MBB: Duke 70, Florida State 56 Post-Game Thread

[Jumbo]

Have a lovely discussion!

[KyDevilinIL]

Eh, a B- overall. FSU is a decent team, but we didn't take advantage as well as we're capable of.

An ACC win is an ACC win, however. Nice to see Jon hit some shots again; Kyle seems to be inching back into form.

It would behoove us, though, to be smoother at both ends on Saturday.

[BlueintheFace]

Home wins are must this season in the ACC. We were at home. We won.

Becoming more and more discouraged about Mason. Becoming less and less optimistic about him making a difference this season.

Good Defensive game plus Earth Wind and Scheyer did their thing.

[roywhite]

14-point win against a team that is hard to score on. Some clutch shooting by Jon Scheyer, and also Kyle. Good response in the last 5 or 6 minutes. One more in the win column.

[proelitedota]

We won not due to how well we played, but to how well Florida State didn't play at some parts in the game. For a while in the second half I though we might lose the lead altogether with the effort shown by our team. IMO, we lucked out. Hopefully things can tighten up Saturday.

[91devil]

We won not due to how well we played, but to how well Florida State didn't play at some parts in the game. For a while in the second half I though we might lose the lead altogether with the effort shown by our team. IMO, we lucked out. Hopefully things can tighten up Saturday.


Agree with this post. I think FSU lost this game more than we won it.

[KyDevilinIL]

Becoming more and more discouraged about Mason. Becoming less and less optimistic about him making a difference this season.

I agree, but if I feel OK about this situation, it's that the odds are against all of our bigs turning in poor showings on the same night. Mason has faded lately, but I think Lance has stepped it up. And Zoubs was solid when he was actually able to be on the floor.

I don't think Mason and/or Miles are done, but I suspect their significant contributions will be unpredictable and infrequent from this point on.

[Lord Ash]

Glad to win it, it could have EASILY been closer if a few of those FSU shots that were halfway down had gone down.

Just still surprised that we continue taking so many threes without attempting a bit more penetration or dumping the ball in, and surprised by how little anyone but Smith, Scheyer, or Singler get their number called... I realize that FSU is big inside, but still, it just does not feel like we are developing a varied attack which can survive going cold in one department. In fact, we feel less capable of that now than we did five or six games ago, when going cold from three didn't mean a loss.

I understand this might sound a touch negative after an ACC win, but honestly a regular season win (of which we have had so many recently) is as much about development and the future as it is about the now to me.

[BlueintheFace]

We won not due to how well we played, but to how well Florida State didn't play at some parts in the game. For a while in the second half I though we might lose the lead altogether with the effort shown by our team. IMO, we lucked out. Hopefully things can tighten up Saturday.

I presume one of those points in the game for you was when they were down by 4 in the 2nd half. I hope you recognize the changes made by K at that point in the game and how they caused Florida State to not play well.

[jv001]

A good win against a good FSU team. Man they can play defense. I haven't seen the boxscore, but I think we were outrebounded badly. Probably the first time this year. Some good things come to mind. Number one is that Jon came out of his shooting slump. Lance had a good all around game as did Zoubs. Nolan and Kyle were good but not great. Miles missed some easy shots at the rim. Jon made a couple of good passes that were wasted. He did get some big rebounds at the end of the game that helped hold off FSU. Is is it me, or is there too much dribbling around the perimeter? I'm not blaming the guards because I'm sure that's the way Coach K has drawn up the offense. I liked the little bit of zone we threw at them. Looked like it threw them off stride for a few possessions. Like I said good win against a good team. Now let's get G-town. Go Duke!

[Jumbo]

I agree, but if I feel OK about this situation, it's that the odds are against all of our bigs turning in poor showings on the same night. Mason has faded lately, but I think Lance has stepped it up. And Zoubs was solid when he was actually able to be on the floor.

I don't think Mason and/or Miles are done, but I suspect their significant contributions will be unpredictable and infrequent from this point on.

It'll be interesting to see what Mason can do against Georgetown. Duke will need his combination of size and mobility against Greg Monroe. Mason needs to learn to stop making silly fouls and just needs to get a bit more used to the speed of the game on offense. I'm not giving up hope that with a few more weeks of experience, he can be a bigger factor by March.

[uh_no]

Good Defensive game plus Earth Wind and Scheyer did their thing.

a poster which said 'The 3 S-keteers' won me over

[Jumbo]

Glad to win it, it could have EASILY been closer if a few of those FSU shots that were halfway down had gone down.

Just still surprised that we continue taking so many threes without attempting a bit more penetration or dumping the ball in, and surprised by how little anyone but Smith, Scheyer, or Singler get their number called... I realize that FSU is big inside, but still, it just does not feel like we are developing a varied attack which can survive going cold in one department. In fact, we feel less capable of that now than we did five or six games ago, when going cold from three didn't mean a loss.

I understand this might sound a touch negative after an ACC win, but honestly a regular season win (of which we have had so many recently) is as much about development and the future as it is about the now to me.

Funny, I felt the opposite way -- I was really glad to see Duke shoot a bunch of threes, especially so many open ones. I think one of the problems in the games where the offense has been bogged down lately is that teams have been cutting off Duke at the three-point line. And it's reflected in the stats -- this Duke team is relying on threes significantly less than previous editions. So it was nice to see the team get so many good looks from deep, and it will be even better when Kyle's wrist heals and (hopefully) he knocks down a higher percentage.

[dukelifer]

Home wins are must this season in the ACC. We were at home. We won.

Becoming more and more discouraged about Mason. Becoming less and less optimistic about him making a difference this season.

Good Defensive game plus Earth Wind and Scheyer did their thing.
Freshman are up and down. He also needs to simplify what he is doing out there. I am not discouraged. The light will go off- just need to be patient.

[jv001]

It'll be interesting to see what Mason can do against Georgetown. Duke will need his combination of size and mobility against Greg Monroe. Mason needs to learn to stop making silly fouls and just needs to get a bit more used to the speed of the game on offense. I'm not giving up hope that with a few more weeks of experience, he can be a bigger factor by March.

Couldn't agree more about Mason. I would like to see him use his left hand on the interior. I know it's a lot for a freshman to take in, especially since missing time with an injury. It would help his case to quit making those silly fouls Jumbo referred to and to not get lost on defense at times. Couple of times in the first half he was getting yelled at by his teammates for being out of position on defense. The great thing is he has the talent to take us to another level. I just hope it's sooner rather than later. Go Duke!

[dukelifer]

We won not due to how well we played, but to how well Florida State didn't play at some parts in the game. For a while in the second half I though we might lose the lead altogether with the effort shown by our team. IMO, we lucked out. Hopefully things can tighten up Saturday.

Lucked out is a bit much. Duke did not play with intensity throughout and there were runs- but Duke did what they had to. Every time FSU made a run- Duke responded. Could Duke have played better - sure. But they did not luck out here. They counter-punched and won a game without burning themselves out- like they did against Wake.

