04/20/24
March 23, 2006
No Crying for Big Baby: LSU Takes Out Duke : , exposing their deficiencies.
posted by justgary to basketball at 11:07 PM - 28 comments
Nice win for a young LSU team. Good night of basketball overall -- three of the games were very good, and two of them were great. Geaux Tigers!
posted by holden at 12:01 AM on March 24, 2006
As much as I was glad to see Duke lose, that game was difficult to watch - horrible shooting (Blue Devils) on one end, lack of some fundamental aspects basketball on the other (Tigers). The Tigers are freakishly athletic, they got so many blocks and were very active on defense, they deserved to win for their effort in that end. But man, they didn't take care of the basketball, so many terrible passes, so many turnovers, bad shot choices, no clock management, very poor free-throw shooting (right until the end), and only one guy, Mitchell, who can really ballhandle. Williams effectively shut down Big Baby Davis, the Tigers did better with him out of the game in the first half. But LSU's athleticism won out, they took it to the paint, outrebounded like crazy, and drew lots of fouls. And the lanky guy covering Redick absolutely shut him down. Duke had lots of chances to take the lead, but biffed on a couple - McRoberts was obviously psyched out and making freshman mistakes, and it was demonstrated why Redick will never be more than a come-off-the-bench roleplayer in the NBA; an athletic player just a few inches taller can shut him down if he is aware of the screens. This game hurt Redick's draft stock considerably in my opinion. But what matters is that LSU elevated their play and out-hustled Duke; they created a lot of difficult matchup problems for them and will do that for any team still in it. Keeping Duke to under 40% shooting is unheard of, especially in tournament play, although that is mostly Redick's fault. If they keep a lid on the bad passing and other bad habits, LSU can keep winning.
posted by insomnyuk at 01:45 AM on March 24, 2006
Oh,and now the only 1 seed vs 2 seed matchup is going to be Memphis and UCLA. I admit I had OSU and Duke both making the Elite 8. Hindsight, and all that.
posted by insomnyuk at 01:48 AM on March 24, 2006
I had Duke winning it all and now i must cheer for the Huskies and there sixth man Jeff Adrien who i met and is from my town
posted by bronxbomber at 06:30 AM on March 24, 2006
(not to brag)
posted by bronxbomber at 06:31 AM on March 24, 2006
Redick offically is the most overhyped person on the planet!! Hell, even more so than "im going to cry in the car" Morrison. Neither of them could clutch it through in the end.
posted by Big Dookie at 08:09 AM on March 24, 2006
I don't think Reddick was exposed as a fraud. I think this is exactly the kind of player most people know he was going to be in the NBA. If you throw doubles at him and start playing up on him above the three-point line, he's going to have a game like everyone else would. Crappy. He is not a franchise player - no surprise. But he's also easily the best shooter in college ball. In the NBA, they won't be throwing double teams at him, and he won't be relied upon to get his own shot. He'll be a dependable shooter that will score. I'm always flabbergasted when the draft comes around and people will pass on a guy like Reddick all day for a bunch of guys who might develop into a player that can do something - but presently can't do anything. I mean, everyone in the league can dunk. Reddick can step into any team and contribute with his shooting. It's already NBA quality with great range.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:13 AM on March 24, 2006
"The unfriendly iron, it mocks me... The wily Bayou Bengals conspired to outfox me... Alas, the end of my storied career; My underachieving team causes bracketologists to jeer." --J.J. Redick March 24, 2006
posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:16 AM on March 24, 2006
I wonder who DICK VITALE will cheer for now?
posted by Grrrlacher at 08:18 AM on March 24, 2006
TBH, that is brilliant.
posted by yerfatma at 08:26 AM on March 24, 2006
Reddick will not even make a decent NBA player. Unless you're a Reggie Miller type of player you are not going to get 2 or 3 screens to come off of to get open for your shot. Reddick would get shutdown by an average defender in the NBA cause he can't create his own shot. He was a great college jump shooter but he hasn't got the skills for the NBA.
posted by Familyman at 08:49 AM on March 24, 2006
Reddick was a bit of a puzzle throughout his career at Duke. He scored tons of points, obviously, but always seemed to be shut down when it mattered most (like last night). It was most telling, however, that the rest of the Duke team could not pick up the slack. They looked pathetic with regards to the fundementals last night (that point at the end of the game when nobody boxed out the shooter at the line, when every other LSU player was downcourt) and that's one of the reasons this Duke team, and Reddick in particular, will never get a great deal of respect. Will he make a good pro? Maybe good, but never great. That was Duke in a nutshell this season; decent team, but nothing too spectacular. Congrats to LSU.
posted by dyams at 09:00 AM on March 24, 2006
/stands back to watch his bracket slide down the tubes. It was most telling, however, that the rest of the Duke team could not pick up the slack. I agree. Duke's shooting was horrible and they really did not play like a number one seed. I do think that people are acting like Reddick was the main reason they lost the game. Last time i checked five people play for a team on the court at once, not one. While Reddick was the main factor in why Duke has made it this far, the mark of a good team is when they have players who can pick up the slack when their star has an off night and Duke just didn't get it done.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 12:18 PM on March 24, 2006
I agree. Duke's shooting was horrible and they really did not play like a number one seed. Both teams looked absolutely dreadful during the game. I watched it for about 10 minutes but I got frustrated with the clankity-clank-clank shooting on both sides. In the end, I just turned off the TV (since I had no rooting interest in either team, having been away from the computer during March Madness pick week).
