Category Archives: Duke Basketball

Monday Musings – Thoughts on the week ahead for Duke Basketball

Cheerleader of the WeekDurham, N.C. -   With it being the first day of March and the first day of the week,  it's time for another addition of Monday Musings.

Duke caught a break last evening when Virginia star Sylvan Landesberg sat out the game  due to a deep thigh bruise. But hey, let's be real here, Landesberg would have made the Cav's more competitive but there was no way Duke was going to blow this game and that was evident early in the game when Kyle Singler dived four rows into the stands for a loose ball.  The lop sided score afforded the Blue Devils an opportunity to steal a lot of minutes for the Plumlee's, Dawkins and Kelly and that means experience and saving the starters legs  for the week that lies ahead.

And what of the week that lies ahead?  Well, let's start with the fact that Duke takes on both it's ACC assigned rivals in Maryland and North Carolina.  That means that Duke and Krzyzewski will be in the limelight in a big way and what more could a Duke fan ask for than to carry a 12-2 ACC mark and a 25-4 overall record into the most exciting week of the regular season?

Okay, who would have thought that the Maryland game would be bigger than the North Carolina game before the season started?  It's really simple in that if Maryland wins, they are tied with Duke for first.  If Duke wins, they clinch the ACC regular season title.  So, while the Maryland game is bigger, should Duke lose, the UNC game still looms large as ever in that a Duke win combined with a Terp loss would still give the Blue Devils regular season bragging rights going into the ACC Tournament.  So beating Maryland would clear up a lot of the drama for the Dukies.

So, it's Greivis Vasquez vs Jon Scheyer for the ACC Player of the Year Award.  Well, it is hard to argue that Wednesday's showdown will play a role in voters minds.  Scheyer appeared to be the front runner early on, but Vasquez has closed the gap and perhaps moved ahead with his 41 point effort vs Virginia Tech.  Expect a media barrage playing up the match up as the week progresses.

It's still Carolina!  All of a sudden UNC looks as if they are finally adjusting to one another in an effort to make a late season tournament run.  Of course, they can still make the NCAA's by winning  the ACC Tournament which is just ten days away.  One thing is certain, that being Duke cannot and will not look ahead to the game.

ESPN Game Day will of course be on campus for the finale and Duke needs to take advantage of the opportunity to show the world Duke Basketball is alive and well.  After losing Harrison Barnes in a heated race, there seemed to be a concession among some fans.  UNC after all had last years top recruiting class and scored again for the year ahead, but looks can be deceiving and to count any Coach K team out is to show ignorance.

Did I mention Kyrie Irving yet?  His team finds out today if they are eligible for the play offs and if they are not his seson is done save the McDonald's All American Game.  Irving once gain out on a show yesterday and anyone who was able to see his interview on NESN realizes just how special this kid is.  Recruiting news is about to pick up for BDN Premium members as the AAU season is fast approaching.

Despite Duke's success this season, some fans seem jaded.  It's time to wake up and realize Duke is where every other ACC team would like to be, fighting for titles.  Amazingly, this carries over to the local media as well where all they seem to talk about is Duke's short comings will catch up to them.  Of course, turning local talk radio off is a start unless you want to be ram fed the Gospel by folks that are area transplants.  It's like me moving to New York and passing myself off as a Yankee's expert just because I have followed them from afar.  Yep, some of the talk show hosts have no clue or understanding of the history of the ACC or the inner workings.   If you need a fix just tune in to hear Adam Gold claim Purdue, a team which Duke pummeled in their own gym the year before is in another league than Duke.  "Have you seen them play?," roars Adam unwillingly jinxing the loss of a key Boilermaker starter;) No, Duke cannot beat anyone away from the ACC.  The ACC is down and Duke is just not that good.  Well guys, they keep winning, don't they?  And it's not like the nation is full of great teams.  But if Gold says it, you can count on it being forgotten in 24 hours of late.  But there is always two days discussion on whether or not N.C. State should use a real wolf as their mascot.  Now, that's entertainment!   You see, that is the problem.  It's like all the hostsare losing their foresight and simply base their opinions on what just happened.  Wake was coined the ACC's second best team one week ago  and the next they are so in the middle of the pack, well, never mind, it's time to move on to the next spill.  The one exception to the rule is David Glenn of ACC Sports Journal.  He is less shock journalism and more down to earth than his counterparts.

