MBB: Duke 76, Georgetown 67 Post-Game Thread

[Cell-R]

Wow, what a great game by Duke.

I'm beginning to expect Henderson to shoot the lights out. Hopefully he keeps it up!

Singler. Beast.

Smith, solid performance from what I noticed. Nothing too flashy to stand out.

Paulus! Those threes were great. I love the emotion he had on the court. It seemed as if the team was playing better with him at the point on this particular day.

Plumlee. Wow, I knew he was supposed to be good, but then I began to think he might be a little overrated. His performance wasn't phenomenal but it was pretty dang good considering his position. Freshman playing for the #2 team in the nation against an extremely good #12 Georgetown team who recently lit up Syracuse. On top of that Plumlee has gotten very little PT in conference games so far.

Excellent defensive showing by Scheyer.

[Latta6970]

1. Great win, against a quality oponent. It was nice to see Duke adapt and make match up problems for Georgetown. And it was really nice seeing Duke not back down from a tough, gritty, physical big east team. I have seen a few previous Duke teams in a few games get "punked" by phyisical play. After several phyisical games this season I don't see THIS Duke team backing down from anyone. (And actually dishing out a lot more than they take.)

2. While I love seeing Henderson go off (he's going to be a decent player one of these days .) you know NBA scouts are watching. In the last two games he has had inbounds dunks where he was so high it looked like he was dunking down into the basket. God I wish I could jump like that one time in my life. It really doesn't seem humanly possible to those of us that are ground bound. There are times I think he gets into trying to impose his will against the other player guarding him. But some of us have been saying for a couple years we need a go to guy. I think we have several on this team, and you can pencil in Henderson as one of them.

3. Yes the post play particularly on the offensive end was a tad bit diappointing. That being said when the ball got in and around the rim via penetration or an offensive rebound I thought Duke as a team did well.

4. While I respect the opinions of the recuiting experts on here. And I am glad to have who we have now and the players we have coming. Anyone who says missing out on Monroe wasn't a big miss is nuts. What's done is done now, and I'm glad we were able to show him the error of his ways. But I think it was clear with Monroe in the game Georgetown was a different team and a much harder team for Duke to match up with. I couldn't help but think about THIS Duke team with him thrown into the equation at how freakin' awesome they would be. But like people said when he dissed Duke, we will be fine. (He's probably one and done anyway.) But with all due respect anyone who put his tallent equal to McRoberts or a lesser player was off their rocker. He has twice the post presence than Josh has now.

5. I enjoyed having Greg Anthony announcing the game. Having played Duke twice in his career I can't recall ever hearing him call a game at Duke. He finally got to see the legacy of a dynasty in person as opposed to a fly by night champion like UNLV.

6. Seth Davis is a Duke grad????!!! I would have put the guy in the Duke-hater camp. When they said he went to Duke I almost had to find a defibrillator.

7. We can debate who should be starting point guard and all that jazz for the rest of the season. But Greg made some huge plays today and really fired up the intensity. I'm not sure he and Smith in the game at the same time isn't even more dangerous than seperate. A GGGGC line up looked pretty good today.

[dukelifer]

This Duke team is a very good counter punching team. They play a bit to the level of their opponents but find a way to keep themselves close and don't panic. They seem to get a flurry in from time to time and hit their throws when needed. I am not sure Duke still has the inside players to compete with the teams with elite big men- but counterpunchers can do their damage other ways. Singler has an amazing feel for the game. He is an outstanding rebounder for his size- which is more about understanding where the ball is going to come off the rim and getting to the spot- than it is about jumping high. G is playing well although his feel for the game and game situations is still not there. That said- he is taking better advantage of his gifts. Paulus gave Duke a big lift today. He is what he is but he is a tough kid and likes to mix it up. Scheyer picks his spots- it would be great if he could be a bit more consistent with his shooting but I think that will come. Still he brings a lot to the table each night. Smith is coming along but still not quite comfortable. Still his D is good and consistent. The big hole right now is in the Center position. Since conference play started, the three headed center has not been very good. Duke needs them to be much better. Perhaps with some more game experience, Plumlee could be that guy- but someone needs to step up to get garbage shots and get some more bounds. With all that said, the counterpunching team continues to win. Some more tests coming up.

