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View Full Version : MBB: Duke vs. California Pre-Game and In-Game Thread



SharkD
03-20-2010, 12:24 AM
#8 Mike Montgomery's California Golden Bears outlasted Rick Pitino's #9 Louisville Cardinals to earn the opportunity to play Duke on Sunday at about 5:20pm ET.

The game will pit 2005 Duke freshman class member and 2007 transfer Jamal Boykin against his former coach.

The winner advances to the regional semifinal round in Houston to play the winner of Sunday's matchup between #5Texas A&M
and #4 Purdue.

Discuss.

sweetchiba51
03-20-2010, 12:27 AM
Don't feel to good about this one...really nervous. Watched a little bit of The Cal/Louisville game, both teams looked a little slow...we will see. If our shots are dropping, we should win easily.

SCMatt33
03-20-2010, 12:31 AM
I'm so sad that I will have to root against Jamal for the first time ever on Sunday.

arydolphin
03-20-2010, 12:35 AM
It will be interesting to see if Duke goes small more often with the lineup of Smith/Scheyer/Dawkins/Singler/big man(Z or the Plumlees) to match up with Cal's perimeter players, or whether they stick with the normal rotation and attempt to have the size advantage. No matter who the opponent was, I was going to be nervous starting in the round of 32, and Cal is a good team that will be a test on Sunday.

devildownunder
03-20-2010, 12:38 AM
... will this be the first time in Zoubek's career that he isn't the tallest player on the floor?

94duke
03-20-2010, 12:39 AM
It will be interesting to see if Duke goes small more often with the lineup of Smith/Scheyer/Dawkins/Singler/big man(Z or the Plumlees) to match up with Cal's perimeter players, or whether they stick with the normal rotation and attempt to have the size advantage. No matter who the opponent was, I was going to be nervous starting in the round of 32, and Cal is a good team that will be a test on Sunday.

I think we will stick with size to take advantage of the rebounds. Lance can guard guys smaller than himself.

RainingThrees
03-20-2010, 12:42 AM
Anybody know why he transferred? I guess he still seems to be on good terms with coach K.

arydolphin
03-20-2010, 12:45 AM
Food for thought: the 2 best teams that Cal played this year were Kansas and Syracuse, both in the non-conference season. Syracuse beat Cal 95-73 at Madison Square Garden in the 2K Sports Classic, and Kansas beat Cal 84-69 when Cal went to Kansas. Obviously Cal played better after that, as they were the regular season Pac 10 champs, but those results against teams that are #1 seeds like Duke are encouraging for Sunday.

Bluedog
03-20-2010, 12:46 AM
Anybody know why he transferred? I guess he still seems to be on good terms with coach K.

PT. Enjoyed his time at Duke. Loved Duke and Coach K, he even said. Just wanted some more PT. No hard feelings.

Here's a Q&A with Jamal courtesy of The Chronicle, released yesterday:

http://dukechronicle.com/article/q-jamal-boykin


And when I was at Duke, I was very appreciative of the opportunity [...] It was a dream of mine.... I look at everything as a lesson learned, and I had a great experience at Duke.


Before I left, for me, getting mononucleosis made the decision for me. Before that, I had it in my head that I was going to be the type of player that would have to be content [with] giving the team as much as I could in practice. [...] I think I still would’ve been happy [at Duke], but it’s hard to tell.

I certainly still root for him. Seems like a great guy. But of course I won't be rooting for him on Sunday! Go Duke!

davekay1971
03-20-2010, 12:47 AM
I still have bad memories of a 2nd round game against Cal back in my senior year. They don't have anybody named Kidd playing for them, do they?

RockyMtDevil
03-20-2010, 12:53 AM
Yep, I remember CAL upset a beautiful spring break in Florida when Kidd went off, sending Bobby and Thomas out early their Sr. year's. Man, I can still taste that loss. I remember I gave up a nice date that night to sit in the hotel and watch the game by myself....

Let's hope Sunday is better, though their perimeter scares me a bit.

arydolphin
03-20-2010, 12:54 AM
Here are 2 articles that talk a little more about why Boykin transferred to Cal from Duke. Basically, it sounds like Duke was his dream school even when other schools wanted him more, so that's why he went there. However, once he got there, he figured out that he wasn't going to get much playing time, and getting mono at the start of his sophomore year didn't help. The articles looks like Coach K was up-front with Boykin during his time at Duke.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/09/sports/la-sp-jamal-boykin9-2010jan09

http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/121907aaa.html

FerryFor50
03-20-2010, 12:54 AM
I still have bad memories of a 2nd round game against Cal back in my senior year. They don't have anybody named Kidd playing for them, do they?

I was thinking the same. Ugh. That team wasn't as deep as this one, though. And Cal has no Jason Kidd.

gofurman
03-20-2010, 12:56 AM
I'll say this - the Boykin I have seen would be a valuable player on Duke - he is a good shooter and getting about 12 pts and 7 boards: IE, maybe a little less on perimeter D than LanceT but better on O for sure and better on the boards I think. Though he plays on a small team so not sure how many boards he would lose to Z...

Point is Boykin gets about a 12p/7b in 20+ minutes while Lance gets about 5p/5b in the same time. I think Lance plays better D but watching Boykin he is more comfortable shooting.

Story I heard was mutual split - K told him he would always be on the bench somewhere and he wanted more playing time. No hard feelings.
--
*Anyway, from watching some tonight I feel Louisville was tougher inside and had a better crowd ... Cal didn't have many fans as you might imagine.

So that is good. The bad is I still came away feeling (and I didn't go in thinking this) I would rather play Louisville bc despite being tougher inside they are not as fast on the perimeter.

IE, Cal is the ol' 4 out 1 in I dread. Not as good as VU who sent us home last year but still quite quick and deadly from range. I think the "poor Villanova" analogy is pretty good. A little smaller and less speedy but they can draw fouls with guards speed. Thus the +5 foul count. I hope we can stay in front of them. The problem is if you sag they were nailing threes.
* Randle in particular scares me as he is quick and controlld.

What are yhou all's thoughts on Cal and the good / bad?

fwiw, Cal only played 6 guys over 10 minutes so maybe they are tired - jk / actually that is about as short a bench as I have ever seen ! almost all the starters played over 30 minutes.

- another Q: Did anyone see Duke in the stands? I would assume the team was there watching or do thy go back to the hotel?

Here is my order of guys Duke needs to concern themselves with : RANDLE.... (5'10" SPEED and SHOT) - think Eric Maynor; Christopher 6'5" wing scorer who can light you up - put 39 on Washington State; then Robertson and Boykin as 12 pt forwards

pfrduke
03-20-2010, 01:00 AM
Game time just announced. 5:15 Eastern. I'll be on a plane. I'm more than a little upset about that.

gofurman
03-20-2010, 01:21 AM
also here is my worthless order of players to fear:

Snr RANDLE - think Eric Maynor 5'10" 170 lbs dynamic - 20 pts and 4 assists are easy for him . put 39 on WSU !! fast and can shoot from range. It would be nice if he was a little off - who do you think we will put on him? Hard to sag off a guy that hits 3s like that but if you get up on him he will blow by most
* He makes a living at the line. I would sag off if it were me - but what do i know? (often 3-8 shooting and 9-10 at the FT)

Snr Chrsitopher - athletic wing at 6'5" 220 who often gets 16 pts and 5 rebs

Snr Robertson - 6'6" 230 forward usually about 14 pts 5b. Interesting, when I saw his size and points I assumed it was inside but he shoots the 3 - going 3/5 3/6 and tonight 3/4 in his last 3 games !!! He definitely drifts outside. I guess that is how with a 3g 2f lineup it still is like a 4 out one in.

Snr Boykin - 6'8" 240 forward usually about 12+ pts 7 b

mike88
03-20-2010, 01:42 AM
I have been tracking Cal for a few weeks now, as a potential team we could face in the round of 32 or 16. They have the third highest offensive efficiency in the country, but are only 85th in defensive efficiency- KenPom has them ranked 15th overall, and predicts Duke to win by 9. Maryland is probably the team we have faced that is closest in comparison to Cal. No real size, but a good backcourt and lots of experience. They don't turn it over much usually, and shoot it well from 2 and 3 point range, as we saw today. We should have an advantage on the boards, and our bench is much deeper.

I think the outcome will depend on Nolan Smith having a great defensive game and keeping Randle under control without fouling. We need to play a slower pace, deny them open looks from 3, and not give up drives / fouls. Kyle should be in a good place on offense; I could also see Mason having opportunities. I don't think we should alter our line-up much- I feel very comfortable with Z defending Boykin, and I am not sure Boykin can defned him on the other end. I am not sure if we will have Lance or Kyle on Robertson, but they must limit his open looks- he was on fire today.

Dukeknights
03-20-2010, 01:54 AM
i think we match-up well against California

Blue Devils- 69

California- 57

El_Diablo
03-20-2010, 01:55 AM
I'll say this - the Boykin I have seen would be a valuable player on Duke - he is a good shooter and getting about 12 pts and 7 boards: IE, maybe a little less on perimeter D than LanceT but better on O for sure and better on the boards I think. Though he plays on a small team so not sure how many boards he would lose to Z...

Point is Boykin gets about a 12p/7b in 20+ minutes while Lance gets about 5p/5b in the same time. I think Lance plays better D but watching Boykin he is more comfortable shooting.

Of course, had Boykin stayed at Duke, he would have exhausted his NCAA eligibility last year and wouldn't be on this team anyway.

