Tag Archives: Grayson Allen

Duke Basketball

10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball

Welcome to the final regular season edition of my ten random thoughts on Duke Basketball.

Putting a loss in perspective

It amazes me how some fans will say the season is over after a single loss.  History shows us that most teams which make a deep run in March have some adversity during the season.   Just ask current Duke assistants Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith what they went through before the 2010 title.    Duke lost a game to a hungry Virginia Tech team where a single play could have won the game.  Teams can learn some tough lessons and benefit down the road.

Duke-UNC Important in many ways

Duke is a lock to get a double bye in the ACC Tournament, but a win over North Carolina assures them of second place.  And that would be a good finish is in the toughest league in America.  The Tar Heels can be more damaged by a loss.  The reason is that they can fall out of a top four seed if the ball bounces right for other teams.  That will make for a hungry bunch.

Win it for Grayson Allen

Lets face it.  A loss to North Carolina would be devastating on senior day.  And not only that, a regular season sweep would mean a long summer for the fans and team pride.  Grayson Allen will be playing his final game in Cameron Indoor Stadium after a four-year career.  Winning this one for a player who gave his heart would be nice on many fronts.

But this will be other players last go round in Cameron, too

We all know that Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. will enter the NBA Draft due to their lofty draft status.  This will be these two players last game in Cameron as well and they should want to go out with a bang.  Here is hoping the dynamic duo has a great outing.  And for the record, depending on how the season unwinds, Duke will be losing other freshman early as well.

Defense has been good

Not to be lost by a close loss is the play of the Duke defense of late.  The Blue Devils have steadily improved by playing zone.  A good measuring stick for the defense will be the game with UNC which is one of the best offensive teams in the nation.

Now, the offense needs to catch up

It is strange how things work out.  Early in the season the Duke offense was unstoppable and the defense had holes to plug.  In their last two outings, the Blue Devils have been a tad clunky on offense.  There are many reasons for slowed production but none that cannot be worked out.  And that is good news for the team as all the games count from this point forward.

Finally, some rest...

Duke will be fresh when they face North Carolina if they can avoid getting too high.  Campus will be a hotbed of activity as ESPN Gameday comes to town.  Duke was a tired bunch after the loss to the Hokies and they have finally been able to rest up.  That same break will also be big heading into Brooklyn and the ACC Tournament which will be well underway at this time next week.

About Marvin Bagley III

Firstly, how awesome is it that he made the All ACC Academic team?  But the elephant in the room is the brutal criticism from Dan Dakich and others of late.  Duke is better with Marvin Bagley but the there is an adjustment period when a player comes back in the lineup.  Here is to Bagley using the chatter as motivation to be his best self the rest of the season.  I mean, he is likely to be the ACC's Player of the Year with a strong finish.  As for Dakich, I thought his comments were off base and unfair to Bagley or anyone else who would have been a recipient of a rant from out of nowhere.

Prospects Visiting

Duke will have some very key prospects on campus this weekend.  More on that later.

Final Thoughts

I feel pretty good about where Duke is at this time in the season.  They have had some hard lessons on toughness but those have helped a young team grow.  I think we will see Duke at its best this Saturday.  One thing at a time.

My thinking is that Duke will land three players on the ACC All Freshman Team and a fourth will be very close in the voting.  I feel Bagley III will come away with the Player and Rookie of the Year awards.  Duke will likely have Bagley on first team and a couple of guys on second team or close.

Bold prediction?  Duke is about to go on a four game run.  That is if they treat each game like a fight.

 

 

Duke Basketball

I See You, Duke Basketball

What best describes the mood surrounding Duke Basketball at this point in the season?  I will take a look-see at that question and more by sharing some thoughts on the Blue Devils.

I see you, Grayson Allen

Grayson Allen is in a good place right now.  He has been all smiles of late and for good reason.  His game is coming together full circle and at the right time in the season.  Allen is leading his team and has come out of his admitted somewhat shy shell to command and tell players where to be on the court.  Allen is at his best when the ball goes through him and the team as a whole seems better off as well.  Allen has beamed in consecutive games while talking in the ESPN post game interviews  as the player of the game.  I see you're happy, Grayson Allen.

