Monthly Archives: February 2010

Duke Basketball, Duke Football

Blue Devil Nations Monday Musings

Duke Cheerleaders rock!

Well Duke's win over Maryland pushed the Blue Devils record to 21-4 overall and 9-2 in conference but they are still just ahead of Wake Forest in the race to be atop the ACC standings.  Next up is Miami and on the surface this game looks much easier than it will likely be.  The Hurricanes are just 3-8 in conference, but there three wins are over Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, all of which are good teams should be recognized.  Look a bit closer and all three wins came in Coral Gables which is not an easy place to play due to travel for most ACC teams.  Then one sees that of Miami's last five regular season games, all but one are at home.  In short, a win over would give them 18 wins and could propel them to take care of business at home.  When teams backs are against the wall, they are dangerous and Miami will be trying to play their way into the post season.

This weekend Duke celebrated Coach Mike Krzyzewski's 1000th game at Duke and several players returned for the event including ex coaches.  The highlight for me was to see the guys from the sixties who labored under Vic Bubas, Duke's other great coach.  Bubas set a new standard in recruiting, going after players afar and his system changed the way the rest of the ACC recruited over time.  I had a chance to talk with Bubas and Bucky Waters for a bit and finally got his autograph on a classic picture with his then players Jeff Mullins and Art Heyman, two players whose numbers hang in Cameron.

We were supposed to talk with ex Dukie Kenny Dennard, but were unable to get back with him.  FWIW, Dennard kidnapped "rubber Hurley," from me during the Coach K Academy.  What is rubber Hurley you ask?  Well, back in the day I was a memorabilia dealer on the side and I came across a gumby like figure of Bobby Hurley with a striking resemblance to the former number eleven.  Dennard being the jester that he is borrowed, er, kidnapped the rare rubber Hurley ... okay it's plastic but the rubber Hurley name just stuck ... for a few laughs.  The first thing he said when he saw me is I have your little Hurley thingie.  And I was thinking, yeah, but do you have it with you.  I had made a recording with Dennard a bit back but technical difficulties kept me from running it.  You see, Kenny thought I was holding out for my dear, rare rubber Hurley;)  Well, KD, I know you're out there so call me and we'll talk of some of your torrid tales from back in the day.  And you can keep rubber Hurley provided you take care of it for I must confess I have another one.

We went over one million visitors since we've moved to this site and we thank you for your support in making this one of the better Duke sites around.  If you go back to the days of "myblogdevils," or the first of three versions of BDN, we have had awesome support fro Blue Devil fans world wide.  In fact, we have reached no less than 33 countries.  In that time we have avoided advertising bling that hits you in the face when visiting in that we depend on memberships for support.  Keep in mind that memberships do keep us alive and if you like BDN and want to support our efforts, please give Blue Devil Nation Premium a try.  You will enjoy the inside tips, recruiting information and a message board that has rational discussion.  BDN has never taken one single dime from it's supporters without giving you something back nor have we sold out despite offers.  Help us stay ferociously independent.

Okay, getting serious again, we'll start a feature called Monday Morning Quarterback next week where we'll focus on Spring Football.  With just one practice in the fold we felt a little more information would be better.  I will be bringing you some interviews and thoughts along the way and Patrick Cacchio will be involved as well.  He has a feature coming up shortly where he breaks down the 2010 schedule.

On the recruiting front Duke offered Michael Gbinije, pronounced "ben na jay<" over the weekend.  Read more about that on BDN Premium which requires a membership.  Andrew Slater chatted with the elusive Kyrie Irving over the weekend and took in the action at the Primetime Shootout so that is on the way as well.  We've been busy around here thus a recruiting update was pushed back, but I assure you, Gbinije did not sneak up on us.  It's interesting to see the chest thumping out there saying they broke this when some knew before they even realized he was in Cameron on Saturday.  Anyhow, we'll address this and more as the week progresses.

