Duke

GameNight: Duke at Purdue

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:06:22 -0500

Start: Dec 2 2008 - 9:00pm

Preview & Prediction: By Raphielle Johnson

Season:

5-1

It’s one of the headliners in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and a win in this showdown is far more important to the home team and its conference. #9 AP/10 Coaches Purdue (5-1) hosts #4/4 Duke (7-0) on Tuesday night in a game that can be seen on ESPN, and even with a trip to the NCAA Tournament last season Matt Painter’s Boilermakers could use a win over a national “name” to show that they’re a contender to get to Detroit. Duke brings a different sort of test than the one defeat for Purdue, an overtime loss to Oklahoma in the final of the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Sooners have one of the most dominant players in the nation in forward Blake Griffin, and while the Blue Devils don’t have that kind of interior presence they possess a number of versatile players who can do some serious damage.

At the top of that list is sophomore forward Kyle Singler, who leads the team in both scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) on the season. The position of interest in the early going for Duke: point guard. Nolan Smith took over the starting role in place of senior Greg Paulus, and the Blue Devils haven’t missed a beat. In fact, you can make the argument that both players are far more productive in their new roles. Paulus can give a boost off the bench with his hustle, and Smith has done a good job of running the offense and being the point of attack on the defensive end of the floor. And don’t forget about perimeter players Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer, both of whom have the skills to hang twenty-plus on any opponent on their schedule.

Purdue is a team built in a similar mold to Duke, lacking a premier post presence but making up for it with perimeter versatility and a commitment to defense. Robbie Hummel, picked in the preseason to be Big Ten Player of the Year, leads the Boilers in rebounding (6.5 rpg) while trailing guard E’Twaun Moore (16.7 ppg) in scoring with just over fourteen points per game. Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant provide some depth on the perimeter, and viewers familiar with Duke teams from the mid-90’s may look at Kramer and think a little bit about current Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski and the way in which he played the game. Nemanja Calasan and JaJuan Johnson will need to step up their play inside for Purdue, with the Boilers being a -4.3 in rebound margin. Duke, despite their lack of interior muscle, is a +10.1 in that category.

Purdue definitely has a shot at winning this game, but the home crowd will have a tough time rattling a group as experienced as the one that strolls into Mackey Arena Tuesday night. Big games on a big stage is nothing new to Duke, while it’s been some time since Dick Vitale was courtside in West Lafayette. The experience, and a solid bench contribution from Paulus and forward Lance Thomas, is what will get Duke and the ACC another win in this challenge.

Winner: Duke Margin: 5-9 pts.

GameNight: Duke vs Montana

Blake Hofstad — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:30:11 -0500

Start: Nov 23 2008 - 1:00pm

Preview & Prediction: By Blake Hofstad

The Grizzlies of Montana make the trip down to Durham to play the Duke Blue Devils. While Montana is a good team, and has a shot to win the Big Sky, this is Duke. It's hard for anyone to come into Cameron and win, let alone Montana.

For the Grizzlies to have a shot, they will need to rely heavily on their perimeter defense, as Duke’s offense utilizes their tremendous shooting ability. The bulk of Montana’s scoring comes from three guys. Ryan Staudacher pours in 16 a game. Jordan Hasquet and Brian Qvale are the Grizzlies best rebounders, and between the two of them average around 24 points and 15 rebounds a game. Point guard Jack McGillis is a solid passer, giving out 5 assists a game. Unfortunately for Montana, they haven’t looked good early. Their record is 2-1, but that is deceiving. They got blown out by Colorado State, beat Montana Western by 7 and beat possibly the worst non-independent team in college basketball in Mississippi Valley State. If you lose by 30 to Colorado State, how bad will Duke beat you?

The Blue Devils boast one of the top teams in the country. They skated through the Coaches against Cancer tournament and their only real challenge was against Rhode Island, who had possibly the nation’s best shooter in Jimmy Baron on their side. The thing that makes Duke so tough is that they can put 5 guys on the court that can shoot, and make, the three. Jon Scheyer has played very well; his dribble penetration has set up some great looks for both himself and his teammates. Gerald Henderson does everything for this team. He and Kyle Singler are two very versatile players. Nolan Smith has played well enough in the starting role. Even Brian Zoubek has played key roles in Duke’s victories, being the one true big guy on their roster.

