Monthly Archives: February 2012

Duke Basketball

N.C. State poses a threat to Duke in Cameron

DURHAM, N.C. - The N.C. State (18-7, 7-3 ACC) at Duke (21-4, 8-2 ACC)  matchup has a lot of significance tonight, more-so than some of the fan base seems to realize.  It's easy for some to discount the Wolfpack after their big loss to North Carolina or the fact they haven't won in Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1983.

But a closer look shows that statistically, these teams are fairly even on paper and while Duke has played the tougher schedule, the Wolfpack have had a challenging slate as well.  And did I mention that the Wolfpack are a just a single game out in the standings?  This is flat out a must win for Duke to make a run at the conference title and their rival, North Carolina won last night and Duke must win to tie them and possibly Florida State if they win tonight as well.

Since losing to the then top rated team in the nation, Syracuse, the Wolfpack have gone 12-3 and they come into this game on a three game winning streak, all ACC wins.  The only bad loss for the W olfpack was against Georgia Tech and their other losses were to Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Stanford, Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia. That shows marked improvement this season under new head coach Mark Gottfried in that the Wolfpack usually lose to a few teams that would embarrass their fan base.  The bottom line here is that he is fielding a competitive upper division ACC team.

The Wolfpack are a very balanced team offensively who are led in scoring by Scott Wood a player that has 16 more three pointers than Duke team leader Andre Dawkins.  But what makes them tick as a unit is PG Lorenzo Brown who is third in the league in steals, second in assists and scores in double figures.  This is a big backcourt and we all remember how Duke struggled with Temple and their big guards, so this will present a challenge for the Duke backcourt.

Up front, C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell lead the way.  Howell is a beast on the glass and if Leslie gains early confidence he is capable of having a huge game.  Many Duke fans will look back at the Plumlees' great board game against Maryland, where Miles hauled in 22 caroms, but the Wolfpack are clearly tougher up front and are a much better overall team than were the Terps.

Meanwhile, Duke has had to put aside all of the residue from their big win over North Carolina for that is now a game you reflect on come spring and take care of the business at hand.  The Blue Devils have been solid as ever beyond the three point stripe and the Wolfpack have struggled guarding the shot but their coaches will attempt to push the Duke guards off the line.

That means, it is important for Duke to get production from their front court and Mason Plumlee, his brother Miles and Kelly need effective games.  Duke has struggled at home this season and it's time to protect the home court and they'll have to to keep pace in the league.  But all eyes will be on how Duke plays in Cameron after dropping games to Miami and Florida State.

With just three home games left, the hope is that the Crazies will be on their game the same time Coach K's troops are on the court.  The Blue Devils will need to minimize turnovers and not find themselves allowing N.C. State to gain confidence early on.  It will be important for Duke to find ways to continue to get their three point shots off and hit their free throws.  For the record, the Wolfpack are second in the league in free throw percentage.

If this game were earlier in the season it would be the epitome of a trap game but with the regular season title on the line the Blue Devils are aware of the importance.  But this game may put a little scare in the fan base who seems to be overlooking how tough their opponent could be.  Just like Florida State and Miami, the Wolfpack are quite capable of pulling off an upset and they have a lot to play for.  A win for N.C. State would solidify their quest for an NCAA invite and said win would likely get them in for sure.

I'm expecting a tough game this evening, one which could go down to the wire, but I also think Duke will be up for the challenge.  The key for Duke willl be to keep Wood from going off beyond the arc and to get Howell in foul trouble early on and this can be done by aggressively attacking the post.  The line on this game is 10.5 points and I feel that is a bit too much.  The pick here is Duke 77-70 in a very competitive game

Duke Football

Duke Football dominates All ACC Academic team

DURHAM, N.C. – Led by All-America safety Matt Daniels, Duke landed a league-high 18 selections on the 2011 Academic All-ACC Football team announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning.

Daniels was one of eight repeat picks from Duke, joining Ross Cockrell, Dave Harding, Cooper Helfet, Sean Renfree, Perry Simmons, Will Snyderwine and Donovan Varner. Daniels and Snyderwine are three-time selections to the squad.

Also representing the Blue Devils were Brandon Braxton, Jordon Byas, John Coleman, Braxton Deaver, C.J. France, Charlie Hatcher, David Helton, Dezmond Johnson, Laken Tomlinson and Juwan Thompson.

Duke led all ACC schools with 18 selections, followed by Clemson (5), Wake Forest (5), Georgia Tech (4), Maryland (4), Boston College (3), Florida State (3), N.C. State (3), Miami (2), North Carolina (2), Virginia Tech (2) and Virginia (1).

To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career. The league has selected an Academic All-ACC Football team every year since 1954.

