photo- Lance King for BDN

As Duke took a 15 point lead over Michigan in yesterday’s game, the song “California Dreaming,” started to play in my head, but a furious Wolverine comeback almost burst that dream bubble and that’s what it is all about.  It takes but one made shot to send your dreams packing and nightmares to begin, but Duke survived and advanced and this is how you do in the NCAA’s.  In this weeks Monday Musings, late afternoon column, we’ll take a look back and ahead with happenings surrounding Duke Basketball.

Sometimes, you have to make your own emotion

For the first thirty minutes of the game I kept thinking to myself on press row, how flat the crowd was in Charlotte.  Across the way, the only person I could make out standing up in the Iron Duke section was Debbie K, Coach K’s daughter.  A few moments later with the team looking flat, Coach Krzyzewski slapped the court with his hand, jacket peeled off, arms in the air exhorting fans as he walked out to meet his team, emotion clearly implanted on his face.  It’s not the first time he’s had to do this for as fans we get a little fat and happy.  Regardless, without that emotion Duke would have never vaulted to a substantial lead, one which they had to hang onto for dear life to advance.

900 wins, 1,2,3, 4 …………….. 896 more

Wow!  Coach K now has 900 wins!  Amazing feat indeed and it deserves even more attention than it is getting but make no mistake, Coach will reflect on this after the season.  For now, he wants nothing more than this team to win, not for him, but for them and the fan base.  With so much going on, BDN hasn’t even been able to write much about the accomplishment but we want to address that after four more victories if you know what I mean, wink, wink.  We do however salute him with the count box on our main page which will soon contain a link to his vast accomplishments.

LK Image for BDN

The return of Kyrie Irving

Let me tell you first hand that it was quite the circus surrounding Kyrie Irving this past weekend.  Never have I seen so many cameras on a kid during NCAA events.  Irving is clearly coming along fast at this point and he will see even more minutes against Arizona and may even start.  We have several video interviews up with Irving, so check them out.  You could see flashes of Irving getting back to where he was but there is a ways to go yet with concern to his   Still, Duke may not have advanced had it not been for his second half play.  His one steal was a key one and the only one the Blue Devils made all day and that runner was the difference in the end.

… but Rollin’ Nolan is the backbone

Make no mistake, Nolan Smith is the leader of this season’s team and his skills have allowed Duke to get as far as they have to date.  Nolan put the team on his back, scoring 10 straight points against Michigan yesterday and without him Duke would be staying in Durham until graduation.  Smith has been flat out hard to stop and when he gets on the same page with Irving … watch out!  He is the most dependable player on the team and his consistency has been amazing.  Give him a good look the rest of the way Duke fans, because he’s having one of the best seasons of any player in the Blue Devils illustrious history.

Kyle Singler, he’s not that good

Relax!  I didn’t  say it, an astute well thought of sports writer beside me on press row did.   Look, Kyle had some misses yesterday that make you want to hide until the next play and it is funny how some only seem to recognize an air ball.  That was the case with the writer beside me.  I then pointed out that Kyle had 7 rebounds and led the team with assists with 4 with about 17 minutes left in the game.  It amazes me how people fail to see what he does off ball and how good a defensive player he is.  Singler is a flat out winner who could care less about his stat line.  You better get a good look this week at #12 Duke fans, for you will not realize how much you miss an eternal starter until he is gone.

Jet lag and adjusting

Duke will leave tomorrow afternoon for California in order to adjust to a three hour time difference.  It will be quite an adjustment for the Devils and could point to a slow start.  Arizona is much more familiar with the turf, having a lot of players from Cali on their roster mixed with some street tough New Yorkers.  Anaheim is a nice family oriented place so it shouldn’t be too many crazed fans and for the first time, Duke is away from the baby blue bunch that is booing them heartily at every turn.

Speaking of the lunatic fringe fans …

Okay, there are a lot of Carolina fans, so that means more fools in their fan base and all schools have them.  But I just cannot understand the make up of hate some of them seem to have.  F&%$ Duke shirts are a bit over the top and you never see Duke fans, no matter how redneck they may be in similar garb.  There were fans there whose soul purpose was to spew hate when Duke took to the court, spittle flying out of their mouths, faces red with last nights beverages.  One got escorted away and even more rational Tar Heels fans actually clapped.  One couple held up an anti Duke sign saying I hate  Dooke?  Any Tar Heel hating fan knows its Dook.  On to a public restaurant where four Heels fans were asked to leave or take off their F&%# Duke shirts.  Not the kind of thing one would wear in public unless of course they are part of the lunatic fringe.  The hate really is disturbing at times.

