Not that my feeble sports betting affects the universe – although it often sure feels that way! – but I lost 2x on Puke 🤮 and won 1x on Purdue tonight. Not gonna lie, the sports mercenary in me was really looking forward to cashing in on Puke 🤮 when they were up +16 at halftime (only giving 2 on the line) – but I happily can live with the result. Cuz why? Cuz F Puke 🤮!!! As an aside, I truly cannot understand how ANYONE could ever make a living – or avoid divorce and/or bankruptcy – betting on sports – especially 18 and 19-year olds! Bet for fun, not for anything else – free advice there. 
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I find it amusing that WF and Cuse are like “Wow, ACC, way to let us down.”
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So I’ve been holding off on offering this opinion for a while because I was pretty sure I was just wrong (and probably still am), but now feels like a good time for it. I watched a lot of Trevor Keel’s tape when we were pursuing him, including several full games and… I was never blown away. He was clearly very good and will be a high-level player, but I was never wowed multiple times like you often are with elite five star players. He has great size for a guard and great defensive upside, but he has very little bounce and plays almost entirely below the rim, and while he’s a good shooter, he didn’t seem like an elite one yet. I did think he was an underrated passer though - or at least I thought it didn’t get emphasized enough when folks were talking about him as a bucket getter.
I didn’t really say anything because I still wanted to land him, so why be negative, and I also don’t know what I’m talking about. But there was part of me that worried if we got him, he would take a year or two to become elite and people would blast us for somehow screwing up our first sure-thing five star. Always thought he’d be good, but that he might be a two to three year college player and follow a more Malcom Brogdon type developmental path - but leave a little earlier - than be a true one-and-done.
Of course now that I’ve said this, he’ll almost certainly crush the rest of the season and hang 30 on us. And he may well be one-and-done (looks like that’s more likely than him staying). But just felt like finally dropping that opinion at the one moment it feels semi-relevant - I know everyone was waiting for it.
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Duke was primed for a let down game, and they were playing a very good (though probably not elite) Ohio State team with a great crowd behind them. So the loss was not particularly surprising, and I still think Duke will be the class of a very down ACC. But Ohio State was able to make adjustments during the game with its predominantly upper class roster to take away Duke’s strengths, and Duke looked lost in trying to counter with its 3 sophomores and 2 freshmen on the court most of the time. Having experienced players matters, and I’m wondering if Coach K still has the passion needed to coach his current team to the grand finale to his career that ESPN so desperately wants.
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As someone who fell asleep before the 2nd half, some thoughts:
- agree with unknown that a major Q is K’s ability to make this team improve as the season goes along
- as UVa fans, we should appreciate that the #1 skill on Keels NBA profile will say defense. But the perimeter shooting does need to be “good enough” and it’s trending badly. The below the rim stuff is baked in.
- speaking of, Duke needs to shoot “pretty good” to beat top 15ish teams, especially on the road. They shot pretty good and beat the Zags. They shot meh and lost to the Buckeyes
- this has been your “didn’t watch the 2H, but checked the box score” analysis
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I’m all in on Purdue to win the championship this season. Might have to buy a shirt or something. Can’t stand the other top teams
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Am I the last one figuring out that Wake brought in a Larry Bird clone? (Jake LaRavia, from Indiana St). Well scratch that off the guaranteed win column…
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I stated that on here about a year ago and it came across wrong. I was never very excited about his recruitment. I even used the same phrase “playing below the rim” ! Although, I will defer to those coaches I trust more than my own eyes.
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As long as we’re talking about misses.
Don’t think we ever really had a shot, but Walker Kessler would have been an awesome add.
Pipe dreaming of a lineup that has Igor, Kadin and Walker on the floor together.
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LaRavia went to KG’s high school, Lawrence Central. He had very modest, low/mid-major offers and doesn’t look to have been ranked, by 247 at least. He did look pretty good vs NU, though.
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Don’t see a non-ACC chat so posting here but the Providence-Texas Tech game tonight is big for us. Texas Tech is currently 11th in KenPom and as our only even halfway decent OOC win we need Providence to rack up as many quality wins as possible.
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Providence is minus their PG, Bynum.
Kadin saw a little rim protection from the other side Monday night. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
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Anyone think UNC let’s McKoy out of the cage tonight? #uncaged
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Casey Morsell leading NC State early.
Morsell was never a fit offensively. He was never a catch and shoot 3pt shooter which is what our offense generates. He is very much a pull up on a screen after dribbling, shooting while moving type player and I think NC State is a good fit for him/he fits their guard mold better than ours.
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What’s the most lopsided ACC/Big 10 Challenge?
No idea but Georgia is beating Memphis lol. Turns out you need a point guard to play point guard and Emoni Bates isn’t a pointguard. Woah.
Wagner battling Seton Hall. Wagner one of the last undefeated teams.
It’s gotten to the point I automatically mute Jay Bilas. Just realized I’ve developed that habit.
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