[8 AP / 6 Coaches] Duke (13-2, 1-0) vs. [16 AP / 17 Coaches] Virginia (14-1, 1-0)

Thursday, January 12, 2012 • 9:05 p.m. • ESPN (Numbers reprinted via direct permission of Duke Sports Information Department)

The Opening Tip

• Duke (13-2, 1-0 ACC) faces Virginia (14-1, 1-0 ACC) on Thursday, Jan. 12 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. (ET).

• The game will be televised by ESPN with Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Dick Vitale (analyst) calling the action.

• Duke is ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Virginia ranks 16th and 17th, respectively, in the two polls. The Blue Devils are 68-16 all-time when ranked eighth in the AP Poll.

• Duke is 16-6 against ranked opponents in the last three seasons, including a 2-1 mark in 2011-12 against ranked teams.

• The Blue Devils have won 18 straight ACC home contests entering Thursday’s contest.

• Duke is one of three teams in the NCAA to rank in the top 10 of the RPI, Strength of Schedule, AP and Coaches Polls.

Duke-Virginia Series

• Duke and Virginia have met 162 times heading into Thursday’s game with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 1911.

• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 114-48, including a 48-8 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

• Duke has won seven consecutive games and 16 of the last 17 in the series. The Blue Devils have won by 10 or more points in 15 of the games during that span.

• Mike Krzyzewski is 50-16 at Duke against the Cavaliers. He has led the Blue Devils to a 24-4 mark at home against Virginia. Coach K was not on the sidelines during a double-overtime home loss to Virginia in the 1994-95 season.

• Duke has won 14 consecutive home games in the series (all by double-figures) and 24 of the last 26 games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

• The Blue Devils have won 29 of the last 32 games in the series.

Numbers Game

l Duke is 57-1 at home since the start of the 2008-09 season.

l The Blue Devils have won 43 consecutive games in Cameron Indoor Stadium with 37 of the victories coming by 10 or more points.

l Duke has scored at least 40 points in 13 of the last 14 halves. The Blue Devils rank ninth in the NCAA in scoring offense at 82.1 points per game.

l Mason Plumlee leads the ACC with seven double-doubles on the year. He has posted a double-double in three of the last five games and is averaging 10.6 points and 10.0 rebounds during that stretch.

l Miles Plumlee is averaging 9.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game over the last seven contests. He is 26-of-34 (.765) from the field and 12-of-16 (.750) from the foul line in that span.

l Either Mason or Miles Plumlee has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 10 of Duke’s 15 games this season. Mason has reached double figures in rebounds eight times, while Miles has three double-digit rebounding efforts.

l Ryan Kelly has scored in double-figures 10 times this season, including a career-high 21 points in the win over Georgia Tech. Duke is 19-0 over the last three seasons when Kelly scores 10 or more points.

l Quinn Cook leads the NCAA with a 4.50:1 assist-to-turnover ratio (minimum 2.0 apg.). Cook has eight turnovers in 189 minutes for an average of 23.6 minutes between turnovers.

l Tyler Thornton has made seven consecutive three-point field goals over the last four games. He is 12-of-21 (.571) from behind the arc this season.

l Duke ranks eighth in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.498). Miles and Mason Plumlee are a combined 64.2 percent (113-of-176) on the year.

l Austin Rivers is averaging 17.3 points per game against ranked opponents on the year. He has scored 20 or more points in two of Duke’s three contests against ranked teams.

Miles rams one home in Duke's 84-47 win over St. Louis pushing their record to 10-0 for the season. Photo Lance King of Lance Images for BDN

The Kyrie Irving-less Duke Blue Devils coasted past St. Louis with a lockdown defensive effort and walked away with a 84-47 victory pushing their season record to 10-0.  Duke was led by their senior duo of Kyle Singlerand Nolan Smith who combined for 43 points, 11 rebounds and 5 steals. 

Nolan Smith findng his comfort zone at the PG position

Nolan Smith played his second full game at the point guard position and he told BDN he was much more comfortable in the role in the lockerroom which you can hear via BDN audio shortly.  Smith tallied 22 points and a team high 5 assists to go withhis 2 steals.  The senior Smith took it upon himself to rise to the occasion today with his play.

Kyle is Kyle

Singler played like a senior as well grabbing a board or nailing a jumper when Duke needed one.  Singler told BDN he was really enjoying his senior season and that he looked forward to finishing it up with a bang.  We have some good audio with Singler coming as well.  Singler has now started 78 consecutive games at Duke and his 120 career starts ties him at 11th on the all time list.  Klyle passed Shelden Williams and Grant Hill on Duke’s All Time Leading Scorers list in today’s win.  His 3 steals were a season high.