Get well soon to one of our cheerleaders!

One of our own suffered an injury yesterday, cheerleader Hattie Cutcliffe.  BDN loves the support group behind the Blue Devils and we wish her a speedy recovery.  She’s the one that turns like 164 flips in Cameron, being the best at that!  No details on the injury but we have our sources working on it;)

We love what we do!

Just wanted to take a moment to say thanks for all the fans who support and make up the Blue Devil Nation!  We love what we do around here and will continue to bring you passionate yet professional coverage of all things Duke Athletics.  We will be working on some changes soon which are sure to please and our AAU Basketball coverage will begin soon.  You can support our efforts and ability to bring you up close and personal with the teams by joining Blue Devil Nation Premium, our subscription service.  It is our members which help keep the site going and that give us the ability to offer so much on the free side of the site, much of which other sites charge for.

In closing, a little  story for you

After the media scramble where I interviewed players in the Duke locker room, I ventured back to my computer which was court side.  Most of the media had left for the media room but I remained with maybe five others due to a faster Internet connection.  It must have been maybe an hour after the game ended when I  looked up from my work.  Walking towards the court with his head hanging was a player in a Michigan warm up.  As he strolled out on to the court area, I could see tears in his eyes.  He walked onto the court and then started from just inside the free throw line and walked through and took a shot with and imaginary ball and repeated this two more  times.  You could see his mind working and he was doing all he could to fight back more tears.  He then strolled silently off the court and walked to the top of the arena where he stood and reflected one more time before turning and walking off until he faded from sight.  It was Darius Morris who missed the shot at the buzzer.  Folks, this is what it is all about!  And this is why you need to relish every single victory and understand it is not your birthright as a fan to see Duke win every game.  Each win is sweet and it should be cherished for there are players on the losing team who showed as much heart despite the loss.  Keep your head up Darius for you guys played a helluva game.

Kyle Singler - Duke Blue Planet

INDIANAPOLIS – The Duke Men’s Basketball team has settled into Indianapolis and many Blue Devils fans are either here or on the way.  They’ll be joined by students and of course fans from Butler, Michigan State and West Virginia.

It’s always nice to be playing in an area that loves its basketball and Indianapolis has a rich tradition not unlike North Carolina.  The Blue Devils had their first practice today and they will be on the court for the general public to view tomorrow at 4:00 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

There is really nothing like the excitement of the Final Four and BDN will be on the scene with the Duke Blue Devils and we’ll be bring you live updates, interviews and much more.  We’ll attempt to tweet live from the games provided the logistics can be worked out and we’ll start to churn out articles on Friday.

Stay tuned for the Blue Devil Nation is once again covering the Duke beat in grand style.  We have been with the Blue Devils every step of the way this season and now we hope to close it out with a Duke National Championship.

Of course, it will not be easy for Duke and West Virginia come into the contest red hot.  The Mountaineers have won 10 straight contests, while the Blue Devils have won their last 7 and 16 of 17 since a loss to Georgetown.

See you in the A.M. Blue Devil Nation!

^1-Seed Duke (31-5, 13-3 ACC) vs. ^4-Seed Purdue (29-5, 14-4 Big Ten)

Friday, March 26, 2010  •  9:57 p.m. (ET)  •  CBS

Reliant Stadium (70,676)  •  Houston, Texas

The Opening Tip

Duke (31-5, 13-3 ACC) plays Purdue (29-5, 14-4 Big Ten) in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament at Reliant Stadium on Friday, March 29, at 9:57 p.m. (ET). The game will air on CBS with Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg calling the action.

The Blue Devils enter the game ranked third in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls, while Purdue is ranked 10th in the AP poll and 11th in the Coaches poll.

How the Blue Devils Advanced

Duke posted wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (73-44) and California (68-53) in Jacksonville, Fla., to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the 25th time in school history. The Blue Devils have now advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament 19 times under head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Junior Kyle Singler averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the field in the opening two rounds of tournament play. He had a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in the opening round win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Nolan Smith, a junior guard, scored a game-high 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting in the win over California. He is averaging 15.0 points and 3.5 assists per game in tournament play. Senior Brian Zoubek went 9-of-10 from the field against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and California en route to recording 10.5 points per game. He is also averaging 8.5 rebounds, including 13 rebounds in the win over the Golden Bears.

Duke’s defense was outstanding in the opening rounds, limiting the opposition to 48.5 points per game and 35.6 percent (36-of-101) shooting from the field.

