MBB: Duke 94, Wake Forest 51 Post-Game Thread

[JBDuke]

Put your post-game thoughts here.

[bbosbbos]

Allen OAD?

[NYBri]

Weird game.

[TKG]

How about that bench????

[phaedrus]

He matched Taylor King's freshman high. Basically he's a can't-miss pro prospect.

[Saratoga2]

Followed on CBS sports but had no TV coverage here in southern Fla. Grayson has a stat line to kill for. Great time for him to show the growth for a season of competing. Wonder how healthy the team is going into the UNC game and the tourneys. Lot is being said about turned ankles. Great senior night for Quinn. A deserving guy if there ever was one.

[mattman91]

He matched Taylor King's freshman high. Basically he's a can't-miss pro prospect.

I don't think anyone will match Taylor King's (http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?29600-Taylor-King-Redux%28-%29) freshman high

[TKG]

He matched Taylor King's freshman high.

I hope not!

[grossbus]

Really, the only negatives from this game are the Winslow/Jefferson ankle tweaks. Both returned to the game, but...you know.


Winslow rolled his ankle making a plant on the drive and still made the over-the-shoulder dish for the layup.

[FerryFor50]

I can sum that game up in an image

4837

[SCMatt33]

That had to be one of the most dominant first halves Duke has had against an ACC foe in quite a long time. To be up by 37 by halftime is ridiculous against anyone, but even more so for an ACC team. My calc off of unofficial box scores had about 39 possessions in the first half. Giving up only 15 points meant that Duke gave up only .38 points per possession for a half. That's insane. They stepped off the gas big time in the second half and I loved it. It's nice to see them be able to coast through half of a game and not need guys to play huge minutes when your really coming down to it at the end of the year.

[superdave]

That was fun and gratifying.

I am expecting big things to come. This team is dialing in.

Enjoy the ride.

[NSDukeFan]

That had to be one of the most dominant first halves Duke has had against an ACC foe in quite a long time. To be up by 37 by halftime is ridiculous against anyone, but even more so for an ACC team. My calc off of unofficial box scores had about 39 possessions in the first half. Giving up only 15 points meant that Duke gave up only .38 points per possession for a half. That's insane. They stepped off the gas big time in the second half and I loved it. It's nice to see them be able to coast through half of a game and not need guys to play huge minutes when your really coming down to it at the end of the year.

That is impressive and that sure was fun.

[FerryFor50]

That was fun and gratifying.

I am expecting big things to come. This team is dialing in.

Enjoy the ride.

The coaching staff needs to start requiring the team to wear these, though:

http://motorcycleuniversity.net/img/Footwear.jpg

[subzero02]

Right now we are gunning for the #2 overall seed.... I hope we are healthy after saturday.

[stillcrazie]

I am a little surprised that no one is mentioning that Jah had an off game. He really had trouble getting in position.

The Crazies held up a dry erase board that said "Chucky Okafor, sit with us!" and chanted it until he did. Chucky looked like he was having the time of his life.

Then they chanted "Dallas Cowboys, sit with us!" and Tony Romo ran across the floor and hung out with the Crazies. It was a sea of selfies.

[moonpie23]

anyone got more info on Justise's ankle?


shall we start a vigil ?

[stillcrazie]

anyone got more info on Justise's ankle?


shall we start a vigil ?

He was back on the floor after the incident. Other than that, I got nothin'.

[weezie]

Even with all the enjoyment it was distracting to see the team circling Quinn after the game and witnessing again how few players we have. Huge hearts though, that's very evident. Not a single player is dogging even a second of their playing time. It's all hands on deck. Really very proud of them and how they have responded to diversity.

One other observation, our man Obi is one snappy dresser. The pocket squares are fabulous! He looks great!

[NYBri]

He was back on the floor after the incident. Other than that, I got nothin'.

And popped a trey.

[weezie]

And Justise's ankle looked better but Amile looked markedly gimpy at end of game. Pronounced limp as he went back to lockeroom.

[uh_no]

I predicted a 30 point win. I didn't predict 37 at halftime :)

I posit that this means I maintain my "win by 30 prediction" permission for another season!

