Monthly Archives: March 2010

BDN Premium Articles

Duke Basketball Recruiting Update – Irving, prospects come to Cameron (Updated)

Kyrie Irving visits Duke
Kyrie Irving, Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston and several prospects set to visit Duke

The list of visitors is incomplete for Saturday's game but here is who we feel you can look for - Shabazz Muhammad,  [private] JP Tokoto, Qunncy Miller and Deuce Bello, Josh Hairston, Tyler Thornton, Kyrie Irving, Michael Gbinjie, Carrick Felix, Michael Haynes and Marshall Plumlee.  The Tokoto's are still looking into flights while Felix is rumored to be coming now.  I will have a more definitive list shortly and there are more names in the mix.

Austin Rivers could be there if his team were to lose on Friday, but as we have stated, they are pretty much destined for the championship game on Saturday.  A lot has been made of recent comments, but one must consider that the Florida media is hounding him at every turn and he has to stay down that way for now.  Not saying he will not end up at UF but still feel very strongly about Duke's chances of landing him.  Rivers can take his time with his decision and if you are looking for a tell, see if he transfers to a high school which prepares one for the rigors of college basketball.  Patience is a virtue for this one.

The three kids coming in next year will be at the Duke-UNC game for sure and it seems Hairston will be joined by Justin Anderson.  Kyrie Irving will be making his first game to Duke this season and he is sure to draw a lot of attention.  Expect the Crazies to give Hairston, Irving and Thornton big welcomes.

Quincy Miller is now reportedly coming to Duke again.  I confirmed that through a solid source.

Duke is very serious about Carrick Felix who is finishing his teams season strong but academics need to fall into place with admissions,  Same holds true for Michael Haynes a talented bull like player the Devils desperately want on the roster.    I have been asked if Duke will sign two players on the message boards and the answer is that if the staff feels prospects can help the team, they will go after them but not just for a body and ro anybody.  Duke is very serious about Felix and Haynes.  Trey Zeigler and others are becoming long shots but Duke is still keeping in touch.

BDN will be on the scene all weekend long and we'll let you know of reactions and such so stay tuned. [/private]

Duke Basketball

ESPN’s Game Day for Duke-UNC game open to the public

ESPN College GameDay live from Cameron Indoor Stadium
Saturday, March 6
ESPN's GameDay crew will be Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps, Hubert Davis and Bob Knight

Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
Sportcenter will be doing live cut-ins from 10-11am
GameDay live from inside Cameron Indoor Stadium will run from 11 am to 12 pm
GameDay will also have a one-hour show from 8-9 pm

GameDay events are free of charge
Parking is free

Their will also be special guests and former players along with Duke Basketball prizes and giveaways will add to the show.

The public entrance into the event will be from the South Hall of Honor, while undergraduate and graduate students will enter from the North Lobby (Krzyzewskiville).

General public parking will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. in all lots around campus with the exception of the Public Policy Lot.  All cars must be removed by 2:00 p.m. from the respective lots or they will be towed.

Duke Basketball

Maryland slips past Duke 79-72

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - On one glorious night, Maryland bid farewell to its three standout seniors, avenged a bitter loss to Duke and moved into a tie with the Blue Devils atop the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Greivis Vasquez scored 20 points, including a clutch basket with 37 seconds left, and 22nd-ranked Maryland beat No. 4 Duke 79-72 Wednesday for its sixth straight win.

It was the final home game for Vasquez, who was honored with seniors Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes before the game.

Afterward, fans stormed the court to celebrate Maryland's first win over Duke in seven tries.

"You couldn't really ask for a better script than that," said Hayes, who scored 13 points. "The ACC regular-season title was on the line; it was just a real special night."

Jordan Williams had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Terrapins (22-7, 12-3), who haven't lost since falling to the Blue Devils by 21 on Feb. 13.

"This is a dream come true," Vasquez said.

Nolan Smith scored 20 for Duke (25-5, 12-3) and Jon Scheyer had 19. The defeat ended the Blue Devils' eight-game winning streak.

"Playing a big-time game like this was good for both teams," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Our guys were in a position to win the game. I'm proud of that.

