***NCAA TOURNAMENT SWEET SIXTEEN - DUKE VS OREGON OFFICIAL GAMEDAY THREAD***

[aah555]

What did we hit....seven? And weren't three of them long after the game was in hand?

+ Oregon hit 10 3s. This particular iteration of Duke wasn't going to be an excellent team like Oregon by losing the battle from 3.

Entering the game, I thought Oregon was better and predicted that they'd take control in the second half. That more or less played out. With that said, I don't think we played well. Oregon was good in stretches; but gave us plenty of opportunities. We just made too many unforced errors, took bad shots, missed open shots, missed FTs --- and just didn't make timely plays when we needed them. Even towards the end, Oregon gave us a couple chances to put some game pressure on them -- and we just couldn't get the ball to go down. I thought Thornton & Kennard, particularly, were very bad last night.

With that said, I'm not too disappointed b/c I frankly don't think we were the better team; and don't think there's much chance at all that we could have even made it to the title game with OU, KU/Nova ahead of us. On to next year.

 

[dukiejay]

With that said, I'm not too disappointed b/c I frankly don't think we were the better team; and don't think there's much chance at all that we could have even made it to the title game with OU, KU/Nova ahead of us. On to next year.

I'm more bummed than disappointed. But like you said, I'm pretty convinced Oregon is better than us and that the three teams you listed are as well.

 

[aah555]

That should be the first thing K tells Grayson when they meet about going pro. He can't handle pro length yet

True on some level. But, the real question is where can Grayson learn how to play against pro length. In the pros, where he'll see that kind of length every day in practice and in every game; or in college where he's only going to see that kind of length in about 15-20% of his games against the best teams + against a bunch of freshmen in practice who may not be that advanced defensively. I'd love for Grayson to return. But, this issue wouldn't necessarily be a reason for him to return. IMO, if he returns, the areas where he really needs improvement before the next level is ballhandling / playmaking & defense. IMO, the biggest problem with Grayson offensively is that he's too much of a straightline driver and doesn't have many counters against defenders that can stay with him / help defense. he issue about length -- while clearly a problem -- is something he can probably learn better in the NBA when he gets to go against it every day. The ballhandling / defense is a bit more problematic -- b/c that may actually prevent him from getting on the court.

 

[LetsGoDukies]

Question - Do we win last night with Amile? I think so.

 

[aah555]

Question - Do we win last night with Amile? I think so.

I think we have a better chance, but ultimately no. Last night was a tough game for Plumlee, as his relative lack of mobility was repeatedly getting exposed by Oregon's quickness. Amile could have helped with that. However, regardless of what kind of play we got from the center spot, I don't think we could win that game if the other 4 guys played the way they did + Oregon shot the way they did. Beyond Thornton / Kennard (who I didn't think played well), it really hurt that we didn't get more from Allen. In the first half, we really did have a golden opportunity to take a lead in the last few minutes. But Allen missed a few wide open shots, threw up a couple other wild shots, and missed the front end of a one-and-one. We're not going to beat a team like Oregon with Allen playing the way he did for much of that game.

 

[nets on nets on nets]

I thought all year that Grayson was gonna be gone after this year. Weak draft, his scoring numbers were insane and won't be as high next year, and he seemed to be annoyed with all the "tripping" hatred directed towards him.

After last nights game, I now believe he has a much better chance of coming back than before. Every NBA team is bigger and longer and more athletic than Oregon and UK, and Grayson has shown an inability to drive the lane and be able to adjust his shot in order to avoid a shot blocker. He goes with his head down and just tries to "out-athlete" the defender, that ain't gonna work at the next level.

I hope he comes back and GREATLY IMPROVES HIS BALLHANDLING. The only position he can currently play in the NBA is the "2". And I can't imagine him going up against the likes of James Harden, Klay Thompson, D Wade etc....
He is out of control with the ball way too often, and another year in college will do him wonders.

 

[nets on nets on nets]

Question - Do we win last night with Amile? I think so.

No, we still lose. However, we aren't a 4 seed if we had Amile in ACC play. We would have been a 2 or a 3. Coulda Woulda Shoulda...

 

[DukeRulesBasketball]

Coach K taking flack for post game comments in regard to Brooks! I agree with K. He was out of line shooting that ball at the end of the game. They knew they had the game, so they should have just handed the ball to the ref and take the shot clock violation.

 

[DFerryFan]

Coach K taking flack for post game comments in regard to Brooks! I agree with K. He was out of line shooting that ball at the end of the game. They knew they had the game, so they should have just handed the ball to the ref and take the shot clock violation.

Wait, you mean people are scrutinizing something Coach K said? Oh and they are scrutinizing something Grayson Allen did? SHOCKER!! It's amazing how so many people can be easily persuaded and follow the media storm when something has been made out of nothing. It's not enough for Duke to lose a game, but then they have to talk about what happened afterwards. Did these idiots not learn anything from the Laettner documentary? To paraphrase Laettner: Sports is not this touchy-feely thing.

 

[CRAZIE4LIFE]

Back in January we had pretty low expectations so for this team to bounce back and get back in the top 20 and make the sweet 16 really spoke volumes of their heart. I'm proud of them and enjoyed every minute of it.

