MBB: Duke v BC (Tue 2/4, 7:00 pm, ESPN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[DavidBenAkiva]

Here's what I wrote last time about BC:

In the midst of his 6th season as Eagles head coach, Jim Christian has turned BC from bottom dweller to competitive in the ACC. Christian has yet to accumulate a winning record in conference but is 2-0 so far on the young season with tight victories at home against Wake Forest and on the road against Notre Dame.

The Eagles feature a few familiar faces. First and foremost, Duke fans will recognize senior grad transfer Derryck Thornton, the former Blue Devil. After a promising freshman season in Durham, Thornton transferred to USC and never really showed much. He started most games as a red-shirt junior but never put up gaudy numbers. He is now leading the Eagles in scoring and assists, but is sporting a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio and is shooting under 30% from 3 on the season. On the plus side, the ball is in his hands a lot this year as he is averaging a team-high 12 field goal attempts per game.

The Eagles do not do much well on offense. They rank outside the top 200 in offensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage, turnover percentage, and offensive rebounding. They are just inside that top 200 in free throw rate and do an ok job of getting to the line on a variety of drives to the hoop. BC is sort of nondescript on defense as well with the exception of steal percentage. They have a number of players that will strip the ball out of the hands of the offense, including 6'8" JR F Steffon Mitchell. Mitchell shares playmaking responsibilities with Thornton and is a frequent passer. He also turns the ball over a ton, so defensive pressure will be key.

Health is a bit of an issue for BC this year. They are without Wyston Tabbs, the SO G that had a quietly great freshman season. Tabbs is out for the year with an injury. He was expected to pair with Thornton in the backcourt this season, which would have made the Eagles a borderline dark horse NCAA Tournament team. Instead, BC is relying on 6'3" FR G Jay Heath, to provide some scoring. Heath has been pretty good, shooting 39.0% from 3 and is 2nd on the team with 12.3 points per game. SR F Nic Popovic is another guy that can stretch the floor, but he has been out of commission since BC lost to Northwestern in the ACC-B1G challenge. In lieu of Popovic, Jim Christian has relied on a variety of 6'8" forwards, including the aforementioned Mitchell and SO F Jarius Hamilton. Hamilton's older brother Jared is a 6'4" SR G on the team. Both Mitchell and Jarius Hamilton would be described as combo forwards or stretch 4's (without much stretching as both are shooting under 30% from 3 on the season) rather than post players. They are going to have their hands full with Carey and Hurt on defense. The Eagles may also throw 6'7" FR F CJ Felder at Duke in the post if Popvic remains sidelined.

Given the way Coach K described Tre Jones' foot sprain, I expect to see the PG return for Duke. The battle of Duke once and future PG should be interesting as both like to apply pressure and hang their hat on defense. Even if Tre Jones is unable to go, expect to see a game plan that forces BC into bad passes and makes this an up-and-down affair. In the half court, Duke will look to establish Vernon Carey early and often. BC may throw a zone out at Duke to cope with their height deficiency and to pressure the Blue Devils to convert from behind the arc. BC is not a particularly good offensive rebounding squad, so getting those missed shots will be a big key for Duke. T-Rank has Duke as a heavy favorite in this one and I hope that the year/decade ends on a high (and healthy) note. Let's Go Duke!

Since writing this, one thing has changed for BC. Well, a couple things. BC got blown out on December 31st by Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Eagles also returned big man Nic Popovic to the lineup. His return in the past 4 games has coincided with the Eagles playing much better. Just 2-2 overall, those losses include a tight one at Pitt and a 17-point loss at home to Louisville. They won games against Virginia Tech and on Saturday against North Carolina. Popovic hasn't scored a ton since he returned, but the team is scoring the ball a lot better with him in the lineup.

The first Duke-BC game included a 25-point performance from Matthew Hurt and an even attack in which Wendell Moore was the only other double-digit scorer. Carey had one of his least productive games against BC, scoring just 9 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots in just 20 minutes of play. BC was woefully undersized at the time, something Popovic can help with when he is on the court.

If Duke comes out focused and not paying too much attention to the opponent on Saturday night, the defense should be able to keep BC in check. A resurgent Vernon Carey, Jr., fresh off a pair of 26-point performances, looms large in the rematch. Will a healthy Duke team be able to clip BC's wings in Boston?

[gofurman]

Here's what I wrote last time about BC:



Since writing this, one thing has changed for BC. Well, a couple things. BC got blown out on December 31st by Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Eagles also returned big man Nic Popovic to the lineup. His return in the past 4 games has coincided with the Eagles playing much better. Just 2-2 overall, those losses include a tight one at Pitt and a 17-point loss at home to Louisville. They won games against Virginia Tech and on Saturday against North Carolina. Popovic hasn't scored a ton since he returned, but the team is scoring the ball a lot better with him in the lineup.

