Tuesday, November 13, 2012 • 9:30 p.m. • ESPN
Atlanta, Ga. • Georgia Dome (26,000)
TELEVISION
ESPN / ESPN3 / WATCHESPN
Play-by-Play: Dan Shulman
Analyst: Dick Vitale
Reporter: Andy Katz
RADIO
Blue Devil IMG Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Bob Harris; Analyst: John Roth
ESPN Radio
Play-by-Play: Mark Kestecher; Analyst: Jim Spanarkel
SiriusXM - 190 (Duke); 91 (Kentucky)
THE OPENING TIP
• Duke is ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll and No. 8 and in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Kentucky is No. 3 in both polls.
• Tuesday’s contest features two of the most storied programs in NCAA history. Duke and Kentucky have combined for 4,061 victories and 12 national championships. In addition, Duke and Kentucky have produced a combined 11 National Players of the Year and 90 All-Americans.
• Duke opened the season with a 74-55 win over Georgia State on Friday, Nov. 9. Mason Plumlee paced the Blue Devils with 19 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in the win.
• Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton also reached double-figures in scoring with 15 points and 13 points, respectively.
• The Blue Devils were 11-of-24 (.652) from three-point range in the win over the Panthers. Curry, Thornton, Rasheed Sulaimon and Quinn Cook combined for 10 treys in the win.
DUKE-KENTUCKY SERIES
• Duke trails in the all-time series, 11-8, with a 6-7 mark in neutral site games.
• Duke has won six of the last seven meetings between the two schools.
• Duke and Kentucky have met five times in NCAA Tournament play with the Blue Devils trailing in the series, 3-2.
• Mike Krzyzewski is 4-1 at Duke against the Wildcats.
• Six of the last eight games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.
STATE FARM CHAMPIONS CLASSIC HISTORY
• Duke topped Michigan State, 74-69, in its inaugural game of the Champions Classic. With the win over the Spartans, Coach K passed mentor Bob Knight as the winningest coach in NCAA history.
• The Blue Devils face Kansas in next season’s event at the United Center in Chicago.
NUMBERS GAME
l Duke, ranked No. 9 as of Nov. 11, has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll for 95 consecutive weeks. The last time Duke was not ranked in the top 10 was Nov. 19, 2007.
l Duke is 6-3 since the 2009-10 season in games against top 10 opponents. The Blue Devils have won 34 of their last 53 games when both teams have been ranked in the top 10.
l The Blue Devils are facing an SEC opponent for just the second time in the last seven years. Duke topped Tennessee, 77-67, in the opening round of the Maui Invitational last season. Coach K is 25-8 at Duke against teams currently in the SEC.
l Duke is 8-1 all-time at the Georgia Dome. The Blue Devils have won three straight games at the venue. Duke claimed the 2001 and 2009 ACC Championships and captured the 2004 NCAA Tournament South Region title at the Georgia Dome.
l Seniors Mason Plumlee (19), Seth Curry (15) and Ryan Kelly (8) combined for 42 of Duke’s 74 points in the season opener.
l Senior Mason Plumlee recorded his 19th career double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds in the season opener. Plumlee has reached double-figures in rebounding 31 times in his career.
l Seth Curry has made at least one three-point field goal in 15 straight games. Curry went 3-of-7 from three-point range in the season opener and currently ranks fourth in the Duke record books with a .408 three-point field goal percentage (131-of-321).
l The point guard tandem of Tyler Thornton and Quinn Cook combined for 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in the win over Georgia State. The duo was 6-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-10 from three-point range against the Panthers.
l Mason Plumlee has shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in the last seven games dating back to last season. Plumlee is 35-of-53 (.660) from the field, following an 8-of-12 effort in the season opener, during that stretch.
l Freshman Rasheed Sulaimon started the season opener, marking the third straight season Duke has started a freshman guard in the first game of the season.