Sir Nolan Smith drvies the ball - Lance King Images
Game 28[1 AP / 1 Coaches] Duke (25-2, 12-1 ACC) vs. [24 AP / 24 Coaches] Temple (21-5, 11-2 A10)
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011 • 7:00 p.m.
The Opening Tip• Duke (25-2, 12-1 ACC) hosts Temple (21-5, 11-2 A10) on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
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• The game is being televised by espn2 with Rece Davis (play-by-play), Bob Knight (analyst) and Jeannine Edwards (sideline) on the call.
• Duke is ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, while Temple is ranked No. 24 in both polls.
• Duke has won 43 of the last 46 games entering Wednesday’s game with Temple. The Blue Devils have won 20 of their 21 contests against non-conference opponents in that span.
• The Blue Devils are looking for their 19th straight win in the month of February. Duke’s last loss in the month was on Feb. 15, 2009 at Boston College.
Duke-Temple Series History• Duke and Temple have met 26 times heading into Wednesday’s game with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 1931.
• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 17-9, including a 7-1 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
• Duke has won eight consecutive games and 14 of the last 17 in the series.
• Mike Krzyzewski is 10-1 at Duke against the Owls. The Blue Devils are 4-0 against Temple at home under Krzyzewski.
• Duke has won seven consecutive games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the series.
• The two teams have met twice in NCAA Tournament play with Duke reaching the Final Four with wins over Temple in 1988 and 1999.
• Five of the last eight games in the series have been decided by 10 points or more.
Numbers Game The Blue Devils’ current 34-game win streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium is the longest active streak in the country and the fourth-longest home win streak in program history.
The Blue Devils have won an NCAA-best 85 consecutive non-conference home games. The last home loss against a non conference opponent for the Blue Devils was on Feb. 26, 2000, against St. John’s, 83-82.
Duke has won 40 consecutive games against teams outside the traditional power conferences (Big Ten, Big East, SEC, ACC, PAC 10, Big 12). Virginia Commonwealth’s 79-77 win over Duke in the 2007 NCAA Tournament was the Blue Devils’ last loss to a team from a non-power conference.l Duke has only lost two home games in the past four seasons, posting a record of 63-2 in Cameron Indoor Stadium during that span.
Duke has won 28 consecutive games in the state of North Carolina. The Blue Devils’ last loss in the state was at N.C. State on Jan. 20, 2010.l Nolan Smith is attempting to become the first player in ACC history to lead the league in scoring and assists. Smith is currently averaging an ACC-best 21.7 points and 5.3 assists per game.
Seth Curry is averaging 12.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals over the last six games. He is 14-of-30 (.467) from three-point range and has a 3.29:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in that span.
Nolan Smith is one of three players in the NCAA averaging over 20.0 points and 5.0 assists per game.
Kyle Singler is five points shy of moving into the top 15 of the ACC career scoring chart. Singler currently has 2,221 career points.
Alex Murphy takes in the action while visiting Duke. BDN Premium has Murph's thoughts on the visit in our latest premium subscriber offering. LKI Images for BDN
The Duke Blue Devils may be in the midst of their basketball season but recruiting never ends and there has been a lot going on around the program of late. Several key recruits are in the process of or have already made the journey to Cameron Indoor Stadium to see the Blue Devils in person. This weekend Duke entertains Shabazz Muhammad and Austin Rivers and that list may not be done just yet.
Last weekend Duke entertained young but talented 2013 prospect Jabari Parker and key target Alex Murphy. BDN Premium caught up to Murphy before his game this afternoon at Middlesex and got his thoughts on his visit to Cameron and Duke. Murphy not only has a game tonight but tomorrow as well and then they turn around and play in the Hoop Hall Classic on Sunday in another event BDN Premium will cover live.
The one word which best describes Murphy's visit to Duke is great as you can see. "Oh, the visit went great. It was a great weekend down there. I got there on Saturday night and stayed until Sunday, got to see the game" said Murphy.
