With the incoming class we have coming in joining Bolden, Javin, AOC, Jack etc.....this will be our most talented squad since the 2015 NATIONAL TITLE team.
Duke is going to be tough to beat next year
- Thread starter QC Dukie
- Start date
What I like is there will be no “best player” this year. Last year there were too many expectations interfering with natural play. We kept forcing the action to Bags and Allen. It almost felt like the other guys were stealing shots, even though they weren’t. There was tension all year long in terms of player usage. Tre was forcing himself to play system ball (because he needed that for NBA training) and he just wasn’t consistent in that regard.
I hope to see 10 guys that are completely interchangable this year. Tre Jones or Goldy on the floor at all times as the motor. Bolden holding down the middle. Then all the other guys on a steady rotation as swing men. Share the rock and cut into space. Shoot when open and play with awareness on D.
I hope to see 10 guys that are completely interchangable this year. Tre Jones or Goldy on the floor at all times as the motor. Bolden holding down the middle. Then all the other guys on a steady rotation as swing men. Share the rock and cut into space. Shoot when open and play with awareness on D.
No need to worry about how tough it will be to beat uk. Let’s let them worry about us.
DukeDenver did hit on something there. We truly will be spread out much wider with overall talent. It may be the thing that pushes us over the top. Just pray we are healthy, it’s our biggest obstacle.
We will beat Kensucky. It will come down to coaching and we have a major edge. We have the perfect pieces this year. If Zion can accept being the ultimate glue guy and average 12 and 8 then we’re going to be hard to be. Just be a better justise and the banner will be ours
I agree with a lot of this, but dont get it twisted...RJ is that alpha dog freshmen that will lead this team in many areas. Super deep and talented team but when its winning time RJ (whos very unselfish-like all the Fr) will have the ball in his hands making the right play to win. Dude is and will be a stud!
I agree RJ is the strongest Alpha Dog and he wants the ball in his hands down the stretch. Keys for me are:
1) accepting of roles (Cam needs to play hard all the time and not settle for 25' jumpers, Zion needs to play closer to the basket and use his strength)
2) DEFENSE and Crash the boards!)
3) perimeter shooting ( we are more perimeter oriented this year but with less good perimeter shooters probably)
4) use the bench to keep players fresh down the stretch (if we have a game in hand, let the 8-10 players play!)
1) accepting of roles (Cam needs to play hard all the time and not settle for 25' jumpers, Zion needs to play closer to the basket and use his strength)
2) DEFENSE and Crash the boards!)
3) perimeter shooting ( we are more perimeter oriented this year but with less good perimeter shooters probably)
4) use the bench to keep players fresh down the stretch (if we have a game in hand, let the 8-10 players play!)
I think we have 3 alpha dogs... But they need to play well with one another. It is up to them to decide who needs the ball I certain situations and I think having Tre orchestrating the offense it will help. But I think K will run a lot of iso's for RJ in the post if a guy of similar or smaller size is guarding him. He is very crafty and efficient.
Chemistry- its so very vital. You could see it in Kansas eyes during overtime. They smelled blood immediately when the game went the extra session and those guys expected to win the game. I'm not saying we didnt have chemistry, but little things like Grayson being a better player w/o Bagley were evident.
I say the above because I think ball distribution/chemistry is so important this year. We've got a better PG (I PROJECT) in Tre Jones than Duval.Its on Tre to keep everyone happy on offense w/3 alpha dogs at his disposal.
OFC
I say the above because I think ball distribution/chemistry is so important this year. We've got a better PG (I PROJECT) in Tre Jones than Duval.Its on Tre to keep everyone happy on offense w/3 alpha dogs at his disposal.
OFC
We don't have 3 alpha dogs. We probably only have 1. Cam is definitely not and I'm not sure about Zion. RJ is a Michael/Kobe style winner. That's not to say the other guys aren't supremely talented. I actually think this is the most talented of the one and done classes we've brought in. But there's one obvious alpha personality among them.
Jones should do better, because the personnel fits him better. Or we hope so anyway. Duval won't ever be remembered for the point guard he could have been. It's all about the talent being able to feed off one another. I don't like running the team around one guy.