Yeah, that was a mini rant and nothing personal towards Adam, just wishing he would get a new shtick.  Besides, I listen to like 5 minutes a day of talk radio and may have missed the good stuff.  Okay, okay ...  That brings me to Senior Day.  Before Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek and Jon Scheyer can enjoy theirs, they must try to fend off the emotion it brings when they travel to Maryland for that is Vasquez's farewell.  Another reason this Wednesday's game will be as intense an atmosphere as there is.

Saying farewell in Cameron to Scheyer, Thomas and Zoubs will indeed be emotional and to close against your arch rival North Carolina just adds to it.  There is no doubt that the play of the seniors has keyed Duke's eight game winning streak and these guys are proving to be special.  It'll be especially hard to see Scheyer go for he has had an incredibly consistent career and has done everything Coach K asked of him in that time.  I mean, the guy learned the point guard position and he is pretty good at it, huh?

Had Duke been losing like UNC this season, would you be hearing more about it?  Just food for thought.  With UNC having a down year this does indeed effect the ACC Tournament even in Greensboro, clearly the best venue you can ask for.  The second UNC loses, tickets will be available outside the arena in droves.  If Duke and UNC should lose early on, the attendance will rival that of the ACC Football Championship, but that's a gripe for another day.

Finally in the prediction department ... look for Kyle Singler to play his way onto first team All ACC in the coming week.  After being pre season player of the year, Singler has seen some of his numbers drop while learning a new position.  But he has played well of late and a couple of wins and decent performances should land him in a spot where there is a bit of a log jam for the final spots.

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Duke defeats Virginia 67-49 to set up showdown with Maryland

Duke came away with a 67-49 win over the Virginia Cavaliers on Sunday night and in the process set up the biggest match up in the ACC this season.  With the win the Blue Devils go to 25-4 overall and 12-2 in the ACC and now turn their attention to second place Maryland in a game that could decide the regular season champion.

On a night when Sylvan Landesburg sat with a deep thigh bruise, the Cavaliers were no match for the seasoned Blue Devils.  Once again, defense led the way for the Blue Devils.  Duke held Virginia to just 31% from the field for the game and the Cav's 49  points marked the 4th time this season Duke has held an opponent under 50 points.

Kyle Singler scored 12 points during a 20-4 Duke run to start the game and the Blue Devils never looked back.  Singler ended the game as Duke's high scorer with 21 points.  Senior Jon Scheyer picked up where Singler left off in the first half ending the game with 20 points and 5 steals.

Mason Plumlee added six points, while Andre Dawkins and Nolan Smith had 5 points apiece.  Lance Thomas tallied 4 points, Miles Plumlee 3, Steve Johnson 2 and Jordan Davidson 1 to round out the scoring for Duke.  The game marked only the second time this season Smith was held to under 10 points.

Duke Coach Mike Kryzewski moved past Dean Smith of North Carolina for the most ACC road victories this season.  And the Blue Devils pushed their season road mark to 5-2 after many questioned whether they could play away from home just a month ago.  The victory also meant that Krzyzewski know has three consecutive 25 plus win seasons.

Duke will next face their toughest road test of the season when they visit Maryland in College Park.

Notes - During the post game, Kryzewski said he was pleased with his teams performance and that they just want to return to Durham safely and get some rest for the big week ahead.  Duke has now won eight straight games.  Duke's largest lead in the game was 27 points.

Duke-Virginia Box Score

More to come ...

Previewing the Cavaliers

Lance King Photo
Duke (24-4, 11-2) visits Virginia (14-12, 5-8) on Sunday evening at 7:45 pm EST.

