Tag Archives: BDN Monday Musings

Monday Musings

BDN Monday Musings takes a look at Duke Athletics

This week, we have an abbreviated version of Monday Musings as we continue to work on other site projects -

Rebounding from a tough loss

Duke is not feeling sorry for themselves after the Florida State loss at home which killed several records.  This team will now start new streaks if they have their way.  After any loss, much of the Blue Devils fanbase goes into Chicken Little mode and you would swear that the sun will never rise.  Food for thought is that Duke has 3 losses against a brutal schedule ranked the toughest.  That means on Kentucky and Syracuse have less losses of any of what are considered the true national contenders. 

The new polls

Kentucky is the new #1 after Syracuse faced their first defeat of the season but are they good enough to be a unanimous #1 save 4 votes in the A.P. poll?  Duke is ranked 6th in the Coaches poll and 8th in the A.P. this week.  Interestingly, Florida State moves into the A.P. poll at #23 after their upset win in Cameron, ranked one spot ahead of a UConn team they lost to by a bucket.  Duke has defeated #5 Kansas, #10 Michigan State, #19 Virginia and #20 Michigan and lost to #3 Ohio State and #23 Florida State which translates to 4-2 against the top 25.

Bracketology

For me, early bracketology is much like "what if," articles in that I'm not a big fan of either one.  But many do and in this weeks edition of ESPN Bracketology by Joe Lunardi, Duke is a #2 seed opening with  a tough Cleveland State team.  Kansas is the #1 seed followed by the Blue Devils, then West Virginia at #3 and Creighton at #4.  FWIW, they're in the St. Louis region, if they get that far for the first two games will be in Greensboro.  I'd take  that bracket and yes, I just got caught linking and reading early bracketology ... ugh.

Duke Women are young and GOOD!

Due to workload we haven't been able to cover the women as much as we'd like but I made it to the Maryland game yesterday and it is by far the smoothest, cleanest game I have been to since Coach P took over.  No missed free throws and few turnovers made for a good game on the eyes and of course, Duke won and remains atop the ACC.  The Blue Devils offensive sets against were crisp and there was great spacing.  Freshman Elizabeth Williams has it going on for sure and you should check here out and Haley Peters "womaned" up yesterday with an outstanding performance.  Duke takes on UConn in Cameron next Monday and very few tickets are left.  Get you a pair through Duke and back the Blue Devils against the beast from the east.

Football recruiting red hot

Duke entertained Jela Duncan and others and BDN Football Analyst Patrick Cacchio has the latest on all the happenings on the front.  BDN Premium has some good stuff up for members and gridiron fans and we have the only recent and in depth interview with Amile Jefferson.  It's a great time to join and talk Duke Athletics on our subscription only message board where you avoid all the free board maniacs and have real discussions.

Blue Devil Nation Open Facebook Page

As most of you know, Blue Devil Nation on has a message board for paying members of BDN Premium, but we do have a Blue Devil Nation Open Facebook page which you can join and it is our version of a free message board.  So, if you want to hang and chat with other Duke fans, check it out.

Duke Basketball, Monday Musings

BDN’s Monday Musings – Quinn Cook, Ryan Kelly, the Plums, Rasheed Sualimon, Julius Randle

Most people are adjusting back to a normal routine after the holidays, but I found myself quite busy covering two Duke Basketball games and three days worth of high school prospects.  In fact, I'll finally make it back to the gym today, but only after another edition of Monday Musings.

