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View Full Version : MBB: Duke 72, Ga Tech 66 Post-Game Thread



JBDuke
02-04-2015, 09:10 PM
Put your post-game thoughts here.

ScreechTDX1847
02-04-2015, 09:10 PM
Phew! This team will take 5 years off my life before the end of the year.

wgl1228
02-04-2015, 09:11 PM
Let's pretend this one never happened. GT shooting 73% from 3? Unbelievable. Oh well it's a win.

MCFinARL
02-04-2015, 09:12 PM
We can only hope they are saving their A game for the rematch with Notre Dame.

dukebluesincebirth
02-04-2015, 09:14 PM
I have no idea what to expect in March...we could go to the Final 4. We could go out early again. Tis the new age of college basketball.

arnie
02-04-2015, 09:15 PM
Let's pretend this one never happened. GT shooting 73% from 3? Unbelievable. Oh well it's a win.

Ga T out shoots us and we out rebound them. How's that possible?

cruxer
02-04-2015, 09:15 PM
Good to win one when the other team goes otherworldly from 3. That's a good way to lose usually. At least a few of those were on scramble plays where we played good d but didn't come up with the loose ball. That's disheartening to a defense but we overcame it. I think we have to alleviate every conference win at this point.
-c

fuse
02-04-2015, 09:17 PM
The personality of this team is very much play (up or down) to the level of competition.

Dangerous habit to have come tournament time.

FerryFor50
02-04-2015, 09:18 PM
I knew this would be "one of those games."

GT is scrappy and physical. And naturally, a team that shoots under 30% from 3 would hit over 75% from beyond the arc against Duke. Contested, uncontested, didn't matter. Despite that, I never worried about Duke losing the game. Just was an annoyance to watch.

And let's not pretend that other teams don't leave GT WIDE OPEN all game long. It's *the* game plan against Tech. Clog the lane. Keep them off the offensive glass. Let them shoot outside shots.

Winslow looks to be 100% now. And he's kind of got a mean streak.

Matt Jones had a good game and came up with a key steal at the end, not to mention helping out on the glass. As I mentioned in chat, he's a bigger, more talented Tyler Thornton.

Despite the fact that GT is one of the best rebounding teams in the ACC, (especially offensive rebounding) Duke owned the glass 36-29.

Turnovers were low overall for Duke, but Tyus Jones had a rough game with 4 turnovers and 3-10 from the field. Not his best night, but Duke still pulled it out.

Cook showed some real leadership down the stretch, outside of a couple of bad shots.

And Okafor was solid, but quiet. I'm still annoyed at how often he gets called for walks on legit post spin moves.

FerryFor50
02-04-2015, 09:19 PM
The personality of this team is very much play (up or down) to the level of competition.

Dangerous habit to have come tournament time.

Not sure what the personality of this team has to do with a GT team that shoots less than 30% from 3 shooting over 75% from 3.

Stuff happens.

Troublemaker
02-04-2015, 09:21 PM
Yikes! Probably the worst we've played since Miami.

One positive: Duke solidly out-rebounded a great rebounding team. Seriously, that's about all GaTech does well. The Jackets are 9th in the country in offensive rebounding and 10th in the country in defensive rebounding (as of the time of this post.)

Curious decision by Coach K to go extended man-2-man in this one. The couch potato head coach in me would've gone with a contracted man-2-man. Zone is okay, too, but we wouldn't have done as good a job rebounding out of it.

mr. synellinden
02-04-2015, 09:21 PM
Survive and advance, I guess? I thought we came out listless - and the crowd was about the same - like we didn't need to put forth our best effort to win (which turned out to be true). Our man-to-man defense was weak -- again. A team doesn't shoot that well from 3 just because of luck. FT shooting was poor -- again. We played 1 possession of zone against one of the worst outside shooting teams in the country. And we only had 6 players score. As someone noted above, if that happens in the tournament, we could go out early. How did this same team win on the road at Wisconsin, Louisville and UVA. An enigma of a team. Much better to have an enigmatic game that results in a win. We were lucky down the stretch that GT didn't make better decisions in terms of shot selection.

moonpie23
02-04-2015, 09:21 PM
so the team that is 353 out of 356 in beyond the arc lights it up........

perfect.....


whew :(

jasoninchina
02-04-2015, 09:21 PM
I feel very confident saying that Georgia Tech kept it out closely mainly because the Jackets shot... out... of... their... minds from three (8/11 for 72.7%!). How is it that seemingly everyone we play shoots way above their average against Duke? It is truly amazing to me how often it happens!

Tyus had too many turnovers. His play has been excellent this year, but that many turnovers (4) is too many. On the other hand, he did have a clutch steal with 24 seconds left that essentially ended the game.

Nine steals for Duke is a very important stat for our defense. In addition to the one I mentioned above, Matt Jones had a HUGE steal with 39 seconds left when GIT could have cut our lead to two points.

I am very pleased with the win, and I look forward to reading the comments of people like devildeac, CDu, Olympic Fan, Kedsy, Weezie, and others. Go Duke!

wgl1228
02-04-2015, 09:21 PM
Can't complain too much about Cook but for every great play he makes he takes a terrible shot the next time around. Tyus Jones a little to carefree with the ball tonight as well.

FerryFor50
02-04-2015, 09:23 PM
Tyus had too many turnovers. His play has been excellent this year, but that many turnovers (4?) is too many. On the other hand, he did have a clutch steal with 24 seconds left that essentially ended the game.


That steal was by Matt Jones.

dukelifer
02-04-2015, 09:26 PM
Not sure what the personality of this team has to do with a GT team that shoots less than 30% from 3 shooting over 75% from 3.

Stuff happens.

Small guards are tempting to shoot over?

Duke3517
02-04-2015, 09:28 PM
Georgia Tech is flat out terrible

dukelifer
02-04-2015, 09:29 PM
Let's pretend this one never happened. GT shooting 73% from 3? Unbelievable. Oh well it's a win.

Was there a game tonight?

dukelifer
02-04-2015, 09:30 PM
Georgia Tech is flat out terrible

But not tonight.

jasoninchina
02-04-2015, 09:33 PM
That steal was by Matt Jones.

I was "watching" on ESPN's GameTracker. Didn't Matt Jones have a steal AND Tyus also have one in the last minute?

Les Grossman
02-04-2015, 09:35 PM
I'm a QC fan
go Duke!

FerryFor50
02-04-2015, 09:35 PM
I was "watching" on ESPN's GameTracker. Didn't Matt Jones have a steal AND Tyus also have one in the last minute?

That's possible. But Matt had the one that pretty much iced the game.

vick
02-04-2015, 09:37 PM
Survive and advance, I guess? I thought we came out listless - and the crowd was about the same - like we didn't need to put forth our best effort to win (which turned out to be true). Our man-to-man defense was weak -- again. A team doesn't shoot that well from 3 just because of luck. FT shooting was poor -- again. We played 1 possession of zone against one of the worst outside shooting teams in the country. And we only had 6 players score. As someone noted above, if that happens in the tournament, we could go out early. How did this same team win on the road at Wisconsin, Louisville and UVA. An enigma of a team. Much better to have an enigmatic game that results in a win. We were lucky down the stretch that GT didn't make better decisions in terms of shot selection.

I'd get used to this...just how much scoring do people expect out of Marshall (6 total points in last 8 games) and Grayson (5 in the last 10)?

jasoninchina
02-04-2015, 09:41 PM
That's possible. But Matt had the one that pretty much iced the game.

I think the one with 24 seconds left (if it was Tyus's) iced the game, and you think Matt's with 39 seconds left (if that is correct) effectively ended the game. Either way, I think we can agree that we played good enough defense in the last minute to win. We both accept that as a good way to end the game. Do you agree?

FerryFor50
02-04-2015, 09:41 PM
I'd get used to this...just how much scoring do people expect out of Marshall (6 total points in last 8 games) and Grayson (5 in the last 10)?

Despite that, you still will hear people saying Grayson needs to play more.

I like Allen. I think he'll be a fine player eventually. He might even have a couple games where he breaks out and scores some points.

But his time is not right now.

FerryFor50
02-04-2015, 09:45 PM
I think the one with 24 seconds left (if it was Tyus's) iced the game, and you think Matt's with 39 seconds left (if that is correct) effectively ended the game. Either way, I think we can agree that we played good enough defense in the last minute to win. We both accept that as a good way to end the game. Do you agree?

