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Duke Basketball

Blue Devils earn 82-69 win over Davidson – Coach K Video

It was a heavenly like royal blue night in Cameron Indoor Stadium for the Duke Family.  As you walked up to Cameron you could see a banner hanging on the front which is of course a tribute to Mike Krzyzewski who is now the all time wins leader in NCAA Basketball history.

As the students filed in they were given Nike T-Shirts commemorating the win and they were packed in and ready to welcome their coach home.  Duke came alive in the second half and  rolled to 4-0 on the young season with an 82-69 win over Davidson and after the game Coach K, fresh of his 904th win and his family, flanked by the Duke President Richard Brodhead, Athletic Director Kevin White and former Athletic Director Tom Butters.

The celebration was great and Krzyzewski enjoyed it immensely as those truly close to him payed homage to the record setting coach.  We'll have more on that later, but for now I want to concentrate on this young Blue Devil team that is improving with each game.

A killer run was sparked by defense

Ask any experienced basketball coach and they will tell you that defense leads to offense.  After trailing at the half by a 35-34 margin, Duke went on a tear.  At the 16:42 mark of the second half the score was tied at 41 all and it looked like a very pesky Davidson team would take Duke to the wire.  In less than three minutes the Blue Devils defense locked down on the Wildcats (2-1) and that translated into a 10 point lead and Duke never looked back.  The lead would grow to 17 eventually and Duke ended up winning by a 82-69 over a very good mid major team.

Defense also helped Duke score in transition

Going into this game Duke had few breakaway plays but tonight they scored 12 points off the fast break and 18 off turnovers.  And that led to some remarkable showboat plays and dunks that got Cameron Indoor Stadium rocking.  And a lot of those transition buckets came when freshman Quinn Cook was in the game and he ended the game with 9 points and had a renewed confidence in the Duke locker room.  The bottom line is good defense leads to a lot of positive things.

Mason Plumlee is becoming one of the nations best big men

Duke will take 16 points and 13 rebounds from Mason Plumlee in any game and be happy with it.  Plumlee played with emotion and made things happen on the court tonight and he helped to get his brother, senior Miles Plumlee untracked in the second half with a pass to him for a resounding, crowd pleasing dunk.  Mason is developing has stepped up to become one of the best big men in the ACC and his consistent play has to be pleasing to the staff.

Duke was able to use their depth effectively

The Blue Devils went deep in their bench and got good production as they continue to develop the freshman.  The aforementioned Quinn Cook was very impressive as he got comfortable and now he needs to find his teammates more form the PF spot.  Krzyzewski praised him for allowing him to rest Curry.  Duke got a solid 8 minutes from Josh Hairston as well and 17 from Thornton.  But it was Ryan Kelly that stepped up big too with 3 blocked shots to go with 8 points and 5 boards.  Krzyzewski said that Kelly was playing like he did in China after getting off to a slow start in practice this season.  Duke has played 4 games in 7 days to date and by the end of the Maui trip they will have played 7 games in 12 days so that developing depth will come in handy.

More notes

Duke dominated in the paint holding a 42-24 point edge, but the rebounds were even.  The lead changed 11 times, mostly in the first half and Duke warmed up in the second half from the three point line going 4 of their 5 made attempts coming in the second half.  Coach K said what he has since the pre season in that different players would step up in different games until stars are developed. Austin Rivers tallied 17 points and showed flashes of his offensive brilliance that made him one of the nations most coveted prospects coming out of high school.  Ryan Kelly got his first start of the season. Austin Rivers played all 20 minutes in the second half

By the numbers

Duke extended it's home court victory streak to 39 , Duke has not lost in CIS since Feb. 11th of 2009.  It was the Blue Devils 89th consecutive victory over a non conference opponent at home.  Duke has had four players in double figures three times in four games.  Cook had his first two career steals and sank 4 of 5 free throws.  Curry started his 17th consecutive game and has scoreed in double figures in all of the Blue Devils games.

 

 

Duke Basketball

Davidson at Duke Game Notes

• Game 4 •

[6 AP / 6 Coaches] Duke (3-0) vs. Davidson (2-0)

Friday, November 18, 2011 • 6:02 p.m. • ESPNU

The Opening Tip

• Duke (3-0) faces Davidson (2-0) on Friday, Nov. 18 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 6:02 p.m. (EST).

• The game is being televised by ESPNU with Mike Breen (play-by-play) and Doris Burke (analyst) calling the action.

• Duke is ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Davidson is unranked in both polls.

