MBB (Exh.): Duke 98, Augustana 45 Post-Game Thread

[Troublemaker]

Stephen Wiseman ‏@stevewisemanNC (https://twitter.com/stevewisemanNC) 13m13 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/stevewisemanNC/status/794725001949773824)Durham, NC (https://twitter.com/search?q=place%3Abced47a0c99c71d0)
Coach K said by the Marist game, everyone except Harry Giles will be ready to play. That includes Tatum


Stephen Wiseman ‏@stevewisemanNC (https://twitter.com/stevewisemanNC) 11m11 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/stevewisemanNC/status/794726113813663745)Durham, NC (https://twitter.com/search?q=place%3Abced47a0c99c71d0)
Harry Giles went through a non-contact practice with Jeff Capel today. He'll progress to 5-on-0. Coach K said maybe play by end of month


Blue Devil Nation ‏@BlueDevilNation (https://twitter.com/BlueDevilNation) 16m16 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/BlueDevilNation/status/794724721547939844)Durham, NC (https://twitter.com/search?q=place%3Abced47a0c99c71d0)
Duke was just resting Marques Bolden, no injury per Krzyzewski.

[gofurman]

Glad to see those tweets. And glad Duke is resting guys. Don't play at 80% only to keep a lingering injury. Let it heal fully. Hamstrings etc can linger all year. Rest until fully healed

But man.

Giles. Injured. Tatum. Allen. Jones. Dinged up. Bolden resting ?

[yancem]

I didn't see the game but looking at the box score, I wonder if some posters will cut Jeter some slack after tonight?

[WWBD]

I didn't see the game but looking at the box score, I wonder if some posters will cut Jeter some slack after tonight?

Yes and no. He was still pretty soft. Some great setups / alley-oop opportunities that he brought back to the floor, pump faked, then went up for a layup (against SMALL SMALL TINY opponents). Hammer it home, sophomore.

[duke4ever19]

I didn't see the game but looking at the box score, I wonder if some posters will cut Jeter some slack after tonight?

I haven't gotten the impression that people on the forum are giving Jeter a hard time, but I haven't read every post, so there's that.

My opinion: Jeter should have a good-to-great outing verses teams like Augustana. I was underwhelmed by him in the previous game, but I know he's still got a ways to go. He's got a great motor and a lot of "want-to," so he'll figure it out eventually. I mean, he's got Wojo, the big man whisperer ;)

[UrinalCake]

Just got back from the game, here are my thoughts:

- I had a mild panic attack during pregame warmups when Bolden didn't participate. He was dressed out but during the early warmups he just sat in a chair under the basket, and during the later warmups he stood around with Tatum and Giles (who were not in uniform). Thanks to Troublemaker for explaining in the in-game thread that they were just resting him. I can't recall a time that K ever sat out a player for an entire game just for "rest." Maybe he learned it from Popovich while working with the National Team?

- We started out defensively by pressuring full court. It might not have generated many turnovers, but it did disrupt Augustana's offense. They looked completely overmatched from the start, I think we eventually went up 12-0. We quickly went to a very small lineup with Amile at center and our four guards. Later in the game we ran a lineup with Frank Jackson and four bigs. Definitely seemed like K was using the game as an opportunity to tinker with various combinations.

- Our pressure defense generated a lot of turnovers, but also allowed them some wide open threes when they were able to rotate the ball around. They weren't hitting any of them, but we'll need to be better about recognizing those guys against better opponents.

- I may have been dreaming, but I think we actually played a 2-3 zone for one possession in the first half. We ran it again at the end of the game in garbage time.

- Jeter had an excellent game. Stayed out of foul trouble and contributed on both ends of the court. Frank was the only guy who was really hitting his shots. Jones was ice cold, Luke was hitting his mid range shots but not from deep, and Grayson was pretty quiet. Amile was absolutely everywhere. He's one of those guys who seems to have his hands in every possession on both sides of the court.

- Vrank was great at the free throw line. Javin not so much.

- Overall we shot really poorly. 28% from three and 47% overall. Nothing to be too concerned about, but it was surprising given the quality of our opponent and the number of open looks we got.

- Matt can dunk!

- It was cool to see the bench guys get lots of playing time. If this team is ever 100% healthy it's going to be pretty scary, because we had three lottery picks on the bench and managed everybody else's minutes and still had the reigning Division 2 Champions so overmatched that they looked like a high school team.

