MBB: Duke @ Syracuse (Sat 1830 EST, Espn) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[hurleyfor3]

Two weeks ago I was worried the season was over. Now I'm worried we're peaking too early.

Anyway, they're #2 writers/coaches/dorks (how often do those groups ever agree an anything?), allegedly undefeated, yada yada yada, and unlike the Super Bowl this game will actually be played in the state of New York.

[Edouble]

In hindsight, Pitt was probably not the best game for Dre to go off in. If 'Cuse didn't know before, they've gotta be hyper aware of his ability as a zone buster now. It was a pleasure to watch him destroy the Panthers, though.

Duke transfer of note, Michael Gbinije, is averaging about 7 minutes/game in conference play. A few years back many were ringing their hands over his transfer. He probably will not play a significant role in this contest.

[kAzE]

Easily the toughest game we will have played on the schedule thus far, with apologies to Arizona, that being a neutral site game.

Major factors in the outcome of this contest will include:

-Taking care of the ball. As ridiculous as it sounds, Syracuse's back court of Ennis and Cooney are #1 and #2 in the ACC in steals per game. Syracuse's long, athletic players are great at creating open court turnovers and converting them into fast break points.

- Will Dawkins be a factor with his shooting? We're a perfect 10-0 this year when Dawkins hits double figure scoring. If he's hitting shots in this game, that zone is going to have to stretch to account for the threat he presents. We won't win this game unless we have at least one or two guys getting a feel from deep.

- Coming up with an effective game plan to contain Tyler Ennis. It's no longer up for debate who the best point guard in the ACC is. Ennis is the man, coming in with an assist to turnover ratio of 3.86 . . . Quinn Cook has had a lot of trouble staying in front of opposing guards, so having a good plan to keep him from doing what he does is paramount.

- Offensive rebounding. It's no secret that one of the key weaknesses of the zone defense is the lack of box out responsibilities on the defensive boards. Can we exploit this and crash the boards like we did against FSU? If so, it will go a long way towards helping us win this game.

This team gets a ton of praise for it's stingy defense, but you might be surprised to learn that their offense is even better, coming in at #5 in adjusted offense. Ennis is one of the best PGs in the country, CJ Fair is among the best scorers in the league, and Cooney and Grant are very capable offensive players as well. It's going to be a massive, massive game, with 36,000 expected in attendance. The atmosphere should be intense, but I think we're going to be prepared.

My prediction is that we continue this hot streak that we are on. The season has been building toward this moment, and I believe we're ready. I predict Jabari has his best game of the season thus far and Duke wins 74-70 in a nail biter. GO DUKE!

[Troublemaker]

This might be a zone game where we see Jabari more involved at the FT line area than against past zones. Against weaker zones, he's been able to wreak havoc along the baseline with corner 3s, baseline 2s, and lobs. But if Cuse's back line is able to take those things away (we'll find out), then might as well flash Jabari to the FT line so he can threaten them with his midrange shot.


In hindsight, Pitt was probably not the best game for Dre to go off in. If 'Cuse didn't know before, they've gotta be hyper aware of his ability as a zone buster now. It was a pleasure to watch him destroy the Panthers, though.

If Cuse is hyperaware of Andre, hopefully it means he is stretching their zone out to its limits, creating gaps for Duke's other players to attack. The threat of Andre can be just as damaging as the actual swishes by Andre.



- Coming up with an effective game plan to contain Tyler Ennis. It's no longer up for debate who the best point guard in the ACC is. Ennis is the man, coming in with an assist to turnover ratio of 3.86 . . . Quinn Cook has had a lot of trouble staying in front of opposing guards, so having a good plan to keep him from doing what he does is paramount.


Great preview, kAzE. I think you've touched upon several factors people may not be aware of, such as Cuse's ability to force turnovers, especially their guards' ability to get steals. WRT Quinn vs Ennis, my gut feeling is Cook will surprise some folks here and win the matchup. Our junior PG has several days off to rest his gimpy ankles and will come out very determined to teach the frosh PG a lesson or two. (Side note: Is Ennis really going to go an entire season without a 3-4 game stretch of freshman struggles like Jabari experienced? If so, it would be surprising to me.)



- Offensive rebounding. It's no secret that one of the key weaknesses of the zone defense is the lack of box out responsibilities on the defensive boards. Can we exploit this and crash the boards like we did against FSU? If so, it will go a long way towards helping us win this game.


You are correct, as Cuse only ranks 138th in the country in defensive rebounding rate. Interestingly, though, Cuse fans are probably ecstatic with that figure. The Orange usually rank in the 200s and that 138th ranking is their second-best mark of the past 12 seasons.

[Kedsy]

In hindsight, Pitt was probably not the best game for Dre to go off in. If 'Cuse didn't know before, they've gotta be hyper aware of his ability as a zone buster now.

It could work to our advantage. While it would be great for Andre to drop another 20 on Syracuse, all he really needs to do is distort the zone enough for our other players to get good offensive opportunities.

In other words, if they have to focus on stopping Andre, it will open up other holes in the zone. Then all we have to do is find those holes and exploit them. If they try to plug those holes, then either Andre's open again, or some other holes will surface. So, really, Andre doesn't even have to take a shot to help us against the zone. He just has to be an imposing enough presence to draw Syracuse's attention. And his Pitt performance should more or less guarantee that he will be.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

Two weeks ago I was worried the season was over. Now I'm worried we're peaking too early.Anyway, they're #2 writers/coaches/dorks (how often do those groups ever agree an anything?), allegedly undefeated, yada yada yada, and unlike the Super Bowl this game will actually be played in the state of New York.

Peaking too early? I thought we always peaked in November, right? ;)

Anyway, I expect us to play well, especially since we are clearly the underdog. Syracuse has stayed undefeated as of now, and that's worth something, for sure. However, they haven't exactly won in dominating fashion. So I feel they are "ripe" for a loss.

This year's Syracuse team reminds me of past Duke teams, actually, that started out with awesome records but you could just sense a loss was imminent after "squeaking by" in some close games with inferior opponents.

Syracuse's first loss is coming soon, hopefully Saturday(although it wouldn't shock me if it was tonight).

[luburch]

What's all this talk of zone? Syracuse plays zone?

[Troublemaker]

Peaking too early? I thought we always peaked in November, right? ;)

Anyway, I expect us to play well, especially since we are clearly the underdog. Syracuse has stayed undefeated as of now, and that's worth something, for sure. However, they haven't exactly won in dominating fashion. So I feel they are "ripe" for a loss.

This year's Syracuse team reminds me of past Duke teams, actually, that started out with awesome records but you could just sense a loss was imminent after "squeaking by" in some close games with inferior opponents.

Syracuse's first loss is coming soon, hopefully Saturday(although it wouldn't shock me if it was tonight).

I honestly can see Syracuse going 7-5 to finish the season. Outside chance of 6-6 even.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

What's all this talk of zone? Syracuse plays zone?

Why, yes they do, believe it or not.

And did you know that Jim Boeheim has the most wins at any one school?

And that he doesn't like the idea of the ACCT being played in Greensboro?

Oh, here's another shocking factoid, Jerome Bettis is from Detroit. :rolleyes:

[Rickshaw]

I don't remember the last time Andre had 2 hot
shooting nights in a row

[Matches]

What's all this talk of zone? Syracuse plays zone?

Also, when Syracuse loses a few games in a row, is there a contingent of fans who insist that Boeheim is being "stubborn" for refusing to play MTM?

[Kedsy]

I don't remember the last time Andre had 2 hot
shooting nights in a row

How about this week? He was 3 for 6 from three against FSU and 6 for 7 against Pitt (7 for 9 overall).

Or against Eastern Michigan (6 for 10 from three) and Elon (5 for 7). Or Michigan (2 for 2 from three; 3 for 3 overall) and Gardner-Webb (4 for 8 from three; 6 for 10 overall). Or Florida Atlantic (5 for 8 from three; 6 for 9 overall) and UNCA (3 for 6 from three; 4 for 7 overall).

Sometimes the narrative gets in the way of the truth.

[flyingdutchdevil]

We have one insanely important advantage over other teams: Coach K knows how to beat the Orange Zone. And it's not because Coach K is the best X&Os coach (I actually think there are a few better out there). It's because he hired Boeheim as a Team USA Assistant Coach for the sole purpose of learning how to break down a zone defense.

On the flip side, Boeheim has a better understanding of how Coach K thinks and operates than 99% of the headcoaches out there.

Regardless, I think that this will be one of the best coaching battles in a long, long time.

Go Duke, and give Orange hell.

[GGLC]

I don't remember the last time Andre had 2 hot
shooting nights in a row

Looks like Eastern Michigan (20 points, 6-10 from behind the arc) and Elon (15 points and 5-7) a month ago.

[slower]

Is the Carrier Dome known to be a shooter-friendly venue? Somehow, it's in my brain that (like other domed stadiums) it's not usually a favorable shooter's environment.

To follow on above comments, Dre will definitely get their attention. Fortunately, we have the luxury of having several threats from 3 - could be a night where Rodney shoots the lights out. And it seems like Amile is now ready for the big time.

Of course, it's impossible to know what will happen. It seems as if we (Duke fans) may be just a tad over-confident of our chances here, based on the Pitt game. OTOH, it could just mean that we're back in the national picture (something that, frankly, seemed impossible to me not so long ago).

For me, there's no result that seems implausible here.

[Native]

I predict that I'm going to need a large pitcher of some variety of beer to get through this one. Nail-biter.

[jv001]

Easily the toughest game we will have played on the schedule thus far, with apologies to Arizona, that being a neutral site game.

Major factors in the outcome of this contest will include:

-Taking care of the ball. As ridiculous as it sounds, Syracuse's back court of Ennis and Cooney are #1 and #2 in the ACC in steals per game. Syracuse's long, athletic players are great at creating open court turnovers and converting them into fast break points.

- Will Dawkins be a factor with his shooting? We're a perfect 10-0 this year when Dawkins hits double figure scoring. If he's hitting shots in this game, that zone is going to have to stretch to account for the threat he presents. We won't win this game unless we have at least one or two guys getting a feel from deep.

- Coming up with an effective game plan to contain Tyler Ennis. It's no longer up for debate who the best point guard in the ACC is. Ennis is the man, coming in with an assist to turnover ratio of 3.86 . . . Quinn Cook has had a lot of trouble staying in front of opposing guards, so having a good plan to keep him from doing what he does is paramount.

- Offensive rebounding. It's no secret that one of the key weaknesses of the zone defense is the lack of box out responsibilities on the defensive boards. Can we exploit this and crash the boards like we did against FSU? If so, it will go a long way towards helping us win this game.

This team gets a ton of praise for it's stingy defense, but you might be surprised to learn that their offense is even better, coming in at #5 in adjusted offense. Ennis is one of the best PGs in the country, CJ Fair is among the best scorers in the league, and Cooney and Grant are very capable offensive players as well. It's going to be a massive, massive game, with 36,000 expected in attendance. The atmosphere should be intense, but I think we're going to be prepared.

My prediction is that we continue this hot streak that we are on. The season has been building toward this moment, and I believe we're ready. I predict Jabari has his best game of the season thus far and Duke wins 74-70 in a nail biter. GO DUKE!

I like kAzE's take on this game.
1. Taking care of the ball against Syracuse guards Ennis and Cooney. Quinn and Rasheed have had a problem with sloppy passes out front that have led to turnovers or just missed being a turnover. Duke will have to take care of the ball. No sloppy play from our guards.
2. Dawkins from 3. If the Orange game plan to take Andre out of the game, then I hope Rodney and Quinn in particular take up the slack and can make the 3 ball. Quinn if healthy, I think may be the difference maker in this game. Hey, you heard it here first, lol.
3. Ennis is a very, very good point guard. Of all our guards, I believe Rasheed and Matt have the best chance of containing him. We can't let Tyler get into the lane and score or dish for easy baskets. Coach K will have a plan to best defend Ennis.
4. Duke's offensive rebounding. I look for Duke to continue to have success in rebounding our missed shots against their zone. Amile, Jabari and MPIII have a knack of getting us 2nd chance shots.
5. Their offense against our improving defense. I believe our guys have bought into Coach K's man to man and they see how it takes everyone being involved. No weak links. I think we have another good defensive effort.
6. My point...Foul Trouble. Lately this has not been a problem. I think that's because of the Line Change/Depth of our team. A tired player can get lazy and make silly/stupid fouls. I hope Coach K continues to use his bench because I believe that has been one of the reasons for Duke's improved play. If Jabari, Rodney and Amile stay out of foul trouble, I believe we leave with a win. Good points kAzE. GoDuke!

[Stevie_the_Lid]

How about this week? He was 3 for 6 from three against FSU and 6 for 7 against Pitt (7 for 9 overall).

Or against Eastern Michigan (6 for 10 from three) and Elon (5 for 7). Or Michigan (2 for 2 from three; 3 for 3 overall) and Gardner-Webb (4 for 8 from three; 6 for 10 overall). Or Florida Atlantic (5 for 8 from three; 6 for 9 overall) and UNCA (3 for 6 from three; 4 for 7 overall).

Sometimes the narrative gets in the way of the truth.

So statistically, he's not due another hot shooting night.

STL

[Stevie_the_Lid]

Peaking too early? I thought we always peaked in November, right? ;)

Anyway, I expect us to play well, especially since we are clearly the underdog. Syracuse has stayed undefeated as of now, and that's worth something, for sure. However, they haven't exactly won in dominating fashion. So I feel they are "ripe" for a loss.

This year's Syracuse team reminds me of past Duke teams, actually, that started out with awesome records but you could just sense a loss was imminent after "squeaking by" in some close games with inferior opponents.

Syracuse's first loss is coming soon, hopefully Saturday(although it wouldn't shock me if it was tonight).

You don't want 'Cuse to lose tonight. They would be pissed off and more determined Saturday.

STL

[Stevie_the_Lid]

I honestly can see Syracuse going 7-5 to finish the season. Outside chance of 6-6 even.

No way, no how. Name the 5 losses, let alone 6? Lets' see what happens tonight. The ACC teams have not figured out the zone yet. Pitt stands the best chance to avenge their loss. Syracuse's defense is getting better and better, even with the loss of their big man in the center. Coleman never played more than the first opening minutes. Nice to have his body and fouls available, but not a huge hole to fill. Syracuse's front court must be one of the largest in the ACC. Parker will not like it amongst the trees on the back line. Our sub, a 6'10" senior is a shot blocker and holds down the middle as well due to his familiarity with the zone. Dawkins will have to hit a couple to pull 'Cuse out and extend. He's a streaky shooter. Syracuse will have their eye on him, but he'll have to make a couple. I'm not sure the 36,000 will affect the Blue Devils much. They are used to the big stage, but it's an experience none the less. The largest on campus crowd in the history of the NCAA.

STL

[roywhite]

We have one insanely important advantage over other teams: Coach K knows how to beat the Orange Zone. And it's not because Coach K is the best X&Os coach (I actually think there are a few better out there). It's because he hired Boeheim as a Team USA Assistant Coach for the sole purpose of learning how to break down a zone defense.



Rommel... you magnificent bastard, *I read your book*!

[OldPhiKap]

Rommel... you magnificent bastard, *I read your book*!

Great reference.

As to K working with Jimmy B, that works both ways. JB probably learned more about K than the other way around.

[jv001]

No way, no how. Name the 5 losses, let alone 6? Lets' see what happens tonight. The ACC teams have not figured out the zone yet. Pitt stands the best chance to avenge their loss. Syracuse's defense is getting better and better, even with the loss of their big man in the center. Coleman never played more than the first opening minutes. Nice to have his body and fouls available, but not a huge hole to fill. Syracuse's front court must be one of the largest in the ACC. Parker will not like it amongst the trees on the back line. Our sub, a 6'10" senior is a shot blocker and holds down the middle as well due to his familiarity with the zone. Dawkins will have to hit a couple to pull 'Cuse out and extend. He's a streaky shooter. Syracuse will have their eye on him, but he'll have to make a couple. I'm not sure the 36,000 will affect the Blue Devils much. They are used to the big stage, but it's an experience none the less. The largest on campus crowd in the history of the NCAA.

