MBB: Duke 82, Kansas State 68 Post Game Thread

[Bob Green]

Discuss the game here.

[SCMatt33]

Two thoughts:

1. Wow
2. Happy Thanksgiving

[camion]

Two thoughts:

1. Wow
2. Happy Thanksgiving

This.

Just WOW!

[Bluedevil114]

What is great about duke this year is that every night it will be a new guy carrying the load. Last year it was the big three, this year it could be the great eight!! Go duke!!

[ajgoodfella7]

Two thoughts:

1. Wow
2. Happy Thanksgiving

Just to add to that:

I think our guards might be decent this year.

[uh_no]

kyle has many fewer shots than kyrie and nolan

kyle only had 2 FT.....

he's not gonna get any sort of awards unless he can get up there with the other guys in points

[Jderf]

K-State's A/TO: 5-21
Duke's A/TO: 14-13

There's the game right there. Our perimeter defense just strangles our opponents.

[wacobluedevil]

What is great about duke this year is that every night it will be a new guy carrying the load. Last year it was the big three, this year it could be the great eight!! Go duke!!

Precisely. A great group of players who understand their strengths and how to blend them with the strengths of their teammates.

[ajgoodfella7]

kyle has many fewer shots than kyrie and nolan

kyle only had 2 FT.....

he's not gonna get any sort of awards unless he can get up there with the other guys in points

I think Kyle will gladly trade his individual awards for a few more team awards.

[dukeblue1206]

Wow. Kyrie really made Pullen look bad. It seemed to me like after Kyrie used him a couple of times in the first few minutes he lost his game and I think he knew he had nothing for him.

Time to go to Oregon and do some Duck hunting!!

[BattierBattalion]

Fantastic win by Duke. I love our offense and defense.

Few thoughts:
1.) K-State is not the 4th best team in the nation now. If they can't force turnovers, they're nothing.
2.) In the Yahoo Rival point guard rankings, Jacob Pullen is 1st and Kyrie is 4th. This game made Kyrie look like 1st and Pullen look 121st.
3.) First a coming out game yesterday by Mason and today by Kyrie. This team is so potent from many different players. You really have to pick your poison.
4.) Fantastic road win! That was a tough atmosphere that even got to the refs. We just went in and played our game.

[jacone21]

In his post-game after Marquette, Coach K said some things about preparation. Man, did he have our guys prepared tonight. Just excellent execution of a game plan. Definitely worth the red eyes and yawns in the morning.

We have some talented and tough dudes on this team. Go Duke!

[Bluedevil114]

Is that now five straight tournament wins for Duke and six for Coach K?

[TampaDukie]

Excellent, excellent game. I thought going into the season that this would be a tougher game than the Michigan State game, since it effectively was a road game. Glad to see us have such a convincing performance.

[jv001]

kyle has many fewer shots than kyrie and nolan

kyle only had 2 FT.....

he's not gonna get any sort of awards unless he can get up there with the other guys in points

you are kidding right? Individual awards? wonder if Kyle has this same mind set? Great night for our guys. Great defense and Kyrie was sensational. Go Duke!

[Lord Ash]

Fantastic. Particularly loved, with about two minutes to go, when Dre faked that three that was fairly open, but smartly passed it back to get more seconds off the clock.

And how was he rewarded?

A three some 20+ seconds later.

Anyone else notice that one?:) Very smart... a great play that even the Duke fans in attendance appreciated.

I love what I see from this team in terms of chemistry; they just seem to be a really bonded group, from the 13th guy up through the coaching staff.

Great win; congrats to the team and Coach K on #800.

[uh_no]

I think Kyle will gladly trade his individual awards for a few more team awards.

I think he would also like a high draft position, but either way

I think this team is better when kyle is getting shots, when kyle is getting to the line, and when kyle is scoring

now perhaps he is in a funk, and perhaps the team's we've played aren't conducive to his scoring, but at some point we're going to NEED his scoring, and this offense has to prove it can run in such a way that can get him touches which lead to scores

[roywhite]

Great win, guys.

Only two things to gripe about (and not Duke's fault)

1. Decals that cause players to slip---downright unsafe and cause unnecessary turnovers
2. Refs---way too many foul calls, and not consistent

Congrats on your 800th at Duke, Mike Krzyzewski.

[Billy Dat]

Let's say we knew what we were getting with Kyle and Nolan.

Let's say we hoped Kyrie would be this good.

Let's say we hoped Seth, Miles and Ryan would be about what they have been, which is very solid.

Which leads to what I can't get over...who knew we'd get this much from Mason and Andre this soon? Fantastic.

Great win. Kyrie is really a revelation. What fantastic defense.

[Bluedevil114]

Fantastic win by Duke. I love our offense and defense.

Few thoughts:
1.) K-State is not the 4th best team in the nation now. If they can't force turnovers, they're nothing.
2.) In the Yahoo Rival point guard rankings, Jacob Pullen is 1st and Kyrie is 4th. This game made Kyrie look like 1st and Pullen look 121st.
3.) First a coming out game yesterday by Mason and today by Kyrie. This team is so potent from many different players. You really have to pick your poison.
4.) Fantastic road win! That was a tough atmosphere that even got to the refs. We just went in and played our game.

Agreed but the problem is you cant pick the Kyrie poison because no one is able to stay in front of the guy.

[Poincaré]

I'm impressed with a lot of things. One of them: The backcourt depth is real. Andre and Seth are making it easier for Nolan and Kyrie.

[BattierBattalion]

One more thing, we've all been wondering about who Lance Thomas' replacement is. That is the guy who makes play and does the dirty work. I think it's Kyle. I think statistically it's going to be an underwhelming year for him but toward the benefit of a better team.

[BattierD12]

Andre Dawkins is really channeling some Redick in these away game environments (Wisconsin, Baylor, Marquette, K-State). He just loves silencing those crowds.

[quota]

My MOTM tonight: Coach K.

First, for getting win number 800 against a tough, well-coached Kansas State squad and second, for making the adjustments necessary to withstand several spirited runs by the Wildcats.

Several times, when KSt cut the lead to 5 points or 11 points, Coach K called a timeout, settled our guys down and made the adjustments we needed to take back control of the game.

It's a privilege to be able to watch him coach right now.

[tb3]

Defense was extremely focused and intense from the beginning--caused Jacob Pullen to pull a Mark Macon. Contributions from everyone. Congratulatiosn Coach K on Number 800 at Duke!

[BigZ]

Teams are focusing in on Singler and trying to stop him that is why he isn't scoring in bunches, once the opponents start focusing their defensive game plan on Smith and Irving, Kyle Singler will score.

[moonpie23]

I'm impressed.....much like last season, when things got tight, SOMEONE rose to blow it back open...


wow...


freaking WOW......


oh yeah.......

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

[Bluedevil114]

One more thing, we've all been wondering about who Lance Thomas' replacement is. That is the guy who makes play and does the dirty work. I think it's Kyle. I think statistically it's going to be an underwhelming year for him but toward the benefit of a better team.

That will change as teams start to prepare to stop Kyrie and Dre/Curry and then you will see more opportunities for Kyle. Kyle will be our leading scorer this year.

[timmy c]

1) Duke was cold hearted killers on the defensive end tonight; 21 TO’s, 18% from three for K-state.
2) KI took Pullen completely out of the game by forcing him to stop him on the offensive end and forcing the ball out of his hands on the defensive end. Pullen’s pedestrian game stats: 4 pts. 1/12 (1/8 3pt) 1 asst. 4 TO. Irving made Pullen look silly as he drove the lane.
3) K-State … free throw shooting???
4) The box score won’t show it, but Kyle is doing the intangible stuff that will give this team a chance to win the NC. This was his best game this season.
5) Mason has a solid game. He gives Duke another weapon.

[BleedsP287]

Kyrie on display tonight, definitely gets my vote for MOTM.
Everyone played well tonight, and great minutes off the bench from Miles tonight, nice to see him get some good touches and a couple of clutch free throws to keep our dwindling lead there in second half.

We looked like number 1 tonight, I was hopeful but skeptical but we showed some skillery out there tonight. 1am and my blood pressure is still too high to sleep!

[timmy c]

No K-state starter scores in double figures... Defense, baby!

[cruxer]

2) KI took Pullen completely out of the game by forcing him to stop him on the offensive end and forcing the ball out of his hands on the defensive end. Pullen’s pedestrian game stats: 4 pts. 1/12 (1/8 3pt) 1 asst. 4 TO. Irving made Pullen look silly as he drove the lane.

^this exactly

I think Pullen was a bit dejected by the ease with which KI was able to blow by him and that dejection affected his offense! I was so proud of how our guys handled that hostile environment and I love that we get such a spark from our 6,7, and 8 guys. Miles looked fantastic tonight although he didn't score a lot of points.

