Are those bags full of sand you are filling? j/k.

In all seriousness, if Dykes' observations are accurate, I would certainly hope that Duke would look like the more experienced team at this juncture in the season. The Blue Devils will likely start three seniors at the beginning of the season (depending on where Seth Curry's recovery stands) and will really only need to look to two freshmen for significant minutes (Rasheed Sulaimon and Amile Jefferson). Kentucky, conversely, will start an entirely new lineup and brings back just one guy who even scored in a game last season (correct me if I am wrong) in Kyle Wiltjer. Calipari is a great coach, but he's only been with this team for less than two weeks now. Considering the Wildcats are probably not as talented across the board as they've been the last couple of years, I imagine there will be a few growing pains with a freshmen-heavy lineup.

The good news for Kentucky is that Cal has a "veteran" point guard to help lead the way and carry the younger guys under his wing.

While true, observations about last year's UK team and even the year before (which was Calipari's least-talented team, by far) were different. While nobody knew how good Anthony Davis would be, the MKG/Davis combo looked veteran from day one. Most of the criticism/doubt of UK's team last year was A) Teague and B) Calipari's coaching. The year before, they did question the inside spots, but Josh Harrellson stepped up. Like MKG, Brandon Knight was a clear leader from day one. So was DeAndre Liggins.

I'm not sure who on UK fits that. I don't think it's Ryan Harrow. It's not Kyle Wiltjer. It's definitely not Noel. It's probably going to have to be Alex Poythress or Archie Goodwin, and while both are great players, neither are on Kidd-Gilchrist's level.

With the way cal has decided to run Kentucky I don't think you can assess Kentucky and their overall quality and outlook until January. They are going to be very young every year and players will emerge that we can't estimate in November. Duke will be a great team early I'm sure but in march Kentucky will probably be better because of the talent they have.

Kentucky has a unique recruiting strategy compared to every other team in the nation. That in turn results in a unique team dynamic almost every year with the Kentucky coaching staff, to a certain degree, entering each season blind, typically without any significant holdovers of note to look to as indicators of potential success. Last year was an exception as the level of talent was so high in the Wildcats' 2012 recruiting class that I think Cal knew what he had from the onset, and that was evident in the 80-point exhibition victories and the convincingly sound victory over Kansas in New York.

This year, as swami states, it could take until after the New Year before Calipari knows what he really has with this unit. If the previous three years, however, are any indication of how well Calipari is able to develop and coalesce his young teams as the season wears on, I don't think many coaches or fans will want to see Kentucky looming in their bracket come March. As a fan of the Duke-Kentucky "rivalry," which, although a relative rarity over the decades, is typically excellent whenever it happens in the Big Dance, I'd welcome it. There is no better game in college basketball than Duke and Kentucky.

Coach K reported last night that Seth Curry's leg injury, which he sustained in early October and kept him out of Duke's first exhibition game, is indeed a stress fracture. Unfortunate for Curry and for Duke, as these types of injuries tend to linger and cause problems for a lengthy period of time after they have occurred. Curry played in Duke's second exhibition game, against Earl "The Pearl" Monroe's Winston-Salem State, despite the injury, but only scored two points on 1-for-9 shooting.

While I am confident that frosh Rasheed Sulaimon will step in and play huge for Duke, Curry's perimeter shooting will be needed to get the Blue Devils going from outside. Without Curry against Kentucky, it may be tough for Duke to outscore the high-flying Cats' attack.

One week from tonight...

Cannot wait. I have been waiting for it since 12-18-2001. Duke-Kentucky is THE pinnacle of college basketball. Absolutely as good it gets. The sea of blue in the Georgia Dome will be gorgeous.

Sadly enough my fiance just got a new job and has to work on Wednesday night next week or else I'd be going lol. Im only a little over 3 hours from Atlanta and she has been wanting to go see the city haha.

Read through the game notes and it looks like Coach K has decided to go with a three-guard lineup tonight for the Blue Devils' opener against Georgia State -- Quinn Cook, Seth Curry, Rasheed Sulaimon, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee.

Curry apparently is able to give it go tonight in the lineup. It will be interesting to see how the stress fracture in his shin holds up and if it affects him greatly. The injury had a clear impact on Curry's performance against Winston-Salem State in the pre-season.

