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Duke Basketball

Virginia Tech at Duke Game Notes

• Game 29 •

[5 AP / 4 Coaches] Duke (24-4, 11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (15-13, 4-9)

Saturday, February 25, 2012 • 12:00 p.m. • ACC Network

The Opening Tip

• Duke (24-4, 11-2) faces Virginia Tech in an ACC home contest on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 12:00 p.m.

• Tim Brandt (play-by-play) and Cory Alexander (analyst) will call the game for the ACC Network.

• Duke is ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll and No. 4 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Blue Devils are 68-24 when ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll. Virginia Tech is not ranked in either poll.

• Duke is the only team in the NCAA to rank in the top 5 in RPI, Strength of Schedule as well as the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Duke has three wins against top 10 teams in the RPI.

• The Blue Devils are 12-2 at home this season with both losses coming against ACC teams. Duke has not lost more than two games on Coach K Court since the 2006-07 season.

• With Thursday’s win at Florida State, Duke has assumed first place in the ACC standings.

Duke-Virginia Tech Series

• Duke and Virginia Tech have met 46 times heading into Saturday’s game with the first meeting between the two schools coming on Feb. 16, 1912.

• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 38-8, including a 9-3 ledger since the Hokies joined the ACC.

• Duke won the previous meeting this season 75-60 in Blacksburg, Va., thanks to an 18-point effort from freshman Austin Rivers. Duke has won two in a row in the series and six of the last seven meetings.

• The Blue Devils are 15-1 against the Hokies in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

• Mike Krzyzewski is 9-3 at Duke against the Hokies, including a 4-1 record in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

• Six of Duke’s last seven wins over Virginia Tech have been by at least 12 points. Duke’s last three losses to Virginia Tech have been by no more than four points.

Numbers Game

l Duke has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll for 90 straight weeks, the third-longest streak in NCAA history.

l The Blue Devils are 13-3 on the year in games decided by 10 points or less. The Blue Devils have six wins in ACC play by less than 10 points. Duke’s 13 wins by 10 points or less are tied for the sixth most in school history.

l Duke averages 25.5 points per game off the bench with 11 games with 30 or more bench points. The Blue Devils have had a double-digit scorer off the bench in 21 of 28 games this season.

l Only four Duke teams have won their first seven ACC road games. The Blue Devils are 7-0 in ACC road games, joining the 2005-06, 1999-2000 and 1998-99 teams as the only groups to win their first seven ACC road contests. Duke has not gone undefeated in ACC road games since 1999-2000.

l Duke has hit at least eight three-pointers in seven straight games. During that streak, the Blue Devils are shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range while averaging 30.4 ppg. from three-pointers.

l Andre Dawkins leads the ACC with a .422 three-point shooting percentage. Dawkins is 65-of-154 from beyond the arc this season and ranks third in made three-pointers.

l Duke has a +15.7 scoring margin in Cameron Indoor Stadium and a +6.6 rebounding margin at home. The Blue Devils score an average of 82.9 points per game on Coach K Court while holding opponents to 67.2 points per game. Duke has outrebounded nine of 14 opponents at home.

l Duke’s perimeter defense has improved significantly over the last 13 games. Duke has held those 13 opponents to a .277 shooting percentage from beyond the arc and allowed just three of those teams to shoot better than .350 from three-point range.

l Austin Rivers leads Duke in scoring at 15.2 points per game and has reached double figures in 24 contests. He is attempting to become just the third Duke freshman to lead the team in scoring.

l Miles Plumlee is averaging 9.0 points and 11.5 rebounds over his last four games. He has two double-figure rebounding games and two double-figure scoring games during that span, including a Coach K-era record 22 boards against Maryland.

l Seth Curry has made 16 consecutive free throws and 35 of his last 38 free throw attempts. He ranks second in the ACC with an .884 free throw percentage, which would rank as the seventh highest single-season mark in school history.

l Duke has had at least four double-figure scorers in 16 games this season. The Blue Devils are 15-1 when at least four players score 10 points.

l Seven Duke players have started at least 10 games this season, tying the school record. Duke last had seven players with at least 10 starts in 2008-09.

