Duke is coming off a huge win over Wake Forest. The Blue Devils face Virginia this week, and with a win, would push their season record to 5-1. It's a huge game, and BDN talked with Duke QB Anthony Boone and Duke DL Nick Sink this morning to get their thoughts on the big matchup versus the Wahoos.
Duke Defensive back Ross Coackrell and DL Dez Johnson talk of the big ACC opener against Wake Forest with Blue Devil Nation -
Coming into the 2012-13 football season and considering the schedule, it was clear that the Duke Blue Devils needed to pile up some wins early in the season in order to have any hopes for a bowl invite. So far, so good for Coach Cutcliffe and his troops, currently in their fifth season under his leadership. Duke needed to take care of business against three teams they were favored to defeat: Florida International, North Carolina Central and Memphis. They did so against all three, and now the Blue Devils stand 3-1, with the only loss coming at the hands of the #8 team in the nation, Stanford. But the three Duke wins came against teams with a combined 3-9 record, which makes one wonder where the program actually stands, despite that healthy-looking 3-1 record.
Now we'll find out how far the Blue Devils have come as the ACC schedule begins, with Wake Forest and Virginia up first. It's no secret that Duke has struggled mightily with the Deacons. Despite a number of games being close, Wake has dominated Duke in terms of wins and losses. At times, Duke has seemed to be snakebitten as they play Wake Forest close, only to ultimately fall short.
The question is whether Duke can shake free from habit against Wake and get a victory, and in the process keep their bowl hopes alive. Kickoff is Saturday at 12:30 in Winston-Salem. The Blue Devils need to do more than just be competitive. They need to pass the eyeball test, and show everyone that they are serious. While Duke's team has obviously improved, and the program has upgraded its recruiting and its facilities, they've simply got to start winning games like this one, not only for the sake of this year's team but to help solidify the fan base and create excitement again around this program going forward. Quite simply, Duke's program is at the doorstep of turning the corner, finally.
But once again, Wake stands in the way. It is no secret that Duke has looked towards the Wake Forest program as a model on how to compete in the ACC. Many in Duke media circles have been pointing to this game all summer long as a potential tipping point game if the Devils could come in at 3-1. They have taken care of business to this point. This is a most critical game for Duke, one which many feel will make or break their bowl dreams, as the Blue Devils must contend with a brutal schedule the rest of the way. Now, does this mean this is the biggest game in Coach Cut's Duke career to date?
If this is not the biggest game, it is close. If you've ever had the luxury to enter Coach Cutcliffe's office as I have, you will see some game balls on the shelves. Each ball represents a big win in his tenure. The first is from the 2008 victory over James Madison, which was his opening day win in his first campaign in Durham; another is the ball from the win three weeks later over Virginia, which was Duke's first ACC victory since 2004; and there is a game ball from the 2009 triumph over N.C. State, which was the program's first road win over an ACC team since 2003. There is little doubt that breaking the Deacons' 12-game winning streak over Duke would provide another milestone win (and another football for display) and further evidence of a program finally headed in the right direction.
A lot of questions will be answered in a game where Duke simply needs to make one more big play than its opponent. This ability has eluded them to date, but they're going to need it against the Deacons, a team which was throttled by Florida State but defeated North Carolina. Make no mistake, Wake Forest is clearly the second most talented team Duke will have faced thus far this season, and Wake will remain confident that they can always find a way to come out with a win until the Blue Devils decide they've had enough. Saturday would be a good day to send that message.
The table has been set for the Blue Devils. With a win they can not only start a winning streak of their own, but they can further distance the program from the struggles of the past, and help their fan base do the same. I expect two offensive-minded teams to be on the field of battle for longer than the normally allotted television time and the game will (as usual) likely be a back-and-forth affair. The Blue Devils simply need to make that one crucial play this go-round.
So again, is this the biggest game for Coach Cutcliffe since he's been at Duke? You can make the argument either way. But if it's not, it's close.
