It is New Years Day and Duke fans are asking, “How far can this team go in 2010?” Thus far Duke has looked like a solid team capable of competing to win the ACC regular season and defending the ACC Championship they won in Atlanta last March. Advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament is a realistic possibility.
The ACC regular season is set to start as Duke (11-1) hosts Clemson (12-2) on Sunday evening in a 7:45 pm contest. Duke is simultaneously a very experienced team and a young team still developing. Five upper classmen on the roster have a combined 280 starts, while three freshmen and a sophomore are all playing significant minutes in the rotation. How these two opposite elements meld is an important factor to how good the Blue Devils can become.
So the jury is still out on how good Duke can be in 2010. There are many questions remaining to be answered before it is known whether this squad can become the 11th Mike Krzyzewski coached Duke team to compete in the Final Four. The five questions discussed below are a good start for analyzing the 2009-10 Blue Devils’ chances of advancing to Indianapolis.
How dominant can S Cubed be during the ACC season?
Kyle Singler started the season as a legitimate candidate to earn All America honors. Jon Scheyer has been playing like an ACC Player-of-the-Year Candidate. And Nolan Smith appears to have made the performance jump everyone expected him to make last season. These three players, S Cubed, form the core of the 2009-10 Duke Blue Devils and in order for the Blue Devils to win the ACC and develop into a legitimate Final Four contender all three must bring their strengths onto the court.
Singler, at 6’8”, is a match-up nightmare at small forward for most teams. He is bigger and more athletic than the typical small forward in the college game. Singler has the ability to place the team on his back and carry them. His 28 points in the loss to Wisconsin is a good example even though the end result came up short. In 2010, the requirement to step-up and carry Duke to victory is going to present itself to Singler more than once and the Blue Devils will need him to respond in order to achieve their potential.
Scheyer values the basketball. With an assists to turnover ratio of 5.5, and an 18.6 points per game scoring average, he is a tremendous asset at point guard. After Scheyer scored 36 points against his team, Gardner-Webb Head Coach Rick Scruggs stated, “He was unbelievable. Anybody that says there’s any weakness is out of their minds. He shot it, he controlled the game, he doesn’t turn the ball over. He does everything you could ask of him at his position.”
Smith is the player Duke will rely upon to contain an opponent’s speedy guard. Smith is currently the team’s second leading scorer at 18 points per game so he is obviously an important offensive player. However, defense is where Duke needs Smith to standout. Limiting dribble penetration, pressuring the ball, and creating perimeter turnovers that lead to transition opportunities will be key to Duke winning big in 2010.
Singler, Scheyer, and Smith are the core of this year’s Duke Blue Devils and all three must be consistent throughout the season in order for Duke to achieve their maximum potential. In most games, Duke will be okay as long as two of the three show up with their “A” game, but against the crème de la crème all three will need to be clicking.
How good is the defense?
Duke held Gonzaga to 41 points on December 19th. Gonzaga entered the game as the #15 ranked team in the nation averaging 79 points per game. Back on November 27th, Duke held #13 Connecticut to a season low 59 points. In the other nine games they’ve played, Connecticut has averaged 75 points. Were these performances an aberration or is Duke capable of consistently shutting down Top 25 offenses?
Duke is a big, physical team inside. Gonzaga Coach Mark Few stated, “Their physical play bothered us as far as finishing shots around the rim.” Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun stated, “Duke physically handled us.” Duke is averaging 5.7 blocked shots per game with sophomore Miles Plumlee leading the way with 1.3 blocks per game.
Versatility is another defensive characteristic this season. Senior forward Lance Thomas has the ability to defend every position and Coach Krzyzewski relies upon him to tackle the tough assignments. Coach Krzyzewski’s comments after the Gonzaga game included, “Lance played a great game today. The kid Harris, I think he is a really good player, and Lance did a great job on him.”
Through the first 12 games of the season, Duke has a +8.5 rebounding advantage. Basketball is a game where every possession is important and this Duke team denies opponents second chance points by aggressively controlling the boards.
