MBB: Duke vs. Syracuse (Monday 1/18/16, 7 pm, ESPN) Pre Game and In Game Thread

[Bob Green]

Syracuse and their 3-2 zone visit Cameron tomorrow evening as Duke looks to snap a two game losing streak. Duke is favored by 12 points in Las Vegas. Discuss the game here.

[Olympic Fan]

Obviously vital to stop the bleeding.

Duke lost two in a row last year ... but hasn't lost three in a row since the end of the 2007 season (when we ended with four straight losses).

Also Duke hasn't lost two in a row at home since earlier in the 2007 season, when Duke fell to FSU and UNC on back-to-back games in early February.

Pretty important to win this one with the next three games all on the road.

The only good news is that in contrast to Notre Dame, which has pretty much dominated us since joining the ACC (4-1 against us), K and Duke have done the same to the 'Cuse (3-1 so far).

Plus, they really don't have a consistent slasher or a strong inside scorer to exploit the two biggest weaknesses of our defense.

I think Duke should win, but at this point, I'm not counting anything a sure thing for this team.

[Troublemaker]

I hope to see Brandon at the high post a lot to attack the zone.

Brandon may be the most equipped player we've had to attack there in years, and we've had some good ones.

First, with a 7'3" wingspan, he is a nice target to pass the ball to in the middle, which can be tough against Cuse. They have big, long guards and wings to deny the pass.

Second, when he has the ball and turns and faces, he shoots a respectable 48% on 2-pt jumpers.

Third, he's made a living this season driving big men for fouls and layups, which is another option when he catches at the high post.

Finally, he's a very good passer who can read a defense and hit our shooters on the outside or MP3 on the baseline for a dunk.

Brandon's basically the perfect player to operate at the free throw line area against 2-3 zone.

[Bob Green]

Brandon's basically the perfect player to operate at the free throw line area against 2-3 zone.

I mistakenly referred to the Syracuse zone as a 3-2 in my original post. Obviously, as you state, it is a 2-3. Brandon Ingram operating from the free throw line should give the Orange fits.

[CDu]

Obviously vital to stop the bleeding.

Duke lost two in a row last year ... but hasn't lost three in a row since the end of the 2007 season (when we ended with four straight losses).

Also Duke hasn't lost two in a row at home since earlier in the 2007 season, when Duke fell to FSU and UNC on back-to-back games in early February.

Pretty important to win this one with the next three games all on the road.

The only good news is that in contrast to Notre Dame, which has pretty much dominated us since joining the ACC (4-1 against us), K and Duke have done the same to the 'Cuse (3-1 so far).

Plus, they really don't have a consistent slasher or a strong inside scorer to exploit the two biggest weaknesses of our defense.

I think Duke should win, but at this point, I'm not counting anything a sure thing for this team.

For whatever reason, ND has had our number, even when they are not that good. To be fair, all but one of those 4 losses to ND has been VERY close. The total points are actually dead even in our 5 games with the Irish: they have won by 2, 4, 20, and 4, while we won by 30. So I am not sure "dominated" is the right term. ND has just managed to win all 3 coin flip decisions. But I agree in that, no matter the talent disparity, yesterday's result is a familiar one in that matchup.

Syracuse as a VERY different type of team than Notre Dame. The Cuse obviously plays that 2-3 zone. Whereas Notre Dame is a smaller, spread you out team, the Cuse is all length.

Inside, they have Coleman, who is a classic widebody Orange center. He plays about half the game and gets about 5 and 5 with about 3 fouls. Obokoh is the nominal backup, but he plays sparingly. And he is more of a PF any at just 215. He is kind of like Amile Jefferson, only much less skilled.

At PF, they start Tyler Roberson. He is another in a long line of lanky PFs. Not unlike Bobby Fair, Jerami Grant, Hakim Warrick, and others, he is athletic with long arms and a slender frame. Behind him, however, is a real X-factor in Tyler Lydon. Lydon is the de facto 5th starter despite coming off the bench. He is a lot like Ryan Kelly: a terrific stretch-4 (despite being a bit undersized). He plays about 30 mpg.