BTW, after tonight's performance, Pullen should expect guys to go at him on the offensive end a lot until he can prove that it won't doom his offensive game. This is one reason these early tests are so good win or lose. Guys test and show your weaknesses so you can go improve them! Of course it's always best to get those tests in a win.

-c

[roywhite]

Kyrie on display tonight, definitely gets my vote for MOTM.
Everyone played well tonight, and great minutes off the bench from Miles tonight, nice to see him get some good touches and a couple of clutch free throws to keep our dwindling lead there in second half.

We looked like number 1 tonight, I was hopeful but skeptical but we showed some skillery out there tonight. 1am and my blood pressure is still too high to sleep!

Just announced...Kyrie Irving as Tournament MVP.

Well deserved.

Kyrie and Mason on 1st team All-Tournament

[jipops]

kyle has many fewer shots than kyrie and nolan

kyle only had 2 FT.....

he's not gonna get any sort of awards unless he can get up there with the other guys in points

The great thing about Kyle is I don't think he cares. He only wants to win, he doesn't care what his stats are.

[delfrio]

Anyone think they need to check Frank Martin's basement for bodies? That guy could star in an eponymous psycho killer flick. K seemed to get along well with him though.

[uh_no]

this proves once and for all that K can't win on the road

[Jderf]

this proves once and for all that K can't win on the road

Duke hasn't won a true road game all year!!!

[Ultrarunner]

1) Duke was cold hearted killers on the defensive end tonight; 21 TO’s, 18% from three for K-state.
2) KI took Pullen completely out of the game by forcing him to stop him on the offensive end and forcing the ball out of his hands on the defensive end. Pullen’s pedestrian game stats: 4 pts. 1/12 (1/8 3pt) 1 asst. 4 TO. Irving made Pullen look silly as he drove the lane.
3) K-State … free throw shooting???
4) The box score won’t show it, but Kyle is doing the intangible stuff that will give this team a chance to win the NC. This was his best game this season.
5) Mason has a solid game. He gives Duke another weapon.

We actually have a couple of folks that are filling those roles. Ryan and Miles have both been doing solid work that doesn't show up big on the stat sheet. Good rotations, playing defense with their feet and decent positioning on rebounds. The effort by Miles on the rebound where he took it away and hit Nolan with the pass was gorgeous. They haven't been flashy but we don't need them to be.

[roywhite]

Coach K on radio postgame:

I'm so proud of our team, outstanding performance....defensively we were great...our guards did great job of controlling their guards...Kyrie and Nolan on Pullen...Miles P. gave us a big spark...team effort...March game in November...prepares us well for ACC....K-State an outstanding team...could see them again....nice to get 800 with this type of game...first championship with this group...Happy Thanksgiving to all our fans.

[uh_no]

anybody just see the recap?

-called andre 'andre hawkins'
-said miles had a great night last night with 25 against marquette
-thought this was the maui invitational

[cptnflash]

We're really, really good. Still having some trouble stopping the opposing team's big guys, but our perimeter is so much better both ways than anyone else's it might not matter.

My two favorite plays of the game came in the last two minutes:

1) Kyle Singler, consensus All-American who could be in the NBA right now, takes a charge with 1:30 to play in a game that's already been decided. How many other teams' best players would do that?

2) Andre Dawkins passes up a wide open three just to run an extra 20 seconds off the clock, once again in a situation where the game has already been decided. How many players of Andre's talent that are coming off the bench would pass up the chance to pad their own stats to do the right thing, when the win is already guaranteed?

That is Duke basketball. If you're on the court, you play the right way, period. I love these guys. And hats all the way off to Coach K for recruiting kids that are willing to buy in and teaching them the right way to play the game.

P.S. Kyrie is ridiculously good. He should have had an "And 1" on almost every drive tonight.

[jipops]

I want to give some props to Miles in this one. He had another miserable 1st half with 3 quick fouls. He could have easily mailed it in mentally but fought very hard in the 2nd half grabbing key rebounds, played great D, got a steal, and nailed his free throws. It doesn't look like a big deal in the box score but I loved how he appeared completely locked into the game even after struggling. This is huge that we have guys with this type of attitude. I feel confident he is turning a corner here.

[loran16]

Duke turned over the ball a lot in the 2nd half (First half had like 2-4 TOs). Duke gave up too many offensive boards.

Duke won by 14, and the margin wasn't that close at the end (was 19 at one point). That's scary.

This team is playing 20 minutes at most of basketball at their full potential. Imagine this team in march.....yikes.

[Kedsy]

I think he would also like a high draft position, but either way

My guess is the pro scouts are liking what they're seeing from Kyle so far. He's handling the ball well, he's defending well, and his shooting form looks great. He gives the impression that the college game is slow and easy for him. And when the team needs him to shift into extra high gear, he does. He looks like a pro out there; he should do fine in the draft.

[timmy c]

P.S. Kyrie is ridiculously good. He should have had an "And 1" on almost every drive tonight.

Yes^ Kyrie is so fast that the Ref's are going to have to get accustomed to his speed and ability to change direction.

[House G]

I don't watch much NBA basketball so I don't get to see many guards better than Kyrie. He is scary-good! Hard to believe the kid is a freshman. He absolutely abused a preseason AA on both ends of the court.

[ajgoodfella7]

anybody just see the recap?

-called andre 'andre hawkins'
-said miles had a great night last night with 25 against marquette
-thought this was the maui invitational

LOL I was just about to post this. I thought they read from a teleprompter?

[uh_no]

LOL I was just about to post this. I thought they read from a teleprompter?

i think that's just the problem....that the guy at the teleprompter tonight might have had 1 too many maui wowies

[gls6]

Kansas State sucked it up big time. We played pretty well, but this was a yawner. Don't get me wrong - I love to see Duke blow a team out. The refs were calling fouls every 5 seconds and would not let the guys play basketball and that was annoying.

My thoughts: Miles Plumlee is disappointing as usual (holding a player's jersey, come on, man!) and Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith are incredible. Kyle Singler is constantly taking difficult shots like he is Kobe. I like it when he gets to the foul line or actually makes it, but often it seems like the team could come up with a better shot. And just when you roll your eyes, he makes a big 3! I love this Duke team and I am so glad that college basketball is back!

[uh_no]

just pointing this out but no other team in the country looks remotely good right now

we just waxed #4, and after watching what uconn did to MSU, i'm quite confident the attrition would have been worse if we had MSU tonight

kentucky looked okay, but nothing special....

i just can't fathom anyone who is even in our league right now

[ajgoodfella7]

just pointing this out but no other team in the country looks remotely good right now

we just waxed #4, and after watching what uconn did to MSU, i'm quite confident the attrition would have been worse if we had MSU tonight

kentucky looked okay, but nothing special....

i just can't fathom anyone who is even in our league right now

I think Ohio State is the only other team putting up a great showing right now.

[Starter]

Michigan State's always far, far better in March and April than they are in November. I wouldn't make a lot of their loss tonight.

But yeah, in a watered-down college basketball landscape, Duke looks phenomenal both independent of and relative to the other teams out there.

[Jderf]

Still having some trouble stopping the opposing team's big guys, but our perimeter is so much better both ways than anyone else's it might not matter.

I was wondering about this. It cannot be denied that our perimeter defense is absurdly good: we apply enormous amounts of on-ball pressure, guard the three point line like a fortress, rotate well, and consistently deny the entry pass.

However, when that entry pass does squeak through, it seems like we struggle to stop offensively skilled forwards. This could explain why our defense could be so incredibly strong (K-ST: 21 TOs, 18% 3PT) while still allowing K-State to shoot a decent clip from the floor (47%). In fact, if you consider their two-point shooting in isolation, K-State performed very well: they shot 24-41, for 58.5% from inside the arc.

But, like cptnflash says, there's a good chance that we are so strong in every other aspect of basketball that this simply might not matter.

[timmy c]

just pointing this out but no other team in the country looks remotely good right now

we just waxed #4, and after watching what uconn did to MSU, i'm quite confident the attrition would have been worse if we had MSU tonight

kentucky looked okay, but nothing special....

i just can't fathom anyone who is even in our league right now

It's early, but the Buckeyes have the talent and experience to be considered in the same breath as Duke.

[cptnflash]

i just can't fathom anyone who is even in our league right now

Two words: Ohio State.

[uh_no]

It's early, but the Buckeyes have the talent and experience to be considered in the same breath as Duke.

maybe the same breath.....but at the extreme opposite end of the that breath....

again without having played ANYONE yet, i'm not ready to make a call on OSU yet....

[ajgoodfella7]

maybe the same breath.....but at the extreme opposite end of the that breath....

again without having played ANYONE yet, i'm not ready to make a call on OSU yet....

They did blow out #10 Florida on the road by 18 points.

[cptnflash]

Two more observations:

1) How about Seth Curry with 5 steals?!?! He is earning minutes with defense, which is great to see from such a talented scorer. Way to go, kid!

