[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Duke & Syracuse face each other for the first time ever in an ACC Conference Game…

Longtime friends and legendary coaches Mike Krzyzewski & Boeheim,are the only coaches to win over 900 games at the same school…

It’s going to be fun seeing how Duke’s high scoring duo of freshman Jabari Parker and junior Rodney Hood trying to attacks Syracuse zone…The Cuse 2/3 zone is designed to stop players from getting to the rim..But Parker & Hood are good outside shooters..Duke hit 13-25 three point pointers against Pitt monday night..

Senior guard Andre Dawkins seems to be getting hot at the right time,he came off the bench to score 20 points….Duke dominated Pitt monday night..On January 18th Syracuse struggled against the Panters and the game went down to the wire before easing out a victory…

While Dawkins is heating up for Duke…Syracuse outside shooting threat Trevor Clooney is currently in a slump,he was 0-5 from downtown wednesday night against Wake Forest…

:

I’m predicting Duke to pull off the upset and give Syracuse their 1st lost of the season….

[Sewok15Participant]

One thing Duke doesn’t have is any real interior offensive threat. Amile Jefferson is their best big and I don’t see him doing much. They will have to be hot from 3…especially Parker and Hood if they want to win.

I am not crazy about this Cuse team and I think they will lose sooner than later but I see that loss coming either at Pitt or at Duke later this month.

Syracuse 73 Duke 69

[Sewok15Participant]

One thing Duke doesn’t have is any real interior offensive threat. Amile Jefferson is their best big and I don’t see him doing much. They will have to be hot from 3…especially Parker and Hood if they want to win.

I am not crazy about this Cuse team and I think they will lose sooner than later but I see that loss coming either at Pitt or at Duke later this month.

Syracuse 73 Duke 69

[marquee_markParticipant]

 As a big duke fan for many years, Syracuse moving to the ACC is a scary thought. Duke struggles against teams with length and that can really rebound, 2 of syracuse’s strengths. To pull out a win today they need to have some early success from 3 and need a big, possibly Amile Jefferson, to really step up and battle down low and on the glass.

[marquee_markParticipant]

 As a big duke fan for many years, Syracuse moving to the ACC is a scary thought. Duke struggles against teams with length and that can really rebound, 2 of syracuse’s strengths. To pull out a win today they need to have some early success from 3 and need a big, possibly Amile Jefferson, to really step up and battle down low and on the glass.

[Ghost01Participant]

I think the fact Duke doesn’t have any inside scorers doesn’t matter as much in this matchup. Cuse’s weakness is facing 3 pt shooting, and that’s what Duke has. Duke could be cold, and could absolutely lose. But I think the matchups favor them and I think Cuse is due to lose. It seems like almost every year they start like 18-0 or something and end up slowing up around this time of year. I’m just hoping its a good game. 

[Ghost01Participant]

I think the fact Duke doesn’t have any inside scorers doesn’t matter as much in this matchup. Cuse’s weakness is facing 3 pt shooting, and that’s what Duke has. Duke could be cold, and could absolutely lose. But I think the matchups favor them and I think Cuse is due to lose. It seems like almost every year they start like 18-0 or something and end up slowing up around this time of year. I’m just hoping its a good game. 

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

I got Cuse! Quinn Cook vs T Dot Ennis is the matchup to watch. I think Ennis steps up big time… Bari should be solid too, but I got Cuse

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

I got Cuse! Quinn Cook vs T Dot Ennis is the matchup to watch. I think Ennis steps up big time… Bari should be solid too, but I got Cuse

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Tyler Ennis looking the best of the game’s NBA prospects.  I’m not sure if he will become a noteworthy PG in the NBA, but he certainly has a great feel for the game.  He just always seems in control and does a great job keeping his defender on his hip.

Jabari Parker and Jerami Grant struggling offensively, although both are playing with great energy.  Grant reminds me of Al-Farouq Aminu.  Nice defender, excellent athlete, intelligent offensive player, but just needs to improve the range on his jumper.  Aminu is a better ball handler right now, but Grant could get there.  Grant is an even better athlete, though.  Perhaps Grant will have more success in the NBA at PF, although he will get pushed around in the NBA at that position.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Tyler Ennis looking the best of the game’s NBA prospects.  I’m not sure if he will become a noteworthy PG in the NBA, but he certainly has a great feel for the game.  He just always seems in control and does a great job keeping his defender on his hip.

