Category Archives: Duke Basketball

Duke Basketball

BDN’s UNC at Duke coverage is about to begin – win one year of BDN Premium in our contest

UNC invades Cameron for rivalry game
copyright BDN Photo

Durham, N.C. - It's true that Duke fans and the team are still smarting from the loss to Maryland, but that makes the UNC game very important to the Blue Devils in that a win guarantees no less than a tie atop the ACC.  While some may feel Maryland will destroy Virginia, I say take a wait and see approach.

BDN will be on the scene in a big way to cover the Duke-UNC game this weekend.  It all begins with Mike Krzyzewski addressing the media tomorrow and we'll bring that to you the second it is finished via BDN audio.  We will also be interviewing players and that will shortly follow.

BDN will be around campus all weekend long, taking in the scene of the nation's best rivalry.  We will be attending the ESPN Game Day event which starts around 10:00 Saturday morning.  In fact, why don't you meet us there for admission is free and the gates to Cameron open at 9:30am.  You will not only see Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale, but former Duke players and there will be some cool prizes as well.

We will remain near campus until game time and we'll be sending lots of pictures your way all weekend long.  Of course, we will be on press row for the contest where we will update on what you don't always see via  our Blue Devil Nation Twitter Site and we'll let you know what the seniors have to say after the game.

We are also sponsoring a 'pick the score' contest. If you send us your predicted score and you are the closest to the final score, you will win a one year subscription to BDN Premium provided you meet a certain criteria, meaning no visiting fans allowed.  Sorry, but our message board is private and there is a contract which you will have to agree to.  Just think, though, with recruiting season about to heat up in basketball, you will be square in the middle of it and know the very latest as it happens.  You can enter the contest by sending a score through our Twitter site -BDN Tweets or our Facebook page.

Don't forget to check out the new Duke application listed in the ad to your right where you can get BDN updates and more.

So, stick around all weekend long for there is all kinds of coverage in store and you will definitely feel a part of it by visiting the Blue Devil Nation

Duke Basketball

ESPN’s Game Day for Duke-UNC game open to the public

ESPN College GameDay live from Cameron Indoor Stadium
Saturday, March 6
ESPN's GameDay crew will be Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps, Hubert Davis and Bob Knight

Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
Sportcenter will be doing live cut-ins from 10-11am
GameDay live from inside Cameron Indoor Stadium will run from 11 am to 12 pm
GameDay will also have a one-hour show from 8-9 pm

GameDay events are free of charge
Parking is free

Their will also be special guests and former players along with Duke Basketball prizes and giveaways will add to the show.

The public entrance into the event will be from the South Hall of Honor, while undergraduate and graduate students will enter from the North Lobby (Krzyzewskiville).

General public parking will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. in all lots around campus with the exception of the Public Policy Lot.  All cars must be removed by 2:00 p.m. from the respective lots or they will be towed.

Duke Basketball

Maryland slips past Duke 79-72

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - On one glorious night, Maryland bid farewell to its three standout seniors, avenged a bitter loss to Duke and moved into a tie with the Blue Devils atop the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Greivis Vasquez scored 20 points, including a clutch basket with 37 seconds left, and 22nd-ranked Maryland beat No. 4 Duke 79-72 Wednesday for its sixth straight win.

It was the final home game for Vasquez, who was honored with seniors Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes before the game.

Afterward, fans stormed the court to celebrate Maryland's first win over Duke in seven tries.

"You couldn't really ask for a better script than that," said Hayes, who scored 13 points. "The ACC regular-season title was on the line; it was just a real special night."

Jordan Williams had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Terrapins (22-7, 12-3), who haven't lost since falling to the Blue Devils by 21 on Feb. 13.

"This is a dream come true," Vasquez said.

Nolan Smith scored 20 for Duke (25-5, 12-3) and Jon Scheyer had 19. The defeat ended the Blue Devils' eight-game winning streak.

"Playing a big-time game like this was good for both teams," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Our guys were in a position to win the game. I'm proud of that.

"It was tough because it was a game where we played well. It wasn't a game when we played bad or played stupid. It wasn't like that. This wasn't a game where bad stuff happened."

Duke center Brian Zoubek, who had 16 points and 17 rebounds in Duke's earlier win over Maryland, finished with four points and 13 boards.

Both teams have one game left in the regular season. Maryland travels to Virginia on Saturday, and Duke hosts North Carolina.

