Category Archives: Duke Basketball

Jon Scheyer - BDN Photo

The Blue Devil Nation's coverage of Duke in New York continues as Andre Slater talks wth Duke's Jon Scheyer -

What was the game plan going into this game?

Well, the big thing about them is they have a lot of guys that can really shoot the ball. So, for us going into this game, we really wanted to take away their threes. You know, the last game they had eighteen threes. So that was the big thing. They basically changed up their offense, going exclusively ball screens. For us, we were basically trying to take their perimeter from them and I think we did a good job with that.

It seems like in the first half, you guys were having some problems getting the ball inside against the zone. In the second half, it seemed like you were able to penetrate into the zone a couple of times. What changed?

Um, I think we were a little bit more poised and we tried to take our time running the offense in the second half.

What were they doing in the first half that was destructing the offense?

Um, I think that they were physical. They did a good job pushing us out a little bit. That set us back at first, but, once we started to get the ball in the scoring area and driving the ball better, then that’s when we started scoring more.

Your turnover streak ended. Care to comment?

(laughs) Yeah, everybody jinxed me after the last game. (laughs)

How do you account for your lack of turnovers this year?

You know, I’m just trying to take care of the ball and make good decisions. That’s something. I know our offense and I know the guys. I just want to put my team in a good position. I’ve been doing that and trying not to make too many risky passes.

Did you anticipate the challenges in this game? I know it’s pretty early into the season. Do you feel like you guys responded well to the challenges that came tonight?

I think we did. Obviously, Arizona State is a good team and, you know, people dismiss them a little bit, but we knew they were going to be a good team. For us, I thought we did a really good job of just taking their punches and then punching back. We made some big stops in the second half. After the first few minutes, I thought our defense was really good the rest of the way. So that was something I was proud of our team in doing that.

You’re now facing the University of Connecticut, as a matchup of two titans. Are you looking forward to that kind of matchup?

I love playing in big games and obviously they’ll have a lot of fans here and we will too. They’re obviously a great team, so for me, being able to play in Madison Square Garden in the championship game against UConn is something that any player would be excited for, but especially myself, I just love playing in big games. That’s something I’m excited for.

As a senior, do you find yourself savoring and appreciating each game and trip more than you had when you were younger?

Well, I’ve always loved big games no matter what age I am, but, obviously, I cherish them a little bit more because I know there’s not many of them left. I’ll definitely enjoy this one.

As a history major, is your legacy at Duke something that is very important to you?

Oh, yeah, I mean, of course. I just want to be known as a competitor and I want to be known as a winner and this year obviously we have a lot to do, but I want to go out winning and just be known for being a competitor. That’s what I’d like to be known for.

After your playing career is over, whenever that is, do you have any interest in getting into coaching?

Yeah, I just always see my life with basketball in it. I mean, with coaching, I feel like I have a great mind for the game and that’s something that hopefully one day whether it’s in high school or college or whatever it might be, but at some point, I’d like to.

Do you speak regularly to your ex-roommate, Mr. Henderson? How is he doing so far?

Yeah, I actually talked to him today. He’s doing well. He’s going to have a great pro career and I’m always keeping up with him and he’s always keeping up with me. We just keep in touch, talk about things, and he’s one of my great friends.

You’ve been a captain of the team for the last two years. How do you compare the two teams?

Yeah, they’re a little bit different. The thing with this team, we have a great age range. We have seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen and so you need to know how to talk to the guys and know them and now I have one year under my belt and so I feel I’m that much better a captain for it.

Lastly, this one’s way out there. My sister’s a big Ferris Bueller fan. Were there a lot of Ferris Bueller fans that would show up at your high school to see where part of the movie was shot or take pictures?

(laughs) Yeah, not too many anymore, it’s been a few years, but I always point it out to people when it’s on TV that that’s my high school (laughs)

Don’t listen to him. He’s always talking about that.

