Duke vs. #3 Kansas, Madison Square Garden, November 5, 7 PM ET

[sagegrouse]

Opening game! Opening night gets earlier every year. Opening dates have been November 13, 11, 10, 6 and 5 for years 2016 through 2020. What's next? Black-clad Duke on October 31 vs. orange Oklahoma State?

But as Hamlet said, "The play's the thing." This high-profile doubleheader features the top four teams in the AP and Coaches Polls. The Duke game precedes #2 Kentucky vs. #1 Michigan State.

Kansas will provide a real challenge for the Blue Devils. The Jayhawks return 7-0 Udoka Azubuike, who missed most of last season with a hand injury. 6-9 Silvio De Dousa -- a walking soap opera -- is newly re-eligible for NCAA play. Lots of points returning from guards Devon Dotson (Charlotte Providence Day) and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas City).

Top-rated recruits are 6-8 Jalen Wilson of Denton, Texas and 6-9 Tristan Enaruna from Utah.

Lots of challenges here for big guys Carey, DeLaurier, Matthew Hurt and the scrappy Jack White. They will all play -- fouls permitting -- a lot of minutes. Defense and shooting? We will find out one week from today.

Comments on the game?

[SkyBrickey]

Here's Kansas' box score from their first exhibition game Friday night against Fort Hays State (NAIA, 18-11 record last season). An 86-56 win. A couple of Kansas' key guys were out.

9898

[sagegrouse]

Here's Kansas' box score from their first exhibition game Friday night against Fort Hays State (NAIA, 18-11 record last season). An 86-56 win. A couple of Kansas' key guys were out.

9898

One relevant stat is that De Sousa had four fouls in 18 minutes against Fort Hays State.

[devildeac]

One relevant stat is that De Sousa had four fouls in 18 minutes against Fort Hays State.

But, was Bill Self made aware of those misdeeds?

[Billy Dat]

Do we think the full court Tre/Goldwire pressing/trapping is a preview of what we are going to spring on the bigger, slower Jayhawks, especially considering Dotson's been hampered by a foot injury?

[UrinalCake]

Do we think the full court Tre/Goldwire pressing/trapping is a preview of what we are going to spring....

I would expect us to use the full court or 3/4 court press a lot this entire season. We’re going to need to generate turnovers, we have two guys who excel at being pests in the back court, and we have plenty of guard depth to keep guys fresh. I think we would have used it more last season if not for this latter point.

It remains to be seen whether this will be effective against more talented and experienced teams. But I do think it fits our personnel.

[Troublemaker]

Do we think the full court Tre/Goldwire pressing/trapping is a preview of what we are going to spring on the bigger, slower Jayhawks, especially considering Dotson's been hampered by a foot injury?

Dotson's been practicing and sounds like he'll be 100% for the game (https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article236794998.html).

Even if we don't fullcourt press, we're definitely going to pressure them in the halfcourt and get into passing lanes. How many turnovers we can force will be large component of who wins regardless of how the pressure occurs.

[kAzE]

Chances Jordan Goldwire is in the starting lineup? If I had to bet, I'd say probably yes . . .

[elvis14]

Chances Jordan Goldwire is in the starting lineup? If I had to bet, I'd say probably yes . . .

At least at the start of the season, I could see JG and Tre as our starting backcourt. Obvious strengths (defense) and weaknesses (shooting) there...

[flyingdutchdevil]

At least at the start of the season, I could see JG and Tre as our starting backcourt. Obvious strengths (defense) and weaknesses (shooting) there...

I really hope we don't see this. That would be the worst shooting backcourt in the ACC and certainly one of the worst in D1. Carey, Hurt, and [Baker/White/Moore/Stanley] would be double-teamed all day long. It's the easiest defensive game plan for the opponent.

Defensively, that backcourt is amazing.

[elvis14]

I really hope we don't see this. That would be the worst shooting backcourt in the ACC and certainly one of the worst in D1. Carey, Hurt, and [Baker/White/Moore/Stanley] would be double-teamed all day long. It's the easiest defensive game plan for the opponent.

Defensively, that backcourt is amazing.

Note that I'm not saying I WANT to see JG and Tre start, I'm saying that I could see it happening at the beginning of the season. Just because we start that way doesn't mean we would play the lions share of minutes with those two together. If they aren't being disruptive on defense and aren't scoring, we would switch it up by replacing JG with someone who can throw it in the ocean. But I could see K throwing those 2 at other teams and just trying to disrupt their offense and get some easy baskets.

[mo.st.dukie]

I really hope we don't see this. That would be the worst shooting backcourt in the ACC and certainly one of the worst in D1. Carey, Hurt, and [Baker/White/Moore/Stanley] would be double-teamed all day long. It's the easiest defensive game plan for the opponent.

Defensively, that backcourt is amazing.

That's possible no matter who starts at the 2. I mean I guess AOC could start at the 2 eventually, if he picks up his defense. A Jones/Goldwire starting backcourt is quick, defensively elite, experienced, and it's never a bad thing to have two good ball handlers out on the floor. Steals and assists would be plentiful. And we can always bring in AOC or Baker off the bench to help spread the floor. But at least starting the two PG's establishes the defense and provides experienced ball handlers.

As for the game Tuesday night, it really comes down to the bigs. I think at the 1-3 it's pretty much a wash, we match up very well with them. It's going to come down to Hurt, Carey, DeLaurier , and White being able to hold their own against a very big, talentwd frontline of De Sousa, Azubuike, and McCormack.

[rocketeli]

I bet Goldwire and Jones start the game, to try and throw Kansas off balance with some defensive pressure, but pretty soon someone with some offense will be subbed in.

[mo.st.dukie]

I bet Goldwire and Jones start the game, to try and throw Kansas off balance with some defensive pressure, but pretty soon someone with some offense will be subbed in.

Well and also consider that Jones and Goldwire are experienced players who have been in this type of game before. That's a big positive considering the other three starters are likely to be freshmen.

[Kedsy]

I haven't actually seen either exhibition game, but for those of you suggesting Jordan Goldwire should/will start against Kansas, I'd point out that he has often been very good against lesser opponents. His freshman year, for example, against Evansville, St Francis (PA), and Elon, he combined for 15 assists against 1 turnover (while the rest of the season only 9 assists v. 6 turnovers).

Against high-major programs, however, not so much. In those games, he has not only been unable to shoot, but he hasn't really been able to handle or pass either. Against ACC opponents last season, for example, his eFG% was 7.1% (not a typo), his assist% was just 9.0%, and his turnover% was 25.7%. Those are horrible numbers. His steal% was still extremely strong (4.1%) against conference opponents, but for everything else against better teams he's undersized and compared to his opponents not particularly athletic.

In other words, Jordan can be valuable as a specialist helping to force turnovers in a pressing situation (like against Louisville last season), but unless he's really upped his game he probably won't be able to play big minutes against a team like Kansas. At least not effectively. Hopefully, he has upped his game, but I'll need to see that against high-major competition before I believe it.

[Troublemaker]

Chances Jordan Goldwire is in the starting lineup? If I had to bet, I'd say probably yes . . .

Yeah, I think it's likely we'll use the same starting lineup since the coaches and players seemed happy about the performance last night. There are also no obvious alternatives once you factor in how Coach K's substituted so far. (i.e. While in a vacuum I might start a shooter instead of JGold, nothing about Coach's subbing so far suggests AOC or Baker is in line for a start).

[CDu]

Yeah, I think it's likely we'll use the same starting lineup since the coaches and players seemed happy about the performance last night. There are also no obvious alternatives once you factor in how Coach K's substituted so far. (i.e. While in a vacuum I might start a shooter instead of JGold, nothing about Coach's subbing so far suggests AOC or Baker is in line for a start).


I haven't actually seen either exhibition game, but for those of you suggesting Jordan Goldwire should/will start against Kansas, I'd point out that he has often been very good against lesser opponents. His freshman year, for example, against Evansville, St Francis (PA), and Elon, he combined for 15 assists against 1 turnover (while the rest of the season only 9 assists v. 6 turnovers).

Against high-major programs, however, not so much. In those games, he has not only been unable to shoot, but he hasn't really been able to handle or pass either. Against ACC opponents last season, for example, his eFG% was 7.1% (not a typo), his assist% was just 9.0%, and his turnover% was 25.7%. Those are horrible numbers. His steal% was still extremely strong (4.1%) against conference opponents, but for everything else against better teams he's undersized and compared to his opponents not particularly athletic.

In other words, Jordan can be valuable as a specialist helping to force turnovers in a pressing situation (like against Louisville last season), but unless he's really upped his game he probably won't be able to play big minutes against a team like Kansas. At least not effectively. Hopefully, he has upped his game, but I'll need to see that against high-major competition before I believe it.

Yeah, I know it is always dangerous to take TV analysts at their word, but Spatola would seem to have some insider access, and he made numerous mentions to the idea of Goldwire playing alongside Jones for defensive purposes. And I think it's fair to say that a lineup of Goldwire and Jones is probably our best perimeter/full-court defense option. Spatola stated that the team's identity - at least early on - will be of a defense-first focus. In that regard, I could certainly see Goldwire getting plenty of run early in the season. While I suspect he'll still be a liability on offense, it may be that Coach K decides to have him and Jones set the defensive example for the younger wings, and that only one of Stanley and White will start early on.

Or, it could be that we find very quickly that Goldwire has the same limitations as previously, and his inability to shoot/score - on a team that is MUCH lighter in scoring punch than last year - becomes too big of a problem that he can't stay on the floor.

In short, this feels like one of the hardest to predict teams in terms of who will play. So many guys have no experience, and there are so few of those with experience who have proven their ability. There just do not appear to be a lot of two-way players on this squad. The shooters can't defend, and the defenders can't shoot. It's going to make for a really interesting season for the staff in terms of pushing the right buttons.

