Ryan Kelly did everything he could to put his Ravenscroft team on his back and will them to victory, but the Ravens came up short falling to Northern Guilford 82-73.
Kelly put on quite a show in route to a career high 47 points which was by far the
Kelly scores two of his career high 47 points
best individual performance of the day in the 7th Annual Martin Luther King Classic in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The future Blue Devil became his schools all time leading scorer as well. Kelly now has 1763 points for his career eclipsing Corin Davis 1750 by 13. He tied the school single game scoring record.
Kelly’s 47 points, 30 of which came in the second half, tied the school record originally set by Lou Pucillo versus Laurinburg during the 1983-84 season.
BDN asked Kelly what his thoughts were after scoring a career high. He responded, "You know my teammates fed me the ball well. It's worthless if you can't get a win. It was a tough one."
Ravenscroft fell behind early in the first half, but a Kelly alley-oop dunk gave his
Team MVP - all photos copyright BDNP
team a 24-23 lead. Kelly followed that with another dunk and a drive to the lane for two, stretching the lead to 28-23, scoring six straight points.
Northern Guilford gathered themselves and took a 34-31 lead into the half, mainly due to the play of Jacob Lawson, Johnathan Frye and Michael Neal.
A 7-0 run put the game away for Northern Guilford, but Kelly kept the game close and led a comeback with 30 second half points.
Ravenscroft Coach Kevin Billerman was hit with a technical for questioning why a call was made late in the game and the same ref hit him again about 50 seconds later which automatically boots him from the game. A seething but not animated Billerman then walked the court glaring at the ref.
"We didn't compete very well early. It was probably our worst defensive effort of the year. Offensively we did too much standing," said Billerman.
When asked of the ref calling two technicals, Billerman stated, "I don't know what the technicals were for. I did not say a word to the official. The first one our guy ran in the lane and it was like bowling pins falling - I waved my arms at it and ten seconds later he called a technical from the other end of the court. I asked one of the other officials, what was the technical, would you please find out. He said you need to sit down and before I could the fat guy came up and called another one.
Kelly was named his teams most valuable player after the game.
Ravenscroft (17-5) goes on to play at Wake Christian on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
"That would have one to win in front of so many people. but we get back into the conference and sweep through that and get into the state tournament, because for us the loss didn't hurt with the state tournament. We have to put it behind us," said a disappointed Kelly after the loss.
Kelly’s final stat line was 47 points, six rebounds, five blocks, two assists, and two steals. He was 16-of-25 from the field, including 3-of-3 on three-pointers. He also shot 12-of-14 from the free throw line.
The only other Ravenscroft player in double figures in scoring was junior Mike Ehilegbu with 10 points. .
BDN Premium subscribers have access to the entire interview with Ryan Kelly as well as Mason Plumlee. It's a great time to join for there is much more to come for members. We will be breaking down the teams recruitng strategy and will tell you about some exciting prospects. Our yearly subscription breaks down to 27 cents a day or 1.89 a week. You'll find much better information than the newspapers offer and will have access to our members only message board to discuss the latest happenings. So, why not join today!
[2 AP/2 Coaches] Duke (16-1, 3-0 ACC) vs. N.C. State (10-5, 1-2 ACC)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 • 8:05 PM ET • Raycom
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) • Durham, N.C.
Game Quick Facts
TV: Raycom; Steve Martin (play-by-play), Mike Gminski (analyst).
Radio: Duke Radio Network (flagship WDNC 620 AM in Durham); Bob Harris (play-by-play), John Roth (analyst) and Matthew Laurance (sideline).
All-time Series: Duke leads the all-time series135-96, including a 44-23 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils have won two straight in the series and six of the last seven contests.
Coaches:
Mike Krzyzewski
Overall Record: 819-268 (34th year)
Duke Record: 746-209 (29th year)
vs. N.C. State: 43-19
Blue Devil Bits
l Duke is 16-1 on the year, including a 3-0 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Blue Devils have now started the season with a 16-1 mark 12 times, including eight times under Mike Krzyzewski.
The Blue Devils are ranked second in the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. Duke is 108-16 all-time when ranked second in the AP poll.
Duke is first in the latest RPI according to CollegeRPI.com. The site also ranks Duke’s strength of schedule third in the NCAA.