The Cavaliers have lost six straight games, while Duke is riding a seven game win streak. Duke won those seven games by an average of 12.86 points, while Virginia lost their six games by an average of 14 points. These are two teams headed in opposite directions. Duke is playing strong basketball and is contention for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, while Virginia is free falling and fighting for their NIT Life.

Virginia is a team with serious offensive issues. The Cavaliers average 67 points per game, which is last in the ACC, and haven't scored 70 points in a game since January 28th when they lost to Virginia Tech 76-71. The Cavaliers are 12th in the ACC in seven statistical categories, while Duke is 1st in the ACC in 11 categories.

The statistic that jumps out and grabs me from this group is Virginia being 12th in 3-point field goal percentage defense and Duke being 1st in 3-point field goal percentage. The Cavaliers must defend the 3-point line against Duke better than they usually do or it could be a very long night.

Sylvan Landesberg (6'6" 207) is fifth in the ACC in scoring at 17.4 points per game and Mike Scott (6'8" 240) is 18th at 12.8 points. Duke has three of the top seven scorers in the league in Jon Scheyer (18.8), Nolan Smith (17.9), and Kyle Singler (16.9).

In rebounding, Scott leads the Cavaliers averaging 7.2 rebounds per game, which is tenth in the ACC. For Duke, Singler averages 7.2 (11th) and Brian Zoubek 7.0 (13th).

For the Blue Devils, Brian Zoubek has been outstanding the past four games averaging 12.25 rebounds and 9.75 points per game. Over the seven game winning streak, Zoubek’s numbers are 9.28 rebounds and 6.71 points per game. Keeping Zoubek on the court and engaged in the game should be a priority for Duke as he is providing the Blue Devils with the strong physical presence in the post that has been missing the past several years.

Virginia is smaller upfront than Duke and the Cavaliers will have to scheme a method to deal with the Blue Devils’ ability to dominant the glass if they are to have a chance to win this game. During Duke’s current seven game winning streak, the Blue Devils are averaging 19 second chance points.

In addition to Scott, Virginia starts Jerome Meyinsse (6’9” 235) in the front court. Meyinsse averages 5.1 points and 4 rebounds per game.

In the backcourt, Sammy Zeglinski (6’0” 180)) and Calvin Baker (6’2” 190) start alongside Landesberg. Zeglinski averages 9 points per game and Baker averages 3.3.

The keys to the game will be:

1. Who guards Kyle Singler? Landesberg is the obvious choice but does Coach Bennett desire to assign his best offensive option a tough defensive assignment? Singler’s play has seen resurgence in recent games. He recorded a 25 points, 10 rebounds double-double in the win over Virginia Tech, 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Miami, and 19 points and 9 rebounds in the win over Carolina. Checking Singler is a tall order for the Cavaliers.

2. Rebounding: Duke has been dominating the glass this year. They are 1st in the ACC in rebounding margin at +6.5. Virginia is 10th at +1.5. Duke is 1st in offensive rebounds averaging 15.3 per game, while Virginia is last averaging 10.7 per game.

3. 3-point shooting: Duke is 1st in the ACC in 3-pointers made and 3-point field goal percentage, while Virginia is last in 3-point field goal percentage defense. This is a game where the Blue Devils will have the opportunity to take a lot of long range shots. They need to make them.

This is a bit of a trap game for Duke as the Blue Devils must ensure they take care of business and don’t get caught looking ahead to the trip to College Park. Virginia is a team in a tailspin and they simply do not have the horses to compete with the Blue Devils. Duke should win by double digits. However, the operable word is “should” and that is why they play the games on the court and not on paper.

Duke women clinch ACC regular season crown

DURHAM, N.C.—With an 83-65 victory on Friday night against No. 21 Virginia, the sixth-ranked Duke women’s basketball team clinched its ninth ACC Regular Season title in school history and the first under the direction of Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie.  The Blue Devils were led by junior Jasmine Thomas with 21 points and freshman Allison Vernerey added 17.

The trio of Duke seniors – Joy Cheek, Keturah Jackson and Bridgette Mitchell – combined for 25 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots on the night.

