Monthly Archives: November 2012

Monday Musings

Monday Musings – It’s all about Atlanta for Duke this week

This week is all about Atlanta. Duke in Atlanta, that is. The Blue Devils basketball and football teams will visit the land of the Peach Tree in two high profile games. Coach Mike Krzyzewski and his charges will jump first on Tuesday evening, when Duke takes on Kentucky in a Battle of the Blues. This game is part of the State Farm Champions Classic, and pits two of the nation's most storied programs facing off in an early season slugfest. On Saturday, the football team takes on Georgia Tech and with a win, followed by a victory in their final home game against Miami, the Blue Devils can play for the ACC Coastal Division title. So there is no doubting that Hot 'Lanta will be the center of the Duke universe this week.

Blue versus Blue or Duke versus Kentucky

Two thoroughbred programs will take to the court tomorrow evening in Atlanta, and by evening's end either the defending national champions will once again be standing tall or Duke will have served notice that they are a true contender for this season's crown. A lot of folks want to make something out of early season basketball games, more so than they should at times.  Even if it's true, the fact that neither Duke nor Kentucky played all that well in their season openers really means little, as those performances indicate almost nothing about how the season will ultimately go.  The winner of this game could have a leg up with the polls and the talking heads, if nothing else.  That is, until Duke next travels to the absolutely loaded Battle in Atlantis.

During today's press conference, we got nothing more than the standard coach-speak from John Calipari. He was quick to point out that Kentucky is a freshman-dominated team, when in fact their veteran depth is very much alive and well, and in reality is likely the key to a Wildcat win. Calipari also mentioned that PG Ryan Harrow, a transfer from N.C. State, has been sick, is still sick, and may not make the journey. This means he'll likely play. Calipari also mentioned that Duke would probably have the most fans in the arena, when the reality is that Atlanta is known for garnering a huge Kentucky turnout. I'd take the bet that attendance is 2 to 1 or better for the Big Blue Nation.  Calipari also mentioned the Wildcats would have to rebound better, but that goes for Duke as well, as the Blue Devils have not been as proficient on the boards as many anticipated in their two exhibition and one regular season game. Coach-speak comes in many forms; Krzyzewski has his own, so sometimes you're forced to read between the lines. The bottom line is this: it's a huge matchup, especially for the fans and the network. We'll go into more detail in our game preview a bit later, and we'll be in Atlanta to bring you all the latest from court side.

Duke in line for ACC Title

The Duke football team will take its turn in Atlanta this Saturday at 3:30 when they face Georgia Tech.  The Blue Devils are a double figure underdog. A few weeks ago, a lot of folks were pointing to this game as the best chance for Duke to get to six wins, but this is ACC Football -- and much can change in a single weekend. Now the Yellow Jackets are peaking after they blasted North Carolina on the road, putting up ridiculous offensive numbers. In order to become bowl-eligible, Tech needs wins in its last two games, versus the Blue Devils and a highly ranked Georgia team.  Which team do you think their coaching staff feels they have the best shot to defeat? Duke was off last week, so had extra time to prepare for the vaunted option attack that many teams struggle to stop.  It'll be up to the Duke offense to put up enough points to win in what could be a wild and woolly affair. A lot of great story lines in this one, and a Duke win sets up a game with Miami next week where a win would vault them to the ACC Championship game versus (probably) Florida State. But first things first.  The Yellow Jackets are more than just a bump in the road. The beauty of the whole thing is that nobody would have thought that Duke's final two games in 2012 would have such meaning, and that they'd have the opportunity to actually compete for a championship.

The Intangibles

When Duke was searching for a football coach, they landed David Cutcliffe, but before that happened they interviewed Paul Johnson, the current Georgia Tech coach. He took the Tech job for less money than Duke offered, and it has been rumored that he's not said a lot of nice things about Duke's program ever since. His teams handled Coach Cut's early teams easily, but the gap has closed.  Or has it? We'll find out this Saturday. It is also worth noting that Duke senior quarterback Sean Renfree ended up deciding between Duke and Georgia Tech, so this game has to have some extra meaning for him as well. As I said, lots of story lines. I think you will see a physical game, with the toughest team coming away with the win. With conference championship implications on the line, this is one of the biggest Duke football games in some time.

