Coach Mike Krzyzewski and Nate James dropped in on Tyler Adams during an open gym on Tuesday and BDN Premium has the center prospects thoughts on the visit. Will he visit Duke soon? Is Duke still his leader? You'll have to join to find out and once you do, talk about the latest on our private members only message board which is the fastest growing Duke forum on the web. BDN Photo

Make no mistake that Duke is working the recruiting trail hard and they are in no way resting on their laurels.  Of course, when you are coming off a national championship, everybody takes notice when you walk through the doors. And that was the case when Coach Mike Krzyzewski and his assistant Nate James took in an open gym in Mississippi where one of their top targets, Tyler Adams, [6-9 PF, C, Brandon, MS] was on display.

“There were a lot of people from the school trying to come in the gym and get his autograph and get a picture of  him.  Every coach has been by, but it was different when Coach K came.,” said Adams when questioned about Krzyzewski’s visit.

“Duke came to watch me yesterday and everything went Recruiting is red hot on BDN Premium.  Join now and don’t miss a beat.

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Coming in the area surrounding the stadium is packed and parking lots are full everywhere.  Once inside the arena, the Butler Bulldogs are practicing to a packed house.  The Blue Devils take to the floor at 3:10 and the interviews with the team start at 2:30 just before they take to the hardwood.

Of course, BDN will be on the scene all weekend long and it’s sure to be a grand time around here, especially if Duke advances.  We’ll have some pics, interviews, reports and of course we will tweet live during the game provided the option is available.

The Butler Bulldog, a live canine mascot just made its way through the media room and the usual suspects of members who cover Duke are in the house as is my pal Bob Harris. As for the facility itself, it’s wonderful and made for a Final Four.

The locals are friendly and team colors abound pretty much everywhere within 30 miles of the arena.  The NABC All Star game will take place later this afternoon but with no ACC players in the game, we’ll use the time to work.

Coming through West Virginia, we stopped at a local eatery and needless to say we kept it to ourselves that we were Duke beat writers.  That is, until one of our entourage felt the need to blurt it out [TMI] just before we ordered and you could see the change in attitudes if you know what I mean.

Interestingly, the morning edition of the Indianapolis Star has a huge headline saying, “Boo Devils,” which is yet another article on Duke hatred.  However, if one looks beneath the surface or does their research you will find that Duke is quite popular.

We also found out that India Pacer Josh McRoberts is putting up a lot of Dukies at his house this weekend.  McRoberts said he stayed in touch with Jordan Davidson and that NBA scheduling conflicts prevented him from getting back to Cameron but the day is coming when he will return.

And fellow Pacer Mike Dunleavy said, “It’s cool that the tournament is here in Indy and that Duke is a part of it.”  Dahntay Jones is also a Pacer and all three will make an effort to make an appearance.

There has already been a Jerry West spotting. The Los Angeles Lakers great was, of course, a star while he was at West Virginia as well.  As for other celebs, well, they all turn out for the Final Four.

Finally, if anyone out there thinks Duke doesn’t remember their loss to the Mountaineers, think again.  You will not see it in their comments, but the memories loom large in many ways which we may share if Duke advances but not until then.

Tom Izzo is on the podium in the background now as West Virginia is having their open practice for fans.  Duke Assistant Coach Steve Wojciechowski [Wojo] is taking in the practice for some last minute scouting.  The entire lower level has been opened to fans for free and it is packed.

During practices, the schools bands and cheerleaders look on as two huge screens in the corners of Lucas Oil Stadium carry the action.

Duke is about fifteen minutes from holding their open media, so we’ll wrap it up for now, but be sure to check in often with BDN all weekend long.

BDN caught up with Andre after Duke's ACC Championship

Greensboro, N.C. – One of the things Duke has been looking to do is get players other than the big three going.  Andre Dawkins came off the bench to score 7 points including a three point bomb and a timely dunk in the Blue Devils’ 65-61 win over Georgia Tech.  BDN caught up with Dawkins and got his comments on his performance -

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Atlantic Coast Conference Logo

BDN Exclusive - Like Caesar’s Gaul, all ACC basketball seasons are divided into three parts.

At least that’s the way Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski approaches the basketball year. He divides each season into (1) the non-conference “pre-season”; (2) the conference season; and (3) postseason.

