MBB: Duke v Clemson (Tue 1/14, 7:00 pm, ESPN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[DavidBenAkiva]

It is a new era of college basketball, my friends. The Clemson Tigers will be coming home to celebrate their first victory in Chapel Hill after 93 years of futility. And on Tuesday night, less than 24 hours after the football team attempts to defend their national title, the basketball team will host the Blue Devils at Littlejohn Coliseum. Will the mood be one of jubilation or more of a hangover?

Clemson is coming off an important win that, if nothing else works out this year, will serve as the high water mark on a season that is otherwise looking like another see-saw affair. In fact, Clemson will be looking to secure the Triangle Trifecta after consecutive wins over NC State and UNC. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils might be peaking ahead to a Saturday night showdown with Louisville back in Durham. That game will feature the College GameDay crew outside of Cameron Indoor Stadium. Will Duke walk into a trap in Clemson?

The most dangerous tiger this year is JR F Aamir Simms (6'8" 250 lbs), who leads the team in scoring, rebounding, and is second on the team in assists. He's been playing very well of late, averaging nearly 18 points, 7 rebounds, a tick under 3 assists, and a tick over a steal and block per game in the past 6 games. Simms presents an interesting matchup for Duke in that he has the size and heft to bang with about anyone but can and will step out to shoot the 3 with accuracy. He leads the Tigers in 3-point shooting and is hitting over 50% in the last 6 games from distance. Brad Brownell is not playing a deep rotation this year and relies on Simms for a lot of the offense and rebounding. Putting pressure on Simms to defend without fouling will be an important factor for the Blue Devils.

Clemson is ok on offense. They take a lot of 3's but do not make them at a good rate, ranking in the bottom half of teams in 3-point percentage in spite of their prolific 3-point shooting rate, which is 25th-most in the nation. The offense could really use a point guard. They do not have one and opt to share the ball-handling and distributing responsibilities. Look for Duke to apply pressure early and often. Even without a traditional PG, the Tigers do not turn the ball over that much. The Tigers's defense has a lot of teeth. They are good at generating turnovers, forcing bad shots, limiting offensive rebounds, and generally being a pest. And they don't send teams to the free throw line that often, either. Teams are opting to shoot over the interior defense rather than take the ball inside this year. About 45% of opponent shots are coming from beyond the arc this year, one of the highest rates in the nation. Duke will have to shoot the ball well from 3 in this one.

Besides Simms, the Tigers employ a mix of athletic but not particularly skilled guards and wings. FR G Al-Amir Dawes sees a lot of time on the court but has had a lot of freshman struggles. Other guards include 6'5" SO John Newman III, 6'6" SR Tevin Mack, 6'4" SR Curran Scott, and 6'4" JR Clyde Trapp. Trapp missed the first half of the season but has inserted himself into the starting lineup now after playing the past 5 games. None of these players have stood out for consistent performance, although Mack has been solid. Up front, Clemson employs a couple of sophomore forwards, both about 6'8" and between 200 and 215 pounds apiece. They are Tyson Hunter and Khavon Moore. Moore was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school but has yet to establish himself much in the college game. In 3-5 minute spurts, Brownell will also play SO C Trey Jemsion (7'0" 250 lbs) to do tall man things like shoot the ball near the basket and block a shot.

The Tigers are much better on defense than on offense. From a scoring perspective, they are just so-so. It's a collective effort after Simms. Containing Simms is the key to this one. I expect to see Duke put pressure on the interior with Carey getting a lot of early touches. If Carey is having trouble guarding Simms, we could see a lot of Javin and Jack lineups. On offense, Duke will look to continue its hot shooting. Duke is not one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the country, although the Blue Devils attempt relatively few jumpers per game. Where life could get tough is on the offensive boards. Duke is one of the best teams on the offensive glass while Clemson is pretty good at cleaning up opponent misses. If the Blue Devils struggle to collect their own missed shots, the game could get too close for comfort. My hope is that Clemson has a hangover after the big OT win over UNC while Duke does not look ahead to Saturday night.

[dukelifer]

It is a new era of college basketball, my friends. The Clemson Tigers will be coming home to celebrate their first victory in Chapel Hill after 93 years of futility. And on Tuesday night, less than 24 hours after the football team attempts to defend their national title, the basketball team will host the Blue Devils at Littlejohn Coliseum. Will the mood be one of jubilation or more of a hangover?

Clemson is coming off an important win that, if nothing else works out this year, will serve as the high water mark on a season that is otherwise looking like another see-saw affair. In fact, Clemson will be looking to secure the Triangle Trifecta after consecutive wins over NC State and UNC. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils might be peaking ahead to a Saturday night showdown with Louisville back in Durham. That game will feature the College GameDay crew outside of Cameron Indoor Stadium. Will Duke walk into a trap in Clemson?

The most dangerous tiger this year is JR F Aamir Simms (6'8" 250 lbs), who leads the team in scoring, rebounding, and is second on the team in assists. He's been playing very well of late, averaging nearly 18 points, 7 rebounds, a tick under 3 assists, and a tick over a steal and block per game in the past 6 games. Simms presents an interesting matchup for Duke in that he has the size and heft to bang with about anyone but can and will step out to shoot the 3 with accuracy. He leads the Tigers in 3-point shooting and is hitting over 50% in the last 6 games from distance. Brad Brownell is not playing a deep rotation this year and relies on Simms for a lot of the offense and rebounding. Putting pressure on Simms to defend without fouling will be an important factor for the Blue Devils.

Clemson is ok on offense. They take a lot of 3's but do not make them at a good rate, ranking in the bottom half of teams in 3-point percentage in spite of their prolific 3-point shooting rate, which is 25th-most in the nation. The offense could really use a point guard. They do not have one and opt to share the ball-handling and distributing responsibilities. Look for Duke to apply pressure early and often. Even without a traditional PG, the Tigers do not turn the ball over that much. The Tigers's defense has a lot of teeth. They are good at generating turnovers, forcing bad shots, limiting offensive rebounds, and generally being a pest. And they don't send teams to the free throw line that often, either. Teams are opting to shoot over the interior defense rather than take the ball inside this year. About 45% of opponent shots are coming from beyond the arc this year, one of the highest rates in the nation. Duke will have to shoot the ball well from 3 in this one.

