MBB: Duke at Virginia Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[Reilly]

Virginia is tough in C'ville. Their home ACC results (win margins):

UNC +9
FSU +20
BC +14
NCSU +3
Clemson +37
VT +18
GT +28

[Saratoga2]

This will be a big test of the Duke team. We really need to defend for 40 minutes in this one. Amile is best suited to defend from the 4. The usual players have to be on their game and Tyler has to contribute without giving up needless fouls.

[aro24]

Ok, my wife is a huge UVA fan so I have seen all of their games this year....here is my take on their lineup.
Evans.....good ball handler, but can be prone to unforced turnovers. Will be able to drive with his quickness, but he is a pass first player....usually getting into the lane for the defense to collapse and kicking it out for a 3.
Jesperson..... streaky shooter, but dangerous when hot. Sup-par defender.
Nolte.....same as Jesperson, but in my opinion, not as good a shooter, but not shy about taking his shot
Mitchell..... servicable big man. Decent shot blocker and can hit a 15ft jumper with consistency.
Anderson..... pure athlete. Can be "spastic" at times and can occasionally hit a 3 but is primarily a slasher with great leaping ability. Lefty that loves to go left
Harris...... great all around player with a great shot.....best comparison I can make is JJ Redick......began his career as a pure shooter, but as he has progressed, he can now drive the ball to get his shot. Constantly moving and coming off of screens. Will make for the toughtest defensive assignment. Also a pretty good defender.

Just my take.
ARO24

[mike88]

This is a huge game for us, and I am surprised this thread hasn't garnered more attention. At 11-3, Duke needs to go 3-1 from here out to ensure the #2 seed (I don't think we are going to catch Miami even if we beat them Saturday). The easiest way to do that is to get a win in Charlottesville, and would be our best road win to date. If we win there, then even going 1-2 in the last three games still keeps us playing on Friday in the ACCT.

UVA has been good at home, but I think we match up with them well. I am expecting Rasheed to chase Harris. As long as we stay in front of Evans, lock down their outside shooting, and do work on the defensive boards, we should be good. As usual, if we shoot well, everything will be easier.

[roywhite]

UVa basketball under Tony Bennett is defense first. What's he call his defensive scheme?...."picket fence" or some such term?

At any rate, I expect that he will have watched tapes of recent Duke games and will try to take away Mason and Rasheed going toward the basket as much as possible. Probably a big emphasis on taking charges, esp. against those two and early in the game. They'll try to cover outside shooters, but most of all to limit drives. Bennett would like nothing more than to get Mason Plumlee in early foul trouble.

[moonpie23]

we are coming off two games that we've taken it to the other team from the git-go.....we will need to do the same here.......falling behind against this team could prove tough...

i like the way our team is playing now.......jefferson and sully seem to have a lot of confidence. Let's hope it continues...


go duke!!

[jcastranio]

Okay, I know they don't really go together - but that, I think, is the key. This team, with Ryan out, has been slowly finding their swagger. Virginia will not make it easy - on defense or offense - but now is the time for All-Americans and All-conference candidates to play like it. Don't get rattled and shoot with confidence.

I think clock management on offense and defense is the key for this game (yeah, I'm making it up as I go - it's coming to me like a vision). Virginia won't make many mistakes and they will look to use the clock to their advantage (they have that discipline that some other squads won't have). When they are on offense, make the defense work, wait for the defense to let down, take the best available shot. We will have to focus and defend for the entire 35 seconds. For the most part, I don't think they will take the rushed shot or the stupid shot. This will take a total team effort - including a few key minutes from Alex and Marshall - defending is hard work. If the game is called tight - it could be an issue. Both teams like to push the limit on being physical throughout the defensive possession.

On defense, Virginia will be physical and disciplined. We don't want to be the one to rush shots or take stupid shots. Work the defense, take the best available shot. Rasheed, Seth, and Quinn can all try some early quick shots (not all at once, please) and if any one of them is hot, we can ride that for a minute or two. If we are not hot, we have to focus on passing the ball, working the ball screens, cutting, etc. Mason must make quick decisions. Pass or shoot. Wait too long and it's a turnover or we are pushed deeper into the shot clock.

If both teams are focused and disciplined - the game is in the 70's and Duke's better talent/experience wins out by 4-8 points. If one of the two teams loses focus and gets undisciplined - that swings the game.

So... patience and swagger. (Good rehearsal for Miami, too)

[davekay1971]

Discipline in keeping with UVa's shooters through their screens and ball motion and defending the 3 will be key to limiting their scoring. I think Duke matches up well for this and our defense should do a very nice job limiting them, especially if it's the defense we played in the first 15 minutes on BC, the first half against NCSU, etc.

Scoring on them...that's a tall order in HooVille. It's hard to say anything more than "hit your open looks." It'd be lovely for Tyler, Quinn, Seth, and Sheed to knock down their 3s all game. That would help us win. So, that's my advice to our guys. Hit your shots.

And be patient.

And swagger, if that'll help.

Just win, baby.

[COYS]

Scoring on them...that's a tall order in HooVille. It's hard to say anything more than "hit your open looks." It'd be lovely for Tyler, Quinn, Seth, and Sheed to knock down their 3s all game. That would help us win. So, that's my advice to our guys. Hit your shots.



This is spot on. Open shots will be few and far between. When we get them, we need to hit them. Similarly, we need to convert through contact when we do get to the rim. I expect this game to be pretty physical. The way the refs call the game will go a long way toward determining how much UVA will be able to control the pace. There is likely to be a fair number of instances where contact occurs but no foul is called. Our guys are going to have to immediately say "next play" and get ready to grind it out on the defensive end.

There's reason to believe this game will be every bit as tough as our matchup with Miami at home. UVA has been a very, very good team at home, this season. In fact, they've been good enough to get them all the way up to #17 in KenPom. While I think that ranking is probably a bit high for games on a neutral court, it is deserved when the Cavs play at home. For comparison's sake, that's only a few ticks below Miami's KenPom rating of #13. Add that to the fact that UVA is playing for their NCAAT lives and you get a tough, talented, and hungry opponent playing on their own floor. Duke is still the better team, but we will have to show it to win.

[jipops]

It would be nice to have a road win of this quality. They have destroyed Clemson and GTech at home. I would anticipate a slugfest, hopefully fouls don't become a problem for us. UVA has 10 guys averaging double figure minutes.

The guys will need to maintain defensive intensity and stay out in front of shooters for a full 40 here. I don't think we're going to build a big margin against their type of defense. It would also be a good game to get a more focused effort from Cook in this one, limited turnovers, poised decisions with the ball, that kind of thing. Scoring will not be easy but turnovers and bad decisions with the ball will just make it more difficult.

We need this win to help maintain a second place finish in the conference.

[CDu]

UVa will try to keep this game at a snail's pace. They work hard to not turn the ball over, and they don't allow tons of second-chance points. They also don't attack the offensive glass hard (for fear of opening up transition opportunities) so one of our weaknesses might not get exploited in this game.

On defense, the key will be Joe Harris. This is a guy who, if UVa played at a faster pace, would be in the running for ACC player of the year. He shoots 46% from 3 and 50% from the field, averaging 16.6ppg, 4.1rpg, and 2.2apg. He's a big, athletic wing who can shoot the lights out and is very tough off the dribble. That's going to be a tough matchup for Sulaimon - probably his toughest of the year.

Aside from Harris, Akil Mitchell is the other threat. He's a terrific rebounder and very capable post scorer. He'll keep Mason honest, for sure.

After those two, it's anybody's guess as to who else shows up. Jesperson and Nolte can shoot the 3 (but are very inconsistent game to game), Anderson can attack the basket (but struggles with his shooting and decisionmaking), and Evans can handle the ball and distribute but struggles with his shot.

And they play fairly small. They'll frequently play 4 guards/wings, and may even start that way. Tobey and Nolte will come in off the bench. Tobey is a backup big who is just returning from mono. In some ways he's a bit similar to Mason in that he's big, athletic, and agressive around the rim. But he's just a freshman. Nolte is a bit of a shorter version of Kelly in that he very much prefers to shoot from the perimeter but isn't quick enough to guard perimeter players. He's even less of a rebounding presence than Kelly.

Anderson, Evans, and Harris are the primary playmakers, and all will look to attack off the dribble. Jesperson, Harris, and Nolte are the 3pt threats. Mitchell is the guy they run offense through in the post, and Tobey is a mop-up bucket guy.

If we can find our perimeter shots and Mason can play well, we should beat UVa. UVa shouldn't beat us on the offensive glass, which has been one of our biggest weaknesses defensively. And they shouldn't punish us inside with their PF, which has been our other main weakness without Kelly. They also won't look to push tempo, which plays to our defensive preference of half court defense.

