Back in the Race

Duke Basketball reentered the ACC race with their weekend road victory over Louisville.  After losing consecutive games to unranked conference opponents, Coach Mike Krzyzewski dared to go zone and we all know the result.  That begs the question will this strategy continue and from my seat I think we'll see a mix moving forward depending on match ups.  The win stopped the bleeding and enabled the Blue Devils to almost assuredly remain a top ten team when the polls come out later today.  The win also puts Krzyzewski two wins shy of the remarkable milestone of 1000 wins.

Two more for Coach Cut

Duke added a fleet of foot cornerback in Jeremy McDuffie this past week.  Thawzanga Mugala also backed out of his Purdue verbal to come to Duke.  Mugala is a DE and the Blue Devils will be naming a new coach for the line within the week.  Coach Cut continues to build momentum on the recruiting trail assuring Duke to be a contender as the stadium renovations progress.

Miles Plumlee on the trading block

Former Duke basketball players Miles Plumlee is expected to be traded before the NBA trade deadline expires.  Plumlee has seen his minutes diminish a bit due to the Phoenix Suns adding depth to the front court via trades.  Up to six teams have shown interest per sources.  In other NBA news, Austin Rivers was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers where he will play for his Dad and join Duke alum JJ Redick for the remainder of the season.

Next up, Pitt

Duke has little time to enjoy their bounce back win over Louisville in that they play Pitt tonight in Cameron.  Don't expect another let down for Duke will get back to their roots a bit and mix man and maybe some zone in this one with a solid focus.  Pitt struggles on offense and that could play right into the Blue Devils hands but one can never overlook a conference opponent.  Look for the Blue Devil to try and get Justus Winslow going on the offensive end and to have success from the three point stripe.  By nights end, Coach Mike Krzyzewski will be one game shy of his 1000th career win.

I'm personally excited that it is finally bowl week and look forward to watching Duke take on a tough 15th ranked  Arizona State Wildcats team on Saturday.  I want to also wish all of the Blue Devil Nation Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas and hope all of you can spend time with loved ones.  Please consider saving me the leftovers this holiday season and with that said here is an abbreviated version of Monday Musings to get the week started.

Plenty to Play For

The Duke Blue Devils football team takes on the Arizona State Sun Devils this coming Saturday in the Sun Bowl.  The event has long been covered by CBS Sports and they provided plenty of commercials for the annual game during their NFL telecasts on Sunday.  I cannot help but to think back to watching the Sun Devils throttle Notre Dame and their coach in the post game interview.  Like Duke, Arizona State is seeking respect and he hammered home how hungry his team was.  But there is hunger on the Duke side as well and the Blue Devils desperately want a bowl win.  With a win, Duke would likely once again place in the final top 25 at the end of the season.  It'll be a tall order for the underdog David Cutliffe led Blue Devils and it will be a fun game to watch unfold.  Kickoff is at 2:00 and look for our preview coming later this week.  Blue Devil Nation will take in the game as well where Patrick Cacchio will be their live for all the happenings.

Wallace Wade Improvements

One could not help but notice when walking to a Duke Men's Basketball game the changes occurring at Wallace Wade Stadium.  The field is indeed being lowered and the crews are working around the clock to makes sure the first phase stays on schedule.  There are many fans who waited a good long time for a facelift to happen.  While I miss walking or running around the track already thinking back on Duke Football ghosts past, I look more forward to new memories.  The football program has plenty of momentum and the dedication needed from the Duke Administration to compete at a high level now.  The future looks bright for Cutcliffe and his program and it's good to know that the coach has found his home.

A Dose of Reality

In the last two wins over Elon and UConn, the Blue Devils at times looked vulnerable.  Coach Mike Krzyzewski pointed to this post Elon win and provided a myriad of possible reasons.  Duke is flying high right now at 10-0 but the coming ACC slate is a beast this season.  With the way this team started the season, they looked as if they were at the top of their game.  But there are plenty of more lessons to be learned from a group which starts three freshman.  Those lessons will become more clear to us as the games come more frequently on the schedule past the final holiday break.  For the record, most of the team has gone home to their families, so it's a good thing Duke has two non conference games to shake off the rust upon their return.

