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View Full Version : MBB: Duke 73, Ga Tech 64 Post-Game Thread



JBDuke
01-08-2020, 11:08 PM
Put your post-game thoughts here.

OldPhiKap
01-08-2020, 11:09 PM
Javin.

scottdude8
01-08-2020, 11:10 PM
Love this win. A perfect road test and bit of adversity for these guys.

Javin came in and stepped up on D in those last 5 minutes.

Jack made a HUGE clutch 3.

Cassius grew up tonight.

I also loved all the different lineup combos K trotted out in a close game. It’s clear he trusts these guys.

duke4ever19
01-08-2020, 11:10 PM
I enjoyed the heck out of that game.

robed deity
01-08-2020, 11:10 PM
Not always pretty, but I'll take it.

And wow, I've never seen a coach look more like a fool on the sidelines than Pastner and those numbers.

fuse
01-08-2020, 11:11 PM
GT brought all the energy and while we didn’t always look good doing it, the team did what they needed to do.

Holy smokes Cassius dunks.

The second part of the first half defense was absolutely stifling.

Let’s Go Duke!

thedukelamere
01-08-2020, 11:11 PM
Just a great "be a star in your role" kinda game. Gonna be tough to pick a MOTM because the 2 or 3 I'm thinking of didn't dominate in all aspects, but made the type of plays that we needed of them when they needed to.

knicknut
01-08-2020, 11:11 PM
Cassius and Javin were MEN out there. Road ACC games are always going to be tough. Some sloppy play, but it's nice to have 9 weapons (plus Moore) that can all help you on any given night. A very fun team to watch.

I wonder if Georgia Tech is going to have to re-paint the key after all the foot traffic from the 15-second 3-second violations Banks committed tonight.

J4Kop99
01-08-2020, 11:11 PM
Cassius. Dunk after dunk after dunk.

6th Man
01-08-2020, 11:11 PM
Heck of a game. Georgia Tech is a better team than I realized, however I think they gave Duke their best shot. That was an impressive win and an exciting basketball game. We saw great signs of a tough team tonight.

ShaneRyan
01-08-2020, 11:11 PM
Good, tough win in a game where a defensive lapse to start the second half made it interesting, and the referees were just miserably bad the entire time.

Two things stick out immediately:

1. Cassius reversed the negative momentum of this game with those dunks. Spectacular.

2. Jav played one of his worst games ever...until Coach K subbed him in for the final two minutes, at which point he transitioned into defensive god mode. What a showing, completely closed off the lane.

SkyBrickey
01-08-2020, 11:11 PM
Javin block. Jack 3. Goldwire defense. Cassius spectacular. Tre clutch.

Good road win.

UrinalCake
01-08-2020, 11:12 PM
A shaky effort in which we failed to match their intensity at the start of each half, but we fought through it and did enough to win. Proud of our guys for closing it out and making winning plays in a close game on the road, which we have not faced in a while. Two of the biggest plays were Jack’s three and Javin’s defensive stop on Banks. Stanley’s dunks were jaw-dropping, and we again got contributions from everyone. Tre was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball, not sure how much Moore’s absence contributed to him needing to do more but again, we got the W and that’s all that matters.

CameronDuke
01-08-2020, 11:12 PM
The team got tested by a gritty, hard playing GT squad in a pretty hostile environment and bent but but did not break. Going to VT, Miami, and GT in 3 of their first 4 league games and remaining undefeated in the league is tough.

Javin with a nice block and made two free throws at the end. Cassius displayed incredible athleticism on the dunks he had. Anyone else see a little Gerald Henderson, Jr. in Cassius on a few of those alley oops he threw down?

Duke got pounded on the glass and missed lots of free throws but still found a way to hang on and win. Give GT credit, their forwards/centers hustled for rebounds in an impressive manner and their guards made some big 3s midway through the 2nd half to take the lead. Kind of a sloppy game at times with the turnovers but a heck of a fight and Duke grew up a lot tonight on the road.

14-1, 4-0 and back home to face Wake Saturday night.

Let’s Go Duke!

Devilwin
01-08-2020, 11:12 PM
We needed a game like this. Carey and Jones were off their game, But Stanley was amazing. MOTM in my opinion.

Troublemaker
01-08-2020, 11:13 PM
I enjoyed the heck out of that game.

Same. That was a fun ACC road game and win. They're supposed to be tough.

OZZIE4DUKE
01-08-2020, 11:13 PM
Just a great "be a star in your role" kinda game. Gonna be tough to pick a MOTM because the 2 or 3 I'm thinking of didn't dominate in all aspects, but made the type of plays that we needed of them when they needed to.
We agree with the announcers: Cassius Stanley!

J4Kop99
01-08-2020, 11:14 PM
Give up an 11-0 run. Down 3. About 10 minutes to go. Time out, Get a stop, Cassius and 1 alley pop. Tie game.

CameronBlue
01-08-2020, 11:14 PM
And wow, I've never seen a coach look more like a fool on the sidelines than Pastner and those numbers.

Well, I don't know if he looked like a fool but he made one move a contortionist would envy. He has Tech playing better than they have for a number of years and his team is putting out effort. Geez, what else do you want, Roy Williams? Heels looked good.

weezie
01-08-2020, 11:14 PM
I enjoyed the heck out of that game.


So did I, except for all my yelling and arguing with the refs.

left_hook_lacey
01-08-2020, 11:15 PM
GT looks like it has the pieces to make a run.

We were the beneficiary of some favorable calls as the Blue Blood in this game, but we capitalized on it and crushed GT when it counted.

I wouldn't want to see GT in the first round of the ACC tournament.

DukieInBrasil
01-08-2020, 11:15 PM
Stellar final minute from Javin really sealed the deal.
Great production from the bench to help overcome a 10-27 FGs from Hurt + Carey. Tre Jones and Cassius Stanley had wonderful games.

MCFinARL
01-08-2020, 11:15 PM
Heck of a game. Georgia Tech is a better team than I realized, however I think they gave Duke their best shot. That was an impressive win and an exciting basketball game. We saw great signs of a tough team tonight.

Yes, with their full complement of players, Georgia Tech is pretty competitive--and they hit their free throws. (Wish Duke could do more of that.)

TNTDevil
01-08-2020, 11:16 PM
Cassius and Javin were MEN out there. Road ACC games are always going to be tough. Some sloppy play, but it's nice to have 9 weapons (plus Moore) that can all help you on any given night. A very fun team to watch.

I wonder if Georgia Tech is going to have to re-paint the key after all the foot traffic from the 15-second 3-second violations Banks committed tonight.
No <expletive redacted>. He was in the paint so long, his Sharper Image catalogs where being delivered there.

ndkjr70
01-08-2020, 11:16 PM
Thoughts:

1. The things I was saying about Javin DeLaurier to my couch pillows were not nice. I had a delicious dinner but my goodness was that crow even tastier. Way to show up when the team needed you the most.

2. Zion Williamson wants to be Cassius Stanley when he grows up. Joking of course, but my god I’m going to watch those 3 dunks on repeat for the next hour.

3. I said it enough in the game thread, but this was a comfortable 15-20 point Duke win made scary by officiating. Even Blackshear didn’t get away with that much murder last year... and that’s saying something.

4. Don’t be surprised if we find out Tre Jones is battling something. He wasn’t just “off”, like missing shots or anything like that. He was NOT Tre jones for most of the night. I told my dad last week (when AOC did this in the Miami game) that I don’t think I’d ever seen Tre Jones leave his feet and not know where to throw the ball. He did it three times tonight. His defense was off, too — got burned by Axel Rose on a few three pointers. And of course, the free throws. But it’s Tre, it’s our leader. He’ll be fine.

5. The team we should be most scared of in March is a team that can neutralize VCJr like that (legally or otherwise). But we took their absolute best shot and did what Duke does.

Win.

uh_no
01-08-2020, 11:16 PM
2. Jav played one of his worst games ever...until Coach K subbed him in for the final two minutes, at which point he transitioned into defensive god mode. What a showing, completely closed off the lane.

i was thinking about how i was going to post about him being a liability and highlighting at least 3 times the defense broke down due to a hard commit on a double leaving his man wide open....a fault of his since day 1....then he does what Carey failed to do all game against banks and cowboyed up down low. he got away with some contact, but I don't care...we earned it. glad he's on the team.

anyway huge learning experience for carey. absolutely dominated on the glass by a guy willing to be more physical than he, especially when the physicality wasn't called. he was also timid with the ball at times, leading to TOs and missed shots...avoiding contact. He seemed to shy away form the contact. A more experienced player would have been able to send banks packing. Learning experience. I expect him to get better.

SCMatt33
01-08-2020, 11:16 PM
First, that was a great effort by GT. Save for getting the wrong guys in foul trouble late in the first half and missing some key shots down the stretch, they probably deserved this one. They came out with more energy and outworked Duke all night. It’s not easy to beat Duke on the glass, but they did. For Duke, this was a really good win to get. Vern had a down night and the team overall looked lethargic. A trip to Atlanta on the heels of a trip to Miami can sometimes do that, plus you just can’t expect 18-20 year olds to be up every night. But low energy often turns into low effort and I didn’t really see that. It was sloppy, it was frustrating, but you never saw Duke stop trying. A lot of guys stepped up and hit some big shots or made big stops. Guys like Jack hitting a huge 3 and Jav playing some great d and hitting his free throws at the end, when Vern had an off night. Every team has these kinds of nights, and in the past, these are normally games that would be an L, but to even have a good chance down the stretch, even if GT helped out a bit with the ultimate result missing shots, is huge.

As an aside, GT has looked pretty good since they got healthy and it won’t surprise me if they nab a big win at some point.

Troublemaker
01-08-2020, 11:17 PM
We needed a game like this. Carey and Jones were off their game, But Stanley was amazing. MOTM in my opinion.

Was Tre's game really that off?

If you give the passer half credit for Cassius' dunks and then add in the clutch midrange buckets down the stretch and of course his defense, Tre had a terrific game. (Free throws stunk.)

luvdahops
01-08-2020, 11:17 PM
Tre rallied at the end, but that was after being soundly outplayed by Alvarado for most of the second half. Some clutch plays by Jack and Javin at key points, and JGold played pretty well overall. But the MOTM was unquestionably Cassius in my view. He stepped up big time in the second half when everyone else was out of sorts. To put it mildly.

CDu
01-08-2020, 11:18 PM
That was fun. Frustrating at times, but fun. Not bad to win by 9 when your top scorer struggles, you miss a bunch of free throws and they don’t, and your normally reliable PG has 4 TOs.

Loved the effort O’Connell gave of the bench. Loved the energy Stanley gave us with those dunks. Love DeLaurier stepping up on D (and making his FTs) at just the right time. Loved winning.