Nah, I had just forgotten about the Tyus steal.

OldPhiKap
02-04-2015, 09:46 PM
Georgia Tech is flat out terrible

Disagree strongly. They are close but not quite there. Way too many close games against good teams to write them off as "terrible" IMO.

jasoninchina
02-04-2015, 09:50 PM
Nah, I had just forgotten about the Tyus steal.

Fair enough. I only remember the two steals because I wrote each one down immediately after it happened!

vick
02-04-2015, 09:55 PM
Despite that, you still will hear people saying Grayson needs to play more.

I like Allen. I think he'll be a fine player eventually. He might even have a couple games where he breaks out and scores some points.

But his time is not right now.

100% agree. And neither he nor Plumlee needs to be scoring to be a valuable contributor.

Saratoga2
02-04-2015, 09:56 PM
Yikes! Probably the worst we've played since Miami.

One positive: Duke solidly out-rebounded a great rebounding team. Seriously, that's about all GaTech does well. The Jackets are 9th in the country in offensive rebounding and 10th in the country in defensive rebounding (as of the time of this post.)

Curious decision by Coach K to go extended man-2-man in this one. The couch potato head coach in me would've gone with a contracted man-2-man. Zone is okay, too, but we wouldn't have done as good a job rebounding out of it.

I thought Quinn, Justise and Matt did much of what it took to win this game, while Jahlil was fair for him (good for others), probably because he was facing people as heavy and strong as himself. Tyus was careless with the ball and made bad decisions, way below the quality of play that he has shown in the last 5 games. Amile had a few good plays early on but became kind of invisible as the game wore on.

What I thought got us in the most trouble was the extended man to man. I suppose it was designed to turn GT over as they are not very solid handling. What happened is we wound up chasing the ball with attempts to trap which instead gave GT many wide open looks. When MP3 was in the game we had a high energy 7 footer chasing the ball 30 feet from the basket and totally taking himself away from the any possibility of altering or blocking shots inside and getting any rebounds. That strategy just didn't work and nearly lost us the game.

Good thing we were enough better to overcome the weaknesses of strategy and execution by some players.

FerryFor50
02-04-2015, 10:05 PM
Disagree strongly. They are close but not quite there. Way too many close games against good teams to write them off as "terrible" IMO.

Yep. That "terrible" GT team had NCSU beaten until Lacey's miracle 3.

Same NCSU team that beat Duke.

gcashwell
02-04-2015, 10:09 PM
I thought the team played fine. Yes, GT lit it up for three, but the game plan doesn't include guarding them out there. I thought it was a good, tough win.

Winslow is back.

Kfanarmy
02-04-2015, 10:10 PM
I thought Quinn, Justise and Matt did much of what it took to win this game, while Jahlil was fair for him (good for others), probably because he was facing people as heavy and strong as himself. Tyus was careless with the ball and made bad decisions, way below the quality of play that he has shown in the last 5 games. Amile had a few good plays early on but became kind of invisible as the game wore on.

What I thought got us in the most trouble was the extended man to man. I suppose it was designed to turn GT over as they are not very solid handling. What happened is we wound up chasing the ball with attempts to trap which instead gave GT many wide open looks. When MP3 was in the game we had a high energy 7 footer chasing the ball 30 feet from the basket and totally taking himself away from the any possibility of altering or blocking shots inside and getting any rebounds. That strategy just didn't work and nearly lost us the game.

Good thing we were enough better to overcome the weaknesses of strategy and execution by some players. I don't know...maybe the best time to work on your preferred D is against a team that struggles offensively.

FerryFor50
02-04-2015, 10:11 PM
Yep. That "terrible" GT team had NCSU beaten until Lacey's miracle 3.

Same NCSU team that beat Duke.

Also, calling the team you just struggled to beat "terrible" is the equivalent of chanting "overrated."

PSurprise
02-04-2015, 10:11 PM
Now that they're done playing us, they'll go back to shooting their customary 27% or whatever it is they were at.

sagegrouse
02-04-2015, 10:35 PM
Now that they're done playing us, they'll go back to shooting their customary 27% or whatever it is they were at.

Their percentage is approximately 100 - (%against Duke).

roywhite
02-04-2015, 10:44 PM
100% agree. And neither he nor Plumlee needs to be scoring to be a valuable contributor.

Plumlee had two plays tonight that demonstrated problem areas for him:
He missed a chippie after receiving a pass while open under the basket (he sometimes has trouble catching, controlling the ball, and taking it up promptly)
He committed a silly foul while defending 25 feet from the basket

Tonight would have been a good time for Marshall to play better; just my opinion, but Jahlil looked a little under-the-weather and lacking in energy at times. I didn't read that he had a cold or flu, but K would probably not mention it if he did.

Dukehky
02-04-2015, 10:53 PM
Marshall doubles hard a lot on traps, then he is the reason that the double gets split. He over extends far too much. Just be 7 feet tall and it will be okay big guy.

Quinn is the reason we won this game.

Crowd, not great. It's way worse to have a lack luster home crowd than an amped up away crowd.

gcashwell
02-04-2015, 10:54 PM
Plumlee had two plays tonight that demonstrated problem areas for him:
He missed a chippie after receiving a pass while open under the basket (he sometimes has trouble catching, controlling the ball, and taking it up promptly)
He committed a silly foul while defending 25 feet from the basket

Tonight would have been a good time for Marshall to play better; just my opinion, but Jahlil looked a little under-the-weather and lacking in energy at times. I didn't read that he had a cold or flu, but K would probably not mention it if he did.

All that about Plumlee is true, but he also played some of the best help defense I've seen out of Duke all year in the second half. Of course, they hit a three with 1 on the shot clock, but still, he was where he was supposed to be, which is more than you can say about some of our guys.

COYS
02-04-2015, 11:06 PM
It's hard to get upset after this game. Not only did the Jackets shoot out of their minds from three, they had countless lucky bounces where they lost the ball on offense only to have it bounce to one of their players. We very easily could have had 15 steals in this game. Against State and Miami, we were shredded. Our defense was far from perfect, tonight, but I thought GaTech was uncomfortable on offense for most of the night, despite their hot shooting. Have one unlucky bounce result in a basket for us instead of for them and give them 6-12 from three instead of 9-12 and the final score is completely different. Tyus will have his mojo back by the weekend. Justise played his best game of the New Year, Quinn steadied us when we needed it (the one three with 10 left on the shotclock notwithstanding), and Jahlil is due to breakout with a 20pt monster game. At the very least, this is what I choose to believe :).

KandG
02-04-2015, 11:10 PM
First time we've beaten an opponent that shot 44% or better from 3 all year, I believe. (Notre Dame shot 44%, NC State shot 62%, Miami 50%)

Took a selective look at our guards' shooting (all the guards that played in a game, not just the starters) in the biggest wins of the season, and the 3 losses. I also cherry picked a couple of "difficult wins" over teams we were supposed to handle well. I didn't include Louisville because it was the rare game where defense and the frontcourt dominated...like I said, this is purely a selective exercise until the real smart stat guys break our play down:

Duke Guards' Shooting vs:

NC State: 12-39 FGs (6-21 3Ps)
Miami: 14-36 FGs (6-19 3Ps)
Notre Dame: 12-32 FGs (4-12 3Ps)

Wake: 12-31 FGs (5-11 3Ps)
St. Johns 13-33 FGs (7-18 3Ps)

Wisconsin: 15-30 FGs (6-13 3Ps)
Virginia 17-25 FGs (6-9 3Ps)

TONIGHT vs GA TECH: 13-34 FGs (4-17 3Ps)

I know this is news to no one, but we sure look a lot better when our guards are shooting well. Tonight was painful, though major credit to Georgia Tech for playing hard and not allowing the early deficit to faze them.

(Note: someone will bring up that our guards' shooting was unexceptional vs OK/good teams in the Coaches vs Cancer classic - 10-28 FGs vs Temple, 11-30 FGs vs Stanford. However, our defense was "better" back then, albeit as John Gasaway pointed out, unsustainable given the 3pt shooting percentage we held those teams to).

