MBB: Duke vs. Syracuse (Sat 2/24, 6:15 p.m. on ESPN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[DavidBenAkiva]

Saturday night in Cameron, Duke plays its penultimate home game of the 2017-18 regular season, hosting the Syracuse Orange. The atmosphere will be in the zone, no doubt.

This year's version of the Syracuse Orange is both tall and short. Let's start with the short part. Jim Boeheim is only playing 7 guys in his rotation. Three of these rotation players are playing an absurd amount of minutes. Guard Tyus Battle is averaging 40.1 minutes in conference games. That's right. He's averaging more minutes than a standard regulation game. Nominal point guard (more of a Grayson Allen combo-type) Franklin Howard is averaging 39.3 minutes in conference while freshman forward Oshae Brissett is averaging 38.7 minutes a game. Those three are on the court all of the time. And they provide the bulk of the offense, too.

Battle is a talented scorer, averaging 20.1 points per game. Most of that damage is coming inside the arc and at the free throw line. The sophomore is shooting just 28.7% from 3 on a high volume (5.8 attempts per game) in conference play. Maybe he has tired legs? He shoots above 80% from the free throw line and takes an average of 6 shots a game. He's a load to handle. The Duke zone will hopefully force him into taking those low-percentage perimeter shots to keep him in check.

Howard is the team's leading assist man, but he coughs the ball up a bunch, too, turning the ball over 3.1 times per game in conference. He's a better shooter than Battle from 3 and is not particularly adept at finishing inside the arc, averaging a pedestrian 39.3% on his 2-point attempts. Howard is a bit of a scoring point guard, averaging 15.7 points per game. Brissett, a 6'8" forward, is opening a lot of eyes during his first season in the ACC. He's the team's leading rebounder and shooting well from behind the arc at 38.6%.

After the three ironmen of the Orange, there's the tall part of the team. Junior center Paschal Chukwu is a tall 7'2" (but just 226 pounds). He starts alongside 6'9" 180 pound freshman forward Marek Dolezaj of Slovakia. Both of the frontcourt starters average about 5 points a game. Chukwu grabs the second most rebounds on the team at 7.1 in conference while swatting 2.3 blocks. Delezaj gives you a little bit of rebounding but not much in the way of perimeter shooting. He likes to keep it closer to the rim. Supplementing the two frontcourt players is the Syracuse "bench," sophomore forward Matthew Moyer (6'8" 220 pounds) and freshman forward Bourama Sidibe (6'10" 205 pounds). Chukwu and Dolezaj average about 28-29 minutes a game but neither takes more than 3 field goal attempts per outing. The heavy lifting of the offense is carried by the trio of Battle, Howard, and Brissett.

The Orange began the season well, going 10-1 with the sole loss occurring at the hands of Kansas in early December. Since then, things have fallen askew a bit with an 8-9 record including 4 of their last 7 games in conference. Their losses are all fairly close affairs - by 4 at home against UNC on Wednesday night, by 4 at Georgia Tech in late January, by 11 at Florida State, by 7 at Virginia, by 2 at home against Notre Dame, and by 6 at Wake Forest - with the exception of a 15-point home loss at the hands of UVA mixed in there.

All that length in the zone makes them a good defensive team. They are 18th in the nation in effective field goal percentage (46.6%). Most of this comes from the difficulty teams have shooting the ball inside the arc. They allow just 39.2% field goal shooting against them, 6th in the nation. Not surprisingly, their 3P% is more pedestrian. Grayson and Gary having effective shooting will be key. Unlike Louisville, the Syracuse length makes them a pretty good offensive rebounding team. Their rebounding stats look somewhat similar to Duke's in that they are very good on the offensive glass and just so-so on the defensive boards. It's a flaw of the zone, after all. They also block a good number of shots, get a few steals, and just make it tough for a team to feel secure.

I anticipate a somewhat ugly looking game. Hopefully, Marvin Bagley III will be recovered and fully healthy to play. His offensive rebounding and passing skills seemt o make him ideal for breaking the zone from the high post. I believe Wendell Carter, Jr. is just as capable, but the combination of the two would be quite effective against the 2-3 zone. If Grayson and Gary are feeling it from 3 still on Saturday, things could open up for Duke. Let's get win 24!

[Saratoga2]

Saturday night in Cameron, Duke plays its penultimate home game of the 2017-18 regular season, hosting the Syracuse Orange. The atmosphere will be in the zone, no doubt.

This year's version of the Syracuse Orange is both tall and short. Let's start with the short part. Jim Boeheim is only playing 7 guys in his rotation. Three of these rotation players are playing an absurd amount of minutes. Guard Tyus Battle is averaging 40.1 minutes in conference games. That's right. He's averaging more minutes than a standard regulation game. Nominal point guard (more of a Grayson Allen combo-type) Franklin Howard is averaging 39.3 minutes in conference while freshman forward Oshae Brissett is averaging 38.7 minutes a game. Those three are on the court all of the time. And they provide the bulk of the offense, too.

Battle is a talented scorer, averaging 20.1 points per game. Most of that damage is coming inside the arc and at the free throw line. The sophomore is shooting just 28.7% from 3 on a high volume (5.8 attempts per game) in conference play. Maybe he has tired legs? He shoots above 80% from the free throw line and takes an average of 6 shots a game. He's a load to handle. The Duke zone will hopefully force him into taking those low-percentage perimeter shots to keep him in check.

