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View Full Version : MBB: Duke 78, Florida State 56 Post-Game Thread



JBDuke
01-25-2014, 02:15 PM
Put your post-game thoughts here.

Bay Area Duke Fan
01-25-2014, 02:17 PM
Marshall !!!

Troublemaker
01-25-2014, 02:17 PM
Great win, despite some shakiness in the 2nd half.

Crushed the bigger team on the boards, held a hot 3-pt shooting team to just 6 attempts from there, and also forced them into 17 turnovers.

weezie
01-25-2014, 02:17 PM
Good signs: balanced efforts and MP3 rising!

loran16
01-25-2014, 02:18 PM
Where's the man of the match thread so i can vote Marshall with my 500 proxy accounts?

Err, i mean once.

MChambers
01-25-2014, 02:19 PM
Good signs: balanced efforts and MP3 rising!
Marshall looked a bit like a more mobile Zoubek, and I mean that as high praise.

luburch
01-25-2014, 02:20 PM
Would have been a perfect game if someone other than Dorris Burke was announcing.

Troublemaker
01-25-2014, 02:22 PM
Yeah, Marshall had 7 offensive boards, shot 3-4 from the FT line (!), and had that smooth catch and lay-in in transition. Great contribution from him in a game where Amile was in foul trouble.

CLW
01-25-2014, 02:22 PM
Defense wasn't as good in the 2nd half but offensive rebounding really helped with a below average shooting day. 1 down 2 road games to go for a tough 3 game stretch.

DukieInBrasil
01-25-2014, 02:24 PM
MP3 with his best game ever at Duke! 7pts, and 7 rebs, all of them offensive!!! Plus he made 3 FTs, that's 3 more than he hit in his 1.5 year career prior to that! Hats of to Marshall today!
We almost doubled up the Noles in rebounds, that's impressive. For all those worried bout FSU's size? We destroyed them in big man production. Jabari with 9 Oboards, 13 total; Hood with 9rebs, MP3 with 7rebs, and Jefferson with 6. Only 1 player for FSU had more than 4 rebs, Okaro With with 8.
We shot poorly, but when you can rebound 26 of your own misses, it's all good. For the record, we had more Oboards than FSU had TOTAL boards, that's awesome!
We were also very aggressive driving to the basket, lots of fouls called, lots of FTs attempted. We fouled 2 of their players out and 3 others finished with 4. That's a good strategy.

killerleft
01-25-2014, 02:25 PM
Great win, despite some shakiness in the 2nd half.

Crushed the bigger team on the boards, held a hot 3-pt shooting team to just 6 attempts from there, and also forced them into 17 turnovers.

Agreed. For some reason we have a tendency to have problems executing on offense too often in the middle of second halves. It looked like 'deja vu all over again' for a while.

DukeBlueHeart4
01-25-2014, 02:25 PM
Absolutely loved Marshall today!

Overall, I was very pleased with the defensive effort I saw today. They seemed to fall off a little in the second half but they had a cushion so I'm going to try not to read too much into it.

I am most pleased with the way we handled the physicality of the game. We stayed tough and strong throughout and never seemed to back down. We are going to need that grit and fire against Pitt and 'Cuse!

WiJoe
01-25-2014, 02:25 PM
No fan of Doris, even less of O'Brien.

Duke Blue DEVILS.

I don't think he calls his baseball team the Red SOX.

I don't get it.

He's not good.

mgtr
01-25-2014, 02:26 PM
This was the day for MP3! I hope his parents, and maybe even some siblings, were watching. Way to go, Marshall!

devildeac
01-25-2014, 02:27 PM
Marshall's probably going to get my (poker) vote with a pair of 7s.

wsb3
01-25-2014, 02:29 PM
One minute we missed 7 straight shots & 4 free throws and the lead was down to 11? with five to go and I was seeing shades of Va. & then it was back up to 20. Very glad to see maturity coming to this team. Love the way Coach K was coaching today.

Marshall I am just so happy for him and our team because I think we need productive minutes from him to make a run in March.

chaosmage
01-25-2014, 02:29 PM
Would have been a perfect game if someone other than BOREs Burke was announcing.

Fixed. I know it's cheesy :-P

I just have an issue with announcers in general calling against Duke because of the hate. Call it straight and fair. If I want unbalanced, I can go read our game thread at IC or Seth Davis'/Doug Gottlieb's twitter feed.

uh_no
01-25-2014, 02:30 PM
stories of the game:

1) tale of two halves on defense:

duke was coming in allowing 98.8, FSU was scoring 112.3....so we should have expected somewhere around 107 defense based on the rest of the season thus far.....

we put up a 73 in the first half (25 points/34 pos).....that's off the charts good

it was tempered though by the second half, where FSU put up 31 points in 27 possessions, for a 114....

so we gave up 41 more in the second half than the first....obviously there are things effecting that, but still a BIG dichotomy. we did clamp down again a bit at the end, which was good to see.

So we had an off the charts half, and an average half, and it averages out to a pretty good day on defense. we ought to see another big kenpom bump due to this one. Would love to see more consistency, but I'm not complaining about the way they played defense, and the fact that a stretch in the second half was mediocre, I don't think it's a huge concern....great work guys

2) rebounding:

this should probably be #1....but we KILLED them on the boards....46-24...we had more offensive rebounrds (26) than they had TOTAL.....how goo was it? we shot 31% from the floor to their 50%, and beat them by 22....wowza....we took 14 more shots than they did, and only had 2 fewer points from the floor, despite shooting 19% worse....incredible. that's what 26 free possessions will do for you!...marshall and jabari beasting it

3) marshall marshall MARSHALL:

what's more to say? put back dunks? breakaway layups? made free throws? lane cloggedy goodnesss? offensive boards?....all I can say is

MOAR PLUMTREE

4) full court press break:

it's like we've never seen it before....or like it wasn't one of the main factors to us getting bonked from the tournament....c'mon guys...lets figure this out....it's like a deer in headlights when other teams whip this out

5) stall ball:

several times quinn did the dribble dribble dribble chuck it up....would have hoped he would be able to execute a little bit better in these situations by now....sulaimon appears much more capable of running the O here, as his go to move is driving into the pressure and finding the open guy in the post, or drawing the foul. quinn isn't as comfortable making that drive, and often takes a bad shot. I'd like to see the ball going through rasheed in these situations more often going forward, as the results have been more consistently positive (i.e. foul shots)

good game boys. two more toughies coming up

Saratoga2
01-25-2014, 02:31 PM
Another game where Duke's depth at all positions enabled putting continuous defensive pressure on a team with limited ball handling capabilities. This team not only has depth, but it has depth that can defend and put up a good offensive showing. Marshall in particular had his best game ever at Duke with strong offensive rebounding, making a couple of good offensive plays and best of all hitting at least three foul shots. Got to love his effort.

Hood also looked extremely capable out there with his driving ability to enhance his outside shooting. Jabari was a rebounding machine out there today.

Perhaps the only downside was a lull toward the end of the game. Both defense and offense seemed to wilt under heavy pressure from FSU.

It did become apparent that Duke's closeout team when leading will be Rasheed, Quinn, Tyler, Rodney and Jabari. They are all good ball handlers and can hit free throws.

I see no reason to alter coach K's use of deep lineup substitution going forward. Maybe matchups will dictate something else, but it has worked extremely well for the last few games.

The Pitt game should be quite a challenge.

mo.st.dukie
01-25-2014, 02:43 PM
stories of the game:

1) tale of two halves on defense:

duke was coming in allowing 98.8, FSU was scoring 112.3....so we should have expected somewhere around 107 defense based on the rest of the season thus far.....

we put up a 73 in the first half (25 points/34 pos).....that's off the charts good

it was tempered though by the second half, where FSU put up 31 points in 27 possessions, for a 114....

so we gave up 41 more in the second half than the first....obviously there are things effecting that, but still a BIG dichotomy. we did clamp down again a bit at the end, which was good to see.

So we had an off the charts half, and an average half, and it averages out to a pretty good day on defense. we ought to see another big kenpom bump due to this one. Would love to see more consistency, but I'm not complaining about the way they played defense, and the fact that a stretch in the second half was mediocre, I don't think it's a huge concern....great work guys




Well at least we still have room for improvement. We handily beat a good, physical team while having a bad shooting day and not putting together 2 full halves of good/great defense. Imagine what we could be like if we ever get to the point where our shooting, defense, and rebounding are all at elite levels in the same game for a full 40. Hopefully that happens routinely over the course of the next few months.

FerryFor50
01-25-2014, 02:49 PM
Well at least we still have room for improvement. We handily beat a good, physical team while having a bad shooting day and not putting together 2 full halves of good/great defense. Imagine what we could be like if we ever get to the point where our shooting, defense, and rebounding are all at elite levels in the same game for a full 40. Hopefully that happens routinely over the course of the next few months.

Agreed. Duke has already improved their defense and rebounding since the Clemson debacle. The offensive droughts have been there all season a d will remain there against good defensive teams like FSU. Only way to go is up from here...

Kedsy
01-25-2014, 02:51 PM
It's really a shame we have so much trouble rebounding and playing defense against big teams like this. ;)


Marshall I am just so happy for him and our team because I think we need productive minutes from him to make a run in March.

Hey, guys. I voted for Marshall as MOTM!

But I have to disagree with the above quote. Anything we get from Marshall is icing. In my opinion, unless he somehow suddenly becomes Olajuwon, how he plays will have very little bearing on how far we go in March.


I just have an issue with announcers in general calling against Duke because of the hate. Call it straight and fair. If I want unbalanced, I can go read our game thread at IC or Seth Davis'/Doug Gottlieb's twitter feed.

You believe Doris Burke is anti-Duke? Really? All I can say is I think you're way off base there. Some Duke fans have become oversensitive to perceived criticism.


I see no reason to alter coach K's use of deep lineup substitution going forward. Maybe matchups will dictate something else, but it has worked extremely well for the last few games.

I agree. Fact is, the minute distribution today looked pretty much like it has in the past: 6 guys with 20+ minutes and 2 more guys with 10+ minutes. The 9th and 10th guys getting 8 & 6 minutes while the top three guys "only" got 32, 28, & 28 is a slight departure from the norm, but we've had distributions like that several times over the years.

The difference is the line changes -- the fact that there are times when none of the top guys are on the floor, and also that the 9th and 10th guys' minutes have come in the first half while the game is still competitive rather than in garbage time. And with those small differences have come increased energy and much better defense. I'll take that trade anytime.

