Retire #55!

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Don't shoot the messenger. Just thought I'd pass it on for what it's worth. I know this "big man coach" topic is beaten to death.

Must mean there's something to it.

I'd attribute Zoub's slow progression to injuries and his overall ceiling than anything else. Brian is having a fine senior season, especially since the calendar first showed 2010, but in the grand scheme, he is a limited basketball player in several respects, and I think he himself will tell you that. He has admitted that injuries slowed his physical progress, but he has also said repeatedly this season that his noggin is playing a big role in his progress, too. Over and over, Brian has talked about "playing smart." An observation from Seth Greenberg last night corroborated this. Greenberg said that Zoubek always seemed to be in the right place to make a play, and that he never seemed to have to go far to do it. That's a great example of playing smart.
I don't entirely discount the comments of a coach, and I hope I don't come across as a blind defender of everything Coach K does. Lastly, Ima, I mean none of this in a personal capacity toward you. But I think this conversation is bunk. The coach knows the game, but does not know the team the way K and his staff do. Moreover, we've had enough dominant big men under K to discount the notion that he can't coach them. Shelden Williams and Carlos Boozer are but two of the most recent examples. If you really want to know why we've lacked a strong inside presence in recent years, look to the recruiting trail. K has gone after (and down to the wire with) some very good big men in recent years, Patrick Patterson and Greg Monroe for example. But scarcity is the name of the game in recruiting, and there's only so much you can do to plan for the vicissitudes of 17 year-olds. But then again, nearly every NBA team is still on the lookout for a dominant big man, too. As the level of competition rises, there just aren't that many of them.
Instead of lamenting the supposed lateness and self-taught nature (the more I think about that, the more ridiculous it becomes) of Brian Zoubek's progress as a player, I'll choose to celebrate the extremely gratifying sight of a kid working his ass off and then flourishing in his senior season as an example of everything we want Duke players to be.

I concur.
Love, Ima

[CameronBornAndBred]

"How many kids in the league have had over 15 rebounds a couple times in a game? That's really good basketball," Krzyzewski said. "His defense had been outstanding and his ability to help our perimeter get open has also been very good."

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/7093109/

[Jesus_hurley]

"How many kids in the league have had over 15 rebounds a couple times in a game? That's really good basketball," Krzyzewski said. "His defense had been outstanding and his ability to help our perimeter get open has also been very good."

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/7093109/

Too bad the article is ruined by the ignorant, classless, senseless, moronic, idiotic, stupefying, lowlife, stinking 'holes who feel the need to comment after it

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

"How many kids in the league have had over 15 rebounds a couple times in a game? That's really good basketball," Krzyzewski said. "His defense had been outstanding and his ability to help our perimeter get open has also been very good."

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/7093109/

Too bad the article is ruined by the ignorant, classless, senseless, moronic, idiotic, stupefying, lowlife, stinking 'holes who feel the need to comment after it

The comments made online regarding all sorts of news stories and events tend to be unworthy of the time it takes to read them. The anonymity of the Internet presents a temptation to act out without consequences.....

[Jesus_hurley]

The comments made online regarding all sorts of news stories and events tend to be unworthy of the time it takes to read them. The anonymity of the Internet presents a temptation to act out without consequences.....

Which is unfortunate. I clicked to see the comments HOPING to see some support of Zou from our fans, only to find that the majority of the posts were either making fun of him or talking smack about Duke or Coach K. disappointing to say the least.

[wilson]

The comments made online regarding all sorts of news stories and events tend to be unworthy of the time it takes to read them. The anonymity of the Internet presents a temptation to act out without consequences.....

Which is unfortunate. I clicked to see the comments HOPING to see some support of Zou from our fans, only to find that the majority of the posts were either making fun of him or talking smack about Duke or Coach K. disappointing to say the least.

Meh...Zoub's having a much better season than Ed Davis. That's all we gotta know.

[CameronBornAndBred]

And the national Offensive Rebounding Percentage (whatever the hell that is) leader so far....

http://kenpom.com/leaders.php?c=ORPct

[wilson]

national Offensive Rebounding Percentage

Does that mean he's a NORP star?

[EarlJam]

national Offensive Rebounding Percentage

Does that mean he's a NORP star?