Duke Basketball

NIT Final, Duke vs UConn Official Game Notes

November 26, 2009 Duke Sports Information

Game 6 * NIT Season Tip-Off Final

[7 AP/7 Coaches] Duke (5-0) vs. [13 AP/13 Coaches] Connecticut (4-0)

Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 * 5:00 p.m. * ESPN

Madison Square Garden (19,763) * New York, N.Y.

The Opening Tip

Duke (5-0), ranked seventh in the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, faces 13th-ranked Connecticut (4-0) on Friday, Nov. 27 at 5:00 p.m in the final of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Friday's contest will be aired by ESPN with Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Doris Burke calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke is coming off a 64-53 win over Arizona State on Wednesday in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Senior Jon Scheyer led the way with 16 points, four rebounds and six assists, while Nolan Smith scored 14 points. Junior Kyle Singler added 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the win. Freshman Andre Dawkins contributed eight points, including a pair of three-point field goals.

The Blue Devils held Arizona State to 39.1 percent (18-of-46) from the field, including 28.6 percent (6-of-21) in the second half. Duke has now held the opposition below 40 percent shooting in four straight games.

NIT Season Tip-Off History

Duke is 21-2 all-time in the NIT Season Tip-Off, including an 9-2 mark at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils have won 11 straight games in the tournament. Duke won the first NIT Season Tip-Off championship in 1985 and also claimed tournament titles in 2000 and 2005.

Numbers Game

l Mike Krzyzewski (837) and Jim Calhoun (809) have combined for 1,646 career wins. Friday's contest marks the first meeting between 800+ win coaches.

l Duke is 26-2 in in-season tournaments over the past nine seasons. The Blue Devils have won 10 straight in-season tournament games.

l Duke is 24-14 all-time, including a 19-6

mark under Mike Krzyzewski, at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils have won four straight and 11 of their last 12 games at MSG.

l The Blue Devils are 101-10 in the month of November under Coach K. Duke has won 21 straight games in the month, dating back to a Nov. 21, 2006 loss to Marquette.

l The Blue Devils have won six of their last nine games and are 104-44 all-time against current Big East teams.

l Kyle Singler has scored in double figures in 20 straight games and in 64 of 76 career contests.

l Sophomore Miles Plumlee is averaging 10.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game after recording 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game a year ago. He has four double figure scoring games and two double-doubles on the year.

l Jon Scheyer has 27 assists and just two turnovers in 171 minutes of action on the year. The Northbrook, Ill., native has led the Blue Devils in assists in all five games and leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 13.5:1.

l Junior Nolan Smith has reached double figures in scoring in three straight games. He is averaging a team-high 19.3 points per game, a scoring jump of +10.9 ppg. from a year ago.

l Andre Dawkins has a team-best 14 three-point field goals on the year. He is shooting 48.3 percent (14-of-29) from three-point range and has made two or more threes in four of five games. Dawkins ranks third in the ACC in three-point percentage.

l Senior Brian Zoubek ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds at 4.4 orpg. He also ranks 12th in the conference at 8.0 rebounds per game, despite playing just 15.0 minutes per contest.

l Duke has held its last four opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field. The Blue Devils are 296-9 under Mike Krzyzewski when holding opponents under 40 percent shooting.

l The Blue Devils limited Arizona State to 53 points on Wednesday and have now held three of their five opponents under 60 points scored.

l Duke leads the ACC in free throw percentage .722 (80-of-103) and ranks second in three-point percentage .422 (47-of-112).

l Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith each played the entire 40 minutes in Wednesday's win over Arizona State. The trio combined for 43 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in the game

Duke Basketball

Duke trips Arizona State 64-53 to advance to NIT Championship game

November 26, 2009 Duke Sports Information

Duke Photo

NEW YORK - Duke just didn't look itself in a building where the Blue Devils have been so impressive so often.

The seventh-ranked Blue Devils were tied with Arizona State with 13 minutes left in the second semifinal of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

But then Kyle Singler, who uncharacteristically missed eight of his first nine shots, made his second straight to give Duke the lead for good and the Blue Devils turned up the defensive intensity in a 19-3 run that led to a 64-53 victory over the Sun Devils.

