Monthly Archives: March 2013

Duke Basketball

BDN’s Duke Basketball Notebook

RCP_2850Duke finally gets a break

I will be th first to admit that I expected a bit more from last nights Duke win over Virginia Tech. Perhaps I expected too much in that Duke was celebrating the last game in Cameron for what has been amazing careers for Mason Plumlee. Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly. A sportswriter friend of mine said he thought it would be a trap game, while i expected a blowout, but we got something sort of in between. Duke was only six points well into the second half before they hit the gas and coasted to an 85-57 win but their performance was at times mildly and surprisingly uninspired. But then came the reality that this was indeed a trap game where they were playing this game just hours after and emotional home win over Miami in a game the nation seemd to be watching per TV ratings released today. I really think this Duke team was a bit spent with the mental aspects of the game and after all, UNC lies ahead and they have not lost since the last time they faced Duke and they deserve some attention and a ranking at this point. Anyhow, they now know whwne they are playing having sewed up the second seed in the ACC Tournament and the team took today off before prepping for UNC on Thursday. They should be revitalized as a team and will likely leave it on the court Saturday evening in Chapel Hill knowing they have a six day break before the ACC Tournament begins.

39Kelly continues to prove his value

Of the three senior day speeches, Kellys was by far the best in my humble opinion if for no other reason than he propped his parents and even his girlfriend. There were times when Kelly looked exhausted, yet he pushed through fatigue to score a critical 18 points but that killed his average. I mean in the last two games since his return he is only averaging 27 ppg now and I hope you can detect the tongue in cheek sarcasm. Anyhow, Kelly is once again allowing for more opportunities in that he stretches the court with his ability to hit the three point shot and his defense is very, very underrated. Too bad Kelly didn't play all season long for he would likely be getting some first place votes for All ACC this coming Sunday evening. I am still in awe of his performance against Miami where he dropped 36 points. In short, there are not enough words to properly describe that performance and it's not like we can stop time long enough for it to come to us.

It's the end of the world as we know it

If you are keeping up with the latest news, it looks as if Notre Dame could join the league next season alongside Pitt and Syracuse. I have already warned people that ACC Tournament tickets will once again be a most coveted thing once the other teams are in, so this is the last season we will go down a familiar path with the tournament. Winning the regular season will be a bear of a task moving forward and yes indeed, the ACC can truly be called a basketball conference again, especially once Louisville comes in. Just take a moment to imagine some of the ACC matchups next season. And for Duke, they'll be a very talented but young team.

37Mason still has a shot at ACC Player of the Year

Mason Plumlee has not had his best games of late. In fact, many felt liek he has played himself out of the ACC POY race in the last three games but take him away from Duke and how well would they have done? And unlike, say, Erick Green, there are a lot of other capable players to take shots away from him on the Duke team. Shane Larkin is making a strong run for the award and me personally? I will wait to see how the last two games shake out for I still see it as a close call. But make no mistake, Mason needs a monster game against North Carolina for the aforementioned to happen. My mailbox is full of ACC SID's pushing their players and for me past three players on first team, nothing is especially clear. That's why i need to see how the teams finish and it will go down to the midnight hour before my votes are turned in.

I will truly miss our seniors

People can accuse me of being a homer all they want, but Duke really recruits classy young men with great character. I continue to b impressed with the type of players the program brings in and as most of you know I am very active on the recruiting trail. This allows me to gt to know prospects or players before they ever set foot on campus if they do at all and sometimes you meet their parents as well. I will sit down later and talk of all the seniors but for now they seem to have more work to do and they hinted as such last evening during senior speeches, but I will especially miss Mason and Ryan who I have known since they were barely old enough to drive. Each of them are high quality young men with bright futures and it was a pleasure to have watched them grow and get to know the parents who raised such fine young citizens.

Tidbits

Coach K won his 401stcareer ACC game and I can honestly say that I have been around for all of them. What a ride and it's not over! Duke won it's fifth straight game over a top 5 opponent over Miami this past week. Duke will play in the 7:00 game next Friday in the ACC Tournament and most folks are hoping to stay in the east in the NCAA Tournament. Duke went undefeated in Cameron this season and the Blue Devils remain the only team in the AP, Coaches polls, the NCAA RPI and strength of schedule.

Duke Football

Anthony Boone is ready for the challenges ahead

Image by Blue Devil Nation
Image by Blue Devil Nation

Spring is in the air around Wallace Wade Stadium as football practice begins for the 2013 season.  One of the things sure to grab more than a little attention this spring is the battle at quarterback.  Anthony Boone is currently penciled in as the Duke starter but spirited practices lie ahead and he'll have to earn his job.  During todays' press conference at Duke, David Cutcliffe said that Boone was a natural born leader and that he felt he adjusted well in the opening practice.  Blue Devil Nation caught up with Boone for the following video interview -

Duke Football

Duke Football Spring Notebook

Duke-footballComing off the program's first bowl appearance since 1995, the Blue Devils have plenty of momentum, and plenty of questions, as they open spring practice on Monday.

