MBB: Duke @ Notre Dame (Wed 12/16, 9:00 pm, ESPN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[DavidBenAkiva]

Over a three-week period, Duke is currently scheduled to play once, a road game in South Bend to kick off the ACC schedule against Notre Dame. In many ways, ND has the opposite of Duke's roster. The team is made up of experienced players but has a short rotation with very defined roles. Between now and Wednesday night, ND will face off against Kentucky, part of a brutal schedule assembled by Mike Brey that includes games against MSU, Ohio State, and Purdue as well as a feisty Detroit team that gave both ND and MSU all it could handle. The Fightin' Irish play their games close, rarely winning or losing by much. Expect a close game.

The top 4 players for ND this year are all juniors and each averages more than 35 minutes per game. The point guard is 6'3" Prentiss Hubb. He's a scoring guard and is averaging an impressive 22.3 pts/5.0 reb/5.3 ast per game. Hubb does his damage from outside and has struggled to get good looks at the rim this year although has gotten to the free throw line more often this year. Slowing Hubb is going to be a challenge and will take a team effort. Hubb shares the backcourt with Stanford transfer 6'5" SG Cormac Ryan. He was primarily a 3-point specialist as a freshman in Palo Alto but has shown a more balanced offensive game so far this season. The frontcourt includes 6'6" Dane Goodwin and 6'10" Nate Laszewski. Goodwin is, like Ryan, a steady player that can make shots and doesn't jump out in any particular area. He's solid. Laszewski has taken on the same role as John Mooney, who graduated after last season ended. Laszewski can shoot it and is a good defensive rebounder, although his role in the offense is less of a focal point than Mooney was. He'll be an interesting matchup for Matthew Hurt or Jalen Johnson. These four players, Hubbs, Ryan, Goodwin, and Laszewski, are going to be on the floor a lot. They are smart, have been around for a while, and know what to do. Hubb is clearly the focal point while the others are role players.

Joining the ND "core four" in the starting lineup is 6'11" SR Juwan Durham, a shot blocker and about the only that consistently goes for offensive rebounds on the team. He's limited offensively but can make a few nifty moves around the rim when necessary. The starters have been supplemented by a trio of players that rarely contribute to the offense, including 6'8" SR Nikolo Djogo and two freshmen, 6'7" Tony Sanders and 6'9" Matt Zona. Sanders is getting the most minutes and will probably play a more expanded role once Goodwin graduates in 2 years. Zona is the center-in-waiting and will take over for Durham next season. Neither players more than 15 minutes a game so far on the young season.

Duke will have to be disciplined in this matchup. ND does not force turnovers and rarely makes them on offense. They are a good offensive team but just mediocre on defense. Outside of Hubb, who could get some push for ACC POTY, the rest of the roster is not going to impress you. But they don't let you down, either. Duke has a serious athletic advantage in the frontcourt, especially if Laszewski is going to defend Jalen Johnson. ND has been susceptible to blocked shots, which is another area where Duke has excelled. The Fightin' Irish can score the ball. If Duke wants to win this, they are going to have to defend. More importantly, they are going to have to be able to keep up on offense.

[cbarry]

Bonzie is finally gone?!! Lol. Seemed like he was at ND forever.

[CDu]

Bonzie is finally gone?!! Lol. Seemed like he was at ND forever.

He's been gone for 2 full years now, going into the 3rd year. Probably time to move on from that joke.

[cbarry]

He's been gone for 2 full years now, going into the 3rd year. Probably time to move on from that joke.
Oh, OK. If you say so. Sorry to have disturbed you.

[budwom]

Bonzie is finally gone?!! Lol. Seemed like he was at ND forever.

we were thinking he broke Scott Youmans record...he was on the Duke football team for eleven years I think...(but was not annoying like the Bonzer)

[CDu]

The Irish are not at all deep, and they got less deep before the season when freshman Elijah Taylor and junior Robby Carmody were lost to injury (Carmody may return in the New Year but should miss our game), and then senior captain Nikola Djogo hurt his ankle in the opener. As DBA noted, Brey rides his starters HARD, with the bench playing very sparingly since senior captain Djogo injured his ankle. Basically, it's a 6.5 man rotation, with the 1.5 playing very sparingly. The rotation will expand to 7 if Djogo returns, but it's not clear if he'll be back for our game.

