MBB: Duke v Gonzaga (Wed Nov 21, 5 pm, ESPN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[OldPhiKap]

Chief pedant here. It's "Coeur" not "Couer." Mme. Walter from HS French sends her regards.

Thanks, you are correct and my bad. Senora Rodriquez hollers hola back (I took Spanish not French for better and worse).

Coeur d'Alene was the name given to the indigenous people by French-Canadian fur trappers and traders. It means, I believe, "Heart of an Awl" due to the toughness of their negotiating prowess.

To the best of my knowledge, they do not claim any relation to the Aztecs.

This should be a great game, and Gonzaga clearly can win. I like to see our team tested either way, and as long as no one gets hurt I am okay with whatever result we get. So long as the guys learn from the game and improve.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Gonzaga presents quite the test for this young and talented Duke team. This could be the first college basketball team with a chance to win 3 games against Top 10 teams during its first 10 games of the season... since Duke did it in November 2012 (Kentucky, Louisville, and Ohio State). Like that Louisville team Duke faced in the Bahamas, Gonzaga will be without its starting center. Killian Tillie, a 6'11" stretch center, is out for another month or so with an ankle injury. Tillie was absent from Gonzaga's loss to Florida State in the NCAA Tournament last year as well. The team seems more capable of playing through that absence than last March.


The backcourt combination of senior PG Josh Perkins and sophomore SG Zach Norvell, Jr. are talented and poised. Norvell might have NBA rotation player upside whereas Perkins could be described as "steady." Both are good shooters, although neither have been scorching the nets from distance so far this season. Playing a third game in three days is not often a way to break out from distance. Still, either could cause a problem if left alone. Perkins has been a little turnover prone this year. Tre Jones will once again have quite a challenge ahead of himself. He won the matchup against Jared Harper for about 34 minutes yesterday, which was enough to help the team come out on top.


The real headliner for the Bulldogs is forward Rui Hachimura. The Japanese junior is a legitimate NBA Lottery prospect and would be the first Japanese player to ever be drafted in the lottery. He had some struggles with the language and culture during his freshman year and appears to be breaking out during his third season in Spokane. He seems to be one of those kids that didn't realize how good he was. That seems to have changed. The kid is taking over. He has athleticism to matchup with nearly any of Duke's trio of Barrett, Reddish, and Williamson. He is not a shooter at this point in his career, having taken only seven shots from deep this season to date, connecting on three. He is quite good in the midrange and at the rim.

Another frontcourt stud is the San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke. The 6'8" forward is the nominal center until Killie returns. He is also the shot blocker on the team, averaging 3.6 per game on the season. He is having his best year in the sport and right at the time that Gonzaga needs him. The other starter is Corey Kispert. He is the weakest of the five starters, a 6'6" sophomore forward known more for his shooting than anything else. His shooting has been so-so so far, connecting on 30% of his 5 3-point attempts on the young season. He is more ideally suited at this stage of his career to coming off the bench. In light of the Tillie injury, he is getting significant minutes so far.


Gonzaga plays a pretty up-tempo style of play. You wonder how that will hold up on the third after two surprisingly close games against inferior opponents. Illinois was close the entire game and Arizona had a good lead at halftime. Will the short rotation and tired legs affect their shooting? Perkins is shooting 50% from 3 in Maui so far, but Norvell and Kispert have not found their shots yet.


The other three players in the 8-man rotation include senior backup PG Geno Crandall, senior forward Jeremy Jones, and freshman big man Filip Petrusev. The latter was a teammate of R.J. Barrett at Montverde Academy. Petrusev is the most talented of the group but probably a year or two away from really asserting himself against high-major opponents in college. Duke will have a size advantage at almost every position. And the team lacks secondary playmakers besides Perkins and Hachimura. If Tre Jones can keep Perkins in front of him, the open 3's will be difficult for the Zags to find. I am intrigued to see who matches up against Hachimura. He has the size, explosiveness, and talent to match any of Duke's wings. When Duke has the ball, though, will Norvell and Kispert be able to check their man? And can Bolden translate his breakout game against Auburn to this game? Gonzaga doesn't present the quickness and moxie of Jared Harper of Auburn, and Bolden did quite well against him when he was switched onto the point guard. Perkins and Norvell are slower and less explosive than Harper. When shots aren't falling due to tired legs, protecting the rim and securing rebounds will be key. This Gonzaga team, while not at 100%, presents a tough matchup for Duke with as many as 5 shooters on the floor at once. Here's hoping we can knock off yet another Top 10 team. Let's Go Duke!

