MBB: Miami 90, Duke 74 Post-Game Thread

[JBDuke]

Put your post-game thoughts here. But be sure to avoid violating our Posting Guidelines. No destructive negativity. No team, player, or coach bashing. If you're going to criticize, do it constructively.

[Karl Beem]

Thank the Goddess! Matt didn't fouled out.

[Dukehky]

Hahahahahahahahahaha. Good one guys. That was a funny practical joke, but enough is enough.

Angel freaking Rodriguez just said that he expected to beat Duke. K, maybe it's time to back off on defense, not really working.

[cptnflash]

Well I'll own up to my total misread of this game. I said beforehand that I'd be disappointed if we won by less than 20, and stunned if won by less than 10. So color me disappointed, stunned, and seriously recalibrating my expectations for our team this year.

Won't go into details on the various shortcomings as I'm sure those will be adequately covered by others. Enjoy.

[CR9]

They shouldn't be ranked.

[jdk]

I take back my comment about this year being as good as the '99 team.

[ChrisP]

Many areas to work on but at this point, it's gotta start with Heart and a sense of pride for the letters on the uni. Tonight was just...putrid

[KandG]

From the 4th ranked team in the country to the fifth or sixth best team in the ACC...maybe. Wow.

Actually thought, unlike some, there was good "effort" from the players, but not much cohesion, flow, or any sort of defensive awareness. Lot of players look off their game right now. Okafor being a defensive liability has been evident from the beginning of the season, but other teams have been scouting Duke and are attacking ruthlessly now.

Baffling thing to me is how teams like State and Miami have looked so much quicker and more athletic. Duke is a very athletic team, but they're being left in the dust and getting killed in almost every matchup.

Just glad the game I'm attending this season is versus Clemson at home in February, when they'll have hopefully gotten their second wind. They can't possibly lose that, right?

[tux]

Miami coach's post-game comments were very interesting. Basically: Duke pressures so much, they leave a lot of open lanes, and if you have guards who can get by that pressure, you can attack effectively. However, if your guards have to pick up and take contested shots, Duke will score in bunches.

My take: Duke needs to learn to play a more compact man-to-man, especially when a team comes out and proves it can attack Duke's pressure. Otherwise, you give up too many easy baskets, leading to tired legs and little momentum... Both State and Miami generated a lot of layups and dunks. When you're spread out, at some point your rotations will break down --- especially true of a young team.


What a difference two conference games make. Wow! Unexpected, given the way most K teams respond to a loss.

Hopefully, the team and staff will learn from this and improve.

[Dukehky]

Last non-freak out/world is ending loss of the year for me. First really quick turn around for a young team coming off a bad loss. They did not respond. Quinn and Amile did, because they've learned how. From now on though, those kids know everything that can hit you. Learn from it.

That was really, really, really, bad. Tyus and Justise may need to start Saturday's game on the bench to get a little perspective.

[daveduke76]

Last non-freak out/world is ending loss of the year for me. First really quick turn around for a young team coming off a bad loss. They did not respond. Quinn and Amile did, because they've learned how. From now on though, those kids know everything that can hit you. Learn from it.

That was really, really, really, bad. Tyus and Justise may need to start Saturday's game on the bench to get a little perspective.

Probably a good idea for many reasons, their combined 3-15 wouldn't be missed! They both looked lost to me at times. I wonder if they would respond to benching or maybe the opposite, have set plays for them.

[OldSchool]

Our bigs starting with Jah on the defensive end need to focus mentally much more on reading the offense and moving more quickly and with more energy. We are just being caught out of position far too much on basic pick and roll and dribble penetration.

We need to value possessions more. It seems like offense came so easily to this team early in the season that they got the impression anything they do turns to gold. Now in conference play as opponents have had half a season to figure themselves out, we need to work harder for better shots.

Jah is money down low, but we need to get more creative in getting him the ball in good spots. We need to do more than just give him a basic entry pass while everyone else watches him go against a double team pushing him away from the block. Let's try feeding him rolling off the pick and see if he can use one dribble to get to the rim or find an open teammate when the defense rotates to block his path. Also, when Jah is double-teamed he needs to be able to pass over the defense to someone under the rim, not just pass it to a guard or dribble out away from the basket.

[_Gary]

Well I'll own up to my total misread of this game. I said beforehand that I'd be disappointed if we won by less than 20, and stunned if won by less than 10. So color me disappointed, stunned, and seriously recalibrating my expectations for our team this year.

Won't go into details on the various shortcomings as I'm sure those will be adequately covered by others. Enjoy.

Ditto on every bit of that. I expected a blowout for us, and it was reversed.

[Kjeffrey]

Why does it feel like this happens every January? We play some tough teams in the non conference schedule but the wheels come off in conference play. What is the reason for this seemingly annual trend?

[Duvall]

Why does it feel like this happens every January? We play some tough teams in the non conference schedule but the wheels come off in conference play. What is the reason for this seemingly annual trend?

It's...not a trend. What are you talking about?

[SupaDave]

Why does it feel like this happens every January? We play some tough teams in the non conference schedule but the wheels come off in conference play. What is the reason for this seemingly annual trend?

Based on some of our reactions to the refs it appears that we are not able to roll with the calls very well. We have to learn to accept those things much better.

[FerryFor50]

Based on some of our reactions to the refs it appears that we are not able to roll with the calls very well. We have to learn to accept those things much better.

To be fair, I was having trouble rolling with some of those calls, too.

[Oriole Way]

Why does it feel like this happens every January? We play some tough teams in the non conference schedule but the wheels come off in conference play. What is the reason for this seemingly annual trend?

The one constant is the coaching staff and the defensive and offensive schemes. This is now a clear trend, and it's impossible to blame the players any longer. At some point, the blame has to fall on the coaching staff for failing to recruit the players that can play the defense that Coach K wants, or the blame has to fall on the coaching staff for failing to implement effective defensive philosophies that maximize the talents and skillsets of the rosters they have to work with. Pressure man-to-man defense and overplay for Duke doesn't work any longer. At least when it comes to advancing in the NCAA tournament, which is what Duke strives for. Hasn't for a long time.

During the post-game, Coach Larranaga and Miami's players essentially called out Duke for being easy to prepare for. They were confident they would beat us because of our defensive style of play and defensive flaws. It's time for Coach K to step up and actually adapt. Something he failed to do last season.

[sagegrouse]

The one constant is the coaching staff and the defensive and offensive schemes.

Well, except for losing our two Assistant Head Coaches in the past two years.

[Oriole Way]

Well, except for losing our two Assistant Head Coaches in the past two years.

You know what I mean. The schemes begin and end with the man at the top.

Is it not interesting to you that Wojo and Collins have employed much different defensive schemes than K's pressure M2M since leaving Duke's staff? They are working with inferior talent, but given Coach K's insistence of using that defense for every single one his teams, I think it's telling that those former assistants have chosen not to implement a similar defensive philosophy.