MBB: Duke 85, UAB 64 Post Game Thread

[Kedsy]

The Bad: The team couldn't pull away for the 2nd straight game, though they at least won the second half.

I'm not buying this. Was there any moment after we jumped out to a 26-4 lead that you thought the outcome was in doubt? Was there any moment against Miami after the Nolan 13-2 run that you thought the outcome of that game was in doubt?

Because, in my mind, if the outcome isn't in doubt then we did pull away.

Seth Curry seemed oddly enough to be in Ks doghouse, not playing for a good bit of the first half and then not being in for a good bit of the second. Not sure why that was the case. He did go 2-3 with 5 points when in the game.

Seth averages 20.5 minutes a game, and tonight he played 24. It doesn't seem to me that he was benched for an inordinate length of time nor that he's in anybody's "doghouse."

Miles...returned to hacking Miles.

I was a bit disappointed in Miles picking up so many fouls so early, but to my eyes only one of them seemed especially avoidable. I actually thought Miles played reasonably well when he managed to stay on the floor. And I don't think there was any kind of regression out there, he just got caught on his fouls tonight.

But after that, it was like a different team on defense. Too many open shots.

I think when you get that big a lead that early, it's difficult to keep up your intensity. The team clearly seemed to take their collective foot off the gas pedal, especially on defense, but I wouldn't be so hard on them. They may have blown UAB out the first few minutes and then coasted the rest of the way, but the game was never in doubt and it was a good win.

Kyle is still struggling but he is just missing - hopefully he will work out the kinks.

Kyle missed a lot of shots in the 2nd half tonight (he actually shot pretty well during the brief time when it mattered), but I didn't feel he was struggling at all. He took two shots that I thought were ill-advised, but overall I thought his game was strong tonight.

We seemed to run a lot more plays for the bigs tonight, perhaps because we had a size advantage. Mason was a big beneficiary. We set him up both on the wing and on the block and he really finished well.

We were all thinking that Mason's "problem" was he didn't have Kyrie setting him up these past few games. But maybe he just has to have plays run for him (as he did in his big game against Marquette and again tonight) and isn't as good when he has to freelance.

Or maybe he wasn't really having problems the past few games; he just wasn't scoring. Scoring isn't everything, and I think a lot of times many of us seem to (erroneously) equate scoring with how well a player plays.

[striker219]

I just wanted to point out an interesting factoid from the game; Aaron Johnson, the point guard for UAB, is currently leading the country in assists at 8.3 per game. I don't know if it was pointed out during the broadcast that he is the current assists leader, but he is averaging more assists per game (8.3) than any other player in the country. Honestly, this (the fact that he is leading the country in assists per game) seems like the kind of thing that the announcers should point out to their viewing audience; I'm speaking, of course, of the fact that Aaron Johnson is leading the country in assists. Maybe it was mentioned by either Mike Patrick or Len Elmore during the game that he is the assists leader in the country, but I watched the game and never heard either of them comment on the fact that Aaron Johnson is leading the country in assists at 8.3 per game.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

[Jim3k]

I just wanted to point out an interesting factoid from the game; Aaron Johnson, the point guard for UAB, is currently leading the country in assists at 8.3 per game. I don't know if it was pointed out during the broadcast that he is the current assists leader, but he is averaging more assists per game (8.3) than any other player in the country. Honestly, this (the fact that he is leading the country in assists per game) seems like the kind of thing that the announcers should point out to their viewing audience; I'm speaking, of course, of the fact that Aaron Johnson is leading the country in assists. Maybe it was mentioned by either Mike Patrick or Len Elmore during the game that he is the assists leader in the country, but I watched the game and never heard either of them comment on the fact that Aaron Johnson is leading the country in assists at 8.3 per game.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

It was mentioned several times, including the break as he fouled out.

[gam7]

It was mentioned several times, including the break as he fouled out.

Pretty sure that was thinly veiled sarcasm from Striker.

[jammsb]

This team is absolutely amazing. They've gone from "alarmingly unathletic" :-) to being perhaps the most athletic Duke team its been my pleasure to watch using mostly the same personnel.

