Category Archives: Duke Basketball

Revisiting Preseason Predictions

Back on October 8th, I posted my ACC Basketball 2009-10 Season Preview including scintillating supporting rationale for my thought processes. With nine conference games in the books, it is time to revisit my words of wisdom in order to determine how accurate I am as a prognosticator.

Not suprisingly, there have been a lot of upsets along the way as upsets are situation normal in college basketball.

Let’s start by comparing the predictions to current standings:

Prediction Current Standings

1. Duke 1. Duke (7-2)
2. North Carolina 2. Maryland (6-2)
3. Maryland 3. Wake Forest (6-3)
4. Clemson 4. Virginia Tech (5-3)
5. Florida State 5. Virginia (5-3)
6. Georgia Tech 6. Florida State (5-4)
7. Wake Forest 7. Georgia Tech (5-4)
8. Boston College 8. Clemson (4-5)
9. Virginia Tech 9. Boston College (3-6)
10. Virginia 10. North Carolina (2-6)
11. Miami 11. Miami (2-7)
12. N.C. State 12. N.C. State (2-7)

It is important to address first things first and I predicted Duke would end the regular season in first place, and at the halfway point, there are the Blue Devils positioned atop the ACC with a one-half game lead over Maryland.

Duke leads the ACC in scoring offense (81.4), scoring margin (+18.4), free throw percentage (.757), 3-point field goal percentage (.390), and offensive rebounding percentage (.408). The Blue Devils have been dominant at home and evened their conference road record at 2-2 with Saturday’s win at Boston College.

With three of the remaining seven conference games being in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke has a strong shot at finishing the regular season at 13-3 or 12-4. Winning out and finishing 14-2 isn’t beyond the realm of possibility, but there is a very tough game at Maryland still on the schedule and everyone knows anything can happen in the two games against the arch rival Tar Heels.

And at the bottom, Miami and N.C. State are right where I expected them to be – in last place. So my predictions were solid at the top and bottom. I do not expect anything to change over the second half of the season for these two teams. Boston College will challenge for the basement.

Topping the “not so brilliant” category is my prediction North Carolina would finish second. In fact, the Tar Heels are 2-6 in conference play and have lost six of their last seven games. However, I will refrain from any in-depth analysis of the boys in pale blue until after Wednesday night’s game.

Predicting Virginia would finish 10th is also not making me look too bright at the halfway mark. The Cavaliers have been impressive at times with several nice wins. However, Virginia has a brutal schedule from this point going forward so their position in the standings will steadily fall. With games at Maryland, at Virginia Tech and at Clemson; and home against Florida State, Duke and Maryland, it is hard to see how the Cavaliers finish with more than eight conference wins.

A half game out of first place, Maryland is, as expected, one of the top teams in the conference. Coach Gary Williams always has his team ready for big games and this year is no exception. The Terrapins have a big game at Duke this coming weekend and also have to face Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Duke at home down the stretch. Greivis Vasquez is one of the top players in the conference and a legitimate threat to take over a game at anytime. I fully expect Maryland to finish strong and end up in second place with a 12-4 or 11-5 record.

Wake Forest is currently in third place one full game behind Duke. The Demon Deacons have road games remaining at Virginia Tech, at N.C. State, and at Florida State; and play Boston College, Georgia Tech, UNC, and Clemson at home. Wake Forest should finish the season no worse than 10-6.

At 4-5, Clemson’s season has to be deemed a bit of a disappointment. The Tigers have lost four of their last five games. At this point, priority number one for Coach Oliver Purnell has to be a healthy Demontez Stitt. He has been slowed and Clemson is a different team when he is 100 percent. I believe Clemson will end the year at 8-8.

Virginia Tech is currently 5-3 and tied for fourth place with Virginia. The Hokies have tough games remaining at Duke and at Georgia Tech; and home against Wake Forest and Maryland. Virginia Tech will finish in the muddy middle at 8-8.

