MBB: Duke 84, Wofford 55 Post Game Thread

[kAzE]

Pretty good effort in the 2nd half, they kept it close in the first half mostly because we were fouling too much. Another monster game for Okafor, it's getting kind of ridiculous. I think he went 2-4 to start the game, then made 9 straight shots. I wdoner how it's going to be before people just foul him everytime he touches it down low. Double teaming him doesn't really work. It was fun to see MP3 in the game with him at the same time. It was actually kind of effective. Great first half from Winslow offensively, I'd love to see him go to the hoop more consistently. He's just so hard to stop when he gets a head of steam, but he hasn't been as aggressive for some reason lately. Overall, good win. Very good defense in the 2nd half. Wofford is a good team, so I think we played really well today.

[dukelifer]

Pretty good effort in the 2nd half, they kept it close in the first half mostly because we were fouling too much. Another monster game for Okafor, it's getting kind of ridiculous. I think he went 2-4 to start the game, then made 9 straight shots. It was fun to see MP3 in the game with him at the same time. It was actually kind of effective. Great first half from Winslow offensively, I'd love to see him go to the hoop more consistently. He's just so hard to stop when he gets a head of steam. He hasn't been as aggressive for some reason lately. Overall, good win. Very good defense in the 2nd half. Wofford is a good team, so I think we played really well today.

Okafor is so much better than the average college center that it is almost unfair. He looks like a man playing against a little kid. Duke needs another three point shooter. It would be great if Jones could be that guy but he is very inconsistent. Not sure if Allen can step up- but he has the best pure shot. This looks to be a second half team- which is a nice change. So far - I enjoy watching this team play.

[grossbus]

Frankly, I would rather see more Grayson and less Matt.

[superdave]

This makes two games in a row where Duke played poorly on the defensive end in the first half and turned it on defensively in the second half. They will not be able to get away with that in conference.

Everyone gave something in the two games this week. We never got everyone going at the same time, even for a stretch, but all the guys seem to know their role, which is a good sign. We will keep getting better. We may be rounding into exceptional form the next two months. I am excited.

Feliz Ano Novo, DBR. Have fun and stay safe.

[Bob Green]

Over the last five games, Matt Jones is 3-16 from the field, including 0-7 on 3PA. Yikes! He went 0-4 (0-1) today. Hopefully, he can shake this slump quickly.

[Duvall]

Frankly, I would rather see more Grayson and less Matt.

Why?

[MartyClark]

This makes two games in a row where Duke played poorly on the defensive end in the first half and turned it on defensively in the second half. They will not be able to get away with that in conference.

Everyone gave something in the two games this week. We never got everyone going at the same time, even for a stretch, but all the guys seem to know their role, which is a good sign. We will keep getting better. We may be rounding into exceptional form the next two months. I am excited.

Feliz Ano Novo, DBR. Have fun and stay safe.

Happy New Year to you also, Super Dave, and the rest of DBR. I have a big evening planned that likely involves falling asleep on the couch well before midnight.

It was a good game. Okafor was great, Winslow was great, other people stepped up when needed.

I'm looking forward to the start of ACC play. I'd like to see Matt and Rasheed pick it up offensively. I'll be in Louisville on the 17th for, hopefully, Coach K's 1,000th win.

Best wishes to everyone. I enjoy this board. Stay safe tonight and best wishes for the new year.

[yancem]

Why?

Because:

Over the last five games, Matt Jones is 3-16 from the field, including 0-7 on 3PA. Yikes! He went 0-4 (0-1) today. Hopefully, he can shake this slump quickly.

The last couple of games, MJones has just looked scared with the ball. I hope he can get his confidence back because he is solid on defense. I haven't seen enough of Allen to get a good feel for his defense but he is more aggressive offensively. It would be interesting to see what he can do if given some of MJones' minutes. Maybe he isn't ready (his minutes would suggest that is the case) but I haven't seen much to write home about from MJones for a few games now. Hopefully his shot returns but right now I hold my breath every time he shoots.

