EA Sports/California All-Stars
(November 4, 2000)

  Duke defeated the California/EA Sports All-Stars 99-61 on Saturday, November 4th.  It was a game where the two leading personalities of interest of both teams--Shane Battier for Duke and Ed Cota for UNC--did not play, though for wildly varying reasons.  Shane had a minor foot injury that would not have kept him out of a regular-season ACC game (according to Coach K), but it made little sense to take a risk in a game such as this.  The exact reason for Cota's absence is not known.  Even his coach had no idea where he was.  Rumors abound as to the cause, but only Ed knows.

  The basic lesson of this game is that Duke's regulars from last year are improved and ready to go to war right now, while the deeper reserves are improved but still have a way to go.  The frosh both had some very bright moments but were also affected by first-game jitters.  Shane's absence was mostly felt with team defense, as the Devils had trouble breaking through screens and helping in the post.  The team's overall defensive intensity was not up to snuff, though it did improve a bit as the game wore on.  On the other hand, Duke had a real commitment to rebounding, as even the walk-ons were attacking the boards and getting second and third shots.  While Duke perhaps got a little too attached to the three point shot at times, there were a number of players that remember to set up in the paint, with Carlos Boozer leading the way.

  Boozer dominated his slower opponents with a combination of power and finesse, freezing his defenders with smooth jumpers and shocking them with his powerful upper body.  His demanding the ball right away helped settle a Duke team that was lacking its leader in Battier.  For the first couple of minutes, things were pretty even as EA players managed to set up down low for short jumpers.  Jason Williams responded with a couple of assists and a three, and Duke suddenly led 12-4.  After two Sanders free throws, Duke led  by 7, but EA set up some screens to get the first of their 9 threes.  They had threes on their next 3 possessions, with Duke managing to answer with a Boozer dunk and James desperation shot, but were only up 18-15 with about twelve minutes left in the half. 

  It was Boozer time again.  He started things off by feeding Dunleavy for a basket, calling his own number for a long jumper, and sinking a perfect turnaround jumper in the lane.  Duke started to turn up its defensive pressure a bit, winding up with a Williams dunk on a steal and another Boozer assist and rebound basket.  Duke was up 31-18 and in comlete control, but EA clipped the lead to 9.  The Devils then went on a game-killing 17-0 run, sparked by Boozer inside and Dunleavy outside.  Both men also scored on impressive drives.  EA did manage to finish the half on a 9-2 run that hurt Duke's momentum a bit, but they still led 52-33.

  Duke scored the first 7 points of the second half to remove all doubt as to the outcome, and worked to get Chris Duhon the ball.  He responded by scoring all 9 of his points in the first four minutes of the half.  The last eight minutes of the game were devoted to the bench players, as they struggled to stop the EA three point shooters but destroyed them on the boards.  Rugged Matt Christensen did a lot of dirty work with little reward, and Andre Buckner continued to play with a lot of heart.  Even Andre Sweet loosened up a bit and played some solid, agressive defense.  It was good to see Duke find ways to score, rebound and play defense without their leader, but it'll be even better to see them mesh with Shane Battier.  I imagine we'll see that in the next game.              

** Positives:  

  1. Rebounding.  While it's important to remember that EA fielded a three-guard starting lineup and the duo of Joe Vogel and Kevin Simmons wasn't exactly the most imposing frontcourt Duke will be facing this year, a 56-34 edge was definitely the stat of the night.  Even better, Duke had a 21-9 edge on the offensive end.  Dunleavy and Boozer did a superb job on the defensive boards, agressively and cleanly snatching away a number of misses.  Christensen and Sanders  cleaned up on the offensive end, teaming up for 7, while Duhon showed off his quickness with 4.  The team seemed to work harder in the second half, when they got 33 rebounds and pounded away at EA.  Considering all of this was done without Battier, the team should be proud.

  2. Interior defense.  Boozer was good, but Horvath and Sanders really did a great job off the bench by challenging every shot.  Horvath looked especially impressive with his three blocks, including a clean rebound of one of his blocks.  There were a few instances where EA big men were able to isolate Duke big men and score on turnarounds, but Duke was fairly aggressive for  most of the game.

  3. Offensive balance. Without Battier, there was no true first option, so the ball was spread pretty evenly.  Boozer was given every opportunity when open and he really took advantage.  All five starters attempted drives, dunks and jumpers.     

  ** Negatives:

  1. Perimeter defense.  Williams did a surprisingly poor job of containing EA's guards, allowing them to drive past him several times.  He picked up his game a bit in the second half, getting a 5-second call.  EA managed to pick off Duke defenders many times to get open three point attempts; rotating over is a crucial part of team defense.  

  2. Decision-making.  In addition to Williams making some ill-conceived passes, there were a couple of times when Duke guards drove right at EA center Joe Vogel, only to see him swat their shots away.  With Sanders wide open on one of those drives, it was a bit frustrating to watch.