Howard is the team's leading assist man, but he coughs the ball up a bunch, too, turning the ball over 3.1 times per game in conference. He's a better shooter than Battle from 3 and is not particularly adept at finishing inside the arc, averaging a pedestrian 39.3% on his 2-point attempts. Howard is a bit of a scoring point guard, averaging 15.7 points per game. Brissett, a 6'8" forward, is opening a lot of eyes during his first season in the ACC. He's the team's leading rebounder and shooting well from behind the arc at 38.6%.

After the three ironmen of the Orange, there's the tall part of the team. Junior center Paschal Chukwu is a tall 7'2" (but just 226 pounds). He starts alongside 6'9" 180 pound freshman forward Marek Dolezaj of Slovakia. Both of the frontcourt starters average about 5 points a game. Chukwu grabs the second most rebounds on the team at 7.1 in conference while swatting 2.3 blocks. Delezaj gives you a little bit of rebounding but not much in the way of perimeter shooting. He likes to keep it closer to the rim. Supplementing the two frontcourt players is the Syracuse "bench," sophomore forward Matthew Moyer (6'8" 220 pounds) and freshman forward Bourama Sidibe (6'10" 205 pounds). Chukwu and Dolezaj average about 28-29 minutes a game but neither takes more than 3 field goal attempts per outing. The heavy lifting of the offense is carried by the trio of Battle, Howard, and Brissett.

The Orange began the season well, going 10-1 with the sole loss occurring at the hands of Kansas in early December. Since then, things have fallen askew a bit with an 8-9 record including 4 of their last 7 games in conference. Their losses are all fairly close affairs - by 4 at home against UNC on Wednesday night, by 4 at Georgia Tech in late January, by 11 at Florida State, by 7 at Virginia, by 2 at home against Notre Dame, and by 6 at Wake Forest - with the exception of a 15-point home loss at the hands of UVA mixed in there.

All that length in the zone makes them a good defensive team. They are 18th in the nation in effective field goal percentage (46.6%). Most of this comes from the difficulty teams have shooting the ball inside the arc. They allow just 39.2% field goal shooting against them, 6th in the nation. Not surprisingly, their 3P% is more pedestrian. Grayson and Gary having effective shooting will be key. Unlike Louisville, the Syracuse length makes them a pretty good offensive rebounding team. Their rebounding stats look somewhat similar to Duke's in that they are very good on the offensive glass and just so-so on the defensive boards. It's a flaw of the zone, after all. They also block a good number of shots, get a few steals, and just make it tough for a team to feel secure.

I anticipate a somewhat ugly looking game. Hopefully, Marvin Bagley III will be recovered and fully healthy to play. His offensive rebounding and passing skills seemt o make him ideal for breaking the zone from the high post. I believe Wendell Carter, Jr. is just as capable, but the combination of the two would be quite effective against the 2-3 zone. If Grayson and Gary are feeling it from 3 still on Saturday, things could open up for Duke. Let's get win 24!

Nice summary and I expect this game to be more of a challenge than any of the last 4. GT not so much, VT has a number of capable outside shooters but not much size inside, Clemson a very good and physical team but depleted when they faced us, and Louisville, not much of a challenge at all. Syracuse has size and took UNC to the limit so will be more difficult. Will watch the MBIII situation as he wold be an added plus.

[tbyers11]

Nice summary and I expect this game to be more of a challenge than any of the last 4. GT not so much, VT has a number of capable outside shooters but not much size inside, Clemson a very good and physical team but depleted when they faced us, and Louisville, not much of a challenge at all. Syracuse has size and took UNC to the limit so will be more difficult. Will watch the MBIII situation as he wold be an added plus.

Syracuse is no slouch and we will have to continue to play well. However, despite how they looked last night, I think that Spalding and Mahmoud are superior bigs compared to Chukwu and Dolezaj.

I foresee Battle, Brissett, and Howard to be the bigger problem with Syracuse.

[CDu]

It should be a really fun game this Saturday, and I hope to receive a one-day-early birthday present. The matchup will pit a pair of 2-3 zone teams. Ironically, our 2-3 zone might be more formidable than the Cuse 2-3 zone this year, in spite of Boeheim having basically taught Coach K how to coach a 2-3 zone.

The Orange run a zone that will look VERY similar to our zone. They play a really aggressive zone with their forwards moving all up and down the flanks depending upon the positioning of the offensive players. They'll trap in the corners and on the sidelines. They will use their length and athleticism to create havoc. And if they had just a little more talent, they'd be the nightmare they can usually be. They have the 12th best defense over the course of the season (we currently sit at 17th in T-Rank and 27th in Pomeroy, though both numbers belie how well we have played in zone). Like us, they defend FG attempts quite well. Like us, they are not great at defensive rebounding. Unlike us, they are decent at forcing turnovers (though again, our numbers will look better when we are in zone). And unlike us, they commit fouls (the discrepancy is greater now that we are in zone). But basically, what you see from us in zone is relatively comparable to what you see from Syracuse in zone. Should be a fun test given our offensive rebounding prowess.

Offensively is where the two teams diverse. The Cuse just aren't great offensively. Their biggest problems are that they just can't shoot. They are 300th in the nation in 3pt%, and that number isn't much better in ACC play. They do a decent job on the offensive glass, although less so in ACC play where they have been mediocre. They also draw a lot of fouls with their athletic guards/wings, and they shoot well from the line. But this is a bottom tier of the ACC team on offense.

