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Duke Basketball

Nolan Smith drops 33 as Duke rolls past UAB 85-64

Even hacking could not stop Nolan Smith on his way to 33 points, his career high at Duke. Nolan told BDN after the contest that Rollin' Nolan was indeed his favorite nickname. Photo Rick Crank for BDN

DURHAM - The nation's top ranked team, the Duke Blue Devils, remained undefeated, defeating Alabama Birmingham 85-64 on a night which featured Nolan Smith's career high scoring effort.  Smith dropped 33 points on a variety of moves and continues torrid play of late.

Smith's effort overshadowed fellow senior Kyle Singler who went over the 2000 point mark for his career at Duke.  Singler finished the game with 15 points to go with his 7 rebounds.  Smith added a team high 5 assists and, like his senior teammate, grabbed 7 rebounds.

"He's playing great right now.  He's just unstoppable, really.  He has high energy and is getting to the cup, he's really tough to guard," said Kyle Singler on Smith's effort.

Alabama-Birmingham scored the first three points of the game and then Duke went on a 16-0 run and they never looked back.  The Duke defense stifled the visitors early and, while they warmed up with their shooting as the game went along, Duke never came close to trailing again.

"I thought we were ready to play.  We go up 26-3, whatever it was and you knew you couldn't keep that up.  I was proud of my team," said Krzyzewski.

Duke also got a great game out of Mason Plumlee, who Krzyzewski said had his best game of the season.  Plumlee finished the game with 14 points and a team high 9 rebounds.

"That was Mason's best game at Duke.  He was talking, and he played with presence, getting 14 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks," said Krzyzewski on his sophomore centers 'play.

Overall, Duke looked more than ready to play tonight and this game served as a good tune-up before Maryland comes in this Sunday.  And remember, the Terp's were the last team to defeat the Blue Devils.

With the win, the Blue Devils move to to 14-0 on the season while UAB drops to 10-3.  Duke next faces Maryland at 8:00 on Sunday.

BDN Sidebar - Sophomore Andre Dawkins earned his third career start. It is the third time he has started in the last six games.

Senior Kyle Singler moved into a tie for ninth on Duke's career starts list with Danny Ferry. Singler drew his 124th career start.

Senior guard Nolan Smith scored eight of Duke's first 11 points in the game with a layup and two three-point field goals.

After UAB opened the game with a three-point field goal, Duke has gone on a 16-0 run over the next 4:02 minutes. It was the Blue Devils' longest run of the season. The previous long was 14 points against Elon.

Seniors Singler and Smith each reached double figures in scoring in the first eight minutes of the contest. The two captains are tied for the team lead with 13 games of 10 or more points this season.

Duke made five of its first six three-point field goal attempts. Singler and Smith each had two treys while Dawkins

Duke Football

Maryland linebacker will enroll early at Duke

Duke commit Jon Woodruff makes a tackle

Head Coach David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils will welcome one new member to the 2011 roster this spring in Jon Woodruff, a 6’3” 215 pound linebacker from the state of Maryland. Woodruff will enroll in Duke this month, coming off a senior season this past fall that earned him 1st team All-Southern Maryland Athletic Conference and 2nd team All-State honors. Playing for Westlake High School in Waldorf, MD, Woodruff recorded 36 tackles, 10 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries (1 for a touchdown), and a safety; the Wolverines finished the season 9-2 overall and 7-1 in their conference. Jon committed to the Blue Devils after attending a camp in Durham last June, where he ran the 40 in 4.6 seconds. BDN checked in with Jon before he heads to Durham for the spring semester.

BDN: Can you tell our members a little bit about your decision to commit to Duke?

I really decided to come to Duke because of the education and because I want to be a part of an up and coming football program. I’ve been talking to the coaches and they have a lot of big plans for what they’re going to be doing with the team, so I want to be a part of that right now while it’s starting.

BDN: You played mostly defensive line this year in high school; can you talk about what you expect your role to be at Duke?

They want me to play outside linebacker, so I’m going to have to adjust from a 3 point stance to standing up in the open field, so it’s going to be a change, but I expect it to be an easy one.

BDN: How much were you able to follow Duke’s season and what are your thoughts on the Duke team?

