PORTLAND, Ore. The game between top-ranked Duke and Oregon was merely a formality for the first on-court meeting of Blue Devils star Kyle Singler and his little brother E.J., a sophomore forward for the Ducks.
And for Kyle, it was even more: His first chance to play in his home state since leaving for Durham, N.C.
"Every moment I was out there I was trying to soak it all in," the elder Singler brother said. "Trying to look at the signs, trying to find the people I knew in the stands. I was focused in and trying to win, but the environment was great."
He made the most of it, with 30 points and five rebounds to lead Duke to a 98-71 victory Saturday.
The game was dubbed by one fan as "The Singler Mingler." The brothers grew up in Medford, Ore., about 275 miles to the south of where the game was played at the Rose Garden.
The eventual outcome didn't much matter when the brothers hugged tightly after the game.
"It was definitely fun," E.J. Singler said. "One of the funnest games I've ever played in."
The younger Singler scored 14 points, all in the second half, for Oregon (4-2).
It was the first time the Singlers played against each other, and the first time they were on the same court in a real game since they led South Medford High School to the state championship in 2007.
Kyle Singler, the taller and heavier of the two at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, was named the most outstanding player of last year's Final Four, leading the Blue Devils to the national championship.
He opened scoring with a fallaway jumper and Duke never trailed. His 3-pointer midway through the first half put the Blue Devils up 20-7.
Duke went up 31-12 in the first half on Miles Plumlee's alley-oop dunk. The Ducks narrowed it to 33-23 later in the period, but Duke led 40-25 at halftime.
E.J. Singler had two fouls and no points in the first half. His lone attempt from the field was an airball.
The younger Singler, at 6-6 and 210 pounds, was averaging 11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds going into the game.
E.J. said it was a little "weird" when he glanced over during warmups and saw his brother knocking down shots. He has always looked up to Kyle, both in basketball and as a brother.
"I'll remember it for the rest of my life," he said of the game.
E.J. Singler was lured to Oregon by longtime coach Ernie Kent, an alum who was dismissed after the team finished 16-16 last season. The Ducks replaced Kent with Dana Altman, who spent 16 seasons at Creighton.
Kyle Singler hit a 3-pointer to give the Blue Devils a 52-31 lead early in the second half as Duke put it out of reach of the outmatched Ducks. Nolan Smith's fastbreak layup gave Duke a 61-31 lead.
Smith added 18 points and six rebounds for Duke.
The Blue Devils have opened 6-0 for the fourth straight season, and 18th overall, under Mike Krzyzewski. The win extended Duke's winning streak to 16 games.
"I'm very proud of Kyle. Today was a special day for him," Krzyzewski said. "He's truly one of the special kids I've had the opportunity to coach at any level."
The Rose Garden gave the big brother a standing ovation when he left the game with just over five minutes to play. He raised a hand in acknowledgment and the blue-clad crowd behind Duke's bench chanted his name.
Kyle Singler went to Duke the same year that Kevin Love, another Oregon prep star, decided to attend UCLA. While Love went to the NBA after only a year with the Bruins, Kyle has remained at Duke, where he's averaged 15.8 points and 6.8 rebounds over his career.
This season Singler was averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who were coming off an 82-68 victory over No. 4 Kansas State.
The Ducks, coming off a 75-52 victory over Texas Southern on Tuesday, were led by Joevan Catron with 18 points and eight rebounds.
It was the 27th time the Ducks have faced a No. 1 team and Oregon is 3-24 with all the wins against UCLA.
It was the first meeting between the schools. The game was well attended by Duke fans, and many of those at the game sported the gear of both teams - including the Singler family.
"They were making half-Duke shirts, half-Oregon shirts," E.J. said. "I think they had fun with that."
So close, yet so far! Duke failed to get a sack on T.J. Yates on this play and he found a reciever for one of their many third down conversions. Duke lost 4 ACC games by 7 points or less this season. Lance King Images
Despite being out gained 519 to 263 yards, the Duke Blue Devils found a way to claw their way back into the game thanks to a Charlie Hatcher safety. Duke would later score a touchdown on a 6 play 45 yard drive and Brandon Connette's legs to make the score 24-19. But the games bugaboo, stopping the Tar Heels on 3rd down plays wrecked hopes of getting the ball back and North Carolina ran out the play clock for the win. You'll see plenty of game stories, so we'll recap the reasons Duke lost.
