Despite our recent failures (in your eyes anyways because each of those teams lived to their potential except for JJ and Shelden's senior year team) it's going to be awful hard to knock us off of our perch, imo.

 

 

 

Just out of curiosity, who would you say are the top 5 programs if Duke is not an elite program anymore?

The one thing that I have picked up on while watching the NCAA tourney this year is that college basketball has become extremely physical. Duke has been more of a finesse team and has been lacking a physical presence on the inside to push and bang. Coach K is one heck of a coach and the only area I can see where he could receive some criticism is his not being able to recruit someone to fill that role.

FWIW, I do think the starter of this thread meant literally that Coach K is on the hot seat, more of a tongue-in-cheek comment.

All I am saying is why start the thread when despite recent transgressions in "Duke" basketball, the overall numbers since 1990 don't support any reason for alarm.

You simply can't win in March with average at best play from the PG spot...

 

Exactly my thought! They have to get better there much like KY does.

PG is not the problem at all. No inside presence whatsoever is the problem.

PG is not the problem at all. No inside presence whatsoever is the problem.

If PG wasn't a problem why tinker with it all season???

PG is not the problem at all. No inside presence whatsoever is the problem.

 

I realize all Dookies love Paulus, but if they had a PG who could defend, well ...

Duke only had three players play at Duke talent level this season. That's a problem.

Duke only had three players play at Duke talent level this season. That's a problem.

 

There it is...and it will get fixed.....soon.

If PG wasn't a problem why tinker with it all season???

 

There may not have been a traditional point guard, but i was very pleased with Scheyer took over. I also liked Paulus at the point as well, but for some reason, Coach K didn't and he knows way more than I. I say it wasn't a problem because as I have stated before, the Duke teams that go to the Elite 8 and beyond have always had a strong inside presence. The production from Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek was non existent. No point guard in the world could have made our inside guys better and until we get that inside presence, our production from the point guard or guard position won't matter.

I realize all Dookies love Paulus, but if they had a PG who could defend, well ...

 

Nolan Smith and Elliott Williams are both capable of defending opposing teams point guards. That being said Nolan Smith committed more dumb fouls than anyone I have ever seen at Duke who gets his amount of playing time, but I am assuming he will get that under wraps next season and become at the very least a Chris Duhon type contributor throughout his college career.

I think it is too easy to say we didn't have a point guard, but any Duke fan who watched Duke all year will easily say that no big guys killed us this year. When you have guys like Henderson, Scheyer and Singler you need big guys in there rebounding and capable of scoring down low to keep the defense honest so our shooters can get open looks. JJ was a great shooter, but you had to respect Shelden down low which is why JJ got a lot of wide open looks, well, that and his r a n g e.

Nolan Smith and Elliott Williams are both capable of defending opposing teams point guards. That being said Nolan Smith committed more dumb fouls than anyone I have ever seen at Duke who gets his amount of playing time, but I am assuming he will get that under wraps next season and become at the very least a Chris Duhon type contributor throughout his college career.

 

If he can't do it without committing dumb fouls, he's not really capable, is he?

 

I think it is too easy to say we didn't have a point guard, but any Duke fan who watched Duke all year will easily say that no big guys killed us this year. When you have guys like Henderson, Scheyer and Singler you need big guys in there rebounding and capable of scoring down low to keep the defense honest so our shooters can get open looks. JJ was a great shooter, but you had to respect Shelden down low which is why JJ got a lot of wide open looks, well, that and his r a n g e.

 

Villanova isn't exactly a team well-known for its inside presence, so what happened there? No defense at the guard spot.

There are some that are questioning Krzyzewski a bit, but the Duke fan base is a much different entity than that of Kentucky's. Because it's a private school, there aren't as many alumni, and they are more scattered throughout the country that those of a state university.