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Saratoga2
11-26-2009, 08:07 AM
Several truisms apply to the coming games. Duke needs to keep turnovers down compared to UCONN and needs to limit easy transition baskets by them. Our bigs especially need to avoid cheap fouls and when they get fouled they need to make a higher percentage than they have been making so far. We will likely play a half court game while UCONN will attempt to get easy baskets off of transition from turnovers.

Problems caused by UCONN defense.

They will no doubt press us and we will have to break that kind of pressure. In the past we did best with a big man who could receive the ball and either pass or turn and bring the ball up court. McRoberts was good at that. That would leave us with passing opportunities to Scheyer, Singler and Smith. I don't believe either Thomas, Zoubek or Plumlee can be the kind of big man to play that role. That leaves Kelly, who while a freshman, has some of the tools to handle that role. UCONN caused a lot of problems for LSU, however, when they did break the press, they were ineffective making their open shots. We would have to make a good percentage of ours. Turnovers leading to easy transition points by UCONN have to be avoided.

In the half court, they can play our bigs one on one without too much concern. That means our big three will have someone in their face all the time. Smith might be able to get by once in a while, but probably not often enough to give us a significant advantage. Perhaps if we had Kelly to either lob the ball into Plumlee from the high post or to take the shot, we would put some pressure on their defense.

I saw no evidence of weakness rebounding the ball defensively by UCONN, although their first several games they were out rebounded. We will not be able to send our guards in for offensive rebounds without giving up transition baskets to UCONN.

Our best bet is to hit our three point shots while keeping the pace of the game moderate and also while keeping our bigs out of foul trouble.


Defensive problems caused by UCONN

They have the tools be be a dribble penetration team and in Edwards they have a threat inside who can make the basket when our defenders move to stop penetration. So far UCONNs outside shooting is suspect so we may be able to play off of some of their quicker guards. I think a zone might be our best bet.

My wife needs to go out so I end here.

Heelkiller1
11-26-2009, 08:11 AM
Going to be a tough game,hope the Devils can do what we all know they cant do ,and win.

OZZIE4DUKE
11-26-2009, 08:20 AM
UCON played its best game yesterday and we played our worst (so far, in both cases). We usually shoot pretty well in the Garden (just ask JJ Redick!) but didn't last night. Let's hope that things return to closer to the norm Friday night.

dukieinhebron
11-26-2009, 08:59 AM
Duke doesn't have anyone who can stop Stanley Robinson, Dyson, but i do believe Nolan can take Kemba Walker out of his game.

flyingdutchdevil
11-26-2009, 09:22 AM
Duke doesn't have anyone who can stop Stanley Robinson, Dyson, but i do believe Nolan can take Kemba Walker out of his game.

Disagree. Singler, Scheyer, and Thomas will work to neutralise those three. I'm really not that worried about the defense for this game - it's the offense that scares me. Duke cannot play that type of offense that we had last night. Scheyer was taking control of the game. While that is great, I really hope that the other players step up as well.

GIVE EM HELL DUKE!

davekay1971
11-26-2009, 10:03 AM
I haven't watched enough of UConn this year to comment intelligently on the tactics of the game. This post is merely to state that my loathing for UConn, in some ways, exceeds my loathing for UNC. Sacriledge, I know, but for UNC my loathing is really a loathing of the color, Roy Williams, and the fans. But you have to respect the program which, like Duke, has maintained a high level of success for decades without any significant scandal or any real hint of rulebreaking.

UConn, on the other hand, is about as shady as a program can get. There is every indication that Calhoun's been bending and/or breaking rules for a long, long time. To me, the program stands for about everything wrong with college hoops. It's a true good vs. evil matchup.

So, here's hoping our guys come out, play their best ball, and step over UConn on the way to what's shaping up to be a great season.

dukestheheat
11-26-2009, 10:12 AM
Duke will play with more emotion and focus and it will also work much harder on the help defense.

K is masterful at working through teachable moments, and last night's performance provided all the opportunity for this to happen.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody and Let's Go Duke!

dth.

uh_no
11-26-2009, 10:33 AM
disagree with the OP on one point

i never want to see zoubek bring the ball up the court at any point ever

Dopeshop
11-26-2009, 10:48 AM
I keep hoping for significant improvement for ZOO, but last night was so disappointing. He's a liability from the time he comes in...We have a standing bet as to his first turnover or foul. It's always in the first minute and seems to come in bunches. I used to brag about his FT shooting ,but this seems MIA too.

