Mason Plumlee scored 19 points as Christ School won their third straight NCISAA Championship with a 62-54 victory over Ryan Kelly and Ravenscroft.
Plumlee and Kelly led their teams to the championship game. On Thursday, in the quarterfinals, Kelly scored 20 points as Ravenscroft defeated Wesleyan Christian Academy 59-36. Plumlee recorded a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds as Christ School defeated Charlotte Latin School 44-31.
In the semi-finals, Kelly recorded a 24 points and 12 rebounds double-double as Ravenscroft defeated Greensboro Day 57-45. Kelly also had five blocks in the contest. Mason Plumlee blocked eight shots and dished out five assists as Christ School defeated Charlotte Christian 59-47.
Andre Dawkins recorded his 2,000th career point as Atlantic Shores improved to 28-1 by defeating Denbigh Baptist 73-21 in the Metro Conference quarterfinals on Thursday. Dawkins scored 17 points in the game. In the semi-finals on Friday, Dawkins scored 30 points as Atlantic Shores defeated Hampton Christian 89-42.
Harrison Barnes scored 17 points as Ames Little Cyclones defeated Des Moines Lincoln 73-46 in sub-state semi-final action on Friday night.
Eric Bledsoe scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five assists as Parker High School defeated LeFlore 52-39 in the Alabama 5A state semi-finals. The Championship Game is currently underway in Birmingham.
Josh Smith scored 18 points in a losing effort as Kentridge defeated Kentwood 51-41 in the West Central 4A District tournament. Smith averaged 24.3 points per game for Kentwood this season.
Two 2009 Duke commitments Ryan Kelly of Ravenscroft and Mason Plumlee of Christ School will attempt to lead their schools to a State Championship on
Ryan Kelly of Raleigh Ravenscroft
Saturday afternoon. The game starts at 4:00 and is played at Charlotte Latin High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The defending champions, Christ School, who are coached by David Gaines, have played in five out of the last six title games. They will be a prohibitive favorite in that they have seven top notch college prospects on their roster. Of course, they walloped the Ravens 76-45 in an early season game in the Chic-Fil-A Classic.
Ravenscroft is coached by former Duke player Kevin Billerman who has led his
Mason Plumlee - Christ School
team to the state title game three times in his nine years of coaching the team. Billerman's team leans heavily on Kelly, who is asked to do it all. It would be wise for them to slow the tempo of the game.
Kelly and Plumlee have faced off several times, but one of the best showdowns was in last season Tournament of Champions AAU event. Kelly showed a variety of offensive moves and had his way in the first half for D-One Sports, but Plumlee reached down and controlled the second half to lead his Indiana Elite team team to the win.
• Game 29 •
[7 AP/7 Coaches] Duke (23-5, 9-4 ACC) vs. Virginia Tech (17-10, 7-6 ACC)
Saturday, February 28, 2009 • 3:30 PM ET • ABC
Cassell Coliseum (9,847) • Blacksburg, Va.
Blue Devil Bits
Duke is 23-5 on the year, including a 9-4 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Blue Devils have won three straight games, including a 78-67 road victory over Maryland on Wednesday.
The Blue Devils are ranked seventh in the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. Duke has now been ranked in the top 10 in 33 consecutive AP polls.
Duke is rated fourth in the RPI according to CollegeRPI.com. The Blue Devils’ strength of schedule is ranked sixth in the country by the site as well.
Junior Gerald Henderson led the Blue Devils in scoring for the third straight game with 19 points on Wednesday. He also had eight rebounds, three assists and a career-high four blocks in the win.
Elliot Williams scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting against the Terrapins. Williams has set a new career high in scoring in each of the past three games for the Blue Devils.
Sophomore Kyle Singler recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds versus Maryland. He was 4-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range in the win.
Jon Scheyer added 12 points and a team-high five assists in 37 minutes of play on Wednesday. He has now scored in double figures 21 times this season.
