MBB: Duke vs. NCSU Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[lotusland]

I thought I would start the thread since I have a question.

Why are we playing our only regular season game vs. NC State in Raleigh for the second straight year?

[94duke]

I thought I would start the thread since I have a question.

Why are we playing our only regular season game vs. NC State in Raleigh for the second straight year?

We play them Sat, Feb 5, at home this year.

http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22726

[DukieInBrasil]

NCSU has me a bit worried, considering how feeble we were vs. UVa for 3/4 of the game. NCSU has a certified Duke-slayer in Tracy Smith and is now joined by a solid post player in CJ Leslie and a good, though error-prone PG in Harrow. Throw in a few useful role players and they have a real team.
It all depends on which Wolfpack team shows up to play which Blue Devils team. If the 1st half UVa-Duke team shows up to play the 2nd half Wisc.-NCSU team, that'll be some ugly basketball. However, Duke has enough horses and real talent to win the game by nearly any metric, it just depends on how they come out to play.

[Jarhead]

I thought I would start the thread since I have a question.

Why are we playing our only regular season game vs. NC State in Raleigh for the second straight year?

We have two primary partners and nine rotating partners. The two primary teams are UNC and Maryland who we play twice every year, home and away. For each of the other nine rotating teams, we play three on a home and away basis, three at home and three away. I think this set up is set to expire this year, but it is likely to be renewed. Don't ask me why UNC and Maryland. Wake or NC State seem more appropriate. This year we do play State twice.

[lotusland]

We have two primary partners and nine rotating partners. The two primary teams are UNC and Maryland who we play twice every year, home and away. For each of the other nine rotating teams, we play three on a home and away basis, three at home and three away. I think this set up is set to expire this year, but it is likely to be renewed. Don't ask me why UNC and Maryland. Wake or NC State seem more appropriate. This year we do play State twice.

Thanks that explains it. I had just assumed we would only play them once again this year. I hope we play better than we did last year in Raleigh. I would have told anyone predicting a championship after that game last year that they were out of their mind.

[UrinalCake]

Not only does Tracy Smith fit the exact mold of someone Duke DOESN'T want to face, but they've got a forward who can shoot from the outside (Scott Wood) which is also a recipe for disaster for us. They have underwhelmed in Smith's absence, started to pull things together when he came back, but have since dropped their last two to BC and FSU. Nevertheless, they are capable of beating us and the crowd will be amped as always.

[UrinalCake]

I would have told anyone predicting a championship after that game last year that they were out of their mind.

Yeah, then we played Georgetown a few games later and almost the exact same thing happened. Pay heed - a lot can change between January and March!

[dukelifer]

Not only does Tracy Smith fit the exact mold of someone Duke DOESN'T want to face, but they've got a forward who can shoot from the outside (Scott Wood) which is also a recipe for disaster for us. They have underwhelmed in Smith's absence, started to pull things together when he came back, but have since dropped their last two to BC and FSU. Nevertheless, they are capable of beating us and the crowd will be amped as always.

Will be a very tough game for Duke- no question. If States' guards play out of their heads like last year- it could be a long night. If they turn the ball over- Duke should win. Again- the play of the bigs- on defense- will determine the game.

[Atldukie79]

1) I believe State's partners are UNC and Wake, aand UNC is matched with State and Duke. It would have been traditional to have Wake and Duke matched (in addition to our UNC pals). At the time this was all set up, Maryland and Duke were in the thick of a competitive rivalry. I can only assume it was for TV dollars and not much else.

2) I am curious now that we have several years under our belt with this rotating system...which teams got randomly screwed by having to play the better teams twice rather than the weak teams? It seemes to me that every year Duke has drawn the "short straw" and palyed a tougher ACC rotation... any researchers out there?

[moonpie23]

FOCUS......

that's the key.......this team will be out to embarrass us again like last year...


I trust that this duke team learned something from the loss...

[UrinalCake]

It seemes to me that every year Duke has drawn the "short straw" and palyed a tougher ACC rotation... any researchers out there?

Last season I did a little research in comparing Maryland's ACC schedule to ours (since we tied atop the conference). There's a few different ways of looking at it. I don't know if I can dig up that old post, but here's the gist of it:

If you look at which teams we had to play twice, Maryland and Duke had roughly equal schedules (based on the final conference rankings of our opponents). But for the teams we played once, Maryland had to play tougher opponents on the road. We had the fortune of playing the weaker teams on the road and the stronger teams at home - not insignificant considering how we did play a lot worse on the road. Now of course, NC State was considered a "weak" team as they finished near the bottom of the conference, but proved to be a tough opponent for us.

Last year some Duke fans were also making a big deal out of "rest day discrepancies," i.e. situations in which we have to play a team on, say, three days rest while the opponent has had five days rest. Again Maryland has more room to complain here as they had a stretch where they played three games in five days due to the snow storms.

Also, the fact that we were the #1 seed in the ACC tournament while Maryland was the #2 came down to some pretty minute differences in the rankings of our opponents. To say that our record was clearly better than theirs would be a bit of a stretch. And the bottom half of the ACC tournament turned out to be MUCH tougher than the top half. So if things had gone differently, like the outcome of some random GT-Clemson game being reversed, we could have easily been the #2 seed, and who knows how the rest of the season would have gone.

IMO there is no scheduling conspiracy at work here. Just luck of the draw from year to year.

[sagegrouse]

1) I believe State's partners are UNC and Wake, aand UNC is matched with State and Duke. It would have been traditional to have Wake and Duke matched (in addition to our UNC pals). At the time this was all set up, Maryland and Duke were in the thick of a competitive rivalry. I can only assume it was for TV dollars and not much else.

2) I am curious now that we have several years under our belt with this rotating system...which teams got randomly screwed by having to play the better teams twice rather than the weak teams? It seemes to me that every year Duke has drawn the "short straw" and palyed a tougher ACC rotation... any researchers out there?

Mr. U.C. handled last year. I believe the conference rotation is a matter of mathematical precision, so any "unbalance" over the years is due to the rise and decline of basketball fortunes, not the inherent logic. I am prepared to believe it is "fair." Now, of course, Duke has an easier schedule year-in and year-out because it doesn't have to play, uh, Duke.

