This year’s team mirrors a previous Duke team

[Boone Devil]

I know it’s only been 2 games, but this team reminds me so much of the 06-07 team.

There are some good young pieces Hurt returns and looks to take a step up a la McRoberts, we have some good young players in Johnson, Steward, Brakefield, and Williams who aren’t quite at that superstar level much like Scheyer, Henderson, Thomas, and Zoubek their first year. A veteran guard in Goldwire who looks to lead the team through defense like Demarcus Nelson did. A couple of guys in Moore and Baker who may not be rotation players in many other seasons such as how David McClure and Marty Pocious.

What that team lacked and the thing this team lacks so far is that player who was “the guy”. There’s still a lot of season left and that player may emerge yet. But the similarities are there.

Good news is, if we can manage to keep a few of the freshman around for multiple years and pair them with that one or two star players we have been able to recruit we could very well be building towards another national championship team.

[UrinalCake]

I think that Johnson is more talented than any of those 2006 freshmen, even Henderson who was limited that year with some sort of asthma, and he is the most likely candidate to be the “it” guy. But otherwise your comparison is good. I was hoping that Moore and Hurt would both take a huge leap and anchor the team, but Moore appears to have regressed. It’s still early though, and hopefully we’ll see consistent improvement.

[CameronDuke]

Duke has lost non conference home games at Cameron in two consecutive seasons for the first time in ...

[duke2x]

Duke has lost non conference home games at Cameron in two consecutive seasons for the first time in ...

1995/96 - IL, 4th place ACC.
1996/97 - MI, ACC regular season champs.*

* Do not ask Wake or UVA fans about the 3 end game officiating errors.

[Steven43]

I know it’s only been 2 games, but this team reminds me so much of the 06-07 team.

There are some good young pieces Hurt returns and looks to take a step up a la McRoberts, we have some good young players in Johnson, Steward, Brakefield, and Williams who aren’t quite at that superstar level much like Scheyer, Henderson, Thomas, and Zoubek their first year. A veteran guard in Goldwire who looks to lead the team through defense like Demarcus Nelson did. A couple of guys in Moore and Baker who may not be rotation players in many other seasons such as how David McClure and Marty Pocious.

What that team lacked and the thing this team lacks so far is that player who was “the guy”. There’s still a lot of season left and that player may emerge yet. But the similarities are there.

Good news is, if we can manage to keep a few of the freshman around for multiple years and pair them with that one or two star players we have been able to recruit we could very well be building towards another national championship team.

Yep, and just like seniors Davidson, Scheyer, Thomas, and Zoubek led us to a national title in 2010, seniors Johnson, Steward, Brakefield, Williams, Roach, and Coleman will do the same in 2024!!

[rsvman]

Yep, and just like seniors Davidson, Scheyer, Thomas, and Zoubek led us to a national title in 2010, seniors Johnson, Steward, Brakefield, Williams, Roach, and Coleman will do the same in 2024!!

Lol! That is hilarious.

[Steven43]

Lol! That is hilarious.

Thank you! That was the intention.

[UrinalCake]

Thank you! That was the intention.

Zion would have been a junior this year. That hurts my brain to imagine.

[CoachJ10]

How spread out the bench is...did K just forget and not see that he has Coleman, Tapé and Williams on his team?

I’d like to see those guys get some burn...

[Steven43]

Zion would have been a junior this year. That hurts my brain to imagine.

I wish you hadn’t told me that. 😞

[simplyluvin]

I know it’s only been 2 games, but this team reminds me so much of the 06-07 team.

There are some good young pieces Hurt returns and looks to take a step up a la McRoberts, we have some good young players in Johnson, Steward, Brakefield, and Williams who aren’t quite at that superstar level much like Scheyer, Henderson, Thomas, and Zoubek their first year. A veteran guard in Goldwire who looks to lead the team through defense like Demarcus Nelson did. A couple of guys in Moore and Baker who may not be rotation players in many other seasons such as how David McClure and Marty Pocious.

What that team lacked and the thing this team lacks so far is that player who was “the guy”. There’s still a lot of season left and that player may emerge yet. But the similarities are there.

Good news is, if we can manage to keep a few of the freshman around for multiple years and pair them with that one or two star players we have been able to recruit we could very well be building towards another national championship team.

I think this is a good comparison. Right now it looks like we have a 10 to 12 loss team that will really struggle to score. 2007 was an 11 loss team that was likewise offensively challenged. Problem is we don’t have someone like Demarcus, that, flawed as he was, could create his own scoring. Hurt is closest, but he can’t effectively score off the dribble from the perimeter. Gonna be a long season.

[sagegrouse]

I think this is a good comparison. Right now it looks like we have a 10 to 12 loss team that will really struggle to score. 2007 was an 11 loss team that was likewise offensively challenged. Problem is we don’t have someone like Demarcus, that, flawed as he was, could create his own scoring. Hurt is closest, but he can’t effectively score off the dribble from the perimeter. Gonna be a long season.

