Duke Basketball Playbook: 2017-18 Season

It’s a sign of the new normal (drop-by basketball athlete-student era) when a team with only one experienced upper classman and a bench full of highly recruited but unproved freshmen can be ranked #1 in the Coach’s Preseason Poll. How many times have these coaches seen this team play? Nada, Zilch, None. This poll is virtually meaningless, except its Duke, Coach K, and a squad full of highly pursued freshmen. Speaking of highly rated freshmen—Dean Smith called them “prospects”– remember Cris Burgess, Joey Beard, and last year’s for sure lottery picks Harry Giles and Marques Bolden? No? That’s because they rarely contributed. BTW, how many Division I offers did Stephan Curry receive? My point is these are teenagers, who knows how they will turn out? And as talented and impressive as Jayson Tatum was from day one, it took until the ACC tournament before he could consistently contribute on a championship level for an entire game at both ends of the floor. Three other notes of caution: Duke’s best teams have always had senior leadership, this team will start only one upper classman–Grayson Allen, and the last two NCAA Champions, North Carolina and Villanova, had no starting one-and-done players.

There are also the three unknowable caveats: chemistry, injuries, and luck. Unlike other years, a Duke injury would be less devastating than say the previous years, but lack of chemistry and bad luck are random, heartbreaking decrees of the basketball gods.

OK, enough with the disclaimers. Now the good news: Count your blessings and enjoy the journey Duke fans, we have seen this team play in exhibitions and it really is impressively big, athletic, talented, and deep. So, the early hype may well be justified.

What to look for:

A big, stronger, deeper Duke team—especially in the front court—but not the typical perimeter oriented three point shooting Blue Devil team. The size of the players should shrink the court and make an opponent’s interior scoring more difficult than in recent years. One thing we do know for sure: Coach K will build the team around his talent, not force a one size fits all system on the talent.

I suspect that a lot of what this team achieves, revolves around the production of Grayson Allen, Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter, and Trevon Duval. Allen is the only senior and if he plays well, the younger players will respect his experience, his seniority, and follow his lead. If not, all bets are off. I have always thought that Grayson was one of the program’s most talented and intriguing players. Certainly, his game changing ten minutes in the second half of the 2015 NCAA Championship as well as his sophomore year confirmed that assessment. Last year, under the pressure of pre-season Player-of-the Year predictions combined with a series of nagging but not debilitating injuries led to a few unfortunate, immature, non-lethal retaliations, the constant re-running and public discussion of which might have crushed the spirit and psyche of a lesser man. Grayson is a 3.8 student who could gone pro after his sensational sophomore year and was on track to graduate in three years. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that he really loves being at Duke, he chose not to leave and is one of today’s rare four-year college stars. Over the summer, Grayson had an operation on his injured foot and followed Coach K’s advice not to touch a basketball for three months. At the recent Midnight Madness, Grayson appeared happy, carefree, and obviously healthy as he hit four threes in the abbreviated scrimmage, won the slam dunk contest by jumping over two cheerleaders– and a third straight Iron Duke award for strength and conditioning in the offseason. All this plus the fact that Coach obviously believes in him—he’s the only team captain—is enough for me to believe he is primed for an outstanding year.

Point guard. Coach K was a point guard at Army. He recruits and is most comfortable structuring his teams to play with a strong point. History tells us that it is hard to win the NCAA Championship without a really good player running the offense (i.e. Bobby Hurley, Tyus Jones) and he appears to have one in the very athletic, multi-skilled 6’3” Trevon Duval. Krzyzewski: “I do know that Trevon is going to have the ball and he knows what to do with it. Will he have it all the time? No, he shouldn’t have it all the time. Will he have it a lot? Yeah.” Trevon is physically more gifted than either Hurley or Jones. Whether he is as mentally gifted and will be as good in the clutch is another question. If he is, this team will be as formidable as advertised.

The Blue Devils are loaded with front court players: Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter, Marques Bolden, Javin DeLaurier, and Antonio Vranikovic are all 6’10”, 235 lbs. and over. Because Coach K likes to put the most versatile and complete players on the floor, I suspect he will start a lineup that features Marvin Bagley, the most highly rated, and Carter down low with Duval and Allen at guard, and Gary Trent at small forward. However, depending upon performance and the competition, we will see various combinations with Bolden, DeLaurier, O’Connell, and perhaps Tucker or White getting serious minutes until Coach K settles on the rotation that may be deeper than we are used to and for which some fans pray. Whatever, Coach K has won more Championships than all of us—even more than any active college or professional coach.

Other Comments:

The University of North Carolina has always been one of my favorite schools. I have a number of prep school classmates and other friends who went there. I love the campus, the logo, the colors, the way Dean and Roy teams play. Truly, what’s not to like? That’s why I had a hard time believing the academic scandal until it was an undeniable truth, which was devastating—no required class attendance, papers written by tutors, grading by a non-professor basketball junkie..…When the toothless NCAA recently gave them a pass, the print and social media exploded:

“North Carolina never got its day of reckoning for facilitating the most widespread academic scandal in the history of college sports. North Carolina’s basketball program was never going to get the harsh punishment that many college basketball fans thought it deserved.
“How in the hell did North Carolina get away with this?”
“The NCAA did not dispute that the University of North Carolina was guilty of running one of the worst academic fraud schemes in college sports history, involving fake classes that enabled dozens of athletes to gain and maintain their eligibility.”
“The school acknowledged that the classes that were taken were essentially bankrupt of any kind of teaching, learning or supervision … but that was perfectly OK with them. To defend the basketball team, the university had to claim it wasn’t really a university. Sure, they took a shotgun to their academic credibility, but, hey, those championship banners get to stay. The truth is, alums probably care more about hoops anyway.”
“What’s stopping a school from setting up a similar “paper course” and making sure it’s open to all students, then sending athletes through it?”
“even the most ardent Tar Heel should be outraged by the fraud the university committed”

Alan Adds:

There are barriers to our enjoyment of the 2017-2018 season that I want to address. The first barrier is the pre-season hype that had Duke #1 in the pre-season polls. The second is, in my opinion, underappreciating last year’s team. There are a multitude of satisfactions for Duke fans besides the NCAA tournament. I also caution against an analogy of this year’s team to the 2015 National Championship team because of each’s heralded freshman class.

2016-2017

Duke fans assess last year’s team (also pre-season # 1) as “disappointing”. I believe a more proper assessment would be that the 2016-17 Blue Devils were heroic, and deserve far more appreciation than has been given. Duke’s # 1 pre-season last year was largely based on yet another highly rated freshman class – Giles, Tatum, Bolden and Jackson – plus the return of Allen after his sensational sophomore year. Duke also had returning stars like Kennard, Jefferson and Matt Jones. Javin DeLaurier was a freshman athlete who would add depth. However, it did not work out. Giles, Bolden, and DeLaurier contributed very little because of (hopefully) health issues. Grayson self-destructed. Coach K had surgery. Tatum was hurt early. Remember Jefferson’s amazing offensive start before he was hurt. Thankfully, it was not season ending as his 2016 injury had been, but though he returned and played well, he was never the same offensive player as he had been in the early season. So, the pre-season team that had so much talented depth turned out to have a rotation that was only 6 deep and without a real point guard. Players logged very heavy minutes all season long. Duke had a “disappointing” 28-9 record and heroically won the ACC tournament in unprecedented fashion by winning four games in four nights (would most schools celebrate such a season?). It was a great season to that point! Then came the meltdown against South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA. One bad (really bad) half; Duke was ahead at the break, but gave up 65 second half points and simply and finally ran out of gas. That half should not tarnish what was, in my opinion, a wonderful year for Duke basketball because it demonstrated what is the true Blue Devil value – never-say-die heart and competitive spirit. It will remain one of my favorite Duke teams.

2015 compared to 2017-18

The four freshmen on the National Championship team – Tyus, Justice Jahlil and Grayson — were, of course, the tournament stars. But, that team had veterans that played significant roles both on and off the court. Quinn Cook’s leadership is on point. He moved over from point guard, was the team ambassador to the freshmen from day one, and provided solid on the court leadership at crunch time. His off the court attitude cannot be overestimated. Ditto for Amile and Matt. This team has only Grayson for guidance. Justin Robinson has, according to reports, been valuable in team building, but the elder statesmen who taught and bonded with the freshmen in 2014-15 do not really exist for this team. Highly rated (out of high school) Marques Bolden, thought about transferring after his disappointing freshman year, but bravely elected to return, expecting to go to the NBA next year. Other returners are less likely to make K’s usually short rotation. Leadership may have to come from other sources.

The reason for the 2017-18 #1 pre-season ranking is four of the top rated eight freshman (ESPN) will play for Duke. Marvin Bagley signed late and was able to reclassify from 2018 to current eligibility. He is 6’11” versatile player, who has been described as the best high school prospect since LeBron James. Chemistry! What will his late signing do to Bolden’s psyche because it just might have pushed him out of the starting lineup. Duke also signed the top-rated point guard, Trevon Duval. I have not seen either Bagley or Duval play. If he and Bagley are as advertised, it gives Duke a top and bottom on offense that should be formidable. In addition, Duke had signed Wendell Carter (a 6’10” beast, whom I’ve seen play quite a few times). He’s a stud inside, and a great athlete, who will be superb. The fourth highly rated freshman is Gary Trent, Jr., a 6’5” swing man who is reputed to be a superb shooter. He is very good, but not as elite as Carter, in my opinion. The issues will be team chemistry and DEFENSE! One of the reasons that the last two NCAA champions have had no “One and Done”s is that it takes time (years) to become a great defensive TEAM. In 2015, Duke became that great defensive team in time for the NCAA tournament. It was a turnaround – remember that while Duke won the National Championship that year, it did not win either the ACC regular season or tournament. So, no doubt Duke has talent (top six plan to play in the NBA next year), but whether that talent coalesces into a great team remains to be seen.

The Backcourt

Grayson, Duval and Trent should get most of the minutes.

Duke 93 NW Missouri State 60 (Exhibition game played Friday October 27)

Grayson was superb by all accounts, scoring 23 points (9-15; 5-10 from 3land but did not get to the line) in 26 minutes. He had 5 defensive rebounds and 3 assists. Duval and Gary Trent each played 21 minutes. Duval got high grades for his defense and ball handling (held the NW Missou star to 3-14 shooting and had 2 steals to go with 5 assists against a single turnover). Although he missed both of his 3s, Duval was otherwise 3-3 from the field for 7 points. Trent shot lights out (as advertised) 7-9 from the field missing his only 2 3point attempts for 15 points. Jordan Goldwire, a 4 star freshman point guard, brought in more as a practice player and second team point guard, played 16 minutes and Alex O’Connell, a 6’6” freshman shooter, played 14 undistinguished minutes. Neither scored.

Blue-White game on October 20 (just one 20 minute half)

Grayson, Duval and Trent each played the full 20 minutes – Duval and Trent for the winning Blue team (43-41) and Grayson for the White team. Trent and Grayson each scored 13 points. Goldwire also played 20 minutes (3-6; 2-4 from deep for 8 points). This means the other backcourt players – freshman Alex O’Connell (12 minutes — 8 points including the winning 3 at the buzzer) and Australian sophomore Jack White (6’7”; 14 minutes 6 rebounds) played on the wing.

The Front Court

Bagley, Carter and Bolden should be given most of the front court minutes.

Duke 93 – NW Missouri State 60 (Exhibition game played on Friday October 27)

Duke got big minutes out of the four front court players, who will, I predict, be in the rotation. Marvin Bagley drew raves for his 23-minute performance scoring 16 on 6-10 shooting, including 1-2 from deep and 3-5 from the line. He grabbed 6 boards and handed out 2 assists (3 turnovers). The other starter was Wendell Carter, who also impressed. In 18 scintillating minutes, he was 5-7 from the field (including 1-1 from deep) for 11 points to go with 9 rebounds. Both Bolden and DeLaurier each also played 18 minutes and looked good. Bolden scored 6 on 3-5 shooting, grabbing 5 boars. De Laurier played great defense and was 4-4 from the field and 1-1 from the line for 9 points while grabbing 7 boards. Vrankovich, 7 foot returning Junior, played 7 minutes while Justin Robinson played 8.

Blue-White game ( October 20th. Just one 20 minute half)

Bagley and Bolden played all 20 minutes; Carter 17. Vrankovich played 11 minutes scoring 4 points and grabbing 3 boards, while Javin DeLaurier, who has grown 2 inches to 6’10”, logged 15 minutes (9 boards!!; 3 points). Justin Robinson played only 5 minutes; he will not be in the rotation.

Bagley drew raves in his 20 minutes (6-10; 0-1 from deep for 12 points to go with 4 boards). Carter was a beast shooting 4-7; 1-2 from deep; 2-3 from the line for 11 points to go with 3 boards. Bolden was less productive (2-6; 0-1 from deep; and 0-2 from the line for 4 points while grabbing 5 boards. DeLaurier’s 9 rebounds and overall athleticism was impressive.

Duke 88 – Michigan State 81

Holy Jim Boeheim, Batman! Coach K goes zone for a full forty minutes!

My old fraternity/basketball buddy Phil called from Florida today to say that he hadn’t been able see the team play and asked if are they really as good as Alan and I have written. After the game, he said he should never have doubted us. So far, this team has demonstrated the talent, resiliency, and, yes, maturity to overcome slow starts, opponent’s runs, and still finish strong. The good news is that J.J. Allen was sensational scoring 36 pts. ( 7-11 threes), the one at the buzzer to end the half put Duke up by four was from Steph Curry’s zip code. Then, with less than a minute remaining nailing a dagger of a three to put the Blue Devils up seven to close out the tough Spartans. The bad news is that Bagley left the game early in the first half because of an inadvertent finger to the eye, went to the locker room and after the half, returned to the bench but not the game. Other than that, the young Duke players responded admirably to the pressure of playing a more experienced, highly rated team in a not exactly friendly environment on national television with the added burden of being without their double-double big man for most of the game.

When was the last time a Duke team dominated the glass, winning the battle of the boards 46-34 (25 offensive rebounds) against a top five team? In a post- game interview, Grayson was asked how he had such a great game and he said: “Tre(von)”, his point guard, who had 17 points, 10 assists, and 6 steals. Gary Trent had an off night (3-11), missing six threes. However, with four minutes remaining, he hit the three on a sweet assist from Allen that tied the score and fueled the winning run that closed out the game. If he had missed that shot, the result could have been different. Carter had a 12-12 double-double and off the bench DeLaurier was a real disrupter on defense with 4 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks. Marquis Bolden, however, did not take advantage of this opportunity for more playing time. Hopefully, it was a post strep infection funk.

The only obvious weakness of this team continues to be free throw shooting. Other than Grayson’s 8-8, the rest of the team shot Plumlee brother numbers– 50%. Giving up that many points in a close game can potentially jump up and bite this team in the loss column.

In the post-game interview Coach K said that he loves participating against top programs like Michigan State early in the year, because this is a Final Four type venue and either the moment or the other team can defeat you—a priceless experience for young players. Further, that Grayson has evolved from being a good shooter to being a great shooter. He had to learn to be a shooter, then a scorer. Earlier in his career, he spent too much time driving and getting knocked to the floor. However, he is in much better control now. “I felt like I was coaching J.J. Redick. You keep calling plays for him and they work. Grayson was fantastic tonight. Come on. He wasn’t good, he was fantastic.” Grayson commented: “I’ve played in 90 more games than the four teammates that are out there with me. So I feel a little more comfortable and calm and confident out there.”

Other Comments:

This Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago was like a Final Four in November with Kansas beating Kentucky in the nightcap.

Tom Izzo is a great coach. However, he is now 1-11 against Coach K.

Allen’s 37 points were Duke’s most against a top-2 team since J.J. Redick dropped 41 in 2005.

Before the game, Duke wore their “Equality” shirts, while Michigan State wore shirts that said “We talk, We listen.” Alan will have to explain what they mean.

Alan Adds:

This game was, in my opinion, about the second half, so that is what I will write about. Coach K said, “We faced a lot of adversity against a great team and won a big game. Not a bad night.” The freshmen bigs were knocked back early in the game. There were times when Duke played 4 guards and only one big. Bagley was Duke’s third leading rebounder with 6 in only 10 minutes.

In the second half, Duke essentially played five players only. Bolden, Vrankovich and Goldwire played 2 minutes each and O’Connell 1 without scoring a point. Carter came out for 3 minutes as did DeLaurier. Trent had a one minute breather. DeLaurier and Trent played for over 9 minutes each with 4 fouls. Grayson and Duval played the entire half (Grayson played all 40 minutes). Allen (23), Duval (12) and Carter (10) scored 45 of Duke’s 50 second half points. Trent’s 3, which broke a 75-75 tie and Javin’s layup for Duke’s last score after he stole the ball were Duke’s other 5 points. The Duke zone gave up 47 points in the furious second half.

In the second half, we finally got to see the real Wendell Carter Jr. with a double-double in just the second half alone — 10 very tough rebounds to go with 10 points [3-5 from the field and 4-6 from the line]. He also had committed 4 fouls by the end (all in the second half heroically battling the Spartan’s big front line). He was the stud and beast that I have been describing. Duval was a revelation. He’s been really good throughout, but we could see him growing in confidence and efficiency in the second half. He scored 12 on 5-11 from the field (0-1 from deep; 2-3 from the line), but he ran the team. He had 6 second half assists against a single turnover. On defense, he had 3 second half steals and a block. Grayson was effusive in his praise of “Tre” after the game. Duval has been transformative. Finally, Grayson gave us a second half for the ages, scoring 23 points on 13 shots [8-13; 5-9 from deep and 2-2 from the line]. Duke was 8-11 from the line in the second half, which is an improvement over the first half and earlier games.

DeLaurier didn’t score until the end but he was sensational. With Bolden still sick and Bagley out, DeLaurier was the other Duke big to team with Carter. He had 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a block and a steal. He made the zone work (as much as it did in the second half) and cemented his place in the rotation. Trent had a subpar game and yet made the play of the game with his only second half basket. Duke won at what we call “winning time”. The last minutes of the game. With 4:12 to go, Duke trailed 75-73. Carter tied it with a dunk on an offensive rebound after a Trent miss. Then Grayson missed a three and DeLaurier got the rebound of the game, passed to Grayson who hit Trent for an open 3. Coach K said that it took guts for Trent to hoist it up after such an awful shooting night. Splash! Duke led by 3 with 3:12 to go. Then came the sequence of the game. Bridges missed a three and DeLaurier rebounded. Duval missed a layup; Javin got the offensive board, but missed a put back dunk. Trent grabbed that offensive rebound and found Grayson for a contested 3. Duke up 6 with 2:27 to go. A flurry of misses by both teams before Grayson sealed it with a three with only 70 seconds remaining, putting Duke up 9, and essentially ending the Spartan hopes.

As Bill might say, “Holy Jim Boeheim, Batman, Duke played zone for the entire game (except for one possession).” I wrote this before I got Bill’s first draft. That’s a bit scary! As for explaining the warm up shirts, I decline since I know my limits.

Coach K said he went to the zone because he was worried about Duke fouls. Duke’s length made the zone work (especially in the first half) and allowed Duke to avoid having anyone foul out (it was close; the game ended with 3 Duke players with 4 fouls.). Friday against Furman at home and then on to Portland for a three day; three game tournament in the Phil Knight Invitational. Duke could face real competition in the second and third games. First game against Portland State on November 23.

It was as Coach K predicted, “a hell of a night.”

Whetting the Whistle

Duval and Allen will start in the backcourt. Bagley and Carter will start up front. Who will the 5^th starter be? Either Trent (going small) or Bolden (going big); it was Trent in the first exhibition game. DeLaurier is more athlete than basketball player at this juncture, but having a 6’10” athlete on the court (especially if he becomes an elite defender) could earn significant minutes. I believe the rotation will be among these 7. Jordan Tucker, a 6’7” freshman swing man, who chose Duke at the last minute over Syracuse played only 4 minutes in the exhibition game and 6 minutes in the Blue-White game, which makes me predict a red shirt for him. Justin Robinson will not make the rotation. If the rotation extends beyond 7 (which will happen with injury, but, I predict, not otherwise), Vrankovich, White, O’Connell, or even Goldwire will see some necessary minutes.

Enjoy the season and do not let unrealistic expectations take away our enjoyment.

Duke 97 – Elon 68

Duke 99 – Utah Valley 69

Just looking at these scores, you would think: “Ho hum, two easy blowouts”. However, you would be dead wrong as they were against two entirely different teams that presented different challenges and the games were won in dramatically different ways. In the Elon game, Grayson Allen came out like a man on a mission hitting his first six shots as Duke took a 19-3 lead and cruised. At one point, he had outscored Elon 17-16. Against Utah Valley, a team that Friday night lead Kentucky by nine at the half, after eight minutes (and much of the half), Grayson had no points, and Duke was down as much as seven. At the second TV timeout, Coach K switched to a zone and essentially told the freshmen to man up because they were playing against adults (14 transfers and a 24 year old 7’, 250 lb. center) not boys. The freshmen obviously paid attention and grew up before our eyes, as Duke led Bagley & Carter (threes and four blocked shots), began to force turnovers, and went on a 20-5 run over the next five minutes.

Suddenly, the Blue Devil fans were no longer blue as Duke was up by seven. The Devils finished the game with 33 points off turnovers. Marvin Bagley, who moves in the post like George Gervin and has a full court motor like John Havlicek had his second double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. In addition, notice how quickly he elevates on his second jump after he misses a shot and how often it enables him to get a second tip or shot. This is a rare talent for someone so big. Three other freshmen also had big nights: Trevon Duval had 15 points and 12 assists, Gary Trent Jr. added 17 points and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12. Grayson Allen finally heated up in the second half with 18 points and several acrobatic drives and dunks.

In all fairness, the Wolverines had to have been exhausted after a road trip that took them from Orem, Utah to Lexington, Kentucky to Durham in a few days. I suspect there aren’t a lot of direct flights from Orem to Lexington and Lexington to Durham.

I have long been fascinated by the way Coach K finds ways to win when his teams often do not have a dominant center or overwhelming size. For decades, the recruiting whisperers have told big men not to go to Duke, because Coach K is guard oriented and doesn’t know how to develop big men. Hello, 2017-18. Look out. Duke has them in spades—and they not only can play, they can run and jump and rebound and shoot and play defense. This team looks more like an NBA team than any since the 1991-92 team.

A stroll down memory lane (Carolina and Kentucky fans can stop reading): This was Mike Krzyzewski his 1,000th win in his 38 years at Duke, 1073rd overall, the most-ever for a coach in men’s Division I college basketball history. Before coming to Duke in 1979-80, he won 73 games in five years at his alma mater Army. During Krzyzewski’s tenure/reign, Duke has won five national championships in 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 as well as playing in 12 Final Fours, won 12 ACC Regular Season Titles, and 14 ACC Tournament Titles. During his summer break, Coach K has guided the men’s Olympic Basketball team to gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. And BTW, the streak of non-ACC home wins now stands at 134.

Krzyzewski’s response. “ I don’t like Duke, I love Duke. I’m so lucky to be here for this time. It keeps you young. I don’t have a timetable for how long I’m going to coach, just trying to be in this moment. I can’t even believe it. We were 38-47 here in my first three years. There were a lot of people here that didn’t think I would win 1,000 games– me being one of them.”

Other Comments:

1 overall 2018 prospect R.J. Barrett committed to Duke over Oregon and Kentucky. Barrett is the star of the 2018 Class and gives the Blue Devils their third five-star pledge in the class, to go with Cam Reddish and Tre Jones. Duke now boasts the No. 1 overall recruiting class for 2018, leap-frogging cross-state rival North.

Keep an eye on Alex O’Connell. He is the skinny white kid with the 1940’s retro haircut who has more animated fun on the bench than most Cameron Crazies but, more importantly, makes things happen when he gets playing time. I suspect that Bolden, DeLaurier, and O’Connell will be the eight man rotation.

Alan Adds:

Nothing we saw in the first two games could diminish the high expectations for the 2017-18 Duke basketball season. Nothing we saw in the first two games could diminish the eager expectation of Tuesday’s matchup with pre-season #2 Michigan State. Tuesday promises to be a game that takes a preliminary measure of this year’s freshman dominated team. Michigan State is big and strong, historically a ferocious rebounding team, and has the leading player of the year candidate in Myles Bridges (6’7” swing man who led in votes for the pre-season All-American team; Grayson was second). Michigan State opened with a 30 point win against North Florida and showed an 8 man rotation. Michigan State has its own highly rated 6’11” freshman center in Jaren Jackson, who scored 22, and depth and experience at guard. Duke is flying high after two scintillating team performances.

Interestingly, both Bill and I said to each other that a Duke loss might be the best thing that could happen to these freshmen. Perspective: Perhaps, the youngsters learned from the first 8 minutes against Utah Valley when they were taken aback by the intensity of the visitors, who led 17-13 after 8 minutes. Coach K: “In the first four minutes, and our guys were grabbing things with one hand and they were just outplaying us. The second media timeout, we just talked to our team about the fact that this is the way it is. It isn’t like the other games. This is better, you’re going to feel better about playing in a game like this, but we have to play in a game like this, which means we have to be there every play. They really responded.” Four defensive blocks by Carter, which Coach K identified as the turning point, triggered the turnaround.

In the first two games, Duke played in friendly Cameron against teams that were not an athletic match for the Blue Devils. Notwithstanding, Duke was impressive – especially on the defensive end. In the first half against Elon, Duke switched everything 1 thru 5. Coach K said he could do that only with Amile previously, but Carter and Bagley are so quick on defense (and DeLaurier makes them look slow by comparison) that Duke can switch everything. Duke also showed more zone against Elon. Coach K pointed out that Duke is so long that a zone is effective. “We played it more than we will going forward.” Against Utah Valley, Duke had 33 points off turnovers. It will be interesting to see how well Duke defends against competition of the Michigan State quality.

Front Court

Duke is loaded up front. Wendell Carter and Bagley will start. Carter had foul trouble against Elon and logged only 16 minutes (11 in the second half). He had 3 fouls early, but did not foul again. In the second game he played 31 minutes, scoring 12 [4-8; 1-3 from deep; and 3-4 from the line]. He and Bagley pass and play well together. Bagley lived up to the hype in the first two games. He had double doubles in both games and had announcers gushing over every aspect of his game, and treating it as a sure thing that he will be the first overall pick in next spring’s NBA draft. The only blemish was he is 2-9 from the free throw line. That has to get better, because he will be shooting a lot of foul shots this year.

Behind the two starters is Javin DeLaurier. Although he logged only 14 minutes against Elon and 11 in the Utah Valley game, it is hard not to be impressed by his energy and athleticism. At 6’10”, he is quick enough to stay with point guards, and is a pure rebounder. I believe he will be a major contributor. Marques Bolden was too ill to play against Elon, and was projected to miss Utah Valley and Michigan State. He rallied to play 7 minutes against Utah Valley, grabbing 2 boards and looking as if he will be the 6^th man this year. Finally, Vrankovich (now a junior) has the experience (Croatian National Team), size and IQ to contribute if any of the four are unavailable. We are all curious to see how the front-line fares against stiff competition on Tuesday.

Backcourt

Trevon Duval is young, but he is playing the point with aplomb. He had 20 assists – 8 against Elon and 12 last night with only a single turnover. He picked up two quick fouls last night, but Coach K continued to play him. “I’ve never been a proponent of ‘you get two fouls and you sit.’ If you do that, I’m going to try to get two fouls on your best player because then you’re going to defend him the rest of the half, I don’t have to defend him. I’ve never subscribed to that, guys have to learn how to play. Now we change defenses to help in that regard, when we went to 12, our zone, but then they have to learn that, the discipline of playing. If they did get a third foul in the first half, then this is the time of the year when we have to teach that.”

The sharpshooters running with Duval in Duke’s 3 guard starting lineup have been really fabulous. Grayson has been at his best. He scored the first 8 against Elon, which was a statement this is a new and better year (Elon was the game last year where Grayson melted down in public after committing his third tripping incident). He scored 19 in the first half against Elon. Gary Trent has been almost as impressive, scoring 17 in each game. He is a shooter (4-5 from deep against Elon), but has many other exciting talents. He is a much better ball handler than advertised and has been a good defender who displays overall great hustle.

The back up to the guards is not yet set. It seems as if Duke will rest the guards by going big (3 bigs and 2 guards) since there is so much depth and athleticism in the front court. Alex O’Connell really impressed in both games. I said to Bill that he will be to this team what Grayson was to the 2015 championship team. He has so much energy and is a deadly shooter. In 13 minutes against Elon, he scored 8 on 3-3 shooting (2 from deep) to go with 3 rebounds. He garnered 5 rebounds and scored 4 points (1-3; 2-2 from the line) in only 9 minutes last night. In some ways, he is what college sports should be about. He is having fun, so animated on the bench, and so much energy when given the opportunity to play.

Tuesday night promises to be so much fun.

Duke 88 – Michigan State 81

Holy Jim Boeheim, Batman! Coach K goes zone for a full forty minutes!

Other Comments:

This Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago was like a Final Four in November with Kansas beating Kentucky in the nightcap.

Tom Izzo is a great coach. However, he is now 1-11 against Coach K.

Allen’s 37 points were Duke’s most against a top-2 team since J.J. Redick dropped 41 in 2005.

Before the game, Duke wore their “Equality” shirts, while Michigan State wore shirts that said “We talk, We listen.” Alan will have to explain what they mean.

Alan Adds:

It was as Coach K predicted, “a hell of a night.”

Duke 78– Southern 61

When top ranked 4-0 Duke meets unranked 0-4 Southern in Cameron, you expect a blowout not a game that is tied twice in the first half. Blame youth, travel fatigue, a hangover from the big win, whatever… Surely, a relatively painless learning experience for essentially a group of teenagers from whom there will always be surprises– especially when the only non-teenager, Grayson Allen scores 10 points, not 25. More importantly, the good news is that there was no damage to Bagley’s eye and he was his usual mesmerizing self. So, let’s discuss what we know so far.

Marvin Bagley and Wendell Carter are the most talented and productive big man combo Duke has ever had. Individually, they are more talented than any freshman power player Duke has ever had. They are interchangeable playing the high/low post, are unselfish, and are both double/double machines. This is the strength of the team and it will go as far as they take them. Trevon Duval has been a wonderful point guard and has demonstrated a fearless instinct for the timely, big play. However, his jump shot and free throw shooting need work. (Calling Chip “The Shot Doctor” Engelland ‘83). Until Gary Trent gets more comfortable, Grayson Allen, who appears to be on a redemption mission, is the only lethal three point threat and, like tonight, that makes any game potentially more difficult, because close games are usually decided by the team that makes the most threes. When these two are on fire, these Blue Devils are lethal.

This team is deeper than most of K’s teams and he appears ready to use DeLaurier, Goldwire, Bolden and O’Connor. We will see if that continues as the schedule gets tougher. DeLaurier, a marvelous athlete and developing basketball player, is a defensive disrupter. Bolden looked better tonight but is still a question mark. Under recruited Goldwire is surprisingly capable as a short term breather sub. In limited minutes, O’Connor has demonstrated more of a feel and understanding of the game than the others. He definitely is fearless, a better shooter, and is much more athletic than he looks.

Other Comments:

After playing zone in beating Michigan State, Duke played man-to-man tonight with disappointing results. Stay tuned.

The fact that Blue Devils finished with only 14 assists, a season-high 15 turnovers, shot just 4 of 20 from 3-point range, and 24-37 from the line demonstrated that this team has some work to do to continue to consistently beat top teams.

Grayson Allen was taken down on a fast break by a flagrant foul and just walked away without showing any emotion. Whew! While he had a quiet scoring night, Grayson did have a SportsCenter highlight moment when, after a Bagley monster block spiked the ball well past midcourt, Allen ran the ball down, dribbled, took the ball around his back to avoid a defender, elevated, and laid the ball up with his left hand.

Mike Gminski ’80, an All-American center, number seven pick in the NBA draft, and outstanding student, was an announcer. While probably too low key for many in today’s audience, he is a throwback in that he doesn’t talk unless he has something pertinent to say.

Reloading: During the just concluded early commitment period, Duke announced the signing of three probable one-and-done athlete/students: R.J. Barrett, Tre Jones and Cam Reddish– all rated by ESPN as a five-star recruit and ranked among the 10 best overall prospects in the nation.

Thankfully, NBA commissioner Adam Silver ’84 is in talks with the players union to eliminate the one-and-done rule. Stay tuned.

Alan Adds:

Coach K hit the nail on the head to explain Duke’s unsatisfyingly sluggish performance against an 0-3 team that had been blown out by mediocre opposition in its first three games. “They thought it would be easier than it was.” Early on, Duke was leaking out instead of all rebounding defensively, which caused Coach K to call a time out before 3 minutes had gone by. “We did not play together tonight either on offense or defense. When you don’t play together, you gravitate toward the individual effort.” “We were out of character tonight. Something was missing.” However, Coach K was careful to warn that press and fans should not make more of the sluggish performance than is warranted. “We want to be who we have been.”

Coach K pointed to a lack of practice mandated by NCAA rules as one reason for the sluggish performance [email me if you want me to explain the hyper technical requirement that prevented Duke from practicing on Wednesday or Thursday following the Michigan State win]. And Grayson pointed to a favored Coach K insight, “sometimes you have to overcome human nature.”

As Bill pointed out, the game showed that Duke has much work to do on its man to man defense. This is a team of excellent individual defenders, who have the potential to become an effective defensive team, but that potential was well disguised last night. Part of that was Southern shooting well from deep (5-11 from deep in the second half). Contrast that with Duke going 0-9 from behind the arc in the second half – Grayson 3; Trent 2; Duval 2; Goldwire 1 and Bagley 1 (4-20 for the game). Duke’s foul shooting improved in the second half (12-16; Bagley was 1-1) but was a disappointing 12-21 in the first half where only Wendell Carter shot better than 50% (5-7); Bagley (4-8); DeLaurier, Allen and O’Connell were 1-2.

The Starters

The starters played between 28 and 32 minutes with the game decided by Duke’s huge superiority up front. Carter had the game of the night notching a double double in only 28 minutes. He scored 20 [7-9; 1-1 from deep and 5-7 from the line] to go with 11 rebounds and 6 blocks [only Giminski had more in a game as a freshman in Duke history]. Oh yes, he also handed out two assists and had a steal. Bagley played a game high 32 minutes before fouling out. There is no missing his special athleticism, yet I think he has not yet shown all he can do. He also grabbed 11 rebounds with his third double/double in 4 games [19 points on a team high 12 shots – 7-12; 0-1; 5-9 from the line]. He also had 2 assists and added 2 blocks.

Grayson and Duval played 30 minutes and Trent 31. After the Michigan State magnificent shooting performance, Allen was 0-6 from deep for the game. He scored 10 on 3-3 from inside the arc to go with 4-5 from the line (3-3 in the second half). He had 4 boards and led Duke in assists (4 tied with Duval) and turnovers (3; tied with Wendell). Trent had an uncharacteristically bad shooting game and failed to get to the foul line (3-11; 2-6 from deep), but made up for it with his rebounding and hustle. He grabbed 10 boards and earned Coach K’s praise. Trevon “Tre” played better in the second half (tied for Duke’s second half high scorer with 7 (Grayson and Bagley each had 7 and Carter 6 in the last stanza) and avoided a turnover. He had 10 for the game, including his first 3 pointer – his only points in the first half.

The Bench

Marques Bolden played all of his 11 minutes in the second half, where I thought he looked rusty and a bit lost on the court. He was totally out of sync on defense, and I thought tentative on offense (his travel on what should have been a power dunk is a dramatic example). He scored 4 [1-3; 2-4 from the line] to go with 2 boards and a turnover. Let’s hope it is just a slow recovery from strep throat, but I fear he is the same disappointing player this year as he was last year. However, my analysis might be wrong since not only Bill (above), but Coach K in his press conference praised Marques, “Marques gave us a big lift in the second half.” It will be especially interesting to see how he performs in the 4 games during this coming week.

DeLaurier continues to draw oohs and aahs for his athleticism (he had one block from behind on a Southern runout that was almost LeBron like), but his statistics were meager. In 12 minutes (6 in each half), he missed his only shot and was only 2-4 from the line for his 2 points. He had 2 boards, an assist, a turnover and that block. He was first off the bench.

Alex O’Connell is a pleasant surprise. He scored 5 in 14 minutes [1-2; 0-1 from 3land; and 3-4 from the line. He brings good energy to the game.

Goldwire played 8 uninspired minutes missing both of his 3 point attempts (his only shots) while making one steal and committing a turnover.

Vranovich (1 minute), and White (3) played cameos while Jordan Tucker and Robinson did not play.

Next week – 4 games

Furman on Monday night before Duke travels to Portland for 3 games in the Phil Knight tournament celebrating his 80^th birthday. It is a cool tournament (actually two separate tournaments – Duke is in the Motion bracket while UNC is in the other tournament called Victory). On Thanksgiving Day, Duke plays Portland State, then things get interesting. Assuming a Duke win (“they thought it was going to be easier than it was” is a warning against such assumptions), the Blue Devils face the winner of Butler v Texas on Friday. Texas has the superb freshman center, Mohamad Bamba (Duke lost that recruiting battle). The four teams in the other bracket are Florida, Ohio State, Gonzaga and Stanford. The final game is on Sunday. Every team plays three games.

Duke 92– Furman 63

The start of the game was delayed for fifteen minutes because at six o’clock a second floor fire alarm went off and the entire building was evacuated. Fortunately, it was a false alarm but after the delayed start, the Blue Devils appeared as though they had evacuated without their warm-up suits, because they again started cold, playing unimpressive basketball as Furman got into the lane for one good look after another, making five of its first six shots. Nevertheless, when your team beats a good, veteran Southern Conference team with a terrific point guard by 29 points, how critical can you be? [Warning: I am evaluating this team by a standard only previously applied to the 2001 and 1999 teams.] Well, the fact of the matter is that the Blue Devils were actually behind for about ten minutes before Duke’s man-to-man defense forced four turnovers in the next six minutes and went on a patented 20-6 run. During that stretch freshman Marvin Bagley dominated offensively and defensively. He scored 11 points in two minutes on a variety of shots, blocked a shot, stole the ball, picked up 2 assists, and even accidentally tipped in a basket for the other team.

This team has demonstrated that they have all the individual parts to be a multifaceted, dominating team. However, except in spurts—even against Michigan State—they have not been a well-oiled machine. For the second game in a row, the firm of Bagley & Carter dominated down low, Trevon drove the lane at will but Allen, who had not practiced due to being “banged up”, and Trent did not score well. It will be interesting when the Double-Double Brothers come up against a really large front line how they react and adapt and if Coach K stays with the man-to-man defense as he has for most of the last two games or goes more zone which was so effective against the Spartans. The truth of the matter is that the undefeated, #1 Duke has yet to play a game with balanced scoring, which they will soon have to do. They have, however, improved one major weakness—free throw shooting.

When DeLaurier, who brings so much energy and athleticism to the party, is in the mix, the defense may even be better. And O’Connor, who looks like a freshman pledge whose hair was the victim of a hazing incident, sure appears to be the sleeper of the freshman class. He has a rare feel and instinct for the game. Bolden still appears raw and in need of maturing. Even against this level of competition, Goldwire seems in over his head and I would not be surprised if Allen, who had six nice assists tonight, plays the point when Duval is rested and O’Connor plays the shooting guard.

Duke extended their streak of consecutive non-conference home wins in Cameron to 136.

Alan Adds:

Coach K was well pleased with last night’s effort against a good Furman team. His assessment was the team played hard and well, and most importantly, “played together – on both ends of the court.” He was asked if the Furman was a statement game after the disappointing effort against Southern last Friday. K responded with a quip, and then made the serious point that it was “more like we got back to playing the way we are supposed to” and the way the team has played all year. He pointed out that the team had two really good practices after not being able to practice after the Michigan State game.

Even though Duke gave up easy drives during the game’s opening minutes and a raft of threes toward the end of the game when Duke switched to a zone defense with mostly substitute players, Coach K was pleased with the defense. He said the game plan was to take away Furman’s three point attack, so when Davis (Furman’s talented point guard) got into the lane, the help stayed with the shooters leaving him open to create and score. The adjustment was subtle. Coach K said Furman was “a right handed driving team”. We started out forcing them right and got burned.” When Duke started forcing them left, the defense stiffened and the lead grew consistently.

The Bench

The rotation is longer now than it will be in the conference season, and it is where the competition for playing time exists. The starting lineup is set.

First off the bench is Javin DeLaurier, who continues to impress me greatly. What I appreciate about his game is his energy on defense. He is quick enough (and has the intensity – motor) to guard the perimeter and still protect the rim when one of his teammates is beaten. I do not believe any other Duke big has shown that capability, even though both Carter (especially) and Bagley are formidable defenders. Javin logged 17 intense minutes, scoring 6 (3-3; 0-1 from the line), grabbing 6 boards and blocking 4 shots, and making 2 steals. Interestingly, when Grayson picked up his 3^rd foul early in the second half, DeLaurier replaced him, making a lineup of 3 bigs + Tre and a Gary. I liked this lineup defensively.

Bolden earned Coach K’s praise in his 12 minutes (2-3 from the floor and 2-2 from the line) for scoring 6 points, grabbing 2 boards and having a block. He was yanked, however, after a cameo in the first half when he completely lost his roll man on a Furman screen and roll, creating a wide open (embarrassing) layup. In fairness, DeLaurier had one almost identical defensive lapse. Bolden moved well and is a potential contributor. Potential.

Alex O’Connell logged 12 scintillating second half minutes after remaining on the bench in the first half. He made the most of his opportunity scoring 10 [4-5 from the floor; 2-3 from deep] with 2 boards, an assist (sweet interior pass) and a block (the skinny kid has hops). He was very impressive on several levels. As I have written previously, he reminds me of Grayson as a freshman.

Jordan Goldwire played 13 minutes without scoring [0-2 from deep] with an offensive rebound, an assist, a steal against a turnover and a foul. Vrankovic (3 minutes), White (4 minutes) and Justin Robinson (1 minute) made cameos. Tucker did not play (again).

The Starters

The Backcourt

This was a coming out party for Trevon Duval, who was nothing short of sensational on both ends of the court. In 26 minutes, he scored 18 [9-12; 0-2 from deep] to go with 4 boards and 4 assists. He dominated some aspects of this game, and could be heading for a Tyus Jones like season. He has an uncanny ability to snake to the rim and finish acrobatically. Trent played a game high 31 minutes (he is trusted by Coach K) scoring 9 [4-8; 1-3 from 3land] to go with 3 boards, an assist and a turnover. He is on the court as much for his defense, rebounding and energy as his shooting. He had a pair of steals. Grayson, who did not practice, had a bad shooting game, but was still valuable. He led Duke with 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals, even though he scored only 5 in 28 minutes (only 8 second half minutes after playing the entire first half) [2-9; 1-4 from deep without getting to the line]. His defense is always played on high energy.

Bagley and Carter

Both Bagley and Carter had substantial size advantages over the Furman bigs. Both exploited their size advantage and skill to allow Duke to dominate on the inside. Carter played only 24 minutes, scoring 14 [6-7 from the floor; 2-4 from the line] to go with 9 boards a block and 2 assists. Bagley played 29 minutes grabbing 8 boards and scoring 24 points on a team high 15 shots [8-15; 1-3 from deep – 3 attempts, really; and satisfyingly 5-6 from the line]. With the game still close in the first half, Duke went to him on the low block 4 straight times for 4 straight scores and an end to the competiveness of the game. Coach K has emphasized that neither is a traditional big – they are complete basketball players who happen to be big. One of the splendid aspects of them playing together is the skill each has to pass. They like to pass and are making a formidable inside presence.

The PK tournament and Big 10 Challenge

Duke will fly to Portland tomorrow for 3 games in 4 days. Duke’s second game will be against an undefeated team that has received votes in the ranking whether Texas or Butler wins. Florida (#7 in both polls) is the highest rated team on the other side of the Motion Bracket. They play Stanford first. Gonzaga (#17 in both polls) plays Ohio State.

If Duke reaches the championship game on Sunday (11-26) evening at 7:30, they will travel back to Durham on Monday before flying to Bloomington on Tuesday for Wednesday (11-29) night’s game against Indiana. Whew!

Duke 99 – Portland State 81

Duke 85 – Texas 78

You could sense this kind of result developing for weeks. Another slow start, porous defense, poor free throw and three point shooting. But for the first time, add a big, talented Texas front line that neutralizes this team’s primary strength and, “Durham, we have a problem”.

After each Elon, Utah Valley etc. game Coach K starts his presser by saying what a good, well coached (but unranked) team Duke just beat without commenting on the Blue Devils weaknesses. Because I was at dinner with our son’s family in Washington and only occasionally stole a look at my smartphone, I was spared the actual disappointment of watching Texas taking and expanding their lead. Down fourteen midway through the second half, I finally I turned it off so that I could enjoy the fine Italian Cuisine.

What!! Duke won? No way! Fortunately, I taped it or I wouldn’t have believed it. Grayson came alive playing the point before fouling out to lead a rally that got the Blue Devils even. (May I quote from our last blog: “Goldwire seems in over his head and I would not be surprised if Allen, who had six nice assists tonight, plays the point when Duval is rested and O’Connell plays the shooting guard.”) The freshmen took it from there. First, with the score tied and ten seconds remaining, Bagley, who had only hit two shots from La-La Land in his brief Duke career, decided it is a good idea to launch a three which missed and O’Connell then Carter miss tips as time expired in regulation. Think it would have been a better idea for Trent to take the three and MBIII try the tip? However, that was about the only mistake the big guy made as he went for 34 & 15. After huddling with the coaches, Bagley and Carter predictably set up in the low post and flushed dunks on pinpoint passes from Tre Duval against Texas’ backup front line (Bamba and Sims had fouled out) to win in overtime.

You really have to hand it to these freshmen, so far they have mastered the art of living dangerously. And if they have the tenacity and talent to rally against good teams like Texas while missing 14 free throws, and going 3-18 from three point land, I sure like their chances if they ever master the boring art of shooting free throws.

Other Comments:

How impressive was this win? It was the sixth best comeback in Duke basketball history. And it was another lesson that for a Coach K team “It’s never over until it’s over”.

Bagley’s 34 points on Friday tied J.J. Redick’s single-game scoring record by a freshman.

At this point, North Carolina is a better “team” than Duke.

Jay Bilas was one of the announcers. He is the best at college basketball.

Alan Adds:

Overall impressions:

Duke will play Florida (#7 in both polls) on Sunday night at 10:30 for the championship of the Motion Bracket of the PK 80 tournament. Florida prevailed 117-111 over Gonzaga (#17) in a double overtime thriller that ended early in the EST Saturday morning. Duke’s defense will be tested.

Duke 85 Texas 78

The first and most important takeaway from the initial two games of the PK 80 tournament is that Duke’s defense is in shambles and whether or not it can be improved is the key issue for the early (or late) season. The second takeaway is this team has heart, resolve and an unstoppable force in Marvin Bagley III. In spite of Texas’s unimpeded stampeded to the rim for easy layups, Duke came back from 16 down with 7:29 to go in the game and forced an overtime (in a game that should have been won in regulation). The third takeaway is the dramatic increase in Alex O’Connell’s playing time. He entered the Texas game with 10:05 left to play and Duke down 16 (14 really since Bagley made 2 free throws during the substitution). He played the remainder of the game and all 5 minutes of the overtime and was a major contributor. For the last 2 minutes of regulation for all of the overtime, Duke played 5 freshmen (except for Javin’s about 5 second cameo).

Duke 99 Portland State 81

A friend of mine minted the perfect description: “The Portland State game was ugly. Like a 300-pound bully finally beating up an exhausted depleted kid.” When Bill called at half time, here’s what I told him: “Portland State played such beautiful offensive basketball – it did not matter whether Duke showed man to man or zone, the Vikings penetrated at will for easy layups, passed the ball on the interior through the Duke bigs for dunks or kicked out to allow for success on a high percentage of open looks from 3, and did not commit a single turnover against Duke’s pressure – and Duke was hanging in the game only because of the tremendous size advantage of their bigs down low. That made a strong pull to root for Portland State!” Duke gave up 49 first half points (probably making Coach K pull out tapes of the infamous Vermont game from seasons ago). The Vikings played a first half that you could not help but admire, even though they could not stop Bagley, Bolden and Carter on the inside, and so gave up 45 points to the Blue Devils. Duke led by only 3 with 10 minutes to go, and then blew the Vikings out as the Portland State front line began to foul out and wilt against Duke’s superior size. Not a very impressive win.

Duke Basketball Playbook: 2015-16 Season

Retrospective & Preview:

Welcome to the fifth edition of the Duke Basketball Playbook. Before we preview this year’s team, let’s reflect upon last year’s season. Four highly rated freshmen joined with three upper classmen to win the 2015 NCAA Championship. Okafor, Jones, and Winslow combined with Cook, Jefferson, Jones, and Plumlee for most of the regular season playing minutes. However, perhaps, the most difficult, critical decision was Coach K stunning dismissal Rasheed Sulaimon from the team after the Notre Dame game, because that gave the up-to-then forgotten fourth freshman Grayson Allen valuable playing time and confidence which led to his spectacular game changing five career minutes against Wisconsin. The other important change was making Jefferson a sixth man, replacing him with Matt Jones and moving Winslow to power forward. In retrospect, strategic adjustments have been par for the course during Coach K’s career and one of the primary reasons we are so intrigued by Duke Basketball and enjoy analyzing the moves he and his staff make. At this point in the season, not even the coaches know how the players on this year’s young, deep, talented team with fit together or if, ultimately, the chemistry between them will develop to the point they are true contender. As always, there will be joy and excitement in the journey, which starts this Friday against Siena on ESPNU then quickly gets much tougher.

Based on only one scrimmage and two exhibition games, here is my assessment of the players:

Amile Jefferson & Marshall Plumlee are both playing stronger and more confidently—like the senior leaders they are. Look for a lot of high-low post play with Marshall setting massive picks at the elbow of the foul lane and Amile doing his Spider Man impression down low.

Matt Jones is the jack-of-all-trades who holds the team together by doing whatever needs to be done—somewhat reminiscent of a smaller version of Shane Battier. His ability to neutralize an opponent’s best non-post scorer (ref. Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker) is an overlooked component of Coach K’s most effective defensive schemes.

Grayson Allen is the most dynamic, exciting, versatile player, and, if he stays healthy, the best playmaker on the team—perhaps, one of the best in the country.

Luke Kennard is the most mature and polished of the freshmen. Impressive feel for the game.

Brandon Ingram is the most highly rated of the newbies. Coach K is praising his skills like he did Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor so….. but so far, I am more impressed with his defense and ball handling than his shooting touch. He appears to be more of a scorer than a pure shooter and because of mismatches will spend a lot of time at the foul line. He creates havoc as the point on a 1-2-2 zone (yes, look for more switching defenses) and on out-of-bounds plays. At 6’10’ but stick thin, he can play all five positions.

Derryck Thornton is no Ty Jones pass first, shoot when he game is on the line point guard but a better defender. Look for point guard by committee.

Chase Jeter has gained weight (remember most of the freshmen have been attending summer school and working out) and playing with increasing confidence. He will be a valuable blue collar, front line sub…. would do well to model himself after Amile Jefferson.

Sean Obi, the Rice transfer, is big and strong which should come in handy against physical teams if Plumlee gets in foul trouble.

Antonio Vrankovic has been injured but looks like a 7 foot project—a more skilled Brian Zoubek .

Justin Robinson, David’s son, has had little playing time and looks like a red shirt candidate.

ALAN ADDS:

Last Year’s Championship, and this Year’s Expectations.

Last year’s freshmen driven team exceeded all expectations by season’s end. Let us not forget what, in my opinion, was the primary reason for Duke’s National Championship –- by tournament time, Duke’s early season defensive inconsistencies had been transformed into what was, arguably, the best and most consistent defense in the nation. In my opinion, Justise Winslow was the major reason that occurred. Notwithstanding Billy King, Shane Battier, Tommy Amaker, Grant Hill and Wojo played just a tad of defense, Justise’s second half of the season may have been the best defensive performance by a Duke player. A second crucial reason for Duke’s success was its game closing ability when leading. Duke had not one — but two — top point guards to handle against desperate trapping pressure with Tyus and Quinn, who each shot over 90% from the foul line to close games. That was a critical component to last year’s great won loss record and National Championship.

Once again, Duke has the # 1 rated incoming freshman class, and there is temptation to expect a season similar to last year’s. The danger for Duke fans is that unreasonably high expectations can make for an artificially disappointing season. This is not last year’s team. The 2015-16 Devils return only one starter and four players from last year’s team, and those returning players did not score much [Jefferson, 6.1 ppg; Matt Jones, 6.0; Grayson, 4,4; and Marshall, 2.2]. Each of these returners has the potential to turn into a substantial scorer, but none have actually done that yet (though Grayson’s performance in the Final Four leads to great optimism). The good news is that defense was their calling card.

There are seven newcomers, though two of them do not figure to be relevant this year. There are four freshmen (3 McDonald’s All-Americans – Brandon Ingram, Chase Jeter and Luke Kennard — plus Derryck Thornton, who reclassified to join Duke with a year of high school eligibility left). Semi Obi is a transfer from Rice, who practiced with the team last year, but is just eligible. In 2013-14, he was a Conference USA All-Freshman Team Selection, averaged 11.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game (led conference in rebounding) while playing in all 30 games. He led Rice in points scored (342) (with a .591 shooting percentage) and rebounds (279). I like that he was a member of 2014 C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll. After all, it is Duke.

In short, this is a team with unlimited potential, but has a long journey to fully grow into that potential. The early season schedule is a killer, though should help prepare this young team for March, and, hopefully, April. After two warm ups against Siena (next Friday) and Bryant (Saturday), Duke plays Kentucky (in Chicago on 11-17), VCU and the winner of the Georgetown-Wisconsin game in Madison Square Garden November 22 and 24, Indiana in the ACC-Big 10 challenge on December 2, and Utah in Madison Square Garden on December 19. Whew!

The Big Guys

Jahlil is gone and Duke’s inside game will be different. Scoring is likely to come more from the wing and perimeter. Coach K has said he has designed a new offense and a new defense to play to the strengths of this year’s players. Amile Jefferson had an outstanding defensive game against Wisconsin, and is a senior. Seniors have always been special on Coach K teams (see Quinn Cook last year). My gut tells me Amile will have a breakout year in scoring, rebounding and leadership. If he can just shoot better from 15 feet and beyond, he will be a weapon. Marshall has looked formidable in the pre-season and has fully matured. Will he play more and be able to sustain that same intensity? They are the two senior captains who have been defensive minded assets.

The newcomers are Chase Jeter (6’10” heralded freshman) and Obi. How Coach K will mix and match, who has what talents to blend and make the team efficient, is part of what the early season will tell us. I’ve seen Jeter play twice. He could not hold his own against the huge front line of the World in the US v World high school all-star game. He is very mobile and quick for a big. He will develop; the question will be how fast and whether it will be this year. Semi will demonstrate the competitive difference between Conference USA and the ACC. If he can build on his freshman year at Rice, he will be a huge asset. He has not played much in the exhibition games. In short, there is lots of potential for Duke to have an efficient inside game on both ends, but nothing is certain.

BACKCOURT

Matt Jones is the only returning starter. Duke transformed when he replaced Jefferson in the starting lineup last year. He has been Duke’s best perimeter defender, and seems poised, in his junior year, for a big leap in offensive production. The other returning guard is the hero of the Final Four, Grayson Allen. Based on those two games, expectations are very high for Allen. He has scoring potential (dropped 27 on Wake), but still only averaged a bit over 4 ppg. last year. Will his defense match what Quinn was able to give last year? Early signs are a resounding “yes”.

The freshmen guards will be a key. Duke has only one point guard on the roster, Derryck Thornton, and he really should be a high school senior this year. He has to stay healthy for Duke to have a chance at a really good season. How he grows into his potential and how soon will have a lot to do with Duke’s season. I think the key will be whether he can be a great (or at least good) on the ball defender, as Duke’s great point guards have been in the past. Part of Quinn’s exceptional senior year was his development as from an inadequate to a superior defensive player.

Duke’s other freshman guard is Luke Kennard. I’ve seen him play a few times now, and I believe he will leave a great legacy as a Duke player, I just don’t know if it will be this year. He’s 6’5” and more athletic than he appears at first. For example, he was for 3 straight years the Ohio Group II offensive football player of the year as a QB. He was a fantastic scorer in high school, moving into second place on the all time list (LeBron is third). He’s academically superior and has excelled at community service in high school – in short, a perfect example of a Duke student-athlete. He has been prominent in USA basketball and led the USA team against the World. He played the most minutes (25), and was the high scorer (26). I was impressed with his defensive effort, his ability to get to the rim, defend in the open court and help on the interior. He showed me an all around game and passion in the way he played. I am giving the same prediction about Luke that I did about Quinn before his freshman year. [I was wrong for the first year, but last year clinches my status as prophet].

BRANDON INGRAM

Brandon is the number 4 rated freshman (ESPN), a 6’9” skinny scoring wing. He is considered likely to be a one and done, though he seems awfully slight (190 lbs.) to think about the NBA. Pundits have predicted he will be Duke’s best scorer this season. Though 6’9”, he is a perimeter player with an ability to get to the rim and to fire from deep. The pre-season predictions from those watching practice are that he will start. I admit to having been a bit underwhelmed by him in the US v World game. In the pre-season his exceptional athleticism on the defensive end had coaches and commentators praising him.

In some ways he mirrors the season, can he be what last year’s freshmen were, developing because they committed to the team and each other? I don’t think Jabari and Hood ever made that complete leap (hence, Mercer). It should be an entertaining and interesting season.

ADDED FEATURE

Al Featherstone wrote a long, thorough analysis of the making of Duke’s five championship teams on dukebasketballreport.com. It is too good an historical tutorial not to reprint:

“Five NCAA Championship teams and five transformations – either in rotation or, in two cases, a radical change in the style of play over the course of the season. I could cite a dozen other teams that changed significantly over the course of the season – the 2009 team that I mentioned; the 1986 team that played half the season with Danny Ferry starting at center because Jay Bilas was hurt; the 1989 team that saw the emergence of Laettner late; the 1994 Final Four team that developed freshman Jeff Capel late … at least a half dozen more.

True, some of those transformations were dictated by injury (the 2001 makeover, for example), but many were simply Coach K tweaking his lineup and his rotation to maximize his talent (as in 2010 for example).

My point is that the Duke team we see play in the next few weeks may be very different than the one we see in March. This lineup offers Coach K a lot of options and I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t try them all out over the next couple of months.

How will he rotate his true post players – Jefferson, Marshall Plumlee, Chase Jeter … and maybe Sean Obi later? Freshman Derryck Thornton is the only true point guard on the roster, but Coach K has other options at the position – maybe Luke Kennard plays there? Brandon Ingram is going to play somewhere – probably on the wing, but at some point does he become the “power forward” (as Winslow did a year ago)? How will Coach K mix-and-match his many talented wings – Allen, Matt Jones, Kennard and Ingram?

A lot of options there and I’m sure we’ll see most of them over the course of the season. That’s why I think it’s so futile to try and guess the starting lineup and the rotation for the start of the season.

Whatever lineup/rotation starts next month in the opener against Siena, there’s very likely to be a different one in January when Duke opens ACC play at Boston College and a new one again in March when the Blue Devils pursue another back-to-back title.

The coaches are still watching it all develop, still unsure of how the team – the lineup and the rotation – will eventually break down? That process is often impacted by injuries that change things as the season wears on, but quite a few seasons are shaped by the gradual development of individual players and by team chemistry.

Just take last year’s team, for example.

2014-15: The One-and Done team

When practice began a year ago, it was predictable that Jahlil Okafor would play in the middle. There was a lively debate over the summer as to whether Tyus Jones would start at point guard or come off the bench behind senior Quinn Cook or whether the two smallish guards would share the backcourt.

There was also junior Rasheed Sulaimon returning as a likely starter. The big question was whether he would supplant Cook or Jones in the starting lineup or perhaps be part of a three-guard rotation – a move that would likely send freshman Justise Winslow to the bench?

By the time the season opened, it was clear that Coach Mike Krzyzewski was committed to playing Jones and Cook together. Winslow was also in the starting lineup, while Sulaimon came off the bench, but saw significant playing time. Not surprisingly, freshman Jahlil Okafor and junior Amile Jefferson started in the post.

But here’s the funny thing … the team that started the season was very different from the one that cut down the nets in Indianapolis six months later.

Yes, Okafor was still the anchor in the post and the Cook-Jones partnership flourished in the backcourt. But by the end of the season, Winslow was starting at the “power” forward spot, while defensive ace Matt Jones was starting at “small forward.” Jefferson was coming off the bench. So was freshman Grayson Allen, who spent the first two months of the season buried on the bench.

Sulaimon was off the team.

It was a very different lineup and rotation than we saw in October. Heck, it was a very different rotation than the one we saw in January. The style of play also changed over the course of the season, at least defensively. Duke started playing man-to-man, but playing it very erratically. By midseason, the man-to-man defense was such a disaster that Coach K switched to a primary zone defense for the first time in his career. But by March, the man-to-man was back and Duke playing it at a very high level.

And here’s another funny thing – the evolution of last year’s team is the rule for Krzyzewski-coached teams … not the exception. In fact, let’s take a look at his first four national championship teams and see how they evolved (and why). `

1990-91: The First Title

When Duke opened the 1990-91 season against Marquette, the starting lineup included juniors Christian Laettner and Brian Davis, sophomores Bobby Hurley and Thomas Hill and freshman Grant Hill. Sophomore Billy McCaffrey played 30 minutes off the bench and senior Greg Koubek played 20. The eighth man, freshman Tony Lang, played eight minutes.

That lineup and rotation would fluctuate all season.

It almost always contained Laettner, Hurley and Grant Hill (although the freshman was limited briefly in early January with a broken nose). But the last two starters – and the order of the rotation — changed frequently. Thomas Hill started 23 games. McCaffrey started 21. Davis started 11 games. Coach K experimented with twin towers as junior center Crawford Palmer started nine times. Lang, a slender 6-8 forward, started eight times.