17 assists, 0 turnovers

During last evening's post game press conference with Duke Coach Mike Krzyzweski, he quipped, "Quinn Cook has 17 assists and no turnovers in his last two games."  I tweeted that and within a few minutes noticed there were a bevy of retweets.  For those counting, Cook has played 62 minutes without a turnover.  The freshman point guard wasn't quite the same after his injury  last season, but after surgery and rest, he's just now getting back to form.  I'm seeing flashes of what he did before the injury when I covered him on the AAU circuit and that means you will see it as well as the season progresses.  But the true test for Cook will be how does he handle hostile environments like he will in the next two road games with Temple and the ACC opener with Georgia Tech.  Cook is the only true PG on the Blue Devils roster and if he can continue to adjust to the college game and improve his defense, he'll get plenty of burn.  One must remember a PG eight miles down the road named Kendall Marshall burst onto the scene last year, but in his case, he had to.  Duke has a steady, calm leader in Tyler Thornton, a swing guard, who was making three point shots look like a three inch putt in his last two outings, but that is an area he needs to be consistent in to keep opposing defenses honest.  My thinking is that there will remain a combination of the two in some manner all season long

Austin Rivers is the ACC Rookie of the Year

Rivers had trouble finishing off his moves in his last outing, but the freshman is destined to break out before seasons end.  With Duke seeking chemistry going into ACC play, he's finding his spot and once again adjusting.  The keyword though is adjusting for he has had a huge transformation with his game since he was in high school.  His willingness to do so has proven that he is all about team first.  Rivers, provided he stays healthy is a lock for ACC Rookie of the Year and he leads the 12-1 Blue Devils in scoring as a freshman for a reason, that being he's pretty darn good.

The Plums

There was one possession Mason past up an easy shot to dish to his brother Miles who was maybe a foot closer to the rim.  The play didn't set well with the bench but it showed that Mason is looking to get Miles going in his senior year and how close these guys and family really are.  Next time, take the shot but don't worry with that play too much for Mason has been a rebounding machine and a very consistent option for Duke.  He's definitely struggling from the free throw line for sure, but he also leads the team in FG%.  And FWIW, his four blocks last evening tied his career high at Duke.  Meanwhile, Miles had solid back to back games and it seems as if the senior is finding more consistency in his last season as a Blue Devil.  And, for one, think that he will continue to improve.

Ryan Kelly getting aggressive

If you watch the videos we provided from last evenings game, you'll hear junior forward, Ryan Kelly, state that he sought to play more aggressively.  Kelly recorded hi first double-double at Duke with 18 points and 12 rebounds and his 26 minutes played in the 85-55 blowout of Penn was tops on the team.  Kelly had struggled a little bit of late but it always seems like you can count on him to come back.  Duke will need Kelly to be a presence in upcoming road tests and the ACC season.

Covering Rasheed Sulaimon

I am as impressed as ever with Rasheed Sulaimon.  The future Blue Devil will join Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee who are both red shirting provided there are no injuries in next seasons class.  Sulaimon was flat out sick as a dog during the Holiday Invitational but he reached deep and helped his team, Strake Jesuit, win their last two games to go back to Texas 2-1.  Sulaimon visited Duke with his father and brother for the win over Western Michigan and he continues to recruit for the Blue Devils hoping to add players to his class.

Julius Randle visits

While the students were gone, Randle still got the "Julius Randle come to Duke," chant which he smiled about.  Randle is a flat out stud in the post and a player the Blue Devils staff covets.  Randle visited UNC yesterday and then caught the entire Duke game.  It'll be a good while before Randle, a junior in high school this season, decides, but there is already panic at every turn.  If you do not believe me take a look at the message boards.

BDN Premium

We are still offering the special rate of 80.00 bucks for one year of Blue Devil Nation Premium, which is 20% off the regular rate.  No other site covers s many AAU and high school events than do we and it's time for you to see what you're missing.  We've put together and amazing staff and correspondents that you have to see their reporting to get a feel for how timely and accurate it is.  We have two exclusive interviews up with Rasheed Sulaimon, a bevy of interviews with stud prospects from the City of Palms already waiting and wait until you see our original, yet copied Duke Basketball Team and Recruiting Updates. We also spoke with Brick Oettinger of Prep Stars, a long time analyst about prospects and up next are ESPN's Jason Jordan and Dave Telep telling our members their thoughts on the Tony Parker situation and more.  By being an independent, we can speak with many analysts and are not limited to the ones in our network and we think that is unique on to itself.  And changes are coming as well which are sure to please in 2012, so take advantage of this offer and stay connected and join in the on the discussions and see for yourself the quality we bring to the table.  A quick not on the offer, when joining select the yearly rate of 100.00 through paypal and we'll send you 20 bucks back.  That's pennies a day for non stop behind the scenes Duke reporting.