[Billy Dat]

I bet Goldwire and Jones start the game, to try and throw Kansas off balance with some defensive pressure, but pretty soon someone with some offense will be subbed in.

I, too, think Jordan will start in an attempt to see if we can disrupt them with our speed. The problem with trying to go small against their size is that we can't shoot. Self has many hi/lo actions in his offensive bag and if they are able to consistently enter the ball into the high post, I think we'll have trouble preventing them from eating us up inside. But, these games often don't go according to the pre-game storylines so who knows.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Yeah, I know it is always dangerous to take TV analysts at their word, but Spatola would seem to have some insider access, and he made numerous mentions to the idea of Goldwire playing alongside Jones for defensive purposes. And I think it's fair to say that a lineup of Goldwire and Jones is probably our best perimeter/full-court defense option. Spatola stated that the team's identity - at least early on - will be of a defense-first focus. In that regard, I could certainly see Goldwire getting plenty of run early in the season. While I suspect he'll still be a liability on offense, it may be that Coach K decides to have him and Jones set the defensive example for the younger wings, and that only one of Stanley and White will start early on.

Or, it could be that we find very quickly that Goldwire has the same limitations as previously, and his inability to shoot/score - on a team that is MUCH lighter in scoring punch than last year - becomes too big of a problem that he can't stay on the floor.

In short, this feels like one of the hardest to predict teams in terms of who will play. So many guys have no experience, and there are so few of those with experience who have proven their ability. There just do not appear to be a lot of two-way players on this squad. The shooters can't defend, and the defenders can't shoot. It's going to make for a really interesting season for the staff in terms of pushing the right buttons.

You can assume - based on reputation from HS, summer, and coach-speak - that Hurt is the only player who can shoot and defend. Then again, he's only a freshman without much bulk expected to play the 4.

This will be a fun year for fans looking to see Coach K tinker with this team. Because there will be a lot of tinkering.

[Troublemaker]

I, too, think Jordan will start in an attempt to see if we can disrupt them with our speed. The problem with trying to go small against their size is that we can't shoot. Self has many hi/lo actions in his offensive bag and if they are able to consistently enter the ball into the high post, I think we'll have trouble preventing them from eating us up inside. But, these games often don't go according to the pre-game storylines so who knows.

Unfortunately, that's the problem if we go big, too. I don't like our chances of out-executing KU with bigball (since as you noted Self is a recognized very good coach at post play) so I'm glad we're going smaller and trying to out-quick them and go for turnovers.

JGold starting is not ideal for later on in the season but this is Game 1 when most teams are not cohesive yet. March 2020 Kansas, if we played them then, would probably deal with the ball pressure better and find ways to use it against us, but I expect that on Tuesday Duke's defense will cause turnovers and play well overall, especially in the 1st half.

[Spanarkel]

K's comments after the Ft. Valley State game:
“We had a different approach to the last game. I told them I was gonna sub units, and Istarted to do that, and it wasn’t as prepared
as we normally would be. We were trying to use it to take a look at our guys. They were too good to do that. I thought during that
game, too, we played well at times. We did find the lineup we started [today], having those three kids, with (Jordan) Goldwire and
Tre (Jones) playing together, and Cassius (Stanley). That’s a lot of athletic ability out front. Matt (Hurt) and Vernon (Carey) are
good athletes, and you can bring in good athletes."

[weezie]

This is such a relief to be discussing basketball and drowning out all the other noise for a few minutes.

So glad the real season is about to kick into gear.

[bluedev_92]

This is such a relief to be discussing basketball and drowning out all the other noise for a few minutes.

So glad the real season is about to kick into gear.

Totally agree!!

[Pghdukie]

Duke opens as a 3 point favorite vs Kansas.

[Bluedog]

Duke opens as a 3 point favorite vs Kansas.

That's pretty surprising to me to be honest. I thought we'd be the underdog. We'll see how the line moves....

[sagegrouse]

Duke opens as a 3 point favorite vs Kansas.


That's pretty surprising to me to be honest. I thought we'd be the underdog. We'll see how the line moves...

Should we assume the naysayers here are taking out home equity loans to bet on the Jayhawks?

[Troublemaker]

Duke opens as a 3 point favorite vs Kansas.

One clarification is that this isn't the wide-release line (which will come out tomorrow), just a small handful of books (BetOnline and 5Dimes online, Southpoint in Vegas) that are taking early money at low limits. The wide-release line will be closer to pick'em, I would guess.


That's pretty surprising to me to be honest. I thought we'd be the underdog. We'll see how the line moves...

Keep in mind kenpom has us projected as the better team (whether you and I agree or not), and most computer projection systems aren't going to vary that much from kenpom. If you take the difference between Duke's preseason rating and Kansas' preseason rating in kenpom and normalize to the average number of D1 possessions last season, the point spread is Duke -3.6.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sucker anyone into taking KU -4 a few days ago.


Should we assume the naysayers here are taking out home equity loans to bet on the Jayhawks?

No, but hopefully we have another Degenerates league this season.

[Bluedog]

Should we assume the naysayers here are taking out home equity loans to bet on the Jayhawks?

Hey, I feel confident with this team and am expecting a "W" (but it certainly will be a tough game I expect). I just figured Vegas insiders would be more down on this group, that's all. Let's Go Duke!!!

[Bob Green]

No, but hopefully we have another Degenerates league this season.

Yes, the Degenerates league is very entertaining.

[UrinalCake]

Should we assume the naysayers here are taking out home equity loans to bet on the Jayhawks?

Count me among the naysayers, though I could never bring myself to bet against Duke. I admit to having not watched any of Kansas’s exhibition games, but the fact that we are favored makes me wonder how bad the rest of college basketball is this season.

I think we have some great pieces, and the second exhibition game was certainly encouraging, but we are still so young and raw as a team. I guess we’ll see.

[kshepinthehouse]

Count me among the naysayers, though I could never bring myself to bet against Duke. I admit to having not watched any of Kansas’s exhibition games, but the fact that we are favored makes me wonder how bad the rest of college basketball is this season.

I think we have some great pieces, and the second exhibition game was certainly encouraging, but we are still so young and raw as a team. I guess we’ll see.

Yes, one thing that is frustrating about this board is that some people can’t be realistic. We don’t always have to look at everything with our Duke blue glasses on. I love Duke and always have and I can still think they aren’t perfect. I don’t see us beating Kansas, but obviously I hope I’m wrong.

[budwom]

Count me among the naysayers, though I could never bring myself to bet against Duke. I admit to having not watched any of Kansas’s exhibition games, but the fact that we are favored makes me wonder how bad the rest of college basketball is this season.

I think we have some great pieces, and the second exhibition game was certainly encouraging, but we are still so young and raw as a team. I guess we’ll see.

Yeah, I'm a bit surprised by the line.

[DavidBenAkiva]

This is such a hard game to project. My one thought is that it is going to be U-G-L-Y. Kansas can't shoot the ball. They brought in grad transfer Isaiah Moss from Iowa to help ameliorate that problem. Moss does shoot it well, but that's about all he does well. Starting PG Devon Dotson, who struggled through a foot injury during the exhibitions, was a good-but-not-great shooter. He is a good all-around PG and should present a tough matchup for Tre Jones. Other than those two, the other starters/rotation guards and wings are non-shooter JR Marcus Garrett (career 25.5% from 3/54.8% from the FT line) and SO Ochai Agbaji (30.7%/69.4%). Both are fine defenders but not players that are going to stretch the defense.

The other options for KU on the wings are top 100 freshmen Christian Braun, Jalen Wilson, and Tristan Enaruna. They each have a reputation as good shooters, but none are considered elite recruits. Wilson, the former Michigan commit, was considered the highest rated of the group and checked in at #53 in the 247Sports composite. It remains to be seen if any will be able to contribute out of the gate.

And it certainly seems like Kansas is going to start the year playing both of Silvio De Sousa and Udoka Azubuike up front. Neither will take a shot from more than 10 feet from the rim. So Duke is going to have to key in on Dotson and Moss when he is on the floor to run them off the line. Both teams have a decent amount of depth up front. KU can bring in David McCormack off the bench to spell Azubuike. SR Mitch Lightfoot announced over the weekend that he will take a redshirt year. That puts Enaruna as the nominal backup PF. He's more of a SF (205 lbs and known more as a shooter/slasher). That makes me wonder if we will see some 4-guard offenses from KU. Given the lack of shooting, it would make sense to try having both of Moss and Dotson on the floor. Agbaji and Garrett are athletic enough guards that they could check Matthew Hurt to some degree.

Given the limitations of both teams, I expect to see an ugly offensive struggle. The TO's will be key. Could Duke win by forcing Dotson to make too many decisions?

[richardjackson199]

Count me among the naysayers, though I could never bring myself to bet against Duke. I admit to having not watched any of Kansas’s exhibition games, but the fact that we are favored makes me wonder how bad the rest of college basketball is this season.

I think we have some great pieces, and the second exhibition game was certainly encouraging, but we are still so young and raw as a team. I guess we’ll see.

I can.

Pie bet for first taker, and bet offer expires in 24 hours.
--I'll take Kansas + 2.5 points. You get Duke -2.5 points. Hope I'm wrong, and will still be rooting for Duke 100%. That is the Vegas line I'm seeing. I just don't think that line is right either and I don't expect anyone will take me up on that bet.

https://gtpie.com/menus/pies/

I'll probably go pumpkin with pecans.

or possibly bourbon chocolate pecan:

https://shop.gtpie.com/category/pumpkin_and_pecan

I hope we have a great season and think we could. This just seems to be a tough matchup for our young team this early. Kansas has too much experience, good coaching, and quality size inside. Dotson can play. I doubt our team is ready for a challenge like that, yet. I expect a humbling loss that will pay dividends down the road.

