MBB: Duke v. Kansas State Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[pfrduke]

It's not technically official yet, but we'll be playing K-State tomorrow night in Kansas City. They look really, really good. Curtis Kelly is back in business. We're going to have our hands full. Should be a great game.

[ajgoodfella7]

I think it will be tough to find many open looks near the basket in the half court when KState has their bigger lineup in. I'm not sure how much their big lineup will play but I think Duke needs to run at every single opportunity to keep their bigs from clogging up the lanes.

When KState has their smaller lineup in (which I'm guessing will be most of the game), I think Duke's guards will be able to get into the lane and hopefully find the open man. I think our perimeter defense will have to be on-point, as Pullen can really light it up when he gets going.

Should be an interesting matchup, and I can't wait for tomorrow night.

[FireOgilvie]

Kansas State is a really bad matchup for Duke with their length and athleticism, but they're also a very inconsistent shooting team. They go 12 deep. It will definitely be an interesting game.

[Kedsy]

Kansas State is a really bad matchup for Duke with their length and athleticism, but they're also a very inconsistent shooting team. They go 12 deep. It will definitely be an interesting game.

I know why people thought that sort of team was a bad matchup for us last season, when we were "alarmingly unathletic," but why would a team with length and athleticism be a bad matchup for Duke this year?

For that matter, as far as I can tell, we're the best team in the country. Why would any team be a "really bad matchup for Duke"?

[proelitedota]

I know why people thought that sort of team was a bad matchup for us last season, when we were "alarmingly unathletic," but why would a team with length and athleticism be a bad matchup for Duke this year?

Because outside of Kyrie, Nolan, Dawkins, Miles, and Mason, we are not really that athletic.

[ajgoodfella7]

I know why people thought that sort of team was a bad matchup for us last season, when we were "alarmingly unathletic," but why would a team with length and athleticism be a bad matchup for Duke this year?

I was thinking the same thing. I don't think KState's guards have the lateral quickness to keep Irving and Smith on the perimeter. And I don't think KState's starting 5 is any more long or athletic then our starting 5. The only time KState will have a length advantage is when they play Kelly with Judge and Apprilla, or bring in their 7 footer. And if they do I think Duke can run circles around them.

[Kedsy]

Because outside of Kyrie, Nolan, Dawkins, Miles, and Mason, we are not really that athletic.

Interesting point (;)), except I'd add Kyle and Seth. (Maybe Josh and Tyler, too, but I haven't seen them play enough to form an opinion. I'll grant that Ryan isn't the quickest guy on the court.)

[FireOgilvie]

I know why people thought that sort of team was a bad matchup for us last season, when we were "alarmingly unathletic," but why would a team with length and athleticism be a bad matchup for Duke this year?

Okay, I'll put it this way: they're as bad of a matchup as we're going to face this year. When they are on (and they are inconsistent), they are extremely tough on defense. We will have trouble going inside on them. They play defense like we do. They're a great rebounding team and I really don't know if I can say that about Duke at this point. We will be doing a lot of shooting over them. Michigan State is probably more polished, but I think we will have an easier time against them.

[ajgoodfella7]

Okay, I'll put it this way: they're as bad of a matchup as we're going to face this year. When they are on (and they are inconsistent), they are extremely tough on defense. We will have trouble going inside on them. They play defense like we do. They're a great rebounding team and I really don't know if I can say that about Duke at this point. We will be doing a lot of shooting over them. Michigan State is probably more polished, but I think we will have an easier time against them.

They definitely play great defense, if not Frank Martin might strangle them on the court.

[Kedsy]

Okay, I'll put it this way: they're as bad of a matchup as we're going to face this year. When they are on (and they are inconsistent), they are extremely tough on defense. We will have trouble going inside on them. They play defense like we do. They're a great rebounding team and I really don't know if I can say that about Duke at this point. We will be doing a lot of shooting over them. Michigan State is probably more polished, but I think we will have an easier time against them.

OK, but this seems kind of half empty to me. I assume we're going to be a bad matchup for them, too, right?

[FireOgilvie]

OK, but this seems kind of half empty to me. I assume we're going to be a bad matchup for them, too, right?

Duke is a bad matchup for everyone. That's why we're ranked number 1 in the country.

I'm saying this will be a very tough game and I really think we will have more trouble with Kansas State than probably every other team in the country due to their style of play. We're going to have to have a big game on the inside in this one - the Plumlees are going to have to be on their game defensively.

This could be a preview of the National Championship, IMO.

[AlaskanAssassin]

A couple of things I'm concerned: (1) they have players that are capable of blocking shots, which can lead to fastbreaks. (2) their long arms will probably earn more rebounds.

We didn't rebound that well today. Marquette had many offensive rebounds.

If we can take of rebounding and stop fastbreaks, then we should be okay.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Interesting point (;)), except I'd add Kyle and Seth. (Maybe Josh and Tyler, too, but I haven't seen them play enough to form an opinion. I'll grant that Ryan isn't the quickest guy on the court.)

Seth maybe but not Kyle. Thats the only thing that hurts Kyle is his athleticism. He makes up for it with shooting, desire, toughness, hardwork, and basketball IQ. Just imagine Kyle as "a freak of an athlete".

[hedevil]

I'm waiting for that one game where our whole team is playing consistently so that we can get the full picture as to what this team can do. Tomorrow would be a great time for that to happen.

What I have been impressed with so far, is the way that this team (due to an abundance of talent) seem tough to beat even while not playing to it's potential. We are early into this season, however, it is easy to see that this Duke team will be hard to beat as long as one player is on fire, and while two or three other guys are making solid contributions. If Duke can put together a balanced, well rounded attack, where everyone is on, well then..... forget about it.

[Underdog5]

Also, this will be about as nasty an arena as we will face until we get into the heart of the ACC schedule. Grew up in KC and my family and friends tell me the town is REALLY buzzing about this game right now. Not terribly afraid of match ups in particular but all of these guys will be looking at this game as a chance to make a serious national statement... even more so than going to the E8 last year. While not the NCAA tourny, I feel like guys look at games like these as an opportunity to give there draft status a boost (Udoh, Alexander, Maynor, Davis).

[Saratoga2]

Kyrie run the point, which he surely will do. If he goes out, I would like to see Tyler sub in for him.

Nolan play shooting guard and Kyle play either the 3 or 4 depending on who KS has in the game. Both Nolan and Kyle focused on moving without the ball and not try to generate offense off the dribble. Both are exxcellent defenders and Kyle is a tough rebounder as well so they need to see a lot of PT.

Mason definitely earned the starting role at the 4 or 5 if Kyle plays at the 4. Otherwise, I think Kelly can pay inside as a first choice when Kyle plays the 3. He isn't a super athlete but he gets into position well and can score and pass better than Miles at this point. If Miles is in the game, I think the offense should avoid trying to give him the ball inside in traffic.

Dawkins also showed great promise in the Marquette game. He scored going to the basket and showing a lot of athletic ability. He also hit on a mid range jumper and from 3. He really didn't force shots and waited for good opportunities. He has size and his defense has come along. I liked the lineup with Mason, Kyle, Kyrie, Nolan and Andre.

We need to bring our A game to beat KS. The coaches know that, and the kids do, so it may come down to a matter of will to determine the winner. I expect both teams to play very hard.

[Troublemaker]

If you look at current KenPom stats for Duke ( http://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Duke ), only 4 weaknesses stand out (and Duke is an outstanding team overall statistically):

1. Duke is a bit sloppy with the ball, allowing a lot of steals (ranks 232nd in the country in this category). KSU is decent getting steals (ranks 88th) and very good at generating turnovers in general (rank 25th), so we have to do a better job of taking care of the ball. Valuing the ball is Major Concern #1.

2. Duke doesn't have a great FTA/FGA rate (rank 201st), meaning the team isn't drawing as many fouls as ideally it should. However, KSU balances that out by ranking 192nd in defensive FTA/FGA. They are a physical team that will foul a lot and I expect Duke to get FT opportunities in this game.

3. Duke gives up some offensive rebounds (rank 101st). Rebounding is Major Concern #2 because KSU really gets after it on the boards (outrebounded Gonzaga 41-29), especially with Curtis Kelly back. Right now KSU ranks 74th in offensive rebounding but last year they were 6th and I think that figure is closer to the truth.