• Duke will be playing its fourth game in an eight-day span on Friday. The Blue Devils depart Durham on Saturday morning to head to the EA Sports Maui Invitational (Nov. 21-23).

• The Blue Devils enter Friday’s contest with an NCAA-best 38-game home winning streak.

• Coach K enters the contest tied for fourth with Jim Phelan (Mount St. Mary’s) for wins at one school. Krzyzewski has earned 830 of his NCAA record 903 career wins at Duke.

Duke-Davidson Series

• Duke leads the all-time series 87-17, including a 22-1 mark under Mike Krzyzewski.

• The Blue Devils have won the last 22 meetings in the series, with 20 of the 22 victories coming by 10 or more points.

• The Duke-Davidson series dates back to the 1909 season with Duke recording a 22-8 win in the series opener.

Duke vs. the Southern Conference

• Duke is 142-24 all-time against teams currently in the Southern Conference.

• Under Mike Krzyzewski, Duke is 47-2 against the Southern Conference.

• The Blue Devils have won 47 straight against Southern Conference opponents. Duke’s last loss to a SoCon foe was 75-73 to Davidson on Dec. 29, 1981.

Numbers Game

l Mike Krzyzewski became the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history on Tuesday. He also moved into a tie with Jim Phelan for fourth on the all-time wins at one school list with 830 victories at Duke.

l Coach K has recorded exactly half of his 830 wins at Duke at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are 415-55 at home under Krzyzewski.

l Duke is 52-1 at home since the start of the 2008-09 season. The Blue Devils went 17-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in each of the past two seasons.

l The Blue Devils have won 38 consecutive games in Cameron Indoor Stadium with 32 of the victories coming by 10 or more points.

l The Blue Devils have won 26 of their last 28 non-conference contests. Duke is 54-6 in non-league games since the start of the 2008-09 season.

l Duke has won 31 consecutive games in November, dating back to a 73-62 loss to Marquette in the championship game of the 2006 CBE Classic. The Blue Devils are 111-10 all-time in the month of November under Coach K.

l Duke is 99-28 all-time when ranked No. 6 in the AP poll. The Blue Devils have won six straight games when ranked sixth overall.

l Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry combined for 46 points, 10 rebounds and eight steals in Tuesday’s win over Michigan State. The guard tandem went 8-of-15 from three-point range with Dawkins going 6-of-10 from behind the arch.

l Seth Curry is 8-of-14 from three-point range this season and now has 72 three-point field goals in 40 games a Blue Devil. He is shooting 44.7 (72-of-161) percent from behind the three-point arc in his Duke career.

l Ryan Kelly has come off the bench to score in double-figures in all three games this season. He is second on the team and 13th in the ACC in scoring at 14.3 ppg.

l Duke is shooting 48.2 percent (27-of-56) from three-point range through three games. Seth Curry, Austin Rivers, Ryan Kelly, Tyler Thornton and Quinn Cook have each knocked down two or more three-pointers in a game this season.

l Six Blue Devils (Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee, Austin Rivers, Miles Plumlee, Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly) are averaging 6-9 shots per game. Curry is attempting a team-high 8.7 shots per contest.

l Mason Plumlee is tied for fourth in the ACC in blocks at 2.3 bpg. He is one block shy of becoming the 15th player in Duke history with 100 or more career blocks.

l Duke has had a different player lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists in all three games this season.

Duke Basketball

Coach K has touched the lives of many

The college basketball world stopped for a moment last evening as Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski broke the all time NCAA mark for wins.  It was the perfect stage for such a feat in the famed Madison Square Garden where he was surrounded by 30 former players.  But his meeting with his long time mentor and friend, Bobby Knight capped it all off in grand fashion and in that moment Krzyzewski finally realized that he was living in a most "special" moment.

Krzyzewski is at the top of the mountain this morning and depending on your rooting interest you feel either nirvana, respect or disgust.  As I walked into the local convenience store this morning, wearing a Duke t-shirt before heading to the gym, the color itself evoked comments. "He did it last night didn't he.  I know you're happy," said one lady.  Before I could answer, her 20 something year old son chimed in with "He aint done nothing!  Carolina is number one this year and nobody is going to beat them."

You see, if you are a college hoops fan there is no avoiding the incredible accomplishment of 903 wins and counting.  Even the Kansas and Kentucky fans bore witness to history and their comments were as varied as one could imagine.  In a sense, it is a bit surreal to realize that the team I cover and their coach has been so outrageously successful.  If I started to spout off numbers, you would be reading for a good long time, so if you want a complete breakdown of that visit GoDuke.com.