Poor Montana. This is not a good morale booster so early in the season.

Winner: Duke Margin: 20+

GameNight: Duke vs Michigan (Coaches vs Cancer Final)

Fairway Jay — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:49:59 -0500

Start: Nov 21 2008 - 7:30pm

Preview & Prediction: By Fairway Jay

The championship game of the 2K Sports Classic will feature perennial power Duke against an upstart Michigan team working their way back to prominence. The tournament final will be an ESPN2 feature and tip off at 7:30pm EST at Madison Square Garden. Duke (4-0) struggled in the early going of their semifinal game with Southern Illinois. The Blue Devils had 10 turnovers in the opening 12 minutes as they were a bit flustered by the SUI defensive pressure. But after a sloppy first half that saw Duke shoot just 30% from the floor, the Blue Devils found their rhythm and pulled away for a 25-point win. Talented guard Gerald Henderson took over and scored 20 points after the break. Interesting to note that Duke only took 42 shots from the floor, yet made a regular visit to the foul line in the second half and made 40 of 47 free throw attempts in their 83-58 win.

Duke will face more contested shots against Michigan and their tricky 1-3-1 zone defense. The Wolverines are extremely well coach by John Beilein and their zone trap frustrated UCLA and causes many opponents problems. Yet we can anticipate even more 3-point attempts by Duke, as they are a terrific perimeter team and among the very best at getting the ball to one spot on the floor and then reversing the ball to the other side for open 3-point shots. Kyle Singler, Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer are all solid shooters and the main scorers for Duke. If they can get another strong game inside from 7’1 center Brian Zoubeck, then Duke will be even more formidable and force Michigan to play at their preferred pace.

Sophomore guard Manny Harris is a terrific scorer for Michigan (3-0), and can beat you in many different ways. With DeShawn Sims really emerging and providing Michigan’s top rebounding presence, the Wolverines are going to continue their improvement as a team under coach Beilein’s guidance. Must note that Michigan was out-rebounded by margin against UCLA and only shot 30% FG in the first half before finishing with 42% shooting including 5-19 from the arch. Their problematic zone defense may fluster Duke for a short while, but the Blue Devils have more capable shooters and scorers than Michigan has faced this season or last.

The weakness with Duke is on the interior, yet Michigan may not be able to exploit that area completely. With such energy and effort exerted by Michigan to pull off a big win and upset of UCLA, the Wolverines are not likely to have enough energy left or the scoring power to stay with Duke in the second half. Much respect for coach Beilein and his ability to teach, plan and prepare. Michigan played poised against UCLA and was never rattled despite trailing the Bruins the entire first half. Yet while Michigan had time to get ready and prepare for UCLA, they won’t be as fortunate on back-to-back night’s facing the more skilled shooters on Duke. The Blue Devils ultimately figured out how to handle and attack the defensive pressure and ball screen defense of Southern Illinois, and Duke will find a way to break down Michigan’s zone and forge to the finish with their perimeter players to win the championship game.

Winner: Duke Margin: 10+ points

Big Picture: Lance Thomas

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:16:50 -0500

Today's BIG PICTURE

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, CHN has access to thousands of great college basketball photos. Each day during the season, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless! During the off-season, we'll publish scattered favorites that were missed during the year.

LANCE THOMAS: DUKE

On the way to an eventual blowout win over SIU, Lance Thomas celebrates, and the guy from behind is doing, umm, who knows..

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Poll: Who Will Win the Coaches vs Cancer Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:40:25 -0500

GameNight: Duke vs Southern Illinois

Fairway Jay — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:38:25 -0500

Start: Nov 20 2008 - 7:00am

Preview & Prediction: By Fairway Jay

Southern Illinois (2-0) and Duke (3-0) meet at Madison Square Garden in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic. Duke is ranked #10 in the AP poll and has four returning starters led by forward Kyle Singler, who has scored 59 points in three games this season after averaging 13.3 ppg last year. Outside of Singler, Duke lacks front court strength without a true big man and relies heavily on a ‘drive and kick’ offense with plenty of 3-point shooting. Duke was pushed to the limit by Rhode Island and their solid set of shooters in the Blue Devils recent 82-79 home win. Senior point guard Greg Paulus played just 11 minutes in that contest as he’s battling an arm injury. He’ll be more ready to contribute and get guards Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson involved in the offense with Singler.

