MBB: Duke vs. Clemson (3/8, 2 pm, ESPN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[Bob Green]

Discuss the game here.

[BandAlum83]

Go Duke!!!

[DinoDuke]

Let's get it Duke! 4 in 4 starts tomorrow, as well the first of 10 straight victories!

[Olympic Fan]

I know that the official start time is 2 p.m., but that's ridiculous -- the game will start 30 minutes after the noon game (Syracuse-Miami) and no way that's done in 1:30.

The "2 p.m." game Tuesday started at 2:41 p.m. Duke-Clemson might not be quite that late, but it will be closer to 2:30 than 2.

[summerwind03]

I know that the official start time is 2 p.m., but that's ridiculous -- the game will start 30 minutes after the noon game (Syracuse-Miami) and no way that's done in 1:30.

The "2 p.m." game Tuesday started at 2:41 p.m. Duke-Clemson might not be quite that late, but it will be closer to 2:30 than 2.

Exactly! It drives me crazy that the schedules always say that and people repeat it like it's even remotely possible!

[Devilwin]

Radio says 14:30..

[English]

Exactly! It drives me crazy that the schedules always say that and people repeat it like it's even remotely possible!

Second game vs. the Tigers following a rivalry game. Hopefully we get the same outcome in the W-L column.

LGD!

[gofurman]

Let's get it Duke! 4 in 4 starts tomorrow, as well the first of 10 straight victories!

Id take win this, lose to Louisville and be healthy for the 6.. But for now, how do we beat Clemson? Lets hear from those smarter than me. Tigers coulda beat us the first time easily. A nail-biter loss as they have suffered so many times.

They are like a better Pittsburgh to me. Great SF/PF with Grantham and Blossomgame (all ACC). But where they are better is their PG of Shelton Mitchell and the inside toughness of Djitte and Elijah Thomas. Djitte is less skilled but more experienced of these two.. Thomas was a top 30+ recruit and is skilled but raw... He is getting better though and will be good in the next year or two. They are big and strong. They killed NC State on crucial O boards and missed several chippies on put backs or it would have been a 20 point win easy

But all that said, Djitte and Thomas don't worry me too much. We see FSU and UNC etc. Clemson isn't on that level inside. Its the forwards (especially good ) and then the guards where they are good. Shelton Mitchell is coming on strong. A key loss may be Avery holmes who twisted his ankle today though. Best three point threat and top three in minutes and points on clemson. That's a big loss. But its matchups... Shelton Mitchell is more the guy that gives us trouble - Holmes had one of his worst games vs Duke (2 points in 16 minutes). while Mitchell went off for 23! He is the faster type of guard we struggle with I think.. He was the high-scorer for Tigers w 23 last time in Cameron. Mitchell was 8-15 for 23 points while Blossomgame - future NBA and Clemson's star - was 3 of 12 for 7 points. I have a feeling we concentrated (Matt Jones?) on Blossomgam.

Does anyone recall if Jones covered Blossomgame? Were we just incapable of keeping Mitchell out of the lane? Clemson also shot 20 FTs to our 15 so they were getting in the lane I suspect?

Thoughts? Last point here for now - we were 11-26 from 3 and the Tigers were 2-9 from three (in Cameron)... and we won by 2 ... We better get ready. These guys are no joke.

[Spanarkel]

Any ideas on how to slow down Clemson's guard Shelton Mitchell, who scored 23 against Duke in the first meeting and hit for 22 today? Over the last 8 games, he is averaging 16ppg on 58% shooting, both overall and from three point range(he's not a high volume three point shooter, averaging about 2.5 attempts per game). He seemed to get to the rim all too easily in the first matchup, in which Frank played ~15 minutes and Grayson sprained his ankle severely early in the game. Thanks! Let's go, Duke!

Oops, just saw gofurman's thoughts on Mitchell above.

[CDu]

The Clemson game earlier this year was about 36 hours after that massive game against UNC, and wedged between that and the UVa game. It was a classic trap game.

On top of that, Allen got hurt early and struggled mightily (especially on defense). We will be healthier, more energetic, and better prepared this time.

I would expect Jackson to start and guard Mitchell. Jones will guard Blossomgame. And we will win.

[English]

Id take win this, lose to Louisville and be healthy for the 6.. But for now, how do we beat Clemson? Lets hear from those smarter than me. Tigers coulda beat us the first time easily. A nail-biter loss as they have suffered so many times.

I don't understand this. If they could've beaten us easily, why didn't they? Sportsmanship?

We were coming off a major rivalry win with a 48-hr turnaround. Let's calm down with any claims that Clemson could've won easily.

[duke4ever19]

We beat Clemson 64-62 at home in CIS about a little over a month ago.

It was the "human nature" game, because according to Coach K, the team was going to have to fight through the inevitable physical and emotional fatigue from the UNCheat victory (less-than 48 hours prior) and gut out a victory.

Now it is Clemson coming off short rest, although their win was comfortable. They went eight players deep today, all getting double-digit minutes, and all but one over the twenty minute threshold (Elijah Thomas was the low man with 16 minutes).

I have zero clue what to expect in this game.

[Kedsy]

Does anyone recall if Jones covered Blossomgame?

Yes, Matt Jones covered Blossomgame. And did a really good job.

[NYBri]

We will win this game. GO DUKE!!!!!

[brevity]

I don't understand this. If they could've beaten us easily, why didn't they? Sportsmanship?

Yes. This season, Clemson ranks #1 in the CLI, or Courtesy Loser Index. This follows a long tradition of letting ACC opponents feel exhilarated by winning close games.

If you look further back in history, Lord Alden Baynes Clemson (1836-1889) was considered an expert in manners, and made it a point never to show up a host at tea parties and other solemn events. This is why Clemson never wins in Chapel Hill.

[freshmanjs]

I don't understand this. If they could've beaten us easily, why didn't they? Sportsmanship?

We were coming off a major rivalry win with a 48-hr turnaround. Let's calm down with any claims that Clemson could've won easily.

I'm sure you are joking around, but we won the game by 2 points. That is essentially a toss-up. He is correct that they easily could have won (colloquially). More precisely, as Coach K would say, they put themselves in position to win.

[gofurman]

I'm sure you are joking around, but we won the game by 2 points. That is essentially a toss-up. He is correct that they easily could have won (colloquially). More precisely, as Coach K would say, they put themselves in position to win.

Right. I know we were 30+ hours from playing an emotional tough game v UNC. I know. I like to give credit where credit is due though. Believe me, I feel SURE The coaching staff was wanting a little more margin ... and we can say all this and that about we just played UNC etc but we shot very well from 3 against Clemson (never a guarantee rested or not) - we hit ELEVEN threes. That's great for a rested Duke team. Clemson went 2-9 from three I think. Some due to our D but no matter our D you can hit one or two more (Kennard banks one in occasionally ;). So I shouldn't have worded my post they could have won "easily". Perhaps I should have said they came in and pushed us hard - giving us the second best game in Cameron all year ! We won every other game by more than 2 (our margin over Clemson) w the exception of the loss to State.