I don't think there's anyone on UCONN that he can handle (Calhoun ?).

I so wanted his Senior year to be as a real contributor---Maybe he'll be a solid sub yet.

uh_no
11-26-2009, 11:50 AM
I keep hoping for significant improvement for ZOO, but last night was so disappointing. He's a liability from the time he comes in...We have a standing bet as to his first turnover or foul. It's always in the first minute and seems to come in bunches. I used to brag about his FT shooting ,but this seems MIA too.

I don't think there's anyone on UCONN that he can handle (Calhoun ?).

I so wanted his Senior year to be as a real contributor---Maybe he'll be a solid sub yet.

you should post this in the zoubek thread....i got torn to pieces for having the audacity to think that zoubek is not a good player....

juise
11-26-2009, 01:19 PM
I really hope Duke can turn around the shooting tomorrow and I especially hope that the inside scoring comes to life. I don't think that UCon(n) will play as well as they did Wednesday night, but I am concerned about their speed and ability to get out in transition.



We usually shoot pretty well in the Garden (just ask JJ Redick!) but didn't last night. Let's hope that things return to closer to the norm Friday night.

JJ's big game was actually in New Jersey, as was J-Will's 38 points in the win over Kentucky (2002). Duke's first half blitz of Xavier last year was in New Jersey. Duke has obviously done well in the Garden as well, but I don't think the shooting has been as great: 37% against Pitt in 2007, 34% against Gonzaga in 2006, in the 40's for last year's 2K Sports Classic (Michigan, SIU).

hudlow
11-26-2009, 02:01 PM
What's the time and the network carrying this game please?

hud

uh_no
11-26-2009, 02:05 PM
What's the time and the network carrying this game please?

hud

not sure....but espn.com probably does

Acymetric
11-26-2009, 02:18 PM
What's the time and the network carrying this game please?

hud

5:00 on ESPN. Could be a little later if the consolation game beforehand goes long, but I think that game is set to be at 2:30 so 5:00 is about right.

duke09hms
11-26-2009, 02:28 PM
If we play the same way we played last night, I only hope we don't get embarrassed.

Though maybe a blowout loss could shake things up for K - play a deeper bench, and not switching every time on defense so Z is out there on the perimeter

hudlow
11-26-2009, 03:17 PM
Thanks on the game times!

hud

JDev
11-26-2009, 04:11 PM
UConn likes to penetrate and attack the basket, so it will be imperative that Duke stay out of foul trouble. That especially applies to Lance Thomas and Nolan Smith. Lance will be important in guarding Robinson, because he should be able to match-up athletically and size-wise. Nolan will be crucial in guarding Walker and/or Dyson. Those two guys are Duke's top defenders, and they don't really have anyone else like those guys on the bench, so they need to play smart and stay on the floor. I expect UConn to use a lot of ball screens, much like ASU, in an attempt to get Duke to switch and get favorable match-ups for penetration. I'm sure defending that will be a point of emphasis for Coach K.
Hopefully Duke, and Singler in particular, will have a better shooting night. this game will be more fast-paced than last night, so Duke will get more possessions, so if their shots are falling it will really change the complection on the game. That is increasingly important because UConn is always big and athletic, and they always are a great shot blocking team. Easy shots inside in the half-court offense will be hard to come by. UConn will have to put somebody like Robinson on Singler, which will pull him away from the basket and negate his shot-blocking a bit.
UConn is also not deep at all. Every starter averages over 30 mpg, and there is a big drop-off after that. Getting them in foul trouble would be a huge boost for Duke.
Hopefully we will see a much different Duke team in the final than we did in the semis. This Duke team prides themselves on spacing and team passing, so this will be a golden opportunity to show that. Defensively, Duke might be better off being less aggressive, and maybe even going zone for longer stretches. UConn does not shoot the ball well, with Dyson being the only guy who has taken more than 11 threes, and he is only hitting at a 30% clip
(6 for 20). Wlaker is 6 for 11 on the year from three.