Of course, there’s not always a fine dividing line before the first two parts of that equation. This season, for instance, Duke will open conference play Sunday night against Clemson – but the Blue Devils will still have three more non-conference games on the regular season schedule. And while the ACC as a whole dives into conference play a week from Saturday, there have already been a handful of league games.

Still, the three-part division of the season makes a lot of sense. The league’s six-week “pre-season” is coming to an end and it should give us a better idea of how the league is going to shape up this season.

But does it?

Let’s go back to the beginning. At ACC Operation Basketball late in October the league’s media members got together and tried to rate the conference this season. For the first time in history, the vote for first place was dead even – both Duke and UNC wound up with 545 points. The rest of the standings sorted out as Clemson in third, followed closely by Georgia Tech and Maryland. There was a fairly substantial gap in the voting after the Terps – but just one point separated sixth place Wake Forest and seventh-place Florida State. Virginia Tech and Boston College were just a little further back. Then there was another gap and before the final three: No. 10 Miami, No. 11 Virginia and No. 12 N.C. State.

To me, the most interesting part of the vote was not the tie at the top, but the race for third place. You see, over the summer, I had to provide an ACC ranking for the Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook. Finding it impossible to sort my own feelings out, I consulted with almost a dozen other writers I respect.

To my dismay, they were as confused as I was. Everybody agreed that Duke and UNC were the two favorites and that Miami, Virginia and N.C. State (in some order) were the league’s three also-rans. But that was the extent of the agreement. I got votes for seven different teams in third place (Clemson, FSU, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest) and saw those teams ranked in almost every imaginable order.

Well, going into the new year, the 12 ACC teams have played an average of almost 12 games each. Shouldn’t it be easy to re-rank the league with some semblance of confidence?

But what are we to think when we see Wake Forest lose at home to William & Mary … then go on the road and beat Gonzaga in Spokane? Or when N.C. State loses at home to a Northwestern team playing without its best player … then goes to Milwaukee and knocks off Marquette? We have Boston College upsetting Michigan in Ann Arbor, returning home to edge Miami in the ACC opener … then losing at home to Harvard for the second straight year.

And what are we to think about Clemson? One moment, the Tigers are building a 23-point second half lead on Illinois … a lead Clemson manages to squander in barely six minutes before losing in Littlejohn to the Big Ten visitor.

Making the picture even more confused, several teams have had to play without key players. Duke fans know how much the early season wrist injury that sidelined freshman center Mason Plumlee has delayed his development. But Boston College had to play a month without Rakim Sanders, the Eagles’ best player. Maryland played its early schedule without projected starter Dino Gregory. Georgia Tech has been without budding star Iman Shumpert. N.C. State has had to deal with injuries (Richard Howell) and suspension (Farnold Degand). Veteran guard Marcus Ginyard has been in and out of UNC’s lineup.

Krzyzewski offered a warning to those who would try to read too much into the early season results. After Duke’s pre-Christmas victory over St. John’s, a reporter asked him about his visible efforts to pump up an uninspired Cameron crowd.

“Our fans are great – they expect us to win,” Coach K answered. “They don’t understand developing a winning team. This is still very much a developing team. Every team has to be given a chance to develop and this one had a chance to be a very good team.”

If Duke – with one of the most experienced core groups in the ACC – is “developing”, what about Georgia Tech, trying to work four freshmen into the rotation? What about UNC, trying to replace four starters off its national championship team? What about Florida State, trying to learn to play without Toney Douglas, or Boston College, trying to replace Tyrese Rice or Miami, trying to replace Jack McClinton?

A LOT of ACC teams are still developing.

As a result, it’s almost as difficult to rank the ACC going into the second third of the season as it was back in late October.

Almost – but not quite. We have learned a lot – enough to make a better guess at how the league stacks up headed into league play. Here’s my personal ACC power rankings as of Dec. 31, 2009 (with an extended look at Duke). I include the date because the league is still sorting itself out and I reserve the right to change my mind when somebody gets hot in January or loses a key player in early February.

But entering the new year:

Lance King Photo

1. Duke (11-1). It seems hard to believe, but before the season, many outside observers thought that the team’s weakness would be its backcourt. Check out ESPN, The Magazine, which ranked the Devils No. 11 national – largely because of its questionable backcourt.