-bdbd
03-20-2010, 02:18 AM
Should Duke alter its line-up? I seriously doubt that it will happen. K has frequently pointed out that, while we may have tough matchups, we also may CREATE bad matchups for them as well. For instance, how are they going to stop Z and rebound? Certainly not man-to-man. So, expect some more of that sagging zone of theirs, or lots of help D. Either way it should open up lots of outside opportunities for the big-3. We really need to attack these guys and not play tentative.

A couple other strengths/weaknesses that haven't yet been fully listed together:
Negatives (for Duke) :
- Cal's speed. It will create matchup issues for us on D. Not sure who Jon guards...
- Cal's outside shooting.
- Cal coach Montgomery is pretty good, having coached at Stanford, before leaving to Coach Golden State in the NBA for a few years.

Positives (for Duke) :
- Cal has no bench. This leads me to expect they will wear down, especially on the interior (fighting Zoubs, MP1&2, Lance, etc.). I'm thinking close game into second half, then Duke's depth starts helping, maybe around 8-13 minutes into the 2nd half. Also, they can't afford any foul trouble.
- Duke is clearly peaking at the right time. So often we've seen them survive round-1, but they will be playing with lots of confidence and leadership Sunday.
- Duke will dominate inside at both ends. I expect a very good game from Z, and one of the Plumlees to put up some decent numbers. Kyle is looking at a good opportunity too.
- Cal didn't see a D of Duke's caliber on Friday, or pretty much anywhere in the Pac10, and this will affect their shooting (as well as passing relative to Fri night).
- Cal hasn't been tested much against top-flight teams in recent weeks. Recall that the PAC10 was very weak, shallow this year.
- Cal's D is fairly average, so long as we keep ATTACKING we'll score lots. I don't know that they can keep up.

Go Duke! This is just the BEST time of year! I'm lovin' it! We looked GOOD tonight.


:D :D :D

-bdbd
03-20-2010, 02:25 AM
Since cbssports.com allows you to re-watch any prior games, anyone who missed the Cal-L'ville game (or Duke) Fri night might want to check some of it out. You can move ahead (Fast Fwd) my grabbing/sliding the bar at the bottom of the screen. Neat feature there. Of course they are showing live games there too - which I had to resort to once CBS switched to another, closer game before halftime and for the whole 2nd half... Ugh!!

:D

brevity
03-20-2010, 05:47 AM
#8 Mike Montgomery's California Golden Bears outlasted Rick Pitino's #9 Louisville Cardinals to earn the opportunity to play Duke on Sunday at 4:50pm ET.

I was really surprised by the outcome of that first round game. Originally, in my bracket, I had picked the team coached by the guy who came to his current job after an unsuccessful NBA stint, and had previously coached his current school's archrival. But then I changed my mind and went with the other team, coached by the guy who came to his current job after an unsuccessful NBA stint, and had previously coached his current school's archrival.

So I was right... and also wrong. In case you're wondering, I also picked the Tigers in the Missouri-Clemson game and the Aggies in the Texas A&M-Utah State game.

Bob Green
03-20-2010, 06:00 AM
I was really surprised by the outcome of that first round game. Originally, in my bracket, I had picked the team coached by the guy who came to his current job after an unsuccessful NBA stint, and had previously coached his current school's archrival. But then I changed my mind and went with the other team, coached by the guy who came to his current job after an unsuccessful NBA stint, and had previously coached his current school's archrival.

So I was right... and also wrong. In case you're wondering, I also picked the Tigers in the Missouri-Clemson game and the Aggies in the Texas A&M-Utah State game.

Excellent post, which remnds me of 1997 when I correctly predicted the Wildcats would win the NCAA Championship just hours before tip-off. :)

GODUKEGO
03-20-2010, 08:08 AM
Hope this does not come back and haunt me but I would rather be playing Cal than a Rick Pitino team in a tournament. If only Nova would have loss to Robert Morris. I did not see the game but heard from many the refs gave it to Nova. Even Mike Greenberg of ESPN (you know the network who loves the Big East) said the officiating was horrific. My prediction is that we will be playing Baylor in the regional finals. The Plumlee's impressed me with their rebounding and blocked shots in the first round. Kyle looked very confident and comfortable. Big offensive night for Lance. Glad to see Coach K substituting earlier last night.

roywhite
03-20-2010, 08:09 AM
I still have bad memories of a 2nd round game against Cal back in my senior year. They don't have anybody named Kidd playing for them, do they?

Time for some payback.

Bobby Hurley says, "Hello."

Saratoga2
03-20-2010, 08:26 AM
... will this be the first time in Zoubek's career that he isn't the tallest player on the floor?

Didn't we play Gonzaga with their 7'5" player earlier this year?

sagegrouse
03-20-2010, 08:27 AM
Duke plays Cal Sunday in the "late game," 5:15ET. From watching last night's game, it appears that Cal is a dangerous team, taking Louisville on a 22-4 run to begin the game and finishing with a 12-0 spurt. Jerome Randle (PAC-10 POY) and Theo Robertson both had 21 points.

Some questions to get started.

1. Cal is a team that likes to run. Will this be an up-tempo contest instead of the more deliberate games we saw in the ACC?

2. Will Duke be able to score inside against Cal's depleted interior defense? Forward Omondi Amoke was suspended by Mike Mongomery.

3. Can Nolan rebound after an off-night against UAPB? Can Jon and Kyle continue to shoot well in Jacksonville?

sagegrouse

BobbyFan
03-20-2010, 08:32 AM
Yep, I remember CAL upset a beautiful spring break in Florida when Kidd went off, sending Bobby and Thomas out early their Sr. year's. Man, I can still taste that loss.

Ugh. The worst loss for me as a Duke fan. Any semblance of compassion I may have had for them because of the Boykin factor just went out the window.

JohnGalt
03-20-2010, 09:11 AM
Didn't we play Gonzaga with their 7'5" player earlier this year?

Bobo Baciu at Clemson is listed at 7-2, also. That's only an inch of difference though so who knows really who's taller.

NSDukeFan
03-20-2010, 09:44 AM
Duke plays Cal Sunday in the "late game," 5:15ET. From watching last night's game, it appears that Cal is a dangerous team, taking Louisville on a 22-4 run to begin the game and finishing with a 12-0 spurt. Jerome Randle (PAC-10 POY) and Theo Robertson both had 21 points.

Some questions to get started.

1. Cal is a team that likes to run. Will this be an up-tempo contest instead of the more deliberate games we saw in the ACC?

2. Will Duke be able to score inside against Cal's depleted interior defense? Forward Omondi Amoke was suspended by Mike Mongomery.

3. Can Nolan rebound after an off-night against UAPB? Can Jon and Kyle continue to shoot well in Jacksonville?

sagegrouse

1. I think it will be important for the team to continue to defend well in transition. I think this will be an important point from now on. Duke has been very solid defensively in the half-court, so they can't let Cal off the hook with easy points on the break.
2. Duke needs to dominate inside, especially on the boards. This is an advantage that has to be taken advantage of. Fortunately, this did occur in the last game.
3. Hopefully, Nolan has a good game offensively, but I think he will be a huge key defensively. It will be very important for him to contain Randle as much as he can. Our help D will also be key, so hopefully our rotations are solid and we can get multiple defenders in the paint to defend the drive even if they are spreading us out.

I expect us to not have too much difficulty scoring, but think Cal presents a good challenge for our D. They seem to spread the floor well, which can be difficult for our help-side defensive rotations. This will be a very good test and I hope we pass.

gofurman
03-20-2010, 11:07 AM
I have been tracking Cal for a few weeks now, as a potential team we could face in the round of 32 or 16. They have the third highest offensive efficiency in the country, but are only 85th in defensive efficiency- KenPom has them ranked 15th overall, and predicts Duke to win by 9. Maryland is probably the team we have faced that is closest in comparison to Cal. No real size, but a good backcourt and lots of experience. They don't turn it over much usually, and shoot it well from 2 and 3 point range, as we saw today. We should have an advantage on the boards, and our bench is much deeper.

I think the outcome will depend on Nolan Smith having a great defensive game and keeping Randle under control without fouling. We need to play a slower pace, deny them open looks from 3, and not give up drives / fouls. Kyle should be in a good place on offense; I could also see Mason having opportunities. I don't think we should alter our line-up much- I feel very comfortable with Z defending Boykin, and I am not sure Boykin can defned him on the other end. I am not sure if we will have Lance or Kyle on Robertson, but they must limit his open looks- he was on fire today.

while i see your point, and agree on the size thing, I agree with others that Cal is much faster than Maryland. Much faster. The reason I like us against UM is that though they are good they do not exploit the 4out speed weakness we have seen hurt us in prior years. Hayes and Vasquez just aren't that fast. They are like Scheyer types for a basic analogy. Great players but not pure speedsters.

Randle is a pure speedster like EMaynor was. One thing we did not see in the ACC this year - and I really think this helped us win it - was pure guard speed. Think, who was a pure speed guy: Ish Smith but no shot... and? Stitt maybe but he was hurt when we played him. so no one really. The SMith Teague combo was gone as was Lawson... That's what I see a lesser version of in Cal. I always fear the pure speedsters.

Udaman
03-20-2010, 12:24 PM
Cal has me really, really nervous. This is our true trap game. We have every expectation to win. They have no pressure on them. They have super speed at the guard position, something which has always been our weakness (at least for the past few years).

Yes, on paper, we are better - but this game has me extremely worried. From here on out, we will have either a) the home crowd completely against us, which will help keep us focused, or b) playing teams we are really much better than (Purdue)....and in the Sweet 16 everyone feels the pressure.

