Boiler Up!

Last night had the thrill of catching Duke @ Purdue from the second row. A buddy of mine met the ref on a flight, and was given two amazing seats. Talk about generous! So - a big thanks to my new favorite official! (Other than my brother-in-law's Pop... big ups to Mr. Rose)

Three quick observations from the Duke game:

1. Duke is the best man-to-man defensive team I have ever seen live. They never get caught on screens. Their guards play phenomenal help-side defense. Not once was the lane left open for an easy layup. Not once. They pressure the ball, give up next to no second shots and contest every shot. If you are a coach or a young player, watch a tape of the Duke v Purdue game. An absolute man-to-man defensive clinic.

2. Kyle Singler is in the mix for National POY. Versatile, good shooter, good ball handler. Very very underrated defender (ask Robbie Hummel), excellent rebounder and absolutely gutty and fearless. One of the best sophomores in the nation, and on the short list (adding him along with James Harden) for POY.

3. John Scheyer is much much more than a shooter. His defensive effort last night was impressive. This kid can handle the rock, defend and is still LETHAL if given daylight. He is not quite JJ Reddick squeeze of a shot in a phone-booth lethal, but is a better player in a lot of other areas of the game.