The final minutes featured several outstanding shots, each more important than the last.

Scheyer hit a 3-pointer to put Duke up 63-60 with 5:25 to go, and Vasquez tied it with a jumper from beyond the arc. Scheyer then scored on a drive, but Maryland answered with a hook shot in the lane from Adrian Bowie and a fadeaway jumper by Vasquez.

It was 69-all before Williams scored on a follow. Then, after Duke missed twice, Vasquez tucked the ball to his chest and bulled his way to the basket before launching a shot that dropped through the net, making it 73-69.

"It was a tough shot," Vasquez said. "It was meant to be."

Sean Mosley added two free throws with 26.2 seconds left.

"It comes down to a possession or two of theirs. They made a couple of their shots, we missed a couple of ours," Scheyer said. "That's the way it goes."

Maryland finished unbeaten at home in the ACC and 15-1 overall. Afterward, coach Gary Williams gave some of the credit to the enthusiastic fans.

"The crowds have been great," he said. "We really appreciate that from our fans."

The Terrapins thrilled the crowd by getting off to a sizzling start.

Maryland led 7-0, 19-7 and 33-19 before Duke settled down. The Blue Devils took their first lead when Scheyer opened the second half with a 3 to make it 41-40.

Duke led 47-44 before Williams made a three-point play, Bowie scored on a drive and Milbourne added a dunk. After a layup by Scheyer, Bowie connected from long range to put the Terps up 54-49.

But Smith hit a tough baseline jumper and then converted a three-point play to tie it with 9:11 left, and after a series of misses by both teams, Smith's driving layup put Duke back in front.

The lead went back and forth until Maryland's closing 10-3 burst.

The Blue Devils ended the first half with a 19-7 run to get within 40-38.

Duke missed its first six shots and fell behind 7-0 before a tip-in by Zoubek ended the drought. Milbourne followed with a 3-pointer, but he picked up his second foul on Maryland's next possession and was forced to take a seat on the bench.

The Blue Devils were 1 for 8 and trailed 10-2 when officials noticed a snag in the net and replaced it. Kyle Singler promptly drilled a 3 before a reverse layup by Hayes and a three-point play by Williams - off a no-look pass from Vasquez - sparked an 11-3 run that made it 21-8.

At that point, Scheyer, Singler and Smith were a collective 1 for 9.

The trio accounted for Duke's next four baskets, and a layup by Zoubek got the Blue Devils to 25-19. Mosley then hit a jumper for Maryland, and successive 3-pointers by Hayes and Mosley boosted the margin to 14.

It was 40-29 before Duke ended the half with a three-point play by Singler and 3-pointers by Smith and Scheyer.

"They made every shot, we missed every shot - although we were getting good looks," Scheyer said. "We felt pretty good going into halftime, knowing that was their best shot."

Duke Women's Basketball

Duke Women to face Maryland or UNC in ACC Tournament

ACC Tournament Quarterfinals

Maryland (18-11, 5-9 ACC) or North Carolina (18-10, 6-8 ACC) vs. #9/8 Duke (24-5, 12-2 ACC)

Friday, March 5, 2010  •  3:00 PM (RSN-TV)

Greensboro, N.C. (Greensboro Coliseum)

Media Information

Tip-off: 3:00 PM

TV: RSN-TV (Fox Sports Net South, HD) - (Mike Hogewood-PXP, Debbie Antonelli-Color)

Radio: Duke ISP Network - 620 The Buzz with Steve Barnes (PBP), Morgan Patrick (Color);

XM Radio 190 and Sirius 216

Online Radio: www.GoDuke.com

Twitter: DukeWBBSID & CoachPDuke

Facebook: Official Duke Women’s Basketball Group

Rankings: Duke (No. 9 - AP, No. 8 - ESPN/USA Today)

Series: UNC leads 45-33; Maryland leads 37-35

Head Coaches: Duke:  Joanne P. McCallie (392-169, 18th Season);

North Carolina: Sylvia Hatchell (830-292, 35th Season)

Maryland:  Brenda Frese (251-101, 11th Season)

Blue Devils Open ACC Tournament on Friday Versus Maryland or North Carolina...