[roywhite]

Boxscore: Duke 84, Wofford 55

Reminded me of a prize fight where an overmatched but game challenger punches with the champion early but wears down and gets knocked around late.

Dominance by Duke in the second half:
43-21 score
Duke was 17-28 70.3% FG, including 5-8 from 3-Pt
Wofford was 10-27 37.0% FG, including 1-10 from 3-Pt

Tyus Jones was quiet but effective -- 5 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals

As G-Man said, it's a pleasure to watch Jahlil work down low -- right block, left block, right hand, left hand, spin moves, use of glass, etc. etc. Seems to be increasingly comfortable in working with his teammates.

[sagegrouse]

Okafor is so much better than the average college center that it is almost unfair. He looks like a man playing against a little kid. Duke needs another three point shooter. It would be great if Jones could be that guy but he is very inconsistent. Not sure if Allen can step up- but he has the best pure shot. This looks to be a second half team- which is a nice change. So far - I enjoy watching this team play.

One more college analog for Jahlil is Bill Walton -- another really skilled 6-11 performer. I was living in LA when he was at UCLA and saw him regularly on local TV. Walton was a better shooter (or at least had more range on his shots) but, like Okafor, was extremely skilled in his footwork and had great hands.

No question, Bill was a "Skinny Minnie" as a Bruin, but so were almost all college players, way back in the short pants era.

Also, in the 1970's there was no "Bill Walton voice" to scare little children and cause dogs to bark a half-mile away He had a deep voice but spoke normally.

Happy New Year,
Sage

[devildeac]

Boxscore: Duke 84, Wofford 55

Reminded me of a prize fight where an overmatched but game challenger punches with the champion early but wears down and gets knocked around late.

Dominance by Duke in the second half:
43-21 score
Duke was 17-28 70.3% FG, including 5-8 from 3-Pt
Wofford was 10-27 37.0% FG, including 1-10 from 3-Pt

Tyus Jones was quiet but effective -- 5 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals

As G-Man said, it's a pleasure to watch Jahlil work down low -- right block, left block, right hand, left hand, spin moves, use of glass, etc. etc. Seems to be increasingly comfortable in working with his teammates.

Big Jah makes it look almost effortless on the offensive end many times. Did my eyes deceive me or did he go up once with the left hand and then switch to the right hand in the process as he scored with a little bank shot?

[gocanes0506]

I think its not about another 3 point shooter. Amile Jefferson needs a 10-15 foot jumper. Every team will double Big Oak. If Jefferson could get a jumper going it would make it harder to shadow off Jefferson.

[Saratoga2]

I understand they were their conference champions last year and are still an experienced team this year. They were tenacious in the game and didn't turn the ball over that much despite the heavy pressure Duke applied (moreso as the game wore on). They had some clever screens and their shooters got their shots away quickly. For quite a while and essentially for the entire first half they were competitive, except they did acquire a lot of fouls which hampered them later. Like Toledo, they were quick if a little undersized and crashed the glass to counter our size advantage.

I thought Duke was a little lethargic again to start. The defense was a little slow to react to screens and Wofford was getting open shots. Later on we used virtually all of our scholarship players to keep the pressure on and it started to show results in the second half.

First tonight was the use of the twin tower approach and it worked well. Jahlil is incredible out their. What more can you say about him. Just please don't get hurt. MP3 looked okay out there and it helps to have him get PT and integrate into the team play. He knows his role and fills it. Good foul shooting from him.

Justise used his strength and quickness to get to the rim and when fouled made his foul shots. He showed the ability to hit the 3 if they backed off to stop his penetration. He does a lot of things well defensively and has a major role on this team. Amile also knows his role and has a lot of defensive skill. Think how hard it would be to play against someone of his size who is that mobile and also knows the defensive system.

Both Quinn and Tyus played well and fill their roles. Everyone makes mistakes at times out there and Rasheed seems to have flashes of brilliance and then slips into thoughtless plays like fouling as the ball is being brought up. I still wonder if he is trying so hard that he thinks more about how he is being perceived than what he needs to do in game situations. Matt still needs to get untracked so that he gets and takes good shots. He also seems to be trying too hard rather than trusting his skills and taking what comes to him in the game.