Can Brian Zoubek continue to be a legitimate center during the ACC season?
Zoubek has been playing very solid basketball over Duke’s first 12 games. He is a rebounding machine averaging 7.7 rebounds per game in only 16.7 minutes of playing time. That equates to 18.4 rebounds per 40 minutes of playing time. With the start of the ACC season, the level of competition is going to increase and Zoubek must step up his game and continue to dominate the glass when on the court.
Duke is deep in the frontcourt with four players 6’10” or taller but three of the four are underclassmen. Senior Zoubek must be play up to the level of his experience and be a steady influence upon young big men Miles and Mason Plumlee. If Duke is to develop into a team capable of advancing to Indianapolis, Zoubek must remain solid as the competition stiffens because the Blue Devils need his leadership.
Coach Krzyzewski recently commented, when discussing the defense, “The kid who really hasn’t gotten much attention for us, is Zoubek. Brian has had a hell of a year so far.” Blue Devil fans desire to hear the coach make similar statements after big ACC conference games.
Can the bench players remain viable options?
All nine scholarship players, on Duke’s roster are averaging double digit minutes of playing time. The issue is Duke has only nine scholarship players so all nine must continue to improve and perform as the season advances. This Duke team is vulnerable to injury and can be hurt by a single player suffering a lapse of confidence. Duke needs all nine players contributing in order to ensure maximum team performance from now until late March.
How high is Andre Dawkins’ ceiling as a freshman?
We already talked about the bench players, but this question is a bit different. Duke needs an explosive fourth offensive option against top notch opponents. Is Andre Dawkins the guy? Or has Dawkins already played the best games of his freshman season? Once again, this is about tougher competition. Dawkins has shined in early season games averaging 9.8 points with double digit performances in five games including 11 points against Connecticut and 12 against Wisconsin with a season high of 20 points against Radford. The question is will Dawkins continue to be a consistent scorer in games against Clemson, Maryland, Florida State, North Carolina, and into the post season?
Duke is known for being a prolific 3-point shooting team and Dawkins is a guy who has the ability to stretch defenses past their comfort zone. Combining big, physical inside play with accurate outside shooting is a lethal formula so Duke needs Dawkins knocking down 3-pointers in 2010 like he did over the first 12 games of the schedule.
The 2009-10 Duke Blue Devils can become a legitimate Final Four contender with continued development as a team, and if the ball bounces their way a couple of times in key situations that are sure to arise. The factor promoting the most optimism in Durham this season is that this Duke team appears to be a squad, which will be much stronger and talented in March than in it was during November and December, and that is very bad news for the teams seeded in the same regional as Duke come March.
Durham, N.C. - The Blue Devils had little trouble of disposing of a winless Pennsylvania Quaker team, routing the outmatched opponent by a score of 114-55. Duke ends the decade as the winningest team in college basketball. In fact, their 294 wins are the most in any decade which is quite a milestone.
Duke's margin of victory was the worst defeat in Penn history and the most points the Quakers have ever allowed. Duke went deep into their bench playing 12 players, but the usual suspects Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer.
Nolan Smith led the way with 23 points, Kyle Singler added 20 and Scheyer 19 to go with a monster 11 assists. One of the bright spots was the play of once injured freshman Mason Plumlee who scored 19 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
There were several other Duke players who padded their stats going into ACC play as you can see in the Official Box Score.
Duke scored 29 points off of turnovers and 22 second chance points and pretty much had their way as evidenced 43-25 rebounding advantage. In short, this game was nothing more than a tuneup for Clemson who comes into Cameron on Sunday evening.
Duke is now 11-1 for the season and the wins get tougher from here on out.
Notes - Denzel Washington got a lot of looks as he watched his son Malcolm, a freshman on the Penn team play. Stay tuned for the BDN Locker Room Report where we have one on one interviews with Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer and Mason Plumlee. Have a safe and happy new year.
Durham, N.C. - The Duke Blue Devils earned their 10th victory of the season with an 84-63 win over Long Beach State. The difference in the game was the Devils first half defensive effort. That effort held Long Beach State to 29.4 percent from the field and 25 points. Duke looked a little lethargic in the second half but picked up the defense towards the end of the half assuring an easy victory.