I was able to watch most of the games and I thought they way they played – they played a faster pace and they don’t quit. They play all four quarters.

BDN: Based on what you were able to see of the Duke team this year, what are you hoping to bring to the team when you get on campus?

I think I’m going to bring a little bit more speed to the defense.

BDN: It looks like you had a great senior year at Westlake, both as a team and individually. What were your thoughts on how your senior year went?

I think the year went pretty well for the whole team. I did good personally, and we could have done better, but everything happens for a reason.

BDN: I know you haven’t had a lot of time off, but what have you been working on as you prepare to get on campus at Duke?

I’ve been running and just doing pushups. When I can lift, I lift whenever it’s available for me.

BDN: Thanks so much, Jon. Best of luck at Duke.

Alright, no problem.

Duke Football

2011 Commit Chris Tavarez Updates BDN on his Official Visit and Senior Year

Happy New Year, Blue Devil Nation! 2011 will be an important year for Head Coach David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devil football program, as they look to continue their rebuilding effort and bring Duke to its first bowl game since 1994. While Duke will return a number of talented players on both sides of the ball, the 2011 recruiting class also features an impressive group of athletes that will bolster the depth at several positions. It is no secret that the Duke defensive secondary struggled in 2010, and the class of 2011 will add 3 players who expect to fight for playing time in the backfield as true freshmen. Among these is Chris Tavarez, a 5’11” safety out of Atlanta, Georgia. Chris was in Durham on an official visit in December and caught up with Blue Devil Nation afterwards.

BDN: Can you briefly recap your official visit to Duke?

I went down there with all of the other committed players and a few of them that weren’t committed and I had a lot of fun. My host was Matt Daniels, who is the starting strong safety, which I’m trying to play at Duke, and also the leading tackler. That was cool to see, you know, from a leader’s standpoint; I got to ask him questions and see how he likes Duke and his experiences, and even the bad parts about Duke, what he doesn’t like or what he wishes he could change, what he wants to improve on. That was cool, he was a great host. We ate a whole bunch, we ate a lot, probably four times a day, which is great because I’m always hungry and I’m always stressing to my parents that I’ve got to eat. It was fun and I learned a lot. I got to meet with a business major and talk to him, because I’m planning on either being a business major or a sociology major, so I got to talk to the business major and that was great to get his insight and his points. I think the most important part for me was that I got to talk to the safeties coach, Coach Knowles, and we broke down film and we got on board and he explained to me that I would best at playing the rover position at safety, and broke down every position in the defense. He told me what my best assets were and what Duke needed me for basically. I loved it, it was a great time, I got to talk to Coach Cutcliffe, the head coach, and yeah, everything was good.

BDN: There were some other commits in the secondary on campus that weekend. Can you talk about your relationship with them?

I was with Tim Burton and Jared Boyd. That was my first time meeting Tim, but I had met Jared, because Jared plays for Stephenson, a school – actually a powerhouse – over here in Georgia. He’s one of the best d-backs in Georgia, so I’ve met him through combines and we’ve played each other, and they really gave it to us, they killed us. [Laughs] Yeah, though, I actually met Jared at a combine at Georgia Tech, so that was cool to kind of be in competition with someone and then realize that he’s going to the same school as you. So that’s good to know we’re going to be on the same team. I met Tim, who I had heard a lot about Tim going into the official. I heard that he was probably one of the fastest recruits that we’ve got, so that’s good because speed is always needed. He’s a small guy, but what I love about Tim is that he talks a big game. Usually people that talk a big game have to bring some results after it, they have to bring some skill, so I love those guys, because I’m like that. I’m really talkative on the field, always trying to hype my boys up, always trying to make the next play, so I think that’s what we really need in 2011 and that’s going to be a great asset on the football field. I’m really psyched about our secondary, I think we’re going to look strong – all three of us have the potential to start and play as freshmen.

BDN: How much were you able to follow Duke’s season and where do you think the program is headed?

Duke’s 2010 season, it wasn’t all that, obviously. I think that we could have won a lot of games, we could have won at least 5 of those games that we lost. A lot of those games were lost by a touchdown or below, so it’s not like we’re just getting pummeled by these teams. It was just the little mistakes, I mean, we’re a young team and it’s the little mistakes that we’re making that didn’t get us the victory. I think with a lot of changes and with the recruits, we can definitely be top ACC contenders. I give us, probably two years, and we’ll be top ACC contenders, because it’s only the small things we have to change. We definitely have a bright future, our recruiting is getting way stronger and by no time we’ll be up there with the basketball program.