If the first month and a half of the season has proven anything, it’s that Duke doesn’t have a problem in the backcourt. Every question mark facing the team in preseason has been answered in the positive.

Can Jon Scheyer handle the point? Well, how do you like a 6.6-to-1 assist-turnover ratio (the all-time ACC record is 3.48 to 1)? Can Nolan Smith take the step up from erratic supporting player to become a consistent star? How does 17.4 points a game (up from 8.4) and a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio (up from 1.1 to 1 last year)? Can Andre Dawkins, who skipped his senior year of high school, provide enough depth as the team’s third guard? How does 9.8 points and a 2.5-to-1 assist to turnover ratio in 19 minutes a game sound? His 49 percent 3-point shooting doesn’t hurt either.

One month into the season, Duke unquestionably has the best backcourt in the ACC and maybe the best in the nation. If the vote were taken today, Scheyer would be the ACC’s runway Player of the Year choice.

Up front, the answers haven’t been as universally positive, but they haven’t been negative either. The five-man post rotation has been solid, especially with senior Brian Zoubek stepping up his game. And Lance Thomas, freed from the responsibility of defending bigger players in the post, has emerged as a defensive dynamo. Sophomore Miles Plumlee is still looking for consistency, but the progress he’s made since last year are amazing – he already has more points, more rebounds, more blocked shots, more assists and more steals than he had all last season. His younger brother Mason has been limited by his injury, but he’s shown flashes of his extraordinary passing skills and his shotblocking ability. And Ryan Kelly, supposed to be little more than a shooter, has also proven to be a deft interior passer and a shockingly good shotblocker – averaging just 12 minutes a game, he already has 13 blocked shots (10th in the ACC).

Their strong play inside has freed Kyle Singler to roam the perimeter. So far, the 6-8 junior has played well, but he’s struggled with his shot. In a way, his early play resembles Gerald Henderson’s start to the 2008-09 season, when his offensive woes hid his strong all-around game. Singer is rebounding, defending and distributing the ball at a very high level. If his shooting comes around, he’ll make a run at the ACC player of the year award he was voted in preseason.

Overall, Duke has emerged as the clear ACC favorite and a potential national contender. Long Beach State coach Don Monson — who has also faced No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 6 West Virginia, plus UCLA, Notre Dame, Utah State and the Wisconsin-Green Bay team that beat the Wisconsin team that beat Duke – declined to rate the Blue Devils against the other top 10 contenders.

“That’s what everybody asks when you’re going on this Washington Generals tour,” Monson said. “As I told the people at Kentucky, none of these teams are good enough to win a national championship right now. And all of them are striving to do that. It’s just a matter of who keeps improving in the next two months – because they all have the ability to do it … All of them have strengths that they can win a national championship.”

If Duke is going to win it all, the Blue Devils need to hold on to their obvious strengths – that superb three-man backcourt; that excellent interior depth; the strong overall defense – while improving in just a few areas – Singler needs to find his shooting touch and Mason Plumlee needs to become the pre-injury player who had 18 points and 13 rebounds in Duke’s first exhibition.

2. North Carolina (11-3) – It was ridiculous to rank UNC No. 4 in the AP’s preseason poll. This team bears little resemblance to last season’s national champs.

stat sheet photo

At the same time, it would be absurd for Tar Heel haters to dismiss this team because Coach Roy Williams has struggled to blend a talented group of young and inexperienced players into a team good enough to cope with top 10 teams such as Texas and Kentucky (on the road) and Syracuse (in New York City).

It’s a difficult struggle – Williams has admitted that’s been more negative with this team than any other at Carolina. At the same time, he notes that UNC is about in the same place they were in 2005-06, when another young team melded late and finished second in the ACC.

The good news for Williams is that he’s gotten strong play from his veteran combo of senior center Deon Thompson and senior guard Marcus Ginyard. Sophomore point guard Larry Drew II hasn’t been great, but he’s been better than his lackluster freshman season would have suggested. And sophomore big man Tyler Zeller has really provided quality play off the bench.

The bad news for Williams has been the lack of immediate production from his celebrated freshman class. Forward John Henson, who was projected as the No. 2 freshman entering the ACC (behind Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors) has been a non-factor so far. Dexter Strickland showed signs of life in the Rutgers win – although Williams ripped him for taking (and hitting) the big shot in that game. Overall, he’s been far less effective than Duke’s Dawkins. The Wear twins have been marginal contributors and Leslie McDonald can barely get off the bench.

