Here's Duke's next month of games, 9 total, with KenPom predictions and percentages:



Poll is for what you think Duke does in this stretch.

This one is scheduled for 1pm tip in Boston on the ACCN with duke currently a 9 point favorite.
After two very large goose eggs on the road in the ACC this game seems like a must have in this young conference season with many tougher teams waiting in the wings. We could be at a turning point

Boston college has already lost to us by 20 but since then they have managed a great win over VT and another good win over Notre Dame. Coach Earl Grant I’m sure has tomorrow circled as a day his program “could” get a very nice signature win for itself.

I’m not sure how many “must wins” we will have on this season(it feels like a lot) but this game seems very important for this duke team to get a W. We have a heck of a schedule the next two weeks and if we can’t get a win here we are probably in trouble. With that said-

BC-72
Duke- 74

Random thought - not talking about those who didnt play etc..but since our last national championship, how many true 4 year players have we had?
I will grind through the rosters to see but hoping someone can save me the time!

Also...whats our class recruiting rankings in the same period? We are usually up in the top 5 for sure....again, I'll do the background but hoping someone has that data handy.

Being an analytical person, I'm wondering if there is a correlation to 4 year players/wins and NCAA success vs top ranked classes....given that those players are more mature, leaders usually and have better basketball iQ due to time in the program etc

If there is anything out there more current than this let me know...very interesting article btw

Fired by Texas WOW

Preview for tomorrow's game at BC.

Programming: I'll be remote-covering from home (will cover their next four games in person, though).

Predictions: ...

Going to ride the Jeremy Roach bounce-back train again -- he scores at least 15 points, shoots over 50%.

Dariq Whitehead leads Duke in scoring (and starts).

Dereck Lively II plays less than 15 minutes.

and the refs tried to give UNCheat the game but it just wasn’t meant to be.

I remember Carolina basketball from the days of Dean and this is far from it. I gotta say though, I absolutely loved the help we got from the Zebra’s today. More transition breaks and less half court offense please!

Panther fan here. I'll be attending the game next Wednesday. Does anyone have any recommendations for food and drinks for before/after the game? Also, I haven't purchased a ticket yet (likely going through TickPick or StubHub), so if anyone is willing to sell one to the enemy, let me know !

Preview for tomorrow night's game at N.C. State.

Programming note: I won't be there (getting an early look at UNC), but we'll have a full story from a freelancer -- David Kehrli, who covered some Duke games when he worked for the Burlington Times-News (my former job several years ago).

Another programming note: Have some extra stuff on Dariq Whitehead that I'm going to turn into a story tomorrow.

Predictions:

If Duke shoots less than 20 3s, it wins by at least 10.

Kyle Filipowski has a double-double, with at least 15 points.

Whitehead has a stat-stuffing game, something like 14 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2-3 steals.

The Lady Devils beat Louisville today to go 13-1 on the season. Not ranked in the top twenty five. OFC

Preview for tomorrow afternoon's game at Cameron.

Programming note: I'll be there with full coverage.

Predictions:

Duke wins by single digits (I'm apparently a Leonard Hamilton believer in the worst of times).

Duke wins rebounding margin by at least 15.

Jeremy Roach leads Duke in scoring (somewhere between 15-18 points).

Say it’s a Monday night and you ride to the cookout (greatest fast food place on earth for those who don’t know) to get supper. You’re behind a a Honda civic with a couple hello kitty stickers on it.. then you notice a hello kitty bobble head on the dash as well.. after a few minutes a male.. alone gets out of the driver seat and it’s one of our posters..

First thought??

Should @pisgah101 be fired?

We all like discussion and debate. This involves what seems like a radical change (and it is), but makes some sense if you think about it. Right now we have what I call would be a five guard rotation.

Jeremy, Tyrese, Blakes,(1 or 2's) Grandison (2) and IMO Whitehead (he's really a 2 or a 3)could all be considered guards.Its no secret Proctor is slumping, Roach's game is off for whatever reason (toe perhaps?) and "Grands" has been fairly up and down.

I propose more PT of a combo of Blakes at the point, and Dariq at the SG. Blakes has shown the ability of scoring the ball from the perimeter more consistently than other guards, he can get downhill with his drives, and Whitehead is showing signs of reaching his potential playing out front. His size also comes into play guarding other two guards. Who else would like to see more time of this tandem of guards together?? OFC

Well after such a wonderful thread asking if I should keep my job, I displayed a great error in judgement in forgetting we played today LOL. (Thanks for the reminder texts HAHA)


Duke comes in as a heavy favorite at 17 points over a struggling FSU with a record of 4-10. I never count out the Seminoles though and the lion of a coach Leonard Hamilton roaming the sidelines. Fun fact, coach Hamilton sings gospel music in his spare time and is also the youngest looking 74 year old in the world.