STL

Frankly I don't think Syracuse will lose 5 or 6 games, but you never know. One of my best friends is a huge Syracuse fan(from there). He's always telling me, yeh the Orange will get off to a good start, but will come back down to earth as the season unfolds. A lot of times he's been right. I think this game goes along way in seeing just how good both teams are at this time of the season. Duke with some good wins over some good teams(Michigan, UCLA, FSU VA, and Pitt). Syracuse with not as many good wins. Going to be interesting. GoDuke!

[Henderson]

You don't want 'Cuse to lose tonight. They would be pissed off and more determined Saturday.


I can't imagine ever thinking that about the powder blue cheaters. So I guess 'Cuse hasn't qualified for 'rival' status quite yet.

Props to the Pitt students for trying. They had identical shirts and all bounced up and down making an "ooooooo" noise for 30 seconds at a time before sitting back down and chewing their nails in silence after a Duke score.

These things have to develop over time.

[Troublemaker]

No way, no how. Name the 5 losses, let alone 6? Lets' see what happens tonight.

Welcome to the board, Stevie.

This may be optimistic, sure, but I was thinking you guys could lose 5 of the following 7 games: @Wake, Duke, @Pitt, @Duke, @MD, @UVA, @FSU

Tonight's game at Wake is perhaps the weakest of those challenges, so even if you win, I wouldn't get too confident just yet.


You don't want 'Cuse to lose tonight. They would be pissed off and more determined Saturday.

That would just make two teams playing that way on Saturday :-)

[NSDukeFan]

I don't remember the last time Andre had 2 hot
shooting nights in a row


How about this week? He was 3 for 6 from three against FSU and 6 for 7 against Pitt (7 for 9 overall).

Or against Eastern Michigan (6 for 10 from three) and Elon (5 for 7). Or Michigan (2 for 2 from three; 3 for 3 overall) and Gardner-Webb (4 for 8 from three; 6 for 10 overall). Or Florida Atlantic (5 for 8 from three; 6 for 9 overall) and UNCA (3 for 6 from three; 4 for 7 overall).

Sometimes the narrative gets in the way of the truth.
Haha trick question. We don't see practises so we don't know how he shoots on consecutive nights. I would bet that he has had many hot shooting nights in a row at various points, just like he has had many hot shooting games back to back as Kedsy points out.


Also, when Syracuse loses a few games in a row, is there a contingent of fans who insist that Boeheim is being "stubborn" for refusing to play MTM?
I wouldn't doubt it. They would also feel terrible about the short bench he uses.

You don't want 'Cuse to lose tonight. They would be pissed off and more determined Saturday.

STL
I am much more concerned about how Duke plays and not particularly worried about an opponent and it's fans being determined to beat Duke.

[18258]

Duke cant lose this one, if they do I have to wear a syralose shirt at work all day, I work with a syralose grad

[Kedsy]

So statistically, he's not due another hot shooting night.

I know you're making a joke, but no. Statistically, if you assume that each shot has the same probability to go in, he's just as likely to have a hot night against Syracuse as he is on any other night.

[throatybeard]

What's all this talk of zone? Syracuse plays zone?

Hey, what are the chances we could successfully implement that defense in 48 hours or so?

[Henderson]

Worst mascot (http://www.theonion.com/articles/mascot-absolutely-reeks,35054/) in the ACC?

Or does that still belong to VT (http://fourhorsementattoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/vtech.jpg)?

[OldPhiKap]

Hey, what are the chances we could successfully implement that defense in 48 hours or so?

True. I fail to understand why Coach K does not stop being so stubborn, and go to a zone-predominant defense. Who the hell does he think he is?!?

[Dukehky]

Orange isn't even a primary color, it's just a stupid mix of red and yellow. BLUE Devils- primary color.

Going to be a war, and Cuse ain't ready.

[throatybeard]

Worst mascot (http://www.theonion.com/articles/mascot-absolutely-reeks,35054/) in the ACC?

Or does that still belong to VT (http://fourhorsementattoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/vtech.jpg)?

3841

[OldPhiKap]

3842

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

So much hype around the Krzyzewski/Boeheim match-up, the man to man vs the zone, the vast difference in the two awesome venues, etc, etc. Does anybody see this eclipsing Duke/ UNC as the rivalry of the ages? Carolina just doesn't seem quite as sexy anymore, does it?
Love, Ima

[OldPhiKap]

So much hype around the Krzyzewski/Boeheim match-up, the man to man vs the zone, the vast difference in the two awesome venues, etc, etc. Does anybody see this eclipsing Duke/ UNC as the rivalry of the ages? Carolina just doesn't seem quite as sexy anymore, does it?
Love, Ima

Very interesting question.

Duke-Syracuse has a lot of promise as a really good rivalry. Two best programs int he conference over the last few years, at least in. Terms of consistency.

Carolina is about visceral dislike, and assuming UNC does not end up vacating victories and NC's, pretty impressive results.

Syracuse is certainly a respected opponent who wants to knock the old ACC back. Should be fun to see this develop.

Certainly, K and JB are the two best coaches in the country going at it.

[Henderson]

So much hype around the Krzyzewski/Boeheim match-up, the man to man vs the zone, the vast difference in the two awesome venues, etc, etc. Does anybody see this eclipsing Duke/ UNC as the rivalry of the ages? Carolina just doesn't seem quite as sexy anymore, does it?
Love, Ima

The Duke-UNC-CH rivalry will endure. It has, and it will. These things are built over the long term and don't erode over the short term.

Regarding Syracuse. I don't know about long term or even what specifically a "rivalry" really requires. You know it when you see it. I will say that as long as Boeheim and Krzyzewski are coaching these respective teams, the games will get a lot of attention, including from me. Old School heavyweights who are friends, colleagues, and two of the best in the business. Yeah, I'll tune in for that every time and be glad in 20 years that I did.

P.S. I think we might have a little rivalry romance going with Pitt. Nothing past first base of course.

[AceDukie77]

Living here in Syracuse I am surrounded by a lot of SU fans that think we have no chance. But having just watched SU squeak by with another win against Wake I am getting more confidant by the day. Neither of these teams could hit the broad side of a barn. If Wake
had made even close to half of their shots they could have easily won this game. I think our defense is much better than Wake's, and if we play on the offensive end up to the level of our last few games, this game may not be as close as a lot of people are predicting. Syracuse seems to play down to the level of their competition so maybe they will crank it up a notch on Saturday. But if we can continue to play with the same effort and enthusiasm that we have exhibited in the last 5 games and not get knocked back by the crowd of 35,000 I feel pretty good about a win this Saturday. Go Duke!

[throatybeard]

The Duke-UNC-CH rivalry will endure. It has, and it will. These things are built over the long term and don't erode over the short term.

Regarding Syracuse. I don't know about long term or even what specifically a "rivalry" really requires. You know it when you see it. I will say that as long as Boeheim and Krzyzewski are coaching these respective teams, the games will get a lot of attention, including from me. Old School heavyweights who are friends, colleagues, and two of the best in the business. Yeah, I'll tune in for that every time and be glad in 20 years that I did.

P.S. I think we might have a little rivalry romance going with Pitt. Nothing past first base of course.

Excellent use of the bases metaphor.

I'm cool if we want to have a rivalry with Syracuse. (Maybe we can send them a note with yes/no boxes to check asking "do you un-like me?")

But I'm weary of the league and ESPN deciding who our rivals are. That's basically how the whole Maryland thing happened. It probably would have fizzled out after about 2003 if they hadn't been made our scheduling partner after the 2004 expansion. And now, the ACC has sort of moved Syracuse into our Maryland slot. Maryland is free to consummate their union with Northwestern and Indiana.

Me complaining isn't going to fix anything about it. But you know what? In the grand scheme of things, I think it would really only take one tweak to please the middle-of-the-road people like me where expansion is concerned. (I'm not one of the hardcore ACC8-or-death people).

Just give us State back. Just State. We're not asking the world here. Just State. Once in FB, twice in MBB and WBB.

Maybe Jabari will get to touch Boeheim's bosom Saturday night.

[Wildling]

So much hype around the Krzyzewski/Boeheim match-up, the man to man vs the zone, the vast difference in the two awesome venues, etc, etc. Does anybody see this eclipsing Duke/ UNC as the rivalry of the ages? Carolina just doesn't seem quite as sexy anymore, does it?
Love, Ima

Syracuse is promoting this match up as an instant rivalry. I'm originally from there, and have friends and family still living there. This is SU's biggest game I feel in the history of the Dome. There was talk of turning the court and using the entire dome for this game. But too many complaints from the season ticket holders I assume was the deciding factor on not utilizing the whole dome. That's how big of an event this is for Syracuse. The only other time I have seen this kind of hype for a game in Syracuse is when Michael Jordan rolled into town for a preseason game when he was playing for the Bulls. No disrespect to the Georgetown/Syracuse rivalry, but this game trumps those. Even my diehard Big East "is the best ever" Syracuse friends will admit that.

They have also been selling "Beat Duke" t-shirts for the better part of 3 months now. Here's an article a buddy of mine from Syracuse linked me to. I can't stress enough how huge of a game this is for the entire city of Syracuse. http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/index.ssf/2014/01/10_things_we_hate_about_duke_n.html#incart_river_d efault

Go Duke!

[brevity]

P.S. I think we might have a little rivalry romance going with Pitt. Nothing past first base of course.

I hope that's as far as it goes. If I'm forced to imagine some under-the-sweater action with Pittsburgh, this is what I picture:

3846

[BD80]

Syracuse is promoting this match up as an instant rivalry. ... This is SU's biggest game I feel in the history of the Dome. ...

... I can't stress enough how huge of a game this is for the entire city of Syracuse. http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/index.ssf/2014/01/10_things_we_hate_about_duke_n.html#incart_river_d efault ...

They were saying the same kind of thing it PittsburgH last week ... that the Duke game was the biggest game in Pitt bball history (not that Pitt's bball history compares to Cuse's)

Says all that you need to say about the Duke program and its status right now. Thank you Coach K

[MCFinARL]

I hope that's as far as it goes. If I'm forced to imagine some under-the-sweater action with Pittsburgh, this is what I picture:

3846

Hay--that is Ryan Kelly's future father-in-law you are talking about.

[roywhite]

Syracuse is promoting this match up as an instant rivalry. I'm originally from there, and have friends and family still living there. This is SU's biggest game I feel in the history of the Dome. There was talk of turning the court and using the entire dome for this game. But too many complaints from the season ticket holders I assume was the deciding factor on not utilizing the whole dome. That's how big of an event this is for Syracuse. The only other time I have seen this kind of hype for a game in Syracuse is when Michael Jordan rolled into town for a preseason game when he was playing for the Bulls. No disrespect to the Georgetown/Syracuse rivalry, but this game trumps those. Even my diehard Big East "is the best ever" Syracuse friends will admit that.

They have also been selling "Beat Duke" t-shirts for the better part of 3 months now. Here's an article a buddy of mine from Syracuse linked me to. I can't stress enough how huge of a game this is for the entire city of Syracuse. http://www.syracuse.com/axeman/index.ssf/2014/01/10_things_we_hate_about_duke_n.html#incart_river_d efault

Go Duke!

Pretty funny that in the linked article, in the first reason to hate Duke, this for flopping, etc. they feature Greg Paulus. Uhh, you do know he transferred to your school and started at QB?

[Billy Dat]

-While I agree that rivalries have to develop over time, I really like the "instant rilvalry" feel of Duke and Syracuse. It starts with the coaches, close friends and the two winning-est of all time. It extends to the traditions of the programs, and especially how they have each been prime representatives of their historic conferences. Even though this is now an ACC tilt, until some time goes by, it will really be like a marquee Big East v ACC challenge game. Part of the allure is how little we've played over the years - if you count up the most successful programs over the past 30 years, we've probably played them fewer than any of the others. Imagine if UConn had joined the conference with Calhoun still at the helm? That would have made Duke vs. Maryland look tame. Anyway, the ACC has lacked juice for years, these two Syracuse games, plus Pitt and eventually Louisville, add so much to the conference season.

-I can't find a spread for the game, but Syracuse will be favored, as they should be. I will add my voice to the chorus of those saying that I am glad to be the ones in the underdog role. While Duke really needs this game badly, to stay in the ACC hunt, a 1 or 2 NCAA seed hunt, etc., the pressure factor is hugely on the shoulders of Syracuse. Their fans and athletic department have built this up as the Super Bowl (same weekend!) and they are undefeated. Hopefully, our recent stretch of solid play has given our guys a real confidence. I have no doubt our guys will have full belief that they can win, and it will help if we can turn all that pent up fan frenzy, 35K strong in the Dome, against them somehow. It's a big ask, but the fact that Syracuse has elevated this game to Final Four status is an x-factor that I hope works against them and their precocious point guard.

[Troublemaker]

I think Coach K might aggressively full-court press in this game, i.e. not just have Quinn / Sheed pick up full-court but also present traps as well to get non-Ennis ball-handlers involved in breaking the press.

I'm kind of wondering how Cooney, Fair, Grant, and Christmas/Keita would fare if they have to handle the ball against pressure. Maybe they would flourish, though. Stevie_the_Lid, any insights you can provide?

The other goal besides forcing turnovers would be to wear them down over the course of the game. Syracuse is not deep, and what's more, they don't really have a ton of ball-handlers if Gbinije is the backup PG. If Ennis and Fair play 40 minutes against pressure, which might be the case on Saturday, they might not be so typically good at the end of games.

[gus]

In hindsight, Pitt was probably not the best game for Dre to go off in. If 'Cuse didn't know before, they've gotta be hyper aware of his ability as a zone buster now. It was a pleasure to watch him destroy the Panthers, though.

There's absolutely no way Boeheim isn't aware of Dawkins. That's just silly.

[blUDAYvil]

Does anybody see this eclipsing Duke/ UNC as the rivalry of the ages?

We'll know the Syracuse rivalry has eclipsed the UNC one the day there are more tents in K-ville for that game at CIS. Till then and always it's GTHC.

[peterjswift]

I think one thing to consider when looking at the "instant rivalry" possibilities of this game is that Duke's fan base is not nearly as regional as most other schools. There are a LOT of Duke fans in Mid-Atlantic and New England who are surrounded by SU alumns and fans. I know, at least in central PA, there are a lot more 'Cuse fans than there are UNC fans. Well - maybe not more in actual number, but the SU fans around here are generally alums or related to alums and are definitely more vocal than the average Tar Heel.

So for this region, this is a huge game and the rivalry feels like it is already there. As much as Duke fans in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states may love the Duke/UNC rivalry, they might not feel the same connection to that rivalry as fans in the Carolinas and Southern Atlantic states.

For example, I rarely have a significant party or anything at my house for Duke/UNC games other than perhaps my brother and a few major College B-Ball fans. However, I've already gotten emails and texts asking if I'm watching the game on Saturday and if they can come over. This game has more of a big-game feel than Duke/UNC does for this region, as awful as it might be to say that.

My argument falls apart a little bit, since those reasons should have made Duke/MD feel like more of a rivalry too, but I think MD simply didn't have the sustained success as SU. I imagine around here, this will be a well-watched game every year. Moreso than Duke vs MD and probably on par with Duke / UNC. I don't know how to check ratings by region, but I would not be surprised if the TV ratings for this game in the mid-atlantic and New England footprint of the ACC match or exceed Duke vs. UNC. If that ends up being the case, I guarantee that ESPN or CBS or whoever carries these games in the future will be pulling all stops in the future to plug this game.

[peterjswift]

We'll know the Syracuse rivalry has eclipsed the UNC one the day there are more tents in K-ville for that game at CIS. Till then and always it's GTHC.

I agree that this will never eclipse the Duke vs. UNC rivalry...especially in the state of North Carolina, but I could see potential for Duke vs SU games eclipsing UNC vs Duke in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states.

