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SURVEYING THE LANDSCAPE
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Slam Dunks No. 3
Friday, January 27, 2006
By Denny O'Brien |
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Devils' Kryptonite exposed
in loss to Hoyas
©2006 Bonesville.net
Perfection was never an objective according
to Mike Krzyzewski. Yeah, and Mercury Morris was an Indianapolis Colts
season ticket holder this year.
The moment Duke made the turn undefeated
and with its toughest opponents far behind, entering the clubhouse with an
unblemished round became a goal.
It had to. Just like it did with Illinois
last year.
Until last Saturday's trip to Georgetown.
Now that the Devils have notched a bogey on
the scorecard, they can mentally focus on the bigger picture — which is
raising a fourth national title banner in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
While it is cliché to term any midseason
loss a blessing, it may just be the case for Duke. Not so much because the
Blue Devils needed to redirect their focus — Krzyzewski-coached teams rarely
do — but because it emphasized potential weaknesses that could abruptly end
Duke’s stay in Bracketville:
- Greg Paulus: The Diaper Dandy has done
a splendid job at the point, but his freshman status reared its ugly
head against the Hoyas. Even if it was a rare performance, chest passes
into the fourth row typically don’t produce national titles — and it
takes six solid outings to escape the NCAA gauntlet.
- Floor generals play the most important
role in the NCAA tournament, and it is paramount that Paulus plays
stumble-free.
- Athletic and versatile: That’s the
type of team that will give Duke the biggest headache. We saw it with
Memphis and Virginia Tech early, and with N.C. State and Georgetown more
recently.
- Teams with athletic big men who can
lure Shelden Williams away from the hoop eliminate one of the Devils’
biggest advantages on the defensive end. That’s an issue that is
magnified against a team that can beat them off the dribble.
- McDisappointment: Josh McRoberts’ slow
progression has increased the importance of Williams’ avoidance of foul
trouble. McRoberts has seen a steady decline in minutes and has looked
more like a freshman against ACC competition. Duke doesn’t need
double-digit scoring production from the athletic big man, but it will
need enough to take some of the pressure off its All-American center.
- Tweeners: Duke doesn’t have many. And
the one that it does have — DeMarcus Nelson — has played only one-third
of the season due to injuries. Nelson gives the Devils a versatile
player on the wing who can defend several positions. A supersub with
Nelson’s skills has always been a part of the championship formula.
That’s a relatively short list compared to
99 percent of the basketball landscape. And the other one percent doesn’t
have the nation’s best player — J.J. Redick.
But any combination of the four could send the residents of Krzyzewskiville
home early.
Bragging rights
Head-to-head competition can be an
overblown factor in determining conference supremacy. Even so, the Big East
surely sent a message to the ACC this week.
With Georgetown’s win over Duke and Seton
Hall’s trouncing of N.C. State, the Big East showed that it was clearly the
deeper, more powerful league this year. That a pair of middle tier teams
from the Big East dethroned the ACC’s top two speaks volumes.
So stop with the commissioner speak, Mr.
Tranghese.
For the record, Slam Dunks
officially
predicted in December that anywhere from eight to ten Big East
teams would make the Big Dance. Right now, the smart money is riding on ten.
Earning their stripes
Memphis coach John Calipari found the
perfect solution to the downgraded schedule in Conference USA. He gave it a
facelift with a huge helping of powerhouse non-conference opponents.
The end result could be an RPI good enough
to land the Tigers a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“We did it because of the team we had,
one,” Calipari said.
“We did it because we thought we could
compete — and I have a long contract," he added. “I would not do that if I
were on a one or two-year deal. You just don’t do it. You don’t risk it.
"And what happened was we were maybe a
little better than what I thought. Still, we’re not as good as what
everybody thinks.”
Maybe not. But if Memphis maintains its
current pace, it will be among the favorites in March.
Frightening Four
These four aren’t likely to book trips to
Indianapolis, but you don’t want to see them in your bracket come March:
- UAB… The Blazers’ helter-skelter
approach on defense makes them a danger to any higher seed. Barring an
all-out collapse, UAB should give C-USA its second entry into the NCAA
Tournament field — and perhaps give a No. 1 or No. 2 seed fits in the
second round.
- Air Force… The Falcons are hardly a
lock for the Dance, but do have the ability to cut loose if they get
there. The Academy’s rendition of the Princeton offense will lull more
talented opponents to sleep and keep most games close.
- Georgetown… See Air Force, but with
much more talent. John Thompson III has installed pieces of the offense
he ran while at Princeton, but has much better athletes to execute it.
Just ask Duke.
- Xavier… A familiar role for the
Musketeers, don’t be surprised if they again play spoiler to someone’s
Final Four hopes. Xavier has great balance on the interior and
perimeter, and is holding opponents to 37 percent shooting from the
field. Brrr!
Too quick with the trigger
Four weeks ago, the Slam Dunks brain trust
was targeted with cyber complaints from disgruntled Wisconsin fans for
slighting
the Badgers up-tempo offense.
Clearly, Slam Dunks spoke too soon. Such
statements are far more appropriate now considering the egg the Badgers laid
at home against North Dakota State.
(In case you missed it,
the Bison won 62-55.)
Hey, don’t fret Badgers Fan. National
Signing Day is Wednesday. Just don’t schedule any trips to the Fargodome.
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O'Brien's Bonesville archives.
02/23/2007 02:02:47 AM |
