BU 48@ Duke 83 in-game comments...

[romar]

A couple things to your points...

I agree that Warren was unable to get his own shot and it seemed he was 'scared' at times which really did surprise me. Prosser just isn't getting it done right now. Too timid inside. I like Sticks more inside. He's not a scorer but he's very active and works hard on the floor. Dunson has been struggling to shoot this season but let's not forget he was the Braves top 3-point shooter just two years ago and in his second game last year hit 4 3's in the first half before getting injured. Lemon is tough and fearless but does need to slow down some. Freshman mistakes that will improve with time, hopefully.

My only question is where was the rebounding? It seemed our bigs were scared to get physical. Our PG led us in rebounds, seriously? At an exaggerated 6'3"?

I understand what you are saying but I think several of DD's were long rebounds in the 1st half when the Duke was missing most of their threes.

 

[Beninator]

I was at the game behind the BU bench. I thought we played pretty good actually. Had we had the effort we displayed for most of the game tonight in our last 4 games (TCU, EIU, WCU, Utah), I think we'd have won 3 of 4 at a minimum.

We were shown what a truly good team looks like tonight. It's the first one we've played this year. They play the full 40 minutes, they defend like h-ll, they get open, and they make shots. We fought our @sses off most of the time. Key word being 'most'. When we didn't, they capitalized. Duke plays their @ss off EVERY possession. That's what you have to do, regardless of talent or injuries. We don't do that. We just don't. If we did, would it have changed the outcome? No. But it was obvious how hard Duke plays all of the time.

I like the starting lineup tonight a lot. If/when DSE gets back, I keep him coming off the bench. He thrived there last year and has struggled as a starter this year. Dodie is clearly the best option at PG. I'd start DD/WL/AW/JP/WE, and go DSE/JE/AT/MK off the bench. Used properly and with continued great efforts defensively, I think we can still win 10 games in this year's MVC. While we're not in an ideal situation, I think we can still have a successful conference season. Will we, or will we rest on built-in excuses?

Well said. I agree with everything you posted. Especially the starting lineup!;-)

 

[thefish7]

My impression of the game:

All things considered, I thought Bradley played well. There were a few defensive lapses and Duke punished us on every one of them. Offensively we're still struggling, though Dodie at the point was a bit of a revelation. I was hoping to get to 50, and I was hoping to take the spread... Didn't manage those, but I believe we did hold Duke below their average score for the season, which is kind of an achievement.

Some specific points:
Zone vs Man - We were getting beaten in both. Duke was moving the ball around really well and they executed well. Would've been nice to keep the pressure on in the second half, but Duke started hitting the threes, getting confident, and cruising. I guess you gotta pick how Duke was going to beat up on you, inside or outside... We forced them outside and they took care of business. I did think our zone looked pretty good at times, and I think our new found focus on D will set in more and more over time.

Dodie - I think Dodie is the clear answer at PG. He kept things pretty well under control, protected the ball and moved the ball around a lot. Given time to settle into the role, I think he could be a nice development in a season that's had few.

Prosser - Prosser played very well except for the finishing. He was as strong as the Duke bigs and mixed it up underneath well. He's obviously in a funk shooting, but he didn't have trouble finishing in HS, so I think that'll come around. If he made half his shots last night he'd have had a nice line.

Eastman - GOTTA TAKE A SHOT! Even that sweet pass inside he made, should have probably been a shot if he can shoot 3s at all. He was WIDE open. Also, must break habit of putting the ball on the floor as soon as he receives the pass. If you're open when the ball is passed, and you can shoot, then put the shot up. Maybe he just can't shoot, I dunno.

Lemon - Time for him to start. More experience, I think will help him slow down at times. I'm sure he's going to struggle like a freshman does, but he may be our #2 scorer this season with all of the injuries.

Les postgame - One thing I liked to hear is that Les confirmed in the postgame that they're installing a new offense given what's happened to the personnel. I generally liked what I saw last night... I think Prosser/Egolf will be our frontline most of the time, and I think in time that'll pay some dividends.

