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Olympic Fan
09-24-2015, 02:06 PM
Duke just announced that the first official basketball practice will be open to the public:

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke men’s basketball fans can get their first look at the 2015-16 team on Friday, Oct. 2, when the Blue Devils hold an open practice at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The practice will begin at 1:45 p.m. ET and admission will be free.

Doors to Cameron Indoor Stadium will open at 12:30 p.m. ET. Spectators may enter from the north and south lobby areas, as well as the south Hall of Honor entrance. All seating for the open practice will be in the upper bowl of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

General public parking for the open practice will be available in the Blue Zone, located off of Duke University Road. The lot will open at noon ET and close at 4:30 p.m. ET. Overflow parking will be available in the Chemistry Lot, located near the intersection of Circuit Drive and Towerview Drive.

94duke
09-30-2015, 03:13 PM
note for your boss from the blue devil. ;-)

https://twitter.com/The1BlueDevil/status/649285975445737472

accfanfrom1970
10-01-2015, 02:01 AM
[QUOTE=Olympic Fan;828027]Duke just announced that the first official basketball practice will be open to the public:

[I]DURHAM, N.C. – Duke men’s basketball fans can get their first look at the 2015-16 team on Friday, Oct. 2, when the Blue Devils hold an open practice at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The practice will begin at 1:45 p.m. ET and admission will be free.


Planning on driving down from Virginia if the weather isn't too bad - nothing has changed with the pending storm has it? Thanks....

BD80
10-01-2015, 06:52 AM
Tomorrow. Tomorrow. I love you, tomorrow. You're only a day away.

Ichabod Drain
10-02-2015, 11:27 AM
Hope someone can provide some good analysis later this afternoon! Try and stay dry up there.

superdave
10-02-2015, 11:31 AM
Hope someone can provide some good analysis later this afternoon! Try and stay dry up there.

It will be interesting to read what people think about Obi since we heard so little last year.

elvis14
10-02-2015, 01:54 PM
Since I can't be at the open practice, I'm really looking forward to reading this thread later tonight and tomorrow!

ricks68
10-02-2015, 02:22 PM
It will be interesting to read what people think about Obi since we heard so little last year.

I am watching the practice now on BDN and my overall impression on Sean Obi is, unfortunately, that he is lazy (in this practice, at least). I know that I may get flamed for this, but that is what I am seeing at this point. He has been "cheating" on the exercises and did not finish on the sprints up and down the court, etc. Not good signs to me. that's it.:(

ricks

MChambers
10-02-2015, 02:43 PM
It will be interesting to read what people think about Obi since we heard so little last year.
And interesting to read whether our freshman point guard is to leading a top five team, whether Ingram is really that good, whether Kennard is really an under the radar top ten freshman, whether Jeter is strong enough to bang down low, whether Amile has developed a jump shot, and who will be the backup point guard. This is what happens when you lose half your roster to the NBA.

Get your requests in now!

Clay Feet POF
10-02-2015, 02:44 PM
I am watching the practice now on BDN and my overall impression on Sean Obi is, unfortunately, that he is lazy (in this practice, at least). I know that I may get flamed for this, but that is what I am seeing at this point. He has been "cheating" on the exercises and did not finish on the sprints up and down the court, etc. Not good signs to me. that's it.:(

ricks

Thanks for your view.

dukejim1
10-02-2015, 04:04 PM
I am watching the practice now on BDN and my overall impression on Sean Obi is, unfortunately, that he is lazy (in this practice, at least). I know that I may get flamed for this, but that is what I am seeing at this point. He has been "cheating" on the exercises and did not finish on the sprints up and down the court, etc. Not good signs to me. that's it.:(

ricks

Picked last for the scrimmage and did not get in. Either hurt or paying the price for dogging it

MarkD83
10-02-2015, 04:10 PM
I am watching the practice now on BDN and my overall impression on Sean Obi is, unfortunately, that he is lazy (in this practice, at least). I know that I may get flamed for this, but that is what I am seeing at this point. He has been "cheating" on the exercises and did not finish on the sprints up and down the court, etc. Not good signs to me. that's it.:(

ricks

Watched on BDN and was very interested that at the end of the practice the captains picked teams for 5 x 5. Sean was not picked. That is quite the message from the captains NOT the coaches. Great commentary from Nolan Smith about this as well. He also was picked last for a scrimmage his freshman year and Coach Dawkins reminded him of that and gave him a hard time.

But this is one practice and Sean will learn....

What was good to see is the inside look that Coach is not only teaching Xs and Os but also communication, talking when tired and playing together. I really liked the drill where they were playing 5x5 half court and the coaches said to switch and the offense had to put the ball down and move to defense. However, you could not cover the guy who was just covering you. That meant there was a lot of talking and communicating or your team got burned by an open 3 or a drive to the basket.