Despite the lack of depth, they are a veteran group and extremely well coached. Their offense is very deliberate, historically with an extreme focus on getting good looks from 3. So far this season, that hasn't been as true, but it's early yet. They don't have many players capable of creating shots for themselves, so they are very reliant on running the offense. They shoot it EXTREMELY well though, and combined with their extremely low turnover rate they have a very good offense. It isn't the most talented team in the world, but they have experience and they are well-coached to exceed the sum of their parts. Defensively, they don't foul and don't force turnovers. They don't do anything else particularly well as a team defensively, and are just mediocre on that end. They don't beat themselves on defense, but they also don't do much to beat you on defense.

Centers: Juwan Durham (6'11", 225lb senior transfer from UConn) is the center. Durham is a shotblocking machine and a solid rebounder on each end. He's the lone starter that isn't a shooting threat, but he's pretty athletic and long and can get putback points. Not a source of primary offense, mainly a screener and rebounder and finisher off putbacks and assists. Nate Laszewski (6'10", 225lb junior) is the nominal backup center. He's a stretch big who can shoot from 3. Sort of their version of Matthew Hurt, although not nearly as skilled. Still, he is extremely dangerous shooter if left alone. He's also a solid defensive rebounder. The only other true big is Matt Zona (6'9", 245lb freshman). Zona is another in the Mooney mold: below-the-rim game (for sure) but good shooter and good skills. But like Mooney was, he's not ready for ACC level yet. Basically, Zona plays only if Durham gets in foul trouble and somebody else needs a rest. If Djogo returns, Zona probably doesn't play against us.

Forwards: Laszewski starts at the PF spot, but rotates up to C when Durham comes out. The other forward is Nikola Djogo (6'8", 230lb senior captain from Canada). Djogo has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, but is a key part of the rotation when healthy. He is a versatile defender and a capable shooter, although his results from 3pt range have never matched the underlying skill. He rarely shoots, and focuses on doing the little things for the team. Not sure if he'll be available. If he's not, the team will play the starters as much as they can handle. If he is, the starters will still play a lot, but there will be a bit more of a rotation with Djogo playing 15-20 mpg behind Durham and Laszewksi.

Wings: Cormac Ryan (6'5", 195lb junior transfer from Stanford) and Dane Goodwin (6'6", 200lb junior) are the starters on the wing. Ryan is a co-captain despite his limited time in the program (sat out the season last year due to transfer. But he's a hard-nosed NYC kid who can shoot it really well and has a high bball IQ to go along with the scrappy game. He's not just a shooter, and knows how to use angles to get shots up in the lane despite not being super athletic. Dane Goodwin can really shoot it, but that's not all he brings to the table. He's also sneaky athletic and not afraid to battle inside, to the tune of 7 rebounds per game so far. Both guys play as much as they can due to injuries. The third wing is Tony Sanders Jr (6'7", 200lb freshman). Sanders was a guy who wasn't expected to play much this year. But injuries to Carmody, Taylor, and Djogo have forced Brey's hand a bit. Sanders is pretty raw, and skinny. He doesn't really do anything at an ACC level yet. But it's simply a numbers game at this point, and somebody has to play when Durham gets in foul trouble.

Guards: There's just one guy here, and it's their other captain and best player: Prentiss Hubb (6'3", 175lb junior). Hubb is the do-everything guy for the Irish. He's a more of a combo guard who can score and distribute than a true lead guard or point guard, but he leads the team in scoring, 3pt %, assists, and steals. Hubb is more smooth than explosive, and isn't great at scoring off the dribble. In fact, he's downright bad at it, shooting just 33.3% at the rim. Over half of his shots come from 3pt range, which is wise: he's hitting 43% from out there. Because the team is lacking in playmakers, a lot is asked of Hubb, and that helps explain his 3.7 turnovers per game. He's a really good player, but is probably being asked to do too much. The only other guard is walk-on Elijah Morgan, who rarely ever plays.