The closest it has ever come to building the team around one guy was Grant Hill and the 94 team. It almost worked then because he was such a team player, a great one at that, and a senior.
Last edited:
Beg to differ- I mean arent all 3 in the top 5 of the '18 class? You can deny it, but most OAD's consider themselves Alphas...OFC
I can still picture Scotty Thurman making that ridiculous 3 pointer in 94.the only thing that could have been worse is if Hayward had made that half court shot at the end of the 2010 game,that came so close to going in
I actually think we were every bit as talented as the incoming crew the past two seasons. I could be wrong, but that's JMO.
Whoever said chemistry, I agree. I do think this past year we had really good chemistry. Just because we didn't make the Final Four doesn't equate to lack of chemistry. If good chemistry was the only prerequisite....well, then I think we make the Final Four. Or, if we make a few shots. Now, in 2017....I don't think that team had good chemistry. I thought our problem last year had more to do with all of the moving parts not always fitting....again, doesn't equate to lack of chemistry. All our players just didn't complement each other as well as desired. But I think they were a tight group.
We're going to be really good next season. There will be ups and downs.
Whoever said chemistry, I agree. I do think this past year we had really good chemistry. Just because we didn't make the Final Four doesn't equate to lack of chemistry. If good chemistry was the only prerequisite....well, then I think we make the Final Four. Or, if we make a few shots. Now, in 2017....I don't think that team had good chemistry. I thought our problem last year had more to do with all of the moving parts not always fitting....again, doesn't equate to lack of chemistry. All our players just didn't complement each other as well as desired. But I think they were a tight group.
We're going to be really good next season. There will be ups and downs.
R.J. has just been added to Canada's national team for FIBA world cup qualifying,Playing with and against pro players all summer can only help in his development.Nice accomplishment for someone who just turned 18.
Training camp is this week along with a couple exhibition games,2 qualifying games next week,then off to round 2 of qualifying,not sure when that begins
I think Cam could be a Scottie Pippen like player, both in style and impact and role alongside a star.
.
I hope Zion focuses on D, and is patient on O. If he's patient, his efficiency will be insane.
.
Really, on O, there is only one question mark, and it is the same one as last year:
Perimeter shooting. If we are dangerous from there, it will open up the lane for drives, and we become nigh on unstoppable on O.
I've got to say that some of this chatter about our freshmen is almost comical. Zion is called a left handed Lebron, or a super charged Larry Johnson. Cam could be a Pippen like player to the "star." Tre Jones will be better than Duval. Do some of you realize we haven't played yet? Do you realize Virginia will be good, Syracuse has all five starters back, and the Holes will start 3 seniors?
It's fine to be excited about this coming team. Really, it is. But it's unfair to these kids to compare them to some really established stars.
Can we reign it in just a wee bit fellas? This Duke team may be good, but it's possible we finish 4th, that's how strong I think the conference will be.
It's fine to be excited about this coming team. Really, it is. But it's unfair to these kids to compare them to some really established stars.
Can we reign it in just a wee bit fellas? This Duke team may be good, but it's possible we finish 4th, that's how strong I think the conference will be.
The top of the ACC is going to be tough next year. I think the bottom of the ACC improves as well, while the middle tier takes a step back. But there are going to be 3-5 teams at the top of the ACC that are brutal. UVA, Cuse, and Duke look good. UNC has experience and add 2 frosh that will add need offensive punch.
While Duke needs 4 true frosh to be stars.
Make no mistake about it, R.J. Barrett is gonna be the best player in the country from start to finish.
I do question the other 3 freshman, Tre and Cam for health concerns. And Zion due to the transition of dunking on tiny white high-schoolers and now he has to try to dunk on Division-1 athletes.
Tre and Cam are guys that need the offseason workouts. Talking about our starting PG and a wing who is uber-talented but doesn’t exactly realize just how good he can be. Reps will help.
If Tre and Cam are fine within a month and we stay healthy, I think we crush UK, only lose a couple games, and cut down the nets.
