Tag Archives: Marvin Bagley

Duke Basketball

10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball Volume 6

10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball - an in season team and program update. Welcome to volume 6.

Well, I can't tell you how many times Duke basketball  has played 9:00 games in late January on  the road at Winston Salem.   The result was nice for the Blue Devil faithful but these games are no fun for the team due to travel and early morning classes.  And with that said, lets jump into the sixth edition of 10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball.

The most important thing we learned last night...

...was that the young team is learning how to handle their business on the road.  Duke has now won five consecutive conference games and more importantly, three of those wins have come on the road.  The team is getting better after the lessons they learned in losses to Boston College and N.C. State on the road.  The resurgence has positioned the team in sole possession of 3rd place in a tough 14 team league.

Who played well and who didn't

Firstly, Grayson Allen comes to mind.  He is still struggling a bit with his shot but put up a big time stat line while running the team.  By his running the team, that obviously means that Trevon Duval did not have a good game.  In fact, Duval had perhaps his worst game of the season.  Gary Trent Jr. has been playing his best basketball of the season since the loss to N.C. State.  And all Wendell Carter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III did was once again tallying double-doubles.  And then Alex O'Connell came off the bench to play 20 minutes of good ball.  As for Javin DeLaurier, he still seems to be getting back into the flow of things upon his return from injury.

The Stand

No, I am not talking about the title of a Stephen King book.  I am speaking to the fact that Duke has perhaps their most important home stand of the season coming up this Saturday and then Monday night.  And their opponents will be #2 Virginia and conference nemesis Notre Dame.  Cameron needs to be on point.

Speaking of the Virginia game

It is not often the home crowd in Cameron or anywhere else are treated to a top 5 match up.  But that is what we get this Saturday and there is plenty of incentive for the Blue Devils in this contest.  Lets start with the fact that Virginia is undefeated in the league and atop the standings ranked #2 in the nation.  Duke Basketball can flip the script with concern to the ranking and pull within a game in the standings with a win.

The keys to a win will be ...

Well, Virginia is good on defense.  And they knock down their free throws.  Quite simply Duke must have great shot selection in this game for possessions need to count.  When teams miss, the Cavaliers can make you pay with a slow methodical style.  And Duke must limit their opponents trips to the free throw stripe.  It would bode well for Duke to get a working margin or lead in this game while limiting their turnovers.  Perhaps no other player thanTrevon Duval who struggled in his last outing, will be more important.  He'll need to play under control and watch for the traps.

Future Dukies played well on Tuesday

After his verbal commitment to Duke, Zion Williamson went off for 37 points in Spartanburg Day’s (S.C.) 87-38 win over Oakbrook Prep.  Tre Jones went for 24 points as his No. 5 Eagles beat visiting Lakeville South.  Oh, and he had double figures in rebounding and assists for a triple double.  Yeah, he is a Jones.  BTW, Duke will not have its 76th McDonald's All American game participant this coming March in Williamson and the aforementioned 2018 class.

A heads up

NCAA Tournament tickets are on sale at all locations and they are running some early specials.  Duke basketball fans may want to consider looking into the region in Charlotte that takes place on March 16th through the 18th. Yes, that is a hint and the teams goal on where they want to play.  Some key dates -

Selection Sunday N/A March 11
First Four Dayton March 13-14
First/Second Pittsburgh March 15 & 17
First/Second Wichita March 15 & 17
First/Second Dallas March 15 & 17
First/Second Boise March 15 & 17
First/Second Charlotte March 16 & 18
First/Second Detroit March 16 & 18
First/Second Nashville March 16 & 18
First/Second San Diego March 16 & 18
Midwest Regional Omaha March 23 & 25
West Regional Los Angeles March 22 & 24
South Regional Atlanta March 22 & 24
East Regional Boston March 23 & 25

 

Here is a link for tickets.

It goes fast from here

While some are caught up in next seasons recruiting class, this years team is way to fun to watch....so pay attention and beam into the present.  Duke will be a major factor heading down the stretch as we enter the halfway point of the ACC season.  One of the most incredible talents in the land in Marvin Bagley III is special, so enjoy him while you can.  The other freshman starters are all doing their thing as well and the senior leadership of Grayson Allen and his last home game against UNC will be here before you can blink an eye.