Georgia Tech and Florida State are tied for sixth place at 5-4. These two teams will be fighting it out for fourth place and the final first round bye at the ACC Tournament. I believe Georgia Tech has the superior talent and will grab the last bye.

The four ACC teams who will earn a first round bye are: Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech. I’ve changed my mind on 50 percent of the teams. Duke and Maryland are my consistent picks, while North Carolina and Clemson have been replaced by Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.

There is a lot of basketball left to be played between now and the start of the ACC Tournament, 44 conference games to be exact, and there will certainly be plenty of upsets along the way so everyone should kick back and enjoy the stretch run of the regular season before gearing up for March Madness.

#8 Duke Women dominate #18 North Carolina 79-51

Durham, N.C. - The Duke Blue Devils took command of the current ACC  standings by defeating arch rival North Carolina 79-51 and in the process pushed their record to 7-1 in the conference and 19-4 overall.

The Blue Devils jumped on the Tar Heels early on taking a 10-0 lead which translated into a 42-33 advantage at the half.  In fact, UNC never threatened Duke past a run where they cut the lead to 7 points.

The 28 point victory was the largest over UNC since the 2003 season.

UNC, who was picked in the pre season to win the conference was never really in the contest and they seemed disjointed as the Blue Devils scored inside and out.

At one point the UNC coach held here arms in the air as the Crazies came to their feet after Duke forced another turnover.  Quite simply, Duke was the aggressor

Duke seemed inspired for this game getting solid performances from several players.

The win was a  special one for Coach P's program in that they payed  UNC back for their season sweep a year ago.  The Blue Devils never let up and had their way in the paint for most of the game.

Duke put six players in double figure scoring led by Bridgette Mitchell and Kenturah Jackson with 12 each and Krystal Thomas with 11.  Jasmine Thomas and Shay Selby added 10 each and freshman Allison Vernerey got her first career start and put up impressive numbers of 10 points and 6 rebounds.

The Blue Devils second half run was one which will be remembered for they outscored the Tar Heels by 37-18 margin and outrebounded their opponent by a whopping 35-12 margin.

Duke held an edge in points off turnovers with a 25-11 margin aided by 25 Tar Heel turnovers.  They also outscored UNC in the paint by a 40-24 score.

Duke next takes on te N,C. State Wolfpack in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 7:00 Thursday evening.

For some extended coverage on the game, may I suggest going to my friends Rob Clough's site - DW Hoops

Game Notes - This was Duke's 13th consecutive ACC win at home.  Selby's two three pointers tied her career high.  Vernerey registered her 8th double double.  Hatchell took a shot at officiating saying that her team would have to practice with the football team to play in a game as physical as tonight's.  She also said she didn't know what was going on in Chapel Hill saying it was "a plague or something."  UNC dropped to 4-4 and 16-6 on the season.

Smith and Lance Thomas talk of the UNC game

Durham, N.C. - If you are a basketball fan then you know this is Duke-Carolina week and the media turned out for Krzyzewski's annual press conference going into the game.  We'll have more on what Coach K said later, but here are audio comments from Duke starters Nolan Smith and Lance Thomas.  FWIW, Thomas earned high praise from Krzyzewski.

Press play below to hear Nolan Smith -

Monday morning musings

Duke clawed their way past Boston College 66-63 on Saturday and, by doing so, laid claim to the top spot in the ACC at 7-2.  While the game wasn't pretty, few fans can argue with the result.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that tired legs were the culprit for the Blue Devils' sudden inaccuracy at the free throw stripe.  Coming into the contest, the Blue Devils led the nation in free throw shooting percentage, which has given them an edge in their first 23 games of the season.

A lot has been made of winning on the road in the ACC and some media members have gone as far to say that Duke has struggled on the road in the past.  Well, perhaps you did not check the flash drive key chain which houses the ACC's all time statistics.  You know, the one that the ACC generously gave you while you turned in your All ACC ballots and such to start the season.   All I will tell you is that Duke has not struggled on the road as you say and it is right there for you to see.  Still, it is no secret that winning on the road has been tough in the conference and that the home court advantage is indeed worth some points.

