Boston College at Duke – Official Game Notes

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[8 AP/7 Coaches] Duke (13-2, 1-1 ACC) vs. Boston College (10-6, 1-1 ACC)

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010  •  7:00 p.m.  •  ESPN

Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)  •  Durham, N.C.

The Opening Tip

Duke (13-2, 1-1 ACC), ranked eighth in the AP poll and seventh in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Boston College (10-6, 1-1 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday’s game will air on ESPN with Rece Davis, Bob Knight and Holly Rowe calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke dropped a 71-67 decision at Georgia Tech on Saturday in its last outing. The Blue Devils, playing their third game in six days, shot just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from three-point range in the contest.

Senior Jon Scheyer continued his All-America caliber season with 25 points and six assists in 39 minutes of action. Freshman Mason Plumlee was the only other player in double-figures with 10 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Sophomore Miles Plumlee added eight points, five rebounds and two steals in the loss.

Juniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler combined for just 18 points on 6-of-23 shooting after entering the game averaging 34.4 points per game combined. Smith’s nine-point effort snapped a string of 12 straight double-figure scoring games this season, while Singler failed to reach double-figures for just the 15th time in 86 career games.

Duke controlled the glass (20-12 rebounding edge) en route to taking a 35-29 halftime lead. Georgia Tech turned the tables in the final 20 minutes, outrebounding the Blue Devils 26-12 and outscoring them 42-32.

Numbers Game

l Duke is the only team in the country to rank in the top 10 in both the AP Poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll as well as the College Basketball News Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and Strength of Schedule (SOS). The Blue Devils, eighth in the AP Poll and seventh in the Coaches Poll, rank second in the RPI with the 10th-best SOS.

l Wednesday’s game is the 299th consecutive sellout at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke did not have a sellout at home was on Nov. 16, 1990, against Boston College.

l The Blue Devils have won 11 straight and 41 of the last 43 games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

l Duke has won 22 of its last 24 games in the month of January. The Blue Devils are 201-56 under Mike Krzyzewski in January games. Duke has lost back-to-back games in January just two times in the last 12 seasons.

l The Blue Devils have won 36 consecutive home games against unranked opponents.

l Senior Jon Scheyer leads the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.65:1) while playing 35.5 minutes per game. He has led Duke in assists in all 15 games with six turnover-free games. Scheyer also ranks ninth in the NCAA at 6.2 assists per game.

l Nolan Smith has 26 three-point field goals and is shooting an ACC-best 51.0 percent from three-point range. He is one three-point field goal shy of matching his single season high. Smith entered the year shooting 36.2 percent (49-of-135) from three-point range.

l Duke has had 18 individual 20-point scoring games this season, including seven by Jon Scheyer. The Blue Devils have had multiple 20-point scorers in the same game six times on the year.

l Jon Scheyer has scored 20 or more points in six of the last seven contests, including a pair of 30-point efforts. He has scored 15 or more points in 13 of 15 games this season.

l Junior Nolan Smith is averaging 19.5 points per game, while shooting 58.1 percent (43-of-74) from the field and 64.0 percent (16-of-25) from three-point range, in the last six games.

l Miles and Mason Plumlee are averaging 16.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game combined over the last four contests. The duo is shooting 60.9 percent (25-of-41) from the field during that span.

Duke looking for bigs to step up on the offensive end

Mason Plumlee listening to Coach K during a Duke practice - BDN Photo
Mason Plumlee listening to Coach K during a Duke practice - BDN Photo

After a tough road loss to Georgia Tech, Duke is looking to regroup at home against Boston College Eagles on Wednesday night.  The Blue Devils are well aware at how important it is to win at home in the ACC this season and they'll surely come out with a lot of fire in an effort to avoid a second straight loss.

One of the keys will be for the Duke front court to establish themselves offensively in not only this game, but the remainder of the season.

To date, Duke has done an admirable job by committee with their front court and it is a well known fact that Krzyzewski said he will play who is playing the best of these guys from game to game.

While the Blue Devils have had solid overall production from their quartet of seniors Brian Zoubek and brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee, there is still a need for these guys to further establish their roles on the offensive end.

In short, I am talking about being more consistent scorers when opportunities are presented.

For this to happen, Duke needs further development from Mason Plumlee, a true freshman who was hampered with pre season injuries and just now getting up to game speed.

Mason grew leaps and bounds in the Georgia Tech loss and many will be watching to see if he can match that production with two ACC opponents at home this week.