 

 

Duke Basketball

Monday Musings – Taking a look ahead at the Duke schedule, Plumlee, Rivers and Okafor

Cheerleader of the Week

Good Monday morning to you Blue Devil Nation!  It's time for another Monday Musings column from BDN where we take a peek at the coming schedule, talk of Plumlee, Rivers and Okafor and of course have this weeks Cheerleader of the Week -

So, Duke made it to the title game and lost, sort of ...

I like to look at the Blue Devils 7-1 record to date like an NCAA test run.  Duke won a nail biter against a tough and veteran Belmont team in a game that simulates NCAA Tournament play to start the season.  They then took out Michigan State in New York and returned home to defeat a solid Davidson team.  In Hawaii, they rolled through Tennessee, Michigan and Kansas.  Duke then got handled easily at Ohio State, but to make too much of a big deal out of that game would be a mistake.  Duke has 6 solid NCAA Tournament resume building wins.  From a teaching standpoint, the loss at Ohio State gave the staff a chance to rethink some things and you can bet that Krzyzewski will tinker with his rotation.  For whatever reason, a lot of the Duke players just didn't show up for that game be it fatigue or just not being prepared to play in a hostile environment.   There are no excuses for the loss, no matter the perceived culprit but one can't help but note that the Buckeyes, unlike the Blue Devils had yet to play a game outside of Columbus.  What I am saying is despite this loss, the season has been a good one to date for a young team still learning itself.

Enter the next stretch, the Holiday games

It all starts with a 5-3 Colorado State team coming in this Wednesday and it ends with Penn on New Years Eve.  Coach Krzyzewski likes to break down his schedule into mini seasons or tournaments.  I'm sure his take on which games are included could vary greatly from mine, but the Holiday games generally come against the lightest competition on the remainder of the schedule.   Duke does take on a good Washington team in New York, but Cameron is home with UNC-G, Western Michigan and Penn.  While the team must muster up emotion with most of the students and band gone, there should be little trouble in handling all of the home games.  Yes, I know you take them one at a time, but even Washington, the best of the bunch in this stretch is no match for the Blue Devil in New York, a home away from home for Duke.  And then comes ....

Temple, the next tough road test

We'll see what the Blue Devils learned in the Ohio State loss, for the Owls will be lying in wait with their best effort.  See, that's another thing to keep in mind, is that Duke gets every teams best shot for the four letters on the jersey make players, coaches and teams give their best effort.  Anyhow, we'll stop looking ahead now, but Duke should be 12-1 going into Philadelphia.

Mason Plumlee

The junior center is coming into his own this season, having established himself as not only one of the ACC's top big men, but the nation as well.  Plumlee has been consistent and was one player who certainly showed he belonged on the court at Ohio State.  He showed well against Jared Sullinger on a night when his teammates seemed lost.  Plumlee will need to bring that effort every night for the Blue Devils to make a run come March.

Austin Rivers

Young Rivers is just starting to get the college game and he is showing flashes of really breaking out.  The game seems to be slowing down for him now and that is a good sign for he's had to make a big adjustment at the college level where all the players on the court are good.  His decision making is getting better and his assists should go up when he realize defenses will key on him or collapse on drives.  Rivers got questions about him being overrated in some media columns.  I snicker when I think that and those who wrote that will soon be eating crow.  Austin Rivers is just too good to not have the light go off at this level.

Redshirt chatter

Arm chair coaches amaze me when they get upset that Duke might redshirt certain players.  Nevermind a coach that has the most wins in all of history, for some will always know what is better and throw out their lack of trust in message board forums.  It's one of the reasons I rarely read message boards anymore, for the discussions are so often ridiculous in nature.  I for one trust in Coach K and his staffs judgement.  For those waiting for redshirts to be officially announced, I hope you packed your lunch for it will not happen.  However, expect Marshall Plumlee to be one provided there aren't a rash of injuries forcing him into action.  Now, Alex Murphy seems to be in the same boat and while he'd be more likely to play than Plum 3, the plan is to sit him the rst of the year, unless again, there are injuries.  Second guessing the decision of the staff is fair game for sure but silly in nature for this has been something they have sat down and given meticulous thought to before coming to the decision.