As you might expect, the Orange play VERY slow. They are 341st in the country in pace. Combined with our zone, this could be a low-scoring game (relatively speaking). I wouldn't be shocked to see Syracuse's score in the 50s.

Centers: Paschal Chukwu (7'2", 230lb junior transfer from Providence) is the man in the middle. Chukwu is a gifted run/jump athlete for his size, and is obviously a huge shotblocking presence. But he's not very strong, and has basically zero offensive skills. He is a good offensive rebounder and can dunk, but isn't going to score on post ups. We will need to account for him on the baseline and keep him off the glass. But he's largely a nonfactor on offense. Defensively, he blocks A LOT of shots, but is a poor rebounder (a common affliction for shotblockers). And he can be bodied out of position easily. He also fouls at a high rate for being the center on a zone team. Bourama Sidibe (6'10", 205lb freshman) is the backup C, and he's largely a "ditto" to Chukwu. Terrific shotblocker, good athlete, no polish offensively. Sidibe is substantially more foul-prone than Chukwu, and is even less stout physically.

Forwards: Forwards are the staple of Boeheim's zone. They tend to be long and lean. This year's group is no exception. Oshae Brissett (6'8", 210lb freshman) is the top dog among the forwards. Brissett has made a great deal of progress as a catch-and-shoot player, but the strength of his game is still definitely his length, athleticism, and energy. He is a fantastic defensive rebounder and leads the team in total rebounds. He is a pretty decent 3pt shooter (34%), but really struggles elsewhere (35% overall). When he can stand still, though, his shot has been solid (80% FT shooter). Worth noting that Brissett has shot 13-30 from 3 over the past 5 games, so he is dangerous. If Brissett comes out of the game, it won't be for long. Marek Dolezaj (6'9", 180lb freshman from Slovakia) is the other starter. Dolezaj is a fairly nimble guy at 6'9", with a skill set not unlike Mike Dunleavy's. He's not nearly as good, most especially not as a shooter yet. But he's got ball skills and good fluid athleticism. He isn't going to jump out of the gym, but he is not a stiff. He's more of a combo forward that fits nicely in the 2-3 where he doesn't have to be a true post or true perimeter guy. Dolezaj is still adapting to US basketball, and fouls too much at times. Probably a year or two away from being an impact player, but not a terrible player now. Behind Brissett and Dolezaj is the Cuse's only other major minutes getter, Matthew Moyer (6'8", 215lb redshirt freshman). Moyer is a high-energy, glue guy type that fits in nicely at the forward spot in the 2-3. He doesn't bring a lot of skills to the table at this point though, and mostly does dirty work type of stuff. Decent defensive rebounder, not really noteworthy anywhere else.

Wings: The Orange pretty much just play one wing, Tyus Battle (6'6", 205lb sophomore). Battle is a fearless scorer who is asked to carry an inordinate amount of the offensive load for Syracuse. He is a terrific athlete, very capable off the dribble and finishing in traffic. He's a really streaky jumpshooter though, and is a little too willing to shoot his way out of a "slump." He's a career 34% 3pt shooter on over 5 attempts per game. Battle is best off the dribble attacking the basket and drawing fouls, where he is a terrific free throw shooter. I expect that skill to be mitigated by our zone, but he's quite capable of getting hot with the jumper. He averages 20 for the season, and has scored 20+ in 14 games this year. A very dynamic player who will play in the NBA perhaps as early as next year. Battle almost never leaves the court, having come out of the game just 3 times since December started (and one of those was because he fouled out after 39 minutes).

Guards: See above. Frank Howard (6'5", 205lb junior) has come out of the game only slightly more often than Battle, and has played every minute of the last 7 games. Howard is a combo guard who has really improved this year from being an afterthought the past two seasons. He is a big, strong, athletic guard who can handle the ball and is adequate as a PG, but it really isn't a strength of his game. He's developed into a fairly effective 3pt shooter (35%, best on the team) and not awful free throw shooter (70%). But like Battle, he's more athletic than he is polished. Perhaps even moreso, as Battle is a better FT shooter and FG shooter overall. Still, for what Howard is asked to do playing 40 minutes at PG, he's had an impressive season. It's not his fault that the team just doesn't have enough weapons right now.

The Orange basically have three guys that can score (Battle, Howard, and Brissett) and two guys who can dribble (Battle and Howard). It's phenomenal that they have been as competitive as they've been this year, and that's a testament to Boeheim's coaching and that zone. The Orange are also very young at several spots, and inexperienced almost everywhere.

This is a game we need to win. I think we will do so. I like that it is at home, where we seem much more comfortable. Syracuse is just too young and too lacking in talent in my opinion. The key will be containing Battle and Howard. If we do that, the Orange get VERY stagnant on offense. And I don't think they are good enough defensively to beat us if they aren't playing well on offense.

[uh_no]

two zone teams..... bet the under!

[Kedsy]

Nice summary and I expect this game to be more of a challenge than any of the last 4. GT not so much, VT has a number of capable outside shooters but not much size inside, Clemson a very good and physical team but depleted when they faced us, and Louisville, not much of a challenge at all. Syracuse has size and took UNC to the limit so will be more difficult. Will watch the MBIII situation as he wold be an added plus.

I don't think we should ever overlook an opponent, but according to Pomeroy, Clemson is #17 in the country, Va Tech is #28, Louisville is #38, and Syracuse is #51.