Top Rentals for January '10 in the Norp Star Category:

5. Over, On, and Under the Back, starring Headsy Player
4. Hands of Glue, Balls of Leather, starring Vital Richards
3. Snatchin' and Ballin!, starrring Buzz Beater
2. Box Out, Box In, Box Out, Box In, starring Enyor Lane
1. Grabbing It Off the Rim, starring Roy Williams

-EJ

[DukeUsul]

national Offensive Rebounding Percentage

Does that mean he's a NORP star?

Top Rentals for January '10 in the Norp Star Category:

5. Over, On, and Under the Back, starring Headsy Player
4. Hands of Glue, Balls of Leather, starring Vital Richards
3. Snatchin' and Ballin!, starrring Buzz Beater
2. Box Out, Box In, Box Out, Box In, starring Enyor Lane
1. Grabbing It Off the Rim, starring Roy Williams

-EJ

[wilson]

national Offensive Rebounding Percentage

Does that mean he's a NORP star?

Top Rentals for January '10 in the Norp Star Category:

5. Over, On, and Under the Back, starring Headsy Player
4. Hands of Glue, Balls of Leather, starring Vital Richards
3. Snatchin' and Ballin!, starrring Buzz Beater
2. Box Out, Box In, Box Out, Box In, starring Enyor Lane
1. Grabbing It Off the Rim, starring Roy Williams

-EJ

Outstanding.

[Jesus_hurley]

national Offensive Rebounding Percentage

Does that mean he's a NORP star?

Top Rentals for January '10 in the Norp Star Category:

5. Over, On, and Under the Back, starring Headsy Player
4. Hands of Glue, Balls of Leather, starring Vital Richards
3. Snatchin' and Ballin!, starrring Buzz Beater
2. Box Out, Box In, Box Out, Box In, starring Enyor Lane
1. Grabbing It Off the Rim, starring Roy Williams

-EJ

[devildeac]

The comments made online regarding all sorts of news stories and events tend to be unworthy of the time it takes to read them. The anonymity of the Internet presents a temptation to act out without consequences.....

Which is unfortunate. I clicked to see the comments HOPING to see some support of Zou from our fans, only to find that the majority of the posts were either making fun of him or talking smack about Duke or Coach K. disappointing to say the least.

Meh...Zoub's having a much better season than Ed Davis. That's all we gotta know.

That would be EASY Ed Davis to you, sir.


;)

[devildeac]

And the national Offensive Rebounding Percentage (whatever the hell that is) leader so far....

http://kenpom.com/leaders.php?c=ORPct

That is damned impressive.

[Jesus_hurley]

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml? ... =204895874

On which coach has helped him improve a lot over the last several games:
“It is definitely coach [Steve Wojciechowski]. He has been with me all four years. While I have had some lows or didn’t exactly want to do all the work he was making me do. He was making me better, even if I might have hated the stuff he was making me do.”

Things that make you go hmmmm.....

[devildeac]

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml? ... =204895874

On which coach has helped him improve a lot over the last several games:
“It is definitely coach [Steve Wojciechowski]. He has been with me all four years. While I have had some lows or didn’t exactly want to do all the work he was making me do. He was making me better, even if I might have hated the stuff he was making me do.”

Things that make you go hmmmm.....

We don't need no stinkin' big man coach...

My saddest moment after Z leaves will be the realization of what he coulda been the last 2 years if he had not been injured so often.

[wilson]

My saddest moment after Z leaves will be the realization of what he coulda been the last 2 years if he had not been injured so often.

Agreed, but as I get older and move into my university career, I realize more and more that (as I said above in this thread) Duke's basketball program is about a whole lot more than what happens on the court for 80 minutes a week, and that Brian represents all of the things that we want the program to do for its participants and the university.

[devildeac]

My saddest moment after Z leaves will be the realization of what he coulda been the last 2 years if he had not been injured so often.

Agreed, but as I get older and move into my university career, I realize more and more that (as I said above in this thread) Duke's basketball program is about a whole lot more than what happens on the court for 80 minutes a week, and that Brian represents all of the things that we want the program to do for its participants and the university.

Yea, he seems to be a well-liked young man around Duke and you are right, some of these folks are great ambassadors for Duke as I have learned over the last few years from my son who graduated in '07 and my daughter who is there now.

[Jesus_hurley]

If anyone else follows DukeBluePlanet on twitter you might have seen this picture. They were searching for them for Zoubs and his family

[CameronBornAndBred]

Cool story on ESPN.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/tournamen ... id=5023686

"He's the veteran out there, and he's had a terrific year, talking, communicating on defense and on offense, screening, rebounding and playing defense," Krzyzewski said. "I'm really proud of Brian."