MBB: Duke 70 - Tulsa 52 Post-Game Thread

[Bob Green]

Discuss the game here.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Once again, we were a second half team. Which is fun and all, but makes me leary for the tournament. If we put TWO halves together like we've been finishing with, we will be hard to beat.

[BlueintheFace]

Just think what life would be like if Zoubek had been healthy all 4 years....

[mgtr]

Well, an effective Zoubs may be the missing ingredient at tourney time.

[dukelifer]

Once again, we were a second half team. Which is fun and all, but makes me leary for the tournament. If we put TWO halves together like we've been finishing with, we will be hard to beat.
I would rather be a second half team than a first. As long as you keep it close in the first half- and Duke has- this is usually a recipe to win. I thought Duke played well throughout- but the shots were not dropping in the first half and did have a little letdown on D for a stretch. Overall another strong game by Zoubek- Miles had a nice game- hopefully he can build on it and Lance was all over the place on D. Virginia next- should be a another good test.

[Lord Ash]

Well, an effective Zoubs may be the missing ingredient at tourney time.

Agreed. Not a fan of the Three Weapons... but those three, PLUS a big who is effective and yanking down misses and converting on them? THAT could get us someplace:)

[superdave]

The front line had 19 points and 29 boards. Not bad.

Our big three shot poorly. But they got to the line by driving the ball, rather than chucking up 3s in a physical game. Seems like a sign of maturity.

Zoubek has consistently stepped up. The confidence is through the roof. I'm enjoying being able to watch it. (Man, I feel old just saying that)

[Saratoga2]

This was a good game to get the experience of the physical play that many of the tournament games play to. Tulsa had some size and were determined to play a really physical game. Duke responded, especially in the second half, where the intensity picked up.

Tulsa applied no pressure bringing the ball up the court and played man to man primarily, something Duke should be familiar with.

Zoubek had yet another big game. What a help to have a presence inside. He rebounded, made some solid offensive plays and was active screening and hedging. Where has this been over the last few years.

Singler was also playing very aggressively and also had another excellent all around game. Smith came to life in the second half and had quite a few points, on primarily drives and fouls shots. Scheyer contributed, but was unable to make a high percentage of his shots.

I thought Thomas played a very intense but yet smart game with his defense, rebounding and in your face style limiting the offensive capability of who he played.

Other good news was how Dawkins has picked up his defensive intensity and positioning. Much better all around effort, even though he didn't get points.

The Plumlees had their moments. Miles played a smarter game with very physical defense and Mason seemed quicker, although still made mistakes and hasn't found his move to the basket. I still think he starts it too far from the basket. That said, I think the Plumlees game improved from what we have been seeing.

Very good overall defene, limiting Tulsa to 52 points, and very good rebounding. I suppose the stats will show that when they come out. Very satisfying win for Duke.

[OldPhiKap]

Thre guys hit the big shots when we needed to.

I'm still impressed by the fact that, over the last few games, Zoubek has been big in breaking open close games to a comfortable margin that we can then maintain. He has really been the difference between a few comfortable wins and a few nailbiters recently. it won't show up in the stats but he has mae the crucial difference in a few critical consecutive series again and again and again the last few weeks.

Keep on rolling, senior. Go out on top!

[loldevilz]

Some thoughts on the game:

Great energy from Lance Thomas tonight. We need him to be a confident scorer for balance. Still held to a low scoring total though.

I thought Miles played well as a center. Hopefully he'll be a good back up to Big Zoubs.

Jon has been slumping lately, but Nolan is thankfully picking up the slack.

Overall, it took some time to adjust, but great job in the second half especially on defense.

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

Our shooting % continues to be poor. This could be a problem against quality teams in the tournament.

[CameronBornAndBred]

As long as you keep it close in the first half- and Duke has- this is usually a recipe to win. .
Ummmm...we've been down by double digits at the half in our last two games before tonight.

[Duvall]

Ummmm...we've been down by double digits at the half in our last two games before tonight.

What are you talking about? Certainly not the Virginia Tech game.

[jv001]

Played a pretty good team with a lot of size and held our own. A roughtly played game by both teams. Refs let them play. Good performance from the Plumlees. Andre is playing much better defense but his shot is off. He,s too good a shooter for that to continue. Big 3 played ok, but nothing special. However they drove the ball when the 3 were not going in. Ryan had a subpar game imo. Now the best for last..Zoubs played his 4th good game in a row and this time against a good big man. He was even getting the ball down low and our perimeter guys were giving it to him. That,s great to see. If we continue to play like this as a team, we can have a special year. Go Duke!

[Neals384]

I have to comment on the graphic that was displayed - the "Elmore Index". This is supposed to be how he figures out who should be ACC POY. In the graphic displayed, Jon leads with 231.6 points, followed by Delaney (224.9), Vasquez (224) and Aminu (216).

The only trouble is, Singler has 235.4 Elmore points and wasn't even on the chart. With 5 more points for the Tulsa win, Jon is still ahead of Kyle. Nolan has 226.7.

The formula - game average points x 5, rebounds x 3, assists x 2, steals x 2, blocks x 2, teams wins x 5.

[dukelifer]

Ummmm...we've been down by double digits at the half in our last two games before tonight.
Don't remember that- we were down in Miami but up or close in six of the last seven wins.

[gofurman]

zoubs - great!

toughness - great!

glad to see a little more rest for our starters this game. 8 players with more than 10mins. obvious k was putting plumlees and dawkins in early.

*one concern - this (and a lot of acc games) have been allowed to be played rough this year.
Duke is able to win these now it seems with junior and seniors... but this was a middle-talent team (4 in CUSA? 11 seed type talent) IN CAMERON (and we got some favorable calls) - and if not for in Cameron I am not so sure the outcome of that one. Worries me for March. Anyone else see it as I did? Tulsa was not intimidated at all.

[PallasAthena]

I have to comment on the graphic that was displayed - the "Elmore Index". This is supposed to be how he figures out who should be ACC POY. In the graphic displayed, Jon leads with 231.6 points, followed by Delaney (224.9), Vasquez (224) and Aminu (216).

The only trouble is, Singler has 235.4 Elmore points and wasn't even on the chart. With 5 more points for the Tulsa win, Jon is still ahead of Kyle. Nolan has 226.7.

The formula - game average points x 5, rebounds x 3, assists x 2, steals x 2, blocks x 2, teams wins x 5.

In the graphic you describe, what was the white cloud behind his head, a halo? a gray-haired Afro? It looked comical, whatever it was.

[Zeb]

One of my favorite games of the season, just because we looked so tough and strong. Thomas and Zoubek fulfilled their roles very well. The Plumlees both looked better than they have the past couple of games. I thought Nolan had a subpar game, but nothing to get too worried about. This performance gave me a lot of NCAA tourney confidence.

So happy to see Zoubek keep up his post-Maryland transformation. It is like a switch has been flipped. He is moving with confidence and surprising speed--the change is astonishing.

[Zeb]

The only trouble is, Singler has 235.4 Elmore points and wasn't even on the chart. With 5 more points for the Tulsa win, Jon is still ahead of Kyle. Nolan has 226.7

Good for you to do that math. I thought exactly the same thing when I saw that graphic--I assumed Kyle would be the leader given the heavier weight to rebounding that our big three would be in the top 5 of the conference.

[Lord Ash]

One of my favorite games of the season, just because we looked so tough and strong. Thomas and Zoubek fulfilled their roles very well. The Plumlees both looked better than they have the past couple of games. I thought Nolan had a subpar game, but nothing to get too worried about. This performance gave me a lot of NCAA tourney confidence.

So happy to see Zoubek keep up his post-Maryland transformation. It is like a switch has been flipped. He is moving with confidence and surprising speed--the change is astonishing.

Right? His foot speed is NOTICEABLY better, and smarter... last game, I think it was, he got out for a rebound that was almost at the three point line... so quick to the ball! Plus, he seems to be using his hands and arms so much better... snatching the ball without fouling. It has been a really startling change... I think maybe the most dramatic improvement I've ever seen in such a short (i.e. overnight) period of time.

[miramar]

is 1-14 from the field the last five game, but he seems to be taking generally good shots and looks a lot more comfortable out there. I hope the shots start dropping and that he can give the team some quality minutes down the stretch.

[roywhite]

is 1-14 from the field the last five game, but he seems to be taking generally good shots and looks a lot more comfortable out there. I hope the shots start dropping and that he can give the team some quality minutes down the stretch.

Yeah, a couple that just rimmed out tonight; he's getting closer.

Actually, I thought the 3 freshmen and Miles all looked a little more comfortable and active on the defensive end. Progress is being made.

[wallyman]

That said, was great to see that Duke increased its lead and put the game away with Miles, Mason and Dawkins in the game. Without getting into the whole minutes argument, would have liked to see Scheyer, in particular, under 35 for the game.

[CameronBornAndBred]

What are you talking about? Certainly not the Virginia Tech game.
You are correct, for VT we were only up by 5, I was thinking more of the Miami game. (Down by 12)

[CameronBornAndBred]

You are correct, for VT we were only up by 5, I was thinking more of the Miami game. (Down by 12)
That said...I went and looked and we have had much better first halves recently then it had seemed they were...maybe because our second halves have been SO dominating. Well...I feel better now. :)

[devilboomer]

That said, was great to see that Duke increased its lead and put the game away with Miles, Mason and Dawkins in the game. Without getting into the whole minutes argument, would have liked to see Scheyer, in particular, under 35 for the game.