"It was tough because it was a game where we played well. It wasn't a game when we played bad or played stupid. It wasn't like that. This wasn't a game where bad stuff happened."

Duke center Brian Zoubek, who had 16 points and 17 rebounds in Duke's earlier win over Maryland, finished with four points and 13 boards.

Both teams have one game left in the regular season. Maryland travels to Virginia on Saturday, and Duke hosts North Carolina.

The final minutes featured several outstanding shots, each more important than the last.

Scheyer hit a 3-pointer to put Duke up 63-60 with 5:25 to go, and Vasquez tied it with a jumper from beyond the arc. Scheyer then scored on a drive, but Maryland answered with a hook shot in the lane from Adrian Bowie and a fadeaway jumper by Vasquez.

It was 69-all before Williams scored on a follow. Then, after Duke missed twice, Vasquez tucked the ball to his chest and bulled his way to the basket before launching a shot that dropped through the net, making it 73-69.

"It was a tough shot," Vasquez said. "It was meant to be."

Sean Mosley added two free throws with 26.2 seconds left.

"It comes down to a possession or two of theirs. They made a couple of their shots, we missed a couple of ours," Scheyer said. "That's the way it goes."

Maryland finished unbeaten at home in the ACC and 15-1 overall. Afterward, coach Gary Williams gave some of the credit to the enthusiastic fans.

"The crowds have been great," he said. "We really appreciate that from our fans."

The Terrapins thrilled the crowd by getting off to a sizzling start.

Maryland led 7-0, 19-7 and 33-19 before Duke settled down. The Blue Devils took their first lead when Scheyer opened the second half with a 3 to make it 41-40.

Duke led 47-44 before Williams made a three-point play, Bowie scored on a drive and Milbourne added a dunk. After a layup by Scheyer, Bowie connected from long range to put the Terps up 54-49.

But Smith hit a tough baseline jumper and then converted a three-point play to tie it with 9:11 left, and after a series of misses by both teams, Smith's driving layup put Duke back in front.

The lead went back and forth until Maryland's closing 10-3 burst.

The Blue Devils ended the first half with a 19-7 run to get within 40-38.

Duke missed its first six shots and fell behind 7-0 before a tip-in by Zoubek ended the drought. Milbourne followed with a 3-pointer, but he picked up his second foul on Maryland's next possession and was forced to take a seat on the bench.

The Blue Devils were 1 for 8 and trailed 10-2 when officials noticed a snag in the net and replaced it. Kyle Singler promptly drilled a 3 before a reverse layup by Hayes and a three-point play by Williams - off a no-look pass from Vasquez - sparked an 11-3 run that made it 21-8.

At that point, Scheyer, Singler and Smith were a collective 1 for 9.

The trio accounted for Duke's next four baskets, and a layup by Zoubek got the Blue Devils to 25-19. Mosley then hit a jumper for Maryland, and successive 3-pointers by Hayes and Mosley boosted the margin to 14.

It was 40-29 before Duke ended the half with a three-point play by Singler and 3-pointers by Smith and Scheyer.

"They made every shot, we missed every shot - although we were getting good looks," Scheyer said. "We felt pretty good going into halftime, knowing that was their best shot."

Duke Football

Duke Defense Shines in Scrimmage

DURHAM, N.C. – Safety Jordon Byas and defensive end Justin Foxx scored defensive touchdowns as the Blue Devil defense forced five turnovers to highlight Duke’s 75-play scrimmage on Wednesday morning at the Brooks Practice Field.

Byas scored the morning’s first touchdown by intercepting a Brandon Connette pass and returning the football 41 yards to the end zone.  Foxx later scooped up a fumble and darted 35 yards for a score.  Defensive end Kenny Anunike had one fumble recovery while defensive tackle Sydney Sarmiento and cornerback Ross Cockrell carded one interception each.

“We had good work today; a lot of things happened,” said Duke head coach David Cutcliffe.  “We made it very game-like; played field position; played the game. The best thing that happened was our defense taking the ball away.  Jordon Byas intercepted a pass early, took it back for a score, and kind of set the tempo of the game.”

