MBB: Duke vs. Texas Tech (Dec. 20th, 7:00 pm ESPN2) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[Billy Dat]

I wanted to start this thread simply because I am going to the game, likely my only chance to see, in-person, the True Blue Wrecking Crew (someone needs to come up with a good nickname for this team).

In looking at Texas Tech's KenPom numbers, they have earned their roughly top 10 ranking vs, literally, one of the five worst schedules in the entire country. I am usually loathe to buy into those stats having any meaning when a team takes the floor against us, but it is safe to assume that they haven't seen any team approaching our caliber all season.

Duke...MSG...NYC...the Holidays...I always look forward to these games and appreciate the program throwing us Yankees a bone every year.

[MChambers]

Here's a piece on the game from the Texas Tech website:

https://texastech.com/news/2018/12/19/mens-basketball-preview-no-2-duke.aspx

Bad news for most of us: Vitale is doing the game.

Texas Tech is a really old team, with two grad transfers and two seniors starting.

[dukelifer]

I wanted to start this thread simply because I am going to the game, likely my only chance to see, in-person, the True Blue Wrecking Crew (someone needs to come up with a good nickname for this team).

In looking at Texas Tech's KenPom numbers, they have earned their roughly top 10 ranking vs, literally, one of the five worst schedules in the entire country. I am usually loathe to buy into those stats having any meaning when a team takes the floor against us, but it is safe to assume that they haven't seen any team approaching our caliber all season.

Duke...MSG...NYC...the Holidays...I always look forward to these games and appreciate the program throwing us Yankees a bone every year.

Tech is an older team with decent guard play that can defend. This will be a difficult challenge for Duke- mainly because it will very physical and a lot of fouls will be called. Duke has been shaky from the line. Duke will learn a lot but I expect a very close game.

[DukeDevil]

I wanted to start this thread simply because I am going to the game, likely my only chance to see, in-person, the True Blue Wrecking Crew (someone needs to come up with a good nickname for this team).

In looking at Texas Tech's KenPom numbers, they have earned their roughly top 10 ranking vs, literally, one of the five worst schedules in the entire country. I am usually loathe to buy into those stats having any meaning when a team takes the floor against us, but it is safe to assume that they haven't seen any team approaching our caliber all season.

Duke...MSG...NYC...the Holidays...I always look forward to these games and appreciate the program throwing us Yankees a bone every year.

BillyDat, I'm gonna be there too, my first Duke game at MSG. Taking my buddy for his birthday. Wear a duke blue lapel rose so I can identify you.

Getting nervous and excited!

[Billy Dat]

Tech is an older team with decent guard play that can defend. This will be a difficult challenge for Duke- mainly because it will very physical and a lot of fouls will be called. Duke has been shaky from the line. Duke will learn a lot but I expect a very close game.

Yes, I was extremely confident going into the Gonzaga game and was humbled as a result. I, too, expect a real challenge. I just couldn't believe that their strength of schedule on KenPom is literally 350th out of 353 total teams.


BillyDat, I'm gonna be there too, my first Duke game at MSG. Taking my buddy for his birthday. Wear a duke blue lapel rose so I can identify you.
Getting nervous and excited!

I will paint my face ala your avatar for easy identification. That, or I'll just stand and start screaming, "9F!" over and over again until I hear someone else stand and start to do the same thing which will be how all of us DBRers can find each other.

Not to dampen your enthusiasm as MSG is a magical place, the atmosphere that the Duke fans bring to the Garden tends to be lacking. Perhaps there will be some students on break and in the building, but the energy, at least over the past 10 years or so, is never quite "electric".

[elvis14]

Here's a piece on the game from the Texas Tech website:

https://texastech.com/news/2018/12/19/mens-basketball-preview-no-2-duke.aspx

Vitale is doing the game.

Bad news for most of us: Texas Tech is a really old team, with two grad transfers and two seniors starting.

Thanks for the link, I fixed the last two lines for you :-)

Can't wait to hear Dickie V cover Zion tonight, BABY!

[TKG]

Can't wait to hear Dickie V cover Zion tonight, BABY!

Thanks for the warning.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Thanks for the warning.

Yeah, little known truth about Dickie V. People love to to go to games he's covering....because A: that means it's a big game and B: they don't have to listen to him. And then there's C: he doesn't broadcast the game....except for a few PTPer's and diaper dandies.....he's got his schtick that he rolls out every single game.

[budwom]

Texas Tech has KenPom's top rated defense. A challenge looms.

[OldPhiKap]

This should be an excellent match, on one of the great stages of college basketball.

TT was founded in 1923 as the Texas Technological College. It is located in Lubbock, Texas, whose nickname is the "Hub City" and is the birthplace of Buddy Holly, Delbert McClinton, and a slew of notable country musicians. Singer/writer John Denver was an alum of the school. John Hinkley, Jr. attended classes on and off for awhile but I don't think he graduated.

The only national title Texas Tech has won was in women's basketball in 1993. The men's team has made the NCAA's 14 times. Past coaches include Bobby Knight (duh), Pat Knight, Billy Gillespie and Tubby Smith.

This team plays excellent defense.

A big howdy-ho to our next opponent, the Red Raiders from Lubbock!

[fuse]

Yes, we all want the team to win.
It will be interesting to see how the team has learned and developed since Gonzaga, and if that translates to victory.

As others have said, expecting a tough one.

[Troublemaker]

I wanted to start this thread simply because I am going to the game, likely my only chance to see, in-person, the True Blue Wrecking Crew (someone needs to come up with a good nickname for this team).

In looking at Texas Tech's KenPom numbers, they have earned their roughly top 10 ranking vs, literally, one of the five worst schedules in the entire country. I am usually loathe to buy into those stats having any meaning when a team takes the floor against us, but it is safe to assume that they haven't seen any team approaching our caliber all season.

Duke...MSG...NYC...the Holidays...I always look forward to these games and appreciate the program throwing us Yankees a bone every year.

It should be noted that among their wins was an 18-point beating of kenpom #14 Nebraska.


Tech is an older team with decent guard play that can defend. This will be a difficult challenge for Duke- mainly because it will very physical and a lot of fouls will be called. Duke has been shaky from the line. Duke will learn a lot but I expect a very close game.

I've written this before, but we should not fear Duke going to the line. Shooting FTs is just about the most efficient thing you can do on offense, such that even at Duke's poor pct on the season (67%), Duke will have an offensive efficiency of ~134 on offensive trips when we get to the line.
It would be nice if we could bang down FTs at an 80% clip, producing an offensive efficiency of ~160 on those trips. But still, FT shooting does NOT hurt Duke's efficiency.


