PhoenixRising2 wrote:

Haslametrics = has the Dukes as 108th in the country; and OUT in the NCAA Tournament.
La Salle is 6th in the country and a 3 seed in the NCAA.
Automated Game Preview:  http://haslametrics.com/preview.php?yr=&tid1=4673&tid2=4391&neut=0
Overall Ratings:  http://haslametrics.com/ratings.php

Was this a test to see who is paying attention?😀

luckymcd wrote:

phil95 wrote:

PhoenixRising2 wrote:

Haslametrics = has the Dukes as 108th in the country; and OUT in the NCAA Tournament.
La Salle is 6th in the country and a 3 seed in the NCAA.
Automated Game Preview:  http://haslametrics.com/preview.php?yr=&tid1=4673&tid2=4391&neut=0
Overall Ratings:  http://haslametrics.com/ratings.php

Was this a test to see who is paying attention?😀

I'm guessing it was left over from the Dayton game. If it was a test though Phoenix, we all look forward to these posts and watch them very closely. Thanks as always.

Nah, busted for a PUI - Posting under the Influence. Thanks, phil95 and luckymcd, for catching this (and it was leftover from the Dayton  game).

Last edited by PhoenixRising2 (2/02/2020 10:08 am)

duq81 wrote:

Needless to say, this is a must win game. We have 5 road games after this. Four of them will see us as substantial underdogs. Take care of business today, and I'll believe that we can steal one of those 4 tough road games, plus win the tough home games we have left, putting us in the NIT mix. Lose today, and I can see us losing all of those games, which would be a disaster after our strong start. Let's hope we're ready to play strong and smart, and put this game in the win column.

Definitely a must win against an inferior team at our place. A win puts us in fourth place in the conference, a loss drops us to seventh. I think exactly what you described will get us into the NIT. Taking care of our home court, beating Fordham on the road, and finding another road win in a tough game will get us to 22-8. That should be good enough for an NIT bid. Or just take it all in Brooklyn and go to the Big Dance!

Today shouldn't be close, but I'm going to change my usual call and say it probably will be. The last three games have been a 1 point game, a triple overtime game, and a 7 point game that was tied at halftime. I think some home cooking will be the difference though. The home team has won the last five (except for one game in the conference tourney) and seven of the last eight. I'll call for a close game, but we pull it out in the second half and finish them off with free throws for a 74-66 Dukes win.

Last edited by luckymcd (2/02/2020 2:00 pm)

Transition game, Carry in the first half surprised them with pushing the ball. This Dukes team gives too much up in transition. Carry proved that in the first half. Three defenders back peddling, and not set and Carry time after time gets the points and the foul. Early in the season, no transition points. Smart move at the end trying to foul by Carry. Up by 3 need them to take two. Didn't work that way, but La Salle finally missed one. Once again, not having a real home court is making this Dukes team look bad. Next year, at home should be just hell for visitors. Still, this team is on track for 21 wins, and, so, hope for post season. We did dominate inside, but gave up too many pull up jumpers. But again, this La Salle  team is hungry for a win and played very aggressive traps down the stretch. It's a wonder their record just sucks.

Also, want to beat the trap, then practice the full court trap in practice each day and then use it, at anytime, in every game going forward. This Dukes team looks very unfamiliar with beating traps. Almost lost the game because of it.  Something very useful down the stretch. 

Well a win is a win, but I get the feeling we're lucky the game isn't 45 minutes. The transition game was great in the first half. I think we wanted to slow the game down in the second half with the big lead. I didn't like that decision (if it was a conscious one) to go away from what was working so early.

The ball movement continued to start the second half at least. We were dominant in the paint and it led to some good looks from 3 that were falling for Norman and TDM. I was happy to see them handle the trap the first time LaSalle broke it out, but we looked lost after that.

I worry that we are pressing less than we had because of the lack of depth. That not only costs us in a lack of forced turnovers, but in being unprepared when we get pressed ourselves. If LaSalle hurt us that badly I'm terrified of what VCU can do to us.

I also worry Mike has a reputation among refs. He shouldn't have been complaining because I think a no-call was the right call on the missed dunk. It didn't like like he said anything though, and I don't think the raised arms is going to get a T very often on its own. He clearly isn't going to get much leeway with the refs, and we're lucky it didn't cost us more than it did. It's possible Rotroff could go from starting to not playing at all to starting in a three game stretch.