[beltwayBD]

My two cents, such as it is:

Loved seeing Greg get worked up. I don't know if the camera caught it, but did anyone see Greg slap the floor? You can't beat that!

I really enjoyed Plumlee's minutes, especially the defense. It doesn't really show on the stat sheet, but I think he stymied Monroe at a key point. However, unlike a few others, I'm not ready to write of Lance and Zoub yet. They have both given us quality minutes this season, and Zoub in particular has shown more poise and committed fewer mistakes. They will be role players against particular teams and will be able to deliver, just like we hope Miles will be able to deliver as well. He certainly showed promise today.

Kyle, G and Jon. As a triumvirate, they are becoming even more dependable. The real core of this team. Love it. G has been on fire the last three games. I think we're all glad that his confidence has come back.


Question: Who is the guy on Nolan Smith's tattoo? Is that what the big pad was covering up last year? For some reason I didn't really notice it until now.

[dyedwab]

Here is what Coach K said about Plumlee

"Plumlee came in and did a great job for us. We have a versatile team, and we should be able to use our personnel to match up against someone the way we did, and that’s why we did it."

this is why we our depth is a force multiplier. Dave can come in and defend at every position. Kyle can play both inside and outside. John, Greg, and Nolan can all bring the ball up the floor. It awesome.

Great, great win...

...and quick other thought, how weird is it to see a Georgetown team with this much offensive power. They certainly are not the father's Hoyas.

[DukeBlood]

Originally Posted by beltwayBD

Question: Who is the guy on Nolan Smith's tattoo? Is that what the big pad was covering up last year? For some reason I didn't really notice it until now.

It's of his father. Derek Smith.

His arm wasn't covered up last year because of the tattoo, but because he bad a bruise that wouldn't go away. Anyway, ESPN.com ran a article last year on Nolan Smith. I couldn't find it or else i would of posted it. Great great article.

[beltwayBD]

Originally Posted by DukeBlood

It's of his father. Derek Smith.

His arm wasn't covered up last year because of the tattoo, but because he bad a bruise that wouldn't go away. Anyway, ESPN.com ran a article last year on Nolan Smith. I couldn't find it or else i would of posted it. Great great article.

Great, thanks.

[Skitzle]

I think there are 2 fantastic things about this game and one disheartening one

1) Consistency. Duke didn't really hit a drought, didn't really hit a defensive lull. They just played Duke basketball for 40 solid min and won. Same with the GT game.

2) Plumlee: In his first significant minutes of 2009 he contributed. I was starting to be concerned with his lack of play. Now, you can see that he has a role on this team helping to guard some of the more "difficult"/versatile opponents big men.

And the bad

1) Lance Thomas needs to step it up. I still have faith in him, he had the best non-conference we've ever seen him play. I still believe he's better than he's playing, but he's going to need to show it soon.

It's too long till Wednesday...

[micah75]

Originally Posted by Latta6970

5. I enjoyed having Greg Anthony announcing the game. Having played Duke twice in his career I can't recall ever hearing him call a game at Duke. He finally got to see the legacy of a dynasty in person as opposed to a fly by night champion like UNLV.

Count me as one who also enjoyed Greg Anthony call Duke's game. Especially given that he was involved in one of Duke's all-time classic wins way back when. It's refreshing when someone new comes in to CIS, similar to the NBA crew from last week. You get a whole different perspective.

Anyway, a very good game against a strong team. At first I thought Zoubek was injured when I saw that he didn't start. Now I see that it was most likely intended to send a message. Great to see that the team can go small, even with Kyle in foul trouble, and still seal the deal.

Also, very nice to see us go 11 deep in the 1st half. You never know when we might go to OT and guys like Marty and Miles will have already had a "taste" of the rhythm of the game, should foul trouble become an issue with
the starters.

[JDev]

Does this give Duke more quality wins than anyone in the country? They have beaten RPI top 50 teams Georgetown, Xavier, Davidson, and Purdue, and a few just outside the top 50: Virginia Tech, FSU, and Southern Illinois, all in the top 65. I think Michigan is probably tournament bound and will ultimately be a good win. That being said, the RPI right now doesn't mean a whole lot (Georgia Tech is currently higher than Wake Forest for example). However, that doesn't change the fact that Duke has played as good a schedule thus far as anyone, and they have won all of them but one (which was a rematch).