By the team postseason rolled around, Krzyzewski had settled on Thomas Hill and Koubek as the fourth and fifth starters.

The choice of Koubek was kind of curious.

The 6-6 swing man saw his role and his playing time almost disappear in December and early January. He did have a 14-point outing in a blowout win over Boston University, but in the other 10 games between December 1 and January 16, Koubek scored the grand total of six points and averaged single digit minutes – even though many of those games were lopsided blowouts.

Late in that stretch, the Duke Chronicle ran an article grading the Duke team. Koubek received the lowest grade on the roster – a C-plus. Krzyzewski was furious. He set up a locker room meeting with the Chronicle sports staff and proceeded to verbally blast the young sports writers.

Maybe it was just a coincidence (or maybe it was a F-you moment from the combative coach), but in the first game after that tumultuous locker room meeting, Koubek played 18 minutes in a win at The Citadel. The next time out, he played 19 minutes (with nine points and six rebounds) in a homecourt rout of UNC. A week after that, he scored 14 points in a rout of Clemson. And a week after that, Koubek got his first start of the season at Notre Dame. He started 13 of the team’s final 18 games, including all six in the NCAA Tournament.

By the time the Final Four rolled around, Coach K was basically playing a seven man rotation. The five starters, McCaffrey and Davis got major minutes. Palmer and Lang got off the bench, but only for very brief relief roles.

Duke’s first national championship team ended up as a very different team than the one that started the season.

1991-92: Back-to-Back

A year later, Krzyzewski returned four national championship starters and added heralded big man Cherokee Parks. K had to replace Koubek, the only senior on the ’91 team, plus sixth-man McCaffrey, who transferred to Vanderbilt, and Palmer, who transferred to Dartmouth (interestingly, both McCaffrey and Palmer would win first-team all-conference honors at their new schools).

It’s hard to imagine a more stable situation. Davis slid into the starting lineup and Duke famously went wire-to-wire as the nation’s No. 1 team, winning a second straight national title by beating the Michigan Fab Five in Minneapolis.

But the 1991-92 season was anything but stable. The issue was injuries – few Duke teams have had to battle as many injuries as the ’92 Devils.

It started in the opener, where Parks replaced an injured Laettner as the starting center. Lang was also out early as senior Marty Clark, redshirt freshman Kenny Blakeney and freshman center Erik Meek were the three major players off the bench that first night.

That didn’t last long. When Laettner and Lang returned, Blakeney and Meek saw their minutes shrink to almost nothingness (except there were a lot of blowouts and they did get plenty of garbage time). In competitive games, Coach K basically played an eight-man rotation with Parks, Lang and Clark getting minutes off the bench.

That changed again when Hurley broke his foot in a Feb. 5 loss at UNC.

Duke’s next game was at No. 22 LSU, which featured Shaquille O’Neal in the middle.

Coach K responded by moving sophomore Lang into the starting lineup and shifting Grant Hill from forward to point guard. The versatile sophomore responded with 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Laettner outplayed Shaq for the second straight year as the Devils escaped an extremely hostile environment in Baton Rouge with a win.

That lineup lasted until Grant Hill suffered a severe high ankle sprain in practice in the days before the Feb. 26 matchup with Virginia in Cameron.

Blakeney actually started at the point that night, but he played just 15 minutes, giving way to Hurley – who returned just 21 days after breaking a bone in his foot. The next time out, Hurley returned to the starting lineup and played 36 minutes in a huge win at No. 4 UCLA in Pauley Pavilion.

Grant Hill returned for the regular season finale against UNC, but even though he played well off the bench, Krzyzewski seemed to like the new rotation with Lang sharing the starting lineup with Laettner, Hurley, Davis and Thomas Hill. Grant Hill became a super Sixth Man – a role he played as Duke won the ACC championship by routing UNC and through the NCAA Tournament – including the famous 104-103 overtime victory against Kentucky.

Grant Hill didn’t start that game, but he did play 37 minutes off the bench. By that point, Krzyzewski was close to playing a six-man rotation – Clark and Parks played a combined seven minutes against the Wildcats that afternoon. Neither Blakeney nor Meek got off the bench.

I would call that the finishing rotation of the 1992 team, although it was complicated by another injury – Davis sprained his ankle in the semifinal victory over Indiana and was only able to go 10 ineffective minutes off the bench in the title game. Grant Hill returned to the starting lineup for the finale against Michigan’s Fab Five.

Obviously, injuries had a lot to do with the evolution of the 1992 team, but whether because of the injuries or not, the rise of Tony Lang and the shortening of the bench were very real changes in what was expected to be a very stable team.

2000-01: Changing on the Fly

If the 1991-92 team appeared stable at the outset, the 2000-01 team looked like it would be nearly set in stone. True, ACC player of the year Chris Carrawell was gone from the nation’s No. 1 team in 2000, but heralded freshman Chris Duhon was on hand to fill that gap. The other four starters – and sixth man Mike Dunleavy — were all returning and so were almost every other player on the 2000 roster.

And, as expected, the 2001 Blue Devils were a remarkably stable team – the same starters almost every game (sophomores Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, senior Shane Batter and redshirt senior Nate James) with Duhon getting major minutes off the bench. It was basically a six man rotation for most of the season – backup big man Matt Christiansen was the closest thing to a seventh man, but he averaged less than eight minutes a game.

Then everything changed.

In Duke’s last home game, Boozer broke his foot. A team that critics said was too small and without the depth to compete for the national title, suddenly became much smaller and much thinner.

Of course, we know that Coach K responded with his single greatest coaching moment – reshaping the lineup (not only did he replace Boozer with a three-headed monster of Casey Sanders/walk-on Reggie Love/Christiansen, he also had Duhon and James swap roles – with Duhon moving into the starting lineup and James becoming the Sixth Man), but also transforming the team’s style of play – turning the Devils into a pressing, running, 3-point shooting machine.

The result was a 10-game winning streak to close the season, starting with a shocking victory over No. 6 North Carolina in Chapel Hill and continuing with a dramatic victory over No. 11 Maryland in the ACC Tournament in Atlanta, a rout of UNC in the ACC title game, and East regional wins over UCLA and Southern Cal in Philadelphia.

Boozer made a token appearance in Philly and was able to play a significant role again when Duke matched up again with Maryland in the Final Four in Minneapolis.

The funny thing about 2001 is that even with Sanders starting at the end, Boozer was playing the most minutes. So this is one Duke championship team that ended up with a very similar lineup/rotation as it started.

Yet, it terms of style of play, the team that beat Maryland and Arizona in the Final Four was a very different team than the one that opened the season.

2009-10: Slowing Things Down

The only Duke championship team that changed more over the course of the season was the 2009-10 team.

A special prize for anybody who can name the five starters in Duke’s 2009-10 season opener against UNC Greensboro.

Give up?

Well, Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are easy. And Miles Plumlee at center is not too tough if you remember that his younger brother Mason – expected to start in the middle that year – was out with a broken wrist as the season started.

But does anybody else remember that the fifth starter was Olek Czyz?

The 2010 Blue Devils returned two clearcut starters from the Sweet 16 team of 2009 – Scheyer and Singler. Smith had started 21 games as a sophomore, but he lost his starting job late as Coach K transformed that team in February — replacing Smith at the point with Scheyer and moving freshman Elliott Williams into the starting lineup. Smith also missed the last two games of the regular season when he suffered a concussion due to a brutal pick at Maryland, but he had already lost his starting job before that.

Krzyzewski did have to replace the team’s best player – first-team All-ACC pick Gerald Henderson, who left a year early for the NBA, and Williams, who transferred to Memphis.

Coach K also had a number of players with starting experience up front – senior forward Lance Thomas (16 starts in 2009), sophomore center Miles Plumlee (2 starts) and senior center Brian Zoubek, who actually qualified as a returning starter with 17 starts in 2009.

But Zoubek played little role in the early part of the 2010 season as Coach K built the team around Scheyer, Singler and Smith. Thomas quickly seized another starting role, but the center job mostly went to Miles Plumlee – we thought at the time that he was holding it for his heralded younger brother, who was slowed by preseason injury.

Zoubek averaged close to 14 minutes in the first half of the season, although his most productive performances came in blowouts. But between the ACC opener against Clemson on January 3 and the February 10 game at UNC, the Big Z was merely a minor factor. Over that 12-game stretch, he averaged 13.8 minutes a game, contributing 2.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg.

He ended the stretch with no points and three rebounds in the win at UNC.

Mason Plumlee played 27 minutes in that game (7 points and 9 rebounds). It seemed his time had come and the freshman big man would be in the starting lineup for the Maryland visit to Cameron three days later.

Instead, it was Zoubek starting in the middle and contributing 16 points and 17 rebounds in 22 minutes as Duke beat the Terps 77-56.

From that point until the end of the season – a stretch of 16 games – Zoubek not only started at center, but he played like a man possessed, averaging 9.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in 24.9 minutes a game.

But it would be a mistake to claim that Zoubek was the reason that Duke won 15 of those 16 games. Duke won because Krzyzewski rebuilt the team to take advantage of Zoubek’s emergence … or you might say that Coach K revamped his style of play to take advantage of the things that Zoubek did well.

Early in the season, Duke was still playing a variation of the style that Coach K installed after Boozer was hurt in 2001. The Devils extended their pressure man-to-man, shot a lot of 3-pointers and tried to force tempo.

That style did not really suit Zoubek. At 7-1, 260-plus pounds, he wasn’t quick or agile even when he was healthy (which is wasn’t for much of his career). He never attempted a 3-pointer.

Zoubek WAS very big, very strong and he had great hands. He proved to be the best offensive rebounder in college basketball when he finally got extended minutes late in his senior year.

To emphasize Zoubek’s strengths, Coach K slowed his team down to a sedate tempo, so that the big man could keep up. He also pulled back his defense – not quite into a zone, but more into a sagging man-to-man that allowed Zoubek to stay in the middle and protect the basket.

That’s how Duke was able to grind out a 61-59 victory over Butler in the title game. Zoubek played 31 minutes, pulled down six offensive rebounds and blocked two shots – plus, he was in position to ruin Gordon Hayward’s short baseline jumper than would have given the Bullogs the lead with seconds left. Zoubs not only made the Butler star shoot an almost impossible rainbow over his outstretched arm, he also turned around and rebounded the miss.

So that’s five championship teams and five transformations – either in rotation or, in two cases, a radical change in the style of play over the course of the season. I could cite a dozen other teams that changed significantly over the course of the season – the 2009 team that I mentioned; the 1986 team that played half the season with Danny Ferry starting at center because Jay Bilas was hurt; the 1989 team that saw the emergence of Laettner late; the 1994 Final Four team that developed freshman Jeff Capel late … at least a half dozen more.

Duke 92 – Siena 74

Duke 113 – Bryant 75

While the 2015-16 season officially started with Siena and Bryant trading the honor–and national exposure– of playing Duke in the iconic confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium for being consecutive non-conference losses 117 & 118, the real season starts Tuesday against Kentucky. So, anything we think today must be taken within the context of basically talent mismatches in exhibition season.

First, you must be aware that for 2015-16, the NCAA made rule changes designed to speed up the game and establish a better balance between offense and defense. Not to bore you with the details, but the rule pertaining to hand checking will be heretofore be referred to as the Greyson Allen straight to All American rule, because, if he is not injured (and that is a big if), that is what he will be. Allen’s NCAA Championship five minute game changer against Wisconsin was no fluke. The kid has big time game. He is not only an athletic freak who can run and jump and finish but also can shoot (90%+ from the line), pass, and play defense. If you liked Dawkins and Hill and JJ, you will love Greyson, because he really, really enjoys playing all aspects of the game. And the new rule will guarantee him 8-10 points from the line.

Right now, it looks like a seven man and a boy rotation, because Derryck Thornton hasn’t yet made the transition from high school. But who needs a point guard when you can give the ball the Allen or Ingram and have MP3 set a high pick. BTW, Brandon shot 1-9 threes against Siena but was 4-6 against Bryant. Why the discrepancy? Between games, Coach K pointed out that although he was 6’9”, there still was a difference between shooting with a man flying at you and letting the game come to you and shooting an open three.

The good news: Coach K’s better teams won by attacking the basket scoring, getting fouled, or passing to an open man for a three; getting to the free throw line and hitting free throws; and playing good defense which led to easy offense.

The not so good news: Siena and Bryant scored 74 & 75 points. The defense was inconsistent and Bryant, in particular, was hot from beyond the arc. Nevertheless, remember last year’s team became a championship team when the defense jelled.

Some observations:

Four more reasons to keep enjoying Duke Basketball: The verbal commitments to Duke’s Class of 2016—three big men and a true point guard– signed letters of intent Wednesday, cementing their decision to join the Blue Devil program next fall. Together, Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum, Frank Jackson and Javin DeLaurier make up the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, which would be head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s third in a row. Giles and Tatum are slated as the No.1 and No. 2 overall recruits in ESPN’s Class of 2016 rankings. “We’re ecstatic about the class,” Krzyzewski said in a press release. “The very first thing is that they’re four outstanding young men who come from great families. They’re players who can play right away. This group, as far as talent is concerned, is at a high level and their talents are complimentary. All of them can get better, too, so we’re very excited.”
Seven foot center Antonio Vrankovic made a four minute cameo playing ahead of Obi tonight. In scoring four points, he appeared to have good hands and footwork and ran the floor with surprising speed. His father is Stojko Vrankovic, a retired Croatian professional basketballplayer, who also played five years in the NBA.

As thrilling as the one-and-done talent is, I get a special satisfaction and delight in watching four year players like Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee develop as players and people.
Clemson is not the best football team in the country and Carolina in not just the twenty some best team. As a matter of fact, I am picking UNC to beat Clemson for the ACC title.

Alan adds:

The two preliminary games in the pre-season tournament were illuminating. We saw the 2015-16 Blue Devils for the first time, and gained an inkling of how the rotation will begin, the type of defense to be played, and where scoring and rebounding are likely to come from this season. While it was unthinkable that Duke would actually lose either game, it is worth noting that in the other bracket of the 2K Classic, Georgetown lost to Radford while # 17 Wisconsin was beaten by Western Illinois. However, under the weird “tournament” format, the two losers, Georgetown and Wisconsin will play next Friday instead of Western Illinois v. Radford. The winner will play the winner of Friday’s Duke v. VCU on Sunday. But, before we look ahead to the coming week, including Tuesday night’s game against # 2 ranked Kentucky, let’s see what was disclosed in the wins over Sienna and Bryant in the last two days.

After the Sienna game, Bill asked me who I thought Duke’s best player was and would be for the season. Bill was touting Grayson after his 20 point opening half and jaw dropping athleticism. My response was, “clearly, Brandon Ingram.” Of course, it is irrelevant; the issue is how this team develops, not who becomes the go-to guy. Nevertheless, Ingram’s potential is breathtaking. But so is Grayson’s. In both games, Grayson was a man among boys. His 54 points (26 against Sienna and 28 against Bryant) mark the second most ever scored by a Duke freshman in his first two games (55 by Johnny Dawkins). He defended, rebounded, passed (6 assists against Bryant) and was 17-18 from the foul line. The question is how he fares against athletes of his own athletic quality. Ingram shot poorly in the Sienna game and well against Bryant. Ingram seems more scorer than shooter (though it is way too early to really tell) and has breathtaking versatility. He may end up as the primary ball handler and distributor. He has an easy calm and amazing athleticism. He is going to be a great defender eventually with his 7’3” wing span, and had a plethora of deflections. In any event, how good Duke becomes this year will depend on the development of these two budding stars.

The Rotation

In both games, Coach K started the four returners — Marshall, Amile, Matt and Grayson — with Brandon. Only three reserves saw extended time — Luke Kennard, Chase Jeter and Derryck Thornton. Sean Obi played 4 minutes against Sienna and 0 against Bryant. Vrankovic played 4 minutes against Bryant (scored 4 points) and a brief cameo in the first game. The Admiral’s offspring did not play.

The core trio consists of Grayson, Brandon and Amile. Grayson played the most, 32 minutes in each game. Brandon played 28 minutes against Sienna (15 points, 5 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals) and 24 against Bryant (21 points, 3 boards, 2 steals and a block). Amile had a double-double in each game (32 minutes, 19 points, 12 boards against Sienna; 24 minutes with 11 rebounds and 11 points in the second game). The supporting trio — Matt Jones, Marshall and Luke Kennard — will see a lot of court time and will be crucial to how this team grows. Jones had a spectacular first half against Bryant scoring 19 on 5-6 from behind the arc. He played superb defense throughout and was a reliable ball handler, shooter and rebounder (Sienna: 26 minutes, 10 points. Bryant: 22 minutes scoring all his 29 points — career high — in the first half on 7-9 from the floor including 5-6 from 3land). Marshall was much improved in the second game. In the first, he was an effective inside presence, but collected 4 fouls in his 20 minutes (9 boards, 2 blocks, 2 assists and 4 points). Against Bryant, he stayed on the court for 28 minutes committing only 2 fouls (8 points, 8 boards and 3 blocks). He was a presence, but the competition in both games was especially suspect on the interior. The Kentucky may disclose whether he can perform at a high level against the best competition. That game may be more important for Marshall than for any other Duke player. Luke has not shot well, but you can see how valuable he will become as he gets experience. He came alive toward the end of the Bryant game. Against Sienna, he scored 9 points in 26 minutes; against Bryant 11 in 22 minutes. He can do everything on the court — handle, defend, pass and rebound. Although he did not shoot well (1-5 from behind the arc against Bryant), he will be a major contributor as the season progresses.

The Critical Reserves

Chase Jeter was the primary reserve in the front court for the first two games, but did not receive as much playing time as the first seven (Thornton is the 7th). Chase logged 11 minutes in the opener (5 rebounds; 3-4 from the foul line, but 0-3 from the field for 3 points), and 16 minutes against Bryant (7 points, including 3-3 from the line; 4 boards and a block). He is slight and may have trouble on the interior against big talented front courts such as Kentucky’s. Still at the moment, he is the only back up to Jefferson and Plumlee. His development into a contributing player against front line opposition will be one of the keys to Duke’s season. However, an even more important key is the development of the only true point guard on the roster, freshman Derryck Thornton. Thornton struggled mightily in the first two games. Before one gets too down on his disappointing performances, it should be remembered that: 1) he reclassified from being a high school junior after Tyus submitted his name to the NBA draft; and, 2) he was busy finishing up his high school academics this past summer and was not with the other freshmen in summer session. Notwithstanding that, even a casual observer could see his defense is suspect — he loses concentration as the shot clock (new — 30 seconds this year) winds down. His help is slow in coming. In 22 minutes against Sienna, he was 1-8 from the field (1-4 from downtown) with only 2 assists and 5 points. In the second game, Coach K played him more, 27 minutes, in what appeared to me as an attempt to build his confidence. He had 4 points on 2-9 shooting (0-2 from behind the arc), but contributed 4 assists. I believe he will improve during the year, but unless the improvement is dramatic, Duke will be without a true point guard against top competition at critical moments. If we remember the stellar point guard play of Tyus and Quinn last year — especially at the end of games — we can see what a challenge point guard play will be for this team this year. However, let us remember Coach K has solved this problem before (moving Scheyer to the point inn 2010 is the best example, but also remember the insertion of Elliot Williams at the point several years ago).

The real season begins this week. First Kentucky (ESPN @ 7:30 EST)

DUKE 63 – KENTUCKY 74

The eleven point differential is not a proper indication of the difference of play between these two storied programs. Had it not been for the play of the veterans—Plumlee, Jefferson, and Jones—it would have looked like Duke vs. Bryant. Coach Cal had done his homework and funneled Grayson Allen into the teeth of his big athletic front line. The versatile Grayson never adjusted his game to a plan B or C. The lack of driving success apparently shook his confidence the entire game, because he even missed two of three free throws. Coach K commented succinctly that when you’re put in a position when you’re ‘the man,’ rather than the fifth option, it’s different.

And the inexperienced Brandon Ingram was in early foul trouble and never was a factor. Without the two best playmakers (Allen and Ingram entered Tuesday’s game averaging a combined 45.0 points per game) and no pure point guard, the Blue Devil offense struggled shooting just 40%. And you know what that means—lots of easy offense for an opponent. Had Plumlee, Jefferson not had career games, the score would have been much more embarrassing.

It will be interesting to see what Coach K does and which players respond in a positive manner.

I was sick before the game and watching it was no tonic, so I will leave the details to Alan.

Next play.

Alan Adds

Let’s do the unpleasant assessments first, with an understanding that the thrashing at the hands of the Wildcats may well prove to be a godsend for the ultimate development of this team. Last night was the perfect example of a reality check, and dramatic notice that as good as this year’s freshmen actually are, they are a long way from ready to play at a championship level. That does not mean that in March they won’t be ready, but it is clear that these freshmen are not last year’s, and right now they are not as good as Kentucky’s (I saw this dramatically last year in the high school All Star game of World v US. Duke freshmen Brandon Ingram, Luke Kennard and Chase Jeter all played for the U.S and were overwhelmed by the World, who featured Jamal Murray (All Star game’s MVP) and Skal Labissiere — also Simmons of LSU). While the underclassmen looked lost, the upper class players had excellent games. Marshall Plumlee had his best game ever at Duke and looks as if he will have a noteworthy senior year. I have predicted that Jefferson will have a break out year and he made me look really good last night. Coach K has said that Matt Jones is the leader of this team (as Quinn was last year). Matt was superb.

Doris Burke is one of my favorite color commentators for college basketball. She made a point about Grayson Allen’s drives where he held the ball in one hand and successfully drove against Sienna and Bryant. “I don’t think he will be able to get that shot off against higher level competition,” she said. It did not take Kentucky long to enshrine her as a prophet. It was as if the clock struck midnight for the star of last season’s Final Four. He was 0-9 in the first half. His jumpers were contested and his drives to the basket thwarted by superb defense. It was all summed up in his turnover in the last seconds of the first half, where Duke had a chance to cut the lead to a respectable 2 or even a 1 point deficit (score was 35-31). Not only did Grayson lose the ball but it led to an easy last second Kentucky basket that finalized the first half at 37-31.

In the first two games, Duke’s offense was powered by not only Grayson, but also freshmen Ingram and to a lesser extent Luke Kennard. Together with freshman Chase Jeter, the three McDonald’s All Americans also failed to score in the first half. 0 points from those 4 was close to incredible. Things did not improve in the second half (the two half scores were eerily similar — Kentucky scored 37 points in each half; Duke 31 in the first half and 32 in the second). The defense was underwhelming, regardless whether Duke played zone or man to man. The Wildcat trio of guards got past the Duke perimeter defense with depressing ease, while the Wildcat bigs dominated the glass after the first 10 minutes of the opening half. Duke’s transition defense was weak; in contrast, the Devils did not have a fast break basket until the waning moments of the game. On offense, the absence of a point guard was a dramatic deficit. Duke substituted the freshman point guard Derryck Thornton early because Duke looked so disorganized in the half court with Matt Jones, Grayson and Ingram on the perimeter. He improved the offense but only marginally; hitting for 5 in the first half. Thornton actually had his best game, but is still a long way from being a competent ACC point guard. Still the rest of the team was so out of sync that he logged the most minutes (29) of anyone outside of the three upper classmen who fought so valiantly to keep Duke close. After 2-3 and 5 points in the first half, Thornton was 1-4 in the second half with 4 turnovers against 3 assists (7 points). Tyus, come back! Btw, Tyus is not playing with Minnesota (did not suit up last night and is not hurt). In 11 games, he has been on the court twice — once for 13 minutes — for a total of 14 minutes (0-2 from the field and 1-2 from the line for his only NBA point so far). And while we are “btw”, Rasheed was superb for Maryland last night (37 minutes, 7 assists and 10 points including a dagger 3 at the end).

The Backcourt

Matt Jones was the only Devil who performed well, actually he was almost heroic. In 35 minutes, he scored 16 (3-6 from downtown and 3-4 from the line) with 2 boards, 2 assists and breathtakingly 0 turnovers. He simply had absolutely no help. Grayson’s final line was 6 points (2-11; 1-3 from downtown and shockingly — after 17-18 in the first two games — 1-3 from the foul line) 4 turnovers (1 assist) and four fouls. Ugh! Duke’s other perimeter players were not much different. Brandon (welcome to big time college hoops) played only 19 minutes because of foul trouble; he had 4. In that short time he was 1-6 from the field (2-2 from the line) for 4 points and 4 turnovers. Ugh! With the exception of not committing either a turnover or a foul, Kennard was equally as terrible. In 14 minutes, he was 0-6. Ugh! And it should be noted that except for Matt Jones, the backcourt was as woeful on defense as on offense.

The Frontcourt

Marshall and Amile were not less than heroic; Duke’s only firepower. Marshall played more minutes by a ton than he had ever played before (36 minutes) posting a double double (12 points and 10 boards), with 6 blocks (yes, 6), an assist, 0 turnovers and committed only 2 fouls. The only downside was at the line (4-8). Wow! If he can do this all year against this type of competition, he might turn out to be the best Plumlee to have played at Duke. He was amazing. Jefferson’s performance might have been even better. In 35 minutes he also posted a double double (15 boards and 16 points on 7-8 from the field and 2-4 from the line). He committed only 2 fouls. But there was no substitution support for those two heroes. Chase Jeter’s impact was a bit less than negligible. He played only 4 minutes (I think Coach K saw he was overmatched by the Kentucky front line) but managed to commit 3 fouls and a turnover in that time. Not ready for prime time yet.

Assessment or Reality Check

It will be interesting to see how Duke responds in the next three games, which all take place within the next week. On Friday, Duke plays VCU in Madison Square Garden. VCU is good (not top 25, but good), and it will be a fair test to see how the freshmen and Grayson rebound from their Wildcat debacle. If Duke wins (think about what a loss would feel like), there is a Sunday finals against the winner of Georgetown- Wisconsin. Georgetown lost to Radford (who in turn was humbled by VCU) and last night to Maryland. Wisconsin crushed Sienna after losing to Western Illinois (who?). Duke needs to win this tournament to recover confidence and begin to address the myriad of weaknesses that Kentucky was able to demonstrate. Finally, next Wednesday, Duke plays Indiana (at Cameron) in the ACC-Big Ten challenge before a 17 day layoff. The first fair assessment can probably be made after this coming week.

I wrote in the pre-season DBP that unrealistic expectations for Duke could make the season artificially disappointing. The good thing about the Kentucky game is to make expectations for this season more realistic.

DUKE 79- VCU 71

Tonight for about thirty minutes, visions of Mercer and Leigh, not sugar plums, were dancing in my head—but, fortunately, Christmas did not come early for VCU.

I was interested to find out what kind of motivational buttons Coach would employ. Predictably, he didn’t start my man Grayson Allen. Allen entered the game after a few minutes on fire—six quick points—and never looked back. Gone was the one dimensional offensive mind set of a game past. Instead, Grayson utilized his full repertoire of shots and scored a career high 30 points to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Here is what ESPN had to say: “What Allen displayed Friday night was special. There were quick-catch 3-pointers, lightning-fast open-floor moves, and savvy, opportunistic drives. There were athletic, hanging finishes in traffic the likes of which only a handful of college players can make. And there were timely plays on both ends: a big block and subsequent steal on back-to-back possessions during a crucial stretch early in the second half, a simple, quick reversal to set up Jones for a 3 to make the game 65-58, and the cool spot-up Allen buried to extend that lead to 10 less than three minutes later. It was a complex and skillful display with a straightforward message: Allen is what we thought he was. Which is to say: really good.”

Let’s give Coach K the last word: “The response that Grayson had from Kentucky is huge. I think it’s spectacular, to be quite frank with you. A lot of kids would question themselves, and he never did. We have a standard on our team that we tell each other the truth. So, you confront it. He didn’t play well against Kentucky. He didn’t have a good look, and he didn’t adjust. That was his first big-time start, too. It’s not like Grayson is this combat veteran. So I was hard on him, but honest. And he’s fine.”

Observations:

Coach mixed and matched a tight seven man rotation until the Blue Devils, interestingly enough, pulled away with MP3, the MVP against Ky, on the bench.
Derryck Thornton, who started for Allen and played 39 minutes, had what Duke fans hoped was breakout game with 19 points, 4 assists,3 turnovers, and 2 steals.
It tells you something that Luke Kennard, who was oh/no from the floor still played 19 minutes and was in the game for the winning run.
Matt Jones again proved it is not always how many you score but when you score them.
What does it tell you that this team has given up 74, 75, & 71 points. I’d say that the defense is a work in process. –or that they shot 19-34 from the line. Deduct Allen’s 8-9 that’s 11-29. Another way to look at it is Duke left a lot of easy points off the score board. Can’t afford to do that in close games. It is obvious that defense, ball handling, and free throw shooting are areas than need improving.
Don’t want to pick on Brandon Ingram but he needs a reality check and get a lot stronger and heavier before he thinks about the NBA.
Duke as not lost back to back games since 2009.

Alan Adds

While last night’s game produced much good stuff, and a significant amount of less than good (read bad), the second part of the second half had the feel of a watershed moment for the development of this 2015-16 team. Coach K said that Duke is not really a team yet, it’s developing towards becoming a team. He described what I call a watershed moment. Duke was down six with 13:34 left in the second half when Matt turned the ball over. Coach K said that “things could really have gone south” at that moment. Instead the Blue Devils turned up the defense — which had been porous in the first half, and not more than barely competent in the opening minutes of the second half — to surge to a very satisfying win. “From that moment on, we played at a different level. VCU played better than us up to that point. We played better than VCU from that point on.” Coach K pointed out that Duke closed out this game with defense rather than offense (meaning missed foul shots). The missed foul shots did not adversely affect the defense. Brandon missed a bunch, but got key defensive rebounds right after. It was dramatic improvement during the game. Coach K’s insight was that when you can do that during the game instead of at a film session after a loss, the group is developing into a team.

The Good

Bill has already sung the “Grayson was wonderful” song, and so he was — in every aspect of the game. In addition to his 30 points, Allen had 6 crucial defensive rebounds to with 3 assists, a steal and a block. Grayson made one move in the open court on a fast break that was jaw-dropping. Flying down the left side of the court, he made a Euro jab step to the left and then, without breaking stride, flew past the defender going right. “I learned that move from Tyus last year. He kept blowing by me with it in practice, but he kept teaching it to me.” Even more than Grayson’s superb rebound from his Kentucky debacle, the best aspect of the VCU game was the dramatic development of Derryck Thornton. Only Grayson (37) and Amile (34) played more minutes than Thornton’s 31. Matt Jones also played 31 minutes. Thornton would have played more, but was in foul trouble, finishing the game with 4. Coach K had to take him out with 5:30 to go when he picked up his 4th. All breathed a sigh of relief when he reentered the game in the last 2 and a half minutes to steady the offense at “winning time”. In spite of 3 turnovers, he is becoming a reliable ball handler as well as a proficient shooter and scorer. His final line was 19 points on 7-11 shooting (2-3 from behind the arc and 3-5 from the line) to go with 4 assists, and 2 steals. He is still inconsistent on defense, but his improvement last night was a great sign for Duke. Coach K pointed out that he brings personality to the team, and has earned respect from his teammates. “He played strong, and his mistakes did not rattle him. He’s not afraid.” He is both humble and well spoken. It was so clear that Duke’s half court offense is subpar without him.

Matt Jones played an excellent second half after seeming to miss his usual fire in the first half. He made 2 dagger 3s (2-6 from behind the arc) scoring 10 on 4-11 from the floor. He contributed 6 boards and 3 assists, but turned it over 4 times. Amile was good, if not as scintillating as he was against Kentucky. He was the glue to beating the VCU press by giving Duke an extra reliable ball handler on the floor. In his 34 minutes, Amile had 3 blocks, 7 boards and an assist to go with 2-3 from the floor. The big negative was 2-7 from the line — a couple of those misses were at “closing time”.

Marshal logged only 21 minutes, going 2-2 from the field for 4 points to go with 3 boards, 2 steals and a block. He committed only a single foul; he has been foul free this season (except for the Bryant game where he picked up 4). While Marshall is strong around the defensive hoop, he was not quite agile enough to give Duke good interior defense. VCU was scoring at will inside in the first half (where Marshall logged most of his playing time) with passes from the penetrator to their bigs at the rim. Marshall will play more, but this team created a need for Duke to go smaller on defense.

The Interesting

Duke made its winning run with four perimeter players and Amile. This allowed Duke to switch on every screen, which was the reason the defense went from porous to efficient. Duke also stopped running set plays for this group and went to free lance motion offense, which also was a major factor in the win. Coach K said that when the two bigs were on the floor, the interior got jammed. That lineup also allowed Duke to use Amile quite a bit to get the ball up the floor against the press without turnovers. I do admit that my idea of beating the press is not just avoiding the turnover, it is making a pressing team pay by breaking the press for an easy layup; Duke did that only twice — once with Matt and once with Grayson. Otherwise, Duke just went into its half court offense. On the other hand, frustrating VCU by avoiding the turnover was significant.

Luke Kennard was one of the four perimeter players on the floor at crunch time (Matt, Grayson and Thornton were the others). He logged 20 minutes even though his shooting woes continued (0-4; 0-3 from behind the arc, but 2-2 on crucial foul shots). He had 4 boards and 0 turnovers. He was on the court at “winning time” for two reasons. The first is 0 turnovers. He is a reliable ball handler, not always in evidence for Duke last night. The second is that he is an excellent defender and rebounder. It was not coincidence that Duke’s defense finally looked competent only when Luke was on the court. Coach K wanted to send the message that Luke is a valuable and good player regardless of whether or not his shot is falling. All agree that it is only a matter of time before the ball starts going in for him.

The Bad

The early defense was cringe-making. VCU shot 12-19 from inside the arc in the first half — most on point blank uncontested layups and put backs. On offense, Duke’s backcourt is turnover prone — Matt 4, Thornton and Allen 3 each. The stat sheet says Brandon had two turnovers, but I seem to remember several more. Brandon, projected as a possible one and done as the # 3 rated entering freshman in the nation, did not look ready for being more than an important role player. In 26 minutes, he scored 8 on 2-7 shooting from the field (0-3 from downtown) and that atrocious 4-11 from the line (without the last 2 that he made when the game was over and only 22 seconds were left, it was 2-9). He just might have played his way out of the starting lineup. He and Marshal (of the seven man rotation) were on the bench when Duke made its run. Chase Jeter never played. It is clear that Coach K thinks Jeter has a long way to go before he will be a significant contributor.

Next Play

Sunday afternoon at 1 pm (ESPN) in the finals against Georgetown (lost a week ago to Radford, a former girls school in rural Virginia) but who beat Wisconsin rather handily. Go figure. Who needs the NFL?

DUKE 86 – GEORGETOWN 84

Georgetown Coach John Thompson III played at Princeton for legendary Coach Pete Carril, whose teams not only led the nation in scoring defense twenty times but also taught the most fundamentally sound offense –commonly referred to as the Princeton offense–known to the game of basketball. It was an offensive system consisting of frequent ball reversal, precise movement without the ball, and well-timed back-door cuts which frustrate more talented opponents into impatient errors that often led to head shaking baskets and stunning upsets. John returned to coach at Princeton before replacing his father at Georgetown.

I mention this because the last time Duke played Georgetown was January 21, 2006, when unranked Georgetown upset No. 1 Duke by shredding its defenses with his version of the Princeton System and, consequently, thought this would be an interesting test for the young Blue Devils.

TEST GRADES:

Grayson Allen A+ What more can you expect from the kid. Averages 30 points in the tournament on all manner of shots, to go with 4 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, hustles, fights bigger players for rebounds, gives the ball up to open teammates, is perfect from the line. “Thirty-two points on 12 shots is crazy,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s just a crazy, crazy stat.”

Derryck Thornton B+ In these two games, Derryck grew up right before our eyes. When he went to the bench in the second half with foul trouble, there was no theme to the Duke offense. Greyson might as well have been sitting also as his he didn’t get the ball at the right time or in the right spots. He missed his last two important free throws but was 8-10 for the game.

Matt Jones B Matt could not score any points and deserve to be on the floor. His play on the baseline in the 1-3-1 zone down the stretch was critical. And, of course, he had three game changing threes (courtesy of Greyson) in the second half run.

Luke Kennard B- Except for free throws (where he is 8-8), Luke can’t seem to throw the ball in the ocean from a row boat. Other than that temporary glitch, he is a mature presence beyond his years. And you know he is a player because Coach has him on the floor at critical times.

Chase Jeter C+ When his man went right by him for a lay-up, I thought “Not ready this year”. Then he makes a terrific low post move and ends up with 4 points and 2 rebounds in five minutes and I thought “Yes, this year”.

Brandon Ingram D The incredible shrinking man. Right now he is neither a shooter or a scorer. Getting stronger would help his game a lot. He is sometimes helpful on defense but even then he does not appear to hustle all the time. Let’s see how he reacts to not starting, because Coach says: “Brandon is not even close to playing where he should be playing. He’s been knocked back with that physicality and level of attention and competitiveness. We need him (to be the player he can be.)”

Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee are grown, mature men and you know what you will get from them every game. Unfortunately, Marshall’s game is hindered by the new touch foul rules. The last two games he seems to get called for a foul before the center jump or leaves the scorer’s table.

Coach K A+ – What else is new? His management of Grayson after the Kentucky game, of bringing Thornton along, mixing and matching his personnel, switching from a man-to-man to a 2-3 zone, then, when that didn’t work, to a 1-3-1 (with Jefferson on top not down), which facilitated the second half separation run is why he is THE MAESTRO. (Eat your heart out Johnny Tar Heel).

OBSERVATIONS:

Giving up 84 points does not usually win games. Like last year, defense will be the key to winning any sort of title.
Half court shots at the end of each half– one went in, one didn’t. It is much easier for a left hander to get off a contested shot going left with the sideline as protection from a defender than a right hander going left. Try it sometime.

Alan Adds:

Assessing After three tough games in six days on Neutral Courts

Duke played, in Coach K’s words, “three hellacious games” in six days. He added, “This team needs the time to grow.” Matt and Amile each started for only half a year; otherwise there are no players on this team that ever started a game for Duke prior to the season. Coach K assessed, “We are a good team; and we hope to grow into a really good team, but we are not a juggernaut.” Clearly, the three heralded McDonald’s All-American freshmen have had a rocky start. Both Chase Jeter and Brandon Ingram have been knocked back by the level of physical play and defensive attention. Luke Kennard has been 0-for the last 3 games from behind the arc in spite of his reputation as a long range shooter. However, he is contributing more than Chase or Brandon because of his ball handling skill, hustle, defense and rebounding. The upperclassmen have therefore had a lot placed upon them. Coach K said that Matt Jones “trying to do everything for us” and as a result it wears on him. Amile and Marshall have been effective in their own way, but foul shooting for them has been a problem coming down the stretch. For example, Marshall retrieved a great rebound and was fouled with Duke up 6 and only 1:23 left to play. On the line for 1 and 1, he had a chance to make it a 3 possession game if he made the first. Miss the first and it has the same effect as a turnover. Marshall missed and Georgetown was still alive.

Grayson, of course, has been fantastic and amazing. Coach K said that against Kentucky, Grayson did not adjust when Kentucky loaded up against him at the rim. He was trying to get his shot off instead of trying to score. After the game, Coach and Grayson looked at film to show Grayson what his face looked like. Coach K asked, “Is that how you want to look?” Grayson was astounded at his down demeanor on the court. Coach K said, “you win by how you look and act. Your teammates see how you look; the opponents see how you look. It is the responsibility of your best players to look confident and to lead. Grayson did that this weekend in the Garden.”

Derryck is Duke’s point guard for this year, and is improving with every game. Coach K: “He’s 18 years old! Are you kidding me? He’s really really really good.” However, it cannot go unmentioned that he remains inconsistent on defense (something that can be said about the Duke team so far this year). Whether or not Grayson can continue his amazing play will depend on whether Duke finds some balance to its offense. Coach K said that Grayson will be consistent only if the team is balanced. Otherwise defenses will be able load up on Grayson.

In spite of being waxed by Kentucky, Duke fans should be pretty pleased with the season’s start.

Georgetown

Duke’s youth showed, especially in the first half, but Duke got its sea legs in the last 8 minutes of the first half, actually taking the lead with 1:11 left on Matt’s 3. Then youth showed and Duke gave up 8 points in the last 47 seconds (Grayson foul and Chase turnover), including the desperation heave at the buzzer. Only Thornton played all 20 minutes of the first half. Only Grayson (11 points) and Derryck (8 points) — 19 of Duke’s 32 points — kept Duke in the game. Duke’s foul woes were already apparent. Marshall had picked up 3; Amile and Derryck 2.

Duke came out on fire in the second half. After a Georgetown opening hoop pushed the Hoya lead to 7, Duke ran off 8 points in 1:26 to take a 1 point lead — a Plumlee dunk on a great feed from Matt; Grayson and Matt each nailed 3s. Down by 1, Duke ran off another 10 straight on 3 foul shots by Grayson, a Plumlee dunk on a wonderful assist from Grayson, another Jones 3 pointer, and a dunk by Amile on a feed from Matt for a 9 point lead with 12:48 to go. The wheels came a bit off for Duke at that point when Derryck picked up his third foul and went to the bench for the first time in the game. He sat for a little over 6 minutes. In that time Duke made only one field goal and the lead had shrunk to 3 when Thornton re-entered the game with 6:52 to go. With 6:17 to go, Duke’s lead was 1. Duke stretched the lead to 8 (welcome back, Derryck) with only 2:11 left on an Amile layup; Grayson’s 2 free throws and a 3 on a sweet assist from Derryck. But the young Devils could not close out the game in Duke style. Remember last year when Quinn and Tyus shot 90% from the line and did not turn the ball over against the press? That was last year. The lead was still 7 (3 possessions) with a minute to go. Jefferson missed a free throw with 58 seconds left that would have restored the 3 possession lead; instead the lead was 6. Inexplicably, Duke fouled. So did the Hoyas and the teams traded foul shots. With 36 seconds to go, Duke still led by 6. All Duke needed to do was not foul and not give up a 3. Just guard the perimeter to contest the 3 and whatever, do not foul. Brandon fouled. Derryck’s 2 foul shots restored the lead to 6, but with 20 seconds to go, Duke gave up a long 3 that was not really contested. Now it was a 1 possession game. Derryck made 2 free throws, so Duke led by 5. With 9 seconds left, the Hoyas nailed another 3 that was not truly contested. The rest is history; Thornton missed 2 free throws with 5 seconds left, but he had an excellent contest on the Hoyas’s last desperation 3 that would have won them the game.

The Defense

The first half was truly a defensive disaster. Georgetown shot 57%, but critically, the Hoyas shredded the Duke defense from inside the arc (10-14). The only way Duke could stop the easy penetration was by switching to a zone. The 1-3-1 (with Amile at the top) proved effective in the second half, and helped stifle Smith-Rivera who had been getting to the rim at will. Still, the Hoyas shot 55% for the game and 41 % from behind the arc. Duke will not win games against top competition with that kind of defense. Whether the defense improves dramatically as it did last year, or remains a huge defect as it did 2 years ago remains to be seen.

The Rotation

Matt and Grayson played 38 minutes; Thornton 34 and Amile 31. Marshall was limited to 24 minutes (4 points on 2 dunks from great feeds; 6 boards, an assist, a steal and a block) before fouling out. Brandon, still having offensive woes, played only 16 minutes. He is not shy, hoisting up 7 shots (2-7; 0-1 from 3land; 1-2 from the line) for 5 points. He had 2 steals. Coach K said that Brandon has not adjusted to the physicality yet. He came in with the biggest reputation and got “knocked back” by the defensive attention he receives because of his high school reputation. “He is not playing close to what we need from him.” Luke Kennard played 14 effective minutes, scoring 8 on 2-2 from inside the arc and 4-4 from the line. He still can’t get the 3ball going (0-3), but all are confident it is just a matter of time before his 3s start falling. Chase logged only 5 minutes, but in the second half, he was key with 2 big boards and 2 field goals (missed the free throw that would have given him a 3 point play). Coach K described him as a grape not yet ready to be plucked from the vine. He has a great attitude and will eventually be a significant contributor. If Marshall and Amile keep committing fouls, it had better be this year.

Amile has played well, scoring 8 (2-5; 4-6 from the line) with 8 rebounds and excellent defense. Importantly, he gives Duke a solid ball handler against the press. Matt is key at both ends of the court. He was only on the bench in this game for 2 minutes. He is having trouble scoring on offense (3-13; 0-6 from inside the arc and 2-3 from the line), but has made critical 3s (3-7) for 11 points to go with 4 boards, 3 assists. He committed only 1 foul and 1 turnover. He is Duke’s glue. Derryck scored 14 on 3-6 from the field and 8-10 from the line. He had only 2 assists, but only 2 turnovers. His upside is Duke’s hope for the season.

Grayson’s stat line had Coach K speechless. 32 points on only 12 shots. “Maybe we should get him more shots,” said the Coach wryly. Dickie V was back to his annoying self as the color guy (thank god for the mute button), but he had one insight that might prove prophetic. He said that Grayson, with his full tilt energy and amazingly varied scoring, reminded him of John Havlicek. What a compliment! Of course, the former Ohio State and Celtic great did it for more than 4 games. We’ll see.

Next Play

Four games in two weeks — Yale (Wednesday) and Utah State (Sunday); Indiana on Wednesday and Buffalo on Saturday. Then a 10 day exam break.

DUKE 80 – YALE 61

Would you have taken the over or under on Duke falling behind 0-9 to Yale in Cameron? Maybe it should be called the Ivy League Offense, because Yale ran the “Princeton Offense” better than John Thompson’s team did Sunday. Or maybe Duke’s man defense was worse tonight. Whatever the explanation, the opening minutes were disturbing enough to take away Duke fans appetite for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Once again, Duke’s man-to-man defense was shredded and the pain did not end until Duke reluctantly went to their 1-3-1 defense, which coincidentally also turned the Georgetown game. The unindicted co-conspirator for those first fifteen painfully puzzling minutes was an atypically passive Greyson Allen. Coach K had commented that the freshmen had to step up to help lighten his scoring load, because it is not sustainable for one player to score 40% of the points. So by design or circumstance, Greyson was scoreless until Coach had seen enough and switched to the zone. Co-incidentally, the players started to look for Greyson and he became more aggressive- que Scott Van Pelt for some ESPN SportsCenter Greyson Allen highlights.

There may have been a method to madness as early substitutions Ingram and Kennard plus starter Thornton hit threes to get the Blue Devils on the scoreboard. They were also effective defensively with Kennard making the play of the game by diving for a loose ball and in one motion throwing a blind half court ball to Greyson for an uncontested dunk. But then Luke was also an all-state Ohio quarterback.

The Good News/ Bad News:

Duke spotted the same Yale team, who upset defending NCAA Champion UConn at home last year, 9 points and still won by 21– but that margin is in no way a fair indication of the competitiveness of the game.

Grayson Allen had 5 assists, 4 more than point guard Derryck Thornton. No one claims freshmen are consistent.

Brandon Ingram, who seemed more animated/motivated coming off the bench for the second time, had 15 points– but none of them were outside of four feet. The oxygen gets thin for him on the perimeter unless he is going to the basket.

Oxymoron: Luke Kennard is 14-14 from free throw line but 4-23 from three point land. Which is reality? Answer: Anyone who shoots that well from the line has a shooting touch and will soon light it up from the floor. Example: Allen, who is 41-45 from the line is over 50% per cent from the floor.

Observations:

Allen had only (for him) 14 points but added five assists, five rebounds, a steal, and enough floor burns to satisfy even Wojo.

Amile “Spiderman” Jefferson and Matt “Mr. Utility” Jones and Marshall “Muscleman” Plumlee constitute the tough, blue collar backbone of this team.

Matt Jones has developed into Grayson Allan’s “Wing Man”. On Allan’s forays to the basket, Matt just follows to an open space and, if Allen is blocked gets a pass for an open three. It’s a new play called: Kentucky Option. It has been a tough week for Jones off the floor, as his grandfather, the main male figure in his life, died Monday. He was still able to lead Duke with 17 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor.

An unusual number of the referee calls made you want to hit the replay button.

How many times have you seen Duke players diving for loose balls while opponents are leaning over reaching for it. Who wins that scrum?

This was win number 1023 for Coach K and 119 straight versus non-conference foes in Cameron.

Pay close attention to these next six games for clues as how Coach K and his staff assess and determine the best roles for this young talent.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Alan Adds:

If you love the game of basketball, it was hard not to completely admire Yale’s opening salvo against Duke at Cameron. The Bulldogs simply played beautiful basketball in carving up the Duke man to man defense. It could have been an offensive coaching clinic (with Duke defenders playing the role of the Washington Generals!). Coach K thought his team was tired from last week’s schedule, and said that his team wasn’t talking as it usually does. Duke, he said, played hard, but there was something missing. His first substitutions — replacing Amile and Thornton with Brandon and Kennard — stemmed the tide. The Coach then switched (not reluctantly, I submit) to the 1-3-1 zone (misidentified at first as a 2-3 by the announcers). “We went to the 1-3-1 because we couldn’t keep Mason out of the paint. The zone changed the game.

Defense

The last two teams — Georgetown and Yale — have good patient penetrating offenses. Coach K said those teams had returning players and their offense was way ahead of Duke’s man to man defense. Coach K recognizes that Duke will be beaten if the man to man is the primary or only defense Duke plays this year. In the past, Duke has had senior leadership to teach the Duke man to man. Coach K said watching the Marquette (coached by Wojo) – Arizona State (coached by Bobby Hurley) play each other reminded him that he had 8 years of the best possible on the ball defense at the point. But, the coach said that neither of those two excellent defenders were excellent in their freshman season (Coach K said it took Wojo 2 years to get it). He simply does not have the personnel to play the man to man as Duke has done in the past, but Duke is not giving up that defense either. “We can get better, but we need time to practice. We haven’t had time to practice in the last week.” Coach K also said that the team has worked very hard on the 1-3-1 zone in practice all year because that defense fits Duke’s personnel very well, “especially when we have all the bigs in”. Grayson was lauded as being “unbelievably active on the wing in the 1-3-1. By the time Yale figured out how to play against it, the game was over.

The Rotation

I believe that Coach K is still tinkering and learning about his team. Although he didn’t start, Brandon Ingram not only changed the game, but also played the most minutes (34) of any Duke player. He is still a work in progress (but the progress is becoming more apparent). Although he is still having trouble with his shot (1-6 from behind the arc; and 0-1 from the line), he contributed in very meaningful ways last night while scoring 15 points (6-10 inside the arc) with 5 boards, 3 assists, a steal and a block against committing only 2 turnovers and 1 foul. Brandon is active on the defensive boards, on defense in the paint and is a terrific defender at the top of the zone. Luke Kennard was also a major contributor in his 23 minutes, scoring 12 points (2-8; 2-6 from downtown and, importantly, 6-6 from the line. While he made 2 from deep, he is still not shooting up to his reputation. However, Luke played outstanding defense with 3 steals while committing only 1 foul. He also had an assist without a turnover. When those two freshmen entered the game, they gave Duke “some pop” — a dose of emotional energy that changed the game.

Matt Jones had a very solid game in his 32 minutes, as did Grayson. Derryck Thornton played only 22 minutes. I believe Coach K knows his team has to learn to play without its only true point guard this year. One of the very good aspects of this game was that Duke looked fine on offense with Grayson and Matt in the backcourt. Matt (who was grieving the loss of his grandfather, with whom he was very close) was lethargic in the first half (4 points on 2-5; including 0-2 from 3land), but turned it on in the second half (5-6 from the floor; 3-3 from behind the arc). He had 17 for the game to lead Duke in scoring. His solid floor game produced 3 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and some effective defense against only 1 turnover. Grayson also played 32 minutes, dishing out 5 assists against only 1 turnover while scoring 14 points on 4-10 shooting (0-2 from 3land; but 6-6 from the line). He also snared 3 boards and had a steal. He did whine about the fouls called on him, and he picked up his 4th with 9:48 left in the game. Coach K left him in because it is a learning experience that you cannot simulate in practice. Grayson played well down the stretch without committing foul number 5. Derryck in his most limited role recently, played well enough on offense (but was victimized in man to man defense as he has been frequently this year). He committed 3 fouls in his limited playing time. He was smooth on offense with 6 points on 2-4 from the floor (1-2 from 3land and 1-1 from the line). He had an assist, a steal and 2 blocks (how cool for a guard!) against only 1 turnover. Duke cannot thrive with Grayson scoring 40% of the team’s points. Against Yale, the scoring for Duke was balanced — Matt, 17; Brandon, 15; Grayson 14; Luke, 12 and Amile 9.

The Duke bigs were disappointing in the first half. Amile had a single point on 1-2 from the line and only 2 boards in the first half. Marshall had 3 boards but 0 points. Worse, Yale was dominating the Duke defensive backboard and scoring at will in the paint (26 of 36 points in the first half). The second half was a totally different story. The Duke bigs (including Brandon) simply overwhelmed the Bulldogs. In the second half, Amile scored 8 on 4-6 from the field and pulled down 10 boards. In his 25 minutes, he was 1 point shy of a double double and played outstanding second half defense in the zone — whether up top (when Brandon was on the bench) or in the back line. Marshall played 26 minutes and in the second half scoring 5 points (a dunk on a great assist from Grayson — 1-2 from the field; and 3-5 from the line). For the game, Marshall contributed 2 steals and 2 blocks, but also turned it over twice and committed 4 fouls. Chase Jeter made a 5 minute cameo, scoring a bucket on his only shot, but missing a free throw. He had a block and a steal; not bad for 5 minutes.

Coach K’s Interesting Presser

He likes his team, but understands that it is a much younger team than last year’s team (even though the ages are similar). He understands that youth is reflected in inconsistent play. Coach K said that it would take a while for all of the pieces to play together at a high level. “We won’t get everyone playing well together for a while. Getting consistency is growing up.” Coach K said the task was to keep growing, and that this team “has a lot of growing up to do.” Interestingly, Coach K said that, unlike last year, “I am the consistency. This team needs that from me and my coaching staff, but I have told them that I am the consistent aspect for now. I need to be consistently present and passionate at every huddle, every timeout, every practice — that every second matters. That’s what this team needs from me.”

Coach K also said that any team that plays for four minutes without timeout or substitution is a tired team. Duke had a 10 point lead and had played more than 4 minutes without stoppage. Coach K said in a more competitive game, he might have called a timeout, but he wanted to see if his team could play tired, so it was over 6 minutes until stoppage. Coach K said, “we didn’t — couldn’t — do it. We didn’t lose the lead”, but Duke couldn’t sustain its level of play. He said he did it because that is something you can’t teach in practice; it requires a game situation. He has always said that how you play when exhausted is one of the key aspects to winning.

All in all, the Yale game was a valuable growth experience for this young Duke team.

DUKE 85- UTAH STATE 52

Nothing like a little home cooking on Thanksgiving break for 9,314 of your closest friends. Today was the most complete game these Blue Devils have played. Coming into the game, an athletic but undersized Utah State was an undefeated 4-0 –in the state of Utah. Nevertheless, the Blue Devil man-to-man defense was very effective while Jefferson and Plumlee dominated the paint. Ingram again started in place of Thornton, who has not distinguished himself these last two games. However, it was a coming out party for another freshman, Luke Kennard, who shot like the player we have been expecting to see— 4-5 threes and 22 points.

Krzyzewski said after the game that Kennard hadn’t brought his shot speed up to the speed of the college game. He pointed to the free throw line – where the game is the same speed in high school and college — and Kennard is 18-for-19 from the charity stripe. During live game action, though, Krzyzewski said Kennard needed to move quicker and get ready to shoot quicker. “The ball comes to him at different times than it did in high school,” Krzyzewski said. “Just shooting at the speed that he is going to need to at this competition. You’re not in the right lane anymore; you’re in the left lane.”

I guess my foremost takeaway from this game is how much satisfaction and pleasure I derive watching seniors Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee play. Maybe it is that they realize this is their last year, maybe it is that they want to show the Crazies how much they have learned and grown in their time here, maybe they just want to show the younger guys how Duke plays the game. But there is no denying that they play with a joyfulness, verve, and confidence that most of the one-and –doners don’t. Damn, I really miss that about contemporary college basketball.

Observations:

The normally friendly Cameron rims were not very accommodating today. Greyson’s first three shots that normally go in, rolled off or out and the basket rejected other shots that usually seem to fall.

Seth Greenberg, the former Virginia Tech coach was one of the announcers.He is very knowledgeable and highly entertaining. However, the only thing he never talks about is why he refused to offer scholarships to Hokie All-American Dell Curry’s sons Stephen and Seth. He did offer the opinion that Brandon Ingram was more effective as a four than on the perimeter.

This was win number 1,024 for Coach K and 120 straight versus non-conference opponents in Cameron.

Alan Adds:

It is hard to find any fault with Duke’s beat down of Utah State yesterday. If you want to quibble, Utah State penetrated the Duke defense at will…for about 5 minutes. Then Duke clamped down and played serious man to man defense. Coach K went to the 1-3-1 zone for exactly one possession (a wide open Utah State 3 from the corner ended that defense for the game), and then stayed with the man to man, even showing serious pressure from time to time. Duke’s excessive fouling at garbage time at the end of the game (Obi and Vrankovic committed 5 fouls between them in a collective 6 minutes) and sloppy play (with two walk-ons) were the only other blemishes on an otherwise season’s best performance. Because the outcome was never in doubt, Duke’s full rotation got a look. Nobody played more than 29 minutes (Grayson and Amile). Marshall logged 27, Luke Kennard 26, Brandon 25 and Matt 24. Thornton played only 19 minutes (4 fouls limiting his playing time) while Chase Jeter had a 13 minute stint. Jeter shows potential — he is fluid and can score — but he is lost on defense and not yet confident on offense. He is not ready for crunch time yet. There were some gaudy stat lines in a game where Duke looked very efficient on offense, suffocating on defense and dominating on both backboards. Beat down was a fair description.

There was much good news for the Devils, but none better than the performance of Luke Kennard. He looked confident and smooth, dropping 22 points on 7-9 from the field (4-5 from 3land and 4-5 from the line). He added a steal, a block and an assist. Except for being beaten badly on his first defensive play on entering the game, he was a valuable defender. His only downside was 4 turnovers; yet he is an excellent and reliable ball handler. It would not be a shocker to see him in the starting lineup against Indiana. Both Brandon and Derryck, who have each started games, had ineffective offensive games. Brandon had some moments, while Derryck had a lackluster game overall. He was missed 10 shots before he hit a final driving layup during garbage time (1-9 from the field including 0-1 from behind the arc; and 0-2 from the line), and wasn’t a whole lot more effective on defense, the four fouls being an accurate indicator. Derryck did dish out a pair of assists and had a steal. Brandon was a valuable contributor, but is not yet shooting well or scoring. His confidence has been shaken, I think, as he took only 4 shots from the field (2-4), but got to the line for 6 attempts (4-6). He is becoming a better defender (2 blocks and a steal) and was effective on the glass with 6 rebounds (3 on offense). You still get the feeling that, like Kennard today, he has breakout talent that will boost the team. So much of this year’s accomplishments will depend on the continuing growth of the freshmen, which includes becoming consistent contributors.

The four veterans had superb games. Matt scores really only when the team needs him. He took just 6 shots today (2-6; 2-4 from 3land) for 6 points. He is the glue to the defense and the team leader. You know he is there when the going gets difficult. We are getting so used to Grayson’s outstanding play that 22 points on 15 shots doesn’t seem like the big deal it really is. Grayson was 8-15 (2-5 from deep; 4-4 from the line), but that hardly tells the whole story. Grayson plays with such energy and leadership. His defense is excellent and his stats beyond scoring are admirable. He pulled down 5 rebounds, dished 2 assists without a turnover, and had a steal and a block while committing only 1 foul. That is efficient basketball, but might not have been the most efficient performance of the game. Amile is a candidate for that award. His shooting was almost perfect — 6-7 from the field and 1-1 from the line for 13 points — and the rest of his game was as good or better. He pulled down 9 tough rebounds, and added 2 blocks, 2 steals and two assists without committing a foul. While Amile was nearly perfect in shooting, Marshall was actually perfect (3-3 from the field and 3-3 from the line for 9 points) and added 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals and an assist while committing only 2 fouls. Duke just dominated on the interior.

Next Play is the ACC-Big Ten Challenge game against Indiana at Cameron (9:30 pm on ESPN). I will be traveling for the next two games, causing the DBP to be possibly a day or two later than usual.

DUKE 94 – INDIANA 74

Holy Kevin Durant, Dickie V! Brandon Ingram finally showed us more than a few flashes of what all the hype is about by scoring 18 points on a variety of shots in twelve minutes of the first half and playing by far his most complete game of his brief college career. To use a couple of Coach K’s favorite words, he played with a verve and enthusiasm that had him sprinting back on both ends of the floor and even animated and involved on the bench. At halftime Jay (aka. Jason) Williams, the former Duke All American guard, explained that Ingram has not had his hands up anticipating a pass so that he was not physically or mentally ready to shoot. Tonight he did and boy, what a difference.

While the Hoosiers (aided and abetted by Duke’s sometimes inattentive defense) shot, well like you expect Hoosiers to shoot (over 50%), other aspects of the game like defense and rebounding apparently left with Bobby Knight, who must have had heartburn last night. The Blue Devils ended up shooting 53 % from the field, 46 % on 3’s, and 82% from the line. Duke out rebounded Indiana 38-25 and turned it over only six times, an impressive statistic for an up-tempo game like this one. The Devils had more offensive rebounds (19) than Indiana had defensive rebounds (17). And while we look at the blue collar statistics, let’s give it up for Amile Jefferson, who gives it up on every minute of every play to make stats like these the rule, not the exception.

Indiana made an impressive run early in the first half to go up by six before Duke made an extended one of their own punctuated by Grayson Allen’s shot of the night—maybe the year– to end the half. On a patented drive into the lane, Allen lost his footing around the foul line, slipping as he flung the ball with two hands, from waist level, over his shoulder. With his back to the basket, Allen couldn’t see the ball hit the backboard and bounce into the net. As my old tennis coach once counselled me: “Good players make more lucky shots than bad players.”