2) We got crushed on the glass. Not good.

[timmy c]

maybe the same breath.....but at the extreme opposite end of the that breath....

again without having played ANYONE yet, i'm not ready to make a call on OSU yet....

Florida isn't the sisters of the poor and needy. The buckeyes looked dominant in their 93-75 victory.

[Ultrarunner]

My thoughts: Miles Plumlee is disappointing as usual (holding a player's jersey, come on, man!) and Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith are incredible. Kyle Singler is constantly taking difficult shots like he is Kobe. I like it when he gets to the foul line or actually makes it, but often it seems like the team could come up with a better shot. And just when you roll your eyes, he makes a big 3! I love this Duke team and I am so glad that college basketball is back!

Obviously you are unacqauinted with the Zoubek Effect. Patient watching would see that Miles is progressing steadily and doing a lot of the grunt work. Like forcing a turnover or two. Making a great pass to Nolan. Being in position on defense.

Kyle does force things. He always has, he always will. One thing that I really like about this Duke team is that they are almost always on the attack and Kyle exemplifies this attitude. Yes, he puts up some clunkers (as did Nolan tonight) but that's the price you pay for aggressiveness and the end result is usually pretty good. I'll take it.

Last years' team was relentless. This one is figuring it out. When Seth swiped the ball in the first half, he eased up going to the bucket for the lay up and had it stripped. When he swiped it in the second half, he didn't make that mistake and scored the bucket.

Speaking of Seth, his defense is getting better. Not where it needs to be yet but he's improving pretty quick.

[ajgoodfella7]

Two more observations:

1) How about Seth Curry with 5 steals?!?! He is earning minutes with defense, which is great to see from such a talented scorer. Way to go, kid!

2) We got crushed on the glass. Not good.

We were actually dead even in rebounds with about 6 minutes to go when the game was still competitive (not score-wise, but time-wise). K-State was crashing the boards at the end and pulled away some offensive boards and pulled away in the rebound department.

[uh_no]

They did blow out #10 Florida on the road by 18 points.

you don't say?

yeah kinda missed that.....I personally think florida is overrated....but I also have a general hatred for the big 10 and the SEC and will always think they're overrated.....

[gam7]

My guess is the pro scouts are liking what they're seeing from Kyle so far. He's handling the ball well, he's defending well, and his shooting form looks great. He gives the impression that the college game is slow and easy for him. And when the team needs him to shift into extra high gear, he does. He looks like a pro out there; he should do fine in the draft.

I don't think Kyle has done much to change scouts' perception of him so far. I do think that however Kyle performs during the second half of the season will weigh much, much more heavily in scouts' minds than how he performs before the ACC regular season begins. Also, to the extent that NBA types continue to consider Singler and Gordon Heyward to be comparable players with comparable potential, scouts may think they'll have some idea of what to expect from Kyle based on what Heyward does this year as well.

[Greg_Newton]

One of the most impressive things about Kyrie on the break is how good he is at getting to the rim at full speed without charging. He does this by going right at the defender and rotating his hips back and forth so many times as he's dribbling that the defender can never get a line on where he's heading - he fakes right and left and virtually every dribble.

I love how much confidence Andre seems to have all the time now. He seems to be thinking and moving at a very fast pace all the time, and is never thinking about anything but what's about to happen. Plus, he just hits some big shots. If we really need one and he gets his feet set, you just know it's going in.

Mason seems to be learning how to just "score the ball" a little better rather than trying to set himself up for something spectacular every time he shoots. I thought the best example of this was last night when he kind of awkwardly but effectively split a post doubleteam for a sideways lefty layup - his length and skill really make him effective when he's looking for that kind of simple play.

I was surprised Ryan didn't play more, especially near the end of the game. Is he not the perfect candidate for stall ball big guy?

Nolan has seemed to be thinking a little slower this week though. He'll make his first move, but won't really have anything in mind once he gets into the lane. I'm sure he'll figure it out though, I'm not really worried about him.

[uh_no]

Nolan has seemed to be thinking a little slower this week though. He'll make his first move, but won't really have anything in mind once he gets into the lane.

Nolans thought: Sweet! I just blew by the primary defender and got to the lane.....wait there was something I was supposed to do once I got to the lane....theres this ball and that hoop...what was I doing here agin?....screw it...i'm hungry....anyone else want some white castle?

[Greg_Newton]

Which leads to what I can't get over...who knew we'd get this much from Mason and Andre this soon? Fantastic.

Seriously. Combining for 53 points in two early season games is impressive... but against Marquette and KSU, it's really big time. They were making very important shots.

The way they're playing right now, they'd be a pretty good 1-2 option for another ACC team. That's saying something for guys we expected to be our 5th and 6th options!

[ElSid]

Go find Kyle's preseason comments - something to the effect of not trying to be someone who he isn't; on or off the court. The guy is zen, knows what he is good at doing, cares deeply about winning. Beyond that? It will work itself out.

I don't think he cares much about his individual accolades and will end up in the first round regardless, barring complete catastrophe. However, if he plays about this level and leads his team to great success, there is always a "victory premium" for the NBA. The NBA cares about winning. He will look great being the senior glue guy on an awesome team, having come from a position of MOP in previous year final four. No one wants or expects him to be Carmelo Anthony...least of all, Kyle. Right? It's not who he is.

I think Kyle's demeanor is a key to this team. And so far it is looking to be a very positive factor. It's not surprising to me because his demeanor is the same...as he said it would be. So refreshing. Just hope we continue these good vibes. Everyone contributing to the level that they are able. Everyone doing what the team needs from them in that situation. It's what makes Duke Basketball fun for me. They have a chance to just win and win and win. Not saying undefeated, but I doubt they have any "disappointing effort" wins. If Duke loses, it will be because they get beat.

I think Kyle's senior leadership is the non vocal, get it done where it needs to get done type. Perfect for this team. Whoever said he is this year's Lance Thomas might have been right...a testament to the embarrassment of riches on this team (no love lost for LT of course).

[strawbs]

Anybody else love the way kyle hits midrange baseline jumpers like its nothing? That is a tough shot and I don't know about anyone else, but I always trust him to make that shot, and it seems to be a huge momentum builder/changer every time he takes it.

I also love how nolan has really developed the floater/pull up jumper in the lane over his career. He can hit that floater as well as anyone in college basketball right now.

It is so nice to have a pt guard like Kyrie who can get into the lane whenever he wants and is great at drawing contact and finishing.

Dawkins shot is a thing of a beauty. He is playing with so much confidence right now, it seems like he really believes every shot he takes is going to go in, and more often then not they do. Hope he keeps playing with this confidence all year

The same thing goes for seth. Though he's struggled a little bit with his shot so far, he's got a shooters mentality that everything is going to go in and he's not afraid to shoot the rock. He's going to have some big games this year.

It was great to see mason take his game to another level these past few games, hope he can keep it up. What has impressed me the most is that at least during the last two games he didn't commit any really stupid fouls.

Ryan has been solid and i expect that to stay that way.

I really hope Miles can get his confidence back, and i think he was starting to do that in the 2nd half tonight. I can't wait until he starts hitting those midrange jumpers like last year, because it will give us 1 more offensive weapon in the arsenal.

Man this team is fun to watch. GO DUKE!

[juise]

Loved:
-Perimeter defense. The steals and disrupted passes were fantastic. The K-State guards were shell-shocked.
-Kyrie's abuse of K-State's guards and strong finishes around the rim.
-Andre Dawkins's game. Diverse offense (the pass to Mason against Marquette was fantastic) and strong defense.
-Mason's continued aggressiveness on offense, which lead to many foul shots and another double digit point total.
-Establishing the backdoor cuts early to put the K-State defense on their heels.
-Kyle slithering to the rim during stall ball to draw a foul. Very crafty... vintage Kyle.
-Another mini-championship for Duke. This is like beating Baylor in Houston or Butler in Indy and it will be helpful come March.

Hated:
-The decals on the floor, but that's been covered.
-Weak fouls calls killing the pace of the game.

Room for Improvement:
-We got some UGLY shots in stall ball, specifically the ones Nolan forced on the run because we had very little movement off the ball. I think the team may have gotten a little stagnant after watching the Kyrie show all night.
-Mason's goaltending tendency should probably subside at some point. I don't think he needs to be less aggressive; just develop a better feel for the arc of the shot.
-I think Kyrie should consider retiring the no-look over-the-head pass for a while.
-50% from the line for Mason is better than 25%, but we know he can get his average up 15%-20%.

[gam7]

Loved:
-Establishing the backdoor cuts early to put the K-State defense on their heels.


Those early backdoor cuts were interesting to me. I don't think I've ever seen us (or anyone else) set up those cuts as far away from the basket as we did. The cuts seemed to be taking place around the foul line extended and it seemed as though the passes were being made just after crossing half court. We definitely stretched the defense with the way we ran those cuts.

