Yearly Archives: 2012

Duke Basketball

Duke at Georgia Tech Game Notes

• Game 15 •

[5 AP / 3 Coaches] Duke (12-2, 0-0) vs. Georgia Tech (7-7, 0-0)

Saturday, January 7, 2012 • 12:02 p.m. (ET) • ESPNU

The Opening Tip

• Duke (12-2, 0-0 ACC) faces Georgia Tech (7-7, 0-0 ACC) on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Phillips Arena in Atlanta. Tipoff is set for 12:02 p.m. (ET).

• The game will be televised by ESPNU with Brad Nessler (play-by-play) and Doris Burke (analyst) calling the action.

• Duke is ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Georgia Tech is unranked in both polls. The Blue Devils are 64-24 all-time when ranked fifth in the AP Poll.

• Saturday’s game marks the ACC opener for both schools. Duke has won four straight conference openers and 24 of its 31 ACC openers under Mike Krzyzewski.

• Duke, coming off a neutral site loss to Temple, has not lost back-to-back games since losing on Feb. 11, 2009 and Feb. 15, 2009. The Blue Devils are 19-2 following a loss in the last five seasons.

Duke-Georgia Tech Series

• Duke and Georgia Tech have met 84 times heading into Saturday’s game with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 1922.

• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 62-22, including a 24-15 mark in road games.

• Duke has won three consecutive games and 27 of the last 30 in the series.

• Mike Krzyzewski is 49-18 at Duke against the Yellow Jackets.

• Duke has won 11 of the last 13 road games in the series.

• The Blue Devils have a +15.0 points per game scoring margin over the last three games in the series.

• Duke has posted a double-digit win in 19 of the last 30 meetings.

• Duke is 7-3 all-time in ACC Tournament games against Georgia Tech.

Numbers Game

l Saturday’s game marks the ACC opener for Duke. The Blue Devils are 43-15 (.741) all-time in the previous 58 openers.

l Duke is 24-7 (.774) in Atlantic Coast Conference openers under Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils have won 24 of their last 28 conference openers, including 14 of the last 15 league lid lifters.

l Duke has not lost back-to-back games since February of 2009. The Blue Devils are 12-0 following a loss in that span.

l The Blue Devils have posted a double-digit win following each of their last nine losses (does not include season-ending losses) dating back to December of the 2009-10 season.

l Duke has scored at least 40 points in 11 of the last 12 halves. The Blue Devils rank ninth in the NCAA in scoring offense at 82.1 points per game.

l Mason Plumlee leads the ACC with seven double-doubles on the year. He has posted a double-double in three of the last four games and is averaging 11.0 points and 10.5 rebounds during that stretch.

l Miles Plumlee is averaging 9.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game over the last six contests. He is 23-of-31 (.742) from the field and 11-of-13 (.846) from the foul line in that span.

l Either Mason or Miles Plumlee has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 10 of Duke’s 14 games this season. Mason has reached double figures in rebounds eight times, while Miles has three double digit rebounding efforts.

l Quinn Cook leads the NCAA with a 4.33:1 assist-to-turnover ratio (minimum 2.0 apg.). Cook has just seven turnovers in 162 minutes for an average of 23.1 minutes between turnovers.

l Duke is shooting 47.6 percent (39-of-82) from three-point range over the last four games. Tyler Thornton is 7-of-8 (.875), while Ryan Kelly is 7-of-10 (.700) from behind the arc in that stretch. The Blue Devils rank sixth nationally in three-point percentage (.429, 115-of-268) on the year.

Duke Basketball

Commentary – Putting the loss in perspective

If you've been listening of late, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski has continued to say this years Duke squad is a work in progress and still coming together as a team.  There should be few doubters after Temple took it to the Blue Devils by a 78-73 score, dropping them to 12-2 on the season.  It was a night when only the Plumlee's seemed to show up on the offensive end where Mason and Miles combined for 33 points and 17 of the teams 29 rebounds.

The rest of the team was pretty flat and they never seemed to come up with the necessary intensity it takes to win a road game against a good, now 10-3 Temple team..  Just like in the loss to the Buckeyes, there were far too many players creating one on one situations on the offensive end which resulted in too many turnovers.  It was one of those nights when all the Duke players weaknesses were exploited at one time or another and their collective strengths seemed lost.

As long as Duke keeps having more turnovers than assists, the trend could continue, especially on the road where this seasons team has yet to prove itself.  It's no secret that Duke needs a leader to step up on the offensive end and get the players around him involved, but the players looked as it if they were standing around waiting for something to happen against the Owl's.  Even when a Duke player drove to the lane, the rest of the team seemed to just watch  instead of react.  Again, too much one on one.

