It is ironic that the first post of the 2008-2009 season should largely not be about Duke, but the news of the moment is the first-in-history unanimous selection of the North Carolina Tar Heels as the preseason number one team in the AP, Coaches, and ACC polls.
No doubt, North Carolina is an incredible college basketball team. You have four or five guys who could have gone in the first round of last year's NBA draft, and they're all back for another year, a la the Florida Gators. Err...well...not exactly. See, the Gators WON the title the first time through and returned to win it AGAIN.
The Tar Heels, on the other hand, got embarrassed by Kansas in the semifinals last year, due not to Kansas' overwhelming talent, but to the fact that North Carolina came out flat. They came out flat in one of the most important games in any of their careers. They're so good, they almost made up for it, but it wasn't good enough.
And so, this year is a dream year for a Duke fan. People want to make the argument that North Carolina is not only great but also has new incentive this year since they got their collective ass handed to them last year. You call it incentive. I'll call it crushing pressure. North Carolina's preseason is 33 games long, and the only game of their regular season is the NCAA final, and they're not even guaranteed to get there. Imagine playing 30 plus exhibition games, hoping that you'll be let into the regular season. Granted, they don't have to win each exhibition game, but every one that they do win will be no reason to celebrate. And every loss (and I'm predicting at least one, likely coming in the first three weeks) casts more doubt on their ability to make it to the Final, and win it.
That kind of pressure is going to suck the joy out of their year. Well, it'll suck whatever joy they pretend is still available, anyway. Because even if they meet their goal of a National Championship this year, they miss what their ultimate goal was: to realize their potential. They have ALREADY FAILED to do that, in handing Kansas the title last year, so there is no way for them to ultimately succeed in 2009.
The Tar Heels are already failures. Failures. This year is about staying only Failures and not becoming Absolute Failures. Can even the great Tyler "Beaker" Hansbrough keep his intensity up knowing that he has to generate an undefeated season just to remain a failure? He may. But then, as a Duke fan, so what? Even he does, he's succeeded only in keeping the Tar Heels and Roy Williams from winning the Greatest Choke In Sports History title.
And that's fine.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
2 v 3
On February 6th, not only will we see the best rivalry in sports renewed, but it will be a match up of the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams in the country.
Duke and North Carolina hold the two and three spots in both the coaches and AP polls. The only thing that could make this any better is if they were both undefeated and ranked one and two. This game is going to be epic.
Duke has played a somewhat more difficult ACC schedule than UNC so far, and they have come through without a loss, whereas UNC, the pre-season favorite for ACC dominance, has already dropped a game to one of Duke's victims.
This in no way means that Duke is favored going into enemy territory on Wednesday, but they are certainly in better position to compete with a fantastic Tar Heels team than they were last year. Particularly with a defense that actually becomes more suffocating as the game wears on.
UNC will see the best defense they've faced this year, and they will be trying to still an offense that has shown that it can post strong numbers - without a dominant big man.
Duke will see the best defensive big man they've seen this year in Hansbrough, and an offense that can simply light it up.
Prediction: Duke 81 UNC 78
GO DUKE!!!!
Duke and North Carolina hold the two and three spots in both the coaches and AP polls. The only thing that could make this any better is if they were both undefeated and ranked one and two. This game is going to be epic.
Duke has played a somewhat more difficult ACC schedule than UNC so far, and they have come through without a loss, whereas UNC, the pre-season favorite for ACC dominance, has already dropped a game to one of Duke's victims.
This in no way means that Duke is favored going into enemy territory on Wednesday, but they are certainly in better position to compete with a fantastic Tar Heels team than they were last year. Particularly with a defense that actually becomes more suffocating as the game wears on.
UNC will see the best defense they've faced this year, and they will be trying to still an offense that has shown that it can post strong numbers - without a dominant big man.
Duke will see the best defensive big man they've seen this year in Hansbrough, and an offense that can simply light it up.
Prediction: Duke 81 UNC 78
GO DUKE!!!!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Duke v UNC, Round 1
February 6th is fast approaching, the date of Duke's first matchup with the Tar Heels. By the time they meet, they will likely be the number two and three teams in the country, assuming Carolina beats Florida State today.
In any case, they will be one and two in the ACC, Duke with no losses and UNC with probably only one. Fairly equal records, on the surface, but are they really?
Duke's 7-0 includes wins against the 3rd, 4th, and 5th teams in the ACC. Carolina has beaten number four Clemson, but lost to number five Maryland, and the rest of their wins have come against bottom-of-the-barrel ACC teams.
Of course, none of that really matters when these two teams meet. Regardless of the rest of the season, they always seem to make a passionate contest out of their head-to-head matchups.
Go Duke
In any case, they will be one and two in the ACC, Duke with no losses and UNC with probably only one. Fairly equal records, on the surface, but are they really?