Jahlil Okafor visit

Okafor is in the class of 2014, but his size of 6-8 and 260 makes him a hot commodity.  Okafor visited the Duke campus this past weekend for an unofficial visit.  He is one of the top ranked players in his class and is highly regarded, holding offers from Duke, Connecticut, Michigan State, Illinois, Georgetown and Ohio State.  The Blue Devils are in early on Okafor who hails from Chicago, Coach K's stomping grounds where he plays for Whitney Young High School.  He is in every rating services top five.

 

 

Duke Basketball, Duke Football

Watzone’s Monday Musings – Coach Krzyzewski, Duke Hoops, Cheerleader of the Week

BDN's Cheerleader of the Week

It's another Monday morning and that means a new edition of Watzone's Monday Musings.  I'm a little upset that I will not make it to New York tomorrow night in that I have been there for most of Coach Mike Krzzyzewski's milestone wins and this is the biggest one of all!  We will have Andrew Slater there, so rest easy knowing BDN is always represented.  I mean, is there anything else more news worthy than Coach becoming the NCAA's All Time Wins Leader?  Still, we'll try to talk a little about other happenings, so here we go -

K - R - Z -Y -Z - E -W - S - K - I

Coach K has become a brand name and for good reason.  The man is an ambassador for all of basketball, Team USA's lead man and so much more.  But his name is Mike Krzyzewski and he deserves the respect of people spelling out his name instead of taking the easy way out with Coach, the 11th letter of the alphabet.  To this day I watch as media members still fumble with his name.  After 902 wins, you would think they would have it down pat, huh?  If you are around mid day or just after 12:30 or so, follow me on out twitter page for I will be tweeting his press conference comments as they happen.

The Michigan State game

The stage is set in New York City in the famed Madison Square Garden for Duke to win one for their coach and the world to acknowledge his incredible accomplishments.  But this game will be a test of a young teams mettle.  The Blue Devils hung on for a win over a tough Belmont team but showed when the game gets tight, to some extent, so do they.  This is something that happens to a young team that has not established a go-to guy yet and they could face a similar situation in New York.  It will be interesting to see if the immense pressure of winning this game for their coach will make them push too hard or be so emotional that they are spent early on.  Oh!  That's right!  Duke has Coach Krzyzewski, so all will likely work out.

Mason Plumlee

Mase is having a good start to the season averaging 15.5 ppg, 11.0 rebounds per game and an even more impressive 4.0 assists per contest.  Duke will need for Plum 2 to remain consistent for success this season and Mason seems ready for the challenge.  The physically gifted junior is coming into his own and he can do things athletically few can down low.  It seems like yesterday when I was hanging with Mason at the North Carolina State High School Basketball Championships.  As they say, time flies!

Brother Miles

Masons older brother, Miles, had a really nice outing against Presbyterian where he pout up a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards.  But he struggled in the opener and Duke needs the senior captain to bring his "A" game every night.  Like Mason, Miles can do some incredible things with his uncanny athleticism and once he realizes few can stop him when he wants to take it home, he can become a beast in the paint.

Curry seeks consistency

Seth Curry was one of the more hyped players coming into the season and made All ACC First Team.  Curry scored 10 points in each of the first two games and while that is consistent, Duke needs him to take it up a notch.  No reason to think this won't happen and there would be no better time for it than in New York tomorrow evening.

Tyler Thornton has been a steadying influence

Thornton brings a calm to the floor when he is out there in that he plays with maturity.  Thornton had a great opener where is production was more than many felt they might see.  While his numbers fell in the last win, he is getting 20 minutes of burn a game.  Thornton will play a key role on this team and will be depended on as the young freshman develop.

