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  1. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    Quote Originally Posted by MChambers View Post
    Hate to discuss basketball in this thread, but Louisville's new coach, Chris Mack, uses the pack line defense, much like Tony Bennett. Louisville apparently does it a little differently, not doubling the post. Here's an article on the L'ville defense: https://www.courier-journal.com/stor...rs/2334054002/

    Also, who knew that Dino Gaudio is an assistant coach for the Cardinals? (Okay, I probably read this when he was hired and promptly forgot it.) https://247sports.com/college/louisv...ll--120967781/
    Quote Originally Posted by Native View Post
    Anybody else thinking what I'm thinking?

    Marques Bolden, come on dooooooown!
    I'd also like to see them not double Zion when we post him up.

    Does loovill still play the wack and hack type defense that FerryFor50 and I so much "loved" several years ago?
    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  2. #22
    Simply put

    The faster you go...the momentum you have 😎😎

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Cary, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by BandAlum83 View Post
    Since observing an event can affect the outcome, with all eyes on Zion with expectation of suspension of the laws of physics, plays like the threejection become not only more possible, but arguably more probable.
    Love that term for describing a blocked three. Hope it catches on!
       

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    NC

    Scouting Report

    Well, you may have thought we were done with the pack line defense for a while. If so, you would be wrong. Louisville's new coach, Chris Mack, has brought the pack line to Louisville. So we get to see it twice in 3 days. Yay! The Cardinals are sort of like a poor man's UVa in general. They play a slow tempo. They don't force turnovers. They don't block shots. They do well on the defensive glass. And they heavily contest 2pt shots. They don't do it as well as UVa, but they are still pretty good. It could be a frustrating game.

    On offense, they are also somewhat of a poor man's UVa. They shoot the 3 well. They don't get offensive rebounds. Overall it is a well-coach, pretty efficient team on both ends. That's not to say that they don't have clunkers now and then. Back to back stinkjobs versus RoMo and UK and ugly losses to Pitt and UNC illustrate that point. But it's a team capable of winning ugly as their wins over UNC and Michigan State suggest.

    Centers: Malik Williams (6'11", 215lb sophomore) is the starter, though he doesn't typically log heavy minutes. Williams is a very long and athletic big who blocks a lot of shots and rebounds really well. He's a good finisher near the rim and has decent shooting touch as well, quite capable of hitting an open 3. He's not the strongest guy around, but he plays hard nonetheless. Foul trouble can be a problem for him given his aggressiveness, and as such he has topped 25 minutes just once this season. Behind Williams is Steven Enoch (6'10", 250lb junior transfer from UConn). Enoch is a big, strong kid with good athleticism and physicality. He isn't nearly the shotblocker that Williams is, but he's a rugged rebounder and defender with a soft shooting touch as well. Enoch takes a lot of midrange jumpers, and hits them at a decent percentage (47%). He's also terrific at the FT line, though he doesn't get there much. Together, Williams and Enoch form a nice 1-2 punch at center, averaging 17.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 36.7 mpg. The emergency big is Akoy Agau (6'8", 235lb sixth-year senior from South Sudan via Louisville, Georgetown, and SMU). Agau proves you can indeed come home again. But he plays sparingly. It's a nice story as he has come back from numerous injuries/illnesses in his college odyssey. But he'll only see the floor if foul trouble forces it.

    Forwards: Jordan Nwora (6'8", 220lb sophomore) is the star of the Cards. Nwora didn't play a ton as a freshman, but he's really blossomed this year. He is a terrific scorer at all 3 levels. Not overly athletic, but incredibly skilled. He's capable of monster scoring nights but can also really go in the tank. Hopefully he isn't feeling it tomorrow night. Nwora is a solid positional defender but not overly versatile or athletic. He is a terrific defensive rebounder. Dwayne Sutton (6'5", 200lb fourth-year junior via UNC Ashville) is the other forward. Sutton is a high-motor, do-all-the-little-things player for the Cards. Sort of like a Justise Winslow type of player. At just 6'5", he can defend multiple positions with his strength, athleticism, and effort. He shoots well from 3, and rebounds very well for his size. He's a tough, tough kid who doesn't back down from any challenge. I would get he'll get first crack at Zion. It is a very strong duo that starts at forward for the Cards. They will play as long as their legs hold up. When needed, VJ King (6'6", 190lb junior) comes in. It has been an odd season for King, who was a starter last year and began the season as a main rotation player this year before slowly getting phased out. King is a terrific shooter and long and athletic player, so it's weird that he's steadily declined in production during his career at Louisville. He has talent, but for whatever reason that hasn't translated at all this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see him appear in this one, and he's dangerous if left open. But I really don't know what is going on there.