Question is whether the only way this team can be elite is if the guards are shooting at a near unsustainable level. I don't think so, especially if Justise and Matt can continue to improve and our defense can make incremental improvements (give up the extended pressure and traps near halfcourt involving Marshall, please). Right now, I have more confidence in the former than the latter.

roywhite
02-04-2015, 11:10 PM
We need Jahlil to defend better at the rim. He's late getting there sometimes, and other times seems wary of fouling. Defense and foul shooting are weak spots; I don't think he'll be totally proficient in those areas this year, but he'll need to be better if this team is to make a run in the post-season.

CoSprings
02-04-2015, 11:17 PM
We all need to adjust our expectations about this team. We are a far cry from the team that barnstormed through early December, it's really a shame. Ga Tech is pretty awful despite what members of this board want you to believe. We allowed a team that shots 27% from 3 land to shot 8-11. That is bordering on the absurd. The defensive woes are only further exacerbated by the fact that both Sulaimon and Semi are gone. We just don't have the athletes and depth to impose our will on anyone, even an anemic Ga Tech team. No disrespect to our guys, they are playing hard and doing all they can, it's just that we literally aren't the same team we were when we were at our best. It seems Duke is now forced to play with an iron 6.

It's also absurd that I am a bit frustrated at a team that is 19-3 with the schedule we've played, which shows just how spoiled I've become as a fan. But, it's the reality of greatness I guess, we always want more. And that's why a 6 point conference win seems more like a loss these days, which is disappointing on many levels.

Atldukie79
02-04-2015, 11:26 PM
Cruised up from Atlanta to catch the game in person.

Cameron seemed lackluster except when K extolled the crowd to make noise or during some tense moments at the end.
Is that the knew norm in Cameron?

Also, the students did not jam the bleachers all the way to the ends...is that also a new norm?

Otherwise, delighted to witness the 1K ceremony after the game.

uh_no
02-04-2015, 11:27 PM
I thought the team played fine. Yes, GT lit it up for three, but the game plan doesn't include guarding them out there. I thought it was a good, tough win.

Winslow is back.

SEEMS to be common for our opponents....

Here are ACC opponents season (plus ST J...since it's the same timespan and a worthy opponent) averages, and averages against us:
team, vs Duke, av
bc: 231 312
wake 154 330
satate 625 372
U 500 361
UL 160 307
pitt 300 333
sj 267 323
nd 444 401
uva 231 389
GT 727 257

So, teams don't actually shoot better from 3 against us. (glad I had stats to refute my intuition!). I think state, miami, and tonight just stick out in my mind, as we lost two of those games and the game was far closer tonight than it ought to have been.

Or defensive efficiency was only slightly worse than it ought to have been, believe it or not....7 points/100....which certainly can be explained with the shooting. The thing that impressed me the MOST was our CONSISTENCY on the defensive end of the floor. while it seemed that we started the game poorly (was really poor offense...) and perhaps the second half, we were really amazingly consistent....the game trend is pretty flat: http://www.scacchoops.com/ViewHDGame.asp?hSchedule=26575&bView=3&sInclude=doffeff

Been sticking up for the crowd in general, but the energy wasn't there at times tonight. midterms? wednesday night? yes and yes. Last 7-8 minutes were great though. No doubt the students will bring it for the next two games though. Thanks to those that showed up and cheered hard despite a bajillion things going on.


anybody else listen to K's postgame speech to the crowd and couldn't help but think about rasheed when he was talking about "only having the right people on the bus"? I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but that's inevitably where my mind was wandering.

uh_no
02-04-2015, 11:33 PM
Cruised up from Atlanta to catch the game in person.

Cameron seemed lackluster except when K extolled the crowd to make noise or during some tense moments at the end.
Is that the knew norm in Cameron?

Also, the students did not jam the bleachers all the way to the ends...is that also a new norm?

Otherwise, delighted to witness the 1K ceremony after the game.

the crowd was especially lackluster tonight. it's midterm season, kids are at the end of tenting, and it's a wednesday night game. understandable.

and no, students do not jam the bleachers all the way to the end, and haven't for most games for several years. even in 09-10, there were games where the bleachers were pitifully full (one early ACC game...against VT or something...i remember the line monitors imploring everyone to call their friends since it looked so bad). Times change. live attendance is an issue everywhere.

mo.st.dukie
02-04-2015, 11:43 PM
We all need to adjust our expectations about this team. We are a far cry from the team that barnstormed through early December, it's really a shame. Ga Tech is pretty awful despite what members of this board want you to believe. We allowed a team that shots 27% from 3 land to shot 8-11. That is bordering on the absurd. The defensive woes are only further exacerbated by the fact that both Sulaimon and Semi are gone. We just don't have the athletes and depth to impose our will on anyone, even an anemic Ga Tech team. No disrespect to our guys, they are playing hard and doing all they can, it's just that we literally aren't the same team we were when we were at our best. It seems Duke is now forced to play with an iron 6.

It's also absurd that I am a bit frustrated at a team that is 19-3 with the schedule we've played, which shows just how spoiled I've become as a fan. But, it's the reality of greatness I guess, we always want more. And that's why a 6 point conference win seems more like a loss these days, which is disappointing on many levels.

Huh? We JUST beat the #2 team in the country on their floor EXACTLY like we did in December. The only difference is that in December we had a week off after beating Wisconsin, and we also didn't have to play two other true road games in the 5 days leading up to the Wisconsin game.

And we held a 39% 3 point shooting UVA team to 23%.

You're not giving Georgia Tech enough credit, they are much better than their record suggests.

Human nature is a tough thing to battle and the Duke basketball team did a good job battling it tonight. Half of our current roster is freshmen, the team is simply not going to be able to play at a consistently high level with great emotional energy every single game, it's just not going to happen when relying on freshmen. The main thing is that they are able to fight through that and still get a win. I think we are just as good if not better than we were in December, it's just that there are a lot more games in a shorter period of time with no mid-major teams and we are playing more true road games.

gep
02-04-2015, 11:55 PM
After NC State and Miami with their 3-point barrage, the GTech game might be a sign of improvement (at least, that's one of my take-aways)... even with 72% on 3's, Duke still was able to not give up and actually win the game...:cool:

Kedsy
02-05-2015, 01:44 AM
We allowed a team that shots 27% from 3 land to shot 8-11. That is bordering on the absurd.

We "allowed" them to shoot that much better than usual? You think they hit those shots because we didn't guard them properly? I believe the book on Georgia Tech is don't even bother to guard them at the three-point line because they can't hit open long-range shots. Or at least they hadn't been hitting them all season before tonight. And I don't think Duke guarded them out there any worse than anyone else, which means their success from distance was more or less random chance.


The defensive woes are only further exacerbated by the fact that both Sulaimon and Semi are gone.

Since Semi hardly played, I don't understand what he has to do with the discussion at all. Also, Georgia Tech's points per possession in this game was pretty much exactly its season average, despite the Yellow Jackets' uncharacteristically good three-point shooting, which suggests Duke's defense wasn't really woeful at all tonight.

It was actually our offense which played worse than usual tonight, in large part due to our poor (28%) three-point shooting. We hit our average from three and it's a 12 point win. Perhaps uninspiring, but since KenPom apparently had us winning by 14, if we'd won by 12 that's not so far off. Interestingly enough, if both teams had shot their average from three-land, it would have been a 25+ point Duke victory. Combine that with the fact that Duke led for the final 31 minutes of the game, and I'd say your statement that the game felt like a loss is very much an overstatement (although obviously subjective -- if it really felt like a loss to you, that's your prerogative and I can't say anything to help you).

Troublemaker
02-05-2015, 06:20 AM
Plus, I bet CoSprings has lowered expectations several times this season already, only to be sucked back in. After the Miami game, for example. (But then Louisville happened.) After Notre Dame. (But then UVA happened.) I figure his expectations will rise again after this upcoming Notre Dame game.

As for me, I buy the "emotional letdown" angle for this sloppy game. Props to those who predicted that would happen in the pre-game thread. I should've known that was right.

porkpa
02-05-2015, 06:50 AM
One of the things I've always questioned is, why do kids, presumably because they are not getting much playing time, leave a program in mid season? Obviously Sheed is a unique situation. But in the case of Semi, its highly likely that with Sheed gone, he would be getting minutes and the opportunity to earn more PT if he played well. In addition, even if not playing, they will get more experience just practicing.

sagegrouse
02-05-2015, 06:52 AM
SEEMS to be common for our opponents....