The ninth-ranked and No. 1 seeded Duke women’s basketball team (24-5, 12-2 ACC) will open the ACC Tournament on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., in the quarterfinals against the winner of the No. 8 seed North Carolina (18-10, 6-8 ACC) versus No. 9 seed Maryland (18-10, 6-8 ACC) contest.  All games will be played at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Sports South in high definition with Mike Hogewood (PXP) and Debbie Antonelli (Color) calling the action.  Fans can also hear the Blue Devils on the Duke ISP Radio Network on WDNC AM 620 with Steve Barnes (PXP) and Morgan Patrick (Color) on the air.  The radio is also available online at www.GoDuke.com, on XM Radio 190 and Sirius 216.  Duke is currently ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press and No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll.

The Maryland/North Carolina contest will take place on Thursday, March 4 at 3:00 p.m.  If Duke were to win the contest on Friday, the Blue Devils would play on Saturday in the semifinals at 1:00 p.m.  The championship game will be played on Sunday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m.

Noting Duke...

Duke is coming off shooting a season-low 26.4 percent from the field against North Carolina to close the regular season, while its 54.2 free throw percentage was a season-low against ACC opponents ... during the first 11 games of 2009, Duke only took five charges, but over the last 18 contests the players have taken 21 (Shay Selby - 6, Allison Vernerey - 5, Karima Christmas - 5) ... the Blue Devils are the only team in the ACC to have beaten a ranked non-conference opponent this season (No. 3 OSU and No. 25 JMU) ...  the Blue Devils hold a 1030-526 points in the paint advantage on the year ... Duke has been listed in the top 25 of the AP poll for 203 straight weeks, which is the longest current streak in the ACC and third nationally.

The Series With North Carolina...

The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have met 78 times in school history with North Carolina leading the overall series, 45-33.  Duke has won 19 of the last 30 games.  In games played in the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils own a 4-6 record against the Tar Heels.  UNC has won two straight in the championship game, but Duke had won four in a row prior to the two losses.

Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has faced North Carolina nine times over her 18 years as a head coach.  McCallie has a 2-7 record against the Tar Heels.  She lost two of those contests while as head coach at Maine.  McCallie’s squad faced North Carolina in the 2000 NCAA Tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif., and fell 62-57 on March 18.  The Black Bears also lost, 68-52, on Dec. 28, 1996 on a neutral site.  Since joining Duke, McCallie has notched a 2-5 mark.

The Series With Maryland...

Duke and Maryland have meet 72 times in school history. The Blue Devils trail, 37-35, in the series.  Duke has won 23 of the last 30 contests against the Terrapins.

In games played in the ACC Tournament, Duke owns a 4-6 record against the Terrapins.

Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has faced Maryland 10 times in her 18-year coaching career, while notching a 4-6 overall record. In 2005, McCallie’s Michigan State team fell 75-61 in the Paradise Jam on Nov. 25, 2005. The Spartans traveled to Maryland on Jan. 6, 2007, and lost 97-57. Since taking the Duke job, McCallie has posted a 4-4 record against the Terrapins.

Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...

• Duke has won 15 straight opening round games in the ACC Tournament and has advanced to at least the semifinals every year since 1995.  The Blue Devils have won 23 out of the last 28 contests in the ACC Tournament.

• The Blue Devils have won five ACC Championships over the last 10 years and have advanced to the ACC title game a total of nine times.  Duke has a record of 9-6 in the semifinals and 5-5 in championship games.                                                                          •        Since 1995, Duke has entered the ACC Tournament six times coming off a loss to end the regular season.  The Blue Devils went on to advance to the ACC Championship game four times and won the 2000 ACC title.

• In Duke’s 32 years in the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils own a 2-1 all-time record against No. 8 seeds and a 6-0 record versus No. 9 seeds.  The only loss to a No. 8 seed was in 1993 against Wake Forest, 70-69.  The Blue Devils own a 4-6 record against both North Carolina and Maryland in the ACC Tournament.

• With her six assists at UNC on Feb. 28, Jasmine Thomas became the 10th player in Duke history to notch over 1,000 points and 300 assists.  She currently owns 1,039 points and 304 assists in three years.

• With one more victory, Duke will register 25 or more wins for the 12th straight season.

• Over the last five games, Karima Christmas has averaged 14.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 1.6 assists and 0.8 blocks.  She has notched double-digit scoring in four out of the last five contests.  Christmas had a career-high 25 points and a career-high four three-pointers made against Maryland on Feb. 21.  Christmas had hit only two treys the last 12 games prior to the Terrapin contest.