I don't think I would be able to relish beating SU nearly as much as beating UNC though, no matter how big this rivalry gets. I can't hate Syracuse the way I can hate UNC.

[roywhite]

I'm encouraged that this will be a better rivalry, than, say Duke -- Maryland. That IMO was marked by downright hostility and nasty behavior by the Terp fans.

Syracuse fans seem to know and love their hoops. And the Boeheim - K connection is a positive foundation, one with considerable friendship and respect. I wouldn't be surprised to see Coach K get a long and loud ovation when introduced pre-game.

Also gotta love the contrasting playing styles of the two programs. Should be very interesting to see the moves and counter-moves.

[szstark]

I'm encouraged that this will be a better rivalry, than, say Duke -- Maryland. That IMO was marked by downright hostility and nasty behavior by the Terp fans.

Syracuse fans seem to know and love their hoops. And the Boeheim - K connection is a positive foundation, one with considerable friendship and respect. I wouldn't be surprised to see Coach K get a long and loud ovation when introduced pre-game.

Also gotta love the contrasting playing styles of the two programs. Should be very interesting to see the moves and counter-moves.

There is only one rivalry - period.

[Lar77]

The rivalry with UN* is ingrained over a hundred years and starts in pre-K in NC. It has persisted during dark years where one or the other team has been not good. It carries through all of the sports.

Syracuse fans take basketball seriously. Boeheim and K are both great and respected coaches. The Big East - ACC discussion is still fresh. Boeheim's comments add fuel (gotta love him). It will be a great rivalry with all of these ingredients, but it is not a true rivalry until it sustains over generations. Syracuse-St John's was a great rivalry in the 1980s and into the 1990s, but fizzled somewhat. Syracuse-Georgetown was a great rivalry for the entire time of the Big East, but where is it now?

UNC-Duke and UNC-State are rare multi-generational rivalries that extend through all sports.

[flyingdutchdevil]

The rivalry with UN* is ingrained over a hundred years and starts in pre-K in NC. It has persisted during dark years where one or the other team has been not good. It carries through all of the sports.

Syracuse fans take basketball seriously. Boeheim and K are both great and respected coaches. The Big East - ACC discussion is still fresh. Boeheim's comments add fuel (gotta love him). It will be a great rivalry with all of these ingredients, but it is not a true rivalry until it sustains over generations. Syracuse-St John's was a great rivalry in the 1980s and into the 1990s, but fizzled somewhat. Syracuse-Georgetown was a great rivalry for the entire time of the Big East, but where is it now?

UNC-Duke and UNC-State are rare multi-generational rivalries that extend through all sports.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you. That's what makes the Duke / UNC rivalry special.

But the Duke / Syracuse game can be like the Georgetown / Syracuse game - two teams that love to play each other and play with passion (and sometimes get a little heated). Roywhite said it best: two historical coaches who respect each other and are good friends bringing their teams together for a tough fight. Also, Syracuse and Duke have been 2 of the top 5 teams for the last 5 years and neither is showing signs of slowing down. This is a guaranteed top 10 match up every year (our ranking isn't representative right now), something that can no longer be said of UNC. It's a game that I will look forward to from here on out. Whether I call it a rivalry or not is semantics; the excitement of the game is good enough.

[Troublemaker]

I'm encouraged that this will be a better rivalry, than, say Duke -- Maryland. That IMO was marked by downright hostility and nasty behavior by the Terp fans.

Syracuse fans seem to know and love their hoops. And the Boeheim - K connection is a positive foundation, one with considerable friendship and respect. I wouldn't be surprised to see Coach K get a long and loud ovation when introduced pre-game.


Oh, I believe you will be sorely disappointed, Roy. We're still Duke. Everyone hates us. Old rivals, new rivals, non-rivals, doesn't matter.

[Lar77]

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you. That's what makes the Duke / UNC rivalry special.

But the Duke / Syracuse game can be like the Georgetown / Syracuse game - two teams that love to play each other and play with passion (and sometimes get a little heated). Roywhite said it best: two historical coaches who respect each other and are good friends bringing their teams together for a tough fight. Also, Syracuse and Duke have been 2 of the top 5 teams for the last 5 years and neither is showing signs of slowing down. This is a guaranteed top 10 match up every year (our ranking isn't representative right now), something that can no longer be said of UNC. It's a game that I will look forward to from here on out. Whether I call it a rivalry or not is semantics; the excitement of the game is good enough.

We're on the same page. I've been looking forward to this game ever since Syracuse joined the ACC. Why? Because of respect for their program, following it for years, and having many friends and associates who are Syracuse fans. I hope other posters are correct and Boeheim and K coach for a number of years, because it should be a great game while they are around. In their competitive sphere, beating your enemy is sweet, but beating your friend is required.

I expect a close intense game, and I think our mental toughness wins the day.

Duke-Syracuse has elevated ACC basketball with or without ESPN hype.

[Lar77]

Oh, I believe you will be sorely disappointed, Roy. We're still Duke. Everyone hates us. Old rivals, new rivals, non-rivals, doesn't matter.

Do you think JB will get a long, loud ovation on February 22nd? He'll get loud, but I don't think it will be an ovation.

[Billy Dat]

I agree that this will never eclipse the Duke vs. UNC rivalry...especially in the state of North Carolina, but I could see potential for Duke vs SU games eclipsing UNC vs Duke in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states.

I don't think I would be able to relish beating SU nearly as much as beating UNC though, no matter how big this rivalry gets. I can't hate Syracuse the way I can hate UNC.

Duke v UNC will never be eclipsed, but as a Duke alum living in the NYC suburbs, I am surrounded by Syracuse alumni the way many of you are surrounded by UNC alumni. In fact, my two adjacent neighboring houses include 3 alums, I coach youth sports with another, my kids play on youth sports teams coached by others, I have many close childhood friends who went to Syracuse...etc. etc.

Right now, everyone being fake friendly...we'll see where we stand come Sunday morning!

[Dev11]

Do you think JB will get a long, loud ovation on February 22nd? He'll get loud, but I don't think it will be an ovation.

I don't recall us giving an especially notable welcome to Tom Izzo a few years back. I doubt Boeheim gets much at all. By the time the announcer says his name, it will nearly be tip-off, and the crowd won't have any room left in their minds for politeness towards the other team.

[AceDukie77]

Duke v UNC will never be eclipsed, but as a Duke alum living in the NYC suburbs, I am surrounded by Syracuse alumni the way many of you are surrounded by UNC alumni. In fact, my two adjacent neighboring houses include 3 alums, I coach youth sports with another, my kids play on youth sports teams coached by others, I have many close childhood friends who went to Syracuse...etc. etc.

Right now, everyone being fake friendly...we'll see where we stand come Sunday morning!



Living in the Syracuse suburbs and surrounded by SU season ticket holders I can assure you that they are going out of their minds about this game! I always fly my Duke flag proudly and get lot's of good-natured ribbing about it. Shortly after Christmas I had an anonymous gift in my mailbox with the aforementioned BEAT DUKE t-shirt that has been selling in local stores for months. Last night at a local bar to watch SU narrowly escape Wake Forest some guy comes up to me (not knowing I am a Duke grad) and flashes his t-shirt that says (BREATHE IF YOU HATE DUKE).... They are relentless! In today's Syracuse paper in addition to the 6 full pages of coverage on the game there is also a pull out full page poster that says "BEAT DUKE!". I have been to quite a few games at the Carrier Dome and yes it will be full and yes it will be loud but I can assure you it doesn't come close to the Cameron experience. My buddy has season tickets which he thinks are amazing but the sight lines are terrible and he is a long ways from the court. I don't even try to explain how their cherished game day experiences can't hold a candle to Cameron. But hey, it's all they know... So needless to say I will be pulling for our boys to spank the Orange in their Dome! let's tip it up already!

[arnie]

Living in the Syracuse suburbs and surrounded by SU season ticket holders I can assure you that they are going out of their minds about this game! I always fly my Duke flag proudly and get lot's of good-natured ribbing about it. Shortly after Christmas I had an anonymous gift in my mailbox with the aforementioned BEAT DUKE t-shirt that has been selling in local stores for months. Last night at a local bar to watch SU narrowly escape Wake Forest some guy comes up to me (not knowing I am a Duke grad) and flashes his t-shirt that says (BREATHE IF YOU HATE DUKE).... They are relentless! In today's Syracuse paper in addition to the 6 full pages of coverage on the game there is also a pull out full page poster that says "BEAT DUKE!". I have been to quite a few games at the Carrier Dome and yes it will be full and yes it will be loud but I can assure you it doesn't come close to the Cameron experience. My buddy has season tickets which he thinks are amazing but the sight lines are terrible and he is a long ways from the court. I don't even try to explain how their cherished game day experiences can't hold a candle to Cameron. But hey, it's all they know... So needless to say I will be pulling for our boys to spank the Orange in their Dome! let's tip it up already!

That very interesting and a big contrast from the local coverage. Both N&O, tv and radio coverage is all about the Russell Wilson love fest and resurgence of mighty Heels. I'm not sure any media from Triangle will be in Syracuse-they could rely on AP reports. Unfortunately, Duke-Syracuse is a non starter in this area.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Just saw this video: http://video-embed.syracuse.com/services/player/bcpid2448849542001?bctid=3095207873001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAPLpuTok~,Mq6Bf5KTh4Dvvb8uaadPnb5OsL AN0hSH

Features CJ, Jerami, and our very own Mike G(B). They laugh at any sexual innuendo.

This is not good. I can't be liking opponents before the game has started!

[Arctic Orange]

Just popping in to say hey, and that I'm excited for Saturday's game. Going to be a test for both teams.

The best Syracuse board is over at syracusefan.com. You guys are welcome to jump over there, and discuss the game with us, and I'm sure you will have some of us popping over here. For the most part everyone is respectful, and just wants to talk hoops. As any message board does, we have a couple knuckleheads, but dont let that keep ya away.

Disclaimer- Don't get your panties in a bunch over the "Hey Duke" thread. We do that for every team, in every sport, just having a little fun.

Here's hoping for a hell of a game Saturday, and hopefully and Orange W!!

[dukebsbll14]

Peel the oranges. Turn them into pulp!

[OldPhiKap]

Just popping in to say hey, and that I'm excited for Saturday's game. Going to be a test for both teams.

The best Syracuse board is over at syracusefan.com. You guys are welcome to jump over there, and discuss the game with us, and I'm sure you will have some of us popping over here. For the most part everyone is respectful, and just wants to talk hoops. As any message board does, we have a couple knuckleheads, but dont let that keep ya away.

Disclaimer- Don't get your panties in a bunch over the "Hey Duke" thread. We do that for every team, in every sport, just having a little fun.

Here's hoping for a hell of a game Saturday, and hopefully and Orange W!!

Welcome, and thanks for the info.

Should be a fun game, Syracuse is very good and the Dome will be rocking for sure.

As long as we all agree on hating UNC, everything else will work out fine.

Good luck Saturday, no injuries to anyone.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Just popping in to say hey, and that I'm excited for Saturday's game. Going to be a test for both teams.

The best Syracuse board is over at syracusefan.com. You guys are welcome to jump over there, and discuss the game with us, and I'm sure you will have some of us popping over here. For the most part everyone is respectful, and just wants to talk hoops. As any message board does, we have a couple knuckleheads, but dont let that keep ya away.

Disclaimer- Don't get your panties in a bunch over the "Hey Duke" thread. We do that for every team, in every sport, just having a little fun.

Here's hoping for a hell of a game Saturday, and hopefully and Orange W!!

Welcome! Glad you're making an appearance. Opposing fans are always welcome (even the rational UNC fan. There aren't many of them).

Just went over to your website. Gotta admit, the "Hey Duke" post made me laugh. I like those.

Another thing I noticed: 'Cus fans love to drink. I'd say around 40% of the posts reference alcohol. I knew I liked 'Cus for a reason!

[Dev11]

Disclaimer- Don't get your panties in a bunch over the "Hey Duke" thread. We do that for every team, in every sport, just having a little fun.

I read the Wake Forest one first just to get the gist for a more obscure opponent. Would it fly on this board? Probably not. Is it still funny? I think so.

You stay classy, Syracuse, and thanks for stopping by.

[Troublemaker]

Do you think JB will get a long, loud ovation on February 22nd? He'll get loud, but I don't think it will be an ovation.

I think there's a good chance our crowd will be polite. Syracuse has got to be a K-ville game, right? It's quite possible Coach K will talk to the students the night before, tell them to be polite to his good friend, and those instructions will make its way onto the cheer sheets. If Boeheim wanted to do something like that, he would have much less success instructing 36,000 people than a few thousand students. I would expect Duke to get booed, players and coach. Not that I mind.

[Rich]

Living in the Syracuse suburbs and surrounded by SU season ticket holders I can assure you that they are going out of their minds about this game! I always fly my Duke flag proudly and get lot's of good-natured ribbing about it. Shortly after Christmas I had an anonymous gift in my mailbox with the aforementioned BEAT DUKE t-shirt that has been selling in local stores for months. Last night at a local bar to watch SU narrowly escape Wake Forest some guy comes up to me (not knowing I am a Duke grad) and flashes his t-shirt that says (BREATHE IF YOU HATE DUKE).... They are relentless! In today's Syracuse paper in addition to the 6 full pages of coverage on the game there is also a pull out full page poster that says "BEAT DUKE!". I have been to quite a few games at the Carrier Dome and yes it will be full and yes it will be loud but I can assure you it doesn't come close to the Cameron experience. My buddy has season tickets which he thinks are amazing but the sight lines are terrible and he is a long ways from the court. I don't even try to explain how their cherished game day experiences can't hold a candle to Cameron. But hey, it's all they know... So needless to say I will be pulling for our boys to spank the Orange in their Dome! let's tip it up already!

I live in NJ and have had a few sarcastic offers from friends who graduated Syracuse to buy the BEAT DUKE t-shirt. What I keep telling them is that it's ironic that they printed a shirt with our name on it. Other than UNC because of the years and years of rivalry, you just don't see Duke printing apparel with another team's name on it. We're above that. It shows we're already superior and in their heads. Shuts them up every time.

[Grey Devil]

Big game this Saturday against Syracuse, the #2 team in the country – with a possible #1 waiting for them if they can beat Duke convincingly enough (especially given the tight game Arizona had with Stanford last night). It will be a very tough game for Duke, playing before 36,000+ hostile fans in the dome at Syracuse, all of whom will be eager for Blue Devil blood.


There's already been a lot of hype about the game – almost every time I turn on one of the ESPN channels there's a commercial plugging the game. Both teams recognize the importance of the game for the ACC standings and NCAA seeding, so they will be hyped up and more than ready to go. Duke has a bit of an advantage here in that they will have had more days to prep for the game – four days for Duke to only two for Syracuse (after flying back home after playing Wake). However, they will need that time to get ready for the infamous Syracuse zone that baffles just about all opposing teams.


However, there are ways to beat the Syracuse zone, even though it has such an intimidating reputation that (I think) many teams are psyched out before they even get on the court. But like all defenses it has its weaknesses, the challenge is just finding those weaknesses and exploiting them. Jim Larranaga, the Miami coach (who has faced Syracuse twice already this season – and lost closely both times) and an astute observer of the game, provides some useful information on how to beat it. Interestingly the story about how Larranaga suggests beating the Syracuse zone was published online by the local Syracuse newspaper, which you can read by clicking here (http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/index.ssf/2014/01/miamis_jim_larranaga_reveals_l.html).


The key quote for me in the story is this one:

"You might be able to get something for a little while, like maybe threes from the wing. Or shots from the high post. But if you get it a couple times in a row, they take it away. And you've gotta find a different way to score.