Anyway, I was trying to get some actual discussion on the game which is usually common here but doesn't seem to be the case today. Maybe everyone is in NY.

I suspect Duke wins by 8 or something but as a true fan every opponent scares me.

FYI - one of the posts above did fail to mention a salient point. The poster noted accurately the Tigers went 8 deep today. However, They lost a starter in Avery Holmes to an ankle sprain - he did not return - so they are probably only 7 actual players deep tomorrow. As I said, Holmes is their best 3 shooter and gets top 3 minutes and top 3 points. That's a big loss for them.

[Troublemaker]

Id take win this, lose to Louisville and be healthy for the 6.. But for now, how do we beat Clemson? Lets hear from those smarter than me. Tigers coulda beat us the first time easily. A nail-biter loss as they have suffered so many times.

They are like a better Pittsburgh to me. Great SF/PF with Grantham and Blossomgame (all ACC). But where they are better is their PG of Shelton Mitchell and the inside toughness of Djitte and Elijah Thomas. Djitte is less skilled but more experienced of these two.. Thomas was a top 30+ recruit and is skilled but raw... He is getting better though and will be good in the next year or two. They are big and strong. They killed NC State on crucial O boards and missed several chippies on put backs or it would have been a 20 point win easy

But all that said, Djitte and Thomas don't worry me too much. We see FSU and UNC etc. Clemson isn't on that level inside. Its the forwards (especially good ) and then the guards where they are good. Shelton Mitchell is coming on strong. A key loss may be Avery holmes who twisted his ankle today though. Best three point threat and top three in minutes and points on clemson. That's a big loss. But its matchups... Shelton Mitchell is more the guy that gives us trouble - Holmes had one of his worst games vs Duke (2 points in 16 minutes). while Mitchell went off for 23! He is the faster type of guard we struggle with I think.. He was the high-scorer for Tigers w 23 last time in Cameron. Mitchell was 8-15 for 23 points while Blossomgame - future NBA and Clemson's star - was 3 of 12 for 7 points. I have a feeling we concentrated (Matt Jones?) on Blossomgam.

Does anyone recall if Jones covered Blossomgame? Were we just incapable of keeping Mitchell out of the lane? Clemson also shot 20 FTs to our 15 so they were getting in the lane I suspect?

Thoughts? Last point here for now - we were 11-26 from 3 and the Tigers were 2-9 from three (in Cameron)... and we won by 2 ... We better get ready. These guys are no joke.

I actually don't know whether Clemson matches up well with Duke or not. I'm going to want to see tomorrow's game before I come to any conclusions about that because the first game between the two teams doesn't tell us much due to the circumstances. Duke was up 11 at halftime and then wore down in the 2nd half, which one might expect since Duke was playing a game 36 hours after playing UNC.

I like Mitchell as a point guard, but I don't think he's all that quick. He did beat us like a drum in the 2nd half, but we were tired. Blossomgame's a really good player but we have a defender in Matt to put on him. So, we'll see. Maybe Clemson plays us close again -- they are a veteran team that doesn't want their season to end -- but maybe Duke wins comfortably because the matchup isn't bad.

[awhom111]

I did not manage to start a TV coverage thread before the game thread, so if a mod wants to add any of this to the title or first post, they can do so.

ACC Network TV Stations:
http://www.theacc.com/news/2017-acctourney-on-the-acc-network-game-5

Free, official, unrestricted stream:
http://www.theacc.com/game-center/57f3d00ae4b0dcabe018ef19

You should also be able to access the stream simply by visiting the ACC homepage at game time, which has the benefit of not having the other gamecenter stuff around it.

As a reminder, the new TV contract removed the Raycom exclusivity, so those of you in the ACC footprint can watch on ESPN or a local channel if your market picked up the ACC Network feed. The stream is also useful anywhere if you do not want to mess with logging in to WatchESPN.

[gofurman]

I actually don't know whether Clemson matches up well with Duke or not. I'm going to want to see tomorrow's game before I come to any conclusions about that because the first game between the two teams doesn't tell us much due to the circumstances. Duke was up 11 at halftime and then wore down in the 2nd half, which one might expect since Duke was playing a game 36 hours after playing UNC.

I like Mitchell as a point guard, but I don't think he's all that quick. He did beat us like a drum in the 2nd half, but we were tired. Blossomgame's a really good player but we have a defender in Matt to put on him. So, we'll see. Maybe Clemson plays us close again -- they are a veteran team that doesn't want their season to end -- but maybe Duke wins comfortably because the matchup isn't bad.

Good point about Duke being up 11 at half and then wearing down. I completely agree w the 'wear down' factor... The counter (and I am just being a Devil advocate) is that we were at CIS. Now we are on neutral ground though NYC has been good to us

I hope we roll easily - I just like game discussion.

Did Mitchell not really beat us too much in the first half? Was it more as we wore down?

[KandG]

I like Mitchell as a point guard, but I don't think he's all that quick. He did beat us like a drum in the 2nd half, but we were tired. Blossomgame's a really good player but we have a defender in Matt to put on him. So, we'll see. Maybe Clemson plays us close again -- they are a veteran team that doesn't want their season to end -- but maybe Duke wins comfortably because the matchup isn't bad.

The one thing that struck me about the first Clemson game -- apart from how exhausted we were and how they drove against us relentlessly for the second half, as you indicated -- was how effective Thomas was. I was led to believe that Clemson's bigs were serviceable but raw and wouldn't be an issue, but Thomas had 15 and 9 with 2 blocks, and even made 5 of 7 free throws (normally makes less than half his FTs).

I would be fine with containing Blossomgame and their perimeter guys and dare their bigs to beat us again. I recall Amile looking especially worn down after banging with Meeks 36 hours earlier in the first game, and I look forward to him being fresher and containing their inside guys better tomorrow. Good (maybe last?) potential showcase for our young bigs to make a case for their role as well -- assuming Clemson chooses not to spend too much time playing small.

[dukelifer]

The one thing that struck me about the first Clemson game -- apart from how exhausted we were and how they drove against us relentlessly for the second half, as you indicated -- was how effective Thomas was. I was led to believe that Clemson's bigs were serviceable but raw and wouldn't be an issue, but Thomas had 15 and 9 with 2 blocks, and even made 5 of 7 free throws (normally makes less than half his FTs).

I would be fine with containing Blossomgame and their perimeter guys and dare their bigs to beat us again. I recall Amile looking especially worn down after banging with Meeks 36 hours earlier in the first game, and I look forward to him being fresher and containing their inside guys better tomorrow. Good (maybe last?) potential showcase for our young bigs to make a case for their role as well -- assuming Clemson chooses not to spend too much time playing small.

Usually these games are tales of two halves. Clemson may come out a bit stronger given the win or go home nature of the tourney and the fact that they have a feel for the court and venue. I expect Duke will pull away in the second half. Probably a close game but Duke should wear them down. Hoping that Bolden gets minutes. Duke will need another big to start contributing. Look for Jackson to have a big game.

