Duke 105, Central Arkansas 54 - Post Game Thread

[AGDukesky]

I am really becoming excited about this team

[Music man55]

Great outing tonight for the devils, defense again really good, especially in 1st half. Wow, Tre really got his bell rung. Glad Coach K kept him out rest of the way for pre-cautionary reasons. Good offense tonight also, 9/16 from three. Not shabby at all, even though C. Arkansas not a great test as far as top notch teams to measure against. Good win, keep it rollin' blue devils!

[jwillfan]

Great outing tonight for the devils, defense again really good, especially in 1st half. Wow, Tre really got his bell rung. Glad Coach K kept him out rest of the way for pre-cautionary reasons. Good offense tonight also, 9/16 from three. Not shabby at all, even though C. Arkansas not a great test as far as top notch teams to measure against. Good win, keep it rollin' blue devils!

K from the post game comments: "“Tre looks pretty good and I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. I asked him what my name was and he said, ‘Michael’. That was pretty bold of him.”

[gep]

I really worry about Tre... both for himself and the team. Until I see him in a game again, I will be concerned.

[mattyoung18]

Load management for Tre.

[sagegrouse]

Cassius Stanley is poor at only one thing -- looking like a four-year college player.

[DukieInBrasil]

I hope that this game represents a turn in the tide regarding Duke's shooting from 3 for the season. Not that they'll shoot this well every time out, of course not, but that they CAN shoot well sometimes. That's an important distinction. Several players got to see 3s go down, but also it seemed that most guys were able to play to their strengths.
J-Gold may not get much love outside of the Duke program and fans but i think a game like this shows that he could have chosen to go to a school of the caliber of Central Ark. and been a star-caliber player. He chose to sacrifice those aspects to labor with less renown for Duke, and i appreciate that. He helps make Duke a better team, and a better program.
Cassius continues to be dyn-o-mite, Moore continues to meh, Carey and Hurt really played well, and joined Javin, J-Gold and J-Bake with career and/or season highs in scoring. Lots to like in this game, despite the imbalance in skill.

[SkyBrickey]

Great shooting night across the board. Lots of unselfish plays. This is the kind of game that can be a real confidence builder.

[Kedsy]

Great performance against an overmatched team.


OFFENSE

Possessions: 80.53 (nice and speedy)
oRtg: 1.30 (first really strong raw ppp of the season)
eFG%: 62.8% (very strong)
3pt%: 50.0% (excellent, especially for a team maligned for its inability to shoot)
2pt%: 58.9% (good)
%threes: 24.3% (low, but if that's what it takes to shoot 50% from the three-zone, I'm all for it)
FT rate: 18.9% (way too low, for the second straight game)
OR%: 33.3% (kind of meh, but our best OR performance of the season so far)
TO%: 14.9% (good)
a/to: 1.5:1 (acceptable)
%assisted: 42.9% (kinda low, but Tre only played 9 minutes)
fast break pts: 21 (20.0% of points; decent)

DEFENSE

dRtg: 0.67 (very good for third straight game out of three)
eFG%: 38.2% (also very good)
3pt%: 20.0% (ditto)
2pt%: 41.7% (good)
%threes: 29.4% (good combo: we kept them off the line, and when they took them, they missed)
FT rate: 47.1% (kinda awful for the third straight game; looks like this might be a point of concern)
DR%: 89.7% (outrageously good; 2nd straight game over 80%)
TO%: 26.1% (it ain't 35%, but I'll take 26% if we can do it consistently)
a/to: 0.38:1 (3rd straight game under 0.5:1, which is a little bit wow)
%assisted: 44.4% (decent)
stl%: 17.4% (very strong)
blk%: 13.7% (19.4% of 2pt shots) (also very strong)
fast break pts: 12 (22.2% of points; not so great for the third straight game; point of concern?)


Excellent all around offensive performance, with the possible exception of free throw rate and offensive rebounding, which at this point look like potential team weaknesses. Excellent all around defensive performance, with the exception of free throw rate and fast break points allowed, which also seem like potential team weaknesses.

[Billy Dat]

Yet another adjustment to the starting line-up with Jack White getting the nod over Mathew Hurt.

Granted, we went up huge early but K continues to play mad scientist with the rotation. He really is looking for those line-ups that can perform on both sides of the ball.
After the Tre, Cassius, AOC, Jack, Vernon starting 5, he went to Javin and Wendell before going to Hurt. How did Hurt respond...by dropping about 10 points in the blink of an eye.

Our defense was fantastic, the Pippens were shell shocked.

It does feel like pretty open opportunity for guys to earn minutes. I feel like K is itching to expand Moore's role but he hasn't quite earned it yet.

It was great to see Tre knock down his first 3 of the season, and no so great to see him smash his head and be done for the night. I hope we see him Friday against the Driesells.

How does everyone feel about the Spongebob Squarepants chant? I feel really old that a cartoon that debuted when I was well into adulthood is already nostalgic for a bunch of grad students.

[Billy Dat]

Great performance against an overmatched team.

Excellent all around defensive performance, with the exception of free throw rate and fast break points allowed, which also seem like potential team weaknesses.

Not every early season opponent can be Evansville!

The FT rate is baffling because we seem more determined than ever to drive the ball. Are we not proficient at drawing fouls? If anything, we were the ones fouling a lot to start the game.

[brlftz]

Cassius Stanley is poor at only one thing -- looking like a four-year college player.

He's a special player. He's so much more than an amazing vertical. He is aggressive and yet plays within himself, and it's always the right play.

[uh_no]

I am really becoming excited about this team

we haven't put a foot wrong, but we're hanging a lot on a close win over kansas.

I'm excited, too, but it doesn't mean I think this game means...anything. It doesn't.

[devildeac]

K from the post game comments: "“Tre looks pretty good and I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. I asked him what my name was and he said, ‘Michael’. That was pretty bold of him.”

At least he didn't say, "Poppy."

:rolleyes:

[Kedsy]

Not every early season opponent can be Evansville!

The FT rate is baffling because we seem more determined than ever to drive the ball. Are we not proficient at drawing fouls? If anything, we were the ones fouling a lot to start the game.

Yeah, our free throw rate has been bad on both sides of the ball. So far this season, our opponents have attempted 72 free throws while Duke has attempted just 55.