• After not scoring more than 10 points over the last 11 games, senior Joy Cheek has notched 17 points, 13 points and 10 points the last three contests.  She has hit 5-of-10 treys the last four games and had hit only two from downtown the last 10 contests.    During the last three games, Cheek has averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals.

• Six different Blue Devils have registered 20+ points in a game this season, which leads the ACC.  Allison Vernerey, Jasmine Thomas, Krystal Thomas, Bridgette Mitchell, Joy Cheek and Bridgette Mitchell have all scored 20 or more points this year in a game.  Both Georgia Tech and Maryland are second with five different players.

• Junior Jasmine Thomas moved into ninth place on Duke’s all-time steals list with 183 for her career, while Keturah Jackson is four away from 10th place as well.

• Over her first three years at Duke, senior Bridgette Mitchell registered eight double-figure scoring games, while this year the 6’0 wing has collected 10 games with double-digit scoring.

• Sophomore guard Chelsea Hopkins has missed the last four contests with soreness in her left knee.  She is listed as day-to-day.

• In her three years at Duke, junior Jasmine Thomas has increased her field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage and scoring each year.

• Senior Keturah Jackson has a career high with eight three-pointers made in a single season.  Over her four years, she has hit 12 treys and had drained only five her first three years.

• In three years at Duke, Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has notched four victories against top-five ranked teams -- #3/3 Ohio State in 2009-10, #3/4 Stanford in 2008-09, while knocking off #4/3 Rutgers and #5/4 Maryland in 2007-08.

• In the latest NCAA RPI, Duke is fifth behind Connecticut, Stanford, Tennessee and Nebraska.  FSU is 12th, which is the next ACC squad.

• Duke is sixth in the latest RPI by Jeff Sagarin -- Connecticut (108.07), Stanford (101.67), Nebraska (100.15), Tennessee (98.00), Notre Dame (94.82) and Duke (93.87). The next closest ACC school is Florida State at No. 11 (91.00).

• Junior Krystal Thomas has moved into eighth place on Duke’s all-time blocked shots list with 121.  She is nine blocked shots shy of seventh place all-time on the Blue Devil charts.

• To show how tough Duke’s schedule has been this year, the Blue Devils went up against eight undefeated teams this season -- Connecticut (17-0), Ohio State (8-0), James Madison (7-0), Stanford (7-0), Western Kentucky (3-0), Georgia Southern (1-0), Houston Baptist (0-0) and Texas A&M (0-0).

• The final Coach P Radio Show of 2009-10 will take place on Tuesday, March 16 at 6:00 p.m.  The show will be stationed at Satisfaction Restaurant in Durham at Brightleaf Square.  Make sure you get there early to secure a seat.

• Follow DukeWBBSID on and CoachPDuke on Twitter to get the latest updates on Duke women’s basketball.  Also, join the “Official Duke Women’s Basketball Group” on Facebook to get the latest video, pictures and more.  Join both now as they are free!  You can win free prizes each week on both Twitter and Facebook, so make sure you follow closely.

Duke/North Carolina Storylines...

• If Duke and UNC meet on Friday, it would mark the first time in the series history the two teams have faced each other in back-to-back games.

• The last two times Duke and UNC have played in the ACC Tournament, the Tar Heels have come away on top (2008 and 2005).

• Junior Jasmine Thomas could go up against her former AAU teammate, Chay Shegog on Friday.  Thomas is from Fairfax, Va., while Shegog is out of Stafford, Va., and they played for the Fairfax Stars.

• If Duke and North Carolina meet on Friday, it will be for one point in the Carlyle Cup, which is a year-long competition between the Blue Devils and Tar Heels and is sponsored by Carlyle & Co.  Currently, UNC leads 10.0-5.5.

Duke/Maryland Storylines...

• If Duke and Maryland meet on Friday, the Blue Devils would face the Terrapins for the third time this season.  It would mark the third straight year Duke and Maryland would have faced each other three times.

• Freshman Allison Vernerey could go up against one of her good friends, freshman Diandra Tchatchouang, of Maryland on Friday.  Vernerey is from Alsace, France, while Tchatchouang is out of La Courneuve, France.

The duo played together on the French National teams the following years -- U-16 (2005, 2006, 2007), U-18 (2008).  They both captained the 2007 European Championship winning team.