Scheyer played 35 minutes in the game. Would 34 really have made a difference, especially with the last 12min being stallball? We only have three guards on this team...

[roywhite]

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=204895865

From the boxscore:

Rebounding 47-37 edge over a good rebounding Tulsa team
Jon was 3-5 from 3-pt, but only 2-11 from 2-pt
22-28 FT...got to the line and hit a good %
Only 5 turnovers for the game

[mike88]

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=204895865

From the boxscore:

Rebounding 47-37 edge over a good rebounding Tulsa team
Jon was 3-5 from 3-pt, but only 2-11 from 2-pt
22-28 FT...got to the line and hit a good %
Only 5 turnovers for the game

rebounding - Check
defense- Check
Limiting turnovers- Check

on to UVa . . .

[loldevilz]

Just saw the score sheet and Lance had 10 rebounds which is huge. I thought his energy tonight was very impressive and it reminded me of Zoubek's game against UNC where he didn't score but showed some great energy. I have never been a huge Lance Thomas fan, but I thought he played with a higher energy level than I've ever seen from him. My only hope is that he is going to start putting up some points. He has the energy level, he has the skill set, I just think he needs confidence of seeing the ball go through. I feel like the big 3 sometimes force it too much and having a fifth guy dangerous could fix it.

[roywhite]

Miles had 6 points and 6 rebounds...looked pretty solid.

Zoubs has deserved the playing time and starting position, but it had to be tough adjustment for Miles to lose his spot. Good to see him getting back in the flow.

[watzone]

http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/02/bdn-duke-locker-room-report-zoubek-talks-his-double-double/ Zoubs post game comments

[Mcluhan]

What's the record for victories in a season shooting under 40%?

[SupaDave]

Just saw the score sheet and Lance had 10 rebounds which is huge. I thought his energy tonight was very impressive and it reminded me of Zoubek's game against UNC where he didn't score but showed some great energy. I have never been a huge Lance Thomas fan, but I thought he played with a higher energy level than I've ever seen from him. My only hope is that he is going to start putting up some points. He has the energy level, he has the skill set, I just think he needs confidence of seeing the ball go through. I feel like the big 3 sometimes force it too much and having a fifth guy dangerous could fix it.

Lance hit a long jumper in the game that I think changed the way Tulsa had to play defense.

[Mcluhan]

With Zoub and Lance having decisively seized their spots in the starting lineup, we're one freshman-breaking-out-of-a-slump away from being a very serious ball club.

[InSpades]

Is it too soon to start talking about "the Big 4" instead of "the Big 3"?

Zoubs looks like a new player out there of late. It's great to see especially out of a senior who's obviously worked so hard. He's just doing so many things right out on the court.

[Devil07]

Real good game to get some tourney practice. It's seemed like in recent years the level of physicality combined with the lack of tight officiating has knocked us off our game a bit. This team seems much better able to handle that kind of game.

Most of all though I continue to be amazed by Zoubs development. What I loved most was that he wasn't just scoring on put backs but actually had a couple of real nice, back to the basket moves. He's incredibly valuable for his rebounding and screening but if he can actually manufacture some points on his own then that just takes his game to a whole new level. I also was impressed with his defense when faced with someone his own size with decent mobility. Really, I just can't say enough about Zoubs and watching the year he's having is why I love college basketball. Sure the wins are great, but what better joy is there then seeing a player overcome adversity, work incredibly hard and finally make his mark. No matter how the season ends up, what a great story Zoubs has been!

[dukebluelemur]

Is it too soon to start talking about "the Big 4" instead of "the Big 3"?

Zoubs looks like a new player out there of late. It's great to see especially out of a senior who's obviously worked so hard. He's just doing so many things right out on the court.

Z'artagnan and the 3 S-keteers?

[riverside6]

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=204895865

From the boxscore:

Rebounding 47-37 edge over a good rebounding Tulsa team
Jon was 3-5 from 3-pt, but only 2-11 from 2-pt
22-28 FT...got to the line and hit a good %
Only 5 turnovers for the game

Ah, the dreaded rebound margin, lets look at rebounding percentages instead on our tempo-based box score (http://scacchoops.com/tt_Game_Box_Score_External.asp?hSchedule=3833&hGame=1884).

Duke outperformed there season average on Off Reb grabbing 44% of their own misses (37% on the season). Duke's def reb % was below season averages at 67% (74% on the season).

The key for Duke was turnovers on just 8% of their possessions down from their 16% season average.

[licc85]

I saw zoubek create 3 shots for himself (not offensive rebounds) and converted on all 3, while being guarded by a superb 7 foot tall defender. His awareness down low and post offense was at a level I've only seen glimpses of until now. He needs more touches down low, he was 4/5 tonight and leads the team in FG%. He has the offensive game to take pressure off the big three and allow them to rest for a few offensive possesions each game.

[licc85]

However, smith and scheyer have been shooting really poorly over the past few games. They've also both been taking some really questionable shots lately (mostly in the lane) While I would expect that from smith, scheyer usually avoids taking bad shots. I hope they can get back on track.

[KyDevilinIL]

The iffy first halves and shooting struggles of late have me quite concerned about our prospects @UVa and @MD, especially the latter. Our No. 1 seed prospects hinge greatly on what happens at College Park, and another wheezy first half could be too much to overcome up there.

But we'll see. I'm pretty satisfied at the moment with most other aspects of our game, and there's still a lot of room to improve and time left to do it.

[-bdbd]

- Zoubs was awesome. He'll be important in the NCAA tournament.
- Scheyer looks worn down. I hope the staff can do some things in the next couple of weeks to get his legs back under him. We'll need him at his usual mid-seson form to make a deep run.
- Smith is just steady as a rock. It sure is easy to forget how far he came this year.
- Lance, as always, doing a lot of quiet, heady things to make us win.
- Would really like to see Kyle get hot in the next few weeks -- he's the one guy, I think, with the talent to put this team on his shoulders in a tough game in the third or fourth round at the dance...
- I sure hope the staff is working real hard on getting MP1, MP2, and Ryan and Dawkins back some confidence. We WILL need them at some point and I'd like to KNOW that they have the confidence to step in, consistently, and EXPECT to contribute in a clear, tangible way. Maybe getting them more minutes in the coming games would also allay bullet #2 at the same time....

Just keep winning guys, and the seedings will take care of themselves.


:D:D:D

[dball]

I have to comment on the graphic that was displayed - the "Elmore Index". This is supposed to be how he figures out who should be ACC POY. In the graphic displayed, Jon leads with 231.6 points, followed by Delaney (224.9), Vasquez (224) and Aminu (216).

The only trouble is, Singler has 235.4 Elmore points and wasn't even on the chart. With 5 more points for the Tulsa win, Jon is still ahead of Kyle. Nolan has 226.7.

The formula - game average points x 5, rebounds x 3, assists x 2, steals x 2, blocks x 2, teams wins x 5.

Not surprising as Elmore often gets things wrong, especially when calling Duke games.

Just as I was thinking Elmore wouldn't go off on some Duke hate, he launches into a tirade about a missed call on Lance Thomas. Poor ole Mike Patrick comes trotting along. As is often the case with Elmore, he not only was wrong to keep babbling about it, he was wrong on the call. Lance looked to have good position and didn't reach. The offensive player jumped into him and appeared to initiate contact.

[Starter]

Not to put a damper on a nice win, but I'm concerned about Scheyer. He simply doesn't look like the same player as earlier in the season. He's been so consistent for so long, I just can't buy it as a slump. He's short on everything, he's forcing shots and drives, he's shooting 12-for-50 in his past three games, and most of all, he simply looks tired -- he doesn't have that bounce he had earlier in the year when he was seemingly all over the court. I understand literally nobody here ever wants to acknowledge this, but I really do worry that he's worn down after not having played fewer than 36 minutes in this calendar year and shouldering so much of the ball-handling load for this team in so many physical games. It's a tough spot, since there are really no credible backups for our guards, but I feel it's crucial they find a way to revitalize him before crunch time.

Because the thing is, this team looks like it actually can be special. Zoubek is the best pure big man we've seen since Shelden Williams was still around. Singler is finally playing to his strengths, using his size advantage at the 3 to shoot over the top. They have the deepest frontcourt since... 1997-98? Smith is very quietly extremely productive. Even Lance Thomas is playing some very good ball right now, for what he is. But Scheyer is so integral to this team's fortunes, and I just have to worry that he doesn't look very much like the same player who was drawing All-American talk earlier this season.

[DukeBlood]

The iffy first halves and shooting struggles of late have me quite concerned about our prospects @UVa and @MD, especially the latter. Our No. 1 seed prospects hinge greatly on what happens at College Park, and another wheezy first half could be too much to overcome up there.

But we'll see. I'm pretty satisfied at the moment with most other aspects of our game, and there's still a lot of room to improve and time left to do it.

Duke's chances at a No. 1 seed depends greatly on other teams losing. Kansas and Kentucky both have one loss. Syracuse at two, Depending on some sort of disaster these three teams have a number one locked up.