[DukieInBrasil]

the tigers just played today, so their legs won't be as fresh. They just won big so they'll be confident. I think that will even out in the first half, but the fatigue will set in during the 2nd half. Plus they had an injury to one of their rotation guards (Thomas) so they'll have less depth, ie be of lower quality, than otherwise. Last time, Grayson rolled his ankle and couldn't really do much more than be a spectator after that. Though not 100% yet, he played respectably well vs. UNC, and will have 4 days of recovery since then, so hopefully he'll be able to be more assertive.
Duke by 9.

[gofurman]

The one thing that struck me about the first Clemson game -- apart from how exhausted we were and how they drove against us relentlessly for the second half, as you indicated -- was how effective Thomas was. I was led to believe that Clemson's bigs were serviceable but raw and wouldn't be an issue, but Thomas had 15 and 9 with 2 blocks, and even made 5 of 7 free throws (normally makes less than half his FTs).

I would be fine with containing Blossomgame and their perimeter guys and dare their bigs to beat us again. I recall Amile looking especially worn down after banging with Meeks 36 hours earlier in the first game, and I look forward to him being fresher and containing their inside guys better tomorrow. Good (maybe last?) potential showcase for our young bigs to make a case for their role as well -- assuming Clemson chooses not to spend too much time playing small.

Thomas will be a good player I think... He was somewhere about 33rd ranked out of HS. A great get for Clemson/transfer from TxAM. He could be pretty good as soon as next year. He and Djitte for the Tigers just killed NC State today

[duke4ever19]

the tigers just played today, so their legs won't be as fresh. They just won big so they'll be confident. I think that will even out in the first half, but the fatigue will set in during the 2nd half. Plus they had an injury to one of their rotation guards (Thomas) so they'll have less depth, ie be of lower quality, than otherwise. Last time, Grayson rolled his ankle and couldn't really do much more than be a spectator after that. Though not 100% yet, he played respectably well vs. UNC, and will have 4 days of recovery since then, so hopefully he'll be able to be more assertive.
Duke by 9.

I noticed in the box score that Elijah Thomas played the least amount of time (16-minutes) out of the 8-man rotation Clemson used. I didn't see the game, but I'm assuming that this is due to the injury you mentioned.

The other seven Clemson players played 20+ minutes a game.

I lament that the format of the ACC Tournament doesn't play in to Coach K's habit of tightening the rotation at this point in the year, especially since we didn't get the double-bye.

[Kedsy]

Did Mitchell not really beat us too much in the first half? Was it more as we wore down?

In the first half, Mitchell had 2 points in 17 minutes on 0 for 4 shooting, 0 assists, and 0 rebounds. In the second half, he had 21 points in 18 minutes on 8 for 11 shooting (2 for 2 from downtown), 1 assist, and 3 rebounds. So I'd say, yeah.

[gep]

I read an article today... Parrish at CBS Sports?... that he had a "solution" to the regular season, conference tournament, and NCAA automatic bids for those one-bid conferences... which will make the regular season more meaningful.

Let the regular season champion have an automatic bye into the championship game. I think that's a bit extreme... but I think maybe the top 2 regular season finishers get a bye into the semi-finals. Then, the regular season has value.

[heyman25]

This link might not be able to be opened from the WSJ. All about Pete Carrill's coaching genius.Not sure if Matt Jones would have played as much for Carrill as K.All of his players had to be able to shoot the 3. Matt Jones's never ending slump I hope ends in the post season. He will be wide open, because he shoots the 15 to 23 ft'ers at such a low %.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pete-carril-saw-the-future-of-basketball-1488903876

[UrinalCake]

I read an article today... Parrish at CBS Sports?... that he had a "solution" to the regular season, conference tournament, and NCAA automatic bids for those one-bid conferences... which will make the regular season more meaningful.

Let the regular season champion have an automatic bye into the championship game. I think that's a bit extreme... but I think maybe the top 2 regular season finishers get a bye into the semi-finals. Then, the regular season has value.


I listened to his podcast with Matt Norlander. The issue that they were discussing was that in these traditional one-bid leagues, you sometimes have a situation where the best team in the league by everyone's account gets upset in their conference tournament, and then not only does the team not get a chance to go to the tourney but the league as a whole does not have the best chance to show well and earn a win share because their best team does not get the automatic bid. But if you simply gave the bid to the regular season champion then you would lose the excitement of the conference tournaments, many of which have TV contracts attached, where an NCAA bid is at stake. So they were contemplating ways to make it more likely that the best team gets the bid, without removing the excitement of the conference tournaments.


As for our game tomorrow, I feel like we're playing better than we were when the teams first met. We might not be operating at an elite level, and I know a lot of our fans are bemoaning our lack of bench production, but we have established roles within the team and we at least have an identity. I think as long as we play our game and we get "average" or expected production from our go-to scorers then we should win by 10 or so points.

[MrPoon]

I had to go back and recall this game. The lasting memory was the sense of holding on desperately late, needing the Crazy's to help carry us through the last minutes. Fatigue is easily kicked around as explanations for problems but in this game it was absolutely the case. Grayson was huge two nights earlier, against Clemson, 2-10 with 3 TOs and 3 fouls, Tatum was 3-8. Together they were 3-10 on threes, while one shot off from an okay night, not the electric shooting of the prior game.

Clemson couldn't score in the first half and couldn't miss in the second nearly recovering a 14pt deficit.
Kinnard's "old man" game was all we had for about 9 min in the second half with 15 consecutive points at one stretch.

So.... to me there are very few take aways from such a game. Duke is playing after another emotional game but with an extra day of rest (but travel). Clemson will shoot better than they did in the prior first half having just played. Jackson has shown a lot more lately and will contribute more. If this team has any aspirations of winning the next four, Giles needs to spell Amile effectively and Jackson has to spell Grayson.

I really don't know what K has in mind from this tournament. He has such respect of the ACC and such a competitive drive that I could see him going after it. This team needs momentum and mojo and a few good wins could help them get right. However, this team also needs GA's ankle to work and Jefferson to be fresh or March will be a short month. Wish I could pick is his brain. My guess from his ongoing press comments is he is focused on NCAA much more than ACC, I haven't heard him even reference this tournament as important in interviews.

[gofurman]

. I noticed in the box score that Elijah Thomas played the least amount of time (16-minutes) out of the 8-man rotation Clemson used. I didn't see the game, but I'm assuming that this is due to the injury you mentioned.

The other seven Clemson players played 20+ minutes a game.

I lament that the format of the ACC Tournament doesn't play in to Coach K's habit of tightening the rotation at this point in the year, especially since we didn't get the double-bye.

There may be a little confusion here. Or maybe it's just me. Lol. If I may - Elijah Thomas is a big guy. The highly rated recruited mentioned above. He put up 10 points 4 rbs in just 16 minutes. Good work. The Tigers killed State in side particularly on the O glass. 17 O boards for Clemson to 11 for State. But he did Not get hurt. Just splits time w Djitte. Djitte is far more experienced but less skilled as a senior. Thomas is a skilled freshman but young.