Southern Illinois has been an annual participant in the NCAA Tournament this decade until last year’s appearance in the NIT. Head coach Chris Lowery’s teams pride themselves on high-pressure and tenacious man-to-man defense and have a solid experienced floor leader in senior point guard Bryan Mullins. He was the Missouri Valley defensive Player-of-the-Year last season and has been instrumental in getting all players involved in the offense while distributing 21 assists in two games this season. He also leads the team in steals and Southern Illinois has forced 42 turnovers in two games. Southern Illinois is a very young team outside of guards Mullins, Wesley Clemmons and forward Tony Boyle. However, sophomore forward Carlton Fay is primed for a breakout season and he along with some of SIU’s best recruiting talent will need to provide strength and rebounding inside after the team lost most of it’s top rebounders from last year. Southern Illinois did a solid job of pressuring the ball handler and slowing down the quick outlet passes and fast break chances while rallying from a 15-point deficit to beat UMASS. It will be a tougher task against Duke with their quickness and better ball handlers.

Southern Illinois may find the Madison Square Garden environment and the hype of playing Duke a bit overwhelming, and mounting a rally against a more talented and together team will be a real struggle if they fall behind early.

Winner: Duke Margin: 10+ points.

Review: Baron & URI Give Duke Major Scare

CollegeChalkTalk — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:33:54 -0500

Yesterday, in a game where oddsmakers tabbed the hometown Duke Blue Devils as twenty-plus point favorites, Rhode Island led fifth ranked Duke for thirty-seven of forty minutes before falling at Cameron Indoor Stadium - their fate not sealed until a desperation heave by Jimmy Baron missed wide right.

“The last five minutes, I thought we did everything right,” Krzyzewski remarked. “They didn’t do anything wrong, they just missed a couple of shots.”

In the end, it was those perfect five minutes from Duke that subdued the stubborn Rams in a game which required every ounce of energy the Cameron Crazies possessed to help will their team to victory.

From the very beginning, it was evident that the Rams didn’t show up in Durham intimidated. Importantly, young Ram guards Marquis Jones and Stevie Mejia held their own in a hostile environment against the Duke pressure, an early key to Rhode Island’s ability to compete with the Devils.

While Rhode Island showed tremendous poise as a unit, Delroy James (21 points, 8 rebounds) carried them throughout the first half, where they built a lead as high as twelve points (34-22). The Rams continually frustrated the Blue Devils with their length and limited the Devils to one shot opportunity on nearly every possession.

Offensively, James (9-12 field goals for the game) attacked the Duke forwards off the dribble. He got to the rim, pulled up for an assortment of mid-range jumpers, and connected on his only three point attempt.

“James really got them started off,” said Krzyzewski. In the first half, he really wore us out. At the end of clocks… we’d just rush and do something at the end of the clock… and they’d take advantage of it. A big part of it was James’ ability to break you down from the four spot.”

Duke’s Gerald Henderson agreed.

“I played against him in high school… a lot of AAU… He played a heck of a game. He hit some tough shots. I thought we played some pretty good defense on him. He’s a heck of a player.”

At the 3:33 mark of the first half, Rhode Island owned a 34-22 advantage. But Duke charged back, orchestrating an 11-0 run behind Scheyer (23 points, 13-13 from the free-throw line) and Singler (21 points, 5 rebounds), to close within one at the break.

While it was the Rams inspired team play, paced by James, which carried them in their solid first half effort; the offensive firepower in the second frame came courtesy of senior guard Jimmy Baron Jr.

Baron continually wowed the Cameron faithful, authoring a spectacular shooting display in which he connected on seven of eight three-point attempts during the final twenty minutes, many with Duke defenders draped all over him.

For the game, Baron tallied 24 points on eight of ten shooting from beyond the arc. Using screen after screen and creating for himself with dribble penetration as well, he shouldered the load for the Rams, helping them maintain a slight cushion of between three and seven points through the early and middle portion of half-two.

“Baron had one of the great halves of any kid here… that’s played here, said Coach K. And it’s not like we didn’t guard him.”