"I could have played more aggressively and that's what I do," said Singler, who finished 5 of 16 from the field and had 13 points. "Being aggressive is what I do and that gets easy baskets."

Jon Scheyer had 16 points and six assists, and he was the one who found Singler for the two field goals that tied the game and put the Blue Devils ahead for good.

"I don't think looking for him any more than usual and I'm always looking for him when he's open," Scheyer said. "Crunch time is always Kyle's time and those were two big shots for us."

Nolan Smith had 14 points for Duke (5-0), which led by only four at halftime.

The Sun Devils (4-1), who managed to stay close behind their patient offense and pesky zone defense, tied it at 43 on two free throws by Derek Glasser with 13:11 to play only to see Duke break it open with the deciding run.

"I thought defensively after the first 5 minutes was the key to the ballgame," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "And Singler, who was not having a good shooting night, after that timeout in the second half he came out and hit those two buckets right away. It's nice if you're 9 for 12 but when you're whatever he was, when the score is tied, that's very good."

The Blue Devils will face No. 13 Connecticut in the championship game Friday. The Huskies beat LSU 81-55 in the other semifinal.

"A championship here would mean a lot because this is like a Final Four or a Sweet 16 because you play two games in three days against two good teams," Scheyer said. "We'll be ready and so will they."

Singler's second straight field goal gave Duke the lead for good at 45-43. After Scheyer scored in the lane, Singler hit his only 3-pointer to make it 50-43. Rihards Kuksiks' three-point play slowed the run some but the Blue Devils were back at it behind some suddenly effective defense that allowed Arizona State just that one field goal over a 10-minute span.

"I thought their defensive effort, especially in the second half, was terrific," Arizona State coach Herb Sendek said. "Nothing came easy for us. Everything was challenged."

Trent Lockett, limited to 30 minutes by foul trouble, and Glasser both had 13 points for the Sun Devils.

"I think we executed early and we played with a lot of energy," Glasser said. "We just couldn't make that shot we needed down the stretch."

The victory allowed Duke to extend some impressive streaks. This was its 11th straight win in this tournament as the Blue Devils swept to the title in 2000 and 2005. They also won the inaugural tournament in 1985.

This was Duke's fourth straight win at Madison Square Garden and the 11th in its last 12 games in the building. It also was the Blue Devils' 21st straight win in November, a streak that dates to a 2006 loss to Marquette.

Scheyer hit a 3 as he was falling in front of the Arizona State bench to give the Blue Devils a 34-30 lead with 4.8 seconds left in the first half.

Scheyer committed his first turnover of the season 8:02 into the game. The senior guard entered with 21 assists and no turnovers in 131 minutes over the first four games.

His first turnover of the season came when he stepped on the sideline as the Blue Devils were setting up a play, but it didn't lead to any points for the Sun Devils. He finished with two turnovers in the game.

Scheyer had a big smile on his face when the first turnover was brought up.

"Everybody looked at me when it happened," he said. "I just wish it could have happened on a cool pass, not stepping on the line. It's something that just happened but I'm blaming everybody on the team because they started talking about the streak after last game."

Duke Basketball

NIT Season Tip-Off Preview: UConn Huskies

November 26, 2009 Bob Green

Duke The UConn Huskies (4-0) are a tough matchup for Duke (5-0). Defending against talented backcourt mates Jerome Dyson (6’3” 180) and Kemba Walker (6’1” 172) will be a huge challenge for Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith. Both Dyson and Walker were named to the All Big East Preseason Team. The Huskies are also big across the frontline with Stanley Robinson (6’9” 220), Gavin Edwards (6’9” 230), and Alex Oriakhi (6’9” 240). UConn brings speed and strength onto the court.

Depth could be an issue for the Huskies as their top five players are clocking 170 minutes of action per game. Comparatively, Duke’s top five are on the court for 147 minutes. In their 76 – 67 second round win over Hofstra, the Huskies bench contributed only four points, while Duke’s bench scored 24 points in Duke’s 101 – 59 win over the University of Charlotte.