I was asked about Virginia at Duke tickets

It generally starts, "Hey, do you know anyone..."  Yes, somebody asked me if I knew of any #2 Virginia at #4 Duke tickets in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  FTR, there is one ticket left on Stub Hub for five hundred bucks.  The rest are going much higher than that.  Vivid Seats has them from $579.00 per ticket to $789.00.  FTR, face value on most Duke tickets is close to one hundred bucks. which is likely most expensive in America these days.   If you have won the lottery recently, you might look into Grayson Allen's Senior Day game against North Carolina to close out the regular season.

Several columns coming

There are two columns coming to bluedevilnation.net this week.  One will be on Zion Williamson to Duke and the other will be titled you heard it here first, but we cannot divulge what that will be about just yet. We are also running a special through the end of the month on Blue Devil Nation Premium where we double your membership for the usual price.  For those who have recently subscribed, be sure to sign up for the message board as well for more information.

Duke Basketball

First things, first for Duke Basketball

Lance King Photo

The Duke Blue Devils travel to Wake Forest this evening in a game that will tip-off at 9:00 and be televised on the ACC Network.  The Demon Deacons are struggling, but as anyone knows strange things can happen when you are on the road in the modern-day Atlantic Coast Conference.

It has been quite a week for the Duke program.  The team is playing better defensively and the roles of the starters are being defined in a better way.  And there is no avoiding the verbal commitment from Zion Williamson which gives Duke the top class next year.

In a sense, it is hard not to get involved in the excitement and be caught looking ahead.  Virginia will visit Cameron Indoor Stadium this weekend in the best match up of the week.  And there will be a lot of hype for the #2 and #4 teams in the nation squaring off.

But first things, first for the Duke Basketball program.  The team finds itself poised to make a move up the ACC standing ladder but only if it takes care of business.  And that business starts with a difficult starting time against a Wake Forest team which will play loose with nothing to lose.

On paper, Duke should win the game.  Gary Trent Jr. was recently named ACC Player of the Week.  He is turning the corner as a player.  the same can be said for Wendell Carter Jr. who seems more comfortable in his role.  And then there is Marvin Bagley III who is quite simply the leagues best player.

Add to that group, Trevon Duval who leads the conference in assists and the leadership of Grayson Allen and you see why Duke is a 9 point favorite.  But these guys are young and one of the next things they must prove is their ability to handle their business when they need too.

Duke has been fortunate enough to have two games with cellar dweller Pitt of late.  Those games provided the team a chance to work on many things, including their man to man defense.  But the Deacons, even with just 8 wins on the season is a much more talented team.

Wake Forest will come to play.  That Harlely Davidson will rev up before the contest and this is their biggest game of the year at home.  Duke will certainly have some fans in the stands, but this is the game for the Deacon faithful and they always play Duke tough in Winston Salem.

You can expect Duke to play its bench in this game as well.  But the two points they got from the backups in the last outing won't cut it moving forward.  So, the next step is developing some sort of consistency from this cast of players.

So, what we are watching for tonight is whether a young team which is favored on the road at the end of January can focus on the job at hand.  And that will be a task having mentioned possible distractions.  And while we are speaking to distractions, Duke must turn around and play Notre Dame the Monday after the showdown with Virginia.

Duke has a golden opportunity to get back into the regular season race by a week from today.  The three conference games coming up will show us a lot about this teams meddle.  So, in that sense, an interesting seven-day stretch starts tonight.

The Blue Devils are also starting to position themselves for a possible bye in the fast approaching NCAA Tournament.  But before we look too far ahead, first things, first for this team.  Make no mistake if the Blue Devils want to win the regular season crown, business is at hand.

Duke Basketball

10 Random Thoughts on Duke’s Comeback Win

Photo Miami Herald.

They did it again!  Just when you thought the team was about to lose their third game of the season, Duke came alive.  The Blue Devils uses an 18-0 run to shock Miami and snatch a key ACC road win.  Without further ado, here is volume V of 10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball.

30 Point Efforts

No other team in the ACC has more than two players with 30 plus scoring games this season.  Duke, on the other hand, has now had players go for 30 points or over in seven games.  Last night it was Gary Tent Jr.s turn.  After being sick the game before against Wake Forest and still playing well, Trent followed up that game with 30 points which included some big time three pointers.  His effort helped Duke remain undefeated against teams in the current A.P. Top 25.

Comeback Artists

Trailing 66-53, Duke went on an 18-0 run and outscored Miami 27-4 over that  stretch which sealed their fourth conference win.  Gary Trent went 6 of 9 from three-point range, knocking down two consecutive trays to start the comeback.  Trevon Duval also stepped up his game after struggling with turnovers early in the game and ended up having 8 assists.  Duke has had a way of turning up their offense for spurts all season long.  Quite simply, they are capable of staging major comebacks in just a few minutes or when the game looks to be in doubt.

