Let's talk Indiana.
- Thread starter Showenuff
- Start date
As K would say, Duke's biggest opponent on Wednesday is human nature.
Indiana is always a tough place to play at but they are also not a very good team this year at all. I guess anything can happen but I got Duke by double digits in this one.
Coach K: suck it up boys, everyone not wearing Duke blue wants you to lose. If you think anyone has any sympathy for us, it's in the dictionary between sh%* and syphillis.
Now go out there and rip their heads off and sh%* down their throats. Let's pray.
Now go out there and rip their heads off and sh%* down their throats. Let's pray.
Not an issue. Duke will go down by 18 midway thru the second half, a couple converted turnovers, a few threes, a few dunks, and we win with shaky free throws in the last minute. Oh and the board loses 3 more OFC members due to cardiac arrest.
Just another game really.......
Alan
Just another game really.......
Alan
I expect us to roll and, and o don't usually say that. I feel like a few shots and defensive plays got Trent's confidence back which is really important for this team. I think everyone's confidence jumped in the last few minutes of that game.
It feels weird, but o have a really good feeling about Wednesday. I think we will struggle in stretches in conference play, but I like the feel of this game.
It feels weird, but o have a really good feeling about Wednesday. I think we will struggle in stretches in conference play, but I like the feel of this game.
I expect us to look sluggish after what we went through in Portland, but I think Indiana is way over matched and we win going away
Assembly Hall is one of the most raucous venues in all of college basketball. We are significantly more talented than Indiana. But, we need to beat them early- and take the crowd out of the game. Letting Indiana hang around could be very dangerous. Hoping we win easily, but I do wonder how the boys will respond after such an emotional weekend of games.
Will Bagley be there? Yes? Ok, I’ll take Duke in this one.
Obviously Duke should win, but it will be interesting to see how they come out after being pushed to the edge in this tournament.
OFC
OFC
I don't think Indiana will be a problem but we certainly need to play like we are in the natty title game. I.U. will be the most important game we play this season. The next game is always the most important game IMO. One game at a time. OFC
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First true road game for our young team, but Indiana has lost to Seton Hall, and to Indiana State 90-69 and that was at home for Indiana also. I think Duke wins this one by double digits. I do have a feeling Duke will start slow since it is a first true road test, and that has been the theme so far. Once Duke starts to click, they will pull away and win comfortably. If Duke can beat Indiana, they should finish the non conference season undefeated. St. John’s will be a good test for Duke, but I don’t see them losing that game.
I would like to see Allen and Trent have huge games just to reinforce the teams confidence that we are more than Marvin and Wendell dominating the paint. I think a couple of really good games from the perimeter would do this team some good, and , cause a lot of head scratching for coaches trying to develop a game plan against us.
I'm interested to see how this young team performs with their first true road game on the heels of the big emotional tourney win.
First true road game. Lots of travel in seven days. Coming off an emotional three-game tournament on the other side of the country. The excuses for this team to lose are piled up, IMO.
Now that said, I don't think we're going to lose. But those things do apply, somewhat. As said, Assembly Hall is a tough place to play. A below-average Hoosiers team beat a very good UK team about five or six years ago on their home floor. So it's possible. IU would have to shoot incredibly well and get us into serious foul trouble.
My gut tells me it's close and frustrating for a while, but that we win by about 10 to 15 or so.
Now that said, I don't think we're going to lose. But those things do apply, somewhat. As said, Assembly Hall is a tough place to play. A below-average Hoosiers team beat a very good UK team about five or six years ago on their home floor. So it's possible. IU would have to shoot incredibly well and get us into serious foul trouble.
My gut tells me it's close and frustrating for a while, but that we win by about 10 to 15 or so.
I think we win this game but I think it will be a struggle. My reasons: 1. tough venue, and they will be fired up. 2. Coming off a 3 game, cross country road trip. 3. Youth. 4. I have a feeling Indiana will shoot well. I think we will win, but we must earn it.
It was a (soon-to-be) ranked Indiana team that beat the eventual national champion UK squad with Anthony Davis. This Indiana team is not nearly as talented, but is a very, very different team than the one which lost big to Indiana State (ISU hit 17 of 22 three pt shots through the first three quarters). Since that game, the IU defense and turnover #s have drastically improved, and so has IU under a new coach.
IMO, the Assembly Hall factor is relevant, especially with a freshman dominated Duke team. FWIW, IU has won it's last six home games against opponents ranked in the top four at Assembly Hall. I'm fairly certain that Allen is the only Duke player that has ever experienced anything close to the atmosphere that the Duke freshmen are about to enter. As Roy Williams said after losing to a crappy IU team there last year "Gosh. I’d like to play in front of a crowd like that in the Smith Center..." (yes, he really started that quote with 'gosh').
