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View Full Version : MBB: Duke 92, NCSU 78 Post-Game Thread



pfrduke
01-19-2011, 09:04 PM
Discuss...

TampaDukie
01-19-2011, 09:06 PM
Excellent game tonight. And very nice to see Coach K's hug for Miles at the end of the game. Hopefully this game will be a big confidence boost for him.

DukeGirl4ever
01-19-2011, 09:06 PM
REALLY liked seeing that big hug from Coach to Miles. He was grinning from ear to ear!

I hope his confidence is back and the Plumlee brothers' swagger is here to stay!

Great all around game from the entire team! We had a few mental lapses, but we punched 'em right back every time they jabbed.

SMO
01-19-2011, 09:06 PM
Take a look at the box score and see what our front-court of MP1, MP2, Kelly, and Hairston (a little bit) just did to State at both ends of the court. It was a whoopin'.

SCMatt33
01-19-2011, 09:07 PM
I was just happy to see solid play across the board in a place where we lost big last year. Especially inside, we don't need 25 and 10 from someone like Mason against Marquette, but getting solid play from everyone is huge.

RelativeWays
01-19-2011, 09:07 PM
The awful start to the 2nd half turned a potential blowout into a game. Duke took State's best shot and still dictated the game. Good all around effort from the team, our bigs, Tyler and Seth (despite the silly fouls) Dre in the 1st half, Kyle second half, Nolan all game, and I think Josh is close to making the rotation similar to the minutes Ryan got last year.

Fuqua's Finest
01-19-2011, 09:07 PM
I just have to say that was by far the most enjoyable game to watch post-Kyrie. This is definitely the most complete game we've had all season with every scholarship player getting valuable minutes and even scoring. Loved the Plumlee's effort and was pleasantly surprised when K finally put them both in together. I will go to sleep a happy man tonite.

NSDukeFan
01-19-2011, 09:08 PM
Nice to get an ACC road win. Great to see the bigs (especially Miles) having a great game and denying State everything inside in the first half. Great contributions from everyone. Solid team win. The team looks a lot stronger than it did last week.

OldPhiKap
01-19-2011, 09:09 PM
I just have to say that was by far the most enjoyable game to watch post-Kyrie. This is definitely the most complete game we've had all season with every scholarship player getting valuable minutes and even scoring. Loved the Plumlee's effort and was pleasantly surprised when K finally put them both in together. I will go to sleep a happy man tonite.

Well-said.

It was Miles' night, but you could rave abourt a bunch of players. And loved seeing Josh and Tyler get some significant minutes at significant times of the game.

Very good coaching, too. ;>

peterjswift
01-19-2011, 09:10 PM
It is really exciting to see Miles and Mason step up (not to mention Ryan Kelly!). Really great game.

billyj
01-19-2011, 09:10 PM
It's great to see everybody on this team is making progress. I think if they continue to grow, they will be most definitely ready for the NCAA.

CLW
01-19-2011, 09:10 PM
HUGE games from MP1, MP2 and Kelly. They all played very well tonight.

I'm hoping tonight was the moment where it all clicked like it did for Zoubs last year at about this time.

Dr. Tina
01-19-2011, 09:11 PM
This was a GREAT game for our guys. I thought we did a really great job on offense and defense. Everyone was working together well and contributing. Everyone scored in some fashion. Nolan was simply Nolan - always coming to play. Kyle picked it up in the 2nd half with some shots and drives to the basket. The Plumlees and Ryan were awesome! I'm so proud of Miles play tonight. That hug between Miles and K was special! Mason was blocking or altering everything. Ryan was great with the 3's. Dre's early points helped us get going. Curry had some nice shots. Josh had a nice jumper. Tyler fouled out, but had a steal, drew 2 fouls, and went 2 for 2 with 5 points total. Just awesome....and ON THE ROAD!!!

DukieInBrasil
01-19-2011, 09:11 PM
what a thoroughly satisfying win. There was something to like from everyone and a lot to love from Miles and Mason as well as Ryan. TT played a solid game with 5pts on 1 FGA, Seth and Dre with a nice 8 apiece, Josh hit a jumper in the lane, and even Singler warmed up by the end of the game. Nolan turned in another NPOY-type game.
Great to get so many great contributions from the entire team. Sweet.

6th Man
01-19-2011, 09:13 PM
That game just felt right. Lots of guys played. Role players stepped up. Very satisfying victory.

CDu
01-19-2011, 09:14 PM
Unofficially the Plumlees and Kelly combined for 29 points, 26 rebounds, 8 blocks, and only 4 fouls. That's really good work. It's really nice to see each of them play pretty well in the same game.

Singler had a rough first half but really came on down the stretch. And a very solid performance by Smith yet again.

The defense could have been better at times, but all in all it was a very nice comfortable win on the road in the ACC. I'm pleased.

Saratoga2
01-19-2011, 09:15 PM
Mason in particular but also Ryan and Miles had really energetic and positive games. Blocking shots, rebounding and scoring when they had opportunities. I haven't seen the box scores, but it had to be big.

Nolan had his usual great game while Kyle really was off for the first half and a part of the second half before coming on strongly toward the end. I also liked what Andre did early on in the game, finding ways to score other than from the 3 point line/

I thought Tyler played well taking charges and handling well. Seth scored 8 but I wasn't a fan of his defense tonight.

With what we saw tonight, we could easily be a much better team in the second half of the ACC. Getting distribution of points and a strong contribution from our inside players will make us a real threat into the tournament.

diesel
01-19-2011, 09:17 PM
Great to see the way the whole team played, and especially the emergence of our bigs. Miles will get my vote for MOTM, but I thought 5 of our team played very well.

And I want to say how impressed I was with State. I think their freshmen are very good and I shall look forward to seeing them play again.

dukelifer
01-19-2011, 09:19 PM
Excellent overall game. Thought Kelly played a very good game- he was very confident shooting and rebounding. Miles' best game in a long long time- keeping it simple. Mason was a monster in the lane- 6 blocks, 9 boards and several key putbacks- that is how he needs to play. Singler should really never shoot the ball until there is game pressure- he plays much better when he gets a chance to put a team away. Nolan was his usual great self and got good contributions from the rest of the team. K made this game fun for the team- played everyone - and they responded. The team was much more relaxed out there. Best effort in a long while.

loran16
01-19-2011, 09:20 PM
Mr. Negative here to say:

Awesome game. I think i'm going to abstain from the MotM thread....I think Miles, Mason and Ryan all deserve MotM together.

wsb3
01-19-2011, 09:20 PM
I can't recall a game this year where I thought our bigs played as well collectively as they did tonight. Kyle struggling with his shot all night but hit some daggars when we needed them. His confidence never wanes.

I was not comfortable with this game until it was under two minutes to go. State just kept battling and simply would not go away.

Best moment. Miles and Coach K at the end. Great stuff.

UrinalCake
01-19-2011, 09:20 PM
Maybe a glass half full/half empty thing to mention: we shot poorly from 3, but still found a way to win, and fairly comfortably at that.

jipops
01-19-2011, 09:22 PM
Great offensive flow for almost the entire game, the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half being the exception. Our defense was great in the 1st half but really seemed to breakdown the entire 2nd. Since the offense was so on, it didn't hurt us thankfully.

This was a satisfying win and a very, very big one. Every win on the road in the ACC is huge and this was an opponent we have struggled with at their place the past few seasons.

fisheyes
01-19-2011, 09:25 PM
This was a great TEAM win. I think that we'll look back at this game as the game during which this TEAM (post Kyrie) gelled. They looked like they were having fun out there. If they can keep the momentum there's great potential later in the year. The hug from K to Miles was priceless. Miles' grin was perfect.

strawbs
01-19-2011, 09:30 PM
awesome game other then the first few minutes of the 2nd half. Bigs played great, and it was nice to see everyone contribute tonight.
Hate to be a negative nancy but those 2 free throws josh missed tonight were UGLY! real real flat. I can't believe the one shot he made tonight went in, because it didn't seem like it ever got higher then the rim. But seeing him and Tyler in the game contributing in a hostile environment in a big conference game was great.
Was it just me or did Andre sit for a huge portion of the 2nd half? I know he picked up some fouls but was he in serious foul trouble or did he miss a defensive assignment or...?
Lastly thank god we have Wake coming up. This is a great time to have them, especially if Nolan's knee is still hurting. I don't mean to take any opponent lightly, but they are bad. Hopefully we can jump out to a huge early lead and Nolan can sit a bit to rest his leg.

sagegrouse
01-19-2011, 09:30 PM
Originally posted by Sage Grouse
The Calm Before the Storm?
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.


The above were my hopes before the game, which many others expressed more eloquently.

Here's the scorecard --

This game is about defense -- Yep. Held State to 37%.

Turnovers? -- Nope. Very few, but Duke did get some run-outs.

Pestering defense in the middle? -- Very stifling defense in swatting any and everything thrown up. Initial stats say eight blocks; it was more like 16, I believe.

