Monthly Archives: March 2010

Duke Basketball

Game Notes – Duke at Maryland

Mason Plumlee dunks
Mason Plumlee - Lance King Images

Game 30

[4 AP/4 Coaches] Duke (25-4, 12-2 ACC) vs. [22 AP/23 Coaches] Maryland (21-7, 11-3 ACC)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010  •  9:00 p.m.  •  ESPN

Comcast Center (17,950)  •  College Park, Md.

The Opening Tip

Duke (25-4, 12-2 ACC), ranked fourth in the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, travels to College Park to play Maryland (21-7, 11-3 ACC) at the Comcast Center on Wednesday, March 3 at 9:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Erin Andrews calling the action. With a win on Wednesday, Duke would clinch its 12th ACC regular season title under Mike Krzyzewski.

The Last Time Out

Duke recorded its eighth straight win with a 67-49 victory at Virginia on Sunday. Kyle Singler scored 21 points and Jon Scheyer added 20 points in the contest. The Blue Devils have now had 14 games with two or more 20-point scorers in a game this season.

Scheyer went 8-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and added three rebounds, three assists and five steals in the game.

The Blue Devils limited Virginia to 31.4 percent (16-of-51) shooting, including 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from three-point range. The 49 points matched the third-lowest point total allowed on the year.

Duke 77, Maryland 56 - Feb. 13, 2010

Duke topped the Terrapins earlier this season as Jon Scheyer netted a game-high 22 points. Senior Brian Zoubek added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and a career-high 17 rebounds (eight offensive rebounds) in the win.

Numbers Game

l Duke is ranked fourth in the AP poll, marking the 53rd consecutive week ranked in the top 10. The Blue Devils are 43-7 all-time when ranked fourth in the AP poll.

l The Blue Devils lead the NCAA in three-point defense at 26.7 percent (108-of-405). Duke has held the opposition to 19.6 percent (21-of-107) shooting from behind the arc during its current eight-game win streak.

l Duke has outscored the opposition 195-63 from three-point range during its eight-game win streak. Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler have 26 and 25 three-point field goals respectively in that span.

l The Blue Devils have won five straight conference road games and are the only team in the ACC guaranteed to finish the year with a winning road record in league play. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski collected his ACC-record 134th league road win on Sunday against Virginia.

l Kyle Singler is averaging 19.5 points and 3.2 three-point field goals over the last eight games. He is shooting 50.0 percent (25-of-50) from three-point range in that span.

l Jon Scheyer leads the ACC in three statistical categories and is the only player in the league to rank in the top 5 in seven statistical categories: scoring (third, 18.8 ppg.), assists (fourth, 5.3 apg.), free throw percentage (first, .887), three-point field goals (first, 2.9 3pg.), three-point field goal percentage (second, .409), assist-to-turnover ratio (first, 3.06:1) and minutes (second, 36.4 mpg.).

l Brian Zoubek is averaging 7.8 points and 10.6 rebounds (4.8 orpg.) since joining the starting lineup five games ago. He is second in the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.3 orpg) and ranks 14th in total rebounds (6.9 rpg.). Zoubek is three offensive rebounds shy of becoming the ninth player (12th time) in Duke history to grab 100 offensive rebounds in a season.

l Junior Kyle Singler ranks in the top 10 in eight statistical categories in conference play: scoring (fifth, 18.1 ppg.), rebounds (t-seventh, 7.1 rpg.), field goal percentage (ninth, .410), three-point percentage (first, .420), three-point field goals (t-third, 2.4 3pg.), offensive rebounds (t-fifth, 2.6 orpg.), defensive rebounds (t-10th, 4.4 drpg.) and minutes (third, 37.8 mpg.).

l Jon Scheyer has topped the 20-point mark in nine of Duke’s 14 league games (tied for the most in the ACC). Kyle Singler is tied for third in the conference with seven 20-point games in ACC play.

Checking in on ...

#2 Nolan Smith - +9.0 ppg. increase from a year ago is second-best in the ACC ... shooting a career-best 41.0 percent from three-point range ... fourth in the ACC with 12 games with 20+ points scored ... double figures in 25 of 27 games played

#5 Mason Plumlee - Second on the team with 21 dunks ... fourth with 20 blocks ... season-high nine rebounds vs. North Carolina

#12 Kyle Singler - Five double-doubles and six games with 10+ rebounds ... averaging 19.5 points per game during current eight-game win streak ... 25 three-point field goals in that span

#20 Andre Dawkins - Fourth on the team with 30 three-point field goals ... shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range

#21 Miles Plumlee - Leads the team with 28 dunks ... shooting 56.9 percent (66-of-116) from the field