"That's one of the things we were doing in the beginning of the game. We couldn't find a way. And then all of a sudden we found an offense that was working against it. And Tonye Jekiri made a lot of good decisions with the ball in his hands (from the high post). He threw it inside for a layup or dunk. Kicked it outside for a three. Skipped it across the court for another shot. So then they took that away and made him shoot it.
"If you noticed, they backed off of him and James (Kelly) at the high post. So then those guys have to score. So when James made a couple shots, they took him away.
"So what ends up happening, as a coach you can't orchestrate everything on every possession. The players have to figure it out. Figure out what they're giving you. Read the defense correctly and then react.
"And if you know what they're going to do, you have to be ready to go with the shot. We told our players: 'They trap on the baseline. You gotta shoot before they trap.' So Donnavan Kirk caught it and he got that shot off so fast, he made it and felt really good about it. They didn't give it to him again. He didn't get that shot a second time."

The facile way to respond to zones is to say, "All you need to do is hit your outside (3-point) shots, thus forcing the zone to spread out, then dump the ball inside to your big men when they do." But Larranaga goes further and essentially says that you have to have a team that is smart enough to adapt to Syracuse's mutating zone. Syracuse is intelligent enough in their zone to take away your strengths during the game – for example, expanding the zone to cover 3-point attempts, but then dropping back when you start dumping down to the big guys. So your team needs recognize quickly what Syracuse is doing and when, and not rely exclusively on one method of attacking the zone. Your team needs to be able to read the defense each time down the court and counter what they are doing. And, of course, you have to do it quickly! If they're locking down on your big guys underneath then bomb away from outside. However, the next time you come back on offense they may have spread their "D" to negate your 3-pointers. In other words, if you've found success inside, don't count on it lasting very long.

We clearly have improved the last few games. We're rebounding better, we're more aggressive in our defense, we've been hitting our outside shots (thank you, Andre!) and our defense has improved tremendously. So I think we win based on basketball skill set, but it will utlimately come down to who can make the smart (winning) plays.

Both teams have excellent athletes. My take-away is that it will be the smarter team that wins.




Grey Devil

[Grey Devil]

I copied and pasted from the Syracuse newspaper article and it screwed up my formatting in my prior post. Don't know how to fix it (I've tried).

But you get the point. We can win if we play smarter than Syracuse.

Grey Devil

[rsvman]

It's an artificial rivalry. It's a manufactured rivalry. It's a media-fueled rivalry. How can we have a rivalry with a team we've only played six times in our history? It's ludicrous on its face.

It's as fake as Tammy Faye Baker's eyelashes, and it's being applied the same way she applied her make-up; in a heavy-handed way and with a spade. I mean, c'mon! The article "ten reasons to hate Duke," unravelled one at a time? It's nothing more than repackaged leftover generic Duke hate they borrowed from other fan bases. Number 10: Flopping. Number 9: Dukie V. Who among us couldn't write the rest of the article? No doubt it goes into "Duke gets all the calls," "Duke gets favorable draws in the tournament," "Coach K is an evil rat," "Christian Laettner stomped on that guy from Kentucky," and so on and so forth ad nauseum.

The thing is, Syracuse fans have no reason to be disgusted by any of those things, whether they're true or mythical. Because they've not been on the receiving end of any of that stuff over the years. It's just bandwagon hate, and nothing more. It's the same thing that makes a kid in Topeka, Kansas who doesn't even follow MLB say that the Yankees suck. It's a baseless distaste born of a kind of national disgust; it spreads like a Norovirus on a cruise ship.

But it is not, nor can it ever be, the basis of a rivalry.

I hope we form one over the coming years. But it's almost embarrassing to the fan base to have even mentioned the Duke-UNC rivalry in a thread about the upcoming Duke-Syracuse game. If the Syracuse fans hate us, they hate us for no good reason. Here's hoping that on Saturday we give them the beginning of a legitimate reason to hate us.

[Billy Dat]

Good start, Grey Devil.

One would think we need to shoot well from 3 to win. That's as basic as it gets, and is probably true nearly every game. Let's hope we get a few different guys hitting. Quinn, Rasheed, Andre, Rodney, Jabari, Tyler and Matt can all hit 3s. They may not all be shooting a gaudy percentage, but I don't get mad if any of those guys take an open 3 at the right time in the possession. Lets hope we shoot well in the unfamiliar airiness of the Dome.

We have seen a lot of zone this year (save your breath, I know it's not Syracuse's zone) Against zones this year, we have typically used Amile as the foul line entry recipient. I often feel like he makes himself "too small" in this role, almost like he's trying to sneak in there - you're a big guy, we see you - but he really seems to make good decisions off of the catch. If we can hit him at the foul line, odds are they will allow him to try and make a move rather than immediately collapse and open up kicks for 3s or passing lanes to Jabari/Rodney on the block. So, I think Amile will have opportunities to score early, and we'll need him to score in order to open up other things.

Aside from the entry pass, another way to attack the zone is to drive on it, and we've got the high screening action sets and players to execute against it. I feel like this aspect of our game is really coming along. While I still get frustrated at our slowness to get into a second set of action if our first set goes nowhere - how often does it seem like we take forever to reset? - I feel like, lately, especially against Pitt, we had more dynamic action happening off the primary ballhandler - guys cutting into more actionable spaces, less ineffective side to side dribbling and ball stopping. We'll need to be dynamic and decisive, and it would be great if Rasheed could figure out how to finish or get foul calls when he gets within 3 feet of the rim.

Defensively, I don't know enough about Syracuse's attack. I know Ennis has been a great floor leader and gets better the better the competition. Fair is obviously a star. Cooney is their primary 3 point threat and resident tough guy. As a team, they don't shoot the 3 very well. Seth Greenberg pointed out that it will be a great battle between all the 4s - Hood and Parker for Duke, Fair and Grant for Syracuse. The point guard battle is solid, too. Currently, Duke goes deeper, and I hope that continues. They aren't bigger than us, so we need to try and keep rebounding a big advantage, getting those second shots off offensive rebounds when the zone will be scrambling.

I really like our chances, we are peaking for this game.

[killerleft]

It's an artificial rivalry. It's a manufactured rivalry. It's a media-fueled rivalry. How can we have a rivalry with a team we've only played six times in our history? It's ludicrous on its face.

It's as fake as Tammy Faye Baker's eyelashes, and it's being applied the same way she applied her make-up; in a heavy-handed way and with a spade. I mean, c'mon! The article "ten reasons to hate Duke," unravelled one at a time? It's nothing more than repackaged leftover generic Duke hate they borrowed from other fan bases. Number 10: Flopping. Number 9: Dukie V. Who among us couldn't write the rest of the article? No doubt it goes into "Duke gets all the calls," "Duke gets favorable draws in the tournament," "Coach K is an evil rat," "Christian Laettner stomped on that guy from Kentucky," and so on and so forth ad nauseum.

The thing is, Syracuse fans have no reason to be disgusted by any of those things, whether they're true or mythical. Because they've not been on the receiving end of any of that stuff over the years. It's just bandwagon hate, and nothing more. It's the same thing that makes a kid in Topeka, Kansas who doesn't even follow MLB say that the Yankees suck. It's a baseless distaste born of a kind of national disgust; it spreads like a Norovirus on a cruise ship.

But it is not, nor can it ever be, the basis of a rivalry.

I hope we form one over the coming years. But it's almost embarrassing to the fan base to have even mentioned the Duke-UNC rivalry in a thread about the upcoming Duke-Syracuse game. If the Syracuse fans hate us, they hate us for no good reason. Here's hoping that on Saturday we give them the beginning of a legitimate reason to hate us.

Well, there's no time like the present to start a 'rivalry' against a school that, as far as we know, isn't cheating in order to keep 4th-grade-level readers eligible to play against us. That will be refreshing. How can we be expected to compete against a cheating rival like UNC... uh, never mind!:p:) Whoopin' up on cheaters IS a lot of fun, I admit.

[Billy Dat]

Some quotes from the Herald Sun piece about attacking the Orange 2-3

http://www.heraldsun.com/sports/duke/x1385732670/Duke-readies-to-meet-Oranges-famed-2-3-matchup-zone

“Not just 3 points,” Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon said. “We have to attack it, too. We can’t just settle around the 3-point arc and just hope shots go in. We have to attack it. But at the same time, we are known for shooting 3-pointers. If we get some open looks we are definitely going to shoot with confidence.”

“It’s going to have to be really good,” Jefferson said. “They are a big, long team and the way to beat the zone is to get the ball in the middle. That’s something that we are working on and we are going to have to execute.”

“When they have the ball,” Hood said, “pressure them and try to get into their legs and maybe the zone will get a little bit lazier than normal.”

Meanwhile, thinking about what a brand the Syracuse 2-3 has become, how often do you go to a youth basketball game and the coach yells out "Orange" or "Syracuse" to signal his/her team to switch to a 2-3?

[AceDukie77]

Just a side note about the "atmosphere" our boys will be facing in the Dome... The Carrier Dome is one of the few facilities in the country that sells beer for all college football and basketball games. In addition to all of the concession stands selling beer, there is also a LARGE area on the Dome floor adjacent to the basketball floor that takes up half of the football field that sells nothing but beer before and during the game. So between the combination of all the off campus bars on "The Hill" opening early and the doors to the Dome opening 2 hours before tip off, it will no doubt be a pretty rowdy crowd by gametime. My neighbors are heading up there 4 hours early to get the process started. ..... Keep that in mind when you here about what a great "atmosphere" it is in the Carrier Dome.

[Saratoga2]

There is no doubt that they have capable guards, however, they are just 6'2" and 6'4". We really can play Quinn on Ennnis and have a variety of options at the 2. Certainly Matt is a capable defender and both Sheed and Andre offer good athletic ability plus scoring punch. Tyler is also a capable defender so it appears we will be very competitive at guard.

The way we took FSU apart inside, size by itself is not that much of an issue. We do know that Syracuse has one of the best zones in the game, so they probably will be less mistake prone, but as others have said, we have seen a lot of zone this year.

The question of shooting at Syracuse might be an issue. I guess time will tell if the venue along with a loud partisan crowd will impact our shooters.

This will be a great test, really for both teams. There is nothing better than to get into a match with a top notch, quality opponent. The guys will learn a lot about themselves coming out of this effort and win or lose it will be good for both teams.

[Billy Dat]

Any chance of a Cooney v Thornton MMA sidebar?

[flyingdutchdevil]

Any chance of a Cooney v Thornton MMA sidebar?

Does Cooney have any chance? Thornton may be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the NCAA

[wilko]

I dunno what to expect from the Duke/Syracuse game..

I watched a HALF of the WF game.. so from my limited observation..

They are somewhat vulnerable to being attacked b4 the D is set. While that's true of ANY opponent - its especially important here to cash in where you dont have to face the full brunt of attacking that Phalanx formation on offense. Its not like their guys are slow... there are *some* opportunities here. Either way - we should run them and run them and run them wave after wave till they run out of fresh players.

They kind of double dare you... Dare you to take a low % outside shot, then they Dare you to drive the way - they swat, steal and knock around the ball once you DO penetrate with a collapsing swarm. Good decisions, being strong with the ball, good movement w/o the ball are paramount here. I think when Sheed attacks, he should look to dish close to the rim once the D collapses on him. Hes a very good ball handler and aggressive attacker (he can do things off the dribble that Cook cant)..- but lets face facts - he hasn't been getting the benefit of the doubt on many calls - so I'd be hesitant wanting him to be the exclusive finisher on the drive. Better he sets the table some for Amile/Parker/Hood/MP3 at close range. I think Hood can handle his own to drive and get a decent look. Parker to a lesser degree. lately he hasn't gotten much benefit of doubt close in either, especially off the dribble. In Parkers earlier struggles he seemed bothered by length. Lets hope hes figured it out.

I think our perimeter pressure will give SU something they haven't seen. Our guards seems at least as tall and at least as quick - so Im hopeful we can keep them from initiating their sets easily. Continuing our upward rebounding trend would be really helpful.

Should be a dynamite game. Hope we win!

[wk2109]

Does Cooney have any chance? Thornton may be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the NCAA

Speaking of Cooney, he's one of three Syracuse guys shooting 40% or better from 3 (CJ Fair is 4th at 28.1%), but he's been shooting a frigid 25% in ACC play. He's actually been shooting worse at home than on the road against ACC teams (6/32 at home vs. 8/24 on the road). Hopefully Saturday isn't a breakout day for him.

Ennis and Gbinije are the other 40%+ shooters, but they don't shoot at nearly the same volume that Cooney does. Ennis is shooting at 40% on the season and is 8/20 (40%) during ACC play while Gbinije is shooting at 45% on the season and is 4/9 (44.4%) during ACC play.

Cooney, Ennis and Gbinije basically play all of the minutes available at the 1 and 2 spots (they combine for 77.7 out of the 80 available minutes). Even though Syracuse plays zone, which may make people think they don't have to work as hard on defense, I think Duke's backcourt can wear them out, especially because they'll be hyper aware of Andre and the plethora of shooters.

[Troublemaker]

Shutting down Cooney would definitely be nice. He IS Cuse's second-leading scorer, behind Fair and just edging out Grant and Ennis, and Duke usually defends 3-pt shooters very well. That doesn't mean Cooney can't randomly perform well, but we usually limit players like him to subpar production. The entire team has to be aware of him, especially in transition, but I'm guessing Andre, Tyler, and Matt will spend the most time chasing Cooney, in that order. (Thinking Dre will see significant PT in this game, for obvious reasons).

[moonpie23]

who are the REFS for the game?

[Dukehky]

I may be very alone in this, but for Duke/Carolina games, I do not have fun at any point throughout the day or the game. I want Duke to win that badly. Part of that is the relentless harassment that I will take should Duke lose, part of it is that I was bred to absolutely loath that team. There is certainly a feeling of relief mixed with jubilation when Duke beats Carolina, but the relief is certainly there.

With the Syracuse game looming, I'm excited for the game. I think Cuse is a tad over-rated (Kansas is the 2nd best team in the country), but still a very good team, and I'm excited to see how Duke performs on the road against undoubtedly a top ten team. If we win, I'll be thrilled, and if we lose, potentially still a good experience at this point in the season. I'm not real big on moral victories, but that idea is more feasible in this situation than against any games against Carolina.

There are no moral victories against the Heels. Syracuse is not our rival, nor for me, will they ever be our rival because I don't have to deal with Syracuse fans. If I ever meet one in NC, they're a bandwagon fan who knows less about Syracuse basketball than I do.

Also, I abhor ESPN's treatment of the Coaching matchup when they discuss the national championships. K and Boeheim, they have a combined 5 national championships... Yeah, K has 80% of those. You could use that same phrase if you were talking about Massamino. Just talk about the combined wins or combined wins at one school if you want to give JB some kind of edge (even if it is imaginary).

[ice-9]

This could be Duke's toughest game to date, and I'm not the kind who likes to be optimistic. Chances are Duke will lose this game.

Yet.......isn't Duke a bad match-up for Syracuse? We've got lots of accurate outside shooters. We have lots of slashers. In the last few games, we've been a good offensive rebounding team. And we have Parker and Sheed, who I think will be excellent at initiating the offense from the middle. Both can penetrate, shoot the mid-range jumper accurately, and can dish (either to a baseline Amile or a shooter in the wings), and generally make good decisions. Rodney and Quinn can probably play that role really well too.

In short, we're equipped with the tools to beat that Orange zone. Of course, possessing those tools and actually using them effectively are two different things, but we certainly have the capability to score the basket.

I don't know much about Syracuse's offense, but I gather Ennis is the key. Quinn and Sheed are both very good on-ball defenders, so Ennis should be constantly under pressure. Perhaps in the full court? We've also been traditionally good at defending the 3, so hopefully that precludes Cooney's prolific shooting though against such a hyped opponent like Duke you never know.

Before the FSU game I thought we could go 3-0 given the way we've been playing. I'll stick to that assessment, and hope this Saturday proves me right.

[Kedsy]

I spoke to a rabid Syracuse fan last night. He says the key is how the game is reffed. Syracuse apparently likes a more loosely called game. He also suggested that Syracuse has best success against teams that rely on the three-point shot, because playing against Syracuse's zone tires the opponent's legs and their late-games shots are all short. Hopefully, the fact that we have a lot of offensive weapons and we (at least lately) play a lot of players will mitigate that issue.