Again, I'd like to see Andre's minutes get an uptick -- he only played 11 minutes today and had 11 points. But other than that I'm very happy with the rotation right now.

roywhite
01-25-2014, 02:59 PM
Congratulations to Coach Mike Krzyzewski on his 900th win at Duke. You're the best, Coach, and we're so fortunate you've been at Duke.

Love the rebounding recently; Jabari with 14 rebounds and Rodney Hood with 9 rebounds -- that's really good, and a great example to the rest of the team when the top scorers also fight hard for rebounds.

Wander
01-25-2014, 03:00 PM
FYI, Florida State is actually an awful defensive rebounding team. Our stats on the boards were still impressive and worth being happy about, but keep that in mind.

Billy Dat
01-25-2014, 03:02 PM
This was the day for MP3! I hope his parents, and maybe even some siblings, were watching. Way to go, Marshall!

Mason Plumlee ‏@masonplumlee 1h
Let's go marsh... playing big right now

GGLC
01-25-2014, 03:04 PM
I don't think Doris Burke is anti-Duke at all.

And she's infinitely more enjoyable to listen to than Vitale in his dotage. She talks about the actual game!

FerryFor50
01-25-2014, 03:05 PM
FYI, Florida State is actually an awful defensive rebounding team. Our stats on the boards were still impressive and worth being happy about, but keep that in mind.

Actually FSU is about the same nationally as Duke is at rebounding....

arnie
01-25-2014, 03:06 PM
Another game where Duke's depth at all positions enabled putting continuous defensive pressure on a team with limited ball handling capabilities. This team not only has depth, but it has depth that can defend and put up a good offensive showing. Marshall in particular had his best game ever at Duke with strong offensive rebounding, making a couple of good offensive plays and best of all hitting at least three foul shots. Got to love his effort.

Hood also looked extremely capable out there with his driving ability to enhance his outside shooting. Jabari was a rebounding machine out there today.

Perhaps the only downside was a lull toward the end of the game. Both defense and offense seemed to wilt under heavy pressure from FSU.

It did become apparent that Duke's closeout team when leading will be Rasheed, Quinn, Tyler, Rodney and Jabari. They are all good ball handlers and can hit free throws.

I see no reason to alter coach K's use of deep lineup substitution going forward. Maybe matchups will dictate something else, but it has worked extremely well for the last few games.

The Pitt game should be quite a challenge.

I think K has nailed the rotations. Better size except when we're closing out. Parker at the 4 all game except at end.

gofurman
01-25-2014, 03:13 PM
Couldn't watch - so we kept using the hockey line changes today? Is that right?

luburch
01-25-2014, 03:18 PM
I don't think Doris Burke is anti-Duke at all.

And she's infinitely more enjoyable to listen to than Vitale in his dotage. She talks about the actual game!

I don't think she's anti-Duke but the sound of her voice is just awful.

pfrduke
01-25-2014, 03:18 PM
Actually FSU is about the same nationally as Duke is at rebounding....

That's not at all true.

Duke's defensive rebounding percentage this season is 70.8% (77th in the country); FSU's is 65.3% (287th in the country)

FSU is better on the offensive glass (35.9%, 57th in the country, vs. 31%, 192nd in the country for us)

Offensive and defensive rebounding are different skills and strategies and should be evaluated differently.

Troublemaker
01-25-2014, 03:23 PM
Couldn't watch - so we kept using the hockey line changes today? Is that right?

Duke substituted liberally, but I don't believe there was a 5-for-5 line change. That's what Coach K meant; we're going to play deep, but not necessarily platoon every game. (Note: first-half platooning would've been out-of-whack anyway because Rodney had a personal issue at the beginning of the game and Andre had to start in his place).

chaosmage
01-25-2014, 03:26 PM
You believe Doris Burke is anti-Duke? Really? All I can say is I think you're way off base there. Some Duke fans have become oversensitive to perceived criticism.

Fair enough.
Or you could say you think I'm oversensitive to perceived criticism. Then try growing up with an aunt and uncle who rained down hate every time Duke did anything, since they both went to school "when Jordan was there, and even had a class with him" and pretty much cut me off when I decided not to go to UNX. As well as a near-hostile work environment encouraged by a Holes fan of a boss with tenure and an axe to grind. So maybe a little. I'm sure we all, as Duke fans, have our horror stories.

And I'll clarify my statement. As far as her commentary, I'll take her any day over Vitale, but on some obvious bad calls she went out of her way to lean against Duke. I had an issue with that and said so in the chat room. She has an issue with the elbow to the head foul and its consequence. She, nor her partner, felt the need to point out that the foul was implemented because players were doing it. These aren't pros with large bank accounts to replace missing teeth. Let it go.

In my opinion, she also harped way too much on Hamilton's choice of a starting lineup, as if that was the reason FSU played badly. She never once, to my knowledge, pointed out that maybe the players played well, but weren't earning their starting spot for a reason. If she mentioned more, I didn't hear it. It's her place to analyze/criticize, but she just kept going back to it. In a blowout loss like this, maybe that's the only thing she could think of. As I said, she's a smart cookie and I normally enjoy listening to her call a game, and think there should be more announcers of her caliber. But don't pander to the crowd. Call it even.

Don't take it personally; I don't. But I felt the need to clarify (which I should have to begin with) and state why I feel the way I do regarding that.

uh_no
01-25-2014, 03:29 PM
Fair enough.
Or you could say you think I'm oversensitive to perceived criticism. Then try growing up with an aunt and uncle who rained down hate every time Duke did anything, since they both went to school "when Jordan was there, and even had a class with him" and pretty much cut me off when I decided not to go to UNX. As well as a near-hostile work environment encouraged by a Holes fan of a boss with tenure and an axe to grind. So maybe a little. I'm sure we all, as Duke fans, have our horror stories.

And I'll clarify my statement. As far as her commentary, I'll take her any day over Vitale, but on some obvious bad calls she went out of her way to lean against Duke. I had an issue with that and said so in the chat room. She has an issue with the elbow to the head foul and its consequence. She, nor her partner, felt the need to point out that the foul was implemented because players were doing it. These aren't pros with large bank accounts to replace missing teeth. Let it go.

In my opinion, she also harped way too much on Hamilton's choice of a starting lineup, as if that was the reason FSU played badly. She never once, to my knowledge, pointed out that maybe the players played well, but weren't earning their starting spot for a reason. If she mentioned more, I didn't hear it. It's her place to analyze/criticize, but she just kept going back to it. In a blowout loss like this, maybe that's the only thing she could think of. As I said, she's a smart cookie and I normally enjoy listening to her call a game, and think there should be more announcers of her caliber. But don't pander to the crowd. Call it even.

Don't take it personally; I don't. But I felt the need to clarify (which I should have to begin with) and state why I feel the way I do regarding that.

there were also some calls which she thought were bad calls against us....for example when amile (i think???) got called for a block near the mid court line, she was talking about how it should have been at worst a no call and could very well have been an offensive foul.

People here use selective listening and bias to call out commentators. They do it for bilas, they do it for burke, and anyone else who dares say anything non-favorable about duke....

guess what...bilas picked duke to win today....but he's still anti-duke, right?

chaosmage
01-25-2014, 03:35 PM
there were also some calls which she thought were bad calls against us....for example when amile (i think???) got called for a block near the mid court line, she was talking about how it should have been at worst a no call and could very well have been an offensive foul.

People here use selective listening and bias to call out commentators. They do it for bilas, they do it for burke, and anyone else who dares say anything non-favorable about duke....

guess what...bilas picked duke to win today....but he's still anti-duke, right?

I had forgotten, and I'll stipulate that she did that. Will Daniel Ewing get a tech for my comments? :p

sagegrouse
01-25-2014, 03:36 PM
there were also some calls which she thought were bad calls against us....for example when amile (i think???) got called for a block near the mid court line, she was talking about how it should have been at worst a no call and could very well have been an offensive foul.

People here use selective listening and bias to call out commentators. They do it for bilas, they do it for burke, and anyone else who dares say anything non-favorable about duke....

guess what...bilas picked duke to win today....but he's still anti-duke, right?

The other factor, which is nearly universal, is that the announcers subtly (or not so subtly) root for the team which is behind, trying to keep viewers engaged in the game and tuned in. I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't a major section of the curriculum in sports announcer school. Because our team wins most of its games, don't expect to be really pleased with the even-handedness of the announcing.

I appreciate Doris, but I thought her comments on doing away with "flagrant one" were wrong and maybe even bizarre. The foul against Quinn looked like an intentional elbow designed to cause harm. The foul against Amile looked more like an accident. The NCAA went through a careful and serious evaluation of such fouls in order (a) to prevent injuries and (b) to clean up the game.

Billy Dat
01-25-2014, 03:37 PM
If Rodney Hood is going to do the Bill Russell and start throwing up before every game, I wish he'd do it in the locker room so that he's ready to start. The beginning of the game was strange with the Dawkins for Hood swap and Quinn turning his ankle, we were out of sorts at the start.

Then, we began turning them over and killing the offensive glass. Our second chance points and points off turnovers were a huge story and compensated for their high shooting percentage and our low percentage. Making 6 more 3s and 24 more free throws then the Noles didn't hurt either.

While a huge net positive, it was a strange game in terms of flow. We'd look really good on offense, and then we'd resort to one-on-one and string together bad possessions. We'd lock down on D, and then give up strings of points on poorly contested shots or shots at the rim. The Noles bailed us out with bad fouls a few times, and the quick flagrant whistles also helped. They play good D and are really big, that can contribute to an offense looking bad, I guess.

MPIII was a big story...making foul shots, dunking an offensive board, his nifty full court sprint and crafty finish, his aggressive hedging and recovering...its nice to have that option.

Jabari continues to evolve his game in a great way, 14 points, 14 boards (including 10 offensive), 9 foul shots, attacking the basket instead of settling for jumpers, especially after getting his shot blocked so many times...I love his new mindset.

Rodney and Rasheed are our go-to one-on-one slashers. Quinn was a little uneven but made some key plays, I do like the way he handles the spread offense when we are trying to work clock, although, as Doris Burke mentioned, we often went to Rasheed in that set and played Quinn off the ball.

Amile grabbed 6 boards in 21 minutes. Marshall's play made his foul-induced absence not sting as much.

