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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC area

    MBB: Duke v Cuse (Thu 3/14, 9:30 pm ET, ESPN/Raycom) Pre- and In-Game Thread

    Post your thoughts here!

    From awhom111:

    Here are the TV stations carrying the Raycom feed of the game:
    http://theacc.com/sports/2019/2/20/M...-2019-QF4.aspx

    The Raycom feed can be seen for free on this link with no geographical restrictions:
    http://www.theacc.com/watch/?id=161574

    Let's Go Duke! 9F

    -jk

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Cary, NC
    Can’t wait to see Zion back on the floor. We’ll still need to hit our threes and stay disciplined on offense, the zone can be frustrating. Kind of wild that in three matchups with Syracuse we won’t have faced them with our full roster once. Also, playing the last game of the day can be tough on the players mentally, but K will have them prepared.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Athens, GA
    Please, please someone state with near certainty that the chance of Buddy Boeheim going Bootsy Thornton on us is, if not zero, infinitesimally small.

    As Syracuse's NET ranking is 44 and it's almost certainly an at-large selection, the estimable ACC officiating crew will hopefully not be bending over backwards to favor the Orange.
    "Play and practice like you are trying to make the team." --Coach K

  4. #4
    Do we know if Battle is out?
       

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Athens, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by House G View Post
    Do we know if Battle is out?
    This is the "best" information I could find on Battle's status.

    https://www.syracuse.com/orangebaske...days-away.html
    "Play and practice like you are trying to make the team." --Coach K

  6. #6
    In place of Tyus Battle, Buddy Boeheim started, played 36 minutes, and scored 20 points in the win over Pitt.

    Syracuse plays a short rotation, so I expect to see the same basic lineup with Boeheim in for Battle. Frank Howard and Boeheim will be the starting backcourt with Elijah Hughes, Oshae Brissett, and Pascal Chukwu across the frontline. Marek Dolezaj will be the 6th man, subbing in for either Chukwu, Brissett, or Hughes. Freshman guard Jalen Carey, a borderline Top 50 recruit in the Class of 2018, will get a few spot minutes.

    Duke defeated Syracuse on a very emotional night about 3 weeks ago. Zion wasn't available and Jim Boeheim had just been involved in a fatal car crash the night after Syracuse defeated Louisville. Sans Battle, with Zion, this should be a big advantage for Duke. But the ACC Tournament is a wildcard. And Syracuse is never an easy matchup, especially for this Duke team. There are a lot of variables to consider in this one. I do hope that the team comes to the stadium focused and ready to play.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Quote Originally Posted by UrinalCake View Post
    Can’t wait to see Zion back on the floor. We’ll still need to hit our threes and stay disciplined on offense, the zone can be frustrating. Kind of wild that in three matchups with Syracuse we won’t have faced them with our full roster once. Also, playing the last game of the day can be tough on the players mentally, but K will have them prepared.
    This is one game where I don't think we'll need to hit our 3s, just avoid something ridiculously awful like going 2-28 from out there.

    What Duke "needs" to do is dominate Syracuse with our defense. Force turnovers and get easy baskets that way. I don't think it'll be surprising if, in Zion's first game back, things aren't clicking all that well with our halfcourt offense. Also, Boeheim is capable of morphing his zone* to pack it in at a comical level, which will force Zion to pass out. If our outside shot doesn't fall, it'll be ugly at times for sure, but we'll be okay as long as the defense is taking care of business on the other end and Duke gets our fair share of o-boards against the zone.

    * Typically Cuse extends the zone and defends 3-pointers very well. Think about how Duke last season defended the 3 so much better when Coach K went to Boeheim's zone.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Mechanicsburg, PA
    Boeheim is no replacement for Battle. Against a healthy Duke team, Syracuse would be lucky to score 50 without Battle. Not sure if tonight’s team qualifies as “healthy”, but with Zion giving 80% we should win pretty easily assuming no Battle...
       

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Troublemaker View Post
    This is one game where I don't think we'll need to hit our 3s, just avoid something ridiculously awful like going 2-28 from out there.

    What Duke "needs" to do is dominate Syracuse with our defense. Force turnovers and get easy baskets that way. I don't think it'll be surprising if, in Zion's first game back, things aren't clicking all that well with our halfcourt offense. Also, Boeheim is capable of morphing his zone* to pack it in at a comical level, which will force Zion to pass out. If our outside shot doesn't fall, it'll be ugly at times for sure, but we'll be okay as long as the defense is taking care of business on the other end and Duke gets our fair share of o-boards against the zone.

