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jim666
01-13-2013, 12:53 PM
This may have already been discussed, but this is the first time that I can recall a weekend (1/19-1/20) without a Duke basketball game in my 30 years of being a Duke fan. Can anyone else remember a midseason weekend without a Duke game? Also, how did this happen? Did somebody cancel on us? Look forward to the board's insight on this.

nmduke2001
01-13-2013, 01:48 PM
Just glancing and the schedules in 2003 we went from February 26 to March 6 without a game.

http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=22726&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&Q_SEASON=2002

Jarhead
01-13-2013, 11:56 PM
Actually, that was done to allow the wounded to recover. http://crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/6.gifWe have a ten day period in which Seth and Ryan can get well. Only Georgia Tech is on the schedule next Thursday, and we visit Miami on the 23rd.

JasonEvans
01-14-2013, 11:31 AM
I suspect that part of the problem was finding an opponent. I think all the BCS conferences have gone away from non-conference games after early January so we may have had trouble finding a suitable opponent. The move to 18 conference games this season also meant less room for non-conference games lest you run up against the NCAA limit on regular season games. The only way we could have added a non-conference game in mid-January would have been to ditch one of our Nov-Dec opponents. I suppose a case could have been made for not playing-back-to-back games on 12/19-20 against Cornell and Elon.

In any event, it seems to work nicely to give us a break just as we are trying to work through a pair of key injuries. It also allows us a bit more practice time to get Amile and others acclimated to playing the 4 for Ryan.

-Jason "it does seem strange though... a weekend in Jan with no Duke basketball..." Evans

mkline09
01-14-2013, 11:37 AM
I think the open weekend comes at a very good time for a team that needs to heal and retune somethings. Hopefully the team bounces back against Georgia Tech and finds some rhythm without Ryan Kelly.

mo.st.dukie
01-14-2013, 11:56 AM
I was under the impression that every ACC team had always been given about a week off at some point during conference play but Duke always elected to fill that week with a non-conference game. For instance, last year Duke play Maryland on Wed. January 25 and didn't play Virginia Tech until the next Thursday February 2nd, however, we scheduled St. John's on that Saturday the 28th in between those two conference games. In 2011 it looks like we had 6 days off from Georgia Tech on Sunday Feb. 20 to Virginia Tech on Saturday Feb. 26 but placed a midweek game against Temple on that Wednesday in between those conference games.

Kedsy
01-14-2013, 12:05 PM
I was under the impression that every ACC team had always been given about a week off at some point during conference play but Duke always elected to fill that week with a non-conference game. For instance, last year Duke play Maryland on Wed. January 25 and didn't play Virginia Tech until the next Thursday February 2nd, however, we scheduled St. John's on that Saturday the 28th in between those two conference games. In 2011 it looks like we had 6 days off from Georgia Tech on Sunday Feb. 20 to Virginia Tech on Saturday Feb. 26 but placed a midweek game against Temple on that Wednesday in between those conference games.

Yes, that's true, but as JasonEvans pointed out, with the addition of two conference games to the schedule we run up against the NCAA limit for regular season games, so it's harder to swing the mid-season non-conference game.

Lar77
01-14-2013, 03:17 PM
That away game in Miami gives me concern. Miami is quietly putting together a good season - they are getting votes in the polls, Pomeroy and Sagarin have them in their top 20, and they looked good against UNC (missed the Md game).

As with State, they may be looking at us as a statement game.

Kedsy
01-14-2013, 03:27 PM
That away game in Miami gives me concern. Miami is quietly putting together a good season - they are getting votes in the polls, Pomeroy and Sagarin have them in their top 20, and they looked good against UNC (missed the Md game).

As with State, they may be looking at us as a statement game.

Not that quiet. Miami has been considered one of the top four teams in the ACC since the pre-season. They stumbled against Florida Gulf Coast when Durand Scott was out and in a couple games in Hawaii as they were getting used to playing without Reggie Johnson, but they have 5 seniors and a junior in their rotation and they're #5 in the RPI. After @State (and possibly @UNC in the rival game), @Miami was always going to be our next toughest ACC game. Hopefully our kids will be up to it.

BlueDevilinNYC
01-15-2013, 09:43 AM
My little sister is a cheerleader for the basketball team at UMiami, and she's said since the (ugly) win on Sunday against Maryland, all the players have been talking about is Duke coming to town in a week. Whether that means they're setting up BC to be a trap game I don't know, but they think we are weak and looking forward to taking it to us at the BUC on ESPN.