Purdue, Kansas State and Villanova are the other three teams fighting against Duke for the last No. 1 spot. If all four of these teams win out, I would think Duke would be the last of these teams to get it. Duke IMO has the easier schedule out of all these teams remaining(including conference tourny.. ACC is weaker then Big-10)

Most importantly, Duke just needs to flat out win the every game here on out. Then hope a couple teams drop one and hope for a favorable committee.

[loldevilz]

Not to put a damper on a nice win, but I'm concerned about Scheyer. He simply doesn't look like the same player as earlier in the season. He's been so consistent for so long, I just can't buy it as a slump. He's short on everything, he's forcing shots and drives, he's shooting 12-for-50 in his past three games, and most of all, he simply looks tired -- he doesn't have that bounce he had earlier in the year when he was seemingly all over the court. I understand literally nobody here ever wants to acknowledge this, but I really do worry that he's worn down after not having played fewer than 36 minutes in this calendar year and shouldering so much of the ball-handling load for this team in so many physical games. It's a tough spot, since there are really no credible backups for our guards, but I feel it's crucial they find a way to revitalize him before crunch time.

Because the thing is, this team looks like it actually can be special. Zoubek is the best pure big man we've seen since Shelden Williams was still around. Singler is finally playing to his strengths, using his size advantage at the 3 to shoot over the top. They have the deepest frontcourt since... 1997-98? Smith is very quietly extremely productive. Even Lance Thomas is playing some very good ball right now, for what he is. But Scheyer is so integral to this team's fortunes, and I just have to worry that he doesn't look very much like the same player who was drawing All-American talk earlier this season.

Unfortunately, Scheyer's slump is real. What reassures me is that even though he is slumping he has made a number of clutch shots the last 4 games and some outstanding plays. Overall though his shot selection has been weak and I don't think his passing has been very intelligent. Everyone else has picked up their play in the interim so when he comes back it will hopefully be to greater effect.

[Greg_Newton]

I was thrilled to see Z continue to build confidence in his offense. I love that he was calling for the ball in the post and looking for his shot when he got it. Also love that we went to him several times when we needed a bucket... and he came through!

When he gets it ~8' and in and decides he's going to score, it's a high percentage play. He's got phenomenal touch around the rim, and has great footwork when he plays within himself. I like to see him keep it simple and not get too horizontal - he tends to travel as he gathers himself when he tries to cover too much ground. I think his spin move from the middle of the lane is at a 100% success rate right now though... keep up the good work, big fella!


*one concern - this (and a lot of acc games) have been allowed to be played rough this year.
Duke is able to win these now it seems with junior and seniors... but this was a middle-talent team (4 in CUSA? 11 seed type talent) IN CAMERON (and we got some favorable calls) - and if not for in Cameron I am not so sure the outcome of that one. Worries me for March. Anyone else see it as I did? Tulsa was not intimidated at all.

Yeah, I actually thought this was one game where the visiting team had a legitimate case for getting a raw deal from the refs... several important missed calls in our favor. Z's drop stop/layup to put us up 38-34 was a clear travel, for example... he took a full jump stop, then pivoted several times.

But I did get a little uneasy feeling watching this game. The thing is, Tulsa isn't a tournament team... not even a 12 seed. I worry we're turning into a team who, like the previous several years, requires a heroic effort from its core players to beat good teams .

Don't get me wrong - our guys are absolutely playing their hearts out, and I don't think if I could ask any more from our starting 5. But that's kind of the problem - with the disappearance of Mason and Miles, our core 5 players are basically average athletes who are just willing themselves into playing above and beyond their limitations. Not one of them plays above the rim... can you say that about any other Top 10 starting fives? I'm enjoying watching these guys, just not setting my expectations too high yet. Remember, we haven't beaten a sweet 16 caliber team all year... Gonzaga, possibly, and even that was in December.

(BTW - I think Scheyer's back is hurting him more than we realize.)

[Bob Green]

I understand literally nobody here ever wants to acknowledge this, but I really do worry that he's worn down after not having played fewer than 36 minutes in this calendar year and shouldering so much of the ball-handling load for this team in so many physical games.

I believe it is more a case of Scheyer having a sore back than him being worn down. Scheyer is hurt. Jumbo eloquently addressed the situation in this post (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showpost.php?p=369879&postcount=365) in the Scheyer Stats thread.

[1999ballboy]

Z'artagnan and the 3 S-keteers?
Now that's just awesome.

-Best stat of the game: 4 turnovers. FOUR!! Of course, Tulsa applied minimal pressure, but we're also relying less exclusively on perimeter passing now, so we still had plenty of opportunities to turn it over, and we didn't. Well done!

-Zoubek had 11 rebounds and Thomas had 10. But Lance's were better. I LOVED the way he attacked the glass tonight. There's something to be said for a guy who goes up and out of his way to wrest the ball from the grip of 7-footers. Zoubek still played a solid game- he works so hard out there and never stops moving on offense- but a lot of the rebounds tonight just kind of fell into his hands.

-The Plumlees played pretty well in the second half, particularly Miles. Bummer about that failed alley-oop in the first though.

-Nolan tried to do too much with the ball in his hands in the first half, and it hurt us. He calmed down and played smarter in the second, and it helped us tremendously. His defense was awesome all the way, though.

-After really playing well against VT despite not shooting well, I was disappointed to see that Andre Dawkins once again looked lackadaisical. His defense is better than it was at the beginning of the season, but not quite as sharp as it had been the last few times he's gotten minutes. I'm sure his shots will fall eventually; that's the least of my worries. Right now, he just has to BRING IT, and for God's sake move without the ball every once in a while. He'll play better when and only when he plays harder.

-Didn't think Tulsa's coach coached a very good game, nor did I like him. He was asking to get T'd up long before he did, and also he was way too conservative with Jordan's minutes, even with the fouls. That Idlet guy really isn't very good and we took advantage of his inflated minutes. They probably should have put more pressure on us too.

[Saratoga2]

Real good game to get some tourney practice. It's seemed like in recent years the level of physicality combined with the lack of tight officiating has knocked us off our game a bit. This team seems much better able to handle that kind of game.

Most of all though I continue to be amazed by Zoubs development. What I loved most was that he wasn't just scoring on put backs but actually had a couple of real nice, back to the basket moves. He's incredibly valuable for his rebounding and screening but if he can actually manufacture some points on his own then that just takes his game to a whole new level. I also was impressed with his defense when faced with someone his own size with decent mobility. Really, I just can't say enough about Zoubs and watching the year he's having is why I love college basketball. Sure the wins are great, but what better joy is there then seeing a player overcome adversity, work incredibly hard and finally make his mark. No matter how the season ends up, what a great story Zoubs has been!

It almost seems that there has to be some extra thing that has happened with Zoubek, other than trimming down for mobility, maturing in confidence and playing more assertively. All those are contributors, but I wonder if he has also gotten some additional coaching to bring him to this new level?

[UrinalCake]

All those are contributors, but I wonder if he has also gotten some additional coaching to bring him to this new level?

Nah, Duke doesn't develop big men 8-).

I honestly believe his recent surge is primarily due to a.) confidence b.) staying out of foul trouble.

[moonpie23]

Nah, Duke doesn't develop big men 8-).

I honestly believe his recent surge is primarily due to a.) confidence b.) staying out of foul trouble.

i don't want to jinx anything by pointing out b. but....


.b

[oldnavy]

Nah, Duke doesn't develop big men 8-).

I honestly believe his recent surge is primarily due to a.) confidence b.) staying out of foul trouble.

The most amazing stat to me was Zoubek didn't pick up his second foul until 14:58 or so in the second half!

If Zoubs is allowed to play and can stay on the court in order to get into the rhythm of the game, he can play!

That supposed walk, well maybe he did, maybe he didn't. I specifically watched on the replay looking at his right leg (couldn't see his foot) to see if he shifted pivot feet and it looked like to me that he held that foot the whole time. Even if he did, he still has about 10,000 bogus calls that he has had called against him so I am not going to sweat one in his favor!

[allenmurray]

-Zoubek had 11 rebounds and Thomas had 10. But Lance's were better. I LOVED the way he attacked the glass tonight. There's something to be said for a guy who goes up and out of his way to wrest the ball from the grip of 7-footers. Zoubek still played a solid game- he works so hard out there and never stops moving on offense- but a lot of the rebounds tonight just kind of fell into his hands.

It is amazing that the harder you work, the luckier you get! Rebounds didn't just fall into Z's hands - he battled for position. They fell into his hands because he had gotten himslef in the right spot.

[roywhite]

It almost seems that there has to be some extra thing that has happened with Zoubek, other than trimming down for mobility, maturing in confidence and playing more assertively. All those are contributors, but I wonder if he has also gotten some additional coaching to bring him to this new level?

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=204895874

Zoubs was asked about that last night in the postgame:


On which coach has helped him improve a lot over the last several games:
“It is definitely coach [Steve Wojciechowski]. He has been with me all four years. While I have had some lows or didn’t exactly want to do all the work he was making me do. He was making me better, even if I might have hated the stuff he was making me do.”

