MBB: Duke vs. Mich. State (3/31, 5:05 PM EDT, CBS)

[sagegrouse]

Looked for the thread. Now I'm starting one to give everyone a chance to have his or her say. I want to take the long view at elite Eight results for Duke in the NCAA's.

I listened to at least part of the game against NYU in 1960, as I was returning home as a HS senior after Angier Duke weekend. We lost 59-74, but that year was Duke's first two NCAA wins.

We tend, nevertheless, to do well in the Elite Eight with a phenomenal record of winning 16 of 21 games -- which checks out with our 16 Final Fours.

One obvious question for this weekend is how a close win in the Sweet Sixteen is related to the outcome of the Elite Eight match.

In our five Elite Eight losses, we had won by an average of 5.6 points in the previous game -- including a one-point win over Ky in 1980 and a four-point win over Syracuse last year..

In our 16 wins, we had won by an average of 9.6 points. But there is precedence for winning an Elite Eight match coming off a close game --two points over St. John's in 1966; four points over Penn in 1978 (after beating RI by one); one point over RI in 1988.

I like our 16-5 record and look forward to a great win against the tough Michigan State team.

[CDu]

MSU is a team seemingly running on fumes at this point. They have been decimated by injuries to the point that their rotation is pretty Coach K-esque. That said, they still play a very Izzo brand of basketball. In other words, they pound the offensive glass and play physical defense. Offensively, they've managed to remain efficient despite being VERY limited in terms of talent. It's largely a one-man show, but it's a pretty good show. They shoot 3s pretty well and pound the offensive glass. On defense, they contest EVERYTHING, but don't force many turnovers. It is amazing what they are doing.

Centers: Xavier Tillman (6'8", 260lb sophomore) has stepped into the starting center spot due to injury. Tillman isn't going to win any beauty contests for his play on the court, nor is he going to show up on many highlight films for his athleticism. Instead, he's a rugged interior player who dominates on both the offensive and defensive glass when he's in there. His strength and long arms combined with just enough athleticism allow him to block shots as well. He's a decent enough shooter in the midrange that you have to respect him 10-15 feet from the hoop. But he does the VAST majority of his work at the rim, and usually via an assist. Nick Ward (6'8", 245lb junior) is the Spartans' other center. Ward has typically played bigger/doughier than his weight would suggest. He's a really long-armed, highly-skilled center who also lacks in athleticism. But where he differs from Tillman is that he's a fairly polished offensive player. He has great hands and really knows how to score in the paint. He's also an even more dangerous threat as a jumpshooter than Tillman. But like Tillman, he really knows how to throw his weight around inside to get boards and buckets. Offensively, he's the only of the bigs who really moves the needle. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury midseason, and has since been coming off the bench as MSU has made their tourney run. He hurt his hand in the win last night. Still, he's a dangerous option off the bench and one of only two Spartans who can create offense. Both Tillman and Ward struggle with foul trouble, and that combined with their positional similarities limits their minutes. It's largely one or the other on the floor, but rarely both.

Forwards: The Spartans are one of those increasingly-rarer college teams that plays a true two-forward starting five. Kenny Goins (6'7", 230lb senior) starts at the PF spot. Goins was a lightly-used backup big who has been thrust into a major role this season due to injuries. He's a hard-working, low-skill player who doesn't back down from the challenge in the paint and gets the most out of his skill level. Goins is very much a glue-guy type, and has expanded his game to include an improved outside shot. He's by no means a real weapon from the perimeter, but it's not at all unheard of for him to knock down a 3 this year. I'd imagine he would get the first shot at guarding Zion. Alongside Goins is Aaron Henry (6'6", 220lb freshman). Henry is sort of Justise Winslow like in that he's got wing size but is very capable of play the 4. In fact, Henry serves as one of the Spartans' few options as Goins' backup at PF. Henry is a lefty, and is a physical, athletic, less-skilled wing/forward. He's a tough kid who does a lot of the little things but doesn't really jump off the page statistically. He's a nice weapon in transition though. He's hit a high percentage on 3s despite not really looking like much of a shooter, which is reminiscent of Winslow (to me at least). The only real backup at the forward spot is Gabe Brown (6'7", 210lb freshman). Brown is a long and lean wing who can really shoot. He stepped up last night in joining the main rotation.

Wings: Matt McQuaid (6'4", 200lb senior) is the starter - and more or less the only option - on the wing. McQuaid is a shooter, pure and simple. He hits 43% of his 3s and 85% of his FTs. Roughly 85% of his shots are jumpshots of 2pt or 3pt range, and the VAST majority are assisted. He isn't a bad athlete, but isn't noteworthy either. He's not much of a threat off the dribble except to punish weak closeouts with a pullup jumper. But he had better not be left open, because he is capable of lighting you up from deep. He is also a pretty solid defender. Injuries have really killed the Spartans at wing, with Josh Langford and Kyle Ahrens going down to season-ending injuries. They will ask McQuaid to play as close to 40 minutes as he can unless it is a blowout.

Guards: Cassius Winston (6'0", 185lb junior) is the Spartans' everything. It's hard to understate how limited this team is everywhere else on the floor, and it's hard to overstate how amazing Winston has been for them. He is just magic with the ball in his hands. He's very much a throwback point guard in that he orchestrates EVERYTHING for the Spartans. He's an uber-elite passer and playmaker, and is a terrific shooter and scorer. His bball IQ is fantastic. Winston leads the team in scoring and assists and has a very strong assist/turnover ratio. He absolutely carries them on the offensive end. Tremendous court vision and awareness, tremendous feel for the game. He's not an explosive athlete, but he knows how to get to his spots and how to get the ball to open men for easy looks. He would be one of Tre Jones' toughest assignments of the season. I can't say enough good things about the way Winston plays. MSU should be a pushove this year given their roster and injuries, but Winston just keeps making magic for them.

Honestly, I'm not sure whether I'd be thrilled to face MSU (because they lack skill at so many spots) or terrified (because they have that "IT" player). It could go either way. If you can contain/fluster Winston or get him in foul trouble, MSU is toast. But if you allow him to make plays for himself or others, MSU can will their way to wins. They are one of the least impressive looking top seeds, but yet they just keep winning. It's really hard to get a feel for how playing against them would go.

I would feel a lot better if White (for his grit and toughness) and Reddish (for his defense and talent) are available. But we will play the cards we are dealt. Hopefully we can match their intensity, toughness, and physicality. If we can, we have a serious edge in talent. But the Spartans will come out fighting.

[uh_no]

cam would be so nice for mcquaid..... but i think it's time for tre to put his defense hat on and spend his effort shutting Winston down. i would love to see us not switch tre of of him, but I'm not hopeful there.

[mattyoung18]

We have the ultimate "it" player × 10
.Go Duke

[FerryFor50]

If this ends up being a “let them play” game, it’s going to be tough.

If they’re calling contact, MSU might be in trouble.

[WillJ]

cam would be so nice for mcquaid.... but i think it's time for tre to put his defense hat on and spend his effort shutting Winston down. i would love to see us not switch tre of of him, but I'm not hopeful there.

I agree, but MSU runs a *lot* of screens for Winston and it's hard not to switch at least some of those. Winston is not especially quick, but he's skilled and patient. I can see why he was the B10 player of the year.

[MChambers]

MSU is tough. They deserved the #1 seed in the Midwest. The committee simply got it wrong. Only top four seed to win its conference regular season and tournament. They play solid man-to-man and I don't expect any gimmick defenses tomorrow.

Winston still looks to me like he got in a time machine and came here from the 1960s, with his headband and his old man style of play. A lot of MSU's offense revolves around him. Expect to see a lot of ball screens for him. That's the main part of MSU's halfcourt offense.

Goins will remind you of Lance Thomas (as a senior). He's not particularly athletic, but he's a great glue guy. He's a fair three point shooter (better than Lance was in college), especially from the top of the key, slightly off from the center.

Henry played a great game last night, as did Brown, another less than heralded freshman. Brown was the sole perimeter reserve and gave MSU great minutes while McQuaid was on the bench with three fouls. (MSU has a freshman PG named Loyer, but I think he'll only play if Tre is resting.)

Expect McQuaid to match up on Barrett and draw at least one charge. (McQuaid had a really awful flop last night that wasn't called.)

Ward's latest hand injury will limit him, I expect, which means that Tillman and Goins will each need to play 35 or so minutes.

This will be a very difficult game without Cam and Jack, unfortunately. Of course, MSU is already missing their Cam and Jack equivalents: Langford and Ahrens, both of whom are out the rest of the season. MSU has had more time to adjust, of course. Because of the injuries and resulting lack of depth, any foul trouble, for either team, could be a big factor.

[MChambers]

If this ends up being a “let them play” game, it’s going to be tough.

If they’re calling contact, MSU might be in trouble.

Foul trouble would be bad, for both teams.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Survive and advance!

Let me pick up what you started, Sagegrouse. There is little doubt that much will be made of the historic record between Coach K and Tom Izzo. It's a one-sided affair with Duke and Coach K holding an 11-1 records vs. Michigan State and Tom Izzo. The one loss? In the 2005 Sweet 16 when Paul Davis, Shannon Brown and the Spartans upset 1 Seed Duke featuring JJ Redick and Shelden Williams. Duke has won each of the next 7 games in the matchup, all with Duke as the higher ranked team. Once was in the 2013 Sweet 16 in Indianapolis (happy to say that I got to view that one in person) and the other NCAA Tournament matchup took place in the same building, Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2015 Final Four.

But what is past is prologue. Those victories, even the one Duke had over Michigan State to begin the 2017-18 season, holds no sway over this matchup. These are very different teams.

