DeMarcus Speaks on the Two Game Slide

Somebody has to do something here. Hopefully this public statement from the captain will bear fruit.

“Whatever it is that’s going on that’s keeping us from playing at the level we need to play at, we have to address it and take ownership of what’s going on. We have to hate this. We have to hate this so much that we’ll play to exhaustion, until our hearts pop out of our chests before we lose another game.”

Amen brother.

Amen.  Go Duke.

– Lake

UNC shows little heart as Duke rolls 89-78

The way I see it the difference in the game was that Duke came out with Kurt Angle’s three I’s: Intensity, Integrity and Intelligence, three adjectives most UNC fans are likely unfamiliar with.

But seriously, this game was a relative snoozer from the middle of the first half. You knew Duke was going to win, it was just a matter of waiting for UNC to die that slow, uninspired death. With the exception of Tyler Hansbrough (and possibly Ty Lawson) does anybody on that squad have any heart?

I mean, where was the pride? Where was the commitment to protect that home court? After these cats lost their Point Guard it just looked like someone came in and stole their lunch money but their big brother happened to be out of town and couldn’t protect them anymore. What a joke.

Believe me, this was NOT a close game. Duke was the superior team, really from start to finish, but most striking was how much tougher Duke was that the Tar Heels. There’s no doubt that things would have been different had Lawson played and it’s unfortunate that UNC lost him to that ankle sprain.

Is that an ankle brace or a gobment electronic monitoring device? My bad. But on the real, if the Refs weren’t under the delusion that Tyler Hansbrough can play a tough, physical brand of basketball and virtually NEVER foul, this would have been a legitimate blow out.

What is this cat doing? Seriously, how many times does Hansbrough just run into his defender where it’s automatically a foul on the defense? How often does he wrestle for a rebound and then suddenly it’s against the other guy? I’ve watched him in other games and it’s the same story, hell, in my broadcast, Packer called him “A Great White Shark.” Well, that’s close to what he is, but I’ll just leave that be (for now).

Anyway, it was a solid Duke win with more than a few gut checks from the fellas and plenty of balanced scoring across the team.

GREG PAULUS WAS NAILS from three and just played an overall great game. He feasted on Thomas, who apparently didn’t get the memo that Greg is water from deep. Not only did he shoot 6-8 behind the arch, but they were clutch shots to boot. The UvT game ball definitely goes to the Syracuse brawler, Gregory P.

He really sacked up. It’s kind of hilarious to say it, but UNC really had no answer for him. The rest of the fellas just played smart and within themselves with six guys scoring in double figures. I can’t lie, it was good to see Scheyer get going too.

He was all over the court tonight, making plays and just letting the play come to him.

That crowd full of hicks, most of whom were more consumed with their placement on Gerald Henderson’s nut sack than on the actual play in the game, got just what they deserved.

No seriously, tell me exactly what these two chicks “wanted” from Gerald?

Exactly. I guess those UNC guys just aint hittin it right.

Definitely not. Those inbreds “wanted” Gerald and that’s exactly what they got.

Happy? Now go vote for Mike Huckabee, strum that ukulele with your underfed hound howling in the background and just remember not to take 2 girls and a dude home with you after you drawn your sorrows in your best batch of Carolina Blue moonshine you undoubtedly prepared for tonight’s game..yall hear? Next... (literally).

