2018-19 Basketball catch all thread

[MarkD83]

OK, the NBA draft is over and there are discussions about Duke players in the NBA. There are also threads about 2019 football and basketball recruiting.

In the 2018 basketball recruiting thread there are some comments about Bolden and DeLaurier.....

Perhaps it is time to start a thread specifically about 2018-19. How are the freshman doing at Duke...pick-up game thoughts...prep for the Canada trip..etc.

I have no great insight but just wanted to have a place to get info about the upcoming season.

[ChillinDuke]

OK, the NBA draft is over and there are discussions about Duke players in the NBA. There are also threads about 2019 football and basketball recruiting.

In the 2018 basketball recruiting thread there are some comments about Bolden and DeLaurier....

Perhaps it is time to start a thread specifically about 2018-19. How are the freshman doing at Duke...pick-up game thoughts...prep for the Canada trip..etc.

I have no great insight but just wanted to have a place to get info about the upcoming season.

It's been quite a while since I've heard about it, so I assume it's dead. But what ever happened to the Pro-Am that used to happen this time of year?

Always liked that little sneak peak.

- Chillin

[Indoor66]

Minutes in 5...4...3...2...

[mgtr]

I know it is too early for schedules, but what about dates for Canada, Maui, Countdown to Craziness? We must know something.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I know it is too early for schedules, but what about dates for Canada, Maui, Countdown to Craziness? We must know something.
I’m waiting for the date we play Texas Tech in NYC in December.

[Furniture]

https://frshoopz.com/cbb/coach-k-marques-bolden-will-be-one-of-the-best-big-men-in-country-next-season/

Coach K: Marques Bolden will be one of the best big men in the country next seasonBy
Jon Rothstein (https://frshoopz.com/author/jrothstein/)
June 25, 2018
Injuries have hampered the first two years of Marques Bolden’s college career. The former five-star prospect has had limited production after arriving at Duke with high expectations, but his head coach feels his fortunes are about to change.
“We feel like Marques Bolden will be one of the best big men in the country next season,” Mike Krzyzewski said Monday on the College Hoops Today Podcast. “If you look at his career, he’s always battled injuries. We’re hopeful that now that he’s healthy, he’s going to have a heck of a season for us.”

Bolden averaged 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds last season as a sophomore.

[Furniture]

In the spirit of this thread what about the first summer workout clip.
lots of good stuff here including a non booted Reddish!
https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1014594605583564800/video/1

I hope Coach K has got a boat load of food!

[Furniture]

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8472&stc=1

[4Gen]

I want everyone, everyone, to know that Zion is my new best friend and he's got my back.

Thank you.

[duke2x]

I’m waiting for the date we play Texas Tech in NYC in December.

The internet has been especially silent about the non-conference schedule this year. We usually have all but 1-2 of those games from opposing newspapers by now. Duke has announced that portion in mid-July a few times as well. Consider that UNC and Wake have announced there dates already. The Iron Duke ticket brochure used to have the meat of the ACC schedule 2-3 weeks early. It used to be a DBR board exclusive.

For TX Tech, I would pencil 12/8 (Sat during reading period) over the weekend before Christmas (Th 20 - Sat 22).

We know Maui. It's M/T/W before Thanksgiving every year. You can Sharpie this one.

[weezie]

In case anybody was wondering, the Iron Dukes don't give hoot one about the new tax law and non-deductibility of the old 80%.

No deductions and "would you mind giving several more dollars if you have it?" letter came earlier this week.

Full steam ahead.

And, I already know nobody feels sorry for us.

[DavidBenAkiva]

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8472&stc=1

There was a brief moment where I was like "HOLY CRAP DID AOC GROW 4 INCHES?!?!?" until I noticed something...

[OZZIE4DUKE]

There was a brief moment where I was like "HOLY CRAP DID AOC GROW 4 INCHES?!?!?" until I noticed something...
Cinder blocks!

[Furniture]

https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1015058257512198145/video/1

[budwom]

In case anybody was wondering, the Iron Dukes don't give hoot one about the new tax law and non-deductibility of the old 80%.

No deductions and "would you mind giving several more dollars if you have it?" letter came earlier this week.

Full steam ahead.

And, I already know nobody feels sorry for us.

I've learned not to expect much for the Iron Dukes (not that they made the current tax law)...my dealings with them seem to meet with cheerful semi competence...

[JasonEvans]

https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1015058257512198145/video/1

I just want to state for the record that this video in no way has me excited for the upcoming season. Nope, not at all. I am not even mildly excited.

-Jason "https://media.giphy.com/media/7kVRZwYRwF1ok/giphy.gif" Evans

[dukelifer]

I just want to state for the record that this video in no way has me excited for the upcoming season. Nope, not at all. I am not even mildly excited.

-Jason "https://media.giphy.com/media/7kVRZwYRwF1ok/giphy.gif" Evans

Makes me wonder if the rest of the Duke undergrads are putting in that kind of summer work for their upcoming semester ;)

[BD80]

https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1015058257512198145/video/1

It is just damn foolish to chest-bump Zion.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I know it's goal is to hype me up... and it worked!

https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1022138697653907456

[UrinalCake]

Is it too early to start speculating on the season? Now that the Maui bracket has been released, we have a pretty good idea of what the schedule is going to look like (minus the exact dates).

Champions Classic:
- Kentucky (ranked #1 or #2)

Maui Invitational:
- San Diego State, then likely Auburn (top-10) and Gonzaga (top-5)

ACC/B10 Challenge:
- Indiana (in Cameron)

Other OOC games:
- Texas Tech (in MSG)
- St. John's (in Cameron)

ACC Schedule:
- Home/Road: North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest
- Home: Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State
- Road: Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt, Virginia Tech

Then add in a few scrub opponents in the fall. By my count we have 13 games that I'd consider "losable." What I mean by that for each game, if we were to lose I wouldn't be surprised. That isn't to say that I expect to lose them all, or that we won't lose any of the other games, but basically these are the games that I will go into feeling a little worried. These games are the three November games, CHeat x2, Syracuse x2, UVA x2, @FSU, @Louisville, @ND, @VT. And yes, I am aware that there are other land mines as well. St. John's beat us last year. Indiana gave us a game. NC State is never a gimme even at home (they beat us in 2017 with our team mostly healthy).

Given this schedule, then adding the ACCT and NCAAT, I think a ten-loss season is a possibility. We lost 8 games last year and had a much easier schedule. We'll have a young team that will lose some games they shouldn't. The conference will be down, but still has some good teams and everybody will be gunning for us as always. And the start of our schedule is brutal, with three possible top-10 opponents in November.

What do you guys think? Am I being overly pessimistic?

[Troublemaker]

Then add in a few scrub opponents in the fall. By my count we have 13 games that I'd consider "losable." What I mean by that for each game, if we were to lose I wouldn't be surprised. That isn't to say that I expect to lose them all, or that we won't lose any of the other games, but basically these are the games that I will go into feeling a little worried. These games are the three November games, CHeat x2, Syracuse x2, UVA x2, @FSU, @Louisville, @ND, @VT. And yes, I am aware that there are other land mines as well. St. John's beat us last year. Indiana gave us a game. NC State is never a gimme even at home (they beat us in 2017 with our team mostly healthy).

Given this schedule, then adding the ACCT and NCAAT, I think a ten-loss season is a possibility. We lost 8 games last year and had a much easier schedule. We'll have a young team that will lose some games they shouldn't. The conference will be down, but still has some good teams and everybody will be gunning for us as always. And the start of our schedule is brutal, with three possible top-10 opponents in November.

What do you guys think? Am I being overly pessimistic?

Anything's possible, sure. Unless you assign percentages/odds to the possibility, it's hard to really discuss. For example, I'm optimistic about this team but I would agree there is a non-zero chance at a 10-loss season. (And a 9-loss season, and a 4-loss season, and a 2-loss season, etc.) Duke lost 11 games in 2016, for example.

Now, if you're saying you are predicting a 10-loss season, then we probably should discuss a pie bet.