That's about all I can think of for now. Looking forward to the official start of the season!

[subzero02]

I was most impressed by Luke and Delaurier... Luke's offense appears to have hit a new level.

[duke4ever19]

I seriously doubt the "resting" explanation. My completely uneducated guess: some violation of team rules.

Coach K reiterated in the postgame presser that it was just to give Bolden a rest, that Bolden had a "great week of practice," take a look at Amile at the 5 and let the guys further down the bench a chance to get some burn.

A reporter asked him about Bolden directly and K paused and smiled and said "this was not a good game." I took that to mean Bolden didn't have anything to gain (and potentially a lot to lose) by playing Augustana. I mean, Augustana had nobody in the paint to challenge a guy like Bolden.

[Olympic Fan]

I agree, the "resting" explanation for Bolden's absence is one of the most bizarre stories I've heard in 50-plus years of following Duke basketball.

Look, the kid has played one scrimmage and one exhibition. He really struggled to fit into the offense in the scrimmage and for the first half of his exhibition. He had a strong second half against Virginia State ... and that's it. It's not like he's a veteran and we know what he can do. Rest Grayson or Matt -- both banged up to some degree. But don't rest a young, healthy freshman who is just trying to find his place offensively. I believe there is more to it (that we may never learn).

Strange game. Before the game, I was told that Augustana was "much better" than Virginia State. It didn't look that way. They were very, very small and unathletic. I know they are the defending Div II national champs, but they lost the best three players off that team (which also won at Iowa last year). They did return two starters and three other rotation players. They were picked 18th in the preseason Div. II national poll ... but based on what we saw, Virginia State would kill them.

It was so ridiculously easy, it's hard to get much out of the game. Duke was up 52-19 at the half (without Giles, Tatum or Bolden) -- while hitting 1-of-9 3s. If Duke had shot well, they might have won by 80.

Note: Duke played zone for three possessions in the first half -- and gave up a wide open 3 on each occasion (Augustana missed two of those three shots). Also, Augustana did not hit a free throw until just over three minutes left. They finished 2-for-6 from the line ... 29 of 42 for Duke.

Also, second game in a row where Frank Jackson looked awkward and confused in the first half, then turned it on in the second half and played very well.

It was a great night for Chase Jeter -- 15 points, 12 rebounds in 20 minutes. Obviously, he was bigger and stronger than any Augustana player, but still give him credit. It was his best performance in a Duke uniform. It has to help his confidence.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

FYI - game is available on Watch ESPN replay

[kAzE]

I haven't gotten the impression that people on the forum are giving Jeter a hard time, but I haven't read every post, so there's that.

My opinion: Jeter should have a good-to-great outing verses teams like Augustana. I was underwhelmed by him in the previous game, but I know he's still got a ways to go. He's got a great motor and a lot of "want-to," so he'll figure it out eventually. I mean, he's got Wojo, the big man whisperer ;)

Wojo's been gone for a few years now ;)

But even without him, Chase looks like he will be a major contributor next year or perhaps even this year depending on how the situation with Harry plays out . . . knocking on wood. Hopefully everyone stays healthy from here on out.

[Bob Green]

I quit watching with about five minutes left in the game because my streaming video froze and I really didn't see the point in trying to get it started again. My impressions:

Chase Jeter looks much more comfortable on the court. He has progressed a lot since last season when he looked like a baby giraffe out there much of the time. He still has a long way to go especially in regard to finishing strong around the rim but I am confident he is going to continue to get better. Jeter is a player this board is going to love next year and/or the year after.

Javin DeLaurier has a huge upside. He is extremely athletic and plays with a lot of energy. Now he needs to go shoot 1000 free throws a day. DeLaurier is going to get to the line often due to his style of play so he has to knock down those freebies. Going 0-5 from the charity stripe is not going to inspire the coaching staff to give him more playing time.

This team does not have a point guard. Several posters much more knowledgeable than me pointed it out in the In Game thread so I'll keep my comments brief. Frank Jackson is not a point guard. He is a very talented guard and potentially a great on the ball defender but he is not a natural point guard. Although, to be fair, I am compelled to point out Jackson dished out four assists against zero turnovers last night.

[arnie]

I agree, the "resting" explanation for Bolden's absence is one of the most bizarre stories I've heard in 50-plus years of following Duke basketball.