Duke Blue Devils
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
K. Singler, F	37	5-11	1-2	2	10	2	3	14
L. Thomas, F	25	5-7	0-2	2	5	0	4	10
G. Henderson, G-F	29	5-10	2-6	3	7	3	3	12
D. Nelson, G	23	3-9	6-7	1	4	5	4	13
G. Paulus, G	31	6-9	0-2	0	3	3	4	18
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
J. Scheyer, G	33	4-11	7-8	2	6	3	1	17
N. Smith, G	13	2-5	0-0	0	0	0	3	5
D. McClure, F	7	0-2	0-0	1	2	0	2	0
T. King, F	2	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	0
TOTALS		FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
		30-66	16-27	11	37	16	24	89
		45.5%	59.3%

North Carolina Tar Heels
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
D. Thompson, F	18	5-6	2-3	3	5	0	5	12
T. Hansbrough, F	38	12-21	4-9	5	18	0	4	28
M. Ginyard, G-F	33	3-10	8-8	3	5	3	1	16
W. Ellington, G	34	3-14	2-2	2	5	2	4	8
Q. Thomas, G	35	4-8	2-4	0	3	7	4	10
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
D. Green, G-F	23	1-10	0-0	2	3	4	3	3
A. Stepheson, F	13	0-0	0-2	2	4	0	2	0
W. Graves, G-F	6	0-0	1-2	1	1	1	3	1
TOTALS		FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
		28-69	19-30	18	44	17	26	78
		40.6%	63.3%
TEAM REBS: 5

Stay down!

Go Duke.

– Lake

Two words for Maryland fans: DeMarcus Nelson

By the time you read this post all the early model compact and sub-compact American cars that Maryland “students” lit on fire “in protest” for Duke’s win should burning out and many of the now detoxed drunken thugs with books should be posting bail.

So that means that Duke must have won, right? Well, yes, Duke did win, but win or lose the Maryland thugs will riot, so that’s not necessarily indicative of an outcome either way. With that said, I was really impressed with Maryland’s squad and that’s something I haven’t said since Juan Dixon was doing his thing back in the day. Though I hate to admit it, they are a lot better than their record indicates and will be a tough out for several ACC teams going forward as long as they can avoid the classic Gary Williams let downs to weaker teams.

Still, after being down 9 at the half in an emotional game, the Good Guys manned up, lead by the Captain DeMarcus Nelson, and got a tough win on the road with a 93-84 victory at the cable box in Maryland.

(I know, I know Maryland fans, Duke gets all the calls and that’s why they won, not because Duke is just better and this was a foul on Henderson that they missed too, I know.)

Again, the hallmark of this group is team. It’s completely cliche but dammit it’s true. Guys get cold, other guys get hot, some guys just don’t have their best stuff, but with this group, unlike any other Duke team I’ve ever seen, there’s always someone there to pick up the slack. There’s always a man ready to step in and do his duty. Tonight that man was DeMarcus Nelson with 27 points, 19 of them in the second half.

I mean, homey was ballin out there! He was hitting mid range shots, getting and ones, hitting free throws, making defensive plays, distributing the rock, battling on the boards and just being an all around leader out there. You could just feel the guys gravitating toward his example. It’s like he was balling with the fight music from Gladiator playing in the background. In fact, if you want to run that back and understand what DeMarcus was hearing during the MD game, go ahead and hit play.

Great stuff.

Talk about coming of age, a career high on the road at hostile MD with the ignorant thugz/studentz looking on in utter disbelief? And what about young Nolan?!

Geez, could that cat play any better? Homey was DEALING out there with runners, threes, dimes and defensive plays. Bottom line, he was integral in Duke’s win tonight. Forget the future, the future is now. I honestly don’t see how Coach K can’t seriously consider Nolan for the starting job after what we saw tonight. Not only that, but he plays well with his teammates. He finds guys in the right spots for them to make their shots and if they can’t make them, he’s in the right position to take his own. If Elliot Williams is as advertised, Duke’s future backcourt will be very scary.

I would be remiss if I didn’t make note of the hot game turned in by the (near) future NBAer Gerald Henderson.

Homey’s mid range game is taking off like Soul Glo’s home weave products. I mean, this cat is a BEAST on that curl (no pun intended). That elevation, the silky smooth release, the dunks on fast breaks, the polos, the nikes, the grind, empty bottles of No-Doz, I spent that gas money on clothes with logos…my bad, had a Kanye “The Glory” attack. But that’s how Hendo’s game is right now though. This cat is literally taking cats to the Glory and they really “can’t stand it lord” with that choir in the background and Coach K spinning Hendo’s greatest hits on the sideline.