On what you can attribute the improvement to:
“A couple different things. I have a lot more confidence, I am staying in the game, as you said. I am being smarter with my fouls so I can have a lot more minutes in there. I am playing a lot more aggressive, on the boards, defensively … I feel that I am in the flow of the game a lot more.”

[DukieInBrasil]

It's lame to be curmugeony about an 18pt win, but I have to say that aside from the Minor Thre(at)e of Z, LT and MP I, Duke played a rather terrible game, at least from a FG shooting perspective. Aside from the aforementioned M3, who shot 7-10 FG, the rest shot 15-53,<30%. That's terrible. The Shmingler may or may not be getting tired, but they just didn't figure out an effective way to score against Tulsa's D. Also, our Fr. stunk it up, shooting an 0-fer (0-7) with only 1 pt between them. And this game was supposedly an opportunity for them to be more productive, although MP II was able to snare a couple of boards and a steal and a block.
Is it possible that the team as a whole has become too comfortable with the Shmingler taking most of the shots and just accept that they are not going to be included in the O? Z got a few touches in the flow of the offense and Miles and LT both got jumpers in the flow, but still that's a total of about 6 or 7 shots for them in the O. Would turning more focus to them help reduce the bad shots being taken by Jon and Nolan, and to a lesser extent Kyle?
Perhaps the boys kind of took a bit of a mental vacation knowing they have 3 on the verge of must-win games coming up. Well, we did win by 18 so it couldn't have been so bad. Actually, the D was on the verge of spectacular, so that's good. Z's 2x-double is yet another thing of beauty and LT's double digit rebounding effort is not getting enough credit, lest we forget that he is still recovering from a knee injury, bone bruises don't just heal up overnight. And congrtas to Miles, for fighting off the slump and figuring out a way to be a significant contributor.

[slower]

Zoubek had 11 rebounds and Thomas had 10. But Lance's were better. I LOVED the way he attacked the glass tonight. There's something to be said for a guy who goes up and out of his way to wrest the ball from the grip of 7-footers. Zoubek still played a solid game- he works so hard out there and never stops moving on offense- but a lot of the rebounds tonight just kind of fell into his hands.

Z looked ferocious on several of those boards! I remember thinking at the time that he has NEVER looked that aggressive/confident grabbing a rebound.

[dukelifer]

But I did get a little uneasy feeling watching this game. The thing is, Tulsa isn't a tournament team... not even a 12 seed. I worry we're turning into a team who, like the previous several years, requires a heroic effort from its core players to beat good teams .

Don't get me wrong - our guys are absolutely playing their hearts out, and I don't think if I could ask any more from our starting 5. But that's kind of the problem - with the disappearance of Mason and Miles, our core 5 players are basically average athletes who are just willing themselves into playing above and beyond their limitations. Not one of them plays above the rim... can you say that about any other Top 10 starting fives? I'm enjoying watching these guys, just not setting my expectations too high yet. Remember, we haven't beaten a sweet 16 caliber team all year... Gonzaga, possibly, and even that was in December.

(BTW - I think Scheyer's back is hurting him more than we realize.)

Miles had a pretty nice game yesterday. As for not beating a sweet 16 caliber team- that may or may not be true. The ACC is down and that is not Duke's fault. Ga Tech and UNC were expected to be sweet 16 caliber. Maryland is a possible sweet 16 team. But the truth is we do not know how this Duke team will match up against the best teams because they just haven't had a chance to play many (except on the road)- even though they have a very good strength of schedule. The key is whether the team is getting better and the emergence of Z is big in that regard. For Duke to advance far, the big 3 will need to play great- that is the team this year. The other guys need to really contribute on D and the boards, and that they can do if they play smart.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Can the Plumlees please learn from Z? Z used to be the master of cheap and silly fouls. Recently, nope (IMO, cheap fouls were more a product of Z being reckless than the refs being bias). The Plumlees could learn from Z about this. As many have brought up, these cheap fouls are detrimental to their a) confidence, b) playing time, c) efficiency, and d) growth.

[CDu]

It was not the best shooting game from the big three, but it's nice to be able to win comfortably even on an off-night. I'm a bit concerned about Scheyer. He's struggling to score off the dribble, which was a strength of his earlier in the season (when his 3-point shot was struggling). Hopefully he bounces back in March. It was also a rough shooting game for Smith. Maybe they can get it out of their systems now.

It was however nice to see Zoubek outplay Jerome Jordan for Tulsa. He has really come on the last couple of weeks, and it's great to see. He looks so much better out there this year, and if he can stay out of foul trouble he can be a real difference maker for us.

It was also nice to see a bit of a bounceback game from Miles. Giving us 6 and 6 as Zoubek's back is pretty nice. The pair actually combined for 16 and 17 for the game, along with 3 assists and 3 blocks, and no turnovers and only 3 fouls between them! If we can get that from the 5 spot, we're in very good shape.

It seems more and more likely that Mason is going to need another off-season of work before it clicks for him. He just seems to be moving a bit in slow-motion out there. It doesn't appear that he's found his rhythm. If he had a bit more of a shooting touch in the paint, he could get away with it by just shooting over defenders. But right now it seems like it's layup/dunk or bust offensively for him.

Thomas keeps plugging away and giving solid performances. Today was impressive in that he did something somewhat unusual for him. He started getting a lot of "out of area" rebounds. Rebounding has historically not been his strongest attribute. But last night he got 10 rebounds, and many (if not most) of those were boards that he took away from Tulsa players. I believe he had a career-high in offensive rebounds last night.

I felt bad for Dawkins, who had a couple of really good looks that just rattled out. The lid seems to have been put on the rim for him in 2010. He's 5-24 from the field (3-22 3pt) this year, and he hasn't hit two shots in a game since December. But he has seemed much more in the flow of the game in recent games. Hopefully that results in more confidence and better shooting to come.

[Matches]

Andre right now is like a baseball player who's 0-for-his-last-22. He just needs the equivalent of a bloop hit - a lucky bounce, something like that - for the floodgates to open back up. I think he'll snap out of it soon.

[CDu]

Andre right now is like a baseball player who's 0-for-his-last-22. He just needs the equivalent of a bloop hit - a lucky bounce, something like that - for the floodgates to open back up. I think he'll snap out of it soon.

I hope so. With how well Zoubek has been playing lately, the re-emergence of Dawkins as a fourth perimeter scoring threat would make us even more dangerous.

[Starter]

I believe it is more a case of Scheyer having a sore back than him being worn down. Scheyer is hurt. Jumbo eloquently addressed the situation in this post (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showpost.php?p=369879&postcount=365) in the Scheyer Stats thread.

Yeah, I read that. (Feel free to move this there if more appropriate, I just thought that was a discussion of his stats and stuff)

Oh that's right, it must be Scheyer's back. (Lower back, I guess?) That's a relief. And if that's the issue, that couldn't possibly be a function of him wearing down. But I digress...

If there is a legit issue here, I really feel maybe it should be actively dealt with. You can't just fiddle while Rome burns. We gotta look big-picture here. Everyone seems to want a No. 1 seed, like that would be some sort of validation of this Duke team. Personally? I couldn't care less. I'd rather go into the NCAA's potentially as a lower seed but with the Scheyer we had earlier in the season. If there really is some sort of back problem, I don't think playing 35+ minutes every few days is great for that. Maybe we should pull a Roy and give him the ACC Tournament off -- blasphemy, I know, but if he really is messed up, three games in rapid succession won't help the issue.

I'm just concerned, that's all. I'm a worrier by nature (my family would confirm that). Call it what you will, we're not seeing the same Jon Scheyer we were seeing before. And so much of this team's success is predicated on his ability to do what he does best.

[BlueDevilBaby]

In the graphic you describe, what was the white cloud behind his head, a halo? a gray-haired Afro? It looked comical, whatever it was.

Einstein hair. Silly.

[NSDukeFan]

Yeah, a couple that just rimmed out tonight; he's getting closer.

Actually, I thought the 3 freshmen and Miles all looked a little more comfortable and active on the defensive end. Progress is being made.
I thought so as well. As little as Mason contributed statistically, I thought he appeared to be moving and communicating better defensively. The same could be said for all 4 underclassmen, IMO.


Most of all though I continue to be amazed by Zoubs development. What I loved most was that he wasn't just scoring on put backs but actually had a couple of real nice, back to the basket moves. He's incredibly valuable for his rebounding and screening but if he can actually manufacture some points on his own then that just takes his game to a whole new level. I also was impressed with his defense when faced with someone his own size with decent mobility. Really, I just can't say enough about Zoubs and watching the year he's having is why I love college basketball. Sure the wins are great, but what better joy is there then seeing a player overcome adversity, work incredibly hard and finally make his mark. No matter how the season ends up, what a great story Zoubs has been!
Well said and a major reason I also love college basketball.

Not surprising as Elmore often gets things wrong, especially when calling Duke games.

Just as I was thinking Elmore wouldn't go off on some Duke hate, he launches into a tirade about a missed call on Lance Thomas. Poor ole Mike Patrick comes trotting along. As is often the case with Elmore, he not only was wrong to keep babbling about it, he was wrong on the call. Lance looked to have good position and didn't reach. The offensive player jumped into him and appeared to initiate contact.
I agree Elmore often has things wrong, but my impression was that Lance hammered him (with the body, he didn't have position and it should have been a block, IMO) and deserved a foul if this is the same play I am thinking of.

