Duke 98
Georgia Tech 54
February 21, 2001
Cameron Indoor Stadium 

  There were times in the second half of this game where I wished college basketball had something akin to a TKO or a mercy rule, because this affair was ridiculously one-sided.  Duke only shot 48% for the game--not bad, but not unreal, either.  But Tech shot 28% AND had 29 turnovers--a recipe for self-destruction.  Duke's somewhat erratic defense, especially in the post, has been a cause for concern this year.  But the Devils' post defense here was nothing short of sensational, frustrating star Tech center Alvin Jones into a 2-9, 4 turnover mess.  While the entire evening had a celebratory feel to it because of the well-deserved retiring of Shane Battier's jersey, perhaps the best thing that occurred was the extremely solid play of Casey Sanders, especially on defense.  All he has to do is use his height and wingspan on defense without leaving his feet, grab a couple of rebounds and block the occasional shot.  And that's just what he did, forcing Jones to travel a couple of times and even pushing him out from under the basket.

  The first eight minutes of the game were tight.  Tech came out with an attitude, talking a lot of smack and sticking threes right in Duke's face. Jon Babul started the scoring with an unlikely three for Tech, but the efforts of Nate James gave Duke a 13-7 lead.  He rebounded a Battier miss to tie the game at 5, set up a give-and-go with Carlos Boozer, drove and dished to Boozer for a baseline jumper, got another rebound basket, and then simply drove in for a layup.  More than anything, he was picking up Shane's slack after he missed his first 3 shots and turned the ball over. But Tech hit a couple of threes and soon the game was tied at 15 with twelve minutes left in the half.

  Battier had been so geeked up for the game that he was getting the yips out there, so K actually sat him down for a couple of minutes.  He returned to take control of the game, beginning with a rebound basket.  Duhon then got a key steal and dished to Dunleavy in transition.  After a Dunleavy free throw and Tech turnover, Duhon stroked a smooth three.  Battier then got a steal, took off a couple of feet away from the basket and jammed it home, drawing the foul as well.  That sent Cameron into hysterics and really fired up the team.  Casey Sanders came up with a steal and threw it to Jason, who dished it to Shane for a three.  Duke's 14-0 run came to an end after Tech got free for a three.  Coach K called an immediate time-out to remind his players not to let up and give Tech an opportunity to get back into the game.

  Jason scored on 2 consecutive drives, but Tech was picking things up on their end, and only trailed 34-24 with six minutes left in the half.  Jason hit another three, but Tech was able to cut it to 37-27 with four minutes remaining in the half.  Battier and Duhon would lead Duke to a half-closing 17-3 run that left Tech a smoldering wreck.  Shane hit a short jumper and then helped force Alvin Jones into a turnover.  He then hit a couple of free throws.  Sanders forced Jones into another turnover, and then Dunleavy found Williams for a three.  After Tech answered with a trey of their own to cut the lead to 44-30, Duke smelled blood and feasted on the Jackets. Dunleavy hit a three, then got a rebound and dished it to a streaking Duhon, who nailed a three of his own.  Duhon stole the inbounds pass and dished to Williams, who got fouled and hit both freebies.  Duhon then stole another inbounds pass and drove in, getting a three point play (although he missed the foul shot).  Tech was utterly demoralized by the sudden turn of events and Duke was at its best.  The Jackets outrebounded Duke by 10 in the half,  but their 18 turnovers negated that bonus, and it came down to them missing too many shots.

  It took Duke about two minutes to put the game away in the second half. After a Boozer free throw, Jones turned it over yet again and Duke capitalized with a Dunleavy three.  Dunleavy then rebounded a miss and had Jason dial  his number for another three.  Battier stole the ball and fed Jason for yet another longball.  James picked Fein's pocket and dished to Jason, who drove for a three point play.  Duke led 67-30 and started to call off the dogs a bit.  They went to a 3-2 zone with about ten minutes left in  the game and went to deep subs with about six minutes left. 

  Dunleavy had a highlight where he drove around and under Jones for a reverse layup in order to avoid a Jones block.  Shane hit a jumper and got a dunk on an inbounds play, while a Sanders block energized a break where Duhon found Williams.  Duke went on an 11-0 run at around the thirteen minute mark, holding Tech without a basket for nearly six minutes.  And this was while playing a zone!  This game was a perfect testament to what momentum can do in a basketball game.  Duke got a small crack of daylight in the first half and just ran with it, not letting up at either end of the court. Tech had their chances early on, but didn't do enough to stop Duke's fifth option, Nate James.  Nate sensed the team was tight and carried them until his teammates were ready to step up, especially Shane.  Tech is not a cupcake team--they swept Virginia, beat Maryland and played UNC tough twice, in addition to beating Kentucky and UCLA.  They know how to deal with top opposition, but they simply panicked under extreme pressure and were forced to think too much about what they were doing.  Duke imposed their will on Tech, and did it with defense.  If Duke can continue to do this, they will be very difficult to beat.