For the first and only time this season, Duke has one more day's rest than their ACC opponent.  Duke is the victim of its own success and the result is that all of their games are being televised on a national basis.  A look at the ACC schedule shows a clear trend in which the Blue Devils certainly do not benefit from their previous success as a program.  That makes a 7-2 record all that more impressive.

Oddly, well, actually not so oddly ... some Duke fans on message boards only see the glass half full.  Win or lose, the Devils are critiqued by armchair coaches who base their analogies off what they see or have read.  Trust me, there is always more going on than meets the eye behind the scenes, yet conspiracies are born with the touch of the send button.  The latest talk is of Andre Dawkins and his playing time.  Sticking with the facts here, Andre is in school one year earlier and still has the body of a high school senior more so than a college freshman.  Let's not forget the awful tragedy which befell his family, nor the fact he was unable to attend and adjust to Duke through summer school.  There are certain spots in Dawkins' game which need improvement, but I won't address that.  Instead, I will just say, he'll be fine.  A lot of things happen as a season goes along and it would be no surprise to see Dawkins contribute down the stretch.  He has a bright future at Duke and he's had to grow up quicker than any roster player I can remember in so many ways.

This is of course, Duke-Carolina week and it all starts today in more ways than one.  The Duke Women face the Tar Heels tonight in Cameron Indoor Stadium in a game of critical importance in the ACC standings.  If you are local, any Duke-UNC affair is heated and fun and the Duke women need your support.

In just two hours, I will attend Coach Kryzewski's annual press conference going into the UNC game.  So, stay tuned for we will offer up our thoughts on Twitter as the event happens.

Tobacco Road Matchup Set for Monday: Duke-UNC at 7 PM

#9/15 North Carolina (16-5, 4-3 ACC) at #6/6 Duke (18-4, 6-1 ACC)
Monday, Feb. 8, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Durham, N.C. • Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)

Kathleen Scheer had two treys in the last game at Boston College
Courtesy: Duke Photography

One of the biggest rivalries in college sports will resume on Monday, Feb. 8 as sixth-ranked Duke (18-4, 6-1 ACC) women's basketball will host ninth-ranked North Carolina (16-5, 4-3 ACC) in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 7:00 p.m. The game will be aired live nationally on ESPN2 Big Monday with Bob Wischusen (PBP) and Stephanie White (Color) calling the action.

Fans can also hear the Blue Devils on the Duke ISP Radio Network at www.GoDuke.com with Steve Barnes (PXP) and Morgan Patrick (Color) on the air. Duke is currently ranked No. 6 in both the Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today Division I Coaches Polls, while North Carolina is No. 9 in the AP and No. 15 in the coaches poll.

Immediately following the Duke/UNC contest, senior Joy Cheek will be recognized for reaching the 1,000-point mark on Jan. 29 against Florida State.

Noting Duke...

Duke has notched a 129-10 record at Cameron the last 10 years ... during the first 11 games of the year, Duke only took five charges, but over the last 11 contests the players have taken 14 (Allison Vernerey - 4, Karima Christmas - 4, Shay Selby - 3) ... 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 790-380 points in the paint advantage on the year ... Duke has been listed in the top 25 of the AP poll for 200 straight weeks, which is the longest current streak in the ACC and third nationally.

A Look At North Carolina...
North Carolina enters the contest on Monday with a 16-5 overall and 4-3 league mark. The Tar Heels have lost two straight games in league play to Florida State and Miami. So far on the season, UNC is 2-4 in road games and are 1-2 in ACC road contests.

Leading the Tar Heels on the year has been Italee Lucas (16.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 38 treys), Cetera DeGraffenreid (13.2 points, 112 assists) and Chay Shegog (8.6 points, 5.8 rebounds). Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell is in her 35th season as a head coach and 24th year at UNC.