Yes, we all want the team to win.
It will be interesting to see how the team has learned and developed since Gonzaga, and if that translates to victory.

As others have said, expecting a tough one.

The matchups and circumstances are too different for us to tie the game back to any lessons learned (or not learned) from Gonzaga, imo.

Gonzaga has the #1 offense and a relatively poor defense. Texas Tech is the opposite. We'll be playing the game in NY where we play every season and where we're super comfortable. The Gonzaga game was played in Maui where perhaps the west coast Zags were better adjusted body-clock-wise. There were 0 days of rest and preparation in Maui, and the game was the 3rd on 3 consecutive days of play. Here, TTU will have had 4 days to rest and prepare, and Duke will have had 1 day of rest but likely more days than that for our coaches to prepare since the team had a long break for finals and I don't believe it was all used on Princeton.

[weezie]

... the atmosphere that the Duke fans bring to the Garden tends to be lacking... the energy, at least over the past 10 years or so, is never quite "electric".

I have some fond memories of those beers with the pretzel sticks in the handles, I do.

My daughter is going. She's gorgeous. I'll tell her to yell 9F back but she'll likely send me a picture of herself giving me "the look."

I'm uneasy about this game, too. But, ALL IN!

[Kedsy]

We'll be playing the game in NY where we play every season and where we're super comfortable.

Since we start four freshmen, the fact that we play in NYC every season might not make us as comfortable as you might think. Even our veterans have logged very few career minutes in MSG (Marques 12; Jack 8; Javin 3). Which means our entire roster has played a grand combined total of 23 minutes in the Garden.


But still, FT shooting does NOT hurt Duke's efficiency.

But it might hurt the rest of our blood pressure.

[Lar77]

Playing a top ten team on a non-home court is never a "gimme." And MSG is a different environment that has given some of our teams problems

TT has had two relatively good wins so far, but the rest have been "Abilene Christian" type teams

I expect a relatively close, physical game. Ironically, it may be our depth that makes the difference.

Our team has shown an ability to adjust in-game so far.

[Billy Dat]

I expect a relatively close, physical game.

What are the odds that K says something to the effect of, "Texas Tech are men." In the post-game presser?

If we win, it will be, "Texas Tech are men, and we had to play like men to beat them."

If we lose, "Texas Tech are men, and their physicality and toughness knocked us back."

[fuse]

The matchups and circumstances are too different for us to tie the game back to any lessons learned (or not learned) from Gonzaga, imo.

Gonzaga has the #1 offense and a relatively poor defense. Texas Tech is the opposite. We'll be playing the game in NY where we play every season and where we're super comfortable. The Gonzaga game was played in Maui where perhaps the west coast Zags were better adjusted body-clock-wise. There were 0 days of rest and preparation in Maui, and the game was the 3rd on 3 consecutive days of play. Here, TTU will have had 4 days to rest and prepare, and Duke will have had 1 day of rest but likely more days than that for our coaches to prepare since the team had a long break for finals and I don't believe it was all used on Princeton.

Without validating the data, I believe at the time KenPom had Duke and Gonzaga rated pretty evenly offensively and defensively, so that “poor defensive team” had enough defense to hand us our first loss.

A freshmen led team doesn’t really translate to “comfortable in NY”. I agree with your point as a general statement, I don’t agree it applies to this year’s team.

The similarities between Gonzaga and Texas Tech are neutral site, and the older/younger team narrative. I do think there will be conclusions to be reached in comparison to the two games. Only time will tell what those conclusions are.

Let’s go Duke!

[DavidBenAkiva]

Here's a piece on the game from the Texas Tech website:

https://texastech.com/news/2018/12/19/mens-basketball-preview-no-2-duke.aspx

Bad news for most of us: Vitale is doing the game.

Texas Tech is a really old team, with two grad transfers and two seniors starting.

Thanks for sharing this article. There are a lot of counting stats (points, rebounds, etc.) but it was nice to read quotes from their coach, Chris Beard. It's also insightful to read the perspective of another fanbase.

While Tech is a team of players that are old by college basketball standards, they are not an old team. In fact, most of their starting lineup and key rotation players are brand new to the team. They are more like a new team with older bits. I think of an old team as one that has been playing together for a while, the San Antonio Spurs during the final years of Tim Duncan.

Tariq Owens is a familiar name after transferring from St. John's. Owens had a standout game in the disappointing performance (that I got to see live) in MSG last season. He scored 17 points in the upset and did what he does, block shots and generally make life miserable on the interior for opposing players. He is not a particularly frequent shooter, though, but does get a few buckets here and there. By blocked shot rate, he is among the best in the nation.

Owens isn't the only new face. Matt Mooney is a senior grad-transfer from South Dakota. He's the nominal point guard and a pesky defender, racking up a ton of steals. He can shoot the ball, too, and is 12-27 (44.4%) from behind the arc on the season. Sophomore guard/forward Deshawn Corprew is another fresh face after transferring from a junior college. His individual defensive stats are not as impressive as his peers, but he does contribute by scoring the ball. He might be their most natural scorer. Freshman Kyler Edwards is the other Red Raider in his first go-around with the team. He's another guard/wing in the 6'3"-5" range whose offensive role is similar to Mooney and Corprew. All three can shoot the ball well from deep but are just as comfortable taking the ball closer to the rim to score.

Senior Brandonne Francis, a 6'5" wing is yet another transfer, having started his college career at Florida. Unlike Mooney and Owens, he sat out a year and is playing in his second season with the Red Raiders. The longest tenured player on the roster backup 6'8" center Norense Odiase, a 5th-year senior that has played all his college home games in Lubbock, Texas. Odiase is not used all that much on offense, but he does score the ball reasonably well when he gets his chances. His main contribution is rebounding the ball and trying to block a shot when he can.