3rd Down Possessions
Time and time again, Duke failed to stop UNC on 3rd down as the Tar Heels converted 11 of 17 of them. You simply cannot win with these numbers. Also tied in here is the fact that Duke allowed too many gains on first down. After Duke pinned the Heels at their 9 yard line, the Duke defense let up 7 yards on a slant play and a two first downs later, Duke's hope of a comeback win were dashed.
Time of Possession
This is also tied in with the defenses inability to hold steady on 3rd downs. But it was Duke's offense that was to blame as well for they could not keep drives going and went just 4 for 13 on 3rd down plays. The final tally was UNC held the ball for 39:33 to 20:27.
No excuses from Cutcliffe
Coach David Cutcliffe was frustrated by his teams play and said that some of them talked the talk but didn't back it up. He was especially perturbed by the big plays UNC would make to keep drives alive as was Matt Daniels of the Duke secondary. You can bet that Duke will get back into their off season workouts as soon as possible and after a few weeks on the recruiting trail, Cut and staff will sit down to make some personnel evaluations.
Austin Kelly closes out his Duke career
Kelly lead all Duke receivers with 7 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown, the first one of the game.
Duke still unable to run on UNC
Duke gained a mere 12 yards for an .8 average. Duke will try to get more push from their line through off season conditioning and a run game is a must to balance an offense. Duke came into the game averaging more yards rushing than UNC and left the game behind them for the year.
Duke loses 19 seniors
Duke has 19 senior on the roster and feel that these players helped lay a foundation for the future. Of the losses, 111 of the seniors played key roles.
Sean Renfree throws for 3000 yards
Renfree's interception free games streak ended at 173 passes but his completion to Cooper Helfet for 6 yards put him in rare air as he is the fifth player in Duke history to pass that mark in a single season. His 3,131 yards ranks as 3rd on Duke's all time one season passing list.
Today is senior day at Wallace Wade Stadium, where the Blue Devils will recognize 19 players and their families. Blue Devil Nation joins with Duke University and Duke Athletics in thanking this year's senior class for their dedication and hard work to Duke football. These young men have left the Duke football program in a much better place than where they found it.
Flash back four years, to when these players joined the Duke program. This was prior to Coach Cutcliffe's hire, and in the middle of a period when Duke had lost 25 consecutive ACC games. In 2006, the team finished 0-12 overall. There was little reason for optimism around Duke football, but these players embraced the program, and with the hire of Coach Cutcliffe, have changed the culture of Duke football. Over the past four years, the program has won 13 football games, including 5 ACC victories.
“It's a tribute to our seniors, who have continued to fight,” Coach Cutcliffe said last week. “They've changed the game. Our seniors have been a part of changing an expectation at Duke. We can compete with anybody, regardless of what anybody thinks. And we're ready for that next step, because of this group of young men that have committed themselves to being the best that they can be.”
As these players run through the tunnel into Wallace Wade Stadium for the final time today, fans should take a moment to recognize the hard work and dedication that this group of players have put into Duke football. They have become great young men, and will be great representatives of Duke University and Duke football in all that they do.
Duke expects the two senior tight ends known as the "Bro's" to return for the home and career finaled against UNC - BDN Photo
It's the final week of the 2010 football season, as the Blue Devils (3-8, 1-6 ACC) host the rival North Carolina Tar Heels (6-5, 3-4 ACC) in Wallace Wade Stadium. The game will kickoff at 3:30 PM ET and will be televised on ESPNU. Tickets for the rivalry game are still available from
GoDuke.com, as the Blue Devils try to reclaim the Victory Bell for just the second time in the last 20 tries.
DUKE IN WEEK 12
Duke fell at Georgia Tech last Saturday, 30-20, in what Coach Cutcliffe called “a tough pill to swallow.” The Blue Devils' defense held the Yellow Jackets out of the end zone for the entire first half, taking a 13-6 lead into the locker room. In the second half, the momentum quickly turned towards Georgia Tech after Brandon Connette threw a red zone interception, which was returned 85 yards for the touchdown and a 16-13 lead. The Blue Devils fought back in the 4th quarter, as Sean Renfree found Austin Kelly on a play action pass for a 37-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 23-20, but it was not enough. The Yellow Jackets' option offense wore down the Duke defense and sealed the victory. On the day, the Duke defense allowed 320 rushing yard to the #1 rushing offense in the country, which was led by Anthony Allen and Tevin Washington. For the Blue Devils, Renfree threw for another 300+ yard game in the loss, including 92 yards to Cooper Helfet and 7 catches each for Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner.
