Kyle Singler sat down with the media just minutes ago for a question and answer session going into the ACC Tournament.
What did the coaches have to say after Sunday's tough loss?
Just take open shots. Whether it's 25 or 30 open shots, you should take them. As long as they are good shots he wants us to take as many as possible.
How do you feel now as opposed to last year from a physical standpoint?
It's really hard to look back at last year at this point to see where we were as a team because it was such a long time ago. I mean, right now as a team we feel great. We feel we are in a great position to make a good run at this thing and getting a lot of guys back healthy is a key. Everybody is excited and that's the way it should be.
What about you personally?
I will tell you the same answer. It's hard for me to tell where I was last year at this point, but I feel great.
Do you feel like you guys can continue forward where all five starter played big minutes?
Every game is different. Every game brings a different situation. We are going to have to have guys come off the bench to help us. That's not to say, they haven't. Dave has been big for us. Brian has had big minutes for us and down the line. Five guys are going to play the majority of the minutes and that's just the way it is.
Going back to being fresh ... doe's it have something to do with the all out way you play?
That's the way you should play, I guess. It's the way I play. I feel good right now. I guess having a year under your belt of college basketball is definitely a good thing to have.
Coach said on Sunday, that the way you are playing now, guys are getting different shots. Can you speak for yourself about the kind of shots you are getting now that you are playing a different way?
I think what coach was trying to say to us, is not different shots, but the amount of shots we get. I think what he is trying to say is ... guys get shots in different positions. You might go through a stretch where you might not shoot the ball for five minutes and you might get five shots at different positions. It's just getting use to the flow you might have. Just taking good shots.
Have you thought about who you will play on Friday?
The two teams that we might play, we've played before. As of now we are not focusing on a team or who is projected to win. We are just focusing on ourselves right now and trying to get better as a team.
Would you relish a chance to get back at Boston College?
I think right now our focus is that it's a new season and what's happened, happened. Whether it's BC or Virginia, we are starting fresh.
What would winning an ACC Championship do for you guys?
Well, coming in to this, it's a new season and we're playing the best basketball we've been playing throughout the whole season. This is a time where if you win three games, you feel good about yourself. Winning a tournament helps your confidence, boosts your confidence. You definitely want to come in and play as well as you can and that projects into the NCAA Tournament.
About having success in March ...
We just have to come in with the mindset, just like I said it's a new season. What we've done we've done. And this Duke team? We need to do something this year and we know that. I think guys are excited because of that. We just have to stay healthy. We have the team to win - win games, win big games. It's a confident group.
As a team we still have a lot of growth still. We are not as a group at or where we will be. I know that's tough to say, but a lot of guys still have a lot of potential, still. So, what Jon was trying to say is that we might not know how good we really are. This week is a big week for us. We're not worried about who we are playing, we're just trying to get better as a team.
Nolan Smith returned to practice today, but is still listed as questionable at this time. "He's okay, he's back at practice," said a nodding Elliot Williams when questioned by the Blue Devil Nation. Smith suffered a concussion and bruised ribs when he ran into a nasty screen from David Neal during the Maryland game.
Check back in for a Kyle Singler interview later today. Also, premium members get a one on one exclusive with Elliot Williams.
Our Senior Cheerleaders still have some more cheering to do this season
Yesterday was not the best of days for fans of Duke Basketball, but there was a silver lining. The Blue Devil men fought valiantly only to come up short late against their arch rival UNC, while the women lost a heartbreaking defeat in the ACC Tournament final to Maryland.
Duke Women's loss to Maryland- Duke came into the game with fabulous wins over Virginia and Florida State, two very strong teams. They faced a Maryland team led by two of the nations very best players in Kristin Tolliver and Marissa Coleman.
The Blue Devils staged a terrific comeback late in a hard fought game to send it to overtime. As entertaining as the entire tournament had been, the final show was quite the show. Maryland used an amazing touch from the free throw line to ice the game.
Duke came up just short, as Abby Waner launched a desperation three pointer that fell short. Waner then turned right in front of me with tears immediately welling up in her eyes and Duke was forced to watch the Terps celebrate.
Sure, the fans were disappointed as was the team, but the Duke contingent gave the women what they deserved in a huge ovation for the effort. I mean, they were just inches away.
Despite the loss, Duke showed a bit of moxie in the tournament and they served notice that they will be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament.
The Duke Men's loss to UNC- One of the more stinging defeats comes from losing to your arch rival, but Duke in no way rolled over. In fact the Blue Devils came into this game with legitimate injuries to Lance Thomas and Jon Scheyer who played on sore ankles.
Oh, and Nolan Smith didn't suit up at all. Krzyzewski used this game to play his starters as he would in a crucial NCAA game and he came away knowing his team had fight.
UNC simply a few more plays and found a way to win on senior day. Duke didn't get it's normal production from Gerald Henderson and they had little help off the bench, but they still hung in the game.
Jon Scheyer was amazing in that he didn't miss a shot from the field and he played the PG spot without a single turnover. Scheyer was visibly upset and drained during an interview after the loss. Scheyer and Duke lost with dignity and it's obvious that this team is not fading late in the season as it seemed to in the past two years.