That doesn’t mean they won’t eventually become quality players, but of the group, only Strickland appears to be on the verge of contributing.

However, the biggest question mark for UNC has been the play of Ed Davis. The sophomore power forward would have been a lottery pick if he had declared for the draft last spring. His talent is such that he made first-team All-ACC in preseason after averaging 6.7 points and 6.6 rebounds as a reserve forward last season.

Davis has stepped up his game, but he’s yet to become the monster that so many predicted. He’s averaging 14.7 ppg. and 9.9 rpg and ranks No. 3 in the ACC in blocked shots. That’s very good, but he hasn’t been dominating – yet.

If UNC is going to challenge Duke in the ACC and make a run at national honors, Davis has got to take another step forward. Strickland and maybe Henson have to find their games. And most of all, UNC has to find some reliable 3-point shooting.

Trevor Booker is an All ACC performer

3. Clemson (12-2). Tough to rank the Tigers third after their collapse against Illinois and their close call last Tuesday night to South Carolina State.

Still, almost all the rankings agree. Clemson is 21st in the AP poll and among ACC teams ranks second (ahead of UNC) in Pomeroy, third in Sagarin and fourth (behind FSU) in the RPI.

Trevor Booker remains a beast inside and he’s getting help from his younger brother and from veteran Jerai Grant. Tanner Smith and Andre Young are helping veteran Demontez Stitt make up for the off-season loss of perimeter stars K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby.

The Tigers haven’t played the toughest schedule in the world, but they do have a one-point victory on a neutral court over No. 12 (at the time) Butler, plus wins over South Carolina and solid mid-majors Western Carolina and Long Beach State.

Clemson – like UNC and Wake – was expected to have a problem finding 3-point shooting, but the Tigers currently rank third in the ACC in 3-pointers made and a solid sixth in 3-point percentage. They have the second best turnover margin in the league and lead the ACC by a wide margin in steals.

If there’s been a disappointment, it’s been the play of McDonald’s All-American Milton Jennings, who might be the most celebrated recruit Purnell has ever landed. Like UNC’s Henson, he’s been a marginal factor so far.

Oliver Purnell has established a baseline of solid performance at Clemson. His teams play good defense and get good shots (second in the ACC in field goal percentage). Now if he could just get them to shoot free throws – the Tigers currently rank 11th in the ACC in the category where they almost always lead in futility.

It appears to be unlikely that the Tigers will push Duke and UNC for the ACC regular season title. But matched against the mass of good-but-not-great teams in the middle of the league, Clemson appears to have a slight – a very slight – edge.

Solomon Alabi is a beast - Photo Roanoke.com

No. 4 Florida State (12-2). Leonard Hamilton suffered just one key graduation loss, but point guard Toney Douglas may have been the single most irreplaceable player in the ACC. A year ago, he not only led the ACC in scoring, he was the league’s defensive player of the year. He led FSU in scoring (in fact, he was the Seminoles only double-figure scorer), assists, 3-point shooting and steals.

Nobody on this year’s roster has replaced Douglas, but the Seminoles have found partial substitutes in holdovers Derwin Kitchen and Deividas Dulkys and freshman Michael Snaer. FSU might be the most balanced team in the league. Sophomore big man Soloman Alabi, a future NBA lottery pick, leads the team with 12.7 points a game, but seven players average six points or better.

Hamilton is loaded down low. Alabi anchors the middle, but gets plenty of help from sophomores Chris Singleton and Xavier Gibson and senior Ryan Reid.

The Seminoles lost tough road games at Florida and Ohio State (which was still a top 20 team before losing Evan Turner), but have solid neutral court wins over Marquette and Alabama. They also have an early ACC road win – winning in overtime at Georgia Tech.

The ‘Noles block more shots than anybody else in the ACC, but need to protect the ball better – with almost 18 turnovers a game, FSU is by far the sloppiest ballhandling team in the league. That’s got to improve if Hamilton’s team hopes to finish this high in the standings.

Lawall will need help from freshman

No. 5 Georgia Tech (10-2) The AP voters have given the Jackets a lot of love. I’m not sure where it’s coming from.

