MBB: Duke vs. Kansas, Nov. 15, 9:30 PM Eastern, ESPN

[DavidBenAkiva]

The third game in five days tipping off the start of the basketball season pits #1 Duke vs. a big state school from the Midwest, Kansas. I was reading a little into their program history and it turns out a few well-known players attended "KU" as the locals call it. Wilt Chamberlain, Paul Pierce, and recent stars Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins. Our opponent also won a National Championship in 2008-09 over John Calipari, Derrick Rose, and Memphis. Not too shabby.

The Jayhawks return many talented players from their 12th consecutive Big "12" conference championship team - I won't get into the lunacy of a conference that can't count AND the audacity of counting the best regular season as a championship - as well as one very highly rated freshman.

Let's begin with the backcourt. Frank Mason III and Devonte' Graham form a slightly undersized but incredibly potent pair. Both can shoot, drive to the hoop, distribute, and defend. Mason III had a particularly outstanding performance in the highly entertaining game against Indiana in the Armed Forces Classic on Friday evening, putting up 30 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds before fouling out in overtime. He has the ability to put his team on his back, and Graham is nearly as capable himself. Containing those two will be a challenge, to say the least. Fortunately, they lose a lot with either off the floor. Sophomore Legarld Vick may end up being a good player, but he isn't right now. Likewise, Junior Svi Mykhaliuk shows flashes of being a great shooter, but has been only so-so in his time in Lawrence to date.

The frontcourt has an intriguing mix of talent. At small forward is do-everything super freshman Josh Jackson. Jackson is getting nearly the same amount of hype as Andrew Wiggins, although he had a mediocre performance on Friday night, putting up 9 points on 3-11 shooting against IU. Still, he seems to have all the tools to be an absolute terror from all levels - shooting, midrange, at the rim, and even above the rim. Lining up in the paint is 6'10" Carlton Bragg, Jr. and 6'10" senior Landen Lucas. Bragg was a McDonald's All-American that, like Chase Jeter, didn't show a whole lot last season. Then again, he was playing behind Perry Ellis and Lucas and had to compete for time with senior Jarami Traylor and much-hyped freshman Cheick Diallo. Bragg still has talent and time to grow into a force in the paint to complement his good jump shooting. Lucas is not spectacular in any way besides his ability to be a man in the paint. He's tough, has almost no offensive game, and provides leadership. Coming off the bench is 7 foot raw talent Udoka Azubike. The kid can take up a ton of space and seems to have the ability to produce Shaq-like dunking. The future is bright the present is a little stilted. Azubike gained a lot of praise for getting in better shape in his summer in Kansas but translated that into 0 points, 2 fouls, and 2 rebounds in 7 minutes against the Hoosiers on Friday. His contributions might be impressive later in the season or later in his career.

So that's that. A few other players got spot minutes and entered the game for Kansas when others fouled out, but they essentially played a 7-man rotation with Mykhaliiuk and Vick getting the call form the bench. Kansas doesn't have a weakness per se, but they don't have much in the way of impressive talent in the post or depth. They do challenge you with talent and experience and often both at all 5 positions. Coming off a loss to start the season, they will be motivated to compete against Duke on the national stage of ESPN.

Speaking of Duke, some familiar themes emerged over the weekend. The distressing news about the trio of freshman forwards dimmed an otherwise bright opening slate of games against Marist and Grand Canyon. What the Devils did show talent and depth in the perimeter and an all-too-short rotation of 6 players when the outcome of the game had been determined on Saturday night. Against Marist, Coach K opted to substitute a lot and keep players fresh. Against the slightly stiffer competition, Duke only subbed in Frank Jackson in the first half and then others came in long after the game was a lopsided victory. That seems like a good preview for Tuesday night. Expect Allen, Jones, Kennard, Jefferson, and Jeter getting the start with Jackson coming off the bench. It's possible that K sees fit to play DeLaurier some to keep the frontcourt fresh, but I expect to see a lot of four-guard lineups instead. Vrankovic might get some spot minutes if either of Jefferson or Jeter (or both!) get into foul trouble.

Comparing the guards, Duke has the superior talent. Grayson Allen is a returning All-American and seems to have no problem sharing the load with Kennard, Jackson, and Jones. Kennard and Jackson look entirely capable of scoring and distributing while Jones is showing the great defense and open shooting he displayed as a sophomore and pre-injury as a junior. Jones is going to have a heavy task. He either has to contain Jackson or Mason III. I am anticipating that he might start on Mason III but it wouldn't surprise me if Duke switches on screens and just lets matchups happen. It will be an interesting trend to watch early. Moving to the frontcourt, Jefferson has a clear advantage as the most talented frontcourt player. He can rebound, block, dribble with the ball, distribute, and is showing the great defensive versatility and "quarterback" of the defense so sorely missed last season. In a full-court press, he is a heck of a weapon. Jeter, too, has been on quite a roll. He is not longer a foul machine, although he hasn't gone against a good frontcourt yet this season. If he can contest shots without picking up fouls, he will be quite an asset.

My sense is that this will be a close game between evenly matched teams. Duke has the superior talent, event without the "freshmen ward." Kansas has a heck of a team, too, one that can compete with anyone. The game will come down to execution. Can Allen overcome his poor play when he is matched up against superior guards? Can Kennard and Jackson provide solid defense and scoring punch to ease the burden? Can Jefferson and Jeter control the paint? It should be exciting to find out!

On another note, just imagine what winning on Tuesday might mean. To defeat another Top 10 team, one many picked as among the best 2-3 in the country, when 3 NBA Lottery picks haven't even suited up yet... wow. The potential of this Duke team is really something special. I hope we get to see it realized!

[mgtr]

Impressive writeup! I find little to quibble with, other than your view that we could compete effectively with KU's frontcourt. That is where we miss "The Three Musketeers," and where I fear we may get trounced. Fortunately we have guards/wings tall enough (and athletic enough) to provide some help.
I agree that this will be a close game, and will not be surprised at any close outcome.

[Dukehky]

Impressive writeup! I find little to quibble with, other than your view that we could compete effectively with KU's frontcourt. That is where we miss "The Three Musketeers," and where I fear we may get trounced. Fortunately we have guards/wings tall enough (and athletic enough) to provide some help.
I agree that this will be a close game, and will not be surprised at any close outcome.

Frank Mason and Graham are going to feast on penetration. Good news is that aside from Mkayhluik (sp) and Graham, they don't really have much shooting, so Jeter and Amile's rim protection may be good enough.

This game would have been a lot more fun with Tatum and Bolden.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Impressive writeup! I find little to quibble with, other than your view that we could compete effectively with KU's frontcourt. That is where we miss "The Three Musketeers," and where I fear we may get trounced. Fortunately we have guards/wings tall enough (and athletic enough) to provide some help.
I agree that this will be a close game, and will not be surprised at any close outcome.

