The stellar play continues for Duke senior Mason Plumlee this season, as he scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down 17 rebounds in the Blue Devils 73-68 victory over Ohio State in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Plumlee had four dunks in the game, which makes him the all-time dunks leader in the history of Duke Basketball. BDN caught up to Mason after the game and you can hear his thoughts for yourself - (for more player videos, join BDN Premium for full site access)
It took a half for Duke to adapt to the physicality of the game, but adjust they did, and that resulted in a 73-68 victory over Ohio State in a rollicking Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke guards came alive in the second half and that, combined with another herculean effort from Mason Plumlee, led Duke to its seventh win on the young season, helping the #2 rated team remain undefeated.
Mason Plumlee now All-Time Dunk Leader at Duke
With four dunks, Mason Plumlee has more flushes than anybody in the history of Duke Basketball, surpassing Robert Brickey for that honor. His play prompted Jeff Goodman to tweet that Mason is now the front-runner for National Player of the Year. Plumlee scored a game-high 21 points to go with 17 rebounds in yet another outstanding performance, one which may finally earn him overdue ACC Player of the Week honors. Plumlee has started in 58 of his last 61 games at Duke and has an ACC-leading four double-doubles this season. He became the 17th player in Duke history to reach 700 rebounds tonight as well. When asked about the Blue Devils' early season success, Plumlee stated, "We love it. The schedule at Duke is part of the reason you come here and I think this team has embraced the schedule and the challenges we've had."
Rasheed Sulaimon erupts in the 2nd half
Duke freshman Rasheed Sulaimon earned high praise from Coach Krzyzeswki in the post-game press conference. On a night when Seth Curry struggled with his shot, Sulaimon's 17 second half points were vital in the Duke win. Sulaimon is quite cool under pressure and never seems to let anything get to him, including a first half where he did not score. He's hit at least one three-pointer in each of the Blue Devils' seven wins. "Coach told me to step it up (at the half). My teammates just trust in me. I wanted to step up for my teammates, and when he called my number I was just very aggressive and delivered," said Sulaimon.
Quinn Cook has another solid effort
At the half Quinn Cook had 2 points and 2 assists. He ended the game with 12 points, including 6 of 7 free throws down the stretch with the game on the line, as well as totalling 8 assists. But his biggest stat was his six defensive rebounds. Cook also hit players like Mason Plumlee for huge momentum-changing buckets, including the ESPN Play of the Day, a thuderous one-handed dunk on the break. "Quinn played a great game. He was up against one of the best point guards in America (Craft). An amazing stat for Quinn was his six defensive rebounds," said Krzyzewski when asked about Cook. Quinn has turned a corner with his play of late, and he's stepped up to the plate for good this go round. The Blue Devils have turned over the keys to Cook this season, and he seems to be relishing the role of being the starting point guard at Duke.
Steady Kelly
Ryan Kelly knocked down 3 of 5 three-pointers and those came at big moments in the game for Duke, and he finished with 15 points. Krzyzewski praised Kelly in the post-game as well, saying it was his best game of the season. Kelly's back-to-back three-point shots in a 40 second span brought the Crazies to their feet and helped swing the momentum in the Blue Devils' favor after they had trailed for almost the entire game.
Recap
Mental toughness and resolve helped Duke win this game. The Blue Devils weathered a first half performance where they struggled to get shots off and in the second half locked down much more on the defensive end. Mason Plumlee was the best player on the court and he imposed his will at times, and that was needed on a night when Curry was a bit off or possibly hurting from his shin issues. Duke is Final Four material on November 29th and they can get even better. They have games coming up where they can develop their bench, which scored just four points against Ohio State, and will soon get Marshall Plumlee back from his foot injury as well. Duke has gone up against the nation's best and has passed all tests with flying colors, having defeated three of the four teams from last year's Final Four already. Add to that wins over Minnesota and Virginia Commonwealth and this team is more than a little battle-tested. And the most recent four wins have come in just seven days. More importantly, the team chemistry is as good as it's ever been, and for that to happen this early in the season is a testament to the staff's off-season adjustments.
Game Notes
One of the two players who signed with Duke for next season is a shooting guard out of Texas by the name of Matt Jones. Jones is a solid player getting better as he works on his game per his future teams orders. Jones said he was just trying to be a normal kid on and off the court and play with more confidence this season during our chat and that he was looking forward to putting on a Duke uniform and that he wanted to each time he watched the Blue Devils. Check out what he had to say for yourself as a BDN Premium member -
On his season to date ...
My season has been going pretty good so far as a team and individually. We're eight games into our season and I am trying to lead my team, we're pretty young this season but we are ranked like #20 in the nation, so we're pretty good.
On playing a different role with his high school team this season ... [private]
Yeah actually I am. I'm playing more point guard this season. I have been working on my handle and being more vocal on the court this year, so my role has changed. I talked to Coach K yesterday and text the assistants when I can.
On what Coach Krzyzewski has asked him to work on in conversations ...