 

[DukeRulesBasketball]

Wait, you mean people are scrutinizing something Coach K said? Oh and they are scrutinizing something Grayson Allen did? SHOCKER!! It's amazing how so many people can be easily persuaded and follow the media storm when something has been made out of nothing. It's not enough for Duke to lose a game, but then they have to talk about what happened afterwards. Did these idiots not learn anything from the Laettner documentary? To paraphrase Laettner: Sports is not this touchy-feely thing.

It just seems like the Duke scrutinizing has been taken to a whole different level this season. I'm used to Duke getting scrutinized and put under microscope but man, this year it seemed like it was constant media scrutinizing after every game.

 

[JCColsCane]

Back in January we had pretty low expectations so for this team to bounce back and get back in the top 20 and make the sweet 16 really spoke volumes of their heart. I'm proud of them and enjoyed every minute of it.

^^^This. As we have all found out by now, we are seeing another day, it's great to be alive, and we have much to be thankful for. You know what, it's gonna be ok!
Go Duke!!


JC-OFC

 

[Laettner]

I'm more bummed than disappointed. But like you said, I'm pretty convinced Oregon is better than us and that the three teams you listed are as well.

Bummed is exactly how I feel today. Always dread the day after season ends.

 

[germantondevil]

Its unreal to me how people hate on Coach and players that Coach has just because they can ball. I have a co-worker that is a diehard hole fan and he has blasted Grayson all year for a couple incidents but its OK when someone from another team takes a cheap shot at someone for Duke. They deserved it somehow or another. The way I look at it and also told this pecker head is I love it when people hate on Duke players, that tells me that they are one hell of a basketball player and that's why you really hate on them because no one on your team can hold his jockstrap. Love ya Grayson. Keep the other fans tore up and hating. I love it that you add some misery to there lives

 

[GAAP_rivals]

Was that the 1st Matt Jones 3 since like November?

Good observation. Matt's 3-point shooting:

Before injury: 59-144 (41.0%)
After injury: 17-39 (43.6%)

 

[DFerryFan]

It just seems like the Duke scrutinizing has been taken to a whole different level this season. I'm used to Duke getting scrutinized and put under microscope but man, this year it seemed like it was constant media scrutinizing after every game.

Yeah, honestly I can't even keep up with it anymore. Even if I wanted to I couldn't. I just don't have the time to even know what haters are bitchin' about when it comes to Duke. I could watch a game with no commentators, not see a single incident, but find out the next day that Grayson Allen supposedly murdered someone during the game. That's the only reason people watch the game in the first place…they want Duke to lose, but either way they're gonna cry about something a Duke player or Coach K did. If that's how they wanna spend their time, fine, I guess.

But we all know they secretly have a poster of K on the ceiling of their bedroom and a picture of a Grayson Allen dunk on the wall of their showers.

 

[DFerryFan]

By the way, I don't know if this was the first "Grayson hatin" thing, but I remember when he threw down a monster dunk when we played Michigan St in the final four last year. After the game everybody was like, "Did Grayson flex at Michigan St's bench?!?!" Well if he did, so what? He did just throw it down on your team, and he did win the McDonald's All-American dunk contest. It's just funny because any other team when that happens, there's not even a mention of it in sports media.

 

[ncaa9636]

Dan Patrick interviewed JJ Redick in this months SI. JJ talks a little about the duke white villain myth. He said its 15 to 20 years of the media spoon feeding a narrative to college basketball fans.

 

[HuffyJB]

By the way, I don't know if this was the first "Grayson hatin" thing, but I remember when he threw down a monster dunk when we played Michigan St in the final four last year. After the game everybody was like, "Did Grayson flex at Michigan St's bench?!?!" Well if he did, so what? He did just throw it down on your team, and he did win the McDonald's All-American dunk contest. It's just funny because any other team when that happens, there's not even a mention of it in sports media.

And those same people have absolutely no problem with Oregon flexing every 13 seconds. Theyre idiots. It is what it is.

 

[Baller224]

True on some level. But, the real question is where can Grayson learn how to play against pro length. In the pros, where he'll see that kind of length every day in practice and in every game; or in college where he's only going to see that kind of length in about 15-20% of his games against the best teams + against a bunch of freshmen in practice who may not be that advanced defensively. I'd love for Grayson to return. But, this issue wouldn't necessarily be a reason for him to return. IMO, if he returns, the areas where he really needs improvement before the next level is ballhandling / playmaking & defense. IMO, the biggest problem with Grayson offensively is that he's too much of a straightline driver and doesn't have many counters against defenders that can stay with him / help defense. he issue about length -- while clearly a problem -- is something he can probably learn better in the NBA when he gets to go against it every day. The ballhandling / defense is a bit more problematic -- b/c that may actually prevent him from getting on the court.

Spot on assessment, he also could develop more of a mid range game as well.

 

[dukehokie]

Spot on assessment, he also could develop more of a mid range game as well.

He needs a mid range, just like all pros do because that is your bread and butter shot. No one gets to the rim EVERY time. Should Gray stay, he should make that a point.

But again, the myth that he can't improve it at the NBA level is just not right. If he stays, it's because he wants to be at DUKE. College was one of the best times of my life and I'm sure the experience is the same for most of these guys as well.