Thanks! I do wonder what makes you think that their frontcourt is going to present a challenge? Lucas has next to no offensive game outside of putbacks and the occasional dumpoff. Bragg is a developing player with talent, but he lacks experience and hasn't shown much in his year+ to instill fear in opposing scouts. Azubike is clearly a large, athletic, and talented player but has yet to show that he is capable of sustaining much playing time. Jackson, if we are counting him in the frontcourt, is the real showstopper. He is scary talented. What concerns you about this group of Jayhawks? For me, it is the guards.

[jipops]

Thanks! I do wonder what makes you think that their frontcourt is going to present a challenge? Lucas has next to no offensive game outside of putbacks and the occasional dumpoff. Bragg is a developing player with talent, but he lacks experience and hasn't shown much in his year+ to instill fear in opposing scouts. Azubike is clearly a large, athletic, and talented player but has yet to show that he is capable of sustaining much playing time. Jackson, if we are counting him in the frontcourt, is the real showstopper. He is scary talented. What concerns you about this group of Jayhawks? For me, it is the guards.

Without Tatum and Bolden Duke is pretty much just down to Amile as far as any offensive impact. Jeter has some potential defensively but the game is still too fast for him right now. He is just one of those players that is going to take time to come around (counting on that being next season). So in short, we don't have much to counter with front court-wise ourselves. The fact that they can even put more bodies out there than us could be a detriment.

I think we're going to be looking at 4 guards and Amile for majority of this game along with the 6-man rotation we saw against GC. Once foul issues arise, then Javin may get a little fill-in burn but it's too soon for him to have any impact in a game of this level. Matt Jones on Jackson could be the interesting matchup. Obviously Jackson has the advantage in talent, size, & athleticism but Matt has done well against guys like this in the past. Still, I think defense will be a struggle for us. The key may be whether or not their back court gets in foul trouble because I'm not sure we can defend them if Matt has to stay locked in on Jackson.

[Kedsy]

Without Tatum and Bolden Duke is pretty much just down to Amile as far as any offensive impact. Jeter has some potential defensively but the game is still too fast for him right now. He is just one of those players that is going to take time to come around (counting on that being next season).


I'm not sure I agree with this. I don't think we have enough information yet. Chase had very strong offensive games against both Marist and Augustana. The consistency isn't there yet, and he could use a little more muscle, but to me, he didn't look overmatched or out of place. The speed of the game did not look too fast for him; to the contrary, he has looked smooth and confident, albeit against lesser opponents. He's shooting over 60% from the field and (including the exhibitions) over 80% from the line. His rebounding has been decent-to-good. And on D, he's been racking up both steals and blocks.

Can he do it against a team like Kansas? I have no idea. There's no way to know, either way. As I said, we don't have enough information yet.

[DukieInBrasil]

Without Tatum and Bolden Duke is pretty much just down to Amile as far as any offensive impact. Jeter has some potential defensively but the game is still too fast for him right now. He is just one of those players that is going to take time to come around (counting on that being next season). So in short, we don't have much to counter with front court-wise ourselves. The fact that they can even put more bodies out there than us could be a detriment.

I think we're going to be looking at 4 guards and Amile for majority of this game along with the 6-man rotation we saw against GC. Once foul issues arise, then Javin may get a little fill-in burn but it's too soon for him to have any impact in a game of this level. Matt Jones on Jackson could be the interesting matchup. Obviously Jackson has the advantage in talent, size, & athleticism but Matt has done well against guys like this in the past. Still, I think defense will be a struggle for us. The key may be whether or not their back court gets in foul trouble because I'm not sure we can defend them if Matt has to stay locked in on Jackson.

i tend to agree with you about offensive impact from our post players being limited to Jefferson, but i agree with Kedsy that Chase has been a pleasant surprise so far, both offensively and defensively. I disagree with you about depth in the front court, at least per DBA's insights to the KU squad. Even if Amile is our only offensive force in the paint at the moment, Chase is an adequate player and both Javin and Vrank have been at least as valuable as what DBA said about KU's frontcourt depth. To whit, Javin is an athlete with huge upside and little polish while Vrank is enormous yet without the skills to keep him on the court for more than a few minutes per game. Sounds like a wash to me, wrt frontcourt depth.

Overall though, this game seems like a 50-50, or coin toss game. From what we know about these teams so far it's hard to say which is more indicative of the potential outcome: Does Duke crushing less talented competition twice outweigh KU losing to a (soon-to-be) top-10 team, in overtime?
Sure would be nice to have Tatum available for this game...

[Troublemaker]

Great writeup DBA!



My sense is that this will be a close game between evenly matched teams.


That's what I expect, too. I'd give Kansas a 60/40 edge as to who will win, but that's pretty good for Duke without the 3 frosh. (Note: I do expect Vegas to open Duke as a favorite, though.) The game will be decided by who makes more plays down the stretch.



Grayson Allen is a returning All-American and seems to have no problem sharing the load with Kennard, Jackson, and Jones. Kennard and Jackson look entirely capable of scoring and distributing while Jones is showing the great defense and open shooting he displayed as a sophomore and pre-injury as a junior. Jones is going to have a heavy task. He either has to contain Jackson or Mason III. I am anticipating that he might start on Mason III but it wouldn't surprise me if Duke switches on screens and just lets matchups happen.


If we play m2m defense, I would use Matt on Graham, KU's great combo guard, shooter, and possible late first-round pick (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Devonte-Graham-82890/). I wouldn't use Matt on Mason, a very quick PG. It's a double whammy whenever Matt guards a quick PG -- Matt probably isn't great against players like Mason, AND it prevents him from harassing Devonte Graham, someone he probably WOULD have success guarding.

But I think we'll see a lot of zone with a 6-man rotation.


Impressive writeup! I find little to quibble with, other than your view that we could compete effectively with KU's frontcourt. That is where we miss "The Three Musketeers," and where I fear we may get trounced. Fortunately we have guards/wings tall enough (and athletic enough) to provide some help.


Frank Mason and Graham are going to feast on penetration. Good news is that aside from Mkayhluik (sp) and Graham, they don't really have much shooting, so Jeter and Amile's rim protection may be good enough.

Yeah, I'm more concerned with Kansas' perimeter and penetration than their frontcourt as well. With modern basketball, whenever you're missing a couple of big men like Bolden and Giles, you primarily think about whether you're going to have enough rim protection against penetration and secondarily you worry about rebounding and post defense. I think we'll be okay on the boards -- I like that we have guards like Luke and Grayson who can stick their nose in there and grab a rebound. And while Bragg and Lucas can score a bit inside, Kansas' bread is buttered by the scoring of their guards.

Which, again, is why I think Duke will play zone. Hopefully the zone will keep KU's perimeter players out of the lane and our 6-man rotation out of foul trouble.

[slower]

At this point, most things are speculation. But as I said in another thread, this feels like a loss to me.

My gut feeling is a foul-trouble game for us, with Javin playing decent minutes. Again, I'm sorry, but Jeter just doesn't look ready.

But, as is the case in ANY game, anything could happen. I could see a potential 20-point margin in either direction.