[dyedwab]

I'm not as negative about the game as other. My two issue were that period during the 2nd half when FSU was beating us to every loose ball (either rebound or on the floor) and the first half when we were making it too easy for them to get it into Alabi (something we corrected in the 2nd half). Here are some of my takeaways.

1) Our offense wasn't good because FSU's defense was. They made it difficult for us to see open men and they were aggressive at cutting off driving lanes and cutters.

2) I agree with Jumbo - I didn't think we forced threes. I thought they were open, and the right shots. Some didn't go down

3) We were much worse on both ends tonight with Zoubek out of the game. He did the best job containing Alabi, and our offense moved better when he was in.

4) Let's give FSU credit here. Nolan was shredding them in the first half, and they contained him in the 2nd half.

All in all, not the best win ever, but not the worst. I thought we played a tough team, weren't at our best, and never trailed. That's a good night.

[devildownunder]

'the 3 s-keteers'


and we have a winner!!!

[jipops]

Glad for the ACC win.

I was going to be seriously down on our offense as we just haven't shown much of a flow on that end of the floor in any consistent manner. Then I went over to check the final scores of FSU's past games and only FOUR teams have managed to score more than 70pts against them (NC State oddly enough topping the 80pt mark). That actually makes me feel much better. FSU as a team, with all of its size, is very quick and poses quite a matchup problem.

Obviously our defense won this one for us... again. Though we gave up a ton of easy buckets, overall we kept them in check as we needed to. The game could have easily slipped away with our horrendous offensive drought at the 11 minute mark of the 2nd half, but the D held to form.

I do like how we got around to forcing turnovers and overall took good care of the ball.

[jv001]

We won not due to how well we played, but to how well Florida State didn't play at some parts in the game. For a while in the second half I though we might lose the lead altogether with the effort shown by our team. IMO, we lucked out. Hopefully things can tighten up Saturday.

Do you think that Duke had anything to do with FSU not playing well at some parts of the game. FSU is a good team. One with good athletes who never gave up. Their point guard had ten assists. If some of the shots that went down and came out had stayed in, it could have been a nail biter. Coach K made some great decisions in the game. Going to that zone was a great move. It caught FSU completely off guard and they immediately turned it over. I love any game that we come away with the W. Go Duke!

[mike88]

I am not sure what others are expecting, but I thought this was a great win against an outstanding defensive team. Jon shot great, Kyle and Nolan had solid games, and our big-men-by-committee (particularly Z and Lance) did what we needed to win.

I hope that we will see continued progress by Mason in February, but I confess I am not optimistic that we will see a major "breakthrough." Lance is doing a great job right now, but the versatility that Mason can bring would really help our squad overall. To earn minutes, though, he needs to play better defensively (fewer fouls, fewer reaches, not getting beat back-door).

[moonpie23]

i actually thought it was a gritty win.....they were having their way with duke till about 5 min to go and then duke pushed back...


i liked the fact that they won a gritty game at home.....by 14...

[HowBoutDemDevils]

I like the fact that (minus the hit the Miles took) they won't be too battered to face Gtown. I'll take it.

[devildownunder]

Another conference win at home. Excellent. Didn't really expect a blowout tonight, although was hopeful. I didn't get to see this one, so am taking an "inside-the-box-score" approach to trying to understand what happened. I see that Nolan had a rough shooting night and that Kyle had a rough shooting night from 3pt range (3-10, vs. 4-5 from 2). I assume Nolan was a real focal point of their D and that this contributed to his issues can someone confirm this?

Also, 10 3pt attempts from Kyle jumps out at me. Jumbo, what would be your assessment of the quality of those shots? I'm happy that Kyle seems to be finding ways to score these days. What would you say his plan of attack was? Tonight, he may not have been especially efficient from 3 range but he did put up 20 points on 15 shots in a contest that remained competitive throughout. That's effective. It's good to him becoming a more reliable scorer again of late. He has come on some, statistically.

Another question for the board, what was the tempo of this game like? We scored in the 70s, which I think is about where we hit maximum efficiency, with a moderate pace and a focus on defense. Is that about where we were tonight or was the game just uptempo, frenetic and sloppy, leading to lower scores, despite the faster tempo?

[superdave]

Our D was really disruptive tonight. But FSU's backcourt is not strong. We eventually found a way to contain Alabi. Kudos to Miles and Zoubek.

We did have a patented Offensive swoon however. That was not encouraging. And it was difficult for our big 3 to drive by FSU defenders in the 2nd half, so we could not break out of the funk easily. Jon's bucket that bumped us from 51 to 53 points (IIRC) was gutsy and stopped the bleeding. He will that in.

Agree with what has been said on Mason. At some point, we need to put the ball in his hands and spend 3-4 possessions in a row through him to get him going. Sometimes you have to live with mistakes to find that upside for March. Our ceiling is defined by Mason in many ways.

Zoubek and LT have been so steady on the Defensive end for us.

[Greg_Newton]

As others have said, an ACC win is an ACC win. I thought Kyle had his best game in weeks, even if his stats don't jump out. He played much more comfortable and in his element, I didn't think he was taking bad 3's - just clanking some good ones. It was weird to see him miss so many long... makes me think his wrist must be playing a role.

It is a bit sobering to see that Mason and Miles are just not quite where we hoped they'd be by the meat of ACC play though. It is also a little discouraging to see that at this point in time, SSS + Lance and Z seems to be K's prefered lineup, which is still essentially 3 on 5 on offense with Lance and Z bouncing from screen to screen and our guards dribbling around doing their best to create shots for each other every single trip down the floor. There's an element of "we've seen this movie before" as you watch a game like this unfold, and with only Miles getting double-digit minutes outside of the five upperclassmen. I can understand why people aren't exactly giddy even though it was a good win.

I also don't like that Miles seems to be getting more and more deferential on the offensive end. He hardly ever really looks for the ball anymore, and I feel like I'm watching him begin to shift his mindset entirely into the screener-rebounder role our bigs have all played recently. Maybe it's by design, but I just don't like that style of basketball. I don't think it gives you a margin for error, and it just doesn't feel like team ball.

And finally, I have to make a 1-A comment tonight. I know Mason has been making some boneheaded mistakes, and doesn't play nearly as smart as Lance and Z... but he also does a lot of good things. He's learning. I would really like to see him get double digit minutes in a game like this, at home, where we often had a double digit lead. That's all. Apologies if this came off rant-ish.

[jgehtland]

A lot of the apparent problems with our offense in this came can be chalked up to crummy flow. Especially in the second half when our lead got whittled down, there were a BUNCH of crappy calls (at one point the fouls were 10 on us, 3 on FSU). The guys looked frustrated at the way the game was being called. From where I sat it looked like K was them to ignore the refs and just play, and we pushed the lead back out to 8 or 9.

[SCMatt33]

A few thoughts:

1. I just watched some of the replay of the game again and noticed that during the FSU comeback, the offense was very vanilla. It wasn't that we jacked up shots that we shouldn't have (38% 3PA/FGA is high, but not an unreasonable number for any given game) or made particularly bad plays, but there was very little action, especially in the lane. Duke started scoring and put the game away when there were perimeter guys moving around the court with and without the ball that allowed for easier shots and allowed big guys to get into offensive rebounding position.