Troublemaker
10-02-2015, 04:13 PM
For the end-of-practice scrimmage, Amile and Marshall got to pick their teams, playground style.

Here was how the draft went. Amile got first pick.



Team Amile
Team Marshall


1. Matt
2. Grayson


3. Brandon
4. Derryck


5. Luke
6. Chase


7. Justin Robinson
8. Nick Pagliuca



Sean Obi and Brennan Besser weren't picked and sat.

I think Antonio Vrankovic was out for this practice? Didn't see him play today.

MarkD83
10-02-2015, 04:17 PM
For the end-of-practice scrimmage, Amile and Marshall got to pick their teams, playground style.

Here was how the draft went. Amile got first pick.



Team Amile
Team Marshall


1. Matt
2. Grayson


3. Brandon
4. Derryck


5. Luke
6. Chase


7. Justin Robinson
8. Nick Pagliuca



Sean Obi and Brennan Besser weren't picked and sat.

I think Antonio Vrankovic was out for this practice? Didn't see him play today.

Antonio had a boot on his right foot.

Captain Grayson
10-02-2015, 04:25 PM
For the end-of-practice scrimmage, Amile and Marshall got to pick their teams, playground style.

Here was how the draft went. Amile got first pick.



Team Amile
Team Marshall


1. Matt
2. Grayson


3. Brandon
4. Derryck


5. Luke
6. Chase


7. Justin Robinson
8. Nick Pagliuca



Sean Obi and Brennan Besser weren't picked and sat.

I think Antonio Vrankovic was out for this practice? Didn't see him play today.

What happened in the scrimmage? Who won?

Billy Dat
10-02-2015, 04:27 PM
Some Keeley Twitter feedback on practice

Comments relevant to the potential interior rotation:
Laura Keeley ‏@laurakeeley
With Brandon Ingram playing on the perimeter, expect to see a lot of Marshall and Amile on the 4-5 interior
Laura Keeley ‏@laurakeeley
This should come as a surprise to no one, but Chase Jeter isn't nearly as strong as Amile and Marshall.

Big picture
Laura Keeley ‏@laurakeeley
K also said they're putting in a new offensive and defensive system to fit this team's strengths. And no, he didn't go into specifics

ricks68
10-02-2015, 04:42 PM
I think both Jeter and Robinson will get time as they develop. I was surprised with Robinson as I watched during the drills.

ricks

Billy Dat
10-02-2015, 04:44 PM
I am really interested in an insider read on Obi. Barring an injury or extenuating circumstances, not getting picked over Robinson and Pagliuca, on the first day of practice, coming off a transfer sit-out year, is a serious red flag.

MartyClark
10-02-2015, 04:45 PM
I think both Jeter and Robinson will get time as they develop. I was surprised with Robinson as I watched during the drills.

ricks

Pleasantly surprised I assume. What did you like about him?

Kedsy
10-02-2015, 04:53 PM
For the end-of-practice scrimmage, Amile and Marshall got to pick their teams, playground style.

Here was how the draft went. Amile got first pick.



Team Amile
Team Marshall


1. Matt
2. Grayson


3. Brandon
4. Derryck


5. Luke
6. Chase


7. Justin Robinson
8. Nick Pagliuca



Sean Obi and Brennan Besser weren't picked and sat.

I think Antonio Vrankovic was out for this practice? Didn't see him play today.

OK, but that's just weird. Justin and Nick picked before Sean? Whoa. Maybe he wasn't feeling well, or something.

Also a little weird that Brandon and Derryck were the 3rd and 4th picks, but maybe the captains agreed on the down low to pick the veterans ahead of the rookies?

Finally, who guarded whom in the scrimmage?


I think both Jeter and Robinson will get time as they develop. I was surprised with Robinson as I watched during the drills.

ricks

I thought the plan was for Robinson to redshirt this season. Has that changed?

ricks68
10-02-2015, 05:10 PM
Pleasantly surprised I assume. What did you like about him?

It appeared to me that he had an air of confidence about him and acted very comfortable out there, as did Jeter. Both had a similar style. Smooth and not herky-jerky. Both blended in well with what was going on around them. I think all, except Obi and Brenner(sp?) fit extremely well together and are on the same page already.

ricks

mgtr
10-02-2015, 06:04 PM
I was impressed with Marshall. Well, not Nick Horvath impressed, but impressed. He looked smoother, more confident than in the past. Hope he keeps it up. His shot continues to be a two-handed stuff, however.

duke blue brewcrew
10-02-2015, 06:10 PM
It appeared to me that he had an air of confidence about him and acted very comfortable out there, as did Jeter. Both had a similar style. Smooth and not herky-jerky. Both blended in well with what was going on around them. I think all, except Obi and Brenner(sp?) fit extremely well together and are on the same page already.

ricks

The positive initial reviews on Robinson are as encouraging as the negative initial reviews of Obi are depressing. I continue to remind myself that it was only one practice, and there's a long way to go. A lot of growth to be made through the blood, sweat and tears of practice, season and tournament rigors. I believe the saying goes, "You're never as good as your best day, or bad as your worst day." I think there's a lot of truth to that, and it helps with keeping things in proper perspective.