The rest of the regular rotation players are a trio of sophomores. The headliner of the group and for the team overall is Jarrett Culver. A Lubbock native, the 6'5" wing is an NBA 1st round draft prospect in his own right. He leads the team in scoring (19.1), assists (4.4), and rebounds (5.7) per game and can score from behind the arc or close in. He has blossomed into a great player and should garner All Big 12 and possibly All-American honors as the season progresses. I imagine he will be matched up on R.J. Barrett frequently. It should be a heck of a matchup. Another sophomore is yet another 6'3" guard, Davide Moretti. The Italian is a native of Bologna is a deadly accurate shooter from the charity stripe. He has missed 5 free throws in 48 attempts on so far in his career. He spreads his shots evenly inside and behind the arc this year to great effect. His effective field goal percentage this year is 55.2%, which is quite good. That's better than R.J. Barrett but not quite as good as Alex O'Connell. Morretti doesn't do a whole lot more than shoot, but he is quite good at that. The other sophomore in the trio is the tallest player on their roster, 6'10" Malik Ondigo. He is somewhat lightly used and we should expect to see him if there are issues with foul trouble. He can get an offensive rebound or maybe block a shot, but the rest of his game is limited at this stage of his career.

The Red Raiders have been starting a 2-big lineup with Owens and Odiase up front with Culver, Mooney, and Moretti on the exterior. The team is S L O W on offense, ranking in the bottom 50 in the nation in tempo. Everything is methodical. They do not shoot the ball form deep often, near the very bottom in 3-point rate. The goal is to get a good luck at the rim off of a cut to the rim or a kick-out to the corner. On defense, it's about limiting open looks, slapping the ball away, and blocking shots if all else fails. Texas Tech does not have overwhelming athleticism like Duke. The guys are not big or particularly long. It's just highly disciplined and aggressive on defense. On offense, time slows down. Shots are made as the final seconds of the clock tick off. You might fall asleep as the game plods along.

While Texas Tech has an impressive 10-0 record, that has come against an incredibly weak schedule. Their only meaningful games this year have been neutral affairs against Nebraska in Kansas City and Memphis in Miami. They won those two games in relatively convincing fashion, although the Memphis game was tight until the end. Texas Tech is a great defensive team, and defense travels. But they are not a great scoring team and lack a dynamic secondary scorer if Jarrett Culver is held in check. While Culver is quite a talent, he is going to give up size, length, and athleticism to pretty much everyone he faces when he has the ball in his hands. R.J., Cameron, Zion, and Jack all have at least a few inches and a couple of steps to spare. Few others on the Red Raiders appear capable of creating their own shots. If Duke continues its impressive run of deflecting passes and blocking shots, the Blue Devils should be able to get enough transition points to keep the game at a healthy distance in the second half. This will be the toughest defense Duke has faced so far this year, but it won't be a particularly stout offensive attack. And Texas Tech hasn't played in a high energy environment like this as a team. Individual players have, most notably Tariq Owens. How will the rest of the team respond to a big and loud audience? The only other time Texas Tech was in an NBA arena this year, in Miami against Memphis, they looked ok. But the stands were mostly empty. Madison Square Garden is going to be rocking tomorrow night (as I write this). I hope Duke is ready to ramp up the pressure. I'd love to see a quick start by the Blue Devils. Allowing the opponent to acclimate and gain comfort could lead to a long night. Duke has the firepower to come from behind, but I would rather not be in that position. Best to be a frontrunner against a team that wants to squeeze the life out of the game.

When this game was announced over the summer, it didn't seem like it would be a marquee matchup. But here is a chance for another signature win against a high major opponent. Let's see if Duke can further add to its own hype.

[MChambers]

Lower on the page with the preview, there’s a nice video of Beard’s recent press conference where he talks about playing Duke. I was impressed by him.

[Troublemaker]

Since we start four freshmen, the fact that we play in NYC every season might not make us as comfortable as you might think. Even our veterans have logged very few career minutes in MSG (Marques 12; Jack 8; Javin 3). Which means our entire roster has played a grand combined total of 23 minutes in the Garden.

As Coach K might/would say, we have two programs playing each other, not just two teams. I do find comfort in the fact that our coaches, trainers, equipment folks, etc. don't have have to spend a single second wondering which hotel to stay, where/when to do a film session with the players, where/when to do a walkthrough, or just generally what the gameday routine will be. We can just use the routines from past seasons. Am I saying the familiarity advantage is a huge deal that's worth more than, say, one point? Nah, but I believe it's a non-zero factor.


Without validating the data, I believe at the time KenPom had Duke and Gonzaga rated pretty evenly offensively and defensively, so that “poor defensive team” had enough defense to hand us our first loss.


On the morning of the Maui Championship game, Duke was ranked #1 offensively and #5 defensively in kenpom. Gonzaga was ranked #5 offensively and #17 defensively in kenpom. (TTU was #41 offensively and #3 defensively). I think it's fair to say that Gonzaga is an offensive team and TTU is a defensive team, especially with more data having come in.



The similarities between Gonzaga and Texas Tech are neutral site, and the older/younger team narrative. I do think there will be conclusions to be reached in comparison to the two games. Only time will tell what those conclusions are.


Let me ask you this. Where does Auburn fit into all these conclusions that we're drawing? I mean, top-10 team, neutral court, older/younger. Seems like all the factors were there. What conclusions did you draw from playing Gonzaga after playing Auburn?

[loran16]

The weirdest and most annoying thing to me about this game's previews by the media is that it entirely focuses on the Duke O vs Red Raider D....and ignores the other side of the ball.

Duke will have difficulty scoring, I would bet, but Duke has faced a similarly tough inside D team in Auburn. Texas Tech however is facing a Duke D just a tiny step below their own with an offense that isn't top 25....an offense that relies HEAVILY on 2 point shots - while they're shooting 3s at a very good 37.5% rate, they attempt 3s at the 330th best rate in the country (Duke is #231 in that stat). TTU's offense is going to rely heavily on offensive boarding I would think because our two point defense is damn good as well, and the only team that managed to put up good offense against us had a three point barrage that just isn't in the TTU offense.

I think Tech is for real, but their O just isn't good enough to hang, even if they suppress our own offense. A game like the Auburn game probably results.

[dukelion]

I ain't shook.....Texas Tech is about to reap what the one of the worst NCSOS has sowed.

They've haven't even remotely been exposed to what they'll see in Duke.

Good guys by 15+.

[duke74]

Great article in today’s NY Post. Like a rock band’s tour.

https://nypost.com/2018/12/19/the-zion-williamson-legend-and-freak-show-now-has-its-iconic-stage/?utm_campaign=iosapp&utm_source=pasteboard_app

[brlftz]

I ain't shook....Texas Tech is about to reap what the one of the worst NCSOS has sowed.

They've haven't even remotely been exposed to what they'll see in Duke.

Good guys by 15+.

I'm with you, feeling pretty good about winning this one easily. It's hard for a defense to get consistent stops if they aren't scoring buckets and slowing us down. I think we'll challenge their defense with a stout defense of our own that fuels a running attack like they haven't seen, and they won't be able to get dug in the way they are used to.

