Cheaters Next
- Thread starter The_Only_Blue
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I found it. We were down 4 with 5 minutes left. We let them score 19 points in the last 5 minutes. SMH.
Dickie V could miss the rest of picks for the rest of time and he's still the best. Him and Mike Patrick were awesome together.
I recall it was a 2 point game with about 5 minutes left, and then we went into freefall.....couldn't score, made poor defensive decisions, and just let them have the game. Tired? Nerves? UNC wanted it more? Who knows?? I think we see a different ending on Saturday.
Them pricks already have their sob story wrote. Full of excuses, 2nd place optimism, copping with defeat mechanisms, their therapy sessions planned, hearing aids turned down, clinging on to the banner they’re going to hang for beating K in his last home game. Poor basterds 😂
Black was on Paolo in Cameron most the time. I don’t think that’s the best for Paolo and AJ on Manik isn’t a bad idea . I’d like to see them switch it up but Paolo must go inside with Mark in front or trailing .
Naaa to them they “weren’t suppose to be here,”, they overachieved, nobody. expected it, Duke has 5 first round picks to our home grown “ (lumberjack transfer?)😂 ….which is pretty much preparing yourself for defeat
Paolo needs to play like he's been playing in this tournament if Black is on him which is to take him inside. In the last game, Paolo took 26 shots with probably the last few with only couple minutes left when he was just launching them from 3. I gotta watch that game again and see how many shots were From 15' or so in. Hopefully we get balanced shooting attempts which is what we've done all tournament
Best strategy? Just go out and win the f’ing game.
I’m putting Griffin on Manek and Banchero on Black to start the game.
This and tell Paolo don’t lower your shoulder and go inside . BUT GO STRONG !!
Black is a decent defender who will try to keep Paolo from getting 12 feet from the basket .
if I’m Griffin I remember what I did in the first game and come out in beast mode.
only take open threes and attack and rebound Duke will be fine !
Agreed on Paolo. If Black is on him, Paolo needs to post him up instead of trying to dribble by him. Black is too good of a defender for Paolo to drive past him. I also think if Griffin is on Manek, don't help off because Manek moves well without the ball.
In fact, Duke's defense is not bad, especially with Williams down low, so Duke shouldn't need to help off and allow shooters to get open looks.
Agreed John, Williams and Theo should be able to to handle Bacot without help on every possession. There is no reason to give up any wide open threes.
Leeky not a scoring threat. Griffin only an average defender. So, I would put Griffin on Leeky and Paolo on Manek. No switch-offs. Keeping Manek's open shots to a minimum is key. OFC
Problem w Paolo on Manek is he will help out or go for defensive rebound and when he does Manek will be open for a 3. UNC is very good at getting Manek the ball when he has a small opening for a 3. Whoever guards Manek needs to stay glued to him. We need to make Leaky beat us not the 3 pt shooters.
Whatever allows Paolo to help with the glass that’s what I want. I don’t think we have to do anything different than we have been the last four games. Identify who the shooters are, especially Manek, stay on him like white on rice. It’s not like he is some freak athlete that will blow by any of our defenders.
Davis is going to put Leaky on Paolo. Bacot and Manik can not stay with Paolo and the more Leaky can make Paolo turn the ball over or take a bad shot the better chance for UNC . I agree on the defensive end switch Griffin to Leaky but Paolo doesn’t need to pick up tic tack fouls .
Hopefully the venue will be tough to shoot and those rushed 30 footers won’t fall so easy. Then they’ll have to drive and shoot or dish to Bacot.
That’s a great point. Don’t remember Manek taking many midrange shots or driving by his man to the basket. Stay on the 3 pt shooters and cut down on the offensive points for the Cheats and Duke will win.
