Originally Posted by
Bluedog
Right, our numbers are the same. But you used the threshold of 12 mpg, not 10 mpg. 10.9 < 12...
"I don't want to single out anyone above, but we had 10 players average 12 or more minutes per game in 2019-2020."
In any event, we're splitting hairs and it doesn't change the narrative. Perhaps it's possible K has changed a bit with regard to playing depth...and perhaps not. We'll find out!
It was either a typo or a minor brain spasm. In a normal season, I think players getting 350-400 minutes or more are getting enough floor time to learn and improve. Last year was only 31 games, so 300 or so minutes is pretty good. I thought in 2020 Coach K made a reasonable use of his entire roster. Yep -- at the end, there were a couple of games where the playing rotation tightened up. I don't think it's a plan -- it's how K chooses to manage important games where he is intensely focused.
I think the approach to building roster has changed at Duke. With the higher number of one-and-done players and an increased tendency of players to transfer -- there is very little warning about roster vacancies. I have said in the past that the coaches get four months warning of a vacancy, but it takes an 18-month lead time to recruit a new freshman. The answer: have a greater stock of players and don't be afraid to have players that take a couple of years to mature. The prime example is Goldwire, who has become a very good college hoopster and even -- believe it or not -- a decent shooter.
Sage Grouse
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'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