BDN wishes Austin Rivers a Happy Birthday! He will always be remembered for his buzzer-beating three point shot over the extended arm of Tyler Zeller and Duke archrival North Carolina.  Heart Breaker.

“Let’s do this,” said diving maestro Nick McCrory, who grew up in Chapel Hill but attends Duke, and he now owns a Bronze Medal from the XXX Olympics. Do you think Chapel Hill is happy losing one of their own to Duke of all places? Congrats Nick!

Also in diving:  Congrats to Abby Johnston, who won a Silver medal. I wonder if the Duke Stores and the Duck Shop are printing up "Duke Divers Rule" t-shirts.

Fencing National Champion Becca Ward of Duke was named ACC Female Athlete of the Year. Ward got my vote, as did linebacker Luke Kuechly of Boston College for Male Athlete of the Year.

Also electorally speaking, the ballot I cast at the ACC Kickoff event for the projected ACC football standings matched the final results in balloting. Of course, these projected standings are rarely on the money come year's end.

While we're talking pigskin, Duke opens fall practice for the 2012 season this coming Monday.  Positions to watch in the pre-season? The middle of the defense and the wideouts, where guys will need to step up and fast.

All eyes will be on the seniors as well. Can QB Sean Renfree bring his game full circle this season? Local Durham product Desmond Scott has been taking snaps at wideout, yet he is also the last Duke running back to rush for more than 100 yards. Good thing the Blue Devils seem deep in the offensive backfield.

Back to hoops:  So, if Shane Battier is playing congas for Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band in a performance, can we get an encore at a local club in Durham? One can wish.

The Duke Women's Basketball team is preparing for its European tour.  They will spend the first few days in Paris. Life is tough. Actually, it may not be all quiche lorraine and boeuf bourguignon for the ladies, as their days of wine and roses will be limited somewhat due to injuries to Chloe Wells (leg), Richa Jackson (knee), Elizabeth Williams (leg), Amber Henson (knee), Katie Heckman (questionable - knee). #BuildingDepth

Yes, Duke will have two pre-season top 10 basketball teams this coming year.  Maybe even top 5.

Back in London, even while substituting liberally, Team USA rolled past overmatched Tunisia. In games like this, motivation and focus are challenges for the staff.  If anyone can keep our team locked in, it's Coach K.

Speaking of Coach K, you just know his work with the NBA's best really hurts recruiting. If you really fall for that, I have a coupon for half off the purchase of London Bridge.

How do we know Duke assistant coaches are all over the nation's top prospects while K, Collins and Wojo (not a law firm) are in the United Kingdom? Because BDN Premium continues to be out there on the beat with them. Join today and find out who Nate James and Jeff Capel have been watching.

Quinn Cook and Marshall Plumlee took a break from the N.C. Pro-Am to play in the Four Nations Cup tournament in Tunisia, of all places. Cook was named to the All Cup team but Plumee was his saucer. It was good experience for both young players.

Alex Murphy got some serious burn recently too. The redshirt freshman was one of two "go-to" guys for the Finnish National Team in the recent U-20 European Championship tournament.  The team had little depth, so Murphy played big minutes and really showed off his scoring abilities despite being double-teamed for much of the way.

Bobby Hurley tweeted this yesterday:  "Proud 2 watch the "Fab Five" perform & bring home the gold! Who would have thought that the "Fab Five" could it get it done."   See! I am not the only one who tweets how I feel on occasion. For those who missed it, the shot was directed towards the Michigan Wolverines' "Fab Five" of the early 1990's.