[Oriole Way]

Pretty good article by Eamonn Brennan following the game:

New Dukies could be another classic team (http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/18690/new-dukies-could-be-another-classic-team)

His only minor point I disagree with:

"Freshman point guard Kyrie Irving might be the nation's best pure point guard, and he happens to be playing alongside the No. 2 candidate for that honor in Nolan Smith."

I don't consider Nolan a pure PG, and even if he was, I definitely wouldn't consider him the second best pure point guard in the nation. Second best guard, maybe.

[Saratoga2]

Having Kyrie at point just gives the other team defensive nightmares. When he handles the ball, the team plays fluidly and is very difficult to stop. His defense was also awesome.

Andre is showing why he should be a starter. Doesn't force his shots and seems poised. When he does shoot, he is deadly from the perimeter and can get to the rim if necessary. His defense has also really improved.

Mason is playing at a new level for him and is definitly an inside threat and can make it hard to score. Going with one big, Kyle and three guards is an effective lineup, but we do have trouble guarding inside when not as big.

Nolan is an effective scorer and will get his points. His defense is also very effective. I don't think he is as effective a point guard as he tends to dribble too much and gets the ball stuck along the side line. The team seems much less effective when he takes the point guard duties.

Seth is getting solid PT and is gradually finnding ways to help the team. He is a scorer and as he defense improves (multiple steals) he will become more effective. Perhaps he is a better second alternative at point, but to do that he has to look to make scoring opportunities for others.

Ryan's game is there now, except he is playing behind a terrific forward in Mason, so his PT is not what it would be on other teams. Miles game still needs work, but he is a very good athlete and a big strong player. Seeing him make his free throws in the seond half has to give the coaches confidence in his improvement and poise. The game will come to him as the season develops.

Tyler and Josh didn't get much PT, but should see increased time against weaker opponents.

This team just won back to back games away from home against quality opponents and are likely to keep the streak going on Monday.

[Cockabeau]

Nolan is the best combo guard in America

[roywhite]

Official Boxscore (https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf8/724769.pdf?ATCLID=205036397&SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200)

Great to see the performance of the backcourt especially:
Kyrie 17 pts 7-7 FT 6Asst 5Reb 2Stl
Nolan 17 pts 5 rebs 4 Asst
Andre 11 pts in 19 minutes 3-3 from 3-pt
Seth 6 pts 2 Asst 5 Steal

And great perimeter defense; the quality depth allows our guards to put great pressure on the ball and key on a player like Pullen.

[gw67]

Only the third game I’ve watched this year but there is a lot to like. Some observations:

• Irving had a very nice game to make up for the so-so games from Singler and Smith. He doesn’t have the strength of JWill but he is comparable at getting to the basket. He is also a very good passer and is money from the foul line.
• Like the other game against a competitive opponent, Smith, Singler, Plumlee and Irving each played over 30 minutes with Dawkins and Curry playing about 20 minutes each and Kelly/Plumlee playing about 10 minutes. Factors can certainly cause this to change but to my old eyes the first four players are the core of the team and will continue to play the majority minutes.
• Dawkins shot the ball well and Curry played the best all around game I’ve seen him play. He is not a particularly good man-on-man defensive player but he can be an asset defensively by playing the lanes.
• Singler has not really had a breakout game. He is doing a number of things well and I love that he does not back down from physical play but he has not approached the level of play expected from him (All American, top player in ACC, etc.).
• The Devils were beaten on the boards by a big, physical team but they more than made up for it by making the K State guards turn the ball over.
• The K State coach is quite a piece. He reminds me a little bit of my junior high and high school coaches over 50 years ago. We were very good and three of my teammates played college basketball but it didn’t seem to matter during practice and the games. He certainly got our attention. My coaches were typical of the coaches of that era (yellers and stompers!).
• This team is really fun to watch. They have a nice combination of size and quickness, and more good shooters that a college team has a right to have.

gw67

[Troublemaker]

Props to me for nailing this game dead on in the pre-game thread. (Although most of the work really belongs to Pomeroy. I just interpret).

KSU is a good team, a top 10 team, but they don't really have the profile of a team that would give Duke trouble. Not with their (for now) turnover-prone, no true point guard, 3-pt-shot-relying ways.

And Duke is fantastic. I'm usually in the habit of being contrarian. When everyone is down on Duke, I try to look at the positives. When everyone is hyping Duke, I try to find some question marks.

But I really can't do much with this team. We're loaded. It's the best Duke team since '01 and the 5th best Duke team of the Krzyzewski era (IMO, 1. 1992, 2. 2001, 3. 1999, 4. 1986, 5. 2011), which also makes it possibly the 5th best Duke team of all-time.

This isn't to say there won't be struggles and losses along the way. There always are, and heck, Duke might lose to Michigan St. in a week. Who knows. But the pieces fit together really well this season and those individual pieces are very talented. I am completely and thoroughly enjoying this season.

[MChambers]

• Singler has not really had a breakout game. He is doing a number of things well and I love that he does not back down from physical play but he has not approached the level of play expected from him (All American, top player in ACC, etc.).
I agree that Kyle hasn't yet had a big offensive game, but remember that last year he struggled in the first couple of months of the year before coming on strong. I'm confident that he will get better as the season goes on. I think he's learning a new role this year, or perhaps several new roles. He's no longer needed so much to handle the ball. Instead, we need him to be a defensive stopper. Also, he's focusing on being a leader, and that is a big change.

We are so lucky to have such a versatile, unselfish star.

[DukieInBrasil]

• Dawkins shot the ball well and Curry played the best all around game I’ve seen him play. He is not a particularly good man-on-man defensive player but he can be an asset defensively by playing the lanes.
gw67

I don't know bout that, he picked KSU guards' pockets in man-2-man situations on multiple occasions and seems to have a knack for getting his hands on the ball. Seems he has really quick hands, even if he doesn't have the quickness to contain fast guards, although I think he's plenty quick to guard most guards.

[CharlestonDevil]

Can we play UNC tomorrow? If Kyrie and Nolan did THAT to an All American I can barely imagine what they will do to Ol' Roy's backcourt.

[wtm001]

I love this comment I read on yahoo sports. :p


Wildcats coach Frank Martin was asked if he thought Duke was the top team in college basketball.

“They just beat the living (expletive) out of us, he said. “If there’s one better, I don’t want to play them.”

full article.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news;_ylt=AkMELo1fmXTw6cumPJovkPbevbYF?slug=jn-irving112410

[gw67]

I don't know bout that, he picked KSU guards' pockets in man-2-man situations on multiple occasions and seems to have a knack for getting his hands on the ball. Seems he has really quick hands, even if he doesn't have the quickness to contain fast guards, although I think he's plenty quick to guard most guards.

Your point is well taken but, based on a small data set, he has trouble staying with quick guards and does not have the size to play the bigger guards. I may change my mind after seeing a few more games.

Regardless, I think that he can be an asset like Juan Dixon was for Maryand a few years back. Dixon wasn't the quickest, fastest or strongest guard but he was an excellent defensive player in college. Curry appears to have quick hands and the smarts to play the lanes and to anticipate passes.

gw67

[Duke76]

From a ESPN article,

the following quote,


"Coach K has this down to a science, people," Pullen said. "And it's a great science, man."

http://espn.go.com/blog/CollegeBasketballNation/post/_/id/18690/new-dukies-could-be-another-classic-team

[Chitowndevil]

My favorite thing about last night's game was that each player really had his time to shine. My thoughts (sorry for any repetition):


Absolutely awesome game by Kyrie Irving. He looked like the best player on the floor last night. Tell me again which freshman was a pre-season All American (sorry, couldn't resist)?
I thought Ryan Kelly set the tone early one defense on a play where he picked up Pullen outside of the arc and stayed with him all the way to the hoop, forcing a difficult shot from the baseline.
Great comments from the ESPN guys on Andre Dawkins. He has the kind of shot (as Chris Collins comments at one point during All Access) where you don't need to watch the ball to see if it's good. He's also showing flashes of a great all court game.
I also agree with their comment about Kyle playing a very good all around game that didn't show up in the stat line. His midrange game was on full display and you have to love his defense.
Seth Curry likewise played a lot better than his line would indicate. His four point play and assist on a transition 3 by Dre put Duke up for good in the game. I still think he's getting beat a little too often on defense but is really good at getting his hands on the ball even in less than ideal position.
Like late last year, I love how Nolan stepped up in the second half and took some tough shots when it looked like K-State might get back into the game. We'll need that less with this year's team, and some of those shots looked forced, but I still love that Nolan is absolutely fearless on the court.
As many have said, we all need to get off Miles Plumlee's back. He's making the kind of hustle plays that justify letting him work through his mini-funk. The loose ball pickup and pass to Nolan was a great heads up play.
While I think a couple of Mason's goaltending calls were on shots that weren't necessarily going in, you have to wonder whether the intimidation value (almost) makes up for it.