Our former cheerleader galleries were the most popular and we will be bringing back photo galleries in the future.  But you can expect a different cheerleader each week on Monday Morning Musings.  It's our way of showing support for support and recognizing their hard work.

We have been contemplating making some changes around here and we have polled our members in the past, but we are working on a questionnaire for general readers of the site and we hope you will participate when that comes out.

Duke Football

Duke Spring Football Practice Underway

DURHAM, N.C. – With an uncharacteristic mid-February start, the Duke football team opened spring drills on Sunday afternoon with a two-hour session in shorts and helmets at the Brooks Practice Facility.

“I was really, really thrilled with our enthusiasm, energy and body demeanor,” Cutcliffe said following the workout.  “You could tell they really wanted to be out here.”

With Thaddeus Lewis lost to graduation and Sean Renfree sidelined while recovering from knee surgery, Duke is operating with two first-year quarterbacks in Sean Schroeder and January enrollee Brandon Connette.  In addition to Connette, running back Josh Snead and tight end Cooper Helfet joined the Duke program for the spring semester.

“The two young quarterbacks managed practice well,” Cutcliffe noted.  “I was proud of all three of our new additions.  I thought that Connette, Snead and Helfet all contributed to make it a better practice.”

The Blue Devils were not fazed by the early beginning to spring practice, which saw temperatures in the low 40s on Sunday afternoon.

“It was good to get out here,” Schroeder said.  “It was a good first practice.  We have a lot of areas to improve on, but it was a good first day.”

Duke’s annual Spring Game is set for Saturday, March 27 at Wallace Wade Stadium.

The Blue Devils open the 2010 season at home against Elon on September 4.  Season tickets may be purchased online at GoDuke.com or by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office toll free at 1-877-375-3853.  The Duke Athletic Ticket Office is located in Cameron Indoor Stadium and open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Duke Basketball

Zoubek’s career game helps Duke rip Maryland by 21 on Coach K’s birthday

Coach K's Blue Devils crush Maryland on his birthday
Coach K's 1000th game was a rousing success - Lance King Images

Durham, N.C. - The Blue Devil Nation celebrated Coach K's 1000th game and birthday with a convincing 77-56 win over Maryland on Saturday afternoon in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  All fans remained seated after the game as Krzyzewski addressed the crowd before he left for the locker room to talk with his Blue Devil team that now sports a 9-2 record in the ACC and 21-4 overall.

It's been quite a week for these Blue Devils, for they beat the two rival teams in Maryland and North Carolina on their schedule and in the process held them both in check.  In fact, both teams combined scored only 110 points for a 55 ppg average.

But then today, Brian Zoubek must not have gotten the memo saying he wasn't in the big three, for the lanky senior had career highs of 16 points and 17 rebounds, prompting several cheers from the frenetic Cameron Crazies.

"He should be getting a lot of credit with what he's done as a basketball player from when he was a freshman to where he is now.  He's a guy who has found a way to enjoy his basketball career which is a great thing.  It's nice to see that happen to people when they are doing a great job," said Krzyzewski of Zoubs, as he is called by his teammates.

Duke held Maryland in check from beyond the arc, where they allowed just two three-point baskets and for most of the game they held Greivis Vasquez in check before he reeled off several baskets in the Terps comeback effort.  Vasquez finished the game as the Terps high scorer with 17, while Cliff Tucker chipped in with 12.

Jon Scheyer led all scorers with 22 points and Smith, who was cold from the field, still tallied 14 points to go with a team high 6 assists.  Kyle Singler added 10, Mason 7, Thomas 4 and 2 each for Miles and Kelly to round out the Blue Devils' scoring.

Duke scored 18 points off 14 Maryland turnovers and 20 points on second chance buckets.  Duke led by 24 at one time but let off the gas in the final couple of minutes, winning by 21 over their assigned rival.  Another huge stat for Duke was their 18 of 22 free throws.

