Who won?
Not Pitt, that’s for sure. Duke won the game 87-52 for their most-lopsided ACC road win since 1999.
How?
In the first 3 minutes of the game, Duke shot 3-4 from the floor including (shockingly) 2-2 from three point range. During that same stretch, Pitt turned the ball over 3 times and the game was over. Duke clearly did not want to mess around and play another tight game on the road.
GIF
Duke fans were ready to cancel the season at this very moment last night. pic.twitter.com/cxujUgcbpp
— Chris – Duke Report (@DukeOfHoops) January 11, 2018
What people are talking about
A quick pass through Duke Twitter and popular message boards shows that most of what happened should solely be attributed to how bad of a basketball team Pitt is. And they are bad. Very bad.
what should people be talking about
While Pitt is not a good basketball team, there were subtle adjustments on defense that helped Duke’s cause considerably. 30% of Duke’s allowed three point attempts prior to the Pitt game came from the wings below the free throw line extended. Opponents were making 72% of those shots, most of them catch and shoot threes, and most of them unguarded. Pitt attempted 22 threes, but only 4 came from that danger area for Duke. Why? Because when Duke goes big (which they do for more than half of the time), a post player will go from helping around the rim to closing down on a shooter in the corner. Duke helped less last night, and when they did help, they closed out better. The one make Pitt had from the corner happened when Justin Robinson went for an ill-advised steal after a Panther offensive rebound and couldn’t recover to his man in the corner.
Concerns are still there for Duke, however. Specifically in the form of a struggling Grayson Allen (4-12 shooting) and Pitt rebounding 15 of their 42 misses.
Quote
“[The communication on defense] was way better tonight. I could hear everybody on the court calling out screens, everyone was talking and connecting, which allowed us to be more alert and to move as one. I think that it helped us out tonight.” – Marvin Bagley III
what’s next?
Duke heads home to host Wake Forest after playing 7 of their last 10 ACC games on the road.
8 is wild
Rodney Hood is having none of your portrait iPhone videos. Landscape videos or GTFO.
put rodney hood in the hall of fame literally right this instant pic.twitter.com/609CWD44fi
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) January 11, 2018
Also, solid job by Pitt to wear black uniforms at home and forcing Duke to wear their home whites.
from my very last final paper at Duke: “From 1996-2014… [Duke’s win percentage in black jerseys] was only 60 percent – an astonishing 23 points lower than the overall win percentage.”
somebody at Pitt clearly didn’t do the proper scouting 🤔 https://t.co/HHNawUkySe
— Erin Brown (@Erin_Brownie) January 10, 2018
