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

[rthomas]

I expect that our team will be fired up after their game tonight. I can't wait for Wednesday. Go to Hell, Tarheels!

[davekay1971]

This game comes down to Duke's defensive focus and intensity.

UNC is going to need good games from 3 players to be able to win this game: Hairston, Bullock, and Paige.

What about JMM? JMM isn't going to beat you. Between Hairston and Amile, JMM should be able to be contained (i.e.: his scoring kept under 20). Match him up with those two guys, play him one on one all night, let him get his couple of athletic dunks, and move on. JMM could score 20 points and we could still win by 30...if the rest of the Tarheel offense is taken out of their rhythm.

One thing about the Heels, they can score. But they need the 3 ball to do so (funny as that sounds).

Cook needs to take on the challenge of making Paige have an incredibly uncomfortable night. He's capable of it. If our defense on the point guard position has the Tarheel attack out of kilter, and they have trouble getting the ball to their shooters (Bullock, Hairston, and, to a lesser extent, McDonald) with clean looks at the 3, the Heels are going to be in deep trouble. So, put pressure on Paige all game, aggressively defend the 3 point line, single-cover JMM and let Mason help control the lane since, and the Heels will have a long, long night in Cameron.

[jipops]

I'm hoping we can eek out a 1 point win so some of the board can be overly negative about it.

We will need a strong game, especially defensively, from our perimeter guys. If PJ Hairston and Bullock get easy looks we're in big trouble. The Paige/Cook matchup is intriguing. However, I do expect Roy will try to exploit the size of his other perimeter guys over ours. I also wonder if Mason will see some double teams like we saw last night since we lack an offensive threat from the big forward position. I don't think we win this one without a big, big game from Curry.

[CDu]

Like Bart Scott, I "can't wait."

We have a big advantage inside. UNC can't put a team on the court that can punish Jefferson or Hairston inside, and Mason has a clear edge over whomever tries to guard him. We need to win that matchup convincingly.

On the perimeter, we have the potential to have a huge edge at PG, as Cook is much better than Paige. But Cook is at times shaky. We need the good Cook and not the shaky Cook.

UNC's chances lie with the scoring of Bullock and Hairston. If those guys get (and hit) open looks, we're in for a fight. If we can stay with them, UNC's offense is VERY pedestrian.

We'll be at home, and we have more talent. Hopefully the home court and the talent edge shine through and we win convincingly.

[TNDukeFan]

Does anyone else tend to notice whom ESPN chooses to highlight when promoting games? As in "At 7, Mason Plumlee and Duke take on..."

Well, on ESPN radio, the promo says, "then at 9, Coach Williams and the Tar Heels take on Seth Curry and the Blue Devils."

I guess they're having trouble finding a star in CH.

[moonpie23]

we are "in for a fight" regardless.......this is Duke-Unc.......

i've seen plenty of these games where the team with the better record coming in gets pushed into the mud puddle....

we'd better be focused and urgent.....

[OZZIE4DUKE]

GO TO HELL carolina! GO TO HELL! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gif
GO TO HELL carolina! GO TO HELL! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gif
GO TO HELL carolina! GO TO HELL! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gif
GO TO HELL carolina! GO TO HELL! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gif

[jipops]

Like Bart Scott, I "can't wait."

We have a big advantage inside. UNC can't put a team on the court that can punish Jefferson or Hairston inside, and Mason has a clear edge over whomever tries to guard him. We need to win that matchup convincingly.

On the perimeter, we have the potential to have a huge edge at PG, as Cook is much better than Paige. But Cook is at times shaky. We need the good Cook and not the shaky Cook.

UNC's chances lie with the scoring of Bullock and Hairston. If those guys get (and hit) open looks, we're in for a fight. If we can stay with them, UNC's offense is VERY pedestrian.

We'll be at home, and we have more talent. Hopefully the home court and the talent edge shine through and we win convincingly.

Since Kelly went out our 3 pt defense has varied. In games not against Miami and NC State we held opponents to a low percentage from 3pt (<30%). In both the State games and the Miami game it has been pretty horrible (~50%) and we went 1-2. Not that anyone can count on winning against that kind of percentage anyways. But if we can keep UNC in the mid to low 30% on 3's, I think we'll be in good shape. If not, it could be a painful night.

[Bluealum]

In perhaps the greatest show of disrespect possible, we are only on page one 2 days before a Duke/UNC fiesta, and we are still spending our board time hand wringing over our 1 point win over BC. The heels should be embarrassed!

9F...shall we?

[oldnavy]

I think our hitting the 3 ball is very important. UNC is notorious for collapsing on drivers in the lane freeing up kick outs to open perimeter guys. They are very predictable in that. Even when they had really good interior defenders (Zeller, Henson) they would do this, which drove my wife crazy (still does)!!!! They did it a lot against Miami, and Miami buried them with the 3 ball.

We can do it, and if we come out like we did against NCSU, then it should be a really good night for us... if we are cold like against BC, well it will be a grind!

[DukieInBrasil]

In perhaps the greatest show of disrespect possible, we are only on page one 2 days before a Duke/UNC fiesta, and we are still spending our board time hand wringing over our 1 point win over BC. The heels should be embarrassed!

9F...shall we?

with all disrespect to UNC, they suck this year. Throw records out the window yadda yadda.
Let's do matchups, cuz based on records as teams, there is no doubt who is better.

C - Mason vs UNC's generic C (who even plays C for UNC?) - edge is massively in Duke's favor. NPOY candidate vs some dude who may or may not start any given night.

PF - Josh/Amile vs James McAdoo and assorted large "some dude"s - edge goes to UNC, but certainly not as much as pre-season prognosticators would have had us believe.

SF - Rasheed vs Bullock/Hairston - draw, although Rasheed plays D and may be able to turn this match-up into a Duke advantage. If Rasheed can hassle these 2 into shooting a low percentage from 3 Duke will win handily.

G - Curry vs. non-serial killer Dexter - edge Duke, although in a similar way that Rasheed may be able to turn his match-up to Duke's favor by defensive prowess, Dexter's only hope is to slow Curry down, as DS has not shown any offensive firepower this year (ever?). Even if DS can hassle Curry into a low-efficiency evening, i would still expect to Curry to outscore and outplay DS.

PG - Cook vs Paige - edge to Duke, although if BC-game Cook shows up, this could be a draw. If home game NCSU-Cook shows up he will blow Paige out of the water.

Bench play - UNC plays more guys off the bench, but that may not mean much. Statistically, their bench outproduces Duke's, but that is largely a product of the starters playing fewer minutes than Duke's (getting blown out more often?) leaving more minutes for the bench. So, are the contributions of TT, Alex, MP3 and Hairston (or Amile if K swaps them) of greater or lesser value than UNC's vast bench? Hard to say, but i would say that if it was a tight game with lots of foul trouble for both squads and UNC had to rely on their bench vs Duke relying on its bench, i'd give the edge to Duke.

Coach - hands down, no question about it, are you freaking kidding me?, not even close: K. Roy may be a good recruiter, but even his own fanbase questions his in-game coaching skills.

[wilko]

I cant wait to tell my UNC friends to go incline plane, wrapped helically around an axis themselves.
It will be done with requisite sincerity and glee.

[oldnavy]

with all disrespect to UNC, they suck this year. Throw records out the window yadda yadda.
Let's do matchups, cuz based on records as teams, there is no doubt who is better.

C - Mason vs UNC's generic C (who even plays C for UNC?) - edge is massively in Duke's favor. NPOY candidate vs some dude who may or may not start any given night.

PF - Josh/Amile vs James McAdoo and assorted large "some dude"s - edge goes to UNC, but certainly not as much as pre-season prognosticators would have had us believe.

SF - Rasheed vs Bullock/Hairston - draw, although Rasheed plays D and may be able to turn this match-up into a Duke advantage. If Rasheed can hassle these 2 into shooting a low percentage from 3 Duke will win handily.

G - Curry vs. non-serial killer Dexter - edge Duke, although in a similar way that Rasheed may be able to turn his match-up to Duke's favor by defensive prowess, Dexter's only hope is to slow Curry down, as DS has not shown any offensive firepower this year (ever?). Even if DS can hassle Curry into a low-efficiency evening, i would still expect to Curry to outscore and outplay DS.

PG - Cook vs Paige - edge to Duke, although if BC-game Cook shows up, this could be a draw. If home game NCSU-Cook shows up he will blow Paige out of the water.

Bench play - UNC plays more guys off the bench, but that may not mean much. Statistically, their bench outproduces Duke's, but that is largely a product of the starters playing fewer minutes than Duke's (getting blown out more often?) leaving more minutes for the bench. So, are the contributions of TT, Alex, MP3 and Hairston (or Amile if K swaps them) of greater or lesser value than UNC's vast bench? Hard to say, but i would say that if it was a tight game with lots of foul trouble for both squads and UNC had to rely on their bench vs Duke relying on its bench, i'd give the edge to Duke.

Coach - hands down, no question about it, are you freaking kidding me?, not even close: K. Roy may be a good recruiter, but even his own fanbase questions his in-game coaching skills.

We win this game everytime... on paper, problem is we don't get to play it on paper. I've seen too many of these games where the best team did not win.

We need to bring it hard and early!!

[CDu]

If we play like we did against BC and UNC is hitting even a reasonable percentage of their 3s, we will lose. If we play with focus and intensity, we will win.

So much of it comes down to how well Cook and Sulaimon play. I think we can expect good-to-great games from Mason and Curry. It's the next two guys that make the difference. Because, well, the rest of the team isn't likely to give us much offense.

[cptnflash]

My only concern related to this game is that Roy changes his rotation and starts playing his best players more. As long as he keeps distributing minutes like a little league coach (every kid gets a trophy!), we'll be just fine.

[ChillinDuke]

My only concern related to this game is that Roy changes his rotation and starts playing his best players more. As long as he keeps distributing minutes like a little league coach (every kid gets a trophy!), we'll be just fine.

Part of me is actually nervous that Roy will switch it up.

Long history of sandbagging 'round those parts.

- Chillin

[superdave]

My concern with Felton, Lawson and Marshall was always transition D. Get back, slow down the ball and do not give up easy buckets. My concern with this version of Unc is to guard the 3 point line. Three guys shoot it pretty well - Bullock 44%, Hairston 39%, McD 41%. Get out on them on D, and control the boards so they dont get rebound-kickouts.