The Duke upperclassmen came to play tonight as senior captain Jon Scheyer led the way with 19 points and 7 assists and once again had no turnovers. His back court mate Nolan Smith added 19 points and 7 assists and he too did not commit a turnover.
Kyle Singler scored just three second half points, but tallied 14 for the game to go with 9 rebounds. Brian Zoubek continued to play within himself and that translated into a double double of 10 points and 12 boards. Fellow senior Lance Thomas finished the game with 10 points.
Duke played a total of eleven players but the bench saw little action in the second half in that the Devils would outscore the visitor by a single point.
The Blue Devils were tough on the offensive boards scoring 22 points on put backs and for the most part neutralized any inside games from the Beach as they are called by their own fans.
Duke also outrebounded the visitor by a 44-36 margin and the team had a season high ten blocks in the contest with freshman Mason Plumlee leading the way with four. Duke is 9-0 when they garner more boards than their opponent.
Duke extended it's non conference winning streak in Cameron to 75 straight games. Duke was on fire from the three point stripe going 15 of 26 giving them four games with 10 or more treys.
The Devils will next play the Penn Quakers on New Years Eve in a game which starts at 6:00 EST. Stay tuned for the BDN Locker Room Report with interviews from Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer.
Smith confers with Curry during the Blue-White game - copyright BDN Photo
New York - BDN's Andrew Slater caught up with Nolan Smith after the Gonzaga game and got his thoughts on several things in the following interview. This is normally part of BDN Premium's Locker Room Report, but we decided to share this with all of the Blue Devil Nation in order to give you an idea about our latest premium addition which brings you inside. BDN goes out of our way to talk with players before or after the media throng gets to them in an effort to bring you a more unique experience. BDN Premium Members get full site access which includes all the latest on recruiting from a growing network of sources. You can also discuss this with members on our private message board, which is the fastest growing forum out there. Enjoy the words from Nolan and Happy Holidays to all from the Blue Devil Nation!
Were you surprised that you were able to force them into so many turnovers?
Um, no, I wouldn’t say surprised. They’re a great team, but we have a lot of confidence in our ability. That kept us going. We wanted to go out there and play forty minutes of great defense. It helped us out early when we came out early and weren’t making shots.
How do you account for your jump this year, in terms of production?
Just being aggressive and confident.
You’re shooting a lot better.
Yeah, well, I shot better today than the last time, but..
That’s okay. It came back.
Exactly, you know, Jon and Kyle and these guys have really helped me out a lot this year and I had a summer of hard work.
Yeah, I saw you doing some of that hard work out in Las Vegas with the D.C. Assault.
Nolan (laughs)
Do you have any interest in going into coaching or running D.C. Assault later on?
Oh, yeah, my stepfather is Curtis Malone. I’m definitely always looking to give back to the community.
Can you talk a little bit about your Twitter activity? Is that a way for you to reach out to your fans and tell them what your up to?
Oh, yeah, definitely. It’s a way for me to reach out. I love my fans and I just love people.
Talk about coming to the big tournaments and playing the big opponents.
Oh, we love coming to places like here
How do you account for today's breakout performance?
My teammates and coaches are always looking for me to become more aggressive. Today, shots were falling and I got into a really good rhythm. We all just put in a great effort.
What was the team looking to do, in terms of keying on Boldin and Gray?
This year, we have a very good team defensively. We’re a huge team inside and that gives us the confidence on the perimeter to just get out there and try to keep our man in front of us. We wanted to just get on him and, whether it was me on Boldin or Jon on Boldin, we wanted to stop him in transition. We just got one hundred percent effort for forty minutes tonight. They felt us out there. We didn’t want to let them get anything easy out there.
Can you talk about, early in the second half, you guys had a working lead and then hit a couple of threes and it didn’t seem like they had the quickness to match-up?