This is somewhat unheard of for Duke in the Coach K era -- in the past 36 seasons (since and including 1984), Duke has only attempted fewer free throws than its opponents once, in 1996. And that season, Duke attempted just 14 fewer free throws than its opponents for the entire season. Since 1997, Duke has only once attempted fewer free throws than 119% of its opponents attempts (2014, when we attempted 103% of our opponents' attempts). So if this keeps up, it's a big deal.

[AGDukesky]

we haven't put a foot wrong, but we're hanging a lot on a close win over kansas.

I'm excited, too, but it doesn't mean I think this game means...anything. It doesn't.

I mainly mean that my expectations were a bit down for this season, but the way this team plays together is fun to watch and reminds me of vintage Duke on Defense. I really like the pieces we have and how they appear to fit together...

[devilsadvocate85]

Great performance against an overmatched team.


OFFENSE

Possessions: 80.53 (nice and speedy)
oRtg: 1.30 (first really strong raw ppp of the season)
eFG%: 62.8% (very strong)
3pt%: 50.0% (excellent, especially for a team maligned for its inability to shoot)
2pt%: 58.9% (good)
%threes: 24.3% (low, but if that's what it takes to shoot 50% from the three-zone, I'm all for it)
FT rate: 18.9% (way too low, for the second straight game)
OR%: 33.3% (kind of meh, but our best OR performance of the season so far)
TO%: 14.9% (good)
a/to: 1.5:1 (acceptable)
%assisted: 42.9% (kinda low, but Tre only played 9 minutes)
fast break pts: 21 (20.0% of points; decent)

DEFENSE

dRtg: 0.67 (very good for third straight game out of three)
eFG%: 38.2% (also very good)
3pt%: 20.0% (ditto)
2pt%: 41.7% (good)
%threes: 29.4% (good combo: we kept them off the line, and when they took them, they missed)
FT rate: 47.1% (kinda awful for the third straight game; looks like this might be a point of concern)
DR%: 89.7% (outrageously good; 2nd straight game over 80%)
TO%: 26.1% (it ain't 35%, but I'll take 26% if we can do it consistently)
a/to: 0.38:1 (3rd straight game under 0.5:1, which is a little bit wow)
%assisted: 44.4% (decent)
stl%: 17.4% (very strong)
blk%: 13.7% (19.4% of 2pt shots) (also very strong)
fast break pts: 12 (22.2% of points; not so great for the third straight game; point of concern?)


Excellent all around offensive performance, with the possible exception of free throw rate and offensive rebounding, which at this point look like potential team weaknesses. Excellent all around defensive performance, with the exception of free throw rate and fast break points allowed, which also seem like potential team weaknesses.

Isn’t fast break points as a percentage of points allowed a highly context sensitive stat without the proper context? We held a team to 54 points. Why would 6 transition baskets in 40 minutes be a worry? Especially given the blowout. Wouldn’t fast break points measured against possessions make more sense?

[SkyBrickey]

You can argue whether we deserve it or not, but this team will very likely be #1 in the country next week. We are spoiled. The train keeps rolling....

[Kedsy]

Isn’t fast break points as a percentage of points allowed a highly context sensitive stat without the proper context? We held a team to 54 points. Why would 6 transition baskets in 40 minutes be a worry? Especially given the blowout. Wouldn’t fast break points measured against possessions make more sense?

I don't know, you may be right. For the season, over 22% of opponents' points have been fast break points. If you want to put it in terms of possessions, about 16.4% of our opponents' possessions have ended in fast break points. Either way, it sounds like a lot to me.

[uh_no]

I mainly mean that my expectations were a bit down for this season, but the way this team plays together is fun to watch and reminds me of vintage Duke on Defense. I really like the pieces we have and how they appear to fit together...

i'm with you. having two dynamic guards is great and some big guys down low. lots of potential for a really good team, something we haven't necessarily seen recently.

[Kedsy]

lots of potential for a really good team, something we haven't necessarily seen recently.

Huh? We haven't seen a really good Duke team recently? I don't understand.

[53n206]

You can argue whether we deserve it or not, but this team will very likely be #1 in the country next week. We are spoiled. The train keeps rolling...

Been there; done that. Want more.

[ncexnyc]

The only thing I disliked about tonight's game were those god awful commercials. Those have to be some of the crappiest products ever made and it reminds me of those lousy commercials you used to see at 3 AM in the morning way back when. The only thing missing was some black lady with a fake accent telling me to call her so she could tell my fortune and those enhanced young ladies asking me if I was lonely and if so to call them.

[uh_no]

Huh? We haven't seen a really good Duke team recently? I don't understand.

i think team was the operative word, and that's not a dig, it's more that we've had some stupendous players it made sense to run plays for. we shall see when we play some more real competition, but if you ask for my "ideal roster" it's a pair of dynamic guards with great chemistry who can create, but don't force and can apply great ball pressure....and some bigs to clean up on both ends of the floor.

I don't mean that's the only way to win, but if you ask me the kind of team that can be successful that i'd most like to watch, it's like that. you're all but forced to depend on your teammates on both sides of the floor. Not that other duke teams haven't been good, or were bad teammates or anything, just last year, we could let RJ or Zion do their thing, and sometimes that opened up possibilities for others...but mostly they did their thing. The year before, we were juggling letting MB3 or Carter or grayson or Gary Trent do their thing...all while duvall wanted to do his own thing.

This team doesn't have a guy who can just do his own thing. Stanley might be closest, but the amount that he and tre feed off eachother has been really really cool. I like that. That's how I want to watch basketball.

So perhaps the statement was more about my own bias than anything about some objective quality of the team to win.

[yancem]

He's a special player. He's so much more than an amazing vertical. He is aggressive and yet plays within himself, and it's always the right play.

Not that I’m saying he is as good but in many ways I see a little Zion in Stanley. They both really get at it defensively and bring a contagious energy to the floor. They also are capable of scoring big numbers but neither really dominate the ball. Also, they both just seem to have so much fun out there. Oh, and they both can jump out of the gym :cool:

[Steven43]

The only thing I disliked about tonight's game were those god awful commercials. Those have to be some of the crappiest products ever made and it reminds me of those lousy commercials you used to see at 3 AM in the morning way back when. The only thing missing was some black lady with a fake accent telling me to call her so she could tell my fortune and those enhanced young ladies asking me if I was lonely and if so to call them.
Geez, I’m glad I was at Cameron and didn’t have to endure those tv commercials. I am kind of intrigued to see them now, though.

[jv001]

Cassius Stanley is poor at only one thing -- looking like a four-year college player.