Duke's 7-0 includes wins against the 3rd, 4th, and 5th teams in the ACC. Carolina has beaten number four Clemson, but lost to number five Maryland, and the rest of their wins have come against bottom-of-the-barrel ACC teams.
Of course, none of that really matters when these two teams meet. Regardless of the rest of the season, they always seem to make a passionate contest out of their head-to-head matchups.
Go Duke
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Duke completed a route of Virginia Tech tonight, and finally proved something to me: Duke can weather a storm.
I should have been convinced of that by now, but Duke had a whole string of poor second halves to begin the season, winning several games, seemingly, only because of fantastic starts.
But over the past few games the boys in blue have figured out how to keep scoring while their defense remains suffocating.
Duke is still without a go-to big man, and will remain so, even after the return of Zoubek. But they have figured out how to mitigate that weakness, at least against teams who themselves do not have a dominant inside presence.
Are they the third best team in the country? That's a tough call, but they have about as much claim to that position as anyone else does right now.
Kansas and Memphis are pretty clearly number 1 and 2. The problem is, Memphis plays such a weak conference schedule, that there's no way for them to lose here on out, all but guaranteeing that the number one slot will be occupied by the Tigers for the rest of the season. Kansas is going to play a lot of great Big 12 teams and almost has to drop one. Will it be Baylor? Texas? K-State? Whose to say?
My question is: does Duke have to lose a game from here on out? The most obvious answer is yes, and to North Carolina. But UNC is playing terrible defense right now, allowing over 80 points to Miami, Georgia Tech, UNC-Ashville, and Clemson. Duke's defense has only gotten better throughout the season. If Duke can score in the high 70's against UNC, we're looking at a potential upset in Chapel Hill.
If that happens, and Duke can handle Maryland, Georgia Tech, and NC State, the they have the chance at a number one ranking by virtue of a strong schedule. We'll see.
Not that it matters. What matters is the tournament, and the way Duke is playing right now, it looks like they can expect at least a 2 or a 3 seed, hopefully giving them the chance to advance deep.
Go Duke
I should have been convinced of that by now, but Duke had a whole string of poor second halves to begin the season, winning several games, seemingly, only because of fantastic starts.
But over the past few games the boys in blue have figured out how to keep scoring while their defense remains suffocating.
Duke is still without a go-to big man, and will remain so, even after the return of Zoubek. But they have figured out how to mitigate that weakness, at least against teams who themselves do not have a dominant inside presence.
Are they the third best team in the country? That's a tough call, but they have about as much claim to that position as anyone else does right now.
Kansas and Memphis are pretty clearly number 1 and 2. The problem is, Memphis plays such a weak conference schedule, that there's no way for them to lose here on out, all but guaranteeing that the number one slot will be occupied by the Tigers for the rest of the season. Kansas is going to play a lot of great Big 12 teams and almost has to drop one. Will it be Baylor? Texas? K-State? Whose to say?
My question is: does Duke have to lose a game from here on out? The most obvious answer is yes, and to North Carolina. But UNC is playing terrible defense right now, allowing over 80 points to Miami, Georgia Tech, UNC-Ashville, and Clemson. Duke's defense has only gotten better throughout the season. If Duke can score in the high 70's against UNC, we're looking at a potential upset in Chapel Hill.
If that happens, and Duke can handle Maryland, Georgia Tech, and NC State, the they have the chance at a number one ranking by virtue of a strong schedule. We'll see.
Not that it matters. What matters is the tournament, and the way Duke is playing right now, it looks like they can expect at least a 2 or a 3 seed, hopefully giving them the chance to advance deep.
Go Duke
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Duke vs Shaw
Some quick notes on the individual performances in Duke's 134-55 trouncing of Shaw:
The two high scorers were Kyle Singler and Demarcus Nelson.
Singler went 10-11 from the field, King 4-11.
The only player not to score double digits was Jordan Davidson, who did knock down two.
Point Guard watch: Greg Paulus played 22 minutes to Nolan Smith's 16. Paulus scored 10 points, going 3-7 from the field and 2-2 from the foul line. All four of his misses were from 3 point territory. Nolan Smith put in 11, but did it going 3-4 from the field, and 5-10 from the line, taking no 3pt shots. Each had a single steal. Similar assist numbers for both. Paulus out-rebounded Smith 5 to 2. And last, but certainly not least, Paulus turned the ball over three times, while Smith had no turnovers at all.
Round one is pretty much a draw, but I'd keep an eye on those turnover numbers. We could see a freshman starting point guard by mid-season.
Zoubek and King both pulled in 9 rebounds. Zoubek managed to go 5-6 from the field but had a team-high 4 turnovers. How many were travels, I do not know, but I would imagine a few of them.