Jon and I got into a really good rhythm and, you know, Coach was calling plays and the team really responded. They set great screens to get us open. We played great out there today. Whether it was with penetrating and kicking, shots were just coming so easy for everybody. We all got good looks and, today, Jon and I were able to knock down those shots.
How about when they cut the lead down to nine and then you guys responded with a give-and-go and then went on your own run?
Yeah, well, in a game like this against a top opponent, it’s very important to try to respond and you know that one or two possessions may wind up being back-breakers. That play really got to them and then we got into the rhythm of our offense. The whole team was really struggling offensively at the beginning part of the game and that play really helped us get going and into that rhythm.
Duhon was here today. Jason Williams was here and Greg Paulus.
Homecoming
Yeah, did you guys want to look good in front of the Duke guards of the past? [Duhon approached Nolan]
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You definitely want to look good in front of the alumni.
Chris Duhon: Are you staying or are you out?
I’m out.
Chris Duhon: Alright, hit me up.
I will. I definitely will.
Yeah, we definitely wanted to put a show on for them. And they saw that we have two good guards here so they don‘t have anything to worry about.
What about the mindset this year, Nolan? How does it compare also, in terms of being a shut-down defense in the half court?
Defensively, this team is a lot tougher than, well, my first two years here. In comparison to last year, this year’s team takes a lot more pride in stopping guys. Like with the Gonzaga team today, they’ve been scoring points tremendously this year and, as you could see from our effort today, it just shows what we’re capable of, when we continue to give effort in practice and in games for forty minutes.
They never seemed to get in any kind of flow and shot a very low percentage from the field.
Yeah, we knew we wanted to stop Boldin and Gray. That was our game plan. Take them out. Never let them get anything easy and definitely never let them get any wide-open threes in transition. Tagging them and not letting them get into a rhythm was the key.
You and Jon seem to have a good chemistry out there and it was especially evident today. Can you talk about your chemistry?
Oh, yeah, Jon and I have a great chemistry both on and off the court. Today and, well, all week in practice, we’ve just been working on getting our offense in a flow and playing together even better. You know, in the first few weeks, we were playing well, but we felt like we could take it to another level, where, if we made the extra pass, we could get even a better look or a better shot than we thought we had. We’ve improved since we’ve started to do that and I think it helps our shooters as well. We’ll hopefully continue to grow.
Did the team look to shoot more three pointers in this game?
No, we just took our opportunities, based upon what the defense gave us. They were giving us some open looks and so we took them.
What happened the first eight to ten minutes?
I think it was both teams just looking to feel each other out, you know, defensively and offensively. It really just took one bucket to get us going offensively.
Do you think this was your best performance overall, given the opponent, the venue, and the performance?
Um, yeah, it was a CBS game against a great team. My teammates really helped me to expose myself. They helped me to show that I’m ready to make that next jump to be one of the elite guards in the country. I’ve just got to continue to work hard and work with my teammates to get better.
Do you think you benefited from coming in here a couple of weeks ago and playing against two quality opponents, in terms of your shooting here today?
Yeah, definitely, it was like a home game out there today. It was great just coming back here and have a good feeling.
Were you the person to call it Cameron North?
No, somebody the last time had a poster up that said it, but it definitely feels like Cameron North. When we walk in here, it’s just absolutely great to see all of the Duke fans up here. You know they were here early before the game and it was pretty much all blue in there. It feels like Cameron North. I think the coaches love coming here and I know the players definitely love coming here. It’s a great arena.
What about the play of Jon Scheyer the last two games?
Oh, yeah, Jon’s been playing great lately, but he’s always such a poised player, you know. We’re going to try to feed off of him.
Has he been doing everything differently?
He’s a senior. He’s “been here and done that.” He’s played in big games and taken big shots. He’s running the show.
What kind of a statement win was this? Playing against another highly ranked team and putting up those numbers.
It was definitely a statement game. We especially wanted to show our defense out today and what we could do against a high scoring team. There are a lot of teams around the country that can score, but thank God we’re one of the teams that can go out there and really defend. To go against an offensive unit like that and then to hold them to so few points hopefully really shows what this team is capable of. Hopefully, this sends a message to the world. I mean we could’ve just scored fifty points out there today and still have won. You know it will hopefully show that we can stop great teams like Gonzaga.