As the teams jogged past each other to head to the locker room, Coach Krzyzewski was bumped by an Indiana player at halftime. Krzyzewski took exception and spoke with Indiana head coach Tom Crean before leaving the floor. Whether coincidence or not, the Blue Devils came out to the second half as if they wanted to prove a point. The blue Devils rattled off a 9-0 run to begin the period, doubling their halftime lead to 60-42. On the defensive end, the they held Indiana without a field goal for the first 8:29 and seemed to win every loose ball

Every game won’t always be like this, at least not right away– not for Ingram, not for Duke. This is part of a process, one that does not necessarily have a smooth progression forward. But, to channel an old Elvis Pressley song: “It was a night. Such a night. What a night it was!”

In the Duke-Utah State blog, I mentioned how much I missed watching four year players like Jefferson and Plumlee mature and hated that the NBA takes players before they are ready for the unstructured NBA lifestyle—too much time, money, women, drugs etc. A good example is Jahlil Okafor. By all accounts is a good kid and never got into any trouble at Duke. Now a 76er, he personally is doing very well on the court—despite playing for an undermanned and winless team. Off the court appears to be another matter. There are the press reports about Okafor’s extra-curricular activities: Stopped by police driving 108 mph on the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia; had a gun pointed at him during a dispute outside of a Philadelphia club in early October; refused service at the bar for having a fake ID; TMZ released a video of Okafor punching an obnoxious fan outside of a Boston club early Thanksgiving morning.

“Look, Jah is one of the great kids,” Krzyzewski said. “Pros need to have security. When we’re with the U.S. team, we have security for everybody because all of those guys are targets. You’ve just got to be smart about that. He was not. He apologized. He is being punished. Look, anybody who pictures that kid as some bad kid, you’ve got to be kidding me. He is one of the most loving, good kids… But he did a couple stupid things. Okay, knock him, suspend him, let’s move on. But let’s not characterize him as that. He is not that. That kid is a special, special human being. And he is a pretty damn good basketball player in addition, too.”

And speaking of former players, Rasheed Sulaimon is playing for Maryland this year. Whatever the circumstances surrounding his dismissal from the team last year, this much is apparent: He stayed in school, finished the semester, which had to be awkward, even difficult, and graduated. He and is part of one of the best back courts in the country. Rasheed had an outstanding game in the loss to Carolina Tuesday night and seemed at ease among the hostile Chapel Hill crowd, even chatting amiably with Marcus Paige during breaks in the action.

Observations:

What’s wrong with Matt Jones and Grayson Allen playing the point?

Imagine how good this team would be if Brandon Ingram continues to play anything like he did tonight and Derryck Thornton and Luke Kennard continue to gain confidence.

Duke played primarily a man-to-man defense tonight but slipped into a 2-3 zone a few brief times.

This was win number 1,024 for Coach K and 120 straight versus non-conference opponents in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke lost a home nonconference game was Feb. 26, 2000 when St. John’s escaped with a narrow 83-82 win.

Alan Adds:

This was obviously Duke’s best overall game of the season. My only caveat is that, having seen Indiana in previous games, THEY CANNOT GUARD ANYONE! Leaving aside the Hoosier wreckage, there were some genuinely positive things for Duke beyond the offensive outburst from Brandon and the superb floor game played by Matt Jones. Duke had 18 assists against only six turnovers. Duke’s assist leader had 8 — Amile Jefferson from the post. What a great statistic that is. Grayson was Duke’s second leading assister with 3. In many ways, Jefferson took over the game, dominating the backboard and creating havoc with his interior defense. If I believed in such merit as POG (I don’t), it would be Amile. But this is a team game and Duke had a great team game.

Coach K seemed to be narrowing the rotation. Only 7 played. Chase Jeter did not play even though Coach K said Duke has 8 starters and Duke’s lead was as large as 25 — rarely below 20 in the second half. I don’t know the story behind Jeter’s benching, but I do suspect there is a story. {Editor: Same as MP3 only getting 20 minutes–Indiana played small] The rotation is definetly shortening. Even in the blowout, Grayson played 38 minutes and Matt 37. Both had fantastic games on both ends of the court. Grayson had 16 (7-11; 2-2 from the line), missing his only 3 point attempt. He had 5 boards and 3 assists. Matt took the most shots (19; 11 from behind the arc). He was 9-19; 5-11 for 23 points and some in your face defense. Amile played 35 minutes and Brandon logged 32 in his offensive breakout. He was 10-15, including 4-6 from behind the arc for 24 points and 6 boards. He should have had a block on which he was called for a phantom foul. He is valuable on defense, but still has lapses that allow easy layups. His improvment is palpable. He has the potential to play the same role on this team that Mike Dunleavy played on the 2000 team. Duke then went only 6 deep because Dunleavy was so versatile. Brandon has that same potential because he has a perimeter game and an interior game.

Marshall played only 20 minutes, accumulating 4 fouls in that time. When he was out, Brandon was the other big. Marshall was strong while on the floor though limited to 4 points. He had 5 rebounds. Kennard logged 22 minutes as his long distance shooting woes returned (after his last breakout game). He was 3-10 (1-5 from behind the arc for 7 points to go with 4 boards, 2 assists and a block. He continues to impress with his floor game, ball handling and defense. He is becoming a lock down defender. He played the fifth most minutes.

Derryck was limited by Coach K to 16 minutes. He can surely score — 12 points in 16 minutes on 4-5; 1-1 from behind the arc and 3-3 from the line. So, why isn’t he playing more? My guess (opinion) is there are two reasons. First, Derryck is turning the ball over without reconrding assists. Point guard skills include running the offense and making teammates better. He had a single assist against 2 turnovers. The second aspect to his game that needs (dramatic) improvment is his defense. He loses track of his assignment and gets beaten by his man moving without the ball with some frequency. He is young, but his minutes seem to be diminishing. It would not surpirise me to see this team play with a rotation as small as 6 at crunch time because of Brandon’s versatility.

Duke won by a blowout, but it is hard to ignore that Indiana — especially in the first half — penetrated with ease. The Hoosiers shot 54% in the first half and finished the game at 51%. In the second half, the Duke help at the rim improved as the defense tightened — especially when Brandon was in the game as one of the two bigs.

All in all, it was a definite step forward. Duke will need that in the ACC. UNC looked awfully good dismantling Maryland.

DUKE 82- BUFFALO 59

A game scheduled for 5:15pm on Saturday is not the main attraction, it’s not even the opening act, it’s a local band playing for free. Nevertheless, you never know what you will see or hear. What we saw was Brandon Ingram’s game and attitude continue to develop and mature right before our eyes. Let’s face it, Brandon has to be going through more than the normal freshman adjustment period. He is from athletic mother load of Kinston, North Carolina, normally a feeder system to Chapel Hill, who played on an AAU team coached by fellow Kinstonian Jerry Stackhouse, whose attitude hastened Dean Smith’s retirement– and who probably has more tats than all the freshman class put together. Well, the last two games Brandon has looked and played like he is getting much more comfortable at Duke–not only has he scored practically at will, he also has hustled, played hard at both ends of the floor, and bonded with the home crowd by urging them to raise the noise level to the roof.

Neither team shot well and Buffalo hung around until Duke switched to a 1-3-1 zone. Coincidentally, Duke’s offense heated up and the margin doubled.

Grayson Allen had an “off” night”—only 22 points, 11 rebounds plus lumps, bumps, and floor burns usually associated with a cage fight. I guess the definition off and “off” night for Greyson is twenty some points, and an “on” night is thirty some. If both Allen and Ingram have “on” nights against top flight competition, Luke Kennard starts scoring as advertised, Thornton continues to improve, and Jefferson, Plumlee, and Jones, continue to play as they are now, this team plays at an entirely different level. At present, Chase Jeter is getting little playing time and is not distinguishing himself when he does. So, this is a versatile seven man rotation. What else is new? Let’s hope no one gets hurt.

Miscellaneous:

Ø Duke freshman forward Justin Robinson, the son of NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson, will redshirt this year.

Ø This was win number 1,025 for Coach K and 121 straight versus non-conference opponents in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke lost a home nonconference game was Feb. 26, 2000 when St. John’s escaped with a narrow 83-82 win.

Ø Despite three NCAA Championships, Coach K has not been ACC Coach of the Year since 2000. Go figure.

Ø Duke now takes a 10-day break for final exams and will return to the court against Georgia Southern Dec. 15 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Alan Adds:

It was hard to take Buffalo seriously, given the defections, injuries, and league that Buffalo plays in. One felt the spread should have been in triple figures. The game started as if Duke players felt that way even as they tried to take Buffalo seriously. But, Buffalo demanded to be taken seriously by out hustling Duke in the early going, getting every 50-50 ball while playing the game like it actually was for them — the biggest moment of each Buffalo player’s athletic life. Of course, the huge talent disparity wore Buffalo down and it is fair to say there was never a single moment when any knowledgable fan thought Duke might actually lose. At the end of the first half when Duke led by 10, it felt like a moral victory for Buffalo.

Brandon was, as Bill described, absolutely scintillating — especially in the first half. But I want to highlight the play of Derryck Thornton, who played like an experienced point guard. In 24 minutes, he had 0 turnovers to go with 5 assists. Moreover, he was 4-4 from the line and 2-4 from the field (0 attempted 3 pointers) for 8 points, while committing only a single foul. These are excellent numbers even though the competition was inferior; the issue will be whether he grows into playing like this against the highest level of competition.

As Bill pointed out the rotation is only 7 players. Jeter is not getting any playing time (3 minutes,) missing both of his shots and committing a foul in that cameo. Marshall is starting, but he is not playing the minutes that the other starters are. In 23 minutes (no foul trouble), he was 1-2 from the line and 0-2 from the field for a point to go with a board, a block, a steal, and a turnover. The key stat for Marshall was 4 assists. Duke had only 10 assists (Grayson got the other one). Luke is still having trouble with his stroke (and now his drives) after a break out game. He was 2-7 (1-3) from the field in his 15 minutes and 2-2 from the line for 7 points. He is valuable on the floor, snaring 3 boards in his short stint and playing excellent defense.

The reason it appeared that Grayson had an “off night” is because he was wretched shooting from the field. He had, in his 36 minutes, 15 field goal attempts, of which 3 were from distance. But he made only 5 — 1 from distance (each at 33%). The reason he is still accorded star status is the rest of his exceptional game. He was 11-13 from the foul line, a great statistic from any standpoint, and he snared a game high 11 rebounds — all defensive. In short he kept Buffalo off its offensive glass. In addition, he played great defense while committing only a single foul. Both he and Brandon took 15 shots, but while Grayson was off, Brandon seemed, and was, on fire. He played 38 minutes of scintillating basketball, which is corroborated by his statistics — 8-15, including 2-4 from 3land and 5-7 from the line. In addition, consider he collected 8 rebounds (3 offensive), made 2 steals and 4 blocks, while committing only 3 fouls. 3 turnovers is the only negative in yet another breakout game for him.

Matt and Amile were simply solid. Amile was limited to 28 minutes by his foul trouble (ended the game with 4), but was offensively efficient going 5-6 from the field and 3-4 from the stripe for 13 points. He also had 8 boards, many of them very tough rebounds. Matt seems only to score when Duke needs it. He made one 3 pointer, but it came at perhaps the only crucial moment in the entire game. He logged 32 minutes grabbing 4 rebounds and scoring 8 points on 2-8 (1-4 from behind the arc) from the field and 3-4 from the line for 8 points. He is so steady and is the go to guy at crunch time.

It is a very interesting team. Conference play, which starts in January, will be defining — especially conference play on the road.

DUKE 99 – GEORGIA SOUTHERN 65

The big news tonight is more clarity about Amile Jefferson’s injury. The underrated but perhaps the most irreplaceable player on the team sustained a “non-surgical” break of his right foot in a practice scrum for a loose ball and is out “indefinitely”. Without Jefferson, Duke has six players who will play the majority of the available minutes and a seventh, Chase Jeter, who isn’t ready for prime time or, even tonight, non-prime time. In his first minutes, he lost the ball on an inbounds play, bricked a lay-up, missed an ally-oop, lost his man on defense, and then fell down in the paint. However, as K pointed out, he has only just turned eighteen and because of the difference in physicality and speed the transition from the high school game to the college game is much tougher for big men than guards. What about Sean Obi, the large Rice transfer? He was never mentioned.

Most telling about the severity of the situation was Krzyzewski’s reaction to a question suggesting that this year’s numbers challenge (with seven available useful players) is similar to last year, when Duke won the national title with eight scholarship players. Krzyzewski quickly cut off the question. “We were never in this situation. Not even close…not even close because we had more experience. And we had Okafor, we had Winslow, and we had guards. We had eight good players.”

Jefferson’s broken foot will be in a hard cast until he returns from Duke’s holiday break on Dec. 26. At that point, he will be re-evaluated and be fitted with a walking boot. The timetable for his return is unknowable. “Tune in for the next episode,” Krzyzewski said, “We can start a series right now of “What the hell is happening with the Blue Devils. We have to keep the ship afloat while he’s gone. We don’t have many guys. . . . We have to take a look at what we do on defense because not every team is going to play four perimeter guys. We can score if two variables are addressed: having tired legs and being in foul trouble…. not being in the game. So, we have to think of ways of us staying out of foul trouble and having fresh legs.”

The Good News: Brandon Ingram continued to mature and impress almost geometrically (ref: In his last three games, Brandon has scored 73 points, 28 rebounds, 6 blocks, and a season’s worth of highlight plays for most players. Those are All-American numbers. Tonight, he had a double- double punctuated by a couple of SportsCenter worthy highlight dunks; old reliable Matt Jones just keeps doing all the big and little things in an impressive manner; MP3, a big, physical post presence, almost had a double-double; Derryck Thornton keeps improving; Luke Kennard, who came with a big time scoring reputation, is doing everything but that well (Coach K swears he is often the high scorer in practice but, for whatever reason, hasn’t been able to transfer that to real games); Grayson Allen had another “off” night: two missed foul shots, (only) 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 4 take downs, plus 2 head shots.

The Bad News: With Jefferson, the Blue Devil defense has not been your first choice to take to the Big Dance. Without Jefferson, you might be going stag. It can be beaten off the dribble and is weak in the paint—but it is still early in the season.

Miscellaneous:

Brand, Boozer, Irving, Ryan, now Jefferson all sidelined by foot injuries. Coincidence, drills, or shoes?
This was win number 1,026 for Coach K and 122 straight versus non-conference opponents in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke lost a home nonconference game was Feb. 26, 2000 when St. John’s escaped with a narrow 83-82 win.
Next game: Saturday, December 19. Utah @ noon @ MSG on ESPN.

Alan Adds:

Over the weekend, I wrote to Bill: “Reasonable Duke goals at exam break (before Amile’s break): [note the prescient comment about “especially if there is any kind of injury”] Lowest, but still acceptable and probably the right goal for this team: 3rd in the ACC; Semi-Finals of ACC tournament; Sweet 16, maybe elite 8. The rotation of 7 is too few, especially if there is any kind of injury. However, I agree there is a terrific (possibly magical) upside to this team (and his name is Brandon Ingram). If the last two games are the beginning of the arrival of a star, who blossoms [Now we can say last 3 games], Duke could step up to the level of the top tier of teams. The defense will jell then, Grayson would have room to flourish, and the interior would be pretty solid. Nice holiday thought.”

Of course, Amile’s injury is a significant blow to this team, and calls into question “ the interior would be pretty solid”. How large a blow depends on when he is able to return and if he can return to the level of his early season play (something neither Kyrie nor Ryan Kelly were able to do when each finally returned from their respective foot injury).

The game against Georgia Southern is not a good measuring stick because of the immense discrepancy with Duke in talent and size. However, it is certainly interesting to see how Coach K tried and will try to survive in the interim. He did not sound optimistic, but realistic,”if dad gets laid off, the sons have to go out and get jobs.” The three most productive and important players (you might say core) played over 30 minutes — Grayson 35; Matt 33; and Brandon 31. Coach K is trying to see if he can add to the core from the next 3 players who all logged 22 minutes or more — Luke played 29 minutes; Derryck 27 and Marshall 22. No player committed more than 2 fouls this game. The only other two players to see action were Jeter (I love he wears # 2) and Obi (who made only a cameo of 4 minutes, and got his first Duke points — 1-1 with a rebound for 2 points). As Bill described, Chase looked lost in the first half, but played better in the second half. In his 17 minutes, he was 1-2 with 3 boards a steal and a block.

Whether Duke “survives” in this mode will, I believe, depend on Luke Kennard beginning to play to his potential. That just means his shot has to start going in. In his 29 minutes, he was 1-7 from behind the arc — opening 0-4 in the early going. His shot selection was not the problem; he was open and he took the shot he was supposed to take. Actually, he was tied with Brandon for the most shots of any Duke player (4-13 and 2-2 from the line for 11 points). He also pulled down 5 rebounds and handed out a pair of assists. Even though he was called for a backcourt violation, Luke showed some amazing ball handling skills grabbing a loose ball in a scrum and dribbling dexterously. My take is that if he can be the deadly shooter that he was projected to be, Duke will not only survive, but thrive. Derryck is showing great improvement on both ends of the court. In 27 minutes, Derryck was the model of efficiency. A cautionary note is the level of opposition. Thornton was 5-8 from the field including a dazzling 3-3 from 3land but only 2-4 from the line for 15 points to go with his 4 defensive rebounds and 4 assists. Marshall is going to be an enigma. He can be a force, and was last night against the much smaller Ga. Southern team, but he is not athletic enough to guard the paint. He missed 4 of his 5 foul shots while converting 4-8 from close in. He had 11 boards and 2 blocks, but also 4 turnovers. Even though he committed only 2 fouls, he logged the sixth most minutes on the team (not starter minutes, even though starting). It will be interesting to see how Coach K distributes the minutes on Saturday against Utah, a big athletic team that has been ranked this season. It will be a big test for Marshall.

Duke’s core was fabulous against an undermanned and defenseless (Georgia Southern could not play any defense at all) team. Brandon was All-World. Suddenly you can see why there was a one and done aura about him in the pre-season. In 31 minutes, he looked like Larry Bird. The closest one could come to finding a flaw was his 6-9 from the stripe. He scored 26 on 9-13 from the field (2-4 from deep) while leading Duke in rebounding with 14 (8 on offense). He had 2 assists, a steal and 2 blocks without turning it over at all and committing only 1 foul. Some stat line. Utah will be an illuminating test because of the heightened level of competition. Grayson is impressive even when he is not scoring over 30 points on 12 shots. He played a game high 35 minutes, sitting out when he got hit in the face inadvertently. He actually missed 2 free throws (4-6 from the stripe) and 3 from behind the arc (2-5 for a paltry 40%). He scored 18 on 6-11 from the field (which means 4-6 from inside the stripe) to go with 7 boards, 5 Utah The downside was the ease with which Georgia Southern scored on uncontested layups, that Duke shot under 60% from the line (19-32) and had 7 turnovers in the first half.

Next play will tell us much more about Post-Amile Duke on Saturday in Madison Square Garden.

DUKE 75- UTAH 77

When your daddy is missing-in-action, the number one son is sick, the tallest, most talented baby brother doesn’t seize the moment, you only shoot 30% from the floor, and you’re outrebounded 56-38, you’re cruisin’ for a losin’.

Despite being shorthanded and behind most of the game, the Blue Devils made a patented n 18-2 run midway into the second half to build a 49-44 lead. Starting the run, there were no post players on the floor as Ingram, Jones, Allen, Kennard and Derryck Thornton made it work. It appeared another improbably Duke win was teed up—in the lead with the clock running down, the star Utah center on the bench with four fouls, and Duke in the foul bonus situation. With five to go, center Jakob Poeltl came back and was the difference by blocking three Blue Devil drives and scoring at the other end as Duke did not score a basket in the last four minutes. And yet, and yet, the Duke defense held on the last possession and the score was still tied at the end of regulation. Then, falling behind by five in OT, a breakout brilliant performance by Luke Kennard (aided and abetted by a Ute clinic on defensive mindlock), Duke almost rallied tie again at the buzzer as Brandon Ingram missed an uncontested finger roll drive at the rim.

Except for Luke Kennard (24 points in 27 minutes off the bench), the Blue Devils shot horribly, were badly outrebounded, and played inconsistent defense—zone or man, it didn’t matter. Nevertheless, and this is what is so compelling about Coach K’s teams, they never stopped fighting and somehow almost salvaged a win.

Without Jefferson, Duke is in for a challenging month or two. However, Grayson will recover, Brandon will be more confident and assertive, Luke demonstrated he has the talent and temperament to be a go-to playmaker. Thornton is talented but a work in progress, but Jeter is way behind the other freshmen. However, by tournament time (assuming Jefferson fully recovers and no one else is injured) this will be a much more formidable team. Meanwhile, the lineups and playing times are a work in progress. Coach K replaced Jefferson with freshman Luke Kennard in a victory over Georgia Southern. Today, he opted to start another freshman, point guard Derryck Thornton, who was 2-13 with 4 assists in 42 minutes.

Miscellaneous Observations:

Patience while the pieces come together.

Watching Grayson playing like a shell of himself today reminded me of Bob Verga, the Duke All-America guard, whose regular season’s average was about what Allen’s is (without the three point line), in the 1966 NCAA Tournament semi-final between Duke and Kentucky. Bob had a strep throat and only scored 4 points as Duke lost 83-79. However, Pat Riley’s Kentucky (star Pat Riley) had the dubious historical distinction (made into a movie) of being the first all-white team who played (and lost) to an all-black team Texas Western (star “Bad News” Barnes) in the NCAA Finals. How do I remember that? I was there for that heart breaking loss at College Park, Maryland. I thought this was the year for Coach Bubas to win our first NCAA Championship. It was a very, very talented team: Bob Verga, Jack Marin, Mike Lewis, Steve Vacendak.

As much as Mike Krzyzewski gets credit for how he’s adjusted to the one-and-done era of college basketball, we forget that he still does an incredible job of developing players who stick around. We saw it last season with Quinn Cook and we’ve seen it this season with Amile Jefferson, Marshall Plumlee, and Matt Jones.
In Madison Square Garden, Duke’s Coach Krzyzewski teams are 28-10.

Next game: Elon December 27 on ESPNU.

Alan Adds:

What an interesting game! I had a Bob Verga image from how Grayson looked in the first half, and was smiling when I read Bill’s first draft referencing it. There were many really bad things about this game as well as a lot of good things. Thus “interesting” is my adjective of choice to describe the game. The first really bad thing is Duke lost to a genuinely terrible team. Do not be fooled by Utah’s ranking or 8-2 (coming into the game) record. Utah’s two losses were telling. Miami beat them handily by 90-66 and Wichita State (5-5) stomped them by 67-50. Moreover, the Utes committed 19 turnovers, played lackadaisical defense (except for Poeltl defending the Utah rim), committed 26 fouls, and had enough crunch time brain cramps to give Duke a chance to win that the Devils never should have had. They may improve — Poeltl is the real deal — but so far this year they have been mediocre (terrible contrasted to expectations).

Bad Stuff

The bad stuff begins (and almost ends) with Duke’s terrible shooting. One might look a long time to find a game when Duke shot under 30% from the field and only 8-26 from behind the arc (28%). Coach K said, “If we had shot a little better…They blocked some layups at the rim, but we missed a lot of open shots.” The coach revealed that Grayson had been sick for two days and wasn’t sure he could play at all up until game time. Coach K, shaking his head in admiration, “and he played 37 minutes, but he wasn’t the same guy.” In those minutes, Grayson was 3-18 including 1-7 from behind the arc and astoundingly 0-2 from the line. He missed the front end of a 1 and 1 with a little over 3 minutes to go in regulation and Duke down 3. He missed his first 3 shots in overtime and finished the extra stanza 1-5 (a layup) and missed a chance for a 3 point play by missing from the line with Duke down 4. Duke divided the bulk of shots among Ingram (16), Matt (19) Grayson (18) and Thornton (13). Collectively the four were 17 for 66 (6-23 from 3land). Utah’s defense was porous and Duke got to the rim with ease, but the layups that usually fall seemed to roll out. Matt and Grayson each had sure layups miss. Derryck was blocked at the rim, but also made some great moves that he just did not finish. He scored only 8 on 2-13, 1-4 and 3-4 from the line, but did have 4 assists against only a single turnover in his 42 minutes. Matt played every second of this overtime game (45 minutes) in case you do not think Coach K relies on him. He was 6-19 including 2-6 from 3land and 4-4 from the line for 18 points. Brandon was heroic, yet missed the two most important shots of the game. In his 42 minutes, Brandon scored 15 on 6-16; 2-6 from 3land and 1-2 from the line. He had 5 boards, 3 blocks, 3 steals while committing only 1 turnover and staying out of foul trouble. With 33 seconds left in regulation and the score tied at 60, Brandon had an open three (game winner?). With 3 seconds left in the overtime, he missed an open (defender flopped and didn’t get the call) finger roll from 4 feet that would have sent the game to a second overtime. Coach K said he felt bad for Brandon and knew Brandon would beat himself up. He said losing was not his fault. “Really good players want the ball at that time. Brandon is a really good player.” Coach K was also feeling sorry for Grayson’s illness induced bad shooting day.

The rotation is really short. Marshall was the fifth starter and it was one of his least efficient games. He played 26 minutes before fouling out with 3 points (1-1 from the field and 1-2 from the line) with 4 boards, 2 blocks, 2 assists (Duke only had 10) and a steal. His defense made us understand how valuable Amile is on that end of the court. Coach K said Duke had depth on the perimeter, but only 3 bigs, one of whom is “still developing”. Amile was the best of Duke’s big men, so “it is much different without Amile.” Duke started in a man to man and, after building an 8-2 lead, gave up 5 straight easy layups (4 by Poeltl). Duke switched to a 2-3 zone, which was immediately shredded by a long 3 and layups behind Marshall. Duke went to the 1-3-1 without any noticeable improvement. Ultimately, Duke’s man to man became its primary defense; and was much improved in the second half. Jeter may be “still developing” but he is not developing in competition on the court. He played only a cameo of 6 in effectual minutes, missing his only shot from the field as well as both of his foul shots, while committing 2 turnovers and 2 fouls. Still developing means “no help yet”. So, Duke essentially played 45 minutes with the five starters and Luke Kennard.

Good Stuff

The good stuff is a combination of Duke’s grit, determinations and fight to go with Luke’s really nice 27 minutes. In the first half, Luke was barely visible until the end. He missed his only shot (a 3), but in the last 1:04 of the first half, drove and was fouled, making 5-6 from the line. In the second half, Luke contributed 9 points in regulation. He missed another 3 early, and then began to score with 10 minutes left. He made a layup, a tip-in, a 3 pointer, and another layup when he followed his own 3 point miss. He was all over the court in the last 10 minutes grabbing rebounds and hustling for loose balls. The overtime was simply Kennardtime. He scored 10 of Duke’s 15 overtime points (Brandon 3 and Grayson a layup). Luke was overall 5-9 from the field (2-5 from 3land) and an incredible 12-13 from the foul line. He had 8 boards to lead Duke in rebounding to go with a steal and 0 turnovers. Luke was not less than heroic in the the last minute of the overtime. He began to drive and get fouled (not the smartest defense by Utah, which held a comfortable lead). He was 6-6 from the line. Duke was down 6 with 6 seconds left when Luke let go a long 3 (swish) and was fouled, converting the 4 point play bringing Duke within 2. He scored 9 points in the last 1:03 of the overtime. Welcome to the beginning of fulfilling expectations, Luke.

Coach K affirmed he was proud of his team’s fight. Duke displayed championship grit and never-say-die fighting spirit. “I’m not disappointed; this loss had nothing to do with lack of effort.” He said that his guys did lots of wonderful things in the game and especially “in the last minute or 45 seconds, our guys did some incredibly good things.” Since Duke did not score in regulation after Luke’s three gave Duke a 60-55 lead with 4:14 to go, Coach K was talking about the overtime and Luke. He also praised the Duke man to man in this game. “The man to man got us back in it. Going into the game, I did not think we could defend them with our man to man. But our man defense has lots of switching and has some zone principles.” The man to man defense forced Utah into the turnovers that kept Duke in the game.

In the long run, this game could mean the emergence of Luke Kennard. Amile is in a cast, which the Duke medical staff hopes to replace with a walking boot after the holiday break. If Amile comes back playing as well as he was when injured and Luke’s coming out party is enduring (as Brandon’s has been) rather than a flash, there is still much hope for a satisfying season.

DUKE 105 – ELON 66

What can you say about a game that was 70-31 at the half?

Until Jefferson returns, this season will be a roller coaster ride. When the threes are dropping, the game will look easy. When they are not, it won’t.

Brandon Ingram and Grayson Allen will be the keys. If Brandon can play like he has the last few games against the top tier teams like he has against the Georgia Southerns and Elons of the world and Grayson can return to his pre-flu form, Duke can play with anyone. Matt Jones is the glue who can hold the team together, because he is spectacularly unspectacular. He does everything consistently well. Luke Kennard looks like his role will be a John Havlicek type sixth man who comes off the bench to provide instant offense. MP3 is the enforcer who needs to stay out of foul trouble. Derryck Thornton is a shoot first point guard. At crunch time, look for Grayson Allen to play the point. He can penetrate and score or dish with the best. Chase Jeter just has not demonstrated he can consistently contribute meaningful minutes in the low post.

Other Observations:
Meadowlark Lemon, the “clown prince” of basketball’s barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters, whose blend of hook shots and humor brought joy to millions of fans around the world, died. He played for the Globetrotters during the team’s heyday from the mid-1950s to the late-1970s, delighting fans with his skills with a ball and a joke. Traveling by car, bus, train or plane nearly every night, Lemon covered nearly 4 million miles to play in over 100 countries and in front of popes and presidents, kings and queens. He averaged 325 games per year during his prime, that luminous smile never dimming. NBA great Wilt Chamberlain, who actually played a year with the Globetrotters, said: “Meadowlark was the most sensational, awesome, incredible basketball player I’ve ever seen.”
Speaking of “sensational, awesome, incredible”, if you have not been watching Stephan Curry play this year just Google “Steph Curry highlights”. He is playing the game at a level not named Michael Jordan.
Duke-Kentucky drew 3.12 million viewers. Duke-Indiana 1.7 million in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in which Duke is 15-2. Matt Jones older sister, Jordan, is an All American and (no surprise) two time SEC Defensive player of the year at Texas A&M.
Next game: Wednesday Long beach State. 4:00 on ESPN3

Alan Adds:

Unlike running or ski racing, where performance is measured by objective (time) standards, playing a competitive sport directly against an adversary makes performance harder to measure because your performance is so dramatically impacted by your opponents performance. When Duke blows out a Bryant, Sienna or Georgia Southern, it is difficult to rate Duke’s performance to speculate on how good Duke really is. That is the backdrop of assessing Duke’s blowout win last night against Elon, whose players were physically no match for the McDonald’s High School All-Americans who now suit up for the Blue Devils. Nevertheless, I was particularly heartened by the way Duke played. The Blue Devil offense looked as if it had been choreographed by Balanchine, dropping 70 on Elon in the first half. After the first five porous minutes — Elon had 12 before 5 minutes had elapsed by shredding Duke’s man defense for open layups; that is 96 ppg if multiplied by 8 — Duke began turning Elon over regularly and the game was over in the next few minutes. Interestingly, Duke’s defense tightened when Jeter replaced Plumlee at that 5 minute timeout. Elon stopped scoring then.

Coach K raved about his team’s practices after Xmas holidays. He had time to work with the team “to personalize” some of how Duke will play in Amile’s absence. K pointed out that Duke would now have only a single big on the floor. He said this allowed Duke to space the perimeter more and (critically) to have the big post up lower (closer to the hoop). The spacing allowed Duke to drive to the hoop, which Brandon, Grayson, Matt and Derryck did with success. When Elon packed in to protect the rim, Duke was on fire from the perimeter, dropping 9 three pointers on Elon in the first half. Coach K didn’t channel Balanchine to describe the offense, but he made my Balanchine point dramatically: “we had so many run outs where the ball moved so fast, you didn’t know who scored; just that we scored.” I think that’s how Balanchine would have choreographed the fast break!

Coach K called off the dogs at half time, “no fast breaks unless on an open court turnover”.

Grayson and Brandon outscored Elon by themselves in the first half 35-31. Grayson had 15 in that half and looked energized. Because of his leaping ability, he is able to gather himself and square up to the rim while he is in the air. Suddenly difficult shots become easier because he is squared up and freed up close to the rim. He was 6-12 from inside the arc on circus shots, and 1-3 behind it. Coach K said that while Grayson was recovering, he was not fully recovered from the flu. Allen was bedridden for several days after the Utah game and lost 9 pounds. He seemed to tire in the second half, playing less than normal and scoring only 2 points. In 28 minutes, he handed out 5 assists, made 3 steals while turning it over only once and committing only 1 foul. Brandon was All-World, dropping 20 on Elon in the first half. In four games he has gone from “hasn’t yet adjusted to the speed of the college game” to a likely lottery pick next spring. Not bad in four games against less than top flight opposition. He was simply a man among boys against Elon. In 31 minutes, he had a virtually flawless stat line (he missed a free throw for a flaw) scoring a game high 26 on only 16 shots (11-16; 3-6; and 1-2) and controlling Duke’s defensive boards (10 of his 11 rebounds on the defensive end). He added 3 steals and an assist without a turnover. Everyone contributed. Matt, as usual, played the game high number of minutes — 35. Coach K does not seem to feel comfortable without Matt and his defensive tenacity on the floor. Here is why: in 35 minutes, Matt scored 17 on only 11 shots (6-11; 3-7; and 2-3 from the line) while grabbing 6 boards and dishing out 3 assists with only a single turnover. Luke did not start, but played as many minutes as Grayson (28) and continued his exemplary play. He grabbed 6 boards, handed out 4 assists, made 2 steals while turning it over only twice. He contributed 18 points, second high scorer on the team after Brandon, though when the top 4 scorers contribute 26, 18, 17 and 17, you can call the scoring balanced. Though Luke was only 5-12 from the field, 4 of his field goals were 3s (out of 8 attempts), and Luke was 4-4 from the line. He is on pace to be Duke’s all time best foul shooter. He is 38-40 for the year; just about 95%. Derryck played 32 minutes and you can see his confidence grow. He played more minutes (32) than any other player besides Matt. He scored 12 (5-11; 1-4; and 1-1 from the line) to go with 3 assists, a steal, a block and 2 boards with only a single turnover (a big statistic for Thornton).

This game is the first time that I have been impressed with Chase Jeter. He contributed to the big run with shots (2-3, though he’s still raw when he gets the ball), rebounds and defense. Even though Marshall had a double double in only 20 minutes of action (3-6 from the field and 4-6 from the line for 10 points to go with 11 rebounds; 5 on offense), I thought Duke was better with Jeter on the floor — at least at the defensive end. He is simply much more mobile on defense than Marshall. BTW, in the first half Duke missed only 19 shots, but collected 12 offensive rebounds. Chase contributed 15 minutes, grabbing 5 boards and scoring 5 (all in the first half). Of course, until Jeter (wearing # 2 of course) can perform at such a high level against highly regarded opponents, the rotation will be essentially 6 until Amile returns.

Amile had the cast removed and is in a walking boot. While there is no timetable for his return, Coach K was pleased that the healing is proceeding apace and there have been no setbacks.

Long Beach State tomorrow and the ACC schedule begins on Saturday against BC.

DUKE 103 – LONG BEACH STATE 81

For the first fifteen minutes, I was wondering who were these imposters wearing Duke uniforms? The Blue Devils were down eight points when the Grayson Allen we have been waiting for the last two games recovered from his post flu blues to turn the Blue Devils into the Red Hot Devils and sparked a patented 22-4 run to bracket halftime. It was Grayson in his All-American mode: 33 points (24 in the final twenty minutes), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and a defensive trailing hustle play that had him flying off the court and, in a Bo Jackson imitation, halfway down the tunnel to the dressing room. One of his assists was a drive and pass to Marshall Plumlee under the basket for a no look, two hand, back hand jam (shades of MP2) that brought the house down.

Unsurprisingly, it was Matt Jones (21 points, 5 assists) and, surprisingly, Derryck Thornton (19 points, 5 assists) who played his best game, that kept The Beach Boys from running away with the first half. I always feel that if Duke can stay within a single digit deficit, Coach K’s half time attitude and strategy adjustments will turn a game around. This was classic Krzyzewski basketball: attack the basket, get into free throw penalties, hit a high percentage (28-32 today) of free throws, protect the ball, attack defensively by overplaying and cutting off the passing lanes, create turnovers, and turn steals into easy fast break points. Simple concept but difficult to execute with any degree of consistency.

The disconcerting news is that the Devils were out rebounded and the defense gave up 81 points—that’s enough points to win most games. Duke will not score 100 points against every team. And, oh yes, K used basically a six man rotation as Chase Jeter once again could not keep up with the speed of the college game, got a quick hook and did not re-enter the game until the outcome was no longer in doubt. Obi had a one minute cameo at the end.

Other observations:

Long Beach State Head Coach Dan Monson: “I brought my two boys with me. They’re the only two guys on our bench that didn’t have a turnover today…You can’t simulate that kind of pressure that Duke put on us… I really appreciate Coach Krzyzewski letting us come in here. It’s an honor to play in iconic Cameron against this historic program. I just wish we would have played a little bit better.”
DBP fan Jack Simermeyer writes: Did you notice that Marquette extended Steve’s contract to the 21-22 season? In addition, Cris Collin’s Northwestern team is off to the best start in school history at 13-1 and Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State is currently 10-3 with wins over Belmont (no easy feat) NC State, Creighton and Texas A&M.
My wife observed that she feels encouraged when she knows there are millennials like Marshall Plumlee, who has many employment options, volunteers to serve the country in the military.
This was win number 1,028 for Coach K and an incredible 125 straight (that’s 16 years folks)wins versus non-conference opponents in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Next game: Saturday, January 2. Boston College @ 4:30 on Comcast or Fox South.

Alan Adds:

The Duke offense reminded me of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde against Long Beach State. After a 70 point half against Elon, The Blue Devils laid 61 on LBS in the second half. Add a closing run in the first half and you had to endure Hyde only for the first 16 minutes of the game. Endure is the correct word. With 4:06 left in the first half, LBS led by 6. Luke, Brandon and Grayson were a combined 1-12 from the field; Duke was being out rebounded 16-6; and, LBS won every 50-50 ball. LBS was shooting 52%; if LBS was not foul and turnover prone, Duke would have been behind by 20. After only 3 and 1/2 minutes, Duke had committed 3 fouls and trailed 10-5. Enter Jeter for a seemingly immobile Plumlee. Chase gave up a put back basket even though he had inside position; turned it over twice and committed an offensive foul in a minute and a half. Marshall came back in. Then with 3:46 left in the first half, it all changed. Duke outscored LBS by 12 in that span even though the Devils only made 2 field goals (a 3 by Grayson and a bucket by Kennard). Duke made 11-12 from the line to take control of the game.

When asked about Duke’s explosive second half, Coach K pointed out that scoring from the foul line is scoring without the clock moving. Makes for a high scoring game when a team fouls as much as LBS did. The second half marked the return of Grayson Allen to health and stardom. “Thank God for Grayson,” Coach K said at the press conference, “he rescued us.” K pointed out that Grayson was a complete offensive player because he can score in all 3 important ways: from behind the arc, from inside the arc, and he has the knack for getting fouled and is a superb foul shooter. He was 15-17 against LBS, but the real surprise was that he missed 2. Allen played 35 minutes scoring 24 of his season high 33 points in the second half. Coach K said Brandon could also do that and that Luke was on his way to that status. Duke has scorers. As Bill pointed out, Derryck had an amazing shooting game and played well over all.

Duke played its shortest rotation of the year. Obi had a minute at the end. Chase got several minutes at garbage time for a total of only 9 minutes in the game and failed to score. So, it was basically a 6 man rotation with Luke playing 21 minutes off the bench (he missed a foul shot and is now 40-45 for the year from the line). He had 2 field goals (1-4 from behind the arc and 1-2 from near the rim) to go with 4-5 from the line for 9 points. He also contributed 4 defensive rebounds, a steal, an assist and a block. After that, it was the starters, who each played from 30 to 38 minutes. 55 of Duke’s 64 shot attempts were evenly divided among Matt (14), Grayson (15), Brandon (14) and Derryck (12). Marshall was 3-3 which along with Luke’s 6 attempts constituted the other 9.

Matt was again a virtual Iron Man (remember he played all 45 minutes against Utah) logging 38 minutes, scoring 21 on 6-14; 4-7; and 5-6 from the line. Critically, he dished out 5 assists, against 0 turnovers. He also corralled 4 boards to go with a steal and a block. Coach K has called him the heart of the team. He is Mr. Reliable and Mr. Clutch. He doesn’t garner the splash that Grayson and Brandon get, but he may be Duke’s MVP. Grayson and Derryck were superb. Matt, Grayson (6) and Derryck (5) handed out 16 of Duke’s 18 assists. Thornton played only 30 minutes (he picked up his 3rd foul in the first half), but is really coming on as a ball handler and as a defender. He was 8-12 (2-3 from 3land) for 18 points. He has a very reliable jump shot, good shot selection (the key) ,and made some acrobatic drives to the rim. He also committed only one foul in the second half with 5 minutes to go. His progress is a welcome development.

Brandon did not have a good shooting game (5-14; 2-7 from behind the arc), but in his 35 minutes played an excellent floor game. He made both free throws, collected 5 boards, a steal and handed out an assist without a turnover. He deflected balls and played some terrific defense. Marshall played 31 minutes, adding 2-2 from the line for a perfect shooting night and 8 points. He was Duke’s main rebounder with 10 and blocked 2 shots.

Coach K was very satisfied with the 11-2 pre-conference schedule. Now the conference season starts with a trip to BC on Saturday. It is a wide open ACC it seems to me. UVA and UNC are the top two teams. Other teams that seem formidable are (along with Duke) Florida State, Louisville, Miami, NC State and perhaps Notre Dame. Next Play.

DUKE 81 – BOSTON COLLEGE 64

The Blue Devils started sluggishly, played well in spots, and came away with a road win against one of, if not the, weakest ACC teams. And, by the way, Duke was the only ACC team to win Saturday on the road.

The good news is that although there were a few moments of concern, no one appeared to be injured. However, Grayson Allen took a header—what else is new– on a fast break slam but played on. Thereafter, he was unusually passive offensively but that may because he was playing most of the second half with three fouls. There was no let up defensively as his line was 17 pts, 9 rebs, 5 assists, 3 stls. The other goods news is that Ingram (25 pts, 9 rebs) and Kennard (17 pts) stepped up in the second half and played like veterans. Since Jefferson’s injury, Kennard has scored 24, 18, 9 and 17 to average 21 ppg. Nevertheless, points, while welcomed, are the least of Amile Jefferson’s contributions to the team.

The bad news is that Jefferson is in a walking cast but cannot put any weight on it.

As Alan points out, Thornton played less minutes than any starter or the sixth man, Luke Kennard. He had two, then three quick fouls because he had difficulty defending Eli Carter, who is an impressive player. I have felt for some time that Grayson, Matt, and now Brandon and Luke can penetrate better off the dribble than Derryck and are better defensively, so what is the point of a “traditional” point guard? Anytime Duke needs points, give the ball to Grayson, the best playmaker and foul shooter on the team, and let him do his thing. It worked last year with Ty Jones.
Other Observations:

 Christian McCaffrey, the sensational Stanford sophomore running back who was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, is the brother of Duke senior receiver Max McCaffrey. They are the grandsons of Duke athletic legend Dave Sime. If you missed the Rose Bowl, go to YouTube and type: Christian McCaffrey 2016 Rose Bowl Highlights to view video highlights of Christian’s record breaking performance: 368 all-purpose yards– and had another 73 yard touchdown run nullified because of a needless holding penalty twenty yards from the goal line. McCaffrey smashed Barry Sanders’ long standing NCAA record for all-purpose yardage in a season – an amazing 3,864 yards. When I first read about Christian, I was interested in seeing him in action for a variety of reasons not the least of which that I was curious to know what kind of runner could survive the punishment in this day and age as a running back, a receiver, a punt and kick-off returner. At first, I was unimpressed. He looked like a smallish walk-on who only suited up for home games and didn’t appear to run particularly hard or fast. Boy, was I wrong. The really great athletes never look like they are trying hard. Christian has a unique style all his own. He sort of patiently glides along with short steps, reads his blockers until he sees and opening, accelerates quickly through the opening, then in the open field changes lanes to avoid tacklers without losing speed. He has about four gears of speed and rarely does he take a direct hit. Christian reminds me of a combination of Frank Gifford’s graceful patience and Gayle Sayers’ open field redirection illusiveness.

 Mike Gminski was one of the announcers who was his usual intelligent, knowledgeable self.

 This was win number 1,029 for Coach K.

 Next game: at Wake Forest. Wednesday January6@ 7:00 on ESPNU
Alan Adds:

The first half was a tiny microcosm of Duke’s offense during Amile’s absence, and showed how teams may try and defend. In recent games, Duke has shredded defenses by driving the ball for efficient offense — a large part generated by drawing fouls and converting. BC packed its defense in to stop the drive in favor of giving up open 3 point looks. Duke could not put the ball in the ocean from behind the arc in the first half. After 7 minutes and 10 seconds had elapsed, Duke had scored a whopping 6 points and trailed 12-6. Duke made only a single 3 in its first 12 shots (2-13 for the half after Matt hit a 3 with under a minute to go giving Duke separation). With 6:55 left in the first half, and Duke clinging to a 1 point lead (18-17), the complexion of the game changed completely. After missing its first two free throws early (Matt and — gasp! — Luke), Duke made 8 straight free throws beginning with Chase Jeter sinking a pair. Duke got fouled on drives after turning BC over — Luke hit both of his and Grayson made 4 in a row to give Duke a 9 point lead. Then the shots started to fall and BC never reduced the lead to single digits again. In the last 3:47, Duke hit 5 baskets from the field from 4 different players, including the aforementioned 3 from Matt. Brandon hit a dunk and a jumper (also missed a 3), while Luke scored on an acrobatic lay-up followed by Grayson’s dunk. Four of the baskets came on assists (Marshall to Grayson; Matt to Brandon twice; and Brandon to Matt for the 3). In the second half Duke was 5-10 from 3land. It was quite beautiful.

My big question is “What is the Derryck Thornton story?” No mention of any problem in Coach K press conference or in any articles, but Derryck played only 15 minutes, when he has been playing starter minutes in all of the recent games, He scored one field goal; a missed 3; and a free throw, a steal, an assist and a rebound). However, he turned it over 3 times early, and played little after that.

Coach K noted that Duke had not played any efficient defense against Long Beach State, but thought the defense was basically very good — if not consistent — against BC. He acknowledged that the BC mini-run in toward the end of the second half (reducing a 21 point lead to 11) was fueled by Duke’s vulnerability to the backdoor cut. Coach K also said he thought the defense got tired in the last 5 minutes and stopped talking. The rotation was very short (again) since Derryck logged only 15 minutes and Jeter’s appearance was limited to a cameo (6 minutes; about 3 in each half). The four other starters (Derryck started) played heavy minutes and Luke logged 27. Coach K singled out Marshall for praise even though he did not score from the field and was 1-4 from the line in his 34 minutes. His stat line was modest: 5 boards, an assist plus 2 steals. Coach K said that Marshall has become the voice and leader of the defense (taking up some of the slack caused by Amile’s absence). “He kept us coordinated.” Also only 3 fouls in 34 minutes.

Duke has 4 scorers, any one of which can erupt for big games. Against BC, all had efficient games. Brandon led the way with 25 points on 18 shots in his iron man stint of 40 minutes (9-18; 4-9 from 3land; 3-4 from the line) to go with a spectacular floor game. Brandon had 9 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Matt, who is now being acknowledged by the media as the glue to this team, was efficient in his 38 minutes, scoring 16 on only 10 shots (5-10; 3-7 from 3land and 3-5 from the line) to go with 3 steals, 2 assists 2 rebounds and a block. In his 39 minutes, Grayson was even more efficient, scoring 17 on only 8 shots (5-8; 0-1 from behind the arc; and 7-8 from the line). His floor game was simply dazzling: 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. He fouled Carter out of the game and played terrific defense. He made one play where he stole the ball and outran the BC defense while dribbling. He made acrobatic shots in the lane. Coach K called him “a unique player; really, really good”. Note that those 3 starters were out of the game for a combined 3 minutes! This is a short rotation!

Luke had a simply outstanding game, even if his 3 point shot is still missing in action (1-5). He played 27 scintillating minutes, showing great dribbling skills and acrobatic skills around the hoop (scoring on two twisting right hand floaters). He was 6-6 from inside the arc and 2-3 from the line for his 17 points. He also grabbed 5 boards and handed out a couple of assists and made a block.

On Wednesday, Duke journeys to Wake Forest, which has a very long front line, a deep bench, and has been playing surprising well. It will be a revealing test for this thin but talented team.

DUKE 91- WAKE FOREST 75

Ever since Amile Jefferson was injured, Duke fans have been apprehensive about what would happen in games when one of the starting six got in foul trouble. Well, they found out tonight in spades as both Matt Jones, then Grayson Allen received their fourth foul early in the second half on two John McEnroe (“You cannot be serious” ) calls. But these kind of things will happen—especially on the road. Situations like this really test the maturity and mental toughness of players and the coaches. Score that Duke 2 (team & K), Wake 0 (Thomas, team & Manning), because the turning point of the game probably occurred when Devin Thomas, who had been virtually unstoppable, stopped himself by committing an unnecessary technical—his third foul—and a seat on the bench. When Devin returned, he quickly picked up a fourth and another frustrating view of the game from the sidelines. For some reason, Coach Manning let Duke, led by Luke Kennard and Marshall Plumlee, take the game over without reinserting his senior star until the game was out of reach.

Coach K has talked about letting his stars play with three or four fouls in the pre-conference games so that they learn how to play with fouls. Tonight, for eight tenuous minutes, he alternated his two irreplaceable players so that one of them would be available for the final critical minutes—but both were on the floor as neither fouled out.

The good news is that Ingram (17 pts) , then Kennard (23 pts) stepped into the breach. Luke, in particular, has developed into a terrific penetrator off the dribble and is the best free throw shooter in the conference. However, it was Marshall Plumlee (18 pts) who was ready, willing and able to be a finisher off feeds from a variety of players. And speaking of all important free throws, Duke was 25-27; Wake was 12-20. Once again, the winning Coach K strategy was making more free throw than the other team takes. And, oh yes, Grayson Allen had 24 points on 10 shots in only 32 minutes.

Rising to this kind of challenge in this kind of hostile environment will accelerate the development of the freshman so that when Jefferson returns, the Blue Devils will be a more formidable team.

Other Observations:

My basketball buddy, Johnny Tar Heel contends that Coach K is worth ten bench points against Roy Williams. Well, tonight he was worth about fifteen against Coach Manning.

Krzyzewski: “It didn’t look good, let’s put it that way. There were times we couldn’t defend or rebound. We tried a 1-3-1 and a 2-3. Nothing worked… Our guys just fought and fought… We shortened the game, played smart and looked for match ups. …Marshall was sensational 7-7 and 4-4…Luke was terrific…It was a great win, a big time win.”

Plumlee: ”There was some locker room talk (at halftime) but the underlying theme was, coach believes in me just like he believes in every one of us. And when you have belief of your teammates and a great coaching staff, you feel like you can take on the world.”

With all the focus and publicity on one-and-done players, it does one’s heart and head good to watch Marshall Plumlee, a fifth year medical redshirt but always an enthusiastic and supportive teammate, have the well-deserved success that he is having this year. Incidentally, the last time I can remember a Duke center not missing a shot from the floor and the line was Laettner against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. However, the degree of difficulty of Christian’s was much different.

Next game: Virginia Tech. Saturday January 9@12:00 on ACC Network.

Alan Adds:

It was a tale of two completely different halves. Leaving Duke’s devastatingly efficient offense for the moment, the first half was a defensive nightmare for the Devils even though Duke had a 50-47 lead at the half. Duke could not guard anyone (47 points in a half is porous defense) and could not rebound the ball. Devon Thomas, Wake’s center, had a huge first half, completely outplaying Marshall, who had 0 rebounds and 0 blocks while scoring 4 points and picking up a pair of fouls. Devan scored 17 in the opening half; Duke had no answers for him. There were 17 caroms of Duke’s defensive boards — Wake got 10 to Duke’s 7, scoring on second (and third) chance points on the few times that Duke made Wake miss. Wake, in addition to killing Duke on its offensive boards, shot 55% in the first half (15-25 from inside the arc). The Deacons had 11 assists on 18 hoops, while Duke headed to obvious foul trouble, committing 11 in the opening stanza. Duke’s superb offense negated the stunningly porous defense with some excellent shooting. Grayson had 17 in the opening half (6-7 from the field; 2-3 from 3land; and 3-4 from the line) while Brandon was also scintillating, dropping 14 (4-8; 2-3; 4-4) on the Deacons. Duke shot 60% (18-30; 5-10 from behind the arc; 9-10 from the line. Luke contributed 8 points on 3-5 shooting and 2-2 from the line. He missed his only 3 and never tried another. He became a driver with a delicate touch at the rim with either hand.

For Duke fans, the second half was nail biting pleasure. The worm turned when, with 18:06 to play in the closing half, Devin picked up his third foul (a technical). For all intents and purposes, it dramatically slowed his otherwise amazing night. He made only 2 field goals in the second half, missing both free throws. He made one of his two field goals, cutting Duke’s lead to 2 with 9 minutes to go. He had played sparingly after the technical (his third personal — in college, technicals are also counted as personal fouls), and picked up his 4th foul with 8 minutes to go. By the time Manning reinserted him into the game with less than 3 minutes to go, it was already over. Duke held Wake to 28 in the second half — 26 after Wake’s opening layup cut the lead to a single point. Duke’s foul trouble, brewing in the first half materialized in the second when both Matt Jones and Grayson picked up a fourth foul very early in the half. Each played a bit less than usual because of the foul trouble. Grayson (32 minutes) had 7 second half points (a 3; 2 misses from inside the arc and 4-4 from the line), while Matt (26 minutes) had his least productive game of the year. He scored the opening deuce for Duke in the first half, and did not score again (1-8; 0-6 without getting to the line). After the game, Coach K revealed that Matt had turned an ankle in practice. K said that the team had to be very careful because it was so thin. “We are on an edge all the time.”

The shortness of the rotation was clearly a factor. Jeter logged only 7 minutes (a foul was his only entry in the box score); Obi made a cameo at the end of the first half (a rebound, a turnover and a foul), necessitated by Duke’s foul trouble. Brandon played a superb floor game, even if he only scored 3 in the second half (1-5 from the field; 0-2 from 3land, and 1-2 from the line in the second half), claiming 5 boards, making 4 blocks, and making 3 steals while handing out 3 assists. He is so valuable on the floor (39 minutes to lead Duke in minutes played) even when he is missing his shots. Derryck played 29 minutes, looking good in the first half; not so much in the closing stanza. He was 2-4 (1-1 from 3land) for 5 points in the first half. He scored on a layup in the second half that was quite spectacular, but was otherwise 0-4 from the field, finishing with only 7 points. He handed out 2 assists in the first half, but 0 in the second.

The stars of the second half, and perhaps the game, were Marshall and Luke. Coach K lauded Marshall has “sensational; not just good, but perfect.” He was 7-7 from the field and 4-4 from the line as he finished quite spectacularly and gave Duke a presence on the boards that the Devils sorely lacked in the first half. In just the second half, Marshall was 5-5 on flushes and 4-4 from the line. He finished the game with 7 boards and 2 blocks — 5 rebounds and both blocks coming in the second half. With Devan either on the bench or his defense limited by his foul problems (he eventually fouled out), Marshall simply took over the inside game on both ends of the court. Coach K pointed out that Duke really has not had that kind of post presence this year. He was also sensational on the defensive end, receiving high praise from Coach K for Duke’s defensive turn around in the closing stanza. Marshall logged 34 minutes overall and only committed one foul in the second half, finishing with 18 for the game. He only came out in the last two minutes when Coach K wanted his 5 best free throw shooters on the court. Although Luke has played well and been a substantial scorer since Amile went down, I thought that this was his best game to date. He demonstrated athleticism that has not been discussed much. He has not been able to drill the 3 ball, even though his reputation coming in was as a long range shooter. He never attempted a 3 after he missed his first (his shot selection is good; it is hard to understand why his 3s are not falling), but he put on a clinic of how to drive to the basket either scoring, getting fouled, or both. He played 32 scintillating minutes and was spectacular in the second half after a very good first half. In the second half he scored 15, but all of them came in the last 10 minutes of the game when it really counted and when Duke pulled away. You could say he took over the game, slithering through the Wake defense for an array of breathtaking drives (he scored with either hand) and going 9-9 from the line when he was fouled. He was 4-6 from the field in the closing stanza. His stat line for the half is quite amazing: 4 boards, 3 assists, and a steal without a turnover. He is playing great defense and is a force off the boards. His emergence has been how Duke has compensated for Amile’s absence.

This team is becoming quite lovable. Coach K said, “We are a good team, but not yet a really good team.” “This was a great win for us, considering the circumstances. We played a great second half and faced a lot of adversity. He said that how Duke played in the second half was not the game plan. He said you have to adjust to what the game gives you. This game gave Duke the driving lanes in the second half. “We spread the floor to drive; not for one guy. We were looking for favorable match-ups for the drives. You have to adjust, and this team adjusted on a high level tonight.”

DUKE 82 – VIRGINIA TECH 58

Duke got off to an uncharacteristically fast start racing to a 15-4 lead, played twenty minutes of their best defense by holding the Hokies to 28% shooting from the floor, and never looked back. Leading 50-23 at the half, they suddenly appeared sluggish and played the final twenty minutes on cruise control. Unfortunately, it was more cruise than control, because they were outscored 35-32. The key to the fast start was Ingram and Allen hitting two threes apiece, then everyone attacking off the dribble. Consequently, the Blue Devils were into the bonus in the first five minutes and the double bonus after twelve minutes—and you know what that means.

Brandon Ingram’s rapid development has been well documented. However, less expected and even more interesting and meaningful due to Jefferson’s injury has been that of Marshall Plumlee. Granted the last several games, except for Devin Thomas, he has not been facing premier big men but nevertheless he has played like a man among boys. Today he had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks. Without Jefferson, MP3 is the only low post presence so he has more room to maneuver, and his teammates are looking for him. Where his confidence shows the most is at the foul line. Today, he was 9-10. That follows 4-4 against Wake. His stroke and touch at the line has been become very sound. The numbers are from a player who scored only 87 points all of last season. He scored more points this week than in the entire 2014 season. “I’m fortunate to play with some really talented teammate who draw a lot of attention,” Plumlee commented. “When you have guys like Brandon Ingram and Grayson Allen getting into the lane every possession, they draw a lot of attention and that leaves openings for me or another teammate.”

Other Observations:

Duke held a moment of silence in honor of late former coach Bill Foster, who died this week at the age of 86. Here is a heartfelt and accurate remembrance of Coach Foster by a Duke alumnus: “As the coach of the Duke men’s basketball team in the mid to late 1970s, he resurrected a once proud but by-then sadly atrophied Duke basketball program from the malaise of the post-Bubas era into a formidable force. Through his leadership Duke reached the dizzying heights of the NCAA championship game, recruiting and leading luminary Devils like Jim Spanarkel, Mike Gminski, Gene Banks, Kenny Dennard, John Harrell, Bob Bender and others. He was coach during my Duke tenure, often seen walking on the quad, affable and happy to chat when he wasn’t in a hurry. Each of his eyebrows had a triangular peak in their middle, giving him a physical look of the Blue Devil himself. While I never understood his departure, seemingly at the peak of his coaching career for the decidedly less prestigious South Carolina, he tilled and fertilized the soil from which Coach Mike Krzyzewski would later harvest considerable bounty. Our thoughts are with Shirley, his daughters and friends during this difficult time of mourning and reflection.

While most focus on Brandon Ingram’s increased offense output, I suggest that his defensive improvement is even more impressive. Consider today’s line: 16 pts, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks, 2 assists and the fact that the most emotion and excitement the normally self-contained freshman showed was when he successfully took an offensive charge. Now that’s someone who is listening to his coach!

Who goes the length of the court faster, with more purpose, and finishes more emphatically than Grayson Allen?

Speaking of finishing at the rim, Grant Hill was at the game.

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera, whose wife is a dedicated basketball fan, also attended and drew cheers when introduced during a timeout. His team went 15-1 to earn a bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Next game: at Clemson. Wednesday 7:00pm on ESPN2

This week-end, Alan attended a conference in Park City, Utah. His flight was diverted because of weather and I didn’t get home until late last night. He has a pressing issue at his firm this morning and suggested I fly solo today.

DUKE 63- CLEMSON 68

One play rarely determines a game. However, one play can often change the momentum of a game and set the stage for other plays that do. Tonight, at the end of the first half with the shot clock off and Duke up by four points with the ball, Thornton shot a three with 10 seconds to go. (Every high school point guard knows that you start the dribble drive with ten seconds to go to get fouled or pass to an open player. In no case do you give the opposing team the opportunity to rebound a miss and score) and Clemson rushed the rebound down the court where Ingram committed his third foul. Big rookie mistake, make that two big rookie mistakes, because Ingram, for whom Clemson had no answers, had scored 15 first half points and was a second big defender and rebounder.

Then, with thirteen minutes to go Brandon committed a silly fourth foul and with ten minutes to go, Plumlee received his fourth foul (two of which were for moving picks). This is not Duke basketball. Since the Blue Devils started the game draining six threes and 10 of 11 shots to take the 28-16 lead, it looked like an easy outing and they were not as aggressive as usual– and the Tigers were. Then on the road and in foul trouble, the Tigers got hot, hit threes and the Devils went cold. Plumlee mishandled a dunkable pass, Luke got stripped a few times, Grayson missed two free throws (one of which was the front end of a one and one), and Clemson kept offensive rebounds alive. You could sense tide going out– a winnable game slipping away. Belatedly, Grayson Allen sparked a furious rally that was too little, too late. The stats tell the story: Duke was outrebounded 33-21 and were only 2-7 at the foul line (after averaging 20 made free-throws per game) versus 12-13 for Clemson. So, the bottom line is that except for the first seventeen minutes and two of the last three minutes, Duke played neither smart nor well.