[kAzE]

I'm not sure I agree with this. I don't think we have enough information yet. Chase had very strong offensive games against both Marist and Augustana. The consistency isn't there yet, and he could use a little more muscle, but to me, he didn't look overmatched or out of place. The speed of the game did not look too fast for him; to the contrary, he has looked smooth and confident, albeit against lesser opponents. He's shooting over 60% from the field and (including the exhibitions) over 80% from the line. His rebounding has been decent-to-good. And on D, he's been racking up both steals and blocks.

Can he do it against a team like Kansas? I have no idea. There's no way to know, either way. As I said, we don't have enough information yet.

That's the missing link, to me. He needs to get much stronger. Other than that, he seems to be playing confidently, and the speed of the game seems fine for him so far this year.

[ChillinDuke]

I think this is a great early spotlight game for us. An early "litmus test" as some put it. We are starting to understand the value we have on the pieces of our team (minus the "Freshmen Ward" as DBA put it), but now we will get to see the relative value up against a premier team. And that is most important to me in the context of teams with quick, athletic guards. Can we guard quick, scoring, penetrating guards? If the answer to that question, at this early stage of the season, is yes then we should win going away. If we can't guard their perimeter, I think we will struggle (and probably lose).

If Grayson, Matt, Luke, and Frank (A) can give Mason and Graham (and to a lesser extent Jackson) trouble getting where they want to go, the Kansas drink shouldn't stir very well. If we can't keep them in front, can we at least (B) protect the rim out back?

If we do (A) - we win.
If we do (B) but not (A) - tight game.
If we do neither (A) nor (B) - we lose.

That's sort of how I see it from here.

- Chillin

[Billy Dat]

I agree that Chase will get the start alongside Amile, Matt, Luke and Grayson. I think K will be tempted to match their size.

Because of our injuries, this game should be an intriguing one for the two legendary coaches. Self is in the unusual position of not having a low post stud to anchor his excellent array of high/low looks off the motion offense. So, although he has absolute killers in Mason and Graham, it's not like designing around guards of that stripe is his forte. On the flip side, K has been living off small ball for some time now. In a way, I'd like to see K be daring and trot out Jackson for Chase and see if we can force Kansas to go smaller and hope that we can rebound well enough to limit possessions while torturing their bigs to try and chase out perimeter guys. Indiana killed Kansas with 3s so we'll have to shoot well.

As for Duke playing zone, I feel like we played a bunch of zone on Friday and Saturday (I don't have stats to back up that perception) so maybe we are going to try and challenge Kansas to shoot over us? Jackson did not look good against Michigan State so one assumes he'll bounce back. Mason is a tough tough guard, I still remember him killing us as a freshman the last time we played Kansas. I assume that we have to go Jones on Jackson, Grayson on Mason and Kennard on Graham, and I think whomever Kennard is guarding is going to be on the attack. The defense to start against Grand Canyon was terrible, others in the post game thread broke it down pretty well, but we stabilized when we went smaller with Jackson for Chase. Chase was better after his first stint, but that first unit's D for the first 6-7 minutes of the game was bad.

I also think we'll be a 6-man rotation unless fouls bring someone else into the mix, and I am guessing Javin will get the nod because of his potential defensive versatility.

Grayson looked like All American Grayson for the first time against Grand Canyon. Considering his horrendous performance against Kentucky in this showcase last year, I kind of feel like how he goes we will go. Under the hot light on the big stage, we need our DUDE to play like the player of the year. It's a trite outlook, but this early with so little to go on, I think it comes down to that.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I think this is a great early spotlight game for us. An early "litmus test" as some put it. We are starting to understand the value we have on the pieces of our team (minus the "Freshmen Ward" as DBA put it), but now we will get to see the relative value up against a premier team. And that is most important to me in the context of teams with quick, athletic guards. Can we guard quick, scoring, penetrating guards? If the answer to that question, at this early stage of the season, is yes then we should win going away. If we can't guard their perimeter, I think we will struggle (and probably lose).

If Grayson, Matt, Luke, and Frank (A) can give Mason and Graham (and to a lesser extent Jackson) trouble getting where they want to go, the Kansas drink shouldn't stir very well. If we can't keep them in front, can we at least (B) protect the rim out back?

If we do (A) - we win.
If we do (B) but not (A) - tight game.
If we do neither (A) nor (B) - we lose.

That's sort of how I see it from here.

- Chillin

Great post. The good news is that we have two excellent defenders, but both aren't known for their quickness. If Mason and/or Graham can get by Jones, Kansas will have a field-day. As as much as Amile is a great defender, he's not your quintessential "rim protector" in a way that Bolden is. Amile is an excellent 1-on-1 defender, but Kansas doesn't have a great frontcourt.

Can Grayson and Luke prevent penetration? I'm not so sure. We may be seeing a lot of Frank Jackson during this game, especially if Luke isn't playing D well or knocking down shots.

I also want to see what Chase brings to the table. He is clearly the most polarized player on this forum (Jones, for the record, is no longer polarized. I'm pretty sure 90%+ of posters see his value). No one really knows that to expect from Chase. Is he capable of being that "last man on D" that we'll need tomorrow? Can he stop fouling (he's averaging 5 fouls per 40 min this year and he averaged 9.1 last year)? Can he provide solid rebounding? I have no idea to any of these questions.

Lastly, I am really curious about Kansas. I think they, Nova, and Oregon are the best threats to Duke this year. And Kansas has the elements of a ridiculous team: excellent backcourt, elite defensive wing, strong roleplayers in the frontcourt. If we can deal with them sans our 3 best freshman, the season is going to look even more ridiculous.

[UrinalCake]

An aspect of the game that I haven't heard discussed is how well we will protect the ball, especially if they choose to press us full court or 1/2 court. We haven't looked very strong taking the ball down the court IMO even against token pressure from overmatched opponents. We also have committed a LOT of turnovers, many of them on fast breaks or trying to push the pace. Against scrub opponents this hasn't been an issue, but against a veteran Kansas backcourt it absolutely will be critical that we protect the ball and eliminate the unforced errors. I imagine we'll want to slow the pace given our lack of depth and lack of a true point guard to lead the break, which could play into Kansas's hands if they decided to press.

Defensively one thing I noticed against Grand Canyon is that we still continue to switch on every screen up top. GC knew this and would bring their big man to the top of the arc, set a simple ball screen and get Amile or Chase switched onto their point guard (who I thought was an excellent player BTW). They did this several times in a row early on, allowing them to build a small lead. I still don't understand why we do this. It's one thing if they are attacking the basket and we want to switch to maintain pressure on the ball, but these were simple screens set 30 feet away from the basket without any real movement towards the rim. It's just an automatic switch that we do every single time, without even trying to fight over the screen. I remember back in 1999 before the title game, Jim Calhoun was interviewed and said jokingly that he would try to get Elton Brand to guard their point guard, Khalil El-Amin. Except he wasn't really joking, he used that strategy very effectively by setting high ball screens. Now 17 years later I still see us doing the same thing. We've won three titles since then so obviously I'm not one to argue with K's coaching, but I will still be pulling my hair out every time it happens against Kansas and Jeter winds up defending Mason or Graham.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I agree that Chase will get the start alongside Amile, Matt, Luke and Grayson. I think K will be tempted to match their size.

