Duke / UNC

[freethrow]

Duke and UNC are about to replay last seasons final Duke home game on ESPNU right now. 4:00 pm EST Sunday

[BamaCat86]

If you think that UK is challenged for numbers in the front court,check out Duke's returning players. I officially heard a die-hard Dukie admit that this is a rebuilding year in Durham.

[Will Lavender]

BamaCat86 wrote: If you think that UK is challenged for numbers in the front court,check out Duke's returning players. I officially heard a die-hard Dukie admit that this is a rebuilding year in Durham.
I can see McRoberts having one of the better years for a young big man in the recent history of Duke basketball. Given the reins in the post, so to speak, I think he's gonna be hellacious.

Paulus, OTOH, is an average talent who will struggle and be much maligned come February. (IMO.)

Duke will be a good team this year, certainly a top 15 team, but they're not going to be the class of the ACC. That'll be the Heels.

[CatFanInTheBathtub]

at the time, I was watching both Cubs-Brewers and France-Italy. Even without those, and even if cox cable got espnu, I cannot imagine being bored enought to watch these two vomit-inducing shades of an embarrassment to the color blue going at each other in early July. I'd rather see rachel ray try to eat cheap in memphis buying a baby back rib salad or even yet another infomercial for the magic bullet. Damn I hate those teams !!

[DCWildcat]

Will Lavender wrote: Paulus, OTOH, is an average talent who will struggle and be much maligned come February. (IMO.)

I'll go on record and say I disagree with this. Come next year, I think he'll be one of the best PGs in the country.

[Will Lavender]

DCWildcat wrote: Will Lavender wrote: Paulus, OTOH, is an average talent who will struggle and be much maligned come February. (IMO.)

I'll go on record and say I disagree with this. Come next year, I think he'll be one of the best PGs in the country.
As Buddah would say: I guess we'll just have to wait and see. :D

I just think Paulus is "blessed" with average ability all the way around -- average speed, athleticism, decision-making. Unless he can tap into the ghost of Bobby Hurley and become a dagger-dropping late-game three point shooter, then he's going to be locked down by these quick, strong, big points in the ACC.

Look at the last four good-to-very good white point guards Duke has had: Hurley separated himself by being a tremendous three point shooter, and he was on one of the better teams in the last quarter century; Wojo was a pretty good defender; Chris Collins had a tremendous, almost dogged, determination and could shoot from the outside very well; McCaffrey had a black guy's first step and was a very adept scorer. Not sure Paulus has any of those skills. At least he didn't show them last season.

It has to be said, of course, that the kid was just a freshman.

[DCWildcat]

I think it became clear last year that Paulus was very overrated last year. His role consisted of

1) Giving the ball to JJ Redick

2) Giving the ball to Shelden Williams

3) Giving the ball to Josh McRoberts

and he'll struggle this season losing two of those options (though Henderson is a STUD, and deserves way more attention than he's getting). Probably a combo of

"OMG LOOK AT HOW GOOD HE IS AT FOOTBALL" and

"OMG DOOOOOOK SIGNED HIM."



That said, I think he'll be a very good guard by his junior year (when I said "next year, I meant jr year, sorry), partially because the NBA is a long ways away.

[KY Native in IN]

if i was that bored, i would rather just turn the tv off than watch those butt heads, we hear enough about 'em in the regular season let alone during the off season....it's funny the only retro games they show of the Cats is when we get beat....go figure! :rolleyes:

[Caveman Catfan]

I was bored tonight, so I watched the second half of the UK/UL game from 2 years ago and the first half of the game from this past season.

[Will Lavender]

Caveman Catfan wrote: I was bored tonight, so I watched the second half of the UK/UL game from 2 years ago and the first half of the game from this past season.



I swear it's hard for me to watch games from the recent past. I start to pine for those players. I'm much less nostalgic if I go back ten years or so.

I have three games on my Tivo list from this past year (West Virginia, Louisville, South Carolina in Rupp), and I just can't bring myself to watch them. I'll start pumping myself up over how big Sparks and Ravi are going to be for us this season. :blush::cry:

[Caveman Catfan]

I had a similar experience. Watching Sparks, Rondoand Moss (and Chuck from the year before), I was left wondering how UK can fill those departures (not sure that a player like Chuck can ever be replaced).

The fact is that the junior class of Bradley, Crawford, and Morris have to step up big AND play consistently.