WRT rivalry games, having Duke take Wake instead of Maryland would mean that the rivalry games of the four NC schools would all be with each other. I can see how the other members and the ACC leadership would not like that: it is a bit "unfriendly" (or unrivalrous?) toward the other members and could be destabilizing if there is another round of conference musical chairs. The ACC would likely then have a northern pod, a NC pod, and a southern pod -- each with four teams. It's better to mix 'em up. Much as I despise Maryland athletics, I have to concede that a Duke home game every year sells thousands of UMd season tickets and is worth millions of dollars to Terpdom.

sagegrouse
'If Duke's other rival was NC State, then Wake would be closed out WRT in-state rivals'

sagegrouse

[jv001]

NCSU has me a bit worried, considering how feeble we were vs. UVa for 3/4 of the game. NCSU has a certified Duke-slayer in Tracy Smith and is now joined by a solid post player in CJ Leslie and a good, though error-prone PG in Harrow. Throw in a few useful role players and they have a real team.
It all depends on which Wolfpack team shows up to play which Blue Devils team. If the 1st half UVa-Duke team shows up to play the 2nd half Wisc.-NCSU team, that'll be some ugly basketball. However, Duke has enough horses and real talent to win the game by nearly any metric, it just depends on how they come out to play.

I think NC State gets fired up for Duke more than any opponent they face. But we should be used to that, as all our opponents have that same inspiration. If they beat us, the win is put in the column of very good wins. I guess that should make me happy we're regarded as a power team most every year. What makes me angry is that State can't get fired up to play the tarholes. This year State has the talent to cause us problems, but their lack of experience could hurt them. If we get up by 10-12 points early, that could take the crowd out of the game. Then our job get's much easier. We need to make the 3s or move the ball much better than we did against FSU and Va. We cannot waste good defense at the beginning of the game like we did against FSU. Had we played as well offensively as we did defensively at the beginning of the game, I believe the outcome would have been different. Players have a tendency to short arm shots when game pressure is on. I think Coach K will have our guys ready for this one. Go Duke!

[davekay1971]

I think NC State gets fired up for Duke more than any opponent they face. But we should be used to that, as all our opponents have that same inspiration. If they beat us, the win is put in the column of very good wins. I guess that should make me happy we're regarded as a power team most every year. What makes me angry is that State can't get fired up to play the tarholes. !

You clearly don't know many State fans. The ones I know consider us a secondary rival. That's not an insult from them - they all recognize that Duke is every bit as dominant a program as Carolina, possibly moreso. But they look at Carolina as their number one rival. They like beating Duke, they consider us a rival, but Carolina is the one they really, really love to hate.

Admittedly, State's more recent big upset was over us, and for the last couple years they haven't played their best against the Heels. But it wasn't that long ago (Lowe's first year, I think), when they took down a top 5 Carolina team in the RBC center. Trust me, the place was rocking. Their inability to beat the Heels the last 3 years has nothing to do with desire.

[weezie]

They like beating Duke, they consider us a rival, but Carolina is the one they really, really love to hate.


Yes, that is one of their endearing traits. They're pretty cute that way :cool:

[Bob Green]

This is a pivotal game as we need to secure our first conference road victory. Winning on the road is going to be tough in the ACC this season so Duke needs to take it to the Wolfpack with authority to demonstrate we are the best team in the league. Yes, FSU took it to us in Tallahassee but the road loss was an anomaly and the rest of the league can forget about defending their home court against the Blue Devils! That is the message we need to send on Wednesday by giving a team, which soundly defeated us last year, a beat down. The key to victory will be playing tough nosed Duke defense.

[UrinalCake]

I haven't done any research to back this up, but I feel like since the Wolfpack moved into the RBC Center we tend to not shoot very well there. Maybe it's something about the arena itself (I find the 360 degree flashing light strip to be someone seizure-inducing myself) or maybe it's just that State plays really hard defense against us, but at any rate I'm expecting another tough shooting night. Hopefully we can rein in the threes and find other ways to score.

[DukieInBrasil]

WRT rivalry games, having Duke take Wake instead of Maryland would mean that the rivalry games of the four NC schools would all be with each other. I can see how the other members and the ACC leadership would not like that: it is a bit "unfriendly" (or unrivalrous?) toward the other members and could be destabilizing if there is another round of conference musical chairs. The ACC would likely then have a northern pod, a NC pod, and a southern pod -- each with four teams. It's better to mix 'em up. Much as I despise Maryland athletics, I have to concede that a Duke home game every year sells thousands of UMd season tickets and is worth millions of dollars to Terpdom.
sagegrouse
'If Duke's other rival was NC State, then Wake would be closed out WRT in-state rivals'
sagegrouse
add to this that Baltimore/DC area is a much more fertile recruiting ground than is western Piedmont of NC. So getting exposure up there ought to be good for our recruiting: as exemplified by having Nolan Smith, Tyler Thornton, Josh Hairston on the team as well as having Quinn Cook on the way. Seems to be working out alright.

[94duke]

I haven't done any research to back this up, but I feel like since the Wolfpack moved into the RBC Center we tend to not shoot very well there. Maybe it's something about the arena itself (I find the 360 degree flashing light strip to be someone seizure-inducing myself) or maybe it's just that State plays really hard defense against us, but at any rate I'm expecting another tough shooting night. Hopefully we can rein in the threes and find other ways to score.

Hopefully I haven't copied anything wrong. Here's the research, from goduke.com:


Duke at NC State (RBC Center)
Date FG% 3FG% W/L Score
2/19/2000 58.0 35.7 W 71-66
1/10/2001 39.7 44.4 W 84-78
1/13/2002 46.7 38.1 W 76-57
1/22/2003 37.7 30.8 L 71-80
2/15/2004 41.1 43.5 L 74-78
1/13/2005 51.9 33.3 W 86-74
1/20/2007 52.5 35.0 W 79-56
3/01/2008 38.6 46.4 W 87-86
1/20/2010 38.6 38.5 L 74-88

http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/seasons/

[jipops]

I expect us to get manhandled a good bit in the paint again. The good news is that State's defense hasn't been nearly as strong as MD's and FSU's. We should be able to get some offense going. However, UVA's defense hasn't been much this season either but still managed to limit us to 25 pts at home. Another dogfight coming up, won't be anything easy about this one.

[Kedsy]

NCSU has me a bit worried, considering how feeble we were vs. UVa for 3/4 of the game. NCSU has a certified Duke-slayer in Tracy Smith and is now joined by a solid post player in CJ Leslie and a good, though error-prone PG in Harrow. Throw in a few useful role players and they have a real team.

State's a good team, and they're very young so they should keep getting better all year. However, I have a few qualms with your assessment:

(a) Tracy Smith has played four games against Duke, with the following pts/rebs lines:

2008: 0/0 and 14/4
2009: 8/2
2010: 23/5

If he's a "certified Duke-slayer" then the certification authority ought to be audited.

(b) CJ Leslie is a good player, but I don't know that I'd describe him as a "post player."