Because of our injuries, this game should be an intriguing one for the two legendary coaches. Self is in the unusual position of not having a low post stud to anchor his excellent array of high/low looks off the motion offense. So, although he has absolute killers in Mason and Graham, it's not like designing around guards of that stripe is his forte. On the flip side, K has been living off small ball for some time now. In a way, I'd like to see K be daring and trot out Jackson for Chase and see if we can force Kansas to go smaller and hope that we can rebound well enough to limit possessions while torturing their bigs to try and chase out perimeter guys. Indiana killed Kansas with 3s so we'll have to shoot well.

As for Duke playing zone, I feel like we played a bunch of zone on Friday and Saturday (I don't have stats to back up that perception) so maybe we are going to try and challenge Kansas to shoot over us? Jackson did not look good against Michigan State so one assumes he'll bounce back. Mason is a tough tough guard, I still remember him killing us as a freshman the last time we played Kansas. I assume that we have to go Jones on Jackson, Grayson on Mason and Kennard on Graham, and I think whomever Kennard is guarding is going to be on the attack. The defense to start against Grand Canyon was terrible, others in the post game thread broke it down pretty well, but we stabilized when we went smaller with Jackson for Chase. Chase was better after his first stint, but that first unit's D for the first 6-7 minutes of the game was bad.

I also think we'll be a 6-man rotation unless fouls bring someone else into the mix, and I am guessing Javin will get the nod because of his potential defensive versatility.

Grayson looked like All American Grayson for the first time against Grand Canyon. Considering his horrendous performance against Kentucky in this showcase last year, I kind of feel like how he goes we will go. Under the hot light on the big stage, we need our DUDE to play like the player of the year. It's a trite outlook, but this early with so little to go on, I think it comes down to that.

Nice post, Billy. I think you highlighted a very interesting point. Given how driven Allen is, I'm guessing he's circled this game. He knows that last year was a key turning point and he looked pretty poor on national television. This year, he'll be guarded by a top 3 pick (Josh Jackson). He'll look to prove everyone wrong.

My guess? No way Allen scores under 20 tomorrow. He'll go into "eff-you mode" regardless of how Duke is playing. My only worry is that he'll rack up offensive fouls.

[ChillinDuke]

<snip> If Mason and/or Graham can get by Jones, Kansas will have a field-day. </snip>

Agreed. But if Matt Jones can guard Grayson Allen to the point of clear, explicit frustration in a meaningless scrimmage, well I'll just say that at least he has the potential to lock down Mason and/or Graham. Agree with those upthread that prefer Jones on Graham over Mason, mainly because I assume Mason will take the ball up and Jones will make it a real-life version of Hades for Graham to get where he wants.


Can Grayson and Luke prevent penetration? I'm not so sure. We may be seeing a lot of Frank Jackson during this game, especially if Luke isn't playing D well or knocking down shots.

</snip>

Safe to say, none of us are so sure. I don't think either can reliably stop Mason, if in fact K decides to primarily put Matt on Graham. But can they stop him enough? That I think they can do - especially in a team construct. And I also think in a pinch, Frank looks good enough to guard a primary ballhandler just tight enough to give him agita. And depending on Matt's irritation of Graham, we could be talking a whole lotta Maalox in Lawrence.

Could be. Can't wait to see how it plays out tomorrow night, in person.

- Chillin

[Dukehky]

Nice post, Billy. I think you highlighted a very interesting point. Given how driven Allen is, I'm guessing he's circled this game. He knows that last year was a key turning point and he looked pretty poor on national television. This year, he'll be guarded by a top 3 pick (Josh Jackson). He'll look to prove everyone wrong.

My guess? No way Allen scores under 20 tomorrow. He'll go into "eff-you mode" regardless of how Duke is playing. My only worry is that he'll rack up offensive fouls.

I don't think Grayson in eff you mode is a good thing for this basketball team in any circumstance. Last year he hoisted a lot of ill advised shots, even this year without the big 3, there are more weapons and we don't need Euro-stepping flailing drives to the rim against 7 footers, because he's going to get blocked and/or fouled with no call.

[Troublemaker]

I don't think Grayson in eff you mode is a good thing for this basketball team in any circumstance. Last year he hoisted a lot of ill advised shots, even this year without the big 3, there are more weapons and we don't need Euro-stepping flailing drives to the rim against 7 footers, because he's going to get blocked and/or fouled with no call.

Grayson also isn't in complete control of his numbers. We've talked a lot about how Duke will guard Kansas, but on the flipside, KU has a very good defensive perimeter. Graham is excellent and gave Buddy Hield fits in Norman last season (http://www.espn.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/111338/graham-beats-hield-at-his-own-game), and I expect he will be guarding Grayson.

[kAzE]

Nice post, Billy. I think you highlighted a very interesting point. Given how driven Allen is, I'm guessing he's circled this game. He knows that last year was a key turning point and he looked pretty poor on national television. This year, he'll be guarded by a top 3 pick (Josh Jackson). He'll look to prove everyone wrong.

My guess? No way Allen scores under 20 tomorrow. He'll go into "eff-you mode" regardless of how Duke is playing. My only worry is that he'll rack up offensive fouls.

I hope he's not going into this game with the goal of scoring 20 points. Eff-you mode Grayson is fine, but I'd prefer he make the right basketball play when possible. Sometimes, that might be driving in to the teeth of the defense and earning a trip to the foul line, but if he's not getting those calls (like in several games last season), he's got reign it in a little bit and take what the defense is giving. There are other guys on this team who are capable of shouldering the scoring load, so there's absolutely no need to force the issue more than necessary.

[Billy Dat]

By the way, I think K's aggressive flogging of the "we're not giving injury updates!!!" narrative is an attempt to get out ahead of tomorrow when he is sure to be asked about the Big Injured Three about once every 3 seconds. It will be interesting to see if Cal finds a way to get in some digs over K's attempted controlling of the injury narrative as Cal never misses a chance to get in a few jabs.

The DBR thread respondents definitely seem a little reluctant for Grayson to attempt hero ball. I don't think it's good for the team either, but I think it's good when he's playing the way he played against Grand Canyon which involves taking, and sometimes missing, some heat check 3s and making some wild forays into the lane.

[sagegrouse]

I saw both games last weekend, and in person, Grayson is obviously the best player on the court -- fast, skilled, versatile, and sees almost everything on offense and defense. I am happy for him to play whatever role he wants. He had some missed shots on Friday night, but based on seeing the entire game in person, I thought he was easily our best player. Hero ball? What a slam against one of Duke's best players of all time!! Can we tone down the self-flagellation a couple of degrees?

[Troublemaker]

I saw both games last weekend, and in person, Grayson is obviously the best player on the court -- fast, skilled, versatile, and sees almost everything on offense and defense. I am happy for him to play whatever role he wants. He had some missed shots on Friday night, but based on seeing the entire game in person, I thought he was easily our best player. Hero ball? What a slam against one of Duke's best players of all time!! Can we tone down the self-flagellation a couple of degrees?