But we'll see. I expect we'll play hard on defense and fight like hell. Go Duke! :cool:

[rsvman]

I can.

Pie bet for first taker, and bet offer expires in 24 hours.
--I'll take Kansas + 2.5 points. You get Duke -2.5 points. Hope I'm wrong, and will still be rooting for Duke 100%. That is the Vegas line I'm seeing. I just don't think that line is right either and I don't expect anyone will take me up on that bet.

https://gtpie.com/menus/pies/

I'll probably go pumpkin with pecans.

or possibly bourbon chocolate pecan:

https://shop.gtpie.com/category/pumpkin_and_pecan

I hope we have a great season and think we could. This just seems to be a tough matchup for our young team this early. Kansas has too much experience, good coaching, and quality size inside. Dotson can play. I doubt our team is ready for a challenge like that, yet. I expect a humbling loss that will pay dividends down the road.

But we'll see. I expect we'll play hard on defense and fight like hell. Go Duke! :cool:

I'm not confident, either, although in the past we have seen Duke teams win over very tough teams in November quite a bit, even if, at the end of the season, a rematch would perhaps not have been favorable for us.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I'm not confident, either, although in the past we have seen Duke teams win over very tough teams in November quite a bit, even if, at the end of the season, a rematch would perhaps not have been favorable for us.

Certainly a pretty compelling case could be made that Duke peaked last year in game 1. Certainly relative to other teams, they did......

[killerleft]

I expect odds makers are leery of betting against a Coach K team this early in the season. They've been burned.

[mgtr]

I will admit that I considered betting against Duke, but a) I couldn't do that locally, at least not legally, and b) I would have wanted to do it right after our first exhibition game, when Kansas probably would have been favored by a lot. I didn't follow that thought up, because I would not have wanted to root against Duke no matter what.

[Edouble]

Pie bet for first taker, and bet offer expires in 24 hours.
--I'll take Kansas + 2.5 points. You get Duke -2.5 points. Hope I'm wrong, and will still be rooting for Duke 100%. That is the Vegas line I'm seeing. I just don't think that line is right either and I don't expect anyone will take me up on that bet.


I would take the bet, but I don't really want a pie.

I am bullish on Duke.

[DukieInKansas]

This is one opponent that I always dread when we play them. If Duke loses, I hear about it. If Duke wins, I'm surrounded by disgruntled Jayhawk fans.

[Troublemaker]

Hey, I feel confident with this team and am expecting a "W" (but it certainly will be a tough game I expect). I just figured Vegas insiders would be more down on this group, that's all. Let's Go Duke!!!


Yeah, I'm a bit surprised by the line.

It's really just about the computers / math nerds. (And it's not just sports gambling. Try to win at the highest levels of poker online or daily fantasy without being a math/computer nerd -- almost impossible.)

For whatever reason, most of the computer rankings love us and are lower on Kansas. I already mentioned kenpom above. BPI has Duke #5 and Kansas #14 (https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/27975683/college-basketball-bpi-likes-michigan-state-skeptical-memphis). Sagarin has Duke #1 and Kansas #7 (https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/sagarin/).

Massey averages a bunch of computers and comes up with Duke #2 and Kansas #7 (https://www.masseyratings.com/cb/compare.htm).

Not saying the computers have it right. Just saying no one should be surprised by Duke opening as the favorite.


Count me among the naysayers, though I could never bring myself to bet against Duke. I admit to having not watched any of Kansas’s exhibition games, but the fact that we are favored makes me wonder how bad the rest of college basketball is this season.

I think we have some great pieces, and the second exhibition game was certainly encouraging, but we are still so young and raw as a team. I guess we’ll see.


I expect odds makers are leery of betting against a Coach K team this early in the season. They've been burned.

No narratives have to be built around this. It's just the computers.


Yes, one thing that is frustrating about this board is that some people can’t be realistic. We don’t always have to look at everything with our Duke blue glasses on. I love Duke and always have and I can still think they aren’t perfect. I don’t see us beating Kansas, but obviously I hope I’m wrong.

Okay, but be careful not to assume that your opinion is the realistic one. (Also, how unrealistic is it to think Duke will win when we're the favorite?)

[DavidBenAkiva]

If you don't already follow Jordan Sperber on twitter, I highly recommend you do. He puts out exceptional content and even started a newsletter recently.

Here's a quick clip (https://twitter.com/hoopvision68/status/1190369749588414464) he did of Mattew Hurt, comparing the way Duke used Hurt in the offense against NMSU to how Duke used Brandon Ingram.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

If you don't already follow Jordan Sperber on twitter, I highly recommend you do. He puts out exceptional content and even started a newsletter recently.

Here's a quick clip (https://twitter.com/hoopvision68/status/1190369749588414464) he did of Mattew Hurt, comparing the way Duke used Hurt in the offense against NMSU to how Duke used Brandon Ingram.
Cool breakdown. I noticed though that we were not clearing the ball side for Hurt like he showed that we did for Ingram. Maybe they’re trying to give Hurt more passing options to the wing?

[DavidBenAkiva]

Cool breakdown. I noticed though that we were not clearing the ball side for Hurt like he showed that we did for Ingram. Maybe they’re trying to give Hurt more passing options to the wing?

Astute observation. I wonder if the new 3-points line has anything to do with that. The baseline 3 is the best shot with the new line, so it might be a tactic to create outlets in the most advantageous positions on the court. The other thought could be that Tre Jones seems to stay on the ball side as he would most likely be making the entry pass and will be the primary handler most of the time. Gonna have to see how that plays out.

[jipops]

I'm also surprised by the line but I admit I know very little about Kansas. In any case, we don't have much in the way of perimeter shooters and there are some big questions among our front court defensively. Maybe Kansas just isn't that good?... I don't know. It's just a head turner/scratcher to be favored against the #3 team in the country right now. I don't see this Duke team being at that level right now.

Somebody has to get going from the perimeter in the half court offense for Duke to have any chance in this one. We're likely going to get killed on the boards so 2nd chance shots won't be there. Our best perimeter threat appears to be Hurt. Hopefully this can open up some space for guys like Jones, Stanley, and Goldwire who prefer to drive the ball. Fingers crossed KU doesn't play any zone. We'll also need the turnovers for transition opportunities. This compensates of course for the likely issues in the half court (sort of like last year).

Defensively I'm hopeful we see Carey dialed in here and that Javin stays out of foul trouble. Jones should give us something here and I like what I see from Moore on this end. But a previous poster nailed it... our best defenders can't shoot. So getting in the right mix at different points of the game is something K will have to navigate, if he so chooses.

[CDu]

And, basketball season is back! We get what should be a stiff test in our opener, against Kansas. The Jayhawks are always well-coached and usually pretty talented. This year's team is maybe feeling the impact of the NCAA investigation in terms of its recruiting this year. But they should still be good this year - it's future years where maybe there is concern. They are also suffering a bit from roster transition, as they lost the Lawson brothers, LaGerald Vick, Quentin Grimes, and Charlie Moore.

The Jayhawks will be a BIG team this year. Udoka Azubuike (7'0", 270lb senior from Nigeria) will start in the middle, and will be backed up by David McCormack (6'10", 265lb sophomore). And if that's not enough, they will most often be paired with Silvio De Sousa (6'9", 245lb junior from Angola). Just a massive trio at their disposal. Even their wings will be pretty big.

Centers: Already mentioned above, Azubuike will be the starter. Dok is a behemoth inside, who rebounds well, blocks shots well, dunks well, and moves well (for a man his size). What he does not do well (at all) is shoot. If it isn't a putback or dunk, he's probably not taking it. If it is a free throw, he's probably not making it (39% career from the FT line). But in spite of that, he's still really impactful whenever he is in. I'd expect around 25 mpg for him on average this year, with foul trouble being the primary limiting factor for him. After Azubuike, McCormack will be the backup center unless they decide to go small. McCormack is very big, but not nearly as athletic as Azubuike. His game is more of an at-or-below-the-rim type of game. He rebounds fairly well, but isn't much of a shotblocker. Like Azubuike, he doesn't shoot well, although his shooting struggles aren't quite as pronounced as Dok's. Still, don't expect him to shoot outside of 5-10 feet. I mentioned that the Jayhawks could go "small" if Dok is out. If so, it would probably be De Sousa moving over to play center rather than McCormack. De Sousa has had a star-crossed career at Kansas. Due to NCAA investigations, he's only appeared in 20 games over the past two years, all of them coming in the 2018 season. But he's finally eligible now. De Sousa's rep coming out of high school was that of an athletic, physical inside presence with a very raw skill set. It's basically impossible to know if that's still true (he's probably still athletic and physical; no idea about how his skills have improved). I'd expect him to run the floor well, rebound extremely well, finish around the rim well, and anything beyond that will be a mystery. But based on talent and age, I'd expect him to have a positive impact on the team this year. This will be one of the few games in which Carey doesn't have a size advantage.

Forwards: De Sousa will likely start at PF. He's essentially a center playing PF. As such, his matchup with Hurt will be really interesting. He should be able to abuse (or hurt? ok, sorry, bad pun) Hurt inside on offense, but won't likely be comfortable chasing Hurt out to the three point line on defense. Behind De Sousa is where things get a bit more interesting. Basically, the Jayhawks have a pair of freshmen as the only options at forward. Jalen Wilson (6'8", 215lb freshman) is the headliner of the two frosh forwards, along with Tristan Enaruna (6'8", 200lb freshman from Netherlands). Wilson is a stretch-4 type. Athletically, he's probably best suited for PF (i.e., he's not that athletic). But his skill set is more of a wing. In some ways, he's kind of a poor man's Matthew Hurt, although he is stockier and not nearly as good. But stylistically, it is probably a fair comp. Enaruna is the other guy in the mix. Enaruna is leaner and more athletic than Wilson, but the skill set is comparable. Both are pretty good perimeter shooters, so if the Jayhawks want to play smaller and get better shooting on the floor, those two guys can provide it. Conversely, if the Jayhawks want to go REALLY big, they could put either on the wing next to two behemoths. Enaruna probably has more positional versatility than Wilson, but is not as highly regarded a player.