Linebacker Abraham Kromah spearheaded the defensive attack with four tackles for loss including one quarterback sack.  Anunike, Foxx, linebacker Austin Gamble and linebacker Tyree Glover also secured sacks while nose guard Curtis Hazelton was credited with two tackles for loss.

“I really like what we’re doing as a defense right now,” Kromah said.  “We’ve got a lot of young guys learning the system and making plays.  It’s exciting.”

On offense, running back Patrick Kurunwune rushed 13 times for a game-high 82 yards with one touchdown while Josh Snead added 56 yards and two touchdowns on 10 attempts.  Snead’s 44-yard touchdown run marked the longest play from scrimmage on the day.  In addition, Jay Hollingsworth chipped in 46 yards on the ground on 10 carries.

Quarterback Sean Schroeder completed 10-of-20 passes for 116 yards including a 36-yard touchdown pass to wideout Conner Vernon.  He was intercepted once and added a seven-yard touchdown run.  Connette finished the day eight-of-16 through the air for 97 yards with two interceptions and a two-yard scoring strike to tight end Cooper Helfet.  Both quarterbacks converted two-point PAT attempts via the air with Schroeder hooking up with Austin Kelly and Connette finding Tyree Watkins.

Kelly caught a scrimmage-best four passes for 36 yards while Watkins had three grabs for 33 yards.  Kurunwune and Vernon had two receptions apiece for 24 and 45 yards, respectively.

“It was great to see our receivers, who, with our young quarterbacks, probably haven’t been used as much,” noted Cutcliffe.  “Our receivers got quite a bit more in the ball game and got more involved – kind of back to playing Duke offense in that regard.  And then Jay Hollingsworth and Kurunwune and Josh Snead were all contributing some runs. We’re going to learn a lot from it.  The thing I came out here today hoping to see was, number one, see us compete a little better.  I thought we did that.  Number two was to play with better feet all the way across the board. I’m hoping we did that, and I hope we played lower.  We’ll look at the tape and see where we are.”

Kicker Will Snyderwine booted a 47-yard field goal and three extra points.

“I’m excited about the nine days that we’ve had,” said Cutcliffe.  “They deserve a little spring break time, and then when we come back, we’re going to pick up right where we left off and have two good weeks.  I’m excited – hopefully the weather will be a little friendlier and we won’t be the frozen tundra anymore.”

Duke’s next spring practice is set for Wednesday, March 17.  The annual Spring game will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 27 in 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 Women's Basketball

Duke Women to face Maryland or UNC in ACC Tournament

ACC Tournament Quarterfinals

Maryland (18-11, 5-9 ACC) or North Carolina (18-10, 6-8 ACC) vs. #9/8 Duke (24-5, 12-2 ACC)

Friday, March 5, 2010  •  3:00 PM (RSN-TV)

Greensboro, N.C. (Greensboro Coliseum)

Media Information

Tip-off: 3:00 PM

TV: RSN-TV (Fox Sports Net South, HD) - (Mike Hogewood-PXP, Debbie Antonelli-Color)

Radio: Duke ISP Network - 620 The Buzz with Steve Barnes (PBP), Morgan Patrick (Color);

XM Radio 190 and Sirius 216

Online Radio: www.GoDuke.com

Twitter: DukeWBBSID & CoachPDuke

Facebook: Official Duke Women’s Basketball Group

Rankings: Duke (No. 9 - AP, No. 8 - ESPN/USA Today)

Series: UNC leads 45-33; Maryland leads 37-35

Head Coaches: Duke:  Joanne P. McCallie (392-169, 18th Season);

North Carolina: Sylvia Hatchell (830-292, 35th Season)

Maryland:  Brenda Frese (251-101, 11th Season)

Blue Devils Open ACC Tournament on Friday Versus Maryland or North Carolina...

