MBB: Duke 88, NC State 80 Post-Game Thread

[JBDuke]

Put your post-game thoughts here.

[Les Grossman]

clap clap clap clap clap

[DukeFanSince1990]

Go Duke! Go Panthers! Go Notre Dame (tonight anyway)!

Good to have a week with no loses.

[toughbuff1]

Other than about a three minute stretch in the beginning of the second half, I thought we played great! Hope Barber isn't seriously injured.

[subzero02]

Next year, I am scheduling as many things as possible around the schedule for Duke games. I have missed more games this year than the previous 18 years combined. Thank goodness for watchespn...on game tracker, I saw that Luke hit back to back 3's to give us a cushion when the game was in the 50s.

[jasoninchina]

I am just so happy to see Luke shoot well today. The team's fourteen made 3-pointers coupled with the excellent free throw shooting at the end were the difference. ( Plumlee missed three and DT had one of those final five misses). This is a much needed win, guys!!

[WakeDevil]

It was eight on five all the way. This insightful information is provided to you by the denizens of Pack Pride.

[ThrowItAround]

Cat is something else, Derrick played great D on him in the first half. Great win overall, another tough test Monday night. GO DUKE!!

[SCMatt33]

Good to get the win, and respond to their run in the middle of the second. I find it a bit hard to get super excited, though, about needing to shoot 50% from the outside and make 14 total just to beat a team at home who's now 2-9 in league play. Next 4 games will tell us a lot about how we need to set expectations going forward. If we can split or better, I think the tourney should be in the cards barring a total collapse. Win 1 and were probably on the bubble and need to take care of some business down the stretch. Lose all and we'll have to catch fire down the stretch.

[wsb3]

Play of the game? When the ball rolled to Allen in the corner with the clock winding down & he nailed the 3 to put us up by 8 I believe.. Pays to be lucky & good. Not that the shot was lucky..

No matter where this team goes. I really like this team. It is thin..it was a year where we really could not stand a key injury & yet we got one.. We are weak at the PG...but the effort.. I don't think you can fault it at anytime or at least I won't.

I think K has done everything he could to keep us in the hunt. I just hope that with this brutal schedule coming up that Amile is back very soon. My prediction of early Feb. is now gone.

I blame Dickie V for singing Thornton's praises, which was immediately followed by two bonehead turnovers. No I am not giving up on him. He plays well for a stretch & then it is like he just checks out mentally & the focus drifts to a place far far away. He will get there. I am not sure it will be this year but I sure hope so.

On another note I hope Cat is okay. I did not like the way he was holding his wrist & no I am not a Doctor & I slept at home last night. The Pack continue to play hard despite the record. I would hate to see their team without him.

About time to walk to the garage & lift weights to wind down.. Cold beer & grilling to follow. Have a great evening Duke fans here on DBR.

[Saratoga2]

Derryck did play excellent defense on Cat in the first half and played relatively mistake free but then in the second half made lazy almost casual plays and let NC State back in. I thought Brandon also got a little casual, but boy is it good to have a man his size handle the ball well near the end of the game but he was good from the line.

Grayson had another great game. Seems like most games for him go that way this year. Also, the contribution from Luke was outstanding. He is so cool in the game and not only was a big scorer today but did many little things like getting a critical rebound near the end of the game. We have 4 good ball handlers at guard plus Brandon and we needed all of them tonight as I believe we wound up with 4 fouls on 3 of our guards.

Our MTM defense in the first half was outstanding. We did go zone to limit penetration as Cat began to find a way through our MTM. Maybe we were just getting tired.

[NashvilleDevil]

Glad that these next two games are in Cameron. Hopefully that will allow the fellas to be rested with the quick turn around.

I thought Duke's response after State took the lead early in the 2nd half was great. Still waiting for that one game where Ingram, Grayson, and Luke are all on. Maybe it happens February 17th.

[Rich]

Caleb Martin 1, Cameron Crazies 0

I don't think I can ever remember an opposing player fouling out and standing the entire rest of the game (~5 mins, I think) to avoid the "Ahh...See Ya" chant. Well done, Caleb. It caused an interesting dilemma for the Crazies -- root for the team or continue the "Ahh" (pointing) part of the chant.

Fortunately, the good guys won.

[grossbus]

Suspect Cat has broken bone in hand. That was a nasty hit from teammate's foot.

[TruBlu]

Caleb Martin 1, Cameron Crazies 0

I don't think I can ever remember an opposing player fouling out and standing the entire rest of the game (~5 mins, I think) to avoid the "Ahh...See Ya" chant. Well done, Caleb. It caused an interesting dilemma for the Crazies -- root for the team or continue the "Ahh" (pointing) part of the chant.

Fortunately, the good guys won.

Did you notice that he did sit down in the final minute? The Crazies then implored him to "Stand Up".

[jipops]

Good to get the win, and respond to their run in the middle of the second. I find it a bit hard to get super excited, though, about needing to shoot 50% from the outside and make 14 total just to beat a team at home who's now 2-9 in league play. Next 4 games will tell us a lot about how we need to set expectations going forward. If we can split or better, I think the tourney should be in the cards barring a total collapse. Win 1 and were probably on the bubble and need to take care of some business down the stretch. Lose all and we'll have to catch fire down the stretch.

I'm with you. It's always good to get a conference win but I'm breathing another sigh of relief after this one. All this lights out shooting just to beat a 2 win conference team at home. However, Cat is not exactly an easy player to defend and State has played many teams close despite all the losses.

I'm hoping we can at least take 1 of the next 4, fingers all crossed. I feel like UVA is our most realistic shot in that set of games. Even if that's the case we're still in decent shape as taking 3 of the last 4 certainly seems realistic, though Pitt could be dicey. That would put us at 10-8 in the conference which should be good enough to get us in.

[weezie]

Suspect Cat has broken bone in hand. That was a nasty hit from teammate's foot.

That's a darned shame for him. I've enjoyed watching him improve every year. Much respect. He's got a big heart.
I asked in chat but no one responded, is he strong enough to make the NBA? Quick, absolutely, but is he more a Euro player?

[wsb3]

Suspect Cat has broken bone in hand. That was a nasty hit from teammate's foot.

I hope not but I have already heard from a State friend who says those close to the team think it is broken. I hope his source is wrong.

[weezie]

Did you notice that he did sit down in the final minute? The Crazies then implored him to "Stand Up".

Now those are the Crazies we all love!

[Rich]

Did you notice that he did sit down in the final minute? The Crazies then implored him to "Stand Up".

That's great...missed that on TV.