[BandAlum83]

Since we start four freshmen, the fact that we play in NYC every season might not make us as comfortable as you might think. Even our veterans have logged very few career minutes in MSG (Marques 12; Jack 8; Javin 3). Which means our entire roster has played a grand combined total of 23 minutes in the Garden.



But it might hurt the rest of our blood pressure.

That was my initial reaction as well, but upon further reflection I think it can. An institutional knowledge of how to approach these big games exist. The coaching staff knows the most effective routines from travel to activities to practice to meals, etc.

I remember when Coach K was coming home empty from all those final fours, it was trial and error to some extent. He learned the best approach and how to handle the pressure, etc.

Even with four starting freshmen, that institutional knowledge will go along way.

[BandAlum83]

I don't know when or why it happened, but I just saw that TT is now Kenpom #9. They were at #10, I believe a couple of days ago.

[subzero02]

We are favored by 8/8.5 with the money going on us.
http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/odds/las-vegas/line-movement/texas-tech-@-duke.cfm/date/12-20-18/time/1900#J

[Troublemaker]

I'm with you, feeling pretty good about winning this one easily. It's hard for a defense to get consistent stops if they aren't scoring buckets and slowing us down. I think we'll challenge their defense with a stout defense of our own that fuels a running attack like they haven't seen, and they won't be able to get dug in the way they are used to.


The weirdest and most annoying thing to me about this game's previews by the media is that it entirely focuses on the Duke O vs Red Raider D...and ignores the other side of the ball.

Duke will have difficulty scoring, I would bet, but Duke has faced a similarly tough inside D team in Auburn. Texas Tech however is facing a Duke D just a tiny step below their own with an offense that isn't top 25...an offense that relies HEAVILY on 2 point shots - while they're shooting 3s at a very good 37.5% rate, they attempt 3s at the 330th best rate in the country (Duke is #231 in that stat). TTU's offense is going to rely heavily on offensive boarding I would think because our two point defense is damn good as well, and the only team that managed to put up good offense against us had a three point barrage that just isn't in the TTU offense.

I think you guys are right. Just how often is TTU really going to be able to set up their #1-ranked defense? To do so, they'll have to score and avoid turnovers at a Gonzaga-like efficiency but without an offense that is ranked nearly as high as the Zags.

I agree with you that Duke's defense carries the day, leading to a double-digit victory.

[fuse]

As Coach K might/would say, we have two programs playing each other, not just two teams. I do find comfort in the fact that our coaches, trainers, equipment folks, etc. don't have have to spend a single second wondering which hotel to stay, where/when to do a film session with the players, where/when to do a walkthrough, or just generally what the gameday routine will be. We can just use the routines from past seasons. Am I saying the familiarity advantage is a huge deal that's worth more than, say, one point? Nah, but I believe it's a non-zero factor.



On the morning of the Maui Championship game, Duke was ranked #1 offensively and #5 defensively in kenpom. Gonzaga was ranked #5 offensively and #17 defensively in kenpom. (TTU was #41 offensively and #3 defensively). I think it's fair to say that Gonzaga is an offensive team and TTU is a defensive team, especially with more data having come in.



Let me ask you this. Where does Auburn fit into all these conclusions that we're drawing? I mean, top-10 team, neutral court, older/younger. Seems like all the factors were there. What conclusions did you draw from playing Gonzaga after playing Auburn?

I’ll try to keep this short, and say up front my intentions are to respond respectfully.

My first point about Gonzaga was a kenpom worse defensive team was able to defend us quite well based on the outcome.

Your second question about Auburn, I tried going back to scacchoops.com as they have a pretty neat scoring chart during the live game that I guess they don’t keep. I did find enough that my memory of the key takeaway from that game was that Bolden playing up to his potential makes Duke a much more complete and dangerous team. Clearly that revelation was just a spot performance that I certainly hope we see more of as the season progresses.

All that aside, looking for an exciting game against Texas Tech ending in a Duke victory.

Let’s Go Duke!

[budwom]

The KenPom stuff is indeed interesting...advanced stats are nice, the question is how accurate are they when a team's opposition has been very weak, i.e. how accurate can the "adjustment" be?...but TT does pass the look test, so I'm not expecting anything easy at all.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Great article in today’s NY Post. Like a rock band’s tour.

https://nypost.com/2018/12/19/the-zion-williamson-legend-and-freak-show-now-has-its-iconic-stage/?utm_campaign=iosapp&utm_source=pasteboard_app

We haven't had that since 1992. Then again, most schools have NEVER had it...

And that NBA scout had the same observation I had a few weeks ago...Zion dominates the game, the other team's attention, even without touching the ball. His on court presence - the intangible part - is something to behold. RJ gonna score a ton of points off of that.

[Troublemaker]

The key stat of the game might be Duke's defensive rebounding pct. As most of you probably know, one of the few weaknesses of this team thus far is defensive rebounding (#214 in the country). The only stat where we rank nationally worse is FT shooting (#268 in the country), but as I noted above, if TTU sends us to the line a lot, it's still advantage Duke.

TTU, on the other hand, is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the country at #56 nationally. Now, perhaps the weak schedule makes that misleading, but TTU was #48 nationally last season for the season.

If TTU can get cheap points off ORebs and occasionally pull the ball out after ORebs to restart possessions, that's their path to slow the game down, maybe wear down our defense and get enough buckets to be able to set up their vaunted halfcourt defense on the other end. As many have alluded to, the more Duke plays halfcourt offense against TTU, the more things trend towards an upset. The more we can force turnovers and defensive rebound to get out and run, the more it trends towards Duke winning comfortably.

[Troublemaker]

Duke up to a 10-pt favorite (from a 7 or 8 open) and the over is up to 148 (from 146).

GreenWaveDukie and I were able to snag 8 and 146 in the Degenerates contest. If you want to bet Duke and the over in Duke games this season, gotta hop on it early. The public loooooves Duke, and frankly, we've been good to them (profitable) so far this season, even with inflated lines.

[left_hook_lacey]

Duke up to a 10-pt favorite (from a 7 or 8 open) and the over is up to 148 (from 146).

GreenWaveDukie and I were able to snag 8 and 146 in the Degenerates contest. If you want to bet Duke and the over in Duke games this season, gotta hop on it early. The public loooooves Duke, and frankly, we've been good to them (profitable) so far this season, even with inflated lines.