Nice win in a tough game. On to the next challenge!

uh_no
01-08-2020, 11:18 PM
First, that was a great effort by GT. Save for getting the wrong guys in foul trouble late in the first half and missing some key shots down the stretch, they probably deserved this one. They came out with more energy and outworked Duke all night. It’s not easy to beat Duke on the glass, but they did. For Duke, this was a really good win to get. Vern had a down night and the team overall looked lethargic. A trip to Atlanta on the heels of a trip to Miami can sometimes do that, plus you just can’t expect 18-20 year olds to be up every night. But low energy often turns into low effort and I didn’t really see that. It was sloppy, it was frustrating, but you never saw Duke stop trying. A lot of guys stepped up and hit some big shots or made big stops. Guys like Jack hitting a huge 3 and Jav playing some great d and hitting his free throws at the end, when Vern had an off night. Every team has these kinds of nights, and in the past, these are normally games that would be an L, but to even have a good chance down the stretch, even if GT helped out a bit with the ultimate result missing shots, is huge.

As an aside, GT has looked pretty good since they got healthy and it won’t surprise me if they nab a big win at some point.

yeah given the 15 games usher and alvarado missed, their far better than their KP. we still weren't particularly far off from the expected outcome, and i expect the close game will look better as GT moves forwrad, as SFA has. Carey still needs to toughen up.

weezie
01-08-2020, 11:19 PM
Can we have a moment for Jack's 3 late in second half?

wsb3
01-08-2020, 11:19 PM
GT missed their last 11 shots. Duke D down the stretch was the difference.

Jack's 3 felt like the biggest shot of the night.

Cheats Lose..Good guys win.Makes for a very pleasant evening in Carolina Beach.

Kfanarmy
01-08-2020, 11:21 PM
Couldn't watch the game except in spurts. What happened to FT shooting. Were their fans doing something really wacky?

ChrisP
01-08-2020, 11:24 PM
Just watching postgame on ACCN and one of the two bald dudes said that Jose Alvorado was the "best guard on the floor tonight" (and the other bald dude clearly agreed with him). Ummm....

Tre Jones - 16 pts, 71.4 FG%, 8 rebs, 4 steals, 7 ast, 4 TO's (but...5-10 from FT line which is not good)

Jose Alvorado - 18 pts, 58.3%, 1 reb, 2 steals, 5 ast, 4 TO's

Ummm...huh? Man, I hate when actual FACTS get in the way of a "hot take" narrative :confused:


And don't even GET ME STARTED on those TWO - TWO! ridiculous assists for alley-opps to Cassius!!! One was literally from like 3 feet past half court. The other, from about 4 feet OUTSIDE the three point line! Great passes by Tre but absolutely crazy finishes from Stanley. Wow!!!

Would like to see smarter play from Carey in the post at the end (thought he settled for difficult shots when his man had 4 personals) and better FT shooting (obvs) but solid road win against a team flying high from a beat down of the Cheats.

ChrisP
01-08-2020, 11:25 PM
GT missed their last 11 shots. Duke D down the stretch was the difference.

Jack's 3 felt like the biggest shot of the night.

Cheats Lose..Good guys win.Makes for a very pleasant evening in Carolina Beach.

As Meatloaf said...you took the words right outta my mouth :cool:

TNTDevil
01-08-2020, 11:25 PM
GT missed their last 11 shots. Duke D down the stretch was the difference.

Jack's 3 felt like the biggest shot of the night.

Cheats Lose..Good guys win.Makes for a very pleasant evening in Carolina Beach.
Capel's Pitt defeats Cheats...

FIFY

;)

luvdahops
01-08-2020, 11:26 PM
i was thinking about how i was going to post about him being a liability and highlighting at least 3 times the defense broke down due to a hard commit on a double leaving his man wide open...a fault of his since day 1...then he does what Carey failed to do all game against banks and cowboyed up down low. he got away with some contact, but I don't care...we earned it. glad he's on the team.

anyway huge learning experience for carey. absolutely dominated on the glass by a guy willing to be more physical than he, especially when the physicality wasn't called. he was also timid with the ball at times, leading to TOs and missed shots...avoiding contact. He seemed to shy away form the contact. A more experienced player would have been able to send banks packing. Learning experience. I expect him to get better.

Agreed. Carey really struggled with the length and physicality of Banks. And IMHO, that's a big reason why he's not higher on NBA Mock Draft boards at the moment, despite his productivity so far this year. But he can certainly learn from this one, and begin erasing doubts about his ability to score inside consistently against NBA bigs.

DukeDevil
01-08-2020, 11:27 PM
10076

TNTDevil
01-08-2020, 11:28 PM
Just watching postgame on ACCN and one of the two bald dudes said that Jose Alvorado was the "best guard on the floor tonight" (and the other bald dude clearly agreed with him). Ummm...

Tre Jones - 16 pts, 71.4 FG%, 8 rebs, 4 steals, 7 ast, 4 TO's (but...5-10 from FT line which is not good)

Jose Alvorado - 18 pts, 58.3%, 1 reb, 2 steals, 5 ast, 4 TO's

Ummm...huh? Man, I hate when actual FACTS get in the way of a "hot take" narrative :confused:


And don't even GET ME STARTED on those TWO - TWO! ridiculous assists for alley-opps to Cassius!!! One was literally from like 3 feet past half court. The other, from about 4 feet OUTSIDE the three point line! Great passes by Tre but absolutely crazy finishes from Stanley. Wow!!!

Would like to see smarter play from Carey in the post at the end (thought he settled for difficult shots when his man had 4 personals) and better FT shooting (obvs) but solid road win against a team flying high from a beat down of the Cheats.The entire vibe of that show seemed to be: Tech lead by three for a few minutes and had a shot to win.

Like a participation trophy -- they almost won so they were better.

subzero02
01-08-2020, 11:29 PM
I didn't get to watch the game but was able to follow the gamecast. With the exception of our 1999 squad, it seems that every Duke team faces a few tough road contests like this every year in the ACC. Coming out with a win under these circumstances is the most important thing.


Sidenote: There were a total of 4 ACC games tonight and there is a very tight grouping amongst the final scores.

Duke 73 Georgia Tech 64

Pitt 73 UNC 65

NC State 73 Notre Dame 68

FSU 78 Wake 68

jgehtland
01-08-2020, 11:30 PM
When was the last time you saw bench scoring as one of the primary reasons Duke continues to win?

uh_no
01-08-2020, 11:30 PM
The entire vibe of that show seemed to be: Tech lead by three for a few minutes and had a shot to win.

Like a participation trophy -- they almost won so they were better.

growing up in the northeast with YES, SNY, and NESN, you get numb to it. the bar for analysis on regional sports networks is so incredibly low it makes espn regulars look like carl sagan.

BD80
01-08-2020, 11:31 PM
Tre was our leading rebounder?!?

ncexnyc
01-08-2020, 11:32 PM
I was thinking to myself that these recent blowouts were getting boring, well I got a nail biter tonight and now I'm reminded why I hate them so much. My gut was churning and I started yelling at the TV, something that hasn't happened very often this season.

Please resume with the blowouts:D

Again, we had a game where someone different stepped up. This is my idea of a team and I love the fact that everyone is getting a fair amount of playing time.

Troublemaker
01-08-2020, 11:33 PM
Tre was our leading rebounder?!?

I don't think he struggled tonight (except FTs obviously). He was my MOTM.

devildeac
01-08-2020, 11:35 PM
Tre was our leading rebounder?!?

Yep. Led the team in boards most of the game.

ChrisP
01-08-2020, 11:35 PM
I don't think he struggled tonight (except FTs obviously). He was my MOTM.

Well...he did have at least 2 (and I think more like 3) bad TO's that just looked like a lack of concentration/focus. But that sometimes happens with human beings when they are busting their I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this. on the defensive end :)

rsvman
01-08-2020, 11:36 PM
The entire vibe of that show seemed to be: Tech lead by three for a few minutes and had a shot to win.

Like a participation trophy -- they almost won so they were better.

Like Butler in the 2010 title game.


Here's the thing, though: "almost won" is a synonym of "lost."

dukelion
01-08-2020, 11:40 PM
Carey really struggled with the length and physicality of Banks. And IMHO, that's a big reason why he's not higher on NBA Mock Draft boards at the moment, despite his productivity so far this year. But he can certainly learn from this one, and begin erasing doubts about his ability to score inside consistently against NBA bigs.

Yup

Banks has NBA length and strength and scouts will probably hold this game up against Carey's potential NBA ceiling.

But it wasn't that bad.....he still shot better than Banks and missed a few chippies as well. Great game for him to learn from....ACC senior seven footers aren't no joke.

ndkjr70
01-08-2020, 11:42 PM
Banks with one of the most impressive stat-lines I’ve ever seen;

12 points, 15 rebounds, 13 fouls, 7 blocks. He was so close to the fabled quadruple double!

proelitedota
01-08-2020, 11:43 PM
That was the game we needed. It's a better win development wise that the 30 point blowouts we've been getting.

TNTDevil
01-08-2020, 11:43 PM
Yup

Banks has NBA length and strength and scouts will probably hold this game up against Carey's potential NBA ceiling.

But it wasn't that bad...he still shot better than Banks and missed a few chippies as well. Great game for him to learn from...ACC senior seven footers aren't no joke.
I'm re-watching the game right now. Banks was the beneficiary of a number of uncalled OTB fouls.

Nothing like home cookin'.

BlueDevil16
01-08-2020, 11:44 PM
Not saying he deserved more time, but missed some of the first half. Why did Joey only get 4 mins?

dukelion
01-08-2020, 11:44 PM
And can't believe the stones on Cassius to not even consider using two hands on that alley-oop......just savage.

Ruffdaddy
01-08-2020, 11:45 PM
We needed a game like this. Carey and Jones were off their game, But Stanley was amazing. MOTM in my opinion.

Jones led the team in points, assists, rebounds and steals, and was clutch in the final minutes. If he was off his game, I can't wait to see him when he's on!

ndkjr70
01-08-2020, 11:46 PM
Not saying he deserved more time, but missed some of the first half. Why did Joey only get 4 mins?

Joey was clearly on a short leash today. He had a bad turnover, a bad missed assignment and just didn’t look all that comfortable so he was yanked.

TNTDevil
01-08-2020, 11:46 PM
Not saying he deserved more time, but missed some of the first half. Why did Joey only get 4 mins?Probably for the same reason Jack White saw limited minutes. No good match-ups for them.

But, Jack, in his limited minutes, sure made the most of them. Same goes for AOC.

SkyBrickey
01-08-2020, 11:47 PM
Just rewatched the last 10 min. Stanley’s dunks were momentum changers but we got separation in the last 3 minutes on these winning plays.

Javins blocks.
Carey with a huge rebound and put back on a missed Stanley free throw.
Tre driving and hitting a pull-up in the lane.

Love to see our guys with the clutch plays. We weren’t rattled at the end. Great sign.

moonpie23
01-08-2020, 11:49 PM
When you jack up your amp!10077 but your g string is flat

SkyBrickey
01-08-2020, 11:53 PM
Only 7 guys with more than 10 min. Uh oh.

