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Duke Basketball

Boston College at Duke – Official Game Notes

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[8 AP/7 Coaches] Duke (13-2, 1-1 ACC) vs. Boston College (10-6, 1-1 ACC)

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010  •  7:00 p.m.  •  ESPN

Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)  •  Durham, N.C.

The Opening Tip

Duke (13-2, 1-1 ACC), ranked eighth in the AP poll and seventh in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Boston College (10-6, 1-1 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday’s game will air on ESPN with Rece Davis, Bob Knight and Holly Rowe calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke dropped a 71-67 decision at Georgia Tech on Saturday in its last outing. The Blue Devils, playing their third game in six days, shot just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from three-point range in the contest.

Senior Jon Scheyer continued his All-America caliber season with 25 points and six assists in 39 minutes of action. Freshman Mason Plumlee was the only other player in double-figures with 10 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Sophomore Miles Plumlee added eight points, five rebounds and two steals in the loss.

Juniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler combined for just 18 points on 6-of-23 shooting after entering the game averaging 34.4 points per game combined. Smith’s nine-point effort snapped a string of 12 straight double-figure scoring games this season, while Singler failed to reach double-figures for just the 15th time in 86 career games.

Duke controlled the glass (20-12 rebounding edge) en route to taking a 35-29 halftime lead. Georgia Tech turned the tables in the final 20 minutes, outrebounding the Blue Devils 26-12 and outscoring them 42-32.

Numbers Game

l Duke is the only team in the country to rank in the top 10 in both the AP Poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll as well as the College Basketball News Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and Strength of Schedule (SOS). The Blue Devils, eighth in the AP Poll and seventh in the Coaches Poll, rank second in the RPI with the 10th-best SOS.

l Wednesday’s game is the 299th consecutive sellout at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke did not have a sellout at home was on Nov. 16, 1990, against Boston College.

l The Blue Devils have won 11 straight and 41 of the last 43 games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

l Duke has won 22 of its last 24 games in the month of January. The Blue Devils are 201-56 under Mike Krzyzewski in January games. Duke has lost back-to-back games in January just two times in the last 12 seasons.

l The Blue Devils have won 36 consecutive home games against unranked opponents.

l Senior Jon Scheyer leads the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.65:1) while playing 35.5 minutes per game. He has led Duke in assists in all 15 games with six turnover-free games. Scheyer also ranks ninth in the NCAA at 6.2 assists per game.

l Nolan Smith has 26 three-point field goals and is shooting an ACC-best 51.0 percent from three-point range. He is one three-point field goal shy of matching his single season high. Smith entered the year shooting 36.2 percent (49-of-135) from three-point range.

l Duke has had 18 individual 20-point scoring games this season, including seven by Jon Scheyer. The Blue Devils have had multiple 20-point scorers in the same game six times on the year.

l Jon Scheyer has scored 20 or more points in six of the last seven contests, including a pair of 30-point efforts. He has scored 15 or more points in 13 of 15 games this season.

l Junior Nolan Smith is averaging 19.5 points per game, while shooting 58.1 percent (43-of-74) from the field and 64.0 percent (16-of-25) from three-point range, in the last six games.

l Miles and Mason Plumlee are averaging 16.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game combined over the last four contests. The duo is shooting 60.9 percent (25-of-41) from the field during that span.

Duke Basketball

Duke at Georgia Tech Official Game Notes

Duke practicing for Tech - BDN Photo
Duke practicing for Tech - BDN Photo

Game 15

[5 AP/5 Coaches] Duke (13-1, 1-0 ACC) vs. [20 AP/17 Coaches] Georgia Tech (11-3, 0-1 ACC)

Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010  •  2:00 p.m.  •  ESPN

Alexander Memorial Coliseum (9,191)  •  Atlanta, Ga.

The Opening Tip

Duke (13-1, 1-0 ACC), ranked fifth in the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Georgia Tech (11-3, 0-1 ACC) at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 2:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets enter the game ranked 20th in the AP poll and 17th in the Coaches’ Poll. Saturday’s game will air on ESPN with Brad Nessler and Jay Bilas calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke is coming off an 86-65 win over Iowa State at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Wednesday. Senior Jon Scheyer netted a game-high 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor. He knocked down four three-point field goals for his fourth straight game with three or more treys.