Michigan State is a good, good team. They had legitimate claim to be a 1 seed in this tournament, having finished the B1G regular season tied with Purdue for the best record. They defeated Michigan 65-60 to win the B1G Tournament. They are experienced. They shoot the ball well. The rebound well. The defend the rim. They do not foul. They play very smart.

They have one major flaw. The Spartans turn the ball over a ton and do not force turnovers. Even in a game they won by 20 points, they turned the ball over against Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on one third of their possessions. And they haven't forced teams into making mistakes, either. They rank 344th in defensive TO% on the season.

Much of the MSU offense begins and ends with junior point guard Cassius Winston. He is a great offensive point guard, an exceptional passer and scorer. And MSU surrounds him with shooters on the wing in senior guard Matt McQuaid and freshmen wings Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown. Henry is a more diversified in his offensive game than Brown, mostly takes jump shots. McQuaid has become the primary defensive stopped for MSU and will most likely take the task of guarding R.J. Barrett. On offense, McQuaid is a jump shooter. It's best not to leave him alone on the perimeter. Barrett will have size and strength on his side, but he will have to be careful not to get into foul trouble. Like Duke, MSU has been dealing with injuries, most notably to junior Josh Langford and more recently senior Kyle Ahrens. Containing Winston will be key. Cutting off his lanes to the basket, just getting a hand in his face, and making him put the ball in the hands of someone else will be key.

The Spartans have only played with a rotation of about 7 players in the NCAA Tournament so far. In addition to Winston, McQuaid, Henry, and Brown, MSU features a three-man frontcourt of sophomore Xavier Tillman, senior Kenny Goins, and junior Nick Ward. Ward has been dealing with injuries this year and took a scary fall in the Sweet 16 but appears to be ok. He is a load to handle in the paint and scores with ease around the rim. He's not the most athletic player out there, but he blocks shots at a reasonable rate. Tillman and Goins are similarly undersized but rugged defenders and rebounders on both ends of the court. Goins will step out and take a few 3's during the game and I imagine he will guard Zion Williamson most of the game. Duke cannot let the frontcourt of MSU dominate the glass. Getting one or, better yet, two of the Spartan big men in foul trouble could pay dividends at the ends of the halves. They don't foul much, though. I expect that Zion will put a lot of pressure on them while R.J. is not going to find it as easy to get to the rim.

To win, Duke is going to have to force turnovers. They did a good job of that against Virginia Tech, and to great effect. MSU is prone to make mistakes that lead to live-ball turnovers. Duke is going to have to exploit that. A grind-it-out halfcourt game favors the Spartans. This is the fatal flaw for MSU. LSU sat back in a zone and didn't force many bad decisions. The Spartans made their 3-point attempts and won with relative ease. Duke is going to have to generate some transition opportunities without gambling and giving up too many open looks. This is going to be a tough, tough game. It could come down to the wire again. Will Duke's luck hold out? I sure hope so! Let's Go Duke!

[Reilly]

Michigan State opened the season against then-#1-in-the-AP Kansas, and lost by 5 points on a neutral court.

Michigan State has beaten the other 11 ranked-in-the-AP-at-gametime teams it has played: https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/michigan-state/2019-schedule.html

[budwom]

pure guess on my part that Jack may play more vs MSU than he did vs. VT, some better defensive matchups for him IMO.

[terrih]

Any thoughts on Goldwire for this game? He didn’t play really at all last night. Could he be used here for some extra defense?

[uh_no]

if they turn out over a lot, doubling the ball pressure could be a good tactic.

[jv001]

Any thoughts on Goldwire for this game? He didn’t play really at all last night. Could he be used here for some extra defense?

Jordan played 3 uneventful minutes. GoDuke!

[Reilly]

The 21 prior Elite 8 games for Duke that sage mentions.

1960 March 12, 1960 Regional Final Duke 59 NYU 74 -15 Charlotte, NC
1963 March 16, 1963 Regional Final Duke 73 St. Joseph's 59 +14 College Park, MD
1964 March 14, 1964 Regional Final Duke 101 UConn 54 +47 Raleigh, NC
1966 March 12, 1966 Regional Final Duke 91 Syracuse 81 +10 Raleigh, NC
1978 March 19, 1978 Regional Final Duke 90 Villanova 72 +18 Providence, RI
1980 March 15, 1980 Regional Final 4 Duke 60 6 Purdue 68 -8 Lexington, KY
1986 March 23, 1986 Regional Final 1 Duke 71 7 Navy 50 +21 East Rutherford, NJ
1988 March 26, 1988 Regional Final 2 Duke 63 1 Temple 53 +10 East Rutherford, NJ
1989 March 26, 1989 Regional Final 2 Duke 85 1 Georgetown 77 +8 East Rutherford, NJ
1991 March 24, 1991 Regional Final 2 Duke 78 4 St. John's (NY) 61 +17 Pontiac, MI
1992 March 28, 1992 Regional Final 1 Duke 104 2 Kentucky 103 OT +1 Philadelphia, PA
1994 March 26, 1994 Regional Final 2 Duke 69 1 Purdue 60 +9 Knoxville, TN
1998 March 22, 1998 Regional Final 1 Duke 84 2 Kentucky 86 -2 St. Petersburg, FL
1999 March 21, 1999 Regional Final 1 Duke 85 6 Temple 64 +21 East Rutherford, NJ
2001 March 24, 2001 Regional Final 1 Duke 79 6 USC 69 +10 Philadelphia, PA
2004 March 28, 2004 Regional Final 1 Duke 66 7 Xavier 63 +3 Atlanta, GA
2010 March 28, 2010 Regional Final 1 Duke 78 3 Baylor 71 +7 Houston, TX
2013 March 31, 2013 Regional Final 2 Duke 63 1 Louisville 85 -22 Indianapolis, IN
2015 March 29, 2015 Regional Final 1 Duke 66 2 Gonzaga 52 +14 Houston, TX
2018 March 25, 2018 Regional Final 2 Duke 81 1 Kansas 85 OT -4 Omaha, NE

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/play-index/tourney.cgi?request=1&match=single&year_min=&year_max=&round=1&region=&location=&school_id=duke&conf_id=&opp_id=&opp_conf=&seed=&seed_cmp=eq&opp_seed=&opp_seed_cmp=eq&game_result=&pts_diff=&pts_diff_cmp=eq&order_by=date_game&order_by_single=date_game&order_by_combined=g&order_by_asc=&offset=0

[AGDukesky]

Being at the game last night, I got to see MSU up close and really watch the whole court. LSU simply has no clue defensive rebounding and never boxed out. MSU perimeter players were wide open everywhere except McQuaid who seemed to get most of the focus. It is so hard to tell how much of yesterday’s result was MSU playing really well or LSU not. The Spartans can be turned over and my biggest concern is the physicality it is allowed to play on screens and on the interior. Zion will be fouled a lot but will the refs call it? Bolden and Javin need to get rebounds and prevent easy baskets. MSU started hot from 3 yesterday but I feel we defend that better than LSU showed last night. Gonna be a tough one but I’m hoping the crowd will be a bit more in our favor...

[Reilly]

Re-posting as 1990 didn't survive the copy-and-past to make it onto the prior list.

1960 March 12, 1960 Regional Final Duke 59 NYU 74 -15 Charlotte, NC
1963 March 16, 1963 Regional Final Duke 73 St. Joseph's 59 +14 College Park, MD
1964 March 14, 1964 Regional Final Duke 101 UConn 54 +47 Raleigh, NC
1966 March 12, 1966 Regional Final Duke 91 Syracuse 81 +10 Raleigh, NC
1978 March 19, 1978 Regional Final Duke 90 Villanova 72 +18 Providence, RI
1980 March 15, 1980 Regional Final 4 Duke 60 6 Purdue 68 -8 Lexington, KY
1986 March 23, 1986 Regional Final 1 Duke 71 7 Navy 50 +21 East Rutherford, NJ
1988 March 26, 1988 Regional Final 2 Duke 63 1 Temple 53 +10 East Rutherford, NJ
1989 March 26, 1989 Regional Final 2 Duke 85 1 Georgetown 77 +8 East Rutherford, NJ
1990 March 24, 1990 Regional Final 3 Duke 79 1 UConn 78 OT +1 East Rutherford, NJ
1991 March 24, 1991 Regional Final 2 Duke 78 4 St. John's (NY) 61 +17 Pontiac, MI
1992 March 28, 1992 Regional Final 1 Duke 104 2 Kentucky 103 OT +1 Philadelphia, PA
1994 March 26, 1994 Regional Final 2 Duke 69 1 Purdue 60 +9 Knoxville, TN
1998 March 22, 1998 Regional Final 1 Duke 84 2 Kentucky 86 -2 St. Petersburg, FL
1999 March 21, 1999 Regional Final 1 Duke 85 6 Temple 64 +21 East Rutherford, NJ
2001 March 24, 2001 Regional Final 1 Duke 79 6 USC 69 +10 Philadelphia, PA
2004 March 28, 2004 Regional Final 1 Duke 66 7 Xavier 63 +3 Atlanta, GA
2010 March 28, 2010 Regional Final 1 Duke 78 3 Baylor 71 +7 Houston, TX
2013 March 31, 2013 Regional Final 2 Duke 63 1 Louisville 85 -22 Indianapolis, IN
2015 March 29, 2015 Regional Final 1 Duke 66 2 Gonzaga 52 +14 Houston, TX
2018 March 25, 2018 Regional Final 2 Duke 81 1 Kansas 85 OT -4 Omaha, NE

[MChambers]

Being at the game last night, I got to see MSU up close and really watch the whole court. LSU simply has no clue defensive rebounding and never boxed out. MSU perimeter players were wide open everywhere except McQuaid who seemed to get most of the focus. It is so hard to tell how much of yesterday’s result was MSU playing really well or LSU not. The Spartans can be turned over and my biggest concern is the physicality it is allowed to play on screens and on the interior. Zion will be fouled a lot but will the refs call it? Bolden and Javin need to get rebounds and prevent easy baskets. MSU started hot from 3 yesterday but I feel we defend that better than LSU showed last night. Gonna be a tough one but I’m hoping the crowd will be a bit more in our favor...