2. Florida State is a big team. I didn't have that much of a problem with getting out-rebounded, even by a large amount, but the one's that got me were on the missed free throws. Not that I expect it to never happen, but they got an awful lot of those (Of coarse, they had to miss a lot of FT's to get the chance).

3. Over 75% of our points came from the big three. I don't think that means that they need to share the ball more or throw it inside. I think it means that they're really really good. It's not a secret who Duke's best scorers are, and one of the best defensive teams in the league couldn't contain them.

[dyedwab]

3. Over 75% of our points came from the big three. I don't think that means that they need to share the ball more or throw it inside. I think it means that they're really really good. It's not a secret who Duke's best scorers are, and one of the best defensive teams in the league couldn't contain them.

I just wanted to highlight this point again. I think that we as fans sometimes forget this - but Kyle, Nolan, and Jon are great.

If at the beginning of the year, Kyle was our top contender for ACC player of the year, and through the first part of the season Jon was that guy, I think you can make the case right now, that it's Nolan. And part of our offensive struggle in the 2nd half was clearly that FSU made more of an effort to take Nolan away from us.

But as Coach K said in the post-game, wouldn't it be great if we had all three of them have a great game on the same night?

[Mcluhan]

Man, it's been an interesting season so far.

Question: Since NCSU, have we regained our composure but scaled back our ambitions?

[Duvall]

Man, it's been an interesting season so far.

Question: Since NCSU, have we regained our composure but scaled back our ambitions?

That depends. What the heck does that mean?

[hakentotoro]

In a game where Zoubek fouled out, Miles Plumlee got hurt, and Mason a non factor, Thomas provided valuable defense and minutes. We needed big guys today and Thomas stepped up.

[roywhite]

In a game where Zoubek fouled out, Miles Plumlee got hurt, and Mason a non factor, Thomas provided valuable defense and minutes. We needed big guys today and Thomas stepped up.

Which goes to show we now have something we've lacked for a while:

Depth inside

[SCMatt33]

Another interesting tidbit. Despite getting easily out-rebounded, second chance points were Duke-7, FSU-5. They had 15 offensive boards and got 5 points out of it.

[Wander]

ZOUBEK

STOP FOULING

That is all.

[Jumbo]

That depends. What the heck does that mean?

OK, that literally made me laugh out loud.

[devildownunder]

Jumbo, did you see my question above re: singler's 3s. Was curious about whether you thought he showed good selection on his 3pointers tonight (he was 3-10, vs 4-5 from 2pt range).

It was an honest question, not a snide remark. I haven't seen the game and was dissecting the box score trying to see what I could glean from it. I'd like your honest opinion on the subject. You just posted on the thread again, so I'm hoping you see this and respond to the question.

I just looking for some input from someone who saw the game and thinks about such things. As I mentioned when I asked the question, I think Singler's scoring has come on quite a bit, I'm happy with his progress. I had hoped that would make it clear I wasn't attempting to be a smart aleck, not that I usually am a smart aleck on this board anyway.

All right, enough.

[Neals384]

Jumbo, did you see my question above re: singler's 3s. Was curious about whether you thought he showed good selection on his 3pointers tonight (he was 3-10, vs 4-5 from 2pt range).

It was an honest question, not a snide remark. I haven't seen the game and was dissecting the box score trying to see what I could glean from it. I'd like your honest opinion on the subject. You just posted on the thread again, so I'm hoping you see this and respond to the question.

I just looking for some input from someone who saw the game and thinks about such things. As I mentioned when I asked the question, I think Singler's scoring has come on quite a bit, I'm happy with his progress. I had hoped that would make it clear I wasn't attempting to be a smart aleck, not that I usually am a smart aleck on this board anyway.

All right, enough.

Not Jumbo, but I thought almost all of the three pt attempts by Duke were good shots - catch and shoot, squared up, reasonably open. These were created by good ball movement around the perimeter. Having Andre's first 3 swish was a highlight of the night!

Neal

[devildownunder]

Having Andre's first 3 swish was a highlight of the night!

Neal

meant to comment on that. very nice to see that andre knocked one down, you're right. Let's hope it's a sign he's getting back to feeling like himself.

[Saratoga2]

It was difficult to score against FSU in the half court. When we turned them over, we had an easier time since their defense wasn't back and fully organized. The threes were available in the first half and Jon was hot while Kyle was not. Kyle made up for it with a variety of moves where he got contested shots in the lane and made them. That seemed to get him going. Dawkins was camped in the corner when he came in and did get off one three under some pressure. He has to move without the ball to be more effective. I thought Kyle started to feel it from the 3 poiint line in the second half, so perhaps that will carry over against Gelrgetown.

Lance Thomas was superb tonight. He was everywhere on defense and helped keep our offense moving as well. Great to see his improvement this year. I didn't expect him to show so much as a senior, but his play is miles better than last year. Zoubek also played well, but has trouble staying in the game. We need him against the really big teams.

In the second half, FSU picked up their intensity on defense and we were getting very few open looks on the perimeter. To see us unable to get shots off and have the clock run out is an indication of what FSU did. They also crashed the boards and we couldn't compete with their size and intensity. I thought Kyle and Lance did well to keep us alive at least a few times.

Milles played solid defense but was unable to make a big offensive contribution. With the FSU size inside, it was really difficult for the big men to score. Mason just seemed out of his element again. He has the tools and it is just a matter of time until he does a lot more.

Another great win for this team. Experience counts.

[sandinmyshoes]

I always expect FSU to play fast and to play hard and then have a spell of stupid, undisciplined basketball. They didn't do so much of that tonight on the stupid side of their usual formula, but Scheyer's game, combined with Lance's disruptive flurry carried us.

FSU is an annoying team to play.

[CameronBornAndBred]

It'll be interesting to see what Mason can do against Georgetown. Duke will need his combination of size and mobility against Greg Monroe. Mason needs to learn to stop making silly fouls and just needs to get a bit more used to the speed of the game on offense. I'm not giving up hope that with a few more weeks of experience, he can be a bigger factor by March.
I'm guessing he isn't getting it done in practice as well as in games, so unless he steps it up before the games, K's not going to let him do much against Georgetown. With our foul troubles last night, I was surprised to see Mason only get 8 minutes (same # he got against state and almost half of what he had been getting). He's still got a lot to learn, my biggest beef with him is his inability to finish. It's disheartening to see the number of layups and dunks he misses, and my guess is that is contributing to his being on the floor less. It's one thing to miss a three pointer, it's another when you repeatedly miss from within 3 feet of the basket.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Zoubek and LT have been so steady on the Defensive end for us.
Totally agree with that, both were big contributors to the win last night. LT just seemed to be everywhere at once, FSU must have thought there were 2 of him on the court.