Despite Baron’s shooting, Singler was able to respond with a crucial three-pointer of his own at the 11:22 mark, cutting a seven point Rhode Island lead to just four at 59-55.

Down the stretch, Singler and Scheyer went to work with dribble penetration.

Attacking early in the shot clock most every trip, the two were able to finish in traffic and, when unable to finish, draw contact and earn trips to the line.

True to form, Duke was excellent from the stripe, converting thirteen of sixteen attempts in the second half and twenty-eight of thirty-two for the game.

Despite Baron’s heroics, as the clock wound down Duke was determined not to see their sixty-one game home, non-conference winning streak come to an end. The Devils dug down deep after the final Baron bomb put the road Rams ahead 77-72, and stopped the Rams from scoring on two successive possessions.

After two free throws by Scheyer and four points from Singler, including an acrobatic layup, Duke assumed a tenuous 78-77 lead.

Delroy James would be fouled on the ensuing possession with just thirty-three seconds remaining and make two free throws to give the Rams a one-point advantage.

Singler would once again weave through the Rhode Island defense, drawing contact and a foul call on James with nineteen ticks remaining. The 6-8 sophomore calmly sank two free-throws and Duke led 80-79.

Rhode Island would call Baron’s number a final time.

The 6-2 guard raced down the court and drove hard to his left, pulling up for jumpshot over the outstretched hand of Singler. The shot missed short, ultimately bouncing off the leg of Lamonte Ulmer and out of bounds.

“We wanted to get it to Jimmy. He was hot and they ended up putting a 6-8 kid (Singler) on him… he got a great look,” said Coach Jim Baron.

Two free throws by Jon Scheyer with 3.7 seconds left set the stage for Baron’s last second heave, which was off the mark giving Duke the hard-fought victory, 82-79.

“There was some really good stuff happening out there in case you didn’t watch,” said Krzyzewski.

For Rhode Island, a difficult defeat but one that unquestionably earned respect from the top-five program residing in Durham.

“We did not look ahead, said Krzyzewski. Our guys were ready to play. I’m not down on our team or whatever. That team played great. If we looked bad, it was because of how well they played, not how poorly we played.”

Top Lists: Floor Generals, Underrated Players, Do-It-All Stars

Jason Brubaker — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:44:32 -0500

We’ve covered the preseason All-Americans, Final Four picks and individual team previews. Now it’s time for the fun stuff – the guys who make college basketball so fun to watch. Let the debates begin:

Floor leaders: These guys are coaches on the floor

1) Darren Collison G, UCLA: Three seasons, three Finals Fours. Not a bad resume heading into his senior year.

2) Eric Maynor G, VCU: Would we even be talking about VCU basketball if it weren’t for this guy? Quite simply, he does it all for the Rams

3) Jeremy Pargo G, Gonzaga: Seasoned veteran keep Zags offense clicking

4) Nick Calathes G, Florida: Was given controls of the team as a true freshman, has great understanding of the game

5) Ty Lawson G, UNC: Speedy leader manages to keep all of UNC's scoring options happy.

Inside/outside: Good luck matching up with these versatile threats

1) Kyle Singler F, Duke: Was Devils' best post player and leading rebounder, but also comfortable on the perimeter (51 3’s)

2) Earl Clark F, Louisville: Has NBA scouts drooling over his potential (11 ppg, 8 rpg)

3) Damion James F, Texas: Terrific rebounder (10.3 rpg) and post presence also can hit from outside (38 3’s, 41%)

4) Tyler Smith G/F, Tennessee: Looks like a small forward, plays like a point guard, the toughest match-up in the SEC.

5) James Johnson F, Wake Forest: Multi-talented forward was a pleasant surprise for Deacons last year (14.6 ppg, 8 rpg)

Under-Appreciated: These guys don't get the headlines, but you can bet their opponents know about them

1). Patrick Christopher (Cal) - Dangerous scorer is often overshadowed by flashier Pac-10 guards

2). Marcus Ginyard (UNC) - Defensive stopper does the dirty work for nation's best team

3). Jessie Sapp (Georgetown) - Combo guard is perfect fit for Hoya's motion offense

4). Wesley Matthews (Marquette) - Does a little of everything for the Eagles but stays under the radar

5). David Lighty (Ohio State) - Overlooked because of one-and-dones, but is natural leader for young team

Previously:

Top Dunkers, Shooters, Rebounders

Top Shotblockers, Comeback Players, Hidden Gems

Disagree with Jason's picks? Let us know your top lists below!