Braxton, a wide receiver from Charlotte, N.C., had 40 pass receptions for 352 yards while Byas, a safety from Lynn Haven, Fla., registered 40 tackles including two for loss while pacing the Blue Devils in special teams tackles.

Cockrell, a cornerback from Waxhaw, N.C., carded 56 tackles on the year while ranking seventh in the ACC in total passes defended (10). Coleman, an offensive guard from Florence, S.C., started nine games in 2011 and helped Duke rush for 19 touchdowns, matching the program’s highest single-season total since 1994.

Daniels, a safety from Fayetteville, Ga., earned second team All-America and first team All-ACC honors after posting 126 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 14 pass breakups and two interceptions. Duke’s team MVP, Daniels represented the Blue Devils in the annual East-West Shrine Game last month.

Deaver, a tight end from Charlotte, N.C., caught eight passes for 107 yards while France, a linebacker from Columbus, Ga., compiled 23 tackles last fall.

Harding, an offensive lineman from Orlando, Fla., started at both center and offensive guard last season, playing a total of 751 snaps while helping Duke rank third in the ACC in sacks allowed per passing attempt. A nose guard from Hamilton, Ohio, Hatcher served as a team captain and posted 30 tackles and 2.0 quarterback sacks.

A tight end from Kentfield, Calif., Helfet received All-ACC honors after catching 43 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns. Helton, a linebacker from Chattanooga, Tenn., saw action in nine games and finished the season with 25 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Johnson, a defensive end from Nashville, Tenn., was credited with 20 tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.0 quarterback sack while playing 369 total snaps. Renfree, a quarterback from Scottsdale, Ariz., started all 12 games in 2011 and completed 282-of-434 passes for 2,891 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He established new school records for single-game pass completions (41 vs. Boston College) and single-season record for pass completion percentage (.650).

Simmons, an offensive tackle from Raleigh, N.C., started all 12 games in 2011 and played more snaps – 927 – than any other Blue Devil as Duke had the second-most prolific passing offense in the ACC. Snyderwine, a kicker from Potomac, Md., led Duke in scoring with 52 total points on eight field goals and 28 PATs. He finished his career ranking third on the school’s all-time scoring chart with 222 total points.

Thompson, a running back from Fairburn, Ga., rushed for a team-high 457 yards and seven touchdowns on 110 carries while catching 22 passes for 182 yards and one additional score. Tomlinson, an offensive guard from Chicago, Ill., was a first team Freshman All-America selection by Sporting News after starting all 12 games on the Blue Devil front.

A wide receiver from Miami, Fla., Varner caught 61 passes for 713 yards and three touchdowns on the year, becoming the first player in ACC history to have three seasons with 60-plus pass receptions. He closed his career with 208 catches – most in school history – for 2,660 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Duke Basketball

N.C. State at Duke Game Notes

• Game 26 •

[5 AP / 4 Coaches] Duke (21-4, 8-2) vs. N.C. State (18-7, 7-3)

Thursday, February 16, 2012 • 9:00 p.m. • ACC Network

The Opening Tip

• Duke (21-4, 8-2) hosts N.C. State (18-7, 7-3) on Thursday, Feb. 16 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m.

• Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (analyst) will call the game for the ACC Network.

• Duke jumped five spots in both polls this week, coming in at No. 5 in the AP Poll and No. 4 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. N.C. State is unranked in both polls. Duke is 65-24 when ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll.

• The Blue Devils are coming off wins over No. 5 North Carolina and Maryland last week that vaulted them into a tie for first place in the ACC with North Carolina and Florida State.

• Duke is the only team in the NCAA to rank in the top 5 in RPI, Strength of Schedule as well as the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Blue Devils are also 3-1 against teams in the top 10 of the RPI.

Duke-N.C. State Series

• Duke and N.C. State have met 235 times heading into Thursday’s game with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 1912.

• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 138-97, including a 46-23 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

• Duke has won two straight and five of the last six games in the series.

• Mike Krzyzewski is 46-20 at Duke against the Wolfpack, including a 22-5 record at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

• Duke has won 13 straight home games in the series. The Blue Devils have a +18.2 scoring margin in that span.

• The two schools have met 23 times in ACC Tournament play with Duke posting a 14-9 record in those games.

• Duke has won each of the last eight home games against N.C. State by double figures.