Beyond that, Josh and Amile should do well guarding McAdoo which frees Mason up to clean the defensive glass which keeps the game on our terms.

On the other end we should establish Mason early and get him going to the FT line. It works like the running game in football - you wear out their D and get them out of their game. Mason will be able to find our shooters if he does not turn the ball over.

Hopefully Mason and Seth start off well in order to let the younger guys settle into the game. Always important for the seniors to play strong early.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

My take on what has to happen for an easy duke win:

1. establish mason early and often. he should have a 20/10 type performance.

2. pressure, pressure, pressure the perimeter of unc. make them take tough jumpshots and make difficult passes.

3. "good" quinn cook needs to show up. he has a strength advantage on paige and he would be wise to attack the basket, perhaps getting paige in early foul trouble.

4. stay poised. so many times in these games duke comes out too excited and things get away from them a bit. sometimes duke recovers in time to win, but not always. if duke dictates tempo, its game over for heels.

[Durham Thunder]

The inside game is going to be key early, a la 2011.

Look for Paige to rely on McAdoo, James, and Bullock to bang inside. Strickland's also going to penetrate the perimeter...the 3 point shouldnt be an issue.

[Kedsy]

We win this game everytime... on paper, problem is we don't get to play it on paper. I've seen too many of these games where the best team did not win.

How many is too many? The fact is that it doesn't really happen all that often. Since Coach K started at Duke, there have been 23 Duke/Carolina games when one of the teams was ranked and the other not. The ranked team won 19 of those 23 games, and only one of the four underdog wins has come in the last 22 years. When one of the teams is unranked and the other is in the top five, the ranked team has won 12 and lost 1, and the one happened all the way back in 1990. Even when both are ranked, if one is in the top five and the other is ranked but outside the top ten, the higher ranked team has won 13 of 18.

I wrote an article for BDN (http://bluedevilnation.net/) which goes into this in more detail, including a comparison of the Duke/UNC series with the Duke/Wake Forest and Duke/Clemson series. Basically, although upsets can of course happen at any time in any game (see Kansas vs. TCU or Duke vs. Lehigh or (almost) Duke vs. BC), in the Duke/UNC rivalry if one team is a big favorite, they usually win.

[oldnavy]

How many is too many? The fact is that it doesn't really happen all that often. Since Coach K started at Duke, there have been 23 Duke/Carolina games when one of the teams was ranked and the other not. The ranked team won 19 of those 23 games, and only one of the four underdog wins has come in the last 22 years. When one of the teams is unranked and the other is in the top five, the ranked team has won 12 and lost 1, and the one happened all the way back in 1990. Even when both are ranked, if one is in the top five and the other is ranked but outside the top ten, the higher ranked team has won 13 of 18.

I wrote an article for BDN (http://bluedevilnation.net/) which goes into this in more detail, including a comparison of the Duke/UNC series with the Duke/Wake Forest and Duke/Clemson series. Basically, although upsets can of course happen at any time in any game (see Kansas vs. TCU or Duke vs. Lehigh or (almost) Duke vs. BC), in the Duke/UNC rivalry if one team is a big favorite, they usually win.

I don't put a lot of importance on "facts" as you call them.

:)

I guess my memory is including close losses where the underdog stayed in the game to the end despite the matchup disadvantages.

[MChambers]

How many is too many? The fact is that it doesn't really happen all that often. Since Coach K started at Duke, there have been 23 Duke/Carolina games when one of the teams was ranked and the other not. The ranked team won 19 of those 23 games, and only one of the four underdog wins has come in the last 22 years. When one of the teams is unranked and the other is in the top five, the ranked team has won 12 and lost 1, and the one happened all the way back in 1990. Even when both are ranked, if one is in the top five and the other is ranked but outside the top ten, the higher ranked team has won 13 of 18.

I wrote an article for BDN (http://bluedevilnation.net/) which goes into this in more detail, including a comparison of the Duke/UNC series with the Duke/Wake Forest and Duke/Clemson series. Basically, although upsets can of course happen at any time in any game (see Kansas vs. TCU or Duke vs. Lehigh or (almost) Duke vs. BC), in the Duke/UNC rivalry if one team is a big favorite, they usually win.
One is too many, if we are the favorite.

[hillsborodevil]

I was kind of glad to see Duke have a bad shooting game against BC - meaning they should be on fire against the heels.

I'm still giddy that Duke beat UNC on the gridiron.:D

Go Duke!!!!!!!!!

[jcastranio]

The potential is there for a Duke blowout. It would take a hot Duke start or a hot Duke run, with a bad stretch by UNC. If the 'holes start to feel it slipping, they will crack a little.

However, I am seeing something a little more unsettling.

James or Brice or whoever the hell else plays center for UNC - they will get off to a better start than we would like. I don't like it, they will have nothing to lose, they will be looking to show up Mason - they will score early and often and we will moan and gnash our teeth. JMM will post up and shoot over Amile or Josh and hit 8-10 footers. The outside will open up for three pointers - particularly from Hairston. Paige will also hit a couple - which will drive us to the cooler for another beer. I think the first half is going to suck. UNC will be loose and the offense will flow. We will do alright on offense - but UNC will do better. At halftime, we trail 46-42. Carolina nation is charged up.

Second half, the looseness begins to tighten. The rim gets a little smaller. Turnovers creep in. Mason, with a quiet and steady first half, begins to take over the middle. The three pointers still occasionally fall for UNC, but don't more often than not. Duke takes the lead and slowly strangles the 'holes. It moves to a convincing win - not a blowout. Defense in the second half is the key. Duke wins, 83-75.

I hope I'm wrong and UNC falls apart like the plot of a teenage vampire movie. I hope Duke destroys the Tar Heels, children weep, and Roys announces his retirement from the sport after the game. But ... I have been around for too many of these.

The key to the game will be the ability of our experienced leaders (Mason, Seth, Josh, Tyler) to stay focused and confident during the UNC good times to start the game. We can't get rattled - or that tremendous second half never happens and we are stuffing our bellies with uncooked crow. Could we lose a game at home we have no business losing? Ask Tyler Zeller.

GTHC!!!!

[rsvman]

This one won't be as easy as our victory against them in Chapel Hill last year; with Zeller graduated, we can't rely on any scoring from him. :p

[oldnavy]

This one won't be as easy as our victory against them in Chapel Hill last year; with Zeller graduated, we can't rely on any scoring from him. :p

True, but they still have Ol Roy to make sure that if they do have a lead late, that they will in no way protect it by managing the clock!!

[slower]

The potential is there for a Duke blowout. It would take a hot Duke start or a hot Duke run, with a bad stretch by UNC. If the 'holes start to feel it slipping, they will crack a little.

However, I am seeing something a little more unsettling.

James or Brice or whoever the hell else plays center for UNC - they will get off to a better start than we would like. I don't like it, they will have nothing to lose, they will be looking to show up Mason - they will score early and often and we will moan and gnash our teeth. JMM will post up and shoot over Amile or Josh and hit 8-10 footers. The outside will open up for three pointers - particularly from Hairston. Paige will also hit a couple - which will drive us to the cooler for another beer. I think the first half is going to suck. UNC will be loose and the offense will flow. We will do alright on offense - but UNC will do better. At halftime, we trail 46-42. Carolina nation is charged up.

Second half, the looseness begins to tighten. The rim gets a little smaller. Turnovers creep in. Mason, with a quiet and steady first half, begins to take over the middle. The three pointers still occasionally fall for UNC, but don't more often than not. Duke takes the lead and slowly strangles the 'holes. It moves to a convincing win - not a blowout. Defense in the second half is the key. Duke wins, 83-75.

I hope I'm wrong and UNC falls apart like the plot of a teenage vampire movie. I hope Duke destroys the Tar Heels, children weep, and Roys announces his retirement from the sport after the game. But ... I have been around for too many of these.

The key to the game will be the ability of our experienced leaders (Mason, Seth, Josh, Tyler) to stay focused and confident during the UNC good times to start the game. We can't get rattled - or that tremendous second half never happens and we are stuffing our bellies with uncooked crow. Could we lose a game at home we have no business losing? Ask Tyler Zeller.

GTHC!!!!

Hopefully, your prediction will be correct. Obviously, as is the case with ANY game, anything can happen. On paper, we SHOULD win - but UNC has a lot of talent (despite what some have suggested) and could easily win if things are clicking for them. Our guys seemed to have problems recently getting around high screens to contest 3-pointers.

[Kedsy]

I guess my memory is including close losses where the underdog stayed in the game to the end despite the matchup disadvantages.

I agree there have been a number of those, although there have also been unexpected blowouts, like the last time an unranked UNC team visited a top five Duke.

But here's the mitigating factor: Duke and UNC are both used to the opponent being ready and fired up. We complain about it all the time here on DBR. So the fact that the lower ranked opponent is all psyched to play their best against a higher ranked Duke or UNC isn't a new phenomenon for the players. At the same time, the reason for many upsets in college basketball (or any sport, frankly) is the favorite doesn't take the underdog seriously. Despite the coaching staff demanding their players play their absolute hardest 100% of the time, it's just human nature to coast a little when you think it won't matter or you've got everything under control. But this pitfall will almost never happen in a Duke/UNC game -- the players always bring their "A" games (unless they get too excited, which does happen on occasion) -- so the #1 reason underlying a potential upset isn't there.

The game is always intense and both teams are almost always really good, and that's what makes it a wonderful rivalry, but I don't think there's any more chance of an upset here than there is in most ACC games (which of course doesn't mean an upset won't happen, because upsets in the ACC certainly happen from time to time). Taking everything into account, I'm cautiously optimistic.

[Billy Dat]

Mark Watson ‏@BlueDevilNation
#UNC freshman Joel James is out for the game. #Duke remains one of 2 teams to be in the top 5 in the AP, coaches polls,SOS and RPI rankings.

[Bob Green]

Mark Watson ‏@BlueDevilNation
#UNC freshman Joel James is out for the game. #Duke remains one of 2 teams to be in the top 5 in the AP, coaches polls,SOS and RPI rankings.

I really hate it when Carolina has a player out for a game as it forces Coach Williams to shorten his rotation. Splitting playing time between too many players is a major tactical weakness. The strategic impact is debatable, but there is no question (IMO) Coach Williams' rotation philosophy hurts Carolina during individual contests.

With James out, Williams will play four bigs (McAdoo, Hubert, Johnson and Simmons) instead of five.

