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***DUKE VS MICHIGAN STATE - ELITE EIGHT OFFICIAL GAMEDAY THREAD***

krzyzewskiville

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Oct 7, 2004
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Well - here we go. Looks like Reddish is a game time decision. None of us truly know the severity of the injury, but I think we can all agree the timing was odd. Sounds like it was tweaked in practice Friday...I'm not going to lie, I hope he can find a way pull a Willis Reed (cue dramatic music) and play tomorrow. We need him. Bad.

But if he doesn't, we are going to have to have the heroics of Tre and probably someone else in order to beat MSU (I'm assuming RJ and Zion do their thing automatically). It's well documented that Coach K is 11-1 all time against Izzo and the Spartans, but does that bode well or mean our time is up? Hopefully not the latter....

I truly believe this one is going to be a battle down to the final seconds - so we should all be used to it, and so should the team. We are currently favored by two, which means it's a toss up.

Tonight's game is slated for a 5:05pm tip and will air on CBS.

Duke 69

Michigan State 67

GO DUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
This game is HUGE. Gotta think we are the overwhelming faves to win it all in Minny IF we can get through Sparty. We need to play like this is the natty.

Duke 76
MSU 70

I want to see Barrett and Zion come out like we did in the second half against VT. Time to put fear back into the college basketball world. Hope Cam plays and gives us a lift from three.

LETS FRIGGIN' DO THIS!! I'll be in Minny if we do.
 
We're going to have to fight and scrap every minute of the game if we want to secure this win. Buckle up, 'cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Duke 71
MSU 70

Go Duke!!!
 
This game is HUGE. Gotta think we are the overwhelming faves to win it all in Minny IF we can get through Sparty. We need to play like this is the natty.

Duke 76
MSU 70

I want to see Barrett and Zion come out like we did in the second half against VT. Time to put fear back into the college basketball world. Hope Cam plays and gives us a lift from three.

LETS FRIGGIN' DO THIS!! I'll be in Minny if we do.
I want to see ANGER & INTENSITY!! A mindset of “WE WILL NOT LOSE!” If we see that, Duke by double digits.
 
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I gotta be honest, I don't feel good about this one at all. That said I haven't picked against us all year and I sure ain't starting now.

79-77, Devils head to Minny.
 
I gotta be honest, I don't feel good about this one at all. That said I haven't picked against us all year and I sure ain't starting now.

79-77, Devils head to Minny.

We are in the same boat. I am usually pretty positive and confident, but this one has me worried. I’m not sure if it’s the opponent, or what’s at stake.
 
We are in the same boat. I am usually pretty positive and confident, but this one has me worried. I’m not sure if it’s the opponent, or what’s at stake.
It's both. Honestly if we like, I dunno lost 1-2 more against Sparty in the past I'd probably feel better. That and the fact we were so close to getting to the FF last year I'd be gutted to lose here twice in a row. Lastly, this is an amazing team full of amazing dudes who freaking deserve it. I'll be physically sick if they leave without their One Shining Moment.
 
I don’t like the idea of Cam potentially not playing. We NEED his defensive presence. I don’t think we’re screwed without him but his length is a huge asset. He also steps it up in big moments and games, we could use that dynamite.

With or without Cam, we’re due for a good game as a team. Not Zion carrying, or RJ, or Tre. Whoever. Just an all around solid team performance. MSU has been playing great since the B1G tourney and in the NCAA T, but I know deep down they’re turnover prone and thats been buried recently. I think our defense brings it back out. Winston is a heck of a player but sometimes he’s too flashy. We’ll pick that apart hopefully. I know MSU’s best strength is rebounding so I just hope we keep pace. We’re elite too but with a tendency to fall asleep or butter-finger the glass.

I don’t want to go to the dr begging for a Xanax prescription so it’d be nice if I didn’t have to have a panic attack on a final shot. But, I’ll just take a win however it’s delivered.
 
We are in the same boat. I am usually pretty positive and confident, but this one has me worried. I’m not sure if it’s the opponent, or what’s at stake.
Right now: 68% chance IMO

No one had UCF defeating us and few had Vtech but Michigan State was a common mention during bracket week. This Elite 8 game was expected to be our first test but instead we have already survived twice

To me it comes down to Reddish. If he can play equal minutes to AOC we will win. For a team with essentially a 7 man rotation, taking one piece out against such an opponent is too much to ask.