Besides Simms, the Tigers employ a mix of athletic but not particularly skilled guards and wings. FR G Al-Amir Dawes sees a lot of time on the court but has had a lot of freshman struggles. Other guards include 6'5" SO John Newman III, 6'6" SR Tevin Mack, 6'4" SR Curran Scott, and 6'4" JR Clyde Trapp. Trapp missed the first half of the season but has inserted himself into the starting lineup now after playing the past 5 games. None of these players have stood out for consistent performance, although Mack has been solid. Up front, Clemson employs a couple of sophomore forwards, both about 6'8" and between 200 and 215 pounds apiece. They are Tyson Hunter and Khavon Moore. Moore was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school but has yet to establish himself much in the college game. In 3-5 minute spurts, Brownell will also play SO C Trey Jemsion (7'0" 250 lbs) to do tall man things like shoot the ball near the basket and block a shot.

The Tigers are much better on defense than on offense. From a scoring perspective, they are just so-so. It's a collective effort after Simms. Containing Simms is the key to this one. I expect to see Duke put pressure on the interior with Carey getting a lot of early touches. If Carey is having trouble guarding Simms, we could see a lot of Javin and Jack lineups. On offense, Duke will look to continue its hot shooting. Duke is not one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the country, although the Blue Devils attempt relatively few jumpers per game. Where life could get tough is on the offensive boards. Duke is one of the best teams on the offensive glass while Clemson is pretty good at cleaning up opponent misses. If the Blue Devils struggle to collect their own missed shots, the game could get too close for comfort. My hope is that Clemson has a hangover after the big OT win over UNC while Duke does not look ahead to Saturday night.

Clemson fans may have a hangover. A lot of celebrating or heartbreak. Big test for this team.

[MChambers]

Based on the last five minutes of Clemson's last game, I'd say they like to run plays featuring back door cuts. Duke's pressure defense can be vulnerable to those. Really need to put pressure on the passer.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Clemson fans may have a hangover. A lot of celebrating or heartbreak. Big test for this team.

I agree in principle, but the basketball Tigers aren't heading to New Orleans. The fans might be spent, but the players on the court will be locked in on our jerseys.

Time for another Duke statement game.

[uh_no]

I agree in principle, but the basketball Tigers aren't heading to New Orleans. The fans might be spent, but the players on the court will be locked in on our jerseys.

Time for another Duke statement game.

i'll be quite happy to chalk up another 30 point ACC win...anything else just seems like failure these days.

[DavidBenAkiva]

i'll be quite happy to chalk up another 30 point ACC win...anything else just seems like failure these days.

This should be a Duke victory, but it is a road game and crazier things have happened this season. Going by KenPom rating, Clemson is in the lower tier of teams in the conference this season.

NCAA Tournament Teams
1 Duke
9 Louisville
15 Florida State
43 Virginia

Bubble Teams
50 NC State
55 Virginia Tech
60 Syracuse
61 Notre Dame
66 Pittsburgh

Lower Tier
81 Georgia Tech
82 UNC
87 Clemson
89 Miami
101 Wake Forest
159 Boston College

Georgia Tech is also in the lower tier of teams and Duke struggled in the second half against the Yellow Jackets. The two teams are somewhat similar in that they are defense-first squads that struggle to shoot the ball. Georgia Tech has a rim protector in James Banks III while Clemson doesn't.

[Music man55]

I hope we can contain Simms and shut him down some. I don't think the Tigers really have any other dynamic player who could carry them if Simms is slowed down. Now that they have ended the streak against the holes,let's give them a great big welcome back to the real world. Go Devils!

[SkyBrickey]

It does sound like Jack and Javin might be better matchups on Simms, chasing him out to the 3 point line. Would love to see us establish Vernon early and pick up some fouls. If they are scouting us off the Wake tape, maybe they’ll fall into the trap of trying to guard big Vern one on one.

[Troublemaker]

I agree in principle, but the basketball Tigers aren't heading to New Orleans. The fans might be spent, but the players on the court will be locked in on our jerseys.

At what time on what day will the Clemson players start to focus in on Duke? It's a very interesting schedule spot for them. They're basically going to spend all of today and tomorrow receiving pats on the back and re-playing their exciting and historic victory over the cheats in their heads, if not on film. (They're only human afterall; Coach K has said that his greatest opponent over these 4 decades is human nature.) And these guys are still college students. I'm certain the basketball team will be watching the Clemson vs LSU football game tomorrow night, and being college students, there's a pretty good chance alcohol will be imbibed. And if Clemson wins the national championship, being college students, I think the bball team is going to join that celebration on campus. More alcohol, maybe some quality time spent with some celebrating coeds in the dorms. If I had to set the over/under on what time the average Clemson bball player is going to bed Monday night, I'd probably set it as 2am Tuesday.

Normally, I'd be all over Clemson +12 or whatever the inflated line will be in this ACC road game for Duke. But, considering the situational spot that Clemson is in, it's gotta be Duke or pass. (Leaning pass).

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

At what time on what day will the Clemson players start to focus in on Duke? It's a very interesting schedule spot for them. They're basically going to spend all of today and tomorrow receiving pats on the back and re-playing their exciting and historic victory over the cheats in their heads, if not on film. (They're only human afterall; Coach K has said that his greatest opponent over these 4 decades is human nature.) And these guys are still college students. I'm certain the basketball team will be watching the Clemson vs LSU football game tomorrow night, and being college students, there's a pretty good chance alcohol will be imbibed. And if Clemson wins the national championship, being college students, I think the bball team is going to join that celebration on campus. More alcohol, maybe some quality time spent with some celebrating coeds in the dorms. If I had to set the over/under on what time the average Clemson bball player is going to bed Monday night, I'd probably set it as 2am Tuesday.

Normally, I'd be all over Clemson +12 or whatever the inflated line will be in this ACC road game for Duke. But, considering the situational spot that Clemson is in, it's gotta be Duke or pass. (Leaning pass).

All fair points. I hope you are correct about the distractions. And the alcohol.