IMHO, where the H disappeared at McNichols Sports Arena after the Duke loss to UNLV in 1990, Jalen Johnson is a very special player.

[uh_no]

IMHO, where the H disappeared at McNichols Sports Arena after the Duke loss to UNLV in 1990, Jalen Johnson is a very special player.

yeah. the fact he wasn't a mcdonalds all american is kind of absurd. He came down to earth a bit tonight, but the offense as a whole was pretty broken much of the game.

[Dukehk]

What disappoints me is how poor Wendell, Baker and even Goldwire have been this year.

I suppose you can blame it on covid and what not which has definitely impacted march madness and even the ability for players to play during the offseason.

But 2 games into the season and I see regression. These guys look lost out there. Its alarming because tradtionally at Duke you improve from year to year.

[jimsumner]

yeah. the fact he wasn't a mcdonalds all american is kind of absurd. He came down to earth a bit tonight, but the offense as a whole was pretty broken much of the game.

Johnson missed most of his senior season. Had he not gone on that ill-fated IMG adventure he's an easy McDonald's All-American and maintains his top-five prep status. I think picking up those two early fouls really took him out of the game mentally. He's going to have to learn the level of physicality that he can and cannot use at this level. Which is not uncommon for a freshman playing in his second college game. Even a freshman with his talent level.

[uh_no]

Johnson missed most of his senior season. Had he not gone on that ill-fated IMG adventure he's an easy McDonald's All-American and maintains his top-five prep status. I think picking up those two early fouls really took him out of the game mentally. He's going to have to learn the level of physicality that he can and cannot use at this level. Which is not uncommon for a freshman playing in his second college game. Even a freshman with his talent level.

this team has a ton of potential that didn't show tonight. Unfortunately it's a short season...because if any team could use some extended cupcakes, it's this one. Watching UK/KU, it's expectedly not specific to Duke. The learning curve is going to be steep this year, and I suspect come march (or april or may or june or whatever), the experienced teams to have a slight edge over younger talented ones (relative to whatever you would expect that edge to be in a typical year).

[DukieTiger]

I thought Johnson was easily the best player on the floor until he got into foul trouble. Astutely noted by Jim that the fouls seemed to throw him off. He only played what, 7 first half minutes? Not great for a guy who was dominating.

I know the physicality threw him off and he didn’t have his way with MSU on his drives, but the way he controlled the game defensively and with his passing and playmaking on the break... all that is something that separates this Duke team if he can be more consistent and some of the other pieces fill in.

I don’t at all equate this team to 2007 - this team has 8 guys with NBA upside and a likely top 10 pick in the upcoming draft. It reminds me more of one of those mid-2010s UK teams that started slowly but exploded in the tournament. I know that’s a heretical comparison, but it feels like an apt one.

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

I thought Johnson was easily the best player on the floor until he got into foul trouble. Astutely noted by Jim that the fouls seemed to throw him off. He only played what, 7 first half minutes? Not great for a guy who was dominating.

I know the physicality threw him off and he didn’t have his way with MSU on his drives, but the way he controlled the game defensively and with his passing and playmaking on the break... all that is something that separates this Duke team if he can be more consistent and some of the other pieces fill in.

I don’t at all equate this team to 2007 - this team has 8 guys with NBA upside and a likely top 10 pick in the upcoming draft. It reminds me more of one of those mid-2010s UK teams that started slowly but exploded in the tournament. I know that’s a heretical comparison, but it feels like an apt one.

I certainly don't expect that.

[DukieTiger]

I certainly don't expect that.

Mainly a point of comparison to 2007 - how many guys on the squad were ever on NBA radars? 3? 4? Just making the point that this team has a different type of potential.

I don’t expect 8 either but if I were wagering I’d guess that 4 or 5 of these guys get an NBA contract at some point.

[kako]

I know it’s only been 2 games, but this team reminds me so much of the 06-07 team.

There are some good young pieces Hurt returns and looks to take a step up a la McRoberts, we have some good young players in Johnson, Steward, Brakefield, and Williams who aren’t quite at that superstar level much like Scheyer, Henderson, Thomas, and Zoubek their first year. A veteran guard in Goldwire who looks to lead the team through defense like Demarcus Nelson did. A couple of guys in Moore and Baker who may not be rotation players in many other seasons such as how David McClure and Marty Pocious.

What that team lacked and the thing this team lacks so far is that player who was “the guy”. There’s still a lot of season left and that player may emerge yet. But the similarities are there.

Johnson will be the guy. He's got all the tools. No one on the 06-07 team comes close to his skill set. And though it's early, to me Steward also seems much better than anyone on the 06-07 team. That 06-07 team is probably the least talented Duke team this century. Even if there is a comparison about this current team being similar to the 06-07 team, that's comparing this team at the start of the season with the 06-07 team at the end of the season (which was a lousy end of the season). I feel this team will be better than that.

9F