24 hours later and I still haven't caught my breath...Allow me to catch it and sum up this game prior to the West Virginia game...
PS - In Gerald Henderson I trust
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
BRBI
College basketball has the RPI. Dickie V has the VBDI (Vitale Bald Dome Index). As for me, I have the BRBI (Bleed Royal Blue Index). For the first time in a number of years, I really believe the committee got it right. Sure, I can gripe with Arizona State not getting in despite beating Arizona twice and having a better overall record in the Pac-10 but let's face it, a 300+ non-conference schedule should land you in the NIT.
As for the Field of 65 (well 64 now, sorry Coppin State), here's a BRBI breakdown of each region:
East (Charlotte)
Should win: North Carolina.
Why? Carolina has the POY in Tyler Hansbrough and they have Ty Lawson back and almost healthy running the point. With Lawson in the lineup, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green become so much more dangerous. Also, it doesn't help that they wouldn't leave the state of North Carolina before heading to San Antonio.
Why Not? One word, defense. Carolina tends to play defense only when they want to play defense (see the last 5 minutes at Cameron). However, if they don't commit themselves on the defensive end, they can be picked off by a number of teams.
Most Vulnerable High Seed: Tennessee
Why? The Volunteers shoot way too many bad shots and like we saw last year against Ohio State, cannot protect leads in crunch time. The Vols best shooter, Chris Lofton, has been up and down all year. Also, if teams beat their pressure, they are a below average half court defensive team.
Also, a trip to San Antonio seems unlikely with the possible road of Butler, Louisville, and UNC (on the road) to get there. Butler knocked off the Vols in the Preseason NIT last year by making Tennessee a half court team. Louisville, to me, is a more talented version of Tennessee and with David Padgett, they are better than the Vols. Finally, if Tennessee can escape those games, UNC will most likely loom. Good luck.
Possible Upsets:
George Mason over Notre Dame: We all know what Mason did two years ago during their miraculous run to the Final 4. Well, a few pieces from that team still exist in Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell. I think Mike Brey has his best team ever in South Bend but GMU won't be easy to deal with.
Butler over Tennessee (2nd Round): Butler is loaded with experience and they make teams play their pace. If they do that to Tennessee, watch out Bruce Pearl!
BRB pick: North Carolina
Midwest (Detroit)
Should win: Kansas
Why? Kansas is the deepest, most talented team in the country (by far). They really don't have a weakness and if they do have one, it's that they are too balanced (if that's possible). Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson are tough to stop down low and if you double in the post, the likes of Chalmers, Rush, Collins, and Robinson will burn you from the outside.
Why Not? Bill Self. Self has done a great job assembling such a great pool of talent in Lawrence but does he have what it takes to get his team to a Final 4? After back to back losses to Bucknell and Bradley in the first round, the Jayhawks bounced back and made it to the Elite 8 only to bow out against UCLA in a practical road game.
Most Vulnerable High Seed: Wisconsin
Why? The Big 10 isn't that good and although they should get past CSF in the first round, they will be severely outclassed athletically in the next round playing either USC or Kansas State. Wisconsin can flat out defend and Bo Ryan does more with less than any coach in America. However, they can't score and I don't see a go-to guy when they need a big basket. The Badger faithful can't rely on too many more Brian Butch bank shots.
Possible Upsets:
Villanova over Clemson: In November, this would not have been an upset. Villanova came into the year over hyped with Scottie Reynolds returning for another season and Corey Stokes coming in as a highly-touted freshman. Nova was the last team in the Tournament field and whether they treat this as a reprieve on their season or continue their inconsistency remains to be seen. Clemson is a squad but let's face it, they have no experience and they struggle hitting free throws. Plus, I get a little weary that so many people are on the Clemson bandwagon.
Kansas State over USC: Two words, Michael Beasley.
BRB pick: Kansas
South (Houston)
Should win: Toss up
This region can go many different ways in my estimation. Memphis can definitely win it but I just don't trust them in a big spot. If they do make it to San Antonio, D. Rose will carry them, not Chris Douglas-Roberts.
Texas, although they are young, is probably the favorite to come out of this bracket for me because they will play their possible Sweet 16/Elite 8 games in Houston.
Stanford & Pittsburgh can't be counted out as well. With Stanford, it begins and ends with Brook Lopez. If the Cardinal get anything out of their perimeter, they are very hard to beat. As for Pitt, they have a mojo about them that could carry them all the way to San Antonio.
Most Vulnerable High Seed: Memphis
Why? Competition, competition, competition. Sure, the Tigers overcame a strong non-conference schedule and only suffered one blemish this season but let's face it, Conference USA is practically a Division II conference. The Tigers are very athletic but they lack the basketball IQ that other teams in this bracket have. If there is a #1 that could go down in the 1st weekend, it's Memphis.
Possible Upsets:
Temple over Michigan State: There are a number of coaches known as motivators even more so than good X's and O's guys, Tom Izzo is one of those guys. However, Temple is red hot after winning the A-10 Tournament and Dionte Christmas is the best scorer you've never heard of. Will Christmas come early for Temple fans?
Mississippi State over Memphis: If the Bulldogs can get by Oregon, which I'm still not sure they can, they have the grit and style of play the frustrate the Tigers and end Memphis' dreams of a title. Jamont Gordon is a versatile swing guard, Ben "Don't call me Tyler" Hansbrough can knock down open shots off the bench, Charles Rhodes is a load down low, and Varnardo is the college version of Dikembe Mutumbo around the basket.
BRB Pick: Texas or Pitt (still undecided)
West (Phoenix)
Should win: UCLA
Why? UCLA is the most experienced team in college basketball coming off of two consecutive Final 4 appearances. The Bruins inability to score has hurt them the last two years but the addition of super frosh Kevin Love should solve that problem once the ball is tipped on Thursday. UCLA has one of the best coaches in the country, has a great tandem of guards with Collison and Westbrook, and they play tenacious defense.
Why not? Injuries to LR Mbah Mutae and Kevin Love could derail UCLA's chances at a third consecutive Final 4. Also, Josh Shipp, who earlier in the year filled in nicely for the departed Aaron Affalo, seems to lack confidence in his jump shot.
Most Vulnerable High Seed: Duke
Why? I know, I know. I hate to say it but the Dukies are what they are. If they hit their 3's, they can cut down the nets and beat anyone in the country. If they shoot it like they did against Clemson, they could get bounced by anyone (maybe not Belmont). Assuming Duke takes down Belmont, they will have to execute at a high level against either West Virginia or Arizona to advance to the next weekend.
Possible Upsets:
Georgia over Xavier: Xavier is a good squad with tremendous guard play, especially at the mid-major level. However, if there is a hotter, more inspired team than Georgia, let me know. Georgia pulled off a miracle nothing short of walking on water by winning 4 games is 3, yes 3 days to receive an automatic bid.
Arizona over Duke: Like Mississippi State, I'm not sure Arizona will get by their first round opponent but if they do, they can give the Devils all they want and more. Jerryd Bayless is the type of penetrating north-south guard that Duke struggles with, Chase Buddinger can flat out shoot, and Jordan Hill will be a load down low, especially for the undersized Blue Devils.
BRB pick: UCLA (over Duke in the Elite 8)
Final 4: UNC v. Kansas/Texas or Pitt v. UCLA
UNC v. Kansas: Although North Carolina has all of the ingredients to win a National Championship, their inability to play consistent defense should plague them against Kansas. Kansas' balance and big monsters down low should be enough to edge the Tar Heels.
Texas or Pitt v. UCLA: It really doesn't matter who I pick from the South bracket because I love UCLA's coach, defense, and winning ora. Although Texas beat UCLA earlier this season, I like UCLA over Texas. As for Pitt, UCLA is a much more talented version of Pitt and their former coach should get his squad through to the championship.
Kansas v. UCLA: I agonized over this pick. I believe these are the two best teams in the country and it would only be fitting for them to battle it out for the national championship. This would be a rematch of the West Regional Final last year but I think Kansas would get some revenge and overwhelm UCLA with their size and strength. I truly believe Ben Howland is the next version of Coach K and like Coach K, he may need to get to a number of Final 4's before actually winning the whole thing. Don't worry Bruin fans, he will get his one of these years, especially with Jru Holiday on the way to LA next year.
Kansas 80
UCLA 76
Hopefully, Duke can do better than I predicted but I just can't see them shooting the ball well 6 consecutive games. There will be a Clemson type shooting game in this tournament and if they can win despite that then they could go far. However, I strongly believe that once that game comes, Duke's season ends in heartbreaking fashion.
We'll see. Merry Madness!
As for the Field of 65 (well 64 now, sorry Coppin State), here's a BRBI breakdown of each region:
East (Charlotte)
Should win: North Carolina.
Why? Carolina has the POY in Tyler Hansbrough and they have Ty Lawson back and almost healthy running the point. With Lawson in the lineup, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green become so much more dangerous. Also, it doesn't help that they wouldn't leave the state of North Carolina before heading to San Antonio.
Why Not? One word, defense. Carolina tends to play defense only when they want to play defense (see the last 5 minutes at Cameron). However, if they don't commit themselves on the defensive end, they can be picked off by a number of teams.
Most Vulnerable High Seed: Tennessee
Why? The Volunteers shoot way too many bad shots and like we saw last year against Ohio State, cannot protect leads in crunch time. The Vols best shooter, Chris Lofton, has been up and down all year. Also, if teams beat their pressure, they are a below average half court defensive team.
Also, a trip to San Antonio seems unlikely with the possible road of Butler, Louisville, and UNC (on the road) to get there. Butler knocked off the Vols in the Preseason NIT last year by making Tennessee a half court team. Louisville, to me, is a more talented version of Tennessee and with David Padgett, they are better than the Vols. Finally, if Tennessee can escape those games, UNC will most likely loom. Good luck.
Possible Upsets:
George Mason over Notre Dame: We all know what Mason did two years ago during their miraculous run to the Final 4. Well, a few pieces from that team still exist in Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell. I think Mike Brey has his best team ever in South Bend but GMU won't be easy to deal with.
Butler over Tennessee (2nd Round): Butler is loaded with experience and they make teams play their pace. If they do that to Tennessee, watch out Bruce Pearl!
BRB pick: North Carolina
Midwest (Detroit)
Should win: Kansas
Why? Kansas is the deepest, most talented team in the country (by far). They really don't have a weakness and if they do have one, it's that they are too balanced (if that's possible). Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson are tough to stop down low and if you double in the post, the likes of Chalmers, Rush, Collins, and Robinson will burn you from the outside.
Why Not? Bill Self. Self has done a great job assembling such a great pool of talent in Lawrence but does he have what it takes to get his team to a Final 4? After back to back losses to Bucknell and Bradley in the first round, the Jayhawks bounced back and made it to the Elite 8 only to bow out against UCLA in a practical road game.
Most Vulnerable High Seed: Wisconsin
Why? The Big 10 isn't that good and although they should get past CSF in the first round, they will be severely outclassed athletically in the next round playing either USC or Kansas State. Wisconsin can flat out defend and Bo Ryan does more with less than any coach in America. However, they can't score and I don't see a go-to guy when they need a big basket. The Badger faithful can't rely on too many more Brian Butch bank shots.
Possible Upsets:
Villanova over Clemson: In November, this would not have been an upset. Villanova came into the year over hyped with Scottie Reynolds returning for another season and Corey Stokes coming in as a highly-touted freshman. Nova was the last team in the Tournament field and whether they treat this as a reprieve on their season or continue their inconsistency remains to be seen. Clemson is a squad but let's face it, they have no experience and they struggle hitting free throws. Plus, I get a little weary that so many people are on the Clemson bandwagon.
Kansas State over USC: Two words, Michael Beasley.
BRB pick: Kansas
South (Houston)
Should win: Toss up
This region can go many different ways in my estimation. Memphis can definitely win it but I just don't trust them in a big spot. If they do make it to San Antonio, D. Rose will carry them, not Chris Douglas-Roberts.
Texas, although they are young, is probably the favorite to come out of this bracket for me because they will play their possible Sweet 16/Elite 8 games in Houston.
Stanford & Pittsburgh can't be counted out as well. With Stanford, it begins and ends with Brook Lopez. If the Cardinal get anything out of their perimeter, they are very hard to beat. As for Pitt, they have a mojo about them that could carry them all the way to San Antonio.
Most Vulnerable High Seed: Memphis
Why? Competition, competition, competition. Sure, the Tigers overcame a strong non-conference schedule and only suffered one blemish this season but let's face it, Conference USA is practically a Division II conference. The Tigers are very athletic but they lack the basketball IQ that other teams in this bracket have. If there is a #1 that could go down in the 1st weekend, it's Memphis.
Possible Upsets:
Temple over Michigan State: There are a number of coaches known as motivators even more so than good X's and O's guys, Tom Izzo is one of those guys. However, Temple is red hot after winning the A-10 Tournament and Dionte Christmas is the best scorer you've never heard of. Will Christmas come early for Temple fans?
Mississippi State over Memphis: If the Bulldogs can get by Oregon, which I'm still not sure they can, they have the grit and style of play the frustrate the Tigers and end Memphis' dreams of a title. Jamont Gordon is a versatile swing guard, Ben "Don't call me Tyler" Hansbrough can knock down open shots off the bench, Charles Rhodes is a load down low, and Varnardo is the college version of Dikembe Mutumbo around the basket.
BRB Pick: Texas or Pitt (still undecided)
West (Phoenix)
Should win: UCLA
Why? UCLA is the most experienced team in college basketball coming off of two consecutive Final 4 appearances. The Bruins inability to score has hurt them the last two years but the addition of super frosh Kevin Love should solve that problem once the ball is tipped on Thursday. UCLA has one of the best coaches in the country, has a great tandem of guards with Collison and Westbrook, and they play tenacious defense.
Why not? Injuries to LR Mbah Mutae and Kevin Love could derail UCLA's chances at a third consecutive Final 4. Also, Josh Shipp, who earlier in the year filled in nicely for the departed Aaron Affalo, seems to lack confidence in his jump shot.
Most Vulnerable High Seed: Duke
Why? I know, I know. I hate to say it but the Dukies are what they are. If they hit their 3's, they can cut down the nets and beat anyone in the country. If they shoot it like they did against Clemson, they could get bounced by anyone (maybe not Belmont). Assuming Duke takes down Belmont, they will have to execute at a high level against either West Virginia or Arizona to advance to the next weekend.
Possible Upsets:
Georgia over Xavier: Xavier is a good squad with tremendous guard play, especially at the mid-major level. However, if there is a hotter, more inspired team than Georgia, let me know. Georgia pulled off a miracle nothing short of walking on water by winning 4 games is 3, yes 3 days to receive an automatic bid.
Arizona over Duke: Like Mississippi State, I'm not sure Arizona will get by their first round opponent but if they do, they can give the Devils all they want and more. Jerryd Bayless is the type of penetrating north-south guard that Duke struggles with, Chase Buddinger can flat out shoot, and Jordan Hill will be a load down low, especially for the undersized Blue Devils.
BRB pick: UCLA (over Duke in the Elite 8)
Final 4: UNC v. Kansas/Texas or Pitt v. UCLA
UNC v. Kansas: Although North Carolina has all of the ingredients to win a National Championship, their inability to play consistent defense should plague them against Kansas. Kansas' balance and big monsters down low should be enough to edge the Tar Heels.
Texas or Pitt v. UCLA: It really doesn't matter who I pick from the South bracket because I love UCLA's coach, defense, and winning ora. Although Texas beat UCLA earlier this season, I like UCLA over Texas. As for Pitt, UCLA is a much more talented version of Pitt and their former coach should get his squad through to the championship.
Kansas v. UCLA: I agonized over this pick. I believe these are the two best teams in the country and it would only be fitting for them to battle it out for the national championship. This would be a rematch of the West Regional Final last year but I think Kansas would get some revenge and overwhelm UCLA with their size and strength. I truly believe Ben Howland is the next version of Coach K and like Coach K, he may need to get to a number of Final 4's before actually winning the whole thing. Don't worry Bruin fans, he will get his one of these years, especially with Jru Holiday on the way to LA next year.
Kansas 80
UCLA 76
Hopefully, Duke can do better than I predicted but I just can't see them shooting the ball well 6 consecutive games. There will be a Clemson type shooting game in this tournament and if they can win despite that then they could go far. However, I strongly believe that once that game comes, Duke's season ends in heartbreaking fashion.
We'll see. Merry Madness!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Duke #2 Seed Out West
I don't want to say I told you so but I did. After Duke's loss to Clemson, I figured Duke would be the weakest #2 seed. The surprising thing about Duke's seeding was the site of the 1st and 2nd Round games. I thought it was a foregone conclusion that Duke would play in Raleigh but the committee switched up and punished Duke and G'Town for conference tournament losses. Instead of Duke going to Raleigh, they go to Washington D.C. and instead of G'Town going to Washington D.C., they go to Raleigh. Although Duke will now have to fly to their games instead of taking a short bus ride, I think this actually works better for Duke because Raleigh would be full of Carolina fans hence making it a road game.
As for the bracket, I'm neither happy nor disappointed because all this bracket reaffirms is what I've said on BRB all year long, Duke can get bounced in the first weekend or they can go to San Antonio and I still stand by that notion. All kidding aside, I think Duke should handle Belmont, even though they do have a great deal of experience. However, a team with 8 McDonald's All-Americans should beat a school named after a racetrack.