Freshman development

This is an on going process but Austin Rivers is the only one of the bunch playing a major role thus far in the 2011-12 season.  Rivers is just scratching the surface and trust me when I say this kid has shown you nothing yet despite playing well and scoring at a 15.5 ppg clip without taking a ton of shots.  Alex Murphy has been saddled in a precautionary manner after suffering a fall, so it is hard to see what he might bring to the table.  Quinn Cook has showed flashes of brilliance but is getting use to the pace of the college game and how sneaky defenders can be.  Michael Gbinije has played a few minutes but has yet to really find his way as well.  The bottom line is the freshman are just that but Duke needs them to adjust their games quickly for at least one of them besides Rivers will need to be counted on in a key reserve role.

Football team banged up

The Duke Football team fell to 3-7 on the season with a 31-21 loss at Virginia and several players were banged up.  Duke is now playing for the future and will attempt to set the tone for next season when almost everybody returns.  An upset win over Georgia Tech in their last home game this week or the following week at North Carolina but injuries might make this a tall task.  Duke never really got a break through victory this season, so fans can hope one will come.

Support the seniors and show up for the last home game

While Duke has struggled to find wins this season, the senior class, as small as it is, has given fans some ACC wins and a few years ago, the Blue Devils had nada.  We'll talk more about them later in the week but I do want to mention Matt Daniels, a vicious hitter who has been a main stay on the defense.  If Duke ca find players with his resolve and spirit all will be fine and coaches are hoping that other players step up late as he passes the torch.  Daniels has been rock solid for Duke and you should single him out and watch him pop in the last two games.

Until next week, Go Duke and congrats to Coach Mike Krzyzewski for he will soon be the King of the Hill and kounting.

 

Duke Basketball, Duke Football

Watzone’s Monday Musings – Basketball opens, football struggles and recruiting

BDN Monday Musings Duke Cheerleader of the Week - BDN Photo/Rick Crank

Chances are you need no reminder that this is the opening week of the basketball season where pretty much everybody in the nation plays on Friday.  The Blue Devils open the season with a true test in Belmont, a 9 p.m. prime time game on ESPNU. Of course, they then wake up the next day and take on Presbyterian at 4:30 on the same station.  Meanwhile the football team heads to Virginia trying to make it four in a row on the Cavs in a 3:00 game which conflicts with the men's game, not unusual for this time of year.

Duke opens with a dangerous and deep Belmont team

Unless one lives under a rock, they realize that the Duke and college basketball season opens for real this Friday.  In the first two pre season games Duke has looked like a work in progress in that they are.  But Coach Krzyzewski and company will have to bring their best game to defeat a Belmont team that won 30 games a season ago and they return everybody.  Belmont is a legitimate top 40 type team and they jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the new mainland Maui Invitational format and Coach K more than welcomed a season opening challenge for his young team.  "We have to have a chip on our shoulder, an edge,'' Byrd said. "We've got 10 of 12 back, and I would expect we'd be better. I feel good about us at every spot the way we play," said Belmont Bruins coach Rick Byrd," and you can bet they will relish the opportunity of playing college basketball royalty in Cameron.  Belmont played 10 players last season when they won 30 games having what Coach Byrd, who has over 500 wins, called 10 starters.  Bryd also said that his team would not lose their composure in Cameron and that a win would solidify his team as a top 25 contender.  Thankfully for Duke, their opponent on Saturday, Presbyterian will offer much less resistance.

Coach K and the record

Having been around Coach K quite a bit in the past, I can tell you that he puts his focus on the next game and never rests in the present or recent accomplishments.  But this season is a little different in that media types have been on campus daily for several coming special presentations which I will cover next week.  Look for a dizzying amount of material coming out as he will soon become the winningest college basketball coach in history.  This is where I could go into my vast amount memories since his first day on the Duke campus, but I am taking a cue from Coach and will visit this after this weeks games.  Still, all I can say is that Duke fans should stop and realize how lucky they are to have him as their coach and never forget his faithfulness to the university where he will remain for his entire career.