I see you, defense

Duke has been playing some darn good defense of late.  It has been mainly zone but Mike Krzyzewski may go to man at anytime to shake things up.  The head man said that Duke communicated better in the zone with concern on where to be on the court during his post game press conference. As a bystander, I agree.  The Blue Devils have held three consecutive ACC opponents to under 60 points for the first time since 1980-81.  I see you, Duke defense.

I see you staff

The Duke staff is in serious mode these days and they are pushing the right buttons of late.  Not only are they recruiting like crazy when eyes are not on them, but they have made the right adjustments with a young team.  Whatever tweaks they have made, the team is in a good place mentally and physically at this time.  I see you working, Duke staff.

I see you, Wendell Carter Jr.

I notice you led the team in assists last evening while almost garnering a double-double.  Carter has become a steady player who shows up in every game.  He has learned to play tired at times with Bagley out and that has only made him better.  It is hard not to miss Momma Carter behind the Duke bench cheering her son on.  It is a reminder of how the Duke family works.  I see you crashing Allen's ESPN interview last night, Wendell.  We all know you are a big part of the recent success.

I see you, Gary Trent Jr.

Gary Trent Jr.  is at his best when he allows the game to come to him.  He is also very consistent as a true freshman.  Trent scored in double figures for the 22nd time this season in the win over Louisville.  He finds ways of helping his team and is a hard worker when it comes to improving his game.  I see the work you are putting in, Gary Trent Jr.

I see you, Trevon Duval

Duval had an off shooting night, but he had more assists than turnovers while leading the team in steals with five.    He also grabbed six rebounds from his guard spot and we all know Krzyzewski wanted his guards to hit the boards better.  I see you slithering in the passing lanes for steals and protecting the ball more, Trevon Duval.

I see you, Marvin Bagley III

Marvin Bagley III is a part of conspiracy theories these days.  If you go on the message boards, some pretty active imaginations are at work.  But Bagley is shooting around and is close to coming back sooner rather than later.  His dad is behind the Duke bench cheering as if his son were playing and they both know the comeback will be worth the wait as should you.  I see you about to reenter the Duke lineup, Marvin Bagley.

I see you, Marques Bolden

Bolden is showing flashes of what many know the big man can do.  He had some great moments last night (8 pts, 5 rebs, 1 blk) and some tape will show him that similar play will lead to good things.  He is putting together some very efficient minutes.  I see you improving and becoming a factor, Marques Bolden.

I see you, Duke cast

Javin DeLaurier has averaged 9.0 rebounds per game in his two starts.  His energy can make things happen.  Meanwhile, Jack White has been logging great minutes as well.  Even Alex O'Connell dropped 2 assists in 7 minutes of play.  I see you guys.

I see the better free throw shooting

I think we have all noticed Duke has been efficient from the free throw stripe of late.  The team went a phenomenal  15 of 16 last evening.  I see the work, Blue Devils.

I see you, togetherness

Duke has been playing with great chemistry of late and seems to be building upon that in each time out.  They have played big time defense, looked good in their half court offense, had a solid rotation and are having fun while competing.  And when you have fun playing the game, the weight of the season lifts.  Despite going through a brutal stretch of their schedule, Duke seems fresh with three regular season games remaining.  I see you having fun and competing for a full forty minutes, Duke Basketball.

Duke Basketball

Duke Basketball Rising

Duke Basketball is on the RIse - Duke Basketball Rising - Photo - BDN

The Associated Press college basketball top 25 poll was released today where Duke moved up seven spots to become the nations 5th ranked team.

As usual, the Duke haters questioned how the Blue Devils could make such a jump in the rankings.  And as always, the facts are right in front of them.

The Blue Devils won consecutive conference games over Virginia Tech and Clemson.  Both of these teams are NCAA Tournament bound and are considered consensus op 30  teams.  Meanwhile, almost every team ahead of Duke stumbled.