Coach K had a testy assessment: “Our foul trouble, there is no answer to it. We don’t have alternatives. (Jeter had five fouls in four minutes on the floor.) Those guys have to stay out of foul trouble.”

Next game: Notre Dame @ Cameron. Saturday @ 2:00pm. ESPN

Alan Adds:

Perhaps we should give Brad Brownell, Clemson Coach, much credit for a great defensive game plan. Perhaps Coach Brownell has noticed Coach K’s strategy has been to win by drive and foul shooting when the game is on the line. Clemson gave Duke the open perimeter shot and closed down the driving lanes without committing fouls. Duke did not shoot a foul shot in the first half and only 7 for the game. Clemson had 5 blocks in the second half (the two in the first half were both made early against Derryck drives), effectively shutting down Duke’s driving game. In the second half, Duke was held to 28 points (11-29 from the field; 4-11 from behind the arc). Luke Kennard was held to a single field goal in the second half without getting to the line. Previously unstoppable around the rim, Luke was completely neutralized in the second half, after an 8 point (3-6; 2-4) first half. He finished playing 30 minutes scoring 10 on 4-11 (1-5 in the second half, missing his only 3 point attempt).

Even though he piled up 3 fouls in the first half and a 4th early in the second, Brandon logged 34 minutes, but the foul trouble ended his effectiveness on both ends of the floor in the second half. After a scintillating first half where he scored 15 on 8 shots (6-8; 3-3), Brandon missed all of his 3 shots from the field, making a foul shot in 2 tries for 16 for the game. Because of the foul trouble, Brandon played less aggressively on defense. Duke played a lot of zone because of the foul trouble, but the zone was ineffective because foul trouble mitigated Duke’s normal aggressiveness.

Duke was up 12 with 6:32 left in the first half. In the next 3 minutes, Duke missed all four shots, committed 2 fouls and a turnover. The defense, which had been efficient fell apart allowing Clemson to score on consecutive possessions – four field goals and two free throws. Only Brandon kept Duke in front, dropping in 3 straight field goals (including a 3 pointer) for 7 straight points, leaving Duke with a lead of 6 with 1:51 left. But Brandon, great as he is, is still a freshman. In the last 1:21 of the half, he committed 2 fouls (the last one with 1.6 left in the half) and a turnover. Duke missed its last 2 three point attempts (Luke and Derryck) while Clemson scored 4 to cut the lead to 2. As Bill astutely points out, the last 7 seconds put Duke in the hole.

Clemson completely dominated the interior as Landry Nnoko outplayed Marshall. In 36 minutes, Marshall scored 7 (3-5 from the field and 1-2 from the line) and pulled down 9 boards. But Nnoko got several critical offensive rebounds to allow Clemson to score after Duke had an initial stop. Marshall could not defend him. Chase Jeter set a record for fouling out in 4 minutes of startling inefficiency. Matt Jones, who has been Mr. Clutch and Mr. Reliable was neither, though he played excellent defense until the last part of the game. Matt missed a foul shot with 1:41 to go that would have tied the game and an air ball on a 3 that also would have tied the game with 6 seconds left. In 33 minutes he was 2-6 (1-5 from behind the arc) and missed his only foul shot. Clemson closed him down from driving and he just missed open 3s.

Coach K kept Derryck on the bench for much of the second half (perhaps as a result of his bonehead play at the end of the first half, but 1-6 from the field may have contributed). He played only 24 minutes, scoring 8 on 3-9 from the field (2-5 from 3land), but hauled down 4 boards and handed out 3 assists. He had his first two drives swatted away; it looked to me as if that dented his confidence. Duke was led by Grayson in the second half. After scoring 5 in the first half, Grayson kept Duke in the game in the second half with 12. In 39 minutes, he was an efficient 7-9 from the field (3-4 from 3land) but uncharacteristically missed both of his foul shots. He was heroic in defeat, I thought.

It is hard to win on the road in the ACC as favored visiting teams are learning. Duke has a small margin for error given the lack of depth. This will be a challenging season with a very difficult schedule in February. Amile is clearly needed.

DUKE 91 – NOTRE DAME 95

Duke fans, we have a problem. 1.) Coach K often makes a change when he is not happy with the way his team is playing and 2.) His teams rarely lose two games in a row, especially the second one in Cameron. 3.) After a rough, tough road trip, it is always a pleasure to come back home to friendly faces, friendly voices, and home cooking—and that is what Cameron Indoor stadium and the Crazies provide. However, up 50-45 at the half, I noted: “Have uneasy feeling I seen this game before—Wednesday night.” Wish I was wrong. In both games, the Blue Devils started fast with threes falling, did not play good defense, key starters got into foul trouble, opponent got hot, Duke goes cold, falls behind, makes a furious rally, only to fall short.

Jay Bilas made a cogent comment after Ingram’s fourth foul: “ You can get a basket back but you can’t get a foul back”. That should be one of the tattoos Brandon’s forearm. Nevertheless, in 29 minutes, he had 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 assists. Sure could have used him for forty minutes. Luke Kennard (30 points,8 rebounds, 1 steal) started in place of Derryck Thornton.

Anytime you let a team hang around, anything can happen—especially it seems, if it is Notre Dame. Three of the Irish prayer threes at the buzzer went in, Jackson, who was the player of the game, missed a short jumper on a crucial possession badly but it hit flush the four inch extension attaching the rim to the backboard, died, and dribbled into the basket. The last Irish free throw missed so badly it bounced to a Notre Dame player. These breaks are what makes college basketball so exciting.

Notre Dame outrebounded the Blue Devils 38-33, and finished with 18 second-chance points to Duke’s four. “Any stop is a big stop. When the ball is missed, get it, because there’s a good chance they’ll score if they get it,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said, referring to that discrepancy in second-chance scoring as “the story of the game.”

The good news is that Ingram and now Kennard are playing lights out basketball to augment Grayson Allen. The bad news is that for whatever reason, Matt Jones has regressed and Jeter is not ready for prime time. I love Matt Jones’ game but what would possess him to take the last game tying three from over near the tunnel to the locker room when he had Allen, Ingram and Kennard also on the floor spotting up for a three?

This team can score on anyone but, unfortunately, anyone can score on them. Until Amile Jefferson is back and approaching something like full strength, every game is a question mark, because there is little margin for error.

Other Thoughts:

Notre Dame Coach Mike Brey is the only one of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s assistants to beat him. He’s done it three times in the last 12 months.
This was Duke’s first home loss in just over a year, since Miami’s win on Jan. 13, 2015. The Blue Devils lost for the first time this season when scoring at least 79 points. They were 14-0 when scoring that many points, and 0-3 when failing to reach the 79-point mark.
This was a matchup of two of Division I’s most efficient offenses, with the Irish ranking second and the Blue Devils fourth in Ken Pomery’s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings. Notre Dame shot 50 percent — almost exactly what they arrived shooting as a team — while Duke finished at almost 52 percent. “We executed on offense, but defensively, we just didn’t execute,” Kennard said. “We didn’t keep the ball out of the paint. We didn’t rebound very well. Defensively, we’ve just got to pick it up a little bit.”

Next game: Syracuse @ Cameron. 7:00pm on ESPN

Alan Adds:

Almost like a mirror image of the loss to Clemson, Duke displayed extremely efficient offense, but a startling lack of defensive intensity, which combined with what can fairly be described as a disaster protecting its defensive backboard, led to a second very tough conference loss. Duke gave up 50 points in the second half, allowing the Fighting Irish to shoot 52 % from the field for the game (5-9 from behind the arc in the last stanza, after a 2-7 first half), which included a parade of layups under the Duke basket as well as 18 second chance points. Even so, Duke led by 88-87 with 47 seconds left after Grayson drained 2 free throws. Duke gave up points on the next 3 Notre Dame possessions, the big one coming on an offensive rebound by Auguste. With 35 seconds left, Colson scored on a conventional 3 point play (foul on Kennard); Matt missed a long (ill-advised?) three, and Jackson dropped in two free throws after a Kennard foul. Marshall made a dunk to cut it to 2; and Jackson was fouled by Derryck with 4 seconds left. When Jackson missed the free throw, Duke had life for a second, but Auguste grabbed the final Irish offensive rebound to seal Duke’s second straight conference loss.

Coach K was clear “the biggest thing was second chance points. It was hard to get stops, but when you get them, you have to rebound the ball. That was the main factor.” Coach K emphasized that many of the rebounds were in Duke hands before the carom ended up in a continued Notre Dame possession. When asked what Duke could do better, Coach K laughed and said, “catch the ball; close your hands around it and protect it.” He jokingly asked the reporter who had asked the question if he could do that and if he had any eligibility left.

In assessing this Duke team (with or without Amile), Coach K said “this is a good team, but not that good. But we are called Duke and we are coached by me.” His implication was clear that his team is not as good as its early season ranking. “We have a small margin and need to pay attention to detail.” He pointed out that with better foul shooting and defensive rebounding, Duke could easily be 5-0 in the conference instead of 3-2 with the truly difficult part of the schedule still in front of them.

While Coach K was effusive in his praise of Notre Dame as a team and both Colson (“he was magnificent; he’s a really good player”) and Demetrius Jackson (“he’s a pro; he has control of the game; he is perfect mentally”), it should be remembered that this Notre Dame team has lost to Monmouth, Indiana and Alabama outside of the conference and to Virginia and Pittsburg in the ACC. Before last night, Notre Dame’s only status win was over Iowa (The Irish also beat Illinois for 3 big Ten wins). Notre Dame is as challenged defensively as Duke; hence the 186 points scored. In short, ND is not nearly as good as Coach K lauded in his press conference.

It is time to ask the question, what has gone wrong with Matt Jones. In many ways, his decline is the difference between Duke winning close games and losing them. Matt played the full 40 minutes last night, but again did not have a Matt-like performance. He scored only 8 on 8 shots; was 2-5 from 3land and unexpectedly missed both of his foul shots. He got only 3 boards and handed out 3 assists against 2 turnovers. He committed only a single foul, but did not really help keep ND out of the paint or off the boards. He is still taking the critical shot, but he is no longer making it, as he did earlier. Duke will have a long season if Matt does not regain his early season form.

The rotation grows ever shorter. When Bill and I were at Duke, the team featured “the flaming five” (yes, I can name them but will spare you). Last night, Duke played basically only 5 players. Derryck logged just 14 minutes; Obi 2 and Jeter less than a minute. Derryck missed his only 2 shots; made both free throws, and basically was in the game only when Brandon was on the bench with 4 fouls. Obi was first big off the bench, and was fouled snaring a tough offensive rebound, but missed both free throws (negating the rebound; it was as if he didn’t get it). He never reappeared. Marshall played 39 minutes. His game dramatically improved in the last nine minutes of the game after he had been badly outplayed for the first 30 or so. He was 4-6 on dunks and missed his only free throw, and grabbed 9 boards.

Duke had 3 big-time scorers, whom the Irish could not stop. Brandon played terrifically when he reentered the game after being benched with his 4th foul (again). Against Clemson, the foul trouble limited him; against Notre Dame, he was heroic. He scored 25 points (11 in the second half) in his 25 minutes on the court. However, his defense (indeed the entire Duke defense — whether in zone or man) was less aggressive than usual because of the danger of foul trouble. Grayson logged 39 minutes scoring 18 on 5-11 from the field (2-6 from 3land) and 6-7 from the line. He led Duke with 6 assists against only a single turnover. Luke played 37 minutes and was outstanding, scoring a career high 30 on 16 shots (10-16; 4-6 from 3land and 6-7 from the line). He was Duke’s second best rebounder with 8. Coach K said, “those three kids can really score.” Matt has to make it, “those 4 kids can really score”.

Winning in this conference this year will be difficult, but the games are exciting. Will Amile come back to rescue this otherwise thin rotation? Stay tuned. To ESPN on Monday night at 7 when Syracuse invades Cameron. Nothing will be easy this year.

DUKE 62 – SYRACUSE 64

Three in a row! Losses that is. If you can’t consistently defend, rebound, or score, you usually can’t win a game. Without a career game by Marshall Plumlee (19 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks), it would have been a blowout. Duke did not play well enough to win this game. Nevertheless, they again rallied but could not close the deal when, unlike two years ago, they got no help from the refs on two no calls on Matt Jones at the finish. Also, Greyson Allen’s three at the end of the half was correctly disallowed only after a video review—the ball was out of his hand but still barely on his fingertips.

At his press conference, Coach K was as clearly furious —but under control—at the referees swallowing their whistles at the end. He said the no call on Matt Jones’ rebound was an “amazing last play that was not rewarded… …the game can be incredibly great and rewarding or incredibly cruel and unfair. You can play hard and not rewarded… over the years, we have been very fortunate at being rewarded…recently not so much… right now this team is undermanned and under aged.

Luke Kennard, who went for thirty against Notre Dame was OH NO! for the game. Duke looked like they never saw a 2-3 zone before. Suggestion: either pass the ball around the perimeter faster than the defender can move or put Brandon Ingram in a high post at the foul line, pass the ball to him, let him face the basket to shoot, pass, or drive. The zone either has to collapse on him, leaving the guards open or he is free to do his thing. By the way, Brandon has to man up to the fact that he is playing power forward (and all the big boy defense and rebounding that requires) not a perimeter forward.

Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game and a team has to adjust to that reality. But some injuries have more impact than others. To channel and update Al Featherstone: Duke is 6-4 without Jefferson, losing one-possession (in the last 30 seconds) games to Utah, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Syracuse, none of which are confused with a top team. It is not biased to say that with Jefferson in the lineup, the games would not have come down to that or if it did, the Blue Devils would have lost all four games. Coach K pointed out how a few more free throws and/or one more defensive stop or foul call may have made the difference in all the games. That’s the difference between being 6-0 and 3-3. That’s the league though. Overall, except for Carolina, there’s not much difference in the teams. And it’s likely to remain that way for the rest of the season.

The Blue Devils need to figure some things out until Jefferson returns and Krzyzewski can start rebuilding the team for the postseason. That means winning the close games that have so far been eluding the Blue Devils.

Other Thoughts:

The Blue Devils made their comeback much more difficult by not being aggressive and not being in the bonus situation at the end of the game. Consequently, in the last fifteen seconds Coach Boeheim had his team foul Allen twice without putting him on the line and taking valuable seconds of the clock.

It is the first three-game losing streak for No. 20 Duke since the 2006-07 season. This will also surely break the team’s streak of 166 straight weeks in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Grayson Allen needs some personal one and one time with JJ Redick or Bobby Hurley. There are times like tonight that Allen goes ten minutes or so without taking a shot. The defense cannot be that good. He is the best scorer, best penetrator, best finisher, and best passer. There are times that the alpha player must just demand the ball and take over the game like he did scoring 9 points in the last few minutes of the first half.

Next game: Saturday @ North Carolina State. 2:00pm. CBS

Alan Adds:

Coach K said after the game that the game gives you great times, but also cruel ones. “We’re going through the cruel right now.” As Bill pointed out, Coach K described this Duke team as “undermanned, under aged, and doing a good job. The team has fought, and is playing well but hasn’t been rewarded.” He said losing should make you appreciate even more what you have accomplished in the past. He might have been talking to DBP readers. Pre-season, I wrote that Duke fans could spoil enjoyment of this season by unreasonable expectations. Without Amile, Duke is a middle of the ACC pack team (and there are a lot of good teams in the middle of the pack); not a contender for conference or (gasp!) national honors. Duke can neither defend nor rebound. When Duke cannot shoot, as happened last night, the Devils will lose to a mediocre (yes, I mean Syracuse) team that had lost 7 games coming into last night, including a shocking loss to St. John. Wisconsin and Georgetown beat Syracuse along with the first 4 ACC teams the Orange faced — Pitt, Clemson, Miami and UNC. I temper that assessment because of the return of Boeheim to the sidelines that has marked a Syracuse turnaround. Remember 1995 and Gaudet taking over for Coach K; Duke sank like a stone.

If, as a fan, you like close exciting games going down to the wire and the last possession, this game was for you. If, as a fan, you like well played beautiful basketball, this game would turn your stomach. It was by any measuring stick and ugly game. Duke could not defend at all. Syracuse, as other teams have recently done, got to the rim with impunity. At crunch time, Thornton tried to defend Silent G at the top. Roberson (who grabbed more rebounds last night — 20 — than any other visiting player in the history of Cameron) set the screen. Thornton lost Gbinije, but did not switch to the roller, Roberson, who was then free on his way to the hoop. From there, Roberson either scored or dished for an easy deuce. Duke’s zone was tentative. Without Amile and more of a presence than just Marshall (who was heroic and played his best game ever), Syracuse dominated the paint (as did Clemson and Notre Dame). Syracuse out rebounded Duke off the Duke backboard — 26 offensive rebounds for the Orange; 24 defensive rebounds for Duke. Coach K said, “obviously, rebounding is a weakness for us with four perimeter players.” Marshall had 17 boards; and Brandon 11; no other Duke player had more than 4. So, in common with the games since Amile’s injury, Duke could not defend or rebound. But, Duke usually made up for such weakness with great scoring. Not last night.

Coach K pointed to a combination of great Syracuse defense and Duke missing wide open shots. The Orange zone was tremendously effective in thwarting Duke’s driving game. While the wings were active in closing out Duke’s 3 point attack from the corner, the zone was most effective in closing off Duke’s previously effective driving game. The telling statistic is that Duke shot only 9 free throws — 8 by Marshall (who missed 3) and 1 by Grayson. At the end, Grayson forced some acrobatic drives to score, but missed (and I thought was fouled) the critical driving attempt with 7 seconds to go and Duke trailing by a point. Matt got the rebound and was fouled, though it was not called (even if called it would only have been Syracuse’s 6th; so, it would have been non-shooting, but Duke would have had a few seconds to try and win the game). Coach K called the last plays “amazing” and admonished reporters to watch it. He used the word seven times in his press conference. He thought Matt and Grayson had made great winning plays, but “didn’t get rewarded.” With the driving lanes closed, Duke shot from the perimeter, launching 37 three point attempts, but hitting only 10. Luke played 28 minutes and — after heroically scoring 30 against Notre Dame — failed to score going 0-9 from the field (0-7 on open shots from behind the arc) and failing to get to the foul line. Matt wasn’t much better shooting 2-11, all from 3land. He played 32 minutes and finished the game with four fouls. He has logged huge minutes this season, and I think he is wearing down. His production has plummeted, and it is hard to find a different reason.

Derryck played an undistinguished first half (0-2; failing to score), but made 2 crucial 3s down the stretch when Coach K had him playing for the ineffective Luke. Still, he cannot defend, and is not a classic — or even effective — point guard (1 assist and 2 turnovers). In total he played 22 minutes scoring 6 on those 2 three pointers. Obi played 2 minutes, committing 1 foul to get in the box score. Marshall played the other 38 minutes at center and had the game of his life — 19 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks. He was 7-11 from the field and 5-8 from the line. His two misses with 5:38 to go and Duke trailing by 5 were his only bad. The ‘cuse scored a three right after to take its biggest lead of eight with 5:21 to go. Then Duke mounted its patented furious, but not quite adequate, comeback. Also, Marshall had 11 offensive boards, meaning he was less of a force protecting Duke’s defensive board (grabbing only 6). Small quibble, but given Duke’s glaring weakness protecting against offensive rebounds, worth mentioning.

Grayson played well in spurts. In 38 minutes, he was 7-15 from the field; 3-8 from deep; made his only foul shot for 18 points. But it was not a Grayson like game because he had only one rebound (he has been a great defensive rebounder this year) and only one assist. Syracuse did a terrific defensive job on him, and he still scored 18 and almost brought Duke all the way back. Brandon played the entire game (40 minutes) with a double double — 13 points and 11 boards. Still, Brandon won’t be a lottery pick on the basis of this game. He was 5-12; 3-8 from deep and shockingly did not get to the line in 40 minutes. He led Duke defensive rebounding with 7, but couldn’t keep Roberson off the glass or out of the paint. My take is Brandon was so worried about fouling that his aggressiveness was absent — especially in the paint on defense. He simply was not the disruptive defensive force that he has been for much of the season.

Duke has three straight road games — next Saturday at NC State; followed by a Monday game in Coral Gables against Miami. It will not be easy for the Devils to stop the bleeding.

Duke 88- North Carolina State 78

Everyone will sleep better tonight on the Duke Blue Planet as the one man and five boys team started slow but finished fast. To no one’s surprise, Coach K made a few changes: Luke Kennard started for Derryck Thornton and he took a page from Dean Smith and switched defenses back and forth from a 2-3 zone to a man-to-man to a zone press to no avail as State shot lights out (6-9) from three point land while Duke shot like the lights really were out (3-14).

In the second half (probably because Allen and Plumlee both had two fouls) Duke played mostly zone and State was 2-12 while Duke was 7-11. (Is that an indication of a trend?) The Blue Devils seemed more comfortable in the various zones in the second half and defended the three better which led to better rebounding off misses and more open floor fast breaks. And speaking of fast breaks, Grayson Allen is just sensational in the open floor—fast, elevates, hangs, finishes strong. He is not too bad in the half court sets either as he leads the team in assists. Check out this line: 34 minutes, 28 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists. Brandon Ingram (27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) held up his end. Luke Kennard chipped in 12 points and Matt Jones proved that it’s not necessarily how many points you score but when you score them as it was his eight strategic points which gave the Devils separation from the Pack. Unfortunately, Derryck Thornton just cannot seem to get over the rookie hump. He played for 20 minutes but made several mistakes which might have been critical in a different game. At one point Plumlee, let him know he needed to stop freelancing.

The three point shot is a game changer in more than the obvious one. When they go in, a team often looks and thinks like they are playing better than they actually are. And when they don’t, an opponent often gets a demoralizing fast break. In either scenario games can dramatically turn in a few possessions. Most teams cannot stay hot from beyond the arc for forty minutes and when they stop falling, a team often is impatient and does not run a half court set well.

It appeared to me that Duke’s better defense in the second half (aided by Cat Barbour losing some quickness due to an leg or ankle injury) and a more methodical offensive approach turned the momentum of the game. Passing the ball around the perimeter leads to contested threes. Penetration and kicking to an open player leads to uncontested threes. Grayson and Brandon are lethal off the dribble. Once they get past their man and/or penetrate a zone, the scoring options– especially shooting threes– are much easier. Allen and Ingram are going to get their twenty some points a game. The others just have to go to an open spot and wait for a pass if the penetrator is double teamed.

Other Comments:

Monday’s road game against Miami will be a stern test an indication if the State game was a false positive.
The winning number are: Duke +2 on threes; +3 on rebounds (after being beaten on the boards in each of its past three losses); +6 on free throws (made 14 of 18); +3 on steals; and +2 on blocks.
Jefferson was out of his boot and into a sneaker. Coach K says the bone has healed but he’s not there yet but working on walking right, exercising in pool… still thinks he is out for a “a while”. (If you can figure out what that means, drop me a line.)
NC State shot 6-of-9 (.667) from beyond the arc in the first half, the second straight game a Duke opponent shot 66.7 percent from beyond the arc in the opening half of a game. In the second half, Duke allowed the Wolfpack to shoot just 2-of-12 (.167).
Next game: Monday @ Miami 7:00 ESPN

Alan Adds:

Duke had a four day stretch of practices after losing to Syracuse, and Coach K said they used those days efficiently. “We were well prepared. We put in many new things that you cannot do in just a day or two.” He was referring to Duke’s unique defensive effort with varied defenses (shades of Vic Bubas). Although this was a tale of two completely different halves, Coach K saw it a bit differently. “When the ball goes in, it looks as if you are playing better than the other team. I don’t think NC State played better than Duke in the first half; they just shot better.” At halftime, I told my daughter exactly what Coach K said he told the team. Essentially, if Duke kept playing as in the first half and stayed the course; the law of averages would catch up with the Wolfpack in the second half. And indeed it did.

Duke played one of its best halves of the season, thwacking the Wolfpack 52-35 in the closing stanza. Duke was on fire from the filed in second half (17-24; 7-10 from deep — after a 3-15 first half from deep —; and 11-13 from the free throw line). Duke had 10 assists in the second half. It did not hurt the Blue Devil cause that State was simply missing the same shots in the second half that connected in the first half when Duke gave up 43 points. Grayson and Brandon had 26 of Duke’s 36 first half points, but Grayson was only 1-5 from behind the arc while Brandon (1-2); Luke (1-5); Derryck (0-2) and Matt (0-1) were all cold from deep. The supporting cast was not supporting until the second half. Brandon played like a lottery pick after the intermission. He logged 39 minutes, and poured in 15 second half points on 6-8 shooting from the field that included a dazzling assortment of drives, dunks and tip-ins to go with 3-4 from deep. He finished the game with 25 points on 16 shots to go with 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. He was phenomenal. Grayson was Brandon’s equal, playing 34 minutes, sitting out only a few minutes after picking up his 3rd foul. After keeping Duke within contact in the first half, Grayson played a fabulous team game after intermission. He was 4-5 from the field on dextrous and acrobatic drives, and 4-4 from the line for 12 second half points — for a game high 28 (on 17 shots). He played much better defense in the second half and finished the game with 7 rebounds (4 in the second half) and 7 assists (5 in the second half) with only a single turnover (in the first half). He was phenomenal.

Coach K rightfully singled out Matt Jones for his clutch shooting. After a scoreless first half (continuing a five game drop off from his early season play), Matt erupted for his only 8 points of the game in the later part of the second half. With the score tied at 56 and 10:57 to go, Matt hit a crucial 3, then handed out an assist for a Brandon dunk at the 10 minute mark, and followed it up with another 3 with 9:26 left to give Duke a 10 point lead (Grayson had a layup in there with an assist from Brandon). Matt added two clutch free throws with a little over 2 minutes left. His 36 minutes were important for Duke. Perhaps this end game burst signals Matt’s return to form. Marshall was amazingly stalwart. He is in great physical condition as demonstrated by his 39 minute stint of full out running the court and playing hard. He sat only for the last 1:18 of the first half (Obi logged an uneventful 1:18) and cemented the Duke defense when it was effective. He scored 10 on 3-4 from dunk land and 4-6 from the line, to go with 8 rebounds (6 on offense) 2 assists, a steal, a block and critically 0 turnovers. Right now he is the Duke interior.

Luke’s game has declined after a brilliant stretch. In 31 minutes, Luke scored 12 on 4-12 shooting (2-8 from deep) and 2-2 from the line. Luke was 2-7 in the first half (1-5 as previously noted). Derryck basically only played to give the perimeter players short rest. He continues to make freshman mistakes on both ends of the court, but Coach K needs him to spell his perimeter players. In his 20 minutes, Derryck scored 5 but (key for a point guard) had 3 turnovers without an assist. However after a 1-3 first half with 2 misses from behind the arc, he made his only shot of the second half, a pretty critical 3.

Coach K said that he had used the long week of practice to prepare for both games — Monday against Miami, a stern test. He then looks forward to another long stretch to practice. All are hoping for Amile’s return, which seems likely from reports but is still without a time table. Bill, I think this means mid to late February, for what it is worth.

DUKE 80- GEORGIA TECH 71

Because he was not feeling well, Coach K remained at home in Durham and did not travel to Atlanta for the game. After watching Tech play over the top of what was generously labeled a zone defense and score 28 of their 40 points in the paint while shooting 58%, I was not feeling well myself as the opening twenty minutes were very painful to watch. I cannot remember a Duke team looking this inept on defense, even though the 2012-14 teams were also defensively deficient.

Fortunately, Coach Capel switched to man-to-man for the entire second half. It seemed to energize the team and kept Brandon Ingram down low for defending (4 blocks) and rebounding (10). Without Jefferson and Ingram playing on top of the 1-3-1 or 2-3, Duke is very undersized down low so Tech, a mediocre team at best, scored 40 first half points at will.

Of course, Greyson Allen scoring 27 points (7 rebounds & 4 assists) the easy way as his jump shot returned from vacation (7 threes) made a second half comeback much easier. As we know, there is a yin and yang to defense and offense that is the difference between winning and losing. Derryck Thornton (15 points) started for Luke Kennard and played perhaps his best game until the last few minutes when he neither managed the clock nor the ball well. And Luke, who leads college players in free throw percentage, sure came in handy in the last shaky two minutes.

The good news is that, despite the explosion of social media hatred, Krzyzewski is expected to be back for Saturday’s game against the Wolfpack. The not so good news is the return of the boot to Amile Jefferson’s injured right foot. He isn’t expected to be ready for the game against N.C. State or Monday’s with Louisville.

Other comments:

Grayson Allen fouled out. The refs were watching a different game than I was. Grayson certainly was not given the respect that the ten Wooden finalists, of which he is one, usually are. He was constantly getting roughed up and held but was called for defending himself. Nevertheless, he needs to be smarter about those situations
Stand-in Coach Capel appeared to be attempted to use a larger rotation but abandoned the idea when the reserves quickly demonstrated why they are seldom seen on the floor in prime time.
To be successful, this team needs to get better defensively with or without Jefferson. In 2012, Duke ranked 81st nationally in adjusted defensively efficiency, giving up an average of 0.97 points per possession. In 2013, Duke ranked 31st (0.93). In 2014, Duke ranked 116th (1.02). In 2015, Duke ranked 12th (0.92). And this year, Duke currently ranks 145th out of 315 Division-I teams (1.02). And the NCAA tournament fate of those Duke teams, in order: lost in round of 64 (Lehigh), Elite Eight (Louisville), lost in round of 64 (Mercer), National Champions and, if in the field, to be determined.
Next game: Saturday North Carolina State 2pm @ home. ESPN.

Alan Adds:

While the first half looked just as awful as the last 6 games — Duke’s defense was almost non-existent, Duke was dominated in the paint on both ends of the floor; holding close only on long range shooting — Duke’s scintillating second half on both ends of the floor soothed the panicking brows of the Devil faithful. Everyone, especially Coach Capel, agreed that the metamorphosis was engendered by the change in Duke’s defensive strategy. Capel modestly hid behind “we”, but it surely seemed as if it was his decision. Capel said that Coach K had the team well prepared — “we’d been practicing for Georgia Tech since Saturday” — and therefore knew the team could withstand Coach K’s absence. He also added that the team worked exclusively on a zone defense in preparation for the Yellow Jackets, and did not practice man-to-man at all. But the man to man changed everything. Compare the two halves.

In the first half, Duke allowed Ga. Tech to shoot 16 for 23 from inside the arc. Even with 2-8 from behind it, Tech shot over 58%. Duke gave up 28 points in the paint (40 overall) and was thoroughly out rebounded on both ends. Only Grayson’s 3-4 and Matt’s 2-4 from behind the arc kept Duke close (Duke was 6-13 in the opening half — Brandon was 1-3; Derryck and Luke each missed their only 3 point attempt). But, Duke was only 6-16 from inside the arc where Ga. Tech controlled the paint. Duke trailed by 1 with over 2 minutes to go in the half, and did not score again.

The second half saw the return of Duke basketball. The man-to-man defense was fierce and shut down the Yellow Jackets. Plumlee and Brandon restored order under the Duke defensive backboards — Brandon had 7 defensive boards in the second half, while Marshall grabbed 4. While Brandon had a terrible shooting night (3-15; 1-3 behind the arc), he played a wonderful game. On defense he blocked 4 in the second half, shoring up Duke’s interior defense. The Jackets could not contain his drives, continuously sending him to the line. He had a double-double in his 39 minutes (14 points, 7-8 from the line; 10 boards). Marshall, in 31 minutes, came within a dunk (or the two free throws he missed in his scoreless first half) of a double-double. He was 4-4 on dunks in the closing stanza and garnered 12 boards in the game (4 offensive) to help Duke regain control of the interior in the second half. He probably would have logged even more minutes if not for foul trouble (he finished with 4). That gave Chase Jeter 8 minutes. While he looked more comfortable and contributed a hoop and a key rebound, he still committed 4 fouls in his 8 minutes. Vrankovic was Capel’s choice (over Obi) for a single minute — a foul and a turnover.

Besides, Chase and Vrankovic, Duke’s only substitute was Luke Kennard who scored 8 in only 15 minutes. He was on the floor at the close of the game for his foul shooting (4-4). He missed his only 3 as his shooting woes from deep continue. Derryck Thornton’s outstanding second half contributed to Luke’s playing fewer minutes.

Duke’s run was a thing of beauty, followed by some fierce defense to control the game. With 11:47 left in the game, Duke led by 1. With 9:15 left, Duke led by 10. The streak included 2 layups by Thornton, Grayson’s three, a jump shot for two, and delicious dump off to Marshall for a dunk. With 10:04 left, Ga. Tech hit a field goal, giving them 55 points and a 7 point deficit. The Jacket’s next score came with 5:22 left, cutting Duke’s lead back to 15. Duke did not close the game out smoothly, however. Last year, it was Tyus and Quinn that controlled the game’s end. Last night, Derryck showed that, even though he played a wonderful second half, that he has much to learn. Derryck logged 30 minutes and was key to Duke’s win. After a dismal first half — 2-3 inside the arc, but 0-1 from deep with 0 assists — he finished the game with 15 points on 7-11 shooting (1-3 from deep). He dished out 3 assists as well. He made crucial shots and was an offensive force and did not commit a foul.

Matt played 39 minutes, scoring all of his 6 points in the first half on 2 long range shots. He was quiet in the second half on offense, but anchored the efficient defense. He is still not the offensive force that he was earlier in the year.

Grayson was not less than heroic, playing one of his best all-around games while shooting lights out — especially from deep. In 37 minutes he was 7-10 from deep (only 2-7 from inside the arc and 2-2 from the line) for his 27 points. His energy sparked Duke all over the floor in the second half. For the game he had 7 boards, 4 assists and a steal.

After the NC State game on Saturday, the schedule turns brutal: Louisville and Virginia at Cameron, followed by Louisville and UNC on the road.

DUKE 88- NORTH CAROLINA STATE 80

Duke responded to finally returning to the friendly embrace of Cameron and the Crazies for the first time in three weeks by hitting a season high 14 three point shots to go with 24 free throws—and they needed all of these advantages to beat a resilient N.C. State team, which the elusive Cat Barbour kept in the game. Just when the Pack would close the gap, the Blue Devils would rally with a basket or run of their own. Grayson Allen’s 28 points and 4 assists were not surprising, but Luke Kennard, who came off the bench on fire to add 26 well-timed points, was the other missing bookend today as Brandon Ingram only had 14 points ( 7 rebounds & 4 fouls). Marshall Plumlee had 12 rebounds but, as usual, Duke was outrebounded 38-29.

Derryck Thornton started, played well, and did a surprisingly good job defending Barbour in the first half. However, in the second no one could stay in front of the Cat as he continually created offense with points or assists. That seemed to effect Thornton’s offense as he suddenly became casual with a couple of passes on successive possessions, which let the Pack close the gap and quickly had a nice view of the game from the sidelines. This may have been a blessing in disguise as Luke had his ‘A” game until he also inexplicably made a freshman mistake and threw the ball away on an routine out of bounds play. So, despite all the offense, frustrating freshman mistakes contributed to a making it a closer game than it should have been. During the last few minutes with the Blue Devils clinging to a slim lead, Coach K switched Grayson Allen on Barbour and with some help from his friends, the Pack’s offense packed it in. On the other hand, the Blue Devils cashed in from the charity stripe where they were in the double bonus.

This game was a classic example of Coach K’s Winning Basketball 101. When threes are falling, the game is seductively easy. However, as the game winds down and the basket seems smaller, a team wants to be in the bonus, preferable double bonus, situation with the ball in the hands of the best foul shooters. Otherwise, a winnable game can slip away. How many times have we seen Duke win this way? Hundreds. Nerve wracking, but it never gets old.

Ingram and Jones both were in foul trouble in the second half. That probably contributed to the Blue Devils abandoning the man-to-man and employing a rotation of mostly zone schemes—utilizing a mix of 1-3-1, 2-3, and full-court pressure. Whatever the reason, I think a variety of defenses covers for some of this team’s defensive weaknesses. Until Jefferson returns (update: limited practice but not near full speed) these players need all of the tricks in Krzyzewski’s tool belt to win games.

Other comments:

You had the feeling that this might be Duke’s day when, late in the tight second half, a deflected ball in the congested lane rolled to the perimeter into the hands of a solitary Grayson Allen, who had time to check his feet and drain a three.

Blue Devil fans survived a scary moment midway through the first half, when Allen stepped on Barbour’s foot and turned his ankle while driving to the basket. Allen lay on the floor clutching his right ankle in pain and limped noticeably as he left the court. Fortunately, he returned a few minutes later.Also, MP3 lost on sneaker but played several possessions without it before leaving the game. His temporary replacement Chase Jeter is showing some signs of improvement.

No player on the floor was even born the last time N.C. State beat Duke with Krzyzewski on the bench at Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was 1988. However, the Pack did beat them in 1995 when Coach K missed most of the season with back surgery.

If you haven’t heard, Louisville’s president voluntarily banned the team from all post season play. The Cardinals are under investigation by the NCAA for supplying “party girls” (aka prostitutes) to recruits and players. Coach Rick Pitino, who himself was involved in a sex scandal six years ago, claims he knew nothing about it. Apparently, the “plausible deniability” defense is not limited to political figures.

Next game: Louisville Monday 7:00 ESPN

Alan Adds:

The Duke season really starts now: Louisville, UVA, Louisville, UNC and Florida State in succession, with the second Louisville game and UNC on the road. What did the win over NC State yesterday auger for this coming gauntlet? First, it is hopeful to see freshman disappointments beginning to thrive. Derryck is now Coach K’s guy, who will start against Louisville and presumably for the rest of the year unless he plays himself out of the lineup. Although scoreless in the first half (0-2 from the field and 0-1 from the line), Derryck showed some flashes of maturing into a valuable player. He played outstanding defense on Cat Barber for 14 minutes and 19 seconds, dished out 2 assists and had 3 steals (0 turnovers). Unfortunately, with 5:41 to play in the first half, Derryck went under the screen and Cat hit a 3 to ignite; he scored 9 in the last 5:41 of the half.

In the second half, Derryck scored all 7 of his points in the game (2-2 from the field; 1 from deep; and 2-2 from the line). All points Duke desperately needed. The two turnovers at the start of the second half and some sloppiness down the stretch remind us that he is not only still a freshman, but one who would be playing in high school if he had not reclassified. Coach K recognizes how much his development will mean to the rest of the season. This is especially true as Matt’s offensive drop off continues, while he is still playing many minutes and contributing in significant ways. In his 35 minutes, Matt scored only a 3 pointer in the first half, finishing the game 1-5 from the field and adding a foul shot in the second half (1-2). He handed out 6 assists (3 in each half) and grabbed 3 boards. He had 2 turnovers, but both were in the first half. This team needs the offense that Matt was giving it early in the season. A word about Chase Jeter. Though he played only 4 minutes — all in the first half — he showed a little something. He scored a nice hoop, and grabbed a tough rebound. He was called for a block that the announcers agreed might have been called a charge. His downside came when he was gifted with a good pass on a screen and roll and drew the foul. However, missing both free throws, as he did, is the functional equivalent of a turnover. Still, I see the signs, and if Chase could come on a bit in the late season, it would be a godsend for this team.

Marshall played the entire game, but for Chase’s 4 minutes in the first half. Marshall’s stat line was accumulated almost all in the first half (3-5 for 6 points; 7 boards; a block and an assist). He was 1-4 from the line in the second half for 7 points. However, he solidified Duke’s defensive backboard (with Brandon) grabbing 5 defensive rebounds for a total of 11 defensive boards, plus his lone, but oh so valuable, offensive rebound of Brandon’s only missed free throw, that led to a Luke 3 for a Duke possession of 5 points. That was the back breaker. Brandon was solidly consistent, though not as spectacular as he has been in some games. He picked up his second foul with 8 minutes to go in the first half and sat out the rest of the half. Even in his abbreviated time, he scored 7 on 2-4 (1-2 from deep) and 2-2 from the line to go with 4 rebounds. He picked up his third foul within the first minute of the second half. Coach K elected to keep him in the game, and he played every minute of the second half without picking up his 4th foul. Coach K made much of this in his post-game press conference. He said playing through foul trouble and staying efficient was a learned skill, and he said Brandon was learning. Against Clemson, Brandon did not play well after the fouls mounted. Last night he was critical even though his shot was entirely missing in the latter stanza (1-6; 0-2 from deep). He drove and got fouled; going 6-7 from the line (4-5 in the second half). He accounted for 7 boards, 3 assists and 2 critical blocks for 14 points. He was, in his 32 minutes, the glue while Grayson and Luke simply starred.

When Luke shoots as he did against State, Duke is hard to beat. Luke took the most Duke shots (15), converting on 9 of them (6-11 from behind the arc) and 2-2 from the line for 26 points in 32 minutes of action. Luke was valuable besides his scoring, adding 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals for a superb game. He was unstoppable. Grayson was even more unstoppable, scoring 28 points on only 11 shots. The eleven shots is deceiving because I do not think a drive to the basket that draws a foul is counted as a missed shot. Grayson was a Wolfpack sinking 12-12 from the line (10-10 in the second half when it really counted). He missed only a single minute of playing time (when we all held our breath as he writhed in pain with a rolled ankle) and handed out 4 assists. It was, in my opinion, and All-American performance, reminding us of his pre-season NIT play.

With 15:39 to go, the score was tied at 52-52. State scored only a deuce in the next 5 minutes, and by then trailed by 13, with Luke and Grayson doing all the Duke scoring. It was the winning stretch fueled by really aggressive and excellent defense. Duke held on from there with clutch foul shooting (but defense that inexplicably turned porous).

For what it is worth, I think UVA has found its mojo and is now not only the best team in the ACC, but may be the best team in the country. My reason for that conclusion is UVA has found it defense. For most of the season, it has been missing. But in the last 3 games, the Cavaliers have held opponents to 47 points (Louisville at Louisville); 47 points (BC at home) and 50 points (Pitt at Pitt). The Louisville game will tell us much, and the next few games will define Duke’s season.

DUKE 72 – LOUISVILLE 65

Louisville beats #1 Carolina at home, then loses to unranked Duke on the road. Go figure. Oh, I guess the Hookers didn’t make the traveling squad. Sorry, cheap shot. Just couldn’t resist….

If you were told that Grayson Allen had scored 19 points in the first 20:15 of the game, then gone scoreless the final 19:45, how much would you have bet that Louisville had won? Personally, I would have bet the ranch–and would be looking for a place to bunk.

To quote that famous politician/comedian Bernie…err… Larry on SNL, this game was “HUGE, YUGE, WHATEVER” for Duke. Similar script as the State game. To repeat: “This game was another classic example of Coach K’s Winning Basketball 101. When threes are falling, the game is seductively easy. However, as the game winds down and the basket seems smaller, a team wants to be in the bonus, preferable double bonus, with the ball in the hands of the best foul shooters, attacking the basket, not cranking up threes. Otherwise, a winnable game can slip away. How many times have we seen Duke win this way? Hundreds. Nerve wracking, but it never gets old.” And speaking of old, this was the 1,000^th game in Cameron—and, thanks to free student seating in the late 1950’s, then satellites, Alan and I have enjoyed watching a great many of them.

Tonight, the Blue Devils went 10-for-12 from the free-throw line in the final 3:13. However, for some inexplicable reason the game was in the hands of freshmen—Thornton and Ingram. For every “No, No give the ball to Grayson or Luke” there was a “Yes, Yes, Nice Play!”

One thing for certain, the man-to-man defense has gotten better—and that was the catalyst for the win. Duke’s defense was terrific during the first 20 minutes, holding the Cardinals to shooting just 31.3% from the floor. Even better was Grayson Allen, who had almost half of Duke’s points as the Devils went to the locker room leading 35-24. In the second half, neither the defense nor the offense were are as efficient but when the game was on the line, the Blue Devils didn’t fold, they prevailed both defensively and offensively. For the entire game, Plumlee, who was a beast in the paint and Ingram, whose 7’3’’ wingspan and athleticism make up for a lack of heft, were formidable doing the thankless but necessary blue collar job of defending and rebounding in the paint. Consequently, Duke outrebounded Louisville 33-32, while committing 13 turnovers– solid stats against a team that relies on rebounds and its press to generate much of its offense.

Coach K assessment of the game: “Not a good win, a great win….Somehow, while they were tired and beat up, our group just showed incredible toughness and won. No X’s and O’s, they just earned it… A couple [of] weeks ago, I think we lose this game by 15 points.”

Other comments:

You had the feeling that this might be Duke’s night when, late in the tight second half, Luke Kennard drove, got tangled up with Plumlee and the ball ricocheted off several arms, hands, or other body parts, and ended up in the basket. Don’t know who got the basket and who got the assist.

Like the NC State game last Saturday, Duke led most of the way, 35 minutes’ worth of lead, with three minutes tied. The visitors led only 2:01 and never by more than the two-pointer they scored to open the game.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Grayson Allen certainly is not given the respect by the referees that the ten Wooden finalists, of which he is one, usually are (given). He was constantly getting roughed up, held, and hitting the floor– and not getting the calls. He was again called for retaliating. Nevertheless, Allen needs to be smarter about these situations. Bob from Georgia writes to ask if anyone keeps stats of how many times Grayson hits the floor?

And finally, with respects to Simon and Garfunkel: “Here’s to you Amile Jefferson, the (Blue Devil) Nation turns its lonely eyes to you! What’s that you say, Mr. Jefferson, your just a game or so away”. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!
Next game: Saturday #3 Virginia @ home 4:30 ESPN

Alan Adds:

Without question this was Duke’s best and most important game of the season because this was a game where you could see the team growing before your very eyes. Duke has fallen out of the top 25 because the schedule has turned out to be shockingly easy (no wins over a ranked team until Louisville). In yesterday’s AP poll, the 25th place team got 132 votes. Duke’s only opponents who even received votes were Indiana (91) and VCU (10). Duke got 14 votes (30th). Louisville, on the other hand, has had a terrific season, coming into the game in first place in the ACC and 13th in the AP poll with a great win over UNC. It came down to “winning time” for the young and undermanned Blue Devils, and the team played like, well, like Duke. Coach K said “We’re becoming ‘this Duke team’, whatever that is. It is happening and it is good.” Let’s talk about the game first, and then “becoming ‘this’ Duke team.

Duke had a superb first half at both ends of the floor. Defensively, Duke was as good as it has been all year, holding the Cardinals to 31% shooting (1-7 from deep, but only 9-25 from inside the arc) and many of the Cardinals scores came on offensive rebounds (first 3 Louisville hoops were on put backs; Louisville didn’t score from the field until more than 7 minutes had gone by). Grayson was on fire from deep. He and Marshall accounted for 24 of Duke’s 35 points in the opening stanza. When Grayson and Brandon hit back to back 3s to start the second half, Duke led by 15. Then Duke hit an almost inevitable cold streak — 4 turnovers and 3 missed shots — while Louisville got hot. Louisville shot 75% in the second half for the first 12 + minutes of the second half, taking a one point lead with 6:13 to go.

For several minutes the game see-sawed with neither team able to open a more than one possession lead. The game was tied at 60 with 3:46 left when Duke became “this Duke team”. Grayson missed a 3, which Marshall rebounded spectacularly as he was fouled. He made them both! Lee made only 1 of 2 for the Cards (Duke 62- Louisville 61). Coach K then put the ball in Brandon’s hands. He was, in effect, the point guard (Coach K said that allowed Derryck to be a shooter), and then Brandon started right to use a screen from Marshall. I thought it reminiscent of Coach K’s strategy against Wisconsin in the finals — give the ball to Tyus and let him be Tyus. Last night, he gave the ball to Brandon and let him be Brandon. Ingram drove to the hole, was fouled, and made them both (64-61). Marshall and Brandon combined for a wonderful interior defense and crucial rebound. Brandon drove to the hole, was fouled, and made them both (66-61). Dennis Mitchell was fouled, but made only 1-2 (66-62 with 1:44 left). Matt made a good base line move to get fouled (a good offensive set with ball movement got him the ball in good position). He made them both (68-62 with 1:19 left). Brandon grabbed another hard fought defensive rebound when Lee missed a 3. Derryck made an amazing shot as the shot clock expired for what should have been “the dagger” — 70-62 with only 35 seconds left. Then Derryck turned freshman. Needing only to defend the three point line, Derryck fell 4-5 feet back and Lewis swished a 3 to keep Louisville alive, if on life support. Derryck then missed 2 free throws. Coach K reminds us that he’s only 18, but is improving. Luke hit the winning free throws with 7 seconds left. “This team”, at least on this night, played winning Duke basketball, which seemed to absolutely thrill Duke’s Hall of Fame coach.

While Marshall’s stat line in the second half was pretty flat (the foul shots were his only score, and he got credit in the box score for only a single defensive board), he was the emotional presence, who made the Duke defense formidable at winning time. He played 35 minutes, sitting only for 5 minutes in the first half. He is playing terrific basketball partly because he is in phenomenal shape and so can compete intensely every second he is on the court. Chase is showing some signs. In his 5 minutes, he scored a hoop and pulled in 3 boards with only one turnover and (of course) a foul. You can see Derryck grow, but inconsistently. As I wrote last game, Coach K has made the decision to go with Derryck as his point guard. Derryck played 29 minutes, while Luke logged only 20 minutes. Thornton is a work in progress. He had a basket in each half (4 points on 2-5; 1-3 in the first half) but was 0-2 from deep and 0-2 from the line. He had 2 assists, a steal and a block, but 4 turnovers. More than anyone, he has to continue to develop for this to become “this Duke team”. While Luke had an undistinguished first half (1-4; 1-2 from deep) with 3 points and a single board, he was very much a part of winning time in the second half, in spite of Louisville seeming to score whenever guarded by Luke (more great offense than bad defense). In the second half, Luke scored 8 on a layup, a 3, and 3-4 from the line.

Matt played 32 intense minutes and was the key to Duke’s defense when it was effective. Though only 1-4 from deep, the one was crucial. He also scored a critical layup and was 3-4 from the line for 8 points to go with 3 assists.

Duke was powered by Grayson in the first half and Brandon in the second. Grayson scored 19 on 12 shots, but as Bill points out, 0 points in the last 19:45 of the half. He was stymied effectively on his drives, but continued to hustle and play energetic defense. However, it is Brandon’s praises that have to be sung. He played every second of the game, scoring 18 points on only 9 shots (14 in the second half, most at closing time, and from the line). Just as important as his offense, was Brandon’s emergence as an interior defensive and rebounding force. He garnered 10 boards and was largely responsible for Duke holding its own on the backboard. He is such a crucial element for Duke to become “this Duke team.”

The schedule is now amazingly demanding. Duke gets a rest until next Saturday when UVA comes to Cameron, ranked 7th and coming off 3 spectacular games. Then Duke goes on the road to face Louisville in a rematch and to Chapel Hill. So, Duke faces #7, #9, and #13 in a row that could define the season (plus Fla State and Pitt after that are hardly breathers). So the season is now, as John Feinstein might write, “on the brink”.

DUKE 63- VIRGINIA 62

The Virginia basketball team hasn’t beaten Duke in 20 years playing at Cameron, where they are 8 for 59 lifetime; Rasheed Sulaimon beat them there two years ago with a last second three; Ty Jones repeated the heartbreak scenario last year in Charlottesville; and today is Coach Krzyzewski’s 69th birthday. How much karma is that to carry onto the court? So what chance did the Cavaliers really have? Actually, quite a lot: The law of averages, a seven game winning streak, ranked #7 in the country, playing Coach Tony Bennett’s nightmare, pack-it-in defense—and Duke having, for their program, a down year. However, in the end the basketball gods gave us a memorable, even heroic, ending that brought honor, if not satisfaction, to both teams.

What a finish! With 27 seconds left and Duke up one point, Allen, an 85% free throw shooter, inexplicably missed two freebies in a row. With 10 seconds left, Malcolm Brogdon rose to the occasion and somewhat casually tossed in a difficult, no look behind-his-head layup to give the Cavaliers a 62-61 lead… Next play… At the other end, Allen took a handoff from Marshall Plumlee in the high post, dribbled and spun through traffic and kept driving toward the basket. “I felt like I had the lane, and I felt like I had my man one-on-one,” Allen said. “I knew he was going to be strong and body up, so I just knew I was going to go through that and go to finish.” There was contact between Allen and Shayok, and, with only seconds left, a contorted, falling backward, suspended but descending Allen released the ball with one hand. The red border around the backboard indicating “game over” lit up just as Allen’s shot banked cleanly through the net—and Cameron exploded.

An amazing finish to an amazing a game!

This is why we love watching and writing about Duke Basketball. No matter the talent level, the culture of Coach K’s teams is never give up, never top trying. This team is young and talented but undermanned. Written off after losing four of five conference games and falling out of the national rankings for the first time in this century, they never have been an easy out. There have been no blowouts. They have been in every game. All the losses are down to the wire. They continue to learn and improve. And they now have beaten two ranked teams in a row. Win or lose, what’s not to like and admire about these players?

This was Virginia Coach Bennett’s defensive dilemma: Whom do you put your best defender on? He can’t guard both Allen and Ingram. Coach Bennett, who as good a defensive coach as there is in the country, started the game with Brogdon Allen and Ingram torched the Cavaliers in the first half. He switch him on Ingram during the second half. That meant that Brogdon wasn’t guarding Allen, who started getting into the paint for points or assists. It also meant Virginia was playing four guards and Duke started controlling the boards. (Lost in the late game drama is the fact that Duke outrebounded Virginia 24-10 in the second half). Using the massive frame of Plumlee for high ball screens to drive against the Cavalier defense, Allen and Ingram wound up with 23 of Duke’s 32 second-half points. Grayson stats were: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals. One stat not charted was the number of fouls his aggression initiated that put the Blue Devils in the one & one with ten minutes to go and the double bonus with eight minutes to go. Unfortunately, the Devils atypically only converted 9-16, one more than the Cavaliers. But then, if they had shot free throws like they usually do, the game would not been as exciting.

As lethal and scintillating as Ingram and Allen were, it was a team victory triggered by their improving defense. The last two games Matt Jones has been the unsung hero. He defended Louisville’s Damion Lee and Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon and still scored 14 points; Marshall Plumlee has been a rock rebounding and setting high picks; Thornton keeps improving especially on defense and limiting turnovers; and Luke Kennard can explode off the bench at any time.

One more thing. I’ve said it before and I will keep saying it. Grayson Allen is not given the respect by the referees that the ten Wooden finalists, of which he is one, usually are (given). He is constantly getting roughed up, held, and hitting the floor– and not getting the calls. On his winning drive, there was contact at the top of the key, when he elevated, and when he was hanging in the air to take the shot. According to the new rules, those all were fouls.

Quotes:

Grayson Allen: “It’s really surreal for me, this being my dream school and just a moment like that is something you dream of. When you’re a little kid, you do it hundreds of times in your driveway.”

Ty Jones (who was at the game with Jahlil Okafor): ” Just so happy for him. That’s my brother. I’m his biggest fan. It was a lot of fun to watch.We threw Gatorade on him, mobbed him, and everything like that. It was like I was a part of the team again. It was a lot of fun.”

Coach K: You guys (the press) don’t enjoy them (the team) as well as you should because you try to make them like another Duke team. You should just enjoy them as this Duke team, like I am, and you will see a lot of really neat things….Well you know, in earlier games, we were good for periods but we weren’t as tough as we are now. There are certain portions of the game where I don’t care how you draw up your offense or defense, you just have to be tough. You have to fight through tired, fight through somebody not playing as well and get them going at that point. We weren’t able to do that, like make on the spot corrections, whether it be with toughness or attitude. When I say attitude it’s not attitude like bad attitude, I mean you’re into missing the shot or a mistake that you made. It’s not the right attitude. We’ve talked about it, we’ve met on it, and they’re doing it now. It has paid off.”

On potentially redshirting Amile Jefferson: “Not right now. Again, if he was not able to play, then we would ask for that, and I think he would qualify for that. But, I don’t want to go there right now. It has been two months, though, and that’s why what our guys have done is remarkable. I am very proud of them and we just have to stay healthy. Here’s the thing: it’s healing great, but then we try limited basketball stuff at a slower speed, so he has never done anything game speed, and he has pain. … If he tries to play at full speed with that, he can’t do that. He’s frustrated like crazy and we’re frustrated for him. I’m being completely honest with you about it. He’s trying, but it is not coming around.”

Alan Adds:

Bill said it all so well. I will delve a bit outside of the offensive heroics of Brandon (18 straight points for Duke at the end of the first half and beginning of the second – 25 points on 22 shots) and Grayson, which were so obvious and appreciated.

First, like last year, the Duke defense has morphed from porous to efficient. Duke played a really good man-to-man for the whole game. However, we should not forget how many wide open 3’s the Cavaliers missed. That wasn’t great defense; that was a bit of luck. But overall, Duke shut down the penetration from the perimeter, rarely done this year by the Devils. The bench played only 13 minutes (Chase 1, yanked by K after a basket interference; and Luke 12 (0-1 with 1 rebound) and failed to score. Luke’s lack of playing time is interesting, given his terrific play in recent games. In my view, this was a tribute to Derryck Thornton and his startling improvement. It’s not showing up in his shooting yet (2-8; 0-3 from deep and 0 free throw attempts — both hoops came in the first half), but he is becoming the glue to Duke on both ends of the floor. He shut down Perrantes, who was shooting over 50% from behind the arc for the year. When I say shut down, I mean shut down; Perrantes was not even able to launch a single attempt from behind the arc. Thornton played really tough on the ball man to man, holding Perrantes to 8 points and only 2 assists (and forced 2 turnovers). Derryck could not come close to doing that earlier this year. Moreover, he has steadied the offense. He had 4 assists and 0 turnovers. Even more importantly, his stewardship of point guard, has allowed Matt to return to doing what he does best (which is not running the offense). Coach K’s coaching genius is showing up in Derryck’s continued improvement and contributions. He played 34 minutes.

Matt’s 36 minute return to what he does best — superb defense and clutch scoring — was more than welcome. He had some game against the ‘Hoos, making Brogdon work hard for every point (yes, Brogdon scored 18 points, but it took him 16 shots to do it — 7-16; 1-6 from deep and 3-3 from the line). The Virginia back court, great 3 point shooters, had only a single 3. As Coach Bennet said, “you aren’t going to win many road games shooting 2-11 from deep.”). Welcome back, Matt. He has been defensively heroic taking on Lee in the Louisville game and Brogdon yesterday. Let’s hope he can do the same against Marcus on Wednesday.

Grayson was held in check in the first half (4 points), before making us groan in despair at the missed free throws (7–11 from the stripe) and exult with the spectacular acrobatic finish. Coach Bennet: “I thought he walked.” He did. Coach K: “I thought he was fouled.” He was — twice. But let us not overlook Grayson’s amazing floor game. He had 7 assists against only 1 turnover, and he hauled in 7 boards — tying Marshall for most defensive boards with 6. He took only 11 shots for his 15 points. He even gave great post-game interview.

The unsung heroics were not limited to the perimeter. Duke’s interior was absolutely superb in the second half after giving ground in the opening stanza. Brandon (38 minutes) did not have a rebound in the first half, corralled 7 in the second half after Coach K’s half-time exhortations to him. Here is the stat of the game for me: UVA had only a single offensive rebound in the second half. As Coach K said in his press conference, “We got every defensive rebound in the last 10 minutes. Marshall in 39 minutes, dominated inside in the second half (not bad in the first half either). He finished with 10 boards (7 in the second half), 5 points on 2-3 and 1-2 from the line. He is also having a great year and is more valuable to his team than his (impressive) stats show. The test for the interior will be even sterner on Wednesday night against Carolina.

Coach K was simply ecstatic not only about the win, but about his team’s progress and growth, which has been quite worth watching. From what Coach K has said about Amile, I offer this: I think the team has stopped waiting for Amile to return and is now prepared to go the rest of the season without him. It has made for a different and positive mind set.

There is no tougher game for the Devils than venturing into Chapel Hill as they will do on Wednesday. This is still a very tough stretch with away games this coming week against the ‘Heels and Louisville. What a season!

#20 DUKE 74 – #5 NORTH CAROLINA 73

There have been a lot of fantastic finishes and unexpected upsets in the Duke-North Carolina basketball rivalry but I cannot remember a more surprising one than this slow motion outcome. There was nothing sudden, shocking or spectacular about it. Rather, it was a gutsy, grinding, mature performance by the young Blue Devils (three freshmen, one sophomore, and one senior) against the veteran, highly ranked Tar Heels. In the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, the finish left both the Carolina players and fans in the Smith Center drained in stunned, silent disbelief at Carolina letting this game slip away.

Duke was behind most of the game. Brice Johnson was having a career game–27 points & 17 rebounds in just the first thirty minutes. When Matt Jones sprained his ankle after playing nine minutes, the Blue Devils were down to five effective players, none of whom had ever played meaningful minutes in the intimidating Dean Dome. But tonight, these five were enough. Ahead 68-60 and controlling the boards with less than seven minutes remaining, Carolina appeared to have the game uncomfortably in hand. Plumlee had four fouls and Johnson had been unstoppable. However, Duke had their forty minute men, Brandon Ingram (20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists) and Grayson Allen (23 points, 7 rebounds). Duke kept running a pro set, isolating one of them on the weak side of the floor, letting them, in one of Coach K’s favorite demystifying coaching terms “do their thing”, which resulted in scoring points or kicking to Luke Kennard for a crucial three. However, as we know all too well, you need to put an opponent away, you don’t want to let them hang around, because anything can happen—and it did tonight. Suddenly, it was a one possession game. Then, unbelievably, neither Johnson or Paige, the Tar Heels two best players, touched the ball nor did Coach Williams call a timeout (he obviously didn’t watch the end of the Duke-Virginia game) and Carolina’s offense came up empty on the last two crucial possessions.

Game, set, match, nightmares.