So, assuming Duke defeats Belmont, they get a tough matchup either way, playing West Virginia or Arizona. West Virginia has been playing good basketball and Joe Alexander is as versatile as any player in the nation. He can go inside and step outside with the best of them. I believe the last time the Huggy bear has faced Coach K was in the 1998 Great Alaskan Shootout, when Melvin Levitt beat Duke with a dunk at the buzzer, handing the Devils one of their two losses on the year. As for Arizona, they have a great deal of talent and although they probably should've been left out and Arizona State should've gotten in, if they get hot, they will make a run. With Bayless and Buddinger, Duke would struggle to defend those guys but the guy who would beat them, if they beat Duke, is Jordan Hill down low.
If the shots are falling, Duke should advance to Phoenix where they could play the likes of Xavier, Purdue, Baylor. Although Xavier has the type of guard quickness that usually upsets Duke, I would like the Devils in that matchup. Purdue is a solid squad and Matt Painter is a candidate for COY but I believe their inexperience would show against Duke. As for Baylor, what a great story Scott Drew has built down there after that program was left for dead after the Dave Bliss era filled with murder, lies and corruption. Despite the good story, Duke would be favored and should move on to play UCLA.
If Duke gets to the Elite 8 and sees UCLA, this is where the dream should end for the Blue Devils. I believe UCLA has too much championship experience, quick guards, and no answer for the big trees down low. UCLA will defend the hell out of the perimeter and to me, they are a more talented, more experienced Pittsburgh team and we all know how Duke struggled with them.
Much more later on but if you held a gun to my head, I would pick Duke to the Elite 8 and pick UCLA to move onto the Final 4.
As for the bracket, I'm neither happy nor disappointed because all this bracket reaffirms is what I've said on BRB all year long, Duke can get bounced in the first weekend or they can go to San Antonio and I still stand by that notion. All kidding aside, I think Duke should handle Belmont, even though they do have a great deal of experience. However, a team with 8 McDonald's All-Americans should beat a school named after a racetrack.
So, assuming Duke defeats Belmont, they get a tough matchup either way, playing West Virginia or Arizona. West Virginia has been playing good basketball and Joe Alexander is as versatile as any player in the nation. He can go inside and step outside with the best of them. I believe the last time the Huggy bear has faced Coach K was in the 1998 Great Alaskan Shootout, when Melvin Levitt beat Duke with a dunk at the buzzer, handing the Devils one of their two losses on the year. As for Arizona, they have a great deal of talent and although they probably should've been left out and Arizona State should've gotten in, if they get hot, they will make a run. With Bayless and Buddinger, Duke would struggle to defend those guys but the guy who would beat them, if they beat Duke, is Jordan Hill down low.
If the shots are falling, Duke should advance to Phoenix where they could play the likes of Xavier, Purdue, Baylor. Although Xavier has the type of guard quickness that usually upsets Duke, I would like the Devils in that matchup. Purdue is a solid squad and Matt Painter is a candidate for COY but I believe their inexperience would show against Duke. As for Baylor, what a great story Scott Drew has built down there after that program was left for dead after the Dave Bliss era filled with murder, lies and corruption. Despite the good story, Duke would be favored and should move on to play UCLA.
If Duke gets to the Elite 8 and sees UCLA, this is where the dream should end for the Blue Devils. I believe UCLA has too much championship experience, quick guards, and no answer for the big trees down low. UCLA will defend the hell out of the perimeter and to me, they are a more talented, more experienced Pittsburgh team and we all know how Duke struggled with them.
Much more later on but if you held a gun to my head, I would pick Duke to the Elite 8 and pick UCLA to move onto the Final 4.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Clem-Son of a...
Just a quick reminder, I will be live blogging the Duke/UNC Part III on Wral tomorrow. Oh wait, Clemson ruined those plans and although UNC was able to escape an upset bid, Duke could not. I never call out Duke's effort but let's face it, this team came out lethargic and slept walked through the first half. They were sloppy with the ball, they took bad shots, and for some reason, continued to double in the post only to give up an open layup.
As I've stated throughout the year, Duke's lucky number is 3 not 7 and today it was very unlucky and led to a defeat. They shot 20% from the 3-point line and missed a number of open looks. Also, in the first half, Duke uncharacteristically gave up a number of open looks to Terrence Oglesby and Cliff Hammonds.
Clemson, who is the absolute worst free throw shooting in Division I basketball, seems to make them against Duke and fouling Cliff Hammonds, who shoots 43%, iced the game from the free throw line, looking like Rick Barry in the process. Congratulations to Clemson on practically winning a home game for them considering every fan in the building was a Clemson fan or a North Carolina fan, who is obviously rooting against Duke.
I would've loved to see Duke/UNC for a third time but if I'm a Carolina fan, I don't like this matchup and really wouldn't have rooted for it. I know Duke is their archrival but UNC matches up much better against Duke than they do against Clemson. I see Clemson exercising some demons again tomorrow and knocking off UNC in a nailbiter.
Getting back to Duke, they shot dreadfully and with Kyle Singler struggling, it will be hard to have a long extended run in the NCAA Tournament. I know it's tough to hear but if they don't hit a great deal of 3's, they can't beat average to good teams, they just can't. If they shoot it like they did against UNC in Chapel Hill, they can cut down the nets. The problem is that Kyle Singler looks exhausted and the only thing worse than his play the last two games is that awful opera singer ESPN sollicited for the ACC Tournament (how dreadful is that??)
Next up for Duke is the NCAA Tournament, either on Thursday or Friday. They will either be one of the last two 2 seeds so expect to go out West and play in UCLA's bracket or to be one of the better 3 seeds. I think Duke's overall body of work, despite a 5-4 record in their last 9, should give them a #2 seed. If I had to guess, I see Duke landing as the #2 out West where they would probably have to go through UCLA in Anaheim to go to the Final 4. Good Luck!
Much, much, much more after the brackets come out...
As I've stated throughout the year, Duke's lucky number is 3 not 7 and today it was very unlucky and led to a defeat. They shot 20% from the 3-point line and missed a number of open looks. Also, in the first half, Duke uncharacteristically gave up a number of open looks to Terrence Oglesby and Cliff Hammonds.
Clemson, who is the absolute worst free throw shooting in Division I basketball, seems to make them against Duke and fouling Cliff Hammonds, who shoots 43%, iced the game from the free throw line, looking like Rick Barry in the process. Congratulations to Clemson on practically winning a home game for them considering every fan in the building was a Clemson fan or a North Carolina fan, who is obviously rooting against Duke.
I would've loved to see Duke/UNC for a third time but if I'm a Carolina fan, I don't like this matchup and really wouldn't have rooted for it. I know Duke is their archrival but UNC matches up much better against Duke than they do against Clemson. I see Clemson exercising some demons again tomorrow and knocking off UNC in a nailbiter.
Getting back to Duke, they shot dreadfully and with Kyle Singler struggling, it will be hard to have a long extended run in the NCAA Tournament. I know it's tough to hear but if they don't hit a great deal of 3's, they can't beat average to good teams, they just can't. If they shoot it like they did against UNC in Chapel Hill, they can cut down the nets. The problem is that Kyle Singler looks exhausted and the only thing worse than his play the last two games is that awful opera singer ESPN sollicited for the ACC Tournament (how dreadful is that??)
Next up for Duke is the NCAA Tournament, either on Thursday or Friday. They will either be one of the last two 2 seeds so expect to go out West and play in UCLA's bracket or to be one of the better 3 seeds. I think Duke's overall body of work, despite a 5-4 record in their last 9, should give them a #2 seed. If I had to guess, I see Duke landing as the #2 out West where they would probably have to go through UCLA in Anaheim to go to the Final 4. Good Luck!
Much, much, much more after the brackets come out...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Georgia Tech - Next Up
Duke will play Georgia Tech tomorrow night in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. The Jackets ended the spectacular career of Sean Singletary tonight.
Tech is under .500 this year and they have a few seniors that won't want that to be their last game. Look for a spirited effort for Tech but I see Duke pulling away late in the game.
We'll see...
Tech is under .500 this year and they have a few seniors that won't want that to be their last game. Look for a spirited effort for Tech but I see Duke pulling away late in the game.
We'll see...
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
SINGing His Praise...
Kyle Singler was named ACC Freshman of the Year today. No surprise here...My man crush enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign and is one of the biggest reasons why Duke has turned a disappointing 22-11 campaign a year ago into a 26-4 spectacular season.
Congrats to Singler and here's to another 3 years at Duke (please...)
Congrats to Singler and here's to another 3 years at Duke (please...)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Nelson - 1st Team All-ACC
DeMarcus Nelson earned All-ACC honors today along with Tyler Hansbrough, Tyrese Rice, Sean Singletary, and Jack McClinton. Nelson also made the All-ACC Defensive team...
Greg Paulus earned 3rd team All-ACC honors as did Kyle Singler, as a freshman...
Congrats to those guys
Greg Paulus earned 3rd team All-ACC honors as did Kyle Singler, as a freshman...
Congrats to those guys
Duke Drops to #7
Duke drops down to #7 in both polls heading into the ACC Tournament. Inexplicably, Wisconsin has jumped Duke in the ESPN one despite having the same record and Duke spanking the hell out of them in November...
UNC remains #1 and is prime for the #1 seed in the East unless something catastrophic happens like losing on Friday to Wake/FSU and Duke winning the ACC Tourney
POLL
UNC remains #1 and is prime for the #1 seed in the East unless something catastrophic happens like losing on Friday to Wake/FSU and Duke winning the ACC Tourney
POLL
ACC Bracket Set
Thursdays Games:
Wake/FSU
Miami/NC State
G-Tech/Virginia
Maryland/BC
Fridays Games:
UNC v. Wake/FSU
V-Tech v. Miami/NC State
Duke v. G-Tech/Virginia
Clemson v. Maryland/BC
BRBI: Bleed Royal Blue Index
UNC, Duke, Clemson - stone cold locks, can lose their first round game and still feel comfy
Miami - beat NC State and should be win; lose to NC State and sweat it out
V-Tech - must beat the Miami/NC State winner to get back on the bubble and probably needs to upset UNC to get there after a close loss to Clemson yesterday
Maryland - after a terrible loss to Virginia, at 8-8 in conference and a pathetic 64 RPI, they must advance to the semifinal at least but probably get to the final to be safe
Wake, FSU, Virginia, G-Tech, NC State, BC must win 4 straight and get the automatic bid
Should be fun...
Wake/FSU
Miami/NC State
G-Tech/Virginia
Maryland/BC
Fridays Games:
UNC v. Wake/FSU
V-Tech v. Miami/NC State
Duke v. G-Tech/Virginia
Clemson v. Maryland/BC
BRBI: Bleed Royal Blue Index
UNC, Duke, Clemson - stone cold locks, can lose their first round game and still feel comfy
Miami - beat NC State and should be win; lose to NC State and sweat it out
V-Tech - must beat the Miami/NC State winner to get back on the bubble and probably needs to upset UNC to get there after a close loss to Clemson yesterday
Maryland - after a terrible loss to Virginia, at 8-8 in conference and a pathetic 64 RPI, they must advance to the semifinal at least but probably get to the final to be safe
Wake, FSU, Virginia, G-Tech, NC State, BC must win 4 straight and get the automatic bid
Should be fun...
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Senior Daze
Well, DeMarcus Nelson can add his name to that unfortunate list of Seniors who have lost in their last game at Cameron. Nelson has been spectacular this year but tonight, he was dreadful and really let the moment get the best of him.
Before I get into the analysis, I first have to congratulate the Tar Heels on a well-deserved, hard fought ACC Championship. Second, I thought the whole Eve Carson tribute was as classy as it was appropriate.
You can say whatever you want about Duke's poor 1st Half, the play that really turned this game around was the Gerald Henderson missed dunk with Duke up 68-66. Duke would then go the final 5:40 without a basket.
Greg Paulus really kept the Blue Devils in the game in the 1st Half as he continues his hot shooting. Also, Brian Zoubek gave the Blue Devils 10 good minutes but UNC's small lineup forced him out of the game.
A few reasons why UNC was better tonight:
1) They had Tyler Hansbrough and Duke didn't.
2) Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, who were dreadful in Part I, were stellar in the sequel.
3) Roy Williams had the Heels switch off ball screens, which they never do, and that clearly confused Duke and forced them into some tough shots.
4) I believe they left it all out on the floor tonight not only for an ACC title and a #1 but for young Eve Carson.
A few reasons why Duke wasn't good tonight:
1) Poor shooting and ball handling in the 1st Half
2) DeMarcus Nelson let Senior Day get the best of him
3) Duke couldn't keep UNC off the glass
Despite what the experts say, Duke still has a shot at a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they can win the ACC Tournament and get some help from teams playing the likes of Kansas, UCLA, Tennessee, etc...Most likely, unless they have a Friday exit in the ACC Tournament, they should be a #2 seed and still play in Raleigh in the 1st and 2nd Rounds...
Next up for Duke is the ACC Tournament and as the #2 seed, they will have a bye before playing the 7-10 winner on Friday. The seeding is still yet to be determined...
Before I get into the analysis, I first have to congratulate the Tar Heels on a well-deserved, hard fought ACC Championship. Second, I thought the whole Eve Carson tribute was as classy as it was appropriate.
You can say whatever you want about Duke's poor 1st Half, the play that really turned this game around was the Gerald Henderson missed dunk with Duke up 68-66. Duke would then go the final 5:40 without a basket.
Greg Paulus really kept the Blue Devils in the game in the 1st Half as he continues his hot shooting. Also, Brian Zoubek gave the Blue Devils 10 good minutes but UNC's small lineup forced him out of the game.
A few reasons why UNC was better tonight:
1) They had Tyler Hansbrough and Duke didn't.
2) Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, who were dreadful in Part I, were stellar in the sequel.
3) Roy Williams had the Heels switch off ball screens, which they never do, and that clearly confused Duke and forced them into some tough shots.
4) I believe they left it all out on the floor tonight not only for an ACC title and a #1 but for young Eve Carson.
A few reasons why Duke wasn't good tonight:
1) Poor shooting and ball handling in the 1st Half
2) DeMarcus Nelson let Senior Day get the best of him
3) Duke couldn't keep UNC off the glass
Despite what the experts say, Duke still has a shot at a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they can win the ACC Tournament and get some help from teams playing the likes of Kansas, UCLA, Tennessee, etc...Most likely, unless they have a Friday exit in the ACC Tournament, they should be a #2 seed and still play in Raleigh in the 1st and 2nd Rounds...
Next up for Duke is the ACC Tournament and as the #2 seed, they will have a bye before playing the 7-10 winner on Friday. The seeding is still yet to be determined...
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Senior Day
I think DeMarcus Nelson would be flattered to be included on a list with the likes of Shane Battier, JJ Redick, and Shelden Williams to name a few Duke greats. However, if I group him in a sentence with those guys after tonight's game, it could be detrimental to Duke's season.
Shane Battier in 2001 and JJ & Shelden in 2004 squared off against Maryland and UNC respectively on their Senior Day and they came away with a big fat "L"
In 2001, Duke and Maryland would meet an unbelievable 4 times and every single game was a classic. However, the one that Duke lost was their Shane Battier's last game in Cameron (that was his last loss at Duke though) in a game where Duke's season looked over when Carlos Boozer broke his foot.
In 2004, Duke had went 14-0 through the first 14 ACC games and along the way, JJ Redick was having a record breaking season. Then, Duke fell to Florida State on the road, which set the stage for JJ, Shelden and Co. to ride off into the sunset and beat a very young but talented North Carolina team. Duke started off hot but it wouldn't last and the rest is history.
Will the 2008 version of Senior Day have the same result? Will DeMarcus Nelson fall into that category or will he go out on top like Wojo in 1998?
We'll see...
Shane Battier in 2001 and JJ & Shelden in 2004 squared off against Maryland and UNC respectively on their Senior Day and they came away with a big fat "L"
In 2001, Duke and Maryland would meet an unbelievable 4 times and every single game was a classic. However, the one that Duke lost was their Shane Battier's last game in Cameron (that was his last loss at Duke though) in a game where Duke's season looked over when Carlos Boozer broke his foot.
In 2004, Duke had went 14-0 through the first 14 ACC games and along the way, JJ Redick was having a record breaking season. Then, Duke fell to Florida State on the road, which set the stage for JJ, Shelden and Co. to ride off into the sunset and beat a very young but talented North Carolina team. Duke started off hot but it wouldn't last and the rest is history.
Will the 2008 version of Senior Day have the same result? Will DeMarcus Nelson fall into that category or will he go out on top like Wojo in 1998?
We'll see...
Thursday, March 6, 2008
VOTE FOR DEMARCUS
For most of the year, I couldn't have given a damn about the Lowe's Senior Class Award but with very little voting time left, DeMarcus is tied percentage-wise with Tennessee's Chris "I've never hit a 2-point field goal" Lofton. Click the link on the top right of my page to push DeMarcus over the top. It only takes a minute...
Just a game...
I always root against North Carolina but sometimes I need to take a step back and realize that it's just a game...