I have a bad feeling about Cal tomorrow, as I did the moment the brackets came out (because I knew their guards would decimate Louisville's press, and they did).

Our season could easily come to an end tomorrow. Here's hoping we can take what I think will be a very competitive down to the wire game.

theAlaskanBear
03-20-2010, 12:42 PM
Cal has me really, really nervous. This is our true trap game. We have every expectation to win. They have no pressure on them. They have super speed at the guard position, something which has always been our weakness (at least for the past few years).

Yes, on paper, we are better - but this game has me extremely worried. From here on out, we will have either a) the home crowd completely against us, which will help keep us focused, or b) playing teams we are really much better than (Purdue)....and in the Sweet 16 everyone feels the pressure.

I have a bad feeling about Cal tomorrow, as I did the moment the brackets came out (because I knew their guards would decimate Louisville's press, and they did).

Our season could easily come to an end tomorrow. Here's hoping we can take what I think will be a very competitive down to the wire game.

Duke doesn't press guards though, like past teams. They guard the 3-pt shot, but mostly they get back quickly, and do a lot of switching on screens. That should prevent our D from being swiss cheese.

basket1544
03-20-2010, 12:47 PM
Can't help but notice that Cal starts a lot of seniors. And a lot of fast small guards. That scares me and then I think of a 6'6" guard trying to guard Kyle and I smile.
On another note, Randle is from Chicago and the same age as Jon. Wonder if they've played against each other before. I don't know how these matchups are going to work.

dukerev
03-20-2010, 12:48 PM
Louisville simply didn't guard Cal last night. Cal had wide open shots most of the game. When they had a hand in their face, they didn't score. Our tough, ball-pressure D will make a big difference. I just don't see our guys taking off so many plays on D (Coach K tends to have the company of guys who don't D up on the bench with him). Frankly, Cal scares me a lot less than Louisville. Teams that have talent but take nights off (see also:Georgetown, Maryland), tend to get up for Duke. Cal doesn't have the talent that Louisville has. They have better effort and get the most out of what they have. But I think that we'll do fine.

CDu
03-20-2010, 12:50 PM
Cal will spread the floor, shoot a lot of 3s, attack off the dribble, and try to run. We will try to slow the game down, try to stay between their guards and the rim, and try to pound the boards.

It's going to come down to how well we defend in transition, how well we do at containing their dribble penetration, how well they shoot, and how well we rebound.

If they are on fire from the perimeter, it could spell trouble. If we defend well and pound the boards, they'll have trouble staying with us.

Cal doesn't play great defense, and they don't rebound well. We rebound REALLY well. That's our biggest advantage in this game, along with having probably the best player on the floor in Singler.

A big key will be Smith guarding Randle. If Smith can contain Randle, I think Scheyer and Singler can handle the other guard spots. The other key will be how we defend Robertson at the 4.

And if we can draw fouls, we can get into their very thin bench.

OldPhiKap
03-20-2010, 01:00 PM
Ugh. The worst loss for me as a Duke fan. Any semblance of compassion I may have had for them because of the Boykin factor just went out the window.

While I disliked that game, nothing was worse than standing on the quad after we lost to Never Nervous Pervis in '86. So, out of two bad choices, I'd rather not fool with Louisville again.

Indoor66
03-20-2010, 01:02 PM
Some seem to forget that Duke is one of the best defensive teams in the country. Our 3 point defense is excellent. We will be focused. I see a strong win for the Devils.

CoBlueDevil
03-20-2010, 01:07 PM
I think were going to be ok. Randle is real quick and a great shooter, but Nolan is a good defender, and if Nolans only goal is to stop Randle on D, then we'll be ok. From what I saw yesterday, we may not need to have Nolan drop 15 to win, he can play tough D and scor 8 to 10 and we'll still win by ten.

There big man Robertson is pretty tough but we can through multiple big men at him and i think we can slow him down significanlty.

Christopher is tough, but nothing Lance can't handle.

I think we beat them by ten or so. We have a lot of experience and poise, and I like our chances.

Devilsfan
03-20-2010, 01:19 PM
Quick, dribble drive guards have always given us trouble. Hope we play our best and our shots drop. We "should" win this game easily if we shoot well.

GoingFor#5
03-20-2010, 01:41 PM
I still have bad memories of a 2nd round game against Cal back in my senior year. They don't have anybody named Kidd playing for them, do they?

Ugh, I remember that...I was 10 years old and took that loss really really hard. It's hard when you're 10 and at that time you basically think Duke always wins. I never liked Kidd because of that game.

AdjustNation
03-20-2010, 01:43 PM
Why before the Cal vs Lou game everyone wanted to see Cal and avoid Lou. Now that it is over everyone is so scared of Cal, we are the only fan base that constantly underrates our team. We're the 3rd best Team in the nation and possibly the second. We have senior leadership and the best coach.

gumbomoop
03-20-2010, 02:14 PM
also here is my worthless order of players to fear:

Snr RANDLE - think Eric Maynor 5'10" 170 lbs dynamic - 20 pts and 4 assists are easy for him . put 39 on WSU !! fast and can shoot from range. It would be nice if he was a little off - who do you think we will put on him? Hard to sag off a guy that hits 3s like that but if you get up on him he will blow by most
* He makes a living at the line. I would sag off if it were me - but what do i know? (often 3-8 shooting and 9-10 at the FT)

Snr Chrsitopher - athletic wing at 6'5" 220 who often gets 16 pts and 5 rebs

Snr Robertson - 6'6" 230 forward usually about 14 pts 5b. Interesting, when I saw his size and points I assumed it was inside but he shoots the 3 - going 3/5 3/6 and tonight 3/4 in his last 3 games !!! He definitely drifts outside. I guess that is how with a 3g 2f lineup it still is like a 4 out one in.

Snr Boykin - 6'8" 240 forward usually about 12+ pts 7 b

Seniors always a big plus, esp guys who can dribble and shoot 3s. These fellows will be confident coming in, as they should be, having pretty solidly handled UL.

I'm most curious about our D assignments. I assume NS will guard Randle, and I see this as the key D issue. I'm guessing JS guards Gutierrez [the other starter], and that KS and LT will guard Christopher and Robertson, maybe switching on them depending on who's hot for Cal, and who has fouls to give for Duke. LT needs to play real smart; no 2 fouls in first few minutes.

Boykin might well be pumped to play Duke, but if our 3 bigs can't handle him and their big sub center, I'd be real disappointed.

Cal now has very little depth, so our 8 guys should certainly not be more tired than their 6. If their 3 key perimeter guys must play 37-40 minutes, I see no reason why our 3-S can't do the same. No reason to rest for Sweet 16.

Numerous posters have worried about the 4 out/1 in alignment, and that sure seems to describe Cal. It's a real test.

cptnflash
03-20-2010, 02:17 PM
Why before the Cal vs Lou game everyone wanted to see Cal and avoid Lou. Now that it is over everyone is so scared of Cal, we are the only fan base that constantly underrates our team. We're the 3rd best Team in the nation and possibly the second. We have senior leadership and the best coach.

Not everyone wanted to avoid Louisville. I said before the game that Cal would beat Louisville, and our game against Cal would be terrifying (post #32 in the South Regional thread).

Cal is Villanova with a BETTER offense and a worse seed. We are the better team, mostly due to our rebounding advantage, so if both teams are equally effective shooting the ball, we'll win. But if we have trouble defending their perimeter quickness and their shots are falling, Cal is 100% capable of beating us. This is by far the scariest opponent we'll face before the Final Four.

Indoor66
03-20-2010, 02:42 PM
Quick, dribble drive guards have always given us trouble. Hope we play our best and our shots drop. We "should" win this game easily if we shoot well.

That is the usual "take" on Duke. Let's play the game and see if the dribble drive guard gives us enough trouble for them to win.

ChicagoCrazy84
03-20-2010, 02:53 PM
Cal has me really, really nervous. This is our true trap game. We have every expectation to win. They have no pressure on them. They have super speed at the guard position, something which has always been our weakness (at least for the past few years).

Yes, on paper, we are better - but this game has me extremely worried. From here on out, we will have either a) the home crowd completely against us, which will help keep us focused, or b) playing teams we are really much better than (Purdue)....and in the Sweet 16 everyone feels the pressure.

I have a bad feeling about Cal tomorrow, as I did the moment the brackets came out (because I knew their guards would decimate Louisville's press, and they did).

Our season could easily come to an end tomorrow. Here's hoping we can take what I think will be a very competitive down to the wire game.


WOW, really? Am I crazy for not being nervous much at all? We match up really with with this team. Jerome Randle is a great player, but he's nothing Nolan Smith won't be able to handle. Scheyer matches up well with Patrick Christopher and we'll have LT and Kyle to play Theo Robertson. Beyond that, they don't have much. Boykin isn't a nightmare matchup whatsoever. Gutierrez has no skill that I have seen and Zhang will be forced to get minutes because of the player that was suspended (cant remember his name). I have no idea why you are so nervous. Sure, our season COULD end tomorrow, but I would not count on it.

ChicagoCrazy84
03-20-2010, 02:57 PM
Not everyone wanted to avoid Louisville. I said before the game that Cal would beat Louisville, and our game against Cal would be terrifying (post #32 in the South Regional thread).

Cal is Villanova with a BETTER offense and a worse seed. We are the better team, mostly due to our rebounding advantage, so if both teams are equally effective shooting the ball, we'll win. But if we have trouble defending their perimeter quickness and their shots are falling, Cal is 100% capable of beating us. This is by far the scariest opponent we'll face before the Final Four.


WRONG!!!! Baylor would be.