Figuring Out Scheduling

The always nice Holiday Invitational kicks off this coming Friday in Raleigh where Duke prospects Brandon Ingram, Dennis Smith Jr. take center stage.  Unfortunately, the Duke Bowl game takes place the same Saturday.  Duke takes on Toledo at home on the final day of the event and the women's team takes on UConn the same evening.  That schedule makes it tough on local Duke fans who want to watch possible future hoopsters compete.

Ready for some Duke Football and Basketball chatter?  Welcome to another edition of Monday Musings to kick off your week.  This week we prep for basketball, talk of Coach K's NBA viewing habits and a the big win over Pitt and what to expect from Syracuse on the football side of things.

Duke tabbed a slight favorite over Syracuse

Coming off a big win over Pittsburgh, Duke will waste little time in turning their attention to a pending road trip to Syracuse.  Their focus is a good thing, because the Orange are better than their record indicates in that they played a challenging slate to date.  In fact, Vegas who labeled  Pitt as a FG favorite last weekend, this time gives the edge to the Blue Devils by 3 in their opening lines.  That makes for what should be a close game on the surface.  What Vegas knows is that Syracuse actually plays pretty good defense (held Clemson to 16 and Louisville to 20) and that they'll be scrapping for some wins to become bowl eligible.  The good news is that Duke will not have to face nasty weather in that this game will be in the Carrier Dome.  Add to that, players are generally quicker on turf and Duke is built for speed and one has to like the Blue Devils chances to further secure their division leading record.  Duke Coach David Cutcliffe has instilled a one game at a time mentality in his team which worked well a season ago.  Duke will likely be favored in all of their remaining games against ACC opponents, but the margin will not be great, thus the aforementioned focus will be the key to success.

What the Pitt win meant ...

Had Duke lost to the Panthers, they'd have been mired in the middle of a crowded ACC Coastal race.  In fact, the Panthers would have moved ahead of them had Duke not won an exciting overtime game.  A week ago, some reporters were wasting air on questions pertaining to all the teams going 4-4.  Now, it is clear that the Coastal Division race is down to three teams, those being Duke, Georgia Tech and Miami.  The Pitt win further enabled the Blue Devils to control their own destiny.  If they win out, they'll play in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte back to back years.  They can still lose up to one game and come out ahead, but that would mean some help along the way.  Miami has a key home game with Florida State looming where Duke fans should be helping with the Tomahawk Chop cheers.  The Yellow Jackets would need a win over a tough Clemson team, for Duke would win the tie breaker if they finished the season with even records.  There are other games on the Jackets and Canes schedules for sure, but these mentioned are the ones to watch. This is where I refer you back to the perfect Duke strategy of taking it one game at a time.  A second consecutive Coastal Division crown is within grasp if they do the work.  Lastly, the victory over Pitt meant an ascent in both polls.  Duke is now ranked 20th in the land by the coaches poll and 22nd in the A.P.  How cool is it for Duke fans to be firmly in the first annual top 25 of the College Bowl Playoff rankings in its first season of existence?  They'll move up a couple of spot there too from 24th by the end of Tuesday evening.

Duke Radio Show Moved

The Washington Duke Inn sits on campus near Wallace Wade and Cameron Indoor Stadium.  Duke Coach David Cutliffe joins Art Chase each Tuesday to talk Duke Football at the Vista Restaurant.  This week, the event which is carried locally by 620 the Buzz has been moved up to 5:00 to help accommodate the men's basketball teams opening game at 7:00 versus Livingstone.  If you are going to the game, you can stop by the Inn and listen in live or just tune in a little bit earlier on the radio.

Speaking of Basketball ....

Duke finally gets to play somebody other than themselves on Tuesday evening when they take on Livingstone in the first of two exhibition games.  Duke was tabbed by the media to win the top-heavy ACC this past week where four teams are in the nation's top 10 ranked teams.  Cameron will be rocking as Mike Krzyewski debuts his team to the masses.  This will also be the season when the man known as Coach K gains his unprecedented 1000th win as a collegiate basketball coach.  Add that to an exciting freshman class led by Jahlil Okafor and some key returning players and you have the makings for yet another enjoyable and possibly magical season.  The Blue Devils held an open practice this past weekend which was very well attended despite the football team playing at the same time.  It is also worth mentioning that the women's team walloped their opponent in an exhibition game to start their hoops season.