The guy who got hurt was guard Avery Holmes. A starter. The best 3 shooter and top 3 scorer on the team. If he doesn't go tomorrow that really hurts Clemson. He didn't do anything vs us last time but he usually gets 25 minutes and 11 points and is a senior guard w leadership. That would leave Clemson w 7 guys instead of 8 they usually play. Not huge depth thing but his skill and shooting would be missed

I don't think Holmes injury limited Thomas playing

[Kedsy]

Matt Jones's never ending slump...

I think Matt's "never ending slump" might be a bit overstated. While it's true he's not shooting as well as he did last season, here are Duke's 2nd through fifth three-point shooting percentages this season:

Frank Jackson: 37.0%
Jayson Tatum: 36.0%
Grayson Allen: 34.6%
Matt Jones: 34.1%

If just one of Matt's missed threes had gone in, he'd be ahead of Grayson. If three of them had gone in, he'd be ahead of Jayson, and if four of them had gone in, he'd be ahead of Frank and 2nd on the team in three-point percentage. Obviously, those four shots didn't go in, but we're talking about four shots over the course of 29 games. Doesn't really sound like a "never ending slump" to me.

[kAzE]

I think Matt's "never ending slump" might be a bit overstated. While it's true he's not shooting as well as he did last season, here are Duke's 2nd through fifth three-point shooting percentages this season:

Frank Jackson: 37.0%
Jayson Tatum: 36.0%
Grayson Allen: 34.6%
Matt Jones: 34.1%

If just one of Matt's missed threes had gone in, he'd be ahead of Grayson. If three of them had gone in, he'd be ahead of Jayson, and if four of them had gone in, he'd be ahead of Frank and 2nd on the team in three-point percentage. Obviously, those four shots didn't go in, but we're talking about four shots over the course of 29 games. Doesn't really sound like a "never ending slump" to me.

But he didn't hit those 4 shots. I love everything Matt does for us defensively, but it would make things SO much easier if he started shooting better. (And don't get me wrong, Grayson needs to step it up as well) He just doesn't scare the defense enough to pull the defense off our other scorers. 34% is really average, especially considering he and Grayson were both over 41% last year. Those guys are both better shooters than they've been.

Also, 4 shots is a LOT. 12 points is exactly the combined margin of defeat that we had vs. Kansas, NC State, Syracuse, and Miami. 4 shots is the difference between us being 23-8 (10-8) vs. us being 27-4 (14-4), and maybe the #1 seed in the ACCT.

[Bob Green]

We will be healthier, more energetic, and better prepared this time...

And we will win.

This accurately sums up my attitude. The team is at or approaching its healthiest point this season at the right time. Clemson will play hard and give us a good game but we will win by eight or more points.

[lotusland]

Are Grayson and Amile able to practice yet? If not I don't see how they can be expected to play effectively for 4 straight days. I assume Grayson will come off the bench and play around 15 minutes since we don't have extra depth at the guard position. I'm most curious to see hard we ride Amile in the first round game.

[DukieInBrasil]

I noticed in the box score that Elijah Thomas played the least amount of time (16-minutes) out of the 8-man rotation Clemson used. I didn't see the game, but I'm assuming that this is due to the injury you mentioned.

The other seven Clemson players played 20+ minutes a game.

I lament that the format of the ACC Tournament doesn't play in to Coach K's habit of tightening the rotation at this point in the year, especially since we didn't get the double-bye.

I was mistaken, it was Avry Holmes, not Thomas who got injured. Thomas is a F, Holmes is a G.

[budwom]

Hope we win and won't mind if we lose. If Allen remains hobbled, I don't like our NCAA chances.

[Spanarkel]

Thomas will be a good player I think... He was somewhere about 33rd ranked out of HS. A great get for Clemson/transfer from TxAM. He could be pretty good as soon as next year. He and Djitte for the Tigers just killed NC State today

Thomas attended Thomas Hill's HS alma mater, Lancaster, just a few miles from Matt Jones'/Marques Bolden's Desoto HS, but according to MaxPreps the teams never played each other during the time Thomas and Bolden were in high school(Thomas is class of '15).

[azzefkram]

I think Matt's "never ending slump" might be a bit overstated. While it's true he's not shooting as well as he did last season, here are Duke's 2nd through fifth three-point shooting percentages this season:

Frank Jackson: 37.0%
Jayson Tatum: 36.0%
Grayson Allen: 34.6%
Matt Jones: 34.1%

If just one of Matt's missed threes had gone in, he'd be ahead of Grayson. If three of them had gone in, he'd be ahead of Jayson, and if four of them had gone in, he'd be ahead of Frank and 2nd on the team in three-point percentage. Obviously, those four shots didn't go in, but we're talking about four shots over the course of 29 games. Doesn't really sound like a "never ending slump" to me.

Yeah, it's a 4 game slump. In January and the first 5 games of February, Matt was shooting 43% from 3. He had an ok to good November (36%) and an abysmal December (16%). Since the calendar turned over, Matt has been fine from 3 for the most part. I am a bit concerned that he appears reluctant to shoot but that could just be his sloooooowwww release.

[OldPhiKap]

Hope we win and won't mind if we lose. If Allen remains hobbled, I don't like our NCAA chances.

I never like to lose. But yeah, I feel you on this. Rest ain't a bad thing for this team, either.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Id take win this, lose to Louisville and be healthy for the 6..

I know this has been discussed at length on other threads, I just don't see how 7/8 days of rest equals healthy as opposed to 5/6 days of rest. I find it hard to believe that the extra two days heals our wounds at this point in the season.

Let's win all the games in front of us, and cement this as K's great coaching achievement in his impressive legacy.

[OldPhiKap]

I know this has been discussed at length on other threads, I just don't see how 7/8 days of rest equals healthy as opposed to 5/6 days of rest. I find it hard to believe that the extra two days heals our wounds at this point in the season.

Let's win all the games in front of us, and cement this as K's great coaching achievement in his impressive legacy.

I'm not sure it is just the extra rest; it's the lack of banging and straining the foot/ankle/whatever during the extra two or three days. The extreme physical exertion of playing three or four games in a row has to wear on nagging injuries.

But I'll defer to the docs on this. I'm just taking a stab at it.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I'm not sure it is just the extra rest; it's the lack of banging and straining the foot/ankle/whatever during the extra two or three days. The extreme physical exertion of playing three or four games in a row has to wear on nagging injuries.

But I'll defer to the docs on this. I'm just taking a stab at it.

Please don't stab our players.

[sagegrouse]

I know this has been discussed at length on other threads, I just don't see how 7/8 days of rest equals healthy as opposed to 5/6 days of rest. I find it hard to believe that the extra two days heals our wounds at this point in the season.

Let's win all the games in front of us, and cement this as K's great coaching achievement in his impressive legacy.


I'm not sure it is just the extra rest; it's the lack of banging and straining the foot/ankle/whatever during the extra two or three days. The extreme physical exertion of playing three or four games in a row has to wear on nagging injuries.

But I'll defer to the docs on this. I'm just taking a stab at it.