Duke Basketball

Duke at Florida State Game Notes

• Game 28 •

[5 AP / 4 Coaches] Duke (23-4, 10-2) vs. [15 AP / 16 Coaches] Florida State (19-7, 10-2)

Thursday, February 23, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. • ESPN

The Opening Tip

• Duke (23-4, 10-2) faces Florida State (19-7, 10-2) in an ACC road contest on Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m.

• Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (analyst) and Jeannine Edwards (sideline) will call the game for ESPN.

• Duke is ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll and No. 4 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Blue Devils are 67-24 when ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll. Florida State is ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll and No. 16 in the Coaches Poll.

• Duke is the only team in the NCAA to rank in the top 5 in RPI, Strength of Schedule as well as the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Duke has three wins against top 10 teams in the RPI.

• The Blue Devils are currently 6-0 on the road in league play. Duke has not won seven straight ACC road contests since the 2005-06 season.

Duke-Florida State Series

• Duke and Florida State have met 38 times heading into Thursday’s game with the first meeting between the two schools coming on Jan. 3, 1955.

• The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 30-8, including a 29-8 ledger since Florida State joined the ACC.

• Duke has lost two straight in the series after winning the previous five meetings. The Blue Devils have won 10 of the last 14 games between the two schools.

• Mike Krzyzewski is 28-7 at Duke against the Seminoles, including a 12-6 record at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Duke has won four of the last six road meetings in the series.

• Duke’s eight losses to Florida State have been by a combined 24 points (3.0 points per game). The Blue Devils have not lost by more than five points to the Seminoles.

• 11 of the last 15 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.

Numbers Game

l The Blue Devils are 4-1 on the season against ranked opponents. The last time Duke played a ranked Florida State team was an 84-81 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3, 1990.

l Duke has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll for 90 straight weeks, the third-longest streak in NCAA history.

l The Blue Devils are 12-3 on the year in games decided by 10 points or less. The Blue Devils have five wins in ACC play by less than 10 points. Duke’s 12 wins by 10 points or less are the ninth-most in school history.

l Duke averages 25.2 points per game off the bench with 10 games with 30 or more bench points. The Blue Devils have had a double-digit scorer off the bench in 20 of 27 games this season.

l The Blue Devils have had at least one 20-point scorer in each of the last six trips to Tallahassee.

l Only five Duke teams have won their first six ACC road games. The Blue Devils are 6-0 in ACC road games to start this season, joining the 2005-06, 1999-2000, 1998-99 and 1962-63 teams as the only ones to win their first six ACC road contests.

l Duke has hit at least eight three-pointers in six straight games. During that streak, the Blue Devils are averaging 29.0 ppg. from three-point range.

l The Blue Devils have scored at least 40 points in the second half in five straight games. The Blue Devils are averaging 41.5 points in the second half of games this season.

l Seth Curry has scored in double-figures in six consecutive games and is averaging 18.5 points per game in that span. He is 18-of-37 (.486) from three-point range and is also averaging 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in the last six contests.

l Austin Rivers leads Duke in scoring at 15.0 points per game and has reached double figures in 23 contests. He is attempting to become just the third Blue Devil freshman to lead the team in scoring.

l Miles Plumlee is averaging 8.7 points and 12.7 rebounds over his last three games. He has two double-figure rebounding games during that span, including a Coach K-era record 22 boards against Maryland on Feb. 11.

l Seth Curry has made 12 straight free throws and 33 of his last 36 free throw attempts. He ranks second in the ACC with an .882 free throw percentage, which would rank as the seventh highest single-season mark in school history.

l Brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee combine to average 17.7 points and 16.3 rebounds per game this season. Either Mason or Miles has led Duke in rebounding in 25 of Duke’s 27 games. The duo has also combined for 20 double-figure rebounding games on the year.

l Seth Curry and Austin Rivers have combined to average 36.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game over the last six contests. The tandem is 36-of-79 (.456) from three-point range in that span.

