One of Many

The AP said it best, “Only at Duke could there be so much dissatisfaction with a 30-point victory.”

It’s not that I was dissatisfied, but this team did not “leave it all out on the floor” last night. Granted, this was only Presbyterian, but great teams play great against everyone, even the bad schools. Having said that, there was plenty to be excited about.

RANDOM RANTS:

– Somebody’s been hitting the gym. In fact, many people have. Singler had 30 extra pounds of muscle, Thomas had nearly 20 himself. Henderson, Smith and Scheyer had toned up. A stronger team is a better team.

– Singler and Scheyer stoled the show. Granted, Singler missed seven shots, but four were easy lay ups. I don’t think he’ll be missing many of those. Singler looked like he was finally playing his natural position, while Scheyer looked good with the mid-range jumper. However, he needs to remember where the 3-pt line is.

– Henderson looked timid. He never seem to find a flow in the game, often disappearing for minutes, then suddenly taking a desperation drive that wasn’t there. Remember, it’s the first game.

– Nolan Smith also looked timid, but settled down in the second half. He made 6-7 shots, producing three assists. The one thing Duke fans will have to remember is, Smith will not be raking up 5-7 assists a game. That is not our offense. We have half a dozen guys who can bring the ball up, so Nolan will often be playing a different style of point, often letting Paulus run the show when he is in.

– Speaking of Paulus, not bad, but not great. He missed five of his seven shots, going 1-5 from three. Not a big deal. He’s got an adjustment to make coming off the bench and he will figure out that new 3-line.

– Speaking of the new three-point line. Took only made three 3’s, but only took 11 for the game (seven were shot by Paulus). If any team can adjust to it, it will be Duke. Seriously though, when was the last time only 17% of a Duke team’s shots were threes?

– The Big’s had a mixed night. Plumlee got the start and looked like a freshman playing in his first game. He got two boards, missing his only two shots and struggled to guard the much small center, Coleman. However, Thomas may have found his role (spark off the bench). Like always, Lance has high energy and against Presbyterian he always seemed to be in the right spot on the offensive end, in position to receive a pass. He made 5-6 shots, grabbing five rebounds. This is important. Lance is undersized for a big man, so his game is always about being in the right position, whether it’s posting, setting up for a rebound, or coming off a screen. Zoubek again looked slow. He was out of position and had five fouls in only seven minutes.

Overall, the big men did, okay. The stat line of Plumlee, Thomas and Zoubek: 14 points (6-10), 8 boards (5 offensive) and nine fouls. The stat line isn’t bad, it’s just this was Presbyterian and they didn’t have the most dominant front line. These boys will need to improve if they’re going to challenge the big boys on Carolina or Wake Forest. Each game we’re going to ask for 24-12, with only 10 fouls from the three combined.

– Interesting fact that may only interests me, the Presbyterian Blue Hose is a Scottish thing and at home games, they play the Mel Gibson “Freedom” speech from Braveheart. Don’t they know that Mel hates the Jews?

– The only thing I can say about the Duke freshman is, give it time. Plumlee and Williams were the only two in the rotation, but both looked a little nervous. Watching Williams, you can see the explosiveness (the 306 dunk was sweet), but he appeared rushed and was forcing things a little. Czyz only played mop up duty, but he hit 2-4, including a monster dunk. The kid has hop.

– Free throws were bad last year. Against Presbyterian, Duke hit a solid 17-21. Let’s hope this is a trend.

– One note for ESPNU, for the love God, lose that ‘crowd cam’. I bought a 50-inch TV so I can watch 50 inches worth of basketball. Giving me a side box so I can just how bad my view would be from the crowd is not something I want to see. Thank you.

BEING NEGATIVE: 21 turnovers? Let’s not make it a habit.  

THE MAN: Kyle Singler. Except for those easy misses close to the basket, he dominated the game with 19 points, ten boards, hitting eight of his nine free throws.

PROPS GO TO: Al’Lonzo Coleman. The mini-center (only 6-7) held his own against Duke’s Bigs.