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Duke Basketball

#2 Duke Rolls Delaware 88-50

DURHAM, N.C. - Despite the fact that starting guard Seth Curry sat out the game with an ankle injury and the fact they were coming off a huge win over Ohio State, the Duke Blue Devils had no letdown as they demolished Delaware 88-50 in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday afternoon. With the victory Duke moves to 8-0 on the young season; the team will surely get more votes for the number one spot in the nation this week, which Indiana has occupied all year.

It was a feel-good game for Duke in more ways than one. With the students potentially being preoccupied with exam week, it looked initially as if attendance might be a little sparse, but a late rush filled the old arena and the atmosphere was the usual Cameron. On this day, the home fans gotwhat they wanted -- not only a victory, but a chance to see the bench guys get plenty of minutes to hopefully spur their development.

Seniors Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee led Duke with 18 points each; the All-American hopeful Plumlee posted another double-double as he also corraled 11 rebounds. Another veteran, Tyler Thornton, had only three points, but more importantly played his best floor game of the season, dishing out ten assists and grabbing six rebounds from his guard spot. The Blue Devil guards dominated the Blue Hens backcourt, as they combined for 22 assists on the day. Thornton earned the praise of Mike Krzyzewski in the post-game press conference, and for good reason.

Rasheed Sulaimon continued his stellar play as well, stepping up for the injured Curry and scoring 14 points to go with 4 rebounds and 6 assists. He is the coolest customer as a freshman that I have seen at Duke in quite some time and, more importantly, the unselfish Sulaimon is the consummate team player, never forcing anything and always playing within the team concept.

The Blue Devils also got another great game from Quinn Cook, who has earned the keys to the car at the point guard spot, allowing Thornton to play the sixth man role he seems to relish. Cook brings a brash, cool confidence to the court and in addition to posting consistent numbers, he's making players around him better.

That brings us to the Duke bench, that in this game was just four players deep due to the injuries to Curry and Marshall Plumlee. Both Alex Murphy and Amile Jefferson got valuable minutes and turned in solid performances -- performances they can build on. Murphy has been the subject of inaccurate web rumors of late with concern to his status at Duke, but he was happy after helping his team play with intensity for a full forty minutes. Murphy ended the game with 10 points and 7 rebounds, both career highs at Duke, while Jefferson added 12 points and 6 rebounds. Those totals were also career highs for the freshman forward from Philly.

All in all, it was an impressive performance from a Duke team that came out with plenty of intensity and was able to coast to a win. The Blue Devils dominated the game throughout and from every position, outscoring the Blue Hens in the paint by a 40-24 margin and also getting a season-high 27 points from the bench. "I feel good about everybody's play. Everybody played well today. Everybody. They were terrific together," said Kryzewski in the post-game. That statement pretty much sums up another solid win for Duke.

Game Notes:
- The Blue Devils pushed their home winning streak against non-conference opponents to 98 straight
- Their 8-0 start is their third in the last five seasons.
- Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee have scored in double figures together in all but one game this season.

Duke Basketball

Quinn Cook Plays Iron Man Minutes vs Ohio State

Quinn Cook is growing into his role as the teams leader at point guard in his second season. He played Iron Man minutes in the win over Ohio State helping Duke remain undefeated this season. Photo - Lance King

DURHAM, N.C. -  Duke has a new leader at point guard and his name is Quinn Cook.  The sophomore played every minute of last evening's game, going up against one of the most ballyhooed guards in the nation in Buckeye Aaron Craft.  And the numbers speak for themselves.  Craft struggled from the field all night long while Cook took over in the second half, nailing six consecutive free throws down the stretch and tallying 12 points while dishing out eight dimes on the evening.  The emergence of Cook this season has allowed Seth Curry and Rasheed Sulaimon to play off the ball while Tyler Thornton serves in the sixth man role.  Cook is the type of player that gets better as the game goes on.  Perhaps this is still part of the learning curve, for he is far from a finished product, but make no mistake: he is here to stay.  And the best is yet to come.

Duke Basketball

BDN Rapid Report – Duke 73 Ohio State 68

Coach K was happy with his teams win and their play to date in the post game.