[ArtVandelay]

Okafor theory, anyone?

[moonpie23]

Okafor theory, anyone?

i think he let everyone else have the spotlight....he's gearing for saturday....

[OZ]

Okafor theory, anyone?


Wondering if the travel call and the two weird fouls didn't get in his head a bit? He just looked bewildered and uncertain of himself.
Also, Wake was determined he was not going to beat them as they doubled and tripled down... they were correct... Jah didn't beat them!

[Newton_14]

anyone got more info on Justise's ankle?


shall we start a vigil ?
Though it looked bad when it happened, and the doc worked on him a long time before finally putting a brace on it (and he showed a lot of pain) he actually looked good afterwards, including on the court. No limp or obvious favoring, but that is one tough dude. He is so constant in his emotion, and even in pain looked like Clint Eastwood or Kyle Singler or something. The doc took him back in the tunnel after putting the brace on and he was back shortly. I am much more concerned about Amile. His initial limp was much worse. He got worked on quite a bit as well, but he too moved pretty good after going back in. I imagine both will be sore as heck.

Weird game as NyBri said. It came easy from the start. Grayson just rocked it obviously. Too bad that heat check 3 that went in an out did not stay down. I think Grayson is going to be an All-ACC caliber player and he loves playing defense and rebounding as much as he does offense. Also very unselfish. I do fear he is going to be our best returning player though. Which if he is, then so be it. I have come to terms with the fact that his 3 fellow freshman likely played their last game in Cameron tonight.

Shout out to Quinn too. He had every right to try to go for 40 tonight but he played just about as unselfish of a game as he could have played and still scored 13 with 5 boards. Prettiest play of the game for me was the give and go between he and Amile in the second half when Quinn hit the driving layup. I was sitting in the endzone on that end of the floor and those two dialed that play up a good 15 seconds before it happened. You could tell watching them they had something on their mind and when it finally happened and they executed it perfectly it was like "ah ha!" that's what they were looking to do. Beautiful basketball play.

Great night and great way to send out the Seniors and Freshmen. Only downside was the two ankle injuries and Jahlil's streak of 28 straight double figure games coming to an end. He too played a very unselfish game being quite content to set up his teammates for scores when the double teams came.

Such an unselfish team and fun to watch. It is very apparent and obvious they truly love each other and enjoy an assist as much as they do scoring themselves. If they can find a way to play even solid defense the rest of the way, I love their chances to go the distance in both tourney's and put themselves in a position to compete for championships.

[OldSchool]

Even with the beatdown tonight, if somehow we were to end up playing Wake in the ACCT, it wouldn't surprise me to see a dogfight.

It all comes down to our defense. If we can maintain a high level of concentration and energy on the defensive end, it's not necessary to rely so much on zone and if our offense is clicking we can quickly gain a working margin on the scoreboard. But if we fail to maintain that edge for just a little bit on the defensive end, we can easily find ourselves burned repeatedly on dribble penetration and in transition defense.

[weezie]

Triple teaming, even by a weak wake team is exhausting. In each game I've seen in person, the amount of contact on Jah that the cameras don't pick up is appalling. But it'll be worse in the pros by much heavier men. He's learning.

[Rich]

A big shout out to Kedsy for nailing the prediction. Three-for-three.

[SCMatt33]

Wondering if the travel call and the two weird fouls didn't get in his head a bit? He just looked bewildered and uncertain of himself.
Also, Wake was determined he was not going to beat them as they doubled and tripled down... they were correct... Jah didn't beat them!

I think it had more to do with the game situation. He sat with the two fouls early. There was never a need to play him again in the first half with two, and by the time the second half came around the game was over. No need to push himself too hard to force things and risk re-injuring himself, especially going up against doubles.

[Native]

I am a little surprised that no one is mentioning that Jah had an off game. He really had trouble getting in position.

The Crazies held up a dry erase board that said "Chucky Okafor, sit with us!" and chanted it until he did. Chucky looked like he was having the time of his life.