Joey starts and only gets 4 min. Coach is a Mad Genius. :)

Bluedog
01-08-2020, 11:55 PM
And can't believe the stones on Cassius to not even consider using two hands on that alley-oop...just savage.

Yeah I was shocked he had the confidence to do the one handed catch and tomahawk because you know if he missed that, he'd hear it hardcore from K. Major cajones. Clearly he does that in practice all the time and doesn't mess it up.

DUKIE V(A)
01-09-2020, 12:01 AM
Tre rallied at the end, but that was after being soundly outplayed by Alvarado for most of the second half. Some clutch plays by Jack and Javin at key points, and JGold played pretty well overall. But the MOTM was unquestionably Cassius in my view. He stepped up big time in the second half when everyone else was out of sorts. To put it mildly.

Other than the missed free throws and a couple more turnovers than usual (and this happens in a wild/physical game), I thought Tre played an incredible game. 16 points (on just 7 shots), 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. He played Alvarado well on D (sometimes you have to tip your cap) and handled a ton of pushing and shoving down the stretch without issue. He was composed and came up clutch in the big moments. Best overall point guard in the country.

Ima Facultiwyfe
01-09-2020, 12:03 AM
When you jack up your amp!10077 but your g string is flat

That bit of show business would get you yanked pretty quickly if you were a Blue Devil.
Love, Ima

TNTDevil
01-09-2020, 12:04 AM
When you jack up your amp!10077 but your g string is flat
There's something especially delicious about watching the game on DVR and seeing the fans in the midst of their fanaticism and know...it's going to end badly for them.

sagegrouse
01-09-2020, 12:20 AM
Eleven for twenty-one for Duke. Thirteen for fifteen for Georgia Tech. Did we lose a bunch of points at the free throw line? Tre is capable of shooting eighty percent -- he needs to do it.

jacone21
01-09-2020, 12:26 AM
When you jack up your amp!10077 but your g string is flat


Looks like he's auditioning to play bass for a Kiss cover band.

Kedsy
01-09-2020, 12:27 AM
An ACC road win is an ACC road win.

OFFENSE

Possessions: 71.6 (decent pace)
oRtg: 1.02 (1.12; good, not great)
eFG%: 57.4% (good)
3pt%: 50.0% (fab; 6th 40+ 3pt% in last eight games (and 7th in last 10))
2pt%: 52.4% (decent)
%threes: 22.2% (low; but once again we shot well from three when this pct was low)
FT rate: 38.9% (good)
OR%: 23.3% (weak)
TO%: 19.6% (third meh performance in a row)
a/to: 0.93:1 (blech)
%assisted: 46.4%
fast break pts: 21 (28.8% of points; best fast break performance of the season)

DEFENSE

dRtg: 0.89 (adjusted dRtg of 0.91 is acceptable)
eFG%: 39.8% (very good; fifth straight game under 44%)
3pt%: 31.3% (not terrible)
2pt%: 37.5% (very good)
%threes: 25.0% (good; another sub-30 performance in a season so far full of them)
FT rate: 23.4% (ok)
DR%: 59.0% (horrendous; worst DR performance of the season)
TO%: 23.8% (strong)
a/to: 0.76:1 (good)
%assisted: 56.5%
stl%: 11.2% (not bad)
blk%: 10.9% (14.5% of 2pt shots) (good)
fast break pts: 13 (20.3% of points; after six straight game allowing 6 or fewer fast break points, we finally put up a clunker in this regard)


Other than defensive rebounding and fast break points, our defense was good against a bad offensive team. Our offense was good overall but not great against a good defensive team. Sounds like a formula for a 9-point road win against Pomeroy's #84 team.

DUKIE V(A)
01-09-2020, 12:30 AM
I was disappointed to learn that there will not be a return match with Ga Tech at Duke. Should we play them again in the ACC Tournament, I expect that Carey will have a huge game and that Duke wins handily. Carey had 14 points tonight along with 6 boards but easily could have scored 10-12 more with his normal high quality finishing. Credit to Banks for pressuring shots and playing aggressively (since the refs did not seem interested in calling over the back or hacks), but I can see Carey making the necessary adjustments in a return match. Catching the ball with both hands, being firmer in his boxouts, and attacking Banks’ body before laying the ball in will make all the difference. A great learning experience for Carey. He is a smart player, and I see tonight’s experience as making him better in the long run. His post play has been exceptional to date and tonight’s game will be helpful as conference play becomes more physical.

sagegrouse
01-09-2020, 12:34 AM
I was disappointed to learn that there will not be a return match with Ga Tech at Duke. Should we play them again in the ACC Tournament, I expect that Carey will have a huge game and that Duke wins handily. Carey had 14 points tonight along with 6 boards but easily could have scored 10-12 more with his normal high quality finishing. Credit to Banks for pressuring shots and playing aggressively (since the refs did not seem interested in calling over the back or hacks), but I can see Carey making the necessary adjustments in a return match. Catching the ball with both hands, being firmer in his boxouts, and attacking Banks’ body before laying the ball in will make all the difference. A great learning experience for Carey. He is a smart player, and I see tonight’s experience as making him better in the long run. His post play has been exceptional to date and tonight’s game will be helpful as conference play becomes more physical.

Carey did not pass out of double teams. Works against Miami, which has no inside strength, but doesn't against Georgia Tech.

Kedsy
01-09-2020, 12:42 AM
Great game for him to learn from...ACC senior seven footers aren't no joke.

Except Banks is listed at 6'9".

AZLA
01-09-2020, 01:50 AM
There's something especially delicious about watching the game on DVR and seeing the fans in the midst of their fanaticism and know...it's going to end badly for them.

Even better watching the condensed highlights.

brevity
01-09-2020, 02:48 AM
Even better watching the condensed highlights.

That reminds me:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfrHh_K2g7U

Nugget
01-09-2020, 02:51 AM
i was thinking about how i was going to post about him being a liability and highlighting at least 3 times the defense broke down due to a hard commit on a double leaving his man wide open...a fault of his since day 1...then he does what Carey failed to do all game against banks and cowboyed up down low. he got away with some contact, but I don't care...we earned it. glad he's on the team.

anyway huge learning experience for carey. absolutely dominated on the glass by a guy willing to be more physical than he, especially when the physicality wasn't called. he was also timid with the ball at times, leading to TOs and missed shots...avoiding contact. He seemed to shy away form the contact. A more experienced player would have been able to send banks packing. Learning experience. I expect him to get better.

Right-o on both points.

Very pleased with a tough, gritty performance down the stretch. Good teams rally like that on the road. Vernon should grow from this one. Glad we get a win in the learning experience.

Dukehk
01-09-2020, 03:32 AM
Good change to have a team that can hit 3's and swing the ball quickly for open shots!

Talk about digging deep to come back and get the road win. An important win and lesson for the youngsters today.

This team is getting better and better.

proelitedota
01-09-2020, 04:11 AM
https://i.imgur.com/n5A9hIC.png

Dukehk
01-09-2020, 04:18 AM
https://i.imgur.com/n5A9hIC.png

Nothing beats a Duke win on the road coupled with a tarhole loss at the nose dome.

What a day.

Devilwin
01-09-2020, 05:02 AM
On Tre...
My favorite player, but you would not know it from my comments. I know he stacked the stats, but.
His turnovers were very un-Tre like.


He was beaten several times on drives.

He stood there a couple times and let his man score without trying to stop him.

He hit just 50% from the stripe..

Vernon did look timid..
Cassius looked like an embryonic Zion out there, stoked the fire with his dunks..MOTM

proelitedota
01-09-2020, 05:55 AM
On Tre...
My favorite player, but you would not know it from my comments. I know he stacked the stats, but.
His turnovers were very un-Tre like.


He was beaten several times on drives.

He stood there a couple times and let his man score without trying to stop him.

He hit just 50% from the stripe...

Load management 2.0?

Acymetric
01-09-2020, 07:07 AM
Was Tre's game really that off?

If you give the passer half credit for Cassius' dunks and then add in the clutch midrange buckets down the stretch and of course his defense, Tre had a terrific game. (Free throws stunk.)

He lead the team in basically every category, so no not really. Made a few mistakes, but that wasn't unique to him last night.

Acymetric
01-09-2020, 07:09 AM
I didn't get to watch the game but was able to follow the gamecast. With the exception of our 1999 squad, it seems that every Duke team faces a few tough road contests like this every year in the ACC. Coming out with a win under these circumstances is the most important thing.


Sidenote: There were a total of 4 ACC games tonight and there is a very tight grouping amongst the final scores.

Duke 73 Georgia Tech 64

Pitt 73 UNC 65

NC State 73 Notre Dame 68

FSU 78 Wake 68

Woah, that's pretty cool, thanks for pointing it out!

arnie
01-09-2020, 07:24 AM
If ESPN has it right, Goldwire played 37 minutes. I guess K decided to play the tough D, smarter ball handling card and sacrifice shooting. I like Jordan for 15-20 minutes; not sure we can give up that much on offense against Louisville, FSU while Wendell out. Thought AOC could have played more tonight.

DUKIECB
01-09-2020, 07:25 AM
Great game and the type of game a young team needs to help them grow and improve.

We must be better from the line though. 11-21 almost did us in. Do that in the tournament and you most likely get to watch the rest from home.

BD80
01-09-2020, 07:29 AM
https://i.imgur.com/n5A9hIC.png

My two almae matres did OK last night. Sweet Caroline in a Blue Dress!

TeacherTom
01-09-2020, 07:29 AM
I so hope next year that the major TV providers pick up the network. I grew as tired as I am right now of Sling's razor commercial last night. Even more disappointing was that double the razors were not offered if one were to act now. Beyond that, what an exciting game!

BD80
01-09-2020, 07:35 AM
If ESPN has it right, Goldwire played 37 minutes. I guess K decided to play the tough D, smarter ball handling card and sacrifice shooting. I like Jordan for 15-20 minutes; not sure we can give up that much on offense against Louisville, FSU while Wendell out. Thought AOC could have played more tonight.

This was the most surprising stat line to me. Didn't see the game. Does it have anything to do with Jack only playing 7 minutes?

Good for Jordan to earn his PT, but boy oh boy would I like to see Cassius or AOC put forth that effort and earn a bigger share of those minutes.

fuse
01-09-2020, 07:37 AM
K in the post Laettner seasons had talked about needing an “MFer” on the team.

Grit, toughness, will to win. Starting to wonder if Stanley is this team’s MFer.

Stat line aside, I’d agree with those that think something is a bit off with Tre.
The family has made his mother’s battle with cancer public, and while its none of my business, in Tre’s shoes, how my mom was doing would weigh heavily on me.
It was also Tre’s birthday, so maybe that’s a factor.

Watching Jack hit that open three reminded me of how good Jack was on the offensive end before losing confidence last season.

Goldwire may not be the story of the season, and I still think, wow, what a journey.
Barely recruited, last minute offer, expected to be a career practice player. Key to the comeback last season at Louisville, earned trust to run the team while Tre was out, and continues to play stellar defense and make good decisions. His assist to turnover ratio is pretty darn good.