Not to take anything away, but ...

The Blue Devils still need to find some consistency in many areas of the game.  Firstly, they need to protect leads they build in the first half or leads in general.  Duke also needs some work on their free throw game.   They got away with going 10 of 21 from the charity stripe last evening and left a lot of points with misses of late.  Then there is the need for a consistent effort and better shot selection not to mention a better understanding of man to man defense.  Duke is young and learning.  Once they take better shot and gain a killer instinct with the lead, they will be hard to beat.  Just a little bit of improvement in the aforementioned areas could pay huge dividends.

A different role from Bagley

Well of course Marvin Bagley III got his 15 double-double on the season.  And he tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists by deferring to other Duke players at times.  Last evening three other Duke players had more shots than Bagley.  The talented freshman took another step in his development by allowing this to happen which translated to a win.  And if Duke wins, Bagley will still remain the center of attention for many.

Wendell Carter went beast mode

When teammate Marvin Bagley went to the locker room with a shoulder injury, Carter played outstanding basketball.  He was a machine on the boards where many of his game high 14 rebounds came early or in key times in the game.  Carter is a double-double guy as well and he has pout together back to back games with the not so easy feat.  Duke would be well served to make sure he continues to get touches moving forward for he is better when that happens as is the team.  What people might miss is there is a timed development with players from the staff.  They told Carter he would float outside for some shots to better that part of his game when recruiting him.  They are keeping their promise.  BTW, Carter has an insane stat line - 15 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Allen continues to struggle with his shot

Sometimes players get in a shooting funk.  That has been the case with all of the Duke backcourt players at times this season.  It is scary to think how good Duke can be if all three are hitting on the same night.  What Allen is doing is finding his way into the stat line and remaining the senior leader a team needs.  Last evening he led Duke is steals with 5 and his effort towards the end of the half to get one and assist Trent for a 3 halted Miami's momentum.

That zone

I know there is a part of Mike Krzyzewski that hates going to a zone.  But in the one and done era with limited teaching time with players, not to mention a top-heavy team with concern to minutes: it is necessary.  And when Duke does go to that zone it seems to have a great effect to date.  When they went to it last evening, the Hurricanes offense immediately struggled with the length and movement.

Bad Duval, good Duval

Trevon Duval got into some early foul trouble and had to sit.  He needs to learn to harness his aggression in that Duke needs him on the court.  He is the best option at his position hands down.  I thought he was on his way to 8 turnovers like he had against NC State, but he flipped the switch and halted that.  Instead of 8 turnovers he ended the game with 8 assists.  And he was very efficient from the field going 7 of 11 and 2 of 2 from 3.   There is no position like the point guard spot which makes mistakes stand out.  Duval was good down the stretch and was a part of Duke not committing turnovers after a season high 19 during their 30-9 run to close out the game.

This and that

Duke has now had players garner 25 double-doubles on the season.  Bagley is 2nd in the nation in double-doubles and 1st among freshmen players.  Trent tied a Duke freshman record with six made three pointers.  Coach K is now 1014-273 at Duke and has 1087 total wins.

Next up

Pitt will visit Cameron Indoor Stadium on Coach K Court this coming Saturday.  That game will tip-off at 4:00 on  ACC Network Extra.  Duke should get both rest and good practice time this week.  They should also be able to let injured players continue to mend against Pitt which s struggling while rebuilding their program.

Always check back for new 10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball.  And take advantage of our special on Blue Devil Nation Premium where we double your membership through the month of January.  Get two years for the price of one or one year for the price of six months.

Duke Basketball

Another ACC ROW Honor for Marvin Bagley III

Duke’s Marvin Bagley III was named the league’s Rookie of the Week.  Bagley led the Blue Devils to a pair of ACC wins last week with double-doubles in both victories.  The rookie scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Wednesday’s 87-52 at Pitt – Duke’s largest margin of victory in an ACC road game since 1999. Bagley followed that with one of his best all-around games this season, scoring a game-high 30 points, with 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a career-high four steals in Saturday’s 89-71 victory over Wake Forest.  Bagley set an ACC freshman record with his fifth 30-point game, while his 14 double-doubles have tied Duke’s freshman record. The Phoenix native leads the ACC in both scoring and rebounding, and is the only player in the country averaging 22.0+ points and 11.0+ rebounds.  Duke which is ranked 5th in the nation in the new polls takes on Miami tonight.