(c) "Error-prone" PG Ryan Harrow has a better assist/turnover ratio than anybody on Duke's team and is actually 4th in the ACC, as a freshman. He has things to learn, but I think calling him "error-prone" is a stretch.

Having said all that, NCSU has me a bit worried, too. It should be a tough game, but ultimately, I think we'll pull it out.

[DukieInBrasil]

State's a good team, and they're very young so they should keep getting better all year. However, I have a few qualms with your assessment:

(a) Tracy Smith has played four games against Duke, with the following pts/rebs lines:

2008: 0/0 and 14/4
2009: 8/2
2010: 23/5

If he's a "certified Duke-slayer" then the certification authority ought to be audited.

(b) CJ Leslie is a good player, but I don't know that I'd describe him as a "post player."

(c) "Error-prone" PG Ryan Harrow has a better assist/turnover ratio than anybody on Duke's team and is actually 4th in the ACC, as a freshman. He has things to learn, but I think calling him "error-prone" is a stretch.

Having said all that, NCSU has me a bit worried, too. It should be a tough game, but ultimately, I think we'll pull it out.
As far as TS being a "Duke-slayer", I think last year's game qualifies for the rest of his career. He won the game last year, for a terrible State team vs. a Duke team that ended up winning the title. Will he do it again this year? I hope not, but he is capable.
Calling CJL a "post player" is a bit of a lazy description, but the guy is 6'8 or so and is certainly capable of playing in the post. Perhaps "tall guy" is a better description, but Ryan Kelly at 6'11 is a "post player" even though he spends more time away from the block than on it.
I'm not sure that comparing RH to Duke's squad for error-proneness is an apples to apples comparison, RH is a PG and Duke doesn't have one, at least not one that plays either a) now (KI) or b) very much (TT). I guess my point was more that he has things to learn about how to run a team as effectively as possible. Not all errors are turnovers.
I agree that it will be a tough game, but my confidence that we'll pull it out is a bit low.

[gw67]

One of our site historians (Jim Sumner or others)) can correct me but I believe that Maryland (Gary Williams) insisted that they wanted to continue to have home and away games with the Devils and Heels every year (for competitive and economic reasons). This was a condition when they voted to accept the three Big East teams nearly ten years ago. I understand the rationale for the ACC getting bigger but for those of us who were ACC basketball fans when the teams played round robin we lost something very special.

gw67

[Slackerb]

Some stats/observations of note:

Since coming back from injury, Tracy Smith has averaged 18.2 PPG over the last 5 games, including shooting 60.2% from the floor.

For those of you who haven't seen State play yet this year, the thing to watch is CJ Leslie, especially defensively. He's a little boneheaded and plays like a freshman at times, going for the block instead of positioning, etc., but man is he athletic. Watch how effortlessly he rebounds OVER people, and how he alters shots in the lane.

One thing that people don't discuss yet about this State team is that it still only really has one 3-point threat, Scott Wood. Wood has hit over 40 3-pointers this season, the next highest is 11 for Lorenzo Brown, a 33% shooter this far from 3. Javi Gonzalez, who seems to me to be regressing, has hit 10 or so, at only 32%.

Too bad we wont see a zone....

[gw67]

One of our site historians (Jim Sumner or others)) can correct me but I believe that Maryland (Gary Williams) insisted that they wanted to continue to have home and away games with the Devils and Heels every year (for competitive and economic reasons). This was a condition when they voted to accept the three Big East teams nearly ten years ago. I understand the rationale for the ACC getting bigger but for those of us who were ACC basketball fans when the teams played round robin we lost something very special.

gw67

I'll reply to my own post. I should have typed Duke and Virginia (not UNC). I will be surprised if the three-year rotation is changed after this year but having three pods by locations may make sense to some.

http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022405aag.html

gw67

[Bob Green]

One thing that people don't discuss yet about this State team is that it still only really has one 3-point threat, Scott Wood. Wood has hit over 40 3-pointers this season, the next highest is 11 for Lorenzo Brown, a 33% shooter this far from 3. Javi Gonzalez, who seems to me to be regressing, has hit 10 or so, at only 32%.

Too bad we wont see a zone....

Who guards Wood? I believe it will be a combination of Singler and Dawkins depending upon the line-up we have on the court. With our defense focused upon preventing State from pounding the ball inside to Smith, it will be important to stay in Wood's face and not let him burn us from behind the 3-point line.

When we play small, Singler will be on C.J. Leslie and Dawkins on Wood so this should be a solid test of Dawkins defensive abilities. Coach Krzyzewski recently praised Dawkins' defense so he should be up to the task.

To win this game, Duke must take a "defense first" attitude onto the court.

[sdotbarbee]

NCSU does worry me but the only reason they beat us last year was the tremendous shooting night they had. Duke had more field goal attempts, and shot more free throws it was State shooting 58% from the field and 42% from 3 point range that killed us. Duke out rebounded State 38 to 23, plus we had 16 offensive rebounds compared to just 5 for State. The wolfpack hit everything they threw up at the basket so it is very difficult, if not impossible, to beat a team that shoots that well from the field unless you shoot that well too. Duke has to shoot better then they have the past 3 games to win because I really think State will be ready to play and they have a huge advantage on the inside with Smith.

[sdotbarbee]

Who guards Wood? I believe it will be a combination of Singler and Dawkins depending upon the line-up we have on the court. With our defense focused upon preventing State from pounding the ball inside to Smith, it will be important to stay in Wood's face and not let him burn us from behind the 3-point line.

When we play small, Singler will be on C.J. Leslie and Dawkins on Wood so this should be a solid test of Dawkins defensive abilities. Coach Krzyzewski recently praised Dawkins' defense so he should be up to the task.

To win this game, Duke must take a "defense first" attitude onto the court.

Agree totally with you here Bob, and no way do we need to double with Wood's man. If we double Smith it has to come from someone other than the guy guarding Wood. We need to make somebody else beat us from outside because besides Wood (43%) nobody else is even close to a 40% 3 point shooter. Richard Howell is the next closest at 33%.

[Kedsy]

As far as TS being a "Duke-slayer", I think last year's game qualifies for the rest of his career. He won the game last year, for a terrible State team vs. a Duke team that ended up winning the title.

I agree Smith is a great player. I disagree that he "won the game last year." State had five guys scoring in double figures, Smith leading with 23 but Horner with 20 not far behind. To me, it was a team effort, but if I had to pick a guy or guys who won the game, I would have chosen Gonzalez and Degand, who were able to continually beat their men on the drive and then either dump to Smith or kick to Horner for easy points. Smith was a beast, yes, but it's not like he put the team on his back and single-handedly turned the tide.