I got in on 9.5 and the over at 146(I think) in the contest. I was really surprised it was that low, and bummed to find out it was even lower at 7 or 8.

TT plays good D in the first half, to keep it within 10, Duke rolls in the second when our offense starts wearing them down and they can't score in return. Zion gets going, getting the oooooh's and ahhhhhh's from the MSG crowd(Which I think will be much more electric than in years past because of the Zion effect), and TT starts to shrink under the big lights.

Duke by 20+

[MrPoon]

I think this is a double digit win also. TT’s pace may try and keep it where 8 feels like double digits but I think eventually the score will be that separated.

K has a long history of taking a team’s best player out of the game, it usually is an unexpected second or even a bench player that leads to losses, not stars... not always but often. K will have them ready for Cluver.

Foul trouble will be worth watching. The freshman have been much better of late, but we’ll see if that is due to the level of competition. The deeper bench has also helped (although this is the first test this deep in the year to see if K will stick with it in a key game).

If Cam starts warming up... even a little, TT needs to look out!

Curious about the slow starts the last few games. Is that a real problem or is that freshman just looking at perceived weaker completions and coming out a little flat?

I’ll have to record this one due to office party so I’ll have to try and be radio silent.

[DavidBenAkiva]

John Gasaway, an ESPN writer and adjunct lecturer at Columbia University is one of my favorite college basketball writers. He incorporates analytics into his writing. He had a few thoughts on twitter about the game tonight.


Little doubt Texas Tech will have a great D this season, and Tariq Owens is an outstanding shot-blocker.

Still, one question going forward will be the trajectory of that No. 1 D-I ranking for opp. 2FG%. Really odd proportion of empty calories in that number pre-Duke….

The Red Raiders have played 40 minutes this year against an offense in top 150 for 2FG% (Nebraska). Even USC (No. 217) and Memphis (160) are no great shakes there.

Of course, a great defense can only play the teams it gets on its schedule. Should be a good one this evening....

To say that Duke will be a big step up in competition for Texas Tech tonight is putting it mildly. Nebraska is a good team and TTU won that game soundly. Part of that was really poor shooting. The Huskers were just 5-23 from 3 and 13-21 from the free throw line. Duke is not the best 3-point shooting team in the country and has shot the ball poorly from deep in recent games against inferior competition (5-26 against Hartford and 5-21 against Yale). Hopefully, R.J., Cam, and Alex can drain a few threes while Zion uses his unique skillset to overcome the Red Raiders 2P% defense.

The flipside of this game is that Duke has an outstanding defense that has reached a new level since returning from Maui. Duke held Indiana, a Top 50 offensive team by adjusted efficiency to 87.5 points per 100 possessions. Tech is not as good offensively as IU or Auburn or even San Diego State, all teams that struggled to score against Duke's stout defensive attack. Forcing Tech into contested jumpers, stealing passes, and blocking shots will all allow the Duke offense to initiate a fast break and ease the pressure of the Tech halfcourt defense.

The more I think about this game, the more I focus on how comfortable Texas Tech will look when they have the ball. If they are calm, cool, and collected, then Duke should look out. If the bright lights of Madison Square Garden and the constant pressure from Duke defenders make Tech look rattled, then us Duke fans can let out a sigh of relief. I hope it's the latter and that we get plenty of signature Zion and R.J. slams for the Big Apple crowd tonight.

[left_hook_lacey]

I think this is a double digit win also. TT’s pace may try and keep it where 8 feels like double digits but I think eventually the score will be that separated.

K has a long history of taking a team’s best player out of the game, it usually is an unexpected second or even a bench player that leads to losses, not stars... not always but often. K will have them ready for Cluver.

Foul trouble will be worth watching. The freshman have been much better of late, but we’ll see if that is due to the level of competition. The deeper bench has also helped (although this is the first test this deep in the year to see if K will stick with it in a key game).

If Cam starts warming up... even a little, TT needs to look out!

Curious about the slow starts the last few games. Is that a real problem or is that freshman just looking at perceived weaker completions and coming out a little flat?

I’ll have to record this one due to office party so I’ll have to try and be radio silent.



I think this is the key. People are worried about our freshman getting in foul trouble, but to be honest, I think our freshman are going to get TT's players in foul trouble in this one. TT will not have a big following in MSG, we will have a decent presence, and the rest will be casual fans there to see Zion/Barrett. I pity the ref that puts Zion in foul trouble in this national TV game...in MSG.....during the holidays.

[tteettimes]

I just hope that ZION doesn’t hurt his head tonight!!!

[Kedsy]

Duke held Indiana, a Top 50 offensive team by adjusted efficiency to 87.5 points per 100 possessions.

Actually, your number is the unadjusted number. Using the KenPom numbers at the time, we held Indiana to an adjusted efficiency of approximately 78 points per 100 possessions. Using today's numbers, that slides a little to 79.8 points per 100 possessions.

[Turk]

I usually go to the MSG games from the south, via Amtrak or NJT to Penn Station. However, this time I'm coming in the other way and looking to minimize the travel time. What's the best train station to drive to, between New Haven and the city? I'm thinking Stamford might hit the sweet spot - easy drive and parking, then Metro North in and out of Grand Central.

[cato]

I usually go to the MSG games from the south, via Amtrak or NJT to Penn Station. However, this time I'm coming in the other way and looking to minimize the travel time. What's the best train station to drive to, between New Haven and the city? I'm thinking Stamford might hit the sweet spot - easy drive and parking, then Metro North in and out of Grand Central.

I’m not sure where you are coming from, but I grew up in Fairfield County and just about any station should be fine. If Stamford is convenient, definitely a good option.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I usually go to the MSG games from the south, via Amtrak or NJT to Penn Station. However, this time I'm coming in the other way and looking to minimize the travel time. What's the best train station to drive to, between New Haven and the city? I'm thinking Stamford might hit the sweet spot - easy drive and parking, then Metro North in and out of Grand Central.

They are all relatively easy to access and are designed to park and ride. Fairfield might be in the sweet spot if you want to break up the drive/ride. I live in New Haven and use that one frequently. They are all good.

[Billy Dat]

I’m not sure where you are coming from, but I grew up in Fairfield County and just about any station should be fine. If Stamford is convenient, definitely a good option.

I'll be Stamford, as a large station, has the most express trains.

[OldPhiKap]

I'll be Stamford, as a large station, has the most express trains.

True. This may be dated info, but there are a few branch lines that all converge at Stanford. Then it's pretty much an express to 125th street (IIRC) and then Grand Central Station.