[AsiaMinor]

"Order has been restored" t shirt ready to wear - check.
Popcorn and butter on the shelf, ready to pop - check.
"Out of office" messages for e mail and cell phone ready to implement - check.
DVR set to enjoy the game over and over and over - check.
GTHCGTH.

[davekay1971]

And now, as always before a Duke/UNC tilt, a few words of advice from Conan the Barbarian to the Duke University Men's Basketball Team:

"Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women."

PS: Yes, Conan the Barbarian follows Duke hoops closely in his home of Cimmeria. He wishes he had Coach K's leadership acumen, and the only man he fears is Nate James.

[CDu]

I really hate it when Carolina has a player out for a game as it forces Coach Williams to shorten his rotation. Splitting playing time between too many players is a major tactical weakness. The strategic impact is debatable, but there is no question (IMO) Coach Williams' rotation philosophy hurts Carolina during individual contests.

With James out, Williams will play four bigs (McAdoo, Hubert, Johnson and Simmons) instead of five.

Without James, the Heels have one less body big enough to work against Mason. And 5 fewer fouls to give on Mason.

I'd expect McAdoo and Simmons to get the assignment on Mason, with Hubert/Johnson "guarding" Jefferson/Hairston (in reality just helping on Mason). None of their four bigs are big enough to stop Mason, but Hubert and Johnson are just way too skinny.

[grad_devil]

And now, as always before a Duke/UNC tilt, a few words of advice from Conan the Barbarian to the Duke University Men's Basketball Team:

"Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women."

PS: Yes, Conan the Barbarian follows Duke hoops closely in his home of Cimmeria. He wishes he had Coach K's leadership acumen, and the only man he fears is Nate James.

And, it goes without saying, Patrick Davidson.

[dball]

And, it goes without saying, Patrick Davidson.

I'm sure Dave just thought that "man" was too inadequate to describe Patrick.

[grad_devil]

And, it goes without saying, Patrick Davidson.


I'm sure Dave just thought that "man" was too inadequate to describe Patrick.

Ahh yes. I'm sure that's what he meant. The fault was mine for thinking that anyone would consider Patrick Davidson a mere mortal man.

[cptnflash]

I really hate it when Carolina has a player out for a game as it forces Coach Williams to shorten his rotation. Splitting playing time between too many players is a major tactical weakness. The strategic impact is debatable, but there is no question (IMO) Coach Williams' rotation philosophy hurts Carolina during individual contests.

With James out, Williams will play four bigs (McAdoo, Hubert, Johnson and Simmons) instead of five.

+1 to this, Joel James is one of the guys I was counting on Roy to play more minutes than he deserved. The others are McDonald and Strickland. Stay healthy, guys!

[Bob Green]

The current Vegas line has Duke favored by 11 points with the over/under at 152 so Vegas is looking for a score in the neighborhood of 81 or 82 to 70.

[noworries]

No way I'm able to focus at work tomorrow...GO DUKE!

[Newton_14]

I agree there have been a number of those, although there have also been unexpected blowouts, like the last time an unranked UNC team visited a top five Duke.

But here's the mitigating factor: Duke and UNC are both used to the opponent being ready and fired up. We complain about it all the time here on DBR. So the fact that the lower ranked opponent is all psyched to play their best against a higher ranked Duke or UNC isn't a new phenomenon for the players. At the same time, the reason for many upsets in college basketball (or any sport, frankly) is the favorite doesn't take the underdog seriously. Despite the coaching staff demanding their players play their absolute hardest 100% of the time, it's just human nature to coast a little when you think it won't matter or you've got everything under control. But this pitfall will almost never happen in a Duke/UNC game -- the players always bring their "A" games (unless they get too excited, which does happen on occasion) -- so the #1 reason underlying a potential upset isn't there.

The game is always intense and both teams are almost always really good, and that's what makes it a wonderful rivalry, but I don't think there's any more chance of an upset here than there is in most ACC games (which of course doesn't mean an upset won't happen, because upsets in the ACC certainly happen from time to time). Taking everything into account, I'm cautiously optimistic.


Duke opened as a 10.5 favorite in Vegas with the over/under set at 152. It has moved to 11. Take it for whatever its worth. :D

GO DUKE! 9F

Edit: And I see my colleague Mr Green beat me to the punch. I should have known better!

[ncexnyc]

No way I'm able to focus at work tomorrow...GO DUKE!
Do what I did, take a half day. I'll be home in time to grab a quick bite to eat, hang with my son for awhile before he goes to bed, and settle back in front of the big screen for the game.

[ChrisP]

Well, so far, ESPN's "Rivalry Week" has been anything but. Perhaps they should have called it "Feast Week 2: The Fattening"

Monday: Kansas put a whooping on K State - winning by 21

Tuesday: Florida beat Kentucky by 17

UVA smacked VT around won by 18

And Mich St just beat the fool out of #4 UM by 23 (although it was like a 31 pt lead with about a minute to go)

Wednesday: Duke-UNC???

Please, PLEASE, PLEASE let us beat the holes by a large margin tomorrow night! I do NOT want to be the only home team to lose to their rival this week. And my blood pressure really doesn't want anything less than a comfy 15+ point margin after the second TV timeout. :cool:

[Durham Thunder]

Please, PLEASE, PLEASE let us beat the holes by a large margin tomorrow night! I do NOT want to be the only home team to lose to their rival this week.

The only times Roy has won in Cameron was when his teams had noticeably superior talent to ours. He happened to be in his career-high when Hansbrough & Lawson came through, and last year they were loaded as we all knew. Tomorrow night should belong to the Devils.

[-bdbd]

The only times Roy has won in Cameron was when his teams had noticeably superior talent to ours. He happened to be in his career-high when Hansbrough & Lawson came through, and last year they were loaded as we all knew. Tomorrow night should belong to the Devils.

Agree 110%. With even talent on a neutral court I'd bet very serious money on K over Roy as a game coach. The funy thing is, if you look at HS recruiting rankings, it isn't like Duke has loads more talent the NC@ch this year.

I hate making predictions, especially in rivalry games, but given the comparative talent levels and the home court, and K>Roy, I just don't see this one as an even match-up. The only negative for Duke is the screwed-up rest/practice cycle coming back from Boston Monday early-morning. But, net-net, I really like our chances in this one. It shouldn't be all that close. We'll know in 24 hours....
:D

[Saratoga2]

The difference will be on the defensive side. If Duke comes out and plays solid defense for 40 minutes we win. UNC has been unable to do that this year and is likely not to do it tonight.

[davekay1971]

Defense? No, no, both teams are very good offensive teams. Therefore, I think that the team which can score more points is gonna win this basketball game.

(wisdom courtesy of Al McGuire, and good wisdom it is)

[AGDukesky]

The only times Roy has won in Cameron was when his teams had noticeably superior talent to ours. He happened to be in his career-high when Hansbrough & Lawson came through, and last year they were loaded as we all knew. Tomorrow night should belong to the Devils.

I wouldn't say his 2006 team had superior talent

[ChrisP]

The only times Roy has won in Cameron was when his teams had noticeably superior talent to ours. He happened to be in his career-high when Hansbrough & Lawson came through, and last year they were loaded as we all knew. Tomorrow night should belong to the Devils.

The key word there is "should". I have watched too many of these games over the years to buy into stats, hype, trends, etc. I know we SHOULD beat the crap out of Carolina tonight, but I'm worried that the players might be thinking the same thing and thus, come out overconfident and flat. Or else come out too hyped up and jittery. We're talking about college kids, after all.

As others have said, if we play D like we're capable of and don't have some horrid shooting night, we should win relatively easily. But you guys who've bought into the idea that UNC will play a certain way based on how they've played to date are, IMHO, overlooking the rivalry aspect of this game. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Heels come out tonight and play their best D of the season.

Obviously, I hope I'm wrong and I really am not trying to be negative because I really, REALLY like this Duke team and think we can go far when/if we play to our potential. I just find it interesting that so many people seem to be assuming we'll win tonight. But hey, at least "College Gameday" isn't bringing their circus to Cameron tonight. That's the surefire kiss of death.

[ChicagoHeel]

I see you guys winning this one easily. We have not come close to playing a solid, let alone a great, game on the road and we will need a great game to win. It's hard to imagine we will find a way to overcome our road woes in Cameron.

As others have noted, the key for us on offense is 3P shooting. If multiple shooters can score from behind the arc, we can hang around. But we haven't proven we can do that on the road or when it really matters- I can't think of one game where we played a quality opponent on the road and shot even a respectable percentage. Good teams that focus their D on stopping our perimeter shooting seem capable of chasing us off the line and then our O doesn't do much. Paige and McDonald are particularly prone to struggle on the road.

Our best chance is that we hound Curry into an inefficient game- I expect our D to really focus on him- and hope that no one else picks up the slack from the perimeter. We will have no answer for Plumlee, so he will get his points. Perhaps if it is "Plumlee and no one else" game, we can keep it close.

You guys have tended to start slowly, correct? If so, that will help us considerably. For whatever reason, Roy continues to go with a starting five that has very modest scoring power and consistently spots opponents an 8-12 point lead by the first TV timeout. If you fail to take advantage of those first few minutes, you are offering us a sliver of hope.

The bottom line is that we are a very average, young team that plays much better at home than on the road. I don't think we can win this one without some help from you, so let's just hope you take us lightly and lack focus. Hard to imagine that happening in the rivalry game though.

[Bob Green]

We need to force Carolina to execute their halfcourt offense, which is anemic. The longer into the shot clock they go, the less likely it becomes they score. Therefore, we should sacrifice offensive rebounding to ensure we cut off their fast break/secondary break. We need to get back on defense, cut-off Strickland's attempts to push the ball all the way to the hoop, and ensure we guard Bullock/Hairston/McDonald at the 3-point line.

[Monmouth77]

I wouldn't say his 2006 team had superior talent

It did not. But that '06 game in Cameron was Tyler Hansbrough's coming out party. It's funny, looking at the Roy-era stats Barry Jacobs posted in the front page story, the one trend that jumped out at me was that Tyler Hansbrough's teams dominated the series (losing only his first game in the Dean Dome, and then in 2008 @ UNC when we rained threes all night on the Final Four-bound Heels).

It was almost as dominating as the Battier era was for Duke, with Shane winning 8 times against the Heels, with a three game sweep in 1999, a 2 game sweep in 2000, and a 2-1 record in 2001 (and a 1-2 mark in '98). Or the overlapping Duhon era with a 9-2 mark from 2001-2004 .