Balanced scoring? -- The best of the year. Miles, Mason and Ryan were amazing, and Andre and Seth provided key baskets.

Best game of year? I don't know but it was a very satisfying win.

sagegrouse

hurley1
01-19-2011, 09:32 PM
we have all been screaming for some lights out inside play........we finally got it.......the plumlees were just straight nasty.......kelly did well too.......

60's Devil
01-19-2011, 09:34 PM
Great road win. I'm ecstatic! The Plumlees and Kelly were fantastic and I must admit I have been a doubter. If they can keep it up I will gladly eat a ton of crow. Valuable minutes from Thornton, Curry and Hairston. Go Duke!

ncexnyc
01-19-2011, 09:37 PM
WOW, this has got to be a first. Glowing reports from head to toe. I must be at the wrong site or the kids must have played one heck of a game. I can't wait to get home and watch.

DukeDevilDeb
01-19-2011, 09:37 PM
... to start the game: a magnificent 3 by Ryan Kelly. It was awesome to watch all the bigs get into the rhythm on both ends of the court. Miles was huge; where has he been hiding? And Mason and Ryan's shot blocking in the first half was remarkable. Tyler was great too: hitting a three, taking a charge, just playing heady b-ball for the minutes he was in.

It always pays to keep watching Kyle who came out with 18 from nowhere. And Nolan's coast to coast scores are a delight to watch. Hope his knee is OK

I was really surprised that both Tyler and Seth fouled out. They and Andre did a terrific job of giving very important minutes... Josh made a nice shot as well, although his defense is still developing.

Let's see, who have I forgotten? Oh, yeah, the coaches. I thought this was an extraordinarily well-coached game. Every slug from Sidney's guys was met with a slug back from ours. There was fire in the Devils' eyes... and that is so important for a road game/win.

Bravo, Devils! Great job on both ends of the court.

MB in MD
01-19-2011, 09:47 PM
I didn't see the game, only saw the boxscore and it doesn't look impressive at all. Singler 6/18; Nolan misses 10 shots and only 1/6 on 3s; Dawkins and Curry a combined 1/6 on 3's. 11 assists on 34 field goals. State scores 50 in the second half. Miles has 13 which is certainly nice but not eye catching. State has only 9 turnovers and we have only 4 steals. OK, so maybe Miles, Mason and Kelly combining for 26 boards and Mason having 6 blocks gives a glimpse of some of the real good stuff.

But the consensus seems to be that it was not just a serviceable, but a great game. I don't doubt it. I guess a lot has to do with when the shots and blocks and rebounds come.

BD80
01-19-2011, 09:51 PM
... The hug from K to Miles was priceless. Miles' grin was perfect.

Interesting contrast to the recent stories about ol' roy and coach Cal. Miles hasn't been playing well, but somehow Coach K got him to turn it around

basket1544
01-19-2011, 09:54 PM
I think it was a great game because they won well even though they couldn't shoot well. Kyle and Nolan didn't have to control the whole game. It was a team win and it came from the inside out.

dukelifer
01-19-2011, 09:54 PM
I didn't see the game, only saw the boxscore and it doesn't look impressive at all. Singler 6/18; Nolan misses 10 shots and only 1/6 on 3s; Dawkins and Curry a combined 1/6 on 3's. 11 assists on 34 field goals. State scores 50 in the second half. Miles has 13 which is certainly nice but not eye catching. State has only 9 turnovers and we have only 4 steals. OK, so maybe Miles, Mason and Kelly combining for 26 boards and Mason having 6 blocks gives a glimpse of some of the real good stuff.

But the consensus seems to be that it was not just a serviceable, but a great game. I don't doubt it. I guess a lot has to do with when the shots and blocks and rebounds come.

Miles having 13 with 9 boards is pretty eye catching when you consider he had 0 pts and 3 boards combined in the last two games. The bigs played well and Duke won easily without having Singler and Smith having great games. State actually played well and could have put more pressure on Duke but such is the game of bball. Duke got a good win on the road and showed that others can score when needed.

Duvall
01-19-2011, 09:57 PM
I didn't see the game, only saw the boxscore and it doesn't look impressive at all. Singler 6/18; Nolan misses 10 shots and only 1/6 on 3s; Dawkins and Curry a combined 1/6 on 3's. 11 assists on 34 field goals. State scores 50 in the second half. Miles has 13 which is certainly nice but not eye catching. State has only 9 turnovers and we have only 4 steals. OK, so maybe Miles, Mason and Kelly combining for 26 boards and Mason having 6 blocks gives a glimpse of some of the real good stuff.

But the consensus seems to be that it was not just a serviceable, but a great game. I don't doubt it. I guess a lot has to do with when the shots and blocks and rebounds come.

Duke controlled the run of play from start to finish without ever shooting well from the perimeter. It's a good sign.

BleedsP287
01-19-2011, 09:58 PM
I didn't see the game, only saw the boxscore and it doesn't look impressive at all. Singler 6/18; Nolan misses 10 shots and only 1/6 on 3s; Dawkins and Curry a combined 1/6 on 3's. 11 assists on 34 field goals. State scores 50 in the second half. Miles has 13 which is certainly nice but not eye catching. State has only 9 turnovers and we have only 4 steals. OK, so maybe Miles, Mason and Kelly combining for 26 boards and Mason having 6 blocks gives a glimpse of some of the real good stuff.

But the consensus seems to be that it was not just a serviceable, but a great game. I don't doubt it. I guess a lot has to do with when the shots and blocks and rebounds come.

State came in attacking the paint and our big men played good defense, much better than they have been. Great rebounding from our guys despite State crashing the boards, lots of blocks, lots of altered shots, and not too many fouls on the big men. All things we've sort of been waiting for, so it seems a little better game maybe than the stats might indicate. Good tough play and a conference road win.

ambitiouspear
01-19-2011, 10:04 PM
Hi all,

I didn't catch the game. I'm happy to see there were solid contributions from top to bottom. Is it an indication of how good we were (and could be) or a reflection of State?

MB in MD
01-19-2011, 10:05 PM
Miles having 13 with 9 boards is pretty eye catching when you consider he had 0 pts and 3 boards combined in the last two games.

Certainly a terrific game for him in that context. It's funny, I followed the score on my blackberry, and the boxscore only said M Plumlee and M Plumlee so my first reaction was that Mason was having the breakout game, as he was more likely to based on his recent play. But none of the numbers, not even Miles' 13 and 9, come close to capturing the overall quality of our play.

gam7
01-19-2011, 10:07 PM
I didn't see the game, only saw the boxscore and it doesn't look impressive at all. Singler 6/18; Nolan misses 10 shots and only 1/6 on 3s; Dawkins and Curry a combined 1/6 on 3's. 11 assists on 34 field goals. State scores 50 in the second half. Miles has 13 which is certainly nice but not eye catching. State has only 9 turnovers and we have only 4 steals. OK, so maybe Miles, Mason and Kelly combining for 26 boards and Mason having 6 blocks gives a glimpse of some of the real good stuff.

But the consensus seems to be that it was not just a serviceable, but a great game. I don't doubt it. I guess a lot has to do with when the shots and blocks and rebounds come.

I think that this was a very satisfying game because the guys addressed weaknesses of each player that have been identified on this bulletin board the last several weeks.

1. Win a tough road comfortably. Check.

2. Get Miles involved and out of the "doghouse." Check.

3. Interior defense from bigs. Check.

4. Dawkins being a threat aside from spotting up for 3. Check.

5. Kelly getting his outside shot going again. Check.

6. Quality minutes from Thornton and Hairston. Check.

7. Outside shooting from Thornton. Check.

8. Offensive presence from bigs in general. Check.

9. Free throw shooting from bigs (except Hairston). Check.

10. Solid play from Curry. Check.

MB in MD
01-19-2011, 10:08 PM
Duke controlled the run of play from start to finish without ever shooting well from the perimeter. It's a good sign.

Yeah, I agree that's a very good sign. I'm sorry I missed it. I hope it doesn't mean I have to keep missing games for this to happen.:cool:

gam7
01-19-2011, 10:17 PM
Duke controlled the run of play from start to finish without ever shooting well from the perimeter. It's a good sign.

You nailed it Duvall. I think when you put together the outside shooting of which we know our team is capable, along with the post play and mid-range game that we saw tonight, we get a pretty good idea of what our peak performance will look like when everything is clicking. It will be pretty scary when that happens.

Waynne
01-19-2011, 10:23 PM
What did Miles have for breakfast? I want to get me some. Great game by all 3 of our bigs.

House G
01-19-2011, 10:30 PM
Agree that Duke came to play and took control early. I just have one question--what's up with Josh's free-throw shooting? It looks like he has no arc on his shot. It would be nice to see him, Miles, and Mason in the 60-70% range.

Saratoga2
01-19-2011, 10:43 PM
You nailed it Duvall. I think when you put together the outside shooting of which we know our team is capable, along with the post play and mid-range game that we saw tonight, we get a pretty good idea of what our peak performance will look like when everything is clicking. It will be pretty scary when that happens.

