Schedule too easy?

[dukeisawesome]

Our schedule looks pretty easy this year. We play Marquette and Pittsburgh in the pre-season schedule, but nobody else is ranked. Then, if you look at it, the only other ACC team ranked other than us and UNC is NC State. We're going to likely be favored to win every game up until UNC. I'm not saying we'll win them all, but there's a good chance we are ranked pretty high come the UNC game. I thought we looked good last night, but it seems like it's going to be a while before we get really tested. Of course if we run into a team with some bigs that could be trouble or just a bad offensive night. I'm sorta expecting we are 19-1 or 18-2 going to the UNC game, hope I'm not getting carried away here. Thoughts?

[VaDukie]

1. Ranked or not, Davidson is very good.
2. Illinois (maybe), Wisconsin, and Michigan are a good cross-section of the Big 10.
3. The series with Temple and St. John's hurt the overall schedule a little, but I'm not sure we have any plans to ditch them anytime soon.

[Karl Beem]

No it isn't.

[dukeisawesome]

1. Ranked or not, Davidson is very good.
2. Illinois (maybe), Wisconsin, and Michigan are a good cross-section of the Big 10.
3. The series with Temple and St. John's hurt the overall schedule a little, but I'm not sure we have any plans to ditch them anytime soon.

Do you see any losses here? I could picture a loss in Maui to Illinois, but we won't lose at home to Wisconsin or Michigan. Davidson could hang with us, but I have a hard time seeing us losing that one either.

[allenmurray]

Even if we are 18-2 or 19-1, that shows alot no matter who were playing
This Maui Invitational will be very competitive taking on The Top PG in the nation Dominic James.

And even though only 3 ACC teams are ranked, 0 of the ACC games are easy home or away, this will be a great year and we should be looking at Princeton.

[dukeisawesome]

Oh, don't remind me of Dominic James. I think we are better prepared to handle him though and Nolan Smith gives us a quicker guard if its necessary to give him minutes.

I didn't mean to imply the ACC games would be easy, but it appears to be a down year for the conference.

[phaedrus]

The Top PG in the nation Dominic James.



That is an original opinion, for lack of a better word.

I have a hard time putting him above Collison, Lawson, and Neitzel, and I could see Augustin, Louisville's Sosa, or Memphis' Rose having as good or better seasons.

Any particular reason for your affinity for James?

[Wander]

Any particular reason for your affinity for James?

It must be his 29% three point shooting!

I see us winning Maui easier than most expect. I think Marquette is one of the more overrated teams right now, if not the single most.

[jlear]

Our schedule looks pretty easy this year. We play Marquette and Pittsburgh in the pre-season schedule, but nobody else is ranked. Then, if you look at it, the only other ACC team ranked other than us and UNC is NC State. We're going to likely be favored to win every game up until UNC. I'm not saying we'll win them all, but there's a good chance we are ranked pretty high come the UNC game. I thought we looked good last night, but it seems like it's going to be a while before we get really tested. Of course if we run into a team with some bigs that could be trouble or just a bad offensive night. I'm sorta expecting we are 19-1 or 18-2 going to the UNC game, hope I'm not getting carried away here. Thoughts?

Who in the top ten do you think has a much harder schedule than Duke? Most have zero (4 teams), one (4 teams) games against ranked opponents outside of their league. Maybe Memphis has a harder out of conference schedule with 4 ranked opponents outside their division and does anyone think conference usa is better than the acc?

[DukeCO2009]

I think our schedule is about right for these team. After last year, I think K was a bit hesitant to schedule a bunch of bruisers early on in the season--Lord knows, we'll see plently of them come the ACC schedule and March.

[dukeisawesome]

Who in the top ten do you think has a much harder schedule than Duke? Most have zero (4 teams), one (4 teams) games against ranked opponents outside of their league. Maybe Memphis has a harder out of conference schedule with 4 ranked opponents outside their division and does anyone think conference usa is better than the acc?

I made no claim about other top ten teams' schedules. I don't want this to turn into a "Coach K doesn't schedule well" thread. In year's past, I've thought we had a great schedule. It's just the way the chips fell this year that I don't think we are facing as tough of opponents. A lot of this has to do with the lack of a real marquee matchup. Usually there's the big game in NYC, but Pittsburgh is only #19 and it should be a competitive game, but if we win, does it really make a statement? My point is that I feel we could go into the UNC game a top 5 team and still not really know where we stand. I'm not saying that is good or bad for a young team, just the way it might turn out.