To be fair, "hero ball" is a label applied pretty much exclusively to really good players. Every great player has been accused (and maybe sometimes guilty) of "hero ball" at one point or another.

[Indoor66]

To be fair, "hero ball" is a label applied pretty much exclusively to really good players. Every great player has been accused (and maybe sometimes guilty) of "hero ball" at one point or another.

I don't believe I have ever seen that term used on this board before this thread. I would dispute your generalization. That said, I, too, find the term inappropriate for Grayson - or others - on this team.

[Kedsy]

I don't believe I have ever seen that term used on this board before this thread. I would dispute your generalization.

I've seen it used lots and lots of times on this board, especially in the past three seasons. A search of DBR for the phrase "hero ball" brings up 84 entries.

So I'm siding with Troublemaker on this one.

[Nugget]

Frank Mason and Graham are going to feast on penetration. Good news is that aside from Mkayhluik (sp) and Graham, they don't really have much shooting, so Jeter and Amile's rim protection may be good enough.

I think this is right -- that the key will be whether we can do anything to slow down penetration without fouling.

Also, it will be interesting to see if KU has any fatigue problems after playing late Fri. night through overtime with a short bench, essentially taking a red-eye from Hawaii to LA, then flying cross-country most of the day Sat.

[Billy Dat]

I think this is right -- that the key will be whether we can do anything to slow down penetration without fouling.

Also, it will be interesting to see if KU has any fatigue problems after playing late Fri. night through overtime with a short bench, essentially taking a red-eye from Hawaii to LA, then flying cross-country most of the day Sat.

Good point about the Hawaii travel. I was thinking about that, too. I'll take any edge we can get.

I have also been thinking that if 3 key players had to be hurt to start the season, it helps that our veteran core is 100% intact. With Allen, Jones and Jefferson, we know the MSG stage won't be too big.

[flyingdutchdevil]

While I may have started the conversation on Allen going off and scoring a &%#$ load of points, I don't think he's playing hero ball. For me, I used "eff-you mode". We've seen this a bunch of times with Grayson, most notably when he went for back-to-back 30 point games in that MSG Tournament after the not-so-good Kentucky showing. I expect that Grayson to emerge. And happy to bet that Grayson scores at least 20 with 75% confidence that he scores at least 25 and 25% confidence that he scores at least 30.

This is Grayson's game, with or without Jackson on him.

[Skydog]

I don't know if its been talked about much so far on these boards but I think we are a much better defensive team when Frank Jackson in on the court. In recent seasons our guards were just not quick enough to play tight man to man, overplaying the passing lanes, etc. w/o getting burned too often. Jones is a smart, good defender but not a quick one and defense isn't Grayson's strong suit. But from the little I've seen of FJ he has the defensive quickness that we've been missing. I don't think it was a coincidence that our defense got better against Grand Canyon after he was subbed in. He should help quite a bit against KU's backcourt and I'm betting he is the one most likely to have a chance to slow down a player like Mason.

Also put me in the camp that thinks Jeter still isn't strong enough or quick enough to defend w/o fouling against the tougher frontcourts we will face this season. We will be much better in that regard when the freshmen get healthy.

[-jk]

I'll harp on it again: defense isn't it about having the fastest one-on-one defender (though it doesn't hurt). Defense is a team effort with lots of realtime discussion on the court. 2010 wasn't a particularly fast team, but they knew how to work together.

I hate to see us blow switching/hedging/icing, leaving a wide open opponent...

-jk

[Troublemaker]

As expected, Duke has opened as 2.5 point favorites.

[subzero02]

I've seen it used lots and lots of times on this board, especially in the past three seasons. A search of DBR for the phrase "hero ball" brings up 84 entries.

So I'm siding with Troublemaker on this one.

It was a term frequently used to describe our beloved Mr. Cook. It usually didn't have a positive connotation either.

[MarkD83]

I'll harp on it again: defense isn't it about having the fastest one-on-one defender (though it doesn't hurt). Defense is a team effort with lots of realtime discussion on the court. 2010 wasn't a particularly fast team, but they knew how to work together.

I hate to see us blow switching/hedging/icing, leaving a wide open opponent...

-jk

This is where Amile is key. In the GC game one of the announcers described Amile as the middle linebacker of Duke's defense since he was constantly talking and directing other players where they should be.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I'll harp on it again: defense isn't it about having the fastest one-on-one defender (though it doesn't hurt). Defense is a team effort with lots of realtime discussion on the court. 2010 wasn't a particularly fast team, but they knew how to work together.

I hate to see us blow switching/hedging/icing, leaving a wide open opponent...

-jk

You clearly didn't watch last year's team, cus that team couldn't play team D to save their lives. And, unfortunately, the team stepping on the court tomorrow kinda resembles last year's team, only with Amile (huge uplift), a healthy Jones, and an improved defensive Allen, Kennard, and Jeter.

Improved from last year? Yup. Elite defensive team? Nope.

[-jk]

You clearly didn't watch last year's team, cus that team couldn't play team D to save their lives. And, unfortunately, the team stepping on the court tomorrow kinda resembles last year's team, only with Amile (huge uplift), a healthy Jones, and an improved defensive Allen, Kennard, and Jeter.

Improved from last year? Yup. Elite defensive team? Nope.

Actually, I saw way too many missed screens in the two weekend games to be happy. Sort of like last year and 2014. Miss too many, and K pulls out the zone...

-jk

[moonpie23]

i think this team (as is) isn't ready for prime time quite yet. I expect Kansas to win, but not in a rout....

[kAzE]

i think this team (as is) isn't ready for prime time quite yet. I expect Kansas to win, but not in a rout...

Really? Amile, Grayson, Matt, and Luke have been through a lot . . . 3 of them have been in a national championship game. An early season marquee matchup on a neutral site should be old hat at this point. We've also had the toughest, most competitive practices of any team in the country. I'd be worried if those guys aren't ready for anything by now. I expect us to win.

[Ichabod Drain]

i think this team (as is) isn't ready for prime time quite yet. I expect Kansas to win, but not in a rout...

You think prime time is Kansas' ally? Grayson Allen was born in the prime time, molded by it!

[NM Duke Fan]

You think prime time is Kansas' ally? Grayson Allen was born in the prime time, molded by it!

For me what comes to mind is: "A season is a lifetime." Remember that book?

This is a different season and a different team, with some new parts, and the D really shows it at times.

Several of the players most certainly are ready for prime time. How it all comes together as a team tonight will be interesting to see. How much synergy will there be on defense, and also offense. Luke has evolved into a better player as was expected, how will his D hold up iin this game as a part of the team D? And so on ...

[DavidBenAkiva]

Duke is really playing with nothing to lose tonight. Without the Freshmen Ward(c), win and the team is clearly an elite squad. Lose and we can say "things would have been different if Tatum and Bolden or all three of them were playing tonight!" Either way, I feel like the pressure is on Kansas. They are coming off a tight loss against a talented Indiana team. Duke still has the entire ACC schedule to get right.