Coaching staff changes

After the bowl game, the Duke staff lost two familiar faces, but saw two familiar faces return. Given the success of the 2012 campaign, it was no surprise to see the Blue Devil coaches in high demand on the national scene. Perennial power Oregon was able to hire away Duke receivers Coach Matt Lubick, a west coast native. The NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars came calling for Duke special teams coordinator Ron Middleton. In replacing the two departures, Coach Cutcliffe hit it out of the ballpark - twice. His first call was to former Duke coach and WR great, Scottie Montgomery, who had served as receivers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the past 3 seasons. Montgomery, now with NFL coaching experience, will do an outstanding job for the Blue Devils, both on the field and on the recruiting trail. Another former Blue Devil, Re'quan Boyette, was promoted to the coaching staff as running backs coach. As a graduate assistant, Boyette proved to be a hard-worker, both in practice and on the recruiting trail. His promotion is well-deserved, and should help the Blue Devils continue to build on their success of the 2012 season.

Spring questions

The Blue Devils have some big shoes to fill in 2013, particularly on offense, where they will have to replace two of the most productive players in school history in QB Sean Renfree and WR Conner Vernon. Though rising redshirt-junior Anthony Boone appears to have the upper hand in the QB competition, young Thomas Sirk and Parker Boehme will compete for snaps this spring. Veteran utility man Brandon Connette will also be an option under center for Kurt Roper, as the Blue Devils plan to transition towards a read option-type offense, bolstered by their depth at running back and the athleticism of their quarterbacks.

And if it's uncertain exactly who will be throwing passes for Duke in 2013, it's even more unclear who will be catching them. Rising junior Jamison Crowder is the only returning receiver with significant experience and production at the college level. Brandon Braxton, still battling a shoulder injury, will try to bring some experience and consistency to the 2013 receiving corps. After a year of experience and conditioning, the staff hopes that young Max McCaffrey and Anthony Nash can become threats downfield. The Blue Devils also have a lot of talent and depth, but not a lot of experience, at the tight end position, which may be featured in the new Duke offense. David Reeves, Issac Blakeney, and Braxton Deaver have all shown flashes of ability, but will need to become consistent threats in the new-look offense. Young Erich Schneider and Dan Beilinson, along with former DL Nick Sink, will also compete for snaps this spring.

The offensive line and running backs are one area with almost no uncertainty heading into the spring. There will be competition to replace the graduated Brian Moore, and Duke should truly be 2-deep at almost every spot this fall. Expect to see the veteran line and deep running back corps to have a strong spring.

Defensively, will Rick Petri's linemen be able to take the step forward this team needs to compete for an ACC championship? Duke returns its entire defensive line from 2012, and will need to stay healthy and develop more consistency this spring. With questions marks in the secondary, the key to the Blue Devil defense will be a strong pass rush in 2013.

Speaking of the secondary, the Blue Devils have to replace essentially four starters in Walt Canty, Jordon Byas, Lee Butler, and Braxton. Outside of Ross Cockrell and Dwayne Norman, there are a number of question marks for the Duke defensive backs. True freshmen Evrett Edwards and Quay Mann will see lots of snaps this spring as they prepare to contribute this fall. Jared Boyd and Corbin McCarthy will look to bounce back from missing of 2012 with injuries, while redshirts Jeremy Cash, DeVon Edwards, and Michael Westray will prepare to see their first snaps in a Blue Devil uniform this fall.

At linebacker, all eyes will be on Kelby Brown as he takes his first snaps after missing all of 2012 with the second knee injury of his career. Freshman Dominic McDonald will miss the spring after knee surgery. Kyler Brown, David Helton, Britton Grier, C.J. France, and Deion Williams all return with experience. Overall, the linebacking corps should be a source of strength for the 2013 Blue Devils.

Special teams will be solid, with All-Americans Will Monday and Ross Martin with 3 years of eligibility remaining. The biggest competition this spring will be at return, where Duke will need to find dependable kick and punt returners for the 2013 season.

2013 schedule released

The 2013 schedule features home games against NCCU, Troy, Navy, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, NC State, and Miami, with road trips to Memphis, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and UNC. Season tickets are on sale now and the Blue Devils are offering a number of great prizes for early ticket buyers. If fans thought that the 2012 season was exciting and history-making, the 2013 Blue Devils have a chance to make school history, as they seek the program's first ever back-to-back bowl appearances. Get your tickets now to follow the 2013 Blue Devils.

2014 Recruiting in full swing

Coming off the Belk Bowl appearance, the Duke staff has been hard on the recruiting trail in the class of 2014. The Blue Devils have already hosted a number of elite rising seniors on unofficial visits, most notably for the Duke vs. UNC and Duke vs. Miami basketball games. With Alabama LB Zavier Carmichael already on board, Coach Cutcliffe looks to make the 2014 recruiting class his strongest yet in Durham. BDN Premium will follow all the recruiting action this spring, summer, and all the way to Signing Day 2014.