I know the comeback was insane, but....

[BlueDevils725]

Can we take the time to acknowledge that Bagley hit 9/10 free throws, and Duval was hitting free throws as well? Not only did we make a huge comeback, but we’re already MAJORLY improving in areas that were a concern.

This team will be scary good in March.

 

[Showenuff]

AGREED !

 

[HonkeyT]

Hell yeah! You can tell they want it and are willing to work for it.

 

[Bela84]

Hang on to your hats and enjoy the ride. This team is going to get better with each game. We’ll have our struggles on D but as we mature, the team D concept will be very evident. I’m worried about the Indiana game because of the energy expended at the tournament, the time zone changes, the travel and the quick turn around. But.....I can’t wait to see the Blue Deviks kick some Hoosier butt.

 

[HuffyJB]

The pieces fit, the resilience is there, the talent is there, and the work ethic is there. None of that guarantees success, but without it success is impossible.

I am going to enjoy watching this group progress.

 

[Canadian Dukie]

agree with all that's being said...but still want that 3 point shooting percentage to climb

 

[BlueDevils725]

Our 3 point shooting will surely get better, especially once Grayson and Gary get their confidence back.

 

[dachampishere2]

as long as we keep leading the nation in points in the paint then the three point line doesn't matter that much. we just need something respectable and not North Carolina level 3-point shooting

 

[DukeRulesBasketball]

Can we take the time to acknowledge that Bagley hit 9/10 free throws, and Duval was hitting free throws as well? Not only did we make a huge comeback, but we’re already MAJORLY improving in areas that were a concern.

This team will be scary good in March.

Your right. This team improved big time on Free throws and it’s what helped us win the game! Hope they keep improving!!

 

[QC Dukie]

Damn we good!!!

 

[dukiejay]

I still think there's going to be some nights where free throws make us pull our hair out, but last night was encouraging, nonetheless. And yes, 3-point shooting is also a concern, although a more mild one for me when comparing it to free throws. The reason being, we're able to score underneath at a high clip to make up for some of those deep shots.

We have a lot of talented players who are going to earn trips to the charity stripe on a semi-regular basis, specifically Marvin. I'd love to see him consistently around that 70% mark and higher. He's 18-of-23 the last two games, or about 78%. Sign me up for that, please.

 

[HonkeyT]

Also being eight games in and playing high level competition, being on national television, taking everyone's best shot because you are Duke and you have that bullseye on your back, I think they are understanding what it means to be playing for Duke. Alas, being the undisputed ranked No. 1 team in the nation carries weight as well

 

[Showenuff]

 

[BlueDevils725]

I still think there's going to be some nights where free throws make us pull our hair out, but last night was encouraging, nonetheless. And yes, 3-point shooting is also a concern, although a more mild one for me when comparing it to free throws. The reason being, we're able to score underneath at a high clip to make up for some of those deep shots.

We have a lot of talented players who are going to earn trips to the charity stripe on a semi-regular basis, specifically Marvin. I'd love to see him consistently around that 70% mark and higher. He's 18-of-23 the last two games, or about 78%. Sign me up for that, please.

10000000% agree with all of that.

 

[Showenuff]

I am so very proud of his FT's as of late man. He's so damn fun to watch. But then , so is our entire starting 5.

 

[dukiejay]

I am so very proud of his FT's as of late man. He's so damn fun to watch. But then , so is our entire starting 5.

As a whole, this team is fun (maybe a little frustrating turning my hair gray(er) each night, but you get the point.)

A lot of what we've seen so far we couldn't have predicted. We all knew we were incredibly talented, but I'd argue we were even more talented last season, and we know what that got us. I just think this team is totally bought in right now. The five starters know they're the starters. The three guys playing off the bench know they're getting a shot to contribute every game. Some nights it might be for more limited minutes, while the next they're playing around 20.

Learning from losses is something we tell ourselves after we lose. And it makes sense, but it's only something we say because we have to, not because we want to. This team has learned a ton and they're 8-0. I'm fine with that.

 

[dukedevilz]

We are 250th in the nation in FT Shooting at 67.3% (351 schools).
We are 200th in the nation in 3-point Shooting at 34.1%.

Free throws are easily the more concerning issue. If you took the percentages of a much better shooting team like Virginia (81.4% and 39.8%), we're losing a lot more points at the charity stripe. Over the course of 8 games, we would have gained 29 points from the foul line with UVA's percentages - only 9 points from the three point line. Getting Bagley closer to 70% would be huge for this team (He's #6 in the country in free throw attempts). Bagley will continue to draw fouls - and our margin for error is certainly much greater if Bags can knock down the free throws at a decent clip.

 

[dukiejay]

We are 250th in the nation in FT Shooting at 67.3% (351 schools).
We are 200th in the nation in 3-point Shooting at 34.1%.

Free throws are easily the more concerning issue. If you took the percentages of a much better shooting team like Virginia (81.4% and 39.8%), we're losing a lot more points at the charity stripe. Over the course of 8 games, we would have gained 29 points from the foul line with UVA's percentages - only 9 points from the three point line. Getting Bagley closer to 70% would be huge for this team (He's #6 in the country in free throw attempts). Bagley will continue to draw fouls - and our margin for error is certainly much greater if Bags can knock down the free throws at a decent clip.

Good stats.

 

[HonkeyT]

YES!

 

[Duke_Fan_1338]

The thing that I'm encouraged by is our bigs have nice touch around the basket and IMO will be better freethrow shooters. Marvin has solid shot mechanics, as does Wendell. Duval's are pretty solid, and Gary & Grayson are quality freethrow shooters.

I legitimately think both Bagley & Carter can be around 70% because of their touch and shot mechanics. More game reps / less nerves from the stripe will hopefully enable them to knock more down and improve.

 

[skysdad]

We are 250th in the nation in FT Shooting at 67.3% (351 schools).
We are 200th in the nation in 3-point Shooting at 34.1%.

Free throws are easily the more concerning issue. If you took the percentages of a much better shooting team like Virginia (81.4% and 39.8%), we're losing a lot more points at the charity stripe. Over the course of 8 games, we would have gained 29 points from the foul line with UVA's percentages - only 9 points from the three point line. Getting Bagley closer to 70% would be huge for this team (He's #6 in the country in free throw attempts). Bagley will continue to draw fouls - and our margin for error is certainly much greater if Bags can knock down the free throws at a decent clip.

I thought we were #1 in the nation. OFC