The Duke Blue Devils pushed their season record to 2-1 with a 54-17 victory over in town rival, North Carolina Central University in the Bull City Classic. The Blue Devils were the beneficiary of two late turnovers which broke the game open after a 41-17 lead which at the time looked as if it might stand. Duke was very banged up coming into the game and used a lot of players as the game progressed against their out manned opponent.
One of those turnovers led to a Ross Cockrell 32 yard interception return for a touchdown. Cockrell had two picks on the game.
Sean Renfree threw for three touchdowns on 25 of 35 attempts for 280 yards. One of his passes went to Isacc Blakeney for his first career TD pass and one each to Jamison Crowder and Josh Snead. Back up quarterback Anthony Boone accounted for another TD pass to give Duke four for the game. His pass went to walk on tight end Jack Wise who like Blakeney caught his first career TD pass as well.
Duke ended the game with 128 yards rushing but they struggled early on and most of those yards came from true freshman Jela Duncan who ran for 5o yards on six carries. Duke put up 408 yards of total offense while Central gained 337 which could be seen as a moral victory for the Eagles.
The bottom line is it wasn't always pretty but by games end, thanks to said turnovers, the Blue Devils final margin of victory was a bit more impressive than it's overall performance on the evening. But a win is a win and it was a good win and one where they can build off the performance after watching film. The crowd of 22,829 was a bit of a let down as well, especially on what most would consider a perfect night for football.
The Blue Devils are now 2-0 at home and the margin of victory was the largest in the Coach Cutcliffe era at Duke.
The biggest thrill of the night for many beyond the victory itself, was the return of Blair Holliday who was on the field before and during most of the game. Holliday is recovering from a serious injury in a boating accident and this was his first appearance since that tragedy.
Duke will next take on a winless Memphis team in Wallace Wade Stadium with a 6:00 kickoff next Saturday. Stay tuned for post game videos on Blue Devil Nation and a highlight tape tomorrow.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore is not an act, but a habit.
-Aristotle
Semi Ojeleye was born in Overland Park, Kansas and his family’s tale is one of the American Dream. His father, Victor, arrived in Kansas from Nigeria, looking to do an internship and residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Ojeleye now operates as a family physician in Ottawa, Kansas, roughly fifty miles south of Kansas City, Kansas, with his wife, Joy, a registered nurse.
The Ojeleyes had two boys, Victor and Semi. Victor, the oldest, was heavily involved in community service, became Ottawa High School’s all-time leading scorer, and was valedictorian of his graduating class. After not receiving much basketball interest coming out of Ottawa high school, he opted to do a postgraduate year in North Carolina, where he played under veteran coach, Chris Chaney. It was there that then Kansas St. assistant coach, Dalonte Hill spotted the 6’5″ Ojeleye and ultimately convinced him to walk-on for his home state Kansas State Wildcats. Victor wound up being a reserve player for the Wildcats, led his teammates in Bible studies, and was an All-Academic Big XII winner in each of his three seasons, culminating in this season’s inaugural Dr. Loge Award for the Big XII Conference’s highest academic honor. Last May, he received his degree in Finance and Accounting before joining Koch Industries.
Semi Ojeleye was blessed with the same genetics and work ethic as Victor. He’s been a 4.0 student, but will shatter Victor’s basketball records for the Ottawa Cyclones. The 6’6″ wing averaged nearly nine rebounds and thirty-three points per game this season, never scoring below twenty-five in a single game, while leading Ottawa (KS) to a third consecutive Class 4A State Title game. The high water scoring mark for this season came when he knocked down eight three-pointers and hit all ten of his free throws for a fifty point game and a win in front of Missouri Coach Frank Haith.
Last season, Semi, a devout Christian, played all five positions for Coach Jon McKowen’s Cyclones and knocked down seventy-eight three pointers at nearly a forty percent clip on the season. In the state semi-final game, Ojeyele grabbed fourteen rebounds and scored thirty-two points. In, ultimately, a close 56-52 loss to Basehor-Linwood in the Championship game, Ojeleye, who has tried to slowly convert himself from more of a post player to a perimeter force, scored thirty-two points and snagged twelve rebounds. For his efforts, the 6’6″ senior, who now has 1,811 career points and helped his team to a 24-2 final record, earned an All-State distinction.