[sagegrouse]

Lower Tier
81 Georgia Tech
82 UNC
87 Clemson
89 Miami
101 Wake Forest
159 Boston College

Georgia Tech is also in the lower tier of teams and Duke struggled in the second half against the Yellow Jackets. The two teams are somewhat similar in that they are defense-first squads that struggle to shoot the ball. Georgia Tech has a rim protector in James Banks III while Clemson doesn't.

I am revising my opinion of the Jackets -- they played well against us and overwhelmed BC in Chestnut Hill. The return of Jose Alvarado and Jordan Usher's joining the team as a transfer makes them a pretty good team.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I am revising my opinion of the Jackets -- they played well against us and overwhelmed BC in Chestnut Hill. The return of Jose Alvarado and Jordan Usher's joining the team as a transfer makes them a pretty good team.

That's a good observation. Alverado missed about a month which ended with Georgia Tech dropping 3 straight to Syracuse, Kentucky, and Ball State. Since Alverado returned, the Yellow Jackets are 4-3 but are playing much better. The losses are at a neutral site to Houston, at Florida State, and against Duke. Those were all 3 Quadrant 1 games and losses. They've won their other games. They have to play Louisville twice but should be competitive or better in all their other remaining games. I could see a situation in which Georgia Tech gets onto the bubble if they go on a run and manage to knock off Louisville in Atlanta.

[OldPhiKap]

So, I have to go from Clemson being my hero to pulling against them in the span of just a few days?

“Tough crowd.”

[devildeac]

So, I have to go from Clemson being my hero to pulling against them in the span of just a few days?

“Tough crowd.”

Easy. All you need to remember is that you have two favorite teams: Duke and whoever plays "u"nc.

I'll be here all week. And here: https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?3840-Ymm-Beer

;)

[Bluedog]

At what time on what day will the Clemson players start to focus in on Duke? It's a very interesting schedule spot for them. They're basically going to spend all of today and tomorrow receiving pats on the back and re-playing their exciting and historic victory over the cheats in their heads, if not on film. (They're only human afterall; Coach K has said that his greatest opponent over these 4 decades is human nature.) And these guys are still college students. I'm certain the basketball team will be watching the Clemson vs LSU football game tomorrow night, and being college students, there's a pretty good chance alcohol will be imbibed. And if Clemson wins the national championship, being college students, I think the bball team is going to join that celebration on campus. More alcohol, maybe some quality time spent with some celebrating coeds in the dorms. If I had to set the over/under on what time the average Clemson bball player is going to bed Monday night, I'd probably set it as 2am Tuesday.

Normally, I'd be all over Clemson +12 or whatever the inflated line will be in this ACC road game for Duke. But, considering the situational spot that Clemson is in, it's gotta be Duke or pass. (Leaning pass).

I actually would anticipate the Clemson basketball program getting an off campus hotel for their players to get a good night's rest and away from the fracas (and to be able to enforce a curfew). I'm sure they'll watch the game though.

[WakeDevil]

Almost all the "bubble" teams are hampered by a lack of impressive wins OOC. I will be shocked if the ACC gets more than five, and four is a good possibility.

[gofurman]

based on recent play and who is available I think GT is better than lower tier too: (missing Alvarado was a huge loss and now he is back). Clemson probably stays lower tier (no O) but they were missing 4 guys . they have 2 or 3 back now but still are banged up. They probably finish with about 6 ACC wins

NCAA Tournament Teams
1 Duke
9 Louisville
15 Florida State
43 Virginia

Bubble Teams
50 NC State
55 Virginia Tech
60 Syracuse
61 Notre Dame
66 Pittsburgh
81 Georgia Tech


Lower Tier

82 UNC
87 Clemson
89 Miami
101 Wake Forest
159 Boston College

[Troublemaker]

I actually would anticipate the Clemson basketball program getting an off campus hotel for their players to get a good night's rest and away from the fracas (and to be able to enforce a curfew). I'm sure they'll watch the game though.

Dear Coach Brownell,

Your request for funds to pay for hotel rooms has been denied. Some of the laser tag vests in our football facility (https://www.al.com/sports/2016/08/clemsons_football_facility_to.html) are very beat up, and that money really would be better spent to replenish them.

Regards,

Clemson Athletics

[Troublemaker]

Also, how focused is Coach Brownell and his staff on this game? Despite only 2 NCAA appearances in 10 years, no one's going to fire the coach that broke the streak against UNC. So whatever level of security Brownell was feeling before, he knows his job is 100% safe now. Which means what? Which means he and his wife spent all of yesterday planning and booking their summer vacation! I mean, that's what I would've been doing, given the difference in his job security pre and post UNC game.

I'm really only half joking or maybe a quarter joking. I think there's a 25% chance I'm largely painting the picture correctly about Clemson bball since the UNC win. I've never seen a team have such cause to be distracted when Duke is coming to town.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I agree in principle, but the basketball Tigers aren't heading to New Orleans. The fans might be spent, but the players on the court will be locked in on our jerseys.
.

This is such an interesting dynamic. I mean, has there ever been a more explosive four days for any university athletic program? Wow, breaking an 0-59 versus a perennial power, two days later the Natty in FB, then hosting your BB Super Bowl 24 hours after that? I think being at home, the BB players will be more caught up in either the elation or depression, depending on how the FB game goes, than they would be spending the night in a Durham hotel before the game.

If Dabo's boys win tonight...tomorrow at Littlejohn may be forgotten...or it may be a huge orange celebration possibility. If Clemson loses tonight, there will be no atmosphere or energy in Littlejohn...for Duke.

But again, to my memory, this is uncharted territory for an athletic program...

[fuse]

I’ll leave the stats to Kedsy and others.

This is a difficult game because its unpredictable.
My eye test watching Clemson play UNC was that Clemson was bad...until they weren’t. I lost count of how many blown layups Clemson players had, particularly in the first ten minutes of the first half.

There was also a comment upthread about Clemson being a poor 3 point shooting team. That may also be true, and yet they hit them when they needed them in Chapel Hill.

I’m not crying chicken little. I am hopeful that the coaching staff keeps the team focused and ready to play their game. ACC road games are never gimmes.

[OldPhiKap]

Littlejohn is a very intense place. I expect it to be rocking, especially if Clemson beats LSU tonight.

[Troublemaker]

I’ll leave the stats to Kedsy and others.