If I had to guess, I'd say the crowd will favor MSU, but not by a lot. There was a good Duke showing last night, I thought.

[jv001]

Being at the game last night, I got to see MSU up close and really watch the whole court. LSU simply has no clue defensive rebounding and never boxed out. MSU perimeter players were wide open everywhere except McQuaid who seemed to get most of the focus. It is so hard to tell how much of yesterday’s result was MSU playing really well or LSU not. The Spartans can be turned over and my biggest concern is the physicality it is allowed to play on screens and on the interior. Zion will be fouled a lot but will the refs call it? Bolden and Javin need to get rebounds and prevent easy baskets. MSU started hot from 3 yesterday but I feel we defend that better than LSU showed last night. Gonna be a tough one but I’m hoping the crowd will be a bit more in our favor...

I agree this(bolded) is one of the keys to the game. Javin has trouble holding on to the ball at times. It seems he's just not strong when it comes to physical play but he does fine when the opposition is more of a finesse team. MSU is not a finesse team and he will have to bring some toughness to this game. GoDuke!

[Rich]

pure guess on my part that Jack may play more vs MSU than he did vs. VT, some better defensive matchups for him IMO.

I think Jack's injury kept him from playing last night, not the matchups.

[jv001]

It looks like the early line in Vegas is Duke favored by 1.5 points. I think the betting geniuses think Cam won't play or they may know the refs are from the ACC. GoDuke!

[follyblue]

Based on MSU’s play last night, we better get very serious about not allowing open threes and boxing out on defense. They lit it up from three last night by volume and percentage (13 threes made at 51%) and many were open and had 12 offensive boards. I am concerned because these were areas of concern for us last night (and wrt threes an issue with CFU) even though I thought our defense(for the most part) was stellar. I would expect lots of minutes for Goldwire for his perimeter D and hopefully a some what healthy Reddish and White for D and rebounds. Can’t let MSU heat up from three and then not corral the long misses.

[Bigwayne17]

I will be watching tonight’s games from the labor and delivery room of Vidant in Greenville. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon I’m back in my recliner with a new baby girl good luck charm and her two big brothers, all Duke fans of course!

[ice-9]

Thanks to everyone who posted scouting reports! Sounds like having Cam and Jack will make a HUGE difference - force turnovers and go on fast breaks for easy points. If the Spartans live and die with Cassius, I’m glad we have Tre who has got to be as good of a counterpoint as can have in the country.

All that said, despite what their talent might look like individually on paper, their success this year as a team cannot be denied. This is a great TEAM that has accomplished a lot and we will need to play well to beat them. Here’s hoping we can be at full strength.

[KandG]

This is going to be an incredibly tough game.

With that said, I'm still relieved it's MSU and not LSU, despite how bad and undisciplined LSU looked last night. LSU's Waters and Reid are transcendent players that can take over a game when they're consistently focused, and as it was they looked scary for short stretches vs MSU -- with our luck, they could have gone full Aubrey Dawkins-Tacko on us if they had beaten MSU, and their offensive rebounding would have made our lives on Sunday hell.

MSU doesn't look nearly as scary or talented as LSU or some of the other top seeds, but they've had a real knack for rising to the occasion against good teams. I watched one of their losses earlier this year and I thought at the time "wow, they're not that good", but against LSU they withstood runs and played really smart. Winston is a genuine tempo-setter and leader, and may be Tre's toughest matchup all season (though Justin Robinson was pretty amazing last night as well).

And as others have said, we're going to need much better defensive rebounding than we got last night. Hope our guys have something left in the tank for Sunday after such a draining game vs Tech.

[weezie]

This is going to be an incredibly tough game.

With that said, I'm still relieved it's MSU and not LSU...

As others have said though, MSU doesn't look nearly as scary or talented as LSU or some of the other top seeds, but they've had a real knack for rising to the occasion against good teams...

Ooooo, careful what you wish for. sparty had a look last night...

I want to see Izzn't crying and stomping on the sidelines and this will be a slugfest.

[KandG]

Ooooo, careful what you wish for. sparty had a look last night...

I want to see Izzn't crying and stomping on the sidelines and this will be a slugfest.

I'm with you on that! I think MSU has a pretty strong chance of beating us, especially with no Cam or Jack. My preference of MSU was more "better the devil you know than the devil you don't" (no pun intended). We know what we're getting from MSU for the most part (though Henry's scoring outburst vs LSU was quite the surprise). LSU would have been much more of a wildcard.

[Reilly]

Doug Wojcik, David Robinson's teammate when Duke beat Navy in 1986 to advance to the Final 4, is Michigan State's recruiting coordinator: https://msuspartans.com/staff.aspx?staff=480 Didn't follow the Izzo berate-his-player dust-up that closely last weekend, but wonder if Wojcik's history was part of any of the stories (https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/college-of-charleston-report-hammers-jekyll-and-hyde-verbal-abuse/article_6be0a402-b99b-5db3-8d0f-4e2b1ea12e4e.html).

Fred Hoiberg's son is on Michigan State, as well.

[fuse]

If we impose our will on defense and focus on dominating the boards, we’ll do fine.

Bad 3 point defense and rebounding and we’ll end up looking like LSU did.

[OldPhiKap]

I will be watching tonight’s games from the labor and delivery room of Vidant in Greenville. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon I’m back in my recliner with a new baby girl good luck charm and her two big brothers, all Duke fans of course!

Good luck with what is important. Good luck with the birth too.

(J/k obviously, congrats! Took my son to a concert he wanted to see last night and am just watching the VT game — don’t regret the priority choice)

[MChambers]

Based on MSU’s play last night, we better get very serious about not allowing open threes and boxing out on defense. They lit it up from three last night by volume and percentage (13 threes made at 51%) and many were open and had 12 offensive boards. I am concerned because these were areas of concern for us last night (and wrt threes an issue with CFU) even though I thought our defense(for the most part) was stellar. I would expect lots of minutes for Goldwire for his perimeter D and hopefully a some what healthy Reddish and White for D and rebounds. Can’t let MSU heat up from three and then not corral the long misses.

Good points. LSU really collapsed down low and left shooters open. You can't leave Winston, McQuaid, Goins, or Henry open, but I don't think Duke needs to double on Tillman/Ward down low, except if Tre or Alex ends up on them on a switch. But that's where losing Cam and Jack would really hurt, because they are big enough to passibly defend in the post.

[Lewis1112]

It looks like the early line in Vegas is Duke favored by 1.5 points. I think the betting geniuses think Cam won't play or they may know the refs are from the ACC. GoDuke!

Looks like the line is shifting back to Duke -2 to -2.5. This game makes me really nervous.....

[Travis]

If this ends up being a “let them play” game, it’s going to be tough.

If they’re calling contact, MSU might be in trouble.

I am very concerned about a negative Zion effect on foul calling.

Duke currently is ranked 144th in free throw rate with a 24.6% rate. That would not be too bad if we were a typical Duke team and shot a lot of 3-pointers. But this team attacks the basket and scores most of its points in the paint. It has RJ who is super crafty and strong getting to the rim. So that number is surprisingly low, even before you add the most dominant at the basket scorer in the game.

And the story gets worse recently. For the NCAAs, Duke’s free throw rate falls to 16.6% and last night it was 13.6%.

And let’s look at Zion last night. He was 10-12 on two points shots. And shot one free throw all game! He was more likely to get a charge going to the basket than to get two free throws. He even complained after one shot (which he made) and was literally shoved trying to catch a ball without a call even though the shove created a turnover.

I do not like to complain about officiating usually, but refs are humans and tend to favor David over Goliath. They are viewing contact that they would call as a foul if it was someone else (hello Blackshear) as something immaterial to Zion.

Besides not being fair or correct, there are two problems.

First, the way to combat such no calls is to go even harder; that’s okay unless the refs then start calling you for offensive fouls and that seems to be happening.

Second, refs will start extending the Zion bias to other players in your team. I am afraid it might be happening to RJ. And I think Bolden got mugged without a call possibly because Zion would have still scored.

I just hope that the Zion bias I saw against VCU, where a 3-point shooting team went to the line way more than a team employing whatever your favorite euphemism for Zion might be, ends on Sunday. MSU has a history of being physical and when it is a foul it needs to be called.

[esporque]

If I had to guess, I'd say the crowd will favor MSU, but not by a lot. There was a good Duke showing last night, I thought.

Us DC alumni are doing our part to sway the scene and buying out our friends from VT. My biased sampling says we’ll have some home cooking. We’ll be loud in section 110. Go Duke!

[J4Kop99]

The ratings for this game might set records. 5:05 pm est. on cbs on a Sunday against no major competition at all.

Zion. Duke has been in back-to-back thrillers. Msu and Izzo. Elite 8.

[dukelion]

I may be in the minority here but I think if Cam's out Duke's O is actually set up to be more efficient with AOC in the line-up.

AOC will shoot open threes (at a better rate than Cam) and generally be a role player. Whereas Cam has a relatively high rate of usage in the O that quite frankly isn't totally deserved due to the fact the only hits on 36% of his 2pt shots. Having AOC in simply means more attempts for RJ and Zion.

Now Cam's D is excellent and we take a hit there but I think his loss can be mitigated especially if we can get Jack back for some mins on D.

[uh_no]

I may be in the minority here but I think if Cam's out Duke's O is actually set up to be more efficient with AOC in the line-up.

AOC will shoot open threes (at a better rate than Cam) and generally be a role player. Whereas Cam has a relatively high rate of usage in the O that quite frankly isn't totally deserved due to the fact the only hits on 36% of his 2pt shots. Having AOC in simply means more attempts for RJ and Zion.