[daveyro]

I spoke to a rabid Syracuse fan last night. He says the key is how the game is reffed. Syracuse apparently likes a more loosely called game. He also suggested that Syracuse has best success against teams that rely on the three-point shot, because playing against Syracuse's zone tires the opponent's legs and their late-games shots are all short. Hopefully, the fact that we have a lot of offensive weapons and we (at least lately) play a lot of players will mitigate that issue.
I like JD's article where we wrote:
"it's hard to attack a zone, particularly a morphing zone, without seriously fast ball movement. There's no zone in the world that can move as fast as a passed basketball".
This (ex)cuse fan who says the zone tires people legs....if we swing passes around a wide spread floor really fast, then their legs get tired -even more so if we can throw skip passes. also because they tend to "swarm" a player with the ball with even three defenders, we just gotta keep that ball moving. less dribbling, less iso's.

[jv001]

Looking at Rodney and Jabari's home and away numbers are interesting. Jabari numbers: FG% at home= 49%, away= 43%. 3 point at home= 46%, away= 32%. Rodney's numbers: FG% at home= 55%, away= 46%. 3point at home= 44%, away= 46%. Jabari seems to be getting his shooting eye back and one of the reasons is he's taking the ball to the basket. As for free throw shooting, Jabari shoots 71% at Cameron but actually shoots better on the road at 83%. Rodney is in reverse, home 89% and away 73%. You can probably throw those numbers out the window for Cuse but I had nothing else to do but look at some Duke stats. GoDuke!

[jv001]

I like JD's article where we wrote:
"it's hard to attack a zone, particularly a morphing zone, without seriously fast ball movement. There's no zone in the world that can move as fast as a passed basketball".
This (ex)cuse fan who says the zone tires people legs....if we swing passes around a wide spread floor really fast, then their legs get tired -even more so if we can throw skip passes. also because they tend to "swarm" a player with the ball with even three defenders, we just gotta keep that ball moving. less dribbling, less iso's.

Is this trapping of the ball like the Dean Smith tarheels of old? They called it the "run and jump" for some reason. The heels defense was a tough trap to beat. GoDuke!

[Kedsy]

Looking at Rodney and Jabari's home and away numbers are interesting. Jabari numbers: FG% at home= 49%, away= 43%. 3 point at home= 46%, away= 32%. Rodney's numbers: FG% at home= 55%, away= 46%. 3point at home= 44%, away= 46%. Jabari seems to be getting his shooting eye back and one of the reasons is he's taking the ball to the basket. As for free throw shooting, Jabari shoots 71% at Cameron but actually shoots better on the road at 83%. Rodney is in reverse, home 89% and away 73%. You can probably throw those numbers out the window for Cuse but I had nothing else to do but look at some Duke stats. GoDuke!

Do the "away" numbers include neutral site games? Because otherwise these stats don't say much due to the timing and small quantity (five) of our road games.

Even if the numbers do include the neutral site games, the quality of competition in our "away" games (Kansas, Alabama, Arizona, UCLA, Elon, Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami, and Pittsburgh) is way better than whatever's left, so the disparity in percentage could simply be that those games were against better competition.

[pfrduke]

Hope there are no Devils appearing in this Syracuse court today.

3849

[Dukehky]

Matt Jones is -8 thru 12 today in Dubai. I think that's a pretty good sign. Hopefully he's not jet lagged from his flight to NY tonight.

[Kfanarmy]

I spoke to a rabid Syracuse fan last night. He says the key is how the game is reffed. Syracuse apparently likes a more loosely called game. He also suggested that Syracuse has best success against teams that rely on the three-point shot, because playing against Syracuse's zone tires the opponent's legs and their late-games shots are all short. Hopefully, the fact that we have a lot of offensive weapons and we (at least lately) play a lot of players will mitigate that issue.

My impression has been that Syracuse speed on defense has been the key to defending the three point line. They cover / recover quickly as the ball is moved around the perimeter, rather than relying on the opponent having tired legs.

[jv001]

Do the "away" numbers include neutral site games? Because otherwise these stats don't say much due to the timing and small quantity (five) of our road games.

Even if the numbers do include the neutral site games, the quality of competition in our "away" games (Kansas, Alabama, Arizona, UCLA, Elon, Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami, and Pittsburgh) is way better than whatever's left, so the disparity in percentage could simply be that those games were against better competition.

The numbers do include neutral court games. Rodney's numbers in those games: FG%= .49%, 3pt= .40%, FT%= .68%. Jabari numbers: FG%= 48%, 3pt-.38%, FT%= 90%. As you said, the neutral court games came against good completion and earlier in the season. Jabari was shooting better at the beginning of the season. However after hitting a tough stretch of games where he shot poorly, he's picked it up lately. Like I said in my post, I was bored and thought I would post what I found. GoDuke!

[DeBlueDevil]

Just watched a video on ESPN.com. I don't know why but it bothers me when a Duke alum does this. I remember numerous times when Hubert Davis and Kenny Smith pick UNC regardless if they were in a tough spot. Meaningless but just thought I'd share.

[Kedsy]

My impression has been that Syracuse speed on defense has been the key to defending the three point line as they cover / recover quickly as the ball is moved around the perimeter, rather than relying on the opponent having tired legs.

I'm sure the team doesn't actually rely on the hope of opponents' tired legs. I think what this guy was saying is, contrary to popular opinion about how to beat a zone, an opponent relying on the three-ball to beat Syracuse won't have too much success.

I have no idea if he's right, but looking at Syracuse's games that were unexpectedly close, the teams that hung with Syracuse either didn't shoot too many threes (St. Francis (NY) lost 56-60 but only took 13 3's) or shot an awful percentage (California lost by 11 and shot 28.6% on threes; St. John's lost by 5 and shot 6.7% on threes; Wake lost by 11 and shot 15% on threes). None of those teams relied on the three to stay close to Syracuse. Only Miami, losing by 5 at Syracuse, shot OK from three (although not great), but going 7 for 19 probably couldn't fairly be characterized as relying on the three.

On the other side of the coin, the six teams this season who shot 24 or more three attempts against Syracuse (Cornell, Fordham, Colgate, Villanova, Eastern Michigan, Va Tech) all got beaten pretty handily, with the possible exception of Fordham, which only lost by 14 by shooting 41% on 27 three-point attempts.

So, again, I don't know if this guy's observation is accurate, but there is some evidence for it in the stats.

[Kfanarmy]

Really looking forward to this game! Reminds me a bit of the old Heinz ketchup commercials...hope the substance is worthy of the anticipation.

My keys to the game FWIW.

1) Offensive rebounding. Hit shots and rebound misses. Syracuse likes to turn and burn when they get a defensive rebound, often getting a shot up on the other end before the opposing defense is back. (of course hitting a high percentage of shots to begin with helps )
2) Constant motion through the zone without the ball. Motion into and out of the zone without the ball distracts the D and provides opportunities for outside in / inside out passing. It also complicates Syracuse desire to mass on the ball handler in the corners.

3) Stay in front of Ennis on D. Limit his passing angles and vision.
4) Have active hands and be disciplined on interior D. if Duke commits a foul, they need to get their money's worth to prevent +1 opportunities.

my thinking anyway.

[BigOrangeMachine]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

[kAzE]

Just watched a video on ESPN.com. I don't know why but it bothers me when a Duke alum does this. I remember numerous times when Hubert Davis and Kenny Smith pick UNC regardless if they were in a tough spot. Meaningless but just thought I'd share.

J-Will used to be the biggest Duke homer on TV, but he's changed his ways this year and is picking against Duke quite a bit. Doesn't bother me at all, it's his job, it's not like he's cheering for Syracuse . . you know who he's rooting for. I think we got their number though, and I think Jay would like nothing more than to be wrong.

[kAzE]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

Just make sure you come back here for some crow sandwich when you go home disappointed ;)

[BigOrangeMachine]

:o Tyler Ennis 11

[Duvall]

You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night.

Duke hears that a lot.

[OldPhiKap]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

Good luck tomorrow. Should be a fun game, and the first of many over the years.

[arnie]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

Shouldn't be much of a game with the 2nd ranked team playing an overrated 17th ranked team on the 2nd ranked team's home floor. Hopefully, we can keep within 20 or so.

[OldPhiKap]

Shouldn't be much of a game with the 2nd ranked team playing an overrated 17th ranked team on the 2nd ranked team's home floor. Hopefully, we can keep within 20 or so.

True, probably no reason to even show up.

[Bob Green]

There is no need to start a bunch of new threads to discuss the game, that is why we have a game thread. I merged one new thread into the existing game thread and I am closing this one.

[FerryFor50]

Shouldn't be much of a game with the 2nd ranked team playing an overrated 17th ranked team on the 2nd ranked team's home floor. Hopefully, we can keep within 20 or so.

Gosh, I hope they don't start chanting "overrated." That'll hurt our feelings...

[arnie]

Matt Jones is -8 thru 12 today in Dubai. I think that's a pretty good sign. Hopefully he's not jet lagged from his flight to NY tonight.

Actually he's leading the PGA tourney in Arizona. Gonna be a problem - by leading he'll have a late afternoon tee time tomorrow - with the Concorde he might land in the Carrier Dome parking lot by 2nd half.

[BigOrangeMachine]

Teams that slow it down and pass it a lot seem to give us fits. I"m betting K knows our zone inside and out.
In the end it's all gonna come down to making threes I think. We aren't that good at it, but you already know that probably. I have tosay I really like Parker. Not sure we can contain him. Our bigs foul like crazy

[FerryFor50]

I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up?

Pretty sure it isn't "one of us." The internet is kind of a free for all. Maybe check one of the other several Duke forums on the interwebz?

[MChambers]

Teams that slow it down and pass it a lot seem to give us fits. I"m betting K knows our zone inside and out.
In the end it's all gonna come down to making threes I think. We aren't that good at it, but you already know that probably. I have tosay I really like Parker. Not sure we can contain him. Our bigs foul like crazy
In any event, welcome to our forum. Hope you'll post here, win or lose.

[Billy Dat]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

It's funny, I saw the following tweet and decided to post it here when I saw BigOrangeMachine's note:

Dana O'Neil ‏@ESPNDanaOneil 1m
Checked in at Syracuse hotel. Woman at front desk said she expects tomorrow to be 'crazy.' I think that's an understatement.

Dana O'Neil's tweet made me remember, and BigOrange's note substantiated, just how great it is to be a Duke fan. A program as tradition rich as Syracuse, and the entire city and region surrounding it, has basically worked themselves up into a complete frenzy over the Blue Devils coming to town. They've been waiting for years, says BigOrangeMachine. I bet they have. Amazing how a win over Duke can be the highlight of a lifetime. Amid all of the epic Big East battles fought inside the hallowed Carrier Dome, only a visit from the Duke Blue Devils can inspire a record-setting crowd.

BigOrange, I am glad your multi-year wait has come to an end. Duke has come to town and made your wishes come true. The thing is, pretty much every town we roll into reacts this way, we are used to it. It doesn't mean we're going to win, but it's nothing new.

[kAzE]

Teams that slow it down and pass it a lot seem to give us fits. I"m betting K knows our zone inside and out.
In the end it's all gonna come down to making threes I think. We aren't that good at it, but you already know that probably. I have tosay I really like Parker. Not sure we can contain him. Our bigs foul like crazy

Wow, your confidence took a giant nosedive within 4 posts. What happened to rocking our world?

Way I see it, we have exactly the type of team that is built to beat this Syracuse team. Ball pressure/offensive rebounding/low turnovers/high pace, with a multitude of slashers and accurate perimeter shooters. We've been playing against zones all year, no matter how great Syracuse is, they aren't going to be doing something we've never seen. Don't think you're getting the same Duke team that laid an egg at Clemson. We've been rolling and playing our best basketball over the past few contests. If we play our game, I think we've got a great shot to win this one on the road.

[dukelifer]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

Just so you know- a 12 pt win in the ACC is not considered a whipping. Perhaps that was the case in the Old Big East. Cuse's 5 point win agains Miami- a team Duke beat by 21 and a 5 point win over Pitt - a team Duke beat by 15 are not whippings either. This should be a good game. Cuse knows how to win close games since they have been in them all year- so we shall see if that comes to an end.

[OldPhiKap]

Pretty sure it isn't "one of us." The internet is kind of a free for all. Maybe check one of the other several Duke forums on the interwebz?

Gotta agree. Lots of respect here for Boeheim in general given his work with K and the Olympics, and not a lot of trash talkers on this board. Except with UNC, of course. But I think most folks here are looking forward to the game and future series with Syracuse.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Wow, your confidence took a giant nosedive within 4 posts. What happened to rocking our world?

Way I see it, we have exactly the type of team that is built to beat this Syracuse team. Ball pressure/offensive rebounding/low turnovers/high pace, with a multitude of slashers and accurate perimeter shooters. We've been playing against zones all year, no matter how great Syracuse is, they aren't going to be doing something we've never seen. Don't think you're getting the same Duke team that laid an egg at Clemson. We've been rolling and playing our best basketball over the past few contests. If we play our game, I think we've got a great shot to win this one on the road.

We beat FSU at home. We beat Pitt away. We were barely ranked in the top 25 a few weeks ago.

I think we've proven a lot. We want to beat 'Cus tomorrow, but I don't think we're stressing or freaking out about it.

'Cus, on the other hand, is freaking out about the game. The whole town is going insane and I'm sure Boeheim doesn't want to loss his most important game of the regular season. Much like Pitt did, Syracuse may come in expecting to win. And that bodes well for us. Zone or no zone, it's gonna be an awesome game.

My prediction: Sulaimon will be the MOTM.

[wk2109]

Duke and Syracuse have faced three common opponents this season: Eastern Michigan, Miami and Pitt:

Eastern Michigan
Duke +23 (home)
Syracuse +22 (home)

Pitt
Duke +15 (away)
Syracuse +5 (home)

Miami
Duke +21 (away)
Syracuse +5 (home); +12 (away)

Duke has the edge in point differential against all three common opponents, including two double-digit road wins against opponents that Syracuse only beat by 5 at home.

A few of my hopes for tomorrow:

1. Amile and Marshall dominate the offensive glass. Syracuse has allowed a 30% O-Reb% (116th nationally). They say it's harder to rebound from a zone defense, so hopefully Amile and Marshall take advantage of potential missed box outs.
2. Syracuse players let the hype of the game get to their heads: "Beat Duke" t-shirts, biggest Carrier Dome crowd ever, ESPN commercials 24/7, undefeated record on the line, Boeheim vs. K... there's a lot of reasons they might not be completely focused.
3. Tyler and/or Matt can hit some threes. Just like some random guys always seem to make their first few threes of the season against Duke, I'd love it if some of Duke's lesser-known offensive threats could stick some daggers into Syracuse.

[MChambers]

Thinking about the Syracuse zone, I like that Coach K has had four days to prepare the team for it. Reminds of some past matchups with Temple, when John Chaney was coaching. Temple used a zone (albeit a somewhat different zone), too, and Duke usually did pretty well against it, but not always.

Having said that, I'm certainly not all that confident. Hope our defense continues to play well. I'm far more worried about that end of the floor than how Duke will do on offense.

[Rickshaw]

Concerned about our shooters in the dome. Didn't Duke play there
in a tourny game once ? Anyway...with all the hype..........
will the orange storm the court if they win ?

Lets hope we never know !

[TruBlu]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

We don't have friends down the road, unless you are speaking of Wake Forest. (And that is only when they are playing UNC.)

[Channing]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

(1) If you are looking to pick a fight and get into a pissing match ... this is the wrong forum. You will generally find some of the most educated/loyal/reasonable fans posting here.

(2) I do think its funny for a SU fan to talk about dodging a trip to SU ... doesn't it usually take SU until some time in January to leave the state of NY?

