November: Other NCAAB Games

[Inyatkin]

Flagg could be on the back to back National Champ Huskies right now with a real shot at making true history for the 3peat. He could have stayed local, followed in the footsteps of Donovan and essentially be the number 1 on the number 1 team. Just think about the storylines and love he could have got stepping into a championship program.

He chose the hype of ESPN and Jim Nantz by choosing Duke, a lesser school in the world of basketball excellence. They barely run an offense and already show they are going to rely on him taking over games night in and out to survive. It's a joke, the kid made a foolish decision.

I hope we play them, Danny will run circles around Scheyer, and Flagg will end up with one nice elite eight run in college before heading to the NBA

Jim Nantz? He chose Duke based on a retired broadcaster? To each his own, I guess

 

[Iluvsuebird]

This Duke team will play a lot better as the season progresses.

bench scored 6 points. They have how many 5 star players? They played 8 guys. Pretty pathetic.

 

[connVA]

It’s going to get interesting if (when?) Scheyer drops a couple games to middle-of-the-pack (or worse) ACC teams with that load of talent

 

[Deleted at users request]

True but Kemba was a junior PG, used to the ball in his hands. Flagg is a 17 yo PF. I find it weird to put the ball in his hands at the top when you have two older and capable guards that should run action. Do you recall any college game recently where the PF ran iso from top? I get it’s Flagg. Game has come a long way in last 15 years as well in terms of hoops play design. But I get what you’re saying.

Flagg is interesting in that what separates him is his size/length, vertical burst and very high release. If he gets a little space he just goes over you. You could see what UK was focusing on was getting to the ball in his hands before he went up, because once he does it’s over. Other teams will copy that so Scheyer should think about less dribbling and more action for the kid.

I try not to look at recency when comparing players because the talent is just not as good as it used to be in general these days. Which makes me question if the game is actually going in a good direction.

The last great college (offensive) player I’ve personally seen was Cade Cunningham at OSU. That class in general was pretty solid overall. I haven’t seen the Rutgers kids yet (waiting for them to play a big game) but I’m hoping this class brings that feeling back.

I agree Duke may want to post up Flagg more in those kind of situations so he can get it and go instead of take someone from the top. But Tatum and Jabari Parker are comparable 4s who you could trust in an iso at the top (which still had some movement so the defense couldn’t stand still and just watch him ala that Kemba Walker play). Kentucky’s help defenders weren’t able to stand still and look until Flagg was already driving to the rim.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I thought it was a fun game. Great second half. I like Pope - turns out having a mix of guys who are being coached might be better than rolling out a discombobulated cast of 5-star freshmen.

Knuepel, Flagg and the African kid are obviously very good and only going to get better. Knuepel would be great in Storrs.

 

[UCONNOLOGIST]

Who guards him?

Good question.....Karaban maybe

 

[superjohn]

This is crazy, even for you. Flagg had a +14.1 BPM, highest on the team.

And they were -8 with him actually on the court.

 

[rrskyjf]

The Flagg and Nipple talk is already getting old. Just more Duke choir boy players that the media, especially ESPN, are going to keep talking about. There was more talk after last night's game about Flagg than there was about the UK team, which deserves some praise for hard play and a coach that actually knows how to coach.

How anyone can root for Duke continues to amaze me.

 

[HooperScooper]

Kneuppel and Proctor played 36+ minutes, and Flagg would have had similar minutes w/o 2 fouls in the 1st half. Maluach played 23 minutes but probably would have been near 30 if not for cramping issues. It makes me appreciate UConn's depth. Maybe Duke's (Flagg's) collapse in the 2nd half was due to fatigue. I see the lack of minutes for Duke's bench to be a coaching issue. Scheyer is too dependent on the top talent to compete vs having a system in place to maximize success.

Flagg didn't come out at all in the 2nd half and probably wouldn't have in the 1st half without the foul trouble.

And the last 2 possessions? Yeah just give it to your star freshman who had 2 college games under his belt before last night and tell him to go make a play on his own.

Scheyer is a dope. Can't wait to see him fail as a head coach.

 

[ctchamps]

Who guards him?

Abraham handled him really well in the championship game against Monteverde.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I saw the second half. Biggest thing I noticed was he plays at one speed. Good rebounding.
Once he learns how to change speeds and hesitations, he'll he fine. He could get to any point on the floor he wanted to get to with the ball.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

They lost because Scheyer took everyone out of the offense and had Flagg and Knueppel in iso the whole second half. They actually played their best with Flagg on the bench with two fouls in the first half.