NORTH CAROLINA IN WEEK 12
If the Blue Devils' loss last week was tough to swallow, North Carolina's was devastating. The Tar Heels hosted rival NC State last Saturday and fell, 29-25. North Carolina jumped out to a 7-0 first quarter lead, which they extended to a 19-10 lead by late in the 3rd quarter. At that point, the game went an unexpected and almost instantaneous reversal of momentum, as Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack scored 17 unanswered points to close the 3rd quarter and start the 4th. The first score was the most unlikely, as Wilson threw a jump ball on 4th and goal to a crowd in the back corner of the end zone, which somehow fell into the hands of TE Owen Spencer for the touchdown. After forcing a quick punt, explosive returner T.J. Graham took the punt return 87 yards for the score and a 24-19 lead. The Wolfpack would add on a FG and a last-minute safety to seal the 29-25 victory. Seniors T.J Yates and Anthony Elzy led the way for the Tar Heels in the loss, as Yates threw for over 400 yards, including 178 and a touchdown to Elzy.
ANALYSIS
Turnovers
Both teams find themselves in the red in the turnover margin for the season. Turnovers have haunted the Blue Devils throughout 2010, while North Carolina has given it away 7 times in their last two games. Last week, Duke saw firsthand how a key turnover can propel a team to victory. Without leading fumble recovery man Kelby Brown, the Duke defense will have to find other players to step up with takeaways.
Explosive Plays
Without crunching all the numbers, let's just say in last week's games, both teams were on the losing side of key explosive plays. Georgia Tech scored three touchdowns, two of which were explosive plays: an 85-yard interception return and a 79-yard catch. In the Tar Heel's last game, the decisive play was a T.J. Graham 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, which gave the Wolfpack the lead for good. With 2 of the ACC's top 3 quarterbacks, both teams have the ability to rack up explosive plays on the opposing defense. Renfree will have to get things going with Vernon, Varner, Kelly, and Helfet early and often, while the Duke secondary will have to contain Yates and his receivers, led by the trio of Dwight Jones, Anthony Elzy, and Erik Highsmith.
Sacks
Sacks haven't had a huge influence on the Blue Devils' games this year, as Duke has been very good at protecting Sean Renfree, while the Duke defensive front has struggled to bring pressure. Conversely, the Tar Heels rank last in the ACC in sacks allowed, as Yates has found himself on the ground an average of 3 times per game, including 7 times last Saturday. UNC's defense has failed to bring the pressure it did a year ago, when they ranked second in the ACC in sacks per game.
3rd Down Production
Would you be surprised to learn that the struggling Duke defense has done a better job on opponent 3rd downs than their rivals in Columbia blue? It's true, and the Blue Devils' offense has also done a better job converting on 3rd downs. On paper, advantage Duke.
Rushing TDs
Would you also be surprised to know that as of last week, North Carolina has surpassed Duke as the ACC's worst rushing offense? The Blue Devils' have Nate Irving and the NC State defense to thank for that. After a season-ending injury to Johnny White, the Blue Devils will have to focus their defensive efforts on Anthony Elzy and Shaun Draughn in the North Carolina backfield. In last week's preview, we stressed the importance of the Blue Devils' scoring on the ground. The Tar Heels have only allowed 9 rushing touchdowns this year, but Brandon Connette and the Blue Devils' backs will have to find ways to convert in the red zone for Duke to shed its two-game losing streak.
Field Goals
Will Snyderwine had been nearly automatic in 2010, but missed two late FGs in Atlanta last week. Expect the Blue Devils' kicker to have a bounceback game in the season finale. Casey Barth has been equally good for the Tar Heels, and the team that does a better job of putting the ball in the end zone, rather than through the uprights, is most likely to win this one.
Penalties
Duke has done a nice job of minimizing penalties in 2010, though the few penalties they have committed have often been costly. Against Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils committed 6 penalties for a total of 50 yards, but several of those helped to extend Yellow Jacket drives. North Carolina's inability to follow the rules off the field has been well documented, but the Tar Heels have also committed an average of 7 penalties per game. They've improved this statistic in recent weeks, totaling just 70 yards in penalties their past two games.