Duke won games via their much improved defense which is a sure sign that the team is improving and on the rise as the regular season winds down.

In the win over Virginia Tech, Duke unleashed a new version of their zone defense which caught the Hokies off guard.  And trust me, Virginia Tech is a good offensive team, so that lopsided win was a huge notch in the Blue Devils belt.

Duke then followed that win up with another grinding style win over Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum.  Considering the Blue Devils were the first team to defeat the Tigers at home this season while holding them to 57 points was impressive.

In the last two wins, Duke had held its formidable competition to just 54.5 ppg.  And that is a huge improvement from what was happening a few weeks ago.

These Blue Devils are also starting to play much better half court offense.  In fact, Krzyzewski and his staff knows to win games in March you will play a grinding style at times.

That grinding style which Duke has been good at of late grooms much-needed mental toughness.  This is especially the case with a team full of freshman who are asked to become older than their years by making wise on court decisions on every play.

And then there is the play of Duke's team captain, Grayson Allen.  In his last few games, Allen has looked like his old self.  After being in a bit of a slump, Allen is now vocally leading his teammates on both ends of the floor.

"In the last two years he has led us in assists each season, so he is accustomed to making passes.  He is much more mature as a player -- he's a smart player," stated Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

He was alluding to the fact that his team has now developed more individually and that opened the door back up to get the ball in Allen's hands.

Krzyzewski continued, "We are putting him now in charge of a more veteran group of freshman.  He is a lot better and it has helped Trevon too.  He can go out on the side and also play on top."

Allen flat-out kept Duke in the game against Clemson in the first half and his defense of late is has been outstanding.  Allen had 4 steals in the game against Clemson as did his teammate Trevon Duval.

Speaking of Duval, he had one of his better games of the season in his last outing  You may have also noticed that he played at the top of the zone in the win at Clemson.  This was a switch off with Allen who manned to top versus Virginia Tech.

The bottom line is that the zone is getting better or at least staying consistent.  Add that to Allens improvement and Duvals acceptance of a different role and it once again points to improvement.

The list of positives continues.  Duke has succeeded of late without the services of the likely ACC Player of the Year, Marvin Bagley III.  His absence has afforded Duke the chance to design other players roles.

Wendell Carter Jr. has learned top play tired during this stretch.  He will also benefit from the return of Bagley in that he can no longer be double teamed.

Duke has also seen its bench step up and give truly meaningful minutes.  Marques Bolden is logging good time and has become a respect shot blocker and a good finisher.

JavinDeLaurier grabbed 10 rebounds in his first collegiate start and has earned the praise of his head coach.  And Jack White and Alex O'Connell have both filled in admirably at times as well.

Duke has also been hitting their free throws of late and making the three-point shot where Gary Trent Jr. is always a threat.  Trent consistently puts up good stats at times plays mature beyond his years.

With the expected return of Marvin Bagley on the horizon, there is a bright future for Duke.  That is as long as he is able to return in time to take care of easing back into the new-found team chemistry.

There is no timetable on Bagley per Krzyzewski, but he is getting better.  "It is not day-to-day but in some respects it is.  He is moving and I will know more today,  He is getting better and we're going to make sure that he is completely good before we get into March," said Krzyzewski during his Monday press conference with the ACC.

Duke will take on Louisville and Syracuse in home games this week and the team has four regular season battles left.  The team has a golden opportunity to take care of business at home.

So, while Duke is certainly worthy of their rise in the rankings, they must take another step in the process.  That points to simple consistency and continued forty minute effort and communication.

If the Blue Devils can take it one game at a time, protect their home floor with wins, then once again, next week, they'll remain a team on the rise,

Duke Basketball

Defense Keys Duke Romp Over Hokies

Grayson Allen was the Player of the Game for Duke. Defense keys Duke win over Hokies.