Alex had taken some time off with his [private] Father to check out the Blue Devils win over Maryland in an ACC battle. While he was originally supposed to stay a bit longer and wanted to, inclement weather force them to leave earlier than expected. "Due to some weather conflicts we had to head out early Monday morning, but like I said the visit was great and while I got to see a little bit of campus during the Tournament of Champions, this time I got to see a game as well," said the St. Mark's marksmen.
Murphy has some familiarity with Duke in that they've zeroed in on the star as a priority need. When asked if he knew any of the current players Murphy responded, "I know Nolan Smith real well, having met him at the Adidas Nations Camp in Chicago this summer. And then I got to spend some time with the guys this weekend like Kyrie. Of course, he is hurt but I did get to spend some time with him which was cool."
While Murphy may not know a lot of the current players he is getting to know some of the players in Duke's incoming class. "I know some of the guys coming in next year. The one I know the most is Quinn Cook and then a couple of other guys too. I know Marshall Plumlee real well and Austin Rivers too."
Muprhy elaborated more by saying, "I think it helps when other players going into a program recruit because they already have a feel for the school and the coaches they'll play for. Just knowing them before you get down there helps. It's like having a sense of familiarity with them before you get down there. Of course, Nolan will not be there when I would but getting to know some of the guys I could be teammates with is definitely important."
While his visit was a bit shorter than he wanted, Murphy was still able to get a look around. "I saw a lot of the stuff that surrounds the game and of course the game itself. I didn't tour campus or see dorms unfortunately and if the time was there I would have probably stayed on Monday and met with the academic advisers down there. But for the most part I got to see a lot of basketball related things around campus. It was really good," stated Murphy.
When asked of his reaction to the Cameron Crazies chanting his name, Murphy said, "In the pre game I was standing right under the basket with Kyrie Irving and the guys behind me were chanting come to Duke and as soon as the game was over, they continued to show love. I kind of kept my head down but when they cheered my name I looked up and it was kind of cool."
As for his future plans pertaining to Duke and other schools, Alex said, "Yeah, I will return. Right now I have no set plans for getting back down there or any other school but I will definitely take my chances and go to some other schools but I will be back there at some point and time."
Recap - We kept the conversation brief and to the point in that Andre Slater will cover Murphy during the Hoop Hall this weekend. Murphy was kind enough to give BDN his initial thoughts on the visit despite his upcoming game. He seemed genuinely happy with how the visit went and it is no secret Duke is one of, if not the leader for his services. This was of course and unofficial visit in that he is just a junior. It's getting hot around BDN Premium, so stay tuned for more information coming your way in droves over the next several days.[/private]
Marshall Plumlee opened up to BDN's Mark Watson is our latest premium offering. Jon BDN Premium today for full site access. Photo Rick Crank for BDN
The Duke Blue Devils have put together one of the nations top recruiting classes in 2011 and Marshall Plumlee is a part of it. The youngest Plumlee opened up to BDN furing a recent interview sharing his thoughts on a variety of subjects, some of which you've likely hear about for the first time. So check out the latest offering from BDN Premium for yourself.
BDN - You just had a 20 point 11 rebound game where your team bounced back from a loss to finish off Glaxo strong. You were really aggressive in the game and caused some problems on defense with your length, especially against their guards where you forced a couple of turnovers. Can you talk a bit about that?
Marshall Plumlee - A lot of times you've got to work hard to get to that next level as a defender and I know there are things I need to work on. I've got to have quicker feet and be capable of defending a player on the perimeter. I have to take some chances in the game and eventually I will hopefully just pick it all up automatically.
Your Dad told me to say hello in that he hardly ever sees you while school is in session
(Laughs) Well, it was great to see him in the stands and I'm looking forward to talking to im when we get out of here [Glaxo]. He watched the team play UNC-G the other night and I was very excited for them, both team and family. This Duke team is a great group of guys.
Miles had a [private] nice game against UNC-G. Did you see those dunks?
You know, I only heard about it, so I'm looking forward to seeing the game. I get real excited when my brothers do well and I can't wait to be a part of it all.