[CDu]

Is it too early to start speculating on the season? Now that the Maui bracket has been released, we have a pretty good idea of what the schedule is going to look like (minus the exact dates).

Champions Classic:
- Kentucky (ranked #1 or #2)

Maui Invitational:
- San Diego State, then likely Auburn (top-10) and Gonzaga (top-5)

ACC/B10 Challenge:
- Indiana (in Cameron)

Other OOC games:
- Texas Tech (in MSG)
- St. John's (in Cameron)

ACC Schedule:
- Home/Road: North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest
- Home: Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State
- Road: Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt, Virginia Tech

Then add in a few scrub opponents in the fall. By my count we have 13 games that I'd consider "losable." What I mean by that for each game, if we were to lose I wouldn't be surprised. That isn't to say that I expect to lose them all, or that we won't lose any of the other games, but basically these are the games that I will go into feeling a little worried. These games are the three November games, CHeat x2, Syracuse x2, UVA x2, @FSU, @Louisville, @ND, @VT. And yes, I am aware that there are other land mines as well. St. John's beat us last year. Indiana gave us a game. NC State is never a gimme even at home (they beat us in 2017 with our team mostly healthy).

Given this schedule, then adding the ACCT and NCAAT, I think a ten-loss season is a possibility. We lost 8 games last year and had a much easier schedule. We'll have a young team that will lose some games they shouldn't. The conference will be down, but still has some good teams and everybody will be gunning for us as always. And the start of our schedule is brutal, with three possible top-10 opponents in November.

What do you guys think? Am I being overly pessimistic?

I think that's pretty unlikely, but certainly possible. I think they could reasonably lose two preseason games (they aren't losing two in Hawaii; if they lose to Auburn, they won't face Gonzaga, for example), they could lose 5-6 in conference. And they could lose in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. If all that happens, it's a 9- or 10-loss season.

But, of the games you listed, Indiana, St. John's, and NC State don't scare me too much, because they are at home. Pitt, Louisville, and Notre Dame are in rebuilding mode. FSU might be decent, but they have real question marks at PG, and don't have consistent offense. Va Tech should be tough one though, and a very possible loss.

My guess? We lose maybe one of the preseason games, 5 regular season games, and then head to the tourneys. I think an over/under of around 6 or 6.5 feels about right.

[Rich]

Until a few guys can prove they can consistently hit from three and I know we can play some defense, I'm not counting any chickens. I don't want to turn this into another one-and-done thread, but I've learned to bring my expectations down in recent years, at least until late in the season if/when things finally start to gel.

Although this particular group is tremendously athletic, the current state of the game seems to be won or lost from three and I just don't see us having sufficient firepower from there. I'm a bit more down on this team than I have been in recent years. I'll be rooting my butt off as always and am more than happy to eat these words at season's end.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Until a few guys can prove they can consistently hit from three and I know we can play some defense, I'm not counting any chickens. I don't want to turn this into another one-and-done thread, but I've learned to bring my expectations down in recent years, at least until late in the season if/when things finally start to gel.

Although this particular group is tremendously athletic, the current state of the game seems to be won or lost from three and I just don't see us having sufficient firepower from there. I'm a bit more down on this team than I have been in recent years. I'll be rooting my butt off as always and am more than happy to eat these words at season's end.

This might be a case where recency bias is influencing your opinion. Looking at the recent Final Four teams shows that being good or bad at making the long ball has little correlation with success in the tournament.

Villanova was a great shooting team last year, hitting 40.1% of their attempts as a team. That was tied with Kansas for 10th in the nation. But Michigan was not a good shooting team, as it turns out, and was just #156 in the nation at 35.2% while Loyola of Chicago was very good (#17) at 39.8% as a team.

Going back a year, North Carolina won the National Championship as a so-so shooting team, hitting 35.5% of its 3's, good for #149 in the nation. Gonzaga was a little better at #42 and a 38.2% 3P%. Oregon was about the same at #46 and 38.0% while South Carolina was pretty bad at #243 and 33.4%.

Back in 2016, Villanova was not that good of a shooting team, just #105 in the nation at 35.2%. UNC was even worse at #258 and 32.7%. The other Final Four teams were Syracuse (#114/36.0%) and Oklahoma (#2/42.2%)

Based on recent trends, 3-point shooting isn't anywhere near the most important factor in a team's success in either making it to the Final Four or cutting down the nets. It certainly helps, but there is a lot more to the game than the ability to hit 3-point shots. The revolution of the game in the NBA hasn't made its way to the college game as best I can tell.

[jimsumner]

But, of the games you listed, Indiana, St. John's, and NC State don't scare me too much, because they are at home.

Correct. It's inconceivable that a talented Duke team could lose at home to a mediocre NC State team.

Beyond the pale.

Never, ever happen.

Am I laying it on too thick?

[CDu]

Correct. It's inconceivable that a talented Duke team could lose at home to a mediocre NC State team.

Beyond the pale.

Never, ever happen.

Am I laying it on too thick?

Could it happen? Absolutely. Has it happened before? Sure. Should we expect it to happen? Uh, no.

[proelitedota]

I wish we live in a world where upsets never happen and the outcome always goes as planned.

Then again I would be sipping tea while praising her majesty right now.

[jimsumner]

Could it happen? Absolutely. Has it happened before? Sure. Should we expect it to happen? Uh, no.

Perhaps. But shouldn't we expect to lose a game/games to teams that on paper Duke shouldn't lose to?

Seems to happen on a pretty regular basis. BC last year being a prime example. Even the 2015 title team got blown out at home by Miami.

On paper last year's Duke team shouldn't have lost more than a couple of games. Just like the 2018-'19 team.

But I would very much expect "it" to happen, "it" being a loss to a team(s) overmatched on paper but not on the court.

[UrinalCake]

Correct. It's inconceivable that a talented Duke team could lose at home to a mediocre NC State team.

Beyond the pale.

Never, ever happen.

Am I laying it on too thick?

Just to clarify, the games that Cdu mentioned - State, St. John's, Indiana - were not in my list of "losable" games. I'm mostly concerned about the games against the top ACC opponents (CHeats, UVA, Syracuse), the road ACC games, and the three early games against top-10 teams. I think those are games that we have a 70% or less chance of winning. For the remaining games, I agree that we'll almost definitely drop one or two (or more) in which we are favored. So between 13 "losable" games, another couple unexpected losses, and the ACCT and NCAAT, would ten losses really be all that shocking?

[CDu]

Perhaps. But shouldn't we expect to lose a game/games to teams that on paper Duke shouldn't lose to?

Seems to happen on a pretty regular basis. BC last year being a prime example. Even the 2015 title team got blown out at home by Miami.

On paper last year's Duke team shouldn't have lost more than a couple of games. Just like the 2018-'19 team.

But I would very much expect "it" to happen, "it" being a loss to a team(s) overmatched on paper but not on the court.

Of course. But by the same token, we should also win some games that we “shouldn’t.” Pretty much every year we win a couple we shouldn’t and lose a couple we shouldn’t.

[CDu]

Just to clarify, the games that Cdu mentioned - State, St. John's, Indiana - were not in my list of "losable" games. I'm mostly concerned about the games against the top ACC opponents (CHeats, UVA, Syracuse), the road ACC games, and the three early games against top-10 teams. I think those are games that we have a 70% or less chance of winning. For the remaining games, I agree that we'll almost definitely drop one or two (or more) in which we are favored. So between 13 "losable" games, another couple unexpected losses, and the ACCT and NCAAT, would ten losses really be all that shocking?

We will also likely win some games that we “shouldn’t.”

“Shocking” is a fairly subjective term. I would be quite surprised, barring injury, if we lose 10 games. It is certainly possible, but I would consider it on the extreme edge. I think 6-7 losses feels about right for the middle of the distribution.

[MarkD83]

I don't know about all of this pessimism...I have been planning to get my 40-0 tattoo ever since I saw the hype video (of course it is a henna tattoo just to be safe)....