Duke had trouble containing the dribble-drive offense and the mid range game of the Owl's three guard offense and that forced Krzyzewski to insert freshman Michael Gbinije which speaks to the lack defense from the teams guards.  If Gbinije can learn to bring the intensity consistently, he may be used more down the stretch in that he is skilled in many areas.  But the Duke defense is as much a work in progress as is the effort to find their offensive identity.

Somebody is going to have to run the ship and get the ball to teammates consistently come ACC play.  But more-so than the individual, the team needs to collectively show they can find open teammates.  With a somewhat weak league, there is no reason to not expect Duke to bounce back  Even if it weren't a down year for the ACC, history shows us that games like this one, St. John's and Georgetown and the like, often prove to be blips on the radar.  But opposing coaches will be looking at the two road losses as a blueprint for victory and that means work has to be done and quickly.

The disappointing loss will allow Coach Krzyzewski to most certainly get the teams attention and the flight back was likely productive in nature as he'll surely use this defeat as a learning tool.  If you have been around long enough you might even wonder if there is a method to the madness or that this loss can actually prove productive.  A loss for a young team finding it's chemistry and identity is a given, but had you rather have that loss now or in ACC play?

As said, this loss gets the teams attention as conference action rules the rest of the season where they face two road games at Georgia Tech and Clemson in their first three games with a home date with an upstart and ranked Virginia in between.  Expect Duke to be much better equipped to win those games after their loss to Temple in that every players weaknesses came to the top in that game and can now be dealt with.

But let's not forget the Blue Devils accomplishments to date either and how those have by no means gone away with the upset loss.  Duke enters ACC play with victories over Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State and Washington to name a few.  If Duke corrects their road woes, they'll win some games down the stretch heading into March.  But there will be growing pains like last evening and another loss is inevitable, so adjusting expectations is wise.

Duke came into last nights game ranked number three in the nation and that was too high a ranking for this young team.  Coach Krzyzewski now has the opportunity to teach his team from the experiences and while the team is being picked apart from talking heads and fans alike, who would actually wager against these Blue Devils possibly growing into a final four contender by seasons end?

There is a ways to go before that happens, but an out of conference loss will be nothing more than a blip on the radar at seasons end in that the one of the nations toughest schedules played to date and wins have Duke practically locked into the NCAA tournament with 17 games to go.  And by the noon Saturday in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, we'll see if the Blue Devils respond and have learned how to come together enough on the road to win.

But just making the aforementioned tournament is not enough or a goal for a Krzyzewski coached Duke team and my thinking is that this team most certainly has a run in it to obtain one of the top seeds.  Duke was outplayed in last evenings loss to a deserving Temple team and exposed in many areas, but the Owls nor anybody else really want to run into these Blue Devils after they've had time to stir the pot and season.

 

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

ESPN’s Dave Telep talks Duke Basketball Recruiting with BDN

In the past week alone, BDN Premium has spoke to Brick Oettinger of Prep Stars, Jason Jordan of ESPN and today we bring our members a chat about Duke Basketball Recruiting with the well known Dave Telep, also of ESPN.  BDN Premium has built tremendous relationships on the recruiting trail, where we get out there and work hard, therefore earning respect.  The beauty of Blue Devil Nation being an independent site with no affiliation is we can talk to the best of the best.  In the past, we have also used Tom Knochalski and others and this is why BDN Premium is known for thinking outside the box and that is what in my opinion, makes our premium section unique.  Our work is often copied in style and such, but never duplicated.  It's time you tried or came back to BDN Premium to see the quality we offer.  In my chat with Telep, we spoke of the Tony Parker situation, 2012 studs, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle and Rasheed Sulaimon.  And as always, Telep was spot on.  For the record, I have great respect for Dave in that he truly cares for the kid and he's a class act on and off duty.  Okay!  On to the latest premium offering for members of Blue [private] Devil Nation -

Up next - more on Theo Pinson [/private]

Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

ESPN’s Jason Jordan talks Duke Basketball Recruiting with BDN (Public)

Julius Randle visited Duke yesterday - BDN Photo

(We have now made this a public video) I had the pleasure of talking with ESPN's Jason Jordan about Duke Basketball Recruting during the recent Holiday Invitational in Raleigh.  I got Jordan's thoughts on Julius Randle, the latest on Tony Parker, Theo Pinson, Jaquell Richmond and Tyus Jones and more in this exclusive BDN Video for our premium members.