This is a team of men… and I fucking love it.

Go Duke.

Oh, much respek to my main mahn Lance Thomas, him be on the rise right about now, really competing and doing his thing for Duke Blue. Lance, keep sticking with it homey. You’ve been ballin the last couple of games and the squad needs what you bring. Incidentally, I know this cat tries to channel Ben Wallace, but can someone please tell me why this is necessary?

Look, I’m not trying to start no trouble, but I’m just saying. This cat looks like Lord Helmet from Spaceballs out there. It just aint right. I mean, this cat is out here acting like he needs some sort of gimmick. Osby, you’re actually a decent ACC big man with talent. You don’t need that dome to draw attention to yourself….seriously, use some of that illegal Murrland booster money and go git yourself a damn haircut, bottle of Nair, something. At this point, even male pattern baldness would be an improvement. Geez.

Run the stats:

Duke Blue Devils
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
K. Singler, F	31	2-10	2-2	1	3	1	5	7
L. Thomas, F	18	2-3	2-4	1	2	0	4	6
G. Paulus, G	19	3-7	4-4	0	1	2	4	12
G. Henderson, G-F	33	9-12	4-6	1	5	1	2	23
D. Nelson, G	38	10-19	6-8	3	7	4	3	27
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
N. Smith, G	20	4-6	5-5	3	6	1	0	14
D. McClure, F	8	0-2	0-0	0	2	0	1	0
T. King, F	5	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	1	0
J. Scheyer, G	28	2-7	0-0	1	2	0	3	4
TOTALS		FGM-A	FTM-A	OFF	REB	AST	PF	PTS
		32-68	23-29	10	28	9	23	93
		47.1%	79.3%
TEAM REBS: 8 TURNOVERS: 10 (G Henderson 2, G Paulus 1, K Singler 3, L Thomas 1, D Nelson 1, N Smith 2) BLOCKED SHOTS: 3 (G Henderson 2, D Nelson 1) STEALS: 13 (G Henderson 1, G Paulus 4, K Singler 2, T King 1, D Nelson 4, N Smith 1) 3-PT FGS: 6-18, .333 (J Scheyer 0-2, G Henderson 1-2, G Paulus 2-3, K Singler 1-5, T King 0-2, D Nelson 1-2, N Smith 1-2)

– Lake

The sun came up, water was wet and Duke crushed Albany

I know, I know, nobody cares…

It’s true, hell, I don’t even care. Still, I just have to say that after last year, it’s refreshing for a Duke squad to be able to drop a nuclear bomb on a team like that. I mean, these cats posted a clean 111 points on those fools and probably half of those came from three. Marky was out there like a sharp shooter.

Just hitting those fools with a plethora of three balls. Nolan really showed us a thing or two as well. He’s still out there playing a bit of street ball, but this cat has a ridiculously bright future at Duke and should get plenty of time all year long.

And Scheyer, he was just all around gangster on them.

He was really out there looking like JJ Redick Jr. Jr., but with better handles, a better overall game (at the same stage) and more quickness. That behind the back, half wrap around flip pass was sick. See, last night just lets you know how far we’ve come in a year. I’m confident that we’d murder VCU (sorry Maryland) right about now. In fact, I’m quite certain that this year we’ll really run those inferior teams out the gym this year. Something we failed to do at times last season.

What we’ll do with real squads with real size remains to be seen. Like I have no clue what Duke will do against Balco T and the rest of the heels. Sheeyut, Pittsburg will be a hell of a test at the end of this week. I’ll be sacrificing a large endangered feline at high noon on Thursday in preparation for what hopefully will be a big win.

Good work fellas… Go Duke.

– Lake

DeMarcus is your leader, Paulus gets demoted?

