MBB: Duke 80, Boston College 55 Post-Game Thread

[JBDuke]

A Tale of Two Halves. Put your post-game comments here.

[DukeWarhead]

4 points from the bench. 4.

[richardjackson199]

And they covered. Didn't see that coming for a bit.

[CDu]

4 points from the bench. 4.

76 points from the starters. 76!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Z had a few humbling moments. Jones has no middle gear, he just goes flat out.

Nice to see shots fall in the second half. Not sure there are many take aways from this game.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Z had a few humbling moments. Jones has no middle gear, he just goes flat out.

Nice to see shots fall in the second half. Not sure there are many take aways from this game.

This game taught me Zion is indeed human. I cried a little when I realized that fact.

[Dukehk]

Is this the best defensive team in Duke history? Or is Shane Battier shaking his head in disagreement right now?

A lot has been said about our 3 point struggles and bench production (lately) but nobody ever mentions how good our defence is. I guess the “real” test comes in this next stretch of games. Will we continue to lock down opponents on the road?

Great to see camfam heating up! We need all 4 of our freshmen stars to be at their best if we are to win the next few.

[weezie]

NEXT!

[CDu]

This game taught me Zion is indeed human. I cried a little when I realized that fact.

It is something when a 16 point (on 12 FGA), 17 rebound, 3 assist, 4 steal, 3 block game is considered human.

[TKG]

Glad we have three days to “get our minds right” for UVA. We played 20 minutes of good ball against St. John’s and 20 minutes of good ball tonight. That will not work in Charlottesville.

[DukieInBrasil]

Duke won the 2nd half 52-25 (nice palindrome!) RJ made a couple of shots in the last few minutes that really redeemed his stat line, but WOW!!! Cam Reddish and Zion put up stat lines that are both remarkable! Cam b/c he's been in a deep funk for a while and had a very nice game, and Zion put up crazy numbers in all categories. I mean Z had 4 steals, 3 asts and 3 block to go along with a monster double-double (16 & 17).
Although Duke looked out of sorts, on the verge of disinterested in the 1st half, the 2nd half performance was really quite beautiful.

[proelitedota]

Don't let the 25 point differential distract you from the fact that Duke was down 2 at the half and UVA lost to UMBC.

[duke4ever19]

I was expecting to enjoy the "crossover" telecast more than I actually did.

I'm very familiar with Hubie Brown's work in the NBA, but he seemed a bit like a wet rag tonight. Or maybe it's just that Vitale is so deliriously optimistic about anything and everything that anyone else seems a bit like a stick in the mud?

Great second half for the good guys. We all knew it was coming.

[Dukehky]

I'm never afraid that we're going to lose with this team. I mean, could we lose? Yeah, definitely, but no team scares me.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I was expecting to enjoy the "crossover" telecast more than I actually did.

I'm very familiar with Hubie Brown's work in the NBA, but he seemed a bit like a wet rag tonight. Or maybe it's just that Vitale is so deliriously optimistic about anything and everything that anyone else seems a bit like a stick in the mud?
.

If I had to guess, I'd say that Vitale was not originally scheduled for this game. I can't imagine scheduling Vitale and Brown........that is, until Vitale insists.

[Dukehky]

I was expecting to enjoy the "crossover" telecast more than I actually did.

I'm very familiar with Hubie Brown's work in the NBA, but he seemed a bit like a wet rag tonight. Or maybe it's just that Vitale is so deliriously optimistic about anything and everything that anyone else seems a bit like a stick in the mud?

Great second half for the good guys. We all knew it was coming.

Watching KU v. K State right now, really feel like we missed out on Chauncey and Stan Van Gundy. I love Hubie, though. Cool to have a Duke guy calling the game.

[richardjackson199]

Glad we have three days to “get our minds right” for UVA. We played 20 minutes of good ball against St. John’s and 20 minutes of good ball tonight. That will not work in Charlottesville.

Reasonable minds can differ. I thought Duke played well and hard for 40 minutes against St. John's against a very talented team. St. John's is smoking Marquette right now at Marquette. We got a little sloppy toward the end in garbage time after the game had already been put away. Duke knows they'll have to play 40 minutes of their best ball to win in Charlottesville. And even then it will be a tall order. But just as Duke tends to get everyone's A game. I expect that UVA will get ours. Will be fun!

[KandG]

I was expecting to enjoy the "crossover" telecast more than I actually did.

I'm very familiar with Hubie Brown's work in the NBA, but he seemed a bit like a wet rag tonight. Or maybe it's just that Vitale is so deliriously optimistic about anything and everything that anyone else seems a bit like a stick in the mud?


I think Hubie is fantastic when paired with a more understated play by play guy like Mark Jones, as opposed to being part of a 3 man booth with Vitale. He made a few good points about the way BC attacked our defense and about how RJ was invisible for a good portion of the game. But his points come across better as part of a steady flow of insight, rather than having to blurt them out in small nuggets when Vitale was willing to give him a few seconds to talk.

Wasn't thrilled with the effort level in the first half tonight, though that seems to be par for the course lately against mediocre teams at home playing junk defenses. I still worry about how much RJ seems to labor when he stares at a zone, even though he got a few to drop toward the end. But Cam was excellent and I would happily take more of that. His play with the ball is looking more assured with every game.

Bolden was excellent on both ends and continues to improve managing those high screen and rolls the opponent tries to run to rub Tre off the ballhandler. That team defense in the second half was a thing of beauty. Now it's time to see if we can do it on the road against higher level competition...again.

[TKG]

Reasonable minds can differ. I thought Duke played well and hard for 40 minutes against St. John's against a very talented team. St. John's is smoking Marquette right now at Marquette. We got a little sloppy toward the end in garbage time after the game had already been put away. Duke knows they'll have to play 40 minutes of their best ball to win in Charlottesville. And even then it will be a tall order. But just as Duke tends to get everyone's A game. I expect that UVA will get ours. Will be fun!

I hope you are a correct and we bring our A game on Saturday.

[duketaylor]

Don't let the 25 point differential distract you from the fact that Duke was down 2 at the half and UVA lost to UMBC.

Question, what exactly is the point of that post? I'm clueless.

[BandAlum83]

Duke won the 2nd half 52-25 (nice palindrome!) RJ made a couple of shots in the last few minutes that really redeemed his stat line, but WOW!!! Cam Reddish and Zion put up stat lines that are both remarkable! Cam b/c he's been in a deep funk for a while and had a very nice game, and Zion put up crazy numbers in all categories. I mean Z had 4 steals, 3 asts and 3 block to go along with a monster double-double (16 & 17).
Although Duke looked out of sorts, on the verge of disinterested in the 1st half, the 2nd half performance was really quite beautiful.

7/10 on 3pt shots in second half. Wow. Wish it could always be like that. Looks like the velociraptors learned how to open a door!

[UrinalCake]

The slow starts are becoming quite a habit. Not sure if it’s mental or an intentional strategy or if other teams just start off fired up and can’t maintain it. Everybody knows we’re not a great shooting team but in the first half we were just taking bad shots - contested, off-balance, early in the shot clock, etc. We made better decisions and they started to fall in the second half but it’s going to take a 40 minute effort to beat the likes of UVA, UNC, etc.