All in all, another good solid win, and as much as Jon has been struggling, he does seem to hit a three point dagger at least once every game.

[Matches]

I agree Elmore often has things wrong, but my impression was that Lance hammered him (with the body, he didn't have position and it should have been a block, IMO) and deserved a foul if this is the same play I am thinking of.



I thought it could have been either an offensive or defensive foul. I wouldn't have quibbled if Lance had been whistled, but I thought Elmore's reaction to it was, as usual, over-the-top. There were a LOT of no-calls last night.

[greybeard]

However, smith and scheyer have been shooting really poorly over the past few games. They've also both been taking some really questionable shots lately (mostly in the lane) While I would expect that from smith, scheyer usually avoids taking bad shots. I hope they can get back on track.

Defenses might have something to do with this. When Z started his run, the coaches did a number of new things among them was a different and unusual timing and placement of screens that Z especially was setting that caught me, and I assume the defenses, really off guard. Defenses perhaps have caught up and, as the season hits crunch time, amp up on making life difficult for the Big 3. Singler has hit his stride, playing more inside out is the way I see it which he is oh so good at and brings out his rhythm, but seems to be thriving. When defenses commit as a team to making life difficult for a couple three players they often can succeed.

VT's approach was extreme physicality and they might have succeed if they didn't keep running into a brick wall who then murdered them on the board's (Z) and if Smith wasn't the baddest dude in town when the going got roughest.

The encouraging thing is that playing straight up fairly Duke is giving more than it is getting and then some, thanks mostly to Z and how he and his teammates have melded. Cool to see.

[airowe]

It almost seems that there has to be some extra thing that has happened with Zoubek, other than trimming down for mobility, maturing in confidence and playing more assertively. All those are contributors, but I wonder if he has also gotten some additional coaching to bring him to this new level?

I think what you're getting at is if Nate's addition to the coaching staff has had a positive effect on Zoubek's play lately. Short answer, imo, is yes.

I think we have to also look at this offseason as the first one where Brian has actually been healthy and instead of rehabbing, he's been able to work on his game.

Another aspect of his improvement (one of the biggest to me) is that he has about 4 guys in practice who he's battling in practice everyday and two of those guys are the uber-athletic Plumlees. This would make any big guy better, but especially one normally as flat-footed as Brian. You think its easy to get a shot off against Miles and Mason in practice when there aren't any refs? ;)

[CDu]

I thought it could have been either an offensive or defensive foul. I wouldn't have quibbled if Lance had been whistled, but I thought Elmore's reaction to it was, as usual, over-the-top. There were a LOT of no-calls last night.

I think it should have been a defensive foul (I don't think Thomas had established position, and that play is pretty often called a defensive foul). But I think the overreaction was more to the resulting technical foul (which I thought was a really bad call by the ref) because Wojcik complained about the no-call.

Further, Elmore definitely felt it was a foul on Thomas, but he did make the comment that that much contact should at least be a call of some sort, even if it wasn't called a defensive foul.

[CDu]

I think what you're getting at is if Nate's addition to the coaching staff has had a positive effect on Zoubek's play lately. Short answer, imo, is yes.

I think we have to also look at this offseason as the first one where Brian has actually been healthy and instead of rehabbing, he's been able to work on his game.

Another aspect of his improvement (one of the biggest to me) is that he has about 4 guys in practice who he's battling in practice everyday and two of those guys are the uber-athletic Plumlees. This would make any big guy better, but especially one normally as flat-footed as Brian. You think its easy to get a shot off against Miles and Mason in practice when there aren't any refs? ;)

I completely agree. For the first three years of Zoubek's career, he was battling injuries. That absolutely had to hinder his development as a player. And beyond that, he's almost exclusively worked with an undersized team in practice. It's really hard to develop experience and confidence/comfort against big, physical, shotblocking big men when you don't get to practice against any big, physical, shotblocking big men.

[roywhite]

I thought it could have been either an offensive or defensive foul. I wouldn't have quibbled if Lance had been whistled, but I thought Elmore's reaction to it was, as usual, over-the-top. There were a LOT of no-calls last night.

Len is simply unable to get through the broadcast of a Duke game without at least one incident of Terping.

Pretty decent announcer otherwise; I just go to the "mute" button when he launches into a tirade of "shoulda been a foul on Duke"...

Maybe the game was not called tightly, but I thought overall our bigs and the team in general played good defense without much fouling. That's a major priority for tournament play.

[superdave]

Oh that's right, it must be Scheyer's back. (Lower back, I guess?) That's a relief. And if that's the issue, that couldn't possibly be a function of him wearing down. But I digress...

We gotta look big-picture here. Everyone seems to want a No. 1 seed, like that would be some sort of validation of this Duke team. Personally? I couldn't care less. I'd rather go into the NCAA's potentially as a lower seed but with the Scheyer we had earlier in the season.

And so much of this team's success is predicated on his ability to do what he does best.

Good points. Who cares about a #1 vs. a #2 seed. I really dont think it matters so much with Duke almost guaranteed to play a game close to or in NC for the first weekend. Throw pride and seeding out the window and have a prepared team peaking at the right time. That beats all else.

Besides, wouldnt a pissed off Duke team that got shafted and given a #2 seed play rougher and tougher than a team that squeaks into a #1 seed and gets negative press over it?

As for a sore or stiff back, I dont think rest helps all that much. The best thing is stretching and heat on it before and after the game. Even a month off wouldnt do that much to help.

[airowe]

Good points. Who cares about a #1 vs. a #2 seed. I really dont think it matters so much with Duke almost guaranteed to play a game close to or in NC for the first weekend.

We aren't playing close to NC in the first weekend.

[sdotbarbee]

I think it should have been a defensive foul (I don't think Thomas had established position, and that play is pretty often called a defensive foul). But I think the overreaction was more to the resulting technical foul (which I thought was a really bad call by the ref) because Wojcik complained about the no-call.

Further, Elmore definitely felt it was a foul on Thomas, but he did make the comment that that much contact should at least be a call of some sort, even if it wasn't called a defensive foul.

My take on the play is there was contact between Lance and Uzoh but Uzoh's foot had come down and touched the floor before the ball was released. Now it could have been a foul call and no basket and he would have went to the line for his two free throws or you make a no call and give him the basket. Now I might be completely wrong but I watched the play over and over and it looked like his foot touched the floor before the ball was released.:)

[allenmurray]

I think it should have been a defensive foul (I don't think Thomas had established position, and that play is pretty often called a defensive foul). But I think the overreaction was more to the resulting technical foul (which I thought was a really bad call by the ref) because Wojcik complained about the no-call.

Thanks to the generosity of a fellow DBR poster I had a seat last night with a clear view of Wojik. From his reaction to the technical it was clear he knew ahead of time he was gong to get one. Irrespective of whether or not the call/no call on Thomas was correct, Wojik's reaction made it clear that he knew the T was deserved, and he went back to the bench laughing about it.

[CDu]

My take on the play is there was contact between Lance and Uzoh but Uzoh's foot had come down and touched the floor before the ball was released. Now it could have been a foul call and no basket and he would have went to the line for his two free throws or you make a no call and give him the basket. Now I might be completely wrong but I watched the play over and over and it looked like his foot touched the floor before the ball was released.:)

It's very possible that Uzoh's foot came down first. However, I doubt the officials saw that and made the decision not to call a foul based on that. If his foot did come down, then it is a doubly bad call - first for not calling the foul on Thomas, and second for allowing the basket to count. In any case, there should have been some sort of call made, and I think the correct call would have been a foul on Thomas.

That was the point of Wojcik's (and Elmore's) beef. And the technical that immediately resulted seemed to be really weak, which led to Elmore's further complaint about the no-call. Had there been no technical (which stopped play and accentuated the mistake), I suspect that we wouldn't have seen quite as much of an overreaction.

[CDu]

Thanks to the generosity of a fellow DBR poster I had a seat last night with a clear view of Wojik. From his reaction to the technical it was clear he knew ahead of time he was gong to get one. Irrespective of whether or not the call/no call on Thomas was correct, Wojik's reaction made it clear that he knew the T was deserved, and he went back to the bench laughing about it.

I didn't get that impression at all. I got the sense that he was laughing incredulously at the awful calls. I'm sure he figured he'd get a technical, but that doesn't make it the correct call. All he appeared to be doing was clapping sarcastically and repeatedly saying "so bad." That's not worthy of a technical in my book unless the official was thin-skinned about the missed call.

[watzone]

Audio comments from Scheyer and Thomas after the Tulsa game - http://bluedevilnation.net/

[SharkD]

Who cares about a #1 vs. a #2 seed. I really dont think it matters so much with Duke almost guaranteed to play a game close to or in NC for the first weekend.

None of this year's NCAA sites are anywhere nearby and there are none in North Carolina or the neighboring states.

The 1st/2nd round sites are:

Providence, Rhode Island
New Orleans, Louisiana
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
San Jose, California
Buffalo, New York
Jacksonville, Florida
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Spokane, Washington


Regionals:

East Regional, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York
West Regional, EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Midwest Regional, Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
South Regional, Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

[94duke]

We aren't playing close to NC in the first weekend.