PREDICTION
It is difficult to remain objective when it's Duke vs. North Carolina. The Tar Heels are admittedly exhausted: mentally, from having faced tough questions all season about their wrongdoings off the field; and physically, from playing shorthanded while not having a week off since their bye in week 2. In the back of some players' minds, the Tar Heels are just one game away from the end of this nightmare regular season. After an emotional loss to rival NC State on senior day, can the Tar Heels get back up for one more game?
Meanwhile, the primary question that has haunted the Blue Devils in 2010 is “what if…?,” as they've watched ACC games slip away against Wake Forest in week 2, Maryland in week 5, Boston College in week 11, and Georgia Tech in week 12. Can the Blue Devils breakthrough this week against the rival Tar Heels? If this year's senior class has its way, the Blue Devils will be ringing the Victory Bell into their offseason.
Kyle Singler faces his brother in Oregon - BDN Photo
[1 AP / 1 Coaches] Duke (5-0) vs. Oregon (4-1)
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010 * 4:00 p.m. (EST)
The Opening Tip
* Duke faces Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 4:00 p.m. (EST) at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.
* The Blue Devils enter the contest 5-0 on the year, while the Ducks are 4-1 overall.
* Duke has won 15 consecutive games entering Saturday's contest.
* The game is being televised by FSN with Kevin Calabro (play-by-play), Marques Johnson (analyst) and Rebecca Haarlow (sideline) calling the action.
* Duke is ranked No. 1 in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, while Oregon is unranked in both polls.
* The Blue Devils are looking to open the season 6-0 for the 18th time under Coach K. Duke has won the first six games of the year in each of the last three seasons.
Duke vs. Oregon Series History
* Saturday's game marks the first meeting between the two schools.
Duke vs. the Pac-10
* The Blue Devils are 25-16 all-time against teams currently in the Pac-10.
* Duke has won six straight games against the Pac-10, dating back to an 84-83 loss to Stanford on Dec. 21, 2000.
* The Blue Devils are 16-9 against Pac-10 teams under Mike Krzyzewski.
* Duke has won 9 of the last 11 meetings with Pac-10 opponents.
Singler vs. Singler
* Saturday's game will pit senior Kyle Singler against his younger brother, E.J.
Numbers Game
* The Blue Devils have won 15 consecutive games, dating back to a 79-72 loss at Maryland on March 3, 2010. Duke has won 23 of its last 24 games overall.
* Duke has won 27 consecutive games in November, dating back to a 73-62 loss to Marquette in the championship game of the 2006 CBE Classic. The Blue Devils are 107-10 all-time in the month of November under Coach K.
* The Blue Devils have won 15 straight neutral site games, dating back to a 77-54 loss to Villanova in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
* Senior Nolan Smith leads the ACC with 16 straight double-figure scoring games. He has scored 10 or more points in 29 of the last 30 games for the Blue Devils.
* Freshman Kyrie Irving grabbed CBE Classic MVP honors after averaging 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game against Marquette and Kansas State.
* Mason Plumlee was named to the CBE Classic All-Tournament team after averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in wins over Marquette and No. 4 Kansas State. The sophomore forward was 15-of-23 (.652) from the field in Kansas City.
* Duke's starting backcourt of Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving is combining to average 30.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 12.4 assists per game. The tandem is also shooting 50.5 percent (54-of-107) from the floor.
* Duke is the only team in the ACC with six double-figure scorers. The Blue Devils have had four double-figure scorers in four games this season.
* Duke has scored 80 or more points in four games this season. The Blue Devils have won 19 consecutive games when scoring 80+ points. Duke is 486-46 under Coach K when scoring 80 or more points in a game.
* Duke has had a different leading scorer in all five games this season. Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee and Kyrie Irving have each led the team in scoring this season.
* With four double-figure scoring games this season, Kyle Singler now has 99 career double-figure scoring games. Johnny Dawkins holds the school record with 129 games with 10+ points scored.
* The Blue Devils are forcing 20.6 turnovers per game and converting those turnovers in 27.0 points per contest. Duke has forced 20 or more turnovers in three games.
* Duke has trailed a total of 2:18 this season. The Blue Devils have not trailed in the final 30 minutes of any game and has not trailed by more than two points this season.
* With a win on Saturday, Duke will cap off an undefeated November for the 21st time under Mike Krzyzewski.