[Oriole Way]

This was the most impressive win of the year against what I consider the most talented opponent we've faced yet. I was very surprised and impressed that we shot so well against a tough defense.

I was very happy to see Plumlee come off the bench early and have a positive impact, even for just a few plays. Williams also hit his only shot. I still think we'll be a better team if those two get more minutes going forward, but I can't criticize the team's performance or K for how he managed the game today.

Paulus seems to be getting better/healthier, which is also very important. He has the ability to change a game on the offensive side when he hits a couple of 3's, especially at home, where he galvanizes the crowd. As others have mentioned, if he can be effective as a scorer coming off the bench, we become deeper and more dangerous.

I wonder if Smith is still bothered by his knee injury. During the first half, he looked a little lackluster, but in the second half he became a little more active. There was a drive he had for an easy layup in the mid-to-late second half which I would like to see more of. Why can't he look for that more consistently? If he can work on that aspect of his game, we would drastically improve offensively. I would like to see him work on driving into the line more often, and looking to score or set up his teammates on the wings. I have little doubt he has the ability to do it consistently, but I wonder why he does it so little. Hope he gets a little more assertive in that regard. But he played a fine game, which was all we needed because Henderson was the man today.

Speaking of G, he really took over offensively. It's great to have two players who can create their own shot so effectively, like Gerald and Singler can. As Anthony pointed out a couple of times, Singler is such a great player because he impacts the game even when his shot isn't falling, which it hasn't for a few games now. He's a great rebounder and gives us a toughness many of our teams have lacked over the past few years. I would still like to see Kyle take less 3's and drive to the rim more, in order to make his game more efficient. But he was a beast today.

I was very worried about this game because our offense had been in such a funk. There are still things to work on, but I was very impressed by the effort and execution today. Hopefully we can continue to improve as the season progresses.

Great win.

[jv001]

Gerald is playing like we expected him to at the beginning of the year. Kyle is a stud and is afraid of nothing. Diving 3 or 4 rows into the stands. Jon played a great floor game, 11pts, 5 assists, 1 TO and 3 steals. His defense is really good and no one notices. Zoubs & Lance did not play much and it looks like Miles is going to get some of their mins. He showed up well today. Nolan played very good D and did not hurt us. Greg is beginning to look more like the player we know he can be. I like this team. Go Duke!

[Saratoga2]

During parts of the game with Monroe in the game, we seemed to settle for the three and Singler and Scheyer weren't hitting again. This is not our best basketball strategy and it is the one we used when losing to Michigan. Fortunately, we altered the approach and also Monroe had to sit, at which time we attacked the basket.

Henderson, Singler and Scheyer were the same dependable players. Smith is also getting to that elite category, leaving us with the post as a weakness.

Paulus played better and his scores were important, but he still gets beat on defense often enough to be a problem. It was his best game and he is showing improvement.

Zoubek appeared to be unable to handle Monroe as his speed may have been a problem.

I disagree with Jumbo if his take means that he didn't think other posters on this board have not noticed and commented on Thomas's regression of late. I see the following:
1. Thomas is a decent athlete and has a reasonable ability to receive and pass the ball. He should be able to help with defense and offense if he is playing his best.
2. He seems to have been missing on help defense over many games this year, seemingly out of position to help.
3. His rebounding has been weak compared to Singler, a person his size.
4. My take on his worst issue is that he seems to think if being aggressive is a good trait, being super aggressive is better. He judgment on taking fouls has been poor.

I have been wondering why Plumlee didn't get more minutes, as he has a size advantage, iss mobile and probably is a better scorer than Thomas. I trust coach K and accept his judgment on this, but perhaps there will be something coming from this game where coach K modifies his lineup.

[3rd Dukie]

Originally Posted by geraldsneighbor

Henderson and Singler are grown men. Paulus and Smith played great. Very small line-up that defended challenged and frustrated G'town too much. Jon is so underrated on defense. He does way more then shoot the ball.

I COMPLETELY agree with you about Jon. Very underrated total game.