If this game gets played, it's a nice road test for a young team. Talent-wise, this shouldn't be close. We're SOOOO much more talented than the Irish. And depth could be a problem for them as noted above. But they don't foul, and they don't play fast, so unless we can dictate tempo and start attacking the basket better, we're not exactly well suited to punish that lack of depth. Because Brey is such a good coach and because he has such a veteran team, it'll be a good barometer test for the team's development. Clearly a big step down in quality from Illinois, and a step down as well from MSU. But a dramatic step up from Bellarmine and Coppin State. Looking forward to hopefully getting the chance to see whether Steward and Roach can build off their solid games against the Illini, and seeing if Johnson can regain his form against a team that doesn't draw fouls.

[AGDukesky]

ND taking Kentucky behind the woodshed leading 48-26 at half.

[DavidBenAkiva]

It's halftime, but it feels like this game is over. Notre Dame is up 48-26 on Kentucky in Lexington. Kentucky is getting completely outplayed, outrebounded, giving up open looks. I'm not sure what to make of this performance so far. Notre Dame is an ok team but Kentucky just looks awful. The point guard play has been horrendous this year for the Cats.

[tteettimes]

ND taking Kentucky behind the woodshed leading 48-26 at half.

Looks like Mike Brey is eating well......really pounded up

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Looks like Mike Brey is eating well...really pounded up

I call this "covid obesity."

[rsvman]

It's halftime, but it feels like this game is over. Notre Dame is up 48-26 on Kentucky in Lexington. Kentucky is getting completely outplayed, outrebounded, giving up open looks. I'm not sure what to make of this performance so far. Notre Dame is an ok team but Kentucky just looks awful. The point guard play has been horrendous this year for the Cats.

Turns out it wasn’t over, although it ended favorably for Notre Dame. Sarr had a pretty good look from about 17 feet at the buzzer that just came up a little short, and ND won it by a single point.

[weezie]

Looks like Mike Brey is eating well...really pounded up

Hope he'll be sadness eating at about 11:00pm 12/16/20.


Arrrgh, another late game.

[accfanfrom1970]

Tale of two halves. ND 48-26 1st half. Kentucky 37-16 2nd half.

[gofurman]

Tale of two halves. ND 48-26 1st half. Kentucky 37-16 2nd half.

Hubb and laszewski w 18 and 21 pts. Also Diogo did play so I suspect we will see him 😕. Right now I just want a win. Wish Diogo was out just one more game

[DavidBenAkiva]

Hubb and laszewski w 18 and 21 pts. Also Diogo did play so I suspect we will see him 😕. Right now I just want a win. Wish Diogo was out just one more game

I always root for health. If Duke needs to play with an advantage, it will just lead to excuses.

[gofurman]

I always root for health. If Duke needs to play with an advantage, it will just lead to excuses.

I don’t want anyone really hurt. Never. Just maybe miss our game 😀. We. Need. Wins

[DavidBenAkiva]

One of the more interesting matchups this week will be the two top offensive players in the ACC, Duke's Matt Hurt and ND's Nate Laszewski. Both are among the most efficient offensive players in the early going of college basketball. The two should be matched up on each other quite a bit, too.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EpOCna8XUAEs41J?format=png&name=large

Source: https://twitter.com/SynergySST/status/1338557185383686146/photo/1

[arnie]

Didn’t see Wendell Moore on the screenshot?🤔

[Spanarkel]

Beware of underrated 6'3-4" guards from Upper Marlboro:

Victor Oladipo(ESPN no. 144 in 2010)

Prentiss Hubb(RSCI no. 92/~40 prior to leg injury before senior yr).

[gofurman]

Beware of underrated 6'3-4" guards from Upper Marlboro:

Victor Oladipo(ESPN no. 144 in 2010)

Prentiss Hubb(RSCI no. 92/~40 prior to leg injury before senior yr).

Hubb is a good one. Wish we had an senior guard wtih that skill level. He's a difference maker for sure. But how the HE#$ was Oladipo rated no. 144 out of HS? Just on athleticism he shoulda been top 100 ...

