MBB: Duke 99, Utah Valley 69 Post-Game Thread

[Kedsy]

I agree with all of the above. In the first half when the game was competitive, Jordan G did not enter the game until after both Trevon and Grayson had two fouls. I don't think Jordan will play much after January 1. And despite a 30-point blowout, our five starters all played 30+ minutes (6th man Javin played only 11 minutes; nobody else got into double-figures). Jordan Tucker didn't play at all.

I also noticed while the game was competitive, Gary and Grayson rushed their shots a little under the pressure (and not surprisingly, during that stretch no other Duke players were particularly good from outside, either). The two of them combined for 1 for 6 on jumpers/threes until the lead was double-digits. After that they relaxed, slowed down, and started hitting them. Something to look for, anyway.

Defense was pretty good overall, except our defensive rebounding was disappointing (62.8% DR%) and the many cuts for lightly contested layups reminded me of recent seasons when we couldn't defend very well. I still think this team will ultimately be a strong defensive team, however. The fact that we blocked 16.7% of their 2-point shots is one reason I think it.

Jim Sumner says the 1998-99 team holds the Duke record for blocks, with 245 (6.28 per game). In two games so far, Duke has 10 blocks (5.0 per game), which suggests we may fall short of the record this year but we have a shot.

Jim Sumner also says our 1998-99 team is the Duke record holder for dunks in a season, with 199 (4.15 dunks per game). Though it's only two games, after 9 dunks tonight, Duke already has 16 dunks this season (8.0 per game), suggesting this record may be in jeopardy.

Also, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned (and if you have and I missed it, sorry) that Marvin has now double-doubled in his first two games at Duke, something I don't think any other Duke player has done. He's actually gone 24+ and 10+ in each of his first two games, something I know no Duke player has ever done.

We're averaging 77.15 possessions per game after two games, something which if it lasts all season would rank 5th in the last 32 seasons at Duke. We'll see if that keeps up once the more difficult games start.

[brlftz]

I would like to see a new stat for Marvin that deducts rebounds that are just him playing catch off the rim for his own shots. Deduct the extra shot attempts to compensate

[Kedsy]

I would like to see a new stat for Marvin that deducts rebounds that are just him playing catch off the rim for his own shots. Deduct the extra shot attempts to compensate

You kidding? Moses Malone made the Hall of Fame that way.

[Selover]

Even O'Connell's energy on the bench was fantastic. I think I'm really going to enjoy watching him at Duke. I know a lot of people aren't thrilled with the one and done era but I do think that the guys who come to Duke are all in.

Sidenote... There was a lot of dust getting into my eyes during Shane's speech and then obviously K's speech. Pretty lucky to be fans of the pair and the program as a whole!

[FerryFor50]

Out of the country, so I unfortunately missed the last two games, but this Utah Valley team only lost by 10 to #5 Kentucky.

[brlftz]

You kidding? Moses Malone made the Hall of Fame that way.

can't spork, so...upvote?

[WVDUKEFAN]

Man, this team.... wow. I guess we'll really find out Tuesday what they are capable of. I'm loving what I'm seeing so far.

[slower]

Even O'Connell's energy on the bench was fantastic. I think I'm really going to enjoy watching him at Duke.

O'Connell will be fun to watch (and has been a VERY pleasant surprise), but can we temper the Dunleavy comparisons? Dunleavy went 17/7 and was 1st-Team A-A. Of course, he went 9.1/4.3/1.7 as a freshman, so maybe it's not a COMPLETE stretch. But still - it's too soon.

[lotusland]

The combo of size/length and athleticism that this team has makes it so difficult for teams to run offense against us. We really shrink the court on D outrageously well. It's a snowball effect thing, too. Having multiple guys who can just wall up and affect a shot at the back end makes it so much easier for Duval/Allen/Trent to push up on their men, which lets the rest of the backcourt play the first passing lanes, which forces floated skip passes, which our length and athleticism make it likely we get hands on. And then this team is just going to destroy people in transition, with so many guys who can handle and finish. Our floor is just so high, because you really have to be able to do more on offense than 90% of college teams are able to do to deal with us. I'm looking forward to getting an idea of where our ceiling is on Tuesday, when we play against a team that actually CAN do enough on offense to handle what we bring defensively. But if you're a mid-level team hoping to pick us off on a random night in January (as has happened off and on over the past few years with some of our other inexperienced teams), this is not the team you're looking for.

Every team has a flaw. Lack of shooters and guard depth is ours. So far post scoring, rebounding and passing appear to be more than enough to compensate. Also they exposed another weakness with all the cutters but Duke countered with steals and shot blocks for easy scores. This team is a load. Duval, Bagley, Carter and Delaurier are going to catch the ball unguarded on the 3 point line a lot this year but, if they can hit in the neighborhood of 30% it will be almost a non-issue. Carter and Bagley are beasts. Those guys are going to get a lot of lobs and stick backs. JGold is adequate to spell Duval a couple minutes each half. It will be a luxury to have him around for 4 years. O’Connel is a more complete player than I expected as a Frosh. He can definitely contribute when Duke needs him. I doubt he becomes a key rotation player this year but I wouldn’t be surprised if he has some big games. Goldwire and O’Connell bode well for having some key upper-classmen in a few years and Tucker has plenty of time to come around too. I’m really glad Grayson got on track too. Duke needs him to be a consistent scorer and leader.