Go Devils

Not sure Duke was so much living and dying by the three tonight as much as they were just riding the wave that was carrying them in this particular game. The Blue Devils were absolutely dreadful from three-point land in their exhibition contests, but still were able to score considerably well nonetheless in those matches by attacking the basket and getting Plumlee and Kelly good looks inside. So the fact that they were actually hitting shots from outside tonight was probably why they took so many more of them than they did in the preseason games. When you're in a zone, you go with it. I actually think this Duke team will rely much less on the 3-ball this year than any Duke team has in the last decade.

Hopefully I am not wrong, because outside of Curry and Kelly (and perhaps Sulaimon), this Duke team can't shoot. Tyler Thornton and Quinn Cook, who hit five three balls between them tonight, will have to prove to me that this was not an anomaly because I have seen Thornton go over a month without making a jump shot before and it will get ugly if he now thinks he is Little Trajan Landgon.

With that said (and yes, I am aware that I am having a conversation with myself), Coach K's spread offense is designed around the ability to create space by shooting the three ball. So, ccrunner, you're probably right that we will, to a degree, live and die by the three again this year. (Who am I kidding? We do every year.) My point was just more that, being that Duke lacks the bevy of outside gunners that its had in seasons past, I don't think we'll see as many games where we launch 30 treys. We just don't have the volume shooters this year. Really, only Curry fits that role. (Hey, I hope I'm wrong and Thornton and Cook really are greatly improved.)

As a result, it is my hope that on the nights when things are not going well from beyond the arc we will re-focus our efforts on doing other things well, such as attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line. Duke did that better than any other team in the country for years (on top of shooting threes), and it is something that I think we can do again with athletic guys like Sulaimon and Murphy playing on the wing. (Murphy did not play tonight apparently due to off-the-court circumstances ... not sure what).

I have been asking around trying to figure out why Murphy didn't play the other night. Odds are he will start Tuesday vs. Kentucky despite missing. Figure he missed a meeting of some kind or maybe being late for a shoot-around.

Tyler Thornton's shot looks so much better than last year. His form is much improved. The off-season work really has paid off. I don't think teams like VaTech and FSU will be able to leave him completely unguarded again this year.

swamisez;1318086 wrote:I have been asking around trying to figure out why Murphy didn't play the other night. Odds are he will start Tuesday vs. Kentucky despite missing. Figure he missed a meeting of some kind or maybe being late for a shoot-around.

I hope this is the case. After reading much more dour rumors in the last 24 hours, it'd be great to see him in the lineup against Kentucky as long as he's been playing well enough in practice to earn the spot. He's a really athletic kid and Duke could certainly use his length on defense on the wing.

swamisez wrote:Tyler Thornton's shot looks so much better than last year. His form is much improved. The off-season work really has paid off. I don't think teams like VaTech and FSU will be able to leave him completely unguarded again this year.

Hope you are right. After going berserk from downtown against Kansas in Maui last year and single-handedly saving the championship for Duke, I'm surprised Thornton didn't call a press conference immediately afterward and declare for the NBA Draft. Because he all of sudden turned into a three-point shooting machine despite never making another one again. Can't fault his confidence. His shot definitely looked more natural on Friday night, though, so I am optimistic that he'll turn into a reliable weapon.

The better he plays the more he will play and unfortunately I think that will mean the less athletic and fast duke will be on the floor. I want him to do well, but I really don't see that as being something that helps the team in the longrun. Quinn Cook needs all the reps at point guard and Thornton needs to be a sporadic replacement.

After starting and playing 30 minutes in the opener, I think it is a foregone conclusion that Thornton is going to be a fixture in the rotation this season. Not sure if K will continue with the three-guard lineup or not -- that is probably dependent on what is up with Alex Murphy -- but K exudes a great confidence in Thornton and due to Thornton's rather excellent defensive pressure and tenacity, I expect him to play and play often. What concerns me is that Thornton played almost entirely as an off guard, meaning that Seth Curry, who started at point against Georgia State, will likely play a lot of one over the course of the season unless Quinn Cook is given the green light. That's not a good sign.

Thornton is a great glue guy, a seemingly burgeoning spot shooter and a jolt of energy off the bench. He is not, however, a starting guard in the ACC. If K and the staff are not sold on Quinn as Duke's future at point guard, then I think it may be time to move in the "Jon Scheyer" direction and turn to Rasheed Sulaimon. Long, crafty and an excellent passing/scoring combo guard, Rasheed could be a great fit. And I think we'll see him in that role a good deal of time as the season unfolds.