The Blue Devils posted their eighth straight victory with a 76-67 win over 13th-ranked Georgetown on Saturday. Duke posted its 68th straight non-conference home victory and improved to 3-0 on the year against ranked teams with the win over the Hoyas.
Junior Gerald Henderson paced the Blue Devils with 23 points, including 17 points in the first half, on Saturday. The Merion, Pa., native knocked down his first seven field goal attempts, including three three-pointers, against Georgetown.
l
Sophomore Kyle Singler posted his second straight double-double and fifth of the year with 15 points and a career-best 16 rebounds versus the Hoyas.
Jon Scheyer added 11 points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals on Saturday. Scheyer has 10 assists and just one turnover in Duke’s last two games.
Numbers Game
Tuesday’s game marks the 232nd meeting between Duke and N.C. State, making it the most played series in league history. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series, 135-96, including a 44-23 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils have won 11 straight games at Cameron Indoor Stadium against N.C. State. Under Mike Krzyzewski, they are 20-5 at home against the Wolfpack.
Duke has won 18 straight games in the month of January dating back to a 74-63 loss at Georgia Tech on Jan. 10, 2007.
The Blue Devils are 197-54 under Coach K in the month of January, including a 91-7 mark since 1998.
Since losing to Michigan, 81-73, on Dec. 6, the Blue Devils have not allowed more than 70 points in a game. Duke’s opponents are averaging just 57.9 points per game over the last eight contests. Five of Duke’s last eight opponents have scored fewer than 60 points.
Sophomore Kyle Singler leads Duke in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Christian Laettner is the only Blue Devil to lead the team in four major statistical categories in a season. Laettner led the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots during the 1990-91 season.
Junior Gerald Henderson has reached double figures in scoring in each of the last nine games, averaging 17.3 points per game in those outings. He has scored at least 15 points in six of his last seven games.
Duke is one of three teams in the ACC to have three players rank among the top 20 in the league in scoring. The Blue Devils are led by Kyle Singler who ranks ninth (16.8 ppg.). Gerald Henderson ranks 17th at 14.0 points per game and Jon Scheyer is tied for 18th at 13.8 points per game.
Gerald Henderson is shooting .807 (46-of-57) from the free throw line this season. Entering the year, he was a career .657 (138-of-210) shooter from the charity stripe. Henderson is also shooting a team-high .449 (22-of-49) this season after shooting .318 (28-of-88) from three-point distance in his first two seasons.
Sophomore Kyle Singler averaged 15.0 rebounds per game in Duke’s last two contests. He had 14 rebounds against Georgia Tech and a career-high 16 boards in the win over Georgetown. Singler had six offensive rebounds in each game.
Sophomore Nolan Smith is shooting .930 (40-of-43) from the free throw line on the season. He has been perfect from the line in 12 games this season and has made his last 10 free throws.
The Blue Devils have the top scoring defense in the ACC, allowing only 60.6 points per game. Duke has held 11 of its 17 opponents to 60 points or less on the season.
Sophomore Kyle Singler has five double-doubles this season to rank tied for fifth in the ACC. He has posted double-doubles in each of Duke’s last two contests.
The Blue Devils are 13-0 when outrebounding their opponent this season. Duke ranks second in the ACC with a rebounding margin of +8.0 this season. Last year, Duke ranked ninth in the conference with a +0.1 rebounding margin.
Junior Jon Scheyer has a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the last six games. He has 10 assists and just one turnover in Duke’s last two games.
The trio of Kyle Singler, Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer are averaging a combined 44.6 points per game. They have accounted for 55.4 percent of Duke’s scoring through the first 17 games.
Duke is 15-0 when leading at the half. The Blue Devils have faced a second-half deficit just two times (Rhode Island, Michigan) this season.
"Are you ready for some football?" Those were the first words heard when Coach David Cutcliffe addressed the media to open last season. A few months later, Duke finished with four wins which tied the total of victories from the prior four years combined. They were competative and improved and it was indeed the start of the dawn of a new day.
If you think it's been quiet around the football offices in the Yoh Center you are right. That's because the staff has been out in force on the recruiting trail and they're literally recruiting as I type. But when in thier offices, they are already working hard and preparing for the 2009 season.
This past weekend, the program celebrated the past during the Annual Football Banquet where Michael Tauliliili won the MVP award the same day he won that same award in the East-West Shrine Bowl All Star game.