Here are ACC opponents season (plus ST J...since it's the same timespan and a worthy opponent) averages, and averages against us:
team, vs Duke, av


bc 231 312
wf 154 330
st 625 372
Um 500 361
UL 160 307
pt 300 333
sj 267 323
nd 444 401
va 231 389
GT 727 257

So, teams don't actually shoot better from 3 against us. (glad I had stats to refute my intuition!). I think state, miami, and tonight just stick out in my mind, as we lost two of those games and the game was far closer tonight than it ought to have been.

Or defensive efficiency was only slightly worse than it ought to have been, believe it or not....7 points/100....which certainly can be explained with the shooting. The thing that impressed me the MOST was our CONSISTENCY on the defensive end of the floor. while it seemed that we started the game poorly (was really poor offense...) and perhaps the second half, we were really amazingly consistent....the game trend is pretty flat: http://www.scacchoops.com/ViewHDGame.asp?hSchedule=26575&bView=3&sInclude=doffeff
.

This may be better

fuse
02-05-2015, 07:54 AM
We need Jahlil to defend better at the rim. He's late getting there sometimes, and other times seems wary of fouling. Defense and foul shooting are weak spots; I don't think he'll be totally proficient in those areas this year, but he'll need to be better if this team is to make a run in the post-season.

Jahlil seems largely disinterested in defense. Rarely makes an effort to get back on D quickly, and a lot of matador defense. This may be coaching (don't foul, we need you on the floor), a lack of effort/interest or some combination.

DukieInBrasil
02-05-2015, 08:13 AM
Jahlil seems largely disinterested in defense. Rarely makes an effort to get back on D quickly, and a lot of matador defense. This may be coaching (don't foul, we need you on the floor), a lack of effort/interest or some combination.

Jahlil doesn't block a whole lot of shots, and i'm fine with the way he contests shots since he actually uses decent form, usually. Both hands in the air, shoulders square to the shooter. His problem seems to be timing, both on rotating to the shooter and if/when to jump. He also gets abused on up-and-under plays quite frequently and he loses his man or otherwise doesn't find someone to defend in the paint frequently too. He certainly doesn't motor down the court the way PM3 does.
Overall, i'm unimpressed with his defensive acumen. He's a Fr. and it's expected that he would not be a defensive superstar already, but i agree that he seems largely disinterested in defense.

DUKIE V(A)
02-05-2015, 08:14 AM
One of the things I've always questioned is, why do kids, presumably because they are not getting much playing time, leave a program in mid season? Obviously Sheed is a unique situation. But in the case of Semi, its highly likely that with Sheed gone, he would be getting minutes and the opportunity to earn more PT if he played well. In addition, even if not playing, they will get more experience just practicing.

I am sure they have their reasons, but they essentially forfeit an entire season of college basketball by making this decision (not to mention unexpected opportunity).

DUKIE V(A)
02-05-2015, 08:20 AM
Jahlil seems largely disinterested in defense. Rarely makes an effort to get back on D quickly, and a lot of matador defense. This may be coaching (don't foul, we need you on the floor), a lack of effort/interest or some combination.

I wonder sometimes whether, given his size, Jahlil really never had to play fundamentally sound defense before now. At his size, It is likely just standing in the paint in high school was enough to be a defensive factor even in the very talented Chicago area hoops scene. Therefore, it may not have been an emphasis before now. Just a thought. I did not see enough of him playing in high school to know.

mgtr
02-05-2015, 08:27 AM
Interesting that there have been some words in this discussion that you don't normally see in the discussion of a Duke game: listless, emotional letdown, and lackadaisical. I also noted that Jah seemed gassed much of the game. Of course, he is dragging a lot of weight up and down the court, but there are plenty of players who do that. What will happen against a running team such as North Carolina?

roywhite
02-05-2015, 08:31 AM
Interesting that there have been some words in this discussion that you don't normally see in the discussion of a Duke game: listless, emotional letdown, and lackadaisical. I also noted that Jah seemed gassed much of the game. Of course, he is dragging a lot of weight up and down the court, but there are plenty of players who do that. What will happen against a running team such as North Carolina?

Purely my guess, but Jah may have been under-the-weather. It's cold and flu season. Unlike that program 8 miles south, we don't hear much about such illnesses in the Duke program, but they happen.

Good test for the team, especially defensively, coming up Saturday vs Notre Dame. Let's see if the energy is there (and in the stands).

sagegrouse
02-05-2015, 08:33 AM
I wonder sometimes whether, given his size, Jahlil really never had to play fundamentally sound defense before now. At his size, It is likely just standing in the paint in high school was enough to be a defensive factor even in the very talented Chicago area hoops scene. Therefore, it may not have been an emphasis before now. Just a thought. I did not see enough of him playing in high school to know.

K as said IIRC (and there is always a first time) that Jah's HS team played the 2-3 zone.

MCFinARL
02-05-2015, 09:00 AM
I am sure they have their reasons, but they essentially forfeit an entire season of college basketball by making this decision (not to mention unexpected opportunity).

Yes, but--if they are enrolled at a new school for second semester, they can begin playing in January of the following year, rather than having to take an entire year out after transfer. So Semi will be able to play at SMU in Jan. 2016 instead of Nov. 2016, and Semi will be able to get most of two seasons at SMU without having to take three years to do it.

For a player who is presumably transferring because he wants to play more (and who surely couldn't have anticipated Sulaimon's dismissal, which may or may not have garnered him significantly more minutes), skipping bench duty in the second half of this season to be able to play next season rather than in 2016-17 probably seems like a good tradeoff.

jipops
02-05-2015, 09:07 AM
Purely my guess, but Jah may have been under-the-weather. It's cold and flu season. Unlike that program 8 miles south, we don't hear much about such illnesses in the Duke program, but they happen.

Good test for the team, especially defensively, coming up Saturday vs Notre Dame. Let's see if the energy is there (and in the stands).

Jahlil was noticeably laboring in the 1st half. At one point he was the only one on the floor bending down holding his shorts and breathing heavily. It looked to me like he wasn't in the game at 100%. And like you, I wasn't really expecting some woe-is-me rant about it in the post-game.

Saratoga2
02-05-2015, 09:14 AM
Plumlee had two plays tonight that demonstrated problem areas for him:
He missed a chippie after receiving a pass while open under the basket (he sometimes has trouble catching, controlling the ball, and taking it up promptly)
He committed a silly foul while defending 25 feet from the basket

Tonight would have been a good time for Marshall to play better; just my opinion, but Jahlil looked a little under-the-weather and lacking in energy at times. I didn't read that he had a cold or flu, but K would probably not mention it if he did.

As far as defense, MP3 was asked to be a part of a hard trap 25 and more feet from the basket. He has a lot of energy and tends to bump and foul when out there. He was directed to play the extended m-to-m by the coaches. Personally, I think a much better use of him would be in the 3/2 zone where he stays back to protect the basket and rebound. His 7 feet and high energy and ability to give up fouls are all plusses in that defense. Instead, projecting him out takes him away from the basket playing against smaller and quicker players. For every turnover he causes, the team gives up open shots and offensive rebounds.

His offensive limitations are obvious but that doesn't mean he can't contribute to this teams success.

UrinalCake
02-05-2015, 09:29 AM
Crowd was definitely lackluster especially in the first half, but did pick it up in the second half. I'm going to have to be one of those old fogeys who complains about how things were so much better back in my day. The grad student ushers announced that less than half of the students with ticket cards for the game even showed up, which is really embarrassing.

The tribute to Coach K following the game was great. Some real emotional moments when he talked about his family and their impact on his life and career. Had a great quote, to the effect of "I've lost basketball games, but I have an undefeated family." President Broadhead compared K to the NASA satellite that was sent off into space, reached the end of the solar system, where no one had ever been before, and then just kept going. There was also an awesome video tribute that featured a ton of former players and national figures.

uh_no
02-05-2015, 09:35 AM
Crowd was definitely lackluster especially in the first half, but did pick it up in the second half. I'm going to have to be one of those old fogeys who complains about how things were so much better back in my day. The grad student ushers announced that less than half of the students with ticket cards for the game even showed up, which is really embarrassing.

