[private]The Blue Devil Nation talked basketball with Wojo this afternoon -
Steve Wojciechowski on his coaching role -
My role hasn't changed a great deal. Coach allows his assistants to do a lot of things. Whether game preparation or on court coaching. That's one of the best things about working as an assistant on Duke.
On playing Purdue on the road -
It was a great opportunity and a great time for a test and our team to go play in an environment which was sold out and hostile It's always good to see how your team will react in that kind of environment, because until you do it you don't know. We are happy that our kids defended and rebounded the ball very well, which have been big keys to our success this year.
Has the atmosphere changed since your playing days?
Not really. We get every team's best shot - the arena and fans as well. I can't remember a game where we've gone on the road and you felt like there was no atmosphere.
You seem to have more athleticism as a team and better front court play -
We're a different team than what you saw last year. We are growing into men's bodies. We have older kids and better depth. And knock on wood we are healthy. Our big guys have played very well defensively. For one we are healthy. Brian has played two years with a broken foot. Our guys are a year wiser, bigger and stronger, and the front court kids are doing real well for our team.
Kyle Singler is having a really nice season. Can you comment on him?
I think Kyle is one of the best players in the country. He really sets a tone for our team with his competitiveness and his will to win. I think those are his greatest attributes and he has a number of them. He plays the game the way it should be played and there is nobody on our team that has more fun than Kyle. You see that when he is out on the floor and the rest of our team should try to emulate that.
Duke must now play Michigan for a second time on their floor. What are your thoughts on the Wolverines?
I think the atmosphere will be much the same as Purdue. We've already gotten the word that it's a sell out. As a team they run a great system. Tremendous spacing offensively with really great shooters. They are very dangerous from behind the three point line. They play a very unique defense in the 1-3-1. You don't see that often. Having played them already we hope that works to our advantage. We are really looking forward to going up there and competing against a really good team.
Have you seen UNC play yet?
We were out recruiting last night, but I watched them when I got home. I had to make sure I (smiling) wasn't on the NBA channel after seeing them play. They're outstanding.
How is Greg Paulus doing with concerns to his injuries?
We'll be glad to get him back to 100%. I think it feels pretty good. What some people is that he was out most of the summer. As a player when you miss those large chunks of time - it's not easy. He continues to work himself back and for the most part I think he feels good. He's anxious to do whatever it takes to help our team win.
Blue Devil Nation was on hand for today's practice. Premium members have Q & A's with the likes of Coach K, Kyle Singler and Chris Collins. As you can see, Reggie Love was in town and enjoying himself as well. Blue Devil Nation Premium is a subscription service which focuses on Duke Athletics as well as recruiting information.[/private]
[private]Duke came into the game with Purdue undefeated in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and Boilermaker fans were chomping at the bit to get them in Mackey Arena. Tickets were going for as much as
Singler has 20 points and 12 rebounds/copyright BDNP
500.00 each on a cold Indiana evening and most of the nation was expecting a very competitive game.
Duke came out of the gate running to a 7-0 lead and they never looked back in route to a 76-60 win which lifts them to 8-0 for the season. To get to that undefeated record, the Blue Devils used three key areas of strength.
The first of course is stellar defense where they held Purdue to just 60 points on 37% shooting from the field. Add to that, just two made three point attempts for a team known for their accuracy behind the stripe.
The two Purdue stars, Robbie Hummel and E'Twaun Moore were totally taken out of their game. Moore scored 10 points with all of them coming 30 minutes into the game. Hummel tallied 15 points to go with 10 boards, but Duke soph Kyle Singler frustrated the pre season Big Ten Player of the Year pick throughout the game.
Speaking of Singler, he continued his tenacious play with 20 points to go with a career tying effort 12 rebounds. He was clearly the best player on the court this evening and showed why he is one of the elite players in the land.
Then there was another nice effort from the free throw stripe which has also been and early season strength. They connected on 20 of 26 for the game while hitting many down the stretch not allowing a comeback attempt by the countries ninth ranked team.
The third area of mention which contributed to a convincing Blue Devil victory was their work on the boards where they out rebounded the home team by a whopping 49-29 margin. Krzyzewski made board work an off season priority and the team has improved significantly and was the second best rebounding team in the conference going into the game.
Speaking of board work, Brian Zoubek scored just 4 points, but garnered 8 rebounds in just eleven minutes of play. Not to be outdone, Henderson took his early season offensive struggles in stride by going to the glass for 8 defensive rebounds and led his team with five assists.