Duke went 20-of-28 (.714) from the foul line in the win over Maryland. The Blue Devils have made 20 or more free throws in three straight games.
Numbers Game
Duke has won two straight meetings in the series with Virginia Tech and four of the last five games against the Hokies. The Blue Devils posted an 69-44 victory over Virginia Tech at Cameron Indoor Stadium earlier this season.
Duke is 9-4 in ACC action, marking the 14th straight year the Blue Devils have won at least eight games in league play. Duke has posted 10 or more wins in ACC regular season contests in 11 of the last 12 seasons.
Gerald Henderson is the only player to rank in the top five in league play in scoring, field goal percentage and steals. Henderson is fifth in scoring at 20.1 ppg., fourth in steals at 1.9 spg. and fifth in field goal percentage at .513 in 13 ACC contests.
Kyle Singler is one of two players in the ACC averaging at least 16.0 ppg. and 7.5 rpg. this season. Cherokee Parks (1994-95), Elton Brand (1998-99), Carlos Boozer (2001-02) and Shelden Williams (2005-06) are the only Duke players to accomplish that feat in the last 15 years.
Freshman Elliot Williams is averaging 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting 16-of-21 (.727) from the floor since joining the starting lineup prior to the St. John’s game. Williams had a career-best 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in Wednesday’s win over Maryland.
Junior Gerald Henderson is averaging 20.1 points per game in league play. He has raised his ACC scoring average by 7.7 ppg. from a year ago, the second-largest improvement in the conference.
Jon Scheyer has nine assists and just two turnovers since taking over point guard duties three games ago. The Northbrook, Ill., native is averaging 20.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game with a 4.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in that stretch.
Gerald Henderson has scored in double figures in 20 straight games, which is the fourth-longest streak in the ACC. He is averaging 18.9 points per game and shooting 51.1 percent (140-of-274) from the field in the last 20 contests.
Kyle Singler ranks first or second on the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. He leads the team in rebounds (7.9 rpg.) and steals (46), while ranking second in scoring (16.0 ppg.) and assists (73). He is also third on the team in blocks (23).
Sophomore Nolan Smith is out indefinitely after suffering a mild concussion in the second half of Wednesday’s 78-67 win over Maryland. Smith is averaging 8.5 points with 14 double figure scoring games on the year.
Duke leads the ACC in turnover margin at +4.1. The Blue Devils have committed less than 10 turnovers in a game four times in the month of February and have a +6.7 turnover margin in the last seven games.
Krzyzewski praised freshman Elliot Willams after the game. Williams scored a career high 15 points to go with 6 rebounds.
The Duke Blue Devils defeated Maryland 78-67 to move into sole possession of second place in the rough and tumble Atlantic Coast Conference. The pesky Terps played the Blue Devils even most of the game, but after the score was tied at 60 apiece, Duke made key plays to go up 66-60 and never looked back. They outscored the Terps 18-7 down the stretch.
"We knew what was at stake. You have desperate teams. You have a Virginia Tech team that won at Clemson tonight and Maryland beat the best team in our conference in North Carolina. We knew they were an entirely different team now," said Krzyzewski.
It was a workmanlike victory for the Devils who never showed signs of losing their composure despite the usual hostile home crowd. Duke was also able to take
Grevies Vasquez out of the game by taking several charges. Vasquez ended the game with just 10 points coming off his signature performance of 35 points and double figure assists and rebounds in their upset win over North Carolina.
Gerald Henderson continued his torrid pace, putting the team on his back during key stretches. Henderson who has been one of the most consistent players in the country of late ended the game with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks.
Freshman Elliot Williams made some huge plays, be it grabbing key boards or getting to a loose ball. Williams, who has now started three consecutive games, tallied a career high 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds."We were struggling to stop them on the offensive end defensively, but we put it together in the last minutes of the second half and came out with a win," said Williams.
"One of the things I try to use to help the team out is my athleticism. That was a play where I just tried to get the rebound and I got it, pumped faked and went up as quick as I could," said Williams when asked of a key rebound and stick back in traffic.