While Duke may have celebrated the past, the future was very much on the staffs mind. Duke welcomed four incoming prospects for their official visits and had a top recruit in town to check out the campus and meet with the coaches.
You already know of the four freshman that enrolled for the spring semester and if you don't go to our archives. What you may not realize is that the four will be counted in with last seasons class which consisted of 17 players. That means Duke has created some openings. At this time, Duke has 26 verbals.
Here are the answers to some burning question and a run down of the very latest happenings around the football program for fans of the Blue Devil Nation -
Who visited this weekend?
Taylor Sowell (6-0, 174, Dorman, S.C.) projects as a cornerback and he happens to be a high school teammate of South Carolina Shrine Bowl MVP, Walt Canty (5-10, 165) who also plays in the secondary.
Also, in town was Desmond Scott, a local player who attended Durham Hillside. Scott is a 5-9, 177 running back. Scott was joined by August Campbell, a 6-2 190 player who plays for Christ School in Arden, N.C. Campbell projects in the secondary as well.
Who was the top prospect that visited?
That would be Mike Marry, a 6-3, 220 middle linebacker/tight end. Duke has had their in homes with the prospect and he was on campus this past weekend. He speaks highly of Duke defensive coordinator Mike McIntyre and many feel it will come down to Mississippi or Duke.
When is the Annual Duke Football Spring Game slated?
The game will take place on April the 18th at 1:30. Be there!
Is the team working out?
Harder than ever. The team lifts weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday and they run on Tuesday and Thursday.
Will our staff return intact?
At this time it certainly looks as if Duke will retain the entire staff, but there were overtures made with no less than five of the coaches.
Any additions to the staff?
James Mitchell from Tennessee joins the staff and he comes highly regarded. He even has a championship ring from Coach Pat Summitt from his work in Knoxville. In fact he worked with the football and basketball programs in Knoxville. He will have many duties and we'll share those with you in an article which is coming soon.
What about stadium improvements?
Duke is addressing the bathroom situation and one concession stand for next season. The next phase will be improvements to the Yoh Center and practice facilities then they'll goback to Wallace Wade.
You betcha. They are being discussed by the staff.
Is the schedule out?
Not at this time. There are three ACC teams that are still seeking a 12th game and once that is resolved, the ACC will make the announcement.
I'm a high school football player and I want to go to the Duke Football Spring Clinic, when is it?
It will be held on March 26 and 27. Give the football office a call and they'll give you all the details.
Do you know the dates for the Duke Football Camp?
Yep! The camp will be held on successive weekends June 13 and June 20th. Again, contact the football office for details.
Is the twelfth game set?
It will almost certainly be North Carolina Central which will be a first for the Durham community. Look for them to come in the fourth game of the season. Duke will use this as an opportunity to reach out to Durham and the surrounding community.
What are we playing two division 2 opponents?
Some are making this out to be unusual, but if you take a look at Clemson, Florida State and Maryland's schedule this past season, there is two and this trend will continue.
Why can't we play a division one school?
Several reasons, mainly finding someone who is available. Then there is the going asking rate of up to $900,000 for an opponent and in this current economy the numbers tell the tale.
Will have a coke with Coach Cut return?
Yes it will. The Duke staff is hard at work to identify new opportunities to get fans interested as well. Blue Devils Night will also return.
What have they learned from last season?
Funny you should ask, because they are addressing what worked and what didn't with concerns to game day experiences and promotions. There will be a refined game day experience and the Blue Devil Walk will return. The staff will make an effort to get more students to the games and fans in general. Duke prefers to play games between 3:30 and 7:00 when at home for studies show they are better attended than noon starts which are sometimes necessary due to T.V. They recognize that the student tailgate gets up to 1200 attendees and that many don't make it over to the game. They will work on the rest of the student body in the coming year.
Is Cutcliffe here to stay?
Well, he signed a contract extension and he is determined to build Duke into a solid football program.
What are the four F's that so many within the program speak of?
That would be faith, family, future and football.
When will season tickets go on sale?
Good question. I'll work on that one. Duke sold more tickets last season than ever before. Check back soon on this one and more off season news.
Josh Smith had a big week on the hardwood out West as he led Kentwood to three victories scoring 19, 33, and 25 points in the games. Smith continues to be the leading scorer in the South Puget Sound League 4A Conference at 24.9 points-per-game.
