MBB: Duke vs. Elon, Dec. 28 8 pm, ESPNU, Pre Game and In Game Thread

[Bob Green]

Discuss the game here. Duke is favored by 23 points with the over/under set at 158.5 points.

[devildeac]

Discuss the game here. Duke is favored by 23 points with the over/under set at 158.5 points.

I'll take the under with Duke on top 90-67. (But kinda hoping Elon does't score 67:o.)

[flyingdutchdevil]

Elon is ranked 187 on kenpom. This is a game that Duke will win with the question being 'by how much?'.

We'll be able to score, but I'm interested in our front court, that is a massive liability on offense and defense without Amile. Can MP3 defend, rebound, and call the shots without Amile? Will Chase play >10 minutes? Jess are the questions I'm seeking answers to.

[Lar77]

I think we give matchup problems for Elon. They are basically a perimeter team which we outmatch at each position (they have no answer for Brandon Ingram) plus we have the option of size in the post. On the other hand, they are deeper than us and will fight to the end.

They pulled out a "down by 8 with 17 left" this year. Granted, it was Kenesaw (sp?) State and there were 3 pointers and no Walter Davis. Point is, however, they are a decent mid-major that will give full effort.

We will win, but I see this more as a test for how we are going to prepare for ACC without Amile.

[Neals384]

Here's a brief profile of the Elon Phoenix, pulled from stats - I haven't seen any film.

Elon is 9-3, but against mostly weak competition. The lost by 20 at Michigan, and by 11 at Syracuse.

Like Duke, Elon has been hit by the injury bug. Senior center Tony Sabato (6-7, 220) is out with back trouble. Soph forward Brian Dawkins (6-8, 240) missed the last four games before Christmas due to illness. No word on whether he will play.

The starters are

6-4 guard Tanner Samson, the leading scorer at 15.8
6-8, 225 forward Tyler Seibring (7.6 pts, 4 rebounds)
6-4 guard Dmitri Thompson (9.8 pts, 5.5 rebounds)
6-1 point guard Luke Eddy (10.4 pts, 5.8 assists)
6-7, 205 forward Christian Hairston (10 pts, 6.2 rebounds)

6-0 guard Dainan Swoope plays starter minutes off the bench (11.6 pts, 3.3 assists)

6-8, 240 forward Jack Anton averages 10 minutes.

Also in the rotation is a name that may be familiar in Carolina - 6-4 freshman Steve Santa Ana from Charlotte (16 minutes, 9 pts). I'll be watching to see if his game is anything like Grayson's. (certainly hope not!)

If the Phoenix want to bring in some beef to challenge MPIII, they have 6-11, 240 freshman Karolis Kundrotas from Lithuania (but he averages just 6 minutes game).

The Phoenix will bomb away: 48% of their field goal attempts are from downtown. Sampson leads the assault, launching 8 per game while hitting 43%. Swoope puts up 6 1/2 per game, hitting 39%. Seibring and Santa Ana also bomb away, but hit only 33%.

[MChambers]

Also in the rotation is a name that may be familiar in Carolina - 6-4 freshman Steve Santa Ana from Charlotte (16 minutes, 9 pts). I'll be watching to see if his game is anything like Grayson's. (certainly hope not!)
Would have thought that Santa Ana's name would be more familiar to Texans, but I'm probably missing your point.

[Indoor66]

Also in the rotation is a name that may be familiar in Carolina - 6-4 freshman Steve Santa Ana from Charlotte (16 minutes, 9 pts). I'll be watching to see if his game is anything like Grayson's. (certainly hope not!)

It might be "like" but I doubt that it is similar.

[Neals384]

Would have thought that Santa Ana's name would be more familiar to Texans, but I'm probably missing your point.

Set a record for points in the high school championship game last spring.


Ardrey Kell guard scores NCHSAA championship record 44 points in Saturday’s 70-64 state final loss to Garner, earns a spot in columinist Langston Wertz Jr’s all-time top 10 finals’ performance list

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/high-school/article14495753.html#storylink=cpy

[Indoor66]

Set a record for points in the high school championship game last spring.



Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/high-school/article14495753.html#storylink=cpy


But he lost the big one against Houston at San Jacinto in '36.