This is a difficult game because its unpredictable.
My eye test watching Clemson play UNC was that Clemson was bad...until they weren’t. I lost count of how many blown layups Clemson players had, particularly in the first ten minutes of the first half.

There was also a comment upthread about Clemson being a poor 3 point shooting team. That may also be true, and yet they hit them when they needed them in Chapel Hill.

I’m not crying chicken little. I am hopeful that the coaching staff keeps the team focused and ready to play their game. ACC road games are never gimmes.

I don't know that the range of outcomes for this game is all that different, i.e. that this game is more unpredictable than usual. (And I know all about prediction, as I am crushing the Degenerates league, #1 against the spread, #1 in over/under (https://contests.covers.com/OfficePools/OverallLeaderboard/512b8c12-9838-4d7b-9e5b-aafb00c38d2b) :-). And if I'm right about Clemson being distracted, that narrows the range of outcomes, not widens it. (And if I'm wrong, then it's just a regular ACC road game).


I hope we can contain Simms and shut him down some. I don't think the Tigers really have any other dynamic player who could carry them if Simms is slowed down. Now that they have ended the streak against the holes,let's give them a great big welcome back to the real world. Go Devils!

"Dynamic" is a bit strong for Simms, but he's a good player and they do have other good players as well. I could certainly see Tevin Mack, who's a 5th-year senior, muscling Matthew out of the way on drives to the basket; generally, I actually like Matthew defending driving guards better (where physical strength can be less a factor) than muscular face-up 4s like Mack.


It does sound like Jack and Javin might be better matchups on Simms, chasing him out to the 3 point line. Would love to see us establish Vernon early and pick up some fouls. If they are scouting us off the Wake tape, maybe they’ll fall into the trap of trying to guard big Vern one on one.

Yeah, although I would rank Simms' 3-pt ability as my second-biggest concern. For a big, he's good driving the ball to the basket (playing off his threat as a 3-pt shooter), and I would be worried that he can drive into Vernon and pick up fouls on him.

How Duke's big men can handle drives from Simms and Mack will be a key to the game, imo. Because while Clemson's guards are going to be pretty good in a year or two, I don't think they're ready to do much against Tre, JGold, Cassius, et al this season. (John Newman might pop as an athletic defender in this game, though. Duke actually had recruiting interest in Newman for like two weeks, although I don't think an offer was ever made.)

[DavidBenAkiva]

I’ll leave the stats to Kedsy and others.

This is a difficult game because its unpredictable.
My eye test watching Clemson play UNC was that Clemson was bad...until they weren’t. I lost count of how many blown layups Clemson players had, particularly in the first ten minutes of the first half.

There was also a comment upthread about Clemson being a poor 3 point shooting team. That may also be true, and yet they hit them when they needed them in Chapel Hill.

I’m not crying chicken little. I am hopeful that the coaching staff keeps the team focused and ready to play their game. ACC road games are never gimmes.

Clemson is a pretty mediocre 3-point shooting team. Their performance from distance against UNC was ok, hitting 12 of 31 attempts (38.7%). It was their 2nd best 3-point shooting performance on the season. UNC is in the lower tier of teams based on 3-point defense, allowing opponents to hit 34.3% of their attempts, 237th best in the nation. Duke, by comparison, is one of the better 3-point percentage defenses, allowing teams to hit just 29.4% of their attempts (43rd best in the nation).

In a single game, something wacky could happen. However, it is unlikely that Clemson is going to defeat Duke from beyond the arc.

[Troublemaker]

So, I have to go from Clemson being my hero to pulling against them in the span of just a few days?

“Tough crowd.”

This is actually the third time this season that Duke has played a team immediately after that team has defeated UNC in Chapel Hill.

Wofford, GaTech, and now Clemson.

Hopefully watching Duke defeat those teams (in the case of Wofford, easily) that just beat them adds some psychic pain to UNC fans.

[AGDukesky]

As long as the officiating isn’t as terrible as the Ga Tech game, it should be a comfortable win. If Clemson is allowed to go over the back and campout in the lane, then it might get tight...

[VA_BDevil]

Since this thread needs to be on the front page, and since there's no sports on TV tonight ;) -

Any news on AOC's hip/back after his hard fall Saturday?

[devildeac]

Since this thread needs to be on the front page, and since there's no sports on TV tonight ;) -

Any news on AOC's hip/back after his hard fall Saturday?

He re-entered the game, playing 17 minutes, only scored 1 point but had 4 boards and 2 steals:

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401168357

No reports of him wearing a boot...

;)

[moonpie23]

i know clemson's bb team is terrible, but tomorrow night, they're going to be gunning for an upset.....losing the title tonight will motivate their team AND fans to take it out on duke.....


i don't like it...

[BlueDevil2K]

i know clemson's bb team is terrible, but tomorrow night, they're going to be gunning for an upset...losing the title tonight will motivate their team AND fans to take it out on duke...


i don't like it...

I don't know that there was a great option here. Picture Dabo leading the team onto the court before the game with the national championship trophy...the roof would have come off...

[AGDukesky]

I don't know that there was a great option here. Picture Dabo leading the team onto the court before the game with the national championship trophy...the roof would have come off...

Yeah, if there is any correlation between the two outcomes I don’t see how the football loss positively affects their basketball team/fans.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

i know clemson's bb team is terrible, but tomorrow night, they're going to be gunning for an upset....losing the title tonight will motivate their team AND fans to take it out on duke....

i don't like it...

Nah, will be a dead arena I believe.....compared to what it might have been.

[Saratoga2]

Yeah, if there is any correlation between the two outcomes I don’t see how the football loss positively affects their basketball team/fans.

I watched the gamefrom the comfort of my home last night and got to bed at 12:30. I imagine people at the Clemson campus would have watched in groups, many in bars, and would have got to bed in the wee hours. If anything, the fans will be tired and bummed out. Even some of the players may have watched the game and gotten little sleep.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

If we play our game at a top level, the number of hungover fans and/or opposing players becomes quickly irrelevant. Let's go play Duke basketball.

[Devilwin]

My worry is will Vernon be Vernon tonight? He's had a couple of sub par games in a row. If he dominates, we should be fine..

[CameronDuke]

Tough, loud arena. Duke is -10 right now. It is rarely easy on the road in the ACC, although Duke made it look that way at Miami.