It may just be me but Cassius has the look of a player that doesn't get real high and doesn't get real low. It's like he let's his playing speak for him. If he continues to play like this and I don't see why he wouldn't, he can have any look on his face and I won't care one bit. I like the way he get's into his defensive position and he's the kind of player that looks to be all over the court. Good game for Coach K to play all his players and they performed quite well. GoDuke!

[rocketeli]

The only thing I disliked about tonight's game were those god awful commercials. Those have to be some of the crappiest products ever made and it reminds me of those lousy commercials you used to see at 3 AM in the morning way back when. The only thing missing was some black lady with a fake accent telling me to call her so she could tell my fortune and those enhanced young ladies asking me if I was lonely and if so to call them.

so it wasn't just my Internet feed? After that fifth showing of "copper-infused" support hose, I thought our Internet overlords had me characterized as old, arthritic and gullible and I wondered "How did they know?"

[Nrrrrvous]

Are we not doing "Man of the Match" polls anymore?

[TeacherTom]

Geez, I’m glad I was at Cameron and didn’t have to endure those tv commercials. I am kind of intrigued to see them now, though.

I totally agree! I had to keep telling myself that it's better than not seeing the game. I did feel much better when the announcer proclaimed that If you act now, they would double the order and you would receive not one but TWO pairs of Night Vision Glasses that originally cost 4,739 dollars.! The fact that these exemplary optical instruments could now be had for 39 dollars, was a game changer and I immediately hit the mute button.

[camion]

I totally agree! I had to keep telling myself that it's better than not seeing the game. I did feel much better when the announcer proclaimed that If you act now, they would double the order and you would receive not one but TWO pairs of Night Vision Glasses that originally cost 4,739 dollars.! The fact that these exemplary optical instruments could now be had for 39 dollars, was a game changer and I immediately hit the mute button.

I only got a passing glance at the various products. I started watching the beginning of the game about an hour late and by the end I was almost in real time. I went triple speed through commercials and halftime.

Similarly, I can watch two football games semi-simultaneously, skipping the non-action parts, and still come in under three hours.

The DVR is my good friend. :)

[COYS]

so it wasn't just my Internet feed? After that fifth showing of "copper-infused" support hose, I thought our Internet overlords had me characterized as old, arthritic and gullible and I wondered "How did they know?"

So you’re telling me you didn’t immediately purchase Night Hero night vision goggles and Battle Glasses HD daytime glasses? You have more self control than I.

[sagegrouse]

The only thing I disliked about tonight's game were those god awful commercials. Those have to be some of the crappiest products ever made and it reminds me of those lousy commercials you used to see at 3 AM in the morning way back when. The only thing missing was some black lady with a fake accent telling me to call her so she could tell my fortune and those enhanced young ladies asking me if I was lonely and if so to call them.

Yep. The ACCN is not yet attracting Mercedes, Coca-Cola or Budweiser.

[Edouble]

The only thing I disliked about tonight's game were those god awful commercials.


I started watching the beginning of the game about an hour late and by the end I was almost in real time. I went triple speed through commercials and halftime... The DVR is my good friend. :)

Yeah, same. I DVR'ed the 7:00 PM EST game and started watching at 9:30 PM. Done by 11:00 PM. Skipped all commercials, still watched Coach K interview at half time, shaved 30 minutes.

[flyingdutchdevil]

1) I was upset when Boogie Ellis dropped Duke because Stanley came on board. I thought we desperately needed Boogie's 3pt shooting (and, in fairness, it wouldn't hurt). But oh boy, I was wrong...

2) I don't understand how you play 24 minutes and have the discipline to only take really good shots. And only 5 of them! This kid is not a freshman, is he?...

3) I don't get how you have 3 steals AND 3 blocks in such little time. I understand, over-matched competition. But to have that with only 1 foul? Yeah, this kid can't be a freshman

4) The best part of watching Stanley is his rotation defense and positioning. Yes, he's great at steals and blocks. Yes, he's incredibly disciplined. But that understanding of defensive positioning is arguably the most advanced I've seen of any freshman. It's really incredible...

[jaytoc]

It took me a while watching the telecast, which I joined late in the first half, to be certain that Dan Bonner was the color commentator. Initially his vaguely familiar voice sounded weak, tired, and hoarse. Like an old man's. Don't intend to start a rumor, and I have no information, but is Bonner suffering some malady?

[Billy Dat]

1) I was upset when Boogie Ellis dropped Duke because Stanley came on board. I thought we desperately needed Boogie's 3pt shooting (and, in fairness, it wouldn't hurt). But oh boy, I was wrong...

2) I don't understand how you play 24 minutes and have the discipline to only take really good shots. And only 5 of them! This kid is not a freshman, is he?...

3) I don't get how you have 3 steals AND 3 blocks in such little time. I understand, over-matched competition. But to have that with only 1 foul? Yeah, this kid can't be a freshman

4) The best part of watching Stanley is his rotation defense and positioning. Yes, he's great at steals and blocks. Yes, he's incredibly disciplined. But that understanding of defensive positioning is arguably the most advanced I've seen of any freshman. It's really incredible...

Yeah, he's been awesome. It's always interesting when a class comes in and other players are more hyped yet an unexpected one jumps out as being ready from the jump.

I don't know if the stats back it up, but I think back to the 2002-2003 season and wanting to see greatness from Shav after the crazy recruiting battle but it was Redick who most quickly established himself and, to a lesser extent, Scheyer over Henderson,

[wilson]

...So far this season, our opponents have attempted 72 free throws while Duke has attempted just 55...Duke doesn't get any of the calls.

[JasonEvans]

1) I was upset when Boogie Ellis dropped Duke because Stanley came on board. I thought we desperately needed Boogie's 3pt shooting (and, in fairness, it wouldn't hurt). But oh boy, I was wrong...

2) I don't understand how you play 24 minutes and have the discipline to only take really good shots. And only 5 of them! This kid is not a freshman, is he?...

3) I don't get how you have 3 steals AND 3 blocks in such little time. I understand, over-matched competition. But to have that with only 1 foul? Yeah, this kid can't be a freshman

4) The best part of watching Stanley is his rotation defense and positioning. Yes, he's great at steals and blocks. Yes, he's incredibly disciplined. But that understanding of defensive positioning is arguably the most advanced I've seen of any freshman. It's really incredible...

As I mentioned on the most recent podcast, Cassius Stanley may be a freshman in terms of college experience, but he is more like a junior in terms of age. He is 20 years old already. He was born on August 18, 1999. For comparison purposes, Wendell Moore was born on September 18, 2001... more than two years after Cassius. Cassius will be legally drinking alcohol many months before RJ and Zion do.