It took a half for Duke to adapt to the physicality of the game, but adjust they did, and that resulted in a 73-68 victory over Ohio State in a rollicking Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke guards came alive in the second half and that, combined with another herculean effort from Mason Plumlee, led Duke to its seventh win on the young season, helping the #2 rated team remain undefeated.

Mason Plumlee now All-Time Dunk Leader at Duke

With four dunks, Mason Plumlee has more flushes than anybody in the history of Duke Basketball, surpassing Robert Brickey for that honor. His play prompted Jeff Goodman to tweet that Mason is now the front-runner for National Player of the Year. Plumlee scored a game-high 21 points to go with 17 rebounds in yet another outstanding performance, one which may finally earn him overdue ACC Player of the Week honors. Plumlee has started in 58 of his last 61 games at Duke and has an ACC-leading four double-doubles this season. He became the 17th player in Duke history to reach 700 rebounds tonight as well. When asked about the Blue Devils' early season success, Plumlee stated, "We love it. The schedule at Duke is part of the reason you come here and I think this team has embraced the schedule and the challenges we've had."

Rasheed Sulaimon erupts in the 2nd half

Duke freshman Rasheed Sulaimon earned high praise from Coach Krzyzeswki in the post-game press conference. On a night when Seth Curry struggled with his shot, Sulaimon's 17 second half points were vital in the Duke win.  Sulaimon is quite cool under pressure and never seems to let anything get to him, including a first half where he did not score.  He's hit at least one three-pointer in each of the Blue Devils' seven wins. "Coach told me to step it up (at the half). My teammates just trust in me. I wanted to step up for my teammates, and when he called my number I was just very aggressive and delivered," said Sulaimon.

Quinn Cook has another solid effort

At the half Quinn Cook had 2 points and 2 assists. He ended the game with 12 points, including 6 of 7 free throws down the stretch with the game on the line, as well as totalling 8 assists. But his biggest stat was his six defensive rebounds. Cook also hit players like Mason Plumlee for huge momentum-changing buckets, including the ESPN Play of the Day, a thuderous one-handed dunk on the break. "Quinn played a great game. He was up against one of the  best point guards in America (Craft). An amazing stat for Quinn was his six defensive rebounds," said Krzyzewski when asked about Cook.  Quinn has turned a corner with his play of late, and he's stepped up to the plate for good this go round.  The Blue Devils have turned over the keys to Cook this season, and he seems to be relishing the role of being the starting point guard at Duke.

Steady Kelly

Ryan Kelly knocked down 3 of 5 three-pointers and those came at big moments in the game for Duke, and he finished with 15 points. Krzyzewski praised Kelly in the post-game as well, saying it was his best game of the season. Kelly's back-to-back three-point shots in a 40 second span brought the Crazies to their feet and helped swing the momentum in the Blue Devils' favor after they had trailed for almost the entire game.

Recap

Mental toughness and resolve helped Duke win this game. The Blue Devils weathered a first half performance where they struggled to get shots off and in the second half locked down much more on the defensive end. Mason Plumlee was the best player on the court and he imposed his will at times, and that was needed on a night when Curry was a bit off or possibly hurting from his shin issues. Duke is Final Four material on November 29th and they can get even better. They have games coming up where they can develop their bench, which scored just four points against Ohio State, and will soon get Marshall Plumlee back from his foot injury as well. Duke has gone up against the nation's best and has passed all tests with flying colors, having defeated three of the four teams from last year's Final Four already.  Add to that wins over Minnesota and Virginia Commonwealth and this team is more than a little battle-tested.  And the most recent four wins have come in just seven days. More importantly, the team chemistry is as good as it's ever been, and for that to happen this early in the season is a testament to the staff's off-season adjustments.