On the perimeter, they play a 3.5-4 man rotation with plenty of length. They have a pair of familiar faces in Gbinije and Cooney. Gbinije has steadily gotten better in his career and is now an All-ACC level player. He has stepped into the PG role, and does a little bit of everything. He leads the Cuse in scoring, assists, and steals while being fourth in rebounds. Cooney is your classic gunner. He has a permanent green light from anywhere, and he is not shy about putting up shots. He is a bit of a mixed bag: at times he is unguardable; other times he can't throw it in the ocean. Those guys are almost certainly playing all 40 minutes barring foul trouble or injury.

The final wing spot is manned by Malachi Richardson. He is sort of a Gbinije in training; at 6'6", he does a little of everything, just not quite as well. In case of emergency, they will play Howard (a 6'4" wing) or Joseph (last year's starting PG who has dissolved to nothingness this year). Neither has done much good; Howard shoots 25% from the field while Joseph shoots... umm... worse than that.

The Cuse have really struggled offensively, in large part due to a lack of playmakers. Only Gbinije can regularly handle the ball, they don't score well inside, and they only have a few shooters. If Richardson and Cooney are on from outside, they can score. If those two are off, it makes things very tough.

As Olympic said, though, we are far from being a sure bet against any halfway decent opponent. I think we win this one, though, in large part because they don't have players at PF and C to get Ingram and Plumlee in foul trouble, and in part because they don't have a break-you-down PG. That said, they do still play a tough zone, so if we aren't hitting 3s they can certainly hang around.

[sagegrouse]

Thanks for the much-needed summary, CDu.

Here's what we should look for from the Blue Devils tonight:

Much greater intensity on the defensive boards, where our effort has been, well, pusillanimous. And, I am happy to have Obi and Jeter play more minutes -- they'll only get better. Moreover, Obi is really good at grabbing rebounds.
Poise at the end of the half and the end of the game. This is a characteristic Blue Devil trait, and it has been missing in the last two games. We should be extending our lead before the half, not shrinking it. It is terrible to have the opponent gain hope and momentum by closing a margin at the end of the half.*
Continued excellence on offense from Grayson, Brandon, and Luke. Wow! We don't have any complaints here, do we?

Kindly,
Sage
*OMG, I still have nightmares of those two "miracle threes" that Arizona made at the end of the first half in the Sweet Sixteen in 2011. The margin was six points instead of 12, and Arizona went on to bury us in the second half. If we have a 12-point lead at the half, we win the game.

[CDu]

Thanks for the much-needed summary, CDu.

Here's what we should look for from the Blue Devils tonight:

Much greater intensity on the defensive boards, where our effort has been, well, pusillanimous. And, I am happy to have Obi and Jeter play more minutes -- they'll only get better. Moreover, Obi is really good at grabbing rebounds.
Poise at the end of the half and the end of the game. This is a characteristic Blue Devil trait, and it has been missing in the last two games. We should be extending our lead before the half, not shrinking it. It is terrible to have the opponent gain hope and momentum by closing a margin at the end of the half.*
Continued excellence on offense from Grayson, Brandon, and Luke. Wow! We don't have any complaints here, do we?

Kindly,
Sage
*OMG, I still have nightmares of those two "miracle threes" that Arizona made at the end of the first half in the Sweet Sixteen in 2011. The margin was six points instead of 12, and Arizona went on to bury us in the second half. If we have a 12-point lead at the half, we win the game.

Totally agreed, sage. The Cuse is generally a good offensive rebounding team (thanks to their length and style of play). They are not a good defensive rebounding team, but offensive rebounding hasn't been a strength since Jefferson went down. We can't afford to give them easy second-chance points, and we've been putrid on the glass recently.

Poise is certainly key as well. But also better emphasis on playing smart throughout, especially after getting that second (or third) foul. We simply can't afford foul trouble to Ingram or Plumlee at this point unless Jeter or Obi figure out how to play at the ACC level. The team has simply fallen apart in the last two games when those guys went out.