Everyone, stop acting like this is doomsday because they have a capable perimeter. Has everyone forgotten how good our defense has been since the GTown debacle?

basket1544
03-20-2010, 02:58 PM
Ugh, I remember that...I was 10 years old and took that loss really really hard. It's hard when you're 10 and at that time you basically think Duke always wins. I never liked Kidd because of that game.

I was 10 too and I thought it was a given that Duke always won. I remember crying so much for Bobby. Then Kidd was drafted in my hometown and I wanted to hate him (that didn't last past his first assist I think).

Classof06
03-20-2010, 03:37 PM
Cal will be a good test and the better team doesn't always prevail, but this is a game Duke should ultimately win. I'm interested to see what problems we causes Cal with our size and conversely, how Cal's athletic wing players provide us with matchup issues.

Should be a good game and Cal is certainly capable of pulling it off, but I look for Duke to survive and advance. We shall see..


GO DUKE

Orange&BlackSheep
03-20-2010, 03:43 PM
I was 10 too and I thought it was a given that Duke always won. I remember crying so much for Bobby. Then Kidd was drafted in my hometown and I wanted to hate him (that didn't last past his first assist I think).

I am still annoyed that Hurley's three somehow did not stay in ... it did everything it could but go down. Dadgumnit.

juise
03-20-2010, 04:33 PM
Cal is Villanova with a BETTER offense and a worse seed.

And 0 wins against the top 25 RPI (0-4) and 1 win against the top 50 RPI (1-6).
And one NCAA win (last night) since 2003.

I'm not saying they are not talented or capable of giving Duke trouble. Nova has been playing pretty poorly, but I'm not sure Cal's roster or pedigree compare favorably with Villanova. I think Duke will respect Cal and I think Duke will be too much for Cal.

watzone
03-20-2010, 04:49 PM
Coach K from pre Cali press conference - http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/03/coach-k-talks-about-the-duke-california-match-up/

Tons more audio interviews from Jacksonville are up, post game and today's pre Cal locker room access and PC's.

Troublemaker
03-20-2010, 05:04 PM
While Duke should beat Cal the majority of the time, the Golden Bears are a less-than-ideal second-round opponent for Duke and, on paper, probably the toughest draw that any 1 seed received in the second-round. If you believe in point spreads as a gauge of such things, Duke is a 6-pt favorite against Cal, 'Cuse is a 7-pt favorite against Gonzaga, Kentucky is a 9.5-pt favorite against Wake, and Kansas is an 11.5-pt favorite against UNI (although point spreads are no guarantee of success or failure, of course). Cal is currently the 12th-ranked Pomeroy team, which, if accurate, means they are between a 3-seed and 4-seed in quality.

Besides employing the spread style of play, they are one of the very few teams in the tournament with more experience than Duke, and Mike Montgomery is one of the few coaches with a winning record vs Coach K. Neither of those facts may end up being significant (I think the experience factor will be), but I'm more comfortable when Duke holds the advantage in those areas.

Duke can cause Cal a lot of headaches, too. With a height advantage at every position, we'll be playing the game at a different geometry. Interior passes will be easier, perimeter shots will be taken with fewer hands in faces, rebounds will be contacted at a higher plane than Cal is accustomed to, etc.

But we really need Z to be able to stay on the court to press our size advantage. I don't really trust the Plumlees yet, especially against such an experienced team running the #3-ranked Pomeroy offense, and I think it would be a mistake to go small and play LT at the 5. Hopefully big Z can move his feet effectively to help against Cal's guards when they drive and Boykin doesn't light him up too much from outside. Jamal has a pretty sweet 18-foot jumper these days.

dukelifer
03-20-2010, 06:57 PM
While Duke should beat Cal the majority of the time, the Golden Bears are a less-than-ideal second-round opponent for Duke and, on paper, probably the toughest draw that any 1 seed received in the second-round. If you believe in point spreads as a gauge of such things, Duke is a 6-pt favorite against Cal, 'Cuse is a 7-pt favorite against Gonzaga, Kentucky is a 9.5-pt favorite against Wake, and Kansas is an 11.5-pt favorite against UNI (although point spreads are no guarantee of success or failure, of course). Cal is currently the 12th-ranked Pomeroy team, which, if accurate, means they are between a 3-seed and 4-seed in quality.

Besides employing the spread style of play, they are one of the very few teams in the tournament with more experience than Duke, and Mike Montgomery is one of the few coaches with a winning record vs Coach K. Neither of those facts may end up being significant (I think the experience factor will be), but I'm more comfortable when Duke holds the advantage in those areas.

Duke can cause Cal a lot of headaches, too. With a height advantage at every position, we'll be playing the game at a different geometry. Interior passes will be easier, perimeter shots will be taken with fewer hands in faces, rebounds will be contacted at a higher plane than Cal is accustomed to, etc.

But we really need Z to be able to stay on the court to press our size advantage. I don't really trust the Plumlees yet, especially against such an experienced team running the #3-ranked Pomeroy offense, and I think it would be a mistake to go small and play LT at the 5. Hopefully big Z can move his feet effectively to help against Cal's guards when they drive and Boykin doesn't light him up too much from outside. Jamal has a pretty sweet 18-foot jumper these days.

This is a game where two teams have clear strengths and whoever exerts their "will" will win. Duke needs to rebound with a vengeance particularly on the offensive end and drive the ball- not settle for jumpers to get their thin team in foul trouble early. Duke needs to play very hard on the defensive end of the floor and play really smart. Duke cannot turn the ball over in the open court as that will be easy points for them. Cal will try to shoot their way out of trouble and if they are hitting from deep- Duke will have their hands full. Duke needs to keep it close and wear them out.

GoingFor#5
03-20-2010, 08:08 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhOgBJ_2ME8

Never again!

yancem
03-20-2010, 08:21 PM
This is a game where two teams have clear strengths and whoever exerts their "will" will win. Duke needs to rebound with a vengeance particularly on the offensive end and drive the ball- not settle for jumpers to get their thin team in foul trouble early. Duke needs to play very hard on the defensive end of the floor and play really smart. Duke cannot turn the ball over in the open court as that will be easy points for them. Cal will try to shoot their way out of trouble and if they are hitting from deep- Duke will have their hands full. Duke needs to keep it close and wear them out.

I think that this may be the most important aspect of the game. If we can attack and get an advantage at the free throw line and maybe draw a couple of charges that will mean that Duke is imposing their "will" and should ensure a w. If we sit back and launch three after three we could get into some trouble.

CDu
03-20-2010, 08:29 PM
I think that this may be the most important aspect of the game. If we can attack and get an advantage at the free throw line and maybe draw a couple of charges that will mean that Duke is imposing their "will" and should ensure a w. If we sit back and launch three after three we could get into some trouble.

Not only that, but given their lack of depth, foul trouble would be really huge for them. At the same time, we can't get out of our game and focus TOO much on trying to draw fouls. But if we can get them in foul trouble and get into their thin bench, we will be more likely to assert our advantages.

NashvilleDevil
03-20-2010, 08:45 PM
Why before the Cal vs Lou game everyone wanted to see Cal and avoid Lou. Now that it is over everyone is so scared of Cal, we are the only fan base that constantly underrates our team. We're the 3rd best Team in the nation and possibly the second. We have senior leadership and the best coach.

Word!

hsheffield
03-20-2010, 08:48 PM
Time for some payback.

Bobby Hurley says, "Hello."


I love that!!!!

It still hurts to think about it: Hurley did his best to WILL us to win but it just wasn't happening. Have never liked Jason Kidd....probably bec. he reminds me of that game.

SoCalDukeFan
03-20-2010, 08:50 PM
I for one would have preferred Louisville.

Louisville beat Syrarcuse twice because Pitano beats Jim B's zone. Almost every time.

On paper Duke should win. We have a very good team. Cal though is dangerous with some very good outside shooting. Boykin is a good player underneath.

I think Duke's size and bench will carry the day. But, hey, I thought Kansas would win also.

SoCal

WiJoe
03-20-2010, 09:22 PM
coach k from pre cali press conference - http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/03/coach-k-talks-about-the-duke-california-match-up/

tons more audio interviews from jacksonville are up, post game and today's pre cal locker room access and pc's.


thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DukeGirl4ever
03-20-2010, 09:30 PM
My thoughts...

Cal attacked Louisville's press last night and I think they got some easy scores and caught Louisville off guard. I do not see us pressing at all, and we will do a better job of containing some of that fast pace by not pressing.

As many stated earlier, they have an extremely thin bench. We are intelligent enough to attack and draw fouls and make some of their key players sit on that bench for awhile. This plays in to our hands as well as I don't think Cal will be as fresh as Duke (isn't that nice to say that we looked fresh?).

I also saw that someone posted that Zoubek will be guarding Boykin??? Really? I don't see that as being a good match-up for Zoubs. I see Lance as being able to defend him better because both guys are mobile. I think Zoubs might have the "feet in the quicksand" movement if he guards Boykin.

This does make me a bit nervous, but I absolutely wanted no part of Louisville. I don't follow the Pac-10 but have been told it pretty much "sucked" this year.

One more thing I just need to add....if I see Mason Plumlee trying a one-hand dunk off a missed board, I'm going to break my TV! I love Mason, but something's needs to click where he finally gets he needs to come down with it and go back with two hands!

dukelifer
03-20-2010, 09:36 PM
My thoughts...


One more thing I just need to add....if I see Mason Plumlee trying a one-hand dunk off a missed board, I'm going to break my TV! I love Mason, but something's needs to click where he finally gets he needs to come down with it and go back with two hands!

