Duke

Blessed with a reported thirty-six inch vertical, a 6’11,” 247 lb. frame, and the mind of a high school salutatorian, Miles Plumlee is a rare specimen. On a relatively young squad, Miles, a twenty-three year-old third generation college basketball player, has started more games, forty-one, than any current Duke player. The team will need him to provide leadership, experience, and low-post production to a more featured frontcourt.

Already a national champion, having grabbed three rebounds in nine minutes against Butler in the 2010 Championship game, the eldest of four Plumlee progeny brings the hunger of a man anxious for one last good meal. The psychology major has tried to take advantage of the opportunities presented to him this summer. Initially, the one-time engineering student with an entrepreneurial zeal worked in New York for Jesse Itzler, a serial entrepreneur who created Marquis Jet. The Winona Lake, Indiana native followed that experience up by participating in the college portion of the LeBron James Skills Academy, as one of the twenty invited players, including his talented and gracious brother, Mason. Most recently, the former high school track star enjoyed a thirteen day around the world trip with his Duke University teammates as part of Duke’s Friendship Games, playing in Dubai and three Chinese cities, Kunshan, Shanghai, and Beijing.

In the three games competing against the Chinese junior national team, Miles Plumlee, who is the team’s second-leading returning scorer, rebounder, and shot-blocker, averaged nearly eleven rebounds and eleven points, while providing a vital role as a low-post scorer and offensive rebounder (corralling eight offensive rebounds in the final game against China’s large front court).

After Coach Trent Johnson left Stanford for Louisiana State, Miles Plumlee opted to open up his recruitment at Christ School in Arden, NC and ultimately decided to enter Duke University. At the time, he had a reputation for being more of a face-up four and had contributed to consecutive State Championships for the Greenies. Last summer, Miles transformed his physique and game by adding nearly twenty pounds of muscle. Near the end of the 2011 season, Coach Krzyzewski reinserted the eldest Plumlee into the starting lineup, where the Ft. Wayne-born big man immediately stepped up his game in the ACC Tournament, highlighted by his play against Maryland (10 points, 9 rebounds) and using his length against North Carolina’s finesse frontline (helping to hold Henson and Zeller to a combined 9 for 26 in the ACC Title game). Based upon his recent play, it appears as though he has continued to become more acclimated to the transition from a floating big to the team’s biggest physical presence, while seeking to maintain the athleticism that once allowed him to perform a 6’9″ high jump.

This year, with both brothers Marshall and Mason on the Duke’s campus, Miles Plumlee would like to take more of a leadership role in his final season of college basketball and go out with a second National Title. Miles spoke with BDN about a variety of topics, including stepping out of his comfort zone and into an increased leadership role, his relationships with both the coaching staff and his brothers, his team-centric focus, and an entrepreneurial future.

Maybe we can start with both leadership and your role on this team.

You know that’s the biggest thing I’ve been thinking about in this off-season. I’ve been focusing on it and, you know, I had an experience where I was doing an internship with one of the coaches’ friends.

I’m definitely going to get to that in just a moment…

Yeah, well, it kind of goes hand-in-hand.

Okay, great.

The biggest reason I wanted to go there is because I know [Jesse Itzler]’s a great leader in what he does and I learned a lot from him. I picked his brain and I got a lot of great advice. He started his own company a few times now, so he’s been successful and that was one area where I think it’s going to help me, but also coming back and being an older brother my life, you know, trying to apply that to the team. Just trying to bring that brotherhood to the whole team.

I wanted to get to the issue of you and brothers, too.
(laughs)

What are the expectations from your perspective and the coaching staff? What have they asked you to work on?

Well, I don’t have any personal accolades in mind, but all of my coaches know how high my ceiling is and I know how high it is. So, I’m just trying to reach a level that I’m really happy with, but more importantly, I’m concerned about the team competing for national championships.

Yes, absolutely. I mean you’ve already accomplished that once.

Yeah, but now to do that and be a leader on the team would be another thing. That’s the biggest goal on my mind.

Is being a captain something you aspire to? Have the coaches talked about you being captain or part of a committee, so to speak?

Yeah, I know, they said they’re going to wait and see how everything goes in China. They want to see how people’s roles surface, but, you know, I’ve been through more than anyone else on the team.

Right.

I’ve played with a lot of great leaders, like Jon Scheyer, a lot of great seniors growing up.

Who was the best leader you’ve played with? Is Scheyer the best?