Hopefully we have some better fortune tonight!

[dyedwab]

.

Poise is certainly key as well. But also better emphasis on playing smart throughout, especially after getting that second (or third) foul. We simply can't afford foul trouble to Ingram or Plumlee at this point unless Jeter or Obi figure out how to play at the ACC level. The team has simply fallen apart in the last two games when those guys went out.



I agree with this entirely, but would extended it to offensive possessions also. Sometimes I wish there were a basketball equivalent to the tennis statistics "unforced errors". If we could have limited those types of errors (silly passes, bad shot selection, mismanaged shot clock on the court, etc), we probably win both games. Because we are soooo thin, and sooo young, and our margin for error is sooo thin, we can not afford to make errors that aren't caused by what the other team is doing. And since we are likely to be tired late in the game, and those errors come more frequently, we have to button it up better early in the game.

[Indoor66]

Thanks for the much-needed summary, CDu.

Here's what we should look for from the Blue Devils tonight:

Much greater intensity on the defensive boards, where our effort has been, well, pusillanimous. And, I am happy to have Obi and Jeter play more minutes -- they'll only get better. Moreover, Obi is really good at grabbing rebounds.
Poise at the end of the half and the end of the game. This is a characteristic Blue Devil trait, and it has been missing in the last two games. We should be extending our lead before the half, not shrinking it. It is terrible to have the opponent gain hope and momentum by closing a margin at the end of the half.*
Continued excellence on offense from Grayson, Brandon, and Luke. Wow! We don't have any complaints here, do we?

Kindly,
Sage
*OMG, I still have nightmares of those two "miracle threes" that Arizona made at the end of the first half in the Sweet Sixteen in 2011. The margin was six points instead of 12, and Arizona went on to bury us in the second half. If we have a 12-point lead at the half, we win the game.

You do and you'll clean it up! :mad::p:cool:

[kAzE]

I think the key to this game, and every game until Amile returns, is simple: We need both Marshall and Brandon to stay out of foul trouble. With both of them on the floor, we're a top 10 team in the country. When one of them is on the bench, and we're forced to play smaller, we're extremely vulnerable to dribble drive offense and being outrebounded. Syracuse's starters are 6-8, 6-8, 6-6, 6-4, and 6-7. If we can keep both Marshall and Brandon in the game, we should win the battle on the boards. If one of them is forced to sit, we will probably get outrebounded again.

[CDu]

I think the key to this game is simple: We need both Marshall and Brandon to stay out of foul trouble. With both of them on the floor, we're a top 10 team in the country. When one of them is on the bench, and we're forced to play smaller, we're extremely vulnerable to dribble drive offense and being outrebounded. Syracuse's starters are 6-8, 6-8, 6-6, 6-4, and 6-6. If we can keep both Marshall and Brandon in the game, we should win the battle on the boards. If one of them is forced to sit, we will probably get outrebounded again.

I think we're vulnerable to the drive regardless, but I agree that those guys being on the floor is critical to our success right now. The lack of defensive rebounding, the lack of ability to defend post play, the lack of offensive rebounding, and (in the case of Ingram) the loss of a mismatch on offense really weaken us on both ends of the floor.

Not sure if we'll win the rebounding battle against Syracuse even with Ingram and Plumlee, but we'll almost certainly lose it (and likely the game, too) if those guys do get in early foul trouble.

[kAzE]

I think we're vulnerable to the drive regardless, but I agree that those guys being on the floor is critical to our success right now. The lack of defensive rebounding, the lack of ability to defend post play, the lack of offensive rebounding, and (in the case of Ingram) the loss of a mismatch on offense really weaken us on both ends of the floor.

Not sure if we'll win the rebounding battle against Syracuse even with Ingram and Plumlee, but we'll almost certainly lose it (and likely the game, too) if those guys do get in early foul trouble.

I think Brandon is the best shot blocker on the team, and he's certainly had some spectacular blocks recently. That's the only reason I'd say we're better against the dribble drive when he's in the game and isn't in foul trouble. When he's challenging shots in the paint and chasing rebounds aggressively, we're much better on defense.