Vernerey played her basketball at Mulhouse from age 11 through 16 and last year she played at Illkirch-Graffenstaden in NF1.  Tchatchouang played basketball for the CFBB (the French national Basketball academy) from 2005-09.

Duke Players Vs. North Carolina...

Jasmine Thomas has notched double-figure scoring in five straight games against UNC, while averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals.

Over the last three games, Karima Christmas has notched double-digit scoring in two out of the last three games -- a team-high 14 points in the last meeting.

Joy Cheek notched double-figure scoring for the first time in her career against UNC in the last meeting in Chapel Hill, N.C., as she posted 10 points.

Duke Players Vs. Maryland...

In the last meeting with the Terrapins, Karima Christmas notched a career-high 25 points, career-high four three-pointers, four rebounds and four steals.  She has notched 10+ points in two out of the last three contests against Maryland.

Joy Cheek collected double-digit scoring four times over her 10 contests she has played against Maryland.

Duke In The ACC Championship...

Duke has advanced to the ACC Championship game in eight out of the last 10 years ... the Blue Devils have won five ACC Championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) ... Duke knocked off UNC for the ACC title in 2000, 2002, 2002, 2003 and 2004 ... in the Greensboro Coliseum, Duke owns a 5-3 record in the ACC title game.

Since the ACC Championship was moved to Greensboro in 2000, only Duke (2000-04), North Carolina (2005-08) and Maryland (2009) have won the title.

ACC Tournament Wins...

Since 2000, Duke leads the league with 23 victories in ACC Tournament action.  The Blue Devils have notched a 23-5 mark, while the Tar Heels are second at 22-5.

Duke Playing in Greensboro...

With the ACC Tournament moving to Greensboro in 2000, Duke’s luck in the postseason changed greatly as the Blue Devils won 17 consecutive games to claim the ACC Tournament crowns from 2000-04 before losing to North Carolina in the championship in 2005.  Duke has recorded a 25-6 ledger playing at the Greensboro Coliseum.  It had been nicknamed Duke’s “Home Away From Home.”

The first two victories came in 1999 in the NCAA East Regional against Old Dominion and Tennessee. The victories advanced Duke to its first NCAA Final Four and National Championship game appearance.  In ACC Tournament games, the Blue Devils have posted a 23-5 overall record in Greensboro.

The Blue Devils In the ACC Tournament...

ACC Tournament time had never been good to Duke until the year 2000 came around.  Duke posted its first tournament crown as the Blue Devils downed FSU, Georgia Tech and UNC in 2000 and then won four more titles in 2001, ‘02, ‘03 and ‘04.  The Blue Devils are seeded No. 1 for the eighth time in school history and the first since 2007.

Duke has advanced to the ACC Championship game the past two years in a row since Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie took over the reigns.

No women’s ACC team besides Duke has ever won five consecutive ACC Tournament titles and only one ACC men’s team has won five in a row-- Duke from 1999-2003.

McCallie In Tournament Play...

In her 18 years as a head coach, Joanne P. McCallie has produced a 28-11 record in league tournament action.  She totaled an 8-1 mark in the North Atlantic Conference Tournament with two titles, a 10-2 record along with two titles in the America East Tournament, a 6-6 mark with one title in the Big Ten Tournament and a 4-2 mark in the ACC Tournament.

Duke Players in the ACC Tournament...

Both Jasmine Thomas and Karima Christmas are coming off averaging double-figure points in the 2009 ACC Tournament.  Thomas averaged 11.0 points and 5.3 assists in three games started.  Christmas scored at a 10.3 clip, while hitting 54.5 percent of her field goals.

Thomas has notched double-figure scoring in three out of the six ACC Tournament contests she has played.

Senior Joy Cheek has appeared in a team-high eight ACC Tournament games, while posting double-figure scoring in four of those.

For a full set of game notes, click on www.GoDuke.com

Duke Basketball

Game Notes – Duke at Maryland

Mason Plumlee dunks
Mason Plumlee - Lance King Images

Game 30

[4 AP/4 Coaches] Duke (25-4, 12-2 ACC) vs. [22 AP/23 Coaches] Maryland (21-7, 11-3 ACC)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010  •  9:00 p.m.  •  ESPN

Comcast Center (17,950)  •  College Park, Md.