He makes those all the time in practice- I am sure. Remember one handed slams are so much more impressive than a lay up- I think they even count 5 points.

94duke
03-20-2010, 09:41 PM
I don't mind the dunk attempt, but he doesn't need to slam it so hard.
Just put the ball through the rim.

Indoor66
03-20-2010, 10:03 PM
I don't mind the dunk attempt, but he doesn't need to slam it so hard.
Just put the ball through the rim.

You have to impress the Russian judge. :eek: :rolleyes:

NSDukeFan
03-20-2010, 10:17 PM
I also saw that someone posted that Zoubek will be guarding Boykin??? Really? I don't see that as being a good match-up for Zoubs. I see Lance as being able to defend him better because both guys are mobile. I think Zoubs might have the "feet in the quicksand" movement if he guards Boykin.

This does make me a bit nervous, but I absolutely wanted no part of Louisville. I don't follow the Pac-10 but have been told it pretty much "sucked" this year.


I think Zoubs will do fine on Boykin. He has really been moving his feet much better lately. My biggest concern is that Jamal keeps him out of the key too much as he is a great help-side defender for the team.
It looks like we should have hoped for Louisville because if you go by tournament results so far, it appears the PAC-10 is quite a bit stronger than the Big East. ;)

DukeGirl4ever
03-20-2010, 10:23 PM
I think Zoubs will do fine on Boykin. He has really been moving his feet much better lately. My biggest concern is that Jamal keeps him out of the key too much as he is a great help-side defender for the team.
It looks like we should have hoped for Louisville because if you go by tournament results so far, it appears the PAC-10 is quite a bit stronger than the Big East. ;)

I do agree with all of those statements. The one plus I think Zoubek has in guarding Boykin is that it will be tough for Jamal to shoot over him if he keeps his hands up. You are right about the helping aspect - we don't need Zoubs that far away from the paint!

I think we are ok either way, I just felt like Lance might seem to be the better defender for that situation.

NSDukeFan
03-20-2010, 10:34 PM
I do agree with all of those statements. The one plus I think Zoubek has in guarding Boykin is that it will be tough for Jamal to shoot over him if he keeps his hands up. You are right about the helping aspect - we don't need Zoubs that far away from the paint!

I think we are ok either way, I just felt like Lance might seem to be the better defender for that situation.

I don't disagree with Lance being a good matchup for Boykin, but we will need him guarding Robertson, I think.

Troublemaker
03-20-2010, 10:36 PM
I do agree with all of those statements. The one plus I think Zoubek has in guarding Boykin is that it will be tough for Jamal to shoot over him if he keeps his hands up. You are right about the helping aspect - we don't need Zoubs that far away from the paint!

I think we are ok either way, I just felt like Lance might seem to be the better defender for that situation.

Cal basically plays 2 point guards, 2 wings, and Boykin. If Z doesn't guard Boykin, he'll have to play one of the guards or the wings. There's just no ideal defensive matchup for Zoubek except when Zhang comes into the game.

As an aside, I feel more confident about this game now. After the Kansas loss, I think all the 1 seeds will perform better this weekend than they might have otherwise.

DukeGirl4ever
03-20-2010, 10:53 PM
I don't disagree with Lance being a good matchup for Boykin, but we will need him guarding Robertson, I think.

You are probably right. I had a hard time trying to figure out their post players while watching the game on my computer at midnight last night while getting 2 hours of sleep on each of the previous nights. So.....trying to wrap my head around that game was a difficult thing to accomplish.

ice-9
03-20-2010, 10:55 PM
I don't disagree with Lance being a good matchup for Boykin, but we will need him guarding Robertson, I think.

I think the Plumlees are ideal for defending Boykin -- they have the height to bother shots and the speed to keep up.

Troublemaker
03-20-2010, 11:39 PM
I think the Plumlees are ideal for defending Boykin -- they have the height to bother shots and the speed to keep up.

That may be true but I'm concerned about the Plumlees playing good help defense on the guards. I don't want to see a layup drill when the young bigs are on the court. The Plums would have to check Boykin who stands outside and shoots 17-footers. The Plums need to put a hand in his face while at the same time be cognizant to help and recover on guard penetration and to challenge those interior shots.

Kewlswim
03-20-2010, 11:56 PM
That may be true but I'm concerned about the Plumlees playing good help defense on the guards. I don't want to see a layup drill when the young bigs are on the court. The Plums would have to check Boykin who stands outside and shoots 17-footers. The Plums need to put a hand in his face while at the same time be cognizant to help and recover on guard penetration and to challenge those interior shots.

Hi,

In the San Francisco Bay Area there is a basketball t.v. analyst named Dan Belloumini. I believe he Coached at USF and maybe Cal too. He does a lot of the Pac-10 games and is quite a homer for both Cal and Stanford. Really he is a homer for the Bay Area basketball teams period.

Last night he confidently predicted that St. Mary's would win today vs Villanova. When asked to make that same type of prediction regarding the Cal game vs Duke he would not. He outlined all the things that would have to happen for Cal to win and basically it came down to Cal playing their best game of the year and Duke stumbling in a number of areas. He spoke of how we aren't going to try and press like Louisville did. He spoke of the size we have on the interior. He spoke of how the rebounding advantage would have to be won by Cal. He spoke of how Duke won't play a zone as Louisville did. In short, he said this is a completely different animal and that one can't judge that the game will play out the same for Cal as it did for them vs Louisville. He finished by going over some of the players we have, thought it interesting he didn't mention Zoubs, but he did mention most of our other players and talked about both how good they are and how they were most likely all McDonald's All-Americans. I also liked what he said about how coaches view one another and if they can be intimidated, for example by Coach K's resume. He scoffed at it. He said, as Coach K has often said, players win games coaches sit on the sideline. Once the ball goes up there won't be any fear or intimidation either on the Bear's side or on the Blue Devil's side.

GO DUKE!

-bdbd
03-21-2010, 12:31 AM
I thought a little perspective might help. I've posted Cal's season results (from their website) below. Take a look. THERE REALLY AREN'T ANY (?) "IMPRESSIVE WINS." Friday was probably their biggest win of the year, and certainly was among games away from their east bay campus. (If you ever thought Duke had trouble away from home then take a look at these guys. )

While it is easy and tempting to fall into the "Chicken Little" syndrome of building our opponents up to being 8-foot beheamoths, the simple truth is that we are clearly the better team. No guarantees, but for every "vulnerability" you see for Duke, we can probably name 2-3 for Cal. Montgomery is a good coach, but K is better. Duke should have the crowd in JAX too. Our guys will be very focused on this one, especially after Kansas went down to a very good N Iowa squad - not a fluke, as they really were beaten...and I'm sure K has pointed that out. Look for a big game out of our bigs, esp Singler. And their thin bench will almost certainly wear down with 40 minutes of Duke-style pressure and interior banging. :eek: Let's hope they call it tight enough to get a couple Cal players into foul trouble - after their first 6 the drop is precipitous. And while we don't like guys fouling out, we have enough to rotate in to spread the fouls around, as well as to keep fresh(er) legs. Feshness and reaching (by tired players) is especially important as they get tired late. :rolleyes:

It should be fun. I absolutely like the maturity and toughness of this Duke squad. Don't worry so much - save it for Houston!! GO DUKE!!!

======================================
2009-2010 SCHEDULE
( Click on an event for complete event information )

Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result

11/05/09 vs. Chico State (exhibition) Berkeley, Calif. W, 84-42
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
11/09/09 vs. Murray State Berkeley, Calif. W, 75-70
11/11/09 vs. Detroit Berkeley, Calif. W, 95-61
11/19/09 vs. Syracuse New York, N.Y. L, 95-73
11/20/09 vs. Ohio State New York, N.Y. L, 76-70

11/24/09 vs. Jacksonville Berkeley, Calif. W, 79-47
11/29/09 vs. Princeton Berkeley, Calif. W, 81-60
12/02/09 at New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M. L, 86-78
12/05/09 vs. Iowa State Berkeley, Calif. W, 82-63
12/09/09 vs. Pacific Stockton, Calif. W, 79-53
12/22/09 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan. L, 84-69
Colliers International Golden Bear Classic
12/28/09 Furman vs. UC Santa Barbara Berkeley, Calif. 5:00 p.m. PT
vs. Utah Valley Berkeley, Calif. W, 85-51
12/29/09 vs. UC Santa Barbara Berkeley, Calif. W, 87-66

01/02/10 vs. Stanford Berkeley, Calif. W, 92-66
01/06/10 vs. UCLA Berkeley, Calif. L, 76-75
01/09/10 vs. USC Berkeley, Calif. W, 67-59
01/14/10 at Washington State Pullman, Wash. W, 93-88
01/16/10 at Washington Seattle, Wash. L, 84-69
01/21/10 vs. Oregon Berkeley, Calif. W, 89-57
01/23/10 vs. Oregon State Berkeley, Calif. W, 65-61
01/28/10 at Arizona State Tempe, Ariz. W, 78-70
01/31/10 at Arizona Tucson, Ariz. L, 76-72
02/04/10 at USC Los Angeles, Calif. L, 66-63
02/06/10 at UCLA Los Angeles, Calif. W, 72-58
02/11/10 vs. Washington Berkeley, Calif. W, 93-81
02/13/10 vs. Washington State Berkeley, Calif. W, 86-70
02/18/10 at Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. L, 80-64
02/20/10 at Oregon Eugene, Ore. W, 64-49
02/25/10 vs. Arizona Berkeley, Calif. W, 95-71
02/27/10 vs. Arizona State Berkeley, Calif. W, 62-46
03/06/10 at Stanford Stanford, Calif. W, 71-61
Pac-10 Tournament
03/11/10 vs. Oregon Los Angeles, Calif. W, 90-74
03/12/10 vs. UCLA Los Angeles, Calif. W, 85-72
03/13/10 vs. Washington Los Angeles, Calif. L, 79-75

NCAA Tournament
03/19/10 vs. Louisville Jacksonville, Fla. W, 77-62
03/21/10 vs. Duke

roywhite
03-21-2010, 09:30 AM
Some fairly annoying articles linked; a good way to start the day I guess.

http://www.sportingnews.com/college-basketball/article/2010-03-20/duke-tires-hearing-about-its-alleged-soft-bracket


Because Duke is Duke, and because coach Mike Krzyzewski is the sport's biggest name/draw, and because Duke is good for the health of the game, the Blue Devils' path to Indianapolis was littered with adorning rose petals—instead of dangerous teams.