[Kedsy]

Just to clarify, the games that Cdu mentioned - State, St. John's, Indiana - were not in my list of "losable" games. I'm mostly concerned about the games against the top ACC opponents (CHeats, UVA, Syracuse), the road ACC games, and the three early games against top-10 teams. I think those are games that we have a 70% or less chance of winning. For the remaining games, I agree that we'll almost definitely drop one or two (or more) in which we are favored. So between 13 "losable" games, another couple unexpected losses, and the ACCT and NCAAT, would ten losses really be all that shocking?

I agree with CDu on this one. Could 10 losses happen? Sure. Would it be a surprise? Absolutely.

For example, doing a rough analysis using your numbers, if we have 13 games with an average chance of winning of 70%, you would expect a 9-4 record in those games (69.2%). Or let's say 6 of those games are 50/50 (expected record 3-3) and the other 7 games are 70/30 (expected record 5-2), that puts us at 8-5 in those games. Then add a couple unexpected losses, but possibly offset those with one or two stronger-than-expected showings in the tougher games. That puts us at an expectation of 5 to 7 losses for the year. So unless you're counting the post-season (which it doesn't appear that you are) the team would have to be much worse than we expect, or have unexpected major injuries, in order to have an expected value close to 10 losses. Right now, there's no reason to think there's a good chance of that happening.

[Troublemaker]

So unless you're counting the post-season (which it doesn't appear that you are) the team would have to be much worse than we expect, or have unexpected major injuries, in order to have an expected value close to 10 losses.

UrinalCake IS counting the postseason tourneys, though. See the bold below.


Just to clarify, the games that Cdu mentioned - State, St. John's, Indiana - were not in my list of "losable" games. I'm mostly concerned about the games against the top ACC opponents (CHeats, UVA, Syracuse), the road ACC games, and the three early games against top-10 teams. I think those are games that we have a 70% or less chance of winning. For the remaining games, I agree that we'll almost definitely drop one or two (or more) in which we are favored. So between 13 "losable" games, another couple unexpected losses, and the ACCT and NCAAT, would ten losses really be all that shocking?

Urinal, would you say your scale is something like the following?

10 losses - not shocking
9 losses - not surprising
8 losses - pretty much expected

So let's set the over/under at 7.5 losses (again, counting postseason games)? You go over and I go under with a pie at stake? You'd be getting a steal. The 3 previous Duke teams had 8 losses, 9 losses, and 11 losses. Why would this team all of a sudden go under 7.5 losses when the other three teams failed to do so? I would be the underdog. Darn OADs.

[kAzE]

I'm pretty optimistic, actually. It's mostly because of how highly I regard R.J. I think there's a pretty decent chance he'll be the best player in the country, and a guy who we can go to on critical possessions to manufacture points. He's good enough average 20 or more points, do it efficiently, AND be a lockdown defender on the other end.

I also feel that these pieces fit together better than the team last year did. Yes, we're still a bit light on shooting, but at least there's no logjam in the front court, and as weird as this sounds to say this in July, every player more or less has a pretty defined role on the team already.

Last year, it was always sort of weird because Bagley was our best player, but Grayson was the leader and sort of closer, but he couldn't always do his thing because it was so crowded in the paint with all the bigs. Trevon was sort of a difficult fit on a team without a ton of shooting and he's kind of a player who needs to have the ball in his hands a lot, which wasn't possible with Grayson on the team.

This year, it's RJ's team, he's going to have the ball when it matters, and everyone else can play off of him. I think this team has a great shot at a Final Four. We will probably have a few losses, maybe even a couple of bad ones, due to inexperience, but we should be a force to be reckoned with by the time the postseason is here.

[UrinalCake]

So let's set the over/under at 7.5 losses (again, counting postseason games)? You go over and I go under with a pie at stake? You'd be getting a steal. The 3 previous Duke teams had 8 losses, 9 losses, and 11 losses. Why would this team all of a sudden go under 7.5 losses when the other three teams failed to do so? I would be the underdog. Darn OADs.

The gambler in me would absolutely take that bet, as I do think we will finish with 8 or more losses. But I could never do it because I'd have to root for Duke to lose. I could justify it as an emotional hedge, but I still wouldn't be able to live with myself if I took that bet. I agree that 7.5 is the right number though.

[sagegrouse]

Anything's possible, sure. Unless you assign percentages/odds to the possibility, it's hard to really discuss. For example, I'm optimistic about this team but I would agree there is a non-zero chance at a 10-loss season. (And a 9-loss season, and a 4-loss season, and a 2-loss season, etc.) Duke lost 11 games in 2016, for example.

Now, if you're saying you are predicting a 10-loss season, then we probably should discuss a pie bet.

Hey, Trouble, kAze and others whom I respect: This is arguably the most inexperienced Duke team in the past sixty years, at least in terms of minutes of playing time at the college level. (Proof or dis-proof is left to the reader.) I, like you, would be very disappointed if this team is not one of the best in the country by March. How it gets there is another matter, and I would be prepared for major setbacks on the way.

[budwom]

reduce the number of early losses by playing a zone from the get go. Looks to be nearly a perfect team for that...

[CajunDevil]

I’m with kAzE here, especially regarding RJ. From the summer Canada trip to having already defined roles, this team should be further along from a chemistry perspective than recent Duke teams in the OAD era. Also, I think RJ will ultimately be the best player to ever come out of Duke (health permitting) - he is that good and has that kind of drive - and will be a strong leader for this team. I doubt this team will lose 10 games but it is possible. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this team lose only 4 games either. I can’t wait for the games in Canada.

Btw, the how is Tre’s hip and Cam’s foot/ankle? Any updates?

[Troublemaker]

Hey, Trouble, kAze and others whom I respect: This is arguably the most inexperienced Duke team in the past sixty years, at least in terms of minutes of playing time at the college level. (Proof or dis-proof is left to the reader.) I, like you, would be very disappointed if this team is not one of the best in the country by March. How it gets there is another matter, and I would be prepared for major setbacks on the way.

We'll take losses, sure, as even experienced Duke teams lose games. But if Duke stays reasonably healthy, I do think under 7.5 losses is a good bet. [Now that I'm not trying to reel UrinalCake in for a pie bet :-), I'll make the case for this.]

Let's start with last season's 8-loss team. It was a healthy Duke team that was able to produce a very high efficiency margin in KenPom's system. We were #3 in fact:

https://i.imgur.com/G3DY50p.png

Duke was in rarefied air -- just behind dominant champ Nova and best regular season team UVA -- but take a look at the loss count of these +25 adjusted efficiency margin teams. Duke had the most losses, and that was due to poor close-game luck (most notably in the Elite 8 game when a rimout prevented a trip to the Final Four). Kenpom has a measure for close-game luck (essentially), and it's the right-most column in the image above. Duke ranked 271st in the country in "Luck," and I believe if Duke had just been average in close games, we would've taken two fewer losses.

The 2015 team was also reasonably healthy and produced a very efficient team (+32 in adjusted efficiency margin) and only took 4 losses (probably due in part to some good close-game luck). The 2016 and 2017 Duke teams were not healthy.

I believe if this current team stays healthy like the 2018 and 2015 teams, they will likewise be a very efficient team and that 7 losses or fewer is a good bet for them.

Biggest thing to watch for in the Canada trip is how Tre Jones is moving. Does he look recovered from his hip injury (http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?42001-Cam-Reddish-in-a-boot-(vigil)&p=1073182#post1073182)? We're currently not giving him a big load. Even in shooting drills, he's only shooting half the attempts that his teammates are shooting.

[Troublemaker]

reduce the number of early losses by playing a zone from the get go. Looks to be nearly a perfect team for that...

One thing about this is that Duke actually doesn't really have a problem with early losses, as we tend to take care of business in the preconference season. In the past eight seasons, we've produced 0 losses four times in the preconference, 1 loss twice, and 2 losses twice.