Troublemaker
10-02-2015, 07:10 PM
What happened in the scrimmage? Who won?

The GoDuke broadcast did not supply a visual or audible score, but it did seem like Marshall's team won on the strength of Grayson and Derryck's play. Brandon played a lot of point for Amile's team, and their offense wasn't functioning as well. Maybe someone who attended could provide better details about the score. They were supposed to play til one team scored 20, but I really doubt that number was reached. I think the scrimmage was cut short because all the players were tired. Coach K got on them a bit for playing raggedy while tired.

Sorry for the lack of individual player breakdowns. My attention had to be split between the open practice and work, and my ears only perked up when Amile and Marshall were drafting players. I hope to re-watch it with full attention over the weekend.

I will say I liked what I saw from Derryck. Fast, great handles, finished well, so-so shooter, true point guard, engaged and vocal, which was nice to see from a freshman that arrived to school much later than his teammates. I had previously estimated a 75% chance he'd be the starting PG and will up it to 90% after this open practice.

From a coaching perspective, Duke is still icing ball screens, preserving the change they made at the beginning of last season. Even with my attention divided, I could hear Marshall screaming "ICE, ICE, ICE!" The team worked a lot on the full-court press, maybe with an eye towards the new 10-second rule this season. Coach mentioned they would install a zone and a zone press the next practice. So, the variety of defenses we saw last season is something that should carry over to this season.

On offense, Duke ran tons of pick-n-roll.

jimmymax
10-02-2015, 08:35 PM
My takeaways:
- Obi did not play with energy and did not scrimmage at the end. But he peeled off his numbered jersey before the picking was over, so he may have been ruled out for some reason. Given that Matt Jones was picked first (3rd captain), I would not read much into the sequence of picks.
- Not expecting much from Obi or Robinson _this_ year.
- Not obvious that Plumlee and Jefferson will kick it up a notch as seniors.
- It will be nice to have Ingram (and Allen and Thornton) at the end of the shot clock.
- Thornton is smooth, calm and not prone to showboating.
- Jeter is probably not ready to bang down low.
- Kennard's shot is sweet but his release point is low. He will have to be JJ-like to get his shot.
- Free throw shooting was not a point of emphasis.

Troublemaker
10-02-2015, 09:32 PM
Some highlights from open practice: http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=4489596

A couple of vines as well:

Matt pocket pass to Marshall for nice catch and dunk - https://vine.co/v/eQEUx9EZ055

Amile's teammates respecting his jumper, leading to him driving by for a tough layup, although he should've just passed to Matt in the right corner for a corner 3 instead of driving - https://vine.co/v/eQET0p0iatb

BD80
10-02-2015, 10:58 PM
... a little weird that Brandon and Derryck were the 3rd and 4th picks, but maybe the captains agreed on the down low to pick the veterans ahead of the rookies? ...

Understandable selections. Matt provides defense, communication, experience, 3-point shooting. Once he was picked, Grayson had to go next or he and Matt would have been unstoppable.

dragoneye776
10-02-2015, 11:13 PM
I was at the practice and it was really interesting to see sometimes it was Ingram vs. Derryck at PG. And it wasn't just to bring the ball up in transition, it was to actually initiate the offense. I don't think Amile has developed a jumper. Chase Jeter did some good work in the post, but nothing even close to Jabari, Jahlil, or senior year Mason level. Matt Jones looked much better and more aggressive. There were some terrific sequences of defense by our guards... from both Matt Jones and Grayson Allen. Also one play Luke Kennard was guarding Matt Jones one and one and made Matt Jones airball a midrange jumper.

neemizzle
10-02-2015, 11:52 PM
I was there today as well. I was impressed by Kennard's shot. I had seen video and such of him but in person his release is so quick its hard to defend it. He can shoot it, that's for sure. Also, Grayson hasn't changed his style of aggression. He drove in one time and got popped in the chin, and he felt that. Amile also backed down on him one time in the post and Grayson fell on his back. He's going to take some bruises this season, by the looks of that. Plumlee, Jefferson, and Jones were very vocal. Plumlee is a great motivator. Jefferson makes sure they know that play being called.

Also, Derryck Thornton is an unreal ball handler. His drills he runs before practice with a tennis ball are just, I don't know how to describe them but he's very impressive.

If the defense they ran today is the new system, I can't wait for that. It was a full court defense that looks like it only works when everyone communicates. It's in your face and they trap a ton. It worked on the freshman (notably Ingram) more than once, and had them throwing it in different directions.