Glad to see Cam have a big night, he’s been so up and down. Zion had an “off” night but was still dominant. Tre was great as always but I thought we should have given him some help on Bowman given that he’s basically their only player. Bolden continues to make really great strides and Barrett was good but not great in this one.

[CameronDuke]

20-2, 8-1.

Wow. 20 wins already. And 8-1 in the ACC at the halfway point. These next 6 consecutive games and the entire back half of the ACC schedule really will give us some great opportunities to see this team against really great programs or on the road in hostile environments. No knock to places like Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Pitt but they are all lower tier ACC teams this year and I am ready to see Duke at Virginia, Louisville, Virginia Tech, UNC, and Cuse. The win at FSU already was EPIC though!

Cam shot a lot tonight but ended up 8-16 from the floor. Good to see him see it go in at a better clip tonight.

Bolden flashed some more NBA center caliber footwork around the rim tonight and continues to rebound and play defense very well by moving his feet and not fouling as much.

When we needed easy baskets to start the 2nd half after shooting poorly in the 1st half, RJ again was effective at driving the ball and getting to the rim. He is a natural scorer and when he goes into attack mode he is tough to stop. He uses his body well and absorbs contact in traffic and is able to finish through being fouled.

Zion had a double double and could have had more points with a couple easy dunks he missed. But he still had some amazing plays including a steal on Bowman near halfcourt where he absolutely picked his pocket then an accurate one handed bounce pass to a teammate for a layup. It was not a teachable play. He is just so talented.

On to Charlottesville for a game that may end up deciding the ACC regular season title. Still a lot of season left but Virginia doesn't lose too many games in the conference. Would be nice to go up there and steal one (I think Virginia will be slightly favored at home).

Let's Go Duke!

[kmspeaks]

I was expecting to enjoy the "crossover" telecast more than I actually did.

I'm very familiar with Hubie Brown's work in the NBA, but he seemed a bit like a wet rag tonight. Or maybe it's just that Vitale is so deliriously optimistic about anything and everything that anyone else seems a bit like a stick in the mud?

Great second half for the good guys. We all knew it was coming.

I think Hubie turned Vitale down from his normal 11/10 to a 6 or 7. That alone made it worth it for me. I don't remember hearing about Vitale's one eye or how he hates the jump ball rule tonight so I'd call it a win for the crossover.

[Duke76]

The slow starts are becoming quite a habit. Not sure if it’s mental or an intentional strategy or if other teams just start off fired up and can’t maintain it. Everybody knows we’re not a great shooting team but in the first half we were just taking bad shots - contested, off-balance, early in the shot clock, etc. We made better decisions and they started to fall in the second half but it’s going to take a 40 minute effort to beat the likes of UVA, UNC, etc.

Glad to see Cam have a big night, he’s been so up and down. Zion had an “off” night but was still dominant. Tre was great as always but I thought we should have given him some help on Bowman given that he’s basically their only player. Bolden continues to make really great strides and Barrett was good but not great in this one.

I go back to the point I have made before that I think this team needs more structured plays or they certainly seem to play better when you can see them set up in plays and run them rather than trying to dribble drive so much...think we seemed to do that more in the second half and we got more open face up 3's as well

[cruxer]

I'm never afraid that we're going to lose with this team. I mean, could we lose? Yeah, definitely, but no team scares me.

^^
this

Love to see the guys grow right in front of us. We may lose, but we'll always go down swinging!

[ncexnyc]

Well nobody has said it as of yet, so let me be that guy. We can't go into every game thinking we can just flip the switch whenever we feel like it, as it will eventually come back to bite us. There, now that we've gotten that out of the way let's be serious.:o

Our play these last few games reminds me of a boxer who feels out his opponent the first couple of rounds and then once he sees what the other guy has proceeds to pick his man apart. We got solid games from all of our starters, but I'm really getting worried about our bench.

That Syracuse game really took its toll on Jack and he really is in a funk shooting the ball. Javin needs to chill and get his energy under control. I got a big laugh when he ran out at the man he was supposed to guard and slide right into him. That play pretty much sums up his game. AOC continues to tease. You can see he's got some offensive game, but he's always good for one AOC moment. That pass to nobody is a prime example.

[jv001]

I think Hubie turned Vitale down from his normal 11/10 to a 6 or 7. That alone made it worth it for me. I don't remember hearing about Vitale's one eye or how he hates the jump ball rule tonight so I'd call it a win for the crossover.

Hubie cut Dickie V off a couple of times but of course he needed to if he wanted to comment on the game. Hubie is one of my favorite announcers. Wish he was going to do more Duke games. I liked how he wouldn't fall for Vitale's over the top junk he normally get's away with.

As for the game, it was once again a tale of two halves. We seem to start off slow against the zone defense by shooting off balance 3 pointers and don't get the ball to Zion enough, but the team looked very good beginning the 2nd half. Maybe the steal and layup by Cam at the end of the first half helped get the team charged up. That plus, a good stern rebuking by Coach K. Now let's take care of business in Charlottesville. GoDuke!

[niveklaen]

truly disappointed that the crazies passed on what will surely be their only chance to chant 'you cant dunk' at zion

[Dub]

Great 2nd half against another overmatched team. Look forward to going against the heavyweights of the ACC the rest of the way. I predict 4-2 in our next 6. Look forward to seeing how the team responds to adversity on the road.

OAN - I always find it funny how some of the faithful always find ways to highlight the negative in a 25 point win lol. We beat another ACC team by 10+. Enjoy this run guys. Next years team is going to take some lumps. On to Charlottesville...

[jv001]

Great 2nd half against another overmatched team. Look forward to going against the heavyweights of the ACC the rest of the way. I predict 4-2 in our next 6. Look forward to seeing how the team responds to adversity on the road.

OAN - I always find it funny how some of the faithful always find ways to highlight the negative in a 25 point win lol. We beat another ACC team by 10+. Enjoy this run guys. Next years team is going to take some lumps. On to Charlottesville...

Outside of recruiting, I'm not even thinking about next years team. I love watching this group of young men perform and they seem to have fun doing it. GoDuke!

[brlftz]

Don't let the 25 point differential distract you from the fact that Duke was down 2 at the half and UVA lost to UMBC.

Go back to Reddit! :p

[Saratoga2]

Yes we started slowly and had 3 pointightis for the first half. Other teams have zoned us and clogged the middle and dared us to shoot the 3 and lets face it, it worked for BC. 1 for 15 and they weren't all off balance shots. Zion kept us in the game in the first half until the very end when Cam sote the ball and hit a layup.

Our defense turned it up a notch and Cam had a very good half.

The good:

Bolden played well and gave us 30 solid minutes

Zion is a player no one can fully stop although they clogged up the inside and made it more difficult for him

Cam really showed further progress in his game

Tre's defense was very solid again

RJ had some nice moments in the second half especially

The not so good:

Javin still is finding his way back by making a couple of good blocks but certainly isn't doing as well as earlier in the year

Jack is still playing good defense and rebounding but shows nothing on offense

Alex shows flashes of good play and then seems to lose focus. Would love him to give us more.

[Steven43]

This game taught me Zion is indeed human. I cried a little when I realized that fact.