Then they chanted "Dallas Cowboys, sit with us!" and Tony Romo ran across the floor and hung out with the Crazies. It was a sea of selfies.

We've been wanting to get the Okafors over in our section all season, but the stars never aligned until tonight. They were awesome!

Felt sort of bad for Romo, though — he got swarmed with admirers. Thought the press row table was going to collapse!

In all, there are worse ways to go out in Cameron. Looking forward to being a Cameron Crustie next season — the upstairs better be ready to get crunk.

[-jk]

Triple teaming, even by a weak wake team is exhausting. In each game I've seen in person, the amount of contact on Jah that the cameras don't pick up is appalling. But it'll be worse in the pros by much heavier men. He's learning.

I worried about that earlier in the season. If he didn't give as good as he got, I'd still worry. He's the proverbial bull in the china shop.

If the defenders hang on him, it's only fair. Just don't call the offensive fouls...

-jk

[SCMatt33]

Fun stat of the night. Not counting Sean Kelly, the 8 Duke players each had at least 4 rebounds with no one having more than 6:

Winslow - 6
Jefferson -5
Cook - 5
Everyone else - 4

That's pretty balanced rebounding on the night.

[stillcrazie]

We've been wanting to get the Okafors over in our section all season, but the stars never aligned until tonight. They were awesome!

Felt sort of bad for Romo, though — he got swarmed with admirers. Thought the press row table was going to collapse!

In all, there are worse ways to go out in Cameron. Looking forward to being a Cameron Crustie next season — the upstairs better be ready to get crunk.

Native, you were in excellent form tonight. I was wondering how much longer you were going to be able to hang out with the Crazies.

At one point, Romo tried to go back across the court and it looked like about ten sets of hands pulled him back in. I thoroughly enjoyed the show the Crazies put on tonight. It was like a double feature: the game and the Crazies.

[weezie]

Looking forward to being a Cameron Crustie next season — the upstairs better be ready to get crunk.

Come on up youngster! I could use the back up!

[mr. synellinden]

He was really, really spectacular tonight. It's not just about the 27 points. It's how he played - with rhythm, confidence, and totally in control of his talent. Sometimes a guy having a great game is just simply due to hitting two or three more three pointers - like the one he had that rolled around the rim - or getting an easy breakaway scoring opportunity or two or maybe making a lot of free throws at the end of the game. But tonight Grayson had a great game because he played great, not because he got lucky, but because he played great. He shot well, made free throws, rebounded, including a great offensive rebound and putback, drove the basket with confidence and control, and finished a great drive in the second half. I think with young players sometimes the college game is like that scene in The Matrix when Neo finally believes he is the one and everything just slows down for him. That's what it looked like for Allen tonight. Sorry for all the gushing but that was an incredible basketball performance by a freshman with little game experience.

Another thing that was VERY interesting to me. There was a lot of discussion in the Okafor as Ewing Theory articles and threads about whether we'd be better off if Okafor played more as an aggressive defensive presence and was less of a primary post-up option on offense. Well tonight was as close to that as we've seen yet - and with his fouls in the first half he didn't play that many minutes, only 19. And the first half with Okafor limited by foul trouble was probably our most dominant half of the season (ND is probably the only other contender here). That could be coincidence or it could be support maybe for the notions expressed in that article. We certainly looked like a dominant offensive machine with Okafor playing a minor role. That's what was the second most intriguing thing to me about this game, after the revelation of Grayson.

Also, Justise was pretty great too - in addition to 13 points, 6 reb., 7 asst., 6 steals! And Matt had a really strong game. I don't even mind him taking 10 3s because most of them were good open looks - he is shooting 38% from 3 this season - the same as Tyus.

[ArtVandelay]

i think he let everyone else have the spotlight....he's gearing for saturday.... My comment may have been unclear, but I was referring to the thread about the so-called "Okafor Theory," which is a article that posited a variant of the "Ewing Theory," namely that Duke has been better this year without Okafor in the game than with him. While most people seemed to react with varying degrees of shock and outrage to this article, I thought it was at least interesting. I was merely pointing out that tonight could be seen as further evidence for this theory, since we played long stretches without him and had one of our best games of the season.