He told me about the guys on the team and winning the tournament. He wants me to be more vocal and be more aggressive on the court this season and work on my handle and overall floor game and things like that. The goal is to become a more confident and versatile player before entering Duke.
On whether he'd like to already be at Duke when he watched them play this season ...
Oh yeah. Every time I watch Rasheed (Sulaimon) and them play I wish I was there already and makes me anxious.
On signing day festivities at his DeSoto High School in Texas and getting his LOI to Duke ...
It was cool, it was good. I had my family there and a couple of good friends from my school and some girls from the basketball team. It was pretty fun. It's just an honor to know I will be playing for Coach K at Duke and I was excited to make it official.
On playing in the Triangle later in December ...
Yes sir. I will be coming to Raleigh, North Carolina in December and I am looking forward to getting back to the area.
On the possibility of playing with Jabari Parker if he chooses Duke ...
Jabari is a great player and one we need, it would be great to play with him. [/private]
I created a fictitious Dunk-O-Meter on the BDN Twitter feed for Duke senior Mason Plumlee, who's two shy of the all-time Duke record set by Robert Brickey. Of course, few know that this stat only came about in the 1980's. Plumlee is 2nd in the ACC in scoring this season at 19.7 ppg, and has scored at least 16 points in every game this year. Plumlee is also 2nd in the conference in rebounding, grabbing 10.0 rpg boards per contest, and is the ACC's active leader in double-double production with 21. Plumlee has been incredibly efficient from the field all season as well, ranking fourth in the entire nation in that category. "We're just a different team this year," said Plumlee during this afternoons open media session with players. "We are so balanced, there are times when you grab the box score after the game and we have five guys in double figures. Offensively, I think we can be dangerous with our balance this season." Check out for yourself what Plumlee had to say:
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke Head Football Coach David Cutcliffe has been named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year. Cutcliffe led Duke to a 6-6 regular season record, a three win jump from a season ago. The Blue Devils were picked last in their division in the pre-season and surpassed almost all expectations, becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since the 1994 season.
Cutcliffes' Blue Devils lost several starters in the pre-season and his team weathered further injuries during the year, yet still overcame the adversity to post the best season at Duke in 18 years. Cutcliffe recently signed a well-deserved contract extension at Duke, but he is not resting on his laurels. He's out on the recruiting trail this week as his team awaits a sure bowl invitation, expected to be issued as early as this coming Sunday.
“This honor is both humbling and rewarding because of the quality of the coaches in our conference,” said Cutcliffe. “Like all awards, the credit reaches far beyond one person and this is truly one for our entire program. Ultimately, the acclaim goes to both our staff and the group of young men that came to practice every day with a desire to improve and prepare, gave their best effort on Saturdays, succeeded academically and served our community with pure selflessness. While this was a season of progress for our program, many of the goals we laid out five years ago have not been reached and we’ll continue our pursuit of excellence.
2012 ACC Coach of the Year Voting Results
David Cutcliffe, Duke (25)
Dabo Swinney, Clemson (7)
Jimbo Fisher, Florida State (5)
Larry Fedora, North Carolina (4)
Al Golden, Miami (4)
Tom O’Brien, NC State (1)
Blue Devil Nation congratulates Coach Cut on a successful season and a well-deserved award.
DURHAM, N.C. – Led by first team selections Ross Cockrell and Will Monday, nine Duke players earned All-ACC recognition as the conference released its all-league football teams on Monday afternoon.
Joining Cockrell and Monday were second unit choices Walt Canty and Conner Vernon along with honorable mention picks Kenny Anunike, Jamison Crowder, Dave Harding, Ross Martin and Perry Simmons.
Voting on the All-ACC teams was conducted by 46 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.
Anunike, a redshirt senior defensive end from Galena, Ohio, who will return for a sixth season of eligibility in 2013, has totaled 42 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 quarterback sacks and one caused fumble this season.
Canty, a senior safety and co-captain from Roebuck, S.C., paces the Blue Devils in tackles with 102 while ranking ninth in the conference in tackles per game (8.50). He has added 5.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one interception on the year.
Cockrell, a redshirt junior cornerback and co-captain from Waxhaw, N.C., leads the ACC in interceptions with five while ranking third in total passes defended with 17. In 12 games, he has compiled 63 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 12 pass breakups.
Crowder, a sophomore wide receiver from Monroe, N.C., has 70 receptions for 1,025 yards and eight touchdowns on the year. In the regular season finale against Miami, he caught eight passes for a career-high 203 yards including an ACC record and NCAA record-tying 99-yard touchdown pass from Sean Renfree.
Harding, a redshirt junior offensive guard from Orlando, Fla., has started all 12 games along the Duke line this year, helping the Blue Devils rank second in the ACC in sacks allowed per pass attempt (26.37).
Martin, a freshman kicker from Solon, Ohio, has tallied 98 total points in 2012 by making 18-of-20 field goal attempts and all 44 of his PAT conversions. In the ACC, he ranks first in PAT percentage (1.000), third in field goals per game (1.50) and seventh in points per game (8.17).