JaMarcus Russell
11-26-2009, 05:07 PM
If people are worried about Duke's depth, I wonder what they think about the current UConn team, where each starter averages 31+ minutes a game and not one bench player averages even 4 points a game. Last night, UConn played their best game of the season. In fact, it was their only actually decent game of the season. As bad as Duke played last night, they beat ASU by a greater differential than UConn beat Hofstra or William & Mary.

They are basically a 4-man team, with Oriakihi helping out on rebounds and defense. However, UConn is the kind of squad that generally gives recent Duke teams problems throughout the game. The key to the game will be how Singler, Scheyer, and Smith match up against Robinson, Dyson, and Walker. The UConn big men aren't overly impressive, and as long as Miles doesn't commit those stupid reaching fouls like he did against Arizona State, and Lance has his usual defensive effort, I am not worried about that part of the game. The backcourt match-ups will be very interesting though. I am also curious to see if UConn will employ a full court press as much as they did against LSU. I hope that Duke's big 3 and one another player, possibly Kelly, can break the press with some nice passing and lead to some easy baskets.

And fwiw, Duke obviously did not play well last night. There's only one thing I really take away from that other than Zoubek should never play behind the free throw line on defense. We have now joined 10 other top 13 teams in having an off-night (everyone except Texas and Purdue).

jv001
11-26-2009, 07:16 PM
Several truisms apply to the coming games. Duke needs to keep turnovers down compared to UCONN and needs to limit easy transition baskets by them. Our bigs especially need to avoid cheap fouls and when they get fouled they need to make a higher percentage than they have been making so far. We will likely play a half court game while UCONN will attempt to get easy baskets off of transition from turnovers.

Problems caused by UCONN defense.

They will no doubt press us and we will have to break that kind of pressure. In the past we did best with a big man who could receive the ball and either pass or turn and bring the ball up court. McRoberts was good at that. That would leave us with passing opportunities to Scheyer, Singler and Smith. I don't believe either Thomas, Zoubek or Plumlee can be the kind of big man to play that role. That leaves Kelly, who while a freshman, has some of the tools to handle that role. UCONN caused a lot of problems for LSU, however, when they did break the press, they were ineffective making their open shots. We would have to make a good percentage of ours. Turnovers leading to easy transition points by UCONN have to be avoided.

In the half court, they can play our bigs one on one without too much concern. That means our big three will have someone in their face all the time. Smith might be able to get by once in a while, but probably not often enough to give us a significant advantage. Perhaps if we had Kelly to either lob the ball into Plumlee from the high post or to take the shot, we would put some pressure on their defense.

I saw no evidence of weakness rebounding the ball defensively by UCONN, although their first several games they were out rebounded. We will not be able to send our guards in for offensive rebounds without giving up transition baskets to UCONN.

Our best bet is to hit our three point shots while keeping the pace of the game moderate and also while keeping our bigs out of foul trouble.


Defensive problems caused by UCONN

They have the tools be be a dribble penetration team and in Edwards they have a threat inside who can make the basket when our defenders move to stop penetration. So far UCONNs outside shooting is suspect so we may be able to play off of some of their quicker guards. I think a zone might be our best bet.

My wife needs to go out so I end here.

Going to be an interesting game to say the least. Agree that our big guys cannot make silly fouls like last night. Very important that Miles stay out of foul trouble. I agree that uconn will probably start out pressing us. Kyle will probably be used to help break the press. If that's the case, I hope Coach K gives him a breather because he will need it. I am looking forward to the guard match ups. Their guards are quick and strong. This type of player has given us trouble in the past(Villanova). This is going to be a good measuring stick as to how good we are at this point of the season. Mason sure could help out against a team like uconn. Go Duke!

Cameron
11-26-2009, 07:17 PM
JJ's big game was actually in New Jersey, as was J-Will's 38 points in the win over Kentucky (2002). Duke's first half blitz of Xavier last year was in New Jersey. Duke has obviously done well in the Garden as well, but I don't think the shooting has been as great: 37% against Pitt in 2007, 34% against Gonzaga in 2006, in the 40's for last year's 2K Sports Classic (Michigan, SIU)

J.J. did have a game at the Garden in 2006 where he scored 26 points on 4-of-9 shooting from three. He was playing scrabble with the Madison Square Garden lettering that night, hitting a few shots from 30 feet.