The ninth-ranked and No. 1 seeded Duke women’s basketball team (24-5, 12-2 ACC) will open the ACC Tournament on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., in the quarterfinals against the winner of the No. 8 seed North Carolina (18-10, 6-8 ACC) versus No. 9 seed Maryland (18-10, 6-8 ACC) contest.  All games will be played at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Sports South in high definition with Mike Hogewood (PXP) and Debbie Antonelli (Color) calling the action.  Fans can also hear the Blue Devils on the Duke ISP Radio Network on WDNC AM 620 with Steve Barnes (PXP) and Morgan Patrick (Color) on the air.  The radio is also available online at www.GoDuke.com, on XM Radio 190 and Sirius 216.  Duke is currently ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press and No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll.

The Maryland/North Carolina contest will take place on Thursday, March 4 at 3:00 p.m.  If Duke were to win the contest on Friday, the Blue Devils would play on Saturday in the semifinals at 1:00 p.m.  The championship game will be played on Sunday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m.

Noting Duke...

Duke is coming off shooting a season-low 26.4 percent from the field against North Carolina to close the regular season, while its 54.2 free throw percentage was a season-low against ACC opponents ... during the first 11 games of 2009, Duke only took five charges, but over the last 18 contests the players have taken 21 (Shay Selby - 6, Allison Vernerey - 5, Karima Christmas - 5) ... the Blue Devils are the only team in the ACC to have beaten a ranked non-conference opponent this season (No. 3 OSU and No. 25 JMU) ...  the Blue Devils hold a 1030-526 points in the paint advantage on the year ... Duke has been listed in the top 25 of the AP poll for 203 straight weeks, which is the longest current streak in the ACC and third nationally.

The Series With North Carolina...

The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have met 78 times in school history with North Carolina leading the overall series, 45-33.  Duke has won 19 of the last 30 games.  In games played in the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils own a 4-6 record against the Tar Heels.  UNC has won two straight in the championship game, but Duke had won four in a row prior to the two losses.

Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has faced North Carolina nine times over her 18 years as a head coach.  McCallie has a 2-7 record against the Tar Heels.  She lost two of those contests while as head coach at Maine.  McCallie’s squad faced North Carolina in the 2000 NCAA Tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif., and fell 62-57 on March 18.  The Black Bears also lost, 68-52, on Dec. 28, 1996 on a neutral site.  Since joining Duke, McCallie has notched a 2-5 mark.

The Series With Maryland...

Duke and Maryland have meet 72 times in school history. The Blue Devils trail, 37-35, in the series.  Duke has won 23 of the last 30 contests against the Terrapins.

In games played in the ACC Tournament, Duke owns a 4-6 record against the Terrapins.

Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has faced Maryland 10 times in her 18-year coaching career, while notching a 4-6 overall record. In 2005, McCallie’s Michigan State team fell 75-61 in the Paradise Jam on Nov. 25, 2005. The Spartans traveled to Maryland on Jan. 6, 2007, and lost 97-57. Since taking the Duke job, McCallie has posted a 4-4 record against the Terrapins.

Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...

• Duke has won 15 straight opening round games in the ACC Tournament and has advanced to at least the semifinals every year since 1995.  The Blue Devils have won 23 out of the last 28 contests in the ACC Tournament.

• The Blue Devils have won five ACC Championships over the last 10 years and have advanced to the ACC title game a total of nine times.  Duke has a record of 9-6 in the semifinals and 5-5 in championship games.                                                                          •        Since 1995, Duke has entered the ACC Tournament six times coming off a loss to end the regular season.  The Blue Devils went on to advance to the ACC Championship game four times and won the 2000 ACC title.

• In Duke’s 32 years in the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils own a 2-1 all-time record against No. 8 seeds and a 6-0 record versus No. 9 seeds.  The only loss to a No. 8 seed was in 1993 against Wake Forest, 70-69.  The Blue Devils own a 4-6 record against both North Carolina and Maryland in the ACC Tournament.

• With her six assists at UNC on Feb. 28, Jasmine Thomas became the 10th player in Duke history to notch over 1,000 points and 300 assists.  She currently owns 1,039 points and 304 assists in three years.

• With one more victory, Duke will register 25 or more wins for the 12th straight season.