Since I'm in no danger of being T'd up I will say I thought the officiating was terrible. Two reviews both seemed pretty clear to me and both were overturned. Then they butchered the last call. Watching it live I'll admit I thought the foul on Sin was in the act of shooting. I jumped up shouting at the TV "what are you doing?" only to be shocked it was called on the floor. Then they showed the replay and I was thrilled to see they got it right. Then without reviewing it they overturned it to what on replay appeared to be the wrong call. Again, luckily it didn't cost us more than it did, but it shouldn't have come down to that.

One game after outrebounding Dayton we got killed on the glass by LaSalle. They got the rebound on nearly half of their misses (19 offensive boards for them, 22 defensive for us). We had some big offensive boards of our own, and when it mattered most Maceo closed out any hope they had, but we can't give up that many second chances.

Time off has been a bad thing for us so far this season, as rust has set in. I think we could really use some now though. Going to a tough place to play in St. Louis against a physical team in three days and then another tough game with St. Bonaventure three days later will be tough after all seven regulars played at least 24 minutes in this one. The week off before heading to NYC will be cherished, I just hope we can make it to the break without fading.

It's been a season of ups and downs. We're at 16-5 and right on the bubble for the NIT. Sadly the last two times we were in this situation we faded down the stretch and played in the CBI and no postseason. I was confident even with the loss to Dayton and liked the first half of this one. We've got to stick with what works though and find a way to get through the fatigue to make sure we don't fade again.

Steele had a nice game.
Good to see Norman hit some 3's.
Coach said Rotroff was ill so they only went with 7.
Hopefully he's ready for St. Louis . That will be a physical game.
1 student in the " Student Section."........literally....... 1.

duq81 wrote:

NapaDuke wrote:

Transition game, Carry in the first half surprised them with pushing the ball. This Dukes team gives too much up in transition. Carry proved that in the first half. Three defenders back peddling, and not set and Carry time after time gets the points and the foul. Early in the season, no transition points. Smart move at the end trying to foul by Carry. Up by 3 need them to take two. Didn't work that way, but La Salle finally missed one. Once again, not having a real home court is making this Dukes team look bad. Next year, at home should be just hell for visitors. Still, this team is on track for 21 wins, and, so, hope for post season. We did dominate inside, but gave up too many pull up jumpers. But again, this La Salle  team is hungry for a win and played very aggressive traps down the stretch. It's a wonder their record just sucks.

Way too much crying on this board about no home court. We're 9-1 at home. If we played LaSalle at the Palestra instead of Gola, no one on this board would regard it as anything less than a LaSalle home game. People act like these are neutral court games. LaSalle still had to bus to Pittsburgh, stay in a hotel last night, and play in front of the other team's fans. It's a road game for them, and every other team that comes here. Would the home court advantage be better at Palumbo? Sure, but all of this crying is silly. The team is 9-1 at home, so it must not be hurting them too badly.
 

We don't practice on any of these courts. We move from court to court. Our students do have to travel to see the games. But not practicing on that court each week makes every game a neutral court. No whining, just stating a fact that this team has had to endure more than their opponents this season, and it does make a difference, this game was closer than it should be.  And you answered your own question by saying would the advantage be better if at the Palumbo? 

1 student in the " Student Section."........literally....... 1.

Perhaps they are concerned about contracting coronavirus. The team is 16-5. Such low turnout sucks.

I'm a little concerned that we had only 7 players that coach trusted to play  in a game against one of the bottom feeders in the conference. Rotroff may have been the 8th if not sick.

OMG positive comments maybe CLK will reconsider his return as the #1 contributor to this board. MVP for this game was the priest who sat behind the bench. Great to see a collar Roman Catholic style on the bench at a Catholic Institution. Maybe I’m wrong but I have not seen a priest over the last 30 years. If I am incorrect in this observation Duq81 will no doubt correct me😂 I would love to know the padres name. As a long suffering Duquesne fan only an exorcism can stop the curse of Dudley Moore. Go Dukes.

Walter - I think you were looking where the students "used to sit."  They aren't in the end zone any more...they moved them over a section which is catercorner from the floor.  Now, there were under 100 which is sad, but there was more than 1.  It seems they show up for the BIG games (Dayton/PItt) and we don't ever win those and they don't come back.  I'm not making excuses for the lack of students at games, just providing some facts.  Go Dukes!

Last edited by FAM (2/02/2020 9:33 pm)