Lineup going forward - Same starting lineup as Duke. I believe the DD/WL/AW/JP/WE lineup will give us our best chance to win. DSE can play 6th man backing up both guard positions. We'll still be thin as hell, but that's just how it's going to be this season. Get well soon, DSE!

 

[Braves4Life]

Great assessment fish! If we play this way with this group the rest of the way I think we can have a very respectable season. Sometimes, great things can be born from adversity. This may be just what JL needs to grow as a coach, and what this team needs to play as a team. I am hopeful that we can build on this going forward.

 

[LittleBrave]

A couple things to your points...

I agree that Warren was unable to get his own shot and it seemed he was 'scared' at times which really did surprise me. Prosser just isn't getting it done right now. Too timid inside. I like Sticks more inside. He's not a scorer but he's very active and works hard on the floor. Dunson has been struggling to shoot this season but let's not forget he was the Braves top 3-point shooter just two years ago and in his second game last year hit 4 3's in the first half before getting injured. Lemon is tough and fearless but does need to slow down some. Freshman mistakes that will improve with time, hopefully.

My only question is where was the rebounding? It seemed our bigs were scared to get physical. Our PG led us in rebounds, seriously? At an exaggerated 6'3"?

I think I've seen DD make 2 of about 25 3-pt'ers in his career. And not many of them are close. Keep driving Dodie and protecting the ball. Work on your FT's too!

 

[bu fan 9]

Like I have said before you have to be able to shoot the 3 in college basketball.You better shoot the 3 well and shoot a lot of them to be a great team just like Duke.

 

[romar]

I think I've seen DD make 2 of about 25 3-pt'ers in his career. And not many of them are close. Keep driving Dodie and protecting the ball. Work on your FT's too!

DD is actually a decent 3 pt shooter WHEN he is set and only from the wings. He struggles from the top of the key or anywhere where he is looking at the rim & backboard. He's best when he has his feet under him and time to take the shot and that doesn't happen too often in the course of a game. I would love to see a chart of his successful 3's and would bet the vast majority of them would be from the right or left sideline.

That said, DD is a great finisher on the drive and his large hands help him to handle the ball effectively around the rim to get good shots from odd angles. Also where FT's are concerned I think he generally averages about 73-75%.

 

[lake Camelot]

Prosser - Prosser played very well except for the finishing. He was as strong as the Duke bigs and mixed it up underneath well. He's obviously in a funk shooting, but he didn't have trouble finishing in HS, so I think that'll come around. If he made half his shots last night he'd have had a nice line.

I thought he looked very weak. I thought to myself with how strong he looks from the weight lifting, I thought he'd be stronger. They seemed to push him wherever they wnted to get the rebound. It is just one game though.

 

[BradleyBrave]

On another note, I recommend any hardcore college hoops fan go out there for a game. Chapel Hill is 15 minutes away and the Dean Dome is open for people to walk in and take pics if they aren't practicing. Seeing a game at Cameron is an experience, it's amazing how small it is. I can't believe it holds 9,000. People on both campuses were quite knowledgeable and quite hospitable as well. It was a great time regardless of the outcome.

 

[jasonpeoria911]

About the only good thing to come out of this game was that Lemon got some big time spotlight on ESPN. If the announcers wasn't talking about Irving, they were talking about how impressed they were with Lemon. No other Bradley player got the accolades he did, except for a few mentions about how good our inside D was.

Announcers also briefly mentioned that Taylor is doing his video documentary to keep himself productive during this tough time. Kind of a nice gesture by them.

Jason

 

[BradleyBrave]

About the only good thing to come out of this game was that Lemon got some big time spotlight on ESPN. If the announcers wasn't talking about Irving, they were talking about how impressed they were with Lemon. No other Bradley player got the accolades he did, except for a few mentions about how good our inside D was.

Announcers also briefly mentioned that Taylor is doing his video documentary to keep himself productive during this tough time. Kind of a nice gesture by them.

Jason

Lemon needs to start the rest of the season.