[UrinalCake]

The FT rate is baffling because we seem more determined than ever to drive the ball. Are we not proficient at drawing fouls?

The refs called a handful of charges early on (for both teams) and I thought our guys responded by pulling up more and staying vertical when going up for the shot after driving, rather than initiating contact. I was actually encouraged that they made this adjustment. There were games last year where we kept doing the same thing over and over and getting called for the charge every time because that's how the game was being called and we never adapted.


Why would 6 transition baskets in 40 minutes be a worry?

In the big picture of this game it's not, but I can recall at least two of those being the result of really bad shots/decisions on our end that led to breaks the other way. And we could project that making those types of plays in a "real" game could be the difference between winning and losing. It's hard to maintain focus when you're up by 50, but K expects the team to be 100% on, even in a glorified practice like this.

[kAzE]

As I mentioned on the most recent podcast, Cassius Stanley may be a freshman in terms of college experience, but he is more like a junior in terms of age. He is 20 years old already. He was born on August 18, 1999. For comparison purposes, Wendell Moore was born on September 18, 2001... more than two years after Cassius. Cassius will be legally drinking alcohol many months before RJ and Zion do.

This was one of the reasons his high school ranking was so low. Many scouts recognized his talent, but others knocked him down because of his age. He's clearly a better player than many of the guys who were ranked ahead of him, and maybe some of it was due to his age and the physical development that came with the extra two years, but he's also got some great basketball IQ and talent.

@JasonEvans: I was thinking about your question from the podcast, about who in Duke history is the closest comp for Cassius, and I really couldn't think of one. I went back and watched tape of Dahntay Jones and Gerald Henderson, but they were much more physical slashers than Cassius. They were often catching bodies on the way to the rim (and sometimes, famously for both of those guys, at the rim). I don't see Cassius doing that. He's more of slithery finisher, who utilizes spins and fakes to avoid contact rather than bulldoze his way through traffic the way those other guys did it. He has the explosiveness, but not quite the strength of some of our other high flyers in the past. I'll keep thinking about it, but I'm not quite sure who he resembles most.

[sagegrouse]

This was one of the reasons his high school ranking was so low. Many scouts recognized his talent, but others knocked him down because of his age. He's clearly a better player than many of the guys who were ranked ahead of him, and maybe some of it was due to his age and the physical development that came with the extra two years, but he's also got some great basketball IQ and talent.

@JasonEvans: I was thinking about your question from the podcast, about who in Duke history is the closest comp for Cassius, and I really couldn't think of one. I went back and watched tape of Dahntay Jones and Gerald Henderson, but they were much more physical slashers than Cassius. They were often catching bodies on the way to the rim (and sometimes, famously for both of those guys, at the rim). I don't see Cassius doing that. He's more of slithery finisher, who utilizes spins and fakes to avoid contact rather than bulldoze his way through traffic the way those other guys did it. He has the explosiveness, but not quite the strength of some of our other high flyers in the past. I'll keep thinking about it, but I'm not quite sure who he resembles most.

I mean, I understand why NBA scouts, looking for players who might be good or great for over a decade, would consider the age of a HS student. It seems much less germane for evaluation of future college players, who may play only one year. Yep, if HS evaluations are done during the senior year, a 19 YO might improve less before college than a 17 YO -- but this would seem to be a small consideration.

[azzefkram]

Nice win and really the first time Duke looked good on both offense and defense. I thought Jordan and Wendell did a nice job filling in for Tre. Wendell seemed to make better decisions with the ball. Wendell's game reminds me a bit of Demarcus Nelson's. Alex looked like he took a step back defensively. Jack and Javin did a lot of Jack and Javin things. Vernon looked good for the most part. Matt still gets pushed around but man can he score. Cassius continues to amaze. I'm not seeing the improvement I'd hoped for from Joey. His shot still looks good but pretty much everything else is a significant step down from his teammates'.

I like the full court pressure and I hope it is something that continues through the season. Given how Duke attacked the rim (43 shots), I am surprised we didn't shoot more free throws.

[ramdevil]

The only thing I disliked about tonight's game were those god awful commercials. Those have to be some of the crappiest products ever made and it reminds me of those lousy commercials you used to see at 3 AM in the morning way back when. The only thing missing was some black lady with a fake accent telling me to call her so she could tell my fortune and those enhanced young ladies asking me if I was lonely and if so to call them.

But they provided hilarity... I loved them. Reminded me of watching UHF tv (now I am dating myself).

-ramdevil

[BD80]

K from the post game comments: "“Tre looks pretty good and I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. I asked him what my name was and he said, ‘Michael’. That was pretty bold of him.”

From personal experience, having a warped sense of humor is of little use when in concussion protocol. Particularly if you don't remember making the same stupid joke an hour earlier.

[killerleft]

It took me a while watching the telecast, which I joined late in the first half, to be certain that Dan Bonner was the color commentator. Initially his vaguely familiar voice sounded weak, tired, and hoarse. Like an old man's. Don't intend to start a rumor, and I have no information, but is Bonner suffering some malady?

I recognized him immediately. Glad to see him doing ACC this year. He IS getting older. But maybe it was just that he made appropriate comments without having to shout. Welcome back, Mr. Bonner!

[Bomar]

The only thing I disliked about tonight's game were those god awful commercials. Those have to be some of the crappiest products ever made and it reminds me of those lousy commercials you used to see at 3 AM in the morning way back when. The only thing missing was some black lady with a fake accent telling me to call her so she could tell my fortune and those enhanced young ladies asking me if I was lonely and if so to call them.

The toy laser guns look pretty sweet, though. Ha.

(I bet they would break within 5 minutes of playing with them.)

[CDu]

My takeaways from the game:

- Stanley continues to impress. I'm still a bit inquisitive about his perimeter shooting; I don't think he's even attempted 5 shots outside of 10 feet. The shots he does take he makes, so no complaints so far. But the most impressive thing is that his defensive awareness is really advanced. Yes, I know that he's 2 years older than many/most freshmen. But that shouldn't affect his defensive IQ. The quality of coaching and opposition in high school and AAU ball is soooooo much lower than college that most players (regardless of age) come in having to learn how to play defense. But he appears to have a really good feel for that end of the court. Hopefully it continues.