Anyway, here's to a injury-free game. Duke has far, far more talent - expect IU to pack in their pack-line defense and play through DeRon Davis on offense. I'm guessing that IU hangs around early - when the building literally shakes from noise and Duke hasn't adjusted yet. The true test will be if IU can withstand when Duke gets more comfortable.
Could you tell us more about the IU squad? I haven't seen them play this year so I don't know much about the team. How do the matchups look?
Starters:
1) DeRon Davis C, Soph, 6'10, 250: The only 'true big' on the team. Very effective low post scorer, limited athletically. Not a great rebounder. Effort level has greatly expanded under Archie. Will get Carter
2) Juwan Morgan F, Junior, 6'7", 225: High motor, skilled and strong but not a great leaper or stretch shooter. Will get Bagley
3) Rob Johnson G, 6'3" Senior: One of two team leaders. Good but streaky shooter, physical defender. Likely to get Trent
4) Josh Newkirk G, 6'1", Senior: Athletic pg without much court sense. Outside shooting can be very good, doesn't slash or pass well. Will draw Duval
5) DeVonte Green G, 6'2" Soph: has been the starter, but only played 12 minutes in last game and may be back to bench. Best pure scorer on team. Turnover prone, but can carry offense at times. Plays with attitude, but is sloppy. Allen?
Primary bench players:
1) Collin Hartman: 6'7", 215 5th year: The team's true leader. Has been very injury prone, but he was back for 10 min in our last game. Deadly outside shooter, smart defender, not athletic. If he starts for Green, he gets Trent and RJohnson switches to Allen.
2) Al Durham: G, Freshman 6'4", 190. Long, slashing, old school, excellent defensive guard who has not turned it over in his last 100+ minutes. Has played 30 min/game even though he's only started once. If he starts he gets Allen.
3) Freddie McSwain: C, Senior, 6'6" 230. Has a future as an NFL tight end. Terrible hands and very limited offensively, but he is so strong and athletic, and he's learned to defend and offensive rebound enough to contribute.
4) Justin Smith: F, Freshman, 6'7" 220: Smart, defensive oriented, slashing freshman that Archie trusts.
Maybe so, but it's a very different place than Cameron.
Cameron holds just over 9,000; Assembly Hall's student section is about 8,000 (out of 17,800). The biggest student section in the country, and they will be fired up (and probably well-ahem...'hydrated', lol).
Purdue gets this treatment; their upperclassmen are used to it, but freshmen have trouble, especially prep school freshmen that have never ever been in a truly hostile gym.
Thanks for the info.
How does the team rebound? As you know, we are really big this season. We've been doing a lot of damage on the offensive glass. I'm interested in your take on how IU might try to handle that, especially since your listed starters seem quite a bit shorter than ours.
I guess there's a few answers to the question of: "How will IU handle Duke's length?":
- Archie runs a Virginia style man-to-man "pack-line" defense which gives up some open threes, but clogs the lane on defense and tends to rebound beyond expectations on the defensive glass.
- Instead of starting three guards, Archie will replace Green and go with either Hartman or Justin Smith in the starting lineup, bumping us to 6'10", 6'7", 6'7" up front.
- Probably not especially well.
I am taking my son to the game. Hopefully we will no get anything thrown at us or anything for wearing our Duke Blue!!
I figured tickets would be crazy high in price but we got what looks like really good seats from Vivid Seats for 130$ per ticket.
JM, thanks for all your input my friend. Hope it's a good game and nobody on either side is injured. Good luck man !
Just don't wear Kentucky Blue and you oughta be fine. Even Purdue fans that aren't a$$es are fine in Assembly Hall. As long as you don't go over the top or engage against the random anti-Allen cheer or half-crazy student, IU and Duke are not traditional rivals, and Assembly Hall is an extraordinary place to be for a big game. I think that even a young kid in opposing gear will be excited, not bothered by it. The IU students will be lining up starting tonight for their general admission entry for tomorrow night!
Please post and let me know how it went - and have fun in there.
Anything under row 32 or so in the main section is a pretty good seat. Anything above that in the main is 'just okay' because of the balcony overhang. The balcony past the first few rows is pretty grim.
With almost 18,000 tickets and a late Wednesday game for tickets that retail from $28-$48, $130 per ticket sounds about right for a semi-high main level or low balcony. With that high a price that means the game is in high demand and the place will be rocking.
We struggled against Portland State so I am not willing to call any matchup a sure win at this point of the year, especially in such a difficult environment and especially after the draining week our team has endured.
I still expect us to win, but I will happily take any margin and get the heck out of dodge.
I still expect us to win, but I will happily take any margin and get the heck out of dodge.
Not trying to oversell IU this year; I think that it will be clear early if Duke's quickness and length are just too much for IU to handle.
On the other hand, if DeRon Davis stays out of early foul trouble (he's the one guy we can't play without against high-level competition) and IU shows well early, this game is gonna be really fun.