On Saturday evening, Smith scored 25 points as Kentwood defeated Federal Way 52 - 50. On Thursday, Smith scored 33 points as Kentwood defeated Kent Meridian 57 - 53, and on Tuesday, Smith scored 19 points in a 60 - 29 blowout of Tahoma. Kentwood opened the game with an 18 - 0 run and never looked back.
Moving to the Midwest, Harrison Barnes scored 13 and 26 points in two Ames victories. Barnes' 13 points came in a 70 - 35 rout, while his 26 points came in a 22 point 81 - 59 victory on Friday night. Ames is now 10 - 0 on the season.
Andre Dawkins scored 26 points with 15 coming in the second quater as Atlantic Shores defeated Norfolk Collegiate 71 - 55. Dawkins made four three pointers in the contest.
There is always something special when one of the nation's best programs comes into Cameron for a non conference contest. The crowd seems to amp it up a bit, the intensity is at a high level, and the play is inspired and emotional.
All of the above held true on a game that started at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon as Duke defeated Georgetown 76-67 for their 67th consecutive home court win against outside invaders.
It was the kind of win that assures the Blue Devils a solid seed come March and a victory that allowed Coach K to further analyze his team before it gets into the meat of the ACC schedule.
The Crazies had a bit of fun ragging on Greg Monroe, the talented freshman that spurned Duke without taking a visit. It was obvious that Duke did its scouting on Monroe for they got the big man into foul trouble, essentially taking him out of the game during key stretches.
courtesy and propert of Duke Photography
Gerald Henderson continued on his tear of late with an amazing first half show that enabled the Devils to pull away in what was a tight game before intermission.
Georgetown would of course make a run but could get no closer than four. Singler, who struggled with his shot early, gained his bearing and tossed in 15 points and grabbed a most impressive 16 rebounds.
Paulus added a needed spark off then bench with 10 points and 2 assists and his emotion rubbed of on not only the crowd but his teammates. Paulus scored his 1000st points moving him to 46th on the all time scoring list.
Freshman Miles Plumlee played his best minutes as well and he should be able to build off the performance.
Jon Scheyer was steady as ever leading his team with 5 assists and playing some really good defense, again leading the way with 3 steals and a lot of contested or deflected passes.
There were a lot of positives and we will have more coverage on this important win tomorrow, so check back in. Until then, take a look at the game quotes -
Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Opening statement:
“Well, it’s a great game. It’s two hard-nosed teams who play defense, and kids who play hard on very possession. We feel very fortunate to have won. I thought we played well enough to win and I think [Georgetown] played well enough to win. It was one of those games. [DaJuan] Summers is a very special player – one of the best we’ve played against this year or will play against. He’s really good. Obviously [Greg] Monroe is a special talent, and they have a great perimeter. I thought Kyle [Singler]’s rebounding performance was spectacular – 16 rebounds in this game when we only had 32, although there weren’t that many missed shots. That’s a spectacular performance. And, [Gerald Henderson] really gave us a huge boost, I mean he played a terrific game. I thought [Greg] Paulus played withthe fight that he’s had throughout most of his career here, and I think he’s finally getting healthy. He and Nolan [Smith] out there in this game was a good combination and it limited our turnovers – we had 14 assists and 12 turnovers. The last 10 minutes of the game with Kyle in foul trouble was interesting, but we hung in there and made our free throws, didn’t make mistakes down at the end there. I’m real proud of my team, plus the crowd was great. It was a great atmosphere and the crowd helped us, no question about it.”
On the switch in lineup and less minutes for the post players:
“A lot of it had to do with their offense. Monroe is a very unique player, and he’s their point guard – he plays at the top, goes to the side, and if you play him in a traditional sense, big-on-big, he’s going to get a lot of open passes. His vision is terrific, so we thought that was part of how we might be able to limit them. [Miles] Plumlee came in and did a great job for us. We have a versatile team, and we should be able to use our personnel to match up against someone the way we did, and that’s why we did it.”
On the impact of the technical foul called on Monroe: “It gave us two points. We were really horrible on three straight offensive possessions in transition, where we could have gotten six points, and I think they ended up getting seven off of those, and that’s a huge swing – potentially a 13-point swing. It was one of the worst swings of the game, and we were responsible for that. So, [the technical] just kind of stopped the game for a while, maybe we righted the ship, and we hit the free throws.”