Jabari Parker and Jerami Grant struggling offensively, although both are playing with great energy.  Grant reminds me of Al-Farouq Aminu.  Nice defender, excellent athlete, intelligent offensive player, but just needs to improve the range on his jumper.  Aminu is a better ball handler right now, but Grant could get there.  Grant is an even better athlete, though.  Perhaps Grant will have more success in the NBA at PF, although he will get pushed around in the NBA at that position.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

Why the Dukies didn’t get the ball to Parker in the middle of the floor until now is a mystery to me.  His biggest strength is shot creation.  Parker isn’t a bad finisher, although he has struggled today, but the difference between him and Jefferson as finishers is not nearly as big as the difference between their ability to create of the dribble.

And now Parker is out.  Things don’t look good for Duke.  They need to get either Parker or Jefferson back into the game soon.  Perhaps they could play Jefferson until either he fouls out or until the 5-4 minute mark of the game and then bring back in Parker.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

Why the Dukies didn’t get the ball to Parker in the middle of the floor until now is a mystery to me.  His biggest strength is shot creation.  Parker isn’t a bad finisher, although he has struggled today, but the difference between him and Jefferson as finishers is not nearly as big as the difference between their ability to create of the dribble.

And now Parker is out.  Things don’t look good for Duke.  They need to get either Parker or Jefferson back into the game soon.  Perhaps they could play Jefferson until either he fouls out or until the 5-4 minute mark of the game and then bring back in Parker.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Perfectly clean block of Hood’s potential game-winning dunk attempt.  Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale were both completely convinced that it was a foul, but the replay confirms that it was clean.  

This game has been crazy dramatic.  Huge swings in both directions, but neither team ever getting in control.  This should become a great rivalry.  Both Syracuse and Duke are so consistently good.

[Ghost01Participant]

 Actually that was a foul..

I’m not trying to be a sore loser but there was some god awful officiating in that game. Whatever. Get em next time

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 It was all ball.  They had an angle that showed that Christmas’s arm didn’t touch Hood’s very conclusively.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 It was all ball.  They had an angle that showed that Christmas’s arm didn’t touch Hood’s very conclusively.

[Ghost01Participant]

 Actually that was a foul..

I’m not trying to be a sore loser but there was some god awful officiating in that game. Whatever. Get em next time

[Sewok15Participant]

At first I thought it was a foul but after the replay I thought it actually looked clean myself.

[Sewok15Participant]

At first I thought it was a foul but after the replay I thought it actually looked clean myself.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Perfectly clean block of Hood’s potential game-winning dunk attempt.  Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale were both completely convinced that it was a foul, but the replay confirms that it was clean.  

This game has been crazy dramatic.  Huge swings in both directions, but neither team ever getting in control.  This should become a great rivalry.  Both Syracuse and Duke are so consistently good.

[machu46Participant]

I think that call/no-call could have gone either way.  He got the ball first and then might have got him on the arm a little bit on his way down.  It’s tough to tell.

[Ghost01Participant]

 I think it’s hard as a fan to put that no call in context when they called Jefferson for his 5th 35 feet away from the basket (a foul, but one that never gets called in the NBA in that spot) and called an offensive foul on Parker for his 5th on a player that was boarderline and traveling easily could have been called before the contact. 

[machu46Participant]

I agree on all parts of that.  I think Jefferson’s was definitely a foul as you said, but Christmas totally sold it.  And he sold Jabari’s offensive foul as well.  I thought Jabari should have been called for an offensive early when he spun and swung his elbows into Baye Moussa Keita and got an And-1 for it.  That one was a pretty blatant offensive foul IMO, whereas the one he actually got called on was pretty lame.

I think Christmas realized that Jabari was swinging his elbows the whole time, and realized he had to sell out a little bit to get the refs to see it, and it worked out for him.  Hate to see guys have to exaggerate contact like that, but I was happy that Jabari finally got caught.