Duke has won six consecutive games against Maryland in the series and Duke has won 13 games by 20 or more points this season.  Duke held 44-37 advantage in rebounding and four players scored in double figures for the 14th time this season.

The Blue Devils will travel to Miami on Wednesday for a game televised on ESPN.  Stay tuned for the BDN Duke Locker Room Report.

Duke Basketball

Previewing the Terrapins

#7 Duke (20-4, 8-2 ACC) host unranked Maryland (16-6, 6-2 ACC) on Saturday afternoon at 1 pm in a game which will determine first place in the ACC standings. This will be the 1,000th game at Duke for Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Duke defeated Maryland three times last season and has won the previous five meetings. Maryland last defeated Duke on February 28, 2007.

Maryland is led by senior guard Greivis Vasquez (6'6" 190) who averages 18.1 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. Vasquez is a crafty player who likes to push the tempo and is a very good passer in Coach Gary Williams' flex offense. Vasquez plays 32.5 minutes per game.

Senior forward Landon Milbourne (6'7" 207) is Maryland's second leading scorer at 14.5 points per game. Milbourne also averages 5.4 rebounds and plays 30.3 minutes per game.

Senior guard Eric Hayes (6'4" 184) is a deadly 3-point shooter making 46.1 percent (47 of 102) on the year. Hayes averages 11.1 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. Hayes plays 30.4 minutes per game.

Sophomore Sean Mosley (6'4" 210) contributes 11.5 points, 3 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game in 28.1 minutes of playing time.

Freshman Jordan Williams (6'9" 245) averages 8.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 22.9 minutes of playing time. Williams is touted as having great hands.

Off the bench, Maryland has four players averaging double digit minutes: Cliff Tucker (15.2), Dino Gregory (19.9), Adrian Bowie (16.5), and James Padgett (11.2). Maryland has more depth inside this season but they are a smaller team than Duke.

Duke and Maryland have had eight common opponents on the season. In out of conference games, both teams have beaten UNC-Greensboro and lost to Wisconsin. In conference, both teams have beaten UNC, Florida State, and Boston College. Maryland has beaten N.C. State who defeated Duke, while Duke has beaten Clemson and Wake Forest who both defeated the Terrapins.

The Blue Devils will be without starter and defensive specialist Lance Thomas who suffered a severe bone bruise in his right knee when he collided with Larry Drew II during the Carolina game. Replacing Thomas’ minutes will require Coach Krzyzewski to be creative with the rotation. Coach Krzyzewski has stated he expects Dawkins to play increased minutes with Kyle Singler rotating from small forward to power forward.

Another line-up which will surely see time together will be Brian Zoubek and Mason Plumlee together with Scheyer, Smith, and Singler. This is Duke’s most effective non-Thomas line-up from a +/- perspective.

The keys to the game will be:

1. Outside shooting: Duke is shooting .394 on the season from behind the 3-point arc. However, in the 13 games played in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke is averaging .442. Maryland is eighth in the league in 3-point field goal percent defense. Duke needs to knockdown the long ball in this game.

2. Rebounding: Duke leads the ACC in rebounding margin at +6.6. Maryland is 11th at +1.2. Duke is second in the ACC in offensive rebounds averaging 14.6 per game. Duke is bigger and stronger and will need to be aggressive on the glass.

3. Assists and turnovers: Both Duke and Maryland take care of the basketball with a 1.3 assists to turnover ratio. Maryland is second in the ACC with 8.4 steals per game. Neither team can afford to give the other extra possessions in a game this analyst expects to be decided in the last couple of minutes.

With the celebration for Coach Krzyzewski’s birthday, his 1,000th game as head coach at Duke, and first place in the ACC on the line, the atmosphere will be electric inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. Both teams must be cautious of emotions to ensure the other team doesn’t jump out to an adrenalin fueled early lead. Once the teams settle in and commence execution of their game plans, this should be a very exciting basketball game.