friday afternoon and came back home today. It was my first NCAA tournament, my first time in North Carolina, etc. IT WAS AWESOME! Totally worth it!

Some general observations...

1. The Coliseum was a sea of baby blue! That's probably not surprising, but to actually see it in person is another thing! I was surrounded by Tarheel fans. There were a few around me that cheered for Duke, though, because they're loyal to the ACC. They were cool. When the guys came out, though, there was A LOT of loud booing. I thought they would be really bad during the game, and they were some of the time, but it wasn't so bad. I do have a new appreciate for our team, though, and what they go through when they're in "enemy territory!"



Nice work, Dr. Tina!

Welcome to our world, and welcome to the board!

InSpades
03-23-2009, 03:41 PM
From memory I didn't really remember Texas doing that much better with Pittman in the game than without him in the game. Particularly the 2nd half stretch when he went out and Ward kind of took over the offense and didn't miss stuck out in my mind. Looking at the actual stats though... Texas outscored Duke by 11 while Pittman was in the game (which necessarily means that Duke outscored Texas by 16 when he sat). Pretty significant #s if you ask me. It wasn't even as if it was 1 big run or anything, Texas just did consistently better with Pittman on the floor.

gumbomoop
03-23-2009, 04:02 PM
Fair enough, I was just really impressed with Kyle's play and haven't looked at them as many times as you. It seemed to me Kyle was not in great position to make that play but had a determination that he had to make it that was very impressive. You could say the same about Shane's.

No more argument from me; just another word or two about how stunning both plays were. Kyle's absolutely was spectacular, and visually the more spectacular of the two because he swooped in from top of key, went above Zoubek, who was himself being blocked out by a Texas player, and tapped it in left-handed, from just outside the cylinder.

Shane's was perplexing when it happened live, for his angle was so odd, and several hands were near the rim, so it wasn't quite clear who touched the ball or how. As luck would have it, the above-backboard camera caught it all, close-up; and only then could one tell how spectacular, uniquely so, was Shane's tip.

All posters know these plays just make us giddy.

DukieBoy
03-23-2009, 04:25 PM
Found a great video on youtube that has "The Save" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXAh6q-swKE) live, Coach K and JS's interview after, and a couple analyst talking about the play.

roywhite
03-23-2009, 04:34 PM
Found a great video on youtube that has "The Save" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXAh6q-swKE) live, Coach K and JS's interview after, and a couple analyst talking about the play.

Thanks; excellent.

Interesting also that Abrams, who really appeared to be a terrific player and athlete, wore down somewhat toward the end, and Jon was still going strong! It's that off-the-charts-Lance(Armstong!)-like cardio that we read about!

Go, Jon; you've contributed a signature play to Duke basketball lore.