Seems like the thread went a bunch of different directions. But I agree with the OP.
Yes, mental toughness is very important as someone noted above. But you can’t teach physicality. There’s no reason this team should not be more physically strong than it is. You can’t overcome someone else with the same mentality who also is much stronger than you are.
Take Ryan Young. I’m sure he’s a good dude. Seems like a nice guy. Academic all ACC. Very intelligent. But it’s patently obvious he hasn’t seen a real weight room in his college career. He’s 24 years old. He should be throwing around younger guys by just looking at them.
I just question the whole training staff on this point. Yes, we are young. But we have a number of second year players and some older guys. Blake’s looks like he has worked out. I’ve seen 18 year olds add 15 lbs of muscle in one year and be not only stronger but quicker and more athletic.
Either everyone Duke recruits hates lifting weights, or the training staff (which is shocking) has some antiquated view of weight training (like the old wives tale that it makes you less flexible or slows you down). All these returning players had 7 months to crush it. None of them need to work with NIL. They had some school but otherwise they needed to be hitting the weight room every morning to add muscle, with lots of protein and muscle building nutrients, to go with their basketball work.
Jon and the staff simply had to sit down with all the guys that returned and said, “Did you like getting tossed around on the court like rag dolls by Tennessee? Did you enjoy the outcome of that game? If not, then here is what we want to see from you. Here is the off season weight program …”
And if there is skepticism all they need to do is look at guys in the NBA. There is a reason every last vet looks much bigger than their first year. Obviously, they are young and not as advanced physically as 22-23-24 year olds (tho we have a couple). But still, with the right training regimen you can close that gap a bunch in one off season. And if they continued from March into this season they would keep getting stronger. Just 3 days a week for about an hour each day is enough.