Duke will close the regular season on Sunday, Feb. 28 at North Carolina at 3:00 PM on Fox Sports Net.

For a full recap, click on www.GoDuke.com

Blue Devil Postgame Notes   *  Virginia  *  February 26, 2010

With The Duke Victory:

  • Improved to 24-4, 12-1 in the ACC.
  • Clinched first place in the ACC Regular Season standings claiming its ninth ACC Regular Season title in school history.
  • Coach P notched her seventh career regular season title as a head coach – Maine (5), Michigan State (1).
  • Won its 17th straight game against Virginia.
  • Collected its 12th ACC victory of the season, which is the most in the three years at Duke for Coach P.
  • Totaled its 10th consecutive win versus the Cavaliers in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
  • Notched its 16th consecutive win in Cameron Indoor Stadium against ACC teams.
  • Won its 38th game out of the last 42 and 52nd out of the last 56 contests in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
  • Coach P improved to 27-4 all-time in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
  • Has notched a 133-10 record at Cameron Indoor Stadium the last 10 years.

Junior Jasmine Thomas

  • Moved into a tie for 10th place on Duke’s all-time steals list with 180.
  • Totaled six assists on the night, which is a season-high against ACC opponents.
  • Registered her ninth 20+ points game of the season.
  • Finished with 21 points, six rebounds and three assists.
  • Collected 18 or more points in her seventh game against ACC opponents this season.
  • Notched double-digit scoring for the 24th time this season and the 51st career time.
  • Was recognized following the game for becoming the 26th player in Duke history to notch 1,000 career points.

Senior Joy Cheek

  • Finished the game with 13 points and six rebounds on her senior night.
  • Notched double-digit scoring for the second straight game and the 13th time this season.

Junior Krystal Tomas

  • After scoring zero points and having only three rebounds in the first half, notched nine points and six rebounds in the second half.
  • Finished the game with nine points, nine rebounds, two steals, two blocks and one assist in 33 minutes.

Senior Bridgette Mitchell

  • Posted eight points, four rebounds and three assists on her senior night.

Junior Karima Christmas

  • Came off the bench to notch nine points, six rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.

Freshman Allison Vernerey

  • Broke a string of three straight games without scoring double-figures as she notched 17 points on the night.
  • Added five rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 27 minutes.
  • Hit a career-high 8-of-8 from the field.
  • Started the second half in place of Krystal Thomas after notching six points and four rebounds in 12 minutes in the first half.
  • Will turn 19 years old on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010.
  • Totaled double-digit scoring for the 10th time this season.

Other Duke Notes:

  • Outrebounded Virginia, 26-14, in the second half go on to outrebound the Cavaliers, 41-35.  Was outrebounded 21-15 in the first half.
  • Hit its first seven shots of the second half to open a 51-36 lead with 13:59 remaining.
  • Shot 52.9 percent from the field in the second half.
  • Its 47.7 percent field goal percentage was a season high against ACC opponents.
  • Held a 44-20 points in the paint advantage.
  • Collected 25 points off Virginia’s 19 turnovers.
  • Swatted eight shots by four different players.
  • Had 28 points off the bench.
  • Seniors Joy Cheek, Keturah Jackson and Bridgette Mitchell were recognized prior to the game for senior day.
  • Will close out the regular season on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3:00 PM against North Carolina.  The game will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net.

Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie

Opening statement:

“It was just a tremendous second half by everybody. I’m very proud of our team, it was great team basketball, much better defense, rebounding, and attacking. Jasmine [Thomas’] leadership in the second half and her attack mode, Allison [Vernerey] starting us off right away and being so aggressive, and Joy [Cheek] was steady Joy all the way through, rebounding and scoring and doing the things that she does. It was really a team effort, I’m very happy for the seniors; I thought all of them played pretty well and were very aggressive. It’s one game and we’ve got a second game to make it a two game weekend but we’re very excited for the next game as well.”