[jlear]

I made no claim about other top ten teams' schedules. I don't want this to turn into a "Coach K doesn't schedule well" thread. In year's past, I've thought we had a great schedule. It's just the way the chips fell this year that I don't think we are facing as tough of opponents. A lot of this has to do with the lack of a real marquee matchup. Usually there's the big game in NYC, but Pittsburgh is only #19 and it should be a competitive game, but if we win, does it really make a statement? My point is that I feel we could go into the UNC game a top 5 team and still not really know where we stand. I'm not saying that is good or bad for a young team, just the way it might turn out.

I understand the desire for a marquee matchup but you are using pre-season rankings as a measure of how difficult the schedule is. I would bet ($1) that Pitt will be ranked higher before we play them and a number of other teams could be ranked as well. A few years ago we destroyed a highly ranked Texas team it was hyped as a marquee matchup but it was not. Duke is everyone's marquee matchup and we will have plenty of high profile games as we march toward another final four.

[Jumbo]

Our schedule looks pretty easy this year. We play Marquette and Pittsburgh in the pre-season schedule, but nobody else is ranked. Then, if you look at it, the only other ACC team ranked other than us and UNC is NC State. We're going to likely be favored to win every game up until UNC. I'm not saying we'll win them all, but there's a good chance we are ranked pretty high come the UNC game. I thought we looked good last night, but it seems like it's going to be a while before we get really tested. Of course if we run into a team with some bigs that could be trouble or just a bad offensive night. I'm sorta expecting we are 19-1 or 18-2 going to the UNC game, hope I'm not getting carried away here. Thoughts?

"Too" easy? No. That implies that it will have an adverse effect on Duke -- perhaps preventing the team from being "tested" or whatever else is necessary late in the season.

I wish Georgetown hadn't taken this year off. (It was their choice to resume the series next year, not Duke's, right?) I wish Duke drew someone tougher than Wisconsin in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. I wish the Maui field were a bit closer to last year's. But I don't think any of that will hurt Duke. NMSU was a smartly scheduled game. That was a pretty good team that we beat last night; it's just unfortunate that they didn't have all their players. Assuming we win our semifinal game in Maui, we'll play two good teams there. Wisconsin and Michigan aren't world-beaters, but they aren't slouches. And Davidson is really, really good. Add Pittsburgh, and the non-con schedule doesn't feature any top-five teams, but it does feature some big programs with various styles that will allow Duke to prepare for ACC play. And just playing Carolina twice will prepare Duke face anyone in the Tourney.
So, no, I don't think it is "too" easy.

[shadowfax336]

Sports Illustrated ripped us for our schedule today as well, if you read their preview.
I don't think its that bad, its not our fault we got Wisconsin instead of Michigan State or Indiana.
Besides that we have
New Mexico State (an NCAA team from last year thats favored to win the WAC, a decent conference, and was supposed to have Reggie Theus coaching and Herb Pope playing when the game was scheduled)
Davidson (who is no joke)
Michigan (don't underestimate Beilein, if it isn't a tough game this year, it will be next year, the man can coach)
Pitt (who is gonna end the year better than the #19 they are now, if you ask any of their fans they think they're sitting on the biggest secret in the sport right now)
and then a pretty decent Maui field

and then Eastern Kentucky, Temple, and St Johns.
I'm betting that if K had known that NMSU would be without Theus and Pope or that he'd be getting "only" the #3 team in the Big 10, one of those games would have been substituted for a slightly tougher game


also, while I was in the building to watch Dominic James rip up Pitt as a freshman (it was just a painful experience) and would have completely agreed at the time that he probably would be the best PG in the country as a junior, only people who spent last year under a rock are still going to buy that argument unless he starts exploding

[mapei]

"I wish Georgetown hadn't taken this year off. (It was their choice to resume the series next year, not Duke's, right?.

I don't know the facts, Jumbo, but my friends who are close to the Hoya program say it was Duke's choice to take a year off. And, incidentally, they/we also think our pre-conference schedule is too easy, although it's better than the old JT2 days of St. Leo. Georgetown does have Michigan (shadow of its old self but a chance to improve under Beilein), Alabama and Memphis coming up but also a lot of presumed patsies.

[weezie]

Sports Illustrated ripped us for our schedule today as well, if you read their preview.


I only look at the pictures in SI. Kind of like an old school comic book.
Once they began using the third person voice, I felt it was detrimental to my sports education.
Read Sporting News if you want a less "heel" biased opinion.

[VaDukie]

The thing that always kills me is that while we get ripped for our schedule, our RPI is always very good. I expect no different this year.

I'd also add that I'm very excited we're playing Michigan again now that Amaker's gone. Belein can flat out coach, and he'll have them back on top very quickly.