To be clear, I'm not arguing that one game is evidence of anything or even that the "Okafor Theory" is valid. I do, however, think it's funny that this game happened so close on the heels of the hulabaloo surrounding the article.

[NM Duke Fan]

Followed on CBS sports but had no TV coverage here in southern Fla. Grayson has a stat line to kill for. Great time for him to show the growth for a season of competing. Wonder how healthy the team is going into the UNC game and the tourneys. Lot is being said about turned ankles. Great senior night for Quinn. A deserving guy if there ever was one.

It was available online for free at the ACC Network, I always check just in case and last night it paid off.

[jv001]

A great win heading into the rematch with the cheaters. Grayson Allen was fantastic with 27 points in 24 minutes. Not only did he score, but he defended and rebounded as well. Matt had a good 2nd half and Justise was his usual warrior self. But credit should be given Quinn and Jahlil for their unselfishness. They just let the game come to them and didn't force anything. A great win and now let's beat the cheaters. GoDuke!

[NM Duke Fan]

He was really, really spectacular tonight. It's not just about the 27 points. It's how he played - with rhythm, confidence, and totally in control of his talent. Sometimes a guy having a great game is just simply due to hitting two or three more three pointers - like the one he had that rolled around the rim - or getting an easy breakaway scoring opportunity or two or maybe making a lot of free throws at the end of the game. But tonight Grayson had a great game because he played great, not because he got lucky, but because he played great. He shot well, made free throws, rebounded, including a great offensive rebound and putback, drove the basket with confidence and control, and finished a great drive in the second half. I think with young players sometimes the college game is like that scene in The Matrix when Neo finally believes he is the one and everything just slows down for him. That's what it looked like for Allen tonight. Sorry for all the gushing but that was an incredible basketball performance by a freshman with little game experience.

Another thing that was VERY interesting to me. There was a lot of discussion in the Okafor as Ewing Theory articles and threads about whether we'd be better off if Okafor played more as an aggressive defensive presence and was less of a primary post-up option on offense. Well tonight was as close to that as we've seen yet - and with his fouls in the first half he didn't play that many minutes, only 19. And the first half with Okafor limited by foul trouble was probably our most dominant half of the season (ND is probably the only other contender here). That could be coincidence or it could be support maybe for the notions expressed in that article. We certainly looked like a dominant offensive machine with Okafor playing a minor role. That's what was the second most intriguing thing to me about this game, after the revelation of Grayson.

Also, Justise was pretty great too - in addition to 13 points, 6 reb., 7 asst., 6 steals! And Matt had a really strong game. I don't even mind him taking 10 3s because most of them were good open looks - he is shooting 38% from 3 this season - the same as Tyus.

I concur with your two main points. And it is a strength that this team has shown more than once that it can play very well when Okafor is out due to foul trouble or whatever reason. Many teams fall apart when the dominant player is sitting, this one usually does not do so.

Grayson is a highly talented freshman who is now kicking into a higher gear perhaps. I am trying to remember when Duke had this talented of a 4 member freshman class ... but it is still early in the AM for me!

[Saratoga2]

He was really, really spectacular tonight. It's not just about the 27 points. It's how he played - with rhythm, confidence, and totally in control of his talent. Sometimes a guy having a great game is just simply due to hitting two or three more three pointers - like the one he had that rolled around the rim - or getting an easy breakaway scoring opportunity or two or maybe making a lot of free throws at the end of the game. But tonight Grayson had a great game because he played great, not because he got lucky, but because he played great. He shot well, made free throws, rebounded, including a great offensive rebound and putback, drove the basket with confidence and control, and finished a great drive in the second half. I think with young players sometimes the college game is like that scene in The Matrix when Neo finally believes he is the one and everything just slows down for him. That's what it looked like for Allen tonight. Sorry for all the gushing but that was an incredible basketball performance by a freshman with little game experience.




How you going to keep them down on the farm after they've seen Paree? The answer is your not!