[CDu]

I think Brandon is the best shot blocker on the team, and he's certainly had some spectacular blocks recently. That's the only reason I'd say we're better against the dribble drive when he's in the game and isn't in foul trouble. When he's challenging shots in the paint and chasing rebounds aggressively, we're much better on defense.

Plumlee (probably best) and Ingram (right there with him) are certainly the only shotblocking presences on the team. So we are definitely worse at challenging shots without them. My point was just that we aren't great at stopping dribble penetration even with them. But you're right that points at the rim are better without them in the game.

[kAzE]

Plumlee (probably best) and Ingram (right there with him) are certainly the only shotblocking presences on the team. So we are definitely worse at challenging shots without them. My point was just that we aren't great at stopping dribble penetration even with them. But you're right that points at the rim are better without them in the game.

It's close between MP3 and Brandon. Here's why I think Brandon might have an edge:

Brandon - 7'3" wingspan, 9'1.5" standing reach
Marshall - 6'9" wingspan, 8'9.5" standing reach

I think both of them are good athletes, so their vertical leaping prowess should be more or less a wash, and it's too difficult to measure anticipation and timing skills without more data, but Brandon legitimately has 4 inches (that's huge) of standing reach over MP3. MP3, just by virtue of playing center all year, has had more opportunities to block shots, but I'd still give the "best shot blocker" award to Brandon by a hair. I wouldn't be surprised if Brandon overtook the team lead in blocks over the next few games, as his increased playing time since Amile went down has allowed him to roam the paint on defense much more regularly. He's averaged 2.0 blocks per game since Amile's injury, while Marshall has averaged 1.8 over that same span. He's got 30 blocks on the year, just behind Marshall's 34.

[Rich]

It's close between MP3 and Brandon. Here's why I think Brandon might have an edge:

Brandon - 7'3" wingspan, 9'1.5" standing reach
Marshall - 6'9" wingspan, 8'9.5" standing reach

I think both of them are good athletes, so their vertical leaping prowess should be more or less a wash, and it's too difficult to measure anticipation and timing skills without more data, but Brandon legitimately has 4 inches (that's huge) of standing reach over MP3. MP3, just by virtue of playing center all year, has had more opportunities to block shots, but I'd still give the "best shot blocker" award to Brandon by a hair.

Marshall Plumlee :rolleyes:

5862

[kAzE]

Marshall Plumlee :rolleyes:

5862

I think this is a more accurate summary.

Brandon Ingram:
5863

[uh_no]

Marshall Plumlee :rolleyes:

5862

i love that i'm 6'1 ish and have almost the same wingspan as marshall. love what he's giving us this year, though. typical senior plumlee :)

[Indoor66]

i love that i'm 6'1 ish and have almost the same wingspan as marshall. love what he's giving us this year, though. typical senior plumlee :)

Is the "ish" + or - ? Inquiring minds want to know. :cool:

[devildeac]

Marshall Plumlee :rolleyes:

5862

Pretty awesome that K's been able to have Jahzilla and T. Plumlee on the roster recently.

[sagegrouse]

I think the key to this game, and every game until Amile returns, is simple: We need both Marshall and Brandon to stay out of foul trouble. With both of them on the floor, we're a top 10 team in the country. When one of them is on the bench, and we're forced to play smaller, we're extremely vulnerable to dribble drive offense and being outrebounded. Syracuse's starters are 6-8, 6-8, 6-6, 6-4, and 6-7. If we can keep both Marshall and Brandon in the game, we should win the battle on the boards. If one of them is forced to sit, we will probably get outrebounded again.

I have a different point of view, probably incorrect. I think our problem is "lack of effort," especially on the defensive boards -- probably because Marshall is trying to stay out of foul trouble. You don't win through lack of effort.