This is a good win for Duke against a determined and skillful team. Onward!

[Duke95]

I think its not about another 3 point shooter. Amile Jefferson needs a 10-15 foot jumper. Every team will double Big Oak. If Jefferson could get a jumper going it would make it harder to shadow off Jefferson.

This. +1. If Amile had a decent medium-range jump shot, we would be significantly better.

[jv001]

This. +1. If Amile had a decent medium-range jump shot, we would be significantly better.

Lance Thomas developed a respectable mid range jumper his senior year and many thought that could never happen. I would hope that Amile improves at the FT line and develops a mid range jumper. GoDuke!

[Olympic Fan]

Because:



The last couple of games, MJones has just looked scared with the ball. I hope he can get his confidence back because he is solid on defense. I haven't seen enough of Allen to get a good feel for his defense but he is more aggressive offensively. It would be interesting to see what he can do if given some of MJones' minutes. Maybe he isn't ready (his minutes would suggest that is the case) but I haven't seen much to write home about from MJones for a few games now. Hopefully his shot returns but right now I hold my breath every time he shoots.

This reaction is amazing to me ... in his postgame comments, K made it clear that Matt Jones was his player of the game.

He raved about the defensive lift Matt gave the team: "He's our best defender."

You aren't going to see less of Matt in the immediate future, no matter what his shooting percentage.

BTW: I don't think Duke's first half defense was weak. We have up one (1) easy basket. We fouled a bit too much, but so did Wofford -- the refs were calling it as close as any game this season (and in the second half, the striped shirts backed off and neither team reached the on-and-one). Wofford hit some really tough shots, but still shot just 37 percent for the half. If there was a defensive flaw, it was the number of offensive rebounds Duke allowed.

The defense was better in the second half -- in fact, it was superb. It was so good that in contrast, it may have made the first half defense look bad, It wasn't -- it was solid.

[jv001]

This reaction is amazing to me ... in his postgame comments, K made it clear that Matt Jones was his player of the game.

He raved about the defensive lift Matt gave the team: "He's our best defender."

You aren't going to see less of Matt in the immediate future, no matter what his shooting percentage.

BTW: I don't think Duke's first half defense was weak. We have up one (1) easy basket. We fouled a bit too much, but so did Wofford -- the refs were calling it as close as any game this season (and in the second half, the striped shirts backed off and neither team reached the on-and-one). Wofford hit some really tough shots, but still shot just 37 percent for the half. If there was a defensive flaw, it was the number of offensive rebounds Duke allowed.
The defense was better in the second half -- in fact, it was superb. It was so good that in contrast, it may have made the first half defense look bad, It wasn't -- it was solid.

I agree on poor defensive rebounding. I think Wofford out rebounded Duke 18-17 in the first half, but Duke rebounded much better in the 2nd half. I think Jah has two weaknesses: defensive rebounding and poor foul shooting. If he can improve on these two areas, he'll be unstoppable. GoDuke!

[Clay Feet POF]

This. +1. If Amile had a decent medium-range jump shot, we would be significantly better.

When MP3 is in with Okafor I'll like to see if Marshall could made that inside the key shot that Amile seems scare to take. That shots around the FT line and Marshall's stroke in that area looks good.

[FerryFor50]

Lance Thomas developed a respectable mid range jumper his senior year and many thought that could never happen. I would hope that Amile improves at the FT line and develops a mid range jumper. GoDuke!

Amile already has developed a decent mid-range shot and is still working on it. You can see his stroke is better at the FT line and I've seen him make the mid-range jumper against teams like Wisconsin.

He just doesn't jack them up at will yet.

[gam7]

This. +1. If Amile had a decent medium-range jump shot, we would be significantly better.

The two midrange jumpers Amile hit vs. Wisc, plus the two (I think) acrobatic Matt Jones driving buckets in the same game were the difference between that game being a 10 point win vs. a coin flip. There will be opportunities for Amile to hit that shot again in highly competitive, close games and we will really need those points.