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Duke 2017-18

dukiejay

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Mar 2, 2005
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So Duval is now 'officially' in the fold. Good news for the Duke program and fans today....as well as a nice start to the week.

I know there's a roster prediction thread, but I think now we can move on to a thread where we're allowed to be even more specific.

By and large, I think our starting five looks like this....

Trevon
Grayson
Gary
Wendell
Marques

Good size up front. I'm excited for Wendell because he likes to rebound. Hoping to see that fire from Marques because rebounding has never been a strong suit for him. I love our wings in Grayson and Gary, Jr. Two guys who can both shoot it and have a propensity of getting to the basket. Trevon, hopefully, gets this unit to come together.

Off the bench, I think there's four guys in line who will have a shot at minutes. They are....

Antonio
Javin
Jack
Jordan

Vrank and Javin should see minutes. Jack will have a shot to play 10 minutes per game on the wing. Jordan is the wildcard here. Can he find minutes his first season? We'll see.

I don't see a scenario where Goldwire is playing meaningful minutes next season. He's a nice prospect to earn time in future years, but I think a year working on his build and stamina are going to be his main areas of focus....and doing the best he can to push our guys every day in practice.

Looking at talent alone, this team doesn't jump out at us like this past season's unit did....but some nice pieces are in place. If Grayson can become the player we know he can be, Trevon can lead from the point and Wendell is Wendell, this team can be pretty good. Few teams in the country can say they will have more talent.

Looking forward to this fall!
 
I agree with the starting five that Dukejay has. I really like this team, and it has to do with 2 things: Roles and Allen.
On paper this team may not be as talented as last seasons but I think everyone will know their role, which will lead to continuity.
Allen: after a somewhat disappointing (by his standards) junior season, I expect him to come out and be a leader that this team needs. He will show it in his play and his intensity will rub off to everyone else.
I think this will be a fun team to watch and also think it will be a fun team for K to coach.
 
The battle for backup minutes between Tucker and White will definitely be interesting. The forgotten man in all of this seems to be O'Connell. I could see him or Goldwire stepping in to play spot minutes if Grayson and/or Duval get into foul trouble. Beyond that, I don't think they'll see regular minutes next season.
 
We're a contender next season! Like you guys have mentioned, we may not have as much talent as this past season, but this team will be much more balanced. Guys will be able to play their natural roles and I think Grayson has a potential All-American season with Duval handling the point. A big question is our depth, but we have guys that have been in the system for years now which will really help. Health is the key factor. We can't handle an injury to one of our core pieces this season because of our lack of depth.
 
The biggest thing by far, unfortunately, is something neither the guys nor Coach K have any control over whatsoever: health. Duke will once again be young, with three freshmen likely in the starting five. This past season showed in big neon lights what can happen when a young team is denied the opportunity to grow together and develop continuity. This team desperately needs the chance to grow together, because as DJ states, there are some terrific pieces there.

Something else I like about the 2017-18 team vs. last year is that I feel roles are already more clearly defined. I feel like you can probably write that starting line-up DJ provided in pen. I really don't see another group starting. Javin and Vrank will give solid minutes off the bench. Last year's team was still figuring how the pieces fit as they were clearing out their lockers after the SC loss. This team should have fewer moving parts in a good way.
 
Agree that this team is not as "talented" as last years, but could be a better "team". I'm excited as always and really looking forward to the season.
 
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Off the bench, I think there's four guys in line who will have a shot at minutes. They are....

Antonio
Javin
Jack
Jordan

I am really looking forward to seeing if the bench gets meaningful minutes. Personally, I think it is one of the two big factors into how far we go next season:
1. Chemistry
2. Bench minutes

Really wanting to see the team come together.
 
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So Duval is now 'officially' in the fold. Good news for the Duke program and fans today....as well as a nice start to the week.

I know there's a roster prediction thread, but I think now we can move on to a thread where we're allowed to be even more specific.

By and large, I think our starting five looks like this....

Trevon
Grayson
Gary
Wendell
Marques

Good size up front. I'm excited for Wendell because he likes to rebound. Hoping to see that fire from Marques because rebounding has never been a strong suit for him. I love our wings in Grayson and Gary, Jr. Two guys who can both shoot it and have a propensity of getting to the basket. Trevon, hopefully, gets this unit to come together.

Off the bench, I think there's four guys in line who will have a shot at minutes. They are....