4. Duke only ranks 102nd in the country in 2-pt percentage defense (but that's a typical number for an overplaying Duke team and is one of the tradeoffs for forcing turnovers). Good news here, though. KSU only ranks 150th in two-point shooting percentage, so even if KSU can handle Duke's pressure and get the ball inside, I suspect they will have trouble finishing over Mason (as most players would).

I expect a physical, defensive game that potentially is ugly to watch. From a Duke perspective (I might write a KSU perspective after this), if we can take care of the ball and hold our own on the boards, then we should win and likely win easily. I would play Singler a bit more at the 3 in this game to give us our best shot at winning the battle on the boards. Also, KSU's 4s and 5s aren't typically perimeter threats, as opposed to Marquette's Butler and Crowder at the 4. I would give Kelly and Miles a shot to guard KSU's true big men.

[Troublemaker]

KSU is a lesser team than Duke and has more weaknesses to pick at. (Keep in mind, though, that all these stats are from a sample of 4 games for each team, so take them with a grain of salt). I'll choose a couple of their weaknesses to write about.

1. KSU has been TERRIBLE at FT shooting so far, shooting 52% from the stripe, which ranks 337th in the country. In what I expect to be a physical game with lots of fouls called, Duke can create separation in score if both teams just hit around their usual rate. (I don't expect KSU to shoot 52% for the season at the line, though, so maybe they'll have a "return to the mean" game against Duke. Hope not.)

2. KSU offense only ranks 113th in the country in turnover percentage (KSU turns the ball over 20% of the time). Duke's defense forces turnovers. Might be a good matchup for us here.

3. KSU ranks 264th in the country at defending the 3-point shot. Again, advantage Duke here.

4. KSU has been shooting 39% from 3-pt range themselves. This is not a weakness per se (ranks 54th in the country) but it becomes one when Duke is your opponent. KSU is better at 3-point shooting than 2-point shooting and relies on the 3-pt shot a decent amount in their offense (ranks 84th in the country in 3PA/3FG). Duke is a nightmare scenario for that offensive profile since we have been the best program in the country at defending the three for awhile now. Again, I'm concerned about KSU's offensive rebounding, but if Duke can do a good job grabbing misses in this game, I think KSU will have lots of issues scoring. That's why I would like to see more of Kyle at the 3 in this game, also using his length to bother McGruder and Spradling on their 3-pt shots.

KSU overall, imo, is a decent matchup for Duke, not a bad one. Protect the ball, rebound, and we win going away.

[moonpie23]

frank martin scares me....i don't even like looking at him....the hair gel makes it worse...

that said, watching how a team like KS plays against the zags is not how they might play against duke....

i expect a fierce defense out of our guys tonight......hopefully our experience mixed with the new talent will yield a W....

would love to see kyle get his super-mojo working......kyrie will have to take care of the ball better...


..........

................

[slower]

We could win OR lose by double-digits. You can cite whatever stats you want, because they are sometimes relatively meaningless. This is a "respect" game for K-State.

The crowd will be loud and surly. I envision that EVERY call will bring a boisterous response. Frank Martin is a glowering, near-psychopath. If you don't think their players will feed off of this, I believe you're sadly mistaken. Jacob Pullen is every bit as good as Nolan and will undoubtedly have a chip on his shoulder. Wally Judge can get up there with either Plumlee. These are the kind of "second-tier" marquee guys and slightly more street-tough players that love to try to stick it to Duke (usually accompanied by varying levels of rough play).

Welcome to the big time, Kyrie, Seth, Josh and Tyler - you haven't seen anything like this yet.

As I said, anything could happen tonight. All of the "undefeated season" types could be silenced, or we could beat them by 20. My stomach hurts already. :D

[Troublemaker]

We could win OR lose by double-digits. You can cite whatever stats you want, because they are sometimes relatively meaningless. This is a "respect" game for K-State.

The crowd will be loud and surly. I envision that EVERY call will bring a boisterous response. Frank Martin is a glowering, near-psychopath. If you don't think their players will feed off of this, I believe you're sadly mistaken. Jacob Pullen is every bit as good as Nolan and will undoubtedly have a chip on his shoulder. Wally Judge can get up there with either Plumlee. These are the kind of "second-tier" marquee guys and slightly more street-tough players that love to try to stick it to Duke (usually accompanied by varying levels of rough play).

Welcome to the big time, Kyrie, Seth, Josh and Tyler - you haven't seen anything like this yet.

As I said, anything could happen tonight. All of the "undefeated season" types could be silenced, or we could beat them by 20. My stomach hurts already. :D

No doubt. The range of possibilities for ANY game between two good teams is a blowout by one team to a blowout by the other.

Also agree that KSU will feed off the crowd (I did not see where I or anyone else said otherwise). But Duke will also feed off the crowd IMO. I sense a lot of confidence from this year's Duke team. They know they're good and they'll relish the opportunity to silence the crowd. Keep in mind that a rowdy home crowd can sometimes be a negative for the home team. Sometimes, teams get so pumped up that they don't do a good job rationing their energy for 2 hours of play. They burst out of the gate playing with such emotion that they peter out as the game progresses, which is especially bad news against Duke since this season we play a style that will wear teams out as the game progresses.

I'm not afraid of the crowd.

[weezie]

The crowd will be loud and surly. I envision that EVERY call will bring a boisterous response. Frank Martin is a glowering, near-psychopath. ... you haven't seen anything like this yet.
:D

Yah, I have a friend there at the games and he said the crowd is about 90% kstate. Nice practice game for md later in the year.
Can kstate shoot as well as they did last night? Let's hope not.

[gewwang]

They did an okay job feeding off the crowds in Houston and Indy last spring. And those games were sort of important.

[Troublemaker]

4. KSU has been shooting 39% from 3-pt range themselves. This is not a weakness per se (ranks 54th in the country) but it becomes one when Duke is your opponent. KSU is a better three-point shooting team than two-point shooting team and relies on the three a decent amount in their offense (ranks 84th in the country in 3PA/3FG). Duke is a nightmare scenario for that offensive profile since we have been the best program in the country at defending the three for awhile now. Again, I'm concerned about KSU's offensive rebounding, but if Duke can do a good job grabbing misses in this game, I think KSU will have lots of issues scoring. That's why I would like to see more of Kyle at the 3 in this game, also using his length to bother McGruder and Spradling on their 3-pt shots.

Wanted to clarify/add a few more comments about offensive profiles. If you're a team that has to play Duke, you want your team to be better at 2-point shooting than 3-point shooting and to rely very little on the 3-pt shot in your offense. Again, that is because Duke is typically great at defending the 3-point shot (including ranking 25th in the country so far this season and 2nd last season).

Marquette actually fits that offensive profile very well. They shoot 56% on 2-pointers (ranking 38th in the country) and seldom shoot three-pointers (ranking 338th on 3PA/FGA) because they only hit them at a 28% clip.

As mentioned above, KSU does not fit this offensive profile, at least based on stats so far this season. The Wildcats are better at 3-pt shooting than 2-pt shooting and do rely on the 3-pt shot a decent amount.

[slower]

No doubt. The range of possibilities for ANY game between two good teams is a blowout by one team to a blowout by the other.

Also agree that KSU will feed off the crowd (I did not see where I or anyone else said otherwise). But Duke will also feed off the crowd IMO. I sense a lot of confidence from this year's Duke team. They know they're good and they'll relish the opportunity to silence the crowd. Keep in mind that a rowdy home crowd can sometimes be a negative for the home team. Sometimes, teams get so pumped up that they don't do a good job rationing their energy for 2 hours of play. They burst out of the gate playing with such emotion that they peter out as the game progresses, which is especially bad news against Duke since this season we play a style that will wear teams out as the game progresses.

I'm not afraid of the crowd.

Hey, I wasn't responding to either of your earlier posts in this thread - sorry if it seemed that way.

Should be a classic.

[COYS]

K-State will be a great matchup for us. I think the real key for the game will be the turnover battle. Duke needs to win it because our defense makes it harder to win the rebounding battle. We have to value the basketball more this time around.