Two months ago, a friend and mentor of mine was shot and killed outside of a nightclub and it's been really tough to deal with. So, I feel for this girl's friends and family and I send out my condolensces to her family.
Tragedy at Chapel Hill
Two months ago, a friend and mentor of mine was shot and killed outside of a nightclub and it's been really tough to deal with. So, I feel for this girl's friends and family and I send out my condolensces to her family.
Tragedy at Chapel Hill
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
In the Zone...
The Dukies spanked Virginia earlier tonight and they did it by going to a 2-3 zone. Huh? Down 26-25 and Sean Singletary penetrating at will, Coach K went for to the Jimmy B zone and boy, did it pay off. From there, Duke went on an 18-3 run and really never looked back. Virginia made a few small runs but when they needed a big shot, Duke got it from a number of usual suspects, mainly Kyle Singler and DeMarcus Nelson.
The saddest thing about Virginia's season is that Sean Singletary probably only has two games left in his career since they won't be playing in any postseason tournament unless they make a dramatic run in the ACC Tournament. Singletary has electrified crowds around the ACC for four years and it truly is a shame to see him go but let's face it, I'm not losing any sleep over it.
My main concern is the Blue Devils and at 26-3, they have overachieved to this point. To me, Duke's only chance to make the Final 4 and take a shot at the national championship is to land that #1 seed in the East. If that's the case, the mission is clear: beat North Carolina on Saturday night. If they lose, UNC locks up that #1 in the East and Duke is forced to win the ACC Tournament to have a shot at a #1 out West.
Much more on the UNC game later on in the week and my prediction will be on Saturday during my live blog on WRAL. The link is below along with the box score to Duke's victory tonight...
LIVE BLOG LINK
Duke 86 Virginia 70
This column will be syndicated on MVN.com
The saddest thing about Virginia's season is that Sean Singletary probably only has two games left in his career since they won't be playing in any postseason tournament unless they make a dramatic run in the ACC Tournament. Singletary has electrified crowds around the ACC for four years and it truly is a shame to see him go but let's face it, I'm not losing any sleep over it.
My main concern is the Blue Devils and at 26-3, they have overachieved to this point. To me, Duke's only chance to make the Final 4 and take a shot at the national championship is to land that #1 seed in the East. If that's the case, the mission is clear: beat North Carolina on Saturday night. If they lose, UNC locks up that #1 in the East and Duke is forced to win the ACC Tournament to have a shot at a #1 out West.
Much more on the UNC game later on in the week and my prediction will be on Saturday during my live blog on WRAL. The link is below along with the box score to Duke's victory tonight...
LIVE BLOG LINK
Duke 86 Virginia 70
This column will be syndicated on MVN.com
WRAL Link
I have signed on to the live blog again with WRAL.com against Mr. Tar Heel. The first matchup was more for bragging rights and I took it easy on UNC. Now, with an ACC Championship on the line, I won't be so nice. Check it out if you stay home and avoid the bar scene on Saturday...
LIVE BLOG LINK
LIVE BLOG LINK
Not So Fast...
I will not be parting with this site after all. I will write for MVN but I will co-author that blog with another Duke fan. Should be fun, details later but BRB is going nowhere...
Monday, March 3, 2008
Forwarding Address
Attention BRB readers:
I have moved over to MVN.com to contribute to their mission of the becoming the biggest and best independent sports website around...
The link is below. For all of the websites that have me linked, can you please link this new address? Thank you...
BRB on MVN
BTW, Catch me again on WRAL.com, live blogging against UNC fanatic, Mr. Tar Heel. Should be fun the second time around as well, especially if Duke can pull out a regular season title.
I have moved over to MVN.com to contribute to their mission of the becoming the biggest and best independent sports website around...
The link is below. For all of the websites that have me linked, can you please link this new address? Thank you...
BRB on MVN
BTW, Catch me again on WRAL.com, live blogging against UNC fanatic, Mr. Tar Heel. Should be fun the second time around as well, especially if Duke can pull out a regular season title.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
BRB March News
A few things as the college basketball season moves into high gear:
1) Live Blog II: It looks like Mr. Tar Heel and I will go head-to-head for a second time this year for the Duke/UNC regular season finale. We should be signed on very soon, just a few minor details need to be worked out. More details later in the week. I really appreciate all of the readers and great comments that I received last time and I'm hoping for deja vu.
2) I will be taking over the Duke page on MVN.com (Most Valuable Network). Once I have the final details, I will be writing for MVN, one of the biggest independent sports media website around right now...
More news as it comes but thanks for reading and go Duke!
1) Live Blog II: It looks like Mr. Tar Heel and I will go head-to-head for a second time this year for the Duke/UNC regular season finale. We should be signed on very soon, just a few minor details need to be worked out. More details later in the week. I really appreciate all of the readers and great comments that I received last time and I'm hoping for deja vu.
2) I will be taking over the Duke page on MVN.com (Most Valuable Network). Once I have the final details, I will be writing for MVN, one of the biggest independent sports media website around right now...
More news as it comes but thanks for reading and go Duke!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
800
Coach K has experienced a number of thrilling and improbable victories but this one has to rank up there for the Blue Devil coach. Down 13 with 12 minutes to go and being thoroughly outplayed on the road, it sure appeared that Coach K would have to wait until Wednesday night for the milestone. Then, DeMarcus Nelson and Co. took over by hitting shots, digging in on defense, and more importantly, hitting big free throws down the stretch.
At halftime, I turned to my brother and proclaimed "Duke will win this game" despite a 3-point deficit because State has played so well, hit their shots, and more importantly, didn't miss a free throw not to mention Duke shot miserably. However, unlike the 1st meeting, State kept their foot on the pedal and it looked as if Duke didn't have a prayer especially when guys like Javier Gonzalez went for 15 points above their season average.
There were so many huge plays in this game but none were bigger than DeMarcus' 3-point shot down 84-79 with 2 minutes to go especially since he had the presence of mind to step behind the line and calmly stroke the 3. Then, down the stretch, State, who had been great at the line, on 2 consecutive crucial possessions, hit 1 of 2 from the line leaving a 86-85 score with under a minute to play. Nelson then decided to take over and to be honest, got away with a hook and got fouled. Now, I've killed Nelson all year for his dreadful free throw shooting and even prophecized that it would inevitably burn the Blue Devils but it didn't today.
This was easily Duke's best victory considering how much they had to climb to get back into the game. In December, Duke lost a thriller they had no business losing to Pittsburgh. Today, they won a thriller they had no business winning so I guess the basketball gods even things out, at least for now.
Congratulations to Coach K. He's heard so much praise in the last 28 years but believe it or not, even at 800 wins, this could be his best coaching job. Huh? Think about it. Coach K has been very stubborn the last few years sticking with his game plan and not adjusting to his team and their abilities. This year, he changed his entire philosophy, whether it is the Phoenix spread offense or even throwing in a few 2-3 zones from time to time, Coach K has played to his players strengths and has finally used his bench...
The best win of the season for Duke, on NC State's Senior Day no less. The Devils will play another one of those against Sean Singletary and Virginia. The Cavs compete at home and Duke could be looking forward to UNC but I like Duke to make it 801 for K...
Prediction: Duke 81 UVA 71
At halftime, I turned to my brother and proclaimed "Duke will win this game" despite a 3-point deficit because State has played so well, hit their shots, and more importantly, didn't miss a free throw not to mention Duke shot miserably. However, unlike the 1st meeting, State kept their foot on the pedal and it looked as if Duke didn't have a prayer especially when guys like Javier Gonzalez went for 15 points above their season average.
There were so many huge plays in this game but none were bigger than DeMarcus' 3-point shot down 84-79 with 2 minutes to go especially since he had the presence of mind to step behind the line and calmly stroke the 3. Then, down the stretch, State, who had been great at the line, on 2 consecutive crucial possessions, hit 1 of 2 from the line leaving a 86-85 score with under a minute to play. Nelson then decided to take over and to be honest, got away with a hook and got fouled. Now, I've killed Nelson all year for his dreadful free throw shooting and even prophecized that it would inevitably burn the Blue Devils but it didn't today.
This was easily Duke's best victory considering how much they had to climb to get back into the game. In December, Duke lost a thriller they had no business losing to Pittsburgh. Today, they won a thriller they had no business winning so I guess the basketball gods even things out, at least for now.
Congratulations to Coach K. He's heard so much praise in the last 28 years but believe it or not, even at 800 wins, this could be his best coaching job. Huh? Think about it. Coach K has been very stubborn the last few years sticking with his game plan and not adjusting to his team and their abilities. This year, he changed his entire philosophy, whether it is the Phoenix spread offense or even throwing in a few 2-3 zones from time to time, Coach K has played to his players strengths and has finally used his bench...
The best win of the season for Duke, on NC State's Senior Day no less. The Devils will play another one of those against Sean Singletary and Virginia. The Cavs compete at home and Duke could be looking forward to UNC but I like Duke to make it 801 for K...
Prediction: Duke 81 UVA 71
Coach K Goes For # 800
I apologize for not posting after the Tech game but even though Duke won, that game almost put me in a coma.
As for today, Duke heads over to Raleigh to play the schizo NC State team that can beat anyone in the country and also lose to anyone in the country. If NC State can string together two halves this time against Duke, they will pull off the upset because their size presents too many problems down low.
However, Duke should use their pressure to force Javier Gonzalez into turnovers and I like Coach K to get his 800th victory in about 2 hours. More after the game...
Prediction: Duke 71 NC State 65
As for today, Duke heads over to Raleigh to play the schizo NC State team that can beat anyone in the country and also lose to anyone in the country. If NC State can string together two halves this time against Duke, they will pull off the upset because their size presents too many problems down low.
However, Duke should use their pressure to force Javier Gonzalez into turnovers and I like Coach K to get his 800th victory in about 2 hours. More after the game...
Prediction: Duke 71 NC State 65
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Missing Piece?
Although Duke plays tonight, their greatest victory came earlier in the day when 6'11'' Mason Plumlee committed to Duke and became the first recruit for Duke in the Class of 2009. There has been a great deal of pub about Kenny Boynton and Leslie McDonald but this kid, from everything you read, will provide something that Duke does not have this year and won't have next year, an inside presence...
Welcome to Duke, Mason
MP ARTICLE
Welcome to Duke, Mason
MP ARTICLE
Monday, February 25, 2008
Duke #2 in the East (Bracketology)
Although Shawn Seigel still has Duke as a #1 because of their gaudy RPI, Joe Lunardi has dropped them to a #2 seed. However, he has them as the #2 seed in the East (Charlotte) bracket, which would be a huge break for Duke.
I would much rather a #2 in the East then a #1 in the Midwest or West...
BRACKET
I would much rather a #2 in the East then a #1 in the Midwest or West...
BRACKET
Oh Boy!
It was clear to me last night watching the Cal/Stanford game that Duke could really use Jamal Boykin. Who? He was one of the guys who didn't play much at Duke and transferred because of a series of family problems coupled with a lack of playing time.
Since joining the Golden Bears mid-season, Boykin has had some really good games and more importantly, is an active body off the bench in the nation's toughest conference. In just 16 games this season, Boykin is the 5th leading scorer on a Cal team that has some studs, mainly Ryan Anderson, Patrick Christopher, and Devon Hardin. Not to mention, he's went for double figure points off the bench in 7 of those 16 games, which is something Duke has severely lacked at their 5-position. Boykin stands the same height as Lance Thomas and with David McClure clearly feeling the effects of his multiple knee injuries, Duke could really use a guy like Boykin to eat up some minutes and even provide an offensive spark, something that Lance Thomas rarely gives you.
The transfers on Jamal Boykin and Eric Boateng were relative footnotes for Duke and its fan base when they happened but with McRoberts bailing for the NBA (or NBDL), Patrick Patterson going to Lexington, and Duke missing out on the Greg Monroe sweepstakes, those transfers seem to a hurt a lot more...
Since joining the Golden Bears mid-season, Boykin has had some really good games and more importantly, is an active body off the bench in the nation's toughest conference. In just 16 games this season, Boykin is the 5th leading scorer on a Cal team that has some studs, mainly Ryan Anderson, Patrick Christopher, and Devon Hardin. Not to mention, he's went for double figure points off the bench in 7 of those 16 games, which is something Duke has severely lacked at their 5-position. Boykin stands the same height as Lance Thomas and with David McClure clearly feeling the effects of his multiple knee injuries, Duke could really use a guy like Boykin to eat up some minutes and even provide an offensive spark, something that Lance Thomas rarely gives you.
The transfers on Jamal Boykin and Eric Boateng were relative footnotes for Duke and its fan base when they happened but with McRoberts bailing for the NBA (or NBDL), Patrick Patterson going to Lexington, and Duke missing out on the Greg Monroe sweepstakes, those transfers seem to a hurt a lot more...
Duke Drops in Rankings
The mid-week loss to Miami (FL) dropped Duke two spots in both polls, ESPN #6 & AP #7. Tennessee assumes its first #1 ranking in school history and it could be short lived, with a trip to Vanderbilt on the horizon.
Despite huge wins over Duke and Maryland, Miami didn't crack the Top 25 in either poll, still leaving Duke and UNC as the only two representatives of the ACC.
POLL
Despite huge wins over Duke and Maryland, Miami didn't crack the Top 25 in either poll, still leaving Duke and UNC as the only two representatives of the ACC.
POLL
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Weathering The Storm
When you have a cold, you go to the Benadryl. When you get cut, you go to the bandaid. When you're on a two-game losing streak, you play St. John's. My graduate school alma mater is hardly a big-time program anymore and Duke couldn't have planned the Johnnies trip to Cameron at a better time. Coming off two straight ACC road losses, Duke came home searching for their identity and early on, it looked as if they would struggle through this one as well, falling behind 7-0 to the young Johnnies.
However, Duke's ability to defend coupled with their ability to hit the three pointer, allowed them to coast to a much needed, easy victory. I'll tell you, it was like the bizarro world out there today with Brian Zoubek (yes, this is NOT a typo) taking over and getting a double-double. What were the Vegas odds on Brian Zoubek getting a double-double? Probably the same as David Tyree catching a TD pass as well as the biggest catch in sports history in the Super Bowl. If they get similar efforts from Zoubek, Duke has a good shot to go to the Final 4. Let me see Zou do it against better competition, specifically Georgia Tech later this week.
Greg Paulus had a pretty rough game on a negative note even though he bounced back to hit some threes in the 2nd Half but I must say, I love Nolan Smith at the point right now. Kyle Singler, what else can I say about him? Anyone who reads this blog knows the man love I have for him. Gerald Henderson looked much better with that wrist injury and really sparked the run that pulled Duke away from the Johnnies with 3 consecutive jumpers. Oh, and I would be wrong if I didn't make a public apology to Jon Sheyer. After calling him out after the Wake game, he has really responded. I'm not saying that my blog was bulletin board material but I will take credit for his resurgence anyways just because I can and I want to.
Next up for the Dukies is Georgia Tech at Cameron Indoor on Wednesday night. If Duke can pressure Causey into turnovers, Duke should prevail at home and look towards the big one in Raleigh over the weekend against State. I will provide a prediction later in the week but I certainly like Duke in this one after regaining their stroke against the Red Storm.
However, Duke's ability to defend coupled with their ability to hit the three pointer, allowed them to coast to a much needed, easy victory. I'll tell you, it was like the bizarro world out there today with Brian Zoubek (yes, this is NOT a typo) taking over and getting a double-double. What were the Vegas odds on Brian Zoubek getting a double-double? Probably the same as David Tyree catching a TD pass as well as the biggest catch in sports history in the Super Bowl. If they get similar efforts from Zoubek, Duke has a good shot to go to the Final 4. Let me see Zou do it against better competition, specifically Georgia Tech later this week.
Greg Paulus had a pretty rough game on a negative note even though he bounced back to hit some threes in the 2nd Half but I must say, I love Nolan Smith at the point right now. Kyle Singler, what else can I say about him? Anyone who reads this blog knows the man love I have for him. Gerald Henderson looked much better with that wrist injury and really sparked the run that pulled Duke away from the Johnnies with 3 consecutive jumpers. Oh, and I would be wrong if I didn't make a public apology to Jon Sheyer. After calling him out after the Wake game, he has really responded. I'm not saying that my blog was bulletin board material but I will take credit for his resurgence anyways just because I can and I want to.
Next up for the Dukies is Georgia Tech at Cameron Indoor on Wednesday night. If Duke can pressure Causey into turnovers, Duke should prevail at home and look towards the big one in Raleigh over the weekend against State. I will provide a prediction later in the week but I certainly like Duke in this one after regaining their stroke against the Red Storm.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Elliot Williams on McDonald's All-American Roster
Big surprise, the Dukies landed a McDonald's All-American in Elliot Williams and look like they will lock up his friend Leslie McDonald next year, another All-American possibility.
A bigger surprise, however, is that Duke only landed one and he's 6'4''. The last time I checked, I could've sworn that Duke is in dire need of guys taller than 6'8'' and that issue was not addressed with this recruiting class.
McD's Count
UNC (3)
Ohio State (2)
UCLA (2)
Alabama (1)
Virginia (1)
Rutgers (1)
Louisville (1)
Florida State (1)
UCONN (1)
Duke (1)
Nevada (1) Huh?