[camion]

Chief pedant here. It's "Coeur" not "Couer." Mme. Walter from HS French sends her regards.

That's getting to the heart of the matter.

[OldPhiKap]

Gonzaga presents quite the test for this young and talented Duke team. This could be the first college basketball team with a chance to win 3 games against Top 10 teams during its first 10 games of the season... since Duke did it in November 2012 (Kentucky, Louisville, and Ohio State). Like that Louisville team Duke faced in the Bahamas, Gonzaga will be without its starting center. Killian Tillie, a 6'11" stretch center, is out for another month or so with an ankle injury. Tillie was absent from Gonzaga's loss to Florida State in the NCAA Tournament last year as well. The team seems more capable of playing through that absence than last March.


The backcourt combination of senior PG Josh Perkins and sophomore SG Zach Norvell, Jr. are talented and poised. Norvell might have NBA rotation player upside whereas Perkins could be described as "steady." Both are good shooters, although neither have been scorching the nets from distance so far this season. Playing a third game in three days is not often a way to break out from distance. Still, either could cause a problem if left alone. Perkins has been a little turnover prone this year. Tre Jones will once again have quite a challenge ahead of himself. He won the matchup against Jared Harper for about 34 minutes yesterday, which was enough to help the team come out on top.


The real headliner for the Bulldogs is forward Rui Hachimura. The Japanese junior is a legitimate NBA Lottery prospect and would be the first Japanese player to ever be drafted in the lottery. He had some struggles with the language and culture during his freshman year and appears to be breaking out during his third season in Spokane. He seems to be one of those kids that didn't realize how good he was. That seems to have changed. The kid is taking over. He has athleticism to matchup with nearly any of Duke's trio of Barrett, Reddish, and Williamson. He is not a shooter at this point in his career, having taken only seven shots from deep this season to date, connecting on three. He is quite good in the midrange and at the rim.

Another frontcourt stud is the San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke. The 6'8" forward is the nominal center until Killie returns. He is also the shot blocker on the team, averaging 3.6 per game on the season. He is having his best year in the sport and right at the time that Gonzaga needs him. The other starter is Corey Kispert. He is the weakest of the five starters, a 6'6" sophomore forward known more for his shooting than anything else. His shooting has been so-so so far, connecting on 30% of his 5 3-point attempts on the young season. He is more ideally suited at this stage of his career to coming off the bench. In light of the Tillie injury, he is getting significant minutes so far.


Gonzaga plays a pretty up-tempo style of play. You wonder how that will hold up on the third after two surprisingly close games against inferior opponents. Illinois was close the entire game and Arizona had a good lead at halftime. Will the short rotation and tired legs affect their shooting? Perkins is shooting 50% from 3 in Maui so far, but Norvell and Kispert have not found their shots yet.


The other three players in the 8-man rotation include senior backup PG Geno Crandall, senior forward Jeremy Jones, and freshman big man Filip Petrusev. The latter was a teammate of R.J. Barrett at Montverde Academy. Petrusev is the most talented of the group but probably a year or two away from really asserting himself against high-major opponents in college. Duke will have a size advantage at almost every position. And the team lacks secondary playmakers besides Perkins and Hachimura. If Tre Jones can keep Perkins in front of him, the open 3's will be difficult for the Zags to find. I am intrigued to see who matches up against Hachimura. He has the size, explosiveness, and talent to match any of Duke's wings. When Duke has the ball, though, will Norvell and Kispert be able to check their man? And can Bolden translate his breakout game against Auburn to this game? Gonzaga doesn't present the quickness and moxie of Jared Harper of Auburn, and Bolden did quite well against him when he was switched onto the point guard. Perkins and Norvell are slower and less explosive than Harper. When shots aren't falling due to tired legs, protecting the rim and securing rebounds will be key. This Gonzaga team, while not at 100%, presents a tough matchup for Duke with as many as 5 shooters on the floor at once. Here's hoping we can knock off yet another Top 10 team. Let's Go Duke!