31-4

Duke scored 31 points off turnovers and they continue withtheir emphasis on defense in the four December games.  Remember, we told you not one single Duke opponent would score in the 60′s this month and thanks to the Blue Devils, they’re making me a prophet.  Duke held the Billikens to 1 made three point field goal.

Great game for Josh Hairston

Duke freshman Josh Hairston scored his first career double figure scoring game at Duke with 12 points off the bench.  Add 4 rebounds and 2 steals and he had his best game in a Duke uniform statistically.  Interestingly, Josh was the program cover boy today and we’ll have a nice one on one interview coming from the Virginia native tomorrow.  Duke Assistant Coach Chris Collins praised his effort in the post game press conference.

Speaking of Collins …

Duke Assistant Coach Chris Collins  filled in for Coach K today who had family matters to attend to and he was a natural.  Collins is never short for an answer and he bounces them back with little pondering.  It is plain to see that he will one day be at the podium as a head coach.

On Kyrie …

It’s wait and see according to Collins and the powers that be will access his condition when the cast is removed.  No firm timelines have been set as of yet.  I still feel good about his return, call it a somewhat educated hunch, but it is nothing more than that.  Irving cheered from the sideline on his crutches and laughed it up with teammates as the game became out of reach for the visitors.

Miles Plumlee just short of a double-double

Miles dropped 9 points and snagged 9 rebounds which was just shy of a double-double.  We told you that Duke would take December to get Seth Curry and Miles going and so far, it is working out wonderfully for Miles.  Let’s not forget Miles 2 steals either.  Meanwhile, his brother Mason got just 11 minutes of play and we look for him to get back in the groove when Duke takes on Elon nine days from now.

Next up, exams and Christmas break

Many students were studying for exams this week and it showed in the crowd, but the Crazies who were there did a good job of cheering.  The Duke players will now concentrate fully on exams before they get back to action on December the 20th in a game which even fewer students will be in the stands.  With the win over Elon, Coach K ties Dean Smith atop the All Time NCAA win list and that means he breaks Smith’s  record in Greensboro on December 29th which is quite a milestone.  Have you got your tickets yet?  They’re still available.

Additional Notes -  Today was the 200thtime Duke played as a number one ranked team.  Duke now has 83 straight home wins over non conference opponents in Cameron Indoor Stadium, the longest such streak in the country.  Duke has won 52 straight games int he month of December.  Duke has scored 80 or more points in 8 straight games now.  Without further ado, here are Coach Chris Collins post game comments vis BDN Audio -

Just press play -

Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
Sportcenter will be doing live cut-ins from 10-11am
GameDay live from inside Cameron Indoor Stadium will run from 11 am to 12 pm
GameDay will also have a one-hour show from 8-9 pm

GameDay events are free of charge
Parking is free

Their will also be special guests and former players along with Duke Basketball prizes and giveaways will add to the show.

The public entrance into the event will be from the South Hall of Honor, while undergraduate and graduate students will enter from the North Lobby (Krzyzewskiville).

General public parking will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. in all lots around campus with the exception of the Public Policy Lot.  All cars must be removed by 2:00 p.m. from the respective lots or they will be towed.

^{[7 AP/7 Coaches]} Duke (9-1) vs. Long Beach State (6-6)

Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009  •  7:00 p.m.  •  FSS

Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)  •  Durham, N.C.

The Opening Tip

Duke (9-1), ranked seventh in the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Long Beach State (8-2) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday’s game will air on FSS with Mike Hogewood and Mike Gminski calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke posted a 76-41 win over No. 15 Gonzaga on Dec. 19 at Madison Square Garden. With the victory, the Blue Devils improved to 3-0 on the year at MSG.

Junior Nolan Smith matched a career-high with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, while senior Jon Scheyer added 20 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals in the win.

The Blue Devils limited Gonzaga to 27.8 percent (15-of-54) shooting from the field, including 10.0 percent (1-of-10) from three-point range. Duke forced 18 Bulldog turnovers, while allowing only 15 field goals.

Duke also outrebounded Gonzaga, 45-35, as junior Kyle Singler grabbed a game-high 11 boards. Senior Lance Thomas added nine rebounds in the win. The Blue Devils have now grabbed 40+ rebounds in a game seven times this season.

The Duke-Long Beach State Series

Fifth-ranked Duke posted a 79-78 win over the No. 15 Long Beach State 49ers on Jan. 5, 1979 in Raleigh, N.C. as part of the Holiday Doubleheader. Kenny Dennard scored 28 points to go along with nine rebounds, while Gene Banks recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. MIke Gminski added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Blue Devils.

