MBB: Duke at Wake Forest (1/28, 3:00pm ET, ACCN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[Troublemaker]

Put your thoughts in this thread.

See TV info by awhom here.

You can also stream the game online at theacc.com here.

[BandAlum83]

Go Duke!!!!

[DieHard]

Talented Wake team learning how to win consistently. Talented Duke team learning how to win consistently. Should be a great game, and I have not given up on this group. GO DUKE!

[NM Duke Fan]

With Coach K's recent firm disciplinary action, I am now more excited about this game than I even was before. Really looking for defensive intensity for the full game, and on offense a more effective behavior of the team getting the ball to the player with the best shot and in a timely manner. I look for Bolden to continue his recent intensity and for Luke to get more shots. Hopefully Amile can play a bit closer to his full potential with the further recovery time, although that can be tricky with practice ongoing as well. And of course, who knows, perhaps we will see a particular Coach back for this game ...

[jv001]

Maybe Coach K told Grayson he wanted to see the 2016 Grayson and he wants to see the fire back in his play. If the guys don't have the energy in this game, I don't know what will get them going. My biggest worry is Amile's health. We need him close to 100%. GoDuke!

[Devilwin]

With Coach K's recent firm disciplinary action, I am now more excited about this game than I even was before. Really looking for defensive intensity for the full game, and on offense a more effective behavior of the team getting the ball to the player with the best shot and in a timely manner. I look for Bolden to continue his recent intensity and for Luke to get more shots. Hopefully Amile can play a bit closer to his full potential with the further recovery time, although that can be tricky with practice ongoing as well. And of course, who knows, perhaps we will see a particular Coach back for this game ...

Scott Hamilton reports K will not coach against Wake. But hey, maybe he don't know everything.

[Tripping William]

I'll be watching in the chalet. Folks here in Switzerland are pretty optimistic about the Deacs' chances. As they should be; Duke regularly struggles over here. That said, Wake reminds me of Charlie Brown and the football. My money's on Lucy this time.

[jv001]

Wake has looked pretty good this season in the few games I've watched on TV. They have decent guard play and they don't have Thomas(graduated) in the front court. I think he hurt them far more than he helped them. That alone should make them better. It comes down to how bad Duke wants the game. They should be excited about winning their first ACC game away from home. GoDuke!

[MrPoon]

We all love discussing the Xs and Os of this team.
But for this game, I am looking forward to K's thumb print (boot print) to be more evident. This is a young team who read all the preseason headlines now have been struggling to adjust to the challenging reality of this unique/challenging/unexpected season. What is clear to me is the talent and skill are enough for a much better record. The psychology and execution is what is missing (in that order). A road game may be the perfect place to force this team to toughen up.

Can't wait to see them respond.
K doesn't get these ploys wrong very often and I doubt he did here either. Almost feel sorry for Wake.
Over/under of GA points is 18, he may come out with a Duke Uni with "He Hate Me" on the back.

[gofurman]

We all love discussing the Xs and Os of this team.
But for this game, I am looking forward to K's thumb print (boot print) to be more evident. This is a young team who read all the preseason headlines now have been struggling to adjust to the challenging reality of this unique/challenging/unexpected season. What is clear to me is the talent and skill are enough for a much better record. The psychology and execution is what is missing (in that order). A road game may be the perfect place to force this team to toughen up.

Can't wait to see them respond.
K doesn't get these ploys wrong very often and I doubt he did here either. Almost feel sorry for Wake.
Over/under of GA points is 18, he may come out with a Duke Uni with "He Hate Me" on the back.

Ill only feel sorry for Wake... never. I want to WIN. Y - agree on the psychology but a few X and Os. Are Wakes guards super fast break-you-down guys? Collins is a load inside - that was a real find by Manning. Dude is gettin' a 17/9 or so a game now and improving - could be a super 4 years player maybe. I watched and the way he gets the boards I thought he was closer to 7'0 They list him at 6'10". He is impressive. One of the best big men in the ACC. Woods getting a 12p/3assist and Crawford w a 15pt / 6assist avg !

