http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/2014/01/02/Dukes-face-high-scoring-Appalachian/stories/201401020172?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
 

CLK, no excuses is right.  There is no excuse for us to lose to a 300+ RPI team at home - ever.  That's what makes the New Hampshire loss so disgusting (the Dukes are New Hampshire's only D-1 victory so far this year).
Appalachian State is currently #309 in Pomeroy's ratings.  Pomeroy projects an 86-73 victory, with an 86% probability of a win.  The bookies have us favored by 11½ (there is a liine on this game).

I hate missing games, but I'm glad to be at home instead of having a 30 mile drive from Palumbo in front of me in this mess.

Take away "Win a date with" Tab Hamilton, the Dukes are up 49-9. Soko has been a freakin' beast tonight.

CLK wrote:

I  absolutely hate pregame quotes like this:

"It's not like we can go in and say, OK, take this one kid away and we can win," Ferry said. "You've really got to guard as a team. We're going to have to do a great job of conversion defense, and we're going to have to do a great job on the glass to give ourselves a chance."

To give ourselves a chance?  This team is 4-8 it is not like we are playing is an A10 level team even with Canty.  Talk about the positives of the Dukes, build up your team, and just go out and get it done.  To me it sounds like Ferry is making excuses why his team is going to lose.  We need to win tonight, no excuses!
 

I read those comments much like I read Joe Paterno's "Purdue is a good football team and we've got to play well and not turn the football over to win" comments.  The same types of responses were being made over on the Blue White Illustrated board that you're posting here about pepping up the Purdues and Indiana's for PSU football a few years back.  It's typical coachspeak IMO...

I did agree a win here is a must going into conference play however.  While only year 2, you need some momentum to start following you.  Fortunately, it's happening.

Also, +1 on not liking missing games but glad to be home watching online.

Pretty much humming on all cylinders right now. Des Ridenour needs to work on his FT shooting; otherwise, he's also having a great night.

FAM wrote:

Robinson was denied by the NCAA today.

At this point, does it really matter? The NCAA stinks.

This was the kind of game we needed to keep the momemtum going into conference play.  Everybody contributed.  Ever since the 2nd half of the Frankies game this team has been playing at a higher level.  The Dukes shared the ball as noted in the box score below.  They are believing in each other and developing some good chemistry.  Good to see the positive quote from Coach Ferry.  Confidence is contagious.

http://www.goduquesne.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/010214aac.html

Rogabee I agree that coaches in general like to show respect to their opponents as you don't want your team to take any opponent for granted and be stung.  I think however the "to give ourselves a chance" comment goes beyond respect and implies to me that the opponent is somehow superior.  App State was far from a superior opponent and a team were were expected to beat.  I know this may sound like I am being too critical but I thought for a team building momentum and gaining confidence this comment struck me the wrong way and bordered more on fear than respect. 

Ritter clearly you have not been watching this team.  Yes the opponents were not at the same level as A10 opponents but the team is playing much better basketball in my opinion.  I'll take it, and hope the momentum and confidence continues to build for the Dukes.  The next two home games will tell us a lot.

Go Dukes!

FAM can you shed any more light on your Robinson comment about being ruled ineligible.  Can he stay on scholarship or does he have to enroll as a JUCO?  Seems to me that one of the beat writers should pick up on this.

Didn't want to make a note of Robinson in prior posts.  He obviously answered a question someone asked of him.  He is a really nice person.  It is my understanding he is a partial qualifier.  Scholarship intact, can now practice but not eligible to play til next year. (Derrick Martin situation all over.)   If he wasn't eligible in any way, shape or form, he would have no reason to be on campus.  Under NCAA regulations, if he maintains the an appropriate grade average he can have four years eligibility.  Look at it this way.  We just recruited a 6'8", 245 lb. power forward/center combo who can practice with college players for a half of a year. I'm going to concentrate on the eleven scholarship players and three walk-ons wearing game uniforms.

Last edited by grammudder (1/03/2014 9:54 am)

This will probably work out better for Robinson. He would have lost more than a third of the season, and if he turns out to be as good as we think he will be, he would have had reduced stats at the end of his career. Plus, not having practiced, I think he might have had an increased chance of injury. 

So next season he steps right in for Soko, and with Lewis, Gill and Watkins getting a chance to play this year, we'll have a nice five man rotation up front with McKoy also coming back. Robinson's also going to help Lewis and Watkins during practice.

I don't want to address any of the Negative Nancies directly; everyone has their right to their own opinion. I'll simply offer my own penny's worth.

Last season, the program hit rock bottom after five successful years. No one can expect an NCAA title this year, or even a run at the tournament, because we're in a tough conference. I think realistically all you could ask for is a competitive team that beats the teams it should, holds its own against better teams, shows progress in terms of looking like a Jimmy Ferry-coached team, plays hard every night, and maybe even does some damage in the A-10 tourney. I'd be more concerned if we had split the last four games, or if we struggled with any of the last three opponents. But since the second half of the St. Francis game, this team HAS played well. It's defending, it's making better shot selection, it's shooting FTs, it's rebounding, and when it gets in gear, it can take your breath away on offense. To not see that, IMHO, is a choice.

Are there warts? Absolutely. I don't want to keep killing Colter so I'll simply say I would prefer to see more of Ridenour, who I think gets cheated out of assists some times and who I trust more with the ball in his hands.

I think a couple games against A-10 competition will give us a fairer perspective of where the team is, and where it might be going.