Well, isn't this about practice as well as games, as K has said many times. Practice is where the majority of effort is expended.

[OldPhiKap]

Please don't stab our players.

Well, I won't get very good medical treatment if I stab the doctors now will I?

[Reilly]

I come into every season hoping Duke will win four championships: ACC regular, ACC tourney, NCAA regional, national.

The other seven Duke teams ranked AP pre-season #1 each won at least one of those four championships.

This team can win 3 out of 4. I say let's do that.

[Hauerwas]

K has reduced the bench to be a short as it was last year. Maybe there are injuries we don't know about, but if we don't see Javin or Jeter, or more Bolden/Giles in Brooklyn then I'm at a loss. Hopefully the thought of 4 games in 4 days encourages him to open the bench and play the style we played against Vegas in December, which was the deepest we played all year and also our best game of the year. Coincidence?

We are deeper than most teams in the country, injuries have limited it but unless Javin or Jeter just can't go, it's a shame they haven't been called upon at all since December.

[Reddevil]

I come into every season hoping Duke will win four championships: ACC regular, ACC tourney, NCAA regional, national.

The other seven Duke teams ranked AP pre-season #1 each won at least one of those four championships.

This team can win 3 out of 4. I say let's do that.

This would most likely mean beating Carolina again, which might be their ceiling, or roof....I don't know, but I like it.:cool:

[Troublemaker]

K has reduced the bench to be a short as it was last year. Maybe there are injuries we don't know about, but if we don't see Javin or Jeter, or more Bolden/Giles in Brooklyn then I'm at a loss. Hopefully the thought of 4 games in 4 days encourages him to open the bench and play the style we played against Vegas in December, which was the deepest we played all year and also our best game of the year. Coincidence?

We are deeper than most teams in the country, injuries have limited it but unless Javin or Jeter just can't go, it's a shame they haven't been called upon at all since December.

I think you have cause and effect backwards. Because Duke dominated UNLV, Coach K felt more comfortable giving his bench more minutes.

However, I do think it's possible he could go deeper during this tournament. But we might not see it until tomorrow when Amile and Grayson have to go on back-to-back days. Let's hope Duke can get past Clemson today, and then we'll see if I'm right.

[Edouble]

I think you have cause and effect backwards. Because Duke dominated UNLV, Coach K felt more comfortable giving his bench more minutes.

However, I do think it's possible he could go deeper during this tournament. But we might not see it until tomorrow when Amile and Grayson have to go on back-to-back days. Let's hope Duke can get past Clemson today, and then we'll see if I'm right.

Javin seems built for this team (with all of our switching) as a defensive stopper.

Curious if he "gets it" or not... I mean, he's been practicing now for a full season.

We are at the 11th hour here, and although unlikely, I would still not be surprised to see a tweak.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Javin seems built for this team (with all of our switching) as a defensive stopper.

Curious if he "gets it" or not... I mean, he's been practicing now for a full season.

We are at the 11th hour here, and although unlikely, I would still not be surprised to see a tweak.

I sure hope so. He's limited as a scorer right now (and I assume DBR will be harping the inevitable, "Hey - he's worked on his jump shot this summer. It will be a tool next year" which comes with 4s/5s who are terrible at shooting).

And we're losing our two best defensive players this year (okay, our only two defensive players), so we need some form of defense. And Carter/Trent aren't exactly known for their defensive chops.

Christ- next year isn't looking pretty from a defensive standpoint...

[Rich]

And we're losing our two best defensive players this year (okay, our only two defensive players), so we need some form of defense.

Matador defense is still a form of defense. :rolleyes:

[Kedsy]

Well, isn't this about practice as well as games, as K has said many times. Practice is where the majority of effort is expended.

If we lose today, does anyone think we won't practice the next three days? I know some years Coach K makes the team sit and watch after a loss, but he doesn't always do that. And he might sit Grayson and Amile in practice. But then Mtn.Devil's astute question kicks in -- what's the difference between 5 or 6 days of rest and 7 or 8?


Hopefully the thought of 4 games in 4 days encourages him to open the bench and play the style we played against Vegas in December, which was the deepest we played all year and also our best game of the year. Coincidence?

Someone already addressed this, but of course it's not a coincidence, just not in the way you're implying. When you win a game by 49 points, there's a LOT of garbage time. And actually you're wrong, the "deepest" we played all year was in our 45 point win over Maine, followed by our 53 point win over Georgia Tech. Coincidence?


Also, 4 shots is a LOT. 12 points is exactly the combined margin of defeat that we had vs. Kansas, NC State, Syracuse, and Miami. 4 shots is the difference between us being 23-8 (10-8) vs. us being 27-4 (14-4), and maybe the #1 seed in the ACCT.

It's only a lot if you could pick exactly when he hit the four shots. But you can't. What if he hit 5 of 7 (instead of 1 of 7) against Wake Forest? Or hit two more each against Georgia Tech and BC. Our record would be exactly the same, and I bet certain posters would still be complaining about his slump, but he'd be the 2nd best three-point shooter (by percentage) on the team.

[kAzE]

It's only a lot if you could pick exactly when he hit the four shots. But you can't. What if he hit 5 of 7 (instead of 1 of 7) against Wake Forest? Or hit two more each against Georgia Tech and BC. Our record would be exactly the same, and I bet certain posters would still be complaining about his slump, but he'd be the 2nd best three-point shooter (by percentage) on the team.

Okay, you got me there, but 1 more shot vs NC State or Kansas would have a made a HUGE difference for the season as a whole. A victory over Kansas on a neutral court would be our best win of the season, and a win at home vs State puts us in the top 4 of the conference, giving us a double bye. It's a hit or miss game. I'm not trying to blame Matt for our struggles this year, but the margin between us being where we are and being in consideration for a #1 seed in the NCAAT is ridiculously tiny.

12 points is still enough to swing an entire game or even 2 games. Not to mention the effect of a made 3 on both teams in terms of the mental game and momentum within a game, especially on the road.

[Kedsy]

Okay, you got me there, but 1 more shot vs NC State or Kansas would have a made a HUGE difference for the season as a whole. A victory over Kansas on a neutral court would be our best win of the season, and a win at home vs State puts us in the top 4 of the conference, giving us a double bye.

FWIW, in the Kansas and NC State game combined, Matt shot 46.2% from three (6 for 13).

But I agree with you that our performance this season has been close to being a lot better than it is currently perceived.

[Rich]

But I agree with you that our performance this season has been close to being a lot better than it is currently perceived.

Hello? I have Clemson on the phone.

[Doria]

This would most likely mean beating Carolina again, which might be their ceiling, or roof...I don't know, but I like it.:cool:

That sounds great, but I thought the ceiling was the roof? :confused:

[Kedsy]

Hello? I have Clemson on the phone.

I have no idea what this means.

[kAzE]

I have no idea what this means.

He/she probably means that Clemson has a slew of close losses (many, many more than us), and should be considered a much better team than their record would indicate.