- Nice to see Jones hit a 3, but I was more pleased to see him continue to hit his 15-18 foot shots. The continued success on those suggests that his shooting touch is improving. So hopefully that translates to the 3pt line eventually. He does pretty much everything else at an elite level for a college PG, so if he can just be okay from 3 that's a game-changer.

- Carey is just too good for a team as bad as Central Arkansas. He did whatever he wanted inside. As a big, he's got a steeper learning curve defensively. But he's clearly a really polished offensive player inside. I've liked what I've seen from him: 28 points (on 13-15 from the field) and 13 rebounds in 35 minutes against the two overmatched opponents. He wasn't superlative against KU, but given their size and experience I'm not concerned. For Carey, it's about defensive awareness and avoiding foul trouble. If he can manage those two things well enough, the sky is the limit at the college level.

- I still am not sure what to think about Hurt. The shooting stroke is obvious: he has a great touch from anywhere on the floor. But he's slow and skinny, and his game looks that way. I do wonder how well he'll hold up if teams put an athletic, physical, experienced, defensive-minded big wing (think like a Justise Winslow body/athleticism type), or gets him isolated with a big post guy when he's on defense. We've yet to really see a good test for him (KU turned it over too much to have any sort of cohesion; CSU and UCA are just too inferior). He seems to have a good feel for the game, but the physicality could be a concern once teams with talent start being able to gameplan us better. The lack of rebounds is a bit of a concern too, and related to the point above. I'm hopeful that his smarts will win out; just cautiously optimistic at the moment rather than all-in.

- The nice thing about the freshmen bigs though is that we have two seniors who can fill in admirably as needed. White is continuing his "do the little things" role well. DeLaurier doesn't seem to be much different in performance than last year, which is a bit concerning. But he's at least being more vocal, so that hopefully is helping the defense.

- Moore appears to be starting to figure it out. He clearly wasn't ready for the pace of the game against KU. He looked more involved against CSU, and really started to stuff the stat sheet against UCA. Obviously ACC teams are better than CSU and UCA, but hopefully he's starting to build his confidence and figure out the pace of the game. He's such a physical specimen that he can be a huge plus on the wing. He just needs to find the right balance of aggressiveness and composure against better teams.

- I thought O'Connell again looked the part of a regular last night. No, he didn't hit his open 3s at a super high rate. But I'm not concerned about that. He didn't seem to be a detriment defensively, and that's the big concern. If he's a net zero (or better) defensively, he should be in the rotation for his offense.

- Goldwire had a nice bounceback game after two duds. I don't expect a ton from him against better teams. But I don't expect much will be asked of him against better teams so long as Jones is healthy and not in foul trouble. As a disruptive presence against teams with shaky ballhandling, he has some value.

Overall, it was a fun win against an overmatched opponent. We jumped all over them early, took the game out of doubt, and cruised. The primary 9 rotation guys played well (or did what they were expected to do in the cases of DeLaurier and White). Let's hope that continues as the games get tougher!

[jimsumner]

It took me a while watching the telecast, which I joined late in the first half, to be certain that Dan Bonner was the color commentator. Initially his vaguely familiar voice sounded weak, tired, and hoarse. Like an old man's. Don't intend to start a rumor, and I have no information, but is Bonner suffering some malady?

I believe he purchased the night vision goggles and is suffering the consequences.

Seriously, K was quite hoarse after the game last night. Cold and flu season and all that. Something going round.

[English]

My takeaways from the game:

SNIP...

- Carey is just too good for a team as bad as Central Arkansas. He did whatever he wanted inside. As a big, he's got a steeper learning curve defensively. But he's clearly a really polished offensive player inside. I've liked what I've seen from him: 28 points (on 13-15 from the field) and 13 rebounds in 35 minutes against the two overmatched opponents. He wasn't superlative against KU, but given their size and experience I'm not concerned. For Carey, it's about defensive awareness and avoiding foul trouble. If he can manage those two things well enough, the sky is the limit at the college level.

I know I'm late to the party on this, but the announcers commented that this season is literally the first time that Vernon Carey Jr. has played primarily inside in his basketball career? Is that possibly right? I realize we're in the age of positionless, everyone-is-a-shooter, Euro-bigs, etc. ball, but the guy is 6'10 270#. He hasn't been a primary post presence before? His offense looks pretty smooth and his defense isn't a total catastrophe for a guy who's learning the fundamentals of playing inside for a short time. He's more mobile than his size would suggest, and it's possible he might not be a total liability for floor spacing with other non-shooters out there.

Overall, a fun game to watch--especially nice to see the shots falling. UCA isn't putting up much of a fight, but hopefully the shooting gives our guys confidence going forward. An encouraging step.

And not for nothing, but I thought the party line on the Boogie Ellis decommit was because Tre announced he was returning and Boogie wanted to play the 1? Of course, he chose a school with more options of primary ball handlers (Memphis), but there was no way he was going to be the guy at Duke with Tre on the roster. I could be misremembering, or that could've just been what was put out there, but I distinctly remember it was Tre, not Cash, that "chased" Boogie off.

[dukelifer]

My takeaways from the game:

- Stanley continues to impress. I'm still a bit inquisitive about his perimeter shooting; I don't think he's even attempted 5 shots outside of 10 feet. The shots he does take he makes, so no complaints so far. But the most impressive thing is that his defensive awareness is really advanced. Yes, I know that he's 2 years older than many/most freshmen. But that shouldn't affect his defensive IQ. The quality of coaching and opposition in high school and AAU ball is soooooo much lower than college that most players (regardless of age) come in having to learn how to play defense. But he appears to have a really good feel for that end of the court. Hopefully it continues.

- Nice to see Jones hit a 3, but I was more pleased to see him continue to hit his 15-18 foot shots. The continued success on those suggests that his shooting touch is improving. So hopefully that translates to the 3pt line eventually. He does pretty much everything else at an elite level for a college PG, so if he can just be okay from 3 that's a game-changer.

- Carey is just too good for a team as bad as Central Arkansas. He did whatever he wanted inside. As a big, he's got a steeper learning curve defensively. But he's clearly a really polished offensive player inside. I've liked what I've seen from him: 28 points (on 13-15 from the field) and 13 rebounds in 35 minutes against the two overmatched opponents. He wasn't superlative against KU, but given their size and experience I'm not concerned. For Carey, it's about defensive awareness and avoiding foul trouble. If he can manage those two things well enough, the sky is the limit at the college level.