He and Lance did a great job that year. There’s a reason why we won it. What was the initial question?

It had to do with leadership and whether you aspire to be a captain.

Oh, yes, they’re not going to make a decision until after China, but I’m already trying to assert myself and get out of my comfort zone because I’m not the most vocal guy.

Neither am I, but I try to push myself too.

Yeah, well, I’m trying to talk more on defense and also off the court. Yeah, you know, defensively, I can talk to people on the court, but I’m really trying to become a leader off the court. It’s not something I’m really comfortable with, but it’s something that I’m trying to grow into. I want to get that role.

Just out of curiosity, as you were saying it, I was thinking about being the oldest brother. I’m the oldest brother as well and by nature, you almost have to a leader among your younger siblings. Do you think that will help and have you found that to be the case?

Definitely, I think it’s a huge advantage in my position. I don’t think I’ve been the best big brother in the world, but I think there’s some things I’ve done right, and if I can learn from them..

God knows, I haven’t been.
(

laughs) Yeah, you know, I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but all of them are experience that maybe an older brother has to have.

They can, sort of, learn from your own mistakes.

Yeah, yeah. Then, they can make their own. (laughs)

How do you think you’ve developed, both physically and from a skills perspective over the past few years? Physically, you’ve gotten a lot bigger.

Yeah, you know, I’m still continuing to push my body.

Always a work in progress.

I’m trying to get stronger and that, but I got really pretty athletic when I got to college and you know, I was more of a face-up player, but I’ve tried to adapt my game and become more of a back-to-the-basket player since coming to college.

Yeah, I wanted to touch on that as well.
Yeah, so you know, that’s probably been my biggest focus and the other stuff’s there and we’ve got such great guards coming to Duke each year. Yeah, maybe down the road I’ll use that more at the next level, but right now I want to make the biggest impact I can for our team and so that’s inside, giving us a low-post game.

In terms of mentoring, it sort of goes hand in hand with leadership, but how do you feel you’ve done as a mentor to your brothers and some of your future teammates this year?

I think it’s something I’m going to have to make a conscious effort to do. We have so many young guys and I need to mentor them and show them the ropes. We need them to win. They don’t even realize it yet. I mean, I was in that position as a freshman too, I didn’t know where I was at. We’ve got to bring them on board real fast and mentoring will be a big part of that.

You know him better than anybody, what dimension do you think Marshall can bring to program? Maybe give a scouting report on him to the fans that may not have seen him play.

Yeah, he’s surprised me. He’s really grown into his body. I think the number one thing if you’re scouting him is his motor. He never gives up, he goes full blast all the time he’s out on the court.

He’s a really nice kid, too.

Oh, yeah, he’s really nice, but he’ll take it to you on the court.

Yeah, he’s very serious and competitive on the court though.

Oh, yeah, definitely.

He said he’s very good at video games too.

Yeah, he is. Me and him always go at it.

In terms of a scouting report…

Yeah, a scouting report..he’s going to be going at you every minute of the game. He’s going to be busting his ass 100%. Yeah, I think that’s his biggest attribute right now is just running the court.

How do you think he differs from you and Mason at the same point in your lives?

You know, his whole life he always wanted to be a big guy for some reason, and it just so happened that he kept growing. You know, a lot of guys want to be big buys, but you can’t control that. So, I think he’s grown up wanting to be in the post doing the dirty work. He has fun just running the court and getting the ball. A lot of big guys don’t want to do that, they get spoiled, lazy, and they don’t want to do all of that work if they’re not going to get the ball every single time. That’s huge for a team. That changes the game.

Yeah, it does. I was just curious about that. What are you trying to work on this summer primarily on the court?

The same thing, but you know, just taking that post game to another level and getting more comfortable. I really thought that I made huge strides towards the end of last year, just having confidence when you get the ball in the post, and wanting the ball, and in the end, that makes a huge difference in the game when it comes down to the wire. You’ve got to want it.

Is it a “no hesitation” kind of thing for you?

Yeah, exactly. I really think that’s been my biggest setback is really getting out of your own head. You catch it and you immediately react.

I remember going to one of your practices a few years ago and Coach Krzyzewski was talking about how you were very hard on yourself, but that was a few years ago.

Definitely, that’s been my biggest problem. In practice, I play great for three years. Well, my freshman year was kind of tough, but for the last few years I played great in practice, and now the thing is to try to translate it to the games.

And it can happen, it’s just a matter of time and concentration.