[Hauerwas]

Someone already addressed this, but of course it's not a coincidence, just not in the way you're implying. When you win a game by 49 points, there's a LOT of garbage time. And actually you're wrong, the "deepest" we played all year was in our 45 point win over Maine, followed by our 53 point win over Georgia Tech. Coincidence?

Actually you are wrong Kedsy to assume the only reason why guys played in the Vegas game was in garbage minutes. Jeter started and played 15 minutes, Bolden, Jackson and Tatum all played in the first half before garbage time. Javin seems to have only played in the second half when things were way out of hand, but that we had at least 8 guys play significant minutes in the first half isn't garbage time, those were real game minutes that allowed us to play with fresh legs in the second half. It's not a coincidence that we had fresh legs and played good defense because our guys were actually rested and not utterly dead at the 10 minute mark.

[English]

Actually you are wrong Kedsy to assume the only reason why guys played in the Vegas game was in garbage minutes. Jeter started and played 15 minutes, Bolden, Jackson and Tatum all played in the first half before garbage time. Javin seems to have only played in the second half when things were way out of hand, but that we had at least 8 guys play significant minutes in the first half isn't garbage time, those were real game minutes that allowed us to play with fresh legs in the second half. It's not a coincidence that we had fresh legs and played good defense because our guys were actually rested and not utterly dead at the 10 minute mark.

UNLV is 251st in KenPom & 274th AdjO...soooo, perhaps we played such great defense because they're so inept on that end.

[Doria]

Also, I don't think the preseason is that representative of Coach K's typical rotations at the end of the season.

[lotusland]

chat?

[Hauerwas]

UNLV is 251st in KenPom & 274th AdjO...soooo, perhaps we played such great defense because they're so inept on that end.

Of course, Vegas is awful. Just trying to show that it would be really nice to play more than 7 players. Why is that such a subversive request met with rebuttal on this board? I can't imagine how Javin or Jeter playing 5 minutes a game would cause a ton of harm. Kennard and Allen have both missed game winning free throws in critical games down the stretch because they are utterly exhausted. finding 5 minutes of rest for both of them could change 2-3 games in the w/l column...

[Troublemaker]

chat?

Chat is open. Not sure how many will show up, though. Here's the link: http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/misc.php?do=cchatbox

[Matches]

Of course, Vegas is awful. Just trying to show that it would be really nice to play more than 7 players. Why is that such a subversive request met with rebuttal on this board? I can't imagine how Javin or Jeter playing 5 minutes a game would cause a ton of harm. Kennard and Allen have both missed game winning free throws in critical games down the stretch because they are utterly exhausted. finding 5 minutes of rest for both of them could change 2-3 games in the w/l column...

There are so many assumptions you're making there, though - if Kennard and Allen miss a FT late, it must be due to fatigue, for example, and not just because sometimes guys miss FTs. (Is the UNC game one of your examples? Allen played like 23 minutes in that game.)

Putting our (no disrepect to either Jeter or Javin but it's true) 9th and 10th best players in for 1/8 of the game very well could cause a ton of harm. I'm not going to say it *would* because there's no way to know that, but it's not unreasonable for K to think it could. Ultimately he's much better equipped than any of us to ascertain whether Allen, Kennard or any of the other players are too gassed to perform. I'm sure he gets it wrong from time to time but he's in the best position to make an informed judgment.

[riverside6]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/Clemson...

http://www.scacchoops.com/miami-at-syracuse-basketball-live-stats-382017-12-pm

[CDu]

Matt Jones showing his All-ACC defense early on Blossomgame/.

[kAzE]

Nice roll to the basket by Harry, and good recognition by Grayson that the D was asleep. We need more of that.

However, on the possession right before that, harry lost track of the ball while recovering on D, which led to an easy layup. Gotta be aware of the ball at all times.

[MaxAMillion]

Of course, Vegas is awful. Just trying to show that it would be really nice to play more than 7 players. Why is that such a subversive request met with rebuttal on this board? I can't imagine how Javin or Jeter playing 5 minutes a game would cause a ton of harm. Kennard and Allen have both missed game winning free throws in critical games down the stretch because they are utterly exhausted. finding 5 minutes of rest for both of them could change 2-3 games in the w/l column...

Because Coach K has won 1000 games and 5 national titles not playing a long bench. So to complain about K's usage of the bench seems pointless as his career winds down. By the way how do you know that the players miss free throws because they are exhausted? I will point out again that Jones and Cook played almost every minute of the last title season once Suilamon left. Singler had to play almost every minute win they won the title in 2010 because they had no back up small forward. How come the exhaustion didn't impact those players. Finally, why stop at the feelings of Javin or Jeter. Doesn't everyone want to play? If you have a 10 man rotation, the 11th player will be disappointed that he can't get in.

I will never understand complaining about something that you know won't change. K has coached one way for 30 plus years (with pretty good success), no reason to think it will change now.

[gocanes0506]

Play by Play said technical foul on Grayson. What happened?

[Selover]

Play by Play said technical foul on Grayson. What happened? He slammed the ball down after the call and didn't catch it cleanly so it shot away. He was very deserving... :rolleyes:

[WHOneedsSOX]

Play by Play said technical foul on Grayson. What happened?

Weak over the back foul. Then a loose ball foul going for a rebound next possession. Got mad, spiked the ball but it didn't go over his shoulders, and yelled some stuff in the corner.

[InSpades]

Play by Play said technical foul on Grayson. What happened?

Apparently slammed the ball and yelled "F%!$" according to Dana O'Neill (I'm just following play-by-play too :().

[WHOneedsSOX]

Duke very sloppy and picking up way too many fouls.

[CDu]

Play by Play said technical foul on Grayson. What happened?

Committed a foul on an offensive rebound attempt. Grabbed the ball, slammed it to the floor and screamed an obscenity, failed to catch the ball. Tech. If he catches it, he probably avoids the tech. But a stupid lapse in focus by him there. Cost the team. Now he has 3 fouls, and Frank Jackson is struggling. We need our veterans to play smarter than that.

[arnie]

He slammed the ball down after the call and didn't catch it cleanly so it shot away. He was very deserving... :rolleyes:

The way we're playing and shooting, gonna have a lot of rest this week. Of course if we don't pick it up next week, get to rest until October.

[kAzE]

Really bad turnovers on back to back possessions by Marques and Frank, and then compounding the mistake by committing a silly foul. 16 FT attempts by Clemson now with 3 minutes left in the half. Gotta stop fouling.

[rtnorthrup]

The last five game minutes have been comically bad.

[uh_no]

Committed a foul on an offensive rebound attempt. Grabbed the ball, slammed it to the floor and screamed an obscenity, failed to catch the ball. Tech. If he catches it, he probably avoids the tech. But a stupid lapse in focus by him there. Cost the team. Now he has 3 fouls, and Frank Jackson is struggling. We need our veterans to play smarter than that.

slamming the ball and not catching it will get called almost every time. I think it cost UK a game last year...might have been their NCAA loss.