Numbers Game

l The Blue Devils have won a current NCAA-best 74 consecutive non-conference home games.

l Duke has won 34 straight home games against unranked opponents, dating back to a 68-67 loss to Florida State on Feb. 4, 2007.

l Duke has won 47 straight December home games, dating back to a 62-61 loss to Michigan on Dec. 8, 1996.

l The Blue Devils are 159-26 in the month of December under Coach K. Duke is 51-4 in December since the 1999-2000 season.

l Duke is 3-0 all-time against teams currently in the Big West conference, including a 2-0 mark under Mike Krzyzewski.

l Junior Nolan Smith has scored 10 or more points in all eight games he has played. He is averaging 17.3 points per game, a 8.9 ppg. increase from a year ago for the third-highest scoring jump in the ACC.

l Senior Jon Scheyer leads the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.9:1) and ranks 18th in assists per game (5.9). He has led Duke in assists in all 10 games with five turnover-free games on the year.

l Senior Brian Zoubek leads the Blue Devils in rebounding at 7.4 boards per game. He is the only non-starter in the ACC to rank in the top 20 in rebounding. Zoubek is tied for for 12th in the league in rebounding, while also ranking third in offensive rebounds at 3.7 orpg.

l Duke is the only team in the ACC with more than one player ranked in the top 10 in scoring. Jon Scheyer is second at 18.2 ppg., while Nolan Smith (17.3 ppg.) and Kyle Singler (15.7 ppg.) rank fourth and tied for eighth, respectively.

l Jon Scheyer is averaging 23.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game in Duke’s last three contests. He is shooting 51.3 percent from the field, including 52.1 percent from three-point range, and 95.2 percent from the foul line in that span.

l Duke’s guard trio of Andre Dawkins, Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer is shooting a combined 44.9 percent (61-of-136) from three-point range.

l The Blue Devils rank in the top 10 of the NCAA in scoring offense (10th), scoring margin (4th), free throw percentage (9th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (10th).

l The Blue Devils are averaging 94.7 points per game and shooting 52.4 percent from the field in six home contests. Duke is also averaging 19.7 assists per game at home.

“Immediately following last season, we encouraged the Duke Athletics staff to enhance the gameday experience within what is commonly referred to as the very best venue in college basketball,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White. “The results of that effort are outstanding. The fresh new look of the building does not compromise any of the traditional aspects that have long made Cameron Indoor Stadium the pinnacle cathedral for college basketball within our country. Needless to say, given these upgrades, we are all extremely excited about the upcoming season.”

A reconfiguration of courtside seating will enable Duke to build on the existing spirited gameday experience for the student body. Graduate students will now be able to occupy seats in both the north and south ends of Cameron. This change will place some of Duke’s most creative and energetic fans behind both baskets, giving the opposition a challenging shooting background during both halves of action. Undergraduate seating will be virtually unchanged as college basketball’s best student section will remain courtside in Section 17. In the new configuration, the total number of seats available to undergraduate students on a game-by-game basis will be unaffected. Additionally, Duke was able to create premium seating for sponsors, donors, alumni and prominent guests located on padded blue seats directly behind the scorer’s table.

In front of the undergrads will be a new state-of-the-art press table featuring 90-feet of LED (light emitting diode) technology. The new press row will improve crowding in the first row of the student section and features two aisles that will help fans and media members in and out of their seats at halftime and after the game.

One of the most visible enhancements came in the upper bowl of Cameron where all 5,649 seats were painted Duke blue in conjunction with an extensive pressure washing of the seats, concrete, railing and tunnels. Each of the distinctive brass railings that surround the arena will be refurbished prior to the beginning of the 2009-10 basketball season.

“Cameron Indoor Stadium is already one of the treasures in college athletics,” said head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Getting the graduate students behind both baskets, while keeping our undergraduate student section courtside, will create even more of a home court advantage for the team. We are fortunate to have the best fan base in the country, so to be able to enhance the gameday atmosphere is very exciting for our program. Personally, I love the new look of the stadium and can’t wait to see it full of Cameron Crazies and Duke fans throughout the 2009-10 season.”

Duke men’s basketball fans will have their first chance to see all the updates to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday, Oct. 16 at Countdown to Craziness.  The Blue Devils will also play exhibition games on Oct. 24 (Pfeifer) and Nov. 3 (Findlay) prior to opening the season on Friday, Nov. 13 against UNC-Greensboro.

“Cameron Indoor Stadium is already the most unique and special environment in which to play basketball, but the upgrades provide a dynamic, sharp and impressive look that further accents the Cameron mystique,” said women’s basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie. “We just love the enhancements and the fans will too!”

The women’s basketball team opens their season with a Blue-White scrimmage on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1:00 p.m. They will face Wingate (Nov. 5) and Alaska Anchorage (Nov. in exhibition games before opening the season on the road at Houston Baptists on Friday, Nov. 13.  The Blue Devils’ first home game of the 2009-10 season will be against Georgia Southern on Thursday, Nov. 19.