Also, did anyone else notice the man himself David Robinson sitting at the scorer's table? He's mighty proud of that kid. I was kinda impressed with Justin. Should be a fun year!

Furniture
10-02-2015, 11:52 PM
Thanks for all the info and thoughts. I thought several times about going today but just couldn't shake off work obligations. Worrying to hear the comments about Obi and his body language at the end of the GoDuke link isn't very encouraging.

Furniture
10-02-2015, 11:56 PM
I was there today as well. I was impressed by Kennard's shot. I had seen video and such of him but in person his release is so quick its hard to defend it. He can shoot it, that's for sure. Also, Grayson hasn't changed his style of aggression. He drove in one time and got popped in the chin, and he felt that. Amile also backed down on him one time in the post and Grayson fell on his back. He's going to take some bruises this season, by the looks of that. Plumlee, Jefferson, and Jones were very vocal. Plumlee is a great motivator. Jefferson makes sure they know that play being called.

Also, Derryck Thornton is an unreal ball handler. His drills he runs before practice with a tennis ball are just, I don't know how to describe them but he's very impressive.

If the defense they ran today is the new system, I can't wait for that. It was a full court defense that looks like it only works when everyone communicates. It's in your face and they trap a ton. It worked on the freshman (notably Ingram) more than once, and had them throwing it in different directions.

Also, did anyone else notice the man himself David Robinson sitting at the scorer's table? He's mighty proud of that kid. I was kinda impressed with Justin. Should be a fun year!

Re Dave Robinson. Did you watch this?
http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=4489596
He's proud alright even jealous!!!

Steven43
10-03-2015, 12:02 AM
Did anyone else notice the play where Matt Jones was guarding Luke and said 'Brick!' just as Kennard released a long jumper? Well, the shot was perfect and as Luke ran back on defense he said a defiant and angry obscenity. A clear response to Matt's comment. I was surprised to see that kind of intensity in a practice, and by a frosh, no less. I like him already.

neemizzle
10-03-2015, 12:04 AM
Did anyone else notice the play where Matt Jones was guarding Luke and said 'Brick!' just as Kennard released a long jumper? Well, the shot was perfect and as Luke ran back on defense he said a defiant and angry obscenity. A clear response to Matt's comment. I was surprised to see that kind of intensity in a practice, and by a frosh, no less. I like him already.

I too saw this, and that shot he took was a very very long 3, was it not?

Did you see the defensive play from Grayson on Thornton? He clapped in his face numerous times. I love it!

Steven43
10-03-2015, 01:59 AM
I too saw this, and that shot he took was a very very long 3, was it not?

Did you see the defensive play from Grayson on Thornton? He clapped in his face numerous times. I love it!

Yep, I saw it all right. Grayson was very physical and aggressive on defense. Were he not, Thornton would blow by him virtually at will. His ballhandling skills are out of this world and he is super quick and athletic. I know it may sound blashphemous, but he reminds me of Kyrie with more leaping ability. He's even left-handed like KI. Look out ACC, because this young man is even better than advertised. Duke will go as far as DT leads them.

mgtr
10-03-2015, 04:36 AM
I got fooled in the drills. Marshall and Amile looked confident and smooth. However, they have been doing these same (or similar) drills for years. When they went to a full scrimmage, both looked less confident, in my opinion. The new guys, plus Grayson and Matt (MUCH improved!) looked better in those situations.
Based on this limited info, we may need to field more than five players to start in our exhibition games! We have four veterans who are good, plus four new guys who are very good. I suppose coaches die for such a situation.
Until I see differently, I expect that the starting five for the first game will be Marshall, Amile, Grayson, Derryck and Brandon. I am willing to be corrected, but those five are pretty good. By ACC time, I believe that we will have quite a fluid lineup with lots of interchanging parts. Matt, Chase, and Luke will be in and out of the lineup regularly. The starting lineup will be different, but I don't know how.
Sean, Justin and Nick may carve out time for themselves. I assume that Sean was ill/injured since I don't see Coach K recruiting a transfer who regularly dogs it.
This should be a most interesting season.

MarkD83
10-03-2015, 10:13 AM
I got fooled in the drills. Marshall and Amile looked confident and smooth. However, they have been doing these same (or similar) drills for years. When they went to a full scrimmage, both looked less confident, in my opinion. The new guys, plus Grayson and Matt (MUCH improved!) looked better in those situations.
Based on this limited info, we may need to field more than five players to start in our exhibition games! We have four veterans who are good, plus four new guys who are very good. I suppose coaches die for such a situation.
Until I see differently, I expect that the starting five for the first game will be Marshall, Amile, Grayson, Derryck and Brandon. I am willing to be corrected, but those five are pretty good. By ACC time, I believe that we will have quite a fluid lineup with lots of interchanging parts. Matt, Chase, and Luke will be in and out of the lineup regularly. The starting lineup will be different, but I don't know how.
Sean, Justin and Nick may carve out time for themselves. I assume that Sean was ill/injured since I don't see Coach K recruiting a transfer who regularly dogs it.
This should be a most interesting season.