In the past there have been comments relative to how a different arena impacts our three point shooting. We have had games when JJ was playing where everyone went cold at one time and there was speculation that just the different look of an arena can throw people off. I think many of the shots taken tonight we open, so I don't think the defense played against our threes was all that formidable. Like you, I expect our three point shooting will be back to normal again and with it we may have found more aggressive inside play.

-bdbd
01-19-2011, 10:44 PM
You nailed it Duvall. I think when you put together the outside shooting of which we know our team is capable, along with the post play and mid-range game that we saw tonight, we get a pretty good idea of what our peak performance will look like when everything is clicking. It will be pretty scary when that happens.

Yes. A very encouraging game as a TEAM performance. I thought Miles and Mason both showed some budding confidence, and Ryan continues to progress well and play (mostly) heady ball. We rerally need to build on this, as we will NEED this sort of confident, assertive interior play if we want to do some real damage come March/April. Beating an decent ACC foe by ten in the rebounds category, in their house, is remarkable for this team, and Mason's early flurry of blocks I think affected State's shooting for much of the rest of the game. I also continue to love Nolan's game, as he continued to exude calm confidence, and made a couple buckets just when State seemed to have us on the ropes.

If you want to pick nits, Tyler and Seth could use a little practice at NOT FOWLING. They had 11 and 16 minutes of game time respectively, before both fouled out. And while a couple of those were on "uncharitable" rookie calls against them, they did both also commit a couple of SILLY FOULS (such as Tyler's foul on a 3-shot 25' out...). It wasn't all bad as they got to do some scoring, etc. though (including each hitting a 3!).

I was surprised to see that Duke actually got called for a few more fouls overall, given how they were going ballistic late in the first half.

devildeac
01-19-2011, 10:46 PM
What did Miles have for breakfast? I want to get me some. Great game by all 3 of our bigs.

He must be tired of milkbones.;):rolleyes:

mapei
01-19-2011, 10:49 PM
I actually didn't think it was a great game, though it was a most excellent result. Mainly, I thought our defense was subpar. We fouled a lot and State's mediocre shooting percentage had as much to do with them as us. They were lousy at finishing, except for Tracy Smith, who played very well for them.

I also think that, much improved play from Miles (especially), Ryan and Mason notwithstanding, Nolan was once again the key to success. Every time we needed a big play to stop the bleeding, he was our answer. His ball-handling and passing were excellent, too. Let's don't take him for granted; he was the best and most important player on the floor tonight.

dukestheheat
01-19-2011, 10:58 PM
has anyone heard what the issue is with his left leg? He was sporting that 'knee brace' and I didn't actually notice it until he went down on a seemingly innocuous block out by the State player on the free throw.

Thanks for any input on that.

And, shout out for Ryan Kelly tonight; he's my MOTM!

dth.

superdave
01-19-2011, 11:00 PM
has anyone heard what the issue is with his left leg? He was sporting that 'knee brace' and I didn't actually notice it until he went down on a seemingly innocuous block out by the State player on the free throw.


I think he was wearing padded shorts underneath his uniform shorts. No knee brace. I'm assuming just got a little bruise. As quick as he went down I thought he got bumped in the man parts a first.

dukestheheat
01-19-2011, 11:04 PM
I think he was wearing padded shorts underneath his uniform shorts. No knee brace. I'm assuming just got a little bruise. As quick as he went down I thought he got bumped in the man parts a first.

.....heavens! What, pray tell, are padded shorts? I've heard of wearing a straight jacket in a padded cell, but padded shorts? Well, he IS the quarterback of the basketball team right now at least.....

dth.

superdave
01-19-2011, 11:07 PM
We sent 4 and 5 guys to the boards defensively at the start of the game. We were determined to keep State off the offensive boards and it led to a slow start.

We also ran Orange 3-4 possessions and it really seemed to disrupt State's rhythm and push their offense out another step. Great change of pace move. It's really nice to see in small doses.

I thought Andre got us off to a great start with a quick 8 points including a nice floater he seemed to plagiarize from Nolan. Then our big guys took over from there. It was nice to see everyone contribute offensively.

I really would like to see us work the ball inside out a little more, rather than start games shooting jump shots. If we can put the defense on their heels with dribble drives and rolls to the basket, the jumpers will come just a little easier. Just my two cents. Great effort tonight.

Super "We got after it in the lane tonight" Dave

wilson
01-19-2011, 11:28 PM
Several thoughts.

1. This was the Plumlees' second-best game in tandem since they've been together at Duke, behind the Wake game last season. Individually, Miles' best game of the season, and pretty close for Mason as well. They seemed to play very good complimentary frontcourt roles tonight. I'd love to see that continue.

2. I've said to a number of friends recently that Ryan Kelly has, to me, been the single most pleasant surprise on the team this season. It's not that I didn't expect him to improve; it's the consistency with which he has played with his heart and his head. Tonight was the very embodiment of that, and it was great to see him step up and see a couple of shots fall.

3. Another great instance of Tyler Thornton absolutely maximizing his minutes. He just seems to love to hustle...a great classic Duke trait.

4. Nolan has of course been terrific this season, but I really don't think the last several games have been his best, his strong production notwithstanding. Tonight, he seemed to be more in control and less over-eager than he had been for a while. His playing under control helped set a good tone for a very solid overall team performance.

5. That last bit from my comment about Nolan bears repeating. This was a very solid overall team performance. I think it was easily the team's best game post-Kyrie, and one of the three or four best of the season. It was a very encouraging performance. I also think State played quite well, which only makes the victory more satisfying. With Wake on deck for Saturday, I think we have a great chance to generate some momentum and confidence (on the road, no less), and really begin finding out what this team's ceiling is.

Neals384
01-19-2011, 11:35 PM
If you want to pick nits, Tyler and Seth could use a little practice at NOT FOWLING. They had 11 and 16 minutes of game time respectively, before both fouled out. And while a couple of those were on "uncharitable" rookie calls against them, they did both also commit a couple of SILLY FOULS (such as Tyler's foul on a 3-shot 25' out...). It wasn't all bad as they got to do some scoring, etc. though (including each hitting a 3!).

No, that was Dre not Tyler that fouled Wood on his 3 pointer.

Neals384
01-19-2011, 11:42 PM
Was it just me or did Andre sit for a huge portion of the 2nd half? I know he picked up some fouls but was he in serious foul trouble or did he miss a defensive assignment or...?
Andre was great in the first 9 minutes of the game. 4 fior 4 from the field with not a single 3-pt attempt. From the middle of the first half to the 19:00 mark of the second half he was 0 for 4 from 3 point range, had 2 fouls (one on a 3-point shot) and one turnover. He did play almost 10 minutes in the second half, but sat from 12:37 to 3:55, so, yes, he did have a long rest.

Starter
01-19-2011, 11:48 PM
Nolan clearly had a sleeve on his leg, but not on his knee. It looks like it was covering his shin/calf, and whatever the cause, it surely didn't affect him very much. (Here's (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/108180313/McClatchy-Tribune) a picture)

As for when he went down, it looked like he got hit directly in his padded shorts. The NC State fans showed their usual class, booing him roundly. The two games I went to there, the fans spent about 85% of the game telling the refs they were going to kill them.

snowdenscold
01-20-2011, 02:07 AM
I know the man has said some pretty inane/ridiculous/senile things over the years, but did anyone notice Mike Patrick refer to coach "Steve Wojo" ? Not "Steve Wojciechowski", or "Wojo", but "Steve Wojo". It just sounded really odd to me. On the positive side, at least he wasn't trying to refer to Collins.


On a different note, how nice was it to see Kelly go 2-2 on 3 pointers?!

DallasDevil
01-20-2011, 03:02 AM
The bigs played well and Duke won easily without having Singler and Smith having great games.

How nice is it to have a player move into 7th on the school's all-time scoring list while going for 18-9 with some key baskets and another who is a NPOY candidate and exceed his season averages in both points and assists, and then be able to say that neither had great games? I don't necessarily disagree with the statement, but I think it's a testament to both of those guys that we've come to expect performances at least as good as tonight's from them. Throw in solid contributions from the other 7 healthy scholarship players, especially from our three bigs, and I'm definitely going to bed happier than I was a week ago.

jammsb
01-20-2011, 05:59 AM
I love this team. They embody everything that is consistent with Duke basketball and its traditions. Having said this, I am concerned about the inconsistency of our shooting, especially in the last three games. We've got some excellent shooters. But it seems that sometimes as is often the case with good shooters, they lose their touch. I do love the fact that apparently Coach K recognizes this and based on last night's game is putting a premium on inside play.

oldnavy
01-20-2011, 06:39 AM
No, that was Dre not Tyler that fouled Wood on his 3 pointer.