Excellent breakdown, thanks!

[thedukelamere]

Giglio is just be-clowning himself lately. I get that you want a team of frosh to prove themselves...and that all that youth will run into some rough spots - but it takes a brain dead idiot not to know there's something "different" about this team. Every sports journalist in the nation, except Giglio, sees this. I feel better about this team now than I ever did last year...or heck, better than any team since 92 frankly. We'll see how that plays out...should be a helluva ride.

Of course, the media in 49 states realized what rock stars the 91-92 Duke team was. The only group that missed it were the cHeat grads dominating NC sports media.

Plus even if we are able to get the W tonight, Giglio will nonetheless fall back on the "yeah, but if Tilie was healthy and playing..." garbage.

[Pghdukie]

Duke opens as a 4.5 favorite.

[arnie]

Plus even if we are able to get the W tonight, Giglio will nonetheless fall back on the "yeah, but if Tilie was healthy and playing..." garbage.

Yea and if Cheats and 16-1 beat Texas/Middle of somewhere in Tennessee, he’s got the fallback position that those wins were more impressive. He could do that simply to excite his audience.

[DukeDevil]

Well if Duke wins - they will have run a pretty impressive early gauntlet of KY, Auburn and Gonzaga. Certainly not as impressive as Wofford, Tenn Tech and St Francis, but still.

But...but...the road games!!!

[UrinalCake]

connecting on 30% of his 5 3-point attempts on the young season.

Huh?!?

[TruBlu]

Which makes me wonder: Is Bill Walton calling tonight's game?

While he was calling a consolation game yesterday, Bill asked his sidekick (forgot his name, and don’t care) which games they were calling today. The sidekick said they had the late game. Here’s hoping that we are spared having to listen to Bill’s ramblings.

[OldPhiKap]

Duke opens as a 4.5 favorite.

Sounds about right. Not far from a toss-up.

I like to see this young team tested. This should be a supreme one. And thee Zags showed that they can come back from a deficit if needed.


LGD!!!

[mattman91]

While he was calling a consolation game yesterday, Bill asked his sidekick (forgot his name, and don’t care) which games they were calling today. The sidekick said they had the late game. Here’s hoping that we are spared having to listen to Bill’s ramblings.

I'd rather listen to Bill than Jay.

[Tripping William]

While he was calling a consolation game yesterday, Bill asked his sidekick (forgot his name, and don’t care) which games they were calling today. The sidekick said they had the late game. Here’s hoping that we are spared having to listen to Bill’s ramblings.

Aww, man! I was looking forward to his musings about lilacs and French spelling and the canine problem in Spokane and the like . . . .

[mattman91]

I'd rather listen to Bill than Jay.

Actually, mute sounds like the best option.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Huh?!?

Meant to write that he is hitting about 30% of his 5 attempts per game. Sorry about that.

[thedukelamere]

I'd rather listen to Bill than Jay.

I wouldn't want to do it for a complete season, but seeing as though it's the 3rd game in 3 days I wouldn't mind Bill over Jay this evening... I mean how many times can we possibly hear some semblance of, "Well, if (insert RJ/Zion/Cam) is going to (insert shoot/pass/dunk/defend) like that, then what can you even do?"

[hallcity]

I like Duke's chances.

@DukeMBBStats
12h12 hours ago

Duke's record under Coach K when both teams are ranked improved to 210-117.

In games when both teams are ranked in the Top 10, Duke is now under Coach K 81-57.

#DukeMBBStats

[CDu]

Copied over from the Phase I thread:

The Zags are coming off a bittersweet season in which they were upset in the Sweet-16 by FSU. They return a very talented, experienced team that has added a few new faces to the mix. They are extremely well-coached and effective on both ends of the floor. It's an impressive group that Few has put together this year, although we won't see it at full-strength in Maui (more on that later). If they were healthy, I'd basically guarantee they'd reach the final considering their bracket. Even still, I'd be shocked if they don't make it to the championship game. They're really good.