Mason is 6-2. He can tie Battier with a 2-game sweep this year, and can tie Duhon with a 3-game sweep.

[CDu]

It did not. But that '06 game in Cameron was Tyler Hansbrough's coming out party. It's funny, looking at the Roy-era stats Barry Jacobs posted in the front page story, the one trend that jumped out at me was that Tyler Hansbrough's teams dominated the series (losing only his first game in the Dean Dome, and then in 2008 @ UNC when we rained threes all night on the Final Four-bound Heels).

It was almost as dominating as the Battier era was for Duke, with Shane winning 8 times against the Heels, with a three game sweep in 1999, a 2 game sweep in 2000, and a 2-1 record in 2001 (and a 1-2 mark in '98). Or the overlapping Duhon era with a 9-2 mark from 2001-2004 .

Mason is 6-2. He can tie Battier with a 2-game sweep this year, and can tie Duhon with a 3-game sweep.

I'd say even more specifically it was Ty Lawson's teams that dominated the series. He never lost against us (he missed the game we won at the Dean Dome). Hansbrough and colleagues went just 1-2 against us without Lawson over Hansbrough's 4 years.

[WakeDevil]

When was the last times the teams played when neither was ranked? Any place to go for this type of information?

[Monmouth77]

I'd say even more specifically it was Ty Lawson's teams that dominated the series. He never lost against us (he missed the game we won at the Dean Dome). Hansbrough and colleagues went just 1-2 against us without Lawson over Hansbrough's 4 years.

That's true-- I forgot Lawson missed that game in 2008. I was just remembering Hansborough's performance on Redick's senior night (which I usually try to forget).

[Kedsy]

When was the last times the teams played when neither was ranked? Any place to go for this type of information?

I believe the last time when Duke played UNC and neither was ranked was February 25, 1955.

In the teams' last 75 meetings (dating back to 1982) one or the other has been in the top ten 73 times (the only exceptions being the first 1997 game when #12 Duke beat #19 UNC and the second 1996 game when #19 UNC beat unranked Duke).

[sagegrouse]

When was the last times the teams played when neither was ranked? Any place to go for this type of information?
Well, Al Featherston's Front Page article says:


You’ve heard the numbers – it’s been 58 years since Duke and UNC met without one of them being ranked.

Uhhh,... that would be all the way back in 1955. Ironically, that was the only year in the 1950's that Duke went to the NCAA's. State beat Duke in the ACC finals but was ineligible for post-season play. Duke lost to Villanova at the Garden, 73-74. Earlier in the season, Duke was ranked 17 or 18 for several weeks.

UNC was 10-11 that season and got blown out twice by Duke. So, apparently, the last game both teams were unranked was February 25, 1955.

sagegrouse
'This was even before I showed up on the Duke campus'

[jimrowe0]

We need to force Carolina to execute their halfcourt offense, which is anemic. The longer into the shot clock they go, the less likely it becomes they score. Therefore, we should sacrifice offensive rebounding to ensure we cut off their fast break/secondary break. We need to get back on defense, cut-off Strickland's attempts to push the ball all the way to the hoop, and ensure we guard Bullock/Hairston/McDonald at the 3-point line.

This man is spot on. If we can execute that game plan and shoot decently then the margin should be 15+.

[nocilla]

It did not. But that '06 game in Cameron was Tyler Hansbrough's coming out party. It's funny, looking at the Roy-era stats Barry Jacobs posted in the front page story, the one trend that jumped out at me was that Tyler Hansbrough's teams dominated the series (losing only his first game in the Dean Dome, and then in 2008 @ UNC when we rained threes all night on the Final Four-bound Heels).

It was almost as dominating as the Battier era was for Duke, with Shane winning 8 times against the Heels, with a three game sweep in 1999, a 2 game sweep in 2000, and a 2-1 record in 2001 (and a 1-2 mark in '98). Or the overlapping Duhon era with a 9-2 mark from 2001-2004 .

Mason is 6-2. He can tie Battier with a 2-game sweep this year, and can tie Duhon with a 3-game sweep.

I believe Mason is 5-2.
2010; 2-0
2011; 2-1
2012; 1-1
2013; ??

Daniel Ewing also had success against UNC finishing his career 8-2. Jay Williams and Dunleavy finished at 7-1 including 3-0 in Chapel Hill.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

This man is spot on. If we can execute that game plan and shoot decently then the margin should be 15+.

Count me as one who thinks we will shoot decently tonight and play with a chip. Quinn and Sheed were off and frustrated in that last game against BC so I think they have nice comeback games. When they play well its hard to beat us...

[slower]

If our guys can fight through the high screens and contest 3-pointers, it will be huge. Of course, we'll need to hit our OWN 3-pointers as well. I'm not in the camp that thinks we have some kind of huge talent advantage. It could very easily be a loss for us tonight. Yes, I tend to err on the pessimistic side, but don't fool yourself into thinking this is anywhere near a sure thing.

(And, yes, I'm hoping that my worrying will serve as a reverse-karma rain dance. Well, you know what I mean.)

[Durham Thunder]

I don't think that UNC wins on our court ever, because they have serious talent, just that when their talent is beyond us, they do win.

2006 was a complete let-down, and enormous upset of devastating proportions. We should've won by double digits. However that's behind us and we're fine now. Marcus Paige is CLUELESS. Reggie Bullock will flounder in Cameron, and McAdoo will run into foul trouble. Again.

[Wander]

I'm not as at ease with this game as a lot of people are. Here are the common opponents/results for Duke and UNC this year:

Wake Forest at home: Duke wins by 18, UNC wins by 25 (note that this is the only game here with Ryan Kelly)
Boston College on the road: Duke wins by 1, UNC wins by 12
Miami on the road: Duke loses by 27, UNC loses by 26
FSU on the road: Duke wins by 19, UNC wins by 5
Georgia Tech at home: Duke wins by 16, UNC wins by 16
Maryland at home: Duke wins by 20, UNC wins by 10
NC State on the road: Duke loses by 8, UNC loses by 8
Combined margin against all common opponents: Duke wins by 39, UNC wins by 34

So, in seven common match-ups, Duke did better twice, UNC did better twice, and in three cases Duke and UNC did about the same. I don't claim this is a perfect way to look at things, I know just looking at margins doesn't tell the whole story, and when it comes to non-conference stuff Duke is FAR ahead of UNC - but I don't think the gap between Duke (minus Kelly) and UNC is as big as most fans of either team believe. We should still win though, especially at home.

[Channing]

I'm not as at ease with this game as a lot of people are. Here are the common opponents/results for Duke and UNC this year:

Wake Forest at home: Duke wins by 18, UNC wins by 25 (note that this is the only game here with Ryan Kelly)
Boston College on the road: Duke wins by 1, UNC wins by 12
Miami on the road: Duke loses by 27, UNC loses by 26
FSU on the road: Duke wins by 19, UNC wins by 5
Georgia Tech at home: Duke wins by 16, UNC wins by 16
Maryland at home: Duke wins by 20, UNC wins by 10
NC State on the road: Duke loses by 8, UNC loses by 8
Combined margin against all common opponents: Duke wins by 39, UNC wins by 34

So, in seven common match-ups, Duke did better twice, UNC did better twice, and in three cases Duke and UNC did about the same. I don't claim this is a perfect way to look at things, I know just looking at margins doesn't tell the whole story, and when it comes to non-conference stuff Duke is FAR ahead of UNC - but I don't think the gap between Duke (minus Kelly) and UNC is as big as most fans of either team believe. We should still win though, especially at home.

Agreed. UNC is a very talented team. They just haven't played well together this year. On any given night, Bullock, Hairston, and Paige are each capable of lighting it up from 3. Similarly, we have seen that our guys are capable of going ice cold. Honestly, I saw the 11 pt spread and thought that was pretty high.

I expect both teams to come out fired up and playing well, and I expect a yo-yo game where neither team is able to pull away, and the winning team (hopefully Duke) has to salt it away at the stripe.

[UrinalCake]

1.) they have size on the perimeter, which seems to give us a lot of trouble
2.) they have a scorer at the 4 - McAdoo hasn't been the lottery pick they thought he'd be, but he's still a much better scorer than any of our trio. Defensively he can help off and double mason and not worry about his man.
3.) they have depth inside - granted it's not quality depth, but then can throw a lot of guys in there while we have Mason and that's about it.
4.) no one expects them to win, which means the pressure is all on us
5.) it's a rivalry game and weird stuff happens

[Durham Thunder]

So, in seven common match-ups, Duke did better twice, UNC did better twice, and in three cases Duke and UNC did about the same. I don't claim this is a perfect way to look at things, I know just looking at margins doesn't tell the whole story, and when it comes to non-conference stuff Duke is FAR ahead of UNC - but I don't think the gap between Duke (minus Kelly) and UNC is as big as most fans of either team believe. We should still win though, especially at home.


Duke matches up with their opponents differently, than does UNC. Sometimes Duke's better suited to someone than UNC is. A big detail here: Duke has been thunderous at home. UNC has been absolutely dismal on the road, in a tough environment. They've lost all meaningful road matches: NC State, Miami, Texas, Indiana, and even UVA who's nothing.

This game is Duke's to lose.

[mr. synellinden]

, and even UVA who's nothing.

This game is Duke's to lose.

UVA is #19 in KenPom's rankings. They're not nothing, especially at home.

Still, I agree this game is Duke's to lose.

[A-Tex Devil]

Duke matches up with their opponents differently, than does UNC. Sometimes Duke's better suited to someone than UNC is. A big detail here: Duke has been thunderous at home. UNC has been absolutely dismal on the road, in a tough environment. They've lost all meaningful road matches: NC State, Miami, Texas, Indiana, and even UVA who's nothing.

This game is Duke's to lose.

Texas beat UNC for the exact reasons stated up thread -- crazy good half court defense and preventing the break. It helps if you are shooting well to slow down the break, and Texas, miraculously, did that night.

One thing UNC should try to do in the half court is play small and put McAdoo in the post. I've seen them have some success there, and he could take it to Mason and try to get Mason in foul trouble.

I'm cautiously optimistic.

[CDu]

Texas beat UNC for the exact reasons stated up thread -- crazy good half court defense and preventing the break. It helps if you are shooting well to slow down the break, and Texas, miraculously, did that night.