Also worth noting is that they had a difficult assignment in guarding that freshman point guard from NCSU Harrow. The kid is quick and aggessive, so they got called a lot for double hand checks which they will have to learn not to do. It will come. Also, not getting to practice against KI may be impacting their defense a little at this point, they will get better with more in game experience against quick guards. They still did an overall pretty good job IMO.

mkline09
01-20-2011, 06:55 AM
Perhaps this is better suited for another thread but I thought it might be applicable.
I had the pleasure of attending last night's game and a good one it was for Duke. I also had the misfortune of sitting in front of two of the most obnoxious fans this side of Chapel Hill.

These two guys from the opening tip were nothing but rude, and disgustingly inappropriate. This is certainly not the case for all state fans. I'm not sure if it was because they saw four Duke fans sitting in front of them and they thought they could get our goat but it was non stop. From racial slurs about Krzyzewski and Wojo being Polish, to an insinuation that Wojo was gay and or mentally handicapped to the standard Krzyzewski looks like a rat and Ryan Kelly is the ugliest player alive.

Most of this I just laugh at as ignorance but I wonder if these guys actually felt this way. One even proclaimed that Duke was clearly the better team but with the officials being so one sided and bias that State had no chance. My brother and I whenever we could pointed out the team foul discrepancy which almost always and ended up favoring State. Duke ended up with 20 total team fouls and State had 18 so there was no clear advanatage. We joked that perhaps they wanted basketball to offer handicapps like in golf to even the playing field.

I can understand frustration but to act like that, especially when there were children around was too much. The kicker though was at times they talked about their own team just as bad if not worse. I wonder if they hate Duke or their own team more.

flyingdutchdevil
01-20-2011, 07:01 AM
You guys basically covered everything. I do have a few points that I found particularly interesting:

1) Ryan Kelly is now the most underrated player on the team. For the last 18 months, it's been Nolan, but he's finally receiving the props that he deserves. Kelly is one of the most fundamentally sound players in the ACC. I feel like I'm going to like him more and more.

2) Singler's shot has been inconsistent, but I don't care. He brings so much to the table. It's ridiculous. His shot will come and go, but his hustle and intangibles will always be there.

3) Andre is becoming the new Nolan (in terms of offensive production). He has diversified his offense so much, with that Nolan-esque floater, cuts to the lane, and that signature 3. He doesn't have the cat-like reflexes of Nolan, but they will come.

4) I never would have thought that Tyler and Josh would have been playing so many minutes during ACC play. I was one of the doubters who thought that they wouldn't see the light of day during tough ACC games, especially on the road. I'm happy that they have proven me wrong. Tyler will be a fan favorite for years to come (if he isn't already). He is the quintessential teammate and I love his bulldog approach to defense.

5) Does Mason hit free throws in practice? He can't during games, and he took 2 shots that were on the free throw line during the game. Is it a confidence issue? Is he supposed to take those shots?

6) I like watching this team come together. Everyone is realizing their role and hungry to take more initiative. It's really nice and refreshing. I was worried that this team would turn into a "Nolan watching" team (like the "JJ watching" team of 2006) but everyone on the team, especially Nolan, wants to get as many people involved as possible.

dukeimac
01-20-2011, 07:31 AM
Notes:

flyingdutchdevil

1) Ryan Kelly is now the most underrated player - don't get excited, it was one, I repeat, one game.

2) Singler's shot has been inconsistent - he's tired!

3) Andre is becoming the new Nolan - he gets some good rest.

4) Tyler and Josh - I admit, neither did I. But Josh looked sloppy last night. A rebound under the basket and he wasn't ready for the body they put on him that he fell to the floor, not good, not ACC ready. Tyler's defense is not so good (not as good as advertised) but he is contributing more on the offensive end than billed.

5) Does Mason hit free throws in practice? - logging a lot of minutes. If Miles comes with the confidence, Mason will get more rest.

6) I like watching this team come together - again, just one game.

Some people need to go take a cold shower, this was one game. They looked like they were getting healthy and with Wake next that should continue but will it be enough to beat Maryland @ Maryland and UNC @ UNC. I'll get excited if they go 2-0 with those games, even a 1-1 with a very very close lose is good but any lose to those one of those two that they win with ease will tell me this team still isn't there.

They are a work in progress and that progress is at least 6 or 7 games away, provided there is no set back.

Few other notes:
How many times must Mason post up, wide open down low, before they get him the ball. At least 3 times he beat everyone down the court and not a once did they get him the ball. That was terrible.

How many times will we see Seth and Tyler come off the bench and foul out. Terrible defense there.

How many times will they try a ally oop and not execute. At least 3 times they failed to execute. Those were horrible passes, all short.

Remember, this was just one game.

flyingdutchdevil
01-20-2011, 07:41 AM
Some people need to go take a cold shower, this was one game. They looked like they were getting healthy and with Wake next that should continue but will it be enough to beat Maryland @ Maryland and UNC @ UNC. I'll get excited if they go 2-0 with those games, even a 1-1 with a very very close lose is good but any lose to those one of those two that they win with ease will tell me this team still isn't there.

They are a work in progress and that progress is at least 6 or 7 games away, provided there is no set back.

Few other notes:
How many times must Mason post up, wide open down low, before they get him the ball. At least 3 times he beat everyone down the court and not a once did they get him the ball. That was terrible.

How many times will we see Seth and Tyler come off the bench and foul out. Terrible defense there.

How many times will they try a ally oop and not execute. At least 3 times they failed to execute. Those were horrible passes, all short.

Remember, this was just one game.

Dukeimac - for the record, these are observations that have been noticed throughout the season and were reinforced by yesterday's game. Ryan Kelly's consistency and smart play make him a vital component of this team and his lack of exposure in the press (and, to a certain extent, this forum), make him, IMO, the most underrated player we have.

And while it is one game, it is certainly a reason to get excited. This is the best that we have played since KI went down. At an away game. Against a very athletic team. That we lost to last year.

In my opinion, this game is a turning point for our team. Not in terms of how we play in the future or how we were 'clicking on all cylinders,' but how the team realized the balance we can amass and the shear number of scorers on the team.

DukieInBrasil
01-20-2011, 07:59 AM
after the game was over the tv showed a nice moment between Coach K and Miles, hugs n smiles and ESPN named Miles MOTM, which was a nice honor to bestow on him seeing as how he has been struggling quite a bit lately. Somehow between game-time and today Miles' stats were revised downward, 13 pts became 11 and 9 rebs became 8, nothing too shocking. However, Ryan Kelly also had 11 pts (on only 4 shots!) and 8 boards too. But he also had a steal and 2 blocks (whereas MP I had no additional stats). I'm very pleased that Miles was able to revitalize his game vs. State, we certainly needed it, but Ryan's contributions were just as if not more important than Miles', yet got very little praise (at least from the announcing crew). Speaking of the announcing crew, can I just say that listening to Jay Bilas is such a HUGE improvement over listening to Len El(I can't fake my hatred of Duke any)more.
Very nice game, though giving up 78 pts to NCSU is a bit worrisome, the 92 pts after some of our recent games were very welcome!

Bob Green
01-20-2011, 08:04 AM
How many times will we see Seth and Tyler come off the bench and foul out. Terrible defense there.

I believe this is an overstatement. We have depth available so I assume the staff is telling the guys to play aggressive defense. We can afford to give up the fouls on high risk, potentially high gain defensive plays. Tyler Thornton drew two charging fouls on Tracy Smith last night.

jv001
01-20-2011, 08:13 AM
I believe this is an overstatement. We have depth available so I assume the staff is telling the guys to play aggressive defense. We can afford to give up the fouls on high risk, potentially high gain defensive plays. Tyler Thornton drew two charging fouls on Tracy Smith last night.

Agree with this ^ Bob and some of those fouls were of the ticky tack variety. While some muggins went uncalled. I watched the replay and the non call on Kyle's drive and layup was obvious(without the replay). Seth and Tyler had to guard Harrow for a good part of the game and that guy is super quick. So I'm not worried about those two guys and their defense. For the statement it's just one game: this game was against a team that's given us fits in Raleigh. So if some posters are going to bash players over one or two bad game, then it's certainly ok to praise them over their play in this game (Bob I know it wasn't you that made that statement). Plus this was our first road win in the conference. Go Duke!

tele
01-20-2011, 08:38 AM
Plus this was our first road win in the conference. Go Duke!

Big to get that first conference road win. Others have commented on the Bigs contributions, also nice to see the bench contributions, 26 points and 12 rebounds, half of rebounds offensive. That is great to see. Also the bench played for 53 minutes which is more than in some recent games. Doesn't hurt either when playing a road game for the bench to account for 12 of your 21 personal fouls, none of the starters had more than 3. Duke got called for more fouls than the home team, by 3, so no one can complain about Duke getting all the calls (they will anyway) and most of the Duke fouls were "contributed" by the bench. This is very nice side benefit of getting significant bench play on the road, (not to mention the help on guarding the ball and the opponents quick point guard). Very nice to see when your main standby star players are getting a little nicked up and have been playing lots of minutes.

dukelifer
01-20-2011, 08:48 AM
Notes:



2) Singler's shot has been inconsistent - he's tired!