I rewatched part of the practice and Sean did get hit in the eye on the drill a couple before the scrimmage. It is the first practice so maybe that was enough to have him rest.

Troublemaker
10-03-2015, 02:07 PM
He's even left-handed like KI.

I think I know what you meant by this; they both are very effective going left on their drives. Derryck seems to have a preference to go left actually, despite being a right-handed shooter. (Kyrie also shoots righty, of course). What's tricky about guarding Derryck is that he has an incredible left-to-right crossover dribble. So if a defender protects too hard against Derryck driving left, the defender will get crossed up easily and blown by. I'm telling y'all, that L-to-R crossover is going to be a signature move for Derryck throughout his career. He's going to put some people on the ground with it, including an incredible athlete like Ben Simmons (https://vine.co/v/Olw3nV1J1YW).

Looks like GoDuke will not archive the open practice, which has me a bit ornery. I was looking forward to re-watching the full thing with full attention this morning with my coffee. Oh well. Can't wait for CTC to get another look at these guys.

gam7
10-03-2015, 02:52 PM
I think I know what you meant by this; they both are very effective going left on their drives. Derryck seems to have a preference to go left actually, despite being a right-handed shooter. (Kyrie also shoots righty, of course). What's tricky about guarding Derryck is that he has an incredible left-to-right crossover dribble. So if a defender protects too hard against Derryck driving left, the defender will get crossed up easily and blown by. I'm telling y'all, that L-to-R crossover is going to be a signature move for Derryck throughout his career. He's going to put some people on the ground with it, including an incredible athlete like Ben Simmons (https://vine.co/v/Olw3nV1J1YW).



Based on highlight videos, it's a bit more than being effective driving left - he also seems to finish well at the rim with his left, like Kyrie. I would go so far as to say that he seems to prefer finishing with his left. He also seems to dunk with his left hand (on his one-handed dunks) and tends to pass with his left too. So, basically, he plays left-handed, except for his shooting and floaters (though he can finish with his right at the rim too). Haven't seen him shoot free throws. As a lefty myself, I'm claiming Thornton as a member of the lefty club for now at least.

BD80
10-03-2015, 03:59 PM
... As a lefty myself, I'm claiming Thornton as a member of the lefty club for now at least.

Very sinister ...

subzero02
10-03-2015, 04:21 PM
I was impressed with Marshall. Well, not Nick Horvath impressed, but impressed. He looked smoother, more confident than in the past. Hope he keeps it up. His shot continues to be a two-handed stuff, however.

If... if he can hold on to the ball, he should have plenty of chances to perfect this shot during the season.

Duke95
10-03-2015, 04:22 PM
Very sinister ...

Very adroit comment.

weezie
10-03-2015, 05:13 PM
As a lefty myself, I'm claiming Thornton as a member of the lefty club for now at least.

Count me in. We'll test him with a manual can opener if any doubt lingers.

Troublemaker
10-03-2015, 07:09 PM
As a lefty myself, I'm claiming Thornton as a member of the lefty club for now at least.

Hmmm, I think you're correct (http://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/117/604/3604117.jpeg) about that. But, by the same token, the righties get to keep Kyrie (https://paniniamerica.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/new-kyrie-signing-1.jpg), it seems.

Troublemaker
10-03-2015, 07:27 PM
Other remaining (unreliable) thoughts of mine. Might as well do an info dump of what I distractedly observed.

Right now, Marshall's edge in strength and physicality is greater than Chase's edge in skill. When MP3 and Amile were paired together, they got every offensive rebound. The seniors were absolutely dominant on the boards, and Coach K at one point encouraged Chase to live up to his name and "chase" rebounds. If we had to play a game tomorrow, MP3 would be the starting center, and he may even begin the regular season as the starting C. I do expect Chase to continue to build his body and gain experience and usurp Marshall at some point, though.

Grayson was terrific on both ends and could be our best player. Matt's a great 3-and-D wing; you need guys like him to win championships. Amile didn't show off a brand new mid-range jumper in this practice, but he did Amile things at a high-level like rebound, communicate, and lead. Luke makes shots but he might be our 5th-best perimeter player overall since we're loaded out there. I'm high on Luke but through one practice, I'm thinking 15mpg instead of 25mpg for him. Brandon is a 6'9" guard that will do a lot of ball-handling and creating. Due to the stacked perimeter, he will eventually play a lot of 4 to make room for those guys, and I can't wait to see how opposing big men try to handle a PF/C pick-n-roll run by Brandon and, say, MP3. Brandon had the best pass of the day, hitting a streaking Chase with a pass from halfcourt for a layup on the break.