Regarding Hood’s dunk attempt, that was a really tough one.  Even watching it in slow-motion on the replays, it’s hard to tell if Christmas was able to knock the ball out of Hood’s hands BEFORE their arms came in contact, which then wouldn’t be a foul.  So yeah, I’m not surprised that the refs weren’t able to figure it out in the moment that it happened.  It was such a bang bang play, and honestly, at full speed, it almost looked like Christmas missed Hood completely.

One call that wasn’t brought up here was the intentional foul on CJ at the end.  He got blatantly pushed from behind by Thornton (I think), who made no attempt to get the ball at all.  If Thornton’s teammate hadn’t been there to collide with CJ at the same time, he would have gone down a lot harder and I think the refs would have been more inclined to call it a Flagrant 1, which I believe it should have been anyways.  But if the refs had made that call, people would have absolutely lost it because that would have sealed the game.

  

 

 

 

[Ghost01Participant]

 I am not in any way surprised they didn’t call the foul on the Hood dunk, I just think the way that game was being officiated, and (unfortunately) the way most NCAA games are officiated, that was a foul. 

And I could go either way on the foul on Fair, it didn’t effect the outcome. 

[Ghost01Participant]

 I am not in any way surprised they didn’t call the foul on the Hood dunk, I just think the way that game was being officiated, and (unfortunately) the way most NCAA games are officiated, that was a foul. 

And I could go either way on the foul on Fair, it didn’t effect the outcome. 

[machu46Participant]

I agree on all parts of that.  I think Jefferson’s was definitely a foul as you said, but Christmas totally sold it.  And he sold Jabari’s offensive foul as well.  I thought Jabari should have been called for an offensive early when he spun and swung his elbows into Baye Moussa Keita and got an And-1 for it.  That one was a pretty blatant offensive foul IMO, whereas the one he actually got called on was pretty lame.

I think Christmas realized that Jabari was swinging his elbows the whole time, and realized he had to sell out a little bit to get the refs to see it, and it worked out for him.  Hate to see guys have to exaggerate contact like that, but I was happy that Jabari finally got caught.

Regarding Hood’s dunk attempt, that was a really tough one.  Even watching it in slow-motion on the replays, it’s hard to tell if Christmas was able to knock the ball out of Hood’s hands BEFORE their arms came in contact, which then wouldn’t be a foul.  So yeah, I’m not surprised that the refs weren’t able to figure it out in the moment that it happened.  It was such a bang bang play, and honestly, at full speed, it almost looked like Christmas missed Hood completely.

One call that wasn’t brought up here was the intentional foul on CJ at the end.  He got blatantly pushed from behind by Thornton (I think), who made no attempt to get the ball at all.  If Thornton’s teammate hadn’t been there to collide with CJ at the same time, he would have gone down a lot harder and I think the refs would have been more inclined to call it a Flagrant 1, which I believe it should have been anyways.  But if the refs had made that call, people would have absolutely lost it because that would have sealed the game.

  

 

 

 

[Ghost01Participant]

 I think it’s hard as a fan to put that no call in context when they called Jefferson for his 5th 35 feet away from the basket (a foul, but one that never gets called in the NBA in that spot) and called an offensive foul on Parker for his 5th on a player that was boarderline and traveling easily could have been called before the contact. 

[machu46Participant]

I think that call/no-call could have gone either way.  He got the ball first and then might have got him on the arm a little bit on his way down.  It’s tough to tell.

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 No call

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 No call

[Forte IVParticipant]

Christmas is a flopper. But other then that great game.

[Forte IVParticipant]

Christmas is a flopper. But other then that great game.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

That was 1 of the best games of the season..I felt Duke had a great chance to get the win..Becuz they have the ingredients to be successful in that 2/3 zone, a bevy of good outside shooters ,good ball handlers,2 versatile scorers (Parker & Hood) and 1 of the greatest coaches of all time,who does a great job of managing games..Despite losing Parker and Jefferson,Duke still could’ve won that game…

They meet again later this month on the 22nd….