On Gerald Henderson’s play recently: “I think he’s finally over that wrist injury. Remember he was out for four months – he didn’t do anything basketball-wise for four months at the end of last season. It’s still not 100-percent, but now he’s learned to finally live with it. The last month he’s just kind of gone off. I think he’s in great shape, probably the best shape that he’s been in since he’s been here. His weight is down, so instead of playing at around 215-216 [pounds] he’s probably 210-211 and all those things have an impact.”
On Georgetown’s offense: “Theirs is a read offense. It’s based on movements and reads. [Coach John Thompson III] gives his guys a lot of freedom in that offense, and that’s why Monroe is so huge with that because he has a great feel for the game and he makes good reads. What we tried to do is rush the quarterback, at least put pressure on the quarterback, so it at least took away some of his vision. He had four assists but he had four turnovers. He had a good game, but when he walks on the floor he can potentially have a great game. He had a good game today and that helps us.”
On Greg Paulus’ play:
“I thought that was, by far, his best performance this year. What he showed was fight. He was playing really good defensively, playing with emotion, and gave us a huge boost. I mean, we don’t win the game without Greg today. Greg had a huge impact on today’s game.”
Duke Junior Gerald Henderson
“The first half was great. It was special. My teammates were finding me and I was knocking shots down. We got a good lead at the end. In the second half, shots weren’t falling like they were in the first half. I just started getting to the rim a little more. They started taking some things away, but I ended up on my drives being able to kick it out to my teammates so it was good.”
“I grew up basically in Villanova. I’ve been to Georgetown-Villanova games at the Pavilion. I’ve been to those games, I’ve watched them play, and I know what kind of intensity the Big East brings. Growing up around that, it was fun to play them and beat them.”
“This is the second time I’ve played Georgetown [in Cameron]. Both games have been unbelievable in terms of intensity, and this one didn’t disappoint at all. We won but it was a lot of fun.”
“I think after [the Michigan] loss where nobody really played that well, I kind of made it a mission to myself that I could contribute more and do a lot more out there on the court. A loss really kind of made me realize that. Up to that point, we were winning but I wasn’t playing all that great. That loss kind of opened up my eyes and told me that I needed to contribute a little more.”
Duke Senior Greg Paulus
“Whether the team is from the Northeast, the South or the West, you want to win and you want to win at home. You want to protect your home turf. We really wanted to win this one, not because it was ACC-Big East, but just because we’re playing and we hate to lose.”
“It was a very intense game. They’re a big, physical team and we’ve played them a couple of years – I’ve played them three times – so we knew it was going to be that kind of game. We knew that was the type of effort we were going to need in order to win.”
On Gerald Henderson:
“He’s playing well. He’s got a lot of confidence and we have a lot of confidence in him. Some of the moves that he’s making are at a very high level. It’s tough to defend and you can really feel his presence out there.”
“Whenever you can play one of the best teams in the country like Georgetown you get that type of experience. You play a lot of different teams in non-conference and they’re big and they’re long, and those are the types of teams you could see in the NCAA Tournament. Having this type of experience to win, it’s a good thing for our team.”
On his defensive spark in the second half: “We needed some energy so I tried to make a play. Luckily I got my hand on a ball and it was just good energy that we needed. We had those types of plays – Jon [Scheyer] made a steal that was big, Kyle [Singler] hit some threes – so we did a good job of closing the game out.”
Duke Sophomore Kyle Singler
On his first half shooting: “Sometimes your shot’s not going to fall. You can’t get down on yourself for missing a shot. Things happen. I thought the whole team played well and I fed off the team. That’s what happened – I wasn’t worrying about whether I was making my shots or not. Once the crowd got into it, you kind of lose all sense of if you’re making shots or not.”
“These types of games are very good for us. This is a very good team. It’s the type of team that’s a top team in the ACC. It’s a team that you’re going to play in the NCAA Tournament. It’s great preparation. But when it comes down to it, the game is over and you have to move on. We have to go on to N.C. State and start the ACC and keep on doing what we’re doing – playing good basketball.”