Clay Feet POF
10-04-2015, 01:37 PM
In this short window, did anyone get a hint of Derryck's Passing skills?

devildeac
10-04-2015, 01:50 PM
In this short window, did anyone get a hint of Derryck's Passing skills?

18/36 for 195 yds. Oh, wait, wrong thread:o.

Clay Feet POF
10-04-2015, 02:06 PM
18/36 for 195 yds. Oh, wait, wrong thread:o.


Understandable, after Two key calls go our way.

BD80
10-04-2015, 07:32 PM
18/36 for 195 yds. Oh, wait, wrong thread:o.

I remember a freshman point guard who through a couple passes farther than any pass thrown by any player ever coached by Cut

Potato Head
10-04-2015, 09:14 PM
Too bad about Obi not being able to cut it at Duke. Hopefully the fact that he turned out to be a bust doesn't affect either our chances at repeating as NCAA Champions or winning the first exhibition game of the season, which is still a month away!

weezie
10-04-2015, 09:51 PM
Whoa whoa whoa!!! I'm hoping I read the above without enough of a joke filter.

Obi's not a bust, let's give him more than one open practice in early October. :confused:

MarkD83
10-04-2015, 09:55 PM
Whoa whoa whoa!!! I'm hoping I read the above without enough of a joke filter.

Obi's not a bust, let's give him more than one open practice in early October. :confused:

I totally agree with weezie. One practice is not a good way to judge anyone. These are practices where players need to learn and be motivated.

Nolan Smith told he story that he was not picked to play in scrimmages as a freshman. It sounded like this became a great motivation to get better and he sure did.

dukelifer
10-04-2015, 10:08 PM
Whoa whoa whoa!!! I'm hoping I read the above without enough of a joke filter.

Obi's not a bust, let's give him more than one open practice in early October. :confused:

Let's face it- it is time to move on. Obi is no longer the inside rebounding machine he was built up to be. He is apparently just a regular player who has good days and bad. I hate it when they become human. Next thing folks are going to tell me that sometimes Kennard misses a shot. These guys were so much better when they were just a highlight reel.

Tappan Zee Devil
10-04-2015, 10:09 PM
I remember a freshman point guard who through a couple passes farther than any pass thrown by any player ever coached by Cut

Brad Evans? - Although he wasn't a point guard.

I do distinctly remember playing in a pick-up football game with him where he threw a 20-some yard pass to me (that I dropped) which had my hands tingling for several days.

gumbomoop
10-05-2015, 12:43 AM
IMO, Potato Head's post (#49) is fair dripping with sarcasm, the best indicator of which is the reference to Duke's "chances ... of winning the first exhibition game of the season." Unless the best indicator is the phrase "the fact," followed quickly by the past-tense "turned out to be."

And clearly dukelifer caught the spirit of Potato Head's sarcasm, since we know Kennard sure isn't missing any shots.

Pghdukie
10-05-2015, 05:02 AM
Greg Paulas wasn't a slouch throwing a football. Finished his college career as a 5th year QB at Syracuse.

madscavenger
10-05-2015, 05:11 AM
I remember a freshman point guard who through a couple passes farther than any pass thrown by any player ever coached by Cut

If it wasn't Greg Paulus, it must have been DeMarcus Nelson*.





* Of course, if Patrick Patterson wasn't excluded, you wouldn't even be bringing it up. He routinely warmed up before games, airing out a couple dozen, what else could you call them, ICBMs. i remember the time someone dared to call him out. Patrick just winked, deliberately broke his right arm, threw that sucker out of the horse shoe and after a second wink hustled back to Cameron in time for the tipoff.

Rickshaw
10-05-2015, 06:16 AM
It's Bobby Hurley

devildeac
10-05-2015, 07:45 AM
If it wasn't Greg Paulus, it must have been DeMarcus Nelson*.





* Of course, if Patrick Patterson wasn't excluded, you wouldn't even be bringing it up. He routinely warmed up before games, airing out a couple dozen, what else could you call them, ICBMs. i remember the time someone dared to call him out. Patrick just winked, deliberately broke his right arm, threw that sucker out of the horse shoe and after a second wink hustled back to Cameron in time for the tipoff.


It's Bobby Hurley

I thought it might have been Drew II:rolleyes:.

grad_devil
10-05-2015, 08:06 AM
* Of course, if Patrick Patterson wasn't excluded, you wouldn't even be bringing it up. He routinely warmed up before games, airing out a couple dozen, what else could you call them, ICBMs. i remember the time someone dared to call him out. Patrick just winked, deliberately broke his right arm, threw that sucker out of the horse shoe and after a second wink hustled back to Cameron in time for the tipoff.

Didn't Patrick Patterson play for Kentucky?