[CEF1959]

Pullen thinks K has it down to a science? Ha! Coach K has lost his edge. He's always been overrated, though he's not bad. But he can't recruit top players anymore, and his work in international basketball is hurting him at Duke. Oh, and he might bolt for the NBA tomorrow. Which could use him, because the players Duke sends to the NBA aren't that good.

But seriously folks...

Too many weapons for the competition. Great defense. And nobody can guard KI. This is going to be a long sweet season.

When your all-American senior isn't the star of any of your games, but you are still winning against other good teams, you have a very good team.

[millerecu]

While I think a couple of Mason's goaltending calls were on shots that weren't necessarily going in, you have to wonder whether the intimidation value (almost) makes up for it.


I was thinking the same thing. Mason is just making them think twice about coming in the next time.....plus its not allowing the other player to get into a "groove" shooting the ball.

[COYS]

What more is there to say? This was a great win that everyone has covered pretty well. Kyrie was fantastic . . . I'd venture to say he was even better on defense than he was on offense, tonight. He's so fast, he got caught under ball screens a few times and STILL was able to jump around the screener to either prevent or at least challenge Pullen's shot. Miles played really well. Mason was solid. Nolan is still adjusting to leading the show in half court sets, but he still played well and was a terror on defense. Kyle is letting the team develop around him.

If I had to nitpick, I'd say that I still want to make sure Kyle gets more involved in the half court offense. There was a period in the second half where we had about 7 straight trips down the court without Kyle getting a touch. As much I love Kyrie's ability to drive and kick, I still want to see Kyle coming off screens on occasion. Perhaps it's time for Kyle to be Kyrie's screener and work a little pick n' pop with the two? If Kyrie can't make it all the way to the rim for a shot he can kick it to Kyle for the open three. Either way, I can't complain too much, but there will be a time when we need our Final Four MOP to carry the team again.

Coach K is obviously a genius, but I LOVED how each lineup combo at the beginning of the game seemed to have a few trick plays ready that were clearly planned in advance after the staff did some scouting of K State. The half court backdoor cut alley oop to Mason was . . . well, incredible. We worked that angle a few times and had a lot of success with it. Clearly the staff had the team prepared to look for that. I also love how when Curry comes into the game, he runs straight under the basket on offense. The opposing team's defender is often looking for him around the top of the key, being that he's a guard and he's expected to be either at the top of the key or on one of the wings. Curry waits a second to read which side the play is going to. If his defender has found him, Kyle or the other bigs set screens at the block for Curry to run around as he sprints to the corner for an open three. I just love how K gets Curry involved as quickly as possible when he steps onto the floor. In general, I thought Curry had quite the bounce back game, tonight. He only scored 6 points, but the 5 steals and excellent defense and energy were exactly what the doctor ordered.

[vabombers]

Started with Kyrie on down to Mason, Seth, Andre and Nolan. From what I saw Duke looked "alarmingly athletic" last night....

[rsvman]

A great win.

KI penetrates at will; reminds a bit of Lawson. When Lawson was slicing us up, I kept thinking, "Why doesn't somebody just stay in front of him?" It was very frustrating.

I'm sure the Kansas State fans were thinking the same thing about Kyrie last night. The thing is, nobody stays in front of him because they just can't.

[MChambers]

Isn't anyone going to point out that Duke's not shooting enough 3s? Only 12 attempts!;)

[tylervinyard]

Good

-Great defense on Pullen
-Matched physicality of KState
-Although Curtis Kelly played really well no one else really hurt us - seems like we played better interior defense than the Marquette game
-Forced 21 turnovers
-Great free throw percentage
-Ryan - that three was butter plus all those charges he took
-Andre - just looks like money now when he has the ball; I was sad for him when he picked up that second foul in the first half
-Kyrie - can take anyone off the dribble
-Mason - solid for a second game - no 25/12/5/4 but looked really good and confident out there and his free throws looked better over the length of the game - I really think he's overthinking at the line
-Miles - those free throws looked good suprisingly - he normally looks so awkward when he shoots
-Seth - deflections and steals oh my!
-Kyle - played like a rock

Bad

-Too many turnovers
-Nolan trying to be Kyrie too much - he's certainly capable of breaking people off the dribble, but sometimes when he has the ball he tends to dribble it too much
-You could tell Kyrie is a freshman at certain moments - the foul at the end of the first half, some showboat passes - but it's so early it's not really a concern, because look at how great he is already

Ugly

-Decals causing spills and nearly causing injuries
-Inconsistent refereeing

[Rudy]

Your point is well taken but, based on a small data set, he has trouble staying with quick guards and does not have the size to play the bigger guards. I may change my mind after seeing a few more games.

Regardless, I think that he can be an asset like Juan Dixon was for Maryand a few years back. Dixon wasn't the quickest, fastest or strongest guard but he was an excellent defensive player in college. Curry appears to have quick hands and the smarts to play the lanes and to anticipate passes.

gw67

Agree on the quick hands. Whoever said in the Colgate postgame thread that Seth was a defensive liability either got it wrong or motivated Seth. He's still learning, folks. He didn't likely have as many quick guards to guard at Liberty and the strength of our starting back court last year, against which Seth practiced, wasn't foot speed.

[Billy Dat]

A great win.

KI penetrates at will; reminds a bit of Lawson. When Lawson was slicing us up, I kept thinking, "Why doesn't somebody just stay in front of him?" It was very frustrating.

I'm sure the Kansas State fans were thinking the same thing about Kyrie last night. The thing is, nobody stays in front of him because they just can't.

I have been thinking the same thing, Kyrie reminds me a lot of Lawson. Lawson was built more like JWill, with that Emmitt Smith between-the-tackles style. Kyrie is taller and slighter, but he's got the ability to get in the lane that you mention, and Lawson's uncanny ability to protect the ball on his way to the rim. If you notice, Kyrie kind of protects the ball like a running back, with his forearm as he busts into the lane, and, like Lawson, that release near the rim is so deft and quick. I've always felt that it was Ty Lawson, and not so much Psycho-T, who killed us in the late Aughts...I am very happy to have a facsimile playing for my team.

[CDu]

Frank Martin's quotes from an ESPN article by Eamonn Brennan:

"Mike did a lot more to get his players ready to guard Jacob than I did to get our players ready to guard Kyrie," Martin said. "That's why he's won 800 games at Duke and a gazillion national championships. Because he's good. He took me to school today."

I like the fact that he put the responsibility for the loss on himself as a coach. For all the screaming and stares he gives during the game, he owns the losses rather than blaming the players.

Here's the link:
http://espn.go.com/blog/CollegeBasketballNation/post/_/id/18690/new-dukies-could-be-another-classic-team

[Starter]

You know, Steph Curry wasn't exactly a lockdown defender. He's not even really that now, though he's getting better. But he was a special player at Davidson, and he obviously still is. I'm fully aware you have to play defense to see the court in Krzyzewski's system, but I trust he sees Curry's unique talents for what they are and doesn't tether him to the bench. His defense will come along with more time spent on the court. I don't even think he's that bad to begin with, from the limited sample size we've seen, and he most certainly has quick hands and good instincts. Put him on the other team's least formidable threat and watch him play the passing lanes, take it the other way. The element he brings is most certainly an exciting one.

Man... KYRIE. I think he's better than John Wall was last year. More complete player. Certainly a better shooter and passer, better in the halfcourt, maybe not quite as blazing fast in transition but never picks up his dribble and certainly gets the job done. Sky's the limit.

[Bob Green]

A big takeaway from this victory is Mason Plumlee played 33 minutes and was never in foul trouble. That is a significant achievement in his development continuum.

[jv001]

You know, Steph Curry wasn't exactly a lockdown defender. He's not even really that now, though he's getting better. But he was a special player at Davidson, and he obviously still is. I'm fully aware you have to play defense to see the court in Krzyzewski's system, but let's hope he sees Curry's unique talents for what they are and doesn't tether him to the bench. His defense will come along with more time spent on the court. I don't even think he's that bad to begin with, from the limited sample size we've seen, and he most certainly has quick hands and good instincts. Put him on the other team's least formidable threat and watch him play the passing lanes, take it the other way.



I think Jon showed last year that you don't have to be blazingly fast to play good defense. Jon wasn't our best on the ball defender, but what he did do was fill the passing lanes and come away with steals. Curry is doing some of that now and will only get better. I really like his all around game. Go Duke!

[InSpades]

One of my favorite things from last night was Kyrie Irving at the foul line. I'm not sure if he hit a rim on any of his 7 shots. He's 21 of 23 for the season and with the way he's beating people off the dribble and getting into the lane he's going to spend a lot of time at the line.

