MBB: Duke vs Maryland Pre-Game and In-Game Thread (ACCT)

[Bob Green]

Let's get the discussion going! Maryland has defeated NC State and will be desperate to beat Duke in order to try and earn an NCAA Tournament bid. We need to show up ready to bring it for 40 minutes as the Terps have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

We've defeated Maryland twice this season: 71-64 in Durham and 80-62 in College Park. In the first game, Singler scored 25, Smith 18 and Curry 12. In the second game, Singler scored 22, Smith 21, Mason Plumlee 12 and Andre Dawkins 11.

Jordan Williams had a double-double in both games for the Terps.

[Kedsy]

Let's get the discussion going! Maryland has defeated NC State and will be desperate to beat Duke in order to try and earn an NCAA Tournament bid. We need to show up ready to bring it for 40 minutes as the Terps have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I'm not sure a win by Maryland in this game will get them into the field. They have 13 losses and are 98th in the RPI. At this point I think Maryland probably has to win the tourney to get in.

That said, I also believe they will play us tough. I hope Nolan and the others meant it when they said they were angry. It would be nice to see us playing at peak intensity for the rest of the season.

[-bdbd]

I'm not sure a win by Maryland in this game will get them into the field. They have 13 losses and are 98th in the RPI. At this point I think Maryland probably has to win the tourney to get in.

That said, I also believe they will play us tough. I hope Nolan and the others meant it when they said they were angry. It would be nice to see us playing at peak intensity for the rest of the season.

Probably true, but that isn't what Gary is telling his guys -- "beat Duke and we could be in!" If they believe him, that is all that matters. They'll be motivated.

[Kedsy]

They'll be motivated.

Well, at this point in the season everyone should be motivated. Including us. Maryland's extra motivation will only matter if we come out flat. I'm hoping, based on the statements by the players after the UNC game, that we've learned that particular lesson.

[Chris Randolph]

Why are we debating the motivation and fire of Maryland? Pointless in my opinion. Of course they will be ready to play, heck if they were ready to play against NC State, I'm certain they will be ready for Duke

Duke just needs to be Duke, regardless of how pumped up Gary and the Terps are

[jv001]

Well, at this point in the season everyone should be motivated. Including us. Maryland's extra motivation will only matter if we come out flat. I'm hoping, based on the statements by the players after the UNC game, that we've learned that particular lesson.

I agree. If we can't come out motivated by now, I've underestimated this team. We have had so many slow starts this year(unc game included) and that's so un-Duke like. I hope Nolan get's the teams attention and we come out playing great defense and hit our shots. Then we will be fine. Go Duke!

[sagegrouse]

Here's what I am thinking, in the rare moments I am not preparing for the Sage Grouse Lek, which gets rolling in about ten days here in the mountains. Except maybe for the first one, these are pretty obvious --

1. Does the emergence of Stoglin fundamentally change the nature of the Terps? Duke has had good matchups with Maryland the last few years, with the exception of Greivis farewell night, and most of the games have not been close. Williams and Stoglin give Maryland a powerful combination of a center and a penetrating guard. Is Maryland -- despite recent losses -- a much tougher matchup now?

2. Will Duke be productive (above 35%) from behind the arc? A focus on "recency" tends to color judgment, but the question has to be asked.

3. Will the ACC tournament mark a resurgence of Kyle Singler, who has been an effective player all four years at Duke, and who won All-ACC honors each year.

4. Will the strategy be to (a) shut down Williams or (b) let him get his points in one-on-one coverage but keep the rest of the Terps in check?

5. Does all-everything Nolan also get the job of shutting down Stoglin?

6. Whose the third (and fourth) scorer for Duke? Scoring from mulitple players will be important from here on, and Seth, Mason, Andre and Ryan have stepped up at various times. Will Seth continue his strong play (except at VT).

sagegrouse

[UrinalCake]

I agree that the game in College Park showed some great offensive diversity, but much of it was necessitated by Smith and Singler each getting two fouls in the first half. Hopefully that won't happen again. Tyler played well both times against them, hopefully he can have another positive impact.