[BlueDevilStop]

Interested to see how this team reacts to its first road game. Notre Dame is an experienced team so it will not be easy. Really rooting for Moore to have a good game.

Duke-Notre Dame game preview and what to watch for:

https://bluedevilstop.com/duke-notre-dame-game-preview/

[gofurman]

Interested to see how this team reacts to its first road game. Notre Dame is an experienced team so it will not be easy. Really rooting for Moore to have a good game.

Duke-Notre Dame game preview and what to watch for:

https://bluedevilstop.com/duke-notre-dame-game-preview/

Great stuff! Just an FYI. Duke did play Coppin State - we rescheduled and cancelled GWebb and CSU (. Charleston southern)

[JasonEvans]

But how the HE#$ was Oladipo rated no. 144 out of HS? Just on athleticism he shoulda been top 100 ...

Yeah, that does seem puzzling, but it is not like Oladipo came in to college and dominated the sport. He scored just 7 ppg as a freshman and was clearly not much of a shooter (30% on his 3s and just 61% from the FT line). But, he worked hard on his game and by the time he was a junior, he had really improved his shooting stroke (44% of his 3s and 76% from the FT line) and the NBA was suddenly very interested.

[JayZee]

I call this "covid obesity."

Three options

Covid Chunk - Brey
Covid Hunk - hopefully Zion
Covid Drunk - no comment

[Kedsy]

Interested to see how this team reacts to its first road game.

Are there going to be any fans in the stands? If not, I'm not sure how much the team could "react" to it.

[Bluedog]

Are there going to be any fans in the stands? If not, I'm not sure how much the team could "react" to it.

"Guests of the student-athletes" only. More than Duke but not much more.

[JasonEvans]

"Guests of the student-athletes" only. More than Duke but not much more.

This will be a big deal for the freshmen on the team though... first time their families (those who can make it to South Bend) will get to see them play live and in person.

[jv001]

This will be a big deal for the freshmen on the team though... first time their families (those who can make it to South Bend) will get to see them play live and in person.

Is the big snow storm going to hit South Bend? If so, travel could be a problem.

Let's GoDuke!

[gofurman]

Is the big snow storm going to hit South Bend? If so, travel could be a problem.

Let's GoDuke!

Hope not.. Duke needs to play

[Bluedog]

Is the big snow storm going to hit South Bend? If so, travel could be a problem.

Let's GoDuke!

Looks like 40% chance of snow in the afternoon but don't see any accumulation forecasted. Luckily, team not traveling to Boston on Thursday or somewhere like that.

[Troublemaker]

Are there going to be any fans in the stands? If not, I'm not sure how much the team could "react" to it.

For the freshmen, this is their first college basketball game away from Cameron and perhaps the first time they've done any basketball activity off the Duke campus since arriving. I don't care if there are fans or not; when you change the environment like that, it's meaningful. Now, the "reaction" to it doesn't have to be negative at all. I think after receiving two home beatdowns from Big 10 opponents, it could be nice to get away and to focus on turning a 0-0 ACC record into 1-0. Very possible the coaches have been drilling the "fresh start" mindset into these guys.

[Tripping William]

Uh oh. Foot injury to Jalen Johnson. He will not play tomorrow night.

https://twitter.com/dukembb/status/1338969593721843712?s=21

[jcannon]

Uh oh. Foot injury to Jalen Johnson. He will not play tomorrow night.

https://twitter.com/dukembb/status/1338969593721843712?s=21

What is it with Duke and foot injuries? Who is starting the vigil thread?

[devildeac]

Uh oh. Foot injury to Jalen Johnson. He will not play tomorrow night.

https://twitter.com/dukembb/status/1338969593721843712?s=21

It's over.

(because, it wouldn't be DBR if someone wasn't *that* guy/gal)

[Kedsy]

Uh oh. Foot injury to Jalen Johnson. He will not play tomorrow night.

https://twitter.com/dukembb/status/1338969593721843712?s=21

Guess we might see Wendell Moore playing some PF, after all.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Uh oh. Foot injury to Jalen Johnson. He will not play tomorrow night.

https://twitter.com/dukembb/status/1338969593721843712?s=21

I was gonna just write 2020. But this could be any year at Duke. Ughhh...

