Duke is Family! JWill, CWell and Cdu

Firstly, here is to hoping all of the Blue Devil Nations is having a fabulous Holiday Season!  For me, it’s right back to work as I head out to the former Glaxo Tournament now called 2011 HighSchool​OT.com Holiday Invitation​al to check out future Dukie Rasheed Sulaimon in person.  I will also take in two budding prospects from the class of 2014.  In the morning, the plan is to head for Myrtle Beach for the Beach Ball Classic which is loaded and I will be back for the Duke vs Western Michigan game on Friday.  In short, while many of you are hitting the after Christmas sales and stuffing leftovers, I’ll be hitting the recruiting trail hard.

Most of the Duke players went home for the holidays and judging from what I saw on social media, all had a great time.  You know Quinn Cook had to be smiling after being named ACC Rookie of the Week and he’ll likely get more burn in the next two games against Western Michigan and Penn,  But, he’ll have to show up large to for that to continue as the schedule goes into overdrive with a tough road game at Temple before the ACC slate begins.

It may be early in the season, but Austin Rivers looks like a lock for ACC Rookie of the Year.  Another player who is proving he belongs with the ACC’s elite is Mason Plumlee.  During ACC media day, I picked three Tar Heels to make the first team, but if I were to vote again today, Plumlee would take Tyler Zeller’s spot.  For the record, I voted the exact way the results turned out with Seth Curry on first team, but he will have to pick it up a little to get that vote at seasons end.  Curry is  by no means having a bad year, but he needs to become consistent and take on more of a leadership role after the break.  When a kid makes 1st team All ACC, you have to hold him to a higher standard.

A lot of people did not like the ACC expanding, but knowing the landscape of the future, I was all for it.  The conference currently had three ranked teams in Duke, North Carolina and Virginia, but new members, Syracuse and Pitt would make it five.  The Cuse is ranked number one in the nation and they’re about as deep a team as you will see.  Also, Duke is 5th in the coaches poll and 7th in the A.P.

The  NBA season is under way and the Blue Devils have more players on the opening day rosters than any other school.  Of course, you will still hear the negative nellies of the world try and explain that one away.  Still, that is quite a fact you can offer future prospects.  And for the record, Kyle Singler would have been on that list as well but decided to finish the season out in Spain.

JJ Redick went for 20 points last evening helping Orlando even their record up at 1-1. and Chris Duhon added 6 points as well.  Kyrie Irving did not have a stellar debut going just 2 of 12 from the field for 6 points but he did have 7 assists as Cleveland dropped their home opener to Toronto.  Mike Dunleavy tallied 13 points for Milwaukee and Shaun Livingston who verballed to Duke and then decided to go to the NBA had 14, but they fell short to Charlotte where Gerald Henderson had an outstanding opening game dropping 18 points while Corey Maggette added 12.  The 39 year old Grant Hill scored 6 points for the Phoenix Suns but they lost by a point to New Orleans.  Josh McRobert’s had just 2 points in 20 plus minutes for the Lakers as they dropped their second game to start the season 0-2.  Meanwhile, Shelden Williams played but did not scratch the scoring column for New Jersey.  Finally the Bulls lost on the road to Golden State as Carlos Boozer tossed in 6 points and Luol Deng added 20 points where he seemed to be the only Bull to show up.  Whew!  A lot of Dukies were playing last night and with a shortened schedule where teams play on what use to be off days due to the lock out, this will be common place as the season progresses.  We’ll give last nights game ball to Redick with 20 in his teams win and he can share it with Henderson who showed he wants to be a factor helping a not so good Bobcat’s team to an opening victory.  And Kris Humpheries was vote the NBA’s most hated player.  For those who do not remember, Humpheries signed with Duke and was then granted a release when he demanded immediate playing time for a good team, taking his game to Minnesota.

That’s it for this week Blue Devil Nation and we’ll return to our regular Monday Musings feature next week.  And we are extending our yearly membership special rate of 20% off 100 bucks for a few days, so take advantage of our lowest price ever and come on in and see what is going on behind the scenes and catch all the latest recruiting news.  And for new members, you must sign up for the message board separately and will be approved after we see you’ve joined through paypal.  Go Duke!

BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke guard Gerald Henderson announced on Saturday that he will make himself eligible for the 2009 NBA Draft to be held on June 25 in New York City. Henderson has not hired an agent.

