Andre Dawkins had a career high of 20 points - BDN Photo
The Duke Blue Devils nailed 18 three points shots [tied a school record] in route to a 104- 67 thumping of Radford on Saturday afternoon in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Freshman Andre Dawkins hit 6 of 8 from beyond the arc on his way to a career high 20 points.
"Whenever I put it up, I thought it was going in. I had a lot of confidence in my shot," said Dawkins.
Nolan Smith who dropped in 20 points and garnered 7 assists said of Dawkins, "Andre played a great game. He came out with a lot of confidence and was ready to shoot the ball."
The Blue Devils used a 23-4 run in the first half which broke the game open, helping them carry a 59-34 edge into halftime and they never looked back.
Radford's Art Parakhouski kept his team int he game for a while and earned high praise from Krzyzewski after the game. The hulking Parahouski finished the game as the high scorer with 23 points to go with his 13 rebounds.
The win was Duke's most complete game of the season, especially on the offensive end where several numbers stand out.
Duke had three players, Singler, Scheyer and Smith with 7 assists a piece and the team totaled 25. Duke was 16 of 17 from the free throw stripe and hot 18 of 32 three point shots, a 56.3% clip.
Miles Plumlee had his second straight double-double with numbers of 12 points and 11 rebounds. His teammate Brian Zoubek had back to back games of 9 rebounds as well.
Duke All American Kyle Singler struggled with his shot on his way to 13 points, but his game was well rounded in that he added 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
His sidekick Jon Scheyer scored 18 points to go with his 7 assists as well. Ryan Kelly added a career high 9 points and 5 rebounds playing effective minutes.
"The guys are playing hard and we are getting better. We are a good basketball team. We will be excited to play in New York," said Kryzewski to the blue Devil Nation in his post game comments.
Duke is now 4-0 on the young season and they will take on Arizona State in the semi finals of the NIT. The winner plays either UConn- LSU.
Andre Dawkins scored 13 points versus Coastal Carolina which for now serves as a career high. BDN Photo
Blue Devil Nation caught up with Duke freshman Andre Dawkins once again. Dawkins scored a career high 13 points and while he missed some shots, he took the ones Krzyzewski wanted him to.
Marshall Plumlee set to return to Cameron for Coundown to Craziness this Friday - BDN Photo
There are a lot of special surprises in the works for this Friday's Countdown to Craziness, so be sure to either attend or tune in to this event. More details are forthcoming, but they want to keep some of the entertainment and activities under wraps. The promotions for this event are listed at GoDuke.com or the Countdown for Craziness site.
In a recent talk with an assistant coach, I was told that every single player had come back better than they were before. As always Duke will adjust their team to the personnel at hand. All three freshman are expected to play key roles in their first season. Andre Dawkins will be asked to feel some big shoes which formerly belonged to Gerald Henderson. Ryan Kelly will add versatility and Mason Plumlee will almost certainly start in the post. Kyle Singler will be allowed more freedom which may mean we'll see what he can do at his natural position. We've hinted that Nolan Smith could have a breakout year and they will give him more of a leadership role as well. Jon Scheyer has them excited and there are no worries that he cannot thrive once again as a dual point with Smith. BDN will bring members the news from Wednesday's season opening press conference with Coach Krzyzewski in a live blog and will have audio up shortly after the gathering.
Josh and Tyler will be in the house - BDN Photo
So far, there are four visitors slated to attend Countdown for Craziness. [private] Marshall Plumlee leads the pack of prospects and he'll be joined by Quin Cook. Duke verbals Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston will also be there. We will tell you if any others join the frey as the week goes on, so there is no reason to ask about this on the message board.
Now, let's talk about Kyrie Irving. As some of you have already seen, any calls to Irving will only result in what you already know. The date for his official announcement is October 22nd and that will be televised by ESPNU. As we've told you, Irving will visit Kentucky's Midnight Madness, but there is little reason for worry despite anything you are apt to hear. Irving will be a Dukie so let's just be patient and wait it out.
That said I would like to address recent issues on the message boards where some posters go into a tailspin at what they hear from other sites message boards. Our policy has long been to deal in facts, not rumors. Neither myself or the BDN staff will answer all of the rumors for what we tell you is factual and informed. Please do not send me the "He said, she said," stuff for I can assure you I hear pretty much everything that goes on. Our sources are as good as they get and our network grows daily. If you hear something here, you can count on it and our track record speaks for itself. If there is anything going on, I will tell you what I can, so it isn't always necessary to ask about every little whimper. We have created a rumor forum for the purpose of containing rumors, propaganda and paranoia. I will not answer a lot of questions in that forum. I have also instructed moderators to take a firmer approach in an effort to keep this the best board out there.
It's a two horse race for the services of Harrison Barnes - BDN Photo
Now, back to recruiting news. Many close to the situation feel that Harrison Barnes is a two team race with Duke and North Carolina. The Tar Heels have made up some ground and negative vibes have been sent out through various channels in the most heated battle between the two schools since Shane Battier. No matter what cards the Heels play, Duke can counter and the relationship between Krzyzewski and Barnes has been solid from the start. UNC is playing catch up and they have done a good job of impressing Barnes, but I cannot see them as being the leader as some suggest. Maybe there is no leader, but that could change with Barnes official visit to Durham on October 23rd. Expect Barnes to come in knowing that his friend Kyrie Irving committed the night before and expect Duke to be real and put their best foot forward during the visit.