A couple questions: What role will Miles and Ryan have in this game? K-State can go big . . . bigger than Duke even. Does this mean that lineups with Kyle at the 3 see the court more or will the lineup of Kyrie, Nolan, Andre, Kyle and Mason be able to run that lineup off the court. Ryan played well last night, even if it was obvious the speed of Marquette made it tough for him to get to some of the rebounds. Miles has had some hands to the face moments, but he is by far the best post defender. Can Ryan be effective against a big K-State team? Will Miles rebound and play like we all know he can?

How will Seth respond? He had an off night last night, to be sure, even moreso than Miles in my opinion, even though his mistakes weren't as magnified. He had a tough time dealing with the strength of the Marquette back court. That being said, he's such a competitor and so dangerous that he could easily rebound with a 20 point performance. When Seth is on, we are truly impossible to defend. K-State will have to pick their poison and that will often mean that Curry will have open looks. Hopefully he can knock them down tonight. I also hope to see him move off the ball a little better tonight, as well.

When Kyrie is out of the game, will we move the ball around more on offense? I wouldn't mind seeing a return to a version of the "point guard-less" motion offense from last year when Kyrie is out. Last night saw a lot of Nolan dribbling the ball at the top of the key. I think by moving the ball around and getting everyone touches, especially Kyle coming off of screens, it will relieve some of the ballhandling pressure from Nolan.

Over all, I think Duke comes out and plays intense defense, making buckets scarce in the first half for both teams. In the second half, Duke's scoring depth starts to become obvious as the points start to pile up for Nolan, Kyle, Mason, Kyrie, Seth and Andre. We get to the line more often and convert more often, helping us pull away over the last ten minutes. 89-76 Duke win.

[CampbellBlueDevil]

Does anyone else feel that coach Martin's verbal thrashings are a little too much? I know he considers himself "old school", but I don't see how the direct yelling at individual players helps more than it hurts. On a particular occasion last night, one of his players messed up on a defensive assignment (I think but it may have been some other similar mistake) and during the timeout he exploded directly at the kid. After he was done screaming at him he gave him that psychotic "I'm going to kill you" stare. He then addressed the team for a few seconds and went straight back into letting the kid have some more.

Not only do I think it's inappropriate, but I just feel like some kids won't respond well to that kind of "teaching". I know Coach K can get fired up in a timeout but I never see so much anger directed towards one player, and it goes without saying he doesn't possess that creepy stare.

[dw0827]

Well, the KSU players love Frank. They understand him and what he's about.

It isn't, in my opinion, inappropriate. Kid screws up. Frank yells at him. So what. The kid has to be accountable for his actions . . . and Frank does exactly that.

Have you ever been chewed on by your boss? Ever screw up and have a boss yell at you? Inappropriate? Nah . . .

Guess I'm old school. I don't care much for the namby-pamby girlieman can-we-all-just-get-along approach.

I don't condone getting physical with kids, however. Bobby Knight did, in my opinion, cross the line.

[ajgoodfella7]

Well, the KSU players love Frank. They understand him and what he's about.

It isn't, in my opinion, inappropriate. Kid screws up. Frank yells at him. So what. The kid has to be accountable for his actions . . . and Frank does exactly that.

Have you ever been chewed on by your boss? Ever screw up and have a boss yell at you? Inappropriate? Nah . . .

Guess I'm old school. I don't care much for the namby-pamby girlieman can-we-all-just-get-along approach.

I don't condone getting physical with kids, however. Bobby Knight did, in my opinion, cross the line.

I'm pretty sure Frank Martin got in trouble last year or the year before for grabbing one of his players by the throat.

[grossbus]

i'm not concerned about anything. it is still november. we are developing towards march/april. we have a lot of talent learning to play together. we have K and staff.

i'm in a good place and still will be after the game is over.

[dw0827]

I'm pretty sure Frank Martin got in trouble last year or the year before for grabbing one of his players by the throat.

That wasn't Martin and it wasn't basketball, I believe. Mangino at KU got fired for being physically abusive . . . and there have been other incidents in football recently. But I have no recollection of Martin grabbing any player by the throat. Do you have a link for that assertion?

Martin did, however, smack one of his players in the arm with the back of his hand during a time-out and felt badly enough about it to immediately apologize for it in his post-game interview. See the link.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4811927

[ajgoodfella7]

That wasn't Martin and it wasn't basketball, I believe. Mangino at KU got fired for being physically abusive . . . and there have been other incidents in football recently. But I have no recollection of Martin grabbing any player by the throat. Do you have a link for that assertion?

Martin did, however, smack one of his players in the arm with the back of his hand during a time-out and felt badly enough about it to immediately apologize for it in his post-game interview. See the link.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4811927

That's what I was talking about, just couldn't remember the details of it. I thought he just grabbed one of them.

[Billy Dat]

How great that we are playing such a high profile game against an equivalent opponent so early in the year? There is truly nothing to lose. If we win, we'll have to play our best game to date and we can feel good about our continuing potential. Lose, whether by a little or a lot, and the coaches have all the material they need to continue to teach and bring the team along. It's November.

I haven't seen anyone mention K-State's freshman guard, Will Spradling. How good was he last night? Talk about fitting right in, he had a real Scheyer-esque quality to him..took care of the ball, got his feet under him and squared up on his shots, sneaky quick...he really brings a nice new feel to K-State.

K-State shot 46% from 3 last night, which is well above their season average, and it felt like they were hitting them at big moments all the time. With all the pieces K has at his disposal, and out ability to go big or small, halfcourt or run, it will be interesting to see how much he reacts to the team we are playing or how much he tries to have us dictate the style. K-State will want to play an up and down game, much like Marquette played last night. Do we run with them in the hopes that our superior shooting will win the day, or do we go at their weakness, slow it down to more of a half court game, and work their defense over the full shot clock?

I can't wait.

[superdave]

Over all, I think Duke comes out and plays intense defense, making buckets scarce in the first half for both teams.

I think both teams come out intense, like as in March level of intensity, which results in great D and some quick fouls. Duke has got to want this one after playing so uneven last night. And K State would love nothing more than to chop Duke down in their back yard. We'll see which team settles down first and begins to exploit matchups. This is the type of game where you hope Nolan and Kyle can take over early until the younger guys step up.

Super "Or as in Frank Martin level of intensity" Dave

[SCMatt33]

Tonight will be the first time Duke has played a team not named North Carolina who is ranked in the AP top 5 since JJ dropped 41 on #2 Texas in December '05, almost 5 years ago. In that span, Duke has played 8 teams ranked 6-10, and 5 times has played number 11 (including Duke's final opponents of the last two NCAA tournaments). That seems like a long wait between non-UNC top 5 games, but the good news is that the next wait might only be 8 days if Sparty can hold up in Maui.

[House G]

They did an okay job feeding off the crowds in Houston and Indy last spring. And those games were sort of important.

For what it's worth, the Sprint Center is a much different venue than Reliant Stadium. The latter is a football stadium adapted for basketball to maximize fan attendance. The Sprint Center is designed for basketball (and other events like hockey, concerts, etc. but not football). Because of this, fans are closer to the court and the noise may actually be louder because the arena is less cavernous. I expect the environment to be hostile and agree that it will be a valuable learning experience for the youngsters.

[COYS]

Tonight will be the first time Duke has played a team not named North Carolina who is ranked in the AP top 5 since JJ dropped 41 on #2 Texas in December '05, almost 5 years ago. In that span, Duke has played 8 teams ranked 6-10, and 5 times has played number 11 (including Duke's final opponents of the last two NCAA tournaments). That seems like a long wait between non-UNC top 5 games, but the good news is that the next wait might only be 8 days if Sparty can hold up in Maui.

If I recall correctly, Duke lost at #4 Wake Forest in 2009.

[camion]

I worry mainly about two things tonight, the crowd and physicality. I expect it to be a raucous and pretty rough game and I worry about that because this is still a young team. Also, the more you can turn a basketball game into a wrestling math, the less the skill difference matters. Last year we started three seniors and two juniors who had all been seriously battle tested. This will be an initiation by fire for several players in their current roles.

According to kenpom.com this is one of our most likely losses of the year, at 75%, and I would agree. Though I'd drop it to about 66% that's just a quibble. Why wouldn't you expect a tough game going up against the #3 team in the country in their backyard.

In any event, I think it will be an exciting game and a valuable experience. I'll be pulling hard for the dark blue.