- I still am not sure what to think about Hurt. The shooting stroke is obvious: he has a great touch from anywhere on the floor. But he's slow and skinny, and his game looks that way. I do wonder how well he'll hold up if teams put an athletic, physical, experienced, defensive-minded big wing (think like a Justise Winslow body/athleticism type), or gets him isolated with a big post guy when he's on defense. We've yet to really see a good test for him (KU turned it over too much to have any sort of cohesion; CSU and UCA are just too inferior). He seems to have a good feel for the game, but the physicality could be a concern once teams with talent start being able to gameplan us better. The lack of rebounds is a bit of a concern too, and related to the point above. I'm hopeful that his smarts will win out; just cautiously optimistic at the moment rather than all-in.

- The nice thing about the freshmen bigs though is that we have two seniors who can fill in admirably as needed. White is continuing his "do the little things" role well. DeLaurier doesn't seem to be much different in performance than last year, which is a bit concerning. But he's at least being more vocal, so that hopefully is helping the defense.

- Moore appears to be starting to figure it out. He clearly wasn't ready for the pace of the game against KU. He looked more involved against CSU, and really started to stuff the stat sheet against UCA. Obviously ACC teams are better than CSU and UCA, but hopefully he's starting to build his confidence and figure out the pace of the game. He's such a physical specimen that he can be a huge plus on the wing. He just needs to find the right balance of aggressiveness and composure against better teams.

- I thought O'Connell again looked the part of a regular last night. No, he didn't hit his open 3s at a super high rate. But I'm not concerned about that. He didn't seem to be a detriment defensively, and that's the big concern. If he's a net zero (or better) defensively, he should be in the rotation for his offense.

- Goldwire had a nice bounceback game after two duds. I don't expect a ton from him against better teams. But I don't expect much will be asked of him against better teams so long as Jones is healthy and not in foul trouble. As a disruptive presence against teams with shaky ballhandling, he has some value.

Overall, it was a fun win against an overmatched opponent. We jumped all over them early, took the game out of doubt, and cruised. The primary 9 rotation guys played well (or did what they were expected to do in the cases of DeLaurier and White). Let's hope that continues as the games get tougher!

I agree with all this. The D seems farther along than I had imagined and K is playing a lot of guys- trying to wear teams out. It was interesting to see Moore run the point for a while. He was competent, This team has a 80's blue collar feel to them and that could be okay. They lack a dominant player on O and in crunch time- it is not clear who will step up. Right now I expect Tre will make good decisions. I have liked what I have seen but need to see Duke against better competition.

[Tripping William]

And not for nothing, but I thought the party line on the Boogie Ellis decommit was because Tre announced he was returning and Boogie wanted to play the 1? Of course, he chose a school with more options of primary ball handlers (Memphis), but there was no way he was going to be the guy at Duke with Tre on the roster. I could be misremembering, or that could've just been what was put out there, but I distinctly remember it was Tre, not Cash, that "chased" Boogie off.

This is consistent with my recollection as well.

[JasonEvans]

@JasonEvans: I was thinking about your question from the podcast, about who in Duke history is the closest comp for Cassius, and I really couldn't think of one. I went back and watched tape of Dahntay Jones and Gerald Henderson, but they were much more physical slashers than Cassius. They were often catching bodies on the way to the rim (and sometimes, famously for both of those guys, at the rim). I don't see Cassius doing that. He's more of slithery finisher, who utilizes spins and fakes to avoid contact rather than bulldoze his way through traffic the way those other guys did it. He has the explosiveness, but not quite the strength of some of our other high flyers in the past. I'll keep thinking about it, but I'm not quite sure who he resembles most.

We have gotten a bunch of emails on my question of who Cassius reminds you of. We've gotten several Ricky Price, a few Corey Maggette, and a couple Gerald Hendersons. I still like my Dahntay Jones but I hear you that Cassius seems to have a little less bull and a little more gazelle.

No one is going to be the perfect comp.

[yootheman]

What about non-Duke comps? Is it blasphemous to say freshman year MJ?

[JayZee]

We have gotten a bunch of emails on my question of who Cassius reminds you of. We've gotten several Ricky Price, a few Corey Maggette, and a couple Gerald Hendersons. I still like my Dahntay Jones but I hear you that Cassius seems to have a little less bull and a little more gazelle.

No one is going to be the perfect comp.

Agreed. He is fast and stays in great balance. Fun to watch. He also seems to be a bit more modest (shy) than some of the other people in this list who may have bordered on brash...

Also, he seems more like 6'3" max. Not a really tall guy. I kind of like T Hill as a comp. Guard sized, not small forward. Strong, but not a bull. A little more on the quiet side. Great position, balance, quickness on D.

[rsvman]

I thought O'Connell looked hesitant and "steering" on his 3-pointers, which led to some pretty bad misses. He shoots a lot better when he is confident. He did not look confident last night, and I'm not really sure why.

I hope he returns to the old "let 'er fly!" shooting technique he displayed last year.

[UrinalCake]

Great quote from the Central Arkansas coach, talking about how hard Duke plays. For all the talent we’ve had over the past several years, I wouldn’t have always said that our OAD-heavy teams played hard. This year’s team really is different. I thought last year’s team was the best defensive team we’ve had in the OAD era, but that was primarily based on amazing individual talent. Don’t get me wrong, I love having amazing individual talent, but this year’s team goes about it a different way.

Link (https://twitter.com/dukembb/status/1194459103025696769?s=21) in case the image is too small

9949

[Kedsy]

This team has a 80's blue collar feel to them and that could be okay.

It's worth noting that Duke's teams from 1985 to 1989 (the teams to which I assume you're referring) all had at least one first-, second-, or third-team All American player. The 1986 team had four guys who made an All-America team at some point in their career. The 1987 and 1989 teams had two such players.

So, maybe Tre Jones makes an All America team this season, maybe he doesn't. It's hard to see any of our other players rated as among the top 15 players in the country, though I suppose it's remotely possible. But those 1980s Duke teams were probably more star-studded than many of us remember.

[jimsumner]

It's worth noting that Duke's teams from 1985 to 1989 (the teams to which I assume you're referring) all had at least one first-, second-, or third-team All American player. The 1986 team had four guys who made an All-America team at some point in their career. The 1987 and 1989 teams had two such players.

So, maybe Tre Jones makes an All America team this season, maybe he doesn't. It's hard to see any of our other players rated as among the top 15 players in the country, though I suppose it's remotely possible. But those 1980s Duke teams were probably more star-studded than many of us remember.