[Saratoga2]

I'm not so convinced. Andre seems to float on the perimeter during most offensive sets with very little movement. Maybe that's intentional, maybe not. But regardless, it seems like people are also not looking to get him the ball. Multiple times tonight and prior games Nolan or Kyle could have sent it his way for an open shot, but didn't. I don't know if it's not seeing him or what, but at least his defense stats seem to be picking up in the meantime.

It seemed with UAB playing man and Nolan having a mismatch that our strategy was to spread the floor and have Nolan exploit the matchup. It definitely worked very well, vut did leave Dawkins in particular and some others as well more stationary and less involved in the offense. Andre played well regardless of that and both Kyle and Nolan had several opportunities to get him the ball when he was open but instead looked to their own shot. In Nolan's case it is hard to argue that was the wrong thing to do, but Kyle was 5 for 18 and perhaps should take his lack of sharpness as a reason to make the extra pass.

[ice-9]

It seemed with UAB playing man and Nolan having a mismatch that our strategy was to spread the floor and have Nolan exploit the matchup. It definitely worked very well, vut did leave Dawkins in particular and some others as well more stationary and less involved in the offense. Andre played well regardless of that and both Kyle and Nolan had several opportunities to get him the ball when he was open but instead looked to their own shot. In Nolan's case it is hard to argue that was the wrong thing to do, but Kyle was 5 for 18 and perhaps should take his lack of sharpness as a reason to make the extra pass.

I didn't particularly track Andre, but if I recall right most of the time Nolan drove it wasn't Andre's man who came to rotate. I believe it was Kelly's or Mason's, but they were so slow in helping that Nolan had a more or less clear path to the basket. Perhaps if Andre's man had been the one to help, he might've had more shots.

If anything it was the rolling Mason who had opportunities to receive a pass and make the high percentage shot; when Tyler subbed in the closing minutes that's exactly what happened. Mason set a screen, Tyler drove by, Mason rolled, and Tyler passed to Mason for an easy layup.

But Nolan was so unstoppable that it was kind of a situation where it may not make sense to pass if you can always make the basket or draw the shooting foul.

[Saratoga2]

I didn't particularly track Andre, but if I recall right most of the time Nolan drove it wasn't Andre's man who came to rotate. I believe it was Kelly's or Mason's, but they were so slow in helping that Nolan had a more or less clear path to the basket. Perhaps if Andre's man had been the one to help, he might've had more shots.

If anything it was the rolling Mason who had opportunities to receive a pass and make the high percentage shot; when Tyler subbed in the closing minutes that's exactly what happened. Mason set a screen, Tyler drove by, Mason rolled, and Tyler passed to Mason for an easy layup.

But Nolan was so unstoppable that it was kind of a situation where it may not make sense to pass if you can always make the basket or draw the shooting foul.

It is true that in most cases the defender stayed within recovery distance of Andre when Nolan drove. And Nolan was very effective. I only saw three cases where Andre was open and two of those were when Singler had the ball.

There was a front page item showing the shooting percentage from Andre this year versus last. He tends to take good shots. It would be interesting to see a similar one from Singler who has had great games but also has shot rather poorly at other times. I think Duke could make additional passes at times to get the best shot and also have the best shooter take it.

[jammsb]

You guys are oh so tough.

[devildeac]

After the initial 3 by UAB (U Are Bad=classic stuff from DUMB and/or the grad students), we went on a 26-1 run. That was some of the best Duke BB I have ever seen, ranking up there with the something-like 32-3 run-out vs Michigan years ago and the something-like 25-3 run we had vs Clemson after Trajan had his lip split. Fabulous ball movement and shooting, boarding and devastating defense. I'm glad K had the chance to use multiple combinations in both halves because of the quick early lead and the foul trouble we had. I became a bit worried on a couple or three occasions when the lead dropped to 14 and they had some chances to cut it further, but we came up with some good D and/or boards and quickly pushed it out to 18-20 again.

[moonpie23]

folks...the rule is... FEED THE BEAST...and nolan was clearly the beast....


not to draw comparisons, but one of the best things about last year's team was that someone was always stepping up when someone wasn't having "their ususal game".

I think everyone on the team last night just watched nolan dismantle the entire UAB squad....and enjoyed it as well...


kyle will get his shots, miles will make plays of NOT hacking against different players, different teams and different officiating crews...

seth will have games where HE has the mismatch...different games, different matchups, different needs of offensive and defensive flow...


man, my glass is at LEAST 7/8ths full...

