Three-Point Thoughts: Duke/Oregon

The Duke Blue Devils head even further out west this week to face the Oregon Ducks. This game is for Kyle Singler, who hails from the Beaver state. As everyone should already know, Coach K always tries to get a “home-state” game for his scholarship players. This is Kyle’s return.

Right now, the Ducks are known for their number one ranked football team and not for their basketball. You might remember the Ducks’ ridiculous 41-day coaching search this offseason. After pretending they actually had a shot a coaches like Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon, Butler’s Brad Stevens, Florida’s Billy Donovan and Michigan’s Tom Izzo, they finally remembered they were Oregon basketball and settled on Creighton’s Dana Altman.

On a sad note, this game will be played in the Rose Garden, home of the Portland Trail Blazers (home to the broken-down body of Greg Oden). I only say sad because we’ll miss out playing basketball at Oregon’s brand new Matthew Knight’s Arena, which features this travesty of a home court.

I’m assuming it’s not suppose to represent spilled paint, right? Let’s research.

According to the University of Nike, “The court is framed by a representation of a view from beneath a forest of fir trees.”

Damn you, Nike! Remind me never to stand beneath a fir tree.

Anyhow, let’s talk some hoops.

DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Singler vs. Singler

The highlight of this game will be the matchup of brother vs. brother. While this certainly won’t be the second coming of Cain versus Abel, Kyle Singler will take on his little brother, E.J. Singler.

Now, brothers taking on brothers is nothing new, but this one is intriguing. The fact is, the two brothers both play a hybrid small forward/power forward and the pair could have a ton of face time together on the court Saturday afternoon.

While Kyle is only a bit taller (about two inches), but he’s a lot stronger. He out-weighs his brother by about 20-25 pounds.The fact is, Kyle would benefit physically if his brother is matched up against him. I’m looking forward to seeing how the coaches match these two up.

For Singler though, this game is really less about being back under his beloved fir trees or going all Buzz McCallister on his little brother. The reality is, over the last three games, he hasn’t really shot the ball that well. For the season, he’s hitting only 40-percent of his shots, 29-percent from three.

Avoid the Trap

Great teams avoid the traps and this game is certainly a trap. This game is sandwiched between games against top-five foes (Kansas State and Michigan State). No one can blame the Blue Devils if they’re still a bit excited about their ass-whipping of K-State and you certainly can’t blame them for looking ahead to their battle with the Spartans.

The Ducks are just bad enough to overlook, but they’re good enough to take down a team that looks past them. Besides, don’t be fooled by the Portland location. This is a home game for the Ducks.

Five-Man Team, Not Four

After five games, this Duke team looks good—real good. However, they are far from perfect. The power forward spot is still up for grabs. Currently Ryan Kelly starts and since he’s been starting, he’s been fine. He’s hit 9-14 shots (3-5 from three). He has 12 rebounds total, four steals and four blocks. Not bad, but he’s not really playing a ton of minutes. He’s never sniffed 20 minutes of playing time, averaging about 13 minutes per game.

Miles continues to come off the bench. He got 24 minutes in the win over Colgate, but over the last two he’s averaged just 11 minutes. He’s been okay so far. He’s shooting over 50 percent and has grabbed 18 rebounds on the season.

With Josh Hairston getting almost no minutes in the CBE Classic. The reality is, Coach K has two options at the PF spot. He either rotates one of these guys in their or he plays Kyle Singler at power forward.

I still believe this Duke team will be a better Duke team with either Miles or Ryan starting and playing solid minutes as the power forward. The reality is, Duke’s one minor weakness could end up being rebounding. Their ability to crash the glass is what will help solve any off-shooting night this team has planned in the future.

The problem, the coach needs someone to step up and take over. Like I said, both Miles and Kelly have been fine, but greatness is needed.

Continue reading: Three-Point Thoughts: Duke/Oregon.