“After a lot of thought and discussion with my family and the Duke coaching staff, I have decided to enter the NBA Draft,” said Henderson. “Playing in the NBA has been a goal of mine since a young age and I am thrilled to have the opportunity. My three years at Duke have been a tremendous learning experience and have helped me develop both as a person and as a player.”

Henderson, a first team All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament team selection last season, led the Blue Devils to a 30-7 record, the program’s 11th ACC Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen in 2008-09. He led the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game, while also ranking second in rebounding (4.9 rpg) and assists (91) and third in blocked shots (28) and steals (46). Henderson scored in double figures 31 times in 2008-09, including 11 games with 20 or more points scored. He was also named to the Wooden Award, AP (third) and the FoxSports.com (second) All-America teams last season.

“Gerald is an impressive young man on and off the court,” said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “We had great conversations about his NBA prospects and we are 100 percent behind his decision. Gerald is coming off a great season and he has an extremely bright future as a professional. We are ready to help him in any and every way during this process.”

Henderson is one of 59 players in school history to score over 1,000 career points and ranks 39th at Duke with 1,262 points. He played in 103 career games with 79 starts and finished his career with 435 rebounds, 182 assists, 101 steals and 69 blocks. Henderson shot at least 45 percent from the field in all three seasons and shot a career-high from both the three-point line (.336) and free throw line (.761) during his junior year.

If Henderson were to remain in the 2009 NBA Draft, Duke would return nine letter-winners, including four starters, from a year ago. Early entries have until June 16 to decide on whether or not to remain in the draft.

Team celebrated the 2009 ACC Championship

DURHAM, N.C. – The trio of Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler shared the Swett-Baylin Award for Most Valuable Player at the annual Duke Men’s Basketball banquet on Friday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Henderson, a Wooden Award All-America and first team All-ACC choice, also received the Bill Krzyzewski Captains’ Award, True Blue Award for most charges drawn (20), the Best Field Goal Percentage (.450) and Best Defensive Player.

Scheyer, the ACC Tournament MVP, also received the Bill Krzyzewski Captains’ Award, the Iron Duke Award for most minutes played (1,214), the Best Free Throw Percentage (.836) and the Most Assists (102). He has recorded the best free throw percentage in all three of his seasons at Duke.

Singler, a second team All-ACC selection and 2K Sports Classic MVP, had the Best Rebounding Average with 7.7 rebounds per game. It is the second straight season he has posted the top rebounding average.

Senior Greg Paulus was named an Academic All-America for the second straight year and received the Dr. Deryl Hart Award as the top scholar-athlete. He has been named the top scholar athlete in each of the last two seasons. He also received the Bill Krzyzewski Captains’ Award for the second time in his career.

The Glenn E. “Ted” Mann, Jr., Award, which is given to a reserve who contributes the most to team morale, was delivered to freshman Elliot Williams. The Coach’s Award for a player exemplifying the commitment and values of Duke Basketball was given to Lance Thomas.

Three other awards were handed out Friday night. Joey McMahon and Griffin Tormey received the Gopal Varadhan Senior Manager Award, Elise Rose was given the Harry Rainey Spirit Award and John Roelofs was the recipient of the Charles Hogan Memorial Band Award.

2008-09 Duke Men’s Basketball Award Winners

Swett-Baylin Award (Most Valuable Player): Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler
Dr. Deryl Hart Award (Top Scholar-Athlete): Greg Paulus
Glenn E. “Ted” Mann, Jr., Award (Reserve Contributing Most to Team Morale): Elliot Williams
Coach’s Award (Player Exemplifying the Commitment and Values of Duke Basketball): Lance Thomas
Iron Dukes Award (Most Minutes Played): Jon Scheyer
Bill Krzyzewski Captains’ Awards: Gerald Henderson, Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer
Best Field Goal Percentage Award: Gerald Henderson
Best Rebounding Average Award: Kyle Singler
Best Free Throw Percentage Award: Jon Scheyer
Most Assists Award: Jon Scheyer
Best Defensive Player Award: Gerald Henderson
Gopal Varadhan Senior Manager Award: Joey McMahon, Griffin Tormey
Harry Rainey Spirit Award: Elise Rose

We’ve been really busy with hoops recruiting of late and missed getting a bit of news out there. Here are some releases from Duke Sports Information -

Abby Waner To Participate In The State Farm Three-Point Championship

DURHAM, N.C.
Duke University senior Abby Waner has been selected one of eight senior student-athletes to participate in the 21st Annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and Three-Point Championships at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Thursday, April 2 in conjunction with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four.

