Official game day thread- Duke vs Miami II

[bullcity gamer]

Losing Proctor would be a big blow, but I don’t think it means we have no chance to win it all. It’s not just about who fills in for him. Each player just has to play a little better to make up the difference. This team is playing with an edge and expects to be National Champions.

It may even add extra motivation for the Blue Devils wanting to win it all for their injured teammate. They may adopt the mantra, "10 is enough" similar to what the 2014-2015 Duke team did once Suliamon was dimissed from the team. The 2014-2015 Duke team adopted the mantra "8 is enough" once Suliamon was dimissed from the team. Matt Jones and Allen were the benefactors of Suliamon's dismissal.

This is one of the Most Together Duke Teams I've witnessed playing in quite some time. They play for one another and the name on the front of the jersey.

 

[christophero]

My dad was just raving about our team and coach hasn't raved about Duke since Coach K. Called it a clinic.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

 

[bullcity gamer]

My dad was just raving about our team and coach hasn't raved about Duke since Coach K. Called it a clinic.

Chris I love that you bond with your dad over Duke Basketball! I do the same thing with my old man, it's the best!!!

 

[dukesince91]

Again, we harp about needing upperclassmen and we are down two of our most important upperclassmen but I guess it's fine. Everything is fine.

At this point in the season, I don’t consider them freshman anymore. I think they’re ready for the moment now. Everything is going to be alright.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

I want to win it all. Badly. I'm just sick of watching injuries derail Duke. It's happen far too many times. And I may overreact but this is a big time injury. Hopefully it's a bruise and nothing more. We're sitting here weeks away from the ACC Tournament and less than a month from the Big Dance. I'd love to have our full compliment of players. Brown and Procter are needed.

 

[Mac9192]

Again, we harp about needing upperclassmen and we are down two of our most important upperclassmen but I guess it's fine. Everything is fine.

Bleed, I totally agree with the first part. But to argue the rest of your point, this team IS built different than our previous “young” teams.

Cooper and Kon do not play like freshmen. Both have high basketball IQ’s. Cooper also happens to be the best player in the county.

If Proctor is out, then sadly you will be proven right if Evans, Foster, Gillis, and Pat don’t step up their games.

 

[The_Only_Blue]

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Bleed, I totally agree with the first part. But to argue the rest of your point, this team IS built different than our previous “young” teams.

Cooper and Kon do not play like freshmen. Both have high basketball IQ’s. Cooper also happens to be the best player in the county.

If Proctor is out, then sadly you will be proven right if Evans, Foster, Gillis, and Pat don’t step up their games.

I don't want to be proven right, though. Hopefully I'm wrong and we win it all. I just think not having the upperclassmen will hurt us. And I mean no offense to anyone. But Proctor has been a damn stud the last month and one of the big reasons why we have been successful. Hopefully Foster steps up. I'm just upset.

 

[bullcity gamer]

I don't want to be proven right, though. Hopefully I'm wrong and we win it all. I just think not having the upperclassmen will hurt us. And I mean no offense to anyone. But Proctor has been a damn stud the last month and one of the big reasons why we have been successful. Hopefully Foster steps up. I'm just upset.

All Good Bleed, we all want Duke to Win National Championship #6 in San Antonio.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

All Good Bleed, we all want Duke to Win National Championship #6 in San Antonio.

We can all at least agree on that. I was pretty confident before tonight. Especially when I heard Brown was coming back at some point but this puts the cigarette in my pancakes.

 

[bullcity gamer]

I had never heard “cigarette in my pancakes” that’s pretty good haha!

 

[The_Only_Blue]

We all agree that to win it all you have to be good but you have to have alot of luck. Whether it be the luck of the draw where some top ranked teams get upset, to having calls go our way or being healthy. At this point we can only hope for the best. Proctor not coming back to the bench and him leaving in crutches looks more than just him banging knees. Hope I'm dead wrong.

 

[bullcity gamer]

Well said Blue!

 

[bleediteveryday30]

I had never heard “cigarette in my pancakes, that’s pretty good haha!

My grandpa used to say that one bull. So I can't take credit for it, haha

 

[christophero]

The issue isn't just getting guys back, but will they be 100 percent. We will see hope Brown and Proctor make full recoveries.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Rese is the man and is incredibly crucial to this team.

On a positive, when Isiah gets cooking- he’s got the ability to have a McCain vs JMU performance on any given night. He’s earned his minutes and he’s hitting his stride at the right time.

We are going to need this Evans and Foster to step it up.

 

[JimboSlice00]

We all agree that to win it all you have to be good but you have to have alot of luck. Whether it be the luck of the draw where some top ranked teams get upset, to having calls go our way or being healthy. At this point we can only hope for the best. Proctor not coming back to the bench and him leaving in crutches looks more than just him banging knees. Hope I'm dead wrong.

Leaving on the crutches makes sense, they want to stabilize the knee as much as possible for the MRI and be as cautious as possible. It’s the not coming back to the bench part that concerns me the most.

Also, reading way too deep into it, but Jon went over to Isiah twice in that second half to “talk” with him and to fire him up. It’s the little things that say a lot. Hopefully there’s transparency- good or bad in the next day or two.

 

[bullcity gamer]

Definitely want both Brown and Proctor both back to 100%, but the luxury is every guy in the rotation is very unselfish including these two.

Evans and Ngongba have really grown this last month. Foster has grown the last couple of games. These 3 guys deserve a lot of credit for Staying Ready instead of Sulking and Pouting on the bench when they weren’t getting a lot of time on the court, it speaks volumes of their character and grit.

 

[pisgah101]

Sleep it off fellas you’ll feel better in the morning when you realize this is the best Duke team in 15 years and the deepest since well… I’m not sure. We could freaking lose cooper and still be a top 10 team, stop overreacting to everything. Rese and brown will be back and as someone else said we just railed another ACC team (not our fault they suck)

Go duke

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Sleep it off fellas you’ll feel better in the morning when you realize this is the best Duke team in 15 years and the deepest since well… I’m not sure. We could freaking lose cooper and still be a top 10 team, stop overreacting to everything. Rese and brown will be back and as someone else said we just railed another ACC team (not our fault they suck)

Go duke

I hope you're right. I'm not so sure. But I'm used to being consistently disappointed by most things. So there's that.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

 

[bleediteveryday30]

For the record, I'm a Spurs fan. And having to watch Wemby shut it down for the season and Pop being officially done, I am in a very negative mood when it comes to basketball. So, I was really hoping this special Duke team could hang #6. Hopefully, they still can. I apologize for being so pessimistic.

 

[bullcity gamer]

Fun Fact - Duke will play their next 6-8 games in the State of North Carolina

 

[pisgah101]

For the record, I'm a Spurs fan. And having to watch Wemby shut it down for the season and Pop being officially done, I am in a very negative mood when it comes to basketball. So, I was really hoping this special Duke team could hang #6. Hopefully, they still can. I apologize for being so pessimistic.

You don’t need to apologize you’re being you and that’s ok

 

[DukeDallas9192011015]

This is a season that were gonna look back on in 20 years and be amazed. I do not want the words "injuries" to be in the 1st or 2nd sentence that describes this 2025 team. I'm still kicking myself over the 2011 team and the Kyrie injury that screwed everything up, the Zion injury screwed up the 2019 team. Chemistry matters, when guys go in and out of the lineup, it can (not always) screw up the chemistry. Sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise, but that's a risk I'd rather not take.

The twitter doctors out there believe it's a hyperextension and Brown missed 2.5 weeks when that happened to him, so lets hope to have Tyrese back by opening NCAA weekend, but it's still early to know anything for sure. We will not be as good without Tyrese, yes Sion is an amazing defender too, but you know what: it's better to have 2 amazing guard defenders than 1. Foster still has dumb turnovers regularly and I don't trust his 3 point shot nearly as much as Tyrese. If we start Evans than we have now lost our best bench scorer who is completely lethal, now consistency will be needed out of him.

We can still win the title without Brown and/or Proctor, sure. But, you are a fool if you don't believe our odds will be greatly diminished without Proctor or both of them. (Proctor more important) This team when fully healthy has the potential to destroy teams in the tournament, not just "survive and advance."

 

[AlanInNJ]

I do hope we have some competitive games leading into the NCAA. I am sure UNC is going to be tough, and you would think we will come up against Louisville and/or Clemson in the ACC. A big win is great, but I would rather see some tough competition to keep us sharp. Since the Clemson loss teams have just been rolling over for us, especially in the second half. I also didn't like how we turned the game into a Rucker Park exhibition in the second half rather than running offence, especially for the bench guys. Still tough to complain about a 37 point beatdown.

As much of a shot in the arm it is to have a confident and accurate Evens banging threes, it's offset IMHO by the Proctor injury. Proctor has been playing so well recently. I think we need him healthy for a FF run.

 

[Dattier]

Since the Clemson loss teams have just been rolling over for us, especially in the second half. I also didn't like how we turned the game into a Rucker Park exhibition in the second half rather than running offence, especially for the bench guys. Still tough to complain about a 37 point beatdown.

Wait, what?

 

[NCirishman]

I’m not scheyer but I would keep Evans coming off the bench.

I would take advantage of this unplanned opportunity to insert Foster back into the starters role.

It’s perfect timing for that being that Foster has gained some confidence over the last 2-3 games.

If he doesn’t show enough, adjust from there….