(3) I am really looking forward to seeing if Duke uses Amile in the high post to try and dissect the zone. It would seem to be tailor made for him, especially the way he has been playing of late.

[dukelifer]

Gosh, I hope they don't start chanting "overrated." That'll hurt our feelings...

If they win- it could be the first time the crowd of a 2nd ranked team rushes the floor having beaten an 18th ranked team.

[dukelifer]

Thinking about the Syracuse zone, I like that Coach K has had four days to prepare the team for it. Reminds of some past matchups with Temple, when John Chaney was coaching. Temple used a zone (albeit a somewhat different zone), too, and Duke usually did pretty well against it, but not always.

Having said that, I'm certainly not all that confident. Hope our defense continues to play well. I'm far more worried about that end of the floor than how Duke will do on offense.

Rumor is that the only reason K put Boeheim on the USA team coaching staff is because he knew that Cuse would end up in the ACC one day and he wanted to get the inside scoop on how to play that zone. He has been preparing for years.

[throatybeard]

Our December 1989 game in Greensboro (back when the court there didn't look like a bunch of pastel crap) versus Syracuse is on ESPNC right now. The short-live ACC-Big East Challenge.

Hurley is still in his throw-the-ball-all-over-the-place phase.

I think this is the first time I've seen Phil Henderson on a TV screen since he died.

[toooskies]

I'm sure the team doesn't actually rely on the hope of opponents' tired legs. I think what this guy was saying is, contrary to popular opinion about how to beat a zone, an opponent relying on the three-ball to beat Syracuse won't have too much success.

I have no idea if he's right, but looking at Syracuse's games that were unexpectedly close, the teams that hung with Syracuse either didn't shoot too many threes (St. Francis (NY) lost 56-60 but only took 13 3's) or shot an awful percentage (California lost by 11 and shot 28.6% on threes; St. John's lost by 5 and shot 6.7% on threes; Wake lost by 11 and shot 15% on threes). None of those teams relied on the three to stay close to Syracuse. Only Miami, losing by 5 at Syracuse, shot OK from three (although not great), but going 7 for 19 probably couldn't fairly be characterized as relying on the three.

On the other side of the coin, the six teams this season who shot 24 or more three attempts against Syracuse (Cornell, Fordham, Colgate, Villanova, Eastern Michigan, Va Tech) all got beaten pretty handily, with the possible exception of Fordham, which only lost by 14 by shooting 41% on 27 three-point attempts.

So, again, I don't know if this guy's observation is accurate, but there is some evidence for it in the stats.

I'm not worried about tired legs on 3-pointers, because Dawkins doesn't get enough minutes to get tired legs.

The things Syracuse does exceptionally well on defense is force turnovers (8th in the country) and block shots (2nd). They're fairly average at defending the 3 in terms of percentage, overall. In terms of ratios of 3s, they give up the third-highest percentage of 3-point shots of any team.

Duke is the 7th best team in the country in terms of not giving up turnovers and the 5th best three-point shooting team in the country, although we're ranked 30th or so in ratio.


... As usual, those numbers don't really have much predictive power about what will happen on Saturday.

[Arctic Orange]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road



Well, I haven't been there in years, but I see syracuse.com hasn't changed...

[MChambers]

Rumor is that the only reason K put Boeheim on the USA team coaching staff is because he knew that Cuse would end up in the ACC one day and he wanted to get the inside scoop on how to play that zone. He has been preparing for years.
Even better, it's the only reason Coach K agreed to coach Team USA.

[nyesq83]

Yes, it is a shame that it has taken Duke this long to play in the Carrier Dome.

All of the games versus Syracuse in Cameron have been barn burners...

[Stevie_the_Lid]

I think Coach K might aggressively full-court press in this game, i.e. not just have Quinn / Sheed pick up full-court but also present traps as well to get non-Ennis ball-handlers involved in breaking the press.

I'm kind of wondering how Cooney, Fair, Grant, and Christmas/Keita would fare if they have to handle the ball against pressure. Maybe they would flourish, though. Stevie_the_Lid, any insights you can provide?

The other goal besides forcing turnovers would be to wear them down over the course of the game. Syracuse is not deep, and what's more, they don't really have a ton of ball-handlers if Gbinije is the backup PG. If Ennis and Fair play 40 minutes against pressure, which might be the case on Saturday, they might not be so typically good at the end of games.

Cooney is fine and you know Gbinije can handle the ball. Fair has the most turnovers on the team, Grant is a decent ball handler, but not great. Christmas cannot handle the rock and Keita has hands of stone.

STL

[Newton_14]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road
Wow. Nice first post as a visitor to the best basketball website in the nation, and the best basketball program in the nation for years running. Very respectful that wasn't.

As for the game, Cuse is undefeated, ranked Number 2 in the nation, and the game is at their place, with the opponent being ranked a paltry 18th. Haven't seen the line yet but for sure Cuse is favored. So all things so far are working in your favor.

Here are the things that should worry you heading into the game tomorrow. First, one staple of Duke Basketball under Coach K (other than the great defense of course) is when his teams shoot the ball well in a game, they win. Every time. No matter the opponent, situation, rankings, talent, etc. They win. Most times win big. So if Duke is collectively shooting it well as a team tomorrow, Syracuse has absolutely no shot of winning. Now, two things in your favor there. One is shooting can be difficult in a dome. Two is they shot the ball really well in the last game against Pitt. So chances are, Duke will not shoot lights out tomorrow. It's possible, but more likely, Duke will have a marginally successful day shooting the rock.

Next thing to fear: Duke is starting to gel and since the UVA game has been playing at a really high level in all phases of the game, and on top of that, going very deep into the bench (10-11 deep every game), while still playing at that high level. The drop off when the subs come in has not only not happened, in some cases they have actually taken it up a notch. Had this game been played 2 to 3 weeks ago, Duke would have had very little chance of winning. They were playing that bad. Things, they are a changing though....for the better. They are starting to resemble the type of team we thought we had coming in. Has just taken time to come together. Tomorrow is a great test for our kids.

Apparently unlike you, I have mad respect for our opponent in tomorrow's game. Jimmy B is a great basketball coach and person, has built and maintained a high level program, has really good talent on this team, and they are disciplined and well coached. If Duke maintains the recent high level of play from the past 2 weeks, tomorrow, it is going to be one heck of a game. Like others have mentioned, this being Syracuse's Super Bowl, and biggest game ever will not faze our kids. They live it daily. Something like 38 of our last 44 road losses resulted in court stormings. Our kids will be prepared for the crowd, the atmosphere, and the "Super Bowl" aspect. None of that will determine the outcome.

Very glad you will be coming down for the rematch as you will get to experience watching a game in the best College Basketball arena on planet Earth, and the greatest student section on planet earth, led by DBR's very own "Native". Save the ticket stub. It will be the best college game experience of your lifetime win or lose.

Bad luck wishes for you tomorrow. Our team need's this win.

P.S.- Really hate you did not get the normal version of a UNC Basketball team in that game. Had that happened, you would have one loss on your resume heading into tomorrow's game. That said, happy as can be that you beat them. Up until recently, had always respected the program, but never pull for them under any circumstance.

[killerleft]

:o Tyler Ennis 11

How big are the oranges you can make with that machine?:) I've always been interested in alchemy. I think the 14th-generation grandson of Sir Isaac posts quite frequently on this board!

[Bob Green]

Haven't seen the line yet but for sure Cuse is favored.

Syracuse is currently a 2.5 points favorite in Vegas.

[Kedsy]

Two is they shot the ball really well in the last game against Pitt. So chances are, Duke will not shoot lights out tomorrow. It's possible, but more likely, Duke will have a marginally successful day shooting the rock.

Come on, you know this isn't true. If a coin comes up heads 9 times in a row, the odds are still 50/50 on the next toss. Our shooting prowess against Pitt will have nothing to do with our shooting percentage against Syracuse.

[DBFAN]

So I go on FB tonight and the first thread I see is a post from a Carolina fan, from a SYU website called 10 reasons why we really hate Duke ( they really aren't that clean). I don't even know what to say I mean the hypocrisy in all of that is just too much for me to take

[Newton_14]

Come on, you know this isn't true. If a coin comes up heads 9 times in a row, the odds are still 50/50 on the next toss. Our shooting prowess against Pitt will have nothing to do with our shooting percentage against Syracuse.
Oh I totally agree with that. Really I do. It's just sometimes we have that game where we just can't hit shots. Had we shot poorly at Pitt though, I would feel better about how we shoot it tomorrow. Weird thought process I guess.

The great part about this team is we just have so many quality shooters, odds are good that at least 1 to 3 of them will be shooting it well in most games. That is a strength of the team imo. When several of them are on at the same time, it just gets ridiculous.

[carmelo2003]

I was wondering, I am new on here, is there a place to post with other viewers?

[-jk]

I was wondering, I am new on here, is there a place to post with other viewers?

Not sure what you're asking.

-jk

[FerryFor50]

:o Tyler Ennis 11

Who's that? Is he any good?

[FerryFor50]

Not sure what you're asking.

-jk

I think he means posting during the game while others watch.

This thread would be it, as well as the chat board.

[DBFAN]

This is a nice response

@tstyles77: Orange you glad I'm not worried about the Cuse? | My latest @DukeReport. A 100% factual preview for tomorrow's game. http://t.co/jp7tuPv82J

[throatybeard]

Syracuse is currently a 2.5 points favorite in Vegas.

I can't believe it's that low. That would make us a favorite on a neutral floor.

Where did it open? Did the early money move towards Duke? Is Joe CasualBet skewing this towards Duke?

[carmelo2003]

No way, no how. Name the 5 losses, let alone 6? Lets' see what happens tonight. The ACC teams have not figured out the zone yet. Pitt stands the best chance to avenge their loss. Syracuse's defense is getting better and better, even with the loss of their big man in the center. Coleman never played more than the first opening minutes. Nice to have his body and fouls available, but not a huge hole to fill. Syracuse's front court must be one of the largest in the ACC. Parker will not like it amongst the trees on the back line. Our sub, a 6'10" senior is a shot blocker and holds down the middle as well due to his familiarity with the zone. Dawkins will have to hit a couple to pull 'Cuse out and extend. He's a streaky shooter. Syracuse will have their eye on him, but he'll have to make a couple. I'm not sure the 36,000 will affect the Blue Devils much. They are used to the big stage, but it's an experience none the less. The largest on campus crowd in the history of the NCAA.

STL

Syracuse enjoys to control tempo. You do not want to play passive against Syracuse 2-3 zone. If you do that, Duke will start jacking up threes from all over the dome. This is a bad idea. Jim Boehiem wants you to shoot threes. It is a fools gold. Syracuse than will bang inside and try to score from the painted area.

Cooney is having a rough ACC trip, but you still have to cover that guy. If he finds his range, he will toss them up there. Unlike most three point specialists. Cooney is a good athlete, and can drive for a dunk. He is a strong kid, and a decent size guard.

Ennis is amazing. I feel the best point guard ever to wear an orange uniform. Kid is a freshman and has ice in his veins.

Duke loves to score and score in bunches. Be careful that Duke does not get too comfortable out there. Syracuse plays great defense and is ranked 10th in the nation with 57 ppg.

Duke has an advantage on the free throw line at 74%
Syracuse is at 69%. Ennis is not the guy you want to foul, or Cooney.

MG, the transfer from Duke is, well, not that good. Nice kid, we love him, but he is still in the learning stage. For a kid his size, especially at guard, not fast at all. At 6'7, I haven't seen him dunk. Now I get why coach K let him transfer.

regardless, this will be a great match up. The only down side for Duke, can they handle our bigs and all great shooting teams tend to fizzle at some point. I ma hoping Saturday, or this will be a long game.

Syracuse fans think Duke should be in the top 4 in the nation. Duke is one scary team. I just hope we keep it close. Parker is an absolute man child.

Duke is deeper than Syracuse. Syracuse has to dig deep, but one advantage we have is that Ennis is something else. Kid has a high basketball I.Q

Good luck. I am not buying the point spread. At Duke, we lose and at the Dome, call it even. It could go either way.
I do not know how good Syracuse is, they play to the competition. JB will not play the fluff game. I think he wants to keep us under the radar, but being 2 in the nation. I find that to difficult. See you guys Saturday.

[Troublemaker]

I can't believe it's that low. That would make us a favorite on a neutral floor.

Where did it open? Did the early money move towards Duke? Is Joe CasualBet skewing this towards Duke?

It opened at 4.5 and quickly (within 90 minutes) moved to 2.5. My read is Joe Casual is not responsible for this movement.

[moonpie23]

We've been waiting for years for you to have the nerve to show up here and now you can't dodge us any more. You've never seen anything like what is in store for you tomorrow night. Gonna rock your world. I'm wondering why one of you is up in our forum riling people up? But you're all welcome to visit it at Syracuse.com/basketballfan/forum.

we welcome the interchange of ideas (and taunts). Incidentally I will be down there for the game when we visit.

I think you will find the zone isn't gonna be your cup of tea. Better shoot lights out or it's gonna be the same whipping we gave your friends down the road

Hey, man….welcome to DBR…..please leave us your cell number…..:)

[Newton_14]

Syracuse is currently a 2.5 points favorite in Vegas.


I can't believe it's that low. That would make us a favorite on a neutral floor.

Where did it open? Did the early money move towards Duke? Is Joe CasualBet skewing this towards Duke?


It opened at 4.5 and quickly (within 90 minutes) moved to 2.5. My read is Joe Casual is not responsible for this movement.
I was just as shocked as Throaty on this one actually. I was expecting Duke to be a 5 to 6 point dog. Interesting. Very interesting actually.

I am excited about the game simply to see how our guys perform in there 3rd chance at a Top 5 team. The road game aspect makes the test harder than with the Kansas/Zona games, but still a great opportunity to play well and come out on the right side of the score this time.

Go Duke!

[throatybeard]

ESPN is hyping this like it's Monday night in April. It's rather excessive.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

I haven't seen Syracuse play their past few games, but what I saw a while back made me think they were the best team in the country.

Duke can certainly win this one, but it's going to take a hot shooting night from 3 pt land, some out of character orange TO's, and a big game from Parker.

I just think Syracuse's strength and size is going to be too much for Duke.

[Troublemaker]

I haven't seen Syracuse play their past few games, but what I saw a while back made me think they were the best team in the country.

Duke can certainly win this one, but it's going to take a hot shooting night from 3 pt land, some out of character orange TO's, and a big game from Parker.

I just think Syracuse's strength and size is going to be too much for Duke.

Have you watched Duke's past few games?

[jv001]

I haven't seen Syracuse play their past few games, but what I saw a while back made me think they were the best team in the country.

Duke can certainly win this one, but it's going to take a hot shooting night from 3 pt land, some out of character orange TO's, and a big game from Parker.

I just think Syracuse's strength and size is going to be too much for Duke.

You hope, :cool:GoDuke!

[throatybeard]

I haven't seen Syracuse play their past few games...

See, here's the point at which a prudent person would admit to themselves that they have no idea what they're talking about after the first clause, and delete the rest of the supposedly authoritative pronouncement.

"I quit watching the Aussie Open after the fourth round, but from what I saw before that, it's totally obvious that Nadal won the whole deal on the men's side."

Oops.

[throatybeard]

I was just as shocked as Throaty on this one actually. I was expecting Duke to be a 5 to 6 point dog. Interesting. Very interesting actually.

You're reading my mind, man. It just smelled like about 6. Which would put Syracuse at about 2.5 on a neutral floor, and us about a one-point favorite at Cameron. They haven't lost yet!

But, I'm not a professional gambler, so I admit that I don't know what I don't know.