Syracuse took UNC "to the limit" in Syracuse. This game is at Duke. Obviously it could happen -- we could even lose, though I hope not. Games aren't played on the computer. But there's no reason to believe Syracuse will be "more of a challenge" than Virginia Tech or @Clemson or Louisville.

[CDu]

I don't think we should ever overlook an opponent, but according to Pomeroy, Clemson is #17 in the country, Va Tech is #28, Louisville is #38, and Syracuse is #51.

Syracuse took UNC "to the limit" in Syracuse. This game is at Duke. Obviously it could happen -- we could even lose, though I hope not. Games aren't played on the computer. But there's no reason to believe Syracuse will be "more of a challenge" than Virginia Tech or @Clemson or Louisville.

Agreed. Syracuse should be more of a test than GT. And they are the second best defense we will face in this stretch. But there is no clear reason to be more concerned about them than one was about Louisville or VT at home, and definitely less than Clemson at Clemson, even without Mitchell. In fact, I would say Syracuse looks a lot like a Clemson without Mitchell in terms of quality, only we have the home/road advantage this time.

[freshmanjs]

Will Syracuse have an advantage playing zone offense, since they practice against the zone all the time?

[TruBlu]

For those worried about such things, I have retired my lucky Home attendance game shirt since the Virginia game. It served us well til then, but is now my yard work shirt. My new lucky game shirt is undefeated. Hopefully it will have a long career, and is not a OAD.

[DukeBlue666s]

It should be a really fun game this Saturday, and I hope to receive a one-day-early birthday present. The matchup will pit a pair of 2-3 zone teams. Ironically, our 2-3 zone might be more formidable than the Cuse 2-3 zone this year, in spite of Boeheim having basically taught Coach K how to coach a 2-3 zone.

The Orange run a zone that will look VERY similar to our zone. They play a really aggressive zone with their forwards moving all up and down the flanks depending upon the positioning of the offensive players. They'll trap in the corners and on the sidelines. They will use their length and athleticism to create havoc. And if they had just a little more talent, they'd be the nightmare they can usually be. They have the 12th best defense over the course of the season (we currently sit at 17th in T-Rank and 27th in Pomeroy, though both numbers belie how well we have played in zone). Like us, they defend FG attempts quite well. Like us, they are not great at defensive rebounding. Unlike us, they are decent at forcing turnovers (though again, our numbers will look better when we are in zone). And unlike us, they commit fouls (the discrepancy is greater now that we are in zone). But basically, what you see from us in zone is relatively comparable to what you see from Syracuse in zone. Should be a fun test given our offensive rebounding prowess.

Offensively is where the two teams diverse. The Cuse just aren't great offensively. Their biggest problems are that they just can't shoot. They are 300th in the nation in 3pt%, and that number isn't much better in ACC play. They do a decent job on the offensive glass, although less so in ACC play where they have been mediocre. They also draw a lot of fouls with their athletic guards/wings, and they shoot well from the line. But this is a bottom tier of the ACC team on offense.

As you might expect, the Orange play VERY slow. They are 341st in the country in pace. Combined with our zone, this could be a low-scoring game (relatively speaking). I wouldn't be shocked to see Syracuse's score in the 50s.

Centers: Paschal Chukwu (7'2", 230lb junior transfer from Providence) is the man in the middle. Chukwu is a gifted run/jump athlete for his size, and is obviously a huge shotblocking presence. But he's not very strong, and has basically zero offensive skills. He is a good offensive rebounder and can dunk, but isn't going to score on post ups. We will need to account for him on the baseline and keep him off the glass. But he's largely a nonfactor on offense. Defensively, he blocks A LOT of shots, but is a poor rebounder (a common affliction for shotblockers). And he can be bodied out of position easily. He also fouls at a high rate for being the center on a zone team. Bourama Sidibe (6'10", 205lb freshman) is the backup C, and he's largely a "ditto" to Chukwu. Terrific shotblocker, good athlete, no polish offensively. Sidibe is substantially more foul-prone than Chukwu, and is even less stout physically.

Forwards: Forwards are the staple of Boeheim's zone. They tend to be long and lean. This year's group is no exception. Oshae Brissett (6'8", 210lb freshman) is the top dog among the forwards. Brissett has made a great deal of progress as a catch-and-shoot player, but the strength of his game is still definitely his length, athleticism, and energy. He is a fantastic defensive rebounder and leads the team in total rebounds. He is a pretty decent 3pt shooter (34%), but really struggles elsewhere (35% overall). When he can stand still, though, his shot has been solid (80% FT shooter). Worth noting that Brissett has shot 13-30 from 3 over the past 5 games, so he is dangerous. If Brissett comes out of the game, it won't be for long. Marek Dolezaj (6'9", 180lb freshman from Slovakia) is the other starter. Dolezaj is a fairly nimble guy at 6'9", with a skill set not unlike Mike Dunleavy's. He's not nearly as good, most especially not as a shooter yet. But he's got ball skills and good fluid athleticism. He isn't going to jump out of the gym, but he is not a stiff. He's more of a combo forward that fits nicely in the 2-3 where he doesn't have to be a true post or true perimeter guy. Dolezaj is still adapting to US basketball, and fouls too much at times. Probably a year or two away from being an impact player, but not a terrible player now. Behind Brissett and Dolezaj is the Cuse's only other major minutes getter, Matthew Moyer (6'8", 215lb redshirt freshman). Moyer is a high-energy, glue guy type that fits in nicely at the forward spot in the 2-3. He doesn't bring a lot of skills to the table at this point though, and mostly does dirty work type of stuff. Decent defensive rebounder, not really noteworthy anywhere else.