And what would the day be without Caulton Tudor coming up with a predictable, trite theme.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/21/399710/no-rest-for-the-warrior.html


But even after a breather Friday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the first round, the Devils soon could be depending on three weary warriors.

rsvman
03-21-2010, 10:10 AM
They lost to Arizona?


I hope that tonight they play exactly the way they played at Arizona!

(FWIW, BYU beat Arizona by 30.)

watzone
03-21-2010, 10:11 AM
Duke vs Cal preview - http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/03/its-game-day-duke-vs-california-in-a-battle-for-a-sweet-16-berth/

Nate James on scouting and Cal - http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/03/duke-assistant-coach-nate-james-previews-california-for-bdn/

NM Duke Fan
03-21-2010, 10:29 AM
Nice write-up Watzone, thanks for sharing it here! I also see Singler as being extremely difficult for the Bears to handle. If Zoubek can rebound like he has recently and stay out of trouble, he too will be tough to handle. Overall I think Duke's strengths outweigh the Bear's strengths to the tune of about 7 points.

devildeac
03-21-2010, 10:32 AM
Some fairly annoying articles linked; a good way to start the day I guess.

http://www.sportingnews.com/college-basketball/article/2010-03-20/duke-tires-hearing-about-its-alleged-soft-bracket



And what would the day be without Caulton Tudor coming up with a predictable, trite theme.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/21/399710/no-rest-for-the-warrior.html

Yep, so predictable. If we continue to win, we had the road lined with "cupcakes" for us. If we lose, we suck and were over-seeded again. I just want to see our guys play with the "workman-like" attitude/execution K described with which we dispatched APB. If we perform in that manner, I like our chances, no matter who we encounter. Then all those wankers (self-imposed/anticipatory censorship;)) can go to hell, just like carolina.:D

Udaman
03-21-2010, 10:48 AM
I have a love/hate relationship with this team.

I love they way they have played. How Scheyer, Singler and Smith are leading things. How Zoubek has developed. How we finally are a rebounding machine. How well we have played down the stretch.

But I hate that I care this much. The last few years, deep down inside, I've known that we weren't going far. Something was missing in those teams (even with JJ as a Senior). When they lost in the tourney, I was bummed, but it was something I expected. Something I saw as inevitable. I never picked them in my brackets. They couldn't really disappoint me.

But today...today I care. I want them to win. I believe in them. And yet I know that Cal is a dangerous team. I know our players have great pressure on them. If we got to the Elite 8 and lost, well, we played tough and sometimes it doesn't work out. But to lose today means they are seen as chokers, as a team that wasn't as good as everyone thought. And I don't believe that - not this year.

So I hate that it's 10:45 and already my heart is racing. I hate that at 5:15 I'm going to sit down with my family (my 6 year old son LOVES this team, with all that he is)....and that I know there's a real chance we could all be sad come 7:30.

Let's go Duke. Here's hoping this team keeps going for another weekend!

House G
03-21-2010, 02:08 PM
I realize "gambling is illegal at Bushwood". However, I believe Duke is a 6 1/2 point favorite. While betting on Cal may seem heresy to some, I have found that betting on the dog may ease the pain of a tournament loss (although it doesn't seem to help my pregame jitters!). If you are lucky, you may "hit a middle" and win both the game and your bet. My friends and I call this "buying a W". I am offering to take one for the team today and play a sizeable bet on the Bears--knowing my ability to pick winners, Duke should prevail. :D

mitch84
03-21-2010, 03:24 PM
I'm at work in the emergency room, waiting for the onslought of patients to of course occur right at 5:15 pm in the ER. So....i may not be able to watch it, and in a sick sort of way, I actually DONT want to see it if they lose.

I love everything about this good, not great duke team. So reminiscent of the phil henderson/alaa abdelnaby type teams with good, not great talent, but they busted their asses, and coack k sucked everything he could from everyone on the court. this team is similar, and has great chemistry, great guys, just such a satisfying season, esp. with zoubek coming on amazingly. guess i just don't want it to end. And certainly not today....

right now, hoping for that onslought and a text message from my former roomate telling me we won and i get to go home after the shift and enjoy it on tivo.

I'm lame.

Go DUKE!!!!!

-bdbd
03-21-2010, 04:01 PM
Duke vs Cal preview - http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/03/its-game-day-duke-vs-california-in-a-battle-for-a-sweet-16-berth/

Nate James on scouting and Cal - http://bluedevilnation.net/2010/03/duke-assistant-coach-nate-james-previews-california-for-bdn/

Thanks Watzone - good Preview write-up. This should be a good game for several reasons, including great perimeters squaring off, two terrific and established coaches, two teams with lots of senior leadership, etc.

I'm eager to see who we start matched up agaionst individually at the start. I absolutely expect to see K tinker with matchups and player combinations throughout. Also, since we look to have a huge interior advantage, I expect to see the old guard trrick of, once trapped/stopped, toss it up at the basket and count on our buigs to finish it off (rebound, score).

I agree with DBR that Dre's speed and athletisism could be a huge contributor. I also think that we may need to resort often to MP2 and MP1 in the interior to keep a liitle speede in there.

Gotta like our chances against a solid but thin/short Cal team.

Go Duke!!

Classof06
03-21-2010, 04:09 PM
Just win baby

Dr. Tina
03-21-2010, 04:30 PM
Please just win, Blue Devils!!!! LET'S DO THIS!!!! PUNCH THE TICKET!!!

moonpie23
03-21-2010, 04:34 PM
Let's go duke!!!!!!!!

lpd1982
03-21-2010, 05:20 PM
Heart pounding


let's go duke!!!!

DukeGirl4ever
03-21-2010, 05:23 PM
As my facebook status says (and has said every game for the past month):

LET'S GO! DO WORK BOYS! <3
(Yes, the heart is a girlie thing!)

proelitedota
03-21-2010, 05:24 PM
Oh man oh man oh man.

Holding off eating dinner because I might regurgitate at any moment.

theAlaskanBear
03-21-2010, 05:25 PM
Lets go duke, lets go duke, lets go duke!

AlaskanAssassin
03-21-2010, 05:25 PM
Letsgoooooooo!

JohnGalt
03-21-2010, 05:30 PM
hate to be that guy...but does anyone have the link that has where CBS is showing each game?

Spret42
03-21-2010, 05:32 PM
hate to be that guy...but does anyone have the link that has where CBS is showing each game?

cbssports.com


just choose the MMOD thing

i think this is what you are askin about. sorry if it isnt

terrih
03-21-2010, 05:34 PM
you can find it at cbssports.com

should_be_working
03-21-2010, 05:35 PM
anyone watching this on cbs online, not able to do so in high definition? This is killing my eyes

dukebballcamper90-91
03-21-2010, 05:35 PM
we have got to stop them getting the cup so easily.

TNDukeFan
03-21-2010, 05:40 PM
nice stretch to get to the under 12.

proelitedota
03-21-2010, 05:41 PM
Looks like Mason and Miles have the quickness to close the lane.

devildownunder
03-21-2010, 05:41 PM
anyone watching this on cbs online, not able to do so in high definition? This is killing my eyes

Yeah, I'm not sure what the problem is with the hi-def players. Sometimes it's available, sometimes it's not. Maybe it has to do with how many people are watching. Hope your eyes handle it OK. It doesn't hurt mine. Maybe watch it small, so it's more clear?

should_be_working
03-21-2010, 05:48 PM
Yeah, I'm not sure what the problem is with the hi-def players. Sometimes it's available, sometimes it's not. Maybe it has to do with how many people are watching. Hope your eyes handle it OK. It doesn't hurt mine. Maybe watch it small, so it's more clear?

For some unknown glorious reason, the game is playing on the CW in the cincinnati area. Watching it online was way too jerky. Maybe some other can find it on the CW as well.

Merlindevildog91
03-21-2010, 05:52 PM
Way to go Nolan to Miles!

devildownunder
03-21-2010, 05:54 PM
beautiful reverse alley oop to that un-athletic big man Miles Plumlee, who then unathletically cleared the board at the other end.

ArtVandelay
03-21-2010, 05:58 PM
Looking good so far. Big concern is that Jon still looks off. He's missed a couple of open looks or we'd be up even more right now.

proelitedota
03-21-2010, 05:58 PM
Miles really clicking in this tournament with his new found range. :eek:

DukeGirl4ever
03-21-2010, 05:58 PM
I wish 2-3 more of our 3's would have dropped.
Nice dunk for MILES!

Mal
03-21-2010, 05:59 PM
Zoooooooubbbbbs!!!