[mepanchin]

The reason our SOS is very good every year is that we don't play many "marquee games" but the games we play are not against the kind of cupcakes that the other top teams put in their schedule. Did you see Florida's schedule both in 06 and 07? They played a terrible schedule both years and seemed to do fine. Who is UNC playing that's a marquee match-up? Kentucky, the team that lost by 16 at home to Gardner-Webb? Ohio State, the team that lost like 95% of its offense? They could play Louisville in Vegas, who is a top 10 team. We could play Marquette in Maui, who is a top 10-15 team. SI gave UNC's out of conference schedule a B+, and gave us a C while insinuating that our program is slipping. I bet our SOS is overall harder than theirs.

[ugadevil]

I'd also add that I'm very excited we're playing Michigan again now that Amaker's gone. Belein can flat out coach, and he'll have them back on top very quickly.

Anyone know if Duke is planning on keeping the game against Michigan, other than this season, now that Tommy Amaker is gone?

[bdh21]

A few years ago we destroyed a highly ranked Texas team it was hyped as a marquee matchup but it was not.

Slight nitpick: yes the Texas game was a blowout, but that was still a heck of a team. They ended up being a 2 seed in the tournament and lost in the regional finals to that same LSU team.

[RelativeWays]

Didn't Duke have the number two SOS last year? If so, they're allowed to let up a little bit and it may help the younger players acclimate to the offense. Besides, its not like the schedule is littered with cream puffs. I forgot what day Duke was playing Tabitha's Beauty College.

[throatybeard]

FWIW, I got ESPN's CBB preview today, (MBB 12th, WBB 10th), and they ranked our OOC schedule ahead of only two other schools in their top 20, at a "C" grade. The others were Washington State and Marquette.

[JasonEvans]

FWIW, I got ESPN's CBB preview today, (MBB 12th, WBB 10th), and they ranked our OOC schedule ahead of only two other schools in their top 20, at a "C" grade. The others were Washington State and Marquette.

Anyone else find it ironic that the football team has played one of the nation's toughest schedules -- Sagarin currently has us at #5 in the entire nation -- while the basketball team's schedule does appear to have fallen off a little bit this season?

I still think the basketball team will end up with a top-10 or top-15 schedule once the ACC is factored in, but we are usually among the top 2 or 3 toughest in the land in hoops.

--Jason "still, we are a very young team and there is something to be said for easing your freshmen and sophs into battle" Evans

[DBFAN]

I know we have some cupcakes, but when the schedule was made I sure Marquette, Michigan State, and Pittsburgh were teams. Now I see UNC schedule and I guess the Kentucky game makes it look hard, but in all reality Kentucky stinks, and especially now that their guard is injured.

[Troublemaker]

The only difference between Duke's schedule and UNC's is that they play Louisville and we don't. We don't have that marquee team in the non-conference schedule. If this were next year and Georgetown were back on the schedule, there'd be no difference.

[rockymtn devil]

I think it's a very good schedule and is deceptively difficult. The only thing missing is a big-time OOC game, but I think both Marquette and Pitt will be good tests for this team. The GOLDen eagles have very good, quick guard play, and Pitt's physical style will be a good measure of Duke's size and toughness. Further, as K likes to do, there are several well chosen mid-major teams (NMSU, Davidson) that are great simulations of early-round tournament games.

Duke also has to go through the meat-grinder that is the ACC. All in all, I think it's a schedule that will challenge and prepare this team very well.

[bill brill]

I assure you that it was georgetown's decision to take a year off. maybe at the time they thought hibbert would remain in the draft. they did lose jeff green. I have no problems with the schedule.

[monkey]

--Jason "still, we are a very young team and there is something to eb said for easing your freshmen and sophs into battle" Evans

I think this is the key point. We had a somewhat down year last year and we have a huge number of freshmen and sophomores that need some time to gel together. We _should_ have a slightly easier schedule to make up for this. In any case, it's not like the schedule is filled only with cream-puffs.

[Classof06]

I think to say Duke's schedule is easy is a little misguided, because it implies that Duke should or will win every one of those games. That isn't the case. Marquette, Pitt, and after last night, Davidson, are all games that Duke could easily lose.

I don't think "easy" is the word per say, but our schedule isn't very exciting. Someone said Kentucky isn't a real game for UNC and I disagree. Even if Kentucky isn't as strong this year, it's still a home and home (no neutral site) with an elite college basketball program. Last year was the same thing; UNC went to Tuscon to play Arizona. These kinds of games are noticeably missing from Duke's schedule. I said it before, but I absolutely loved it when Duke and Michigan State played the home and home in 03-04 and 04-05; those games were so intense, and even though Duke won both, MSU knocked us out in the elite 8 in 04-05; you could really sense a rivalry building. The only problem was, Duke didn't schedule the Spartans on their own; it was the Big 10 - ACC Challenge.

