MBB: Duke @ Ohio State (Tue 11/30, 9:30 pm, ESPN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[Saratoga2]

We don't want to let OSU cramp our style.

[weezie]

I’ll write it before the Duke haters jump on it: we are finally playing a true road game.

The college of knowledge charleston coach grudgingly agrees.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Michigan exposed the defensive issues with OSU against the run. I say we hand off to Keels and Theo John and just score unlimited points.

Wait... What?

[OldPhiKap]

Michigan exposed the defensive issues with OSU against the run. I say we hand off to Keels and Theo John and just score unlimited points.

Wait... What?

“It’s so crazy, it just might work.”

[UrinalCake]

Normally I worry about how freshmen will perform in their first true road game. But with this team that’s not a concern, as they’ve already shown up big on two huge national stages. I do worry about the short turnaround though - finishing at 1am Friday night/Saturday morning and then having to hit the road again for a Tuesday night game. Does the team come home, or just fly straight to Columbus? And I worry about whether Paolo and to a lesser extend Moore will have fully recovered from their cramps. It was an emotionally exhausting week too, so they’ll have to get dialed in to prepare for this one.

On paper we should win, but I expect it to be close. Will have to grind out a win which we have done well this season.

[SavDukeGrad]

Well the team flew somewhere today (1 of the players posted a pic from the plane); I’m just not sure where they’re going. My guess would be back to Durham, but not sure.

[dukelifer]

We don't want to let OSU cramp our style.

I just fear Paolo getting tight in this game and Moore feeling restricted in the second half.

[MrPoon]

Looking forward to this game. The turn around feels like a March, Friday Sunday turnaround.

OSU is a solid team and they play tough. Holtman is a good coach and will have this team ready. As I said in an earlier post, Duke last came to Columbus and got run off the court after a long Maui tournament. That was a game for a few moments if I recall right… at least it felt that way. The big Vegas win could be the same but at least it was only one game vs a full tournament slate.

I think PB will have more to prove. The post game interviews gave me the impression his cramping bothered him and he wanted to give more.

Moore will be ready, I’m sure of that.

This is a rugged team in OSU but I think Keels strength and William’s length has a chance of being key pieces. PB is just something that no team has ever faced. If this guy puts together a full game…….. Kyle Young is a guy I like to root for because he seems to get the most out of his ability. He’s tough but super inconsistent on the offensive side.

Duke’s D will help them, I’ve seen several OSU games and I don’t love watching their offense. It gets very stagnant at times and there are stretches where the ball doesn’t move enough. Holtman usually gets a team to defend well.

The road game will be real. Getting tickets for this was a real challenge. Duke fans will be there but OSU fans know what this opportunity means… especially since their first love’s season is effectively over.

[LasVegas]

The road game will be real. Getting tickets for this was a real challenge. Duke fans will be there but OSU fans know what this opportunity means… especially since their first love’s season is effectively over.

Tickets are super easy to get. Ticketmaster has a ton of them available for as low as $38 a seat.

[tommy]

I always thought a trap game was when you overlooked the opponent in front of you for the big game coming up afterwards. This isn't a trap game in my mind. It's a potential letdown after beating Gonzaga.

"Trap game" is one of those phrases that had some legitimate meaning when it was first coined, but now has been overused and had its meaning wrung out of it by lazy commentators seeking to seem clever or knowledgeable when they're really not. It's sometimes used now to designate any game other than the big marquee games, which is silly. I do agree with you - the original meaning of it was when you overlooked the opponent in front of you for the big game coming up afterwards, but I thought also that the opponent in front of you was better than most people realized, and presented a real possibility of pulling the upset due to the nature of the matchup, their being overlooked, or both. And yeah, this isn't a trap game in any sense of the word, as there is no bigger game following. The Buckeyes should -- better -- have our full attention.

[ClemmonsDevil]

The college of knowledge charleston coach grudgingly agrees.

"Knowledge"? I thought that was what the "N" stood for on Nebraska's football helmets.

[ShaneRyan]

just want to say thank you for this write-up in the OP, knew absolutely nothing about OSU.

The general wisdom among friends (and here, to some extent) seems to be that it's a major trap game, and I think I agree insofar as we're facing a true road crowd, but that only makes me want the win more. Really really want to see them sort of consolidate that poise they showed in the second half against the Zags and do the job away from home. Main wish list:

1. Please no cramping
2. Find ways to get Paolo involved in a close second half, if there is a close second half
3. Keels bounceback
4. Roach continues to find his place
5. We dominate defensively in the backcourt (feel like Moore and Keels could just smother their entire guard unit) and manage to contain Liddell with whoever

[camion]

"Trap game" is one of those phrases that had some legitimate meaning when it was first coined, but now has been overused and had its meaning wrung out of it by lazy commentators seeking to seem clever or knowledgeable when they're really not. It's sometimes used now to designate any game other than the big marquee games, which is silly. I do agree with you - the original meaning of it was when you overlooked the opponent in front of you for the big game coming up afterwards, but I thought also that the opponent in front of you was better than most people realized, and presented a real possibility of pulling the upset due to the nature of the matchup, their being overlooked, or both. And yeah, this isn't a trap game in any sense of the word, as there is no bigger game following. The Buckeyes should -- better -- have our full attention.

