There was no shortage of happiness as Duke won the ACC Championship yesterday. An excited Gerald Henderson was pulled aside by a Raycom announcer, but his eyes were on his teammates the whole time.
The commentator realized this and told him to go and hang out with his ecstatic teammates who were posing for pictures with the trophy held high nearby. As Duke fans gathered near court side to watch the team, some of the Blue Devils commented on the victory, including coaches.
"There's nothing like it. You play to win championships and I am just so proud of them. These guys have grown up together and it's just a great feeling to win," said Chris Collins to Duke play ny play man Bob Harris when asked of his feeling of winning Duke's 9th ACC Tournament Championship in the last 12 years.
Withthe Duke band blaring in the background and flashes from cameras all around, Nolan Smith said, "It was terrific! We played our hearts out! We've been working hard all season long and we deserve it. I'm so proud ... I'm speeclhess right now. Now I get my hat and my (championship) shirt. Hanging a banner up there in Cameron means everything to me."
Krzyzewski made sure that his grandsons and family shared in the moment, motioning them down to the court as he smiled and enjoyed the moment. After all, Krzyzewski has encouraged the fans to live in the moment all season, and today, Duke fans all over the nation shared a smile with the living legend.
Lance Thomas said, "It (the ACC Championship) means the world to me. It feels good to actually accomplish something big like this. It's only motivation to want more. We needed everybody to contribute and this is something we are all going to share the rest of our lives."
In the background, the nets began to come down as the Blue Devils in customary fashion took turns cutting pieces of the net. Elliot Williams handed the scissors off to Gerald Henderson and a loud roar came from the Duke faithful.
Jon Scheyer then turned to Raycom and was asked if the team was playing it's best. "It's playing really well," said Scheyer who then continued, "I don't want us to get ahead of ourselves right now, but this championship is a good stepping stone going into the NCAA Tournament.
Before Scheyer could turn around, the voice of the Blue Devils was there for more comments. "It was a great day and it feels really good to get this win. We're not going to be satisfied and hopefully we can use it as a stepping stone going into the NCAA Tournament. " Sounds familiar, huh?
"It feels great. It was very important for us to get off to a good start in the first half. We shot the ball very well. We think we're playing our best basketball and winning this will give us great momentum going into the NCAA Tournament. We've just got to keep this thing going," said Duke standout Kyle Singler.
Singlers play earned him All Tournament team honors with teammates Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson.
"It's always good to be a champion and to be a part of this team now as a coach and have these guys go out there and play hard to get this championship means a lot to me just to be here and see them get it done," said Duke's newest assistant coach Nate James.
"We have such a good group of guys and they work so hard and they deserve this. It feels good to win in Atlanta," said the man known by some as Nate Dogg.
In the backdrop, Jon Scheyer who has just been named the tournaments most valuable player, stepped off the ladder after getting his cuts. Scheyer naturally was the recipient of rousing applause.
Coach K then said, "It means a lot (ACC Champions). I've been a part of some championships and a Duke player ... it's not a birthright that you get a championship. If you don't get one you will feel left out from the other guys and this group winning their first championship is huge. Especially, to win three tough games like they did."
Krzyzewksi then commented about the late season changes which proved successful. "This is a new team. We played about nine games with this lineup together. To have these three games with their pressure is like going through a month and a half of the season. So, it was really good. I don't think we'll be tired, but we will be a little more hardened."
Duke President Richard Brodhead chime in with the Duke Radio show as well, stating, "Today I was confident from beginning to end. It was still a struggle, but we had a great effort out there. There is a lot of basketball to be played and we're all 0-0 at this point going into the next phase. And you know what? Duke is going to be right in the middle of this thing. We have a great coach and a great staff and a tremendous group of young men."
The team then made their way to the Duke locker room to be among themselves. After spending some time there, it was off to the media room where the process of questions started again.
We are the Champions
On a day where Duke made history and memories, the grind that is thrust upon student athletes probably didn't seem so bad. But in the back of their minds, they knew that the moment they were living in would have to be put on the back burner in the near future.
