DBR Podcast #362: Victory In Vegas

On this episode of the Duke Basketball Report Podcast, we break down Duke’s thrilling victory over Gonzaga at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Black Friday. Donald was in attendance, Jason and Sam were at home, and we know that Duke fans around the world were dialed into this one.

Beginning with the good, we break down the stellar performances that Paolo Banchero, Mark Williams, and Wendell Moore, Jr. turned in against Gonzaga’s imposing frontline. Banchero’s cramps gave us some cause for concern in the second half, but Moore and Williams were able to maintain the pressure on the Bulldogs throughout. We also need to talk about the energy in the building and Duke’s strong game plan, which made it possible for Duke to keep Gonzaga at arm’s length despite Gonzaga grabbing a lot more offensive rebounds and Duke having a relatively light night from behind the three-point line.

The bad today is more nitpicky than anything, but we’re still waiting for a complete performance from Duke’s collective starting five. Jeremy Roach and Trevor Keels had tough games on offense, although the team defense was working well against Gonzaga’s sophisticated offensive capabilities.

Player of the week awards this week are extremely fun given the Gonzaga outcome. Banchero, Williams, and Moore are all in contention.

We’ll be back this week to preview Duke’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge game at Ohio State, but in the meantime, stay in touch with the podcast team at dbrpodcast at gmail.com.