[Kedsy]

We didn't rebound that well today. Marquette had many offensive rebounds.

We rebounded even (40 to 40 overall; 10 off reb for us vs. 13 for them) with Marquette. According to Pomeroy Marquette is the 42nd best offensive rebounding team in the country and 31st best defensive rebounding team in the country, while Duke is 76th and 101st (primarily because Duke's defensive style this season emphasizes cutting off the passing lanes and causing turnovers at the expense of rebounds). So based on those numbers you'd expect them to outrebound us, but they didn't. Especially in light of the fact that we played our small lineup for two-thirds of the game, I think our rebounding against Marquette was actually quite good.

[SCMatt33]

If I recall correctly, Duke lost at #4 Wake Forest in 2009.

Wake was #4 in the coaches poll that week, but #6 in the AP poll, which is the one used by the athletic department on Duke's schedule.

[House G]

Seth Davis' preview: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/seth_davis/11/23/duke.kansas.state/index.html/?eref=twitter_feed#

[FireOgilvie]

KSU is a lesser team than Duke and has more weaknesses to pick at. (Keep in mind, though, that all these stats are from a sample of 4 games for each team, so take them with a grain of salt). I'll choose a couple of their weaknesses to write about.

1. KSU has been TERRIBLE at FT shooting so far, shooting 52% from the stripe, which ranks 337th in the country. In what I expect to be a physical game with lots of fouls called, Duke can create separation in score if both teams just hit around their usual rate. (I don't expect KSU to shoot 52% for the season at the line, though, so maybe they'll have a "return to the mean" game against Duke. Hope not.)

2. KSU offense only ranks 113th in the country in turnover percentage (KSU turns the ball over 20% of the time). Duke's defense forces turnovers. Might be a good matchup for us here.

3. KSU ranks 264th in the country at defending the 3-point shot. Again, advantage Duke here.

4. KSU has been shooting 39% from 3-pt range themselves. This is not a weakness per se (ranks 54th in the country) but it becomes one when Duke is your opponent. KSU is better at 3-point shooting than 2-point shooting and relies on the 3-pt shot a decent amount in their offense (ranks 84th in the country in 3PA/3FG). Duke is a nightmare scenario for that offensive profile since we have been the best program in the country at defending the three for awhile now. Again, I'm concerned about KSU's offensive rebounding, but if Duke can do a good job grabbing misses in this game, I think KSU will have lots of issues scoring. That's why I would like to see more of Kyle at the 3 in this game, also using his length to bother McGruder and Spradling on their 3-pt shots.

KSU overall, imo, is a decent matchup for Duke, not a bad one. Protect the ball, rebound, and we win going away.

Don't forget that KSU played without their 2nd best player Curtis Kelly until yesterday.

[Devilsfan]

A rarity, but a really smart analyst (Jay Bilas excluded) said to me that he thought it would be 1, 2, 12, 5 and who ever is playing well the rest of the way. That would mean that Ryan, Seth, and Dre will be fighting for the fifth slot with the other two joining Miles, Josh and Tyler for roles coming off the bench. Makes sense to me.

[superdave]

A rarity, but a really smart analyst (Jay Bilas excluded) said to me that he thought it would be 1, 2, 12, 5 and who ever is playing well the rest of the way. That would mean that Ryan, Seth, and Dre will be fighting for the fifth slot with the other two joining Miles, Josh and Tyler for roles coming off the bench. Makes sense to me.

I think you have to caveat this a bit by brining fouls in to the equation for Mason. As some folks have stated the last few weeks, he'll got all the minutes he can handle - meaning foul trouble will be the biggest factor limiting Mason's minutes.

[Finnerator]

We could win OR lose by double-digits. You can cite whatever stats you want, because they are sometimes relatively meaningless. This is a "respect" game for K-State.

The crowd will be loud and surly. I envision that EVERY call will bring a boisterous response. Frank Martin is a glowering, near-psychopath. If you don't think their players will feed off of this, I believe you're sadly mistaken. Jacob Pullen is every bit as good as Nolan and will undoubtedly have a chip on his shoulder. Wally Judge can get up there with either Plumlee. These are the kind of "second-tier" marquee guys and slightly more street-tough players that love to try to stick it to Duke (usually accompanied by varying levels of rough play).

Welcome to the big time, Kyrie, Seth, Josh and Tyler - you haven't seen anything like this yet.

As I said, anything could happen tonight. All of the "undefeated season" types could be silenced, or we could beat them by 20. My stomach hurts already. :D

Absolutely dead on !!!! I couldn't agree more with you my friend. TRIAL BY FIRE !!!! All the talk about how good we are and how deep we are... is not significant. This is big time basketball tonight. It's an away game in hostile territory and against a formidable opponent. Many Duke players will earn their wings tonight either way. This reminds me of a quote from the movie '300' "We will put their name to the test"...................to all the Duke fans around the country......sit back and watch our young guys get baptised by fire this evening. I for one, can not wait.

[gam7]

I think you have to caveat this a bit by brining fouls in to the equation for Mason. As some folks have stated the last few weeks, he'll got all the minutes he can handle - meaning foul trouble will be the biggest factor limiting Mason's minutes.

Brining fouls? Hmm, maybe I'll try that along with brining my T-giving turkey.

[COYS]

Wake was #4 in the coaches poll that week, but #6 in the AP poll, which is the one used by the athletic department on Duke's schedule.

Ah yes, that makes sense. Apologies.

[CEF1959]

Looks like Duke is about a 5.5 point favorite. I don't bet sports, but a betting line can sometimes be a good indicator of what the consensus is among people who have something sufficiently at stake to make reasoned judgments.

Frankly, that number surprises me. K State is very good and virtually playing at home. I was expecting maybe Duke by 2 or something.

[mkline09]

I don't like to compare one year's team to another. But last night's game against Marquette reminded me a lot of last year's game against Arizona State. Duke didn't play its best game offensively or defensively. They looked sluggish in some spots and great in others.

It was consequently the game that gave us the now famous "alamringly unathletic" Gotlieb line. Many felt Duke were the underdogs going into the next game against UConn who was deemed more athletic and deeper. We all remember how that one turned out.

Not saying the same thing will happen. K-State is a lot better in my opinion than UConn was last year, but I just have the same feeling. But win or loose it is way too early to worry about that unless it becomes a pattern and I think this team is too good for that to be a concern.

[Billy Dat]

Looks like Duke is about a 5.5 point favorite. I don't bet sports, but a betting line can sometimes be a good indicator of what the consensus is among people who have something sufficiently at stake to make reasoned judgments.

Frankly, that number surprises me. K State is very good and virtually playing at home. I was expecting maybe Duke by 2 or something.

Remember, the point of the line is to get equal amounts of money on either side of the bet...public opinion can best be determined by how the lines moves...I did some quick searching and saw that it came out at 6 and has moved to 5.5, which shows that people wanted K-State plus the 6, but it didn't move a lot. Vegas seems pretty comfortable with a spread in the 5-6 range.

[Chitowndevil]

Remember, the point of the line is to get equal amounts of money on either side of the bet...public opinion can best be determined by how the lines moves...I did some quick searching and saw that it came out at 6 and has moved to 5.5, which shows that people wanted K-State plus the 6, but it didn't move a lot. Vegas seems pretty comfortable with a spread in the 5-6 range.

For what it's worth:

Pomeroy has Duke winning 77-70, with a 75% chance of winning outright.
Sagarin's overall rating has Duke winning by about 5 points.
Sagarin's PREDICTOR rating has Duke winning by about 8.
Sagarin's home court adjustment gives the home team an additional 4 points, so Duke is still favored in both cases. This is already incorporated in Pomeroy's forecast.
Both sets of ratings still depend heavily on pre-season ('prior') rankings. Pomeroy's projections currently weight about 50-50 between pre-season ranking and actual game data.

[juise]

Looks like Duke is about a 5.5 point favorite. I don't bet sports, but a betting line can sometimes be a good indicator of what the consensus is among people who have something sufficiently at stake to make reasoned judgments.

Frankly, that number surprises me. K State is very good and virtually playing at home. I was expecting maybe Duke by 2 or something.