Wings: The Orange pretty much just play one wing, Tyus Battle (6'6", 205lb sophomore). Battle is a fearless scorer who is asked to carry an inordinate amount of the offensive load for Syracuse. He is a terrific athlete, very capable off the dribble and finishing in traffic. He's a really streaky jumpshooter though, and is a little too willing to shoot his way out of a "slump." He's a career 34% 3pt shooter on over 5 attempts per game. Battle is best off the dribble attacking the basket and drawing fouls, where he is a terrific free throw shooter. I expect that skill to be mitigated by our zone, but he's quite capable of getting hot with the jumper. He averages 20 for the season, and has scored 20+ in 14 games this year. A very dynamic player who will play in the NBA perhaps as early as next year. Battle almost never leaves the court, having come out of the game just 3 times since December started (and one of those was because he fouled out after 39 minutes).

Guards: See above. Frank Howard (6'5", 205lb junior) has come out of the game only slightly more often than Battle, and has played every minute of the last 7 games. Howard is a combo guard who has really improved this year from being an afterthought the past two seasons. He is a big, strong, athletic guard who can handle the ball and is adequate as a PG, but it really isn't a strength of his game. He's developed into a fairly effective 3pt shooter (35%, best on the team) and not awful free throw shooter (70%). But like Battle, he's more athletic than he is polished. Perhaps even moreso, as Battle is a better FT shooter and FG shooter overall. Still, for what Howard is asked to do playing 40 minutes at PG, he's had an impressive season. It's not his fault that the team just doesn't have enough weapons right now.

The Orange basically have three guys that can score (Battle, Howard, and Brissett) and two guys who can dribble (Battle and Howard). It's phenomenal that they have been as competitive as they've been this year, and that's a testament to Boeheim's coaching and that zone. The Orange are also very young at several spots, and inexperienced almost everywhere.

This is a game we need to win. I think we will do so. I like that it is at home, where we seem much more comfortable. Syracuse is just too young and too lacking in talent in my opinion. The key will be containing Battle and Howard. If we do that, the Orange get VERY stagnant on offense. And I don't think they are good enough defensively to beat us if they aren't playing well on offense.

I believe you and I share the same birthday!

[dragoneye776]

I don't think we should ever overlook an opponent, but according to Pomeroy, Clemson is #17 in the country, Va Tech is #28, Louisville is #38, and Syracuse is #51.

Syracuse took UNC "to the limit" in Syracuse. This game is at Duke. Obviously it could happen -- we could even lose, though I hope not. Games aren't played on the computer. But there's no reason to believe Syracuse will be "more of a challenge" than Virginia Tech or @Clemson or Louisville.

I actually wouldn't overlook them at all. You just have to look at the last two years to see that Duke lost both of their matchups to an unranked Syracuse despite having much more talent. Not saying it will happen, but there's definitely a chance Boeheim causes a good deal of confusion in our offense with his patented zone and Bagley's first game back.

[Troublemaker]

If Syracuse gets down to us by double digits in the second half, they may whip out a very aggressive full-court press. UNC got a taste of that in Cuse's last game, and the Heels did not fare well against it, almost blowing the game. (And most famously, UVA didn't fare well against it in the Elite 8 game a couple of years ago).

I'll be very interested in seeing how Grayson and Trevon do against this press.

[Kfanarmy]

I don't think we should ever overlook an opponent, but according to Pomeroy, Clemson is #17 in the country, Va Tech is #28, Louisville is #38, and Syracuse is #51.

Syracuse took UNC "to the limit" in Syracuse. This game is at Duke. Obviously it could happen -- we could even lose, though I hope not. Games aren't played on the computer. But there's no reason to believe Syracuse will be "more of a challenge" than Virginia Tech or @Clemson or Louisville.

Thought Syracuse was going to beat UNC, but Cuse had a stretch late in the game where they were throwing up bricks, some well guarded, some not so much.

[Furniture]

I’ll be in the zone for this one too!

[ChillinDuke]

If Syracuse gets down to us by double digits in the second half, they may whip out a very aggressive full-court press. UNC got a taste of that in Cuse's last game, and the Heels did not fare well against it, almost blowing the game. (And most famously, UVA didn't fare well against it in the Elite 8 game a couple of years ago).

I'll be very interested in seeing how Grayson and Trevon do against this press.

MBIII would presumably be helpful in such a scenario, able to bring the ball up as a big man. Hope he is available.

- Chillin

[duketaylor]

I've heard that Rod Serling's ghost will be present tomorrow around twilight:rolleyes:

[BandAlum83]

Go Duke!!!

[kshepinthehouse]

Did the game time get changed? It says 12:00 on the Duke Basketball Report schedule under the SB nation website.

[uh_no]

Did the game time get changed? It says 12:00 on the Duke Basketball Report schedule under the SB nation website.

game's at 6. it was TBD for a while and a couple weeks ago was put at 6.

[Tripping William]

game's at 6. it was TBD for a while and a couple weeks ago was put at 6.