I’m trying really hard not to give in and have high expectations for this year’s team. They are not making that easy- they appear to be having fun, play as a team, and don’t give up.

Let’s go Duke!

weezie
01-09-2020, 07:51 AM
...Carey really struggled with the length and physicality of Banks. And IMHO, that's a big reason why he's not higher on NBA Mock Draft boards at the moment, despite his productivity so far this year...

Ok I'll stand with this, although when he learns to not take the pump fake bait and to really force his timing and strength he's going to move up that board. And if you cut the OTB non-calls that never landed on gtech, Vern would have had a much longer stint on the floor.

I wonder what guitar-man is thinking this morning? Such a delightfully stupid highlight. Someone wondered in chat, what would K do if he saw a Duke player pulling that kind of dopery on the court?

dukelifer
01-09-2020, 07:57 AM
Duke played well in first half but got punched in the mouth in the second half. Credit Tech in not folding. They are a good defensive team and can be disruptive. The team did not play well at the start of the second. I was impressed that they did not crumble under the pressure as no player seemed to be stepping up. Lots of turnovers and missed shots. But this team continues to battle on D. Stanley woke up the team and then the team showed a ton of toughness down the stretch. Tech is not awful- particularly at home- and Carey seemed to have trouble with the length of their big guys. A great win on the road and winning close games is great preparation for the tourney.

Saratoga2
01-09-2020, 08:22 AM
Moore brings a quality of toughness and defense that no one other than Jack White can bring and his presence was missed last night. Still, there was enough to beat a good GT team playing at their home. Hope Moore is not out for more than a month.

Bluedog
01-09-2020, 08:24 AM
If ESPN has it right, Goldwire played 37 minutes. I guess K decided to play the tough D, smarter ball handling card and sacrifice shooting. I like Jordan for 15-20 minutes; not sure we can give up that much on offense against Louisville, FSU while Wendell out. Thought AOC could have played more tonight.

Louisville might not be the best example given Goldwire is the person who largely fueled the comeback against them last year. AOC had some solid minutes but Goldwire was just steady throughout, playing solid D and not making offensive mistakes.

SkyBrickey
01-09-2020, 08:25 AM
If ESPN has it right, Goldwire played 37 minutes. I guess K decided to play the tough D, smarter ball handling card and sacrifice shooting. I like Jordan for 15-20 minutes; not sure we can give up that much on offense against Louisville, FSU while Wendell out. Thought AOC could have played more tonight.

Yeah, interesting decision by Coach. Goldwire was a one man wrecking ball on defense in the first half when we built the nice lead and coach stuck with him.

Nice game by AOC with some clutch shots.

I hope Joey can learn from this one. His two starts have not been his best moments. Nerves?

SkyBrickey
01-09-2020, 08:29 AM
Moore brings a quality of toughness and defense that no one other than Jack White can bring and his presence was missed last night. Still, there was enough to beat a good GT team playing at their home. Hope Moore is not out for more than a month.

I agree with this. Moore’s absence was noticeable last night. He would’ve matched up against GT better than AOC or Joey.

Billy Dat
01-09-2020, 08:58 AM
A very disjointed and messy game. It felt like our turnovers really fueled their runs as our half court defense seemed solid for the most part. Tech throws a bunch of different defensive wrinkles (as Pastner's cue cards suggest) and I think we got frustrated and got caught deep in the teeth of that zone jumping with nowhere to pass leading to too many guys below the free throw line when the transition started the other way. A HUGE play was that one where we are down 53-50 and Tre throws it away but it somehow slowly rolled out of bounds off Tech. If they keep the ball and go up 5 or 6 there, lots of game pressure would have followed as the game was getting shorter.

I was impressed with Tech, Banks was very solid but (A) I think he got a little gassed and (B) he missed a lot of buckets down the stretch within 3 feet of the rim. I also thought that Devoe went into hero mode (3-11) down the stretch when Tech would have been better off getting shots for the other guards. They also missed some open shots.

I was going to make a point about how they only played 6 guys and our depth wore them down but, lo and behold, our minutes distribution was much less democratic...Jones and Goldwire above 36 each, Hurt at 33, Casisus and Vernon at 25-27. White and Baker in single digits. But, it was also the first close game we've played in a while, and, aside from Joey, all of these guys saw the court when the game was in question in the final 10 minutes. Depth, in this case, perhaps means that guys who are regularly playing are more able to come in when their number is called, even on a night when they haven't played that much (Jack and Javin) and make big, decisive plays.

For us...we just keep getting it done. K mentioned it in the post game, but Jack's 3 AND block, Vernon's big put back to put us up 4 late, Tre's pull up in the lane, Cassius' brief and furious dunk takeover sequence, Javin's late defense....that's a lot of different guys making winning plays in the last 10 minutes of a conference road game.

Great job by this team with a road heavy start to conference play. Let's keep building

Jaks19
01-09-2020, 09:01 AM
When JGold and Tre are together. Stanley at the 3 and Jack at the 4 is a physical group that will get at it defensively. But that puts a lot on Stanley and Tre (along with Carey at the 5) to carry toe load offensively.

devildeac
01-09-2020, 09:35 AM
Nothing beats a Duke win on the road coupled with a Tar Heel loss at the nose dome.

What a day.

And a NCSU win at home! A perfect trifecta in the Triangle area!

ndkjr70
01-09-2020, 09:38 AM
Was thinking about this yesterday -- overconfidence, overcelebrating and prematurely celebrating seem to be a staple of Josh Pastner teams. I was reminded of that last night when my buddy texted me (after the air guitar) "aren't these the bums that slapped the floor in Cameron a few years ago right before getting blown out"?

Yes, they are those bums.

bluenorth
01-09-2020, 09:41 AM
Yeah, interesting decision by Coach. Goldwire was a one man wrecking ball on defense in the first half when we built the nice lead and coach stuck with him.

Nice game by AOC with some clutch shots.

I hope Joey can learn from this one. His two starts have not been his best moments. Nerves?

There have been some players in the dim, dark past (not from Duke) who have earned some notoriety for NOT wanting to start, but preferred coming in as a super-sub. Sorry, the names escape me. I don't see Baker in that role, but his starts haven't been great so far.

roywhite
01-09-2020, 09:48 AM
Was thinking about this yesterday -- overconfidence, overcelebrating and prematurely celebrating seem to be a staple of Josh Pastner teams. I was reminded of that last night when my buddy texted me (after the air guitar) "aren't these the bums that slapped the floor in Cameron a few years ago right before getting blown out"?

Yes, they are those bums.

Yet, apparently Pastner doesn't make the connection between excessive early celebration, jumping around, etc. and running out of gas late in the game.

https://goduke.com/documents/2020/1/9//Duke_GT_Opponent_Quotes.pdf

On running out of steam offensively over the final three minutes of the game:
“Yeah, we probably got a little tired because we exerted so much energy to get back. I was just talked to Marvin Lewis and I was telling him, it
would be nice if there was somewhere you could steal some minutes, maybe give a little rest to those guys. It’s just hard when you get yourself
down against a good team like this. You lose your margin of error and you’re struggling to score and then what happensis you just fight and claw
to get yourself back in front, and you do, and you exert so much energy that it’s hard to sub at that time because you’re just kind of moving. But
it is what it is. We missed a lot of short shots right at the rim. And all you can ask for is an opportunity to get there. We missed a couple of open
looks, and when I say you could live with it, in a sense, as a coach, is all you can ask for is you give yourself a chance to win the game and we had
some opportunities.”

bluenorth
01-09-2020, 09:50 AM
Coach K continues to do a great job of managing Carey's minutes. Yes, Carey is young and in good shape, but hauling 270 pounds up and down the court takes a lot of energy. Having DeLaurier there to give Carey regular breathers is a luxury that cannot be overlooked. It must be tempting to just leave Carey in for Jones (or Goldwire!) minute totals, but this strategy will pay off late in the season when Carey will be just that much fresher. In the meantime the young man seems to be learning how to play the college game. I'd much rather have his steady demeanor than someone playing air guitar after a basket.

Music man55
01-09-2020, 09:55 AM
Man, Pastner with those silly big number cards jumping up and down on the sideline, reminded me of those goofy people on game shows trying to get attention. Blue Devils really tough when it mattered. Jack and Javin made critical plays when it mattered. Cassius was a MAN in the second half and Tre huge plays as always. What a team!

budwom
01-09-2020, 09:58 AM
Except Banks is listed at 6'9".

6-10 on the GT roster. He was formidable.

I think when the team is in a dogfight with a relatively quick opponent, K opts for more speed, hence more Goldwire, less White and Baker. We've seen this before.

Monmouth77
01-09-2020, 10:03 AM
6-10 on the GT roster. He was formidable.

I think when the team is in a dogfight with a relatively quick opponent, K opts for more speed, hence more Goldwire, less White and Baker. We've seen this before.

That seemed like the strategy for most of the game, but Tech got back in it with second (and third) shots at the rim and we finished with a bigger, better rebounding (and shot blocking) lineup.

curtis325
01-09-2020, 10:15 AM
Did Coach K decide to not use his depth because it was a close game, or was it a close game because K decided not to use his depth? Who knows?

A random bozo on the internet thinks that with Moore available and Duke going 9-10 deep this game would have been a blowout.

YMMV.

uh_no
01-09-2020, 10:19 AM
Did Coach K decide to not use his depth because it was a close game, or was it a close game because K decided not to use his depth? Who knows?

A random bozo on the internet thinks that with Moore available and Duke going 9-10 deep this game would have been a blowout.

YMMV.

the game would have been different, for sure....but having moore would not have stopped banks from dominating carey on the glass, and limiting his effectiveness otherwise.

Tom B.
01-09-2020, 10:22 AM
Man, Pastner with those silly big number cards jumping up and down on the sideline, reminded me of those goofy people on game shows trying to get attention.

I sense an opportunity for Cameron mischief. Picture a thousand or so students jumping up and down, screaming hysterically, and waving laminated cards with random numbers on them every time Georgia Tech is on defense.

Feel free to kick the randomness up a notch by mixing in Roman numerals, the infinity symbol, pi, the quadratic equation, Avogadro's number, etc.

luvdahops
01-09-2020, 10:28 AM
6-10 on the GT roster. He was formidable.

I think when the team is in a dogfight with a relatively quick opponent, K opts for more speed, hence more Goldwire, less White and Baker. We've seen this before.

6-10 with a 7-5 wingspan and 9-3 standing reach for Banks, so significantly “longer” than Vernon. And much more aggressive for most of last night.

azzefkram
01-09-2020, 10:28 AM
Nice win. A bit too stressful for my tastes given the 9pm start time. This old man needs his sleep.