Like the women' s team, the men will be a tough out once the pairings are announced. There was no complaining from Kryzewski and company, yet they had plenty to whine about from the outside looking in. They also found themselves in the 9:20 game in Friday's ACC Tournament, but the only thing you will hear from that is the quick turnaround.
On a day when Scheyer and Waner were upset from a painful loss, they were still embraced by the Duke fan base, for their teams were awfully close to winning these games.
So, cheer up Abby! There are more games to be played and no two players showed the heart of Duke better than Jon Scheyer and yourself.
Duke advanced to the ACC Tournament Championship game by defeating #2 seed Florida State 75-57. Once again, Duke shot over 50% from the field as they continue to play their best basketball of the season. The Blue Devils avenged an overtime loss in Tallahassee behind a balanced attack which produced four players in double figures.
Jasmine Thomas led the way with 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting. Many of her buckets helped Duke thwart a second half Seminole rally which cut a 22 point half time advantage to just 10 points. Coach Joanne P. McCallie called timeout and the Blue Devils regained their edge as they rolled to an unexpected easy win.
"Just an excellent strong game for us. Our team really worked hard defensively. I thought we played well, very well off each other, defensively and offensively. A good start, and pretty thorough throughout the game despite one small area of giving up a few 3's in transition," said McCallie in her opening statement to the media.
Helping Thomas on the offensive end were seniors Careem Gay with 13 and 11 points . Karima Christmas had 12 points and Abby Waner tallied 9 points.
Jasmine calls the play - BDN Photo
Once again the Blue Devils were able to utilize their bench with nine players 12 minutes or more. Duke played all twelve players in the contest and their bench won the scoring battle 22-12.
As good as the offense has been, this years team relies on it's stingy defense. Florida State managed hot 20 of 59 shots, going 33.9% for the game. And an even more telling stat was the Blue Devils outscored their opponent in the paint 38-14.
After two surprisingly even games, Duke is in for a battle tomorrow against Maryland. The Terps won the most exciting game of the tournament defeating North Carolina 95-84. The game provided many streaks and had the crowd jumping.
Maryland guard Kristin Toliver hit all 13 of her free throws, scoring 25 points to go with 5 assists. But the star of this game was teammate Marisa Coleman. The first team All ACC performer hit a sizzling 9 of 13 from the field to help her finish the game with 29 points.
The Terps hit 28 of 36 free throws, while the Tar Heels made it to the line just 13 times. North Carolina finishes 26-6 and awaits their seeding which takes place next week.
BDN Photo
The Duke - Maryland contest is a game of contrasting styles. During the post game press conferences, Coach P pointed to defense while Maryland coach Brenda Frese talked of offense.
The Terps could be the most balanced team in the ACC. The two teams split the series during the regular season, each winning at home. Frese promised a sea of red tomorrow.
"I personally can't think of anything better playing in a championship against Maryland my senior year, not referencing anything specific, of course. We know them well. They know us well. So therefore it's not about who can scout better. It's not about who can prepare better. It's a head-to-head match-up that we know very well. So it's going to come down to who wants it more," said Duke senior Abby Waner.
Duke will also have to find a way to keep the Terp's solid front line in check.
"Maryland's bigs, they were very effective against Carolina; Coleman and Toliver went to the foul line 26 times, so they attacked the basket a lot today, how do you prepare for that?," said Waner.
Duke fans need to turn out at the Greensboro Coliseum in force to support their team. There is no love lost between these two teams and the game is sure to be entertaining.
Some kudos are in order - While there was little defense in the game, Maryland and UNC excited the crowd and both teams deserve a pat on the back for the show. The ACC Tournament organizers do a fabulous job in Greensboro. Their hospitality and organization are top notch and it's been a pleasure to cover the event. The Duke Women are on fire and Coach P has these women on the same page at the right time. Look for out ACC Tournament Photo Gallery Monday.
From out friends at GoDuke.com -
GREENSBORO, N.C.-- For the second straight game, Duke shot over 50.0 percent from the field and went on to cruise to a 75-57 victory over 12th-ranked Florida State on Saturday in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Greensboro, N.C.
Duke will next take on Maryland in Sunday's ACC Championship at 1:00 p.m., on Fox Sports Net.
Blue Devil Postgame Notes * No. 2 seed Florida State vs. No. 3 seed Duke * March 7, 2009
ACC Tournament Semifinals
With The Duke Victory:
* Will next face top-seeded Maryland in the ACC Championship game on Sunday, March 8 at 1:00 p.m. The game will be aired live on Fox Sports Net.
* Moved to 6-0 all-time against Florida State in ACC Tournament play.
* Increased the series record to 29-8 all-time against the Seminoles.
* Improved to 26-4 overall on the season.
* Moved to 23-4 all-time in the ACC Tournament when the games have been played in the Greensboro Coliseum. Overall, Duke owns a 25-5 record in games played in the Greensboro Coliseum.
* Joanne P. McCallie improved to 28-10 all-time in conference tournament action.