  One of the best things about the end of the first half is that Duke held their own defensively when Carlos Boozer went to the bench with 2 fouls. Tech attacked down low, but couldn't get anything going.  Then, in the last two minutes, Duke used a kamikaze small lineup, with Battier and Dunleavy as the "inside" men.  The Devils used a lot of pressing and trapping with this bunch, who spread the floor because all five are good three  point shooters.  This was a very nice attacking lineup and Tech didn't know what hit them.  I'd be a bit nervous about using a lineup this small all the time, but it made for a nice change of pace.

       ** Negatives:

1. Perimeter defense.  Tech got a lot of looks from three, and hit a good percentage (40%) of them.  They had a few open looks that didn't go down as well.  Tech did a great job of reversing the ball, however, and they have a lot of shooters.

2. Blocking out.  Tech had 15 offensive rebounds, although they were only able to score on their early ones.  In fact, there was a possession in the first half where Tech had three chances at the basket and blew it, only to see Duke score on the other end.  I think that hurt their confidence for several minutes.  Tech did have 49 missed shots, so it was only natural that they'd get some of their misses back.

** Positives:

1. Post defense.  Really solid in both halves.  After Jones scored on a couple of easy baskets early on, Duke did a great job of doubling down on Jones and forcing him to make a move with very little room.  Jones couldn't resist the challenge and ended up travelling a few times.

2. Dealing with the press.  Tech used a 2-1-2 press for most of the game, often double-teaming Williams on the inbound.  Duke was consistently able to break it with plenty of time left on the clock.  Even when they trapped Jason deep in his own backcourt, he used a mind-boggling spin move to get out of trouble.  Duke only turned the ball over 13 times, and just 5 times in the decisive first half.

3. Ball pressure.  Duke pressured Tech's ball handlers quite well, creating 16 steals and lots of easy scores.  Duhon's steal right before the end of the first half was a back-breaker, while Battier's steal & slam for a three point play fired up the Devils early on.         

Player-by-Player:

** Boozer: Kind of a weird game for Carlos.  His early foul trouble kept him on the bench for much of the first half, although I think his rebounding problems had something to do with it.  On the other hand, he moved the ball around pretty well and got some pretty assists.   His give-and-go to Nate was a thing of beauty, as he patiently but purposefully worked the two man game.  His early post-up and baseline jumper showed off a diversified Duke offense.  The one thing he didn't do in the first half was rebound, and he had some balls fall right through his hands.  Things improved all around in the second half, when he posted up and scored easily and also grabbed 4 boards.  He wasn't a difference maker, but he did have some  important early plays.  Carlos did have one immensely stupid play--plowing right into a three point shooter and getting a three shot foul called on him.

** Battier: What can one say about an all-time great?  Shane was so fired up after his retirement ceremony that he came out too excited.  He missed his first three shots and committed a turnover on Duke's first possession. But after Coach K yanked him for a minute, he calmed down and proceeded to have a truly amazing half: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.  He started Duke's 14-0 run in the first half with a rebound basket and ended it with his monstrous steal & slam and a three.  His help defense on Jones was excellent, and he also had time to stop Akins from driving.  He showed how well he works with a big-time scorer like Williams by trading passes for three pointers with him.  His second half was much quieter, just taking a few attempts.  With Duke's pressure defense being called off, he wasn't needed to deflect passes or defend inside.  Even in his last stint in the game with about four minutes left, he didn't take a shot.  Even though he only shot 6-16, this was an excellent game.

** Dunleavy: A quiet first half in some respects, but he really pulled out some eye-popping plays in the second.  He hit a three and scored in transition in the first half, but also worked very hard on the boards, trailing only Battier at the half with 5 rebounds.  He also had assists to Boozer inside and to Duhon on a very long pass.  He exploded in the second half with back to back threes, a twisting finish on the break, and a steal & runout. Mike was Mike, essentially, helping out where needed and striking when least expected.  Coach K lets Mike use his versatility to best effect, and when he's really on, he's a devastating weapon.

** James: When Duke was a bit tight early on in the game, Nate made a number of smart hustle plays.  It started with a putback that tied the game, and then he worked a two man game with Boozer that resulted in Nate getting a basket on a give and go.  Then he dished to Carlos for a jumper after driving to the basket, and followed it up with another tip-in and a drive. This warrior ended up with 7 rebounds, continuing Duke's resurgence on the boards.  While his second half was not as dominant, he did hit a three, control the boards and come up with a steal to add to his game-high total of 5.  After a quiet outing against St. John's, it was nice to see him reassert himself.  Nate very quietly has become one of the top 10 scorers in the ACC and will be due some honors at the end of the year.