Wings: The Jayhawks have no shortage of options here. The likely starters are Ochai Agbaji (6'5", 210lb sophomore) and Isaiah Moss (6'5", 210lb grad transfer from Iowa). Agbaji is really interesting: he was a sub-300 recruit who was expected to redshirt last year. But in early January, Self scrapped that plan and brought Agbaji into the rotation. He wound up being one of their more explosive players thereafter. Agbaji is athletic and physical, with a streaky outside shot. He has long arms and good strength to go with good hops. He's also a good ballhandler for a wing, though definitely not a primary shot creator. The vast majority of his shots are at the rim or from the 3pt line, and come off of an assist. Alongside him, Moss is an absolute marksman. He was a three-year starter and major contributor for the Hawkeyes before switching bird allegiances this past summer. Moss' primary value is that jumper: he gets a really high release on a true jumper, and it goes in a lot (39% career from 3 on high volume). Moss is not overly athletic, but he's a solid ballhandler and capable of getting to the rim. It's far from a strength though, and I doubt it'll be his primary role with the Jayhawks. He's there to space the floor for the big guys. And he should do that very well. Behind those two guys is Marcus Garrett (6'5", 195lb junior). Garrett is an elite defensive player. He's very long and athletic and has great defensive instincts. He's really disruptive on that end of the floor. The problem for Garrett is that he's a complete non-entity on offense. He simply cannot shoot. As such, it's always a tug of war with how much to play him. If they have enough offensive punch from the other four spots, Garrett provides real value. If they need some scoring punch, it's hard to keep him on the floor. In a pinch, Christian Braun (6'6", 205lb freshman) could come in and provide role player value.

Guards: Well, I should probably just call this "guard." The Jayhawks pretty much just have one PG: Devon Dotson (6'2", 185lb sophomore). And honestly calling him a PG is a bit misleading. Dotson is more of a scoring guard than a PG. He's strong with the dribble, but not much of a playmaker for others. He's a solid but not great shooter, and is at his best attacking the rim. He's quick and explosive off the dribble and can get to the rim either in transition or in the half court against a set defense. Defensively, he's fine - not superlatively good or bad. Dotson will be asked to play as much as possible, as the Jayhawks lost both of their other options at PG to transfer (Grimes and Moore). They had a 3-headed monster of mediocrity at PG last year; now they'll have a singular PG who might or might not be great. I have little doubt Dotson will score, and that he'll score fairly efficiently. I have serious questions as to whether he can run the offense effectively for others.

Interestingly, the two sources I go to for team ratings (KenPom and TRank) view this game differently. KenPom sees Duke as the favorite, whereas TRank has KU the favorite. Each by a similar margin. Obviously, with so much turnover on both teams, neither has much evidence to go on. So take that information for as little as it is worth (and it ain't worth much). We're probably going to need a good bit more evidence to really understand what either of these teams will be this year.

Here's hoping that we're further along in our development than KU is!

[ShaneRyan]

A couple highlights from Kansas' last exhibition: https://twitter.com/kuhoops/status/1190104649489100800?s=21&fbclid=IwAR2ct8HckuKLKo94zfnQKqgj6JHlXu6QkEdBLzKSU eD0jr2nLK9tYClGZsA

[Billy Dat]

A couple highlights from Kansas' last exhibition: https://twitter.com/kuhoops/status/1190104649489100800?s=21&fbclid=IwAR2ct8HckuKLKo94zfnQKqgj6JHlXu6QkEdBLzKSU eD0jr2nLK9tYClGZsA

Hey, is this noted journalist/author and Duke enthusiast, Shane Ryan? If so, cool, glad to see you on the board.

Kansas sure can dunk.

Doke actually looks like he's pretty lean and moving quickly...I was hoping for some Karnowski-esque girth.

I am sick of the squad losing to Kansas. K needs to stem this current streak against Self, it's unseemly.

[ShaneRyan]

Hey, is this noted journalist/author and Duke enthusiast, Shane Ryan? If so, cool, glad to see you on the board.

Kansas sure can dunk.

Doke actually looks like he's pretty lean and moving quickly...I was hoping for some Karnowski-esque girth.

I am sick of the squad losing to Kansas. K needs to stem this current streak against Self, it's unseemly.

Tis I! I'm making a concerted effort to be a more engaged Duke fan this year after really enjoying last year's team the most of any I had in a while. Obviously that had a lot to do with Zion, but it reminded me that I missed Duke basketball in general.

I don't know a ton about Kansas, but from what I've read, I'm a little scared of Agbaji. He seems like the kind of player nobody expected, but who keeps getting better and better.

[flyingdutchdevil]

And, basketball season is back! We get what should be a stiff test in our opener, against Kansas. The Jayhawks are always well-coached and usually pretty talented. This year's team is maybe feeling the impact of the NCAA investigation in terms of its recruiting this year. But they should still be good this year - it's future years where maybe there is concern. They are also suffering a bit from roster transition, as they lost the Lawson brothers, LaGerald Vick, Quentin Grimes, and Charlie Moore.

The Jayhawks will be a BIG team this year. Udoka Azubuike (7'0", 270lb senior from Nigeria) will start in the middle, and will be backed up by David McCormack (6'10", 265lb sophomore). And if that's not enough, they will most often be paired with Silvio De Sousa (6'9", 245lb junior from Angola). Just a massive trio at their disposal. Even their wings will be pretty big.

Centers: Already mentioned above, Azubuike will be the starter. Dok is a behemoth inside, who rebounds well, blocks shots well, dunks well, and moves well (for a man his size). What he does not do well (at all) is shoot. If it isn't a putback or dunk, he's probably not taking it. If it is a free throw, he's probably not making it (39% career from the FT line). But in spite of that, he's still really impactful whenever he is in. I'd expect around 25 mpg for him on average this year, with foul trouble being the primary limiting factor for him. After Azubuike, McCormack will be the backup center unless they decide to go small. McCormack is very big, but not nearly as athletic as Azubuike. His game is more of an at-or-below-the-rim type of game. He rebounds fairly well, but isn't much of a shotblocker. Like Azubuike, he doesn't shoot well, although his shooting struggles aren't quite as pronounced as Dok's. Still, don't expect him to shoot outside of 5-10 feet. I mentioned that the Jayhawks could go "small" if Dok is out. If so, it would probably be De Sousa moving over to play center rather than McCormack. De Sousa has had a star-crossed career at Kansas. Due to NCAA investigations, he's only appeared in 20 games over the past two years, all of them coming in the 2018 season. But he's finally eligible now. De Sousa's rep coming out of high school was that of an athletic, physical inside presence with a very raw skill set. It's basically impossible to know if that's still true (he's probably still athletic and physical; no idea about how his skills have improved). I'd expect him to run the floor well, rebound extremely well, finish around the rim well, and anything beyond that will be a mystery. But based on talent and age, I'd expect him to have a positive impact on the team this year. This will be one of the few games in which Carey doesn't have a size advantage.

Forwards: De Sousa will likely start at PF. He's essentially a center playing PF. As such, his matchup with Hurt will be really interesting. He should be able to abuse (or hurt? ok, sorry, bad pun) Hurt inside on offense, but won't likely be comfortable chasing Hurt out to the three point line on defense. Behind De Sousa is where things get a bit more interesting. Basically, the Jayhawks have a pair of freshmen as the only options at forward. Jalen Wilson (6'8", 215lb freshman) is the headliner of the two frosh forwards, along with Tristan Enaruna (6'8", 200lb freshman from Netherlands). Wilson is a stretch-4 type. Athletically, he's probably best suited for PF (i.e., he's not that athletic). But his skill set is more of a wing. In some ways, he's kind of a poor man's Matthew Hurt, although he is stockier and not nearly as good. But stylistically, it is probably a fair comp. Enaruna is the other guy in the mix. Enaruna is leaner and more athletic than Wilson, but the skill set is comparable. Both are pretty good perimeter shooters, so if the Jayhawks want to play smaller and get better shooting on the floor, those two guys can provide it. Conversely, if the Jayhawks want to go REALLY big, they could put either on the wing next to two behemoths. Enaruna probably has more positional versatility than Wilson, but is not as highly regarded a player.

Wings: The Jayhawks have no shortage of options here. The likely starters are Ochai Agbaji (6'5", 210lb sophomore) and Isaiah Moss (6'5", 210lb grad transfer from Iowa). Agbaji is really interesting: he was a sub-300 recruit who was expected to redshirt last year. But in early January, Self scrapped that plan and brought Agbaji into the rotation. He wound up being one of their more explosive players thereafter. Agbaji is athletic and physical, with a streaky outside shot. He has long arms and good strength to go with good hops. He's also a good ballhandler for a wing, though definitely not a primary shot creator. The vast majority of his shots are at the rim or from the 3pt line, and come off of an assist. Alongside him, Moss is an absolute marksman. He was a three-year starter and major contributor for the Hawkeyes before switching bird allegiances this past summer. Moss' primary value is that jumper: he gets a really high release on a true jumper, and it goes in a lot (39% career from 3 on high volume). Moss is not overly athletic, but he's a solid ballhandler and capable of getting to the rim. It's far from a strength though, and I doubt it'll be his primary role with the Jayhawks. He's there to space the floor for the big guys. And he should do that very well. Behind those two guys is Marcus Garrett (6'5", 195lb junior). Garrett is an elite defensive player. He's very long and athletic and has great defensive instincts. He's really disruptive on that end of the floor. The problem for Garrett is that he's a complete non-entity on offense. He simply cannot shoot. As such, it's always a tug of war with how much to play him. If they have enough offensive punch from the other four spots, Garrett provides real value. If they need some scoring punch, it's hard to keep him on the floor. In a pinch, Christian Braun (6'6", 205lb freshman) could come in and provide role player value.