Haven’t seen the game yet (recorded; will watch tonight). What revealed Zion as mortal? I don’t believe it.

[gocanes0506]

I liked Hubie. He layed out some very good knowledge tonight without a loud persona. I would love to listen to him talk about basketball all day.

Wasn’t confident after the first. Great win. Got to get a better 40 minute performance and bench scoring against UVA.

[Saratoga2]

I liked Hubie. He layed out some very good knowledge tonight without a loud persona. I would love to listen to him talk about basketball all day.

Wasn’t confident after the first. Great win. Got to get a better 40 minute performance and bench scoring against UVA.

We'll get what we'll get. We won at Cameron without Tre so we should be better. Cam is showing signs of coming more alive on offense, which may also help us. Bolden is playing increasingly well. It is a little concerning that our bench contributions have been minimal, but I still think we have an edge. Have to limit their threes while not going totally cold ourselves and hitting our FTs. Look forward to Saturday.

[mgtr]

A tale of two halves? We need Hubie around more often, since his presence kept Vitale down to more normal levels. Overall the game commentary was pretty good.

[uh_no]

Go back to Reddit! :p


I haven't been on reddit since 1998, when.....crap what was it again?

[devildeac]

Haven’t seen the game yet (recorded; will watch tonight). What revealed Zion as mortal? I don’t believe it.

He missed a 720, reverse windmill, between the legs, tomahawk dunk after a steal. Or something like that. :o

Then he fumbled one darn near up to the banners when he had an open lane a bit later.

Not gonna get many RJ/Buckmire points in the locker room for those two. :o

[scottdude8]

Lots of concern about the bench production. Something that isn’t being discussed in this context: it’s entirely possible that Jack White is hitting “the wall” more than our freshmen this year. Given his huge uptick in minutes and the fact that his high school schedule in Australia was (I’m pretty sure) not nearly as strenuous a schedule as it is here. Historically, when players hit the wall they eventually push through it. I wouldn’t be shocked if Jack gets his scoring touch back eventually, even if it isn’t right now.

[TNTDevil]

Well nobody has said it as of yet, so let me be that guy. We can't go into every game thinking we can just flip the switch whenever we feel like it, as it will eventually come back to bite us. There, now that we've gotten that out of the way let's be serious.:o
Come on we've both been around a long time. Sometimes it gets away but, as you well know, more often than not Duke always fights back into the game.


Our play these last few games reminds me of a boxer who feels out his opponent the first couple of rounds and then once he sees what the other guy has proceeds to pick his man apart. We got solid games from all of our starters, but I'm really getting worried about our bench.Yep. Plus, we took BC's best shot. BC was crazy good in the first half. We, of course, made it very easy for them.


That Syracuse game really took its toll on Jack and he really is in a funk shooting the ball. Javin needs to chill and get his energy under control. I got a big laugh when he ran out at the man he was supposed to guard and slide right into him. That play pretty much sums up his game. AOC continues to tease. You can see he's got some offensive game, but he's always good for one AOC moment. That pass to nobody is a prime example. Jack seems to be settling for letting his defense take the lead (sweet block on Bowman) and, for whatever reason, he's not looking to shoot. And that turnover by AOC (a.k.a. The Hair) is quickly becoming his signature move.

P.S. Not trying to get in a dust-up with you. You just brought up many of points I was also going to address.

[accfanfrom1970]

9 steals and 9 blocks. Forced 14 turnovers to only making 7, that’s a winning formula. And fun to watch.

[terrih]

I had a question about the technical that was called. I was at the game so didn’t hear the explanation on the broadcast. I suspect they called it on the coach? Is that true? And my other question is why didn’t we get the ball after the technical? We shot the technical free throws, then the regular free throws and then they played on. Thanks. -Terri

Strong second half. Was fun to see the team in Cameron for the second straight game. Flying back home to Denver in the AM.

[Neals384]

That Syracuse game really took its toll on Jack and he really is in a funk shooting the ball. Javin needs to chill and get his energy under control. I got a big laugh when he ran out at the man he was supposed to guard and slide right into him. That play pretty much sums up his game. AOC continues to tease. You can see he's got some offensive game, but he's always good for one AOC moment. That pass to nobody is a prime example.

What do you means pass to nobody. The ref was in perfect position to catch and shoot but failed to field the pass:cool:

[Neals384]

I liked Hubie’s comparison of Zion to George McGinnis. That’s a heck of a comp, by t you have to be of a certain age to appreciate it.

[Billy Dat]

Garbage first half. I appreciate Cam’s hustle to get that steal and bucket to give us a little lift right before the half. He played great. He defended, scored and limited his fouls and turnovers. Well done!

K seemed edgy in the presser, I think our first half was stuck in his craw, but he was also mad about noise outside the room where the presser takes place - someone is going to get chewed out tonight! Aside from praising Cam, he lauded Bolden and Javin’s defense and Zion’s rebounding.

I thought RJ was thrown off by his foul trouble, but he took many fewer 3s and still got to the line a bunch.

Saturday will be interesting.

[TNTDevil]

I had a question about the technical that was called. I was at the game so didn’t hear the explanation on the broadcast. I suspect they called it on the coach? Is that true? And my other question is why didn’t we get the ball after the technical? We shot the technical free throws, then the regular free throws and then they played on. Thanks. -Terri

Strong second half. Was fun to see the team in Cameron for the second straight game. Flying back home to Denver in the AM.Yes. BC's coach was way out on the court, giving the refs a lot of chatter under the guise of looking after his "injured" player. Though, I don't recall getting an explanation from the booth crew, it was clear via replay one ref had had enough and Tee'd up the coach.

I'm sure someone will come along and cite the exact paragraph, but I think you don't get the ball if the T is on the bench. You just get the FTs.

[TNTDevil]

What do you means pass to nobody. The ref was in perfect position to catch and shoot but failed to field the pass:cool:
Zactly. The ref took his eyes off the ball to look at the rim. He'll hear from Coach K about that play.

[uh_no]

Yes. BC's coach was way out on the court, giving the refs a lot of chatter under the guise of looking after his "injured" player. Though, I don't recall getting an explanation from the booth crew, it was clear via replay one ref had had enough and Tee'd up the coach.

I'm sure someone will come along and cite the exact paragraph, but I think you don't get the ball if the T is on the bench. You just get the FTs.

something like that. it's one of the meaningful distinctions between a flagrant foul and a technical foul, if i recall.

[roywhite]

On an unseasonably warm day, I got the strong impression that it was hot in Cameron, and Zion was sweating a lot. He'll have to factor excess moisture into his flight plans for future dunks.

[bullettoothtony]

As stated, a tale of two halves.

We'll need to be sharp for more than 20 minutes a game these next few weeks, that much is certain.

[Kedsy]

Sorry, but I can't get to the advance stats tonight (and defense thread and dunk thread). I'll definitely make time to do it all tomorrow.

[simplyluvin]

Glad to see Cam play well tonight. Like Coach said, he is on an upward trajectory. Our defense is so solid, and I like our second chance opportunities. I am hopeful for 4 wins out of the next 6, and if we do that or better, it will be because of our D and o-rebounding.