The Series With North Carolina...
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels will meet for the 77th time on Monday with North Carolina leading the overall series 45-31. Duke has won 18 of the last 28 games.

As of late, it has been a series of streaks since 2000 -- Duke won 12 in a row, UNC won five in a row, Duke won two in a row and UNC won four in a row before the Blue Devils won the last meeting in Cameron Indoor Stadium. In games played in Durham, N.C., the Blue Devils own a 18-13 overall record and have won nine out of the last 12.

Duke and UNC will play each other for the first time since Feb. 21, 1997 when the two squads are coming off losses. North Carolina won that contest, 81-61. The first time they played after coming off losses was on Jan. 29, 1981 as the Tar Heels won 77-65. The last Duke win with both teams coming off losses was on Feb. 15, 1989 with a 58-56 victory at home. UNC holds a 7-1 advantage all-time when both teams are coming off losses.

Blue Devil Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie will face North Carolina for the eighth time over her 18 years as a head coach. McCallie has a 1-6 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 the Blue Devils, McCallie has notched a 1-4 mark.

Storylines/Other Blue Devil Notes...

  • When Duke is the higher-ranked team in the series with UNC, the Blue Devils own a 18-9 record. UNC owns a 19-5 record when it is ranked higher. The higher ranked team has won 37 of 51 games.
  • The Blue Devils will look to avoid back-to-back ACC regular season losses on Monday for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign when Duke fell to Virginia and Maryland.
  • Junior Jasmine Thomas will go up against her former AAU teammate, Chay Shegog. Thomas is from Fairfax, Va., while Shegog is out of Stafford, Va., and they played for the Fairfax Stars.
  • Duke has won 11 straight ACC games in Cameron Indoor Stadium, which dates back to the 2007-08 season.
  • In three out of the last five games, Duke has registered only one double-figure scorer, which was Jasmine Thomas. In those games, the Blue Devils have notched a 1-2 record with the victory coming at Maryland (other games were UConn and BC).Even though senior Joy Cheek has struggled shooting from the field recently, she has been making up for it on the boards as she has averaged 7.0 rebounds the last six games. She pulled down 11 boards at Miami, had 11 at Maryland and posted nine against Florida State in that stretch.
  • 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 eight games with double-digit scoring.
  • 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.
  • During the month of January, junior Karima Christmas struggled with a finger sprain on her right pointer finger. This happened in practice following the Temple game and she reinjured it at Clemson on Jan. 7. She scored in double-figures only one time in January.
  • Senior Keturah Jackson has a career high with five three-pointers made in a single season. Over her four years, she has hit 10 treys. She hit her fifth of the year at Boston College.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • Duke is currently ranked No. 6 in the latest RPI by Jeff Sagarin -- Connecticut (107.84), Stanford (100.81), Nebraska (98.89), Tennessee (97.64), Notre Dame (96.98) and Duke (95.31). The next closest ACC school is Florida State at No. 14 (88.73).
  • Junior Jasmine Thomas has hit 43 three-pointers in only 22 games this season. As a freshman, she hit 24 in 35 games and as a sophomore she hit 28 in 30 games.
  • Junior Krystal Thomas has moved into eighth place on Duke's all-time blocked shots list with 111. She is 19 blocked shots shy of seventh place all-time on the Blue Devil charts.
  • The Coach P Radio Show will next take place on Tuesday, Feb. 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.

What Happened Last Time We Met...
Jasmine Thomas scored 19 points and Abby Waner hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 45.8 seconds remaining in overtime to lead No. 10 Duke past No. 9 North Carolina 81-79 on March 1, 2009, in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Karima Christmas had 18 points, Carrem Gay added 15 points and 12 rebounds and Bridgette Mitchell finished with 13 points for the Blue Devils (24-4, 11-3 ACC), who snapped a four-game losing streak to their most hated rivals in dramatic fashion, won for the fifth time in six games and clinched the No. 3 seed in this week's ACC tournament.