We have a talent edge at PG, SG, and C, while UVa has the edge at SF. I'd call the bench a push, and PF a push. Each team has the potential to get more from their bench, so that could swing things. But neither is very reliant on their bench or depth for impact play.

These are matchups that Cook, Mason, and Curry need to win. It's a tough matchup for Sulaimon, who'll have to guard Harris. And it's a matchup that Hairston/Jefferson/Murphy need to not lose to any significant degree at PF.

Should be an excellent test of this team's focus and determination to beat a very disciplined, very well-coached, and somewhat talented team on their floor.

[Bob Green]

UVa basketball under Tony Bennett is defense first. What's he call his defensive scheme?...."picket fence" or some such term?

It's the Pack-Line defense. One guy pressures the ball, while four stay in help position within a 16 foot arc of the basket.


On defense, the key will be Joe Harris. This is a guy who, if UVa played at a faster pace, would be in the running for ACC player of the year. He shoots 46% from 3 and 50% from the field, averaging 16.6ppg, 4.1rpg, and 2.2apg. He's a big, athletic wing who can shoot the lights out and is very tough off the dribble. That's going to be a tough matchup for Sulaimon - probably his toughest of the year.

I'm looking forward to watching Sulaimon match-up against Harris. I agree with you it will be his toughest assignment to date and the results should show us just how far Sulaimon has progressed.

[roywhite]

It's the Pack-Line defense. One guy pressures the ball, while four stay in help position within a 16 foot arc of the basket.

Thanks for the assist there, Bob.

They play tough defense, but with those principles and with good ball movement, we should get some good looks from 3-pt land. On the season from 3-pt, we've got Seth at 43.7%, Quinn at 41.0%, and Rasheed at 41.5%. That's tough for any team to defend.

As others have commented, it sure would be nice to hit some shots early and start well.

[fuse]

Pomeroy has our lowest remaining chance of the year at winning, 52% with a one point margin of victory.
Going to be a heck of a ballgame.

[dball]

Ok, my wife is a huge UVA fan so I have seen all of their games this year....here is my take on their lineup.
Evans.....good ball handler, but can be prone to unforced turnovers. Will be able to drive with his quickness, but he is a pass first player....usually getting into the lane for the defense to collapse and kicking it out for a 3.
Jesperson..... streaky shooter, but dangerous when hot. Sup-par defender.
Nolte.....same as Jesperson, but in my opinion, not as good a shooter, but not shy about taking his shot
Mitchell..... servicable big man. Decent shot blocker and can hit a 15ft jumper with consistency.
Anderson..... pure athlete. Can be "spastic" at times and can occasionally hit a 3 but is primarily a slasher with great leaping ability. Lefty that loves to go left
Harris...... great all around player with a great shot.....best comparison I can make is JJ Redick......began his career as a pure shooter, but as he has progressed, he can now drive the ball to get his shot. Constantly moving and coming off of screens. Will make for the toughtest defensive assignment. Also a pretty good defender.

Just my take.
ARO24

Thanks for your take. Agree mostly with a few additions. Evans is a very good point guard and his absence was really felt in the bad losses UVA had early in the season. The Delaware loss, in particular, really screwed up their RPI since it prevented a trip to the Garden where they would have faced much better squads.

Mitchell in my opinion is better than serviceable. He's a good player and can be a tough match up.

Joe Harris is a great player and probably deserves first team ACC consideration.

Jesperson as you point out is streaky and can be a problem if he should get hot.

This will be a tough game.

[rsvman]

This might end up being a tougher game than Miami at home.

If our guys continue to shoot well north of 40% on 3-point shots as they have in the past couple of games, we should come away with the victory. If our shooting reverts to the mean, this will be a grind-it-out, gut-check type of game that will likely be a toss-up until the final buzzer. I like our chances in a tight game.

However, if we fall behind early, it could be tough to crawl out of a hole against the Hoos in Hooville.

[roywhite]

A breakdown of the pack line defense featuring the Virginia Cavaliers
(http://tlorc.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/a-breakdown-of-the-pack-line-defense-featuring-the-virginia-cavaliers/)

From the Mikan Drill -- a hard-core hoops blog


Bennett relies on the packline defense to compensate for his teams weaknesses, which is a man to man defense with a few specific principles. The defense will put heavy pressure on the ball when it is beyond the three point line but the help defense will sag below the three point line, taking away dribble penetration.

Since the gap in athleticism of the guards makes it difficult for the primary defenders to stay in front of the ball, the help defense has to work extra hard to discourage penetration. The primary defender will put heavy pressure on the ball to make it difficult on the ball handler, with the knowledge that their teammates are available to help if they get beat off the dribble. This forces the defense t0 leave the three point line open, allowing teams to shoot well from beyond the arc against Bennett coached teams historically (range of 33.1% to 36.3% in the 5 years prior to 2011-12).

[bbosbbos]

Especially when your opponent is a good team.

Stay focus, no turnover, defend your target well. We will see.

[CDu]

Jesperson..... streaky shooter, but dangerous when hot. Sup-par defender.
Nolte.....same as Jesperson, but in my opinion, not as good a shooter, but not shy about taking his shot

Nolte and Jesperson are both 40+% 3pt shooters this year. So while they may be streaky 3pt shooters, they are quite dangerous. And on average, they are quite effective at it.


Mitchell..... servicable big man. Decent shot blocker and can hit a 15ft jumper with consistency.

Mitchell is averaging 12.6ppg, 8.7rpg, and 54.1 fg%. On a team that plays as slow a pace as UVa, those are terrific numbers. They are better than the numbers Mason put up last year, for example. He's an upper-tier ACC big man. I'd put him 8th best behind Mason, Howell, Len, Leslie, Kadji, Johnson, and - when healthy - Kelly.


Harris...... great all around player with a great shot.....best comparison I can make is JJ Redick......began his career as a pure shooter, but as he has progressed, he can now drive the ball to get his shot. Constantly moving and coming off of screens. Will make for the toughtest defensive assignment. Also a pretty good defender.

Harris has some Redick-like qualities for sure. But he's also 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Redick. He's much stronger and a much more explosive athlete than Redick (Harris has thrown down some impressive dunks in his time at UVa). Harris' range is not quite as prolific as Redick's range, and he's not as automatic from the line. But if given space, he can certainly explode for huge games like Redick did.

[I_am_a_Blue_Devil]

http://www.thesabre.com/message_board/basketball/2013/February/25/1572768.php


May have already been posted somewhere but this is some serious sour grapes. They are really hanging on to that one game in 1983.....

[Duvall]

http://www.thesabre.com/message_board/basketball/2013/February/25/1572768.php

May have already been posted somewhere but this is some serious sour grapes. They are really hanging on to that one game in 1983.....

God bless the undistinguished athletic legacy of the University of Virginia.

[FerryFor50]

http://www.thesabre.com/message_board/basketball/2013/February/25/1572768.php


May have already been posted somewhere but this is some serious sour grapes. They are really hanging on to that one game in 1983.....

Wow. That seems like a lot of.... Effort.

And Nouveau-riche? Really? UVA needs some creativity lessons.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I expect an excellent game. This is going to be a real test, and if our boys are looking ahead at ALL to our grudge match against Miami, Senior night, or UNC next week, we will have our pants down. I don't figure that K will allow that, and it seems our outside shooting and offensive rebounding will be key to our effectiveness.

We could play a great game and come up short. If we don't come ready to sock them in the mouth, we will suffer the consequences.

A win on Thursday would set a great tone for the wrap of the regular season.

GO DUKE

[davekay1971]

http://www.thesabre.com/message_board/basketball/2013/February/25/1572768.php


May have already been posted somewhere but this is some serious sour grapes. They are really hanging on to that one game in 1983.....

Before reading this I had no feeling whatsoever toward UVa. They're a second tier ACC school from a basketball standpoint (without question the best public university in the conference academically), one of those annual also-rans that occasionally gets up the wherewithal to beat Duke, but basically falls under the category of "mostly harmless".

But accusing our coach of lying, of "making a living on the lecture circuit" by perpetrating that lie, ticks me off. Coach K is a much requested speaker because he's won 4 more national championships in men's college basketball than has the University of Virginia, who's basketball glory days consist mainly of a short stretch in which they were a promising 2nd best team in the conference that couldn't get over the hump in the NCAA tournament.

Basically the University of Maryland, minus one natty.

And your founder was a slave-owning whoremonger. Have a nice day. :mad:

[roywhite]

http://www.thesabre.com/message_board/basketball/2013/February/25/1572768.php


May have already been posted somewhere but this is some serious sour grapes. They are really hanging on to that one game in 1983.....

Danny Meagher reads this nonsense, and begins to clear his throat...