Improving defense, a growing reputation as an offensive rebounding machine, a deep bench, guys settling into roles...I am feeling good about these next two games, we are ready!

chaosmage
01-25-2014, 03:38 PM
One thing I remembered just now, is that the basketball team effectively spanked the team that beat us in football. Of course, all of my FSU buddies are quick to point out that "they aren't a basketball school."

Same people were crowing on Snaer's buzzer beater a couple of years ago. Funny how soon they forget :p

flyingdutchdevil
01-25-2014, 03:48 PM
I don't think Doris Burke is anti-Duke at all.

And she's infinitely more enjoyable to listen to than Vitale in his dotage. She talks about the actual game!

This. I enjoy Doris. I think she's entertaining and insightful. That said, I enjoy nearly all commentators, at long as it ain't Dickie!

There is certainly a Commentator Haters Club at DBR. Sad...

Clay Feet POF
01-25-2014, 03:50 PM
We win and I feel grouchy. Because it looks like old habits return I thought our lack of energy was exposed in the last ten minuets, FSU had too many easy lanes for scores. They bailed us out during that stretch with their fouling. I had thoughts of Déjà vu to our earlier games when that lack of energy gave up multiple easy baskets.

To expect Parker to rebound, defend and to posts big scoring numbers while battling bigger guys is wrong. He and this rotation will be worn out by NCAAT time. Another factor isn’t it true that you are more prone to injuries when you’re tired.

Today Marshall was shown some Trust (He responded beautifully), but the implication was they were less trusting of the rest of the bench.

Garbage minutes are Bittersweet, you’re happy to get in the game, but it seems to imply you’re not ready for the big boys

Overall this games did not create the fun and excitement of the previous three. The announcers certainly did not help.

NashvilleDevil
01-25-2014, 04:15 PM
We win and I feel grouchy. Because it looks like old habits return I thought our lack of energy was exposed in the last ten minuets, FSU had too many easy lanes for scores. They bailed us out during that stretch with their fouling. I had thoughts of Déjà vu to our earlier games when that lack of energy gave up multiple easy baskets.

To expect Parker to rebound, defend and to posts big scoring numbers while battling bigger guys is wrong. He and this rotation will be worn out by NCAAT time. Another factor isn’t it true that you are more prone to injuries when you’re tired.

Today Marshall was shown some Trust (He responded beautifully), but the implication was they were less trusting of the rest of the bench.

Garbage minutes are Bittersweet, you’re happy to get in the game, but it seems to imply you’re not ready for the big boys

Overall this games did not create the fun and excitement of the previous three. The announcers certainly did not help.
You must have been watching a different game. Even with the lulls Duke was able to keep a double digit lead and eventually able to get the lead back to 20.

devildeac
01-25-2014, 04:22 PM
This is an example of why I remain thankful to Tom Butters for hiring K about 34 years ago. He made the comment that he wanted K because some (K)nights we were going to shoot 30% and he wanted (a chance) to win in those games because of K's defensive philosophy/emphasis. Guess what? We shot 31% today and won by 22. Are you kidding me? Yea, that's just one of the reasons, but I loved seeing us turn them over early and often (at one point I think they had 10 points and 9 TO!) and getting out to a double digit lead in the first half and maintaining/extending it in the second half, even when we went 7+ minutes without a FG and they cut the lead from about 20 to 11.

Clay Feet POF
01-25-2014, 04:23 PM
You must have been watching a different game. Even with the lulls Duke was able to keep a double digit lead and eventually able to get the lead back to 20.

With the lead down to 9-10 I thought they bailed us out with their fouling. What were your feeling during that stretch!

kAzE
01-25-2014, 04:24 PM
Ugly game to watch, 50 fouls and 61 combined free throw attempts, but it was a satisfying win all the same. What a strange, strange team this is. It's like all of our weakness and strengths from earlier in the year have flip flopped and now we're this tough, physical team that rebounds and plays good D, but can't shoot. Obviously, their UFC style defense had a lot to do with our horrendous FG%, so nothing to worry about there, other than the fact that we have a really tough game in 2 days and our guys are probably sporting about 20 bruises each after that one.

Somewhat quiet game from Jefferson this afternoon, which is probably to be expected given FSU's personnel and style of play, they just weren't going to give up anything easy without sending you sprawling to the floor. Plumlee was sensational. After his catch and finish on the fast break, I think my body had an involuntary response where I jumped up and made some sort of squealing noise. He had an extremely productive 12 minutes today.

Really nice win, and it was extremely encouraging to see our team show some real toughness and win convincingly in a grind-it-out battle. I think in these past few games we've proved that we can win in a number of ways, and our new found commitment to rebounding is a welcome sight. The few lapses in focus are still a bit of an issue, and may come back to bite us if they continue to happen, so hopefully that gets ironed out, but all in all, good team effort.

NashvilleDevil
01-25-2014, 04:28 PM
With the lead down to 9-10 I thought they bailed us out with their fouling. What were your feeling during that stretch!

They got the lead to 11 and then Duke started driving and got the foul calls. During that stretch I was hoping that none of Duke's players would get hurt by a cheap hard foul.

Bob Green
01-25-2014, 04:28 PM
With the lead down to 9-10 I thought they bailed us out with their fouling.

Sorry, the lead never got down to 9-10. Facts are a wonderful thing.

Clay Feet POF
01-25-2014, 04:33 PM
They got the lead to 11 and then Duke started driving and got the foul calls. During that stretch I was hoping that none of Duke's players would get hurt by a cheap hard foul.

OK Ok My thoughts were runnig low on energy

Clay Feet POF
01-25-2014, 04:35 PM
Sorry, the lead never got down to 9-10. Facts are a wonderful thing.

Sorry for missing by 1-2

devildeac
01-25-2014, 04:37 PM
Marshall had 7 offensive boards. That equalled FSU's # as a team. Impressive. He was an animal:D.

MartyClark
01-25-2014, 04:41 PM
I missed the start of the game and then had to pay partial attention during a few phone calls. Maybe I just missed it but I didn't see Matt on the court. Anybody know what was going on?

Matches
01-25-2014, 04:42 PM
I missed the start of the game and then had to pay partial attention during a few phone calls. Maybe I just missed it but I didn't see Matt on the court. Anybody know what was going on?

He was there. He didn't play much today, because he didn't play as well. But he started both halves.

FerryFor50
01-25-2014, 04:42 PM
Sorry for missing by 1-2

You are also missing the point - FSU was never in danger of taking the lead. Yes, there were defensive lapses, but as Duke has done the past few games, they have answered runs and kept the pressure on other teams. How can anyone not be happy with a 22 point win over #21 in kenpom?

uh_no
01-25-2014, 04:44 PM
I missed the start of the game and then had to pay partial attention during a few phone calls. Maybe I just missed it but I didn't see Matt on the court. Anybody know what was going on?

he got 6 minutes today....not huge, but with the rotations getting screwed up a tad due to fouls and hood at the start of the game, i wouldn't be concerned....worst case, he's a freshman and has fallen out of the rotation.

wsb3
01-25-2014, 04:47 PM
Hey, guys. I voted for Marshall as MOTM!

But I have to disagree with the above quote. Anything we get from Marshall is icing. In my opinion, unless he somehow suddenly becomes Olajuwon, how he plays will have very little bearing on how far we go in March..


We will have to disagree to disagree then. I am not saying Marshall needs to be all world but I do not think we will wins six games when it matters most without productivity from him.

devildeac
01-25-2014, 04:47 PM
Fun with numbers/stats:

Amile had kind of a rough game with 6 boards and only 2 points. But, when you add his 21 minutes and MP3's 12 minutes, you get 13 boards and 9 points in those 33 minutes. Plus, we got 7 fouls (Amile with 4 and Marshall with 3) out of that "position;) ." Just about what I read the coaches were hoping for several games ago when I read Capel (I think) quoted in the Raleigh N&O as saying we'd be fine if we got 10/10 on a consistent basis out of our centers, including Josh, Amile and MP3 in that rotation.

devildeac
01-25-2014, 04:49 PM
Box score from earlier:

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400502810

devildeac
01-25-2014, 04:57 PM
My wife just finished watching some of the post-game interviews and found out why Hood did not start and it was not due to nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. The man himself said he spilled Gatorade on his uniform and had to get a new jersey (as opposed to a new york or a new mexico I suppose:rolleyes:). Somebody spork that woman!

MChambers
01-25-2014, 05:09 PM
My wife just finished watching some of the post-game interviews and found out why Hood did not start and it was not due to nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. The man himself said he spilled Gatorade on his uniform and had to get a new jersey (as opposed to a new york or a new mexico I suppose:rolleyes:). Somebody spork that woman!

Coach K said "Rodney [Hood] got sick at the start of the game" and Hood said he had pre-game nerves. Who knows?

wsb3
01-25-2014, 05:20 PM
We shot 31% today and won by 22. Are you kidding me?

That is a heckuva of stat.

DU82
01-25-2014, 05:21 PM
Coach K said "Rodney [Hood] got sick at the start of the game" and Hood said he had pre-game nerves. Who knows?

Stadium officials were cleaning up in aisle 19 (next to section 20) right after the start of the game. Could have been either.

Saw Todd leave briefly just before Rodney came back to the floor. We guessed that Todd was going to sacrifice part of his uniform (shorts?) for him.

rocketeli
01-25-2014, 05:25 PM
What I like about Marshall is that he doesn't have to do anything extraordinary to help the team. So long as he goes where he is supposed to go on the court, keeps his feet moving and his hands up, good things will happen.

sagegrouse
01-25-2014, 05:30 PM
With the lead down to 9-10 I thought they bailed us out with their fouling. What were your feeling during that stretch!


They got the lead to 11 and then Duke started driving and got the foul calls. During that stretch I was hoping that none of Duke's players would get hurt by a cheap hard foul.

I thought we went through a dry spell, affected by some hurried shots. At the same time, their offense was thriving on TOs and open court situations. Once it became more of a halfcourt game, the Seminoles were unable to score, and the margin lengthened to over 20 points.

I don't understand why we didn't play Andre more than we did. he had the hot hand, and two years ago scored 22 IIRC against the 'Noles in the first half at Tallahassee. Maybe Coach wanted to try some other combinations; maybe Andre's defense or defensive matchup wasn't good. I dunno, but we will need Andre big time against Syracuse.

sage

bbosbbos
01-25-2014, 05:31 PM
Remember some Duke fans claimed her fans last year in this message board. LMAO. She is a very poor one, no doubt. Very biased, especially against Duke. I muted my TV when I saw her face from the beginning. She stinks as always.