[Newton_14]

I agree that the game in College Park showed some great offensive diversity, but much of it was necessitated by Smith and Singler each getting two fouls in the first half. Hopefully that won't happen again. Tyler played well both times against them, hopefully he can have another positive impact.

I remember the foul trouble which forced us to play several minutes without Kyle and Nolan on the floor, but out of the gate our offensive approach was more diverse even with those two guys on the floor prior to the foul trouble. We started the game by going to Mason the first 2 or 3 possessions. We were running great motion and using all 5 guys right out of the gate.

Then the foul trouble came and like you indicate, it forced us to do all of the above without Kyle and Nolan and for the most part the young guys performed really well and actually increased the lead. (We did have a mini-meltdown in the final minute prior to the half)

[Kedsy]

Whose the third (and fourth) scorer for Duke? Scoring from mulitple players will be important from here on, and Seth, Mason, Andre and Ryan have stepped up at various times. Will Seth continue his strong play (except at VT).

Can I just say I think the idea of needing a "reliable third scorer" is overrated on this board? As FellowTraveler noted on a different thread, how many teams have a 22 point scorer, a 17 point scorer, and then a third guy averaging double figures? I don't know for sure, but I'd guess not many, if any. I agree that scoring from multiple players will be somewhat important, but as long as somebody steps up in each game, why is it important that it's always the same guy?

Also, while I'm a big fan of Seth's and agree he's played well over the past couple months, it is worth noting that he's only scored in double figures twice in his past six games.

[Vincetaylor]

Can I just say I think the idea of needing a "reliable third scorer" is overrated on this board? As FellowTraveler noted on a different thread, how many teams have a 22 point scorer, a 17 point scorer, and then a third guy averaging double figures? I don't know for sure, but I'd guess not many, if any. I agree that scoring from multiple players will be somewhat important, but as long as somebody steps up in each game, why is it important that it's always the same guy?

Also, while I'm a big fan of Seth's and agree he's played well over the past couple months, it is worth noting that he's only scored in double figures twice in his past six games.

The problem is we have guys who play a lot of minutes who sometime only put up 0-2 points. When that happens, we better have a 3rd double digit scorer or we won't be scoring enough points to beat good teams.

[ThePublisher]

Assuming Kyrie doesn't return for the ACCT,Singler is the key to our success and beatingunc in the final.

[burns15]

Assuming Kyrie doesn't return for the ACCT,Singler is the key to our success and beatingunc in the final.

Hold up there, first we have to win tonight against Maryland. Im not concerned about the ACC Championship game right now, instead first I want to win tonight so we can make it to the semifinals and then we can worry about playing UNC and whatnot later. As we have seen in the regular season, we cant assume that Duke will just breeze right through to the title game, tonight will be a dogfight. I hope Kyle brings his A game because we will need it.

[OldPhiKap]

Assuming Kyrie doesn't return for the ACCT,Singler is the key to our success and beatingunc in the final.

Singler's play is the key to our team, regardless.

[CarmenWallaceWade]

Singler's play is the key to our team, regardless.

It would be great to see Ma Plumlee and Kelly have solid games tonight and for Dawkins to get back into the mix. Obviously getting those guys involved stretches the defense which takes some of the focus (and pressue) off Smith and Singler. Plus it would create some momentum for the next game (yes, I'm confident we win tonight).

[dukebluesincebirth]

The journey begins tonight folks. This is a new season. I love this time of year, especially with Duke and Coach K. He does such a great job of making this time of year unique. At this point, kids who might of been struggling with certain aspects of the game can hit the "reset" button and start anew.
For this particular team, I see this as a great opportunity for Andre to become Andre again. Also a great time for Kyle to get back in usual form (as we know he can do from last year) and for Ryan K. to get his 3ball to fall. And most of all, the last opportunity to shine for our ACC POY Nolan Smith. I think Nolan is going to put on a show for the country to see this March and leave us all with the pleasant memories of his brilliance.

Lets put it all together and make another great run, starting tonight! GO DEVILS!!!!