1987? Not really. Sophomore Ferry eventually became an All-American but in 1987 he and Tommy Amaker were second-team All-ACC.

That's like saying Alaa Abdelnaby was an All-ACC player in 1987 because he became one in 1990.

Ferry and Abdelnaby were the only future NBA players on the 1987 and 1988 Duke teams and Alaa wasn't a major factor on either. That's not exactly a star-studded roster.

[Duke76]

We have gotten a bunch of emails on my question of who Cassius reminds you of. We've gotten several Ricky Price, a few Corey Maggette, and a couple Gerald Hendersons. I still like my Dahntay Jones but I hear you that Cassius seems to have a little less bull and a little more gazelle.

No one is going to be the perfect comp.

I go with Rodney Hood but he's my favorite freshman on the team...great temperament and hits all the right notes in interviews too

[Barnstormer]

Defense is key to this years team. Like Virginia for the last few years, if we play strong intimidating defense, we can win every game but like Virginia you can lose in the first round even to a 16 seed. You can't always shoot well but you can play suffocating defense every game. I would not be surprised if we lost 5 games before the end of the year but tighten up and become a powerful team by tournament time.

[jimsumner]

1987? Not really. Sophomore Ferry eventually became an All-American but in 1987 he and Tommy Amaker were second-team All-ACC.

That's like saying Alaa Abdelnaby was an All-ACC player in 1987 because he became one in 1990.

Ferry and Abdelnaby were the only future NBA players on the 1987 and 1988 Duke teams and Alaa wasn't a major factor on either. That's not exactly a star-studded roster.

I love correcting myself. Marty Nessley was on that 1987 team and played a half-season in the NBA for the Clippers. Don't think that changes the star-power equation much.

[luvdahops]

Agreed. He is fast and stays in great balance. Fun to watch. He also seems to be a bit more modest (shy) than some of the other people in this list who may have bordered on brash...

Also, he seems more like 6'3" max. Not a really tall guy. I kind of like T Hill as a comp. Guard sized, not small forward. Strong, but not a bull. A little more on the quiet side. Great position, balance, quickness on D.

I believe Cassius was measured at 6'3 1/2"" in socks at camps a few years back, and was generally listed at 6'5" (presumably with shoes) on recruiting sites until very recently. He's clearly shorter than Alex and Wendell, though, and not that much taller than Tre. Would guess he's in the 6'3 1/2" to 6'4" range.

[Nugget]

Also, he seems more like 6'3" max. Not a really tall guy. I kind of like T Hill as a comp. Guard sized, not small forward. Strong, but not a bull. A little more on the quiet side. Great position, balance, quickness on D.

Seconded

[oldbailey]

I instantly thought of Ricky Price for Cassius the first time I saw him — the build, the game and the LA provenance. He’s Ricky Price but better.

[Rich]

Yep. The ACCN is not yet attracting Mercedes, Coca-Cola or Budweiser.

Nor Comcast/Xfinity :mad:

[roywhite]

I instantly thought of Ricky Price for Cassius the first time I saw him — the build, the game and the LA provenance. He’s Ricky Price but better.

Yeah, I'm okay with the Ricky Price comp, and the T Hill comp, too.

One thing I like about Cassius is he seems to have an edge to his play; wants to dominate whether it be a dunk, a strong move, or a steal. Comes to play. So I'll go with a partial comp to RJ Barrett.

[Kedsy]

1987? Not really. Sophomore Ferry eventually became an All-American but in 1987 he and Tommy Amaker were second-team All-ACC.

That's like saying Alaa Abdelnaby was an All-ACC player in 1987 because he became one in 1990.

Ferry and Abdelnaby were the only future NBA players on the 1987 and 1988 Duke teams and Alaa wasn't a major factor on either. That's not exactly a star-studded roster.

According to this link from GoDuke.com (https://goduke.com/news/2006/3/8/246902.aspx), Tommy Amaker was selected as a first-, second-, or third-team All American by at least one nationally recognized All-America selection panel (I assume third-team, and not consensus, but still). Ferry was not All-American in 1987, but he was in each of the next two seasons, and what I said was, two players on the 1987 Duke team "made an All-America team at some point in their career." Plus, even as a sophomore, Ferry had more star power than anyone on this year's Duke team.

But, whatever. When the OP said that this year's Duke team has an "80's blue collar feel," I suspect he wasn't talking about 1987 anyway.

[SkyBrickey]

I was there in ‘87. Like my user name? Ferry was a budding superstar ranked #1 in his hs class, but I wouldn’t say that team was more star studded. As Jim pointed out, there were only two future NBA players on the roster and I suspect we have 4-5 on this team.

I like the comparison of this team to those late 80s teams. Defense was definitely our trademark. Tommy Amaker, Billy King, and a deep roster of defenders. Teams would wilt under the pressure. It was fun as a fan. And it’s fun to see a return to that type of team this year.

[slower]

Yeah, I'm okay with the Ricky Price comp, and the T Hill comp, too.

One thing I like about Cassius is he seems to have an edge to his play; wants to dominate whether it be a dunk, a strong move, or a steal. Comes to play. So I'll go with a partial comp to RJ Barrett.

How about Daniel Ewing as a comp?

[TruBlu]

How about Daniel Ewing as a comp?

Nope. Not enough technicals for breathing. Still :mad:

[JasonEvans]

I don't like THill or Ewing as a comp because they were shooters first, not really slashers, and certainly were not the kind of elite athletes (at least in terms of run-jump) that Cassius is. I think that is why people are largely gravitating toward dudes like Maggette, Dahntay, and Ricky Price who had major ups.

[MChambers]

I don't like THill or Ewing as a comp because they were shooters first, not really slashers, and certainly were not the kind of elite athletes (at least in terms of run-jump) that Cassius is. I think that is why people are largely gravitating toward dudes like Maggette, Dahntay, and Ricky Price who had major ups.

Actually, his first couple of years, Thomas Hill wasn't all that much of a shooter. He was more of a defender, rebounder, and post-up player.