2018 - 0 losses preconference
2017 - 1 loss (Kansas)
2016 - 2 losses (Kentucky, Utah)
2015 - 0 losses
2014 - 2 losses (Kansas, Arizona)
2013 - 0 losses
2012 - 1 loss (Ohio St)
2011 - 0 losses

I would say that if 75% of the time you emerge from the preconference season with 0 or 1 loss (and 50% of the time, you emerge with 0), that's doing pretty well.

It's really the early ACC season that's been a problem for Duke. (Just a point of clarification, as you may very well have been referring to early ACC losses.)

As for becoming a zone-first program, I'd rather not. Both because all things being equal, I prefer watching m2m more and because there may be recruiting implications if Duke becomes a zone-first program.

Let's try to play m2m well and if we can't accomplish that, THEN move to zone.

[luburch]

Playing Indiana right after the Maui trip/Thanksgiving worries me a bit.

[NSDukeFan]

One thing about this is that Duke actually doesn't really have a problem with early losses, as we tend to take care of business in the preconference season. In the past eight seasons, we've produced 0 losses four times in the preconference, 1 loss twice, and 2 losses twice.

2018 - 0 losses preconference
2017 - 1 loss (Kansas)
2016 - 2 losses (Kentucky, Utah)
2015 - 0 losses
2014 - 2 losses (Kansas, Arizona)
2013 - 0 losses
2012 - 1 loss (Ohio St)
2011 - 0 losses

I would say that if 75% of the time you emerge from the preconference season with 0 or 1 loss (and 50% of the time, you emerge with 0), that's doing pretty well.

It's really the early ACC season that's been a problem for Duke. (Just a point of clarification, as you may very well have been referring to early ACC losses.)

As for becoming a zone-first program, I'd rather not. Both because all things being equal, I prefer watching m2m more and because there may be recruiting implications if Duke becomes a zone-first program.

Let's try to play m2m well and if we can't accomplish that, THEN move to zone.

This is my impression as well. Duke teams tend to come out of the gates very well in pre-conference play, but, because they are students, they struggle a bit around exam time (not a big deal, because the schedule usually has fewer, easier games.). Then, after a break, the team tends to struggle in its introduction to ACC play, especially on the road. If you want to look for potential losses, I would think the first ACC road game, or two or three, are potential candidates.
I am also optimistic about this team and expect, if healthy, they will lose 7 or fewer games. I am hoping that it won’t matter if it includes tournament play or not as I am hoping the team will have the same number of losses in either case.
I am also really excited to see what R.J. can do.

[tbyers11]

Playing Indiana right after the Maui trip/Thanksgiving worries me a bit.

Last Maui game is on a Wednesday. Indiana game is the the following Tuesday in Cameron. I don’t think you need to worry about the IU game from a travel perspective.

[COYS]

This is my impression as well. Duke teams tend to come out of the gates very well in pre-conference play, but, because they are students, they struggle a bit around exam time (not a big deal, because the schedule usually has fewer, easier games.). Then, after a break, the team tends to struggle in its introduction to ACC play, especially on the road. If you want to look for potential losses, I would think the first ACC road game, or two or three, are potential candidates.
I am also optimistic about this team and expect, if healthy, they will lose 7 or fewer games. I am hoping that it won’t matter if it includes tournament play or not as I am hoping the team will have the same number of losses in either case.
I am also really excited to see what R.J. can do.

Duke's struggles away from home in the early portions of the ACC calendar have seemingly become a trend. Duke has managed to win its first ACC road game only three times since 2008. And one of those years, 2016, should probably come with an asterisk as that team beat two particularly bad ACC teams on the road in Boston College (a miserable 204 in T-Rank) and Wake Forest (a not quite as terrible but still bad 107) before losing to its first decent road opponent (43rd ranked Clemson). To put it another way, Duke has only managed to win the first ACC road game twice since 2008 as long as the opponent is not ranked in the triple digits by KenPom/T-Rank. I'd love for this year's squad to reverse that trend, as it has probably cost Duke a few one seeds (2013, 2017, and 2018 come to mind).

I'll also say that this is still a small sample size and winning the first ACC road game doesn't really seem to have too much predictive power. One could also put asterisks on a number of these losses. The 2013 team lost @NC State in the first game after losing Ryan Kelly to injury. The 2017 team was trying to work Harry Giles and also dealing with Grayson's suspension when it lost to FSU. And, of course, both the 2010 and 2015 teams recovered from their early season blips to win the title (and also secure a one seed). And the 2012 team will never be remembered as one of Duke's best, yet it managed to go undefeated on the road in the ACC.

[flyingdutchdevil]

This is my impression as well. Duke teams tend to come out of the gates very well in pre-conference play, but, because they are students, they struggle a bit around exam time (not a big deal, because the schedule usually has fewer, easier games.). Then, after a break, the team tends to struggle in its introduction to ACC play, especially on the road. If you want to look for potential losses, I would think the first ACC road game, or two or three, are potential candidates.
I am also optimistic about this team and expect, if healthy, they will lose 7 or fewer games. I am hoping that it won’t matter if it includes tournament play or not as I am hoping the team will have the same number of losses in either case.
I am also really excited to see what R.J. can do.

They are such amazing students that they often graduate in one year :p

[NSDukeFan]

Duke's struggles away from home in the early portions of the ACC calendar have seemingly become a trend. Duke has managed to win its first ACC road game only three times since 2008. And one of those years, 2016, should probably come with an asterisk as that team beat two particularly bad ACC teams on the road in Boston College (a miserable 204 in T-Rank) and Wake Forest (a not quite as terrible but still bad 107) before losing to its first decent road opponent (43rd ranked Clemson). To put it another way, Duke has only managed to win the first ACC road game twice since 2008 as long as the opponent is not ranked in the triple digits by KenPom/T-Rank. I'd love for this year's squad to reverse that trend, as it has probably cost Duke a few one seeds (2013, 2017, and 2018 come to mind).

I'll also say that this is still a small sample size and winning the first ACC road game doesn't really seem to have too much predictive power. One could also put asterisks on a number of these losses. The 2013 team lost @NC State in the first game after losing Ryan Kelly to injury. The 2017 team was trying to work Harry Giles and also dealing with Grayson's suspension when it lost to FSU. And, of course, both the 2010 and 2015 teams recovered from their early season blips to win the title (and also secure a one seed). And the 2012 team will never be remembered as one of Duke's best, yet it managed to go undefeated on the road in the ACC.

I’m not sure if it’s statistically significant but I believe the first ACC road game (s) often correlate to the first predictions of Duke not making the NCAAT, losing 15 games, etc.

[coldriver10]

Duke's struggles...ACC.
This has nothing to do with what you said, but I'm curious...does your handle indicate that you're a Tottenham fan or is it a completely unrelated acronym? Apologies if the latter, but COYS if the former!

[COYS]

This has nothing to do with what you said, but I'm curious...does your handle indicate that you're a Tottenham fan or is it a completely unrelated acronym? Apologies if the latter, but COYS if the former!

A Spurs fan, indeed! It’s always nice to meet a fellow Tottenham supporter.

[Troublemaker]

Coach K was apparently on Jon Rothstein's podcast yesterday. Here's a 247 article with (at least) a partial transcript of the interview (https://247sports.com/college/duke/Article/Duke-Basketball-Coach-K-has-no-plans-to-retire-119361397/).

Excerpt:

How is Tre Jones similar to his brother Tyus?

"They're both incredibly smart and have great leadership skills. They're pass first players. They're different in that Tyus was not the penetrator, but he was a better shooter. Tre is a little bit taller and is a better driver. Probably gets rid of the ball even quicker than Tyus did. They both look to pass ahead. Both of them are really easy guys to play with and they do something that is an amazing luxury to a coach - they do real time leadership. They can lead your team in real time, while the game is going on on the court. A coach doesn't do it in real time, mostly in timeouts and stuff like that. But both these guys, they were really coached and brought up the right way. We're anxious to have Tre make all of us a little bit better."