[Bob Green]

Foot injury and Duke equals peanut butter and jelly, cops and donuts shop.

[jimsumner]

This is where we find out if all that depth was a mirage. Henry Coleman, Patrick Tape', Mark Williams. The options are there, as is the opportunity.

[Pghdukie]

Without Johnson, I believe Duke's offense takes a huge hit. Granted the offense hasn't been that great to begin with. There's an opportunity not just for 1 player - but any of 5 or 6 players. Moore ?

[DavidBenAkiva]

Without Johnson, I believe Duke's offense takes a huge hit. Granted the offense hasn't been that great to begin with. There's an opportunity not just for 1 player - but any of 5 or 6 players. Moore ?

It's hard to say. Johnson was not exactly tearing it up on offense. I believe the team still needs to find an offensive identify. Hurt can score but he's not a facilitator. Roach and Steward have each had a couple of promising moments. Brakefield has been productive. Williams has shown flashes of playing the roll man or working from the baseline for dumpoffs. I think the team could still be good but is going to depend a lot more on the development of Roach and Steward. Goldwire just doesn't have it within him to run an effective offense as much as I love the kid. He's just not suited for it. He is much better playing off the ball and shutting down the opposing team's best player on defense. What Duke needs is Roach and Steward to show they can break down the defender and drive to score or kick out for a 3. Johnson, as talented as he is, was having trouble creating his own looks. It's really all about the guard play for this team.

[gofurman]

It's hard to say. Johnson was not exactly tearing it up on offense. I believe the team still needs to find an offensive identify. Hurt can score but he's not a facilitator. Roach and Steward have each had a couple of promising moments. Brakefield has been productive. Williams has shown flashes of playing the roll man or working from the baseline for dumpoffs. I think the team could still be good but is going to depend a lot more on the development of Roach and Steward. Goldwire just doesn't have it within him to run an effective offense as much as I love the kid. He's just not suited for it. He is much better playing off the ball and shutting down the opposing team's best player on defense. What Duke needs is Roach and Steward to show they can break down the defender and drive to score or kick out for a 3. Johnson, as talented as he is, was having trouble creating his own looks. It's really all about the guard play for this team.

We need Johnson but the above post is right - it’s all about our guard play!

That said we probably need Johnson for a shot at the tourney and more wins. He’s definitely the highest ceiling freshman I think. Him missing practice time is not good. Along w no exhibitions and no OOC. Etc. More delays to our development

[DukieInBrasil]

As others have mentioned that they see an increased role for Moore, and i agree. I think it may improve the defense for Moore to move to the 4, and it certainly couldn't hurt his offensive numbers. Seems we would probably see more of Coleman as the backup 4. Williams probably gets almost all of the backup 5 minutes. We've got 5 guys for the 3 guard spots, so i think the depth there is fine. Jaemyn's shooting has been a revelation so far, and finding 3pt shots for him is a good idea.
I'm glad that we have as much depth as we do, and that we have a few veterans in the mix.
I'm really hoping that J-Gold smothers Hubb and that the rest of the ND offense loses its luster.

[Kedsy]

As others have mentioned that they see an increased role for Moore, and i agree. I think it may improve the defense for Moore to move to the 4, and it certainly couldn't hurt his offensive numbers. Seems we would probably see more of Coleman as the backup 4. Williams probably gets almost all of the backup 5 minutes. We've got 5 guys for the 3 guard spots, so i think the depth there is fine. Jaemyn's shooting has been a revelation so far, and finding 3pt shots for him is a good idea.

Jaemyn has been playing backup 4. If Wendell moves up to start at PF, and Jaemyn stays the backup, it might still be difficult for Henry to find more than 3 to 5 minutes. But I guess that would be an improvement over the 2.8 mpg he's played so far this season, so hopefully it's a start.

[gofurman]

Notre Dame is 46th in offense per Kenpom.. but 120 in D - this is a team to get our offense going!/ only wake forest is rated as having a worse defense in ACC. Now ND can score..