The tribute to Coach K following the game was great. Some real emotional moments when he talked about his family and their impact on his life and career. Had a great quote, to the effect of "I've lost basketball games, but I have an undefeated family." President Broadhead compared K to the NASA satellite that was sent off into space, reached the end of the solar system, where no one had ever been before, and then just kept going. There was also an awesome video tribute that featured a ton of former players and national figures.

Embarrassing for whom?

How the university treated the lacrosse team 10 years ago is embarrassing.
How the university handled the Potti scandal is embarrasing.
Having your school teach fake classes is embarrasing.

Having less than perfect attendance for a wednesday night game against a mediocre ACC opponent is reality, and has been for years. Frankly I hadn't even thought about the "first home game since 1k bit"...as it was a week and a half ago already...and was only reminded when they started tossing out t-shirts. had no idea there was going to be a post game thing...i'm sure many of the students were in the same boat.

Not to pick on you especially, but it bothers me when people toss out things like "embarrasing" and "owe it to the team" in regards to attendance. Students lives are pulled in many directions, and i'm guessing many of them spent the 3+ hours last night doing something much more substantial than jumping up and down cheering for what amounts to a relatively pointless activity in the grand scheme of things. If that's embarrassing for our university, then I want to be embarrassed. If course I want basketball games to be full...i went to all of them when i was a student, and still do when I can....but that doesn't mean I expect every other student, many of whom have very diverse interests, to share the same passion for sport that I do.

Brockt10
02-05-2015, 09:45 AM
I hate to say this but I have lost almost all hope for a long tournament run. My concerns started with the Army game (scored 73 points against us) and increased after the Elon game. To be honest, I didn't get overly excited about the UVA win, we played inconsistent basketball the entire game. Our defense is better than last year but is still a liability (guards beat off the dribble and no significant rim protection). The offense is streaky with diminishing passion. Our free throws are a huge liability with our two primary big men shooting around 50%. We have gone from a deep(er) bench where a platoon system was relatively feasible to basically a six man rotation. Finally, sloppy passing has crept into our plays.

I was hoping we could sort through these issues as the season progressed but March is only a month away and we seem to be stagnant. Justice is our only elite athlete and everyone else is average athletically for a D1 college basketball player and it shows in the team's lateral quickness. I, like a lot of others, hoped for a player to Zoubek up but it most likely isn't going to happen.

This season, like last year, has been an emotional roller coaster and I may be a pessimist but I don't think we have what it takes to make a final four or win a championship. I am not saying it can't happen but it is unlikely and I am hoping to set realistic expectations for myself so I don't get overly disappointed come tournament time.

gumbomoop
02-05-2015, 09:48 AM
Yes, but--if they are enrolled at a new school for second semester, they can begin playing in January of the following year, rather than having to take an entire year out after transfer. So Semi will be able to play at SMU in Jan. 2016 instead of Nov. 2016, and Semi will be able to get most of two seasons at SMU without having to take three years to do.

You're right, but just to give the total picture, Semi will have 2 and 1/2 years eligibility remaining.

https://smu.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1723315

He begins playing for SMU the second half of next, the 2015-16, season. Then, unless he leaves early, he will play in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

So unless he leaves early, he will be there for 3 and 1/2 years, play 2 and 1/2. I suppose there always the possibility that Brown leaves, and Semi does a grad year elsewhere. Perhaps not at Duke, though that would make for a really interesting twist......

UrinalCake
02-05-2015, 09:49 AM
I meant embarrassing in the sense that Cameron has a reputation as being the toughest venue to play in and having the best fans in the country, but I don't feel like we're upholding that standard, at least not this season. I understand that not everyone can go to every game, especially grad students who have many other responsibilities, but there should never be empty seats. The grad student ushers have taken a number of steps to try to fill the seats - allowing students to bring guests who are non-students, maintaining a facebook page to exchange or sell unused passes, etc - but if we continue to have empty seats then the next step is that the school will take those seats away from the students and sell them.

kAzE
02-05-2015, 10:06 AM
I meant embarrassing in the sense that Cameron has a reputation as being the toughest venue to play in and having the best fans in the country, but I don't feel like we're upholding that standard, at least not this season. I understand that not everyone can go to every game, especially grad students who have many other responsibilities, but there should never be empty seats. The grad student ushers have taken a number of steps to try to fill the seats - allowing students to bring guests who are non-students, maintaining a facebook page to exchange or sell unused passes, etc - but if we continue to have empty seats then the next step is that the school will take those seats away from the students and sell them.

I remember maybe 12-15 years ago when it was a 1 or 2 possession game down the stretch, the student section would be so loud that you could barely hear the announcers and the entire section was jumping up and down non stop. It probably hasn't been that way for at least 7 or 8 years now. Cameron is absolutely one of the best venues in all of sports, so it's just disappointing that the students haven't been as passionate about being at the games as they were in the past. I would definitely say there might be 10 or more schools that have better home court advantages right now. That's just the cold truth.

theitrain
02-05-2015, 10:14 AM
the crowd was especially lackluster tonight. it's midterm season, kids are at the end of tenting, and it's a wednesday night game. understandable.

and no, students do not jam the bleachers all the way to the end, and haven't for most games for several years. even in 09-10, there were games where the bleachers were pitifully full (one early ACC game...against VT or something...i remember the line monitors imploring everyone to call their friends since it looked so bad). Times change. live attendance is an issue everywhere.

This was the most disturbing to me about last night's game (aside from Duke's inability to put teams away, which seems a recurring issue). Not sure we should accept "Times change. Live attendance is an issue everywhere" as an explanation, even if it might be true. Partially empty stands with students in the front rows giving "golf claps" is not the way it should be in Cameron. As tempted as I am to write a letter to the Chronicle, I remember how these letters went over when I was a Crazy...

Duvall
02-05-2015, 10:17 AM
This was the most disturbing to me about last night's game (aside from Duke's inability to put teams away, which seems a recurring issue). Not sure we should accept "Times change. Live attendance is an issue everywhere" as an explanation, even if it might be true. Partially empty stands with students in the front rows giving "golf claps" is not the way it should be in Cameron. As tempted as I am to write a letter to the Chronicle, I remember how these letters went over when I was a Crazy...

So instead of accepting it, what should we do?

Troublemaker
02-05-2015, 10:27 AM
I hate to say this but I have lost almost all hope for a long tournament run. My concerns started with the Army game (scored 73 points against us) and increased after the Elon game. To be honest, I didn't get overly excited about the UVA win, we played inconsistent basketball the entire game. Our defense is better than last year but is still a liability (guards beat off the dribble and no significant rim protection). The offense is streaky with diminishing passion. Our free throws are a huge liability with our two primary big men shooting around 50%. We have gone from a deep(er) bench where a platoon system was relatively feasible to basically a six man rotation. Finally, sloppy passing has crept into our plays.

I was hoping we could sort through these issues as the season progressed but March is only a month away and we seem to be stagnant.

A month away is actually a lifetime in this sport. Both of last year's national championship participants started clicking around the time of their conference tourneys.

UrinalCake
02-05-2015, 10:28 AM
I've been to 7 or 8 games this season and not once have we mocked an opposing team's free throw shooter. I'm not saying we need to go back to throwing condoms on the court, that definitely crossed the line, but whatever happened to spontaneous, clever ribbing like "in-hale, ex-hale" and "you shot the sheriff"? There is zero spontaneity or creativity, just the same chants and playing the same song over the loudspeakers.

Billy Dat
02-05-2015, 10:29 AM
It was a characteristic conference game where a team that's been taking it on the chin in close loss after close loss shows up more intense and hungry than the heavily favored home team coming off an insanely emotional several weeks of brutal road games, nationally covered coaching milestones, and the elimination of a popular teammate. I'll side with those cutting our guys some slack.

As for lowering expectations, it's always easy to do it for the team you follow and root for. Kentucky was in a two possession game, at home, with under 5 to go against Georgia one day earlier. I don't see anyone backing off the undefeated talk.

K talked about it in the postgame, but we really spit the bit at the end of the first half when we, up 8, took a timeout to set up a 2 for 1 and wound up letting them score twice to cut it to 4. That was brutal. We should have had a 10+ point halftime lead. The "star" of that brutal end-of-half was Tyus. Dickie V made a point (wow) about Tyus being better against better comp. I don't have the stats, but maybe....we start 3 freshmen, they are going to do stuff like that.