I know a lot has been discussed about our championship prospects without good perimeter shooting, but I am nervous about our 3pt shooting in the long run. I feel we have to have at least marginal improvement there. Outside if Cam and RJ, we were horrible from the outside. Teams will continue to zone and pack it in until we prove our outside touch.

[Utley]

My final game in Cameron for the year. Best year ever - frustrating first half but the end never felt in doubt.

I marvel at many of the basketball minds here - I learn so much and it keeps me coming back year after year.

This year seems really simple to me. We are more athletic than anyone (take that Doug Gottleib) and should do everything we can to take advantage of that. The more we shoot jump shots the less we do that. The path to Minneapolis is to play ridiculously hard on D and drive way more than we shoot outside - regardless of the D: Even against the zone, look to penetrate first as opposed to turning into a 3 point team passing around the perimeter.

[gam7]

I like Zion Williamson and all, but I can do without the ESPN push notification that Zion missed a dunk. If people still used the term "jumped the shark," I would say that the media's Zion-ism has jumped the shark. But no one says that anymore.

[heyman25]

I think Hubie turned Vitale down from his normal 11/10 to a 6 or 7. That alone made it worth it for me. I don't remember hearing about Vitale's one eye or how he hates the jump ball rule tonight so I'd call it a win for the crossover.
Hubie Brown is the best and he did help Vitale from going off on his obnoxious tangents. Wonder if he and Bucky Waters talked before or after the game. It is still incredible that Duke coaching staff had Bubas, Chuck Daley and Hubie Brown.
Our ist half was one of the worst shooting displays in Cameron in a very long time.Glad we got it together from Cam's steal and score at the end of the 1st half. Virginia will test this team. Jack White,Alex O'Connell, and Javin DeLaurier have got to step up. They are looking mediocre in their court time.White has zero confidence on offense as does O'Connell. Alex is always careless with his handle and passing game. He always defers to the detriment of a possesion.

Would like to see a complete game from this freshmen heavy team. The schedule in the next 2 weeks will not allow these mental lapses displayed against Boston College. I just hope our starting 5 steps up their intensity on defense from the opening tip. We score better when we disrupt the opponents game. Shooting foul shots and perimeter shots can not become this team's achilles heel.They need more shooting drills in practice.

[cptnflash]

The best part of tonight’s game was that Hubie Brown’s presence made Vitale talk less.

BTW, for anyone jumping on the “Zion is human” bandwagon, he was still the KP MVP despite a couple high profile missed dunks.

[porkpa]

Hubie has forgotten more about hoops than Vitale ever knew.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

9 steals and 9 blocks. Forced 14 turnovers to only making 7, that’s a winning formula. And fun to watch.

Weird. I just verified those stats. With nine blocks and nine steals, you'd expect more than 14 turnovers. That means not only did BC corral about half their blocked shots, they also must have had few if any unforced turnovers.

Strange.

[Billy Dat]

BC Coach, Jim Christian, on Zion...

"...It was going to be the 50-50 loose balls, offensive rebounding, and then the scrum balls that they just keep coming up with. Zion Williamson, for all the things said about him, seeing him live, because I’m watching film, it’s different, he just plays so dang hard. He plays so hard. His second effort to get balls is unlike anybody I’ve ever seen. Forget all the other great stuff that he does, that effort right there that he did today, getting those type of balls, I thought changed the whole game. I thought it changed the whole game. He comes up with more balls in the scrum than anybody I’ve ever seen and that’s just straight effort. For anybody who likes basketball, forget about all the other stuff that he does, to me, that’s a straight winner, that’s what it is. That’s a straight winner.”

He brings up a great point that I forgot to comment on in my prior post, I thought Zion bailed us out many times in the first half by somehow keeping broken plays and bad shots alive with his active hands.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

BC Coach, Jim Christian, on Zion...

"...It was going to be the 50-50 loose balls, offensive rebounding, and then the scrum balls that they just keep coming up with. Zion Williamson, for all the things said about him, seeing him live, because I’m watching film, it’s different, he just plays so dang hard. He plays so hard. His second effort to get balls is unlike anybody I’ve ever seen. Forget all the other great stuff that he does, that effort right there that he did today, getting those type of balls, I thought changed the whole game. I thought it changed the whole game. He comes up with more balls in the scrum than anybody I’ve ever seen and that’s just straight effort. For anybody who likes basketball, forget about all the other stuff that he does, to me, that’s a straight winner, that’s what it is. That’s a straight winner.”

He brings up a great point that I forgot to comment on in my prior post, I thought Zion bailed us out many times in the first half by somehow keeping broken plays and bad shots alive with his active hands.

He certainly bailed out Javin on a terrible handoff exchange....

[CDu]

Weird. I just verified those stats. With nine blocks and nine steals, you'd expect more than 14 turnovers. That means not only did BC corral about half their blocked shots, they also must have had few if any unforced turnovers.

Strange.

Blocked shots don’t factor in to turnovers. They are shots, so the result is a rebound (either offensive or defensive).

[budwom]

The best part of tonight’s game was that Hubie Brown’s presence made Vitale talk less.

BTW, for anyone jumping on the “Zion is human” bandwagon, he was still the KP MVP despite a couple high profile missed dunks.

yeah, I violated my own mute button rule to listen to Hubie, who actually talks about the game and the players, not Michelangelo...he did keep Vitale on the rails to the extent that's possible.
Hubie's career is incredibly impressive....by today's standards, his career got off to a pretty slow start...when I knew him at duke, he was frosh coach, 37 years old, two years out of coaching high school in NJ.
Hard to imagine then he was destined for the HOF.

He did clarify something for me: I know he always used to talk about Howard Garfinkel's camp (one of very few back then) but evidently he got his big coaching break by being noticed there himself.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

yeah, I violated my own mute button rule to listen to Hubie, who actually talks about the game and the players, not Michelangelo...he did keep Vitale on the rails to the extent that's possible.
Hubie's career is incredibly impressive...by today's standards, his career got off to a pretty slow start...when I knew him at duke, he was frosh coach, 37 years old, two years out of coaching high school in NJ.
Hard to imagine then he was destined for the HOF.

He did clarify something for me: I know he always used to talk about Howard Garfinkel's camp (one of very few back then) but evidently he got his big coaching break by being noticed there himself.

Incredible how some coaching careers (and then broadcast careers) get started so young, and some are slow to develop. Hubie is now considered a world class coach and even better analyst, but as you said, was still very low on the totem pole at age 37. Meanwhile, we had a 33 year old head coach in the Super Bowl, in a game where the acknowledged best analyst in the game is 38. There is a life lesson in there somewhere...

EDIT: omg....Hubie is 85!!!!!!

[Troublemaker]

Is there really a slow-start trend?

Three games ago, Duke played a great 1st half and mediocre 2nd half against Notre Dame.

Five games ago, Duke played a great 1st half and mediocre 2nd half against Wake Forest.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Is there really a slow-start trend?

Three games ago, Duke played a great 1st half and mediocre 2nd half against Notre Dame.

Five games ago, Duke played a great 1st half and mediocre 2nd half against Wake Forest.

Dont' forget Pitt

[fuse]

Did anyone else feel old after hearing on the broadcast that Michael Savarino (K’s grandson) would be a preferred walk on next year?