Centers: Gonzaga doesn't play a true center in their starting lineup. They don't really even have one on the roster at all. They will have a quartet of very talented PFs though that will share time against opposing centers as needed.

Forwards: The star of the forward group is Rui Hachimura (6'8", 230lb junior from Japan). Hachimura is a talented low-block scorer with range and versatility, although his 3pt shot needs work. But he's absolutely dynamic inside the arc, and Gonzaga will rely heavily on him for scoring. Especially since their other veteran star Killian Tillie (6'10" 220lb junior from France) is out for several weeks. Tillie is the yin to Hachimura's yang, providing a fabulous threat from 3pt range (nearly 48% career from outside the arc). The two will be a terrific one-two punch for Gonzaga once Tillie returns, and their size and versatility allow Gonzaga to compete with the big boys. In Tillie's place is Brandon Clarke (6'8", 230lb junior transfer from San Diego St, coincidentally enough). Clarke is a high-energy, highly-athletic forward who does al the dirty work. He will lead the team in rebounds, blocks, and probably dunks this year. He's not nearly as skilled as the other two forwards, but he's a dynamo athletically and a high-effort player that gets results through hard work. The third in the foreign triumvirate of Bulldog forwards is Filip Petrusev (6'11", 225lb frosh from Serbia). Petrusev is sort of a less polished version of Tillie, quite capable of hitting the three.

Wings: The Bulldogs are really strong at the starting wing spots with Zach Norvell, Jr (6'5", 205lb soph) and Corey Kispert (6'6", 215lb soph). Norvell, Jr is the NBA prospect, a complete weapon as a wing scorer. Strong, athletic, a good shooter, and extremely confident, he's a dynamic scorer who will be unlikely to stay four years. Norvell is also a strong rebounder for a guard/wing. There isn't much this guy can't do well. Kispert is sort of a poor man's Kyle Singler: smart, rugged, high-IQ player that gets the most out of his athletic ability. He isn't nearly as talented as Singler was obviously, but that's kind of the image I have of him. A hard player not to like if he's on your team. Good role player with a good 3pt shot. Rounding out the wings is Jeremy Jones (6'5", 205lb senior transfer from Rice). Jones is a true role player whose job is to provide energy and defense, and he provides little if anything offensively. He'll play sparingly and only in case of emergency, as the Zags can role out any combination of their wings, forwards, and combo guards instead.

Guards: Josh Perkins (6'3", 190lb redshirt senior) is the team captain and leader. He has been a steady player seemingly since day one in Spokane, though in more of a supporting role in previous years. Last year, he stepped into the spotlight a bit more, and continued his solid though unspectacular play. This year, he's off to a good start everywhere but 3pt range, though I expect that to come around as he's been roughly a 40% 3pt shooter most of his career. He'll play 30+ minutes and run the show for the Zags, and he's one of the better PGs in all of college basketball. He won't wow you in any phase of the game, but his size, strength, and skills are evident in totality. Just a solid, talented veteran PG. And as a bonus, he's quite capable of playing off the ball as well. Behind him is Geno Crandall (6'3", 175lb grad transfer from North Dakota). Crandall was a star at UND, as a lead guard he impressed enough to get a spot on the Zags. He's a great change of pace for Perkins, and the Zags don't really miss a beat whenever Perkins needs to sit, or when they want to give Perkins a break from running the offense.

[hallcity]

And there's this:

#DukeMBBStats
‏ @DukeMBBStats
4m4 minutes ago

Tonight’s game between 1 Duke and 3 Gonzaga will be the 12th in AP poll history involving top-3 teams in November.

Duke has been in 4, most in poll history:

11/17/79: 3 Duke 82, 2 UK 76
11/26/97: 3 Duke 95, 1 Zona 87
11/29/11: 2 OSU 85, 3 Duke 63
11/14/17: 1 Duke 88, 2 MSU 81

[Billy Dat]

The betting line is moving like crazy, it almost doubled since it opened and now sits at Duke -7.5.