Duke Basketball Preview: #5

Joel Welser — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:51:50 -0500

Overall Rank: #5

Conference Rank: #2 ACC

2007-08: 28-6, 13-3, 2^nd

2007-08 postseason: NCAA

A lack of depth has kept Duke out of the nation’s elite over the last two campaigns. Last year’s roster was an improvement over the 2006-2007 season, but depth was still a concern. The Blue Devils have had some horrible finishes to both of those seasons, including a couple of early NCAA Tournament exits. The depth will be better this year and that is enough to move the talented Blue Devils up into a legitimate Final Four contender instead of a group that will suffer another early departure in March.

Who’s Out:

When Duke was dominating early in the 2007-2008 season, it was on the shoulders of DeMarcus Nelson. The guard led the team in scoring and steals, but he also averaged 2.9 assists and 5.8 rebounds. Nelson did it all and it will be very difficult for the Blue Devils to replace him with a single individual. Taylor King has also left the program after averaging 5.5 points per game.

Who’s In:

The addition of Elliot Williams will certainly help ease the loss of Nelson. Williams is an explosive athlete and a joy to watch above the rim. He is 6-4, but he plays a whole lot bigger than that. His wingspan is impressive and that, along with his mindset and foot speed, makes him a solid defender. Williams handles the ball like a point guard, and could certainly spend some time there, but he should spend more time on the wing unless Duke needs him to run the show at some point in his career. The only question surrounding Williams is his outside shooting. He is not a horrible shooter by any means, but it is his weak spot. Williams is the star of the class, but Olek Czyz and Miles Plumlee finally give the Blue Devils some options in the paint. Czyz is a bit of a wildcard. At 6-7 and 240 pounds, he has enough size to play power forward, but he is more of a guard who has a lot of size. If he can pull it together quickly, Czyz could be a surprise player on this year’s roster. Plumlee will likely see playing time, whether he is ready or not. At 6-10 and 230 pounds, Plumlee has more size than anybody on the Duke roster not named Zoubek, and if he can effectively play 15 to 20 minutes per game at the five spot, the Blue Devils frontcourt issues will be over.

Who to Watch:

Williams will find his minutes, but Coach Mike Krzyzewski already has a ton of talented guards. Greg Paulus and Nolan Smith will share minutes running the show. Paulus averaged 11.4 points and 3.2 assists per contest a year ago. He is not the most flashy scorer or ball handler around, but Paulus is a solid all-around player who will do what his team needs him to do. Smith could be the breakout player on the team (and perhaps the conference) this year. He only averaged 5.9 points per game as a sophomore, but that was in just 14.7 minutes per contest. If he can earn more playing time, he will be a consistent double-digit scorer. On the wings Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer are the scoring options. Henderson is a superb athlete who is just waiting to have a huge season. Scheyer came off the bench in all but one game last year, but he was third on the team in minutes. With Williams on the roster, the 6-5 shooter might find himself as the team’s sixth man once again.

Final Projection:

Sophomore Kyle Singler could just as well be listed as a guard, but the 6-8 Medford, Oregon native spent some time at the five spot last year. With the newcomers, Singler should spend most of his time at the power forward position where he can be more spread out opposing defenses with his outside shooting ability. If Lance Thomas or Brian Zoubek can be effective, which they generally were not last year, than they will see plenty of playing time. If not, the frontcourt’s success or failure will fall on the freshman shoulders of Plumlee.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Nolan Smith, Sophomore, Guard, 5.9 points per game

Jon Scheyer, Junior, Guard, 11.7 points per game

Gerald Henderson, Junior, Guard, 12.7 points per game

Kyle Singler, Sophomore, Forward, 13.3 points per game

Miles Plumlee, Freshman, DNP

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Clip of the Day: Duke's (Marty?) Czyz Throws One Down

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:24:43 -0500

Clip of the Day

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First Clip of the New Season

Duke's Olek Czyz throws a two-hander down, while the announcer botches his name..

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