* Kyle Singler is 11 rebounds shy of becoming the 16th player in Duke history with 800 career rebounds. The Medford, Ore., native ranks fourth at Duke with 281 career offensive rebounds.
* Duke's post rotation of Mason Plumlee, Miles Plumlee and Ryan Kelly is averaging 20.8 points and 14.4 rebounds per game as a unit. The trio is also shooting 60.0 percent (42-of-70) from the field on the year.
* The Blue Devils have won four of their five games by double-figures and rank first in the ACC with a +28.4 scoring margin.
My pal Lance King was on the scene and took this photo of the Champions
It was billed as a battle between two heavyweights and before tip off there was an NCAA Tournament atmosphere just two days shy of Thanksgiving. Duke came in with the target on their back and Kansas State thought they had set a trap but these Blue Devils had other ideas and when the dust cleared, it was evident that the nation's top rated team was not over-hyped.
Let's start with Coach K's 800th victory
Kansas City proved a good setting for Coach K's 800th career win in that it is rich in college basketball lore. A couple of days before Krzyzewski participated in the induction of one of his best players in Christian Laettner and the HOF atmosphere was appropriate in many ways. Face it, Coach K is a living legend and he now joins the rare few coaches who've been supremely successful in the game per their wins. The great thing is that Coach is fresher than ever and seems to be enjoying the success with no plans of ending the ride any time soon. Milestones are nothing new for Krzyzewski for they seem to keep on coming be it at Duke or coaching Team USA.
This is Kyrie Irving
Irving showed flashes of brilliance last evening, something I had seen before while covering him on the AAU circuit. The young man is a difference maker and he'll drive ACC coaches bonkers as the year goes on. He shared defensive assignments with his team on Kansas star guard Jacob Pollen who couldn't find any rhythm. Irving has some jets and he can score in droves but he's accepted a role on this team which is loaded with talent. In short, you ain't seen nothing yet.
The Blue Devils stole KSU's heart
Duke jumped on Kansas State early and weathered their best shot before demoralizing on of the nations top ranked teams. The Blue Devils took what looked to be a raucous crowd right out of the game and gave them no opportunity to get their team going by staying ahead double digits throughout most of the game. You could see the confidence on the faces of the players for Duke, in that they were loose and happy. Meanwhile, the Wildcat's players looked shell shocked and even when they cut it to 7 points in the second half, they looked frazzled. The body language of the KSU players spoke volumes.
Mason Plumlee
Plumlee had a nice couple of games and folks are seeing now what I had while covering him in high school. Plumlee is now the anchor of the Blue Devils front court and his play early in the game set the tone for other teammates to succeed. And make no mistake, the Wildcats game plan was to keep him off the boards, but they couldn't shut him completely down.
A little bit of leadership
When Duke needed a basket, Nolan Smith was there scoring 17 points and sharing top honors with Irving who had the same output. Smith was a steadying influence when KSU started any kind of run and his defense was a key factor.
And Mr. Offense became Mr. Defense
When Seth Curry comes off the Duke bench one expects a flurry and that's what fans got last night from the transfer. The thing is that we are not talking a bunch of threes but his abilities to play passing lanes and pick the ball out of the opponents hands. Curry had 5 steals and each one of them demoralized the Wildcats who saw the Duke backcourt coming at them in waves.
Mr. offensive efficiency
Talk about a spark off the bench! Andre Dawkins comes in and hits all of his field goal and free throw attempts and the basket looked like a giant barrel. Did any of his shots hit rim against KSU?
10-0 run was a knockout punch
Duke used a 10-0 second half run to thwart any hope Kansas State had at a comeback. The spurt game Duke a 62-47 lead with 12:13 left and they stretched that lead even more before settling on an 82-68 victory.
Kyle Singler
The pre season All American is playing for Duke and not individual accolades to date and that means Duke is even better. How scary is it knowing he's yet to hit his stride in an effort to get more teammates involved and keep Duke in the win column? I imagine he'll have a decent game against Oregon on Saturday for his homecoming and word is the his teammates will get some of his mom's home cooking.
We'll have more on the two games in Kansas City coming, so stay tuned to BDN for top notch coverage of all things Duke Basketball.
OFFICIAL GAME NOTES -
Team Notes:
- Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 800th career win while at Duke, becoming the fifth coach in NCAA history to win 800 games at one school. The win was the 873rd overall for Krzyzewski.