Guards: Well, I should probably just call this "guard." The Jayhawks pretty much just have one PG: Devon Dotson (6'2", 185lb sophomore). And honestly calling him a PG is a bit misleading. Dotson is more of a scoring guard than a PG. He's strong with the dribble, but not much of a playmaker for others. He's a solid but not great shooter, and is at his best attacking the rim. He's quick and explosive off the dribble and can get to the rim either in transition or in the half court against a set defense. Defensively, he's fine - not superlatively good or bad. Dotson will be asked to play as much as possible, as the Jayhawks lost both of their other options at PG to transfer (Grimes and Moore). They had a 3-headed monster of mediocrity at PG last year; now they'll have a singular PG who might or might not be great. I have little doubt Dotson will score, and that he'll score fairly efficiently. I have serious questions as to whether he can run the offense effectively for others.

Interestingly, the two sources I go to for team ratings (KenPom and TRank) view this game differently. KenPom sees Duke as the favorite, whereas TRank has KU the favorite. Each by a similar margin. Obviously, with so much turnover on both teams, neither has much evidence to go on. So take that information for as little as it is worth (and it ain't worth much). We're probably going to need a good bit more evidence to really understand what either of these teams will be this year.

Here's hoping that we're further along in our development than KU is!

Thanks. Nice write-up, CDu. This game should be plain ole fun, with both teams having an incredible number of question marks. The pieces are there, but can K and Self put them together? That's the ultimate question.

[wavedukefan70s]

Wholy cow this game came up quickly.its playoffs for my kids football.im way behind on basketball this year.

[dukelifer]

And, basketball season is back! We get what should be a stiff test in our opener, against Kansas. The Jayhawks are always well-coached and usually pretty talented. This year's team is maybe feeling the impact of the NCAA investigation in terms of its recruiting this year. But they should still be good this year - it's future years where maybe there is concern. They are also suffering a bit from roster transition, as they lost the Lawson brothers, LaGerald Vick, Quentin Grimes, and Charlie Moore.

The Jayhawks will be a BIG team this year. Udoka Azubuike (7'0", 270lb senior from Nigeria) will start in the middle, and will be backed up by David McCormack (6'10", 265lb sophomore). And if that's not enough, they will most often be paired with Silvio De Sousa (6'9", 245lb junior from Angola). Just a massive trio at their disposal. Even their wings will be pretty big.

Centers: Already mentioned above, Azubuike will be the starter. Dok is a behemoth inside, who rebounds well, blocks shots well, dunks well, and moves well (for a man his size). What he does not do well (at all) is shoot. If it isn't a putback or dunk, he's probably not taking it. If it is a free throw, he's probably not making it (39% career from the FT line). But in spite of that, he's still really impactful whenever he is in. I'd expect around 25 mpg for him on average this year, with foul trouble being the primary limiting factor for him. After Azubuike, McCormack will be the backup center unless they decide to go small. McCormack is very big, but not nearly as athletic as Azubuike. His game is more of an at-or-below-the-rim type of game. He rebounds fairly well, but isn't much of a shotblocker. Like Azubuike, he doesn't shoot well, although his shooting struggles aren't quite as pronounced as Dok's. Still, don't expect him to shoot outside of 5-10 feet. I mentioned that the Jayhawks could go "small" if Dok is out. If so, it would probably be De Sousa moving over to play center rather than McCormack. De Sousa has had a star-crossed career at Kansas. Due to NCAA investigations, he's only appeared in 20 games over the past two years, all of them coming in the 2018 season. But he's finally eligible now. De Sousa's rep coming out of high school was that of an athletic, physical inside presence with a very raw skill set. It's basically impossible to know if that's still true (he's probably still athletic and physical; no idea about how his skills have improved). I'd expect him to run the floor well, rebound extremely well, finish around the rim well, and anything beyond that will be a mystery. But based on talent and age, I'd expect him to have a positive impact on the team this year. This will be one of the few games in which Carey doesn't have a size advantage.

Forwards: De Sousa will likely start at PF. He's essentially a center playing PF. As such, his matchup with Hurt will be really interesting. He should be able to abuse (or hurt? ok, sorry, bad pun) Hurt inside on offense, but won't likely be comfortable chasing Hurt out to the three point line on defense. Behind De Sousa is where things get a bit more interesting. Basically, the Jayhawks have a pair of freshmen as the only options at forward. Jalen Wilson (6'8", 215lb freshman) is the headliner of the two frosh forwards, along with Tristan Enaruna (6'8", 200lb freshman from Netherlands). Wilson is a stretch-4 type. Athletically, he's probably best suited for PF (i.e., he's not that athletic). But his skill set is more of a wing. In some ways, he's kind of a poor man's Matthew Hurt, although he is stockier and not nearly as good. But stylistically, it is probably a fair comp. Enaruna is the other guy in the mix. Enaruna is leaner and more athletic than Wilson, but the skill set is comparable. Both are pretty good perimeter shooters, so if the Jayhawks want to play smaller and get better shooting on the floor, those two guys can provide it. Conversely, if the Jayhawks want to go REALLY big, they could put either on the wing next to two behemoths. Enaruna probably has more positional versatility than Wilson, but is not as highly regarded a player.

Wings: The Jayhawks have no shortage of options here. The likely starters are Ochai Agbaji (6'5", 210lb sophomore) and Isaiah Moss (6'5", 210lb grad transfer from Iowa). Agbaji is really interesting: he was a sub-300 recruit who was expected to redshirt last year. But in early January, Self scrapped that plan and brought Agbaji into the rotation. He wound up being one of their more explosive players thereafter. Agbaji is athletic and physical, with a streaky outside shot. He has long arms and good strength to go with good hops. He's also a good ballhandler for a wing, though definitely not a primary shot creator. The vast majority of his shots are at the rim or from the 3pt line, and come off of an assist. Alongside him, Moss is an absolute marksman. He was a three-year starter and major contributor for the Hawkeyes before switching bird allegiances this past summer. Moss' primary value is that jumper: he gets a really high release on a true jumper, and it goes in a lot (39% career from 3 on high volume). Moss is not overly athletic, but he's a solid ballhandler and capable of getting to the rim. It's far from a strength though, and I doubt it'll be his primary role with the Jayhawks. He's there to space the floor for the big guys. And he should do that very well. Behind those two guys is Marcus Garrett (6'5", 195lb junior). Garrett is an elite defensive player. He's very long and athletic and has great defensive instincts. He's really disruptive on that end of the floor. The problem for Garrett is that he's a complete non-entity on offense. He simply cannot shoot. As such, it's always a tug of war with how much to play him. If they have enough offensive punch from the other four spots, Garrett provides real value. If they need some scoring punch, it's hard to keep him on the floor. In a pinch, Christian Braun (6'6", 205lb freshman) could come in and provide role player value.

Guards: Well, I should probably just call this "guard." The Jayhawks pretty much just have one PG: Devon Dotson (6'2", 185lb sophomore). And honestly calling him a PG is a bit misleading. Dotson is more of a scoring guard than a PG. He's strong with the dribble, but not much of a playmaker for others. He's a solid but not great shooter, and is at his best attacking the rim. He's quick and explosive off the dribble and can get to the rim either in transition or in the half court against a set defense. Defensively, he's fine - not superlatively good or bad. Dotson will be asked to play as much as possible, as the Jayhawks lost both of their other options at PG to transfer (Grimes and Moore). They had a 3-headed monster of mediocrity at PG last year; now they'll have a singular PG who might or might not be great. I have little doubt Dotson will score, and that he'll score fairly efficiently. I have serious questions as to whether he can run the offense effectively for others.

Interestingly, the two sources I go to for team ratings (KenPom and TRank) view this game differently. KenPom sees Duke as the favorite, whereas TRank has KU the favorite. Each by a similar margin. Obviously, with so much turnover on both teams, neither has much evidence to go on. So take that information for as little as it is worth (and it ain't worth much). We're probably going to need a good bit more evidence to really understand what either of these teams will be this year.

Here's hoping that we're further along in our development than KU is!

I think Kansas wins this because of their inside strength- but it is a game that will let folks know where Duke is at this point of the season. Duke will need to play excellent D to keep it close. My fear is a blowout loss but it is possible that the D will force turnovers and get some easy buckets. Duke will struggle to score in the half court as their big guys will make it tough near the bucket and that leaves jumpers and no confidence there. We will learn a lot but too early to know how this team will develop before the ACC season starts.