USC (1)
Oregon (1)
Wake Forest (1)
Arizona (1)
G'Town (1)
G'Tech (1)
Oklahoma (1)
Unofficial Roster
A bigger surprise, however, is that Duke only landed one and he's 6'4''. The last time I checked, I could've sworn that Duke is in dire need of guys taller than 6'8'' and that issue was not addressed with this recruiting class.
McD's Count
UNC (3)
Ohio State (2)
UCLA (2)
Alabama (1)
Virginia (1)
Rutgers (1)
Louisville (1)
Florida State (1)
UCONN (1)
Duke (1)
Nevada (1) Huh?
USC (1)
Oregon (1)
Wake Forest (1)
Arizona (1)
G'Town (1)
G'Tech (1)
Oklahoma (1)
Unofficial Roster
Hurri-ble Defeat
Heading into Sunday night's game against Wake Forest, Duke had only sustained one freakin loss. Four days later, they have three. Miami jumped out to an uncharacteristic 20 point lead early in the 2nd Half and barely held off the Blue Devils on Wednesday night 96-95.
I only saw one segment of this game (thank god) because I was blocked out of this game because I don't belong to an ACC market. So, I will not pull a Christopher "Maddog" Russo and comment on a game that I didn't see but I will say this: two straight losses don't bother me as much as letting up 96 points and giving up 58% shooting from the field. Duke's defense seems to have abandoned them in the last two games and they better find it fast.
On Saturday, Duke finally returns home and steps out of conference to face my pathetic alma mater, St. John's. If the Dukies lose this game, cancel the season. The Johnnies are as dreadful as they come and although Justin Burrell could hurt them down low, their guard play is much too weak to beat the Devils in Cameron, that's a guarantee.
Prediction: Duke 76 St. John's 61
I don't know what's wrong with this team the last two games but they still have time to get it together, win this conference, and secure that coveted #1 seed. The mission is simple to understand but not so simple in accomplishing: beat GT at home, beat NC State in Raleigh, beat Virginia in Charlottesville, and then knock off the Lawson-led Tar Heels on DeMarcus' Senior Day. That sounds easy enough (notice the sarcasm).
UNHAPPY RECAP
I only saw one segment of this game (thank god) because I was blocked out of this game because I don't belong to an ACC market. So, I will not pull a Christopher "Maddog" Russo and comment on a game that I didn't see but I will say this: two straight losses don't bother me as much as letting up 96 points and giving up 58% shooting from the field. Duke's defense seems to have abandoned them in the last two games and they better find it fast.
On Saturday, Duke finally returns home and steps out of conference to face my pathetic alma mater, St. John's. If the Dukies lose this game, cancel the season. The Johnnies are as dreadful as they come and although Justin Burrell could hurt them down low, their guard play is much too weak to beat the Devils in Cameron, that's a guarantee.
Prediction: Duke 76 St. John's 61
I don't know what's wrong with this team the last two games but they still have time to get it together, win this conference, and secure that coveted #1 seed. The mission is simple to understand but not so simple in accomplishing: beat GT at home, beat NC State in Raleigh, beat Virginia in Charlottesville, and then knock off the Lawson-led Tar Heels on DeMarcus' Senior Day. That sounds easy enough (notice the sarcasm).
UNHAPPY RECAP
Monday, February 18, 2008
Duke #4 in ESPN Poll
Duke drops to #4 in the latest ESPN Poll after their loss to Wake Forest. Memphis remains #1 after narrowly escaping an upset at the hands of Mike Davis and his UAB squad. Tennessee moves up to #2, which sets up a battle of #1 & #2 on Saturday night. If Memphis pulls it out, they should enter the tournament 34-0.
POLL
POLL
Fa-Teague'd
The 12 game winning streak is gone. The lofty #2 ranking should be in their rear view mirror. More importantly, for the first time this season, Duke was outplayed, outhustled, and outexecuted by their opponent.
Congratulations to Wake Forest on a terrific victory and to Dino Gaudio for developing a tremendous gameplan to beat the Devils. You know those kids wanted this one badly for Skip Prosser. The Deacons used their quickness to make it a North-South game and not an East-West game. Duke had previously run out to a 22-1 record because they exposed teams that tried to beat them East-West, which usually winds up failing against their tremendous ball pressure. However, on Sunday Night, the Deacs used their speed in the backcourt to constantly penetrate and hit layups or penetrate to open shooters.
All the talk has been how good Kyle Singler has been as a freshman and that he was probably the choice for ACC ROY. However, he was outplayed by two of Wake's freshmen last night, James Johnson and Jeff Teague. Teague penetrated at will and got any shot he wanted and when James Johnson realized that he should live down low and not on the perimeter, he also dominated the undersized Dukies. The two magnificent diaper dandies accounted for 50 of Wake's 86 points in victory.
Getting back to the North-South gameplan. Can you remember one play, just one play, where Wake tried a cross court pass? I really can't. So, the gameplan or blueprint is out there to effectively beat Duke so how will they adjust to this bump in the road? Everyone knows that they have a disadvantage down low but they have done a marvellous job at exploiting that same mismatch on the offensive end with Kyle Singler on the perimeter. However, if you couple the size advantage with quick and athletic guards that continually penetrate, you will beat the Blue Devils or at the very lest, be there at the end of the game.
As for Duke, they played a very sub par game and for the most part, you can give Wake the credit for that but you can't give them credit for Dukes lack of hustle. The one positive out of this game is Nolan Smith and his ability to penetrate at will. His performance last night should not only earn him minutes but he should steal some minutes from Jon Sheyer, who was absolutely dreadful last night. You couldn't have gotten a worse performance from Sheyer: 27 minutes, 0-8 from the field for 0 points and 3 turnovers. It appears for the second consecutive year that Sheyer is starting to hit a wall in February and if he's not shooting well or taking care of the ball, the consistent backcourt has to be Paulus and Smith, with Smith playing the point most of the time.
Gerald Henderson is not the same player he was during the season since he sustained that wrist injury against Carolina. If Duke has any shot of playing deep into March, they need Henderson to be 100%. Another huge problem for Duke is free throw shooting and this will inevitably hurt them down the stretch here. The problem is that the only two guys who have the ability to slash and get fouled are very bad free throw shooters, Nelson and Henderson. I will give Henderson a break because of his wrist but Nelson, for as good as he's been, is absolutely dreadful from the line.
BOX
Overall, it was a disappointing peformance for the Dukies but they have been dodging bullets all year and finally, a bad first half wound up costing them in the long run. Next up for Duke is Miami at Miami on Wednesday night, which should be another tough game. Given Duke's track record and Coach K's ability to motivate after a loss, I like Duke's chances to come out firing on all cyclinders. A-Rod may be in attendance as usual and you know Miami will be rocking when Duke comes to town but I love Duke's chances on Wednesday to bounce back.
Prediction: Duke 85 Miami 78
Congratulations to Wake Forest on a terrific victory and to Dino Gaudio for developing a tremendous gameplan to beat the Devils. You know those kids wanted this one badly for Skip Prosser. The Deacons used their quickness to make it a North-South game and not an East-West game. Duke had previously run out to a 22-1 record because they exposed teams that tried to beat them East-West, which usually winds up failing against their tremendous ball pressure. However, on Sunday Night, the Deacs used their speed in the backcourt to constantly penetrate and hit layups or penetrate to open shooters.
All the talk has been how good Kyle Singler has been as a freshman and that he was probably the choice for ACC ROY. However, he was outplayed by two of Wake's freshmen last night, James Johnson and Jeff Teague. Teague penetrated at will and got any shot he wanted and when James Johnson realized that he should live down low and not on the perimeter, he also dominated the undersized Dukies. The two magnificent diaper dandies accounted for 50 of Wake's 86 points in victory.
Getting back to the North-South gameplan. Can you remember one play, just one play, where Wake tried a cross court pass? I really can't. So, the gameplan or blueprint is out there to effectively beat Duke so how will they adjust to this bump in the road? Everyone knows that they have a disadvantage down low but they have done a marvellous job at exploiting that same mismatch on the offensive end with Kyle Singler on the perimeter. However, if you couple the size advantage with quick and athletic guards that continually penetrate, you will beat the Blue Devils or at the very lest, be there at the end of the game.
As for Duke, they played a very sub par game and for the most part, you can give Wake the credit for that but you can't give them credit for Dukes lack of hustle. The one positive out of this game is Nolan Smith and his ability to penetrate at will. His performance last night should not only earn him minutes but he should steal some minutes from Jon Sheyer, who was absolutely dreadful last night. You couldn't have gotten a worse performance from Sheyer: 27 minutes, 0-8 from the field for 0 points and 3 turnovers. It appears for the second consecutive year that Sheyer is starting to hit a wall in February and if he's not shooting well or taking care of the ball, the consistent backcourt has to be Paulus and Smith, with Smith playing the point most of the time.
Gerald Henderson is not the same player he was during the season since he sustained that wrist injury against Carolina. If Duke has any shot of playing deep into March, they need Henderson to be 100%. Another huge problem for Duke is free throw shooting and this will inevitably hurt them down the stretch here. The problem is that the only two guys who have the ability to slash and get fouled are very bad free throw shooters, Nelson and Henderson. I will give Henderson a break because of his wrist but Nelson, for as good as he's been, is absolutely dreadful from the line.
BOX
Overall, it was a disappointing peformance for the Dukies but they have been dodging bullets all year and finally, a bad first half wound up costing them in the long run. Next up for Duke is Miami at Miami on Wednesday night, which should be another tough game. Given Duke's track record and Coach K's ability to motivate after a loss, I like Duke's chances to come out firing on all cyclinders. A-Rod may be in attendance as usual and you know Miami will be rocking when Duke comes to town but I love Duke's chances on Wednesday to bounce back.
Prediction: Duke 85 Miami 78
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Spear The Turtle
Excuse the pun but I have to "sing" the praises of Kyle Singler yet again. I can't remember a freshman, in Duke's history, that has been the go-to guy. I mean everytime that Maryland made a run and Duke needed a basket, this kid steps up with a big play. Singler finished with 26 points but his importance to this team is unquanitfiable.
As for the game, an excellent win for the Dukies, as per usual. I was very pessimistic going into this game but let's face it, I shouldn't have been. This team is a winning basketball team and they have the chops and determination to make a deep run come March. I think if they can lock up the #1 seed in the East, they have a very good chance to make it to the Final 4. After that, all they need to do is hit their shots and they can beat anybody, I repeat, anybody.
Going into the game, I said that if Vasquez went crazy, Duke would lose. I was wrong. I thought that James Gist would have his usual game but Duke did a tremendous job on him. They held Gist and Osby to a combined 22 points.
Oh and to Cliff Tucker who said that he went to Maryland because he wanted to beat Duke and that if Duke offered him a scholarship, he would turn it down and go to a Division II school, how is this stat line? 6 points, 8 rebounds (that's in two games). Don't open your mouth unless you can back it up Cliff.
BOX SCORE
Duke is now 22-1 (10-0 in the ACC) and they seem to rolling toward an ACC Championship. Amazingly, they have only lost one game this year (by 1 point on a fade away 3 in OT on a neutral court) and the best or worst part depending on how you look at it, is that I was in attendance for their only loss. I will make this vow, if Duke goes through the rest of this season undefeated, including cutting down the nets in early April, I will NEVER attend another Duke game as long as I live, I promise.
Next up is Wake Forest, which is having a pretty decent season despite the dark cloud that continually flies over their program since the untimely death of Skip Prosser. Wake is clearly an NCAA Tournament team next year since they are building a nice foundation and are bringing in two big, big-time recruits. Although they are playing decent basketball and usually play well at home, I think Duke's ball denial and pressure should be too much for their inexperienced backccourt. One thing though, watch out for freshman James Johnson, who is having a spectacular year very much under the radar.
Prediction: Duke 91 Wake Forest 79
As for the game, an excellent win for the Dukies, as per usual. I was very pessimistic going into this game but let's face it, I shouldn't have been. This team is a winning basketball team and they have the chops and determination to make a deep run come March. I think if they can lock up the #1 seed in the East, they have a very good chance to make it to the Final 4. After that, all they need to do is hit their shots and they can beat anybody, I repeat, anybody.
Going into the game, I said that if Vasquez went crazy, Duke would lose. I was wrong. I thought that James Gist would have his usual game but Duke did a tremendous job on him. They held Gist and Osby to a combined 22 points.
Oh and to Cliff Tucker who said that he went to Maryland because he wanted to beat Duke and that if Duke offered him a scholarship, he would turn it down and go to a Division II school, how is this stat line? 6 points, 8 rebounds (that's in two games). Don't open your mouth unless you can back it up Cliff.
BOX SCORE
Duke is now 22-1 (10-0 in the ACC) and they seem to rolling toward an ACC Championship. Amazingly, they have only lost one game this year (by 1 point on a fade away 3 in OT on a neutral court) and the best or worst part depending on how you look at it, is that I was in attendance for their only loss. I will make this vow, if Duke goes through the rest of this season undefeated, including cutting down the nets in early April, I will NEVER attend another Duke game as long as I live, I promise.
Next up is Wake Forest, which is having a pretty decent season despite the dark cloud that continually flies over their program since the untimely death of Skip Prosser. Wake is clearly an NCAA Tournament team next year since they are building a nice foundation and are bringing in two big, big-time recruits. Although they are playing decent basketball and usually play well at home, I think Duke's ball denial and pressure should be too much for their inexperienced backccourt. One thing though, watch out for freshman James Johnson, who is having a spectacular year very much under the radar.
Prediction: Duke 91 Wake Forest 79
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Fearing The Turtle
For the first time this season, I am very pessimistic about Duke's chances to beat Maryland later on tonight. Duke is due to lose a game, Maryland is never phased by Cameron, and they have good enough guards that they can capitalize on Duke's defense focusing on Maryland's interior. Gist and Osby will get theres but if Vasquez goes off, Duke is coming away with a loss.
Not feeling good about this game at all...Prove me wrong Dukies, prove me wrong!
Not feeling good about this game at all...Prove me wrong Dukies, prove me wrong!
Hoosier Daddy Now?
Let's hope that IU Coach Kelvin Sampson subscribed to the T-Mobile free long distance, nights and weekends plan or else he has a heck of a phone bill to pay. For the 2nd time, Sampson is under fire with NCAA allegations and this time, it may and should cost him his job at Indiana. This is a proud, traditional institution and ever since he's arrived in Bloomington, he has cast a dark cloud of the Hoosier program.
After allegations came out about Sampson at Oklahoma, Indiana still stood by Sampson and allowed him to hold his job. Now, he does the same thing at Indiana and it shouldn't be accepted anymore. Some people are saying that Indiana should get a postseason ban but why hurt these poor kids or deprive the college basketball fans of an NCAA tournament with Eric Gordon?
The solutions is clear and simple for Indiana University: Kelvin Sampson should be fired immediately...
Some people get on me about not being a real Duke fan because I don't really hate North Carolina. I dislike Carolina, I root against them but how can I not respect them? They have consistently done things the right way, they have produced world class athletes, and most of all, you never hear anything about them regarding NCAA violations.
IU needs to say it loud and say it proud: Fire Kelvin Sampson, Fire Kelvin Sampson, Fire Kelvin Sampson...
After allegations came out about Sampson at Oklahoma, Indiana still stood by Sampson and allowed him to hold his job. Now, he does the same thing at Indiana and it shouldn't be accepted anymore. Some people are saying that Indiana should get a postseason ban but why hurt these poor kids or deprive the college basketball fans of an NCAA tournament with Eric Gordon?
The solutions is clear and simple for Indiana University: Kelvin Sampson should be fired immediately...
Some people get on me about not being a real Duke fan because I don't really hate North Carolina. I dislike Carolina, I root against them but how can I not respect them? They have consistently done things the right way, they have produced world class athletes, and most of all, you never hear anything about them regarding NCAA violations.
IU needs to say it loud and say it proud: Fire Kelvin Sampson, Fire Kelvin Sampson, Fire Kelvin Sampson...
Monday, February 11, 2008
BRB Mid-Year ACC Awards
The ACC season is halfway over so let's have a little fun and project the BRB ACC Awards...
ACC Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough (UNC) - Even in a loss to Duke, Hansbrough distinguished himself as the best player in the conference. With 24 points, 13 rebounds per game, he leads the ACC in both categories.
1st-Team All-ACC:
G Sean Singletary (UVA): He clearly is the most explosive guard in the conference but he just doesn't have enough help around him to win games. Without JR Reynolds, it's been tough for Singletary but his numbers are still very, very good.
G Tyrese Rice (BC): Duke fans saw it first hand on Saturday that this kid, even though he takes a ton of bad shots, can flat out play. However, much like Singletary, the supporting cast is not good enough for Rice and BC to be a major player in the ACC. They really miss Jared Dudley's leadership and presence on the floor.
G DeMarcus Nelson (Duke): He is enjoying his best season by far in Durham and is showing a great ability to attack the rim, play defense, and most of all, lead a young basketball team to a 21-1 record. He has his deficiencies, mainly free throw shooting, but his scoring, leadership, along with his incredible defense game in and game out against the opponents best perimeter player earns him a spot on this team.
F James Gist (Maryland): Gist is one of the most underrated big men in the country and will make a pro team next year, mark my word. He, along with Osby, provide the Terps with a formidable 1-2 punch down low.