[Henderson]

This weekend (UVa at night away, then VERY soon thereafter Miami) is now the gut-check of the ACC season. Both very tough games, too close together, with February legs.

I heard Chris Collins on a radio interview, and he was asked what the best advice he received as a freshman from his upper class team mates. His response was essentially, "Get your rest. It's a long season, and fatigue is cumulative. When you have a chance to get off your feet or take a nap, do it."

I hope that message is getting through. When I look at Miami's winning margin the last 6 or so games (or loss in the case of Wake), I can almost see the fatigue slipping into their team. A tired young talented dangerous team wearing down. And not to look past UVa (to whom Duke could easily lose), but our troops could have dead legs come the Miami game.

I wouldn't be crushed going 1-1 this week. I wouldn't like it, but it could be worse.

[Kedsy]

When I look at Miami's winning margin the last 6 or so games (or loss in the case of Wake), I can almost see the fatigue slipping into their team. A tired young talented dangerous team wearing down.

In what way is Miami young? They have five (!) seniors and a junior (plus a sophomore) in their seven man rotation.

[roywhite]

In what way is Miami young? They have five (!) seniors and a junior (plus a sophomore) in their seven man rotation.

Yeah, just looked up a few birth dates and ages on the Miami website.

Current ages:
Durand Scott 23
Trey McKinney Jones 22
Rion Brown 21
Kenny Kadji 24
Reggie Johnson 23
Julian Gamble 23

Shane Larkin is 20, but some of these guys will soon be getting AARP solicitations. :)

[FerryFor50]

In what way is Miami young? They have five (!) seniors and a junior (plus a sophomore) in their seven man rotation.

Well, they are younger than most of us... And I get tired just watching most of these college whipper snappers...

[Greg_Newton]

What's crazy is:

22 - 20
21 - 22
27 - 23
22 - 24
21 - 23

Left = age of OKC Thunder's "finishing 5" lineup as of the 2011 playoffs (Westbrook/Harden/Sefalosha/Durant/Ibaka), right = age of starting 5 of 2013 Miami Hurricanes.

[FerryFor50]

What's crazy is:

22 - 20
21 - 22
27 - 23
22 - 24
21 - 23

Left = age of OKC Thunder's "finishing 5" lineup as of the 2011 playoffs (Westbrook/Harden/Sefalosha/Durant/Ibaka), right = age of starting 5 of 2013 Miami Hurricanes.

I would not have been shocked if the left side was Miami and the 27 year old was Reggie Johnson. Can't wait till he runs out of eligibility...

[gep]

In what way is Miami young? They have five (!) seniors and a junior (plus a sophomore) in their seven man rotation.

Well... big game experience, big game pressure, maybe :confused: Age is one thing... experienced maturity is another matter.

[Olympic Fan]

Just one small point -- several posters have suggested that Virginia wants to play at a snail's pace.

That perception is out of date. In their last six games, they've topped 80 points three times, hit 78 points once and 73 in another. They've played ONE snail's pace game -- a 54-50 loss at Miami.

Through the first of February, they were playing the slowest tempo in the ACC and one of the slowest in the nation. But they have sped up quite a bit in the last couple of weeks.

I do expect this to be a tough, tough test. In a way, it's very much like the games Indiana and Florida had Monday night -- brutal games against unranked conference foes that are both -- like Virginia -- on the NCAA bubble. I do hope we have better luck than they do.

[noworries]

Have had this one marked on the calendar since I decided to go to school at UVA last February...gonna be in the student section rockin some Devils gear...

When GT came to C'ville last weekend, they had a shootaround the night before in UHall because of a concert in JPJ. If only there was an event in JPJ tomorrow and the Devils were in UHall tomorrow night...would be nice considering the office is directly beside the arena! One can only hope

[sporthenry]

Just one small point -- several posters have suggested that Virginia wants to play at a snail's pace.

That perception is out of date. In their last six games, they've topped 80 points three times, hit 78 points once and 73 in another. They've played ONE snail's pace game -- a 54-50 loss at Miami.

Through the first of February, they were playing the slowest tempo in the ACC and one of the slowest in the nation. But they have sped up quite a bit in the last couple of weeks.

I do expect this to be a tough, tough test. In a way, it's very much like the games Indiana and Florida had Monday night -- brutal games against unranked conference foes that are both -- like Virginia -- on the NCAA bubble. I do hope we have better luck than they do.

They do play at a snail's pace. Kenpom has them at 6 possessions below the average and at 338 out of 347 teams averaging about 60 possessions a game.

In the Georgia Tech game, the pace didn't appear to be all that staggering, they only had 61.65 possessions by statistical standards. They just played a very good game in the sense that they shot 54% when they are a 46.6% shooting team and they had 5 turnovers when on average they would have had 11.

Versus UNC, they had the equivalent of 70 possessions but shot 58.5% from 3 and 57.1% from 2. They only had 2 offensive boards and 14 turnovers.

Versus Va. Tech, they had 61 possessions, and shot 47.4% from 3. They also got to the line at a rate of 46% FTA/FGA compared to their normal 29%. And Va. Tech is 239 in defensive efficiency.

Versus Maryland, it was 67 possessions but also included 58% from 3 and 54% from the field. They also had 50% FTA/FGA.

Versus Clemson, they had 62.7 possessions but shot 55% from the field and had only 6 turnovers.

Versus Miami, they had 57 possessions but shot 38% from the field, 33% from 3, and only got to the line 8 times.

So they did have their pace upped a bit in the games versus UNC and even Maryland, but on the whole, it was just their offense being extremely efficient. I also suspect that versus Miami, they went out of their way to shorten the game, which I think you'll see a similar effort against Duke since UVA won't want to get into an up and down game with Duke.

The biggest things will probably be the obvious ones. No easy baskets, no fouling and turning them over. They also don't rebound the ball very well offensively, probably b/c of their effort to get back, but that will probably be a huge factor since Duke will give up some height and I don't feel comfortable giving them extra possessions because 70 seconds on defense will be tough.

[ice-9]

Just one small point -- several posters have suggested that Virginia wants to play at a snail's pace.

That perception is out of date. In their last six games, they've topped 80 points three times, hit 78 points once and 73 in another. They've played ONE snail's pace game -- a 54-50 loss at Miami.

Through the first of February, they were playing the slowest tempo in the ACC and one of the slowest in the nation. But they have sped up quite a bit in the last couple of weeks.

I do expect this to be a tough, tough test. In a way, it's very much like the games Indiana and Florida had Monday night -- brutal games against unranked conference foes that are both -- like Virginia -- on the NCAA bubble. I do hope we have better luck than they do.


I have a bad feeling about this game...Duke is ripe for an upset. A squeaker at best. We haven't looked great on the road and this is an excellent UVA team. Duke hardly ever looks past opponents, but they just might with a big Miami game on Saturday circled on everyone's calendars.

[davekay1971]

I have a bad feeling about this game...Duke is ripe for an upset. A squeaker at best. We haven't looked great on the road and this is an excellent UVA team. Duke hardly ever looks past opponents, but they just might with a big Miami game on Saturday circled on everyone's calendars.

Waiting on Bob to give us the Vegas line (for entertainment purposes only), but I believe Kenpom only considers us about a 1 point favorite (52% chance of winning, if I remember the upthread post correctly). I wouldn't consider losing at the JPJ an upset by any measure other than SportCenter hype and comparison of rankings.

This is the toughest week of our regular season. Someone had mentioned being okay with if if Duke came through this week 1-1 and I agree. Two very challenging games against very different, quality opponents in a short period of time. Kind of like the 2nd weekend of the NCAA tournament.

[roywhite]

Waiting on Bob to give us the Vegas line (for entertainment purposes only), but I believe Kenpom only considers us about a 1 point favorite (52% chance of winning, if I remember the upthread post correctly). I wouldn't consider losing at the JPJ an upset by any measure other than SportCenter hype and comparison of rankings.

This is the toughest week of our regular season. Someone had mentioned being okay with if if Duke came through this week 1-1 and I agree. Two very challenging games against very different, quality opponents in a short period of time. Kind of like the 2nd weekend of the NCAA tournament.

That plus this is generally a time for upsets. The top teams know they are certainly in the NCAA and looking ahead a bit. Challengers or bubble teams are hungry, looking to improve their chances for an invite, or improve their position for the conference tournament and NCAA seeding.

Examples: Indiana and Florida losses last night to good, very motivated teams with something to prove.

[MCFinARL]

Yeah, just looked up a few birth dates and ages on the Miami website.

