Duke in the ACC

[dukehokie]

crank_it_loud brought up a good discussion topic. How do you think Duke will finish in the ACC? The ACC is so tough this season. Better than last year IMO. Here is the schedule:

@BC
@Wake
VT
@Clemson
Notre Dame
Syracuse
@State
@Miami
@GT
State
Louisville
UVA
@UNC
@Louisville
FSU
@Pitt
Wake
UNC

crank said 10-8 and I balked at it, but that is a tough slate now that I really look at it. And 10-8 this year is a different 10-8 than last year. It's less of an indictment on this team and more of how good the conference can be. For instance, Duke has State @State, then two days later, they play @Miami. That's rough and probably a loss if for nothing else no prep time. State/Louisville and Pitt/Wake is also a two day stretch. As is Notre Dame/Syracuse though those games are both at home. This reminds me of the old ACC.

I think Duke's most likely losses are: @State and Miami, @Louisville, @UNC, @Pitt and maybe two of home vs. UNC/Syracuse/UVA/Louisville.

I originally said 13-5 in response, but 12-6 or 11-7 is more likely. I just want to get back to winning the ACC tournament! Lets hope we come out of it with no injuries.

What are your thoughts on the conference slate?

 

[skysdad]

12-4 but what does Gary-7 say. OFC

 

[duhondukie]

Right now the way we are playing we are 7-9 or 8-8 in acc play without Jefferson

 

[K-oach Q]

It's hard to predict without knowing when/if Amile will be back. I think with Amile we have some potential to be pretty good...and without not so much.

I going to assume mid February....so I think we will be closer to 10 loses than we will be to five. I just can't see us going six deep and being successful over a long period of time. Of course if Amile is back sooner then we will most likely be better.

I don't think its unfathonable that this team will fall out of the Top 25 without Amile. Unless we have someone sitting on the bench who is going to contribute late like Elliott Williams did, and that doesn't look like so.

I do think we will drop two straight in the State/Miami back to back.

 

[Crank_it_loud]

Good thread, thank you for starting. I stick with 10-8 and boy I hope I'm wrong. Remember there's 18 games in the ACC guys.

Madness starts Saturday!

 

[CRAZIE4LIFE]

I could easily see 8 or 9 losses depending on how fast this team grows. Wake Forest and FSU are gonna be tough this year and I think GT is gonna be much improved, then add in notre dame, unc, virginia, and Louisville along with an always tough game at State. Gonna be a roller coaster ride.

 

[pisgah101]

5-6 loses.. We get Amile back second half of the conf season and roll on..

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

I think we'll go anywhere between 14-4, 13-5 or 12-6 during ACC play. I'm hoping 14-4 because if my memory is serving me correctly. At the beginning of the year in the prediction thread. I predicted that we'd lose between 4 and 6 games this season, so if we go 14-4 in the ACC then that'll give 6 losses for the season and will be just on the edge of my prediction. It all depends on how well the team plays and holds together until Amile gets back.

 

[imajericho_rivals]

14-4 to 12-6 range imo.

2 losses to UNC, 1 loss to UL, 1 loss to UVA, 1 loss to Pitt, 1 loss to Miami.

Worst case scenario.

 

[mo.st.dukie]

12-6 or 11-7, but undefeated at home. So pretty much every road game is a loss, only ones I'm really confident about are @BC and @GT, next would be @Clemson and @State which would be huge if we could pull those out and finish 13-5

 

[DukeDenver]

Coach K has a way of squeezing out wins in conference play. 12-6 is my bet.

 

[pisgah101]

Cryolina don't sweep us

 

[QC Dukie]

Shocker that Jericho says 2 losses to the cheaters.

OFC

 

[Showenuff]

I think we lose @WAKE, @STATE, @Miami, UVA, @UNC and possibly the UNC homer.

 

[Showenuff]

@Louisville possibly.

 

[dukehokie]

I think we lose @WAKE, @STATE, @Miami, UVA, @UNC and possibly the UNC homer.

You're thinking Wake huh? They are tougher than they originally seemed, I just don't know that Devin Thomas will have the juice to carry this squad. They've won some decent games this year though and the Joel has always given Duke issues.

 

[Crank_it_loud]

@BC - Win
@Wake - Loss
VT - Win
@Clemson - Win
Notre Dame - Win
Syracuse - Win
@State - Loss
@Miami - Loss
@GT - Win
State - Win
Louisville - Win
UVA - Loss
@UNC - Loss
@Louisville - Loss
FSU - Loss
@Pitt - Win
Wake - Win
UNC - Loss

 

[dukiejay]

First of all, good thread. These are always fun.

