Congrats. Excellent performance by Kentucky

[DodgerDukie1985]

I knew the likes of Ulis, Murray and Briscoe were very good. However, I came away more impressed by them than even I was expecting. It was easier to appreciate the talented trio once I actually saw them play together. Ulis just gets after it on both ends and he doesn't make any mistakes with the ball in his hands. Briscoe, as one UK fan said to me another day, is indeed a bulldog and although Murray did make a couple mistakes which Calipari wasn't happy with, he's only going to get better and that's a scary proposition given that he's a very good player already.

Two other guys I was impressed with on your side were Marcus Lee and Isaac Humphries. Lee just looked like a completely different player from what I've seen from him before. And Humphries. I had no idea what to expect out of him, but that kid was a presence on the defensive end of the floor. Very high ceiling once he gains more experience. If your guys can just keep opponents off the offensive glass, they'll be VERY hard to beat. And Skal, hard to believe I didn't even mention him.

On the Duke side, other than the offensive rebounding early on and late in the second half, Matt Jones having a good second half, a couple flashes from Ingram and Thornton here and there and the fact that they didn't give up, far fewer positives on their end. Got A LOT of work to get to where they want to be. They can get there, but like I just said, other than the offensive rebounds early and some late, Kentucky handed Duke their heads tonight. Kudos to them. Hopefully by March Duke will be better with more experience and could give UK a better game if they were to see each other. You guys were just an overall bad matchup for this Duke team. Granted they will be a bad matchup for just about every team, but moreso for Duke when they have that three-headed monster at point guard and Duke only has Thornton who is clearly far from ready for primetime.

And congrats on landing Bam Adebayo as well. Got a feeling you guys will have the number one class when all is said and done. Perhaps they already passed Duke today, but I do think UK currently holds a moderate lead for Malik Monk, which would definitely put them over the top.

 

[UK3Pointer]

Thanks. We are much better than I thought and you guys are waaaaayyy overrated.

 

[Mojocat]

Thanks for the kind words OP. You guys will be right there in the end.....

 

[JPrickett32]

Thanks! You all will get better. It take patience with losing as much as you guys lost last year.

 

[DodgerDukie1985]

Thanks. We are much better than I thought and you guys are waaaaayyy overrated.

I wish I could disagree on your second point, but I certainly can't argue with it at this time. TBH I thought they should have been more like 7-10 in the polls rather than 4 or 5 given what they lost from last season's team, what was returning from it and what was coming in. However, they're of course going to get the benefit of the doubt with Krzyzewski as their coach and the talent that's on the team.

This Duke team is very much a work in progress and not a top five team at this moment in time. In the current rankings, yes, but not in terms of their play on the court. My hope is they get to that level, but as I said, VERY long way to go to get there. Thornton's gonna need to be ready by the time March comes around or else it could be a short Tourney stay for them.

 

[Born and raised Big Blue]

I wish I could disagree on your second point, but I certainly can't argue with it at this time. TBH I thought they should have been more like 7-10 in the polls rather than 4 or 5 given what they lost from last season's team, what was returning from it and what was coming in. However, they're of course going to get the benefit of the doubt with Krzyzewski as their coach and the talent that's on the team
This Duke team is very much a work in progress and not a top five team at this moment in time. In the current rankings, yes, but not in terms of their play on the court. My hope is they get to that level, but as I said, VERY long way to go to get there. Thornton's gonna need to be ready by the time March comes around or else it could be a short Tourney stay for them.

Ignore that guy man it was a good game.

 

[stereonut]

Appreciate the class you're showing, DD.
Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be a priority these days.

 

[DodgerDukie1985]

Thanks! You all will get better. It take patience with losing as much as you guys lost last year.

You're absolutely correct. I knew this team wouldn't be on the level of last year's squad right off the bat. I don't even expect them to be at 2014-2015 level by March, although given that I do believe this year's field in college basketball isn't as strong as last season aside from perhaps Kentucky, they could be at top five or so level then. I know I'm just saying a lot of what I said given how spoiled I got by last season's team.

 

[KYtotheCore]

Very nice of you OP. Classy. Duke will become . . . Duke . . . over the season.

 

[westerncat]

The problem I see with Duke is at point guard. That is were KY had a great advantage on Duke.

 

[kyjeff1]

I saw where UK's 2016 class now ranks #2 after the Bam commitment .
Ihm still shaking my head about this years rankings. How do you not count Murray?

 

[WinnyChester]

Thanks for the kind words OP. You guys will be right there in the end.....

Always a dynamite game when UK meets Duke. Both teams will be contenders. And, I will be rooting for Duke, every time they play Louisville !