Hypothetically, what would you call a game that follows your most important and emotionally taxing game of the year and is against a good opponent that you would expect to beat if it were elsewhere on the schedule, but will be iffy since it's following your biggest game?

[DoubleBlue]

I'm hoping the team will maintain the momentum and the team chemistry and not get phased by the hostile crowd in Columbus who would like nothing better than to rain on Coach K's farewell tour. In the game of ebbs and flows, you would hope that Keels and Roach would shoot better but also Williams may not sustain his peak performance against Gonzaga. This year's team has many weapons, not the least of which is solid defense, which should keep them in most games, even if the offense sputters. I'm looking for Paolo to have a big game and perhaps one of Keels, Roach, Baker or Griffin to get hot from three. Coach K may get them prepared and ready, but this team is still inexperienced, so anything can happen.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Hypothetically, what would you call a game that follows your most important and emotionally taxing game of the year and is against a good opponent that you would expect to beat if it were elsewhere on the schedule, but will be iffy since it's following your biggest game?

A Power 6 College Basketball schedule?

[DavidBenAkiva]

No matter what we call this game, the general expectation is that Duke should win, and they probably would be favored at home or on a neutral court. The game is on the road, though, and against a good team. The fans should be excited to see the home team take on what should be the #1 or #2 team in the nation.

There isn't another game looming after this one for 2 weeks (sigh). There is no opponent to look past. This is the game in front of Duke. I feel confident that Wendell, Joey, Theo, Jeremy, and Mark will set the tone. This is a business trip.

[LasVegas]

No matter what we call this game, the general expectation is that Duke should win, and they probably would be favored at home or on a neutral court. The game is on the road, though, and against a good team. The fans should be excited to see the home team take on what should be the #1 or #2 team in the nation.

There isn't another game looming after this one for 2 weeks (sigh). There is no opponent to look past. This is the game in front of Duke. I feel confident that Wendell, Joey, Theo, Jeremy, and Mark will set the tone. This is a business trip.

The ESPN BPI actually has Ohio State at a 56.2% to win. I'm not sure how the BPI works or even how reliable it is but that's notable. I just have a bad feeling going into Columbus as the #1 ranked team so I am really hoping we come in at #2 for this one.

On a related note, I think this game can be called the "Oh Crap! Game". Emotional win against former #1 and have to travel to play a top 30 team at their house a few days later? Oh CRAP!

[DavidBenAkiva]

The ESPN BPI actually has Ohio State at a 56.2% to win. I'm not sure how the BPI works or even how reliable it is but that's notable. I just have a bad feeling going into Columbus as the #1 ranked team so I am really hoping we come in at #2 for this one.

On a related note, I think this game can be called the "Oh Crap! Game". Emotional win against former #1 and have to travel to play a top 30 team at their house a few days later? Oh CRAP!

BPI is a little more sour on Duke than KenPom and T-Rank. The latter two rate this one as essentially a toss-up. I think that has a lot to do with data from last season still in the systems.

One of the neat things you can do in T-Rank is set the range of games to see where everyone ranks. The default is 11/1/2021. If you set the range from 11/8/2021, that removes the preseason data. Duke drops to 14th (from 10th), but Ohio State drops from 27th to 52nd with the 177th "best" defense in the country (North Carolina checks in at 101st in T-Rank when you do this).

All things being equal, Duke should be favored in this game. The dork polls are overvaluing data from last season. That doesn't mean Duke will win, but the gap between the two is larger than the algorithmic systems are currently showing.

[flyingdutchdevil]

BPI is a little more sour on Duke than KenPom and T-Rank. The latter two rate this one as essentially a toss-up. I think that has a lot to do with data from last season still in the systems.

One of the neat things you can do in T-Rank is set the range of games to see where everyone ranks. The default is 11/1/2021. If you set the range from 11/8/2021, that removes the preseason data. Duke drops to 14th (from 10th), but Ohio State drops from 27th to 52nd with the 177th "best" defense in the country (North Carolina checks in at 101st in T-Rank when you do this).

All things being equal, Duke should be favored in this game. The dork polls are overvaluing data from last season. That doesn't mean Duke will win, but the gap between the two is larger than the algorithmic systems are currently showing.

I'm sorry. Duke drops in the nerd rankings if we remove preseason data? How is that possible?

[dukebluesincebirth]

I like the way our schedule is set up so far this season, and this is another great test in a challenging spot. This is a test of mental/emotional maturity. Hopefully our captains are stepping up and being vocal this week, leading by example, and keeping our freshmen sharp. No time to watch ESPN highlights from Gonzaga this week. How do we handle a huge success like beating #1? This is a game to focus on the simple things in a raucous environment: next play mentality, moving feet and not reaching on D, getting to the free throw line and MAKING them, solid screens, crisp passes, boxing out, etc. If we focus on staying poised and playing fundamental basketball well, our talent level should carry us to a W. We got this!