The contest will take place at 7:30 p.m., and then will air on ESPN from 9:00-11:00 p.m.

Waner, who is a product of Highlands Ranch, Colo., concluded her collegiate career as one of the top three-point shooters in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) history. A 5-11 guard, Waner registered 222 career treys over four years to rank 12th on the ACC charts and first in the Blue Devil history books. She became the first Duke player and eighth ACC player to register 45 or more three-pointers in four consecutive years. Her 691 career three-pointers attempted ranks seventh in ACC history and first at Duke. Not only did Waner hit three-pointers, but she was a great all-around student-athlete as she became the fifth player in ACC history to notch over 1,400 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists and 300 steals. Waner was also a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection. A two-time Naismith National Player of the Year candidate, Waner received the 2009 Robin Roberts/WBCA Broadcasting Scholarship and was a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award in 2009. She is a three-time All-ACC Tournament first team selection. As a senior, Waner averaged 9.7 points, 3.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals, while registering 55 three-pointers made.

Season tickets are available by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 1-877-375-DUKE or by logging on to GoDuke.com.

Duke Athletics Tour Schedule Set

DURHAM, N.C. — The second annual Duke Athletics Tour featuring head football coach David Cutcliffe has secured eight stops between April 18 and May 21.  The 2009 tour includes events in Charlotte (April 28), Asheville (April 29), Greenville (May 5), Richmond, Va. (May 6), Atlanta, Ga. (May 14), Sanford/Pinehurst (May 18), Greenville, S.C. (May 20) and Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem (May 21). All events are open to the public and will feature an autograph and photo opportunity with Cutcliffe, food and beverages and door prizes.

Dates for events in both Durham and Raleigh will be announced at a later time. “Last year’s inaugural Duke Athletics Tour was a huge success,” said Cutcliffe. “We’re looking forward to spending time with our alumni and fans once again this spring.”

For more information, please visit www.IronDukes.net or call Samantha Kozub (919-613-7554) or Whitney Dunlap (919-613-7557).

2009 DUKE ATHLETICS TOUR

CHARLOTTE, NC
April 28
5:30-7:00 pm
Blackfinn American Saloon
210 East Trade (Epicentre)
Charlotte, NC 28202

ASHEVILLE, NC
April 29
5:30-7:00 pm
Pack Place – The Forum
2 South Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801

GREENVILLE, NC
May 5
5:30-7:00 pm
Ronald C. Michels Center
2335 Hemby Lane
Greenville, NC 27834

RICHMOND, VA
May 6
5:30-7:00 pm
Roslyn Conference Center
8727 River Road
Richmond, VA 23229

ATLANTA, GA
May 14
6:00-7:30 pm
Fox Sports Grill
261 19th Street
Atlanta, GA 30363

SANFORD/PINEHURST, NC
May 18
5:30-7:00 pm
The Barn
305 Rothney Avenue
Southern Pines, NC 28387

GREENVILLE, SC
May 20
5:30-7:00 pm
Wild Wing Cafe
15 West Washington Street
Greenville, SC 29601

GREENSBORO/HIGH POINT/WINSTON-SALEM, NC
May 21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Henderson named All American

Wednesday, April 1

Henderson Named To 2009 Wooden All-American Team

LOS ANGELES – Junior Gerald Henderson was one of 11 players named to the 2009 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team as announced by the John R. Wooden Award Committee on Wednesday. Henderson picks up his third All-America honor of the season as he was also a second team selection by Foxsports.com and an Associated Press third team pick.

Henderson led the Blue Devils to a 30-7 record, the program’s 11th ACC Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. He was tied for the team lead in scoring at 16.5 points per game, while also ranking second in rebounding (4.9 rpg.) and assists (91) and third in blocked shots (28) and steals (46). Henderson scored in double figures 31 times in 2008-09, including 11 games with 20 or more points scored.

A panel of more than 1,000 voters, comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts from around the nation, had until Monday to cast their votes, a long voting period that allowed voters to evaluate players up through games of the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Voters selected 10 players from the 24 student athletes listed on the ballot, and ranked them from 1 to 10. Wooden Award Voters were asked to take into account performance during the regular season and postseason through games last Sunday, as well as a player’s character and academic performance, essential components of an outstanding player in the eyes of Coach John Wooden.