Numbers Game

l Duke earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in school history. The Blue Devils are 39-8 all-time as a top seed and have earned a No. 1 seed in nine of the last 13 tournaments.

l The Blue Devils are making their 11th NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance in the last 13 seasons.

l Duke is the No. 1 seed in the South Region for the sixth time in program history. The Blue Devils are 15-5 when playing out of the South Region.

l Duke has won nine straight neutral site games and is 17-1 at neutral sites over the last two seasons.

l Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are attempting to become just the third trio in Duke history to each average over 17.0 points per game. Jim Spanarkel, Mike Gminski and Gene Banks accomplished the feat in 1977-78, while Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy did the same in 2001-02.

l Kyle Singler is averaging 21.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 45.2 percent (14-of-31) from three-point range during Duke’s six-game win streak. He has two double-doubles and has scored 20 or more points four times in that span.

l Nolan Smith is 16 points shy of joining Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler as 600+ point scorers this season. In 2001-02, Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy became the first Duke trio to accomplish that feat.

l Senior Jon Scheyer is 26 minutes shy of moving past North Carolina’s Ed Cota into sixth place in ACC history in minutes played. Former Duke players currently occupy the top five spots in the record books. Scheyer is also four three-pointers shy of entering the top 10 in that category. He is looking to become the fourth Blue Devil to rank in the top 10 of the ACC in career three-point field goals.

l Brian Zoubek has started Duke’s last 12 games and is averaging 6.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in that span. He has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in six of those contests, while scoring in double figures four times.

l Miles Plumlee and Mason Plumlee combine to average 9.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. The duo also has 55 dunks on the season. The Plumlees’ mother, Leslie, played basketball at Purdue from 1980-83.

l Duke is allowing 55.6 points per game in postseason play. The Blue Devils have held three of their five postseason opponents to under 60 points in a game.

l The Blue Devils have won nine of their last 11 games and are 10-4 all-time in NCAA Tournament play against the Big Ten.

Checking in on …

#2 Nolan Smith – +8.8 ppg. increase from a year ago is second-best in the ACC … 60th player in Duke history to top 1,000 career point mark … tied for third in the ACC with 15 games with 20+ points scored … shooting 45.0 percent (95-of-221) from the field in nine neutral site contests

#5 Mason Plumlee – Second on the team with 21 dunks … tied for second on the team with 29 blocks … 5 or more rebounds in nine games

#12 Kyle Singler – Seven double-doubles and eight games with 10+ rebounds … averaging 19.9 points per game while shooting 46.6 percent (41-of-88), since the loss to Georgetown on Jan. 30 (15 games)

#20 Andre Dawkins – Fourth on the team with 34 three-point field goals … shooting 37.0 percent from three-point range

#21 Miles Plumlee – Leads the team with 31 dunks … second on the team in field goal percentage at .572 (79-of-138)

#30 Jon Scheyer – Ranks in the top 10 of the ACC in scoring, free throw pct, three-point pct, assists, steals, three-point field goals, assist-to-turnover ratio and minutes … seventh in ACC history in minutes played … tied for third in the ACC with 15 games with 20 or more points … three-time ACC Player of the Week

#34 Ryan Kelly – 14 blocked shots … played in 33 of 36 games

#42 Lance Thomas – Leads the team with 14 charges taken … 5+ rebounds in 17 games … ACC All-Defensive team member

#55 Brian Zoubek – Four or more offensive rebounds 16 times … averaging 16.5 rebounds per 40 minutes played … 10-of-11 from the field in the last four games

Big Three Pace Blue Devil Offense

Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith combine to average 53.0 points per game or 68.3 percent of Duke’s scoring.

Scheyer is third in the ACC in scoring at 18.1 ppg., while Singler (17.7 ppg.) and Smith (17.1 ppg.) rank fourth and sixth, respectively. The trio is the highest scoring threesome in the NCAA and the fourth-highest under Mike Krzyzewski.

Bradley, Texas Southern, California, Siena, VMI, New Mexico, Purdue and UC-Davis are the only other schools with three players ranked among the top 10 scorers in their respective leagues.

Just press play -

Support Blue Devil Nation by becoming a member of BDN Premium and go behind the scenes on all things Duke.  Read about breaking recruiting news in both football and basketball and discuss the action on the best premium message board out there.