Tonight is Barton College.
Go Duke.
The two high scorers were Kyle Singler and Demarcus Nelson.
Singler went 10-11 from the field, King 4-11.
The only player not to score double digits was Jordan Davidson, who did knock down two.
Point Guard watch: Greg Paulus played 22 minutes to Nolan Smith's 16. Paulus scored 10 points, going 3-7 from the field and 2-2 from the foul line. All four of his misses were from 3 point territory. Nolan Smith put in 11, but did it going 3-4 from the field, and 5-10 from the line, taking no 3pt shots. Each had a single steal. Similar assist numbers for both. Paulus out-rebounded Smith 5 to 2. And last, but certainly not least, Paulus turned the ball over three times, while Smith had no turnovers at all.
Round one is pretty much a draw, but I'd keep an eye on those turnover numbers. We could see a freshman starting point guard by mid-season.
Zoubek and King both pulled in 9 rebounds. Zoubek managed to go 5-6 from the field but had a team-high 4 turnovers. How many were travels, I do not know, but I would imagine a few of them.
Tonight is Barton College.
Go Duke.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Preseason Rankings
Much was made last year about how Duke's exit from the top 25 poll was the first time in an eon for the Blue Devils. It happened near the end of the season, but Duke still garnered a decent seed in the tournament, only to be ousted in the first round. They return nearly all of their players except Josh McRoberts and brought in a top-10 recruiting class. However, they're still decidedly weak in the low post.
What does this all add up to for the preseason poll? My guess would have been somewhere around 20. I'm no expert, just a fan, but Duke's going to be good this year. The addition of Kyle Singler, Taylor King, and Nolan Smith further strengthen their perennially strong perimeter game as well as adding a much-needed on-ball defender in Smith. But does that make them one of the top teams in the land?
Apparently it does, because they're ranked 11th.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see that the program has the respect it deserves, but as a fan, I like to see them underrated at this point in the season. 11 puts them on everyone's radar - as if they weren't all ready - and if there are some struggles early, you can bet we'll hear about how Duke doesn't belong in the top 25 at all.
What I think is fun for Duke fans is that North Carolina is the top team in the country. Well-deserved for certain, but I think being the underdog in their potential three or four matchups during the coming year (granted a Tournament matchup would likely require both teams reaching the Final Four - which is almost too good to hope for) gives the Blue Devils the advantage; nothing to lose and all that jazz.
The ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll breaks down like this:
1. North Carolina (10) 0-0 739
2. UCLA (12) 0-0 734
3. Memphis (8) 0-0 731
4. Kansas (1) 0-0 669
5. Georgetown 0-0 625
6. Louisville 0-0 620
7. Tennessee 0-0 598
8. Michigan State 0-0 503
9. Indiana 0-0 479
10. Washington State 0-0 464
11. Duke 0-0 390
12. Marquette 0-0 381
13. Oregon 0-0 360
14. Gonzaga 0-0 252
14. Texas A&M 0-0 252
16. Texas 0-0 216
17. Arizona 0-0 205
18. USC 0-0 189
19. Arkansas 0-0 173
20. Pittsburgh 0-0 160
21. Stanford 0-0 158
22. Kentucky 0-0 155
23. Southern Illinois 0-0 137
24. North Carolina State 0-0 119
25. Villanova 0-0 111
The ACC is decidely short on teams, with only three. But how awesome is it that NC State gets in there? Sydney Lowe has done a great job putting that program back on the map.
Predictions?
Memphis plays just about no one of consequence during their regular season, so they may go nearly undefeated. Starting out third coupled with no losses will keep them in the top five all year, whether they deserve it or not.
UCLA will have a hell of a time with some of the other five teams from the Pac 10 in the top 25. Their strength of schedule puts them in great position to take over the number one slot when UNC drops one or two games during their ACC schedule this year.
Georgetown is scary. I'm saying Final Four for the Hoyas. Possibly a championship.
The ACC will finish with five teams in the top 25.
Duke will get their first major test on November 27th against an Alondo Tucker-less Wisconsin team. Then it's Pitt in New York on December 20th. More on their schedule soon.
Go Duke.
What does this all add up to for the preseason poll? My guess would have been somewhere around 20. I'm no expert, just a fan, but Duke's going to be good this year. The addition of Kyle Singler, Taylor King, and Nolan Smith further strengthen their perennially strong perimeter game as well as adding a much-needed on-ball defender in Smith. But does that make them one of the top teams in the land?
Apparently it does, because they're ranked 11th.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see that the program has the respect it deserves, but as a fan, I like to see them underrated at this point in the season. 11 puts them on everyone's radar - as if they weren't all ready - and if there are some struggles early, you can bet we'll hear about how Duke doesn't belong in the top 25 at all.