#30 Jon Scheyer - 20+ points in six of the last 10 games ... ranks in the top 10 of the ACC in eight statistical categories ... leads the league in free throw percentage, three-point field goals and assist-to-turnover ratio ... second in the ACC with 14 games with 20 or more points ... three-time ACC Player of the Week

#34 Ryan Kelly - 14 blocked shots ... one of five Blue Devils with 10+ blocks

#42 Lance Thomas - Leads the Blue Devils with 12 charges taken ... 5 or more rebounds in nine of the last 12 games

#55 Brian Zoubek - Four or more offensive rebounds 12 times ... averaging 16.6 rebounds per 40 minutes played ... seven double figure rebounding games

Duke Basketball

Previewing the Terrapins II

Didn't we just do this? Another consequence of the unbalanced conference schedule is Duke and Maryland playing each other twice with just 17 days separating the two contests. With the Blue Devils in 1st Place at 12-2 and Maryland in 2nd Place with an 11-3 record, this year's schedule sets up nicely for hoops fanatics jonesing for marquee match-ups. A Duke victory locks-up the ACC Regular season crown for the Blue Devils.

Back on February 12th, Blue Devil nation previewed the first contest and identified three key elements to the game. Let's revisit those key elements:

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.

In the 77-56 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke more than doubled up Maryland from behind the 3-point arc outscoring the Terrapins 15-6. Duke shot 33.3 percent (5-15) against Maryland’s 15.4 percent (2-13). Jon Scheyer led the way with a 3-4 performance from downtown for the Blue Devils.

On the glass, Duke outrebounded Maryland 39-34. Brian Zoubek put in a career performance against the Terrapins with 17 rebounds and 16 points. Eight of Zoubek’s rebounds were offensive. Duke scored 20 second chance points to Maryland’s 12.

The assists statistic was basically even as Duke recorded 12 with Maryland having 10. However, turnovers were a factor as Maryland turned it over 14 times to Duke’s seven.

Basketball is actually a pretty simple game. Shoot the ball, rebound the ball, and take care of the ball. Duke executed these fundamentals better on February 13 and came away with a 21 point victory. The key to winning on March 3 will once again be superior execution of fundamentals.

Updating the Maryland player’s statistics:

Maryland is led by senior guard Greivis Vasquez (6′6″ 190) who averages 19.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Vasquez plays 33.5 minutes per game.

Senior forward Landon Milbourne (6′7″ 207) is Maryland’s second leading scorer at 13 points per game. Milbourne also averages 5 rebounds and plays 29.7 minutes per game.

Senior guard Eric Hayes (6′4″ 184) is a deadly 3-point shooter making 45.5 percent (55 of 121) on the year. Hayes averages 10.9 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. Hayes plays 30.6 minutes per game.

Sophomore Sean Mosley (6′4″ 210) contributes 10.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game in 28.3 minutes of playing time.

Freshman Jordan Williams (6′9″ 245) averages 9.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in 24.1 minutes of playing time.

Off the bench, Maryland has four players averaging double digit minutes: Cliff Tucker (15.3), Dino Gregory (20.3), Adrian Bowie (15.4), and James Padgett (10). Maryland has more depth inside this season but they are a smaller team than Duke.

This will be senior night for Vasquez, Milbourne, and Hayes, and emotions will be high. Those guys desire to go out winners in their last home game. Throw in the ACC Regular season title and number one seed in the ACC Tournament that Duke can secure with a victory and the stakes are in the stratosphere.

In the first preview, Blue Devil nation discussed both teams keeping emotions in check and preventing the other from jumping out to an adrenalin fueled early lead. The same caution applies to this game. In the end, this game will be a tighter and tougher contest than the game in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The stakes are higher and the team with superior execution will prevail.

Duke Basketball

Monday Musings – Thoughts on the week ahead for Duke Basketball

Cheerleader of the WeekDurham, N.C. -   With it being the first day of March and the first day of the week,  it's time for another addition of Monday Musings.

Duke caught a break last evening when Virginia star Sylvan Landesberg sat out the game  due to a deep thigh bruise. But hey, let's be real here, Landesberg would have made the Cav's more competitive but there was no way Duke was going to blow this game and that was evident early in the game when Kyle Singler dived four rows into the stands for a loose ball.  The lop sided score afforded the Blue Devils an opportunity to steal a lot of minutes for the Plumlee's, Dawkins and Kelly and that means experience and saving the starters legs  for the week that lies ahead.

And what of the week that lies ahead?  Well, let's start with the fact that Duke takes on both it's ACC assigned rivals in Maryland and North Carolina.  That means that Duke and Krzyzewski will be in the limelight in a big way and what more could a Duke fan ask for than to carry a 12-2 ACC mark and a 25-4 overall record into the most exciting week of the regular season?