Look, the kid has played one scrimmage and one exhibition. He really struggled to fit into the offense in the scrimmage and for the first half of his exhibition. He had a strong second half against Virginia State ... and that's it. It's not like he's a veteran and we know what he can do. Rest Grayson or Matt -- both banged up to some degree. But don't rest a young, healthy freshman who is just trying to find his place offensively. I believe there is more to it (that we may never learn).

Strange game. Before the game, I was told that Augustana was "much better" than Virginia State. It didn't look that way. They were very, very small and unathletic. I know they are the defending Div II national champs, but they lost the best three players off that team (which also won at Iowa last year). They did return two starters and three other rotation players. They were picked 18th in the preseason Div. II national poll ... but based on what we saw, Virginia State would kill them.

It was so ridiculously easy, it's hard to get much out of the game. Duke was up 52-19 at the half (without Giles, Tatum or Bolden) -- while hitting 1-of-9 3s. If Duke had shot well, they might have won by 80.

Note: Duke played zone for three possessions in the first half -- and gave up a wide open 3 on each occasion (Augustana missed two of those three shots). Also, Augustana did not hit a free throw until just over three minutes left. They finished 2-for-6 from the line ... 29 of 42 for Duke.

Also, second game in a row where Frank Jackson looked awkward and confused in the first half, then turned it on in the second half and played very well.

It was a great night for Chase Jeter -- 15 points, 12 rebounds in 20 minutes. Obviously, he was bigger and stronger than any Augustana player, but still give him credit. It was his best performance in a Duke uniform. It has to help his confidence.

I was hoping maybe Oly or others picked up other hints regarding Bolden. I don't buy the "needs rest" reason; he's either banged up or staff is upset with him over something. Guess we will know more when Marist comes to Durham.

[dukelifer]

I quit watching with about five minutes left in the game because my streaming video froze and I really didn't see the point in trying to get it started again. My impressions:

Chase Jeter looks much more comfortable on the court. He has progressed a lot since last season when he looked like a baby giraffe out there much of the time. He still has a long way to go especially in regard to finishing strong around the rim but I am confident he is going to continue to get better. Jeter is a player this board is going to love next year and/or the year after.

Javin DeLaurier has a huge upside. He is extremely athletic and plays with a lot of energy. Now he needs to go shoot 1000 free throws a day. DeLaurier is going to get to the line often due to his style of play so he has to knock down those freebies. Going 0-5 from the charity stripe is not going to inspire the coaching staff to give him more playing time.

This team does not have a point guard. Several posters much more knowledgeable than me pointed it out in the In Game thread so I'll keep my comments brief. Frank Jackson is not a point guard. He is a very talented guard and potentially a great on the ball defender but he is not a natural point guard. Although, to be fair, I am compelled to point out Jackson dished out four assists against zero turnovers last night.
The lack of a true point guard is my biggest concern for this team. Ball handling and passing are shaky at best. Duke has many weapons and that will make them impossible to guard so perhaps it does not matter but lack of ball movement is a worry. Too much drive and get fouled basketball will be hard to watch.

[rocketeli]

I always like to see what other people thought after a game, even an exhibition game. I'd say this time I don't have anything really different to suggest than the other posters: Augustana was not good, Frank Jackson is not a point guard but is very talented and athletic, the Bolden "rest" story is might odd-hopefully just Duke concealing an injury per SOP, Jeter, sigh, but at least he did what he should do against a small, slow front line. What really stood out to me is that 90% of NCAA division I men's basketball teams would be happy, or even ecstatic to start Jeter, White, Delaurier, and Vrankovic and if all the team is healthy and integrated into the line-up, those players aren't likely to total 10 minutes a game as a group here at Duke.

[azzefkram]

Pleasant surprises

Not just Matt dunking, but dunking with authority
Amile taking the ball end to end
Jeter playing with confidence. I think he's still a year away but he appears more comfortable out there.
Frank is best freshman 2 way guard we've had in while. He's definitely learning the point, but I was impressed with how good he looked most of the time. I think by mid season he will be a pretty important part of the rotation.
Javin and Jack have the potential to be really good three to four year players for us. Both have great effort.
Everyone seemed really active on D, if not always in the right spot. It looks like defense has a shot at being part of Duke basketball this year.