All three of those guys are Sophs. Wake could be a decent team next year w all three Juniors.
*Anyway, do either of Crawford or Woods really break you down like a CJ McCollum or Dennis Smith Jr?? Those type guys are our struggle right now. Ill live w just perimeter passes and shooting.

Please inform me !

[jv001]

Ill only feel sorry for Wake... never. I want to WIN. Y - agree on the psychology but a few X and Os. Are Wakes guards super fast break-you-down guys? Collins is a load inside - that was a real find by Manning. Dude is gettin' a 17/9 or so a game now and improving - could be a super 4 years player maybe. I watched and the way he gets the boards I thought he was closer to 7'0 They list him at 6'10". He is impressive. One of the best big men in the ACC. Woods getting a 12p/3assist and Crawford w a 15pt / 6assist avg !

All three of those guys are Sophs. Wake could be a decent team next year w all three Juniors.
*Anyway, do either of Crawford or Woods really break you down like a CJ McCollum or Dennis Smith Jr?? Those type guys are our struggle right now. Ill live w just perimeter passes and shooting.

Please inform me !

In the games that I saw none of their guards are in the class of CJ or Dennis. Two other guards that get a lot of play; Childress(son of Randolph) and Wilbekin. They are not quite as good as Crawford. One of the games that I saw, Crawford was in foul trouble throughout the game. As you say, Collins is a good front court player. However he had a terrible game against(you guest it) the Cheats. We'll need to bring our A game or we will probably leave Winston Salem with a loss. GoDuke!

[KandG]

Interesting that Featherston took the contrarian route and thought Duke might lose at Wake but against all logic win at Notre Dame. I think a split is likely this weekend (assuming Amile's health is alright) but the win seems more likely at Wake. I'm not sure our defense is yet at the point that it can handle ND's offense, though I would love to be surprised.

I've played the role of cautious optimist through most of the recent threads, but if we do lose both games this weekend (definitely a possibility), I think 9-9 or 8-10 is the most likely scenario for our conference record. That's as panicky as I'll get for now...starting 0-5 on the road in the ACC is a steep hill to climb. Really hoping for some improvement in our ball movement, our defense, our overall play, and most of all the collective attitude.

[CDu]

The Deacs are led by a pair of sophomore studs in Collins and Crawford and a transfer sophomore Woods. They are both stars. Collins (6'10", 235lb soph) is the man in the middle for them. He averages 17 and 9 and is quite likely to make an All-ACC team this year. The only issue for him is fouls (3.1 per 24.8 minutes). But he will be a load inside. Crawford (6'3", 200lb soph) is a combo guard who runs the show. He averages 14.6 ppg, 5.9 apg, and 3.9 rpg and leads the team in minutes. Crawford is very strong and athletic, and he's made great improvements this year in taking over the playmaker duties (A/TO ratio over over 2 this year after being just over 1 last year). He isn't in the same category as Dennis Smith, Jr, but he is still really good. Woods (6'3", 205lb soph transfer from Charlotte) is more of the same - strong, athletic combo guard - but he is a better shooter (45% from 3). Woods and Crawford do the heavy lifting in terms of running the offense and shot creation. They'll be a handful.

Joining Collins inside is Mitoglou (6'10", 255lb junior from Greece). Mitoglou is kind of a poor man's, beefier version of Ryan Kelly. He can certainly bang inside, but he also likes to step away from the basket and shoot 3s. About half of his FG attempts come from beyond the arc, and he is a career 34% shooter from out there. Backing those two guys up is Doral Moore (7'1", 265lb soph). Moore is big and physical and makes his presence known, averaging 13 points, 12 rebounds, 4+ blocks, and 10 fouls per 40 minutes. If there is action to be had around the basket, he'll be involved when he is in there. The Deacs will also spend about 15 or so minutes going small at PF too.