  3. Foul shooting.  Well, this is mostly a "Casey Sanders" negative, although Christensen and Dunleavy also missed some shots. 

    Player-by-Player:

  ** Boozer: One of the most dominant performances I've ever seen from Carlos. He was aggressively going to the basket, scoring on spins and power moves.   He was spotting up and sinking jumpers at will.  He was controlling the defensive boards.  He was using his athleticism to hang in the air for short jumpers.  For a player who gets a bad rap for not being emotional enough on the court, he demonstrated the heart of a warrior.  He started the game on a thunderous dunk on a full-court pass from Williams, and the squared up for a 15' jumper on Duke's next possession.  When he came back into the game after being replaced by Sanders, he finished a 3-on-1 break with another assertive dunk.  After EA crept back into the game at 18-15, he went on a rampage, finding Dunleavy for a layup, hitting a 17' jumper,  sinking a turnaround J in the lane, and locating Williams for a three.  After demonstrating his perimeter skills, he showed off his power by muscling in over a defender for a basket and taking another off the dribble for another strong drive.  Boozer finished the half with 16 points, 3 boards and 2 assists.  He was hampered a bit by turnovers in the second half, though a couple came on some otherwise remarkable moves.  He started off strong, scoring on a rebound and getting Duhon a perfect shot for his first points as a Devil.  Duhon returned the favor by driving and dishing to Carlos, who swished a picture-perfect, catch-and-shoot jumper from 18' away.  Carlos spent most of the second half cleaning up the defensive boards and throwing nice outlets, like one to Sweet for a dunk.  All-in-all, Boozer did all he was asked to do and more.  

    ** Dunleavy: Mike was basically playing Shane Battier for the evening.  He cleaned up on the defensive boards and was firing at will from outside. He was pushed around a bit on the inside despite his more sturdy frame, but his long arms did attack the passing lanes, starting a couple of breaks. He attacked with the drive, he spotted up for threes, and even threw down an alley-oop dunk on a feed from James.  It was his boardwork that may have been the most impressive, because he simply wanted every rebound.  Mike tried to post up a couple of times and that didn't work out too well.  He's still about 15 pounds away from being a viable force in the paint, but he does have the size to post up most other guards and wings, and is starting to get the strength to do it on a regular basis.

  ** James: Typically solid night for Nate, who hustled on defense, hit a few jumpers and got some rebounds.  In essence, he was the junkman, cleaning up messes.  He hit an early 18 footer, showing that he likes to make a mark early in the game just to remind the other team that he's out there.  He fed Boozer on a break for a dunk, and then hit a twisting jumper while falling down as the shot clock ran down.  Late in the half, he fed Dunleavy for a dunk. When the half ended, one noticed that he had 5 rebounds!  He played sparingly in the second half, hitting a three and some foul shots.  Nate did just enough to prove his value and keep him loose, but didn't have to waste too much energy.  Still, he was the most aggressive player in attacking the lanes, cornering ballhandlers who wandered too close to the sideline, and generally harrassing the other team.  The value of a senior Duke wing is tremendous if they have absorbed and internalized the defensive training they've been given, and believe me, Nate James has.   

    ** Duhon: Chris' first half was shaky, to say the least.  He was 0-5 from the floor and was reticent to take a shot for the rest of the half.  He obviously got a good talking-to at the half, because he came out spitting fire in the second frame.  Boozer found him spotting up for a three, and Duhon calmly nailed it.  Duhon missed his next shot but swooped in for the offensive rebound, getting it to James.  Williams looked for him on the next Duke possession, and Duhon answered with a three.  Chris put on his point guard hat by driving and dishing to Boozer for a long jumper, and later doing the same for Dunleavy.  His most spectacular play came when Jason fed him the ball and he drove and got fouled after making the shot.  Chris and the Cameron crowd suffered a scare when he took a tumble going after an EA player on the break and he landed in a pile of chairs under the basket. He didn't move for a few minutes, but it turned out to be a nasty leg cramp. The trainers were force-feeding him gatorade when he got back to the bench in an effort to rehydrate him.  I do think that he was unnerved a bit by starting and further intimidated by missing his first couple of shots, but once he relaxed in the second half, he showed what he can do.    

      ** Williams: Mixed results for Jason.  In the first three minutes of the game, he was absolutely brilliant.  He found Boozer in transition, James for a long jumper, and Dunleavy for a long three after a lot of scrambling.  He called his own number for a good looking three.  Then he started to get cute with the ball, turning it over three times in rapid succession.  His defense was less than stellar, forcing a team to make switches they weren't ready for.  He then came back to get a steal and dunk and followed that up with a three on a Boozer relocation pass.  He finished the half up strong with a 12 footer on the break, a slick pass to Sanders and a pass to Dunleavy for a three.  Still, he did not play with the kind of defensive intensity that Coach K demands.  He came out with a lot more fire in the second half, getting a 5 second call.  He also was on a mission to get Duhon more involved in the offense, feeding him for a three and a transition basket.  Jason only took 4 shots in the second half, hitting only a three.  He ended up with an excellent 9 assists, but those 5 turnovers, most of them completely unnecessary, were troubling.  Still, going 3-5 from three is a big positive.  We all know that Jason is going to score, he just needs to keep his focus and concentrate on defense. 