[duketaylor]

Had to look at the link to know K said that about Tre. Good to know.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Coach K was apparently on Jon Rothstein's podcast yesterday. Here's a 247 article with (at least) a partial transcript of the interview (https://247sports.com/college/duke/Article/Duke-Basketball-Coach-K-has-no-plans-to-retire-119361397/).

Excerpt:

How is Tre Jones similar to his brother Tyus?

"They're both incredibly smart and have great leadership skills. They're pass first players. They're different in that Tyus was not the penetrator, but he was a better shooter. Tre is a little bit taller and is a better driver. Probably gets rid of the ball even quicker than Tyus did. They both look to pass ahead. Both of them are really easy guys to play with and they do something that is an amazing luxury to a coach - they do real time leadership. They can lead your team in real time, while the game is going on on the court. A coach doesn't do it in real time, mostly in timeouts and stuff like that. But both these guys, they were really coached and brought up the right way. We're anxious to have Tre make all of us a little bit better."

Interesting comments, thanks for sharing. This makes me think that we are going to see a very spread-out offense to allow for Jones, Barrett, Reddish, and Williamson to operate with space and lanes to the basket. From a recruiting perspective, Tre not being as good a shooter as Tyus might be a flag that Tre is going to end up as a multi-year player. Tyus was not a great shooter in college and has not been one in the NBA. He is becoming a really good NBA point guard and I hope to see him take over a starting role soon. But his shooting is still a weak point for him. If Tre is not going to be a 35% shooter from deep, then NBA teams will question his fit in the league. For very selfish reasons, I would love to see Tre Jones stay at Duke for 2 or 3 years. If his IQ and other attributes are as good or better than Tyus, he will be a real winner and might provide stability at the point guard position. A stable point guard situation seems is way past due for Duke!

[Pghdukie]

How does the ROY WILLIAMS COURT at the Dean Smith Center sound ? That's what UNC is going to do.

[devildeac]

How does the ROY WILLIAMS COURT at the Dean Smith Center sound ? That's what UNC is going to do.

Should that be the dean's myth center?

;)

[Furniture]

Tricky Tre, Gary Trent and Wendell Carter are all back on campus

https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeNBA/status/1033732884132184064/video/1

in the clip shown some guy floor slaps Gary who promptly dunks on him...

[Furniture]

https://mobile.twitter.com/swishcultures/status/1033811012078559232/video/1

If anyone is wondering about Frank Jackson........Um-hum.

[UrinalCake]

in the clip shown some guy floor slaps Gary who promptly dunks on him...

Looks like they’re playing pickup against some random scrubs on campus. How do I get into that game?

Cool to see them back.

[rsvman]

https://mobile.twitter.com/swishcultures/status/1033811012078559232/video/1

If anyone is wondering about Frank Jackson....Um-hum.

He's got game.

[Billy Dat]

Tricky Tre, Gary Trent and Wendell Carter are all back on campus

https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeNBA/status/1033732884132184064/video/1

in the clip shown some guy floor slaps Gary who promptly dunks on him...

First off, glad that Tre and Wendell are back, considering the high and low profile recent reports of potential bad feelings about Duke.

Also, too funny that this clown slaps the floor in front of Gary, promptly gets blown by, and Gary doesn't just dunk, he alley-oops to himself off the backboard.

By the way, as a middle-aged alum who is not quite caught up with all the new facilities, I didn't recognize the gym...but have found that it is the Brodie Center on East which isn't really new anymore.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Interesting video comparing and contrasting 3 of the top freshmen: Who is the better prospect, Barrett, Reddish, or Williamson?

After the Canadian Tour, I am incredibly curious to see how Reddish and Jones fit into with Barrett and Zion. Reddish has the physical qualities to be an elite defender, playmaker, and shot maker. Physically, he is very similar to Jayson Tatum and Luol Deng at a similar age.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9_zWO_jVcM

[Billy Dat]

Mark "Club Trillion" Titus on Duke's Freshmen
https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2018/8/31/17802060/duke-recruit-power-ranking-zion-williamson-cam-reddish-rj-barrett

[flyingdutchdevil]

Mark "Club Trillion" Titus on Duke's Freshmen
https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2018/8/31/17802060/duke-recruit-power-ranking-zion-williamson-cam-reddish-rj-barrett

I thought it was an interesting, fun read. Yes, a few here will be offended by a few things Titus says (and if you're offended, not sure you've made it this far as a Duke fan. Embrace the hatred!).

I will say he's wrong about Cam vs RJ. RJ is a better scorer; Cam is better at everything else. Also, my rankings would go Joey < Tre < Zion < RJ < Cam.

[Truth&Justise]

Mark "Club Trillion" Titus on Duke's Freshmen
https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2018/8/31/17802060/duke-recruit-power-ranking-zion-williamson-cam-reddish-rj-barrett

Better than his podcasts, and a fun read if you can stand the unwarranted barbs he throws in. He makes a good point about Joey Baker -- adding him to this squad is a luxury almost no other team could have.

[cato]

Mark "Club Trillion" Titus on Duke's Freshmen
https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2018/8/31/17802060/duke-recruit-power-ranking-zion-williamson-cam-reddish-rj-barrett

Fat Mamba?!? That one got me, I’ll admit. Now let’s see Mark say it to Zion’s face.

Heck, I doubt Kobe would have the stones to say something like that to Zion’s face.

[BandAlum83]

Fat Mamba?!? That one got me, I’ll admit. Now let’s see Mark say it to Zion’s face.

Heck, I doubt Kobe would have the stones to say something like that to Zion’s face.

Why do I get the feeling Zion would laugh and enjoy it if Kobe said it to him? Mark, not so sure. I bet Zion would give a long hard stare and laugh about it with his buddies afterward.

These guys seem like they just have fun!

[JayZee]

Why do I get the feeling Zion would laugh and enjoy it if Kobe said it to him? Mark, not so sure. I bet Zion would give a long hard stare and laugh about it with his buddies afterward.

These guys seem like they just have fun!

Plus, Zion is Iron, and knows it, so I can’t imagine him feeling insecure about being called fat.

I just hope he spends all of his time focused on injury prevention type exercises. His size and strength must put serious strains on his joints. Maybe K can connect him with Lebron who clearly knows a thing or two about keeping such a unique body type healthy and running.

[follyblue]

Mark "Club Trillion" Titus on Duke's Freshmen
https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2018/8/31/17802060/duke-recruit-power-ranking-zion-williamson-cam-reddish-rj-barrett

I wish someone would call me "Fat Mamba." They would be half right.

[whereinthehellami]

I thought it was an interesting, fun read. Yes, a few here will be offended by a few things Titus says (and if you're offended, not sure you've made it this far as a Duke fan. Embrace the hatred!).

I will say he's wrong about Cam vs RJ. RJ is a better scorer; Cam is better at everything else. Also, my rankings would go Joey < Tre < Zion < RJ < Cam.

I think the biggest difference is the hard to quantify, "warrior mentality/winner trait". RJ is a proven warrior/winner everywhere he has been. Cam not so much. To Cam's credit he wants to be pushed and that is a big reason why he signed with Coach K. I'm not sure how much of drive(?) can be taught but Cam has a perception of coasting. And i don't think it is the "he just makes it look easy variety". I watched a few of Cam's HS games and he was pretty easily beaten off the dribble. I'm hoping for the best with Cam but i think he will feed off of RJ and maybe even Zion, and be option 3 on offense. That might even work better for this team. and on defense and rebounding I think RJ and probably Zion will be more consistent. Gonna be a wild ride with the freshman on defense:(

[cato]

Why do I get the feeling Zion would laugh and enjoy it if Kobe said it to him? Mark, not so sure. I bet Zion would give a long hard stare and laugh about it with his buddies afterward.

These guys seem like they just have fun!

I’m sure Zion would handle it with aplomb.

I’m not so sure how many people, living or dead, would have the intestinal fortitude to mutter the words under Zion’s gave.

I am certain Mr. Titus would not.

But yes, it made me laugh out loud and was a highlight in a fun article that I bet all of the frosh would/do get a kick out of.