[jaimedun34]

Originally Posted by JDev

Does this give Duke more quality wins than anyone in the country? They have beaten RPI top 50 teams Georgetown, Xavier, Davidson, and Purdue, and a few just outside the top 50: Virginia Tech, FSU, and Southern Illinois, all in the top 65. I think Michigan is probably tournament bound and will ultimately be a good win. That being said, the RPI right now doesn't mean a whole lot (Georgia Tech is currently higher than Wake Forest for example). However, that doesn't change the fact that Duke has played as good a schedule thus far as anyone, and they have won all of them but one (which was a rematch).

Rhode Island is just 11-6, but they've had close games with Villanova, Ok State and Xavier. Not as much of a patsy as I had expected!

I think Nolan Smith is still learning how to balance his responsibilities as a point guard and his ability to score. He's more Ewing than Duhon. He's not there yet, but he'll be better by March.

[jv001]

Well how long will it be b4 we hear, "well Georgetown is really not that good". That's what some people said after we beat Purdue and Xavier. I really like our team and if we play well, we can beat anyone. Go Duke!

[should_be_working]

I'm very impressed this season with our apparent preparation for big games. In the three big games we have had this season (Xavier, Purdue, and Georgetown) we have been emotionally and physically ready. We've seemed to have put together our most "complete" games against our highest level opponents, and that to me bodes well for march. Very solid and gutty performance today, and it was nice to see the ACC take care of the Big east.

[joey0403p]

Well - I'm very upset about the outcome of the game. but congrats on a good win to you guys.

I'm curious if anyone on the board was at the game and has any idea about the T on Monroe. What is being speculated on the g town boards is that a fan behind the bench said something - and the ref's incorrectly attributed it to monroe. of course here it is being speculated that monroe did say something to get him the tech.

not sure the real story will ever come out - just wondering if anyone here has any insight.

i think that was the biggest play in the game. we were clearly a MUCH better team today with monroe on the floor than when he was not. and it appeared as though we would close the gap in the second half. too bad - would have been a much better game (at least for me) if it had been close the entire second half.

its certainly a good win for you all - but I wouldn't be too worried at all if we met again in march. I think on a neutral court this is a much closer game.

[JDev]

Originally Posted by joey0403p

Well - I'm very upset about the outcome of the game. but congrats on a good win to you guys.

I'm curious if anyone on the board was at the game and has any idea about the T on Monroe. What is being speculated on the g town boards is that a fan behind the bench said something - and the ref's incorrectly attributed it to monroe. of course here it is being speculated that monroe did say something to get him the tech.

not sure the real story will ever come out - just wondering if anyone here has any insight.

i think that was the biggest play in the game. we were clearly a MUCH better team today with monroe on the floor than when he was not. and it appeared as though we would close the gap in the second half. too bad - would have been a much better game (at least for me) if it had been close the entire second half.

its certainly a good win for you all - but I wouldn't be too worried at all if we met again in march. I think on a neutral court this is a much closer game.

Keep in mind Duke battled some foul trouble as well, with Singler picking up his fourth after a good acting job somewhere around the 8 minute mark or so if I remember correctly. The fact is Duke is a really good team, and regardless of what anyone says, every team that plays them in March is not going to be looking foward to it. As for the question, the GU bench seemed to be arguing that the mouthing off came from just behind the bench, but I guess no one really knows but Monroe.

[CLT Devil]

Originally Posted by DukeWarhead

This is one of those wins that identify a season and everyone needs to really just soak it in. K made a big deal before the season started about enjoying each win and not letting expectations take anything away from that. The close Rhode Island win, the blow-out of Xavier, and now this very complete, satifying win over the toughest opponent yet are the stops along the journey that we need to celebrate. Hopefully ,the players are taking the time to enjoy each win, too. They are becoming one of the great Duke teams - not there yet - but getting there. But then again, the point is not to compare them to other Duke teams, but to enjoy what they have accomplished so far and appreciate the hard work that brought them here. Good thing is, I think this team is doing just that and aren't worried about outside expectations.
It's been a great ride, so far. I'm looking forward to the rest....

Good words...been a fun year already, looking forward to where this team can go...great defensive team.

Very happy with the play of Plumlee...hope he gets more, I think he can be a better threat than Lance/Zoubs rotation. Great overall game.

Is it just me, or are all of our games a streetfight? I used to think teams would try to punk us down thinking Duke is soft. This year it seems like we provoke and get under teams' skin...have you seen Kyle talking after every made basket or Paulus not backing down to ANYONE? I like the fact we can be physical with the best of them, great season so far.