So you think handing the ball to Flagg at the top and just saying go is good strategy? Not running any offense whatsoever or letting anyone else touch the ball? Letting your freshman 4 go iso from 25 feet out? Especially late when it was clear he was exhausted. At least run a set and get him off a pick.

Flagg was 8/14 from 2 and drew a bunch of fouls there as well. He was pretty well abusing his defender all night and ISO plays to get into the lane. Was it the most creative play call? No. Do I have an issue with it? No.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I mean the kid is suppose to be generationally good. He’s suppose to be able to beat that guy 1 on 1 as a future franchise player.

Jayson Tatum could do that at Duke. Kyrie, Jabari Parker, Zion, hell Austin Rivers. It’s a skill he should have.

Duke tried to run clear out actions so that the help defense couldn’t just sit and watch either. He also got a screen the second possession.

So he pulled a Trajan Langdon. It is a very Duke thing to do.

 

[KingAG]

Flagg was 8/14 from 2 and drew a bunch of fouls there as well. He was pretty well abusing his defender all night and ISO plays to get into the lane. Was it the most creative play call? No. Do I have an issue with it? No.

The first iso was fine. It was the second one that was a bad play call. Get if coming off of a DHO or a screen going down hill. Or draw something up to get him to a spot where he can make a quick decision. He needed his coach to simplify things for him.

At the very least call a timeout when you have a young team clearly pressing.

 

[TheHorde]

Good question.....Karaban maybe

Good thing basketball is a team sport

 

[JerseyAlum]

And they were -8 with him actually on the court.

But the +/- on a player is only counted for when they are in. Sub in and you could be -2 if they just hit 2 free throws you had nothing to do with. I take +/- numbers with considerable salt.

 

[Scott2Tate]

Flagg could be on the back to back National Champ Huskies right now with a real shot at making true history for the 3peat. He could have stayed local, followed in the footsteps of Donovan and essentially be the number 1 on the number 1 team. Just think about the storylines and love he could have got stepping into a championship program.

He chose the hype of ESPN and Jim Nantz by choosing Duke, a lesser school in the world of basketball excellence. They barely run an offense and already show they are going to rely on him taking over games night in and out to survive. It's a joke, the kid made a foolish decision.

I hope we play them, Danny will run circles around Scheyer, and Flagg will end up with one nice elite eight run in college before heading to the NBA

Cmon now…I’m no fan of Duke but to say they are a lesser school in the world of basketball excellence is a bit of a stretch. Also it’s well known that Flagg has been a fan of Duke for years. If you were a teenage kid and had the chance to go to your dream school, could you say no?

 

[GlastonTim]

Leg cramps are an issue for the dukies right now. Scheyer said needs to be addressed with trainers.

 

[DogMania]

I saw the second half. Biggest thing I noticed was he plays at one speed. Good rebounding.
Once he learns how to change speeds and hesitations, he'll he fine. He could get to any point on the floor he wanted to get to with the ball.

Flagg is very talented, that's for sure. Hard to believe he's just 17. Winning in March probably won't happen for him, but he'll have the ball in his hands more than any other freshman on his way to the NBA next year.

He has a high BBIQ to go along with his skills. The problem is everyone on UK knew what Dook was going to do at the end of that game. They swarmed him, knowing that he was unlikely giving up the ball, getting the steal. Then shepherded Flagg like a sheep, who was probably fatigued by then, to the corner where nothing good usually happens. He looked very much like a freshman on that last ill fated play, not to mention not blocking out on the missed FT getting shoved under the basket.

Scheyer continues to show how bad a coach he is doing so little with so much. He should have drawn up a play, like the C's use (not that I'm a big fan of that style on winning time offense), where they use Flagg with the ball in his hands to draw a double or triple team to dish to an open teammate for a high percentage shot, or put it in the hands of a teamate and run Flagg around some screens to get him the ball on the move in the paint towards the basket where all he needs is one or two dribbles.

A good coach could make that a very dangerous team by developing all the players and teaching them to execute some multi-action motion offense. Hum...who does that sound like? The way this is going, just a few of his players will dominate their offense while the others become more disillusioned seeing that they're not going contribute like they had hoped and not ready to do so when the few opportunities present themselves.

I love how in Hurley’s offense, if you're out there you'll get the ball and have opportunities to score or set up a teammate, instead of standing around watching just a few teammates create their own shot or just play some two man ball. I'm so f--n grateful to be a Husky fan.

 

[Waquoit]

And the last 2 possessions? Yeah just give it to your star freshman who had 2 college games under his belt before last night and tell him to go make a play on his own.

Flagg already knows how to be a star. He needs guidance on becoming a better baskerball player. Scheyer sounds like a parent afraid to confront a prodigious offspring.