[Lord Ash]

Funny, I felt the opposite way -- I was really glad to see Duke shoot a bunch of threes, especially so many open ones. I think one of the problems in the games where the offense has been bogged down lately is that teams have been cutting off Duke at the three-point line. And it's reflected in the stats -- this Duke team is relying on threes significantly less than previous editions. So it was nice to see the team get so many good looks from deep, and it will be even better when Kyle's wrist heals and (hopefully) he knocks down a higher percentage.

Hm... I guess what made me nervous the way we got the threes... namely, passing it around the perimeter without having the opportunity to pass it in to allow the perimeter defense to collapse a bit. I think what I get nervous about is the idea of playing a team that is good at defending the three and us having to change the game up a little, but then the players who need to be effective for that (namely, our bigs) are so lacking in experience that they are not necessarily able to perform.

[duke4life32182]

A win is a win in my book. Singler started showing signs of coming out of his funk. Scheyer was great, LT and Z did a good job in the paint. I think the size thrown at Nolan really hurt him, but it is a good learning experience for him to go up against bigger guys. We did what we had to do, make them make turnovers. Dawkins hit a shot they may get him going as well. I think there were a couple of occasions where he could have shot some more but looks like he is reluctant to pull the trigger. He needs a confidence boost and maybe that three will do it. Mason needs to get in the lane and elevate and use his size. They need Miles to play above the rim like he was doing a couple of games ago, I think he will get it going Saturday. We really need someone on the inside to start utilizing their size so we can start to get a inside-out game going. I'm pumped about Saturday and add another win in our ACC total. Go Duke.

[NYDukie]

Like many posters, I'm all over the place with how I feel about this game as here are some of my thoughts:

Positives:

1. Great defense by all involved, individually and team-wise.
2. Nice to see Jon get his mojo back shooting the ball. Long season as I know some were getting a lil nervous with his recent shooting slump. As primarily a perimeter scorer, up and downs will occur with more ups in his case. As a side not, nice to see Andre get involved again and hit a shot as some type of positive contribution from him on a regular basis will probably be needed as the season goes on.
3. Kyle looked more comfortable all around as he seems to be settling in more at the 3 spot and the bumps and bruises heal.
4. Good, solid game from Lance. Played within himself offensively and provided very good defense.

Negatives:

1. FSU handled us on the boards pretty good (FSU was +10 on the boards). Luckily, it did not translate on the offensive end for them as they didn't take advantage of getting the ball in the hoop. Probably not a long term concern but I'm sure Coach K will remind them to be aggressive on the boards.
2. Mason's lack of production. I'm not sure what is happening here as he looks tentative and somewhat lost the past few games since Wake. Could he be hurting as if we remember he did take a nasty spill that game? Could he not be producing in practice and Coach K is equating quality practice time into game time? I have no clue but it's something worth monitoring as many see Mason as key to this teams run come March as the "X" factor.
3. Some varying points of view on the amount of 3-pointers shot. I know that FSU's perimeter D is not good and allows, I believe, the most 3-pointers made per game at 7. So it may have been strategy but I do get a bit nervous when the team starts falling in love with the 3. Something to monitor but not yet panic about as we've seen the team be able to win without the 3 being a predominant factor in their games. Decent amount of threes came in the flow but they looked as though that's what they were only looking for. Also, there was a couple of sequences that they did just "launch" them after gathering rebounds and kicking the ball out which made me squirm rather than set it back up. Again, probably nothing major but just worth watching.

Overall, solid game against a very good, underrated FSU team that can defend and rebound. I'd give the team a B/B+ as this was a sandwich game between a Clemson game they needed to make a statement on with national TV, inter-confernce game against at top 10 G'Town in their territory.

[ReformedAggie]

re Mason: he's a Freshman. Being lost in space is part of evolution. I think he's trying to think too far ahead instead of letting the game come to him.
re-Miles: anyone who gets staples in his head and comes back on to play gets my "tough guy" award for the night.
re-the whole game: we had a lot of "teachable" moments to go over.

[DeBlueDevil]

I agree. Mason is still a freshman. No matter what all the analyst say and what we expect from him and what he is capable of doing he's a freshman. I do cringe however when I see him take a 3 in a close game. Thats was kind of a bad decision but he's a freshman and at times I think he just tries to do too much. Let him find himself.

Overall, I give us a B. An ACC win is a tough win especially against a team as talented as FSU. We didn't play our best ball but a sign of a good team is being able to win when everything is not going your way. Watch the film, learn from our mistakes and get better. On to GTOWN.

Lastly, Coach K won this game for us late in the 2nd half. He is hands down the best coach in college bball. The move he made to a 3-2 zone late in the game was brilliant because not only did it work but it switched the momentum back to us and we took it on and won. How many teams can switch up D like that and do it correctly let alone be effective. I thought it just was a great coaching move and it makes me soo happy that he is our coach.

[hq2]

I think this game shows the limit of what the Plumlees can do this year. Alabi is probably one of the better defensive centers they'll see, and they basically didn't do anything against him on offense at all. Since the season is already more than halfway over, I'd say it's hard to see them getting all that much better this year. They'll be effective against the smaller teams, but against the bigger ones they can't do that much. Looks like the Triple Ss will be carrying the team in the clutch when NCAA time rolls around.

[superdave]

We didnt have too many tonight. FSU's guards were quick enough to get back and Nolan is our only guy who really pushes the tempo when he sees the opportunity.

But a little more fast-breaking might be good for the Plums because they run the floor so well and both are willing to dunk on anyone.

What are 17-3 now? And we are playing well below our combined capabilities (AKA "The Proverbial Ceiling" or "Ceiling). If Mason and Andre get going, we could be peaking at the right time. And by "get going" I mean hitting all their defensive assignments, learning to switch on screens and getting 4-5 scoring looks each per game. That is all!

[roywhite]

I think this game shows the limit of what the Plumlees can do this year. Alabi is probably one of the better defensive centers they'll see, and they basically didn't do anything against him on offense at all. Since the season is already more than halfway over, I'd say it's hard to see them getting all that much better this year. They'll be effective against the smaller teams, but against the bigger ones they can't do that much. Looks like the Triple Ss will be carrying the team in the clutch when NCAA time rolls around.

It was not a good game for the Plumlees (though props to Miles for taking a gash to the head and coming back), but I don't see how we can generalize about the rest of their season based on this game. Both can play better, and have played better.

I've observed before that midway through the conference season is often a low point for freshmen in the Duke program. They are taken back by the intensity and physical nature of the conference games, realize how long the season is, and have lost confidence. Quite often, they improve through February and March. There are numerous examples going back to Laettner and as recent as Elliot Williams.

It's way too early to dismiss the possible contributions of the freshmen, and Mason Plumlee in particluar.

[dukelifer]

I think this game shows the limit of what the Plumlees can do this year. Alabi is probably one of the better defensive centers they'll see, and they basically didn't do anything against him on offense at all. Since the season is already more than halfway over, I'd say it's hard to see them getting all that much better this year. They'll be effective against the smaller teams, but against the bigger ones they can't do that much. Looks like the Triple Ss will be carrying the team in the clutch when NCAA time rolls around.