Jon Scheyer tied Singler for the scoring lead with twenty points, three being three point buckets. Smith who was in foul trouble throughout the contest added 12 points. Paulus had 7 points, McClure 6 and Thomas 5 points and the aforementioned Henderson 2 points to round out the scoring for Duke.
In the end, Duke showed their experience in making Purdue play their style of game. It was the Blue Devils most consistent effort from begging to end on the season as well. It was also a game which showed that Duke was having fun playing and that made for an impressive team effort.
Duke went to 10-0 in the Challenge and will now face Michigan for the second time this season in Ann Arbor on Saturday.
• The 2008-09 season marks the 10th year of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The ACC has won each of the first nine ACC/Big Ten Challenges. ACC teams have won 56 of the 87 games played over the 10 years. The ACC and Big Ten are currently tied 3-3 in the challenge with five games remaining to be played on Wednesday.
• Duke is 10-0 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, including a 3-0 record in true road games. Boston College (3-0) is the only other undefeated team in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The previous two road games for the Blue Devils came against Michigan State in 2003 (W, 72-50) and Indiana in 2005 (W, 75-67).
• Duke improved to 8-0 with a victory on Tuesday, marking the fourth time in the past five seasons they have won their first eight games. The Blue Devils have now started the season 8-0 a total of 20 times.
• Under Mike Krzyzewski Duke has started 8-0 a total of 15 times in his 29 years. Since the 2000-01 season, the Blue Devils have gotten off to an 8-0 start in seven of the nine seasons.
• The school record for most wins to start a season is 17 set by the 1991-92 national championship team and the 2005-06 squad.
• The Blue Devils played their first true road game of the 2008-09 season on Tuesday at Purdue. Duke has now won 12 of its last 13 road openers with the only loss coming at Georgia Tech on Jan. 10, 2007. Under Coach K, Duke now has a 22-7 record in road openers.
• In overall road games, Duke has now posted a 185-95 record under Coach K. The Blue Devils have posted a winning record on the road in five straight seasons and 11 of the past 12 years. Since 1996-97, Duke has recorded an 90-30 (.750) record on the road.
• Duke began December with a 16-point victory at Purdue on Tuesday. Under Coach K, the Blue Devils now have a 153-24 all-time record in the month of December.
• The Blue Devils are now 45-2 in December since 1999-2000 with the only losses coming to No. 3 Stanford (84-83) on Dec. 21, 2000 and No. 11 Pittsburgh in overtime (65-64) on Dec. 20, 2007.
• When playing on Dec. 2, Duke is now 15-5 all-time, including a 9-2 record under Coach K.
• Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 811th victory as a head coach on Tuesday. He ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history for career victories and is first among active coaches.
• Krzyzewski is now 19 victories shy of Jim Phelan for fourth all-time.
• Coach K now has 738 wins as the head coach at Duke, ranking him sixth in NCAA Division I history for victories at one school and second among active coaches (Jim Boeheim, Syracuse – 771). Krzyzewski is 21 wins shy of Western Kentucky’s Ed Diddle for fifth all-time.
• Krzyzewski’s 811 victories are the second most by a head coach through 34 years of coaching. Only Dean Smith of North Carolina won more games with 830 victories.
• Duke scored 76 points against Purdue and has scored at least 70 points in all eight games of 2008-09. The Blue Devils are 652-129 under Coach K when scoring 70 or more points.
• The Blue Devils made 8-of-22 (.364) from behind the three-point line. In the last two games, Duke has 18 made treys after only making 19 in its previous four outings.
• Duke made 20-of-26 (.769) from the free throw line. It was the fourth time this season the Blue Devils made at least 20 free throws. Purdue only attempted 20 free throws, making it six of the eight games this year that Duke has made as much or more free throws than its opponent has attempted.
• The Blue Devils outrebounded the Boilermakers 49-29. Duke has outrebounded its opponents 339-248 on the season, a margin of +11.4 per game. The Blue Devils have now grabbed at least 20 more rebounds than its opponent twice this season.
• Duke had 16 offensive rebounds, the third time on the season they have had at least 15 offensive boards. The offensive rebounds led to an 18-9 advantage in second chance points.
• Duke held Purdue to 60 points and has now held its opponent to 60 or fewer points in six of the eight games this season.