J.J. also scored 20 points on 4-of-6 shooting there as a sophomore, interestingly enough against Texas, who he'd later blister for that 41 in the Meadowlands. He didn't think much of Texas:)

He was pretty fond of the whole metropolitan area to be honest.

I do agree about us not shooting particularly well in the Garden as a team, though. The Meadowlands, on the other hand, is definitely a different story, like you pointed out.

My "A Cut Above" panoramic poster depicting our 2005 win over #2 Texas is hanging above my Samsung Duke-vision right now. :)

Let's Go Duke!

I want to be UConn so bad I can f'n taste it. Still to this day, one of the happiest days of my life as a Duke fan was when George Mason ended Josh Boone and Hilton Armstrong's career in '06. Boone gave me chills just looking at him, and Armstrong's body-type made me cringe. Yes, I know how irrational that sounds.

jipops
11-26-2009, 08:36 PM
I think too many people may be putting too much into how last night's game played out and how that translates into tomorrow's game. I seriously doubt Calhoun will employ a matchup zone and I'm quite certain that UConn's offense is far less deliberate. No matter how we may have played vs. ASU, it wouldn't change what kind of matchups exist with UConn.

It will be interesting to see if they put Dyson on Scheyer. That could be pretty tough for Jon cause Dyson is one of the better defenders in the country and we have relied heavily on Jon to setup our offense. If this matchup is indeed the case then ofcourse a lot of the onus could be on Smith. Singler-Robiinson is the other key potential matchup to watch out for. Robinson appeared very athletic against LSU and liked getting into the middle of the lane. Will Singler be able to contain this to a degree, how will the help D react? How effective will Singler be on offensive vs. Robinson as he takes him outside?

Should be a good one. There is some interesting stuff to look out for. Win or lose, it might give a good outlook on where this team currently is and what needs to be addressed the most (ofcourse there will still be varying opinions on that).

dukestheheat
11-26-2009, 08:57 PM
^^^^^

jipops,

A big factor in how last night played out was a lack of help defense by the Blue Devils; this concerned me and I'm sure it concerns K, so much so that he'll make this a major point of emphasis to help Duke better compete with UConn.

Also, I didn't notice a great sense of urgency by the team until about mid-way through the second half last night; certainly, we closed out the first half with effort but seemed to tank it a little after the start of the second half. The ship was righted and we finished it well but I'm also certain that K is working on this.

I also think this'll be a good game with K building on these two points of emphasis from the ASU game.

dth.

Kedsy
11-26-2009, 09:00 PM
Their guards are quick and strong. This type of player has given us trouble in the past(Villanova). This is going to be a good measuring stick as to how good we are at this point of the season.

I agree. This UConn team is exactly the type of team some people say Duke can't beat. I'm looking forward to seeing if we can rise to the challenge.

jv001
11-27-2009, 10:35 AM
No matter what happens in this game, we have the luxury of knowing that Mason Plumlee will help this team. He's athletic and big. He can help make up for some defensive mistakes. He will be able to help us bring the ball up the court against the press. When Coach K said that Mason is "good" that was not just an idle comment. He can be great and I really hate he had this wrist injury. Being a freshman it will obviously set him back some but let's hope not too far back. What I want to see from this team is steady improvement leading up to the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. I'm excited! Go Duke!

Troublemaker
11-27-2009, 12:08 PM
Agree with jipops above that the ASU game should have little relevancy to this game against UConn. Huskies play a more traditional 2-big lineup instead of the 4 shooters and 1 big lineup ASU brings. Duke was very concerned with ASU's 3-pt shooting, so we went small to match them and played our traditional m2m defense. Against UConn, Duke will have more flexibility to play a compact defense or even zone if the Huskies are hurting us inside. ASU abandoned their usual offense and went with ball screens almost exclusively, and we did a poor job in the first half defending it. We did a much better job in the second half and if UConn tries the same tactic, we'll be much more prepared.