Nolan Smith recorded his fourth 20-point game in the last five outings with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. He knocked down both three-point attempts and is now shooting an ACC-best 53.2 percent from behind the arc. Smith also matched a career high with three steals in the contest.

Junior Kyle Singler continued his all-around solid play with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Lance Thomas added nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, while limiting Iowa State’s high-scoring forward Craig Brackens to 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

Duke shot 56.0 percent (14-of-25) from the field and made all 12 free throws en route to outscoring Iowa State, 45-32, in the second half of play.

Numbers Game

l Duke has won 22 of its last 23 games in the month of January. The Blue Devils are 201-55 under Mike Krzyzewski in January games.

l Senior Jon Scheyer leads the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.58:1) while playing 35.3 minutes per game. He has led Duke in assists in all 14 games with six turnover-free games. Scheyer also ranks eighth in the NCAA at 6.2 assists per game.

l Nolan Smith has 25 three-point field goals and is shooting an ACC-best 53.2 percent from three-point range. In the last five games, he is 15-of-21 (.714) from behind the arc.

l Jon Scheyer is averaging 23.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game during Duke’s current seven-game win streak. He is shooting 47.4 percent from three-point range and averaging 3.9 three-point field goals per game in that span.

l Junior Nolan Smith has scored 10 or more points in all 12 games he has played. He is averaging 18.5 points per game, a 10.1 ppg. increase from a year ago. Smith also has six 20-point efforts in 2009-10 after posting one 20-point game in his first two seasons at Duke.

l Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are averaging 42.9 points combined, while shooting 52.7 percent (97-of-184) from the field and 53.7 percent (44-of-82) from three-point range during Duke’s seven-game win streak.

l Duke has had 17 individual 20-point scoring games this season. The Blue Devils have had multiple 20-point scorers in the same game six times on the year.

l Junior Kyle Singler has led Duke in rebounding seven times in 2009-10 and 43 times in his career. He has grabbed eight or more rebounds in four of the last five games.

l The Blue Devils are 3-0 against ranked opponents this season and 168-116 under Coach K against ranked foes.

l Duke limited its three previous ranked opponents (Connecticut, Gonzaga, Clemson) to 51.0 points per game. The Blue Devils held those three teams to 32.7 percent (53-of-162) shooting from the field, including 13.3 percent (4-of-30) shooting from three-point distance.

l Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were two of the 30 players recently named to the Wooden Award Midseason Watch List.

l Duke has won 11 of the last 12 meetings  at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

Duke Basketball

This season’s Duke Basketball team is pretty darn good

Msson Plumlee is starting to devlop after pre season injuries
Msson Plumlee is starting to develop after pre season injuries

Hey Duke fans!  Maybe it's time to notice just how good this years Duke Men's Basketball team is playing.   It wasn't that long ago when I'm pretty sure that I was the first to state Jon Scheyer would easily win ACC Player of the Year if it were voted upon today.  It seems as if everybody in the media grabbed that and ran with it, but let's face it, the numbers were easy to see if you were paying attention.  Here are some other obvious reasons Duke has been successful to date -

Mike Krzyzewski - Pull up a comfortable chair for the remainder of the season for Kryzewski is doing one of his best coaching jobs to date with this years team.  There is a fire and determination instilled in this years Duke team and one might say Krzyzewski is at his best when there are questions or concerns.  In short, he seems prepared for all of the challenges to date but he would be the first to tell you that in ACC play any weaknesses will be exposed.  So far this season, Duke has adjusted with the exception of maybe the Wisconsin game where they still had a chance to win in a tough environment had execution been a bit better down the stretch.  Duke has some solid wins on the ledger which will certainly help when the NCAA announces the parings in March.  As long as I have been watching Duke Basketball, Krzyzewski is doing as good a job to date as I have seen and yes, I was there the very day he walked onto the Duke campus for the first time.

Roles defined -I cannot remember the last team that seemed to understand their roles within the team at such an early point in the season. Krzyzewski and his staff have made each player understand what is expected of them and so far, so good.  He will no doubt tinkle a bit more as the season progresses in an attempt to push all of the right buttons. Whether it is Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek or Andre Dawkins, everyone has been doing a good job of translating what is expected of them to the court.