On the difference in getting the ball inside in the second half:

“I thought that the team and players changed the focus and got the ball in more effectively. I thought that we were a little wild in the first 10 minutes of the first half.”

On winning the ACC regular season title:

“I think it’s just great and reflects this team totally. This team has been working hard since summer, everyone has done their part. They’ve been steady and consistent and it’s really been the team’s mindset. It’s special for Duke, it’s always special to capture titles, that’s what it’s all about.”

On Allison’s play in the beginning of the second half:

“The game is a long time and I think that Allison got us started in the right way. The ball went inside, Allison was aggressive, and there were some great passes from Jasmine to get the ball inside as well as finding Joy. Allison can be so aggressive for the basketball; I think that aggressiveness bleeds off to everyone else. Everyone feels good about what is going on. There were a lot of key plays; Jasmine’s attacks in the second half were very key and she hit some critical shots, Allison and what she was doing, her strong moves to the basket and Joy as well, I just think we were at a higher level of attack mode than we were in the first half.”

On the quick turnaround to Sunday and what they can improve on in that time:

“There are a lot of things that we can improve on. I mean we were losing the rebounding battle for forever this game and I’m so happy for the team that they recovered. That would have been a whole lot more film watching. You’ve got to want the ball and the ball has to be a part of us, I just think that we settled down. It’s always hard to get started on a Senior Day, it’s special. Emotions run high and that’s good and bad, you can’t play a 40-minute game based on emotion. You’ve got to play on an even keel. I think we found that even keel in the second half and were able to maintain it throughout. We can grow a whole lot, we’ve got to get the assist numbers up, the turnovers down, be more consistent with the rebounding. Maybe we can pick up a few more things from a few more people as well. It feels good and this team has worked very hard, they deserve a championship, they deserve many championships. We’ve been so close at the ACC Tournament, that’s been frustrating, but that’s a little too far ahead. We’ve got another game across the way and that’s what’s next for us.”

Senior Joy Cheek

On winning an ACC regular season championship as a senior:

“It’s special. It’s great to do it again, especially as a senior.  I’m really looking forward to the ACC Championship and beating Carolina at home would be great.  We’ve got to move on to the next games, but it’s nice to do this as a senior.”

On how it felt to walk off the court on senior night:

“I still don’t think of this as the last game.  I think the last NCAA game that we have will resonant a little more.  I felt like I was coming back after tonight.  That was the mindset that I had.  I guess I’ll have another senior night.”

Freshman Allison Vernerey

On fitting into the team:

“You never what your role and your position is going to be when you arrive, but I was coming here to give whatever I have to give.  That is just what I’m trying to do.”

Junior Jasmine Thomas

On getting excited to play Virginia:

“I don’t think so, not anymore than for any other game.  It is nice to play against Monica [Wright] and [Paulisha] Kellum, and [Ariana] Moorer because I know them from home.”

Duke at Virginia Game Notes

Coach K instructs
BDN Photo

Duke (24-4, 11-2 ACC) vs. Virginia (14-12, 5-8 ACC)

Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010  •  7:45 p.m.  •  FSN

John Paul Jones Arena (14,593)  •  Charlottesville, Va.

The Opening Tip

Duke (24-4, 11-2 ACC), ranked fifth in the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, travels to Charlottesville to play Virginia (14-12, 5-8 ACC) at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 7:45 p.m. The game will air on FSN with Rich Waltz, Dan Bonner and Jenn Hildreth calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke posted a 70-52 win over Tulsa on Thursday for its seventh straight victory. Junior Nolan Smith scored a game-high 18 points and added four steals, while Kyle Singler finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.

The senior post tandem of Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas combined for 12 points and 21 rebounds in the win. Zoubek recorded his third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Thomas grabbed 10 boards, including six offensive rebounds.

Duke posted a 47-37 edge on the glass and finished with 18 offensive rebounds. The Blue Devils have now grabbed 17 or more offensive caroms in five straight games.

Jon Scheyer reached double figures for the 27th time this season with 15 points. He went 3-of-5 from three-point distance and now has an ACC-high 79 three-point field goals. Scheyer also had four rebounds and three assists in the contest.