Coach K and the NBA

I was able to ask the last question to Coach Mike Krzyzewski during media day at the recently concluded ACC Operation Basketball.  I asked of his viewing diet of basketball games during the season, specifically the NBA.  It should come as no surprise that Coach K is an avid follower of the league being the Team USA coach, but I wondered how many games he watched in season.  The answer is many,  Krzyzewski said that his TV was constantly tuned into NBA games but that the sound was not always on.  He basically compared watching the games in the back drop while he worked on his teams strategy to music.  If he sees a play that catches his eye, he rewinds it and turns the sound up.   So, his comparison was much like we all get into music.  If a tune catches you, it becomes in grained in your taste palette.  The same can be said for plays he might implement or build on for his teams once he sees it.  In short, good plays are to his eyes, like good tunes are to his ears.

Virginia Tech at Duke Kickoff Time Announced

The Virginia Tech at Duke game will has a newly slated noon kickoff time in Wallace Wade Stadium.  The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Be sure to check out our football player interviews after the win over Pitt in our football section.  Also, tune in tomorrow after a busy media day where Blue Devil Nation will cover Cut's presser and Coach K and company as they embark on the hoops season.  Also follow our staff on our twitter network and join our open Facebook Group, Blue Devil Nation which is a place for Duke fans to hang out.  See you at the games!

This will be an exciting week for Duke Blue Devil fans! It's that time of year again, when football and basketball converge and that means a lot of pumped up fans.  That said, here are some thoughts on the football and basketball scene -

Slam that Monkey ...

The Duke Football team took care of business in Atlanta defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Blue Devils last win in this series came in 2003, so they indeed got that monkey off their back this past weekend. With the win, Duke stands 3-2 in their last five game against ranked opponents, including the losses to Florida State and Texas A & M a season ago. The win also earned them votes in both polls where they are currently 28th in the A.P. and 29th by the Coaches.  This past weekends win was a big one for the team and program.

 Duke needs fannies in the stands ...

It's that time of year when each game is a bigger one that the last for bowl hopeful teams. Duke will next face Virginia, a team that has had the Blue Devils circled on their calendar. This years UVA team is tough and physical and they stand 2-0 in the Coastal Division. Vegas currently has Duke listed as a 3 point favorite but it will take a great effort for a win and fan support is very important in this game. There is a similarity to last weeks game, in that Duke open as a 5 point favorite and that has dropped quickly to 3. Virginia is also coming off a bye week just as the Blue Devils were before their first ACC win. I am by no means a better, but this is what they call a trap game for those who do. What does this all mean? It'll be one heck of an effort for a Duke win. The Blue Devils need their student section full in this game. They also need their fans to show up despite the game being televised which kicks off at 12:30.

It's time for Countdown to Craziness Duke Basketball never stops. But it surely begins again when the annual Countdown to Craziness rolls around. For the record you can still get tickets through the Duke Ticket Office. This season Duke Blue Devils are highly ranked as always and they feature another stellar class. This will be fans first chance to get a glimpse at the likes of the much hyped Jahlil Okafor. Not only is Big Jah as he is known last years top rated center in high school, many think he is that as a true freshman in college hoops. The Blue Devils have been picked in all the pre season top ten's to date. Their highest ranking thus far has been 4th by the Sporting News. Most in the pre season feel Duke will

The lone senior ...

Quinn Cook will be the lone senior as far as recruited players go this season for Duke.  It's hard to think of Cook as the elder statesmen here in that I have known the young man since he was fifteen years old.  Cook started his career at DeMatha before transferring to Oak Hill Academy, eventually  landing at Duke.  For those who may not remember his Father passed away at a very young age.  Cook now has the exact same locker as did his mentor Nolan Smith.  Make no mistake about it, he will be a key to success in the coming season be it his play or mentoring younger players.

Speaking of lockers ...

It should come as no shock to anyone that Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones lockers are side by side.  The two Duke freshman formed a relationship while playing AAU ball and they quite simply do all things together.  The beauty of this for this years team is that they already have great chemistry between them, but it will be vital that they extend that team wide.