Photo Go Duke - Smith wrestles for a loose ball vs Arkansas Pine Bluff

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – BDN caught up with Duke guard Nolan Smith in the Duke locker room after his teams 73-44 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Just press play -

Singler started off the year in the spot light. Now the NCAA is upon us and there is no brighter llight than playing in the South Regional - BDN Photo

Durham, N.C. – Coming off an MVP performance and helping lead Duke to the ACC Tournament Championship, Kyle Singler prepares for the NCAA South Regional where Duke will face Arkansas Pine Bluff.  After the title game this past Sunday, I made a comment to Kyle in an interview about having no fear.  I mean this is the guy who almost wiped out Dick Vitale going into the stands after a loose ball and he talks about that in this audio clip from yesterday’s press conference.  By the way, Krzyzewski has nice things to say about Singler in another audio clip posted prior to this.  Plain and simple, Kye Singler is one tough Hombre.

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Can Scheyer hold up against the Wildcats pressure?

Boston, MA Many have said that Duke and Villanova mirror each other and a quick look at the rosters and stats certainly add validity.  The two schools have eerily similar stats when you look at their scoring averages on both offense and defense.  They both play with no true big man and neither team goes deep into their bench.

Without continuing with tireless comparisons, let’s just say these are two great basketball programs, each of which is competitive and equally hungry.  

Each team is more than just a little familiar wth the other.  Coach Krzyzewski and Jay Wright have both worked with USA Basketball and each of them depends on a version of the motion offense and pressure defense when needed.

The players have played together in AAU ball, some even talking to this day over the phone lines.  The two schools have even recruited the same players out of high school and one recent transfer Taylor King, may be dropping hints of how to stop his former teammates after transferring.

When I look at Villanova’s losses, I see no bad losses.  Like Duke, they had a “bad road game,” where  Clemson and West Virginia blew tonights opponents out, but that was a rarity. 

They have both played Georgetown once and each won a close game and Duke has a win over Texas to get to the Sweet 16, while the Wildcats (28-7)  lost an early season affair with he Longhorns.  Both own wins over Rhode Island, but the Wildcats enjoyed a much more comfortable margin on a neutral court while Duke won a nail-biter at home.

Villanova’s only other losses were to #1 ranked Louisville (twice), UConn and Marquette.  On the plus side of the ledger, they swept Syracuse and have a win over #3 Pittsburgh in their only meeting, 2 wins over Marquette among others.  

The Wildcats may have played their best game of the season in their 89-69 blowout win over UCLA to advance to tonights game.  That’s the same Ben Howland team that prides itself on their defense.  The game was so physical that Bruins were openly complaining after the contest.

Villanova essentially has seven starters and one reserve which gets minutes in Antonio Pena who adds about 5 points and 5 boards per game.  They come off the bench with the “Two Corey’s,” Fisher (6-1 guard 10.9 ppg) and Stokes (6-5 swing 9.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg).  Both of these kids are serous players capable of putting on streaky performances.

They start a long line up which includes, Dwayne Anderson (6-6 BF 8.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg), Shane Clark (6-7 SF 5,4 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Dante Cunningham (6-8 Post F 16.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg) up front.  These three guys are all seniors and provide toughness and leadership, with Cunningham being the best of the springy bunch.

While Duke has rebounded the ball well this season, Villanova has done an even better job on the boards.  Their quickness to the ball will have to be matched with desire on the Blue Devils end.

Scottie Reynolds (6-2 PG 15.1 ppg) is the Wildcats leader and he is an explosive player who teams with Reggie Redding (6-5 SG 6.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg) in the back court.  While the starting line up has size, they are most dangerous when Fisher is added to the mix in a three guard set.

In short, Villanova can mix and match their line up in an almost interchangeable way.  When their three point shot is falling like it was against UCLA, they’re almost impossible to beat.  In fact, they are 18-1 when they score 75 or more points this season and average 84.5 ppg in the tournament thus far.

The last time Duke was in Boston, they lost to Boston College in a game that caused a shake up in the line up. Duke went on to win 10 of it’s last 11 games. and has stuck with Elliot Williams (4.2 ppg) as a starter.

Williams, of course, has provided good on ball defense, but has struggled a bit of late with the three point stroke and free throws.  A good performance by the talented freshman would go a long ways towards helping Duke to a victory.

While Williams was a shot in the arm eleven games ago, Nolan Smith (8.5 ppg) has taken on that role of late.  Smith has looked calm, cool and collected with his play of late.  There is no doubt that playing the off guard has helped there and he has seemingly found his role on this years team.  It is very important that Smith continues with his consistency of late against a talented back court.