Too bad we're stuck, yet again, with a bunch of unathletic stiffs in the front court. :rolleyes:

jhole
03-21-2010, 05:59 PM
Would like to see a bit more Plumlees as they continue to get better in the post season, but I'm lovin' the rotation of Lance/Zoub then Plumlees.

ArtVandelay
03-21-2010, 05:59 PM
Miles giveth and Miles taketh away. On the next possession after the dunk, Miles was the last guy getting back down the floor on defense by far, causing us to have to foul. K promptly yanked him out of the game.

FerryFor50
03-21-2010, 05:59 PM
Nice tip in for Z!

Merlindevildog91
03-21-2010, 06:01 PM
Coke Zero (I'm glad I'm comfy enough to critique commercials at the moment!) just had a Brain Bracket commercial involving UCon and the Sheep. How many brains does it take to figure out neither of those teams even made the field of 65?

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:02 PM
Can someone please tell me, How many moving screens is Cal going to get away with? Grrrrrrrr

ChrisP
03-21-2010, 06:03 PM
Zoubs never should have gotten that 2nd foul if the refs had called the obvious walk that occurred prior to it - jeez!

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:04 PM
Another thing, can Jamal Boykin score anywhere else besides on the side of the goal? LOL

dairedevil
03-21-2010, 06:05 PM
Coke Zero (I'm glad I'm comfy enough to critique commercials at the moment!) just had a Brain Bracket commercial involving UCon and the Sheep. How many brains does it take to figure out neither of those teams even made the field of 65?

Seeing the CBS promos and One Shining Moment with unc on display and knowing that they ain't anywhere to be seen on this stage makes smile! If they had lived up to the preseason hype it would be making me sick at my stomach.

Hope that we can keep this up..I want so be playing next week!

Tucknut
03-21-2010, 06:09 PM
Not sure that was goaltending by Miles. A replay would have been nice.

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:10 PM
The media try to avoid replays that the refs get wrong.

Ultrarunner
03-21-2010, 06:11 PM
Awesome job by Nolan at the end of the half!

Mal
03-21-2010, 06:11 PM
Not sure that was goaltending by Miles. A replay would have been nice.

Silly boy. Replays are only shown on missed calls that went Duke's way.

ChrisP
03-21-2010, 06:11 PM
Not sure that was goaltending by Miles. A replay would have been nice.

Word! Unless it had hit the backboard first, I think that was a bad call.

Liking the way we're controlling the game though

DevilHorns
03-21-2010, 06:11 PM
Solid half overall. I don't like it when Lance controls the ball outside of the paint. He pretty much never finds the open pass and the ball has to reset outside the arc. Thats not the case for Z and Mason.

devildownunder
03-21-2010, 06:12 PM
Great D on that last possession. A superb hedge led to a desperate shot. Scouting played a part there, I think. We knew he liked those long 3s before the half.

Game's going great so far. Nice performances from all of the big 4 in side. Keep it up, guys.

GLTBD
03-21-2010, 06:12 PM
I want to verify we want Purdue to win. Go Duke

ice-9
03-21-2010, 06:12 PM
Cal is a GOOD team. They're better defensively than I thought, and just as speedy on offense.

Fortunately, we are playing well. We look really good right now. We just need to keep up the intensity and pressure in the second half -- Cal has clearly not seen a defense like ours -- and hopefully Jon will also be more efficient in his shooting. If he shoots a normal percentage this would've been a rout.

Tucknut
03-21-2010, 06:12 PM
Highlight of the first half - Zoubs again with that 12-foot hook shot!

No playing time for Andre so far.

juise
03-21-2010, 06:13 PM
Great first half for Duke. We could easily be up 20 if the open 3's were falling. I don't care much about the 3's, though. The inside passing and scoring has been phenomenal. I can't think of a more efficient performance since conference play started. The defense, as always, has been solid.

GDT
03-21-2010, 06:13 PM
For some unknown glorious reason, the game is playing on the CW in the cincinnati area. Watching it online was way too jerky. Maybe some other can find it on the CW as well.

I didn't even know I had a CW channel. Why didn't they publicize this? But thank you very much for letting me know.

WordLife565
03-21-2010, 06:13 PM
so glad we didn't have to play Louisville, we are in good position, even without hitting 3s.

juise
03-21-2010, 06:14 PM
I want to verify we want Purdue to win. Go Duke

I do. Absolutely. I've been watching the Purdue/A&M game on my laptop. Neither team is on fire, but I've seen some very nice transition offense by A&M. I'd rather not play them in Houston. I think we match up well with Purdue (as we proved last season).

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:16 PM
I want to verify we want Purdue to win. Go Duke

Don't count your chickens yet bro. We have to win this game first......but if we do pull it off, I'm not so sure we want Purdue. They are playing with a chip on their shoulder to prove that they can still win without Hummell. Just my opinion though. Go Duke.

FerryFor50
03-21-2010, 06:17 PM
Don't count your chickens yet bro. We have to win this game first......but if we do pull it off, I'm not so sure we want Purdue. They are playing with a chip on their shoulder to prove that they can still win without Hummell. Just my opinion though. Go Duke.

Was that chip there before or after they got destroyed by Minnesota in the Big 10 tourny? :D

GODUKEGO
03-21-2010, 06:17 PM
What a half for Nolan "The Penetrator" Smith. We need Jon shooting better than 1-6. Zoub and the Plumlee's look good. Zoub with 5 boards and Lance with 4 and the Plumlee's with 5. CA is shooting 44% from the field but it seems much lower.

airowe
03-21-2010, 06:18 PM
Go To Hell California, Go To Hell!

devildownunder
03-21-2010, 06:19 PM
Miles giveth and Miles taketh away. On the next possession after the dunk, Miles was the last guy getting back down the floor on defense by far, causing us to have to foul. K promptly yanked him out of the game.

that must have been the next time down the floor. On Cal's possession immediately following his dunk, he snagged the defensive board.

theAlaskanBear
03-21-2010, 06:19 PM
Great game so far. Nice pacing for Duke. Nolan has been CLUTCH on those drives. Great defense. I like what I am seeing.

Now if the refs would only start calling those moving screens and travels, it would truly be a rout! Haha, no complaints though! I like the way the game has been officiated so far. Nice and brisk! Over/under on total fouls next half?

13

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:19 PM
Was that chip there before or after they got destroyed by Minnesota in the Big 10 tourny? :D

True, but they are furious about how everyone is counting them out and of course, we all know that teams get extra pumped against Duke.

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:20 PM
Great game so far. Nice pacing for Duke. Nolan has been CLUTCH on those drives. Great defense. I like what I am seeing.

Now if the refs would only start calling those moving screens and travels, it would truly be a rout! Haha, no complaints though! I like the way the game has been officiated so far. Nice and brisk! Over/under on total fouls next half?

13

Can I get a AMEN? Thank you. Number 45 is pissing me off and well the X-Dukie because that's what he is.

wilson
03-21-2010, 06:20 PM
We may have played better first halves this season, but I'm not sure I can remember any.

Billy Dat
03-21-2010, 06:21 PM
Great first half. The D was solid after allowing those early lay-ups. Nolan was nicely aggressive on offense and they haven't proven they can stop him. I like all the points inside, and especially like the decisiveness and confidence on offense being shown by MP1, lance and Zoubs. Keep it up, boys!

FerryFor50
03-21-2010, 06:22 PM
We may have played better first halves this season, but I'm not sure I can remember any.

Gonzaga.

CLW
03-21-2010, 06:23 PM
Solid on D and on the glass and looking good on offense. This game would be a blow out if the 3s were falling. IF Duke can come out and match the effort of the 1st half we should move on to Houston.

GODUKEGO
03-21-2010, 06:24 PM
Can I get a AMEN? Thank you. Number 45 is pissing me off and well the X-Dukie because that's what he is.

Agree 100%!! Can not believe the moving screens (blocks) that are not being called. To see some of the fouls Zoub received this year for illegals picks is hilarious compared to what I am seeing today!!!

Cameron
03-21-2010, 06:24 PM
We've played well. But let's remember our 13-point lead on WVU.

I want to put it to these guys. I hope we push it to the extreme here to start the half and never look back.

Please no ... well, you know.

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:26 PM
Agree 100%!! Can not believe the moving screens (blocks) that are not being called. To see some of the fouls Zoub received this year for illegals picks is hilarious compared to what I am seeing today!!!

I love how Clark said that the clear out from 45 was clean.....he had his arm out!

Billy Dat
03-21-2010, 06:27 PM
I love that with the growing offensive confidence of the front line, teams really pay when they key on the big 3. That kind of threat makes us so much better.

moonpie23
03-21-2010, 06:27 PM
20 more min.....let's see kyle go to work... !!


MP2 and 3 have been excellent

nolan has his man's number...

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:29 PM
Come on Duke......Let's give the Haters something to HATE ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

grepinbee
03-21-2010, 06:30 PM
we win ... otherwise .... ??

lotusland
03-21-2010, 06:31 PM
[QUOTE=GODUKEGO;381964]What a half for Nolan "The Penetrator" Smith. QUOTE]

porn name?

juise
03-21-2010, 06:31 PM
We've played well. But let's remember our 13-point lead on WVU.

It was ten point with 12:02 left in the first half (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/playbyplay?gameId=284000044) (18-8). Sorry to be a stickler, but this was the second time I've heard that lead overstated today (Mudge used it in his Bob Huggins love thread).

-bdbd
03-21-2010, 06:34 PM
Come'on Duke! Foot on the accellerator -- don't look back!!! Stay aggressive and focused. They have no answer inside for us! (Yeah Plumlees, Lance!)

Nolan really looks terrific too. Keep it up. Yhink ACCELLERATOR!