This AAU season, the versatile wing first caught the eye of the Duke staff for a half of a single game at the Nike EYBL Minneapolis, but it was his performance at the EYBL Boo Williams that was a turning point. According to Semi, Coach K felt he saw a lot of his untapped potential at this event. Rather than get satisfied, Semi continued to improve, mesh with his Mo-Kan Elite teammates, and was, without any college coaches in attendance, the critical player for a run of EYBL wins in Oakland that enabled his AAU squad to earn a trip to the coveted Peach Jam in July.
When June began, Semi and his family came to the Gothic Wonderland in Durham for an unofficial visit. The trip was meant to provide a bit of due diligence and gauge his comfort level with the staff, program, and University. It coincided with the Coach K Academy, a fantasy camp for charity that pairs former Duke players with fans looking to experience a taste of what it's like to play at Duke. By the end of the weekend, Semi was offered a full scholarship to Duke.
Over the next few weeks, Ojeleye played at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp in Virginia and competed alongside fellow Duke recruits Austin Nichols, Julius Randle, Matt Jones, and Theo Pinson at the elite LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas.
At the Peach Jam, which collects twenty-four of the best AAU teams in the country, Semilore Ojeleye elevated his undermanned team to new heights, catapulting his squad to the semi-finals of the ultra-competitive July tournament. His standout Peach Jam game was against Detroit's The Family AAU program, which featured a consensus top ten player in 6'6" James Young. After holding Young, a talented wing, to a woeful five for twenty shooting game by "bodying him up" in a win over The Family in Oakland, Semi once again out-dueled the well-promoted wing in a win at the Peach Jam. In this playoff game, Ojeleye would score a whopping thirty-three points in twenty-nine minutes on a highly efficient ten of thirteen shooting (four of six from beyond the arc) and a perfect nine for nine at the charity stripe, grab eight rebounds, and hold Young to seventeen points.
Semi Ojeleye was the first person that Coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke was scheduled to make an in-home visit with. Yesterday, shortly after the visit with Coach K and Coach Steve "Wojo" Wojciechowski, Ojeleye told the staff that he would like to join Duke's program. There were some efficiently placed phone calls and texts to various services, but none of the three-hat monte, self-indulgent forty minute speeches, dancing cheerleaders, awkward satellite interviews with cable services, or amateurish "off-broadway" productions with teammates that have become somewhat customary amongst elite-level players. This "old school" way of handling your recruitment was not surprising for a player that is concerned more with the collective measure of success, wins, than his individual game totals.
Duke is getting a cerebral, physical 6'6" wing who has the versatility to defend tall shooting guards, athletic small forwards, and even undersized college power forwards. Offensively, unlike some wings, he brings a comfort level with playing on the inside that speaks to his natural and earned strength, former responsibility as an interior player as a younger player, and fearlessness to the physicality that is relatively commonplace among interior players. He's got good elevation on his jump shot and, although streaky, has improved his three-point shooting to the point that he must be guarded at all times. As a hard worker on and off the court, Semi undoubtedly will continue to work on conditioning as well as skill development, including improving his mid-range game, his left hand, and making his three-point shooting more consistent.
The Duke Blue Devils football team is coming off a grand opening day victory over Florida International, and travel to meet a nationally ranked Stanford squad this Saturday. BDN caught up to several players this week to get their thoughts on last week's win and the test which lies ahead in Palo Alto. Here are a couple of video interviews with defensive back Ross Cockrell and defensive lineman Jamal Wallace. Be sure to bookmark BDN for the best football coverage available all season long. We'll be live in Palo Alto following the team this weekend, so check out our BDN and staff Twitter feeds, and for full site access, join Blue Devil Nation Premium, our extended subscription service.
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