Might need a whole thread of its own. There is a lot of cool upside to go along with the pressure of playing for your grandfather (who happens to be the greatest of all time at the best school).

[whereinthehellami]

BC Coach, Jim Christian, on Zion...

"...It was going to be the 50-50 loose balls, offensive rebounding, and then the scrum balls that they just keep coming up with. Zion Williamson, for all the things said about him, seeing him live, because I’m watching film, it’s different, he just plays so dang hard. He plays so hard. His second effort to get balls is unlike anybody I’ve ever seen. Forget all the other great stuff that he does, that effort right there that he did today, getting those type of balls, I thought changed the whole game. I thought it changed the whole game. He comes up with more balls in the scrum than anybody I’ve ever seen and that’s just straight effort. For anybody who likes basketball, forget about all the other stuff that he does, to me, that’s a straight winner, that’s what it is. That’s a straight winner.”

He brings up a great point that I forgot to comment on in my prior post, I thought Zion bailed us out many times in the first half by somehow keeping broken plays and bad shots alive with his active hands.

Totally agree with this. RJ and Tre are also really good at getting the ball in the scrum. They all have high basketball ball IQs and are tough. Tre has come out of the scrum dribbling a few times which is incredibly difficult to do. This Duke team has it's well documented flaws but has some flat-out winners on the team. As has been posted above, while Duke can lose, I wouldn't bet against them.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Blocked shots don’t factor in to turnovers. They are shots, so the result is a rebound (either offensive or defensive).

Thanks!

[House P]

Is there really a slow-start trend?

Three games ago, Duke played a great 1st half and mediocre 2nd half against Notre Dame.

Five games ago, Duke played a great 1st half and mediocre 2nd half against Wake Forest.


Good question. I suspect that we pay more attention when BC or Ga Tech plays Duke close in the 1st half than we do when Pitt or Notre Dame plays Duke close in the 2nd half. The story-line "Duke is trailing at half time?!?!?!" probably makes a bigger impression than the story-line "Duke got outscored in the 2nd half". After all, we have an entire thread devoted to occasions when an underdog is outperforming expectations through the first 20 or 30 minutes of a game. I have yet to see anyone make a post along the lines of "I don't want to jinx it, but NC State has cut Carolina's lead from 27 to 18!!"

KenPom breaks down the score for each game by quarters (10 minute segments). The table below summarizes Duke's scoring margin by quarter for all games since Jan 1.

The column labelled "Best Quarter" indicates the 10 minute segment where Duke had the larger scoring margin vs its opponent. Of the 10 games this calendar year, Duke's "Best Quarter" was in the 1st half 5 times and was in the 2nd half 5 times. On the other hand, in 3 of the past 4 games, the first 10 minutes of the second half has been Duke's "Best Quarter".

It may also be interesting to note that Duke has not had a game this calendar year where the final 10 minutes of the game has been its "Best Quarter" in terms of scoring margin.








Opponent
Margin Q1
Margin Q2
Margin Q3
Margin Q4
Best Quarter


Sat Jan 5
H
Clemson
-1
8
17
-5
Q3


Tue Jan 8
A
Wake Forest
2
6
15
-1
Q3


Sat Jan 12
A
Florida St.
8
-9
-2
5
Q1


Mon Jan 14
H
Syracuse
6
-5
2
-3
Q1


Sat Jan 19
H
Virginia
3
2
-4
1
Q1


Tue Jan 22
A
Pittsburgh
9
10
1
-5
Q2


Sat Jan 26
H
Georgia Tech
4
-6
10
5
Q3


Mon Jan 28
A
Notre Dame
19
-1
-2
6
Q1


Sat Feb 2
H
St. John's
5
5
15
5
Q3


Tue Feb 5
H
Boston College
7
-9
18
9
Q3

[moonpie23]

Zombie Duke......didn't like it last year, don't like it this year......

[jv001]

Garbage first half. I appreciate Cam’s hustle to get that steal and bucket to give us a little lift right before the half. He played great. He defended, scored and limited his fouls and turnovers. Well done!

K seemed edgy in the presser, I think our first half was stuck in his craw, but he was also mad about noise outside the room where the presser takes place - someone is going to get chewed out tonight! Aside from praising Cam, he lauded Bolden and Javin’s defense and Zion’s rebounding.

I thought RJ was thrown off by his foul trouble, but he took many fewer 3s and still got to the line a bunch.

Saturday will be interesting.

I was reading some ACC Stats from ESPN and saw that Marques is #2 in the conference in blocked shots with 46. The leader(James Banks,GT) has 47. Zion is 4th with 44, Jack is 11th with 28 and Javin is 17th with 21. Coach K's comments are on the DBR front page and he praises Marques for his play. The young man has come a long way since the Canadian games. GoDuke!

[Troublemaker]

Dont' forget Pitt

Whoops, that's what I meant. 5 games ago was Pitt when we started well.


Zombie Duke...didn't like it last year, don't like it this year...

Not sure "Zombie Duke" exists. See House P's excellent post above.

[Lar77]

Thank you for the quarter to quarter breakdown.

In the first half last night, I thought we were rushing shots (across the board). After halftime, we were more relaxed about shooting. But this game was about defense. Everyone had a good defensive outing, especially Tre and Cam, and good recoveries when Tre got picked off Bowman.

A word on Jack - he is not comfortable/confident in his shooting right now. You can see it during warm-ups. He'll get it back at some point. But very impressive defense.

Finally, you have to love this team. Great defense, ability to adjust. The next 6 games will tell where we really are.

[gus]

Watching the condensed game (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9p4DyNAoys) from ACC Digital Network is amusing. Almost every clip seems to have Vitale selling Zion for the first pick of the draft, with the same bit he uses over and over again about GMs not sleeping at night if they pass on him.

[uh_no]

Watching the condensed game (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9p4DyNAoys) from ACC Digital Network is amusing. Almost every clip seems to have Vitale selling Zion for the first pick of the draft, with the same bit he uses over and over again about GMs not sleeping at night if they pass on him.


it was funny watching hubie tell him how it REALLY is in the NBA.

[TeacherTom]

Did anyone else feel that quite a few shots taken in and around the basket in the first half were close and the basketball gods weren't with us?

[fraggler]

Did anyone else feel that quite a few shots taken in and around the basket in the first half were close and the basketball gods weren't with us?

Yes. Several at least. A lot of 50-50 balls were landing in BC's hands as well.

[bluenorth]

This year's team is just so much fun to watch, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the ride. It was nice to see Reddish have an excellent game. And, as several posters have already noted, it was a bonus to be able to have the sound turned on for the broadcast, as Vitale was more focused on basketball (thank you Hubie Brown). I'd like to see White get his form back, and I think that he will soon. Hard to tell from a TV feed, but his shot mechanics look a bit off, as if he's pushing the ball instead of stroking it. Now for the really challenging part of the league schedule.

[MCFinARL]

He missed a 720, reverse windmill, between the legs, tomahawk dunk after a steal. Or something like that. :o

Then he fumbled one darn near up to the banners when he had an open lane a bit later.

