MBB: Duke 85, NDSU 62 Post-Game Thread (Rd of 64)

[rocketeli]

We only tried hard/played the starters for about 10 minutes, but it was enough.

[OldPhiKap]

Good game guys congrats on the win and good luck the rest of the way! Our guys gave it their all, just couldn't hit enough shots tonight to keep it a better game longer. Your boys looked a little rusty in that first half but total domination in the second. And Zion, what can you say the guy is a stud, at least you guys got to watch him for a year. Should have number 6 when it's over. Enjoy the ride!

Thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to hang around - we try to have reasonable discussions here...

-jk

I second -jk. Enjoyed your input, and we talk lots of hoops (with growing football). Please come by any time, you obviously know game.

Best of luck going forward, BF

[JBDuke]

Good game guys congrats on the win and good luck the rest of the way! Our guys gave it their all, just couldn't hit enough shots tonight to keep it a better game longer. Your boys looked a little rusty in that first half but total domination in the second. And Zion, what can you say the guy is a stud, at least you guys got to watch him for a year. Should have number 6 when it's over. Enjoy the ride!

What a solid team you guys have! Shahid is a serious player. With no seniors, you guys are gonna be the mid-major no one is gonna want to play next year.

[Saratoga2]

The only constant for the team tonight was defense, which seemed excellent while we had the regular rotation in.

I was surprised to see Bolden back for this one, but he played well and didn't seem to be limping. He got enough time to improve his conditioning without overstressing.

The team looked generally flat in the first half with only Zion looking like himself. RJ seemed very lackadaisical on offense and we did the usual poor 3 point shooting and Reddish tried to go into the rim for his out of control self. we had a lead at the half due to defense.

The second half was totally different with us scoring in every way. RJ get iinlooked energized, Zion was incredible and Cam got it going. We extended the lead so quickly ad coach K did the right thing by resting his starters and going with a full team of second stringers. Interesting to see that AOC became more aggressive with the starters out, taking more of the lead offensive option role. Too bad he missed the dunk but he did get 7 pretty efficiently.

Hope Cam's leg didn't get injured as he appeared to step on someone's foot.

Onward with a solid win and another lesson in starting the game with more energy.

[El_Diablo]

Hope Cam's leg didn't get injured as he appeared to step on someone's foot.

I thought it was a calf cramp? Apparently the trainer was using a roller on it.

[Steven43]

Thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to hang around - we try to have reasonable discussions here...

-jk

Speak for yourself, pal. By the way, UNC down by 2.

[Furniture]

Enjoyed the game. It was good to listen to the talking heads discussing Zion afterwards. Barkley is seriously impressed and Kenny is Fakeimpressed.

[CDu]

I thought it was a calf cramp? Apparently the trainer was using a roller on it.

Cramps is correct. He came back in the game a few minutes later shaking his legs out.

[weezie]

Watching the Duke presser, hits me again how young these men are. They admit to excitement and disbelief that they are finally there, at games they have thought about their whole lives.
They remember watching in middle school, just a few years ago.

Wow...just wow. They are all so dear! Stone cold dear sweet destroyers.

[bbosbbos]

Couch coaches, please watch vcu vs ucf game and bring us a scouting report. Thanks

[AGDukesky]

As bad as our 1st half was, it was still much better than both UVA and UNC...

[InSpades]

As bad as our 1st half was, it was still much better than both UVA and UNC...

8 points better than UVA. 9 points better than UNC.

The trio of ACC #1 seeds were a combined -5 in the 1st halves today. 2 of them came out in the 2nd half and played much much better... hopefully it stays at 2.

[weezie]

Couch coaches, please watch vcu vs ucf game and bring us a scouting report. Thanks

Pretty lame all around.

You're welcome.

[BandAlum83]

42% from 3

That’s a trend I would like to see continue for 5 more games.

[Furniture]

Capel is on TV. Half time discussion of the UNC game.

[Neals384]

Congratulations to Joey on his first 3 Duke points!

[devildeac]

8 points better than UVA. 9 points better than UNC.

The trio of ACC #1 seeds were a combined -5 in the 1st halves today. 2 of them came out in the 2nd half and played much much better... hopefully it stays at 2.

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad...

[dukelifer]

Cramps is correct. He came back in the game a few minutes later shaking his legs out.

Odd- I just got a calf cramp taking off my shoe tonight.

[UrinalCake]

Great to see Bolden back and moving well. He had a couple hook shots go in and out but played well overall. It can be tough for a big man to go against a smaller team but he held his own even defending on the perimeter.

Not much more to take from this one. ND State played hard and kept it close for a half. Our guys pretty much did what they do. Jordan was getting a lot of fun even in the first half, he seems to have taken the role of first guard off the bench.

[Kedsy]

ADVANCED STATS

Possessions: 71.4 (exactly one possession less than Duke's adjusted season average)

OFFENSE

oRtg: 1.19 (adjusted, that's 1.13, which is adequate but not good)
eFG%: 56.9% (good, not great)
3pt%: 42.1% (for this team, really good)
2pt%: 54.3% (okay)
%threes: 29.2% (third straight game at a low-ish percentage, which I think is good for this team)
FT rate: 26.1% (meh)
OR%: 22.2% (fairly dreadful)
TO%: 8.4% (absolutely fabulous)
a/to: 2.33:1 (ditto)
%assisted: 42.4%
fast break pts: 4 (4.7% of our points; also dreadful)


DEFENSE

dRtg: 0.87 (adjusted that's 0.84, our 5th sub-0.90 defensive performance in our last seven games)
eFG%: 43.1% (can't complain)
3pt%: 27.6% (good)
2pt%: 44.8% (also good)
%threes: 50.0% (I'm cool with this if they're shooting 28%)
FT rate: 24.1% (decent)
DR%: 83.3% (outstanding)
TO%: 18.2% (not bad)
a/to: 0.54:1
%assisted: 33.3%
fast break pts: 0 (0% of their points; literally can't get better than this)
block%: 12.1%; 24.1% of 2-point shots (big numbers against a small team)
steal%: 8.4% (not especially good)


Offense showed a lot of room for improvement, though we were fabulous at avoiding turnovers. Defense was outstanding in almost every area, after a slow start (we gave up 12 points in the first 10 possessions)