:D:D:D

Greg_Newton
03-21-2010, 06:37 PM
Great movement on Duke's end, by both the players and the ball. Also great to see Escalade showed up today.

If Jon was playing at 80% of what he was in December, I'd be feeling good.

FerryFor50
03-21-2010, 06:39 PM
I really don't like Clark Kellogg.

DevilHorns
03-21-2010, 06:40 PM
These announcers are terrible.

Come on guys lets hit those 3s. We're playing a great offensive scheme, its just not falling yet. Keep at it.

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:40 PM
I really don't like Jorge.........we might have another Grievis on our hands.

ice-9
03-21-2010, 06:41 PM
The intensity level is down a notch...c'mon Duke...step it up!

And Jon it would really help if we can get your shot back...what a bad time to be in a slump.

ChrisP
03-21-2010, 06:41 PM
Man, how many WIDE open 3's are we gonna miss? Ugh!

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:41 PM
These announcers are terrible.

Come on guys lets hit those 3s. We're playing a great offensive scheme, its just not falling yet. Keep at it.

I like Jim but Clark is a hater for sure.

YourLandlord
03-21-2010, 06:42 PM
I think it is time to implement...

S T A L L B A L L !!!

mph
03-21-2010, 06:43 PM
This game looks like more confirmation that something's not quite right with Scheyer.

DukeGirl4ever
03-21-2010, 06:43 PM
AH! Can we hit a freaking shot???

AZLA
03-21-2010, 06:44 PM
whatever happened to pushing the ball inside and using a clear size advantage? sheeeesh.

CLW
03-21-2010, 06:44 PM
The 3s aren't falling today. Time to drive the basketball and take it to the rim or dish.

DevilHorns
03-21-2010, 06:45 PM
This game looks like more confirmation that something's not quite right with Scheyer.

Scheyer? Everyone is missing open looks...

BigZ
03-21-2010, 06:45 PM
Okay let Nolan run the O.

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:45 PM
AH! Can we hit a freaking shot???

Duke will be alright....Dawkins needs to be in the game though. He was huge in the GT game!

Son of Mojo
03-21-2010, 06:45 PM
Too many misses here in the 2nd half.......and Cal does have that moving screen with no call mastered. Where's Dre at?

GLTBD
03-21-2010, 06:45 PM
Please please Jon get your shot back.

devildownunder
03-21-2010, 06:46 PM
Clark Kellogg is a hater? Give me a break. What did he do, say something was a foul? The man has been praising Duke since the opening tip. For everything. Scheyer for the Naismith award. Nolan is "scintillating" according to him. He loves Duke's defense. And he has no history of going after Duke.

Honestly, I don't understand how anybody can listen to Clark Kellogg and think he hates Duke. Now, I'm sure if you've heard him do our games, at some point in time you've heard him say something less than praiseworthy. That's not hate. That's reality.

FerryFor50
03-21-2010, 06:49 PM
Z has been in the right place at the right time several times tonight. Good to see!

TNDukeFan
03-21-2010, 06:50 PM
Clark Kellogg is a hater? Give me a break. What did he do, say something was a foul? The man has been praising Duke since the opening tip. For everything. Scheyer for the Naismith award. Nolan is "scintillating" according to him. He loves Duke's defense. And he has no history of going after Duke.

Honestly, I don't understand how anybody can listen to Clark Kellogg and think he hates Duke.

Exactly.

GODUKEGO
03-21-2010, 06:53 PM
With 11:32 Kyle and Jon are 4-18. Thank goodness for Nolan!!!

gumbomoop
03-21-2010, 06:53 PM
Cannot, cannot, cannot settle for 3s. Inside. I guess maybe that was K's message at last TO. Should be able to get them in foul trouble.

Defense and FTs to victory.

cbnaylor
03-21-2010, 06:56 PM
FINALLY a call for a moving screen on 45! Awesome!

TNDukeFan
03-21-2010, 06:56 PM
Clark just pointed out how Z got hosed with moving screens in the first half. Rare (if subtle) blasting of refs by an analyst. Kellogg a hater? Please.

AdjustNation
03-21-2010, 06:58 PM
Congrats Scheyer on the 2,000 Points I couldn't pick a better player to get this mark. Thanks for the 4 years of greatness

mph
03-21-2010, 06:58 PM
Scheyer? Everyone is missing open looks...

There's missing open looks and then there's 1 of 10. Also, it's not just his shooting. He's not moving as well as he was earlier in the season.

juise
03-21-2010, 06:58 PM
Congrats Scheyer on the 2,000 Points I couldn't pick a better player to get this mark. Thanks for the 4 years of greatness

Agreed. Did anyone see his sister mouth "two thousand?"

muzikfrk75
03-21-2010, 06:59 PM
Whoa I hope he's ok.

devildownunder
03-21-2010, 07:00 PM
Don't think I've ever seen anybody crumble to the floor after running into Scheyer. Yikes. Hope Gutierrez is OK.

devildownunder
03-21-2010, 07:01 PM
There's missing open looks and then there's 1 of 10. Also, it's not just his shooting. He's not moving as well as he was earlier in the season.

Jon's shot's not falling but apart from that he has played very well today. He's just not a brilliant shooter. His shot has always been inconsistent. You live with that because he does so many other things so well. More so this season than ever.

FerryFor50
03-21-2010, 07:03 PM
Up by 11 shooting this poorly from 3? I'll take it!

BD80
03-21-2010, 07:03 PM
Agreed. Did anyone see his sister mouth "two thousand?"

Is that his sister that is a teacher and in her mid 20s?

proelitedota
03-21-2010, 07:04 PM
Hmmm, is Cal better than WF or Gonzaga or are we worse than UK or Syracuse.

Cameron
03-21-2010, 07:04 PM
That's two straight possessions that we've run down to the shot clock, with a terrible ending.

muzikfrk75
03-21-2010, 07:04 PM
Jon's shot's not falling but apart from that he has played very well today. He's just not a brilliant shooter. His shot has always been inconsistent. You live with that because he does so many other things so well. More so this season than ever.

Yeah, he has even said that he's more of a 'scorer' than a 'shooter'. 2,000 career points is awesome! How many Duke players have reached that?

ChrisP
03-21-2010, 07:05 PM
Is it just me or are the refs letting them play a bit more than in the regular season? I've noticed it in several games. Not complaining as I think it favors our aggressive "D". Just hope that whatever they are doing remains consistent throughout the tourney.

ice-9
03-21-2010, 07:06 PM
Hmmm, is Cal better than WF or Gonzaga or are we worse than UK or Syracuse.

We doing better than Kansas though.

Greg_Newton
03-21-2010, 07:06 PM
Good lord. Waiting until 15 seconds to get into an organized offensive set = smart. Doing absolutely nothing until 6 seconds, at which point whoever happens to have the ball forces something awful = incredibly stupid.

There's stall ball, and there's terrible basketball.

mph
03-21-2010, 07:06 PM
Jon's shot's not falling but apart from that he has played very well today. He's just not a brilliant shooter. His shot has always been inconsistent. You live with that because he does so many other things so well. More so this season than ever.

Agree. There's no doubt we need him on the court whether or not his shot's falling. I just think there's something to the theory that he's injured.

DukieInBrasil
03-21-2010, 07:06 PM
I can't believe how awesome Z has been so far, a double double in a big-time game.
Conversely, I can't believe how poorly Scheyer is playing. His shooting is the reason we're not up by 20. Perhaps he was worried about 2,000pts? Well, he's got that now, and congratulations are in order for that amazing accomplishment. Just wish that came on a better performance.

TNDukeFan
03-21-2010, 07:12 PM
that looked more like Z fouling to me.

borodevil16
03-21-2010, 07:13 PM
Zoubek with the slamma jamma

juise
03-21-2010, 07:15 PM
Is that his sister that is a teacher and in her mid 20s?

I shouldn't have assumed. I'm not sure who that was... a young lady sitting next to his mother.

devildownunder
03-21-2010, 07:16 PM
Hmmm, is Cal better than WF or Gonzaga or are we worse than UK or Syracuse.

unfortunately, both can be true.

Duvall
03-21-2010, 07:16 PM
Hmmm, is Cal better than WF or Gonzaga or are we worse than UK or Syracuse.

Well, Duke *played* WF and Gonzaga, with fairly decisive results. So there's that.

juise
03-21-2010, 07:17 PM
Conversely, I can't believe how poorly Scheyer is playing. His shooting is the reason we're not up by 20. Perhaps he was worried about 2,000pts?

I would say that Jon's shooting trend extends long enough that it's probably safe to say it doesn't have much to do with 2,000. However, I would say that his shooting is the only appreciable change in his game. He's had some nice defensive plays.

Oh, and we are up 20. :)

Billy Dat
03-21-2010, 07:18 PM
Another "Workingman's Duke" W. Get out the lunch bucket...and all the other blue collar cliches...we'll need them in Texas!

GODUKEGO
03-21-2010, 07:19 PM
Zoub with 12 boards and 14 points!!! Lance with 9 boards. Big win with Jon going 1-11.

gwwilburn
03-21-2010, 07:25 PM
Hmmm, is Cal better than WF or Gonzaga or are we worse than UK or Syracuse.
According to Kenpom, the former is the case.

BD80
03-21-2010, 07:25 PM
I shouldn't have assumed. I'm not sure who that was... a young lady sitting next to his mother.

It HAS to be his sister, there is too much of a familial resemblance.

A quick check shows he has two older sisters, about 27 and 25 years of age.

mapei
03-21-2010, 07:26 PM
Zoubs = MOTM