[Billy Dat]

Which starting line-up do you think we will see? I think the only givens are Tre and Hurt. I see the following as possible variations on that theme:

-The "This is what the preseason would lead us to believe" line-up
Jordan, Vernon, Cassius

-The "Defense Wins Championships and they better score 0 because we may not score" line-up
Jordan, Javin, Cassius

-The "K trusts his veterans in the season opener" line-up, offense tilt
AOC, Jack, Javin

-The "K trusts his veterans in the season opener" line-up, defense tilt
Jordan, Jack, Javin

-The "K goes youth" line-up
Vernon, Wendell, Cassius

[ShaneRyan]

Tre, Vernon, and Hurt were the only three that started both exhibition games, and the four other starters were White/Moore (game one) and Goldwire/Stanley (game two). I would be shocked to see Moore get a start after his rough performance, and I think Coach K will default to senior leadership at least at the start of this game, so I'm going: Tre, Vernon Carey, Hurt, Goldwire, White. Which I believe was not one of your choices. Regardless, we'll see Cassius and Javin before the 15-minute mark either way, I'd bet.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Which starting line-up do you think we will see? I think the only givens are Tre and Hurt. I see the following as possible variations on that theme:

-The "This is what the preseason would lead us to believe" line-up
Jordan, Vernon, Cassius

-The "Defense Wins Championships and they better score 0 because we may not score" line-up
Jordan, Javin, Cassius

-The "K trusts his veterans in the season opener" line-up, offense tilt
AOC, Jack, Javin

-The "K trusts his veterans in the season opener" line-up, defense tilt
Jordan, Jack, Javin

-The "K goes youth" line-up
Vernon, Wendell, Cassius

I gotta think it's gonna be a blend between offense and defense. It sounds like Hurt is the only true 2-way player (Tre is a good offensive player, bad shooter). So I'm gonna go with the "K needs balance with this non-balanced roster" and starts Jordan, Vernon, and Moore.

[UrinalCake]

I do see White starting over Moore and I wouldn’t be at all shocked if Javin starts over Carey. Javin has been really quiet through the preseason but I see him playing a huge role in this game. He’s been more effective at guarding bigger/slower guys rather than smaller/quicker ones, and even though Carey weighs more I think Javin is better equipped to defend Azubuike.

[JasonEvans]

I don't know a ton about Kansas, but from what I've read, I'm a little scared of Agbaji. He seems like the kind of player nobody expected, but who keeps getting better and better.

He absolutely lit it up in their 2 preseason scrimmages, averaged 20 ppg and was raining threes from everywhere. The consensus had been that Iowa grad transfer Isaiah Moss was going to be the shooting guard who filled it up from deep for KU this year, but Agbaji has been the man in the preseason.

-Jason "welcome to the boards, Shane... " Evans

[TheOldBattleship]

Dok is a behemoth inside, who rebounds well, blocks shots well, dunks well, and moves well (for a man his size). What he does not do well (at all) is shoot. If it isn't a putback or dunk, he's probably not taking it. If it is a free throw, he's probably not making it (39% career from the FT line). But in spite of that, he's still really impactful whenever he is in. I'd expect around 25 mpg for him on average this year, with foul trouble being the primary limiting factor for him.

Azubuike is such a wildcard (for this game, for this season, and for the past couple of seasons for Kansas). He can be just completely dominant, he can disappear, or he can be completely dominant until he commits four fouls in two minutes and misses the rest of the game. He's got a terrible combination of fouling issues: he's huge and strong without being particularly nimble, so college refs don't give him a bit of doubt on contact, and he hasn't ever had much in the way of positional awareness either offensively or defensively. If he's fixed any of those problems, though, and can stay healthy, he's going to be one of the best players in the NCAA this year.

I think that a lot of the game tomorrow will come down to the battle of the bigs: can Carey, in particular, bang with Dok without getting into foul trouble? Or, better yet, get Azubuike into foul trouble? That, to me, is going to be a big swing matchup, particularly if (as expected) neither team lights it up from three and needs easy buckets inside.

[ShaneRyan]

I do see White starting over Moore and I wouldn’t be at all shocked if Javin starts over Carey. Javin has been really quiet through the preseason but I see him playing a huge role in this game. He’s been more effective at guarding bigger/slower guys rather than smaller/quicker ones, and even though Carey weighs more I think Javin is better equipped to defend Azubuike.

On form I would agree that it's a possibility, but I think from a PR angle you don't recruit a top-five guy like Carey and sit him in the first big game, if for no other reason than you don't want the whispers of "look what happens to big recruits when they go to Duke" to start. Not that Coach K is really at any risk there, but I still think he gets the nod.


He absolutely lit it up in their 2 preseason scrimmages, averaged 20 ppg and was raining threes from everywhere. The consensus had been that Iowa grad transfer Isaiah Moss was going to be the shooting guard who filled it up from deep for KU this year, but Agbaji has been the man in the preseason.

-Jason "welcome to the boards, Shane... " Evans

Thank you Jason! And yeah, he looks impressive from highlights, and the journalist in me is already envisioning the "he was barely a scholarship player a year ago, and now he's a POTY candidate" stories we might see in January.

[Pghdukie]

Vegas Insider now has Duke/Kansas as a PICK game and O/U at 152.

[subzero02]

Vegas Insider now has Duke/Kansas as a PICK game and O/U at 152.

We are 1 to 2 point underdogs at most sports books now. I was surprised that we opened as favorites and was honestly expecting us to be 3 to 4 point underdogs. Our defensive rebounding and 3 point shooting will likely be the key. I'm really worried about Kansas punishing us on the glass. If we can turn them over and take advantage of their lack of of front court speed we might force them to change up their personnel. This team is young and will undoubtedly make a ton of mistakes; hopefully we can pull out the win but more importantly I hope that we show a solid foundation as a team.

[slower]

15 minutes, before fouling out?

Hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

[David Bunkley]

I really hope to see Jones and Goldwire get after Dotson and make it hard for Kansas to initiate their offense. As has been noted previously, Kansas doesn't really have a true point guard. This may be a good opportunity for wings like Moore and Stanley to get out in the passing lanes and get some steals, which will hopefully lead to easy buckets. If we let them dribble into their offense and feed the post, I fear that we'll be in for a long night. So I hope we are very disruptive defensively.

Another potential advantage should be with our big men running the court, especially when DeLaurier is in the game. He needs to sprint the floor as often as possible to take advantage of his speed mismatch over Azubuikie. Hopefully we can wear the big Jayhawk down and get him to commit a few careless fouls. Carey probably has a speed advantage here, too, but I am not sure he will exploit it as well as DeLaurier.

We need to keep the tempo up, the turnovers low, and try not to get destroyed on the boards. If we do that, then I think we have a good chance to get a big time early season win against a quality opponent that has had our number recently.

#GODUKE

[David Bunkley]

15 minutes, before fouling out?

Hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

His ability to run the floor could be a big asset for us again their big guy.

[BigZ]

What’s the deal w all these ACC games tonight?

[David Bunkley]

What’s the deal w all these ACC games tonight?

ACC expanded their conference schedule and put a game at the start of the year.

Personally, I don't like it.

[left_hook_lacey]

What’s the deal w all these ACC games tonight?

He said in a Jerry Seinfeld voice....

[DavidBenAkiva]

15 minutes, before fouling out?

Hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

I have to admit that I am tired of the "Javin fouls all the time" comments. When Duke needed him, he stepped up. In the final 7 games of the season last year, all in the ACC and NCAA tournaments, he averaged 21 minutes a game and didn't foul out a single time while averaging 2 blocks and 1 steal a game. He even had a double-double against Michigan State. He is a good player, a multi-positional defender, and he's going to be important for Duke this season.

[AGDukesky]

I have to admit that I am tired of the "Javin fouls all the time" comments. When Duke needed him, he stepped up. In the final 7 games of the season last year, all in the ACC and NCAA tournaments, he averaged 21 minutes a game and didn't foul out a single time while averaging 2 blocks and 1 steal a game. He even had a double-double against Michigan State. He is a good player, a multi-positional defender, and he's going to be important for Duke this season.

I thought Javin played the best of his career against MSU and I’m hopeful he builds on that. I seem to recall Zoubek having foul trouble his whole career but then figuring things out as a senior and getting more respect from refs. I think this team needs a boost from someone unexpected to have a special year by Duke standards...

[CrazyNotCrazie]

He said in a Jerry Seinfeld voice...

I wonder if Seinfeld will be there now that his daughter is at Duke. Perhaps he will paint his face like Putty and shout "We're the Devils!"

[left_hook_lacey]

I wonder if Seinfeld will be there now that his daughter is at Duke. Perhaps he will paint his face like Putty and shout "We're the Devils!"

Did not realize his daughter was at Duke. If he were to attend a game, it's guaranteed something he observes will make it into his act, especially if he returns to DPAC.

That would be kinda cool.

[-jk]

ACC expanded their conference schedule and put a game at the start of the year.

Personally, I don't like it.

For a while there, we opened with the Big Four tourney - a couple ACC games to start things off.

-jk

[ShaneRyan]

If gambling were legal, I'd like Duke tonight if you can get them as dogs. Kansas has a lot to think about, and Coach K's teams are perpetually just a little ahead of the curve in November.

[-jk]

If gambling were legal, I'd like Duke tonight if you can get them as dogs. Kansas has a lot to think about, and Coach K's teams are perpetually just a little ahead of the curve in November.

You can always join the residents' degenerates (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?44297-Degenerate-Gamblers-Rejoice!-The-2019-20-Picking-Contest-is-Here!!) game. Bragging rights only...

-jk

[TKG]

For a while there, we opened with the Big Four tourney - a couple ACC games to start things off.

-jk

And back in those days, it was possible that we could play State, Wake and/or the Cheats four times in one season (Big 4; home-and-home; and ACC Tourney).

[tteettimes]

“ perpetually”.......I like that 🤗🤗🤗😈😈

[SkyBrickey]

I may be an outlier, but I feel very good about this team and this game. Here's the case:

This team does not have the eye-popping individual talents of last year's group, but it's got plenty of talent that stacks up against any team in the country. It's a very balanced group that can score in a lot of different ways - inside and out. The versatility of Hurt and Carey opens up offense for everyone. Kansas will have to play us straight up and we will score points from all 5 positions.

We've got waves of hungry perimeter defenders we can throw at the Kansas guards. That swarming and overplaying defense should wear Dotson down and make it tough for them to get the ball inside. They are not nearly as deep on the perimeter. I expect us to also feast on transition points off turnovers. Goldwire, Moore, AOC, Baker and Stanley should all be very fresh and playing just as hard at minute 40 as minute 1.

