Duke Coaching

[Pantone287]

Regardless, big game for his general perception. Would not have been fun to have the "hasn't made it out of the first weekend" tag hanging over us all next year while the fellow new guy down the road is coming off his second title game in three years, and I'm sure it would be getting hammered home on the recruiting trail.

 

[rome8180]

It's weird. Ultimately this year has represented a step forward in many ways. Far better Kenpom rating (pointing to better overall performance). Didn't ever get blown out, unlike what happened several times last year. Finished one spot higher in the ACC standings. Got a better seed in the NCAA Tournament. Won at least one more game in the NCAA Tournament.

But it doesn't feel better for a few reasons:

1) Got swept by UNC instead of sweeping them
2) Didn't win ACCT
3) Performance relative to preseason expectations
4) Lost final two games prior to the NCAAT as opposed to coming in riding a 10-game win streak

 

[Devilsforlife]

This team is nearly 2 full points above 2022 on KP, lol. 7 above last year. The second UNC game is still the real bummer to me.

 

[rome8180]

This team is nearly 2 full points above 2022 on KP, lol. 7 above last year. The second UNC game is still the real bummer to me.

And that's WITH the Final Four run of the 2022 team. It's worth remembering that the 2022 team did not have the #1 offense heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Here is the day after the VT ACCT loss:

 

[rome8180]

If I'd told you in a vaccum, in 2017 or something, that "the coach who replaces K will go 27-9 and win the ACCT in his first season, and win at least 26 games and make the Sweet Sixteen or better in his second season" I think most realists would have signed up for that in a heartbeat.

Sure, we've been loaded with talent. But we've been loaded with talent from two of the weakest high school classes in recent history.

 

[DUKERULES14]

The constant slow starts to games have been my biggest complaint, particularly in big games. Today was nice. This game was the first time I felt we played well for 40 minutes. Would like to see it more often.

Also, I know everyone wants to play their best ball in March, but underperforming in November/December means we won't sniff a #1 unless we kill it in conference play, would like more consistency there.

 

[Devilsforlife]

I know I would have. Duke is still Duke. Obviously Jon will have to put together a deeper run at some point, but it’s not like the Final Four was common under K after 2004.

 

[Devilsforlife]

This team is nearly 2 full points above 2022 on KP, lol. 7 above last year. The second UNC game is still the real bummer to me.

And that's WITH the Final Four run of the 2022 team. It's worth remembering that the 2022 team did not have the #1 offense heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Here is the day after the VT ACCT loss:


View attachment 2438

The defense somehow fell six more spots in the tournament, my god. Probably cost us #6.

 

[rome8180]

This team is nearly 2 full points above 2022 on KP, lol. 7 above last year. The second UNC game is still the real bummer to me.

And that's WITH the Final Four run of the 2022 team. It's worth remembering that the 2022 team did not have the #1 offense heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Here is the day after the VT ACCT loss:


View attachment 2438

The defense somehow fell six more spots in the tournament, my god. Probably cost us #6.

The defense actually was respectable #21 just a few weeks earlier. 5/5/21 splits overall on March 2nd. But then we started getting eviscerated from three for some reason. Allowed 94 to UNC, 79 to Syracuse, 76 to Miami and 82 to VT in four straight games between March 5th and March 12th. Opponents shot 39%, 42%, 38%, and 46% from three. Meanwhile, UNC's opponents couldn't make a three to save their lives.

Fortunately, this was counterbalanced in the NCAA Tournament by our offense going nuclear as Paolo and Roach simultaneously played their best basketball of the season.

 

[Slap the Floor]

This team is nearly 2 full points above 2022 on KP, lol. 7 above last year. The second UNC game is still the real bummer to me.

They should be though. They returned 4 starters from a team that won the ACCT and made the round of 32.

 

[StopThePumpFakesShav]

If I'd told you in a vaccum, in 2017 or something, that "the coach who replaces K will go 27-9 and win the ACCT in his first season, and win at least 26 games and make the Sweet Sixteen or better in his second season" I think most realists would have signed up for that in a heartbeat.