Youth will be served

For Duke to have success in the coming season, several freshman must take on key roles.  We all know about Austin Rivers and have no worries there, but the other freshman seem green.  Alex Murphy was awarded the start in the opening exhibition game and he failed to step up earning him the last spot on the bench in the next game.  Silent "G," otherwise known as Michael Gbinije has been just that, quiet and Quinn Cook while at times showing flashes of greatness has been making some mental mistakes from his PG spot.  Several times, all of the freshman were unaware of defenders and were stripped of the ball in the exhibitions and that means there is a long ways to go.  If Duke is to succeed this season, they will need one of the aforementioned three if not more to become key contributors in their role.  There is no reason to think this will not happen but there is reason to expect some significant growing pains while the process works it's way out.

Prospect Tony Parker could pick a school as early as this week

The behemoth post player that fits into the role vacated by the likes of Carlos Boozer, Elton Brand and Shelden Williams may be making his choice as early as late this week.  Parker is a key recruit for the Blue Devils and they have been courting him from the very start.  Parker will choose between Duke, Ohio State, Memphis and UCLA, but IMO, it is down to just two schools.  A careful examination of future rosters makes it clear to me where he should wind up with my objectivity cap on.  There is a good opportunity for Parker at Duke and perhaps he will see that Coach K has been there all along in the recruiting process or that his parents have favored the Blue Devils from the word go.  We'll have more on this one in our Blue Devil Nation Premium section, out extended subscription service which brings you on the inside of the happenings around the program.

Duke takes on Virginia

The Cavaliers want to avoid four straight losses to Duke when the two meet in Charlottesville this Saturday.  Some of Coach David Cutcliffe and companies biggest wins have been against the Cavs but for that to continue, Duke will have to make a lot of adjustments this week, most of them mental.  The Blue Devils defeated Virginia 55-48 in a wildly entertaining game a season ago but to think we'll see a shootout this weekend could disappoint.  Coming into the season these teams looked pretty even on paper, but Mike London has his team playing solid football and wanting to secure a bowl game with a win, while the Blue Devils are thirsting for not only a break but a victory.  The Blue Devils could cure a lot of ills with a 4th win both over the Cavs and on the season but make no mistake, the team will be underdogs in the remainder of their games.  Afterall, the Cavs went down to Miami and punched the Canes in the mouth, while Duke played one of their worst games of the season there.  If momentum has anything to do with the outcome early Saturday evening, then the Blue Devils face a tall order.

Playing for next year?

Sure, Duke could win three games and be bowl eligible but reality tells us that will not happen.  At this point the Blue Devils are starting to play for next season and they need another win this year to help with their confidence going into the off season.  Virginia, Georgia Tech and North Carolina remain on the schedule and there is no one game which looks like a win at this time.  There has been no breakthrough win this season and it is hard to see major improvement with the offense averaging six less points per game to go with three wins.  In short, Duke needs to make their own off season momentum by either continuing a streak over UVA or finding a way to defeat two programs that have dominated them in the past.  Going into the season I stated that anything less than four wins would be a disaster and I still feel that way. The Blue Devils stumbled out of the gate and lost to a bad Richmond team and with that being there third straight loss to an FBS school, it was a killer and should have been the fourth win.  I do realize that Duke has played some teams close but they just don't seem like they know how to win or close games out with them on the line.  Next year will be a tell tale year in many respects for the program and that's why finding some momentum heading into the off season is oh-so important.