• Over the last five games, Karima Christmas has averaged 14.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 1.6 assists and 0.8 blocks.  She has notched double-digit scoring in four out of the last five contests.  Christmas had a career-high 25 points and a career-high four three-pointers made against Maryland on Feb. 21.  Christmas had hit only two treys the last 12 games prior to the Terrapin contest.

• After not scoring more than 10 points over the last 11 games, senior Joy Cheek has notched 17 points, 13 points and 10 points the last three contests.  She has hit 5-of-10 treys the last four games and had hit only two from downtown the last 10 contests.    During the last three games, Cheek has averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals.

• Six different Blue Devils have registered 20+ points in a game this season, which leads the ACC.  Allison Vernerey, Jasmine Thomas, Krystal Thomas, Bridgette Mitchell, Joy Cheek and Bridgette Mitchell have all scored 20 or more points this year in a game.  Both Georgia Tech and Maryland are second with five different players.

• Junior Jasmine Thomas moved into ninth place on Duke’s all-time steals list with 183 for her career, while Keturah Jackson is four away from 10th place as well.

• Over her first three years at Duke, senior Bridgette Mitchell registered eight double-figure scoring games, while this year the 6’0 wing has collected 10 games with double-digit scoring.

• Sophomore guard Chelsea Hopkins has missed the last four contests with soreness in her left knee.  She is listed as day-to-day.

• In her three years at Duke, junior Jasmine Thomas has increased her field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage and scoring each year.

• Senior Keturah Jackson has a career high with eight three-pointers made in a single season.  Over her four years, she has hit 12 treys and had drained only five her first three years.

• In three years at Duke, Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has notched four victories against top-five ranked teams -- #3/3 Ohio State in 2009-10, #3/4 Stanford in 2008-09, while knocking off #4/3 Rutgers and #5/4 Maryland in 2007-08.

• In the latest NCAA RPI, Duke is fifth behind Connecticut, Stanford, Tennessee and Nebraska.  FSU is 12th, which is the next ACC squad.

• Duke is sixth in the latest RPI by Jeff Sagarin -- Connecticut (108.07), Stanford (101.67), Nebraska (100.15), Tennessee (98.00), Notre Dame (94.82) and Duke (93.87). The next closest ACC school is Florida State at No. 11 (91.00).

• Junior Krystal Thomas has moved into eighth place on Duke’s all-time blocked shots list with 121.  She is nine blocked shots shy of seventh place all-time on the Blue Devil charts.

• To show how tough Duke’s schedule has been this year, the Blue Devils went up against eight undefeated teams this season -- Connecticut (17-0), Ohio State (8-0), James Madison (7-0), Stanford (7-0), Western Kentucky (3-0), Georgia Southern (1-0), Houston Baptist (0-0) and Texas A&M (0-0).

• The final Coach P Radio Show of 2009-10 will take place on Tuesday, March 16 at 6:00 p.m.  The show will be stationed at Satisfaction Restaurant in Durham at Brightleaf Square.  Make sure you get there early to secure a seat.

• Follow DukeWBBSID on and CoachPDuke on Twitter to get the latest updates on Duke women’s basketball.  Also, join the “Official Duke Women’s Basketball Group” on Facebook to get the latest video, pictures and more.  Join both now as they are free!  You can win free prizes each week on both Twitter and Facebook, so make sure you follow closely.

Duke/North Carolina Storylines...

• If Duke and UNC meet on Friday, it would mark the first time in the series history the two teams have faced each other in back-to-back games.

• The last two times Duke and UNC have played in the ACC Tournament, the Tar Heels have come away on top (2008 and 2005).

• Junior Jasmine Thomas could go up against her former AAU teammate, Chay Shegog on Friday.  Thomas is from Fairfax, Va., while Shegog is out of Stafford, Va., and they played for the Fairfax Stars.

• If Duke and North Carolina meet on Friday, it will be for one point in the Carlyle Cup, which is a year-long competition between the Blue Devils and Tar Heels and is sponsored by Carlyle & Co.  Currently, UNC leads 10.0-5.5.

Duke/Maryland Storylines...