[MChambers]

You kidding? Moses Malone made the Hall of Fame that way.

Can’t argue with that!

[Wheat/"/"/"]

This is the most athletic Duke team I can recall, and I've seen a bunch of them.

After seeing the two early games...

There is really no real weakness anywhere on the court, just areas that can be improved...like shot selection and defense. And there's plenty of time for that.

They will overwhelm most teams with raw talent.

All that remains to be seen is how will the young guys handle a close game against a strong team before we can tell just how good they team can be.

[budwom]

For those (like me) making the mental transition from football to hoops after the West Point debacle, there is a potentially interesting game on TV at 3:30 today (ESPN). An experienced, solid mid major Vermont team
travels to Kentucky...KY is a 12 pt favorite (KenPom says 16)...but IF the Catamounts don't fall apart at the start vying with Kentucky's athleticism, they could make it interesting. They are a solid, well coached, experienced
team...probably more interesting than watching a slew of NFL players getting their weekly concussions.

[superdave]

This is the most athletic Duke team I can recall, and I've seen a bunch of them.

After seeing the two early games...

There is really no real weakness anywhere on the court, just areas that can be improved...like shot selection and defense. And there's plenty of time for that.

They will overwhelm most teams with raw talent.

All that remains to be seen is how will the young guys handle a close game against a strong team before we can tell just how good they team can be.

Maturity is going to be a big thing here, particularly at the point. If Duvall can keep the ball moving and keep us from playing too much one on one, they will have a dominant offense. Michigan State and UVA will be games that tell you how that plays out. Those are two of the best defensive teams we will see all year.

The 2015 team didnt really even start playing good defense until the NCAAT. So a team can really evolve and peak late.

[azzefkram]

Slow start but another good game. The starters D was good. I thought Wendell had a really good all around game. Trevon and Marvin continue to impress. Gary is going to singlehandedly take me out of the minutes contest. Grayson continues his impressive senior campaign. I was surprised to see Marques in there given what we heard. Alex brings a lot of energy when he is in there. UVU was a better team than I expected. MSU is going to be a much stiffer test.

[dukelifer]

This is the most athletic Duke team I can recall, and I've seen a bunch of them.

After seeing the two early games...

There is really no real weakness anywhere on the court, just areas that can be improved...like shot selection and defense. And there's plenty of time for that.

They will overwhelm most teams with raw talent.

All that remains to be seen is how will the young guys handle a close game against a strong team before we can tell just how good they team can be.

It just takes one off game in a tournament. Duke has a ton of talent - but experience helps a lot in close games. It will fun to watch these guys grow as a unit but right now they need to think of themselves as the hunter. There are many more experienced teams out there with top level talent- and that often wins in the end.

[CDu]

It just takes one off game in a tournament. Duke has a ton of talent - but experience helps a lot in close games. It will fun to watch these guys grow as a unit but right now they need to think of themselves as the hunter. There are many more experienced teams out there with top level talent- and that often wins in the end.

I will also add that the team's margin for health error is razor thin. If either Allen or Duval goes down, we are in real trouble. Not "will be a bad team" trouble, but "probably won't be able to compete for a title" trouble. We might very well have the best starting backcourt in the country, but the dropoff from the starters to their backups is huge. Keeping Allen and Duval on the floor for major minutes all season is going to be a big factor in how well this team does.

I'm not worried about our frontcourt. We have two studs in the starting lineup and two more than capable backups. We just don't have any clear answers behind Allen and Duval. So hopefully they stay healthy all season. If they do, this team has the chance to be special.

[rickshawboycall911]

I don't know how people can suggest Alex Oconnell is going to get LESS minutes come ACC time. To me is going to get more minutes.

We are going to need a lineup that provides that traditional Duke basketball spacing.
Allen
Trent
Oconnell
Carter
Bagly

Even a person with a small amount of basketball knowledge can see this...

[moonpie23]

Out of the country, so I unfortunately missed the last two games, but this Utah Valley team only lost by 10 to #5 Kentucky.

right, but according to the UK board, they wore them out for us....(no mention that we played a game the night before as well)

[dukelifer]

I will also add that the team's margin for health error is razor thin. If either Allen or Duval goes down, we are in real trouble. Not "will be a bad team" trouble, but "probably won't be able to compete for a title" trouble. We might very well have the best starting backcourt in the country, but the dropoff from the starters to their backups is huge. Keeping Allen and Duval on the floor for major minutes all season is going to be a big factor in how well this team does.

I'm not worried about our frontcourt. We have two studs in the starting lineup and two more than capable backups. We just don't have any clear answers behind Allen and Duval. So hopefully they stay healthy all season. If they do, this team has the chance to be special.

To win a title - we need those guys in the end. A mid season ankle tweak is manageable. Guard depth is key in college hoops and as you say- Duke's margin is razor thin.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

The guy that I have been most impressed with is the mature game that Gary Trent Jr. has shown as a freshman so far.

I think he's going to go a long way towards getting everyone else to take a step back and play with more composure. There is so much talent that sometimes they are trying to do a little too much. But, I understand they are excitable and it's early in the season, so I'm sure that will settle down.

This team has the potential to be scary good. Duke fans have every reason to be excited about the season.