Would have been a perfect game if someone other than Dorris Burke was announcing.

niveklaen
01-25-2014, 05:38 PM
I thought we went through a dry spell, affected by some hurried shots. At the same time, their offense was thriving on TOs and open court situations. Once it became more of a halfcourt game, the Seminoles were unable to score, and the margin lengthened to over 20 points.

I don't understand why we didn't play Andre more than we did. he had the hot hand, and two years ago scored 22 IIRC against the 'Noles in the first half at Tallahassee. Maybe Coach wanted to try some other combinations; maybe Andre's defense or defensive matchup wasn't good. I dunno, but we will need Andre big time against Syracuse.

sage

IIRC Dre got pulled after failing to come to a pass (allowing a steal) ... and never got back in the game

I was more surprised with Jones lack of pt - I seemed like when he came out at the 18 minute mark he never came back until garbage time

roywhite
01-25-2014, 05:48 PM
I thought we went through a dry spell, affected by some hurried shots. At the same time, their offense was thriving on TOs and open court situations. Once it became more of a halfcourt game, the Seminoles were unable to score, and the margin lengthened to over 20 points.

I don't understand why we didn't play Andre more than we did. he had the hot hand, and two years ago scored 22 IIRC against the 'Noles in the first half at Tallahassee. Maybe Coach wanted to try some other combinations; maybe Andre's defense or defensive matchup wasn't good. I dunno, but we will need Andre big time against Syracuse.

sage

Right around the 8-minute mark, Duke's 19-pt lead was cut to 15 with an FSU basket and then a steal and basket off the in-bounds, and this was followed by another near FSU steal on the inbounds. Coach K lit into the team at the time-out about their lackadaisical approach and poor execution on the inbounds; looked like Andre came in for some of the wrath, as he had not aggressively gone to the passer. I see Niveklaen also makes this point above.

Seems like Andre, despite improvement in defense and his joy in playing again, still has lapses on the floor, and is not dependable enough as a ball handler for Coach K's tastes. Just my take as to your question; Andre is certainly a guy we want to see succeed.

devildeac
01-25-2014, 05:49 PM
Coach K said "Rodney [Hood] got sick at the start of the game" and Hood said he had pre-game nerves. Who knows?

That's really interesting. My wife said she listened to his interview on goduke.com about an hour ago. Strange. Maybe he got anxious while drinking some Gatorade, choked a bit on it and sputtered/splattered it on his uni:confused: . I guess I'll trust all of them :o .

Newton_14
01-25-2014, 06:03 PM
Great win, despite some shakiness in the 2nd half.

Crushed the bigger team on the boards, held a hot 3-pt shooting team to just 6 attempts from there, and also forced them into 17 turnovers.

Agree. What is the reason for these times of "shakiness" in 2nd half's. It's like they lose their collective minds between like the 17 min mark and 12 min mark with incredibly dumb plays on both ends. They have to find a way to stop having those stretches.

I think we are now learning that Mr Hood gets a bad case of butterflies prior to games, such that he throws up right before the start of the game or a half. This was the 3rd time that has happened. There was a player awhile back that someone wrote a story on that threw up before every single game. Can't recall his name or the sport but definitely remember the story.

On to the game. Great play for most of the first half and a stretch prior to the 1st TV timeout in the 2nd half. After that we got sloppy and the refs made it a foul fest. Loved the play of Marshall, Jabari, Hood, Andre, Rasheed, and Tyler. Very active defense. MP3 was a beast on the offensive boards. Amazing that after he finallly got one FT to go down he hits 3 in a row with ease. FSU had all that size and could not do anything with it due to our pressure defense. Good stuff.'

Can't way to see how they play in these next 3 tough games.

Indoor66
01-25-2014, 06:15 PM
Agree. What is the reason for these times of "shakiness" in 2nd half's. It's like they lose their collective minds between like the 17 min mark and 12 min mark with incredibly dumb plays on both ends. They have to find a way to stop having those stretches.

I think we are now learning that Mr Hood gets a bad case of butterflies prior to games, such that he throws up right before the start of the game or a half. This was the 3rd time that has happened. There was a player awhile back that someone wrote a story on that threw up before every single game. Can't recall his name or the sport but definitely remember the story.

On to the game. Great play for most of the first half and a stretch prior to the 1st TV timeout in the 2nd half. After that we got sloppy and the refs made it a foul fest. Loved the play of Marshall, Jabari, Hood, Andre, Rasheed, and Tyler. Very active defense. MP3 was a beast on the offensive boards. Amazing that after he finallly got one FT to go down he hits 3 in a row with ease. FSU had all that size and could not do anything with it due to our pressure defense. Good stuff.'

Can't way to see how they play in these next 3 tough games.

On the assumption that you are not being coy, I'll respond to the bolded. I think you are referring to Bill Russell who, by his own word, threw up before every game. In fact, his team depended on that event as part of their pregame ritual.

roywhite
01-25-2014, 06:15 PM
I think we are now learning that Mr Hood gets a bad case of butterflies prior to games, such that he throws up right before the start of the game or a half. This was the 3rd time that has happened. There was a player awhile back that someone wrote a story on that threw up before every single game. Can't recall his name or the sport but definitely remember the story.

On to the game. Great play for most of the first half and a stretch prior to the 1st TV timeout in the 2nd half. After that we got sloppy and the refs made it a foul fest. Loved the play of Marshall, Jabari, Hood, Andre, Rasheed, and Tyler. Very active defense. MP3 was a beast on the offensive boards. Amazing that after he finallly got one FT to go down he hits 3 in a row with ease. FSU had all that size and could not do anything with it due to our pressure defense. Good stuff.'

Can't way to see how they play in these next 3 tough games.

The great Bill Russell was known for often having a nervous stomach before games, often to the point of throwing up. (or perhaps you said that somewhat TIC?)

Interesting to see that Rodney seems like a quiet guy, laid-back in some ways, doesn't change expression much, but apparently has considerable inner fire.

With the way this Duke team is playing compared to early conference games, I'm not sure Pitt and Syracuse fans are fully aware of the formidable challenge that is coming their way. Should be interesting.

jipops
01-25-2014, 06:26 PM
Shoot 30% then you better grab some offensive boards. Kind of amazing they shot 50% and we still won by 22. Turnovers and ft shooting obviously helped.

heyman25
01-25-2014, 06:43 PM
If Rodney Hood is going to do the Bill Russell and start throwing up before every game, I wish he'd do it in the locker room so that he's ready to start. The beginning of the game was strange with the Dawkins for Hood swap and Quinn turning his ankle, we were out of sorts at the start.

Then, we began turning them over and killing the offensive glass. Our second chance points and points off turnovers were a huge story and compensated for their high shooting percentage and our low percentage. Making 6 more 3s and 24 more free throws then the Noles didn't hurt either.

While a huge net positive, it was a strange game in terms of flow. We'd look really good on offense, and then we'd resort to one-on-one and string together bad possessions. We'd lock down on D, and then give up strings of points on poorly contested shots or shots at the rim. The Noles bailed us out with bad fouls a few times, and the quick flagrant whistles also helped. They play good D and are really big, that can contribute to an offense looking bad, I guess.

MPIII was a big story...making foul shots, dunking an offensive board, his nifty full court sprint and crafty finish, his aggressive hedging and recovering...its nice to have that option.

Jabari continues to evolve his game in a great way, 14 points, 14 boards (including 10 offensive), 9 foul shots, attacking the basket instead of settling for jumpers, especially after getting his shot blocked so many times...I love his new mindset.

Rodney and Rasheed are our go-to one-on-one slashers. Quinn was a little uneven but made some key plays, I do like the way he handles the spread offense when we are trying to work clock, although, as Doris Burke mentioned, we often went to Rasheed in that set and played Quinn off the ball.

Amile grabbed 6 boards in 21 minutes. Marshall's play made his foul-induced absence not sting as much.

Improving defense, a growing reputation as an offensive rebounding machine, a deep bench, guys settling into roles...I am feeling good about these next two games, we are ready!

Why don't the trainers suggest dietary changes pre game for Hood so he might not throw up.
Good team effort, but our half court offense has too many people standing around. If we aren't shooting well it usually leads to the other team scoring off the miss.Keep rebounding this way and it will negate those transition opportunities. Sulaimon is playing much better but he did not finish well today. He knows it.We are getting better. Next two games will be the toughest games of the season.

Saratoga2
01-25-2014, 06:44 PM
In watching Marshall shoot his free throws, he seems to me to have reasonably good form, no hitch, nice arc, nice follow through. If he gains confidence, I think he can become a fairly good foul shooter. On the other hand, Amile, who has looked a lot better recently, had a series of line drive foul shots that had little chance of going in. He has shown he can make the shot, he just needs to put in time and get his confidence back.

Hard for the coaches to keep poor foul shooters in the game when things get tight late.

Furniture
01-25-2014, 06:49 PM
You are also missing the point - FSU was never in danger of taking the lead. Yes, there were defensive lapses, but as Duke has done the past few games, they have answered runs and kept the pressure on other teams. How can anyone not be happy with a 22 point win over #21 in kenpom?

I agree and as Doris said its human nature. You just can't win with some people. It's either a pain in the rear announcer, a slight slump in the middle of the game or something else. It must be very stressful thing to come up with things to whinge about every game!

kmspeaks
01-25-2014, 07:21 PM
This team is improving so much that even their "bad stretches" are better than those in Nov/Dec.

Using the ESPN play by play here are Duke's offensive possessions during the 7 min FG drought.

Sulaimon turnover
Parker missed jumper
Hood 2 FT
Cook 2 FT
Plumlee 2 FT
Cook layup is blocked, Parker has 2 cracks at a basket after rebounding his own miss and ends up turning it over
Sulaimon missed jumper
Jefferson 2 FT (missed both)
Parker 2 FT
Sulaimon 2 FT

That's 6/10 possessions ending in FT. Doesn't look to me like the "stand around and chuck up a late 3" offensive droughts that plagued Duke earlier in the year. I'm going to watch the replay now to see exactly what those turnovers/missed jumpers were.

Question for the stat heads, how are jump balls recorded in the play by play? I didn't see any mention of them.

devildeac
01-25-2014, 07:43 PM
That's really interesting. My wife said she listened to his interview on goduke.com about an hour ago. Strange. Maybe he got anxious while drinking some Gatorade, choked a bit on it and sputtered/splattered it on his uni:confused: . I guess I'll trust all of them :o .

