Duke got a boost from the return of Vince Oghobaase in their competitive loss to Virginia Tech. BDN has Vince's post game thoughts -
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BDN Quick Hitter – Vince Oghobaase talks of his return to the field
Monthly Archives: October 2009
BDN Quick Hitter – Austin Kelly talks Tech and NCSU
Austin Kelly had a team high 6 catches and one touchdown in Saturday's close loss to fifth ranked Virginia Tech. BDN caught up with Kelly for his comments on the game and the upcoming battle with N.C. State.
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Devils play with a lot of heart but fall short to Hokies 34-26
Durham, N.C. - The Duke Blue Devils showed a lot of heart on a beautiful Saturday afternoon but came up short against the defending ACC Champions Virginia Tech. The Hokie 34-26 win boosts their record to 3-1 while Duke falls to 2-3 on the season. The Hokies made some big plays on the day which proved to be the difference. Most of those plays were made in their passing game where Tyrod Taylor was deadly accurate going 17 of 22 for 327 yards and two touchdowns. His main target was Jarrett Boykin who pulled in 6 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.
But it was a controversial call that had many turning their heads when the ACC officials awarded Boykin a touchdown calling it a simultaneous catch. But the real catch is that his feet were clearly out of bounds in post game pictures, yet the replay crew did not overturn the call. Regardless, that one play wouldn't have changed the outcome but it would have made the score closer.
Duke was impressive standing toe to toe with a team most feel will win the ACC. Thaddeus Lewis has a huge game throwing for 359 yards and completing 22 of 40 passes, two for scores. Like Tech, Duke had some big plays of their own. True freshman Conner Vernon, Donovan Varner and Brandon King had catches of 74, 55 and 48 yards respectively.
The Devils struggled in their running game, but another true freshman Desmond Scott continued to give fans a glance of the future averaging 4.9 yards per carry on his way to 39 yards. It was also the rushing game that came alive for the Hokies late which helped them put the icing on the cake.
After the game, Coach Cutcliffe was pleased with his teams effort and there were few people going into this game that could have envisioned the Devils playing a spirited and tough game. In fact, Duke had a chance at recovering an onside kick with second left and a score and a two point conversion would have tied the game.
"We don't believe in moral victories," said Cutcliffe after the game, but Duke fans that showed up for the contest were entertained and there is reason to think that if Duke can be consistent then they can turn the corner in upcoming ACC contests.
| Team Stat Comparison | ||
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| 1st Downs | 21 | 17 |
| Total Yards | 477 | 397 |
| Passing | 327 | 359 |
| Rushing | 150 | 38 |
| Penalties | 12-105 | 7-44 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 8-12 | 7-19 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 0-0 | 3-3 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Possession | 29:25 | 30:35 |
Check back in for Cutcliffe audio and a photo gallery from the game.
2009-10 Duke Basketball Player Profile – Jon Scheyer
Senior co-captain, and 2009-10 preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team, Jon Scheyer brings consistency onto the court for the Duke Blue Devils. In discussing Jon's selection as one of this year’s team captains, Coach Mike Krzyzewski stated, "Jon has a great approach to the game and is one of the most consistent performers in practice and during games."
Scheyer enters his senior season with 1349 career points, which places him in 32nd place all-time at Duke. He was named the MVP at last year's ACC Tournament when he averaged 21.6 points over three games, while leading Duke to the tournament championship. For the season, Scheyer averaged 14.9 points per game and led Duke in minutes played at 32.8 per contest.
Last season, Coach Krzyzewski handed Scheyer the reigns after an 80-74 loss at Boston College on February 15, 2009 and Scheyer responded by averaging 18.6 points over the next 12 games. Moreover, he distributed 28 assists while committing only 14 turnovers for a solid 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. After the ACC tournament, Kyle Singler talked about Scheyer's performance running the point, "He makes plays for himself and others," Singler said. "That spot for us, when Jon has been there, has been huge for us." Coach Krzyzewski’s confidence in Scheyer paid dividends as Duke won ten of those twelve games with the two losses coming against eventual Final Four teams North Carolina and Villanova.
Scheyer is a versatile player but his greatest strength is as a scorer when he attacks defenses. As a career 37.9 percent 3-point shooter, he can punish defenses which rotate late by knocking down the long ball. Off the dribble, Scheyer has a knack for drawing contact and converting at the free throw line. He has scored 414 of his 1349 career points, from the charity stripe, by converting on 85.4 percent of his opportunities. Defenses must respect Scheyer's scoring ability, which facilitates his ability to distribute the basketball to his teammates.
Defensively, Scheyer led Duke in steals last season averaging 1.6 per contest. He had a season high four steals in the game at North Carolina. His defensive rebounding is also strong as Scheyer averaged 2.48 defensive rebounds per game as a junior. He recorded five defensive rebounds three times last season with his career high being ten defensive rebounds against Pittsburgh in December 2007. Defensive rebounds by guards typically result in fast break opportunities.