Interesting that K had Irving gaurding Pullen instead of Nolan. It says a lot about Irving and he basically demoralized Pullen on both ends of the floor. If anything I think we are under-utilizing Kyrie. We should spread the floor more and open up the lane for him to drive. If they collapse into the lane then they are giving up an open 3 to someone. K-State didn't seem to have anyone who could stay in front of Kyrie.

The most scary thing is that I think this team has a lot of areas to improve on. Kyrie will get better. The offense will gel together even more. Hopefully the interior defense will improve as it's basically the only real weakness so far.

Duke just won what will likely be it's toughest game all year and it wasn't really as close as the score indicated. The odds of us playing a top 4 team in their home state again this year is pretty darn slim I would say.

[superdave]

One more thing, we've all been wondering about who Lance Thomas' replacement is. That is the guy who makes play and does the dirty work. I think it's Kyle. I think statistically it's going to be an underwhelming year for him but toward the benefit of a better team.

Agreed. Kyle is making a lot of hustle plays for us this year and giving up his stats to a large extent. I thought his move inside to help out defensively last night took away their quickness advantage on the interior. I think he's our designated defensive stopper who will adjust his game on the fly to take away what the other team is trying to do.

Kyle also started out slow offensively last year (Chronicle article: "Bench Singler") and dominated in the stretch run (NCAA MOP). So the team will change/grow/adjust over the season, that's for sure.

[CDu]

Gotta love the defensive effort. We pressured the perimeter just like the old days, and really took their guards/wings out of it. The isolation put a lot more pressure on the post guys to defend 1-on-1, and the result was a very good game from Curtis Kelly. But it appeared that the team decided that taking Pullen out of the game was priority #1 and defending Kelly/Samuels/Judge/Asprilla was secondary. And we most certainly accomplished priority #1.

I just can't say enough about the defensive pressure we applied on the perimeter. And it wasn't just in shutting down Pullen. The team harassed all of the guards into turnovers and well-defended shots. It was just fantastic work.

On the other side of the ball, it was the Irving show. He looked unbelievable off the dribble at times. For large stretches, nobody could stay in front of him. He got a bit wild occasionally, but a 2:1 A:TO ratio with 6 assists and 17 points on only 12 FGA is just terrific. Especially against one of the supposedly better teams in the country.

Offensively, I felt Dawkins was fantastic as well. He went 4-4 from the field, including some big threes. On defense, he had some unfortunate fouls on jumpshooters and fighting for rebounds. Hopefully he can trim those a bit.

Smith had a terrific defensive game and a solid offensive night, but I felt like he forced it a few times on offense unnecessarily.

But winning by 14 in essentially a road game against a top-5 opponent feels great. Good opponents make it difficult to do everything right, and KSU did make it a challenge at times. So winning by 14 says a lot about this team.

[mph]

As many have said, we all need to get off Miles Plumlee's back. He's making the kind of hustle plays that justify letting him work through his mini-funk. The loose ball pickup and pass to Nolan was a great heads up play.[/LIST]

Nice post. The thing that concerns me the most about Miles play right now is his tendency to commit bad fouls. I'm away from home and don't have access to my DVR, but IIRC Miles had two fouls 80 feet away from the basket and a third foul where he pulled a player's jersey from behind after getting beat on a drive (a play the K-State player easily finished). Obviously the game was called erratically which may have contributed to his overall foul trouble, but these three fouls seemed to be related to a lack of focus and awareness.

I agree with your primary point, though. Miles is playing with a lot of effort and I expect him to be an important contributor as we move toward ACC play. It's also nice that this team is strong enough to give him a chance to work though his slump without the future of each game hanging on his performance.

[Deslok]

The odd thing about my watching of this game, is how much I was thinking "Ok, we really need to learn to do that better, communicate more effectively, pull the ball out, or whatever." And this is while we are dismantling a top 5 team pretty much on the road. You can see how absolutely scary this team can become. They are good right now. Very good, as in #1 good. But stop and think about how we could have made some better decisions with the ball - too much forced one on one play - and all that and you realize just what Martin is referring to when he says "If there's a better team out there, I sure don't want to play them."

This is going to be a fun ride.

[superdave]

Bad

-Too many turnovers
-Nolan trying to be Kyrie too much - he's certainly capable of breaking people off the dribble, but sometimes when he has the ball he tends to dribble it too much
-You could tell Kyrie is a freshman at certain moments - the foul at the end of the first half, some showboat passes - but it's so early it's not really a concern, because look at how great he is already

Ugly

-Decals causing spills and nearly causing injuries
-Inconsistent refereeing

Nolan and Kyrie shot a combined 11-28, mostly because they decided to force shots at various points. I'd say we're hitting on about half our offensive cylinders right now because these guys are settling into roles, feeling each other out (TSA style!) and adjusting to the speed of the game and the new running offense. When we get through January and get settled, we're going to be a monster. but we're not even close yet, and still winning big.

Our defense is awesome already, and still has room to grow.

The refs may been getting paid per whistle last night. Blah.

[jv001]

Gotta love the defensive effort. We pressured the perimeter just like the old days, and really took their guards/wings out of it. The isolation put a lot more pressure on the post guys to defend 1-on-1, and the result was a very good game from Curtis Kelly. But it appeared that the team decided that taking Pullen out of the game was priority #1 and defending Kelly/Samuels/Judge/Asprilla was secondary. And we most certainly accomplished priority #1.

I just can't say enough about the defensive pressure we applied on the perimeter. And it wasn't just in shutting down Pullen. The team harassed all of the guards into turnovers and well-defended shots. It was just fantastic work.

On the other side of the ball, it was the Irving show. He looked unbelievable off the dribble at times. For large stretches, nobody could stay in front of him. He got a bit wild occasionally, but a 2:1 A:TO ratio with 6 assists and 17 points on only 12 FGA is just terrific. Especially against one of the supposedly better teams in the country.

Offensively, I felt Dawkins was fantastic as well. He went 4-4 from the field, including some big threes. On defense, he had some unfortunate fouls on jumpshooters and fighting for rebounds. Hopefully he can trim those a bit.

Smith had a terrific defensive game and a solid offensive night, but I felt like he forced it a few times on offense unnecessarily.

But winning by 14 in essentially a road game against a top-5 opponent feels great. Good opponents make it difficult to do everything right, and KSU did make it a challenge at times. So winning by 14 says a lot about this team.

Our pressure defense on the perimeter guys was fantastic. Stopping those guys was in my mind the key to winning the game. I know that KState has good interior players, but they were not going to beat us. Pullen was the key. Some fans will say that our bigs did not have an outstanding game, but I disagree. With the pressure applied to the perimeter, our bigs were not always in good rebounding position. However we held our own and came away with a 14 point win against one of the 5 best teams in the country. Also agree that Nolan played outstanding defense, but forced some shots that could have been bad news if we hadn't gotten back on defense. Great game this early in the season. Now let's beat Michigan State. Go Duke!

[kexman]

The chemistry on last years team was magical, but this team is super talented. Even if an opposing coach could make one player sit the entire game...we would still be scary talented.

Make Nolan or Kyrie sit for the game and the other 3 guards still probably make up the best backcourt in america. Make Kyle sit and we lose his versatility, but we can now play 3 terrific guards. Maybe make Mason sit since we are not as deep inside, but than you take your all-american and move him inside. Scary stuff.

Hopefully, it all comes together like last year...with this much talent I'm a little afraid they may not be battle tested...thankfully we have a difficult OOC this year even if the ACC appears down.

[theAlaskanBear]

Nolan and Kyrie shot a combined 11-28, mostly because they decided to force shots at various points. I'd say we're hitting on about half our offensive cylinders right now because these guys are settling into roles, feeling each other out (TSA style!) and adjusting to the speed of the game and the new running offense. When we get through January and get settled, we're going to be a monster. but we're not even close yet, and still winning big.

Our defense is awesome already, and still has room to grow.

The refs may been getting paid per whistle last night. Blah.

Yeah, the one complaint I have about Nolan and Kyle (more so Nolan than Kyle) is that they have a tendency to force shots. Part of that is confidence and being really good players -- they feel they can score on any particular possession. But during slow-down ball especially Nolan.

Both of them are struggling shooting the ball from the 3 right now. Think of how good we will be when they get their outside shot going? Singler is 6-21 and Smith is 6-19. The other Duke players are basically all at .500 or better. Dre leads the team with 12-22, Ryan has the best % at 4-6 (Thornton is discluded at 1-1).

On the plus side, it looks like Singler has really honed his midrange jump shot. He particularly loves that far baseline (the right baseline?). Nolan is compensating for his poor 3s by killing his two point shots: 27-42 (if I calculated correctly) and his overall % is .524

[DukeSean]

One thing my buddy and I kept noting were the repeated charge calls on K State. With some K State in attendance at the bar we were at, they kept snickering at the supposed flop calls. As for us, we just kept wondering why K State continued to do the same thing over and over. Even if you felt the first one or two were marginal calls, that ought to send you a message not to repeat. And yet, they kept repeating.