      ** Horvath: This is without a doubt the best I've seen Nick play so far  this season.  Known mostly for his shooting, he came out and made a defensive statement from the moment he entered the game.  He not only blocked shots in the paint, he also rejected a three point attempt.  He also kept his cool late in the half when Duhon fed him the ball with the clock running down. Rather than attempt a hurried jumper, he took his time and drove in for a great-looking layup.  He also scored on a putback in the second half.  It must be a relief for Nick to be playing against someone other than Battier, Boozer or Sanders.  His jumper is still not falling, but his form looks fine.  He did hurry a couple of his shots, however.  It'll be interesting to see how he plays against the big Grand Rapids team Duke will be facing next weekend.

  ** Sanders: Another very promising performance from Casey.  While he wasn't credited with any blocks, he helped team up with Horvath to alter EA shots. He was very aggressive in attacking the basket, drawing the most foul shot attempts of the night.  Of course, he missed a number of them; his form seems to have a bit of a hitch in it.  His biggest play of the night was a flying alley-oop on a fast break, with Williams feeding him.  He flew out of nowhere to hammer the dunk down, much to the delight of the crowd.  He was fed an impossibly high pass later in the game, which he actually managed to catch, but he came down with it and passed it.  Casey also scored on an excellent cut in halfcourt from a Williams feed.  He still has a long way to go, but there is certainly progress being made. 

  ** Christensen:  Matt looked like his usual self: 100% effort and very little grace.  He airballed one attempt and clanked a couple of putbacks, but finally managed to get a tip-in late in the game.  He did have a nice block and was his usual active self on the boards.  He won't be the kind of player you want in for 20 minutes a game or anything, but his ability to take up space, scrap for rebounds and play physical defense will come in handy.    

   ** Sweet:  Andre looked nervous in his first half appearance, though he did use his ups to block a shot.  His one field goal attempt was a bit flat and clanked.  In the second half, he energized himself and the team by picking the pocket of the ballhandler and running all the way down for a dunk.  Later, Boozer got a steal and found Sweet slipping behind the defense for another easy dunk.  He followed that up with a very strong drive for a basket as he gained more and more confidence.  The crowd's reaction really seemed to pump him up--it must be intoxicating for a frosh to hear that for the first time in a competitive game.  It remains to be seen how much he'll actually play this year, but he certainly helped his chances with this performance.   

  ** Buckner: Andre came into the game with about five minutes left and made an immediate impact.  He first found Boozer for an easy layup, and then stunned the EA defense by driving right up the gut for a layup, much to the crowd's delight.  He also confidently took a couple of good-looking threes that didn't fall.  It's amazing to see how comfortable he looks on the court; he's far from the jittery frosh who wasn't sure he belonged on last year's team.  I'm not sure Duke will need him to play much in game situations this year, but I imagine he's hell on wheels in practice.

  ** Simpson: JD missed a three but got a nice tip-in of a Sweet miss. 

  ** Caldbeck: Ryan was one of many deep reserves to get a rebound during  their spirited late-game play.   

 Cameron Craziness:  The fans were chanting, "Hi, xxx, where's Ed?" after each of the EA players were introduced.  A fan had a "Have you seen this man" sign, with Cota's infamous "mugshot" photo in the center.  One EA player had his shorts on backwards, a fact that the crowd graciously informed him of.  They also critiqued an EA airball from 3' away with "That was sorry!"  There were plenty of seats available for this game and I suspect the same  will be true for next week's exhibition as well.    

  Next Game: November 11th vs the Grand Rapids Hoops of the CBA.  This should be a very challenging game, since it will be against a team with considerable experience in the NBA and professional basketball in general.  It features the return to Cameron of a beloved figure from the early 90's, "Tony Tip-In" himself, Antonio Lang.  Other notables include Eric Riley (Michigan), Corey Beck (Arkansas), Sean Colson (UNC-Charlotte), Bryant Smith (Auburn), Priest Lauderdale (7'4" former first round pick of the Atlanta Hawks), Antonio Smith (Michigan State), and Darrin Hancock (Kansas).  With Lauderdale, 7-footer Riley, and rugged Smith, the frontcourt will have their hands full.  Beck was one of the toughest defenders in the NCAA, and Colson is a top-notch three  point shooter.  And Lang will be tough on the offensive boards.  This should be a very intriguing game for a team that will be looking to improve for their own season ahead.   

Reported by Rob Clough, tmc@duke.edu 

Rob's Archive