How many..

[dukiejay]

I'm probably wrong, but I don't think we get one of those this year. I think it takes a good team, playing fairly well to beat us. I think our defense is too good this year

My brother and I had this conversation last week. He said something like, "well, you know we're going to have at least one head-scratching loss."

Like you, I'm not so sure of that. This team is just a little different. They're really hard to beat even when they don't play well at all....heck, we've already seen that. This team defends. If they have a night where they're consistently making jumpers I'm not sure how you beat.

 

[nets on nets on nets]

I'm probably wrong, but I don't think we get one of those this year. I think it takes a good team, playing fairly well to beat us. I think our defense is too good this year

This. We defend the 3-point line too well for an average or below-average ACC team to beat us IMO. I just don't see a loss like the BC loss last year (they hit A LOT of threes.)
It would take another game where we have 9 charges (not gonna happen), or a game where we go like 1-25 from three for us to lose to a non-tournament ACC team.

 

[dukedevilz]

Our 3-point fg defense is 28.3% for the year. So yeah, while we're not going to light many teams up from deep this year, it's unlikely that many teams will be able to light us up either.

A loss at UVA certainly wouldn't be surprising. Maybe 2 more losses between road games at Syracuse, Va Tech, Louisville, and UNC.

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

2 or 3 losses. I think undefeated at home. Losses possibly at VT, at UVA, or at FSU. We sweep Unc. Cut the ACC Tourney nets down in Charlotte with Duke fans and a lot of Unc fans in attendance lol. We go through the South Carolina and then through DC region NCAA Tourney sites on our way to the Final Four in Minneapolis to win #6!

Those are the 3 games that I believe we could lose some combination of.

 

[dukesince91]

I only see one loss during the regular season and we win both tournaments. This team wants to be one of the greatest. I only see them getting better as the season progresses. Once Cam gets going, look out!

 

[SwatX1]

I only see one loss during the regular season and we win both tournaments. This team wants to be one of the greatest. I only see them getting better as the season progresses. Once Cam gets going, look out!

IF Cam turns it on and it stays consistent, I agree with your take....maybe even none

 

[hallside]

The ACC schedule is TOUGH this year to say the least. Just look at the games in February and the teams' current rankings.

2/2 - vs #24 St Johns
2/5 - vs BC
2/9 - @ #4 UVa
2/12 - @ UL
2/16 - vs #15 NCSU
2/20 - vs #20 UNC
2/23 - @ Cuse
2/26 - @ #9 VT

That means they could play 5 ranked teams in 24 days, and Cuse could very well be ranked by that time so possibly 6? All of those road games will be sold out and rowdy. Two of them currently in the top 10.

That is as rough of a stretch I can remember as a Duke fan. These guys have all the makings to go through the next few months undefeated or with 1 loss. Mainly due to their defensive ability/commitment in comparison to years past. It will really be a season to remember if they can win 16 or more games in the ACC this season. This expanded schedule puts everyone to the test. I still think they'll lose at least 2 more. After the last 12 years without an outright regular season title, it's hard to think we can run the table. Every team has us circled as their super bowl, just like every other year. Add Zion, RJ, Cam, and Tre and they become a Duke team that everyone in the building will brag about beating.

All that said, if they do run the table in the ACC it would be an amazing feat. If they go and win a ACCT and a sixth natty on top of that? You might say that's the best Duke team ever. They have to go and do it first though.

 

[MSUbluedevil]

This team is just a little different. They're really hard to beat even when they don't play well at all....heck, we've already seen that. This team defends. If they have a night where they're consistently making jumpers I'm not sure how you beat.

Agreed. This team reminds me of the 2015 team in that they find a way to win even when they don't play particularly well. In my opinion, this team, when they're making jump shots, is even more impressive than the 2015 team was. If and when Reddish rounds into form, look out.

 

[dukiejay]

Agreed. This team reminds me of the 2015 team in that they find a way to win even when they don't play particularly well. In my opinion, this team, when they're making jump shots, is even more impressive than the 2015 team was. If and when Reddish rounds into form, look out.

And we have to remember....January was kind of a disaster for the 2015 team and they didn't look like a team capable of making a run at some points. Losing back-to-back at State and then at home to Miami (in blowout fashion), the loss to Notre Dame and Sulaimon's dismissal. That was in a span of about 15 to 20 days.

 

[MSUbluedevil]

And we have to remember....January was kind of a disaster for the 2015 team and they didn't look like a team capable of making a run at some points. Losing back-to-back at State and then at home to Miami (in blowout fashion), the loss to Notre Dame and Sulaimon's dismissal. That was in a span of about 15 to 20 days.

Completely forgot that the Sulaimon dismissal was that season. Such a weird situation. I wonder...If he stays with the team that whole season, do we still see the Grayson coming out party during the tournament?

 

[skysdad]

Completely forgot that the Sulaimon dismissal was that season. Such a weird situation. I wonder...If he stays with the team that whole season, do we still see the Grayson coming out party during the tournament?

The big difference is this team has no Sulaimon. The Sulaimon situation started beforecaJan. We talk about body language here some and if there were negative language he displayed it. My memory plays with me some but it seems to me his pt started to dwindle and I think he began to come off the bench. It seems as though he wouldn't even shoot the ball even when he was wide open. It looked like he was trying to show up Coach K. Then there was the Elon game when he either grabbed or hooked one of their players on a drive to the basket that caused a small skirmish. And if I'm correct Elon out scored us 41-39 in the second half and the game ended up a lot closer than expexted. I think we won by about 12. Semi transferred that year also. We really turned things around after Sulaimon was dismissed. OFC

 

[Mac9192]

Sulaimon wasn't a bad player. He averaged 11.6 a game his freshmen year, and hit the game winner against uva his sophomore season, and his junior season, he scored 16 points, I think, against Wisconsin in the acc challenge.

 

[hpnole]

3 more losses. UVA always scares me. Well have 2 other hiccups other than that.

this is probably right

 

[nets on nets on nets]

I think we cruise by UVA at home. UVA on the road does worry me.
Pretty easy here, to beat UVA: you MUST make perimeter shots. There is a reason we beat them in 2014 (they got revenge in the ACC finals), 2015, 2016, and 2017, we were a great 3-point shooting ball club.
Last year we lost to them at home. Guess what...we weren't a great outside shooting team.

UVA forces you to make outside shots to beat them, and that is not our cup of tea. However, our defense may actually be better than theirs, so I don't think they will be able to score on us either.