• If Duke and Maryland meet on Friday, the Blue Devils would face the Terrapins for the third time this season.  It would mark the third straight year Duke and Maryland would have faced each other three times.

• Freshman Allison Vernerey could go up against one of her good friends, freshman Diandra Tchatchouang, of Maryland on Friday.  Vernerey is from Alsace, France, while Tchatchouang is out of La Courneuve, France.

The duo played together on the French National teams the following years -- U-16 (2005, 2006, 2007), U-18 (2008).  They both captained the 2007 European Championship winning team.

Vernerey played her basketball at Mulhouse from age 11 through 16 and last year she played at Illkirch-Graffenstaden in NF1.  Tchatchouang played basketball for the CFBB (the French national Basketball academy) from 2005-09.

Duke Players Vs. North Carolina...

Jasmine Thomas has notched double-figure scoring in five straight games against UNC, while averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals.

Over the last three games, Karima Christmas has notched double-digit scoring in two out of the last three games -- a team-high 14 points in the last meeting.

Joy Cheek notched double-figure scoring for the first time in her career against UNC in the last meeting in Chapel Hill, N.C., as she posted 10 points.

Duke Players Vs. Maryland...

In the last meeting with the Terrapins, Karima Christmas notched a career-high 25 points, career-high four three-pointers, four rebounds and four steals.  She has notched 10+ points in two out of the last three contests against Maryland.

Joy Cheek collected double-digit scoring four times over her 10 contests she has played against Maryland.

Duke In The ACC Championship...

Duke has advanced to the ACC Championship game in eight out of the last 10 years ... the Blue Devils have won five ACC Championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) ... Duke knocked off UNC for the ACC title in 2000, 2002, 2002, 2003 and 2004 ... in the Greensboro Coliseum, Duke owns a 5-3 record in the ACC title game.

Since the ACC Championship was moved to Greensboro in 2000, only Duke (2000-04), North Carolina (2005-08) and Maryland (2009) have won the title.

ACC Tournament Wins...

Since 2000, Duke leads the league with 23 victories in ACC Tournament action.  The Blue Devils have notched a 23-5 mark, while the Tar Heels are second at 22-5.

Duke Playing in Greensboro...

With the ACC Tournament moving to Greensboro in 2000, Duke’s luck in the postseason changed greatly as the Blue Devils won 17 consecutive games to claim the ACC Tournament crowns from 2000-04 before losing to North Carolina in the championship in 2005.  Duke has recorded a 25-6 ledger playing at the Greensboro Coliseum.  It had been nicknamed Duke’s “Home Away From Home.”

The first two victories came in 1999 in the NCAA East Regional against Old Dominion and Tennessee. The victories advanced Duke to its first NCAA Final Four and National Championship game appearance.  In ACC Tournament games, the Blue Devils have posted a 23-5 overall record in Greensboro.

The Blue Devils In the ACC Tournament...

ACC Tournament time had never been good to Duke until the year 2000 came around.  Duke posted its first tournament crown as the Blue Devils downed FSU, Georgia Tech and UNC in 2000 and then won four more titles in 2001, ‘02, ‘03 and ‘04.  The Blue Devils are seeded No. 1 for the eighth time in school history and the first since 2007.

Duke has advanced to the ACC Championship game the past two years in a row since Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie took over the reigns.

No women’s ACC team besides Duke has ever won five consecutive ACC Tournament titles and only one ACC men’s team has won five in a row-- Duke from 1999-2003.

McCallie In Tournament Play...

In her 18 years as a head coach, Joanne P. McCallie has produced a 28-11 record in league tournament action.  She totaled an 8-1 mark in the North Atlantic Conference Tournament with two titles, a 10-2 record along with two titles in the America East Tournament, a 6-6 mark with one title in the Big Ten Tournament and a 4-2 mark in the ACC Tournament.

Duke Players in the ACC Tournament...

Both Jasmine Thomas and Karima Christmas are coming off averaging double-figure points in the 2009 ACC Tournament.  Thomas averaged 11.0 points and 5.3 assists in three games started.  Christmas scored at a 10.3 clip, while hitting 54.5 percent of her field goals.