Otherwise we need some unlikely breaks like hot 3 point shooting or Zion dropping 35+ points.

A) Reddish plays valuable mins
B) We are hot from 3
C) Zion drops 35+ points

Moving down the list, the less that occurs the lower our probability drops.


Reddish is out, we lose on the boards and our 3 point shooting is off. We just won't advance.
 
I don’t like the idea of Cam potentially not playing. We NEED his defensive presence. I don’t think we’re screwed without him but his length is a huge asset. He also steps it up in big moments and games, we could use that dynamite.

With or without Cam, we’re due for a good game as a team. Not Zion carrying, or RJ, or Tre. Whoever. Just an all around solid team performance. MSU has been playing great since the B1G tourney and in the NCAA T, but I know deep down they’re turnover prone and thats been buried recently. I think our defense brings it back out. Winston is a heck of a player but sometimes he’s too flashy. We’ll pick that apart hopefully. I know MSU’s best strength is rebounding so I just hope we keep pace. We’re elite too but with a tendency to fall asleep or butter-finger the glass.

I don’t want to go to the dr begging for a Xanax prescription so it’d be nice if I didn’t have to have a panic attack on a final shot. But, I’ll just take a win however it’s delivered.

Yeah, winning a game on a final shot is very exciting....but I’d rather just have it put away with a minute to go. I want to be able to breathe the last 2’ for a change!!
 
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Yeah, winning a game on a final shot is very exciting....but I’d rather just have it put away with a minute to go. I want to be able to breathe the last 2’ for a change!!

You and me both. I hate pulling the ref card because human judgement is part of basketball but we got frickin’ shafted on at the end of the VT game. Should of never came down to a final shot.
 
I am worried about foul trouble..especially if we can’t get Jack and Cam on the floor..I think in the end that’s the difference and they overwhelm us inside..Bolden has to play his best game of the year for us defensively and rebounding..

MSU 73
Duke 67
 
Bolden and AOC have big games. And have a much less stressful evening lol

Duke 79
MSU 72
 
You and me both. I hate pulling the ref card because human judgement is part of basketball but we got frickin’ shafted on at the end of the VT game. Should of never came down to a final shot.

Nah, don't feel bad about the ref card. I haven't seen a game this entire tournament where at least half the calls or no calls were head scratchers. There's ZERO consistency in calls anymore in college basketball. The referees during this tournament are awful and need to be replaced or retaught how to ref games. I get human judgement and in the moment and all that, but it's way too obvious this tournament.
 
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I don’t feel great about this game even with Reddish healthy. Were gonna need about 35 points outside of Zion/RJ. But I do like our chances if it’s close at the end.
 
This is a toss up for me. I think MSU is just as good as us. Izzo is a great coach. I’m just going to enjoy this one for what it is and hope our role players decide to seize the moment by playing hard D and not turning it over.
 
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I feel better about this game than the VT game. We won't be denied 2 years in a row. Coach K is going to have Duke ready with or without Cam.

Duke 77
MSU 69
 
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I don't care how much stress it causes me. Just. Win.

GO DUKE.
 
Nervous again, MSU has probably been playing the best ball the last month and a half and one of the best coaches in the game although K has owned him. Just feels like they are due against us.
 
MSU always vulnerable to turnovers. I think that’s the key today. Tre comes up with a big game and Duke moves on.
 
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Will be tough, but what elite 8 isn’t tough? Hopefully Cam can go because we could use his length on the defensive side. I know we will be ready to fight either way it goes.
 
Have to control Winston and we have to rebound, especially on the defensive glass.
I do not feel good about our slow starts and lack of energy early.
Michigan State 75
Duke 70

Again, I hope I am wrong.
 
Michigan State has been playing some good basketball. If we’re without Cam this seems like a tall order to me. His length on the perimeter is really disruptive. Plus, one area that has me worried is foul trouble.
 
Line is up to -2.5 for Duke without knowing whether cam will play. If he does duke has a big time athletic advantage that they need to exploit.
 
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