Yeah, absolutely it can happen.

Can you touch on being an engineering student and how that differentiates your game? I remember you used to be an engineering student.

(laughs) Oh, no, that was way too much.

I was an Economics major there.

Yeah, my first semester there was the hardest of my life.

What’s your major now?

Psychology. You know, I think it’s something that’s applicable to anything I do in life, but, you know, it’s way more flexible for basketball.

Way more merciful too. They’re tough in terms of grades too.

Oh, yeah, it’s just tough.

The reason I was asking was because I was wondering if you saw the court differently by having somewhat of an engineering background.

Oh, yeah, you know I always thought I see angles differently. I don’t think a lot of basketball players realize what they’re seeing. I think it gives me a better sense of what I’m seeing…helps to visualize.

Would you describe your summer job as more of a finance job? How would you categorize it?

Yeah, well, it’s sort of hard to explain, it was really more of a company that Jesse Itzler founded, more of like a marketing thing. He founded Marquis Jets and now it’s like more of a marketing agency and a brand incubator. We came up with a few of our own products.

Would you like to get into that post-basketball? Perhaps be an entrepreneur?

Yeah, you know, that’s what it really opened my eyes to. An amazing opportunity would be to play in the NBA and not just squander it.

I’m glad you have your eyes wide open. There are so many sad stories, unfortunately.

Yeah, I know there are. Yeah, I want to make things happen. There are a lot of guys from Duke that have done great things like here or in China and you know, really have an entrepreneurial mindset just like him, and you know, it was a great experience.

What is your emotional reaction to finally get the opportunity to play with all of your brothers and be at the same school together? Excited? Happy?

So excited! I really think this is going to be the funnest year by far. You know, I’ve always had a blast, but you know, me and Marshall, we grew up hanging out together like non-stop and I was so much older than him, but, now, you know, we’re competing on the same level and it’s an adjustment.

Do the three of you ever just walk into the Y or something like that? Did the three of you walk in and people just go “Holy cow?”

(laughs) Yeah, I mean, we did, but we didn’t used to be this tall. Yeah, the last time I was at a place like that was back home and I was only like 5’9” or 5’10” as freshman. But I think it’s going to be a blast. It’s going to be a great senior year.

And what’s Mason’s take on all of this?

Oh, yeah, he’s been great. We both just love Marshall to death. It’s just fun to have all three of us together again.

Can you talk about the addition of the freshman class and Coach Capel? Those are the two big post-season additions to the program.

Yeah, I mean, everybody in the freshman class seems to have a great attitude. They’re really skilled, they’re really athletic. I think they all really have a great attitude, they all really want to get better. Coach Capel is just a great addition because he knows so much, he’s coached great players, and I love his positive attitude. He’s really good at pumping everybody up.

He can also relate to players. He’s still young and yet he’s got that head coaching experience, which is a great combo to add the staff.

Yeah, everybody’s pretty young and it’s a lot of fun. It’s a great group to be around.

What’s your relationship like with both Coach K and Coach Wojo?

First of all, I’ve got to say it’s like family. I mean, they’ve been there for me in more than just basketball. That’s just one small part of the whole thing. You..you come to Duke and I had no idea what it was all about. You become part of this family. They’ve become like fathers to me. There’s a bond. I come to them for advice on everything. I know..I know I’m going to stay in touch with them for the rest of my life. It’s something that’s really special to me.

I don’t think a lot of recruits necessarily realize that, to paraphrase Coach Holtz, it’s not a four year thing, it’s a forty year thing.

No, you know, I don’t think a lot of them realize it. You don’t realize what you’re signing up for. If they did realize it, I think even a lot more would jump on it, but I know that I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

How comfortable do you feel you are with your back-to-the-basket game and how far out do you feel your range is at this point? Because you still have that face-up game that you were talking about before.

I’ve always felt that I’m really versatile and now it’s not just a matter of how to use it, but when and where to use it, what opportunities you have and reading the defense. So, becoming a lot smarter and putting it all together. It’s something I’ve really worked on in the last year.

And in terms of your back-to-the-basket game?

Yeah, I’m realizing how much you can control the game with your back to the basket. Seeing, you know, guys like Tim Duncan and those kind of guys..taking your time, seeing the floor.

Is that what you worked on at the LeBron James Academy?

Yeah, you know, it was great playing against some of the best players and some of the best bigs. I was just trying to see where I stack up.

How did you do and what was the toughest guy for you to defend?