Not so pleasant surprises

Going into this game I wasn't overly worried by our lack of a true point. I am more concerned now. I love Matt as a 3 and D player and the leadership he brings. Matt initiating the offense is no bueno.
Everyone being sloppy with their passes. I'm going to call out Amile not because he was more egregious than anyone else but since I remember him being better with the ball.
It's tough to tell since he's always at 11, but Grayson seemed to be pressing.
Amile busting out a Hairston.
Not getting a chance to see Marques play.



It was great to see Duke basketball again. Thank goodness the loooooooong offseason is over.

[jv001]

The lack of a true point guard is my biggest concern for this team. Ball handling and passing are shaky at best. Duke has many weapons and that will make them impossible to guard so perhaps it does not matter but lack of ball movement is a worry. Too much drive and get fouled basketball will be hard to watch.

I agree about lack of ball movement and the drive and dish offense. If the team is not careful, it will lead to standing around and watching. I'm anxious to see how we do once Tatum and Giles get close to 100%. Oh, and Bolden get's over being tired :cool:. GoDuke!

[Troublemaker]

The lack of a true point guard is my biggest concern for this team. Ball handling and passing are shaky at best.

17 assists to 16 turnovers vs Virginia State. 14 assists to 15 turnovers vs Augustana. I suspect Duke will have it cleaned up by the season opener (or shortly thereafter), but it's something to track.

But I think we've looked really good otherwise.

[budwom]

Regarding Bolden, I think K is just tuning up his Cone of Silence for use later in the season. I'm sure there's a good reason why
Bolden didn't play, and I'm equally sure we won't hear what it was. Hopefully Bolden "learns" from his "rest."

[Steven43]

I mean, he's got Wojo, the big man whisperer ;)
Jeter transferred to Marquette?

[Olympic Fan]

Not so pleasant surprises

Going into this game I wasn't overly worried by our lack of a true point. I am more concerned now. I love Matt as a 3 and D player and the leadership he brings. Matt initiating the offense is no bueno.
Everyone being sloppy with their passes. I'm going to call out Amile not because he was more egregious than anyone else but since I remember him being better with the ball.
It's tough to tell since he's always at 11, but Grayson seemed to be pressing.
Amile busting out a Hairston.
Not getting a chance to see Marques play.




I'm surprised by your discomfort as to Matt's role in initiating the offense (a role he shares with Grayson, Luke and Frank).

Counting the scrimmage and the two exhibition games, he's played just about 50 minutes with six assists and ZERO turnovers. More than anybody else, he was the guy moving the ball in the first half.

I agree that the offense was awkward in the first half. There was a lot of one-on-one basketball. It was much better in the second half -- better ball movement and more unselfishness -- the same number of drives, but many of them led to drive-and-kicks, not take it all the way.

I did not think Grayson was pressing at all. I thought he got back to playing Grayson Allen ball -- his ability to drive and get to the foul line is a key part of his game. If he had a problem last night, it was from the 3-point line -- but so did everybody else (except Jack White).

[gurufrisbee]

I always like to see what other people thought after a game, even an exhibition game. I'd say this time I don't have anything really different to suggest than the other posters: Augustana was not good, Frank Jackson is not a point guard but is very talented and athletic, the Bolden "rest" story is might odd-hopefully just Duke concealing an injury per SOP, Jeter, sigh, but at least he did what he should do against a small, slow front line. What really stood out to me is that 90% of NCAA division I men's basketball teams would be happy, or even ecstatic to start Jeter, White, Delaurier, and Vrankovic and if all the team is healthy and integrated into the line-up, those players aren't likely to total 10 minutes a game as a group here at Duke.

What do you think Duke's record this season would be if the starting line up was Jeter, White, DeLaurier, Vrank, and some point guard walk on? I'm thinking like 3-25. And I like those guys.

[DukieTiger]

I'm surprised by your discomfort as to Matt's role in initiating the offense (a role he shares with Grayson, Luke and Frank).

Counting the scrimmage and the two exhibition games, he's played just about 50 minutes with six assists and ZERO turnovers. More than anybody else, he was the guy moving the ball in the first half.

I agree that the offense was awkward in the first half. There was a lot of one-on-one basketball. It was much better in the second half -- better ball movement and more unselfishness -- the same number of drives, but many of them led to drive-and-kicks, not take it all the way.