On the wings, the Deacs start Austin Arians (6'6", 230lb grad transfer from Milwaukee). Arians is a pretty strong kid with a nice shooting touch (40% from 3, 90% from FT line). He doesn't contribute a lot besides his floor spacing though, averaging just 2 rebounds and 1 assist in his 24 mpg. Arians will play up a spot as needed when the Deacs go small. And Crawford and Woods are a bit interchangeable as PG or wing players. As needed, Greg McClinton (6'7", 200lb junior) can fill in for minutes here and there. McClinton is a nice barometer for Wake's improvement, as his minutes have declined each year as Wake has gotten better. McClinton rarely touches the ball on offense, and has no assists and just 20 FGA and 5 FTA in 140 minutes. He's kind of the definition of minutes-filler.

In terms of the guards, Woods and Crawford play the most minutes (30 mpg each) and share the lead guard duties. Behind them are a pair of littles. Wilbekin (6'2", 175lb junior and the brother of Scottie Wilbekin) is a shooter. He shoots 41% from 3 and 89% from the line. But he doesn't take many shots inside (about 2/3 of his FGA are 3s), doesn't shoot 2s well (27%), and thus doesn't get to the line much (about 1 FTA per game). Like Arians, he mainly provides floor spacing for Collins, Crawford, and Woods. In addition to Wilbekin, Childress (6'0", 190lb frosh and son of Randolph). Childress hasn't shown his dad's ability just yet. He shoots just 34% from the field. He can get to the line though, averaging about 5 FTA per 40 minutes.

Wake plays at roughly the same pace as Duke. They are sort of like a better version of NC State in that they are a good offensive team (#12 nationally in Pomeroy) and a bad defensive team (#128). Hopefully we show up focus and ready, because if we play with the same lack of discipline/focus as we did against NC State then we will likely lose. But at the same time, we have a clear talent advantage.

If Jefferson is playing, then I think one of the interesting matchups will be Arians trying to guard Tatum. Arians will be at a serious athletic disadvantage there. So hopefully this is a matchup that we can exploit successfully. I think that Allen/Jackson/Jones will spend as much time as possible on Woods and Crawford. Kennard will hopefully spend his time primarily on Wilbekin. Where things get interesting is how we decide to defend inside. Do we put Jefferson on Collins? Or will we go with Bolden and Giles on Collins and let Jefferson track Mitoglou?

[gofurman]

In the games that I saw none of their guards are in the class of CJ or Dennis. Two other guards that get a lot of play; Childress(son of Randolph) and Wilbekin. They are not quite as good as Crawford. One of the games that I saw, Crawford was in foul trouble throughout the game. As you say, Collins is a good front court player. However he had a terrible game against(you guest it) the Cheats. We'll need to bring our A game or we will probably leave Winston Salem with a loss. GoDuke!

Wake is good. They almost cameo back from down 16 or so to UNC. They beat State on the road etc. they are playing pretty well and Isee them being good next year - the big three of Collins, Crawford and Woods are all sophomore. They have a future that is looking better

[jv001]

The Deacs are led by a pair of sophomore studs in Collins and Crawford and a transfer sophomore Woods. They are both stars. Collins (6'10", 235lb soph) is the man in the middle for them. He averages 17 and 9 and is quite likely to make an All-ACC team this year. The only issue for him is fouls (3.1 per 24.8 minutes). But he will be a load inside. Crawford (6'3", 200lb soph) is a combo guard who runs the show. He averages 14.6 ppg, 5.9 apg, and 3.9 rpg and leads the team in minutes. Crawford is very strong and athletic, and he's made great improvements this year in taking over the playmaker duties (A/TO ratio over over 2 this year after being just over 1 last year). He isn't in the same category as Dennis Smith, Jr, but he is still really good. Woods (6'3", 205lb soph transfer from Charlotte) is more of the same - strong, athletic combo guard - but he is a better shooter (45% from 3). Woods and Crawford do the heavy lifting in terms of running the offense and shot creation. They'll be a handful.