I also thought we weren't poised on offense, rushing into poor passes, shots and spots on the floor against the zone. We were trying to blow them out instead of taking our time and working for the best shots. We'll be more settled against UConn with the ASU game under our belt and because we don't expect to destroy UConn.

The matchups are very sexy. We'll see what Kyle can do against a long athletic 6'9 player in Robinson. Will Jon be able to deal with Walker's ball pressure and use his height to shoot over? Who's better, Nolan or Dyson? It's our Big 3 against their Big 3, and if the role players can play to a wash, then Duke should win because I do like our stars slightly better than UConn's.

sandinmyshoes
11-27-2009, 12:56 PM
I was a little nervous about this game. Then I read DBR's overly defensive preview of the game, and now I'm terrified. Okay, not really, but DBR seemed to be working overly hard to convince themselves of something.

If this Duke team were running the same defensive scheme's of past Duke teams, I'd be really, really nervous. But I think the new zone will help offset some of UConn's advantage in athleticism. Just have to hit our open shots, and we can win this. If our shooting is flat, it could be a long game.

Newton_14
11-27-2009, 12:57 PM
Well the experts have the alarmingly unathletic Dukie's as a 3 point favorite this afternoon. I assume this means Gottlieb, and several others will be putting a couple of grand on U can be a Con this afternoon to pick up some sure money for Christmas spending..

:rolleyes:

ice-9
11-27-2009, 01:05 PM
To be fair to Gottlieb, he did pick Duke to win this game.

NSDukeFan
11-27-2009, 01:20 PM
The matchups are very sexy. We'll see what Kyle can do against a long athletic 6'9 player in Robinson. Will Jon be able to deal with Walker's ball pressure and use his height to shoot over? Who's better, Nolan or Dyson? It's our Big 3 against their Big 3, and if the role players can play to a wash, then Duke should win because I do like our stars slightly better than UConn's.
For some reason, thinking about the matchup this way got me more excited, as I like our big 3 against about anyone.

To be fair to Gottlieb, he did pick
the alarmingly unathletic Dukie's to win this game.
How could he?

jpfrizzle
11-27-2009, 01:35 PM
We can not play like we did Wednesday night, when go up against UConn today and expect to win.

UConn is good enough to beat us.
We have to play with confidence and DUKE spirit!!

Bay Area Duke Fan
11-27-2009, 02:15 PM
To be fair to Gottlieb, he did pick Duke to win this game.

But J-Will picked UConn.

sagegrouse
11-27-2009, 02:55 PM
But J-Will picked UConn.

Isn't it appropriate to think of J-Will, Gottlieb, Bilas, and the rest on ESPN as entertainers? In many cases, what they say on the air, especially in terms of arguing a position, gets worked out ahead of time with the show producers, particularly to achieve a balance.

Not that they won't try to maintain their credibility and maybe even their true opinions while going along with what the show demands.

And, of course, if a total dope, one sounds like a total dope no matter the position. I won't use any names here.

sagegrouse
'Many westerners say the various species in the grouse family are among the dumbest critters on earth'

mo.st.dukie
11-27-2009, 02:59 PM
^^^^^

jipops,

A big factor in how last night played out was a lack of help defense by the Blue Devils; this concerned me and I'm sure it concerns K, so much so that he'll make this a major point of emphasis to help Duke better compete with UConn.




Good point. After watching the game again there were several things that occured that probably made Duke look unathletic (keep in mind Duke certainly isn't overly athletic but probably not as bad as some suggest). First, of course, is the struggles defending the high pick and roll. Second, Duke was closing out so hard on open 3-point shooters and not chopping their feet anticipating the drive. We were so worried about ASU's 3-point shooting and we weren't playing fundamental defense when closing out on those shooters. ASU was then able to throw a little pump fake with our defenders already off-balance and then go right around us. There were times when we had decent weak-side help but for the most part it just wasn't there. Also, Kyle seemed to be completely out of it not only shooting but he was also making uncharacteristically dumb plays. It hurts big time when your star player isn't completely with it.

rhcpflea99
11-27-2009, 03:24 PM
I think important today Mason doesn't get any tick tack fouls.

darkblue2769
11-27-2009, 03:28 PM
Yeah, I really hope Mason isn't picking up too many fouls, as well....

I'm a little more worried about Miles, though.