ACC Coach of the Year: Coach K (Duke) - K narrowly beats out Dino Gaudio of Wake Forest and Seth Greenberg because K, for the first time in a long time, has adapted to his personnel and is running a system that suits the undersized, big-hearted Blue Devils. His willingness to go to this bench, play an up tempo and even go to a zone has really helped this talented group of munckins excel this year, especially in the ACC.
ACC Best Player No One Knows Anything About: AD Vassallo (VA Tech) - The Hokies were stripped of practically their whole team this year whether it was to graduation or transfers and yet, they sit in 5th place in the ACC, playing 7 freshmen. Why? Look at the development of Vassallo. Not only can he shoot the ball but he has enough strength to take it to the rack and finish. In ACC play, he is 6th in scoring and the 5 guys ahead of him are on my All-ACC team. He, along with the criminal Deron Washington, have kept the Hokies in it.
ACC Rookie of the Year: Kyle Singler (Duke) - Beats out James Johnson of Wake Forest and JJ Hickson of NC State marginally. Why? Well, for one thing, I am in love with him so that might have created a little selection bias but for another thing, he has carried to this team to a number of key victories early in his career. Plus, Hickson, although he is supremely talented, has really hurt the chemistry of that State team. Brandon Costner has entered the witness protection program since Hickson arrived in Raleigh.
ACC Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough (UNC) - Even in a loss to Duke, Hansbrough distinguished himself as the best player in the conference. With 24 points, 13 rebounds per game, he leads the ACC in both categories.
1st-Team All-ACC:
G Sean Singletary (UVA): He clearly is the most explosive guard in the conference but he just doesn't have enough help around him to win games. Without JR Reynolds, it's been tough for Singletary but his numbers are still very, very good.
G Tyrese Rice (BC): Duke fans saw it first hand on Saturday that this kid, even though he takes a ton of bad shots, can flat out play. However, much like Singletary, the supporting cast is not good enough for Rice and BC to be a major player in the ACC. They really miss Jared Dudley's leadership and presence on the floor.
G DeMarcus Nelson (Duke): He is enjoying his best season by far in Durham and is showing a great ability to attack the rim, play defense, and most of all, lead a young basketball team to a 21-1 record. He has his deficiencies, mainly free throw shooting, but his scoring, leadership, along with his incredible defense game in and game out against the opponents best perimeter player earns him a spot on this team.
F James Gist (Maryland): Gist is one of the most underrated big men in the country and will make a pro team next year, mark my word. He, along with Osby, provide the Terps with a formidable 1-2 punch down low.
ACC Coach of the Year: Coach K (Duke) - K narrowly beats out Dino Gaudio of Wake Forest and Seth Greenberg because K, for the first time in a long time, has adapted to his personnel and is running a system that suits the undersized, big-hearted Blue Devils. His willingness to go to this bench, play an up tempo and even go to a zone has really helped this talented group of munckins excel this year, especially in the ACC.
ACC Best Player No One Knows Anything About: AD Vassallo (VA Tech) - The Hokies were stripped of practically their whole team this year whether it was to graduation or transfers and yet, they sit in 5th place in the ACC, playing 7 freshmen. Why? Look at the development of Vassallo. Not only can he shoot the ball but he has enough strength to take it to the rack and finish. In ACC play, he is 6th in scoring and the 5 guys ahead of him are on my All-ACC team. He, along with the criminal Deron Washington, have kept the Hokies in it.
ACC Rookie of the Year: Kyle Singler (Duke) - Beats out James Johnson of Wake Forest and JJ Hickson of NC State marginally. Why? Well, for one thing, I am in love with him so that might have created a little selection bias but for another thing, he has carried to this team to a number of key victories early in his career. Plus, Hickson, although he is supremely talented, has really hurt the chemistry of that State team. Brandon Costner has entered the witness protection program since Hickson arrived in Raleigh.
Duke Remains #2 in Both Polls
With wins over UNC and BC, Duke remained #2 in both the ESPN & AP Polls. Obviously, Memphis, behind HUGE wins against SMU and UCF, remained #1. I hope you all picked up on a hint of sarcasm there.
POLL
POLL
Saturday, February 9, 2008
BC-Ya!
Granted it wasn't easy or vintage but Duke escaped with a much needed W against BC this afternoon. Whether it was a hangover from the UNC game or the fact that they traditionally struggle on early afternoon regular season games, the Dukies came out uninspired, let BC dictate the pace, and that coupled with a ton of missed shots, led to BC leading at the half.
BC continued to take punch after punch and repeatedly got back up and punched back and they did this for most of the game. When the Eagles came back to take the lead in the 2nd Half, I started to get a little nervous but my man crush came through once again. Kyle Singler hit big shot after big shot, culminating with his huge three out of the corner to make it 66-65 and Duke never looked back. Singler finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds and those numbers don't even speak to how important he was in this game. In addition, he continues to show his toughness when he stepped in and had some words with Spears after Spears tried a Steven Segal-esque choke hold on Gerald Henderson. What else can I say except I love this kid and if he stays four years, he will have a special Duke career, up there with the likes of Battier, Redick, and Hurley (not Laetneer, no one will ever top what he did).
DeMarcus had 23 points but let's face it, I would hold my breath if he was at the foul line late in the game. He, along with Lance Thomas, is dreadful from the line and these missed free throws could cost them come tournament time like they did for the 2002 team. Overall, coming off of a great UNC win and Maryland on the horizon, you can't blame Duke for coming out with very little intensity but the main thing is that they won and they continue to move one step closer to that prized #1 seed in Charlotte, which would be huge for their Final 4 chances.
A few other points:
1) I love Greg Paulus, I do but can he stop slapping the floor? I became a Duke fan based on Bobby Hurley doing that but when he did, not only did they not score, the other seemed to never get a shot off. When Paulus does it, not only does the other team score but it usually turns out to be an open look by the guy he is guarding!
2) Is Lance Thomas turning a corner? He was spectacular against UNC and today, he was excellent collecting 6 points, 5 rebounds (all offensive), and 1 block.
3) Brian Zoubek returned today, albeit 2 minutes. When Zoubek went down, I wrote a post saying that it would hurt Duke immensely because they needed all the size they could get. Some people then wrote to me and said I was nuts and I came back with a rebuttal insisting that it would. I don't normally say this but I WAS WRONG, I WAS DEAD WRONG!
4) Big game tomorrow on ACC Sunday night hoops. If Clemson can beat UNC, that would give Duke a 3 game lead over UNC, Clemson, and Maryland (which would really be 4 with wins over each and Duke having the tie break).
Next up is Maryland on Wednesday night at Cameron. If there is a team that never gets phased by Cameron Indoor, it's Maryland. Watch out! Prediction coming later in the week...
Thanks again to all of the positive comments on the live blog and to everyone else who didn't comment but read it. I really appreciate it...
BC continued to take punch after punch and repeatedly got back up and punched back and they did this for most of the game. When the Eagles came back to take the lead in the 2nd Half, I started to get a little nervous but my man crush came through once again. Kyle Singler hit big shot after big shot, culminating with his huge three out of the corner to make it 66-65 and Duke never looked back. Singler finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds and those numbers don't even speak to how important he was in this game. In addition, he continues to show his toughness when he stepped in and had some words with Spears after Spears tried a Steven Segal-esque choke hold on Gerald Henderson. What else can I say except I love this kid and if he stays four years, he will have a special Duke career, up there with the likes of Battier, Redick, and Hurley (not Laetneer, no one will ever top what he did).
DeMarcus had 23 points but let's face it, I would hold my breath if he was at the foul line late in the game. He, along with Lance Thomas, is dreadful from the line and these missed free throws could cost them come tournament time like they did for the 2002 team. Overall, coming off of a great UNC win and Maryland on the horizon, you can't blame Duke for coming out with very little intensity but the main thing is that they won and they continue to move one step closer to that prized #1 seed in Charlotte, which would be huge for their Final 4 chances.
A few other points:
1) I love Greg Paulus, I do but can he stop slapping the floor? I became a Duke fan based on Bobby Hurley doing that but when he did, not only did they not score, the other seemed to never get a shot off. When Paulus does it, not only does the other team score but it usually turns out to be an open look by the guy he is guarding!
2) Is Lance Thomas turning a corner? He was spectacular against UNC and today, he was excellent collecting 6 points, 5 rebounds (all offensive), and 1 block.
3) Brian Zoubek returned today, albeit 2 minutes. When Zoubek went down, I wrote a post saying that it would hurt Duke immensely because they needed all the size they could get. Some people then wrote to me and said I was nuts and I came back with a rebuttal insisting that it would. I don't normally say this but I WAS WRONG, I WAS DEAD WRONG!
4) Big game tomorrow on ACC Sunday night hoops. If Clemson can beat UNC, that would give Duke a 3 game lead over UNC, Clemson, and Maryland (which would really be 4 with wins over each and Duke having the tie break).
Next up is Maryland on Wednesday night at Cameron. If there is a team that never gets phased by Cameron Indoor, it's Maryland. Watch out! Prediction coming later in the week...
Thanks again to all of the positive comments on the live blog and to everyone else who didn't comment but read it. I really appreciate it...
The Brady Crunch
As per request, I will weigh in on the firing of John "I never comb my hair" Brady from LSU. How does a man who is only two years removed from a Final 4 appearance (the huge win over Duke in the Sweet 16) get fired from a football-first school? In addition, this guy did lose Tyrus Thomas after only one season and lost Big Baby Davis a year early (a guy who is contributing on the best team in the NBA right now).
I've passively followed LSU and Brady ever since they ended Duke's season in 2006 and I know exactly where this is coming from: money, money, money. After Brady led the Tigers to the Final 4, he practically held the university hostage for more money and threatened to go elsewhere if the trustees didn't comply. They gave in but it never sat well in Baton Rouge. When you're a winner, you can do whatever you want and piss anyone off that you want (ala Belichek with the Patriots) but when you start losing, you become a prime target and hence bye bye (see Charlie Weis if Notre Dame continues to struggle).
I've passively followed LSU and Brady ever since they ended Duke's season in 2006 and I know exactly where this is coming from: money, money, money. After Brady led the Tigers to the Final 4, he practically held the university hostage for more money and threatened to go elsewhere if the trustees didn't comply. They gave in but it never sat well in Baton Rouge. When you're a winner, you can do whatever you want and piss anyone off that you want (ala Belichek with the Patriots) but when you start losing, you become a prime target and hence bye bye (see Charlie Weis if Notre Dame continues to struggle).
Friday, February 8, 2008
Swann Song?
Wow, here's some bad news for Florida State. Not only are they 3-6 within the conference but now they have lost guard Isiah Swann for the season with a torn ACL. Excuse the pun but what a bad break for the Seminoles who would've struggled to make the NCAA Tournament with Swann and pretty much have no chance without him...
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Devils Continue HEELing Process
Marquette, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, NC State, Florida State, and North Carolina. What do they have in common? All of these teams have been victims of the revenge tour that unofficially began when Eric Maynor and VCU broke Duke's heart last year in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Duke went into a hostile environment in Chapel Hill and came out victorious, mainly because of their ability to hit the 3 and hit a lot of them (13 to be exact). Greg Paulus, over the past month, is finally starting to show why Duke coveted him so much out of Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, NY. He's doing just about everything for this team: he's hitting 3's, he's penetrating, he's playing adequate defense, and most of all, he's a great leader for this young basketball team.
Before the 2005-2006 season, JJ Redick proclaimed that Greg Paulus would be the "Next Hated Duke Player" Through his first two seasons, Redick was only half correct because he was the most hated but it was amongst the Duke fans. He was horrible last year whether it was turnovers or the inability to defend. Then, in the off season, it comes out that he was playing on a broken foot the whole year. This year, he's been fantastic. He's cut down his turnovers and he is lights out from 3-point range.
The most impressive thing about last night's victory over the Heels was the balanced scoring, with 6 players in double figures.
BOX SCORE
Although you can point to Paulus, Henderson, or Sheyer for the MVP of this game, I will actually go with Lance Thomas. Yes, that isn't a typo, Lance Thomas. Outside of maybe his game against Air Force early last year, this was the best game I've ever seen Lance Thomas play. At times, it seemed as if he was omnipresent. He scored 10 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and made two blocks (including one fantastic one from behind that stopped a dunk). At 6'8'', 210, Thomas is hardly a post presence (at least in terms of your traditional Brand, Boozer, Williams type) but if Duke gets those numbers from the 5 spot consistently then they will be virtually impossible to beat.
Kyle Singler, my man crush, was spectacular again last night and had a lot to do with Duke's offense last night because he was able to pull the UNC big guys away from the basket and drive them to the hole. His ability to consistently hit the 3-pointer makes him one of the most versatile PF's not only in the ACC but in the nation.
Duke's defense, as usual, played a huge part in this game, forcing 20 turnovers. Carolina fans will downgrade this win because Ty Lawson was out but Duke should still be commended for this win. Sure, Lawson may have made a difference but Duke is playing at an exceptional level right now and no matter who you are, you have to bring your A game to beat them.
This game against UNC has turned be into a believer. Maybe, it's still some of the awe I feel from my Giants shocking the world and winning the Super Bowl but for the first time this year, I feel as if Duke can go to the Final 4. Why not? If they hit their shots, which is certainly hard for 6 straight games, they can beat anybody, anywhere. They are so versatile. Many people emphasize the mismatches they have defensively down low but face it, on the offensive end, they present the same type of mismatches with Kyle Singler stepping out and either hitting 3's or putting the ball on the floor and pulling opposing big guys away from the basket.
I was a little surprised that Gerald Henderson wasn't booed more than he was last night. In fact, I thought that crowd really let the Heels down because without Lawson, they needed that extra spark and they didn't get it from the Dean Dome. They started out electric but there were times in the 2nd Half when I could hear the shoes screaching on the gym floor, which is not a good sign for a good college basketball atmosphere.
BTW, I don't know if anyone saw the Roy Williams press conference but what was with him repeating over and over "It just shows how bad of a coach I am" Roy, take it easy, you're the quickest to 500 wins in NCAA history so just take it easy and get that vertigo checked out.
Overall, I am very pleased with this W and Duke has now positioned itself perfectly for a #1 seed. At 8-0 in the ACC, they need to keep up their tenancious defense and outright win this league so they can get the easiest path to the Final 4, the #1 in the Charlotte region.
Next up is BC at Cameron on Saturday afternoon. Watch out for this game! I know BC isn't the BC of old with Jared Dudley, Craig Smith, and the convict Sean Williams but this is a trap game. Duke usually doesn't give into the trap game atmosphere but they traditionally struggle on regular season, afternoon games so let's take care of business and pull out a W.
Prediction: Duke 92 BC 74
Duke went into a hostile environment in Chapel Hill and came out victorious, mainly because of their ability to hit the 3 and hit a lot of them (13 to be exact). Greg Paulus, over the past month, is finally starting to show why Duke coveted him so much out of Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, NY. He's doing just about everything for this team: he's hitting 3's, he's penetrating, he's playing adequate defense, and most of all, he's a great leader for this young basketball team.
Before the 2005-2006 season, JJ Redick proclaimed that Greg Paulus would be the "Next Hated Duke Player" Through his first two seasons, Redick was only half correct because he was the most hated but it was amongst the Duke fans. He was horrible last year whether it was turnovers or the inability to defend. Then, in the off season, it comes out that he was playing on a broken foot the whole year. This year, he's been fantastic. He's cut down his turnovers and he is lights out from 3-point range.
The most impressive thing about last night's victory over the Heels was the balanced scoring, with 6 players in double figures.
BOX SCORE
Although you can point to Paulus, Henderson, or Sheyer for the MVP of this game, I will actually go with Lance Thomas. Yes, that isn't a typo, Lance Thomas. Outside of maybe his game against Air Force early last year, this was the best game I've ever seen Lance Thomas play. At times, it seemed as if he was omnipresent. He scored 10 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and made two blocks (including one fantastic one from behind that stopped a dunk). At 6'8'', 210, Thomas is hardly a post presence (at least in terms of your traditional Brand, Boozer, Williams type) but if Duke gets those numbers from the 5 spot consistently then they will be virtually impossible to beat.
Kyle Singler, my man crush, was spectacular again last night and had a lot to do with Duke's offense last night because he was able to pull the UNC big guys away from the basket and drive them to the hole. His ability to consistently hit the 3-pointer makes him one of the most versatile PF's not only in the ACC but in the nation.
Duke's defense, as usual, played a huge part in this game, forcing 20 turnovers. Carolina fans will downgrade this win because Ty Lawson was out but Duke should still be commended for this win. Sure, Lawson may have made a difference but Duke is playing at an exceptional level right now and no matter who you are, you have to bring your A game to beat them.
This game against UNC has turned be into a believer. Maybe, it's still some of the awe I feel from my Giants shocking the world and winning the Super Bowl but for the first time this year, I feel as if Duke can go to the Final 4. Why not? If they hit their shots, which is certainly hard for 6 straight games, they can beat anybody, anywhere. They are so versatile. Many people emphasize the mismatches they have defensively down low but face it, on the offensive end, they present the same type of mismatches with Kyle Singler stepping out and either hitting 3's or putting the ball on the floor and pulling opposing big guys away from the basket.