• Purdue shot just .373 (22-of-59) from the field on Tuesday. The Blue Devils have held six opponents to under 40 percent from the floor this year. Duke is 285-9 under Coach K when holding an opponent under 40 percent shooting.
• The Blue Devils also held Purdue to just 2-of-13 (.154) from behind the three-point line. It marked the second straight game and third time this season the Blue Devils held an opponent under 20 percent from long range. It was the 121st time in school history the Blue Devils have held its opponent under 20 percent from deep. Duke has a 109-12 record in those contests.
• The two made treys by Purdue were a season low by a Duke opponent. The Boilermakers were averaging 7.7 made three-point field goals per game coming into Tuesday’s contest.[/private]
[private]In an August 27, 2008, preview of Duke's out-of-conference schedule I wrote the following passage on Purdue:
"The early season road game at Purdue will be a litmus test for the Blue Devils. Purdue, ranked number six in the CBS Sportsline preseason poll, returns all but one player off of last season’s 27-9 squad. Small forward Robbie Hummel was First Team All Big Ten, guard E’Twaun Moore was Second Team All Big Ten, and guard Chris Kramer was voted Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. The Boilermakers are talented and experienced as they return 65.1 of the 69.6 points per game scored last season. On defense, Purdue forced their opponents to turn the ball over an average of 17.4 times per game. This will be a tough road game and should be a good indicator of Duke’s toughness."
Let's revisit my words now that both teams have played six games and are set to play each other on Tuesday. The game at Purdue in the Big Ten - ACC Challenge will be a tough road game and a litmus test for the Blue Devils. Purdue will enter the game with a 5 - 1 record after dropping an 87 - 82 overtime decision to Oklahoma in the championship game of Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off. Oklahoma made 33 - 46 free throw attempts in the game with Purdue only going to the line for five attempts of which they made four.
The Boilermakers are a perimeter oriented team with a couple of big players providing some balance. Nemanja Calasan (6'9" 250) is averaging 10.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while JaJuan Johnson (6'10 215) is contributing 9.8 points per contest. The big guns for Purdue are E'Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel. The two combine to score 30.9 of the 77.7 points per game Purdue is averaging. Reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Chris Kramer is averaging 1.8 steals per contest and will be tasked to prevent Duke's perimeter gunners such as Jon Scheyer and Greg Paulus from achieving good looks at perimeter shots.
Keys to the game:
1. Free throw shooting/foul trouble will be significant. Over their first six games, Purdue has made 78 of 103 free throw attempts, while Duke has connected on 145 of 197. Duke needs to be aggressive on offense utilizing crisp ball movement and motion to create mismatches that result in fouls. While both teams have a deep bench, neither team can afford to have starters unavailable due to foul trouble.
2. Purdue is shooting 33 percent from behind the three point arc, while Duke is connecting on 31 percent. If one team gets hot from downtown it will spell trouble for the other. Both teams are perimeter oriented so this key represents strength against strength: perimeter defense versus perimeter offense.
3. Rebounding is the next statistic to keep an eye on. Duke was out rebounded by Duquense in their last game. Purdue is a quality opponent and Duke must limit second chance points in order to beat the Boilermakers. Both teams will attempt to convert long rebounds off of missed three point attempts into transition scoring opportunities.
4. Health at the point guard position is vital for the Blue Devils. Nolan Smith has been hampered by back spasms recently and he took a hard fall in the Duquense game resulting in him spending the end of the game on the bench with an ice pack on his lower back. Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore is a 6'4" offensive juggernaut so if Smith isn't near 100 percent freshman Elliot Williams may have to step up to provide on-the-ball defense against Moore.
In the end, this game should come down to which team executes their game plan and forces the other team out of their comfort zone. The teams are evenly matched and play similar styles to each other. When it comes to star power, I predict versatile forward Kyle Singler will outperform Robbie Hummel to give Duke an advantage. Purdue has the home court advantage but it will not be enough as long as the Blue Devils bring their "A" game. If Duke leaves their intensity in Durham, it could be a long evening. I’m confident “intensity” will have a first class seat on the trip to West Lafayette.
[private]Duke finished off the month of November 7-0 with a convincing 95-72 victory over Duquesne. It was
Thomas takes aim after intentional foul. Copyright BDNP
perhaps Duke's best performance of the young season in that the team played balanced team ball. Look no further for evidence than the box score where they had 21 assists on 35 field goals.