Rashanda McCants had 24 points to lead the Tar Heels (25-5, 10-4). They shot 45 percent but slipped to the No. 4 seed in the league tournament because they couldn't overcome 33 turnovers.

And Waner - who had missed 14 straight shots during her final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium - cashed in on the most important one.

Joy Cheek stole Cetera DeGraffenreid's pass to the block and hustled up court before dishing off to Waner in the left corner, and the senior swished a 3 to put Duke up 78-76.

Thomas, who scored eight points in overtime, hit two free throws on Duke's next possession and Christmas added a foul shot to make it a five-point game with 10.8 seconds left.

Duke Players Vs. North Carolina...
Over the last three games against UNC, junior Jasmine Thomas has averaged 15.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals. She has notched double-digit scoring in three consecutive games (16, 10, 19). In the last contest, Thomas hit 8-of-17 field goals, had four rebounds, three assists and two steals. She scored 10 out of Duke's final 16 points in the second half/overtime to give the Blue Devils the victory.

In the last game against the Tar Heels, Bridgette Mitchell notched a career best 13 points as she hit 6-of-10 field goals. Junior Karima Christmas is coming off posting 18 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists in 27 minutes.

Home Sweet Home...
Duke has registered a 10-1 overall record at home this season and are outscoring opponents by a 21.1 margin in those contests. The Blue Devils are averaging 4,331 fans at home this season, which ranks second in the ACC.

The Blue Devil defense is holding the opposition to only 35.9 percent shooting, forcing 23.1 turnovers and pulling down an 11.7 rebounding margin.

Jasmine Thomas is averaging 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals at home this year, while hitting 40.7 percent of her three-pointers. At home against ranked opponents, Thomas is averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals. She has hit 9-of-19 treys for a 47.4 percentage.

Cheek Nets 1,000 Points...

Senior Joy Cheek became the 25th player in Duke history to register 1,000 career points on Jan. 29 against Florida State. She has appeared in 123 games and missed only one in her career, while playing in 110 straight contests.

Cheek will be recognized immediately following the Feb. 8 home contest against North Carolina for reaching the milestone.

Junior Jasmine Thomas is also approaching 1,000 points as she is 58 shy of hitting the milestone.

Duke at Boston College Official Game Notes

Game 23
Duke (18-4, 6-2 ACC)
vs. Boston College (12-10, 3-5 ACC)
Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 l 2:00 p.m. l ESPN
Silvio O. Conti Forum l Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Kyle Singler
Photo Courtesy Duke Photography

The Opening Tip
Duke (18-4, 6-2 ACC), ranked 10th in the AP poll and ninth in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Boston College (12-10, 3-5 ACC) at Silvio O. Conte Forum on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN with Mike Patrick and Len Elmore calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Kyle Singler scored a career-high 30 points and went 8-of-10 from three-point range as Duke posted an 86-67 win over No. 21 Georgia Tech on Thursday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Jon Scheyer added 21 points, seven assists and two steals, while Nolan Smith delivered 14 points and four assists.

Duke knocked down 12-of-18 three-point attempts en route to outscoring the Yellow Jackets 36-9 from behind the arc. The Blue Devils posted a 17-1 edge in points off turnovers and outrebounded Georgia Tech, 40-32, in the contest. Duke grabbed 17 offensive rebounds on the night.

Duke 79, Boston College 59 - Jan. 13, 2010
Duke topped Boston College, 79-59, in the first meeting of the year between the two schools as Nolan Smith had 24 points, four assists and three steals to pace the Blue Devils. Kyle Singler added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Miles Plumlee and Jon Scheyer each had 12 points.

The Blue Devils posted a 40-27 edge on the glass, including 18 offensive rebounds. Brian Zoubek grabbed a game-high 11 boards, including five offensive.

