It’s not that I’m expecting Duke to be as good as it was during last year’s national championship season either. “It wasn’t necessarily hard, but it was us sticking to the details of the game plan I think we if we stuck to it a little better we could have limited him”. It took one game. This time, though, he was the player the team planned on turning to. Even still, VCU is much better than Bryant and Siena. The Rams, who led the nation in turnovers forced for three straight seasons before finishing 12th in 2014-15, have forced 42 through their first two games under coach Will Wade. Johnny Dawkins had 55 points in two games to open the 1983-84 season.
Advertisement
With that said, I think the Blue Devils have a chance to make another deep run in March, but they also have the kind of team that could be susceptible to an early-round exit should they face another talented backcourt. “We have to understand the physical and mental preparation, the execution needed to win these games”.
Following their first win of the season, the Georgetown men’s basketball team (1-2, Big East) will take on the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils (3-1, ACC) in the championship game of the annual 2K Classic tournament on Sunday in Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena.
Krzyzewski turned to Allen less than four minutee into the game, and VCU had no answer. He’s knocked down 5-of-7 field goal attempts and is 4-for-5 from the free throw line, adding three rebounds and a steal to his line.
On Friday night’s game, Allen said, “For me, coming off the bench, it was nothing different than if I was starting. It’s the same aggressive, attacking mindset”. But with the Blue Devils leading 57-55, freshman Luke Kennard followed his own miss to give Duke another possession, which culminated in another Allen 3-pointer. But after watching Grayson Allen and Matt Jones play out of position and fail to establish any sort of offensive rhythm, Thornton got an extended look in the second half against Kentucky. So effective was Allen that Krzyzewski began calling plays for the backup who had averaged four points per game during the regular season.
Jones, the junior guard, has averaged 15.0 points per game this year and he went for 10 points on 4-or-11 from the field, including two threes, six rebounds, and three assists.
Allen drove the court with the ball and made a break for the hoop. Proud of my team.
He shot just 2-of-11 against Kentucky. “That stretch from the 11 1/2 minute mark to the 7 minute mark it got away from us”.
Thornton said of Coach K, “I’m just really here trying to soak in everything Coach has for me and has planned for our team”. “We have a lot of improvement ahead of us”.
Advertisement
Krzyzewski said of Thornton, “What Derryck Thornton brought tonight was personality. I was very impressed with that”.