Antonio
Javin
Jack
Jordan

Vrank and Javin should see minutes. Jack will have a shot to play 10 minutes per game on the wing. Jordan is the wildcard here. Can he find minutes his first season? We'll see.

I don't see a scenario where Goldwire is playing meaningful minutes next season. He's a nice prospect to earn time in future years, but I think a year working on his build and stamina are going to be his main areas of focus....and doing the best he can to push our guys every day in practice.

Looking at talent alone, this team doesn't jump out at us like this past season's unit did....but some nice pieces are in place. If Grayson can become the player we know he can be, Trevon can lead from the point and Wendell is Wendell, this team can be pretty good. Few teams in the country can say they will have more talent.

Looking forward to this fall!

Agree. Something I have been trying to preach. For some reason we as a fanbase set the talent bar at an extreme high based on last year and anything below that has been labeled a rebuilding year. This roster is not designed to be a rebuilding year it is designed to win and win a lot next year. How it all gels together is still very much a guessing game but next year should have matching expectations as this most recent year, national championship.

I really hope someone or something lights a fire with Marques. Our two missing pieces this year was very little out of the 1 and 5 positions. We should be good at the point this year and if we can get production from Marques I see us as a much more balanced team than last year's team. We may not be as talented but we may still be much much better in overall production.
 
The biggest thing by far, unfortunately, is something neither the guys nor Coach K have any control over whatsoever: health. Duke will once again be young, with three freshmen likely in the starting five. This past season showed in big neon lights what can happen when a young team is denied the opportunity to grow together and develop continuity. This team desperately needs the chance to grow together, because as DJ states, there are some terrific pieces there.

Something else I like about the 2017-18 team vs. last year is that I feel roles are already more clearly defined. I feel like you can probably write that starting line-up DJ provided in pen. I really don't see another group starting. Javin and Vrank will give solid minutes off the bench. Last year's team was still figuring how the pieces fit as they were clearing out their lockers after the SC loss. This team should have fewer moving parts in a good way.

Agreed. And while this is a young team, specifically the starting five, I like that there's three players in Javin, Vrank and Jack who have been in the program multiple years. While they haven't played significant roles or minutes yet, there's a bit more continuity within the roster this time around.

In addition, the expectations (from people outside the program) are also going to be down a peg. This team shouldn't have to read or hear about expectations in the same tone as this past season. Don't get me wrong, it's still Duke and the expectations will be there, but there's going to be more patience for this team to evolve. Or, at least, I hope there is.
 
This team will be balanced and as far as a starting five on paper as good as anyone else. How they learn to play with one another and form a bond will determine how far we go. Trevon is just a huge get and we knew one that we couldn't afford to miss. He has the keys. Just play his game and we should be in great shape- everyone will get involved and especially the bigs, now that we have someone capable of feeding them in the right spots.

I'm interested to see what we do with the bench minutes. I comfortable with Vrank backing up Bolden. Outside of that, I'm not sure what to expect. We know in terms of athletic ability Javin has it. But his skill set has yet to be seen at Duke. He will be counted on next year and hopefully he continues to get better this offseason. A lot of us are counting on big things from him.
 
Way too early minutes projections

Grayson- 35
Trevon- 35
Trent- 32
Wendell- 30
Marques- 25
Javin- 14
Jordan T- 13
Vrank- 11
Jack- 5
 
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The battle for backup minutes between Tucker and White will definitely be interesting. The forgotten man in all of this seems to be O'Connell. I could see him or Goldwire stepping in to play spot minutes if Grayson and/or Duval get into foul trouble. Beyond that, I don't think they'll see regular minutes next season.

I'm in the corner of thinking if he knows how to play through contact with his slight build, Alex could give some tick. But man he is maybe the skinniest Duke player ever haha. A redshirt year would do him some good if he's game for it, which as of today, I think he wants to prove he can earn time. He has a nasty handle and his jumper could be one of the best on the team. However, contact could make his life miserable. It did on the AAU circuit at times.
 
let me first say that i'm a heel fan, with great respect for duke . . . i know in the past duke has had great shooters, does this team fit that mold? is trent a guy that can make outside shots?

also, doesn't a two post lineup cog the lane for guys like allen or duval to penetrate? it seems like recently duke has done a lot of 4 out and one in.
 
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Agree that this team is not as "talented" as last years, but could be a better "team". I'm excited as always and really looking forward to the season.