"I thought a couple of the plays Elliot made to get a loose ball and a bucket a couple of times was huge. He made the pass of the game - the extra pass to Jon for the three. You could see with that three that the look in their (Maryland) faces changed," said Krzyzewski.
Kyle Singler also chipped in with double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jon Scheyer also scored in double figures with 12 points.
Duke has protected the ball well in their 3 game winning streak and ended the night with just nine turnovers. Duke also outrebounded the Terps 39-28.
It was a solid victory for the Blue Devils who move to 9-4 i n the ACC and 23-5 overall. Duke will now travel to another hostile environment in Blacksburg, Virginia to take on a Virginia Tech team that gained a huge road win over Clemson.
Notes- Nolan had a mild concussion and some chest pain. Duke expects him to be okay but they are taking precaustions. Smith ran into a nasty pick from Maryland's Neal.
From GoDuke.com - A Winning Tradition
• Duke has now won 1,870 games all-time, the fourth-highest victory total in NCAA history. The Blue Devils have an all-time record of 1,870-814, including 753-213 under Coach K.
• The Blue Devils have won 284 games this decade, the most wins in a decade by the program. The win total is the second most by a team in NCAA history behind Kansas (286-60 from 1990-99).
• Duke is now 929-237 all-time as a ranked team, including 787-180 as a Top 10 team.
• The Blue Devils have won 20 or more games 44 times in school history with 24 of those coming under Coach K. Duke has won at least 23 of the first 28 games a total of 20 times.
• Duke claimed its ninth ACC win of the year. They have an 845-478 all-time record against current ACC schools, including a 277-247 mark on the road. They have now won nine games in conference play in 12 of the last 13 seasons and in 21 of the 29 years under Coach K.
Duke vs. Maryland Series
• Duke and Maryland met for the 165th time on Wednesday with the Blue Devils now holding a 105-60 lead in the all-time series.
• The Blue Devils are now 4-3 when playing in the Comcast Center and 30-24 when playing in College Park.
• Coach K is 46-20 all-time against Maryland. He has a 17-8 ledger in the month of February.
• Duke has been ranked in each of the last 30 games they have played against Maryland and 54 times overall in the series. They have been ranked in the top 10 in 46 games.
Duke In The ACC
• Duke now owns a 518-277 all-time record in ACC regular season games since the inception of the league in 1953-54.
• Duke has an 845-478 record against schools currently in the Atlantic Coast Conference, including a 278-247 record at home.
• Coach K owns a 343-147 record against schools currently in the ACC.
Duke In February
• Duke improves to 5-3 in the month of February in 2008-09. Under Coach K, the Blue Devils have a 170-66 all-time record in the month of February.
• When playing on Feb. 25, Duke is now 16-11 all-time, including a 6-2 record under Coach K.
Krzyzewski Climbs Victory Ladder
• Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 826th victory as a head coach on Saturday. He ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history for career victories and is first among active coaches.
• Krzyzewski is now four victories shy of Jim Phelan for fourth all-time.
• Coach K now has 753 wins as the head coach at Duke, ranking him sixth in NCAA Division I history for victories at one school and second among active coaches (Jim Boeheim, Syracuse – 791). Krzyzewski is six wins shy of Western Kentucky’s Ed Diddle for fifth all-time.
• Krzyzewski’s 826 victories are the second most by a head coach through 34 years of coaching. Only Dean Smith of North Carolina won more games with 830 victories.
1,000 Career Points
• Duke has 58 players in school history who have scored over 1,000 career points, giving the Blue Devils the third most 1,000-point scorers of any school in Division I behind North Carolina (62) and Louisville (59).
• Duke has three current players who have scored at least 1,000 points in their career. Jon Scheyer ranks 39th all-time with 1,186 career points. Greg Paulus currently ranks 40th on the school’s all-time list with 1,173 career points. Gerald Henderson ranks 48th with 1,111 career points.