Dude, you know, everybody’s tough. Everybody’s good. I feel like I did as well as anyone. It was a great experience and I’m looking forward to where it takes my game.

What are your expectations or goals for the team this year? A National Title?

A National Title all the way, that’s all I’ve got to say. We’ve always got talent. I just feel like we’ve just got to bring it together and develop that chemistry along the way.

Thank you very much, Miles.

No problem.

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Jon scheyer - BDN Photo

DURHAM – The Coach K Academy is in the stretch run of their annual event  and if one were to  stroll about campus you may well run into a former Duke player.  BDN caught up to Jon Scheyer recently and here is what he had to say -

A Monday Musings tradition is the Cheerleader of the Week pic - Rick Crank, BDN Photo

Good Monday morning Blue Devil Nation!  It’s the first day of November which means we are into the meat of the football schedule while basketball begins in earnest.  It’ll be a busy week ahead as recruiting heats up and Duke prepares for Virginia on the football field in Wallace Wade this Saturday and Cal Poly Pamona visits Cameron Indoor Stadium prior to that.

We’ll start with basketball recruiting for the November early signing period begins on the 10th of this month and ends on the 17th.  The news broke over the weekend that Myck Kabongo had decommitted from Texas and that Duke was on his list.  The Blue Devils will get involved but it remains to be seen how this one will play out for many reasons.  One of those reasons is Quinn Cook who holds an offer but who let North Carolina in at the midnight hour adding them to his list just yesterday.  Cook grew up a fan of the school and it is no secret that Roy Williams always seems to come in later on just about every kid the Blue Devils target.  A lot of people expected Cook to give Duke a verbal already, including me, but oh how the landscape changes quickly in the world of recruiting and Duke has positioned themselves to come away with a point guard to run alongside Austin Rivers.  Michael Gbinije, Marshall Plumlee and the aforementioned Austin Rivers are all expected to sign during the early period.  More recruiting discussion can be found if you gain full site access by joining BDN Premium and that’s how you can support the hard work of the BDN staff and this site.

I attended the Coach K Coaching Clinic this past weekend without the media hat on for I have a passion for coaching myself.  But it was hard not to come away having gleaned some key insight into the team itself and I can share with you that Miles Plumlee earned high praise from Krzyzewski for his practice of late.  In fact, he was mentioned on three occasions and that is a sign that he’ll certainly be a main cog in the lineup early on.  The key for Miles is to stay intense for Duke and he’ll once again begin the season as a sure starter.

Also mentioned was the fact that Jon Scheyer’s eye injury was not a good thing in that he has apparently lost some of the vision.  Scheyer will embark on a journey to Europe soon and we’ll of course keep tabs on him.  Meanwhile Brian Zoubek had some unfortunate luck as well and he is currently rehabbing at Duke after an operation on his back.  BDN’s wishes these national champions a speedy recovery.

Krzyzewski also spoke of “10 standards,” for this seasons team and we’ll let him share that at a later date.  We can tell you that the US team had 15 standards as well, bet here is what we’re getting to … the standards act as a contract.  This carries over into a much discussed issue of social media, namely Twitter.  During ACC Operation Basketball I spoke to Krzyzewski about the standards which he’d clarify more in recent days.  I basically said that he trusts his players in that they would not go as far as kids just down the road.  Krzyzewski doesn’t think that he should put but so many restrictions on his team so that they’ll grow in the process both on and off the court.  In short, Duke sets forth standards which players respect and adhere to and this enables Krzyzewski to trust his players judgement and that means we”ll continue to be entertained by Nolan Smith’s tweets.  And isn’t it obvious that the Duke kids have not embarrassed themselves or the school?

I personally think it is crazy to hang on every single comment from Twitter via prospects every little whim, but we do like it as a tool to further our site.  That said, join BDN Twitter for we bring you an additional game experience from press row in Cameron and Wallace Wade.  If you want constant behind the scenes tidbits then sign up now and get a unique perspective.  We carried you every step of the way to the national championship last year and we hope to do so again this season.  And we promise not to tweet what we are eating  and every little thing which is not pertinent to your fandom.

Man, did the football team need a win and the victory over Navy cured some ills getting the Blue Devils back into the win column.  One cannot help but think what if Duke had defeated Maryland and Wake Forest, two games where they outplayed their opponent for they’d be 4-4 going into the UVA game.  Still, the team has a chance to end the seasons with some positives but it’ll take consistent play.