Next up - Recruiting Update

Duke Basketball

Duke at Temple Official Game Notes

[5 AP / 3 Coaches] Duke (12-1) vs. Temple (9-3)

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. (ET) • ESPN2

The Opening Tip

• Duke (12-1) faces Temple (9-3) on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET).

• The game will be televised by ESPN2 with Carter Blackburn (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) calling the action.

• Duke is ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Temple is unranked in both polls. The Blue Devils are 64-23 all-time when ranked fifth in the AP Poll.

• The Blue Devils have won 16 consecutive non-postseason (ACC & NCAA Tournaments excluded) neutral site contests entering Wednesday’s contest.

• Duke is looking to start the season 13-1 for the 19th time in school history and the 13th time under Mike Krzyzewski.

• With a win on Wednesday, Duke would improve to 6-0 on the year in neutral site contests.

Duke-Temple Series

• Duke and Temple have met 27 times with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 1931.

• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series, 18-9, including an 11-1 mark under Mike Krzyzewski.

• Duke has won nine consecutive games and 15 of the last 18 in the series.

• Six of the last nine games in the series have been decided by 10 points or more.

Duke vs. the Atlantic 10

• The Blue Devils are 79-27 all-time against Atlantic 10 opponents.

• Duke has won 18 consecutive games against Atlantic 10 opponents dating back to a 59-58 loss to Temple on Jan. 25, 1996.

• Mike Krzyzewski is 36-1 against the Atlantic 10 as the head coach at Duke.

Numbers Game

l Duke is 35-2 in neutral site contests since the start of the 2008-09 season. The Blue Devils have won one NCAA Championship, three ACC titles and four in-season tournaments in that span.

l The Blue Devils have won 16 consecutive non-postseason (ACC & NCAA Tournaments excluded) neutral site contests.

l Duke has won 49 consecutive games against teams outside the traditional power conferences (Big Ten, Big East, SEC, ACC, PAC 12, Big 12).

l The Blue Devils have won 34 of their last 37 non-conference contests. Duke is 62-7 in non-league games since the start of the 2008-09 season.

l Quinn Cook has not committed a turnover in his last 62 minutes on the floor. He has recorded 19 assists since his last turnover in the first half of Duke’s win over UNC-Greensboro on Dec. 19. On the year, Cook has just six turnovers in 150 minutes for an average of 25.0 minutes between turnovers. His 4.8:1 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the team.

l Miles Plumlee is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game over the last four contests. Plumlee has collected 10 or more rebounds twice during that stretch.

l Duke is averaging 47.7 rebounds per game over the last three contests and has a +19.3 rebound margin in that span. The post trio of Mason Plumlee, Miles Plumlee and Ryan Kelly is averaging 28.7 rebounds per game (opponents are averaging 28.0 rpg.) in that span.

l Quinn Cook is averaging 12.0 points, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game over the last three games. He is 12-of-19 (.632) from the field during that stretch.

l Either Mason or Miles Plumlee have grabbed 10 or more rebounds in nine of Duke’s 13 games this season. Mason has reached double figures in rebounds seven times, while Miles has three double digit rebounding efforts.

l Seth Curry is averaging 18.5 ppg. while shooting 13-of-24 (.542) from the field, including 6-of-11 (.545) from three-point distance, over the last two games.

l Duke is shooting 48.5 percent (33-of-68) from three-point range over the last three games. Tyler Thornton is 6-of-7 (.857), while Ryan Kelly is 7-of-10 (.700) from behind the arc in that stretch.

l The Blue Devils are averaging 91.6 points per game during their current five-game win streak. Austin Rivers, Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly, Mason Plumlee and Andre Dawkins are each averaging in double figures during the win streak.

l Duke has distributed 20 or more assists in each of the last two games and three times this season.

l Duke has scored at least 40 points in 10

Duke Basketball, Monday Musings

BDN’s Monday Musings – Quinn Cook, Ryan Kelly, the Plums, Rasheed Sualimon, Julius Randle

Most people are adjusting back to a normal routine after the holidays, but I found myself quite busy covering two Duke Basketball games and three days worth of high school prospects.  In fact, I'll finally make it back to the gym today, but only after another edition of Monday Musings.