[roywhite]

My worry is will Vernon be Vernon tonight? He's had a couple of sub par games in a row. If he dominates, we should be fine..

Yeah, Vernon is adjusting to extra defensive attention and has some issues scoring against good, big defenders (Banks from Ga Tech for example).

He can choose his shot selection more carefully and also keep the ball moving if covered up. The good news is -- he has shown good passing ability, and our outside shooters are performing well lately.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Yeah, Vernon is adjusting to extra defensive attention and has some issues scoring against good, big defenders (Banks from Ga Tech for example).

He can choose his shot selection more carefully and also keep the ball moving if covered up. The good news is -- he has shown good passing ability, and our outside shooters are performing well lately.

Outside of the Georgia Tech game, Carey is not having any trouble scoring from the field. He's taking fewer shots as more teams are doubling him in the post. He did struggle from the field, shooting just 6-14 (42.9%) from the floor against James Banks III and Georgia Tech. That was his second worst shooting performance on the season (3-8 against Kansas). Where Carey has struggled a little is at the free throw line. On the other hand, Carey's assist totals have gone up of late. He's gotten 8 of his 14 assists on the season in the last 5 games while maintaining roughly the same rate of turnovers. He's getting touches but passing out of the double team more often and finding open shooters every now and then. it would be nice to see him pour in another 20-10 game, though, to keep the defenses honest.

[elvis14]

After last night's loss it's going to interesting to see if Clemson fans have anything left for basketball tonight. I suspect there may be moments when the crowd gets loud but I'm not expecting much. Most of the students probably got to sleep after 1am, had to get up this morning, figure out where they are and what they drank, get home, shower and dress (poorly), go to class, take a nap....then get to a basketball game and pretend to care after losing the Natty.....

Looking at Clemson's schedule, they have some wins, including one against NCSU but essentially they haven't beat anyone worth a <redacted>

[jv001]

Outside of the Georgia Tech game, Carey is not having any trouble scoring from the field. He's taking fewer shots as more teams are doubling him in the post. He did struggle from the field, shooting just 6-14 (42.9%) from the floor against James Banks III and Georgia Tech. That was his second worst shooting performance on the season (3-8 against Kansas). Where Carey has struggled a little is at the free throw line. On the other hand, Carey's assist totals have gone up of late. He's gotten 8 of his 14 assists on the season in the last 5 games while maintaining roughly the same rate of turnovers. He's getting touches but passing out of the double team more often and finding open shooters every now and then. it would be nice to see him pour in another 20-10 game, though, to keep the defenses honest.

I agree with DBA. Vernon is not forcing shots when double or tripled teamed. He seems to be content on passing the ball to open shooters and I love that. As long as our perimeter players keep knocking down the three pointer, Duke will be fine. Well , as long as we continue to play good defense. This teams calling card is defense but it's offense is a close 2nd. However, Vernon needs to shoot free throws better because he's going to get fouled a lot and if teams sense he can't make the freebees, he'll get fouled even more.

GoDuke!

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Tough, loud arena. Duke is -10 right now. It is rarely easy on the road in the ACC, although Duke made it look that way at Miami.

Actually, since Littlejohn was "modernized" it's not nearly the tough loud arena it used to be. Lot of Clemson fans complain about how they ruined the atmosphere there. Years of mediocrity hasn't helped either. I expect the dullest quietest crowd we've ever faced at that arena, given the pall that must be over the Upstate today.

And yes, I remember when they let in about 3000 ABOVE fire marshall capacity in 80 or 81 and Clemson beat the top ranked Gminski,Banks, Dennard team. That was no doubt the all time atmosphere in Littlejohn.

[Indoor66]

Actually, since Littlejohn was "modernized" it's not nearly the tough loud arena it used to be. Lot of Clemson fans complain about how they ruined the atmosphere there. Years of mediocrity hasn't helped either. I expect the dullest quietest crowd we've ever faced at that arena, given the pall that must be over the Upstate today.

And yes, I remember when they let in about 3000 ABOVE fire marshall capacity in 80 or 81 and Clemson beat the top ranked Gminski,Banks, Dennard team. That was no doubt the all time atmosphere in Littlejohn.

That was '79.

[BigWayne]

Actually, since Littlejohn was "modernized" it's not nearly the tough loud arena it used to be. Lot of Clemson fans complain about how they ruined the atmosphere there. Years of mediocrity hasn't helped either. I expect the dullest quietest crowd we've ever faced at that arena, given the pall that must be over the Upstate today.

And yes, I remember when they let in about 3000 ABOVE fire marshall capacity in 80 or 81 and Clemson beat the top ranked Gminski,Banks, Dennard team. That was no doubt the all time atmosphere in Littlejohn.


That was '79.

January 9th 1980. It was during winter break so we drove down from Charlotte for the game. I was there sitting way up in the corner of the top deck. The aisles were full of people even up where we were. Thankfully nobody shouted fire.

[Tripping William]

No Joey Baker tonight. Sprained ankle. (https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1217130283063005189)

[budwom]

I guess we can figure out the eight man rotation.

[DavidBenAkiva]

No Joey Baker tonight. Sprained ankle. (https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1217130283063005189)

Crud

So injuries is how Coach K is going to whittle the starting lineup down to 8. Very clever.

[Stray Gator]

Crud

So injuries is how Coach K is going to whittle the starting lineup down to 8. Very clever.

Lots of Duke haters believe that Coach K has had 8 in the starting lineup for years . . . :rolleyes:

[AGDukesky]

Crud

So injuries is how Coach K is going to whittle the starting lineup down to 8. Very clever.

Seems like the perfect game to have to deal with foul trouble. Maybe AOC will bring his A game because we may need it...

[budwom]

yeah, opportunity to White and AOC to play more, gain confidence in shooting. We already know Goldwire will play a bunch.

[SouthernDukie]

I guess we can figure out the eight man rotation.

Nine. Coach has been saving the Admiral's son for such a time as this. :)

[mattman91]

Nine. Coach has been saving the Admiral's son for such a time as this. :)

In all seriousness, I wouldn't be too surprised to see him play meaningful minutes tonight. He's done it before.