Game Notes

  • Duke has now won 97 consecutive non-conference home games.
  • The Blue Devils have now defeated three top five teams this season.
  • Duke improved to 12-2 all-time in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
  • The Blue Devils have started 7-0 for the third straight season, and have won 56 of their last 57 games played in November.
  • Duke improved to 111-16 when ranked in the #2 position in the national polls.
  • Against Ohio State, Duke trailed at the half for the first time this season.  Four Blue Devils score in double figures and the game marked the fifth straight in which Duke has used the same starting lineup.
Duke Football

Duke Football Coach David Cutcliffe Named ACC Coach of the Year

Cutcliffe named ACC Coach of the Year - Photo copyright Mark Watson and BDN

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke Head Football Coach David Cutcliffe has been named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year. Cutcliffe led Duke to a 6-6 regular season record, a three win jump from a season ago. The Blue Devils were picked last in their division in the pre-season and surpassed almost all expectations, becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since the 1994 season.

Cutcliffes' Blue Devils lost several starters in the pre-season and his team weathered further injuries during the year, yet still overcame the adversity to post the best season at Duke in 18 years. Cutcliffe recently signed a well-deserved contract extension at Duke, but he is not resting on his laurels. He's out on the recruiting trail this week as his team awaits a sure bowl invitation, expected to be issued as early as this coming Sunday.
“This honor is both humbling and rewarding because of the quality of the coaches in our conference,” said Cutcliffe.  “Like all awards, the credit reaches far beyond one person and this is truly one for our entire program.  Ultimately, the acclaim goes to both our staff and the group of young men that came to practice every day with a desire to improve and prepare, gave their best effort on Saturdays, succeeded academically and served our community with pure selflessness.  While this was a season of progress for our program, many of the goals we laid out five years ago have not been reached and we’ll continue our pursuit of excellence.

2012 ACC Coach of the Year Voting Results

David Cutcliffe, Duke (25)

Dabo Swinney, Clemson (7)

Jimbo Fisher, Florida State (5)

Larry Fedora, North Carolina (4)

Al Golden, Miami (4)

Tom O’Brien, NC State (1)

Blue Devil Nation congratulates Coach Cut on a successful season and a well-deserved award.

Duke Basketball

BDN’s Duke Basketball Notebook

When the new college basketball Top 25 comes out later today, you'll see the Duke Blue Devils take a significant jump to either the number two or three position. That's because Duke Basketball is winning and doing so against a schedule that has featured some of the nation's top teams. Already this season, Duke has registered victories over the then-#2 Kentucky, #2 Louisville, not to mention a Minnesota team picked fifth in the very difficult Big Ten and a pesky Virginia Commonwealth team nobody purposefully schedules.

We're not even out of the month of November and Duke is probably the most battle tested team in the country, and if not, they're close to it. Coach Krzyzewski is at his best when faced with stiff challenge, and he'll face another this week when Ohio State comes to town for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and they, too, will be ranked second or third in the country, setting up yet another prime time matchup of Top 5 teams.

There have been many factors contributing to Duke's success thus far. Senior leadership quickly comes to mind, as Mason Plumlee, Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly are providing years of experience. Playing in their final season at Duke, the trio seems committed to not permitting another early out, and their memories from the loss to Lehigh have obviously made them work to make sure it doesn't happen on their watch.

Already, Mason Plumlee is showing that his off-season work is paying off; there is no place better to start than his improved free throw shooting. That shooting has made him a 20-10 point and rebound guy to date, but he has also been very efficient. But the most important thing is that he is avoiding untimely and unnecessary fouls much better than in the past, and he has seemingly learned how to play while in foul trouble.

Seth Curry came into the season battling pain from a recurring injury, and it was thought that his time could be limited.  But he toughed it out in the Blue Devils three games in three days in the Battle for Atlantis. Curry has been steady and confident and like Plumlee, a solid free throw shooter. He is playing like a leader and he is playing in what seems like a happy place.

A happy place, you say? Another key for these Blue Devils has been team chemistry. Krzyzewski most recently said this team seems to like each other and the melding of personalities is always a plus. And here is where we talk of Ryan Kelly, who has also showed an improved game, mainly on the defensive end where he's gotten some key blocks. Kelly has not had one of his better offensive games yet, but he's been solid and twice led the team in assists.

Another major factor in the quick start for Duke has been the emergence of point guard Quinn Cook. All he's done to date is win the MVP of the Battle for Atlantis in what might be remembered as his coming out party. Cook is aggressively taking on the role of the team's quarterback and while still a work in progress, it's clear that he's here to stay. The next step for Cook is handling expectations and staying humble and steady, and if he's up to that challenge, Duke will win a lot more games.