Current ages:
Durand Scott 23
Trey McKinney Jones 22
Rion Brown 21
Kenny Kadji 24
Reggie Johnson 23
Julian Gamble 23

Shane Larkin is 20, but some of these guys will soon be getting AARP solicitations. :)

Kadji, in fact, will be 25 in May, which is pretty unusual (23 for a basketball senior I suspect is less so; Mason, in fact, will turn 23 on March 5). Having turned 20 in October, Larkin is a bit older than the average sophomore, although maybe not the average sophomore basketball player. By comparison to our academic sophomores (2 of whom are redshirt freshmen for basketball purposes, of course), Quinn will turn 20 in March (interesting random factoid I discovered--Quinn and Kyrie apparently have the same birthday, separated by a year) and Alex will turn 20 in June; Marshall, on the other hand, is a bit older than Larkin, having turned 20 last June.

It occurs to me I am getting off thread topic here; maybe I should have looked up how old the Virginia players are.

[Durham Thunder]

Kadji, in fact, will be 25 in May, which is pretty unusual


WOW. I knew their team was full of seniors, but I never knew they were actually pretty old. Considering that Coach Calipari has helped accelerate the average age to 17 1/2, this is rather extraordinary in today's age.

Looking at it from the age perspective, ceteris paribus, I bet these guys naturally feel more confident on the floor, because they really are MEN playing against boys right now.

[gumbomoop]

I was wondering if I was the only one who thinks that the Miami game is NOT Duke's toughest game this week.

Imported 75C's comment from "Ranking" thread.

As a number of posts in this UVa pre-game thread indicate, not only are you, 75C, not the only one, but many posters think UVa will be very, very tough. Duke has 3 very difficult games remaining. Miami has one.

The revenge factor might benefit Duke v. Miami. CIS factor, too, but several of us have posted a view that many teams relish playing in front of the Crazies. It's such a unique atmosphere, some funny, even occasionally good-hearted ribbing, and a chance for talented opponents to stick it to Crazies, Entitleds, and K.

For all the talk of Duke having a "legitimate" shot at overtaking Miami for ACCT #1 seed, if I were a UVa fanatic, I'd be looking at the schedules of UVa, Duke, and UNC, and thinking the Cavs have a legitimate shot at #2, and a strong shot at #3.

For Duke, it's not a matter of "taking care of business" [with the usual connotations of that phrase] before taking on Miami. It's a matter of having, and executing, an excellent game plan to deal with the Cavs' D, which appears to be the real business.

[UrinalCake]

WOW. I knew their team was full of seniors, but I never knew they were actually pretty old


They're not seniors, they're senior citizens!

[Kfanarmy]

What's crazy is:

22 - 20
21 - 22
27 - 23
22 - 24
21 - 23

Left = age of OKC Thunder's "finishing 5" lineup as of the 2011 playoffs (Westbrook/Harden/Sefalosha/Durant/Ibaka), right = age of starting 5 of 2013 Miami Hurricanes.
As long as they're all being paid what difference does it make?

[Kedsy]

As a number of posts in this UVa pre-game thread indicate, not only are you, 75C, not the only one, but many posters think UVa will be very, very tough. Duke has 3 very difficult games remaining. Miami has one.

I agree Duke has three very difficult games to close the regular season. I expect most if not all of the games to be close. And I don't usually like to predict such things and I could be completely wrong and look awfully silly after tonight's game. But my gut tells me Duke's running the table from now until the end of the ACC tournament. Not sure how I feel yet about the NCAA tournament, but I think we're all going to be happy for the next couple weeks.

Go Duke!

[Kedsy]

...I could be completely wrong and look awfully silly after tonight's game...

Of course I meant tomorrow night's game. I suppose I'm looking silly already. :(

[roywhite]

Of course I meant tomorrow night's game. I suppose I'm looking silly already. :(

You could be right about a strong regular season finish and ACC Tournament; certainly hope so.

What do you see that gives you this opinion?

[Kedsy]

You could be right about a strong regular season finish and ACC Tournament; certainly hope so.

What do you see that gives you this opinion?

I see a team that when we're not knocked back by some surprise, knows how to win. I think this is Ryan's best quality as well, so when he returns our poise and confidence will only increase. And I don't see any surprises on the immediate horizon. The team knows UVa will be tough and knows the system UVa plays -- unlikely Bennett will pull a shocker out of his bag. Our players know exactly what Miami's going to bring at them, and we're playing at home. And we've seen UNC's small lineup and should know how to counter it. By the ACC tournament, with Ryan hopefully reintegrated, we should be on a roll.

Or not. Obviously I could be wrong about all this.

[Bob Green]

Waiting on Bob to give us the Vegas line (for entertainment purposes only), but I believe Kenpom only considers us about a 1 point favorite (52% chance of winning, if I remember the upthread post correctly).

Duke opened as a two points favorite; however, the game is now a PICK 'EM. The over under is set at 129 so Vegas is looking at a score in the neighborhood of 65-64.

[ChillinDuke]

I think Duke takes UVA.

I have no inside info - just that the team looked great, mopping the floor with both Va Tech and BC.

UVA is no Va Tech and no BC, but I think we take this one. We look confident, and we look hungry. I wonder if this team is starting to smell the urgency that starts around this time of year and is reacting well to it.

Looking forward to tomorrow.

- Chillin

[MCFinARL]

I agree Duke has three very difficult games to close the regular season. I expect most if not all of the games to be close. And I don't usually like to predict such things and I could be completely wrong and look awfully silly after tonight's game. But my gut tells me Duke's running the table from now until the end of the ACC tournament. Not sure how I feel yet about the NCAA tournament, but I think we're all going to be happy for the next couple weeks.

Go Duke!

Ozzie! Is that you using Kedsy's account?

[Chris Randolph]

Of late, Duke has played well at UVA. It will most definitely be a close game as that is the style of game UVA plays i.e. limit possessions. This game scares me more than any other left on the schedule, they are a dangerous team in their own building playing for their tournament lives...

Comes down to execution on offense. Because UVA limits your possessions, you have to be efficient on offense. Going to be a great game I am sure

[Fish80]

I don't like their attitude, very cavalier.

Waaa - hooo! :p

What the heck's a wahoo? Something fishy.

Here's to never forgetting '83!

[subzero02]

We are 1 point underdogs at UVA tonight FYI.....

[Fish80]

this just in . . . the french name for the Wahoo is Thazard bâtard
.

[sporthenry]

We are 1 point underdogs at UVA tonight FYI.....

This is pretty much Kenpom and other computer systems meet the real world. Will be a good barometer not only for Duke but to see how accurate those systems are. Granted it is just 1 game.

I'm excited for this game. I've sort of turned the corner from worried about Duke losing to anyone to excited to see what this Duke team can do. If you are afraid to lose to UVA, then how can you expect to win it all? Not saying UVA wont' be tough but going to have to win these types of games in March.

As far as UVA, afraid of their size but they don't get on the boards offensively. Wonder if they'll make an effort to try to get offensive boards but I think they'll want to get back on defense. Also think they'll make a concerted effort to slow the game down. First five minutes will tell a lot. If Duke is hitting shots, UVA will be hard-pressed to be in the game. If UVA is able to stifle Duke's offense and get open looks late in the shot clock, could be a long night. Biggest thing will be Duke's defensive discipline. 35 seconds of no mental mistakes.

[cptnflash]

I agree Duke has three very difficult games to close the regular season. I expect most if not all of the games to be close. And I don't usually like to predict such things and I could be completely wrong and look awfully silly after tonight's game. But my gut tells me Duke's running the table from now until the end of the ACC tournament. Not sure how I feel yet about the NCAA tournament, but I think we're all going to be happy for the next couple weeks.

Go Duke!

Probabilities tell us that there's less than a 1 in 4 chance of even making it through the next two weeks without at least one more loss, and our ACCT tourney champ odds are going to be somewhere in the 30-35% range, I would guess. But I hope you're right.

[pfrduke]

Will be a good barometer not only for Duke but to see how accurate those systems are.

This is a minor, and perhaps unrelated, quibble, but you can't ever really use a single game to validate the accuracy of a system. The way to check it, instead, is to look at the results of a season (or, perhaps, several seasons) and see how well the results match the confidence of the predictions. For example, games that are predicted with roughly 50% confidence should be predicted correctly only about 50% of the time; games predicted with 90% confidence should be predicted correctly 90% of the time (although note that still means the predictions are "wrong" one out of every ten times, which is a lot in a season with 347 teams playing 30-40 games a piece). And the scoring margin on those games should, on average, be within a standard deviation or so of the predicted margin. Even if Duke wins by 30 tonight (knock on wood), that doesn't mean the system is wrong - I would wager that if you ran 1,000 or so simulations based on the predictions, at least one of those would have Duke winning by 30.

[Kedsy]

Probabilities tell us that there's less than a 1 in 4 chance of even making it through the next two weeks without at least one more loss, and our ACCT tourney champ odds are going to be somewhere in the 30-35% range, I would guess. But I hope you're right.