** Williams: Another day at the office for J-Will, who silenced the smack- talkin' Akins with an array of spectacular plays and a limited number of mistakes.  Jason started Duke's scoring off with a three to tie Tech. He was quiet for a while after that, missing a couple of shots while trying to contain Tech's backcourt.  But he scored 12 points in the last eight minutes of the half, starting with a couple of nice drives.  He then stuck a  couple of threes and even sank 2 free throws, a nice sign considering his recent difficulties.  He came out on fire in the second half, getting 6 points and 3 assists in just three minutes.  The capper came when he followed a three with a three point play off a steal.  The last two games have featured a Williams who has returned to form, one who is willing to be daring.  Someone who takes big shots and pushes the offense constantly. And the guys he was matched up against--Omar Cook and Tony Akins--aren't stiffs.  Jason still lets his man by him a little too often, but his ball pressure is very good.  As long as he stays aggressive and confident, he will keep on a solid offensive footing.

** Duhon: Chris' first half was nothing less than amazing.  He seized and understood the game's momentum late in the first half, absolutely burying Tech with a three off a steal and then a death-defying steal and three point play layup.  Chris' confidence seems to grow with every play, with one important addition--he no longer lets it get to him when he makes a mistake, he simply moves on to the next play.  "Next Play" is one of the biggest underlying principles of Duke basketball--don't focus on your failures, concentrate on what you need to do to succeed right now.  Chris did a nice job as a ballhawk, a distributor (3 assists) and a shooter.  About the only thing he didn't do well was hit free throws, a normal strength for him.  He was just 2-7 from the line.  Chris and Jason are looking more and more comfortable together, to the point where one doesn't want to break apart that duo.   

** Sanders: Casey came in just a few minutes into the game, replacing Carlos. I thought out loud that this might be an interesting matchup for Duke, since Casey has the height to deal with Alvin Jones and isn't overpowered by him physically like some ACC centers.  That proved to be an accurate assessment, as Casey did an excellent job on him.  He helped force several of Jones' 4 turnovers simply by keeping his feet.  He abandoned his sound defense a  few times in the second half and wound up leaping into a couple of guys for fouls.  Casey had an excellent block in the second half, keeping it inbounds, and wound up with 4 rebounds (3 offensive).  His only field goal was a tip-in, but he blew three perfect scoring opportunities because he wasn't quite ready for the pass.  He did manage to hit 3 of 4 from the line and dished to Boozer for a jumper.

** Christensen: Matt's knees are bothering him a bit so he only played very briefly, but looked very energetic.  He get a big offensive rebound and only committed 1 foul.

** Love: Reggie was very active in his extended playing time, sinking a  free throw, getting 3 boards and even a block & steal.  This was the best I've seen him play, even if he wasn't scoring much.  If he's going to get real playing time this year, this game might help his efforts.

** Buckner: Andre snagged a spectacular steal and hit a foul shot.

** Simpson: Missed an off-balance jumper.

** Borman/Caldbeck: Nothing of note.

** Cameron Craziness: Lots of love for Shane.  I loved how everyone was holding up little placards that had some tidbit on Shane, be it a statistic or something else.  Cameron was packed and reasonably loud.  Before the game, there was a nice, low "we're going to get you" chant aimed at Tech.

  The ceremony itself was memorable more for Shane's beaming expression than what was said.  Joe Alleva introduced Nan Keohane, who essentially rattled off a list of his accomplishments from his sports information profile.  He was with his parents and his brother, and hugged each of them after he got his jersey in a frame.  He held up the frame to each side of Cameron, soaking in the applause.  His teammates were out there with him, and Chris Duhon was doing the "we're not worthy" bow.  Shane looked about as fired up as I've ever seen him as he and his team ran off the court.

  During the game, there were lots of chants of "four more years", "who's your daddy?", etc.  Chris Duhon got his "Du-du-du Duhon!" and Jason Williams got "J-Will, j-will, rock you!", both of which are really sounding nice. Casey got lots of cheers whenever he did anything well. 

  Tech thug Michael Isenhour was wearing his socks high, DC-style, which prompted the Crazies to tell him to "pull your socks down."  He seemed vaguely embarrassed!

** Next Game: Saturday, February 24 vs Wake Forest.  This is a team that Duke beat easily the first time, but the Deacs are lethal at home and they're fighting for the NCAA's. 

Reported by Rob Clough, tmc@duke.edu 

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