[azzefkram]

I do worry a bit about a possible frustration factor when on the offensive end leading to guys trying to do too much. As good as their defense may be, I have to like Duke's D going against their O as long as we can limit transition opportunities.

[Duke76]

in today's Salisbury Post, my hometown newspaper where I grew up, https://www.salisburypost.com/2018/12/20/hes-not-like-anybody-dukes-williamson-is-one-of-a-kind/

[Turk]

I'll be Stamford, as a large station, has the most express trains.

I'm going with Stamford. They run just about every 10-12 minutes, so no need to sweat it either way; I can just get there when I get there. Even the locals don't take that much longer into town than the express.

[left_hook_lacey]

How long after the game will the replay be available on watch ESPN? I can't make it home from work in time, so I'm thinking of entering radio science and watching the replay. But I don't want to stay up til 2:30am to watch if

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Nice long article on Duke, focusing on Tre.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/25572698/tre-jones-the-duke-basketball-secret

[-jk]

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

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

As always - please follow the DBR Posting Guidelines.

Let's Go Duke!

-jk

[fuse]

8-0 is a good start.

Hope Cam is ok.

Let’s get this!

[jipops]

Need to score in some sort of halfcourt set. This is not sustainable only scoring on the break.

[subzero02]

Our Defense is legit... our halfcourt offense and shot selection need some work..
We should be up 10 instead of 3.

[subzero02]

Unleash the Alex...

[WHOneedsSOX]

Apparently they're only calling offensive fouls today even when you get tripped first.

[arnie]

Apparently they're only calling offensive fouls today even when you get tripped first.

That call was horrible. Course Vitale wasn’t looking and doubt they show replay.

[jipops]

Our Defense is legit... our halfcourt offense and shot selection need some work..
We should be up 10 instead of 3.

This is the type of game where our lack of perimeter shooting hurts us. Gonna be a grinder.

[WHOneedsSOX]

That call was horrible. Course Vitale wasn’t looking and doubt they show replay.

Pretty clear foul on Bolden on the other side too but I guess offensive fouls are the only thing they're going to call today.

[subzero02]

How many have they called on us? 4 or 5 I believe... a couple of 3s would get us going on the offensive end. Right now tech is crowding our driving lanes.

[ChrisP]

We were two open 3's (Reddish and Jones) away from blowing them out early. Now we can't seem to be patient on offense and, thus far, Barrett and Reddish are having a bad game.

Also, Zion got hammered before he charged.

[ChrisP]

Is it just me, or does it seem like RJ is trying to find new ways to take bad shots?

[subzero02]

I'm not really worried at all but that Javin basket was much needed...

[ChrisP]

I'm not really worried at all but that Javin basket was much needed...

Yeah, not real worried, either but Reddish and Barrett are going to need to play a lot smarter for us to win this. Might be the kinda game where AOC or Delaurier or White end up playing a bigger role than expected if our "stars" are having an off night.

[Steven43]

I'm not really worried at all but that Javin basket was much needed...

You’re not really worried at all?? I sure am.

How does Tech have fans on all three sides of the court down by their basket? Looks like a home game for them.

[WHOneedsSOX]

I'm not really worried at all but that Javin basket was much needed...

Not too worried but Duke is gonna have to make some 3s to win this. Can't expect Tre to get 15 steals tonight.

[slower]

Tre Jones keeping us in it. Bad Barrett (staggeringly inefficient) so far.

[Steven43]

Geez, I wish RJ could shoot more consistently from outside. It’s kind of strange how off his shots can be — feast or famine. Hopefully, he can figure something out soon.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Darn, knew Zion was going to pick up another cheap charge this half. They're just sliding under every Duke drive.

And his third just changed the entire game. 4 minutes left, surprised Coach K had him in.

[downeastdad]

Is it a coincidence, Beard and his players and their "charge cards" and all of the O fouls?

[slower]

Darn, knew Zion was going to pick up another cheap charge this half. They're just sliding under every Duke drive.

You just KNEW that foul was coming.

deLaurier has hands of stone.

[DU82]

You’re not really worried at all?? I sure am.

How does Tech have fans on all three sides of the court down by their basket? Looks like a home game for them.

They have half the downstairs we have the other half. The red shows up more on TV and in person

[jipops]

When is the last time Duke didn’t hit a single 3. Has to be over 20 years ago.

[Steven43]

Zion having three fouls already? Not good. He’s the guy we cannot lose.

[BigZ]

What’s happened to Cam? He has turned into Gary aTrent Jr

[ChrisP]

Zion's cheap 3rd could be huge but if Duke can hot a few outside shots, we'll be fine

[ChrisP]

What’s happened to Cam? He has turned into Gary aTrent Jr

Hih???? Trent could shoot.

[WHOneedsSOX]

What’s happened to Cam? He has turned into Gary aTrent Jr

Wonder if it's a rhythm thing. Hardly makes plays with the ball with Tre and RJ doing most of the ball handling.

[subzero02]

The start of the 2nd half will be delayed by 8 minutes so that the rim we were shooting on can be repainted...

[WHOneedsSOX]

Can RJ stop shooting 3's in the 2nd half please?

[jipops]

Wow. Love love the defense. This team cannot shoot...at...all. But the defense has been very good.

[devildeac]

Just got home. LOL at the poster who thought they wouldn't call fouls on Zion. Sounds like they've been pretty awful calls. With eades, what can you expect? :mad:

[ChrisP]

BRUTAL 3 point shooting. Ouch! And please don't tell me it's Tech's defense - many/most of our 3's have been good, open shots

[subzero02]

Zion's cheap 3rd could be huge but if Duke can hot a few outside shots, we'll be fine

I can't recall a half where we shot more poorly than we did just now. The good thing is, our shot selection isn't that bad overall; we had a lot of good shots rim out.

[wavedukefan70s]

We cant hit .maybe we can shake it off.

[SCMatt33]

Tre Jones needs to be way more involved in the half-court offense. It seemed like every time he was involved in the play beyond bring the ball up and handing it off, there was at least some good offense run. Every time he wasn't, it was a lazy perimeter three or a straight line drive by Zion or RJ. They're super talented driving the ball, but TT is just packing the pain pit and they aren't looking to pass. Thankfully, everyone is playing hard on D to keep it close.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Just got home. LOL at the poster who thought they wouldn't call fouls on Zion. Sounds like they've been pretty awful calls. With eades, what can you expect? :mad:

His first charge looked like the guy slid under him as Zion was just about to jump. Second charge was a good call. Third foul wouldn't have been called but the Texas Tech guy traveled after being bumped so the ref was forced to call it. Didn't look like he was going to call it until he traveled.