Okay, who would have thought that the Maryland game would be bigger than the North Carolina game before the season started?  It's really simple in that if Maryland wins, they are tied with Duke for first.  If Duke wins, they clinch the ACC regular season title.  So, while the Maryland game is bigger, should Duke lose, the UNC game still looms large as ever in that a Duke win combined with a Terp loss would still give the Blue Devils regular season bragging rights going into the ACC Tournament.  So beating Maryland would clear up a lot of the drama for the Dukies.

So, it's Greivis Vasquez vs Jon Scheyer for the ACC Player of the Year Award.  Well, it is hard to argue that Wednesday's showdown will play a role in voters minds.  Scheyer appeared to be the front runner early on, but Vasquez has closed the gap and perhaps moved ahead with his 41 point effort vs Virginia Tech.  Expect a media barrage playing up the match up as the week progresses.

It's still Carolina!  All of a sudden UNC looks as if they are finally adjusting to one another in an effort to make a late season tournament run.  Of course, they can still make the NCAA's by winning  the ACC Tournament which is just ten days away.  One thing is certain, that being Duke cannot and will not look ahead to the game.

ESPN Game Day will of course be on campus for the finale and Duke needs to take advantage of the opportunity to show the world Duke Basketball is alive and well.  After losing Harrison Barnes in a heated race, there seemed to be a concession among some fans.  UNC after all had last years top recruiting class and scored again for the year ahead, but looks can be deceiving and to count any Coach K team out is to show ignorance.

Did I mention Kyrie Irving yet?  His team finds out today if they are eligible for the play offs and if they are not his seson is done save the McDonald's All American Game.  Irving once gain out on a show yesterday and anyone who was able to see his interview on NESN realizes just how special this kid is.  Recruiting news is about to pick up for BDN Premium members as the AAU season is fast approaching.

Despite Duke's success this season, some fans seem jaded.  It's time to wake up and realize Duke is where every other ACC team would like to be, fighting for titles.  Amazingly, this carries over to the local media as well where all they seem to talk about is Duke's short comings will catch up to them.  Of course, turning local talk radio off is a start unless you want to be ram fed the Gospel by folks that are area transplants.  It's like me moving to New York and passing myself off as a Yankee's expert just because I have followed them from afar.  Yep, some of the talk show hosts have no clue or understanding of the history of the ACC or the inner workings.   If you need a fix just tune in to hear Adam Gold claim Purdue, a team which Duke pummeled in their own gym the year before is in another league than Duke.  "Have you seen them play?," roars Adam unwillingly jinxing the loss of a key Boilermaker starter;) No, Duke cannot beat anyone away from the ACC.  The ACC is down and Duke is just not that good.  Well guys, they keep winning, don't they?  And it's not like the nation is full of great teams.  But if Gold says it, you can count on it being forgotten in 24 hours of late.  But there is always two days discussion on whether or not N.C. State should use a real wolf as their mascot.  Now, that's entertainment!   You see, that is the problem.  It's like all the hostsare losing their foresight and simply base their opinions on what just happened.  Wake was coined the ACC's second best team one week ago  and the next they are so in the middle of the pack, well, never mind, it's time to move on to the next spill.  The one exception to the rule is David Glenn of ACC Sports Journal.  He is less shock journalism and more down to earth than his counterparts.

Yeah, that was a mini rant and nothing personal towards Adam, just wishing he would get a new shtick.  Besides, I listen to like 5 minutes a day of talk radio and may have missed the good stuff.  Okay, okay ...  That brings me to Senior Day.  Before Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek and Jon Scheyer can enjoy theirs, they must try to fend off the emotion it brings when they travel to Maryland for that is Vasquez's farewell.  Another reason this Wednesday's game will be as intense an atmosphere as there is.

Saying farewell in Cameron to Scheyer, Thomas and Zoubs will indeed be emotional and to close against your arch rival North Carolina just adds to it.  There is no doubt that the play of the seniors has keyed Duke's eight game winning streak and these guys are proving to be special.  It'll be especially hard to see Scheyer go for he has had an incredibly consistent career and has done everything Coach K asked of him in that time.  I mean, the guy learned the point guard position and he is pretty good at it, huh?

Had Duke been losing like UNC this season, would you be hearing more about it?  Just food for thought.  With UNC having a down year this does indeed effect the ACC Tournament even in Greensboro, clearly the best venue you can ask for.  The second UNC loses, tickets will be available outside the arena in droves.  If Duke and UNC should lose early on, the attendance will rival that of the ACC Football Championship, but that's a gripe for another day.

Finally in the prediction department ... look for Kyle Singler to play his way onto first team All ACC in the coming week.  After being pre season player of the year, Singler has seen some of his numbers drop while learning a new position.  But he has played well of late and a couple of wins and decent performances should land him in a spot where there is a bit of a log jam for the final spots.

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