DisplacedBlueDevil
11-27-2009, 03:33 PM
Coach K needs a solid game plan today - one requiring alot of patience with the ball and long possessions. I would rather see Duke violate the 10 second rule in the backcourt than turn it over to them for easy transition baskets. The longer Duke possesses the ball, the more foul trouble for the Huskies. This will be a good match of the new, big Duke and how it fares vs. a quick, athletic team. I hope to see a basketball game, not a track meet, at MSG today.

GLTBD
11-27-2009, 03:59 PM
Hi everyone, my first post. I'm very excited about tonight's game and nervous. I am a relatively "new" Duke fan, so I am not as familiar with all the previous UConn games against Duke. However I am quite aware of the UNC rivalry, since I work with mostly UNC alumni (I am a pharmacist). All I would like to say is Let's go DUKE!!!!

juise
11-27-2009, 04:21 PM
Hi everyone, my first post. I'm very excited about tonight's game and nervous. I am a relatively "new" Duke fan, so I am not as familiar with all the previous UConn games against Duke. However I am quite aware of the UNC rivalry, since I work with mostly UNC alumni (I am a pharmacist). All I would like to say is Let's go DUKE!!!!

Welcome to the board! I can see how working with a bunch of UNC fans would cause a person to become a Duke fan. You've made a wise choice. :)

FireOgilvie
11-27-2009, 05:14 PM
Early on, 14-12. Duke has allowed way too many easy baskets on uncontested dunks. Plumlee with some big blocks, but he was taken out for Zoubek, who immediately fouled a UCon player. We're getting good looks in the paint so far. Lance has 5 points early with a nice putback and a breakaway layup.

cbfx3
11-27-2009, 05:20 PM
after all these years Zoubek still insists on putting the ball on the floor..

FireOgilvie
11-27-2009, 05:24 PM
after all these years Zoubek still insists on putting the ball on the floor..

Yeah, that really hurt us 3 times in a row. It's mind-boggling. Singler is 1-8 so far, with a few of his shots blocked. Singler needs to snap out of this multi-game slump.

Bostondevil
11-27-2009, 05:25 PM
I cannot take Dick Vitale's effusive praise of Jim Calhoun. Can't take it. It makes me want to hurt somebody.

cbfx3
11-27-2009, 05:29 PM
I think important today Mason doesn't get any tick tack fouls.


:eek: :eek: and you know he will EARN at least 3 or 4. He swats hard at the ball when he goes for a block..

FireOgilvie
11-27-2009, 05:35 PM
Scheyer has really impressed me so far this year with his playmaking. He has totally elevated his game when it comes to passing and decision-making from the PG position.

I like that Nolan attacks the basket aggressively. He's bringing a totally new dimension to our offense that we haven't seen for awhile.

Edit: Plumlee with 3 fouls. Ugh.

Now Singler has 3 fouls as well. Dumb.

ice-9
11-27-2009, 05:49 PM
Reason we're ahead right now: U-CONVICT fouls and turnovers. Thanks CONVICTS!

cbfx3
11-27-2009, 05:55 PM
If Zoubek and Thomas were more confident on the offensive end we'd be up by 20. They act like they are scared to shoot! Uconn looks a bit rough around the edges

FireOgilvie
11-27-2009, 05:57 PM
This is going to be a really intense 2nd half. Zoubek made some really bad mistakes, but he also came up huge with 9 rebounds in the first half and only 1 foul.

It will be interesting to see if Singler and Plumlee can stay on the court in the 2nd half. Singler needs to just back off and stand up straight on defense in the post.

Lance has had his best game I've seen so far. He has 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and only 1 TO and 1 PF.

lordshadrock
11-27-2009, 05:58 PM
UCON played its best game yesterday and we played our worst (so far, in both cases). We usually shoot pretty well in the Garden (just ask JJ Redick!) but didn't last night. Let's hope that things return to closer to the norm Friday night.
What does 9f mean I'm lost

Tucknut
11-27-2009, 06:00 PM
Wow. That was some half. As I expected, Duke stepped up their offense for this game. And despite some early breakdowns, they're playing decent defense. Pretty entertaining.

One thing's for sure - refs aren't calling palming this year.

