MBB: Duke 83, Notre Dame 61 Post-Game Thread

[weezie]

Would Zion and any 4 of us be a top 25 team??

Very likely. I've always seen myself as a power forward. But I'm thinking the high fives from Z might knock me into next week.
Ouch!

[uh_no]

Would Zion and any 4 of us be a top 25 team??

I loved when the point guard tried to juke him, couldn’t, threw up a shot anyway, and got it swatted disdainfully. Amazing. But, Zion has about 3-5 rewind and rewatch plays every game.

yes.

So Our "worst" linup would be

buckmire
besser
Jrob
vrank
+
Zion

vrank is serviceable opposite zion. Jrob can hit 3's...the guard play would definitely be rough, but the presence of Zion would take a lot of pressure off. They wouldn't play great defense, but they would outscore enough teams to be in the top 25, imo.

[du_bb1]

curious--any other conference have a Coach playing against two former assistants ???

[Pghdukie]

Can you just imagine the recruits that would pledge to Duke if Zion said he was staying 1 more year ! Ouch !!

[uh_no]

curious--any other conference have a Coach playing against two former assistants ???

does any other coach have 2 former assistants in D1?

[-jk]

There are really no words for Zion. Some of those plays were just super-human. If there's a better college basketball player then I hope he ends up on our side. The post moves were quick, decisive and expertly finished. He had a beautiful assist to Jav. Like 3 ridiculous blocks. Gets every rebound that's anywhere near him. Hit a 3 and another jumper. He's just unreal. A joy to watch play basketball. 26 points on 12 shots. Just give him the PotY awards now.

He's awesome, but he'll get even better.

I want him to gamble just a little less on D; he gets way out of position when he comes up empty (albeit gets a really fun run out when he doesn't). I want him to get a slightly better handle on his drives, even though he's amazing at recovering the ball when he loses it inside. And I want him to get a second move to complement the usual spin-to-the-left (teams are starting to expect and plan for it), a move that starts from the same spot to keep them guessing and off balance - even if it's just spotting the open guy.

It'll happen so long as he doesn't get complacent, and he doesn't seem the complacent type. Give him half JJ's work ethic and he'll be a perpetual all-star. Some NBA team is gonna sell a bunch of tickets and jerseys...

-jk

[Billy Dat]

but then the meat of the schedule starts - at Virginia, at Louisville, vs NCSU, vs UNC, at Cuse, at Virginia Tech in 17 days in February. Talk about a gauntlet.

That is some gauntlet...I hadn't really looked ahead to that, but this is just the kind of team you want to take on that challenge. It certainly won't be easy.

There are really no words for Zion. Some of those plays were just super-human. If there's a better college basketball player then I hope he ends up on our side. The post moves were quick, decisive and expertly finished. He had a beautiful assist to Jav. Like 3 ridiculous blocks. Gets every rebound that's anywhere near him. Hit a 3 and another jumper. He's just unreal. A joy to watch play basketball. 26 points on 12 shots. Just give him the PotY awards now.

That one sequence where he defended the guard in space on the perimeter (can't remember who) and then rose to block and outside perimeter shot was insane. That is the kind of play no one but he (and maybe a handful of others, ever) ever makes.

[gocanes0506]

If Cam could become a 20 a night threat, this team could be really nasty. Cam looked really good when aggressive.

Really surprised that Zion didn’t receive a flagrant foul for the contact to the face. I know it was incidental.

I also found it hilarious about how excited the kid got from a Zion high five. He isn’t washing that hand for a while.

[CameronDuke]

does any other coach have 2 former assistants in D1?

Shaka Smart (head coach at Texas) had Will Wade, Mike Jones, and Mike Rhoades as assistants at VCU on the 2010-2011 VCU squad that made the final four. Wade now is the head coach at LSU, Jones at Radford (won at Notre Dame this year), and Rhoades at VCU.