[arnie]

Can RJ stop shooting 3's in the 2nd half please?

Why? I mean he’s taken almost half our shots and has a total of 6 points. If he keeps jacking in 2nd half he might get to double figures.😡 Tre Jones is a star and ball should be in his hands every trip. He’s a winner.

[fuse]

Hit some of the chippies we missed, and we have a big lead.

Hopefully the iron will be more kind in the second half.

[Sixthman]

His first charge looked like the guy slid under him as Zion was just about to jump. Second charge was a good call. Third foul wouldn't have been called but the Texas Tech guy traveled after being bumped so the ref was forced to call it. Didn't look like he was going to call it until he traveled.

Which would reasonable if they hadn’t missed ten or more traveling calls in the half anyway.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Why? I mean he’s taken almost half our shots and has a total of 6 points. If he keeps jacking in 2nd half he might get to double figures.😡 Tre Jones is a star and ball should be in his hands every trip. He’s a winner.

Can you imagine the player Tre will be if he comes back next year?

[scottdude8]

When a team shoots as horrifically as we just did against a quality opponent and is only down 1, it’s not a bad thing. It shows that we are a superior basketball team that isn’t playing as well as our opponent through 20 minutes. Let’s all relax a touch here.

[jipops]

O’Connell going to have to get a lot burn in the 2nd. He’s the only 3 pt threat on the team.

[WHOneedsSOX]

When a team shoots as horrifically as we just did against a quality opponent and is only down 1, it’s not a bad thing. It shows that we are a superior basketball team that isn’t playing as well as our opponent through 20 minutes. Let’s all relax a touch here.

Or Texas Tech's offense isn't very good. Half of Duke's points are off Tre steals.

[jipops]

The same crew talking up the cheats right now are the same ones who said Duke could beat the Cavs.

[wavedukefan70s]

Or Texas Tech's offense isn't very good. Half of Duke's points are off Tre steals.

Aso according to uncle fester we have 4 points in half court o aswell.

[arnie]

When a team shoots as horrifically as we just did against a quality opponent and is only down 1, it’s not a bad thing. It shows that we are a superior basketball team that isn’t playing as well as our opponent through 20 minutes. Let’s all relax a touch here.

Will probably win this game, but am big time concerned with shot selection and 3 point shooting. Will see mostly packed in zones for rest of year.

[Rickshaw]

wonder what rj's % is for the year........needs to learn to share

[-jk]

His first charge looked like the guy slid under him as Zion was just about to jump. Second charge was a good call. Third foul wouldn't have been called but the Texas Tech guy traveled after being bumped so the ref was forced to call it. Didn't look like he was going to call it until he traveled.

Getting there when someone is just about to jump is good D. Sliding under just after, not so much. Harder to slide under just before a jump.

-jk

[wavedukefan70s]

The same crew talking up the cheats right now are the same ones who said Duke could beat the Cavs.

Bad announcers all way around.

[jipops]

Can RJ stop shooting 3's in the 2nd half please?

He needs to keep shooting. He’s never going to be a very good shooter in his time at Duke. But in order for Duke to have any chance in games like this he has to keep shooting.

[DukeDevil]

Zion just hit 5 threes in a row in second half warmups

[WHOneedsSOX]

He needs to keep shooting. He’s never going to be a very good shooter in his time at Duke. But in order for Duke to have any chance in games like this he has to keep shooting.

His mid range shot seems to be pretty good. I know analytics say it's a bad shot but who cares if he can make it. Could've taken a one dribble, wide open mid range shot at the end there instead of a NBA 3.

[slower]

When a team shoots as horrifically as we just did against a quality opponent and is only down 1, it’s not a bad thing.
Well, yeah - unless we keep doing it in the second half.

Let's see if Good Zion and Tre can outweigh Bad Barrett and Reddish. If Zion picks up his fourth foul before 12:00 left, we're in trouble.

[jipops]

Cam has zero confidence right now. None.

[WHOneedsSOX]

No energy to start the half.

[jipops]

This game about to get away. Can’t count on TTech to keep turning it over.

[ChrisP]

Duke is better than TT but this is starting to feel like "one of those games" where horrid 3pt shooting begins to affect confidence and focus and we just end up looking silly

[Brockt10]

I mean this in the nicest way possible but we have very limited offensive skill in the half court.

[Old Dukie]

BRUTAL 3 point shooting. Ouch! And please don't tell me it's Tech's defense - many/most of our 3's have been good, open shots

Does Barrett ever pass?

[Old Dukie]

Duke is better than TT but this is starting to feel like "one of those games" where horrid 3pt shooting begins to affect confidence and focus and we just end up looking silly

Totally agree!

[duke79]

Does Barrett ever pass?

LOL, yea, he just passed to a TT player!

[fuse]

C’mon Duke, let’s go!!!!!

[slower]

Tre Stones time.

[ChrisP]

Easily Barrett's worst game. Just awful decision making - at least on offense

[duke79]

I hate to say this.......but Duke is playing like a high school team. Very sloppy play. No discipline and no play making. Game is not over YET.......but need to play with more discipline, on offense and defense.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Obvious goaltending not called.

[ChrisP]

In contrast to some of his classmates, Tre playing great tonight. Like...really great

[jipops]

Man I wish Tre had a jump shot. He’s a real warrior.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Why does Vitale keep comparing this mostly freshman team to an entire upper-class 2001 Duke team?

[subzero02]

Tre Jones Super Star!!!... playing now on broadway

[ChrisP]

This futility from 3 is CRAZY. One is bound to fall at some point....right?

[jipops]

We really should be getting blown out of the gym right now.

[arnie]

I hate to say this....but Duke is playing like a high school team. Very sloppy play. No discipline and no play making. Game is not over YET....but need to play with more discipline, on offense and defense.

Shot section is horrible. No drives and kickouts for 3s. Wonder what the record is for most 3s attempted without making one?

[WHOneedsSOX]

This futility from 3 is CRAZY. One is bound to fall at some point...right?

Hopefully the game winner from 75 feet away lol

[Old Dukie]

LOL, yea, he just passed to a TT player!

Yeah, that's why he never passes!

[Ballboy1998]

Shot section is horrible. No drives and kickouts for 3s. Wonder what the record is for most 3s attempted without making one?