[Matches]

Committed a foul on an offensive rebound attempt. Grabbed the ball, slammed it to the floor and screamed an obscenity, failed to catch the ball. Tech. If he catches it, he probably avoids the tech. But a stupid lapse in focus by him there. Cost the team. Now he has 3 fouls, and Frank Jackson is struggling. We need our veterans to play smarter than that.

Managed to commit both his 2nd and 3rd fouls on the same play as well, with the T. Really really boneheaded sequence resulting in a 4 pt swing for Clemson.

[sagegrouse]

Committed a foul on an offensive rebound attempt. Grabbed the ball, slammed it to the floor and screamed an obscenity, failed to catch the ball. Tech. If he catches it, he probably avoids the tech. But a stupid lapse in focus by him there. Cost the team. Now he has 3 fouls, and Frank Jackson is struggling. We need our veterans to play smarter than that.

I am not sure Duke has ever lost an ACC game on Thursday (tournament was Friday-Sunday for most of the years). We must make sure it doesn't happen this year.

[NM Duke Fan]

The energy of the team shifted a bit with that technical, will be interesting to see how much time he gets the rest of the game. Would be interesting to be a bug on the wall at half time. I hope he can get back in and shake it off, but we weill see.

[LasVegas]

I really wish Grayson would just embrace the villain role. Seems like he is trying to be somewhere in the middle and that's just not how he plays. Embrace it like others before and use it as fuel! Easier said than done....

[rtnorthrup]

Stop fouling !

[subzero02]

Managed to commit both his 2nd and 3rd fouls on the same play as well, with the T. Really really boneheaded sequence resulting in a 4 pt swing for Clemson.

I have not been able to watch the first half but when I looked at the boxscore and saw that grayson had 3 fouls already, I immediately thought that one could be technical.

[InSpades]

I am not sure Duke has ever lost an ACC game on Thursday (tournament was Friday-Sunday for most of the years). We must make sure it doesn't happen this year.

I guarantee it will not happen today!

[sagegrouse]

I have not been able to watch the first half but when I looked at the boxscore and saw that grayson had 3 fouls already, I immediately thought that one could be technical.
Yeah, but he didn't get his money's worth.:)

[FerryFor50]

18 FTs to 4 FTs in favor of Clemson. That seems accurate.

[CDu]

18 FTs to 4 FTs in favor of Clemson. That seems accurate.

To be fair, I don't think that stat is wildly out of line. We have been a jumpshooting team, Clemson has gone inside more. And Clemson got into the bonus and double bonus, whereas we drew just 6. And the technical didn't help. There have been very few possessions where I think we got fouled and didn't get the call. That's what happens when you shoot a lot of jumpers.

[Tripping William]

If Luke's shooting in the second half regresses to the mean, we'll be fine. If it doesn't, then things could get dicey.

[DangerDevil]

Jay Williams and Seth coming to Grayson's defense on the T saying it was undeserved, never have I agreed with both of them more.

[bluenorth]

During the season Allen probably gets away without a T on that. As the announcer said, if he'd caught the ball there's probably no call. But the refs are all hoping to advance in the post-season too, so are calling things by the book. That is, when they see things properly. Giles' second foul just didn't happen. He tried to get a piece of the Clemson player, but whiffed. The official called what Giles was trying to do, not what actually happened.

As far as half time adjustments go, could someone get Kennard a new pair of shoes? No one else is slipping the way he is.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Jay Williams and Seth coming to Grayson's defense on the T saying it was undeserved, never have I agreed with both of them more.

I thought it was kind of weak but I'm fine with it. Can't slam the ball and yell the 'f' word right after getting a foul. Especially not him.

[Karl Beem]

Our freshmen came to play. The others, not so much.

[arnie]

Jay Williams and Seth coming to Grayson's defense on the T saying it was undeserved, never have I agreed with both of them more.

Jay's just trying to get K to call him back one day.

[szstark]

He slammed the ball down after the call and didn't catch it cleanly so it shot away. He was very deserving... :rolleyes:

Why? Because he didn't catch it? Really bad call.

[Edouble]

FWIW, for those who can't watch, Jason Williams defended Grayson with some (dare I say it) ferocity at the start of the halftime report, saying that it is completely unreasonable for Grayson to have gotten a technical foul.

Marques seemed to lack focus and enthusiasm. Nice to see Vrank get some burn, but neither guy seemed sharp or ready when their number was called.

We gotta keep taking it to the rim and we need to kick with crisper passes, IMO.

[FerryFor50]

To be fair, I don't think that stat is wildly out of line. We have been a jumpshooting team, Clemson has gone inside more. And Clemson got into the bonus and double bonus, whereas we drew just 6. And the technical didn't help. There have been very few possessions where I think we got fouled and didn't get the call. That's what happens when you shoot a lot of jumpers.

Several of the FTs Clemson got awarded were on weak over the back calls, as well as the weak technical (which was a result of a weak over the back call).

[Danke Shane]

I get that we are more of a jump shooting team, but has Tatum ever drawn an "and-1" on one of his drives? It's almost like the refs feel bad for the defensive players and feel it would be an unfair advantage calling fouls on their flailing and smacks to his head, which seems to occur every time...

[WHOneedsSOX]

Is Jeter out for season? How come he never gets minutes anymore? At least he was decent defensively and more mobile than Bolden.

[oldnavy]

Several of the FTs Clemson got awarded were on weak over the back calls, as well as the weak technical (which was a result of a weak over the back call).

Actually the technical was for Allen behaving like a middle school kid instead of a Junior in college.... it ain't the first time either.

[CDu]

Our defense has been pretty good. We've held Clemson to below a point per possession. But our offense has just not been great yet. Only occasionally have we looked like we have a gameplan. Kennard has been money this year nearly every game. So far tonight, he's been bad. Hopefully either that changes in the second half or we go away from Kennard more.

Jackson has looked good except for a few possessions when Clemson took the lead. Tatum has looked at times amazing and at times has settled for jumpers. Jones and Jefferson have been their usual defensive stalwart selves.

The problem have been Allen and Kennard. If either or both of those guys play better in the second half, we should win.

Mildly concerned about the foul trouble. But hopefully we can go 3-4 minutes with minimal fouls (or at least no fouls by Jefferson and Jones).

[weezie]

Hey kids, is there chat today?

[CDu]

Several of the FTs Clemson got awarded were on weak over the back calls, as well as the weak technical (which was a result of a weak over the back call).

I think we got called for one over-the-back call (Allen), and that was the only over-the-back that resulted in free throws.

[FerryFor50]

I think we got called for one over-the-back call (Allen), and that was the only over-the-back that resulted in free throws.

2 over the backs on Allen. The 2nd was the technical foul.

[grossbus]

"No one else is slipping the way he is."

Players from both teams were slipping in the first game.

[arnie]

Our freshmen came to play. The others, not so much.

Huh?? When did Giles and Bolden reclassify to another class? I'll give you 50% of the freshman came to play.

[Hauerwas]

Allen deserved the T because of context. It was a childish play and I'm tired of it. He's costing us both emotionally and physically. When are we going to actually speak the truth on here? His emotions are hurting the team and I'm tired of watching his little outbursts. Grow up, you fouled and are playing bad, be a man about it.