The Opening Tip

Duke (25-4, 12-2 ACC), ranked fourth in the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, travels to College Park to play Maryland (21-7, 11-3 ACC) at the Comcast Center on Wednesday, March 3 at 9:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Erin Andrews calling the action. With a win on Wednesday, Duke would clinch its 12th ACC regular season title under Mike Krzyzewski.

The Last Time Out

Duke recorded its eighth straight win with a 67-49 victory at Virginia on Sunday. Kyle Singler scored 21 points and Jon Scheyer added 20 points in the contest. The Blue Devils have now had 14 games with two or more 20-point scorers in a game this season.

Scheyer went 8-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and added three rebounds, three assists and five steals in the game.

The Blue Devils limited Virginia to 31.4 percent (16-of-51) shooting, including 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from three-point range. The 49 points matched the third-lowest point total allowed on the year.

Duke 77, Maryland 56 - Feb. 13, 2010

Duke topped the Terrapins earlier this season as Jon Scheyer netted a game-high 22 points. Senior Brian Zoubek added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and a career-high 17 rebounds (eight offensive rebounds) in the win.

Numbers Game

l Duke is ranked fourth in the AP poll, marking the 53rd consecutive week ranked in the top 10. The Blue Devils are 43-7 all-time when ranked fourth in the AP poll.

l The Blue Devils lead the NCAA in three-point defense at 26.7 percent (108-of-405). Duke has held the opposition to 19.6 percent (21-of-107) shooting from behind the arc during its current eight-game win streak.

l Duke has outscored the opposition 195-63 from three-point range during its eight-game win streak. Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler have 26 and 25 three-point field goals respectively in that span.

l The Blue Devils have won five straight conference road games and are the only team in the ACC guaranteed to finish the year with a winning road record in league play. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski collected his ACC-record 134th league road win on Sunday against Virginia.

l Kyle Singler is averaging 19.5 points and 3.2 three-point field goals over the last eight games. He is shooting 50.0 percent (25-of-50) from three-point range in that span.

l Jon Scheyer leads the ACC in three statistical categories and is the only player in the league to rank in the top 5 in seven statistical categories: scoring (third, 18.8 ppg.), assists (fourth, 5.3 apg.), free throw percentage (first, .887), three-point field goals (first, 2.9 3pg.), three-point field goal percentage (second, .409), assist-to-turnover ratio (first, 3.06:1) and minutes (second, 36.4 mpg.).

l Brian Zoubek is averaging 7.8 points and 10.6 rebounds (4.8 orpg.) since joining the starting lineup five games ago. He is second in the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.3 orpg) and ranks 14th in total rebounds (6.9 rpg.). Zoubek is three offensive rebounds shy of becoming the ninth player (12th time) in Duke history to grab 100 offensive rebounds in a season.

l Junior Kyle Singler ranks in the top 10 in eight statistical categories in conference play: scoring (fifth, 18.1 ppg.), rebounds (t-seventh, 7.1 rpg.), field goal percentage (ninth, .410), three-point percentage (first, .420), three-point field goals (t-third, 2.4 3pg.), offensive rebounds (t-fifth, 2.6 orpg.), defensive rebounds (t-10th, 4.4 drpg.) and minutes (third, 37.8 mpg.).

l Jon Scheyer has topped the 20-point mark in nine of Duke’s 14 league games (tied for the most in the ACC). Kyle Singler is tied for third in the conference with seven 20-point games in ACC play.

Checking in on ...

#2 Nolan Smith - +9.0 ppg. increase from a year ago is second-best in the ACC ... shooting a career-best 41.0 percent from three-point range ... fourth in the ACC with 12 games with 20+ points scored ... double figures in 25 of 27 games played

#5 Mason Plumlee - Second on the team with 21 dunks ... fourth with 20 blocks ... season-high nine rebounds vs. North Carolina

#12 Kyle Singler - Five double-doubles and six games with 10+ rebounds ... averaging 19.5 points per game during current eight-game win streak ... 25 three-point field goals in that span

#20 Andre Dawkins - Fourth on the team with 30 three-point field goals ... shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range

#21 Miles Plumlee - Leads the team with 28 dunks ... shooting 56.9 percent (66-of-116) from the field

#30 Jon Scheyer - 20+ points in six of the last 10 games ... ranks in the top 10 of the ACC in eight statistical categories ... leads the league in free throw percentage, three-point field goals and assist-to-turnover ratio ... second in the ACC with 14 games with 20 or more points ... three-time ACC Player of the Week