Tonight, although he was able to rebound and played good defense, Singler didn’t have a great game offensively and yet, because of the production you and Jon, two of the big three, were able to give the team, the team didn’t miss a beat. Can you comment on that?
I think it just shows that we have a lot of weapons. I mean I may have an off game and Kyle and Jon will be there to pick us up. Jon might have an off game and me and Kyle’ll be there. Our perimeter guys love playing together and Kyle’ll get back on track. He’s going to continue to play and let it come. He didn’t have to force anything.
Can you point to when you felt you and the team really got on a roll?
I think it kind of just happened. It was after an in-bound I was wide open and then from there on we were just penetrating and kicking. It kind of just got everybody the good looks and we just shot the ball with confidence. We started to do that and just rolled.
NEW YORK - It wasn't an official point guard reunion for Duke at Madison Square Garden, but the man who currently runs the offense must have made the old-timers proud.
So did their alma mater's defense.
Nolan Smith scored 24 points, point guard Jon Scheyer added 20 points and eight assists and No. 7 Duke held No. 15 Gonzaga to its lowest point total in 25 years in a 76-41 victory Saturday in the Aeropostale Classic.
"I didn't know who was here until after the game and that's a good thing because you play a little differently if you do," Scheyer said. "I'm not one of those guys. They were obviously great guards and it was fun for Nolan and I to have a game like that."
Fun was not a word heard much in the Gonzaga locker room with the Bulldogs being held to their lowest point total since a 62-40 loss to Iowa on Nov. 28, 1984.
"We got throttled in every aspect of basketball," coach Mark Few said. "Their physical play bothered us as far as finishing shots around the rim. They outrebounded us. We turned the ball over more and they took more free throws. They beat us in every aspect. It was an old-fashioned take you out to the woodshed and beat you down."
This wasn't a perfect game for either team for most of the first half.
Duke (9-1) missed 12 of its first 15 shots from the field and it was only that the Bulldogs (8-3) were struggling as well, making only two of their first 10 shots, that the game was close for the first 15 minutes.
The Blue Devils were able to straighten things out enough to take a 31-17 halftime lead, but they missed all six of their 3-point attempts.
Smith then hit two 3s and Scheyer added another in a 9-1 run to open the second half and the rout was on.
"It was a matter of the shots being open because we were moving the ball better," Scheyer said of the start of the second half. "Nolan found me for a great look and he had a couple of great looks."
Scheyer, who was coming off a career-high 36 points against Gardner-Webb when he was two rebounds and an assist shy of a triple-double, also had eight assists. Scheyer, who entered the game leading the nation with a 6.4:1 assist-turnover ratio, had two turnovers.
"I don't remember the second turnover," Scheyer said with a laugh before dismissing again that he deserves to be included with the former Duke point guards. "I like to think I make other plays besides scoring. As long as I'm out there playing I'm OK. It doesn't matter to me. Call me whatever you want."
Krzyzewski said Scheyer "doesn't have a position. He is just a good, smart basketball player."
Robert Sacre led the Bulldogs with nine points on 2-of-11 shooting. The Bulldogs came into the game averaging 79.5 points and were shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 37.5 from 3-point range.
Their numbers Saturday weren't even close. Gonzaga shot 27.8 percent (15 of 54) and made one of 10 3-point attempts while committing 18 turnovers.
"Against a top team like that, to put together a defensive effort like that let's us know even if we have an off game we can score 50 points and win a game," Smith said.
The win was the sixth straight at Madison Square Garden for the Blue Devils and the third this season. They beat Arizona State and Connecticut in the semifinals and finals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Duke has an all-time record of 26-14 at the Garden, 21-6 under Krzyzewski. Gonzaga fell to 1-4 all-time at Madison Square Garden.
"We have to put this one out of out minds fast. This was an aberration," Few said. "They have been great at stepping up to challenges all season."
