Game 22
^{[10 AP/9 Coaches]} Duke (17-4, 5-2 ACC) vs.
^{[21 AP/19 Coaches]} Georgia Tech (16-5, 4-3 ACC)
Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 • 7:00 p.m. • ESPN2
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) • Durham, N.C.

The Opening Tip

Duke (17-4, 5-2 ACC), ranked 10th in the AP poll and ninth in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Georgia Tech (16-5, 4-3 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets enter the contest ranked 21st in the AP poll and 19th in the Coaches’ Poll. The game will air on espn2 with Mike Patrick, Jay Bilas and Heather Cox calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke lost 89-77 to No. 7 Georgetown on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Hoyas shot 71.7 percent (33-of-46) from the field in the contest, setting a new opponent record against the Blue Devils.

Nolan Smith led Duke’s offensive attack with 19 points, while Kyle Singler added 18 points and a game-high six rebounds. Senior Jon Scheyer finished with 17 points, four rebounds, five assists and a career-best five steals.

Georgia Tech 71, Duke 67 - Jan. 9, 2010

Duke fell, 71-67, to Georgia Tech earlier this year in Atlanta. Jon Scheyer led the Blue Devils with 25 points and six assists, while freshman Mason Plumlee added 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Duke shot just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from three-point distance in the contest and was outscored 22-9 at the free throw line. The loss snapped a four-game win streak over Georgia Tech for the Blue Devils.

Numbers Game

• Duke has won 14 straight games at Cameron Indoor Stadium, including 12 home contests this season. The Blue Devils have won 10 of the 12 games by 20 or more points and boast a +28.9 scoring margin at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
• The Blue Devils are 4-2 against teams ranked in the top 25 of the AP Poll. Duke has wins over Connecticut, Clemson (twice) and Gonzaga with losses to Georgia Tech and Georgetown. Ranked opponents are averaging just 60.0 points per game against the Blue Devils.
• Duke is ranked 10th in the AP poll, marking the 49th consecutive week ranked in the top 10. The Blue Devils are 34-13 all-time when ranked 10th in the AP poll.
• Duke leads the NCAA in free throw percentage at 77.4 percent (366-of-473). The Blue Devils are on pace to establish the third-highest free throw percentage in school history and the top mark under Mike Krzyzewski.
• The Blue Devils are shooting 50.3 percent (379-of-753) from the field, including 42.6 percent (103-of-242) from three-point range, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke has shot 50 percent or better from the field in five home contests this season.
• Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler make up the top scoring trio in the NCAA at a combined 53.0 points per game. The threesome has accounted for 25 of Duke’s 26 individual games with 20 or more points scored. Smith and Scheyer have each topped the 20-point mark nine times this season.
• Jon Scheyer leads the ACC in four statistical categories and is the only player in the league to rank in the top 5 in six statistical categories; scoring (second, 18.7 ppg.), assists (fourth, 5.6 apg.), free throw percentage (first, .903), three-point field goals (first, 2.7 3pg.), assist-to-turnover ratio (first, 3.3:1) and minutes (first, 36.1 mpg.).
• Junior Nolan Smith is averaging 19.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game over the last 12 contests. He is shooting 50.9 percent (83-of-163) from the field and 51.1 percent (23-of-45) from three-point range in that span. He has topped the 20-point mark in seven of those games.
• Kyle Singler is averaging 17.3 points per game and has five of his seven 20-point games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
• Duke is 10-3 on the year against teams ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, including a 7-3 mark against top 50 opponents.

Checking in on ...

#2 Nolan Smith - +9.8 ppg. increase from a year ago leads the ACC ... averaging 18.7 ppg. with three 20+ point games against ranked opponents

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

#5 Mason Plumlee - Averaging 1.0 blocks per game

#12 Kyle Singler - Has led the team in rebounding 10 times and in scoring six times

#20 Andre Dawkins - Fourth on the team with 28 three-point field goals ... shooting 40.6 percent from three-point range

#21 Miles Plumlee - Leads the team with 26 dunks ... shooting 65.5 percent (19-of-29) from the field in league play

#30 Jon Scheyer - Has scored in double figures in 20 of 21 games with nine 20-point games ... has led the team in assists in all 21 games

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

#42 Lance Thomas - Shooting 80.5 percent (33-of-41) from the foul line ... leads the Blue Devils with 10 charges taken

#55 Brian Zoubek - Five or more rebounds in 14 of 21 games ... four or more offensive rebounds eight times

Big Three Pace Blue Devil Offense

Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith combine to average 53.0 points per game or 64.7 percent of Duke’s scoring.

Scheyer is second in the ACC in scoring at 18.7 ppg., while Smith (18.2 ppg.) and Singler (16.1 ppg.) rank tied for third and eighth, respectively.

Texas Southern, Nevada, Fairfield, TCU, Portland State 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 highest scoring threesome in the NCAA this season and the fourth-highest at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski.