We Needed the Loss

[TwoDukeTattoos]

I wanted Duke to win as many games in the ACC Tourney as possible. But more importantly than that, however, this young, not particulary deep Duke team needs to be well-rested for the NCAAs. While the loss tonight is tough to watch, I look forward to the Big Dance next week.

If McRoberts continues to finally become a true center as he did tonight, and Marty continues to assert himself as he did tonight, and then you throw a surging Henderson into the mix, there is a possibility we could make a little noise in the Big One.

GO DUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[grossbus]

hopefully, marty gets some minutes now.

[RelativeWays]

My qustion is why McBob didn't play that way in the 1st half? A good way to halt Costner and McCauley from scoring would have been to get them in foul trouble. State might be a little scary next year.

[imagepro]

Needeed the loss? Are you kidding? Please say yes. There is a thing called "confidence", or lack thereof!

[Dukefan4Life]

No we did not need this lost! we are a team that needed that and more wins baldy for confidence! we look so eratic out there! we just dont seem to be gelling at all! I hope we can win a few games in the Ncaa but we have to play a hello of alot better than we did tonight!

[A-Tex Devil]

I'll respectfully disagree. This team ain't winning the NCAA's. But we had every opportunity to win as many as 3 games in this tourney. And once in the championship, who knows?

I just want to see these guys win as many as possible. Losing tonight makes next week's matchup tougher. Man this is frustrating.

I don't care about RPI. I don't know how we aren't a bubble team considering we've lost 7 of 10 and were .500 in our conference and lost the first game to a mediocre (and that's kind) team in our conference.

We needed this win.

[duke24/7]

I don't think we needed this loss, I definitley think a lot of positives came from it. Marty stepped up, Josh finally dominated in OT, and Hendo and all the other guys will be even hungrier and fresher next week.

[77devil]

I wanted Duke to win as many games in the ACC Tourney as possible. But more importantly than that, however, this young, not particulary deep Duke team needs to be well-rested for the NCAAs. While the loss tonight is tough to watch, I look forward to the Big Dance next week.

After the last two games, this team needed to come out on fire and try to make a statement.

[thomas]

We needed a loss to wake up this team? Wow.

I have posted here about keeping the faith, letting our team learning and becoming a 'fist', but now...I just don't know. i think I have been stupid.

I fear we have one more game, and our season is over. I wish i were wrong.

[A-Tex Devil]

i think the team is not the problem..its coach k right now he is killin us.. he doesn't coach he just sits on his ***

Dude, no. I'm no K apologist and have complained before, but he's tried everything with this team. He's tried every combo he can. I think he's doing an admirable job.

I think seeing how Josh played in OT and comparing it with the rest of the game can give you some good insight as to what this team's problems are. And it rests in between out young guys' ears.

[Troublemaker]

That's terrible. We didn't really have a chance in either tourney this year, but the opportunity to become conference champs should never be taken lightly.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

this young, not particulary deep Duke team needs to be well-rested for the NCAAs.

These young guys have all summer to "rest". Now they need to play hard every play.

Aargh! Bring on selection Sunday and whatever it brings.

[BlueDevilBaby]

No Duke loss is a good loss. Aaaargh! Frustrating. Great game by Marty. DN was a man. Wish Josh was as aggressive in first half as he was in second half and OT. NCAA will be tough. Looking forward to next year. Please stay Josh!

[evrdukie]

I've watched Duke basketball for a long time, but don't pretend to the expertise a lot of the posters obviously possess. What I'm having trouble understanding this year is this: Most of Duke's starters were very highly touted high school players, big time college prospects by pretty much any standard. And yet this team is utterly mediocre and has regularly lost to teams that, on paper at least, shouldn't even be competitive with Duke. It's disappointing and I'm wondering if anybody can furnish a plausible explanation.

[rsvman]

I don't know if this is plausible or not, but I get the feeling that going down the stretch, when the game is tight, the team does not expect to win. I don't think they expect to lose, exactly, but they don't expect to win.

I was watching Wright State against Butler a couple of nights ago and I saw something I really wish I could see in any of our players. Wright State was down one with about a minute and small change to go. Butler misses a shot, Wright State gets the rebound, and they pass it to their point guard. The camera goes to a close-up shot of his face as he brings the ball upcourt in a really tough, tight situation. The guy has a smile; nay, a smirk on his face. It says a lot. It very clearly communicates this: "You shouldn't have missed that shot. Because now we have the ball, and we're going to score." Sure enough, within about 15 seconds, the same guy buried a tough 3-pointer over a solid defensive outstretched arm. There was no question in my mind that the shot was going to fall. More importantly, there was no question in the mind of the guy who shot it. He knew he was going to make the shot.

I haven't seen that in anybody on this team consistently. They play more like they are saying, "I sure hope I don't mess up, 'cause then we'll lose this game."

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the difference between the Wright State guard and our guys is precisely an attitudinal one.

[Cameron]

I wouldn't exactly say we needed this loss. I don't know about you, but I want to end the season on top as champions every season in the ACC. I can't stand watching someone else moving on, taking our shot at winning the crown along with them. This loss tonight hurt me as bad as any loss. I wanted this win tonight so bad I could taste it (pardon the cliche, but it is the truth).

This is going to be a long weekend...

[dukelifer]

I've watched Duke basketball for a long time, but don't pretend to the expertise a lot of the posters obviously possess. What I'm having trouble understanding this year is this: Most of Duke's starters were very highly touted high school players, big time college prospects by pretty much any standard. And yet this team is utterly mediocre and has regularly lost to teams that, on paper at least, shouldn't even be competitive with Duke. It's disappointing and I'm wondering if anybody can furnish a plausible explanation.

We lost to twice Maryland who was Hot, twice UNC who is among the best in the country, once to Fla State on a missed tap who has one of the best players in the country, once to Va in overtime (Va who is co-ACC champsion), once to Va Tech who beat UNC twice, and once to Ga Tech who is a dangerous team. How is this losing to teams that are not competitive? These are ALL NCAA tourney teams. State was the only loss to a mediocre team. Does that explain it?

[Houston]

I've watched Duke basketball for a long time, but don't pretend to the expertise a lot of the posters obviously possess. What I'm having trouble understanding this year is this: Most of Duke's starters were very highly touted high school players, big time college prospects by pretty much any standard. And yet this team is utterly mediocre and has regularly lost to teams that, on paper at least, shouldn't even be competitive with Duke. It's disappointing and I'm wondering if anybody can furnish a plausible explanation.

The answer is some of the recruits were/are overrated. A high school player's stauts is elevated once Duke calls and expectations are raised. I also don't think the staff has made the best use of the players given the offense Coach K employs. The motion offense needs penetration to run effectively. Gerald and Marty should have been given more minutes earlier in the season (once healthy). Their defense could not have been that bad to keep them on the bench.

What is most disappointing is that we are struggling against/losing to teams who do not have a player on the roster we recruited.

[evrdukie]

Houston, your last sentence pretty much sums up my frustration. After all the tortured explanations you see on these boards, the facts are still there. Duke took a lot of whippings this year--and not just from the likes of UNC. The unhappy fact is that virtually every game I watched seemed like one Duke could lose, even when they were fifteen or twenty points ahead. Everything about this team says mediocrity and its hard to understand why it turned out that way.

[GMR]

Well, it was a disappointing night for Duke. The interior defense was very poor. NC State scored in the paint at will. The defense has fallen off in the last several games..does anyone have an answer for why that is happening? The intensity doesn't seem to be as strong as it was earlier in the year.

I thought Nelson had a pretty good game tonight. Pocious was superb on offense, although he started the night with a couple of turnovers. I thought he should have gotten more minutes in the second half. He sat out nearly the entire first half of the second half, after an uplifting performance in the first. I didn't see any major defensive problems with his play, at least no more than anyone else on the team. I'm not sure he would have played much if at all in the second half had the Devils not experienced foul trouble in the second half. I'd venture a guess that he will not see nearly as much time when GH returns next week.

Paulus played well offensively, but Atsur went ballistic in the second half. How can a guy have zero points in the first half, and over twenty in the second? I know others tried guarding him, and were not successful either.

Scheyer had a good first half, but went dry in the second. Every shot he took in the second half was short, which begs the question about being tired?

Josh was a no-show offensively in the first half, but came alive in the second. Speaking of Josh, he does about everything right handed except shoot a basketball. He shoots three pointers and free throws with his left hand, but have you noticed that nearly all of his shots 5' and closer to the basket are shot right handed instead of left...does anyone know why this is?

Overall, I thought the offense was reasonably effective tonight...it was the defense, especially in the paint, that spoiled the evening.

GMR