Grayson may be 6'4" and 185# but to me it looks like that's with shoes on. No matter, he is very athletic, has a decent handle and has nearly a season of practice now and some game experience. He is an excellent additional weapon for the team this year and shoulld allay anyone's fears going forward as he has the ability to fill the vacancy formed when Quinn graduates. It will be interesting to see how he is used going forward. You can't expect him to have a shooting night like against Wake, but his talent was on display and is obvious. He can get to the basket, sticks his nose in and is playing better defense. Great to see the kid blossom.

[jgehtland]

I have to assume that the flagrant 1 and the traveling calls had a little to do with his night, but also playing your de facto senior night without the recognition of it has got to be weird for that young man, and I assume (given what we know of him) that he loves playing in Cameron and was going through a roller coaster of his own last night.

Regardless, he made some great passes and really didn't force anything from the doubles and triples he got all night, so kudos to him for playing through everything and not trying to take over when everyone around him was playing so well. That's pretty mature for a freshman.

[NM Duke Fan]

Nice article on Allen and his big game: "It wasn't really me waiting for a chance. It was just me being able to translate it in the game from practice," Allen said. "Coach has been giving me opportunities. I was able to capitalize today, and thankfully so. This is the kind of game that can get my confidence going."

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/103747/grayson-allen-welcomes-new-role-for-duke

[superdave]

A big shout out to Kedsy for nailing the prediction. Three-for-three.

Which means I would like a little payback for State and Miami next week.

[flyingdutchdevil]

1) There are games that make you stressed out about life. There are games that make you doubt the existence of God. There are games that you kinda watch while doing some work / shopping Amazon / browsing DBR. This game was not any of those. This was pure, unadulterated entertainment. I've been having a rough week, but this was awesome.

2) So...a Duke wing scored 27 points (19 in the first half) off 9-11 shooting. Come on down, Justise Winslow!...what? It's not Justise? Is it Matt Jones? No? That leaves...Grayson Allen? Unbelievable breakout performance. I'm not expecting him to do that again, but it's nice to see an assertive Grayson. At the very least, it gives us another 3pt threat.

3) I got made fun of for calling Winslow a homeless man's Lebron. Well, how's laughing now? Winslow's disgusting stat line was 13 / 6 / 7 / 6 (steals). Also, anyone notice that when Winslow dribbles into traffic, it looks really ugly but is really effective, just like Lebron? Or that Winslow's "steal-the-ball-at-midcourt-dribble-and-dunk" fast break move loves eerily like Lebron? I'm not saying Winslow is the next Lebron. Absolutely not. But Winslow has many characteristics that are Lebron-esque.

4) You know what I love about this team? We have a star player who is a top 5 player in the country. Historically, when he had this type of player (Jabari, Redick), we would engage in [first name here]-watching. That isn't happening. When Okafor has the ball, there is still plenty of movement. Players get open. It really opens up Okafor's options.

5) Quinn Cook - you are such a good leader. Thank you for everything that you have given us. You are an incredible player and we look forward to your final 10 games as a Duke player.

[rsvman]

1) ....we look forward to your final 10 games as a Duke player.
I see what you did there. :D

[Billy Dat]

I have to assume that the flagrant 1 and the traveling calls had a little to do with his night, but also playing your de facto senior night without the recognition of it has got to be weird for that young man, and I assume (given what we know of him) that he loves playing in Cameron and was going through a roller coaster of his own last night. Regardless, he made some great passes and really didn't force anything from the doubles and triples he got all night, so kudos to him for playing through everything and not trying to take over when everyone around him was playing so well. That's pretty mature for a freshman.

In the final 10 minutes, the game clearly in hand, I was curious whether or not the coaches and players would make it a priority to try and feed Jah to get him back on track, maybe even give him a shot at keeping the double figure scoring streak in tact. But, to his credit, as you point out, he mostly caught, waited for the double team, and shot bullets to guys on the perimeter, especially the hot hands. I join you in applauding his maturity.

It was an interesting night in that we really saw a passing of the torch to the guys who are going to be here next year. Justise did have a very effective game, but look at the stat lines of our expected returning players:

Grayson - 24 mins, 27 points
Matt Jones - 28 mins, 17 points
Amile - 20 mins, 5 boards, 1 block, 4 points
Marshall - 18 mins, 4 boards, 4 points

Last 2014-2015 game in Cameron, a preview of the next game in Cameron.

