Duke Nation has analyzed, debated, scratched our heads, etc. etc. trying to figure out the 2023/2024 Duke Blue Devils. As we all (along with pollsters and pundits) saw a legit top 5 team going into the season.
You go 27-9 with frosh and injuries, lose two guys but only one key starter. Had everything else work out in the off-season. No transfers, the three starting frosh return AND, despite sweating the decision as Jeremy tested the waters, we get a very good guard returning for his senior campaign. A guy who has had big career moments in a Final Four run, ACC championship run. Etc.
Injuries have occurred but imo other than not having two starters for the home game vs Pittsburgh. The injuries were very manageable. Proctor’s came early in December. With Caleb out, you start Proctor in his place. (Woe is us!).
Most of us have felt they will “get there” eventually. That those returnees were gonna step it up a notch beyond their freshmen season. We thought it was headed there with the blowout at Pitt only to get knocked back into reality after. We thought with the (shockingly easy) dismantling of Virginia at home that the corner had been turned. Back to reality in Winston-Salem. Despite the league sucking, Duke put a stop to anticipated court stormings by winning at some of their recent “trap game” arenas. Won @Miami, @FSU, @NCSU.
Corner turned!? Unc-chapel hill branch said nope. Despite a better performance from Duke than in chapel hill, another of unc’s 30 year old portal players has the game of his life while Duke did an excellent job on the other unc players defensively. Then the big fat egg Thurs.
I’ve read all the debates everywhere. Is it effort?? defense? Chemistry? Coaching? do they get along? Is there one key answer we are missing to this whole puzzle OR were they just never going to be that good? I don’t fully subscribe to the idea that they were never going to be that good.
The thing that keeps jumping out at me is I just don’t think that Jeremy Roach and Tyrese Proctor have been as good as they needed to be this year for this team to make serious noise. Also our 4 cannot bring the perimeter skills to the table that other teams 4’s can. And there is still a very young head Coach. I’m not sure I have ever seen the ACC this bad and for Duke to even have six league losses (5 RS, 1 ACCT) is telling. And that’s also why I’m somewhat skeptical of unc chapel hill branch‘s chances in the tournament unless they get a really favorable bracket. They dropped 3 league games and could have lost several others. I’m afraid they won’t get to play ACC teams in the NCAA tournament.
Back to Duke, we’re all of varying ages on here, but I’m sure most of us have an example/memory of a Duke team that maybe didn’t have great momentum do some damage in the tournament. But one just doesn’t “feel it” with this group. Does anyone have that? That at this late stage a run could happen? I wouldn’t have any confidence even if they had the most favorable region ever created. Many crazier things have certainly happened in the world though than a Duke team full of Mickey D’s winning 3-4 games in the NCAA Tournament. (Shrug)