Duke Basketball

A look back at another amazing Duke win – time to give the Devils their due

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski entered a sweltering and packed media room in Cameron Indoor Stadium and he wanted no part of fielding questions about the Blue Devils perceived or real short comings or areas of needed improvement.  And who can blame him?  His team just pulled off an amazing comeback victory over a game N.C. State Wolfpack team that led his Blue Devils by 20 points with 11:33 on the clock in the second half.

Once again, Austin Rivers hit a huge three point shot with 2:26 left giving Duke a 73-71 lead and one they'd hold onto ending the game with a 78-73 victory keeping them in a three way tie atop the conference.  "When we made that run, I could just feel it.  I could just feel it.  I felt confident.  I love those games," said an elated Rivers.

While he may have liked the outcome, he was quick to say as did other Blue Devils that they cannot keep digging holes and expect to comeback.  In a span of eight days, Austin hit two of the biggest shots of  the season with one being  a dagger to the heart buzzer beater over arch rival North Carolina.

To give you an idea of the ferocity of the comeback, it was the largest in the Krzyzewski era, down 14 in the half.   "That was an amazing win," said the Hall of Fame coach who broke the all time NCAA win mark this season.  He continued, "I thought our fans were terrific, they never let us die."

And Cameron did rock and it sounded like jet aircraft taking off the runway when Rivers nailed the three to put Duke ahead for good.  There were times when every fan in the old girl were standing and it has been while since the collective did that. 

While it seemed bleak for much of the game, the first 29 minutes to be exact, Duke kept the faith, their heart and never quit which payed off in a most big way.  "They thoroughly outplayed us for close to 29 minutes but we thoroughly outplayed them for 11," said Krzzyewski.

And those 11 minutes were amazing (37-13 run to end the game) for a Duke team that has set the tone for ACC drama of late.  A quick look at the message boards, showed a lot of fans giving up, just as they had in the North Carolina game, only to all come back and dine on a crow sandwich as they celebrated another incredible and impossible to script win.

"Heroic," was the word Krzyzewski used for Seth Curry in the post game and man was he on the mark.  The junior went to the sidelines with what seemed like a game ending injury and he was escorted to the training room by Duke trainer Jose Fonsesca.    Curry told Fonseca that he didn't know if he could make a go of it according to Krzyzewski, but he was told he had to and he did and in the process had a story book 2nd half.

Curry dropped 21 of his team high 26 points in the second half in what I feel was his best game of the season.  He drew praise from his coach for his strong play with the ball in his hands and he was a match up nightmare for the befuddled Wolfpack team.  "That was a heroic performance by Seth," said Krzyzewski.  Duke will scheduled to take a look at his injury today to see if he is a go for Boston College this Sunday.

Now back to Krzyzewski and that hot media room.  A mildly flustered Krzyzewski when questioned by media said, "No, no, no,"when questioned about his concerns.  "You know what I am concerned with today? A celebration of a great win.  Whatever string of things happened, we are 22-4 and ranked in the top five of the RPI all season long. We're not a perfect team, but we're a good team," stated the long time Duke head coach.

And he is right.  Far too often the media and especially the fan base expect perfection yet overlook the fact of the seasons accomplishments to date.  The bottom line is Duke won and they are winning and they are competing with anyone.  Go back and harp on a loss at Ohio State if you like, but this is a better team now and a resilient one at that.

And keep in mind how tired Duke was after starting the season off in China and Dubai, then to Hawaii, New York and then Columbus where they faced a team that had nine days rest and had not played away from home with the Buckeyes.  Just sayin'

While there is no take charge leader on this years team, there is a perpetual will to get better and win and the Blue Devils continue to find ways of hanging around in the top five ranked teams in the country.  This Blue Devils team is finding ways to win in tough situations and that is the mark of a winner.