That's why I said it was a gut feel rather than a reasoned scientific analysis. Besides, the probabilities didn't have us going through the first month of our season unscathed, but we did.

[jipops]

I agree Duke has three very difficult games to close the regular season. I expect most if not all of the games to be close. And I don't usually like to predict such things and I could be completely wrong and look awfully silly after tonight's game. But my gut tells me Duke's running the table from now until the end of the ACC tournament. Not sure how I feel yet about the NCAA tournament, but I think we're all going to be happy for the next couple weeks.

Go Duke!

My biggest hope is that we have a team that is 100% healthy going into the ACCT (I'll take 95% too). Going 3-4 or 4-4 in these last regular season games would be gravy.

[Native]

Per Andy Katz's Twitter (http://twitter.com/ESPNAndyKatz):


From our game crew: Duke's Ryan Kelly practiced today and will dress but won't play at Virginia.

Interesting...

[oldnavy]

Per Andy Katz's Twitter (http://twitter.com/ESPNAndyKatz):



Interesting...

I guess there is a reason to dress even knowing that you are not playing, but I am not sure I fully understand it. Besides the ability to do the warm ups, what advantage does it give you? Perhaps that is the whole point, to go through the warm ups as part of working your way back carefully??

Any how, it is a very good sign indeed!

[jipops]

I guess there is a reason to dress even knowing that you are not playing, but I am not sure I fully understand it. Besides the ability to do the warm ups, what advantage does it give you? Perhaps that is the whole point, to go through the warm ups as part of working your way back carefully??

Any how, it is a very good sign indeed!

Maybe we'll need another good free throw shooter in there at the end?

[subzero02]

Let's take these guys out early and send a message to the rest of the country... Looking at you curry and sulaimon

[somf4eva]

it is great to see ryan warming up. a great feeling moving forward

[Tucknut]

Wow. Anyone just hear Matt Doherty's comments about Duke on ESPN News?

[sagegrouse]

Wow. Anyone just hear Matt Doherty's comments about Duke on ESPN News?

No-o-o-o-o-o!!! What did he say? -- sagegrouse

[subzero02]

Wow. Anyone just hear Matt Doherty's comments about Duke on ESPN News?

You are the worst journalist ever... What did he say?

[Tucknut]

I was thumbing through the channels and he said something to effect that Cameron was "just a glorified high school gym" with a bunch of loudmouths. And that Miami (I presume) would love to silence the crowd and send everyone to the exits early with another blowout.
That's what I took from it but I didn't catch it all. Was wondering if anyone saw the whole segment.

[JayBean]

I was thumbing through the channels and he said something to effect that Cameron was "just a glorified high school gym" with a bunch of loudmouths. And that Miami (I presume) would love to silence the crowd and send everyone to the exits early with another blowout.
That's what I took from it but I didn't catch it all. Was wondering if anyone saw the whole segment.

That's okay. I can forgive that. He was my favorite Carolina coach.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear Ryan is out there. Hope he gets back to playing soon.

[sagegrouse]

I was thumbing through the channels and he said something to effect that Cameron was "just a glorified high school gym" with a bunch of loudmouths. And that Miami (I presume) would love to silence the crowd and send everyone to the exits early with another blowout.
That's what I took from it but I didn't catch it all. Was wondering if anyone saw the whole segment.

He probably said something about "Duke has the ugliest cheerleaders in the Conference." At least, he can't say, "I am still getting checks for $60,000 every month until May," -- 'cuz that ended last May.

sagegrouse

[davekay1971]

Wow. Anyone just hear Matt Doherty's comments about Duke on ESPN News?

Matt Doherty has a very distinctive career:

1) He is the answer to the trivia question "Who was the other guy in UNC's 1982 Starting Five of Jordan, Worthy, Perkins, Black, and...?"
2) He coached UNC to the single worst season in their last 50 years, after treating many well respected people at his alma mater like dirt
3) He was so bad that Roy finally figured he could play the role of savior at UNC rather than being forever negatively compared to the great Bill Guthridge
4) He was run out of town at a football school for being too incompetent to coach their basketball program...which no one actually knew existed...after recording an amazing one winning season in the six years he coached there.

Take everything Doherty says with the respect that he's earned with that illustrious career.

[superdave]

I was thumbing through the channels and he said something to effect that Cameron was "just a glorified high school gym" with a bunch of loudmouths. And that Miami (I presume) would love to silence the crowd and send everyone to the exits early with another blowout.
That's what I took from it but I didn't catch it all. Was wondering if anyone saw the whole segment.


That's okay. I can forgive that. He was my favorite Carolina coach.



Post of the day out of JayBean!

GTHC

[superdave]

I guess there is a reason to dress even knowing that you are not playing, but I am not sure I fully understand it. Besides the ability to do the warm ups, what advantage does it give you? Perhaps that is the whole point, to go through the warm ups as part of working your way back carefully??

Any how, it is a very good sign indeed!

Alex Murphy dressed all last season and did not play.

I think it's in the event that some crazy number of injuries occurs.

Ryan will need a couple of practices under his belt before he can contribute. He'll need his legs under him, and enough practice to have a feel for the pace of what a game is like. If he practiced yesterday and goes again tomorrow, that's not enough. Although Ryan is a veteran, I think VPI next week makes sense.

[riverside6]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/UVA here...

http://www.scacchoops.com/ViewHDGame.asp?hSchedule=14634

[Les Grossman]

oh dear, not the start we hoped for

[slower]

Trying REALLY hard not to post what I'm thinking/feeling.

I'm sorry, but there's just a COMPLETE disconnect between the people who think we're deserving of a #1 seed (and maybe we are) and this kind of performance.

And, as usual, now that I've carped, they will right the ship (I hope).

[sporthenry]

Trying REALLY hard not to post what I'm thinking/feeling.

I'm sorry, but there's just a COMPLETE disconnect between the people who think we're deserving of a #1 seed (and maybe we are) and this kind of performance.

The point is, you could say that about plenty of the teams going for a 1 seed throughout. Does Miami deserve a 1 seed after Wake?

[Utley]

Trying REALLY hard not to post what I'm thinking/feeling.

I'm sorry, but there's just a COMPLETE disconnect between the people who think we're deserving of a #1 seed (and maybe we are) and this kind of performance.

Dude the game is 4 minutes old - have a little faith

[sporthenry]

Looks like Mason missed the bus.

[slower]

Dude the game is 4 minutes old - have a little faith

This is just my process. ;)

I know, I know. Appears that K and Wojo are less than happy, as well.

BTW, I make NO apologies for griping about this kind of piss-poor performance.

[FerryFor50]

Refs are "lettin em play." Very physical so far.

Did Mason show up to Charlottesville? Can't say I've seen him yet...

[arnie]

Looks like Mason missed the bus.

Bizarre how bad he is one night and great the next

[licc85]

Looks like Virginia is playing for it's chance at an NCAA berth and we forgot we had a game this week before Miami.

[jipops]

UVA's defense is stifling. We have to get hot from the floor.

[sporthenry]

You can tell how a game will be with this Duke team by the first few minutes. Couldn't hit a shot and gave up some easy baskets. If Duke is going to win, they are going to have to grind it out and play through it.

[moonpie23]

ugh...another demoralizing start.....:(


who's gonna get us out of it?

[Les Grossman]

2 for 10 and 2 rebs

[mattman91]

Thank God the tournament games are played on "neutral" courts.

[Channing]

Well this is a disappointing start. Getting some in looks just aren't going down. I know tt and hairston have been better lately and I haves loved.their play, but we are still really offensively challenged when they play together

[Kjeffrey]

UVA's defense is stifling. We have to get hot from the floor.

I agree but we have also missed some close shots.

[Chris Randolph]

Brutal to watch so far. Quinn needs to create some offense in a hurry. We are playing phantom defense again

[Utley]

ugh...another demoralizing start.....:(


who's gonna get us out of it?

I think we need cook to be mtor

[Philadukie]

Oh boy. This looks like it could just be one of those nights, as K has said before. A good but inferior team plays like the Miami Heat (Gtown and NC State in 2010, St. John's and Zona 2011, Lehigh 2012) and we can't buy a bucket.

We are everyone's Super Bowl.

This game means nothing about our team if we lose. But it means a lot if we win.

[slower]

Seriously, this is the most schizo Duke team I can remember.

[Channing]

And is it just me or does sheed lose his balance on a regular basis? Is thar just core strength?

[sporthenry]

Any come back is going to start on the defensive end. Someone is going to have to stop Harris. I think Sheed has to continue to drive.

[chaosmage]

Isn't getting touched at all when he shoots I guess. Whatever.