[NashvilleDevil]

I am sure it has been said before about Matt but he has an old man's game. That is not a bad thing. I don't remember much of Joe Dumars game but Matt could be the next incarnation.

[phaedrus]

So who won the tip-off?

[NashvilleDevil]

So who won the tip-off?

Wake

[Billy Dat]

So who won the tip-off?

Wake, the trend continues....

[FerryFor50]

Wake, the trend continues....

Where's greybeard? We need his analysis on why Jahlil's fast-twitch muscles cause him to lose so many tip-offs. :cool:

[Billy Dat]

Where's greybeard? We need his analysis on why Jahlil's fast-twitch muscles cause him to lose so many tip-offs. :cool:

It occurs to me that there are many former DBR regulars who have dropped off, I guess that's just the nature of the beast. Jumbo obviously stated his need to wrench himself away, and he is missed, but I was also thinking about Starter, greybeard, tommy......memories...don't want to derail the thread...

[stillcrazie]

Speaking of next year's players, Marshall had his high motor going on defense and he had a marvelous up and under basket shortly after Quinn's.

[dukelifer]

I concur with your two main points. And it is a strength that this team has shown more than once that it can play very well when Okafor is out due to foul trouble or whatever reason. Many teams fall apart when the dominant player is sitting, this one usually does not do so.

Grayson is a highly talented freshman who is now kicking into a higher gear perhaps. I am trying to remember when Duke had this talented of a 4 member freshman class ... but it is still early in the AM for me!

JWill, Boozer, Dunleavy and Casey Sanders was a pretty promising group- although Sanders never quite developed as expected.

[Billy Dat]

By the way, 10 wins in a row!

It's been a long time since we put together this kind of Feb+ streak without a janky unexpected loss near the end of the season...another reason why gutting out that win in Blackburg was so important, and further reason why winning on Saturday would be enormous. This kind of momentum has a way of self perpetuating.

[Kedsy]

Fun stat of the night. Not counting Sean Kelly, the 8 Duke players each had at least 4 rebounds with no one having more than 6:

That is a fun stat, but I think Justise's four-by-six (6+ in points, rebounds, assists, and steals) is even funner. :cool:


Another thing that was VERY interesting to me. There was a lot of discussion in the Okafor as Ewing Theory articles and threads about whether we'd be better off if Okafor played more as an aggressive defensive presence and was less of a primary post-up option on offense. Well tonight was as close to that as we've seen yet - and with his fouls in the first half he didn't play that many minutes, only 19. And the first half with Okafor limited by foul trouble was probably our most dominant half of the season (ND is probably the only other contender here). That could be coincidence or it could be support maybe for the notions expressed in that article. We certainly looked like a dominant offensive machine with Okafor playing a minor role. That's what was the second most intriguing thing to me about this game, after the revelation of Grayson.

Except Jahlil wasn't really playing a minor role -- he was a magnet. Every possession he was double- or triple-teamed. A lot of teams would look like offensive juggernauts playing 4 on 3 or 4 on 2. As for our playing well when he was off the floor, it was 12-0 when Jahlil first subbed out and the rout was already on.


Grayson may be 6'4" and 185# but to me it looks like that's with shoes on.

Good thing that when he plays basketball, he's generally wearing shoes.

[roywhite]

By the way, 10 wins in a row!

It's been a long time since we put together this kind of Feb+ streak without a janky unexpected loss near the end of the season...another reason why gutting out that win in Blackburg was so important, and further reason why winning on Saturday would be enormous. This kind of momentum has a way of self perpetuating.

Yeah, 10-0 post-Sulaimon. Probably some cause and effect there, wouldn't we think?

[NYBri]

4) You know what I love about this team? We have a star player who is a top 5 player in the country. Historically, when he had this type of player (Jabari, Redick), we would engage in [first name here]-watching. That isn't happening. When Okafor has the ball, there is still plenty of movement. Players get open. It really opens up Okafor's options.



