Need to finish these drives. Too many missed lay ups and getting killed on the offensive glass.

Smith might be challenging Kojo Mensah for the missed lay up record.

Dukes2012 wrote:

If ferry wants to save his job, this is a game he can't lose. He needs to have this team playing well down the stretch.

Yes, makes me ambivalent about who to root for.

Pantsed again. Down by 3 with a chance to tie, lose by 7.

No semblance of a plan in the last minute.

By all means, bring back Ferry. Give him 10 more years. We can't afford to lose him.

ElDuque wrote:

Pantsed again. Down by 3 with a chance to tie, lose by 7.

No semblance of a plan in the last minute.

By all means, bring back Ferry. Give him 10 more years. We can't afford to lose him.

We can probably get the rest of the A10 schools to pitch in and cover his salary if we keep Ferry.

ElDuque wrote:

Pantsed again. Down by 3 with a chance to tie, lose by 7.

No semblance of a plan in the last minute.

By all means, bring back Ferry. Give him 10 more years. We can't afford to lose him.

You said it.  No set plays, Lewis running to the hoop for a two when we needed TWO threes, no one bothering to even attempt to foul on their last inside bucket.  Sad really sad.

On a positive note, Mike Lewis is the most exciting freshman I have seen since Tom Pipkins. God I hope he stays for the new coach.
 

Tejas_Duke wrote:

God I hope he stays for the new coach.
 

 
I hope both parts of that sentence come true.

That being said, I'm sure I'll have to read about five more "must win" games before this season ends.

With 4 games left, my guess is the Dukes will go 1-4.

FAM wrote:

With 4 games left, my guess is the Dukes will go 1-4.

PLease visit my just posted "odds page"
 

levon1975 wrote:

I don't see how you (collective) could watch this game and blame coaching for the loss.  GW is a veteran team with a senior in Cavanaugh who is an All A-10 first teamer, forced the Dukes to double him at times leaving some others open for shots.  The hit some long threes and despite them sizzling from three the Dukes never let them pull away and stayed close all the way.  The Dukes just squandered too many excellent opportunities to get a lead, missed dunks, missed layups, poor decision on an open court situation.  That is why they lost, players have to make plays!  I think every player who played would admit that they just made too many mistakes to beat this team today; yet  it was a good competitive game and if you are at all impartial, you must see the improvement in this team.  Do they need more talent and size; absolutely, but the team is getting better.

 
This goes back to those three last minute losses early in the season when his end game instructions were "play hard." Now these kids have no concept of how to win a close game. With Colter, Ferry used to tell the kid to run the ball up court and look for the open guy. Each time, Derrick ran up court and heaved. A couple he made, a couple he didn't. I'm guessing he gave Lewis the same instructions. Problem was, there was enough time on the clock to set up a good shot, he heaves something off balance.

This is not about being a freshman. It's about not being coached properly.

Like I said, if you bring Ferry back then can his assistants and force him to hire coaches with basketball experience.

Better still, let's get a better head coach.

Some in person observations from the GW game - I tried to find some humor today.
(At least I did not fall asleep in the 2nd half like the URI game)

I was in Pgh this weekend and "rallied" my extended family to join me at Palumbo for the Noon Tip.

Neither 2+ hours of being w/me nor the attraction of exciting Dukes power BBall were enough to get any takers to join me - so I had to offer  buying their tix AND a box of popcorn each.
I had 7 accept.
(One condition - they had to wear DU gear ... Hat, T-Shirt, Sweatshirt ... I did not care, but some DU titled gear ... sad part is we had some kind of DU lineage - either a DU Grad our self, married to a DU grad, or child of a DU grad)
That put me out $176 for tix at the gate - 8 tix @ $22 a pop in B7 Section.  Bought them at 11:30am ... 30 minutes prior to tip.  The gentleman working the glass at the tix gate said "I can only get you 8 seats together  in row L".
(BTW - no price discount for age.  We had 78, 48, 48, 47, 43, 11, 8, & 6)