I think you meant Patrick Davidson. I could see him doing those amazing deeds mentioned in your post. But he probably winked blindfolded. Because he could.

whereinthehellami
10-05-2015, 11:28 AM
I watched the practice on BDN. Understand that these comments are based on one practice and are just a fan's view.

Kennard - I love the intensity. He caught my eye whenever Coach was talking to the players, he looked so intense and focused. I really like his approach to the game. He was not shy in the drills about taking shots. His shot seemed pretty money. He shoots it confidently. I was impressed with his all-around IQ and he seems to be farther along than the other freshman in where he should be in sets and drills.

Thornton - I liked his handle and demeanor. Kind of a 180 from Kennard, when Coach was talking to Thornton he seemed to be really relaxed and loosey-goosey. His shot and confidence in taking an outside shot look like a work in progress. Coach stopped practice at one point to tell him to set people up in better places. In this instance he had passed the ball in transition to Allen a few feet behind the 3 point line. Coach told him to dribble a bit farther and let Allen get to the 3 point line and setup before passing it to him. I noticed this a couple of times in the drills and scrimmage also, where Thornton set people up too early or in less than ideal positions. His cross-over and hesitation moves around the foul line extended look really advanced and hard to stop.

Jeter – I like his size and fluidity a lot. He doesn’t seem to need long to collect the pass and finish. Doesn’t seem to be too aggressive though. Saw him miss-handle an easy pass and Jefferson got right in his face about finishing. I like seeing the veterans getting the freshman to understand the importance of every play.

Ingram – Makes things look easy in drills. Looked a little lost and maybe slow in some situations because of that. Saw Jefferson bark at him in one drill because he set up on the wrong block. Ingram looked bewildered. Got to say I was a little disappointed in what I saw with him only because I was expecting to see someone head and shoulders above the other players. OAD expectations and all that. I felt like I was watching someone who will excel in space and in transition but could struggle with the rest of it as normal freshman do.

Allen – Put some more muscle on and seems very confident. Aggressive on offense and physical on defense. Really bodying people on defense. Allen exerted himself in the scrimmage, had a couple mid-range shots that looked effortless. The announcers picked up on it as well. Also had a lot of aggressive drives during the scrimmage, relentless comes to mind. Seems to be making a case for being the primary option on offense.

Jefferson – I like the size and build he is currently at. Looks like a senior to me. Sure of himself and the role has on the team. Crafty as always and had some high degree of difficulty finishes as well. Just seems like a really good teammate.

Plumlee – Really the same as Jefferson without the crafty. But I can see him holding onto a starting role as he just seems to fill a role that does not need the ball. I like the fact that he can be as aggressive as he wants, use up his fouls, and then you can bring in a talent like Jeter as a backup.

Jones – Seems to be more fluid despite having more muscle. Announcers mentioned that he put in a lot of time on his handle in the off-season. Didn’t really notice that. Jones seems to thrive in the role he has carved out despite it being a niche role. Hanging out on the perimeter with the occasional sneaky drive to the hoop or mid-range shot. Nolan Smith said something to the effect of how players love playing with guys like Jones because they work hard but don’t demand the ball a lot and are really good teammates.

Obi – Guy has a football build, solid space eater down low for sure. This does not help his vertical game. Dunked a couple of times in the drills but his movement reminded me of Josh Hairston down low. Takes too long. Seems like he could get some boards in ACC play because of his build but would have a hard time getting a shot off in the paint in the ACC playing against tall and athletic guys. I have a hard time seeing him take any minutes from Jeter or Plumlee.

mr. synellinden
10-05-2015, 11:57 AM
Thanks so much for the detailed feedback/impressions. Great stuff here. Love to hear about Grayson. It's sounding to me like a good comparison for his potential for this year might be a junior year Gerald Henderson, but perhaps with a better 3 point shot.


I watched the practice on BDN. Understand that these comments are based on one practice and are just a fan's view.

Kennard - I love the intensity. He caught my eye whenever Coach was talking to the players, he looked so intense and focused. I really like his approach to the game. He was not shy in the drills about taking shots. His shot seemed pretty money. He shoots it confidently. I was impressed with his all-around IQ and he seems to be farther along than the other freshman in where he should be in sets and drills.

Thornton - I liked his handle and demeanor. Kind of a 180 from Kennard, when Coach was talking to Thornton he seemed to be really relaxed and loosey-goosey. His shot and confidence in taking an outside shot look like a work in progress. Coach stopped practice at one point to tell him to set people up in better places. In this instance he had passed the ball in transition to Allen a few feet behind the 3 point line. Coach told him to dribble a bit farther and let Allen get to the 3 point line and setup before passing it to him. I noticed this a couple of times in the drills and scrimmage also, where Thornton set people up too early or in less than ideal positions. His cross-over and hesitation moves around the foul line extended look really advanced and hard to stop.