[7 AP/7 Coaches] Duke (5-0) vs. [13 AP/13 Coaches] Connecticut (4-0)
Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 * 5:00 p.m. * ESPN
Madison Square Garden (19,763) * New York, N.Y.
The Opening Tip
Duke (5-0), ranked seventh in the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, faces 13th-ranked Connecticut (4-0) on Friday, Nov. 27 at 5:00 p.m in the final of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Friday's contest will be aired by ESPN with Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Doris Burke calling the action.
The Last Time Out
Duke is coming off a 64-53 win over Arizona State on Wednesday in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Senior Jon Scheyer led the way with 16 points, four rebounds and six assists, while Nolan Smith scored 14 points. Junior Kyle Singler added 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the win. Freshman Andre Dawkins contributed eight points, including a pair of three-point field goals.
The Blue Devils held Arizona State to 39.1 percent (18-of-46) from the field, including 28.6 percent (6-of-21) in the second half. Duke has now held the opposition below 40 percent shooting in four straight games.
NIT Season Tip-Off History
Duke is 21-2 all-time in the NIT Season Tip-Off, including an 9-2 mark at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils have won 11 straight games in the tournament. Duke won the first NIT Season Tip-Off championship in 1985 and also claimed tournament titles in 2000 and 2005.
Numbers Game
l Mike Krzyzewski (837) and Jim Calhoun (809) have combined for 1,646 career wins. Friday's contest marks the first meeting between 800+ win coaches.
l Duke is 26-2 in in-season tournaments over the past nine seasons. The Blue Devils have won 10 straight in-season tournament games.
l Duke is 24-14 all-time, including a 19-6
mark under Mike Krzyzewski, at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils have won four straight and 11 of their last 12 games at MSG.
l The Blue Devils are 101-10 in the month of November under Coach K. Duke has won 21 straight games in the month, dating back to a Nov. 21, 2006 loss to Marquette.
l The Blue Devils have won six of their last nine games and are 104-44 all-time against current Big East teams.
l Kyle Singler has scored in double figures in 20 straight games and in 64 of 76 career contests.
l Sophomore Miles Plumlee is averaging 10.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game after recording 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game a year ago. He has four double figure scoring games and two double-doubles on the year.
l Jon Scheyer has 27 assists and just two turnovers in 171 minutes of action on the year. The Northbrook, Ill., native has led the Blue Devils in assists in all five games and leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 13.5:1.
l Junior Nolan Smith has reached double figures in scoring in three straight games. He is averaging a team-high 19.3 points per game, a scoring jump of +10.9 ppg. from a year ago.
l Andre Dawkins has a team-best 14 three-point field goals on the year. He is shooting 48.3 percent (14-of-29) from three-point range and has made two or more threes in four of five games. Dawkins ranks third in the ACC in three-point percentage.
l Senior Brian Zoubek ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds at 4.4 orpg. He also ranks 12th in the conference at 8.0 rebounds per game, despite playing just 15.0 minutes per contest.
l Duke has held its last four opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field. The Blue Devils are 296-9 under Mike Krzyzewski when holding opponents under 40 percent shooting.
l The Blue Devils limited Arizona State to 53 points on Wednesday and have now held three of their five opponents under 60 points scored.
l Duke leads the ACC in free throw percentage .722 (80-of-103) and ranks second in three-point percentage .422 (47-of-112).
l Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith each played the entire 40 minutes in Wednesday's win over Arizona State. The trio combined for 43 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in the game
It is New Years Day and Duke fans are asking, “How far can this team go in 2010?” Thus far Duke has looked like a solid team capable of competing to win the ACC regular season and defending the ACC Championship they won in Atlanta last March. Advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament is a realistic possibility.
Durham, N.C. - The Blue Devils had little trouble of disposing of a winless Pennsylvania Quaker team, routing the outmatched opponent by a score of 114-55. Duke ends the decade as the winningest team in college basketball. In fact, their 294 wins are the most in any decade which is quite a milestone.
Game 6 * NIT Season Tip-Off Final
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