My buddy Johnny Tar Heel, who played one year at Carolina, contends that Coach K is worth ten points coaching against Roy Williams and that this year he even stopped watching Carolina play, because they cannot shoot the three—or as he says: “They can’t throw the ball at the ocean and hit water”. Turns out he was wrong, tonight Coach K was worth fifteen or so points and right, the Heels were 1-13 from behind the arc.

While Ingram and Allen were the television interviewees after the game, the other three players had indispensable roles: Marshall Plumlee had 11 contested points, 7 rebounds, and played smart, tough defense despite being saddled with four fouls for the last seven minutes; Luke Kennard, replacing Matt Jones, had 15 points (3—4 threes) and played solid defense; Derryck Thornton did not shoot well but had no turnovers, 2 assists,2 steals, and 1 block. He has developed into a very good defender (helped neutralize both London Perrantes & Marcus Paige) and blocked Joel Berry’s last shot of the game. Perhaps the most overlooked development of this team is that in these two wins against ranked opponents, their man-to-man defense has been the a critical factor. Tonight, despite being out rebounded 46-34, it held the Tar Heels to 27 second half points on 34% shooting—a huge improvement from the beginning of the season.

After the game, a crestfallen Roy Williams said he didn’t call a timeout on the last possessions because he relied on the principles he learned from his mentor, the legendary Dean Smith. He quickly added that he took full responsibility and wasn’t blaming Coach Smith. In all fairness, Mike Krzyzewski usually subscribes to the same philosophy that in critical situations, it is an advantage to trust your players to make the right decisions while the defense is disorganized and not set. However, in the Virginia game the ball was in the hands of a seemingly indecisive freshman Derryck Thornton, so Coach K called a timeout to set up a play to get the ball in the hands of Garson Allen or Brandon Ingram. It was a savvy call. Tonight the game was in the hands of Joel Berry not Marcus Paige. To quote The Dude in “The Big Lebowski”, a legendary 1998 movie: “Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you.”

Other Thoughts:

Bad news: Coach Mike Krzyzewski said Jones sprained his left ankle ”pretty badly”.

Good news: There is precedent for five being enough. In the late fifties, Duke was down to five useful players, (Bob Newcomb, Paul Schmidt, Bucky Allen, Bobby Jo Harris, and Bob Vernon), who developed into an exciting, formidable team and were dubbed “The Flaming Five”. Perhaps, this team will be the reincarnation of “The Flaming Five”.

After the game, Bill from Bethesda emailed me an cogent comment: “Teams take on the personality of their coaches, and Duke is tough/gritty and Carolina is a little soft.”

What is the Euro-Step? An announcers term for too many long steps on a drive that isn’t called. (ref. Grayson Allen’s winning basket against Virginia.)

Grayson Allen made the Regional all American academic team. Puts him in line for National honors.

Next Game: Saturday @ Louisville. Noon on ESPN.

Alan Adds:

The surrounding feelings induced by the (understatement comes here) “unlikely” victory was deliciously captured by Grayson in his postgame interview on TV. The announcer’s first question was something like, “how did you win that game?” Allen’s rueful sort of goofy smile said it all, as he shrugged, unable to explain. I’m in a similar boat. Carolina killed Duke. It was plain to everyone watching. The ‘Heels devoured the backboard; Bryce was unstoppable; Matt was injured after playing a scoreless 9 minutes (0-3; 0-1 from deep with 1 rebound); and Marshall picked up his fourth foul with more than 10 minutes left in the game. From that point forward, commentators overused the word “grit”, but it was the correct modifier for “this Duke team”. Other than Matt’s 9 minutes, and Chase Jeter’s 5 (a cameo 2 minute appearance in the first half; and 3 minutes in the second while Marshall sat on the bench after foul # 4), this year’s version of “The Flaming Five” went the distance. Amazingly, Duke played with more energy, more intensity, and really efficient defense in the second half, especially toward the end of the game. Grit: Duke played through “tired” for what felt like a miraculous win.

Duke was seriously overwhelmed on the interior in the first half. UNC retrieved 10 offensive boards to Duke’s 9 defensive rebounds; shot 18-30 from inside the arc (1-8 from deep; the Tar Heel weakness that cost them) and 7-8 from the line for 46 first half points. Porous is a kind adjective for Duke’s first half defense. Duke stayed in the game with offense. Marshall and Luke had 20 of Duke’s 42 points (10 each). Luke came off the bench for Matt and kept Duke in the game (4-6; 2-3 from deep). Grayson, who played all 40 minutes had 13 in an offensive display (4-9; 1-3 and 4-5 from the line). Brandon had a woeful shooting first half (2-10; 1-3; and 2-2 for 7 points), but was heroic on the boards (6; no one else had more than Marshall’s 3) and defending.

In the second half everything changed. Duke held UNC to 27 second half points and, led by Marshall, Brandon and Grayson’s 5 second half rebounds, held the UNC even on the boards. For reasons still to be determined, Bryce didn’t get the ball much in the last 10 minutes of the game (some speculated that he tired defending Brandon on the perimeter) while Duke played tenacious defense on the perimeter. In fact, it was on the perimeter that Duke won and UNC lost this game. Grayson and Thornton simply shut down the UNC backcourt with in-your-face defense. For me the key matchup was Grayson and Paige. They guarded each other for most of the game. UNC depends on Paige as the veteran backcourt leader and clutch scorer. In 35 minutes, Paige could only manage 2-10 from the field and a hang-your-head 0-5 from deep. His 3-4 from the line gave him 7 points for the entire game. He was also forced into 3 turnovers (3 assists) without a rebound or a steal. Contrast that with Grayson’s 20 points, including 5 of Duke’s last 8 points to go with 7 boards and 2 steals in 40 minutes.

Coach K said that Duke was out of sync, forcing bad shots in the second half, after Thornton’s 3 drew Duke within 1 in the opening seconds, . After the first media timeout, Coach K said Duke got good looks for the rest of the game. It kept looking as though the ‘Heels would put the game out of reach. With 6:49 to go, UNC stretched its lead to 8 but Duke’s grit kept the Devils in contact. In the next 1:30, Brandon, who also played every second of the game, made 3 straight amazing hoops (suddenly the announcers were talking “green room” — please shut up) to bring Duke back within 2 with 5 minutes to go. Bryce dunked (again) before Grayson scored on a traditional 3 point play to make it a 1 point game with 4:19 to play. Paige went 1-2 from the line (bad miss at that juncture) to put Carolina up by 2 (71-69) with a few ticks under 4 minutes left. Brandon and Berry traded missed 3s before Luke hit the shot of the game — a 3 from the corner with only 2:40 left to play — to give Duke a 72-71 lead. It was Duke’s last field goal. Carolina’s last points came with 2:08 left on (yet another) offensive rebound by Jackson, who made a slick pass to Meeks for the layup. Down to “grit” for sure. Brandon missed a jumper, which Carolina rebounded, but Marshall stole the ball from Paige with 1:15 to go. Think about that sentence and that play! Grayson was fouled by Berry with 1:09 to go. Visions of Grayson on the line against Virginia somehow seeped into my head, but Grayson coolly sunk them both for the winning margin, with 1:09 to go. With only 52 seconds left, Duke defended Meeks brilliantly, causing him to miss a layup that Grayson rebounded. After Duke took 27 seconds off the clock, Grayson missed a desperation 3. That left the game’s final play for Derryck Thornton to showcase his newly visible defensive prowess, shutting down Berry’s final attempt.

Marshall was quite amazing in the second half, even though he scored only 1-2 from the line after his 10 point (5-5) first half. He re-entered the game with 4 fouls and 6:49 left to play. Duke was down by 8 at that point. Marshall shored up both Duke’s defense and rebounding, absolutely changing the game. Amazingly, Carolina scored only 5 points in the last 6:49. Which team was supposed to tire from lack of depth?

Brandon had an extraordinary game, with 13 second half points for a game total of 20 on 21 shots (7-21 from the field after 2-10 first half; 2-5 from deep and 4-4 from the line) to go with 10 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks and a steal against a single turnover while committing only 2 fouls. He is a reliable ball handler who played outstanding defense in the second half while defending Duke’s backboard. He is reminding me of Grant Hill in how much he provides to the team in so many different aspects of the game. Finally, Derryck Thornton’s contributions have increased dramatically, but are still under the radar. He played 32 minutes of scintillating defense. He has also become the reliable glue on offense, even though his scoring seems to be decreasing (2-9; 1-4 without getting to the line for 5 points). However, in addition to solid defense — he produced 2 steals and a block, he directed the offense. Critically, he had 0 turnovers and 2 assists. Duke’s growing chemistry has coincided with Derryck’s increased playing time and genuinely terrific defense.

Not many (and certainly not I) expected Duke to beat Louisville, Virginia and UNC (on the road) in succession. It has been an amazing stretch in which we have been privileged to watch a team grow up in dramatic fashion. It is possible that we will decide Duke must have a pretty good coach to accomplish that. It does not get easier, especially with Matt looking as if the best that can be hoped for is a return to form by tournament time. Louisville hosts the Devils at noon on Saturday. But for a few minutes, let us savor one of Duke’s most amazing regular season wins ever.

Duke 64- Louisville 71

While there may be no “good” losses, there are some that transcend a cold “L” in the loss column, because the players demonstrated an extraordinary degree of toughness, heart, and character. After the game Coach K said that he is proud to coach this team, because they are a “damn good Duke team. They fight hard all the time to the very end” adding that Grayson Allen is “one of college basketball’s great warriors.” Today Allen (29 points, 3 assists, 1 steal) fouled out–more on that later– with four minutes to go.

The last four games against ranked opponents (Louisville, Virginia, North Carolina, & Louisville) have essentially been a late season mini-tournament. It would have been a tough test for any of the top five teams in the country, much less a young, depleted Duke team coming off four close, but disappointing losses. Two physical, emotionally draining games in a row are challenge enough, but four in a row are a conference scheduling error. Those efforts took the most toll on the very talented but youngest, skinniest player, Brandon Ingram, who after an extraordinary game against Carolina today had more turnovers (10) than points (8). As a matter of fact, no player, other than Allen, scored in double digits. So how did the Blue Devils team lead for about half of the middle part of the game?

“Next play” is Coach’s mantra. Today, it was “next man” as midway in the second half, Derryck Thornton joined Jefferson and Jones on the bench with what appeared to be a serious right shoulder injury. Luke Kennard was saddled with foul trouble for half the game. Chase Jeter was surprisingly effective with 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, & 1 steal in 17 minutes. And Marshall Plumlee fought and hustled his way to 12 rebounds. Thornton returned late to defy the odds and score on a left handed drive, then a short jump shot. However, Louisville’s second half defense became very aggressive and physical as the refs let them play that way, the home crowd became energized, Duke went cold, Lee hit three threes, and Grayson was called for fouls four and five.

Now, about the refereeing. It has been inconsistent all year all over the league as the referees struggled with interpreting the new defensive contact rule. But today in the second half, the interpretation went retro as Louisville intensified its full court pressure. The result was that the Blue Devils did not adjust to how the game was being called. I have complained about how physically opponents have been allowed to play against Grayson Allen. Today, in scramble for a loose ball, Louisville forward Jaylen Johnson swung an elbow and hit Grayson flush in the jaw, bloodying his mouth. Then, after the whistle had blown, Johnson started punching wildly at him defenseless on the floor. Fortunately, a teammate was pulling Johnson away and his fists just churned in the air. The player was assessed a technical but not ejected.(I guess the reasoning is that his punches did not connect.) On Allen’s fourth foul, he was running to receive an inbound pass and was knocked off balance by Lee into another Cardinal player. His fifth was on a drive. Allen had passed the ball and grazed the post defender, the very same Jaylen Johnson, whose feet were clearly not set. To add insult to injury, Allen was called for a technical foul—Coach K already had received one—for objecting to the call.

Refereeing is difficult at this level. However, I have contended for some time that for whatever reason, Grayson has not been treated the same as other Wooden (only 10 each year) nominees usually are. And for sure, over the years the unwritten rule in both the NBA and college has been that star players are not fouled out of important games on marginal calls.

Other Comments:

Matt Jones warmed up but was not allowed to play by Coach K, who felt Matt could not effectively push off on the injured ankle and did not want to risk further injury. Amile Jefferson is still in a walking boot, because the foot is still painful.

If this game is any indication, Brandon Ingram is neither physically nor mentally ready for the physicality and daily grind of the grown man’s league—the NBA.

Grayson Allen proved that his winning shot against Virginia was no fluke by making an even more difficult shot from the same place on the floor. Only this time, he did not travel, was not on a forty-five degree angle to the floor but actually lying on the floor while throwing the ball in the basket (without the benefit of the backboard).

North Carolina bounced back today and trounced Miami at Chapel Hill.
At halftime of the Duke game, Roy Williams had an astonishing halftime interview. When asked about Duke scoring 42 points on his team, he said: “I don’t care if we gave up 42 points because we like a fast tempo … I don’t ever care how many points we give up as long as we score more. Think about that for a moment. Could you imagine Coach K saying that—even ever thinking that?

Alan Adds:

I firmly believe that this loss was as important to the growth of “this Duke team” as the three stunning conference wins that preceded it. Duke was not less than heroic in its effort, but the challenging schedule, the limited roster, and the intensity of the Louisville defense in the last 10 minutes of the game were more than Duke could overcome. But that heroic effort, in the face of increasing adversity, tells me that this team has grown up to be a formidable force for the post season. While Coach K acknowledged he was disappointed with the loss, it was hard for him to conceal his admiration and respect that his team had earned from him with its effort in this game. This is a different team from several weeks ago.

Coach K’s analysis seemed to me right on the money. He discounted the physicality of the schedule (four games against ranked teams in 8 days) as having an effect. “It was the physicality of the game not the week. It was the most physical second half we have been in this year. We were unable to respond at an appropriate level. The physicality of the game did not lend itself to us (he cited as reasons the lack of depth, injuries and the difference in experience between the teams).” While Bill, Brandon and I disagree about the physicality of the week not being an important factor, Coach K’s basic analysis was correct. I believe this will be a further teaching moment where the team will learn to be stronger and better against the press. The Louisville press ignited the Cardinals’ comeback. Duke was pretty good about getting the ball in (Coach K designed several interesting ways to get the ball to Thornton, who was Duke’s key against the press) — not bad, but hardly great. However, I do not remember Duke beating the press for an easy basket more than once. If the offense doesn’t make the pressing team pay by scoring with a numbers advantage fast break when the ball gets beyond the pressing defenders, the press will be effective. The press then can wear out the team being pressed, as Louisville did to Duke’s undermanned team.

I saw many positive signs, but perhaps the most important came from the play of two progressing freshmen — Chase Jeter and Derryck Thornton. Jeter, Duke’s only sub, played 17 minutes (6 in the first half) and was a positive surprise. He scored 5 points on 1-1 from the field and (gasp!) 3-3 from the line. In the short stint, he had 2 boards, an assist and a steal without a turnover. This is really the first game that he made positive contributions. What a plus for Duke if that continues, especially if Amile does not return for the post season. Derryck’s value became obvious when he was injured. Duke led by 54-49 when Thornton was forced out of the game with 9:08 left in the game. By the time he returned with 3:55 left to play Duke was down 7, 66-59; Grayson had fouled out; and Duke was in deep trouble. The fight that Duke exhibited in the last minutes are a great harbinger that this season has more left that will compel our attention. Marshall, too, was heroic, grabbing 14 boards and playing with visible grit and determination. What a great year he is having!

Duke had a terrible second half (really second half of the second half) scoring only 27 points and going 2-8 from deep (after 7-12 in the first half). Duke had 11 turnovers in the second half (18 for the game; contrast that with 7 against UNC). I attribute much of that to Louisville’s ramped up defensive pressure. While the 3 point shooting fell off, so too did the percentage of open looks versus contested shots. Because only Grayson was in double figures (19 first half points; 29 for the game), no one else’s statistics are impressive. Luke and Brandon simply did not respond to the Louisville pressure. In 36 minutes, Luke was 3-10 from the field; 1-5 from deep and a shocking 2-4 from the line for 9 points. He grabbed only a single rebound, and fouled out at game’s end. Brandon had a nightmare game (no talk of green room for him by Dickie V). I think that is enough analysis of Brandon’s worst game of a brilliant year.

Finally, I disagree with Bill about the refereeing. Refs are human, and like players and coaches, make mistakes. Considering the speed of the game, “bad calls” must be tolerated as simply part of the game and can NEVER be used as an excuse, though it is certainly fair to point out bad calls (Grayson’s fifth foul is a graphic example). I do not believe the game was poorly officiated or effected the outcome of the game. I also hate the notion that the stature of the player (star or role player) has any Effect on the call. Just for the record, Grayson fully deserved the technical that he received after fouling out. Any lip reader could tell what he screamed at the referee. While as Coach K said, in the circumstances of the call, Grayson’s reaction was understandable, it is still not what we want to teach or exhibit.

For me, this game was a very positive Duke experience even though, Duke’s 5th loss in the conference and 7th in the season. Duke has Florida State at Cameron on Thursday; Pitt at Pitt next Sunday; and Wake at home on Tuesday before the final showdown at Cameron for senior night (will that be for Marshall and Amile, or just Marshall?) the following Saturday (3-5). What a season!

Duke 80- Florida State 65

For a team that statistically ranks as the most efficient offense in college basketball, Duke looked anything but that in the first minutes as they went 0-9, then shot 51% for the rest of the game. However, either their defense was terrific or Florida State’s offense was terrible, because the Seminoles were not any better. Whatever the case, the young Seminoles, losers or four straight, in Cameron was just the tonic the Blue Devils needed after the playing ACC Murders’ Row (Louisville, Virginia, at UNC and at Louisville). The Seminoles have no big post presence and their young, athletic players showed little interest in playing defense.

The game progressed from pretty awful to pretty boring as Duke’s offense started cooking and Florida State never cut the lead to single digits in the final twenty-five minutes. The most significant development was that both players injured against Louisville –Matt Jones and Derryck Thornton —started and played well and Duke had balanced scoring. Neither Grayson Allen (18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) nor Brandon Ingram (16 points, 6 rebounds) shot a high percentage, but delivered when needed. Marshall Plumlee (my player of the game) had another double-double and leads the ACC in enthusiasm. Luke Kennard and Chase Jeter played much more confidently. In fact, Chase made the most of his twelve minutes by drawing a two charges, grabbing 5 rebounds, throwing down a dunk, and blocking a shot—a performance that had MP3 chest bumping him ( yes, Chase survived) and the Cameron Crazies chanting his name. He looks and plays as if his time in the weight room is paying dividends.

Winning stats: Duke just 5 turnovers ( 18 against Louisville) vs. 15 for FS, 16 assists, 10 steals, +4 in threes, and +9 in free throws. The Blue Devils were in the bonus situation after ten minutes of each half and the double bonus with 6:30 to go in the game.

Other comments:

The Good: Grayson Allen is on pace to have the largest year-to- year increase in scoring average in ACC history as well as becoming the ninth player in school history to lead the team in scoring and assists. Be sure to read on for Allan’s excellent analysis of the team’s development.
The Bad: Grayson intentionally tripped an opponent for the second time this season. This time it was away from the action, not called but caught on camera. Well, the hate Duke social media exploded. As I have commented, opponents rough Allen up, it is not always called, historically Duke is thought to be white and “soft”. Allen looks like a choir boy but doesn’t play like one. He is not a dirty player, just at times, an impulsive one. For sure, he must play smarter when he retaliates.

Coach K on Jeter: “You get minutes by earning them and in practice he has earned them. He has been a different kid the last three weeks and his teammates see that. . . . so his teammates get confidence in him.”

Nolan Smith, ACC player of the year season in 2011, was added to the coaching staff earlier this week.

Kara Lawson did an terrific job as the color commentator. Her analysis of the game and assessment of the Duke players was as good as anyone has done this year. I was so impressed I looked up her bio. She is from the Washington area, attended Sidwell Friends School (the go-to school for Democratic president’s daughters), played at Tennessee where she majored in Economics, earned a gold medal on the 2008 Olympic team, and played in the WBA.

Next game: Sunday @ Pittsburg 2:00 on ESPN

Alan Adds:

Coach K is justly famous for understanding how to emphasize, promote and develop the concept of “team”. Indeed, for me, watching Coach K nurture and grow a different group each year is one of the true delights of Duke basketball. His genius is to understand the personality of each group and coach it uniquely. This season — and especially the last five games — has been a classic example. No need to document the hole left by Amile’s injury and the subsequent heart breaking end game failures that led Duke to 4-4 in the conference at the end of January. But it is worth emphasizing how this group has come together to form an amazing and lovable team. For example, this team has gone from defensively vulnerable to a defensive juggernaut. The offense that K designed after Amile’s injury — 4 perimeter players around Marshall, featuring the unique talents of Brandon and Grayson — played to the unique strengths of the remaining players. For me, it all coalesced in the first half against Florida State. Duke scored 43 points in just over 16 minutes (Grayson scored Duke’s first points with 16:19 left). After that Duke shot 50% with 10 assists (4 for Matt; 2 each for Grayson and Luke) against a single turnover. Defensively, Duke forced 10 turnovers — 6 of them steals, and held the ’Noles to 30 points. Duke held on firmly in the second half. Coach K said his team was in great physical shape but got tired in the second half because of the emotion expended. That emotion is what drives this team and makes it unique.

Chase Jeter has joined the team as an important contributor. Marshall committed a second foul in the first half, giving Chase an opportunity to build on his valuable performance against Louisville. He made the most of his opportunity, logging nine first half minutes in which he grabbed 5 boards, blocked a shot, took a charge, and scored 5 points (1-3; 1-2 from the line). Coach K said that Chase has “gotten it” in the last 3 weeks and has earned his playing time in practice, and that he will play some in the future with Marshall (2 bigs together, as Duke did before Amile was injured). Chase played 12 minutes (Marshall only 29) and took another charge while playing really good defense. For me that now makes this team “The Magnificent Seven” .

The pillars, of course, are Brandon and Grayson, who each played the full 40 minutes and led the team in scoring, though neither shot particularly well. Each of the others are much more than “role players; they each contribute substantially to make the whole better than the sum of the parts. Grayson led the team in scoring with 18 on 20 shots (7-20; (3-10 from deep and 1-2 from the line), and played a wonderful floor game. He handed out 5 assists (only 1 turnover), and making 3 steals with 3 boards. Brandon followed with 16 points. He was only 2-8, both 3s out of 5 attempts from deep for 6 in the first half. He was awesome in the second half scoring 10 on 3-6 from the field and a crucial 4-5 from the line. His defense is so good. His length stops shooters on the perimeter and he is a force on the interior as well as a dynamic rebounder. When Derryck’s foul trouble limited him to 6 second half minutes, Brandon (together with Matt) was the primary ball handler in Derryck’s absence. The green room talk was back (after a short Louisville absence). In spite of the amazing games that those endurance warriors played, my nomination for the team’s heart and soul for this game was Marshall Plumlee. He is quietly having a superb season, in which he continues to improve. He had 13 points to go with 10 boards and some terrific defense. He and Brandon are now capably defending the paint and Duke’s defensive boards.

Duke is getting terrific upper class leadership. Matt, who said he was 90% recovered, played 34 minutes of efficient basketball. As always, he guards the best scorer on the opponent. He is a reliable ball handler, a clutch shooter, and team leader. A perfect example was his diving on the floor for a loose ball, getting the time out to keep possession, with less than a minute to go and the game completely in hand. This team is swimming in heart. Matt was 3-7 from deep (4-8 overall) scoring 11 while handing out 5 assists and grabbing 3 boards. Coach K pointed out how much he was missed against Louisville defensively because Lee exploded offensively after Matt’s injury forced him from the game. Luke also was again a valuable contributor in his 25 minutes. He was 5-7 from inside the arc, though he missed both his long range attempts and a foul shot (2-3) for 12 points to go with 3 boards, 3 steals and 2 assists. He too has the fiery spirit. That is 5 double figure scorers; consider the balanced scoring — Grayson 18, Brandon 16, Marshall 13, Luke 12, Matt 11, Derryck 7, and Chase 3. Derryck scored 5 in 14 first half minutes. Foul trouble limited him to 2-2 from the line in his second half cameo before fouling out. While he is still posting anemic assist numbers (0 for the game), he has improved dramatically on the defensive end and is critical to this team going forward. The team is growing almost magically.

Duke has 3 games left in this cavalry charge for seedings in the ACC tournament. The first four get double byes. Louisville won’t count. There are five other teams in contention. UNC is 12-3, with 3 very tough games left; at UVA; Louisville, and at Duke. Miami is 11-4; while UVA, Duke and Notre Dame are 10-5. Great finish to the regular season coming up.

DUKE 62– PITT 76

Pitt came into this “Senior Day” game needing to punch their ticket for a trip to the NCAA Tournament. That they did– as well was punch holes in the Blue Devils man-to-man defense, pummel them in the paint, and shoot their lights out from beyond the arc. If it was a fight, it would have been stopped as a TKO well before the final buzzer sounded. Coach K said his players were tired. He could see it in the second half of the Florida State game. Welcome to college basketball 2016. After Xavier and Duke lost today, there were 15 losses and counting for Top 25 teams this week. 1,3,4,5,7,8,9(2x), 10,11,15,16,17,19, 23 lost. Cameron victim Florida State rebounded to beat Notre Dame handily at home, Virginia edged Carolina at home. Notice a trend? However, there is little comfort in these numbers for Blue Devil fans, even though Alan predicted the outcome.

Although no one likes a loss, I am more concerned about the fallout from the overwrought, overblown media firestorm surrounding Grayson Allen’s recent tripping violation(s). They were sophomoric acts, but, hey, he is a sophomore who plays for Duke, plays hard and well, sometimes sensationally well, and takes a lot of punishment. When he played AAU basketball, Grayson’s jersey was so torn from being grabbed and skidding on the floor, he needed a new one for each game.

Anyone who watches sports knows that there is a lot of contact, some legal, mostly not, going on against high profile players that isn’t called. And that often the player who retaliates is the one called for the foul. For sure, the refs will be more diligent in monitoring Grayson and the opposing fans will be all over him. Let me state the obvious. If he didn’t play for Duke, neither transgression would have warranted a mention—if it bleeds, it leads is the journalistic truism. Let’s go to the videotape. After the last Louisville game I wrote: I have complained about how physically opponents have been allowed to play against Grayson Allen. Today, in scramble for a loose ball, Louisville forward Jaylen Johnson swung an elbow and hit Grayson flush in the jaw, bloodying his mouth. Then, after the whistle had blown, Johnson started punching wildly at him defenseless on the floor. Fortunately, a teammate was pulling Johnson away and his fists just churned in the air. The player was assessed a technical but not ejected. (I guess the reasoning is that his punches did not connect.)

I contend that the Allen extensive coverage is an example the journalistic and fan Duke double standard. If Jaylen Johnson wasn’t ejected on the spot or suspended later by the commissioner for elbowing Allen in the mouth drawing blood, then punching wildly at him, why wasn’t there a journalistic and social media hue and cry for the league to penalize Jaylen? Neither of Grayson’s retaliations drew blood or caused any injury. It was just immature behavior and poor sportsmanship. Coach K apologized to Miami coach, Leonard Hamilton, had a heart-to-heart talk with Grayson after the game, and called the league commissioner the next morning to explain his what happened and how he had handled it. Grayson also issued a public apology. End of story? Not if you play for Duke. But players know what they are buying into when the decide to play for the Blue Devils—a lot of attention, a lot of scrutiny, a lot of fan hostility. This is not an effort to justify Grayson Allen’s actions, it just an effort to put it in perspective. Such notoriety just fueled the competitive fires of Laettner and JJ Redick and helped make them All-Americans. Only time will how this attention will affect Grayson Allen and the rest of the team.

Alan just emailed me that this was Coach K at his postgame presser: “The ACC did right by issuing its first ever reprimand rather than a suspension. It was a Flagrant One foul. Nobody gets suspended for a Flagrant One foul. That should be the end of it, but we are Duke, so we have to live with the enduring publicity.”

Next game: Wake Forest @ Cameron 8:00 ACC Network

Alan Adds:

I emailed Bill on Sunday morning that Pittsburg was “a trap game”. It was somewhat obvious. Conference road games are always tough, and one on your adversary’s senior night is especially tough. For Pitt, the season was on the line, as Pitt had lost several winnable games and perceived it needed one big win or fail to make the NCAA tournament. Last chance! The crowd was in a frenzy. Duke had played through an hellacious month. After a bitter loss (gallant effort) against Louisville, which followed 3 amazing wins against ranked teams, a superb effort against Florida State after the Louisville loss , Duke had the season’s most important regular season game (UNC) coming up. Grayson had been the center of a media storm, caused by his own dishonorable actions. I wondered if Duke could summon the intense emotion that fueled the team through that scintillating (and surprising) stretch.

First, Pitt played an amazing game, creating intensity from the Panther tournament situation. Pitt defended superbly and made pursuit of the ball its mantra. Pitt doubled up Duke in rebounding, forced turnovers on Duke’s penetration attempts and shot the lights out on Robinson’s Senior night. Second, as Coach K said, Duke played a game that was “out of character”. All year long, Coach K pointed out, this team has played its butt off; “we did not play our butts off today.” “In a long season, these things happen once in a while. Thank god it’s only once in a while.” Perhaps Coach K was remembering the 2010 team being blown out in DC by Georgetown in front of President Obama or last year’s beat down by Miami (90-74) in Cameron. Oh yeah, Duke won the National Championship after experiencing those routes. Coach K emphasized Duke’s lack of hunger and energy against the Panthers. “They were hungry; we were not. Which team would you rather have: hungry or not hungry?”

Pitt “did their thing, and we couldn’t stop it. They have mobile bigs; we knew that Marshall would have an unusual guy to defend.” Pitt’s mobile big drew Marshall away from the basket and scored efficiently. Of course, that left Marshall defending on the perimeter and Duke’s back board very vulnerable. In 28 minutes, Marshall had only 4 boards with 0 points and 0 blocks. Duke was simply slaughtered off both backboards. Coach K’s theme was “we have to move on” and get ready for Wake on Tuesday night. This team was very tired. It will be a physical and emotional test of “this Duke team” against Wake. Duke is now a #5 seed (losing the double bye) in the ACC tournament (actually tied for 4th, but Notre Dame holds the tie breaker). ND plays Miami and NC State while Duke plays Wake and UNC. Duke could really use the double bye. Time to move on from this aberrational nightmare.

DUKE 79 – WAKE FOREST 71

It’s a good thing that Duke, playing their third game in six days, was hosting Wake Forest, a team that hadn’t won in Cameron since 1997 because the way the Blue Devils played, it is doubtful they would have beaten most ACC teams. Marshall Plumlee (13 pts, 17 rebs.), Grayson Allen (30 pts, 5 rebs, 5 stls), and Coach K (burned 1,000 calories running the coaches box) were the only players who appeared to have much gas left in their tank.

The momentum of the close game turned when Brandon chased down Rondale Watson on a fast break and blocked his layup. Grayson patented dive saved the ball before it went out of bounds, flinging it to teammate Luke Kennard. Duke raced to the other end and found Ingram open from the right wing, where he nailed a 3-pointer tying the game at 56-56. Coach Mike Krzyzewski whipped off his suit jacket, turned cheerleader, and urged the already deafening Cameron Crazies to get even louder. Then he started working the sidelines with the energy and enthusiasm of a hyperactive Cameron Crazy. We have seen this scenario before: his players are embarrassed to see their coach working harder than they are. The result was a 12-2 run that was the breathing room for the Blue Devils to close out the game as Wake reverted to form and imploded during the final minutes.

While that was a rare exhilarating moment tonight in a gutsy win, it is difficult to see how this young, thin team goes far in either upcoming tournament. For the first time, Coach Krzyzewski didn’t sound optimistic about Jefferson returning this year. And even if he does, how fit and effective could he be? This team will go as far as Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram carry them. Even though Grayson scored 30 points, his shooting was streaky, even missing five free throws. Matt Jones tweaked his bad ankle. All the freshmen appear to have hit the wall: Brandon was only 6-17 from the floor; Derryck Thornton, Luke Kennard and Jeter were a combined 2 for 12. Only the irrepressible, Energizer Man MP3 is at the top of his game. Perhaps, as the News Observer writer Laura Keeley suggests: “The best thing for this team is to lose early in the ACC Tournament and be fresh for the NCAA tournament.” Laura is Duke graduate who covered the team for The Chronicle, so she knows to leave that thought in a tweet, not say it in front of Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Other Thoughts:

I am a big fan of Grayson Allen both as a player and as a person and think it is a shame two brief acts of emotional, harmless retaliation are presently defining him. Last night, he was the POG as well as in control of his emotions. There were his usual damn the floor burns diving-for-all-loose-balls and daredevil drives to the basket plays. But late in the game, he was racing down the sidelines when a Wake player hip checked him out of bounds onto the press row table, breaking a sport writer’s laptop. It was a potentially volatile situation but Grayson just disengaged himself from the debris, checked his body parts, smiled, and returned to the floor.
J Redick had some interesting thoughts on the role the media role plays in vilifying a Duke player:

“There seems to be this myth of this ‘Duke villain,’ and more often, the Duke villain is white … It goes from Danny Ferry to Christian Laettner to Steve Wojciechowski to Chris Collins to Mike Dunleavy to J.J. Redick to Greg Paulus to Jon Scheyer, and now it’s Grayson Allen. Grayson is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, so is Jon Scheyer, and Greg Paulus, as well as the others.

The media promotes the attitude that this guy is a villain. It was more in reaction to the hate that was already coming my way before I ever really did anything to warrant it. It’s almost like, every time there’s a player at Duke, the media says, ‘You should dislike this guy.’ I can remember being in school my senior year when Greg Paulus was a freshman, and there were numerous articles that year — ‘Greg Paulus is the next hated Duke player.’ The media, I guess, was choosing who we should hate. The media was saying, ‘This guy is the next guy.’”

Why, though? Why does there have to be a next in line? If you didn’t like Laettner, that’s fine. If you didn’t like Chris Collins, that’s fine. If you didn’t like me, that’s fine. Whatever. Does it really have to be like, every, Duke team, there has to be a guy you dislike?

“I get why there is some animosity toward Duke. I don’t necessarily agree with that. But I would hesitate, if I were some people, to anoint someone a villain. Don’t agree with it.”

Next game: Saturday, North Carolina 6:30 ESPN

Alan Adds:

It was almost as if the game were divided into four quarters. Duke played well enough in the first and fourth quarters to win the game that felt closer than the final score. What was warming was the way Duke rebounded from the disastrous Pitt defeat (Coach K said it was “an out of body experience” for the team) to show the grit and determination to take control of the game in the last 12 minutes, playing lights out defense. Grayson shook off the fall-out from his “tripaholic” acts to play a superb game, that was dazzling in his will and intensity (not to mention 30 points). What is concerning is how porous the defense was in the middle of the game (last part of the first half and first part of the second), Duke’s erratic shooting (10-35 from the field in the first half; 3-10 from deep), and uncharacteristic terrible foul shooting. Duke was 25 of 38, with Marshall missing 6 in a row after hitting his first five (0-3 in the second half, the last one was the front end of a 1 and 1) and Grayson missing 5 (9-14). Duke’s bench failed to score. Matt tweaked his ankle again, and though he returned to the game, Coach K expressed some concern as to how the ankle would be today.

Last night, this team looked gassed to me. This was Duke’s third game in the last 6 days, with only a day after the Pitt disaster. In the stretch against UVA, UNC and Louisville, Chase Jeter began to emerge as a contributor. Unfortunately, he returned to his early season form for the last two games. Last night in 5 minutes, he committed 2 fouls without a rebound. He was 1-2 from the line (the one bounced way high before unexpectedly dropping in). Luke played 21 minutes without scoring — without taking a shot in the second half. (0-4; 0-2 from 3land in the first half). Duke was careful with the ball until the second half doldrums, when turnovers began to happen. For the first 30 minutes, Derryck was scoreless (0-6; 0-2 from behind the arc), but just when you thought he had nothing left to contribute, he erupted for 2 crucial layups and 2-2 on critical foul shots. Coach K relies on him, playing him 37 minutes. He plays good on the ball defense. He guarded Crawford who scored 15, but on 15 shots. He also had 4 assists against a single turnover. Still, he is not yet the elite point guard that would really elevate this team.

Marshall was a force, though Wake’s Thomas exposed his lack of defensive mobility. Marshall grabbed 17 rebounds, many of them crucial and earned by sheer hustle and energy. He had 13 points (8 in the first half) in 34 minutes, before fouling out with less than 2 minutes to go (could you read his lips after he committed his fifth foul?). He embodies the spirit of this team — making up for any shortcomings by sheer hustle fueled by boundless energy. Still missing foul shots is a sign of being tired. The rest of the scoring was handled by Matt, Brandon, and the irrepressible Grayson. Matt had a wonderfully efficient game, playing 27 minutes before fouling out. In addition to being defensive glue, guarding taller players, he scored 14 on 9 shots (4-6 from deep and 2-2 from the line to go with 3 steals. It might be that the two games he missed because of the ankle (most of UNC and Louisville) may have given him the needed rest to rejuvenate. Brandon was heroic, but looks as if he is wearing down to me. He is so talented that it is less obvious. He has logged prodigious minutes all year and last night was no exception (39 minutes). He pulled himself together for a game winning second half after a 3-12 first half from the floor. He scored 15 points on 17 shots, but was absolutely heroic off the boards (11) with 3 steals, 2 assists, and a spectacular block at a crucial (game changing) moment. Grayson put Duke on his back, willing Duke to the win. In 37 minutes, he scored 30 on 16 shots (7-16; 2-5 from deep). He drove and drove and drove. He was rewarded with 19 free throws, which even though he missed an extraordinary 5, made the difference in the game. He also had 5 steals and 5 boards. He was quite simply awesome!

It seemed to me that Duke gets lax on defense when there is a perception of foul trouble in the offing. With 12 minutes left, Duke started to clamp down on defense, and to get the hustle balls (one led to a Grayson 3 and one to a Matt 3). But in truth, the last 12 minutes was caused as much by Wake’s terrible play as Duke’s turnaround. When evaluating this game, let us not forget just how truly bad the Deacons are. They are not without talent, but they are careless with the ball and have jaw dropping lapses. There is a reason that Wake has only won a single conference game besides beating (as every team has done) BC.

Coach K said a decision on whether Amile will return this year is imminent. He reported that Amile can move side to side without pain, but cannot run fluidly yet. Coach K thinks if he does not play, he will be awarded a red shirt and can play next season. Let’s see whether several days of rest can restore “this Duke team” to being competitive in the last home game of the season (Senior night for Marshall; Amile?)

DUKE 72 – NORTH CAROLINA 76

There is no way this game should have been this close. Duke shot 37 percent from the field, was outrebounded 64-29, and missed 6 of 15 free throws. It was the third game in a row that they shot under 40 percent from the field. You can get away with that against a Wake Forest but not a North Carolina or even a Pitt.

The Blue Devils chances took a big hit when Brandon Ingram got into early foul trouble and never got out of it. He had to sit out eleven minutes of the first half, then received his third a minute into the second half and fourth with ten minutes to play. He never got into any offensive rhythm, only scoring 10 points. Fortunately, Luke Kennard picked up some of the scoring slack with 20 points, but no one else other than Grayson Allen was in double digits. Allen had 29 points, but it took 28 shots and even though he attacked the basket in his usual physical, fearless manner, the referees only sent him to the foul line one time. At least three times, UNC scored quickly in a five-on-four situation after Allen went to the floor without the benefit of a foul call. (Memo to the press: Duke doesn’t always get all the calls.) For this team to win, it has to hit threes, which they did tonight(13 vs. 4) AND score more points than their opponent at the free throw line, which they did not (9-15 vs. 20-23). Fortunately (except at the free throw line), Carolina shot just as poorly—but theirs were at much closer range. And then there was the rebounding disparity.

Duke was never ahead and when they made a run to get close or tie the score, the Tar Heels always responded. North Carolina is a much bigger, much deeper, and more mature team that deserved t0 win tonight. My buddy Johnny Tar Heel just texted me: “We were very lucky. K is a magician.”

For sure, Mike Krzyzewski can coach and this year is one of his best jobs. However, this game left more questions than answers for both teams. Coach K can’t coach players who aren’t there and Coach Williams has to coach players who are there but don’t always mentally or physically show up. It’s debatable who has the more frustrating job but not which team has more tournament upside. Next year will be another story as Duke had a full complement of recruits that rivals the Okafor, Jones, Winslow, Allen class—as well as Amile Jefferson (see below).

Other Comments:

Grayson Allen has been named as a finalist for the Wooden Player of the year award as well as for both the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award and Oscar Robertson Trophy.
Bad news for this year; good news for next year: Duke announced before the game that on the advice of team doctors senior forward Amile Jefferson would miss the rest of the season as his broken right foot has not fully healed. The school will petition the NCAA for a medical hardship waiver that would allow Jefferson to return next year.
Duke went to a combination of zones, which were effective, in the second half. However, without Jefferson underneath, I don’t get putting Ingram on top of the 1-3-1. He is the best big defender and rebounder Duke has.
John Feinstein, the Duke grad who is the bestselling sports author of all time, has a new book “The Legends Club”– Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano and the Story of an Epic College Basketball Rivalry. John’s books are always an easy read. They are like having a one sided conversation with John. I have met them both and I can tell you he is right up there with the just deceased local novelist Pat “The Prince of Tides” Conroy (His wife: “The water is wide and he hasnow passed over.”) as compelling, knowledgeable story tellers. This is an intimate narrative, because he loves basketball and was able to develop a personal relationship with the two younger coaches before they became famous. Dean took more time but that is one of the more interesting aspects of the book. Over his career, John has taken copious notes, which he has kept, but he also intersperses myriads of interviews with those who have survived Dean and Jim. If you are a Tobacco Road basketball fan—no matter what school—this is a must read!

Alan Adds:

Early on Saturday here’s what I emailed to Bill: “I have a really bad feeling about the game tonight, but still some hope. I went back and re-read our DBP of the first Carolina game. UNC is so much better, huge and skilled on the interior, deep and experienced. Duke seems to be running on fumes, with Luke and Derryck both dropping off sharply (especially in scoring). UNC will be fueled by revenge at having the game essentially stolen from them at the Dean Dome. I bet the spread favors UNC by a substantial margin. Still I have hope because: 1) it is in Cameron (though memories of 2012 keep haunting this scene); 2) Senior night for Marshall; Amile??]; 3) Just when you think this team is done, it rises from the dead like Rasputin or You Know Who; and 4) UNC seems to have a character flaw that could, as in the Dean Dome, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So, I am hopeful.

It turned out to be a pretty accurate analysis, except that uncharacteristically the ‘heels did not “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory” when they had the opportunity to do so. Instead, 3 different ‘heels made 8 straight foul shots to thwart Duke’s last desperate efforts. The first three shooters for the ‘heels went to the line for the front end of 1 and 1s. A miss on any of the first ones would have been…but it was not to be. With 3:22 left in the game, UNC went up by 9 at 68-59 on a layup by Berry. It was UNC’s last field goal, and set the scene for Duke’s last Rasputin-like effort. Grayson hit a 3 and then scored on a dunk to make it 68-64 with 53 seconds left. Carolina missed, but Pinson grabbed the offensive rebound (like a recurring nightmare) and was fouled by Marshall. He made them both with 26 seconds left (70-64). Grayson hit another 3 with 17 seconds left — that’s 8 straight points in 2 and a half minutes (70-67). Berry made both free throws (72-67 with 17 seconds left) before Luke hit a 3 from the corner with 9 seconds left (72-70). Paige made 2 with 9 seconds left (74-70) before Marshall made a dunk (74-72 with 4 seconds left). Paige made the final 2 free throws with 1.8 left for the final margin.

Duke had only 3 scorers in the second half to make the push. [Marshall made a field goal and a foul shot — finally, after 4 misses in the first half; making 10 straight misses going back to the Wake game — for 3 points]. Grayson scored 17 in the second half (6-14; 4-6 from deep; 1-2 from the line); Luke had 10 (20 for the game), and Brandon had 10 in the half even though he could not make his 3s (3-11; 1-5; 3-4). He played the whole 20 minutes, the last 10 with 4 fouls. He took only one shot in the first half and did not score. Thornton played only 3 minutes in the second half; I speculate that Coach K knew he needed 3 point shooters, and Derryck has been in a shooting slump for a while. The coach went with Matt (18 minutes), Luke (19), Brandon (20), Marshall (20) and Grayson (20). Chase got 0 minutes in the second half.

It will be easier on my soul if I omit any discussion of rebounding, except to say that Carolina out rebounded Duke 30-10 in the first half (Brandon got only a single board in his 9 minutes) and 34-19 in the second (Brandon corralled 6). Not much else to say, except “Wait Till Next Year” when Duke brings in Tatum, Giles and (hopefully) Amile returns. Duke’s usually balanced scoring was fatally unbalanced. Jeter failed to score in 7 minutes. Derryck hit a late 3 in the second half for his only points in just 15 minutes (1-4 from the field) with 1 assist and1 turnover, 0 rebounds and a steal. Matt played 36 minutes, scoring 5 in the first half but 0 in the second (2-8; 1-7 from deep without a foul shot attempt). Marshall scored only 5 in his 37 minutes with just 9 boards. In his 16 first half minutes, Marshall was 0-4 from the line with a single hoop. So that left the load to Grayson and Luke. Grayson was again heroic (11-28; 6-11 and 1-2 from the line) in 40 minutes (he fouled out with only seconds to go). But the key stat, which is a credit to Carolina’s defense is that Grayson was only 5-17 from inside the arc and did not draw fouls as he usually does. Carolina lost the first game on the perimeter; the Carolina guards did a much better job this time in Cameron. Luke returned to form after missing his first few (after going scoreless in a recent game). In 36 minutes he was 6-13; 4-9 from deep and 4-4 from the line for 20 points. He also contributed 3 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals against 0 turnovers and only 2 fouls. He was a star.

Duke is the 5th seed in the ACC tournament, meaning the loss makes Duke play an extra game on Wednesday against the winner of Tuesday’s game between Wake and NC State. If Duke wins on Wednesday, the quarterfinal matchup will be with Notre Dame on Thursday. Though 7 is the most conference losses Duke has suffered since the 2006-7 season, this has proven to be a lovable and admirable team. In hindsight, a season where Duke would compete for conference and national honors was lost when Amile was lost. Shades of Kyrie and Ryan. Still post-season challenges are in front of “this Duke team”. Next Play.

ACC TOURNAMENT

DUKE 92 – NORTH CAROLINA STATE 89

This game looked more like a summer league game at North Carolina Central in Durham than an ACC Tournament game in Washington, DC. Offense not defense was the specialty of the day as both teams finished shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3-point range. During our half time call, Alan pointed out that the 53-50 score was going just as Coach K had scripted it: Since State had played a close, enervating game last night, stay out of foul trouble by letting the Pack run and shoot themselves into exhaustion in the first thirty minutes, then ratchet up the defense in the last ten minutes and close the game out on an exhausted team.

This strategy worked like a charm until Marshall Plumlee had his nose broken and the Devils squandered a nine point lead. After MP3 (17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks) had the blood flow contained and his nose straightened, he returned to play an heroic final five minutes making winning plays on both offense and defense to save the day and an embarrassing collapse.

Luke Kennard started in place of Thornton and scored 20 points. Brandon Ingram gave the NBA scouts an eye full by scoring 19 first half points before twisting his ankle. Grayson Allen had had 19 points 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and another ill-advised technical. Matt Jones has not been the same player since he injured his ankle. Chase Jeter had eight productive minutes.

Other Thoughts:

Cat Barbour was virtually unstoppable. If Duke had him at the point, the Blue Devils would be a Final Four team.

John Feinstein, the Duke grad who is the bestselling sports author of all time, has a new book “The Legends Club”– Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano and the Story of an Epic College Basketball Rivalry. I am reading it. If you are a Duke, UNC, or State fan, it is a must read!
Here is John on the ACC expansion: “Expansion has been an ongoing embarrassment for the ACC. On Tuesday, during those thrilling games involving the bottom four seeds, they curtained off the upper deck of Verizon Center to try to hide the emptiness of the building. (The crowd was announced at 7,000, which may have been counting by twos.) Next year the tournament goes to Brooklyn — Brooklyn?No doubt fans from the South will be thrilled with the notion of riding the subway to Barclays Center since there is zero parking there and with the prices they will pay for New York hotels.”

Next game: Notre Dame Thursday @2:00 ESPN

Alan Adds:

It is undeniably difficult to beat another team three times in a season, but Duke accomplished that with its third hard fought win over NC State this season. It was an entertaining game with offensive fireworks in the first half that were astounding. As Coach K pointed out, many players were making difficult shots all over the court. For sure the defense lacked intensity, but the offensive outburst was more about terrific offensive basketball by both teams. At the half, I told Bill that I thought State would tire in the later stages of the second half; it was their third game in 5 days, and the Wolfpack is just as thin as the Blue Devils. The State bench played only 25 minutes; Duke’s bench played 27 (Chase played 8 and Derryck, who has been replaced by Kennard in the starting lineup, played 19). Coach K was adamant in the press conference that he was not worried about Duke’s conditioning or getting tired; rather, his greatest concern is Duke getting in foul trouble. I also told Bill that Duke was avoiding foul trouble and would be more effective on the defensive end at game’s end. I think both Duke’s increased defensive intensity and State’s fatigue tipped a close game to the Blue Devil win column.

Coach K said it is the best Duke has played offensively in three weeks, and that “this Duke team” had become a really good team in the last five weeks. Contributions came from Brandon (scoring only in the first half, but solid defense and great rebounding in the second half), Grayson, Luke, Chase and Derryck. Only Matt Jones seemed out of sync and has since even before he sprained his ankle against Carolina. Matt played 27 minutes, scoring a 3 pointer early for his only points in the game (1-5; 1-3 from deep and again did not get to the free throw line). He had a rebound in each half. I don’t think he has fully recovered, and it shows in his defense. Ingram played the entire game with only a single 3 point goal in the second half (1-6; 1-2), but with 4 boards, 3 assists, a block in that stanza. When Brandon went cold in the second half, Grayson got hot. In 39 minutes, he scored 19 (14 in the second half) to go with 6 assists (5 in the first half when he was passing more than shooting). Luke took more Duke shots than any player (10-19; Grayson and Brandon took 14 shots each), but still cannot find his 3 point shot (2-7), and missed his only free throw that would have sealed the game. He was a star in his 35 minutes.

Marshall, however, was Duke’s most valuable player in this game. He logged 32 minutes and played some beautiful and tough basketball. His play when he returned to the game after he (actually is was Matt Jones’s elbow) broke his nose was the emotional catalyst for Duke’s win. With the game tied at 89, Marshall grabbed a tough offensive rebound after a miss by Brandon and stuffed the put back as he was fouled. He not only made the foul shot (they were the last points in the game), but hustled back on defense to stop Barber’s drive and create the steal with which Grayson is credited. Marshall, in his senior year, has been so special for this team. Chase contributed with 5 points and 3 boards in 8 minutes (more points than either Matt or Derryck scored). He played well, but was only 1-3 from the foul line and committed 2 fouls. Duke’s foul shooting improved in the second half (5-10 in the first half) to 14-22. Derryck Thornton scored his 4 points in the first half on two nice drives to the basket. He missed his only jumper. He played 19 minutes (only 8 in the second half).

Duke is back at it tomorrow in the second afternoon game on ESPN against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. A chance for revenge and an appearance in the Semi-finals.

DUKE 93 – UNC WILMINGTON 85

Duke played the first half this afternoon like they did in the second half of the loss to Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament. Only two rare threes at the end of the half kept the score semi-embarrassing. I don’t know what Coach K said at halftime but apparently Lt. Marshall Plumlee ripped off his face mask, threw it across the room and shouted: “ I’ve got you. Follow me fellas.” Marshall, who played like Clark Kent in the first half, ran out of the locker room / phone booth and played like Superman, flying all over the floor rejecting shots and above the rim jamming in passes and misses as his platoon overwhelmed the Seahawks with a 14-0 run. That surge was the working margin the Blue Devils needed to prevail against the feisty but undersized Seahawks, even though a slippery floor caused Allen two unforced turnovers to keep the score closer than it should have been late in the game. That same wet spot caused Baylor a turnover on their last potentially tying possession.

It was a good thing that Plumlee (23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) stepped into the breach, because only Grayson Allen (23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) and Brandon Ingram (20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) produced their normal numbers. Luke Kennard is still a mystifyingly inconsistent freshman (just when you think he has solved the riddle, he plays like he doesn’t know the question) and Matt Jones is either injured or in a slump, because he is not nearly as efficient as last year. Off the bench, Thornton played well and Jeter is no longer a liability. To advance, the Blue Devils need more than two or three players to be hitting on all cylinders.

Other Thoughts:

Ø To no one’s surprise, Coach K announced that Brandon Ingram is a one and done player. As talented as he is, Brandon is a poster player for needing another year or so in college to physically and mentally mature and get the playing time to work on his game against contemporaries in real time.

Ø It’s a good thing that Duke went to the foul line 43 times and hit 31, because the Seahawks had 7 more threes, which is a good indication how poorly they were shooting.

Ø Duke beat Yale by 19 late last year but that was in Cameron with Amile Jefferson. (Suggestion: Please use the 1-3-1 again but with Brandon not on top some of the time.)

Ø The “Hate Duke” journalistic campaign has reached an absurd crescendo. The Wall Street Journal: “The Complicated Politics of Hating Duke” by a UNC grad; The Washington Post: “The Mount Rushmore of hated Duke players” with pictures; Fox Sports: “Duke vs. Yale is the worst. Who do you possibly root for?”; Yahoo: “Love Duke? Hate Duke? How do Americans really feel?” And those are just the articles I stumbled upon.

Next Game: Yale Saturday 2:40 CBS

Alan Adds:

Before the UNC-W game, I texted Bill as follows: 2012 – Lehigh; 2014 – Mercer; 2016 – ?. What was different? I watched this game! I now must admit that for the combined reasons of lascivious activity and overconfidence, I did not watch either the Lehigh or Mercer games. (My apologies, Coach K; won’t happen again!). Wilmington played well and was justly praised by Coach K, who pointed out how together Wilmington played and that as double champions of their league (regular season and tournament) a game like this is “what the NCAA tournament is all about.” Duke gave up 43 points in the first half and 42 in the closing stanza. Not good defense in either half. But Duke scored 53 in the second half (44 of those points coming from Marshall, 19 on 7-8 from the field and 5-6 from the line; Grayson 16 including 10-11 from the line — to go with 7 boards (in the half), and 3 assists; and Brandon, 9. In the second half, Matt scored 5 while Chase (2-2 from the line) and Derryck, who made his only shot on a circus drive, each scored 2.

Coach K said he thought Duke was nervous as the game opened and that Wilmington played harder than Duke in the first half, but not in the second half. Coach K said that Duke had two of the nation’s most talented players in Grayson and Brandon, but Marshall was most important to the team. “When he plays well, we have a chance to win; when he just plays ok, we do not.” He played just ok in the first half, but did transform at half time (the turning point in the game was Marshall taking the mask off). Marshall has to learn not to pace himself, said Coach K. He did not yesterday. After his team transforming outburst in the first three minutes of the second half, he asked to sub out of the game. Coach K said that is the first time all year he has done so. He played 29 minutes before fouling out with a gaudy stat line and increased stature. Coach K also pointed out that he could rest Marshall because of Chase’s development. “Until 3 or 4 weeks ago, when Marshall came out there was a void. But in the last 3-4 weeks Chase has been filling that void. Duke is better because Chase gives Marshall adequate back up for a few minutes at a time. Chase played 11 minutes, scoring 5 (1-1 from the field), but going 1-3 from the line in the first half (2-2 at crunch time in the closing session). He had 2 boards and a block.

Grayson played the entire game (minus a few seconds at the end) contributing an amazing 10 boards and 5 assists (worth repeating) to go with his 15-17 from the line. In short, Grayson is astounding even when he does not shoot well (4-12 from the field and 0-4 from behind the arc). His speed is amazing. Dribbling with the ball he was outdistancing pursuing defenders while shredding the press. Brandon played just as well even though his stats were less gaudy (5-10 from the foul line). In 39 minutes he was 7-12 from the field (1-2 from deep) to go with 9 boards (1 more than Marshall and 1 less than Grayson), 3 assists and 2 blocks. He has become a reliable defender. Coach K pointed out that when Brandon has not played well it is because he is in foul trouble. ACC teams posted him up when Duke was defending, in the attempt to get him in foul trouble. Wilmington played four guards and could not do that. Brandon was superb overall with 10 points in the first half and 9 in the second.

Coach K lauded Derryck because of his ball handling against the Wilmington press. In 24 minutes he scored 5, had 2 assists against a single turnover and had a key block. Coach K made what I thought was a telling point — Brandon, Derryck and Chase are still only 18 years old. Each is getting better, but they (and Duke) are very young. He pointed out that Duke won because of the 23 year old (Marshall). Duke had only 10 turnovers and kept driving and getting fouled; that is what eventually won the game. A concern going forward is the play of Luke Kennard. After a scoreless game against Notre Dame, he had a scoreless second half in this one. In 18 first half minutes he scored all 5 of his points (2-7 from the field; 1-2 from deep without getting to the foul line). In the second half, he played 12 minutes and missed both of his shots. Duke needs him to break out of his slump because when he has been good, he has been very good.

Yale beat Baylor (as I predicted); they are a better basketball team, even if Baylor had better athletes, and perhaps even better basketball players. I dug out what I had written after Duke beat Yale in November (when Duke had Amile and Yale had its starting point guard and captain, no longer in school or on the team), “If you love the game of basketball, it was hard not to completely admire Yale’s opening salvo against Duke at Cameron. The Bulldogs simply played beautiful basketball in carving up the Duke man to man defense. It could have been an offensive coaching clinic (with Duke defenders playing the role of the Washington Generals!).” Duke could not keep Mason out of the paint (Neither could Baylor; Mason scored 31 yesterday), and so played a lot of 1-3-1 with Brandon on top, Amile in the middle and Marshall under the basket. Both teams are quite different now. It should be an interesting game. A Duke win and a berth in the Sweet 16 would be very satisfying.

DUKE 71 – YALE 64

This game was a microcosm of the season in forty minutes. When these Blue Devils are playing good defense, they play good offense and can beat anyone. But when they are not playing good defense, they can lose to anyone. In the first twenty minutes Grayson Allen almost outscored Yale by himself as Duke shot threes (9-15) like the Golden State Warriors and took a 48-23 lead into the locker room. In the second half, the Blue Devils understandably went to their “prevent offense” meant to protect their lead by taking time off the clock and limiting Yale’s possessions and probability to close the gap. The unintended consequence was that their defensive metabolism also slowed down and Yale, to their credit, took advantage, started making plays, and became energized—as did the Providence pro Yale crowd.

Holy Collapse, Dickie V! This is how close the game became: Duke’s enormous lead shrunk to 7 with twelve minutes left and to 3 with thirty-nine seconds left. However, Coach K did his Hall-of-Fame best to rally his team, finally even succumbing to a modified 1-3-1 zone with Brandon on top. It created some consternation for the Bulldog offense and resulted in a few critical turnovers—all of which somewhat neutralized Yale’s offensive momentum. The bottom line is that the young guns –Ingram, Allen, Kennard, plus grey beard Plumlee (10 rebounds & 5 blocks) made offensive and defensive plays and free throws (14-16 for the game) to save an embarrassing collapse that, undoubtedly, would live in CBS/NCAA video loop history as a “not-so-shining moment” counter balance to Laettner’s iconic “one shining moment” shot against Kentucky.

The good news is that instead of cruising to a lopsided victory and thinking they were channeling last year’s team NCAA Tournament success, the players are reminded once again that in order to beat top teams, they must play defense most of the forty minutes at efficient, full speed not cruise control. The inconsistency of winning the first half 48-25 and losing the second half 23-39 is the reason Notre Dame beat them in the ACC Tournament and that UNC-Wilmington beat them by three in the first half of the first round. In addition, experiencing the pressure of the game being on the line in the last minutes with the crowd roaring for an opponent team is a priceless, coming-of-age experience for all the young players. Sophomore Grayson Allen with 29, freshman Brandon Ingram with 25 and freshman Luke Kennard with 13, scored 67 of Duke’s 71 points. Freshman Thornton contributed 2 points, 5 assists & 1 steal and Chase Jeter 2 rebounds, 1 block. The Blue Devils needed all of it.

A teachable moment best burned into a players hard drive.

Other Thoughts:

After practice Friday Coach John Scheyer had Brandon Ingram, who went 5-10 the day before, shoot 100 free throw. He hit 67 in a row before missing one.

Miami, Duke, Virginiaand North Carolina all won on Saturday, giving the ACC four teams in the Sweet Sixteen with the potential to add Syracuse and Notre Dame, who play Sunday, to that group. As a league, the ACC is 10-1 in the NCAA Tournament through Saturday’s games. If you go back to the start of the 2015 tournament, the ACC is 27-6 with one national title thanks to Duke’s win in Indianapolis. Miami, Duke, Virginia and North Carolina all won on Saturday, giving the ACC four teams in the Sweet Sixteen with the potential to add Syracuse and Notre Dame, who play Sunday, to that group.
This was a record 90th tournament victory for Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski. In addition, he has 30 tournament appearances, 5 national championships, back-to-back titles in 1991 & 1992, 12 Final Fours, 66 tournament wins, and a .776 winning percentage. Not a bad resume.

