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Cornell/Elon at Duke - Dec 19/20, 7:00pm ESPNU

bdotling said:
If Amile can gain some strength he will be a really good rebounder for us. I felt in both these games he grabbed the initial ball off the rim or even in loose ball situations at a very high rate, only to have it ripped away as he came back down.

I love Amile, whatever he does. He's just so nice
 
deepdarkblue said:
Rodney is so country, lol

he needs more air time. shout outs to the fam on top plays videos? what will he do in post game interviews on espn after lighting up unc? :lol:

seems like he is becoming good friends with qc if that clip is any indication.
 
If I remember correctly, Rodney said earlier this season that Quinn had kind of "taken him under his wing". He was the one that introduced him to Cookout and whatnot. Hopefully Quinn also figures out how to keep him away from the squirrels.
 
bdotling said:
If Amile can gain some strength he will be a really good rebounder for us. I felt in both these games he grabbed the initial ball off the rim or even in loose ball situations at a very high rate, only to have it ripped away as he came back down.

Bingo. I've noticed that as well. His length gets him a chance at the rebound, but he's not strong enough to pull it down to his body.

Play 3 and 2 by Mason were both and 1's but neither were called. Refs...
 
rhfarmer said:
Cornell @ Duke Game Write Up.

Cornell vs Duke was an obvious mismatch, but it was oddly interesting to me, so I wanted to do a post game write up. The main reason I wanted to do a write up was because this was the first Duke game I had seen in person in 29 years.

It seems incredible to me as I write it, because 29 years ago, long before Coach K became Coach K, Duke was becoming relevant in the ACC again after being a doormat since the departures of Bill Foster, Jim Spanarkel, Bobby Bender,Mike Gminski, Gene Banks, Kenny Dennard, et al. And the Cornell team that took the floor last night was oddly reminiscent of the Duke teams of the early 80's. Those Duke teams generally had two or three legit D1 players on them, but they played their asses off in epic beat downs versus loaded, and I mean loaded, squads from UVa, UNC, State, Wake and Maryland. This Cornell squad had three legit D1 players, and frankly, Duke looks as imposing as they ever have. Let the last half of that statement sink in for a minute.

On to the game. Cornell came out aggressive both offensively and defensively in the first half, and actually exploited a match up that tilted in their favor--Shonn Miller vs. Ryan Kelly. To say that Duke lacked intensity from the get go would be an understatement. Cornell ran effective offense through Miller in sort of a point forward role, even running iso's for Miller who really took it to Kelly. Kelly appeared winded early, and I wondered if he might have been sick. Kelly was the first sub out of the game, as Josh Hairston was at the scorer's table before the 4 minute timeout.

Cornell also got out in transition early, beating the Blue Devils down the floor off Duke misses and scoring effectively at or close to the rim, and also getting to the line. At one point Mason actually tipped in a Cornell miss into Cornell's basket! Duke was flat.

Then, an enormous moment happened, just prior to the 8 minute timeout, and it was Coach K inserting Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee in the game in tandem. At the time, I thought it might be a risky or over confident move on the part of K and the coaching staff, but the result was an immediate change in the energy level of the team. There is no question, that removing Mason and Ryan from the lineup simultaneously creates offensive challenges for Duke. But the on ball pressure and the level of defensive tenacity was incredible. The game clearly changed from that point in the first half. The message was received loud and clear.

And what happened in the next 20 minutes of basketball might be one of the most dominant performances in Duke history. Duke just simply would not let Cornell score. It was actually not obvious at first. Duke was only ahead by 2, 28-26 at the 16 minute TV timeout, and ending the half up 11 was really somewhat less than expected.

At the start of the second half, Duke's guards, especially Cook, Sheed and Tyler, just would not let Cornell get into it's offense. It was incredible to watch. I counted at least four non turnover possessions where Cornell never actually got the ball inside the three point line. Many of Cornell's possessions ended in turnover's, but nearly as many ended in very difficult and highly contested shots as the shot clock was expiring. Duke was working it's ass off on defense. I haven't seen this type of wilting, demoralizing on ball pressure since Jay Will and Battier were exerting their will on the opposition.