[Troublemaker]

Because the NCAA is expected to make transfers immediately eligible starting today, Notre Dame will probably add Trey Wertz, a solid guard from Santa Clara to the rotation.

Wertz maybe wouldn't make that huge a difference on many teams, but because Notre Dame is starving for depth, he might impact them significantly and this game.

[jipops]

With Notre Dame's apparent weakness on D so far, if we can't score on this team then we know the ride is going to be extremely rough the rest of the season. I don't expect us to win tonight, but I'm hopeful that the offense can show some life especially from Moore.

[Fish80]

With Notre Dame's apparent weakness on D so far, if we can't score on this team then we know the ride is going to be extremely rough the rest of the season. I don't expect us to win tonight, but I'm hopeful that the offense can show some life especially from Moore.

1. It’s early. This is one game. This game does not a season make.

2. I expect intensity, focus, energy, hustle, commitment. We do that, I expect a win.

[Troublemaker]

1. It’s early. This is one game. This game does not a season make.

2. I expect intensity, focus, energy, hustle, commitment. We do that, I expect a win.

I actually agree more with jipops here. We've got to play well offensively tonight, and more generally, we've got to start winning against top-200 teams. (I mean, that's all we play the rest of the season!). Notre Dame is a decent team but still projects to be bottom-third of the conference and likely not good enough to receive an at-large bid. Duke will be the quicker, more athletic team, and historically we win when that's the case. It's not quite a "must win" but it's very important to get a W tonight. It's likely true that if big things are still in store for this team, they find a way tonight.

[CDu]

Because the NCAA is expected to make transfers immediately eligible starting today, Notre Dame will probably add Trey Wertz, a solid guard from Santa Clara to the rotation.

Wertz maybe wouldn't make that huge a difference on many teams, but because Notre Dame is starving for depth, he might impact them significantly and this game.

Yeah, that would be huge. The Irish got Djogo back for the UK game, which made a big difference in their depth. Adding another guard would allow them to play 7 legitimate players instead of the freshmen backups who really should have redshirted this year had health permitted.

We're still the MUCH more talented team (even without Johnson), but Notre Dame has a serious edge in experience. Hopefully our talent will prevail over experience.

[gofurman]

Yeah, that would be huge. The Irish got Djogo back for the UK game, which made a big difference in their depth. Adding another guard would allow them to play 7 legitimate players instead of the freshmen backups who really should have redshirted this year had health permitted.

We're still the MUCH more talented team (even without Johnson), but Notre Dame has a serious edge in experience. Hopefully our talent will prevail over experience.

wow - I guess so.. i think my confidence has been shaken a little. Or that this year with all the start and stop and loss of easy games to practice/exhibition experience is so important. Prentiss Hubb is good and experienced. He is for real. 8 pts as a Freshman (26% from 3 . 67% FT). Now 21 points as a junior (40% from 3 . 80% FT). Just keeps improving. That's nice experience to have in a guard. Wouldn't be surprised if he played in Europe. that's a big advantage they have. Hope Goldwire can bother him. To a lesser extent Laszewski - 16/9 per game is nice.

they are an experienced team for sure. not a great team. but good - though they are weak on D... I expect they will finish mid-tier ACC

[CDu]

wow - I guess so.. i think my confidence has been shaken a little. Or that this year with all the start and stop and loss of easy games to practice/exhibition experience is so important. Prentiss Hubb is good and experienced. He is for real. 8 pts as a Freshman (26% from 3 . 67% FT). Now 21 points as a junior (40% from 3 . 80% FT). Just keeps improving. That's nice experience to have in a guard. Wouldn't be surprised if he played in Europe. that's a big advantage they have. Hope Goldwire can bother him. To a lesser extent Laszewski - 16/9 per game is nice.

they are an experienced team for sure. not a great team. but good - though they are weak on D... I expect they will finish mid-tier ACC

Yes, in terms of performance, we're not necessarily superior. In terms of talent, we're definitely superior. Notre Dame doesn't have anyone remotely close to our talent level. But they are experienced and well-coached, and that can certainly offset raw talent. We have a ton of top-30 recruits (freshmen and sophomores though). But even guys like Baker and Coleman were more highly-rated recruits than Notre Dame's guys (their top eligible recruit is Durham, #50 in his class).