I thought Tre had a great bad game (or a bad great game). He hit clutch shots but missed 5 free throws. He dished out 7 assists (include some absolute beauties to Cassius) but had some poor turnovers. He grabbed 8 rebounds but was relatively sub-par defensively for the first 10-12 minutes of the 2nd half. Additionally, Carey seemed to be bothered by the physicality that Banks was allowed to get away with. That being said, Duke still won on the road in ACC play with its 2 best players having sub-par games.

Cassius was a blast to watch. Alex had a good game. Javin, master of the barbell performance, had his typical game. Jordan continues to exceed my expectations. I really like Joey but I think he's a year away from being a solid rotation player. Jack lack of play the past few games has been a bit of a surprise to me. Matt seems to be adjusting to the college game.

Duke win and UNC loss makes me happy.

dukejim1
01-09-2020, 10:46 AM
Carey later in the game started putting his body into Banks before and while going up which is required against a shot blocker. Hurt never did and got nothing inside. Wendell would have challenged Banks with his body as well, probably not able to finish but maybe draw that extra, elusive foul that they seemed to
avoid calling. Great learning experience for the young guys, Nate and Carrawell can certainly help them with a film session.

jv001
01-09-2020, 10:50 AM
Now that was what I'm used to seeing in a ACC Conference game, especially a road game. GT is now healthy and is going to be a tough task for anyone playing them in Atlanta. They have two good bigs and two good guards and say what you will about Pastner, he's a pretty good coach. I've seen good Duke teams that might have lost last night. I think the difference is Duke's defense and Duke's bench(18pts) this season. For the game: After commenting that Javin was just taking up space for most of the night, he does some things toward the end of the game that Brand would be proud of. A block a rebound and two very big FTs. I was proud of him for stepping up. Another player that came through in a big way was Cassius. After playing so-so for most of the game, he makes some plays that turned the game around. Those dunks were awesome. He had no fear. I also thought Alex played well in his 13 minutes. 4 of 6, 1 of 2 (3s), 1 steal and Jack hit a big 3 pointer and came up with a block in his 7 minutes. Coach K went to Goldwire for his defense and it paid off. Duke was getting killed on switches at the beginning of the game but not so much when Jordan came in. Vernon didn't have one of his best games and I believe the physicality of GTs front line seemed to set him back somewhat. Instead of being strong with the ball, he seemed to rely on finesse and that didn't get it done. Coach K said in his postgame interview, "we were catching it with one hand, not being strong". There was one instance that Vernon tried to catch the ball with one hand and GT came away with a steal and fast break layup. Tre had a good game. He had 16 points, led the team in rebounds with 8, had 7 assists, 1 block, 4 steals and played 39 minutes. However he did have 4 turnovers and some came from leaving his feet with no one to pass to. He was bad from the FT line with 5 for 10. But you can't judge Tre on those things because he brings so much to the table. His defense is outstanding and his leadership is as well. Hurt had a good game with 11 points, 3 of 7 from three and 6 rebounds. He played 33 minutes. Joey Baker was almost invisible in his 4 minutes. He had 1 foul and 1 turnover. I guess he still has "starters disease". I hope Coach K uses him as his 6 man from now on. This was a tough road win like I said, some past Duke teams would have left GA with a loss last night. I'm proud of these young men and now let's take care of business against a better than usual Wake team. Oh, the cheat lost again and that's a very good thing.

GoDuke!

Truth&Justise
01-09-2020, 11:10 AM
A few thoughts after attending the game last night:

Hats off to Georgia Tech
I'll take a moment to sing Tech's praises. With the squad fully healthy now, they are way better than their early season struggles. Time will tell if they can keep up the intensity they showed over the last two games, but they've got some great pieces.

The Wright/Banks frontcourt is a nightmare for most, and they bludgeoned us on the glass. And I can't say enough good things about Alvarado. He's a mighty fine point guard. I have no idea why Tech ran any plays late other than giving him the ball in the pick and roll, because he created every time. Knows how to change speed, attack angles, and find a teammate for an easy score. Tech is one wing shooter away from being a top-5 ACC team. Devoe clearly wants to be that guy, and was unafraid from letting it fly, but he was overzealous and that hurt his team.

That said...


GT looks like it has the pieces to make a run. . . .
I wouldn't want to see GT in the first round of the ACC tournament.

Well, I've got some good news for you: Georgia Tech is banned from postseason play (https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2019/09/26/ncaa-georgia-tech-mens-basketball-banned-from.html) (though they are appealing (https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28088006/georgia-tech-appealing-postseason-ban-recruiting-limits)).

Stanley and Tre Made the Big Momentum Plays
On the Duke side, I'll echo all the praise for Cassius Stanley, who changed the momentum of the game. A moribund stadium was suddenly rocking when Tech took the lead, and then Cassius reigned fire from the heavens. It even led to a loud "LETS GO DUKE" chant, which was countered by "LETS GO TECH." Easily the most hyped the stadium got. Stanley made big plays that were inflection points in the game.


Just rewatched the last 10 min. Stanley’s dunks were momentum changers but we got separation in the last 3 minutes on these winning plays.

Javins blocks.
Carey with a huge rebound and put back on a missed Stanley free throw.
Tre driving and hitting a pull-up in the lane.

Jones did a great job recognizing when 5'10" Bubba Parham was guarding him and he went right at him, driving the ball hard for mid-range jumpers or getting to the line (where he struggled, but alas). It was a prime example of KYP--KNOW YOUR PERSONNEL. Tre did well by recognizing a mismatch against Parham. Everyone else did poorly by taking soft shots against Banks. Matthew Hurt and Jack White both had moments where they pump faked but Banks didn't bite, and they went up for layups anyway. YOU CAN'T DO THAT AGAINST A GOOD SHOT BLOCKER. Gotta know your personnel.

K Trusted Hurt on Defense -- His Teammates Should Too
Finally, hat tip to Matthew Hurt for his defense. Repeatedly Moses Wright attempted to drive on Hurt, and while he could use his strength to bully Hurt into the paint, Hurt planted his feet and used his length to bother any shots. Wright was unable to score, and those plays repeatedly worked in Duke's favor...right up until the other Duke big doubled unnecessarily, leaving Banks open for an easy pass or an offensive rebound. K stuck with Hurt in late game defensive situations, rather than subbing in Jack White. Hurt showed that he can play bend-but-don't-break defense when someone tries to bully him (kind of like Ryan Kelly used to), and I have faith in him doing so going forward. We just need to make sure we don't overhelp.

jv001
01-09-2020, 11:17 AM
A few thoughts after attending the game last night:

Hats off to Georgia Tech
I'll take a moment to sing Tech's praises. With the squad fully healthy now, they are way better than their early season struggles. Time will tell if they can keep up the intensity they showed over the last two games, but they've got some great pieces.

The Wright/Banks frontcourt is a nightmare for most, and they bludgeoned us on the glass. And I can't say enough good things about Alvarado. He's a mighty fine point guard. I have no idea why Tech ran any plays late other than giving him the ball in the pick and roll, because he created every time. Knows how to change speed, attack angles, and find a teammate for an easy score. Tech is one wing shooter away from being a top-5 ACC team. Devoe clearly wants to be that guy, and was unafraid from letting it fly, but he was overzealous and that hurt his team.

That said...



Well, I've got some good news for you: Georgia Tech is banned from postseason play (https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2019/09/26/ncaa-georgia-tech-mens-basketball-banned-from.html) (though they are appealing (https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28088006/georgia-tech-appealing-postseason-ban-recruiting-limits)).

Stanley and Tre Made the Big Momentum Plays
On the Duke side, I'll echo all the praise for Cassius Stanley, who changed the momentum of the game. A moribund stadium was suddenly rocking when Tech took the lead, and then Cassius reigned fire from the heavens. It even led to a loud "LETS GO DUKE" chant, which was countered by "LETS GO TECH." Easily the most hyped the stadium got. Stanley made big plays that were inflection points in the game.



Jones did a great job recognizing when 5'10" Bubba Parham was guarding him and he went right at him, driving the ball hard for mid-range jumpers or getting to the line (where he struggled, but alas). It was a prime example of KYP--KNOW YOUR PERSONNEL. Tre did well by recognizing a mismatch against Parham. Everyone else did poorly by taking soft shots against Banks. Matthew Hurt and Jack White both had moments where they pump faked but Banks didn't bite, and they went up for layups anyway. YOU CAN'T DO THAT AGAINST A GOOD SHOT BLOCKER. Gotta know your personnel.

K Trusted Hurt on Defense -- His Teammates Should Too
Finally, hat tip to Matthew Hurt for his defense. Repeatedly Moses Wright attempted to drive on Hurt, and while he could use his strength to bully Hurt into the paint, Hurt planted his feet and used his length to bother any shots. Wright was unable to score, and those plays repeatedly worked in Duke's favor...right up until the other Duke big doubled unnecessarily, leaving Banks open for an easy pass or an offensive rebound. K stuck with Hurt in late game defensive situations, rather than subbing in Jack White. Hurt showed that he can play bend-but-don't-break defense when someone tries to bully him (kind of like Ryan Kelly used to), and I have faith in him doing so going forward. We just need to make sure we don't overhelp.

On one occasion it was Javin that left his man down low to double and GT got a dump off basket because of it. I agree with you on Matthew Hurt. He had a good game with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. That's the toughest I've seen Hurt play. GoDuke!

WVDUKEFAN
01-09-2020, 11:26 AM
What the hell happened to Joey Baker? 0-0?? Looked a little rough around the edges as well.

jv001
01-09-2020, 11:29 AM
What the hell happened to Joey Baker? 0-0?? Looked a little rough around the edges as well.

My first thought while watching the game was Joey is having a hard time against the GT zone/match up zone. Plus he wasn't playing very good defense either. Joey has gone into a slump with his outside shot as well. Hope he get's it going.

GoDuke!

BoiseDevil
01-09-2020, 11:32 AM
I was thinking to myself that these recent blowouts were getting boring, well I got a nail biter tonight and now I'm reminded why I hate them so much. My gut was churning and I started yelling at the TV, something that hasn't happened very often this season.

Please resume with the blowouts:D

Again, we had a game where someone different stepped up. This is my idea of a team and I love the fact that everyone is getting a fair amount of playing time.

Everyone is EARNING their fair amount of playing time. No doubt Joey will wall up and have a better outing next game.

BD80
01-09-2020, 11:38 AM
I sense an opportunity for Cameron mischief. Picture a thousand or so students jumping up and down, screaming hysterically, and waving laminated cards with random numbers on them every time Georgia Tech is on defense.

Feel free to kick the randomness up a notch by mixing in Roman numerals, the infinity symbol, pi, the quadratic equation, Avogadro's number, etc.

What's an Avocado number?


With Tech, such figures would be recognizable. If it were unc, you might as well hold up ink blots.