[JasonEvans]

Mark Titus wrote:
Barrett’s and Reddish’s skill sets feel somewhat redundant, with Reddish being a slightly better scorer and Barrett being a slightly better distributor.

The moment I read that, I stopped reading. Barrett is clearly the better scorer while Reddish (who was a 6-9 PG in high school and who played the point at times when he was on a team with Tre Jones at the McDonald's practices) is unquestionably the better passer/distributor.

I like Titus and think his writing has a fun, casual style to it, but he is in over his head here as he just doesn't know nearly enough about these guys to have an informed opinion.

[UrinalCake]

Injury update (https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article217585625.html) from the N&O. Summary: Tre is expected to be at full strength when the team returns to (reduced) practices this Monday. Reddish and Alex are not, but are expected to be ready for the start of official practices in about a month.

[Furniture]

Injury update (https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article217585625.html) from the N&O. Summary: Tre is expected to be at full strength when the team returns to (reduced) practices this Monday. Reddish and Alex are not, but are expected to be ready for the start of official practices in about a month.

Alex announcing that he is back 100%.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Alex_OC11/status/1038859417905766403

[Furniture]

https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1043493710460260353

Luke, Grayson and Marshall. Working out on campus...

[Furniture]

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article219425925.html

The development of role players seems to be a consistent message from Duke these days and combined with other things feeds conjecture that Duke is preparing for the new recruiting rules....Maybe.

[mgtr]

With the amazing talent we have this year, I doubt that there will be enough ball to go around. Perhaps we could get special dispensation to play with two balls at the same time.:D

[TruBlu]

With the amazing talent we have this year, I doubt that there will be enough ball to go around. Perhaps we could get special dispensation to play with two balls at the same time.:D

Ain’t touching this post with a ten foot pole.

[Indoor66]

Ain’t touching this post with a ten foot pole.

The pole ain't the issue.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Oh Dear Lord....I saw this video....perhaps a lot of you've seen it, from a Duke practice a few days ago. It shows about 4 min of a scrimmage. It's interesting, but....
AOC rocking a man bun......NOOOOOOO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEm6mb2en8

[flyingdutchdevil]

Oh Dear Lord...I saw this video...perhaps a lot of you've seen it, from a Duke practice a few days ago. It shows about 4 min of a scrimmage. It's interesting, but...
AOC rocking a man bun...NOOOOOOO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEm6mb2en8

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

AOC should do whatever he wants. Because no matter how awesome/bad/beautiful/horrible his hair is, it is nowhere near that of Kyle Singler: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/kyle-singler-haircuts/

[kAzE]

Oh Dear Lord...I saw this video...perhaps a lot of you've seen it, from a Duke practice a few days ago. It shows about 4 min of a scrimmage. It's interesting, but...
AOC rocking a man bun...NOOOOOOO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEm6mb2en8

Is that technically a man bun? I think it might be too long for it be a bun at this point. He's in that awkward transition phase before true shoulder length hair. As someone who has grown out long hair, I can attest that there is no good way to wear your hair when it is AOC's length.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I stumbled across this YouTuber, Jordan Sperber recently and thought many on this board would like his channel. He's been doing a whole series of video and analytics breakdowns of Duke and Kentucky. Here's one he did on Duke's defense during the summer trip to Canada.

Lots of great insights into Zion and R.J., among others.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk_lFAZDE6Y&list=PL-b-S5zC3jVW_xueV8DCs3zynXWVTjcCZ&index=4

[jcannon]

Oh Dear Lord...I saw this video...perhaps a lot of you've seen it, from a Duke practice a few days ago. It shows about 4 min of a scrimmage. It's interesting, but...
AOC rocking a man bun...NOOOOOOO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEm6mb2en8


If it helps him channel his inner Kyle Guy, I have no complaints.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I stumbled across this YouTuber, Jordan Sperber recently and thought many on this board would like his channel. He's been doing a whole series of video and analytics breakdowns of Duke and Kentucky. Here's one he did on Duke's defense during the summer trip to Canada.

Lots of great insights into Zion and R.J., among others.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk_lFAZDE6Y&list=PL-b-S5zC3jVW_xueV8DCs3zynXWVTjcCZ&index=4

Pretty solid analysis. You really learn a lot watching these videos. Thanks for posting.

[thedukelamere]

Oh Dear Lord...I saw this video...perhaps a lot of you've seen it, from a Duke practice a few days ago. It shows about 4 min of a scrimmage. It's interesting, but...
AOC rocking a man bun...NOOOOOOO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEm6mb2en8

I'm hoping AOC does what a lot of guys do with their facial hair; grow it out and then trim away at it, cycling through about 10 different styles throughout the season.

In a perfect world, he'd go the Patrick Kane "mullet with a design on the shaved sides" route and then grow a weak playoff beard to please the March Madness gods.

This would undoubtedly win us a National Championship AND single-handedly force K into retirement.... Is the juice worth the squeeze?

[ChillinDuke]

I stumbled across this YouTuber, Jordan Sperber recently and thought many on this board would like his channel. He's been doing a whole series of video and analytics breakdowns of Duke and Kentucky. Here's one he did on Duke's defense during the summer trip to Canada.

Lots of great insights into Zion and R.J., among others.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk_lFAZDE6Y&list=PL-b-S5zC3jVW_xueV8DCs3zynXWVTjcCZ&index=4

Really great stuff. Thanks for passing along.

- Chillin

[Troublemaker]

I stumbled across this YouTuber, Jordan Sperber recently and thought many on this board would like his channel. He's been doing a whole series of video and analytics breakdowns of Duke and Kentucky. Here's one he did on Duke's defense during the summer trip to Canada.

Lots of great insights into Zion and R.J., among others.


Really great stuff. Thanks for passing along.

- Chillin

Yep, awesome stuff. I'm jealous that I didn't analyze Canada in depth before this chap did. Early bird gets the worm (praise), and he deserves it.

[kAzE]

I subscribed. This guy is awesome. He also has posted 2 other Duke videos, analyzing the offense from the 3 Canada games and a Zion-specific video. All of them are worth a watch.

Thanks for sharing!

[DavidBenAkiva]

I subscribed. This guy is awesome. He also has posted 2 other Duke videos, analyzing the offense from the 3 Canada games and a Zion-specific video. All of them are worth a watch.

Thanks for sharing!

No problem! I'm glad so many of you enjoy this guy's videos, too. I watched all of his videos on UK, too. He has great insights and seems really fair in his assessments. I'm getting excited about the Duke-UK game to see how Zion and P.J. Washington stack up. That's going to be a heck of a game.

[weezie]

From the ID office:

"We are reaching out again with a unique and special offer for this season. After assisting all qualifying Iron Duke members with season tickets, we have a handful of season tickets remaining. These tickets are located in the last few rows and are middle-end zone seats. For an additional Iron Dukes Annual Fund donation of $1,500 per seat, we are happy to offer you the opportunity to purchase up to three of these tickets. In addition to the annual donation, the season ticket cost is $1,633 each plus $40 processing. This offer is exclusive to select Group 1-3 season ticket holders and all available tickets will be allocated based on availability and Iron Dukes priority. If you are interested, please contact the Iron Duke Office..."

Does anyone remember when/if this has happened in the last 20 years or so? Some random games, sure but a whole season's worth? Tax overhaul in effect.

[Stray Gator]

From the ID office:

"We are reaching out again with a unique and special offer for this season. After assisting all qualifying Iron Duke members with season tickets, we have a handful of season tickets remaining. These tickets are located in the last few rows and are middle-end zone seats. For an additional Iron Dukes Annual Fund donation of $1,500 per seat, we are happy to offer you the opportunity to purchase up to three of these tickets. In addition to the annual donation, the season ticket cost is $1,633 each plus $40 processing. This offer is exclusive to select Group 1-3 season ticket holders and all available tickets will be allocated based on availability and Iron Dukes priority. If you are interested, please contact the Iron Duke Office..."