In terms of talent, I don't think it's close (in our favor). In terms of experience, it's not close (in the other direction). In aggregate, the performance has been comparable as a result.

[SouthernDukie]

wow - I guess so.. i think my confidence has been shaken a little.


You're not the only one. Right now I'll be happy with a .500 ACC record.

[Fish80]

I actually agree more with jipops here. We've got to play well offensively tonight, and more generally, we've got to start winning against top-200 teams. (I mean, that's all we play the rest of the season!). Notre Dame is a decent team but still projects to be bottom-third of the conference and likely not good enough to receive an at-large bid. Duke will be the quicker, more athletic team, and historically we win when that's the case. It's not quite a "must win" but it's very important to get a W tonight. It's likely true that if big things are still in store for this team, they find a way tonight.

Much respect for your opinion. Would love for us to play well, and expect that we will. I just think this team in this season may take a little longer to put it all together. JMHO.

Namaste.

[AGDukesky]

You're not the only one. Right now I'll be happy with a .500 ACC record.

Yeah my only hope is the ACC continues to look as weak as it has and Duke can find a way to the top 4 in conference. Otherwise this team will not be in the NCAAs- assuming it even is held...

[Fish80]

Yeah my only hope is the ACC continues to look as weak as it has and Duke can find a way to the top 4 in conference. Otherwise this team will not be in the NCAAs- assuming it even is held...

Guys and gals, find your chi... we have top 10 talent and the G.O.A.T. Coach. We will keep getting better.

[Fish80]

NCAA grants waiver, transfers can play, Wertz is eligible.

[rsvman]

You're not the only one. Right now I'll be happy with a .500 ACC record.

Well, that can't happen today. We will either be 1.00 or 0.00.




I know you were talking about the whole season.......

[-jk]

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Let's Go Duke!

-jk

[uh_no]

excellent. I see ESPN still hasn't figured out how to schedule games.

[uh_no]

i like the Tape’ look right now. Seems to be playing more of a traditional duke big man on offense role...which I think is probably a bit simpler than trying to work jalen in. Simple is good for these guys right now, IMO. But we look significantly improved so far.

[rsvman]

Brakefield with the sweet J.
We have thrown a couple of really bad passes in the past few possessions but otherwise I like what I see so far.

[CameronDuke]

Now this is what I am talking about! The boys are buzzin!

Let’s Go Duke!

[uh_no]

who is this team, and what did they do with the duke offense we'd seen for the first 4 games?

[arnie]

Now this is what I am f-cking talking about! The boys are buzzin!

Let’s Go Duke!

I have a new TV; but don’t think that’s the reason our O is so much cleaner. Better ball movement and shooting, hope it’s just not bad D by ND.

[CameronDuke]

I have a new TV; but don’t think that’s the reason our O is so much cleaner. Better ball movement and shooting, hope it’s just not bad D by ND.

Oh yeah!!!!!

Heck, I’m gonna pour myself another bourbon neat and strap it in! I can get used to watching this!

[uh_no]

Oh yeah!!!!!

Heck, I’m gonna pour myself another bourbon neat and strap it in! I can get used to watching this!

one thing that hasn't changed is our play coming out of timeouts :|

[CameronDuke]

one thing that hasn't changed is our play coming out of timeouts :|

Sadly, yes.

Roach for 3 though!

[CameronDuke]

The boys put in some serious work since losing to Illinois. We can thank Coach K and the coaching staff for that. We look like a different team tonight. I don’t care who we’re playing. The guys need a game like this to get some confidence. Keep the pedal to the metal boys.

[CameronDuke]

39-28 Duke! This team is exploding tonight!

Let’s Go Duke!

[CameronDuke]

41-34 good guys at the half. Heck of a half for Duke.

[uh_no]

39-28 Duke! This team is exploding tonight!

Let’s Go Duke!

unfortunately the defense has not been so great since the initial run. And that shot at the end? ugh.

[rsvman]

D got a little porous down the stretch, but overall a good half of basketball.
Need to keep it up in the second half.

