Virginia and Duke both managed to win on Tuesday night. While Virginia cruised past Navy 67-42, it looked like the Blue Devils were going to do the same. Duke led by eleven points at half, but ECU would go on a run and had the ball down 64-63 with a chance to take the lead. The Blue Devils, and specifically Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood, made enough plays down the stretch to lead Duke to a 83-74 win. Of course, it raises some questions about the ACC media's preseason champion.
The defense has been a problem. It was the 3rd game out of five this season that Duke has allowed their opponents an offensive efficiency greater than 100. The question has to be asked, can Duke play their high pressure man-to-man with this season's rules changes and focus on hand-checking?
While fouls are being called closer, it may be the new charge rules that affect Duke more. Why is that more important for Duke you ask? Duke pressures the ball and attempts to disrupt passing lanes and stop 3 point shots. They do expect to get beat off the dribble at times. They rely on help defense to step up and recover as needed. Their goal is to force teams out of halfcourt set offenses and into taking as many mid-range 2 point shots as possible.
The problem is defending the rim and forcing the ball-handler to pull up for a shot. Gone are Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly, two guys that averaged over a block and a half last season. Throw in the fact that defenders now have to be set when the offensive player goes into his upward motion, and it makes the charge around the basket almost impossible to draw anymore. Without a shot blocker or the charge, Duke is essentially unable to defend the rim.
It's a problem for Duke and the numbers show it. Duke's defense is the 3rd worst in the ACC in terms of defensive efficiency. It will be interesting to see how Duke adjusts.
NC State, Georgia Tech, and Pitt are all in action. Dayton is the best opponent of the three and the Yellow Jackets should have a good game ahead of them.
Check out the links, previews, and more below..
Highlights
| Team | Conf | Pct | Overall | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | 0-0 | 1.000 | 4-0 | 1.000 |
| Wake Forest | 0-0 | 1.000 | 4-0 | 1.000 |
| Clemson | 0-0 | 1.000 | 3-0 | 1.000 |
| FSU | 0-0 | 1.000 | 3-0 | 1.000 |
| Georgia Tech | 0-0 | 1.000 | 3-0 | 1.000 |
| Pittsburgh | 0-0 | 1.000 | 3-0 | 1.000 |
| Duke | 0-0 | 1.000 | 4-1 | 0.800 |
| Miami | 0-0 | 1.000 | 3-1 | 0.750 |
| Virginia | 0-0 | 1.000 | 3-1 | 0.750 |
| Virginia Tech | 0-0 | 1.000 | 3-1 | 0.750 |
| UNC | 0-0 | 1.000 | 2-1 | 0.667 |
| Notre Dame | 0-0 | 1.000 | 2-1 | 0.667 |
| NC State | 0-0 | 1.000 | 2-1 | 0.667 |
| Maryland | 0-0 | 1.000 | 1-2 | 0.333 |
| Boston College | 0-0 | 1.000 | 1-3 | 0.250 |
 Injury Report |
|---|
| Patrick Rooks (CL) |
| injured hip, out for season |
| Chris Bolden (GT) |
| suspended first 3 games for summer DUI |
| Jason Morris (GT) |
| stress fracture in foot, back in late Nov |
| Seth Allen (MD) |
| 10/30 - broken foot, out 8-10 weeks |
| Deandre Burnett (MI) |
| injured wrist, out for season |
| Jordan Vandenberg (ST) |
| 11/2 - injured ankle, out 4-6 weeks |
Links
- UNC: Quinn, Austin, Little Sent Disassociation Letters
- Krzyzewski: Do not discredit East Carolina
- Lebo: There were many positives
- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski blasts NIT ticketing procedures
- Duke basketball squeaks by East Carolina to reach NIT semifinal
- Hood Lifts No. 6 Duke Over ECU 83-74
- Analysis: Parker's hot start better than last 17 ACC Rookies of the Year - News-Record.com: Sports Extra
- Both coaches proponents of UConn-BC revival - Connecticut Post
- ACC Basketball: 5 Things We've Learned So Far
- Hilton Coliseum louder than any ACC venue, says ESPN's Dave O'Brien - NCAA Basketball - Sporting News
- Syracuse lacrosse faces huge challenge in ACC | The Juice Online
- Zuba: Making cents of college sports - Sports Authority - The Observer - University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College
- Basketball | Cavaliers easily top Navy 67-42 | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
- Iona Gaels vs. Kansas Jayhawks - Recap - November 19, 2013 - ESPN
- North Carolina court rejects Maryland's appeal to toss out ACC lawsuit - baltimoresun.com
- Maryland's Mark Turgeon says 'there's a good chance' Roddy Peters starts at point guard for Terps on Friday - baltimoresun.com
- Duke's band of brothers shares load, thrills of accomplishment | The Herald-Sun
- ACC not close to backing up John Swofford's 'strongest' boast - NCAA Basketball - Sporting News
- Jevoni Robinson a one-of-a-kind find for N.C. State basketball | NC State | NewsObserver.com
- Respect, discipline among lessons from Dean's office - WRALSportsFan.com
- Ratcliffe: Harris eases Cavalier fans' concerns with bounce-back performance - The Daily Progress: Sports
Yesterday's Games
| Matchup | |
|---|---|
| East Carolina 74 @ Duke 83 | Box |
| Navy 42 @ Virginia 67 | Box |
Today's Games
| Time | Matchup | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00:00 PM | Dayton @ Georgia Tech | ESPN3 | Preview |
| 7:00:00 PM | North Carolina Central @ NC State | RSN | Preview |
| 7:30:00 PM | Lehigh @ Pittsburgh | ESPNU | Preview |