It's no secret that the Duke staff feels Mason is a key cog to the Blue Devils success and as he adjusts more to the physical play and speed of the college game and he could well become the fourth go to scorer.

In a recent interview for the Blue Devil Nation Locker Room Report, Mason admitted that he needs to make simpler plays instead of the flashy ones, but he also knows his teammates have been trying to feed him for some emphatic dunks.

The youngest Plumlee gets those feeds because his teammates know what he can do.

Mason already has great chemistry with Jon Scheyer and as he adjusts to his teammates, we could see him reach his lofty potential before seasons end.

His brother Miles will play a key role as well and like Mason, Miles knows how to finish when open.

Ask any Duke player and they will tell you that Miles can jump out of the gym and that he is freaky athletic jumping over players for dunks in practice.

There is a reason Miles started as a freshman in the opener and many of this seasons games for Duke sees what he can do in practice where he seems consistently good.

In short, Miles is a very athletic big who needs to work on said consistency with his game and he has all the tools to make this happen.

If  he can establish himself as more of a down low presence on the offensive where he is needed most on the scoring end for a team that is riding the play of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith; he'll become a major factor.

Another key will be when the brothers Plumlee get used to one another in the Duke system for there is no doubt they know one another well but that has yet to fully materialize on the court at the ACC level.

Seniors Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas both have the potential to score well in games.

While Zoubek isn't the most athletic big man, he is a huge presence and he has earned Krzyzewski's praise on many occasions when press members were asking about other players.

The reason being that Zoubs as he is known to his teammates, has had several games where he had or was near a double-double in scoring and rebounding in limited minutes.

As the Plumlee's develop, Zoubek and Thomas will be looked to for toughness and leadership.

There is no reason to think Zoubek cannot relish his role as a senior down the stretch and if that happens Duke will be a tough team to handle.

Zoubs senior teammate Lance Thomas is Duke's equivalent of the Energizer Bunny for the energy and hustle he brings to the court.

Thomas only knows one way to play and that is all out, but that can get him into some tough situations as was seen when he fouled out against Georgia Tech.

Granted, Thomas draws the some of the toughest defensive assignments each game, but he will need stay in contests down the stretch.

While he is not depended on the score a lot for this team, Thomas needs to continue to take his shots with confidence after working on it so hard in the off season.

Thomas is at his best when teams overlook him on the offensive end and he will likely look to exploit that in the coming games where he has proved to come up big at times in the past in ACC games.

While Ryan Kelly gets some minutes down low, I consider him to fall into the category of a "hybrid," alongside Andre Dawkins, thus they are not discussed here.

Of course for any of these guys to progress Duke's big three [Scheyer, Singler, Smith] will have to get them the ball where they need it.

The bottom line is that Duke's front court is still a work in progress and as they become accustomed to one another even more, they will surely get better.

And it'll be important that Duke gets offensive production from them when the teams shooters go cold.

Future Duke Footballer Nick Sink plays a good game of basketball

Duke-Blue-Devils-NCAA-HelmetCoach David Cutcliffe and staff are looking forward to working with Nick Sink who has been recruited to play tight end for the Blue Devils.  But before he concentrates on football, Sink will finish out his senior basketball season with Forsyth Country Day.  BDN caught up to Nick during the Glaxo Invitational where he scored 22 points in the game we watched, hitting three treys along the way.  Sink who mans the middle for his team showed that he is a good athlete that can float out to extend the oppositions defense.  Here is [private]a brief chat with Sink -

Just press play -

Discuss this on the BDN Message Board - [/private]

No. 5 Duke Falls to No. 20 Georgia Tech, 71-67

ATLANTA (AP) - Gani Lawal scored 21 points, including a crucial shot with just over a minute remaining, and No. 20 Georgia Tech bounced back from a dismal loss with a 71-67 upset of fifth-ranked Duke on Saturday.

Jon Scheyer led Duke with 25 points in Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech.
Jon Scheyer led Duke with 25 points in Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech.
Photo Courtesy of Duke Photography

Lawal worked the boards hard, putting back two straight misses during one pivotal stretch, and Georgia Tech (12-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) went ahead for good on yet another hustle play. Zachery Peacock grabbed an airball under the basket and flipped in a shot that put Georgia Tech ahead 62-60 with 1:52 remaining.

After Kyle Singler missed again for Duke (13-2, 1-1) on a 3-pointer - the junior forward was 2-of-13 from the field - Lawal knocked down an awkward turnaround jumper from about 10 feet to give the Yellow Jackets some breathing room.