As media our seats shift around a bit, but during the UNC-G game I was sitting directly behind the bench and Krzyzewski which was cool. As you know they don't like people looking in on huddles so, I had to look the other way during timeouts. But I noticed that Mason jumped up in great joy as Miles threw down a thunder dunk. Is that the way it is with concerns to support in your family?
All the time. Yes sir, we completely support one another and as a family we know what each other is capable of. We really push and bring out the best in one another and that makes for a great family.
People often talk of Marshall Plumlee and the word development comes up a lot. Although you are always developing. One thing a lot of people may not realize is that you are the only Plumlee that wasn't held back a year. In context, that means your brothers had an extra year for development. Can you speak to that?
You know, I never gave it much thought. For me I just know that my body continues to develop and as I get stronger it'll be different than the way Miles got stronger or Mason. In the meantime, all I can do is keep working and focus on the things I know are best for me and my body would catch up in time.
How would you describe your game in your own words?
My own words? I want to do whatever it takes to win. I want to block shots, rebound and do whatever it takes whether it is scoring 20 point a game or setting a pick. I just want to win. It's all about winning to me and that's what I want to do. That's why I chose to play for Duke as well, because I wanted to be a part of a winning program. I really wish I were there right now, but I appreciate another year with my current teammates at Christ School. I know I'm not ready right now but I've got another year to get better. It's exciting to be around the team because they are such great guys and they'll be friends forever. I'm looking forward to see what we can accomplishment together.
Is there anyone on the current team you've hit is off with?
Oh man, I hate to give a shout out and leave somebody out but I'd have to say that Nolan.
Rollin' Nolan. He's something isn't he?
Oh, he's awesome, he's great, they all are.
Not a lot of people know how stringent Christ School can be. You have designated times to study and those there take academics seriously. Can you talk of what a normal week is like there?
Yes sir. What a lot of people don't realize is that we have a ton of acreage for a school and there are no custodians. So, we wake up early in the morning and we all have a job. One person may scrub toilets, another sweeps the hallways and it really brings us together. You are expected to make good grades and I pride myself in keeping a 4.0 GPA. Basketball is great and it's my passion but there are some many other things out there in life and why not be at all of it.
There have been a few times when I tried to get in touch with you but curfews were in place. You guys have to be in bed by a certain time and study, right?
Yes, study halls are enforced and curfews are in place, but with this being my senior year, I have the honor of being chosen as a Christ School prefect or leadership position. So my purpose job is enforcing those rules on the younger guys. So, there is a little bit more time this year where I can study.
Why is leadership important?
It helps me in so many ways. Leadership is something ... when it's there and obvious when it's not. It's important in the locker room and with your teammates. And when I get to Duke, I'll do what ever Coach K tells me to do.
I know that Chris Collins came to see you the other evening and Wojo [Steve Wojciechowski] tonight. Do the coaches converse with you afterwards?
Yeah, for the most part we keep in good touch. I personally like conversions with them because I can pick their brain and they tell me things I could do better and things I did well and their wealth of knowledge I pick up on a lot of things.
Do you ever get razzed now that you have elected to play for Duke?
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. There are always Carolina fans out there.
Quite a few in the western part of the state, huh?
Yeah, yeah, but I'm 110% Duke. It's fun to be a part of it all.
And what does the future hold for Marshall Plumlee?
The future for me will be a steady process of a lot of work. Some of the best advice I've got from the Duke coaches is that it's a marathon and not a sprint and I can never forget that and you mentioned earlier how players develop and my biggest fear is n for tme to peak for there should always be room for improvement.
Duke fans will soon get some good news that you guys will actually play in Cameron in February against Oak Hill Academy and Quin Cook.
I'm really looking forward to it. Oak Hill is a great basketball school and we've had some opportunities in the past and I'm looking forward to another shot against them. I'm looking forward to seeing Quinn Cook again, he's a great team and he'll be a good teammate.
Have you guys been able to get together or stay in touch?