What other 7' centers on other top teams are you worried about? The Plumlees did fine against slower non-NBA lottery pick 7' centers like McFarland.

[CrazieDUMB]

As I'm reading over these responses, I'm seeing a lot of "good win, but..." and and general idea that this game was serviceable but not satisfying.

Obviously, this being DBR, there's always going to be more worried negativity than appreciation. I feel like DBR message boards are Duke's mother, always worried about what could go wrong and if little bad things will turn into something worse.

Here's what I saw: we beat a solid ACC team by 14 points. We defended the home court. We scored scored very well (comparatively) against some of the best defense in the ACC. We used our height to offset theirs. The big 3 did their thing collectively.

It wasn't perfect, as many people have pointed out. But hey, lets focus on the good here and enjoy this game for what it was. Cherish the time we see Lance and Zou do their thing, because before long we wont get to see it anymore, and its so nice to see seniors really playing senior, smart ball.

Bring on Gtown!

[superdave]

It's way too early to dismiss the possible contributions of the freshmen, and Mason Plumlee in particluar.

Coach K is playing people based on matchups. No Andre vs. the Clemson press, more Andre vs. FSU's interior size. Lots of Mason vs. athletic Wake, less vs. physical teams.

We have different looks for different teams. Anyone notice Mason leading the press last night? Think you might see that in the future?

[77devil]

What other 7' centers on other top teams are you worried about?

Monroe this Saturday although he's only listed at 6'11".

[Steve68]

We won not due to how well we played, but to how well Florida State didn't play at some parts in the game. For a while in the second half I though we might lose the lead altogether with the effort shown by our team. IMO, we lucked out. Hopefully things can tighten up Saturday.

You must have been watching a different game from the one I watched. Lucked out? Florida State made a run in the second half. They are a good team and any good team will make a run. We responded well to their run by increasing our intensity, running better plays on offense, and changing-up the defense by playing some zone. If that constitutes "lucking out", I hope we luck out for the rest of the year.

[jimrowe0]

2. Mason's lack of production. I'm not sure what is happening here as he looks tentative and somewhat lost the past few games since Wake. Could he be hurting as if we remember he did take a nasty spill that game? Could he not be producing in practice and Coach K is equating quality practice time into game time? I have no clue but it's something worth monitoring as many see Mason as key to this teams run come March as the "X" factor.




That is my main concern as well. Again, like last year, we need a consistent scorer inside to make a run the NCAA tournement. Someone has to step up and be that player, likely Mason or Miles. I think that it will be Mason, but he has to show some progression and I haven't really seen it yet.

[airowe]

F$U is the #1 team in the Nation in defensive 2-point FG% at I believe 34%. The fact that our bigs got any points is a positive in my mind. We took our strength to their weakness (perimeter) and won a hard fought, physical game. You saw the staples in Miles' head, not sure if you could see the scratches all over Jon's arms and back or Kyle wincing when he was getting hit on the wrist. I had the pleasure of sitting very close to the floor last night and it was amazing to see how hard our guys made them work on the defensive end. After Kyle and Jon had both hit 3s from the Crazie-Side Corner in the second half, Loucks (who is one of the most annoying defenders I've ever seen) came over to Leonard Hamilton and said they couldn't recover to guard the corner because they were getting screened and chasing guys around so much.

I'd have liked to have seen a few more touches for the bigs but again, that would have been attacking their strength with our weakness doesn't make much sense, does it.

I hope we have enough in the tank to turnaround quickly and face a very tough Georgetown team on their home court.

[BlueDevilCorvette!]

Well Ryan Kelly made a brief cameo appearance. I really, really want to see Kelly get in the groove of things. I know you can't / shouldn't judge a player by their highlight video but if Kelly can just give us a glimpse of his overall skill set, that would be very encouraging in his development. Just think how potent Duke's offense would be with a 6-10 3pt shooter with a sweet mid-range pull up jumper (wow). However, he still has the deer in headlights look and every time he steps on the floor it's like Showtime At The Apollo or the Gong Show...you're just waiting for the hook to come out and pull him offstage.

[NSDukeFan]

I thought that was a good solid win against a tough ACC opponent. It was also a game that I felt we were in control of the whole game. As soon as FSU got it close, we made a run to keep it at, or close, to a double digit margin.
I agree that the highlight of the night may have been Andre hitting the corner three shortly after getting blocked on a previous possession.
I can understand the concern about not going inside, using the post and shooting more threes than we have lately. I think that was because of this particular match-up however. I was thinking coming into the game that we would likely do a lot more damage from the perimeter than we would inside. I do hope to see us passing the ball inside more in the future and not relying on the three, but I have no trouble with the number we shot this game. I also like that Kyle is shooting with confidence, even if he has missed more lately.
All in all, a good solid win, especially defensively, against a solid ACC team.

[dukieinhebron]

It would be fantastic if we had one more player step up and be a consistent offensive threat besides the big three. Preferably in the post.

[BD80]

Well Ryan Kelly made a brief cameo appearance. I really, really want to see Kelly get in the groove of things. I know you can't / shouldn't judge a player by their highlight video but if Kelly can just give us a glimpse of his overall skill set, that would be very encouraging in his development. Just think how potent Duke's offense would be with a 6-10 3pt shooter with a sweet mid-range pull up jumper (wow). However, he still has the deer in headlights look and every time he steps on the floor it's like Showtime At The Apollo or the Gong Show...you're just waiting for the hook to come out and pull him offstage.

Frankly, it looked to me like Ryan is getting a better feel for the defense. He is looking to hedge to help. He doesn't always get there, but his movement in the right direction closes passing lanes. It makes him look more out of sync because he is not close to the man he is guarding and he looks lost. But this is much better than when he would be stuck to his man rather than stepping over to cut off a lay-up.

Our defense is based on help and recover. That is what allows us to apply pressure on the ball, we have a TEAM ready to help. The "recover" phase can look awkward as a player runs frantically toward an open man with his arms in the air to deflect a pass he wouldn't see. However, pressuring the ball makes it difficult for the offense to make passes to open men, particularly when the man is open only briefly.

I think Ryan is getting there. Slowly, but surely.

[elvis14]

I really enjoyed watching the FSU game. It was a good solid win against a solid ACC opponent. It was nice to see Nolan score when we needed him in the first half, Kyle pick it up in the second half and Jon be great the whole game. Of course it would be nice to get some production outside of The Firm but we can't have everything.

It was cool seeing Ryan and Andre get a few minutes when it counted and to see Andre drain that 3!

How is it that whenever Z reaches over someone to grab a rebound he gets called for a foul automatically but FSU bloodies Miles head coming over his back and head for a board and there's no call? Even in no-blood, no-foul pick up games that'd be called!


Question: Since NCSU, have we regained our composure but scaled back our ambitions?

Sadly I feel as though ambitions have been scaled back. I hope we can really hit our stride come March.