[Duke76]

I don't like THill or Ewing as a comp because they were shooters first, not really slashers, and certainly were not the kind of elite athletes (at least in terms of run-jump) that Cassius is. I think that is why people are largely gravitating toward dudes like Maggette, Dahntay, and Ricky Price who had major ups.

nobody likes my Rodney hood comparison? he's got the same build as him although Hood is taller...Price has the same build but Maggette and Dahntay look physically different...Hood was a slasher and a shooter...while Cassius hasn't shot much from the outside...think he has great form and seems less emotionally that a Jones. anyway it's a fun comparison

[kAzE]

nobody likes my Rodney hood comparison? he's got the same build as him although Hood is taller...Price has the same build but Maggette and Dahntay look physically different...Hood was a slasher and a shooter...while Cassius hasn't shot much from the outside...think he has great form and seems less emotionally that a Jones. anyway it's a fun comparison

They have somewhat similar body shapes, but Hood is a lefty and about 3 inches taller. His go to scoring move was his pull up jumper, so it's tough to justify his as a good comp. Stanley is definitely a slasher first. I honestly don't think there is a great comp for Cassius, at least from former Duke players.

I gave it some more thought, and he could possibly be similar to Demar DeRozan (although Demar was still pretty powerfully built, even as a freshman at USC), or for the old school people here, Latrell Sprewell. Gerald Henderson would be the closest Dukie IMO.

[budwom]

Yeah, I'm okay with the Ricky Price comp, and the T Hill comp, too.

One thing I like about Cassius is he seems to have an edge to his play; wants to dominate whether it be a dunk, a strong move, or a steal. Comes to play. So I'll go with a partial comp to RJ Barrett.

Some similarities for sure with Price, but Cassius seems to already have the confidence that Price never seemed able to muster, and that's no small thing.
As for his height, we've known for years you can be any height you want to be on the roster.

[kAzE]

Interesting, this is the first mock draft I've seen projecting Stanley as a first round pick: http://www.nbadraftroom.com/p/2020-nba-mock-draft.html

Coincidentally, this guy also compared him to Latrell Sprewell :D

[sagegrouse]

I don't like THill or Ewing as a comp because they were shooters first, not really slashers, and certainly were not the kind of elite athletes (at least in terms of run-jump) that Cassius is. I think that is why people are largely gravitating toward dudes like Maggette, Dahntay, and Ricky Price who had major ups.

Why not Gerald Henderson? Great hops, very skilled.

[Neals384]

Interesting, this is the first mock draft I've seen projecting Stanley as a first round pick: http://www.nbadraftroom.com/p/2020-nba-mock-draft.html

Coincidentally, this guy also compared him to Latrell Sprewell :D

That seems like the a perfect comp.

That mock also has Tre going #57. Hope he stays!

[JasonEvans]

Interesting, this is the first mock draft I've seen projecting Stanley as a first round pick: http://www.nbadraftroom.com/p/2020-nba-mock-draft.html


That mock also has Tre going #57. Hope he stays!

That mock also has Hurt and Moore staying until their soph seasons... I can live with that.

As previously mentioned (repeatedly) by me, Stanley's NBA stock is impacted by him being really old (20 in August) for his class. It removes some of the "potential" tag that often elevates younger NBA prospects. I also wonder if his lack of length may concern some NBA scouts. His wingspan is only 6-6, the same as his height. That is somewhat unusual for a NBA prospect and could be seen as limiting his defensive potential. I also strongly suspect the NBA will want to see more evidence of long range shooting prowess from Cassius before using a 1st round pick on him

-Jason "all of this is good news for Duke as a multi-year Cassius would be a very, very good thing for our program ;) " Evans

[kAzE]

That seems like the a perfect comp.

Wow, here's a gem I found on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gR9OfO5bzo

This is a grainy highlight tape of a LSU/Alabama game from 1992. The star players in the game: Latrell Sprewell (#42 in White), Robert Horry (#25 in White), and Shaquille O'Neal (#33 in yellow, as if you can't recognize him, even with terrible resolution, he sticks out easily)

But I'm thinking Sprewell is the best comp. He's a 6'4" guard with incredible hops, but is lean and lanky, like Cassius. He's got a little bit of an in between game, and gets to the rim with finesse. He's also a monster in transition, with a couple of steals and fast break flushes in this game.

Obviously, the main draw here is still Shaq, who is just unstoppable. Young Shaq is mesmerizing. This is before he put on all that weight he would eventually have, so he's still got unbelievable athleticism around the rim.

[MChambers]

But I'm thinking Sprewell is the best comp. He's a 6'4" guard with incredible hops, but is lean and lanky, like Cassius. He's got a little bit of an in between game, and gets to the rim with finesse. He's also a monster in transition, with a couple of steals and fast break flushes in this game

I hope Cassius has a better relationship with his coaches.

[robed deity]

I hope Cassius has a better relationship with his coaches.

I just hope he doesn't choke in the big moments.

[jimsumner]

According to this link from GoDuke.com (https://goduke.com/news/2006/3/8/246902.aspx), Tommy Amaker was selected as a first-, second-, or third-team All American by at least one nationally recognized All-America selection panel (I assume third-team, and not consensus, but still). Ferry was not All-American in 1987, but he was in each of the next two seasons, and what I said was, two players on the 1987 Duke team "made an All-America team at some point in their career." Plus, even as a sophomore, Ferry had more star power than anyone on this year's Duke team.

But, whatever. When the OP said that this year's Duke team has an "80's blue collar feel," I suspect he wasn't talking about 1987 anyway.

Tommy Amaker was named third-team All-America by NABC in 1987. He was an AP Honorable Mention that year, a second-team All-ACC player, and a third-round NBA draft pick, who never played a second in the NBA. He averaged 12.3 ppg and 3.7 apg that year.

Alaa Abdelnaby and Phil Henderson both made All-ACC in 1990. The duo combined for 164 points in 1987. Using your standards, it would be accurate to state that the 1987 team had four All-ACC players.

But fundamentally misleading.

I love the 1987 team and have written about it extensively. It might be my favorite Duke team ever in large part because it did not have any significant star power. John Smith, the starting center, averaged 3.3 rebounds per game. Starting small forward Billy King averaged 7.2 points per game. Danny Ferry was the leading scorer at 14.0 ppg, the lowest average to lead Duke since 1960. Shooting guard Kevin Strickland was the team's second-leading rebounder at 4.6 rpg. Sophomore Quin Snyder and freshman Robert Brickey were the key reserves. Ferry was the only one of the top seven to ever play in the NBA. How many future NBA players are in this year's top 7? More than one I suspect. The entire 1987 team had fewer blocked shots than Shelden Williams did in either his 2005 and 2006 seasons.

But this team defended like junk-yard dogs and was practically the definition of the exceeding the sum of its parts. But it was in no way, shape or form a star-driven team.

[gam7]

Did Central Arkansas have a player on their team named Quaalude?