 

[crawfords corner]

Duke's season might just hinge on the play of Derryck Thornton at the point. Grayson Allen is not a point guard. He can play it, but I don't think he's a NC winning starting point.

 

[DodgerDukie1985]

Ignore that guy man it was a good game.

Definitely a good game for Kentucky. It'll be good for Duke in the sense that they can learn a ton about what needs to be fixed, which they sure weren't going to learn much about playing the likes of Siena and Bryant. Duke did some good things and will undoubtedly get better, but I can't deny that they've got a ways to go to get to where they want to be.

 

[tbone.ky]

Thank you for being a civil poster. It's becoming an anomaly upon message boards, or social media in general.

I'm sure you're thinking lots of negative thoughts about losing-- like all fans do when their teams lose.

However, as my Granny used to say (God rest her soul), "You can be poor, but manners don't cost anything."

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

I don't think they are overrated. They are not going to play teams with 3 PGs like we have with skilled, athletic bigs to boot. They will lose more games, but probably when they beat themselves. UNC might be better than them, but I am not sold on them yet.

 

[Tyblue22]

Thanks OP. Truth is this, good thing Duke got a title, cause that's going to have to carry them this season. That's not a top 10 team I saw tonight from the Dukies. Average at best. And I'm sorry, not trying to be mean.

 

[lakercat]

I wish I could disagree on your second point, but I certainly can't argue with it at this time. TBH I thought they should have been more like 7-10 in the polls rather than 4 or 5 given what they lost from last season's team, what was returning from it and what was coming in. However, they're of course going to get the benefit of the doubt with Krzyzewski as their coach and the talent that's on the team.

This Duke team is very much a work in progress and not a top five team at this moment in time. In the current rankings, yes, but not in terms of their play on the court. My hope is they get to that level, but as I said, VERY long way to go to get there. Thornton's gonna need to be ready by the time March comes around or else it could be a short Tourney stay for them.

I feel that people underestimate the value of Quinn Cook; without him, Duke doesn't win a championship last year. He likely saved Duke from at least two or three more losses. Kentucky played Allen very well tonight; the key was to not let him go crazy. Duke will go as far as Thornton and Allen will take them. How Duke's PG play develops will determine the difference between a very good team, and a championship contender. Kentucky DOMINATED the backcourt; Duke's front-court played pretty well but didn't dominate their matchup, even without an effective Skal. Kentucky most improve their defensive rebounding; Duke must improve their guard play, and Ingram has to be more effective. Holding Duke to 63 points is no easy feat; I think Kentucky proved that they can play some defense when they are motivated to. Duke and Kentucky will be in the conversation in March; I hope no one suffers an injury, but I wouldn't mind seeing Duke lose before the second weekend......

 

[DUNNSTILLFREENALIVE]

It don't work like that. Your post should be....

We realize that we don't ever want to play UK and we understand that when we do what we can expect to happen will be very similar to what we have witnessed tonight. So please committee and referees and anyone else out there to give us respite send us help asap

 

[DodgerDukie1985]

Appreciate the class you're showing, DD.
Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be a priority these days.

It's not a problem. I know I'm on a Kentucky board, so I know I'd better show some respect or I'll likely get myself rightfully booted.

 

[Dreklie]

I hate Duke ... I hate them less after reading this post, you're a better man than me, I'd be HEATED lol, you all will be fine though, it comes with reloading every year, welcome to UKs style of play lol.

 

[JohnBlue_]

It's just one game but I think Duke could benefit from Thornton more and Allen less. Again it's just one game but wasn't impressed with the game sense Allen showed. Ingram is going to get a lot better and Jefferson is solid, and you have a great shooter in Jones. Kennard is going to knock down a lot of 3's too but the player that surprised me the most was Plumlee, if you could get this out of him every night it's going to be a great season for you guys.

 

[Big Foot 275]

I knew the likes of Ulis, Murray and Briscoe were very good. However, I came away more impressed by them than even I was expecting. It was easier to appreciate the talented trio once I actually saw them play together. Ulis just gets after it on both ends and he doesn't make any mistakes with the ball in his hands. Briscoe, as one UK fan said to me another day, is indeed a bulldog and although Murray did make a couple mistakes which Calipari wasn't happy with, he's only going to get better and that's a scary proposition given that he's a very good player already.

Two other guys I was impressed with on your side were Marcus Lee and Isaac Humphries. Lee just looked like a completely different player from what I've seen from him before. And Humphries. I had no idea what to expect out of him, but that kid was a presence on the defensive end of the floor. Very high ceiling once he gains more experience. If your guys can just keep opponents off the offensive glass, they'll be VERY hard to beat. And Skal, hard to believe I didn't even mention him.