Dyson, a senior, is averaging 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists in 36.7 minutes per game so far this season. He missed the end of last season after tearing the meniscus ligament in his right knee on February 13th against Syracuse. Dyson had started all 24 games for UConn prior to the injury.

Robinson averaged 8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23 minutes per game over his first three seasons at Connecticut. As a senior, he is playing 36.3 mpg and averaging 16.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. With the departure of A.J. Price, Jeff Adrien, and Hasheem Thabeet, Robinson will be expected to step into a leadership role for the Huskies.

Edwards, the third senior starter, is averaging 10 points and 4 rebounds in 29.7 minutes per game so far this season. He has made 19 of 23 field goal attempts this season and scored 15 points in the win over LSU.

Walker, a sophomore, is averaging 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4 assists in 33.7 minutes per game. In the win over LSU, Walker dished out 5 assists in addition to scoring 20 points.

Oriakhi, starting as a freshman, is averaging 6.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 33.3 minutes per game. UConn is known for physical inside players and this freshman is heir apparent to be Coach Jim Calhoun’s next intimidator. Against LSU, he had 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

The keys to the game will be:

1. Foul trouble could be a problem for the Huskies who play all five starters 30 or more minutes per game, while Duke goes nine deep. Therefore, the Blue Devils should attack the basket and force the Huskies to respond. This game will be a test for Duke’s bigger line-up philosophy and their inside players must respond to the physical play of UConn’s frontline.

2. Who will guard Kyle Singler? Actually, UConn is a team that should be able to match-up with Singler. Stanley Robinson will be Coach Calhoun’s first option, but it would be a tall order to expect Robinson to keep up with Singler for 35 plus minutes so Coach Calhoun will probably look to freshman Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (6’7” 210) to assist Robinson in defending Singler. It will definitely be a trial by fire experience for the freshman wingman.

3. Guard play will eventually decide who wins this game. The team which gets the best performance from its perimeter players will be the tournament champions. With UConn’s ability to match-up with Singler, starters Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are going to have to outperform Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker in order for Duke to leave New York undefeated. Duke freshman Andre Dawkins must be strong when he is on the court. There is no room for error in this contest.

UConn advanced to the championship game via an 81 - 55 dismantling of the LSU Tigers. Duke defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils 64 – 53 in a game which was closer than expected. The Huskies were led by Dyson and Walker with 20 points each, and Robinson contributed a double - double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. For the Blue Devils, Jon Scheyer was the leading scorer with 16 points, while Smith and Singler chipped in 14 and 13 points respectively.

Duke and UConn have played some classic games over the years and this game should be another barn burner. Coaches Krzyzewski and Calhoun are familiar with each other so both teams will come into the game prepared and ready to execute an effective game plan. This game will be a good one so all the fans need to kick back and enjoy the show. After the long off season, it is time to enjoy the ride of another college basketball season.

Duke Basketball

Nolan Smith named ACC Player of the Week

November 23, 2009 Duke Sports Information

BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke guard Nolan Smith was named ACC Player of the Week on Monday as announced by the conference office. Smith averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds, while shooting 56 percent (15-of-27) from the field, including 60 percent (6-of-10) from three-point range, and 100 percent (8-of-8) from the foul line in wins over Charlotte and Radford.

The Upper Marlboro, Md., native had a career-high 24 points, five rebounds and five assists in Tuesday’s 101-59 win over Charlotte. He went 9-of-15 from the field with a pair of three-point field goals against the 49ers. Smith recorded his second 20-point game of the week and the third of his career with 20 points in a 104-67 win over Radford. He knocked down a career-best four three-pointers and added three rebounds and seven assists in the contest.

Smith earned ACC POW honors for the first time in his career.