Javin and Jack are both smart and physical defenders. They will help make life difficult inside for their big guys. We've got plenty of fouls to give and U. is a 40% free throw shooter.

Coach K always has his teams primed early in the season. I think a lot of it is the focus on defense and the less structured offense that lets players make plays. I think this team will surprise us with their readiness just like most years (how many predicted that UK blowout last year?)

[David Bunkley]

For a while there, we opened with the Big Four tourney - a couple ACC games to start things off.

-jk

I forgot about that. Do you know if those counted towards conference record?

[throatybeard]

Wholy cow this game came up quickly.its playoffs for my kids football.im way behind on basketball this year.

It's not your fault. It's the ridiculous/increasing overexposure of this sport. Pretty soon, games that count will be played in October.

[sagegrouse]

I forgot about that. Do you know if those counted towards conference record?

Big Four tournament games were not treated as conference games.

[rasputin]

I forgot about that. Do you know if those counted towards conference record?

They did not.

[jimsumner]

Long before the Big Four, we had the Dixie Classic, which always included Duke, State, Carolina and Wake. And for a few years between the demise of the Dixie Classic--point shaving--and the advent of the Big Four, Duke and Wake Forest played a non-conference game in Greensboro in December.

And, of course, the post-season gives additional opportunities for conference teams to meet. So, Duke has played conference opponents four times in a season on multiple occasions.

[Tripping William]

If gambling were legal, I'd like Duke tonight if you can get them as dogs. Kansas has a lot to think about, and Coach K's teams are perpetually just a little ahead of the curve in November.


You can always join the residents' degenerates (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?44297-Degenerate-Gamblers-Rejoice!-The-2019-20-Picking-Contest-is-Here!!) game. Bragging rights only...

-jk

Looks like Kevin Streelman is trying to lure a pie bet (https://twitter.com/Streels54/status/1191750212525539329) out of Gary Woodland.

[Spanarkel]

I may be an outlier, but I feel very good about this team and this game. Here's the case:

This team does not have the eye-popping individual talents of last year's group, but it's got plenty of talent that stacks up against any team in the country. It's a very balanced group that can score in a lot of different ways - inside and out. The versatility of Hurt and Carey opens up offense for everyone. Kansas will have to play us straight up and we will score points from all 5 positions.

We've got waves of hungry perimeter defenders we can throw at the Kansas guards. That swarming and overplaying defense should wear Dotson down and make it tough for them to get the ball inside. They are not nearly as deep on the perimeter. I expect us to also feast on transition points off turnovers. Goldwire, Moore, AOC, Baker and Stanley should all be very fresh and playing just as hard at minute 40 as minute 1.

Javin and Jack are both smart and physical defenders. They will help make life difficult inside for their big guys. We've got plenty of fouls to give and U. is a 40% free throw shooter.

Coach K always has his teams primed early in the season. I think a lot of it is the focus on defense and the less structured offense that lets players make plays. I think this team will surprise us with their readiness just like most years (how many predicted that UK blowout last year?)

Kansas always seems to have plenty of guards. This year's team returns(/welcomes with the Moss xfer)over 4,000 minutes and nearly 2,000 points between Dotson, Garrett, Moss and Agbaji. Not sure that's a clear advantage for our Blue Devils.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Kansas always seems to have plenty of guards. This year's team returns(/welcomes with the Moss xfer)over 4,000 minutes and nearly 2,000 points between Dotson, Garrett, Moss and Agbaji. Not sure that's a clear advantage for our Blue Devils.

Moss is a grad transfer, so I'm not sure "returning minutes/points" is the right term here. On that matter, Agbaji, Garrett, and Moss are likely to share as much time at the 3 as the 2. Dotson is the PG and primary ball handler. Beside him will be 3 experienced players but not much else experience or depth. At this point in the season, Kansas is a bit thin with 4 guards and 3 bigs that you know will contribute. Everything else is a question mark. Their recruiting class was sub-par by Kansas standards. There are probably fewer questions about Kansas and their rotations than Duke, but they are not some experienced team with loads of veterans. Azubuike is a senior but then hardly anyone else has played for more than a year in Lawrence.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Moss is a grad transfer, so I'm not sure "returning minutes/points" is the right term here. On that matter, Agbaji, Garrett, and Moss are likely to share as much time at the 3 as the 2. Dotson is the PG and primary ball handler. Beside him will be 3 experienced players but not much else experience or depth. At this point in the season, Kansas is a bit thin with 4 guards and 3 bigs that you know will contribute. Everything else is a question mark. Their recruiting class was sub-par by Kansas standards. There are probably fewer questions about Kansas and their rotations than Duke, but they are not some experienced team with loads of veterans. Azubuike is a senior but then hardly anyone else has played for more than a year in Lawrence.

Sounds like a perfect Coach K rotation...

[ShaneRyan]

You can always join the residents' degenerates (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?44297-Degenerate-Gamblers-Rejoice!-The-2019-20-Picking-Contest-is-Here!!) game. Bragging rights only...

-jk

This is perfect, thanks. Very much in.

[Troublemaker]

I can.
Pie bet for first taker, and bet offer expires in 24 hours.
--I'll take Kansas + 2.5 points. You get Duke -2.5 points. Hope I'm wrong, and will still be rooting for Duke 100%. That is the Vegas line I'm seeing. I just don't think that line is right either and I don't expect anyone will take me up on that bet.

https://gtpie.com/menus/pies/


As mentioned upthread, I thought the line would move towards KU and didn't want to get down on a bad number (and it's actually moved even more than I thought it would). If you'd like to do a friendly pie wager on the current line (Duke +2.5), I'm down.

In real life, I've gotten down big on Duke 1st half +1.5. As long-term readers know, I think Coach K gets his team better prepared for early season play than just about any coach. That's why he's such a great FIBA coach, too, with the short prep time there and needing to only play ~8 games total; in a college basketball sense, FIBA is all November games. Anyway, Duke 1st half is a great way to get at this angle, as Duke should be more prepared early in the game but does have weaknesses that I could see Self making adjustments to exploit as the game proceeds for a comeback win for KU.

One adjustment I'm particularly wary of is if Self eventually plays *one* of Azubuike or DeSousa plus 4 smalls/wings, and putting Garrett, a great defender, onto Hurt. This would increase KU's ballhandling/quickness to combat our attempts at turnover-forcing and would likely neuter our halfcourt offense, too.

[scottdude8]

I thought about making this its own thread but it probably isn't necessary. I'm curious who people think A) the starting lineup will be, and B) the "go-to" lineup (which obviously may not include the starters).

I think most of us agree that Tre at the point, and Vernon and Hurt down low are as close to set as we're going to get. I think the possibility exists that Javin replaces one of them, depending on how things are progressing defensively, in a "go-to" lineup down the stretch.

So what about the wings? I'm gonna go on record that the starting lineup will include Goldwire and (surprise!) Joey Baker. I think starting with Thing 1 and Thing 2 on the floor is great to set the tone, and I also think K might like the message starting Goldwire sends about leadership and effort. Baker is a dart throw, but I think that K knows that if he wants to have Tre and Goldwire on the court at the same time he really needs to balance that with shooting. If that's his mindset, it wouldn't surprise me to see that Joey "earned" the start with his performance in the second pre-season game.

Down the stretch, though, I'm betting we see Jack White out there in place of Joey, at least in this first game of the year where his experience is going to be key (my answer to whether he'd be in the "go-to" lineup come March would be very different). I also think we may see Wendell out there instead of Jordan in the "go-to" down the stretch lineup given his size and (slightly) better offensive game.

That's my two cents... really rolling the dice with the Baker call, but that'll be one I can brag about if I'm right ;) Anyone else willing to go on the record?

[DukieInBrasil]

I thought about making this its own thread but it probably isn't necessary. I'm curious who people think A) the starting lineup will be, and B) the "go-to" lineup (which obviously may not include the starters).

I think most of us agree that Tre at the point, and Vernon and Hurt down low are as close to set as we're going to get. I think the possibility exists that Javin replaces one of them, depending on how things are progressing defensively, in a "go-to" lineup down the stretch.

So what about the wings? I'm gonna go on record that the starting lineup will include Goldwire and (surprise!) Joey Baker. I think starting with Thing 1 and Thing 2 on the floor is great to set the tone, and I also think K might like the message starting Goldwire sends about leadership and effort. Baker is a dart throw, but I think that K knows that if he wants to have Tre and Goldwire on the court at the same time he really needs to balance that with shooting. If that's his mindset, it wouldn't surprise me to see that Joey "earned" the start with his performance in the second pre-season game.

Down the stretch, though, I'm betting we see Jack White out there in place of Joey, at least in this first game of the year where his experience is going to be key (my answer to whether he'd be in the "go-to" lineup come March would be very different). I also think we may see Wendell out there instead of Jordan in the "go-to" down the stretch lineup given his size and (slightly) better offensive game.

That's my two cents... really rolling the dice with the Baker call, but that'll be one I can brag about if I'm right ;) Anyone else willing to go on the record?

By your own logic about experience, i would say that J-White starts due to defensive versatility and at least the potential of 3pt shooting, plus J-White's strong rebounding skill which will be handy if the J-Hawks are big and abusing Hurt/Carey. K loves symbolism, and starting J-White as a captain, senior and guy who has busted his arse for the team is the sort of thing K does to motivate everyone else.

[Bob Green]

My focus tonight will be on a couple big picture questions:

1. Can the team make shots?

2. Can the team play defense?

First game of the season so let’s see how the fundamentals look.

[luvdahops]

As mentioned upthread, I thought the line would move towards KU and didn't want to get down on a bad number (and it's actually moved even more than I thought it would). If you'd like to do a friendly pie wager on the current line (Duke +2.5), I'm down.

