MBB: Duke 78, Georgia Tech 70 Postgame Thread

Things I'm not worried about
  • The early deficit - 0 for 14 from 3, or whatever it was to start, was never going to last
  • Results the rest of the way. If we drop a seed line it'll be because Cooper is out and at that point, for me at least, there's no expectations. Just see what happens.
Things I am worried about
  • A certain lower extremity
 
billy said:
I hope they took him somewhere in Charlotte - 2 to 3 hour drive with a dislocated shoulder would really suck, even with the meds. Maybe they had LifeFlight on call, but even then would be better to get his shoulder popped back in as quickly as possible in Charlotte.
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Oh crap. I forgot we were in Charlotte. I had Greensboro on the brain.
 
5 thoughts…

1. Flagg and Brown go out in the 1st half. Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! That’s all I have to say about that.

2. The injuries really phased Duke in the 1st. A couple of 3’s by Evans helped keep it close, and Ngongba played well. But Duke looked out of sync. Then the team rallied well at the end of the 1st and in the 2nd. It was definitely a team effort, with Kneuppel leading the way. And he did his best Marty Clark impression from the line at the end, which led to Duke sending the Yellowjackets home. GaTech is going to be a better team next year, assuming they don’t have transfer portal woes. They had heart. But in the end, talent won out.

3. It’s not new news, but the Kneuppel to Maluach pick and roll really works well. It seems like the big man can somehow put his hands on Kneppel’s passes better than from other Devils.

4. Very thankful Duke is 10 deep. Even if Flagg and Brown don’t play another minute in the ACCT, Duke can still win it. I’m sure the rest of the team can rally for their injured teammates, as well as wanting to prove that Duke is not just Cooper Flagg…. The time that Ngongba and Evans have had this season provides height and scoring off the bench. And Foster is at least serviceable off the bench, with very high upside. I’ve been saying that Foster needed to stay ready. Now is his time.

5. Duke is still a very strong team even without Flagg and Brown. They should at least be able to get to the ACCT final. And though it would e a much harder final, Duke can still win it all. I do wish Lucas was still with the team, though, to devise a revised defense. Tomorrow’s game will be interesting, to say the least. I want Wake to beat UNC and squash Carolina tourney hopes, but I wouldn’t mind playing the Heels tomorrow, either.

9F
 
HoKogan said:
This is a fairly high stakes tourney setting where everyone is going to give you the best shot, and you ideally want your best players to play. Berry did say if Flagg was healthy to play him. My guess is he is not 100 percent so he probably doesn't play tomorrow. He'll probably want to play regardless.
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Sit out tomorrow if Duke wins play him in the Ship game
 
duke79 said:
I missed most of the game on TV, so I missed Coop's injury. Let's hope (obviously) that he's OK and almost 100% for the tournament. I realize this may be a contentious take but I've thought for years, if not decades, that the ACC should do away with the ACC tournament at the end of the season. Just call the regular season champion the "ACC champion" and don't make the players (and coaches and everyone else) have to focus on playing more games before the tournament starts. I realize, in the old days, when there were only 32 teams in the NCAA tournament, and only one team from the ACC made the tournament, the ACC tournament made more sense and gave an underdog team the chance to make the Big Dance. But, in more recent times, with 64 teams and, in most years, multiple teams from the ACC making the big tournament, I feel the ACC tournament has become almost an afterthought and you risk players getting injured (a la Coop) or tired out or distracted before the "real" tournament starts. I'd rather see the players have a week off, let them rest up, recover from any nagging injuries, maybe catch up on some academics and prepare for the NCAA tournament. Again, I'm sure there are many who would disagree with me but I think it would be a wise move.
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Agree 100%
 
kako said:
5 thoughts…

1. Flagg and Brown go out in the 1st half. Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! That’s all I have to say about that.

2. The injuries really phased Duke in the 1st. A couple of 3’s by Evans helped keep it close, and Ngongba played well. But Duke looked out of sync. Then the team rallied well at the end of the 1st and in the 2nd. It was definitely a team effort, with Kneuppel leading the way. And he did his best Marty Clark impression from the line at the end, which led to Duke sending the Yellowjackets home. GaTech is going to be a better team next year, assuming they don’t have transfer portal woes. They had heart. But in the end, talent won out.

3. It’s not new news, but the Kneuppel to Maluach pick and roll really works well. It seems like the big man can somehow put his hands on Kneppel’s passes better than from other Devils.

4. Very thankful Duke is 10 deep. Even if Flagg and Brown don’t play another minute in the ACCT, Duke can still win it. I’m sure the rest of the team can rally for their injured teammates, as well as wanting to prove that Duke is not just Cooper Flagg…. The time that Ngongba and Evans have had this season provides height and scoring off the bench. And Foster is at least serviceable off the bench, with very high upside. I’ve been saying that Foster needed to stay ready. Now is his time.

5. Duke is still a very strong team even without Flagg and Brown. They should at least be able to get to the ACCT final. And though it would e a much harder final, Duke can still win it all. I do wish Lucas was still with the team, though, to devise a revised defense. Tomorrow’s game will be interesting, to say the least. I want Wake to beat UNC and squash Carolina tourney hopes, but I wouldn’t mind playing the Heels tomorrow, either.

9F
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We don’t beat UNC without Flagg and Maliq. We wouldn’t have won at UNC without Maliq. Without both… I can’t buy it.
 
Great, gutsy performance by the team on a day when 3-shots weren’t really falling. Shows you can still survive with defense and a concerted 2-ball effort. I found the effort more impressive (and maybe more important) than the win. Sure, the AcCT banner is nice to have, but not at the expense of the big one. Let Coop play when fully healed and let the other guys handle the load until then.

I am much more worried about Maliq’s injury. While dimwitted CA kept highlighting the non-contact arm extension, if the replay is available, you can see the GT guard lowering his shoulder into Maliq’s and literally just thrusting and then stepping back before starting the drive. If his shoulder dislocates just by lateral extension, his rotator cuff group is going to need surgical anchors.
 
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