3. Some varying points of view on the amount of 3-pointers shot. I know that FSU's perimeter D is not good and allows, I believe, the most 3-pointers made per game at 7. So it may have been strategy but I do get a bit nervous when the team starts falling in love with the 3. Something to monitor but not yet panic about as we've seen the team be able to win without the 3 being a predominant factor in their games. Decent amount of threes came in the flow but they looked as though that's what they were only looking for. Also, there was a couple of sequences that they did just "launch" them after gathering rebounds and kicking the ball out which made me squirm rather than set it back up. Again, probably nothing major but just worth watching.

I really like NYDukie's take on our 3 point shooting. I too get worried when we rely too heavily on the 3 (less of a problem so far this year). I do really like being able to score all over the place. We have that some this year although I'd love it if our bigs could be more effective (by effective I mean allow us to really go to them when needed).

Overall, it's a good day. Looking forward to the Gtown game!

[trinity92]

This was as troublesome a win as a 14 point win against a tough opponent can be. Our big 3 simply aren't looking for our bigs inside when they post up. I only saw one such attempt from Lance to Miles down low. Miles made a nice move, albeit a little out of control, and missed the layup. I'd like to see more shot attempts for him and Mason in the paint. Over and over, I saw an inside player post up, call for the ball, and when the ball didn't come, the inside player came out and screened for the big 3. Very rarely did our big, after rolling from the screen, get the ball back for an inside shot attempt. That just doesn't (and won't, against better teams) get it done, IMHO.

I'm not bothered by the number of 3 pointers taken, b/c as other posters have mentioned, they were usually good looks and taken in the flow of the offense. What does bother me is the one-dimensional nature of our offense that looks very familiar to me-- we're running a lot of stuff on the perimeter, but very little inside.

OTOH, this is the second game in a row that Lance flat out looked great. Much more fluid, with truly suffocating defense. I'm very bullish on him, which is a first for me. Keep up the good work LT!

[roywhite]

This was as troublesome a win as a 14 point win against a tough opponent can be.

Sorry, this just strikes me as funny, or maybe sad.

You provided substance about aspects of the game and our play, but it just seems like this way of looking at our team's progress is needlessly harsh and gloomy.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Completely random thought - Zoubs to a cutting Singler may be one of my favorite plays this year. Similar to the Scheyer to an open Nolan for a 3. Those two plays are textbook. Bball is such a beautiful sport...

[superdave]

Completely random thought - Zoubs to a cutting Singler may be one of my favorite plays this year.

Singler seems to be more effective cutting to catch and shoot than he does at creating off the dribble on the perimeter. His ball handling with a msaller, quicker defender still isnt there. But his size is. Guess it depends on the matchup.

[trinity92]

Sorry, this just strikes me as funny, or maybe sad.

You provided substance about aspects of the game and our play, but it just seems like this way of looking at our team's progress is needlessly harsh and gloomy.

If Duke's sole object in fielding a men's basketball team is to beat FSU at home in late January, field a team that has a winning record every year, has upstanding young men who are student-athletes and graduate at a good rate, etc., then my comment would be "needlessly harsh and gloomy," because we're meeting all those goals. If, however, my alma mater's goal in fielding its men's basketball team is to do all those things plus have success against the best teams in the country in March, then I'm sticking to my guns. Your use of a DBR term of art like "needlessly harsh" suggests to me I can't call our play in a win "troublesome" without the shadow of censure falling on my post. Some might call that sad, or funny (not ha-ha funny).

[moonpie23]

thought i would change my avatar to help foster and aggressive lead up to the game this weekend..


hopefully the team will take it TO them...


GO DUKE!!!!

[Neals384]

Props to Kyle for playing the last 8:36 with 4 fouls.

Most coaches would have Kyle sit after getting his 4th. I love the way Kelly is progressing, but the idea of having him in the game at that point - with just a 4 point lead - is scary. Wonderful decision by Coach K to keep Kyle in the game the rest of the way.

[CLT Devil]

In a game where Zoubek fouled out, Miles Plumlee got hurt, and Mason a non factor, Thomas provided valuable defense and minutes. We needed big guys today and Thomas stepped up.

I can't say enough for the energy that Lance brought, and brings most every game. Championship teams have outstanding role players in addition to their stars, and I think Lance is very unselfish to play the role he does, which is expend a TON of energy on defense and make it tough on his man. He is a force on D, and has improved so much in the last two years.

Did anyone else think it was a little odd to see Kelly and Dawkins so early in the game, and at the same time, when they really haven't played much at all lately?

Nasty cut on Miles' head, that first shower and shampoo is gonna hurt.

[Kfanarmy]

If Duke's sole object in fielding a men's basketball team is to beat FSU at home in late January, field a team that has a winning record every year, has upstanding young men who are student-athletes and graduate at a good rate, etc., then my comment would be "needlessly harsh and gloomy," because we're meeting all those goals.

FWIW I thought the post was a bit gloomy as well,,,though I'm not clairvoyant and can't say that Duke won't beat some of the best teams in March.

[jv001]

Frankly, it looked to me like Ryan is getting a better feel for the defense. He is looking to hedge to help. He doesn't always get there, but his movement in the right direction closes passing lanes. It makes him look more out of sync because he is not close to the man he is guarding and he looks lost. But this is much better than when he would be stuck to his man rather than stepping over to cut off a lay-up.

Our defense is based on help and recover. That is what allows us to apply pressure on the ball, we have a TEAM ready to help. The "recover" phase can look awkward as a player runs frantically toward an open man with his arms in the air to deflect a pass he wouldn't see. However, pressuring the ball makes it difficult for the offense to make passes to open men, particularly when the man is open only briefly.

I think Ryan is getting there. Slowly, but surely.

It seems to me that Ryan get's it more than Mason and Andre. Mason & Dre seem to be thinking their way through every play and not reacting. Sort of like Miles last year. Ryan looks more comfortable. He's not afraid of contact on defense and he's a good passer. He just needs to add strength and he will be a very valuable player for the Devils. Go Duke!

[watzone]

Here are Kyle Singlers's post game comments. http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/01/bdn-locker-room-report-kyle-singler-post-fsu-game-comments/

Coach K praised his effort after the game and alluded to his shooting which is starting to come around.

[snowdenscold]

I think I saw something like this before, but can anyone post the 3PA/FGA for the top 25 teams to see where we fall. Would put a bit of context to the whole "Does Duke rely a bit too much on the 3?" question. I'm not really sure what the answer is, that's why I'm asking.

[Duvall]

I think I saw something like this before, but can anyone post the 3PA/FGA for the top 25 teams to see where we fall. Would put a bit of context to the whole "Does Duke rely a bit too much on the 3?" question. I'm not really sure what the answer is, that's why I'm asking.

Not sure where Duke rates among top 25 teams, but Duke is currently 195th in the country (http://kenpom.com/tmleaders.php?c=F3GRate) in 3PA/FGA.