Jeter – I like his size and fluidity a lot. He doesn’t seem to need long to collect the pass and finish. Doesn’t seem to be too aggressive though. Saw him miss-handle an easy pass and Jefferson got right in his face about finishing. I like seeing the veterans getting the freshman to understand the importance of every play.

Ingram – Makes things look easy in drills. Looked a little lost and maybe slow in some situations because of that. Saw Jefferson bark at him in one drill because he set up on the wrong block. Ingram looked bewildered. Got to say I was a little disappointed in what I saw with him only because I was expecting to see someone head and shoulders above the other players. OAD expectations and all that. I felt like I was watching someone who will excel in space and in transition but could struggle with the rest of it as normal freshman do.

Allen – Put some more muscle on and seems very confident. Aggressive on offense and physical on defense. Really bodying people on defense. Allen exerted himself in the scrimmage, had a couple mid-range shots that looked effortless. The announcers picked up on it as well. Also had a lot of aggressive drives during the scrimmage, relentless comes to mind. Seems to be making a case for being the primary option on offense.

Jefferson – I like the size and build he is currently at. Looks like a senior to me. Sure of himself and the role has on the team. Crafty as always and had some high degree of difficulty finishes as well. Just seems like a really good teammate.

Plumlee – Really the same as Jefferson without the crafty. But I can see him holding onto a starting role as he just seems to fill a role that does not need the ball. I like the fact that he can be as aggressive as he wants, use up his fouls, and then you can bring in a talent like Jeter as a backup.

Jones – Seems to be more fluid despite having more muscle. Announcers mentioned that he put in a lot of time on his handle in the off-season. Didn’t really notice that. Jones seems to thrive in the role he has carved out despite it being a niche role. Hanging out on the perimeter with the occasional sneaky drive to the hoop or mid-range shot. Nolan Smith said something to the effect of how players love playing with guys like Jones because they work hard but don’t demand the ball a lot and are really good teammates.

Obi – Guy has a football build, solid space eater down low for sure. This does not help his vertical game. Dunked a couple of times in the drills but his movement reminded me of Josh Hairston down low. Takes too long. Seems like he could get some boards in ACC play because of his build but would have a hard time getting a shot off in the paint in the ACC playing against tall and athletic guys. I have a hard time seeing him take any minutes from Jeter or Plumlee.

Clay Feet POF
10-05-2015, 12:58 PM
I watched the practice on BDN. Understand that these comments are based on one practice and are just a fan's view.


Thornton - I liked his handle and demeanor. Kind of a 180 from Kennard, when Coach was talking to Thornton he seemed to be really relaxed and loosey-goosey. His shot and confidence in taking an outside shot look like a work in progress. Coach stopped practice at one point to tell him to set people up in better places. In this instance he had passed the ball in transition to Allen a few feet behind the 3 point line. Coach told him to dribble a bit farther and let Allen get to the 3 point line and setup before passing it to him. I noticed this a couple of times in the drills and scrimmage also, where Thornton set people up too early or in less than ideal positions. His cross-over and hesitation moves around the foul line extended look really advanced and hard to stop.


.

Thanks for your views on this, I think Tyus spoiled me.

weezie
10-05-2015, 01:33 PM
IMO, Potato Head's post (#49) is fair dripping with sarcasm, the best indicator of which is the reference to Duke's "chances ... of winning the first exhibition game of the season." Unless the best indicator is the phrase "the fact," followed quickly by the past-tense "turned out to be."

And clearly dukelifer caught the spirit of Potato Head's sarcasm, since we know Kennard sure isn't missing any shots.

Okey doke, that's why I couched that maybe I didn't have my joke meter calibrated.

BD80
10-05-2015, 08:13 PM
It's Bobby Hurley

I think one of his passes achieved orbit and may not yet have returned to earth.

mr. synellinden
10-05-2015, 11:32 PM
I think one of his passes achieved orbit and may not yet have returned to earth.

No, it did. Grant grabbed it just before it left our atmosphere and threw it down.

Billy Packer was impressed.

madscavenger
10-06-2015, 04:12 AM
Didn't Patrick Patterson play for Kentucky?

I think you meant Patrick Davidson. I could see him doing those amazing deeds mentioned in your post. But he probably winked blindfolded. Because he could.

You're quite right my good friend about Patrick
Pure avoidance provides ne're a tactic
To placate Pat's vexation
i must beg for salvation
Excuse me for being allopatric

MCFinARL
10-06-2015, 06:59 AM
Very adroit comment.

Yes, if a little gauche.


Greg Paulas wasn't a slouch throwing a football. Finished his college career as a 5th year QB at Syracuse.

Every now and then Paulus would throw an adrenaline-fueled long bomb out of bounds on the basketball court as well, IIRC.