Speaking of this site blowing up on October 22nd, let me set the scenario for you. We expect Kyrie Irving to verbal to Duke on Friday and then there is the Pfeiffer exhibition game which we'll cover. Of course, Harrison Barnes is in town and Duke plays Maryland at home in football, where we will again cover the event. The next morning I will head to Greensboro, North Carolina for ACC Operation Basketball which kicks off the season with all of the ACC coaches and players from each team. In short, articles, news and information will be all over the place. You can bet I will be taking my vitamins in the coming days. As we have said before, there are times when this site explodes so be prepared for the fireworks.
Duke is still recruiting and staying in contact with Roscoe Smith, but will only turn their attention to him after Harrison Barnes makes his decision. Of course, Barnes to Duke would like cause Duke to move on to 2011.
Duke is still working on getting Brad Beal to visit Durham, but if Irving and Rivers fall into place, they would likely have enough players at his position. They really like Beal though, as does most everyone who has seen him play.
The Blue Devils also stay in close contact with Quincy Miller [offered] who they feel is a Duke kid through and through, but with advisers in his ear, this one will almost assuredly go on for a while.
On a football note, recruits have responded very well to Dukes 49-28 win over NCSU and this one is already paying dividends in the class of 2011, especially in state. Duke is expecting to be healthy for Maryland on the aforementioned super weekend and Cutcliffe will emphasize how to enjoy a win yet still know you have to work hard to earn victories. Of course, this is new for many Blue Devils and it will be important for them to get a proper mind set for the coming ACC season.
Lastly, we'll talk of Austin Rivers. Rivers has officially opened his recruitment up for Duke and it is Duke and Florida for his services. Expect Rivers to concentrate on his coming high school season and then make his decision. You all know by now that I am calling Duke in this one and yes I feel very confident about that. I am very excited having watched Rivers adoringly on the AAU circuit in about 15 games. [/private]
Future Duke player Andre Dawkins was on fire from the three point stripe hitting 8 of 12 and tallying 30 plus points in Boo Williams easy victory over the Georgia Stars. The AAU nationals are winding down and Boo Williams has been playing together making a late season run for the title after a disappointing summer. BDN will continue to update you on the action as the event winds down. Our interviews from Las Vegas and Orlando began today with an in depth talk with Kyrie Irving. If you want the absolute, hands down best coverage of Duke basketball recruiting then join BDN Premium today. Our members are discusssing the latest happenings on the message board and we are just scratching the surface with our on site reports.
Grant Hill chat with Coach K, Jeff Capel and Mike Brey - copyright BDN Photo
ORLANDO - Duke was sending a message to prospects this weekend, that being, if you come to Duke you are a part of a family. You can add to that, once you are in the family, it's for life.
As the AAU Nationals continued in sunny Orlando, Florida, there was quite a Duke flavor permeating the arenas.
Mike Kryzyzewski arrived on the scene with Steve Wojcichowski today, where they joined Chris Collins following prospective Duke targets.
Imagine being a future Dukie and looking up in the stands and seeing not only your assistant coaches, but Hall of Famer Grant Hill and JJ Redick.
That was the case for Andre Dawkins, the class of 2010 commitment who plays with Boo Williams.
"JJ was fun to watch when I was coming up. He had such fire and swagger about him and opponents hated him. And that's what you want, you don't want your opponents to like you. It was great to see them out here supporting me," said Dawkins after his teams win.
I asked Andre what it was like to be a part of the Duke family and he paused before saying, "It's a lot of fun but I don't know if it's quite sunk in yet."
Chris Collins and JJ Redick watched Andre Dawkins game Monday evening - copyright BDN Photo
Just before Grant Hill went to watch Andre Dawkins with Wojo and Collins, he sat with Mike Krzyzewski who was also sitting with former Duke assistant and current Notre Dame coach Mike Brey.
But Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel was also there, as was Roshown McCleod, Jason Williams and Johnny Dawkins.
All of the former players paid tribute to their former coach who just came in from not only watching prospects in Las Vegas, but tending to his Team USA duties.
Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was also seated beside Krzyzweski for much of the evening and he, of course, serves as an assistant. It's worth noting that Krzyzewski has called him a co-head coach out of respect for his long time friend.
It didn't take long for the crowd to notice the gathering of Dukies, for many could be seen snapping pictures of Coach K, and some even trying to breach the lines between the coaches, media and fans to get a closer glimpse.
Fans also were aware of JJ Redick's presence and many of the young ballers were sneaking over to get a look. Heck, even the coaches were stretching their necks, many likely marveling that when the Devils turn out they do it in style.
Jason Williams gave kids a talk they'd remember - copyright BDN Photo
BDN was on the scene all day long and we'll bring you more coverage in our premium subscription section. In fact, we will have reports and interviews from Las Vegas and Orlando well into the following week.
Join Blue Devil Nation today to get live reports all week long from Orlando. We bring you up close and personal to the best basketball program in the land with unmatched recruiting coverage. Interviews from this event and Las Vegas will be coming shortly.
BDN caught up with Andre Dawkins to get his thoughts on playing in his first collegiate basketball game at Duke University.
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