GoDuke.com (website (http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=1845&SPSID=22726&DB_OEM_ID=4200) and app) says 6:15 p.m. I get to attend (yay!), but will try not to cut it too close. :o

[uh_no]

GoDuke.com (website (http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=1845&SPSID=22726&DB_OEM_ID=4200) and app) says 6:15 p.m. I get to attend (yay!), but will try not to cut it too close. :o

the music department decided in an effort to increase attendance, they would try a saturday concert. of course their first try overlaps with a basketball game. oops.

Go duke! Apologies to my section 13 buddies:(

[PackMan97]

I haven't heard it said, but I think this is pretty close to a must win game for Syracuse.

We've heard that teams .500 in their conference will get a little extra attention on the bubble, and that puts Syracuse at 7-8 needing to win all three games left. @Duke is their toughest, but they are also @BC and host Clemson to end the season. None of those gimmies given they've lost @Wake and @GT (bet they wish they could have those games back). Although Syracuse has 4 RPI Top 50 wins, none of them are really signature wins. @ #28 Miami, #36 Buffalo, #46 VT, @ #49 Lousiville. They are also in danger of having UConn and BC drop out as top 100 wins. Dancecard has them firmly in at #41 (out of 47) but if a few upsets happen in the conference tourneys it could eat into the number of at-large bids. I would hate to be Syracuse and have to compare my resume to NC State, VT or FSU and their RPI Top 10 wins and what will likely be 10-8 conference records or better.

A loss to Duke puts Syracuse on a razor thin margin. Just a little extra to think about as the game approaches.

[Bob Green]

Vegas currently has Duke favored by 13 points with the Over/Under set at 144:

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/teams/team-page.cfm/team/duke

[subzero02]

We covered our last 4 spreads and our last 3 games have gone under. I think both trends continue tomorrow.

[kako]

I think this game could be a trap game. On a winning streak, last one a big win over Ville, going on the road next against Va Tech, then back home for the rematch finale against the Heels... Hopefully Allen and Trent will be zonebusters, and Duke has learned some things playing against the zone in practice. But the Cuse has beaten Duke the last 2 games, one of which was at Cameron. They have had even more practice over the years playing against the zone. A win vs. Duke could bring them back on the bubble, so this is a huge game for them. They play BC next and then they have Clemson at home - possibly winnable games, which after a Duke win puts them 10-8 in conference. So they are fighting for their lives, while Duke is not.

I have to trust K has the team on it's toes, but I'll breathe much easier if I see Allen's shots falling... and if Bagley is back.

9F

[dukelifer]

I think this game could be a trap game. On a winning streak, last one a big win over Ville, going on the road next against Va Tech, then back home for the rematch finale against the Heels... Hopefully Allen and Trent will be zonebusters, and Duke has learned some things playing against the zone in practice. But the Cuse has beaten Duke the last 2 games, one of which was at Cameron. They have had even more practice over the years playing against the zone. A win vs. Duke could bring them back on the bubble, so this is a huge game for them. They play BC next and then they have Clemson at home - possibly winnable games, which after a Duke win puts them 10-8 in conference. So they are fighting for their lives, while Duke is not.

I have to trust K has the team on it's toes, but I'll breathe much easier if I see Allen's shots falling... and if Bagley is back.

9F
A trap game - no. A difficult game- probably. If not focused, Duke could easily lose 3 in a row and that would likely take them from a 2 to a 4. This is a big game for Duke as well. The team knows it.

[Troublemaker]

I think this game could be a trap game. On a winning streak, last one a big win over Ville, going on the road next against Va Tech, then back home for the rematch finale against the Heels... Hopefully Allen and Trent will be zonebusters, and Duke has learned some things playing against the zone in practice. But the Cuse has beaten Duke the last 2 games, one of which was at Cameron. They have had even more practice over the years playing against the zone. A win vs. Duke could bring them back on the bubble, so this is a huge game for them. They play BC next and then they have Clemson at home - possibly winnable games, which after a Duke win puts them 10-8 in conference. So they are fighting for their lives, while Duke is not.

I have to trust K has the team on it's toes, but I'll breathe much easier if I see Allen's shots falling... and if Bagley is back.

9F

I've come around to thinking this is going to be a tricky game, but I don't think it'll be because it's a trap game. This current feeling of being a dominant team is so new to our guys that I think they're having a blast out there on the court and are extremely motivated to keep the good times rolling. We will "want" this game as much as Syracuse.

But the basketball matchup is seemingly tricky. At least on paper, I think Cuse's 2-3 zone (#10 in kenpom D) is not a great matchup for our roster. We only start two shooters and we don't have anyone that I think would be great operating at the free throw area (although maybe someone will surprise me). 6 of our past 11 games, our offense has had a turnover rate over 20%, including in our blowout of Louisville. I'm concerned that our guys are going to make bad passes against this zone. In football terms, this may be a game where you want to "punt on first down", i.e. let the other team have the ball and screw up, and then you get to score off their turnovers instead of the other way around. Implicit in that is that I think **our** zone is going to give Cuse a lot of trouble as well. Boeheim will be grimacing on the sideline thinking to himself that he shouldn't have taught Coach K so well in the ways of his zone.

[weezie]

I'm concerned about the mental focus of the team.

There are a lot of flaming torches being juggled by K right now.

[Bob Green]

But the basketball matchup is seemingly tricky. At least on paper, I think Cuse's 2-3 zone (#10 in kenpom D) is not a great matchup for our roster. We only start two shooters and we don't have anyone that I think would be great operating at the free throw area (although maybe someone will surprise me).