- The Blue Devils played in a game featuring two top-five teams for the first time since 2008 when the then second-ranked Blue Devils knocked off No. 3 North Carolina on the road, 89-78. Duke has won the last three matchups between top five teams and are 19-11 all-time under Krzyzewski in such games. The Blue Devils have also now won four straight games against ranked teams.
- Duke claimed the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Championship to give them four straight in-season tournament titles. They also won the Maui Invitational (2007), 2K Sports Classic (2008) and NIT Season Tip-Off (2009) in the last three years. They have won 15 straight in-season tournament games.
- Duke freshman Kyrie Irving was named the CBE Classic Tournament MVP after recording 17 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals in the championship game. The last Duke freshman to receive MVP honors in an in-season tournament was Kyle Singler in the 2007 Maui Invitational. Irving was joined on the all-tournament team by sophomore Mason Plumlee, who had 10 points and five rebounds on Tuesday and 25 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots in the semifinal win over Marquette.
- In the month of November, Duke has won 27 consecutive games since a loss to Marquette in the 2006 CBE Classic.
- Dating back to last season, the Blue Devils have now won 15 straight games.
- Duke improved to 5-0 for the fourth straight season and 19th time under Krzyzewski.
- The Blue Devils only trailed for 1:19 total minutes in the game. On the season Duke has only trailed for 2:15 of 200 total minutes. Duke has not trailed by more than two points at any point on the year.
- The Duke guards combined to hold Jacob Pullen, the AP preseason All-America and Big 12 preseason player of the year, to just four points on 1-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-8 from behind the three-point line. Pullen also had just one assist and four turnovers.
- Five Blue Devils scored in double figures, the third this season Duke has had at least five players score 10 points in a game. Entering the contest, six players were averaging over 10 points a game. Duke has had five different players lead the team in scoring in games this season with Irving becoming the fifth against Kansas State.
- For the second straight game, Duke held its opponent to 20 percent or less from three-point range. The Wildcats shot just .176 (3-of-17) from long range in the game, including 0-for-6 in the second half.
- On the other end, the Blue Devils made 6-of-12 (.500) from deep, the second time this year they have shot 50 percent or better from beyond the arc.
- Duke forced 21 turnovers, taking advantage with a 25-18 edge in points off turnovers. It is the third game that the Blue Devils have caused 20 or more turnovers this season. Of those 21 turnovers, 11 came on steals, giving them 10 or more in four of the five games.
Player Notes:
Seth Curry
- Sophomore Seth Curry registered a career-high five steals to more than double his season total of four from the previous four games. The last Duke player with five steals in a game was Jon Scheyer against Virginia last February.
Andre Dawkins
- Sophomore Andre Dawkins was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, including 3-of-3 from behind the three point line for 11 points. He has reached double figures in scoring in three games this season and in nine career contests.
- Dawkins has made at least three treys three times this year and in seven career games.
Kyrie Irving
- Freshman Kyrie Irving averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in the four games of the CBE Classic to earn MVP honors.
- He has now scored in double figures in each of his first five collegiate games, matching a season high with 17 points against Kansas State.
- Irving was a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line and is now shooting .913 (21-of-23) from the charity stripe this season.
- He tied for the team lead with five rebounds, which ties his top total this year.
- The freshman guard continued to find his teammates with six assists and now has five or more in four of the five games this season.
- Irving also posted two steals and has two swipes in three contests.
Mason Plumlee
- Sophomore Mason Plumlee recorded his third game this season with 10 or more points.
- Plumlee matched a career high with four made free throws.
- He has a blocked shot in all five games this season, leading the team with 10 blocks.
Kyle Singler
- Senior Kyle Singler drew his team-leading 73rd consecutive start and has now started in 115 of his 116 career games.
- Singler scored in double figures for the 99th time in his career and fourth game this season.
- He was 2-of-2 from the free throw line and is now 13-of-14 (.929) through five games.
Nolan Smith
- Senior Nolan Smith extending his ACC-leading streak of double figure scoring games to 16 with his 17 points. He has scored 10 or more points in 29 of the last 30 games for the Blue Devils.
- Smith pulled down five rebounds to give him three games with five or more. He is averaging 5.0 per game this season after entering the year with a 2.2 career average
You must be logged in to post a comment.