Game 8 l Carquest Auto Parts Classic  [1 AP / 1 Coaches] Duke (7-0)  vs. Butler (4-2)
Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010 • 3:15 p.m.
 
The Opening Tip• Duke faces Butler on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 3:15 p.m. (EST) in the Carquest Auto Parts Classic at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
• The game is being televised by ESPN with Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Doris Burke (sideline) calling the action.
• Duke is ranked No. 1 in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, while Butler is unranked in both polls.
• The Blue Devils enter the contest 7-0 on the year, while the Bulldogs are 4-2 overall.
• Duke has won 17 consecutive games entering Saturday’s contest.
• The Blue Devils are looking to open the season 8-0 for the 16th time under Coach K.
• Saturday’s game marks a rematch of the 2010 NCAA Championship game. Duke earned its fourth NCAA title with a 61-59 win over Butler.
 
Duke at the Meadowlands (Izod Center)• Duke and head coach Mike Krzyzewski are 18-1 all-time at the Meadowlands.
• The Blue Devils have won 11 consecutive games at the Meadowlands dating back to a 77-75 loss to Arizona on Feb. 26, 1989.
• Duke is 10-0 in NCAA Tournament games and 8-1 in regular season games in East Rutherford, N.J.
 
Duke vs. the Horizon League• Duke is 9-1 all-time against teams currently in the Horizon League.
• The Blue Devils have won seven straight games against Horizon League opposition.
• Mike Krzyzewski is 7-0 at Duke against Horizon League opponents.
• Duke has a +18.3 scoring margin versus the Horizon League with six wins by 20 or more points.
 
Numbers Game
l Mike Krzyzewski is one win shy of matching Adolph Rupp for third place on the all-time coaching wins list. Coach K enters Saturday’s game with 875 career wins.l The Blue Devils have won 17 consecutive games dating back to a 79-72 loss at Maryland on March 3, 2010. Duke has won 25 of its last 26 games overall.
l Duke has won 34 consecutive games against teams outside the traditional power conferences (Big Ten, Big East, SEC, ACC, PAC 10, Big 12). Virginia Commonwealth’s 79-77 win over Duke in the 2007 NCAA Tournament was the Blue Devils’ last loss to a team from a non-power conference.
l The Blue Devils have won 16 straight neutral site games dating back to a 77-54 loss to Villanova in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
l Duke has trailed a total of 3:00 this season. The Blue Devils have not trailed in the final 30 minutes of any game and have not trailed by more than two points this season.l Senior Nolan Smith leads the ACC with 18 straight double-figure scoring games. He has scored 10 or more points in 31 of the last 32 games for the Blue Devils.
l Duke’s starting backcourt of Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving combines to average 33.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 11.2 assists per game. The tandem is also shooting 53.0 percent (79-of-149) from the floor. Smith and Irving have both reached double-figures in scoring in all seven games this season.
l Duke has scored 80 or more points in six games this season. The Blue Devils have won 21 consecutive games when scoring 80+ points. Duke is 488-46 under Coach K when scoring 80 or more points in a game.
l Sophomore Mason Plumlee has three double-doubles and has grabbed 10 or more rebounds four times this season. Plumlee is averaging 13.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game in the last four contests.
l Senior Kyle Singler is expected to make his 118th career start on Saturday. Duke is 99-18 with Singler in the starting lineup. Singler’s .846 winning percentage as a starter at Duke is the fourth-best in school history.
l Kyrie Irving, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler are combining to average 53.8 points per game over the last four contests. l Duke is the only team in the ACC with more than one player ranked in the top 10 in scoring. Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving are tied for fourth at 16.9 points per game, while Kyle Singler ranks seventh at 16.0 ppg.
l Freshman Kyrie Irving ranks in the top 10 of the ACC in six statistical categories (scoring, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, assists, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio).
l Duke has forced 20 or more turnovers four times this season. The Blue Devils are averaging 25.3 points per game off turnovers.
l The Blue Devils are averaging 49.0 points per game in the second half of play this season. Duke is shooting 55.5 percent (111-of-200) from the field, including 56.5 percent (39-of-69) from three-point range, over the final 20 minutes of action.
l Senior Kyle Singler is averaging 18.3 points per game while shooting 48.6 percent (18-of-37) from the field and 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from three-point range in neutral site games this season.