Our defensive system often allows opposing big men to have big scoring nights (witness this year where everyone is unfairly blaming the Plumlees for Johnson, Williams, etc., or 2005-06 when despite our having the national defensive player of the year opposing centers seemed to be having career nights on a regular basis). Last year at State, Tracy Smith's performance should not have been unexpected. The two players who had unexpectedly good games were Gonzalez (15 pts, 8 assists) and Horner (20 points). Assuming none of State's players have unexpectedly great games tomorrow, I'll give Tracy Smith 23 and 5 and I'll feel pretty good about the outcome.

[CDu]

Who guards Wood? I believe it will be a combination of Singler and Dawkins depending upon the line-up we have on the court. With our defense focused upon preventing State from pounding the ball inside to Smith, it will be important to stay in Wood's face and not let him burn us from behind the 3-point line.

When we play small, Singler will be on C.J. Leslie and Dawkins on Wood so this should be a solid test of Dawkins defensive abilities. Coach Krzyzewski recently praised Dawkins' defense so he should be up to the task.

To win this game, Duke must take a "defense first" attitude onto the court.

Last year, we had Singler guard Wood and he more or less took Wood out of the game in the first half. Wood got some looks in the second half, but that was more a function of the rest of the defense breaking down. This year, I suspect that the combination of Singler and Dawkins will handle the assignment.

I'm more concerned about how we handle the other spots on the floor. Last year, the two keys to the game were this:

1. State's big men hitting perimeter shots and spreading the floor (Smith and Horner combined for 43 points); and
2. State's smaller guards getting to the rim at will (Gonzalez and Degand combined for 26 points and 14 assists)

I agree that defense will be the key, but I don't think that Wood will be the primary concern. If their bigs are hitting perimeter jumpers and their guards are getting to the rim, it won't matter who is guarding Wood.

Now, Leslie isn't the perimeter shooter that Horner was, and it remains to be seen whether the freshmen guards (Harrow and Brown) can replicate what last year's upperclassmen guards (Degand and Gonzalez) did.

[Kedsy]

I agree that defense will be the key, but I don't think that Wood will be the primary concern. If their bigs are hitting perimeter jumpers and their guards are getting to the rim, it won't matter who is guarding Wood.

Now, Leslie isn't the perimeter shooter that Horner was, and it remains to be seen whether the freshmen guards (Harrow and Brown) can replicate what last year's upperclassmen guards (Degand and Gonzalez) did.

I agree with what you say, but I don't think comparing this year's game to last year's game is apples-to-apples. State plays a different offensive style than the style they used to whup us last season, and we are playing a completely different style of defense. It will be a tough game because State is a tough team, playing at home. But I don't think there will be much if any "replication" from last year.

[davekay1971]

Wood is a very nice shooter and, at 6'8", presents a matchup problem for a lot of college guards. The problem for him, however, is that he really doesn't have much of an ability to score moving with the ball, and it makes him one dimensional. Add to that one of my biggest criticisms of Lowe over the last two years: he doesn't really do anything in his offensive set to move Wood off screens and get him open looks. That leaves Wood much more guardable than he should be. Singler should shut him down, but, I suspect Singler will spend most of the game on Leslie, who's 6'9" and much more athletic than Wood (fwiw, I think Singler can shut down Leslie just fine). In that case, I think Dre would be just fine on Wood. He gives up a few inches but should be able to keep right on Wood and prevent him from getting room to shoot.

I like Mason and Miles size and athleticism on Smith. They need to stay home on him, and he'll get points, but they should be able slow him down. State's other bigs (Howell and Painter) aren't particularly athletic or polished and should be manageable.

The biggest matchup problem I can see is Harrow. He's lightning quick, on par with Ish Smith, and a better ball handler. I know what a previous poster meant by mistake prone, despite the good A:T ratio - Harrow can force things at times and make untimely judgement errors. He's a freshman, of course, so you should expect that. But with his quickness he might have some luck getting into the lane against us, which puts a lot of pressure on our defense. The biggest question is whether he'll make the right decisions when he gets in there. If he can get into the lane and make smart decisions, we could be watching a lot of State guys swinging from the rim tonight.

[UrinalCake]

I like Mason and Miles size and athleticism on Smith. They need to stay home on him, and he'll get points, but they should be able slow him down. State's other bigs (Howell and Painter) aren't particularly athletic or polished and should be manageable.

I agree that our bigs need to stay at home rather than double-teaming or going for the steal. Last year State was really good about making the extra pass when we'd try to double their bigs, leaving a guy wide open underneath for a dunk.

Where is shootingncsu? I'm interested to hear his perspective.

[Kedsy]

Wood is a very nice shooter and, at 6'8", presents a matchup problem for a lot of college guards.

Is Wood really 6'8"? I've always seen him listed at 6'6".

[CDu]

Is Wood really 6'8"? I've always seen him listed at 6'6".

He's actually listed at 6'7", which means in reality he's probably 6'5" or 6'6".

[davekay1971]

Mea culpa! I really thought he was listed at 6'8". Interesting. Well, even more to the point that Dawkins should be fine on him...

[Kedsy]

He's actually listed at 6'7", which means in reality he's probably 6'5" or 6'6".

Well, not to quibble, but he's actually (http://www.gopack.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/ncst-m-baskbl-mtt.html) listed at 6'6", at least according to GoPack.com (the "official" home of Wolfpack athletics).

[CDu]

Well, not to quibble, but he's actually (http://www.gopack.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/ncst-m-baskbl-mtt.html) listed at 6'6", at least according to GoPack.com (the "official" home of Wolfpack athletics).

Sure. ESPN is the one who listed him at 6'7". I haven't seen anywhere list him as 6'8". I don't think any of the sites are very official in terms of measurement, but I'd definitely guess he's closer to 6'6" than 6'8". Either way, that's pretty tall compared to most college guards (who are typically 3-4 inches short than that), which I believe was the previous poster's point.

The counterpoint being that he will likely be guarded by Singler (6'8") and Dawkins (6'4"), so the height issue won't be a big deal.

[Kedsy]

Sure. ESPN is the one who listed him at 6'7". I haven't seen anywhere list him as 6'8". I don't think any of the sites are very official in terms of measurement, but I'd definitely guess he's closer to 6'6" than 6'8". Either way, that's pretty tall compared to most college guards (who are typically 3-4 inches short than that), which I believe was the previous poster's point.

The counterpoint being that he will likely be guarded by Singler (6'8") and Dawkins (6'4"), so the height issue won't be a big deal.

Agreed on all points.