[MChambers]

I'm more worried about this one than the rest of you. I see Duke as very vulnerable now, without Amile. I think this one may be uncomfortably close. Hope I'm wrong. Sagarin would have this one at 20, but that doesn't take into account Amile's absence.

[kAzE]

Would love to see some progress from Chase in this one. Hoping he plays double digit minutes.

[Olympic Fan]

Would love to see some progress from Chase in this one. Hoping he plays double digit minutes.

This is definitely my focus going into the game. We probably don't NEED Chase to beat Elon, but we did need him against Utah and he wasn't ready to contribute. I think we may need him against Wake Forest next week (they have a lot of size, including a strong senior big man in Devin Thomas) ... I hope he makes some progress tonight against Elon, Wednesday against Long Beach State and this weekend against Boston College.

[gumbomoop]

This is definitely my focus going into the game. We probably don't NEED Chase to beat Elon, but we did need him against Utah and he wasn't ready to contribute. I think we may need him against Wake Forest next week (they have a lot of size, including a strong senior big man in Devin Thomas) ... I hope he makes some progress tonight against Elon, Wednesday against Long Beach State and this weekend against Boston College.

Amen. I hope Chase gets at least 15 minutes tonight.

Sorry, I should have posted Amen to kAzE, too.

[Sixthman]

This is definitely my focus going into the game. We probably don't NEED Chase to beat Elon, but we did need him against Utah and he wasn't ready to contribute. I think we may need him against Wake Forest next week (they have a lot of size, including a strong senior big man in Devin Thomas) ... I hope he makes some progress tonight against Elon, Wednesday against Long Beach State and this weekend against Boston College.

Win or lose, finding out whether Chase can contribute is a top priority for me for this week's games. The front page article on the game says " . . . Jeter can run and he can rebound. If he can be solid defensively, that's enough for now". Jeter can do a lot more than run and rebound against the right competition. I have not seen anything to suggest he can rebound or play defense against ACC level competition. Of course, like all of us, I have not seen much of Chase. I'd like to see. The coaches, however, may have seen enough in practice to know what they need to know. For those of you who are under the age of fifty, you may not remember Coach K's first couple of years. There was no doubt in my mind that he lost a few games those years playing man to man defense which he could have won with a zone. He inherited some decent talent, but it was not the right talent for his philosophy. He was playing the long game (and thankfully, so was Tom Butters), and was willing to risk a loss or two for his long term goals (good choice, it turns out, right?). I would have no problem taking a loss to develop Jeter for later this season. The coaches know where he is with his game right now, hold fast to the belief that every player is running his own race, and they know whether there is a decent chance he makes a material contribution this year. If we don't see him on the court, it's not because he has not had the chance. Every player gets the chance, every day, in practice. It is because the coaches believe that game experience is better spent developing someone else. With a team this young, everyone should be getting better every game out. Even Grayson and MP3 are playing new roles which are still evolving.

[-jk]

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Let's Go Duke!

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[riverside6]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/Elon, starters posted

http://www.scacchoops.com/elon-at-duke-basketball-live-stats-12282015

[Furniture]

Wow! I'm stuck in DFW airport just watching the score go up. At this rate they will score WELL over 100!
I hope I have it on my DVR...

[kAzE]

I KNOW that graphic didn't just say "out for season", right?

[gocanes0506]

Man Allen just got away with 5 steps there

[gocanes0506]

I KNOW that graphic didn't just say "out for season", right?

It did. they just corrected it

[dukelion]

Man....I know its Elon but geez......pretty sure we'll be #1 in offensive efficiency after this one.

Kennard has his confidence back and Jeter getting good solid minutes.

Negatives? Couple of cheap layups allowed but cmon.....we scored 70 at the half.

[arnie]

I'm more worried about this one than the rest of you. I see Duke as very vulnerable now, without Amile. I think this one may be uncomfortably close. Hope I'm wrong. Sagarin would have this one at 20, but that doesn't take into account Amile's absence.
Yea, I think you were wrong.

[Furniture]

Apparently only the third time in history have Duke scored 70 in one half!

[Pghdukie]

A very good time for Obi and Vrank to get some PT. It's a long season.

[gumbomoop]

Chase, unhappily like Marshall, seems unable to keep the ball high when he receives a pass for what should be a high % lay-in. They both invariably take a rhythm dribble, thus allowing defenders time to recover.

Luke nearly missed a free throw. He needs to practice those things.