The fact that the public usually bets heavy on Duke also plays into the spread. To even out the bets, which is the ultimate goal of the point spread, Vegas probably gives Duke a couple extra points. A site I read yesterday said that 83% of bets were being placed on Duke +12 against Marquette. We know how that worked out. (Full disclosure: I've never gambled on sports and I know DBR doesn't like a ton of betting talk, but I find the whole thing interesting.)

Edit: Billy beat me to it.

[CharlestonDevil]

A Big Duke Win - "These kids are still gelling as a team and will only improve. Only MSU has a chance at beating these guys. SCARY GOOD!"

A Close Duke Win - "Wow. These boys are talented. They made the necessary adjustments from the night before in a hostile environment and pulled out a tough W. They left no questions who the best team in the nation is."

A Close Duke Loss - "It's still a young team. There is championship potential, but the hostile crowd and a determined K State squad took care of business."

A Big Duke Loss - "This team can go all the way but has a lot further to go than we originally thought." (Probably rebounding/perimeter D/turnovers/ FT shooting)

[BD80]

Also, this will be about as nasty an arena as we will face until we get into the heart of the ACC schedule. Grew up in KC and my family and friends tell me the town is REALLY buzzing about this game right now. ...

Boy, that Coach K just won't schedule tough games on the road, will he. Everthing has to be a "neutral" site which gets flooded by Dukies from the area.


I'm pretty sure Frank Martin got in trouble last year or the year before for grabbing one of his players by the throat.

Doesn't count, that was off-planet. And it wasn't a player, it was a stormtrooper. And he didn't actually grab him ...

Actually, it wasn't Martin, it was Darth Vader, but the intensity level is about the same. And I swear I have seen Martin try that same telekinetic Sith death grip on an official ...

[CEF1959]

The fact that the public usually bets heavy on Duke also plays into the spread. To even out the bets, which is the ultimate goal of the point spread, Vegas probably gives Duke a couple extra points. A site I read yesterday said that 83% of bets were being placed on Duke +12 against Marquette. We know how that worked out. (Full disclosure: I've never gambled on sports and I know DBR doesn't like a ton of betting talk, but I find the whole thing interesting.)



I think the idea I was trying to express is that betting lines are a reasonably good expression of the efficient market hypothesis. If Duke gets over-bet on reputation, the betting public will know that and make money from the over-bettors mistakes, and their bets would "correct" the line. If the betting public over-bets Duke consistently, one of two things would happen: (1) Smart money would flow into the action and bet Duke down to where it should be; or (2) Duke would consistently under-perform against the spread, which it doesn't.

So: In any individual game, you can't know how Duke will perform against the spread. But long-term, you should be about 50-50 betting either side. That suggests there's a 50-50 chance that Duke will win by 5.5 points. That also suggests there's a lesser chance that Duke will lose.

Still, it's all about young men putting the little round orange thingy into the little round hoop thingy.. So anything can happen.

I'm not a sports bettor, but I'm a recovering academic who used to do a good bit of work on the efficient capital market hypothesis.

Go Duke.

BTW, Frank Martin should scare any normal human being. Those eyes suggest a propensity for multiple murders.

[tylervinyard]

I think that if we match their physicality and play smart, we'll be fine tonight. Last night I think a lot of our turnovers were due to Marquette's intensity and physicality which we didn't consistently match. We're not going to miss all those free throws again, and KState apparently is a terrible free throw shooting team. Add that free throw separation plus our ability to spurt, and I think we should be fine offensively.

I do wonder if MP1's dislocated finger is still giving him trouble holding onto the ball.

[licc85]

i think the teams that will have the best chance of beating us this year will be the ones who have really athletic and physical players. Michigan state and ohio state are good examples of those kinds of teams.

Other than Kyrie, our guys are more or less all finesse players who aren't as physical and willing to bang inside like zoubek and lance thomas (mason could get there if he puts on a few more pounds). When we play a team like that, its going to come down to protecting the paint and knocking down open shots.

[juise]

Other than Kyrie, our guys are more or less all finesse players who aren't as physical and willing to bang inside like zoubek and lance thomas (mason could get there if he puts on a few more pounds).

Are you suggesting that Kyrie is Duke's only player who is physical and willing to bang inside? This is quite confusing to me. While Kyrie is a very gifted athlete, I would say that most of his moves fall into the finesse category.

[licc85]

I do wonder if MP1's dislocated finger is still giving him trouble holding onto the ball.

miles and mason both have always had somewhat bad hands when it comes to catching passes and securing rebounds, although mason did do a better job in the second half with rebounding in the marquette game. Miles mishandled about 3 or 4 GIFTS from kyrie last game and mason always misses a couple of easy rebounds that he could easily have grabbed. Still, I don't think the dislocated finger is bothering miles that much, they said he was doing great in practice.

Up till the marquette game, both plumlees kind of relied on their insane athleticism to get by. I hope mason can build off that strong performance and become the lottery pick type of player that he is capable of being.

[licc85]

Are you suggesting that Kyrie is Duke's only player who is physical and willing to bang inside? This is quite confusing to me. While Kyrie is a very gifted athlete, I would say that most of his moves fall into the finesse category.

nope, kyrie is extremely physical, he is capable of finishing plays deep in the paint, either laying it in through contact, or dishing it outside to an open shooter, or getting to the free throw line. Obviously, i didn't mean that he is a low post scorer or anything like that, but his style is very aggressive, and he is able to get into the paint almost at will. He just makes things happen for this team.

Although, I will retract my original statement, Kyle is actually quite physical, but his lack of elite athleticism will sometimes get him in foul trouble when he is playing the 4.

[juise]

nope, kyrie is extremely physical, he is capable of finishing plays deep in the paint, either laying it in through contact, or dishing it outside to an open shooter, or getting to the free throw line. Obviously, i didn't mean that he is a low post scorer or anything like that, but his style is very aggressive, and he is able to get into the paint almost at will. He just makes things happen for this team.

Although, I will retract my original statement, Kyle is actually quite physical, but his lack of elite athleticism will sometimes get him in foul trouble when he is playing the 4.

Nolan and Andre (2009 Preseason NIT final) have also shown a willingness to draw contact. I think Kyle has had as many and-1 plays as any Duke in recent memory. In my opinion, Kyrie gets to the lane using his quickness and ability to get his defender off balance, not by being "physical" with the defender. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this point.

[terrih]

I am really hoping the guys bring their "A"defensive game and take care of the ball tonight. Those are 2 big keys tonight, I am probably repeating someone else who said the same thing.

I am currently preparing to enter a very hostile arena this evening- have my Duke Shirt on and will be cheering loudly. I hope I have a few other Duke fans in my area with me, I am flying solo tonight at the game.

-TerriH

[COYS]

Nolan and Andre (2009 Preseason NIT final) have also shown a willingness to draw contact. I think Kyle has had as many and-1 plays as any Duke in recent memory. In my opinion, Kyrie gets to the lane using his quickness and ability to get his defender off balance, not by being "physical" with the defender. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this point.

I tend to agree with you, juise. Also, Miles is certainly not a finesse player. He has had numerous games (including the extremely physical Wake Forest game last year and the equally physical UCONN game in MSG) where he has been perhaps the most physical player on the court when even the commentators are noticing just how physical the game is. Kyle is also tough and he is, by far, the best on the team at boxing out. I would actually rate Kyrie as one of the players who has to adjust to the physicality of NCAA basketball more than anyone else on the team. He has wiry strength and uses angles and quickness to get into the lane, but he's not going to be overpowering physical defenders at this level like Jason Williams used to do or like Rose and Wall have in the recent past.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm getting stoked. #1 vs. #4 in front of a hostile crowd. We can't ask for a greater early test for our guys than tonight. Let's Go Duke!!!!

[77devil]

Lot's of luv from Kornheiser and Wilbon who both said they wanted Duke to win tonight. Let's go Duke

[ajgoodfella7]

Off topic, but man Kemba Walker has improved his offensive game this year. He is lighting up MSU right now.

[timmy c]

Is tonight's game on espn3?

[wtm001]

Is tonight's game on espn3?

Yep and espn2

[PSurprise]

Yep and espn2

Espn 3,346,446

:p

[gls6]

Man, this is going to be awesome. I'm so glad they are playing Kansas State. I love how their arena is called the Octagon of Doom (though I am somewhat relieved that we are not playing there). We've got to limit the turnovers and make some big 3's and I think we can win comfortably.

