MBB: Duke vs Wake (Wed, Jan 12 7pm ET ACCN) Pre- and In-Game, No K tonight!

[Music man55]

Get well soon coach K. If anybody can step in and get it done, it’s coach Scheyer!

[CameronDuke]

Prayers for Coach K’s speedy recovery. I hope he only misses tonight’s game and can coach Saturday at Cameron vs NCSU. It stinks for Wake fans who hoped to see Coach K in his last trip to Winston-Salem tonight as well as for Duke fans who may be traveling there to get a glimpse of him this year, especially if it’s their only shot this season. But Coach K must be protected at all costs, especially at his age. He’ll be 75 in 32 days which seemingly puts him in a higher risk group based simply on age when it comes to many illnesses. Plus this will be a good test for our next head coach, Jon Scheyer.

[rsvman]

This is not Jon's first rodeo. He coached games last year when K was out.

I thought he only coached one game last year. Maybe my memory is faulty. Wouldn't be the first time. But I swear I thought he was 1-0 as a head coach.

[uh_no]

I thought he only coached one game last year. Maybe my memory is faulty. Wouldn't be the first time. But I swear I thought he was 1-0 as a head coach.

could be only one. dunno. either way, not his first rodeo.

[Bluedog]

^Yeah I thought he coached against BC or someone like that, which was a close victory as I recall. Unless that was a Capel step in win back in the day...

[MarkD83]

Yes coach J has a higher winning percentage than coach K at 100%

[chrishoke]

Unfortunately, this is likely to further shake our young team's confidence. A more mature would use this for extra motivation and blow Wake's doors off.

[CDu]

What I'm looking for tonight:

1) Wake Forest has some legitimate height that plays contributor minutes. Can Mark assert his dominance in the post in a game where he should feel more comfortable with his matchup?

2) Despite legitimate height, it's a guard (Alondes Williams) who leads the Deacs in rebounding. Can we bounce back from our recent rebounding struggles against a team that seems at or below average on the glass?

3) Where is our third scoring option? After Paolo and Wendell, it certainly looked like Trevor was claiming that role, but he has struggled out of the COVID pause. Can he reclaim his old form? Will AJ get enough minutes to earn that role? Can Mark be assertive enough to step in there?

A couple of thoughts here:

1. While Wake is definitely tall/big, they are still willing to pull their bigs away from the basket. It will still be somewhat of a game like Miami/Ga Tech though in that their big won't be a threat to blow by Williams. But they don't mind their bigs shooting. Regardless, hopefully Williams continues his solid play.

2a. We rebounded fairly well against Miami. Granted, Miami concedes a lot of defensive rebounds. But rebounding wasn't the issue against Miami.
2b. Wake doesn't rebound well offensively, but they are a pretty good defensive rebounding team. The fact that a guard leads them in rebounds is not evidence that they struggle on the glass so much as it is that they share the rebounding responsibilities as a team. So against Wake I would expect us to rebound well on the defensive end and for us struggle to rebound on the offensive end.

3. Griffin is averaging 11.7 ppg in just 22 mpg, with double-digit points in all but the Elon game. Keels has gotten at least 9 in each of the last 7. Williams has gotten double-digits in the last 2. And Roach has scored 9 or more in all but 3 games. We have had at least four guys score 9+ points in every game this season except for the UK game. Seven different players have scored in double figures at least 3 times this season, and six have gotten at least 14 in a game twice. So I guess I'm not too concerned who the third option is, because we'll have a third and fourth option produce. We just might not be able to predict it from night to night. But I'd guess that Williams and Griffin will threaten double digits, with at least one of Keels and Roach getting in the neighborhood as well. Basically, we have Banchero and then a bunch of other guys who can score if the situation arises.

[killerleft]

Dang. A friend and I bought tickets just so we could see the GOAT one more time live. Bummer. Will adjust, Go Duke!

[CDu]

Dang. A friend and I bought tickets just so we could see the GOAT one more time live. Bummer. Will adjust, Go Duke!

Oh that stinks. But hopefully you still get to enjoy a Duke win!!!

[TKG]

K must be so frustrated/angry/exasperated. This is one bumpy last ride.

How long before our opponents start making the ‘95 comparisons?

[CDu]

Coach K will miss tonight's game per Duke Men's Basketball Twitter feed. Time zone is mine:

NEWS: Coach K will miss tonight’s game at Wake Forest due to a non-COVID related virus. Associate Head Coach Jon Scheyer will serve as acting head coach.


1:45 PM · Jan 12, 2022

https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1481351524307587073

I wondered if this was going to happen. In the press conference he did back before the Ga Tech game, he sounded like he was getting sick. Sounds like maybe it has fully materialized.

Hope he gets better soon. And hopefully Scheyer can steer the ship to victories in the meantime!

[cato]

Unfortunately, this is likely to further shake our young team's confidence. A more mature would use this for extra motivation and blow Wake's doors off.

You may be right, but they may also come together to find that extra motivation. I imagine they are used to hearing Jon’s voice at this point, and his status as HCIW must make it even easier to follow him.

[Natty_B]

How long before our opponents start making the ‘95 comparisons?

Huh? Considering that season occurred 7 years before most of the current roster was born I would hope never. Also Duke was 9-4 at this point in that season.

Anyway I have a bad feeling about tonight but would love to be proven wrong.

[Natty_B]

Unfortunately, this is likely to further shake our young team's confidence. A more mature would use this for extra motivation and blow Wake's doors off.

Really? The situation seems better than the usual what with the interim coach being the full-time coach in just a few months. I don't see it having much of an impact.

[arnie]

Really? The situation seems better than the usual what with the interim coach being the full-time coach in just a few months. I don't see it having much of an impact.

Yes, agree and please no more than excuses if we don’t win tonight.

[dukelifer]

This is not Jon's first rodeo. He coached games last year when K was out.

I thought so but this is Duke’s first ACC road game and Jon’s first in front of a hostile crowd, I believe

[jb75]

How long before our opponents start making the ‘95 comparisons?

Oh, it has started- go to www.ogboards.com

[follyblue]

This just reminded me about something I have not seen mentioned anywhere. I was at the Miami game and have a recollection that Coach Scheyer was the coach out on the floor for the last few possessions, acting like a head coach. Did anyone else see this? Seeing that, I feel like even some of the game time reins have already been handed over to some extent. Makes me feel a little better about tonight.

[-jk]

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Let's Go Duke!

-jk