He is not tired- otherwise he would have missed more of his shots at the end. Singler shoots much better at the end of games. I think he likes game pressure and helps him focus- but maybe it is something else- like he is not tired and everyone else is. Singler always helps the team with his D and rebounding but sometimes he shoots too many threes early and might be better off shooting inside the lane ( a shot he seems to hit consistently) - but at the end- he usually comes through.

sagegrouse
01-20-2011, 09:00 AM
He is not tired- otherwise he would have missed more of his shots at the end. Singler shoots much better at the end of games. I think he likes game pressure and helps him focus- but maybe it is something else- like he is not tired and everyone else is. Singler always helps the team with his D and rebounding but sometimes he shoots too many threes early and might be better off shooting inside the lane ( a shot he seems to hit consistently) - but at the end- he usually comes through.

I'm with you, Duke Lifer. Kyle is the ultimate warrior. He gets better and stronger as the game goes along. While he takes some shots early in the game, he seems content to let other players take the lead. Then, after halftime, it is a different matter. Moreover, last year he got better and better as the the season went along. Jon was the best player for the first two-thirds of the season, but Kyle (FF MOP) was the most effective Blue Devil at the end. This year, Nolan is the best player on the team so far, but I wouldn't discount Kyle down the stretch.

Anyway, so much for Dukeimac's blathering about Kyle being tired. Mr. D. is kinda like the assistant coach in charge of negatives. You get a blowout win at home or a big win, like last night, on the road, and he's the guy that points out that "we were lucky to win" and that "if some things aren't corrected, we'll never win another game."

sagegrouse

Slackerb
01-20-2011, 09:01 AM
Even with the amazing game from the role players and frontcourt, I feel lucky to have pulled this one out.

State missed so many easy conversions...

They really played well, but the ball just wasn't going into the basket for them, and it wasn't really our defense that kept their shooting percentage that low.

Duvall
01-20-2011, 09:17 AM
Even with the amazing game from the role players and frontcourt, I feel lucky to have pulled this one out.

State missed so many easy conversions...

They really played well, but the ball just wasn't going into the basket for them, and it wasn't really our defense that kept their shooting percentage that low.

Are you still trying to pretend to be a Duke fan? Just stop. You're embarassing yourself and insulting us.

CDu
01-20-2011, 09:21 AM
.....heavens! What, pray tell, are padded shorts? I've heard of wearing a straight jacket in a padded cell, but padded shorts? Well, he IS the quarterback of the basketball team right now at least.....

dth.

Padded shorts are just what they sound like. Compression (i.e., skin tight) shorts with pads on them. The pads are there to protect the thighs. Sort of like football thigh pads. These shorts are pretty common in basketball given the degree of contact in the sport these days.

CDu
01-20-2011, 09:25 AM
I actually didn't think it was a great game, though it was a most excellent result. Mainly, I thought our defense was subpar. We fouled a lot and State's mediocre shooting percentage had as much to do with them as us. They were lousy at finishing, except for Tracy Smith, who played very well for them.

I also think that, much improved play from Miles (especially), Ryan and Mason notwithstanding, Nolan was once again the key to success. Every time we needed a big play to stop the bleeding, he was our answer. His ball-handling and passing were excellent, too. Let's don't take him for granted; he was the best and most important player on the floor tonight.

I think there were great signs, but I agree that there were some holes. We gave up 50 in the second half and NC State had many opportunities that just didn't fall in the first half. So there is definitely room for improvement defensively.

But I think the reason people are so excited is because of how well the Plumlees and Kelly played. It's the first time that I can remember that all three seemed to have such a positive impact in the same game. 29 points, 26 rebounds, and 8 blocks (with only 4 fouls) is a really good performance for those guys considering what we've been seeing for much of the season. It's something that hopefully builds confidence and pays dividends.

It's definitely a work in progress. But I think the reason people are saying it's a great game has more to do with signs of progress rather than looking at the performance as a finished product.

MChambers
01-20-2011, 09:29 AM
interesting how accurate Pomeroy's prediction (84-68) was.

tbyers11
01-20-2011, 09:37 AM
Even with the amazing game from the role players and frontcourt, I feel lucky to have pulled this one out.

State missed so many easy conversions...

They really played well, but the ball just wasn't going into the basket for them, and it wasn't really our defense that kept their shooting percentage that low.

Disagree, there were maybe 3 short shots/layups that State blew in the first half, but I feel that many of the other "easy" shots they missed were because of a strong defensive presence particularly on the interior.

And if you want to play ifs and buts, how about two strong rejections by Mason turning directly into 6 points for State (the 3 by Wood in the first half and the 3 point play by Tracy Smith in the second). How often does a similarly blocked shot fall directly to an opposing player in such an advantageous position?

tele
01-20-2011, 09:45 AM
He is not tired- otherwise he would have missed more of his shots at the end. Singler shoots much better at the end of games. I think he likes game pressure and helps him focus- but maybe it is something else- like he is not tired and everyone else is. Singler always helps the team with his D and rebounding but sometimes he shoots too many threes early and might be better off shooting inside the lane ( a shot he seems to hit consistently) - but at the end- he usually comes through.

Singler did get 5 minutes of rest during this game, he only played 35 minutes, which is a big difference than the 40 or so he and Nolan had been logging. Even Nolan got a minute for a break, don't remember if it was after one of the times he hit the floor or was just during the regular course of the game. It can't hurt at the end of games to have fresher players on the floor than your opponent does, especially when your opponent is running 10 players at you.

Billy Dat
01-20-2011, 09:47 AM
RE: Kyle at the end of games
Aside from thriving under game pressure, which I agree with, I think Kyle gets more open looks at the end of games because he's in such great shape. He keeps moving, his defender is tired, and he gets that much extra daylight. When he squares and has that extra second, he really knocks them down.

ESPN's David Thorpe recently mentioned a game he plays with his sons while they watch the end of games and I have started to do it myself...if your team has a two possession lead with 5 minutes left, try and guess how many stops you need to put the game away and then see if your team can pull it off. Last night, with 5 to go, we were up 9 and I guessed 7 stops would get it done. We didn't even get to 2 stops until roughly the last minute. I only bring that up to point out that despite the 14 point final spread, I give State a lot of credit for keeping game pressure on us and I give us credit for scoring with them down the stretch.

Steve68
01-20-2011, 10:02 AM
Notes:

Some people need to go take a cold shower, this was one game. They looked like they were getting healthy and with Wake next that should continue but will it be enough to beat Maryland @ Maryland and UNC @ UNC. I'll get excited if they go 2-0 with those games, even a 1-1 with a very very close lose is good but any lose to those one of those two that they win with ease will tell me this team still isn't there.

They are a work in progress and that progress is at least 6 or 7 games away, provided there is no set back.

Remember, this was just one game.

... and Florida State was just one game. In fact, every game is just one game. You can dismiss any observation - positive or negative - by saying it was just one game. We are 17-1. At some point those just one games begin to show a trend. Maybe you should take your own advice about that cold shower.

bass-piscator
01-20-2011, 10:07 AM
That opening 3 from Kelly was a thing of beauty. I was out of my seat. He had an all around excellent game. I also think he had more than 2 blocks. One block credited to Mason I was sure was Ryan's. Yes, you may call me Mrs. Kelly.

Our three bigs were firing bullets tonight.

HaveFunExpectToWin
01-20-2011, 10:15 AM
Andre was great in the first 9 minutes of the game. 4 fior 4 from the field with not a single 3-pt attempt. From the middle of the first half to the 19:00 mark of the second half he was 0 for 4 from 3 point range, had 2 fouls (one on a 3-point shot) and one turnover. He did play almost 10 minutes in the second half, but sat from 12:37 to 3:55, so, yes, he did have a long rest.

I noticed this too.

Andre really seemed to be affected by what the refs were/weren't calling. This also may have had something to do with his decreased minutes. He had at least 3 three point shots that he was hit on the hand/arm and the refs didn't call it. Each time he acted up to the refs with the third time being the most flagrant (waving his hands up in the air giving that old sullen-Hurley look). He just seemed to be completely taken out of his game by the refs. While he's only a sophomore, he needs to gain some discipline and not allow bad calls to cool him down.

DukeGirl4ever
01-20-2011, 10:15 AM
I am not understanding the Negative Nancies on this thread?

Every game is going to have some positives and negatives, but I felt this game was the first game since Kyrie went down that we looked in sync at both ends of the floor.

Kyle tired? Please explain to me the big shots he hit at the end of the game?
Sure, he sank two free throws prior to that which may have helped, but I have never seen that kid tired. He just fights and fights.

tbyers11
01-20-2011, 10:22 AM
Singler did get 5 minutes of rest during this game, he only played 35 minutes, which is a big difference than the 40 or so he and Nolan had been logging. Even Nolan got a minute for a break, don't remember if it was after one of the times he hit the floor or was just during the regular course of the game. It can't hurt at the end of games to have fresher players on the floor than your opponent does, especially when your opponent is running 10 players at you.