Not gonna get many RJ/Buckmire points in the locker room for those two. :o

Maybe the most human thing he did last night, though--and I think it is probably a good thing--is get really angry with himself after that second goof--he stomped over to the bench and was glowering for a while.


Hubie has forgotten more about hoops than Vitale ever knew. As it happens, and to his credit, that was basically the first thing that Vitale said on last night's broadcast.



Javin needs to chill and get his energy under control. I got a big laugh when he ran out at the man he was supposed to guard and slide right into him. That play pretty much sums up his game. AOC continues to tease. You can see he's got some offensive game, but he's always good for one AOC moment. That pass to nobody is a prime example.

To be fair to Javin, the floor was really slippery there (they wiped it immediately afterwards), and Coach K apparently praised his defense in the presser. He had a couple of rough games, but he seems to be starting back upward.

[uh_no]

Maybe the most human thing he did last night, though--and I think it is probably a good thing--is get really angry with himself after that second goof--he stomped over to the bench and was glowering for a while.

As it happens, and to his credit, that was basically the first thing that Vitale said on last night's broadcast.



To be fair to Javin, the floor was really slippery there (they wiped it immediately afterwards), and Coach K apparently praised his defense in the presser. He had a couple of rough games, but he seems to be starting back upward.
javin definitely playing better. i think bolden playing great has taken the pressure off a bit, do he plays within himself.

[COYS]

To be fair to Javin, the floor was really slippery there (they wiped it immediately afterwards), and Coach K apparently praised his defense in the presser. He had a couple of rough games, but he seems to be starting back upward.

The bench didn't put up counting stats, by any means, but I also felt that Javin and Jack were a bit better than they had been in recent games. When those guys are playing excellent defense and getting a few opportunistic buckets, we're really, really hard to beat. They might have taken baby steps last night, but at least they were in the right direction. I'd love to get them back in top form.

[MChambers]

To be fair to Javin, the floor was really slippery there (they wiped it immediately afterwards), and Coach K apparently praised his defense in the presser. He had a couple of rough games, but he seems to be starting back upward.

Javin did have some nice plays, especially on defense. He did a fine job when he was switched on to Bowman. I think he blocked a Bowman shot on one of those.

[moonpie23]

Bolden is becoming zoubek,,,,,,,,finding he footwork, and looking for ways to help.....i like it..

[Kedsy]

ADVANCED STATS

Possessions: 68.8 (barely higher than BC's average adjusted pace; we don't seem to be speeding teams up anymore)

OFFENSE

oRtg: 1.16 (our adjusted oRtg was 1.16; not great but not terrible either)
eFG%: 50.0% (not good at all, but again, not totally horrible)
3pt%: 29.2% (pretty bad, but not too far off our average)
2pt%: 53.7% (for a normal team, this is decent; but for a team that shoots threes as poorly as Duke does, you want this number to be better)
%threes: 36.9% (optimally, I'd like this around 32%, but this is fine, I guess)
FT rate: 33.8% (not bad but not spectacular, either)
OR%: 35.0% (again, not terrible but not particularly good, either)
TO%: 10.2% (this is great, against an ACC team, albeit a defensively challenged ACC team)
a/to: 2:1 (very strong)
%assisted: 48.3%
fast break pts: 8 (10.0% of our points; 4th game under 11% out of the last 5 games)


DEFENSE

dRtg: 0.80 (adjusted that's 0.75; 3rd game at .80 or below in the 4 games since Tre Jones came back)
eFG%: 41.1% (another good peformance for the 6th best team in the country in this stat)
3pt%: 35.3% (not horrible)
2pt%: 35.9% (really good)
%threes: 30.4% (not bad)
FT rate: 19.6% (good; 4th straight game under 20% for the 11th best in the country for this stat)
DR%: 82.9% (outstanding; our best DR performance of the season)
TO%: 20.3% (I'll take anything over 20%, especially against a team that usually takes care of the ball reasonably well)
a/to: 0.64:1 (16th straight game with our opponents having equal or more turnovers than assists)
%assisted: 45.0%
fast break pts: 2 (3.6% of their points; hard to get too much better than this)
block%: 16.1%; 23.1% of 2-point shots (great performance for the #1 block% team in the nation)
steal%: 15.6% (another strong game for the #1 steal% team in the nation)


On offense, we took care of the ball really well and other than our usual 3-point performance did nothing terribly. On defense, BC hit some threes but other than that we were pretty awesome.

[ChillinDuke]

Not much to say that hasn't already been said about this one.

I found Hubie to be excellent. He's insightful, pretty balanced, and into the game and players. I thought he did a great job keeping Dickie V on his toes and accountable. At one point, Hubie was pointing out a screen that BC set that freed up a layup. And Dickie V quickly chimed in, "they set an up screen!" almost as if to say, oh! I need to prove that I know what Hubie is talking about. It was like Dickie V was playing catch-up all night to Hubie's insights. I loved it.

- Chillin

[rsvman]

I'm not sure that Zombie Duke exists, but this team is definitely capable of what I call "non-slaughts" on offense.

A non-slaught is a long period of playing time without a field goal. There have been some distressingly long non-slaughts in some of our games.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I'm not sure that Zombie Duke exists, but this team is definitely capable of what I call "non-slaughts" on offense.

A non-slaught is a long period of playing time without a field goal. There have been some distressingly long non-slaughts in some of our games.

Whilst true, we have a very, very reliable defense. And the defense can make "non-slaughts" non-factors.

Man, I love seeing aggressive, incredibly, man-to-man again. It feels like it's been a while since we've seen this at Duke.

[budwom]

Not much to say that hasn't already been said about this one.

I found Hubie to be excellent. He's insightful, pretty balanced, and into the game and players. I thought he did a great job keeping Dickie V on his toes and accountable. At one point, Hubie was pointing out a screen that BC set that freed up a layup. And Dickie V quickly chimed in, "they set an up screen!" almost as if to say, oh! I need to prove that I know what Hubie is talking about. It was like Dickie V was playing catch-up all night to Hubie's insights. I loved it.

- Chillin

That was my interpretation as well about the Dick/Hubie dynamic..."hey, wait a minute, this guy's actually talking about the game!"....

[BandAlum83]

Weird. I just verified those stats. With nine blocks and nine steals, you'd expect more than 14 turnovers. That means not only did BC corral about half their blocked shots, they also must have had few if any unforced turnovers.

Strange.

I don't believe blocked shots that end up in our hands are considered a turnover. I shot a blocked shot is a shot attempt, and whomever it is that gets the ball after is credited with a rebound.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

As far as corralling the blocks, many times the block ends up out of bounds, so the team on offense often retains the ball.

[golfinesquire]

That was my interpretation as well about the Dick/Hubie dynamic..."hey, wait a minute, this guy's actually talking about the game!"...

With NBA guys, it makes sense to talk about how these players were fare in the NBA but I am sick of hearing about it all the time. Someone should remind Vitale that he COULD actually just call the game in front of him and leave the off season to, well, the off season.

[CDu]

I don't believe blocked shots that end up in our hands are considered a turnover. I shot a blocked shot is a shot attempt, and whomever it is that gets the ball after is credited with a rebound.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

As far as corralling the blocks, many times the block ends up out of bounds, so the team on offense often retains the ball.