[gw67]

I expect the Devils to play very well tonight coming off the loss to UNC. I expect Singler to have another terrific game against the Terps. He is a matchup nightmare for them. The 6-3 Mosley simply cannot guard him and they may try the bigger Palsson on him for a while. Relying on a 6-6 inexperienced freshman against a 6-8 skilled, experienced and physical player is not a recipe for success on their part. The Terps have also made supporting players (McDonald of UNC; Brown of Miami; and Zelinski of UVA) look like All Americans in recent games. Therefore, I expect Curry and/or Kelly to have a big game. Since they played the Devils 12 or 13 games ago, Stoglin has taken a bigger role in the offense, the team foul shooting has improved (e.g. Williams is shooting 74% for last 13 games) and the team defense is not nearly as good. At this point in time, I expect Duke to win by double figures.

gw67

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I expect the Devils to play very well tonight coming off the loss to UNC. I expect Singler to have another terrific game against the Terps. He is a matchup nightmare for them. The 6-3 Mosley simply cannot guard him and they may try the bigger Palsson on him for a while. Relying on a 6-6 inexperienced freshman against a 6-8 skilled, experienced and physical player is not a recipe for success on their part. The Terps have also made supporting players (McDonald of UNC; Brown of Miami; and Zelinski of UVA) look like All Americans in recent games. Therefore, I expect Curry and/or Kelly to have a big game. Since they played the Devils 12 or 13 games ago, Stoglin has taken a bigger role in the offense, the team foul shooting has improved (e.g. Williams is shooting 74% for last 13 games) and the team defense is not nearly as good. At this point in time, I expect Duke to win by double figures.

gw67

True about your first point, but didn't we say that against UVA not too long ago and Kyle went for 2 pts? It's not about matchups for Kyle, he should be able to get his against anyone. Its just about confidence, but I do expect him to have a nice game. I would love to see Ryan hit some shots again like he was in the middle of the season. I thought we were at our best when he was shooting well so that'd be nice to see going into the post-season.

Quick question though. In the off chance that we lose tonight, what seed do you think we get? Are we a lock for a 2 seed or do we possibly drop to 3?

[Kedsy]

The problem is we have guys who play a lot of minutes who sometime only put up 0-2 points. When that happens, we better have a 3rd double digit scorer or we won't be scoring enough points to beat good teams.

I may not have made my point clear enough. I think we have plenty of potential scorers. We have 7 different players who have put up 20+ points in a game this year. In almost every game someone (or two) have stepped up. Since ACC play started (19 games total, including UAB, St Johns, & Temple), in every game but three our third leading scorer has had 9 or more points (and in those three our third guy had 8, 8, and 7). In every game but four, our fourth leading scorer has had at least 8 points (and in those four our fourth guy had 7, 7, 6, and 4).

First of all, I don't see what's so important about a "3rd double digit scorer" if our third and fourth guys are scoring at least 8 or 9 in every game. Second, I don't see why the third scorer has to be consistent -- what's wrong with the 3rd and 4th guy being different every game?

[ncexnyc]

I may not have made my point clear enough. I think we have plenty of potential scorers. We have 7 different players who have put up 20+ points in a game this year. In almost every game someone (or two) have stepped up. Since ACC play started (19 games total, including UAB, St Johns, & Temple), in every game but three our third leading scorer has had 9 or more points (and in those three our third guy had 8, 8, and 7). In every game but four, our fourth leading scorer has had at least 8 points (and in those four our fourth guy had 7, 7, 6, and 4).

First of all, I don't see what's so important about a "3rd double digit scorer" if our third and fourth guys are scoring at least 8 or 9 in every game. Second, I don't see why the third scorer has to be consistent -- what's wrong with the 3rd and 4th guy being different every game?

Don't you think it would make life a lot easier for the staff to prepare a game plan if they knew what player/players they could depend on night in and night out? As you've pointed out we've had a number of players go over 20+ at some point in the season, unfortunately those very same players are just as likely to put up a goose egg the very next game. (Nolan and Kyle excluded) It certainly looked like our plan of attack last Saturday was to have Ryan spot up in the corner in an attempt to draw out the big that was guarding him. Unfortunately that scheme was a total failure as Ryan had a terrible shooting night.