Driving into the lane = auto charge, even if you pull up. So...

[jipops]

1032 games

[slower]

Yeah, that's why he never passes!

6 turnovers for Barrett. And there's the 4th foul on Zion. Here we go.

[jipops]

Jack White extends to 1033 games

[ChrisP]

Seriously, RJ????!!!

[WHOneedsSOX]

So looks like Cam is benched? Can't even get in when Zion goes out.

Edit: looks like he's back in.

[duke79]

Let's face reality.......we're a TERRIBLE outside shooting team. In all honesty, I could throw up better shots that what we've seen tonight.

[scottdude8]

Previous “one and done” led Duke teams would’ve been blown out in a game like today where shots, both good and bad, aren’t falling against a quality opponent. Regardless of what the end result of tonight is, this team has shown it’s different, primarily because of
1) The defense (i.e. Tre)
2) Zion can still affect a game when shots aren’t fouling because of how dominant he is athletically.
3) The calming presence and leadership of Jack White.

[jipops]

That sequence hurt a lot. Culver with a 3 then a dunk. Could be the key point right there.

[SCMatt33]

This is turning into Gonzaga again with RJ. Once he starts a drive, there's no other option for him but shoot. This kind of went for Zion and Cam too so far tonight. Zion actually started playing his best offense when he was in foul trouble and couldn't just put his head down every time.

[Old Dukie]

So looks like Cam is benched? Can't even get in when Zion goes out.

Edit: looks like he's back in.

And rightly so! When will he learn the college game?

[subzero02]

Why did we let that happen to White... no help whatsoever.

[ChrisP]

Ugh, looked like we had finally gotten something going and then Javin commits a moving screen and they string together a few buckets. Grrr

[WHOneedsSOX]

Ugh, looked like we had finally gotten something going and then Javin commits a moving screen and they string together a few buckets. Grrr

Ehh partly on RJ for going too early before Javin could set himself.

[jipops]

Ugh, looked like we had finally gotten something going and then Javin commits a moving screen and they string together a few buckets. Grrr

Yea. That sequence hurt a lot. We may be looking back as this being the point that lost it for us.

[duke79]

Truthfully, I don't think we should take a shot from more than four feet from the basket. Just drive on every possession.

[WHOneedsSOX]

That's the second time someone has dove and taken out a Duke player with no foul called.

[wavedukefan70s]

That's the second time someone has dove and taken out a Duke player with no foul called.

That's a cut block in football smh

[WHOneedsSOX]

That's a cut block in football smh

And a trip in hockey. And now illegal in baseball too.

[scottdude8]

Jack White is such an X factor. Wow.

[wavedukefan70s]

Jack White is such an X factor. Wow.

Hes the key to this team.he does the dirt.

[wavedukefan70s]

Wow unbelievable

[gocanes0506]

Charge calls are pathetic.

[Bluedog]

Wow haven't seen the defense get the benefit of the doubt on these charge calls in any game in my life. That was crazy.

Can we compare that to Wendell's "block" foul against KU last year??? Sheesh.

[WHOneedsSOX]

3 points taken away and more importantly their 2nd best player tonight. That's an awful call. Don't reward a flop.

[jipops]

G a r b a g e

[ChrisP]

What a BS call!!!

[fuse]

Terrible call. Counting on the team to bring this one home.

Let’s Go Duke!!!!

[Old Dukie]

Why a spin move, Zion? You had 4 fouls! Geeeeeeez!

[Ballboy1998]

...lol

[jipops]

That was a charge but Wendell Carter’s wasn’t!!?

[ChrisP]

Why a spin move, Zion? You had 4 fouls! Geeeeeeez!

Dude, that's Zion's game. He got called simply because of his size. I have no problem with Zion there.

[knicknut]

Zion should learn, especially the way this game is called, that you can't spin in the lane with 4 fouls to give the refs the chance to make a mistake.

[Ballboy1998]

Why a spin move, Zion? You had 4 fouls! Geeeeeeez!

The spin move is how he stops his momentum, which he did. The ref was just out of position and fell for the flop (for about the 5th time tonight)

[wavedukefan70s]

Absolutely terrible call.

[ChrisP]

Time for Reddish and RJ to step up.

[Danke Shane]

Zion is getting the big man version of the JJ treatment...it’s like the refs feel bad for the defenders and give them every advantage possible to make the game more fair or something.

[WHOneedsSOX]

And now that on RJ. 5 point swing by the refs there.

[ChrisP]

Happy for Cam!

[gocanes0506]

They are waiting until TT misses before they call the foul? Refs are terrible

[Bluedog]

They are waiting until TT misses before they call the foul? Refs are terrible

Yeah that was a crazy late call. I was confused...

[WHOneedsSOX]

They are waiting until TT misses before they call the foul? Refs are terrible

It's like my adult league refs that are too lazy to blow their whistle.

[ChrisP]

Yeah that was a crazy late call. I was confused...

Word! I thought the whistle was for the guy going over Javin's back for the rebound!

[Old Dukie]

Big D stops will seal a win!

[ChrisP]

Hope the freshmen understand time and score...

[duke79]

I'll take the win .....but this was an ugly game.

[ChrisP]

C'mon, Cam!!!

[WHOneedsSOX]

I'll take the win ....but this was an ugly game.

Good teams find ways to win when things don't go well.

But yeah, ugly game.

And RJ makes some absolutely awful decisions.

[arnie]

Jack White😀😀😀

[ChrisP]

Jack White is awesome!!!

[duke79]

Good teams find ways to win when things don't go well.

But yeah, ugly game.

And RJ makes some absolutely awful decisions.

Totally agree.

[duketaylor]

Awesome finish, 16-3 run, hitting free-throws, etc. Tre Jones MVP of this team this year, no question in my mind.

[Ballboy1998]

This team is tough

[Old Dukie]

With Z on the bench, Duke pulls away for a win. Does this team only play hard when they need to?

[Papa John]

Jack White is a BAD-arse!

(or, as the Phil Hartman Sinatra would say, "I got chunks of guys like you in my stool!")

[jipops]

We covered

[Dukehk]

You know how the saying goes...defence wins championships!

Today proved that yet again.

We shot like crap and had the referees call everything a charge today. Yet still come out with a double digit win against a veteran, undefeated and streaking TT squad. Very impressive win for such a young team.

Also, what do they feed those Jones boys? They are just such great leaders and basketball players. Born to be a point guard.

What a win and can't wait for the ACC season to kick off.