17 assists, 0 turnovers

During last evening's post game press conference with Duke Coach Mike Krzyzweski, he quipped, "Quinn Cook has 17 assists and no turnovers in his last two games."  I tweeted that and within a few minutes noticed there were a bevy of retweets.  For those counting, Cook has played 62 minutes without a turnover.  The freshman point guard wasn't quite the same after his injury  last season, but after surgery and rest, he's just now getting back to form.  I'm seeing flashes of what he did before the injury when I covered him on the AAU circuit and that means you will see it as well as the season progresses.  But the true test for Cook will be how does he handle hostile environments like he will in the next two road games with Temple and the ACC opener with Georgia Tech.  Cook is the only true PG on the Blue Devils roster and if he can continue to adjust to the college game and improve his defense, he'll get plenty of burn.  One must remember a PG eight miles down the road named Kendall Marshall burst onto the scene last year, but in his case, he had to.  Duke has a steady, calm leader in Tyler Thornton, a swing guard, who was making three point shots look like a three inch putt in his last two outings, but that is an area he needs to be consistent in to keep opposing defenses honest.  My thinking is that there will remain a combination of the two in some manner all season long

Austin Rivers is the ACC Rookie of the Year

Rivers had trouble finishing off his moves in his last outing, but the freshman is destined to break out before seasons end.  With Duke seeking chemistry going into ACC play, he's finding his spot and once again adjusting.  The keyword though is adjusting for he has had a huge transformation with his game since he was in high school.  His willingness to do so has proven that he is all about team first.  Rivers, provided he stays healthy is a lock for ACC Rookie of the Year and he leads the 12-1 Blue Devils in scoring as a freshman for a reason, that being he's pretty darn good.

The Plums

There was one possession Mason past up an easy shot to dish to his brother Miles who was maybe a foot closer to the rim.  The play didn't set well with the bench but it showed that Mason is looking to get Miles going in his senior year and how close these guys and family really are.  Next time, take the shot but don't worry with that play too much for Mason has been a rebounding machine and a very consistent option for Duke.  He's definitely struggling from the free throw line for sure, but he also leads the team in FG%.  And FWIW, his four blocks last evening tied his career high at Duke.  Meanwhile, Miles had solid back to back games and it seems as if the senior is finding more consistency in his last season as a Blue Devil.  And, for one, think that he will continue to improve.

Ryan Kelly getting aggressive

If you watch the videos we provided from last evenings game, you'll hear junior forward, Ryan Kelly, state that he sought to play more aggressively.  Kelly recorded hi first double-double at Duke with 18 points and 12 rebounds and his 26 minutes played in the 85-55 blowout of Penn was tops on the team.  Kelly had struggled a little bit of late but it always seems like you can count on him to come back.  Duke will need Kelly to be a presence in upcoming road tests and the ACC season.

Covering Rasheed Sulaimon

I am as impressed as ever with Rasheed Sulaimon.  The future Blue Devil will join Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee who are both red shirting provided there are no injuries in next seasons class.  Sulaimon was flat out sick as a dog during the Holiday Invitational but he reached deep and helped his team, Strake Jesuit, win their last two games to go back to Texas 2-1.  Sulaimon visited Duke with his father and brother for the win over Western Michigan and he continues to recruit for the Blue Devils hoping to add players to his class.

Julius Randle visits

While the students were gone, Randle still got the "Julius Randle come to Duke," chant which he smiled about.  Randle is a flat out stud in the post and a player the Blue Devils staff covets.  Randle visited UNC yesterday and then caught the entire Duke game.  It'll be a good while before Randle, a junior in high school this season, decides, but there is already panic at every turn.  If you do not believe me take a look at the message boards.

BDN Premium

We are still offering the special rate of 80.00 bucks for one year of Blue Devil Nation Premium, which is 20% off the regular rate.  No other site covers s many AAU and high school events than do we and it's time for you to see what you're missing.  We've put together and amazing staff and correspondents that you have to see their reporting to get a feel for how timely and accurate it is.  We have two exclusive interviews up with Rasheed Sulaimon, a bevy of interviews with stud prospects from the City of Palms already waiting and wait until you see our original, yet copied Duke Basketball Team and Recruiting Updates. We also spoke with Brick Oettinger of Prep Stars, a long time analyst about prospects and up next are ESPN's Jason Jordan and Dave Telep telling our members their thoughts on the Tony Parker situation and more.  By being an independent, we can speak with many analysts and are not limited to the ones in our network and we think that is unique on to itself.  And changes are coming as well which are sure to please in 2012, so take advantage of this offer and stay connected and join in the on the discussions and see for yourself the quality we bring to the table.  A quick not on the offer, when joining select the yearly rate of 100.00 through paypal and we'll send you 20 bucks back.  That's pennies a day for non stop behind the scenes Duke reporting.