Defense - Krzyzewski changed up Duke's defense this season in order to fit his personnel and his schemes have been very successful.  The Blue Devils are really getting after it in half court and last evening showed some pressure full court.  If one were lucky enough to hear the players come out of the locker room at the beginning of any home game, they would hear the emphasis placed on defense.  "How are we going to win," asks one player to his of his teammates who are all gathered together and the response is "Defense," in unison followed by the hungry sounds of twelve players going "woof, woof, woof."  In short, the Blue Devils place great emphasis on defense as they always have, yet many never saw this coming.  All one needs to do is take a look at the stats to realize that to date, this years group is holding teams to fewer points than at anytime in the decade.

The Big Three - I've heard no suitable names for Duke's core of Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to date, but I cannot remember a team having three more consistent players.  The trio are accounting for the majority of points scored for the Duke offense and they all seem to relish their roles.  Nolan Smith has been solid and he consistently scores just under twenty points per game while playing cool and under control.  Kyle Singler is taking on a new role playing on the perimeter but he is adjusting before our very eyes and the pre season ACC Player of the Year seems more intent on winning than he does fulfilling individual or post season honors.  The aforementioned Scheyer has been nothing short of first team All American with a most amazing assist to turnover ratio and his heady play.  Not many teams around the country have a trio like Duke does and if you doubt that, start scanning the rosters.  As long as these three player produce as they have, Duke will have a most successful campaign.

Plumlee's development - Mason Plumlee showed signs of adjusting to the physical nature and speed of the game in the Blue Devils win over Iowa State.  Mason is still getting his timing down after a late pre season injury kept him out of the lineup.  The Blue Devils seem determined to have him ready for the coming rigors of ACC play.  It was visibly evident that Mason can do things other front court players cannot just watching him last night.  Once Mason starts finishing on a more consistent basis near the basket, Duke will be even better.

Offensive production - Many wondered where Duke's offense would come from this season and Duke has answered that question.  The Blue Devils are among the nations leaders in points per game and this has come against pretty good competition.  Duke still hits their three point shots and the team seems to be playing together making the extra pass when needed and taking a good shot when presented.

Home Cooking - How impressive is it when a team defeats the pre season third rated team in Clemson with relative ease in Cameron?  What's that?  It's Cameron and Duke always plays well, eh?  Well, this season they nailed down a win in the all important ACC opener by whipping the Tigers without eighty five percent of the Cameron Crazies, the cheerleaders, full band and well, you get it.  Duke has been tough at home and the Cameron Crazies will prove to play an important a role with a developing team.  The team has kept up their end and if the students do the rest of the way, then Duke may well go through the regular season undefeated at home.

So, Duke is 13-1 headed into the grinder known as the ACC regular season and to date are ranked fifth in both polls, yet there are still some who can find faults.  I'm not talking the media here, but amazingly some of the fans.  Duke was defeating a decent Iowa State team by 21 points, yet message boards had many concerned over Andre Dawkins playing time or the worries of players getting tired.  Have we become that jaded as a fan base that many cannot recognize that people would kill to trade places with a Blue Devil fan?  What I am saying is instead of non stop worrying about recruiting or the future, wake up and check out the here and now for this Duke team cannot give you much more effort than they already have.  It's no secret anymore, this years Duke team is pretty darn good.

Duke Basketball

Duke vs Iowa State Official Game Notes

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[5 AP/5 Coaches] Duke (12-1, 1-0 ACC) vs. Iowa State (10-3, 0-0 Big 12)

Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010  •  9:00 p.m.  •  espn2

United Center (20,917)  •  Chicago, Ill.

The Opening Tip

Duke (12-1, 1-0 ACC), ranked fifth in the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, faces Iowa State (10-3, 0-0 Big 12) at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 9:00 p.m. (EST). Wednesday’s game will air on espn2 with Dave O’Brien and Jay Bilas calling the action.

The Last Time Out

Duke posted a 74-53 win over Clemson on Sunday in the ACC opener for both schools. The Blue Devils jumped out to a 30-12 lead by limiting Clemson to 16.7 percent (5-of-30) shooting in the opening 20 minutes of play.