From the espn article:

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400502810

"Hood was a last-second scratch from the starting lineup. Krzyzewski said Hood was sick, though Hood told reporters he had to change after spilling Gatorade on his uniform. Hood missed his first five shots, but he scored 14 points after halftime."

:confused::confused:

BD80
01-25-2014, 08:17 PM
... I'd like to see Andre's minutes get an uptick -- he only played 11 minutes today and had 11 points. ...

6 of those 11 came on 2 3s in the last minute or so, garbage time.

Faustus
01-25-2014, 08:17 PM
Supposedly Sir Lawrence Olivier threw up before performances on the stage too. Not sure how good his handle was, though.

devilnfla
01-25-2014, 08:33 PM
6 of those 11 came on 2 3s in the last minute or so, garbage time.

Um not exactly. Most of Andre's points came in the first half. He did hit one 3 in the second half but it was not in garbage time.

Matches
01-25-2014, 08:34 PM
6 of those 11 came on 2 3s in the last minute or so, garbage time.

I don't think that's correct. Dre had two threes before the first TV timeout. We didn't hit any 3s in garbage time that I recall.

Edit: BTW one of the reasons Dre's minutes were limited today was first-half foul trouble.

Newton_14
01-25-2014, 08:40 PM
6 of those 11 came on 2 3s in the last minute or so, garbage time.

Not true. Andre scored our first 6 points on 2 three's. Hit 2 free throws later on and then hit his 3rd and last 3 of the game with 15 minutes left in the 2nd half. He did not even play a single second during garbage time today.

FerryFor50
01-25-2014, 08:43 PM
Not true. Andre scored our first 6 points on 2 three's. Hit 2 free throws later on and then hit his 3rd and last 3 of the game with 15 minutes left in the 2nd half. He did not even play a single second during garbage time today.

To be fair, Duke was in such control of this game that the entire 2nd half was garbage time... :)

BD80
01-25-2014, 08:53 PM
Would you believe the last 2 minutes of the first half? Completely misread the play-by-play on my phone, only delivered the 1st half.

CDu
01-25-2014, 09:01 PM
Would you believe the last 2 minutes of the first half? Completely misread the play-by-play on my phone, only delivered the 1st half.

Well, he didn't hit any 3s in the last 2 minutes of the 1st half either. He scored the first 6 points for us, then hit two FT later in the half, and hit a final 3 about 5 minutes into the 2nd half.

Dukehky
01-25-2014, 09:04 PM
Didn't want to start a whole new thread for this, but Stauskas has been getting MSU tonight. Duke shut him down....

We've played games of good defense before this stretch. Like UCLA and Michigan, so I don't really know why people have said that we were terrible before this line change every game. This rotation strategy really helps our defense, but we had shown flashes of good defense. K said that in his PC so those aren't my own thoughts.

Great win, good prep for Pitt and Syracuse. Fun atmosphere in Cameron this afternoon.

Also, I hate that people say Duke will get a taste of the Big-East this week. Pitt and Syracuse came to the ACC, the Big East as we knew it is dead. Leave it there. As far as I'm concerned this is Pitt and Cuse's welcome to the ACC because this is the only good team that exists from the ACC last year. Come get the hurt fellas.

I'm not sure how the quick turn around affects the team. It offers better prep for tournament time. I personally like it on the opening half because I don't have to wait for another game, but on the backside, I have to wait almost a week for another game. This helps this week because FSU prep is similar to Pitt prep personnel, just have to isolate their perimeter players in practice. Then we get 4 days to get ready for Cuse, which I think is a good thing.

I think we need to go 1-1 to stay in the ACC regular season title hunt, but since I think we finish out 16-2, may as well win both games.

azzefkram
01-25-2014, 09:06 PM
Hey, guys. I voted for Marshall as MOTM!

Are you the goateed version of Kedsy?;)


Again, I'd like to see Andre's minutes get an uptick -- he only played 11 minutes today and had 11 points. But other than that I'm very happy with the rotation right now.

Andre hasn't been shooting very well in league play. That coupled with Sheed's resurgence and Matt carving out a niche has squeezed him a bit.

devildeac
01-25-2014, 09:09 PM
Would you believe the last 2 minutes of the first half? Completely misread the play-by-play on my phone, only delivered the 1st half.

Need a new phone? Eye exam?;)

Heck, I missed the first 2-3 minutes of the game due to Direct TV issues. I thought he only had 5 points in the entire game until I reviewed the box score:o.

ElSid
01-25-2014, 09:15 PM
Marshall has rightly gotten a lot of praise for running the court and finishing on that fast break lay in. Great catch and great finish. But, I love that Rasheed didn't hesitate for a moment before making a perfect pass, hitting him right in stride.

Really think a key to this team will be putting the ball in Rasheed's hands more, often instead of Cook's when in the game together, to create opportunities. Especially late in the game when we're running stall, I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with Sheed being the ball handler late in the shot clock than I am with Cook or anyone else. I think Doris made this exact point, as well.

The more Sheed can continue to hone is ball handling and passing skills, the more success we'll have. And, the more likely he'll be to have success at the next level.

Dukehky
01-25-2014, 09:21 PM
Marshall has rightly gotten a lot of praise for running the court and finishing on that fast break lay in. Great catch and great finish. But, I love that Rasheed didn't hesitate for a moment before making a perfect pass, hitting him right in stride.

Really think a key to this team will be putting the ball in Rasheed's hands more, often instead of Cook's when in the game together, to create opportunities. Especially late in the game when we're running stall, I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with Sheed being the ball handler late in the shot clock than I am with Cook or anyone else. I think Doris made this exact point, as well.

The more Sheed can continue to hone is ball handling and passing skills, the more success we'll have. And, the more likely he'll be to have success at the next level.

I really like Sheed initiating the offense during stall ball (even though I don't like that tactic at all). However, I feel like because Rasheed has been so effective as a drive and dish guy, he's fallen in love with it and isn't looking to score as often on his drives. Maybe it's a confidence issue when it comes to finishing, but there were several opportunities for him to take a good shot on one of his drives and he made the more difficult/unselfish play by trying to pass it off the drive. I hope he starts seeing which is better as he makes the move, because it seems like, currently, he is driving with the intention of passing. This is kind of nit picky, but he is a really good finisher and needs to get confidence back by shooting off drives sometimes. Hopefully he finds that happy medium between passing and shooting off his very skilled and explosive drives. He's already improved so much over the course of the season, no reason he can't continue to do so.

hustleplays
01-25-2014, 09:21 PM
It's really a shame we have so much trouble rebounding and playing defense against big teams like this. ;)



Hey, guys. I voted for Marshall as MOTM!

But I have to disagree with the above quote. Anything we get from Marshall is icing. In my opinion, unless he somehow suddenly becomes Olajuwon, how he plays will have very little bearing on how far we go in March.



You believe Doris Burke is anti-Duke? Really? All I can say is I think you're way off base there. Some Duke fans have become oversensitive to perceived criticism.



I agree. Fact is, the minute distribution today looked pretty much like it has in the past: 6 guys with 20+ minutes and 2 more guys with 10+ minutes. The 9th and 10th guys getting 8 & 6 minutes while the top three guys "only" got 32, 28, & 28 is a slight departure from the norm, but we've had distributions like that several times over the years.

The difference is the line changes -- the fact that there are times when none of the top guys are on the floor, and also that the 9th and 10th guys' minutes have come in the first half while the game is still competitive rather than in garbage time. And with those small differences have come increased energy and much better defense. I'll take that trade anytime.

Again, I'd like to see Andre's minutes get an uptick -- he only played 11 minutes today and had 11 points. But other than that I'm very happy with the rotation right now.

I agree that Doris Burke is not anti-Duke. I think she is very objective and astute. She gave appropriate props to Duke.

I don't agree that "anything we get from Marshall is icing." Marshall brings game-changing energy and rim protection. His teammates, post-game, affirmed that. We need skillful post height. Marshall brings that. Many of us are delighted and relieved that Marshall is finally getting the minutes to make his mark. To me, the icing is that he is making his FTs! I am thrilled, as I know are so many DBR posters, that Marshall is getting more minutes. Post-game, he affirmed that he is getting more comfortable AND that his teammates are getting more comfortable with him.

While one can view the playing minutes differential in a variety of ways, I think we have seen a fundamental change in K's lineup. Rather than a more or less fixed starting five, plus one or two or three 2nd tier contributors, with minutes very parsimoniously allocated, we see a [sagely reasoned] free-wheeling mix-and-match rotating five in which almost all of our players feel an essential part of our team. This is a huge difference. I see, and I know this is a subjective POV, a team that is highly more energized, more unified, tough and intense. Our huge uptick in rebounding is due to just X's & O'x? I don't think so. I know that there may be many more reasons why our team is playing more toughly, energetically and cohesively, but I think that one of the reasons is that our team is being allowed to play -- not just our "best" players but all of our players as a team. It is not possible to quantify the power that comes from all members of a team feeling that they are essential to a team's success. That said, I am [patiently] waiting for Semi to get a few more meaningful minutes.

Go Duke!

ElSid
01-25-2014, 09:22 PM
I'm frequently in the "play Thornton less" camp, but I think he has been a big positive for the team lately. Active hands down in the post getting strips and keeping loose balls alive. Also very rarely takes a dumb shot, which is reflected in his 3pt shooting %. Over 50%? Big boost. I'd expect this type of self awareness from a senior but it's just nice to remind myself when I am frustrated by a dumb foul. None of those today, though.

ElSid
01-25-2014, 09:24 PM
I really like Sheed initiating the offense during stall ball (even though I don't like that tactic at all). However, I feel like because Rasheed has been so effective as a drive and dish guy, he's fallen in love with it and isn't looking to score as often on his drives. Maybe it's a confidence issue when it comes to finishing, but there were several opportunities for him to take a good shot on one of his drives and he made the more difficult/unselfish play by trying to pass it off the drive. I hope he starts seeing which is better as he makes the move, because it seems like, currently, he is driving with the intention of passing. This is kind of nit picky, but he is a really good finisher and needs to get confidence back by shooting off drives sometimes. Hopefully he finds that happy medium between passing and shooting off his very skilled and explosive drives. He's already improved so much over the course of the season, no reason he can't continue to do so.

I think this is true to some extent, but he also shot 1-8, so he might have correctly adjusted his approach after feeling like it just wasn't falling in for him today. That said, he still had three turnovers maybe trying to force the dish on the drive.

ElSid
01-25-2014, 09:27 PM
I agree that Doris Burke is not anti-Duke. I think she is very objective and astute. She gave appropriate props to Duke.