[Channing]

A couple observations -

(1) Nolan is playing at an incredibly high level right now. In fact, Nolan's play is reminding me a lot of J-Wil. He can create for himself and create for others. He is finishing VERY strongly around the hoop and is keeping teams honest with a very accurate three point shot.

(2) If Andre continues to get stronger he will be an absolute force to be reckoned with. He already has the mindset of taking it to the hoop, he has the midrange game, and we know about the three game. Once he is able to routinely finish in traffic I think we will see him take another leap forward.

(3) Mason was great last night. We saw a couple times just how gifted he is as a big man (like the run out layup). With a little more strength so he can hold his ground on the block, and a little more polish on his back to the basket moves, we will hopefully see more Marquette performances and fewer Miami performances.

(4) I love watching Seth play. Thats all.

(5) Kyle looked a little lost and/or confused trying to play with his back to the basket. He left a number of shots short, almost like he didn't know where on the court he was. Fortunately, I dont think he will be playing on the post many times this year. He was and is much more effective as a face up player.

[Eckster]

What was the deal with the ref not allowing that UAB player to come in because he had long sleeves? I could have sworn I have seen players play with long sleeves before.

I found this from NCAA Men's Basketball Central Hub:
2010-2011 Uniform Rule Clarifications
Monday, November 29, 2010

"Long-sleeved shirts. NCAA rules do not permit shirts to extend below the elbow. One must present medical documentation from a physician, written on his/her business letterhead, justifying the medical need for sleeves to extend below the elbow. This letter must be sent to the appropriate NCAA Basketball Secretary-Rules Editor. Should this waiver be granted, a copy of the written waiver must be available to officials at each game. No logos, decorations, trim, commerative [sic] patches, lettering or numbering are permitted on these long sleeved undershirts. Please note: NCAA rules permit arm sleeves, that is a sleeve that slips over the hand and up the arm. No written waiver is required for this item, but verification is required verbally by either the player's coach or the team's medical personnel. (Rule 3-9.9)"

Sounds like either a new rule or a new specific interpretation of an existing rule.

[trinity92]

Nolan's offensive proformance speaks for itself. Coach K spoke well for his defense. Coach K pointed out in his post-game that UAB's point guard, Johnson (#1, the player that had some fun with the Crazies when he fouled out) came into the game tonight leading the nation in assists & was probably the quickest guard Nolan will defend this year. Nolan defended him quite well. Coach K also commented that UAB's Sanders (#4) was a great shooter, could play for any team in the ACC, even ours, & that he would be playing in the NBA someday. {Side Note: As always, Coach K makes a point of complimenting opposing players afterwards when they play well against us. My favorite example of this was Bryant Stith of UVA... as a senior, Coach K took the mike after his last visit to Cameron & encouraged the crowd to applaud in appreciation for Stith, which we promptly did, giving him a standing O.} UAB is actually a very good team, I expect they will be dancing in March. We knocked them back at the beginning, but once they settled down, they played us fairly well. Good prep for a Round of 32 game perhaps.

I was at that game. Christian Laettner scored 32. It was a beautiful thing. I recall something else special about that game, but can't exactly recall. I thought it might have been the last home game of the year, but looking back, it was carolina. Maybe I was just remembering K on the mic.

[MChambers]

The good: Nolan Smith. Just...wow. Pomeroy had us winning 81-60, We won 85-64. (Our pomeroy ranking should drop slightly, keeping us at 2, since we were less efficient than predicted).

Actually, our numbers went up very slightly, so we are now #1 by the smallest of margins, ahead of Ohio State. I suspect that this is due to the results of some of our past opponents, rather than due to our performance last night because, as you suggest, our efficiency was a little lower than predicted last night. Perhaps Elon hanging tough with State raised our schedule difficulty somewhat?

[jv001]

A couple observations -

(1) Nolan is playing at an incredibly high level right now. In fact, Nolan's play is reminding me a lot of J-Wil. He can create for himself and create for others. He is finishing VERY strongly around the hoop and is keeping teams honest with a very accurate three point shot.

(2) If Andre continues to get stronger he will be an absolute force to be reckoned with. He already has the mindset of taking it to the hoop, he has the midrange game, and we know about the three game. Once he is able to routinely finish in traffic I think we will see him take another leap forward.