On the lack of playing time for Alex Murphy

Everybody noticed that Alex Murphy didn't get any burn in the season opener against Georgia State.  We decided not to address this situation past what Coach Mike Krzyzewski said, which was that it was a coach's decision.  I suppose it's because we've been around the Duke program for a long time and have seen this same type of thing happen to many players, including the likes of Nolan Smith. The bottom line is while it may be a shock to some that Murphy did not play, many Duke players in the past have had to pay their dues, or been in some sort of similar place that Alex is in now, and the vast majority of them worked things out over time. I have no first-hand knowledge of the situation, but I would advise against overreacting to this one game decision. A single game-day decision is by no means a long-term projection as to how things will go. My bet is another player will be on the bench at some point this season while Murphy plays, and then I will have to start this explanation all over again. That's it! Let's wait for something more clear and consistent to emerge.

Semi Ojeleye and parents visit Durham, BDN Photo

Semi Ojeleye and Family

Semi Ojeleye visited Duke on his official visit this past weekend. There are no first-hand accounts as to what happened, only that he is a sealed deal for Duke. Ojeleye is an interesting prospect who fits the Duke mold in more ways than one. He's an athletic and versatile player who is unlike many of the current kids on the roster, and he already possesses a college-ready body.

 

 Kyrie Irving tearing it up
In his second season, Kyrie Irving is looking like an NBA All-Star.  If you can get past some of the garbage pail offerings from the likes of SB Nation, you will find a lot of good stories on his start to the season. Here is one of the better reads on Kyrie.
Duke Basketball

Seth Curry and Rasheed Sulaimon Post Game Interviews

The Duke Blue Devils won their season opening game against Georgia State and Seth Curry was just happy to be on the court per his post game comments.  BDN caught up to Curry and true freshman Rasheed Sulaimon to get their thoughts on the game.  It was of course, the home debut for Sulaimon who is starting in his first season of play in Durham, while Curry has battled a nagging injury and practiced little with the team this pre season.


Duke Football

BDN Week 11 College Football Picks

The Blue Devils may have a bye this week, but there are no weeks off in BDN's College Football picks Andrew Slater has grabbed the overall lead after a 7/10 week. Here are the updated standings:

Picks: In the ACC this week there are two crucial Coastal Division matchups between Miami and Virginia and Georgia Tech traveling to Chapel Hill to face the Tar Heels. On the national scene, two of the remaining undefeateds face stiff road tests as Alabama travels to Texas A&M and undefeated Kansas State Wildcats look to stay unbeaten at TCU.

Duke Basketball

Plumlee leads Duke past Georgia State 74-55

 

The Duke Blue Devils kicked off the 2012-13 basketball season with a 74-55 victory over Georgia State in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils were led by senior co-captain Mason Plumlee, who scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the win.

Duke Offense struggled a bit

Coach Krzyzewski said that the Georgia State defense had a lot to do with the Blue Devils not being able to get out on the break. The Panthers threw a lot of different looks at Duke, including half-court presses, junk zones, and occasional man. Duke shot the ball well but only got 47 attempts, which is a fairly low number.

Defense was solid

We mentioned in our preview that Duke would try to slow Devonta White and R.J. Hunter, and for the most part they did so. Hunter scored 14 points but he had averaged 25 ppg in his first two contests. The Duke defense allowed just 4 assists total for the Panthers. Duke also held its opposition to under 40% from the field.

Mason solid but can be better

In the post-game locker room Mason Plumlee told BDN that he left some points on the floor, and Kryzewski said the same thing. He was referring to some late passes which went astray but Coach K also commended Plumlee for moving the ball properly, emphasizing that his teammates had to move once they delivered him the ball. Mason ended the game with 19 and 14 and was interviewed by ESPNU after the contest.

Tyler got the start

Tyler Thornton is never a player some fans talk about as a starter, but his defensive skills prompted Krzyzewski to start him, and he answered the call with 13 points. Thornton drew the defensive assignment on the taller Hunter for much of the game. Thornton told BDN that he tries to be a steadying influence for this team, and I think that quality will continue to earn him burn. For the record, this was Thornton's 14th consecutive start.

Seth Curry plays well

Curry has battled a pre-season injury and therefor has only practiced a couple of times with the team. Seth told BDN that he was happy just to be on the court and he actually did a good job of getting his rhythm back, which is important going into the big game with Kentucky on Tuesday night. Physically, Coach Krzyzewski said the staff would have to wait and see how Seth responds tomorrow.

Quinn Cook comes off the bench

Cook was the first player off the bench for Duke, and he will get some starts before all is said and done. Kryzyzewski cited matchups as the reason he went with Thornton from the jump.

Notes

Duke won its 95th consecutive non-conference game in Cameron and is now 79-29 all-time in season openers. It was the 31st consecutive season opening win for Duke. Duke went on a 13-2 run at the 7:34 mark of the first half, turning a 17-15 lead into a 30-17 advantage.

