After our hardest workout of the season on Christmas Day, we had a quiet Christmas dinner together as a team before catching our charter to NC. In the 4th and final year of a 4 year probaation from post-season play (during which they've won 20 + games each of the first 3 years) Duke has nothing to play for but pride. I have to feel that their ranking is a bit of a bone thrown to them, but they have beaten Alabama, Nebraska, Arizona St, and Oklahoma (on the road). On the other hand they've lost home games to Oklahoma St., Creighton, and Toledo, and were gobsmacked by #15 Auburn on the road.
The god-forsaken barn known as Cameron Indoor Stadium still remains as one of the most difficult venues to win a game in all of Div I. At least the students are on break, although, as usual, it will be a sellout. If OK St., Creighton, and Toledo can all come in here and win, no reason we can't either, and I let the guys know they OWE me this one after our last game at home against Michigan.
We are making changes to the starting line-up tonight. Connely and Stetson will start in place of Wilson and Durhan, and Vernon Johnson will start in place of Willis. There are no moral victories tonight. Anything less than a win, and they had better hope their holiday break is a good one, because they'll be coming back to campus with one very pissed off head coach.
Offensively in the first half we shot the ball well, but didn't handle it well. Defensiively we didn't play any. Net result: at halftime we trail by 2 34-36
It;s an extremely unhappy locker room after the game. For some reason we thought we could win this game simply by outscoring them and doing nothing else. Poor defense was a big part of it, but the biggest woe for us the last couple of games has been horrible play from our point guards. At tje start of the season, if I had been told we'd go 10-4 against this non-conference schedule, I'd have taken it. Now, I won't. We are better than we've played the last couple of games and I'm going to be spending the holiday break trying to figure out how to put some fire under a few people.
it was a 2 to 5 point game until the final minute, but if we had played at all up to our abilities we would have won.
It all starts at the PG position for us, and for the second game in a row no point guard showed up. Wilson coming off the bench this time turned the ball over 7 times. Connely was only marginally better, and Thompson picked up 4 fouls in 4 minutes as his contribution. Martin who wound up playing point down the stretch will likely start there the next game.
As for Martin, he had another decent game with 15 points, and his 3 asts to 2 turnovers was better than any of our true point guards. Stetson in his first start of the season had 9 pts, 2 rebs, and 2 asts, and played a modicum of defense. He's earned at least another start.
Angeli struggled again from the field, as the freshman is having a hard time adjusting to being the focus of the defense, but still had a decent line with 11 pts, 4 asts, 8 rebs and a stl. Angeli needs to go back to letting the offense come to him instead of forcing shots. He does enough other things in the game that he's always a contributor even if he's not scoring.
Johnson had 11 points in 24 minutes, and also played a modicum of defense, but he needs to get after loose balls more. We need more than 2 rebs in 24 minutes from him.
Inyo had probably his worst game of the season, and he was still better than most with 6 pts, 2 rebs, a steal and a block in 18 minutes.
Martin Ray was the big bright spot in the game for us, and probably single handedly kept us in the game with 10 pts, 8 rebs and a career high 6 blocks.
We have a few days to sort some things out, but all in all this team did not give me a very merry Christmas
Final: UNM 68 Duke 77