Next game: Winner #1 Oregon – St. Joe

Alan Adds:

Duke has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with wins over the 13th seed and the 12th seed; neither of them easy. In fact, for Duke fans the second half against Yale was excruciating. Consider that at the 16:29 mark, Duke led 54-32 lead on a tip in by Brandon. Only 4 minutes later (with 11: 17 left), Duke still had 54, but Yale had cut the lead to 7 (54-47). Duke stopped the bleeding for a while. Back in November, Duke had overcome Yale when it unveiled a 1-3-1 zone with Brandon at the top (But with Amile and Marshall also in the zone), which completely flummoxed the Bulldogs then. With the man to man defense suddenly dramatically ineffective, Coach K went back to the 1-3-1 with Brandon at the top. It stabilized the game and kept Duke’s lead around 3 possessions. Coach K praised Brandon’s defense in the zone as “magnificent”. He shaded Mason and caused Yale’s confusion. He got deflections. “You can’t practice against that zone unless you have someone with a 7’3” wingspan at the top”, said Coach K. Coach K’s insight was Duke’s seemingly efficient man to man defense in the first half was “fool’s gold”. Their very good shooters were simply missing open shots. They didn’t miss those shots in the second half. Coach K had trepidations at the end of the first half when he saw the intensity drain from Duke for the last few minutes (Yale scored 6 at the end of the first half). Grayson hit another 3, and Coach K described him as looking and being in la-la land after it. He was so success-smitten that he didn’t know who he was guarding (giving up the points) and then committed a very stupid foul. Coach K described that as “playing young”.

Yale wasn’t giving up. Coach K was thoughtful about the tournament and the game. Paraphrasing what he said: The tournament is crazy. Look at all the upsets. It is the mind set of every underdog that miracles happen. We can make one happen too. Teams never give up because of the belief they too can create the miracle. That mindset, he said, actually does produce miracles and it is what makes the tournament so magnificent. It is the players’ and team’s efforts that are not less than magnificent. You don’t face this during the year. He pointed out the attitude produces not only miracles but tough responses, which came from his Duke team yesterday.

THE MOMENT: With 41 seconds to go and Duke leading by 6, Kennard fouled Sears, who made the first one. He missed the second but Yale got the tip in (Sherrard got credit, but Marshall actually tipped it). Yale was under the limit and so had to foul in order to send Duke to the line. With 39 seconds to go, Brandon stepped to the line for a one and one. If he missed, Yale would have the ball with a chance to tie. At the press conference, Brandon was asked what was going through his mind as he stepped to the line. “My mind just went back to practice. Coach Scheyer made me shoot 100 free throws after practice on the court after I had gone 5-10 against Wilmington. He told me that it was likely I would be there at the end of close games.” Brandon made 67 in a row before he missed in practice. He made both in the game, and Yale never again was within one possession of the tie. “Keep listening to Coach Scheyer”, said Coach K as the student athletes left the press conference.

The second half was excruciating because the Duke offense fell apart. Neither Marshall (0 shots), Derryck (0-2), Matt (0-2) nor Chase (0 shots) scored in the second half. Luke did not have a field goal (0-2), though he made 2 crucial foul shots down the stretch. Grayson only took 4 shots in the half (2-4; 1-2 from deep) and made 2 crucial foul shots to ice the game for 7 points. The offense was all Brandon. Duke was 6-22 from the field; Brandon was 4-13 (1-4 from deep, but what a one it was!) and 5-7 from the line for 14 second half points. He is something! Both he and Grayson played 40 minutes; Luke 38. Marshall played 31 and Chase the rest, but Duke had only 2 points from the center position. Matt had a subpar offensive game, playing only 20 minutes and failing to score (0-4; 0-2 from deep) before fouling out. However, he and Derryck played savage defense against Yale’s star, Mason, who had scored 31 against Baylor. Derryck played 23 minutes of valuable basketball. Mason was held to 8 points (2-12) though he passed like a master to keep the Yale offense moving. Derryck was 1-2 for 2 points, but his real value was as a ball handler. He handed out 5 assists against only a single turnover. He is growing, and at just the right time. So is Chase.

This was a positive experience for Duke in my opinion. There is no way to simulate in practice the pressure of a game like this. Grayson said, “We faced this in the Notre Dame game when we lost a 16 point lead. We didn’t come together then. Tonight we knew we had to keep our poise and we came together.”

Next game is Thursday evening in Anaheim in the Sweet 16.

DUKE 68– OREGON 82

Full disclosure: The fact that my wife not only went to the University of Oregon but also was a cheerleader and is my proof reader had no influence on what I am about to write. Oregon was the deeper, more athletic team with Casey Benson, a terrific point guard (8 assists, 1 turnover, 2 threes to jump start the second half) and a rare combination of vertical and lateral defensiveness. They played at the top of their game and that had a lot to do why Duke did not. Nothing demonstrated this more than these two events: Plumlee committing two unnecessary fouls in the first five minutes and then with only nine seconds left in the game and the shot clock about to run out, for the second time guard Dillon Brooks just casually threw up a prayer that went in. It was that kind of game, much like the 2011 Sweet Sixteen when Derrick Williams and Arizona’s seldom seen West Coast players showed the country how good they were. Only this time, it seemed like there several Derrick Williams playing for Oregon. Duke was playing catch-up the whole game and never really did. It was not Duke’s night. They shot 32% from three point land vs. 44% for Oregon.

The Blue Devils played hard but Oregon had the talent and the savvy to exploit the Duke weaknesses and negate their strengths. It is no surprise that tonight youth and defense were the Blue Devil’s Achilles Heel. The Ducks had 22 assists to Duke’s 10 and limited Duke to 26 for 59 from the floor. Ingram and Kennard, who had a 13 & 11 double-double, had good games but Jones and Allen did not. Jeter and Thornton played freshman nervous. Watching the game slip away reminded me how much the team and the coaching staff have accomplished this difficult year. As a famous military leader once said, “You fight a war with the army you have, not the one you wished you had,” and when Jefferson was injured, this became a team with very little margin for error. Nevertheless, the team won many more battles than they lost.

The Duke player who had the best night was Jim Spanarkel, the very knowledgeable and informative game announcer and former All American. Unfortunately, he graduated in 1979. I cannot say the same for veteran announcer Verne Lundquist, who along with his producers continued the practice of showing Grayson Allen’s two tripping infractions without putting them into any context of the treatment Grayson receives from defenders. To be more fair, they could also include a clip of Louisville’s Jaylen Johnson swinging an elbow and hitting Grayson flush in the jaw, bloodying his mouth. Then, after the whistle had blown, Johnson started punching wildly at him defenseless on the floor. But why be fair when perpetuating a media narrative? To add currency to the “most hated Duke player” designation, Verne made a gratuitous comment about an obviously disappointed Grayson not having any of Dillon Brooks (after making a long, unguarded three as the game ended) attempting a mocking celebratory hug as the game ended. Usually, a player hugs a teammate to celebrate.

Alan Adds:

It was obvious, and Coach K stressed it in his postgame press conference, Oregon was simply the much better team last night. Not only did Oregon shred the Duke defense, which was fatally wounded by Marshall’s first offensive foul within the game’s first minute and subsequent second foul with 14:37 left to play, but the Oregon defense was exceptional. It was the Oregon interior defense that thwarted Duke’s best drives and allowed the perimeter defense to concentrate on Duke’s outside shooters. Coach K said Oregon moved both laterally and straight up and down. “You think you are open for the score, and they are there to block or alter the shot.” He wished Duke had played better, “but Oregon didn’t let us play better.”

Even so, as the game came down to it, Duke made one last gallant gasp and reduced the margin to 10 when Brandon launched a three that rimmed out. Coach K said had that 3 gone in and reduced the lead to 7, you never know what might have happened. One should point to Luke’s great rebounding game, leading Duke with 11 (Marshall had only 5). Brandon was heroic scoring 24 points, but took 20 shots to do it, and might have taken on more than he should have when Duke was trying to claw back. Both he and Grayson played 40 minutes; Luke played 38. Matt again failed to score until the game was well out of reach and virtually over, when he hit a pair of 3s, each reducing the Oregon lead to 13. But, Matt didn’t score in the entire tournament until he hit one with 3:31 left and one with 2:47 left. He simply was not the same player in the second half of the year.

Coach K said (and I wholeheartedly agree) that this season was a great, great— not just good — season. After Amile was lost for the year, Duke could have failed to make the tournament. But instead, the Devils “fought like crazy” and ran an incredible gauntlet that Coach K said transformed his team. Duke beat Louisville, Virginia and UNC before losing to Louisville on the road, a gauntlet “ that made us. But, it also knocked us back.” Duke won 25 games and made the Sweet 16 with a flawed team that was decimated by Amile’s injury. While Marshall had a subpar game last night (5 points, 5 rebounds and 0-2 from the line), Marshall’s development made the season. “No kid improved in one year like he did in my 36 years of coaching. There is no way we have this terrific year without him.”

Brandon was asked about his position in the draft. He said he wasn’t even thinking about that. He’s thinking about finishing school and being with his teammates (brothers he loves). He said he had an amazing freshman year, coached by a great coach and playing with awesome teammates. He refused to address the question. Coach K was asked about his transition to coaching the Olympic team. He said he still had much to do with this team, helping his players to the next step, whether it was from freshman to sophomore, to what Brandon will do, and to helping Marshall adjust to military life as Coach K did when he was graduated from The Point.

It was a wonderful Duke season, and so much fun for me to write about and share with everyone. After the tournament concludes, we will do a season finale.

Assessing 2015-16 and Salivating over 2016-17

When I emailed Bill about the logistics for our final edition of this year’s DBP, he responded, “I am all B-Balled out. I left it all on the court.” I, of course, knew he must have meant the tennis court at Duke in 1960, when we heartbreakingly lost the intramural doubles championship in the finals. And he might have! In any event, we have reversed the order because of his fatigue, with Bill concluding with a “Bill Adds”.

Objectively, Duke’s season does not seem as sparkling as had been hoped for when the season began. The indisputable fact is that Amile’s season ending injury on December 12, 2015 transferred Duke’s national championship aspirations from this past season to next season. Duke was 8-1, with the team being built around Amile. Coach K was experimenting with Amile and four guards, limiting Marshall’s playing time to the least of all the starters. In his last game, Amile had 8 assists from the post. Although Amile’s injury ended Duke’s national aspirations — we didn’t know that because there was always the tantalizing prospect of Amile’s return to plug the obvious holes in Duke’s roster — the end of national title aspirations is not the prime factor in evaluating the 2015-16 season. Though Duke finished 6th in the ACC regular season, lost in the quarter-finals of the ACC tournament and dropped out of the top 25 for the first time in almost a decade, I believe this was a remarkably successful season, which turned out to be one of Coach K’s most remarkable coaching jobs. This roster-thin team beat two #1 NCAA seeds, made the Sweet 16 of the Big Dance, making all Duke fans proud with this team’s grit and determination. For me, the season is epitomized by the development of the play, grit and leadership skills of Marshall Plumlee after Amile went down. He led by fierce example even when overmatched in skill level. He dramatically raised his skill level. Though others had more natural talent and skill, by season’s end, Marshall was the acknowledged leader, who was both the most important and the most valuable player on the team. Duke died in the elite 8 when Marshall got into early foul trouble because Marshall could no longer protect the rim unabashedly. We will all remember the season that he gave us for a long time. Nowhere was Duke’s grit and determination on more magnificent display than the stretch of games after Duke lost 4 out of 5 league games between January 13 and January 25 (lost to Clemson, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Miami). Duke then faced a gauntlet of games against top rated teams. It was here Duke transformed and turned into a completely lovable team to be admired. In the next two weeks (February 6 to 20) Duke beat NC State, Louisville, Virginia and Carolina (in the Dean Dome) before losing a heartbreaker to Louisville at Louisville. I think that stretch took a lot out of Duke for the remainder of the season, but it was a stretch of which to be to be enormously proud.

We were privileged to watch Grayson develop into a star of the highest magnitude. I guess that means that the recruiting class of Okafor, Jones, Winslow and Allen was a pretty good one. This year’s class — Brandon, Luke, Derryck and Chase — was overhyped as a # 1 recruiting class. Brandon’s rise to stardom from his early season games was as wonderfully remarkable as Grayson’s rise from 8th man who averaged 4.4 ppg to 3rd team All-American. Amile’s injury made Brandon learn to play a tough inside rebounding game. It was satisfying to watch his growth and how Coach K coached him. We also were privileged to watch the first year of Luke Kennard’s career at Duke, which I predict will be noteworthy. My guess is he will be a four year guy, who will continue to develop consistency with his overall game. His shooting, while good, was inconsistent from game to game. However he proved he can handle, defend, rebound and pass. Neither Thornton nor Jeter lived up to the pre-season hype. Jeter was a McDonald’s All American. When Thornton reclassified, he was highly rated in his new class. Duke just announced that Thornton is transferring. He has said he wants to play closer to home. I believe that he knows that Jackson is the point guard who will take his playing time.

Matt started off very efficiently, but tailed off consistently. He logged heavy minutes as the team’s best defender and most reliable player. I thought he began to tire and his statistics dipped. Then he injured first one ankle and then the other. This led to a real decline in his play and made the Duke roster seem even thinner when he stopped scoring. He will be anxious to rebound next year. Sean Obi turned out to be a major disappointment; it is up in the air whether this was caused by bad knees or there is such a difference in the level of competition between Conference USA and the ACC. Obi started 30 games for Rice in 2013-14 where he averaged over 11 ppg and 9 boards before transferring and sitting out the 2014-15 season. But he practiced with the team and was thought to compete for a starting job. Antonio Vrankovich was not expected to play and did not as was true for the Admiral’s son, Justin. This leaves Duke with an interesting problem for next year, to be discussed in a moment, or might have been solved with the late breaking news today.

For me, the bottom line is that this team faced an amazing set of obstacles and demonstrated a spirit that made me (us) adopt this team as special. And now for next year.

Duke loses Brandon to the NBA and Marshall to the Army, but brings in another loaded recruiting class. Next year’s freshmen are going to be much more like the incoming class of 2014-15 than this year. Here’s the lineup that has coaches and fans salivating for next year. Like the Okafor, Jones, Winslow class, these freshman have all played together as integral parts of the under 19 USA winning Basketball teams. Harry Giles was the #1 rated player in the class as a 6’10” power forward or center. He tore his ACL in the first minutes of the first game of the season this year. He immediately transferred from Oak Hill back home and commenced his rehab at Duke hospital with the Duke staff. He was named to the USA team in the Nike Hoop Summit played last night even though he is not yet ready to play. That says something about how he is perceived in USA Basketball. His running buddy is Jayson Tatum, a 6’8” scoring machine, who is a wing forward but can play the power forward if necessary. He doesn’t have Brandon’s wing span and upside potential, but he could be just as good. I watched him have two rather mediocre games — both last night and in the McDonald’s game — but am convinced he is the real deal. I loved his passing and his defense (he’s a ball hawk in the passing lanes). He has no ego. When a teammate got hot from 3land, Jayson got him the ball on almost every possession with really slick passes.

Frank Jackson, a 6’4” combo guard also impressed me. He won the slam dunk contest and was co-MVP in the McDonald’s game. He went scoreless from the field last night for USA (0-6), scoring a single point, but had 3 assists and ran the team efficiently. I loved his defense as well (not something usually on display in all-star games). Last year, a friend who had watched the Peachtree game and practices before the season started last year told me that Derryck was very overrated but that Jackson was the real deal. That is 3 players in the top 10. In addition, Duke brings in #17 a 6’8” power forward from Charlottesville, Javin DeLaurier and 6’7” small forward from Australia, Jack White. And there is one more tantalizing possibility — Marques Bolden, 6’10” center, who is rated as one of the top post players in the class (he looked very mediocre last night) has narrowed his choice to Duke or Kentucky. Should he choose Duke, that would make an amazing class even stronger. The problem that I alluded to above is that Duke had already given out its full allotment of 13 scholarships, however with Thornton’s announcement that he is transferring Duke will be able to accommodate Bolden if he chooses Duke.

I look forward to next year for a whole host of reasons. Most importantly, I love writing these and especially love the enduring connection that our project fosters between Bill and me. Damn! I wish we had won that intramural doubles final.

Bill adds:

Actually, what I felt was that it had been a long season and I was B-Balled out. Emotionally, I left it all on the floor of the Final Four and was focused on The Masters Tournament, which is visually really is “like no other”. The finish of the Villanova-North Carolina game was just fantastic. I loved the way Villanova peaked in the final two games, beating two more talented. And Marcus Paige has always been one of my favorite non-Duke players. Inexplicably, his three point shot has been on vacation for almost two years. Nevertheless, his court intelligence, savvy, and defense made him an invaluable teammate. Then, in the last five minutes of his last collegiate game, he was the Marcus Paige of old– shooting daggers and taking names at closing time. The degree of difficulty of his last shot should have counted double. However, Kris Jenkins trumped his three and Marcus’ shot will be but a footnote unless you have the Washington Post picture of Paige double clutching in mid-flight as he was releasing the ball.

So, Alan went solo on the wrap-up. I did tape the Nike Summit but after a few minutes lost interest because these events are essentially unstructured pick-up games of would-be lottery picks. I’m old school and cannot get as excited with potential one-and-doner’s as I can about players like Grant, Shane, JJ, Nolan, Marshall, and Grayson, who stay and play. That brings me to Derryck Thornton, who is transferring “to be closer to home” as if Duke had just moved to Europe. And now Mark Edwards, identified as his Uncle and/or trainer is tweeting with Donald Trumpian frequency alerting the social media world that you can’t trust the Duke coaches, they misled and lied to Derryck about what kind of offense would be run and on and on. Anyone with even a casual knowledge of Coach K knows he runs a Darwinian System and promises recruited players nothing except the opportunity to compete for playing time (ref. Kris Humphries and father’s brief career at Duke). Everyone should take a deep breath and read Al Featherston’s articles in Monday and Tuesday’s Duke Basketball Report.com to track the careers of those players who have transferred from Duke. Here’s the wake-up call: Not every high school hot shot is going to be drafted or play in the NBA—or even be a star in college.

But I digress. Make no mistake, as Alan previews so thoroughly, next year shapes up to be one of justified high expectations and I look forward to it—in the Fall. But I’m not going to fall in love with any of the new players until they stay more than one year.

Let me close by saying how much satisfaction it gives us—despite a lack of leadership from the Broadhead administration– to share our pride in Duke and enthusiasm for Duke Basketball with all of you and reiterate why we feel as we do and do what we do:

The mission of pursuing excellence in both academics and athletics has been the goal of the university virtually since its inception–certainly since Eddie Cameron was athletic director. It has been a significant reason why Duke University has been and is such an exceptional institution. The truth of the matter is that while Coach K and his basketball program is the latest and most successful in a long, proud history of Duke Athletics, it is also a major reason Duke is viewed as an elite university. It is not just that his and other teams won, it was the way they have won and the kind of players with whom they have won– and graduated. Not to accept this legacy and not to celebrate and nurture it would be a terrible mistake.

A case can be made that Duke has come further, faster than any Top Ten University. Athletic Director Eddie Cameron was a major catalyst. He had the foresight to see that excellence in athletics was quickest way to attract national attention to a young, ambitious university. In 1930, he hired football coach Wallace Wade away from Alabama following his third national championship with the Crimson Tide. By the mid 1930’s Duke had a powerful football team that attracted national attention and played in 1938 and 1942 Rose Bowls. From $400,000 of the proceeds of the 1942 Rose Bowl (played at Duke because of concerns about Japanese attacks on the West Coast), Mr. Cameron built Duke Indoor Stadium, which was, at the time, the second largest basketball area (next to the Palestra in Philadelphia) in the East. Fortunately, the legendary Dick Groat matriculated shortly thereafter and a great basketball tradition was established.

Legend has it that after Princeton University turned down his offer of a very generous bequest, James Buchannan Duke endowed Trinity College with $40,000 (over $500,000 in today’s dollars) . The gift to Trinity had two caveats: change the name to Duke University (after his father Washington Duke) and build it to look like Princeton.

Whatever the truth, building a campus as beautiful as Duke, establishing rigorous entrance and educational standards, developing a world class medical school and hospital, then building nationally ranked football and basketball teams (not to mention golf, lacrosse, track, and baseball) were the lynch pins of the meteoric rise of Duke University as an elite institution. It could not have happened without all of these elements –and it cannot maintain that unique status without preserving a dual excellence in both academics and athletics.

Duke Basketball Playbook: 2016-17 Season

What to look for:

Other Comments:

“North Carolina never got its day of reckoning for facilitating the most widespread academic scandal in the history of college sports. North Carolina’s basketball program was never going to get the harsh punishment that many college basketball fans thought it deserved.
“How in the hell did North Carolina get away with this?”
“The NCAA did not dispute that the University of North Carolina was guilty of running one of the worst academic fraud schemes in college sports history, involving fake classes that enabled dozens of athletes to gain and maintain their eligibility.”
“The school acknowledged that the classes that were taken were essentially bankrupt of any kind of teaching, learning or supervision … but that was perfectly OK with them. To defend the basketball team, the university had to claim it wasn’t really a university. Sure, they took a shotgun to their academic credibility, but, hey, those championship banners get to stay. The truth is, alums probably care more about hoops anyway.”
“What’s stopping a school from setting up a similar “paper course” and making sure it’s open to all students, then sending athletes through it?”
“even the most ardent Tar Heel should be outraged by the fraud the university committed”

Alan Adds:

2016-2017

2015 compared to 2017-18

The Backcourt

Grayson, Duval and Trent should get most of the minutes.

Duke 93 NW Missouri State 60 (Exhibition game played Friday October 27)

Blue-White game on October 20 (just one 20 minute half)

The Front Court

Bagley, Carter and Bolden should be given most of the front court minutes.

Duke 93 – NW Missouri State 60 (Exhibition game played on Friday October 27)

Blue-White game ( October 20th. Just one 20 minute half)

Duke 88 – Michigan State 81

Holy Jim Boeheim, Batman! Coach K goes zone for a full forty minutes!

Other Comments:

This Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago was like a Final Four in November with Kansas beating Kentucky in the nightcap.

Tom Izzo is a great coach. However, he is now 1-11 against Coach K.

Allen’s 37 points were Duke’s most against a top-2 team since J.J. Redick dropped 41 in 2005.

Before the game, Duke wore their “Equality” shirts, while Michigan State wore shirts that said “We talk, We listen.” Alan will have to explain what they mean.

Alan Adds:

It was as Coach K predicted, “a hell of a night.”

Whetting the Whistle

Enjoy the season and do not let unrealistic expectations take away our enjoyment.

Duke 97 – Elon 68

Duke 99 – Utah Valley 69

Other Comments:

1 overall 2018 prospect R.J. Barrett committed to Duke over Oregon and Kentucky. Barrett is the star of the 2018 Class and gives the Blue Devils their third five-star pledge in the class, to go with Cam Reddish and Tre Jones. Duke now boasts the No. 1 overall recruiting class for 2018, leap-frogging cross-state rival North.

Keep an eye on Alex O’Connell. He is the skinny white kid with the 1940’s retro haircut who has more animated fun on the bench than most Cameron Crazies but, more importantly, makes things happen when he gets playing time. I suspect that Bolden, DeLaurier, and O’Connell will be the eight man rotation.

Alan Adds:

Front Court

Backcourt

Tuesday night promises to be so much fun.

Duke Basketball Playbook: 2014-15 Season

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Duke Basketball Playbook. For those of you who do not know us, Alan Silber, a New York based criminal defense attorney, and I were classmates at Duke who share a love of sports. We appreciate the fact that Duke Basketball has provided us with more excitement and thrills than most fans ever experience and think that talking and writing about them only enriches the experience. In addition to the enjoyment, we are fascinated by the ability of Coach K to achieve such sustained excellence both collegiately and internationally and attempt to analyze and explain how and what he does to make him one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game. The playbook is a more polished version of thoughts and opinions we have exchanged with each other and a few friends for decades. The tipping point for a broader audience occurred when Torrey Glass, president of the Duke Alumni Club of Hilton Head, began distributing the blog to its members and the readership exploded exponentially to about 500.

One enduring truth we have learned from observing Mike Krzyzewski is that on the court and in life, it is always—NEXT PLAY! So, I will double down on what I wrote in last year’s season preview. In that memorable scene from On the Waterfront, Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, a physically and spiritually broken ex-fighter, sorrowfully confronts his mob-corrupted brother Rod Steiger: “It was you, Charley. That night in the Garden you came down to my dressing room and you said: Kid, this ain’t your night. You don’t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been somebody. I coulda been a contender.”

Fortunately, not our problem. For most of the last few decades Duke has consistently been a contender. Most of last year Duke looked like a contender but fell in the finals of the ACC Tournament and had surprising first round loss to Mercer in the NCAA Championship Tournament. However, most schools would be very happy with a 26-7 record (and one in which they led in every game they lost). But, hey, next play—or, in this case, next season during which the Blue Devils should be a more formidable contender because:

This team is potentially as deep, as talented, and as balanced as Coach K has ever had. And most significantly, for the first time since Sheldon Williams graduated, the Blue Devils will have a dominant center (seven foot with a 7’3’’ wing span & 270 lbs.) in freshman in Jahill Okafor (ranked #1 in this year’s recruiting class), Tyus Jones, the #1 rated point guard, as well as Justise Winslow, a projected 2015 NBA lottery pick, and Grayson Allen, a 6’4” shooting guard with a 40” vertical leap. However, as Dean Smith used to say: “We don’t call our freshmen “all-stars”, we call them “prospects”—and you never know (remember Chris Burgess). On the other hand, this crop of freshmen have been playing with and against each other in AAU ball for years, so they are more of a known commodity. And then there are the returning upper classmen: Amile Jefferson, Quinn Cook, Rasheed Sulaimon, Marshall Plumlee, Matt Jones, and Semi Ojeleye, perhaps, the sleeper of the squad.

Consequently, this will be another fascinating year for Duke Basketball fans. One of the most interesting aspects of any season is watching Coach K adjust his offensive and defensive schemes to his fit his team’s talent. This is the most athletic squad Coach K has had since 1999-2000 Brand, Battier, Williams etc. teams. In fact, Krzyzewski stated publically that this team will definitely be defensively different from the teams of the last five years. So look for a more aggressive, pressing defense much like his Olympic and World Cup teams. There will still be the motion offense but probably with less guard dominance, more throwing the ball into the post to initiate the offense, more slashing drives to the basket by the forwards, and less living and dying by the three—although they will be easier to come by because Okafor is a talented and willing passer out of double and triple teams. Coach K has been more effusive about the talents of Okafor than any freshman that I can remember and as long as he is on the floor he will be the tent pole around which a variety of players will perform. The one Achilles heel of the freshmen may be free throw shooting, which has always been a hallmark of Duke’s best teams.

Alan and I were puzzled by the fact that Cook, a senior, and Jefferson, a junior, were named co-captains, but Sulaimon, also a junior and a proven, critical playmaker, was not. Rashid is a high energy expressive guy who never met a stranger while the talented but mercurial Cook has a tendency to pout when things are not going his way– and there is every indication that Tyus Jones will start at the point. On the court, Sulaimon is multi-talented, plays bigger than he is, and is Marine fearless. My fraternity buddy Pete, who retired to Durham and is a very knowledgeable and connected Duke sports fan, says that it is Sully, not Quinn or Emile, who hangs with the freshmen and goes with them to the sporting events. So maybe, Coach K is motivating Rasheed to get off to a flying start this year and, like Ryan Kelly, will make Sully a tri-captain at a later date.

Additional observations:

One crucial factor about this season has not received much mention: It’s been nearly two decades since Chris Collins’ and Steve Wojciechowski’s voices have been absent from a Duke Basketball practice. With those two longtime Duke assistant coaches having moved on to head coaching jobs of their own, Jeff Capel, Nate James, and Jon Scheyer move up the coaching ladder.
Keep an eye on Justise Winslow, who may be the most mature, versatile, and talented player on the team.
Undrafted Andre Dawkins won the final spot on the Miami Heat roster.
If you have not watched the Duke Football team play the last two years, you are missing an amazing transformation, not to mention hours of excitement. Coach David Cutcliffe and his staff have recruited a squad of very good athletes who have been coached up to become skilled players that are exciting playmakers– any number of whom who can break open a tight game like Crowder, Boone, and Blakeney did against last Saturday against Syracuse.
Three Duke graduates have been in the news: Adam Silver (1984), the new Commissioner of the NBA; Senator-elect Shelley Moore Capito (1975) of West Virginia. Her father Archie Moore was a two term Governor, and Rand Paul, Senator from Kentucky.
Don and Martha Mewhort’s grandson Jack Mewhort (Ohio State) was the second round draft choice of the Indianapolis Don (Buzz) was co-captain of the 1962 Duke Basketball team and a Duke School Law graduate. Martha was a Duke cheerleader.

Alan Adds:

None of the pre-season articles and hype focuses on where I think the focus should be. All the talk so far has been about offense and the need to replace the scoring of Jabari and Hood. Somewhat fair, but missing the point. In my opinion, last year was not just about the disappointing 3-3 down the stretch, including ACC tournament and the loss to Mercer in the NCAA tournament. The most important factor in Duke’s disappointing (for Duke and Coach K anyway) season was its porous defense throughout the entire season. So the question about the highly touted freshman class is: Can these kids make Duke the defensive force that it has usually been during the Coach K era? I like using what Coach K did with the World Cup team as what I think his model will be for his 2014-15 team. Last year, K expected to be able to press, trap and create turnovers that would more than make up for Duke’s lack of rim protection and defensive rebounding. That plan turned out to be a colossal failure for Duke, as we all remember. Duke was torched early by the likes of East Carolina, Vermont and others. Coach K abandoned his press in favor of an aggressive overplaying half court man to man defense. Duke improved, but only incrementally. It is worth remembering the defensive weakness of last year’s team when getting ready to root for (but also judge) the current squad. Tyler Thornton was a defensive specialist and perhaps Duke’s best on the ball defender. Hood was also credited as a defensive stopper. Both are gone from a defense that could not stop penetration from the perimeter. The result was opponents shot a high percentage from the interior and lane, Duke committed more fouls than any other year (and shockingly more than most opponents), and Duke had major end game problems that came from the foul trouble and fatigue. Duke was also beaten up on the boards throughout the season, especially by opponents’ offensive rebounding. Duke led almost every one of its 9 losses with 5-8 minutes to go. The perimeter defenders who return are Suliamon, Cook and Matt Jones, all who are reputed defenders (except Cook), but who did not get the job done last year.

This is not meant to be depressing, just a call for realistic expectations as the season starts. Most programs would be very satisfied with a season like Duke’s 2013-14 season (26-9). Duke was undefeated at home with major wins over Michigan, Syracuse, Virginia and Carolina. On the road or neutral, Duke beat UCLA and Pittsburgh, though this was not a good road team.

Like last year (Jabari and Hood), Duke will depend in large measure on newcomers — the four freshmen. And, it is surely a heralded class. In a recent 2015 mock NBA draft, Oakfor was # 1 overall; Tyus Jones # 14; and (surprise) Justise Winslow was # 8. Grayson Allen, the fourth freshman, played with what seemed to be the first team in the first 12 minute scrimmage (Oakafor, Tyus Jones, Cook, Jefferson and Allen). Allen won the scrimmage on a floater over Plumlee. So the freshmen may justify the high pre-season ranking, but I still counsel that it all depends on whether Coach K can have his usual effective defense; on whether Duke makes — as Duke historically has — more foul shots than its opponents attempt; whether Oakfor’s presence and Marshall Plumlee’s health and improvement protect the Duke defensive backboard and penetration. Then, but only then, comes the offense.

I followed Coach K’s World Cup team closely and was fascinated how he created a wonderful team. I believe the World Cup team will be the model for the 2014-15 Duke team that he will create. The World Cup team pressed and trapped, living by the turnover-created easy scores. I predict he will again attempt to defend that way with this year’s Duke team. Coach K went with 2 point guards — Kyrie and Steph Curry; and a third starter (the star, Harden) who could function as a point guard. Anthony Davis controlled the interior and Kenneth Faried was an undersized power forward with energy (but no outside shot). Duke’s two exhibition games were easy wins against opponents that were overmatched athletically, but gave some indication of Coach K’s plans. In his press conference, Coach K mentioned USA basketball frequently as a model for how Duke will defend this year. He said that Duke has changed its philosophy on ball screens and that the bigs are more mobile and aggressive. Among the interesting facts: 1) Duke held Central Missouri scoreless for 8 full minutes in the first half; 2) Duke scored in bunches, but had no 20 point scorers (Justise Winslow was high scorer in both games with 19 and 17 respectively). Coach has 10 players vying to be in the rotation and all have received praise for hustle and defense; 3) Oakafor is for real; 4) it is going to be a process for Duke to learn to defend, but Coach K is optimistic that this can be one of his best defensive teams; 5) Tyus Jones had 17 assists against 2 turnovers and played very well with Quinn Cook when both played together. Coach K pointed out that Rasheed was also very capable of handling the ball; and 6) Coach K is happy with this group and is installing new systems both defensively and offensively that take advantage of the specific skills of this team. He said he will experiment with many combinations during the game, though he plans a consistent starting lineup.

Against Central Missouri (the second exhibition game), six players played more than 20 minutes and may give some clues to how the rotation will work (at least for the initial games). Winslow played 25 minutes, leading the scoring in spite of going 0-3 from downtown and Tyus Jones logged 24 minutes (6 assists to go with his 11 in the first exhibition game and 5 steals). Okafor (15 points and 9 rebounds; critically 7-8 from the line to go with 4 blocks), Jefferson (8 boards; 5 points and a disappointing 1-4 from the line) and Cook (12 points, and 2 assists) all played 22 minutes. Matt Jones, who started while Quinn came off the bench, had 7 points in 20 minutes. Rasheed had 5 points (1-5 from 3land to go with 4 assists and 2 steals) in 18 minutes. Marshall had 4 points (1-1 from the field and 2-2 from the line to go with 6 boards an assist and a block in 17 minutes. They appear to be the top 8 at this point. Grayson Allen and Semi each logged 14 minutes with Allen producing a gaudy stat line (10 points on 3-4 shooting including 2-2 from 3land and 2-2 from the line to go with 3 boards, an assist and a steal). Pretty good. Semi scored 4 to go with 2 boards, an assist and a block.

I predict:

1) Both T. Jones and Cook will start (as long as Cook becomes a consistent defender, something he was not last year), similar to Kyrie and Curry on the World Cup team.

2) Rasheed, who has all the potential in the world, will also start. His role will be analogous to the one played by Harden on the World Cup team. Grayson Allen has also filled that role in the pre-season.

3) Oakfor and Jefferson will round out the starting line up. Jefferson will be asked to be Faried, bringing energy, defensive intensity and rebounding. Like Anthony Davis on the World Cup team, Oakfor should be Duke’s best player. I was underwhelmed watching him on defense last year, but they were mostly all star games. Team defense is another thing. Duke will count on him to be the rim protector and rebounder that were missing last year.

4) Justise Winslow has received high praise. He has a fully developed and sculpted body and has been a force on both ends. I think will be the 6th man that K always wants to have, but he may start, like Klay Thompson on the World Cup team (perhaps the team’s most versatile and consistent player). He will score, defend and give the team a lift. He will be a significant force this season.

5) Marshall, based on last year, will contribute to the depth of rim protection and rebounding (think Cousins, first big off the bench for the World cup team).

6) It is hard to predict at this stage what the roles of Semi and Matt Jones from last year’s team and Grayson Allen (heralded frosh, but only a top 40 recruit) will be. Allen’s stats have been impressive and Matt Jones started in the final exhibition game. Both Bill and I would like to see Semi step into what we see as amazing potential. All three have had excellent pre-seasons and could well be in the rotation.

I expect this to be a fascinating season, which will give us great satisfaction, excitement (and probably some disappointment as well). What it really will be is SO MUCH FUN.

The season openers: Presbyterian Friday November 14, 6:00pm on ESPNU & Fairfield Saturday November 15, 8:00pm ESPN3

If you miss seeing the games, read all about it in the next Duke Basketball Playbook!

DUKE – PRESBYTERIAN & FAIRFIELD

When I first started going out with girls, my Mama told me not to fall in love on the first date. Well, she never told me not to be smitten and I am smitten with this Duke team, because I have seen enough to know it is the deepest and potentially the most talented team since the Laettner, Hurley 1991-92 Championship teams. That doesn’t mean it will win championships, because as we know only too well injuries and luck are part of the equation but, oh boy, they are talented, deep, and motivated. Jahill Okafor does a pretty good Tim Duncan imitation, Tyus Jones a pretty good Bobby Hurley imitation, and Justise Winslow a muscular version of Grant Hill. And it is axiomatic that a dominant center and terrific point guard are the keys to a great team. However, even more impressive are the other two components of great teams: defense, ball movement, and chemistry. Petty jealousies can destroy even the most talented teams. We saw an interesting and telling play against Presbyterian when senior Quinn Cook chased down a loose ball and rather than making an easy lay-up and adding to his scoring total, paused and dished to freshman and fellow point guard T. Jones for the uncontested basket.

So far, Duke has only played mismatches and we will know a lot more after the upcoming games against Michigan State, Temple, and Stanford then Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin on December 3^rd. But until we hit the inevitable speed bump, let’s enjoy the infatuation phase.

With all this talent, one of K’s toughest decisions is who gets playing time. In last week’s preview, I wrote that of all the guards, Sulaimon brings the most to the floor: a rare combination of talent, size, defense, versatility, intensity, and Marine toughness. More importantly, here’s Krzyzewski on Rasheed, who didn’t score against Fairfield: “He’s making a very big, positive impact on the game and doing it in a way that no one on our team can do exactly like him. In other words, he puts the best pressure on the ball. He’s 6-4 and when he’s doing it, it really takes the point guard’s vision away and they have a hard time getting by him. So our defense gets picked up. And when he brings it down on the break, he’s got a little bit more of a herky-jerky motion. It’s not just straight, he can get by. And when he’s getting by to score, a lot of times he’d get knocked on his butt and that wouldn’t be the play. Now when he’s getting by people, he’s making the play, the play that the team needs.” And on comparing the learning curve and chemistry between the freshmen and the rest of the team to the similarly talented Dawkins, Amaker, Alerie, Henderson, Bilas class: “It’s a different time. The Dawkins class had never met one another before they came to Duke. This group is just way ahead. So much of it has to do with what they’ve done, not just in their high school programs, but three of them have been so involved with USA Basketball. They’ve traveled different parts of the world, they’ve been with other good players, they’ve been well-coached by the USA Basketball staff. They’ve been a part of something bigger than an AAU team or a high school. And I’m not knocking that, it’s just an advantage.

Additional observations:

Justise Winslow has most mature offensive and defensive skills; Grayson Allen is the best one-on-one player and has NBA athleticism and skills; Matt Jones and Marshall Plumlee appear to be a much more confident and are the most improved players. Marshall set a Plumlee collegiate record hitting four straight free throws and, when caught outside with the shot clock winding down, nailed a three!
Duke has now won 111 consecutive non-conference home games.
Quinn Cook‘s 17 points give him 1,004 for his Duke career. He became the 64th Duke player to hit the 1,000 point mark. Only Louisville and North Carolina, with 67, have more.
The win is Duke’s 35th consecutive home win, the sixth-largest streak in school history. The record is 46, from January 13, 1997 to February 9, 2000.
Rasheed Sulaimon, Justise, Winslow, Matt Jones are all from Texas.

Alan adds:

Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer beware, or in this case the Duke fan beware — just a little). There was precious little not to love about Duke’s opening game routs of Presbyterian and Fairfield on Friday and Saturday nights. My only caveat is that neither of these teams could beat the top high school teams. Between them they won only 13 games last year (Presbyterian 6 and Fairfield 7). The level of competition is critical in evaluating performance. So, my caveat is that while Duke looked All World, let us not unpack our expectations until (at least Tuesday night when the Blue Devils travel to Indianapolis to take on Michigan State — 7pm on ESPN). It is hard to find anything about which to quibble when your team races scores 109 and 113 in two games (65 points in the second half against Fairfield) with balanced scoring, and displays 10 players with the skill and talent to be productive on the court. Duke scored 113 and 109 points respectively with no player scoring 20; impressively balanced scoring. Here are just a couple of cautionary thoughts — and I am having to stretch to find them. Against Presbyterian, in the first half, the first unit did not look defensively sharp, committing 5 fouls in the first 7 minutes and 10 in the first half. The Blue Hose shot 8 free throws while Duke’s only free throw attempt of that half was a miss (Matt Jones attempting to complete a four point play). For the game, the first unit was only 2-3 (Winslow 1-1; Oakafor 1-2). Grayson Allen got to the line more than any other Devil (6-7; Rasheed 3-3; and Plumlee 2-2). Tyus Jones had more than a few defensive lapses, several leading to easy backdoor baskets in the Fairfield game. Team defense is a work in progress, and you could see the improvement as play continued. Duke was devastating on defense in the second half of the Fairfield game. After last season, I am cautiously optimistic about Duke as a defensive force.

Roster and Rotation

Coach K’s starting lineup was the same for both games, and the starters played the most minutes (except for Jefferson in the first game because of his foul trouble): Oakafor, Jefferson, Justise Winslow, Cook and Tyus Jones. As he promised, Coach K mixed and matched, though he played the second unit together for long stretches — Rasheed at the point, Matt Jones, Grayson Allen, Semi and Marshall. Rasheed is the first off the bench and together with Matt Jones got the most minutes of the non-starters. Grayson Allen had an amazing stat line in the first game, but fouled out in only 13 minutes against Fairfield. His play is worth discussing. Marshall has played well (1-1 from 3land; clock winding down). So has Semi, but for now he’s the end of the bench. Still every single Duke player looked impressive; this team has the potential for amazing depth. However, Coach K has never used a long bench. Still, Duke has the capacity to put enormous defensive pressure on while using a longer bench to keep everyone fresh for end of games. The press is so much more effective with rim protectors like Oakafor (really impressive on both ends of the court), a muscled up Jefferson, and a much improved Plumlee. Semi has also looked good defending the interior and Winslow is no slouch defending the interior.

Presbyterian

Offensively, Duke was a machine shooting over 50% from 3 (16-31) 61% overall and 13-16 from the line. Even better, Duke had 30 assists on 42 field goals and only 9 turnovers (only Winslow with 3 had more than 1). Cook led in minutes played with 25, scoring 14 points on 11 shots (4-10 from 3land) to go with 5 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals and 0 turnovers. He and Tyus played well together. Tyus and Oakafor (who play so well together) each played 23 minutes, and both amassed gaudy stat lines. Tyus scored 15 points on 8 shots (3-4 from behind the arc) to go with 7 assists, 2 boards and only a single turnover. Oakafor was even more impressive: 19 points on 10 shots (9-10 from the field and 1-2 from the line) to go with 4 assists (he is a great passer and has wonderful hands) and 6 boards. I am especially impressed with his team help defense. He is a key new defensive component. Duke’s best player has been Justise Winslow. In this game he logged 20 minutes, scoring 15 on 12 shots (2-3 from 3land; 1-1 from the line) to go with 4 boards, an assist, a steal and a block. He is a determined defender at 6’6” with a chiseled body and impressive hops. Jefferson was limited to 16 minutes by his foul trouble (4), but is an impressive rebounder with 10 in his shortened stint. He had 4 points, but played much more efficiently against Fairfield.

The bench was effective and impressive. Semi logged 19 minutes, while Grayson Allen played 18, Rasheed 18, Marshall 17 and Matt Jones 13. Grayson was jaw dropping — he scored 18 points (yes that’s a point a minute) on 7 shots (2-3 from behind the arc and 6-7 from the line (impressive on the drive) to go with 3 assists, 3 steals, a block and a board. Rasheed was equally impressive as a floor leader and defender. He had a perfect shooting night scoring 12 points on only 4 shots (4-4; 1-1 from 3 and 3-3 from the line) to go with 4 assists, 2 steals, a block and a board. Marshall looks as if he can spell Oakafor and bring energy, rebounding and defense to the table. In addition to his 3 and 2-2 from the line, he grabbed 7 boards, passed out 3 assists, and 2 steals. Semi had a rough shooting night (1-6 all from behind the arc) while garnering 5 boards and 2 steals (but 4 fouls).

For the last 10 minutes of the game, Duke played a zone defense — each unit played the zone for about 5 minutes. Hmmmm!

Fairfield

The starters all played between 21 and 27 minutes; the reserves between 19 and 11. Cook and Oakafor led the starters in minutes with 27 each, Jefferson 24, Tyus 23 and Winslow 21. All, except Tyus, scored in double figures. The reserves continued to impress with Matt Jones logging 19 minutes, Rasheed 18, Grayson 13 (fouled out), Marshall 13 and Semi was limited to 11 minutes. For me, the takeaway was watching the defense improve — it was especially gratifying to watch the intensity and efficiency of the defense, regardless of who was on the floor. The offense wasn’t bad either. Duke was 31-40 from inside the arc (9-22 from 3land) and had 22 assists on 40 hoops; only 12 turnovers.

Oakafor is a beast (17 points on 10 shots — 8-10, which made him 17-20 for the two games) to go with 9 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. The only negatives: 5 turnovers, 1-3 from the line and 3 fouls. Justise Winslow continues to look like Duke’s best player (if not Oakafor) scoring 18 points on 10 shots (5-7 from the field including 1-2 from behind the arc and 5-7 from the line; he can really drive it) to go with 6 boards, 2 assists, a block and a steal. He appears to be Duke’s best defender and yet committed only 1 foul. Quinn was impressive as a defender and scored 17 points on 7-9 shooting (3-4 from behind the arc) with 4 assists, 2 boards and a steal. Jefferson rebounded from his less than stellar first game with a terrific performance: 15 points on 8 shots (5-8 including a few nifty moves), and was 5-6 from the free throw line, with 9 boards, 3 assists and a steal, while committing only 1 foul. Tyus came back to earth a bit after a hot shooting first game (6 points on 5 shots — 0-3 from 3land and 2-3 from the line. He added 5 assists and 2 steals against 2 turnovers.

The bench was terrific, especially Matt Jones and Rasheed. Rasheed did not attempt a single field goal, nor did he get to the line, but he was impressive on the defensive end with a steal (only 1 foul), and passed out 4 assists without a turnover. He may not be starting, but as Bill points out, Coach K is being impressed. Matt Jones scored 9 points on 3-4 shooting (1-2 from behind the arc and 2-3 from the line). He had 5 boards (impressive) and 2 steals. Although Grayson fouled out in only 13 minutes, he continues to be a wow factor in the games. He still scored 9 on 5 shots (1-3 from 3land; 2-2 from the line) to go with a board, an assist plus 2 steals. Marshall scored 8 in his 13 minutes on perfect shooting (3-3 from the floor and 2-2 from the line). He collected a rebound and blocked a shot. Semi scored 7 in his 11 minutes (2-5 all from 3land; 1-2 from the stripe). All 11 of his shots in the first 2 games were from behind the arc. He added a board and a steal. He is going to have to fight for playing time.

Next Play is going to be an exciting game on Tuesday against Michigan State in Indianapolis.

DUKE 81 – MICHIGAN STATE 71

I was all settled in with my wife and note pad by my side in anticipation of a cold winter’s night of great basketball in front of our new 60” Samsung high definition 4G TV when OMG! Dick Vitale’s voice came blasting over my surround sound audio system. Damn, I thought the shelf life of his unique announcing style had expired and he had retired to Florida. I know Mr. Vitale loves basketball and all that but why would ESPN use him on a big night of basketball when they have Jay Bilas and Doris Burke? Fortunately, he was more the Venerable Vitale than Dickie V, so I didn’t have to turn the sound system off. But still.. Fortunately, ESPN got the word and Jay replaced Vitale for the second game.

Tom Izzo decided to play Jahill Okafor straight up, not double team him. To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman: “Mistake, Big Mistake.” No wonder Coach Izzo has only beaten Coach K once. Tyus Jones knows when and how to feed his young/old buddy and Okafor gave a pretty good Tim Duncan finesse lesson to his defender and quickly gave Duke a working cushion they never relinquished as they entire team played to the moment. And make no mistake about, it was a big moment for the freshmen: Indianapolis double header #3Duke vs #19 Michigan State and #1Kentucky vs. #4 Kansas was a Final Foul like atmosphere—and they did not disappoint.

An interesting and telling moment came with nine minutes to go, when Okafor picked up his fourth foul with nine minutes to go and the Blue Devils up seven.

Tyus Jones showed why the top programs all recruited him and players love to play with him. He is a pass first point guard who knows how to distribute the ball but can also shoot. On the ensuing possession, Jones stole the ball from Michigan State junior Denzel Valentine and fed it to Quinn Cook to start a fast break. Cook dished it back to Jones, who finished the easy lay-up. And on Duke’s next possession, the shot clock was winding down as Jones held the ball. He fired a long 3-pointer, was fouled by Valentine falling to the floor as the ball swished. Jones made the free throw for the four-point play, and, just like that, the Blue Devils were ahead 64-51 with just over eight minutes remaining, a lead they held until Jahill “The Difference” Okafor returned with five minutes to go.

Jones added six more points down the stretch, finishing with 17 for the half (and the game) on 4-of-5 shooting, four assists, and no turn overs. An emotionally retooled co-captain Quinn Cook led all Duke scorers with 19 points and 6 assists (with no turn overs). Okafor added 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Justise Winslow, the other starting freshman, flashed his impressive athleticism with a behind-the-back crossover dribble that created a slashing layup and took a defensive rebound coast to coast for a highlight fast break drive and basket. He finished with 15 points. Among the other notable numbers is the dispersal of scoring. Unlike last year, one or two players do not have to carry this team.

An impressive win no doubt, but three words of caution: 1) The Blue Devils had trouble staying in front of cutters and defending the interior, a fatal flaw with last year’s team as Michigan State, a tough, veteran team, shot 50 percent from the field (30-for-60). 2) #4Wisconsin will be a much tougher test. 3) #1 Kentucky wiped out #5 Kansas 72-40.

Additional observations:

Tom Izzo is now 1 for 8 against Mike Krzyzewski.
Quinn Cook showed why he is starting. He has no fear (nothing new) but is a much more patient contributor with this group of players. Playing mostly off the ball may fit his skill set better than the pressure of running the point full time.
The playing minutes reverted to the mean with the starters all logging about 30, except Jefferson who had 20.
Rasheed Sulaimon had a stomach virus and was throwing up all day and at half time. Matt Jones played some of Sully minutes at small forward and continued to impress.
Grayson Allan only played a minute, took an ill-advised shot, then took a seat on the bench.
Krzyzewski was willing to speak about Okafor’ s potential. “Jah has a chance to be the best one,” Krzyzewski said of all his true low post men. “The only two guys like him, are Elton (Brand)—and he still has to play really well to be as good as Elton, he was the first pick and the national player of the year. And then Booz ( Carlos Boozer) but he wasn’t the focus of the offense because he played with Battier, J. Williams, Dunleavy. Those three big men are similar. Jah is the biggest one, though. And Jah can pass the best. You can get it to him, and he draws attention. He just has to learn what he can do. He got called for a couple of offensive fouls, and people are going to bang on him. I thought he handled things well. People are going to play multiple guys on him. What they didn’t do tonight was double him. He’ll see that, too.”
Question: Is Okafor Tim Duncan’s brother or his love child? (That’s a joke to see if you are still paying attention.)

Alan Adds:

Bill said it perfectly, “an impressive win no doubt”, but there are lots of areas that this freshmen laden team will work on to improve. I add to Bill’s cautionary words because Michigan State was not at full strength, depleted by injuries — especially among their bigs. Even so, Duke did not fare well on the backboards. What was troubling was that although Duke got rebounds directly off the backboard, when the ball was tipped back up, or hit the deck, Michigan State got the ball. The Spartans stayed in the game by winning every loose ball and making all the hustle plays. Nevertheless, sometimes pure talent just does win out, which was, in fact, what occurred in Indianapolis. Let’s savor that pure talent on display, because some parts of that talent were simply awesome. Duke opened 7-7; pretty good. What was excellent was the penetration, passing and skill that made almost all of the 7 shots uncontested layups. Passes to Okafor were perfect, leading to uncontested lay ins. Okafor is a great finisher. Duke got to the line for 26 foul shots (20-26) because the Devils were in attack mode. Duke had 15 assists on 27 field goals against only 8 turnovers (3 by Okafor; 2 by Winslow; and 2 by the subpar Rasheed). Duke had some great defensive moments (and some not so great defensive moments), the subject of the next paragraph.

In my (oft-stated) opinion, how good this team will turn out to be in March will depend on the defensive prowess that it does, or does not, develop. The need to improve on last year’s efforts has been universally acknowledged and emphasized by Coach K. So, how did Duke do against Michigan State? Pretty well, in my estimation. I disagree with Bill that Duke’s defensive problems (and they were on occasion glaring) were caused primarily by the inability of Duke perimeter defenders to stay in front of penetrating guards (a flagrant problem last year). What led to the many uncontested Michigan State layups at the rim was the way Duke defended the pick and roll. It was sometimes very effective. The big guarding the screen setter quickly worked with the on the ball defender to create a double team against the ball. This defensive strategy, which Coach K announced he was deploying, leaves the roll man open (to be picked up by the rotation, in theory). Sometimes it worked like a charm. Duke created 13 turnovers, many out of the double teams, and had 5 blocks (mostly against the roller who receive the pass). But way too often, there was no rotation to the roller, who was wide open at the rim, while the rim protectors were attempting the hard hedge, which became the double team. This is a young team, and that will show on the defensive end. But, I thought Duke showed enough on defense to be optimistic about how this team will develop defensively. Quinn Cook had a great game, and most commentators will talk about his offense (as will I), but his improvement on the defensive end was obvious and welcome. Tyus is an energetic on the ball defender, but still has a tendency to overplay and get beaten back door. Matt Jones played excellent defense. Okafor (2), Jefferson, Winslow and Marshall combined for the 5 blocks. Duke pressure defense seemed to wear the Spartans down a bit in the last 5-6 minutes of the game (winning time), even though Coach K shortened the rotation dramatically.

Grayson Allen (1 minutes) and Semi (2 minutes) did not contribute significantly. Rasheed was ill, which explains both his ineffectiveness and his lack of playing time (12 minutes; a 3 pointer in four attempts — 3 from behind the arc; 2 turnovers and a steal). Marshall played 9 minutes with a board and a block to go with his 2 personal fouls. Only Matt Jones provided long term and effective bench play, especially on the defensive end. In 22 minutes (1 more than starter Jefferson), Matt scored 4 points (1-4; 0-2 from behind the arc — 2-2 from the line to go with an assist while committing 3 fouls. In short the bench contributed only 7 points (0 for Plumlee, Allen and Semi). It was a game where the starters played big minutes to win the game. Quinn and Winslow logged 36 minutes each and put up enviable numbers. Cook was superb, leading the Duke scoring with 19 points on 12 shots (7-12, including 3-4 from behind the arc and some spectacular drives to score in traffic; 2-2 from the free throw line) to go with a wonderful floor game (6 assists and 0 turnovers plus a steal). This is not just a freshman team! Winslow may be Duke’s most talented athlete. I don’t think Duke has had an athlete like Winslow since Corey Maggette. He grabbed a rebound, flew down the court with an extraordinary handle, blowing past a defender for a spectacular end to end layup that was simply breathtaking. Justise had 15 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and a block, but actually did not have a good shooting night (4-11 including 1-2 from 3land). He is a great driver and can draw fouls. He attempted 9 free throws, but made only 6, and had 2 turnovers. I predict he will become the heart of this team as he grows and approaches his considerable up side. Tyus Jones soared to the heights in the last 8 minutes of the game after Jahlil picked up his fourth foul, but was a steady heady ball handler throughout. He was incredibly efficient in his 31 minutes, scoring 17 points (all in the second half) on only 5 shots (4-5, including 2-3 from behind the arc). He was 7-7 from the free throw line and had 4 assists and 2 steals with 0 turnovers. Cook and Tyus together had 10 assists, 0 turnovers and scored 36 points on 12 shots. That’s a pretty impressive backcourt performance against a good team. Jahlil left the announcers sputtering searching for adjectives and Tim Duncan analogies. He was certainly impressive in his foul limited 30 minutes, scoring 17 points on 8-10 shooting (1-2 from the line) to go with 5 boards, 2 blocks, 2 steals and an assist. His team defense is spectacular (and the team defense will improve once Duke learns how to defend the rim when Okafor double teams on the pick and roll). Having said all that and having to listen to Dickie V rant and drool about him (Bill obviously is more tolerant than I; I first tuned Dickie V out with 11 minutes to go in the first half! Yikes, he is grating, but I digress), there are areas where he should and will improve. Three of his four fouls came at the offensive end. He led Duke in turnovers with 3 and he couldn’t stop the Spartan onslaught on the backboards. He will be the best professional player of the Duke freshmen, but he is not head and shoulders above Winslow and Tyus, or at least was not in Duke’s first real test this year. There is no doubt that he is something very special. Jefferson was the starter who played the fewest minutes (21) and seemed less effective than usual with 4 boards and a block while scoring 6 points (2-3 from the floor and 2-4 from the line). Coach K went with Winslow at power forward for long stretches when Jefferson was on the bench.

Duke plays in Brooklyn tomorrow night against Temple and then on Saturday against either Stanford or UNLV. The next DBP will be a consolidated report on Sunday.

DUKE 74 – TEMPLE 54

In the first half Jahlil Okafor (3-13) and his teammates (9-26) were looking very ordinary offensively. However, their defense against a city tough Temple team enabled them to still have a 36-26 halftime lead. This would not have been the situation in the last several years and is one the primary reasons to believe that this team can compete on an entirely different level. There are always going to be times that your shots aren’t falling. It is then that defense keeps the game from getting away from you until they do start falling. Early in the second half, after Coach K encouraged his players to keep taking good shots, Captain Cook and his crew heated up and made a run to pretty much put the game away.

“We played without fouling,” said Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Temple attempted just six free throws). “We kept guys in front of us pretty good the whole game and we switched well. And also our big guys protected the bucket pretty well, so they didn’t have straight line drives.”

What I liked: While the freshmen are as good or better than advertised, always hustling and encouraging co-captains Cook, with his second half shooting and Jefferson, with his 8 point & 8 rebounds, led the way through the offensively frustrating twenty some first minutes….Starters Jones, Cook, and Winslow all can push the ball on a break… Justise went Coast to Coast again with another highlight finish…There is balanced scoring because everyone is a good passer. Through four games, Tyus Jones has 23 assists (5.75 apg.) followed by Cook with 16 (4.0 apg.) .. After a frustrated Okafor was pushed around a bit with no calls, Marshall Plumlee came off the bench and provided a nice tutorial for Jahlil as to how to deal with physical play–get stronger and play tougher… Duke held Temple to 1-of-12 (.091) from beyond the arc, the third game this season the Blue Devils forced a team to shoot .200 percent or worse from behind the three-point line…The announcers were Steve Smith, a two time All-American at Michigan State then a 14 year pro, and Greg Anthony, the point guard for the great UNLV team that buried Duke by 29 in the 1990 NCAA Championship game only to have their undefeated season ruined by the 1991 Duke upset. Both do their homework and have interesting insights into players talents. After one impressive, unique Jahlil move and finger roll basket, Steve mentioned it was reminiscent of George Gervin. For those who do not remember The Ice Man go to You Tube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGaAS0PTZxg)… Grayson Allen made it out of the doghouse and again scored a point a minute—6.

Additional observations:

Coach K left no doubt how he feels about Stanford Coach Johnny Dawkins. “Johnny was the first great player to commit to me. Johnny is as good a player as we have ever had at Duke. And he’s a great man. He’s got the whole package.”
When talking again about comparing Okafor to only Brand and Boozer, K also cleaned up the record by mentioning parenthetically that Christian Laettner “was a pretty good player” but not a true low post center.
Sulaimon is not playing well. He is either still feeling under the weather or pressing too hard for more playing time. Matt Jones, on the other hand, continues to impress and Semi Ojeleye does not.

Alan Adds:

In many ways — not shooting, however — this was Duke’s best game of the season. Duke’s defense was intense and kept breakdowns to a minimum (Duke still is getting beaten back door, but that is the price to be paid for aggressive efforts to get in the passing lanes). Temple did not score 30 points in either half (26 in the first half; 28 in the second). The Blue Devils forced 17 turnovers that included 9 steals to go with 5 blocks. While Duke shot poorly for the first 25 minutes of the game, Duke had 14 assists on its 25 field goals. They shared the ball with some great passes that are not in the stat sheet because the shot was missed. At one point, Duke was 4-18 from 3land before Quinn (2) and Matt Jones hit 3 of the last 5 bonus attempts, which put the game away. While Okafor had a poor shooting first half (3-13), he played his usual shooting game in the second half (4-7), but curiously only garnered 1 defensive rebound (after 7 first half offensive rebounds). He added 2 blocks — one of which was crucial and contributed to Duke moving out of Temple’s reach. He played only 27 minutes and was clearly not as comfortable as in the first 3 games. Marshall contributed 11 wonderfully efficient minutes (1-1 from the floor with 5 boards and 2 blocks). It was an impressive performance. Matt Jones (16) and Rasheed (14) also played double digit minutes off the bench. Jones continues to defend well with a 3 pointer (in 3 attempts) and 2 assists without a turnover. You can see Coach K’s trust in Matt building, conversely dwindling with Rasheed. Rasheed continues to disappoint, though it may still be the hangover from his being ill. He was 1-5 from the floor (0-1 from 3land) 0-2 from the foul line with 2 boards, 2 turnovers, 0 assists, steals or blocks, while committing 3 fouls. This team needs Rasheed to get well or otherwise turn his season around. Grayson played 6 minutes (4 of his 6 points came at key times in the first half) while Semi logged only 4 minutes (0-2 from 3land — all of his shots this season have been from behind the arc.) while committing 2 fouls.