Winning down the stretch for Cutcliffe’s troops will also be aided by another game with no turnovers.  We see what can happen when Duke protects the ball the entire game against a Navy team coming off a victory over Notre Dame.  Turnovers have doomed the Devils more often than not this season and they’ll need this to turn around against a physical Virginia team coming off a win over Miami this past week.

Lastly, thanks for your patience of late as our staff has been very busy.  We’ll get fully back into the gro this month and that means max coverage of the games on the Duke Beat along with some tweaks to the site along the way.  Also, check out our Facebook site which we have not pushed with the success of BDN Twitter for there all fans can post and or add pictures there.

Lastly, for the longest time we’ve held out from allowing advertisers on this site but that will change in the near future.  Originally, we thought we’d give you a break from those annoying ad’s which bounce off the page or force you to read them for we’re dependant on memberships to fund BDN.  For several years we chose to keep advertising off to facilitate a clean look for your viewing pleasure but the additional income will go towards site maintenance and growth.  We promise to avoid those annoying ads but will be adding some which we personally approve of.  Advertisers can contact Susan in Admin or myself for more details with your needs and at this time we still have a top banner opening.    Have a great week ahead and remember we all make up the Blue Devil Nation.

copyright BDN Photo

DURHAM – BDN’s coverage of the magical national championship continues with Jon Scheyer making his farewell speech from the annual Duke Basketball Awards Banquet in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  Needless to say this years event was truly special in that Scheyer leaves Duke with a National Championship.  What an amazing season!

Just press play -

Jon - BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. – After leading the Duke Blue Devils to the 2010 NCAA National Championship, senior Jon Scheyer plans to give back to the Durham community. The Jon Scheyer Foundation will host May Madness: Gaming to Give on May 1, 2010 from noon to 5 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The event will feature Halo 3 and FIFA 2010 Xbox video game tournaments, as well as live music by Nautical Young, Speak of the Devil and Point Break. In addition, Scheyer and members of the 2010 National Championship team will be on hand to sign autographs.

General admission for May Madness will be $10 at the door. Duke students will be admitted for $5 with their student ID. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted free of charge. Entry forms for the video game tournaments can be found on www.jonscheyer.com.Proceeds from May Madness will benefit the Jimmy V Foundation and the Emily K Center.

The Jon Scheyer Foundation benefits young people in the community and serves to develop and encourage the qualities of leadership, dedication and perseverance in the hearts of young people everywhere, and to give back to under served communities in need.

For more information about May Madness, visit www.jonscheyer.com or contact Brooke Scheyer at bscheyer@brighteststarfoundations.com.

Duke Senior Jon Scheyer scored 2077 points in his Duke career faling one basket shy of Gene Bnks who stands at 8th place on the Duke All Time Scoring list. Scheyer hit one or more three point field goals in his last 33 games. His total of 144 games played ties Chris Duhon for 4th in history.

DURHAM – It’s almost as if the 2010 Duke senior class bloomed right along with spring.   As Duke celebrated their fourth national title this past Monday, three Duke seniors – Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek – blossomed in full glory.

Each senior basked in the lighted stage of victory, all of them smiling, all of them relieved and all of them standing in the end as national champions.  In fact, they were the only ones standing when past seasons brought about disappointing ends.

If you follow the Duke program closely you know that this core of seniors had nobody look up to in their freshman campaign.  Despite that, the group was seasoned in the Duke system and in their senior year they formed a special bond which led to some amazing team chemistry.

In short, this senior class is special in many ways and it is one that will always be cherished in that they made all proud to say “We are Duke!”  Not that many fans were not content, but that the taste of another title on an exhilarating tournament run was that little something which brings about fan base bliss.

When Jon Scheyer was asked to run the point this season there were many who doubted that he could get the job done, but it didn’t take long for them to realize he could.   That’s how talented Jon Scheyer is. He became the primary ball handler and survived the pressure of the one position that controls the game all season long.

That season ended, of course, in a national championship and his ability to switch from the off guard spot is one of the main reasons that Duke cut down the nets in Lucas Oil Stadium.  There is no doubt that the signs which  read, “Scheyer was on fire” in his senior season were spot on in so many ways.

The amazing thing about Scheyer was his selflessness.  At no time this season did he worry about individual records.  He fell just short of JJ Redick’s all time free throw percentage mark, inches from Wojo’s assist to turnover ratio mark, and a three pointer away from passing Gene Banks on the Duke all time lists.