Thomas has notched double-figure scoring in three out of the six ACC Tournament contests she has played.

Senior Joy Cheek has appeared in a team-high eight ACC Tournament games, while posting double-figure scoring in four of those.

For a full set of game notes, click on www.GoDuke.com

BDN Premium Articles

BDN Premium – Amile Jefferson talks recruiting

Amile Jefferson Duke
Amile Jefferson, 2012 prospect from Philadelphia, PA

One of the top players in the class of 2012 is Amile Jefferson of Philadelphia, PA, Friends Central High School.  Jefferson stands 6-6 and weighs in around 190 pounds.  Jefferson's versatility and upside has college coaches jockeying for position as he starts to take a serious look at the process.  In a our conversation, Jefferson said he adheres to a constant work ethic in order to make his game better.  He was happy with his teams high school season and ready to continue his hard work.  Jefferson said he would once again play for Team Philly on the AAU circuit.  At this time, Jefferson really doesn't have a true position but he played the power forward slot for his high school team.  Jefferson is a bit of a tweener right now, but he is still growing and should fill out in the coming years.  Despite what some consider to be a slight frame, Jefferson is not a kid who backs down and one analyst said he is lean but stronger than he looks.

Suppose somebody has yet to see you play.  How would you describe your game?

I would probably describe my game as still coming along, but skillful and versatile.  I play a lot with my back to the basket but I'm starting to face up. [private]

You are starting to climb in the rankings, how do you stay grounded with all of the hype?

You have to stay grounded and keep working or one day it'll be here and the next day it can be gone.

When will you get serious about your collegiate decision?

Most likely I will sit down this summer and think about the pro's and con's of different schools.  We'll [his Dad] figure out who we want to concentrate on and get to know the schools and the coach.

You mentioned your Father earlier, is that who taught you most of your basketball skills?

Uh, in a way.  I have been playing since I was about ten and I've also been playing for the same team that whole time.  So a few people work with me and as it has gone along, I've gotten better.  I've had a lot of great people helping me.

Do you pattern your game after any particular player?

No, not really.  I just like to watch good basketball players and to learn the component's of their game and add it to my game.  So, I like looking at the best point guard but at the same time good big men to learn different skills.  I watch how guards come off screens ... you just look at the best and try to emulate their game.

How do you feel about where you are as a basketball player?

Versatility is really helping my game come together and it is an on going process.  I still am not close to where I need to be as a player, so I will continue to put in the work and get better every day.

What kind of student are you in the class room?

I'm an A-B student.  Education is important to me.

You attended some skill camps this past summer.  I know Duke was one of the camps you attended.  How did that go and did you attend other camps?

I had a great time at the camp and the few hours  I was there, probably 48 hours, I learned a lot and I think the camp was a success and I had a great time.  It was great competition and I would love to go back.  Other camps, I went to Penn State's camp and Syracuse over the summer and they were both really good as well.

Has Duke remained in contact with you?

Yes, they've [coaches] have been up to see me play in open situations and occasionally call.

Any type of school that you like best?

At this point I am really still wide open.  I have yet to figure out what kind of school I want to go to, let alone what conference.  It's great to see that people are showing interest but it is still a bit early.  Hopefully everything will work out for the best.

Being a Philly guy is there any added pressure to stay close to home?

No,  not really.  I'm not sure yet if I want to stay close to home or if I want to go miles away.  Right now I'm just happy living in the moment.

Do you have a preference when it comes to style of play?

It's still a learning process for me and I am trying to learn what type of play or system best suits me.  I like the up and down game but there are times when you have to be in half court sets, pressure the ball ... I'm just not sure right now.

What is Amile Jefferson like off the hardwood?

I like being with my friends, my basketball buddies.  On and off the hardwood, I hang with my friends on the team.  It's basketball and school for me.

As of right now, no.

Thanks for your time ...

Thank You.

Final Word - Jefferson is wide open but Duke should get a very serious look as will Syracuse.  Several schools are interested, Virginia Tech is his latest offer.  We had an awful phone connection which made it hard to get into a flow.  which[/private]