Does anyone remember when/if this has happened in the last 20 years or so? Some random games, sure but a whole season's worth? Tax overhaul in effect.

The same offer was made by the Iron Dukes to basketball season ticket holders last season, except that the required additional contribution was only $1250 and the tickets were only $1476 each. In fact, similar "opportunities" have been made available in the past, and we actually took them up to buy an extra pair of season tickets one year. I've always assumed that these "special discount offers" signified a decline in demand for basketball season tickets at the regular price; but of course that doesn't mean DUAA won't still continue to raise the price of seats.

[kAzE]

https://youtu.be/-C2nGvBbm2g

Our friend on YouTube has uploaded a new video breaking down the options for the 5th starter.

Spoiler: He's thinks it will be Javin DeLaurier, and I'm inclined to agree. Still pulling for Bolden to break out, though.

[NSDukeFan]

https://youtu.be/-C2nGvBbm2g

Our friend on YouTube has uploaded a new video breaking down the options for the 5th starter.

Spoiler: He's thinks it will be Javin DeLaurier, and I'm inclined to agree. Still pulling for Bolden to break out, though.
I would like to see Bolden have a great year, but 5 out offence doesn’t scream success for Bolden.

[UrinalCake]

Apparently we held a practice in front of pro scouts today. Evan Daniels has been tweeting about it:

Just watched Duke practice/scrimmage at Cameron Indoor. There were 20 NBA scouts on hand.
—
The Blue Devils have no shortage of perimeter scorers. The big 3 of R.J. Barrett, Cameron Reddish & Zion Williamson all do it differently, but are quite effective. All 3 had impressive moments in live action.
—
RJ Barrett is the clear favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Versatile scoring package with improved long-range shooting. It's evident he spent the offseason working on his jumper.

[bullettoothtony]

Interesting. Any other attendees share their thoughts/impressions?

[UrinalCake]

Interesting. Any other attendees share their thoughts/impressions?

Not sure if other media members were present. Here’s a more complete report from Daniels.

https://247sports.com/college/duke/Article/247Sports-expert-Evan-Daniels-breaks-down-Duke-basketball-scrimmage-123447198/

[BandAlum83]

Not sure if other media members were present. Here’s a more complete report from Daniels.

https://247sports.com/college/duke/Article/247Sports-expert-Evan-Daniels-breaks-down-Duke-basketball-scrimmage-123447198/

Providing an assist here:

247Sports expert breaks down Duke scrimmage (https://247sports.com/college/duke/Article/247Sports-expert-Evan-Daniels-breaks-down-Duke-basketball-scrimmage-123447198/)

There was also this tidbit from the article:


"Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said that the starting lineup today would be those four freshmen with Javin DeLaurier at center"

[JasonEvans]

If you asked me to custom design a practice report to address every concern folks have about this year's team, that report would pretty much do it.

Anyone remember what GGLC stands for?

[kAzE]

http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&id=6293310

He says Javin would be the 5th starter "based on Canada," but he again hyped up Marques Bolden, saying Marques just had his best week of practice.

We shall see . . .

Another key takeaway from the presser is that Coach said M2M will be the primary defense, and that they haven't even practiced any zone (in the first 13 practices). Probably doesn't mean we won't see some zone at some point, but I think it's encouraging that Coach believes this team can lock it down with M2M.

[DavidBenAkiva]

If you asked me to custom design a practice report to address every concern folks have about this year's team, that report would pretty much do it.

Anyone remember what GGLC stands for?

That was a very good report to read. I am excited to see what this team looks like in game action, starting this Friday! It's not another team, but at least it will be something approximating action.

By the way, I went to watch a highlight video of the Kentucky kickoff night or whatever they call it. Since that is Duke's first opponent, I wanted to see how they looked. It was an all-star game. The scrimmage was played with less zest than the high school all-star games. I suppose that might be a strategy on the part of Calipari to limit the amount of scouting looks Duke or other early season opponents might have, but I found it to be a big letdown.

[devildeac]

If you asked me to custom design a practice report to address every concern folks have about this year's team, that report would pretty much do it.

Anyone remember what GGLC stands for?

Getting Giddy, Losing Control?

[Troublemaker]

Incidentally, if we're going to do a minutes prediction contest this season, I would recommend someone starting the thread immediately after CTC ends and making the deadline of the contest the tip of the first exhibition game. It's always bothered me that people get to predict minutes after having seen the exhibition game rotations. It's somewhat like getting the answers to the test beforehand.

Just my 2 cents.

[kAzE]

Incidentally, if we're going to do a minutes prediction contest this season, I would recommend someone starting the thread immediately after CTC ends and making the deadline of the contest the tip of the first exhibition game. It's always bothered me that people get to predict minutes after having seen the exhibition game rotations. It's somewhat like getting the answers to the test beforehand.

Just my 2 cents.

The minutes thread has been up for months :p

https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?41882-MBB-2018-19-Rotation-Minutes-Thread&highlight=minutes+thread

I don't mind folks waiting until after the exhibitions to make their predictions, though. The exhibition games often don't tell us a whole lot anyways, and I don't believe you are locked to your predictions if you made them before the games.

[BD80]

The minutes thread has been up for months :p


Years?


Decades?

[NSDukeFan]

The minutes thread has been up for months :p

https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?41882-MBB-2018-19-Rotation-Minutes-Thread&highlight=minutes+thread

I don't mind folks waiting until after the exhibitions to make their predictions, though. The exhibition games often don't tell us a whole lot anyways, and I don't believe you are locked to your predictions if you made them before the games.

Aren’t all the threads minutes threads and/or BBQ threads and/or pun threads but they just might not have gotten that far yet ?

[devildeac]

Aren’t all the threads minutes threads and/or BBQ threads and/or pun threads but they just might not have gotten that far yet ?

Ha-Rumph (II).

https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?3840-Ymm-Beer

;)

[NSDukeFan]

Ha-Rumph (II).

https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?3840-Ymm-Beer

;)

I should have added beer thread. My mistake.

[Indoor66]

The minutes thread has been up for months :p

https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?41882-MBB-2018-19-Rotation-Minutes-Thread&highlight=minutes+thread

I don't mind folks waiting until after the exhibitions to make their predictions, though. The exhibition games often don't tell us a whole lot anyways, and I don't believe you are locked to your predictions if you made them before the games.

I thought ALL threads were minutes threads. 🤓😇😎

[devildeac]

I should have added beer thread. My mistake.

Not a problem/mistake at all. Had to work a football reference in, too.

:D

[Jeff9821]

Sorry if this has already been answered - is there a downloadable calendar for the basketball schedule yet? My Google searches have failed me. Thanks.

[Indoor66]

Sorry if this has already been answered - is there a downloadable calendar for the basketball schedule yet? My Google searches have failed me. Thanks.

Check GoDuke.com

[Spanarkel]

Villanova-uncheat scrimmage(10/20)

Jon Rothstein
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Verified account

@JonRothstein
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Villanova tops North Carolina by 10 in a 50-minute scrimmage, per release. 41 for Phil Booth and 24 for Eric Paschall, including six made threes. Cam Johnson led the Tar Heels with 19.

12:39 PM - 20 Oct 2018

(Fr Saddiq Bey also scored 23 with 5 treys)

[JasonEvans]

Villanova-uncheat scrimmage(10/20)

Jon Rothstein
‏
Verified account

@JonRothstein
Follow Follow @JonRothstein
More
Villanova tops North Carolina by 10 in a 50-minute scrimmage, per release. 41 for Phil Booth and 24 for Eric Paschall, including six made threes. Cam Johnson led the Tar Heels with 19.

12:39 PM - 20 Oct 2018

(Fr Saddiq Bey also scored 23 with 5 treys)

Hang on a sec... 41 for Booth + 24 for Paschall + 23 for Bey = 88 points from 3 players. I get that it was a 50 minute scrimmage, a bit longer than a regular season game, but how many points did Carolina give up?!?! Had to be well over 100... unless only 3 guys scored for Nova, which seems quite unlikely.

