Article: Why Duke Will (Not) Win It All

UKCatNnc

All-Conference
Sep 30, 2005
6,166
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We know that a good point guard is essential for a title run. Go Cats!!
 

jrpross_rivals

Heisman
Feb 21, 2008
17,558
36,091
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I agree that Duke will be the team to beat. But did anyone else notice that article call Tatum a "sublime 3-point shooter"?

o_O
 
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RamHard

Freshman
Nov 10, 2014
403
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If anyone can do it the rat can. Best talent, best coach it will be hard to stop them. My boys will beat them at home lol
 

RamHard

Freshman
Nov 10, 2014
403
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Face it guys we are in the same boat next season, Duke Is getting all the hype
 

wall2rondo

All-Conference
Jun 3, 2010
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Face it guys we are in the same boat next season, Duke Is getting all the hype
Duke is getting all the hype because they have more returning players They will struggle at PG I believe

I'm fine with it. I don't want all the pressure like 2015. I would rather sneak in at the end and win it than have that much pressure on mostly freshman lineup.
 

bigbluelou

All-American
Apr 13, 2011
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Let Dook get the attention. Heck, they deserve it with who they've got coming in and coming back.

But I really like this UK team. A lot. Will be strong and not have all the pressure of previous teams, other than the fact we are UK.
 

Zachdeer1

Redshirt
Jun 6, 2016
125
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Not sure what matchup nightmare is in your eyes but dukes got the better squad on paper than any team. I do believe Carolina will play us at home and away thus year, they won't win but they'll play us.
 

Panthur

Heisman
Aug 5, 2008
9,225
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Not sure what matchup nightmare is in your eyes but dukes got the better squad on paper than any team. I do believe Carolina will play us at home and away thus year, they won't win but they'll play us.
Yeah if the paper says Giles is 100% with two blown knees and Tatum is a sniper then Duke's frickin incredible.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
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The preseason rankings seem to just care about total talent and aren't looking into the fact only 5 players can play at one time. Amile or Bolden? Kennard or Allen? Jones or tatum? Duke has talent.. But a lot of thst talent is stuck in traffic. Even Duke's class doesn't compliment each other well.. A score-first PG to go along with score-first SF and PF?

Who's playing defense? Will PG be an issue? How will Amile and Giles fare coming off of big injury?

For the #1 team that the media is gushing over.. There seems to be a lot of questions.

The only question for Kentucky is, do we have a true 5?
 
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Aike

Heisman
Mar 17, 2002
75,420
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Duke isn't scary.

They will be good. They will overwhelm most teams with talent.

However, we aren't one of those teams.

One of the easiest calls to make every year is, "Team X won't win it all." Hard to do even if you are elite. Duke isn't that.
 

Zachdeer1

Redshirt
Jun 6, 2016
125
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The preseason rankings seem to just care about total talent and aren't looking into the fact only 5 players can play at one time. Amile or Bolden? Kennard or Allen? Jones or tatum? Duke has talent.. But a lot of thst talent is stuck in traffic. Even Duke's class doesn't compliment each other well.. A score-first PG to go along with score-first SF and PF?

Who's playing defense? Will PG be an issue? How will Amile and Giles fare coming off of big injury?

For the #1 team that the media is gushing over.. There seems to be a lot of questions.

The only question for Kentucky is, do we have a true 5?[/

Any team with a freshman starting at point has more than one questions, amiles healthy he just needs to get up to speed and defensively duke wontnbe to shabby. I remember a post a few weeks ago where some said bolden was by far the best shot blocker in this class amiles a great defender a 80% healthy giles is still a dominant player on both ends frank is a very good defender a healthy Matt Jones is shut down against 2-3s tatum has some of the best passing skills in the class although he didnt show it in the all star games hes also a solid defender because of lenght. I think the only actual weak links are what-ifs comparing to Kentucky's like the fact none of there guards are sire to be good and potentially a weak big rotation I think you guys are overeating yourselves a little early
 

Zachdeer1

Redshirt
Jun 6, 2016
125
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Duke isn't scary.

They will be good. They will overwhelm most teams with talent.

However, we aren't one of those teams.

One of the easiest calls to make every year is, "Team X won't win it all." Hard to do even if you are elite. Duke isn't that.

And Kentucky is?
 
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LineSkiCat14

Heisman
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Not JUST a freshman point guard, but one that's not even a TRUE #1. I'm sure he'll be at least decent, but with all that talent around him, you need a good facilitator, floor general, and a defender. Those aren't his strengths. The questionmark on Jackson is two-fold.

As for Bolden and Amile, you're only getting one of those guys, or splitting the minutes 50/50. You can't count Bolden as a big contributor as well as Amile.. they will play the 5 and nothing else.

An 80% Giles would put him outside the top15 in recruiting, IMO. Hard to say where he'll be, or how much real effort he's willing to give on his one-year college layover. But I think it's safe to assume you're not getting quite the same Giles as you would have a year ago.

Matt Jones isn't a shut down.. No one on that team is. Your #1 defender might not be top3 on Kentucky.
 