• Sophomore Kyle Singler is also chasing 1,000 career points this season. He currently has 894 career points.
Offensive Notes
• The Blue Devils scored 78 points and have now scored 70 or more in 24 of the 28 games on the year. Duke is 21-3 this season when scoring at least 70 points and 664-132 all-time under Coach K.
• Four Duke players scored in double figures, marking the 15th game this season that four or more players have scored at least 10 points for the Blue Devils.
• Duke made 25 field goals to give them 19 games with 25 or more made field goals.
• The eight made three-point field goals for the Blue Devils give them 14 games with eight or more made treys. Duke has made 24 three-point field goals in the last three games.
• Duke made 20 free throws and have now made 20 or more from the foul line in 11 games this year, including the last three contests.
• The Blue Devils outrebounded Maryland 39-28 and have now outrebounded its opponent 18 times in 28 games.
• Duke committed only nine turnovers, the sixth time this year they have recorded single digits in turnovers. Four of those six games have been in February.
Defensive Notes
• Duke held Maryland to 67 points, including 33 in the second half. The Blue Devils have held 18 opponents to under 70 points on the year.
• The Blue Devils limited the Terps to three made three-point field goals. Duke has held 12 opponents to three or fewer made treys, including seven ACC opponents.
• Maryland committed 11 turnovers and the Blue Devils have now caused over 10 turnovers in all 28 games this season.
• Duke blocked six shots to give them nine games this season with five or more blocks.
Duke Player Notes:
Gerald Henderson
• Junior Gerald Henderson scored 19 points to extend his double figure scoring streak to 20 games. He has scored 10 or more points in 24 games on the season and 56 times in his career. He has scored 16 or more in 14 straight games.
• Henderson pulled down eight rebounds to give him 14 games this season with five or more boards. He has at least five rebounds in 41 career contests and eight or more in five games this year.
• Henderson set a career high with four blocked shots. His previous high was three blocked shots in a game three times, including the Michigan game on Dec. 6. The four blocks give Henderson 66 career blocks, moving him into 20th on Duke’s career blocks list.
• With three assists Henderson has now recorded three or more assists in 13 games this season and 23 career games.
Greg Paulus
• Senior Greg Paulus became the 26th player in school history to play in 130 career games.
• Paulus made 2-of-3 three-point field goals to give him 205 career made treys. He has made two or more three-point field goals in nine games this season.
Jon Scheyer
• Junior Jon Scheyer scored 12 points to reach double figures in scoring for the 21st time this season and 67th career outing.
• Scheyer had three rebounds to give him three or more in 23 games this season and in 73 career games.
• Scheyer dished out five assists to lead the team on Wednesday and now has five or more assists in five games on the year. He posted his 17th game this season with at least three assists and has led the team in assists in 14 games.
Kyle Singler
• Sophomore Kyle Singler recorded his eighth double-double of the season and fourth in conference play with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He now has 12 career double-doubles.
• Singler has now recorded at least one point, rebound, assist, blocked shot and steal in a game 14 times this season.
• The 13 points give Singler a team-high 25 double figure scoring games this season. Wednesday marked his 50th career double figure scoring game.
• With 10 rebounds Singler has now pulled down 10 or more rebounds in eight games on the year and 12 career games. He has eight or more rebounds in 15 games and at least five rebounds in 26 of the 28 games this season.
Lance Thomas
• Junior Lance Thomas recorded two steals to give him a steal in five of the last six games and in 10 games overall. He has four games this season with two steals.
Elliot Williams
• Freshman Elliot Williams scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-8 from the field, 1-of-2 from the three-point line and 2-of-4 from the foul line. He has three straight games with 10 or more points after not scoring in double figures in his first 22 collegiate games.
• After shooting 6-of-8 from the floor, Williams has three straight games with at least five field made field goals. He is shooting 16-of-22 (.727) in the past three games.
• Williams grabbed six rebounds and now has five or more rebounds in three outings this year.