SavDukeGrad
01-09-2020, 11:42 AM
A few thoughts after attending the game last night:

K Trusted Hurt on Defense -- His Teammates Should Too
Finally, hat tip to Matthew Hurt for his defense. Repeatedly Moses Wright attempted to drive on Hurt, and while he could use his strength to bully Hurt into the paint, Hurt planted his feet and used his length to bother any shots. Wright was unable to score, and those plays repeatedly worked in Duke's favor...right up until the other Duke big doubled unnecessarily, leaving Banks open for an easy pass or an offensive rebound. K stuck with Hurt in late game defensive situations, rather than subbing in Jack White. Hurt showed that he can play bend-but-don't-break defense when someone tries to bully him (kind of like Ryan Kelly used to), and I have faith in him doing so going forward. We just need to make sure we don't overhelp.

This is a great point about Hurt’s defense. I was actually surprised when I looked at the game stats and saw Hurt’s minutes - watching on TV, I didn’t realize he was playing such heavy minutes, especially in the 2nd half when he wasn’t having the same offensive success that he had in the first. I also wondered why Coach K wasn’t putting Jack in at crunch time, when we needed defensive stops, rebounds, and toughness.

Well the answer is obviously that he now trusts Hurt on defense, and that is a very positive development. Unfortunately, that also explains why Jack seems to have gotten fewer minutes recently. But great for the team.

Hartford Dukie
01-09-2020, 11:42 AM
Did any of Cassius' dunks make Sportscenter's top 10?

chrishoke
01-09-2020, 11:46 AM
Anyone have a link to K's press conference?

Tripping William
01-09-2020, 11:47 AM
What's an Avocado number?


With Tech, such figures would be recognizable. If it were unc, you might as well hold up ink blots.

Alvarado wears No. 10. :o

Troublemaker
01-09-2020, 11:50 AM
Anyone have a link to K's press conference?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vC1sbQr0wE

kAzE
01-09-2020, 11:51 AM
Did any of Cassius' dunks make Sportscenter's top 10?

He was #4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC_0vmn3dCI), but they only showed the two 2nd half alley-oops. My personal favorite might have been the driving dunk that happened in between those two lobs, which they didn't show. But to be fair, there were some incredible highlight plays that night.

rsvman
01-09-2020, 11:52 AM
That was the game we needed. It's a better win development wise that the 30 point blowouts we've been getting.

Although this is the conventional wisdom, certainly, I'm going to pontificate about an alternative point of view.

My biggest worry coming off this good road win is that we saw K resorting to his old tricks; i.e., shortening the bench/tightening the rotation in close games. Granted that Wendell Moore was not available (and I think we really missed him a lot more than most people are acknowledging), there were other times when subbing would have made perfect sense that K chose to not sub. An egregious example would be in the endgame, when we were ahead and knew they were going to intentionally foul us; after they called the held ball that gave the ball back to us, why not sub Joey Baker in for Goldwire? Goldwire promptly missed two free throws that Joey would likely have made. I know that Joey was "in the doghouse" after some particularly pointless plays, but he can shoot free throws, coach! And we may have needed all the free throws we could get (as it turned out, GT missed enough shots near the end that they weren't necessary, but who knew they would miss that many?).

Anyway, here's the thing. Sometimes when you do the wrong thing but get a good outcome anyway it sends a message, subconsciously or otherwise, that you did the right thing. I'll give you an example from medicine. For decades, pediatricians put every kid with a remotely red ear drum on antibiotic therapy for ear infection. The kids did well and got better, which sent the message that we were doing the right thing. But we weren't. 80-85% of those ear infections were self-limited, resolving on their own without antibiotics at all. We could just as well have asked the parents to do 5 jumping jacks at the foot of the kid's bed every night for a week and would have also been successful. That doesn't mean doing jumping jacks is the right thing to do for ear infections!

What does this have to do with the game? Well, when the going got tough, Coach K resorted to his usual approach, which is to tighten up the rotation, riding the guys in the game rather than doing what he was doing in the blow-outs. But it can become kind of a "chicken and egg" problem. Did we win because we stuck with the short rotation? Or would we have won by a larger margin if K had kept up with the liberal substitution and kept our players fresh? We have no way of finding out, but the message that is getting sent to the coaching staff is that we shortened the bench and we won the game. Therefore, we must've done the right thing. And that's a dangerous message, in my opinion.

One of the biggest strengths of this team is its depth. One of the reasons our aggressive man-to-man defense has been working so well is that K has been using 9 and 10 players, allowing fresher legs to come in once the starters are beginning to get tired. This is a fantastic approach that encourages the players to continue to go at it hard, because they know they will get subbed out and get a breather, and the subs can also afford to play very hard.

If we stop doing the liberal substitution and if we quit distributing minutes, we will either have to back off the defensive pressure a bit or expect the effectiveness of the defense to wane over time, both in individual games and over the course of the season.

I was pleading for subs for most of the second half. To be fair, K did send Jack in briefly, during which time he made a crucial 3-pointer, and he subbed in Javin at just the right time. But I think Baker, White, and O'Connell could have (and likely should have) been sprinkled into the second half more than they were. And I believe that we would've won more convincingly had that happened. Finally, as mentioned, I fear that, although this win did teach the players how to gut it out in a tough situation on the road, it may have also subconsciously taught a few lessons that would be better left unlearned. In addition to the "shortening the bench got us a win," I fear that subconsciously some players may have "learned" that the coach doesn't trust them when the going gets tough.


Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for the road win against a good GT tech, and I hope that everything I just said is entirely wrong. But I worry that maybe some of what I said is actually correct, and that it could cause us trouble down the road when the games mean even more.

lmb
01-09-2020, 11:53 AM
Anyone have a link to K's press conference?

I've looked all over and can't find it either. Thought I had it at one point. Started watching it and scratched my head when K said something about Antonio. Then I realized it was from last year:o

Troublemaker
01-09-2020, 11:54 AM
If you watch the press conference, Coach K explains Joey's lack of minutes.

Essentially against certain teams like GaTech, he wants to keep three great athletes on the perimeter as much as possible. Essentially he was very concerned about Alvarado, Parham, and Devoe.

Troublemaker
01-09-2020, 11:56 AM
I've looked all over and can't find it either. Thought I had it at one point. Started watching it and scratched my head when K said something about Antonio. Then I realized it was from last year:o

Look up a few posts. I linked it.

wsb3
01-09-2020, 12:39 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vC1sbQr0wE

Thank you Troublemaker. I have heard the crowd mentioned. How great it was for GT. But wasn't there a very audible LET'S GO DUKE chant at one time & didn't Bonner mention it? Or in my typical nervousness over a close Duke game did I imagine it?

Coach K from 8 minute mark to finish of the video. Not because he is our guy but how astute the comments of the state of college basketball. I loved the western reference but then I am old as dirt and remember when Westerns dominated the screen.

Channing
01-09-2020, 12:44 PM
Thank you Troublemaker. I have heard the crowd mentioned. How great it was for GT. But wasn't there a very audible LET'S GO DUKE chant at one time & didn't Bonner mention it? Or in my typical nervousness over a close Duke game did I imagine it?

Coach K from 8 minute mark to finish of the video. Not because he is our guy but how astute the comments of the state of college basketball. I loved the western reference but then I am old as dirt and remember when Westerns dominated the screen.

The building was full but it was at least 25% Duke.

UrinalCake
01-09-2020, 12:54 PM
An egregious example would be in the endgame, when we were ahead and knew they were going to intentionally foul us; after they called the held ball that gave the ball back to us, why not sub Joey Baker in for Goldwire?

Goldwire was in rather than Alex or Joey because we needed another ball handler. The only thing worse than missing free throws is turning the ball over, and when GT was pressing that was a realistic concern. Even worse than that would be giving up a three pointer, and K felt that Goldwire would be better suited to defend than the other two.

I would have liked for the bench to play more too, but K goes with his gut. We still had nine players making contributions, even if they didn’t all get a ton of minutes.

budwom
01-09-2020, 12:55 PM
If you watch the press conference, Coach K explains Joey's lack of minutes.

Essentially against certain teams like GaTech, he wants to keep three great athletes on the perimeter as much as possible. Essentially he was very concerned about Alvarado, Parham, and Devoe.

yes, it's been evident for some years now that K does not like to be out-quicked...did not surprise me to see Baker on the bench. I expect him to play more vs Wake...

HaveFunExpectToWin
01-09-2020, 01:18 PM
Can we have a moment for Jack's 3 late in second half?

Jack gets my unsung hero of the night (although I’m singing his praises right now so?)

The three was huge of course. But that block that led to the first insane Stanley dunk was crazy big. And he also set the pick for Stanley’s one handed alley oop. For seven minutes of play, he was very impactful.

ElonDuke95
01-09-2020, 01:21 PM
Is no one going to mention the air guitar?

-ElonDuke

kmspeaks
01-09-2020, 01:23 PM
Not always pretty, but I'll take it.

And wow, I've never seen a coach look more like a fool on the sidelines than Pastner and those numbers.

And why did they keep cutting to him doing it over and over and over and over. 😡 Whoever was in charge of the cameras last night needs to look for a new line of work.

DrChainsaw
01-09-2020, 01:50 PM
Is no one going to mention the air guitar?

-ElonDuke

That's when I knew in my heart those guys were going to lose - too cocky too soon....

BlueDGal
01-09-2020, 02:04 PM
Thank you Troublemaker. I have heard the crowd mentioned. How great it was for GT. But wasn't there a very audible LET'S GO DUKE chant at one time & didn't Bonner mention it? Or in my typical nervousness over a close Duke game did I imagine it?

Coach K from 8 minute mark to finish of the video. Not because he is our guy but how astute the comments of the state of college basketball. I loved the western reference but then I am old as dirt and remember when Westerns dominated the screen.

I was there. The cheer was loud and intense!

ncexnyc
01-09-2020, 02:18 PM
I saw RSVMAN's post up thread and I'm not buying into it just yet. If the rotation shortens and it's the same players game after game then I think we've got a problem, but right now I believe the beauty of this team is that there are so many quality parts Coach K can mix and match for any particular opponent on any given night. Last night it just happened to be that combination of players who got the bulk of the minutes. Again, we need to see some more tight games (I'd much rather not) to reach a conclusion.

hustleplays
01-09-2020, 02:31 PM
Cassius. Dunk after dunk after dunk.

Just kidding of course, but it's really fun to watch Cassius' explosiveness. It can't be a good feeling on the other side to see this guy fly by, through traffic, soar, and crush the dunk. And his D is improving steadily.

Really nice, tough ACC win on the road.

budwom
01-09-2020, 02:47 PM
Is no one going to mention the air guitar?

-ElonDuke

It always gives me a boost of confidence when I see opposing players celebrating in the first half. Never fails to work.

Tripping William
01-09-2020, 02:52 PM
Just kidding of course, but it's really fun to watch Cassius' explosiveness. It can't be a good feeling on the other side to see this guy fly by, through traffic, soar, and crush the dunk. And his D is improving steadily.

Really nice, tough ACC win on the road.

Maybe not Zion-level, but perhaps Grant Hill (https://www.instagram.com/p/B7HF5-Jpp9G/). :D BTW: The announcing on this is half the fun. The "uh-oh" for Cassius is terrific.