Staff solid as always

Many Duke fans worried and for good reason when Steve Wojciechowski (Wojo) left for Marquette.  The season before Duke lost Chris Collins to Northwestern and these two guys had been around forever.  After a season with Team USA, Jeff Capel seems more than poised for filling those shoes.  After all, he was a head man before at Oklahoma and groomed the likes of Blake Griffen.  Nate James is stepping into a larger role as well and he relates well with the players.  One might remember that it was James, along with teammates Chris Carrawell and Shane Battier that visited Coach Mike Krzyzewski when Duke suffered severe losses to the NBA.  James assured the Duke coach that the Blue Devils would be fine then and he is doing the dame now. While Jon Scheyer had his career cut short with an unfortunate eye injury, he is still thriving in basketball.  Scheyer has shown an uncanny maturity early on which belies his young age.  He can mentor the players in that he is barely removed from the roster.  He, like James, can tell guys what it's like to be on a national championship team, while Capel can speak to adversity.  Capel was on the team when Krzyzewski has his back issues forcing him to the sideline.  Together they form a sold core and that should bode well for Duke in the coming seasons.

In this weeks Monday Musings piece, we ponder the changes to Wallace Wade, take a look back at the loss to Miami and look ahead to ACC Basketball -

Thoughts On The Loss To Miami

When Duke lost to Miami on Saturday evening, many fans were quite frustrated.    Despite the offensive struggles to consistently move the ball, the defense played well enough to win the game. Had there been just decent execution when they had the ball on offense, the game would have looked a lot different.  But let's not get riled up just yet, in that a season ago, Duke started the season 2-2 and 0-2 in the ACC before righting the ship on their way to the ACC Championship Game.  With a bye week at hand, the Blue Devils will do some soul-searching and a bowl eligibility is a mere two wins away.  There would be no better game than to make a statement in than their next game at Georgia Tech.  The Yellow Jackets and their salty coach have owned the series of late and this is the one team Duke needs to find a way to defeat if they are to contend in a tough division.  As for the Anthony Boone, who has struggled, he's as good a leader as there can be, but he needs to get his throwing mechanics to come around and fast.  Let's not forget that the Miami defeat was his first as a starter in the regular season and that's an incredible accomplishment.  It wasn't that long ago that fans just wanted to compete against a team like Miami on the road.  Now, they get upset when Duke doesn't win.  That is a testament to how good of a job Duke Coach David Cutcliffe has done with the rebuilding process.  That said, let's see how the team rebounds against a tough challenge in their next game before passing judgment on a season that has seven games left.  In my opinion, Duke had to adjust to the fast and stronger competition against Miami and anybody who watched the game realizes if their errors had been reversed, they could have still won the game.  Granted, it makes for some extra frustration just knowing that.

Let The Hype Begin

The Duke Basketball season is more or less upon us.  When October hits in Durham, the hype starts and for good reason in that Coach Mike Krzyzewski has built a juggernaut program.  As we start to talk more of the coming season, go to our Duke Basketball section for existing articles.  The Blue Devils have been picked in the top ten in the three preview magazines which have hit newsstands, but only  one picks them to win the ACC and two have arch rival UNC ahead of them.  The bottom line is the ACC is tough at the top.  The Tar Heels are deep and talented and Virginia is still quite solid.  Louisville has no major weakness in their front court or back court and Syracuse will be better than some think despite their losses.  Florida State will be much improved and Pitt is formidable as well.  Miami and N.C. State could be sleepers but there is a drop off at the bottom.  It should be a great season.

Grand Changes Ahead

The facilities are improving at Duke.  Okay, so it took long enough in football, but the recently announced changes are exciting for the fan base.  In two years time, you will not recognize Wallace Wade Stadium.  Already gone are the World War II era rest room facilities and now the distinct changes are about to take place.  If you've been asleep at the wheel, let me remind you that construction starts immediately after the Wake Forest game which closes the season.  Duke now has the go ahead to get this project under way and for those of us who have clamored for this most of our lives for this moment, all I can say is finally.  Don't get me wrong here, but there are some long time followers who have dreamed of this actually happening.  Duke Athletics is poised to compete for many years to come across the board and that is the commitment many have waited for.  With a grand resurgence taking place within the football program and basketball on as solid a ground as ever, the future looks quite bright.  I will take one more stroll around the track I grew up using, thinking with each step made, where some classic plays both good and bad happened on the field.  It will be a bitter-sweet moment only because access to Wallace Wade will soon be a thing of the past.  At the same time, I have always known that the atmosphere would be better served without a track, where the fan base will be closer to the action with more of a true football look.  It took a long time for changes to come to Wallace Wade.  I look forward to seeing them in my lifetime for there was a time when I never thought that would happen.