Georgia Tech avoided an 0-2 start in conference play and made up for a 73-66 loss to state rival Georgia on Tuesday. Jon Scheyer led the Blue Devils with 25 points.

Duke, which had a seven-game winning streak, was stymied by a miserable performance beyond the arc (6-of-28 from 3-point range), had its slim depth exposed by foul trouble (Lance Thomas picked up his fifth with more than 10 minutes left, three other players finished with four) and didn't provide Scheyer much help.

The star point guard followed up a 31-point effort against Iowa State with another strong showing, also chipping in with six assists while handling the bulk of the scoring load. But Mason Plumlee, with 10 points off the bench, was the only other Duke player in double figures. Singler was held to nine points - nearly seven below his average.

The Yellow Jackets knew they couldn't afford another effort like the one they had against Georgia, having already lost their ACC opener at home to Florida State in overtime. They managed to avert an 0-2 start in conference play by turning up the defensive pressure on Duke, pressing and trapping much more than they did against the Bulldogs, and crashing the boards in the second half against a team playing its third game in six days.

The Blue Devils had a 20-12 rebounding edge in the opening half, but Georgia Tech dominated 26-12 after the break. Lawal led the Yellow Jackets with nine rebounds, including back-to-back plays that gave the home team a big boost.

Iman Shumpert missed on a drive, but Lawal slammed home the rebound with a thunderous dunk that left the backboard shaking. After Duke turned it over at the other end, Derrick Favors missed for the Yellow Jackets. But Lawal was in the right place again, grabbing the rebound and banking it in for a 52-47 lead.

Each team had its run early on. Duke ripped off 12 straight points shortly after the opening tip, then Georgia Tech responded with a 14-2 spurt. The Blue Devils led 35-29 at halftime, and the margin was never more than that the rest of the way.

Previewing the Yellow Jackets

Thomas2Duke (13-1) takes to the road for their first ACC road game of the year against Georgia Tech (11-3) in Atlanta. Duke is looking for a 2-0 ACC start after thumping Clemson 74-53 in their conference opener at home, while Georgia Tech is looking to even their conference record at 1-1 after dropping their conference opener to Florida State 66-59 at home.

Georgia Tech is ranked #17 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and #20 in the AP Top 25. Duke is #5 in both polls. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 73-66 loss to in-state rival Georgia, while in their most recent game, Duke downed Iowa State 86-65 at the United Center in Chicago.

Duke and Georgia Tech have had one common opponent on the season in the Charlotte 49ers. Duke defeated Charlotte 101-59 in Cameron Indoor Stadium, while Georgia Tech won 76-67 in Charlotte.

The Yellow Jackets will be the third straight test for Duke's frontcourt. Duke's big men passed the first two tests with flying colors in wins over Clemson and Iowa State who both feature quality inside players in Trevor Booker and Craig Brackins. The difference in this game is Georgia Tech has three talented inside players in Gani Lawal, Derrick Favors, and Zachery Peacock.

Junior Gani Lawal (6'9" 235) averages 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He is 10th in the ACC is scoring and 3rd in rebounds. Lawal has the 5th best field goal percentage at 55.5 percent.

Freshman Derrick Favors (6'10" 245) averages 12.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Favors is tied for 4th in the ACC in rebounds. In a recent article at Basketball Prospectus, Favors was ranked as the 7th best freshman in the nation.

Senior Zachery Peacock (6'8" 235) averages 10 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench for the Yellow Jackets. Peacock has the ability to step out to the perimeter and knock down jump shots. He is making 47.6 percent of his 3-point attempts on the season.

While Duke leads the ACC in Assists/Turnover ratio at 1.5, Georgia Tech is 11th at .9. The Yellow Jackets turn the ball over an average of 16.6 times per game. In their three losses, the Yellow Jackets turned the ball over 20.3 times per game. Georgia Tech's backcourt ball handling is a liability.

Sophomore Iman Shumpert (6'5" 205) is back after missing six games with a knee injury. He averages 8.4 points and 3.8 assists per game, but also turns the ball over 3.3 times per contest. In the loss to Georgia, Shumpert recorded one assist and five turnovers.

Freshman Mfon Udofia (6'2" 185) and Senior D’Andre Bell (6’6” 220) are Georgia Tech’s fourth and fifth starters. Udofia averages10.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.6 turnovers per game. Bell averages 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.6 turnovers per game.

Coach Paul Hewitt employs a deep rotation with nine players averaging double digit minutes and no player seeing 30 minutes of action per game. Maurice Miller (6’2” 190), Glen Rice, Jr. (6’5” 195), and Brian Oliver (6’6” 220) make up the balance of the Yellow Jackets double digit players.