I was a little surprised that Gerald Henderson wasn't booed more than he was last night. In fact, I thought that crowd really let the Heels down because without Lawson, they needed that extra spark and they didn't get it from the Dean Dome. They started out electric but there were times in the 2nd Half when I could hear the shoes screaching on the gym floor, which is not a good sign for a good college basketball atmosphere.
BTW, I don't know if anyone saw the Roy Williams press conference but what was with him repeating over and over "It just shows how bad of a coach I am" Roy, take it easy, you're the quickest to 500 wins in NCAA history so just take it easy and get that vertigo checked out.
Overall, I am very pleased with this W and Duke has now positioned itself perfectly for a #1 seed. At 8-0 in the ACC, they need to keep up their tenancious defense and outright win this league so they can get the easiest path to the Final 4, the #1 in the Charlotte region.
Next up is BC at Cameron on Saturday afternoon. Watch out for this game! I know BC isn't the BC of old with Jared Dudley, Craig Smith, and the convict Sean Williams but this is a trap game. Duke usually doesn't give into the trap game atmosphere but they traditionally struggle on regular season, afternoon games so let's take care of business and pull out a W.
Prediction: Duke 92 BC 74
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Duke/UNC Prediction
Since I've been wrapped up in this WRAL stuff, I haven't been able to write up a formal prediction for the game for the site but I will have one on WRAL by tonight and again, make sure you guys chime in with comments during the game. I don't want to get bombarded with UNC/Anti-Duke fans killing every word I say...
Good news, in the first 3 hours, we got over 1,100 views so keep it coming and again, I appreciate you guys reading and letting me put my crazy, insane man love I have for Duke into words...
HERE'S THE LINK AGAIN
GO DUKE!
Good news, in the first 3 hours, we got over 1,100 views so keep it coming and again, I appreciate you guys reading and letting me put my crazy, insane man love I have for Duke into words...
HERE'S THE LINK AGAIN
GO DUKE!
WRAL Link
BRB Readers,
Enclosed is the link for the live blog on WRAL. By tomorrow night, it should be in real-time and should be live. From what I believe, anyone who is registered on WRAL, can respond to our comments during the game. So, sign up ASAP!!!
WRAL Live Blog Link
-BRB
Enclosed is the link for the live blog on WRAL. By tomorrow night, it should be in real-time and should be live. From what I believe, anyone who is registered on WRAL, can respond to our comments during the game. So, sign up ASAP!!!
WRAL Live Blog Link
-BRB
Monday, February 4, 2008
Coach K & Bobby Knight
Bobby Knight, the all-time wins leader in NCAA Men's history, has resigned from Texas Tech tonight and has likely coached his last game. He finished his amazing coaching career with 902 wins...
As of Monday, Coach K has 794 wins. Since 1996 (when Coach K returned from back surgery), he has averaged an astounding 28.7 wins per season. He is 108 wins shy so if he held on that average, he should do it in 4 years --when incoming freshman Eliot Williams will be a Senior. If Coach K coaches until he's 70 (9 more years), he has a shot at over 1,000 wins!!! That would be ridiculous...
I hope it happens and I hope win #795 comes at the hands of North Carolina on Wednesday...
As of Monday, Coach K has 794 wins. Since 1996 (when Coach K returned from back surgery), he has averaged an astounding 28.7 wins per season. He is 108 wins shy so if he held on that average, he should do it in 4 years --when incoming freshman Eliot Williams will be a Senior. If Coach K coaches until he's 70 (9 more years), he has a shot at over 1,000 wins!!! That would be ridiculous...
I hope it happens and I hope win #795 comes at the hands of North Carolina on Wednesday...
Duke #2 in ESPN Poll
Duke will head into Chapel Hill on Wednesday with their highest ranking in 2 years...They jumped one spot because of the Kansas loss to K-State earlier in the week. UNC, after a hard-fought, OT win moved up to #3.
Heading into this game, the storyline figures to be Gerald Henderson and how he will respond to a hostile crowd but on Sunday, we got another headline: Will Ty Lawson play? He twisted his ankle when he got caught up in a loose ball scrum with FSU's Ryan Reid, who is like Deron Washington with a mask, with how reckless he plays. If Lawson doesn't play, advantage Duke because then they should be able to force Quentin Thomas, a 3rd string PG, and Marcus Ginyard into turnovers...
Much more on this game later on...
POLL
Heading into this game, the storyline figures to be Gerald Henderson and how he will respond to a hostile crowd but on Sunday, we got another headline: Will Ty Lawson play? He twisted his ankle when he got caught up in a loose ball scrum with FSU's Ryan Reid, who is like Deron Washington with a mask, with how reckless he plays. If Lawson doesn't play, advantage Duke because then they should be able to force Quentin Thomas, a 3rd string PG, and Marcus Ginyard into turnovers...
Much more on this game later on...
POLL
Anything Can Happen...
in sports...It's a cliche in the NFL that "any given Sunday" any team can beat a given team on a single day. Last night, clearly indicates why professional football and college basketball are clearly the best sports in the country because of the single elimination nature of their playoff system.
My football Giants shocked the world last night and beat the mighty, undefeated Patriots but let's face it, if the NFL Championship was determined in a 7-game series format, the Patriots probably would've won 4 games to 1. However, in a one game setting, any team can lose to another. That's why I am so opposed to standardized tests carrying so much weight in a student's future because anyone, no matter how great you are, can have a bad day.
The Giants upset of the mighty Patriots brought back some good and bad feelings surrounding the Duke program.
The Good: Heading into the 1991 Final 4, Duke was an immense underdog against the undefeated UNLV Runnin' Rebels, despite having been to 4 straight Final 4's and 5 Final 4's in the previous 6 years. But, did you blame the oddsmakers? UNLV stormed through the 1991 season, never being challenged, and to top it all off, they were the defending champions who happened to beat the same Duke team by 30 in the final. The odds were against the Blue Devils but after 40 great minutes and a few lucky bounces, the Blue Devils shocked the world 79-77. There is no doubt that if this were a series, UNLV would've advanced but in single elimination tournaments, anything can happen...
The Bad: 1999 Championship game...Duke was an amazing 37-1 heading into the title game against UCONN and the one loss was in late November on a dunk by Melvin Levitt of Cincinnati at the buzzer in the Great Alaskan Shootout. Throughout the year, it appeared that this Duke team was the most unbeatable of the K era. They had everything on this team: Elton Brand (National POY), Shane Battier (National Defensive POY and eventual National POY), Chris Carrawell (2000 ACC POY), Trajan Langdon (2-time All-American), William Avery (one of the quickest guards in the game), and get this, Corey Maggette (now a prominent NBA talent) off the bench. However, on that given day, UCONN played their best game, Duke played their worst game, and in the end, you had a crushing 77-74 loss ending with Langdon dribbling the ball off of his foot. It was a bitter pill to swallow. However, we all know that Duke would've won a 7-game series.
That's why I love college basketball and that's why I love football...
Let me soak up this win by the football Giants, regroup, and then make a huge push back towards Duke where this week will be busy for me. Remember, WRAL.com on Wednesday, with an extensive preview sometime tomorrow...
My football Giants shocked the world last night and beat the mighty, undefeated Patriots but let's face it, if the NFL Championship was determined in a 7-game series format, the Patriots probably would've won 4 games to 1. However, in a one game setting, any team can lose to another. That's why I am so opposed to standardized tests carrying so much weight in a student's future because anyone, no matter how great you are, can have a bad day.
The Giants upset of the mighty Patriots brought back some good and bad feelings surrounding the Duke program.
The Good: Heading into the 1991 Final 4, Duke was an immense underdog against the undefeated UNLV Runnin' Rebels, despite having been to 4 straight Final 4's and 5 Final 4's in the previous 6 years. But, did you blame the oddsmakers? UNLV stormed through the 1991 season, never being challenged, and to top it all off, they were the defending champions who happened to beat the same Duke team by 30 in the final. The odds were against the Blue Devils but after 40 great minutes and a few lucky bounces, the Blue Devils shocked the world 79-77. There is no doubt that if this were a series, UNLV would've advanced but in single elimination tournaments, anything can happen...
The Bad: 1999 Championship game...Duke was an amazing 37-1 heading into the title game against UCONN and the one loss was in late November on a dunk by Melvin Levitt of Cincinnati at the buzzer in the Great Alaskan Shootout. Throughout the year, it appeared that this Duke team was the most unbeatable of the K era. They had everything on this team: Elton Brand (National POY), Shane Battier (National Defensive POY and eventual National POY), Chris Carrawell (2000 ACC POY), Trajan Langdon (2-time All-American), William Avery (one of the quickest guards in the game), and get this, Corey Maggette (now a prominent NBA talent) off the bench. However, on that given day, UCONN played their best game, Duke played their worst game, and in the end, you had a crushing 77-74 loss ending with Langdon dribbling the ball off of his foot. It was a bitter pill to swallow. However, we all know that Duke would've won a 7-game series.
That's why I love college basketball and that's why I love football...
Let me soak up this win by the football Giants, regroup, and then make a huge push back towards Duke where this week will be busy for me. Remember, WRAL.com on Wednesday, with an extensive preview sometime tomorrow...
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Canes Placed in Full Nelson
This game, especially in the first half, can be described in one word: chippy. It seems as if these mediocre ACC teams have the same philosophy when they play Duke: play dirty, try to get under their skin, and most of all, take it out on Greg Paulus. Well, you know what, it looks like those teams are 0-3 (meaning VA Tech, NC State, and now the latest victim, Miami).
I'm really getting sick of the way these teams are playing Duke. There's a difference between using your physicality to your advantage and out right being dirty and reckless. Whether it was McClinton's elbow to the ribs of Henderson, the shot Paulus took the nose, or the shot DeMarcus took underneath the eye, Miami tried to play dirty in order to win but in what's been the case now 95% of the time this year, Duke rose to the occassion and grinded out a W.
Despite the chippiness, Duke's worst enemy in the 1st Half was the referrees who continually called fouls, stopped the clock, and halted any ryhtym the Blue Devils could create using their spread offense. Some of the calls, both ways, in this game were absolutely mind boggling and the ones that went against Duke, really cost them in the 1st Half. If Miami was any type of squad, they would've been able to open up a healthy margin against the Devils but instead, Miami trailed by 7 at Half, which was a bad sign. It was a bad sign indeed since Duke shot miserably from the line (10-21) and couldn't make a basket inside the 3-point line.
Greg Paulus, just like on Thursday night against NC State, was spectacular running the offense and most of all, hitting 3 after 3 in the 1st Half. DeMarcus Nelson, who was saddled with 2 early fouls in the 1st Half, had 19 of his 21 points in the 2nd Half and more importanly, held McClinton to 6 points below his season average of 16. He played lights out defense, much like he has all year long. I'm not ready to put him in the discussion for National POY like Brent Mussberger is but I think he strongly deserves consideration for ACC POY and 1st-team All-ACC. In addition, he should be mentioned as National Defensive POY with his efforts this year, always against the other team's best perimeter player.
Taylor King and David McClure gave Duke some good minutes as well off the bench, especially since it seemed Lance Thomas picked up his 4th foul during the national anthem.
Overall, a great win for Duke. They looked lethargic at times, looked inspired at others but it doesn't matter how you get a W in this league, it just matters that you do. Now, Duke is 7-0 in the league heading into the North Carolina game in Chapel Hill.
No prediction right now. As mentioned earlier in the week, I will be on WRAL.com (live before, during, and after the game) blogging on a minute by minute basis as the play unfolds. Please be sure to catch me on Tuesday night as I will give a little preview as well. I look forward to all of you who read BRB and beyond to look for me on Wednesday. It should be a thriller and although I feel UNC may have the edge at home, I will be rooting like hell for my Blue Devils!
Final details on WRAL will be provided in the coming days before Wednesday's main event...
I'm really getting sick of the way these teams are playing Duke. There's a difference between using your physicality to your advantage and out right being dirty and reckless. Whether it was McClinton's elbow to the ribs of Henderson, the shot Paulus took the nose, or the shot DeMarcus took underneath the eye, Miami tried to play dirty in order to win but in what's been the case now 95% of the time this year, Duke rose to the occassion and grinded out a W.
Despite the chippiness, Duke's worst enemy in the 1st Half was the referrees who continually called fouls, stopped the clock, and halted any ryhtym the Blue Devils could create using their spread offense. Some of the calls, both ways, in this game were absolutely mind boggling and the ones that went against Duke, really cost them in the 1st Half. If Miami was any type of squad, they would've been able to open up a healthy margin against the Devils but instead, Miami trailed by 7 at Half, which was a bad sign. It was a bad sign indeed since Duke shot miserably from the line (10-21) and couldn't make a basket inside the 3-point line.
Greg Paulus, just like on Thursday night against NC State, was spectacular running the offense and most of all, hitting 3 after 3 in the 1st Half. DeMarcus Nelson, who was saddled with 2 early fouls in the 1st Half, had 19 of his 21 points in the 2nd Half and more importanly, held McClinton to 6 points below his season average of 16. He played lights out defense, much like he has all year long. I'm not ready to put him in the discussion for National POY like Brent Mussberger is but I think he strongly deserves consideration for ACC POY and 1st-team All-ACC. In addition, he should be mentioned as National Defensive POY with his efforts this year, always against the other team's best perimeter player.
Taylor King and David McClure gave Duke some good minutes as well off the bench, especially since it seemed Lance Thomas picked up his 4th foul during the national anthem.
Overall, a great win for Duke. They looked lethargic at times, looked inspired at others but it doesn't matter how you get a W in this league, it just matters that you do. Now, Duke is 7-0 in the league heading into the North Carolina game in Chapel Hill.
No prediction right now. As mentioned earlier in the week, I will be on WRAL.com (live before, during, and after the game) blogging on a minute by minute basis as the play unfolds. Please be sure to catch me on Tuesday night as I will give a little preview as well. I look forward to all of you who read BRB and beyond to look for me on Wednesday. It should be a thriller and although I feel UNC may have the edge at home, I will be rooting like hell for my Blue Devils!
Final details on WRAL will be provided in the coming days before Wednesday's main event...
Saturday, February 2, 2008
JJ Read
JJ Redick rarely plays for the Orlando Magic, depsite being their lottery pick a year ago. In fact, it looks like, by all reports, he is requesting a trade but the Magic have declined.
Despite this lack of playing time, JJ reassures everyone in this article below that he is a good player but an even better guy...
NICE READ
Despite this lack of playing time, JJ reassures everyone in this article below that he is a good player but an even better guy...
NICE READ
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Green Day
What did I say in my preview? I didn't like the fact that the Crazies would be wearing green. No, not because I'm a staunch conservative who isn't sympathetic towards the environment but because I don't like messing with a good thing.
Down 9 at halftime, I felt much less confident that they would pull this game out than I did the Maryland game on Sunday night. For the first time since the Pittsburgh game, Duke allowed the opponent to dictate the pace of the game and to State's credit, they exploited their mismatches down low with Hickson and Costner.
The entire halftime consisted of me thinking of ways to blast the Crazies for going with the green and screwing with the tradition, mystique, and ora of Cameron. However, to my delight, most of the Crazies agreed with me and tossed away the green and sported either an under shirt or even no shirt for some. I'm not sure if the team noticed this or not but whatever it was, Duke came out like gangbusters in the 2nd Half.
Greg Paulus, the most maligned Duke player since Jeff Capel, has enjoyed a very good season to this point and saved his best performance of the year (and possibly his career) for tonight. Paulus was spectacular. He was sinking threes, running fast breaks, making no look passes, and yes, playing tremendous defense (no that isn't a misprint).
Paulus' energy spread like the black plague across the entire Blue Devil team in the 2nd Half. Couple that with State's inability to keep its composure and you have the recipe for a win. Even though the final score was 92-72, anyone who watched this game in its entirety knows that it was a tale of two halves but fortunately for Duke, they won the 2nd Half to the tune of 11 points better than NC State in the 1st Half.
A few miscellaneous things: 1) Who the hell was that guy in the DeMarcus Nelson/Dahntay Jones graphic at first? I don't even think that guy is a Duke student. 2) I know Courtney Fells had a rough game but how about that man block on Lance Thomas? I've never seen a block like that in my life.
Overall, a great come from behind win for the Dukies. They cannot keep making a habit of getting down big at the half or they will get burnt one of these days. Also, mark down March 1st down on your calendar. Duke will go to Raleigh to play NC State on what should be their Senior Day so watch out for a revenge game. Speaking of revenge games, Duke can cross off yet another off the list of teams they wanted to pay back for last year's futility.
Next up is Miami at Cameron on Saturday afternoon. Be careful about these games in the afternoon off of a short turnaround. I know it's good practice for the NCAA Tournament, especially since Duke usually plays that early 2nd Round game but if they aren't careful, Miami can come up and bite them. Jack McClinton, the Siena transfer, is a flat out stud who has a shot at being a 1st-team All-ACC player. Miami is coming off a loss to Wake Forest so you know they are going to come out and give a solid effort. With that said, I will make my prediction now because of the short turnaround.
Prediction: Duke 94 Miami 79
Down 9 at halftime, I felt much less confident that they would pull this game out than I did the Maryland game on Sunday night. For the first time since the Pittsburgh game, Duke allowed the opponent to dictate the pace of the game and to State's credit, they exploited their mismatches down low with Hickson and Costner.