Quinn led Duke in scoring (17 points on 6-12 shooting including 3-8 from behind the arc — the last 2 were key, and 2-2 from the stripe) and in minutes played (34). Quinn is a very good rebounder for a guard (5 for this game) and played superb defense on the perimeter adding 2 steals. He had 2 turnovers with a single assist. He is, right now, the unquestioned team leader and is having a banner year thus far. He has adjusted marvelously to being off the ball much of the time while the steady and impressive Tyus runs the offense. Although in his 29 minutes, Tyus shot poorly (1-7 including 1-4 from behind the arc and 2-2 from the line for 5 points), he played a superb floor game. He had 7 assists with only a single turnover to go with 5 boards (he and Quinn garnered 10 boards between them), and 3 steals. He played excellent (improving) defense and committed only a single foul. Amile Jefferson had his best game of the season at both ends of the floor. He played the second most minutes (31) while going 3-5 from the field, snaring 8 boards, handing out an assist, and getting a block. He had no turnovers. The only quibble was 2-5 from the stripe and committing 3 fouls. He is glue on defense. Justise continues to impress though he is freshman-inconsistent. What is impressively consistent is his defense, hustle and athleticism. In 28 minutes, he had 15 points on 8 shots (4-8; 1-4 from behind the arc and 6-9 from the line. He is a slasher who draws fouls. Temple only shot 13 free throws as a team; Justise shot 9 (but needs to shoot better than 67%). Duke as a team was even more inaccurate from the stripe (17-26 for 61%), but made more free throws than Temple attempted (a good sign). In addition to Winslow’s 3 missed free throws, Jefferson also missed 3 and Rasheed 2 (8 of the 9 misses; Grayson Allen was 3-4 for the other miss). Winslow plays the whole game at both ends. He can guard four positions on the floor, and has been used at both forward spots on offense; he handles like a guard (think James Harden when Justise gets it all together consistently). He added 8 boards (tie for the lead for Duke) with an assist and a steal with a single turnover. He committed 3 fouls.

Stanford was very impressive in wiping the floor with UNLV. Many good story lines for this game, but the key is the rate at which the freshmen improve and the team continues to grow defensively.

DUKE 70- STANFORD 59

Five games in nine days in three different cities—welcome to an NBA schedule plus classes. Actually, it is Coach K’s boot training to condition his team for tournament time. Except for the shooting part, the team passed with flying colors or in coaches words: “A good performance without offensive pretty.”

What have we learned in the last five games? This is a deep and talented team with an exceptionally gifted center and point guard who make everyone else better. Not to mention a power forward who may be the most complete basketball player on the team. And a senior guard who, if he continues to play and shoot as he has, could be the last piece of the championship puzzle. Also, an unsung blue collar player every team needs who is willing to do all the gritty little things that are often overlooked. And then there is a dependable bench, stocked with players who accept the fact that even though they are not starting, they are nevertheless important components of a winning team.

Additional observations:

So far, the defense has somewhat papered over the fact that free throw shooting among the front line is the Achilles Heel of this team. That has to change,
because as the teams get tougher and the games closer, free throws are crucial.
Speaking of defense, take a look at this year’s assist, turnover, rebounding, and steals differential compared to last year.
Matt Jones is a different player this year. When I saw his awkward shooting release last year, I wondered how had the reputation as a good three point shooter. As my old Coach Carter used to say: “This game isn’t ice skating, there are no style points. It’s not how, but how many.” And he has long arms allowing him to play bigger than his height.
I don’t know about you, but when Justise Winslow limped off the floor against Temple, Kyrie’s Irving’s injury about the same time of year flashed through my mind.

Alan Adds:

The tournament in Brooklyn was a wonderful coming out party for Duke’s defense. For those of us still having nightmares about last year’s defense and wondering how the freshmen would adapt to Coach K’s team defense (it is usual for freshmen to have a longer defensive learning curve than offensively), this tournament was a glorious defensive statement. Duke did not shoot well in either game and yet was never seriously challenged. Winslow, Okafor and Jones have played remarkably well on the defensive end as have Cook, Jefferson, and Matt Jones. Duke took away Stanford’s 3 pointers (3-14), held even on the boards, and committed few fouls (Stanford did not reach the bonus in the first half) and only had 14 free throw attempts for the game (12-14), while making 17 (out of 26 attempts; Justise was a disappointing 4-10; Okafor 2-4; and Rasheed 1-3, accounted for 10 of Duke’s 12 misses. Tyus 3-4 and Jefferson 3-4 accounted for the other 2), more than Stanford attempted. While Duke shot only 39 % from the field (9-25 from long range), the passing was breathtaking and admirable. Duke had 16 assists on 22 baskets, and like the night before had many gorgeous passes that did not make the stat sheet because of missed open shots.

Rasheed seemed to return to form against Stanford as Coach K shortened his rotation even further, as he usually does for big games. Neither Grayson Allen nor Semi Ojeleye left the bench and Marshall played only 5 minutes in the first half. Coach K elected to use Jefferson to back up Okafor in the second half, but only for about a minute or two. Otherwise Jahlil played almost the entire second half. Quinn (39 minutes), Jahlil (34) and Justise (35) were the center pieces of Duke’s effort. They left the court only briefly (Quinn not at all). Tyus (26), Jefferson (24) Matt Jones (18) and Rasheed (19) all contributed significantly.

This, for better or worse, is Quinn’s team. In his senior year, he has been outstanding and (unlike past years) consistent at both ends of the floor. Coach K pointed out that Quinn is playing great and deserved the MVP of the tournament award that he received. He was guarding a 6’6” guard and was outstanding. He played every second until the last 1:18 of the game, when the outcome had been decided. In his 39 minutes, he led Duke in scoring with 18 (6-12; 4-9 from 3land and 4-4 from the line) to go with 5 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal with only a single turnover. It is a joy to watch a player go through hard times, persevere, learn, grow and develop in four years. We don’t get to see that the way we used to. Quinn is hungry (no championships in his first three years and lots of criticism) and is leading his younger teammates.

It looks as if there will be a growing debate as to who Duke’s best freshman player this year, as Justise Winslow continues to sparkle. First and foremost, he is Duke’s most valuable and versatile defender. He has what the announcers call “an amazing motor”, meaning he displays constant energy with jaw dropping athleticism and a determined will. He has hops! When Stanford went small and/or to a zone, Winslow played the power forward in place of Jefferson, along with Okafor and 3 guards. When Stanford seemed poised to make a run, Winslow’s rebounding and all around play shut Stanford down. The only thing that stops the superlatives from morphing into big time hype is his lack of shooting efficiency ( 4-10 from the field, but only 2-7 from downtown; and the grievous 4-10 from the foul line). I (and Coach K) predict his shooting will come around making him a real force this year. He, Quinn and Okafor were named to the all-tournament first team. Okafor came up so big when Stanford reduced the Duke lead to 8. Duke went inside to Okafor, who scored twice in a row to push the lead back to 12 and end the Cardinal hopes. While he did not shoot well (10 points on 4-10 from the field and 2-4 from the line), he was a beast on the backboard (12 rebounds; yes that’s a double double) an assist, a steal and a block. He was a superb rim protector, altering Stanford close in shots and showing he has strength and a mean streak in addition to his impressive skills.

Tyus had a subpar statistical game and did not log as many minutes as usual. Coach K feared an energy drain because Duke has played 5 games in 8 days, including 3 big time games in two different neutral site locations in the last 3 days. Though he was 0-6 from the field (0-3 from 3land and 3-4 from the line), Tyus played a valuable floor game and is improving on the defensive end by leaps and bounds. He had only 2 assists (1 turnover) but garnered 3 boards and made 3 steals. He has become so valuable and works so well with Cook. Jefferson had one of his best games, even if limited by Stanford’s smaller lineup and zone defense. In his 24 minutes, Amile was 3-6 from the field; 3-4 from the line with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block without a turnover. He did commit 3 fouls. The bench was basically Matt Jones and Sulaimon. Jones was a revelation. In his 18 minutes, he contributed a critical times on the offensive end while playing exemplary defense. He was 4-7 from the field (2-3 from 3land) for 10 points, with a rebound and a steal against 2 turnovers. Rasheed is not yet statistically there, but he seemed back in harness, especially on the defensive end. He scored only 6 in his 19 minutes, but both buckets were important (2-5 from the field; 1-3 from behind the arc and 1-3 from the line) to go with 2 assists and a tough rebound in traffic (1 turnover).

All in all, Duke fans could not have asked for a better start to the season. Duke gets a respite before playing Furman and Army next week.

DUKE 93 – FURMAN 57

I was in Pinehurst for our annual Thanksgiving family gathering so I recorded the Furman and Army scrimmages which I view as scheduled home conditioning interludes between Michigan State and the clash with #2Wisconsin this Wednesday in Madison. Alan found more interesting aspects of the games than I did.

However, this game did answer a question I have been asking myself: “What’s keeping Grayson Allen off the floor?” (He played just one minute against Michigan State, six against Temple and then not at all against Stanford.) He is much more athletic than JJ, is not worse defensively, and has a beautiful three point stroke. When Coach K called timeout with :30 seconds left in the half, I thought that if Grayson’s not in, he really is deep in the dog house. Breaking the huddle, Allen and Matt Jones went to corners along Tyus Jones, Winslow and Rasheed Sulaimon. Tyus patiently took time off the clock before passing it to Allen in the corner, and – swish, buzzer! How many times have we seen this movie?

“Grayson might not play for 19 minutes and 50 seconds against” – Krzyzewski paused to come up with a hypothetical – “Wisconsin, and we put him in, and he did it. That was one of the best and most meaningful plays of the afternoon.”

Alan Adds:

I believe most commentators, and even Duke fans, will regard the Furman game as a routine blow out of a vastly inferior team — a “breather” or “laugher” in an otherwise formidable schedule. There was relief that Duke fans did not repeat last year’s game against Vermont, in similar circumstances where Duke was an overwhelming favorite to beat an inferior team with a losing record.

Let me offer a contrasting view; I believe when the season is done, we will look back on the first half of the Furman game as the moment when you could truly visualize for the first time the connecting path between the amazing potential of a group of extraordinarily talented players to the realization of the dream of team — especially on the defensive end. Duke played well in the second half, but human nature just toned down the team intensity of the first half that seemed to me to be truly a watershed moment. What a delicious defensive first half! Never mind the impressive stats (Furman is another Presbyterian as far as athletic talent goes), but savor Duke’s spectacular aggressive hedges and switches on screens, creating the double teams, followed by the smooth rotations to cover the roller (or screen setter). I know that Furman is not Michigan State, but you could see the improvement of the rotations to cover the roller. Michigan State had some success with the roller laying it up and in on the pick and rolls. Last night against Furman, Duke looked like a ballet troupe the way they rotated to make the traps effective. Credit Justise Winslow, who is quick, athletic and defensively intelligent. He was so intense, and helped make the team defense, well, beautiful (hence the ballet simile). Jahlil, Amile and Marshall were so aggressive in defending the screen with the hard hedge and double team. When Furman made the good pass against the double team (which was frequently done), Justise, Matt Jones, Rasheed (the starting guards are a little too small to be effective in that role) and the off big man (I.e. Jefferson when Jahlil was the double teamer) were so cohesive in rotation that Furman had to bring the ball back out.

So was some of the passing on offense both beautiful and ballet-like. There were two that deserve to be remembered. One was a five pass (no dribble) sequence that ended with Winslow making a touch pass out of the high post to Jahlil for the dunk. The other — among Cook, Tyus and Amile — ended up as a turnover, but the concept was so deliciously unselfish and creative that it too deserved to be savored.

For the first half, Duke scored 50 on 57 % shooting, with 13 assists (in the first half!) on 20 field goals. Jahlil (5-7 for 10 points) and Amile (6-6 for 12 points) led the way. The bigs (totaling 11-13 from the floor in the opening stanza) were the recipients of superb passing for finishing at or near the rim. It was simply exquisite basketball. Matt Jones contributed 7 off the bench in the first half as did Justise. Tyus did not score in the entire game. Justise did not score in the second half; you can see that he is offensively aggressive only when the team needs him to be (which it clearly did not in the second half). For the game, Duke shot 57% dishing out 24 assists on 36 field goals against only 7 turnovers.

The starters all played between 23 and 26 minutes. All the reserves got a good run (between 12 and 19 minutes) Coach K mixed and matched intensely, trying all different combinations together. Jahlil led Duke in minutes (26) and scoring with 24 points (first Duke 20 point scorer this year; demonstrating Duke’s balanced scoring so far) on 12-14 shooting to go with 7 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. He is one of the best finishers I have seen in College basketball. He missed his only free throw (Duke was 6-10; Justise 2-4 and Matt 1-2 were the other misses). Jefferson and Quinn played 24 minutes. Amile had a wonderfully efficient game, scoring 16 points on 8-9 shooting (he missed a tough tip in attempt) while grabbing 12 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists and getting a steal and a block. Coach K called Quinn the “key guy” in creating team chemistry. He had 5 assists against only one turnover, going 4-10 from the field; 3-9 from 3land and gorgeous twisting drive). He added 3 boards and a steal. Tyus and Justice played 23 minutes. Tyus was 0-2 from the floor, but contributed mightily with 7 assists and some very solid defense (improving by leaps and bounds on that end of the floor). Justise was 2-7 for 7 points (1-3 from behind the arc and 2-4 from the line). Do not be fooled by Justise’s modest stat line, he is so valuable to this team, especially on the defensive end.

Matt Jones had a break out game, scoring 13 points (4-5 from 3land and 1-2 from the line) in his 19 minutes. He corralled 3 boards and had 2 assists to go along with some intense defense. He and Rasheed are becoming a force on the perimeter as reserves. Suliamon also logged 19 minutes, scoring 9 on 4-8 shooting (1-4 from behind the arc) to go with excellent defense, 2 tough rebounds in traffic and 2 assists. Semi (15 minutes) and Marshall (12 minutes) were effective substitutes on the front line. Marshall played defense and got 2 boards to go with 2-2 foul shooting (6-6 for the year). Semi had his best game, scoring 6 on 2-3 shooting (1-2 from behind the arc, and 1-1 from the line. He had 3 boards and played great defense. He was called for two fouls, but the second one was not a foul, just a great defensive play. Grayson scored 5 (including the set play 3 pointer at the close of the first half) in 13 minutes. He was forcing shots, hoisting up 7 (2-7; 1-5 from behind the arc), but was energetic on the floor with 3 boards, an assist and a block.

DUKE 93 – ARMY 73

After watching The United States Military Academy’s basketball team in action, you have to feel that at least this arm of the government is in excellent (pun alert) hands. Their approach to the game is impressive—and basketball is not even their major. The final score is no indication as to how good and talented a team they are. I’m glad we had Okafor because without him T. Jones would not have had a double- double and the score would have been much closer. Anyhow, Alan has all the details and I will save my insights for the Wisconsin game.

Additional observations:

Army’s effort and performance comes as no surprise to those of us who have observed Coach K over the years. He is emphatic about West Points’ impact on this development: “I remember playing there more so than my first win (as a coach). That’s my base. I wear my wedding ring and I wear my West Point ring with a Duke stone. I’m getting all emotional now. I love West Point. I love the fact that I had that opportunity and then I had the opportunity to coach there. One of the reasons that I’m a good coach here is because of my five years there. They’ll always be in my heart and I’ll always be a West Point-er.”
Grayson Allen played more minutes today but showed why he probably has not played more.

Alan adds:

I thought the Army game a bit strange and hard to get a handle on all its significances, both offensively and defensively. Duke played defense with a lot of energy, but sporadically — not on every possession. You could see some of the old 2013-14 Duke deficiencies creeping back — shoddy transition defense giving up open 3s and drives from the perimeter. It’s true that most of this happened when Duke had the game well in hand in the second half, but the opening few minutes were defensively careless before Duke clamped down Duke style at about the 15 minute mark of the first half. Duke was offensively fluid, hampered only by its uncharacteristically bad shooting from behind the arc (4-19 for the game; 1-8 in the first half). If you take away the 3 point attempts, Duke was 27-51 from inside the arc, and a dramatic 15-20 from inside the arc in the first half. For the game, Duke had 20 assists on 31 baskets; pretty impressive. Justise Winslow committed two offensive fouls within the first two and a half minutes of the game, had a turnover and a bad defensive play. He went to the bench with 17 minutes and change left in the first half. As a result he logged only 12 minutes, and Duke’s defense may have suffered a bit because of his absence. It was Duke’s superior size that kept Army from being competitive.

Duke had only four players who logged more than 20 minutes, and those four were the only double figure scorers. Tyus led the team in minutes and in every other way on offense. He also played some really excellent team defense, but still gets beaten back door on occasion. However, on offense he sparkled against Army. In 34 scintillating minutes, Tyus had 10 assists (and many of them were spectacularly beautiful), 0 turnovers, 5 boards and a steal. He scored 16 points on 3-4 shooting inside the arc and 7-8 from the line. He still has not found his 3 point shot (1-4), but that is a quibble for such a terrific performance. Quinn played 30 minutes (He and Tyus were the only Duke players to play more than 26 minutes), scoring 13 points on 12 shots (5-12; 1-5 from behind the arc and made both free throws). Quinn had 3 steals, 2 boards and 2 assists. Because Justise was so limited in playing time, Rasheed got more playing time. Rasheed played the third most minutes (26) scoring 13 points (4-10; 1-4 from behind the arc and 4-4 from the line to go with 2 assists, 2 boards and a steal. He was energetic and played excellent defense. Jahlil was somewhere between awesome and impressive. In 25 minutes, he destroyed Army (21 points on 8-14 shooting, but only 5-9 from the line) to go with some great passing out of the post and 8 rebounds and a block. He altered shots, finished dramatically and was an unstoppable force. The pundits are salivating to see how he performs against Wisconsin’s huge, talented and experienced front line, led by Frank Kaminsky, the 7 footer who had such an outstanding NCAA tournament last year.

Jefferson was a beast on the boards against an undersized team in his 20 minutes — 12 boards, 7 points (3-3 from the field, but 1-3 from the line) to go with 2 assists and a block. He and Okafor (and Plumlee) were devastating inside against the smaller Black Knights. Marshall had another incredible stat line. In his 13 minutes, he was 2-2 from the field; 2-2 from the line for 8 points, with 5 boards and 2 blocks. Matt Jones was first off the bench when Justise committed his second foul. He played 18 minutes, scoring 6 points with 2 steals, an assist and a rebound. Defense is still his calling card, and you can see Coach K trusting him more. When Coach K finally let Winslow back in the game (6 minutes to go in the first half), Winslow played well, but Coach K limited him (punishment for two quick not so smart offensive fouls?) to not much more than cameos in each half. Still in his 12 minutes, Winslow scored 7 points on 3-4 shooting (1-2 from 3land) with a board, an assist and a steal. Semi (12 minutes) played a good floor game, but Grayson (10 minutes) looked lost and unhappy. Semi had four boards and an assist, though he did not shoot well (0-2 from the field and 2-4 from the line. Grayson did not score, missing his only shots — 2 3 point attempts.

Next Play: On Wednesday night, Duke takes on the third ranked Badgers of Wisconsin. Wisconsin returns four of its starters and all of its bench from a Final Four team a year ago (lost to Kentucky by a point on a last minute long shot by Andrew Harrison). They feature a huge front line and a first team All- American candidate in the 7 foot Frank Kaminski, This will be a telling test for Duke’s young and talented team.

DUKE 80 – WISCONSIN 70

Jahlil Okafor is a wonderful talent but this is Tyus Jones team. He may only be a college freshman and look like a high school junior but he makes plays like a seasoned, senior All-American. Playing before a hostile crowd of 17,279, against a team that made the Final Four a year ago and came in ranked No. 2 nationally, Jones scored 22 points, to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. And by the way, it wasn’t a one man show. The guys off the bench kept Duke in the game in the first half. As I was saying, in big games Rasheed Sulaimon’s “have no fear, just attack and take the hill” mentality shows the team how to perform. Marshall Plumlee had productive minutes as did Matt Jones; however, next to Ty Jones, Rasheed Sulaimon was the MVP—especially on a night when Justise Winslow was offensively missing in action until the last minutes when he settled down, hit a three and took a half court out of bounds give-and-go from Jahlil to the basket for an uncontested, demoralizing dunk. And who has improved more than Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee? They have the best field goal percentages on the team and play very effective defense. But more than anything this impressive performance demonstrated the maturity, toughness, depth, versatility, and coolness of this Duke team. And, oh yes, their defense bears no resemblance to that of the last few years.

The coaches also played a part. Jeff Capel, who was head coach at Oklahoma and was especially close to Tyus through his recruitment, encouraged K to go to him more in the second half. Coach called more ball screens for Ty in the second half and Jah encouraged his buddy to shoot more, too, since Wisconsin was sagging off him. Who knew the laid back point guard had this much scoring fire power?

In his duel with the Badgers Kaminsky, Duke’s Jahlil Okafor was outscored 17-13 – but hit 6-8 to Kaminsky’s 5-12. Even when his numbers appear subpar, Jahlil has an impact on the game just being on the floor because his presence creates space and an opportunity for his teammates to operate. The same is true of Quinn Cook. He is in Coach K’s words a “safe harbor” for T. Jones. Quinn’s acceptance of Tyus being the point and controlling the ball has made him a better, more effective player.

The most impressive aspects of the win were: It was in Madison where any Coach Bo Ryan’s teams rarely lose; against a consensus top four team; the defense was terrific; everyone who played contributed; the offense production was terrific even though Okafor’s numbers were subpar. This ten point margin is as close as any team has come to beating Duke.

Additional observations:

This was Coach K’s win number 991. In top-five matchups his Duke teams are 25-13, including 6-6 on the road.
Fortunately, Jay Bilas called the game and demonstrated once again why he is the most knowledgeable college basketball analyst on television.
UNC lost to Iowa in Chapel Hill.
BTW, Louisville joins the ACC this year. They are big, athletic, and very good.

Alan Adds:

The game had, for me, almost the feel of a Final Four game. Everyone knew that these two teams seem to be Final Four quality, and this was a major test for each on National television. Of course, it was not an elimination game, but rather a development and evaluation game (not even a conference game); so not Final Four intensity, but almost. It was fun to watch as a Duke fan. After the game, I texted Bill, “Duke’s best win since Kyrie got hurt in 2011 (better than Austin’s dagger against UNC, because of the potential to be a National champion that this team demonstrated in this game). Yes, I thought Duke looked that good. It was also the game where Tyus Jones emerged as Duke’s floor leader, announcing his presence on the national scene. Tyus was not less than superb. He logged 37 minutes (the most on Duke) scored 22 points on 11 shots and controlled the game to a remarkable extent. Traveon Jackson may have scored 25 points in a dramatic outing for the Badgers, but he wasn’t even in the same league as Tyus for providing leadership, stability and confidence for his team. Tyus remarkably had only a single turnover (4 assists). This was a very special performance. The guards (Tyus, Quinn and Rasheed) shot 6-9 from behind the arc. Duke had two rebounding leaders — Jahlil with 6 and (drum roll, please) Tyus with 6.

The second take away from this game is the absolute certainty that Duke’s defense is back. Duke won, in large measure because they were a much better defensive team. First, let’s send kudos to Justise Winslow, who logged 32 minutes (second most on the team) and led the stingy defense. One could say Winslow did not have a good game because he scored only 5 points on 2-6 shooting (though the two were at crunch time), but one would be completely wrong because of the defensive glue and energy Winslow brought to the team. There is a reason Coach K had him in the game more than any other player besides Tyus. Duke’s switching was beautiful to behold — look back at my “Alan Adds” for the Furman game, where Duke’s defense looked ballet like in its fluidity. The quality of the opponent was much higher, but Duke’s defense rose to the occasion. It was team defense with starters and bench all contributing as an efficient, cohesive, intensely motivated team. It was simply exhilerating.

Offensively, Duke was on fire, shooting the lights out (30-46; 7-12 from 3land). Duke had no free throw attempts in the first half and was an ok 8-13 in the second half. Duke held the huge Wisconsin team even on the boards.

Tyus had great help offensively. Quinn played 31 scintillating minutes scoring 13 points on only 5 shots (4-5; 2-3 from behind the arc and 3-4 from the line). Jahlil showed that he can play with any big in the country (well, let’s see about the horde of bigs from Kentucky) by playing Kaminsky to a standstill. In 27 minutes (4 fouls), he scored 13 on 6-8 shooting. Jefferson was also terrific in 25 minutes going 3-4 from the floor with 6 boards. As Bill points out, so much juice to the Duke effort on both ends of the floor came from Rasheed in his 21 minutes. He was 5-8 (2-3 from 3land and 2-2 from the line) for 14 points (second high scorer on the team) while grabbing 3 boards, handing out 2 assists and making a steal. Wow! He led the efficient bench. Matt Jones played 19 terrific minutes (1-1; and 1-2 from the line) both on defense, where he is really shining and an all around floor game. The last and 8th contributer was Marshall. He played only 8 minutes, going 2-3 for four points with 3 boards. If you extrapolate those stats out to a 40 minute game, that’s 20 points and 15 boards. Unfortunately, Marshall also committed 2 fouls (which would limit him to about 18 minutes). I thought it significant that when Jahlil picked up his fourth foul with about five minutes left, Jefferson came in for Jahlil rather than Plumlee. The small lineup (Justise at power forward) held the fort.

After a “breather” with Elon, Duke goes to the Meadowlands to play the defending national champions, UConn.

DUKE 75- ELON 62

The good news is Jahlil Okafor celebrated his 18^th birthday by going for a school record 25 points & 20 rebounds; however, after twelve days off for exams, the Blue Devils were somewhat sloppy (17 turnovers), inconsistent, and certainly not firing on all cylinders. The bad news is that the starting front court shot 7 for 18 from the line– and that is not an aberration. There are only a couple things that can stop this team: injuries, bad luck, or bad free throw shooting, which has always been a strength of Coach K’s best teams. Please put in a call to Chip “The Shot Doctor” Engelland, who scored 1,000 points as a Duke player from 1979-83 and is a shot guru to the accuracy challenged, because in close games Okafor and Winslow will be spending a lot of time at the line. It must be noted that like other less heralded teams coming into Cameron, under-sized, over-matched Elon competed hard and conceded nothing.

A good example of that is late in the game Rasheed Sulaimon pressed Luke Eddy practically the length of the floor and was called for a foul as Eddy fell to the floor. Then Sully appeared to give Eddy a shove and he was called for a technical. What the replays showed was that Eddy hooked Rasheed’s arm and attempted to pull him down also. As usual, retaliation got the call. While Sulaimon took blame for the technical (“I lost my cool and made a bone-head play, something that a Duke player doesn’t make. I’m very ashamed and embarrassed at the way I represented this program, myself and my family.”), Rasheed (11 pts, 2 steals, 3 rebs) played another solid game as the first substitution and demonstrated the intensity and toughness every minute he is on the floor. Championship teams need that from their best players.

Additional observations:

The Darwinian basketball principle: there are only so many floor minutes. Caught up in a talent jam, sophomore Semi Ojeleye has decided to transfer. This should not be a surprise as he is too talented to be satisfied with a seat on the bench. Semi hasn’t announced a new school yet, but wherever he ends up, someone’s getting a talented player and a first-class kid.

Alan adds:

Coach K was unhappy with his team’s performance and, as usual, was eloquent in describing the shortcomings he saw. He said Duke “didn’t do the hard things tonight.” The hard things he identified are “finishes, talk on defense, be strong with the ball, dive for loose balls. We didn’t do those things that we have been doing.” He said this was the result of the lay-off, but also people “telling us how good we are” after the great game against Wisconsin. Coach K explained that it was normal to have a let down after a great game. “In order to be really good, you can’t be normal. Normal stays in the past and wants it easier after some great accomplishment. Not normal gets hungrier. We didn’t pass that test tonight. Human nature beat the hell out of us tonight. We weren’t as good as we can be, not as good as we are going to be, and not as good as we have been.” Interestingly, Coach K admonished his team for not following the defensive game plan. He said this was the first time this year that his team didn’t implement the game plan. He also pointed to 17 turnovers against only 14 assists. He was not a happy coach.

With Ojeleye gone, Duke’s rotation was essentially 7. Grayson Allen played only 8 minutes with 0 shots or points (1 rebound; 1 steal and 1 turnover) and Marshall logged only 10 minutes with 0 shots and 0 points (2 boards; 2 blocks while committing 2 fouls). Six Duke players logged between 20 (Matt Jones) and 29 minutes (Okafor). Quinn played a game high 35 minutes with 7 points (3-9 from the field; 1-6 from behind the arc; 0 free throw attempts) 4 assists and a steal against a single turnover. His backcourt buddy, Tyus Jones fell to earth after his heavenly performance against Wisconsin. In 23 minutes, he missed his only field goal attempt (4-6 from the line) with 4 assists and an unusual 4 turnovers. Matt Jones was also subpar, going 1-6 from the field (0-4 from 3land; 1-1 from the line) with 0 assists and 2 turnovers. It was Rasheed who was the backcourt bulwark. In his 26 minutes, he was 4-9 from the field for 11 points (1-2 from behind the arc and 2-2 from the free throw line) to go with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals without a turnover. Bad incident at the end, but a very creditable game.

Duke’s bigs dominated the undersized Elon team, especially Okafor, who had 10 offensive rebounds. Coach K said that when Elon went to the 1-3-1 zone it left a small defender on the base line and Okafor took wonderful advantage. In 29 minutes, he was 10-14 from the floor (5-11 from the line for 25 points) and had 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals and an assist. On the “Normal side” he committed 4 turnovers and was dismal from the free throw line. So were Jefferson and Winslow. Amile logged 23 minutes going 6-7 from the field (but 1-3 from the line) for 13 points to go with his 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. His “normal” was 3 turnovers. Winslow was 1-4 from the line, but was so valuable otherwise. In 27 minutes, he was 5-10 from the filed, though only 1-4 from behind the arc as well as from the line. Thus, as Bill points out, the bigs were a dismal 7-18 from the line. That has to be fixed.

Though it wasn’t a great performance, it was Duke’s 9th straight win of the season, and once again showcased Jahlil as something very special. Next play is in New Jersey on Thursday against the defending National champions, the University of Connecticut. Coach K wants to have his team playing hungry again in that game.

DUKE 66 – UCONN 56

Tonight’s winning numbers are: 25-34, 40-26 & 0. Those were the free throws attempted and made, (a key component to Coach K’s best teams. this cannot be stressed enough, because it indicates how aggressive the offense is), the rebounding margin, and the number of points for seven foot center Amida Brimah, last seen scoring 40 against Coppin State. Brimah picked up two early fouls, couldn’t begin to keep up with Jahlil Okafor, and fouled out with little impact on the game. Not so for Ryan Boatright, who was a boatload of trouble to defend and handful defensively, responsible for a lot of Duke’s 12 first half turnovers (Duke had only 36 in their first eight games).

It was a contest that demonstrated the versatility, resourcefulness, mental and physical toughness of this team. However, perhaps the most crucial moment was the start of the second half when Duke turned the ball over and UConn scored to cut the lead to three points. A furious Coach K burned a timeout and in his inimitable manner asked his players what the f*** they were doing and requested(?) a better effort. The Blue Devils responded with a 12-2 run to pretty much put themselves in the driver’s seat against a team (minus some key players) that beat Kentucky in last year’s NCAA Championship game. Nevertheless nothing came easy against a team with a coach as good as Kevin Oliver and a guard as good as Ryan Boatright.

On a night that Cook was offensively quiet and Justise Winslow had Alan wondering at the half if he left his game at exam week, Jefferson and T.

Jones once again proved how valuable they are. Tyus (21 pts & 5 rebs) is the most unassuming bigtime point guard you will ever see and Jefferson (11 pts & 13 rebs) just shows up when the more heralded big men don’t. In the second half, Winslow, obviously responding to Alan’s critique, showed flashes of his talents with three big time plays– a three, a tip-in off a missed free throw, and a fantastic block.

All in all it was a tough, some would say, ugly win against a talented, scrappy team at the Meadowlands, where Duke has played so many memorable games.

Additional observations:

Predictably, Coach K’s rotation has shortened. He is 6-4 against UConn.

*Jay Bilas was one of the announcers and Jayson Williams was one of the halftime anchors. No other school has as many ex-players involved on more levels of college basketball than Duke.

*Jabari Parker has been diagnosed with a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

*Seth Curry is averaging 25 pts a game for Erie BayHawks in the NBA development League and the Miami Heat sent Andre Dawkins down to the D-League in early December. He is averaging 22 pts a game.

*Justin Robinson, the son of legendary center David Robinson, was admitted via early decision and will be added to Duke’s roster next year as a preferred walk-on. (Generally, a player that is recruited for a spot on the team, but there is no scholarship available. Often, the players parents are we enough off to pay the tuition. These players might also have an “off the books” agreement that they’ll get a scholarship when one becomes available.) Justin’s brother is a very talented freshman wide receiver for Notre Dame.

Alan Adds:

What a strange, but illuminating game this was for Duke. On the plus side, Bill points to Duke’s size advantage that produced backboard dominance, an offense that went to the line frequently and made a competent percentage, and what Bill didn’t say, but Coach K did – was to compliment Duke’s outstanding half court defense (especially in the second half). On the minus side is Duke’s continuing woes with taking care of the ball on offense. After an extraordinary first few games, Duke has “not been strong with the ball” for the last two games. Duke had 12 (TV commentators) or 15 (ESPN half time stats) turnovers in the first half and 19 for the game against only 10 assists. Only 10 assists is a telling statistic. For the first time, Duke faced a team that was quicker and played intense pressure defense. Duke did not respond well – especially in the first half. I thought UCONN did not sustain its frenetic defensive pace in the second half, but taught Duke a lesson about the need to take better care of the ball. The turnovers the Huskie defense produced led to most of the UCONN scoring that wasn’t done by the amazing Ryan Boatright. He was so good.

But Coach K put it in perspective – Tyus learned a lot tonight on both ends.and did very well indeed. The other negative from the game was how unproductive the Duke bench was. First, there wasn’t much bench. Grayson played 2 minutes; Marshall 5 and Matt Jones 6. Only Rasheed logged double figure minutes (17), but none of the four scored. Rasheed missed all four shots and had 5 turnovers with 2 boards and a steal. Matt was 0-1; Marshall committed 2 fouls in his 5 minutes while grabbing a board, but blocked 2 shots (the one in the second half was a much needed beauty). It has been a long time since the Duke bench was that unproductive.

The starters logged big minutes, played very well in spots (especially in the second half) and all scored in double figures. At the end of the first half, I wrote, “Even though Duke led at half; UCONN was the better team, led by the best player on the floor, Ryan Boatright. Boatright not only shredded the Duke defense, but disrupted the Duke offense with intense defense causing steals and disruption. Duke’s offense was plagued by 15 turnovers and 8-25 shooting (3-9 from 3). UCONN had 4 more field goals but Duke thrived from the foul line 11-15. Jahlil and Jefferson controlled the boards. Jefferson was terrific with 10 points and 7 boards. Winslow continues to fade. He was as good as any freshman in the early games, but in last 5 games he has been absent on offense. Marshall was really inept in the first half.”

As Bill points out, Coach K called time out (with 19:19 left in the second half) after Duke misfired on its opening possession and UCONN shredded the Duke defense for a layup, cutting Duke’s 30-25 halftime lead to 3. “They were in lala land”, Coach K explained, “I had to wake them up.” Even so it took another couple of minutes before the intensity turned on and Duke began to pull away. UCONN scored on another layup and Boatright made 1 of 2 to tie the game at 30 with 18:16 left. Then Winslow woke up – on both ends of the floor — and Duke turned the game around. Winslow scored with 17:40 left for Duke’s first points of the half and a 2 point lead. Duke guarded Boatright with double and triple teams. UCONN scored once at the 14:33 mark, but did not score it’s 33rd point until the 11:29 mark. By then Duke had extended the lead to 13 on the strength of balanced scoring with good ball movement. UCONN had one more run and brought the score to 57-51 with 3:47 left. Then Winslow took over with a crucial 3. The Duke lead was back down to 6 with a little over a minute left when Jahlil missed a free throw, and Justise converted a great tip in to really clinch the game.

You get an idea of how much Coach K is relying on his backcourt by the minutes played – Quinn played 39 minutes (same as Boatright) and Tyus logged 38. Tyus was awesome with 21 points on 5-11 from the field (2-6 from behind the arc) and a critical 9-10 from the free throw line. Throw in 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals (an uncharacteristic 3 turnovers, but that is more a tribute to the Huskie defense) for a complete floor game and an MVP for the game (in my opinion). Quinn shot 2-7 from behind the arc (3-9; 2-2 from the line) for 10 points. His value was very much on the defensive end. Even though Quinn had 3 turnovers, you could tell that Coach K did not trust his other guards to take care of the ball against the Huskie pressure defense.

Okafor played 34 minutes, scoring 12 points (only 5 shots; 3 field goals 5-11 from the line) and 8 boards. His passing is wonderful,and he was far more valuable than his stat line showed. Jefferson was on the court for 31 minutes and contributed a double double (13 boards and 11 points). He is becoming a terrific leader and dependable player. Winslow exploded in the second half after being limited by foul trouble in the first half. He scored 12 points in his 28 minutes , but his return to form in the second half (10 of his 12 and great defense) was a welcome sight for the Blue Devil fans.

A strange but illuminating (and educational) game for the Blue Devils. Next game is not until December 29 against Toledo in Cameron.

DUKE 86 – TOLEDO 69

Pay close attention Duke fans, we may have the makings of a very memorable season. Watching this young team develop and mature is real treat. While the three starting freshmen are really good and complement each other and any other two players really well, this is a different team when Okafor is on the floor. There are no good choices: double team him and he hits the open man like a Bill Walton, play him one-on-one and he scores in a variety of atypical, creative ways like a Tim Duncan–and he runs the floor like a young Bill Russell.

The Toledo Jahlil Rockets are a talented, veteran mid-major team that made several Vermont type wake up runs at the Blue Devils. Their flashy guard “Juice” Brown (19 pts.)was a handful for whomever was trying to guard him. He and Quinn Cook (20 pts.) were doing so much trash talking that Coach Krzyzewski finally jumped off the bench and yelled, “Hey, Cook! Shut up!” After Brown blew by Cook on the defensive end for another easy layup, Quinn made an acrobatic behind the back save of a loose ball as his momentum took him into the row of photographers along the baseline. He picked himself up, worked his way back to the court and signaled for the ball like an open wide receiver. Ty Jones quickly zipped the ball back to him and Quinn then nailed the 3-pointer over a slow closing Brown and made one of his weird faces (Tyus: “We don’t really have a name for it. That’s just Q’s look. You know he means business when that look comes on.”) as he ran down the court.

There is no doubt in my mind that one of the critical components of Coach K’s success is his symbiotic relationship with his players. We witnessed an example of that last night. After a transition dunk by Okafor in the second half, Coach K slapped the floor in front of him WoJo style so hard he broke his watch. “My team deserves emotion. They got it and they gave it back, which was a cool thing. The final twenty minutes were our best since the Wisconsin game.” K also commented he did not call any plays in the second half. He had his team only run motion offense so the players would stop standing around and watching Jah do his thing.

Marshall Plumlee is developing into a very productive sub for Okafor, who is very open about the fact that practicing against MP3 is making him a better, more versatile post player. Giving high energy, physical minutes as a substitute, Marshall allows Jahlil periodic rests that allow him to go 100% while he is on the floor as demonstrated by his fast break dunks. And speaking of dunks, Plumlee had a terrific one off an out-of-bounds play. He is playing so well, K said he might play Okafor and Plumlee together against bigger teams.

Additional observations:

My only concerns are injuries, defense, depth (Semi Ojeleye is leaving for SMU), and free throw shooting—not necessarily in that order. While Duke shot a solid 73% from the line, that number is somewhat deceiving because the four big men were only 5-12 (42%).
Duke extended its winning streak while playing non-conference competition in Cameron to an NCAA-best 115 games
Tonight’s 18 assists are a good indication as to how well these players share the ball. Tyus Jones had eight of the assists with only one turnover, giving him 61 assists and 16 turnovers through eleven games.
Bulletin Board material: Last night announcer Len Elmore (ex-Terp) said he thinks Virginia is better than Duke.
If you have not been watching Duke football, you have been missing a tremendous coaching job. In the Sun Bowl, several times Arizona State looked like the better team and that they would put the game on ice. However, the Blue Devils fought their way back with a punt return touchdown, a deftly executed fake punt/pass, and a creative reverse with right handed wide receiver Crowder throwing a left handed touchdown pass. In the final minutes, Duke was driving for the winning touchdown when inconsistent QB Anthony Boone threw an interception in the end zone as Duke lost 31-36. While Crowder is a tremendous receiver, he is 5’9”. Throwing a fade to him when you have 6’6” wide receiver Issac Blakeney on the other side defended by a 5’10” DB seems an odd decision. If you go to receiver face guarded by a back-to-the-ball defensive back on that pattern, a back shoulder throw is the percentage play. The pros do it all the time in the end zone. Opportunity lost. Nevertheless, Coach Cut has accomplished what others could not–rescuing Duke Football from the depths of a very long, dark depressing era.

Alan Adds:

There is much to be pleased with, with only a few concerns. The major concern is the defense looked porous at times — especially in the first half — bringing back memories of last year’s inability to protect the perimeter. Duke had few answers for “Juice” Brown, who shredded Duke’s perimeter for 10 points in each half. Brown is one of the nation’s leading 3 point shooters, but he was only 1-5 last night. Duke was clearly willing to have him drive as a result of aggressively closing out on him behind the arc. Weatherspoon was energetic underneath and seemed to play with more passion than Duke’s bigs. The other concern in the foul shooting of all but the starting back court (Tyus 9-9; Quinn 6-6). The rest of the team was 7-15 with Okafor being the worst offender (3-6, making Hack and Oak a viable defense at the end of a close game — which Duke has not yet played). Amile and Justise missed their only attempt; while Marshall was 2-4 (after hitting his first 10 this season) and Rasheed was 2-3.

Duke played a very efficient second half. With 18 minutes left, Toledo had drawn within 3 at 47-44. Okafor exploded for 7 straight and the defense was superb; Duke led by 10 in only 2 more minutes. For the next 6 minutes, Duke’s lead held between 8 and 11. At the 10 minute mark, Duke started to pull away slowly. Toledo never made another serious run and Duke was dynamite down the stretch (Toledo got tired and began to lose players to foul trouble). Duke relied heavily on Okafor’s superb game and two scintillating games from Duke’s backcourt. While Tyus continues to get beaten once or twice a game via the backdoor and Quinn could not contain “Juice” on the defensive end, each guard was superb offensively. Tyus was amazingly efficient, and is, in his own way, as every bit as valuable to this team as Okafor. Tyus scored 15 points on just 3 shots from the floor (2-3 from behind the arc) and added 4 boards, 8 assists, and 2 steals in 34 minutes. Wow! Quinn was almost a match (though his 2 3pointers came on 6 attempts) scoring 20 on 12 shots to go with 3 assists in his game high 37 minutes. Okafor played 31 minutes (Quinn, Tyus and Jah were the only players to be on the court for over 30 minutes) scoring a career high 27 points (an astounding 12-15 from the field) to go with 8 boards and some terrific passing (only 1 assist, but that is so misleading). Winslow is tantalizing. In some ways he dazzles with his skill on both ends. He is a tenacious defender (he is the team in team defense) and he made on driving move down the lane blowing by a defender and covering 12 feet in a step for the lay in. Justise played 29 minutes, scoring 9 points on 4-9 shooting (1-2 from behind the arc) and played a valuable floor game — 5 tough boards, 4 assists, a block and a steal. Amile was a defensive presence in his 25 minutes, though he scored only 2 points in the game on 2 shots. He collected 8 boards to give Duke superiority on the glass. Duke’s bench was more productive than against UCONN. Marshall logged only 6 minutes, but was impressive in those minutes, with his dunk and 2 rebounds. Rasheed returned a bit to form, scoring 7 in 18 minutes on 2-5 shooting (1-3 from 3land). However, 0 assists and 3 turnovers. Matt Jones played 17 minutes (1-1 on a layup in the first half; 0-3 in the second half; 0-1 from behind the arc).

In the first half, Duke jumped out to an 18-4 lead in the first five minutes, playing awesomely on both ends. As soon as Coach K began substituting, Toledo’s offense got rolling and Duke’s defensive struggles continued through the 18 minute mark of the second half. All in all it was the next to last tune up before the ACC season begins on Saturday.

Next game: Wofford Wednesday @ 3pm.

DUKE 84- WOFFORD 55

My new basketball buddy Johnny Y, who was a good enough high school prospect to be personally recruited by both Dean Smith and Bobby Knight and who watches a lot of basketball, wrote me “I think Wofford could prove a test for your boys.” I took notice because the last time he emailed me something like this, Mercer upset Duke in the NCAA Tournament. This time he was only half right as Wofford hung tough for a twenty minutes before the Blue Devils dialed up their defensive intensity and played to their ranking. He also added “Please tone down ur Okafor comparisons….you do a great job…just trying to moderate your enthusiasm a bit. You happened to describe a player that doesn’t exist–nor will he ever exist… the guy who is a light year closer to your description is only 21 years old and plays for New Orleans and goes by the name “The Brow”. . Your thoughts!!!”

Even though he is a Tar Heel, John makes good points. Let me be clear, I wasn’t implying that Okafor was as good as Duncan, Walton, and Russell. I just meant that parts of his game remind me of these great players. I have a very vivid memory of the first time I saw Tim Duncan play against Duke as a freshman and thought “Wow, who is this guy?” Tim was a game changer but not nearly as much so as Jahlil is at the same point of his career. In all fairness, Jah has had had a lot more playing experience. I also pointed out to John that three phases of life and sports are anticipation, the moment, and recall and that I was just trying to get everyone’s attention to savor the moments.

As for being over the top in my assessment, I initially thought Coach K was, but the more I see the more I don’t. And I am not the only one. Here is Laura Keeley of the Raleigh News Observer:

As Jahlil Okafor continued his every-game showcase of why he deserves to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Wofford coach Mike Young summed him up well: “Gosh, what a poised and polished young person he is. Holy smokes, he’s just a marvelous basketball player.”

Okafor finished with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting (with eight rebounds), showing no fatigue on the back end of this two-games-in-three-days stretch. Both Monday’s game against Toledo and Wednesday’s game against Wofford provided a simulation of an opening-round NCAA tournament game, and Okafor finished with a combined 51 points on 23-of-28 shooting (82 percent).

Additional Observations:

Winslow seems to be finding a comfort level on his offensive role.
Coach said Plumlee was playing too well just to be Okafor’s sub and played them together for a short time.
Grayson Allen played a few mop-up minutes and looked more comfortable on the court even hitting a long three. Ojeleye’s departure may be his opportunity to earn playing time. He certainly has the athleticism and skills.
Mike Gminski, a Duke All American and 14 year NBA player, was one of the announcers. He had interesting comments on Okafor (John, hope you were listening).

Alan Adds:

This was really a tale of two separate halves. You could understand how Wofford beat NC State from the way they played in the first half. Duke stretched its 7 point half time lead (41-34) to the final margin of 29. It is illuminating to inspect each half to account for the difference. I did not think the difference was so much on offense. Duke scored 41 in the first half and 43 in the second half. While the Blue Devils were more efficient in the second half offensively, the defensive intensity in the second half was what made the difference. You can always tell when Duke is defensively lax because the fouls pile up (fouling happens when defenders don’t move their feet or are too aggressive). Duke committed 10 fouls in the first half, but only 4 in the second half. The Devils stole the ball from Wofford 7 times in the second half, but only thrice in the first. Wofford was 4-7 from behind the arc in the first half and only 1-10 in the second. Some of Duke’s defensive resurgence can be attributed to Wofford’s fatigue. The Terriers played with ferocious and fearless abandon in the first half, expending enormous energy to match the effort of the bigger, stronger and more talented Blue Devils. Wofford simply did not have the same high energy in the second stanza. But there was palpable improvement in Duke’s defensive effort in the second half. Makes one wonder what Coach K said at the half.

The second half belonged to the Blue Devils offensively as well. Each team took 28 shots in the first half (Duke made 12; Wofford 11). In the second half Duke was 17-24 from the field including 5-8 from behind the arc. Things are easier when shots go in. Four Duke starters logged over 30 minutes. Rasheed played 19 minutes while Amile and Matt Jones played 18 (Grayson Allen played the last 4 minutes of the game going 1-1 from 3). Quinn again led in minutes played (35), scoring 15 points on 8 shots (3-6 from behind the arc and 2-2 from the line — Cook is shooting over 95% there). He was 1-3 from behind the arc in the first half (his only shots) and 4-5 in the second half (2-3 from deep). Quinn played hounding defense while committing only 1 foul in 35 minutes. The three freshmen played about the same amount (Jah 32; Tyus 32 and Justise 31 minutes). All performed at a high level. Okafor was ridiculous, going 11-13 from the field with 8 boards, an assist, 2 steals and 2 blocks while committing only 1 foul. His only weaknesses seem to be at the foul line (2-5) and in one on one post defense (smaller Terriers scored from there). He is something, but so is his point guard running mate, Tyus Jones, who simply controlled the game (without appearing to do so). He made some amazing passes and corralled loose balls. He defends. While he took only 4 shots (2-4; 1-2 from deep), he had 6 rebounds (some were tough in traffic), 5 assists and 4 steals. All of his high scoring games are against the best opponents. Only a freshman, he has the poise of a post-grad. Justise did all his scoring in the first half, when it was needed (16). He took only a single shot in the second half (missed), but was (as he has been all year) the glue to the defensive resurgence in the second half. Some small really good signs: Winslow had 7 boards, 2 assists and a steal. Critically he was 4-4 from the line. The freshmen continue to impress.

Amile played only 18 minutes, but scored 10 points (4-6 from the line) with 5 rebounds. He committed 3 fouls, which limited his playing time. Rasheed is so talented and so exuberant, but a bit out of control. He led the bench in scoring with 6 (2-4, including 1-2 from 3land and 1-2 from the line). He had 2 boards and 2 assists, but was also limited by foul trouble (3). Matt Jones had a somewhat checkered outing failing to connect from the field on 4 shots (2-2 from the line). He played a valuable floor game with 2 boards and 2 assists, but also committing 3 fouls in only 18 minutes. Marshall seems to make such a dramatic impact that it is always a surprise that his box score doesn’t seem to reflect that impact. He played 11 minutes (3 when he was on the floor with Jah for the first time this year), grabbing 3 rebounds and going 3-4 from the line (0-1 from the field when he blew a dunk). His upside continues to intrigue. He reminds me (and Mike Giminski) of Zoubek early in the 2010 championship year. It will be worth keeping an eye on Marshall’s development and his role going forward, which will expand if the Zoubek analogy ripens.

Going forward is the beginning of the Blue Devils’ ACC season. Next play: BC on Saturday at 4 pm.

Duke 85 – Boston College 62

I don’t know how good Boston College is this year, but they are an ACC team and certainly bigger and probably better than say Furman, Army, Elon and Wofford. Nevertheless, the Blue Devils beat them by 23. However, the most interesting number was 14-17. Those were Okafor’s free throw numbers. I have commented several times that Okafor and Winslow both have too good a shooting motion and touch not to be dependable free throw shooters– and if they aren’t, this could be a fatal flaw for their team. Obviously, the guys have been spending extra time practicing at the line.

The final score was somewhat deceiving, because BC hung tough until a late first half 17-4 run. But that is what this team can do– dial up the defensive pressure, make offensive runs, and wear an opponent down. Sulaimon came off the bench with his patented defensive and offensive adrenalin jolt–and today he was at his best, as were Matt Jones and Plumlee (6 rbs , 4 blocks in eleven minutes). This being ACC play, BC’s big seven footers played Jahlil tough and rough. His response: a blue collar 28 pts, 8 rebs, 4 blks, and calm, non response/retaliation when elbowed hard (probably unintentionally) in the face. Winslow had 13 pts, 7 rebs to go with tough defense and, naturally, several assorted high wire high lights we have come to expect. Cook was not shooting well but still had 15 points. As usual in blowouts, Tyus Jones had a quiet game. Jefferson only had 17 minutes as Coach K appeared to utilize the versatility of his three bench starters to match the BC player mix on the floor and their unusual 1-1-3 zone. Greyson Allen keeps getting a few minutes and Coach indicated that as he matures with experience, he will be in the substitution pattern.

Laura Keeley of the Raleigh News Observer reported an interesting back story to today’s game. “When Jahlil Okafor was back home in Chicago during the holiday break, he caught up with an old AAU teammate of his: Jabari Parker. Parker, last year’s freshman phenomenon for Duke, told Okafor, this year’s stud, that the beginning of ACC play was when he hit his scoring drought. After averaging 21.4 points per game in the nonconference portion of the season, Parker posted just seven points in the league opener at Notre Dame and then scored in single digits again three games later against Virginia.”

Additional Observations:

Duke celebrated the 75th anniversary of the opening of Cameron Indoor Stadium with a video tribute. The Blue Devils are 825-153 within the friendly confines of their distinctive home court. Boston College is 0-8 there. It was also win number 996 for Coach K—but who is counting?
I have never heard Coach so effusive in his praise of a player this early in their career as he is of Jahlil Okafor. (Well, maybe, Grant Hill.) Today, K said in response to Jah’s non-response to being hit flush in the face in the open court by Clifford’s elbow that “Jah did the right thing, he didn’t go bonkers or anything. But that’s him, he is special in every way.”
Alan had an interesting and incisive response to Tar Heel Johnny Y’s email comments about my praise for Okafor: “I thought he made good points. Jah is so astounding in the post that it is easy to overrate the rest of his game. The rest of his game is not defective in any way, just not up to the level of his post offense. He usually seems more offensively oriented (probably left over from high school). His defense [against Wofford] was good (maybe just ok) but without the intensity to really move to help against the drive, and then the quick recovery to his man and the paint. Bill Russell on defense, he is not. But he is good. He is also a good — but not very good or excellent — rebounder. Anyway, Duke is lucky to have him for this year. This year’s team is better than last year’s because Jah is simply better (in the college game) than Jabari was last year and Justise is better than Hood was. Then, add the amazingly underrated Tyus and the improvement of Quinn and Amile, and you have a team that would give Mercer trouble!”
Cardale Jones, who will start at quarterback for Ohio State in the national championship game on Jan. 12: “Why should we go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL. We ain’t come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS.” Score that: Honesty 10, grammar 3, intelligence 1.
My wife watched the Rose Bowl in the picturesque setting of Pasadena, California with a combination of pride and envy as her alma mater thumped Florida State ( headline “A Total Quack Down”) 59-20 . Pride because of the historic win and envy because she was a cheerleader for Oregon when they lost to Penn State 41-12 in the 1960 Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia in twenty degree weather before mostly Penn State fans.
Johnny Dawkins’ son, Aubrey, is a freshman basketball player at Michigan.
Mike Gminski was again an announcer. For my tastes, he is a welcome presence who conveys intelligent, interesting and pertinent commentary.

Alan Adds:

Duke displayed its defensive prowess in the second part of each half. It was actually awesome, and sparked substantially by the bench — especially Matt Jones, but also Rasheed and Marshall. In the last 10 minutes of the first half, Duke was as good defensively as against Wisconsin and the first half against Furman. With 10:57 to go in the half, Olivier Hanlon had 9 points on 4 layups and both BC bigs had scored on layups as well. BC was getting to the rim without real opposition. Duke changed its defense with Okafor becoming much more active as a rim protector. Amile played only 5 minutes in the first half because Coach K wanted the smaller quicker line up with Winslow at power forward. However, when Justise picked up his second foul in the first half, K went with 4 guards — Rasheed, Matt, Tyus and Quinn along with Jah. With 10:28 to go in the first half, Duke led BC by 21-18. Heckman scored a layup with 7:03 to give BC 20 points. The next BC score came with 32 seconds to go in the half. BC was 1-2 from the line and Duke committed only 5 fouls in that half. BC never in the bonus. When that happens, you know Duke is really playing defense. In the last 9 minutes, Duke allowed only 4 points.

Both teams opened the second half executing their respective offensives efficiently, but the Duke defense seemed to either rest on its laurels or take a short vacation. BC scored 18 points in a little over 5 minutes and trailed only 53-43 with 13:09 left in the game. BC didn’t score again until 8:51 left, and by then The Eagles trailed 67-45, and the game was effectively over. BC was held without a point for four minutes. With 7:27 left in the game, BC still had only 47 points, meaning BC scored 4 points in 5 minutes and 42 seconds. Matt Jones and Rasheed were superb on both ends of the floor, but especially on defense. They each got more playing time (Matt 27 minutes; Rasheed, 20) than Jefferson (17). Rasheed hit all 3 of his 3 point attempts to finish with 11 points (4-7), 3 boards, 2 assists and a steal to go with his excellent perimeter defense. Matt Jones played his best game of the season. His defense was outstanding, as you can tell by his 27 minutes of playing time — more than Winslow (26) and Jefferson (17) and the same amount as Tyus. He was 3-7 including 2-4 from behind the arc with 4 boards (his 3rd basket was a tough put back after one of Jah’s few misses) for 8 points. His development may be unheralded, but is crucial for this team and its defense. Marshall logged 11 minutes and snagged an amazing 6 rebounds in that stint to go with 4 blocks and 3 points (1-1; 1-2); not to mention an assist and a steal. He is playing very effectively and with high energy. My instinct is that he will give real value to this team as the season progresses.

Once again Quinn led the team in minutes played with 36. His shot was off (5-14; 3-9 from the bonus sphere, and 2-2 from the line), but he was Duke’s second high scorer with 15. He is defending much better than he did last year, and the minutes he is on the court demonstrates how much Coach K trusts his on the court leadership. He had 3 boards, 2 assists a steal, but 3 turnovers. Neither Tyus nor Amile had stellar games. As Bill pointed out, Tyus scores when Duke needs him, but seems to stay out of the spotlight when Duke is comfortably ahead. In his 27 minutes, Tyus missed all 5 of his shots, but grabbed 4 boards and handed out 3 assists (with 2 turnovers). Even though he occasionally gets beaten back door (only once yesterday), he is playing ferocious defense. Amile was 2-2 in the second half after failing to score in the first. He had 4 boards to go with his 4 points.

Offensively, Jah and Winslow dominated impressively. Justise was 5-7 (2-3 from downtown and 1-2 from the line) for 13 points. One of his scores was a highlight. He out raced BC for a long rebound, and in one high dribble went past the last defender for a thunderous slam that produce a lot of “Oh Wow”s — even from the announcers. His all around game was admirable — 4 assists, 2 blocks and 7 rebounds. He is special. What to say about Okafor? He was outstanding from the free throw line 14-17; and reliable from the field (7-11) for 28 points with 8 boards and 4 blocks. In short, he dominated, keeping BC in terminal foul trouble and Duke comfortably ahead when BC made any kind of threatening move. When Duke was really good defensively, he was stopping the BC drives at the rim. But sometimes he seemed lackadaisical and the defense was penetrable. Still, he is quite amazing.

In a mock NBA draft held this past weekend, Duke’s freshmen were prominent. Jah was the first pick, Justise was 5th and Tyus 19th.

DUKE 73 – WAKE FOREST 65

Disclaimer: This game was only televised regionally on Raycom/ACC. Although I have about 900 DirecTV channels, my area was pre-empted by the Clemson-Louisville game. Allan was also blacked out in New York. I accessed the game on ESPN3 courtesy of the GoDuke.com website. However, it was like looking at a 1950’s analog color telecast linked by a rabbit- ear antenna.

If you were wondering what would happen when Okafor had an off night or how the freshmen would play in a conference game on the road, you got your answer tonight. Grad student Devon Thomas schooled frosh Jahlil Okafor in the ways of being a man in the paint, scoring 24 points almost at will as Jah did not resemble the player he has been in the previous thirteen games. Winston-Salem sports writer Ed Hardin critiqued the celebrated freshman as still an incomplete player…specifically, that tonight he dribbled too much under the basket, struggled in traffic, was casually sloppy with the ball, and went to sleep on defense. Nevertheless, Jah patiently only took six shots but still managed a double-double (12pts, 11 rebs). Winslow and Sulaimon carried the team through long, sloppy slogs of mediocre, uninspired basketball but when the Demon Deacons played up to their name and made a run to go up by 2 points with six minutes to go, Quinn Cook, of course, Tyus Jones, and Matt Jones all made clutch three point plays—two the old fashion way, one the new, long range way.

The flip side to all the publicity and accolades that Okafor has received is that he is now a marked man. Coaches like Danny Manning are going to focus on frustrating and stopping him, opponents like Devon Thomas are going to be out to prove he is overrated and that they are just as good—if not better. Jahlil appeared tired and didn’t play with much fire or enthusiasm—and the crowd really let him know it. Better get used to it, Jah. This is Tobacco Road and the ACC!

The Blue Devils were very sloppy with the ball. They committed 14 turnovers (Jah contributed 5) and allowed 20 fast break points. But every time Duke appeared on the verge of letting the game slip away, another teammate hit a big shot. Duke nailed 8 threes to Wake’s 2 and outrebounded the Deacons 37-30. However, the Blue Devils committed 14 turnovers and allowed 20 fast break points.

What to make of the fact that Wake Forest has lost to Arkansas by 30 and Iona but has almost upsetting #5 Louisville and #2 Duke? The ACC has always been tough and while everyone expects that the top tier will dominate, this week shows that, top to bottom, the conference is going to be brutal. For instance, next up N.C. State took it right to Virginia until the Cavs took control late.

Coach K’s reality check: “We have no illusion of us being this juggernaut team or anything like that. We think we’re really a good group of guys who play well… and are a good team that can get better– and we have a great player in Jah.”

Additional Observations:

Duke had only won one of its past five ACC road openers.
Think ACC road games are tough? Virginia blew an 18 point lead but held on to beat Miami in Miami in double overtime.
The Blue Devils, who entered tonight’s game having trailed for 6:13 seconds all season, were behind for 5:06 of this one. They also faced their deepest deficit all year by allowing Wake Forest to jump out to a 6-0 lead.
Announcer Mike Gminski (my fraternity brother Don Parson reminds me Mike was an SAE), who knows something about playing center, commented during the broadcast that Okafor’s hands are huge, but he’s still better off using them both.
Winning is tough everywhere: Kentucky, a 25 point favorite, last night pulled out a very close win against Ole Miss in Rupp Arena.

Duke 75– North Carolina State 87

Houston, do we have a problem here? The last two games we seem to be losing altitude. Today, the afterburners weren’t firing. Have the freshmen hit the wall ? Or was this just the jinx of PNC Arena, where Duke has now lost three of their last four games (two to State, one to Mercer)? Or was this just a reality check and wakeup call for the young Blue Devils? Help me out, here.

