This loss was a good learning and teaching experience. It was not a end of the season game where we lose and season is over. This team needs to figure out how to win at the end of games; so that come tournament time, they will know what to do.
I think K was saying the refs were allowing too much contact, but he did NOT say they favored one team over the other. He made sure to credit Louisville for adjusting to the way the game was being called, and said that they “ran their stuff” better than Duke did. To which I agree. A more experienced team would have gotten more physical themselves in the defensive end. And yes, we can point to bad calls that indicate we weren’t being allowed to do so, but ultimately I think Louisville just took better advantage of the way the game was being called. Similar to the MSU game that ended our season last year, as someone else mentioned.
Like it or not, there will be games in the tournament that are called this way. We can complain about it or we can adjust to it and learn to play that style. Hopefully this game was a step in that direction.
This loss was a good learning and teaching experience. It was not a end of the season game where we lose and season is over. This team needs to figure out how to win at the end of games; so that come tournament time, they will know what to do.
Sage Grouse
---------------------------------------
'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
I'd like to know where the Duke adjustments were during the first 10 minutes? Perhaps they were there, but I didn't see the team reacting to them (and I didn't react to them):
+ How early could a time out have been called?
+ How early was White inserted into the game (presumably our toughest player, sorry Javin)?
+ Why was there not a big reaction before we were down 15 points early? (I thought we were past this)
Most of Duke's talented players (the freshmen obviously) have less than a year in the weight training program. How can we expect to have them muscle up with guys that have had 2-3 years in similar programs in their schools. Tactics, witts, and talent have to carry the day with effort for 40 minutes in these types of matches.
Our point guards looked very mortal for half the game; the last 2 minutes included.
Larry
Devilhorse
Thanks for the correction. I refuse to go back to the game tape or the play-by-play. Really rotten ending -- and by the way, the horrible reffing hurt both teams, s Okafor ended up sitting out much of the first half with two fouls. I heard that Calhoun kept yelling from the bench, "Duke doesn't foul! Duke doesn't foul!"
Sage Grouse
---------------------------------------
'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
Should we not turn our attention to the next contest?