I think the big key for this particular Duke team is to get off to a fast start in conference play. If there is such a thing as 'easy' or 'easier' part of the schedule in the ACC this season it's certainly the first six games, or one-third of the conference schedule. Problem is, we will have to do it without Amile.
I don't see Duke losing four conference games in a row, and I also don't see Duke losing every one of the 'tough' games either. We'll win some of them and we'll lose some of them. We'll probably have one bad loss in there too....by that I mean a game that everyone thinks we'll win.

My guess is 11-7, maybe 12-6. But I do know one thing....it's going to be a grind.

 

[HuffyJB]

This is definitely an interesting discussion, particularly with this group because there are so many wildcards. The biggest one is Amile's return. It is also tough because you could argue the two best teams Duke has played are UK and Utah and they both beat Duke.

 

[dukehokie]

This is definitely an interesting discussion, particularly with this group because there are so many wildcards. The biggest one is Amile's return. It is also tough because you could argue the two best teams Duke has played are UK and Utah and they both beat Duke.

True, but VCU and Georgetown were comparable to some of the mid tier ACC squads such as State and Pitt. But I agree with the Utah and UK sentiment. One thing to keep in mind, both of those games came at odd times in this team's development. UK was very early and this squad wasn't close to what they are now and Utah was on the heels of Amile going down. Duke is learning how to play without Amile and so far, they don't look terrible.

Amile's return is the wildcard.

 

[dukehokie]

@BC - Win
@Wake - Loss
VT - Win
@Clemson - Win
Notre Dame - Win
Syracuse - Win
@State - Loss
@Miami - Loss
@GT - Win
State - Win
Louisville - Win
UVA - Loss
@UNC - Loss
@Louisville - Loss
FSU - Loss
@Pitt - Win
Wake - Win
UNC - Loss

That four game losing stretch should be about the time we see Amile come back. I'm guessing UNC 1 or UVA. While I still think we could lose 2 of those 4 I don't think we drop all 4.

The ACC is a tough navigation this season. There are some names out there that will give Duke fits. Cat Barber, Dwayne Bacon (love this kid's game), Lee at Louisville, Gbinije, James Robinson and Michael Young at Pitt. This is ACC in the '90's material people. I love it!

 

[Showenuff]

Yea I never see us losing 4 straight, ain't happenin'. I want to win that @Wake game and we can but they will be SOOOO hungry to win that one, being home, and, being we swiped Harry from their grasp.

 

[QC Dukie]

We won't lose at wake and at state. We're winning both of those.

OFC

 

[Crank_it_loud]

state has a decent team and they typically play national-champ level play against Duke at home.....that's why I see the L.

 

[JCColsCane]

I never have and never will pick against Duke, even when I feel there is a chance they might get beat. So when we pick on the game day threads, I will still pick Duke.
But, for participating purposes, I do like this thread, so I will give my ACC prediction: Because of our youth and the loss of Amile (which would only slightly change my guess), I would say we go 12-6. That could very easily go to 10-8, but I will stick with my original pick.
What we must really hope for is to stay injury free, or it could get ugly! Lastly, anything better than 12-6 in the ACC, watch out!
Go Duke!!


JC-OFC

 

[DukeRulesBasketball]

@Louisville possibly.

I hope not! I'm going to that game.

 

[BOOGIEMAN1914]

12-6 or 13-5

 

[Dukesince90]

I agree with Boogieman, I'll say 13-5 or 12-6.
I've been concerned with the loss of Jefferson in our front court, but I think teams will struggle trying to matchup with us on offense. I can see Duke losing a few games due to just having an off night shooting the ball. I definitely don't think we will lose 8 like a couple others have stated.

 

[dukehokie]

12-6 or 13-5 has been a common consensus. I hope so. This is a strong conference. Games will not come cheap.

 

[dbav]

Honestly, I think we will do well. I know that we have some rebounding and defensive concerns, but this team can score and this is becoming an increasingly offensive game. I like us to simply "out-offense" a lot of the teams that could beat us and win ugly.

I'm tired of being a realist. I'm going full optimist. 17-1. Our only loss is at home to Virginia (do we play Virginia at home?). We win every true road game for the rest of the year.

 

[dukiejay]

Like I said above, we'll likely lose one (or two) that nobody sees coming. It seems that happens almost every year, anyway. I also think we're going to have some impressive wins along the way too.