Javin DeLaurier could have a lot of success working the baseline. If Trent and Allen can stretch the Syracuse zone with some made 3 PT FGs, sneaking DeLaurier behind the zone might work perhaps with Carter making the pass from the FT area..

[Bob Green]

Update:


@DukeMBB
2m2 minutes ago

NEWS: Freshman forward Marvin Bagley III will be available to play tonight when the Blue Devils host Syracuse.

:cool:

[Troublemaker]

Offensive rebounding can also hurt the zone. With our full complement of bigs available, hopefully we get a bunch of second-chance points.

[Rickshaw]

I have expected to win every game we have lost. (and won some I thought we would loose)

[Rickshaw]

gould lock ! sorry, tried to edit

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

We won't be sitting in our regular seats this time, but in our secondary pair. Last time we sat there, they turned out to be ringside seats on that end for Dockery's spectacular buzzer beater against VT. Hope we don't need one again, but what fun THAT was!
Love, Ima

[UrinalCake]

Yeah, VT would be the trap game. Third game in six days, on the road, before the UNC finale. I’m usually pessimistic but I’m not worried about tonight’s game at all. Syracuse doesn’t have the offensive firepower to hang with us. The first half will stay close as we integrate Bagley and figure out the zone, much like the UVA game. But in the second half we’ll pull away comfortably.

[subzero02]

Bagley is listed as probable on vegasinsider. We are favored by 13.5 to 14 points at most sports books, up by .5 to 1 point.

[kako]

Yeah, VT would be the trap game. Third game in six days, on the road, before the UNC finale. I’m usually pessimistic but I’m not worried about tonight’s game at all. Syracuse doesn’t have the offensive firepower to hang with us. The first half will stay close as we integrate Bagley and figure out the zone, much like the UVA game. But in the second half we’ll pull away comfortably.

I hope you are right about today's game. Given the VaTech game is on the road, I'm thinking they are more up for that game than this one. If Duke hadn't wiped Ville off the court this week, I'd be less wary of this game... but that's just me. To the other poster, Duke dropping from 2 to 4 could be big, but Cuse absolutely needs this game to dance. 9-9 in conference doesn't get them in this year, but 10-8 with a Duke win at Cameron is very meaningful. Boeheim knows this.

Anyway, I hope I'm totally wrong. Allen and Trent bomb 15 3's, the bigs own the boards, Cuse can't hit anything and Bagley & Carter both score a double-double. While I'm at it, DeLaurier and Bolden combine for a double-double, AOC hits double figures, Duval has a triple double (assists, steals and points, taking no jumpers) and Buckmeyer plays and hits a 3. Boeheim, knowing he's defeated from the start, just sits on the bench with that hang dog look, and afterwards he goes to Bullocks for some barbecue.

9F

[CDu]

Update:



:cool:

But I thought he was making a business decision to sit out the rest of the year!

[-jk]

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Let's Go Duke!

-jk

[Newton_14]

Carter is suited up and playing in case anyone was nervous 😬

[Bob Green]

Carter is suited up and playing in case anyone was nervous 😬

I wasn't nervous but thanks for the information!

[indy1duke]

Bags looks good going through warm ups. He has not lost any hops.

[riverside6]

Live tempo-based stats for Duke/Syracuse, starters posted...
https://www.scacchoops.com/syracuse-at-duke-basketball-live-stats-02242018

[jwillfan]

Bilas doing the KU game so we don't have to suffer him

[kmspeaks]

Bilas doing the KU game so we don't have to suffer him

I'd rather have Bilas than Vitale, he's easier to ignore.

[jipops]

Nobody can score from the perimeter in this game.

[AGDukesky]

So Bagley returns and Allen suddenly can’t shoot anymore...

[TheOldBattleship]

Both teams are starting to run nice offense against the zone: lots of interior passing, overloads to make the 5s make tough choices, and good finishing around the rim. Gotta adjust and have our wings crash down a bit earlier, much like we did in the last game. Most notable thing about the game so far to me (other than Bagley looking pretty good in his first game back) is the physicality that the refs are allowing. There's a LOT of contact being allowed when guys are going up for shots, and especially when there are loose balls. Gotta stay tough but not lose our tempers (Allen's gotta lead the way, there).

[TheOldBattleship]

There's a LOT of contact being allowed when guys are going up for shots, and especially when there are loose balls.

I should have said that there's a lot of contact being allowed by the refs *for everyone except DeLaurier*.

[Mak P]

Why is our guards missing at home?

[Eternal Outlaw]

Both teams are starting to run nice offense against the zone: lots of interior passing, overloads to make the 5s make tough choices, and good finishing around the rim. Gotta adjust and have our wings crash down a bit earlier, much like we did in the last game. Most notable thing about the game so far to me (other than Bagley looking pretty good in his first game back) is the physicality that the refs are allowing. There's a LOT of contact being allowed when guys are going up for shots, and especially when there are loose balls. Gotta stay tough but not lose our tempers (Allen's gotta lead the way, there).

And yet without fail, they still called one of our bigs for an offensive foul trying to lock in position thinking that physical level is allowed.

[mr. synellinden]

By my calculation, Syracuse had .5 PPP that half. Wow.

The defense looks fast, lightning quick and cohesive. A step ahead of their offense - almost like we know in advance where the ball is going. This zone is devastating right now with the length and athleticism at every position.