The first Duke-BC game included a 25-point performance from Matthew Hurt and an even attack in which Wendell Moore was the only other double-digit scorer. Carey had one of his least productive games against BC, scoring just 9 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots in just 20 minutes of play. BC was woefully undersized at the time, something Popovic can help with when he is on the court.

If Duke comes out focused and not paying too much attention to the opponent on Saturday night, the defense should be able to keep BC in check. A resurgent Vernon Carey, Jr., fresh off a pair of 26-point performances, looms large in the rematch. Will a healthy Duke team be able to clip BC's wings in Boston?

Overlook No One - yes, Popovich makes them better and it is on the road after a tough syracuse out.. and you have the always DANGEROUS 'overlook' factor with UNC loomin'.

[roywhite]

Did the team return to campus after the Saturday evening game vs Syracuse?

I suspect so, but the travel would have been easier to spend Saturday night in Syracuse, and head to Boston Sunday.

[CDu]

Did the team return to campus after the Saturday evening game vs Syracuse?

I suspect so, but the travel would have been easier to spend Saturday night in Syracuse, and head to Boston Sunday.

Someone on DBR mentioned that the team stayed in the Northeast. Not sure if that is true, but agree it would make a lot more sense.

[budwom]

Someone on DBR mentioned that the team stayed in the Northeast. Not sure if that is true, but agree it would make a lot more sense.

I've had them in my basement for the past 36 hours, and man, can those guys eat! The perils of being between Syracuse and Boston are now obvious!

[devildeac]

I've had them in my basement for the past 36 hours, and man, can those guys eat! The perils of being between Syracuse and Boston are now obvious!

Great, now the ncaa can investigate us for improper benefits...

[azzefkram]

Great, now the ncaa can investigate us for improper benefits...

budworm will just have some undergrads stay over and everything will be okey-dokey.

[roywhite]

I've had them in my basement for the past 36 hours, and man, can those guys eat! The perils of being between Syracuse and Boston are now obvious!

And you told them poutine was some kind of great training food?

[thedukelamere]

Great, now the ncaa can investigate us for improper benefits...

budworm's doors are open to any and all Duke students, whether or not they know it. We're good

[flyingdutchdevil]

Overlook No One - yes, Popovich makes them better and it is on the road after a tough syracuse out.. and you have the always DANGEROUS 'overlook' factor with UNC loomin'.

This is a road game. No doubt. But there are more Duke fans at Conte than BC fans. At least that's how it's been for the last 4 Duke-BC games at Conte.

Conte will not be rocking like the Carrier Dome.

[Rich]

budworm will just have some undergrads stay over and everything will be okey-dokey.

budworm's doors are open to any and all Duke students, whether or not they know it. We're good

Whom is this "budworm" that you speak of?

[SavDukeGrad]

Someone on DBR mentioned that the team stayed in the Northeast. Not sure if that is true, but agree it would make a lot more sense.

I don’t think this was correct. According to social media, it looks like the team just left RDU for Boston. I’m sure they came home Saturday night and went to class today.

[chrishoke]

Classic trap game, particularly for a young team. You better believe BC can win this game. We need to bring it.

[fuse]

Expecting a tough game.
Another good test for the Blue Devils, and an opportunity to show we’ve improved our defense.

[luvdahops]

I've had them in my basement for the past 36 hours, and man, can those guys eat! The perils of being between Syracuse and Boston are now obvious!

Was any Edward or Heady Topper consumed?

[devildeac]

Was any Edward or Heady Topper consumed?

Knowing budwom, I'm honestly not sure there really was any room in his basement for student-athletes when there's Heady involved...

[Music man55]

Classic trap game, particularly for a young team. You better believe BC can win this game. We need to bring it.

Amen. Better not look past BC.

[azzefkram]

Whom is this "budworm" that you speak of?

The ophthalmogically impaired version of budwom?

[Troublemaker]

Yeah, I concur with those expecting a close game, despite having previously beaten this team by almost 40 points. Took BC +15 in Degenerates, and I think it's one of the stronger bets of the conference season.

As with most ACC road games, I'll be pretty happy with even a 1-pt win.

[budwom]

Was any Edward or Heady Topper consumed?

Kegs of iced tea and pallets of cookies from Costco, nothing but the best!

As far as trap games, I don't think I ever consider an ACC road game a trap game..I remember going to BC years ago to watch a heavily favored Duke team (#1 I believe) struggle mightily. Stuff happens on the road.