Yeah, UNC is very limited offensively if they can't get transition buckets. We tend to be pretty good at preventing transition buckets, so that plays to our advantage.


One thing UNC should try to do in the half court is play small and put McAdoo in the post. I've seen them have some success there, and he could take it to Mason and try to get Mason in foul trouble.

I agree that the small lineup has probably been UNC's most effective lineup. But I don't think it would work so well against us. Firstly, McAdoo isn't really good at beating his man or drawing fouls one-on-one. So having Mason guard him still plays to our edge. And on the other end, he'd likely get in foul trouble trying (unsuccesfully) to guard Mason. Additionally, playing Hairston at PF plays a bit a bit to our strengths in that Jefferson and Murphy wouldn't have to guard a true PF. Neither is going to post Jefferson/Murphy up or outmuscle them - that's just not their game. Plus, it reduces the likelihood of getting an advantageous switch for them.

In any arrangement, we'll have the edge both on the perimeter and inside. But if UNC goes small, I don't think they have a chance to offset any advantage we have.

Again, we could certainly lose, if we come out flat and Hairston and Bullock are on fire from 3pt range. But we have a substantial edge, and we'll be playing at home. As such, we should win this somewhat comfortably. Things could always go wrong, but I'd be surprised by a loss.

[Duvall]

1.) they have size on the perimeter, which seems to give us a lot of trouble

They don't have size at the point - Paige is smaller than Cook. And if Strickland and Bullock were going to present a problem for Curry, wouldn't they have done so at some time in the last two years? He's never had trouble scoring against the Heels.


2.) they have a scorer at the 4 - McAdoo hasn't been the lottery pick they thought he'd be, but he's still a much better scorer than any of our trio. Defensively he can help off and double mason and not worry about his man.

To be honest, I'm not sure I would concede that McAdoo has been a much better scorer than anyone. He's put up big numbers, but only through sheer volume - he's horribly inefficient. If Duke can force McAdoo into one of his 15 points on 4-14 shooting nights, they should be in good shape.


3.) they have depth inside - granted it's not quality depth, but then can throw a lot of guys in there while we have Mason and that's about it.

Perhaps, but I suspect the Heels would gladly trade Hubert, Johnson, Simmons and James for Mason if they could. And James isn't playing tonight.


4.) no one expects them to win, which means the pressure is all on us
5.) it's a rivalry game and weird stuff happens

Well, sure.

[CDu]

They don't have size at the point - Paige is smaller than Cook. And if Strickland and Bullock were going to present a problem for Curry, wouldn't they have done so at some time in the last two years? He's never had trouble scoring against the Heels.



To be honest, I'm not sure I would concede that McAdoo has been a much better scorer than anyone. He's put up big numbers, but only through sheer volume - he's horribly inefficient. If Duke can force McAdoo into one of his 15 points on 4-14 shooting nights, they should be in good shape.



Perhaps, but I suspect the Heels would gladly trade Hubert, Johnson, Simmons and James for Mason if they could. And James isn't playing tonight.



Well, sure.

I agree with this 100%. Paige should not be able to guard Cook. McAdoo is only good at finishing fast break dunks and easy finishes. Anything else and he struggles. And without James, UNC will be woefully undersized against Mason. We should have an advantage at 3 or 4 of the 5 spots on the floor for much of the night.

We could always lose, but we should rightly be comfortably favored.

[UrinalCake]

I agree with this 100%. Paige should not be able to guard Cook. McAdoo is only good at finishing fast break dunks and easy finishes. Anything else and he struggles. And without James, UNC will be woefully undersized against Mason. We should have an advantage at 3 or 4 of the 5 spots on the floor for much of the night.

We could always lose, but we should rightly be comfortably favored.

Everything you say makes sense logically, but I can't help but imagine the worst-case scenario: Seth can't get free for any open looks, Mason gets into early foul trouble, nobody else can score, while Bullock starts nailing threes and mcAdoo gets easy dunks in transition. I know it's not likely that any if this will happen, I guess I'm just a pessimist by nature. Here's hoping we can get out to an early start like against State and take some of this pressure off (of me)

[ChicagoHeel]

Duke matches up with their opponents differently, than does UNC. Sometimes Duke's better suited to someone than UNC is. A big detail here: Duke has been thunderous at home. UNC has been absolutely dismal on the road, in a tough environment. They've lost all meaningful road matches: NC State, Miami, Texas, Indiana, and even UVA who's nothing.

This game is Duke's to lose.

It's not just that we lost to the above-listed teams on the road. It's that, with the exception of UVa, we were down by roughly 25 points in each one. We are a good (not great) team that plays abysmally on the road. And other than maybe Indiana, I'm not sure there is a harder road venue than Cameron. It's our inability on the road, combined with your proven strength at home, that has me the most worried.

The second meeting should be much more interesting, provided that our season doesn't fall apart during this rough stretch of games of which we are in the midst .

[Wander]

The second meeting should be much more interesting, provided that our season doesn't fall apart during this rough stretch of games of which we are in the midst .

It's well within realistic possibility that the second game will functionally be a playoff game for you guys to get into the NCAA tournament. If we don't have Kelly back, that would scare me a lot.

[ChicagoHeel]

It's well within realistic possibility that the second game will functionally be a playoff game for you guys to get into the NCAA tournament. If we don't have Kelly back, that would scare me a lot.

Could be, but I sure hope it doesn't come to that. Our home games against State and UVa feel like the real must-wins for us. We win those two, or even one of those two, as well as avoid any losses to ACC bottom-dwellers and our record, combined with the name on our jersey, should get us in. But I'm perfectly happy to go ahead and end the drama of whether we will qualify by stealing a victory tonight.

[Ggallagher]

In a pretty stunning example of the difference between statistics and reality, the "FanMatch" metric that KenPom generates ranks tonight's Duke-UNC game as the 10th most watchable b-ball game being played today.
Although he doesn't reveal what numbers he crunches to create this list each day, he does say, "FanMatch was developed by trained engineers with Ph.D.'s in psychology who understand the 23 natural factors....."
I'll give him credit for a sense of marketing humor - or something.
But as a trained engineer myself, I'm sure glad I didn't screw up my "understanding" by piling a psychology degree on top of my engineering degree.
I'm going to jump out on a limb with my mere technical degree and guess that there might be more eyes watching what goes on in Cameron tonight than the other nine games ranked above us combined.

[ncexnyc]

It's true that Curry has had some really good games against the heels, however I don't believe he was ever the go to guy in those games. The first go round their focus was on Nolan Smith and last year Austin Rivers garnered most of their attention.

[superdave]

We need to force Carolina to execute their halfcourt offense, which is anemic. The longer into the shot clock they go, the less likely it becomes they score. Therefore, we should sacrifice offensive rebounding to ensure we cut off their fast break/secondary break. We need to get back on defense, cut-off Strickland's attempts to push the ball all the way to the hoop, and ensure we guard Bullock/Hairston/McDonald at the 3-point line.

Yes. We need to force Paige to play the game of his life. Crowd the 3 point line, crash the boards, and keep the ball in Paige's hands.

[elvis14]

I always look forward to the UNC@CH games but tonight, I'm especially excited. Out of the blue (royal blue) my neighbor called me yesterday and asked if I wanted to go to the game tonight. Once I was able to speak again, I naturally said 'yes'. He had one requirement, I'm not allowed to make fun of him wearing the ugly light blue colors. The tickets belong to his 97 year old great grandmother who's also going to the game and is a long time Iron Dukes member. So, I may have to keep calm to not scare off my benefactor but I'm really geeked as this will be my first live Duke vs. UNC@CH game. I was starting to think I'd never go one.

As for the game, I'd like to see us come out and play well early to shake off the funk that was the entire BC game. If we can start well, I really like our chances of a comfortable win. If we come out slow, it'll be a less comfortable win :-)

9F

[BigZ]

This should and better be an easy W for the Devils. Carolina is not very good this year, the game is in Cameron and there are no excuses for a let down like their could be at Wake or BC. First I want a win but I really want a humiliation of the TAR wHOLES.


Go To Hell Carolina !!!

[Dukefan1.0]

Duke by 35 Mason with 36 pts 18 rebs, 3 blks, 7 assists, and 14 large drinks sold at halftime :cool:

[throatybeard]

The current Vegas line has Duke favored by 11 points with the over/under at 152 so Vegas is looking for a score in the neighborhood of 81 or 82 to 70.

Carolina is 12-3 ATS in their last fifteen trips to Cameron:

http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=307000

[jipops]

One of the many fears I have with this game is the tables being turned on what happened at their place last season. They were the prohibitive favorite for that one.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

It's been a crazy year for me and I have'nt had a chance to watch as much hoops as usual. I saw Duke play a half early in the year and then I saw the State and Miami games, that's it.

So from my perspective, since I have only seen Duke play at less than their best, I think there is a possibility that the Heels can win this one. Although I am certainly not confident considering how the Heels have played lately.

I'd say for a UNC win, it will take three things.

1) defend Curry into a subpar night.
2) make some shots, inside and outside.
3) limit TO's

Easy to say, hard to do.

[Durham Thunder]

Carolina is 12-3 ATS in their last fifteen trips to Cameron:

http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=307000


Means absolutely nothing tonight. Since 1997 when the rivalry evened back out, Duke is 10-6 against UNC @ Cameron. 4 of those were the Hansbrough years, and those were a complete anomaly.

[77devil]

Carolina is 12-3 ATS in their last fifteen trips to Cameron:

http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=307000

I will happily take a Duke win that doesn't cover the spread.

[throatybeard]

I will happily take a Duke win that doesn't cover the spread.

Me too.

Also, apparently it doesn't count when Hansbrough beats us. I didn't know that.

[77devil]

It's been a crazy year for me and I have'nt had a chance to watch as much hoops as usual. I saw Duke play a half early in the year and then I saw the State and Miami games, that's it.

So from my perspective, since I have only seen Duke play at less than their best, I think there is a possibility that the Heels can win this one. Although I am certainly not confident considering how the Heels have played lately.

I'd say for a UNC win, it will take three things.

1) defend Curry into a subpar night.
2) make some shots, inside and outside.
3) limit TO's

Easy to say, hard to do.

In this rivalry anything can happen. The fact that you base your supposition on 2.5 games that you happened to have watched rather than the body of work that's a matter of record is truly shallow, even for you.

Your three points are generic to any basketball game. Show me some insight Wheat.