Pundits, critics and haters will continue to speak of the short comings of Duke while not recognizing their amazing success and a string of two memorable victories.  The media is just like that, some say doing there job, but the fan base should know better and if you haven't noticed yet, this team is pretty darn good and still learning.

Sit back and enjoy the season as it winds down and leave the nit picking to others.  This team has been amazing and it is time to give the Devils their due.

 

Duke Basketball

Austin Rivers named ACC Rookie of the Week for the 7th time

Austin Rivers became the fourth player in ACC history to win the conference’s rookie citation in four straight weeks. The selection upped his season’s selection total to seven; that’s good for third place in the 42-year history of the award.

In two games last week, the 6-2 freshman from Winter Park, Fla., averaged 20 points a contest on 9-for-16 3-point shooting and played 79 of a possible 80 minutes. The performances were highlighted by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the right wing that capped his own 29-point game and his team’s comeback from a 10-point deficit in the final two and a half minutes as Duke won at North Carolina 85-84 on Wednesday. The point total is the highest by any Duke freshman in the 233-game history of the series against the Tar Heels.

Three days later, Rivers had 11 points, four assists and only two turnovers in a 40-minute outing against Maryland.

No player has won the Rookie award in more than four straight weeks. The others at four are North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough, who had two separate streaks during the 2005-06 season; Dion Glover of Georgia Tech in December of 1997; and another Yellow Jacket, Kenny Anderson, in 1990.

In all, Rivers has become the third player to earn the rookie distinction seven or more times. Hansbrough and Anderson hold the record with 10.

At 15 points a game, Rivers leads Duke in scoring and would be the first Blue Devil freshman to do so since Johnny Dawkins in 1982-83.

Courtesy ACC Media services

Duke Basketball

Miles Plumlee hopes to build on 22 rebound effort

Sitting behind the Duke bench during the Blue Devils 73-55 victory over Maryland was a proud father who had just watched not one, but two sons produce double-doubles.  Perky Plumlee had that look of satisfaction on his face as he cracked his normally serious game face for a big grin and why not?

His eldest son, Duke senior Miles Plumlee had just grabbed an amazing 22 rebounds, the most of any player on a team Mike Krzyzewski has coached.  "Miles  was fabulous. That's the most rebounds any player has ever had that I have coached in 37 years in a ball game, and I told Miles, I have coached some pretty good players," Krzyzewski stated in his post game press conference.

The hope is that Plumlee will build on this performance and bring consistent play down the stretch as March will soon be upon us.  With just six regular season games left and three of those at home, maybe that is in the back of the seniors mind. 

Krzyzewski alluded to the fact that (Miles) Plumlee was great today and while he would not put pressure on Plumlee, he did mention him in the same breath as Brian Zoubek who played a huge role in helping Duke win the 2010 National Championship.

There are times when the light just comes on for players and if Plumlee were to bring half the rebounds he grabbed against Maryland to the table the rest of the way, it would be a good thing for Duke.

"I know I have the potential to be a great asset to this team," said Plumlee who then stated, "I just have to be consistent and play strong every night and that's something I can do."

The mere fact that Plumlee has grabbed more rebounds in a single game than any other player in the ACC this season is impressive.  And Plumlee has the athleticism and size to be a major factor in coming games.

With wo straight double-doubles recorded by Plumlee it makes for a good start to stepping up his game as did the aforementioned Zoubek.  And one must also remember that he was on that title team and saw up close and person what it takes to make a run at the ultimate prize.

On a day when it was hard to get up for the task at hand after a rousing and classic win over arch rival North Carolina, Miles Plumlee answered the bell and Duke fans can only hope that the comparisons to Zoubek continue.

Many Blue Devils fans voiced their displeasure with the new Nike duds on social media networks but it seems Miles took to them just fine.  In fact, one might consider letting him wear that jersey underneath which ever other one he chooses the rest of the season.