Now Cam's D is excellent and we take a hit there but I think his loss can be mitigated especially if we can get Jack back for some mins on D.

definitely a fair argument there....the argument for Cam is that he is a bit more flexible than AOC in that he can drive it, so defenders need to pay SOME attention to it, but it's a good point.

[Troublemaker]

They have one major flaw. The Spartans turn the ball over a ton and do not force turnovers. Even in a game they won by 20 points, they turned the ball over against Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on one third of their possessions. And they haven't forced teams into making mistakes, either. They rank 344th in defensive TO% on the season.

[snip]

To win, Duke is going to have to force turnovers.

Looking ahead to this matchup with MSU is why I kept harping on Duke's defensive turnover rate. Earlier in the season, I thought MSU was a bunch of overachievers and would regress, but after 37 games, I tend to trust the stats at this point. They are the #3 kenpom team, a great and accomplished team in the 2018-19 college basketball season. Their weakness, as you mentioned DBA, is turnovers. If they don't turn the ball over, they are a better team than Duke, imo.

Hopefully Cam plays so Duke can have our full complement of turnover-forcers.

[richardjackson199]

I may be in the minority here but I think if Cam's out Duke's O is actually set up to be more efficient with AOC in the line-up.

AOC will shoot open threes (at a better rate than Cam) and generally be a role player. Whereas Cam has a relatively high rate of usage in the O that quite frankly isn't totally deserved due to the fact the only hits on 36% of his 2pt shots. Having AOC in simply means more attempts for RJ and Zion.

Now Cam's D is excellent and we take a hit there but I think his loss can be mitigated especially if we can get Jack back for some mins on D.

Interesting. Though I could not disagree more.

Give me healthy Cam Reddish over AOC, and twice on Sunday (meaning give me healthy super Captain Jack White too).

[Skydog]

Unstoppable force meets immovable wall? Duke is ranked #4 on 2pt offense, scoring at a 58% clip. They will be facing at Izzo team ranked #2 on 2pt defense, holding opp to 42%. Which gives?

Either way it's going to be a very physical game under Michigan's basket. Lot's of Zion and RJ fouling I expect. And a lot of ft shooting by us at the end of the halves.

[-jk]

...it's going to be a very physical game...

It's K v Izzo!

-jk

[Utley]

Us DC alumni are doing our part to sway the scene and buying out our friends from VT. My biased sampling says we’ll have some home cooking. We’ll be loud in section 110. Go Duke!

I agree. I think there was more Duke than Sparty there last night and think Duke will fill the Va Tech void.

I’ll be right next to you tomorrow :). Pm if you want to try to connect.

[BandAlum83]

I posted this in the east region thread, but this may be a more appropriate location. Sorry if cross posting this is in bad form.

Some tidbits:


The Elite eight consist of the pre-tournament KenPom #'s 1 -virginia, 2 - Gonzaga, 3 - Duke, 4 - Michigan St, 7 - Kentucky, 9 - Texas Tech, 10 - Purdue, and 13 - Auburn teams

Duke has dropped in the KenPom rankings during this tournament, and now sits at number 4 behind Michigan State. Our defensive ranking has dropped from 6 to 9

Texas Tech has made a big jump in KenPom ratings during the tournament working their way up from 9 to 5.

Current KenPom ratings are: 1-UVA, 2-Gonzaga, 3-MSU, 4-Duke, 5-Texas Tech, 7-UK, 9-Purdue, 11-Auburn

Of the other 7 Elite Eight Teams, Duke has played 5 of the 7. That seems like a high number. Has this happened before? It does say something about Duke's strength of schedule.

Duke is 5-1 against the Elite 8. The one loss came to Gonzaga in Maui. A game in which we came up just short after a big comeback.

[Troublemaker]

I posted this in the east region thread, but this may be a more appropriate location. Sorry if cross posting this is in bad form.

Some tidbits:


The Elite eight consist of the pre-tournament KenPom #'s 1 -virginia, 2 - Gonzaga, 3 - Duke, 4 - Michigan St, 7 - Kentucky, 9 - Texas Tech, 10 - Purdue, and 13 - Auburn teams
Duke has dropped in the KenPom rankings during this tournament, and now sits at number 4 behind Michigan State.
Our defensive ranking has dropped from 6 to 9
Texas Tech has made a big jump in KenPom ratings during the tournament working their way up from 9 to 5.
Current KenPom ratings are: 1-UVA, 2-Gonzaga, 3-MSU, 4-Duke, 5-Texas Tech, 7-UK, 9-Purdue, 11-Auburn
Of the other 7 Elite Eight Teams, Duke has played 5 of the 7. That seems like a high number. Has this happened before? It does say something about Duke's strength of schedule.
Duke is 5-1 against the Elite 8. The one loss came to Gonzaga in Maui. A game in which we came up just short after a big comeback.



The possible path of kenpom #3 (MSU), kenpom #2 (Gonzaga), kenpom #1 (UVA) to the national championship is likely unparalleled in tournament history. *IF* Duke wins it all with that path, it would go down as one of the great tournament runs in the sport's history.

That said, the only thing we can focus on now is MSU and forcing some turnovers from them.

Hopefully there are some upsets so Duke doesn't have to endure the chalkiest path ever.

[richardjackson199]

The possible path of kenpom #3 (MSU), kenpom #2 (Gonzaga), kenpom #1 (UVA) to the national championship is likely unparalleled in tournament history. *IF* Duke wins it all with that path, it would go down as one of the great tournament runs in the sport's history.

That said, the only thing we can focus on now is MSU and forcing some turnovers from them.

Hopefully there are some upsets so Duke doesn't have to endure the chalkiest path ever.

From Twitter:
tommy tomlinson
‏@tommytomlinson

Duke's path:
Elite 8: Arena ushers accidentally open doors at same time, crossbreeze blows MSU tying free throw off course
Final 4: Gonzaga game-winning jumper clanks off rim due to micro-earthquake
Title game: Virginia player goes up for game-winning dunk, is bitten by bat, dies

:D

[curtis325]

From Twitter:
tommy tomlinson
‏@tommytomlinson

Duke's path:
Elite 8: Arena ushers accidentally open doors at same time, crossbreeze blows MSU tying free throw off course
Final 4: Gonzaga game-winning jumper clanks off rim due to micro-earthquake
Title game: Virginia player goes up for game-winning dunk, is bitten by bat, dies

:D


I'll allow it.

[OldPhiKap]

Uh oh, Seth just said he’s leaning towards Sparty in this game. It’s over.

[91_92_01_10_15]

https://youtu.be/CIr3Y3qzfZg

[MChambers]

Uh oh, Seth just said he’s leaning towards Sparty in this game. It’s over.

If true, that’s great news! Which Seth (not that it matters much).

[AZLA]

Based on MSU’s play last night, we better get very serious about not allowing open threes and boxing out on defense. They lit it up from three last night by volume and percentage (13 threes made at 51%) and many were open and had 12 offensive boards. I am concerned because these were areas of concern for us last night (and wrt threes an issue with CFU) even though I thought our defense(for the most part) was stellar. I would expect lots of minutes for Goldwire for his perimeter D and hopefully a some what healthy Reddish and White for D and rebounds. Can’t let MSU heat up from three and then not corral the long misses.

Glad you wrote this. I was just thinking about how VT and UCF have been able to get space from deep and hit threes with ease against Duke. While MSU is known for and expected to be formidable bruisers in the blocks battling well for rebounds; their three point shooting was lit, and Duke just needs to get a few more contested threes going on D. That being said it seemed the times Tech missed was when they were wide open. Go figure. Also Tres mid range was great. In addition to his threes. Hoping to see RJs mid range and outside shooting awaken tomorrow. This team has been chasing the Kentucky game all season. Here’s hoping it shows up or close enough to it tomorrow night.

[OldPhiKap]

If true, that’s great news! Which Seth (not that it matters much).

Big bald guy, not sure what his connection to basketball is. But he seems to dislike Duke.

[AGDukesky]

Big bald guy, not sure what his connection to basketball is. But he seems to dislike Duke.

Also when he puts a light bulb in his mouth it turns on

[DukieInBrasil]

Any thoughts on Goldwire for this game? He didn’t play really at all last night. Could he be used here for some extra defense?


From Twitter:
tommy tomlinson
‏@tommytomlinson

Duke's path:
Elite 8: Arena ushers accidentally open doors at same time, crossbreeze blows MSU tying free throw off course
Final 4: Gonzaga game-winning jumper clanks off rim due to micro-earthquake
Title game: Virginia player goes up for game-winning dunk, is bitten by bat, dies

:D

Let's not wish death on anyone. Is it not enough to be bitten by a bat? Wouldn't that be enough to distract him and prevent the dunk? There are no venomous bats, so there's not really any way for a bat bite to kill someone on the spot anyway. Vampire bats make incision in sleeping mammals, and then lick the blood, sometimes transmitting diseases in the process.

[MChambers]

Nice piece by John Feinstein (I know, I know) on the K-Izzo mutual admiration society: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/when-krzyzewski-meets-izzo-its-elite/2019/03/30/6f7c5784-5322-11e9-88a1-ed346f0ec94f_story.html?utm_term=.8f668cc8aebe

[duke2x]

From the meaningless stats department:

Izzo is 1-5 against National Champions and #1 seeds on short rest in the NCAA tournament. None of those games involved Duke.
K is 11-1 against Izzo, the 1 loss in 2005.
Coach K is 7-0 in Elite 8 games in the East Regional.

Izzo is due. I just want us to start faster and finish stronger (not give up part/all of a 7-8 point lead in the last quadrant) like the last 2 games. We should be OK in a tough contest, particularly if Reddish is healthy. I like Duke 73, Sparty 70 following the trend of the last 2 games.