Joining Collins inside is Mitoglou (6'10", 255lb junior from Greece). Mitoglou is kind of a poor man's, beefier version of Ryan Kelly. He can certainly bang inside, but he also likes to step away from the basket and shoot 3s. About half of his FG attempts come from beyond the arc, and he is a career 34% shooter from out there. Backing those two guys up is Doral Moore (7'1", 265lb soph). Moore is big and physical and makes his presence known, averaging 13 points, 12 rebounds, 4+ blocks, and 10 fouls per 40 minutes. If there is action to be had around the basket, he'll be involved when he is in there. The Deacs will also spend about 15 or so minutes going small at PF too.

On the wings, the Deacs start Austin Arians (6'6", 230lb grad transfer from Milwaukee). Arians is a pretty strong kid with a nice shooting touch (40% from 3, 90% from FT line). He doesn't contribute a lot besides his floor spacing though, averaging just 2 rebounds and 1 assist in his 24 mpg. Arians will play up a spot as needed when the Deacs go small. And Crawford and Woods are a bit interchangeable as PG or wing players. As needed, Greg McClinton (6'7", 200lb junior) can fill in for minutes here and there. McClinton is a nice barometer for Wake's improvement, as his minutes have declined each year as Wake has gotten better. McClinton rarely touches the ball on offense, and has no assists and just 20 FGA and 5 FTA in 140 minutes. He's kind of the definition of minutes-filler.

In terms of the guards, Woods and Crawford play the most minutes (30 mpg each) and share the lead guard duties. Behind them are a pair of littles. Wilbekin (6'2", 175lb junior and the brother of Scottie Wilbekin) is a shooter. He shoots 41% from 3 and 89% from the line. But he doesn't take many shots inside (about 2/3 of his FGA are 3s), doesn't shoot 2s well (27%), and thus doesn't get to the line much (about 1 FTA per game). Like Arians, he mainly provides floor spacing for Collins, Crawford, and Woods. In addition to Wilbekin, Childress (6'0", 190lb frosh and son of Randolph). Childress hasn't shown his dad's ability just yet. He shoots just 34% from the field. He can get to the line though, averaging about 5 FTA per 40 minutes.

Wake plays at roughly the same pace as Duke. They are sort of like a better version of NC State in that they are a good offensive team (#12 nationally in Pomeroy) and a bad defensive team (#128). Hopefully we show up focus and ready, because if we play with the same lack of discipline/focus as we did against NC State then we will likely lose. But at the same time, we have a clear talent advantage.

If Jefferson is playing, then I think one of the interesting matchups will be Arians trying to guard Tatum. Arians will be at a serious athletic disadvantage there. So hopefully this is a matchup that we can exploit successfully. I think that Allen/Jackson/Jones will spend as much time as possible on Woods and Crawford. Kennard will hopefully spend his time primarily on Wilbekin. Where things get interesting is how we decide to defend inside. Do we put Jefferson on Collins? Or will we go with Bolden and Giles on Collins and let Jefferson track Mitoglou?

I like Amile on Collins and not on Mitoglou because I don't want Amile that far away from the basket. We're going to need Amile to gather rebounds. But it is possible that Amile tracks Mitoglou because he can get the Wake crowd going with his 3 point shooting. Good write up on the Deacs. GoDuke!

[Spanarkel]

The Deacs are led by a pair of sophomore studs in Collins and Crawford and a transfer sophomore Woods. They are both stars. Collins (6'10", 235lb soph) is the man in the middle for them. He averages 17 and 9 and is quite likely to make an All-ACC team this year. The only issue for him is fouls (3.1 per 24.8 minutes). But he will be a load inside. Crawford (6'3", 200lb soph) is a combo guard who runs the show. He averages 14.6 ppg, 5.9 apg, and 3.9 rpg and leads the team in minutes. Crawford is very strong and athletic, and he's made great improvements this year in taking over the playmaker duties (A/TO ratio over over 2 this year after being just over 1 last year). He isn't in the same category as Dennis Smith, Jr, but he is still really good. Woods (6'3", 205lb soph transfer from Charlotte) is more of the same - strong, athletic combo guard - but he is a better shooter (45% from 3). Woods and Crawford do the heavy lifting in terms of running the offense and shot creation. They'll be a handful.