 

[Stinger92860]

This Duke team will play a lot better as the season progresses.

Let’s see what happens.

 

[Gutter King]

This was not a well coached game from either side. It didn't even feel like 12 asst from Duke. They had all summer and that is what you throw out there? Bare minimum.

Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach are awesome. I came away impressed, despite Knueppel not shooting well. One way or another, this season will be an indictment on Scheyer...which will probably be a blessing to Duke fans.

Kentucky on the other hand wasn't particularily well coached either. There were atrocious shots taken by that team. Some guy launched a 36' with 5 minutes left right when Kentucky pulled even. A chance to exert momentum and he heaves one six seconds into the shot clock. And that sort of thing happened a lot throughout.

Watching this stuff makes me even more bullish on our prospects this year. The recent coaching exodus resulted in a rather large void in good coaching.

 

[ec33]

Abraham handled him really well in the championship game against Monteverde.

Abraham handled him "well" for a guy that was greatly overmatched (showing a big heart and willingness to defend) and picked up a couple of early fouls.

 

[DogMania]

Flagg didn't come out at all in the 2nd half and probably wouldn't have in the 1st half without the foul trouble.

And the last 2 possessions? Yeah just give it to your star freshman who had 2 college games under his belt before last night and tell him to go make a play on his own.

Scheyer is a dope. Can't wait to see him fail as a head coach.

How long will it take for dook to move on from him? He often wins the recruiting war, but does so little with so much.

I know coach K is a legend, but he did less with more, while Jim Calhoun did more with less. He'd also win the recruiting season filling his roster with Burger-AAs, rack up tons pre-tournament wins, regularly get #1 seeds, play 2/3rds of those tournament games in the state of NC and more times than not fall short of cutting down the nets. JC would recruit just a handful of top 25 recruits every couple years and develop them and the lower ranked ones into great college players (and into out-working & out-willing you teams), some who made it to the league and eventually led them to some NCs, where Danny Hurley is taking that to a new level. Dan Hurley is now winning the recruiting war with the players that fit the culture and system, not just recruiting the players who have the highest (low #) next to their names.

I think it's going to be a while before the dook administration and fans will have enough of him and show him the door.

 

[Ha Who]

This is what Duke gets for following the Kentucky recruiting book

 

[superjohn]

How long will it take for dook to move on from him? He often wins the recruiting war, but does so little with so much.

I know coach K is a legend, but he did less with more, while Jim Calhoun did more with less. He'd also win the recruiting season filling his roster with Burger-AAs, rack up tons pre-tournament wins, regularly get #1 seeds, play 2/3rds of those tournament games in the state of NC and more times than not fall short of cutting down the nets. JC would recruit just a handful of top 25 recruits every couple years and develop them and the lower ranked ones into great college players (and into out-working & out-willing you teams), some who made it to the league and eventually led them to some NCs, where Danny Hurley is taking that to a new level. Dan Hurley is now winning the recruiting war with the players that fit the culture and system, not just recruiting the players who have the highest (low #) next to their names.

I think it's going to be a while before the dook administration and fans will have enough of him and show him the door.

This is silly, coach K won 5 national championships.

 

[rrskyjf]

This was not a well coached game from either side. It didn't even feel like 12 asst from Duke. They had all summer and that is what you throw out there? Bare minimum.

Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach are awesome. I came away impressed, despite Knueppel not shooting well. One way or another, this season will be an indictment on Scheyer...which will probably be a blessing to Duke fans.

Kentucky on the other hand wasn't particularily well coached either. There were atrocious shots taken by that team. Some guy launched a 36' with 5 minutes left right when Kentucky pulled even. A chance to exert momentum and he heaves one six seconds into the shot clock. And that sort of thing happened a lot throughout.

Watching this stuff makes me even more bullish on our prospects this year. The recent coaching exodus resulted in a rather large void in good coaching.

So a team that was put together in a span of about 2 months, with no upper tier elite talent, that beat the great almighty Duke, was not well coached? I guess basketball is only played at Uconn and that's where the only good coach is? No good coaches anywhere else?

 

[CL82]

Jim Nantz? He chose Duke based on a retired broadcaster? To each his own, I guess

Damn that Nantz!

 

[CL82]

Cmon now…I’m no fan of Duke but to say they are a lesser school in the world of basketball excellence is a bit of a stretch. Also it’s well known that Flagg has been a fan of Duke for years. If you were a teenage kid and had the chance to go to your dream school, could you say no?

6>5

 

[ec33]

Damn that Nantz!

I seem to recall that Nantz was one of the first national guys to embrace UConn and atmosphere.