posted by grum@work at 12:24 PM on March 24, 2006
gotta hand it to LSU, but especially Tyrus Thomas. it seemed like that kid was everywhere blocking shots, and he's only a RS-freshman. he set the tone on defense that seemed contagious. i felt bad for redick because he was so visibly frustrated throughout the game and I agree that this is probably his last hurrah as a big-time scorer. conversely, i got some sick enjoyment from watching UCLA crush Gonzaga's spirits in the last 3 minutes of that game. admittedly, i'm an alum of one of the zags' yearly WCC doormats, but they've been letting leads slip away like that all year. a gritty defense-oriented team like UCLA is going to punish you for lapses in concentration like that. i've copied that picture of morrison crying midcourt while the bruins celebrate around him and sent it to all my friends in the great NW. mwa ha ha...
posted by ninjavshippo at 12:44 PM on March 24, 2006
While Reddick was the main factor in why Duke has made it this far Don't forget about Sheldon Williams. He had a pretty good season and he was the only Devil that brought his "A" game with him last night. Unfortunately, he got into early foul trouble and had to play the last 10:00-15:00 of the game somewhat passively.
posted by willthrill72 at 12:47 PM on March 24, 2006
Sheldon is a beast. Coach K was going to win it on Reddicks shooting or lose it there too. He had no intentions of feeding Sheldon late, LSU's bigs were in foul trouble but, oh well. Reddick went 3 for 18, how can you possibly deny that he is the reason they lost the game. If you want his teammates to step up, tell him to stop shooting. Last thing...If freshman are getting in his jock why would you draft him early?
posted by Drallig9399 at 01:16 PM on March 24, 2006
Shelden's first 30 minutes were Laettener-v-Kentucky game-for-the-ages minutes. Then after the 4th foul, he got inexplicably passive on the offensive end as well as the defensive, when he should have been trying to foul out Thomas or Davis so that JJ could operate more effectively. Tangentially (and perhaps more in line with anti-news-sports-filter): Reddick as Marino.
posted by tieguy at 01:23 PM on March 24, 2006
Sorry for taking up space on the Duke thread. Spokane has been shocked back to reality as has become the custom here this time of year. I have friends who know Adam Morrison and he really is a good kid(trash-talking on the court notwithstanding). Wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate UCLA and wish them the best in the eight. Maybe Reddick and Morrison can do better in the Halo tournament coming to town. A reminder to the both of them: There is no crying in X-Box.
posted by THX-1138 at 02:39 PM on March 24, 2006
Big Baby Busted Bitchin Bracket
posted by irunfromclones at 02:48 PM on March 24, 2006
I read something recently on Slate (sorry can't find the link) about picking NCAA brackets, and it, and the Duke game reminded of what my old (American) basketball coach used to say: 'Defense turns up and plays every game, offense sometimes has an off day'.
posted by owlhouse at 02:48 PM on March 24, 2006
I agree with you, THX. Morrison is a fantastic player. It's too bad his season (and Gonzaga career) had to end with such a huge collapse. I couldn't believe UCLA actually won that game. How many games do you see a team come back without having to count on the other team going to the free-throw line dozens of times after countless fouls and missing shots as the only way of cutting a lead. UCLA forced bad shots, turnovers, and finally played some tough D that was missing up to that time. The Gonzaga thing doesn't need it's own thread, but a few comments will suffice.
posted by dyams at 03:09 PM on March 24, 2006
Then pleased to be dunking this little nuggett: Completely and totally unsubstantiated water cooler talk has Mark Few seriously considering some of the head coaching offers headed his direction. More than one person around here doesn't like the way he manages the defensive side of things, but I on the other hand feel Gonzaga would be nowhere without him. His recruiting is very, very good. After all, how do you get a kid from Chicago to move to Spokane? It's nice here and all but c'mon.
posted by THX-1138 at 03:44 PM on March 24, 2006
I can' t believe that before today I had no idea Gonzaga was in Spokane. For whatever reason, I thought the Zags were in California. /tucks head back into shell
posted by willthrill72 at 03:52 PM on March 24, 2006
That's too bad; honestly I'd hoped Few would stick around the 'Zags long enough to replace K when he retires. I think bringing in someone 'from the family' will be a mistake.
posted by tieguy at 04:16 PM on March 24, 2006
willthrill72: Don't feel bad, most people from Seattle don't know Spokane is in Washington (just kidding-that's some typical local inferiority complex we have). And like I said earlier, it's just rumor mill stuff about Few. We'll go back to sleep til next season. Back on subject: Go LSU!
posted by THX-1138 at 04:34 PM on March 24, 2006
I'm only interested in the NBA. One thing I've noticed in the last several decades: some guys who go unfulfilled in the NCAA tournament go 10-15 NBA seasons On a Mission: McAdoo, Bird, Olajuwon, Shaq, ...
posted by mike goodman at 12:52 PM on March 25, 2006
Well, I don't root for any particular school, haven't filled a bracket, and don't have any money riding on the NCAA basketball tournament. So, now that Duke has been eliminated, it's just biding time until Opening Day.