Joining Collins inside is Mitoglou (6'10", 255lb junior from Greece). Mitoglou is kind of a poor man's, beefier version of Ryan Kelly. He can certainly bang inside, but he also likes to step away from the basket and shoot 3s. About half of his FG attempts come from beyond the arc, and he is a career 34% shooter from out there. Backing those two guys up is Doral Moore (7'1", 265lb soph). Moore is big and physical and makes his presence known, averaging 13 points, 12 rebounds, 4+ blocks, and 10 fouls per 40 minutes. If there is action to be had around the basket, he'll be involved when he is in there. The Deacs will also spend about 15 or so minutes going small at PF too.

On the wings, the Deacs start Austin Arians (6'6", 230lb grad transfer from Milwaukee). Arians is a pretty strong kid with a nice shooting touch (40% from 3, 90% from FT line). He doesn't contribute a lot besides his floor spacing though, averaging just 2 rebounds and 1 assist in his 24 mpg. Arians will play up a spot as needed when the Deacs go small. And Crawford and Woods are a bit interchangeable as PG or wing players. As needed, Greg McClinton (6'7", 200lb junior) can fill in for minutes here and there. McClinton is a nice barometer for Wake's improvement, as his minutes have declined each year as Wake has gotten better. McClinton rarely touches the ball on offense, and has no assists and just 20 FGA and 5 FTA in 140 minutes. He's kind of the definition of minutes-filler.

In terms of the guards, Woods and Crawford play the most minutes (30 mpg each) and share the lead guard duties. Behind them are a pair of littles. Wilbekin (6'2", 175lb junior and the brother of Scottie Wilbekin) is a shooter. He shoots 41% from 3 and 89% from the line. But he doesn't take many shots inside (about 2/3 of his FGA are 3s), doesn't shoot 2s well (27%), and thus doesn't get to the line much (about 1 FTA per game). Like Arians, he mainly provides floor spacing for Collins, Crawford, and Woods. In addition to Wilbekin, Childress (6'0", 190lb frosh and son of Randolph). Childress hasn't shown his dad's ability just yet. He shoots just 34% from the field. He can get to the line though, averaging about 5 FTA per 40 minutes.

Wake plays at roughly the same pace as Duke. They are sort of like a better version of NC State in that they are a good offensive team (#12 nationally in Pomeroy) and a bad defensive team (#128). Hopefully we show up focus and ready, because if we play with the same lack of discipline/focus as we did against NC State then we will likely lose. But at the same time, we have a clear talent advantage.

If Jefferson is playing, then I think one of the interesting matchups will be Arians trying to guard Tatum. Arians will be at a serious athletic disadvantage there. So hopefully this is a matchup that we can exploit successfully. I think that Allen/Jackson/Jones will spend as much time as possible on Woods and Crawford. Kennard will hopefully spend his time primarily on Wilbekin. Where things get interesting is how we decide to defend inside. Do we put Jefferson on Collins? Or will we go with Bolden and Giles on Collins and let Jefferson track Mitoglou?

Appreciate the excellent summary. The Deacs shoot .767 on FTs(all top 7 guys in minutes are over .700). Go Duke!

[jv001]

One other thing Duke will have to watch for is the lob at the basket to any of: Collins 6'10", Mitoglou 6'10" and Moore 7'1". I've seen them do this 2 or 3 times in the games I've watched. I'm sure Coach Capel has shown the team video and they are aware of it, but the team still needs to execute on defense to stop those plays. This is going to be an interesting game. GoDuke!

[mattman91]

If we lose to Wake I will cut off all of my hair.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Do the guys get to wear Duke uniforms this game?
Love, Ima

[MrPoon]

Do the guys get to wear Duke uniforms this game?
Love, Ima

If they loose to Wake, I'm worried we'll show up to South Bend with the bunny suit Ralphie wore in A Christmas Story.