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

That was 1 of the best games of the season..I felt Duke had a great chance to get the win..Becuz they have the ingredients to be successful in that 2/3 zone, a bevy of good outside shooters ,good ball handlers,2 versatile scorers (Parker & Hood) and 1 of the greatest coaches of all time,who does a great job of managing games..Despite losing Parker and Jefferson,Duke still could’ve won that game…

They meet again later this month on the 22nd….

[Ghost01Participant]

 My question is this… Is Duke going to drop from 17? They beat a ranked team on the road and played the soon to be number 1 team on the road in a game their best player and most important player to that particular matchup both fouled out. 

 

I think college bball rankings look at losses way too much. Their are bad losses, okay losses, and good losses. Like there’s no way Arizona can be lower than 4 to me. And my other random top 25 thought is Texas should be around top 10 in my opinion. 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Sort of surprised to see that Duke Jumped 6 Spots in this week’s Poll after a lost…I guess voters saw how well they’ve played the last month and taking the Orangemen to overtime……

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Sort of surprised to see that Duke Jumped 6 Spots in this week’s Poll after a lost…I guess voters saw how well they’ve played the last month and taking the Orangemen to overtime……

[Ghost01Participant]

 My question is this… Is Duke going to drop from 17? They beat a ranked team on the road and played the soon to be number 1 team on the road in a game their best player and most important player to that particular matchup both fouled out. 

 

I think college bball rankings look at losses way too much. Their are bad losses, okay losses, and good losses. Like there’s no way Arizona can be lower than 4 to me. And my other random top 25 thought is Texas should be around top 10 in my opinion. 

[machu46Participant]

Vine that shows a great slow down of Christmas’ block/foul on Hood.  I think it kinda shows why it was such a hard call to make in real time.  Even watching it as slowed down as it is in that clip, it’s hard to see if Christmas blocked the ball before their arms hit, and the contact on the arm wasn’t very much anyways.

[machu46Participant]

Vine that shows a great slow down of Christmas’ block/foul on Hood.  I think it kinda shows why it was such a hard call to make in real time.  Even watching it as slowed down as it is in that clip, it’s hard to see if Christmas blocked the ball before their arms hit, and the contact on the arm wasn’t very much anyways.

[machu46Participant]

Sorry, I’m an idiot and forgot to post the vine in that first post lol. https://vine.co/v/MzD2UqOpi55

[machu46Participant]

Sorry, I’m an idiot and forgot to post the vine in that first post lol. https://vine.co/v/MzD2UqOpi55

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 That isn’t the best angle, though.  The sideline angle shows that if their arms ever touched, it was just about as Hood grabbed the rim.  It looked like a foul live, since almost all block attempts from that angle are fouls, but I think the sideline replay confirms there was no foul.  You can see the space between their arms all the way until Hood has just about grabbed the rim and even then you can never see their arms touch, you can only assume that they did if you are so inclined.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 That isn’t the best angle, though.  The sideline angle shows that if their arms ever touched, it was just about as Hood grabbed the rim.  It looked like a foul live, since almost all block attempts from that angle are fouls, but I think the sideline replay confirms there was no foul.  You can see the space between their arms all the way until Hood has just about grabbed the rim and even then you can never see their arms touch, you can only assume that they did if you are so inclined.

[M-EazyParticipant]

Duke hit 15 3’s and that’s the only reason the game was close.  I’m interested to see Coach K’s game plan for round 2 because I think they will focus on getting more points down low.  I highly doubt they hit 15 3’s again.  Anyway as a Cuse fan living in ACC country I used to hate watching Duke win all those game without seeing them play Cuse at least once.  21-0 never felt better!! #1 in the country too!  Now it’s time to focus on Notre Dame and not play flat after that game.

[M-EazyParticipant]

Duke hit 15 3’s and that’s the only reason the game was close.  I’m interested to see Coach K’s game plan for round 2 because I think they will focus on getting more points down low.  I highly doubt they hit 15 3’s again.  Anyway as a Cuse fan living in ACC country I used to hate watching Duke win all those game without seeing them play Cuse at least once.  21-0 never felt better!! #1 in the country too!  Now it’s time to focus on Notre Dame and not play flat after that game.

[Author]

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