[crimsondevil]

From the meaningless stats department:

Izzo is 1-5 against National Champions and #1 seeds on short rest in the NCAA tournament.

What does this mean (I know, you said it was meaningless)? Former National Champions? Hard to have a good record against the eventual champ, by definition... :cool:

[robed deity]

I am trying to be optimistic about tomorrow's game, but my brain is having a hard time seeing a Duke win, especially if Reddish isn't playing.

[bigperm13]

I am trying to be optimistic about tomorrow's game, but my brain is having a hard time seeing a Duke win, especially if Reddish isn't playing.

Your brain doesn't see things, your eyes do.

[dukelifer]

Your brain doesn't see things, your eyes do.

Technically vision takes place in the brain.

[uh_no]

Your brain doesn't see things, your eyes do.

got 'im. quite the rebuttal.

[superdave]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2019/03/29/michigan-state-basketball-nick-ward/3316891002/

Any update on Nick Ward? I have not seen much the last 24 hours.

[jamos14]

Nick Ward says his hand is fine.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mlive.com/spartans/2019/03/msus-nick-ward-says-hand-is-fine-after-injury-vs-lsu.html%3foutputType=amp

[OldPhiKap]

Nick Ward says his hand is fine.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mlive.com/spartans/2019/03/msus-nick-ward-says-hand-is-fine-after-injury-vs-lsu.html%3foutputType=amp

Ward said in the presser yesterday that nothing would keep him out of this game.

As Zion says — whoever wants it more will move on.

[weezie]

Heavy, sports coat straining fat-faced bald guy, not sure what his connection to basketball is. But he seems to dislike Duke.

Adjective triage.

[OldPhiKap]

Adjective triage.

Don’t hold back, weezie. Let it all out!

[moonpie23]

"I have an Army"

"We have a hulk!"

[curtis325]

Ward said in the presser yesterday that nothing would keep him out of this game.

As Zion says — whoever wants it more will move on.

If Duke loses, is it because Zion doesn't "want it" enough?

I guess Grayson didn't "want it" enough last year.

[uh_no]

"I have an Army"

"We have a hulk!"

and rj "storm breaker" Barrett

[uh_no]

If Duke loses, is it because Zion doesn't "want it" enough?

I guess Grayson didn't "want it" enough last year.

the fact that that team lost like that. i was very upset.

jeez. two bigs who can shoot like that?

defense.

[Potato]

Last year’s Elite 8 loss hurt. Really want to see this team make it to Minneapolis. Tbh haven’t watched MSU much this year, but Izzo seems to have them playing a great brand of basketball at the perfect time. Luckily Zion and RJ basically give us a chance against anyone. We’re going to have to have a third guy step up like Tre did vs VT. Really really hope Reddish can go. Duke will have a very difficult time winning if he can’t.

[DavidBenAkiva]

A thought occurred to me this morning.

Last year, Michigan State really struggled against the Syracuse 2-3 zone in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They were a more talented team last year, too, with Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson, Jr. The numbers seem to indicate that this is a better version of Michigan State, but the profile is very similar. Like last year, MSU was a great three-point shooting team but generated a ton of its offense inside the arc. For all of its shooting prowess, MSU is 189th in the nation in 3-point shooting rate this season. They prefer to get the ball close to the rim. This action comes from either Cassius Winston working off a ball screen or a post entry. The zone counters both of those fairly well.

This Duke team isn't going to use the zone as its base defense. But Duke has flashed a zone from time to time, most notably during the first Virginia game. In the closing minutes of that game, Duke went back and forth between a zone and man defense to throw a curveball at UVA. It worked as it stalled UVA. If Duke finds itself close in the waning minutes - preferably with a lead - might we see Coach K throw a few possessions of Zone against MSU to disrupt their offense?

[DUKIE V(A)]

This is going to be a great game today. Hoping Cam can play if he is healthy enough to play like himself.

A couple thoughts:

I think Duke is playing really well overall right now. As it turns, we had a very tough draw against two teams that gave us match up challenges and played strong games.

I do not want to take anything away from Izzo and Michigan State but after a tough first round game vs. Bradley both Minnesota and LSU have played poorly. Perhaps The Spartans deserve all the credit for their opponents’ poor performances, but I saw the LSU game in person and was thoroughly unimpressed with LSU’s defense. They left shooters open all game long. Duke would have absolutely dominated LSU.

Duke’s biggest advantage in this game is athleticism. If we can play aggressively, commit to staying on their shooters, and rebound, I love our chances. It won’t be easy, but I say Duke by 12 with Cam and by 8 without him.

[bluedev_92]

"I have an Army"

"We have a hulk!"

Nice. Zion is definitely Avenger worthy!

[dragoneye776]

might we see Coach K throw a few possessions of Zone against MSU to disrupt their offense?

This is honestly a fantastic idea, and makes lots of sense too! After Winston torches Bolden off a high pick and roll switch for the 10th time that game, I think we do switch to zone.

[Bob Green]

Thanks for the excellent work on these scouting reports. They've really added a lot to the pregame discussions on the board.




Honestly, I'm not sure whether I'd be thrilled to face MSU (because they lack skill at so many spots) or terrified (because they have that "IT" player). It could go either way. If you can contain/fluster Winston or get him in foul trouble, MSU is toast. But if you allow him to make plays for himself or others, MSU can will their way to wins. They are one of the least impressive looking top seeds, but yet they just keep winning. It's really hard to get a feel for how playing against them would go.



Sounds like Tre Jones' defense will be put to the test today. I'm confident he is up to the task; however, I agree with you the Spartans will come out fighting. It is a common trait among Tom Izzo coached teams.

[MrPoon]

Nice. Zion is definitely Avenger worthy!

Zion is Thanos, no question. Snaps his fingers and everything changes. That block the last game and everyone froze for a second. That is otherworldly.

As an aside from this important Avengers discussion, MSU clearly is a good team but the three wins agains Mich really makes them look good and count me in the Mich wasn’t very good camp. M State’s non-conf schedule isn’t up to Izzo’s usual standard. I think they are good but this isn’t one of his best teams (I think last year’s is better).

I’m surprised they are even playing it with K’s dominance over Izzo, seems like a mercy rule should be in place.
(TOTALY JOKING).

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Zion is Thanos, no question. Snaps his fingers and everything changes. That block the last game and everyone froze for a second. That is otherworldly.


Oh man, I had forgotten that. If anyone has that play easily at their fingers, I'd love to see it.

Yes, watching in real time, it was as though someone blew a whistle or a horn blew. Everyone on both teams seemed to just pause for two or three seconds to see if they were still in real life, a la David after the Dentist.

[duketaylor]

A thought occurred to me this morning.

Last year, Michigan State really struggled against the Syracuse 2-3 zone in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They were a more talented team last year, too, with Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson, Jr. The numbers seem to indicate that this is a better version of Michigan State, but the profile is very similar. Like last year, MSU was a great three-point shooting team but generated a ton of its offense inside the arc. For all of its shooting prowess, MSU is 189th in the nation in 3-point shooting rate this season. They prefer to get the ball close to the rim. This action comes from either Cassius Winston working off a ball screen or a post entry. The zone counters both of those fairly well.

This Duke team isn't going to use the zone as its base defense. But Duke has flashed a zone from time to time, most notably during the first Virginia game. In the closing minutes of that game, Duke went back and forth between a zone and man defense to throw a curveball at UVA. It worked as it stalled UVA. If Duke finds itself close in the waning minutes - preferably with a lead - might we see Coach K throw a few possessions of Zone against MSU to disrupt their offense?

Duke plays some zone in most every game that I've seen. Sometimes it's hard to recognize.

[BandAlum83]

Duke plays some zone in most every game that I've seen. Sometimes it's hard to recognize.

Super Stealth Zone Mode could certainly confuse the opponent!

I’m confused jut contemplating it!

[ns7]

Duke plays some zone in most every game that I've seen. Sometimes it's hard to recognize.

We've played zone on about 5% of possessions. I've seen the 2-2-1 a lot more than the 2-3 this year. We did use the 2-3 against UCF because of our foul trouble.

[Utley]

Twitter has pictures of Cam at practice without a knee brace

[sagegrouse]

Twitter has pictures of Cam at practice without a knee brace

Today, or in October?

[devildeac]

I'll not be watching tonight as we'll be traveling home from NC coast. Friday's game was too stressful for my circulatory and digestive systems. :eek:

Type furiously, cheer loudly and cuss freely in my absence. :D

[scottdude8]

Hinted at this in my preview, but after thinking it over more I think that there’s a major (counterintuitive) strategy I’d love to see us utilize today: whenever Ward is in the game, we should go SMALL with Zion at the 5. If we force Ward to guard Zion on the perimeter, not only is that a matchup we can exploit, but the entire paint will be open for RJ. Plus, Ward is the type of player who can only score if someone else gets him the ball in the post, and I think Zion can use his superior athleticism to front him and minimize those opportunities. With the trust that K has in Javin and the way Marques has been looking this may not come to fruition... but it’s something I hope the coaching staff is thinking about.

[Edouble]

If Duke loses, is it because Zion doesn't "want it" enough?

I guess Grayson didn't "want it" enough last year.

Different teams, different situations. And Grayson was not the only player on that team that needed to "want it".

The March 2019 Blue Devils have not always come out of the gate or out of halftime as strong as we should. I think many around here would agree with that. This team is great at ratcheting up the intensity when put into a corner. Their will to win, as Coach K keeps pointing out, is outstanding.

I think the whole have to "want it" is probably a motivational device that the coaches are using to try to get the team to go hard for the full 40. Just speculation, obviously, but with our talent ceiling, going hard makes us really tough to beat.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I'll not be watching tonight as we'll be traveling home from NC coast. Friday's game was too stressful for my circulatory and digestive systems. :eek:

Type furiously, cheer loudly and cuss freely in my absence. :D

Ooh, where did you go?