BDN: It looks like your team had a tough season. Can you give us a brief recap of your senior year for us?

What’s ironic is that we were going through the same thing Duke was with a very inexperienced, young team. We ended up 3-7 and it was kind of hard, because I’m coming off of a season, my junior year, where we only lost 2 games during the season and made it to the playoffs, to come to 3-7. So it was a pretty difficult time for me and I was also injured, mostly half of the season with a high ankle sprain, that I had to take easy and ice everyday in practice. It really sucked, but when I came back they put me at middle linebacker because I was one of the strongest hitters and one of the guys that makes sure tackles, so they put me at middle linebacker and I tried to do the best I could there, even though I was undersized being 190 or 185. I also played special teams, kickoff, kick return and that’s about it. I think Westlake, just like Duke, is going to have a good future in the years to come because we’re a really young team.

BDN: What are your plans for the offseason? What’s next for you?

My plan right now, Patrick, is just to get faster, stronger, and bigger. That’s my whole thing. What I got a lot from the players is really stress conditioning. After I sign my letter of intent, Duke will be sending me a book on the conditioning that I need to start working on and my workout plan. The players and the coaches really, I mean in capitals, REALLY stressed the conditioning because no one wants to go there as a freshman planning on playing and can’t even run the conditioning requirements. I’m really working on that. I want to get big, but I also want to keep my stamina where it is. Those are my plans. I want to at least get to Duke at around 205 or 210 pounds, and then during summer camp and all the conditioning I’ll probably slim back down to 200, 195 so I can be solid enough to play. Those are really my things. I also want to be able to learn the playbook pretty fast, so I’m always in touch with Matt Daniels, the safety over there, asking him about the plays and coverages and stuff like that.

BDN: When can Duke fans expect to see you on campus?

I actually have to talk to my counselor about that, but most likely the first session, I’ll be there, I think it’s May 18. I’d then have to fly back down for my graduation and then I’ll go back up there. It’s looking like the first session, I don’t know for sure.

BDN: That’s great. Thanks so much, Chris. We all look forward to seeing you in Durham. Best of luck with your senior year.

Yessir, thank you Patrick.

Blue Devil fans can catch Chris in the annual Metro Atlanta All Star Game, which will be played on January 8 at Grady Stadium in Atlanta. Blue Devil Nation will continue to bring updates on Duke football’s class of 2011 right up through signing day.

Duke Basketball

Game Story scratched! Thanks for the Memories Coach!

Thanks for the memories Coach! Let's make some more!

GREENSBORO - Face it, Greensboro Coliseum has been good to Duke over the years and you can make  a case for calling the place Cameron West.  There was no better setting for Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski to pass North Carolina's Dean Smith to take hold of sole possession of 2nd place on the All Time Wins list.

Everywhere you looked there was royal blue and the fans in attendance really seemed to enjoy being a part of history.  On a night when Kyle Singler dropped 27 points and Nolan Smith added 26, the shadow of Kryzewski was just too big to even discuss the game, one where Duke won handily with a 108-62 win over UNC-Greensboro.

I am dating myself here, but I was there when Mike Krzyzewski was named the new Duke Basketball Coach,  I watched him as he grew a program.  I watched as he stuck by his man to man defense and motion offense until he had the proper players to run it.  I watched as some notable Duke fans wanted his head.  I was there when his team hit a low losing to Wagner in Cameron and I also witnessed Virginia and Ralph Sampson thumping his Devils to where they'd remember it and seek revenge and the programs revenge included many more teams than the Cavaliers as his ascent began.

Then again, I was there when he won each national championship and when his team got to their first NCAA Tournament.  Pictures hang in Cameron where I was there for his return too with my index finger held high.  And folks, I'm only scratching the surface for I have truly been there from the start, up close and personal from the very beginning.  In short, the good memories are plentiful, a bounty of riches that are too numerous to cover.