I got duke in a close one

74-68


If you’d like to change your vote on if I should keep my job feel free to…….

Watching this pickle all crap before the game but I’m not sure about where everyone else lives but this “sport” is an obsession here in Raleigh, NC. The people here are militant if you entered the gym and happen to come near the court. If a basketball from the other court, that has a huge divider, rolls into the pickleball court you will not get your ball back. The people who play are rude and have even interrupted basketball practices by walking into our court because we were being “noisy.” I’ve never met anyone who when playing this is actually chill. It’s a drug to these people.

You're coaching Duke for the two regular season games vs UNC. Granted, in two of the three games last year we defended pretty well. However we had a legit rim protector in Mark (Theo somewhat as well), and better all around players.

I am not sure Lively is quite up to the task(Mark had more experience), and there are other mitigating factors that concern me. First of all let me say, my proposals would NEVER HAPPEN on a Duke team, but your thoughts nonetheless.

The late Jim Valvano was marvelously adept at employing junk defenses, be it a 1-3 and chaser ( usually a guard on opposing center), or triangle and two (three under hoop) and two guarding opposing guards.

I like both vs the Cheats, as the 1-3 chaser gets on Bacot's nerves if he puts it on the floor, plus the added safety net of 3 underneath, at least two bigs. The defender out front contests perimeter shots.

The triangle and two is double- fold as I see it.Love and Davis both like to launch 3s, as well as penetrate . Employ a rotation on them, Roach and Proctor, as well as Blakes and even Whitehead.

You have a safety net as well of bigs underneath if they get by their men. Also be mindful of Bacot setting picks at top of key- OUR GUYS MUST DO A. BETTER JOB of talking to one another.


BTW, the three underneath again represent a pretty good line of defense against Bacot. This represents my fave "JUNK" D vs the Cheaters, as it forces Black and Nance(good but not great outside shooters) to both be on from outside against us.

Just have fun with this. It's not meant to be taken real seriously by Duke. I wanted to play homage to the late "Jimmy V," a marvelous bench coach
Who became dear friends with our own Coach K.

OFC

I don't think anyone else should be on the poll. These two guys are balling. I'm also drinking.... a lot. Happy New Year!

A drake of course and those Ducks are gonna bag them a drake tonight. QUACK QUACK. And as I just posted this they just sacked one. 😊 OFC

Cool video - interesting to hear about the pressure (from him) of the last home game against the Cheats……

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Rebounding

I love the fact that we are an ELITE rebounding team. Now, I don’t have any stats to back me up and I know our 2010 National title team was an elite rebounding team but I’m assuming elite rebounding teams typically make deep runs in March. Hate to say it, but that baby blue team down the road has always been an elite rebounding team and since 2005, have 3 titles, 2 Runner Ups, and 6 Final Fours. Was it because of their rebounding? Who knows, but having extra opportunities to score is never a bad thing.

Let's assume Jeremy's toe is much better by the FSU game at home 12/31. Let's also assume Lively and Whitehead are sufficiently recovered from their "non- covid illnesses."

I recall in the past announcers saying "this is the 8th different starting lineup" ( or some high number) Coach K has employed this year. Seeing how we are coming off our worse loss, (lack of effort, hunger and domination by a weaker team), do you make any changes in starting line- up for Leonard Hamilton's team?

Here's mine, not so much based on a 1-5 positioning, but hunger and effort + strategy: As I said, Jeremy with improved physical status at the point. I would pair him with Blakes, because I think Jaylen's play vs Wake earned him a start. Let Tyrese watch a little action and see what he might pick up from FSU personnel. He's a smart kid.

Along the front line I would start Lively (we need the rim protector badly). Also I would go with Mitchell and Young. Those two have fairly consistently played hard. Flip needs to sit at outset. He needs some discipline to play a little harder than vs Wake, and use better shot selection. Don't get me wrong: Proctor, Flip, Whitehead,Grandison would see the floor plenty, and I would make a point of getting Jaden Schutt some 1st and 2nd minutes.

OFC

Previewing tomorrow night's game.

I want to keep the predictions trend going, so I'll say:

- Duke wins by at least 15.
- Dereck Lively II scores a season-high (current is 11)
- Duke forces at least 15 turnovers

Mitchell is averaging 23.9 minutes per game. Do you guys think that will hold once Whitehead is back full time? Also, does Lively's absence affect Mark's minutes?