"Our kids played really hard for three days," said Krzyzewski as the session began. Indeed they did, Coach. But give yourself a little credit too. On a day when you became the sole owner of the fourth most wins in college basketball history it was clear for all that you and your staff coached hard for three days as well.
The combination of effort from the players and staff gave Duke fans a day in heaven and added to their long list of fond memories. The bottom line is that the Duke Blue Devils are the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions.
A special thanks to Moore Productions for some of these quotes.
The Blue Devils came together as a team to win the 2009 ACC Championship
It wasn't that long ago when people were writing off the Blue Devils after a road loss against Boston College. There were cries of this team has hit the skids or they are already burned out. During press conferences, the Duke players get the same questions over and over with concerns to fatigue.
Well, the Boston College loss seems long ago now and the 2009 Duke Basketball team closed out the season in style by winning the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and now look to the NCAA's. Krzyzewski praised his juniors, stating that they had been through adversity, but a closer look shows a story behind practically every player. Here are some general thoughts on each player -
Kyle Singler- He has answered more questions concerning his physical being at the end of last season than he has his better moments this year. Krzyzewski semi jokingly asked the media to ask Singler a question after his stellar opening round game against Boston College. Make no mistake in that Singlers early play allowed Duke to advance. You can bet that he will hear another question this week with concerns to his playing every minute of every game of the tournament. Singler appears poised to make his presence felt, starting with Binghampton on Thursday. Singler made the All Tournament Team, but was still fifth in the voting which makes me wonder what games were some media members watching?
Dave McClure- The senior has been through enough ups and downs with injuries to where it was good to see how much he contributed as the consummate role player this season. His defense and hustle will be remembered as much as his shot to beat Clemson at the buzzer. McClure brought some toughness and senior leadership when the Devils needed it most. His back to back baskets against Maryland helped thwart comeback attempts.
Greg Paulus- Paulus has played through untimely injuries in the past two seasons. What does it say about a player who made an All ACC team the season before to accept a role on the bench? That takes character which is something Paulus has in spades. Always the competitor, one has the feeling he has a couple of big shots left before he finishes his career.
Brian Zoubek- Like McClure and Paulus, Zoubs has battled injuries galore in his career. The center grabbed some key boards versus Florida State. He has been able to come back and contribute after hitting a mid season slump. At some point and time, Zoubs is likely to get valuable minutes in this years tournament.
Lance Thomas- Thomas finds himself drawing tough defensive assignments. The minutes he logs should tell you what the coaches think about him. His hustling play is invaluable. Thomas is due for a good showing on the offensive end and what better time to do that than the NCAA's?
Elliot Williams - Duke could not have turned their season around if it were not for Elliot Williams play. Williams has had a tough learning curve as a freshman, but he grabbed key rebounds in the tournament and his skills are something which you cannot teach. He hit a slight wall of late, but he is still starting and his on ball defense will be crucial for a Devils run. Williams just needs to keep his head up and continue to let the game come to him while working on his outside shot.
Nolan Smith - Smith played great minutes in the tournament and his play was very important to Duke's championship effort. Much like Williams, Smith came alive at the right time when production was hard to come by. It appears that Smith has fully recovered from his injury.
Jon Scheyer- What can be said about Jon Scheyer? He took over running the point and is playing as good as anybody in the conference. Scheyer won the tournament MVP for a reason this weekend. He's showed no signs of becoming stale since Coach K made the change and he will be counted on heavily as Duke goes into the final days of March.
Gerald Henderson- Henderson came alive today and his play put Duke over the hump. When Gerald goes, Duke goes, so it's important for him to be consistent. Henderson seems to be on a mission and he has blossomed into a leader. The future is bright for Gerald and I implore you to worry about the here and now and not look ahead to anything other than this seasons games. If you look ahead in worry and not live in the moment, then you will miss out on a lot.
Olek Czyz, Marty Pocius and Mile Plumlee- When Nolan Smith drove down the throat of the Seminole defense for a dunk, Czyz and Plumlee jumped off the bench with authentic glee. Sure, these kids want some burn, but they are part of something special, a championship. Don't think they will not contribute in the NCAA's for I have seen some strange things happen with rotations. Still, they are a big help everyday in pushing their teammates in practice and supporting them. How comforting is it to know that Duke can go deep to players like Marty Pocius if needed?