Over the summer, Scheyer participated in the Greater North Carolina Pro-Am league, sponsored by Jerry Stackhouse, and hosted by North Carolina Central University, by playing several games for Team Duhon. Not surprisingly, throughout the games in which he participated, Scheyer demonstrated his ability to knockdown 3-pointers and distribute the ball to his teammates.
Scheyer also worked to improve his point guard skills by attending the Deron Williams Skills Academy June 23-26 in Dallas. At the skills academy, he had the opportunity to test himself by guarding some of the nation’s quickest guards.
What should Duke Fans expect from Jon Scheyer in this upcoming season? For starters, more of the same, Scheyer will be consistent and versatile, as he has been for the past three seasons. As a senior, it is expected that he will step up his leadership presence. Scheyer will handle the ball and initiate Duke’s offense as the point guard, a position he expects to share alongside Nolan Smith. With Scheyer being a senior and initiating the offense, he will be an extension of Coach Krzyzewski on the court.
Duke fans can expect for Jon Scheyer to consistently turn in All-ACC Team quality performances throughout his senior season in Durham.
2009-10 Duke Basketball Player Profile – Mason Plumlee
It wasn't that long ago when Mason Plumlee committed to Duke during his junior season at Christ School Arden. At that time, his brother Miles was slated to go to Stanford but a coaching change allowed him to open his recruitment back up and he too decided Duke was the school for him. The brothers who have played together during their basketball careers will reunite this season in Durham.
Mason quickly became the talk of many a Duke fan and his ranking soared as did his confidence on the hardwood. He teamed with his brother to win the state championship and when Miles entered Duke, Mason still led Christ School to another state title. In following Mason on the AAU circuit it was clear that this blooming big man possessed great skills. He possess a great handle and is way ahead of the curve as a passer, a trait rare for a kid his size.
According to his Father, Perky Plumlee, Mason and his sons are late bloomers physically, but one look at the incoming freshman's legs lets one know that this is going to be a solidly built young man as he develops.
During the summer, Mason participated in the N.C. Pro Am where he went up against the triangle areas best players and several NBA players. Mason was a hit with the crowd for he finished strong around the basket and seemed to mesh with his teammates to make a few showboat plays along the way.
Mason saved his best game for last during the Pro Am where he nailed 28 points to go with 13 rebounds, 4 blocked shots and 4 assists. The young freshman has a good inside out game but he is expected to man the paint in his first season which will allow for Kyle Singler to float out and play his natural position.
Having a center who can do multiple things on the court will certainly give Coach K a lot of options in 2009-10. You can still expect Mason to have the ball in his hands despite his position in that he has a knack for getting the ball to the right player at the right time due to his unselfish play.
His addition should also benefit his brother Miles, in that the two know where one another wants the ball. But the thing which stands out to the casual observer is his tenacity, something that comes natural for Mason.
During last seasons Glaxo Invitational, Plumlee led his team back into one game single handedly as Coach K and his assistants Wojo and Chris Collins watched. One one play, Mason threw the ball of the backboard caught it and dunked all in the same motion. While Krzyzewski will not allow those kind of plays it showed his athletic prowess.
Much is expected from Mason this season and the lofty expectations could be hard to reach, but rest assured that the middle of three Plumlee brothers will be up to the challenge. The one thing Mason will need to watch is his aggressiveness sometimes gets him into foul trouble and it will be important for him to be on the court in critical and or close games.
Despite that minor quibble, Duke has enough depth to protect it's front court players. Duke fans will soon get their first look at Mason and they'll then see what all the talk has been about on this site and in the Duke community.
Like all freshman, Mason will have to learn the Duke system and adjust to the speed of the college game and the rigors of a long season, but in my opinion, Duke got their next front court star and it'll be fun watch his development throughout his career.
Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas named 2009-10 team captains
durham, n.c. – Seniors Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas were named team captains for the 2009-10 men’s basketball season, head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced on Thursday. Scheyer was a team captain last season, while Thomas has garnered the honor for the first time.
“Jon and Lance have both been great leaders on and off the court for our program,” said Krzyzewski. “Jon has a great approach to the game and is one of the most consistent performers in practice and during games. Lance brings a work ethic and fiery competitiveness that teammates rally around. Both players are strong leaders individually and will be even stronger together.”
Scheyer, a Northbrook, Ill. native, was one of three captains last season on a team that went 30-7, claimed the ACC Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. He joined the 1,000-point scorer club at Duke a year ago and now ranks 32nd all-time with 1,349 career points. Scheyer, the 2009 ACC Tournament MVP, averaged 14.9 points per game to rank third on the team last season, while leading the team in minutes (1,214), three-point field goal percentage (.385), assists (102) and steals (58).
Thomas, out of Scotch Plains, N.J., has played in 100 career games with 62 starts. He averaged 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season and led the team in field goal percentage (.626). In his career, he has 13 double-figure scoring games, 53 steals and 33 career drawn charges.
Duke will begin the 2009-10 season on Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. with Countdown to Craziness in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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