Game 20
[8 AP/7 Coaches]
Duke (16-3, 4-2 ACC) vs. Florida State (15-4, 3-2 ACC)
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010 • 9:00 p.m. • ESPN
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) • Durham, N.C.

The Opening Tip

Duke (16-3, 4-2 ACC), ranked eighth in the AP poll and seventh in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Florida State (15-4, 3-2 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 9:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN with Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Heather Cox calling the action.

Wednesday’s game marks the third consecutive 9:00 p.m. tip-off for the Blue Devils.

The Last Time Out

Duke improved to 4-1 on the year against ranked opponents with a 60-47 win at Clemson on Saturday. Junior Nolan Smith scored 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, in the win.

Lance Thomas posted his sixth double-figure scoring game of the season with 13 points to go along with seven rebounds. Kyle Singler added 12 points and two steals, while Jon Scheyer had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Duke shot 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from the field and committed just two turnovers in outscoring Clemson, 37-24, in the second half of play. The Tigers were held to 37.5 percent (18-of-48) shooting from the field, including 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from three-point range, in the loss. Clemson also committed 16 turnovers in the contest.

The Blue Devils outrebounded Clemson, 32-30, to improve to 15-1 on the year when outrebounding the opposition. Miles Plumlee grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, including five in the second half of play.

Numbers Game

• l Duke and Syracuse are the only teams in the country to rank in the top 10 in both the AP Poll and Coaches’ Poll as well as The College Basketball News Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and Strength of Schedule (SOS). The Blue Devils rank eighth in the AP Poll, seventh in the Coaches’ Poll, third in the RPI and 10th in SOS.
• l Duke is 6-2 on the year against teams currently ranked in the top 50 of The College Basketball News RPI, including a 3-1 mark against the top 25.
• l The Blue Devils have been ranked in the top 25 of the AP poll for 51 consecutive weeks. Duke has been ranked in the top 10 in each of the last 48 polls.
• l Duke has won 38 straight home games against unranked opponents, dating back to a 68-67 loss to Florida State on Feb. 4, 2007.
• l The Blue Devils are 11-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season with a +30.2 margin of victory. Duke has won 10 of its 11 home games by 20 or more points.
• l Junior Nolan Smith is averaging 20.1 points per game, while shooting 55.3 percent (73-of-132) from the field and 60.0 percent (21-of-35) from three-point range, in the last 10 games. He has topped the 20-point mark in seven of those games.
• l Jon Scheyer is the only player in the ACC to rank in the top 5 in six statistical categories; scoring (second, 18.6 ppg.), assists (fourth, 5.7 apg.), free throw percentage (first, .895), three-point field goals (t-first, 2.6 3pg.), assist-to-turnover ratio (first, 3.72:1) and minutes (first, 36.0 mpg.).
• l Kyle Singler is averaging 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game in 11 home contests.

Checking in on ...

#2 Nolan Smith - +10.1 ppg. increase from a year ago leads the ACC and is tied for 13th nationally ... averaging 19.9 ppg. at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season

#3 Seth Curry - Sitting out the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer rules

#5 Mason Plumlee - Averaging 1.1 blocks per game

#12 Kyle Singler - Shooting 41.7 pct. from three-point range in 11 home games ... 20 of 28 three-point field goals have come at Cameron Indoor Stadium

#20 Andre Dawkins - Fourth on the team with 26 three-point field goals ... shooting 41.3 percent from three-point range

#21 Miles Plumlee - Leads the team with 24 dunks ... has tripled his scoring and rebounding averages from a year ago

#30 Jon Scheyer - Has scored in double-figures in 18 of 19 games, with eight 20-point games

#34 Ryan Kelly - 14 blocked shots ... one of five Blue Devils with 10+ blocks

#42 Lance Thomas - Shooting 82.9 percent (29-of-35) from the foul line ... leads the Blue Devils with nine charges taken

#55 Brian Zoubek - Five or more rebounds in 14 of 19 games ... averaging 17.1 rebounds per 40 minutes played

Big Three Pace Blue Devil Offense

Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith combine to average 52.9 points per game or 63.9 percent of Duke’s scoring.

Scheyer is second in the ACC in scoring at 18.6 ppg., while Smith (18.5 ppg.) and Singler (15.8 ppg.) rank third and ninth, respectively.

Texas Southern, Nevada, UC Davis, Fairfield, TCU and North Dakota State are the only other schools with three players ranked among the top 10 scorers in their respective leagues.

The trio of Scheyer, Smith and Singler is the second-highest scoring threesome in the NCAA this season and the fourth-highest at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski.

NCAA Top Scoring Trios

1. Notre Dame - 53.1 Combined PPG
   Harangody (24.7), Abromaitis (16.7), Hansbrough (11.7)
2. Duke - 52.9 Combined PPG
   Scheyer (18.6), Smith (18.5), Singler (15.8)
3. New Mexico State - 52.8 Combined PPG
   Young (21.3), Gibson (19.3), McKines (12.2)
4. Nevada - 52.6 Combined PPG
   Babbitt (21.5), Johnson (16.1), Fields (15.0)
5. Houston - 51.4 Combined PPG
   Coleman (25.6), Lewis (16.4), Brown (9.4)
6. California - 49.3 Combined PPG
   Randle (18.7), Christopher (16.3), Robertson (14.3)