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RamHard

Freshman
Nov 10, 2014
403
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RamHard is a Duke fan who pretends to be a UNC fan posting on a UK board...correct?


Ok son are you a cat fan? Just because I think Duke is better then us and Kentucky, guess that makes me a duke fan, I am not a homer fan.
 

Aike

Heisman
Mar 17, 2002
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Ok son are you a cat fan? Just because I think Duke is better then us and Kentucky, guess that makes me a duke fan, I am not a homer fan.

You're always over here jocking Duke. But if you're a real UNC fan that's bad enough.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
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And Kentucky is?

You know why people should be scared of Kentucky, that hasn't (and won't) be addressed? We lost two players, Skal (talent/out of position) and Poythress (effort), who really couldn't be relied upon, at all. I hate to say it, but Kentucky is better off with out them, assuming they are the same players this year as last year. They were exposed many times, couldn't be counted on as leaders, and also had injury problems they had to come back from. Simply put, for a blue blood program, they missed the mark. If they were Duke or Kansas players, they'd have missed the mark.

Our frontcourt as a whole was putrid, and was only held up by the guards that aided it. Next year, Kentucky won't have a player "bust" nearly as bad as Skal, and won't give starter minutes to a lackluster leader in Poythress.

I hate to bash the two like this.. but there's really only one way to go from a Poythress/Skal front court: Up. And we have the players to skyrocket the front court. Gabe, SKJ, and Bam, who together bring everything to the table, and a few holdovers poised to make big improvements. Defense, Shooting, Rebounding, Athleticism, and most importantly, high-energy/big motor guys.

Kentucky had an absolutely anemic frontcourt last year, that in retrospect, probably wasn't good enough to be considered "mid-major" and still was a #4 seed, needing a hose job by the SC just to keep us from the S16. THAT'S why you should be scared.
 

Primedfor9

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Oct 1, 2015
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Included Kennard in that list too. I guess 32% is sublime now.
That doesn't mean much, he had to get used to the college game. He was shooting below 20 percent much of the season and started shooting it how everyone expected later to end up at 32 percent. He'll likely shoot it much higher this year.
 

RamHard

Freshman
Nov 10, 2014
403
61
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Duke isn't scary.

They will be good. They will overwhelm most teams with talent.

However, we aren't one of those teams.

One of the easiest calls to make every year is, "Team X won't win it all." Hard to do even if you are elite. Duke isn't that.


Just because you hate Duke does not mean they are not loaded best team in Basketball. I hate Duke more then you , You guys are even Duke rival , I going to accept that Duke has a great chance to win another ship.
 

Zachdeer1

Redshirt
Jun 6, 2016
125
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Not JUST a freshman point guard, but one that's not even a TRUE #1. I'm sure he'll be at least decent, but with all that talent around him, you need a good facilitator, floor general, and a defender. Those aren't his strengths. The questionmark on Jackson is two-fold.

As for Bolden and Amile, you're only getting one of those guys, or splitting the minutes 50/50. You can't count Bolden as a big contributor as well as Amile.. they will play the 5 and nothing else.

An 80% Giles would put him outside the top15 in recruiting, IMO. Hard to say where he'll be, or how much real effort he's willing to give on his one-year college layover. But I think it's safe to assume you're not getting quite the same Giles as you would have a year ago.

Matt Jones isn't a shut down.. No one on that team is. Your #1 defender might not be top3 on Kentucky.


Yeah I agree with most of the stuff you said if you watched Matt last year (2015) he was great dominated most matchups . i dont really agree about the #1 wouldn't be top 3 I would list UK vs duke defenders

1 Briscoe (UK)
2 fox (UK)
3 Jackson
4 monk (UK)
5 Jones
And
1Amile
2 Bolden
3 bam (unless Giles is 100%)
4 giles
5 Gabriel

If you ever saw a non high school game harry he wasn't dominant because of athleticism it was because of moves and abikty to rebound and defend the dunking and stuff was just the toping on the cake
 

Aike

Heisman
Mar 17, 2002
75,420
46,296
90
Just because you hate Duke does not mean they are not loaded best team in Basketball. I hate Duke more then you , You guys are even Duke rival , I going to accept that Duke has a great chance to win another ship.

I don't hate anybody. Duke is ok. They have a slight chance of winning the title.

Isn't there a UNC board where you can talk about how great you think Duke is?
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
38,972
61,153
113
I have to be honest, I'm impressed you can rattle off our roster like that. Seriously, Duke fans like Mark and others I'm not convinced know much about anything other than Duke.

I'd throw Gabe into that mix. Actually, I'd throw him in #2 right before Briscoe. That dude loves to defend AND does it well.. Almost any position on the floor, too. Now, he's a freshman, so I'll curb my expectations.. but yes, I'd guess he's the 2nd best defender on EITHER team by year's end.

My question with Giles has never been whether he'll be healthy, but whether he's going to give 100% knowing that one more knee injury could cost him millions. I think that's the bigger issue in terms of production for Duke.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
38,972
61,153
113
Sidebar: Am I really the only one calling him "Gabe"? Can we please make that stick.. I'm trying to get credit here..
 
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