And then they call a foul. Finally.

[78Devil]

In 30+ years as a Duke fan, I have never thought of myself as "fair weather", but I'm done with these slow starts. This pattern is ridiculous, and this team has to show they want it. The coaches need to get them ready. Heading to bed, and can only hope that I feel like a prize idiot tomorrow.

[slower]

This game means nothing about our team if we lose. But it means a lot if we win.

Really? How do you figure that?

[_Gary]

So far we can't hang our hat on either our offense or defense. Both have been poor. Having said that, I have to give UVA some credit because they've been very active on defense. We've had very few clean, open looks.

[FerryFor50]

Isn't getting touched at all when he shoots I guess. Whatever.

And then they call a foul. Finally.

Yet Harris barely gets touched and gets the call. Sigh.

[sporthenry]

Stop Harris. Stop switching. Put Amile on him. That is pathetic.

[chaosmage]

I guess we aren't guarding him tonight.

[Philadukie]

Really? How do you figure that?

Because there is only so much you can do about a team playing way above it's talent and record indicate, particularly on their own court.

What did the Gtown and NC State losses say about the 2010 team? Nothing.

[sporthenry]

Not sure why our defense is playing so tight. Haven't seen that much this year and that is when Duke used to get burned. Sag and play good defense.

[FerryFor50]

A lot of running under jump shooter's feet by UVA. They need to call that. It's a dangerous play...

[sporthenry]

Because there is only so much you can do about a team playing way above it's talent and record indicate, particularly on their own court.

What did the Gtown and NC State losses say about the 2010 team? Nothing.

But what is UVA doing so well? They aren't hitting a ton of tough shots. Harris has been getting to the rim at will. And their defense was to be expected.

Nice little run by Duke. That is what they have to do. Don't let UVA get to the rim. Let Evans try to beat you shooting and they are starting to figure it out a bit on offense.

[Utley]

4 point game - ok? Lets see if we can maintain our equilibrium. I will say I don't understand the curry on Harris matchup?

[licc85]

Well, it ain't pretty, but at least we're back in it. Hope Coach can fire up the defensive intensity coming out of this timeout.

[jipops]

Not sure why our defense is playing so tight. Haven't seen that much this year and that is when Duke used to get burned. Sag and play good defense.

Wait, you mean we were actually playing defense?

Actually the guys are settling in a little bit, actually got a few stops. Keep it close going into the break.

[Chris Randolph]

Mason refusing to help on drives to the paint and attempt at blocking a shot is driving me and Wojo crazy

[FerryFor50]

But what is UVA doing so well? They aren't hitting a ton of tough shots. Harris has been getting to the rim at will. And their defense was to be expected.

Nice little run by Duke. That is what they have to do. Don't let UVA get to the rim. Let Evans try to beat you shooting and they are starting to figure it out a bit on offense.

It helps when shots start falling...

[slower]

A lot of running under jump shooter's feet by UVA. They need to call that. It's a dangerous play...

Isn't that one of Dean's "great contributions" to the sport?

[sporthenry]

Wait, you mean we were actually playing defense?

Actually the guys are settling in a little bit, actually got a few stops. Keep it close going into the break.

Well there was no help defense. But on the perimeter, they were playing was too tight. Getting back cut all night.

Also, not sure how you call that against Plumlee when he is getting mauled.

[FerryFor50]

Oh I see. UVA can be as physical as they want with Mason off the ball, but he can't get physical back.

[jipops]

We have nobody that can check Harris. Very bad matchup for us.

[Kjeffrey]

4 point game - ok? Lets see if we can maintain our equilibrium. I will say I don't understand the curry on Harris matchup?

I think he was also guarding Erick Green. I am not sure why they keep putting an injured Seth on opposing teams' strong offensive players.

[FerryFor50]

I think he was also guarding Erick Green. I am not sure why they keep putting an injured Seth on opposing teams' strong offensive players.

Maybe to goad them into taking all the shots? :p

[sporthenry]

We have nobody that can check Harris. Very bad matchup for us.

Amile? Thornton? Problem with the switch everything.

Gbinije would look nice against him.

How was that not a foul and off Sheed?

[Les Grossman]

If we can get mason going, we will pull away.

[slower]

Oh I see. UVA can be as physical as they want with Mason off the ball, but he can't get physical back.

Starting to look like some "home cooking" is in effect, doesn't it?

[jipops]

Fouls are going to be a big issue for us in the 2nd.

[FerryFor50]

Amile? Thornton? Problem with the switch everything.

Gbinije would look nice against him.

How was that not a foul and off Sheed?

I was thinking the same. And since there was no replay (go figure) I rewound it and it definitely was off the UVA player if there was no foul...

[dukelifer]

Amile? Thornton? Problem with the switch everything.

Gbinije would look nice against him.

How was that not a foul and off Sheed?

Well if you are going to name players who not play for us- how about Hood.

[Chris Randolph]

I like the 4 guard and mason lineup. Get it to mason and if they double him all 4 other guys can knock down shots. But gotta get it to mason first

[slower]

Sheed is the only one (of the starters, at least) playing with any heart.

[chaosmage]

First the refs let them play; now they are calling EVERYTHING. Pick one. Please.

Looks like the Big 10 out there.

[weezie]

Does anybody know if snrubchat is functioning? Seems messed up.

[Chris Randolph]

Everyone gets calls at home.

[sporthenry]

Fouls are going to be a big issue for us in the 2nd.

Thornton is always in foul trouble. He isn't a huge loss and Curry doesn't foul that much.

[sporthenry]

Well if you are going to name players who not play for us- how about Hood.

Fair enough. Think anyone would notice if we put Zafirovski's jersey on him?

[FerryFor50]

Luckily UVa has gone cold...

[weezie]

I wish Harris was playing for us. Guy has heart.

[dukelifer]

Cannot stop Harris and can't rebound - not good

[FerryFor50]

I wish Harris was playing for us. Guy has heart.

He doesn't have any more heart than most of our guys.

But he is really, really good.

[sporthenry]

Cannot stop Harris and can't rebound - not good

Nope and offense looks terrible. See what the coaches can do at halftime. Mason getting worked in the post. Luckily on those drives he didn't get a charge but not getting deep enough and invisible on defense.

[Channing]

I really hate cooks body language

[chaosmage]

on Plumlee has been exceptional says the announcer.


Did they switch the channel to Raw or Smackdown? Anyone see the clawmarks on Seth's arm?

But yeah, it's a fair call. Except for the walk just then.

That is all.

[sporthenry]

Woah? Not even calling walks now? That is inexcusable.

[FerryFor50]

Illegal screen and then no travel call leading to a layup. Awesome end to the half. Grr.

[Channing]

Our guys news to watch film of Evans running a Guy off a screen so the defended is actually screened. It does no.good to go 3 feet high of.the screen

[Chris Randolph]

Plumlee's help defense is non existent. Geez. 4 times we had the ball down 1 and turned it over twice and took 2 terrible shots. And a terrible close to the half. Harris must be the greatest player ever

[Durham Thunder]

Duke needs to stop playing soft and wake the hell up.

[rsvman]

Walk much?

[HateCarolina]

All things considered (e.g. Questionable calls, no offensive rebounding, and poor shooting) we're still in this one. Come on Blue Devils!!! Let's go Duke!!

[slower]

Anyone see the clawmarks on Seth's arm?


Actually, those claw marks were there last game. Seems to be a trend.

This is shaping up to be a perfect storm of bad things: home cooking by refs (we're getting mauled on those screens), Mason playing soft, Sheed the only guy who seems to have a heart out there.

And yet, we're not down by much. On a positive note, I LOVE "mad Sheed."

[weezie]

He doesn't have any more heart than most of our guys.

But he is really, really good.

Yeah, ok, there's tons of heart on our team but...Harris as ACC player of the year sounds pretty realistic right now. Granted, etc.....

[Durham Thunder]

The last thing I want to hear is how we were charitable and gave Virginia a win that gets them into the tournament. TURN IT LOOSE DUKE!

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

At some point it would be nice to see Quinn actually use the high pick and drive his defender into the pick. I keep saying this but he just floats by the pick leaving too much room for his defender to get by and the result is a stalled play out top and excessive dribbling. Grr.

[dukelifer]

Poor half by Duke- the inability to rebound rears itself again and again. UVa is very deliberate and Duke is playing at their pace. Too many mistakes by Duke. Hopefully they will shoot better in the second half and find a way to contain Harris.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Our guys news to watch film of Evans running a Guy off a screen so the defended is actually screened. It does no.good to go 3 feet high of.the screen

Yes. This.