With a ‘team first’ mentality, Scheyer sacrificed personal accolades for the big prize.  What Scheyer does is put his team first and he left fans with what they most covet that being a national championship and he himself now has a ring.  Despite the aforementioned three alums records, each of them would trade places with number 30.  With Duke’s stringent standards on raising numbers to the rafters, Scheyer’s will not appear there.  But if he were playing for the neighbor a few miles down the road, he would probably get four banners for his play.

Regardless of the fact that his name will not hang atop Cameron Indoor Stadium, Scheyer has embedded himself as one of the most popular players in Duke basketball history.  The Illinois native represented Duke in a class way while in Durham and there is a tremendous sadness when one realizes they’ll never see this kid in the royal blue again.

Here was a player who proved himself to be one of the best and, in the end, King of the Hill.  While he fell a few votes shy of ACC Player of the Year and came painfully close to first team All American, Jon did what it took for Duke to take home the big enchilada.

Make no mistake in that the Blue Devil Nation sheds a tear when they think of the exploits of Jon Scheyer.

This picture is kind of special to me in that getting to know Brian Zoubek this season enabled me to read his eyes. Brian Zoubek came up big for Duke down the stretch and his size and agressiveness helped Duke win a thriller over Bayler. What do his eyes tell me? That he came full circle through adversity and earned respect with his determined and aggresive play and that look at me now world, I'm a national champion and I was viatl to my teams success. ZOubek enjoyed the late season attention and he was the best interview down the stretch run. Zoubs you are and will be the man.

There was a time when one would have thought Brian Zoubek would come and go from Duke with little fanfare when the buzzer sounded for his last game.  Zoubek went through a litany of problems while at Duke, most of which are documented enough that there is no need of mention.

One doesn’t have to know Zoubek’s struggles to appreciate what will be remembered for a long time to come.  The nation was still sleeping when Zoubek started to don a beard and in the process his play took on a Sampson-like quality.

Here we are at the national championship game and a deep cheer “Zoubs,” rolls through Lucas Oil Stadium as the senior rips down his tenth rebound of the game.   And what a critical rebound it was, with seven seconds left on the clock and Duke clinging to a 60-59 lead.

Zoubek was fouled on the play and hit the first of two shots, the second bounding off the rim per instructions from the bench.  That miss was rebounded by Butler’s star player Gordon Hayward who slashed to mid court as a vicious pick was set on Kyle Singler allowing him to get an open look.

While the ball just barely bounced off the backboard and rim, Zoubek had run back towards the basket after raising a long arm in Haywards face.  Who is to know if that didn’t just alter Hayward’s shot enough to barely miss?

Either way, Zoubek came up big in the last minutes of this game and his play down the season stretch helped will the Blue Devils to a red hot 18-1 mark, finishing off a year to remember.  Zoubek came full circle after a career with ups and downs and he did that at just the right time for without his play the Blue Devils would not have been the last team standing.

Zoubek was quite simply a beast of a presence and watching his confidence grow and to have gotten to know him during this amazing stretch run is something that made a lifelong impression on  me.  Brian leaves Duke as one beloved Blue Devil and I think I speak for the entire Blue Devil Nation in saying, “thank you so much for the memories, Zoubs.”

There were a lot of good players in the NCAA Tournament but Duke's Lance Thomas was one aof a few last men standing. When the dust cleared Thomas had becoem part of a three man senior class that will long be remembered in the anals of Duke lors. The har working Jersey born bread and proud Thomas was a workhorse that did whatever was askled of him with full throttle energy and desire. LT is and will always be in the house.

Much like Zoubek, Lance Thomas would often be taken to task on message boards by armchair coaches over his career.  What they now recognize is that Thomas was the workhorse for this season’s Blue Devils team and he did not only what was asked of him, but more.

Some might still need to be told that Thomas really did the dirty work his whole career and that the fact he was starting for many years meant there were never better options.  Some things just don’t show up in the stat sheets.  You can’t measure hustle, nor is there a stat for the willingness to guard the other team’s best player, be it a guard or a power forward.

Thomas was Duke’s ‘Energizer Bunny’ and his chemistry with Zoubek allowed Krzyzewski to form a two and two rotation with the brothers Plumlee, providing Duke with front court depth unlike any season in their history.