The Duke Basketball team named guard DeMarcus Nelson as its team captain for the upcoming season Friday.

(it’s funny, DeMarcus looks exactly like that generic “player” we used to use in all those video games before they had the names and likeness of the players. Just a brown skinned, bald headed brother with that extra skrong frame, sorry, just an observation)

Nelson, who was one of three captains last season, is the only senior on the Blue Devils’ roster and is coming off a season in which he averaged a team-leading 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.

“DeMarcus has grown into quite a leader,” Coach K said. “This has been recognized by his teammates and coaches, so instead of having multiple leaders we are looking for Markie to do that on his own this year. We are all really excited for him.”

Now, upon hearing this news, any astute Duke Basketball fan will quickly realize that if Nelson is the sole captain on the squad, that means that Greg Paulus suddenly is NOT the Blue Devil’s captain for the 2007-2008 campaign. Hmm, sounds like a snub to me. It just makes you wonder, while Nelson is being recognized for his ascension within the program is Gregory P getting that “not DeMarcus” treatment? What’s the “not DeMarcus” treatment you ask? I’m not sure, but this is likely what it feels like:

 

Well, I’m not sure, but when Greg heard the news he wasn’t going to be captain after being one last year, given his shaky play, it probably felt something like an inverse backhanded ghost slap about the face, neck, nuts and solar plexus from both staff and team, leaving him with an expression that probably looked something like dis:

Whispers around the Duke program would have you believe that the team was getting pretty tired of Josh McRoberts’ act last year, so his departure wasn’t all that big of a disappointment. Don’t forget, these two guys, McBoberts and Paulus, were the final pieces that supposedly were going to give Duke a legitimate shot at a National Title in 2006. Well, that didn’t happen.

(I know JJ, I expected more from those dudes too)

To me, Coach K managed them all wrong both that year and last year. Who knew Paulus was more of a shooting guard with good handle and above average passing skills than he was a great playmaking PG? Who knew Josh McBob was more of a distributor who liked wide open alley ops and dunks than he did being a go to guy in crunch time? Well, in my view, Coach K should have known, but what can you say?

 

(Look at the silky smooth hairdo of the cat on the left, perfect)

 

 

I actually like both Greg P and Josh McRoberts. All I can ask for from our guys is that they play with the heart of a lion, will of a champion. Greg Paulus does that. Not only that, but he’s got a killer J, he can score in traffic and can dish the rock a little. A top flight pure PG he is not. That’s just a fact. Call it what you like, a recruiting mistake or whatever, but I think it’s more about who K played alongside Paulus than Greg himself. Greg Paulus should be our 2 guard or part of a tandem guard system, but he’s NOT an elite playmaker and he cannot guard, one-on-one, most ACC caliber starting PGs.

K needed to either get him some help (read Nolan Smith) or put Greg in a system that catered to what he could do best. Let’s start with some Zone D every now and again, perhaps? Let’s continue by paring him with a hot defensive stopper (read DeMarcus) rather than a taller version of himself (Scheyer). Duke’s guards haven’t been good enough (particularly on the defensive side of the ball) over the past few years to do the typical Coach K 4 guard set he enjoys so much (read DeMarcus at the 4!!!). That’s not Greg’s fault, never was. Let’s just see how Greg responds to the “not captain role”… I know it’s gotta hurt. Word on the street out of Duke is that Nolan Smith is looking even better than people had once thought. I mean, just think about it, you’ve got Paulus, Henderson, DeMarcus, Scheyer, Nolan Smith, Taylor King, AND Pocious as potential/legitimate guard options?

(either homeboy is an evil genius or we’re not recruiting right)

Greg’s minutes just have to be reduced. There is no way they won’t be. Is that why K and staff took the captain designation off him? Not sure. Either way, it’s time for Greg to man up though. Show that heart, accept (and know) his role so Duke can get back to competing and winning. I have no doubt that he will.

– Lake