* Now owns 23 ACC Tournament victories in ACC Tournament play since 2000.
* Improved to 32-26 all-time in ACC Tournament play.
* Won its second straight ACC Tournament game against a ranked opponent and improved to 8-3 on the year against ranked teams.
* Improved to 5-4 all-time against No. 2 seeds, but won its fifth straight contest.
Senior Chante Black
* Moved into a tie for eighth place on Duke's all-time points list with 1409.
* With her five free throws made, moved into eighth place on Duke's all-time list with 299.
* Pulled down eight rebounds to move into 23rd place on the ACC career rebounding list with 971.
* Finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in 24 minutes.
* Will play in her third ACC Championship game on Sunday - 2005 and 2008 were both losses.
Senior Abby Waner
* Hit three three-pointers marking the 10th time out of the last 14 games she has hit two or more treys.
* Has nailed 7-of-10 from downtown in the two ACC Tournament games.
* Has hit 50.0 percent or better in back-to-back games from three-point range for the first time this season.
* Finished hitting 3-of-4 from three-point land, had nine points and three assists.
* Has now hit 22 career three-pointers in the ACC Tournament, which ranks Duke's all-time leader in ACC Tournament action. Her 22 treys also ranks as the fourth-highest total in ACC history.
Senior Carrem Gay
* Registered double-figure scoring for the fourth time out of the last six games.
* Had 13 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal in 23 minutes.
Sophomore Karima Christmas
* Totaled double-figure scoring for only the sixth time this season with 10 points.
Sophomore Jasmine Thomas
* Registered 14 points, five assists and two rebounds in 29 minutes.
* Had double-digits in three out of the last four games.
* After hitting only 1-of-7 field goals the day before, hit 6-of-9 shots.
Other Duke Notes:
* For the second straight game, Duke shot over 50.0 percent from the field in the first half (53.1). In two ACC Tournament games, the Blue Devils have shot 55.7 percent in the first half this year (34-61).
* Held a 38-14 points in the paint advantage.
* Held FSU to 18 points in the first half marking the 14th time out of 30 games the Blue Devils have held an opponent to 22 points or fewer in the first stanza.
* Hit 51.8 percent from the field marking the second straight game the Blue Devils have hit over 50.0 percent from the field in the ACC Tournament. The back-to-back 50.0 percent shooting in the ACC Tournament was only the second time it has ever happened for the Blue Devils. The other time was in 2000 when Duke won the ACC.
* Held FSU to 57 points marking the 22nd time out of 30 games Duke has held an opponent to 58 points or under.
* Collected a 22-12 bench points lead.
* After getting outrebounded in the last contest, Duke held a 36-31 advantage on the day.
* In two games, has hit 15-of-25 from three-point land for a 60.0 percentage
Ames defeated Roosevelt 75-42 on Tuesday night. Harrison Barnes scored 14 points as Ames advanced to the State Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. The Little Cyclones are the number one seed in the tournament and will face number eight seed Iowa City West on Wednesday March 11.
Harrison Barnes' mother denied rumors circulating that Barnes will transfer to Oak Hill Academy for his senior season. Barnes is the number one rated player in the Class of 2010 and is being pursued by top basketball schools across the nation including Duke and Kansas.
Andre Dawkins scored 37 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Atlantic Christian defeated Covenant 90-61 in the Virginia Independent Schools tournament quarterfinals. Dawkins scored 16 points in the semi-finals as Atlantic Shores defeated Norfolk Christian 76-63. James McAdoo, a highly rated 6'8" sophomore, scored 37 points for Norfolk.
DeMatha edged Gonzaga 62-61 in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game. Tyler Thornton scored 14 points for Gonzaga. Quinn Cook scored 13 points to lead DeMatha.
The Duke Blue Devils used a suffocating defense to smother Virginia from the very start of their opening round game of the ACC Tournament. Holding the Cavaliers to just 36.4% from the field the Blue Devils recorded a surprisingly easy 76-53 win.
It certainly helped that Duke hit a season high 56% from the field, led by Abby Waner who went 4 of 6 from the three point stripe on her way yo 16 points. Chante Black and Joy Cheek were the only other Dukies to score in double figures, tallying 12 points apiece.
Duke played 12 players in the game and had contributions from many. In fact just two Blue Devils failed to score in the game. The Duke bench outscored their opponent 32-16.
While Duke was outrebounded for just the eighth time this season, they controlled the paint on the offensive end outscoring the Cavs 36-20. Duke also boosted their all time tournament record in Greensboro to 22-4.
Waner went 6 of 9 from the field to lead Duke over Virginia - BDNP
Duke now stands at 25-4 for the season and will try to avenge an overtime loss to Florida State, the second seed at 3:30 tomorrow. Florida State comes in at 25-6 and is 13-2 against conference opponents.
All four top seeds made the semi finals and all four teams are ranked in the top twelve teams in America. UNC will face Maryland in the days opener. With such great competition, all fans who can make it over to Greensboro Coliseum.
Ames defeated Roosevelt 75-42 on Tuesday night. Harrison Barnes scored 14 points as Ames 
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