Thomas got his hand in the face of many shooters in the Butler game and by hitting three of five shots in the game, he forced the Bulldogs to come out to guard him on the perimeter.  Thomas was invaluable to Duke this season after losing Gerald Henderson to the NBA and Elliot Williams to Memphis.  Thomas rose to the occasion and played his role to perfection to fill the gaps and, as a result, he has some new bling on his finger to show off to his beloved New Jersey homies.

Having followed Thomas and the Duke beat all season long, I can tell you firsthand that Thomas was one of the most focused and hardest working young men I’ve been around.  Here is a youngster who would never say quit, one who would get knocked down and get back up before he even hit the floor.

Thomas, like the other Blue Devil seniors, fought off some tears when answering questions for the media.  It was Thomas who told me during the off day in a sincere eye to eye manner, “We’ve got one more game.  We’ve got one more game to take care and then I can smile.”

Well, Thomas was all smiles in the Duke locker room after his mission and that of his fellow seniors was complete.  There in the background was the national championship trophy sitting on a trainer’s table and a piece of net hanging from each of the seniors’ newly minted champion hats.

There was a special glow surrounding the kids who would wear their Duke uniform for the last time, and there was a sense around the whole Duke family that nobody want this magical journey to end.

“I’m at a loss for words,” said Thomas in his now well realized passionate manner as I questioned him perhaps for the last time.  And I can tell you, Lance, with mirrored passionate honestym that the Blue Devil Nation is at a loss for words too and we thank you with all our collective hearts for leaving us with a gift that will keep giving as time passes on.

The Duke staff was all hugs for good reason in that their hard work gained a national championship. What a special group of Duke Blue Devils! What a season! What a joy is is for Duke fans! How cool is it to be on top of the world? BDN Photo

INDIANAPOLIS – If you missed the post game press conference, here it is for you.  Coach K, Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek, Lance Thomas and most outstanding player Kyle Singler address the media after they won the national championship with a thrilling win over Butler.

Just press play -

National Champions - BDN Photo

INDIANAPOLIS – What a faboulous way for Jon Scheyer to end his Duke career with a national championship trophy.  Scheyer was quite happy in the locker room and BDN was there to chat with him.

[The audio on this particular interview is at a low volume]

The game went down to the wire as Gordon Hayward’s sixty foot shot bounded off the glass and Duke held on for life for a classic national final win.  The Blue Devils immediately took to mid court, hugs everywhere before the Blue Devils watched CBS’s “One shining moment.”

There was no reason for the hometown favorite Butler Bulldogs to hold their heads down, for they played good enough to win but fell just short.  The Bulldogs had a fabulous season, one they’ll remember for years to come and they fought the tradition-laden Blue Devils tooth and nail until the buzzer sounded.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in eight national championship games and this was a classic.  This was the toughest and best one,” said Krzyzewski who tied Adolph Rupp with four national titles.

He remains first in NCAA tournament wins with 77 and has twelve Final Four wins, second only to John Wooden of UCLA.  Krzyzewski is now 4-4 in national championship games.

Kyle Singler led the way for Duke with 19 points and 9 rebounds and his defense helped hold Butler star Gordon Hayward to 2 of 11 shooting from the field.  Hayward ended the game with 12 points as did Shelvin Mack.

“When I saw Hayward’s shot  bounce off the rim, the team came together in a special moment,” said Singler.

Jon Scheyer finished his Duke career with a 15 point effort  to go with a team high 5 assists.  “They were tough and I can only imagine how they feel especially with an end like that.

For Scheyer, the end means a national championship just as it does for fellow seniors, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas.

Once again, Zoubek led the team in rebounding with ten and that earned him the praise of Krzyewski.  “I thought Zoubs on his out of bounds defense was great and then he adjusts and alters the shot, getting the rebound was so fitting for Zoubek.  Brian elevated out team over these last seven weeks to where we have a chance to play and win a national championship.”

Krzyzewski also defended Brian when a media member asked him about his up and down career.  That’s just Krzyzewski protecting his players and wanting Brian to be questioned about his play this season and not the past.

Thomas added six points and he finally cracked a smile at game’s end.  Thomas has been intense throughout the tournaments and he now has the coveted national championship ring.

The Blue Devils bench did not score but they provided breaks for the starters.  If you were told the bench would not score, you would have likely thought Duke lost, but that is a testament to the veteran leadership.

After being out rebounded in the first half, Duke hit the glass better in the second half and that was a huge key in a tight game.  The final margin was 37 to 35 in the Blue Devils favor.

Duke finishes a special season with a 35-5 record and the team will now return to Durham for a raucous celebration.