The entire halftime consisted of me thinking of ways to blast the Crazies for going with the green and screwing with the tradition, mystique, and ora of Cameron. However, to my delight, most of the Crazies agreed with me and tossed away the green and sported either an under shirt or even no shirt for some. I'm not sure if the team noticed this or not but whatever it was, Duke came out like gangbusters in the 2nd Half.
Greg Paulus, the most maligned Duke player since Jeff Capel, has enjoyed a very good season to this point and saved his best performance of the year (and possibly his career) for tonight. Paulus was spectacular. He was sinking threes, running fast breaks, making no look passes, and yes, playing tremendous defense (no that isn't a misprint).
Paulus' energy spread like the black plague across the entire Blue Devil team in the 2nd Half. Couple that with State's inability to keep its composure and you have the recipe for a win. Even though the final score was 92-72, anyone who watched this game in its entirety knows that it was a tale of two halves but fortunately for Duke, they won the 2nd Half to the tune of 11 points better than NC State in the 1st Half.
A few miscellaneous things: 1) Who the hell was that guy in the DeMarcus Nelson/Dahntay Jones graphic at first? I don't even think that guy is a Duke student. 2) I know Courtney Fells had a rough game but how about that man block on Lance Thomas? I've never seen a block like that in my life.
Overall, a great come from behind win for the Dukies. They cannot keep making a habit of getting down big at the half or they will get burnt one of these days. Also, mark down March 1st down on your calendar. Duke will go to Raleigh to play NC State on what should be their Senior Day so watch out for a revenge game. Speaking of revenge games, Duke can cross off yet another off the list of teams they wanted to pay back for last year's futility.
Next up is Miami at Cameron on Saturday afternoon. Be careful about these games in the afternoon off of a short turnaround. I know it's good practice for the NCAA Tournament, especially since Duke usually plays that early 2nd Round game but if they aren't careful, Miami can come up and bite them. Jack McClinton, the Siena transfer, is a flat out stud who has a shot at being a 1st-team All-ACC player. Miami is coming off a loss to Wake Forest so you know they are going to come out and give a solid effort. With that said, I will make my prediction now because of the short turnaround.
Prediction: Duke 94 Miami 79
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Beastley
I had a feeling that either Memphis or Kansas had a chance to go down tonight and you know what, one did: Kansas. The Jayhawks, my pick to win the national championship, were completely outplayed and dominated at the hands of Michael Beasley, Bill Walker, and K-State.
What else can you say about Beasley? This guy is a man amongst boys and you want to know how good he is? It looks like the Miami Heat are intentionally trying to tank their season in order to get him in uniform to form a Wade-Beasley duo that could flourish for years to come.
Beasley had 25 points, yet he didn't have a field goal the first 11 minutes of the game and he went an outstanding 4-4 from 3-point range. This guy is hands down the best player in the country and if he takes this Kansas State team to the tournament, with absolutely no guard play whatsover, he must be the front runner for National POY. I don't want to hear about Kevin Love or Chris Douglas-Roberts or Eric Gordon, all of their teams are tournament teams with or without them. This Kansas State team is not even a postseason team without Beasley (no NCAA, no NIT, no 3rd tournament that they are introducing, nothing).
With Kansas falling from the ranks of the unbeaten, the mission is this for Duke: beat NC State and Miami at home this week (which they absolutely should even though I'm a little weary about the Crazies wearing all green tomorrow night) and they will be the AP/ESPN #2 going into Chapel Hill on Wednesday night.
What else can you say about Beasley? This guy is a man amongst boys and you want to know how good he is? It looks like the Miami Heat are intentionally trying to tank their season in order to get him in uniform to form a Wade-Beasley duo that could flourish for years to come.
Beasley had 25 points, yet he didn't have a field goal the first 11 minutes of the game and he went an outstanding 4-4 from 3-point range. This guy is hands down the best player in the country and if he takes this Kansas State team to the tournament, with absolutely no guard play whatsover, he must be the front runner for National POY. I don't want to hear about Kevin Love or Chris Douglas-Roberts or Eric Gordon, all of their teams are tournament teams with or without them. This Kansas State team is not even a postseason team without Beasley (no NCAA, no NIT, no 3rd tournament that they are introducing, nothing).
With Kansas falling from the ranks of the unbeaten, the mission is this for Duke: beat NC State and Miami at home this week (which they absolutely should even though I'm a little weary about the Crazies wearing all green tomorrow night) and they will be the AP/ESPN #2 going into Chapel Hill on Wednesday night.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
NC State Missing the Point
Going into the 2007-08 college basketball season, the question surrounding the ACC was: who would be the 2nd best team in the ACC? Obviously, North Carolina, returning Lawson and Ellington to go with Psycho T, were the odds on favorites to win the ACC.
However, the battle for preseason #2, seemed like a tough one, especially considering my choices seemed to be Duke or NC State. Duke was coming its worst season since the 1996 campaign, which coincidentally ended the same way, a first round exit at the hands of a mid-major with an undersized, speedy point guard (1996-Eastern Michigan-Earl Boykins, 2007-VCU-Eric Maynor). The Blue Devils finished a mediocre 8-8 in the ACC, earned a #6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and to boot, lost their best low-post presence, albeit the very underwhelming Josh McRoberts. In addition, Duke swung and missed in the Patrick Patterson sweepstakes, leaving Duke with a Kate Moss frontcourt - very thin with little muscle.
On the flipside, the Wolfpack were coming off a season that started off mediocre but ended with NC State playing great ball, making a last stitch effort in the ACC Tournament only to come up a few minutes short in the title game, and then a very productive NIT. Take that into consideration, along with JJ Hickson, a McDonald's All-American, coming to Raleigh and you had the recipe for a very good team. One problem? They lost Engin Atsur to graduation. Atsur missed a third of the season last year and the Wolfpack were pitiful and clueless without him. When he returned, he proved to be the perfect compliment to an incredible array of young post players, specifically Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner, who some believe may be in the witness protection program this year because he's been an absolute no-show.
The absence of Atsur left me skeptical on how good this team would really be. However, I never thought in a million years that they would've limped out to a 13-6 record with horrible losses to New Orleans (no, not the Chris Paul-led Hornets), Eastern Carolina, and at home to Georgia Tech, which was desperate for a win at that point in the season. I mean they do have good wins against Villanova (on a BS last second foul call), Davidson (an impressive mid-major squad led by Stephon "Don't call me Dell" Curry) and Big East up and comers Cincy and Seton Hall.
Many people believe Duke will dominate this game. I do not. I believe they will win because they can take advantage of State's lack of ball handling ability and do the usual, force turnovers and turn it into easy points. However, if State can consistently get the ball down low, watch out. They have a number of gifted post players including the freshman JJ Hickson who is a physical specimen that Duke could only dream of having in their front court this year. I think Duke's pressure defense, ability to play the passing lanes, and of course, the home crowd will get them a W but it should be hard fought and not decided until late in the game.
Prediction: Duke 80 NC State 76
However, the battle for preseason #2, seemed like a tough one, especially considering my choices seemed to be Duke or NC State. Duke was coming its worst season since the 1996 campaign, which coincidentally ended the same way, a first round exit at the hands of a mid-major with an undersized, speedy point guard (1996-Eastern Michigan-Earl Boykins, 2007-VCU-Eric Maynor). The Blue Devils finished a mediocre 8-8 in the ACC, earned a #6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and to boot, lost their best low-post presence, albeit the very underwhelming Josh McRoberts. In addition, Duke swung and missed in the Patrick Patterson sweepstakes, leaving Duke with a Kate Moss frontcourt - very thin with little muscle.
On the flipside, the Wolfpack were coming off a season that started off mediocre but ended with NC State playing great ball, making a last stitch effort in the ACC Tournament only to come up a few minutes short in the title game, and then a very productive NIT. Take that into consideration, along with JJ Hickson, a McDonald's All-American, coming to Raleigh and you had the recipe for a very good team. One problem? They lost Engin Atsur to graduation. Atsur missed a third of the season last year and the Wolfpack were pitiful and clueless without him. When he returned, he proved to be the perfect compliment to an incredible array of young post players, specifically Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner, who some believe may be in the witness protection program this year because he's been an absolute no-show.
The absence of Atsur left me skeptical on how good this team would really be. However, I never thought in a million years that they would've limped out to a 13-6 record with horrible losses to New Orleans (no, not the Chris Paul-led Hornets), Eastern Carolina, and at home to Georgia Tech, which was desperate for a win at that point in the season. I mean they do have good wins against Villanova (on a BS last second foul call), Davidson (an impressive mid-major squad led by Stephon "Don't call me Dell" Curry) and Big East up and comers Cincy and Seton Hall.
Many people believe Duke will dominate this game. I do not. I believe they will win because they can take advantage of State's lack of ball handling ability and do the usual, force turnovers and turn it into easy points. However, if State can consistently get the ball down low, watch out. They have a number of gifted post players including the freshman JJ Hickson who is a physical specimen that Duke could only dream of having in their front court this year. I think Duke's pressure defense, ability to play the passing lanes, and of course, the home crowd will get them a W but it should be hard fought and not decided until late in the game.
Prediction: Duke 80 NC State 76
BRB Breaking News...
Although it is still tentative in nature, it looks like BRB will be live blogging on WRAL.com for the Duke/North Carolina game on Wednesday, February 6th.
The details are still not perfected but I, along with a writer for a UNC blog, will collaborate to produce a live, confrontational blog to get the perspective of both the Blue Devil fan (BRB) and the Carolina fan (Mr. Tar Heel's Blog) while the action unfolds!
Details will come shortly but I hope all of you will tune in...
WRAL.com
Listen to the live Internet feed (good talk shows, just had DeMarcus Nelson on).
The details are still not perfected but I, along with a writer for a UNC blog, will collaborate to produce a live, confrontational blog to get the perspective of both the Blue Devil fan (BRB) and the Carolina fan (Mr. Tar Heel's Blog) while the action unfolds!
Details will come shortly but I hope all of you will tune in...
WRAL.com
Listen to the live Internet feed (good talk shows, just had DeMarcus Nelson on).
Monday, January 28, 2008
Duke a #1 Seed in Bracketology
After a year absence, Duke has earned its way back to a #1 seed in the latest version of bracketology.
TAKE A LOOK
Don't look now but if the Devils and Tar Heels continue their success this season, they will share the Raleigh 1st & 2nd Round region. Why should you care? Well, if 2005 is any indication, the crowd tends to be very hostile towards Duke because the majority of fans are Carolina fans and root heavily against Duke.
In 2005, after UNC breezed through their first two opponents, Carolina fans stuck around and almost single-handedly willed Lawrence Roberts and an inferior Mississippi State team to victory. You thought last night's Maryland crowd was hostile, go back to the tape and watch that game...
TAKE A LOOK
Don't look now but if the Devils and Tar Heels continue their success this season, they will share the Raleigh 1st & 2nd Round region. Why should you care? Well, if 2005 is any indication, the crowd tends to be very hostile towards Duke because the majority of fans are Carolina fans and root heavily against Duke.
In 2005, after UNC breezed through their first two opponents, Carolina fans stuck around and almost single-handedly willed Lawrence Roberts and an inferior Mississippi State team to victory. You thought last night's Maryland crowd was hostile, go back to the tape and watch that game...
Hostile Crowds
As the great Stewie Griffin once proclaimed after making a girl cry "See, this is why no one respects the WNBA"
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS...
This is why Pat Summitt shouldn't be considered the NCAA All-Time leader in wins. There should be an NCAA Men's record and an NCAA Women's record because it's apples and oranges. In the women's game, since there is very little television exposure except for the big-time programs, all of the good recruits go to Tennessee, UCONN, UNC, Duke, LSU etc...In the women's game, you can keep a star like Candace Parker four years and win championships. In the men's game, players equivalent to Candace Parker are the LeBron James' and Dwight Howard's of the world who never step foot on campus or Greg Oden's and Kevin Durant's who only come to college because of the one year rule and then bolt...To me, Bobby Knight is the all-time wins leader.
As for the article, you have to be kidding me. Summitt is considering ending the Duke series because the fans are mean to the players. Have you ever heard Coach K say something like that when the Maryland crowds chanted "JJ drinks his own pee", "JJ, I f***** your sister" (who happened to be 12 at the time" or "No Means No" when Shelden Williams shot free throws (referring to the allegation that Williams might have been involved in a gang rape, which eventually was found to be highly inaccurate). Did Jim Calhoun go crazy when the Villanova fans in the Wachovia Center collectively chanted "Where's my laptop?" when Marcus Williams touched the ball? No, because it's part of the road atmosphere. If Summitt doesn't want to hear those chants then she shouldn't recruit a player who plead guilty to shoplifting from a Walmart. I mean it's absolutely disgraceful to complain about this...Stop acting like a mother and see it for what it is, a hostile road atmosphere. That's not disgraceful, it's a clever student body trying to give their team every edge to win the game.
You want disgraceful? How about at last year's Duke-Tenn game in Knoxville, Men's bball coach Bruce Pearl jumping up and down topless, painted orange only to place attention on himself, which he so desperately craves. That's why he did that, not for Summitt and the Women's program, and that's why he wears that crazy Orange blazer because with bums like Pearl or Bruce Weber, it's all about them and not about the kids and that's the true disgrace in college basketball.
There's no one that hates Maryland and their fans more than me but some of the things they do are funny and clever and even the Duke players have a chuckle or two about some of the things they do (see flyers of Jon Sheyer's weird faces) or see on College Humor, a Duke fan holding up a "Redickulous" sign only for a Maryland fan to cleverly innovate and hold up a sign next to it that says "...ly GAY" spelling out "Redickulous-ly GAY." That's clever stuff and that is one of the things that makes me love college basketball more than any other sport.
Suck it up Pat...it's part of the game
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS...
This is why Pat Summitt shouldn't be considered the NCAA All-Time leader in wins. There should be an NCAA Men's record and an NCAA Women's record because it's apples and oranges. In the women's game, since there is very little television exposure except for the big-time programs, all of the good recruits go to Tennessee, UCONN, UNC, Duke, LSU etc...In the women's game, you can keep a star like Candace Parker four years and win championships. In the men's game, players equivalent to Candace Parker are the LeBron James' and Dwight Howard's of the world who never step foot on campus or Greg Oden's and Kevin Durant's who only come to college because of the one year rule and then bolt...To me, Bobby Knight is the all-time wins leader.
As for the article, you have to be kidding me. Summitt is considering ending the Duke series because the fans are mean to the players. Have you ever heard Coach K say something like that when the Maryland crowds chanted "JJ drinks his own pee", "JJ, I f***** your sister" (who happened to be 12 at the time" or "No Means No" when Shelden Williams shot free throws (referring to the allegation that Williams might have been involved in a gang rape, which eventually was found to be highly inaccurate). Did Jim Calhoun go crazy when the Villanova fans in the Wachovia Center collectively chanted "Where's my laptop?" when Marcus Williams touched the ball? No, because it's part of the road atmosphere. If Summitt doesn't want to hear those chants then she shouldn't recruit a player who plead guilty to shoplifting from a Walmart. I mean it's absolutely disgraceful to complain about this...Stop acting like a mother and see it for what it is, a hostile road atmosphere. That's not disgraceful, it's a clever student body trying to give their team every edge to win the game.
You want disgraceful? How about at last year's Duke-Tenn game in Knoxville, Men's bball coach Bruce Pearl jumping up and down topless, painted orange only to place attention on himself, which he so desperately craves. That's why he did that, not for Summitt and the Women's program, and that's why he wears that crazy Orange blazer because with bums like Pearl or Bruce Weber, it's all about them and not about the kids and that's the true disgrace in college basketball.
There's no one that hates Maryland and their fans more than me but some of the things they do are funny and clever and even the Duke players have a chuckle or two about some of the things they do (see flyers of Jon Sheyer's weird faces) or see on College Humor, a Duke fan holding up a "Redickulous" sign only for a Maryland fan to cleverly innovate and hold up a sign next to it that says "...ly GAY" spelling out "Redickulous-ly GAY." That's clever stuff and that is one of the things that makes me love college basketball more than any other sport.
Suck it up Pat...it's part of the game
Duke #3 in AP & ESPN Poll
Road wins against VA Tech & Maryland coupled with a Tennessee loss to Kentucky allowed Duke to move up one spot in the AP poll. Since Memphis and Kansas continued to roll, Duke could not move up in the ESPN.
RANKINGS
RANKINGS
Nelson, Devils Cancel The Osby Show
20 minutes finished, Duke down by 9 at halftime (1st time they trailed at the half and also the largest deficit of the season), hostile crowd, yet I've never been so confident that Duke would be there at the end.
Maryland, especially against Duke, is very well-coached and always have a game plan that exposes the biggest Devil weakness. In most of the 1st Half, the Terps executed brilliantly when Duke doubled one big man, that big guy passed out of it to a wide open big underneath basket. Last year in College Park, Duke trailed 29-9 early on and it was a Mount Everest uphill battle after that. This year, I felt that if they could withstand that big first punch from Maryland, they could win the game. They did and they won because of it. I've always looked at a Duke game on the road as a heavyweight bout. If the Devils can withstand the big uppercut or take one and get up off the mat, they should prevail because their skill level and effort is always sustained over a full 40 minutes.