Cowherd--yes, I still listen to this guy, even though he's a [really unpleasant male] person--has had a nice segment recently, every FR I think, where he talks to some guy who is an alleged betting expert. DJ Bell, RJ Bell, Belly RoJu, something like that, some guy who fronts /o/ a lot but doesn't sound southern. I'm guessing he's from Philly or Baltimore. And Colin picks about four NFL games, and he does what you or I would do, which is to sort of aggregate the information that's tossed at you, and make a guesstimate. Then he asks Vegas Man what the professional community thinks about the game he's picked. According to the smart guys, Colin is "right" on the prognosis maybe 5/8 or 2/3 of the time, it seems like. Of course, those guys have a system, and it doesn't matter whether they're right on each game. It's their overall allocation and winning percentage. But Colin loves getting the guy to analyze where the money is likely to move and why, even when his pick is the opposite of the smarty bettor community.

Bell (I'm starting to think that is his surname) thinks the smart play on the Super Bowl was jump on Seattle before the line moves towards Seattle, IIRC. I may not RC.

In Cowherd space, I'd be throwing all kind of money at Syracuse (-2.5). If I gambled, which I don't.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Have you watched Duke's past few games?

I have.

And I've been impressed with Dawkins shooting, the perimeter defense, and more production in the post from Plumlee, Jefferson and Parker lately.

I'll be surprised if that defensive pressure disrupts the Orange guards as much as Duke did during the last few games, and I'll be surprised if Duke gets much offense inside from anybody but Parker.

Your guys better shoot it.

I don't have a dog in this fight, just telling you guys what I think.

[OldPhiKap]

I have.

And I've been impressed with Dawkins shooting, the perimeter defense, and more production in the post from Plumlee, Jefferson and Parker lately.

I'll be surprised if that defensive pressure disrupts the Orange guards as much as Duke did during the last few games, and I'll be surprised if Duke gets much offense inside from anybody but Parker.

Your guys better shoot it.

I don't have a dog in this fight, just telling you guys what I think.

I really think offensive boards will be the key. Syracuse has a ver aggressive zone and not the three point bonanza most zones are. Have to attack the middle, and eat glass when the shot goes up.

Should be a fun game.

[Furniture]

I have.

And I've been impressed with Dawkins shooting, the perimeter defense, and more production in the post from Plumlee, Jefferson and Parker lately.

I'll be surprised if that defensive pressure disrupts the Orange guards as much as Duke did during the last few games, and I'll be surprised if Duke gets much offense inside from anybody but Parker.

Your guys better shoot it.

I don't have a dog in this fight, just telling you guys what I think.

No dog but love provoking. LOL, Nice one Wheat!

Cuse have had a unbeaten season so far and Duke hasn't. But, and it's a big BUT.

Syracuse beat Pitt on their home court only by a few a couple of weeks ago. Duke beat Pitt @ Pitt by a size able margin.

It is going to be close.

[Bob Green]

Duke is a 2.5 points underdog at Syracuse. I'm confident we will win if we take care of business on defense and the offensive glass. My prioritized keys to the game:

1. Defensive intensity - make Syracuse work on offense, don't give up a lot of easy baskets
2. Rebound - especially on the offensive glass, we need to make the Orange pay for playing zone with 2nd chance points
3. Ball and player movement on offense - we must be fluid not stagnant, the extra pass creates a better look, drive and dish
4. Make shots - putting the ball through the hoop is necessary

[Bob Green]

Duke will be attempting to win their sixth straight game tonight against Syracuse, which would be the longest winning streak on the season. We have won five straight games three times, but failed to win the sixth game the first two times with losses to Arizona and then to Notre Dame.

You all know the old saying, "the third time's a charm."

[porkpa]

I think this game has been justifiably hyped by ESPN more than any scheduled game I've ever encountered on that network. It doesn't come close to the UCLA(Alcindor)-Houston(Elvin Hayes) which was the most hyped college game ever, but IMO it is in the ballpark for being in second place.

[porkpa]

Incidentally, I believe the anniversary of that Houston_UCLA game took place this week.

[oldnavy]

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on Cuse to win this game. A TREMENDOUS amount of pressure.

I expect the intensity from Syracuse to be off the charts much like a Duke/UNC game. In our games with UNC it seems that more often than not, the home team plays tight and the visiting team plays loose and aggressive, at least in the beginning.

I hope tonight that we go in loose and aggressive and put some actual "game" pressure on Syracuse and see how they respond.

I hope its a good game, but if we go there and play as well as we have been and lose, well it isn't the end of the world by a long shot.

Go Devils!!

[Reilly]

Per SRS at s-r, Duke would be a 5 point favorite on a neutral floor, or a 2 point favorite at 'Cuse ... Duke is also the #3 team, whereas Syr is #18

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/2014-standings.html

What does kenpom say about this game?

[Troublemaker]

Per SRS at s-r, Duke would be a 5 point favorite on a neutral floor, or a 2 point favorite at 'Cuse ... Duke is also the #3 team, whereas Syr is #18

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/2014-standings.html

What does kenpom say about this game?

Kenpom has Cuse as a 4-pt favorite (72-68), so it'd be about even on a neutral floor.

I think you've hit upon why the spread isn't higher. A lot of the computer rankings (like SRS and Sagarin) actually like Duke better than Syracuse.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

No dog but love provoking. LOL, Nice one Wheat!

Cuse have had a unbeaten season so far and Duke hasn't. But, and it's a big BUT.

Syracuse beat Pitt on their home court only by a few a couple of weeks ago. Duke beat Pitt @ Pitt by a size able margin.

It is going to be close.

Honestly, not trying to provoke, just adding my thoughts.

It's should be a great game and I'm looking forward to it. And I won't be surprised if Duke wins and I'm wrong, it could go either way, it's why they play the game.

[Reilly]

and the Sagarin predictor would have Duke by 4 points on a neutral court ...

[jv001]

Since Wheat is picking Cuse over Duke, I'll put my prognosticator hat on and pick both #1 Zona and #2 Cuse to go down tonight. Cal over Zona and Duke over Cuse. You heard it here first :cool: GoDuke!

[Reilly]

As for throaty's reference to Colin Cowherd, I too really like the Friday segment w/ RJ Bell about what the "sharps" are doing in Vegas ... very entertaining ... also, Colin often harps on the point that a generally good college team losing on the road, even big, in either b'ball or football, means little as far as how good that team may be overall ... I think that's true ... look back at all of Duke's national championship teams, and you'll find road losses that, at the time, maybe had fans saying "how can we be that good if we lost that game [by x margin, to that team]" ... the ncaa tourney is not played in the other team's home arena, with the other team's crowd ... all about perspective ... looking forward to a fun game tonight, but even if we get blown out of the gym, we're still very good and capable of great things ....

[Troublemaker]

I have.

And I've been impressed with Dawkins shooting, the perimeter defense, and more production in the post from Plumlee, Jefferson and Parker lately.

I'll be surprised if that defensive pressure disrupts the Orange guards as much as Duke did during the last few games, and I'll be surprised if Duke gets much offense inside from anybody but Parker.

Your guys better shoot it.

I don't have a dog in this fight, just telling you guys what I think.


I really think offensive boards will be the key. Syracuse has a ver aggressive zone and not the three point bonanza most zones are. Have to attack the middle, and eat glass when the shot goes up.

Should be a fun game.

Wheat, I'd actually be surprised if even Jabari gets points inside against Cuse. They are very long and excellent at shotblocking. You're right to some extent that Duke will have to make 3-pointers. We wouldn't survive a 5-for-24 evening from out there. But as OPK points out, the offensive boards will be key. It's just plain and simple one of the key matchups of the game. This Syracuse team is stronger on the defensive boards than a typical Cuse team. They use their length and athleticism to tip balls to themselves and teammates even when out of position due to the zone. Duke has been very strong on the offensive boards (and defensive boards) lately. It's tough to predict which way this matchup will swing. If Duke pounds the o-boards, we can probably survive with an 11-for-32 night from three. Otherwise, you're right, we'll have to be hot and shoot something like 12-for-24.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Wheat, I'd actually be surprised if even Jabari gets points inside against Cuse. They are very long and excellent at shotblocking. You're right to some extent that Duke will have to make 3-pointers. We wouldn't survive a 5-for-24 evening from out there. But as OPK points out, the offensive boards will be key. It's just plain and simple one of the key matchups of the game. This Syracuse team is stronger on the defensive boards than a typical Cuse team. They use their length and athleticism to tip balls to themselves and teammates even when out of position due to the zone. Duke has been very strong on the offensive boards (and defensive boards) lately. It's tough to predict which way this matchup will swing. If Duke pounds the o-boards, we can probably survive with an 11-for-32 night from three. Otherwise, you're right, we'll have to be hot and shoot something like 12-for-24.

I don't know, Parker has a really nice post up game. If I was coach K, I'd look to him posting up as much as possible to try and lighten up pressure on the wings. And I'd have Hood pump faking and stopping at mid range, looking to dish inside to him when possible. Otherwise, Syracuse is gonna stay aggressive on the wings and make it hard to get those clean looks Duke is gonna need.

[BD80]

I don't know, Parker has a really nice post up game. If I was coach K, I'd look to him posting up as much as possible to try and lighten up pressure on the wings. And I'd have Hood pump faking and stopping at mid range, looking to dish inside to him when possible. Otherwise, Syracuse is gonna stay aggressive on the wings and make it hard to get those clean looks Duke is gonna need.

In my mind Bajari is the perfect player to exploit the weakness of a zone from the high post. He is tall enough to see over the zone to feed the low post if one or more baseline defenders step up, a good enough ball handler to drive to the basket if there is an opening, and a skilled shooter with height to shoot from around the free throw line if the zone doesn't react quickly enough. Rodney provides a less physical option for the same spot, with the advantage that he can be moving into the lane from the opposite direction as Parker.

I still have nightmares about the last time Duke played zone defense. Jack Givens. The Goose cooked us. In time, the pain will fade.

[oldnavy]

In my mind Bajari is the perfect player to exploit the weakness of a zone from the high post. He is tall enough to see over the zone to feed the low post if one or more baseline defenders step up, a good enough ball handler to drive to the basket if there is an opening, and a skilled shooter with height to shoot from around the free throw line if the zone doesn't react quickly enough. Rodney provides a less physical option for the same spot, with the advantage that he can be moving into the lane from the opposite direction as Parker.

I still have nightmares about the last time Duke played zone defense. Jack Givens. The Goose cooked us. In time, the pain will fade.

I agree. I wouldn't be surprised to see some mid-range jumpers or pump fakes and drives from JP or Hood...

[Troublemaker]

I don't know, Parker has a really nice post up game. If I was coach K, I'd look to him posting up as much as possible to try and lighten up pressure on the wings. And I'd have Hood pump faking and stopping at mid range, looking to dish inside to him when possible. Otherwise, Syracuse is gonna stay aggressive on the wings and make it hard to get those clean looks Duke is gonna need.

Parker has a nice postup game when utilized in advantageous situations. I don't think posting up against Christmas and Keita counts as an advantageous situation. I think Syracuse would love it if Duke posted up 6'8" Parker all game long.

Duke's points inside will have to come from multiple quick, precise passes that move the zone. And lead to a corner pass to a cutter or baseline middle pass to a cutter.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I have to admit, I can't remember the last time I was this amped for a regular season non-UNC matchup. Feels similar to my level of anxiousness/excitement before the Louisville game last year.

I honestly don't know what to expect. This will be by far the most pressure our boys have felt all year long. I'm glad they've had a few extra days to prep, and I hope that games like this - regardless of the outcome - will leave us better prepared mentally for big games in two months.

I'll be glued to the television for this one, kids. As Terrell Owens once said "Get your popcorn ready..."

[Dukehky]

Parker has a nice postup game when utilized in advantageous situations. I don't think posting up against Christmas and Keita counts as an advantageous situation. I think Syracuse would love it if Duke posted up 6'8" Parker all game long.

Duke's points inside will have to come from multiple quick, precise passes that move the zone. And lead to a corner pass to a cutter or baseline middle pass to a cutter.

If Jabari goes to the high post, it's going to be to score. He nor Rodney are very good passers, especially in traffic. I expect Amile to be the guy who operates from the high post to pass fake and drive or just pass.

Also, Big Orange Machina, come get it big guy. The ACC goes through Durham. Plus Syracuse is cold and had Andy Routins and Devendorf. People hated them like they hated JJ, only difference was that JJ was actually good.

[DukeAlumBS]

I don't know, Parker has a really nice post up game. If I was coach K, I'd look to him posting up as much as possible to try and lighten up pressure on the wings. And I'd have Hood pump faking and stopping at mid range, looking to dish inside to him when possible. Otherwise, Syracuse is gonna stay aggressive on the wings and make it hard to get those clean looks Duke is gonna need.

How are you. IC is rooting for Syracuse, but all seem to "pick" Duke to win. This the first time I have seen UNC types pick Duke in a game over Syracuse.
The Pitt game told me a lot. We will do it in Syracuse. Say by 15 this time.
Great game coming up, enjoy.
Again, Wheat I take pride that our UNC types, are rooting for us today!
Have nice day
Jimmy

[Indoor66]

How are you. IC is rooting for Syracuse, but all seem to "pick" Duke to win. This the first time I have seen UNC types pick Duke in a game over Syracuse.
The Pitt game told me a lot. We will do it in Syracuse. Say by 15 this time.
Great game coming up, enjoy.
Again, Wheat I take pride that our UNC types, are rooting for us today!
Have nice day
Jimmy

Jimmy, I like your style, as usual. Great thoughts, not too many words. (They won't let me spork you.)

[Bob Green]

The over/under is posted at 135 so Vegas is looking for a score in the neighborhood of Syracuse 69, Duke 66. I believe we will score +70 seeing as we average 81.5 per game. For some reason, I am extremely optimistic about this game. It seems to me The Orange have everything to lose being undefeated, ranked #2 and playing at home, while Duke is rolling the dice with house money.

[BD80]

... For some reason, I am extremely optimistic about this game. ...

In simplistic terms, it takes good shooting to beat a zone

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

I don't know, Parker has a really nice post up game. If I was coach K, I'd look to him posting up as much as possible to try and lighten up pressure on the wings. And I'd have Hood pump faking and stopping at mid range, looking to dish inside to him when possible. Otherwise, Syracuse is gonna stay aggressive on the wings and make it hard to get those clean looks Duke is gonna need.
Wheat, all due respect, you have an abnormal fixation with post play and it's supposed importance to winning every game. There are other ways to score inside without having to post a F against a legit C. If you'd been watching us play recently you would have seen that against FSU and Pitt. Enjoy the game tonight.

[NYBri]

I still have nightmares about the last time Duke played zone defense. Jack Givens. The Goose cooked us. In time, the pain will fade.

Fade? Still hurts like it was this morning.

[Troublemaker]

As for throaty's reference to Colin Cowherd, I too really like the Friday segment w/ RJ Bell about what the "sharps" are doing in Vegas ... very entertaining ... also, Colin often harps on the point that a generally good college team losing on the road, even big, in either b'ball or football, means little as far as how good that team may be overall ... I think that's true ... look back at all of Duke's national championship teams, and you'll find road losses that, at the time, maybe had fans saying "how can we be that good if we lost that game [by x margin, to that team]" ... the ncaa tourney is not played in the other team's home arena, with the other team's crowd ... all about perspective ... looking forward to a fun game tonight, but even if we get blown out of the gym, we're still very good and capable of great things ....

All indications are that Joe Public bettors heavily favor Syracuse in this one. Original line movement was completely due to sharp money. Heavy sharp money, too, to explain the 2-pt drop from 4.5 to 2.5

Since this is such a well-publicized game, Joe Public will continue pounding Syracuse until tip. All 2.5s should become 3s by tip.

As I've written before, the sharps are sometimes wrong (roughly 42 to 46% of the time), but it's nice to be on their side for this big game.

[FerryFor50]

Has anyone noticed that the "Beat Duke" Syracuse shirts have "The rivalry begins" on the back? Why does every team think they can jump into an immediate rivalry with Duke?

It is Duke-UNC and then everyone else.

At least Syracuse spells Duke properly...

[Troublemaker]

Nice interview on GameDay by Rece Davis of Coach Boeheim and Coach K together. They seem to be great friends.