With the exception of the last one eighth of the game where Duquense cut the lead down 16 points, it was a complete effort. "We're not trying to win by 30 or 40 points. We're trying to develop as a team," said Kryzyzewski.
That's been obvious to atuned Blue Devil fans, for there have been many line ups in the early going. Afterall, Coach doesn't want his team peaking in 2008, but in 2009 when you're eventually one and done.
One of the key reason Duke won it's 64th consecutive non conference game in Cameron was the play of Lance Thomas. This was a day when the junior would garner a career high 21 points with his hustling play. There were several occasions where he ignited the home crowd with three point plays or goading the opponent into an intentional foul.
“In our offense, a lot of opponents like to stop what we’re doing on the perimeter, and Lance just plays off what we’re doing. A lot of times, our bigs are going to be open, and with his ability to run and beat his man down the court, he was able to get a few open layups. He embraces that role; he knows that’s how he’s going to score, and he does that every night,” said Gerald Henderson.
Kyle Singler was as steady as always with a stat line of 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Singler has scored in double figures in all seven wins.
“I think Singler is playing great. I’m not sure there’s a kid playing in the country who loves to play more than that kid. He has so much fun playing, and he made a play at the start of the second half that was one of the
Zoubs breaks to basket after stealing the ball. BDNP
best plays I’ve seen in years. There was a scrum of a few rebounds, and all of a sudden he came in there with two hands, got the rebound and was fouled. It was a big-time play. You don’t see a play like that. And the kid loves to play. It’s such an honor to coach that kid,” said Coach K
Nolan Smith was the only other double figure scorer with 11 points, but one must consider that Duke had 46 points off the bench in a balanced offensive attack. Duke also continued it's nice shooting from the free throw stripe going 80%.
But the biggest difference was the Blue Devils defense, which suffocated the Duke's early in the contest which they never trailed. The Duke's managed just 39% from the field and most onf those connections came in the last ten minutes of the game.
There is little doubt that the staff has let the team know it's time to come together for December and beyond. While there will still be a learning curve with concerns to chemistry, the early onslaught of games prepared the team for some tough road games.
That first road game will be against a Purdue team which is known for their home court edge as evidenced by the few teams that are willing to travel there. Pardon the pun, but Purdue will be boiling after a close overtime loss to Oklahoma which sent them to 5-1.
Shortly after that Duke visits Ann Arbor to take on a Michigan team they've already faced once in the Coaches for Cancer Classic. In short, December will be yet another month where Krzyzewski will gauge his team. And if that month is as successful as November was, then Duke will be in good shape going into the meat of their ACC schedule.
“It’s a great week for us, to go to two established programs on their home courts," said Coach K.
He continued, "Purdue is, I think, the best in the Big Ten, and probably one of the five or six top teams in the country. You know their crowd will make a great setting for us. We have such an opportunity to grow. Michigan – the same thing, John [Beilein] has his team playing comfortable in their style, so I think it’s another great chance for us to grow. Again, when we play Xavier in December, I like the schedule we have because it’s very challenging. That’s how you become a good team, by playing games like that.”
Sunday, November 23, 2008 • 1:06 PM ET • FSNS/NESN
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) • Durham, N.C.
Game Quick Facts
TV: FSNS/NESN; Mike Hogewood (play-by-play), Mike Gminski (analyst).
Radio: Duke Radio Network (flagship WDNC 620 AM in Durham); Bob Harris (play-by-play), John Roth (analyst) and Matthew Laurance (sideline).
All-time Series: Sunday’s game marks the first meeting between the two schools.
Coaches:
Mike Krzyzewski
Overall Record: 808-267 (34th year)
Duke Record: 735-208 (29th year)
vs. Montana: 0-0
Wayne Tinkle
Overall Record: 31-31 (third year)
Montana Record: 31-31 (third year)
Blue Devil Bits
l Duke is 5-0 on the year, marking the 34th time in school history and the fourth straight year it has opened the season with five straight wins.
l The Blue Devils are ranked 10th in the AP poll and fifth in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.
l The Blue Devils have been ranked in 22 consecutive AP polls.
l Duke posted wins over Presbyterian (80-49), Georgia Southern (97-54), Southern Illinois (83-58) and Michigan (71-56) en route to winning the 2008 2K Sports Classic. The Blue Devils have now won 10 of the 18 major in-season tournaments they have played in.
l Sophomore Kyle Singler was named the 2K Sports Classic Most Valuable Player after averaging 16.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Singler was also named the tournament MVP at the Maui Invitational last season.
l Junior Gerald Henderson was named to the 2K Sports All-Tournament team after averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in four contests. He scored a season-high 20 points (all in the second half) in Duke’s semifinal win over Southern Illinois.
lNolan Smith scored a season-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line against Michigan. He made all six field goal attempts inside the three-point arc and added five rebounds and four assists in the championship game.