We need someone taller than AJ to guard Manek. Paolo is taller and quicker than Manek. OFC
Paolo will leave Manek to help out in the middle or to go rebound. When that happens Manek will get 3-4 more open 3 pts shots . Manek does not shoot contested 3s. With his quick release he catches the pass and fires. Paolo will give him space. He has done this all season. Hard to be a defensive rebounder if you are guarding a big beyond the arc. Bacot will control the boards with that setup.
Yeah I agree with everyone who says AJ on Manek. Manek isn't going to shoot over Aj if he is guarded and he can't blow by him (AJ doesn't have great on ball defense anyways, and doesn't need it guarding Manek).
Gonna be interesting to see how the crowd shakes out. Alot of casual fans are suddenly Duke fans. I'm seeing it down here in Florida. We saw it in San Fran in the Elite 8 when ppl bought up all the Gonzaga/TT tix and cheered for Duke. For the last 30 years you either love Duke or hate them. Now, those who didn't care, suddenly do. And they tend to be cheering for Duke and Coach K on his last dance. I think we will have the most pro-Duke Final Four crowd we've ever seen.
Gonna be interesting to see how the crowd shakes out. Alot of casual fans are suddenly Duke fans. I'm seeing it down here in Florida. We saw it in San Fran in the Elite 8 when ppl bought up all the Gonzaga/TT tix and cheered for Duke. For the last 30 years you either love Duke or hate them. Now, those who didn't care, suddenly do. And they tend to be cheering for Duke and Coach K on his last dance. I think we will have the most pro-Duke Final Four crowd we've ever seen.
Just went back and watched and interestingly, Paolo drove on Leaky and scored three very easy buckets in the first 6 or 7 minutes in game two. P didn't even steamroll him...just patiently moved him from the perimeter into the paint and scored over him. Hubert immediately made a change and I don't think Leaky guarded him the rest of the game. He played elite D against AJ though. Can't even remember how P played during the massacre at the Dean Dome.
A lot of the people now pulling for Duke are doing so simply because they're playing unc. Most people I know where I live that don't like Duke or the holes, are hoping Duke wins, then lose Monday. That shows how much the tar holes are despised. That's why during Dean's time, the ABC club had so many members.
And yes, there's some casual fans that appreciate K, and realize how much he has meant to Duke and cbb.
Also Duke still led at the half. They had a 7 point lead in the first and blew two one and ones and led by 2 at halftime. So when you run the math in both games. Out of 80 minutes of play just how long has Carolina actually played better than Duke? Imo no more than 15-20 mins out of 80 minutes. Duke completely dominated them in Chapel Hill other than 4-5 mins when the heels cut it to 11 at halftime. It was 31-8 in the first half before I could blink and AJ Griffin put Duke back up 20 in the first five minutes of the second half.
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Take away the 3 point line. Let bacot feast on 2’s. Duke wins if so.
But Paolo on Manik is a disaster waiting to happen . He couldn’t hold him in Chapel Hill or Cameron . Need to let Paolo be Paolo and have Griffin chase him on the perimeter.
Dukes going to have to give somewhere. Griffin can’t hold love or Davis, he can hold leaky but leaky don’t score much . Griffin isn’t tall enough or physical enough for Bacot . Manik and Griffin play very similar, neither is explosive to the rim, both shoot the ball well and play ok defense .
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I just hope if Leaky is on AJ, AJ keeps moving and just doesn't stand in the corner. AJ can do as much damage moving without the ball, on the curls and cuts, as he can on the catch and shoot 3s.
UNX is going to have runs. If Duke maintains its poise, and doesn't lose its focus on Manek, we'll be fine. There will be some yelling at the TV when they leave Manek alone I can guarantee it.
UNX is going to have runs. If Duke maintains its poise, and doesn't lose its focus on Manek, we'll be fine. There will be some yelling at the TV when they leave Manek alone I can guarantee it.
No analysis for me. We just need to beat them any way possible. I can't watch this game.
That’s because Duke went small ball. This is why Duke needs to put Griffin on Manik .
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