I did not think Grayson was pressing at all. I thought he got back to playing Grayson Allen ball -- his ability to drive and get to the foul line is a key part of his game. If he had a problem last night, it was from the 3-point line -- but so did everybody else (except Jack White).

Regarding Grayson, I did like that he attacked more on offense, but he does seem a bit off. He's jacking up some shots that are less than ideal and he's not really looking to share the ball so far. I expect he will level out but to me it has been readily apparent that he is pressing a bit. I'd guess he is trying to find his identity as a leader and the best player on a team that has more supporting pieces than did last year's version.

[jimsumner]

Here's a brief recap of a conversation I had last night with a staffer, i.e. not a coach.

"What's the official reason for Bolden not playing?"

"Rest."

"Rest? I've never heard that as a reason for not playing a player."

Rolled eyes. "Rest. We already know what he can do."

I guess he's had a great three weeks of practice, not to need any more work.

FWIW, K indicated that Tatum and Bolden should be back for Marist.

[NSDukeFan]

The lack of a true point guard is my biggest concern for this team. Ball handling and passing are shaky at best. Duke has many weapons and that will make them impossible to guard so perhaps it does not matter but lack of ball movement is a worry. Too much drive and get fouled basketball will be hard to watch.

I am not worried about a lack of true point guard offensively as Duke has had many highly ranked offenses without a true PG. This team has a ton of talent, so I have faith the coaching staff will figure out how to efficiently score.

My concern is on the defensive end. Will this team be able to stop or slow down the many quick guards it will face? This is where I believe Frank can make his biggest contribution. If he can mostly contain quick guards and/or apply some pressure, he could be very valuable.

[duke4ever19]

Jeter transferred to Marquette?

No, no, no. Wojo still teaches the big men at Duke.

You see, Harrison Barnes taught Coach K how to use Skype (He taught us all, really.), so now Wojo has agreed to coach up our big men via Skype, all while retaining his duties as head coach at Marquette. I'm surprised no one else heard of this, after all, it's common knowledge in my imagination.

[mo.st.dukie]

Here's a brief recap of a conversation I had last night with a staffer, i.e. not a coach.

"What's the official reason for Bolden not playing?"

"Rest."

"Rest? I've never heard that as a reason for not playing a player."

Rolled eyes. "Rest. We already know what he can do."

I guess he's had a great three weeks of practice, not to need any more work.

FWIW, K indicated that Tatum and Bolden should be back for Marist.

Unless if you're an NBA fan or specifically a Spurs fan. Certainly not a normal thing to hear about a Duke player. Of course, we heard the same reason for why Grayson was held out of that open practice in early October. Maybe Coach K is yet again changing his ways, maybe he's picked up a thing or two from the NBA coaches he's been hanging around with on Team USA.

[azzefkram]

Counting the scrimmage and the two exhibition games, he's played just about 50 minutes with six assists and ZERO turnovers. More than anybody else, he was the guy moving the ball in the first half.

Matt played 28 minutes (team high) last night and had 1 assist. He is close to a zero chance driver and not particularly good at shooting on the move. That's no bueno for someone initiating the offense. Matt is a very good shooter when his feet are set and he was an absolute terror last night on D. He was much better than he was last year. I was worried that the freedom of movement rules had adversely impacted Matt's ability to guard. After watching him last night, I think the nagging injuries (groin and ankle) were the reason.


I did not think Grayson was pressing at all. I thought he got back to playing Grayson Allen ball -- his ability to drive and get to the foul line is a key part of his game. If he had a problem last night, it was from the 3-point line -- but so did everybody else (except Jack White).

Driving definitely is a key part to his game but I thought he missed several opportunities to dish the ball (only 1 assist) for an easier shot. Duke is going to have a plethora of weapons on the offensive end for Grayson to take advantage of.

[mo.st.dukie]

I am not worried about a lack of true point guard offensively as Duke has had many highly ranked offenses without a true PG. This team has a ton of talent, so I have faith the coaching staff will figure out how to efficiently score.

My concern is on the defensive end. Will this team be able to stop or slow down the many quick guards it will face? This is where I believe Frank can make his biggest contribution. If he can mostly contain quick guards and/or apply some pressure, he could be very valuable.

I'm the opposite. I think we'll have solid perimeter defense and we'll have long, athletic bigs along the back line to help challenge any shots or layups if opposing guards do get into the lane.