Nolan Smith posted his fifth 20-point game of the season with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Senior Jon Scheyer also had 22 points to go along with six assists and three steals. He knocked down three three-point field goals in the game and now has an ACC-best 37 threes on the year. Junior Kyle Singler added 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds as Duke outrebounded the Tigers, 33-29, for the game.

The Blue Devils forced more turnovers (17) than Clemson had field goals (16) on Sunday. Duke also shot 50 percent (24-of-48) from the field in the contest en route to its third win over a ranked opponent.

Krzyzewski Back Home in Chicago

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils to a 10-1 record in the Chicago area, including a 6-0 mark at the United Center. Duke has won six straight games in Chicago.

Numbers Game

l Duke has won 21 of its last 22 games in the month of January.  The Blue Devils are 200-55 under Mike Krzyzewski in January games.

l Duke is 20-4 against teams currently in the Big 12, including a 19-3 mark under Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils have won four straight against the Big 12.

l Senior Jon Scheyer leads the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.88:1) while playing 35.1 minutes per game. He has led Duke in assists in all 13 games with six turnover-free games. Scheyer also ranks eighth in the NCAA at 6.4 assists per game.

l Nolan Smith has 23 three-point field goals and is shooting an ACC-best 51.1 percent from three-point range. Smith entered the season as a 36.2 percent (49-of-135) from behind the arc.

l Brian Zoubek is 20-of-23 (.870) from the field over the last six games. He leads the Blue Devils in field goal percentage at .679.

l Jon Scheyer is averaging 22.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game during Duke’s current six-game win streak. He is shooting 47.9 percent from three-point range and averaging 3.8 three-point field goals per game in that span.

l Junior Nolan Smith has scored 10 or more points in all 11 games he has played. He is averaging 18.4 points per game, a 10.0 ppg. increase from a year ago. Smith also has five 20-point efforts in 2009-10 after posting one 20-point game in his first two seasons at Duke.

l Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are averaging 41.5 points combined, while shooting 51.6 percent (80-of-155) from the field and 53.5 percent (38-of-71) from three-point range during Duke’s six-game win streak.

l The trio of Jon Scheyer (22), Nolan Smith (22) and Kyle Singler combined for 81.1 percent (60 of 74 points) of Duke’s scoring output in Sunday’s win over Clemson.

l Duke has had 15 individual 20-point scoring games this season. The Blue Devils have had multiple 20-point scorers in the same game five times on the year.

l Junior Kyle Singler has led Duke in rebounding six times in 2009-10 and 42 times in his career. He has grabbed five or more rebounds in 68 of 84 career games.

l Wednesday marks the 70th birthday of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The building opened on Jan. 6, 1940 with a 36-27 Duke win over Princeton.

Duke Basketball

Duke Unleashes Devilish Defense to Defeat Clemson 74-53

Scheyer nets 22 vs Clemson - Photo Lance King
Scheyer nets 22 vs Clemson - Photo Lance King

Durham, N.C. - The walk up to Cameron was a cold one tonight as the temperature is in the twenties, but Dukes defense made the elements seem warm compared the the cold defensive breeze that shut the Tigers offense to a crawl.  The  Blue Devils cruised to a 74-53 win in their ACC opener using the aforementioned lock down defense which held Clemson to 32.7% from the field for the game.

Duke held the visitors to just 12 first half points and 16.7% from the field, but Clemson did manage to score the second half's first 12 points and it looked as if Duke's first half effort would evaporate, but the Devils regrouped after a Krzyzewski timeout and rode the big three to a win.

Whats that?  Who is the big three?  Well, if you don't know you haven't followed the Blue Devils.  The big 3 would be Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.  The trio combined for 60 of the Blue Devils 74 points and their consistency has been uncanny to this point.

The backcourt of Smith and Scheyer scored 22 points apiece and combined for 9 of the Blue Devils 12 assists.  Singler added 16 and earned the praise of Krzyzewski after the game where he said he looked stronger or better than at any time this season.

He was probably referring to Singlers toughness and leadership or maybe it was that Singler jaw jacked a bit with Clemson star Trevor Booker.  Duke held Booker to just 10 points his second lowest total of the season.