(3) Mason was great last night. We saw a couple times just how gifted he is as a big man (like the run out layup). With a little more strength so he can hold his ground on the block, and a little more polish on his back to the basket moves, we will hopefully see more Marquette performances and fewer Miami performances.

(4) I love watching Seth play. Thats all.

(5) Kyle looked a little lost and/or confused trying to play with his back to the basket. He left a number of shots short, almost like he didn't know where on the court he was. Fortunately, I dont think he will be playing on the post many times this year. He was and is much more effective as a face up player.

1. I love how Nolan's playing scoring and getting others involved(5 assists). He's playing tough defense and rebounding from his guard position. No one in the nation is playing better.
2. Andre is also playing very well. He's taking good shots and making them. His defense has gotten better. One thing I've noticed is when he gets the ball in the back court, he acts like it's a "hot potato". He can't wait to get it to Nolan. I've laughed at that more than one time.
3. Mason had a very good all-around game last night. Coach K said it was his best game. Mason has so much talent and has only scratched the surface. It was good to see him finish with his left hand last night and he can really handle the ball. His ceiling is way up there.
4. I really like Seth as well. He usually plays good defense, but last night he was out of position a few times. I think it's just a matter of confidence with Seth. We really need Seth to perform.
5. At first I thought Kyle forced some shots last night. But it looked like Coach K had called for some sets in order to get Kyle isolated on a smaller player near the basket. We were able to do that but Kyle just didn't hit the shots. I'm not worried about Kyle. He's a beast with a tremendous motor.
A good game for us going in to the Maryland game. Go Duke!

[MChambers]

2. Andre is also playing very well. He's taking good shots and making them. His defense has gotten better. One thing I've noticed is when he gets the ball in the back court, he acts like it's a "hot potatoe". He can't wait to get it to Nolan. I've laughed at that more than one time.

Not to get into public policy discussions here, but Dan Quayle agrees with you.

[jv001]

Not to get into public policy discussions here, but Dan Quayle agrees with you.

Yeh my bad, I actually beat you to it. Changed that Idaho thingy. Go Duke!

[jimsumner]

I just received a confidential communication on a breaking story. Duke is going to petition the NCAA to switch to four-on-four-basketball. The reason is simple. With Miles Plumlee, Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry in the doghouse and Krzyzewski's typical refusal to play his 8th and 9th men, Duke only has four available players.

Inasmuch as Duke gets all the calls, the proposal should pass by noon. Look for Singler, Smith, Dawkins and Kelly to play 40 minutes per game. Unless one of them gets in the doghouse. Then we can switch to three-on-three.

[Billy Dat]

RE: Dawkins
K praised him, I think, in the post game for his discipline on offense which opens the floor for the rest of the team. The scouting reports clearly hone in on Andre's sweet stroke, and smart teams are typically afraid to get buried by a 3-pt shooting-stoked Duke run. So, Andre's defender doesn't typically leave him which opens up those driving lanes for Nolan. With Nolan playing at this high a level, you have to imagine upcoming defenses are going to key in to stopping him which should open up kick-out 3s. Or, if teams are really smart, they'll force Nolan to dump it to a big to see if they can convert, or, say if he's going to his right, cover the man set up on the strong side 3pt line, close off the lane, stick with the bigs, and force Nolan to make that difficult, back-across-the-body pass to the guy open at the 3 point line on the weak side - a pass that is always potentially picked off by the weak side defender. Bottom line, I can't imagine teams are going to let us keep playing a style where Nolan gets 25 via lots of lay-ups...unless he's so good that he can't be contained!

RE: NBA style game mgmt by K
It's been said before, but the fingerprints of the Team USA experience can really be seen in the way we consistently try and exploit mismatches, NBA-style. This is happening a ton on switches, and you saw it last night with, even Nolan, posting up their short guard. That kind of on-the-fly read fits perfectly with our read-and-react motion offense.

A couple other points:
-Nolan rebounded like a BEAST last night
-Pretty play by Singler where he led the break off a turnover, faked a pull up at the foul line, and dumped it to Kelly for the hoop and the harm
-Once Mason got a few early buckets, he was more active getting out on the break and he is really a smooth finisher in that setting. We really need to make it a priority to try and get him off early, but he also needs to make that happen for himself by running and being really active.