[TheOldBattleship]

The pace is very much in line with how we've been playing defensively the past few games, and, again, it's pretty obviously working. Other than a short stretch of a few possessions from about the 8 min mark to the 5 min mark, Cuse can't get ANYTHING going offensively, and the fact that they are almost invariably down to a few seconds on the clock by the time they get anything initiated is certainly not helping them out. (And for the doubters out there, Bagley has, in general, fit right into the zone scheme defensively.)

[Dub]

We just gave up 16 points in the entire first half!?! Let that sink in. We’re turning into UVA-Durham at the absolute perfect time. If Grayson and Gary start heating up, ‘Cuse will get ran out of the gym. And MBIII just picks up where he left off. He makes the game of basketball look so easy offensively. Looking forward to an exciting (hopefully stress-free) second half! Let’s go Duke!

[BlueDevilBrowns]

By my calculation, Syracuse had .5 PPP that half. Wow.

The defense looks fast, lightning quick and cohesive. A step ahead of their offense - almost like we know in advance where the ball is going. This zone is devastating right now with the length and athleticism at every position.

Agreed. Defense is active, energetic, and suffocating.

The offense needs to slow down. We run some motion sets, stay patient, and get good looks, the shots will fall.

Overall, this team is getting better.

[TheOldBattleship]

And yet without fail, they still called one of our bigs for an offensive foul trying to lock in position thinking that physical level is allowed.

Ugh, I know, right? I feel like the powers that be in the NCAA have secretly mandated at least one of that type of call (that basically never makes any sense in the game flow) must be made in every half of every college basketball game.

[Chard]

So Bagley returns and Allen suddenly can’t shoot anymore...

Other than Bagley, nobody is shooting very well.

[hibby91]

We are getting a lot of contributions and minutes from our bench. 4 people playing a role. It will probably tighten up in the second half, but it is nice that K seems to trust the bench to hold their own.

[jv001]

Grayson and Gary are shooting a little quicker than normal because the Syracuse guards are closing fast on three point attempts. Need the shot fake and drive or reload for the three. The inside passing has been great with Carter and Bags looking good. Another good performance for Jack and Coach K seems to have confidence in the Aussie. GoDuke!

[juise]

We are getting a lot of contributions and minutes from our bench. 4 people playing a role. It will probably tighten up in the second half, but it is nice that K seems to trust the bench to hold their own.

Another genius move by Coach K. Need to bolster the bench contribution? Bring Bagley off the bench. Done and done. Scheyer must be proud. ;)

[TheOldBattleship]

Our offense (particularly, our shotmaking) hasn't been good so far, but let's not forget that Syracuse is legitimately really good this year defensively. They're 6th in the nation in opponent FG%, 12th in total opponent PPG (of course, the slow pace they play is a factor here, but part of that slow pace is how good they are in defensive transition), and 10th overall defensively according to our good friend KenPom. Part of our difficulty offensively is us, for sure, but part is just that Syracuse is tough to score against. They are long, athletic, and they obviously know how to play the zone.

[Mak P]

Trent needs to make a bucket damn

[gocanes0506]

Offense doesn’t exist. Its bad.

[dragoneye776]

By my calculation, Syracuse had .5 PPP that half. Wow.

Problem is, our offense was good for 0.7 PPP. Oh well, one thing at a time I suppose.

[rocketeli]

if you ever wondered what a game without any foul calls would look like wonder no longer--it's ugly. (and these are equal opportunity refs-both teams have had plenty to complain about

[BigZ]

Looks like the teams hit up happy hour at halftime

[Acymetric]

if you ever wondered what a game without any foul calls would look like wonder no longer--it's ugly. (and these are equal opportunity refs-both teams have had plenty to complain about

Who is the ref crew today? It isn't the reason we are playing so bad on offense (Syracuse plays good D and we are just way off) but they are making it a weird game to watch.

[BobBender]

The number of dunks sure is hiding the absence of a mid-range offense. And I’ve never seen a Devils team shoot from 3 like this at CIS

[Mak P]

If Duval could shoot he'll be a top 10 pick

[BigZ]

I don't think it's about Bagley back it's just a cold night

[jipops]

I expect every team from here on out to go zone against us.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

I expect every team from here on out to go zone against us.

I expect us to not go 0-15 from 3 from here on out.

So teams can play zone against us at their own peril.

[TheOldBattleship]

What a fantastic pass from Duval down the middle of the lane to Carter, who had REALLY sealed his man. Fouling out Chukwu is big for us.

[Dub]

So much pessimism and we’ve been up the whole game. I’m more impressed that given how off we’ve been from the perimeter, our defensive intensity hasn’t let up at all. We all know Duke can score 80 most nights with ease, but we’re out Cusing the Cuse and it’s a sight to behold. I for one am loving this. It’s a beautiful mess lol

[jipops]

Other than the mindless turnovers, I don't think our offense is that bad. We're getting very good looks from 3 that just aren't going down. We're torching their zone inside though.

[Trey21]

I love Duval's zip passes. If Grayson is going to run the ball up the floor, I'm loving how willingly and sharp Duval is passing it as a secondary ball handler.

[subzero02]

Duval needs to work on his press break decision making... too many forced passes

[TheOldBattleship]

Second straight game where we've just completely ground the other team down to where they don't really look like they have any interest in playing by the end of the game. Who woulda guessed early this year that we'd do that in a game where we shot ~40% from the field and 12% from three?

[Mak P]

Syracuse hitting shots at the wrong time

[subzero02]

If Syracuse didn't catch fire from 3 late in the game we would have won by 25.