Krzyzewski showed emotion tonight while trying to keep the Cameron Crazies going and they did a pretty good job with a lot of the students missing.  He leaped when Scheyer picked up a Booker turnover, turned and made a three point shot which gave Duke a commanding 39-25 lead after a Tiger run to crawl back into the game.

Duke outscored Clemson in the paint and out-rebounded their opponent and scored 19 points of Tiger turnovers.  The final 21 point margin was the largest lead of the game for Duke.

With the win, Duke goes to 12-1 on the season and 1-0 in the conference while Clemson drops to 12-3 and 0-1.  Duke will next face Iowa State in Chicago on Wednesday.

Be sure to check out the BDN Locker Room Report which is coming later.

Notes - Duke honored the great Vic Bubas and his 1960 team at half time.  Krzyzewski sang the praises of Bubas during the post game press conference.

Official Box Score Linked Here

More Lanc e King Photos

Duke Season Team Stats

Duke Basketball

Previewing the Clemson Tigers

DukeThe Tigers come a calling as Duke (11-1) hosts Clemson (12-2) on Sunday evening in each team's ACC opener. Duke is coming off a 114-55 thrashing of Penn, while Clemson escaped South Carolina State 70-67 in their last game. In post game comments, Clemson Coach Oliver Purnell stated, "In college basketball, upsets happen all the time. We avoided one tonight. Hopefully, we'll be energized to go on the road and play in the ACC."

Last year, Clemson embarrassed Duke 74-47 in the game at Littlejohn. The Tigers' press resulted in 16 Blue Devil turnovers. Duke will need to be prepared to deal with Clemson's pressure defense as Clemson is number one in the ACC in steals averaging 11.4 per game.

Duke and Clemson have had two common opponents on the season. Clemson went on the road and defeated UNC-Greensboro 89-67, while Duke defeated the Spartans 96-62 in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The second common opponent is Long Beach State. Clemson defeated the 49ers, on a neutral court, at the 76 Classic in Anaheim 87-79, while Duke won 84-63 in Cameron.

Senior Trevor Booker (6'7" 240) is Clemson's best player. He averages 14.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 28.5 minutes of action. Booker was named Second Team All ACC last season and is playing like a First Team candidate so far this season. Booker will challenge Duke inside with athleticism and physical play.

Sophomore Tanner Smith (6'5" 220) and Junior Demontez Stitt (6'2" 175) average 10.8 and 10.1 points respectively. Stitt leads the team with a 3.9 assists per game average.

Sophomore Andre Young (5'9" 170) and Senior David Potter (6'6" 215) provide the 3-point shooting punch for the Tigers. Potter is making 45.3 percent of his long range attempts while Young is making 39.7 percent. Clemson is 3rd in the ACC with 7.1 made 3-pointers per game. Duke is first at 8.8.

Off the bench, Devon Booker (6'8" 235) and Jerai Grant (6'8" 220) chip in 5.8 and 5.5 points per game. Freshmen Noel Johnson and Milton Jennings also average double digit minutes to give the Tigers a solid nine man rotation.

The keys to the game will be:

1. Taking care of the basketball. Duke must neutralize Clemson's fullcourt press by passing over it and quickly advancing the ball into the frontcourt. Duke's big men's passing skills and ability to run the court will be critical to the outcome.

2. Physical inside play. Trevor Booker and company are going to challenge Duke inside with physical play. Duke's five man frontcourt rotation is going to have to play the Tigers tough. Foul trouble could be an issue for both team's big men.

3. Backcourt dominance. Scheyer, Smith, and Singler have an advantage over Clemson's backcourt and they need to press that advantage for 40 minutes. Clemson will look to run their offense through Trevor Booker so Duke must harass Clemson’s backcourt and prevent them from feeding the ball inside. Clemson turns the ball over 15 times a game.

This game is the beginning of a three game litmus test for Duke's frontcourt. Iowa State and Georgia Tech are also tough inside teams. We will all know a lot more about our inside players’ strengths and weaknesses once these three games are in the books.

Trevor Booker is a beast inside and Miles and Mason Plumlee need to respond to the challenge. In the backcourt, Duke has a huge advantage in both talent and experience. This is a game where both teams are going to attempt to dictate the style of play. For Duke to come away with the win, they must handle Clemson's press and match Clemson's physical play.