[JNort]

For whatever reason, ND has had our number, even when they are not that good. To be fair, all but one of those 4 losses to ND has been VERY close. The total points are actually dead even in our 5 games with the Irish: they have won by 2, 4, 20, and 4, while we won by 30. So I am not sure "dominated" is the right term. ND has just managed to win all 3 coin flip decisions. But I agree in that, no matter the talent disparity, yesterday's result is a familiar one in that matchup.

Syracuse as a VERY different type of team than Notre Dame. The Cuse obviously plays that 2-3 zone. Whereas Notre Dame is a smaller, spread you out team, the Cuse is all length.

Inside, they have Coleman, who is a classic widebody Orange center. He plays about half the game and gets about 5 and 5 with about 3 fouls. Obokoh is the nominal backup, but he plays sparingly. And he is more of a PF any at just 215. He is kind of like Amile Jefferson, only much less skilled.

At PF, they start Tyler Roberson. He is another in a long line of lanky PFs. Not unlike Bobby Fair, Jerami Grant, Hakim Warrick, and others, he is athletic with long arms and a slender frame. Behind him, however, is a real X-factor in Tyler Lydon. Lydon is the de facto 5th starter despite coming off the bench. He is a lot like Ryan Kelly: a terrific stretch-4 (despite being a bit undersized). He plays about 30 mpg.

On the perimeter, they play a 3.5-4 man rotation with plenty of length. They have a pair of familiar faces in Gbinije and Cooney. Gbinije has steadily gotten better in his career and is now an All-ACC level player. He has stepped into the PG role, and does a little bit of everything. He leads the Cuse in scoring, assists, and steals while being fourth in rebounds. Cooney is your classic gunner. He has a permanent green light from anywhere, and he is not shy about putting up shots. He is a bit of a mixed bag: at times he is unguardable; other times he can't throw it in the ocean. Those guys are almost certainly playing all 40 minutes barring foul trouble or injury.

The final wing spot is manned by Malachi Richardson. He is sort of a Gbinije in training; at 6'6", he does a little of everything, just not quite as well. In case of emergency, they will play Howard (a 6'4" wing) or Joseph (last year's starting PG who has dissolved to nothingness this year). Neither has done much good; Howard shoots 25% from the field while Joseph shoots... umm... worse than that.

The Cuse have really struggled offensively, in large part due to a lack of playmakers. Only Gbinije can regularly handle the ball, they don't score well inside, and they only have a few shooters. If Richardson and Cooney are on from outside, they can score. If those two are off, it makes things very tough.

As Olympic said, though, we are far from being a sure bet against any halfway decent opponent. I think we win this one, though, in large part because they don't have players at PF and C to get Ingram and Plumlee in foul trouble, and in part because they don't have a break-you-down PG. That said, they do still play a tough zone, so if we aren't hitting 3s they can certainly hang around.

Get what you're saying but when you play a team 5 times and they win 4 then you are getting dominated. Now in those games we arn't being dominated but head to head we most certainly are

[uh_no]

Is the "ish" + or - ? Inquiring minds want to know. :cool:

cinder block resolution is not below the inch-ish level

[devildeac]

cinder block resolution is not below the inch-ish level

Pretty hollow argument if you ask me...

5864


And, just to stay near topic, I think we'll have some trouble with their 2-3 zone because it's well, their 2-3 zone and they play it pretty well. Maybe they'll have difficulty rebounding out of it and we can get more 2nd chance points. I also like the idea from somewhere upthread of Ingram at/near the top of the key for mid-range jumpers or to take it inside and look to score or pass to an open shooter on the wing.

[CDu]

Get what you're saying but when you play a team 5 times and they win 4 then you are getting dominated. Now in those games we arn't being dominated but head to head we most certainly are

This gets back to the small sample size issue. I guess it is fair to say they have dominated the results thus far, but I don't think they ahave dominated us. I mean, one more made 3 by us in our first meeting and we have a 2-3 split. That and if Matt Jones hits that 3 late, we would be ahead in the series. If two shots can swing a 1-4 mark to a 3-2 mark, that isn't dominating. But, all that being said, it is really a debate on the margins.