Singler sat out those 5 minutes because he had 2 fouls and we had a manageable 10-15 lead. Nolan came out for the minute after he took the groin shot after the FT. Barring foul trouble, I don't think Nolan and Kyle are going to play fewer than 38-39 minutes unless we are in a blowout. These 2 are seniors and know how to pace themselves. They are also in great shape and with all the TV timeouts I am not worried about them getting tired playing that many minutes.

As for State running ten players at us, I think that Duke actually used its bench more than State did last night. State may have played ten players to our nine, but Duke had 8 players play at least 10 minutes while State only had 7. I think a "still getting back into playing shape" Tracy Smith looked winded near the end. Maybe State should have used its bench more :D

lmb
01-20-2011, 10:57 AM
I realize I'm late getting to this thread and I admit I haven't read any of it. But I just could not let the opportunity go by without saying that this was my favorite game of the year. I'm not going to analyze our offense/defense. I'll leave that to many of you who are more qualified. I just had so much fun watching this team win. Everyone contributed. Kelly, Dawkins, Plumlees, Thornton - everyone. Loved it and I love this team!

Many, including the media, were trumping up the idea that Duke was going to trip up again away from home. This team has got an attitude now. Look out!

Saratoga2
01-20-2011, 11:01 AM
I have been keeping track of Duke players offensive results for the ACC contests. I have Points/ Minute totalled for ACC games and also Points/Shot Taken. I have only included total shots taken and have not included shots from the foul line although the points for those are in my totals.

Here they are for information:
PPM (all 5 games) PPST (all 5 games)

Seth 0.33 1.28
Andre 0.38 1.26
Josh 0.14 2.00 (shot total low)
Ryan 0.44 1.88
Mason 0.13 0.81
Miles 0.29 1.00
Kyle 0.45 1.12
Nolan 0.59 1.32
Tyler 0.20 2.33 (shot total low)

Devilsfan
01-20-2011, 11:03 AM
It's so great to see our on again, off again, big men collectively wake up and stay focused all at one time in the same game. Whatever they put in the water, it worked and we looked like a team to be wary of come March. Go Devils!

mikegismynewhero
01-20-2011, 11:03 AM
idk if this has been brought up already or not but what did everyone think of jay bilas last night? he sounded like the biggest negative nancy ever...

sdotbarbee
01-20-2011, 11:08 AM
I am not understanding the Negative Nancies on this thread?

Every game is going to have some positives and negatives, but I felt this game was the first game since Kyrie went down that we looked in sync at both ends of the floor.

Kyle tired? Please explain to me the big shots he hit at the end of the game?
Sure, he sank two free throws prior to that which may have helped, but I have never seen that kid tired. He just fights and fights.

Yeah I am with you I don't think Kyle was tired, he as just a little off and took a few "bad" shots. It was like he just needed to see the ball go in the basket and that happened at the 7:05 mark when he got fouled and hit the two free throws. From that point he was 3 for 4 shooting with 8 points and that was playing "stall ball".;)

devildeac
01-20-2011, 11:09 AM
has anyone heard what the issue is with his left leg? He was sporting that 'knee brace' and I didn't actually notice it until he went down on a seemingly innocuous block out by the State player on the free throw.

Thanks for any input on that.

And, shout out for Ryan Kelly tonight; he's my MOTM!

dth.


I think he was wearing padded shorts underneath his uniform shorts. No knee brace. I'm assuming just got a little bruise. As quick as he went down I thought he got bumped in the man parts a first.

It didn't look that innocuous to me. Not intentional but certainly not your normal "box out."

Duvall
01-20-2011, 11:11 AM
interesting how accurate Pomeroy's prediction (84-68) was.

It's almost like his model *doesn't* underrate N.C. State, and in fact has them pegged fairly accurately.

sdotbarbee
01-20-2011, 11:17 AM
I think he was wearing padded shorts underneath his uniform shorts. No knee brace. I'm assuming just got a little bruise. As quick as he went down I thought he got bumped in the man parts a first.

Yeah he was wearing padded shorts (compression shorts) and a sleeve on his left calf so the knee did not have a brace on it.

tele
01-20-2011, 11:22 AM
I have been keeping track of Duke players offensive results for the ACC contests. I have Points/ Minute totalled for ACC games and also Points/Shot Taken. I have only included total shots taken and have not included shots from the foul line although the points for those are in my totals.

Here they are for information:
PPM (all 5 games) PPST (all 5 games)

Seth 0.33 1.28
Andre 0.38 1.26
Josh 0.14 2.00 (shot total low)
Ryan 0.44 1.88
Mason 0.13 0.81
Miles 0.29 1.00
Kyle 0.45 1.12
Nolan 0.59 1.32
Tyler 0.20 2.33 (shot total low)

Be interesting to see the trend line for each of the games as the season goes along.

tele
01-20-2011, 11:29 AM
Singler sat out those 5 minutes because he had 2 fouls and we had a manageable 10-15 lead. Nolan came out for the minute after he took the groin shot after the FT. Barring foul trouble, I don't think Nolan and Kyle are going to play fewer than 38-39 minutes unless we are in a blowout. These 2 are seniors and know how to pace themselves. They are also in great shape and with all the TV timeouts I am not worried about them getting tired playing that many minutes.

As for State running ten players at us, I think that Duke actually used its bench more than State did last night. State may have played ten players to our nine, but Duke had 8 players play at least 10 minutes while State only had 7. I think a "still getting back into playing shape" Tracy Smith looked winded near the end. Maybe State should have used its bench more :D

I may be mistaken but I think State used about all the bench they had. I noticed T. Smith on a free throw, having sweat rolling off his nose and Mason was standing next to him on the lane and didn't look to be perspiring at all.

As for outlook on Singler and Smith minutes, you are also probably correct on that. Not hard to see the difference in productivity from two all american seniors and maybe the freshman you would be subbing for them. I don't worry so much about them playing tired either, except at endgames of close games, overtime etc. I do worry about injuries for tired players.

lmb
01-20-2011, 11:29 AM
If anyone comes across a still pic of the Miles/K hug, please post it.

Also, interesting to note, I believe Ryan hit shots on Duke's opening possessions of both halves.

94duke
01-20-2011, 11:33 AM
If anyone comes across a still pic of the Miles/K hug, please post it.

Also, interesting to note, I believe Ryan hit shots on Duke's opening possessions of both halves.

The "Miles" thread has one:
http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?23915-Is-something-wrong-with-Miles-NO!!&p=466512#post466512

mikegismynewhero
01-20-2011, 11:40 AM
...the past few games i have been reading the post-game threads and in every single one there are a few post about how kyle just had a tough night finding his shot and he took some bad shots and he will turn it around...when will we stop saying that and accept him as a player that does have tough nights finding his shot..granted this comes from getting guarded very heavily..and he is still putting up 15-20 points a game..thats the player he is and i'm fine with that

BD80
01-20-2011, 11:51 AM
It didn't look that innocuous to me. Not intentional but certainly not your normal "box out."

I don't think Nolan expected the box out and had his knee caught in an awkward position.

While there may be some negatives, I think this game was exciting because it showed so much improvement by key players. It did show that we will need Tyler to be a solid contributer, but he is really growing into that role.

Mason is aMasin, but still has room to improve. Ryan keeps getting better, and Miles may have seen the light. Our biggest three played so well, it was our backcourt that was cause for concern.

Fortunately, Andre and Seth have time to improve. Andre would have been a freshman this year, and yet has already shown so much growth and improvement - he deserves some slack. Seth has shown little on the defensive end - he looked like a pylon at times - but this is his first year at Duke and playing this level of defense. There is much room for improvement.

Last year we LOST at State and improved enough to win it all. A win that displayed some significant improvement should be worth celebrating.

Rudy
01-20-2011, 12:15 PM
idk if this has been brought up already or not but what did everyone think of jay bilas last night? he sounded like the biggest negative nancy ever...

That was only because Mike Patrick continued to say how GREAT the Duke team is. Bilas was trying to inject some realism. He's right-- the team has some vulnerabilities.

What I love about this team (and last year's) is how the vulnerabilities are overcome as much by effort and intensity as by talent alone.

State's shooting woes were in my view largely due to Duke's defense. Our bigs disrupted their bigs and anyone else trying to score in the paint. It seemed most of their points in the first half were from offensive rebound put backs. After a little while all their shots inside 15 feet were out of sync. In the second half they got points with ball movement and drawing defenders and they began to make some layups.

We've known for awhile that Seth needs to work on his lateral foot speed on defense. He will. He's good in other ways with his quick hands on defense and his scoring ability.

Some of our recent worries were allayed: Ryan's in-game shooting touch came back. All our bigs got more aggressive against an athletic opposing front line. Nolan didn't force things too much; he took was was available. Tyler continues to play well and in control at point, taking some pressure off Nolan in that role.

superdave
01-20-2011, 12:16 PM
He is not tired- otherwise he would have missed more of his shots at the end. Singler shoots much better at the end of games. I think he likes game pressure and helps him focus- but maybe it is something else- like he is not tired and everyone else is. Singler always helps the team with his D and rebounding but sometimes he shoots too many threes early and might be better off shooting inside the lane ( a shot he seems to hit consistently) - but at the end- he usually comes through.