What I want to speak  of is how Krzyzewski has touched so many lives.  First there are his many former players, a star studded bunch who are a part of the Duke Family.  And man, how that family has grown since he stepped onto the Duke Campus in 1981.  You see, once you play for Krzyzewski, you are part of his famly for life and his door remains open to pretty much each and every one.  The stories alone with his former players are endless.

But Krzyzewski has touched the lives of many Duke fans as well and that fan base has grown significantly since he began his record tear.  On our twitter and Facebook sites, it is clear to see the adoration.  I mean, you can just feel the passion as one tries to explain what he has ment to them and their lives.

One BDN Premium member stated, "He's given me something to be a part of that's so special. I didn't go to Duke - I CHOSE to be a Duke fan, in great part because of that man and what he stands for. I really can't imagine my life without Duke Basketball being the most important "other thing", excluding only family, spiritual beliefs.

"Duke has helped me through rough times - just who they are which is a reflection of him. In 1996 I broke my neck in a bad car wreck. A few years later, I was going to attend some therapy down in Miami at a big center for spinal cord injury. My parents rented a car and we were going to drive down from NY. Knowing what Duke Basketball and Coach K means to me, my parents decided the first stop on the way would be Duke. I just wanted to see CIS . When we left NY to drive down we left one of my wheels to my wheelchair on the driveway by mistake. We drove all the way down to North Carolina, parked right in front of CIS, went to get me out of the car and found out we had a missing wheel. UGH!!!! So, one of these I will finally get get down there again and see CIS. But, Coach's philosophy, toughness, passion, old school grit, have taught me a lot" said another member.

A 1972 Duke graduate added, "I have really enjoyed the last 30 years. I have lived in Kansas practicing cancer med since 84 and his accomplishments helped me put my own life in perspective, someone said that when we die we can't take anything with us but judge our lives by did we make a difference and Coach K has made a difference."

Another one of our members said,  "Coach K brings distinction and grace to a program which has brought an infinite amount of pleasure and pride to so many of us.  I've been a fan for longer than most of you have been alive (Class of '54, fan since '39), and being so has brought joy and satisfaction to me consistently through the years."

A coach who is a BDN Premium member said,  "He taught me how to run a program the right way and get kids to trust me and get the most out of them. Most of all through watching and following the program for over 15 years I have learned how to be a professional."

And others spoke of how he helped them selflessly, "I have tried to watch a lot of the things he does and how he carries himself and tried to carry that over to my coaching.  There is no one better to emulate.  Back in 2003 when I was in college I very tragically and suddenly lost my older brother and was devastated.  The county administrator in the county where I live was actually in Coach K's graduating class at West Point and they know each other well.  He knew I was a big Duke fan, and he sent message to Coach K and Coach sent me a personal letter along with a signed bio photo and a team photo signed by all players.  His team was leaving the next day to play at Michigan State in a battle of two top ten teams in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, yet he still took the time to do that for someone he does not know."

There are many more stories on our Facebook page or in message board posts from members of the site and it is so clear to see that he has meant so much to so many.  I have yet to take time to really fully reflect on the accomplishment of 903 victories and kounting, but is is obvious that my respect for Coach Krzyzewski and the program is why this site, Blue Devil Nation exists.  One of the main purposes of this site was to cast a reflection on the program for there is so much to see and tell and we take pleasure in being the eyes for the fan nation.

Coach has meant a lot to me as well.  My life has centered around his and in that sense there is a 32 year connection.  His coaching philosophies helped me lead a team I coached to an undefeated season where my team emulated his system.  I cannot help but wonder had he retired early on or left for the NBA where my life would be and it is hard to imagine it at all.

Throughout the years, the shadow of Coach Krzyzewski has been with me through family deaths, good and bad times and well, just name any instance of possibilities in life and you get it.  Duke Basketball has proven to be one of the most stable things in my entire life and knowing it is always there has been akin to eternal sunshine.  The joy his teams have brought to me are so numerous that I realize how blessed I am to be connected and covering a juggernaut of a program.

But it is life's lessons where Coach Krzzyewski has had the biggest effect on my life and I am still learning from him to this day.  Don't get me wrong here, we don't share tea time nor talk like he does with his former players.  But he has still been a bit of an older brother, mentor like figure for me even at arms length.  And his lightest touch has meant a lot to me.  I hesitate to share some of the moments for they are personal and some would make me sound like a braggart but my brief dealings with him have certainly made a life long impression

Coach Krzyzewski said the Basketball God's have been good to him but in reality they've been good to every person who is in some way connected to the program be they fans, players or family.  I have been allowed to tag along for one helluva ride as a fan and the great thing is that the ride is still going full steam ahead.  But this accomplishment allowed many of us to reflect a bit even if we are overwhelmed to the point we stumble about trying to describe our feelings.