Monday, a redshirt freshman punter from Flowery Branch, Ga., leads the conference and ranks 14th nationally in punting average at 44.12.
Simmons, a redshirt junior offensive tackle from Raleigh, N.C., has started all 12 games while helping the Duke offense average 31.33 points per game, marking the third-highest single-season total in school history.
Vernon, a senior wide receiver and co-captain from Miami, Fla., earns second team All-ACC accolades for the third consecutive season. Through 12 games, he has caught a team-best and school single-season record 75 passes for 955 yards and seven touchdowns. Earlier this season, Vernon became the ACC’s all-time leader in both pass receptions and receiving yardage and his 47-game career totals stand at 273 catches for 3,630 yards and 20 touchdowns.
2012 ALL-ACC TEAMS (Points)
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB-Tajh Boyd, Clemson (86)
RB-Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (91)
RB-Andre Ellington, Clemson (77)
WR-DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson (80)
WR-Alex Amidon, Boston College (53)
OT-Oday Aboushi, Virginia (53)
OT-Brandon Thomas, Clemson (51)
OG-Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina (79)
OG-Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech (64)
C-Dalton Freeman, Clemson (78)
TE-Brandon Ford, Clemson (54)
K-Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (79)
Spec.- Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (48)
Defense
DE-Bjoern Werner, Florida State (89)
DE-Cornellius Carradine, Florida State (77)
DT-Joe Vellano, Maryland (80)
DT-Sylvester Williams, North Carolina (63)
LB-Nick Clancy, Boston College (66)
LB-Kevin Reddick, North Carolina (65)
LB-Steve Greer, Virginia (58)
CB-Xavier Rhodes, Florida State (66)
CB-Ross Cockrell, Duke (50)
S-Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (59)
S-Earl Wolff, NC State (46)
P-Will Monday, Duke (73)
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB-E.J. Manuel, Florida State (25)
RB-Duke Johnson, Miami (47)
RB-Chris Thompson, Florida State (31)
WR-Conner Vernon, Duke (51)
WR-Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest (32)
OT-James Hurst, North Carolina (50)
OT-Cameron Erving, Florida State (21)
OT-Emmett Cleary, Boston College (21)
OG-Tre’ Jackson, Florida State (26)
OG-R.J. Matttes, NC State (24)
C- Bryan Stork, Florida State (19)
TE-Eric Ebron, North Carolina (51)
K-Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson (22)
K-Casey Barth, North Carolina (22)
Spec.-Duke Johnson, Miami (44)
Defense
DE-James Gayle, Virginia Tech (30)
DE-Kareem Martin, North Carolina (22)
DT-Everett Dawkins, Florida State (34)
DT-Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (24)
LB-Demetrius Hartsfield, Maryland (34)
LB-Christian Jones, Florida State (31)
LB-Jack Tyler Virginia Tech (28)
CB-David Amerson, NC State (46)
CB-Antone Exum, Virginia Tech (44)
S-Rashard Hall, Clemson (43)
S- Walt Canty, Duke (31)
P-Tommy Hibbard, North Carolina (40)
Honorable Mention [Name, School, Position, Points]: Kenny Anunike (Duke), de (13); Jeremiah Attaochu (GT), lb (26); Brandan Bishop (NCS), safety (20); Travis Bond (UNC), og (14); Tre Boston (UNC), safety (29); Darryl Cato-Bishop (NCS), de (12); Emmett Cleary (BC), ot (21); Jamison Crowder (Duke), wr (15); Stefon Diggs (MD), spec. (33); Jay Finch (GT), c (16); Jon Feliciano (MIA), og (16); A.J. Francis (MD), de (12); Kyle Fuller (VT), cb (16); Mike Glennon (NCS), qb (10); Malliciah Goodman (CLEM), de (16); Dave Harding (Duke), og (14); Seantrel Henderson (MIA), ot (13); Antoine Hopkins (VT), dt (10); Derrick Hopkins (VT), dt (15); Will Jackson (GT), ot (14); Timmy Jernigan (FS), dt (15); Alex Kinal (WF), p (12); Gerald Levano (BC), p (13); Brandon Linder (MIA), og (21); Ross Martin (Duke), pk (11); Anthony McCloud (FS), dt (10); Jake McGee (VA), te (12); Demetrious Nicholson (VA), cb (12); Denzel Perryman (MIA), lb (12); Kevin Pierre-Louis (BC), lb (14); Bryn Renner (UNC), qb (15); LaRoy Reynolds (VA), lb (10); Tim Scott (UNC), cb (10); Perry Simmons (Duke), ot (11); Orwin Smith (GT), rb (13); Kenny Tate (MD), lb (12); Bruce Taylor (VT), lb (19); Sammy Watkins (CLEM), wr (19); Menelik Watson (FS), ot (13); Camden Wentz (NCS), c (12); Brennan Williams (UNC), ot (13); Vince Williams (FS), lb (11)
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