Just my opinion.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

I’m not scheyer but I would keep Evans coming off the bench.

I would take advantage of this unplanned opportunity to insert Foster back into the starters role.

It’s perfect timing for that being that Foster has gained some confidence over the last 2-3 games.

If he doesn’t show enough, adjust from there….

Just my opinion.

Yeah, I think he should start Foster. Evans is a spark off the bench. Hopefully, Brown is back soon. And hopefully we get good news on Proctor today.

 

[Dad2ze]

For the record, I'm a Spurs fan. And having to watch Wemby shut it down for the season and Pop being officially done, I am in a very negative mood when it comes to basketball. So, I was really hoping this special Duke team could hang #6. Hopefully, they still can. I apologize for being so pessimistic.

I feel ya bro! Almost got sick when my daughter said Wemby was out. We still have a great shot even if Ty is out. Stay positive bro!

 

[bleediteveryday30]

I feel ya bro! Almost got sick when my daughter said Wemby was out. We still have a great shot even if Ty is out. Stay positive bro!

He's just so important to this team and has been playing his best ball so it's hard to to be positive. But there are plenty of confident fans who believe this won't matter much if we lose him. Which, again, I cannot wrap my head around.

 

[DukeDallas9192011015]

He's just so important to this team and has been playing his best ball so it's hard to to be positive. But there are plenty of confident fans who believe this won't matter much if we lose him. Which, again, I cannot wrap my head around.

I agree with this. Last night sucked, we won by 30+ and I was pissed off all night and couldn't enjoy the 2nd half, at all.

Yeah, we have depth, and yeah guys will need to step up. But there is no other way to state it, last night sucked and at this point we just have to pray Tyrese will be back.

 

[AlanInNJ]

Wait, what?

Again, JMHO. Duke has been playing exceptionally well, but last night, in example, Miami was scrappy in the first half, but in the second half it wasn't even close. The previous 4 games I felt similar. If the answer is Duke is just that much better than these last 5 opponents, so be it, but I don't want to see us get overconfident. I didn't mean anything more than that.

 

[JimboSlice00]

Hopefully he just hyperextended it! I have to disagree with starting Foster. What makes anyone think he will all of a sudden turn it on? Foster is serviceable for 15-20 minutes a game but he’s taken a giant step back.

I hope Jon starts Isiah and gives him significant minutes because you don’t sit 3-4 threes a game. Also, I saw a hustle out of him on the defensive side last night that was encouraging.

Hopefully we get news on Rese today.

 

[Dattier]

nm dupe

 

[Dattier]

Again, JMHO. Duke has been playing exceptionally well, but last night, in example, Miami was scrappy in the first half, but in the second half it wasn't even close. The previous 4 games I felt similar. If the answer is Duke is just that much better than these last 5 opponents, so be it, but I don't want to see us get overconfident. I didn't mean anything more than that.

No worries. I agree that there have been some slow starts and that we've had to shut down individual opponents with a hot hand.

But for perspective, we've led at the half in each of those games by 15, 15, 14, 17, & 15. Going back to the beginning of ACC play, we've only had bigger halftime leads than any of those vs UNC and the first Miami game. We've come a long way from the version of this team that led Incarnate Word by 7 at halftime.

 

[pisgah101]

Start Gillis or Foster unless that’ll mess with Evan’s psyche. I like having that firepower off the bench.

 

[Dattier]

I’m not scheyer but I would keep Evans coming off the bench.

I would take advantage of this unplanned opportunity to insert Foster back into the starters role.

It’s perfect timing for that being that Foster has gained some confidence over the last 2-3 games.

If he doesn’t show enough, adjust from there….

Just my opinion.

Agreed. Evans has been awesome off the bench. I like to think of it as him getting a chance to watch the game and get a feel for it, then coming in and providing instant offense that defenses have struggled to adjust to. Starting Foster might be a good way of helping rebuild his confidence off 3 good games in the last 4. He is also closer to what Proctor provides with ball-handling. It keeps more guys in similar roles.

In '09-'10, Nolan had to sit out a couple games at the beginning of the season because he played in an unsanctioned off-season tournament, iirc. Instead of moving Andre Dawkins up from being the top backcourt reserve, K started Olek Czyz. Olek transferred a few games later after returning to way down the bench.

 

[Mac9192]

I'm going to first say Proctor is a very important part of the team, and I hope he makes a quick recovery. Second, it's not a drop the mic comment saying Foster has struggled. He may never get back to who we thought he would be after his promising freshman season. It seems to be mostly, if not all, mental with him. If that's the case, then it is possible that he picks up his game in Proctor's absence. After all, we have seen him play good, so he does have it in him. And the mind is one powerful tool.

So if Foster can get his mojo back, Duke might just be ok.