Brian Zoubek
• Junior Brian Zoubek blocked a shot for the 17th game this season. He now has a team-high 25 blocks on the year, nearly doubling his career total of 26 coming into the year.
The Atlanta Tip Off Club will select the Naismith College Basketball Player of the
Henderson has been on a tear, scoring a career high 35 against Wake Forest
Year during the Final Four in Detroit, Michigan. Sophomore Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson are on the list of finalist for the prestigious award.
The Blue Devils are one of six schools with two players on the list.
ATLANTA (Feb. 24, 2009) – No college program has ever won a Heisman Trophy and a Naismith
Trophy in the same academic year, but Blake Griffin is looking to put Oklahoma in uncharted territory.
The 6-10 sophomore hopes to follow fellow Sooner Sam Bradford in being named the top player in his respective sport, as Griffin headlines the 30 mid-season candidates for the 2009 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today.
Among those joining Griffin are Stephen Curry (Davidson), 2008 winner Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Luke Harangody (Notre Dame), Jodie Meeks (Kentucky) and Jeff Teague (Wake Forest) and Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson (Duke).
Overall, the ACC has nine players on the list, followed by the Big East with eight. Six schools are represented by two players apiece: Connecticut, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest.
The top 30 men’s list was voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, comprised ofleading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season.
The vote was tabulated and certified by the accounting firm of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP. HA&W is the largest independent accounting firm in Georgia and
one of the top 50 firms in the United States. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T is the most prestigious national basketball award and is given annually to the men’s college basketball player ofthe year. This year, the award will be presented at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Detroit.
This season marks the 40th anniversary of the first Naismith Trophy, which was presented to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor, who is known today as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At the time, the Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 basketball season, was looking to create a national identity for its brand and created the award to honor the best basketball player in the nation. Alcindor, along with UCLA
head coach John Wooden, flew to Atlanta in the spring of 1969 to receive the trophy. “Looking at the college basketball landscape, it’s understandable that so many of the top players nationwide are contenders for the Naismith Trophy,” said Gary Stokan, president, Atlanta Tipoff Club.
“The final month of the season will be telling, and that is what makes college basketball so exciting.” For the sixth consecutive season, presenting sponsor AT&T will once again set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining this year’s winner. Through the power and ease of text
messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25 percent of the final results — more than any other national college basketball award. This year, beginning March 22, AT&T wireless customers — and sports fans on other wireless networks — will be able to text their votes for the player of their
choice.
“The Naismith Trophy is unique among college awards in that it gives the fans a real voice inselecting the top player in the country,” said Tim McGhee, executive director, AT&T Corporate Sponsorships. “AT&T is proud to sponsor the Naismith and to empower fans to make sure their
voices are heard”
CBS Sports’ “AT&T at the Half” features a weekly Naismith Trophy Watch, highlighting the men’s players in contention for the coveted award who have distinguished themselves throughout the season. On March 22, CBS will announce the four Naismith Trophy finalists during its first-round coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Duke's Elliot Williams was named ACC Rookie of the Week on Monday after helping the Blue Devils to wins over St. John's and eighth-ranked Wake Forest.
Inserted into the starting lineup last week, Williams responded by averaging 11.0 points and 2.0 steals per game in two contests. The Memphis, Tenn., native was 10-of-14 from the field (.714) for the week and recorded the first two double figure scoring games of his career.
Williams was 5-of-6 from the field for 11 points against the Red Storm on Wednesday and 5-of-8 for 11 points in Sunday's win over the Demon Deacons. He also had four steals against Wake Forest and was a major factor in a defense that forced 20 turnovers, including 16 in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Maryland's Greivis Vasquez was named ACC Player of the Week after averaging 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists on the week.
Mason Plumlee scored 19 points as Christ School won their third straight NCISAA Championship with a 62-54 victory over Ryan Kelly and Ravenscroft.
The Blue Devils have won three straight games, including a 78-67 road victory over Maryland on Wednesday.
10-of-14 from the field (.714) for the week and recorded the first two double figure scoring games of his career.
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