Duke at N.C. State Game Notes

The Duke Blue Devil - Photo -Lance King for BDN

Game 18[4 AP / 5 Coaches] Duke (16-1, 3-1 ACC)  vs. N.C. State (11-6, 1-2 ACC)
Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011 • 7:00 p.m.

The Opening Tip

• Duke faces N.C. State on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at the RBC Center. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
• The game is being televised by ESPN with Mike Patrick (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Jeannine Edwards (sideline) calling the action.
• Duke is ranked No. 4 in the AP and No. 5 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, while N.C. State is unranked in both polls.
• The Blue Devils are looking to improve to 17-1 for the 10th time in school history. Duke has reached 17-1 in three of the last five seasons.
• Duke has won 34 of the last 36 games entering Wednesday’s game with N.C. State.
• Duke is looking for its 23rd straight win in the state of North Carolina. The Blue Devils’ last loss in their home state was on Jan. 20, 2010 to N.C. State.
 
Duke-N.C. State Series History• Duke and N.C. State have met 233 times heading into Wednesday’s game with the first meeting between the two schools coming on Feb. 9, 1912.
• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 136-97, including a 6-3 mark at the RBC Center.
• N.C. State won the last meeting between the two schools, 88-74, on Jan. 20, 2010.
• Duke has not lost back-to-back games to N.C. State since the 1994-95 season. The Blue Devils are 28-5 against the Wolfpack in that span.
• Mike Krzyzewski is 44-20 at Duke against the Wolfpack.
• Krzyzewski recorded his 800th career coaching victory with an 87-86 win over N.C. State at the RBC Center on March 1, 2008.
 
Numbers Game

l The Blue Devils have had at least one player score 20 or more points in each of the last 12 games.l Duke has collected 40 or more rebounds in three of the last four games. The Blue Devils are averaging 40.8 rebounds in five January games.
l The Blue Devils rank fourth in the NCAA in scoring at 85.5 points per game. Duke is 16-0 on the year when scoring 70 or more points in a game.
l Duke has won 22 consecutive games in the state of North Carolina. The Blue Devils’ last loss in the state was at N.C. State last season.
l In conference play, senior Nolan Smith leads the ACC in scoring (23.5 ppg.), assists (6.0 apg.), steals (2.5 spg.) and minutes played (39.8 mpg.). He also ranks second in free throw percentage (.963) and tied for ninth in three-point field goals (2.0 3pg.).
l Senior Kyle Singler has scored in double figures in 52 of his last 57 games. He is tied for sixth at Duke with 111 career double-figure scoring games.
l Nolan Smith is tied for the ACC lead with eight games with 20 or more points scored. He has topped the 20-point mark in seven of the last 10 games and two times in league play.
l Sophomore Mason Plumlee has raised his rebound average by 5.4 rebounds per game from a year ago. He ranks fourth in the ACC at 8.5 rpg. Plumlee ranks second in league play at 11.5 rpg, including an ACC-high 8.3 defensive rebounds per game. l Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler are averaging 44.5 points combined over the last six games. The senior tandem has accounted for 56.2 percent of the Duke offense in that span.