Read a page or two further into the thread ;).

[Steven43]

Bolden is becoming zoubek,,,,,,,,finding he footwork, and looking for ways to help....i like it..

Speaking of Brian Zoubek does anyone know where to find that looooong post (forgot poster’s name) from years ago basically arguing that he (Zoubs) was an all-time great and truly transformative player? My god, it was pure madness, but I loved it. I can’t believe I didn’t copy it for safekeeping.

[CDu]

Speaking of Brian Zoubek does anyone know where to find that looooong post (forgot poster’s name) from years ago basically arguing that he (Zoubs) was an all-time great and truly transformative player? My god, it was pure madness, but I loved it. I can’t believe I didn’t copy it for safekeeping.

The poster was almost certainly greybeard. That guy had some pretty out-there thoughts for sure, but man did he commit to them. Not sure what happened to him. Based on his username, he was older. I hope his subsequent disappearance from DBR was by choice and not due to other reasons.

[Nugget]

He certainly bailed out Javin on a terrible handoff exchange...

That play by Zion was simply extraordinary -- how quickly and nimbly he reacted to grab the ball, got down low for 2-3 quick dribbles to control, gather and power up for the lay-in. Amazing. He's just a joy to watch.

[robed deity]

That play by Zion was simply extraordinary -- how quickly and nimbly he reacted to grab the ball, got down low for 2-3 quick dribbles to control, gather and power up for the lay-in. Amazing. He's just a joy to watch.

I commented on this in the in-game thread. His dunks/blocks/rebounds are indeed amazing, but that play was even more impressive in a way.

[Nugget]

ADVANCED STATS

DEFENSE

dRtg: 0.80 (adjusted that's 0.75; 3rd game at .80 or below in the 4 games since Tre Jones came back)
eFG%: 41.1% (another good peformance for the 6th best team in the country in this stat)
3pt%: 35.3% (not horrible)
2pt%: 35.9% (really good)
%threes: 30.4% (not bad)
FT rate: 19.6% (good; 4th straight game under 20% for the 11th best in the country for this stat)
DR%: 82.9% (outstanding; our best DR performance of the season)
TO%: 20.3% (I'll take anything over 20%, especially against a team that usually takes care of the ball reasonably well)
a/to: 0.64:1 (16th straight game with our opponents having equal or more turnovers than assists)
%assisted: 45.0%
fast break pts: 2 (3.6% of their points; hard to get too much better than this)
block%: 16.1%; 23.1% of 2-point shots (great performance for the #1 block% team in the nation)
steal%: 15.6% (another strong game for the #1 steal% team in the nation)

I know I'm over-simplifying and stating the obvious, but this team's defense has been phenomenal. Hard to believe we can combine this level of performance on blocks/steals (which would imply significant gambling/risk of being out of position for defenders absent great rotations and help) with Top 10 FT rate (i.e., we don't foul much) and Top 10 eFG% defense.

[FerryFor50]

I'm never afraid that we're going to lose with this team. I mean, could we lose? Yeah, definitely, but no team scares me.

Agreed. This is the first season in a while where I watch a game and rarely get upset or worried. Could be me maturing, but this team seems to always have another gear they turn up when needed and they don't make a ton of mistakes. And I'm not constantly wondering if they're going to get a defensive stop or if they're going to lose because of a prolonged outside shooting slump.

It's kind of like the Hulk in the Avengers.... (my secret? I'm always angry!) - This Duke team is always cold from 3, so we don't have to worry about the "die from the 3" part so much.

[killerleft]

Bolden is becoming zoubek,,,,,,,,finding he footwork, and looking for ways to help....i like it..

Bolden is way past Zoubek. If he doesn't regress, and that's looking highly unlikely, he may go in the first round of the upcoming draft. I'm already counting him gone, and hope very much he proves me right.

You're right about the footwork, and he's overcome some injuries, too. I think he's a harder worker than some of us have believed. Man, if he can add a little more strength, there's a monster player lurking within him.

[FerryFor50]

Bolden is becoming zoubek,,,,,,,,finding he footwork, and looking for ways to help....i like it..

I don't think he's Zoubek by any stretch of the imagination.

For one, he's WAY better offensively than Zoubek was. Did you see his post move/drop step last night? That was a pro move.

Two, he's not a liability on perimeter defense the way Zoubek was. If Z got caught on a switch it was pretty much a guaranteed foul or layup. Bolden also has a much better block rate than Z had.

Three, he doesn't rebound nearly as well as Z. Zoubek had a 24.6 defensive rebound percent and a whopping 21.5 offensive rebound percent. Marques is at 12.6% for defensive rebounds and 11.5% for offensive boards. By comparison, Zion is gobbling up 13.7% of offensive rebounds and 19.4% defensive boards. RJ is at 17.3% for defensive boards. Jack White is at 17.6% for defensive rebounds. Big Z was by far the 2010 Duke team's best offensive rebounder and slightly better on the defensive boards than Miles Plumlee. Bolden isn't even the 3rd or 4th best rebounder, despite being one of the biggest players Duke has.

Z was also better at getting assists - he had a 9.8% assist rate. Bolden's assist rate is 4.5%. Part of that is that Z had better outside shooters to pass to, but part of it also is that Bolden tends to try to go back up with it, whereas Z would kick it out because he knew his offensive limitations.

I can't really think of any way Bolden is Z, other than making a decent jump from the previous season in contributions, as well as being hindered early on by injuries.

[devildeac]

Bolden is way past Zoubek. If he doesn't regress, and that's looking highly unlikely, he may go in the first round of the upcoming draft. I'm already counting him gone, and hope very much he proves me right.

You're right about the footwork, and he's overcome some injuries, too. I think he's a harder worker than some of us have believed. Man, if he can add a little more strength, there's a monster player lurking within him.

Paging richard"Pieman"jackson199. You're needed in the bakery. STAT! ;)

[Kedsy]

Good question. I suspect that we pay more attention when BC or Ga Tech plays Duke close in the 1st half than we do when Pitt or Notre Dame plays Duke close in the 2nd half. The story-line "Duke is trailing at half time?!?!?!" probably makes a bigger impression than the story-line "Duke got outscored in the 2nd half". After all, we have an entire thread devoted to occasions when an underdog is outperforming expectations through the first 20 or 30 minutes of a game. I have yet to see anyone make a post along the lines of "I don't want to jinx it, but NC State has cut Carolina's lead from 27 to 18!!"

KenPom breaks down the score for each game by quarters (10 minute segments). The table below summarizes Duke's scoring margin by quarter for all games since Jan 1.

The column labelled "Best Quarter" indicates the 10 minute segment where Duke had the larger scoring margin vs its opponent. Of the 10 games this calendar year, Duke's "Best Quarter" was in the 1st half 5 times and was in the 2nd half 5 times. On the other hand, in 3 of the past 4 games, the first 10 minutes of the second half has been Duke's "Best Quarter".

It may also be interesting to note that Duke has not had a game this calendar year where the final 10 minutes of the game has been its "Best Quarter" in terms of scoring margin.