[jv001]

This gets back to the small sample size issue. I guess it is fair to say they have dominated the results thus far, but I don't think they ahave dominated us. I mean, one more made 3 by us in our first meeting and we have a 2-3 split. That and if Matt Jones hits that 3 late, we would be ahead in the series. If two shots can swing a 1-4 mark to a 3-2 mark, that isn't dominating. But, all that being said, it is really a debate on the margins.

I sure miss old Digger. Things would be a lot different if he was still coaching the Irish, :cool: GoDuke!

[kAzE]

Wow, I just realized Bonzie Colson is only a sophomore. In 4 career games against Duke, he is 24 for 38 from the field. 2 of his career 5 total makes from 3 have been against Duke. We have 2 more years of this kid? @&^%$)!&%@# Sigh.

[jv001]

Wow, I just realized Bonzie Colson is only a sophomore. In 4 career games against Duke, he is 24 for 38 from the field. 2 of his career 5 total makes from 3 have been against Duke. &(*&$%(&*%$(#$%%^$&# We have 2 more years of this kid? Sigh.

Man, Bonzie has 2 more years to develop that 3 point shot. I sure don't like the idea of facing him anytime soon. GoDuke!

[oldnavy]

Man, Bonzie has 2 more years to develop that 3 point shot. I sure don't like the idea of facing him anytime soon. GoDuke!

Is he that good, or is this a case of "King Rice Syndrome"?

[jv001]

Is he that good, or is this a case of "King Rice Syndrome"?

Bootise Thornton comes to mind as does the dude from Kentucky that went wild against Duke in the 78 Championship game. I can't think of his name right now. If I remember correctly, he banked one in from the corner on us. GoDuke!

[Olympic Fan]

Bootise Thornton comes to mind as does the dude from Kentucky that went wild against Duke in the 78 Championship game. I can't think of his name right now. If I remember correctly, he banked one in from the corner on us. GoDuke!

You're confusing Goose Givens of Kentucky (he's the one who banked one in off the side of the backboard in the 78 championship game) and Bootsie Thornton, a guard from St. John's who had two career games against Duke around the turn of the century.

For a while the "Bootsie" became a thing on this board ... a player who would play out of his mind against Duke was said to have pulled Bootsie.

I think it's safe to say that Bonzie pulled a Bootsie.

[DevilWearsPrada]

I am sending extra Vibes to the Duke Team tonight!!!!!!!!!!
Let's Go Duke!!!!!

Syracuse and Silent G will be in the house!!!
Protect the Coach K Court!!!
REBOUND !!!!
Stay out of Foul Trouble!!
Take Smart Shots!
Make All Free Throws!
Play as a RELENTLESS TEAM!!!!!!!!

Game Day!
Game Face!

Let's Go Duke!

(I am as nervous as a Cheshire Cat sitting in a tree, with a big vicious dog snarling at me!)

Sending Major Vibes!

[jv001]

You're confusing Goose Givens of Kentucky (he's the one who banked one in off the side of the backboard in the 78 championship game) and Bootsie Thornton, a guard from St. John's who had two career games against Duke around the turn of the century.

For a while the "Bootsie" became a thing on this board ... a player who would play out of his mind against Duke was said to have pulled Bootsie.

I think it's safe to say that Bonzie pulled a Bootsie.

Yes, Goose Givens was the Kentucky player I could not remember. All I could remember was he torched us and did make a bank shot from the corner. Bootsie Thornton had our number as it seems Bonzie does as well. What's with these names, Goose, Bootsie and now Bonzie. I think I'm going to call Bonzie...Smith, :cool: GoDuke!

[mgtr]

I still support our team 100%, and I while I will be delighted when Amile returns, I don't think he will be as good as we hope he will. It will take time to get back to his former level. We can, however, win some games before he returns, and that is my focus. If we could find how to play as hard in the last five minutes of a game as we do in the first five, we would be unstoppable. I doubt that even Coach K can find that magic pill, but I am confident he will come up with something.
Very optimistic about tonight's game. Go Duke!