So is Jacksonville our most desirable opening location?

Here is a list:

First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 18 and 20, 2010

New Orleans Arena
New Orleans, Louisiana
Host: Tulane University

Dunkin Donuts Center
Providence, Rhode Island
Host: Big East Conference/Providence College

HP Pavilion
San Jose, California
Host: San Jose State University

Ford Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Host: Big 12 Conference
Click for Ticket Info

First and Second Rounds: Friday and Sunday, March 19 and 21, 2010

HSBC Arena
Buffalo, New York
Host: MAAC/Canisius/Niagara

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Jacksonville, Florida
Host: Jacksonville University

Bradley Center
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Host: Marquette University

Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Spokane, Washington
Host: Washington State University

source:
http://www.ncaa.com/champ/m-baskbl-d1-champ.html

[pfrduke]

We aren't playing close to NC in the first weekend.

Jacksonville seems to be the most likely destination.

[pfrduke]

Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Spokane, Washington
Host: Washington State University


That has to tick off the poor folks that draw Gonzaga. Since WSU is hosting the regional in Gonzaga's home city, the Zags can play there.

[SharkD]

My take on the play is there was contact between Lance and Uzoh but Uzoh's foot had come down and touched the floor before the ball was released. Now it could have been a foul call and no basket and he would have went to the line for his two free throws or you make a no call and give him the basket. Now I might be completely wrong but I watched the play over and over and it looked like his foot touched the floor before the ball was released.:)

It looked to me like Uzoh initiated the contact, jumping into Lance's chest, leading with his shoulder, and then landed off-balance and fell backward.

Elmore kept saying he was "drilled," even after the replay which showed body-to-body contact while Lance kept his arms at a 45-60° angle forward and above his shoulders.

What shocked me more was the lack of comment by Elmore and Patrick when, midway through the first half, Idlet clearly hooked his arm over Zoubek's shoulder and bicep, from behind, as Zoubek went up for a shot from the right baseline, resulting in no call. Zoubek got the rebound and was fouled on the second effort, by Jordan, IIRC. They even showed the endzone camera angle, in slow motion and basically said nothing about the contact, which could have dislocated Zoubek's shoulder.

[superdave]

We wont be playing in driving distance, so who cares. Let's win out and start firing on all cylinders offensively!

[roywhite]

What shocked me more was the lack of comment by Elmore and Patrick when, midway through the first half, Idlet clearly hooked his arm over Zoubek's shoulder and bicep, from behind, as Zoubek went up for a shot from the right baseline, resulting in no call. Zoubek got the rebound and was fouled on the second effort, by Jordan, IIRC. They even showed the endzone camera angle, in slow motion and basically said nothing about the contact, which could have dislocated Zoubek's shoulder.

The latest model of the Zoub-atron has:

An enhanced power feature
Better gripping features with the hands
Self-repairing of damaged parts

[CDu]

It looked to me like Uzoh initiated the contact, jumping into Lance's chest, leading with his shoulder, and then landed off-balance and fell backward.

Elmore kept saying he was "drilled," even after the replay which showed body-to-body contact while Lance kept his arms at a 45-60° angle forward and above his shoulders.

Yeah, Mike Patrick is terrible about this. He seems to have trouble following the action, and whenever there is a lot of contact he almost always says that the offensive player got drilled. Frequently though, the force of the contact was caused by the offensive player.

Uzoh wasn't drilled. He jumped toward the basket and ran into the chest of the moving Thomas. Thomas committed a foul, but he definitely didn't "drill" Uzoh. The force of the contact was caused by the move made by Uzoh, not the foul by Thomas.

[airowe]

Jacksonville seems to be the most likely destination.

What regions are the 1st and 2nd round cities in? I couldn't find them online anywhere. If we get a 1 seed we'll prolly be in the East. I think we'd play in RI, Buffalo, then Syracuse. I'm not certain about that though.

[MChambers]

What regions are the 1st and 2nd round cities in? I couldn't find them online anywhere. If we get a 1 seed we'll prolly be in the East. I think we'd play in RI, Buffalo, then Syracuse. I'm not certain about that though.

Our regional has no bearing on where our first round games would be held, under the "pod" concept (which has nothing to do with Invasion of the Body Snatchers).

[allenmurray]

I didn't get that impression at all. I got the sense that he was laughing incredulously at the awful calls. I'm sure he figured he'd get a technical, but that doesn't make it the correct call. All he appeared to be doing was clapping sarcastically and repeatedly saying "so bad." That's not worthy of a technical in my book unless the official was thin-skinned about the missed call.

I think it was seeing him give a high-five to an assistant coach and a player on the bench that made me think he got it on purpose (or at least wasn't surprised by it).

[airowe]

Our regional has no bearing on where our first round games would be held, under the "pod" concept (which has nothing to do with Invasion of the Body Snatchers).

Please explain.

[crimsonandblue]

I didn't get that impression at all. I got the sense that he was laughing incredulously at the awful calls. I'm sure he figured he'd get a technical, but that doesn't make it the correct call. All he appeared to be doing was clapping sarcastically and repeatedly saying "so bad." That's not worthy of a technical in my book unless the official was thin-skinned about the missed call.

Maybe it was just the difference between live and tv, but I agree with your take.

But, I don't know about not deserving the T. He was way out on the court, in the path of the official, clapping and giving the ref the dreaded derisive smile and headshake that is the hallmark of the sneering show up.

Now, I think Wojcik was right that Thomas should have been called for a foul. Thomas should have been called for a foul as soon as Uzoh commenced the drive. He bumped him hard and then rode him a bit before the shooting foul (which, when your arms are extended down like Thomas's were, is almost always called defensive fouls). Truth be told though, I think Thomas should be called for fouls in warmups.

I was surprised Wojcik kept his cool on the ensuing possession when after all that contact was allowed, Tulsa was called for a handcheck on a probing drive to the free throw line extended. I don't understand why officials uniformly call handchecks, but let body blocks go. That's across all teams too.

Anyway, what I kept wondering and wanting to see was who Wojcik was talking to when staring out and mouthing laughter and questions and shrugs. Was his AD across the court? Was he talking to his guys on the floor? I was in the midst of dealing with kids, so maybe I missed it. Did ESPN ever pan out to see? They showed him doing it repeatedly.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a demeanor like Wojcik's on the sideline. It was interesting to see him talking, laughing, carrying on, seemingly speaking rhetorically to his coaches.



Originally Posted by CDu
I didn't get that impression at all. I got the sense that he was laughing incredulously at the awful calls. I'm sure he figured he'd get a technical, but that doesn't make it the correct call. All he appeared to be doing was clapping sarcastically and repeatedly saying "so bad." That's not worthy of a technical in my book unless the official was thin-skinned about the missed call.

I think it was seeing him give a high-five to an assistant coach and a player on the bench that made me think he got it on purpose (or at least wasn't surprised by it).

I think that was the dread high-five of sarcasticism.

[gofurman]

Not to put a damper on a nice win, but I'm concerned about Scheyer. He simply doesn't look like the same player as earlier in the season. He's been so consistent for so long, I just can't buy it as a slump. He's short on everything, he's forcing shots and drives, he's shooting 12-for-50 in his past three games, and most of all, he simply looks tired -- he doesn't have that bounce he had earlier in the year when he was seemingly all over the court. I understand literally nobody here ever wants to acknowledge this, but I really do worry that he's worn down after not having played fewer than 36 minutes in this calendar year and shouldering so much of the ball-handling load for this team in so many physical games. It's a tough spot, since there are really no credible backups for our guards, but I feel it's crucial they find a way to revitalize him before crunch time.

Because the thing is, this team looks like it actually can be special. Zoubek is the best pure big man we've seen since Shelden Williams was still around. Singler is finally playing to his strengths, using his size advantage at the 3 to shoot over the top. They have the deepest frontcourt since... 1997-98? Smith is very quietly extremely productive. Even Lance Thomas is playing some very good ball right now, for what he is. But Scheyer is so integral to this team's fortunes, and I just have to worry that he doesn't look very much like the same player who was drawing All-American talk earlier this season.

AGREE -great game but I have the exact same concern. esp considering

- how good scheyer has looked for most of the year... read : consistent
- how he handles more minutes of wear than most (bringing ball up court etc). It's a lot easier when you get to jog up the court unimpeded. His minutes have got to be some of the toughest
- he seems to be looking tired... like you said, it's not just missing shots - it's short on shots

[calltheobvious]

Maybe it was just the difference between live and tv, but I agree with your take.

But, I don't know about not deserving the T. He was way out on the court, in the path of the official, clapping and giving the ref the dreaded derisive smile and headshake that is the hallmark of the sneering show up.
Now, I think Wojcik was right that Thomas should have been called for a foul. Thomas should have been called for a foul as soon as Uzoh commenced the drive. He bumped him hard and then rode him a bit before the shooting foul (which, when your arms are extended down like Thomas's were, is almost always called defensive fouls). Truth be told though, I think Thomas should be called for fouls in warmups.

I was surprised Wojcik kept his cool on the ensuing possession when after all that contact was allowed, Tulsa was called for a handcheck on a probing drive to the free throw line extended. I don't understand why officials uniformly call handchecks, but let body blocks go. That's across all teams too.