On his improved rebounding: “A lot of times the balls just come to you, to be honest. But it’s those 50/50 balls that you kind of haveto go out of your way to get. I had a couple of those tonight and I was able to get those 50/50 balls. One of the other main things that happens [compared to] last year, you’re older, a little stronger, you’re able to withstand a full-length game. You’re able to have legs and go get balls, and I’ve been workingreally hard on grabbingrebounds with two hands, especially at this level. A lot of big guys get hands on ball and tip them out of your hand. As a rebounderthat‘s the most frustratingthing.”
Georgetown Quotes
Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III
Explanation on technical foul on Greg Monroe “They outplayed us, we’re not going to sit here and look at that and say that was the reason the outcome was what it was. They outplayed us, that’s why we lost.”
On Duke’s run in the final eight minutes of the first half “During that stretch I think they did a very good job of executing at the defensive end and we couldn’t fall into a rhythm. We didn’t execute well at the offensive end, we made some poor decisions. And as happens with good teams, they got to feeling good, they went on a run, and the emotions of the building took over. So we went for too long of a stretch not scoring. But that’s a tribute to them.”
On lineup changes from first and second half “The group with [DaJuan Summers], [Greg Monroe], [Austin Freeman], [Jason Clark], [Omar Wattad] was playing well. We were down 15 or 16 and got it to four. Then they got a little tired and the lead went back to 11 or 12 I think. We got them back in there and the lead went back down again so this group was playing well together.”
On Greg’s reaction to the technical foul
“He was just saying to me ‘I didn’t say anything, I didn’t say anything’. I don’t know what went through his mind, but that’s what his reaction was.”
On what he takes from the game
“It’s a non-conference game in the middle of a very tough conference schedule, so it’s a very disappointing loss for a lot of different reasons, but we have to moveon. I think we continue to see our comfort level with different groups. Like you indicated, tonight it was Omar [Wattad] and Jason [Clark]. We made two separate runs when those guys were on the floor, so it’s going to be a different group on different nights depending on the flow, depending on what my feel is, and what I think is working and what is not working.”
On technical foul
“The technical was a key part of the game, let’s not try to run from that, it was a key part of the game. On top of everything, now Greg [Monroe] has four [fouls]. It clearly altered how they attacked us and what we could do, but that’s not the reason that we ended up with less points than them tonight. They played very well. They made plays, particularly in the first half. Early in the first half they were making tough shots. We played the defense, but they were making tough shots. Then there was a stretch in the second half where we were getting good looks, the ball just wasn’t going in, so that’s sports, that’s basketball, that’s life. They beat us today.”
On Gerald Henderson
“He put them on his shoulders and carried them. He was terrific. He was unbelievable. He just got into the flow and that happens with good players. He got into a rhythm and made everything he threw up.”
On how playing in the environment helps the team
“You go to places and you play the games and hopefully you learn from mistakes. We have to take something away from every game, win or lose.”
Georgetown freshman Greg Monroe
Whether he heard anything being said behind him
“A lot of people were saying things. I don’t even believe he was really looking at the bench, but I know I definitely didn’t say anything. I can’t say if I heard someone else, but I know I definitely didn’t say anything.”
Georgetown junior DaJuan Summers
On his offensive production slowing down in the second half
“I did miss a lot of key free throws, but that’s not why my offensive production stopped or slowed down. I tried to find different looks, not force shots, and find the best shots down the stretch. That’s probably mostly why.”
On team’s offensive execution down the stretch “I didn’t say it wasn’t great. I said, me down the stretch, I was trying to make the right play. They play good defense. They are a good defensive team and we as a team have to figure out ways to get better shots and not let the other team dictate where we are going to get our shots. That process is key for us, but they play great defense.”
DURHAM, N.C. — Senior All-America linebacker Michael Tauiliili was named the recipient of the Carmen Falcone Most Valuable Player Award at Duke University’s annual football banquet held on Saturday evening in Durham, N.C.
Tauiliili, a native of Houston, Texas, led Duke in tackles (140), interceptions (4), pass breakups (5), quarterback pressures (5) and caused fumbles (3). His 140 stops led the ACC and matched the eighth highest single-season total in school history. He added 13.0 tackles for loss and one fumble recovery and received All-America honors from the Walter Camp Foundation (2nd team), Associated Press (3rd team) and Sports Illustrated (Honorable Mention).