    Wings: If there is a liability on this Cardinals team, it's that they are very undersized on the wing. Mind you, that's a nitpicky comment when talking about a top-20 club. But if you didn't already notice the lack of size at the forward spot, you'll surely notice it here. The Cardinals start Khwan Fore (6'0", 175lb grad transfer from Richmond). Fore is a fire hydrant with terrific athleticism and energy. He's not a good shooter, but he's aggressive and fearless at attacking the basket. His size and relatively low skill level means he doesn't play a ton of minutes, but he is all-out when he's in there. Behind Fore is Ryan McMahon (6'0", 170lb junior). McMahon is on the floor to do one thing and one thing only: shoot. He shoots 94% from the FT line and 38% from 3. He cannot be left open. He doesn't bring really anything else to the floor, and only plays about half the game. But when he's in, he better be covered. One of the most dangerous catch-and-shoot guys in the conference.

    Guards: Christen Cunningham (6'2", 190lb grad transfer from Samford) is the guy running the show for Louisville. Cunningham is a smart, steady, pass-first PG who plays tough perimeter defense. He is also a good shooter, especially from the FT line. He was a terrific addition and ably steps in for the void Quentin Snider left last year. Cunningham is also good at attacking the rim and scoring inside with great efficiency as well. He's a very solid playmaker who is an extension of the coach on the floor. Behind Cunningham is Darius Perry (6'2", 170lb sophomore). Perry is really more of a combo guard, but he's the only real option for backup PG. He is a blur on the court, able to finish in traffic or hit the occasional 3. But he's not a natural PG. As such, Cunningham will play as much as he can, much like the forwards.

    The two big concerns Louisville has are a lack of depth and a lack of size. They aren't short on shooting, as nearly everyone who plays can shoot the 3. And they aren't lacking in athleticism for the most part either. They can turn the ball over, which will play to our strengths. But there is a good chance that they clog the lanes and dare us to shoot as well as we did against UVa to beat them. I think we win, but it could be a very ugly looking game whether we win or lose.

  5. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Indoor66 View Post
    Thank you ROD.
    That was the Twilight Zone. This is... The Outer Limits.. <squelch>

  6. #26
    I'm guessing we won't shoot as well, so I think the defense will have to come up big. And I think it will, hopefully in the form of forced turnovers and run-outs.
       

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    raleigh
    these guys rolled into chapel hill and hosed the heels...they're formidable ...

    if the team is still reading the press from saturday, they'll get handled...


    coaching staff will be working on this...
    "One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese

  8. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by robed deity View Post
    I'm guessing we won't shoot as well, so I think the defense will have to come up big. And I think it will, hopefully in the form of forced turnovers and run-outs.
    Agree with all of that.

    As for the shooting, it's interesting. Scheyer said that the guys are not bad three point shooters....that they are better than the 30% they've shown in 22 games. This was my assessment too....that this team could be a decent, though not great, 3 point shooting team...(instead of bad). The fact that K has allowed them to shoot a high volume in most games would seem to indicate this too.

    For the last 4 games, the team has shot 41.1%. That includes 2 really good games and 2 not so good games. By half, it includes 5 good or really good halves and 3 pretty bad halves (from memory). This includes no production from White, who I would think is due to come out of this slump at some point. So is this who we are now? I would like to think so, but 4 games is small sample still.

    Then there's the first two games, when we didn't know what to expect, and Duke shot 43%+ over those two games with very high volume of shots. I don't think anyone was talking about how Duke was shooting way over expectations at that point. K must have thought the team was capable of 40% when the season started.

    So all of this to say there are contradictory signals. Normally, I would say that 22-23 games pretty well defines who you are....which would mean a 30-32% team. But I've never been resigned to that.

    Ironically, it was RJ who I didn't think would improve much...his form and ball rotation (none at times...) is kind of like the Thomas Hill knuckleballs to me. Obviously RJ was terrific versus Virginia....I would love to think he's picking it up. Cam is picking it up. Zion is getting better. I think Jack will be back...and I think there's got to be a little bit of the inner Tyus as a shooter in Tre. He hit a big 3 versus UVA and the form was solid. So I am cautiously optimistic that this team can be something like a high 30s percentage team going forward....cautious the key word.