[DallasDevil]

Nine. Coach has been saving the Admiral's son for such a time as this. :)

Is it time to burn Savarino's redshirt?

[Billy Dat]

I guess we can figure out the eight man rotation.

I am one of the believers that a key to our success this year has been partially due to teams not being able to game plan for a random rotation. Losing 2 of our usual 10 certainly makes us a little less mysterious.

Who do we think will be the 5th starter...Goldwire? He played well last game in a starting role and I can see K wanting to create a pressure cooker, although it looks like both teams TO%s are identical.

This injury to Baker has me unsettled, as does the Clemson L last night in the national title game. I'd hate for the basketball team to give the fans something to soothe the hurt.

[DavidBenAkiva]

I am one of the believers that a key to our success this year has been partially due to teams not being able to game plan for a random rotation. Losing 2 of our usual 10 certainly makes us a little less mysterious.

Who do we think will be the 5th starter...Goldwire? He played well last game in a starting role and I can see K wanting to create a pressure cooker, although it looks like both teams TO%s are identical.

This injury to Baker has me unsettled, as does the Clemson L last night in the national title game. I'd hate for the basketball team to give the fans something to soothe the hurt.

I'm going to assume that Goldwire gets the start in this one. It would be nice to have some scoring on the bench. AOC is the most offensively gifted of the group between Goldwire, White, and DeLaurier. My expectation is that all 8 will play a good chunk of time. Heck, we might even see some minutes from Justin Robinson. He has an absurd block rate and can hit a jumper.

[simplyluvin]

Feels like a classic trap game with the Cards coming in to town this weekend. Would love to see a solid defensive effort with lots of on-ball pressure. Gonna be a good game.

[SouthernDukie]

In all seriousness, I wouldn't be too surprised to see him play meaningful minutes tonight. He's done it before.

In all seriousness, neither would I. Could see him playing half a dozen or so minutes tonight. Especially if there’s any foul trouble. And I think he would acquit himself quite nicely.

[-jk]

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As always - please follow the DBR Posting Guidelines.

Let's Go Duke!

-jk

[Tripping William]

Hoping JGold and JRob and JWhite and JDel acquit themselves well tonight in the absence of JBake. Hope Tre J does, too. :o

[TKG]

Is it time to burn Savarino's redshirt?

Don’t you know that is a conversation every night over dinner with Mrs. K...

[Billy Dat]

Stephen Wiseman tweeting from Littlejohn...maybe it will be dead..

“A half hour before tip. I can't remember seeing a gathering this sparse for a Duke road game. That's NOT a knock on Clemson. Rather, speaks volumes about the circumstances after last night's football game.“

[fuse]

Been hard to watch so far.

[rsvman]

They don't look like a mediocre shooting team right now, that's for sure.

[arnie]

Been hard to watch so far.

Lackadaisical at best and bet K roasts them at half. Carey is getting some bench time this half, will likely see him play 20 in 2nd half.

[BlueandWhite]

They don't look like a mediocre shooting team right now, that's for sure.

The story thus far is, Duke is sleepwalking through this game on defense and tentative on offense, 30% team effort; Clemson showed up to play tonight with 100% effort and they actually want to win the game.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Team isn’t communicating on defense and look off on offense. No help defense, no energy to get steals. What’s up guys??

[dukelifer]

Team isn’t communicating on defense and look off on offense. No help defense, no energy to get steals. What’s up guys??

Duke will need to play much better to come out of this with a win.

[ratamero]

What a horrendous game from Alex. At least 3 open baskets that were on him, two missed bunnies and an ugly three that almost hit the shot clock.

[ratamero]

Oh my god. This was just a perfect summary of this half.

[ndkjr70]

Alex O’Connell is an unmitigated disaster this season.

We desperately miss Wendell Moore. This season will get a lot uglier before it gets pretty.

[MarkD83]

Oh my god. This was just a perfect summary of this half.

I was thinking the same thing

[rsvman]

Wow.

Well, at least the steal prevented Clemson from adding to the lead.

I counted at least four missed layups for us in the first half.

[fuse]

Ouch.
How many blown layups in the first half?
At least three.

Defense is...porous.

Looking forward to a better second half where we outscore them by at least 8.

[ncexnyc]

Some really poor play tonight. Lazy passes left and right and just no sense of urgency.

[arnie]

What a horrendous game from Alex. At least 3 open baskets that were on him, two missed bunnies and an ugly three that almost hit the shot clock.

He played better than Hurt🤬

[CameronDuke]

I’m surprised Duke is down just 40-33 that half. Clemson got basically whatever they wanted offensively including shooting 5-9 from 3 and attacking the rim off the dribble consistently.

Duke with 9 sloppy turnovers and missing 3 free throws too.

Still shooting 46.2% overall but the defense looks the worst it has since losing to Stephen F. Austin.

[scottdude8]

This was always a trap game, on the road with relatively short rest before Louisville. Clemson’s momentum after taking out UNC and Joey’s injury made it even more of a trap. And now we’re missing layups while they’re draining 3s.

But only down 7 after a half in which everything that could go wrong did isn’t the end of the world. I’m betting K adjusts with a smaller lineup in the second half.

[Sixthman]

Nothing to like. Nothing to build on. Throw it all out. Play some people who want to leave it in the floor. I say we burn Joey’s redshirt.

[BlueandWhite]

Team isn’t communicating on defense and look off on offense. No help defense, no energy to get steals. What’s up guys??

The worst half of the season thus far. Coach K did not look particularly pleased walking off the court. Let’s see if they can pull this one out.

[dukebluesincebirth]

We have several players who just seem to fluctuate in intensity and have spells of falling asleep. Hurt is in la la land. O’Connell tried hard but failed several times. We’ll see if K has the magic halftime sauce to wake this team up.

[Saratoga2]

Nothing to like. Nothing to build on. Throw it all out. Play some people who want to leave it in the floor. I say we burn Joey’s redshirt.

Not much to like. Goldwire missed a layup even I could make to go into the half. Alex has been bad as has Hurt. Missed FT's. Only one playing well is Vernon. We do miss Wendell tonight and possibly Joey could hit from outside.

