MBB: Duke vs. Toledo (Monday 12/29 7 pm ET ESPN2) Pre-Game & In-Game Thread

[Bob Green]

The 7-4 Rockets visit Cameron Indoor Stadium tomorrow evening. Discuss the game here.

[Henderson]

Should be a walkover, but Wofford looks potentially dangerous. What do you call the trap game before the trap game?

[MChambers]

Should be a walkover, but Wofford looks potentially dangerous. What do you call the trap game before the trap game?

Toledo is 98th in Pomeroy, so I doubt it will be a walkover. 35th in offense but 198 in defense.

[Krzyzewskiville]

I'll be going to the game tomorrow, anybody have suggestions of any good Duke-friendly (like Duke posters, and stuff) restaurants/bars?

[wsb3]

Looking forward to going to the game. It will be the first game that I have seen in Cameron in quite some time.

[Native]

I'll be going to the game tomorrow, anybody have suggestions of any good Duke-friendly (like Duke posters, and stuff) restaurants/bars?

The Washington Duke is a short walk from Cameron and is always a good pre-game spot. A lot of Duke notables — former players, for instance — will tend to hang out in the bar area before and after games.

The Bryan Center is the student union on campus and is just across Towerview Road from Cameron. Food options in the Bryan Center include The Loop — which also serves alcohol in the downstairs bar area after 5PM, if that's your thing — an Au Bon Pain, Panda Express, Red Mango, and a McDonalds.

Off-campus: good student bars around Main Street in downtown Durham are Satisfaction, Alivia's, Devine's, James Joyce, and Federal, the latter two of which are attended by graduate students and typically have an older crowd. If you're looking for the most "Duke-friendly" of bars, you'll want to head to Satisfaction or Devine's. Tobacco Road across from the DBAP is a little more high-end, but the number of TVs and the leather-chair seating area makes it the best place to watch a game, IMO.

Durham is a great restaurant town — Dame's Chicken and Waffles, Pizzeria Toro, Pompieri Pizza, Bull City Burger, Q Shack, and Nanataco are all excellent, but aren't necessarily places to watch a game.

[brevity]

What do you call the trap game before the trap game?

Good question...

elaborateruse.jpg

Sorry. I know how you feel about Star Wars references within the context of Duke basketball. (Actually, that's kind of why I responded.)

[devildeac]

I'll be going to the game tomorrow, anybody have suggestions of any good Duke-friendly (like Duke posters, and stuff) restaurants/bars?

This might be helpful, too, especially with a Native helping with its organization and compilation:

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...plate=DBRVisit

[Henderson]

Good question...

elaborateruse.jpg

Sorry. I know how you feel about Star Wars references within the context of Duke basketball. (Actually, that's kind of why I responded.)

How did you get a photo of my brother in law?

[devildeac]

How did you get a photo of my brother in law?

One of my brothers-in law visits/posts here on rare, rare occasions. No comment.

[Duke3517]

K should tell his starters to just show up and they will win.

[duketaylor]

Should have included Devine's as a restaurant worthy of consideration, Gene is very nice and played fball back in the 70's.

http://www.devinesdurham.com/Home.aspx

[NSDukeFan]

K should tell his starters to just show up and they will win.

I don't know exactly what coach K's strategy will be, but I am pretty sure this won't be it. I think he will come up with something that is more likely to result in a win, and hopefully we will see the bench make some valuable contributions as well. Toledo is ranked around where the mid to bottom tier ACC teams are ranked and lots of crazy results happen in conference play, so I think they will present a nice post-Christmas challenge.

[Kedsy]

Toledo is ranked around where the mid to bottom tier ACC teams are ranked and lots of crazy results happen in conference play, so I think they will present a nice post-Christmas challenge.

Pomeroy rates Toledo (#97) better than five ACC teams: Wake (#123), FSU (#124), Clemson (#127), BC (#136), and Va Tech (#177).

For what it's worth, our next opponent (Wofford) is even better, ranked #88, one spot above Georgia Tech.

[uh_no]

Pomeroy rates Toledo (#97) better than five ACC teams: Wake (#123), FSU (#124), Clemson (#127), BC (#136), and Va Tech (#177).

For what it's worth, our next opponent (Wofford) is even better, ranked #88, one spot above Georgia Tech.

it's certainly designed to be warming up to conference play. Good scheduling I think.

[pfrduke]

Pomeroy rates Toledo (#97) better than five ACC teams: Wake (#123), FSU (#124), Clemson (#127), BC (#136), and Va Tech (#177).

For what it's worth, our next opponent (Wofford) is even better, ranked #88, one spot above Georgia Tech.

Hard to know how accurate that number is for Toledo. The best that can really be said about their performance so far this year is that they didn't lose by too much when they played at VCU and Oregon (9 and 10 point losses, respectively). The best opponent they beat is Cleveland State (ranked #134), and that was just a 5-point win, albeit one coming on the road. None of their other 6 wins come against a team ranked in the top 50% and they've also dropped games to #159 Detroit (at home, no less) and #205 Oakland. They've seen their biggest ranking jumps come after a 28-point win over Chicago State and a 26-point win over Robert Morris - those are nice, but I bet there are more than 100 teams that could accomplish those victories.

[NSDukeFan]

Hard to know how accurate that number is for Toledo. The best that can really be said about their performance so far this year is that they didn't lose by too much when they played at VCU and Oregon (9 and 10 point losses, respectively). The best opponent they beat is Cleveland State (ranked #134), and that was just a 5-point win, albeit one coming on the road. None of their other 6 wins come against a team ranked in the top 50% and they've also dropped games to #159 Detroit (at home, no less) and #205 Oakland. They've seen their biggest ranking jumps come after a 28-point win over Chicago State and a 26-point win over Robert Morris - those are nice, but I bet there are more than 100 teams that could accomplish those victories.

A couple of years ago, I believe Robert Morris played a nice game against Kentucky. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=330780096

[Kedsy]

Hard to know how accurate that number is for Toledo.

I agree, but if you look at the performance to-date of, e.g., Wake Forest or Florida State, Toledo compares pretty favorably. In other words, the idea that Toledo is better than one-third of the ACC might be saying more about the bottom of the ACC than it does about Toledo.

[gurufrisbee]

Toledo scares the crap out of me. Yes, they are a mid-major and yes they are only 7-4, but they've won five in a row. Two losses were by 2 and 3 points and the other two were only by 9 and 10 AT Oregon and AT VCU. They return everyone except for one starter from last year's 27 win, NIT team. All five starters are averaging double figures. Their senior point guard looks terrific. Two other senior, returning starters on the wings are playing great. Their junior returning center looks to actually have the size to battle in the paint. And it's possible tonight is when Mississippi St transfer Dre Applewhite is finally eligible to play (he was starting as a freshman there last year when he left for Toledo). Toledo is absolutely a team last year that I had high on my list to watch for as a great pick for early round upsetting in the next NCAA tournament.

[pfrduke]

A couple of years ago, I believe Robert Morris played a nice game against Kentucky. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=330780096

Sure, but 173 of the 200 Colonial minutes played in that game were by guys who are no longer on the team. This year's version already has 6 double-digit losses, 3 of which were by 26 or more.