I am, however, a bit concerned about our ability to handle and protect the basketball when faced with a tough defense as well as our ability to execute in the halfcourt. The good news is we have guys on the perimeter who can create their own shot and we hopefully will have good offensive rebounding.

[DukieTiger]

Here's a brief recap of a conversation I had last night with a staffer, i.e. not a coach.

"What's the official reason for Bolden not playing?"

"Rest."

"Rest? I've never heard that as a reason for not playing a player."

Rolled eyes. "Rest. We already know what he can do."

I guess he's had a great three weeks of practice, not to need any more work.

FWIW, K indicated that Tatum and Bolden should be back for Marist.

They might know what he can do, but what about the whole thing about freshmen needing every opportunity to learn the system and to learn to communicate? It's not as if Bolden looked like 100% comfortable in the first exhibition, as well as he did play.

[jimsumner]

Unless if you're an NBA fan or specifically a Spurs fan. Certainly not a normal thing to hear about a Duke player. Of course, we heard the same reason for why Grayson was held out of that open practice in early October. Maybe Coach K is yet again changing his ways, maybe he's picked up a thing or two from the NBA coaches he's been hanging around with on Team USA.

The Spurs might play over 100 games per season, depending on how deep they go into the playoffs. And they sometimes do that with starters approaching 40 years of age.

None of which applies to a teenage freshman facing a 40-game schedule. This isn't LeBron sitting out a the second game of a back-to-back in February so that he'll be fresher for a two-month playoff slog.

Duke is pretty good at controlling information and anyone who covers Duke knows this going in. Assuming this is not a harbinger of anything to come, Bolden sitting out an exhibition game is a pretty small deal.

[WWBD]

Re: the rest for Marques.

I think the conspiracy theorists around here are running with this one for no reason. Coach K has already publicly said they're going to be more conscious of things that they can do as a staff to limit injuries this season. They have already begun reviewing their practice procedures to that end. I wouldn't be surprised if exhibition games have also been "re-thunk." Nor would I be surprised if Coach K is more aggressive in getting guys extra rest during the season (in terms of keeping minutes down).

[Rich]

Matt played 28 minutes (team high) last night and had 1 assist. He is close to a zero chance driver and not particularly good at shooting on the move. That's no bueno for someone initiating the offense.

If I recall, that seems like a pretty good description of Jon Scheyer and that experiment worked out pretty well.

[OldPhiKap]

Regarding Bolden, I think K is just tuning up his Cone of Silence for use later in the season. I'm sure there's a good reason why
Bolden didn't play, and I'm equally sure we won't hear what it was. Hopefully Bolden "learns" from his "rest."

I watched K's press conference. I think it is what we see. K said that the opponent didn't really have a big man, and K wanted to (1) see us with Amile at the 5 and four outs; and (2) give Chase and Vrank some floor time. K said that Bolden had a good week in practice.

I don't think this was disciplinary.

And bad news for those down on Matt -- K was effusive with his praise for Matt's toughness and how he understands his role. Matt is going to get plenty of burn, which is good IMO.

[MarkD83]

Regarding bolden sitting out. Coach k has secretly submitted a guess to the minutes played thread so he is seeing how much time he can get for the bench so he wins when jeter averages 20 mins a game

[JNort]

If I recall, that seems like a pretty good description of Jon Scheyer and that experiment worked out pretty well.

2 totally different offenses.

[evrim]

Yes and no. He was still pretty soft. Some great setups / alley-oop opportunities that he brought back to the floor, pump faked, then went up for a layup (against SMALL SMALL TINY opponents). Hammer it home, sophomore.

Exactly. Jeter is doing what the youngest Plumlee used to do all the time. He will get better, but he was not that great either against a very short team.

[BLPOG]

Re: the rest for Marques.

I think the conspiracy theorists around here are running with this one for no reason. Coach K has already publicly said they're going to be more conscious of things that they can do as a staff to limit injuries this season. They have already begun reviewing their practice procedures to that end. I wouldn't be surprised if exhibition games have also been "re-thunk." Nor would I be surprised if Coach K is more aggressive in getting guys extra rest during the season (in terms of keeping minutes down).

Amen

[JNort]

Re: the rest for Marques.