[HCheek37]

while the final numbers on the glass weren't great...did anyone else notice the number of imrpessive rebounds by Kyrie where he would just rise above taller and bigger Kstate players and snatch the rebound? 5 boards from him is solid.

Also Mason had an awesome rebound where he was clearly boxed out but went straight up and pulled the ball away in the 2nd half.

Miles did have some positive moments including the hustle play that lead to Nolan's and one, a Zoub-like tip out on the offensive glass, and a solid night at the free throw stripe.

Impressive...on to the great northwest for a homecoming brother matchup. Duke should be favored by 15-20

[JohnGalt]

My guess is the pro scouts are liking what they're seeing from Kyle so far. He's handling the ball well, he's defending well, and his shooting form looks great. He gives the impression that the college game is slow and easy for him. And when the team needs him to shift into extra high gear, he does. He looks like a pro out there; he should do fine in the draft.

This is an excellent post, Kedsy. Kyle REALLY showed off his advanced midrange game last night. Not only can he catch and shoot on the baseline, but he can do it while fading away WITH a hand in his face. THAT is NBA material and the scouts are totally digging it right now. It's obvious early that he won't be averaging 20+ points a game simply because of the number of scorers we can put on the floor at an given time, but that has not stopped him from showing what he can do offensively. His skill set allows him to step into the post, shift out to the midrange, or bury the three. It's just so natural for him and now - only a few games into the season - it's also readily apparent to us.

You put it perfectly though - the game just appears slow for him.


My thoughts: Miles Plumlee is disappointing as usual (holding a player's jersey, come on, man!) and Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith are incredible. Kyle Singler is constantly taking difficult shots like he is Kobe. I like it when he gets to the foul line or actually makes it, but often it seems like the team could come up with a better shot. And just when you roll your eyes, he makes a big 3! I love this Duke team and I am so glad that college basketball is back!

Whahh? Although it'll change after last night, Miles is waaayy on top of the +/- per 40. How can you say he's "disappointing as usual?" The Zoubek Effect seems to be en vogue after Brian's emergence last year and it seems Miles may be on the same track. His contributions to the game may not fill up the stat sheet, but so far the numbers are indicating that the opposing players don't score when he's on the floor, while the Duke players do score. Coach K even mentioned in his post-game comments about how Miles provided a "spark" (or something to that effect). So I'm not sure where the "disappointing" comment comes from.


Gotta love the defensive effort.

I just can't say enough about the defensive pressure we applied on the perimeter. And it wasn't just in shutting down Pullen. The team harassed all of the guards into turnovers and well-defended shots. It was just fantastic work.

On the other side of the ball, it was the Irving show. He looked unbelievable off the dribble at times. For large stretches, nobody could stay in front of him. He got a bit wild occasionally, but a 2:1 A:TO ratio with 6 assists and 17 points on only 12 FGA is just terrific. Especially against one of the supposedly better teams in the country.


Great post, CDu, but how about the help defense in the post, as well? Kelly, Mason, AND Miles have all shown great strides within the system. Adjusting to the ball's movement around the perimeter and doubling up on a penetrating guard are looking increasingly natural for all three of them. Early in the game, Kelly had two separate instances where his help defense either killed the possession for KState or resulted in a turnover. And later in the game Mason doubling up on Curtis Kelly caused him try a cross court pass that Seth picked off. Those are only a couple of the many instances. The post players REALLY looked good tonight, especially on the defensive end. It's the type of marked improvement we were all crossing our fingers to see.



On a different note:
How is Curtis Kelly's little drop step, pivot move on the baseline NOT travelling?

[DukeSean]

On a different note:
How is Curtis Kelly's little drop step, pivot move on the baseline NOT travelling?

EXACTLY! Some looked legit, but most of them gave me a quizzical look on my face, especially considering how often the whistle was getting blown but not on these travels.

[tylervinyard]

Loved:
-Mason's goaltending tendency should probably subside at some point. I don't think he needs to be less aggressive; just develop a better feel for the arc of the shot.


I'm not too worried about Mason's goaltending. Hopefully his timing becomes better, for sure, but even if a team scores off of a goaltending call, when you don't see the ball going into the basket, it can really mess with you psychologically. Just look at the intimidating Georgetown teams with Ewing. They gave up a lot of points, but they absolutely scared the other team.

[wilko]

I'm not too worried about Mason's goaltending. Hopefully his timing becomes better, for sure, but even if a team scores off of a goaltending call, when you don't see the ball going into the basket, it can really mess with you psychologically. Just look at the intimidating Georgetown teams with Ewing. They gave up a lot of points, but they absolutely scared the other team.

I'm not tooo worried about the GT's right now... I hate us giving free points.... but overall, I think psychologically, when an Offensive player makes a move and spots Mase in his peripheral vision.. It will alter the shot and get him thinking as opposed to playing. Hopefully Just Mase being there will alter, rush or otherwise force a mishandle, travel or missed shot.

[juise]

I'm not tooo worried about the GT's right now... I hate us giving free points.... but overall, I think psychologically, when an Offensive player makes a move and spots Mase in his peripheral vision.. It will alter the shot and get him thinking as opposed to playing. Hopefully Just Mase being there will alter, rush or otherwise force a mishandle, travel or missed shot.

That's fair. I guess I already feel like he's altering shots, so I'd like to give the shooter a chance to miss rather than an automatic two points. The psychology of it may play a bigger factor than I realized.

[BlueDGal]

Kyle again had a quiet game but we missed him so much defensively when he went out of the game with about 5 minutes left in the first half.....I think he plays defense more and more like Shane Battier, cleaning up misses, kind of like a defensive cloud out there....I'm going out on a limb but I think Kyle may win a player of the year award....but it will be Defensive Player of the Year!!

[fgb]

speaking of kyle, i really loved these contrasting quotes from the espn write up of the game. first, kyrie talking about his defensive performance vs. pullen:


"First of all it wasn't a single job on my part. It was a team effort," Irving said. "When we were going through our walkthrough we had to really lock in on him. We had an awareness on him the whole entire game. I think we did a great job on the defensive end, which gave us offensive momentum."

then pullen, talking about his own performance:


"It's early in the season. The ball wasn't going in on shots I normally take," said Pullen, who entered the game averaging 16.5 points on 46 percent shooting, 41 behind the 3-point line. "They have a really good team. I probably won't see a lot of defenses like that all year. I still got a lot of looks that I like, a lot of looks that usually go in."

the fact that kyrie is all "we" and "team", while pullen is all "I" and "my", speaks volumes.

[LSanders]

From this article:

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/Duke-Blue-Devils-look-better-this-season-112310

"Less than 10 minutes before the start of the game against the top-ranked team in the nation, Kansas State coach Frank Martin stood in front of the chalkboard with each of his players in the locker room fixated squarely on him.

"All this is, is a Big 12 game," Martin said. "It's no different. No different than Missouri or Kansas or any of those teams. That's all it is."

Many of the players — including Kansas State's leader and star guard Jacob Pullen — shook their heads in agreement.

Forty minutes later, they came to terms with the fact that this Duke team is different.

...

But even Martin realized after the game that his pre-game attempt to sell Duke in the same breath as rival KU or Missouri doesn't fly.

"They knocked the living piss out of us," he said. "If there's one better, I don't want to play them."

There isn't. At least not right now.

[tylervinyard]

Anyone else notice that ESPN blurred out Frank's mouth? That's hilarious. I guess that's the difference between TV and the internet blogs (even if both are ESPN), as their blog left Frank's piss quote in there unedited, whereas I've seen other sites and newspapers change piss to <heck>.

Frank seems like a psychopath on the bench during games, but the comments I've read from him seem like he's an alright guy. He brought up that respect for K as K was the only coach writing back to him (handwritten even) when Frank was an out-of-work coach, plus his players seem to be respectful and humble in their responses to this loss. I'm sure that comes from him.

[tylervinyard]

the fact that kyrie is all "we" and "team", while pullen is all "I" and "my", speaks volumes.

In defense of Pullen, some of his quotes were definitely not "I" and "my".


"We're going to be fine, believe me," Pullen said. "As long as Frank Martin's on that sideline and we have the locker room we have, we're going to be fine.

"It was an early test," Pullen continued. "We played a good, solid, poised team. I feel like we lost the battle, but it's a war. Hopefully we see them again in the NCAA tournament, a Final Four game, national championship, whatever it is. But we'll see them again, and we'll be better prepared for them."


"You have to pick your poison," Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen said. "You can't help. No matter where you help on them, they're going to pick you apart."


"Coach K has this down to a science, people," Pullen said. "And it's a great science, man."