ETA: After poking around a bit, it appears that there are exactly twelve teams in the top 25 that are more reliant on the 3 than Duke (Kansas, Villanova, West Virginia, Kansas State, BYU, Temple, Wisconsin, Ole Miss, Ohio St., New Mexico, Baylor and UAB) and twelve that are less reliant (Texas, Kentucky, Purdue, Syracuse, Michigan St., Georgetown, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Pitt, UConn, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech).

[roywhite]

Not sure where Duke rates among top 25 teams, but Duke is currently 195th in the country (http://kenpom.com/tmleaders.php?c=F3GRate) in 3PA/FGA.

ETA: After poking around a bit, it appears that there are exactly twelve teams in the top 25 that are more reliant on the 3 than Duke (Kansas, Villanova, West Virginia, Kansas State, BYU, Temple, Wisconsin, Ole Miss, Ohio St., New Mexico, Baylor and UAB) and twelve that are less reliant (Texas, Kentucky, Purdue, Syracuse, Michigan St., Georgetown, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Pitt, UConn, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech).

Thanks very much for the research.

My impresson has been that our 2009-10 team is not overly reliant on the 3-pt shot, and that seems confirmed by these numbers.

[CDu]

Another nice win for the team. There were certainly moments where we stalled a bit, but to win comfortably against a solid ACC team is always fine with me.

It was great to see Scheyer hit his shots again. He's a notoriously streaky shooter, and his streaks can last many games. Hopefully this game signaled the end of Scheyer's slump and that he's going to go on a shooting tear again. For the second consecutive game though his turnovers were up, and he did a poor job at the end of the shot clock on a few possessions in the second half. So there are still some things for him to work on.

Thomas was again terrific on the defensive end of the floor. But more importantly for me, the game appears to finally be slowing down for him. For the past couple of games, he hasn't looked as frenetic/overzealous as he often looks when he's defending on the perimeter or when he has the ball. This has allowed him to be more involved in the offense, and it has allowed him to stay out of foul trouble so as to be available for 35 minutes in the last two games. Hopefully he can keep playing like this. He's not likely to ever b a force offensively, but if he can at least be a useful part of the offense his defense is a real plus.

I thought the officiating crew did a great job of controlling the level of physicality in the game by whistling a lot of stuff early on. FSU has a tendency to be overly physical, and the officials set the tone early. I thought the result was a cleaner game than I would have anticipated. Aside from a fluke elbow to the head for Plumlee and a solid screen by Reid on Singler, the game was without incident physically.

I am a bit disappointed with the lack of progress from the Plumlees. They clearly have talent and potential, but the consistency is lacking. Hopefully they can have their "light switch" moments soon, because we become a real force if those guys bring their added dimension of size/athleticism combo. We are certainly still a very good without production from them, but we're a much better team with them providing some sort of consistent production.

Dawkins was back out there, which suggests (as many thought) that his absence against Clemson was probably a matchup thing. I think that as long as the big three aren't in foul trouble his minutes are going to stay in the 8-12 range. But I hope that he can rebound with his shooting touch so that he can provide a spark whenever/if ever he's needed.

[greybeard]

I'm guessing he isn't getting it done in practice as well as in games, so unless he steps it up before the games, K's not going to let him do much against Georgetown. With our foul troubles last night, I was surprised to see Mason only get 8 minutes (same # he got against state and almost half of what he had been getting). He's still got a lot to learn, my biggest beef with him is his inability to finish. It's disheartening to see the number of layups and dunks he misses, and my guess is that is contributing to his being on the floor less. It's one thing to miss a three pointer, it's another when you repeatedly miss from within 3 feet of the basket.

Finishing inside, especially when the addrenilin is flowing, is not as easy as you think, even if you're all alone, ime. But, challenging the rim with a move by a guy like Mason is GOLD for an offense whether the ball goes in or not.

At it's simplest level, basketball is a game in which the offense looks to get the ball to the rim and shoot from the easiest spot on the floor and the defense MUST as a first imperative take that away. The 3-line has changed that a little, but the premise of keeping a defender between the ball and the basket is still the first rule of defense..

Mason's attacks at the rim breaks a defense down and requires adjustment, usually a shrinking of outside pressure, whether the ball goes in or not.

I'm sure missing contributed to his going out earlier than he otherwise would have. A freshman has enough to think about without his having to carry around in his head a whole bunch of muffed opportunities if his team should loose. I really can't imagine what it is like for a freshman to adjust to the academic and social climate of a school like Duke and be playing on such a big stage several times a week. I think that this is an aspect of the game that K manages better than anyone ever. Some things are priceless, even while they go under the radar or seem like something else.

[superdave]

Mason's attacks at the rim breaks a defense down and requires adjustment, usually a shrinking of outside pressure, whether the ball goes in or not.


Yeah, I was really hoping to see us feed the post a few times so as to not concede the paint to FSU. We got some stick backs but no true post up moves were converted.

[Greg_Newton]

Over and over, I saw an inside player post up, call for the ball, and when the ball didn't come, the inside player came out and screened for the big 3. Very rarely did our big, after rolling from the screen, get the ball back for an inside shot attempt.

I hear you on this. I really don't like when I see a guard not make a focused effort to feed the ball inside when the post has position, choosing instead to wait until he stops posting and gives in to just coming out and setting a ball screen for the guard. That's not great offense, and to me it comes off as a little selfish. I realize the big 3 are "The Big 3", but I really don't like the mindset of playing 3 on 5 with 2 bigs being used solely as obstacles for our guards to dribble around... and I can't imagine it's great for the psyche of our big guys and the overall team dynamic. Look at Zoubek - he has a perfectly good turnaround jump hook, but he doesn't even think about using it anymore.... even when he gets the ball in good position.

Miles and Mason have a long way to go, which is the main reason for their lack of production... but by the same token, you could plug Patterson or Monroe into the current "big guy" role in our offense and they wouldn't be doing much either. Every once in a while, I would like our bigs to be allowed to focus on getting themselves open and getting open looks, rather than doing that solely for our guards.

Sorry if that sounded gloomy.:D

[MChambers]

Dawkins was back out there, which suggests (as many thought) that his absence against Clemson was probably a matchup thing. I think that as long as the big three aren't in foul trouble his minutes are going to stay in the 8-12 range. But I hope that he can rebound with his shooting touch so that he can provide a spark whenever/if ever he's needed.

Wasn't Dawkins's reappearance also consistent with the theory that he didn't play against Clemson because of his ankle? Or maybe it was a combination of the matchup and the ankle? Either way, I expect and hope his minutes will continue to increase.

[Bob Green]

Wasn't Dawkins's reappearance also consistent with the theory that he didn't play against Clemson because of his ankle?

According to comments made by Vitale during the broadcast, Coach Krzyzewski stated Dawkins wasn't playing well enough in practice to earn playing time. Hopefully, Dawkins has a couple of strong practices this week as I'd love to see him get more court time against the Hoyas.

[MChambers]

According to comments made by Vitale during the broadcast, Coach Krzyzewski stated Dawkins wasn't playing well enough in practice to earn playing time. Hopefully, Dawkins has a couple of strong practices this week as I'd love to see him get more court time against the Hoyas.