[jacone21]

The suspense is killing me.

[PSurprise]

What happened to 10:00p.m.? It's now going to start at 10:22? ERgh!!

[wgl1228]

I wish another sports network would overtake espn but it never will.

[Eternal Outlaw]

What happened to 10:00p.m.? It's now going to start at 10:22? ERgh!!

Not that I am a huge ESPN fan but really hard to blame this on them. When there are two games at 1 location, the time start will be fluid.

[riverside6]

live tempo-based stats for the game here...

http://www.scacchoops.com/ViewHDGame.asp?hSchedule=6880

[basket1544]

Stupid Decals!!!

[ncexnyc]

What happened to 10:00p.m.? It's now going to start at 10:22? ERgh!!
That's just great. I set the DVR before leaving for work and added 30 additional minutes to the end time just in case the game got delayed or there was overtime. Hopefully I'll get the full game.

[theAlaskanBear]

Already TWO slips on those Reeces stickers at the top of the key: one by Kyle, one by Kyrie. I am FURIOUS.

[chattpanther]

Boycott Reeces! Damnit. So tired of watching these players slip.

[DukieInBrasil]

Get rid of the stupid stickers on the court. Reese's is gonna guarantee that I never buy one of their delicious treats again if anybody gets hurt slipping on their lame stickers. Booo on the NCAA and the tourneys for allowing them on the floor.

[hedevil]

The officials are obviously going to allow a decent amount of physicality in this game. Kyrie will need to adjust as the game goes. Let's go DUKE!!!!!!

[Jackson352]

That travel was 100% the fault of that decal above the free throw line. It's enraging that a possession was just thrown away over something so stupid. I really, really wish they could find another way to display sponsor logos.

[chattpanther]

Shut up Dick Vitale. He is like a broken record every game. If I here him talk about his top 5 players in NCAA (I am talking about NCAA), Robert Montgomery Knight, Why people shouldn't hate Duke, etc. He is old and obsolete and brings nothing to these telecasts any more.

[mickeysgotagun]

I'm a big proponent of the refs don't favor Duke idea, but man this game must have opposing fans cursing a storm at the refs.

[hedevil]

Some good news for Duke.

Nolan has come to play!

[lotusland]

Shut up Dick Vitale. He is like a broken record every game. If I here him talk about his top 5 players in NCAA (I am talking about NCAA), Robert Montgomery Knight, Why people shouldn't hate Duke, etc. He is old and obsolete and brings nothing to these telecasts any more.

I actually like Vitale but thought it was interesting that his one key to the game was Duke's advantage shooting free throws at the end of games. Strange considering he did the game last night.

[JMarley50]

Shut up Dick Vitale. He is like a broken record every game. If I here him talk about his top 5 players in NCAA (I am talking about NCAA), Robert Montgomery Knight, Why people shouldn't hate Duke, etc. He is old and obsolete and brings nothing to these telecasts any more.

Yeah what would he know about basketball.... He is only best friends with two of the greatest coaches of all time and probably watches more games in one season than you'll watch in your lifetime.

[CBDUKE]

Seth and Andre!!

[chattpanther]

Yeah what would he know about basketball.... He is only best friends with two of the greatest coaches of all time and probably watches more games in one season than you'll watch in your lifetime.

You would be so right if he spent even 50% of the telecast talking about basketball. But he gets off on the same tangents that have no relevance to this game or decade.

[DukieInBrasil]

I love Curry and Dawkins off the bench! Instant points! Curry had a nice stretch there, doing a bit of everything, sparking a 9-0 run.

[ajgoodfella7]

ESPN.com has us at only 3 assists right now? I've remember 5 off the top of my head so far.

[Bluedevil114]

I really think the defense tonight so far is awesome. KState has been forced to take tough shots and their defense has allowed us to drive to the basket and have open looks from 3-point land. If our defense continues to play like this the lead will continue to grow as long as we get the defensive rebounds. Go Duke!!

[moonpie23]

ok...maybe i'm just not seeing str8, but ESPNU had "COACH K AT 699 WINS" on one screen runner, and then just a min ago, they had him at 799, but boehiem ahead of K???

huh?

[left_hook_lacey]

I'm a big proponent of the refs don't favor Duke idea, but man this game must have opposing fans cursing a storm at the refs.

I agree, especially their fans watching at home. Between the "and 1" on the three point attempt by Curry which was totally not a foul, and Dick Vitale giving coach K his verbal ego massage for the 3rd time in 4 days, I could surmise their fans have probably turned the sound down already.

The refs are allowing a lot of hand-checking and reaching and a lot of contact in general which works in our favor. KState should realize that and get more physical, if not, that's their problem.

[lotusland]

I love Curry and Dawkins off the bench! Instant points! Curry had a nice stretch there, doing a bit of everything, sparking a 9-0 run.

Gotta give Mason credit for Curry's 2nd steal. The bad pass was caused by Mason's double team on the passer. Serth also was a bit casual getting to the hoop and allowed the K State kid to make a play. but yeah Curry and Dawkins are great.

[ajgoodfella7]

ok...maybe i'm just not seeing str8, but ESPNU had "COACH K AT 699 WINS" on one screen runner, and then just a min ago, they had him at 799, but boehiem ahead of K???

huh?

They were talking wins at 1 school. The pre-game was wrong though, its 799.

[hedevil]

Personally, I like Vitale. We need people like him to bring some balance to the commentating throughout the season. A little love doesn't hurt.

[GLTBD]

Mason please make those free throws.

[ajgoodfella7]

Kyrie is un-guardable.

[ajgoodfella7]

He is so good at changing speeds that it is impossible to keep him in front of you.

[JMarley50]

Kyrie is un-guardable.

I feel a Kyrie takeover coming on. He's starting to get that look.

[DevilHorns]

Personally, I like Vitale. We need people like him to bring some balance to the commentating throughout the season. A little love doesn't hurt.

The thing with Vitale is he perpetuates the idea that the media/announcers/journalists LOVE Duke.

Vitale makes Duke hate STRONGER, IMO.

[wtm001]

Duke by 10, so far the difference is free throws.

Duke 11-14
K State 1-2

[wgl1228]

I'm biased but i sense a few make up calls on the last few possessions for kstate.

[jipops]

Fouls are going to be an issue for our bigs in the 2nd half, especially with the way the game is starting to be called.

[ajgoodfella7]

K-State 1 assist and 10 turnovers. Defense has been playing well today.

[jacone21]

I just want to say that I'm really thankful for these constant Favre updates, because I've been really worried about that. :D

We have these guys reeling. Gotta keep the pressure on for 40 minutes. Come on, fellas!

[hedevil]

Kyrie has been given the green light tonight. I haven't seen him play this aggressive yet. He is really shining right now.

[Bluedevil114]

Fouls are going to be an issue for our bigs in the 2nd half, especially with the way the game is starting to be called.

Calling some reach touch fouls against Duke now. Looks like Duke UConn 2004.

[Vincetaylor]

I'm biased but i sense a few make up calls on the last few possessions for kstate.

Definitely lots of makeup calls going on.

[jipops]

There is a big dropoff for us when Singler isn't in there. Coincides well with KSTate's comeback.

[JMarley50]

Mason needs to stop double clutching to avoid getting blocked and just go at em and draw the foul.

[Bluedevil114]

Come on Plumlees we need to make some free throws tonight.

[jipops]

Going to be a difficult 2nd half to watch. I hate the foul issues on the big guys, more memories of UConn '04.

[ajgoodfella7]

Going to be a difficult 2nd half to watch. I hate the foul issues on the big guys, more memories of UConn '04.

Please never mention that game again.

[ajgoodfella7]

Duke with 14 PF's, K-State with 13. Going to be an interesting 2nd half.

[jacone21]

Ball hits the rim, we get the putback, waved off, bad block/charge? Ugh! What a stank series of events.

But if you told me at the start we'd be up 8 at the half, I'd be okay with that.

[ajgoodfella7]

Fantastic execution in the 1st half. Only 2 turnovers for Duke to 12 for K-State.

[amazinballer323]

Too many ridiculous foul calls on us. Ticky Tack stuff that isn't goin both ways

[lotusland]

Looking much better so far tonight on offense and defense. Mason is having another strong outing and kyrie has been outstanding. Everyone has been involved. Fouls are the only concern.