[Jholt915]

Anybody else going to the game? I'm in section 127. Hopefully Duke plays the whole game tomorrow night like they did in the 2nd half against Virginia. Can't wait to see the Blue Devils in action tomorrow night!

[Newton_14]

Anybody else going to the game? I'm in section 127. Hopefully Duke plays the whole game tomorrow night like they did in the 2nd half against Virginia. Can't wait to see the Blue Devils in action tomorrow night!

I will be there. Section 128 Row H.

Looking forward to it. Our guys need to bring the defense early and often.

[Jholt915]

I will be there. Section 128 Row H.

Looking forward to it. Our guys need to bring the defense early and often.

Yeah, we need to take the crowd out of the game early with solid D and the three ball on the offensive end.

[jipops]

What kind of perimeter team is going to show up tomorrow night? The one in the 1st half vs. a weak defensive UVA team or the one in the 2nd half? I'm hoping we turned a corner in that game in regards to our offense.

I'm concerned with our big guys getting in serious foul issues in this one. State's front court guys like to attack the rim. If we let them get behind the defense we're toast.

This is a somewhat pivotal game. There is a big difference in being 4-1 and 3-2. With road games vs. Maryland, UVA, VaTech, Miami, and UNC looming there are going to be atleast a couple losses in that group. I'm not so sure we can afford a loss tomorrow night to remain the ACC frontrunner. If we do get the L tomorrow night, the conference is up for grabs. I'm pretty nervous about this one.

[dukelifer]

What kind of perimeter team is going to show up tomorrow night? The one in the 1st half vs. a weak defensive UVA team or the one in the 2nd half? I'm hoping we turned a corner in that game in regards to our offense.

I'm concerned with our big guys getting in serious foul issues in this one. State's front court guys like to attack the rim. If we let them get behind the defense we're toast.

This is a somewhat pivotal game. There is a big difference in being 4-1 and 3-2. With road games vs. Maryland, UVA, VaTech, Miami, and UNC looming there are going to be atleast a couple losses in that group. I'm not so sure we can afford a loss tomorrow night to remain the ACC frontrunner. If we do get the L tomorrow night, the conference is up for grabs. I'm pretty nervous about this one.

Duke's D will win or lose this one. Expect a tight game and hope their big guys miss their free throws.

[Saratoga2]

Duke's D will win or lose this one. Expect a tight game and hope their big guys miss their free throws.

Duke needs to pick up their defense from the outset of the game similar to the way they played against a tiring Virginia team. The concern I have is that with Nolan and Kyle playing 40 minutes, it will be difficult for them to sustain the defensive pressure for such a long time. Giving Nolan a couple of breathers means accepting a reduction in offensive efficiency, while sitting Kyle for a couple of minutes with Andre playing wing and a couple of bigs in might be reasonable for a try at least.

[dukeimac]

Without Kyrie, IMO, Duke will succeed if Seth runs the point.

Dukes defense is good, it is their shooting that is killing them. If Duke goes 14 of 35 from 3 land against FSU they win, instead they went 11 of 35. To do this, Nolan needs to roam more and that means Seth needs to play the point. With Seth at the point they let Nolan, Kyle and Dre roam more getting better shots. Seth will get more open looks because of the attention to the other three.

They did this more in the second half against UVA and I expect more of it tonight.

[sagegrouse]

Awfully quiet on this thread. Hmmm..... Pins and needles. Me too. Well here's one view.

This game is about defense. I am hoping for a lot of pressure on the perimeter, to deny entry passes to Tracy Smith. (Hey, Tracy! There are a lot of good three point shots out there!). Turnovers will be a key to Duke's success; heavens knows we need some easy baskets. On the inside we will need Mason, Ryan and Miles to use their height and reach to frustrate Smith and Leslie.

On offense, in addition to some easy buckets, Duke needs balance in scoring -- duh! -- to offset the pressure on Nolan. I am still hopeful that the bigs will come through, but the most realistic chances are Seth and esp. Andre from the outside.

I am nervous too about this game, but we certainly won't be looking past the Wuffies after last year's beatdown.

sagegrouse

[NSDukeFan]

Duke needs to pick up their defense from the outset of the game similar to the way they played against a tiring Virginia team. The concern I have is that with Nolan and Kyle playing 40 minutes, it will be difficult for them to sustain the defensive pressure for such a long time. Giving Nolan a couple of breathers means accepting a reduction in offensive efficiency, while sitting Kyle for a couple of minutes with Andre playing wing and a couple of bigs in might be reasonable for a try at least.
Kyle and Nolan playing 40 minutes would probably somewhere around #65 or #66 on my list of concerns about this game. I don't mind coach K's theory of playing the best players as much as possible. I can't remember a game so far this year where Kyle or Nolan have looked like playing a lot of minutes has been a problem from them on either end of the floor.

Without Kyrie, IMO, Duke will succeed if Seth runs the point.

Dukes defense is good, it is their shooting that is killing them. If Duke goes 14 of 35 from 3 land against FSU they win, instead they went 11 of 35. To do this, Nolan needs to roam more and that means Seth needs to play the point. With Seth at the point they let Nolan, Kyle and Dre roam more getting better shots. Seth will get more open looks because of the attention to the other three.

They did this more in the second half against UVA and I expect more of it tonight.
I am pretty sure Duke will be playing this game without Kyrie. :p I agree that if Duke hit a few more shots against FSU, they would have won, and if Barnes hit a few more shots for UNC, he would be in the conversation for honorable mention all-ACC. I think you make an interesting point about Nolan playing off the ball and I don't know what the best answer is as we do need his scoring, but he also has been the best at distributing the ball as well, though perhaps a bit inconsistently for many on this board, including myself. I expect Nolan to play some on the ball and some off, and expect he will keep improving about knowing when to attack himself and when to get others involved. I think this is a big key to the team's success.

Awfully quiet on this thread. Hmmm..... Pins and needles. Me too. Well here's one view.

This game is about defense. I am hoping for a lot of pressure on the perimeter, to deny entry passes to Tracy Smith. (Hey, Tracy! There are a lot of good three point shots out there!). Turnovers will be a key to Duke's success; heavens knows we need some easy baskets. On the inside we will need Mason, Ryan and Miles to use their height and reach to frustrate Smith and Leslie.

On offense, in addition to some easy buckets, Duke needs balance in scoring -- duh! -- to offset the pressure on Nolan. I am still hopeful that the bigs will come through, but the most realistic chances are Seth and esp. Andre from the outside.