Of course, I'll be as nervous as all get out when the game tips off. Right now, though, I feel cool and calm.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Duke is really playing with nothing to lose tonight. Without the Freshmen Ward(c), win and the team is clearly an elite squad. Lose and we can say "things would have been different if Tatum and Bolden or all three of them were playing tonight!" Either way, I feel like the pressure is on Kansas. They are coming off a tight loss against a talented Indiana team. Duke still has the entire ACC schedule to get right.

Of course, I'll be as nervous as all get out when the game tips off. Right now, though, I feel cool and calm.

Kinda agree, kinda disagree. I hate using excuses, and while Tatum, Bolden, and Giles would likely make a difference, a loss is still a loss and just as legitimate as any other loss. I can't put an asterisk on it.

But, if we win, that is a statement. We beat a top 5 team with only returning players and Frank Jackson and without our three most potential-filled players. That's insane.

IMO, I think we lose a close game. I think their guards are just too quick and our last line of defense isn't strong enough. I think Grayson goes off, but they do a great job minimizing the impact of Kennard, Jones, and Jefferson. But we show heart, a will to win, a prove that we're the number 1 team when healthy.

[dukebluesincebirth]

I absolutely HATE 9:30pm games...Why do they have to do this to me? It'll be over at what, midnight? On a Tuesday? You're killin me smalls! I don't think I can do it-anyone know if a replay will be available anywhere?

Key to the game: Stopping dribble penetration by quick/experienced/talented guards in Mason and Graham. This has been an issue for Duke's defense in the recent past (leading to plenty of venting on DBR). I've been in the camp of playing off the dribbler a bit if you have slower feet, thus giving yourself a better chance to stay in front. But Coach K (and others) still like the very close, nose-to-chest high pressure man-to-man. It drives me crazy to see our guys get beat time and time again using that style, but I'm not the GOAT. Each year this debate depends heavily on how the officials are calling hand-checking and allowing physical play, so I'll be curious to see what they're calling this year. If we can move our feet and stay in front of KU's guards and defend decently in transition, I think we'll win. LETS GO DEVILS!!

[Ichabod Drain]

I absolutely HATE 9:30pm games...Why do they have to do this to me? It'll be over at what, midnight? On a Tuesday? You're killin me smalls! I don't think I can do it-anyone know if a replay will be available anywhere?


It's the finale of the season tip-off event! At least they're not playing at 2 am like Green Bay and Pacific. Or they could've gone to Hawaii for the 4:15 am game.

[Skydog]

... And, unfortunately, the team stepping on the court tomorrow kinda resembles last year's team, only with Amile (huge uplift), a healthy Jones, and an improved defensive Allen, Kennard, and Jeter.
...

Not picking on your quote but its one of several that leaves out Frank Jackson when comparing this team to last season. This freshman in only 25min/gm is our 2nd top scorer (19.5/gm vs 20.5 for Grayson), leads the team in steals and is 3rd in assists (he would be 1st in all those categories on a per minute basis). Plus he is shooting a phenomenal 52% overall, 50% from 3, and 80% from ft line. Of course its only a very small 2 game sample against weaker opponents so it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. But it certainly is a strong start. Plus I like his competitive demeanor when he is on the court. In a sense we will be replacing Derryck Thornton's back court minutes last season with Frank this season. That upgrade alone should make this team significantly stronger. Add in the other freshmen, well...

[Kedsy]

Not picking on your quote but its one of several that leaves out Frank Jackson when comparing this team to last season. This freshman in only 25min/gm is our 2nd top scorer (19.5/gm vs 20.5 for Grayson), leads the team in steals and is 3rd in assists (he would be 1st in all those categories on a per minute basis). Plus he is shooting a phenomenal 52% overall, 50% from 3, and 80% from ft line. Of course its only a very small 2 game sample against weaker opponents so it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. But it certainly is a strong start. Plus I like his competitive demeanor when he is on the court. In a sense we will be replacing Derryck Thornton's back court minutes last season with Frank this season. That upgrade alone should make this team significantly stronger. Add in the other freshmen, well...

Well to be fair to the people comparing things, they also seem to be leaving out the fact that we don't have Brandon Ingram this year (or anybody even close to similar while Harry, Jayson, and Marques sit in street clothes).

[sagegrouse]

I absolutely HATE 9:30pm games...Why do they have to do this to me? It'll be over at what, midnight? On a Tuesday? You're killin me smalls! I don't think I can do it-anyone know if a replay will be available anywhere?

Go West, young man, go West!

[weezie]

Ah yes, good to get the season underway... Just took some abuse from a kansas fan in the lobby of the hotel here in NYC. They're salivating at our injury report. I asked them if Bill Self lost some weight. They seemed flummoxed.
When you are cheering for the GOAT, you don't sweat the small stuff.

[kmspeaks]

Kinda agree, kinda disagree. I hate using excuses, and while Tatum, Bolden, and Giles would likely make a difference, a loss is still a loss and just as legitimate as any other loss. I can't put an asterisk on it.

But, if we win, that is a statement. We beat a top 5 team with only returning players and Frank Jackson and without our three most potential-filled players. That's insane.

IMO, I think we lose a close game. I think their guards are just too quick and our last line of defense isn't strong enough. I think Grayson goes off, but they do a great job minimizing the impact of Kennard, Jones, and Jefferson. But we show heart, a will to win, a prove that we're the number 1 team when healthy.

I wouldn't advocate for an asterisk, but I don't think it's unreasonable in terms of national perception, talking head discussion, or DBR posts to say something along the lines of yes Kansas beat Duke but I'm not sure how much stock you want to put in that win since those 3 guys weren't on the floor.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I wouldn't advocate for an asterisk, but I don't think it's unreasonable in terms of national perception, talking head discussion, or DBR posts to say something along the lines of yes Kansas beat Duke but I'm not sure how much stock you want to put in that win since those 3 guys weren't on the floor.

I agree with you. But a loss is a loss, and Kansas deserves credit if they win. Duke deserves credit if they win.

Games in November are fun, but they are meaningless to the inevitable goal of championships.

[English]

Here's a little bit of good news...the Duke MBB Twitter account posted a picture of the team in shoot-around earlier this afternoon, and young Jayson Tatum is definitely in Duke warm-up jersey/shorts and sneakers looking like he's at least participating in some capacity. From the pic, I can't make a reliable identification of the other injured frosh, but I take this as good news for the immediate future (although not tonight) for Tatum's return.

Perhaps someone with more DBR know-how could post the pic here, but alas, I don't have the HTML, java, or C++ (or whatever) skills for that. It was posted at 2:07PM.

[elvis14]

Here's a little bit of good news...the Duke MBB Twitter account posted a picture of the team in shoot-around earlier this afternoon, and young Jayson Tatum is definitely in Duke warm-up jersey/shorts and sneakers looking like he's at least participating in some capacity. From the pic, I can't make a reliable identification of the other injured frosh, but I take this as good news for the immediate future (although not tonight) for Tatum's return.

Perhaps someone with more DBR know-how could post the pic here, but alas, I don't have the HTML, java, or C++ (or whatever) skills for that. It was posted at 2:07PM.