    * Typically Cuse extends the zone and defends 3-pointers very well. Think about how Duke last season defended the 3 so much better when Coach K went to Boeheim's zone.
    Like we started the game in Cameron - Duke was absolutely dominating Syracuse until Tre banged his shoulder. I would love to see that level of defense in this game.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by BullBlue View Post
    Like we started the game in Cameron - Duke was absolutely dominating Syracuse until Tre banged his shoulder. I would love to see that level of defense in this game.

    Anything official on Zion's status and availability for tonight vs. Cuse?

    GoDuke!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    NC

    Scouting Report (again mostly copied from the first two games)

    Basically, how stressful this game will be will depend on two players: Zion and Battle. It sounds like Zion will play, which is good. It would be nice if Battle does not. Even if he does, we'll have the edge. But that edge increases a lot if Battle can't go.

    The Orange play a very slow tempo (#267 nationally in pace). Defensively, there are really only two things that they don't do at an elite level (rebound and foul). They force a lot of turnovers, block a lot of shots, and force a lot of difficult/contested shots. Teams shoot poorly from 3 and poorly from 2. They are simply a terrific defensive team.

    Offensively, they are kind of the inverse: the only things they do well is draw fouls. They are an especially poor 3pt shooting team, although not quite as bad at it as we are. They have real struggles handling the ball, as they don't have a true PG and only a few guys capable off the dribble. When they play well, it's a pretty ugly game. But there are a wide range of outcomes possible for them, as evidenced by getting blown out by Ga Tech and FSU at home and @State but then blowing out Louisville.

    Centers: Paschal Chukwu (7'2", 228lb fifth-year senior) is the team's first option at center. Chukwu is a strong offensive rebounder and shotblocker as you might expect from his size. He's a decent defensive rebounder as well, and even picks up some steals. He's fairly raw offensively, though he isn't awful from the line. He draws a lot of fouls around the rim, primarily off of lobs and offensive rebounds. He's definitely a secondary offensive player, not unlike Christ Koumadje from FSU. But like Koumadje, if you lose track of him, he will dunk on you. Also like Koumadje, Chukwu is pretty foul prone, averaging 3.1 fouls per 18 mpg. Behind Chukwu is Bourama Sidibe (6'10", 205lb sophomore). Sidibe is basically a lesser version of Chukwu across the board. As noted, the team has started the last 3 games going small. This is perhaps in part because their two bigs average over 5 fouls in just under 30 mpg combined. But the duo does provide ~ rebounds and ~2 blocks in that time, which is pretty impressive given the pace Syracuse plays.

    Forwards: The forwards and wings have almost always been a strength of Syracuse teams. This is no exception. Oshae Brissett (6'8", 210lb sophomore from Canada) is the headliner. Brissett is a very strong rebounder but a streaky offensive player. He is capable of having a big night, but also capable of a real stinker. So far this season, it has been more of the latter than the former as he's shot poorly from both 3pt range and 2pt range. Still, given Syracuse's limitations offensively as a team, he'll get plenty of looks. Terrific athlete and certainly not lacking for confidence. Though if Williamson plays, we'll have the athletes to hopefully control him. Alongside Brissett as a co-headliner is (and sometimes a starter in a 3-forward lineup) is Elijah Hughes (6'6", 215lb junior transfer from ECU). Hughes has really stepped up in his first season playing with the Orange. He's a much-improved outside shooter and a terrific athlete. He's a capable 3pt shooter, but like everyone for Syracuse is inconsistent. He's a former football player, so he's extremely strong to go along with good quickness and hops. The third man in the forward rotation (and recently reinserted into the starting lineup) Marek Dolezaj (6'10", 180lb sophomore from Slovakia). Dolezaj is still a work in progress, but provides great length for them along the baseline. He's super skinny, and isn't a great rebounder or shotblocker. But he does get a fair amount of steals, and has pretty good shooting range. He's mostly a catch-and-shoot guy or a punish the closeout guy at this stage.