Not that Jah playing good defense and getting in foul trouble need to be synonymous, but I always think the bargain is that his weak effort on D keeps him on the court. He really isn't very good on defense, and that story will not go away. I was more disappointed in his lack of assertion on offense last night - they rarely doubled him yet we couldn't make them pay. He did have some really pretty moves/spins-in-the-lane down the stretch.

There were definitely a few exchanges where they had really good chances to take a lead, but they never did, and I am a big believer that a team that can't get over that kind of hump suffers massive psychological damage as the game wears on. We got a little lucky that way, but they also were getting some lucky bounces and shots as others have mentioned.

Winslow does appear to be back, he's put together a nice stretch of quality play over the past few weeks.

K taking the jacket off reminded me of Jarrett Jack's senior year when Tech came in and beat us pretty bad despite K's attempted emotional defibrillation. Luckily, this Tech team has no Jarrett Jack.

We punch the card and move on and, oh yeah...Matt Jones steals the ball, Matt Jones steals the ball.

uh_no
02-05-2015, 10:33 AM
I've been to 7 or 8 games this season and not once have we mocked an opposing team's free throw shooter. I'm not saying we need to go back to throwing condoms on the court, that definitely crossed the line, but whatever happened to spontaneous, clever ribbing like "in-hale, ex-hale" and "you shot the sheriff"? There is zero spontaneity or creativity, just the same chants and playing the same song over the loudspeakers.

blame the marketing department for actively "trying to make it an NBA environment"

the diminishing role of the band
the canned halftime junk
more piped in music

it's impossible to be creative when the whole show is scripted.

Kedsy
02-05-2015, 10:35 AM
I hate to say this but I have lost almost all hope for a long tournament run.

If you hate to say it, then why did you? You are correct this team has flaws, but all teams have flaws. I don't know how long you've been watching Duke, but at some point in January or February you probably could have said similar things about the 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, and 2010 Duke teams, and those teams represent more than half of Coach K's Final Fours and exactly half of his championships.

superdave
02-05-2015, 10:42 AM
We got the ball with 55 seconds left in the half. Coach K signaled to go two-for-one then Tyus I believe threw a pass away. GT scored and Justise went to inbound the ball with 38 seconds left. It looked like he saw the clock, waited for 35 seconds left so Duke could control the final possession, then he inbounded it. Anyone else notice that? I saw Justise do something similar I think vs ND last week.

uh_no
02-05-2015, 10:43 AM
We got the ball with 55 seconds left in the half. Coach K signaled to go two-for-one then Tyus I believe threw a pass away. GT scored and Justise went to inbound the ball with 38 seconds left. It looked like he saw the clock, waited for 35 seconds left so Duke could control the final possession, then he inbounded it. Anyone else notice that? I saw Justise do something similar I think vs ND last week.

I did. smart move. you have 5 seconds to inbound, might as well use them.

theitrain
02-05-2015, 10:44 AM
So instead of accepting it, what should we do?

Maybe the Crazies just need a wake-up call. You would think Coach K exhorting them to be louder would be enough--especially with Notre Dame and Carolina quickly approaching.

roywhite
02-05-2015, 10:49 AM
We got the ball with 55 seconds left in the half. Coach K signaled to go two-for-one then Tyus I believe threw a pass away. GT scored and Justise went to inbound the ball with 38 seconds left. It looked like he saw the clock, waited for 35 seconds left so Duke could control the final possession, then he inbounded it. Anyone else notice that? I saw Justise do something similar I think vs ND last week.


I did. smart move. you have 5 seconds to inbound, might as well use them.

Yeah, Justise is back in form, and really adds a lot to this team. His rebounding has been outstanding the last two games, he's finishing his drives better, using better shot selection, and making plays on defense. He's tough, smart, and competitive; love it when he grabs a rebound or gets a steal and takes it all the way for a basket.

superdave
02-05-2015, 10:53 AM
Yeah, Justise is back in form, and really adds a lot to this team. His rebounding has been outstanding the last two games, he's finishing his drives better, using better shot selection, and making plays on defense. He's tough, smart, and competitive; love it when he grabs a rebound or gets a steal and takes it all the way for a basket.

He had a nice block last night that was called a foul. The offensive player got a half step on him and he recovered with a block. He is explosive.

I do like his full court sprints. I wish all our guards and wings would push the ball more often, to score before the D is set. A few more easy buckets like that would make the night a little easier.

UrinalCake
02-05-2015, 10:56 AM
I did. smart move. you have 5 seconds to inbound, might as well use them.

Speaking of Winslow, that outlet pass he made to Quinn was just nuts. He basically bobbled the inbounds pass, jumped up to grab the ball, was caught in the air and would have committed a travel if he landed, so while in mid-air he managed to turn, spot quinn 3/4 of the length of the court away, and fling the ball to him over the top of a GT defender. The athleticism, strength, and awareness required to do that is mind-boggling.

http://instagram.com/p/ytOpvmxGV3/

jipops
02-05-2015, 10:58 AM
If you hate to say it, then why did you? You are correct this team has flaws, but all teams have flaws. I don't know how long you've been watching Duke, but at some point in January or February you probably could have said similar things about the 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, and 2010 Duke teams, and those teams represent more than half of Coach K's Final Fours and exactly half of his championships.

Probably would have gone / went something like this...

'94:
I don't see how we can possibly make the final four when we rely almost exclusively on Grant Hill carrying a bunch of role players. Our back court is young with very little athleticism, Cherokee is inconsistent, we have no depth, and our starting power forward is only 210 pounds. UNC has nearly everyone back with the addition of 2 future NBA-All stars. They will be in the FF, not us.

'10:
We have no back court depth and we haven't shown much ability to score in the front court. Oh and we just got blown out by GTown who shot like 80% against us. Forget it, we're done.

'90:
This team is simply not physical enough to make a final four run. Like Phil Henderson said, this team plays like a bunch of babies.

'89:
Did you see how NC State and UNC just man-handled us? Clearly we're not ready for prime-time this year. Ferry is the only player we have that can score consistently. We get man-handled on the boards. Brickey should just stop shooting.

Troublemaker
02-05-2015, 10:59 AM
If you hate to say it, then why did you? You are correct this team has flaws, but all teams have flaws. I don't know how long you've been watching Duke, but at some point in January or February you probably could have said similar things about the 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, and 2010 Duke teams, and those teams represent more than half of Coach K's Final Fours and exactly half of his championships.

Yep, the wire-to-wire dominant teams like '92 are rare. For most teams, in early Feb, fans should just be hoping that (a) the team has flashed national championship potential several times and (b) will put it all together and be consistent soon. Flashes of NC potential? Triple check for this Duke team. Consistency? We'll see.

DevilWearsPrada
02-05-2015, 11:07 AM
Coach K said in the post game interview, that Ga Tech could easily be 7-2, instead of 1-8. The Yellow Jackets, or as I call them the Bumble Bees, played a great game. Tech could of easily snagged the "W" last evening, from Duke! These are the teams that sneak up on you and Win. It happens every year, during the NCAA on the first and second rounds. We all know that, ever to clearly.

Congrats to Coach K on his 1000 + wins, and surpassing Dean Smith with the most ACC wins.

Now, lets redeem ourselves on Saturday and get the W over Notre Dame!

Troublemaker
02-05-2015, 11:08 AM
I do like his full court sprints. I wish all our guards and wings would push the ball more often, to score before the D is set. A few more easy buckets like that would make the night a little easier.

Yeah, me too. Even as is, we've been threatening opponents in transition more than any Duke team since Kyrie's first 8 games in '11. And before that, probably since Duhon in '04, and maybe since the Jwill/Duhon pairing in '02.

It's been nice to see transition basketball this season.

uh_no
02-05-2015, 11:31 AM
Coach K said in the post game interview, that Ga Tech could easily be 7-2, instead of 1-8.

They're one of the "unluckiest" teams in D1...281/351

gumbomoop
02-05-2015, 11:47 AM
We got the ball with 55 seconds left in the half. Coach K signaled to go two-for-one then Tyus I believe threw a pass away. GT scored and Justise went to inbound the ball with 38 seconds left. It looked like he saw the clock, waited for 35 seconds left so Duke could control the final possession, then he inbounded it. Anyone else notice that? I saw Justise do something similar I think vs ND last week.