It’s no secret that the “Big Three.” of Gerald Henderson, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer must be on their “A” game for the Blue Devils to continue their journey and land in the final eight.

Scheyer (14.9 ppg, .8 apg) has been fabulous since taking over the point, but look for the Wildcats to really try and get in his grill early on.  If this happens, he will need to find his teammates for open shots or cutting towards the baskets.  He will then be able to have the ball kicked back out which will hopefully get him an open shot.

Kyle Singler (16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg) has shown an incredible all around game all season long and that must continue.  Singler will be an important factor on the boards and if he is able to build on his recent success from the three point stripe, he will be a match up problem for the Cat’s.

The most important player on the floor for Duke, could be Gerald Henderson.  If you have been reading any stories leading into the game, you know that he grew up in the backyard of Villanova and was recruited heavily by Jay Wright.

Henderson (16.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) has the ability to take over games, but you can bet that he will be challenged every step of the way tonight.  Many eyes will be on the Henderson to see how he reacts and if he tries to take too much on himself.

But for Duke to really succeed, they will need players to step up.  One of those players could be Lance Thomas (5,4 ppg, 3.6 rpg).  Thomas has had a couple of good games in a row, but hitting the boards tonight would be more than just a little timely.

Then Duke will look to get some production off the bench from David McClure, Brian Zoubek and Greg Paulus.  McClure is likely to get the bulk of the minutes due to match up problems, but foul trouble could make Krzyzewski go a bit deeper than usual.

Okay, enough rambling, it’s time for a pick.  IMO, this game could go either way, but if Duke is hitting the three, then I feel they’ll slip past the pesky Wildcats.  There is a little pressure on me after picking Duke 75-70 over Texas where they won 74-69 and I doubt I can reproduce that again.

This will be a game of runs and a few lead changes where each team will leave it all on the court.  The pick here is Duke 74 Villanova 72

Nolan goofs on Jon Scheyer while he is being interviewed

Nolan Smith has been a key component in the Blue Devils’ attack since coming back from a concussion suffered against Maryland.  Coach Krzyzewski most recently sang the praises of the sophomore guard, saying that he feels like he has found his role on this season’s team.

Smith has been in the news a lot of late, including a recent feature on ESPN’s Outside the Lines.  There is no doubt that Duke will need Smith to be at his best in order to defeat Villanova on Thursday evening.  Here are some of Nolan Smith’s thoughts from a question and answer session before the Dukies headed to Boston.

Did you have a tough practice today?

Today’s practice was quick but very intense and we started going over Villanova and have a good game plan going into the game.

Has the team been able to stay fresh?

We are very refreshed.  The days in between those games we’ve managed to relax and stay off our feet.  We play those forty minutes and are right back to resting.  We definitely take care of our bodies at this point in the season.

How does the team feel to be going to Boston for the Sweet 16?

This team is very excited to be where we are at.  When we step on that court we’re going to let it all out and play as hard as we can.  That’s what we have done during these first two NCAA games.

Was there ever a time when you thought the team might not make it to where they have today?  Like after the Clemson game?

Not at all.  Even after that we realized we weren’t at our best.  We knew that we’re still developing and growing.  Right now, I feel like we are playing very good basketball.  We are getting something from different players every game.

Talk about your relationship with some of the Villanova players -

I played high school basketball with Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham my freshman year at St. John’s.  And then Corey Fisher and Stokes were in my class and I have played against them numerous times on the AAU circuit.  So, I have a good feel for all their players and have a good relationship with them off the court as well.

Many have said that Villanova and Duke are similar teams …

They are very similar to us.  Their Dante Cunningham is our Lance Thomas.  They are not a real big force inside, but both teams shoot a lot of mid-range stuff.  They play with three guards a lot just like we do.

Have you talked with Coach K a lot of late?

We’ve talked a little bit.  He let’s me know you have to be ready for anything.  Role changes may happen and you have to be ready and do what is better for the team.  Since my role change, we’ve been on a tear and playing great basketball.  And my play has picked up, so …  He’s told me to stay ready and be ready for anything.

Are you comfortable with your new role?

I feel very comfortable.  Before I check into every game, Coach K looks at me and tells me to attack.  So, I try to attack and make plays.  If Jon is not out there, I still have the ability to run the one and set my teammates up.  It’s not for a long period of time like at the beginning of the year.

On Zoubek and McClure being in at crunch time versus Texas after Singler and Thomas fouled out -

Coach K lets us know that in order to win a National Championship, we are going to need a whole team.  So they have to stay rested and ready.  Zoubs and Dave and those guys have stayed ready.