Gooch
01-09-2020, 03:03 PM
It always gives me a boost of confidence when I see opposing players celebrating in the first half. Never fails to work.

Same here. I ended up watching Georgia-UK before catching our game on DVR and the same thing happened. Anthony Edwards was popping his jersey and jumping around when UGA had a 6 point lead at half. I knew UK would come back and win.

By the way, sports bars in Minneapolis don't get the ACC Network. I asked the bartender if they got the channel and he said "I've never even heard of that network"...

BD80
01-09-2020, 03:05 PM
Same here. I ended up watching Georgia-UK before catching our game on DVR and the same thing happened. Anthony Edwards was popping his jersey and jumping around when UGA had a 6 point lead at half. I knew UK would come back and win.

By the way, sports bars in Minneapolis don't get the ACC Network. I asked the bartender if they got the channel and he said "I've never even heard of that network"...

Up there, don't they call it the ACCA?

JayZee
01-09-2020, 03:06 PM
A few thoughts after attending the game last night:

Hats off to Georgia Tech
I'll take a moment to sing Tech's praises. With the squad fully healthy now, they are way better than their early season struggles. Time will tell if they can keep up the intensity they showed over the last two games, but they've got some great pieces.

The Wright/Banks frontcourt is a nightmare for most, and they bludgeoned us on the glass. And I can't say enough good things about Alvarado. He's a mighty fine point guard. I have no idea why Tech ran any plays late other than giving him the ball in the pick and roll, because he created every time. Knows how to change speed, attack angles, and find a teammate for an easy score. Tech is one wing shooter away from being a top-5 ACC team. Devoe clearly wants to be that guy, and was unafraid from letting it fly, but he was overzealous and that hurt his team.

That said...



Well, I've got some good news for you: Georgia Tech is banned from postseason play (https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2019/09/26/ncaa-georgia-tech-mens-basketball-banned-from.html) (though they are appealing (https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28088006/georgia-tech-appealing-postseason-ban-recruiting-limits)).

Stanley and Tre Made the Big Momentum Plays
On the Duke side, I'll echo all the praise for Cassius Stanley, who changed the momentum of the game. A moribund stadium was suddenly rocking when Tech took the lead, and then Cassius reigned fire from the heavens. It even led to a loud "LETS GO DUKE" chant, which was countered by "LETS GO TECH." Easily the most hyped the stadium got. Stanley made big plays that were inflection points in the game.



Jones did a great job recognizing when 5'10" Bubba Parham was guarding him and he went right at him, driving the ball hard for mid-range jumpers or getting to the line (where he struggled, but alas). It was a prime example of KYP--KNOW YOUR PERSONNEL. Tre did well by recognizing a mismatch against Parham. Everyone else did poorly by taking soft shots against Banks. Matthew Hurt and Jack White both had moments where they pump faked but Banks didn't bite, and they went up for layups anyway. YOU CAN'T DO THAT AGAINST A GOOD SHOT BLOCKER. Gotta know your personnel.

K Trusted Hurt on Defense -- His Teammates Should Too
Finally, hat tip to Matthew Hurt for his defense. Repeatedly Moses Wright attempted to drive on Hurt, and while he could use his strength to bully Hurt into the paint, Hurt planted his feet and used his length to bother any shots. Wright was unable to score, and those plays repeatedly worked in Duke's favor...right up until the other Duke big doubled unnecessarily, leaving Banks open for an easy pass or an offensive rebound. K stuck with Hurt in late game defensive situations, rather than subbing in Jack White. Hurt showed that he can play bend-but-don't-break defense when someone tries to bully him (kind of like Ryan Kelly used to), and I have faith in him doing so going forward. We just need to make sure we don't overhelp.

Cassius Stones - his verve with those really elevated the team at a crucial time. I think that the shock and awe of those 3 dunks detracts from the aggressive, full court D that he applied most of the game. Normally that's Tre setting the defensive tone, but last night it was Cassius, IMHO. Just fierce.

MChambers
01-09-2020, 03:17 PM
Same here. I ended up watching Georgia-UK before catching our game on DVR and the same thing happened. Anthony Edwards was popping his jersey and jumping around when UGA had a 6 point lead at half. I knew UK would come back and win.

By the way, sports bars in Minneapolis don't get the ACC Network. I asked the bartender if they got the channel and he said "I've never even heard of that network"...

No, they get the BTN (as we do in Washington, DC, now that we supposedly are part of the Big Ten market), with tractor ads.

rsvman
01-09-2020, 03:20 PM
I saw RSVMAN's post up thread and I'm not buying into it just yet. If the rotation shortens and it's the same players game after game then I think we've got a problem, but right now I believe the beauty of this team is that there are so many quality parts Coach K can mix and match for any particular opponent on any given night. Last night it just happened to be that combination of players who got the bulk of the minutes. Again, we need to see some more tight games (I'd much rather not) to reach a conclusion.

You may be right, and I certainly hope you are.
I would be elated if it turns out I was completely barking up the wrong tree.

Acymetric
01-09-2020, 03:32 PM
No, they get the BTN (as we do in Washington, DC, now that we supposedly are part of the Big Ten market), with tractor ads.

They're really missing out on Pop N Play ads.

devilnfla
01-09-2020, 04:30 PM
MOTM, how about the Duke crowd that showed up? With all that support, it didn't sound like a true road ACC game to me. Oh yeah, props to Javin, Cassius and Jack. Hope Joey can get back on track, would hate to see his confidence slide.

devilnfla
01-09-2020, 04:35 PM
GT looks like it has the pieces to make a run.

We were the beneficiary of some favorable calls as the Blue Blood in this game, but we capitalized on it and crushed GT when it counted.



Huh? Their big guy (Banks) got away with murder in the paint. Multiple over the back fouls went uncalled.

SkyBrickey
01-09-2020, 06:23 PM
Tre, Stanley and Goldwire are just so tough guarding the ball. I consider all 3 A+ defenders. Cassius was picking up full court late game and was just gliding back and forth in front of Devoe. That helped so much in setting the tone for the rest of the team as it shortens the time the team has to D up by 4-5 sec. It was no fluke that GT was 1-11 down the stretch.

I love our teams depth but I also recognize that this trio is absolutely elite on the defensive end. Last night Coach went heavy on perimeter defense and I don’t blame him at all.

HaveFunExpectToWin
01-09-2020, 09:28 PM
Maybe not Zion-level, but perhaps Grant Hill (https://www.instagram.com/p/B7HF5-Jpp9G/). :D BTW: The announcing on this is half the fun. The "uh-oh" for Cassius is terrific.

Yes. Bonner is still my favorite.

Here’s a nice profile piece on him. https://www.newsleader.com/story/sports/2019/02/10/acc-basketball-television-analyst-dan-bonner-espn/2722926002/

jv001
01-09-2020, 10:04 PM
Huh? Their big guy (Banks) got away with murder in the paint. Multiple over the back fouls went uncalled.

Over the backs and lived in the three second lane. Poor job by the refs last night.
GoDuke!

stedge
01-10-2020, 05:49 AM
Finally watched the game. After reading all these posts i was pleasantly surprised by how we played. A short dumb stretch and some missed FTs but ow pretty good. One thing i wonder about is the foul on the three pt shot at 115. Not that we woulda made the FTs, but pretty obvious.

Duke76
01-10-2020, 08:52 AM
Cassius Stones - his verve with those really elevated the team at a crucial time. I think that the shock and awe of those 3 dunks detracts from the aggressive, full court D that he applied most of the game. Normally that's Tre setting the defensive tone, but last night it was Cassius, IMHO. Just fierce.

I was at the game and it ws great to see the passing we had on most possessions. It appears to me that this year's team has bought in to that concept. And when someone doesn't make the extra pass K yanks them, i.e. Joey Baker was taken out in the 1st half when he stopped the flow of passes when he looked Stanley off on the wing. Anyway, its basketball the way it is meant to be played, imo. The players look pretty slick running sets which were plenty imo. It is almost imperceptible how all the guys figure out the plays to set up for because. In the old days, you'd see fingers or point guard calling out plays....Now you see K yelling out a play or Jones tugging on his shirt or fist....but it seems the other players have already moved into that play....The sound down on the court must not be as loud as it seems in the stands...but anyway...the boys were "dancing a great dance at the ball" or "the choir was in tune" two nights and it was pretty cool to see from my vantage point. The guys are synch with each other this year, no standing around watching a couple of superstars, think they go further than the superstars if we can stay healthy, imo.

BandAlum83
01-10-2020, 10:51 AM
MOTM, how about the Duke crowd that showed up? With all that support, it didn't sound like a true road ACC game to me. Oh yeah, props to Javin, Cassius and Jack. Hope Joey can get back on track, would hate to see his confidence slide.

I saw Danny Ferry in the concourse during halftime. And yes, it was a good Duke crowd, as always.

luvdahops
01-10-2020, 11:04 AM
I was at the game and it ws great to see the passing we had on most possessions. It appears to me that this year's team has bought in to that concept. And when someone doesn't make the extra pass K yanks them, i.e. Joey Baker was taken out in the 1st half when he stopped the flow of passes when he looked Stanley off on the wing. Anyway, its basketball the way it is meant to be played, imo. The players look pretty slick running sets which were plenty imo. It is almost imperceptible how all the guys figure out the plays to set up for because. In the old days, you'd see fingers or point guard calling out plays...Now you see K yelling out a play or Jones tugging on his shirt or fist...but it seems the other players have already moved into that play...The sound down on the court must not be as loud as it seems in the stands...but anyway...the boys were "dancing a great dance at the ball" or "the choir was in tune" two nights and it was pretty cool to see from my vantage point. The guys are synch with each other this year, no standing around watching a couple of superstars, think they go further than the superstars if we can stay healthy, imo.

Love the observations. I think there is a total 180 in terms of ball and player movement with this team vs last year's, when the staff seemed way too content (IMHO) to rely on RJ and Zion's 1-on-1 abilities, and which eventually caught up to us in the postseason. The ball sharing and movement, along with the confidence in many different guys to contribute, bode very well for this team in my view.

Edouble
01-10-2020, 11:18 AM
Chiming in late here, but I was at the game.

Purchased tickets for Section 108, the Calloway Club, which included a whole spread of free beer, wine, chicken and shortrib catered buffet, with an ice cream bar, cookies, brownies, popcorn, candy, the whole nine. I believe face value for the tickets is $165, although I secured them for $100 each. Highly recommend. Worth every penny.

The private concourse (Calloway Club) was interesting in that it was a mix of about half Tech and half Duke folks. The Tech people seemed entirely at ease with sharing their VIP area with a bunch of fans of the other team. I'm sure this happens at many games. I just can't imagine such a phenomenon at Cameron.

Overall the stadium seemed about 40% Duke, possibly pushing 50%. It was fun to see a reeeaaaally long line of students on the way in.