[BigWayne]

Pre-game antics from the hill....


http://www.dailytarheel.com/blog/pit_talk/2013/02/unc-gets-head-from-duke

[Wheat/"/"/"]

In this rivalry anything can happen. The fact that you base your supposition on 2.5 games that you happened to have watched rather than the body of work that's a matter of record is truly shallow, even for you.

Your three points are generic to any basketball game. Show me some insight Wheat.

"I'd say...."

I don't have any real insight to offer, I thought I made that clear when I explained that I have not seen Duke play much this season.

But I will give you something that I would take a stab at if I was the coach from a UNC perspective. I'd play Jackson Simonns more and have him on Mason. He's a sound player with a feel for the game and I think he could draw a couple of fouls on Mason, who is not really a thinking man's player. In fact, I'd have all my bigs challenge him and hope he gets in foul trouble.

[CDu]

"I'd say...."

I don't have any real insight to offer, I thought I made that clear when I explained that I have not seen Duke play much this season.

But I will give you something that I would take a stab at if I was the coach from a UNC perspective. I'd play Jackson Simonns more and have him on Mason. He's a sound player with a feel for the game and I think he could draw a couple of fouls on Mason, who is not really a thinking man's player. In fact, I'd have all my bigs challenge him and hope he gets in foul trouble.

Your lack of seeing Duke this year shows here. Mason has improved his game a great deal. I don't think Simmons will be able to draw fouls on Mason without a lot of help from the refs, which I don't expect in Cameron.

I don't doubt we'll see Simmons guard Mason (since James is out, SOMEBODY is going to have to do it). But I don't think it'll go well. Simmons is a nice role player who can hit open jumpers and play hard. But he's overmatched against Mason.

Mason has been the focus of nearly every opponent this year, yet he's stayed out of foul trouble all season. I'd be shocked if UNC's crappy big men can do better.

[Bluealum]

Me too.

Also, apparently it doesn't count when Hansbrough beats us. I didn't know that.

I got a great chuckle out of this. Thank you!

GTHC

[riverside6]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/UNC, starters posted. Both teams starting a Hairston tonight.

http://www.scacchoops.com/ViewHDGame.asp?hSchedule=14610

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Your lack of seeing Duke this year shows here. Mason has improved his game a great deal. I don't think Simmons will be able to draw fouls on Mason without a lot of help from the refs, which I don't expect in Cameron.

I don't doubt we'll see Simmons guard Mason (since James is out, SOMEBODY is going to have to do it). But I don't think it'll go well. Simmons is a nice role player who can hit open jumpers and play hard. But he's overmatched against Mason.

Mason has been the focus of nearly every opponent this year, yet he's stayed out of foul trouble all season. I'd be shocked if UNC's crappy big men can do better.

When I say Mason is not a "thinking man's player" I don't want that to sound like a put down on Mason. What I mean is he is so much bigger,stronger and athletic than most other players, he often uses those skills more than he uses his head.
A player like Simmons, who is clearly not as gifted, has had to depend on anticipation, footwork and court sense to compete at this level.

I could absolutely see Mason try to do too much on Simmons and Johnson since he will feel like he has them overmatched... Simmons make a heady play, or two...and Mason finding himself in foul trouble.

Example: Simmons with a textbook block out for a rebound, and Mason coming over the back, because that carrot of a rebound looks so easy to him in that moment of quick decision.

Smart play can overcome more talented play. Happens all the time.

I can wish, no penalty, right?

[moonpie23]

ugh!!! let's get this thing rolling.......dang.....

[CDu]

When I say Mason is not a "thinking man's player" I don't want that to sound like a put down on Mason. What I mean is he is so much bigger,stronger and athletic than most other players, he often uses those skills more than he uses his head.
A player like Simmons, who is clearly not as gifted, has had to depend on anticipation, footwork and court sense to compete at this level.

I could absolutely see Mason try to do too much on Simmons and Johnson since he will feel like he has them overmatched... Simmons make a heady play, or two...and Mason finding himself in foul trouble.

Smart play can overcome more talented play. Happens all the time.

I can wish, no penalty, right?

Again, I think your lack of watching Duke this year limits you. Mason has played much, much smarter this year than he has in the past.

You can wish for Simmons to draw fouls on Mason. But you're likely to be disappointed. I'd be fairly surprised if Mason gets in serious foul trouble tonight at home.

[gwlaw99]

Anywhere to listen online? I want to mute Vitale.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

ugh!!! let's get this thing rolling.......dang.....

"dang"?... roy, is that you?

[arnie]

"dang"?... roy, is that you?

Is Amile hurt? H starting

[BlueDevilBrowns]

it may have already been mentioned but karl hess is reffing the game tonight. what's the over/under on T's and bench warnings tonight?

[toughbuff1]

Is Daniel Ewing in the building?

[CDu]

Is Amile hurt? H starting

I'd guess it's more that Coach K wasn't happy with Jefferson's play of late. He only played 11 or 12 minutes in the BC game, after all.

[chaosmage]

Starting Josh...

[sporthenry]

Starting Josh...

Didn't look like experience there.

[Gthoma2a]

These slow starts are not good. Plus, we look out of sync. We are going to win, but my hope that we set a record for largest victory are really hurting. Defense is lacking.

[sporthenry]

UNC's wings are going to give Duke trouble all night. Duke is going to have to dominate down low. But this isn't a good start and this game won't be as easy as many think.

[mapei]

UNC's defense is looking really good . . .

[CDu]

Williams actually made a smart play, going small with Bullock and Hairston at forward and McAdoo at C. I think it caught Coach K off guard, because he started Hairston. Coach K quickly countered with Jefferson, who is a much better option at PF against a smaller lineup. If Williams sticks with the small lineup, I'd expect to see a lot of Jefferson and Murphy at PF and less of Hairston.

Not a good start, but hopefully we're starting to wake up a bit now.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

yeah, bullock's size has bothered curry already. curry's trying to get seperation to get his shot off but bullock's length is a problem.

[Channing]

What is with cook's decisions? Can't get the ball inbounds, throwing passes out of bounds, that fadeaway from the arc. And I hate his body language. He seems to blame bad plays on everyone else. Just put your head down and play hard!

[CDu]

UNC's defense is looking really good . . .

To be fair, we've helped them with 2 or 3 unforced turnovers.

[Utley]

Amile really looked like Jameson there - if it's ok to compare him to a UNC player tonight.

[CDu]

Mason is getting outhustled by McAdoo thus far. That's unacceptable.

[jipops]

Don't know if we can defend this UNC lineup. This looks like the more talented team right now.

[sporthenry]

Don't know if we can defend this UNC lineup. This looks like the more talented team right now.

Defense looks better with Amile. Imagine we'll see more Murphy.

[mapei]

Are we really this slow?

[sporthenry]

Biggest thing with the defense is figuring out the switches. Sure, PJ or Bullock can shoot over Cook or Curry but wide open 3's is unacceptable. Seems like they weren't prepared for both Bullock and Hairston at the 4 spot.

[CDu]

My gosh, we're playing like we want to lose right now.

[Philadukie]

Man, we look rough. Hopefully it's nerves. We look flat and lost on both ends.

[DukieInBrasil]

UNC definitely came out more energized. Cook's play early was bizarre. The defensive rotations messed up several times.
The only player i've been impressed with so far is Sulaimon. Jefferson has been solid.

[Papa John]

We look sloppy on the offensive end and communicating poorly on the defensive end... A very inauspicious start, to say the least...

[BlueDevilBrowns]

cook and plumlee just trying to do too much. they need to slow down, breathe, and i think we'll be fine. the good news is the "kids", sheed and jefferson, came to play tonight so far.

[bbosbbos]

Fancy but not effective.

[CDu]

Not the way you want to start a rivalry game. I have to give just a bit of credit to Williams for finally figuring out that he should play his best players more minutes. Coming out with the small lineup caught us off guard, I think, and we've been shaky the whole way. Hopefully we settle down and realize that our size advantage should play to our strength.

Murphy and Hairston have both struggled in their limited time, getting beat for buckets. We may have to rely heavily on Jefferson tonight.

[sporthenry]

Curry is going to have to get going to the basket. This is the book on defending Duke. If you have bigger guards, you can force them to put it on the deck. Especially without Kelly, the lane is clogged up.

[dukelifer]

Foul trouble. Not good

[CDu]

Mason is playing REALLY poorly right now. I'm not sure what's going on.

[Channing]

How have we forgotten the fundamentals of blocking out?

[J4Kop99]

C'mon now, Mason. Deep breath.

[DukieInBrasil]

Plumlee has been really shaky so far. Just getting outworked by McAdoo, over and over. Nice flop by JM to give Mason the dunk.

[CDu]

How have we forgotten the fundamentals of blocking out?

One might ask the question whether we ever knew the fundamentals of blocking out. That's long been a limitation of our teams, and certainly a limitation for Mason.

That said, McAdoo now has 2 fouls. It will be interesting to see what Williams does now, because so much of what is working so far for UNC is that McAdoo is handily winning the matchup at C. I don't think Hubert, Simmons, or Johnson bring that same ability (of course, I wouldn't have thought McAdoo could do it either).

[dukelifer]

Duke is too hyped and Plumlee needs to be more patient.

[Utley]

We look tight on O and lacking intensity on D (which is amazing against UnC)

[Channing]

Plumlee has been really shaky so far. Just getting outworked by McAdoo, over and over. Nice flop by JM to give Mason the dunk.

The whole offense has been shaky. Really poor ball movement. We seem to get one or maybe max two passes and then some one on one move.

We are capable of so much better against these guys!

[slower]

Any of you "talent gap" proponents want to rethink your opinion?

Bullock with the corner 3. Defense - anybody? Maybe Duke will come back, maybe not. But they are experiencing well-deserved humiliation at the moment.

[CDu]

Any of you "talent gap" proponents want to rethink your opinion?

Nope. We're more talented. They are playing out of their minds, and we are playing like crap.

[Papa John]

Mason is playing REALLY poorly right now. I'm not sure what's going on.

Why does he always seem to do the pump-fake on offensive rebounds? It doesn't fool anyone. Just go up strong and throw it down!

Deep breaths, Mason...

[J4Kop99]

You can see the freedom with which the UNC players are playing with... as if they have nothing to lose. Our guys looks tight and seem to be over-thinking the game right now.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

plumlee's got to keep attacking. either get jmm in foul trouble or get unc to start doubling mason to open up the 3's.