#34 Ryan Kelly - 14 blocked shots ... one of five Blue Devils with 10+ blocks

#42 Lance Thomas - Leads the Blue Devils with 12 charges taken ... 5 or more rebounds in nine of the last 12 games

#55 Brian Zoubek - Four or more offensive rebounds 12 times ... averaging 16.6 rebounds per 40 minutes played ... seven double figure rebounding games

Duke Basketball

Previewing the Terrapins II

Didn't we just do this? Another consequence of the unbalanced conference schedule is Duke and Maryland playing each other twice with just 17 days separating the two contests. With the Blue Devils in 1st Place at 12-2 and Maryland in 2nd Place with an 11-3 record, this year's schedule sets up nicely for hoops fanatics jonesing for marquee match-ups. A Duke victory locks-up the ACC Regular season crown for the Blue Devils.

Back on February 12th, Blue Devil nation previewed the first contest and identified three key elements to the game. Let's revisit those key elements:

1. Outside shooting: Duke is shooting .394 on the season from behind the 3-point arc. However, in the 13 games played in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke is averaging .442. Maryland is eighth in the league in 3-point field goal percent defense. Duke needs to knockdown the long ball in this game.

2. Rebounding: Duke leads the ACC in rebounding margin at +6.6. Maryland is 11th at +1.2. Duke is second in the ACC in offensive rebounds averaging 14.6 per game. Duke is bigger and stronger and will need to be aggressive on the glass.

3. Assists and turnovers: Both Duke and Maryland take care of the basketball with a 1.3 assists to turnover ratio. Maryland is second in the ACC with 8.4 steals per game. Neither team can afford to give the other extra possessions in a game this analyst expects to be decided in the last couple of minutes.

In the 77-56 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke more than doubled up Maryland from behind the 3-point arc outscoring the Terrapins 15-6. Duke shot 33.3 percent (5-15) against Maryland’s 15.4 percent (2-13). Jon Scheyer led the way with a 3-4 performance from downtown for the Blue Devils.

On the glass, Duke outrebounded Maryland 39-34. Brian Zoubek put in a career performance against the Terrapins with 17 rebounds and 16 points. Eight of Zoubek’s rebounds were offensive. Duke scored 20 second chance points to Maryland’s 12.

The assists statistic was basically even as Duke recorded 12 with Maryland having 10. However, turnovers were a factor as Maryland turned it over 14 times to Duke’s seven.

Basketball is actually a pretty simple game. Shoot the ball, rebound the ball, and take care of the ball. Duke executed these fundamentals better on February 13 and came away with a 21 point victory. The key to winning on March 3 will once again be superior execution of fundamentals.

Updating the Maryland player’s statistics:

Maryland is led by senior guard Greivis Vasquez (6′6″ 190) who averages 19.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Vasquez plays 33.5 minutes per game.

Senior forward Landon Milbourne (6′7″ 207) is Maryland’s second leading scorer at 13 points per game. Milbourne also averages 5 rebounds and plays 29.7 minutes per game.

Senior guard Eric Hayes (6′4″ 184) is a deadly 3-point shooter making 45.5 percent (55 of 121) on the year. Hayes averages 10.9 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. Hayes plays 30.6 minutes per game.

Sophomore Sean Mosley (6′4″ 210) contributes 10.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game in 28.3 minutes of playing time.

Freshman Jordan Williams (6′9″ 245) averages 9.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in 24.1 minutes of playing time.

Off the bench, Maryland has four players averaging double digit minutes: Cliff Tucker (15.3), Dino Gregory (20.3), Adrian Bowie (15.4), and James Padgett (10). Maryland has more depth inside this season but they are a smaller team than Duke.

This will be senior night for Vasquez, Milbourne, and Hayes, and emotions will be high. Those guys desire to go out winners in their last home game. Throw in the ACC Regular season title and number one seed in the ACC Tournament that Duke can secure with a victory and the stakes are in the stratosphere.

In the first preview, Blue Devil nation discussed both teams keeping emotions in check and preventing the other from jumping out to an adrenalin fueled early lead. The same caution applies to this game. In the end, this game will be a tighter and tougher contest than the game in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The stakes are higher and the team with superior execution will prevail.