Yeah. We keep in touch and I have seen him on visits at Duke and gotten to know him and the little time I've spent with him let's me know he's a great kid and I'm real excited to play with him.
Thanks for your time, Marshall!
Yes sir. Thank you. [/private]
Coming next - Breaking down the improvements in Marshall Plumlee's game.
Shabazz Muhammad makes the list of Duke Basketball's Top 5 Prospects - BDN Photo
The Duke Men's Basketball season is in full swing but recruiting never stops for it is the life blood of any program. Many have been asking who are the Blue Devils priorities and who are they focusing on at this time. BDN Premium clears up the picture for you by listing the top five prospects on the board.
The following prospects [private] currently top the Blue Devils recruiting board and we reluctantly rank them for you with our take on the pecking order. These five guys are clearly at the top at this time but other names will be added as coaches take in more of their games over the Holiday's in tournaments like City of Palms and Glaxo Smith-Kline Invitational.
1-a -Shabazz Muhammad - The only reason I list Muhammad ahead of Murphy is his potential to play great defense and his overall athleticism. Many have said that the talented wing is a long shot but the Blue Devils didn't get the message. They will battle the heavyweights until the end for his services and they will meanwhile keep tabs on his brother. Muhammad told BDN in our last interview that he was visiting for the Duke-Michigan State game but we've yet to confirm that now that the game is upon us.
1-b - Alex Murphy - Over the summer Duke made good in-roads with Murphy and they continue to stay in very close contact with the St. Mark's star. Murphy, like Muhammad is hoping to visit Duke for a game in Cameron provided they can work it out with concerns to their busy high school basketball schedules. Duke likes the edge Murphy brings to the court and they hope he takes them up on their offer sooner rather than later, but look for nothing to happen until after the season if current information holds up. He is literally tied with Muhammad at the top of Duke's wish list.
3- Tony Parker - Another prospect Duke got closer to over the warm weather months was Tony Parker, the hulking inside presence from Georgia. Duke needs to add some size and they love the space eater types like Parker. In fact, it is vital that the Blue Devils add a solid front court player in this class, especially since they backed off of Tyler Adams. Parker, like all recruits, hopes to visit for the UNC game if not sooner.
4- Rodney Purvis - Make no mistake that Duke has sparked Purvis interest and he has been a bit of a main stay at home games or at least attends more than the average recruit. Of course, with him playing just down the road in Raleigh, it makes for convenience. The Blue Devils would like Purvis to follow the likes of Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers and they'll be on top of his local tournament action over the holidays.
5 - Rasheed Sulaimon -There is a drop off from 4 to 5, but Sulaimon has impressed Coach Krzyzewski and the staff off the court in a big way but Coach has yet to really see him in action other than film. So, Sulaimon is in the evaluation stage and if he impresses the staff on the hardwood and he fits with future personnel he will likely become a Dukie. The reason for this confidence is that he is a huge Duke fan.
While the aforementioned names are at the top of the interest list, there are several others on the radar and we'll discuss them at a later date. Again, the upcoming tournaments and high school season will determine who gets more looks. In short, the dust will clear shorlty to reveal true prospects and then will readjust again in Spring. As for the Michigan State game, Duke is expecting some local kids and if that changes, we'll let you know. [/private]
Amile Jefferson opens up to BDN talking his CTC experience and more - Rick Crank BDN Photo
The 2012 class is filled with talented forward prospects and 6’8 Amile Jefferson is no different. Making his second trip down to Duke University the talented forward was able to take in a great night of college hoops fun. Jefferson was in line to watch the unveiling of the Blue Devils 2010 National Championship banner and ring ceremony. BDN got a chance to catch up with Amile and hear his thoughts on his visit to Durham.
BDN: Can you talk about your visit to Duke this past weekend? What did you do from the beginning til end? And how long did you stay?
