MBB: Duke vs UNC II (Sat 3/8, ESPN, 9pm) Senior Night PreGame and In-Game Thread

[Troublemaker]

Next Play.

[Troublemaker]

Wheat, you scalawag. Let's make a bet on this game. And can the bet please not be a fishing trip?

Let's do dinner in Durham. Deal?

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Wheat, you scalawag. Let's make a bet on this game. And can the bet please not be a fishing trip?

Let's do dinner in Durham. Deal?

I'll be in Charlotte sometime in September for a tournament on Lake Norman. If you can make it there, you're on.

[GGLC]

Hope we practice playing against a zone, unlike last week.

[Troublemaker]

I'll be in Charlotte sometime in September for a tournament on Lake Norman. If you can make it there, you're on.

Done. I can be in Charlotte at that time. You are going to owe me a nice steak dinner, mister.

[Troublemaker]

Hope we practice playing against a zone, unlike last week.

GGLC, you want some? I'm sure Ol' Roy is watching film of the Duke-Wake game right now and will be playing a 1-2-2 zone on Saturday. I'm sure Duke's coaches will be practicing for man-2-man.

I can be your emotional hedge.

[GGLC]

GGLC, you want some? I'm sure Ol' Roy is watching film of the Duke-Wake game right now and will be playing a 1-2-2 zone on Saturday. I'm sure Duke's coaches will be practicing for man-2-man.

Nah, I don't like to ever bet against Duke. :-). They're my team.

[Bob Green]

We need to be prepared to play against multiple defensive schemes. Coach Williams did an excellent job in the 2nd half of the first game switching between M2M, 1-2-2 zone and a 1-3-1 half court trap. It worked the first time so I'm sure he will attempt to drink from the same well on Saturday evening.

[jv001]

We need to be prepared to play against multiple defensive schemes. Coach Williams did an excellent job in the 2nd half of the first game switching between M2M, 1-2-2 zone and a 1-3-1 half court trap. It worked the first time so I'm sure he will attempt to drink from the same well on Saturday evening.

Old Roy, coached the best game I have seen him coach against Duke. Let's hope we can make our 3s. It looks like that's what it's going to take. I had rather see Rodney or Jabari with the ball at the high post. GoDuke!

[CDu]

As if this game didn't need any more meaning, last night's loss for us just upped the ante. Not only does a win avoid us getting swept by UNC for the first time since 2009, but it has the following implications as well:
- #3 seed vs #4 seed in the ACC tourney
- opportunity to get a #2 seed in the NCAA tourney

If we lose this game, we fall to 4th in the ACC, are swept by UNC, face the very real possibility of falling all the way to the 4 line in the NCAA tourney, and lose our edge over UNC for the Raleigh site.

There's never a situation where beating UNC isn't important, but the importance of doing so has just been magnified.

[BlueandWhite]

As if this game didn't need any more meaning, last night's loss for us just upped the ante. Not only does a win avoid us getting swept by UNC for the first time since 2009, but it has the following implications as well:
- #3 seed vs #4 seed in the ACC tourney
- opportunity to get a #2 seed in the NCAA tourney

If we lose this game, we fall to 4th in the ACC, are swept by UNC, face the very real possibility of falling all the way to the 4 line in the NCAA tourney, and lose our edge over UNC for the Raleigh site.

There's never a situation where beating UNC isn't important, but the importance of doing so has just been magnified.

Great points all -- trying to put last night's 2nd half debacle behind & get psyched for another Senior Night UNC showdown...2 years until the next one!

For Sat night -- DEFENSE, the #1 priority, and in particular, shut down and frustrate Mr. Paige for the entire 40 minutes.

#2, I'll be frustrated in the 1st half if we fire up 3s on too many initial possessions. Get the ball in Jabari's hands.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Seems like we've had lots of these threads already this season. Hrmm...