Someone posted on Facebook that all 3 were running around the court this afternoon. No, that doesn't mean they will play. Heck it's Facebook, it really means nothing, but IF it's true it's nice to hear that they are that far along.

[English]

Someone posted on Facebook that all 3 were running around the court this afternoon. No, that doesn't mean they will play. Heck it's Facebook, it really means nothing, but IF it's true it's nice to hear that they are that far along.

Based on the official word coming earlier, they assuredly will NOT play tonight...BUT, if true, positive development for the coming days/games.

[grad_devil]

Here's a little bit of good news...the Duke MBB Twitter account posted a picture of the team in shoot-around earlier this afternoon, and young Jayson Tatum is definitely in Duke warm-up jersey/shorts and sneakers looking like he's at least participating in some capacity. From the pic, I can't make a reliable identification of the other injured frosh, but I take this as good news for the immediate future (although not tonight) for Tatum's return.

Perhaps someone with more DBR know-how could post the pic here, but alas, I don't have the HTML, java, or C++ (or whatever) skills for that. It was posted at 2:07PM.

Just to fuel wild speculation (and to avoid work), I'll bite.

Here's a link to the original image (https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/798603290086772736).

Original:
6858

This looks like Jayson:
6859

This resembles Harry:
6861

This might be Marques and Obi:
6860

[rasputin]

Just to fuel wild speculation (and to avoid work), I'll bite.

Here's a link to the original image (https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/798603290086772736).

Original:
6858

This looks like Jayson:
6859

This resembles Harry:
6861

This might be Marques and Obi:
6860

Did I see a puff of smoke on the grassy knoll in that grainy picture?

[rocketeli]

I absolutely HATE 9:30pm games...Why do they have to do this to me? It'll be over at what, midnight? On a Tuesday? You're killin me smalls! I don't think I can do it-anyone know if a replay will be available anywhere?

Key to the game: Stopping dribble penetration by quick/experienced/talented guards in Mason and Graham. This has been an issue for Duke's defense in the recent past (leading to plenty of venting on DBR). I've been in the camp of playing off the dribbler a bit if you have slower feet, thus giving yourself a better chance to stay in front. But Coach K (and others) still like the very close, nose-to-chest high pressure man-to-man. It drives me crazy to see our guys get beat time and time again using that style, but I'm not the GOAT. Each year this debate depends heavily on how the officials are calling hand-checking and allowing physical play, so I'll be curious to see what they're calling this year. If we can move our feet and stay in front of KU's guards and defend decently in transition, I think we'll win. LETS GO DEVILS!!

2130 ET is harsh on a Tuesday. I think the problem with sagging off guards that play on a high major team is that if they get that space they will make you pay with a made three, or have all day (for them) to decide where they are going to drive or see a pass more clearly--so it's darned if you do, darned if you don't.
I don't have big expectations for this game as we have significant injuries and Kansas although perhaps a bit tired has played a quality opponent and Duke has not. How Frank Jackson performs and how soon K will relieve Jones if he can't keep up could be key.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Just to fuel wild speculation (and to avoid work), I'll bite.

Here's a link to the original image (https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/798603290086772736).

Original:
6858

This looks like Jayson:
6859

This resembles Harry:
6861

This might be Marques and Obi:
6860

We have reached the Zapruder Film status for the Freshmen Ward(c). In my completely subjective view, I expect that we'll see one or more of these three on November 23rd. The team is playing without them tonight and I highly doubt that Coach K would be eager to rush them into use during two games in two nights this weekend.

[MChambers]

Did I see a puff of smoke on the grassy knoll in that grainy picture?

Why does that guy in the stands have his umbrella up? Does that mean that all three will play tonight?

[fidel]

Why does that guy in the stands have his umbrella up? Does that mean that all three will play tonight?

OMG was that a Kid Lester reference?

[sagegrouse]

Someone posted on Facebook that all 3 were running around the court this afternoon. No, that doesn't mean they will play. Heck it's Facebook, it really means nothing, but IF it's true it's nice to hear that they are that far along.

Facebook? Is this the false news stuff?

[DukieInKansas]

Ah yes, good to get the season underway... Just took some abuse from a kansas fan in the lobby of the hotel here in NYC. They're salivating at our injury report. I asked them if Bill Self lost some weight. They seemed flummoxed.
When you are cheering for the GOAT, you don't sweat the small stuff.

Please cheer extra hard for me - living in Jayhawk country.

[Utley]

Was Jason the only one doing anything basketball related. I could see K go on Harry and Boldenthe experience of being in the Garden in unis.

From the pic it looked liked Tatum might play.

[Wander]

I don't know why I'm surprised, but ESPN is still milking this Grayson tripping stuff. They have an entire feature on it. What the hell?

[Neals384]

I don't know why I'm surprised, but ESPN is still milking this Grayson tripping stuff. They have an entire feature on it. What the hell?

oh, that will have a longer half-life than Laettner hating, at least.

[Troublemaker]

I don't know why I'm surprised, but ESPN is still milking this Grayson tripping stuff. They have an entire feature on it. What the hell?

Then they followed up with 5 minutes of the studio analysts arguing over whether Giles should sit out the season. Sigh.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Was Jason the only one doing anything basketball related. I could see K go on Harry and Boldenthe experience of being in the Garden in unis.

From the pic it looked liked Tatum might play.

I follow HGIII on Instagram and he posted a pic of himself dunking during warm-ups tonight with caption: We ready💪🏽! Not expecting him to play at all, but a good sign!

[subzero02]

oh, that will have a longer half-life than Laettner hating, at least.

They really go out of their way to fan the flames of controversy. They did the same thing to Lamar Jackson after his throat slash/lip zip gesture within the past few weekends. It's really sad and frustrating that they stoop to such levels.

[moonpie23]

look, the media likes aggravating stuff......it's what drives views, and clicks...that's how they roll...

[Bob Green]

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

If it gets a bit slow, refresh the page. If you're on a mobile device, you'll need to select "Blue" at the bottom.

As always - please follow the DBR Posting Guidelines.

Let's Go Duke!

[riverside6]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/Kansas ...
http://www.scacchoops.com/duke-at-kansas-basketball-live-stats-11152016

[NYBri]

Boy, Grayson is off tonight. Jefferson turning it over. They look lost right now.

[fuse]

Longest half ever.

[CDu]

Allen fakes getting hit in the face, lands awkwardly, and might be hurt. Sad face.

That strategy has drawn a lot of fouls, but it is not without risk. Hope he is ok.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

We are running out of players. Gonna be a tough second half

[CDu]

We are running out of players. Gonna be a tough second half

Really hoping Allen can come back. Otherwise, yikes. With foul trouble, I am not sure we can just play five guys all half. That will force DeLaurier and/or White to play some.

[gurufrisbee]

Refs are really whistle happy. We may end up seeing some Kangaroo Jack-DeLaurier-Vrank time by the end.

Good moments in the first half from Matt with the three's, Amile being aggressive on offense (and one of the best one man full court presses ever seen), Jeter playing big, and Kennard here and there.