The keys to the game will be:

1. Defensive rebounding. Duke must keep Georgia Tech off the offensive glass and prevent second chance points.

2. Turnovers. With Georgia Tech’s suspect ball handling, look for Nolan Smith to apply pressure on the Yellow Jackets main ball handler. This is a game where Duke may look to trap the ball as it is brought across the half court line. Lance Thomas could be a key player if Duke opts to run a half court trap defense. The best way to neutralize Lawal and Favors down low is to prevent them from getting it down low.

3. Outside shooting. Georgia Tech’s strength is their inside play so look for Duke to try and open up the inside by knocking down the long ball. Duke is leading the ACC in 3 point field goal percentage at 42.6 percent and second in the league in 3 point field goals made with 8.6 per game.

This Georgia Tech squad is very talented and a better team than the one which finished last in the ACC last season. However, they are not good enough to beat the Blue Devils. This will be a tough match-up and winning on the road in conference is never an easy task, but the Blue Devils should leave Atlanta with an eight to ten point victory in the books.

Duke at Georgia Tech Official Game Notes

Duke practicing for Tech - BDN Photo
Duke practicing for Tech - BDN Photo

Game 15

[5 AP/5 Coaches] Duke (13-1, 1-0 ACC) vs. [20 AP/17 Coaches] Georgia Tech (11-3, 0-1 ACC)

Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010  •  2:00 p.m.  •  ESPN

Alexander Memorial Coliseum (9,191)  •  Atlanta, Ga.

The Opening Tip

Duke (13-1, 1-0 ACC), ranked fifth in the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Georgia Tech (11-3, 0-1 ACC) at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 2:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets enter the game ranked 20th in the AP poll and 17th in the Coaches’ Poll. Saturday’s game will air on ESPN with Brad Nessler and Jay Bilas calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke is coming off an 86-65 win over Iowa State at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Wednesday. Senior Jon Scheyer netted a game-high 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor. He knocked down four three-point field goals for his fourth straight game with three or more treys.

Nolan Smith recorded his fourth 20-point game in the last five outings with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. He knocked down both three-point attempts and is now shooting an ACC-best 53.2 percent from behind the arc. Smith also matched a career high with three steals in the contest.

Junior Kyle Singler continued his all-around solid play with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Lance Thomas added nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, while limiting Iowa State’s high-scoring forward Craig Brackens to 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

Duke shot 56.0 percent (14-of-25) from the field and made all 12 free throws en route to outscoring Iowa State, 45-32, in the second half of play.

Numbers Game

l Duke has won 22 of its last 23 games in the month of January. The Blue Devils are 201-55 under Mike Krzyzewski in January games.

l Senior Jon Scheyer leads the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.58:1) while playing 35.3 minutes per game. He has led Duke in assists in all 14 games with six turnover-free games. Scheyer also ranks eighth in the NCAA at 6.2 assists per game.

l Nolan Smith has 25 three-point field goals and is shooting an ACC-best 53.2 percent from three-point range. In the last five games, he is 15-of-21 (.714) from behind the arc.

l Jon Scheyer is averaging 23.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game during Duke’s current seven-game win streak. He is shooting 47.4 percent from three-point range and averaging 3.9 three-point field goals per game in that span.

l Junior Nolan Smith has scored 10 or more points in all 12 games he has played. He is averaging 18.5 points per game, a 10.1 ppg. increase from a year ago. Smith also has six 20-point efforts in 2009-10 after posting one 20-point game in his first two seasons at Duke.

l Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are averaging 42.9 points combined, while shooting 52.7 percent (97-of-184) from the field and 53.7 percent (44-of-82) from three-point range during Duke’s seven-game win streak.

l Duke has had 17 individual 20-point scoring games this season. The Blue Devils have had multiple 20-point scorers in the same game six times on the year.

l Junior Kyle Singler has led Duke in rebounding seven times in 2009-10 and 43 times in his career. He has grabbed eight or more rebounds in four of the last five games.

l The Blue Devils are 3-0 against ranked opponents this season and 168-116 under Coach K against ranked foes.

l Duke limited its three previous ranked opponents (Connecticut, Gonzaga, Clemson) to 51.0 points per game. The Blue Devils held those three teams to 32.7 percent (53-of-162) shooting from the field, including 13.3 percent (4-of-30) shooting from three-point distance.

l Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were two of the 30 players recently named to the Wooden Award Midseason Watch List.

l Duke has won 11 of the last 12 meetings  at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.