MBB: Duke 93, Cheaters 83 Post-Game Thread (ACCT Semis)

[duketaylor]

Just Sweet!!!!! and 9F9F9f!!!!!!!!

[MartyClark]

Great game. Duke showed lots of heart.

I'm not an X and O guy. Carolina was killing us in the paint in the first half. How did Duke adjust?

[FerryFor50]

I said in the ACC POY thread that Joel Berry is UNC's best player, not Justin Jackson. This game proved it when Berry went out with his 4th foul and with Jackson shooting 6-22.

I also said in chat that Nate Britt is my favorite UNC player, because when he's in, Duke makes a run. And that's just what happened.

Duke started out rough on defense in the first half - allowed 55% shooting, mostly in the paint. On offense, they kept fighting. UNC got double digit leads several times but Duke kept clawing back.

2nd half, the turning point was Berry getting #4 and Tatum throwing down the monster jam on Meeks, followed by the quick timeout. After that, UNC forced up bad shots and ignored the post. Duke just scored relentlessly. Grayson looked like himself - shooting and passing well. FJ made big shots. Luke came around after a rough first half. Amile had a rough night with some weak foul trouble against the physical UNC front line, but came up with a big swat on Pinson and Giles filled in great. And Tatum has been their best player for a while now. It's nice to see them starting to click all at the same time.

On the downside, Matt's looking a little lost lately - I think his finger injury is part of it, but he's been surpassed in minutes by the Allen/Kennard/Jackson combo. And if Bolden somehow figures it out between now and the NCAAs... look out! (doubtful)

And that FT shooting... I don't know what happened, but I mentioned it in the Louisville thread - Duke found its identity, and it's driving to the basket and drawing fouls. Two games in a row, they shot tons of FTs. This game? 89% from the line!

The good news is that I am already seeing the UNC ref complains pouring in. Like clockwork. Delicious Jordan tears.

[COYS]

K out-coached Roy. The way he handled Amile and Jayson's foul trouble compared with how Roy handled Joel Berry's was masterful. The way we switched up our D in the second half to take away the passes into the post was perfect. And the way K structures the offense to take advantage of our team's strengths is just incredible.

Oh, and looks really good when the players are healthy and execute the game plan.

We looked tired and dead in the water until the 3 min mark in the first half but the guys never kept fighting and K pushed all the right buttons. Wahoo! We have shown that maybe we still can become that dominant team we were hoping to see all season.

[OZ]

Been watching since my freshman year (1963) and I have NEVER been prouder of our TEAM! They may be the guttiest grittiest bunch EVER!

[Kjeffrey]

https://twitter.com/ICMeltdown

Good stuff. "Next year is going to be rough." Like how they are already complaining about next year.

[Tripping William]

51-34 in the second half. Amazing

[kAzE]

i was wrong, wrong, wrong!!! I was wrong about our energy level. I was wrong about ga.

And, boy am i glad...

I take my crow with texas pete.

these guys are just better than we are. I hate to say it.

i vehemently disagree. We are a better team, and we can still win this game. If grayson is healthy, we have the 3 of the 4 most talented players on the floor. We just need to change up the gameplan to get luke more involved, and do anything to even slow them down a little bit on defense. They shot like 80% and we're still within 7.

mmhmmm.

[hallcity]

Justin Jackson shot 6-23. Shot them right out of the game. Your player of the year.

[Edouble]

Great win! Coach K dropped Harry, Amile, and Jayson all at once and it rattled them.

Why was Berry on the bench with 6:30 left? Roy is awful.

A great win for Duke!!! Go Devils!!!!!

[91devil]

Duke played play well. The. Entire. Game.

UNC played. For. Twenty-five. Minutes.

Berry's fourth foul was obvious (despite Seth Greenberg's ridiculous comments). That changed the game, no doubt. But why doesn't SENIOR Nate Britt make a better effort to run the offense and get the ball to Meeks and Hicks inside (who were dominating, btw). So, so, so much like last year's first game in Chapel Hill. UNC offense stops doing what they do. And Duke takes advantage.

I like winning.

BTW, the Chat Room was ridiculous for first half. Come on, fans. Don't be such Debbie Downers. Cheer for your Team. Back Duke, or Back Off.

Let's Win Tomorrow!

@91devil mikedrop

[kAzE]

We can go all the way with this group. Just a matter of continuing to solidify our identity, and staying healthy. Tonight was the first game we played where I thought we were the team we were always supposed to be. This is just the beginning!!

[Edouble]

Justin Jackson shot 6-23. Shot them right out of the game. Your player of the year.

A nod to MJ? 6 rings for number 23?

The ceiling is indeed the roof!

[COYS]

Great game. Duke showed lots of heart.

I'm not an X and O guy. Carolina was killing us in the paint in the first half. How did Duke adjust?

Someone like troublemaker will probably answer this better than I could, but it looked like we started cheating an extra weak side defender into the lane to take away the passes that could lead to a quick post score. UNC never really adjusted or took advantage of the space we were leaving on the weak side and/or in the corner.

We also applied better ball pressure to prevent easy entry passes.

[UNCfan]

UNC executed well in the first half until the final 3 minutes. K speed up Britt when Berry was on the bench and you guys closed on a good run. Second half, you did the same thing. Britt dribbles the ball too much and no one stepped up to make shots. We went away from going inside. Britt just doesn't set players up well. Devastated. Wish I was on the other end of this, but I am not. Roy got out-coached and our players couldn't overcome the momentum Duke created while Berry was on the bench for 10 minutes. I think Roy needed to risk bringing him back to stop the run.

[dalmatians98]

Holy cow! I thought the Louisville game was something - and it was. But this game was just incredible.

Watching Greenberg postgame try to credit the officiating for the Duke win only to have Rece Davis shut him up was the cherry on top.

GO DUKE!

[JD for Three!]

A big key to this game was Amile's foul trouble. It made Giles have to step up and he did! Feel great for him because he looked like he was having a great time doing it

[BD80]

I'm hearing that the tarheels are so demoralized that they are considering self-imposing a postseason ban THIS YEAR!!!!

Great win!

[bluenorth]

Wow! This team is peaking at the right time. Just a great effort from start to finish. And I guess that the announcers don't get to see all of the replays - Greenberg was moaning about Berry's fourth foul being a phantom, while replays during the broadcast clearly showed him grabbing Jackson's wrist.

[CDu]

The ACC player of the year really stepped up for his team in that second half. 20 big points!

Wait, what?!? Are you telling me it was actually the guy who shot 6-22? The guy whose season numbers across the board (including all his shooting %s) are worse? That can't be right. Seriously?

That went from really not fun to really fun really quickly. This team has heart. And so many weapons.

I thought we had four of the five best players on the court tonight. Having a healthy and effective Allen coming off the bench is SUCH a weapon.

What a second half! Dominant. I am so happy.