[devildeac]

Hang on a sec... 41 for Booth + 24 for Paschall + 23 for Bey = 88 points from 3 players. I get that it was a 50 minute scrimmage, a bit longer than a regular season game, but how many points did Carolina give up?!?! Had to be well over 100... unless only 3 guys scored for Nova, which seems quite unlikely.

Answer: never enough

[Billy Dat]

Cool article about how the Clippers are using Second Spectrum to offer fans an Augmented Reality view of games showing real-time shooting odds as the ball goes from player to player and other cool overlays

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/10/19/17999336/los-angeles-clippers-second-spectrum-courtvision-steve-ballmer

[UrinalCake]

Gotta love the failed spell check from our friends down the road!

8741

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Gotta love the failed spell check from our friends down the road!

8741

OMG...from the "you can't make this stuff up" file...:p:p:o

[devildeac]

Gotta love the failed spell check from our friends down the road!

8741

Go to clASS, c*rolina, go to clASS.

Priceless.

[NSDukeFan]

Gotta love the failed spell check from our friends down the road!

8741

Are you sure that’s an error?

[BD80]

Gotta love the failed spell check from our friends down the road!

8741

Two commas are missing ...

[UrinalCake]

Two commas are missing ...

Eats, shoots and leaves. Just like Kennedy Meeks.

[devildeac]

Are you sure that’s an error?

Hmm, great question. Punctuation error, spelling error, both or neither? They have been prone to typos at shoe-nc.

:rolleyes:

[devildeac]

Eats, shoots and leaves. Just like Kennedy Meeks.

That's only one comma. :p

And I seriously, seriously doubt Kennedy Meeks' diet consisted of shoots and leaves.

:rolleyes:

[HereBeforeCoachK]

That's only one comma. :p

And I seriously, seriously doubt Kennedy Meeks' diet consisted of shoots and leaves.

:rolleyes:

Maybe shoots is code for "over stuffed burrito"

[MarkD83]

I am in a bit of a quandary....usually by this time of year I am very excited to watch the exhibition games and see how the team will come together. The problem is that other than the 3 Canadian games I have no point of reference as to what to expect. And in those games Cam, Tre and AOC were out most of the time....

As someone mentioned on another thread Duke may be #1 in talent but #300 in experience.

I have read through the Phase 0 thread but still don't have some reference point since we have no previous games to guide us (and no offense or defense) Health, Team Defense and Team Chemistry are rather generic things to track. So, my list of things to look for are....

1. How many times defenders bail out when Zion comes down the lane
2. Tre's assist to turnover ratio
3. Who will shoot the three

Anything else...I am really struggling with this...

[flyingdutchdevil]

I am in a bit of a quandary...usually by this time of year I am very excited to watch the exhibition games and see how the team will come together. The problem is that other than the 3 Canadian games I have no point of reference as to what to expect. And in those games Cam, Tre and AOC were out most of the time...

As someone mentioned on another thread Duke may be #1 in talent but #300 in experience.

I have read through the Phase 0 thread but still don't have some reference point since we have no previous games to guide us (and no offense or defense) Health, Team Defense and Team Chemistry are rather generic things to track. So, my list of things to look for are...

1. How many times defenders bail out when Zion comes down the lane
2. Tre's assist to turnover ratio
3. Who will shoot the three

Anything else...I am really struggling with this...

4. How long until our defense comes together (or does it ever come together)?

[Troublemaker]

I am in a bit of a quandary...usually by this time of year I am very excited to watch the exhibition games and see how the team will come together. The problem is that other than the 3 Canadian games I have no point of reference as to what to expect. And in those games Cam, Tre and AOC were out most of the time...

As someone mentioned on another thread Duke may be #1 in talent but #300 in experience.

I have read through the Phase 0 thread but still don't have some reference point since we have no previous games to guide us (and no offense or defense) Health, Team Defense and Team Chemistry are rather generic things to track. So, my list of things to look for are...

1. How many times defenders bail out when Zion comes down the lane
2. Tre's assist to turnover ratio
3. Who will shoot the three

Anything else...I am really struggling with this...

With 5 new starters (4 of them freshmen), your reference point necessarily needs to be what Coach K says his goals are: 5-out motion offense and m2m defense. Build your questions around that.

Are the guys able to get open with their screening and cutting? Is there a lot of motion in the motion offense? Is the motion useful, e.g. don't have 2+ players cutting to the same area? Is the motion leading to good passes or too many turnovers? Are the guys able to hit enough shots to spread the court for 5-out motion?

On defense, are the guys giving up too many 3-pt attempts like last season, or was last year an aberration? How are they defending the pick-n-roll? Are they getting back on defense?

Obviously there's only so much you can learn from weak competition. The absence of bad is kind of what we're looking for. And the presence of bad against poor competition would be somewhat concerning.

[MarkD83]

There are sharing the ball well on offense and Tre is taking control of handling the ball...very good signs.

I saw a couple of good hlep and recovers on high ball screens...but also a few times VUU guards got loose up top and took it right to the rim without any help defense.

Perhaps I need to think back to 1984 when K was just teaching defense to a very young team...

[Billy Dat]

"What the Hell Happened to Darius Miles?"
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/what-the-hell-happened-to-darius-miles

[wk2109]

From an ESPN+ email:


ESPN+ Exclusive


Duke Earn Everything


Docuseries following the Duke men's basketball team as it prepares for the 2018-19 season, from the preseason tour of Canada to the season opener against rival Kentucky, only on ESPN+.


AVAILABLE 10/30

[DavidBenAkiva]

Big news out of Spokane, Washington: Gonzaga junior center Killian Tillie is out 8 weeks with a stress fracture. He'll miss the Maui Invitational barring a miraculous recovery. That's a big blow for the Bulldogs. Tillie is the highest returning player in points and rebounds per game for Gonzaga. He's an outstanding 3-point shooter, averaging 47.9% from deep in his career.

[camion]

Furman over Villanova 76-68 in overtime.

Furman is now 5-0 on the season. Villanova is 2-2.

Furman has now beaten two of last years final four schools (60-58 over LCHI).

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Furman over Villanova 76-68 in overtime.

Furman is now 5-0 on the season. Villanova is 2-2.

Furman has now beaten two of last years final four schools (60-58 over LCHI).

I remember, barely, back in the day (70s) that Furman beat UNC and NCS back to back nights in something I think was called the North South Doubleheader, etc. (I should look that up). Those were good Furman teams with guys like Clyde May, Fessor Leonard, and Bruce Grimm. Not sure WTH I remember that, but I was living in SC at the time.

[Billy Dat]

Xavier has a player who goes by Hankie McSpanky. He'll be in Maui.

[MChambers]

I remember, barely, back in the day (70s) that Furman beat UNC and NCS back to back nights in something I think was called the North South Doubleheader, etc. (I should look that up). Those were good Furman teams with guys like Clyde May, Fessor Leonard, and Bruce Grimm. Not sure WTH I remember that, but I was living in SC at the time.

In the 70s, Furman hired away Joe Williams from Jacksonville. Williams had led JU to the NCAA finals with Artis Gilmore and a 6’10” PF named Pembrook Burroughs III, who later was a Florida Highway Patrol officer.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Johnny Dawkins' UCF Knights won the Myrtle Beach Invitational tonight. (Wake Forest came in 5th.)

[JasonEvans]

Johnny Dawkins' UCF Knights won the Myrtle Beach Invitational tonight. (Wake Forest came in 5th.)

Up to #43 in the KenPom rankings thus far. UCF is alongside Houston and Cincy as the top teams in the AAC, which is easily a good enough league to get several at-large bids. By the way, perhaps Johnny's best player is Aubrey Dawkins... coaching his son has got to be a thrill.

[UrinalCake]

Just saw that kentucky was less than impressive against lowly VMI, winning by only 10. Unfortunately our win looks less and less impressive each game they play. But thankfully we’ll have more opportunities to prove ourselves this week.