[oldnavy]

Yes, Goose Givens was the Kentucky player I could not remember. All I could remember was he torched us and did make a bank shot from the corner. Bootsie Thornton had our number as it seems Bonzie does as well. What's with these names, Goose, Bootsie and now Bonzie. I think I'm going to call Bonzie...Smith, :cool: GoDuke!

I wish I could forget Goose Givens... we would have won that game for sure if he had played his "normal" game against us.... ughhh.

[Saratoga2]

I have a different point of view, probably incorrect. I think our problem is "lack of effort," especially on the defensive boards -- probably because Marshall is trying to stay out of foul trouble. You don't win through lack of effort.

A man of his size, whose primary role is shot blocking and rebounding should have better stats in 39 minutes than we saw against ND. His stats were bolstered in the last few minutes of the game, so the early part of the game he played off and didn't contest well. Perhaps he has been told to play soft to stay out of foul trouble, but coach K is also unhappy with the lack of defensive rebounding. Mixed messages? Maybe he lit a fire under Marshall at the end of the game and that changed Marshall's approach. Coach K has little flexibility unless he is willing to use Jeter, Obi and/or Vrank to give Marshall a lift.

[JNort]

This gets back to the small sample size issue. I guess it is fair to say they have dominated the results thus far, but I don't think they ahave dominated us. I mean, one more made 3 by us in our first meeting and we have a 2-3 split. That and if Matt Jones hits that 3 late, we would be ahead in the series. If two shots can swing a 1-4 mark to a 3-2 mark, that isn't dominating. But, all that being said, it is really a debate on the margins.

No, because nobody is debating margins of victory or who played better. 5 games played and they got 4 wins. That is dominant. Talking about the individual games themselves is somthing else entirely

[riverside6]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/Syracuse, starters posted...

http://www.scacchoops.com/syracuse-at-duke-basketball-live-stats-01182016

[Bob Green]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/Syracuse, starters posted...

http://www.scacchoops.com/syracuse-at-duke-basketball-live-stats-01182016

Thank you! Luke Kennard starting again, which was expected.

[devildeac]

Chat?

[Troublemaker]

Chat is open: http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/misc.php?do=cchatbox

[Saratoga2]

This was the best I have ever seen Marshall play. Very aggressive and playing hard every minute while keeping the fouls down. He is player of the game through the half. Grayson came alive part way through the half while Luke is playing well but not shooting well as yet. Brandon can still give us a lift as he can get his shot off against Syracuse. Coach K put in Chase and Sean together, presumably to give Marshall and Brandon a needed rest. Matt's having a typical game while Derryck is not doing anything offensively but his speed and effort guarding is useful.

This one will go down to the wire again.

[rsvman]

another bad turn of events at the end of the half. ugh. a little too reminiscent of the Clemson game for my taste.

hopefully we can put that behind us and not have a slow start to the second half.

[rsvman]

we really need to get on the boards!

[Channing]

I hate to say it but DT looks to have significantly regressed. Bad things just seem to happen around him.

[CoSprings]

This is painful. Who is this team in white? Penetrate the zone and get ONE REBOUND! Unbelievable.

[Channing]

Also, it looks like this team has no idea how to attack the zone. Remember Jabari flashing the high post a few years ago? How about we try that?

[timmy c]

Also, it looks like this team has no idea how to attack the zone. Remember Jabari flashing the high post a few years ago? How about we try that?

Wait... Jabari is a available? :confused::confused::confused:

[vrob90]

Every game has become a struggle. Syracuse scoring almost at will.

[CoSprings]

The lack of defense and rebounding is shocking. And K refuses to go zone. This is comical at this point.

[downeastdad]

Also, it looks like this team has no idea how to attack the zone. Remember Jabari flashing the high post a few years ago? How about we try that?

Somebody needs to get to the ACC logo. Did K forget all that he learned from Boeheim?
Marshall can't do it all. Where is Kennard?
ded

[rsvman]

not over yet. I sure hope this doesn't become another story of bad free throw shooting and poor rebounding, though.

[downeastdad]

See ya, top 25