[arnie]

Plumlee's help defense is non existent. Geez. 4 times we had the ball down 1 and turned it over twice and took 2 terrible shots. And a terrible close to the half. Harris must be the greatest player ever

For some reason mason's not reacting to the plays. No movement defensively or for bounds.

[ChrisP]

Plumlee's help defense is non existent. Geez. 4 times we had the ball down 1 and turned it over twice and took 2 terrible shots. And a terrible close to the half. Harris must be the greatest player ever

I thought we turned it over at least 3 times in that situation (or 4), but I suppose maybe you're right. That right there drives me NUTS!!!! It's one thing to take a shot and just miss it (or at least take a good shot - yes, I'm looking at you, Quinn) but quite another to not even get a shot on a possession. We have excelled at turning it over at really, really inopportune times tonight thus far. Yes, UVA is a really good defensive team, but at least two of our turnovers have been on lazy, weak passes and could have been avoided, IMHO.

[sporthenry]

ESPN reporting Mason with 0 fouls. At worst, I'm assuming he picked that one of offense so he has 1. Usually that means Mason will come out firing. Hopefully not stupid like the MD game but playing smart but aggressive.

Offense is pretty much going to have to be Mason getting deeper, passing smarter out of the double, guards hitting a couple shots and hoping to get a few foul calls on the drives.

But it will all start on defense. Missed shots will lead to chances to break and obviously less points for UVA.

[slower]

For some reason mason's not reacting to the plays. No movement defensively or for bounds.

Yep. He's getting beat to EVERY board.

[FerryFor50]

What happened to the Quinn Cook that looked to find open teammates instead of the Quinn Cook that dribbles incessantly and looks for his own shot first? I miss the old Quinn...

[jipops]

I don't see us relying on our defense to win this one as evidenced by uva's last possession and the fact we allowed a poor BC team to shoot 50% in Cameron.

Hopefully tough shots will just start going down. Maybe we can get to the free throw line at a decent rate in the 2nd.

[weezie]

But it will all start on defense.

Agreed, I'd enjoy seeing a little defense. Maybe I'll happy dance, too,

[superdave]

Two adjustments to make -

Tell Mason to post up in the painted area, and tell his teammates to anticipate him getting ball, getting double teamed, and them re-locate for a jumper or drive.

Help onto Joey Harris when his man is screened.

[sporthenry]

UVA only has 3 offensive boards for 13 misses. Actually below their season average of 30%. Granted there were 1 or 2 where Duke got lucky. UVA is also very good on the defensive boards. But still doesn't mean the biggest, strongest guy out there shouldn't have a few offensive boards or more than 4 boards.

Duke also had a few careless turnovers but the score difference is simply Duke shooting 34% while UVA is at 48%.

[Papa John]

Refs are "lettin em play." Very physical so far.

Did Mason show up to Charlottesville? Can't say I've seen him yet...

We've been whistled for quite a few ticky-tacks. Thus far, the officiating has been unbalanced, to say the least. We haven't helped ourselves at times through lack of court awareness (e.g. The last possession of the half, where we didn't appear to have a clear sense of how much time was on the clock). This was the game I was most concerned about in the stretch run. I hope the zebras call a more consistent, balanced game in the second half...

[HateCarolina]

I'm sure Mason is getting a "gold talking to" right now. Hopefully he starts playing like a true POY candidate and much more importantly play the way players with DUKE on the front of their jerseys play!!

[Saratoga2]

Plumlee's help defense is non existent. Geez. 4 times we had the ball down 1 and turned it over twice and took 2 terrible shots. And a terrible close to the half. Harris must be the greatest player ever

I agree with your assessment of Mason. He had many chances to challenge shots, which he seemed to be unwilling to do.Another half of very soft defense. He is too far under the basket to rebound. The entire team needs to help in that regard. Mason also made aa lazy pass which resulted in a Virginia fast break. He was working but too far away from the basket when he catches. No boxing out and we are giving Virginia offensive rebounds galore. No excuse for what is going on. Quinn and Rasheed are doing their jobs and Seth is mismatched on Harris. It appears our best bet is Amile in the game to help on the defense and give us some size.

There is still time in this game but we need more defense and rebounding inside.

[burns15]

I'm sure Mason is getting a "gold talking to" right now. Hopefully he starts playing like a true POY candidate and much more importantly play the way players with DUKE on the front of their jerseys play!!

Why does he semmingly need one of these every road game? He is a SENIOR, and he should start playing like it. I'm tired of him having to get pumped up at halftime. It's not your first rodeo, come out prepared from the tip. Mason also infuriates me when he does not help and challenge shots...God gave you the athletic ability, USE IT!

[FerryFor50]

Two adjustments to make -

Tell Mason to post up in the painted area, and tell his teammates to anticipate him getting ball, getting double teamed, and them re-locate for a jumper or drive.

Help onto Joey Harris when his man is screened.

They need to run set plays where Plumlee recognizes the double team faster and kicks it out for an open 3. He's missed several wide open guys tonight off the doubles,

[sporthenry]

I don't see us relying on our defense to win this one as evidenced by uva's last possession and the fact we allowed a poor BC team to shoot 50% in Cameron.

Hopefully tough shots will just start going down. Maybe we can get to the free throw line at a decent rate in the 2nd.

BC game was mostly b/c it was a blowout. Last possession was a travel and should have never happened. But Duke is going to have to clean up the pick and rolls. UVA is the first team in college to actually run it this well. They actually hit the screener and attack off of it. Mason shouldn't show that much. Evans isn't a great shooter so no reason to hedge that much on him. And if they are going to hedge, it has to be like UVA does, force them to go to half court.

[Durham Thunder]

Anyone else thinking Ryan Kelly makes a surprise return for Miami like Gaudio's been insinuating?

[slower]

Plumlee!!!! Move to the freaking ball!!!!

[duke96]

Plumlee!!!! Move to the freaking ball!!!!

I think the npoy discussion can end now.

[FerryFor50]

That is the third time I've seen Plumlee just WATCH a rebound and not go after it.

[sporthenry]

At least Dino is saying what we've been thinking. Mason letting his offense affect his defense and Duke's guards getting frustrated. Cook is fun when you are winning but I suspect he'll be reading some leadership literature this summer from K.

[Durham Thunder]

It's like we're begging them to stay ahead!

[Durham Thunder]

Get a game plan

[chaosmage]

Did that bleeper just quote K's book and act like he made up that bit of gold? Dear god this night is just getting better and better *angry face*

[Philadukie]

If we lose, the play that will summarize this game is when Harris missed a three and got his own rebound and scored while five blue jerseys stood and watched.

[FerryFor50]

So I propose that when we have less than 10 seconds on the shot clock, Sheed should have the ball, not Cook. Cook doesn't create nearly as well.

[Chris Randolph]

So tired of the Miami vs Duke game promos. Not a big game when you trail by 3 games going in

[sporthenry]

Maybe that will make Mason up.

Not sure what the offense is doing. You pass to Mason, they double. Space the floor and find the open guy. And under 10 seconds, why are we waiting around just to reject the screen?

[HateCarolina]

It's like we're begging them to stay ahead!

Exactly what I was going to say!! We just can't get over the hump.

[SCMatt33]

That is the third time I've seen Plumlee just WATCH a rebound and not go after it.

This has been his MO for awhile now. I haven't seen him go hard for 40 minutes for quite some time. A part of me says that he's trying hold something back because he has to be great at the end of games and the end of the season. The question is whether he can flip the switch, or is he pacing himself in games because he doesn't have enough in the tank for a 40 minute game, and this is what we'll get from here on out. I still suspect that it's the former, but every game that passes and he's still doing it makes me wonder a little more if it's the latter.

[Kjeffrey]

Does anyone remember a time when Coach K pulled the starters to send a message? This lack of hustle needs to be addressed b/c whatever was said at halftime is not working!

[Channing]

Kudos to UVA for.inventing the revolutionary defense calling for a post double. The way we are playing we have clearly never seen this.before

[slower]

I think the npoy discussion can end now.

I think it was probably over anyway.

[Utley]

Don't like the second half energy at all

[Chris Randolph]

Someone tell Plumlee this is his senior year and its crunch time.

[slower]

Does anyone remember a time when Coach K pulled the starters to send a message? This lack of hustle needs to be addressed b/c whatever was said at halftime is not working!

I can only imagine that K and Wojo are absolutely seething at this point.

UPDATE: T on Sheed. At least SOMEBODY cares. I don't even care if we win at this point, but let's go down fighting.

[sporthenry]

Why don't we ever pass to Plumlee off the ball screen. He was open for the dribbler and for the first initial pass.

[Duke76]

Exactly what I was going to say!! We just can't get over the hump.

we can't box out either

[jacone21]

26 pts. smh

Coach K trying to get a T.

[sporthenry]

Also, what is the harm in plying Kelly at this point. Just to see what he can do.