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Winston Salem, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by HereBeforeCoachK View Post
    Agree with all of that.

    As for the shooting, it's interesting. Scheyer said that the guys are not bad three point shooters...that they are better than the 30% they've shown in 22 games. This was my assessment too...that this team could be a decent, though not great, 3 point shooting team...(instead of bad). The fact that K has allowed them to shoot a high volume in most games would seem to indicate this too.

    For the last 4 games, the team has shot 41.1%. That includes 2 really good games and 2 not so good games. By half, it includes 5 good or really good halves and 3 pretty bad halves (from memory). This includes no production from White, who I would think is due to come out of this slump at some point. So is this who we are now? I would like to think so, but 4 games is small sample still.

    Then there's the first two games, when we didn't know what to expect, and Duke shot 43%+ over those two games with very high volume of shots. I don't think anyone was talking about how Duke was shooting way over expectations at that point. K must have thought the team was capable of 40% when the season started.

    So all of this to say there are contradictory signals. Normally, I would say that 22-23 games pretty well defines who you are...which would mean a 30-32% team. But I've never been resigned to that.

    Ironically, it was RJ who I didn't think would improve much...his form and ball rotation (none at times...) is kind of like the Thomas Hill knuckleballs to me. Obviously RJ was terrific versus Virginia...I would love to think he's picking it up. Cam is picking it up. Zion is getting better. I think Jack will be back...and I think there's got to be a little bit of the inner Tyus as a shooter in Tre. He hit a big 3 versus UVA and the form was solid. So I am cautiously optimistic that this team can be something like a high 30s percentage team going forward...cautious the key word.
    And it helps that we're not reliant on making 3s. Zion and RJ can get to the hoop and Cam is getting better at it as well. Then we have Marques who has improved a lot since the beginning of the season. Like you, I'm hoping Jack get's his confidence back with his three point shooting. GoDuke!

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by Troublemaker View Post
    This might be a bad omen for tomorrow night. If the fans can't stop celebrating the win at UVA (and a great win it was) to focus on Louisville, imagine if one actually participated in the win like our players did. Hopefully our guys show unusual maturity because Louisville is good enough to beat us at home even if we are focused. I'm nervous about this one because every time this season that I've run through Duke's ACC schedule, I always end up putting an 'L" beside this game. I was usually greedy and gave us a win @UVA, but I could never follow it up with a win @Lville, too. It just *feels* on a gut instinct level like we should split this pair of road games. Hopefully my gut is wrong.


    Moving from physics to biology. Maybe your gut needs more fiber (perhaps some reddishes).

  11. #31
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Hudson Valley, NY
    Quote Originally Posted by robed deity View Post
    I'm guessing we won't shoot as well, so I think the defense will have to come up big. And I think it will, hopefully in the form of forced turnovers and run-outs.
    Key for this game.

  12. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by Bluegrassdevil1 View Post
    Since the Yum opened in mid-2010, every national champion (save for last season's Nova team) has played at least one game there, so here's hoping that works in Duke's favor.
    This isn't true. 2012 Kentucky played Louisville at Rupp; 2017 UNC played Louisville at the Dean Dome; 2016 Villanova and 2018 Villanova didn't play Louisville at all (and while I'm pretty sure 2010 doesn't count, 2010 Duke didn't play Louisville either). So since the Yum Center opened, only four of the eight champions played at least one game there (50%).

  13. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by tteettimes View Post
    Simply put

    The faster you go...the momentum you have 😎😎
    Gee, the hurrier I go the behinder I get.
       

  14. #34
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    NC
    Quote Originally Posted by Kedsy View Post
    This isn't true. 2012 Kentucky played Louisville at Rupp; 2017 UNC played Louisville at the Dean Dome; 2016 Villanova and 2018 Villanova didn't play Louisville at all (and while I'm pretty sure 2010 doesn't count, 2010 Duke didn't play Louisville either). So since the Yum Center opened, only four of the eight champions played at least one game there (50%).
    You are omitting NCAA tourney games. The 2016 Nova squad went through Louisville, for example. Don't know about others.

    ETA: doesn't look like the 2012 UK or 2017 UNC team went through Louisville in the tournament, along with (as noted originally) the 2018 Nova team.