Duke will now have to put the hard earned championship behind them and focus on the game Thursday evening. I would imagine they will be allowed to enjoy being ACC Champions through Monday, but then it will be back to business. In order for Duke's season to continue, each of the aforementioned players will have to find new ways to contribute, show up and make stops or a big shot when they have to.
Winning the ACC title is a wonderful achievement, but these guys can still make some more memories. No matter what happens, this team came together when they had to and now own a trophy and a banner. My guess, is that they are still hungry, but only time will tell if they advance further into March than recent years.
The Devils went down to Georgia and took care business
The Duke Blue Devils defeated Florida State 79-69 to win the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. In the process they helped Coach Mike Krzyzewski to his 11th Championship. Duke has now won an amazing 9 our of the last 12 ACC titles and 17 overall and have participated in 28 of 56 championship games.
With the 847th career victory, Krzyzewski is the 4th all time winningest coach in college basketball history with wins.
The Seminoles came into the game off an upset of North Carolina and many thought Duke would be in for a tough contest. While the Noles refused to fold, the Blue Devils controlled the game from the opening tip in route to their 28th win of the season.
Once again, Duke used the three point shot to their advantage going 12 for 25 for 48%. In fact they shot better from three than overall.
Duke went on a 20-3 first half run while holding Florida State without a field goal for a long, long time. How long? Douglass ended hit their first field goal early in the second half since the *;04 mark of the first half.
The Blue Devils defense also held the Seminoles to just 21.7% from the field to take a 35-21 lead into the locker room.
"You win by getting stops on defense and that's what we did all weekend," said Duke Assistant Coach Chris Collins shortly after the eventual win.
Florida State warmed up in the second half and went on a 11-0 run of their own, cutting the lead to 42-36, but that's as close as they would get.
A Jon Scheyer three ended the drought and while the Seminoles scored just after that on the other end, Scheyer got fouled on the next possession and calmly hit 3 of 3 free throws which stretched the lead back to 48-38.
Then it was Gerald Henderson turn. The junior standout drained a three point shot, had a dunk the next time down and hit 2 free throws again in succession for 7 quick points.
By that time, Duke had gone on a 23-7 run and led 62-43 with the Blue Devil faithful feeling a celebration coming on.
To Florida State's credit, they wouldn't say die and fought until the last minute of regulation. Still, Duke for the most part coasted to the ACC Championship.
As the buzzer sounded, Duke owned Atlanta and they started the off by wearing championship hats and T-Shirts while posing for pictures and talking to various media members. They then cut down the nets with Krzyzewski getting the last clip as he blew a kiss to the faithful.
Duke fought through a bit of adversity during the season and gained the coveted trophy.
Jon Scheyer was named the tournaments MVP and finished the game with 29 points. Gerald Henderson picked the right time for his offense to come full circle and tallied 27 points. Kyle Singler, who for the most part got them to the title game with his play in the first two games added 14 points.
All three were named to the All ACC Tournament team, along with Toney Douglass and Tyler Hansbrough of UNC.
The Blue Devils now await today's tournament pairings and will go into March Madness as the proud ACC Champions.
We'll have many player quotes and more later. So, please check back in.
Courtesy of Duke Sports Information -
ACC Championships
• Duke won its 17th ACC Championship on Sunday with a win over Florida State. The 17 ACC Championships are tied for the most in league history with North Carolina.
• Coach Krzyzewski claimed his 11th ACC Championship at Duke. He is second only to Dean Smith (13) of North Carolina for most by a coach in ACC history.
• The Blue Devils have won eight of the last 11 ACC Championships.
• Duke played in its 28th league championship game. Only North Carolina (29) has played in more ACC Finals.
Tournament Honors
• Junior Jon Scheyer was named ACC Tournament MVP, becoming the 16th Duke player to garner tournament MVP honors.