Has the emergence of Elliot Williams helped you with your game?

Oh yeah, definitely, I tell him all the time that I’m glad he showed Coach he can really press the ball.  I got tired of doing it the first 22 games by myself.  (smiling while media laughing) It takes a toll on you.  Now that we have two guys that can pressure the ball,  Elliot and I can take turns out there.

Henderson leans into a shot

Gerald Henderson talks about the bench play in the win over Texas, Villanova, his Dad’s playing days with the Boston Celtics, being a leader and more.  Enjoy -

Your thoughts on Villanova …

It should be a good game.  They’re a really hot team right now and played a really good game against UCLA where they pretty much dominated the whole game.  It should be a good match-up for us.

You grew up in Philadelphia …

I grew up in Villanova.  Back home, I live about fifteen or twenty minutes from there.  My sister went there, I had a cousin that went there.  You know, they recruited me, so I’m pretty familiar with all their coaches and most of their players.

So, they were your second choice?

It came down to Duke and Villanova.  I took an official here and there, those were my only two.  I think my host was Kyle Lowrey.

Did you grow up pulling for them out of the Big Five?

I guess it was ‘Nova because they were the closest to me.  My Dad took me to their games when I was little.

Speaking of your Dad, he has some great memories in Boston where he played with the Celtics.  I guess it’ll be kind of a homecoming for him?

He’s got a lot of friends back there.  A lot of people that are close to me.  He always talks about that those were his best years as a pro.  Not just on the basketball court, but in terms of just living and him having a good time as a basketball player.  Those were the best times.

Do you think with all that’s going on that there will be a lot of distractions?

I think the way we travel and our managers … (laughed), I don’t think there will be many distractions.

Does your Dad stay in touch with former teammates?

Nobody that’s on the team now, but different people like Bill Russell he still talks to.  I can’t really think of any of the guys, but he still keeps in touch.

Does he ever talk about that big steal against the Lakers in the NBA Finals?

Yeah, he doesn’t talk about it as much.  Every now and then somebody will come up to me and say they saw it on ESPN Classic.  It’s probably one of the best moments of his career.  (Henderson made a key steal vs. the Lakers in the NBA Finals, which helped his team win the game and the series.)

Earlier in the season, did you think you would be where you are now (Sweet 16)?

When we lost to Boston College, our season could have gone a lot of different ways.  I wasn’t even sure at that time we would make the tournament.  Nothing is guaranteed.  We could have gone backwards from there, but we just were not going to let that happen.  Me, John and Kyle being the leaders kind of took it on our shoulders not to let that happen.

Your thoughts on Coach K -

I’ve said all season that his passion is something I’ve never seen in anybody before.  I think winning that Gold Medal has given him even more passion just wanting to win another championship and do something nobody else has ever done.  He’s our leader and we get strength from that.

On his relationship with Wayne Ellington and his family -

His parents are really close to me, especially his Dad.  He’s been to all our high school games and him and my Dad always sit next to each other yelling at us.  That’s something I will never forget.  They actually moved again and  I have been to their house.  It’s good to have a close family like that, when mine just comes down for the games … it’s good to have them here in case I need anything.

Which Dad was the worst critic?

That depends on who was playing good.

On hanging out on occasion with the Ellingtons -

His Dad does more of the cooking than his Mom.  Big Wayne will cook up fried chicken, rice, string beans, everything.  He will cook up everything.  It’s good to have a place to get a home cooked meal away from home.

As a leader, do you feel any added pressure going into such a big game?

I don’t really look at it as pressure.  There is a lot of responsibility on Jon, Kyle and, well, everybody.  I just look at it as something I have got to do.  If we want to accomplish some of the things we set forth at the beginning of the year, I have to play well.  Jon has to play well.  Kyle has to play well.  Everybody has to play well!  That’s how it is.  I just look at it like you go after it and put everything into it and see what happens and see what you are made of.

With all the foul trouble against Texas, did you get nervous with reserves playing key roles?

That gives us confidence and should give that confidence as well.  Elliot is making some really good plays.  Rebounding and going after that ball (Scheyer pass).  He was just really being a presence in there.  And Dave made that play at the foul line.  That should give them all confidence and show them that we have confidence in them in those situations.

Do you think playing in close games like in the last couple of weeks has helped this team grow?

I think it’s good for us.  As a team we are still evolving.  It’s funny that every game we play could be your last one, but yet we can still get better.  Teams will play us differently and we have to adjust what we are doing and get better at those things.