[CameronDuke]

unfortunately the defense has not been so great since the initial run. And that shot at the end? ugh.

Yeah the defense could be tightened up.

18-33 from the floor, 5-10 from 3, and haven’t shot a free throw yet with a 7 point lead. Out rebounded ND 17-10, too. I’ll take it.

How about Roach? 10 points in a half for the freshman in his first road game (I know there’s no fans) and first conference game. That’s impressive.

[dukelion]

I dig this rotation....playing a proper 5 with Hurt at the 4 seems like our best offensive unit.

And Roach has been fantastic.....Brakefield not too far off as well.

Truly went 9 deep this half.....hope they keep it up in the second.

[rocketeli]

Better looking half--but gosh is Notre Dame slow. Let's keep exploiting it next half.

[uh_no]

I dig this rotation...playing a proper 5 with Hurt at the 4 seems like our best offensive unit.

And Roach has been fantastic....Brakefield not too far off as well.

Truly went 9 deep this half....hope they keep it up in the second.

I think to some degree, the traditional 5 simplifies things for everyone, which was something that was desperately needed for this team.

[uh_no]

During basketball games, is it 3-point jesus?

[AtlBluRew]

I’m watching on a bit of a delay (3 minutes to go in the first half). Two observations:

1. Everyone is contributing! Moore hasn’t scored (that I remember) but he’s had at least two rebounds. The team is playing well.

2. Vitale drove me crazy with all the football talk.

[arnie]

During basketball games, is it 3-point jesus?

Baker really struggles defending a 3 pt shooter; seems to lose sight of him or goes for the fake.

[SavDukeGrad]

Too many fouls this half. I fear we will put them in the bonus early and pay for it.

[CDu]

I dig this rotation...playing a proper 5 with Hurt at the 4 seems like our best offensive unit.

And Roach has been fantastic....Brakefield not too far off as well.

Truly went 9 deep this half....hope they keep it up in the second.

It helps that ND has like 1.5 guys who can dribble. The lineup with a traditional 5 is not as easy to exploit when your opponent can’t punish a big off the dribble.

[rsvman]

We are getting weaker. Our shot selection has gotten worse. On D we are losing our guys more and allowing easier shots.

We need to right the ship soon or this could turn into a real dog fight down the stretch.

[CameronDuke]

I really like Brakefield’s game.

[uh_no]

I really like Brakefield’s game.

his offense isn't the problem.

Watch him on D when he's on-ball guarding. flat on his heels. It explains why he gets beat. He really needs to work on that...and I think it's what's stopping him from being on the floor even more.

[Bigwayne17]

Brakefield is my favorite this year

[CameronDuke]

64-50 with 7 mins and change left. I like Duke’s chances tonight even with a long way to go!

[rsvman]

Looking better again now. I am also a Brakefield fan. I think his defense hasn't been an obvious flaw in this game, at least.
That last cross-over by Steward was a thing of beauty.

[CameronDuke]

his offense isn't the problem.

Yeah gotta move the feet quicker on D and be in better position.

[jjredickrules]

Moore has disrupted multiple shots by the basket. They won’t show up in the box score but twice we had a guard on a big and Moore helped to keep the big from scoring. He’s scoreless but his defense has absolutely played a factor.

[uh_no]

Yeah gotta move the feet quicker on D and be in better position.

yeah don't get me wrong. i love what he's bringing to the offense.

[CameronDuke]

Wowowowow.

Hurt is automatic.

Coming out party for Steward.

73-56 good guys with 4 and change remaining.

[hallcity]

There’s almost no one watching CBB at this time of the year other than serious CBB fans. Almost all serious CBB fans are sick of Dickie V. So, why is Dickie V broadcasting CBB games at this time of the year? Basta!

[peloton]

This game is just what we needed confidence-wise - fun to watch (even if somewhat painful at times) the young players mature a bit tonight.

[dukelion]

It helps that ND has like 1.5 guys who can dribble. The lineup with a traditional 5 is not as easy to exploit when your opponent can’t punish a big off the dribble.

Fair enough.....looks like they settled with Hurt at the 5 and Brakefield at the 4 for the majority of the second half...to great results.