• Scheyer, Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler were all named to the ACC All-Tournament first team. The Blue Devils now have 66 first team All-Tournament selections.
• The three first team selections give Duke three first team picks for the 10th time in school history. It is the 25th time they have had two or more first team selections.
A Winning Tradition
• Duke has now won 1,875 games all-time, the fourth-highest victory total in NCAA history. The Blue Devils have an all-time record of 1,875-814, including 758-213 under Coach K.
• The Blue Devils have won a NCAA record 289 games this decade, the most wins in a decade by the program. The previous NCAA record for wins in a decade was 286 by Kansas (286-60 from 1990-99).
• Duke is now 934-237 all-time as a ranked team, including 792-180 as a Top 10 team.
• The Blue Devils have won 25 or more games 22 times in school history with 18 of those coming under Coach K. Duke has won 20 or more games 44 times.
• Duke improved to 84-39 all-time in the ACC Tournament, tying them with North Carolina for the most wins in ACC Tournament history.
Duke In The ACC Tournament
• Duke is now 84-39 all-time in the ACC Tournament, making their 56th appearance. The Blue Devils are 29-4 in the ACC Tournament since 1998 with eighth of the last 11 tournament championships.
• Coach K has an all-time record of 46-17 in the ACC Tournament.
• Duke has played 28 championship games in the ACC Tournament with a 17-11 record in the finals.
• The Blue Devils are 15-6 all-time as a No. 3 seed in the tournament and 7-5 when playing a No. 4 seed.
• Duke is now 1-0 against Florida State in the ACC Tournament.
• The Blue Devils are 8-1 all-time when playing in the Georgia Dome, including a 6-0 record in the ACC Tournament. Duke has won both the 2001 and 2009 ACC Tournaments at the Georgia Dome. Duke is 9-3 all-time when playing ACC Tournament games in Atlanta.
Duke vs. Florida State Series
• Duke now leads the all-time series with Florida State, 29-6. The two schools met for the 35th time on Sunday since the Seminoles joined the ACC in the 1991-92 season.
• The Blue Devils and Seminoles met for the first time ever in ACC Tournament play on Sunday. Florida State was the only team in the league that Duke had not faced in the conference tournament.
• Coach K now owns a 28-5 career record against the Seminoles, including a 3-1 record in the month of March.
• Duke has a 26-5 record when ranked while playing Florida State, including a 25-5 mark as a top 10 team. The Blue Devils have been ranked in the top 10 the past 23 times they have faced Florida State dating back to the 1996-97 season.
Duke In March
• Duke improved to 4-1 in the month of March during the 2008-09 season. They now have a 131-54 all-time record in the month of March under Coach K.
• When playing on March 15, Duke is now 8-3 all-time, including a 7-2 record under Coach K.
Krzyzewski Climbs Victory Ladder
• Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 831st victory as a head coach on Sunday. With the victory he passes Jim Phelan for fourth all-time in NCAA Division I history for career victories. He is first among active coaches.
• Krzyzewski is now 45 victories shy of Adolph Rupp for third all-time.
• Coach K now has 758 wins as the head coach at Duke, ranking him sixth in NCAA Division I history for victories at one school and second among active coaches (Jim Boeheim, Syracuse – 797). Krzyzewski is one win shy of Western Kentucky’s Ed Diddle for fifth all-time.
• Krzyzewski’s 831 victories are the most by a head coach through 34 years of coaching. Krzyzewski passes Dean Smith of North Carolina who won 830 games in his first 34 seasons.
1,000 Career Points
• There have been 59 players in Duke history to score over 1,000 career points. The total for the Blue Devils is tied for the second most in Division I with Louisville. The only school with more 1,000-point scorers is North Carolina (62).
• Duke now has four current players with over 1,000 career points. It is only the second time in school history the Blue Devils have had four active players with 1,000 career points. The only previous team with four players over 1,000 career points was in 1985-86 with Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie, David Henderson and Jay Bilas. The four current players who have scored at least 1,000 points in their career are Jon Scheyer (34th, 1,308), Gerald Henderson 40th (1,218), Greg Paulus (41st, 1,185) and Kyle Singler (57th, 1,018).