I think I've seen at least one other team do this in last few weeks - can't remember which team - and I think this is the third time in the last few weeks I've seen Duke do it. I guess ND game was one, as you say.

This is a smart play, whenever the other team scores with anything like 38-42 seconds left in the half. Hold it 3-4 seconds, inbound it at 35-38, shot clock starts, and you should get last (decent, planned) shot of half.

rocketeli
02-05-2015, 12:19 PM
good things about this team
1. nasty
2. rebounding
3. Okafor
4. lots of talent
5. chemistry

bad things (or things that need work)
1. offense movement- still too much standing around or playground ball
2. careless with the ball at times
3. free throws
4. defensive lapses

DBFAN
02-05-2015, 12:26 PM
The personality of this team is very much play (up or down) to the level of competition.

Dangerous habit to have come tournament time.

I have thought about this for some time bin not sure its just that. I believe this team also plays depending on expectations. The games that everyone said they wouldn't win, outside of ND, they played their best ball. Games they are expected to win they play tight. I actually think it will be helpful come tourney time. They will hear nothing but talk about how they lost last year to Mercer. They may play their best ball during that time

Duvall
02-05-2015, 12:31 PM
I remember maybe 12-15 years ago when it was a 1 or 2 possession game down the stretch, the student section would be so loud that you could barely hear the announcers and the entire section was jumping up and down non stop. It probably hasn't been that way for at least 7 or 8 years now.

Eh, that's mostly sound mixing by the ESPN crew.

12-15 years...who was serving the beer then?

flyingdutchdevil
02-05-2015, 12:40 PM
Speaking of Winslow, that outlet pass he made to Quinn was just nuts. He basically bobbled the inbounds pass, jumped up to grab the ball, was caught in the air and would have committed a travel if he landed, so while in mid-air he managed to turn, spot quinn 3/4 of the length of the court away, and fling the ball to him over the top of a GT defender. The athleticism, strength, and awareness required to do that is mind-boggling.

http://instagram.com/p/ytOpvmxGV3/

I'm pretty sure that Winslow made millions on this play alone. Winslow's athleticism is known, but this play had it all: athleticism, quick decision making, Kevin Love outlet passes, incredible awareness, ability to understand his teammates' location, and sheer strength. It's not Winslow's most important play nor his most memorable (after all, he didn't score the bucket), but I feel that it epitomizes Winslow's skills the best. NBA scouts, you better be watching!

aimo
02-05-2015, 12:54 PM
I remember maybe 12-15 years ago when it was a 1 or 2 possession game down the stretch, the student section would be so loud that you could barely hear the announcers and the entire section was jumping up and down non stop. It probably hasn't been that way for at least 7 or 8 years now. Cameron is absolutely one of the best venues in all of sports, so it's just disappointing that the students haven't been as passionate about being at the games as they were in the past. I would definitely say there might be 10 or more schools that have better home court advantages right now. That's just the cold truth.

That's b/c everyone is engrossed in their smartphones, even during play. Either that, or they're too busy staring up at the jumbo screen, seeing if they're on it. Whoo! Big thrill. I miss the days of tennis balls and spontaneous chants, not ones that are prompted by a dry erase board.

jasoninchina
02-05-2015, 12:57 PM
This season, like last year, has been an emotional roller coaster and I may be a pessimist but I don't think we have what it takes to make a final four or win a championship. I am not saying it can't happen but it is unlikely and I am hoping to set realistic expectations for myself so I don't get overly disappointed come tournament time.[/QUOTE]

I am a devoted Christian man, so I will try my best to act like it. Wow, where do I start? When I was reading your first paragraph, I immediately thought of Jesus of Nazareth who said the following: "We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned for you, And you did not lament. " Not to get overly preachy, but His point there is that some people, no matter how good their lives are refuse to be happy. I am afraid that Jesus was talking to someone exactly like you. If that makes you angry, so be it! I am saying this for your benefit and others like you.

We have so much to be thankful for as Duke fans: the Greatest of All Time at the helm, elite athletes on our team, and an excellent cadre of assistant coaches. While it is possible that we could lose the first weekend (though I don't think so), it is at least as likely we make it into at least the Elite Eight round. We have four national championships, 11 or so Final Fours, and many ACC Tournament Titles. If all that is not good enough for you, I frankly don't know what to do but pray for you! God bless us all! Let's go Duke!

CDu
02-05-2015, 01:15 PM
I echo the comments of some others in saying that I'm not upset with our team's play last night. I think we played the game the way we wanted to play, but Georgia Tech happened to hit 5 more threes than should have been expected and we missed 2 more threes than expected. To win relatively comfortably on an off-night for two of our three main freshmen is okay.

Defensively, we played a pretty good game. We held them to under a point per possession in spite of their ridiculous 3pt shooting (and as was discussed pre-game, forcing them to shoot 3s was a good strategy, as they are the worst 3pt shooting team in the ACC). If you look at the snapshot of the game in the link below, we dominated every facet of the game except for 3pt shooting (where Georgia Tech won by almost 50 percentage points!), FG% (inflated by the 3pt shooting disparity), and eFG% (again, inflated by the 3pt shooting). In every other aspect of the game, we were clearly better last night.

http://www.scacchoops.com/tt_Game_Box_Score_External.asp?hGame=3437

Sometimes, the result ends up closer than it should be because of a bit of fluky breaks, and last night seems like one of those nights. I never felt like Georgia Tech was really capable of beating us.

If I had to point out negatives, I'd say the following:
1. We were a bit lazy at times offensively. It seemed like we were unecessarily sloppy at times, and took some lazy shots rather than working to get better shots.
2. When we didn't score, we were sometimes lazy in our transition defense (a recurring theme this season).
3. A disappointing game for Tyus Jones and Okafor, neither of whom really seemed to get going last night.

Really, that's about it. And I would say that our half-court defense was actually pretty good, just made to look worse than it was by Tech making more 3s than they should have made.

I loved Winslow's intensity, and I loved Cook taking over the game down the stretch. And Matt Jones played one of his better games of the season, including a big steal in transition late in the game that effectively ended Tech's chances.

All in all, I'll take it. Not pretty, but a win. Now hopefully we'll have better fortune this weekend against Notre Dame!

superdave
02-05-2015, 01:24 PM
I'm pretty sure that Winslow made millions on this play alone. Winslow's athleticism is known, but this play had it all: athleticism, quick decision making, Kevin Love outlet passes, incredible awareness, ability to understand his teammates' location, and sheer strength. It's not Winslow's most important play nor his most memorable (after all, he didn't score the bucket), but I feel that it epitomizes Winslow's skills the best. NBA scouts, you better be watching!

Yeah you are right on Winslow. This will be in his highlight reel. I think his game translates well to the NBA as well, with more room to operate on the offensive end and more of a premium on freak athleticism. He's got James Harden's game with more athleticism but a little worse jumper.

He's gone....

DukieInKansas
02-05-2015, 01:38 PM
Is Winslow wearing a flak jacket or some kind of protection under his jersey? There were several camera shots that made it look like something was under his jersey.

Can't find a picture of the first angle that made me think this but here are links to a couple of pictures from Duke Blue Planet:

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-4KPPJq6/0/X3/DSC_7146-X3.jpg
http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-3DXnTTQ/A

uh_no
02-05-2015, 01:41 PM
Is Winslow wearing a flak jacket or some kind of protection under his jersey? There were several camera shots that made it look like something was under his jersey.

Can't find a picture of the first angle that made me think this but here are links to a couple of pictures from Duke Blue Planet:

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-4KPPJq6/0/X3/DSC_7146-X3.jpg
http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-3DXnTTQ/A

I think the folds in the jersey are playing tricks a good deal, but i wouldn't be surprised if he had some extra padding under there.

mgtr
02-05-2015, 01:52 PM
I have cracked a few ribs in the past, and if I do it again (I sure hope not!), I will definitely wear some protection. And not sneeze, cough, or laugh!!

Duvall
02-05-2015, 01:52 PM
Is Winslow wearing a flak jacket or some kind of protection under his jersey? There were several camera shots that made it look like something was under his jersey.