Because of a tie for 10th place in the voting, this year the Wooden All American Team consists of 11 players. The team in alphabetical order is DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh), Stephen Curry (Davidson), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Luke Harangody (Notre Dame), James Harden (Arizona State), Gerald Henderson (Duke), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut), Terrence Williams (Louisville) and Sam Young (Pittsburgh).

North Carolina and Pittsburgh both had two players selected to the team. The 2009 All American team features three seniors (Hansbrough, Williams and Young) five juniors, and three sophomores. The Big East tops the list with five Wooden All Americans, followed by the ACC with three. The Pac-10, Southern and Big 12 each have one representative.

Additionally, the top vote-getters and finalists for the Wooden Award, are invited to Los Angeles for the Wooden Award gala. The top finalists will be announced on Monday, April 6. The 2009 Award ceremony, which will include the presentation of the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, the Wooden Award All American Teams, and the Legends of Coaching Award to Rick Barnes of the University of Texas, will take place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club in Downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 10th. The winners will receive a contribution from The Los Angeles Athletic Club for their university’s general scholarship fund.

Men’s 2009 Wooden Award All-American Team
DeJuan Blair Pittsburgh
Stephen Curry # Davidson
Blake Griffin Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough ! North Carolina
Luke Harangody # Notre Dame
James Harden Arizona State
Gerald Henderson Duke
Ty Lawson North Carolina
Hasheem Thabeet Connecticut
Terrence Williams Louisville
Sam Young Pittsburgh

! – 2008 Wooden Award Winner
# – 2008 Wooden All American Team

04/01/2009 – Associated Press

McDonald’s All American Game

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Duke commitments Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee showcased their talent at the 32nd annual McDonald’s High School All-American game on Wednesday at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

Kelly, who won the three point shootout on Monday, started for the East squad and helped lead them to a 113-110 victory over Plumlee’s West team. The 6’10” Raleigh native, who attends Ravenscroft School, finished the game with six points and two rebounds.

Plumlee, a 6’11 forward from Warsaw, Ind. currently attends the Christ School in Arden, N.C. He tallied six points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and one steal for the West squad. Plumlee’s three-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game hit off the rim.

Kelly and Plumlee increase Duke’s total to 51 McDonald’s All-Americans. Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski has coached all 49 of the previous selections, including current players Gerald Henderson, Greg Paulus, Jon Scheye, Kyle Single, Nolan Smit, Lance Thomas and Elliot William. Duke has had at least one participant in every McDonald’s All-American game since 1994.

All proceeds from the game will go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida. Millions of dollars have been raised since the first Game was played in 1978. Every athlete who participated in the McDonald’s All American Game visited a local Ronald McDonald House in Miami earlier this week to experience first-hand how the games impact the local community.

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

Shortly thereafter, Singler was called for his fifth foul with 1:07 left in the game.  Gary Johnson stepped to the line and sank two free throws to tie the game at 69 apiece.  On the other end, Nolan Smith scrapped for a rebound off a miss and was fouled.

Smith, who ended the game with 11 points and a team-high 3 assists, calmly drained both of his free throws to give Duke a 71-69 lead.

The Blue Devils then leaned on their defense and kept the Long Horns from scoring, thanks to an incredible save.  Jon Scheyer made a save in front of the Texas bench, making a backhanded pass with his left hand all in the same motion.  That save was an almost perfect toss down court and Elliot Williams battled for the ball and was fouled by Johnson.

While Williams missed the two free tosses, a mad scramble ended with the ball in Gerald Henderson’s hands.  “G” was fouled as he attempted to get a pass off while on his knees and that allowed him to seal the game with two free throws to give Duke a 74-69 win.

Henderson had a game-high 24 points and 6 rebounds, and his play helped Duke push their season record to 30-6.

Kyle Singler chipped in with 17 points and 7 rebounds and Jon Scheyer added 13 points to go with 3 steals.

Oddly, the Blue Devils were out-rebounded and outscored by 12 points in the paint, not to mention their bench had just 13 points to the Horns 24.  Duke didn’t even have a single point on the fast break, but they did what it takes to win.