I don't agree that "anything we get from Marshall is icing." Marshall brings game-changing energy and rim protection. His teammates, post-game, affirmed that. We need skillful post height. Marshall brings that. Many of us are delighted and relieved that Marshall is finally getting the minutes to make his mark. To me, the icing is that he is making his FTs! I am thrilled, as I know are so many DBR posters, that Marshall is getting more minutes. Post-game, he affirmed that he is getting more comfortable AND that his teammates are getting more comfortable with him.


Agree. Remember when NC State and maybe also Clemson literally said "they don't have anyone big". That's what was so frustrating to all of us fans. We have a legit 7' guy who doesn't look terrible when he gets on the court! If Marshall can continue to become a bigger factor in our game, teams will have to pay attention. Maybe that's wishful thinking, but at least teams will have to acknowledge his existence.

I think someone else also pointed out that at one point we had Josh, Thornton, Marshall, Hood and Cook on the floor at one point? I don't remember the other two, but I'm pretty sure Josh, Thornton and Marshall were playing together, which most of us agreed would never happen. Sky didn't fall.

Bob Green
01-25-2014, 09:32 PM
Andre hasn't been shooting very well in league play.

Dawkins was 3-6 (50%) on 3 PT FGs today against FSU. I'd characterize that as outstanding shooting. In seven ACC games, he is 11-33 (33.3%) on 3 PT FGs which is below his career average of 41% so I agree he has been in a mini-slump but nothing serious enough to justify decreased playing time. Shooters need to shoot.

Bob Green
01-25-2014, 09:37 PM
Would you believe the last 2 minutes of the first half?

No! Dawkins scored Duke's first six points on two 3 PT FGs. His two made free throws were team points 22 and 23 so Dawkins scored eight of Duke's first 23 points. He was responsible for Duke getting out to an early lead.

BD80
01-25-2014, 10:19 PM
No! Dawkins scored Duke's first six points on two 3 PT FGs. His two made free throws were team points 22 and 23 so Dawkins scored eight of Duke's first 23 points. He was responsible for Duke getting out to an early lead.

So the absolute opposite of garbage time.

I think the rotary dial is affecting the performance of my "smart" phone.

gep
01-25-2014, 10:29 PM
I think the rotary dial is affecting the performance of my "smart" phone.

Couldn't resist... I wonder how many of the young'uns even know what that is :confused::cool:

ElSid
01-25-2014, 10:31 PM
Couldn't resist... I wonder how many of the young'uns even know what that is :confused::cool:

It's an app, duh

uh_no
01-25-2014, 10:37 PM
Couldn't resist... I wonder how many of the young'uns even know what that is :confused::cool:

dialing my buddies number that ended with 6089 was the bane of my existence for several years :)

don't sell us youngbloods short! we don't reach...unless it's for the rotary phone

Newton_14
01-25-2014, 10:45 PM
Couldn't resist... I wonder how many of the young'uns even know what that is :confused::cool:
So I shouldn't mention that for the first 5 or 6 years of my life we had a party line phone? :)

roywhite
01-25-2014, 10:53 PM
So I shouldn't mention that for the first 5 or 6 years of my life we had a party line phone? :)

Yet Granville County, NC (Creedmoor) was forward thinking enough to sell beer on Sundays. Or so I heard. ;)

brevity
01-25-2014, 11:01 PM
Supposedly Sir Lawrence Olivier threw up before performances on the stage too. Not sure how good his handle was, though.

His Twitter handle, @betterthanbranagh, is pretty good.

Newton_14
01-25-2014, 11:07 PM
Yet Granville County, NC (Creedmoor) was forward thinking enough to sell beer on Sundays. Or so I heard. ;)

That and the Missing Link were our two claims to fame in the early 70's...

Kedsy
01-25-2014, 11:32 PM
Andre hasn't been shooting very well in league play.
In our last four games, all against ACC opponents, Andre has shot 45% from three-land (9 for 20), which I think is pretty darn good. So I think there must be another explanation for his relative lack of minutes.

Kedsy
01-25-2014, 11:41 PM
While one can view the playing minutes differential in a variety of ways, I think we have seen a fundamental change in K's lineup. Rather than a more or less fixed starting five, plus one or two or three 2nd tier contributors, with minutes very parsimoniously allocated, we see a [sagely reasoned] free-wheeling mix-and-match rotating five in which almost all of our players feel an essential part of our team. This is a huge difference. I see, and I know this is a subjective POV, a team that is highly more energized, more unified, tough and intense. Our huge uptick in rebounding is due to just X's & O'x? I don't think so. I know that there may be many more reasons why our team is playing more toughly, energetically and cohesively, but I think that one of the reasons is that our team is being allowed to play -- not just our "best" players but all of our players as a team. It is not possible to quantify the power that comes from all members of a team feeling that they are essential to a team's success. That said, I am [patiently] waiting for Semi to get a few more meaningful minutes.

But we do have a "more or less fixed starting five" (counting Rodney rather than Andre as a starter), plus "one or two or three 2nd tier contributors." That's exactly what we've seen in the past four games. In this afternoon's game, Tyler and Rasheed played 20+ minutes as extra contributors, Matt started (as he has in the 3 games before that) but only played 6 minutes. And Andre and Marshall played approximately 12 minutes each.There's no fundamental change there.

As I said in my earlier post, the fundamental change comes because "there are times when none of the top guys are on the floor, and also that the 9th and 10th guys' minutes have come in the first half while the game is still competitive rather than in garbage time. And with those small differences have come increased energy and much better defense."

That said, don't hold your breath for Semi, unless someone gets injured or totally goes in the tank.

Clay Feet POF
01-25-2014, 11:44 PM
You are also missing the point - FSU was never in danger of taking the lead. Yes, there were defensive lapses, but as Duke has done the past few games, they have answered runs and kept the pressure on other teams. How can anyone not be happy with a 22 point win over #21 in kenpom?

Well since the game is OVER I really have to agree.

Troublemaker
01-26-2014, 12:01 AM
To put our 2nd-half performance into some perspective, Vegas sets halftime lines for the second-half of games. Duke was only a 1.5-pt favorite for the 2nd half, so we actually did cover the 2nd-half spread by winning the half 35-31.

Some of you unfamiliar with spreads may be wondering, "How can a team leading by 18 points at halftime not be favored by more than 1.5 points in the 2nd half?" Well, teams tend to coast to victory once they have the big lead, is the reason. It's not unique to Duke or college basketball. An NFL team winning 35-0 at halftime will probably have a 2nd-half spread of 2.5.

I mean, Duke has to play better than we did in the 2nd half. I agree with that. But that's because we want the team to be exceptional. Literally be the exception. Because the rule is, most teams coast.

hustleplays
01-26-2014, 12:07 AM
But we do have a "more or less fixed starting five" (counting Rodney rather than Andre as a starter), plus "one or two or three 2nd tier contributors." That's exactly what we've seen in the past four games. In this afternoon's game, Tyler and Rasheed played 20+ minutes as extra contributors, Matt started (as he has in the 3 games before that) but only played 6 minutes. And Andre and Marshall played approximately 12 minutes each.There's no fundamental change there.

As I said in my earlier post, the fundamental change comes because "there are times when none of the top guys are on the floor, and also that the 9th and 10th guys' minutes have come in the first half while the game is still competitive rather than in garbage time. And with those small differences have come increased energy and much better defense.".


I can't honestly tell whether we agree or disagree. I think we agree, in that the "small differences" of significant substituting in the first half vs. garbage time contributing to increased energy and much better defense is what I think a fundamental [major, significant, whatever] difference.

i also sense that we both like what is happening, however small or big the difference. :-) Go Duke!

ps: I really like Rodney Hood's game. Just had to say it.

Troublemaker
01-26-2014, 12:16 AM
Shoot 30% then you better grab some offensive boards. Kind of amazing they shot 50% and we still won by 22. Turnovers and ft shooting obviously helped.

Yeah, FSU did shoot 53% from 2-pt range. That's just something we're going to have to live with, I think. For those who track Duke's numbers on KenPom's Duke page, the only two poor defensive stats that have not improved signficantly since the beginning of the season are 2-pt FG% and Blocked-Shot%, and those two stats are obviously related.

While it would be nice to improve those two stats as well, at some point, we're asking for zero defensive consequences to missing out on all those big men in recent years. Next year, when we have Jahlil at C, with Amile at PF, and a junior MP3 backing them up and 1.5 yrs removed from surgery, we will perhaps dominate those two categories.

But this year, we kinda have to win the way we won against FSU. Take away their 3-pt shooting, defensive rebound well, force them into turnovers, and make them 2-pt shooters. That's the tradeoff. Next year? No tradeoffs (knock on wood).

DukeDevil
01-26-2014, 12:26 AM
...I think someone else also pointed out that at one point we had Josh, Thornton, Marshall, Hood and Cook on the floor at one point? I don't remember the other two, but I'm pretty sure Josh, Thornton and Marshall were playing together, which most of us agreed would never happen. Sky didn't fall.

We talked about this in the chat...at least 1 or 2 people were asking for it in the pregame thread and everyone thought it was a bad idea...but it definitely happened for a short stretch.


Next year, when we have Jahlil at C, with Amile at PF, and a junior MP3 backing them up and 1.5 yrs removed from surgery, we will perhaps dominate those two categories.

It's going to be weird hearing commentary next year talking about how big Duke is...I can't remember the last time I heard that without a "they have no depth beyond ___ at the 5." I also predict the following statement: "Duke is dominant inside with the raw talent of freshman Okafor and the experienced play of MP3, who had a break out latter half to his championship season, and Jefferson, whose rebounding dominance only grew with the extra 25 pounds he put on in the off season."

You heard it here first.

Furniture
01-26-2014, 12:41 AM
We talked about this in the chat...at least 1 or 2 people were asking for it in the pregame thread and everyone thought it was a bad idea...but it definitely happened for a short stretch.



It's going to be weird hearing commentary next year talking about how big Duke is...I can't remember the last time I heard that without a "they have no depth beyond ___ at the 5." I also predict the following statement: "Duke is dominant inside with the raw talent of freshman Okafor and the experienced play of MP3, who had a break out latter half to his championship season, and Jefferson, whose rebounding dominance only grew with the extra 25 pounds he put on in the off season."

You heard it here first.

Where is a link to game chat?

throatybeard
01-26-2014, 02:12 AM
Sample size, y'all. Sample size.