I think this is a good point - Kyle shoots too many threes early. I'd rather see us put pressure on interior D then work our way outside. It's like running the ball in football - you pull the linebackers up and then you have better passing lanes. In basketball if you use the dribble drive and run the ball through the post you push the guards back defensively which gives you a little more room when you want to shoot jumpers.

superdave
01-20-2011, 12:20 PM
Fortunately, Andre and Seth have time to improve. Andre would have been a freshman this year, and yet has already shown so much growth and improvement - he deserves some slack. Seth has shown little on the defensive end - he looked like a pylon at times - but this is his first year at Duke and playing this level of defense. There is much room for improvement.

I'm not sure about how much improvement you should expect out of Andre and Seth in-season. I think consistently bringing energy and focus is the question.

MChambers
01-20-2011, 12:58 PM
I'm not sure about how much improvement you should expect out of Andre and Seth in-season. I think consistently bringing energy and focus is the question.

Well, Duke has had players improve dramatically in-season, as recently as last year. Not saying we should expect that again, but no reason to rule it out.

ncexnyc
01-20-2011, 01:03 PM
Here's my usual day after take on last night's game.

I was very impressed the way we started the game. We came out early and bloodied State's nose. Playing well on both offense and defense rocked the younger State kids and it definitely showed in their 1st half stats.

We managed to score 92 points, despite having another poor shooting night from beyond the arc. We were only 7-23, but what's important is we were able to diversify the offense and didn't keep chucking up 3 ball after 3 ball. What's even more telling is that we only got 16 combined points from Dre and Seth and still hit 92 points. Solid contributions from the whole team.

Our defense yielded 78 points. There were a few breakdowns, but overall the effort was solid. State has some very talent young players and they hit some sick shots. Wood got a lucky bounce on that huge swat Mason had and on two other 3's that he made Kyle was all over him, but still hit nothing but net. Harrow is super quick and Leslie played as advertised. I was somewhat surprised we didn't see a better effort from Lorenzo Brown, as he's been pretty consistent for State this year. My only concern is that neither Dre nor Seth adjusted to the way the game was being called. Another thing which has been noted on this board several times in the past is Dre's attitude. He really wears his emotions on his sleave when things don't go his way. I realize he's super young, but this is something he's going to have to work on as not only the refs see it, but the opposition sees it as well.

In closing this was an excellent road win against a talented team. Hopefully the kids will be able to stay focused for the upcoming Wake game.

Namtilal
01-20-2011, 01:16 PM
Ryan Kelly! One of my favorite Devils of all time is Dave McClure, and I see Kelly in the same light, except with much more potential on offense. He's just got that Battier-esque sense of how to show up at just the right moment to disrupt a play. Way more than the sum of his parts.

Dawkins' aggression on offense -- if he continues to take initiative like that, the next few years will be very special. Dawkins, Rivers, and a world-class point guard who's name I'm too scared to mention right now, they would make a high-octane offense.

When Kyle gets back his groove that he had last summer, we can elevate ourselves from the pack even without Kyrie. Not that I'm willing to lose hope on him returning, though.

Saratoga2
01-20-2011, 02:14 PM
Be interesting to see the trend line for each of the games as the season goes along.

I have the data on a game basis for just the ACC games and intent to keep it on that basis, since the competition is fairly consistent, with the exception of Wake this year. I can provide the same information on a game by game basis and a total basis if people are interested. My problem is I don't know how to insert a trend chart into the string.

After the Wake game, I will do an update and put the information on the board.

94duke
01-20-2011, 02:57 PM
I have the data on a game basis for just the ACC games and intent to keep it on that basis, since the competition is fairly consistent, with the exception of Wake this year. I can provide the same information on a game by game basis and a total basis if people are interested. My problem is I don't know how to insert a trend chart into the string.

After the Wake game, I will do an update and put the information on the board.

Will this help?
See the Stats part here:
http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?3217-FAQ-TV-Coverage-Game-Chat-NCAA-Compliance-quot-9F-quot-NBA&p=53922#post53922

ChicagoCrazy84
01-20-2011, 03:11 PM
Im a little late here (busy at work) but I concur with pretty much everyone that posted that this was a very refreshing game and the most satisfying post Kyrie injury.

I loved seeing Coach K hug Miles Plumlee and speak something in his ear. Coach K has to be ecstatic about his and Ryan's performance and I love what he said in the post-game when he said "We want this to be what they do, not what they did January 19 against State."

No more of the one off performances from Miles. He should be putting up those type of numbers almost every game.

NSDukeFan
01-20-2011, 04:29 PM
Several thoughts.

1. This was the Plumlees' second-best game in tandem since they've been together at Duke, behind the Wake game last season. Individually, Miles' best game of the season, and pretty close for Mason as well. They seemed to play very good complimentary frontcourt roles tonight. I'd love to see that continue.

2. I've said to a number of friends recently that Ryan Kelly has, to me, been the single most pleasant surprise on the team this season. It's not that I didn't expect him to improve; it's the consistency with which he has played with his heart and his head. Tonight was the very embodiment of that, and it was great to see him step up and see a couple of shots fall.

3. Another great instance of Tyler Thornton absolutely maximizing his minutes. He just seems to love to hustle...a great classic Duke trait.

4. Nolan has of course been terrific this season, but I really don't think the last several games have been his best, his strong production notwithstanding. Tonight, he seemed to be more in control and less over-eager than he had been for a while. His playing under control helped set a good tone for a very solid overall team performance.

5. That last bit from my comment about Nolan bears repeating. This was a very solid overall team performance. I think it was easily the team's best game post-Kyrie, and one of the three or four best of the season. It was a very encouraging performance. I also think State played quite well, which only makes the victory more satisfying. With Wake on deck for Saturday, I think we have a great chance to generate some momentum and confidence (on the road, no less), and really begin finding out what this team's ceiling is.
Good summary of some of the nice take away points from this game.

...the past few games i have been reading the post-game threads and in every single one there are a few post about how kyle just had a tough night finding his shot and he took some bad shots and he will turn it around...when will we stop saying that and accept him as a player that does have tough nights finding his shot..granted this comes from getting guarded very heavily..and he is still putting up 15-20 points a game..thats the player he is and i'm fine with that

I think the reason that there are often posts about Kyle taking a bit to find his shot is because of how well he finished last year and how he tends to so often make big shots when needed, the expectation is he will always make them. He has missed a higher percentage of shots that I expect him to make in some games this year. This leads me to think that he may again peak nearer the end of the year and be shooting and scoring even better than he currently is (which is still at an all-american level, IMO.)

Like many others, I think this was the team's best game since Kyrie's injury and was very excited to see the fantastic front court production offensively and defensively. At the end of last year, I always felt that opposing teams almost always had interior shots challenged, whether Zoubs and Lance were in, or when Mason and Miles were in. I hadn't felt that way nearly as much this year, until last night. I hope it continues.

Scorp4me
01-20-2011, 05:53 PM
Just for fun which team do you think has a better chance of winning it all. Not winning every game, but winning the NC. Leaving out the continued improvement that would probably have happened to the bigs regardless and all of those variables. Not considering that a team 7 games in or a team 16 games in probably isn't as good as a team 25 games in...

Which team would you rather have. A team like the early games that had a three headed monster of Kyrie, Kyle, and Nolan. Or a team like last night that seemed to get contributions from everyone, including surprising places. It's a tough choice, but one I'm glad to be able to consider. (I feel like there a team in between where Kyle and Nolan were carrying the team, but Florida State derailed that one.)

lotusland
01-20-2011, 07:36 PM
Fun game to watch with practically everyone contributing. It was great to see Ryan's shot falling, that's huge. He did make a couple of goofs on D and actually got abused trying guard CJ out on the perimeter. Leslie had just hit an outside jumper so he shot faked and went to the hole while Ryan froze like a deer caught in the headlights.

State did not seem to defend as intensly as FSU and MD or even UVA but it may have been as simple as Duke's ball movement being better and hitting more open shots.

Nolan seemed to take advantage of a height advantage against State's point guards getting to the basket a scoring almost at will. As others mentioned he did miss Mason wide open underneath a couple of times.

I think Ryan Harrow is going to be a handful and at his size he'll probaby play 4-years. Bilas said State's frosh weren't likely to leave early but CJ can probably go this year if he's so inclined. He needs to bulk up but he's great athlete.

cptnflash
01-20-2011, 09:04 PM
This may have been pointed out already (apologies in that case), but last night was our worst defensive game of the year (raw efficiency 107.8), and State isn't even a top 50 offensive team. It's great to get a conference road win and avenge last year's loss, but we were a few missed State chippies away from being in a very tight ballgame against a vastly inferior team. Much more work to do.

mapei
01-20-2011, 09:38 PM
This may have been pointed out already (apologies in that case), but last night was our worst defensive game of the year (raw efficiency 107.8), and State isn't even a top 50 offensive team. It's great to get a conference road win and avenge last year's loss, but we were a few missed State chippies away from being in a very tight ballgame against a vastly inferior team. Much more work to do.