I think I speak for the entire Blue Devil Nation in saying congratulations and thanks to Coach Mike Krzyzewski.  You mean a lot to us coach and there is much love for you bringing so much joy into our lives.  In ending, being a former military guy myself, I want to stand at attention and pop a sincere salute coaches way and say, thank you for giving my life more meaning than it could have ever had without you at Duke.

 

 

 

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 vs Michigan State Game Notes – It’s more than a game

Lance King Photo

Game 3 * State Farm Champions Challenge

[6 AP / 6 Coaches] Duke (2-0) vs. Michigan State (0-1)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 * 7:00 p.m. * ESPN

The Opening Tip

* Duke (2-0) faces Michigan State (0-1) on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in the first game of the State Farm Champions Challenge. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. (EST).

* The game is being televised by ESPN with Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Bob Knight (analyst), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Andy Katz (sideline) calling the action.

* Duke is ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Michigan State is unranked in both polls.

* Duke will be playing its third game in a five-day span on Tuesday.

* The head coaches (Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo) in Tuesday's game have combined for 1,285 wins, 17 Final Four appearances and five National Championships.

* Coach K enters the contest tied with Bob Knight as the winningest coach in NCAA history.

Duke-Michigan State Series

* Duke leads the all-time series 6-2, with Krzyzewski holding a 6-1 mark against Michigan State.

* The two teams have met five previous times at a neutral site with Duke holding a 3-2 edge in those contests.

* Duke and Michigan State have met three times in NCAA Tournament action. The Blue Devils are 2-1 against the Spartans in tournament action.

* In the last meeting between the two schools, Duke posted an 84-79 win over Michigan State on Dec. 1, 2010 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

* Mason Plumlee had 10 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in last season's win over Michigan State. Plumlee collected seven of his 10 rebounds on the offensive end of the floor.

* Five of the eight games in the all-time series have been decided by 10 points or less.

Numbers Game

* Mike Krzyzewski is one win shy of passing Bob Knight as the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history.

* The Blue Devils have won 25 of their last 27 non-conference contests. Duke is 53-6 in non-league games since the start of the 2008-09 season.

* Duke has won 30 consecutive games in November, dating back to a 73-62 loss to Marquette in the championship game of the 2006 CBE Classic. The Blue Devils are 110-10 all-time in the month of November under Coach K.

* Duke is 98-28 all-time when ranked No. 6 in the AP poll. The Blue Devils have won five straight games when ranked sixth overall.

* The Blue Devils have won three straight games against Big Ten opponents. Duke is 65-25 all-time against teams currently in the Big Ten, including a 47-15 mark under Coach K.

* Duke is 30-2 in neutral site contests since the start of the 2008-09 season. The Blue Devils have won one NCAA Championship, three ACC titles and three in-season tournaments in that span.

* The Blue Devils have won 11 consecutive non-postseason (ACC & NCAA Tournaments excluded) neutral site contests.

* Seth Curry is 6-of-9 from three-point range this season and now has 70 three-point field goals in 39 games a Blue Devil. He is shooting 44.9 (70-of-156) percent from behind the three-point arc in his Duke career.

* Duke's upperclass post rotation of Miles Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee is averaging 36.0 points and 24.0 rebounds per game this season. The trio combined to average 18.6 points and 17.0 rebounds per game a year ago.

* Mason Plumlee is averaging 14.0 points and 9.8 rebounds in Duke's last four contests, including exhbition games against Bellarmine and Shaw. The junior forward is 26-of-32 (.813) from the field in that span.

* Duke reserves are averaging 31.5 points per game with Ryan Kelly leading the way at 14.5 ppg. The Blue Devils have received four double-figure scoring efforts off the bench this season and had a season-best 41 bench points against Presbyterian.

* Freshman Austin Rivers leads the Blue Devils in scoring (15.5 ppg.) and steals (2.5 spg.), while also ranking second in assists (3.5 apg.).

* Five Blue Devils (Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee, Austin Rivers, Miles Plumlee and Ryan Kelly) are averaging 7-10 shots per game. Curry is attempting a team-high 9.5 shots per contest.

* Duke is shooting 48.6 percent (17-of-35) from three-point range through two games. Seth Curry, Austin Rivers, Tyler Thornton and Quinn Cook have eached knocked down two or more three-pointers in a game this season.