The Blue Devils held Tulsa to 32.8 percent (19-of-58) shooting from the field, including 1-of-10 from behind the three-point arc. Duke has now held 15 teams to under 40 percent shooting and 14 teams to less than 60 points in a game.

Numbers Game

l Duke is ranked fifth in the AP poll, marking the 52nd consecutive week ranked in the top 10. The Blue Devils are 54-23 all-time when ranked fifth in the AP poll.

l The Blue Devils are holding the opposition to an ACC-low 27.0 percent (106-of-393) shooting from three-point range. Duke is allowing just 3.8 three-point field goals per game and has limited its opponents to three or fewer three-pointers in 13 games.

l Duke leads the ACC with +6.5 rebound margin as Kyle Singler, Brian Zoubek, Miles Plumlee and Lance Thomas are each averaging 5.0 rebounds per game or better for the season. The 2000-01 Blue Devils are the only team to accomplish that feat under Mike Krzyzewski.

l Jon Scheyer leads the ACC in four statistical categories and is the only player in the league to rank in the top 5 in seven statistical categories: scoring (second, 18.8 ppg.), assists (fourth, 5.4 apg.), free throw percentage (first, .887), three-point field goals (first, 2.8 3pg.), three-point field goal percentage (fourth, .403), assist-to-turnover ratio (first, 3.06:1) and minutes (first, 36.6 mpg.).

l Brian Zoubek is averaging 9.8 points and 12.3 rebounds (6.0 orpg.) since joining the starting lineup four games ago. He is second in the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.5 orpg) and ranks 13th in total rebounds (7.0 rpg.), while playing 16.7 minutes per game. Zoubek ranks among the national leaders with 16.8 rebounds, including 8.4 offensive boards, per 40 minutes played.

l Duke is collecting a Coach K era-best 15.3 offensive rebounds per game for the year. The Blue Devils are averaging 16.4 second chance points per game and are 23-2 when scoring more second chance points than their opponent. Duke has grabbed at least 17 offensive rebounds in four straight games.

l Junior Kyle Singler ranks in the top 10 in eight statistical categories in conference play: scoring (fifth, 17.9 ppg.), rebounds (t-seventh, 7.4 rpg.), field goal percentage (10th, .400), three-point percentage (first, .421), three-point field goals (second, 2.5 3pg.), offensive rebounds (t-fifth, 2.8 orpg.), defensive rebounds (10th, 4.6 drpg.) and minutes (first, 38.3 mpg.).

l Nolan Smith has scored 466 points this season after recording 487 points in his first two years as a Blue Devils. He is 47 points shy of becoming the 60th player in Duke history to score 1,000 career points.

Checking in on ...

#2 Nolan Smith - +9.5 ppg. increase from a year ago leads the ACC ... shooting a career-best 42.2 percent from three-point range ... tied for third in the ACC with 12 games with 20+ points scored ... double figures in 25 of 26 games played

#5 Mason Plumlee - Second on the team with 21 dunks ... fourth with 19 blocks ... season-high nine rebounds vs. North Carolina

#12 Kyle Singler - Five double-doubles  and six games with 10+ rebounds ... averaging 19.3 points per game during current seven-game win streak ... 29 three-point field goals in that span

#20 Andre Dawkins - Fourth on the team with 29 three-point field goals ... shooting 37.7 percent from three-point range

#21 Miles Plumlee - Leads the team with 28 dunks ... shooting 57.5 percent (65-of-113) from the field

#30 Jon Scheyer - 20+ points in five of the last nine games ... ranks in the top 10 of the ACC in eight statistical categories ... leads the league in minutes, free throw percentage, three-point field goals and assist-to-turnover ratio ... second in the ACC with 13 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 11 games

#55 Brian Zoubek - Four or more offensive rebounds 12 times ... averaging 9.68points and 12.3 rebounds, while shooting 76.2 pct (16-of-21) from the field since joining the starting lineup four games ago.