C'grats on Duval. Seems to me that for talent, you have 3 FR as good or better than anyone.....(agree they are FR and I am very familiar with Fr dominated teams)
Grayson returning to Soph form and Bolden living up to hs ranking could give Duke the best starting 5 in the ACC. Having only 1 returning rotation player could cause early trouble. Again I speak with experience. We (UK) have 1 rotation man returning and
maybe 6/7 Fr and an unused Soph for a 9 man rotation.
 
let me first say that i'm a heel fan, with great respect for duke . . . i know in the past duke has had great shooters, does this team fit that mold? is trent a guy that can make outside shots?

also, doesn't a two post lineup cog the lane for guys like allen or duval to penetrate? it seems like recently duke has done a lot of 4 out and one in.

There's questions that will need to be answered. No doubt about that.

As an overall shooting team the makeup will likely be different than past teams. But don't take that to mean this team still won't have shooters. Grayson, as we all know, is a very good shooter. Trent is still regarded as one of the better shooters in his class. Are White and Tucker viable options to stretch defenses? That's the big question and still TBD.

Also, look for Duke to play even more of a pick-n-roll game next season. Again, the makeup of this team is different....I'm looking forward to watching them run their own race.
 
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Not even all of our projected starters are proven, let alone any reserves.

I'm confident Vrank will see some minutes off the bench. Someone else will, too, but I don't know who, or if it will be more than one more.

Why are people so high on Javin? I'm not asking rhetorically.
Does Jordan Tucker fit such a positional need that he's 99% going to get PT even if he wouldn't have been considered ready w/ Frank back?
I don't think I've seen anybody mention Alex McConnell, but lots of people have mentioned Jack. What's up there?

I don't think everyone will earn PT, but that's 4-5 guys outside the projected starters who seem likely to be "on the bubble" for PT.
 
If I were going to break down the ACC into groups of 3, in terms of projections for the ACC Season, it would look like this:

1-3:
Duke, UNC (w/ Bradley), Louisville
4-6:
Miami, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech
7-9:
Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia
10-12:
Florida State, Clemson, Syracuse
13-15:
NC State, Boston College, Pittsburgh
 
Not even all of our projected starters are proven, let alone any reserves.

I'm confident Vrank will see some minutes off the bench. Someone else will, too, but I don't know who, or if it will be more than one more.

Why are people so high on Javin? I'm not asking rhetorically.
Does Jordan Tucker fit such a positional need that he's 99% going to get PT even if he wouldn't have been considered ready w/ Frank back?
I don't think I've seen anybody mention Alex McConnell, but lots of people have mentioned Jack. What's up there?

I don't think everyone will earn PT, but that's 4-5 guys outside the projected starters who seem likely to be "on the bubble" for PT.
Javin is getting respect because his personality is great and he's long with a crazy vertical for his size. The guy can shoot pretty well from mid range.

McConnell is incredibly skinny, so we're expecting that to limit him this season.
 
Here's some intangibles On Alex, JG and Tucker
- all are "gym rats" with an outstanding work ethic and attitude.
- all are fierce competitors
- all have very high basketball IQ's
- all have skills that would benefit Duke's team

As well all can measure things from highlight videos and no one can measure anyone's development rate.
 
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Here's some intangibles On Alex, JG and Tucker
- all are "gym rats" with an outstanding work ethic and attitude.
- all are fierce competitors
- all have very high basketball IQ's
- all have skills that would benefit Duke's team

As well all can measure things from highlight videos and no one can measure anyone's development rate.
The hard part is the transition to the college game. These guys have just stepped into rarefied air. What worked in high school might not translate here.

As long as they can listen and learn, I think they will be OK. Really hoping that a better distribution of meetings will help the team with minimizing injuries.
 
The battle for backup minutes between Tucker and White will definitely be interesting. The forgotten man in all of this seems to be O'Connell. I could see him or Goldwire stepping in to play spot minutes if Grayson and/or Duval get into foul trouble. Beyond that, I don't think they'll see regular minutes next season.

O'Connell's dad Dave was a tough nut plagued by injuries at Duke in early 70s. Dont count minutes out for Alex, simply from the genes.....