I am nervous too about this game, but we certainly won't be looking past the Wuffies after last year's beatdown.

sagegrouse

I certainly am nervous and excited about this one. I hope Ryan, Mason and Miles are effective defensively and on the boards vs. Smith, Leslie, Howell, Painter, etc. I think that is likely a key to this game.
I agree that defensive pressure and turnovers could be a key. Last year, Duke's extra chance and easier hoops came from outstanding offensive rebounding and turning the ball over less than the opposition. The expectation was that this team would be different in that easy chances would come from turnovers and fast break points. My impression is that so far in ACC play, our guards have pressured reasonably well on the perimeter, but have not generated as many turnovers as I would have hoped for. I also don't know if the team has pushed the ball as effectively as the team could. Kyrie was a one man fast break, and Nolan is quite effective this way as well, but I don't know if the team has gotten as many opportunities as they could from the rest of the team, except I think they have done a great job of getting three pointers from fast break situations.
I realize they are completely different seasons, but I feel like I did at the beginning of the conference season last year, after losing to GTech and NCState in the team's first two conference games, before the big game at Clemson (after the terrible beatdown at Littlejohn the year before.) I am nervous, but excited about this team's ability and potential. They are fun to watch.

[gotoguy]

Awfully quiet on this thread. Hmmm..... Pins and needles. Me too. Well here's one view.

This game is about defense. I am hoping for a lot of pressure on the perimeter, to deny entry passes to Tracy Smith. (Hey, Tracy! There are a lot of good three point shots out there!). Turnovers will be a key to Duke's success; heavens knows we need some easy baskets. On the inside we will need Mason, Ryan and Miles to use their height and reach to frustrate Smith and Leslie.

On offense, in addition to some easy buckets, Duke needs balance in scoring -- duh! -- to offset the pressure on Nolan. I am still hopeful that the bigs will come through, but the most realistic chances are Seth and esp. Andre from the outside.






I am nervous too about this game, but we certainly won't be looking past the Wuffies after last year's beatdown.

sagegrouse


A lot of scoring from opposition Bigs comes from easy shots after dishes from the guards who have beaten our guards off the dribble ala Jason Williams to Boozer. It is nearly impossible to get weakside help in the paint in time to cover a big if Mason or Miles has left his man to oppose dribble penetration. Apparently State's point guard is Monty Towe like quick. Hope he doesnt have 8 assists tonight. This will be a big win if we play good D. I'm not optimistic that we will have a good shooting night from 3.

[GLTBD]

Awfully quiet on this thread. Hmmm..... Pins and needles. Me too. .
sagegrouse

I changed my name today from Kelly to Nelly as in nervous Nelly. Lets go Duke

[Kedsy]

I realize they are completely different seasons, but I feel like I did at the beginning of the conference season last year, after losing to GTech and NCState in the team's first two conference games, before the big game at Clemson (after the terrible beatdown at Littlejohn the year before.)

Actually, Ga Tech was our second conference game last year and NCSU was our fifth. We were 3-2 going into the Clemson game. Now, if you meant Ga Tech and NCSU were our first two road conference games, then you would be correct.

I agree with pretty much everything else you said. The battle on the boards should be a key (along with our defense). I'm expecting Howell to have a big game but hopefully we can counter that with a breakout from Ryan Kelly in front of his home town fans.

[wilson]

The battle on the boards should be a key (along with our defense). I concur with this. Several people in this thread have said they hope for us to take control of the game with our three-point shooting. I do not want that to be the focus of the game. I sat right behind our bench at the FSU game, and the problem that night was stagnant offense consisting largely of settling for long-range jumpers. A team-wide shooting slump that ranged from the beginning of the Maryland game through the first 3/4 or so of the UVA game was problematic. I would much rather have the team focus on things that can be controlled more directly, like D and diligent rebounding, plus a more concerted effort to diversify the offense beyond simple shooting. Even with our remarkable backcourt depth, we are clearly not immune to cold shooting stretches, and I do not think anyone has done a very good job recently of attempting to remedy that by seeking out higher-percentage opportunities.

[NSDukeFan]

Actually, Ga Tech was our second conference game last year and NCSU was our fifth. We were 3-2 going into the Clemson game. Now, if you meant Ga Tech and NCSU were our first two road conference games, then you would be correct.

I agree with pretty much everything else you said. The battle on the boards should be a key (along with our defense). I'm expecting Howell to have a big game but hopefully we can counter that with a breakout from Ryan Kelly in front of his home town fans.

You are correct. I did mean Duke's first two ACC road games last year, going into our third conference road game at Littlejohn. I remember the talk of Duke can't win on the road, need to schedule more "real" road games in the out of conference schedule, etc. Fortunately, last year it all worked out for the best. I am hoping for a great year this year as well. An ACC road win would be a good start.

[wilson]

You are correct. I did mean Duke's first two ACC road games last year, going into our third conference road game at Littlejohn. I remember the talk of Duke can't win on the road, need to schedule more "real" road games in the out of conference schedule, etc. Fortunately, last year it all worked out for the best. I am hoping for a great year this year as well. An ACC road win would be a good start.I too remember this conversation. Remember that last year's tilt in Littlejohn was a grind-it-out, win with grit kind of game. I expect more of the same tonight.
Grit was one of the defining characteristics of last year's champion team, and I'm interested in the coming weeks to see how much of it this year's team possesses.

[jv001]

has Duke with 91% chance of beating State and the score 84-68. Vegas money has Duke favored by 10pts. I hope the so called experts know what they're talking about. I know how much trouble we've had with State in Raleigh. Go Duke!

[PSurprise]

has Duke with 91% chance of beating State and the score 84-68. Vegas money has Duke favored by 10pts. I hope the so called experts know what they're talking about. I know how much trouble we've had with State in Raleigh. Go Duke!

Does anyone recall the line from last year? I would love to see 84-68 (us). I will take any win, even by 1.

[nocilla]

Does anyone recall the line from last year? I would love to see 84-68 (us). I will take any win, even by 1.

Someone said 9.5, but I don't know if that is true or not. Sounds about right though.

[MChambers]

Someone said 9.5, but I don't know if that is true or not. Sounds about right though.

Wasn't last year's game right after the brutal Wake Forest game, where Kyle got taken out by a big guy from Wake? And there was quite a bit of doubt as to whether Kyle would play? Also, I dimly remember that Dawkins was playing on a bad ankle and looked awful.

Still, the key to the game was the doggone guard penetration.

[94duke]

has Duke with 91% chance of beating State and the score 84-68. Vegas money has Duke favored by 10pts. I hope the so called experts know what they're talking about. I know how much trouble we've had with State in Raleigh. Go Duke!