BDN has been on the Duke beat all season long and we’ll have more to come on the Blue Devils’ fabulous March.  After all, the road ends in Indianapolis and Duke was the last team standing.

Hometown heroes, the Butler Bulldogs, stand in the way of the Duke Blue Devils winning their 4th National Championship under Mike Krzyzewski. - Lance King

INDIANAPOLIS – The Duke Blue Devils will take on the Butler Bulldogs in a game that tips at 9:21 eastern and the winner will be the 2010 National Champion.

Butler was ranked 11th in the pre season and they are  riding a 25 game winning streak.   They have not only defeated three top ten teams in  Syracuse, Kansas State and Michigan State, but they held them all to less than 60 points.  In short, these Bull Dogs live up to their name for they are one tough bunch of kids.

Both Duke and Butler covet defense and that alone should make for a grinding game while they feel each other out.  Butler has held 12 of their last 13 opponents under 60, while Duke is allowing just 61 points per game.

Butler had 12 steals vs Michigan State and while they do not play the passing lanes as you might think, they make it difficult when the ball goes in the baseline with hands reaching.  Butler has 118 wins in four seasons 33-4 and their head coach Brad Stevens is a hot commodity.

Butler prefers to keep a game in the sixties and that strategy has been effective for them.  They are not particularly tall inside, so look for Duke to try to work it inside – out to create shots.

The Bulldogs best player is Gordon Hayward [6-9 soph, 15.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg]  who has led his team in scoring 17 times this season17 times this season.  He is a versatile player cut out in the mold of inside-out Duke players past.

Matt Howard [6-8 soph, 11.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg]  has scored in double figure 47 times in his career and he anchors the front court.  Howard butted heads late in the Michigan State win but he is expected to go.

Another key player for the Bulldogs is Shelvin Mack [6-3 soph, 14.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg].  Mack is the motor of this team and Duke will need to keep him in their sights all night long.

Ronald Nored [6-0 soph, 6.0 ppg] starts as does Willie Veasley [6-3, senior, 10.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg].  Both of these guys are good team players and both can drop it in if left open.  Veasley is the veteran leader of a young team whose best players are sophomores.

Make no mistake, all of Indianapolis is behind Butler who as you know now is just six miles down the road from Lucas Oil Arena.  Many are making them out to be Cinderella, but their program has been consistent.

As for mutual opponents, Butler lost to Georgetown 72-65 in one of their 4 losses.  The Hoyas handed Duke their second  worst loss of the season in an 89-77 win. Butler lost to Clemson by 1 point in November while Duke holds two double figure wins over the Tigers.

Butler holds wins over Northwestern, UCLA, Xavier, UTEP, Syracuse, Kansas State and Michigan State and that alone should tell you they can indeed keep the title in Indianpolis.

The Blue Devils are led by their big three of Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler.  It will be hard to deny all three of these guys and if all are on their game as was the case in the win over West Virginia they should find victory lane.

But it is Duke’s senior leadership which has been at the core of Duke’s success as well.  The aforementioned Scheyer, hopes to remain hot from the field, while Lance Thomas will do all the dirty work which does not show up in the box score.

The emergence of Brian Zoubek is who many point to as the real reason Duke is in the title game has been a rebounding machine down the stretch and he will cause some match up problems inside for Butler.  If Zoubs controls the glass, Duke will benefit greatly.

It’s only appropriate that these two teams are facing each other for they have earned the right to be here.  And while Brad Stevens coaching job has been fabulous for Butler this season, Coach Mike Krzyzewski, known as Coach K, who in my opinion has had his best season ever at the helm.

Keys to a Duke win 1) Shoot well from the field, 2) Push it inside in an effort to create some foul trouble which will get them to the line, 3) Play within your role – Duke was unselfish and patient on the offensive end against West Virginia and it will be important for this to continue, 4)  Rotate the bigs to keep the pressure on and this should wear Butler down.  Duke has been doing this all season, 5) Run when the opportunity is there.  Quick or easy baskets allows Duke to take Butler out of their comfort zone and if they are forced to play from behind, that works in Duke’s favor.  In short, get out to a good start.

The fact that Duke has been here before should help, but I expect a game Butler team to give Duke all they want.  In the end, I see Duke winning their 4th national title under Krzyzewski. Duke’s core is seniors while Butler’s best players are sophomores and this is what keeps jumping out for me.

The pick here is Duke 74 Butler 61.