[Channing]

Any of you "talent gap" proponents want to rethink your opinion?

There is no talent gap. These guys have skills

[Channing]

Why is Murphy guarding Paige?

[Channing]

And why can we not get the ball in bounds! That is two cook has thrown to the other team and then tried to blame someone else for!

[dukefan10]

Is Murphy that slow on defense or is UNC that quick on offense?

[CDu]

Just dumb play by us for nearly the entire first half. I don't know if we're trying too hard or what, but this has just been awful play by us.

[sporthenry]

Any of you "talent gap" proponents want to rethink your opinion?

Always thought they had talent. But this just makes me feel righteous in me saying Roy isn't a very good coach. He has had this talent all year and done very little with it.

But UNC is strong where Duke is weak and Duke is strong where UNC is weak. UNC is strong on the wings and with a stretch 4. Duke is strong at the PG and C along with SG positions.

[dukelifer]

Nope. We're more talented. They are playing out of their minds, and we are playing like crap.

Duke is in huge trouble now. They are getting tighter

[arnie]

Any of you "talent gap" proponents want to rethink your opinion?

Bullock with the corner 3. Defense - anybody?

We should be down by 20. Horrible play by plumlee over and over

[Philadukie]

I can barely watch this. Have we forgotten how to play? Williams read the book on how to beat Duke and is employing it perfectly.

[J4Kop99]

-Turnovers
-A lack of boxing out
-Too much hesitation on offense
-Mason struggling



Not a recipe for success.

[sporthenry]

So I guess UNC fans can stop the Duke flopping or Duke gets all the calls stuff.

[DukieInBrasil]

This is the worst Mason has played all year.

[slower]

Nope. We're more talented.

Not by that much.

[dukefan10]

It's over... No use in watching ;)

[Papa John]

Just dumb play by us for nearly the entire first half. I don't know if we're trying too hard or what, but this has just been awful play by us.

We can't play much worse... We look so discombobulated on both ends, it's comical... This is like a bad joke right now... Not sure I want to hear the punch line...

[dukelifer]

This is the worst Mason has played all year.

Needs to get down closer to the basket

[J4Kop99]

I understand that Coach wants to get Mason going, but maybe force feeding him is putting too much pressure on him? Just run the offense and if he's open, pass it too him.

[CDu]

Not by that much.

I'll stick by what I said. We're substantially more talented. UNC is playing about as well as they can, and we are playing about as poorly as we can. And the result is that UNC is up 5.

If we play to our abilities, we win comfortably. Right now, that clearly is not happening.

[sporthenry]

ESPN has that foul on Cook.

[Channing]

Tt follows a plus play with a stupid negative play. On the plus side was watching Marshall d up mcadoo and looked real good guarding him around the perimeter

[Jeff0r3]

I understand that Coach wants to get Mason going, but maybe force feeding him is putting too much pressure on him? Just run the offense and if he's open, pass it too him.

I was thinking the exact same thing. He looks uncomfortable without being double teamed..

[sporthenry]

ESPN has that foul on Cook.

Nevermind, they changed it to Amile.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

Why is Murphy guarding Paige?

unc is setting high screens to get switches that create favorable matchups. therefore, murphy getting stuck on paige.

[Furniture]

I said to my wife we have lost. She said "you always say that"
It's true.
Calm down guys. Take a beer. There is plenty of time left!!

[Papa John]

It's over... No use in watching ;)

Actually, for as poorly as we've played thus far, we're only down 5... If I'm Carolina, that concerns me... In Cameron, we will awaken from this funk eventually... We may already be stirring...

[DukieInBrasil]

Although Quinn has displayed some really poor body language and decision making as well, he has hit a few buckets and hit his FTs.

[sporthenry]

unc is setting high screens to get switches that create favorable matchups. therefore, murphy getting stuck on paige.

The only problem with their switch just about everything defense. You can pretty much dictate who covers who when you want it to be the other way.

[Channing]

Cook is uncs best player tonight

[J4Kop99]

This whole force-feeding mason thing is hurting the offensive rhythm. The one thought on everyone's mind is "get it to mason" and that is taking their creativity and freedom away.

...having said all of this, we are only down 4 and have the ball.

[sporthenry]

I can't remember a Duke player playing so bi-polar than Cook right now. Great play followed by terrible play.

[Channing]

Hey ... Ball movement ... Look at that

[J4Kop99]

even vitale is getting on Mason. It's like they say about pitchers: he's trying to place the ball rather than shoot it.

[Channing]

W...T...F...???

[Utley]

I'm changing shirts

[J4Kop99]

What a play to end the half. Glad that is over.

[CLW]

playing out of control; trying to make Sports Center Top 10 every play; making dumb decisions with the basketball; and allowing a layup drill on the other end of the floor.

LUCKY to only be -4 at the half.

[CDu]

UNC got away with a clear travel there. Not sure what the refs were watching.

Well, the good thing is that we couldn't play much worse than we did in the first half, yet we're only down 4. The bad thing is that we couldn't have played much worse in the first half.

Hopefully the water will find its level in the second half and we get the win.

[CAT Blue Devil]

Flat, flat, flat. Gassed at the half. Watching drives through the lane. Step behind his man.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

chris webber impersonation? that was soooo a travel! i assume thats what wojo was ticked about.

[#1Duke]

Mason has to step up. He has had a mismatch all night with UNC playing him with forwards and much smaller guys.
Maybe he'll step it up in the second half.
He should be dominating this game.

[Billy Dat]

Well, the good thing is that we couldn't play much worse than we did in the first half, yet we're only down 4. The bad thing is that we couldn't have played much worse in the first half.

Hopefully the water will find its level in the second half and we get the win.

Exactly, we got 'em right where we want 'em!

[arnie]

Cook is uncs best player tonight

No tonight it's MVP plumlee. I'm afraid to look at TO stats

[CLW]

3 assists 11 turnovers i knew it was bad but yikes

[gcashwell]

No worries. Plumlee will destroy UNC's world in the second half.

[J4Kop99]

A travel and a double dribble. Duke thought the clock ran out, UNC thought the clock ran out, AND the refs thought the clock ran out.

[WillJ]

That was a very ugly first half.

[Jeff0r3]

3 assists 11 turnovers i knew it was bad but yikes

ouch.. Can you imagine what K is saying right now!! Actually what K is screaming right now!!!

[CAT Blue Devil]

It's only been 5 minutes but I can't wait to get to the second half.

[moonpie23]

this is pitiful....they are playing out of their minds.....nothing to lose and we're playing tight....the entire half has built up their confidence..


I guess we won't "run away with the game" as some have suggested leading up to the game... I mean, what did everyone expect?

[Billy Dat]

ouch.. Can you imagine what K is saying right now!! Actually what K is screaming right now!!!

"This is my birthday gift?!?!? I waited 66 years for this? I'd rather have Dean Smith pop out of a cake!!!!!"

[gumbomoop]

Mason - has many strengths, ACCPOY and above, but 2 weaknesses, in evidence thus far this evening: [1] bad footwork. Tonight, he has not been crowded, being played straight up 1-on-1 on almost all possessions. Rather, he sometimes just stumbles over his own feet. [2] Bringing the ball down, which he has done twice so far, missing what seemed pretty easy 2s.

Quinn - head down, frown, no good, either for himself, or team [or me, maybe you].

Thunder dumbs - one so far by Amile, one by Mason = 4 missed easy points. Hope we don't need those at the end of the game. [So pleased that McAdoo returned the favor; Heels can be dumber than dirt, too.]

I've always argued that the single most important physical attribute for perimeter players especially is handle. It does appear that Bullock, P.J. Hairston, Paige, and Strickland may, as a group, be better dribblers than our perimeter guys.

Heels are not intimidated by CIS. They are underdogs, and welcome this opportunity for an ultra-quality win. Have to admire their fire, compared to Devils' ..... something not good.

[Channing]

this is pitiful....they are playing out of their minds.....nothing to lose and we're playing tight....the entire half has built up their confidence..


I guess we won't "run away with the game" as some have suggested leading up to the game... I mean, what did everyone expect?

Not quite.... They have missed a lot of open looks

[Billy Dat]

this is pitiful....they are playing out of their minds.....nothing to lose and we're playing tight....the entire half has built up their confidence..


I guess we won't "run away with the game" as some have suggested leading up to the game... I mean, what did everyone expect?

I actually don't think UNC is playing that well, they are playing OK, but they could be up by more. I think we'll be OK in the 2nd.

[mapei]

The way I see it, we have no outside shooters, no inside shooters, we make paases to nowhere and don't defend. I'm amazed we have 29 points.

[Phoenix22]

Everybody calm down. And the is exactly what K will say to the team at halftime. They are everywhere right now. Second half they settle down and win by 10+.

[mapei]

Collins's comments about defense suggest what halftime will be about.

[moonpie23]

Everybody calm down. And the is exactly what K will say to the team at halftime. They are everywhere right now. Second half they settle down and win by 10+.

a win by 1 would be amazing tonight..


i hate that we got off to a slow start.......curry needs to get some space and start hitting

[BlueDevilBrowns]

this is pitiful....they are playing out of their minds.....nothing to lose and we're playing tight....the entire half has built up their confidence..


I guess we won't "run away with the game" as some have suggested leading up to the game... I mean, what did everyone expect?

i expected a smoother offensive game by duke, figuring mp2 and cook would dominate their matchups for around a 6 to 11 point lead by halftime. oh well. thankfully aj21 and rasheed came to play.

[slower]

Collins's comments about defense suggest what halftime will be about.

Yep. Their guards seem to be getting a lot of uncontested looks.

[CDu]

3 assists 11 turnovers i knew it was bad but yikes

And the worst part is that nearly all of them are unforced (or very loosely forced).

Credit to UNC for playing arguably their best half of the season. But a lot of blame goes to us for coming out flat and VERY sloppy.

[BlueandWhite]

I can't remember a Duke player playing so bi-polar than Cook right now. Great play followed by terrible play.

Cook is a sophomore, and essentially playing his first full season as a regular starting PG, and he's not J-Will or Bobby Hurley, and this is not 1992 or 2001. He'll continue to improve this year.

As Chris Collins just pointed out in his usual pre-halftime on-court interview, the #1 problem this half is that our DEFENSE SUCKED -- also, it should be obvious that UNC's defense was very good from the start of the game through pretty much the entire half, and the proof is in how few good looks Curry and other guards were able to get.