Don’t get me wrong. The freshman class that Paul Hewitt was hoping would revive his staggering program (and save his job) is every bit as good as advertised. Derrick Favors, the nation’s No. 1 prospect, hasn’t emerged as a dominant player, but he’s solid – 13 points and 9 rebounds in 27 minutes a game. Point guard Mfon Udofia has been surprising productive, averaging almost 12 points in 28 minutes a game. Wings Brian Oliver and Glen Rice Jr. have been contributors.

Throw in veterans Gani Lawal and Zack Peacock up front, along with defensive ace D’Andre Bell back after a year off for injury, and the Jackets ought to be as good as the pollsters think – even with Shumpert on the sidelines.

They’re not.

It’s hard to understand why sum of the parts aren’t as good as the individual pieces ought to be. Sure, there’s going to be an adjustment period as the youngsters work their way into the lineup, but is there anybody on the roster who can merge them into a winning team?

So far, the team’s body of work is extremely unimpressive. Yeah, there are 10 wins, but which ones matter? A homecourt victory over Southern Cal will look good at tourney time unless the committee remembers that it came before transfer Mike Gerrity became eligible at USC and revived a team that was 4-4 without him.

There’s a reason that Georgia Tech is No. 92 (10th in the ACC) in the RPI. The Jackets have lost to the only two decent teams they’ve played – Dayton on a neutral court and FSU at home.

There’s still a lot of talent there and maybe it will come together. Maybe the return of Shumpert in the near future will provide a burst of energy.

Maybe.

WF SID

No. 6 Wake Forest (10-2). A year ago, Coach Dino Gaudio had three NBA lottery picks to anchor his team.

Now he has one – and sophomore Al-Farouq Aminu has stepped up his game beyond where projected lottery picks Ed Davis and Soloman Alabi have taken theirs. His 17 points and (an ACC best) 11 rebounds a game made the Deacons a team to respect.

Senior point guard Ish Smith has also been solid. He’s no Jeff Teague, but the tiny playmaker is one of the quickest players in the ACC and he can get to the basket on anybody. But he’s not a very good outside shooter (15 percent from 3) and after a decent year at the foul line as a junior, he’s reverted to his freshman/sophomore ineptitude, shooting just 34.5 percent from the line. That’s not a good for a point guard who should have the ball in his hands at the end of close games.

The good news for the Deacons so far has been the surprisingly solid play of unheralded recruit C.J. Harris, a local kid who is leading all ACC freshmen with 12 points a game. He’s provided the 3-point shooting that the Deacs needed so badly, hitting 45 percent on 31 attempts. The team’s best long-range gunner is also a freshman, forward Ari Stewart, who has hit almost 46 percent on 35 attempts.

Offsetting the pleasant news is the regression of Gaudio’s big men. Chase McFarland has struggled, while soph Tony Woods, who looked like a budding star at times last season, has failed to bloom (averaging less than 4 ppg. and 4 rpg.). Soph Ty Walker, a celebrated recruit, can’t get off the bench.

The Deacons still have a lot to prove. The impressive win at Gonzaga was offset by the dismal home loss to William & Mary. Beating N.C. State at home in the ACC opener is not all that impressive. At the moment, the Deacs look very much like an NCAA bubble team.

7. Miami (13-1). Forget the gaudy record. At least 10 of the Hurricanes’ 12 victims are non-entities. Only a neutral court wins over South Carolina and a home victory over Minnesota amount to anything.

Still, you have to admire the way Frank Haith has rebuilt his backcourt after the loss of Jack McClinton, was almost as important to Miami last year as Douglas was to FSU.

Freshman Durand Scott and Villanova transfer Malcolm Grant have both had moments of excellence. Scott is a surprisingly mature playmaker averaging an excellent 2.1-to-1 assist/turnover ratio (fourth best in the ACC).

In the middle, veteran big man Dwayne Collins is doing what he’s supposed to do – almost 13 points and nine rebounds a game. Haith could use another big man inside (neither Cyrun McGowan, Julius Gamble or 300-pound freshman Reggie Johnson has been all that impressive), but he has some solid wings in veterans James Dews and Adrian Thomas.

It will be interesting to see how the ‘Canes young guards and that shaky inside game holds up when Haith’s team starts playing some tougher competition. It doesn’t bode that well that Miami lost its first ACC game to Boston College – although that was a one-point loss in Chestnut Hill, so it’s hardly that embarrassing.