On the Duke side, other than the offensive rebounding early on and late in the second half, Matt Jones having a good second half, a couple flashes from Ingram and Thornton here and there and the fact that they didn't give up, far fewer positives on their end. Got A LOT of work to get to where they want to be. They can get there, but like I just said, other than the offensive rebounds early and some late, Kentucky handed Duke their heads tonight. Kudos to them. Hopefully by March Duke will be better with more experience and could give UK a better game if they were to see each other. You guys were just an overall bad matchup for this Duke team. Granted they will be a bad matchup for just about every team, but moreso for Duke when they have that three-headed monster at point guard and Duke only has Thornton who is clearly far from ready for primetime.

And congrats on landing Bam Adebayo as well. Got a feeling you guys will have the number one class when all is said and done. Perhaps they already passed Duke today, but I do think UK currently holds a moderate lead for Malik Monk, which would definitely put them over the top.

Thanks for the compliment. Both teams have a lot of young talent. Cats young guys are a little ahead of Duke's right now but both teams will be a lot better by the end of the year. Just beat the hell out of the Cards when you play them.

 

[DodgerDukie1985]

Always a dynamite game when UK meets Duke. Both teams will be contenders. And, I will be rooting for Duke, every time they play Louisville !

Well you can root for Duke twice in February then

Duke's season might just hinge on the play of Derryck Thornton at the point. Grayson Allen is not a point guard. He can play it, but I don't think he's a NC winning starting point.

I absolutely agree with this. He's gotta get himself ready to be the man at point guard by March or else Duke could have a far shorter stay in the Tourney than everyone's expecting. Grayson Allen is all shooting guard. You guys obviously didn't see it tonight (and that's a credit to Kentucky for hounding him outside and blocking his shots when he tried to drive), but he's a very exciting player to watch. At least this should be a solid learning experience for him. He hadn't seen a team like UK that had wing players who could check him and then also had all those bigs there to meet him at the basket.

 

[CELTICAT]

Duke fans are way above KU fans on the tolerability scale.

 

[zoid1]

Pisgah 101...

 

[Kycatspaws]

Thank you, it was a heck of a game. Maybe they will meet up again in March.

 

[Lightbringer123]

I actually think the Duke player with the most potential maybe Ingram. Ignoring stats tonight Ingram was in foul trouble all night, he did have one spinning layup starting at around the 3 point line that looked straight NBA play. Good game Dukie.

I had watched Murray during all Pan Am games and knew he had a lot of potential and tonight showed on the big stage once again. The sky is the limit for him. Some see Skal being #1 pick, it maybe Murray dude is crazy athletic....

 

[Dreklie]

I actually think the Duke player with the most potential maybe Ingram. Ignoring stats tonight Ingram was in foul trouble all night, he did have one spinning layup starting at around the 3 point line that looked straight NBA play. Good game Dukie.

I had watched Murray during all Pan Am games and knew he had a lot of potential and tonight showed on the big stage once again. The sky is the limit for him. Some see Skal being #1 pick, it maybe Murray dude is crazy athletic....

Ingram without a doubt has the most potential. That dude will be an absolute NIGHTMARE when he gets it going.

 

[carbonlib23]

great game by you guys tonight......y'all's new guys handled the big stage much better than ours did. Excellent game plan to defend allen....it woulda be a run-out had it not been for our plum/jones/amile......

uliss was very impressive as was murray.....

congrats....

 

[DodgerDukie1985]

I feel that people underestimate the value of Quinn Cook; without him, Duke doesn't win a championship last year. He likely saved Duke from at least two or three more losses.

Yeah it definitely helped to have a second ball-handler like Cook as well as a senior leader like him who was willing to do what was best for the team in every way possible, including putting aside his ego to let Tyus Jones be the main point guard. Some sorta did the same thing I thought with the 2010-2011 Duke team when they lost a senior Jon Scheyer. Granted Kyrie Irving's injury sure didn't help things that season, but you can never underestimate senior leadership, especially when it's of the quality of a Quinn Cook.

 

[stoneycat_20]

It's just one game but I think Duke could benefit from Thornton more and Allen less. Again it's just one game but wasn't impressed with the game sense Allen showed. Ingram is going to get a lot better and Jefferson is solid, and you have a great shooter in Jones. Kennard is going to knock down a lot of 3's too but the player that surprised me the most was Plumlee, if you could get this out of him every night it's going to be a great season for you guys.

Allen is not a PG..Coach K should take his lumps and play Thornton 30mpg now...