Numbers Game
l Sunday’s contest marks the 800th game Duke will play as a ranked team under Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils are 655-144 when ranked under Coach K.
l Duke has won 62 straight non-conference home games.
l Duke is 1-0 against teams currently in the Big Sky. The Blue Devils topped Portland State 89-39 on Dec. 30, 1997.
l The Blue Devils have won 47 straight home games in November, dating back to a 76-75 double-overtime loss to Vanderbilt on Nov. 28, 1981. Duke is 48-1 under Coach K in November home games.
l Duke is 108-16 all-time in the month of November, including a 94-10 mark under Coach K.
l The Blue Devils have won 14 straight games in November and are 45-2 in the month since 1997-98.
l Duke is 266-52 this decade, more wins than any other team in the NCAA.
l Duke has outrebounded four of its first five opponents. The Blue Devils have outrebounded the opposition by 12.2 rebounds per game, including a +3.2 edge on the offensive glass.
l Sophomore Kyle Singler is averaging 8.2 free throw attempts per game this season. He is 32-of-41 (.780) from the foul line. Last year, Singler averaged just 3.1 free throw attempts per game.
lFour Blue Devils are averaging in double figures. Kyle Singler (17.4 ppg.), Jon Scheyer (12.8), Nolan Smith (12.4) and Gerald Henderson (11.8) are each scoring 10 or more points per game.
l Duke is averaging 25.8 made free throws per game this season. The Blue Devils have made 38 more free throws than their opponents have attempted.
l The Blue Devils scored 54 points in the second half against Southern Illinois for their largest scoring output in a half this season. Duke was 12-of-23 (.522) from the field, including 5-of-9 (.556) from three-point range, over the final 20 minutes of play.
lLance Thomas has made nine of his last 10 free throws after opening the season 3-of-13 (.231) from the foul line.
lKyle Singler has led Duke in assists in each of the last three games. During that stretch he has 12 of his team-high 16 assists.
l Duke has outrebounded the opposition in four of five games this season. The Blue Devils have grabbed 40 or more rebounds in a game four times.
l The Blue Devils have limited four of its first five opponents under 60 points. Duke is allowing just 59.2 points per game this season.
[private]The Duke Men's Basketball team went to 5-0 on the young season defeating Michigan 71-56 to win the 2K Coaches for Cancer Classic. Michigan an upstart winner over #4 UCLA struggled against the Devils vaunted man to man defense.
Duke held the Wolverines to 35% from the field and shut down the majority of their scorers in the process. Duke travels to Ann Arbor on December 6th for a rematch.
Duke was led in scoring by Nolan Smith (16 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds) and Kyle Singler (15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists).
Singler was named the tournaments Most Valuable Player after his well rounded performances.
“Kyle is one of the best players in the country and knows how and wants to play defense. With his length, throughout his career when he is a pro player, he will be playing out in the perimeter all of the time. We like to use our guys in that manner," stated Krzyzewski.
Duke was once aided by free throw shooting, going to the line 25 times while making 19 of them.
While the victory wasn't always a pretty win on the eyes, the defensive efforts was text book. One must remember that the ideal time for a team to blossom is March and not November.
Duke is still a team searching for the right chemistry and in doing so they will play several lineups and styles. Last evening it appeared that Duke chose not to push the ball up the floor and worked more on their half court sets.
There were several positives coming from New York besides the victory. The continued improvement of Brian Zoubek was huge and if this continues it will no doubt make Duke a stronger team this season.
The two games also allowed talented junior Gerald Henderson to assert himself. His play landed him on the all tournament team.
Duke has a brief moment of rest before rolling back into Cameron Indoor Stadium for a 1:00 game with Montana. The game as always will be televised - this time on FSN-South or NESN.[/private]
sold out and hostile It's always good to see how your team will react in that kind of environment, because until you do it you don't know. We are happy that our kids defended and rebounded the ball very well, which have been big keys to our success this year.
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