[dukelifer]

Excellent win. Team played hard and took care of business on the road. Zion continues to amaze- just so good with the scoop. Tre played well- and shot the ball comfortably. I thought Bolden had some good moments is the first half. Cam is still not where he needs to be and Jack is not looking to shoot at all. If one can regain some consistency - Duke will be hard to stop. A little break before St. John’s.

[CameronDuke]

does any other coach have 2 former assistants in D1?

Smart also had Jeremy Ballard as an assistant at VCU as well as Mike Morrell. Ballard is currently the head coach at Florida International while Morrell is currently the head coach at UNC Asheville.

[CDu]

does any other coach have 2 former assistants in D1?

Roy Williams, John Calipari, and Herb Sendek. Probably a few others.

[MrPoon]

Bleacher Report had an article combing a bunch of twitter posts from knowledgeable people. It’s very funny the praise even the experts gush out. I’d link but it was on Apple News and I have no idea how.

Moving on from the game a little. I have yet to see one second of Tenn this year. ESPN tells me they are very good...Seth Greenberg especially. Kenpom says they sixth. My quick look says they have played a total of two ranked teams and are 1-1. True one was a win against #1 Gonzaga but put records aside and watch Duke play with its full roster and tell me this isn’t the best team in the country. I want to watch the game with the 52 Ap voters (48 for Tenn and 4 for UVa-explain that one to me) who picked against Duke this week. I want to watch them while they watch Duke. I want them to reach down and select Tenn or any other team after watching Zion smother NDs PG in a way Gary Payton would be impressed with and then block his shot...Then vote for Tenn, look me in the eye and say “this team is second best”.

[uh_no]

85 unadjusted. 80 adjusted.

The defense was spectacular in the first half. Even better since much of their "run" to cut it to 9 came with tre off the court.

[CameronDuke]

Roy Williams, John Calipari, and Herb Sendek. Probably a few others.

I forgot one - Anthony Grant (currently the head coach at Dayton) had John Brannen, Tony Pujol, and Allen Edwards on his staff at VCU in 06-07 (that VCU team beat Duke in 07 in the first round in Buffalo), 07-08, and 08-09. Brannen currently is the head coach at Northern Kentucky, Pujol at North Alabama, and Edwards at Wyoming.

[MrPoon]

Wait, what!??
Did anyone notice going into, I think it was halftime, ESPN showed a highlight of the bowl flipping performer?
According to the ND fan site, the weather stopped her from arriving. https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/1/2...mooney-barrett
Why would they show a recorded clip?

[mapei]

Red Panda. She's incredible.

[InSpades]

Wait, what!??
Did anyone notice going into, I think it was halftime, ESPN showed a highlight of the bowl flipping performer?
According to the ND fan site, the weather stopped her from arriving. https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/1/2...mooney-barrett
Why would they show a recorded clip?

Bilas made a point of talking about her and saying that she wasn't able to make it... I don't think they were trying to pull a fast one on anyone. I think he said he was going to do his 94 feet segment w/ her (though that may have been a joke).

[Utley]

No matter how much you watch Zion - you just can’t be ready for what you see next.

His play in the first ten minutes of the second half was superhuman. Only thing that comes close that I have seen with Jordan’s first few years in the NBA.

I am ready for him to go outside and blow the arctic air mass back to the pole.

Great to see Cam’s 10 point run - more hope that he gets it going.

Love seeing Marques at this level but it scares me that he’s not back next year either.

Just trying to savor every second of this ride.

[DukieInBrasil]

No matter how much you watch Zion - you just can’t be ready for what you see next.

His play in the first ten minutes of the second half was superhuman. Only thing that comes close that I have seen with Jordan’s first few years in the NBA.

I am ready for him to go outside and blow the arctic air mass back to the pole.

Great to see Cam’s 10 point run - more hope that he gets it going.

Love seeing Marques at this level but it scares me that he’s not back next year either.

Just trying to savor every second of this ride.

Don't rumor monger. There's no indication that Big 'Ques is going anywhere. A) his play is not at the level of getting drafted and B) He's getting enough playing time that a transfer seems highly unlikely. C) He's a Junior.