[devildeac]

Ooh, where did you go?

Topsail.

[proelitedota]

Hinted at this in my preview, but after thinking it over more I think that there’s a major (counterintuitive) strategy I’d love to see us utilize today: whenever Ward is in the game, we should go SMALL with Zion at the 5. If we force Ward to guard Zion on the perimeter, not only is that a matchup we can exploit, but the entire paint will be open for RJ. Plus, Ward is the type of player who can only score if someone else gets him the ball in the post, and I think Zion can use his superior athleticism to front him and minimize those opportunities. With the trust that K has in Javin and the way Marques has been looking this may not come to fruition... but it’s something I hope the coaching staff is thinking about.

Ward is one of the best in the country at getting to the line. I did rather Zion not get into foul trouble. I would in fact play Vrank for a few minutes today just to spread around the fouls.

[Steven43]

I posted this on the South Region thread, but should have posted here.

Has anyone followed Michigan State closely this year? I’m trying to figure out how they can be so good after having lost two starters. Did they have such a loaded roster that they can survive two massive losses like that and still be a great team? I have to believe that any other team that were to lose two starters would be cannon fodder for Duke in this game. Are they really as good as they appear to be and as they are being talked about or is this the game where the loss of those two starters proves to be too much to overcome?

[curtis325]

538 has Duke at 67% win probabilty. Almost as good as President Hillary.

[gocanes0506]

Hinted at this in my preview, but after thinking it over more I think that there’s a major (counterintuitive) strategy I’d love to see us utilize today: whenever Ward is in the game, we should go SMALL with Zion at the 5. If we force Ward to guard Zion on the perimeter, not only is that a matchup we can exploit, but the entire paint will be open for RJ. Plus, Ward is the type of player who can only score if someone else gets him the ball in the post, and I think Zion can use his superior athleticism to front him and minimize those opportunities. With the trust that K has in Javin and the way Marques has been looking this may not come to fruition... but it’s something I hope the coaching staff is thinking about.

I would be highly surprised if any team allows the paint to be open. Teams should and will sag. Defenders should have a foot in the paint and flash out when their defender gets the ball.

I can hope a coach makes the mistake of trying to play tight on the perimeter.

[BandAlum83]

538 has Duke at 67% win probabilty. Almost as good as President Hillary.

Still, I’d rather have 67% probability than 33%.

[jimsumner]

538 has Duke at 67% win probabilty. Almost as good as President Hillary.

Popular vote? Or electoral college?

Duke hasn't exactly covered the spread in the NCAAs. And Duke is a 2 1/2 point favorite. So, with Duke up by one, Winston misses a runner and Ward's follow shot rolls off at the buzzer.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Popular vote? Or electoral college?

Thank goodness Duke games aren't decided by popular vote.

[-jk]

For those wanting to get an early start: 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.

If it's running too fast for you, you can always check out the chat archive (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/misc.php?do=ccarc) to catch up.

As always - please follow the DBR Posting Guidelines.

Let's Go Duke! Survive and advance!

-jk

[arnie]

Thank goodness Duke games aren't decided by popular vote.

And if it were electoral college derived: we’d definiteky lose KY & NC by a landslide.

[curtis325]

Popular vote? Or electoral college?

Duke hasn't exactly covered the spread in the NCAAs. And Duke is a 2 1/2 point favorite. So, with Duke up by one, Winston misses a runner and Ward's follow shot rolls off at the buzzer.

I'll gladly take that scenario.

[TruBlu]

I'll not be watching tonight as we'll be traveling home from NC coast. Friday's game was too stressful for my circulatory and digestive systems. :eek:

Type furiously, cheer loudly and cuss freely in my absence. :D

There are probably a few bars with tv’s on your way home. Someone else could drive after the game, or you could drink Pepsi.

[DoubleBlue]

Oh man, I had forgotten that. If anyone has that play easily at their fingers, I'd love to see it.

Yes, watching in real time, it was as though someone blew a whistle or a horn blew. Everyone on both teams seemed to just pause for two or three seconds to see if they were still in real life, a la David after the Dentist.

Zion Williamson is UNFAIR! RIDICULOUS BLOCK & CRAZY HIGH ALLEY OOP vs Virginia Tech | March 29, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tBDv42Ajx4

[devildeac]

There are probably a few bars with tv’s on your way home. Someone else could drive after the game, or you could drink Pepsi.

There are, but, trust me on this one, the above-mentioned systems and Mrs. dd would be very, very unhappy and/or overly excitable if I/we watched live.

Your suggestion is still appreciated. :o

[cakerace]

Popular vote? Or electoral college?



I believe the electoral college is like uNC: There are no classes to attend.

[Troublemaker]

A thought occurred to me this morning.

Last year, Michigan State really struggled against the Syracuse 2-3 zone in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They were a more talented team last year, too, with Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson, Jr. The numbers seem to indicate that this is a better version of Michigan State, but the profile is very similar. Like last year, MSU was a great three-point shooting team but generated a ton of its offense inside the arc. For all of its shooting prowess, MSU is 189th in the nation in 3-point shooting rate this season. They prefer to get the ball close to the rim. This action comes from either Cassius Winston working off a ball screen or a post entry. The zone counters both of those fairly well.

This Duke team isn't going to use the zone as its base defense. But Duke has flashed a zone from time to time, most notably during the first Virginia game. In the closing minutes of that game, Duke went back and forth between a zone and man defense to throw a curveball at UVA. It worked as it stalled UVA. If Duke finds itself close in the waning minutes - preferably with a lead - might we see Coach K throw a few possessions of Zone against MSU to disrupt their offense?

Love the idea, DBA. Recall also that in last season's Champions Classic, Duke played zone all game against MSU and turned them over a bunch, too.

Hopefully Cam and Jack can play, and Duke's m2m defense is a dominant turnover-forcing machine, but if not, mixing in zone might throw them for a loop.


I posted this on the South Region thread, but should have posted here.

Has anyone followed Michigan State closely this year? I’m trying to figure out how they can be so good after having lost two starters. Did they have such a loaded roster that they can survive two massive losses like that and still be a great team? I have to believe that any other team that were to lose two starters would be cannon fodder for Duke in this game. Are they really as good as they appear to be and as they are being talked about or is this the game where the loss of those two starters proves to be too much to overcome?

MSU is really only playing without 1 starter, the much-maligned Josh Langford. Nick Ward is back and now coming off the bench. (MSU is also missing rotation player Kyle Ahrens, who has spot-started when guys like McQuaid have missed games; MSU, like Duke, has had poor injury luck this season).

[weezie]

There are probably a few bars with tv’s on your way home. Someone else could drive after the game, or you could drink Pepsi.

Or a neato orange vanilla Coke?!

[Utley]

Let’s win this one for Olympic Fan/Al

[AGDukesky]

Reddish is shooting in warmups

[scottdude8]

Reddish is shooting in warmups

That’s nice to hear. Keep the good news coming ;)

[Bike4Fun]

Reddish is shooting in warmups

Jack too?

[weezie]

Yes Jack too

[Furniture]

Reddish not starting.

Jones
Barrett
O'Connell
Williamson
DeLaurier

[AGDukesky]

Reddish was making a ton of shots but not moving around a ton. If he plays expect a lot of 3-pointers and not drives to the basket.

[Steven43]

Reddish was making a ton of shots but not moving around a ton. If he plays expect a lot of 3-pointers and not drives to the basket.

Well, I don’t think we want Cam trying to drive to the basket anyway.

[UrinalCake]

Reddish was making a ton of shots but not moving around a ton. If he plays expect a lot of 3-pointers and not drives to the basket.

I’m ok with that.

Worried about his effectiveness on D though.

[devildeac]

A private message source about the ref assignments for today:

Doug Sirmons, Keith Kimble, John Gaffney.

Any knowledge of these guys?

I found this from 2 years ago:

http://fvsports.com/forum/forum/the-stadium/373653-kenpom-college-basketball-referee-rankings

#12, 11 and 18, respectively.

FWIW, eades, ayres, luckie and teletubby teddy are all in the top 6. :eek:

[Bluedog]

A private message source about the ref assignments for today:

Doug Sirmons, Keith Kimble, John Gaffney.

Any knowledge of these guys?

I found this from 2 years ago:

http://fvsports.com/forum/forum/the-stadium/373653-kenpom-college-basketball-referee-rankings

#12, 11 and 18, respectively.

FWIW, eades, ayres, luckie and teletubby teddy are all in the top 6. :eek:

The fact I don't know them, I like.

[J4Kop99]

I know Kentucky auburn is at a completely different location but does them going into OT push our tip-off back from 5:05?

[dukelifer]

I know Kentucky auburn is at a completely different location but does them going into OT push our tip-off back from 5:05?

Unless it goes into another overtime

[AGDukesky]

Reddish with a nice dunk and he is still warming up unlike last game

[arnie]

I know Kentucky auburn is at a completely different location but does them going into OT push our tip-off back from 5:05?

I’m certain they will push back the tip. Maybe 5:15 if no 2nd OT

[-jk]

I’m certain they will push back the tip. Maybe 5:15 if no 2nd OT

Cap One arena pregame clock still running...

-jk

[WiJoe]

Let’s win this one for Olympic Fan/Al

best comment on the board in a LONG time

[gocanes0506]

Anyone else see the BWW commercial where a lady yells down to the UNX fan to quite down in the basement?? Anyone else imagine its his mom yelling at him?

[dukelifer]

Wow. That was impressive. Auburn beat Kansas, UNC and KY. Quite a run.

[Tripping William]

Wow. That was impressive. Auburn beat Kansas, UNC and KY. Quite a run.

After an absolute escape against NM State.