[Channing]

Wow. Unacceptable for a freshman to get td uo

[HateCarolina]

Good!! We need a technical called! This is BS on the refs end!! Go Suilamon!! You should be PISSED!!

[FerryFor50]

Wow. I have no words.

[sporthenry]

For "all ball." Wow.

[chaosmage]

Is he someone's kid? He just shoulder butted someone on that drive with no call and then gets the foul on the drive.

And Dino Gaudio is the WORST announcer I've ever heard.

[slower]

Wow. Unacceptable for a freshman to get td uo

BS!! At least he gives a crap! I want to see Thornton send a message until he fouls out. I want to see EVERY one of these guys do it until we have nobody left. Yeah, we're getting hosed by the refs. But let's NOT get punked.

[sporthenry]

And now Mitchell gets away with a carry as well.

[duke96]

I'm sorry. Saying "all ball" deserves a T? In what universe?

[HateCarolina]

Wow. Unacceptable for a freshman to get td uo

I would say the calls in this game are even more unacceptable.

[jipops]

Thank goodness we only have one road game left after this. Road wins over quality opponents have been elusive/non-existent

[Durham Thunder]

Win or Die.

[Channing]

I would imagine there was more said than that. In any event get angry but don't mouth off.to the refs. That what the coaches are for.

[FerryFor50]

I guess Harris gets to clear Thornton out with a forearm to the neck AND get the foul call. Awesome.

[sporthenry]

These refs are atrocious. I know I watch with blue glasses but they are getting bailed out on every play.

[Duke76]

Thank goodness we only have one road game left after this. Road wins over quality opponents have been elusive/non-existent


at the 15 minute mark in the second half

[slower]

This is like the "Wizard of Oz." I don't know what we need more - heart, brains or courage. But we better find something.

[DukeDevilDeb]

Thank goodness we only have one road game left after this. Road wins over quality opponents have been elusive/non-existent

Since when have the Cavaliers been a "quality opponent?" What we're seeing one again is everyone's best shot at Duke.

And man, we are not looking good.

[arnie]

BS!! At least he gives a crap! I want to see Thornton send a message until he fouls out. I want to see EVERY one of these guys do it until we have nobody left. Yeah, we're getting hosed by the refs. But let's NOT get punked.

Well he and Hairston will foul out since neither is in position . The duo is killing us.

[Kjeffrey]

Wow! Apparently UVA is one of the best defensive teams in history - only 6 personal fouls total with 14 minutes to go in the second half.

[jacone21]

BS!! At least he gives a crap! I want to see Thornton send a message until he fouls out. I want to see EVERY one of these guys do it until we have nobody left. Yeah, we're getting hosed by the refs. But let's NOT get punked.

Yeah I'd earn the heck out of the next one.

[sporthenry]

I would imagine there was more said than that. In any event get angry but don't mouth off.to the refs. That what the coaches are for.

I would imagine there wasn't. Why would he have waited for all ball and not done it before if he said something else. It was a bad call and he was upset the guy was showing him up even though the refs have bailed out UVA at every moment. Personally, I'd love to see K get a T in this game. Ayers doesn't deserve to work another game.

[FerryFor50]

Fouls - 13-6.

[HateCarolina]

I know we're a pro Duke group (I do have a gift for stating the obvious), but I'm absolutely amazed at the eay this game is being called. Curry got fouled (albeit on the hand) on that last three but NO CALL. Then we go down and T picks up his 4th. K should plant a foot in Roger Ayers arse.

[duke96]

Since when have the Cavaliers been a "quality opponent?" What we're seeing one again is everyone's best shot at Duke.

And man, we are not looking good.

27 minutes at least

[chaosmage]

I guess Harris gets to clear Thornton out with a forearm to the neck AND get the foul call. Awesome.

The wife even got angry on that call, and she's shopping right now. She looked up and said "BULLCRAP!" In respect to this board, that isn't what she said.

[Papa John]

More of the same, if not worse, from the officials in the second half. It's going to be tough to win this playing 5 on 8...

[slower]

Win or Die.

Truth.

But I amend to say "Win or Die Trying." Just make an EFFORT.

[chaosmage]

Ayres called a foul on UVA!!

[FerryFor50]

A lot of air balls on shots tonight. Yeesh.

[Durham Thunder]

Make a shot!

[HateCarolina]

Even more than bad calls our shooting is horrendous.

Update: and our D stinks.

[WeepingThomasHill]

This game is an unmitigated disaster. Terrible defense, and nothing on offense.

[MCFinARL]

I would imagine there was more said than that. In any event get angry but don't mouth off.to the refs. That what the coaches are for.

Sure didn't look like there was more said than that. But he was clearly saying it directly to the ref, with an angry face. So I guess that is not a great idea.

[Channing]

Cook is getting punked by Evans. Why not go under all those screens

[IBleedBlue]

Anyone has a link for watching this game live?

[sporthenry]

Defend the pick and roll. It isn't hard.

Pull Cook if he wants to continue to hang his head. Do something. Heck, put Marshall out there. Rather someone run around with their head cut off than this.

[FerryFor50]

Sure didn't look like there was more said than that. But he was clearly saying it directly to the ref, with an angry face. So I guess that is not a great idea.

I imagine it's because he wanted the ref to hear it. Consider it a "performance review."

[Durham Thunder]

If Duke loses it's because we didn't want to win, we got soft, and we didn't care.

[Luther]

Quinn needs to ride the pine! Every point guard in the acc has blown by him this year... Unbelievable

[jipops]

at the 15 minute mark in the second half

Didn't say it was over. Just saying we haven't gotten one.

Though this one is looking bleaker.

Hat's off to UVA's defense so far. It has completely frustrated us.

[FerryFor50]

Defend the pick and roll. It isn't hard.

Pull Cook if he wants to continue to hang his head. Do something. Heck, put Marshall out there. Rather someone run around with their head cut off than this.

I'm shocked we haven't seen Marshall or Murphy yet. Couldn't possibly be worse than what we're seeing now...

[TNDukeFan]

Anyone has a link for watching this game live?

http://www.firstrow1.eu/watch/171886/1/watch-3-duke-vs-virginia.html

[HateCarolina]

I can't find who said it earlier, but clearly the refs did not like Sheed's "angry face"!!

[Chris Randolph]

Why teams don't just run the 1-5 pick and roll all night gets me. Because we haven't come close to stopping it. And UVA is far from good offensively

[Kjeffrey]

Defend the pick and roll. It isn't hard.

Pull Cook if he wants to continue to hang his head. Do something. Heck, put Marshall out there. Rather someone run around with their head cut off than this.

Play Alex at least he hustles. Maybe he could hit some shots. The current game plan is not working. At times it seems like Coach K would rather lose with his game plan than make adjustments. It reminds me of Te Bobby Cox era in Atlanta.

[Luther]

Defend the pick and roll. It isn't hard.

Pull Cook if he wants to continue to hang his head. Do something. Heck, put Marshall out there. Rather someone run around with their head cut off than this.

Agree 100%. He is suppose to be one of our leaders

[jacone21]

Would it hurt to try to push the ball a little bit? Just try it? Quit walking it up the floor.

[HateCarolina]

Roger Ayers was Teddy Valentine like with that call.

[sporthenry]

Wow. Ayers or Ayres is becoming a new favorite. What a joke?

[burns15]

I'm literally about to throw something at my TV because of Mason. Get him out, he blows tonight. Its extrememly disappointing that senior would come up with such a performance, but he has been awful. No two ways about it. It's not just that he is missing shots or having an off night, he has given zero effort and been lackdasical on both ends

[#1Duke]

The officiating hasn't been the best but having said that, we are not playing well on either end.
Where is Mason?? Where is our heart and our defense? Lets go guys! This game is not over!

[Durham Thunder]

Gaudio had a good point: this is an NCAA situation. Win thursday, to have the right to play the big game saturday.

[Channing]

They have two guys that can score...that's it.

[FerryFor50]

Well, if they are going to call everything, I say we starting getting our money's worth on these fouls....

[jipops]

It is amazing how much quicker the cavs appear.

[jacone21]

Like my Ol' Granny used to say, "You can't win if you can't score."

[chaosmage]

Two pushoffs on the initial drive, no call

Two pushoffs by Mitchell, no call until Plumlee slaps him.

I say "Blitz All NIGHT! MAKE THEM REMEMBER FOREVER THE NIGHT THEY PLAYED THE BLUE DEVILS!"

Sorry, channeling my inner Will Patton there.

[rsvman]

Game isn't over yet, but something's gotta give

[HateCarolina]

Please!!!

[Durham Thunder]

For a road crowd, UVA is soft. If we can't win here we're repeating Lehigh.