I think the conspiracy theorists around here are running with this one for no reason. Coach K has already publicly said they're going to be more conscious of things that they can do as a staff to limit injuries this season. They have already begun reviewing their practice procedures to that end. I wouldn't be surprised if exhibition games have also been "re-thunk." Nor would I be surprised if Coach K is more aggressive in getting guys extra rest during the season (in terms of keeping minutes down).

Because it makes more sense that he isn't telling the truth. I could buy the "rest" excuse if it was Amile who is a 5th year Sr coming off an injury or Grayson who plays umm let's just say plays rather rough. Or even rest a guy who played huge minutes and is playing a game again the next day.

To rest a freshman who has no injury and needs all the pt and conditioning he can get makes no sense.

[devildeac]

Foot/ankle. (Precautionary. For now.)

I won't reveal my source. It's second hand but reliable. Very reliable. Trust me on this one.

[Kedsy]

Jeter, sigh, but at least he did what he should do against a small, slow front line.


Exactly. Jeter is doing what the youngest Plumlee used to do all the time. He will get better, but he was not that great either against a very short team.

Tough crowd. I have to tell you I really don't get the negativity on Chase. He went for 15 and 12, 5 for 5 from the field, 5 for 5 from the line (!), had a block and a steal, all in just 20 minutes (meaning he didn't miss a shot and had 30 and 24 per 40 minutes). He looked in control and confident. What more could anybody want from him?


Yes and no. He was still pretty soft. Some great setups / alley-oop opportunities that he brought back to the floor, pump faked, then went up for a layup (against SMALL SMALL TINY opponents). Hammer it home, sophomore.

I remember one such opportunity, but the pass wasn't quite there. Instead of trying to awkwardly "hammer it home," off-balance, and risk missing the dunk, Chase made sure he caught the pass, shook off the defender with a nice fake, and scored an uncontested layup. Exactly what he should have done.

Also, I believe Chase's defender was 6'9, 225 (give or take). Smaller than Chase, certainly, but not "SMALL SMALL TINY". Give Chase a break, he played really well.

[Merlindevildog91]

I feel like I have spent much of the last decade screaming at a Plumlee not to dribble or bring the ball down into the grasp of a guard.

Last night I was glad to see Chase eschew the dribble and keep rebounds high. Last year he did often remind me of Bambi on ice, but so far, so good.

[ChillinDuke]

Not as much talk as I would have expected about Amile either. Guy went for 9, 14, 3, 2 blocks, 3 steals in 23 minutes. He was everywhere. And honestly his rebounding numbers felt better than that. He also went 1 of 2 on 18 footers, the one being during stop action. But a couple more data points nonetheless.

I thought him and Matt were outstanding last night in such a way that made me extremely excited for this team. They looked like the type of seniors we've seen before who basketball IQ wise are just off the charts in terms of how they contribute to winning plays.

- Chillin

[Billy Dat]

I have seen portions of the first two exhibition games, more of the first one, and the primary new impression I have is that Frank Jackson is legit. I agree that he isn't a QB point guard but I love his athleticism, confidence in his outside shot, his effective drives to the hoop, and his quickness on both ends. He looks like the real deal.

This preseason of injuries is really anti-climactic, much more akin to NBA preseason where the main guys barely play. As such, you start getting excited about the downstream guys that are never going to see the floor. I can't remember a preseason where we learned so little about what the team may actually be in terms of line-ups, etc. Bring on Marist!

[Billy Dat]

The other preseason learning for me is that Luke Kennard is ready to be the team's leading scorer if the ball bounces that way.

[ChillinDuke]

The other preseason learning for me is that Luke Kennard is ready to be the team's leading scorer if the ball bounces that way.

Yeah, seriously.

Grayson and Luke really look poised to be a scary backcourt tandem. They can fill it up quick and in many different ways. The spring in Luke's step is apparent compared to last year. The way he has looked in the scrimmages, I'm not sure defenders can even leave him. And obviously you can't really leave Grayson either. Tatum? And Amile appears more versatile too?

I mean...man, oh man. Bring on Marist.

- Chillin

[Lar77]

Just getting caught up on the commentary.

Yes it is tough to draw anything definitive from an exhibition against an over-matched opponent. At one point midway through the 1st half, it looked like Grayson and Chase were both going to outscore Augustana, but then Coach started resting them extensively.

On the other hand, if we struggled at all, that would have been saying something.