[jv001]

Some horrible play from Alex. He's an upperclassmen and be one of the players that should be calm in a tough road game. Not only did he miss some chippies but he hit the side of the backboard on a 3 point attempt. Tre has been off as well. Our guys are making some lazy plays on offense, not catching the ball with both hands on passes and rebounds and making some weak passes. I don't think the teams played this bad all year. Yeh, even against SFA. Come on guys, grow some stones this half.

GoDuke!

[proelitedota]

The Goldwire layup hopefully got rid of all our bad juju.

[devildeac]

Nothing to like. Nothing to build on. Throw it all out. Play some people who want to leave it in the floor. I say we burn Joey’s boot.


fify

[heyman25]

The story thus far is, Duke is sleepwalking through this game on defense and tentative on offense, 30% team effort; Clemson showed up to play tonight with 100% effort and they actually want to win the game.

Wow that was dreadful. We are flat and killing ourselves with bad passes,dumb decisions, and missing layups by Goldwire and 2 by O'Connell.Alex has never shown an A game. He is the definition of inconsistent.Jones 's game is off as well. Hurt and Carey I hope can bring their A games in the second half.Stanley makes a great shot then travels or makes a bad foul. Got to hit all are free throws second half.
Not Duke's night so far.

On another note I live in LA and the 2017 Dodgers were robbed out of a World Series win in 2017. Sandy Koufax fan is dating me.

[ShaneRyan]

My extremely negative friend and I are watching this and both feeling good. Clemson's going to cool off, our D will get more intense, we'll win by 5. BOOK IT.

[mattyoung18]

Clemson is playing for Dabo and little ole Clemson tonight.

[hallcity]

The Goldwire layup hopefully got rid of all our bad juju.

How does that work? I thought bad juju just engendered more bad juju.

[jv001]

Nothing to like. Nothing to build on. Throw it all out. Play some people who want to leave it in the floor. I say we burn Joey’s redshirt.

Joey actually had a better half than Alex and Matthew. GoDuke!

[Music man55]

Please coach, take out Alex. He's just a walking disaster tonight. Actually, the whole team is lethargic, like they are just going through the motions.If coach K doesn't light a fire on their behind at half time, we might end up getting blown out of Littlejohn. SHEESH!!!

[simplyluvin]

Too many turnovers, including two early by Tre. Hopefully Clemson cools down, but we need to figure out dribble penetration and pick and roll. AOC is letting us down.

[Kfanarmy]

O’Connell tried hard but failed several times..
He was out of position on about six backdoor plays...

[rsvman]

Two point guards, two centers? Haven't seen this line-up before.

[Sixthman]

Clemson dragging pivot foot repeatedly,

[devildeac]

Clemson dragging pivot foot repeatedly,

eades is blind unless it's a Duke foul

[ShaneRyan]

The way this Clemson offense is playing is absurd beyond belief right now. They've lost to Miami AT HOME, FSU by 20, and Virginia Tech. They are not this good. We're just getting their absolute best and it sucks.

[CameronDuke]

Clemson is 19-32 (59.4%) from the floor overall and 6-11 from 3 (54.5%). Duke, aside from the turnovers, is playing good enough to compete offensively but the defense looks horrendous. Clemson is attacking the rim at will offer the dribble and getting clean look after clean look from 3.

[rsvman]

The way this Clemson offense is playing is absurd beyond belief right now. They've lost to Miami AT HOME, FSU by 20, and Virginia Tech. They are not this good. We're just getting their absolute best and it sucks.

Maybe they revert to the mean sometime soon?

We are really short handed now without Moore, Baker, and now Stanley...

[devildeac]

And Clemson has nobody with >2 fouls:mad:.

[Bluedog]

Can't miss layups when it's a two on one breakaway....gah.

[rsvman]

Jack White looking confident in his shooting right now.

[CameronDuke]

Clemson is cooling off a bit from 3.

Duke is just 9-15 from the free throw line.

[ndkjr70]

Goldwire is trying to outdo his superb defensive abilities with terrible offensive decisions and missed layups.

It’s working

[ncexnyc]

Goldwire and Hurt are killing us tonight.

[Kfanarmy]

Maybe they revert to the mean sometime soon?

We are really short handed now without Moore, Baker, and now Stanley...

What is Baker's issue?

[rsvman]

So.Many.Missed.Free.Throws.And.Layups.

[rsvman]

What is Baker's issue?

Sprained ankle. In a boot on the bench.

[bluedev_92]

And bad passes...

[ncexnyc]

At what point does Stanley return? We need some offense.

[Kfanarmy]

Sprained ankle. In a boot on the bench.

Practice injury? Boot sounds serious

[Bluedog]

Goldwire is trying to outdo his superb defensive abilities with terrible offensive decisions and missed layups.

It’s working

I was super confused when he decided to not take the open layup and instead do a reverse and then a late pass into traffic. I think the prior miss got into his head.

[devildeac]

Practice injury? Boot sounds serious

Yes, but quoted as "day-to-day."

[scottdude8]

That shot can only be described by an emoji 😳

[fuse]

That shot from Tre!!!!!!!


Let’s Go Duke!!!

[downeastdad]

Free throws!!!

[CameronDuke]

Duke is 9-18 from the free throw line.

[bluedev_92]

Free throws killing us too

[rsvman]

Make a free throw!!!!!

[devildeac]

Duke is 9-18 from the free throw line.

On son *almost* shot that well in his 5th grade YMCA league:eek:

[Bluedog]

It's not often a team's FG % is higher than FT % this late in a game with so many shots. 3 % same as FT % for now too. Carey has had a lot of FTs rim out.

[ndkjr70]

Can I change my answer on the “how many ACC games will duke win” thread?

On the road against any non cupcake, Duke is just not a very great basketball team yet. There’s still time, but man this is hideous, uninspired basketball.

[rsvman]

Not even close to out of the woods yet.

Can't believe how many points we have left on the free throw line and in layups.

[scottdude8]

JACK WHITE makes winning plays

[CameronDuke]

Would be nice to have the 9 missed free throws and breakaway layup missed at the halftime buzzer back right now.

[chrishoke]

Whose ball is it?

[rsvman]

Would be nice to have the 9 missed free throws and breakaway layup missed at the halftime buzzer back right now.

Not to mention all the other missed layups.

[Billy Dat]

We look gassed, this line-up not used to these minutes plus the pressing. Let’s see if we can make some plays and win this thing.