 

[lakercat]

I wish I could disagree on your second point, but I certainly can't argue with it at this time. TBH I thought they should have been more like 7-10 in the polls rather than 4 or 5 given what they lost from last season's team, what was returning from it and what was coming in. However, they're of course going to get the benefit of the doubt with Krzyzewski as their coach and the talent that's on the team.
.

Kentucky and Calipari got it in 2012/2013; Kentucky had just won a championship, and had zero players who had started a game. The PG play, or the lack thereof, killed that team (and the injury to Noel; let's hope Duke doesn't suffer an injury like that). Duke at least had something coming back. Kentucky only had Wheelchair...err, Wiltjer coming back who played "major" minutes.

It's not a problem. I know I'm on a Kentucky board, so I know I'd better show some respect or I'll likely get myself rightfully booted.

It would be wise to be nice tonight, regardless of the outcome. Here, you would just get eaten alive. We don't ban rival fans like the Louisville, Indiana, North Carolina, and Florida boards. A Kentucky fan is more likely to get banned, but you would earn a lot more respect by being civil like you were tonight. We always love a good basketball conversation.

 

[DodgerDukie1985]

I hate Duke ... I hate them less after reading this post, you're a better man than me, I'd be HEATED lol, you all will be fine though, it comes with reloading every year, welcome to UKs style of play lol.

I'm slightly upset, but I honestly can't be downright steamed when Duke just gets beaten by a superior team. That's what happened tonight. All I can do in a situation like this is tip my cap to this Kentucky team and hope Duke learns from it and can fix the things they need to fix, especially if they see this Kentucky team again (which is definitely possible). I save my heated moments for when they give games away against what I feel are teams they should beat lol

 

[WildMoon]

Main thing i see from Duke.

Ingram needs to play some PF, so he can learn to be tough. The dude is weak as hell, and his stock will plummet if he doesn't learn to get in and fight.

If you are still relying on Grayson Allen during March, i can see your team getting upsetting in first weekend. He's one of those players who is suited to be 6th man, and not the star of the team.

Not sure not starting D. Thornton (spelling?), is a good idea. He's your primary ball handler, and if he doesn't learn to play against these high level guard, come March...you'll get destroyed.

Duke just doesn't look good, luckily for you guys you have amazing rebounder in A. Jefferson. However, you NEED 2-3 great rebounder. Maybe Plumlee might be able to, but your other players are atrocious rebounder and that's a good sign for early weekend exit.

 

[Dreklie]

I'm slightly upset, but I honestly can't be downright steamed when Duke just gets beaten by a superior team. That's what happened tonight. All I can do in a situation like this is tip my cap to this Kentucky team and hope Duke learns from it and can fix the things they need to fix, especially if they see this Kentucky team again (which is definitely possible). I save my heated moments for when they give games away against what I feel are teams they should beat lol

Still a better man than me lol, anyone who beats Kentucky got lucky, the refs cheated, or we played awful. We are never the lesser team in my eyes lol. Either way you seem like a great poster, look forward to having you around during the year.

I know Allen had 2 great games, but IMO (I'm a couch coach so it doesn't really mean much) I think Thornton should start at the 1, he played well in spurts tonight. No idea why he didn't play more.

 

[DodgerDukie1985]

Ingram without a doubt has the most potential. That dude will be an absolute NIGHTMARE when he gets it going.

Definitely saw this against Bryant. I know, it was Bryant lol, but the talent and skill set is definitely there and it will come through once he gets more adjusted to the college game.

 

[TheDude1]

I'm slightly upset, but I honestly can't be downright steamed when Duke just gets beaten by a superior team. That's what happened tonight. All I can do in a situation like this is tip my cap to this Kentucky team and hope Duke learns from it and can fix the things they need to fix, especially if they see this Kentucky team again (which is definitely possible). I save my heated moments for when they give games away against what I feel are teams they should beat lol

Yep, this is how I feel too. This Duke team is very young, both in terms of age and in terms of guys being in new positions. To top it off, there is not the sort of one and done talent of an Irving or Parker or the three from last year to help cover up early-season holes. Guys like Kennard and Ingram and Jeter and Thornton are the sorts of guys who will take some time to figure out the role and what they're able to do, and guys like Allen and Plumlee and Jones and Jefferson are talented, but are being asked to do way more than they ever have done before, and are maybe not a top-level type talent as well. It will be a learning season for Duke. No biggie, you can't get angry at guys for being in this situation.

Now, if Carolina wins the title, I'll shoot myself.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Did Jay Bilas ever figure out how many threes or two's or free throws dook needed to win? He kept rambling on about it.

 

[UK3Pointer]

FWIW I always pull for Duke against UNC and UofL...