Vasquez holds the key to the car for Maryland

8. Maryland (8-4). If Miami is the most overachieving team in the ACC, there’s no question about the league’s biggest disappointment.

The Terps, an early top 20 team, have been about as underachieving as its schedule makes possible. Maryland has played four decent teams and lost to them all. The eight Terp victims make Miami’s unimpressive schedule look like Murderer’s Row.

There’s no question where the problem lies. Senior guard Greivis Vasquez, who ranks as one of the ACC’s most talented and most erratic players, has until very recently come down on the erratic side. Although his season numbers – 16 points, six assists and five rebounds a game – look good, when his team has needed him most, he’s been below par. In Maryland’s four losses, Vasquez averaged 19 points, but he shot 36 percent and had more turnovers (19) than assists (17).

It’s a shame because Maryland has gotten solid play from veteran guards Eric Hayes and Sean Mosely. Freshmen big men Jordan Williams and James Padgett (especially Williams) have been as good as expected.

In the last few years, Gary Williams’ Maryland teams have had the habit of starting slowly then making a late push to get off the NCAA bubble. He was hoping that this team wouldn’t need to follow that path. But it does.

Maryland will go as far as Vasquez takes them. He’s bounced back lately, scoring 79 points and passing out 22 assists in Maryland’s last three games. He had two very good games against Winston-Salem State and Florida Atlantic and a less impressive one in the loss to William & Mary.

photo - roanoke.com Delaney drives

9. Virginia Tech (11-1). Malcolm Delaney continues to get better and better. But Jeff Allen remains a mystery and Seth Greenberg is still looking for some complementary players.

Delaney leads the ACC in scoring (21.5 ppg.) by a wide margin, which is pretty impressive considering that the Hokies play the third-slowest tempo in the league. At least he did lead the league in scoring before he suffered what is reported to be a serious ankle sprain in Wednesday’s victory over Longwood and left the game without scoring a point.

Freshman guard Erik Green stepped up against Longwood and the Hokies got double figures from freshman Ben Boggs, who had been invisible going into this game.

It’s hard to hell how Delaney’s extended absence would impact Virginia Tech. You’d think, since he was carrying such a large share of the scoring and playmaking role, that the Hokies would flounder without him. But it might have the “Dereck Whittenburg” effect – in 1983, when N.C. State lost its best scorer for more than a month, it forced others to step up and expand their roles, so when he returned in March, the Pack was prepared for its historic postseason run.

In the short run, Virginia Tech will probably lose some games that it might have won with Delaney out – but in the long run, the Hokies are likely to be a stronger team when he returns. Watch carefully to see how Green, Dorenzo Hudson and J.T. Thompson step up in his absence.

And most of all, keep an eye on Allen – whose scoring and rebounding are down from last year’s solid 14 points and nine rebounds – responds. Can he snap out of his early season funk?

At least the Hokies haven’t pulled their usual December trick and lost a couple of games they shouldn’t have – although they had a close call in an OT win over Delaware. The one loss at Temple doesn’t look bad. Wins at Penn State and at Iowa, along with a homecourt win over Georgia, aren’t bad.

Several of Greenberg’s teams have overachieved in the ACC after a lackluster preseason schedule. If this team does that, the Hokies will earn an NCAA bid – because for once, they haven’t dug themselves a deep early season hole.

Underrated Trapani of BC

10. Boston College (9-4). I’m tempted to rank the Eagles higher, especially since they were my preseason choice for No. 3 in the ACC.

I’d give them a pass for early season losses to St. Joseph’s and Northern Iowa when Sanders was out, if it weren’t for the more recent losses at home to Harvard (again??) and Rhode Island.

The ACC’s smallest team is getting great wing play from sophomore Reggie Jackson, who stepped up his game in Sanders’ absence, and veteran Corey Raji. Joe Trapani is solid, as always – a poor man’s Kyle Singler. And Courtney Dunn is providing Josh Southern will some help in the post. Now that Sanders is back at fullspeed (22 points in Wednesday night’s victory over South Carolina), the Eagles have a lot of firepower.

But what’s really hurting BC is the defense – unusual for an Al Sanders team. Right now, BC is the ACC’s worst defensive team, allowing opponents to shoot 42.5 percent from the field and forcing a league-low 11 turnovers a game.