Anyway, what I kept wondering and wanting to see was who Wojcik was talking to when staring out and mouthing laughter and questions and shrugs. Was his AD across the court? Was he talking to his guys on the floor? I was in the midst of dealing with kids, so maybe I missed it. Did ESPN ever pan out to see? They showed him doing it repeatedly.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a demeanor like Wojcik's on the sideline. It was interesting to see him talking, laughing, carrying on, seemingly speaking rhetorically to his coaches.



I think that was the dread high-five of sarcasticism.

Nails.

[tbyers11]

Please explain.

The 8 first and second round sites are no longer tied to a particular geographical regional site. Teams who win at the Buffalo and Providence sites do not automatically go to Syracuse for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. The Syracuse regional could have winners of 4 team pods that played their first weekend in Spokane, San Jose, Milwaukee and New Orleans.

Since we will be a protected seed and we will likely be the closest highest protected seed to Jacksonville we are almost assured to play there. However, we could play in Jacksonville and then play in the East, South, Midwest or West regionals in Syracuse, Houston, St Louis (which would make Throaty happy) or Salt Lake City, respectively, should we win our first two games.

Preference is to keep the highest seeds in desirable geographic locations for both weekends, but with the preponderance of highly seeded Big East teams (who also want to be in the East) and the lack of any locations (first round or regional) in the Southeast (no DC, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Atlanta, Tennessee or Kentucky sites to be found), we will likely be in Jacksonville the first weekend and who-knows-where the second weekend, if we advance.

[Saratoga2]

I think what you're getting at is if Nate's addition to the coaching staff has had a positive effect on Zoubek's play lately. Short answer, imo, is yes.

I think we have to also look at this offseason as the first one where Brian has actually been healthy and instead of rehabbing, he's been able to work on his game.

Another aspect of his improvement (one of the biggest to me) is that he has about 4 guys in practice who he's battling in practice everyday and two of those guys are the uber-athletic Plumlees. This would make any big guy better, but especially one normally as flat-footed as Brian. You think its easy to get a shot off against Miles and Mason in practice when there aren't any refs? ;)

I didn't want to say that Nate might have had a major impact, but that is just what I was thinking. Zoubek doesn't mention that in his interview though.

[MChambers]

Please explain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Men's_Division_I_Basketball_Championship

First and second rounds: Pod system
The first and second round games are played on the first weekend of the tournament, either on Thursday and Saturday or Friday and Sunday.

Since 2002, the tournament has used the so-called pod system, in which the eight first- and second-round sites are distributed around the four regionals. Before the 2002 tournament, all teams playing at a first- or second-round site fed into the same regional tournament. The pod system was designed to limit the early-round travel of as many teams as possible.

In the pod system, each regional bracket is divided into four-team pods. The possible pods by seeding are:

Pod #1: 1v16, 8v9
Pod #2: 2v15, 7v10
Pod #3: 3v14, 6v11
Pod #4: 4v13, 5v12
Each of the eight first and second round sites is assigned two pods, where each group of four teams play each other. A host site's pods may be from different regions, and thus the winners of each pod would advance into separate regional tournaments.

[allenmurray]

Anyway, what I kept wondering and wanting to see was who Wojcik was talking to when staring out and mouthing laughter and questions and shrugs. Was his AD across the court? Was he talking to his guys on the floor? I was in the midst of dealing with kids, so maybe I missed it. Did ESPN ever pan out to see? They showed him doing it repeatedly.

Agreed. It seemed he was talking to and looking at someone throughout the game, directly across the court from him. But the area directly across from him consisted of students and part of press row. He seemed to be looking at and talking to someone in that area throughout the game. I doubt it was anybody in the student section. I wonder if a reporter who he knew was seated on that end of press row?

As for the T - I'm not saying he didn't have a right to complain about the call, but he acted so unsurprised by the T that it seemed he knew it was coming. His expression seemed to me to show that he fully expected it - perhaps he used a magic word?

[1999ballboy]

It is amazing that the harder you work, the luckier you get! Rebounds didn't just fall into Z's hands - he battled for position. They fell into his hands because he had gotten himslef in the right spot.
My comment on the rebounding was more for the purpose of getting Lance some love. I mean, some of his rebounds were just unreal. Didn't mean to put Z's game down to do it. It was another great game for Zoubs.

[uncwdevil]

Their frontpage headline for the article about last night's game is:

"Duke avoids embarrassing loss"

We had a comfortable lead against decent team for the last 12 minutes or so. I'm not sure I would have used the same headline.

[roywhite]

Their frontpage headline for the article about last night's game is:

"Duke avoids embarrassing loss"

We had a comfortable lead against decent team for the last 12 minutes or so. I'm not sure I would have used the same headline.

Seems typical for Charlotte media.

No offense to those fans and board members who live in the Charlotte area, but how do you stand the stifling light blue orientation of that town?

[NSDukeFan]

Their frontpage headline for the article about last night's game is:

"Duke avoids embarrassing loss"

We had a comfortable lead against decent team for the last 12 minutes or so. I'm not sure I would have used the same headline.

When Carolina loses, is it even considered embarrassing anymore?

[cptnflash]

Not to put a damper on a nice win, but I'm concerned about Scheyer. He simply doesn't look like the same player as earlier in the season. He's been so consistent for so long, I just can't buy it as a slump. He's short on everything, he's forcing shots and drives, he's shooting 12-for-50 in his past three games, and most of all, he simply looks tired -- he doesn't have that bounce he had earlier in the year when he was seemingly all over the court. I understand literally nobody here ever wants to acknowledge this, but I really do worry that he's worn down after not having played fewer than 36 minutes in this calendar year and shouldering so much of the ball-handling load for this team in so many physical games. It's a tough spot, since there are really no credible backups for our guards, but I feel it's crucial they find a way to revitalize him before crunch time.

Because the thing is, this team looks like it actually can be special. Zoubek is the best pure big man we've seen since Shelden Williams was still around. Singler is finally playing to his strengths, using his size advantage at the 3 to shoot over the top. They have the deepest frontcourt since... 1997-98? Smith is very quietly extremely productive. Even Lance Thomas is playing some very good ball right now, for what he is. But Scheyer is so integral to this team's fortunes, and I just have to worry that he doesn't look very much like the same player who was drawing All-American talk earlier this season.

I totally agree with your assessment regarding the team's potential, and its absolute reliance on Jon to get us there. K mentioned during the Miami postgame that Jon has had a sore back for a few weeks now. Unfortunately that's the kind of injury that will not get better without rest, which obviously won't happen until the season is over. And the thing is, he's still playing very well... just not as well as he was earlier, and certainly nowhere near national POY level.

[roywhite]

I totally agree with your assessment regarding the team's potential, and its absolute reliance on Jon to get us there. K mentioned during the Miami postgame that Jon has had a sore back for a few weeks now. Unfortunately that's the kind of injury that will not get better without rest, which obviously won't happen until the season is over. And the thing is, he's still playing very well... just not as well as he was earlier, and certainly nowhere near national POY level.

Seems to most affect his drives and shots in the lane. At his best, Jon could twist, turn, change directions and get off a soft shot, often with use of the glass. He's just not hitting those shots nowadays, and also doesn't get the whistles he hopes for.

Not sure exactly how he adjusts if his back continues to bother him.

[tommy]

Yeah, Mike Patrick is terrible about this. He seems to have trouble following the action, and whenever there is a lot of contact he almost always says that the offensive player got drilled. Frequently though, the force of the contact was caused by the offensive player.



Mike Patrick is so brain dead that all he can do is dutifully agree with whatever position the color man takes on any issue. I don't think I've heard him disagree with anything any of his color men have said. Ever. Not an original thought in his head in years and years.

[sdotbarbee]

Seems typical for Charlotte media.

No offense to those fans and board members who live in the Charlotte area, but how do you stand the stifling light blue orientation of that town?

It is tough, I listened to the Mac Attack this morning on WFNZ and he is pro carolina and he actually said that he thought Roy was still the best coach in the country. It is almost impossible to listen to his show because of the unc bias and the Duke hate. The topic this morning was how far will Duke make it in the tourney and he said they won't make it past the Sweet Sixteen. This could be true but at least we have a shot at making a run to a Final Four unlike his beloved heels.

[cptnflash]

Mike Patrick is so brain dead that all he can do is dutifully agree with whatever position the color man takes on any issue. I don't think I've heard him disagree with anything any of his color men have said. Ever. Not an original thought in his head in years and years.

If there ever were any original thoughts in Mike Patrick's head, they've long since been drowned in Jack Daniels.

Interesting piece from Basketball Prospectus wherein Gasaway gives his perspective on various announcers (sans Patrick):

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=943

[CDu]

I think it was seeing him give a high-five to an assistant coach and a player on the bench that made me think he got it on purpose (or at least wasn't surprised by it).

Again, I suspect this was sarcasm. And again, there's a difference between not being surprised by getting a technical and actually having deserved to get the technical. Nothing the replay showed suggested he deserved a technical, in my opinion.

[airowe]

The 8 first and second round sites are no longer tied to a particular geographical regional site. Teams who win at the Buffalo and Providence sites do not automatically go to Syracuse for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. The Syracuse regional could have winners of 4 team pods that played their first weekend in Spokane, San Jose, Milwaukee and New Orleans.