Numbers Game

l The Blue Devils have won 20 or more games 27 times under Mike Krzyzewski, including each of the last 16 seasons.

l Duke has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll for 89 straight weeks, the third-longest streak in NCAA history.

l The Blue Devils are 61-3 at home since the start of the 2008-09 season. Duke is 11-2 at home this season and has lost more than two home games just once in the past 16 seasons.

l Austin Rivers was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the seventh time on Monday and for the fourth straight week. Rivers’ seven selections are the third most in ACC history, while his four straight selections tie three others for the ACC’s longest streak.

l Senior forward Miles Plumlee set a Coach K-era record with 22 rebounds in Duke's last game against Maryland. Plumlee broke the previous record of 21 held by Elton Brand as part of his double-double effort that also included 13 points.

l Mason Plumlee has 46 dunks this season, which is two more than all opponents have against Duke. Plumlee’s 46 dunks are tied for the sixth most in school history and 12 shy of the record of 58 held by Shelden Williams (2006).

l Austin Rivers leads all ACC freshmen in points per game (15.0), minutes per game (32.2), double-figure scoring games (21), 20-point games (6), field goals made (127), field goal percentage (.450) and free throws made (77). He ranks second in three-pointers made (43) and steals (24).

l Brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee combine to average 18.1 points and 16.3 rebounds per game this season. Either Mason or Miles has led Duke in rebounding in 23 of Duke's 25 games.

l Point guard Tyler Thornton owns a 3.86:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in Duke's 10 conference games. That mark is the second highest in the ACC among players who average at least 2.0 assists per game.

l Duke has had 10 or fewer turnovers in four ACC games and ranks second with 10.6 turnovers per game in league play. Duke had just nine turnovers in Saturday's win over Maryland and committed just one over the final 21 minutes.

l Mason Plumlee ranks second in the ACC in rebounding at 9.9 rpg. He has grabbed 12 or more rebounds 11 times this season including four of the last six games.

l Seth Curry is shooting 48.0 percent (12-of-25) from three-point range over his last four games. He is averaging 16.8 points per game during that span.

l Broadcaster Bob Harris will announce his 1,200th Duke basketball game on Thursday against N.C. State. Harris has been the voice of Duke basketball for the past 36 years and was named the N.C. Sportscaster of the Year for the third time earlier this season.

Duke Basketball

Austin Rivers named ACC Rookie of the Week for the 7th time

Austin Rivers became the fourth player in ACC history to win the conference’s rookie citation in four straight weeks. The selection upped his season’s selection total to seven; that’s good for third place in the 42-year history of the award.

In two games last week, the 6-2 freshman from Winter Park, Fla., averaged 20 points a contest on 9-for-16 3-point shooting and played 79 of a possible 80 minutes. The performances were highlighted by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the right wing that capped his own 29-point game and his team’s comeback from a 10-point deficit in the final two and a half minutes as Duke won at North Carolina 85-84 on Wednesday. The point total is the highest by any Duke freshman in the 233-game history of the series against the Tar Heels.

Three days later, Rivers had 11 points, four assists and only two turnovers in a 40-minute outing against Maryland.

No player has won the Rookie award in more than four straight weeks. The others at four are North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough, who had two separate streaks during the 2005-06 season; Dion Glover of Georgia Tech in December of 1997; and another Yellow Jacket, Kenny Anderson, in 1990.

In all, Rivers has become the third player to earn the rookie distinction seven or more times. Hansbrough and Anderson hold the record with 10.

At 15 points a game, Rivers leads Duke in scoring and would be the first Blue Devil freshman to do so since Johnny Dawkins in 1982-83.

Courtesy ACC Media services

Duke Basketball

BDN Monday Musings – Happy Birthday Coach K, team tidbits

Happy Birthday Coach K!

The Duke Blue Devils Men's Basketball team had quite a week where they defeated arch rival North Carolina on Austin Rivers buzzer beater and then came back to defeat Maryland at home.  Last week, many fans were expecting doom and gloom but a week later, Duke is tied atop the conference going into an important battle with North Carolina State.  Monday Musings also wishes .....

Happy Birthday Mike Krzyzewski

That's right!  It's Coach K's birthday and I can only imagine how many fans would like to wish him a great birthday.  It's funny how it seems that fans  receive the best gift and that is simply having him captain the ship.  Duke fans have been very fortunate to have been a part of the on going ride he provides. 

Only six regular season games left

It's hard to believe how fast the season has gone by to date and with a mere six games left on the regular season schedule, it's time to slow down and enjoy every second left.  Too many times, fans get caught up in recruiting battles and other things that can wait and in the process suddenly realize it is spring and the season past them by.  Enjoy the here and now folks for this team is pretty good.