Can't find a picture of the first angle that made me think this but here are links to a couple of pictures from Duke Blue Planet:

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-4KPPJq6/0/X3/DSC_7146-X3.jpg
http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-3DXnTTQ/A

That makes sense. Also possible that Winslow is a cyborg or android of some kind.

DukieInKansas
02-05-2015, 02:03 PM
That makes sense. Also possible that Winslow is a cyborg or android of some kind.

So he was just in for a tune-up for a while and a beta version was playing for a while? Now he will be back in an update cyborg or android sense?

I couldn't find the side view from when I noticed it first but it appeared that something was under his jersey because he was barely moving and the jersey was sticking out.

roywhite
02-05-2015, 02:03 PM
He had a nice block last night that was called a foul. The offensive player got a half step on him and he recovered with a block. He is explosive.

I do like his full court sprints. I wish all our guards and wings would push the ball more often, to score before the D is set. A few more easy buckets like that would make the night a little easier.

For Winslow and Jahlil, I at least hope the ACC refs adjust to what they can do (without a foul or violation) before they leave.

Winslow has had a few blocks this season where he got up very quickly and made a clean block, but was called for the foul, as if the ref saw the play developing and assumed it had to be a foul if the shot got blocked. Jahlil does travel a fair amount, but I think he gets tweeted on some non-travel moves, that are just great moves. And he gets beat on, certainly off the ball, without getting many fouls called. I wish Jahlil got just a small portion of the favorable treatment Tyler Hansbrough used to get. (yikes, just looked it up -- Hansbrough turns 30 later this year).

CDu
02-05-2015, 02:11 PM
Is Winslow wearing a flak jacket or some kind of protection under his jersey? There were several camera shots that made it look like something was under his jersey.

Can't find a picture of the first angle that made me think this but here are links to a couple of pictures from Duke Blue Planet:

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-4KPPJq6/0/X3/DSC_7146-X3.jpg
http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-3DXnTTQ/A

A lot of players wear light padding under their jerseys and shorts. Given that Winslow had a rib injury already, I'd be surprised if he was not wearing something now. Given the way the game is officiated, players unfortunately have to wear padding or risk serious bruising (or worse).

ncexnyc
02-05-2015, 02:11 PM
I'm glad to see the Post-Game thread is on page 1 instead of page 2, otherwise I'd have to ask for directions:D

Yes, it was a very ugly game, but the team came away with the W and since this isn't figure skating or gymnastics, style points aren't involved. With all of the emotional baggage this team was carrying the past week it didn't surprise me that they would be a little flat for last night's game, however in the end superior talent overcame the opposition having a torrid shooting night.

Word out of Durham is that the Coach K. and his staff have been conducting a Walking Dead Marathon viewing session getting ready for the shows return this Sunday, can anyone confirm this;)

superdave
02-05-2015, 02:14 PM
A lot of players wear light padding under their jerseys and shorts. Given that Winslow had a rib injury already, I'd be surprised if he was not wearing something now. Given the way the game is officiated, players unfortunately have to wear padding or risk serious bruising (or worse).

I'm ensconced in bubble wrap right now myself. And loving it!

Monmouth77
02-05-2015, 02:19 PM
I wish Jahlil got just a small portion of the favorable treatment Tyler Hansbrough used to get. (yikes, just looked it up -- Hansbrough turns 30 later this year).

It's not as bad as it sounds. He was like 26 his senior year in Chapel Hill.

fuse
02-05-2015, 02:39 PM
Is Winslow wearing a flak jacket or some kind of protection under his jersey? There were several camera shots that made it look like something was under his jersey.

Can't find a picture of the first angle that made me think this but here are links to a couple of pictures from Duke Blue Planet:

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-4KPPJq6/0/X3/DSC_7146-X3.jpg
http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-3DXnTTQ/A

If you check Nike's website, there is a basketball compression vest that integrates rib pads, similar to the compression shorts, knee guards and arm guards you can more easily see. I would not be at all surprised given the physical nature of the game that Justice and others wear protective gear.

Lar77
02-05-2015, 04:12 PM
Was his our best game? Of course not. Remember, not long ago, when the Wednesday after the Super Bowl was reserved for an emotional game? The unofficial start to the college basketball season? Thank you ACC and ESPN.

Jahlil was pummeled last night by Cox. That guy is just a beast and the refs seemed fine with letting him force Oak out a bit further. Nevertheless, like some of you, I thought Oak looked a little tired all game. He did make some defensive moves that were not there earlier in the season so that's a good sign.

Not only did Ga Tech shoot an unreal 8 of 11 from 3, but these were not easy shots. They actually missed the easy ones. GT often plays us tough for some reason.

Our defense is not as bad as commentators would have you believe. A few times we played great defense with the result a last second prayer going in. We are not awe inspiring defensively, but there are some improvements.

Tyus did not have a great game. Quinn was off from the outside, except for a behind the basket from the side. Justise played very well throughout. Matt made some key plays, especially in the first half, that provided some life. I wish Amile develops a reliable mid range shot, Marshall works on his hands, and things click for Grayson.

And yet we won.

Was it a great crowd? No but for a bottom half ACC team, it was about average.

We're 19-3, still 4th in the country. Did I mention that we won? Life is good (and if you are so disappointed attending games, I know someone who would buy your tickets in a heartbeat).

fuse
02-05-2015, 04:25 PM
What struck me last night is we played pretty good defense for about 25 seconds.

Coach K ought to be advocating the 24 second shot clock. :-)

Kfanarmy
02-05-2015, 05:10 PM
I hate to say this but I have lost almost all hope for a long tournament run. My concerns started with the Army game (scored 73 points against us) and increased after the Elon game. To be honest, I didn't get overly excited about the UVA win, we played inconsistent basketball the entire game. Our defense is better than last year but is still a liability (guards beat off the dribble and no significant rim protection). The offense is streaky with diminishing passion. Our free throws are a huge liability with our two primary big men shooting around 50%. We have gone from a deep(er) bench where a platoon system was relatively feasible to basically a six man rotation. Finally, sloppy passing has crept into our plays.

I was hoping we could sort through these issues as the season progressed but March is only a month away and we seem to be stagnant. Justice is our only elite athlete and everyone else is average athletically for a D1 college basketball player and it shows in the team's lateral quickness. I, like a lot of others, hoped for a player to Zoubek up but it most likely isn't going to happen.

This season, like last year, has been an emotional roller coaster and I may be a pessimist but I don't think we have what it takes to make a final four or win a championship. I am not saying it can't happen but it is unlikely and I am hoping to set realistic expectations for myself so I don't get overly disappointed come tournament time.

Get back on board the hope wagon! positive energy. positive energy. positive energy. They have flaws, but they are athletic and super talented. They CAN! Defense, free throws...yep. but They CAN anyway!

Edouble
02-05-2015, 05:22 PM
One of the things I've always questioned is, why do kids, presumably because they are not getting much playing time, leave a program in mid season? Obviously Sheed is a unique situation. But in the case of Semi, its highly likely that with Sheed gone, he would be getting minutes and the opportunity to earn more PT if he played well. In addition, even if not playing, they will get more experience just practicing.

How was Semi supposed to have known that Sheed would be leaving the program?!?!

I don't think that Semi would be getting any more playing time with Sheed gone. Maybe a few minutes, but is that really gonna keep a guy happy? Remember that Rasheed only played 12 minutes in his last game against Notre Dame.

If you're a player, you play, if not then you sit and Quinn Cook plays 40 minutes.

dukelifer
02-05-2015, 06:04 PM
Yeah you are right on Winslow. This will be in his highlight reel. I think his game translates well to the NBA as well, with more room to operate on the offensive end and more of a premium on freak athleticism. He's got James Harden's game with more athleticism but a little worse jumper.

He's gone....

If we want Duke to win- Winslow has to play great and if he plays great- he will go. The nature of the Sport these days.

devildeac
02-05-2015, 06:13 PM
Is Winslow wearing a flak jacket or some kind of protection under his jersey? There were several camera shots that made it look like something was under his jersey.

Can't find a picture of the first angle that made me think this but here are links to a couple of pictures from Duke Blue Planet:

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-4KPPJq6/0/X3/DSC_7146-X3.jpg
http://www.blueplanetshots.com/201415/Duke-72-Georgia-Tech-66/i-3DXnTTQ/A

Last night he may have been wearing one of these:

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