Ryan Harrow out vs Duke. He struggled against Maryland but this is bad news. UK really doesn't have a true PG behind him...

That sucks. I'm not sure what happened to Harrow, but I always hate playing teams when they are not at full strength, especially at point guard. In the event of a Duke win, it would certainly take some of the luster away. A win is a win is a win, but I'd rather play a team at its best.

Fortunately for Kentucky, (sans Kyrie Irving) the last point guard Duke was fully committed to was Chris Duhon. Sigh.

ccrunner609;1318763 wrote:What they used to do well was penetrate and kick to the spot up shooter (Hurley was good at this) or work the ball into the post and then back out....Now its pass it around and screen the shooter.....I hate that style.

So was Chris Duhon. In 2001-02, he and Jason Williams formed a backcourt that featured the number one and number two point guards in the country. Duhon especially was an excellent drive-and-kicker. Nothing was more beautiful than a Duhon to Dunleavy trailer three. As poetic as Tinker to Evers to Chance.

Why is the knock on Duke lack of big men development? If anything there have been more bigs produced in the last 20 years than point guards?

for the record, I watched Michigan last night, and Mitch McGary. He did a great job setting screens 20 feet from the rim in that contest.

side note, Trey Burke will win Big Ten player of the year. I don't feel I am overreacting at all after one game. Zeller will pile up the stats but I think Burke will dominate Big Ten play.

Less than an hour before tip.

I know less than a week ago I was spouting off about how Duke is not an outside shooting team this year, but as Kentucky looms closer and closer, God I just hope we hit our threes. I really have no idea what to expect. While starting point guard Ryan Harrow sitting for Kentucky would certainly seem on the periphery to be an advantage for Duke, the Blue Devils are in such a mess at that position that I really don't think it is. We are only 45 minutes until the start of the game and I am completely in the fucking dark as to who will be at the reigns of the Blue Devil offense when they take the floor. I suspect that we will once again see Seth Curry or Tyler Thornton, but have no idea which.

The keys for Duke are without a doubt experience -- Duke has gotta be able to capitalize on three senior starters and two guys who were factors on a national championship team -- and, most importantly, Mason Plumlee. As Alex Len demonstrated against Kentucky in the Wildcats' game against Maryland on Friday night, Nerlens Noel is still raw and adjusting to the college game. Len outplayed Noel the entire night. Plumlee needs to go after Noel with the same intensity that he did Len in last year's Duke victory in College Park, when Plumlee dropped 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. If Plumlee is ferocious on the boards tonight and finishes around the basket while giving Duke second chance opportunities, Duke will be is good shape. He MUST get in Noel's head from the start. If Noel get a couple of big blocks or converts on an alley-oop dunk and gets Cat'lanta going early, UK might jump out to a big lead..

ccrunner609;1319681 wrote:Gonna be a great game!!!!

Doooooooooo0000000oooooookkkkkk

Rumors swirling that the end is near for Duke redshirt freshman Alex Murphy and that he'll be on the "free agency" circuit by Christmas. Charlotte News & Observer reporter and Duke beat writer Laura Keeley said in her blog yesterday that it is a very distinct possibility after Murphy logged just eight minutes in the first two games of the year.

Seems kind of crazy after just 40 minutes of basketball, but the theory is that if he isn't getting any playing time now (Murphy played zero minutes against Georgia State), then it isn't going to get much better for the kid during the grueling ACC schedule and if he transferred he could then save a year of eligibility and go somewhere he might get more playing time. If Murphy does leave, he'll be an excellent pickup for somebody because he's got lots of athleticism and an NBA frame. He's just raw right now and why I imagine he's not getting a lot of burn for Duke.

Have 2 free tickets if any chatterer is in the area and wants to go to the game tonight. PM me for info. Game starts at 8

Enjoy the game, swami, if you are there. Wish I could be.

Duke getting set to take on zero-time national champion Florida Gulf Coast shortly. Will be a nice tune up leading to Minnesota and potentially Louisville, Memphis and VCU in the Bahamas later this week.

Gulf Coast out rebounding and out shooting Duke in the first half. The Squid -- or whatever their stupid nickname is -- are 5 of 10 from downtown. Duke, on the other hand, is just 3 of 12.

Duke needs to get the ball to Mason Plumlee. My God.