[rsvman]

Going sideways

[J4Kop99]

Death by a thousand backdoor cuts

[Sixthman]

Got to get Carey out; he’s got nothing in the tank.

[CameronDuke]

Duke is 10-20 from the free throw line.

[frb]

Goldwire might be the worst offensive player of the Coach K era.. of anyone who gets regular PT. How do you miss multiple lay ups?

Carey is gassed

[IBleedBlue]

Going sideways
i dont understand why we went away from the pressure defense. It let Clemson get back into the game when they were on the ropes.
And Vernon Carey really needs to learn to pass the ball out of a double team. They have been doubling him all night and yet he keeps doing the same thing i.e. trying to score. It is frustrating to see.

[Billy Dat]

Got to get Carey out; he’s got nothing in the tank.

It’s true, he’s done. I think we trade his offense for some D. There is still time.

[J4Kop99]

Clemson fans had too much energy bottled up from last night. I wish LSU lost. Duke would’ve won by 20 had that happened.

[Sixthman]

Put hurt in; fresh legs. Scorer.

[CameronDuke]

Clemson is shooting 56.9% overall and 42.1% from 3 and crushing Duke on the glass. Sometimes teams just get hot and Duke can’t shoot it in the ocean from the line. It happens.

[Bluedog]

I hate replays that give a free TO. Even if it might benefit us. They should not allow players to talk to their coaches during review in my opinion. Why is this taking so long??? Anybody catch what the Clemson said about Goldwire? I heard his name.

[Acymetric]

WTF is with the refs on this review?

[dukelifer]

Clemson is shooting 56.9% overall and 42.1% from 3 and crushing Duke on the glass. Sometimes teams just get hot and Duke can’t shoot it in the ocean from the line. It happens.

What happened to Hurt tonight?

[devildeac]

WTF is with the refs on this review?

it's eades

[rsvman]

What happened to Hurt tonight?

MIA, unfortunately.

[AtlBluRew]

This team needs to run layup drills.

[J4Kop99]

Carey is so gassed. Surprised coach K is still trying to ply through him

[dukelifer]

MIA, unfortunately.

Wonder if he is sick

[Sixthman]

Mistake not to sub more. Hurt, Javin.

[CameronDuke]

What happened to Hurt tonight?

Two quick turnovers and a foul to start the game and got taken out. Never really got back into the flow of the game.

[rsvman]

We deserve to lose.
I wish they would just put us out of our misery, at this point.

[CameronDuke]

Duke got crushed on the glass tonight.

[fuse]

Free throws and layups. Ugh.

Sad panda.

[Bluedog]

Bummerz....

[ndkjr70]

This is just not a very good basketball team if you dare to be physical. Can’t see how this team does really anything if they don’t get better production on the glass this season.

[VA_BDevil]

Jack and Javin know how to finish tight games. Too bad Javin hasn't seen the court during crunch time.

[rsvman]

Could've used our full cadre of players tonight.

[Billy Dat]

Mistake not to sub more. Hurt, Javin.

Yeah, I guess K really didn’t like what he saw out of everyone else. These guys have been gassed since the 6 minute mark, after all that pressing.

[ndkjr70]

We’re going to get absolutely pounded by Louisville.

[moonpie23]

i know clemson's bb team is terrible, but tomorrow night, they're going to be gunning for an upset....losing the title tonight will motivate their team AND fans to take it out on duke....


i don't like it...

Man i hate being right all the time....

[rsvman]

We’re going to get absolutely pounded by Louisville.

Disagree.

[Kfanarmy]

SCHADENFRUEDE. Not so funny now. UNC took them to OT.

[Acymetric]

We’re going to get absolutely pounded by Louisville.


Disagree.

Yeah, I don't think so.

[Bluedog]

We’re going to get absolutely pounded by Louisville.

I feel like game to game you never know what you're going to get. We can look like poop one game and awesome the next. Who knows.

[dukelifer]

This is just not a very good basketball team if you dare to be physical. Can’t see how this team does really anything if they don’t get better production on the glass this season.

Are you basing the weakness on the glass on this game only?

[SouthernDukie]

We’re going to get absolutely pounded by Louisville.

Yeah. Maybe we can forfeit the game since we have no chance. :rolleyes:

[Acymetric]

SCHADENFRUEDE. Not so funny now. UNC took them to OT.

Disagree. Still hilarious. Where's that meme about unc not having a win this decade?

[Bluedog]

SCHADENFRUEDE. Not so funny now. UNC took them to OT.

Well it was @UNC which usually counts for 6 pts.

[Stray Gator]

We deserve to lose.
I wish they would just put us out of our misery, at this point.

When your team misses at least a half-dozen easy layups, bricks half of their free throws, and repeatedly gives up open shots, there's no justification for complaining about losing on the road to a conference opponent. Based on the problems we saw with the performance of several players tonight, I'd say this loss is the least of Duke's worries.

[heyman25]

Did not deserve a win. Tried to come back but noone really made plays. One of Carey's worst games. We lose Baker and the team did not step up.Clemson was much better than Duke tonight. Duke looked pedestrian in their performance.Very disappointed, but that's college basketball.We cheered the Clemson students up after the loss in the Football Championship.

[dukelifer]

We’re going to get absolutely pounded by Louisville.

Louisville is unbeatable -

[Kfanarmy]

Disagree. Still hilarious. Where's that meme about unc not having a win this decade?

They probably think the same. Clemson ran layup drills in the first half. Duke missed about 10 shots two feet from the basket. Ugly final 5 minutes. Uggh first game not on the ACCN in a while a Duke craps the bed.

[dukelifer]

When your team misses at least a half-dozen easy layups, bricks half of their free throws, and repeatedly gives up open shots, there's no justification for complaining about losing on the road to a conference opponent. Based on the problems we saw with the performance of several players tonight, I'd say this loss is the least of Duke's worries.

Duke has had issues all season but have overachieved. They are a young team- still learning. A bad game- it happens. Happened last year as well. Hopefully they will regroup and improve next game.

[OldDukeDevil]

if we had played in the first like we did in the second, it might have been different. we played like we were guaranteed to win in the first half

[weezie]

Aw geez, Pitt getting abused