Interesting week for Duke bball, and really the first big test for a young team. I think, after the Ohio State massacre a few weeks back, any Duke fan saw these early January dates at Temple and at Georgia Tech and perhaps saw some writing on the wall. This is a team that plays very well at Cameron, but outside of Cameron and especially in hostile, away team environments can be extremely shaky.
Well, the Temple game proved what we thought--Duke is a young crew who still hasn't figured out how to string together a complete, strong game on the road. That's why today's win at Georgia Tech was a big step for the Blue Devils. On the resume, it is a meaningless win, but for a team still finding its identity, it's a big step in the right direction. The Devils jumped out to an early big lead and perhaps sat on it a bit, eventually letting Tech into the game at the end of the first half and throughout the second half. Thanks to some clutch free throw shooting from Ryan Kelly, the team found a way to scratch out a hard-fought win in a tough environment. Now, does this mean I expect us to go into Maryland and the Dean Dome and come out with wins? Hardly. But, progress is being made--so mark this as a big day for this team, getting its first true road win of the season.
And for one minute, let's talk about Quin Cook. Coming into the Temple game, the guy had played 47 minutes of turnover-free basketball, logging 17 assists. I think the kid is making a strong play for that starting PG spot, and I think K is taking note.
Well, the Temple game proved what we thought--Duke is a young crew who still hasn't figured out how to string together a complete, strong game on the road. That's why today's win at Georgia Tech was a big step for the Blue Devils. On the resume, it is a meaningless win, but for a team still finding its identity, it's a big step in the right direction. The Devils jumped out to an early big lead and perhaps sat on it a bit, eventually letting Tech into the game at the end of the first half and throughout the second half. Thanks to some clutch free throw shooting from Ryan Kelly, the team found a way to scratch out a hard-fought win in a tough environment. Now, does this mean I expect us to go into Maryland and the Dean Dome and come out with wins? Hardly. But, progress is being made--so mark this as a big day for this team, getting its first true road win of the season.
And for one minute, let's talk about Quin Cook. Coming into the Temple game, the guy had played 47 minutes of turnover-free basketball, logging 17 assists. I think the kid is making a strong play for that starting PG spot, and I think K is taking note.
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