Offensive Notes
• Duke scored 79 points and is now 24-4 this year with scoring at least 70 points. They are 667-133 all-time under Coach K when scoring at least 70 points.
• Duke has had two players score 20 or more points in 11 games this season. The Blue Devils have had a player score 20 or more 30 times on the year. The 11 games is tied for ninth most in a single season at Duke.
• The Blue Devils matched a season high with 12 three-point field goals made. They also made 12 treys in the first meeting with Maryland and against Miami. They have 10 or more made treys six times this season.
• Duke committed a season-low four turnovers in the game. The previous low was six turnovers against Wake Forest on Feb. 22. The Blue Devils have had less than 10 turnovers in nine games this season. It is the lowest turnover total since Duke had three turnovers against North Carolina in the 2002 quarterfinals.
• The Blue Devils only committed one turnover in the first half. It is the lowest amount of turnovers committed in the first half this season by Duke. The previous low was three against Georgia Southern in the second game of the year. The Blue Devils also only committed one turnover in the second half against Florida State on March 3 for a total of two turnovers in a span of 40 minutes against the Seminoles.
• Duke outrebounded Florida State 35-34. They have outrebounded the opposition 18 times this year and are 474-55 all-time under Coach K when outrebounding the opposition.
Defensive Notes
• Duke limited Florida State to 69 points and held all three ACC Tournament opponents under 70 points. They have held 20 opponents to 60 or less on the season.
• The Blue Devils held Florida State to 21 points in the first half on 5-of-23 (.217) shooting. It is the second lowest shooting percentage by an opponent in the first half this year. The Seminoles shot .206 (7-of-34) in the first half during the first meeting this season between the two schools.
• Florida State did not make a field goal in the final 8:09 of the first half. The only points for the Seminoles in the final eight minutes were seven made free throws. The next made field goal came at the 18:18 mark of the second half, a span of 9:51 minutes.
Duke Player Notes:
Gerald Henderson
• Junior Gerald Henderson tallied 27 points to give him nine 20-point games on the season and 13 in his career. He has scored in double figures in 29 games on the year.
• Henderson tallied at least one point, rebound, assist, blocked shot and steal in a game for the 12th game this season.
• Henderson made 4-of-7 from behind the three-point line. It is the fourth time this season Henderson has made three or more from beyond the arc.
• With four assists Henderson has recorded three or more assists in 18 games this season.
David McClure
• Senior David McClure grabbed five rebounds and now has five or more rebounds in seven games this year.
• McClure added two steals to give him eight games with two or more steals.
Greg Paulus
• Senior Greg Paulus played in his 136h career game, moving him into a tie for 13h all-time at Duke for career games played.
Jon Scheyer
• Junior Jon Scheyer scored 29 points to give him nine 20-point games this season and 15 in his career. The 29 points is tied for the 10th highest single game total by a Duke player in the ACC Tournament. He has nine straight games with at least 10 points and has reached double figures in scoring 27 times this season.
• Scheyer finished the tournament with 65 points, ranking him eighth at Duke for points in an ACC Tournament.
• Scheyer made four three-point field goals to give him six straight games with three or more made treys and 14 overall contests. He has made 30 three-point field goals in his nine games as starting point guard. He made 12 three-point field goals in the tournament, which ranks him tied for second most by a Duke player with J.J. Redick.
• At the free throw line, Scheyer matched a career-high going 13-of-15. He was 13-of-13 earlier this year against Rhode Island. The 13 made free throws are tied for the second most in a single game by a Duke player with Art Heyman who had 13 against Clemson in 1962.
• Scheyer finished the tournament going 21-of-25 (.840) from the free throw line. The 21 made free throws is tied for fifth most in a game by a Duke player.
Kyle Singler
• Sophomore Kyle Singler reached double figures in scoring for the 12th straight game with 14 points against Florida State. He now has a team-high 31 games with 10 or more points this season.
• Singler tallied at least one point, rebound, assist, blocked shot and steal in a game for the eighth straight contest and 20th game this season. The 20 games are tied for the third most in a single season at Duke. The most is 26 games by Shane Battier in 2001.