Coach Boeheim thinks Coach K is quite receptive to new ideas, unlike what some of our fans think.

[TruBlu]

Has anyone noticed that the "Beat Duke" Syracuse shirts have "The rivalry begins" on the back? Why does every team think they can jump into an immediate rivalry with Duke?

It is Duke-UNC and then everyone else.

At least Syracuse spells Duke properly...

They have a 'literate' fan base and student population.

[ArtVandelay]

The entire Gameday crew picked Syracuse. Digger thinks we will have problems with the zone. Bilas says it will be close, but gives the slight edge to Cuse due to home court advantage.
A few quick thoughts:

On offense, I think we need to drive into the teeth of the zone. I would like to see Sheed and Rodney drive it into the free throw line area. Either they get a mid range jumper or they collapse the D and try to get Jabari and Amile behind the zone for easy baskets or kick it out to shooters in the corners. Easier said that done, I know.

It also seems like most of the focus has been on how we handle the zone and not as much on how well we play D. As has been the case all year, this will be the key, in my view. We have been a pretty effective transition team, so If we can force some live ball turnovers and score on the break, that will mitigate a lot of concerns about our ability to score against their set defense. I suspect we will score enough, but we need to contain their guards and force their bigs to touch and handle the ball as much as possible and force turnovers when they do.

[NYBri]

Has anyone noticed that the "Beat Duke" Syracuse shirts have "The rivalry begins" on the back? Why does every team think they can jump into an immediate rivalry with Duke?

It is Duke-UNC and then everyone else.

At least Syracuse spells Duke properly...

There is only one rivalry.

[NYBri]

And let me toss this in. No matter the outcome of the game this evening, I love watching this team now that I get to see all the great talent we have running the hardwood rather than warming the pine.

[Troublemaker]

It also seems like most of the focus has been on how we handle the zone and not as much on how well we play D. As has been the case all year, this will be the key, in my view. We have been a pretty effective transition team, so If we can force some live ball turnovers and score on the break, that will mitigate a lot of concerns about our ability to score against their set defense. I suspect we will score enough, but we need to contain their guards and force their bigs to touch and handle the ball as much as possible and force turnovers when they do.

Agreed. Hopefully the story of the game will be how our defensive pressure wore down Cuse and forced turnovers.

[FerryFor50]

Dan Dakich thinks that Duke is going to beat up on Syracuse...

[FerryFor50]

LOL... Espn is forcing Seth Greenberg to wear a Duke blue tie and play the role of Coach K to Bruce Pearl's Boeheim...

[Troublemaker]

Here's Rece Davis interviewing the Coaches K/Boeheim: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:10387278

[Henderson]

Nice interview on GameDay by Rece Davis of Coach Boeheim and Coach K together. They seem to be great friends.


This game tonight is so good for college basketball.

[freshmanjs]

Has anyone noticed that the "Beat Duke" Syracuse shirts have "The rivalry begins" on the back? Why does every team think they can jump into an immediate rivalry with Duke?

It is Duke-UNC and then everyone else.

At least Syracuse spells Duke properly...

“That will be one of those instant rivalries. We’re going to see much more than Duke and Carolina showcased in this league, with all these new additions,” Krzyzewski said in the preseason. (referring to Syracuse).

[dukelifer]

Here's Rece Davis interviewing the Coaches K/Boeheim: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:10387278

Most surprising thing you learned about Coach K. He is flexible and listens to his players and coaches- so says Jim Boeheim. Well many on this board will find that surprising too.

[Kedsy]

Per SRS at s-r, Duke would be a 5 point favorite on a neutral floor, or a 2 point favorite at 'Cuse ... Duke is also the #3 team, whereas Syr is #18

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/2014-standings.html

What does kenpom say about this game?

The reason SRS and Sagarin have Duke rated well above Syracuse and Pomeroy has Syracuse slightly ahead of Duke is that SRS and Sagarin don't take pace into account. Syracuse plays at the 7th slowest pace in Division I basketball. If they win by 15 in a 60 possession game, that's the same as Duke winning by 20 in an 80 possession game (all other things being equal), but SRS and Sagarin would give Duke more credit than Syracuse in that situation.

What I'm not sure about is whether Syracuse plays slowly on offense or if their defense is causing the low possession games. Or both. But I suspect tempo could be a factor tonight. Most teams that play at an extreme pace get uncomfortable if they can't control the tempo. If Duke can speed Syracuse up, we may be able to gain an advantage. If Syracuse controls the speed of the game, then the advantage could swing their way.

[DukeAlumBS]

This the first time I saw a couple "egging" on. I know we have an alum from Syracuse that seems to be sincere. I have had PM with this person about the school.
To the 2 Syracuse fans that have posted here. Please do your homework! Google/ESPN/College Basketball/STATS.
This is a guide for how we will manage your zone. This is not what we will be counting on! We have that threat off the bench. You all have to deal with the rest of the team. That can do it. It makes me feel good, you all are here. Good luck to your team! Duke will win by 15. If we lose storm the court. This will be an "honor" to me!
That WILL NOT happen. REFLECT the tears at Pitt!
Go Duke
Jimmy

[Dukehky]

Dan Dakich thinks that Duke is going to beat up on Syracuse...

I like Dakich, this makes me like him more. He is a Knight guy, so I guess that kind of makes him a "K" guy?

[OldPhiKap]

Can we designate Syracuse as "provisional rivals," in case UNC's basketball team gets the death penalty for lack of institutional control?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

“That will be one of those instant rivalries. We’re going to see much more than Duke and Carolina showcased in this league, with all these new additions,” Krzyzewski said in the preseason. (referring to Syracuse).

Much like I anticipate Louisville games next year.

Man, I miss the round robin, but conference games are going to be a blast.

[Furniture]

Well the game is certainly getting people excited. My daughter just called me and told me she is driving to Washington DC (she lives in Annapolis) to watch the game with a bunch of Duke alums. It's the first time she has done that this year!

[DukeAlumBS]

Can we designate Syracuse as "provisional rivals," in case UNC's basketball team gets the death penalty for lack of institutional control?

Let UNC be!
Syracuse is not our worry!

Nice night my friend
Changed my score.
Duke by 40!
Nice day my friends

[mgtr]

I guess that I am late to the party, but I looked up the Syracuse schedule/results, and it looks as though Pitt is the best team (by far) they have beaten I didn't see any schools such as Arizona or Kansas. Or am I missing something?

[swagilicious]

I guess that I am late to the party, but I looked up the Syracuse schedule/results, and it looks as though Pitt is the best team (by far) they have beaten I didn't see any schools such as Arizona or Kansas. Or am I missing something?

nova

[duke96]

Anyone else slightly fired up for this game? :p

Nothing like a Duke game where we have some good momentum, feel great about our team's talent, how they are being used, and how they seem to be gelling together headed into a tough environment against a top team with all sort of good storylines surrounding the matchup. Look forward to hearing everyone's in-game perspectives. Go DBR and GO DUKE!!!!

[burnspbesq]

Hess, Eades, and Michael Roberts.

[-jk]

Hess, Eades, and Michael Roberts.

Hess and Eades - love 'em or hate 'em - are used to this stage, and won't freak out or freeze.

Who the heck is Roberts? Have we ever seen him?

-jk

[Dukehky]

Hess and Eades - love 'em or hate 'em - are used to this stage, and won't freak out or freeze.

Who the heck is Roberts? Have we ever seen him?

-jk

I don't know why anyone is worried about this. Duke gets all the calls anyway remember?

Let's show these fools (Cuse, not refs, well refs too I guess) what's up. Go Duke.

[Clay Feet POF]

Most surprising thing you learned about Coach K. He is flexible and listens to his players and coaches- so says Jim Boeheim. Well many on this board will find that surprising too.

Coachspeak??

[-jk]

My worry is an inexperienced ref won't handle the pressure, and screw up. Neither team needs that.


-jk

[duke96]

Ps. Go Texas!

[riverside6]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/Syracuse ...

http://www.scacchoops.com/ViewHDGame.asp?hSchedule=20087

[GGLC]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/Syracuse ...

http://www.scacchoops.com/ViewHDGame.asp?hSchedule=20087

This says that Tyler is starting alongside Quinn. If true, I'm not a fan of that at all. Hopefully both Sheed and Andre get all the minutes they can handle.

[GGLC]

And there's the early foul.

[lotusland]

This says that Tyler is starting alongside Quinn. If true, I'm not a fan of that at all. Hopefully both Sheed and Andre get all the minutes they can handle.

Yeaj looks like no platoon lineup changes but Sheed getting to run the point

[GGLC]

Yeaj looks like no platoon lineup changes but Sheed getting to run the point

Not sure why K would go away from what's been working, but hope it works out!

[GGLC]

Amile's been super-active so far.

Having Quinn and Tyler together just seems so inefficient.

[lotusland]

getting good looks and good ball movement and Dawkins on the board!

[CLW]

Like using MP3 in the middle of that zone. Shades of Zoubs against Baylor in the tourny. He can see over the top of the Cuse's length and find the open man.

[_Gary]

Amile's been super-active so far.

Having Quinn and Tyler together just seems so inefficient.

Agreed on both counts. To be honest, against this zone I really don't think Tyler is going to help out at all. Better to run Quinn with both Rasheed and Andre.

[Dukeblue91]

Amile's been super-active so far.

Having Quinn and Tyler together just seems so inefficient.

I think this was about defense more then anything MP is looking good in there too.

[plimnko]

i wish parker would try a pump fake

[DesertDevil]

I love Parker, but he forces a ton of shots.

[CLW]

I love Parker, but he forces a ton of shots.

yep and they almost always lead to points on the other end. if/when he learns to take shots within the flow of the game/offense....

[_Gary]

Not feeling great about this right now. We have to guard against a huge Syracuse run. The crowd is really into it and we seem tentative.

[CLW]

the bad quin cook has shown up tonight

[Dukehky]

the bad quin cook has shown up tonight

So has the worse Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton. Quinn is still hobbled at least. Why do we keep flashing Marshall to the high post. We have Jabari Parker. Send him there.

[SCMatt33]

I think you have to play Jefferson with 2 fouls here. The perimeter guys need some help on offense. Everything is either passes from point to wing to point, etc, which won't get it done. Even on the penetration, Plumlee and Hairston aren't legit options when the zone brings help.

Also, Jabari really needs to put the ball on the deck.

[_Gary]

Got to stop this run right here and now! If they get up by more than half a dozen it's going to be tough to stop this from snowballing.

[dukeinal]

The back line is open when we feed the high post but the pass is not being made..

[Neals384]

We don't seem to realize that the corners are wide open against this zone.

[pfrduke]

After bobbling that pass leading directly to a turnover, I think we've seen the last of Josh Hairston tonight for anything other than foul trouble. All of 30 seconds before getting the hook.

[PSurprise]

Sporks to whoever accurately guesses the number of times Dickie says "penetrate"

[pfrduke]

I think you have to play Jefferson with 2 fouls here. The perimeter guys need some help on offense. Everything is either passes from point to wing to point, etc, which won't get it done. Even on the penetration, Plumlee and Hairston aren't legit options when the zone brings help.

Also, Jabari really needs to put the ball on the deck.

Good call re Amile - he's so much more valuable at the high post.

[Henderson]

Sporks to whoever accurately guesses the number of times Dickie says "penetrate"

I can't think "Dickie V" and "penetrate" at the same time. The visuals are just too disturbing.

A lot of very unfortunate ugly IC-esque trash talking going on at the SU B-Ball forum. I had hoped for better.

[dukeinal]

Sporks to whoever accurately guesses the number of times Dickie says "penetrate"

Does infinite count??

[arnie]

The back line is open when we feed the high post but the pass is not being made..

The sequence where Cook passes to Hairston down low doesn't need to be repeated. Hopefully the guards remember that - we're playing OK overall.

[DesertDevil]

Considering how poor Duke has looked, they are fortunate with the margin right now. If they keep it to 5-8 points or less at the half, I trust K to make the right adjustments. If it gets to 12 or more at the half, it's going to be an uphill battle.

[Neals384]

Andre missed the three, but Amile followed up. That corner 3 is always open.

[CLW]

Jefferson is saving our bacon in the 1st half.

[vick]

Considering how poor Duke has looked, they are fortunate with the margin right now. If they keep it to 5-8 points or less at the half, I trust K to make the right adjustments. If it gets to 12 or more at the half, it's going to be an uphill battle.

I don't think we've played that poorly, a road game at the #2 team in the country isn't ever going to be easy. If you take the time that Jefferson has been on the floor by itself, I think we'd be leading. Given that Jefferson is a much better player than Plumlee, it's not surprising that playing Jefferson relatively limited minutes early due to foul trouble put us a bit behind what we'd like.

[DesertDevil]

Amille with a big play! Kid is really coming on!

[FerryFor50]

Pretty high scoring first half, considering Syracuse's usual slow pace and how mediocre Duke is shooting...

[devilnfla]

Down 10 pts from the charity stripe. That has to change in the second half.

[CLW]

Not a good defensive effort Cuse got allot of easy buckets in the paint and shooting at a 54% clip 129.3 at the half. D tightens up, we cut out the stupid mistakes and we should be fine.

[Dukehky]

WHen Jabari does attack, he's not getting the call. It seems like he doesn't get those calls often. Maybe they're not fouls but that means the refs have decided that "verticality" is something they're going to allow in this game, unlike many others.

[SCMatt33]

The offense seemed really Jekyll and Hyde in that half. We had a lot of possession where we did a great job of passing to the middle, driving and kicking, driving to the rim or dumping it to the baseline. Not all of those possessions worked out, but a good percentage of them did. On the other hand, there were so many possessions where Duke did nothing but pass the ball back and forth from the point to the wing with maybe a few meaningless dribbles in between. By the time they tried anything, it was deep in the shot clock and opportunities were limited.

Defensively, we have simply allowed too much penetration without generating turnovers. Duke's getting caught in between being really aggressive and going for turnovers and sitting back and forcing jump shots. The result is that their getting it inside pretty easy which has led to a lot of fouls and some easy second chance points.

If Duke wants to win, they need to even out the free throw battle in the second half. Syracuse got 11 FT's to Duke's one. Need to make them foul you.

[dukelifer]

Hanging in there - Duke has managed a hostile environment. Cuse is playing well - a bit unconscious- and perhaps they will get tired in the second half. Big foul differential- I guess you can't foul in a zone.

[Edouble]

Not a good defensive effort Cuse got allot of easy buckets in the paint and shooting at a 54% clip 129.3 at the half. D tightens up, we cut out the stupid mistakes and we should be fine.

Agree.

We've had 20 minutes to see the zone up close and personal.

I feel good about the second half. It's obvious who is playing well tonight and who is not. Quinn seemed to gain a dose of confidence after that made 3.

Jabari's shots have all either been blocked, or just terrible choices (he loves the step back jumper; it does not love him). I trust the coaches will get him going in the second half.

Most concerning are Rodney and Amile's 2 fouls each, along with the fact that we shot one free throw in the first half.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Parker is forcing it. Feed him on the baseline, don't make him take on three guys at once.

Thank you Amile for playing big time.

Marshall, stay home under the basket and play D with your feet, not yours arms.

Go to the hole, get to the free throw line.

Come out strong in the 2nd half.

[77devil]

Hanging in there - Duke has managed a hostile environment. Cuse is playing well - a bit unconscious- and perhaps they will get tired in the second half. Big foul differential- I guess you can't foul in a zone.

To a degree but there were at least three times Jabari was mauled down low and no call.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Nice half by Jefferson. He's active and taking it up strong. So is Parker. They have to continue putting pressure on 'Cuse inside to get those good outside looks they've been getting.

Gonna need to keep hitting those outside shots too and get some more TO's.

[-bdbd]

To a degree but there were at least three times Jabari was mauled down low and no call.

That can't be! Everybody knows that "Duke gets all the calls!" :rolleyes:


(and the moment Duke gets a close call in the second half someone in the media is going to recite that tired drivel...)