And Bolden looks lost and it's March... wow.

[CDu]

2 over the backs on Allen. The 2nd was the technical foul.

And they were both good calls. Hell, we even got away with one on Jefferson's tip-in.

[El_Diablo]

Hey kids, is there chat today?

Yes, the link is on page 4.

[Edouble]

Hey kids, is there chat today?

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

[Steven43]

Jay Williams and Seth coming to Grayson's defense on the T saying it was undeserved, never have I agreed with both of them more.
Are you absolutely sure that happened? Jason Williams had an opportunity to pile on negatively against Duke and he chose to go the other way? This is akin to a miracle. I can't wait to watch a recording of the game later today. I'm honestly shocked.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Tatum's game sure has matured. Wish we had gotten to see him go head-to-head with Jackson earlier in the season.

[CDu]

Second half going better. We're making shots finally.

The one negative thing I'll say about our team is that we are finesse drivers. We almost always drive away from contact. Clemson is a good example of a team that drives into contact. The officials are calling contact on drives. We need to do a better job of seeking out that contact. And driving more. If not, we're going to have to shoot a high percentage on jumpers.

[kAzE]

Wow, I don't think Frank had control of the ball at any point on that fast break layup . . . he was lucky it went in. Nearly another bungled fast break.

[devilsince1977]

Clemson played 22 hrs ago and we are walking the ball up on almost every possession. It is time to quit fouling, rebound, push the ball up the court, move with purpose on offense, move the ball with purpose, and quit running the ball screen offense if we can't run it right. How about playing with emotion and passion. I see none right now. All that said; we are tied at the half.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Second half going better. We're making shots finally.

The one negative thing I'll say about our team is that we are finesse drivers. We almost always drive away from contact. Clemson is a good example of a team that drives into contact. The officials are calling contact on drives. We need to do a better job of seeking out that contact. And driving more. If not, we're going to have to shoot a high percentage on jumpers.

Jackson and Tatum are both freshmen. They were used to just being more athletic than their opponents in high school. The only physical driver on the team is Allen and he rarely does it anymore because of injuries/risk of him getting national attention for something physical.

[CDu]

Second half going better. We're making shots finally.

The one negative thing I'll say about our team is that we are finesse drivers. We almost always drive away from contact. Clemson is a good example of a team that drives into contact. The officials are calling contact on drives. We need to do a better job of seeking out that contact. And driving more. If not, we're going to have to shoot a high percentage on jumpers.

And to that point, the last two possessions we have done a MUCH better job of not fouling on Clemson drives. The second half defense has been much smarter so far.

Still settling for some tough shots at times on offense, but for the most part we are playing really well right now.

[sagegrouse]

Allen deserved the T because of context. It was a childish play and I'm tired of it. He's costing us both emotionally and physically. When are we going to actually speak the truth on here? His emotions are hurting the team and I'm tired of watching his little outbursts. Grow up, you fouled and are playing bad, be a man about it.

And Bolden looks lost and it's March... wow.
I don't think you are in a position to dictate to DBR, a Duke fan site. FWIW, Grayson plays on emotion, and there is both an upside and a downside. I'll take the bad with the good.

[arnie]

Clemson played 22 hrs ago and we are walking the ball up on almost every possession. It is time to quit fouling, rebound, push the ball up the court, move with purpose on offense, move the ball with purpose, and quit running the ball screen offense if we can't run it right. How about playing with emotion and passion. I see none right now. All that said; we are tied at the half.

Playing smarter now and it shows. Clemson very sloppy- how much of that is our D?

[CDu]

Jackson and Tatum are both freshmen. They were used to just being more athletic than their opponents in high school. The only physical driver on the team is Allen and he rarely does it anymore because of injuries/risk of him getting national attention for something physical.

I completely agree. Just noting it as a limitation with this team.

Kennard is usually good at drawing shooting fouls despite not being an explosive athlete. Today though he isn't getting those defenders in the air, and is settling for long jumpers.

[CDu]

Oh holy wanker Jayson Tatum!

[WHOneedsSOX]

Oh holy wanker Jayson Tatum!

Wow, what a finish. Once he gets that fadeaway down, he's going to be unstoppable in the NBA.

[CDu]

Playing smarter now and it shows. Clemson very sloppy- how much of that is our D?

Our defense has been really good all game. It's on the other end where things have been going better this half.

[curtis325]

Amile cleaning the glass!

[uh_no]

Why? Because he didn't catch it? Really bad call.

slamming the ball and then not catching it will get called almost every time, much like doing a pull-up on the rim, or a shooter jumping into you after you bite on a pump. It may not jibe 100% with the letter of the rule book, but it's how the game is called.

Players know that (or should). If you slam the ball, you run the risk of getting T-ed up if you screw up and don't catch it. When I saw it, I was sure he would get called for it....and he did.

[sagegrouse]

For a homework assignment, please diagram the ball movement on the last play where Amile took a pass, shot, missed, got the rebound after bouncing the ball in the air a few times before passing to Frank for a three.

[uh_no]

Oh holy wanker Jayson Tatum!

JT: the one true wankerizer!

[Hauerwas]

Tatum is a pro. Nice seeing him all in. Giles lost on screen and roll but his man up D is actually not bad at all.

[CDu]

We've managed our foul trouble really well. Only Allen (still with 3) and Giles (now with 3) in any trouble. Now we just need to withstand Clemson's aggressiveness and limit their layups and free throw attempts.

And of course we give up a pair of easy layups.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Tatum is a pro. Nice seeing him all in. Giles lost on screen and roll but his man up D is actually not bad at all.

I think with Giles it's just lack of reps. He just looks like he's trying to think of where to go instead of instinctively going to where he should go.

[kAzE]

Jeez . . . Harry looks lost on both ends of the floor.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Jeez . . . Harry looks lost on both ends of the floor.

Yeah not looking like Giles or Bolden are going to be able to help the team at all other than maybe a couple plays a game.

[CDu]

Defense is getting sloppy late. We're giving up layups. Gotta get back to what we were doing the first 32 minutes.

[Devilwin]

Letting it slip away now..Taking dumb shots.

[kAzE]

Defense is getting sloppy late. We're giving up layups. Gotta get back to what we were doing the first 32 minutes.

Well, the first 20 minutes we basically fouled nonstop. Maybe the first 12 minutes of the 2nd half . . .

[Monmouth77]

Hard to defend the post when Jefferson has 4 fouls and the other team goes right at him. This is where we need good minutes from Giles, but it's tough to take Amile off the court.

[WHOneedsSOX]

They really needed to put this game away a long time ago. Unnecessary tough minutes now for the starters.

[CDu]

Huge sequence there. Thomas misses the bunny, and then commits his fifth.

[CDu]

Great timeout too. I think our guys are a bit gassed on defense.

[CDu]

Now, hit free throws.

[curtis325]

Balanced scoring by the big three.

[arnie]

Balanced scoring by the big three.

A little scary at end, but played well in 2nd half.