    EETA: whoops, looks like 2012 Kentucky played UALR at the Yum as a "neutral site" game. So, we're down to just 2017 UNC.
    Last edited by CDu; 02-11-2019 at 12:49 PM.

  15. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by CDu View Post
    You are omitting NCAA tourney games. The 2016 Nova squad went through Louisville, for example. Don't know about others.

    ETA: doesn't look like the 2012 UK or 2017 UNC team went through Louisville in the tournament, along with (as noted originally) the 2018 Nova team.

    EETA: whoops, looks like 2012 Kentucky played UALR at the Yum as a "neutral site" game. So, we're down to just 2017 UNC.
    OK, I apologize to Bluegrassdevil1. CDu is right that I only considered games in which Louisville participated.

  16. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by HereBeforeCoachK View Post
    Agree with all of that.

    As for the shooting, it's interesting. Scheyer said that the guys are not bad three point shooters...that they are better than the 30% they've shown in 22 games. This was my assessment too...that this team could be a decent, though not great, 3 point shooting team...(instead of bad). The fact that K has allowed them to shoot a high volume in most games would seem to indicate this too.

    For the last 4 games, the team has shot 41.1%. That includes 2 really good games and 2 not so good games. By half, it includes 5 good or really good halves and 3 pretty bad halves (from memory). This includes no production from White, who I would think is due to come out of this slump at some point. So is this who we are now? I would like to think so, but 4 games is small sample still.

    Then there's the first two games, when we didn't know what to expect, and Duke shot 43%+ over those two games with very high volume of shots. I don't think anyone was talking about how Duke was shooting way over expectations at that point. K must have thought the team was capable of 40% when the season started.

    So all of this to say there are contradictory signals. Normally, I would say that 22-23 games pretty well defines who you are...which would mean a 30-32% team. But I've never been resigned to that.

    Ironically, it was RJ who I didn't think would improve much...his form and ball rotation (none at times...) is kind of like the Thomas Hill knuckleballs to me. Obviously RJ was terrific versus Virginia...I would love to think he's picking it up. Cam is picking it up. Zion is getting better. I think Jack will be back...and I think there's got to be a little bit of the inner Tyus as a shooter in Tre. He hit a big 3 versus UVA and the form was solid. So I am cautiously optimistic that this team can be something like a high 30s percentage team going forward...cautious the key word.
    It is so odd having the #1 team in the nation in 3-point percentage in away games. Like, what is going on?

    Part of the explanation might be the coaching. Specifically, R.J. Barrett is stepping into his shot or taking set shots a lot more. I noticed in the UVA game that he would often pass to Tre, take a couple steps back and to the side for an open look, and then step into the three as Tre passed the ball back. Look at R.J. in this highlight package. He's not taking shots off the dribble anymore. Reddish is doing this, too, and it is starting to go in.


  17. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by HereBeforeCoachK View Post

    Ironically, it was RJ who I didn't think would improve much...his form and ball rotation (none at times...) is kind of like the Thomas Hill knuckleballs to me. Obviously RJ was terrific versus Virginia...I would love to think he's picking it up. Cam is picking it up. Zion is getting better. I think Jack will be back...and I think there's got to be a little bit of the inner Tyus as a shooter in Tre. He hit a big 3 versus UVA and the form was solid. So I am cautiously optimistic that this team can be something like a high 30s percentage team going forward...cautious the key word.
    since starting the season 1-11 from 3, Zion is shooting 12-32 (37.5%) from 3, and is at 30% on the season.
    30% for the season is ok, maybe good. But if he's a 37.5% shooter from 3 for the rest of the season, then that will bode very well for his and the team's success.

  18. #38
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Greenville, SC
    This is a trap game. But then any of the coming 5 games where the opponents don't have a light blue tint could be considered a trap game.

    A major challenge during this stretch is maintaining/regaining emotional intensity.

  19. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by camion View Post
    This is a trap game. But then any of the coming 5 games where the opponents don't have a light blue tint could be considered a trap game.

    A major challenge during this stretch is maintaining/regaining emotional intensity.
    The NC State game is a trap game. Duke won't be looking ahead to Saturday.

  20. #40
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by DavidBenAkiva View Post
    It is so odd having the #1 team in the nation in 3-point percentage in away games. Like, what is going on?
    maybe we should wear black at home
    1200. DDMF.

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