The atmosphere was great and the Tech fans became quite loud in the second half. It was almost like they didn't want to bother getting loud when it was close in the first half... they wanted the real thing before they bothered to get really emotionally involved (eg standing up out of their chairs), a close second half game.

From my seat, it was clear that the Tech guards were throwing some serious arm bars and that Banks was going over the back often. I commented that there seemed to be some homecooking in the building, which I saw reiterated on this board.

The second half was loud and at one point I wasn't sure if I was part of a "Let's Go Duke" or a "Let's Go Tech" cheer, as I could hear both schools names at the end of the chant through the white noise.

We clearly had trouble with the high pick and roll in the first half. Help was not rotating over to Banks quick enough which was very frustrating. In the second half, Tech started several plays by running dual screens at the top of the key that the ballhandler didn't take, which I didn't quite understand the point of.

Overall a really fun ACC road game. So glad I got to see our guys live in a pretty exciting setting.

Kedsy
01-10-2020, 11:48 AM
Love the observations. I think there is a total 180 in terms of ball and player movement with this team vs last year's, when the staff seemed way too content (IMHO) to rely on RJ and Zion's 1-on-1 abilities, and which eventually caught up to us in the postseason. The ball sharing and movement, along with the confidence in many different guys to contribute, bode very well for this team in my view.

What "caught up to us in the postseason" was one bad game in which we uncharacteristically turned the ball over too much and also uncharacteristically did not turn the other team over, which led to a one (1) point loss to the #6 team in the country. The idea that last year's team's "problem" was too much one-on-one play is just as flawed as saying we lost because we couldn't shoot three-pointers. The fact is, in a one-and-done tournament, the better team sometimes loses.

As for how much we pass the ball this year vs. last, it's worth noting that this year (so far) we've assisted on 53.7% of our baskets while last year we assisted on 52.4% of our baskets. Doesn't seem like much of a difference to me (especially since last year's team played a much tougher schedule than this year's team has so far). Last year's a/to ratio of 1.24:1 was actually a little better than this year's 1.21:1.

IrishDevil
01-10-2020, 12:02 PM
Love the observations. I think there is a total 180 in terms of ball and player movement with this team vs last year's, when the staff seemed way too content (IMHO) to rely on RJ and Zion's 1-on-1 abilities, and which eventually caught up to us in the postseason. The ball sharing and movement, along with the confidence in many different guys to contribute, bode very well for this team in my view.




As for how much we pass the ball this year vs. last, it's worth noting that this year (so far) we've assisted on 53.7% of our baskets while last year we assisted on 52.4% of our baskets. Doesn't seem like much of a difference to me (especially since last year's team played a much tougher schedule than this year's team has so far). Last year's a/to ratio of 1.24:1 was actually a little better than this year's 1.21:1.

I am not enough of a data/analytics guy to know whether/where this info may be available, but I would be interested to see how those numbers might change if they included "hockey assists," i.e., recognizing the pass before the pass that leads to a basket. This could weight team ball movement baskets differently from dump-offs, alleys oops, and drive-and-kicks, potentially yielding a more valid assessment of luvdahops' eye test conclusion.

sagegrouse
01-10-2020, 12:34 PM
What "caught up to us in the postseason" was one bad game in which we uncharacteristically turned the ball over too much and also uncharacteristically did not turn the other team over, which led to a one (1) point loss to the #6 team in the country. The idea that last year's team's "problem" was too much one-on-one play is just as flawed as saying we lost because we couldn't shoot three-pointers. The fact is, in a one-and-done tournament, the better team sometimes loses.

As for how much we pass the ball this year vs. last, it's worth noting that this year (so far) we've assisted on 53.7% of our baskets while last year we assisted on 52.4% of our baskets. Doesn't seem like much of a difference to me (especially since last year's team played a much tougher schedule than this year's team has so far). Last year's a/to ratio of 1.24:1 was actually a little better than this year's 1.21:1.

I don't disagree with you, Kedsy, but I would add two things. (a) Three-point shooting was really substandard, allowing teams to pack it in and limit the effectiveness of RJ and Zion. (b) The team was never the same after the "shoe incident," even after Zion returned. Coach K has implied as much.

And, as to anything happening in "one game," I agree. But we should have lost to UCF in the round of 32 and could have lost to Virginia Tech in the Sweet Sixteen. And, although in no danger of losing, we trailed ND State by seven points in the first half of the first-round game.

moonpie23
01-10-2020, 12:45 PM
for some reason, "guitar fool" is still in my angry file......

Kedsy
01-10-2020, 01:12 PM
I don't disagree with you, Kedsy, but I would add two things. (a) Three-point shooting was really substandard, allowing teams to pack it in and limit the effectiveness of RJ and Zion. (b) The team was never the same after the "shoe incident," even after Zion returned. Coach K has implied as much.

And, as to anything happening in "one game," I agree. But we should have lost to UCF in the round of 32 and could have lost to Virginia Tech in the Sweet Sixteen. And, although in no danger of losing, we trailed ND State by seven points in the first half of the first-round game.

All good points, Sage. Though I'd point out that 2019 Virginia coulda/shoulda lost four of their six NCAAT games (including two OTs and a 1 point miracle win) and were trailing Gardner-Webb by 6 at halftime in round 1. 2017 UNC coulda/shoulda lost four of their six games including being down to Arkansas in the 2nd round with less than 2 minutes to play. That's really just the way things roll in the NCAA tournament.

roywhite
01-10-2020, 01:53 PM
What "caught up to us in the postseason" was one bad game in which we uncharacteristically turned the ball over too much and also uncharacteristically did not turn the other team over, which led to a one (1) point loss to the #6 team in the country. The idea that last year's team's "problem" was too much one-on-one play is just as flawed as saying we lost because we couldn't shoot three-pointers. The fact is, in a one-and-done tournament, the better team sometimes loses.

As for how much we pass the ball this year vs. last, it's worth noting that this year (so far) we've assisted on 53.7% of our baskets while last year we assisted on 52.4% of our baskets. Doesn't seem like much of a difference to me (especially since last year's team played a much tougher schedule than this year's team has so far). Last year's a/to ratio of 1.24:1 was actually a little better than this year's 1.21:1.

Yeah, lost a close one in the Round of 8. But also barely won by 1 point in the 2nd round against 9-seed UCF and by 2 points in the round of 16 vs 4-seed Va Tech. Three games that could have gone either way.

Obviously a one-loss format is perilous, but from my vantage point, other teams learned how to play against Duke last year, and our team was beatable.

Just my opinion, but I like the chances of this year's team to exceed those results. Better outside shooting and better team defense.

luvdahops
01-10-2020, 02:47 PM
What "caught up to us in the postseason" was one bad game in which we uncharacteristically turned the ball over too much and also uncharacteristically did not turn the other team over, which led to a one (1) point loss to the #6 team in the country. The idea that last year's team's "problem" was too much one-on-one play is just as flawed as saying we lost because we couldn't shoot three-pointers. The fact is, in a one-and-done tournament, the better team sometimes loses.

As for how much we pass the ball this year vs. last, it's worth noting that this year (so far) we've assisted on 53.7% of our baskets while last year we assisted on 52.4% of our baskets. Doesn't seem like much of a difference to me (especially since last year's team played a much tougher schedule than this year's team has so far). Last year's a/to ratio of 1.24:1 was actually a little better than this year's 1.21:1.

You know I have tons of respect for your analysis and knowledge. But stats and analytics have their limitations, too, and sometimes you need to trust your eyes. I coach youth basketball in a program that emphasizes motion as its base offense, and the lack of movement by Duke in the half-court was a season long discussion among myself and some fellow coaches (and initiated by them). As others have noted, it wasn't just the loss against Michigan State that evidenced this, it was also uncomfortably close wins over VT and UCF, not to mention over Carolina in the ACC Tournament semis. Our offense was devastating when we could turn teams over, and quickly generate easy points. And for much of the season that masked a half-court offense that - despite the individual brilliance of RJ and Zion, as well as Tre's ability to create - was often much more mortal, and became more so as the season wore on and the scouting book on Duke grew.

uh_no
01-10-2020, 03:08 PM
You know I have tons of respect for your analysis and knowledge. But stats and analytics have their limitations, too, and sometimes you need to trust your eyes.

And humans are well known for finding patterns where there aren't any. blindly trusting or discarding stats are both problematic.

Kedsy
01-10-2020, 03:20 PM
You know I have tons of respect for your analysis and knowledge. But stats and analytics have their limitations, too, and sometimes you need to trust your eyes. I coach youth basketball in a program that emphasizes motion as its base offense, and the lack of movement by Duke in the half-court was a season long discussion among myself and some fellow coaches (and initiated by them). As others have noted, it wasn't just the loss against Michigan State that evidenced this, it was also uncomfortably close wins over VT and UCF, not to mention over Carolina in the ACC Tournament semis. Our offense was devastating when we could turn teams over, and quickly generate easy points. And for much of the season that masked a half-court offense that - despite the individual brilliance of RJ and Zion, as well as Tre's ability to create - was often much more mortal, and became more so as the season wore on and the scouting book on Duke grew.

I hear you, but just because you talked about it doesn't make it a significant factor. If you look at the UCF, VaTech, and MSU games, our offense was good (adjusted oRating of 1.23, 1.28, and 1.13). Where we were subpar was defense (adjusted dRating of 1.05, 1.01, and 0.83). The Michigan State game was a bit different than the other two, but as previously said pretty much the only issue in that game was turnovers, on both sides of the ball. Also, while we had a lot (16) of fast break points against Virginia Tech, against UCF and MSU we combined for two (2) fast break points in those two games and our offense was still pretty good.

I'm not saying we didn't have less motion than was ideal, just like I never said we weren't a poor shooting three-point team. Both those things were probably true. I'm just saying (a) those things weren't the major contributing factors to our NCAA tournament failings; and (b) every year that we don't make the Final Four, people try to attribute it to team failings when most of the time it was just bad luck or a small sample anomaly.

bluebeagle
01-10-2020, 06:33 PM
Anyone else think Bonner is a breath of fresh air compared to Dakich or Bilas. I think Bilas would be happy to just let each team shoot a hundred free throws and never play a minute of the game. He's basically just a taller version of Billy Packer.

heyman25
01-10-2020, 07:07 PM
MOTM, how about the Duke crowd that showed up? With all that support, it didn't sound like a true road ACC game to me. Oh yeah, props to Javin, Cassius and Jack. Hope Joey can get back on track, would hate to see his confidence slide.

Grant Hill was there and probably the family and friends of Alex and Jordan(not Anthony). I have 2 Duke alum cousins that live in Atlanta. Duke likely has a huge Atlanta alum population.

SkyBrickey
01-10-2020, 09:42 PM
Yes, a LOT of Duke alums in Atlanta. And I think with the expansion and Duke only playing in Atlanta every other year, the Duke alums really make a point of getting out. It’s a lot cheaper way to see the team than making the pilgrimage to Cameron!