The biggest sequence of the game, to me, involved Lance Thomas in the beginning of the 2nd Half. The Terps got the ball first and immediately called Osby's number again but a combo of Kyle Singler and Lance Thomas forced a travelling violation. Then, on the other end, Duke went into Lance Thomas and got a tough basket in the lane, which seemed like a temporary halt of the Maryland momentum. At that point, the DeMarcus Nelson show began and it was a pleasure to watch. For the first time in his Duke career, he took over a game and refused to let the Blue Devils lose. Whether it was steals, drives to the basket, hitting free throws and even a late 3 pointer that extended a Duke lead, Nelson was fantastic. He finished with a career high 27 points but his point total was immensely dwarfed in comparison to his defense and leadership on the court last night.
The other story in this game was Gerald Henderson. He makes that medium-range jumper look so easy that it hurts every time I see him bury another one. With Eliot Williams coming to Duke next year, Henderson may jump to the NBA and almost certainly be a Top 20 pick. If that happens, Duke will take another step back because they are winning because their wings, Nelson and Henderson, are athletic enough to somewhat make up for a lack of size down low. Nelson, unfortunately, is done after this year no matter what but hopefully Henderson values a chance at a Duke degree and he really doesn't need the money with his father being a former NBA player.
Anyway, this was a tremendous win for the Dukies and they on rolling along with this revenge tour. Can they keep it going against a struggling NC State team on Thursday? I hope so. I will have a prediction later on in the week...
BTW, in case you're wondering, Cliff Tucker wanted to back up his words so much, he raised his level of play to the tune of 4 points and 3 rebounds. Good job Cliff!!!!!!!!!Keep it up...
Maryland, especially against Duke, is very well-coached and always have a game plan that exposes the biggest Devil weakness. In most of the 1st Half, the Terps executed brilliantly when Duke doubled one big man, that big guy passed out of it to a wide open big underneath basket. Last year in College Park, Duke trailed 29-9 early on and it was a Mount Everest uphill battle after that. This year, I felt that if they could withstand that big first punch from Maryland, they could win the game. They did and they won because of it. I've always looked at a Duke game on the road as a heavyweight bout. If the Devils can withstand the big uppercut or take one and get up off the mat, they should prevail because their skill level and effort is always sustained over a full 40 minutes.
The biggest sequence of the game, to me, involved Lance Thomas in the beginning of the 2nd Half. The Terps got the ball first and immediately called Osby's number again but a combo of Kyle Singler and Lance Thomas forced a travelling violation. Then, on the other end, Duke went into Lance Thomas and got a tough basket in the lane, which seemed like a temporary halt of the Maryland momentum. At that point, the DeMarcus Nelson show began and it was a pleasure to watch. For the first time in his Duke career, he took over a game and refused to let the Blue Devils lose. Whether it was steals, drives to the basket, hitting free throws and even a late 3 pointer that extended a Duke lead, Nelson was fantastic. He finished with a career high 27 points but his point total was immensely dwarfed in comparison to his defense and leadership on the court last night.
The other story in this game was Gerald Henderson. He makes that medium-range jumper look so easy that it hurts every time I see him bury another one. With Eliot Williams coming to Duke next year, Henderson may jump to the NBA and almost certainly be a Top 20 pick. If that happens, Duke will take another step back because they are winning because their wings, Nelson and Henderson, are athletic enough to somewhat make up for a lack of size down low. Nelson, unfortunately, is done after this year no matter what but hopefully Henderson values a chance at a Duke degree and he really doesn't need the money with his father being a former NBA player.
Anyway, this was a tremendous win for the Dukies and they on rolling along with this revenge tour. Can they keep it going against a struggling NC State team on Thursday? I hope so. I will have a prediction later on in the week...
BTW, in case you're wondering, Cliff Tucker wanted to back up his words so much, he raised his level of play to the tune of 4 points and 3 rebounds. Good job Cliff!!!!!!!!!Keep it up...
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Cliffhanger
The following are statements by Maryland's Cliff Tucker...
“I can’t stand Duke. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here so I can beat Duke, I already got North Carolina. Duke is next. I cannot stand Duke. I tell people all the time, if they gave me a scholarship and that was my only Division I scholarship, I’d go Division II or something like that. I would never, ever go there. I don’t know what it is, I can’t stand Duke.”
Harsh words from someone who is averaging 17 minutes a game, 4 points per game, and only 2 rebounds...
Will he elevate his game to back up his words? We will know in a few hours...
Duke: Your mission is clear, keep the revenge tour going...
“I can’t stand Duke. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here so I can beat Duke, I already got North Carolina. Duke is next. I cannot stand Duke. I tell people all the time, if they gave me a scholarship and that was my only Division I scholarship, I’d go Division II or something like that. I would never, ever go there. I don’t know what it is, I can’t stand Duke.”
Harsh words from someone who is averaging 17 minutes a game, 4 points per game, and only 2 rebounds...
Will he elevate his game to back up his words? We will know in a few hours...
Duke: Your mission is clear, keep the revenge tour going...
Friday, January 25, 2008
Are You Kidding?
Seth Greenberg on Duke's play...
"They were a little frisky," Greenberg said.
Though the Hokies didn't back down from Duke's hands-on play, they did let it affect their play, and "that's the difference between playing hard and competing,"
Seth, give me a break. Your program is an absolute disgrace and you need to deal with it. Developing a culture of punks is no way to build a program, especially in the ACC. You can say whatever you want about Carolina but I do respect their program because they do it most of the time with class.
SETH, THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PROGRAM YOU'VE BUILT
"They were a little frisky," Greenberg said.
Though the Hokies didn't back down from Duke's hands-on play, they did let it affect their play, and "that's the difference between playing hard and competing,"
Seth, give me a break. Your program is an absolute disgrace and you need to deal with it. Developing a culture of punks is no way to build a program, especially in the ACC. You can say whatever you want about Carolina but I do respect their program because they do it most of the time with class.
SETH, THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PROGRAM YOU'VE BUILT
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Hokie Dokie
A very solid win overall for the Dukies tonight. I was in and out during the first half tonight but I loved the balance and up until the end of the game, the poise they showed when it was completely obvious that Seth Greenberg's game plan was to play dirty and out of control.
Deron Washington, as indicated in the previous post during the game, is lucky he wasn't arrested for his behavior tonight. He continues to disgrace this Virginia Tech program and instead of leaving his mark on the program like Zabien Dowdell, he will be nothing more than a black mark on this schools reputation up there with the Vick brothers. The funny thing is that Washington isn't even the biggest punk on this team? Jeff Allen, their second leading scorer, is currently serving a two-game suspension for bumping an official.
Enough with the negatives and focusing on a disgraceful human being like Deron Washington. I thought Duke played very well tonight and to me, this was the most balanced effort offensively all year long.
BOX SCORE
Nine players played 6+ minutes, eight players played 14+
4 players scored in double figures
No player scored more than 16 (Singler) and no player scored less than 4 (McClure)
To me, there were two stories in this game for Duke:
1) Kyle Singler: How freakin' good is this guy? I will go as far as to say if he stays four years, I will have a full blown man crush on him, even more so than I had for JJ because remember, JJ was a good shooter in his frosh year but he was repulsive with all of the back-ne and he didn't have a very good overall game. Singler played 30 minutes, had 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks and yet it felt as if his impact was even greater than that. He is so versatile and when he pops out and hits the 3, he is virtually unstoppable.
2) The 5 Spot: I said in a post earlier this week that Duke needed to get more point production from their 5 spot even if it were only 10 points combined. Tonight, they went for 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 blocks. I will take that contribution every single night.
Side note: The last two games, Lance Thomas has looked pretty good. Hopefully, he can keep it up.
Next up is Maryland in College Park on Sunday night. I must be honest with you, I don't have a good feeling for this game. Sure, you can say how can you fear a team that's lost to Ohio and American AT HOME?? You want to know how? Maryland gets up to play highly ranked teams, especially Duke. Take a look at what they did to UNC last weekend...
No prediction until later in the weekend...
Deron Washington, as indicated in the previous post during the game, is lucky he wasn't arrested for his behavior tonight. He continues to disgrace this Virginia Tech program and instead of leaving his mark on the program like Zabien Dowdell, he will be nothing more than a black mark on this schools reputation up there with the Vick brothers. The funny thing is that Washington isn't even the biggest punk on this team? Jeff Allen, their second leading scorer, is currently serving a two-game suspension for bumping an official.
Enough with the negatives and focusing on a disgraceful human being like Deron Washington. I thought Duke played very well tonight and to me, this was the most balanced effort offensively all year long.
BOX SCORE
Nine players played 6+ minutes, eight players played 14+
4 players scored in double figures
No player scored more than 16 (Singler) and no player scored less than 4 (McClure)
To me, there were two stories in this game for Duke:
1) Kyle Singler: How freakin' good is this guy? I will go as far as to say if he stays four years, I will have a full blown man crush on him, even more so than I had for JJ because remember, JJ was a good shooter in his frosh year but he was repulsive with all of the back-ne and he didn't have a very good overall game. Singler played 30 minutes, had 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks and yet it felt as if his impact was even greater than that. He is so versatile and when he pops out and hits the 3, he is virtually unstoppable.
2) The 5 Spot: I said in a post earlier this week that Duke needed to get more point production from their 5 spot even if it were only 10 points combined. Tonight, they went for 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 blocks. I will take that contribution every single night.
Side note: The last two games, Lance Thomas has looked pretty good. Hopefully, he can keep it up.
Next up is Maryland in College Park on Sunday night. I must be honest with you, I don't have a good feeling for this game. Sure, you can say how can you fear a team that's lost to Ohio and American AT HOME?? You want to know how? Maryland gets up to play highly ranked teams, especially Duke. Take a look at what they did to UNC last weekend...
No prediction until later in the weekend...
Put Deron Washington in Prison
My first ever mid-game post...Deron Washington is completely out of control. After he kicked Lee Melchionni in the face two years ago, I thought he was a punk. After tonight, I think he's just plain crazy and Seth Greenberg needs to get him together before he hurts someone out there...
7 minutes left in the game. Kyle Singler, each and every second that passes by, makes me believe that he is the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Much more after the game...
7 minutes left in the game. Kyle Singler, each and every second that passes by, makes me believe that he is the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Much more after the game...
VA Tech Tonight (7PM, ESPN)
Road wins in the ACC are usually scarce, the Hokies will not be afraid of the Devils one bit, and Seth Greenberg always has a great gameplan against the Dukies...With that said, a Hokie win should be tough to come by.
The Hokies beat Duke at Duke last year but let's face it, Duke wasn't Duke last year. In fact, their greatest weakness was defending athletic guards off the dribble last year. The problem for the Hokies this year is that they don't have Zabien Dowdell, a 1st-Team All-ACC performer and Jamont Gordon. This is a team that plays 7 freshmen and only has four upperclassmen to lean on. Even though if you think about it, Duke only has 3 upperclassmen that play minutes in Paulus, Nelson, and McClure.
The inexperienced Hokies should surcome to Duke's pressure and I see the Devils pulling away late.
Let's hope a 'W' in Blacksburg will be easier than this one...
I CAN WATCH THIS ALL DAY LONG!!!!
The Hokies beat Duke at Duke last year but let's face it, Duke wasn't Duke last year. In fact, their greatest weakness was defending athletic guards off the dribble last year. The problem for the Hokies this year is that they don't have Zabien Dowdell, a 1st-Team All-ACC performer and Jamont Gordon. This is a team that plays 7 freshmen and only has four upperclassmen to lean on. Even though if you think about it, Duke only has 3 upperclassmen that play minutes in Paulus, Nelson, and McClure.
The inexperienced Hokies should surcome to Duke's pressure and I see the Devils pulling away late.
Let's hope a 'W' in Blacksburg will be easier than this one...
I CAN WATCH THIS ALL DAY LONG!!!!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Duke #3 in ESPN Poll
Overrated? Yes, I believe so but they have taken care of business and won the games they were supposed to win in order to get this lofty ranking. Can they keep it going this week with road games at VA Tech and Maryland?
ESPN POLL
ESPN POLL
Eye of the Tiger
Sorry for the delayed post but I had to TiVo the game and I didn't get a chance to watch it until yesterday. What can you say? This was a very important win for the Dukies especially with North Carolina going down earlier in the day, which I will certainly touch on a little bit later. I know you're supposed to win at home and Duke has absolutely owned Clemson over the past 13 years but this is a very important win. After the heartbreaking loss to Pitt before Christmas, it meant a ton for Duke to go out and beat a team that is much more physical than they are.
Duke got absolutely man handled on the boards but their defense more than made up for it by creating 21 turnovers and converting a number of those into easy baskets on the offensive end. DeMarcus Nelson was fabulous and led the team with 24 points and let's hope his back is alright after it appeared that he tweaked it at the end of the game.
Gerald Henderson continues to amaze me with his athleticism and NBA ready medium range jump shot. As a Duke fan, that jumper has to scare you to death because that is already NBA ready. Let's hope he realizes that there will be an abundance of talent in this years draft and he comes back for another season. I didn't comment on this when the news broke a few weeks ago but I love the fact that Singler has already said he will be back next year at Duke. Singler and Henderson are in an arduous battle to win over my heart as my favorite Dukie. I am leaning towards Singler because he is much more like me in terms of diving on the floor and not being afraid of getting hurt.
I can't end this without mentioning Nolan Smith. He played tremendous, especially in the 1st Half. The drive he had coast to coast that ended in a monster dunk is something that he brings to the table that Paulus cannot.
Also, even though the numbers don't show it, I thought Lance Thomas played a pretty solid game. He only had 2 points but he was much more active down low than he has been. Still, Duke desperately needs more than 2 points from their 5 spot if they are going to compete at the highest level. If Duke can get 8 points and 10 rebounds a game out of Thomas, McClure, and Zoubek on a consistent basis, this team would be very tough to beat.
With that said, I wouldn't mind seeing Taylor King playing a few minutes down low. Let me explain. I know he can't handle the traditional post presence down low but if you played him at that spot for a few minutes a game, I think it would help. On the offensive end, King could keep the opponents center on the perimeter and open up the lanes even more for dribble penetration.
One final note: What is Oliver Purnell doing? He burnt his 2nd to last timeout with 12 minutes left in the game and the game was tied! By the time Duke started to pull away, he couldn't stop the momentum.
Next up is Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Thursday night. The Hokies will be without Jeff Allen who bumped an official and is serving a two-game suspension. VA Tech always plays Duke very well at home and like my brother said "they will have the kid responsible for that massacre on the campus last year in a Duke uniform to pump them up" Now, I seriously doubt that considering how horrific that event truly was but you know that place will be packed and ready to go. If Duke keeps Washington in check and limit Vasiello's 3-point attempts, they should be able to win this conference road game with relative ease.
Prediction: Duke 87 VA Tech 73
Duke got absolutely man handled on the boards but their defense more than made up for it by creating 21 turnovers and converting a number of those into easy baskets on the offensive end. DeMarcus Nelson was fabulous and led the team with 24 points and let's hope his back is alright after it appeared that he tweaked it at the end of the game.
Gerald Henderson continues to amaze me with his athleticism and NBA ready medium range jump shot. As a Duke fan, that jumper has to scare you to death because that is already NBA ready. Let's hope he realizes that there will be an abundance of talent in this years draft and he comes back for another season. I didn't comment on this when the news broke a few weeks ago but I love the fact that Singler has already said he will be back next year at Duke. Singler and Henderson are in an arduous battle to win over my heart as my favorite Dukie. I am leaning towards Singler because he is much more like me in terms of diving on the floor and not being afraid of getting hurt.
I can't end this without mentioning Nolan Smith. He played tremendous, especially in the 1st Half. The drive he had coast to coast that ended in a monster dunk is something that he brings to the table that Paulus cannot.
Also, even though the numbers don't show it, I thought Lance Thomas played a pretty solid game. He only had 2 points but he was much more active down low than he has been. Still, Duke desperately needs more than 2 points from their 5 spot if they are going to compete at the highest level. If Duke can get 8 points and 10 rebounds a game out of Thomas, McClure, and Zoubek on a consistent basis, this team would be very tough to beat.
With that said, I wouldn't mind seeing Taylor King playing a few minutes down low. Let me explain. I know he can't handle the traditional post presence down low but if you played him at that spot for a few minutes a game, I think it would help. On the offensive end, King could keep the opponents center on the perimeter and open up the lanes even more for dribble penetration.
One final note: What is Oliver Purnell doing? He burnt his 2nd to last timeout with 12 minutes left in the game and the game was tied! By the time Duke started to pull away, he couldn't stop the momentum.
Next up is Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Thursday night. The Hokies will be without Jeff Allen who bumped an official and is serving a two-game suspension. VA Tech always plays Duke very well at home and like my brother said "they will have the kid responsible for that massacre on the campus last year in a Duke uniform to pump them up" Now, I seriously doubt that considering how horrific that event truly was but you know that place will be packed and ready to go. If Duke keeps Washington in check and limit Vasiello's 3-point attempts, they should be able to win this conference road game with relative ease.
Prediction: Duke 87 VA Tech 73
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