Photo copyright, Rick Crank and BDN

By now you're thinking that this is not about my fandom for we all have wonderful memories as Blue Devil faithful and there are some who have been just as  fortunate as me.  But while it is really about Krzyzewski and his incredible success at Duke University, it is about me as well.  And if you're a fan, it's about you too.

You see, in a sense we are all in this together, a large family, at times dysfunctional with silly message board disagreements, but together once the ball is tipped in a Duke Basketball game.  It's about us for without the appreciation and memories, nobody would be around to tell of the man's and I do mean the mans exploits.  The memories are ours as they are Coaches.

So, to heck with a game story this evening.  We appreciate the teams efforts, but 880 wins!  Buy you a bag of Peanut M & M's and toss that many into a bowl if you have one big enough.  Drop a case of toothpicks on the floor and pick up 880 of them.  Coach K's accomplishment is in one word amazing and I'm sure you are just as thrilled as I am.  All I can say, is thanks for the ride coach!  On second thought, check that, for the ride is not over and I for one am thankful for that.

Duke Football

BDN Checks In with Duke WR commit Blair Holliday

In recent years, Duke has had a lot of success in recruiting and developing talented wide receivers in Durham, most notably All-ACC performers Eron Riley, Donovan Varner, and Conner Vernon. Current wide receivers coach Matt Lubick hopes to continue that trend, and secured a commitment back in August from Blair Holliday, a 6’3” wide receiver from Westlake Village, California. With a great frame and a breakout senior season, Blair looks like he will become another great receiving weapon for the Duke offense. Blue Devil Nation checked in with Blair just before Coach Lubick watched Blair play in his California sectional championship game.

BDN: It looks like Oaks Christian has had a very good year; can you give us a quick recap of your season so far and update on what’s new with you?
Actually, tonight we’re in the CIF sectional championship game at home, so I’m excited for the game tonight. I think Coach Lubick is going to be out here, the wide receivers coach there at Duke, is coming. Last week, Coach Roper was over at my house for an in-house visit and then January 15 – that weekend – I’m taking my official visit out to Durham. I mean, my senior season has been going great – better than I expected. A lot of people didn’t think we’d get to the point that we are now, being in a tougher league, losing the guys that we did last year. But we’re in the CIF championship tonight and hopefully we’ll come away with the W.

BDN: Can you talk a little about your visit with Coach Roper and where the coaches think you fit with the Duke program?
Basically, when Coach Roper came over, he explained to me the offense and how it functions. They run the – I forget what exactly the technical term is – but they run a slot receiver and two outside receivers. He said that when I come in, he’ll want me to learn both slot and outside receiver. He explained to me the breakdown that basically the X gets most of the balls in their offense and that at Duke since they do thrown the ball a lot their rotations with the wide receivers – there’s a lot of rotations. Basically he was hoping I could come in and get some playing time as a freshman, next year. Like I said, he told me that since the receivers usually get a majority of the balls, there’s a lot of – I’m not going to say injuries, but their wide receivers are beat up, so rotations are continuous in their system.

BDN: How much follow have you been able to follow Duke and what are your thoughts on the program?
I wasn’t really able to watch many games, it was difficult for me to find them, but I’d watch the Sportscenter recap or ESPN mobile scores on my phone. I saw a lot of games where they lost by a touchdown or it came down to a couple plays, which just shows me that the little things that lost them some close games – those things can be fixed. I’ve been looking at the recruiting class, the commits that have committed to Duke and it seems like they’re bringing in some real good quality guys. The future is bright and with the guys that they’re bringing in ,w hich I’ll be meeting a few in a couple weeks when I go out there. It looks like our future is promising.

BDN: You’ve got the championship game tonight, but what’s next for you?
The championship game tonight, then I start basketball season. During basketball season I’m just going to focus on weight lifting, maybe some speed training on the side. Little things that will get me in shape and will get me ready for when I get out there in July and start my college career.

BDN: Thanks, Blair. Good luck tonight.
Thanks a lot.

Oaks Christian defeated Westlake 29-28 to win their CIF championship and finish at 12-2. Blair scored the game winning 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter, while also hauling in 6 passes for 79 yards. UCLA and Colorado have recently expressed interest in Holliday, but Blair confirmed  to BDN that his only scheduled official visit will be to Duke in January. We will check back in with Blair after his official visit, as signing day approaches.