I want to see Duke defend their home court and set a wildly different tone for the post-season. I want smart defense and aggressive offense. I want sharp ball movement, few turnovers, and tenacity on loose balls.

I want a drubbing. I want Andre to score 35 points, I want Josh to play for 35 minutes, and I want TT to get 35 steals.

I want Jabari and Hood to come onto the floor after the game and state that they will be Duke players through their senior year, so that they can have the experience of a lifetime on their last home game.

I want K to feel so good that he does cartwheels on the sidelines.

I want all the prospects and signees that are attending the game to make friends and decide who is going to room with whom.

I want Todd to get a standing ovation for his first game in double digits.

I want MP3 to do something nasty to JMM that gets him his own poster.

Most of all, I want to send UNC whimpering back down 15-501 to lick their wounds after we destroy their winning streak and demoralize them for the post-season.

Do I want too much?

[pfrduke]

I would not be surprised, both because of senior night and to try to set a leadership tone, to see Tyler, Josh, and Andre in the starting lineup on Saturday (likely alongside Jabari and Rodney, but possibly alongside one of them and Sheed). I know K doesn't always start seniors on senior night, but given how the Wake game shook out and his view (I think) that at least the first two seniors are the guys to turn to when defense and discipline is needed, my guess is that this trio will start.

[Kedsy]

I would not be surprised, both because of senior night and to try to set a leadership tone, to see Tyler, Josh, and Andre in the starting lineup on Saturday (likely alongside Jabari and Rodney, but possibly alongside one of them and Sheed). I know K doesn't always start seniors on senior night, but given how the Wake game shook out and his view (I think) that at least the first two seniors are the guys to turn to when defense and discipline is needed, my guess is that this trio will start.

We looked into this not too long ago. Other than walk-ons, I think the only senior in the last 17 years that hasn't started senior night for Duke was Andre Buckner. (I didn't go back any further than 1996-97, so the streak could be a lot further than that.)

So I'm fairly certain that all three seniors will start. Not sure how long they'll stay in the game, though.

[Billy Dat]

I think the only senior in the last 17 years that hasn't started senior night for Duke was Andre Buckner.

Which is a complete travesty considering he landed the greatest blow in the Duke/Carolina rivalry since Heyman's fist struck McGuire's pelotas when he two-hand-shoved Doh! Both of those events need to be commemorated in the Hall of Honor.

[pfrduke]

We looked into this not too long ago. Other than walk-ons, I think the only senior in the last 17 years that hasn't started senior night for Duke was Andre Buckner. (I didn't go back any further than 1996-97, so the streak could be a lot further than that.)

So I'm fairly certain that all three seniors will start. Not sure how long they'll stay in the game, though.

Well then I feel even better about my prediction.

[devildeac]

Ozzie has had a busy day. He is home now and the status check thread will be posted soon.

[superdave]

Unc is in the midst of a 12 game win streak. Their two lowest scoring games in that streak are their two most recent: 60 vs VT and 63 vs ND. They've also won the last three games by a combined 7 points. So they are not exactly setting the world on fire.

Since his heroics against State, Paige is 5-15 from the field for 16 total points in 65 minutes.

[ncexnyc]

I’m sure Jason can appreciate the fact that this ACC season is playing out like a gangster movie from the 1930’s. Bogart, Cagney, Raft, and Robinson would sure be proud of the storyline.

Gang boss (Duke) aided by upstart gangsters (UVA and Cuse) take out the rival boss (heels) and leave him for dead on the side of road, his body riddled with bullets (early ACC losses). Said gangster comes back and sees one upstart (Cuse) go down and in a final showdown with his rival (Saturday night at Duke) comes out on top.

Hopefully the script won’t play out like that and we’ll get an ending where both bosses die (Duke wins the game, heels go to hell, and Bennett gets ACC CoY).

[Dukehky]

Hit em in the mouth at the beginning and don't stop hitting them in the mouth until the buzzer sounds, and maybe even then get a final shot in.