[wgl1228]

Ok that was about the strangest last minute i have seen in awhile. In dont like to complain about refs but come on.

[roywhite]

Too many ridiculous foul calls on us. Ticky Tack stuff that isn't goin both ways

Whistle Ball!!

Refs are ruining a good game.

[CLW]

Took care of the basketball and I liked the effort/intensity on the defensive end.

Fouls could be an issue for us down the stretch. Thankfully, K-State couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from the free thow line.

[NSDukeFan]

Fantastic execution in the 1st half. Only 2 turnovers for Duke to 12 for K-State.

Two turnovers against that defense in this intense a game early on is Scheyeresque. Solid half. Also solid defensively, limiting Pullen to the one 3-pointer.

[cbnaylor]

I'm slightly irritated with the refs missing two goal-tending calls that should have been two baskets for Duke.

[Tucknut]

Until tonight, I haven't seen an anti-Duke bias on the part of the refs in the previous games. But the last 10 minutes of the first half put an end to that trend. Not really unexpected, though.

[jv001]

I'm slightly irritated with the refs missing two goal-tending calls that should have been two baskets for Duke.

Sure looks like the refs have called some make up fouls against Duke. The KState crowd has something to do with this. Don't need Kyle to pick up #3 too quickly in the 2nd half. Go Duke!

[DukeFanSince1990]

If I ever have a third child I will name it Kyrie.....wow, I think the only thing that can stay in front of him is the DUKE on front of his jersey.

[Mabdul Doobakus]

Irony is going from Adrian Branch on the halftime show right to the commercial with the Okie McSmokie Skiddly Doo Progressive guy.

These guys are basically interchangeable. How did Adrian Branch get a TV job?

[dukestheheat]

Shut up Dick Vitale. He is like a broken record every game. If I here him talk about his top 5 players in NCAA (I am talking about NCAA), Robert Montgomery Knight, Why people shouldn't hate Duke, etc. He is old and obsolete and brings nothing to these telecasts any more.

Somewhere many years ago, V started making his announcing all about HIM and not the game or the teams, etc.. The ONE announcer I love to listen to is: Bob Knight. I feel like I'm learning more about the game each team Knight announces!

dth.

[Billy Dat]

I agree that the officiating is weak, but I think it's cutting both ways, we just got most of the early whistles.

Feels like we should be up more, which is an ominous feeling, but I like the way we played. Mason is proving last night was no fluke. Kyrie has been in control. Nolan's been really solid, especially on D, Seth gave us good minutes, I think Miles and Ryan were ok, the defense has been great.

Like last night, it's a 6'7" swingman giving us fits..last night it was Butler, tonight it's Kelly. We need to lock him up.

I love how we are doubling the ball on the baseline and I love how we are exploiting their high defense with backdoors.

Let's hope we can keep it up, K-State is certain to make a run.

[Billy Dat]

Inane Dickie V comment of the night..

"Irving's doing it all night long...that's Lionel Ritchie baby...love that guy!"

[ajgoodfella7]

I have always enjoyed Bill Raftery as well. There are times when the play-by-play man will mention something going on outside of the actual game and Raftery will immediately get back to his color commentary on the game. I just like the guys who focus on the action on the floor. Vitale hasn't done that in many years.

[roywhite]

I agree that the officiating is weak, but I think it's cutting both ways, we just got most of the early whistles.

Feels like we should be up more, which is an ominous feeling, but I like the way we played. Mason is proving last night was no fluke. Kyrie has been in control. Nolan's been really solid, especially on D, Seth gave us good minutes, I think Miles and Ryan were ok, the defense has been great.

Like last night, it's a 6'7" swingman giving us fits..last night it was Butler, tonight it's Kelly. We need to lock him up.

I love how we are doubling the ball on the baseline and I love how we are exploiting their high defense with backdoors.

Let's hope we can keep it up, K-State is certain to make a run.

I agree with your comments, but it's interesting who you didn't mention---Kyle Singler.

Our All-America POY candidate needs to step up in the second half; we need him in all areas---defense, rebounding, and scoring.

[TampaDukie]

As much as I wish Dickie V would shut up sometimes, I can't help but like him. About 10 years ago, my dad sat next to him on a flight from Tampa to Tallahassee. My dad told him, "My daughter graduated from your favorite school." After incorrectly guessing Notre Dame, he then asked, "Duke?" My dad confirmed it, and they chatted for the rest of the flight. My dad said he was really nice and talks in person just like he does on television.

Anyway, about 3 weeks later, a package came to my parents' house in an ESPN envelope with a Bristol postmark. Inside were three of Dickie V's books, all signed with a personal note. It was a great surprise and a really nice gesture from someone who probably meets more people in a week than I do all year.

So, in summation, Dickie V -- annoying basketball announcer, awesome person.

[DevilHorns]

As much as I wish Dickie V would shut up sometimes, I can't help but like him. About 10 years ago, my dad sat next to him on a flight from Tampa to Tallahassee. My dad told him, "My daughter graduated from your favorite school." After incorrectly guessing Notre Dame, he then asked, "Duke?" My dad confirmed it, and they chatted for the rest of the flight. My dad said he was really nice and talks in person just like he does on television.

Anyway, about 3 weeks later, a package came to my parents' house in an ESPN envelope with a Bristol postmark. Inside were three of Dickie V's books, all signed with a personal note. It was a great surprise and a really nice gesture from someone who probably meets more people in a week than I do all year.

So, in summation, Dickie V -- annoying basketball announcer, awesome person.

That's a very cool story. Thanks for sharing. :)

[Eternal Outlaw]

Kelly's 3rd foul was a textbook NBA call. Shot goes in they let it go but since it didn't they blew it very late. Bad officiating technique and one of the dumbest NBA trademarks.

[Billy Dat]

I agree with your comments, but it's interesting who you didn't mention---Kyle Singler.

Our All-America POY candidate needs to step up in the second half; we need him in all areas---defense, rebounding, and scoring.

I was trying to accentuate the positive. It doesn't feel like we're going to shake these guys...pass the TUMS.

[ajgoodfella7]

As much as I wish Dickie V would shut up sometimes, I can't help but like him. About 10 years ago, my dad sat next to him on a flight from Tampa to Tallahassee. My dad told him, "My daughter graduated from your favorite school." After incorrectly guessing Notre Dame, he then asked, "Duke?" My dad confirmed it, and they chatted for the rest of the flight. My dad said he was really nice and talks in person just like he does on television.

Anyway, about 3 weeks later, a package came to my parents' house in an ESPN envelope with a Bristol postmark. Inside were three of Dickie V's books, all signed with a personal note. It was a great surprise and a really nice gesture from someone who probably meets more people in a week than I do all year.

So, in summation, Dickie V -- annoying basketball announcer, awesome person.

That is really, really awesome. I have no doubts that he is a great human being and has more love for the game then anyone.

[devildeac]

Until tonight, I haven't seen an anti-Duke bias on the part of the refs in the previous games. But the last 10 minutes of the first half put an end to that trend. Not really unexpected, though.

Glad I'm not the only one. Some seriously bad calls the last 5-6 minutes of the half.

[DevilHorns]

Kyrie needs to finish his breaks! An awesome game all around so far but it looks like he's having trouble finishing with his left today.

[Gthoma2a]

We are winning,but I am not happy with something that is, very much, within our control. Kyrie never finishes with a dunk. He can dunk, but he goes for the awkward reverses, lay-ups, and, by doing this, he fails to convert after his brilliance.

I also don't like that thye just made us use a time-out. Nolan gets the ball, and gets hit from behind, but the contact is not acknowledged by the refs.

[DevilHorns]

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

How was that not a foul!!! at least we got a time out.

[CampbellBlueDevil]

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

How was that not a foul!!! at least we got a time out.

But now we have 1 less time out and they have 1 less foul... they definitely missed that one.

[CBDUKE]

When contact creates an advantage, it is a foul!

[phaedrus]

I haven't noticed KI passing up dunks. That he can dunk doesn't mean he can dunk in traffic at full speed. What John Wall made look easy is very difficult for almost everyone else in the world.

[DukieInBrasil]

Miles! with a nice little stretch there, creating mayhem and dishing for a score.