• Singler made four three-point field goals to give him three or more made treys in nine games this season.
• His two steals give Singler 15 games with two or more steals on the year.
• Singler had one blocked shot to give him nine blocks in the tournament His nine blocks ranks fourth all-time by a Duke player in the tournament.
• Singler played all 40 minutes for the third consecutive game. He is only the second Duke player to play three consecutive complete games. The only other player to play three straight complete games in the ACC Tournament was Doug Kistler in 1960. It is the third time it has been done in postseason play.
Nolan Smith
• Sophomore Nolan Smith dished out three assists to give him eight games with three or more assists this season.
Lance Thomas
• Junior Lance Thomas match a season-high with eight rebounds. All eight rebounds came in the first half with six of the eight coming on the offensive end of the floor.
Brian Zoubek
• Junior Brian Zoubek grabbed six rebounds in the game and now has 14 games with five or more rebounds on the year.
• Zoubek blocked one shot to give him a blocked shot in 19 games on the year.
Duke will go for another ACC Championship against FSU
In the movie Scarface, Al Pacino (Tony Montana) said, "Say hello to my little friend," as he whipped out his machine gun to take care of business. Duke introduced Maryland to their old friend, the three point shot, going 9 of 22 helping them take care of business.
The Blue Devils 67-61 victory over the Terrapins wasn't always pretty, but the end result has to be beautiful for Mike Krzyzewski who will vie for his 11th ACC Championship tomorrow afternoon.
But Duke had some other familiar friends show up in their victory which pushed their season record to 27-6. Duke managed to get to the free throw stripe 21 times, canning 18 of them. Then there was their staple defense which is allowing 64 ppg in their first two contests.
Duke didn't shoot the ball well. In fact, one of their key stars, Gerald Henderson went 3 of 14 from the field. That combined with 36% from the field made for a game where Maryland remained within striking distance for most of the game. Henderson ended the game with 8 points, but his streak of 24 straight double figure scoring games went down.
Henderson finally hit a three to give Duke a 47-41 lead at the 8:44 mark in the second half. Maryland quickly scored of a Vazquez drive, but that's when the player of the game, Jon Scheyer took over.
Scheyer nailed a three point shot and then stole the ball just beyond half court, driving the ball for a lay in all in the same motion. Scheyer also hit key free throws down the stretch and led all scorers with 22 points.
Another key factor was Nolan Smith logging 30 minutes. Smith shook off some early game rust and finished with 10 points, 3 assists and 0 turnovers.
But the player who kept them into the game in the first half, was Kyle Singler. The sophomore star was the only double figure scorer for either team at the half and while he cooled off in the second half, he put up numbers of 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots. Singler became the 50th player in Duke Basketball history to score 1000 points with his effort.
Let's not forget Dave McClure who made consecutive baskets during a key second half spurt. McClure was 3 of 3 from the field for six points. McClure had several key boards and timely blocks which gave Duke a spark.
"As a group, it would be a great way to help us in the latter part of March. Personally, it would be great just to get back there. We won a couple championships early in my career, but I really wasn’t much of a factor. I was young and coming off a couple injuries. There would be no better way to end with these guys than to go out and get one. Everybody on our team feels like they are a part of it. Everybody will take ownership of it," said McClure in the post game interview session.
That spark was important, for the Blue Devils came out looking lethargic. It was as if they were waiting for one another to make a play. That's why Singlers play was vital today for he put the team on his back in the early going.
The Duke defense held Greivas Vasquez to 14 points on 17 shots. Eric Hayes picked up the slack late for the Terps scoring 20 points, but it was too little too late.
Duke defeated Maryland for the third time this season. Duke will now against a more talented Florida State team that defeated #1 rated North Carolina to advance to their first championship game under Coach Leonard Hamilton. The ACC Coach of the Year, will attempt to keep his team from losing their third game to the Blue Devils.
Duke has played in 28 of the 56 ACC Tournament Championship games, a stat that speaks for itself. Duke now has a 7-1 all time record in the Georgia Dome.