Numbers Game

  • Duke is ranked 10th in the AP poll, marking the 49th consecutive week ranked in the top 10. The Blue Devils are 35-13 all-time when ranked 10th in the AP poll.
  • Duke leads the NCAA in free throw percentage at 76.6 percent (390-of-509). The Blue Devils are on pace to establish the third-highest free throw percentage in school history and the top mark under Mike Krzyzewski.
  • Duke is 11-3 on the year against teams ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, including an 8-3 mark against top 50 opponents. The Blue Devils are fifth in the RPI, while Boston College entered the week 93rd overall.
  • Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler make up the top scoring trio in the NCAA at a combined 53.6 points per game. The threesome has accounted for 27 of Duke’s 28 individual games with 20 or more points scored.
  • Jon Scheyer leads the ACC in four statistical categories and is the only player in the league to rank in the top 5 in six statistical categories; scoring (second, 18.8 ppg.), assists (fourth, 5.7 apg.), free throw percentage (first, .902), three-point field goals (first, 2.7 3pg.), assist-to-turnover ratio (first, 3.2:1) and minutes (first, 36.3 mpg.).
  • Kyle Singler is averaging 20.5 points per game with 20 or more points in four of the last six contests. He had a career-high 30 points on 8-of-10 three-point shooting against Georgia Tech and is shooting .436 (17-of-39) from the three-point line during the six-game stretch.
  • Junior Nolan Smith has only committed six turnovers in 183 minutes in Duke’s five true road games. He has averaged 19.7 points per game in the Blue Devils’ last three road games.
  • Jon Scheyer (18.8 ppg.) and Nolan Smith (18.0 ppg.) are averaging a combined 36.8 points per game. The duo ranks fifth among the top scoring backcourts in Duke history and tied for 10th in ACC history.
  • Senior Lance Thomas is averaging 7.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game over the last five contests with 10 or more rebounds in two games and one double-digit scoring outing.
  • Miles Plumlee and Mason Plumlee have combined for 43 dunks on the year. Together the brother tandem is averaging 10.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
  • Brian Zoubek has 70 offensive rebounds and 69 defensive boards on the year

Checking in on ...

#2 Nolan Smith - +9.6 ppg. increase from a year ago leads the ACC ... 33 three-point field goals ... shooting a career-best 45.8 percent from three-point range
#3 Seth Curry - Sitting out the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer rules
#5 Mason Plumlee - Second on the team with 16 dunks ... tied for second with 15 blocks in 16 games
#12 Kyle Singler - 20 points in the second half on Thursday ... has started 92 of 93 career games
#20 Andre Dawkins - Fourth on the team with 28 three-point field goals ... shooting 40.6 percent from three-point range
#21 Miles Plumlee - Leads the team with 27 dunks ... shooting 60.6 percent (20-of-33) from the field in league play
#30 Jon Scheyer - Has scored in double figures in 21 of 22 games with 10 games with 20+ points ... ranks in the top 10 of the ACC in nine statistical categories
#34 Ryan Kelly - 14 blocked shots ... one of five Blue Devils with 10+ blocks
#42 Lance Thomas - Five or more rebounds in five straight games ... leads the Blue Devils with 11 charges taken
#55 Brian Zoubek - Five or more rebounds in 15 of 22 games ... four or more offensive rebounds nine times

Big Three Pace Blue Devil Offense
Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith combine to average 53.6 points per game or 65.3 percent of Duke’s scoring.

Scheyer is second in the ACC in scoring at 18.8 ppg., while Smith (18.0 ppg.) and Singler (16.8 ppg.) rank third and seventh, respectively.

Texas Southern, Nevada, UC Davis, Fairfield, TCU, Portland State, Purdue and North Dakota State are the only other schools with three players ranked among the top 10 scorers in their respective leagues.

The trio of Scheyer, Smith and Singler is the highest scoring threesome in the NCAA this season and the fourth-highest at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski.