One key stat that YOU think is necessary for deep tourney run

[DukefanKY]

Never gets old.

I have a feeling we are all going to ocassionally have some very very fine wives for awhile too!!!......with tattoos on their butt!!

 

[Mac9192]

Last years team had three issues i was always concerned with and they were big time concerns. Many of them showed their ugly head in that loss to Kansas and even at that we still should have won.

That's what still bothers me about that bunch. The most talented team last season, and it's not even close.

 

[Quavarius]

Rebounding isn't always the answer for me. Over the years, there've been some other emphases that -- imo -- have affected our rebounding numbers negatively, but which I'll take. Contesting every shot, for example, sometimes results in being out of position for a rebound, but it helps our defensive FG%. I'll take it. Overplaying passing lanes puts us out of position for rebounds, but we get more steals. I'll take it. Taking a lot of 3s means longer, less predictable rebounds, but duh, 3 points.

But in 2010, I definitely agree that rebounding was a more valuable factor than usual. If that team had a lead with 4 minutes to go, I was so confident b/c I trusted that there wouldn't be second chances for opponents (and we would protect the ball).

This year I think I might go with transition points. If we keep turning people over the way we have -- and live-ball turnovers, at that -- that's good defense and easy buckets.

Gotcha. In the Elite 8, Final 4, Title Game, with the competition being, well, elite and shorter possessions due to elite defense and controlling tempo and NOT turning the ball over, being able to get multiple opportunities to score will be key IMO. We outrebounded Gonzaga 44-36 but only caused 11 turnovers (we had 10). We had several chances to tie but came up short.

I just hope we don’t turn into 2017 Kentucky (with Fox, Monk and Bam). That team was a blur in the OOC in transition and then got into conference play and couldn’t generate the same amount of points, which affected their offense. Fox was a one man fast break. Luckily, K is better at running offensive sets than Cal.

 

[LTDukeFan]

All other things remain as is. Here are my Top 3:
1. Increase FT%
2. Really increase FT%
3. Please, PLEASE increase FT%

 

[BlueDaveil]

Not sure anyone has mentioned steals. We currently have 95 steals on the season which is 10.6 per game, best in the NCAA. With the best transition team we’ve ever had that’s pretty much a guaranteed 20ppg+ plus the morale and momentum boost we get from the big dunks or alley oops they typically lead to. If we continued at that pace it would be the best for a Duke team ever and would probably mean #6.

...I was also surprised to learn we are currently #1 in total blocks this season.

 

[df64]

Lots of good points. Just proves so many things contribute, some very predictable and others not. Look at last year's game with KU. Under very predictable, Grayson and Trent both being off, we struggle. Under unpredictable, Duval shoots and plays the way he did, we are unbeatable. Then you have KU, not great down low, out rebounding us?! In the end, a shot that looked like it was going in rolled out after spending about an hour hanging on the rim.

Anyway, I'll go with RJs shooting. If he shoots well from 3 and is efficient overall, we win.

 

[Dad2ze]

Key stat??? Hmmmmm.....Blown Pick n Roll Attempts.

 

[kwyjibos13]

Duke is 10-0 when it makes the FF in a city that ends in -apolis.

 

[bmbritt]

Duke is 10-0 when it makes the FF in a city that ends in -apolis.

Not to mention that we’ve been the champs the last two times the Final Four was in Minneapolis.

 

[dukehokie]

Not sure anyone has mentioned steals. We currently have 95 steals on the season which is 10.6 per game, best in the NCAA. With the best transition team we’ve ever had that’s pretty much a guaranteed 20ppg+ plus the morale and momentum boost we get from the big dunks or alley oops they typically lead to. If we continued at that pace it would be the best for a Duke team ever and would probably mean #6.

...I was also surprised to learn we are currently #1 in total blocks this season.

The only reason I don’t pick steals and turnovers is because you can’t control those things always. In Duke’s closest games, they only forced 10 and 12 turnovers and the points off of those turnovers were in the single digits. You aren’t going to turn good teams over much and they’ll have the athletes to get back in transition.

Controllable stats like rebounding, offensive field goal percentage, and field goal percentage defense are huge when it comes to dictating tempo, earning scoring opportunities and being able to go on runs here and there. Field goal percentage defense coupled with defensive rebounding is immeasurably important. This team has done both very well so far (albeit the competition hasn’t been great outside of Maui).

 

[bullcity gamer]

Sweeping the heels. Anytime Duke sweeps the heels, our Blue Devils more often than not make deeper runs in the NCAA Tournament, 2010 (champs), 2013 (Elite 8 loss to Louisville), and 2015 (champs), are the more recent examples.