Duke will take to the court for the first time in the 2009 ACC Tournament where they will face Boston College in the nightcap. The Blue Devils will try to avenge a loss in Chestnut Hill when they take on Boston College. The Eagles had little problem defeating Virginia 76-63 to make it into the quarter final match up.
The Eagles shot lights out from the free throw line going 31 of 36 for 86% in their first round win. They also saved their legs playing nine players, but part of that was due to foul trouble. Tyrese Rice exploded on the Blue Devils in the second half in the teams last outing and with him going just 1 of 7 from the field against Virginia, you can bet he will wake up against the Devils. It's worth noting that Rice did go 7 of 8 from the free throw stripe.
One of the players who led the Boston College comeback win in the first meeting was Rakim Sanders. The athletic swing player must be contained. He killed the Wahoo's on several occasions and his ability to get to the rim and get his shot off can cause problems.
Jon Scheyer looks to lead the Blue Devils into the semi finals of the ACC Tournament in Atlanta, Georgia
Duke will likely counter Sanders with Gerald Henderson. "G" was as good as any player in the conference down the stretch, but he struggled in his last game out against North Carolina. Duke will need Henderson to return to form on the offensive end.
Joe Trapani had one of his best games of the season versus Duke in Chestnut Hill. He's versatile and has to be watched inside and out. Kyle Singler will be counted on to slow him down, but we all know that the Duke defense switches at will and while he will start out on Trapani, help defense is the key.
Much has been made of Singler tiring down the stretch, but his last outing showed no signs of fatigue. Singler, along with Scheyer and Henderson are Dukes most consistent players and Duke fares well when all of them play well on the same night.
The return of Nolan Smith will certainly help with depth, but he will likely be a bit rusty. Duke got little production from the bench in the UNC game, so all eyes will be on Paulus, Zoubek and company.
Zoubek could play a big role, especially when Josh Southern is in the game for BC. Duke will also have to keep an eye on Corey Radji, a streaky player which bolsters their front line.
The Eagles are assured of an NCAA berth win or lose and come into the game 10-7 versus ACC competition and 22-10 overall. They have a win over #1 rated UNC in Chapel Hill to their credit which shows what they are capable of doing.
Al Skinner has a team that never gives up. In other words, they'll keep playing hard no matter how many points they are down. In short, Duke will have to match their toughness with just that and intensity.
Two bright spots for Duke coming in is the play of Jon Scheyer and freshman Elliot Williams. Williams didn't get off the bench in the first game and he will add a new dimensions to the game.
Scheyer has handled the point guard duties masterfully. Since he took over the point and Williams was inserted, the Blue Devils have had much fewer turnovers. It will be important to protect the ball and keep the Eagles off the line. It would also help to get to the line.
Coach K and his staff has had time to prepare and while many are making this game out to be a revenge game, the Dukies will likely treat it differently than the fans might. Look for the Blue Devils to try and get many players involved early on and implement their will of how they want the game played.
Duke doesn't have a luxury of having a game under their belt, but then again the Eagles didn't get an extra day of rest. Duke may struggle early in the cavernous dome setting for they have spent little time on the court. Duke had a slightly longer lay off than they are accustomed to as well.
I think Boston College will give Duke their best shot, but that the Devils will find a way to advance and should get better production from their bench in this game. The pick here is Duke 79 Boston College 71
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.
Krzyzewski made sure that his grandsons and family shared in the moment, motioning them down to the court as he smiled and enjoyed the moment. After all, Krzyzewski has encouraged the fans to live in the moment all season, and today, Duke fans all over the nation shared a smile with the living legend.
"It's always good to be a champion and to be a part of this team now as a coach and have these guys go out there and play hard to get this championship means a lot to me just to be here and see them get it done," said Duke's newest assistant coach Nate James.
Duke will take to the court for the first time in the 2009 ACC Tournament where they will face Boston College in the nightcap. The Blue Devils will try to avenge a loss in Chestnut Hill when they take on Boston College. The Eagles had little problem defeating Virginia 76-63 to make it into the quarter final match up.
You must be logged in to post a comment.