I do question the other 3 freshman, Tre and Cam for health concerns. And Zion due to the transition of dunking on tiny white high-schoolers and now he has to try to dunk on Division-1 athletes.
Tre and Cam are guys that need the offseason workouts. Talking about our starting PG and a wing who is uber-talented but doesn’t exactly realize just how good he can be. Reps will help.
If Tre and Cam are fine within a month and we stay healthy, I think we crush UK, only lose a couple games, and cut down the nets.
This is a good sample of something I want to discuss. You always get on us about you aren’t allowed to be negative towards the team. That we all freak out over criticism of the team. Wonder why we can’t be optimistic about incoming players? You’ve come down pretty hard on several posters this week on their optimism. Don’t get all bent when someone uses pro players to say what they think a player is “like” or reminds them of. It’s just talk man. They aren’t “ disrespecting “ the pro player as you often put it. We’ve got an excellent crop of talent coming in, if you want to have low expectations, hell ,that’s your prerogative, but if you want to have the lane, give it both ways. I think that’s fair.
It's hard not to have high expectations when we have the #1,2 and 3 ranked players in the class coming in, and the the top point guard, who has a brother we all remember. I have let myself be let down by expecting us to be almost unbeatable in the past. And swore I would never get too hyped about a team until I've seen them play, but damn we got some gifted athletes coming in. I don't know how far they will go, but I think they are going to be very exciting to watch.
He's been very fair, simply balancing all the hype w/a little dose of REALISM. I happen to agree because its the same movie as the last two years:We build up our team to huge expectations, only to fall short of our ultimate goal(s). Remember despite some success including an ACC title in '17, really most everyone was touting us as a Final Four destination team LAST TWO SEASONS. I am taking a more realistic approach this season because fact is we've still lost 17 games last two years.
#CautiouslyOptimistic
OFC
But hey , hart, I to am cautiously optimistic. You never know what the final product will be.
No, I have never said don't be optimistic. That's anyone's prerogative. Where it gets over the top is saying Cam should play the "Pippen" role to the star, or calling Zion a left handed Lebron.
I've also said we could be a good team. Please, if you're going to cherry pick things I've said, at least be accurate.
We even had a poster say he's not sure about Zion because he's been dunking on "small white high schoolers." Where's your response to that?
I've said give them at least 20 games before anointing an unproven 18 year old. We hope they are this good.
If you don't think it's premature to call one of our guys the best player in the country from start to finish, or Zion a supercharged Larry Johnson, ALL before we've played the first ball game, then I don't know what to tell ya.
What was wrong with the joke that I made?
Let me make it basic for ya..I think Zion is gonna be phenomenal, but I do think he will have more more bumps in the road than our other studs due to his recent competition.
I think we’re gonna win the title, you’re gonna spend the next 6 months complaining about our youth.
Actually, your comment about Zion is the only thing you said that on June 19, 2018, is true. Everything else is just hot air and hope. We don't know how good on defense Barrett will be, and the last time I checked, both sides of the ball do matter.
I expect us to be good, but grasshopper, I learned a valuable lesson this past season. I have pulled for Duke for a long time, and it was the first time I expected too much out of a team reliant on freshmen.
Now listen here grasshopper, I love Duke, but won't ever do that again. Now if you think that's not being optimistic, oh well.
I'll bet you $500 we lose more than a couple games. Couple being 2, maybe 3 games, right?
Lol. Again you’re gonna spend the next 6 months complaining about our youth, is this your stress relief?
I bet if we took a straw poll most would rather you go complain about our youth somewhere else.
Also I am so sorry that last year’s “reliant on freshman” team came within a dumb roll from the FF. Get over it.
I think Duke will be good grasshopper. But I'm not gonna blow the same trumpet I blew last season. Sorry. If ya want to get technical, that game shouldn't have come down to needing one shot to fall. My boy Allen and Trent were cold, and we were outrebounded 54-36. We lost to the worst Kansas team Self has had in years.
Wanna take the bet I laid out there for you? If you're so confident we only lose a couple, then it should be an easy choice for you. I'm serious.
Last edited:
