Duke Basketball 2021-2022

[Hammy-O]

I swear Lance Thomas and Zoubek were each good for one moving screen call a game.

Lance was too exuberant when setting his screens.

 

[rome8180]

Zoubek also got away with a shitload of moving screens. I would estimate maybe 5% of all moving screens are called. If we're relying on the right call to defend that action, we're already screwed.

 

[rhfarmer]

I think you guys are referring to "ZouPek" not "ZouBek".

 

[Hammy-O]

We have four guys averaging 3 or more assists. I scanned the team stats going back to the 2003 season and I didn’t find any teams with 4 guys. I think the closest was 2010 where Singler close to 3. Just thought that was pretty neat.

 

[rome8180]

Just had a thought:

Duke should try to develop the equivalent of a G League team. By that, I mean they should send their mediocre players to worse schools where they can jack a lot of shots. That way, they can get real game reps and build confidence and not be crushed by the weight of Duke expectations and loaded rosters. Then, once they're putting up 15ppg on decent efficiency we can take them back.

I feel like Niagara with Paulus would be happy to participate. Our worst players would be better players than he'll ever have. Maybe Nate at Austin Peay for the kids who don't want to play for Greg "Teabag" Paulus.

 

[childress22]

The Boozer twins were born after Washington dunked on Paulus. I don't think our current recruits would even really know who he is.

 

[rome8180]

The Boozer twins will dominate from Day 1 anyway.

 

[Slap the Floor]

 

[torontoduke]

Need Griff to be ok

 

[childress22]

Kinda cherry-picking here, but per Torvik, our adjusted offensive efficiency over the past month has been 131.0.

 

[Slap the Floor]

I haven't shared this story until now. In the ACCT Championship game against Virginia Tech, I sat a few rows behind Coach K's entire family. Saw JJ, Duhon, really cool. With around 2 minutes left in the game after some big dunk, the girlfriend and I got up to head for the exits to catch the train home. As I'm about to take my step into the aisle, Debbie Savarino walks right past, inches apart, and she's crying. We walked behind her because we were going in the same direction, but she speed-walked into the bathroom, and I'm pretty sure she was sobbing. At that moment I felt the difference between a fan, like myself, and actually being deeply engrained as a family member. I can't even imagine.

Also at the moment, I was convinced as I'm sure she and everyone else was that this team was getting a first-weekend exit, and I'm just thrilled and stunned this team is in the Final Four. Makes me feel much happier for Debbie and their entire family knowing that if they are crying tonight it's happy tears.

 

[skins]

I can’t believe this ragtag group of 5 stars has done it

 

[DurhamSon]

I think the OAD model is fairly solidly validated by now. If you consider 2014 the start, that's a span of 4 elite 8s with 2 final fours in 8 seasons (and probably should be 3 final fours), even with questionable roster building, sub optimal defensive coaching, and a mentally declining head coach. I'll take those results given that going forward

 

[deepdarkblue]

I can’t believe this ragtag group of 5 stars has done it

It was their scrappy grittiness that pulled them through.

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

Given the current environment of having a high chance of losing any decent player after one year, whether to the transfer portal or GLeague or other, the elite OADs are super-valuable the same way the top 10 or so NBA players are way, way, way more valuable than other max salary players. The currency in college is current ability instead of cap space.

Hitting the sweet spot for current ability in a college player is extremely difficult these days (think sophomore Mark Williams, and how unlikely it is to ever see guys like him in the college game, or senior Gillespie at Nova, and how unlikely it will be for someone like that to get significant PT to stick out 4 years at Duke), so elite OADs present a cheat code.

 

[torontoduke]

It's been difficult at many times, but I think this is a final four team.

Folks, I think this is a Final Four team.

 

[Grit]

I think the OAD model is fairly solidly validated by now. If you consider 2014 the start, that's a span of 4 elite 8s with 2 final fours in 8 seasons (and probably should be 3 final fours), even with questionable roster building, sub optimal defensive coaching, and a mentally declining head coach. I'll take those results given that going forward

I sometimes wonder if the mostly unspoken side of this is K taking the wind out of Calipari's sails by going after one and dones. Cal was on top in 2015 and had the top program in the time since he got to Kentucky, but K shifting his recruiting strategy really seemed to give him trouble. Without that, we could have been dealing with Kentucky juggernauts every few years when their recruiting classes really panned out.

 

[DurhamSon]

Anyone going to see the spectacle? besides @NOD, presumably

 

[rome8180]

I think the OAD model is fairly solidly validated by now. If you consider 2014 the start, that's a span of 4 elite 8s with 2 final fours in 8 seasons (and probably should be 3 final fours), even with questionable roster building, sub optimal defensive coaching, and a mentally declining head coach. I'll take those results given that going forward

I sometimes wonder if the mostly unspoken side of this is K taking the wind out of Calipari's sails by going after one and dones. Cal was on top in 2015 and had the top program in the time since he got to Kentucky, but K shifting his recruiting strategy really seemed to give him trouble. Without that, we could have been dealing with Kentucky juggernauts every few years when their recruiting classes really panned out.

On a semi-related note, if Cal does leave, who fills in the OAD vacuum? Duke is only going to land so many. I guess the worry could be that Hubert Davis figures out the recruiting side of things. There's no reason that UNC shouldn't be landing elite classes again.

 

[Devilsforlife]

I think the OAD model is fairly solidly validated by now. If you consider 2014 the start, that's a span of 4 elite 8s with 2 final fours in 8 seasons (and probably should be 3 final fours), even with questionable roster building, sub optimal defensive coaching, and a mentally declining head coach. I'll take those results given that going forward

I sometimes wonder if the mostly unspoken side of this is K taking the wind out of Calipari's sails by going after one and dones. Cal was on top in 2015 and had the top program in the time since he got to Kentucky, but K shifting his recruiting strategy really seemed to give him trouble. Without that, we could have been dealing with Kentucky juggernauts every few years when their recruiting classes really panned out.

Kentucky lost all their luster after the 40-0 season slipped through Calipari’s fingers, K started outdoing him on the recruiting trail, and they suffered those crushing Elite 8 losses to UNC in 2017 and Auburn in 2019. Cal had a phenomenal run from 2010-2015, but he was a shell of his old self even before the St.Peter’s loss.