That’s got to change if the Eagles are going to move up in the standings. As it stands, BC has dug itself the kind of hole that Virginia Tech often does in the pre-ACC season. It’s going to take a strong conference performance to even put this team on the NCAA bubble.

11. N.C. State (10-3). The Wolfpack has been about as good as any rational N.C. State fan could have hoped. That’s still not good enough to move very far out of the ACC basement.

Maybe next year when ACC-quality guards Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown arrive … as for now, the Pack will ride the strong inside play of junior Tracy Smith and the improving point guard play of Javier Gonzales while youngsters such as Scott Wood, Josh Davis, Richard Howell and DeShawn Painter get a little experience.

N.C. State proved at Marquette that is can be a dangerous opponent, but the Pack has not come close to sustaining that level of play. Marquette and a competitive loss at Wake Forest aren’t bad, but there’s also a three-point home win over Elon and home loss to a Northwestern team that was without its best player.

The heartbreaking loss at Arizona was not as good as ‘Zona’s reputation would suggest – the Wildcats are pretty mediocre this season. Some State fans noted – with rare perception – that it might have cost them an NIT bit.

Better days are ahead in Raleigh, but not this season.

12. Virginia (7-4). New coach Tony Bennett has tried to refute suggestions that he is bringing a slow, ball-control game to Charlottesville.

Well, maybe he’ll run when he gets some talent, but right now Virginia is playing the slowest tempo in the ACC (the Cavs and their opponents are averaging 128.7 points a game … one point less than N.C. State at 129.7 points a game).

Sophomore guard Sylvan Landesberg has picked up where he left off last year and is averaging a solid 15.9 ppg. But he’s getting less help than Delaney at Virginia Tech. Virginia doesn’t have another top 20 scorer in the ACC – and no Cavaliers rank among the top 20 in rebounding  or in the top 10 in steals, assists or blocked shots.

Virginia (like several other ACC teams) has lost to every good team it’s played. Its best victory is probably a neutral court victory over Cleveland State, which is rebuilding after beating Wake Forest in last year’s NCAA opener, or maybe Wednesday night’s easy homecourt win over a decent team from UAB.

Bennett worked miracles with the little talent he inherited at Washington State. It will take a miracle to turn this Virginia team to anything other than a last-place ACC team.

Jon Scheyer's assist/turnover ratio is as good as it gets

If you were to take another poll for ACC Player of the Year, the clear choice would be Jon Scheyer at this point of the season.  Scheyer is having a great senior year and BDN caught up with the star after the Long Beach State game to get his thoughts on the game and the coming ACC season.

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Will John Wall trim his list?

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Josh Smith - BDN Photo

BDN Premium caught up with Josh Smith (6-9 Kentwood HS, Covington, WA) after he tossed in 36 points in Seattle Rotary Select’s opening night win at the Boo Williams Invitational. Discuss this interview on our private message board.

Wow!  Thirty six points, game winning shot in the opener, what’s up with that?

Aw, I man (smiling) … it felt good.  I started out feeling good and kept on pushing it inside.  We had a little jet lag in the first half but we kind of woke up.

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John Wall - BDN Photo

There has been quite a bit of buzz on various message boards about John Wall contacting North Carolina Coach Roy Williams, or was it the other way around?  The news traveled through the Duke, UNC and Kentucky forums at warp speed, each poster giving it more of a spin until the rumor mill was spinning like a tornado.

Wow!  First, it was John Calapari’s leaving Memphis for Kentucky, many of their fans claiming Wall was a package deal.  Today, it was UNC’s turn, despite the fact they are on the verge of a semi-final game in the Final Four.  I made a few calls and got a different take from each person, almost as if they were making it up as they go.

I finally opened the Blue Devil Nation Premium Message Board and the sky was falling.  I then saw that the News and Observer had talked to Wall’s AAU Coach, Brian Clifton, about the situation, but he hadn’t talked to Wall.  What was left to do in order to figure this whirlwind out?  Of course, talk to John himself, and that’s what I did.  So, here is the latest from the horse’s mouth.  And as always,  BDN Premium just deals in the facts.  That said, here they are -

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Duke will go for another ACC Championship against FSU

In the movie Scarface, Al Pacino (Tony Montana) said, “Say hello to my little  friend,” as he whipped out his machine gun to take care of business.  Duke introduced Maryland to their old friend, the three point shot, going 9 of 22 helping them take care of business.

