I hate that expression "game on", not sure why but it makes me want to vomit..anyway I digress.

The first game of the season is upon us, and D Day is the 20th of November against Tennessee-Martin of the Ohio Valley Conference..with the way the season has gone so far for the so-called elite teams I would look for this game to be a bit closer than one might think.  Of course Duke will win the game but it might not be by 30 points, this is a team (UTM) that possesses a great deal of confidence and confidence  has been known to slay giants.  So this will be a good test of the team in a few different respects:

1. It will be a good test of whether Duke is believing what the media is saying and that this is an off year-they can respond to that in a couple of different ways, hopefully they will respond by putting teams away, especially teams that they are supposed to beat like UTM.  Taking a team lightly or taking a game, or even a play off isn't an option for this team..they will have to come into every game mentally fit, to match their newfound physical fitness.

2.  The big men will be playing guys that may be a tad smaller, and aggressive moves to the hoop might get some whistles, I am sure the Skyhawks will try to exploit the lack of big man depth of Duke by going inside--at least I would.  Why not try to bait Shel and Shav into committing fouls?

3. Dock will have to prove himself to teams, he has already been up and down and the season hasn't even started yet.  Shot selection is the golden rule as well as control.  If he chooses to take good shots and he can stick them, then half the battle is won--either he gets tons of open shots, or he makes the defenses  honest enough to penetrate and dish or just feed the bigs.  As far as control, I would say Dock just needs to choose when and where his crafty drives will be most effective, and try to have that big man option in case the other teams bigs step in.