What I think is fun for Duke fans is that North Carolina is the top team in the country. Well-deserved for certain, but I think being the underdog in their potential three or four matchups during the coming year (granted a Tournament matchup would likely require both teams reaching the Final Four - which is almost too good to hope for) gives the Blue Devils the advantage; nothing to lose and all that jazz.
The ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll breaks down like this:
1. North Carolina (10) 0-0 739
2. UCLA (12) 0-0 734
3. Memphis (8) 0-0 731
4. Kansas (1) 0-0 669
5. Georgetown 0-0 625
6. Louisville 0-0 620
7. Tennessee 0-0 598
8. Michigan State 0-0 503
9. Indiana 0-0 479
10. Washington State 0-0 464
11. Duke 0-0 390
12. Marquette 0-0 381
13. Oregon 0-0 360
14. Gonzaga 0-0 252
14. Texas A&M 0-0 252
16. Texas 0-0 216
17. Arizona 0-0 205
18. USC 0-0 189
19. Arkansas 0-0 173
20. Pittsburgh 0-0 160
21. Stanford 0-0 158
22. Kentucky 0-0 155
23. Southern Illinois 0-0 137
24. North Carolina State 0-0 119
25. Villanova 0-0 111
The ACC is decidely short on teams, with only three. But how awesome is it that NC State gets in there? Sydney Lowe has done a great job putting that program back on the map.
Predictions?
Memphis plays just about no one of consequence during their regular season, so they may go nearly undefeated. Starting out third coupled with no losses will keep them in the top five all year, whether they deserve it or not.
UCLA will have a hell of a time with some of the other five teams from the Pac 10 in the top 25. Their strength of schedule puts them in great position to take over the number one slot when UNC drops one or two games during their ACC schedule this year.
Georgetown is scary. I'm saying Final Four for the Hoyas. Possibly a championship.
The ACC will finish with five teams in the top 25.
Duke will get their first major test on November 27th against an Alondo Tucker-less Wisconsin team. Then it's Pitt in New York on December 20th. More on their schedule soon.
Go Duke.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Duke was in the running for Greg Monroe, 2008's top-ranked recruit, and a big-man to boot, but has lost him to Georgtown. This is disconcerting, as Georgtown was already pretty solid down low, and pulled three other decent big men from the class of 2008, so they're pretty much set for the next couple of seasons.
Duke, however, has sophomores Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas as their only two big men. Brian, enormous and white, may not be ready to be the go-to guy down low. Lance Thomas, a banger, is sized more as a 3 or a 4, and won't stand up all season to say nothing of the tournament in that role (or rather, he shouldn't, but the kid's got heart, so who knows).
Of the three recruits for this coming season, none fit the traditional five slot. However, there is some indication that hopes of Kyle Singler potentially spending some time at center might be realized. Lance Thomas himself, perhaps a bit optimistically for his own sake, praised Singler's inside ability.
Also noted in this article is Coach K referring to Nolan Smith as the best on-ball defender on the team; as a freshman. This fact, coupled with his solid passing, and lights-out shooting skills, and we may see Greg Paulus leading in different ways than as a full-time point guard this year; particularly in the late minutes of tight games, when Paulus' suspect defense becomes more of a problem.
All in all, Duke is setting up for yet another very strong perimeter team with an unkown (at best) interior game. Should Zoubek surprise us this year, Duke may have a shot at going deep into the tournament. However, without the strong interior, Duke is going to struggle against any team that plays great man to man, on-ball defense, and contests three-pointers throughout the game.
Come on Brian!
Go Duke.
Duke, however, has sophomores Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas as their only two big men. Brian, enormous and white, may not be ready to be the go-to guy down low. Lance Thomas, a banger, is sized more as a 3 or a 4, and won't stand up all season to say nothing of the tournament in that role (or rather, he shouldn't, but the kid's got heart, so who knows).
Of the three recruits for this coming season, none fit the traditional five slot. However, there is some indication that hopes of Kyle Singler potentially spending some time at center might be realized. Lance Thomas himself, perhaps a bit optimistically for his own sake, praised Singler's inside ability.
Also noted in this article is Coach K referring to Nolan Smith as the best on-ball defender on the team; as a freshman. This fact, coupled with his solid passing, and lights-out shooting skills, and we may see Greg Paulus leading in different ways than as a full-time point guard this year; particularly in the late minutes of tight games, when Paulus' suspect defense becomes more of a problem.
All in all, Duke is setting up for yet another very strong perimeter team with an unkown (at best) interior game. Should Zoubek surprise us this year, Duke may have a shot at going deep into the tournament. However, without the strong interior, Duke is going to struggle against any team that plays great man to man, on-ball defense, and contests three-pointers throughout the game.
Come on Brian!
Go Duke.
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