Duke Basketball, Duke Football

BDN Monday Musings – Tony Parker visit, Duke opens with Bellarmine, rotations and more

Monday Musing's Duke Cheerleader of the Week

It's been some kind of busy around here of late and we'd have it no other way.  Of course, there will come a time when dual basketball and football coverage will take a toll  in that at BDN we try and cover it all.  This week is yet another exciting one for Duke fans and we discuss that further in this weeks Monday Musings -

This time they play somebody else

Trust me when I say that the Duke Men's Basketball team is ready to take on somebody besides themselves and on Saturday it all begins. The Blue Devils will tip it off against Bellarmine at 7 p.m. this Saturday and all eyes will be on how Coach Mike Krzzyzewski uses his rotation.  Our guess is that the brothers Plumlee will start alongside Ryan Kelly with Austin Rivers and Seth Curry in the backcourt.  But we also think you will see as many as four more players crack the starting rotation at some point this season.  Duke has to take full advantage and advance in the two exhibition game in that their opener against Belmont is no walk in the park.  Belmont returns everybody off a 30 plus win NCAA Tournament team, so this is in no way a gimme game even in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  Anyhow, expect varying analogies after the game on Saturday but if you've been following BDN, you already know what to expect.

Who will step up?

Duke is looking for players to step up and the question is who is really in the mix?  Alex Murphy has drawn the praise of Coach in practices with his on court smarts, but will he stand up physically against the likes of UCLA , Memphis or Kansas in Maui?  Michael Gbinije can do a lot of things well on both side of the ball but can he take a leap forward and be aggressive? Andre Dawkins is surely in the lineup, probably the sixth man, but can he be consistent when not jacking the threes?  Quinn Cook?  He looked great in the Blue-White game, but some say he has struggle in practice at times.  Can Cook find a way to claim the keys to the ship at some point in the season?  Tyler Thornton is not as exciting an offensive player but he is a solid on ball defender and hard worker, so will this be enough to gain him valuable minutes?  Josh Hairston is openly called the fourth big by coaches but will he too take advantage of his time on the court and take another leap forward?  Duke needs no less that two or three of these guys to contribute so it'll be interesting thing to watch and see who takes the bull by the horns and makes themselves a contributor.

Tony Parker is in town

Duke has been recruiting Tony Parker for a long time now and Coach K has made it clear to him that he is their choice.  His recruitment has taken a lot of turns with comments and such, but it now appears that Parker is realizing the opportunity that is at hand and that he is in rare air being coveted by the nations top coaching staff.  Coach K loves Parkers hands and sees him as a perfect fit in the Blue Devils system.  Coach Capel would help Wojo work with him to make him a great big before he leaves Duke.  There is no reason to feel anything but positive about the Blue Devils chances with big Tony who wants to make a choice before his high school season starts.  And for those with a scorecard the open signing period is from November the 9th to the 16th.  Rasheed Sulaimon will send his LOI in, the question is who else will?

All quiet on McGary front

Nobody really knows where Mitch McGary stands at this time but Duke fans are hoping he waits to cast his lot until he plays in Cameron Indoor Stadium in the N.C. Pro Am Clash in Cameron.  That's right!  My friends at the NC Pro Am are now a sponsor and I look forward to working with them to promote the event that features Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor.  And yes, we really will get to the update on the event soon.  I did say things had bee crazy around here, didn't I?

Some of our cheeleaders pics can be found on the Blue Devil Nation Open Group Facebook page- BDN Photo by Rick Crank

Valiant second half effort by football team

Almost.  I know we all want wins but Duke has at least put itself in a position where a couple of plays could have meant a 5-2 mark instead of 3-4.  Fans need to think back when they had that opportunity before and support the program.  The guys need the support and you know what?  Almost all of them return and they will learn by the adversity faced as will the staff.  We in no way have jumped off the bandwagon and neither should you.  Duke takes on Virginia Tech this weekend in Wallace Wade and it is a great time for fans to take in the Saturday double header with basketball.

Facebook Page

Blue Devil Nation has an open group Facebook page that we are just starting to refine.  We have put a ton of pictures up from Countdown to Craziness, so join us today.  The open group means you can download Duke Photo's, converse and even place links.  So help us out Blue Devil fans and le't see your pride. Here is the link to Facebook page.

Glitches

After a few glitches last week, BDN is getting back to normal with our coverage.  We appreciate the support of fans who follow us and we strive to give you the most Duke-centric experience out there.  The best way to say thanks for our efforts is to join BDN Premium, our extended coverage that takes you inside the happenings.  Let's go Duke!