Sure, we've been loaded with talent. But we've been loaded with talent from two of the weakest high school classes in recent history.

If you combine level of talent, the Whitehead injury, and lack of experience in an era where guys are staying for five years, finishing where we did last year was actually super impressive.

 

[rome8180]

I'd add that the lack of experience applies to the coach too. People seem to discount that, as if he can't possibly get better. Apparently you either suck or you're great. I imagine he'll improve more right now in the first five years of his career than at any other time.

 

[Devilsforlife]

The main disappointment of the Scheyer era so far for me was how the second UNC game went this year. Had we won that, shared the regular season, grabbed a 2/3 seed, and made the second weekend, and I don’t think I’d have much to complain about at all. It pretty much boils down to one game where we got down early and had some 25 year old Irish fucker go off for 30.

 

[rome8180]

The main disappointment of the Scheyer era so far for me was how the second UNC game went this year. Had we won that, shared the regular season, grabbed a 2/3 seed, and made the second weekend, and I don’t think I’d have much to complain about at all. It pretty much boils down to one game where we got down early and had some 25 year old Irish fucker go off for 30.

Yeah, it's interesting to think about that. Had we gotten the 2 or 3, we may have had a harder path to the Sweet Sixteen because we probably don't benefit from an upset like the JMU one. But we also have a much easier path to the Elite Eight.

 

[aiw]

Yeah but Houston is a monster team this year, if you told me we'd lose a close game to the KP #2/Torvik #1 team in the tournament, I think I wouldn't have been too disappointed.

Basically I'm mostly good with the season if we lose a close game game to Houston. If we get blown out ala UT last year that's a different story.

But if we didn't have a disappointing reg season, we wouldn't be playing Houston un the S16

 

[physicsfactor]

Yeah but Houston is a monster team this year, if you told me we'd lose a close game to the KP #2/Torvik #1 team in the tournament, I think I wouldn't have been too disappointed.

Basically I'm mostly good with the season if we lose a close game game to Houston. If we get blown out ala UT last year that's a different story.

But if we didn't have a disappointing reg season, we wouldn't be playing Houston un the S16

Wouldn’t have been disappointed if Duke was a 9 seed and lost a close one to UConn or Houston.

 

[torontoduke]

I understand emotions and frustration of outcome, but Sampson blowing by our guy Jon was some kind of bullshit. No class.

Coach K ever did something like that it would turn into some saga like the Dillon Brooks thing did.

 

[JohaadDBC]

I understand emotions and frustration of outcome, but Sampson blowing by our guy Jon was some kind of bullshit. No class.

Coach K ever did something like that it would turn into some saga like the Dillon Brooks thing did.

I didn’t notice that. His post game press conference wasn’t very gracious, though. Was a bit like a petulant child.

 

[CK86]

I was very happy to see the composure Duke played with after that initial Houston 6-0 blitz. Duke found their footing and fought back. Props to Jon for having the courage to call the quick timeout and settle the team down. If that had been Izzo, he would've waited until it was 15-0 to call a timeout and game is out of reach.

Regardless of tomorrow's game, this game also gives me a lot more confidence going forward that Duke can win games against the better teams on paper. It gives me a lot of hope that when he's got a superstar caliber player(s), that he's got the coaching ability to maximize the team's success. ACC Tournament title year 1, nearly a regular season ACC title in year 2 along with an Elite 8 appearance. Things appear to be going well so far from a succession standpoint.

 

[rome8180]

We've definitely benefitted from some major luck this tournament. But how many times have we gotten some luck and then fumbled the bag? Heck, just last year we came in playing our best basketball, the #1 seed in our region went down in the first round, and we put up a dud against a mediocre Tennessee team.

Granted, that was luck happening around us in our region and not in our actual games.

At any rate, we've taken advantage of the luck and played some pretty inspired basketball (especially on defense). We've allowed 47, 55, and 51 points.