One of those things was the fact that Duke protected the ball, making just 9 turnovers.  Duke was also solid from the free throw stripe, but hitting 7 of 14 three pointers could have been the key.

The Blue Devils also held A.J. Abrams in check, not to mention harassing Texas’ three-point shooters and holding them to 5 of 22.

Duke will return to Durham before departing for Boston, Massachusetts where they will play Villanova to see which team will advance to the final eight game on Saturday.

Stay tuned for more on this game and the NCAA Tournament from Blue Devil Nation.  And yes, I got lucky with my pick of Duke 75-70, missing each team’s score by a single point.  Everybody gets lucky every now and then.

Duke is now one of three ACC schools left standing after the first round, while Texas is among the undefeated teams from the Big 12.  Let, Duke or UNC go down today and rants of the ACC is overrated will dominate the air waves in the coming week.  If both go down, it will be known as Black Saturday, which mirrors Black Sunday where Duke and UNC lost on the same day to definitive underdogs.

Make no mistake that Texas is a formidable opponent, which has three kids who can rebound with anybody.  They may have the most explosive player on the court with A.J. Abrams, who nailed a bushel of three pointers in the Long Horns easy opening round win over Minnesota.

Abrams comes into the game averaging 26.0 ppg and he will likley make or break the Blue Devils or should I say the Blue Devils may make or break him with their defense.  The bottom line is that Duke will look to slwo him down and not give him any more open looks than necessary.

Texas inserted three guards into their lineup and have since been playing solid basketball.  The pre season top ten team fell just short of expectations, but their talent level is at, well, a high level. 

Where Texas rally flourishes is on the boards.  Dexter Pittman is a 6-10, 298 pound behemoth who continues to come into his own.  Pittman will be a difficult match up for Duke who will not be able to double team him but so often in that Damion Jones and Gary Johnson are athletic and probably both better players than Pittman.

Jones averages 15.2 ppg and 9.1 rebounds and is all over the place.  You may also remember Gary Johnson for Duke once took a long look at him.  Johnson sat out one season with heart problems. but he plays bigger than his 6-6 height and has good hops and the ability to do damage inside.

Duke will count on Elliot Williams, Nolan Smith and whoever switches to keep Texas from being able to dish to their bigs, which despite Abrams is the strength of their team.  The Blue Devils will very much need some good minutes from Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas and as always will need to keep their true front court star, Kyle Singler out of foul trouble.

The X-Factor could be Gerald Henderson, a player capable of turning any game.  However, Henderson will face some athletic wings which will not allow him to drive like he is accustomed to unless Duke finds season in the defense which will most likely come from pushing the basketball up the floor when possible.

It is very important for Duke to hit their three point shots in this contest and canning the free throws wouldn’t hurt.  Coach Rick Barnes is 4-8 versus Krzyzewski, but their are grumblings among some fans that Texas is due.

One more intangible, will be that UNC fans are likely to make this seem like a road game, despite their distaste for Rick Barnes, a story for another day.  This may allow Texas to reach deep and or gain momentum for runs, so Duke will have to focus on forty minutes of basketball.

While anything can happen in a game, if Duke is shooting the ball well from the three point stripe, I expect that they will fight through the recent bugaboo where they flamed out early.

This is a different Duke team, but still one developing it’s psych.  Barnes expects Duke to come out hard early, but the Devils will not be allowed to get too jacked up by Krzyzewski who knows the final score is what counts and that the game will likely have some runs by both teams.

So, the pick here is Duke 75 Texas 70 in a hard fought contest.

Krzyzewski praised the play of Lance Thomas

Duke had little trouble whipping up on undersized Binghamton to advance to the Saturday evening game with Texas.  While the Blue Devils had their way over the course of the game, Binghamton played inspired basketball.  The Bearcats kept it close by hitting 6 of 11 three pointers in the first half.

But the Duke defense tightened up in the second half, allowing a single three pointer and starting with a 17-2 run to send the pesky Bearcats reeling.  Duke hit nine three pointers of their own and dominated the game from the charity stripe going 21 of 25.

It didn’t hurt that the Blue Devils held a 38-20 edge on the boards, many of them on the offensive end.  Duke had six double figure scorers on the night, led by Lance Thomas who went 5 of 5 from the field for 14 points.

“It just seemed like Lance had tremendous energy and our whole team fed off of it,” stated Krzyzewski after his team notched him victory number 832.