The Duke Blue Devils played their best forty minutes of basketball this season.  The result was an impressive 74-52 ACC win over Virginia Tech.  The win sets up a situation where the (9-4 ACC, 21-5 overall) Blue Devils can move into second place with a win at Clemson this weekend.

Duke played zone the entire contest and more importantly they talked to one another on the defensive end.  "We stress talk.  The system we try to teach is offense, defense and communication.  But defensively, especially in zone, when you are talking you will be wider," said Krzyzewski.

The Duke coach also acknowledged it was his teams best defensive game of the season.  The Blue Devils helped themselves after a half time adjustment where the Hokies had nine turnovers after just one at the break.

Grayson Allen led Duke with 25 points and was the kind of leader the staff envisioned for Duke tonight.  "He's our leader.  We've had him off the ball a lot, so he has tried to lead from there but the ball is not in his hands.  With the ball in his hands he can make plays and call plays and is in more command, said Krzyzewski.

You can expect the strategy of Allen having the ball in his hands more to continue for Krzyzewski acknowledged it has helped the team in their last two outings.

All of the Duke players Blue Devil Nation spoke with after the game said this was their best 40 minute effort of the season.  And all of them had things to say about their communication in a zone defense that held a potent Hokies team to just 52 points.

Gary Trent Jr. added 19 points for Duke.  He was joined by Revon Duval (10 points) and Wendell Carter Jr. (13 points and 13 rebounds) as double figure scorers.

Duke started Marques Bolden (2 blocked shots) in the first half but opted for Javin DeLaurier in the second half.  DeLarurier played with energy and went 3 for 3 from the field and was on the end of some outstanding passes.  Those scores helped Duke gain continued energy in their victory.

The Blue Devils also scored 18 second chance points and tallied seven steals in the game to just one for the Hokies.  Duke held a monster advantage on the boards with a 36-19 advantage despite their leading scorer and rebounder in Marvin Bagley III being sidelined with an injury.

Duke can take over sole possession of 2nd place in the ACC with a win at Clemson this Sunday.  That game tips off at 1:00 and will be televised by the ACC Network.

Duke Basketball

Duke Uses 2nd Half Surge to Scorch Notre Dame

Jack White and Grayson Allen

The No. 4 rated  Duke Blue Devils bounced back from their third defeat of the season  for a 88-66 win over Notre Dame.  The Blue Devils push their ACC record to 7-3 and stand 9-3 overall.

Duke was coming off an emotional loss to conference leader Virginia and scored their 23rd win against the Fighting Irish against 7 losses. in the series.

Duke was paced by Gary Trent Jr. who tallied a double-double 22 points and 10 rebounds.  Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski praised his game as efficient.

Grayson Allen also drew his coaches praise, where Krzyzewski said he played his best game in his last several outings.  Allen finished the game with a team high 8 assists to go with 18 points.

Wendell Carter Jr. added 17 points and 7 rebounds as he continued his consistent play.  Trevon Duval knocked down the games most critical three-point shot when Duke needed it most.  The freshman PG struggled in the 1st half but ended the game with 12 points and 4 assists.

Marvin Bagley III coming off his sixth ACC Rookie of the Week honor had an off night by his standards with 12 points and 8 rebounds.

The story of the game for Duke was the spark Jack White gave the team off the bench.  "It's great when you get that kind of performance from a player you are not expecting it from," said Krzyzewski.

White finished the game with 7 points and 5 rebounds as the Cameron Crazies chanted his name on several occasions.

Duke also gained he services of Marques Bolden back after missing several games due to injury.

The Blue Devils dominated the boards with a 43-27 edge. The Irish struggled from the three-point stripe in the second half as Duke led by 30 points at one point.

A battered Notre Dame team hung tight for much of the game but with three key players out, they were no match for Duke on their home floor.

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski notched his 1090th win which is the most of any coach in NCAA history.

The Blue Devils will now enjoy a few days off before taking on St. Johns in their last non conference game of the season this coming Saturday.  That game will be played New York and tips off at noon on the Fox Network.

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.