    Wings: Tyus Battle (6'6", 205lb junior) is the team's biggest star. If he is indeed out for tonight's game, that will be a huge loss for them. He's a super athlete with pretty good ballhandling skills and is not at all shy about taking the big shots. Battle has gotten a bit more efficient even as his 3pt shooting has continued to regress. He's learned to take it to the basket more and settle for 3s less often. That said, despite being a low-percentage shooter, he is a bit like RJ Barrett in that he can get hot and explode for big games from 3. He's the most dangerous player on the Orange, and will likely be playing in the NBA next year. He's also the only guy who can get offense out of nothing, which against a good defense like Duke is really important. Next is Buddy Boeheim (6'5", 190lb freshman). Boeheim is a decent outside shooter if left open. But he mainly plays a a depth fill-in for the Orange and really isn't ready to compete with the overall speed and physicality at the ACC level. And yes, he's the coach's son. Last in the rotation is Jalen Carey (6'3", 170lb freshman) is a backup combo guard for the Orange. He's an upper-tier recruit with terrific ballhandling skills and athleticism, but a very poor jumpshot. Carey can get to the rim and finish there though, but he's a liability from 3. Carey will share ballhandling duties with Battle when the Orange's PG is off the floor. Carey was a main rotation player earlier in the season, but has fallen out of favor as the season has gone on with multiple DNPs since the calendar turned.

    Guards: Frank Howard (6'5", 205lb senior) is the PG. Howard is a big strong kid and a decent passer at PG. But he's always struggled to shoot well consistently. He'll have a monster shooting game and then go ice cold. Last year he took a ton of shots mainly because the team couldn't shoot, and averaged over 14ppg as a result. He is shooting just 33% (career 32%) from 3 and taking most of his shots from deep as well. As you might expect from his shooting profile, he also doesn't draw fouls, as in the halfcourt he mainly defers to Battle and Brissett. His most value is on the defensive end, where his length can be a challenge.

    Basically, aside from Carey, everyone on the Orange is 6'5" or taller and with long arms. It's a team ideally suited to play zone, and they play it well. I hope Williamson is able to play to show off his ability to catch at the FT line and attack quickly from there. It will likely give Syracuse some fits. Barrett is effective in that role too. It is likely going to be a frustrating game offensively in the half court. The plus side is that hopefully it will be a frustrating game for them offensively as well, and we can emerge with a victory.

    I'd also like to see us force Syracuse into turnovers. Jones was a menace in the limited time that he played the first time around, and Syracuse is ripe for turnovers to be forced. Any easy-bucket chances we can get will be a plus.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC

    Forget Battle

    Quote Originally Posted by Spanarkel View Post
    This is the "best" information I could find on Battle's status.

    https://www.syracuse.com/orangebaske...days-away.html
    The more important question is Do we know Zion is in? For sure?
    DukeDevilDeb

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Winterville, NC
    As of an hour ago, Adam Zagoria via Twitter reporting Battle will not play but will be ready for NCAA Tournament.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    NC
    Quote Originally Posted by DukeDevilDeb View Post
    The more important question is Do we know Zion is in? For sure?
    Everything seems to suggest he's playing tonight. Nothing is definitive though.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    NC
    Quote Originally Posted by wgl1228 View Post
    As of an hour ago, Adam Zagoria via Twitter reporting Battle will not play but will be ready for NCAA Tournament.
    That would be a huge blow to their chances. He's really the only guy for the Orange who can create his own shot.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by GoDuke2015 View Post
    Anything official on Zion's status and availability for tonight vs. Cuse?

    GoDuke!
    The Duke Basketball account posted a pic in their instagram stories last night with a Zion gif in it above the ACC Tournament logo, I know they did something similar when Tre came back, so I would hope this is a good sign he plays tonight.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Quote Originally Posted by CDu View Post
    That would be a huge blow to their chances. He's really the only guy for the Orange who can create his own shot.
    Let's hope Duke doesn't underestimate Cuse then. And let's hope this means Zion only has to play 20-25 minutes.
    Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill

    President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Troublemaker View Post
    Also, Boeheim is capable of morphing his zone* to pack it in at a comical level, which will force Zion to pass out.
    I sure hope Zion doesn't pass out. Seeing him unconscious on the floor would raise our vigil thread to a whole new level.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, D.C.

    I guess

    Quote Originally Posted by Kedsy View Post
    I sure hope Zion doesn't pass out. Seeing him unconscious on the floor would raise our vigil thread to a whole new level.
    If he goes 15 for 15, the announcers will declare him unconscious.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Zion is back. Confirmed on Duke social media. Can't link to it right now.

    Let the games begin!

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