AJ: I stayed there for about a day, about a full 24hours. It was really hectic down there being the Midnight Madness and all. We got in around 2pm on Friday. Basically right when we got there we went right to the gym. There was just so many people there you had to park really far away from campus (laughs). When we finally got there on to the campus everything was set and everything was going. I just thought it was a great atmosphere and great fans and everything; these fans really love their team. Duke is really a great [private] school and a great program. I just loved the opportunity to go visit down there and watch them unveil the banner and just to see how welcoming the people are was just incredible. We got to talk to the coaches for a little while and then the next day we watched them practice. Watching them practice was just amazing. Just to see how everything was run at a high pace. They do some things that I’ve seen my high school do, but they do it in such a manner that I just couldn’t even believe that could be done. Everything was just done so quick, fast and tight. There really wasn’t any waiting in line you were just doing something at all times. Either you’re getting up shots or you’re expecting the ball to get passed back to you. All the situations were just done at high speeds and I just thought that was great for a practice because that’s definitely how you prepare yourself for a game.
BDN: Which coaches did you speak to? Coach K?
AJ: I only got to speak with Coach K very briefly individually. It was really him welcoming me down there and letting me know the gist of the night. He’s really a great guy to talk to. You know he’s just a basketball genius I believe. His coaching is just like a movie. It’s incredible how he motivates the guys to play. We talked a little bit about his USA team and how great they did this past summer and how great the young guys played and also how he got those guys to play great defense.
BDN: Did you tour the facilities?
AJ: No unfortunately not, the only facilities I got to see were the practice facility a little bit and Cameron.
BDN: Who did you take your visit with?
AJ: It was me and my father.
BDN: What were his impressions of the trip?
AJ: I believe he really liked it. Dukes atmosphere is just amazing you can’t do anything but like it. Like I said earlier the people are very welcoming and enthusiastic and they just bring energy to you. Me and him just couldn’t help but stand up and clap and cheer for the players like we were a part of the school. They were just so riled up it was amazing.
BDN: What were your overall impressions of the staff?
AJ: I think they have a great staff. Especially since all of those guys are Duke alums, it really brings a close-knit bond to the school and to the players. I thought that is probably a great idea for your staff. These guys have been through and can speak on what you’re going through because they actually were there and did play at that school.
BDN: I noticed during the game Coach K was talking to some of the recruits, what type of things was he talking about?
AJ: He really is a basketball genius. When you just watch how he coaches he is constantly taking notes in his head and watching the game with a close eye. While I was sitting there next to him he was pointing out things like cuts and how guys make them and how it makes the game much easier. He talked about how the players rebound and box out, how they shot fake, it was just really little small important things that make such a big difference. Things like making the right pass, not only making the right pass but making it at the right time and not holding the ball so to keep the guys moving. He just hit on so many different points, he just sees everything on that floor and he would just let us know everything he sees.
BDN: Did you get to spend any time with any extensive time with any of the players?
AJ: I did for a little but not too long. I got to speak with guys like Nolan Smith and some recruits like Quinn Cook. I’m actually pretty good friends with Quinn so I definitely got to talk with him for a little bit. Some of those guys were staying on campus while I had a hotel and a lot of us had different hotels.
BDN: Are you planning on a return visit, perhaps with your parents this time?
AJ: We didn’t get to talk about that because my dad and I kind of shot out of there. We just said our goodbyes because we had an early flight. I didn’t get to watch the whole practice because I had to leave. Hopefully I can get down there for a game though. I would love to see that atmosphere again.
BDN: Did the staff talk about an offer?
AJ: No, not really. We didn’t really even talk a lot about the recruiting process. Most of the things we talked about were the USA team or that night in general.
BDN just spoke to an elated Austin Rivers about his decision to go to Duke. All the details await members of BDN Premium - BDN Photo
The Blue Devil Nation is on cloud nine today for Austin Rivers made the decision to cancel the remaining visits to Kansas and North Carolina to sign with the Duke Blue Devils. BDN wasted little time in getting the details and we share his interview in his own word with the members of Blue Devil Nation Premium. It's a great time to join! We decided to let our members hear [private] the raw recording as is for we want you to personally hear his excitement and his words for yourself.
Just press play -
More to come for members of BDN Premium. [/private]
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