Are these the same experts that had UNC picked over Ga Tech? ;)

[airowe]

Looking at the game from NC State's perspective: http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2011/01/19/duke-nc-state-qa-with-backingthepack-com/

[Kedsy]

has Duke with 91% chance of beating State and the score 84-68. Vegas money has Duke favored by 10pts. I hope the so called experts know what they're talking about. I know how much trouble we've had with State in Raleigh. Go Duke!

I don't think Pomeroy has taken into account that State has played most of their games this year without Tracy Smith. The line Vegas sets has more to do with what the public thinks is going to happen as opposed to what really will happen.

[loran16]

I don't think Pomeroy has taken into account that State has played most of their games this year without Tracy Smith. The line Vegas sets has more to do with what the public thinks is going to happen as opposed to what really will happen.

The eventual Vegas lines, yes. The opening Vegas line (I'm not sure what it is here) tends to mirror pomeroy nearly exactly every time, barring other factors like say Tracy Smith not factoring into Pomeroy.

The public starts betting on the line....and then the line moves to reflect public outcomes.

[rasputin]

You are correct. I did mean Duke's first two ACC road games last year, going into our third conference road game at Littlejohn. I remember the talk of Duke can't win on the road, need to schedule more "real" road games in the out of conference schedule, etc. Fortunately, last year it all worked out for the best. I am hoping for a great year this year as well. An ACC road win would be a good start.

And, of course, we always are front-loaded with home games in the conference season so ESPN can show us on the road more in February.

[94duke]

And, of course, we always are front-loaded with home games in the conference season so ESPN can show us on the road more in February.

Four of our first seven ACC games (all the ones in January) are home. Three are away.
If you include Feb 2 @ MD, then exactly half of our first eight games are home.

That does not sound front-loaded to me.

[pfrduke]

And, of course, we always are front-loaded with home games in the conference season so ESPN can show us on the road more in February.

What in the world does this mean? Why does ESPN care whether it's showing Duke on the road in February vs. at home in February? And it's not like our schedule is dramatically out of balance - over the past 7 years, we've always played at least 4 home games in February and either 4 or 5 road games.

[moonpie23]

Does anyone recall the line from last year? I would love to see 84-68 (us). I will take any win, even by 1.

i'm pretty sure it was 8.5

[rasputin]

What in the world does this mean? Why does ESPN care whether it's showing Duke on the road in February vs. at home in February? And it's not like our schedule is dramatically out of balance - over the past 7 years, we've always played at least 4 home games in February and either 4 or 5 road games.

If you look at our schedule the last few years, there are always more home than road games right at the beginning of the season. (3 of our first 4 this year, for instance.) They would rather show us on the road late in the season because they have a better chance that it will be a competitive game and because that's when there is the most interest during the regular season.

[Kedsy]

If you look at our schedule the last few years, there are always more home than road games right at the beginning of the season. (3 of our first 4 this year, for instance.) They would rather show us on the road late in the season because they have a better chance that it will be a competitive game and because that's when there is the most interest during the regular season.

I don't think your theory is accurate. Yes, both this year and last year we had 3 of our first 4 games at home (and in both years the 5th game was on the road). But those are the only two of the past five. In 2009 we played 2 of our first 3 on the road, and in both 2008 and 2007 we played 3 of our first 5 games on the road. There does not appear to be any frontloading conspiracy.

P.S.: If you ask others to "look at our schedule the last few years," it would probably be wise to do so yourself before you say it.

[CDu]

If you look at our schedule the last few years, there are always more home than road games right at the beginning of the season. (3 of our first 4 this year, for instance.) They would rather show us on the road late in the season because they have a better chance that it will be a competitive game and because that's when there is the most interest during the regular season.

Except that this doesn't seem to be the case. Not even this year. 4 of our first 8 ACC games are at home, and 4 of our last 8 ACC games are at home.

Last year, we had a very slightly backloaded schedule (5 of our last 8 on the road). In 2009, it was 4 of the last 8. In 2008, it was also 4 of the last 8.

So there doesn't seem to be any real backloading trend.

[rasputin]

I don't think your theory is accurate. Yes, both this year and last year we had 3 of our first 4 games at home (and in both years the 5th game was on the road). But those are the only two of the past five. In 2009 we played 2 of our first 3 on the road, and in both 2008 and 2007 we played 3 of our first 5 games on the road. There does not appear to be any frontloading conspiracy.

P.S.: If you ask others to "look at our schedule the last few years," it would probably be wise to do so yourself before you say it.

1. You don't have to be snarky.
2. I did check. For example, in 08-09, yes we went home, away, away, but by the time of the first Carolina game, we had had 6 at home, 4 on the road. The same was true in 06-07. I stand by my earlier comment.

[dukeballboy88]

Any of you guys know a site I can pull up and watch the game while im on the clock? Im recording it and have text everyone I know not to call or text me anything about the game or I will call them at 3am and wake them up. So if I cant find a site to watch the game I should be fine but if you can help thanks!

God Bless America and the DBR!

[airowe]

Any of you guys know a site I can pull up and watch the game while im on the clock? Im recording it and have text everyone I know not to call or text me anything about the game or I will call them at 3am and wake them up. So if I cant find a site to watch the game I should be fine but if you can help thanks!

God Bless America and the DBR!

http://espn.go.com/espn3/index

[nocilla]

Any of you guys know a site I can pull up and watch the game while im on the clock? Im recording it and have text everyone I know not to call or text me anything about the game or I will call them at 3am and wake them up. So if I cant find a site to watch the game I should be fine but if you can help thanks!

God Bless America and the DBR!

http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-espn.html

[dukeballboy88]

Thanks, I new you guys would come thru!

God Bless America and The DBR!

[Kdogg]

Is there a snow storm in Raleigh I don't know about? There are a ton of empty seats.

[pfrduke]

Really like the energy and hustle the team is showing so far. Great effort in the first 10+ minutes of the game. Also, Nolan Smith is really, really good.

[El_Diablo]

Thornton with the drawn charge and then a nice three! His second of the season (sorry, Mike Patrick). ;)

[Fuqua's Finest]

OMG! I am so loving the rotation right now. Literally all the scholarship players are contributing (-Irving). Coach K is rotating his 4 big's masterfully. I can foresee quite a few fast break layups or dunks for the Plumlee's as the game wears on. Love Mason's effort right now on both ends. Maybe things are finally clicking. This was about the point where Zou started to realize his potential.

[DukeGirl4ever]

Mason is playing really big for us!
I saw some of the earlier comments where people said we can't double team, but I think our double teams have been effective thus far.

[SMO]

No one told us Mason would be holding a block party!