The Blue Devils return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 25 against Arizona State (9:00 pm – espn2) in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Duke Basketball

NIT Season Tip-Off Preview: Arizona State Sun Devils

November 23, 2009 Bob Green

nitlogo Duke (4-0) will face the Arizona State Sun Devils (4-0), on Wednesday Nov. 25, in the semi-finals of the NIT Season Tip-Off, at Madison Square Garden. The Sun Devils return three starters off of last season’s 25 -10 team: senior point guard Derek Glasser, junior forward Rihards Kuksiks, and junior shooting guard Ty Abbott.

The big challenge for fourth year coach Herb Sendek will be replacing first team All American James Harden and first team All Pac-10 Jeff Pendergraph who are both now on NBA rosters. Harden and Pendergraph combined to average 34.6 points and 13.8 rebounds per game last year. That is a lot of productivity no longer available so Arizona State is a team which could struggle early this season.

Derek Glasser (6-1, 190) averaged 8.8 points with a 2.2:1 assists to turnover ratio as a junior. He does not possess blinding speed but he is a capable point guard who will execute Coach Sendek’s game plan. Significantly, in his 102 game career, he has had 19 turnover free games. Glasser was named to the 2009 Pac-10 All-Tournament team by averaging 13.7 points, shooting 45.5 percent on three-pointers, and dishing out 12 assists against four turnovers during three tournament games. Glasser has dished out 18 assists with 8 turnovers so far this season.

Rihards Kuksiks (6-6, 205) is the third best returning three-point shooter in the nation. As a sophomore, he made 44.3 percent of his shots from behind the arc. Kuksiks averaged 10.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest. He has started 47 games over the first two seasons of his career, including all 34 games last season. In Arizona State’s most recent outing, against San Francisco, Kuksiks scored 27 points and shot 7-13 from behind the 3-point arc.

Ty Abbott (6-3, 207) had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in the off-season and did not play in the Sun Devils opening game. However, he played in the first two games of the NIT Season Tip-Off averaging 9.5 points per game. The athletic wing started 65 of 69 games during his first two years as a Sun Devil. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game last season. Abbott set an ASU freshmen record with 76 made three-point shots his first season. This season, in three games, Abbott is averaging 17.3 points per game and is 7-10 on 3-point attempts.

Additional experienced players include seniors Jerren Shipp (6-3, 220) and Eric Boateng (6-10, 245), and junior Jamelle McMillan (6-2, 180). In Arizona State’s 52 – 49 victory over TCU, in their NIT 2nd Round game, Boateng was a huge factor setting career highs with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Coach Sendek also has six freshmen on his roster and he has demonstrated a willingness to give freshmen significant playing time in previous seasons so those freshmen are a wildcard for the Sun Devils. If one or two step up with meaningful contributions, especially one of the big men, Arizona State could develop into a solid contender.

The keys to the game will be:

1. The Blue Devils must defend the three-point arc as the Sun Devils will attempt to score in bunches from the bonusphere. Kuksiks and Abbott will be looking to take over as Arizona State’s primary scoring options, and both players like to launch shots from behind the three-point line.

2. On offense, the Blue Devils will need to execute their high-low offense so the big men can attack the basket aggressively. Duke has an advantage in experience and size and must force Arizona State to focus on post defense in order to take advantage of three-point shooters Scheyer, Singler, Smith, and Dawkins. Those four Blue Devils are shooting a combined 48.1 percent (39 – 81) from behind the 3-point line in Duke’s first four games.

3. Who guards Kyle Singler? This will be the ubiquitous question all season for Duke’s opponents. Singler is a sensational player who should be able to score from the outside and the inside from his natural small forward position. If the Sun Devils opt to play a lot of zone defense, look for the Blue Devils to attempt to shoot them out of it via a 3-point barrage.

Herb Sendek is experienced coaching against Duke from his days at the N.C. State helm so he will keep it interesting, but in the end, Duke has too much talent and experience for Arizona State to handle. Duke should advance to the Championship game without undue difficulty. Of course, in the sports world, nothing is guaranteed, which is why we play the game.