This is a huge break from the past. It's also why, with Okafor on the bench in the first half, we hang a 52-15 on them. This team is incredibly talented and unselfish. I think QC has a great deal to do with that.

[Lar77]

Wake, the trend continues....


Could this be a strategy? Like deferring receiving the kickoff to the second half?;)

Yes, I miss Greybeard today for two points: why we lose the opening tip (it isn't fast twitch muscles, or is it?) and why 5 out of 8 scholarship players have ankle injuries! Are we the Walking Dead! More flexibility routines are in order.

I have to admit that Justice's looked scary when it happened, almost the type of movement that follows a ligament or tendon popping. I missed what happened to Amile, but he looked very tender walking around afterwards. On the other hand, Justice looked good on the 3 pointer when he returned.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Yeah, 10-0 post-Sulaimon. Probably some cause and effect there, wouldn't we think?

There may be a little addition by subtraction. During the VT game, I believe (maybe the Cuse game; I lose track), they should our defense pre- and post-Sulaimon. Per 100 possessions, Duke is 10 points worse on D without Sulaimon.

So, I think it's fair to say that our defense is worse without Sulaimon. Our offense, however, has clearly gelled more. And it's giving Matt Jones, a very good player who has really settled into his role, a lot more responsibility and playing time.

[Lar77]

Except Jahlil wasn't really playing a minor role -- he was a magnet. Every possession he was double- or triple-teamed. A lot of teams would look like offensive juggernauts playing 4 on 3 or 4 on 2. As for our playing well when he was off the floor, it was 12-0 when Jahlil first subbed out and the rout was already on.


Since the Front Page brought up Wilt Chamberlain, this is a lesson learned. Wilt was notorious for not capitalizing on double and triple teams (although in fairness, he would point out how many pass-out assists he would get). Wilt was transformative and more impressive than LeBron or MJ as an athlete, but Russell got the rings.

[thewoosh31]

The coaching staff needs to start requiring the team to wear these, though:

http://motorcycleuniversity.net/img/Footwear.jpg

I have those boots. Great protection for motorbikes, but not comfy enough for casual walking/running for sure! :D

[Rich]

Could this be a strategy? Like deferring receiving the kickoff to the second half?;)

I was thinking the same thing...or a superstition. He really doesn't seem to exert himself at the opening tip, like he wants to lose it.

[Dev11]

1) There are games that make you stressed out about life. There are games that make you doubt the existence of God. There are games that you kinda watch while doing some work / shopping Amazon / browsing DBR. This game was not any of those. This was pure, unadulterated entertainment.

I think this game caused the highest number of disbelieving shouts from my couch of any game this season. There was a lot of smiling profanity. I can't wait until we break into doing the podcast with an "Explicit" warning.

[roywhite]

I think this game caused the highest number of disbelieving shouts from my couch of any game this season. There was a lot of smiling profanity. I can't wait until we break into doing the podcast with an "Explicit" warning.

Hah; yeah, I know what you mean. I contributed a very high number of disbelieving shouts from my couch for the VaTech game, but that was as one after another Hokie 3-pointers went in. Profanity, but not much smiling on that one.

[Kedsy]

Yeah, 10-0 post-Sulaimon. Probably some cause and effect there, wouldn't we think?

Not necessarily.

[MCFinARL]

Not necessarily.

Agreed. If issues with Sulaimon were causing distractions for players or coaches, his absence could have allowed them to focus better.

But it's also quite possible that the team just learned from the errors they made in those losses, renewed their commitment to working on defense and to talking, and got better--and that this would have happened no matter what.

[NM Duke Fan]

Agreed. If issues with Sulaimon were causing distractions for players or coaches, his absence could have allowed them to focus better.

But it's also quite possible that the team just learned from the errors they made in those losses, renewed their commitment to working on defense and to talking, and got better--and that this would have happened no matter what.

Also, for freshman, learning the defense here is challenging for most, and it takes time for the adjustment period. For one or two of them the learning curve may have recently gone exponential. I sure liked what I saw from Grayson.