Duke needs to figure out ways to get Curry more good looks and PLAY BETTER DEFENSE.

[Durham Thunder]

We are playing so sloppy. Mason needs to STICK IT IN THE BASKET.

[mapei]

True about Amile. He may have been our most positive player tonight.

[#1Duke]

this is pitiful....they are playing out of their minds.....nothing to lose and we're playing tight....the entire half has built up their confidence..


I guess we won't "run away with the game" as some have suggested leading up to the game... I mean, what did everyone expect?

I expected to be up by at least 10 points at halftime.

[Furniture]

Yes
Positive thoughts for the kids please!

[Papa John]

Flat, flat, flat. Gassed at the half. Watching drives through the lane. Step behind his man.

If anything, we're trying too hard, resulting in some painfully spastic, Urkel-like displays, particularly on the offensive end...

That said, we're only down 4... I have a feeling we're going to see a totally different, focused Duke team come out in the second stanza... Again, if I'm Carolina, given how the first half went, I'm really bummed right now that I'm only up by 4 freaking points...

[60's Devil]

ouch.. Can you imagine what K is saying right now!! Actually what K is screaming right now!!!

Screaming will not accomplish a thing. We have been out coached in the first half.

[Papa John]

"This is my birthday gift?!?!? I waited 66 years for this? I'd rather have Dean Smith pop out of a cake!!!!!"

In a baby blue bikini!

[jipops]

PJ Hairston looks like their best player. How has this guy been coming off the bench most games?

[sporthenry]

Mason - has many strengths, ACCPOY and above, but 2 weaknesses, in evidence thus far this evening: [1] bad footwork. Tonight, he has not been crowded, being played straight up 1-on-1 on almost all possessions. Rather, he sometimes just stumbles over his own feet. [2] Bringing the ball down, which he has done twice so far, missing what seemed pretty easy 2s.

Quinn - head down, frown, no good, either for himself, or team [or me, maybe you].

Thunder dumbs - one so far by Amile, one by Mason = 4 missed easy points. Hope we don't need those at the end of the game. [So pleased that McAdoo returned the favor; Heels can be dumber than dirt, too.]

I've always argued that the single most important physical attribute for perimeter players especially is handle. It does appear that Bullock, P.J. Hairston, Paige, and Strickland may, as a group, be better dribblers than our perimeter guys.


I agree about Mason/Quinn. Quinn is going to have to work on being a leader when things are going good and bad. Seth also had a case when Hairston threw the ball away on the first possession where he didn't run back and put his head down. I'm sure K will give him some of his famous leadership talks though.

"Thunder dumbs" I might have to steal that. Agree with that.

As far as UNC's wings. I think the biggest thing is the size. They can see over our defender and our guys can't see over them. And when they get by our guys, our help defense is minimal whereas the few times Curry has gotten by, he has had to settle for a half contested jump shot.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

i'd love curry to explode but as long as bullock is gaurding him, i don't see it tonight. to me, cook and MP2 have to win the matchup vs. paige and jmm.

[Saratoga2]

Coach K started Josh but he looked both tight and lost. Amile is by far their best choice in this game with many positive plays. Cook has made some mistakes and hung his head but he has been the primary positive Duke player and also Rasheed is doing well. Seth is not getting a lot of open looks out there and wound up with a couple of fouls but is moving his feet and playing good defense. Tyler also did a good job.

My view is that Mason has been poor at the defensive end and rebounding, only really having one good defensive series where he blocked a shot and altered another. Both his fouls came on offensive moves and his footwork and hesitation to go up has cost him several easy baskets. Duke guards are obviously trying to force the ball into him and that has resulted in quite a few turnovers. If Mason doesn't come alive in the second half, we will lose this game. He has an advantage but he has to do more. Yes, I know he has about 8 points, but he has largely disappeared on the defensive end.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

My halftime notes:

Good, active defense from UNC. This is a good defensive team. Curry struggling with Bullocks length.
I like that the Heels are looking at getting PJ to post up his man and having him drive more that settling for the jumpers that are expected. Good move by Roy, Duke struggling with that.
Still way too many unforced UNC TO's off passes, they are lucky to be leading with that many TO's. Duke's been sloppy too.
A few 3's have fallen, which has given UNC confidence, they'll need to make some early in the 2nd half to keep it up there.


2nd half...they better continue to focus on Curry, and take care of the ball, if they hope to pull off the upset.

[CDu]

If anything, we're trying too hard, resulting in some painfully spastic, Urkel-like displays, particularly on the offensive end...

That said, we're only down 4... I have a feeling we're going to see a totally different, focused Duke team come out in the second stanza... Again, if I'm Carolina, given how the first half went, I'm really bummed right now that I'm only up by 4 freaking points...

Yeah, I used the word "flat" earlier too, but really that just applies to Mason's defense and boxing out. On the offensive end, it's been more spastic than flat.

This is when leadership needs to step up. Curry, Mason, and Cook need to bring some focus and confidence in the second half.

[Channing]

Cook is a sophomore, and essentially playing his first full season as a regular starting PG, and he's not J-Will or Bobby Hurley, and this is not 1992 or 2001. He'll continue to improve this year.

As Chris Collins just pointed out in his usual pre-halftime on-court interview, the #1 problem this half is that our DEFENSE SUCKED -- also, it should be obvious that UNC's defense was very good from the start of the game through pretty much the entire half, and the proof is in how few good looks Curry and other guards were able to get.

Duke needs to figure out ways to get Curry more good looks and PLAY BETTER DEFENSE.


It's not his skill. It's his body language. No excuse for it. No excuse for throwing away TWO in bound passes and then moping about it

[77devil]

I actually don't think UNC is playing that well, they are playing OK, but they could be up by more. I think we'll be OK in the 2nd.

Pretty much the only rational comment since tip-off. Relax folks. We are only down 4 after a terrible half. The guys come out intense in the 2nd half after a classic Coach K locker room rant.

[bbosbbos]

Do not panic.:mad:

[#1Duke]

Screaming will not accomplish a thing. We have been out coached in the first half.

I can't agree with that at all. Carolina is hustling and playing good defense on our guards. They aren't getting many open looks.
In games we have lost, our opponent has been able to control our guards and Carolina is doing just that.
The key is Mason. He MUST take over our offense. He has had mismatches all night long and is not performing. If he gets in the game, the second half should open up.

[Channing]

For gods sake ..... Rebound!!!!!!!!!!

[CDu]

And Mason starts the second half in a bad manner. Allowing 2 offensive rebounds and committing his 3rd foul. Great.

[Utley]

Our guys are watching the game unfortunately.

[dukelifer]

For gods sake ..... Rebound!!!!!!!!!!

Three on Plumlee because of a missed rebound

[J4Kop99]

haha mcadoo going for the kill.

[Channing]

Apparently same as the first half

[throatybeard]

"This is my birthday gift?!?!? I waited 66 years for this? I'd rather have Dean Smith pop out of a cake!!!!!"

He used to do that. It was the pettiest thing in the world--he always had to go into the coaches' meeting last. He'd actually delay the meetings. One year Cremins, Valvano, and K hid in a closet just to joke him.

[CDu]

Not impressed at all with our defensive effort tonight. Nor have I been impressed with our offensive focus.

[Papa John]

Not only was the Carolina defender late, but he was in the circle under the basket... BS call...

[slower]

getting COMPLETELY outhustled

At the half, down 4, it seemed like an easy deficit to make up. But the psychological edge is totally UNC's. Plus, it looks like fouls will become an issue. Mason can't stop McAdoo. Bullock and Hairston are fired up. Somebody will need to step up soon.

[J4Kop99]

Mason has 3 so why leave him in? He doesn't play great defense to begin with and now he's even more hesitant. He also hasn't rebounded well or scored... Let him rest, maybe he will come back stronger.

[Utley]

We're playing even worse. Yikes!

[BlueDevilBrowns]

ok. now we're in trouble.

[dukelifer]

Plumlee cannot defend now. Duke will need to hit from three or it will not be their night.

[Channing]

What a carryover of the by game. We are playing like garbage in the one game a year we should be totally revved for.

[CLW]

awful start UNC just flat out wants this game more and are playing with more energy and more focus.

[arnie]

i'd love curry to explode but as long as bullock is gaurding him, i don't see it tonight. to me, cook and MP2 have to win the matchup vs. paige and jmm.

I guess taking plum out is all he can do now. Need to jack up 3's and pray

[CDu]

Well, it doesn't appear to be Mason's night. Perhaps his worst game of the year. One of Cook's worst. One of Curry's worst (credit to Bullock on that front).

Looks like Mason is going to get to sit for a little while, with Josh Hairston coming in.

Just a thoroughly underwhelming effort from the Devils tonight. It's like they get their confidence shaken and can't get out of their own way.

[BigZ]

Jmm is destroying mason

[Billy Dat]

ok. now we're in trouble.

I kind of agree...Mason out of action for now, UNC pumped up like crazy, horrible start to the half...something needs to change quickly.

[moonpie23]

unc starting their run to the final four....


tonight......on us...

[mapei]

So far we have one 3 by . . . Tyler?

[jipops]

UNC is the better team tonight. This is looking like a mismatch.

[_Gary]

Is there any question as to who has "wanted it more" thus far? None whatsoever in my mind. They have kicked our butts on the hustle plays all night long. Larry Bird said something to the effect that rebounding is 90% desire, and if that's true we are getting "outdesired" big time tonight.

[J4Kop99]

Coach K needs to get the crazies fired up in the middle of a UNC game? Oh my, how the mighty have fallen.

[dukelifer]

Thornton might need to shoot tonight

[sporthenry]

Curry showing some growth. Learning to score without the 3. That is huge come March.

This is going to be a war of attrition.

[J4Kop99]

thornton again!


-Mcadoo has that fire tonight. You can see it with the way he is attacking the rim.

[Billy Dat]

Non Mason small line-up looking good...come on boys!

[mapei]

Does anyone have a rebound count?

[CDu]

Well, we're hanging around. We appear to have alligator blood. But at some point, we're going to have to start scoring points.

[Furniture]

Bring on the positive energy!!!!!!!

[J4Kop99]

Does anyone have a rebound count?

a lot to a little

[BlueDevilBrowns]

this is just a weird game. Why does unc's 3 point lead feel like a 12 point lead? i can't believe we're still this close.