[AGDukesky]

Based upon body language, I think Reddish gets in the game

[DU82]

Goodbye Pantone 288. Go Pantone 287!!

[arnie]

Cap One arena pregame clock still running...

-jk

Hope they kep the original tap time. Won’t be much time left for tv and Auburn net cutting

[DU82]

4:30 on the clock in Cap One center. Plus intros, game time still 5:05

[WHOneedsSOX]

Based upon body language, I think Reddish gets in the game

As of 30 minutes ago he wasn't in the listed starting lineup. But he was the other day so of course things could change.

[devildeac]

Hey, Tripping William:

What time is it?

[curtis325]

For the second straight year Duke is in the final five.

Take that last step please.

[devildeac]

My current state of mind (for my own mental sanity and digestive and cardiovascular well-being):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAnQBr9brG4

[gocanes0506]

After an absolute escape against NM State.

Still can’t believe they passed up the layup.

[scottdude8]

Still can’t believe they passed up the layup.
NM State was my big upset pick too... that killed me.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Cam is back! I think.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Another ugly start. No rebounding.

[dukelion]

Another slow start.......smh

And already gave up 4 offensive boards......a weakness we haven't focused enough around here.

[Dukehk]

Come on Ques and co. We GOT to get on the boards and stop them from taking second/third chances.

They are heating up because they've been getting so many looks.

[scottdude8]

Lucky to be down 4 right now, so let’s rake that and run. McQuaid missing two straight is a 1/100 occurrence. Time to regroup and attack inside.

[rsvman]

Lucky to be down 4 right now, so let’s rake that and run. McQuaid missing two straight is a 1/100 occurrence. Time to regroup and attack inside.

Actually, even if he a fifty percent shooter he is 25% likely to miss two in a row.

Just saying.

[downeastdad]

I'm weary of slow starts and playing catch-up. Why can't we come out hot for once?

[sweetchiba51]

We're getting crushed in the boards. This keeps up we are going to get run out of the gym.

[WHOneedsSOX]

We're getting crushed in the boards. This keeps up we are going to get run out of the gym.

Way too many turnovers too. Must be about 5 now?

[scottdude8]

Actually, even if he a fifty percent shooter he is 25% likely to miss two in a row.

Just saying.

Lol using math against me, touché!

[downeastdad]

Looks like Zion can't be fouled in this game, either.

[pamtelp]

Actually, even if he a fifty percent shooter he is 25% likely to miss two in a row.

Just saying.

Free throws

[Dukehk]

We really need someone to hit a 3.

Game hanging on a balance right now. Guys are getting decent looks from outside, just not going down.

[ChrisP]

Obvious foul of Zion there - are you KIDDING ME??? What has to happen? Does blood have to be drawn to get a call on MSU?

[Lippl]

Travel? That had to be a jump ball or a foul, yes?

[AGDukesky]

We are so tight and every roll is going for MSU

[pfrduke]

Zion trying to do a little too much right now. Needs to find his spots a little more and force it a little less.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I like Izzo but he clearly saw how much success Buzz had standing on the court and being a sixth defender.

Time for us to man up on the boards.

[rsvman]

Travel? That had to be a jump ball or a foul, yes?

Yes.

Probably a held ball.

[fgb]

I like Izzo but he clearly saw how much success Buzz had standing on the court and being a sixth defender.

Time for us to man up on the boards.

honestly, if I were a coach, I'd tell my players to make a b-line for buzz every time he was on he court if play and just run through him.

[Lippl]

AOC needs to learn to flop there

[frb]

jack white with his patented air ball. please get him out of the game!!!

[scottdude8]

I like Izzo but he clearly saw how much success Buzz had standing on the court and being a sixth defender.

Time for us to man up on the boards.

He always does that. Izzo yells and talks at the refs more than any coach out there, and never gets a tech. It’s infuriating.

[Dukehk]

jack white with his patented air ball. please get him out of the game!!!

Played great defence on ward though.

He will come good for us. Just needs to keep shooting.

[BlueDevil16]

jack white with his patented air ball. please get him out of the game!!!

Crazy how his confidence has impacted him. Was pretty great during the first couple months.

[scottdude8]

jack white with his patented air ball. please get him out of the game!!!

Yeah but he followed it up with great D on Ward. People can contribute even if they’re missing shots.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Played great defence on ward though.

He will come good for us. Just needs to keep shooting.

He's probably not going to get very many minutes unless Zion gets in foul trouble. They're too big for him to play the 4.

[gep]

jack white with his patented air ball. please get him out of the game!!!

Wasn’t his shot blocked:confused:

[rsvman]

Played great defence on ward though.

He will come good for us. Just needs to keep shooting.

First of all, he doesn't usually shoot air balls. He rims shots out.

Secondly, I think the shot was blocked.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

He always does that. Izzo yells and talks at the refs more than any coach out there, and never gets a tech. It’s infuriating.

They should put an electric fence for the coach to stay in the coaching box. Seeing some of these guys take an high voltage shock would be very entertaining.

[subzero02]

Crazy how his confidence has impacted him. Was pretty great during the first couple months.

He came down and played solid Defense on Ward after the miss... Zion needs to give the ball up on the break. everyone keys on him when he has the ball in his hands

[scottdude8]

2 on Ward. Big play

[WHOneedsSOX]

They should put an electric fence for the coach to stay in the coaching box. Seeing some of these guys take an high voltage shock would be very entertaining.

Funny story,you guys know how in high school if a coach gets a technical he can't stand the rest of the game? My coach got a tech, found a rolling chair, and rolled up and down the sideline lol

[Lewis1112]

Come on!

[scottdude8]

If Matt McQuaid has to dribble that much we win. Great d!!!

[kako]

Isn't this their biggest lead since the ND State game?

9F

[sweetchiba51]

Let's gooooooo!!!

[pfrduke]

Defense really started to dig in, and it pays immediate dividends on the other end. What a nice spurt.

[rsvman]

Looking better

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Awesome D. Cam makes a big difference keying it.

[DU82]

Keep the pressure on the gas pedal!

[Dukehk]

Here we go!!!

Great defence. Amazing defence. Vintage Coach K man on man!!!

When we start hitting 3's lookout!!! Cam Reddish has been great today. Both ends of the court.

[pfrduke]

If Matt McQuaid has to dribble that much we win. Great d!!!

Pretty sure Izzo is telling McQuaid that in the huddle right now - any possession with the ball in his hands for 10 seconds like that is a win for us.

[gep]

Cam looks REALLY GOOD:cool:

[ChicagoCrazy84]

If we can sustain this intensity on defense that would be amazing. We’re flying around.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Cam looks REALLY GOOD:cool:

Ive been harsh on Cam somewhat throughout the year but man he does make a difference.

[uh_no]

duke running ICE on screens for winston. keeping tre on winston as much as possible. LOVE IT. Defense since we were able to get bolden on ward has been stellar. him being out with 2 is huge as we can save bolden from foul trouble.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Bad foul Zion... 2 on him now.

He's going back in. Do not get that 3rd foul!

[scottdude8]

Feel so bad for Jack, he just can’t get a damn bounce. Keep shooting confidently Captain!

[Lippl]

First of all, he doesn't usually shoot air balls. He rims shots out.

Secondly, I think the shot was blocked.

Darn it you see what you did there?

[pfrduke]

And K’s going to put Zion back in the game. He’s never subscribed to the school of two fouls automatically keeping someone on the pine until halftime, but it does make me a little nervous.

[rsvman]

Should not have let Jack stay on Winston. Recipe for an automatic two.

[WHOneedsSOX]

And K’s going to put Zion back in the game. He’s never subscribed to the school of two fouls automatically keeping someone on the pine until halftime, but it does make me a little nervous.

Yeah especially with how aggressive he plays and how guys jump in front of him all the time. Was really hoping they'd make it to halftime without him.

[ChrisP]

Zion's 1st foul was just dumb. The second was RJ'S fault with a bad pass :(

I swear, we have a HORRIBLE habit of turning it over when we have good momentum going our way. Ugh!!!

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Feel so bad for Jack, he just can’t get a damn bounce. Keep shooting confidently Captain!

Same. Really hoping Jack can take the offseason, decompress a little and re-gain his confidence cause he can ball.

[rsvman]

Leave Zion on the bench as long as we maintain a lead.

[scottdude8]

I’d rather this risk than what John Beilein does, which is stick with the “autobench” with a religious fervor. It’s cost Michigan games. They’re both a risk, but I think you have to trust your stars at some point.

[uh_no]

And K’s going to put Zion back in the game. He’s never subscribed to the school of two fouls automatically keeping someone on the pine until halftime, but it does make me a little nervous.

Z's generally been good about being more conservative after being on the edge of foul trouble. his picking up his second was silly. think he was frustrated at not getting that.

Throw it higher RJ! did you miss last game?? :D

[sweetchiba51]

We're going to let them back in the game.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Man basketball is frustrating at times lol. Just when you think you have control...BAM!

[sweetchiba51]

Pathetic finish to this half.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Terrible end to the half.

[AGDukesky]

Total collapse plus horrible officiating

[subzero02]

Terrible first half by Zion...

[Lewis1112]

Terrible. Completely squandered a 9 point lead.

[uh_no]

Total collapse plus horrible officiating
not sure the officials made us not score in the past 3 minutes and throw the ball to nobody.

[kako]

Free TO for MSU... they should send each team to a neutral corner.

9F

[sweetchiba51]

Sick. Don't even want to watch the rest this game.

[AGDukesky]

The only good news is Duke is shooting on the good basket in the second half

[ChicagoCrazy84]

About as bad as you can get to end a half. Ugh.

[dukelion]

Team is so up and down.....highest of highs and lowest of lows......truly embarrassing last 4.5 mins

[Lippl]

Too much trying to win the game on every play. Just need to calm down.