So given Row L as my best option for 8 together - I am assuming a big crowd ... maybe the UMass win brought out interest in the form of significant game day walk ups.
We walk in and wow - Surprise #1 - Give away ... yes free stuff ... T-Shirts for the Red Out theme.
So I am thinking positive  ... two wins in a row ... 8 of us get our sizes and head toward concession stand right - & time to buy 8 boxes of popcorn.
Enter surprise #2.  Popcorn for the 2/19 game is on special for $3 a box.
Free Red Out T-Shirt & $24 of popcorn.
Hmmm, could it be the stars ARE aligning for a mini-run of wins?
Did I just BUY a win by shelling out $200+ to get support to join me?

Well, irony is ironic ....

12:10p .... 10 minutes into the game - seemed about 1,200- 1,500 in the place.
(Official attendance published as 1,746)
I can see in every section 8 empty seats together.

The Red Crew Section by the pep bad (I am assuming this is the student section) had 7 kids.
7
Add in the 15+ pep band members - student section is rocking' it at just under 25.

Game is competitive and should have been a reason for some vocal support from the home crowd ... but not much enthusiasm from the crowd.
Meh.
Not sure I was at a College BBall game or a large viewing of a State Execution.

2nd half - about 50-75 folks from Canada walk in and take up 50% of Section B9.  They are chanting and cheering on every play.  Being very vocal for I Mike.
Wearing Red T-Shirts printed with  "I love Canada" on the front & "45 Mike" on the back.
It made the last 5 minutes fun - coming back from 10 down to within 3.
But .... we all know the outcome.

I spoke to one of the Canadian Crewe after the game - he said they all came in from Toronto to see their friend I Mike play.
I didn't say it but thought it as I smiled ... I hope he stays.


 

SkepticAl wrote:

ElDuque wrote:

levon1975 wrote:

I don't see how you (collective) could watch this game and blame coaching for the loss. GW is a veteran team with a senior in Cavanaugh who is an All A-10 first teamer, forced the Dukes to double him at times leaving some others open for shots. The hit some long threes and despite them sizzling from three the Dukes never let them pull away and stayed close all the way. The Dukes just squandered too many excellent opportunities to get a lead, missed dunks, missed layups, poor decision on an open court situation. That is why they lost, players have to make plays! I think every player who played would admit that they just made too many mistakes to beat this team today; yet it was a good competitive game and if you are at all impartial, you must see the improvement in this team. Do they need more talent and size; absolutely, but the team is getting better.

 
This goes back to those three last minute losses early in the season when his end game instructions were "play hard." Now these kids have no concept of how to win a close game. With Colter, Ferry used to tell the kid to run the ball up court and look for the open guy. Each time, Derrick ran up court and heaved. A couple he made, a couple he didn't. I'm guessing he gave Lewis the same instructions. Problem was, there was enough time on the clock to set up a good shot, he heaves something off balance.

This is not about being a freshman. It's about not being coached properly.

Like I said, if you bring Ferry back then can his assistants and force him to hire coaches with basketball experience.

Better still, let's get a better head coach.

So Colter "ran up Court" and "heaved threes"  Tarin's percentages are 37.7% from the field (worse than ALL the others who have tried enough shots to make this a comparison)  19.1% from 3 point range (far worse than the other  guards - WAY worse than Colter & Micah) -- 64.5% from the line --  better than only Sanders among those with a decent amount of playing time -  ANY good coach would want the ball OUT of his hands -  or basically tell him - you're going to be a Clayton Adams type - you can handle the ball but ONLY shoot lay ups - Free Throws, 2 Pointers, 3 Pointers - ARE THERE ANY OTHER KIND OS SHOTS??  Of course there was his off season video - when he leaped completely over a bystander and dunked the ball (How many times has he done THAT during the season??)

Am FOR a new Coach --  Only players I would DEFINITELY want back are Mike and Lewis -  Castro/J Rob/James are in the "wouldn't blame you if you DID leave category due to the fact that they might want/get more playing time in what would be their last year. 




 

Castro and Robinson can't leave unless they graduate, since both already sat out a year.