DukeDevil
01-26-2014, 02:35 AM
Sample size, y'all. Sample size.

I had the same thought earlier about some comments, but what are you referring to specifically?

MChambers
01-26-2014, 07:39 AM
So the absolute opposite of garbage time.

I think the rotary dial is affecting the performance of my "smart" phone.
Perhaps your dilithium crystals were running low?

Those doggone game logs show up backwards, with the beginning of the game at the bottom of the screen. I've misread them before, but discovered my mistake before I posted here, thankfully.

On Andre, I was happy to see him draw a charge. Doris thought it was a bad call, but on the. Replays it looked like the right call, and the play by play guy as much as said so, gently. I also loved his three off the dribble. He doesn't do that very often.

I don't know why he isn't playing more, except that we have a lot of talented wings.

Another thought: interesting that Leonard Hamilton said he had to go small to match up with Duke. I thought we couldn't handle big teams?

devildeac
01-26-2014, 07:55 AM
So I shouldn't mention that for the first 5 or 6 years of my life we had a party line phone? :)

We had a party line, too. Here are some of our conversations:


http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/s/smoke_signals.asp

Of course I'm a few years older than you:o.

Papa John
01-26-2014, 09:20 AM
Also, I hate that people say Duke will get a taste of the Big-East this week.

Anyone saying that has very little sense of historical context, as Duke has played Big East opponents both in early and late season non-conference tilts with regularity for years (actually, one could say decades) now... We have had plenty of "tastes" of the Old Big East...


I'm not sure how the quick turn around affects the team. It offers better prep for tournament time.

Indeed... The turnaround time and caliber of these opponents is akin to a Sweet Sixteen/Elite Eight weekend in the tourney, and it will be followed by a Final Four caliber matchup next Saturday. I'd be surprised if K didn't use this opportunity to point that out... This is the type of winning streak you need to put together if you want to cut down the nets in March.

Saratoga2
01-26-2014, 09:28 AM
Marshall has rightly gotten a lot of praise for running the court and finishing on that fast break lay in. Great catch and great finish. But, I love that Rasheed didn't hesitate for a moment before making a perfect pass, hitting him right in stride.

Really think a key to this team will be putting the ball in Rasheed's hands more, often instead of Cook's when in the game together, to create opportunities. Especially late in the game when we're running stall, I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with Sheed being the ball handler late in the shot clock than I am with Cook or anyone else. I think Doris made this exact point, as well.

The more Sheed can continue to hone is ball handling and passing skills, the more success we'll have. And, the more likely he'll be to have success at the next level.

While Marshall appeared to be open down low on several plays, no one passed him the ball, presumably because they haven't learned to trust his ability to finish. Rasheed on the other hand saw Marshall and rewarded him with and excellent pass. Maybe they will start to involve Marshall in the offense in other ways than what he can pickup getting offensive rebounds.

Dukehky
01-26-2014, 09:50 AM
In our last four games, all against ACC opponents, Andre has shot 45% from three-land (9 for 20), which I think is pretty darn good. So I think there must be another explanation for his relative lack of minutes.

He got torched on defense repeatedly yesterday, Sulaimon was playing well, as was Thornton. This is why Dre didn't get a whole heap of minutes. Normally we can kind of hide Dre on defense because he typically guards the other team's shooter, so he doesn't have to contain ball handlers. All of FSU's guards could put the ball on the deck a little bit, and he got beat pretty regularly. This isn't the case in a lot of games because he guards people that are similar to himself in playing style.

Also, how much of a weapon is Dre? You can bring that guy in for any number of minutes, and every time he shoots, every person in the gym thinks it's going in. He can kind of drive a little bit. He makes his free throws. He isn't a good piece to this team, he's a great piece

Dukehky
01-26-2014, 09:55 AM
We talked about this in the chat...at least 1 or 2 people were asking for it in the pregame thread and everyone thought it was a bad idea...but it definitely happened for a short stretch.



It's going to be weird hearing commentary next year talking about how big Duke is...I can't remember the last time I heard that without a "they have no depth beyond ___ at the 5." I also predict the following statement: "Duke is dominant inside with the raw talent of freshman Okafor and the experienced play of MP3, who had a break out latter half to his championship season, and Jefferson, whose rebounding dominance only grew with the extra 25 pounds he put on in the off season."

You heard it here first.

Really? 2010? Started Zoubs and Lance, backed them up with two athletic freaks in the Plumlees both of whom are 6-11 at least. We also had a 6'8 Singler and a 6'5 Scheyer. There was no depth other than Dre in the backcourt, but in the front court, we were huge. And if things went really wrong and everyone got in foul trouble, we had 6'11 Ryan Kelly who could come in and foul people. Not that he ever did, but it was there.

FerryFor50
01-26-2014, 10:08 AM
Anyone saying that has very little sense of historical context, as Duke has played Big East opponents both in early and late season non-conference tilts with regularity for years (actually, one could say decades) now... We have had plenty of "tastes" of the Old Big East...


Is "Taste if the Big East" a new Chinese restaurant in the area? :p

miramar
01-26-2014, 10:20 AM
Marshall has rightly gotten a lot of praise for running the court and finishing on that fast break lay in. Great catch and great finish. But, I love that Rasheed didn't hesitate for a moment before making a perfect pass, hitting him right in stride.

All of the Plumlees run the floor well, so it was good to see Rasheed recognize that and to have Marshall rewarded with a break away layup that a lot of big men would have missed. Let's see if Marshall can get behind the Syracuse zone for a few easy baskets.

duke74
01-26-2014, 10:32 AM
While Marshall appeared to be open down low on several plays, no one passed him the ball, presumably because they haven't learned to trust his ability to finish. Rasheed on the other hand saw Marshall and rewarded him with and excellent pass. Maybe they will start to involve Marshall in the offense in other ways than what he can pickup getting offensive rebounds.

Let me ask a question that was addressed a few months ago in another context, if I remember correctly. While a fan, I know way less than many of you on DBR about plays, schemes, etc. The pick and roll seems to be a staple in the pros. As others have commented, when our bigs set a screen and roll to the basket, they often seem to be ignored by the guy with the ball. Is it the "trust" aspect noted above? Is it the inability to get the pass into the roller (as was the response a year or so ago)?

Sorry for rehashing what may be an old subject, but I am truly trying to learn something and Saratoga2's comment reminded me of the discussion. (Nor is this meant as a criticism of the team or its strategies.)

Henderson
01-26-2014, 11:08 AM
That said, don't hold your breath for Semi, unless someone gets injured or totally goes in the tank.

I am getting a little light-headed, and my lips are starting to turn Duke blue.

CDu
01-26-2014, 11:09 AM
Let me ask a question that was addressed a few months ago in another context, if I remember correctly. While a fan, I know way less than many of you on DBR about plays, schemes, etc. The pick and roll seems to be a staple in the pros. As others have commented, when our bigs set a screen and roll to the basket, they often seem to be ignored by the guy with the ball. Is it the "trust" aspect noted above? Is it the inability to get the pass into the roller (as was the response a year or so ago)?

Sorry for rehashing what may be an old subject, but I am truly trying to learn something and Saratoga2's comment reminded me of the discussion. (Nor is this meant as a criticism of the team or its strategies.)

Probably a little bit of both.

The pick-and-roll takes an impressive amount of timing to beat an aggressive double on the ball. It also takes a VERY good PG and confidence in the big to catch and finish. It's a staple in the NBA in large part because both the PG and the big men are better players at that level.

We have a good but inconsistent PG in Cook, and nobody else who has consistent shown the ability to make that pass in a spot that will benefit Plumlee.

It would be nice if our guards were good enough to make that pass on the fly. But given how good our offense is without the pick and roll, I'd rather us avoid the turnover unless it is a VERY easy play. Because given how good our offense is, chances are we'll get a good look regardless.

COCO
01-26-2014, 11:33 AM
I see from the box score that Andre had 11 points in 11 minutes tied for the second highest points in the game. He is so efficient scoring. Do you suppose Coach K just tells him that he can play as many minutes as he gets points?

Papa John
01-26-2014, 12:03 PM
Is "Taste if the Big East" a new Chinese restaurant in the area? :p

It's the name of the new location being opened by the owners of New China Inn in Syracuse... They're going to be putting it right in the center of the retail mall adjacent to the luxury hotel/apartments that will be a part of the new Carrier Dome renovations announced this week... Their restaurant is considered the anchor piece for the entire project... If they pull out, the whole project will fall apart...

Incidentally, the other names they considered were: Neo New China Inn, Return to the Old China Inn, and the American Athletic China Inn...

Indoor66
01-26-2014, 12:39 PM
That and the Missing Link were our two claims to fame in the early 70's...

Also the 60's.

DukeDevil
01-26-2014, 02:59 PM
Really? 2010? Started Zoubs and Lance, backed them up with two athletic freaks in the Plumlees both of whom are 6-11 at least. We also had a 6'8 Singler and a 6'5 Scheyer. There was no depth other than Dre in the backcourt, but in the front court, we were huge. And if things went really wrong and everyone got in foul trouble, we had 6'11 Ryan Kelly who could come in and foul people. Not that he ever did, but it was there.

I thought about 2010, and I personally agree with you, but from a commentator standpoint they always sold that team as underskilled and I felt they didn't get enough credit...at the time everyone felt that was an overachieving group that went far...although now very active NBA players in that roster shows just how much people undervalued that team at the time.

On a separate note, I LOVE MP3s self interviewing for the top plays video for FSU...especially the descriptions they put at the bottom each time, which I missed on the first watch through because my eyes have been trained to ignore those little blurbs as they come up so often.

DukeDevil
01-26-2014, 03:01 PM
Is "Taste if the Big East" a new Chinese restaurant in the area? :p

I LOL at your comment and raise you one diarrhea dragon
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/asian_food

Edouble
01-26-2014, 03:09 PM
Let me ask a question that was addressed a few months ago in another context, if I remember correctly. While a fan, I know way less than many of you on DBR about plays, schemes, etc. The pick and roll seems to be a staple in the pros. As others have commented, when our bigs set a screen and roll to the basket, they often seem to be ignored by the guy with the ball. Is it the "trust" aspect noted above? Is it the inability to get the pass into the roller (as was the response a year or so ago)?

Sorry for rehashing what may be an old subject, but I am truly trying to learn something and Saratoga2's comment reminded me of the discussion. (Nor is this meant as a criticism of the team or its strategies.)