In real life, I've gotten down big on Duke 1st half +1.5. As long-term readers know, I think Coach K gets his team better prepared for early season play than just about any coach. That's why he's such a great FIBA coach, too, with the short prep time there and needing to only play ~8 games total; in a college basketball sense, FIBA is all November games. Anyway, Duke 1st half is a great way to get at this angle, as Duke should be more prepared early in the game but does have weaknesses that I could see Self making adjustments to exploit as the game proceeds for a comeback win for KU.

One adjustment I'm particularly wary of is if Self eventually plays *one* of Azubuike or DeSousa plus 4 smalls/wings, and putting Garrett, a great defender, onto Hurt. This would increase KU's ballhandling/quickness to combat our attempts at turnover-forcing and would likely neuter our halfcourt offense, too.

FYI - Current line I'm seeing is Duke -1, with us getting 61% of the fan picks on covers.com

[Acymetric]

Aren't the radio broadcasts usually on 99.3 or 96.5 in the Triangle? I can't find the prefer anywhere...

[frb]

what's the starting line up?

[-jk]

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

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

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!

-jk

[TheOldBattleship]

what's the starting line up?

Jones, Goldwire, Stanley, Hurt, Carey, per Twitter.

[frb]

Hurt has a beautiful Jumper.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I like our defensive rotations and ball movement.

[whereinthehellami]

Good start by Duke. Reserves coming in now. 10-9 Duke.

[Indoor66]

I wish Bilas would shut the hell up!

[left_hook_lacey]

Aoc looks bigger, faster, and more confident

[whereinthehellami]

Moore needs to settle down. Two early turnovers and two missed bunnies.

[BigZ]

Stanley and Moore are out of control

[BigZ]

Have these teams practiced offense ?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Offense looking really sloppy.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

What's our shooting percentage?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

What's our shooting percentage?

...28%

[arnie]

What's our shooting percentage?

Afraid to look. As we expected, team is offensively challenged. If Kansas wasn’t a TO machine, this game would out of hand.

[rsvman]

Sloppy play by both teams. Looks like a pick-up game at the Y.

[whereinthehellami]

Sloppy on both sides. Duke soft around the hoop, missing lots of bunnies. Decision making needs work, or at least more seasoning.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Afraid to look. As we expected, team is offensively challenged. If Kansas wasn’t a TO machine, this game would out of hand.

Our defense looks really good.

[devildeac]

I thought an F1 was an elbow delivered above the shoulders, intentional or not. Horrible call.

[arnie]

Our defense looks really good.

Agree and as noted upthread AOC looks great.

[whereinthehellami]

AOC with the flush and 3!

[devilnfla]

Kudos to AOC.

[SavDukeGrad]

I thought an F1 was an elbow delivered above the shoulders, intentional or not. Horrible call.

Agree with you, DD.

If we could shoot, we’d be ahead by 20. Of course, if they didn’t turn the ball over, they’d be ahead by 20.

Come on Duke!

[left_hook_lacey]

Refs adding to the Duke gets all the calls mantra. Let the kids play.

[devildeac]

Refs adding to the Duke gets all the calls mantra. Let the kids play.

Yea, that shoulda been a blocking foul on Wendell Carter------yea, still too #$%^ing soon.

[left_hook_lacey]

Yea, that shoulda been a blocking foul on Wendell Carter------yea, still too #$%^ing soon.

Lol touche'

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

We have no flow on offense. Tre has to start to direct traffic amd take some control. Looks manic out there.

[left_hook_lacey]

Kansas' lack of a true point guard is more obvious than anyone thought. That bodes well for us.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Wow our shooting is bad

[J4Kop99]

Wow what a 1st half...

Thank the good lord I did not cave in and buy $500 tickets

[rocketeli]

Kansas' lack of a true point guard is more obvious than anyone thought. That bodes well for us.

yeah, they really can't hold onto the ball. Will they do better, and will we be better on offense in the second half?

[J4Kop99]

Both teams look like they’re playing in quick sand

[rsvman]

Wow what a 1st half...

Thank the good lord I did not cave in and buy $500 tickets

LOL.

If we could put the ball through the basket we'd be ahead by 15.

[SCMatt33]

Both teams pretty lucky to be in this game. Kansas with their 18 turnovers and Duke shooting 38% overall, 25 from 3 and 50 from the foul line. Both of those normally spell a big deficit vs a top 5 team, but cancel each other out here.

[rocketeli]

Moore needs to settle down. Two early turnovers and two missed bunnies.

I imagine the coaching staff..."Okay, well he messed up, but don't want to ruin his confidence, let him stay in a little longer....uh oh, he did it again...patience, let him find his feet, it's a long season...wow, that was bad...but he needs to have time to settle down....@$#%! that's it, time to get him out of there..."

[jipops]

Tell me again how some NBA team is going to pick up Tre Jones next season?

[whereinthehellami]

I like the options Duke has, they need to get an identity though. That is going to take some time. But it should be a fun ride. I was hoping the vets (excepting AOC) would have made more of an impact though.

[jipops]

Both teams pretty lucky to be in this game. Kansas with their 18 turnovers and Duke shooting 38% overall, 25 from 3 and 50 from the foul line. Both of those normally spell a big deficit vs a top 5 team, but cancel each other out here.

These are not really two top 5 teams.

[SkyBrickey]

Our best offense tonight might be pulling Carey out to the top of the key to shoot 3s and having 3 guys crash the boards. Offense is ugly. Defense is tough.

[fuse]

Pleasantly surprised by our defense and AOC in the first half.

Calling our offense sloppy is charitable.

Been a heck of a half trading punches.
Don’t think we can count on another 18 turnover half on defense.

Let’s Go Duke! 🔵😈

[scottdude8]

Man, I was not expecting this thread to be so negative! Guess it was a long off season ;)

Guys, we’re up at half in the first game of the season against a Top 10 team. Our defense is incredible and our guys are playing with a lot of hustle. Game 1 the offense isn’t there, but that’s what you’d expect. There’s bright spots and reason to be optimistic there too though, with Tre attacking the basket and AOC carving out a role.

Sorry if you guys were expecting Zion v. Kentucky 2.0. That was the exception not the rule. I’m pleased with what I’ve seen from this young team.

[jv001]

Man, I was not expecting this thread to be so negative! Guess it was a long off season ;)

Guys, we’re up at half in the first game of the season against a Top 10 team. Our defense is incredible and our guys are playing with a lot of hustle. Game 1 the offense isn’t there, but that’s what you’d expect. There’s bright spots and reason to be optimistic there too though, with Tre attacking the basket and AOC carving out a role.

Sorry if you guys were expecting Zion v. Kentucky 2.0. That was the exception not the rule. I’m pleased with what I’ve seen from this young team.

Except Baker has not played one minute. There goes my minutes projections. :cool::cool: Both teams are playing good defense but no so good offense. Hoping to see our guys settle down and begin to hit some shots. GoDuke!

[scottdude8]

Except Baker has not played one minute. There goes my minutes projections. :cool::cool: Both teams are playing good defense but no so good offense. Hoping to see our guys settle down and begin to hit some shots. GoDuke!

I also called that he would start today, so you aren’t alone there. AOC seems to be staking a claim to that role.

[BigZ]

The offense isn’t bad it’s horrible

[whereinthehellami]

Self with some nice halftime adjustments. Tough stretch there for Duke, Carey in particular.

[rsvman]

Given our pathetic shooting, maybe Baker should get some minutes...

[mattyoung18]

Our lack of shooting quote was misleading by coach K.It is much worse.I love Tre but he will be at Duke at least 3 years.

[dukelion]

Gonna be a long season in some respects.

Lots of talent but might take a few months for this team to develop an identity and for roles to be established.

Cliche to say that they will look different come March but this year that is more true than normal.

[Kfanarmy]

Might be one of the worst shooting teams Duke has ever had...Good grief.

[jimmymax]

Fortunately they're deep.

[devildeac]

Might be one of the worst shooting teams Duke has ever had...Good grief.

Wait, I thought we had one of those recently:confused:. (scratches chin)

[Kfanarmy]

Wait, I thought we had one of those recently:confused:. (scratches chin)

We did...one of

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Given our pathetic shooting, maybe Baker should get some minutes...

I hear we're holding him for a red shirt.

[whereinthehellami]

Stanley!!

Duke showing some heart and toughness. Growing up before our eyes.

[Billy Dat]

Cassius hangs the net on two straight dunks - that feels like a first. Pretty dime by Tre. Nice answer by this young squad, am liking Jack’s grit out there right now.

[rsvman]

Great block by Jack!

[Billy Dat]

Crazy game, back and forth...like the fight we are showing.

[Mrduke21]

That should be 5 on him

[jimmymax]

Haven't hired that free-throw shooting guru yet apparently.

[arnie]

That should be 5 on him

Solid from the line tonite 50%😡. Oh well, we may still win despite shooting and our own TO issues.

[rsvman]

Refs making a lot of anticipatory and touch foul calls in the paint.

We have missed a lot of free throws.


Just two random observations...

[devildeac]

That should be 5 on him

It should be 8 on him. :mad:

[mattyoung18]

Bilas seems to have regressed.

[devildeac]

Bilas seems to have regressed.

How much farther backward could he go?

[Sixthman]

Why are two hotel concierges announcing football standings?

[left_hook_lacey]

This is one of the ugliest games I can remember watching between two top 5 teams.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Jack White unsung hero!

[arnie]

This is one of the ugliest games I can remember watching between two top 5 teams.

Yep, but looks like another W.

[whereinthehellami]

Impressive win and toughness by Duke!

[follyblue]

According to Bilas the turnovers are all about Kansas??!!! OK Jay whatever you say.

[ratamero]

I really didn't expect to win this one. Thanks, Kansas.