Grayson did not look comfortable and even missed several free throws, but don't worry about him.
I was surprised with the amount of ball handling that Amile did. Also, he is clearly the leader of this team.
Matt and Luke were fine. Matt seems a little quicker. Luke has improved a lot (from a guy who was a good freshman).
Don't understand the Chase comments here. He played well and has improved from last year.
Frank is very good but it takes a while for his engine to heat up. Very good defender.
Javin is going to be surprisingly good this year. Reminds me of Amile somewhat (and I don't mean at the free throw line)
The rest did ok.

Speaking of rest, I was surprised by K's comments in the pre-game - thought it was code - but didn't see any other indication or hear anything else. Bolden seemed into the game.

Not worried about our lack of a "true point guard". Ball handling and scoring are not going to be problems for this team against anyone. We may not know until we play Kansas.

Maybe K is going to treat this team like the 2016 Olympic team. Different combinations for different situations. I'll be surprised if he doesn't go down to 7 by tournament time, but we will have situational depth.

[flyingdutchdevil]

...but I'll contribute my findings:

What I think is real:
-The team has a mid-range game: Grayson, Luke, and Jackson were all firing from mid-range when they were open. I really like that
-Free Throws: Luke good, Chase good, we know Grayson is good... Javin really bad (3-11 in both games)...jury still out on Marques
-Poor Assist / Turnover Ratio: I don't think this is a good passing team. Duke will be great on offense, but via 1-on-1 and through shooting. Passing will not be a strong suit.
-Amile Being Amile and Matt Being Matt: Amile did Amile things. Matt did Matt things. And Matt didn't drive much (if at all), which is really good.

What I don't think is real:
-Jeter: I have no idea what to make of him. Really good against Augustina, terrible against VSU. He's obviously in the middle, but I think closer to VSU than Augustina.
-Grayson's mediocre play: He's the best player on the best team with the highest returning points, assists, and steals on the team. He'll be okay.
-PG Play: Clearly there isn't a PG, but I'm convinced a PG will emerge amongst Luke/Grayson/Matt/Jackson. That player will start along Grayson by February (and if Grayson is that player, my money is on Matt to start).
-Javin's excellent play (minus terrible FTs): He was the most athletic player amongst not athletic opponents. Javin will come down to earth against athletic teams.

[Isaac Sours]

What I think is real:
-Poor Assist / Turnover Ratio: I don't think this is a good passing team. Duke will be great on offense, but via 1-on-1 and through shooting. Passing will not be a strong suit.

What I don't think is real:
-Jeter: I have no idea what to make of him. Really good against Augustina, terrible against VSU. He's obviously in the middle, but I think closer to VSU than Augustina.
-Grayson's mediocre play: He's the best player on the best team with the highest returning points, assists, and steals on the team. He'll be okay.
-PG Play: Clearly there isn't a PG, but I'm convinced a PG will emerge amongst Luke/Grayson/Matt/Jackson. That player will start along Grayson by February (and if Grayson is that player, my money is on Matt to start).
-Javin's excellent play (minus terrible FTs): He was the most athletic player amongst not athletic opponents. Javin will come down to earth against athletic teams.

gonna piggyback my thoughts on this, if you don't mind.

--as far as A/TO goes, i think there were several passes that got picked off because they were simply lazy, one handed softies that got pounced on. hopefully that will get cleaned up soon, because i think we're perfectly capable of making good passes as long as we focus.
--Jeter will be better than last year, as he's now shown the ability to catch the ball when it is thrown at him, and he's improved a bit on defense. jury still out on whether or not he can finish through contact, he did that against Augustana but not VSU. I'm optimistic.
--Grayson hasn't been quite as aggressive as I'd like. He's settled for long threes when i thought he might want to drive. that may just be exhibition ball, though. like you said, he'll be fine.
--i'm starting to think that this era of basketball doesn't need a PG. If four positions can pass and handle the ball relatively well, then there's no need for the play-making to rest in everyone's hands.
--I think Javin knows he isn't a shooter, which is good because it means he'll focus his energy on the defensive end. He made some great defensive plays which are partly a result of superior athleticism, but he's still an incredible athlete relative to other teams. he may develop into one of our best defensive players, and hopefully he'll rebound well too. he's very very bouncy and very strong.

I cannot wait to see a full complement of uninjured players on the floor. It will be wonderful.