I have been a big Quinn Cook supporter since he got to Duke. I love his game, particularly the way he finishes around the rim. He has the ability to usually put perfect English/spin on the ball for any angle of layup. Overall, the guy plays with great emotion and seems to have a true love of the game and of his teammates.

That said, I do not think that his strength lies in the pick and roll. Unlike some previous Duke PGs (Avery, Jason Williams), I've never really seen the guy have a knack for getting into the paint area and finding an open guy when the defense collapses on him.

Quinn is a good to very good (not great) 3 point shooter, and is the best ball handler on the team. He's shown that he can score in one on one situations, especially when emotionally motivated to do so (eg after his man scores on him). I haven't seen him attack the heart of the defense as much the way that Sulaimon does, which to me, reflects the skills needed to execute a good pick and roll, particularly in those times where you are doubled by your own defender and the defender of the big that set the pick.

If this were one of Quinn's strengths, I would think we would see more clear outs at the top of the key, to set up a Quinn/Jabari or Quinn/Amile pick and roll.

Cameron
01-26-2014, 06:20 PM
Hell of an effort by our guys the last three games. We were backed into a corner against Virginia with under a minute to go, staring down a third loss in four games and the potential collapse of a season. After the serendipitous bounce of a Rasheed Sulaimon three-point shot, we are winners of four in a row and have put ourselves back in position to garner perhaps a two seed in the NCAA Tournament. Such a scenario seemed wildly far-fetched just two weeks ago, when some -- including myself -- were uncertain of our chances of even getting a ticket to that dance if things didn't improve quickly. Never have I been more pleased to look so foolish. I am a glass-half-full person by nature, so it's just in my cynical being to view everything in life as a potential disaster. Hope for the best, expect the worst.

As for the game, Marshall played to a level that surpassed even my rather elevated expectations for the young man and his value to this team. This is the kind of contribution the most fervent of Marshall supporters here have seen in the big guy all year. He was superb in the 12 minutes of action he received. Seven points, seven rebounds and enough energy expended to light up the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The kid loves the game. It was exciting that ESPN's announcing crew made such a concerted effort to recognize Marshall's high degree of play yesterday. The camera shot of Marshall smiling widely on the bench after just having scored on a play that sent Cameron into pure frenzy was by far my favorite moment of the game. It was a well-deserved moment for the kid. In regard to that basket, which saw Marshall convert on a length-of-the-floor run to the rim for two in transition, what a pretty play. He looked like an antelope. In fact, if he were to ever run like that across a prairie in Nairobi, he'd be instant lion food. That was such a graceful maneuver for a guy his size in transition.

Marshall also had a couple of excellent grabs inside, on either offensive rebounds or loose ball corrals, that he instinctively turned into high-percentage scoring opportunities for our shooters on the perimeter. He wasn't officially credited with an assist on the day, but Marshall's actions on the court demonstrate that he fully understands the value of three-point baskets after offensive rebounds. It's one of the highest percentage shots in the game. Amile is another guy on the team who really excels at seeking out high-percentage looks for our team in the fray after an offensive board inside.

A great game overall. Excited, yet wracked with nerves, for the game at Pitt. Let's properly introduce them to the ACC, boys.

MCFinARL
01-27-2014, 04:55 PM
Hell of an effort by our guys the last three games. We were backed into a corner against Virginia with under a minute to go, staring down a third loss in four games and the potential collapse of a season. After the serendipitous bounce of a Rasheed Sulaimon three-point shot, we are winners of four in a row and have put ourselves back in position to garner perhaps a two seed in the NCAA Tournament. Such a scenario seemed wildly far-fetched just two weeks ago, when some -- including myself -- were uncertain of our chances of even getting a ticket to that dance if things didn't improve quickly. Never have I been more pleased to look so foolish. I am a glass-half-full person by nature, so it's just in my cynical being to view everything in life as a potential disaster. Hope for the best, expect the worst.

As for the game, Marshall played to a level that surpassed even my rather elevated expectations for the young man and his value to this team. This is the kind of contribution the most fervent of Marshall supporters here have seen in the big guy all year. He was superb in the 12 minutes of action he received. Seven points, seven rebounds and enough energy expended to light up the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The kid loves the game. It was exciting that ESPN's announcing crew made such a concerted effort to recognize Marshall's high degree of play yesterday. The camera shot of Marshall smiling widely on the bench after just having scored on a play that sent Cameron into pure frenzy was by far my favorite moment of the game. It was a well-deserved moment for the kid. In regard to that basket, which saw Marshall convert on a length-of-the-floor run to the rim for two in transition, what a pretty play. He looked like an antelope. In fact, if he were to ever run like that across a prairie in Nairobi, he'd be instant lion food. That was such a graceful maneuver for a guy his size in transition.

Marshall also had a couple of excellent grabs inside, on either offensive rebounds or loose ball corrals, that he instinctively turned into high-percentage scoring opportunities for our shooters on the perimeter. He wasn't officially credited with an assist on the day, but Marshall's actions on the court demonstrate that he fully understands the value of three-point baskets after offensive rebounds. It's one of the highest percentage shots in the game. Amile is another guy on the team who really excels at seeking out high-percentage looks for our team in the fray after an offensive board inside.

A great game overall. Excited, yet wracked with nerves, for the game at Pitt. Let's properly introduce them to the ACC, boys.

If you haven't seen the top plays from the FSU game on Duke Blue Planet, be sure to do so. At the end, Marshall interviews himself to wonderful comic effect and there is a nice opportunity to see that smile in full, if sly, bloom. Bonus: Andre has another wacky photobomb during an Amile Jefferson interview of Quinn Cook--he has done this in most of this year's top plays videos.

Mudge
01-27-2014, 07:33 PM
From the espn article:

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400502810

"Hood was a last-second scratch from the starting lineup. Krzyzewski said Hood was sick, though Hood told reporters he had to change after spilling Gatorade on his uniform. Hood missed his first five shots, but he scored 14 points after halftime."

:confused::confused:

Makes you wonder if both of them are right-- maybe Hood spilled the Gatorade by upchucking his (recently consumed) drink all over his uniform... he didn't say HOW he spilled it...

Mudge
01-27-2014, 07:52 PM
Not gonna say that I have done scientific research on this (and not going to either), but I am wondering if the reason Duke's rebounding has gotten so much better in the last few games since the platoon system came into existence is that the players are so much less likely to be exhausted (at any given stage of the game, but particularly in the second half), that they are now much more likely to be first to loose balls-- in other words, is Duke getting a boost on rebound totals by being spry and rested enough that they are first (instead of second or third) to the longer and/or jumbled, loose-ball type rebounds? I will admit that it seems like Jefferson is getting more of the traditional "missed-shot, rebound-it-first-time, right-under-the-backboard" type rebounds than he was earlier, but it also seems like maybe Duke is getting there first to more loose balls than they have in the past.

This perceived lack of getting to/winning loose balls has been a pet peeve of mine about Duke teams in the past (I usually chalked it up to an assumption that Duke was less athletic [as a whole] than teams like Louisville, FSU, or Miami, in the past), but it seems too coincidental that as soon as Duke went to a deeper rotation, they started out-rebounding people-- it certainly isn't the first thing you'd expect to happen-- unless you thought Plumlee was going to immediately start doing a Bill Russell imitation (not to be confused with the one that Hood has apparently been doing before games)... and it isn't Plumlee, in the main, that has caused this reversal-- yes, he has contributed-- but Duke would have still have outrebounded FSU by a considerable margin, if Duke had lost every one of Plumlee's 7 rebounds in that game... so, maybe it's that Duke is just quicker to the 'bounds now, with nearly every player not being gassed throughout the game?

By the way, pleased to see that my "flame" award has such persistence-- it's almost Olympic torch-like in its steadfastness...

Kedsy
01-27-2014, 10:58 PM
Not gonna say that I have done scientific research on this (and not going to either), but I am wondering if the reason Duke's rebounding has gotten so much better in the last few games since the platoon system came into existence is that the players are so much less likely to be exhausted (at any given stage of the game, but particularly in the second half), that they are now much more likely to be first to loose balls-- in other words, is Duke getting a boost on rebound totals by being spry and rested enough that they are first (instead of second or third) to the longer and/or jumbled, loose-ball type rebounds? I will admit that it seems like Jefferson is getting more of the traditional "missed-shot, rebound-it-first-time, right-under-the-backboard" type rebounds than he was earlier, but it also seems like maybe Duke is getting there first to more loose balls than they have in the past.

This perceived lack of getting to/winning loose balls has been a pet peeve of mine about Duke teams in the past (I usually chalked it up to an assumption that Duke was less athletic [as a whole] than teams like Louisville, FSU, or Miami, in the past), but it seems too coincidental that as soon as Duke went to a deeper rotation, they started out-rebounding people-- it certainly isn't the first thing you'd expect to happen-- unless you thought Plumlee was going to immediately start doing a Bill Russell imitation (not to be confused with the one that Hood has apparently been doing before games)... and it isn't Plumlee, in the main, that has caused this reversal-- yes, he has contributed-- but Duke would have still have outrebounded FSU by a considerable margin, if Duke had lost every one of Plumlee's 7 rebounds in that game... so, maybe it's that Duke is just quicker to the 'bounds now, with nearly every player not being gassed throughout the game?

I don't know, but I doubt it. For one thing, it's only our offensive rebounding that has gotten better. Since the "line change" went into effect for the UVa game, our defensive rebounding is actually a little worse (71.32% defensive rebounding percentage before the line change and 70.06% defensive rebounding percentage since the line change thing started). If there were a global explanation, you'd think our rebounding would get better on both ends, wouldn't you?

More likely the improved offensive rebounding is simply a matter of our two best offensive rebounders (Amile and Marshall) are getting a lot more minutes. Before the line change went into effect, the pair combined for about 24 mpg, and since the line change they've combined for about 38 mpg. Although, I'm not sure about that, either, because Amile is also our best defensive rebounder (although Marshall isn't very strong at defensive rebounding). It's possible that offensive rebounding outburst is largely a product of a small sample size and an incredible outlier against Florida State.

Cameron
01-27-2014, 11:49 PM
If you haven't seen the top plays from the FSU game on Duke Blue Planet, be sure to do so. At the end, Marshall interviews himself to wonderful comic effect and there is a nice opportunity to see that smile in full, if sly, bloom. Bonus: Andre has another wacky photobomb during an Amile Jefferson interview of Quinn Cook--he has done this in most of this year's top plays videos.

Thanks! Will do. I am a big fan of Marshall's comedy act.