[CharlestonDevil]

Anyone else notice that ESPN blurred out Frank's mouth? That's hilarious. I guess that's the difference between TV and the internet blogs (even if both are ESPN), as their blog left Frank's piss quote in there unedited, whereas I've seen other sites and newspapers change piss to <heck>.

Frank seems like a psychopath on the bench during games, but the comments I've read from him seem like he's an alright guy. He brought up that respect for K as K was the only coach writing back to him (handwritten even) when Frank was an out-of-work coach, plus his players seem to be respectful and humble in their responses to this loss. I'm sure that comes from him.

With all of the references made about Gary Williams I began to wonder why I dislike Gary but found myself very appreciative of Frank's coaching style. I think it all comes down to the fact that Gary's anger comes from a sense being second fiddle to Duke and UNC where Frank's intensity comes from a pure competitive spirit and drive for perfection.

If Frank can get his team to match his intensity they will be a very tough.

[Indoor66]

I'm not tooo worried about the GT's right now... I hate us giving free points.... but overall, I think psychologically, when an Offensive player makes a move and spots Mase in his peripheral vision.. It will alter the shot and get him thinking as opposed to playing. Hopefully Just Mase being there will alter, rush or otherwise force a mishandle, travel or missed shot.

Why do you save the eqivalent of typing one letter to abbreviate a name?

[crimsondevil]

Why do you save the eqivalent of typing one letter to abbreviate a name?

Hmm, I was thinking maybe Mace, as in the weapon. Good nickname?
1673


the fact that kyrie is all "we" and "team", while pullen is all "I" and "my", speaks volumes.
To go along with tylervinyard's comment, to be fair, Pullen was talking about his bad performance. Is it bad to use "I" when you're assigning blame? Would you prefer he take his teammates down with him? Context matters.

[Oriole Way]

Anyone else notice that ESPN blurred out Frank's mouth? That's hilarious. I guess that's the difference between TV and the internet blogs (even if both are ESPN), as their blog left Frank's piss quote in there unedited, whereas I've seen other sites and newspapers change piss to <heck>.

Frank seems like a psychopath on the bench during games, but the comments I've read from him seem like he's an alright guy. He brought up that respect for K as K was the only coach writing back to him (handwritten even) when Frank was an out-of-work coach, plus his players seem to be respectful and humble in their responses to this loss. I'm sure that comes from him.

They blurred out his mouth because Martin was clearly dropping F bombs.

[sagegrouse]

I'm not tooo worried about the GT's right now... I hate us giving free points....

Say after me, "GT refers to Georgia Tech; GU refers to Georgetown."

And there's more: "UGa refers to Georgia or the name of its mascot; GTO refers to an old Pontiac; GTE refers to an old phone company; and we all know what GTHC refers to."

sagegrouse

[ncexnyc]

I finally got around to watching the game prior to coming to work today and as expected even with extending the recording time 30 minutes, I still missed the last 4 or 5 minutes of the game.

It's really nice to have a bench that can actually score points. It seems that the past 3 years or so we had plenty of bodies, but they were serious offensive liabilities, not so with this team.

Kyrie is indeed a stud. Heel fans had better hope there isn't a NBA lockout, otherwise this kid will be back and with a bit more muscle on his frame he will be unstoppable once he gets to the rim.

Everyone on this team has the ability to score and that makes us very tough to defend.

[moonpie23]

They blurred out his mouth because Martin was clearly dropping F bombs.

cause goodness gracious no one has ever heard those words before...


:(

[CEF1959]

cause goodness gracious no one has ever heard those words before...
:(

Don't know about you, but I'm not crazy about the idea of kids watching SportsCenter seeing F-bombs dropped unexpectedly.

Funny what a Jeckyl/Hyde personality Martin has off and on the court. Or maybe he's just nicey nice in interviews but a psychopath when he doesn't know a camera is on. His interviews (at least the ones I read) are so totally inconsistent with his on-court demeanor.

Those eyes during a game just freakin' scare me.

[Deslok]

Say after me, "GT refers to Georgia Tech; GU refers to Georgetown."

And there's more: "UGa refers to Georgia or the name of its mascot; GTO refers to an old Pontiac; GTE refers to an old phone company; and we all know what GTHC refers to."

sagegrouse

But what about KU and all the talented freshmen Calipari brings in ;)

[kybluedevil]

Wow. Nuff said.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Let's say we knew what we were getting with Kyle and Nolan.

Let's say we hoped Kyrie would be this good.

Let's say we hoped Seth, Miles and Ryan would be about what they have been, which is very solid.

Which leads to what I can't get over...who knew we'd get this much from Mason and Andre this soon? Fantastic.

Great win. Kyrie is really a revelation. What fantastic defense.

I thought so. I thought Miles is good but would not improve a whole lot more, I think he could be our Zoubek next year though. Andre was doing this last year till the accident so I expected him to come out firing off this year. Mason I have always been high on so I was thinking he would average 8 to 12 pts a game and 6 or 7 boards a night. Seth I was hoping more from but he is still doing good

[cwaugh]

But what about KU and all the talented freshmen Calipari brings in ;)

Calipari coaches UK. Self coaches KU.

[Deslok]

Calipari coaches UK. Self coaches KU.

Hence the big smile on mine following sage's note of corrections regarding Georgetown, Tech, and Georgia, etc...

Otherwise my post was a complete non sequiter.

[Neals384]

It's the best Duke team since '01 and the 5th best Duke team of the Krzyzewski era (IMO, 1. 1992, 2. 2001, 3. 1999, 4. 1986, 5. 2011), which also makes it possibly the 5th best Duke team of all-time.


Let's see how the rest of the season plays out before ranking them with the all time greats. With all due respect to Blue Devils of the past, I'm hoping for a final ranking even better than #5!

Neal

[hq2]

Let's see how the rest of the season plays out before ranking them with the all time greats. With all due respect to Blue Devils of the past, I'm hoping for a final ranking even better than #5!


It's a long ways from here till April, but talent-wise, I'm thinking this team looks like it ranks in the top two or three, with the '92 and '99 teams. We'll see where they end up.

[BD80]

I think Ohio State is the only other team putting up a great showing right now.

uCon?


From a ESPN article,

the following quote,


"Coach K has this down to a science, people," Pullen said. "And it's a great science, man."

http://espn.go.com/blog/CollegeBasketballNation/post/_/id/18690/new-dukies-could-be-another-classic-team

I absolutely love that the post game interviews with opposing coaches and players sound like recruiting propaganda for Duke.


Agree on the quick hands. Whoever said in the Colgate post-game thread that Seth was a defensive liability either got it wrong or motivated Seth. He's still learning, folks. He didn't likely have as many quick guards to guard at Liberty and the strength of our starting back court last year, against which Seth practiced, wasn't foot speed.

Seth getting steals is more an indication of how well Kyrie is pressuring the point guard, and of Seth being adept at overplaying the passing lane and having good anticipation (and quickness). This does NOT necessarily make him a good on-ball defender. He may get there, but his steals so far should not be considered a measure of that aspect of his defense. It DOES mean that Seth is playing good defense in our system, and that he is earning his PT.

[airowe]

Seth getting steals is more an indication of how well Kyrie is pressuring the point guard, and of Seth being adept at overplaying the passing lane and having good anticipation (and quickness). This does NOT necessarily make him a good on-ball defender. He may get there, but his steals so far should not be considered a measure of that aspect of his defense. It DOES mean that Seth is playing good defense in our system, and that he is earning his PT.

Not sure if you and I were watching the same game, but Seth forced Spradling into a corner, popped the ball out from right in front of him, and then went around him to get the ball in full sprint to the basket on a breakaway. Granted, not all of his steals were of this variety but the kid can pressure the ball a lot better than I thought he could coming into this season. I guess playing against Jon and Nolan in practice the last two years has really helped that part of his game develop...

[BD80]

Not sure if you and I were watching the same game, but Seth forced Spradling into a corner, popped the ball out from right in front of him, and then went around him to get the ball in full sprint to the basket on a breakaway. Granted, not all of his steals were of this variety but the kid can pressure the ball a lot better than I thought he could coming into this season. I guess playing against Jon and Nolan in practice the last two years has really helped that part of his game develop...

My bad, I had forgotten that play, that was VERY GOOD D! Props to Seth.

I was thinking of more of Seth defending the point guard, which the staff has tended to avoid so far, so Seth isn't defending the dribble that much. However, Seth has shown active hands and good anticipation. I really like seeing Seth in the game, particularly when we are running sets for Kyrie to penetrate. I think they make a good combination on D as well.

[sagegrouse]

I just got my Sports Illustrated College Basketball Preview -- the Rocky Mountain edition, which just arrived at my DC apartment. The cover is of...

Jacob Pullen of the Wildcats!

And K-State at #3 is highlighted on the cover.

sagegrouse
'Lots of early snow in the Rockies this year. Come visit. I'll be back there on skis o/a December 15'