[pfrduke]

We were really good for 6 minutes and really bad for 14. Considering that imbalance, being within 4 is not at all a bad result. Need to keep the intensity up on D and play a little smarter on offense.

[ChrisP]

Did we end the half with 4 TO's in a row? Ir was it just 3? :(

[BlueDevil16]

Zion’s responsible for that 13-0 run. 2 stupid fouls ruined the way we played. Reminded me of how Wendell Carter blew last years elite 8 with stupid fouls.

[heyman25]

Another horrible first half by Duke. Barrett and Williamson have been terrible.

[dukelion]

10 turnovers in the half....uuurrrrgggghhh

[Wander]

The collapse happened because Zion's 2 fouls took him out of the game, and then made him too tentative on defense. If he doesn't pick up more fouls, we'll be fine.

[Lewis1112]

Man basketball is frustrating at times lol. Just when you think you have control...BAM!

It seems like in every game I’ve watched a 10+ point lead is almost instantaneously erased. You almost need to be up 30 to relax.

[-jk]

Keep the criticism constructive, folks.

No player bashing!

-jk

[uh_no]

We were really good for 6 minutes and really bad for 14. Considering that imbalance, being within 4 is not at all a bad result. Need to keep the intensity up on D and play a little smarter on offense.

unfortunately Wade coming back afte rhte half. the offensive execution for the last 5 minutes was atrocious. hopefully we can make some adjustments there.

Also would be nice to force some more turnovers.

Wade coming back means bolden will be back on the floor. fortunatley he has 0 fouls.

Zion needs to not make bad decisions. It seems like we just fell apart after his second.

[Dukehk]

Down at the half yet again!

We were dominant for a stretch and then when Zion went out we just got timid.

Guys just have to be more aggressive and attack off the bounce. We aren't a good halfcourt offensive team, especially when role players are not hitting 3's.

There were some agonising chances, especially the Jack White 3 that went in and out. If that had gone down it might have killed their spirit a bit.

Hoping that Coach K works his magic and lights a fire under their asses. Expecting Zion and RJ to come out gangbusters in the second half. We need to keep up the defensive intensity.

[subzero02]

Way too many offensive rebounds given up to start the game; way to many turnovers throughout the half. Coach K is ripping into the freshmen now; I guarantee you that.

[AGDukesky]

If it wasn’t for stupid turnovers Duke would be up 10. Would help if the refs didn’t make up some of them...

[kako]

I have faith that K rips into them in the locker room, and they come out a different team.

Job 1: Focus
Job 2: Find ways to get Zion the ball in the paint
Job 3: Contain Winston

9F

[J4Kop99]

Have to stay tough on defense and keep battling.

[dukelifer]

Zion’s responsible for that 13-0 run. 2 stupid fouls ruined the way we played. Reminded me of how Wendell Carter blew last years elite 8 with stupid fouls.

And responsible for Duke getting to the Final 8 so there is that.

[ncexnyc]

Extremely disappointing half. MSU was ready to be run out of the gym and suddenly the whole team had one massive brain fart.

[Dub]

Good half. Bad last 4 minutes to close. Down 4 at the half. I like our chances.

On another note, Zion apparently can’t be fouled as he is absolutely killed every time he goes to the cup. Guess he’s getting the Lebron treatment now. Also need Javin to pull out his inner beast and get some contested boards. I look for Tre and RJ to get more aggressive. Let’s go Duke!

[kAzE]

That was probably the worst half I've ever seen from Zion. As long he gets back to his normal level of play, I like our chances.

[WHOneedsSOX]

Good half. Bad last 4 minutes to close. Down 4 at the half. I like our chances.

On another note, Zion apparently can’t be fouled as he is absolutely killed every time he goes to the cup. Guess he’s getting the Lebron treatment now. Also need Javin to pull out his inner beast and get some contested boards. I look for Tre and RJ to get more aggressive. Let’s go Duke!

It's pretty ridiculous he's taken 3 free throws in the last 60 minutes of play.

[arnie]

Way too many offensive rebounds given up to start the game; way to many turnovers throughout the half. Coach K is ripping into the freshmen now; I guarantee you that.

But we’re out rebounding them now. The TOs and lack of fast break points hurt. But we’re only down 4.

[subzero02]

we are actually outrebounding them by 7 right now but we have 10 turnovers to their 2. We must protect the ball. We can win by a good margin if we do.

[84Duke]

I have enough beer for a celebration; I do not have enough for a wake. Step it up, boys.

[downeastdad]

Kenny's smart glasses don't work.

[dukelifer]

But we’re out rebounding them now. The TOs and lack of fast break points hurt. But we’re only down 4.

Not turning them over and Duke making mistakes with the ball.

[ice-9]

Not sure what's happening exactly but we are playing extremely young. Zion looks out of character. RJ looks tentative. White and AOC are timid role players.

We need to calm down and play like we normally do and we will be fine. The defense during that run to 30-21 was outstanding; just need more of it.

[BlueDevil16]

Good half. Bad last 4 minutes to close. Down 4 at the half. I like our chances.

On another note, Zion apparently can’t be fouled as he is absolutely killed every time he goes to the cup. Guess he’s getting the Lebron treatment now. Also need Javin to pull out his inner beast and get some contested boards. I look for Tre and RJ to get more aggressive. Let’s go Duke!

Lebron gets all the calls...

[Dukehk]

We have to trust that Coach K will make the necessary adjustments on offense to get these guys going.

I hope we come out and run the ball more. We are so much better offensively in the open court and playing freely. Not so much in the half court set, especially when guys aren't hitting their 3's.

Really impressed by Cam Reddish today. Feel like he could drill a couple more 3's.

[WakeDevil]

we are actually outrebounding them by 7 right now but we have 10 turnovers to their 2. We must protect the ball. We can win by a good margin if we do.

And that is why Duke has the "rebounding" edge. MSU can't get a rebound on a turnover.

[Dukehk]

we are actually outrebounding them by 7 right now but we have 10 turnovers to their 2. We must protect the ball. We can win by a good margin if we do.

Ouch. Some silly passes from RJ and Zion.

Just need to focus and get going.

Starting on the defensive end, where we have been good in stretches but no forcing enough turnovers.

[fgb]

Zion and rj have 4 turnovers each. that's the whole story.

[heyman25]

Down at the half yet again!

We were dominant for a stretch and then when Zion went out we just got timid.

Guys just have to be more aggressive and attack off the bounce. We aren't a good halfcourt offensive team, especially when role players are not hitting 3's.

There were some agonising chances, especially the Jack White 3 that went in and out. If that had gone down it might have killed their spirit a bit.

Hoping that Coach K works his magic and lights a fire under their asses. Expecting Zion and RJ to come out gangbusters in the second half. We need to keep up the defensive intensity.

Duke relies so heavily on Williamson and Barrett for scoring, it would be a bonus if Reddish starts second half on fire or Jones. Wish Bolden could make a putback.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I have enough beer for a celebration; I do not have enough for a wake. Step it up, boys.

I barely have enough for twenty minutes. OT would probably make me pass out.

/second "pass out" reference of mine today

[Dukehk]

Duke relies so heavily on Williamson and Barrett for scoring, it would be a bonus if Reddish starts second half on fire or Jones. Wish Bolden could make a putback.

We do! Just hoping Tre and/or Reddish step up ala Vtech game.

Need guys like White and Bolden to make their open shots too.

Having said that, it starts and ends with our defense. We can clamp them down and force turnovers, then we might be able to get in the open court.

[Dub]

Lebron gets all the calls...

You must not watch NBA basketball. Because of his physical size and speed, the refs no call tons of fouls on Lebron. And apparently Zion can get slapped/hit/mauled going up because Michigan State plays “tough” defense. Just call a foul a foul both ways and I’ll be fine.

As I stated earlier, I like our chances. Let’s go Duke!

[rsvman]

Just a sad end to the half.

Everything went sideways almost immediately after we took a good lead.

Plenty of time left. Opportunity is there.

[uh_no]

I barely have enough for twenty minutes. OT would probably make me pass out.

/second "pass out" reference of mine today

unfortunately the bar at my hotel just closed. fortunately, i have a mini bar. Unfortunately, I drank all the beer in it last night. Fortunately, there's plenty of hard alcohol and port left.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I barely have enough for twenty minutes. OT would probably make me pass out.

/second "pass out" reference of mine today

I’ve been battling a sinus infection so I’ve had to stay away from alcohol the last week. Been hard with their games!!

[BlueDevil16]

You must not watch NBA basketball. Because of his physical size and speed, the refs no call tons of fouls on Lebron. And apparently Zion can get slapped/hit/mauled going up because Michigan State plays “tough” defense. Just call a foul a foul both ways and I’ll be fine.

As I stated earlier, I like our chances. Let’s go Duke!


You sure we’re watching the same NBA?

[downeastdad]

unfortunately the bar at my hotel just closed. fortunately, i have a mini bar. Unfortunately, I drank all the beer in it last night. Fortunately, there's plenty of hard alcohol and port left.

I've still got lots of gin, but I'm running out of tonic.

[Dub]

You sure we’re watching the same NBA?

Agree to disagree but the one thing we can agree on is we both want the good guys to win so hopefully we’ll play a much better second half.

Would also be nice if someone other than Zion, RJ, Cam, or Tre hit an outside jump shot but I’m probably asking for too much.

[rsvman]

When did this become the off-topic forum?

[Scorp4me]

Would Bolden please DUNK the ball instead of that timid crap!

[downeastdad]

He can be fouled!
Twice!

[WHOneedsSOX]

He can be fouled!
Twice!

Needs to make free throws though. 2 of his misses were really short.

He got fouled about 3 times by Ward on that one drive though.

[banneheim]

Williamson should drive it every time and post up, please don’t fall in love with the 3!