Would love to see Allen be okay and him and Luke start knocking down some three's. Kansas is a good team always.

[OldPhiKap]

Really hoping Allen can come back. Otherwise, yikes. With foul trouble, I am not sure we can just play five guys all half. That will force DeLaurier and/or White to play some.

As long as Grayson is okay long term, this early in the season I don't think that's the worst thing in the world. It's about seeing what the kids can do.

[CDu]

As long as Grayson is okay long term. This early in the season I don't think that's the worst thing in the world.

True. But I wanna win 'em all!!!

[OldPhiKap]

True. But I wanna win 'em all!!!

I do not disagree. The 40-0 tattoo on my forehead is still fresh.

[gofurman]

Really hoping Allen can come back. Otherwise, yikes. With foul trouble, I am not sure we can just play five guys all half. That will force DeLaurier and/or White to play some.


Allen this game???? I'll be shocked if we don't get the 'out indefinitek' sh$t and not see him until January. I am beginning to think no one will ever play this year. Seriously. This is RIDICULOUS. Gotta be honest. I am scared. That looked bad. I don't want to say what I am thinking

i,just hope he is ok long term. Good grief. Can we just please have a good word on Alllen. Plllleeeeeze

[CDu]

As long as Grayson is okay long term, this early in the season I don't think that's the worst thing in the world. It's about seeing what the kids can do.


I do not disagree. The 40-0 tattoo on my forehead is still fresh.

One of my favorite things about you is your balance, OPK. In one post, you are the voice of reason. The next? Ozzie style crazy optimism. Never change, good sir. Never change!

[-jk]

Having watched the first half more focused on defense, I find myself surprised (happily) that Amile is out top scorer so far - by about 2:1 over a three way tie for second (Amile with 11 v. 3 others with 6 - and none of them named Grayson).

-jk

[CDu]

Really sloppy start to the second half. Too lazy with the passes, resulting in two turnovers and almost a third. Good timeout.

[jipops]

So sloppy with the ball. Not having a pg is more of a factor than we want to believe.

This is a very ugly game. I can't imagine the nba scouts are very impressed with anyone right now, except for J Jackson.

[NashvilleDevil]

So sloppy with the ball. Not having a pg is more of a factor than we want to believe.

This is a very ugly game. I can't imagine the nba scouts are very impressed with anyone right now, except for J Jackson.

To be honest I'm not super impressed with Josh Jackson.

[CDu]

The officiating hasn't helped things (really inconsistent both ways), but both teams just look sloppy. Kennard and Graham have looked good. Mason has had some really nice finishes too. But, yikes has it been sloppy.

[jipops]

To be honest I'm not super impressed with Josh Jackson.

Looks like a pretty darn good talent to me. Definitely better than anyone else on the floor.

Jeter showing he's just not ready for games like this. This one is starting to get away.

[mph]

The officiating hasn't helped things (really inconsistent both ways)

Understatement. The officials have made this game almost unwatchable. There's no rhythm or flow. 38 fouls called with 12 minutes to play.

[Utley]

Incredibly ugly half

[bleedingblue88]

We are definitely overrated, this is not a top 5 team. We definitely need our top freshmen recruits.

[SCMatt33]

I don't get how Duke isn't trying to play more than 6. It's one thing when you're getting production, but the offense has been pretty bad anyway and their guys are all fresh from sitting with early foul trouble. They're just beating us up and down the floor now. Maybe DeLaurier and White would get their buts kicked one on one, but that's happening anyway right now.

[CDu]

Playing only six, and with some guys tentative with foul trouble, starting to slip away. We look like a team short three of our top five. And with Allen having a bad night, things are tough.

[Eternal Outlaw]

Understatement. The officials have made this game almost unwatchable. There's no rhythm or flow. 38 fouls called with 12 minutes to play.

Combine that with Jay Bilas and it's unlistenable. Probably up to ten times now where he's complained when something happens to Kansas but when that same thing happens to Duke it's good call.

[CDu]

I don't get how Duke isn't trying to play more than 6. It's one thing when you're getting production, but the offense has been pretty bad anyway and their guys are all fresh from sitting with early foul trouble. They're just beating us up and down the floor now. Maybe DeLaurier and White would get their buts kicked one on one, but that's happening anyway right now.

That is just who Coach K is. He has guys he trusts, and in big games he is loathe to go to others outside his circle of trust. He is a phenomenal coach, and it generally has worked for him. But in games like this, we see the downside of his philosophy.

[arnie]

We're finding out that a lineup with only two ball handlers/drivers doesn't work. Severely limited on offense. Desperately need Tatum.

[jipops]

Just a few more minutes and K will have to put Javin in. A few will foul out soon.

Amile back in. This stage is critical. If we don't get a push here that's it.

[CDu]

Kennard is balling. Unfortunately, nobody else has joined him this half.

[Kjeffrey]

We are definitely overrated, this is not a top 5 team. We definitely need our top freshmen recruits.

Kansas is pretty unimpressive also. They may play decent defense but their offense is pretty poor. Frankly if they are a top 10 team then they should have been dominating this game.

[InSpades]

Grayson getting his "Kentucky game" out of his system early. At least one good thing will come from this game...

I think Jeter is doing fine, he's improved a lot since last year. He's just not ready to play 30 minutes in a game like this.

[Kjeffrey]

Combine that with Jay Bilas and it's unlistenable. Probably up to ten times now where he's complained when something happens to Kansas but when that same thing happens to Duke it's good call.

When did he become such a Duke hater? He is so over the top.

[jipops]

Kennard is balling. Unfortunately, nobody else has joined him this half.

Yes, no question Luke is our best player on offense tonight.

[jipops]

That is just who Coach K is. He has guys he trusts, and in big games he is loathe to go to others outside his circle of trust. He is a phenomenal coach, and it generally has worked for him. But in games like this, we see the downside of his philosophy.

And we already saw this vs Grand Canyon for the most part. There was no question that tonight was going to be a rotation of 6.

[jipops]

Needed that 3 to fall for Grayson. But nice lay in.

[CDu]

And we already saw this vs Grand Canyon for the most part. There was no question that tonight was going to be a rotation of 6.

Yep. That is just who Coach K is as a coach. He is not gonna extent the rotationunless he HAS to do so.

[jipops]

Yep. That is just who Coach K is as a coach. He is not gonna extent the rotationunless he HAS to do so.

If Javin was capable of contributing in this game K would be playing him. But it's likely the case that he isn't. If Bolden and Tatum were healthy I think we would only be seeing 7 guys out there. Even fully healthy we would not be as deep in rotation as people were dreaming.

Having a hard time getting stops now.

[CDu]

I tell you what, Jones doesn't look flashy (understatement), but aside from two bad passes early this half he has been great. He is the only one who has done consistently well on Mason tonight. He has been efficient as a scorer off ball. And he has a few really nice in-traffic assists.

[jipops]

Trade 2's for 3's!! Or 4's!

[jipops]

Amile out. That should do it.

Just keep the game looking close

[CDu]

ONIONS!!! Even if we lose, great fight from our guys. Hoping for OT.