Since we will be a protected seed and we will likely be the closest highest protected seed to Jacksonville we are almost assured to play there. However, we could play in Jacksonville and then play in the East, South, Midwest or West regionals in Syracuse, Houston, St Louis (which would make Throaty happy) or Salt Lake City, respectively, should we win our first two games.

Preference is to keep the highest seeds in desirable geographic locations for both weekends, but with the preponderance of highly seeded Big East teams (who also want to be in the East) and the lack of any locations (first round or regional) in the Southeast (no DC, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Atlanta, Tennessee or Kentucky sites to be found), we will likely be in Jacksonville the first weekend and who-knows-where the second weekend, if we advance.

Thanks to you and MChambers, I am now officially living in 2003. Not sure how I didn't know that, as big of a college hoops fan as I am. For some reason, and I knew about the desire to keep teams close to home, but I thought the regions were already set.

Of course, I've been driving for 15 years, and I still can't do much under the hood of a vehicle...

Thanks!

[Acymetric]

Again, I suspect this was sarcasm. And again, there's a difference between not being surprised by getting a technical and actually having deserved to get the technical. Nothing the replay showed suggested he deserved a technical, in my opinion.

This point really isn't that important in the grand scheme of things, but I was at the game with a pretty good view of the bench and what was going on. I can't read lips and I couldn't actually hear what he was saying, but it certainly looked like he might have dropped a choice word.

I thought he got it on purpose because he felt like the refs weren't giving his team any respect.

[Matches]

Seems typical for Charlotte media.

No offense to those fans and board members who live in the Charlotte area, but how do you stand the stifling light blue orientation of that town?

It's pretty fun right now, actually. :D Suddenly everyone wants to talk about spring football practice.

[allenmurray]

Again, I suspect this was sarcasm. And again, there's a difference between not being surprised by getting a technical and actually having deserved to get the technical. Nothing the replay showed suggested he deserved a technical, in my opinion.

I largely agree. However, I think if you are not surprised you got it then at some level you must have known you provoked it. His complaint was legit. How he made the complaint (again, there are certian words you just don't direct at an official) led to the T. I think many good coahces know exactly what will provoke a technical and only get the ones they intend to get (or at least the ones they are willing to risk).

There's a great scene in Bull Durham where Annie Savoy is listening to a game on the radio, and hears Crash Davis was ejeced. She immeidately says, "he must have called him a . . . " There are some things you do as a coach and you know all along exactly what the result is going to be (even if you were right). He was right about the no-call on Thomas and he was willing to get the T to show just how right he was. That was my point when I said he didn't seem surprised.

[crimsonandblue]

I largely agree. However, I think if you are not surprised you got it then at some level you must have known you provoked it. His complaint was legit. How he made the complaint (again, there are certian words you just don't direct at an official) led to the T. I think many good coahces know exactly what will provoke a technical and only get the ones they intend to get (or at least the ones they are willing to risk).

There's a great scene in Bull Durham where Annie Savoy is listening to a game on the radio, and hears Crash Davis was ejeced. She immeidately says, "he must have called him a . . . " There are some things you do as a coach and you know all along exactly what the result is going to be (even if you were right). He was right about the no-call on Thomas and he was willing to get the T to show just how right he was. That was my point when I said he didn't seem surprised.

I already gave my take on why he got the T (out on the floor, in the path of the official, conduct showing up the ref), but I will say that the replay showed him a bunch and the only thing it looked like he was saying was "that's so bad, so bad, so bad." I mean, I'm no lip reader, but I can usually pick up on the more choice selections.

Again, he may have said stuff off camera, but while he was on, he was just being critical and showing the guy up (while far out on the floor).

[uncwdevil]

It is tough, I listened to the Mac Attack this morning on WFNZ and he is pro carolina and he actually said that he thought Roy was still the best coach in the country. It is almost impossible to listen to his show because of the unc bias and the Duke hate. The topic this morning was how far will Duke make it in the tourney and he said they won't make it past the Sweet Sixteen. This could be true but at least we have a shot at making a run to a Final Four unlike his beloved heels.

This morning's show was a joke.

If a Duke fan called in to say that they would make the Final Four, Mac and his idiotic sidekick Colin would tick off reasons why it wasn't possible. Then, if a Duke fan called in to say that they wouldn't make it past the Sweet 16 Mac and crew would criticize the fan for being too pessimistic and not expecting enough.

He trashed Duke's hopes for the final four with all the same, tired anti-Duke arguments (tired legs, no inside game, too many 3-pointers), while at the same time seemingly trying to prop up Duke fans' expectations in case Duke bowed out early so that he could call it a huge disappointment.

It was like he wanted to have his Duke bashing and eat it to.

[Neals384]

I already gave my take on why he got the T (out on the floor, in the path of the official, conduct showing up the ref), but I will say that the replay showed him a bunch and the only thing it looked like he was saying was "that's so bad, so bad, so bad." I mean, I'm no lip reader, but I can usually pick up on the more choice selections.

Again, he may have said stuff off camera, but while he was on, he was just being critical and showing the guy up (while far out on the floor).

Well, my hearing s**ks, so I am working really hard at reading lips. I'm pretty sure he didn't say "So bad", but actually used two of those words, that if I told you what they were, I'd get a "wonker". The T was automatic.

[Kedsy]

As is often the case with Elmore, he not only was wrong to keep babbling about it, he was wrong on the call. Lance looked to have good position and didn't reach. The offensive player jumped into him and appeared to initiate contact.

Sorry, but that's not right. It was annoying that Elmore went on and on and on about it, but that was a blatant foul on Lance. He was moving laterally, and then he leaned forward into the offensive player and made a lot of contact. The refs were letting a lot of things go last night, but that particular no call was one of the most egregious misses of the evening.

[Kedsy]

The most amazing stat to me was Zoubek didn't pick up his second foul until 14:58 or so in the second half!

If Zoubs is allowed to play and can stay on the court in order to get into the rhythm of the game, he can play!

That supposed walk, well maybe he did, maybe he didn't. I specifically watched on the replay looking at his right leg (couldn't see his foot) to see if he shifted pivot feet and it looked like to me that he held that foot the whole time. Even if he did, he still has about 10,000 bogus calls that he has had called against him so I am not going to sweat one in his favor!


Actually, it's a big deal that the refs gave Z the benefit of the doubt on that alleged travel. It used to be they'd call it on him as soon as he moved the first foot, because they were convinced he traveled every time he touched the ball. And they'd whistle him for fouls every time he got near an opposing player because they just assumed he'd foul. Now that he's playing better and garnering a lot of attention, he's getting respect from the refs and they're not blowing the whistle every time he moves.

The key for him is he's able to stay on the court for a much longer time. His per minute stats are not significantly better the past four games than they were earlier in the year; he's just playing more minutes now.

[oldnavy]

Actually, it's a big deal that the refs gave Z the benefit of the doubt on that alleged travel. It used to be they'd call it on him as soon as he moved the first foot, because they were convinced he traveled every time he touched the ball. And they'd whistle him for fouls every time he got near an opposing player because they just assumed he'd foul. Now that he's playing better and garnering a lot of attention, he's getting respect from the refs and they're not blowing the whistle every time he moves.

The key for him is he's able to stay on the court for a much longer time. His per minute stats are not significantly better the past four games than they were earlier in the year; he's just playing more minutes now.

Ever notice how Zoubs reacts to the calls he gets. He never shows up the ref of makes a big deal out of the call no matter how ridiculous it is. He usually just smiles (albeit a smile of disgust) and makes his way down the court. I have to think that his demeanor has also helped him this year along with just plain smarter play to avoid some of the calls. In fact no Duke player reacts poorly to bad calls. Compare that to the VT players, it is really a striking difference.

[camion]

Sorry, but that's not right. It was annoying that Elmore went on and on and on about it, but that was a blatant foul on Lance. He was moving laterally, and then he leaned forward into the offensive player and made a lot of contact. The refs were letting a lot of things go last night, but that particular no call was one of the most egregious misses of the evening.

Sorry, but you're mistaken. Not about the annoying part, but about Lance leaning forward. The Tulsa player initiated the contact, planting his shoulder in Lance's chest. It's a common move and is often called on the defensive player, but IMO should either be a no call or an offensive foul. In this game that type of contact had consistently been a no call, one of the reasons Scheyer and Nolan had poor shooting stats in the first half.

[ikiru36]

Their frontpage headline for the article about last night's game is:

"Duke avoids embarrassing loss"

We had a comfortable lead against decent team for the last 12 minutes or so. I'm not sure I would have used the same headline.

Honestly, and amazingly, the last game to deserve this headline would be the Carolina game (at Carolina)! :D

Go Duke!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Blue Devils!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kedsy]

Sorry, but you're mistaken. Not about the annoying part, but about Lance leaning forward. The Tulsa player initiated the contact, planting his shoulder in Lance's chest. It's a common move and is often called on the defensive player, but IMO should either be a no call or an offensive foul. In this game that type of contact had consistently been a no call, one of the reasons Scheyer and Nolan had poor shooting stats in the first half.

I watched the play three times and I disagree with you. It was a blatant foul on Lance. He was moving in several directions when the contact occurred.