You know that Krzyzewski is also pleased with the play of freshman Rasheed Sulaimon, who has started as a true freshman and put up nice numbers in a most unselfish way. Sulaimon gives Duke a great on-ball defender, a penetrator and a scorer and you can just see how much potential he has. Sulaimon just fits and makes his teammates better, and that's the kind of guy that is always welcomed.

The Blue Devils have also gotten good minutes from a much improved Josh Hairston and the always steady influence of tough nose Tyler Thornton. And while some want to point to a lack playing time and try to spread various rumors, I see it as a positive that Duke has two other freshmen in Amile Jefferson and Alex Muprhy that can develop, and they'll have that chance in a stretch of home games coming up.  And we didn't even mention Marshall Plumlee, who I expect will be ready to see game action shortly after sitting out with a foot injury.

So, there are plenty of early season positives for Duke, but the one which is most evident is an improved defense. That is an area the Duke staff has obviously worked on the hardest, and that work has paid off.

Duke Football

Duke comeback bid falls short vs Miami

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke Coach David Cutcliffe entered the media room and immediately looked at the stat sheet with a most sour expressio. His Duke Blue Devils had just lost to the Miami Hurricanes on Senior Day by a 52-45 score, yet there was a feeling amongst all who watched the game, that a stop or two by the defense or one less big play could have led to a winning record heading into a guaranteed bowl invite.

Instead, Miami rolled up some impressive offensive numbers and just when you thought the resilient Blue Devils might make a comeback, they'd score on one big play before the taste of a good effort to get into the end zone for Duke had faded. It was that kind of day in Wallace Wade Stadium, a game which the home team fought their way back into after taking a 28-10 deficit into the locker room at half time.

Cutcliffe glared at the stat sheet and said there is no way we can win giving up 11 yards per carry and that's what Miamis' Duke Johnson averaged on his way to 181 rushing yards and three touchdowns. In fact, Miami rolled up 646 total yards in the game and did what the Duke defense struggled with, making an occasional stop,

That was the difference on a day when Duke set all kinds of passing and reception records. Sean Renfree had a stellar game going 36 of 59 for a season high 432 yards and four scores. Duke was 4 of 4 in the red zone as well, which is quite effective. And then there was the longest play from scrimmage in the history of Duke Football, a 99 yard pass from Renfree to Jamison Crowder and a career day as well for the wideout who pulled in eight passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns.

Even Conner Vernon closed his home career out as good as one might have hoped for, with 11 catches for 109 yards and another two scores in his Wallace Wade finale. And then there was running back, Jelea Duncan a true freshman who average 10.7 yards per carry. All that is impressive.

But as impressive as that might be, there was frustration on the faces of the seniors as they addressed the media. There was a feeling as if they had fallen short of something they could have accomplished. Many of the players stated and Cutcliffe confirmed that he was not a bowl of cherries in the half time locker room and Duke made good adjustments winning the second half 35-24, but there was just too big of a deficit to overcome and that was another lesson learned for a program still learning what it takes to break through to another level.

Despite all the pain from losing on Senior Day, Duke fans can rest better knowing not a player or coach was accepting of what happened. Nobody especially wanted to talk bowl. Instead, it was as if they were all itching to get back to work as soon as possible.

And that folks, is the difference in this season and those many unfortunate past. This Blue Devils team is hurting and reeling in many ways on the defensive side of the ball, but they've got one more game to play and a lot of practice earned which bodes well for the future.

There may have been an opportunity lost today in a cool and windy Wallace Wade Stadium for Cutcliffes' team, but one teams season will continue because they are doing things right, while the others ended with a win, but a trip back home is their prize for pending violations.

Nobody likes a loss and everybody wanted that coveted seventh win which guarantees a winning season but at least the Blue Devils still have opportunity ahead. Duke now has just under a month to shore up the defensive side of the ball and they can right the ship in the most important game of the season going in to next year, that being the last game in a place they've been invited.