I've been trying to figure out why my reaction to the game was so much more measured than everyone else's. While I liked our offense, I didn't particularly come away impressed with our D, especially in the second half when NCS shot 55%, including 4 for 5 on 3s. Even when we got blocks, they didn't necessarily end the possession. There was a stretch near the end when it seemed like we just could not get a stop. We committed a bunch of fouls. Tracy Smith seemed, if not entirely unstoppable, very effective against our bigs.

Maybe it's that I didn't get home from work until the game was already 11-3, and after that we scored exactly 6 more points than State, making the game that I actually watched seem pretty even to me. The good news was that our offense was pretty good in the second half, especially from Nolan. And, like everyone else I was really pleased at the play of Miles and Ryan.

I came away feeling good about the game, but not "wow that was great" kind of good. I'll take any conference road win, don't get me wrong, but I'm not quite feeling effusive. Without Kyrie, we're maybe a B+ team rather than an A, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Newton_14
01-20-2011, 09:43 PM
Perhaps this is better suited for another thread but I thought it might be applicable.
I had the pleasure of attending last night's game and a good one it was for Duke. I also had the misfortune of sitting in front of two of the most obnoxious fans this side of Chapel Hill.

These two guys from the opening tip were nothing but rude, and disgustingly inappropriate. This is certainly not the case for all state fans. I'm not sure if it was because they saw four Duke fans sitting in front of them and they thought they could get our goat but it was non stop. From racial slurs about Krzyzewski and Wojo being Polish, to an insinuation that Wojo was gay and or mentally handicapped to the standard Krzyzewski looks like a rat and Ryan Kelly is the ugliest player alive.

Most of this I just laugh at as ignorance but I wonder if these guys actually felt this way. One even proclaimed that Duke was clearly the better team but with the officials being so one sided and bias that State had no chance. My brother and I whenever we could pointed out the team foul discrepancy which almost always and ended up favoring State. Duke ended up with 20 total team fouls and State had 18 so there was no clear advanatage. We joked that perhaps they wanted basketball to offer handicapps like in golf to even the playing field.

I can understand frustration but to act like that, especially when there were children around was too much. The kicker though was at times they talked about their own team just as bad if not worse. I wonder if they hate Duke or their own team more.

Not sure what section you were in, but I was in 128 and it was much the same. I was 3 rows behind the student section. 2 of those students right in front of me said the same tired line about 800 or so times throughout the course of the game. "Singler, You Suck"', Kelly, You Suck", over and over again at every stoppage of play. That combined with the red shirts, had me thinking I was in Maryland for awhile there.

Then, there were the 3 guys behind me. From them it was the following over an over again all night: "He walked! He Flopped! He Fouled! That's Goal Tending!! Dang Duke is getting every blanking call!" "Get up Nolan you floppper! He never touched you Nolan you flopper! Get off the floor you blank blank! Blanking Flopper! Ref's you suck!"

All night long. Big sigh. But in fairness, not a single State fan said anything to us directly (And I cheered loudly for our guys all game), and in fact were very polite and chatted it up with us at halftime. Walking to and from the arena was the same. No cat calls or harrassment, just normal rational folks.

One odd thing though. I now know why it takes so long for the RBC to fill up on nights where the fan turnout is large. Going in was much like getting into the RDU airport. We had to empty our pockets into the little bucket, remove our hats, and either pat ourselves down to their satisfaction or they would do it. I had my Duke Hoody tied around my waist, and they made me take it off and hand it to them to check. Then the walk thru the metal detector and if it still went off, another guy would come up with the handheld metal detector and wand until he was satisfied. My buddy made the mistake of having his small pocket knife with him, and they told him to take it back to his car or toss it in the trash. They also inspected every bag, purse, etc. Took quite a bit of time to navigate thru that at our entrance.

Maybe that is commonplace at big arena;s, but it was a first for me when attending a basketball game. At the opening tip, the place was about 50% capacity. By the 10 minute mark though it was full.

Between the traffic and the airport like security it is no wonder fans are so late getting in there.

Newton_14
01-20-2011, 10:02 PM
This may have been pointed out already (apologies in that case), but last night was our worst defensive game of the year (raw efficiency 107.8), and State isn't even a top 50 offensive team. It's great to get a conference road win and avenge last year's loss, but we were a few missed State chippies away from being in a very tight ballgame against a vastly inferior team. Much more work to do.

It may have been our worst "raw efficiency defensive numbers" of the year, but it was certainly not our worst defensive game of the year. The defense in the Elon game was easily our worst D of the year. The defense last night was solid, and really good on the interior. Our bigs made life very difficult for State, and they had to work hard for their points.

Giving up 50 points in the 2nd half was not good, but pace of play, and State making tough shots and executing well had a lot to do with that. We pushed the ball a lot in the 2nd half and that was to our benefit. State shot well from 3 in the 2nd half, but most of those were with a Duke defender challenging. Wood, who is great shooter, found his groove there.

Sometimes it is about "credit the opponent for good play and good execution", rather than our defense being poor. A team can play good defense and still give up buckets. As for the "almost a tight game", K stated that at the end of the first half, the score was not indicative of how the game had went. He felt we played well enough that we could have easily been up 20. State is a young, talented team, and I don't think they are in any way a "vastly inferior" team. They have a lot of talent, and they played an excellent 2nd half, especially on offense.

Conference play is tough, especially on the road. To go in there and win by a comfortable margin is something that should be applauded, not dismissed and somehow twisted into a bad performance.

Utley
01-20-2011, 11:34 PM
While there are differences, I felt more like I was watching last year's team - during the second half of the season - than at any other time this year. Mason seems to be moving into the Zoubek role of blocking shots and rebounding first and scoring second.

We had a nice tempo and manifested a feeling of control.

UrinalCake
01-21-2011, 04:40 AM
I was 3 rows behind the student section. 2 of those students right in front of me said the same tired line about 800 or so times throughout the course of the game. "Singler, You Suck"', Kelly, You Suck", over and over again at every stoppage of play. That combined with the red shirts, had me thinking I was in Maryland for awhile there.

That was my experience when I went a few years ago. They get more enjoyment out of yelling "Duke sucks" than they do actually cheering their own team. And they pay more attention to what the refs are doing (all of which is wrong, in their opinion) than watching the game being played. It's really kind of sad.

The funny thing is, they actually won the game, and after spending all night yelling "Duke sucks," the fans stormed the court. Really? If you're storming the court for beating a team that sucks, then you must really suck.

DevilBen02
01-21-2011, 06:19 AM
They get more enjoyment out of yelling "Duke sucks" than they do actually cheering their own team.

I got a little of this from someone at my office. In a very calm, level-headed way, he described how awful the refs were and how he was close enough to hear exactly how K was manipulating the refs to make calls in Duke's favor. Even when I mentioned that Duke was actually called for more fouls in the game, he replied that it wasn't the number of fouls that was the issue but the effect of the fouls: to him, Duke's fouls came at inconsequential times, but State's fouls and the "many obvious" no-calls came on scoring plays and rebounds. After that, I just smiled and went back to my office.

moonpie23
01-21-2011, 09:09 AM
I got a little of this from someone at my office. In a very calm, level-headed way, he described how awful the refs were and how he was close enough to hear exactly how K was manipulating the refs to make calls in Duke's favor. Even when I mentioned that Duke was actually called for more fouls in the game, he replied that it wasn't the number of fouls that was the issue but the effect of the fouls: to him, Duke's fouls came at inconsequential times, but State's fouls and the "many obvious" no-calls came on scoring plays and rebounds. After that, I just smiled and went back to my office.

so duke played harder to overcome their bad foul situation, and state did not play hard enough to overcome theirs.????

Oriole Way
01-21-2011, 02:28 PM
As others have mentioned, this was easily the most satisfying win of the season post-Kyrie injury. Playing well on the road, and having all of our post players step up, was great to see.

I was really pumped to see our role players and underclassmen play so well and contribute. The Plumlees had one of their best games at Duke, Kelly played very under control and hit all of his shots - including two of the biggest shots of the game in the second half, the 3 to push the lead to 11 and a medium range 2-pt jumper after a nice pump fake to again help fend of NC State's comeback attempt - and Thornton continues to contribute with solid defense and ball handling, not to mention his hitting an open 3-pointer in the first half, which was part of Duke emphatically building a nice lead in a hostile environment.

If the Plumlees, Kelly, and Thornton continue improving, and if they can consistently come even somewhat close to contributing like they did in this game, I really believe this team has a great chance to win another title, even without Kyrie Irving.

Dukegirl59
01-21-2011, 05:15 PM
Excited to see Miles and Mason playing so well the other night against NC State! Miles got a nice hug from Coach K at the end of the game! Keep it up guys!