[Billy Dat]

Great sequence with the Miles steal, Smith and-1, and then the Curry come from behind poke away. We've got the momentum, need to push this lead to 13-15.

Kyle needs to move the ball and cut...I don't like when the ball sticks with him in triple threat, he's better off the move.

[DevilHorns]

But now we have 1 less time out and they have 1 less foul... they definitely missed that one.

True, but it could've been called a jumb ball, or worse, a travel.

And sheez I hate playing with these stickers on the floor. Nolan's trip earlier, and Kyries in the first half? I really hope K says something about this. He has the stature and respect to really push for change against these obnoxious floor advertisements.

[millerecu]

These refs are just amazing.....best officiating of the year.

[jacone21]

I know this is a wasted post, but I'm home alone, it's after midnight, and I just need to say, Let's Go Duke!

[Billy Dat]

Seth playing some nice D tonight.

[CampbellBlueDevil]

True, but it could've been called a jumb ball, or worse, a travel.

And sheez I hate playing with these stickers on the floor. Nolan's trip earlier, and Kyries in the first half? I really hope K says something about this. He has the stature and respect to really push for change against these obnoxious floor advertisements.

I agree, they need to go and K can do something about that.

Sweettttt drive by Kyrie! It looks like he's been weaving around the stickers since that first slip. Just adding even more difficulty to his drives haha

[jacone21]

These refs are just amazing.....best officiating of the year.

No foul on the Irving drive, but a foul on Singler. Amazing indeed!

[Jderf]

I haven't noticed KI passing up dunks. That he can dunk doesn't mean he can dunk in traffic at full speed. What John Wall made look easy is very difficult for almost everyone else in the world.

Another reason it's tough for him to dunk on his drives is because he clutches the ball at his waist as he takes his last two steps toward the basket. This gives him an advantage by letting him postpone the left-hand/right-hand decision until the last second, so he can reverse his lay-ups at whim. But it also makes dunking near impossible, because you would have to bring the ball from your waist to the rim instantaneously.

[DevilHorns]

Seth playing some nice D tonight.

Agreed. His steals have really helped us with our runs. He's like turbo fuel on offense and defense coming off the bench.

[wgl1228]

If we didnt have so many scorers kyries numbers would be way better than they already are.

[mattman91]

My Duke t-shirt is wet from the drooling over Kyrie Irving.

[TampaDukie]

Win or lose (and I certainly hope we win), I will just be grateful if we finish this game with no one injured. Those floor decals are a disgrace.

[CBDUKE]

Kyrie gets bumped on the shot, no foul. Kyle bumps their shooter, foul?

[Jderf]

No foul on the Irving drive, but a foul on Singler. Amazing indeed!

The inconsistency is glaring. Call the game tight. Or call the game loose. But don't keep switching back and forth.

[CampbellBlueDevil]

Someone needs to make a gif of that KS fan shaking his head lol

[jacone21]

Their guys are gassed. Our guys look like they could play 40 more minutes. When do we start giving some love to our strength and conditioning coach? What's that guy's name?

[deezl]

Someone needs to make a gif of that KS fan shaking his head lol

Amazing, was just thinking that.

[deezl]

Irving loves holding that ball high and tight like a football running back should when driving to the lane.

[DevilHorns]

Great time out by K. Let's regroup fellas and close out this game. 9 min to go!

[jacone21]

Time for the seniors to step up and close this thing out.

[wgl1228]

The refs are allowing them to be a whole lot more physical.

[Billy Dat]

A few bad sequences for us, starting with Kyrie's attempted over the shoulder pass. Let's pick up the energy a little...big runs start slow.

[ajgoodfella7]

All these fouls are ruining a great game.

[dukebluelemur]

Ive never seen this many traveling calls in a season, let alone a game. What happened to the days of Hans being allowed to walk all the way from center court without dribbling.

[DevilHorns]

Has Dickie V ever said anything bad about ANY coach, ever?

The guy praises everyone. It's out of control.

[TampaDukie]

In my next life, I want to come back as Kyrie Irving.

[ajgoodfella7]

Even though Kyrie has missed a few layups tonight, his strength and body control going to basket under duress is amazing.

[deezl]

Pullen should be nominated in our MOTM poll this game. :p

[striker219]

My Duke t-shirt is wet from the drooling over Kyrie Irving.

I'm not drooling, but my cat keeps staring at me like I'm a crazy person because of the nonstop cackling. Ha. So much fun.

[Mabdul Doobakus]

In my next life, I want to come back as Kyrie Irving.

I've already decided to name my first 3 kids Kyrie. After that, we'll see.

[DukieInBrasil]

Kyrie! Wow I liked his game before tonight but I am a believer now. He has done some amazing stuff. He just absolutely dominates the ball, scoring with either hand, just impossible to contain!

[Gthoma2a]

I love Kyrie. I want him to not have the nerves on his fastbreak lay-ins (thus I kind of want a dunk here and there on some of those where he misses the Scheyer shot), but he is phenomenal. Him and Kemba Walker would be nuts. Skill with experience or insane skill and a plethora of other options.

[NSDukeFan]

Pullen should be nominated in our MOTM poll this game. :p

I don't think you want to be a super scoring guard against Duke. Randle, Dunn and now Pullen have all struggled vs. Duke.

[Vincetaylor]

This game is all about Kyrie. He is the best player on the court.

[millerecu]

My wife and I are expecting our first child in the next 2 weeks. She asked me to practice my silent cheering tonight.....Kyrie is NOT making it easy for me.

[CampbellBlueDevil]

Singler is so awkward on his drives but almost always draws contact.

[DevilHorns]

Singler is ridiculously tough. He just got rough-housed on that last drive, looked like he was getting slammed from 2 trucks. Sink the FTs baby.

[ajgoodfella7]

I love Kyrie. I want him to not have the nerves on his fastbreak lay-ins (thus I kind of want a dunk here and there on some of those where he misses the Scheyer shot), but he is phenomenal. Him and Kemba Walker would be nuts. Skill with experience or insane skill and a plethora of other options.

I don't really think its nerves. All his missed layups were really in traffic where he had to put a spin on the ball.

[jacone21]

This last 5 minutes are going to be a grinder.

[ajgoodfella7]

I believe K-State has 3 assists and 19 turnovers tonight!

[CampbellBlueDevil]

I am really impressed with Dawkins this year... very valuable throughout every game

[Jderf]

"It's been brick city, turnover city. When you have too many cities it's never good." - Dick Vitale

[Mabdul Doobakus]

I really enjoyed that K State Misery Montage they just put together. I missed Frank Martin going all Karate Kid on his clipboard earlier.

[DevilHorns]

Kyrie has absolutely shredded Pullen tonight. Very impressive performance against a pre-season All-American.

[NSDukeFan]

Kyrie has absolutely shredded Pullen tonight. Very impressive performance against a pre-season All-American.

Agree completely. What a performance by a freshman.

[Billy Dat]

I'd have thought K-State was shooting a worse percentage, I guess that's where all the turnovers come into play.

The stall ball always gives me heart palpitations...was glad to see Andre make that baseline J because Nolan and Kyle playing catch 25 feet from the basket was going nowhere.

[millerecu]

They keep talking about Pullen having an "off night". I am pretty sure that is being caused by Duke's suffocating defense. I love it.

[Bluedevil114]

Lets run this 3 minutes and get off the decal court before some one gets hurt. Great game Duke!! Finish it out.

[ajgoodfella7]

Dre Dirty Money!

[Jderf]

Dawkins passes up the open three so we can kill twenty seconds, then gets the ball back at the end of the shot clock to hit the exact same shot. Has the universe ever been so just?

[DevilHorns]

800 wins at Duke for K!

[Eternal Outlaw]

Glad Dick got his usual self promotion of never losing a game shtick in. Thought the streak would be broken there for a sec.

[Vincetaylor]

This is an awfully impressive win. We look awesome for this early in the season.

[ajgoodfella7]

Welp, I'm satisfied!!!

[dukestheheat]

Kyrie's coming out party. By far the MOTM tonight and big game for Duke!

dth.

[Jeff0r3]

Just flat out AWESOME performance.... Irving is a beast!

[CBDUKE]

Great tourney. Coming out for both Mason and Kyrie. GO DUKE!