Even more importantly, it's an edited intrasquad [note: Villanova will be an intersquad scrimmage] scrimmage. We don't see anyone dribbling the ball off a foot out of bounds or air-balling a 3. Doesn't mean we can't glean some useful information but we're seeing what they want us to see.
Scrimmage
- Thread starter Duke Blu
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Your last sentence is it. I’m sure every single person here who is speaking about what they like about whatever player understands it’s with a large grain of salt. That being said, as I mentioned in another thread and on our podcast that my feelings on Proctor are based on what I saw from him especially at the end of last year. You can see the high ceiling he has and when the light turned on for him the sky is the limit for this year.
Bingo timo. It appeared like the team turned things around from the Charlottesville screw job and onward. The players and coaches all got better for the 2nd half of conference and the post season in 2023.
Great point I hadn’t considered,I did when it happened but I haven’t since. It’s funny you bring that up because I was watching the Quarterbacks documentary on Netflix, they highlight Mahomes, Cousins and Mariota. When they’re going through the year and especially at the end with the playoffs I go back and recall the reffing and big plays one way or another that happened. Boy do you forget quickly. All you remember is Mahomes was MVP and won it all. How close could it be that it was Burrow or Hurts.
My point is, all teams can use a controversy to turn them one way or another. Boy did our team use it to their advantage. Proud of them. That won’t change.
I have mixed feelings about that UVA screw job. On one hand, it did push us and for the better. We played with a chip on our shoulder and definitely improved after that game. On the other hand, I firmly believe if we had won that game like we should have, we would've had a better seed, likely even a 3, and had an easier path in the tournament.
Yeah we might haven gotten a better seed, but we weren’t a final four team, imo. I do see what you’re saying though.
But let me play the other side, or what we’re all hoping for anyway. The loss to the Tennessee rugby team catapults this years bunch to do really good things.
Everyone, including Jon, should have learned something from that loss.
By the sounds of it Mac, the guys have already learned they need to be stronger and more physical this season and they are making the strides to live in the weight room.
Agreed Shey. I really feel this team has the opportunity to be special. Plenty of talent, and an extremely young and cerebral coach to figure it all out!! OFC
We should just have 50 posts that say "it's just a scrimmage. Can't tell anything. yet." That would be exciting. 
Or we could discuss the summer foliage. Or our BBQ summaries. I prefer burgers and potato salad.
Or we could discuss the summer foliage. Or our BBQ summaries. I prefer burgers and potato salad.
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I agree that we weren't a final four team, although after Purdue lost that side of the bracket was certainly wide open, and I think we could have easily been an elite 8 team with the way we were playing leading up to it. But then we're back to the chicken or the egg argument (would we have been playing that well without the motivation from that loss).
I think your other point is a good one. We have so much talent coming in and returning that we would be very good next year no matter what. However, that Tenn loss could be the catalyst to us pushing to be stronger/tougher this offseason, like bullcity said, and take us from being very good to possibly elite. Like you said, that's our hope anyway.
Our guys do seem hungry, and it was great to have guys return and talk about "unfinished business."
That is the key , can the knew guys support the returning cast in live game play . Not in the practice gym. I like proctor going back to utilizing his step back and McCain diving on the floor but I want to see them in live game play before making any assumptions about this team and that does not include preseason games.
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Will be curious to see if they use Stewart as the 4 man when Young plays or if they will use Flip. Think Stewart could really help our front court defense and rebounding when Young is in.
Nice post Chris. I see absolutely nothing wrong with our fanbase getting excited about a Duke basketball preseason scrimmage. From my own perspective this is a pretty intelligent group of Duke followers.They obviously know this is "edited" footage, and merely a highlight vid.We should just have 50 posts that say "it's just a scrimmage. Can't tell anything. yet." That would be exciting.
OFC
Flip will barely play as the only BIG on the floor. I'm sure there will always be a combination of Stewart, Young or Reeves with him. The job of the frontcourt team is to protect Flip!
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