Kyle Singler fell just short of a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds and had a team high 5 turnovers.  Gerald Henderson chipped in with 13 points and 6 rebounds and Nolan Smith was pretty much a sixth starter off the bench with 13 points and 3 assists.

Jon Scheyer had a team high 15 points and Elliot Williams continued his ascent with 11 points.  Scheyer and Williams had four assists each, making them the team leaders in that category.

“Elliot made a few really big time decisions, or good decisions in how we moved the ball, instead of taking a quick shot,” said Krzyzewski of his freshman’s play.

Duke will now head back to Durham and prepare for Texas, who won handily over Minnesota to advance.  The Longhorns will bring a lot more size to the table than the Blue Devils’ first opponent and will be led by A.J. Abrams who scored 26 points today.

The Blue Devils are now 29-6 overall for the season.  Duke is now 87-29 in the NCAA Tournament which equals the highest winning percentage of any team.  Duke now has 30 NCAA Tournament wins since 2000 and 290 wins in the decade which tops the list of all schools in that time period.

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Coach Krzyzewski will not allow his team to bathe in past glory and it is clear from hearing the Blue Devil players that they are on a mission to make it down the road in this season’s tournament.  So, put aside the venom of the rivalry, for beaming in on the job at hand is the ticket.

Okay, you might say that Binghamton has never been to an NCAA tournament and they shouldn’t be all that.  Before you get it in your head that this will be a cakewalk, remember Belmont.  That’s why as fans, you must take these games one at a time, just like the team does.

Did you know that Binghamton has the third longest winning steak in the country?  Well, they do.  The Bearcats are riding an 11 game winning streak, partly due to the play of their go-to guy, D.J. Rivera.

Rivera, a controversial transfer, enters the game as the Bearcats top scorer and rebounder.  He is putting up numbers of 20.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg.  The junior has broke pretty much every single game record and was named to the Fox Sports Mid Major All American team.

Before you get too caught up on that mid major tag, you would be wise to realize that the majority of the players who log major minutes are transfers from major college programs.  In fact, the Bearcats had eight newcomers or transfers from other schools coming into the season.

That was a philosophy which second year Coach Kevin Broadus implemented right off the bat.  After a sub .500 year, this year’s Bearcats won the American East Conference and sport a 23-8 overall record.  A side not is that the Cats are 2-0 on neutral sites and 9-6 on the road this season.

Broadus, formerly employed by Georgetown, was named Coach of the Year in his conference. Much has been made about his recruiting style, but that has nothing to do with the game at hand, so save it for another day.

Helping Rivera out will be Emauel Mayben, a member of the All America East second team.  Mayben is averaging 11.5 and 4 rpg. 

The middle is manned by Reggie Fuller, the only senior in the lineup.  Fuller is tallying 10.2 ppg and 7.1 rpg and holds the teams single season rebounding record.

The fourth double figure scorer us Malik Allen, a third guard who has numbers of 11.7 ppg and 3.1 rpg.

So, the Bearcats are pretty much a four man show and look for Duke to show them a stingy defense designed to keep their guards from going off.  In fact, I think Duke will play a lot of players in an effort to wear Binghamton down while staying fresh for the next game if all works according to plan.

Look for the Blue Devils to play a lot of perimeter and wings against a team which relies on quickness and ball movement to get their shots.  Duke will likely try to smother Rivera as well, making other players step up to beat them.

Last season, Gerald Henderson put the team on his back to get past Belmont, but the Duke players say they learned from the experience and I think they have.  Look for Singler and Thomas to control the paint and Henderson to pick up where he left off.

It will be interesting to watch and see how Scheyer reacts at the point in the NCAA’s as well.  If Duke continues to protect the ball as it has of late, Binghamton could be in for a long night.  The pick here is Duke 81 Binghamton 57

Side Notes -Binghamton has far more students than Duke with 14,368.  They were originally Triple Cities College of Syracuse University in 1946.  Binghamton is 18-0 when leading their opponent with 5 minutes left in the game this season.  They overcame a 25 point deficit to beat Boston earlier this season.  Rivera has scored 20 points or more in 20 games.  In 2001 Binhampon lost to North Carolina 61-60.  They defeated Miami in 2006 by a score of 79-74 at Coral Gables.  Greg Paulus was a teammate of Bearcats guard David Fine while at Christian Brothers.