Duke Basketball

Game Day Preview – Duke Basketball kicks it off vs Georgia State

The Duke Blue Devils open the 2012-13 basketball season tonight when they entertain Georgia State in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tip is at 7 PM, and the game will be televised by ESPNU. A few quick numbers: Duke starts the season ranked #8 in the pre-season poll and they've won their last twelve openers. Duke is 39-3 versus teams from the Colonial Athletic Association, though this will be the first-ever meeting between Duke and Georgia State. The Blue Devils have won 94 straight games in Cameron over non-conference teams. The game will also mark the 1219th game for Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who begins his 33rd season in Durham.

About the opponent

Georgia State Coach Ron Hunter led his team to a 22-12 record a season ago, the second most in school history. Duke alum and former Maryland coach "Lefty" Driesell won 29 in 2001 in leading the Panthers to the NCAA tournament, and even won a game in that tournament. Devonta White made second team All-CAA a year ago and he is expected to lead the Panthers this season as well. White comes into the Duke game riding a streak of 19 consecutive free throws dating back to last season. This year's squad will also feature true freshman R.J. Hunter, the son of the coach.

Their play in two exhibition games gives the Panthers reason for optimism heading into Cameron this evening. They defeated Life 85-62 as Hunter scored 30 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.  The coach's son then dropped 22 more on Albany State in a  80-60 Georgia State win.  The Panthers will employ a three guard offense at times, but the expected starters will be the aforementioned White and Hunter in the backcourt with Manny Atkins, Markus Coker and James Vincent up front.  But several reserves saw meaningful action in the exhibition games and are expected to do the same tonight. White has been selected to the pre-season All-CAA team.

Georgia State loves the three ball as does Duke, and they like to play defense too. Their 315 steals a season ago was the second most in school history, as four players had 50 or more. The Panthers have made at least one three-point shot in their last 515 games,

On the Duke side

Duke will look a little different than a season ago. Gone are Austin Rivers and Miles Plumlee to the NBA, and Andre Dawkins, whose shooting was critical in several early wins a year ago, will redshirt this season. True freshmen Amile Jefferson and Rasheed Sulaimon are in the mix, along with redshirt freshmen Marshall Plumlee and Alex Murphy. The injured Plumlee is not expected to return for this game, but could possibly be in uniform for next week's clash with Kentucky, depending on how things go,

The Blue Devils were not overly impressive in their two exhibition games, though to be fair, it was obvious that Coach Mike Krzyzewski was still feeling his team out. It had appeared that Duke would start Alex Murphy at small forward, but Rasheed Sulaimon has since been named a starter in a  three guard lineup.  Seth Curry has struggled with a lingering leg injury, but should get the start alongside Quinn Cook, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee. Duke will surely play a lot of players this evening, so most everyone will get a chance to contribute against what could be a very pesky opponent.

The Blue Devils should be able to control things in the paint, but rebounding was the main concern against smaller opponents in the pre-season.  However, the team will likely bring a different level of intensity to tonight's game, so making too much of exhibition game statistics would probably be a mistake. One of the stats I'm referring to is the Blue Devils shooting 1 of 17 from the three-point stripe in the last exhibition game, a performance I do not expect to be repeated.

I look for Duke to try and shut down the two Georgia State players that can most hurt them in backcourt mates R.J. Hunter and Devonta White. Rasheed Sulaimon will have a tough defensive assignment right out of the gate, and it will be fun to watch how he responds to the challenge. I think Duke will go low to Mason Plumlee a lot as they try to establish his dominance in the paint.

It will also be important that Duke does not look ahead to Kentucky, who awaits the Devils in the State Farm Classic this coming Tuesday.  That is not exactly an easy thing to do. But for now, the Blue Devils should get off to a 1-0 start and by evening's end we'll have a lot more to talk about. Be sure to check into Blue Devil Nation for press row tweets from Cameron, post game coverage with videos and photos, and of course for full site access, join BDN Premium, our extended subscription service.

The pick

Duke may take a few minutes to adjust, but I expect you'll see intensity right out of the gate.  Look for Coach K to continue to tinker with his lineups and combinations.  The pick here is Duke 87, Georgia State 64

Duke Basketball. It's back!

Duke Basketball

Amile Jefferson talks the Duke Basketball season opener

copyright BDN Photo, Mark Watsob

Duke Freshman Amile Jefferson has been a pleasant surprise in the early season exhibition games and BDN caught to him as members of the team addressed the media today.  Jefferson talks of his adjustment to the college game and his role on this seasons team and more.  Check it out for yourself -