ChemGod
11-27-2009, 06:00 PM
After allowing a lot of dunks and layups early, the D has REALLY clamped down, and UConn does not seem to be able to handle it. If we can keep the clamps down tight UConn will be hard pressed to climb back into it.

But we GOTTA keep the transition D up...and it has NOT been pretty so far!

juise
11-27-2009, 06:00 PM
If Zoubek and Thomas were more confident on the offensive end we'd be up by 20. They act like they are scared to shoot! Uconn looks a bit rough around the edges

Duke has definitely missed some opportunities in close, but if it weren't for the defense and offensive rebounding that Thomas/Zoubek have given, Duke would be trailing. Thomas had two nice finishes at the start of the game and obviously, the big block in transition.

I thought Zoubek got called on the and-1 by Robinson. He was in position... should have been a no-call. I am not complaining about the refs overall because I think Duke has got its share of calls. However, I have noticed that UConn seems to be carrying the ball quite a bit when dribbling around the perimeter. I think I saw one of the assistants asking for a call.

jipops
11-27-2009, 06:00 PM
We're completely outplaying them in the halfcourt. However we have serious issues with the foul trouble. This has 2004 written all over it. This 2nd half may get frustrating to watch.

darthur
11-27-2009, 06:06 PM
If Zoubek and Thomas were more confident on the offensive end we'd be up by 20. They act like they are scared to shoot! Uconn looks a bit rough around the edges

I've been really disappointed with Thomas's play earlier in the season, but to me at least, he has looked a heck of a lot better so far in this game.

lordshadrock
11-27-2009, 06:06 PM
Does anybody know what 9f means its killing me

grossbus
11-27-2009, 06:06 PM
"I like that Nolan attacks the basket aggressively."

got to make the shots, though.


we need to make them take jump shots. too many attempts around the basket.

hope the calhoun T doesn't stop the refs from calling the fouls, cuz they ARE fouling.

JDev
11-27-2009, 06:07 PM
Fouls are obviously the big issue for Duke right now. They have to play well and aggressive, but smart. They have to keep UConn out of transition like did the last 8 minutes or so. They have established this lead with Kyle shooting poorly and spending too much time on the bench, and while shooting 29% as a team.

juise
11-27-2009, 06:08 PM
Does anybody know what 9f means its killing me

Read the FAQ sticky at the top of the forum. You'll want to look for the "Handy Pocket Reference" link.

JaMarcus Russell
11-27-2009, 06:13 PM
What a finish by Scheyer! Duke is doing very well on the offensive glass, and Zoubek and Plumlee are doing better than I expected against the UConn big men on the defensive side as well.

FireOgilvie
11-27-2009, 06:14 PM
Singler can't get anything. He needs to go up harder and draw fouls instead of getting all of his shots blocked. He isn't quick enough to get separation from the UCon defenders. They are a very good defensive and shot-blocking team on the interior.

Bostondevil
11-27-2009, 06:16 PM
Does anybody know what 9f means its killing me

It means Go To Hell Carolina, see the handy pocket reference sticky thread. 9F is the only one anybody uses.

AIRFORCEDUKIE
11-27-2009, 06:19 PM
Anybody got a good link to a website that is showing the game.. I'm in Iraq and am actually at a computer and would love to watch the second half... can anybody help... Unfortunatly ESPN 360 does not stream here...

AFDukie..

_Gary
11-27-2009, 06:22 PM
Nolan and Kyle have had several shots that were right there and they just haven't gotten a kind roll or bounce. But I like the aggressiveness from both guys.

Ultrarunner
11-27-2009, 06:22 PM
Anybody got a good link to a website that is showing the game.. I'm in Iraq and am actually at a computer and would love to watch the second half... can anybody help... Unfortunatly ESPN 360 does not stream here...

AFDukie..

Try this...

http://www.justin.tv/accsportszone2

And THANKS! for your service!

ice-9
11-27-2009, 06:22 PM
We're completely outplaying them in the halfcourt. However we have serious issues with the foul trouble. This has 2004 written all over it. This 2nd half may get frustrating to watch.

But THIS year we have depth.

I don't care if you're a Lance/Zoubek fan/critic, but we don't win this game without them.