Opponent
Margin Q1
Margin Q2
Margin Q3
Margin Q4
Best Quarter


Sat Jan 5
H
Clemson
-1
8
17
-5
Q3


Tue Jan 8
A
Wake Forest
2
6
15
-1
Q3


Sat Jan 12
A
Florida St.
8
-9
-2
5
Q1


Mon Jan 14
H
Syracuse
6
-5
2
-3
Q1


Sat Jan 19
H
Virginia
3
2
-4
1
Q1


Tue Jan 22
A
Pittsburgh
9
10
1
-5
Q2


Sat Jan 26
H
Georgia Tech
4
-6
10
5
Q3


Mon Jan 28
A
Notre Dame
19
-1
-2
6
Q1


Sat Feb 2
H
St. John's
5
5
15
5
Q3


Tue Feb 5
H
Boston College
7
-9
18
9
Q3




This is great stuff. Thanks House P. It clearly shows that our "slow starts" are not actually at the beginning of the game, but in the second "quarter."

[killerleft]

Paging richard"Pieman"jackson199. You're needed in the bakery. STAT! ;)

LOL. Give it a month and I MAY take that bet.

[BandAlum83]

ADVANCED STATS

Possessions: 68.8 (barely higher than BC's average adjusted pace; we don't seem to be speeding teams up anymore)

OFFENSE

oRtg: 1.16 (our adjusted oRtg was 1.16; not great but not terrible either)
eFG%: 50.0% (not good at all, but again, not totally horrible)
3pt%: 29.2% (pretty bad, but not too far off our average)
2pt%: 53.7% (for a normal team, this is decent; but for a team that shoots threes as poorly as Duke does, you want this number to be better)
%threes: 36.9% (optimally, I'd like this around 32%, but this is fine, I guess)
FT rate: 33.8% (not bad but not spectacular, either)
OR%: 35.0% (again, not terrible but not particularly good, either)
TO%: 10.2% (this is great, against an ACC team, albeit a defensively challenged ACC team)
a/to: 2:1 (very strong)
%assisted: 48.3%
fast break pts: 8 (10.0% of our points; 4th game under 11% out of the last 5 games)


DEFENSE

dRtg: 0.80 (adjusted that's 0.75; 3rd game at .80 or below in the 4 games since Tre Jones came back)
eFG%: 41.1% (another good peformance for the 6th best team in the country in this stat)
3pt%: 35.3% (not horrible)
2pt%: 35.9% (really good)
%threes: 30.4% (not bad)
FT rate: 19.6% (good; 4th straight game under 20% for the 11th best in the country for this stat)
DR%: 82.9% (outstanding; our best DR performance of the season)
TO%: 20.3% (I'll take anything over 20%, especially against a team that usually takes care of the ball reasonably well)
a/to: 0.64:1 (16th straight game with our opponents having equal or more turnovers than assists)
%assisted: 45.0%
fast break pts: 2 (3.6% of their points; hard to get too much better than this)
block%: 16.1%; 23.1% of 2-point shots (great performance for the #1 block% team in the nation)
steal%: 15.6% (another strong game for the #1 steal% team in the nation)


On offense, we took care of the ball really well and other than our usual 3-point performance did nothing terribly. On defense, BC hit some threes but other than that we were pretty awesome.

I'm guessing that if you looked at advanced stats by half, we looked rather pedestrian (if not downright bad) in the first half, and like world beaters in the second.

[Jeffrey]

It clearly shows that our "slow starts" are not actually at the beginning of the game, but in the second "quarter."

IMO, it shows we clearly play better in the first 10 minutes of each half. Slow starts is definitely not true of either half.

[BandAlum83]

IMO, it shows we clearly play better in the first 10 minutes of each half.

If you believe the adage that Duke is a very dangerous team in the last 4 minutes of the first hale, I guess that means our personal danger time comes from 10:00 to 4:00 during the first half.

Interesting. I'll take particular note of our performance now from the under 12 to under 4 timeouts.

[Kedsy]

I'm guessing that if you looked at advanced stats by half, we looked rather pedestrian (if not downright bad) in the first half, and like world beaters in the second.

On offense, yeah:

1st half: 0.76 ppp; 10.5% FTR; 23.1% OR%; 32.9% eFG%; 8.1% TO% (i.e., "downright bad," in every way except for an exceptional TO%)

2nd half: 1.61 ppp; 66.7% FTR; 57.1% OR%; 74.1% eFG%; 12.4% TO% (i.e., "world beaters," in every way)


On defense, we were pretty consistent throughout:

1st half: 0.81 ppp; 6% FTR; 78.9% DR%; 43.8% eFG%; 21.7% TO%

2nd half: 0.78 ppp; 37.5% FTR; 87.5% DR%; 37.5% eFG%; 18.6% TO% (free throw rate a lot higher, everything else pretty close to the same)


Which I think is a big reason why we can survive poor shooting-induced offensive droughts, because our defense stays tough even when we're 1 for 15 from three (as we were in the first half last night).

It's also worth noting that if we shot something like 27% on threes in the first half (which is still pretty bad, though disturbingly close to our average), the first half offensive numbers wouldn't have looked nearly so dreadful.

[BandAlum83]

On offense, yeah:

1st half: 0.76 ppp; 10.5% FTR; 23.1% OR%; 32.9% eFG%; 8.1% TO% (i.e., "downright bad," in every way except for an exceptional TO%)

2nd half: 1.61 ppp; 66.7% FTR; 57.1% OR%; 74.1% eFG%; 12.4% TO% (i.e., "world beaters," in every way)


On defense, we were pretty consistent throughout:

1st half: 0.81 ppp; 6% FTR; 78.9% DR%; 43.8% eFG%; 21.7% TO%

2nd half: 0.78 ppp; 37.5% FTR; 87.5% DR%; 37.5% eFG%; 18.6% TO% (free throw rate a lot higher, everything else pretty close to the same)


Which I think is a big reason why we can survive poor shooting-induced offensive droughts, because our defense stays tough even when we're 1 for 15 from three (as we were in the first half last night).

It's also worth noting that if we shot something like 27% on threes in the first half (which is still pretty bad, though disturbingly close to our average), the first half offensive numbers wouldn't have looked nearly so dreadful.

Thanks for running that so quickly, Kedsy. Alas, as per usual, I can't spork you for the great work you do!

[House P]

The column labelled "Best Quarter" indicates the 10 minute segment where Duke had the larger scoring margin vs its opponent. Of the 10 games this calendar year, Duke's "Best Quarter" was in the 1st half 5 times and was in the 2nd half 5 times. On the other hand, in 3 of the past 4 games, the first 10 minutes of the second half has been Duke's "Best Quarter".

It may also be interesting to note that Duke has not had a game this calendar year where the final 10 minutes of the game has been its "Best Quarter" in terms of scoring margin.



Just wanted to follow-up and let everyone know that the bolded statement is no longer true. :)


On the other hand, Duke continues to struggle in the "second quarter". Against both Louisville and UVA, Duke posted its "worst quarter" in the final ten minutes of the first half. This means that Duke has now been outscored by a total of 17 points in the final 10 minutes of the first half of games since Jan 1. In the other 3 "quarters" during this period, Duke has outscored its opponents by a total of 179 points. Hopefully, the second quarter struggles are just a statistically oddity due to small sample size, but it may be worth watching.