Then there was a point where I looked at the scoreboard, and I was like, "man, Cornell hasn't scored yet." Cornell finally got on the board at the 13:30 mark (or thereabouts) in the second half, and by that time, it was 60-32. Nearly four more minutes went by before they scored again, and by my tally, Duke had been on a 32-2 run at one point. The interesting part about it, Duke never looked like they were burying Cornell. It was just methodical destruction, a coupling of stifling defensive pressure and precise offensive execution. Duke never let up.

All in all, it was a very satisfying game for Duke. The bench got a ton of burn, and everyone on the team made meaningful contributions. The latter part of the second half was basically an exhibition of what Duke Basketball will look like next year, and suffice to say, Duke's going to be OK.

ON to the players:

Ryan Kelly-- Kelly was very efficient on O, but he was definitely off overall tonight. It was a lackluster defensive effort on his part. I'm not even joking when I say he needs to get his act together.

Mason Plumlee-- Mason did pretty much whatever he wanted against an over matched Cornell interior, going 8-8 from the floor, but his FT shooting looked awkward again. It's hard to understand how large Mason is until you are in the same building he is in. He is a large, large man. When he is mentally in the game, he is amazing. I still feel like he doesn't understand how capable he is.

Seth Curry**-- Seth was extremely efficient last night, a great shooting night and no TO's. Seth is definitely hurting though. After the game, he was limping visibly off the court with his shoes removed. Seth's on ball defense is not as tight as a result. Overall though, big night for Seth, who's offensive arsenal seems to diversify with every game.

**FWIW Duke, did a great job of rubbing Seth off baseline screens last night which forced Cornell into a lose-lose proposition: If the screener's man hedged out on Seth in the corner, Seth or Tyler hit the screener for a dunk or lay up. If the screener's man did not hedge out, Seth hit a three. This appears to be a new set for Duke, and it is very effective.

Quinn Cook-- I am extremely impressed with Quinn. His defensive game is light years beyond last year, hell it's light years beyond Battle for Atlantis. He also makes some amazing passes, and he looks like a great teammate. He gets everyone involved, and puts the ball in places where his teammates can succeed. He is getting better and better.

Sheed-- I love Sheed's game. He was a little sloppy in the first half, actually appeared to be having some footing issues on the court, but he hounds his defensive assignment, and he attacks the rim on offense. He really reminds me of Kobe. I know it's crazy. He's not the athlete that Kobe is, but his attacking style of play, and his fearlessness are translating very well right now. I hope he stays. He very quietly scored 16 points.

Tyler**-- I am really impressed with TT's team first approach. There were long stretches where he played along side Quinn last night, and there is no weirdness on the floor. Tyler is going to be one of those 4 year players who doesn't score much, and who the fans don't appreciate, who will just play his ass off on D, make all the right decisions and win games without the slightest concern for anything other than the well being of the team.

**Interesting note about Tyler. When Quinn and Tyler are on the floor together, Quinn is obviously the PG. However, in team huddles, Quinn defers to Tyler, which I think shows the character of both of these young men.

Jiggy-- Josh had a rough night, but you can't deny his hustle and energy. He missed a lot of bunnies, but he actually helped stem the bleeding the in the first half, and he is a competent played at this point. Apparently, Josh has the green light this year.

Alex-- Alex got his longest burn of the season, and there is a lot to be excited about. He has a pretty nice set shot from the three point line, and he is a fluid athlete. He looked composed and confident on the floor last night.

Marshall-- What an animal. Yeah he only played for two minutes, but the guy is in constant motion. Fiercely defended the basket, blocked a shot and grabbed a board. He's going to be OK.

Amile-- Amile defended exceptionally well last night. He really bothered Miller. Amile is also really creative around the rim. He gets his shot off quickly, and takes unusual angles to the basket and uses the glass. He's going to be great. He will end up being much better than Lance, IMO.

Zaf-- I will say this, the team really respects Zaf. They ran a play late in the game, and it was a concerted effort to get Zaf a good look, which he connected on. Zaf is all effort, proud of him.

That's it.


Can we get this one put up on the blog?

Also, I am rewatching the game...well, just because. I wanted to add that there was a sequence during our amazing run that really impressed me. Kelly was mismatched against a guard on the perimeter. One of the Duke guards calls for a switch (didn't see who). Kelly waves him off. The Cornell guard tries a little shake and bake and Kelly picks his pocket. At the other end of the floor Kelly drains his first three of the night. I know that the Cornell guards aren't ACC-caliber, but that said a lot to me.
 

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