_Gary
11-27-2009, 06:32 PM
Please Lord!!! NO!!!!! Can't afford to lose Nolan. Hope it's not another concussion.

ice-9
11-27-2009, 06:33 PM
!@#$% man I hope Nolan's OK...

05/18/2005
11-27-2009, 06:34 PM
Hope its just a bump on nolans head, not maryland 2.0

Ultrarunner
11-27-2009, 06:34 PM
But THIS year we have depth.

I don't care if you're a Lance/Zoubek fan/critic, but we don't win this game without them.

I haven't watched the whole game (picked up at the 15 min mark in 2nd half - I'll do pennace later!) but Zoubs has had about three great passes just in the bit I've seen.

FireOgilvie
11-27-2009, 06:50 PM
We look absolutely horrible on offense right now. Only Nolan and Scheyer are shooting. We haven't made a fg in 5.5 minutes. Ugly.

Singler needs to start doing something.

05/18/2005
11-27-2009, 06:53 PM
Big shot by scheyer out of the time out

slower
11-27-2009, 06:56 PM
if we'll make it to the end without the UCons acting like total punks.

AIRFORCEDUKIE
11-27-2009, 06:57 PM
Thank you Ultrarunner.... watching the game now... Awesome..

AFdukie

Heelkiller1
11-27-2009, 06:58 PM
Great freaking game

_Gary
11-27-2009, 06:58 PM
It has been very ugly for us offensively over the last 6 or 7 minutes, but thankfully UConn hasn't made up much ground and we "should" be safe at this point. Nolan's had some good looks and I like his aggressiveness, but he's missed quite a few during this span and I wish someone else would look to shoot a bit more. I get the impression Nolan has only been taking as many shots as he has in this 2nd half because no one else seems to want the ball much. Jon has hit some nice shots off sets and screens, but other than that we've been pretty stale for a while now. Kyle's just completely out of it offensively so that hasn't helped our stagnation. I'd have liked to see Andre inserted just to give us another shooter during this stretch.

ice-9
11-27-2009, 06:58 PM
We look absolutely horrible on offense right now. Only Nolan and Scheyer are shooting. We haven't made a fg in 5.5 minutes. Ugly.

Singler needs to start doing something.


Our D also letting up. C'mon Duke!

Heelkiller1
11-27-2009, 06:59 PM
I love the rebounding

Heelkiller1
11-27-2009, 07:00 PM
Is this Lance's first Double Double

ice-9
11-27-2009, 07:02 PM
WTF!

Coach K call a timeout.

_Gary
11-27-2009, 07:02 PM
Like I said, we "should" be safe with this lead... :eek:

slower
11-27-2009, 07:02 PM
not again. Don't lose it like this. This is getting pathetic. It should NOT be this close and we shouldn't always have to worry about this happening. And don't tell me that a W is a W, because that's such a BS answer.

jipops
11-27-2009, 07:03 PM
I've so been dreading this part of the game. It seemed inevitable.

_Gary
11-27-2009, 07:04 PM
Someone tell me what the time was when we scored our 58th point, please. Seems like it was a long, long time ago and we've only scored 4 since then.

Heelkiller1
11-27-2009, 07:06 PM
Right now would be a great time for Singler to score a basket

ChrisP
11-27-2009, 07:07 PM
LOTS of calls going Uconn's way (like freakin' ALL of them!)

ice-9
11-27-2009, 07:08 PM
Who's the announcer besides Vitale?

It really sounded like that guy wanted U-Con to come back and beat us.

slower
11-27-2009, 07:09 PM
Get Dyson out before he injures somebody.

slower
11-27-2009, 07:10 PM
Who's the announcer besides Vitale?

It really sounded like that guy wanted U-Con to come back and beat us.

Yeah, it was kind of obvious.

ice-9
11-27-2009, 07:11 PM
Check out this gameflow: http://espn.go.com/ncb/gamecast?gameId=293310150

We've been terrible starting from 12:32 left in the game.

Heelkiller1
11-27-2009, 07:12 PM
Will this game just end

_Gary
11-27-2009, 07:15 PM
From what I can tell, not counting the free throws in the last minute of the game, we went about 11 minutes scoring only 4 points. But we won. That's the bottom line.