I turned the sound down, so I missed that. Surprised to hear that Vitale actually imparted valuable information.

I really think we would be a much stronger team if Andre and Mason were more effective. I'm sure that many of us are hoping that they show the same improvement EWill showed down the stretch last year.

[jgehtland]

I attended my first acc game since graduation last night ('94) and had a blast. Nice to finally attend an actually full game again. ;). From my vantage point, I kept seeing our bigs post, but not actually seal their man away to allow for a clean entry. Reid, Alibi, and Singleton consistently had an arm wrapped in front to prevent the pass. Our guards could have been more aggressive with the pass, but the bigs HAVE to seal off to allow the pass. We seem a lot more comfy with the pick-n-slip move because the big only has to cut to the hoop, not turn and seal, which seems to be the issue.

And lest we forget, shelden was GREAT at this skill, so our coaches can teach it, but somebody has to learn. Zoubeck has the best version of it, just banging his guy off and spreading that enormous wingspan. Mason is BUILT to do it, but has to learn how to keep his guy behind him. If that light goes off, look out.

[Newton_14]

I attended my first acc game since graduation last night ('94) and had a blast. Nice to finally attend an actually full game again. ;). From my vantage point, I kept seeing our bigs post, but not actually seal their man away to allow for a clean entry. Reid, Alibi, and Singleton consistently had an arm wrapped in front to prevent the pass. Our guards could have been more aggressive with the pass, but the bigs HAVE to seal off to allow the pass. We seem a lot more comfy with the pick-n-slip move because the big only has to cut to the hoop, not turn and seal, which seems to be the issue.

And lest we forget, shelden was GREAT at this skill, so our coaches can teach it, but somebody has to learn. Zoubeck has the best version of it, just banging his guy off and spreading that enormous wingspan. Mason is BUILT to do it, but has to learn how to keep his guy behind him. If that light goes off, look out.

I would actually feel better if that light "came on" with Mason!:rolleyes::rolleyes: Just kidding with you!

I do wish we would enter the ball into the post more and give our bigs, especially Zoubs, Miles and Mason a chance to look to score or draw attention and kick it out to shooters or hit cutters coming through the lane. I was hoping to see us put pressure on FSU's bigs last night by trying to draw a few fouls on them. I think the offense would flow better with that approach added in to what we are already doing. And every guy on the court needs to be a threat to score if left open.

But that said, I was pleased with last nights game because FSU is one of the better defensive teams and it is extremely difficult to score on them especially in the paint. I thought we used the 3 very effectively last night without "falling in love" with it or forcing many. Most all of them were good looks that needed to be taken.

Good news is, not everyone has FSU's frontline or defensive ability. And there are still enough games left for individual players and the team to improve and get better.

[Newton_14]

Regarding Miles and Mason, I think it is a mistake for folks to keep lumping them together. I see a lot of posts saying "they just are not there yet" or "the Plumlees struggled last night against FSU"

I thought Miles played a solid game last night. He played solid D and fought hard for boards. Had he not gotten the cut he would have played at least 25 to 27 minutes or so. He put up some nice shots last night that just rimmed out. Mason struggled for sure last night for the 3rd game in a row and has taken a step back since his nice 4 game stretch that ended with Wake. I expect him to bounce back though.

But for now, Miles is far better than he was last year and is clearly ahead of baby brother right now. So Miles is miles ahead of Mason at the moment pun intended.:D

I think it is a bit unfair to Miles to lump them together so often. They are 2 different players with different skillsets and while Mason has the higher ceiling I actually think Miles can turn into a beast down low before his career is over. With those 2 and Kelly, along with Hairston coming in next year, the future is bright in the frontcourt. And like the 4 bigs this year, all 4 of the future bigs have different games/skillsets that will complement each other and their backcourt mates really well.

Just my take..

[Hermy-own]

I am very glad that there is so much time left in this season. Basically, FSU turned us into a jump shooting team - we just made the shots. If our shots weren't falling, either we would have lost, or we would have had to change strategy. Luckily we didn't have to do that.

In the games that are left, it would be great to see Mason, Miles and Andre improve dramatically. I have complete confidence in them to do so, and there is more than a month. I trust the poster above who said that our bigs were doing a bad job sealing off the man behind them. On the other hand, Mason should be able to do more of his driving moves against the opponent's 4, if he works on his decision making. The assist to Zoubek was absolutely brilliant.

[Kedsy]

I am very glad that there is so much time left in this season. Basically, FSU turned us into a jump shooting team - we just made the shots. If our shots weren't falling, either we would have lost, or we would have had to change strategy. Luckily we didn't have to do that.

It's not like we shot lights out or anything. We only shot 43% for the game (36% on threes). Which is fairly mediocre and well below our season averages (47% and 39%), although it is true our 3-point shooting against Florida State was better than we've shot the three in our other league games (27%).

I guess what I'm saying is I don't think we had extraordinarily good shooting or lucky shooting or anything against Florida State. We should shoot this well or better in most of our games.

[roywhite]

After our game vs FSU and watching the Wake/GaTech game tonight, I am struck by how many tall athletes there are in the league this year. Alabi and Singleton from FSU; Favors, Lawal, and Peacock from GaTech; Davis, Thompson, Zeller, etc. from UNC; Aminu from Wake, etc. etc. Plenty of shotblockers, rebounders, and players that can score inside.

More quality big guys, and probably fewer all-around type guys in 6'4" to 6'7" range in the conference.

Advantage to Duke on the perimeter against nearly every team in the ACC, and we've got enough depth inside to play against, if not outdo these other teams with quality big guys.

Still like our chances to have the best regular season record.

[Duke4life92]

Miles and Mason have a long way to go, which is the main reason for their lack of production... but by the same token, you could plug Patterson or Monroe into the current "big guy" role in our offense and they wouldn't be doing much either. Every once in a while, I would like our bigs to be allowed to focus on getting themselves open and getting open looks, rather than doing that solely for our guards.


Umm :confused:,plug Monroe or Patterson in that lineup and they would be getting the ball.Just saying :D They know how to get the desired position and what to do once they have it.You gotta have confidence in your big's to make the pass.Just saying:)

[Jumbo]

Jumbo, did you see my question above re: singler's 3s. Was curious about whether you thought he showed good selection on his 3pointers tonight (he was 3-10, vs 4-5 from 2pt range).

It was an honest question, not a snide remark. I haven't seen the game and was dissecting the box score trying to see what I could glean from it. I'd like your honest opinion on the subject. You just posted on the thread again, so I'm hoping you see this and respond to the question.

I just looking for some input from someone who saw the game and thinks about such things. As I mentioned when I asked the question, I think Singler's scoring has come on quite a bit, I'm happy with his progress. I had hoped that would make it clear I wasn't attempting to be a smart aleck, not that I usually am a smart aleck on this board anyway.

All right, enough.

Sorry, I don't read every post. Anyway, yes, I thought his threes were open and in rhythm.