Playing Temple and St. John's is good for ol' times sake but let's face it: this isn't the 90s and both these teams suck. The only reason I won't include Michigan is because I think Beilein will have the Wolverines competing again in the very near future. And while I liked the NMSU game, Albany and Eastern Kentucky could certainly be upgraded. I don't have a problem with the Ivy league team du jour but if we play Princeton in Maui, are you really going to want to see us play Cornell 6 weeks later? In the end, I think given Duke's stature in college basketball, they could do a little better.

[dkbaseball]

That is an original opinion, for lack of a better word.

I have a hard time putting him above Collison, Lawson, and Neitzel, and I could see Augustin, Louisville's Sosa, or Memphis' Rose having as good or better seasons.

Any particular reason for your affinity for James?

A new name to ponder -- Trevon Hughes of Wisconsin. His line in his first start as UW's point guard -- 25 points (on 9 for 16), 5 assists (2 turnovers), 5 rebounds, 6 steals. He picked James clean a couple of times in limited minutes last year. Bo Ryan calls him the quickest basketball player he's ever seen, and I just might concur. I'll post a full scouting report on UW next week.

[dukie8]

The only difference between Duke's schedule and UNC's is that they play Louisville and we don't. We don't have that marquee team in the non-conference schedule. If this were next year and Georgetown were back on the schedule, there'd be no difference.

it's not next year. if this were last year, we would have mcbob on the team.

[dukie8]

I think it's a very good schedule and is deceptively difficult. The only thing missing is a big-time OOC game, but I think both Marquette and Pitt will be good tests for this team. The GOLDen eagles have very good, quick guard play, and Pitt's physical style will be a good measure of Duke's size and toughness. Further, as K likes to do, there are several well chosen mid-major teams (NMSU, Davidson) that are great simulations of early-round tournament games.

Duke also has to go through the meat-grinder that is the ACC. All in all, I think it's a schedule that will challenge and prepare this team very well.

how is playing mid-majors at home a "great simulations of early-round tournament games" when virtually every arena we play in in the ncaat becomes a virtual road game? if you want to simulate an ncaat game, then you need to get the team out of the cosy confines of cis and on the road (that does not include virtual home games in nyc). we didn't have a true road game until january last year and the team looked shell-shocked the first few times it hit hostile fans.

[Troublemaker]

The point is that there's basically no difference between the schedules. I don't know why the Georgetown series is delayed one year. I've read that it was G'town's choice but can't verify.

[throatybeard]

I agree completely with D8 and the "we play no road games" crowd.

That said, K et alia have figured out a pretty clever way to game the system. You replace the SOS stinkers (<200) with mid-level teams--which allows you to act like you're doing philanthropy for the mid-majors, and you move all potentially scary games to neutral sites (MSG, E Ruth, United Cen, CLT). Pretty smart.

But it's still not the same as a home&home with an established program--let's not act like it does, even if that program's name is Georgetown.

[Troublemaker]

But it's still not the same as a home&home with an established program--let's not act like it does, even if that program's name is Georgetown.

Might be a missing word or two in there but otherwise, I don't get your point. Georgetown is an established program with history and at the rate they're recruiting, they should be a top 15 program for the forseeable future.

Still, and I've said this before, I would love to add a west coast home-and-home to perhaps increase our visibility and recruiting pull with prospects like Reeves Nelson.

[Troublemaker]

I've read that it was G'town's choice but can't verify.

I had missed bill brill's post when I posted the above. He certainly is verification enough for me.

[heath_harshman4]

i agree with most of the stuff said on this post.

i dont think the schedule is easy, but its not super difficult. overall i think it will be a pretty good gauge of how good this team really is. but i would watch out for ASU in the maui this week. they are a lot better than people think. i wouldnt be surprised if they beat the illini. but if you want to see a weak non-conference sched. take a look a Washington States. they should be undefeated goin into conference play, and will be wayy overrated. I say that living in Tri-Cities,Washington. Full of WSU fans...rediculous...

GO TO HELL CAROLINA GO TO HELL

[Cavlaw]

Wasn't there an article posted recently with respect to this issue, with the anticipated result being that our SOS at the end of the year was likely to be in the top 5 again (and if not, it would be a result of NCCU being in the botton 100)?