The Blue Devils 67-61 victory over the Terrapins wasn’t always pretty, but the end result has to be beautiful for Mike Krzyzewski who will vie for his 11th ACC Championship tomorrow afternoon.

But Duke had some other familiar friends show up in their victory which pushed their season record to 27-6.  Duke managed to get to the free throw stripe 21 times, canning 18 of them.  Then there was their staple defense which is allowing 64 ppg in their first two contests.

Duke didn’t shoot the ball well.  In fact, one of their key stars, Gerald Henderson went 3 of 14 from the field.  That combined with 36% from the field made for a game where Maryland remained within striking distance for most of the game.  Henderson ended the game with 8 points, but his streak of 24 straight double figure scoring games went down.

Henderson finally hit a three to give Duke a 47-41 lead at the 8:44 mark in the second half.  Maryland quickly scored of a Vazquez drive, but that’s when the player of the game, Jon Scheyer took over.

Scheyer nailed a three point shot and then stole the ball just beyond half court, driving the ball for a lay in all in the same motion.  Scheyer also hit key free throws down the stretch and led all scorers with 22 points. 

Another key factor was Nolan Smith logging 30 minutes.  Smith shook off some early game rust and finished with 10 points, 3 assists and 0 turnovers.

But the player who kept them into the game in the first half, was Kyle Singler.  The sophomore star was the only double figure scorer for either team at the half and while he cooled off in the second half, he put up numbers of 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots.  Singler became the 50th player in Duke Basketball history to score 1000 points with his effort.

Let’s not forget Dave McClure who made consecutive baskets during a key second half spurt.  McClure was 3 of 3 from the field for six points.  McClure had several key boards and timely blocks which gave Duke a spark.

“As a group, it would be a great way to help us in the latter part of March. Personally, it would be great just to get back there. We won a couple championships early in my career, but I really wasn’t much of a factor. I was young and coming off a couple injuries. There would be no better way to end with these guys than to go out and get one. Everybody on our team feels like they are a part of it. Everybody will take ownership of it,” said McClure in the post game interview session.

That spark was important, for the Blue Devils came out looking lethargic.  It was as if they were waiting for one another to make a play.  That’s why Singlers play was vital today for he put the team on his back in the early going.

The Duke defense held Greivas Vasquez to 14 points on 17 shots.  Eric Hayes picked up the slack late for the Terps scoring 20 points, but it was too little too late.

Duke defeated Maryland for the third time this season.   Duke will now against a more talented Florida State team that defeated #1 rated North Carolina to advance to their first championship game under Coach Leonard Hamilton.  The ACC Coach of the Year, will attempt to keep his team from losing their third game to the Blue Devils.

Duke has played in 28 of the 56 ACC Tournament Championship games, a stat that speaks for itself.  Duke now has a 7-1 all time record in the Georgia Dome.

Link to Box Score Duke-Maryland ACC Quarterfinal

The Deacons who were ranked in the same position a week ago held on to win by a 70-68 score in a game that was not decided until the final buzzer.

Duke woke up to play outstanding basketball over the last ten minutes of the game, but not before digging a 13 point hole.  While Duke is likely disappointed with their effort over forty minutes, the comeback proved that you cannot count them out.

Kyle Singler, Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer and David McClure put the Dukies on their back in the second half.  SIngler scored 22 points and grabbed 12 boards while Henderson chipped in with 20 points and 7 rebounds.  A total of 32 of their 44 points were scored after intermission.

While Scheyer continued to struggle from the field, he drained some key free throws while David McClure played good defense and had a team high tying 12 rebounds.

The problem is that most of the other Devils were missing in action.  Smith had 6 points, Paulus 5 and Plumlee 4 to round out the scoring.  That’s just six players scoring against one of the leagues deepest teams.

Despite the lack of early intensity, Duke looked poised to send the game to overtime, but a missed switch on the defensive end allowed an easy Johnson bucket.

The Wake Forest fans rushed the court and Duke was hanging their heads, but it is a game they’ll learn from.  Duke will now regroup and prepare for Virginia on Super Bowl Sunday.