[DukieInBrasil]

so far. Everybody has done something so far to be pleased about. TT hit the 3. Josh hit a mid-range jumper in the lane, Ryan w/a 3 and 2 blocks, Miles hit both FTs, Nolan's nice drives, Andre just goin' off in the 1st 10 minutes and Mason with 5 awesome blocks! nice...

[CDu]

Just a tremendous first half for Mason Plumlee. 5 boards and 5 blocks with 3 minutes left in the half. He and Kelly have had a big impact on NC State's post scorers.

[arnie]

Just a tremendous first half for Mason Plumlee. 5 boards and 5 blocks with 3 minutes left in the half. He and Kelly have had a big impact on NC State's post scorers.

And did it without fouling - that's huge!

[_TheFakeJWill_]

Makes me feel great to know Singler took it upon his self to talk to the team at the half during the Va game. looks like it has flowed over to this game. This looks like the best all around game of the year from a "team" standpoint. Very refreshing :D

[SMO]

Just a tremendous first half for Mason Plumlee. 5 boards and 5 blocks with 3 minutes left in the half. He and Kelly have had a big impact on NC State's post scorers.

They are forcing Bilas to say a lot of nice things about Duke, especially the bigs tonight!

[slower]

Is this what EVERY game is going to look like from now on? Pathetic.

Playing as they are tonight, this team would get dominated by Pitt or Syracuse. These guys need to rebound like MEN and go up strong.

[ChrisP]

What exactly constitutes a foul by NCSU? Does there need to be blood? Jeez!!!

[SMO]

Scott Wood just nearly pulled Singler's pants down as Singler laid it in. No call. Wood was actually TRYING to foul him and the officials wouldn't oblige. That was really, really bad.

[DukeGirl4ever]

I said this in another thread, but I feel we are most effective when both Plumlees are in the game.

Their time together in the 2nd half looks pretty good. They have size and athleticism....it's hard to match that.

And did they seriously not call a foul on Kyle's drive?

[pfrduke]

Is this what EVERY game is going to look like from now on? Pathetic.

This team would get DESTROYED by Pitt or Syracuse.

What, you mean 24 strong minutes and 6 bad minutes, resulting in a 13 point road lead with 10 minutes to play? Gosh, I sure hope so.

[NSDukeFan]

Is this what EVERY game is going to look like from now on? Pathetic.

Playing as they are tonight, this team would get dominated by Pitt or Syracuse. These guys need to rebound like MEN and go up strong.

You should turn it to the Duke State game where Duke has been contesting every shot inside and rebounding well and the bigs have all had great games.

[pfrduke]

Scott Wood just nearly pulled Singler's pants down as Singler laid it in. No call. Wood was actually TRYING to foul him and the officials wouldn't oblige. That was really, really bad.

Yeah, that was a ridiculous missed call.

[slower]

What, you mean 24 strong minutes and 6 bad minutes, resulting in a 13 point road lead with 10 minutes to play? Gosh, I sure hope so.

Did you SEE Pitt and Syracuse play the other night? You think this level of play would get it done against either of those teams? You're dreaming, my friend.

[gep]

Well... let's hope Duke can hold on. At 7:27 tv timeout, Duke being outscored by 2 in the 2nd half...

[NSDukeFan]

Did you SEE Pitt and Syracuse play the other night? You think this level of play would get it done against either of those teams? You're dreaming, my friend.

Same with Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, WVU, Baylor last year.

[SMO]

Did you SEE Pitt and Syracuse play the other night? You think this level of play would get it done against either of those teams? You're dreaming, my friend.

I remember hearing that over and over last year about a variety of teams.

[SMO]

Miles is playing so smart tonight. Let's hope the light goes on for good!

[Vincetaylor]

Great game. Best I've seen us without Irving. This is more like it from our big guys.

[pfrduke]

Did you SEE Pitt and Syracuse play the other night? You think this level of play would get it done against either of those teams? You're dreaming, my friend.

First, it's not a relevant question, since we're playing NC State, on the road, and our level of play is enough to lead by 14 with 4 to play (which is pretty good). Second, did you watch the first half of this game? I absolutely think our level of play in the first half would get it done against either of those teams. Have we played a particularly stellar second half? No (although it certainly hasn't been terrible). But let's not just pretend like the first 20 minutes of this game didn't happen. And making sky is falling statements like yours are completely unproductive.

[slower]

First, it's not a relevant question, since we're playing NC State, on the road, and our level of play is enough to lead by 14 with 4 to play (which is pretty good). Second, did you watch the first half of this game? I absolutely think our level of play in the first half would get it done against either of those teams. Have we played a particularly stellar second half? No (although it certainly hasn't been terrible). But let's not just pretend like the first 20 minutes of this game didn't happen. And making sky is falling statements like yours are completely unproductive.

Since when is ANYTHING anybody says on here PRODUCTIVE? It's all an opinion. You have yours and I have mine.

Yes, I admit that we're dominating mighty NC State (at home!!!!!!!) by 12 or 14 points with several minutes left. Woo Hoo! Sorry for my unreasonable comments.

After months of listening to certain people say we're a better TEAM without Kyrie and that we should still win it all, it just doesn't jibe with the actual results.

[FireOgilvie]

"Only dogs can hear his voice." - Jay Bilas on Ryan Harrow.

[Hermy-own]

Since when is ANYTHING anybody says on here PRODUCTIVE? It's all an opinion. You have yours and I have mine.

Yes, I admit that we're dominating mighty NC State (at home!!!!!!!) by 12 or 14 points with several minutes left. Woo Hoo! Sorry for my unreasonable comments.

After months of listening to certain people say we're a better TEAM without Kyrie and that we should still win it all, it just doesn't jibe with the actual results.

Slower, have you been watching the game? Coach K is playing an extremely deep bench this game, and has rested Singler for a few minutes, precisely because we have never really been threatened. This has been an EXCELLENT game. Strong contributions from everyone, especially the Plumlees. The only thing to be concerned with is our 2nd half defense, however N.C. State has made some pretty darn lucky shots and we've had some really good defensive possessions so I'm not too worried.

[SMO]

Well, all the "points in the paint", "toughness", "rebounding", "interior defense", "too many threes", folks aren't going to have much to complain about after this one. Should be a short post-game string.

[slower]

Slower, have you been watching the game? Coach K is playing an extremely deep bench this game, and has rested Singler for a few minutes, precisely because we have never really been threatened. This has been an EXCELLENT game. Strong contributions from everyone, especially the Plumlees. The only thing to be concerned with is our 2nd half defense, however N.C. State has made some pretty darn lucky shots and we've had some really good defensive possessions so I'm not too worried.

Okay - we shall see.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

Most well rounded win of the season for Duke. I feel i can go to bed refreshed!