A closer look at the six remaining games

It starts with N.C. State this Thursday and this is a key game in the standings with Duke up just one game over the 7-3 Wolfpack..  Most remember UNC blowing the Pack out and think they're not up to the task of making a run at the upper division teams.  But a closer look, will show their losses were to Vanderbilt, Indiana, Stanford, Syracuse, North Carolina, Virginia and the one bad loss to Georgia Tech.  All but one of those losses are to respectable teams.  The Blue Devils then have two road games with Boston College and Florida State and the game with the Seminoles will almost certainly be critical to both teams quest at being the regular season champion.   Duke comes back home to take on Virginia Tech before embarking on their last road game at Wake Forest and end with rival North Carolina in a game that is 18 days away.  I think it is fair to say that the Rivers shot will be tucked away this week and their will be focus on the task at hand.  And just three home games remaining .... Following Duke Basketball is an everyday thing for many fans, but thinking there are just three games left in Cameron really makes me want to soak it all up.  Senior Day for Miles Plumlee is coming as is ESPN Gameday and it'll be the last games for a few Cameron Crazies as well.  Enjoy it while you can seniors! 

High priase for Tyler Thornton

There are times when a look at the boz score doesn't tell the entire story on a player and that is the case with Tyler Thornton.  "He's very mature as a sophomore and very comfortable in his role.  He's our toughest kid.  He's a Duke basketball player and our former players love Tyler," said Krzyzewski after Duke defeated Maryland 73-55 on Saturday.  If you go back and watch the UNC game again, check out how cool, calm and collected Thornton is down the stretch.  That's what Krzyzewski is talking about.  Thornton is cool under pressure and doesn't normally force plays which are not there.

Duke ranked 4th in the Nation in new Coaches Poll

The Duke Blue Devils jumped five spots in the ESPN Coaches poll which came out about an hour ago.   Here is the link.  North Carolina fell to 7th while Florida State drops to 21st and Virginia 22nd give the ACC four teams in the poll.  Duke is 5th in the A.P. poll flip flopping with Kansas.

Will so and so for Duke enter the NBA Draft

It doesn't matter who you ask on the team nor the year for you will get the same answer.  That being the player will look at his options after the season.  That's how it works at Duke.  Austin and Mason will get a few questions in the coming weeks but the answers will as always be the same.  I am not going to speculate either in that despite there being up to 15 games left should Duke reach the finals in New Orleans, a lot can happen between now and then.  It's always good to cheer for certain players as if it may be their last games in a Duke uniform but I am in no way dropping one of my infamous cryptic hints here but simply offering a suggestion.

One more time!  Get your tickets to the NCAA Tournament in Greensboro now!

I can't give you a 100% guarantee that Duke will play in Greensboro on March 16th and 18th, but I can tell you that it would shock me if they weren't there.  Remember, the Tar Heels will be there too in the pod system, so be smart and get your tickets right now before it is too late by going here Ticketmaster Greensboro.

 

Duke Basketball

Miles Plumlee hopes to build on 22 rebound effort

Sitting behind the Duke bench during the Blue Devils 73-55 victory over Maryland was a proud father who had just watched not one, but two sons produce double-doubles.  Perky Plumlee had that look of satisfaction on his face as he cracked his normally serious game face for a big grin and why not?

His eldest son, Duke senior Miles Plumlee had just grabbed an amazing 22 rebounds, the most of any player on a team Mike Krzyzewski has coached.  "Miles  was fabulous. That's the most rebounds any player has ever had that I have coached in 37 years in a ball game, and I told Miles, I have coached some pretty good players," Krzyzewski stated in his post game press conference.

The hope is that Plumlee will build on this performance and bring consistent play down the stretch as March will soon be upon us.  With just six regular season games left and three of those at home, maybe that is in the back of the seniors mind. 

Krzyzewski alluded to the fact that (Miles) Plumlee was great today and while he would not put pressure on Plumlee, he did mention him in the same breath as Brian Zoubek who played a huge role in helping Duke win the 2010 National Championship.

There are times when the light just comes on for players and if Plumlee were to bring half the rebounds he grabbed against Maryland to the table the rest of the way, it would be a good thing for Duke.

"I know I have the potential to be a great asset to this team," said Plumlee who then stated, "I just have to be consistent and play strong every night and that's something I can do."

The mere fact that Plumlee has grabbed more rebounds in a single game than any other player in the ACC this season is impressive.  And Plumlee has the athleticism and size to be a major factor in coming games.

With wo straight double-doubles recorded by Plumlee it makes for a good start to stepping up his game as did the aforementioned Zoubek.  And one must also remember that he was on that title team and saw up close and person what it takes to make a run at the ultimate prize.

On a day when it was hard to get up for the task at hand after a rousing and classic win over arch rival North Carolina, Miles Plumlee answered the bell and Duke fans can only hope that the comparisons to Zoubek continue.

Many Blue Devils fans voiced their displeasure with the new Nike duds on social media networks but it seems Miles took to them just fine.  In fact, one might consider letting him wear that jersey underneath which ever other one he chooses the rest of the season.