OFC
 
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I'm starting to love the make-up of this team.We have superstar recruits mixed in with lower ranked recruits that have chips on their shoulder plus two returning players that has a lot to prove this year. Coach K will actually have time to be there and help develop this team in the offseason. I think it's about time for the foreign trip. Last one was in 2011. I think we are supposed to do one every 4 years but he's been tied up with USA basketball. This team has a feel to it like 2011 as far as how the talent is set up; Explosive young point guard, a veteran proven scorer at the 2, a strong body and versatile 3, a 4 that can beat you inside-out and a big that's talented a looking forward to extended minutes. I'm excited. Point guards make a HUGE difference especially when they're this good and explosive. I think Goldwire might actually get a few backup minutes this year. We can keep Grayson on the wing at all times. That's where he shines. If Jordan Tucker ends up being better than we expect, we definitely will be a top contender. I can't wait to see this traditional lineup out there. Defense and rebounding will be MUCH better
 
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Excited to see Jav gets mins, he is cat quick and can guard multiple positions.
I really hope he earns some big minutes. I didn't realize until a few months ago when a poster stated that he was 6 10. That's crazy considering how athletic he is. He could be a big time player for Duke if he earns minutes and the staff gives him some room to make a few mistakes.
 
O'Connell's dad Dave was a tough nut plagued by injuries at Duke in early 70s. Dont count minutes out for Alex, simply from the genes.....

OFC
I agree! I can see Alex having similar production as Grayson as a Freshman. Not a ton of minutes, but earn more as the year progresses. Kid can flat out score!
 
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Well we all know the hate will be there for Grayson next year but he's a senior. This time next year who will be the most hated Duke player. I'm going to say Jack White. OFC
 
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Well we all know the hate will be there for Grayson next year but he's a senior. This time next year who will be the most hated Duke player. I'm going to say Jack White. OFC
The most hated....maybe a surprise recruit that goes in our favor. I'll say Zion.
 
I agree with the tentative starting line-up prediction.

It's going to be very interesting next year.

There really is depth at every position except PG. Duval was the key to round out the class and for the team next year. If he stays healthy and plays to his projection, we should be in good shape even if there is an injury or two.

While the guys off the bench are not as talented, several are role players.

I think, as always, team unity will be a factor. But, I think the other - annual - concern with this jump in an influx of talent (we went from 3 recruits in the fold for the longest time to 6 in a short time), will be playing time for the bench players (esp. 3-4 year guys) in hopes that they don't transfer.

If we can get 8 sometimes 9 on the court in meaningful games I think we'll do well and be very competitive down the stretch of the season.
 
Here's some intangibles On Alex, JG and Tucker
- all are "gym rats" with an outstanding work ethic and attitude.
- all are fierce competitors
- all have very high basketball IQ's
- all have skills that would benefit Duke's team

As well all can measure things from highlight videos and no one can measure anyone's development rate.

I've mentioned it before with Tucker, but his issue was consistency. He's coveted this spot at Duke for a while, and I'm betting on the official, K told him how hard he needed to work to not only get time, but to thrive. Tucker mantra should be "earn it". It's not good enough to just get the spot at Duke. Do something with it young man. If he does, he could be a seriously good college player for a while.
 
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I hope you are right. I don't see it though. Grayson seems to be physically quite a bit superior to Alex at the same stage.
You are correct. I'm just saying as far as the freshman progression goes, I can see O'Connell (sp?) in the same mode. I'm telling you, this kid can flat out stroke it and he finds ways to score. Dare I say (typical white player media phrase) he is sneaky athletic as well!
 
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Alright this would be a great year for Duke to take a trip abroad. This Duke team has all the pieces to win a national title now except experience. Duke normally has a good post presence, a great point guard, a national P.O.Y. candidate, and another young strong wing. 1991-92, Duke had Laettner, Hill, Hill, and Hurley. In 2001, Duke had Boozer, Williams, Dunleavy, and Battier. 2010, it was Scheyer, Smith, Singler, and Thomas. 2015 it was Cook, Winslow, Tyus, and Okafor. Now Duke has Allen, Duvall, Trent JR., Carter, and Bolden ( who is the wildcard). Biggest question who steps up off the bench. I'm certain Delaurier and Vrank will contribute. I do think Tucker will contribute just how much is the question. ESPN has him rated in the top 40 as the number 8 small forward in the class. Also who knows how much a full Summer at Duke during the off season can help develop a player like Tucker or O'Connell,who has a similar body type to Jon Scheyer.
 
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