Duke Basketball

K-Less Duke Rattles Wake Forest 89-71

After an unseasonably warm couple of days, the weather turned cooler on the day of the Duke-Wake Forest game.  Walking up to Cameron Indoor Stadium one could see tent city in full bloom.  The students were back in force to cheer on their beloved Blue Devils who sought to get back in the thick of the ACC race with a win.

But things were far from normal on this day.  About an hour before tip-off, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski decided not to coach in the game.  He had just come down with a stomach virus and he did not want to make his players sick, especially with a trip to Miami on the horizon where Duke has to take on the Hurricanes in just over a day away.

Add Gary Trent Jr. to the list of sick players as well.  Trent hovered over a trash can on the bench but would play in the game.  Duke was also without the services of Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden, but the team did not give in to the pressure.  Instead, they rose to the occasion and came away with an 89-71 win over Wake Forest.

Duke Associate Assistant Coach Jeff Capel took the reigns in Krzyzewski's absence.  And Capel looked more than a little comfortable taking over the role with short notice.  After all, this is not his first rodeo.

Capel substituted enough to keep the players fresh in the game.  The involvement seems to have helped Duke in wins over Pitt and Wake Forest which has pushed the team's record to 3-2 in the ACC and 15-2 overall.

Of course, it is nice when Capel has Marvin Bagley III (30 points, 11 rebounds) on the floor.  Bagley threw down some emphatic dunks on his way to his 14th double-double of the season which ties the Duke record for a freshman.

Bagley also has 4 steals.  And, of course, some of those led to crushing dunks.  Some of the students were donning his face on their shirts which his Dad had made.

Wendell Carter Jr. (15 points, 11 rebounds) chipped in with a double-double as well.  The duo were also beasts on the glass and altered many Wake Forest shots over the course of the game.

Grayson Allen continues to struggle with his shot.  But he earned the praise of Coach Capel in that while only scoring 2 points he led the team in rebounding with 12 and assists, dishing 8 dimes.

Despite being really sick, Trent Jr. nailed three consecutive three-point shots and played another good overall floor game.  Capel praised his toughness where he tallied 19 points.

Duke played a zone for much of the game and they were active in it when doing so.  The Blue Devils held a good Wake offense down when Capel went back to it in the 2nd half, after they cut into the Duke lead and closed to within 13.

Due to the closeness of the two games, the staff will not be able to go on the road and watch some key prospects in the Hall of Fame Classic.  It is unknown when Krzyzewski and player Bolden and DeLaurier will return.

 

Duke Basketball

Another ACC ROW Award for Marvin Bagley III

DURHAM, N.C. – Following a career performance in Duke’s win over Florida State, freshman forward Marvin Bagley III has been named the ACC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season. Bagley was also named Duke’s Student-Athlete of the Week.

Bagley reached the 30-point mark (32) for the third time this season, while setting a Duke freshman record with 21 rebounds as the rookie led then-No. 4 Duke past No. 24 Florida State, 100-93Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Bagley’s performance was the first 30-20 game by a Duke player under Mike Krzyzewski and just the fourth 30-15 game under Coach K – Bagley has three of them this season, with Christian Laettner the other.

It stands as the seventh 30-20 game in school history, the first at Duke in 48 years, and the first by an ACC freshman. His 11 offensive rebounds in the game were also a Duke freshman record, and he tied Duke’s freshman record with 13 made field goals. Among all Duke players, Bagley’s 21 rebounds were the second-most at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the Coach K era (22 by Miles Plumlee vs. Maryland in 2012) and tied for 12th-most in a game in school history. The 21 rebounds were the most by any Duke player since Plumee’s 22 vs. Maryland.

With 21.9 points and 11.6 rebounds, the Phoenix, Ariz., native is the ACC’s leading scorer and rebounder. He is second in the NCAA in doubles-doubles (11), and is the NCAA’s second-leading freshman scorer and rebounder.

Over the last four-plus seasons, Duke has had an ACC Rookie of the Week in 38 of a possible 76 weeks, including six of the eight weeks this season. Bagley is one of 10 different Blue Devils to have won the award at least once in that time.

No. 2 Duke (13-1, 1-1) is back in action Saturday, Jan. 6 at NC State at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Duke’s 2017-18 ACC Weekly Honors

Marvin Bagley III

co-Player of the Week (11/13)

Rookie of the Week (11/13)

Player of the Week (11/27)

Rookie of the Week (11/27)

Rookie of the Week (12/4)

Rookie of the Week (1/2)

Grayson Allen

Player of the Week (11/20)

Wendell Carter, Jr.

Rookie of the Week (11/20)

Rookie of the Week (12/26)