A First Team All-ACC selection, Tauiliili finished third in the league’s Defensive Player of the Year voting after captaining a Duke defense that held three opponents to less than 10 points for the first time since 1976. He also received a Captain’s Award, the Iron Devil Award for most snaps played and the Outstanding Linebacker Award.
Other honorees included Greg Akinbiyi (Captain’s Award & Outstanding Defensive Lineman), Re’quan Boyette (Captain’s Award), Cameron Goldberg(Captain’s Award & Outstanding Offensive Lineman), Abraham Kromah (Outstanding Special Teams Player), Thaddeus Lewis (Outstanding Offensive Back), Vince Oghobaase (Ace Parker Award), Eriks Reks (Mike Suglia Award), Vincent Rey (Captain’s Award), Eron Riley (Captain’s Award & Outstanding Receiver), Tielor Robinson (Captain’s Award), Glenn Williams (Captain’s Award & Outstanding Defensive Back) and Ryan Wood (Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award).
Akinbiyi, a senior defensive end from Miami, Fla., finished the season with 55 tackles while leading the Blue Devils in both tackles for loss (14.5) and quarterback sacks (6.0).
Boyette, a senior running back from Wilson, N.C., missed the entire 2008 campaign while recovering from knee surgery. He will return for his fifth season of eligibility in 2009.
Goldberg, a senior offensive tackle from Lutherville, Md., started all 12 games for the Blue Devils in 2008 and was a primary reason Duke allowed 23 fewer sacks than the previous season. Goldberg finished his career with 35 starts along the Duke offensive front.
Kromah, a sophomore linebacker from Staten Island, N.Y., closed the year with 13 tackles and one blocked punt.
Lewis, a junior quarterback from Opa-Locka, Fla., earned Second Team All-ACC accolades after completing 224-of-361 passes for 2,171 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Oghobaase, a junior defensive tackle from Houston Texas, was awarded the Ace Parker Award which is presented annually to an individual who displays unparalleled commitment to the team and overcomes adversity to contribute. Parker, one of 11 former Duke players and coaches to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame, was a two-time All-America pick in 1935 and 1936. Following his successful NFL career, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972. Parker later served as an assistant coach at Duke from 1947-65. An honorable mention All-ACC selection, Oghobaase posted 51 tackles in 2008 along with nine tackles for loss, six quarterback sacks and five quarterback pressures.
Reks, a sophomore defensive end from Wrentham, Mass., received the Mike Suglia Award which is presented annually to the second-year member of the Duke football program who best exemplifies the qualities of the late Mike Suglia. Suglia was an offensive lineman at Duke in 1976-77 who died suddenly during the spring of his sophomore year. He was an excellent student, an outstanding football player, and, most importantly, a young man of the highest integrity.
Rey, a junior linebacker from Far Rockaway, N.Y., finished second on the team behind Tauiliili with 109 total tackles. He added 15.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks and two fumble returns for touchdowns on the year.
Riley, a senior wide receiver from Savannah, Ga., caught 61 passes for 693 yards and eight touchdowns en route to earning second team all-league honors.
Robinson, a senior tight end from Greenwich, Conn., had 16 pass receptions for 97 yards on the year while rushing for two touchdowns on six attempts.
Williams, a senior defensive back from Baltimore, Md., was fourth on the team in tackles with 60 and also contributed three tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks, three caused fumbles and one interception.
Wood was the recipient of the Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award which is presented annually to the member of the Duke football program who displays the highest teammate qualities such as inspiration, unselfishness and commitment to the team. Micah Harris was tragically killed in an automobile accident in June of 2004, just prior to his senior year at Duke.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke senior linebacker Michael Tauiliili earned Defensive MVP honors of the 84th annual East-West Shrine Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Houston, Texas.
Tauiliili, playing in his hometown, registered a game-high 13 tackles while helping the East squad to a 24-19 victory. The East defense stopped the West three times inside the 10-yard line. Trailing by five points late in the fourth period, the West squad moved inside the 10 but a fourth down pass by Central Washington's Mike Reilly was incomplete.
"It was a great stand for us," said Tauiliili, who also served as a captain for the East squad. "It was a great atmosphere playing with the best of the best."
Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky earned Offensive MVP honors after rushing for 68 yards and one touchdown.
Tauiliili becomes the second Duke player to garner Defensive MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Bowl as former Blue Devil safety Alex Green received the award in 2005.
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