Here are some things to contemplate: State didn’t just beat Duke, they dominated them for the last twenty-five minutes. They played like the #2 team in the country and Duke played like an 11-5 team. Recently, coaches and players appear to have devised ways (man up with a strong forward, double with a center) to defend and frustrate Jahlil Okafor and neither he nor his teammates have adjusted very well to the new normal. Jah is not always posting up close enough to the basket, appears slow, indecisive, and the indecision is causing him to make too many turnovers (bad passes, travelling). Jefferson has made a living off Jahlil being double teamed but today, for whatever reason, he did not start. My axiom: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. T. Jones and Q. Cook are both smallish guards—very good on offense but challenged by defending big, physical guards.

What happened to the juggernaut, double digit winning team of the first twelve games? One thing that happened is that State is big and strong and talented at all positions and they all played well. It started with Lacey and Turner doing a pretty good JJ Redick impression and their big men in the front court showing up for forty minutes for the first time this year. N.C. State was a load and would have beaten most teams today. Next game.

There was, perhaps, an telling point with six minutes to go and Duke down nineteen points. Unlike previous unexpected blowouts (games at Clemson and Wake Forest last year, the game in Miami in 2013, the 2011 and 2009 NCAA tournament losses to Arizona and Villanova, the 2010 Georgetown game), these Blue Devils didn’t just roll over. They fought back with an 11-0 run. Three forced turnovers over the next 2:36 had the Wolfpack faithful nervous as Duke cut the lead to 72-64 with 3:00 left to play. Raise your hand if a “Maryland Moment” flashes through your mind. But the Blue Devils couldn’t sustain their momentum and missed their next four shots. Junior Rasheed Sulaimon, who is the mentally and physically toughest player on the squad, sent a message to the freshmen: “We should have had that toughness earlier, before it got to that big of a lead. We all came together, finally, we all buckled down, and we just kept fighting. We’ve got to come together quicker as a team and get ourselves out of that funk when we sense it happening instead of waiting for it to happen. We’ve got a lot of things we can learn from this. It’s only the 15th game of the season.”

Bottom line: On the road when an ACC opponent and their fans are on fire, defense and mental toughness often are the difference between pulling out a victory and losing. This week Kentucky and Virginia both won and Duke didn’t. Is this Groundhog Day? Have we seen this picture before? Nah, this year Duke has demonstrated they have the players to potentially be a much better defensive team than in the last few years. Best we let Coach K and the coaching staff solve the problem.

This should get their attention: The numbers tell how bad it was: State shot 55%, (10-16 from three point land, Duke 7-27); Duke 37%.

Additional observations:

The expanded conference really alters the regular season schedule in an unfair way. Very few home and away opponents. Duke’s schedule is the most difficult. Coming up: away games at Louisville, Notre Dame, Virginia, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina. Only Syracuse and Carolina must return the favor and play in Cameron this year.
Since N.C. State moved to the off-campus arena before the 1999-2000, Krzyzewski has gone 7-4 against N.C. State and 2-1 in NCAA tournament games there. To put that in perspective, over the same span he’s 17-1 against the Wolfpack in games played in Durham or the ACC tournament.
Anyone notice that everybody’s # 1 Kentucky is also struggling to beat unranked teams. They went double OT to beat both Texas A&M and Mississippi.
There are a lot of creative ways to recruit. When our daughter Kristin had her first child, she retired from teaching IB English at Myers Park High School and started a tutoring business so could be at home and set her own hours. One of the students she recently prepped for the SAT’s was Charlotte Latin quarterback Daniel Jones, who chose Duke over Princeton, Harvard, and Wake Forest. Jones, 6-foot-5, 190-pounds, led Charlotte Latin to the N.C. Independent Schools Division I state championship game. He completed 151-of-268 passes for 2,949 yards and 43 touchdowns. He also ran 109 times for 778 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Alan Adds:

I apologize for the absence of “Alan Adds” to the Wake edition of DBP, but I was unable to watch the game, and thus left it to Bill’s deft handling of the “disappointing” win. Yesterday’s game at Raleigh was not only different, it was a resounding wake up call for this very young Duke team. Writing the DBP “Alan Adds” is way more fun after a Duke win than when Duke gets utterly stomped, as happened yesterday in Raleigh. Nevertheless, I confess to being less than devastated by the rout. Here’s a couple of reasons why: 1) Duke has not played well since the exam break, and I believe part of the reason is the team started to believe its press clippings. The result has been inconsistent play. Against BC, the Duke defense was superb at times, but also porous at times. This could be a much needed explanation of the rigors of ACC road games and college ball in general for this freshman dominated team. Or time will tell. 2) My optimism is fueled by my memory of the Georgetown game in January of 2010 in DC in front of Obama. Duke was routed by almost 30 points and played one of the worst (and most embarrassing since the 1990 NCAA final) games ever. However, that was the year that Duke won the national championship. 3) NC State was unconscious in its shooting. Part of that was porous defense, which allowed countless dunks (failure to rotate) and offensive rebounds (out hustled). But part was NC State shooting the lights out even when the shots were well contested. State was 10-16 from behind the arc (5-8 in each half), and shot 18-31 overall in the second half (58%). Lacey was 5-7 from 3 while Turner was 4-7 (Washington made his only 3). NC State won’t shoot that well again even if no one guards them. 4) I never talk about calls (well, almost never, since I’m about to do it), but Duke was called for so many offensive fouls that it impacted the Duke confidence. Duke maintained a 6 point lead with less than 6 minutes to go in the first half. It could have been more. Amile was wrongfully called for goal tending on a clean block. There were several traveling calls. I believe the refereeing got into the Duke head and caused a deleterious shift in attitude. Bad calls are part of the game, and Duke needs to be mentally tougher — on many issues, but the refereeing is one of them — if this team is to reach its potential.

It’s hard not to talk about the porous interior defense. Against Michigan State, Duke was beaten for easy dunks and layups when doubling the post. The help rotation didn’t come when Okafor left his man to double on the screen. That lack of rotation to the roller (in pick and roll) was in even greater evidence against NC State than it was against the Spartans. It appeared Duke had fixed that problem — especially against Wisconsin and later Furman — but that is obviously not the case. Coach K started a smaller lineup, I believe for defensive purposes, thinking that his perimeter defense would be more secure with Justise at the 4 and Matt Jones guarding Lacey. However, no one had even a modicum of success guarding Lacey. Interestingly, Duke made a great run at the end (even though State’s lead ballooned back to 12 at the end. Down 19 with 5:28 left to play, Duke made a heroic run. As much as this game was about NC State’s scorching shooting, it was also about Duke’s horrible shooting (open looks). With 3:10 to go, Duke had crept to within 8 and had the ball. Duke missed 3 open looks – Justise missed an open 3; Rasheed missed an open 3 and a layup. The lead could have been cut to 5, but the next score was by the Wolfpack with 2:26 to go, and that was all she wrote. Rasheed, btw, had an amazing stretch in the first half (4-7; -1-2 from behind the arc for 9 points), but was 0-5 from the field in the second half. Justise fouled out, while Rasheed accumulated 4 fouls. All in all, it was either the clock striking midnight on a young team, or a wakeup call that will enhance the season. As Bill said, “time will tell” — and pretty soon with a Tuesday night game at Cameron against Miami (9 pm EST) and Saturday’s anticipated match up in Louisville against Petino’s highly ranked Cardinals.

Duke 70 – Miami 94

I want to go back to the future. I want to see the 2014 Duke team that went undefeated and won all twelve games by double digits. It is one thing to lose to N.C State on their home court. It is another to be blown out by Miami in Cameron. This was record breaking: Duke lost at home for the first time in nearly three years; lost back-to-back regular-season games for the first time in nearly six years; lost consecutive games by a dozen points each for the first time since its final two games of the 1995-96 season.

Where did the dominating players from 2014 go? Who are these imposters playing in 2015? They can’t defend the paint or the perimeter and they can’t shoot. Chemistry is a nine letter word not a statement of unity. Okafor is putting up good numbers but not when it counts and is mediocre defensively. Jones and Winslow have basically been missing- in-action. Cook and Jefferson have been doing their part. Sulaimon has fire in the belly but does not always play under control. Matt Jones has recently been a liability. Despite encouraging words from the coach, Plumlee is getting very little playing time.

There are more questions than answers. When Coach K admits he knows something is wrong but hasn’t figured out how to fix it, you have to be concerned. However, one truth is that there are a great many very good basketball players in colleges—like Trevor Lacey and Angel Rodriguez–, who were not McDonald’s All Americans but who are not intimidated by them or Cameron and who embrace the chance to show their game on national TV.

Jason, a Duke graduate in California, sent us some interesting and thought provoking comments:

“It was a frustrating game to watch. The last few games Jahlil seems to be lacking a spark and the others don’t seem to know what to do when it’s not the Okafor clinic. I find myself wondering if this team has the upper class leadership need to go all the way – to recognize early enough in any given tough game situation that the momentum is shifting away from them, and possess the on- the- court leadership to get the rest of the team to do something about it. It would have to come from Cook & Rasheed…the hunger to win at all costs. Rasheed recognized the problem in his quote. Sometimes I wonder if these freshman phenoms (not just this year but throughout Duke’s history in the one -and -done era) at the end of it – take consolation that they are going far after Duke and that affects their deep down desire to win in the moment – in every game. The Duke teams that go all the way have had strong senior leadership. The traditional experience means 4 years of intense competition interspersed with longer periods of reflection and introspection about game experiences like these for the kids. The phenoms get 5 months of ever increasing pressure at a frenetic pace and much media discussion about their raw talent without a chance to do a little off season soul searching about their own heart and desire. These are just thoughts about it and I’m certain Coach K will use this a learning experience…”sometimes you need to lose in order to learn how to win” kind of moment. The fact that Coach K didn’t seem to be working the refs as much as usual in what seemed to me to be a poorly officiated game tells me that he may be accepting of the team taking a lump or two in this mid-season conference play. Trial by fire maybe to light the spark inside?”

Alan Adds:

At half time, Duke led 35-34, and had held Miami scoreless over the last 3:24 of the half. Bill and I talked at half time. I told him, “this is the worst I have seen Duke play; it’s actually worse than the NC State game.” And that was with Duke ahead. Then, Duke’s defense allowed Miami 56 second half points. As I watched the Blue Devils unravel in the second half, I was searching for the definition of shell shocked. My good Miami friend and lawyer is a Cane devotee. And she likes action (hence her nickname: Pammy the Greek or PtG for short). PtG emailed me in the morning to place a wager on the game (If she won she got a Starbucks Soy Latte — good gambler with no taste — for me a dark ale). My response was a snarky “after a Duke loss you better batten down the hatches”. After the game, my chastened response was, “a Soy Latte is not sufficient reward for your loyalty to the Canes — we are upping your reward to a bottle of Grey Goose.” (not completely no taste).

Since pre-season, I have been writing that this season will depend on how Duke defends, compared to last year’s defensive disaster. As Bill points out, Duke defended superbly in 2014 (though better before the Christmas break) with the Wisconsin win standing out. But 2015 has seen the Duke defense dissolve into last year’s disaster. Neither Miami nor NC State is a top tier ACC team. Neither Trevor Lacey nor Angel Rodriguez will go down in the history books along side of Bob Cousy or Stephan Curry; yet each looked like a superstar against Duke in the last two games. Duke was torched on the perimeter by long range shooting and with penetration leading to layups or assists for easy dunks. Switching? Rotation? Where did it all go? Duke’s transition defense was embarrassing as Miami scored on run out after run out. Coach K said that he’s known something has been missing since Christmas, but he said he doesn’t know what, and confessed in the post-game conference that he doesn’t [yet] know how to fix it.

Quinn played 38 heroic minutes leading Duke with 18 points on 7-13 shooting (4-7 from deep) adding 6 defensive boards and 4 assists. Note: he did not get to the foul line in 38 minutes. Jefferson was obviously motivated by his demotion from the starting lineup against NC State. In 29 minutes he was 7-9 from the floor with 12 boards. He was, however, 0-3 from the line (one was the front end of a 1 and 1), which is like adding 2 turnovers to his stat line. Jahlil’s stat line looks pretty impressive — 15 points (6-13 from the field and 3-5, 60%, from the line) to go with 15 rebounds. But his defense is ordinary (not bad, but he was not active in help and when he did help it led to easy assist and dunk for the ‘Canes). Maybe Duke is relying too much on him. Rasheed had a terrific first half (3-5 from the field including 2-4 from 3land) with 2 assists and 2 steals (1 turnover), but a dismal second half. He was 2-9 from the field including 0-4 from behind the arc. He turned it over twice and had committed 4 fouls by the end of his 26 minute stint. His second half slump coincided with Duke’s.

What has happened to Justise, and to a lesser but significant extent, Tyus. In the early part of 2014, I wasn’t sure that Okafor was the best freshman on the Duke team because Winslow looked so awesome on defense, on driving, on shooting and on rebounding. He has regressed since then, but the last two games have been devastatingly awful. He is 4-19 from the field combined with 1-10 from behind the arc. He missed all 4 foul shots last night including 2 front enders. He had one great block, but was not a force on the boards or on defense. Where has he gone? Tyus isn’t much better (except from the free throw line). Last night he was 2-9 from the field (0-3 from 3land) and had the same number of assists and turnovers (2). Remember the confident guard who controlled the game against Wisconsin? Matt Jones has not flourished since Coach K started him against NC State. His defensive prowess has turned into fouling and he can’t buy a basket. Last night he committed 4 fouls in 6 unproductive minutes. Coach K is not playing Grayson (4 points in 8 minutes, but garbage time) or Marshall (6 minutes). That means the rotation was down to 6 effectively. Duke’s foul shooting is an embarrassment (without Grayson last two meaningless shots, Duke was 8-18 from the line; Miami was better from behind the arc!

Saturday presents a chance for complete redemption, or to watch a promising season continue to implode. The Devils travel to Louisville, where they should be significant underdogs. Another performance like the last two will drop Duke out of the top 10. This is a huge coaching challenge for Coach K. He does have 9 McDonald’s All-Americans to work with, but his team needs substantial retooling in order to reclaim the mojo that it showed in 2014.

Duke 63– Louisville 52

It has been a bad week for Duke University. Coach K’s undefeated #2 ranked basketball team lost two games in a row and President Brodhead proved once again that he and his administration can’t fund raise and think clearly at the same time. (Google: Duke Muslim call-to-prayer & lacrosse scandal.) Who did you think made the quicker, better decisions to rectify the situation? If you chose President Brodhead, go to the back of the line with the 88 professors.

The last few days we received several interesting emails (see below) about Duke’s recent subpar play. I was as puzzled and disappointed as everyone else and yesterday ran into my Palmetto Bluff basketball guru Tar Heel Johnny Y at the gym. He was actually more optimistic than I was about the Louisville game. He reiterated that Coach K was the best coach in the country and wouldn’t let his team lose three in a row. I said that after a bad loss, Coach K’s MO is to make a change—probably in the starting lineup. At the start of the season, I didn’t think he would start two undersized guards like Cook and Jones, because we know defense is not Quinn’s strong suite. I thought Sulaimon starting at the two would give the team better size, athleticism, and defense. Even if the athleticism, size, and will are there, recent one-and-done phenoms have shown it takes time to truly assimilate the foundation upon which Krzyzewski has built his program. Deng, Rivers, Parker, and Hood never did—and their record proves it. Trevor Lacey and the big N.C. State guards shot over Jones and Cook; Angel Rodriguez and the small, quick Miami guards beat the same two off the dribble and got into the lane with many easy options to score. I mentioned to Johnny Y that I always admired how creative Dean Smith was and marveled at the creative way he switched from man-to-man to zone after made baskets, usually confusing the devil (pun intended) out of most opponents but that Coach K’s only blind spot was at times not facing reality–namely, that some players just cannot effectively play his pressure man defense against bigger and/or quicker opponents.

So, I couldn’t believe my eyes when Duke started their first defensive possession in a 2-3 zone and stayed with it (switching occasionally to a 1-3-1) on made baskets and dead ball restarts – situations that gave them time to set up. From missed shots, they went man-to-man to better defend Louisville in transition. And it worked like a charm as Louisville–the defense, the law of averages, or whatever– had one of those shooting days like Duke has had in the last two outings. Dean, I hope you were watching!

Coach K after the game: “Louisville and the arena are a great addition to the conference…Long journey, nice stop…A team gets builds confidence thru accomplishment…Just because Duke played zone today doesn’t mean we will every game.”

The good news:

Tyus Jones bounced back with a terrific game on both ends of the floor, demonstrating once again that he is the offensive lynchpin of this team and the Yin to his buddy’s Okafor’s Yang.
Early in the game when points were tough to come by, Matt Jones hit two successive threes that got the Blue Devils back in the game.
Jefferson is the unsung hero of this team. He is the best rebounder and has developed a surprisingly effective array of low post scoring moves. Okafor and Jefferson outscored Louisville 32-24 in the paint.
Jahlil is mature beyond his years. After a very physical and potentially explosive loose ball confrontation, Jahlil calmly hugged his surprised opponent and totally defused the situation. He was very patent early on until he had room to operate, then went 8-10 as he is much quicker than most of his defenders.
Duke led 30-20 at the half.
For the middle twenty or so minutes of the game, Duke played like a Final Four team should.

The not so good news:

Justise Winslow is still missing-in-action on offense. Maybe the three recent frightening falls he has taken are limiting him, but he seems tentative.
Not all the upcoming opponents will shoot as badly 18 of 61 (30%) as Louisville did.
For all his considerable skills, Okafor is not an elite athlete. He usually loses the opening tip and needs work on his defense, rim protection, and rebounding.
The two loses are what can happen when you rely heavily on young players: inconsistency… January is cold and hard… another semester begins… relationships begin and end… months of practice wear heavy on the legs and other body parts (notice how many players are wearing knee, leg, and arm supports and braces)… and the beginning of ACC play introduces a new intensity and a new reality.

Reader Comments:

From my long time golfing partner Jimmy D: “Your analysis disappoints me. Duke’s problems are not Duke. The problem is the ever increasing level of parity in all sports. More outstanding athletes across the board in all sports. The time of a few teams dominating their sport is gone. Looked what happened in SEC football? Almost every team can beat any other team on any day. This is true in every conference. And because basketball involves the fewest players of any sport, with the exception of ping pong, a few hot players can beat a cold team on any given day. This said: Quit complaining when Duke doesn’t win every game!!!!! Duke is top team and will go far in the NCAA tournament, assuming they don’t lose their first game to a “nobody team”. Miss you and still enjoy your newsletters.
From my “Road Warrior” pal, Bucky (One summer, we drove coast to coast in 72 hours): “Even the most talented freshmen can be exploited on defense for two reasons: first, upon entering college they typically rely mostly on their individual physical talent to defend and are unfamiliar with the team concept, help defensive schemes required in the college game; second, for the reason cited above they are also unfamiliar with the five man, team-concept offenses opposing coaches devise to attack their individual defensive tendencies. Although I didn’t watch the Miami game, I would guess that Miami coach Jim Laranaga used these weaknesses to great advantage in planning and executing his game plan against the Devils. You may recall that he took a senior-laden, but lesser talented mid-major George Mason to the Final Four. On the glass half-full side of the ledger, I would guess that lessons emphasized by Duke coaches for months, are now being absorbed by these talented, energetic freshmen and will be learned by tournament time, but not well enough to avoid at least one loss to the my boys who wear light blue uniforms.”

Alan Adds:

Channeling Aaron Rogers, “Relax”.

This was vintage Coach K’s post-bad-loss adjustments — both strategic and emotional. Strategically, Coach K was aware that Louisville has not shot well from outside so far this season, and so, addressed the vulnerability in recent games of Duke’s perimeter defense by moving it back toward the basket. This was true whether Duke defended with man to man or with zone. Duke’s man to man defense that does not extend out beyond the top of the key is called “11”. Duke played zone after makes and the “11” after misses; essentially daring Louisville to score outside the paint. Louisville was 18-61 (30%) including 4-25 from 3land, vindicating Coach K’s strategy.

Coach K insightfully addressed what he thought has been the problem since Christmas. First, he said Duke’s recent shooting slump had led to a lack of confidence, which had spilled over into the defense. “Confidence isn’t a pie that you slice; it’s all pervading.” He wanted to give the team something new to be concentrating on. This obviously seemed to work even though Duke still did not shoot well from the perimeter (4-15 from 3land); but, 17-28 inside the arc (thank you Jahlil – 8–10; and Amile – 6–7). Second, the Coach thought that “Coach K’s 1,000 wins and other accolades” put an unfair burden on his team, making the team feel as if it had to be perfect. He addressed it, and it seemed to work.

There were many highlights for Duke Fans, but my special appreciation is for the poise that this young team showed in a hostile environment after two bad — even embarrassing — losses. Louisville relies heavily on its trapping pressure defense to produce turnovers. Duke has produced excessive turnovers during its recent slump. Duke, and especially Tyus, took exemplary care of the ball against the Cardinals pressure; only 3 turnovers in the first half (10 for the game). Coach K lauded this as Tyus’s best game in terms of controlling it (certainly his best since Wisconsin). Although he missed his only two 3 point attempts, Tyus ran the show with great confidence and poise: 8 assists against only 2 turnovers; 6-6 from the free throw line in the clutch; 2-3 from inside the arc in 32 minutes. He has a magic ability to get the ball to Okafor for easy layups (not dissimilar to Kyrie’s ability to get the ball to Mason for the 8 games prior to his injury), and to shred the press with his handle and court vision.

All the Duke starters logged in excess of 30 minutes. I have a different slant on Justise Winslow than Bill (“shell of his former self”) does because of his contribution on the defensive end. It seemed to me that he returned to his former energetic and athletic self when Louisville had the ball. I believe Coach K thought so as well, since Winslow led the team in minutes played with 38; tied for the team lead in rebounds (7; Jah and Amile also grabbed 7). However, his previously dynamic offense is still AWOL. In his 38 minutes, he scored only 3 points (a terrific drive in traffic) on 1-4 from the field; 1-4 from the line and 0-2 from behind the arc. On the opening possession, Winslow drove the lane and was fouled. However, he didn’t finish a shot that he could (should) have and missed both free throws. So a potential 3 point play had virtually the same effect as a turnover. He needed to make that play to restore his offensive confidence. Next Play!

Duke’s bigs — Okafor (34 minutes) and Jefferson (31 minutes) carried Duke’s offense. Really profound news is that Jefferson proved a reliable foul shooter at closing time. Together Duke’s bigs were 9-11 from the free throw line (Jahlil was 2-2), and 14 for 17 from the field! That is worth a wow! Moreover, Jefferson is developing confidence in his offensive game (though opponents might begin to notice he only drives to his right). The guards are starting to look for him because he moves so well without the ball.

Quinn in his 35 minutes (2nd most on the team) had his worst statistical game of the year (2-9 from the field; 2-7 from behind the arc; 1-2 from the line) with only 7 points and 0 assists. He contributed 5 defensive rebounds and 3 steals while playing terrific defense. The bench played little and scored only 6 points in total on Matt Jones’s 2 crucial early 3s. Matt logged 8 minutes while Plumlee played only 6 minutes (without a box score entry). Rasheed played 16 minutes without scoring, though handed out 2 assists and grabbed a board. This is, as it turns out, a very short rotation.

Quick turnaround with Pittsburg visiting Cameron on Monday night at 7 pm EDT. This is a watershed game for Duke.

Duke 79– Pittsburgh 65

After playing three games in six days, home cooking was a welcome relief for Duke’s guards as they found their shooting touch within the friendly sights and sounds of Cameron, hitting 11-23 three pointers. Ty Jones and Rasheed Sulaimon had four each. Quinn Cook, who is a 90% free throw shooter and usually the best from long range, was 1-8 but compensated with a game high 10 rebounds. Go figure. There are very few easy outs in the restructured ACC and Pitt is not one of them.

Jahlil had what was for him, a so-so game and Justise Winslow is according to Coach, “banged up– his shoulder, ribs. He’s taken some blows. I don’t think anything real serious.” You have to consider the source. K is an old West Point guy. “Banged up” to him sort of means you are shot up and bleeding but still have your limbs. I look at a player built like Justise on the floor four times in two games grimacing in pain like Seattle’s Richard Sherman in the Packer game and have to wonder the meaning of “serious” to elite athletes. One thing for sure, Winslow’s offense has been not been the same recently.

Most interestingly, Duke again started playing zone and got off to a good start. According to Laura Keeley, the Blue Devils gave up 35 points on trips that were zone-based, 30 points on ones in man. That is somewhat deceiving, because a number of those were transition points off missed shots, which leads to the symbiotic relationship between offense and defense. The more missed shots, the more chance of fast breaks before the defense can be set. Therefore, the less efficient the offense, the probability is that the defense is less efficient. As Jay Bilas pointed out, Coach has several levels of aggressiveness to his defense from full court to inside the three point line. Recently, whether in man or zone, this team with their undersized guards, has been more effective not extending the perimeter defense further than the three point line. Ok, school’s out for today boys and girls.

Additional Observations:

More and more it appears Ty Jones is responding to the losses more dramatically and effectively than any other player and holds the keys to this team’s success. The other key is Okafor defense improving his defense from a C+ to a B+. That can start by Jah not getting in foul trouble by making silly fouls.

Despite the two recent losses, Coach K’s has been on top of his game in the press conferences. On playing zone: “Jim (Boeheim) texted me after the Louisville game: “‘Where’s my royalty check?”’ And I replied: “After the season. We’ll see if it’s a one-night wonder.”

This was win 999 which sets the stage for winning number 1,000 on the Sunday afternoon game against St. Johns on national television in Madison Square Garden, where Coach K broke Bobby Knight’s record.

Alan Adds:

It was a strange, but satisfying game. Quinn Cook led Duke in rebounding (10) while Jahlil had more assists (5) than any teammate. Quinn had a double double (11 points also), but was 1-8 from downtown. Jah not only had 5 assists, but also a number of great passes that would have been recorded as assists if the game were hockey. Sometimes the assist went to the player receiving Jah’s pass and then finding an even more open teammate. Jefferson was 4-4 from the line. Tyus led Duke’s scoring with 22 points on 11 shots (4-5 from 3land and 4-5 from the stripe), but had three turnovers and 4 assists. Still he controlled the game with his handle and shot making. In turn, Duke controlled the game by taking care of the ball. Duke had only 4 turnovers in the first half, and except for an uncharacteristic stretch when Duke could have closed out the game where Duke made 4 sloppy turnovers in a row, an even better second half (10 turnovers for the game against 13 assists).

Duke shot the ball well, which made everything different from the last 4 games. Duke made 8 more 3 pointers than Pitt (3-10) did on 13 more attempts (11-23 from behind the arc; 4-8 in the second half). Duke made more free throws (20 of 25) than Pitt shot (8-12). Jahlil and Amiel were a combined 8-10 (Jefferson 4-4); Cook and Jones were a combined 8-9 (Tyus was 4-5). Marshall was 2-2; Rasheed and Winslow were 1-2. Traditional Duke stats. The offense, in short, returned.

But what about the defense? It was a tale of two different halves. Duke was superb in the first half, holding Pitt to 25 points (while scoring 41). However, all that turned around in the second half. A Duke assistant coach speculated that having Duke defend in front of the Duke bench (first half) kept the Devils communicating, but that communication diminished when the teams changed ends. Sounds strange to me. Pitt was 17-33 (52%) in the second half, including 3-7 from 3land. The Panthers scored 40 points, and had 11 assists on 17 hoops in the second half. Duke’s defense, so efficient in the first half, reverted to porous in the second half. Duke had a 16 point lead at half and kept scoring (38 in the second half after 41 in the first) which hid the defensive lapses in the second half. For the game, Pitt took 8 more shots from the field (60 to Duke’s 52).

Even while scoring efficiently, Duke was holding on in the last segment of the second half. With 11:36 to go, Duke was up by 20 points (65-45); with 3:05 to go, Duke’s lead had been cut to 10 (73-63) and again at 1:09 (75-65). It was a very good win, coming, as it did two days after Duke’s epic blowout of the Cardinals at Louisville. Once again the Duke rotation was extremely short, really just 6, though Duke got good cameos from Marshall (7 minutes) and Matt Jones (10) minutes. Marshall had a neat lefty hook shot, a block and a rebound to go with 2-2 from the line in his four minutes. He also almost fouled out in that very short span (4). Matt was solid defensively, but 0-2 from the field with a board. It was only Rasheed (25 minutes) and the starters who played extended minutes. Justise’s shooting woes continued, though there was some good signs. He is taking a pounding in the games and was hurt twice, reducing his minutes to 22. He had 2 boards, an assist, a steal and a block to go with 2-4 from behind the arc (the good sign) for his 7 points (2-7 from the field). He is visibly struggling, but his early season prowess makes Duke’s upside potential more than its current caliber of play. The guards logged 38 minutes each, which is telling. Quinn had 2 assists and a steal to go with his double double. Tyus has an amazing steadiness that controls the game. As the season has progressed, he is handling the rock more and more (Quinn less and less). Both were effective defensively in the zone.

Okafor and Jefferson again stood out for Duke. Jah played 28 minutes (committing 3 fouls) going 5-9 from the field for 14 points. He added 3 rebounds and a block against 2 turnovers. His passing was a key to Duke’s offensive resurgence. Duke’s hot 3 point shooting came because the shots were uncontested; many starting out of the double teams that Pitt threw at Jah. Duke passed faster than Pitt could rotate, resulting in uncontested shots. Jah was more important than his stat line would suggest. The same is true of Jefferson, who continues to mature and improve (I think partially stung by Jones starting instead of Jefferson against Miami). Although only 2-6 from the field (8 points and 9 boards), Amile was terrific. He added 3 steals and a block, while playing scintillating defense with 0 turnovers and committing only 1 foul.

Duke seems to have righted the ship, and just in time for three difficult road games in a row (St. Johns at Madison Square Garden on Sunday); Notre Dame and Virginia to conclude January.

DUKE 77- ST. JOHNS 68

A recent poll revealed that 25% of the people believe God plays a divine role in deciding which team wins a sporting event. Count me as a skeptical agnostic—until the last week. Last Sunday Seattle was outplayed and down 16 points in the last six minutes, when suddenly they executed flawlessly and with some timely skill/luck/divine intervention, ties, then beats Green Bay. Today, for twenty minutes Duke was outplayed, outhustled, and looked like they did in losses to N.C. State and Miami. Down 61-51 with 8:30 to go, an historic win played live before a national television audience seemed to be a lost opportunity. I’m thinking the poll was wrong. A Basketball God, unless he is a Tar Heel, wouldn’t let this happen.

Coach K called time out. With Amile Jefferson sitting with three fouls, Rasheed Sulaimon with four, and Justise Winslow hurt and ineffective, he substituted Marshall Plumlee and Matt Jones as the forwards. Brilliant coaching move? Divine intervention? Or just Coach K imposing his fighting and never-give-up DNA onto his players and the game? Who knows, but suddenly MP3’s hustle and defense seemed to energize the Blue Devils and they were a different team, outscoring St. Johns 26-7. An unbelievable turn of events, but an appropriate conclusion and exclamation point on a game of this significance! The bottom line is this is why Coach K has won 1,000 games!

Quinn Cook, Tyus Jones, and Jahlil Okafor led the way for the Duke comeback, each player had a 3-point play to erase the ten point deficit, and it was the senior Cook, who hit his fourth triple of the afternoon to put Duke back ahead by one. In all, they combined to score 55 points. That’s what seniors and talented freshmen do.

The players St. John’s recruit are usually athletic, playground oriented, and thrive on an up tempo game. Missed shots, open court opportunities, and porous defenses play right into their wheelhouse. When Duke started making shots, giving them time to set their defense, combined with the psychological pressure of losing a lead three points at a time helped turn the tide of the game. In addition, the referees were of little help. Clearly, the three point shot just before the half didn’t beat the shot clock but the rule is that it cannot be reviewed. If play can be stopped the check if a player’s foot is outside the three point line, why can’t replays be used to check the time clock at the end of the half? It can be checked at the end of the game and in overtime this anomaly makes no sense. Also, the defenders were allowed to wrestle with Okafor with immunity in the low post and Jefferson, Sulaimon, and Cook were subjected to fouls that boarded on muggings.

Additional Observations:

Duke started the game with their man defense but when the game went south they tried a zone. All to no avail as, during that bad twenty minute period, nothing worked. However, when the Blue Devils made their late, winning move with Plumlee in the lineup, they played mostly a zone. MP3 and Okafor together present an entirely different defensive challenge for an opponent.
Win number 1,000 came about 500 miles from Cameron Indoor Stadium, but for Duke it is familiar territory. Madison Square Garden was where K had win number 903 against Michigan State in November 2011, breaking the Division I record previously held by his college coach and mentor, Bob Knight.
Wojo: “Mike Krzyzewski is much more than a coach. He is a friend and a role model who shows us the way after we put the jersey away.”
Marshall Plumlee formally committed to join the U.S. Army after graduation in the spring of 2016. “It’s a tremendous honor,” Plumlee said. “I’m just blessed to have these passions — basketball and the Army — and to be able to pursue both of them. I love basketball. I love Duke Basketball and I feel like the Army only makes me a better basketball player. I also think playing for Coach K and Duke only makes me a better Army officer.”

Alan Adds:

In the movie, “The Hustler”, Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) is the pool champion, and is challenged by talented arrogant newcomer, Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman). The know-it-all “manager” is Bert Gordon (George C. Scott). It’s a long game and Felson is winning big in the early going. Fats goes into the men’s room to recoup. He shaves, washes splashes cologne on, and comes out looking like a new man. As Bert Gordon later tells Felson, “at that moment you were ready to lose.”

Duke metaphorically went into the men’s room at a time out with 8:30 left to play, and St John’s ahead by 10 (61-51). All showered, shaved and splashed with cologne; a new lineup — Marshall and Matt Jones to go along with yesterday’s Big Three, Cook, Tyus and Jah. In two minutes and two seconds, the Devils made three 3 point plays the old fashion way while getting two big stops, to cut the lead from 10 to 1. St John’s was “ready to lose”. St Johns finally started missing (and Plumlee made Duke more effective at rim protection). Duke took the lead at 5:42 on Cook’s three. Tyus was fouled on a 3 point attempt and made all three at 2:54 mark for a 6 point lead. St John’s cut it to 4 a few seconds later, but with 1:17, Tyus drained a 3, and that was the game.

Part of St. Johns’ collapse came from what looked like exhaustion. The Red Storm starters logged big minutes — Pointer, for example played 40 minutes. DeAngelo Harrison (Rasheed’s teammate in high school AAU ball) played the least with 35. The St. John bench failed to score and logged only 15 minutes (Branch played 11). The Duke high scoring threesome also logged big minutes (Tyus- 39, Quinn-38 and Okafor-37), but the Duke bench was productive, playing a total of 55 minutes and scoring 10 points. Where the bench really contributed was on the defensive end. Coach K sung the praises of Matt Jones (24 minutes; 6 rebounds, 2 assists to with 2-6 shooting for 4 points — 0-2 from deep) and Marshall (5 boards, 1-1 on a beautiful put back for his only points) for shutting the Red Storm down in the last 8 minutes. It was an awesome transformation. Rasheed logged 16 minutes, ineffective on offense, but energetic on the defensive side (1-3 from 3land and 1-4 from the stripe). Grayson Allen had a cameo at the end of the first half when K was looking for someone to make a shot. Allen didn’t in his 3 minutes (0-1; a steal and a turnover).

Coach K said it was unlike any game he had ever coached because it was like three games in one. In the first seven and a half minutes, Duke looked as if the game would not be close, racing to a 21-10 lead. The second game started then and lasted until the 8:32 mark of the second half. That partial game looked suspiciously like a replay of the Miami and NC State games. After playing almost twelve minutes of awful basketball, in which the defense was totally torched for open shots (St. Johns missed several wide open layups; maybe partially offset by the Red Storm three at the end of the half that clearly should not have counted). Duke played man; Duke played zone; it did not matter, St Johns scored on everything, while Duke missed open shots on offense. It was enough to adversely impact digestion. The second half was even worse. Duke’s second field goal did not come until the 13:47 mark, when Quinn finally nailed a three to cut the ten point St Johns lead to seven. With 11:46 to go, Jefferson made Duke’s third field goal of the half to again reduce the 10 point lead, this time to 8. Plumlee’s stick back was Duke’s fourth and final field goal before the transformative time out at the 8:32 mark. Duke’s defense up until the time out was beyond porous. Duke fouled consistently (only 7 in the first half, but 17 for the game — Rasheed (4), Matt (3) and Amile (3) were especially saddled. St John’s penetrated the zone, and consistently made open mid-range jumpers (8-10 feet) from the interior of the zone. Much adverse digestive reaction.

Matt Jones and Marshall fixed the defense with energy and physicality. Coach K gushed over those two in post-game interviews. Jahlil, Quinn and Tyus were spectacular down the stretch. Okafor had 10 tough boards to go with 17 points on 7-10 shooting (but a woeful 3-7 from the free throw line); he was awesome to start the game (8 points in the first 7 and a half minutes; 10 for the half) and a fountain of power and desire after the 8:32 time out. In that short span, he grabbed four key rebounds and scored 6 points. What was awesome was his obvious passion, which fueled his taking physical command of the game at crunch time. Duke’s backcourt had a terrible defensive game and sporadic offense before looking like All-Americans in the last eight and a half minutes. Tyus was absolutely outstanding, even though he did not shoot well (5-11; 2-5 from deep) and turned the ball over 4 times (high for him). But when the game was on the line, he was superb. First, he was 10-10 from the line, 7-7 in the last 8 minutes. Second, he scored on a layup (3 point play) and the dagger 3 at 1:17 from the corner after a rebound by Jah and a superb assist off the drive by Quinn. 13 points in less than 8 minutes. Tyus had 4 tough boards and 6 assists to go with a key steal at the end. Quinn also shot poorly during the game (5-13 from the field; and 2-6 from 3land before making his last 2 — the last one for the lead at 63-62), and turned it around down the game-winning stretch. He was 3-3 from the line, making it 8 points in the last 8 minutes.

Bill’s comment that 25% believe that some supernatural force controls the outcome of games cannot go unmentioned. Since I have a Mencken like view (“No one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American People”), I wager that more people believe that Buffalo Wild Wings influences games! Close, anyway.

It was a grand finish for Coach K’s 1000th win. Now back to the pursuit of ACC titles and other post-season glories. The next two games are difficult — Wednesday at Notre Dame and Saturday at undefeated Virginia. Duke is likely to be underdogs in both games.

Duke 73- Notre Dame 77

My old tennis coach Don Henson taught me some basic truisms that made me a better player and a better fan. Namely, that there are three levels of performance: You have to be able to hit the shot in practice, hit it in a match, and hit it on a big point and, secondly, the better a player is, the more “lucky” shots they make. You have to admire Jerian Grant. He hit a variety of big shots and with the game on the line, made an unbelievably lucky shot, then made the big assist to an open teammate for a dagger three.

Sunday the Blue Devils finished the game off with winning plays; tonight Notre Dame did. Up by ten with twelve minutes to play, Duke came up empty on both ends of the floor. Alan has a terrific analysis, so I will be brief. While this was a loss it, was not nearly the disappointment that the losses to N.C. State and blowout loss to Miami in Cameron were. However, it leaves they question: is this a talented, young team learning lessons that will make them a top tournament contender or are they an overhyped, overrated team?

For all of his graceful offensive talent, Okafor is a below average post defender and 58% free throw shooter, whom you do not want at the line with the game on the line. A hopeful sign is that Justise Winslow has started to resemble the 2014 model we admired so much and Ty Jones continues to impress.

However, the truth of the matter is that last night Notre Dame was the better team that played above their talent. Duke too often doesn’t play up to their talent—or, maybe, they are not as good as all the hype.

Bottom line: Duke going 10-20 from the free throw line made this a coulda, shoulda, woulda loss that a more solid, more mature team would have won. At the beginning of the season, someone you know wrote that free throw shooting could be the Achilles Heel of this team. Got to fix it.

Alan Adds:

Duke proved itself to be a young team against Notre Dame, but the loss was not as deflating to Coach K as it might seem to Duke fans. This is the worst conference start (4-3) since 1995 (and we do not want to think about that year). Coach said that both teams played winning basketball, which was true for only 29 minutes of the game. In the last 11 minutes, Duke got to feel what St. Johns must have felt last Sunday when Duke muscled the game away from the Johnnies in the waning minutes. With 11:00 left in the game Okafor made a layup to restore Duke’s 10 point lead at 65-55. By the time Duke scored next on Jah’s layup with 5:29 to go, it tied the score at 67. In between, Duke was hapless (not winning basketball): Cook missed 3 jumpers (2 of them 3 pointers); Tyus missed 2 (1 a 3), Matt missed a 3 as did Rasheed. Defensively, Winslow committed a turnover and Jah and Rasheed committed fouls. Okafor hit another layup at the 4:36 mark to give Duke a 69-67 lead, but Duke never made another field goal and was only 2-6 on critical free throws — Jah was 1-4; Rasheed 1-2. Quinn and Tyus (2) committed fouls on the defensive end. In short, in the last 11 minutes, Duke had only 3 field goals — all by Jah. Notre Dame, on the other hand, did play winning basketball down the stretch, making 2 amazing plays — Grant’s miracle with 1:11 left; followed by Vasturia’s only field goal of the game (1-5; 1-3 from 3land), the three from the corner on a great look from Grant , which was the dagger. Coach K said Matt Jones made a mistake leaving him; he’d rather have had Grant attempting a difficult 2 pointer. Grant capped a spectacular game with a block on Cook with 28 ticks left.

Coach K emphasized the team’s youth and that this game was about missed opportunities that make the difference between winning and losing when two very good teams play a close game. He pointed to the between 6-8 finishes at the rim that simply did not go down, and that Duke grabbed 13 offensive boards but only scored 9 points on those second chances. Coach K also pointed to Matt’s defensive lapse on Vastoria’s dagger and, of course, the foul shooting. Duke was 10-20 from the stripe after being 3-5 in the first half. Consider that Tyus, Quinn and Justise were 7-7 in the game; the rest of the team was 3-13. Coach K said, “Jah had a heck of a game. If he had made his free throws we’d be talking about him rather than Grant as the player of the game.”

Both teams played short benches: ND’s starters all logged over 34 minutes (Grant 40 and Connaughton 39), except at the center position. Duke, too, played a very short rotation. Cook played all 40 minutes (minus a few seconds), Tyus 38 minutes, Jah 36 and Justise returned to big playing time with 30 minutes. Matt Jones (21) played more off the bench than Amile (17 minutes), while Rasheed played only 12. Marshall was limited to a 6 minute cameo, looking lost with the ball, unlike his previous court time. Duke’s bench was unproductive offensively — Rasheed was 1-6 (0-2 from 3 and 1-2 from the line) for 3 points; Jones was 1-4 (0-1 without a free throw attempt) for 2 points, but he had 5 tough boards and 4 assists, and so earned his playing time. Amile was 2-4 from the field (made his first two shots and scored Duke’s first 4 points), and a disastrous 0-3 from the line. Very disappointing game for him.

In many respects Jah carried Duke with 17 rebounds to go with his 22 points (10-18 from the field; but 2-7 from the line). Even Dickie V could ascertain that Jah is not defending well. Whether it was Jah leaving his man, or the help failing to rotate when he did, ND scored some very easy points at the rim when Jah doubled the ball on pick and rolls. Quinn had a brilliant first half (5-5; 3-3 from deep) for 13 points. He was 0-6 (0-3 from deep) with only 2 foul shots in the second half for 15 points. Tyus had a quiet first half (1-4; 0-1 from deep for 2 points) before going 4-7 (1-2 from deep and 3-3 from the line for his 14 points. In my opinion the good news from this game is the return of Justise Winslow. He had 5 (1-3 from the field; 1-2 from deep) in the first half, and I made a note to myself at half-time that he looked smooth and was defending well. He came alive in the second half shooting 3-4 from the field including 2-2 from deep and 2-2 from the line for 13 points. My belief is that Duke’s season will depend on Justise reaching something like his potential (think Zoubek in 2010).

This makes the Virginia game on Saturday as important a regular season game as Duke has had in a while. Duke is 11-11 in its last 22 ACC road games. A win can restore the season and keep Duke as a contender on the national scene. Next Play

DUKE 69- VIRGINIA 65

‘HOOS DAT??? JUST US DEVILS…WE BACK!!!!!

After being undefeated in 2014 but starting 2015 by being upset in two straight ACC games, not closing out Notre Dame, losing a key man, then playing the third game in a row on the road in six days against the #2 team in the country, co-captain Quinn Cook told his teammates that the next twenty minutes against Virginia would determine what kind of season they would have. Down nine points with five minutes to play, Coach K went small to deny Virginia double-teaming options against Jahlil Okafor and switched to a zone to help get out in transition. That coaching change seem to energize a suddenly more efficient and effective Okafor as well as the guards. The Blue Devils scored 22 of the game’s last 29 points over these final minutes. The last fifteen possessions were a three, a layup, a layup, dunk, a two, a layup, a layup, a three, a tip-in, a three, a three, a layup, a three, and a stone cold dagger three by Ty Jones– an impressively improbable performance. How impressive, that’s 43 points in the second half against a team which had only allowed an average of 49 points per game and were ranked No. 1 among 345 Division I teams in scoring defense.

Think what you will about this sometimes inconsistent freshman heavy team, but Duke’s record in their last twenty-two games on the road has been a subpar 11-11. Nevertheless, this is the first Duke team in history to defeat three top-ten ranked teams — Wisconsin, Louisville, Virginia on the road. As Jay Bilas pointed out, while Duke is very talented and won this game, he still considers Virginia is the better team. That may change by tournament time if Okafor stops travelling, missing free throws, and become a beast for forty minutes, Winslow becomes totally healthy and more consistent, Ty Jones remain “Cool Hand” Jones, and Quinn Cook continues to hit big baskets as well as being the emotional leader.

This was a contest between the two best coaches not only in the ACC but in the country. UVA coach Bennett has no McDonald’s All- Americans. What he does have are big, strong, long, mature basketball players, who stay for four years and learn his system. So, it was basically one-and-done versus all four years. Advantage Coach Bennett. On the other hand, Coach K has not won 1001 games by looking pretty and talking nice.

How tough is it to win on the road in the ACC? Carolina blew an 18 point lead and lost at Louisville and Notre Dame was upset at Pitt. Notre Dame’s last play to win was a rerun of the Duke game, only this time Steve Vasturia missed the three from the corner. Oh well, that’s basketball. Life doesn’t get any easier for the Cavaliers. They go to Chapel Hill, then Louisville.

At a critical moment of the game, with Duke down two points with minutes to play, Winslow drove to the basket. There was a lot of contact as he missed the shot and ended up on the floor with Scott’s foot on his shoulder. Justise grabbed and held the foot and was called for a technical foul. It turned out to be a four point turnaround and possibly game, set, match. In defense of Winslow, there was a lot of contact on the play, he didn’t attempt to wrestle with or injure Scott. He may have just been protecting his injured shoulder and ribs. In any event, all’s well that ends well.

In his press conference Coach K mentioned that playing the zone can facilitate Duke’s running and open court possibilities—if the opponent misses a shot. Certainly, the Blue Devils strategy of taking a page from Carolina’s system and attempting to beat the Cavaliers down the court, even on made baskets, was one of the keys to the game.

As you know, I have been a Sulaimon fan but should have known something was amiss. Going from a starter his freshman year to being a substitute was one indication. Not being named a co-captain with fellow junior Jefferson was another. I liked his fire but noticed that he did not seem to be playing under control all the time. We never know what goes on in practice, or the locker room, class room, or with girlfriends, or family etc. However, there must have been a long history of serious transgressions for Coach K to dismiss Rasheed. I don’t think anyone outside the tight team circle saw this kind of outcome.

After the season, we will look back at this win—considering the circumstances and the setting really one of the most impressive in recent memory– as an important building block in the maturation of a very good Duke team or an anomaly in another inconsistent season of a talented but immature good Blue Devil teams of the one-and-done era.

Additional Observations:

Coach K’s first substitution: Plumlee, Jones, and Allen. Having inherited more minutes by default, Allen has to step up and produce as Plumlee and Matt Jones have done.

Meaningless stat? Tonight’s win was Duke’s second ever against team 19-0 or better. The first was over 34-0 UNLV in 1991 Final Four, on route to Duke’s first NCAA Championship.

Alan Adds:

This was simply a great regular season ACC college basketball game! It was — at least temporarily — salvation for the Duke season emotionally, and it was surely thrilling entertainment. However, even though it was a special win, it will not define the season (any more than Austin’s dagger to upset UNC in the Dome defined that season). There is too much uncertainty for how this team develops in the future with so much of the season left to play. So I favor “savor” the significant accomplishment, and then on to the rest of the season. But let us do savor.

There is much to savor. In importance, I start with the return to form of Justise Winslow. He single handedly kept Duke in the game in the first half with his slashes to the basked. He was a force on the court for his 31 minutes (would have been more but for his foul trouble, committing 4). Besides his 17 points (11 in the first half) Justise pulled down 11 boards (10 defensive; 5 in each half) had 2 blocks, a steal, an assist against 0 turnovers. If he finally hits his outside shot consistently (0-4; 2 misses in each half) to go with his forays to the rim, he will be unguardable. He played Anderson when Duke played man and was an interior force when Duke went zone in the second half. Anderson scored only 11. Coach K emphasized that Duke could push forward better from the zone, but said “of course, you have to get the defensive rebound in order to push.” Justise did that for Duke. Jah was a force, but had only 3 defensive rebounds. UVA had 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, keeping them in the game. In the second half, the Cavaliers got only 5, and two of them were Toby’s failure to score on them with a minute to go. Those misses and Quinn’s eventual (finally!) rebound were critical to Duke’s win.

Okafor had a dismal first half (2 points and 3 turnovers), completely disrupted by the aggressive and immediate double teams that Virginia threw at him. Jah became a force down the stretch, giving Duke the interior toughness to match UVA while logging 35 minutes. He was 4-5 from the field in the second half, including a dazzling last 8 minutes to lead Duke emotionally. In that stretch, Jah hit a jumper, made a key tip in after Tyus missed a layup, and handed out 3 assists, including the final one at 1:20 to go when he hit Quinn for an open 3 to put Duke up 66-63. As he did against St. Johns, he powered Duke on the interior for the comeback win.

While Duke’s guards could not stop the UVA guards when Duke played man to man, the ‘Hoos could not defend the Duke guards at crunch time. Both Tyus and Quinn were heroic. Each were held to 4 points in the first half (Quinn even missed a foul shot, while Tyus was 1-4 from the field). Quinn (36 minutes) finished with 15 points on 4-6 from the field in the last stanza including 3-4 from behind the arc. Tyus (38 minutes) was even better, scoring a total of 17 (4 of 6 from the field in the second half; 2-4 from distance — including the dagger from deep with 10 seconds left). He also had 4 boards and handed out 4 assists, though he did miss a foul shot (5-6). Heroic is a fair modifier for Duke’s guards in the second half.

Matt Jones played 24 efficient winning minutes, scoring 9 points (4-9; 1-3 from 3land) to go with 3 tough boards, 2 assists and a block. Jones played excellent defense, both man to man and in the back line of the zone. Coach K is relying on Matt more and more as he proves reliable. Coach K went small quite a bit, which limited Jefferson to 20 minutes (2 points; 2 boards; 0-2 from the line), and Marshall to 5 nondescript minutes — the only 5 that Jah was out of the game. Grayson Allen played 11 minutes and is not yet confident (0-1; 1-2 from the line with a turnover and committing 2 fouls). Yet I get the feeling that he will contribute and take advantage of the minutes he will get now as a result of Rasheed having been dismissed from the team.

Duke’s second half offense and shooting can be savored for sure. Against the fabled “pack line” defense, Duke shot 17-30 from the field including 6-13 from behind the arc in the second half to score 43 points (3-4 from the line after going 4-9 in the first half). The game was both thrilling and satisfying to watch. Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

Duke 72- Georgia Tech 66

Unfortunately, this Duke team appears to play up or down to the level of their competition, which is living dangerously. When you can’t blow out bottom feeders like Miami or Georgia Tech in Cameron and can’t consistently defend the paint or the perimeter, you might not be tournament tough. With three point line, if you let any team hang around, crazy things can happen in the last few minutes of a game (ref. Virginia game). And speaking of the Virginia game, tonight the ball was rolling off the rim, not in the basket, and the threes weren’t falling. Of course, the Blue Devils (even Ty and Quinn) missed foul shots (15-24), some of which were one-and-ones. That’s leaving about 8 or 10 points off the score board.

Fortunately, Duke had too much talent as Winslow (15 pts & 10 rebs)), Cook (17 pts), and Matt Jones(11 pts & 5 rebs) provided the winning plays. Justice was in rare form at both ends. He even channeled his brother, who is a defensive back at Dartmouth, on some breath taking defensive plays as did Matt Jones, who keeps improving in all ways to help mitigate the departure of Rasheed Sulaimon–and Quinn “Microwave” Cook, scoreless the first half, once again heated up with 17 second half clutch points. Jahlil Okafor had, for him, an average game (14 pts & 8 rebs) as the refs keep letting defenders push him off the low post so he receives passes too far from the basket. Occasionally, he got mad and showed some impressive moves, but was only 5-12 from the floor.

The good news is that Justice Winslow has played the last two games even better than advertised–especially on defense—and that there has been balanced scoring. However, to be most effective, the offense should run through Okafor and with the game on the line, Cook has to be the offensive go-to guy, because he is the most versatile and creative scorer and is a 90% free throw shooter. For the same reasons, Ty Jones is not a bad second option. However, unless the Blue Devils start playing better defense, it doesn’t matter because they cannot outscore every team every night.

Coach K commented on the challenges his young team is facing: “I didn’t think we were emotionally at the level we needed to be… Not that our kids weren’t ready to play, but we could not get that level of emotion. It’s human nature and that’s what you compete against. If you want to be really good all the time, human nature is your biggest opponent because you’re up, you’re excited, you’re a little bit worn out. How do you stay consistent? It’s happening to eight kids, four of them are freshmen, for the very first time. They want to do well. Our guys are terrific…they’re working like crazy and I just keep having to try things. The league is unforgiving in that there’s so many good teams. Sometimes one schedule is more difficult than others. We have a tough schedule. We’re on the road at Louisville, at Syracuse, at Notre Dame, at NC State… It wears on you. To be able to win a game in this manner, that’s what keeps you afloat and gets you tournament ready. We’ve still got a number of games until we are tournament qualified. This was another step closer to doing that.”

Additional Observations:

Want to know how Coach Krzyzewski, who will turn 68 next week, has won 1,002 games? Late in the first half, he tossed his jacket, slapped the floor, waved his arms to the crowd, and yelled at the Cameron fans to help his team. He was visibly angry at times during timeouts – whatever it took to get his team going.
This win pushed Coach K passed former Tar Heel legend Dean Smith as the winningest in ACC play. He improved to 423-169 in his 35th year in the league.
The Yellow Jackets fell to 5-34 at Cameron Indoor Stadium and their only victory here since 1997 came in 2004 – the year they went on to reach the national title game.
Having referenced the concept of Divine Intervention in sporting events, I cannot let the ending minutes of the Super Bowl pass without comment. How to explain first, the laying on-the-back reception after the ball bounced around various body parts, then the bone headed play call, and the improbable interception by the undrafted rookie from the University of West Georgia. It turned Seattle fans and bettors into raving manic depressives and New England fans and bettors into depressive maniacs, and non-believers into believers. Welcome to the wonderful emotional roller coaster world of sports!

Alan Adds:

Coach K’s post-game comments (the essence of which is set out by Bill above) had several additional themes. First, Tyus (2-6; 1-3 from 3land; 0 foul shots) and Quinn (0-4; 0-3 from deep; no free throw attempts) had sub-par first halves. That changed dramatically for (Quinn 37 minutes) and somewhat for Tyus (38 minutes, which tells you how valuable Coach K thinks he is, even when not playing his best). Okafor told Quinn at the half, “we need you; you are not playing well.” Jah said the team is so close that such talk is team building. Quinn said that he thought his defense had been subpar in the first half, and that as his defense improved, so did his offense. Though Duke pushed to a 10 point lead with 5 minutes + left in the first half, Coach K was not happy. The Ramblin’ Wreck scored 2 baskets at the end as a result of careless Duke plays, which got Coach K’s attention. Even though Duke led, the defense was porous. Duke did not zone at all in the first half. Tech shot 54% (3-5 from deep) against Duke’s porous defense. At half time, I made a note to myself that Jah looked less than energetic, especially on defense. He was 2-6; 2-4 from the line for 6 first half points.

Duke kept the lead on the play of Justise (10 first half points-4-5 from the field; 1-1 from deep; 1-1 from the line; to go with 6 rebounds) and Matt Jones, who scored 11 first half points (4-8; 1-3 from deep and 2-2 from the line). You can see Matt’s confidence growing, as he becomes a substantial contributor. He exudes toughness, and is a defensive presence whenever he enters the game. At 6’5”, he is long enough to guard bigger players and quick enough to defend point guards. Where he is really making his mark is rebounding. He was third last night (5; tied with Amile who played 23 minutes, one more than Matt). Even better than the emergence of Matt, has been the play of Winslow. I continue to believe that this team can only reach its potential (contender for national title) if Winslow plays the way he did in the early season (when I told friends that Jah — pre-season player of the year, with all that pre-season hype — might not even be the best freshman on Duke. Then Justise disappeared (injuries played a role, I believe). But in the last two games he is back, and very worth watching. He finished with 15 points, making his only second half shot (4-7 from the line for the game). He led Duke with 10 boards and played superb defense. If his last two games are a harbinger of how he will play, this was a very positive game for Duke.

Cook was brilliant in the second half even though he was 1-8 from downtown for the game. He was 5-6 on his scintillating drives and 4-5 from the line. Jah (33 minutes) played efficiently in the last minutes, but it was not one of his better games. I thought he was slow on defense (but had one critical block) and just didn’t have the zing. Tech didn’t double him consistently. He was missing shots he usually makes. He is still the centerpiece. Amile had 6 first half points (3-4) but failed to score in the second half. Coach K had the ponies on the floor at crunch time (Justise plays the four with the three guards. Marshall played 8 minutes, picking up 3 fouls. Grayson made a 3 minute cameo, missing his only shot, a 3 point attempt.

Coach K said the Virginia game was like the Wisconsin game, but Duke didn’t play for a substantial period after pounding the Badgers. Against, Tech, the Devils ran into human nature (Coach K regards human nature as a formidable obstacle to be overcome), but came out with the win. The reason Tech stayed close is why we love the game. Tech had shot 26% from 3land for the season. Yesterday, they were 8-11 (24 points on 11 shots), while Duke was a tepid 5-18. If both teams shoot as they have during the season, it is not a close game. Good teams win even when they do not play well. Tech was sandwiched between two big games — UVA last Saturday and Notre Dame in Cameron this Saturday. In my opinion, Notre Dame in Cameron is a big game.

Prior to the Notre Dame game, Alan emailed me this:

Bill- For many reasons this is a very big game for Duke. A second ACC loss at home (creating a 5-4 ACC record more than half way through the season, with 2 games left with UNC) would exceed mere disappointment. So, this is close to a must-win game.

I am not normally a pre-game optimist, but for this game I am. Here’s why:

Misreading the Georgia Tech game:Andy Katz of SI said he thought after the week Duke had experienced (St. Johns, Notre Dame, Sulaimon, and Virginia) that the Blue Devils would return to the confines of Cameron and simply blow out the bottom feeder. He thought the close game was a bad sign for Duke. Coach K pointed out the power in the universal adversary, human nature, after such a week. He is correct in spades. I completely disagree with Katz. All things considered — including especially Tech’s other wordily 3 point shooting (8-11) in a season where Tech had shot 27%; Duke shot 5-18 from 3 — Duke was tough as nails and showed, in my opinion, championship potential. What Katz either missed or discounted is the significance of the reemergence of Justise Winslow. If he is back, as suggested by his performances in the last two games, Duke becomes much more formidable.
The first Notre Dame game: Was a terrific college basketball game. Grant performed at the highest level, but even so without the Grant miracle (recovered the deflection caused by Tyus and made a circus shot at the 24 second clock expired) and Matt Jones’s defensive lapse (should have let Grant take a tough 2 pointer in the lane rather than leave the open 3 point shooter; the basket made a two possession game instead of giving Duke a chance to tie in its last possession), Duke was in the game. Also, let’s not forget Duke’s woeful foul shooting in South Bend. It would be hard to beat Duke twice in a row anywhere, but doubly tough to do it in Cameron.

Allan- I agree with your assessment and logic, but I caution you, some games have illogical outcomes. Just remember the Super Bowl. Notre Dame is a very efficient three point shooting team and Duke has not been as strong a defensive team we had hoped.

Duke 90- Notre Dame 60

You think the freshmen are finally getting it? Y’all aren’t in high school anymore, TyTy. (ref. Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz) You’re in Cameron and good Duke teams do not lose in their own house. Step up! Play like men! Payback, Baby, Payback!

After understandably being emotionally flat against Georgia Tech, Coach K talked about the importance of young players understanding the interplay between effort, emotion, fatigue, and performance. The Blue Devils started in a man defense, gave up two successive threes, then played one of , if not, the best halves of offensive and defensive basketball I can remember any Duke team playing, outscoring the Irish 50-18. It was a good example of the Ying and Yang of defense and offense. It was like channeling the great teams of 1991-92 or 1999- 2001 and JJ Redick shooting lights out threes. Irish missed shots led to open court opportunities where a healthy Justise was unstoppable. How well was the team playing? Even with Jah on the bench for the final ten minutes of the first half, MP3 again played with strength and confidence and the lead was increased. Duke’s first six 3-pointers went in, seven of eight in the half. Seven of Duke’s eight players scored. Four of them made every shot they took. At one point, Duke was averaging more than two points per possession, literally better than a layup every time the Blue Devils had the ball.

Justice Winslow had 19 points & 11 rebounds, his third straight double-double game; Jahlil Okafor only played 23 minutes, but put on an offensive low post scoop and hoop clinic with 20 points and 10 rebounds; Ty Jones had 12 points, 7 assists; Matt Jones added a career-high 17 points; and Grayson Allan had 5 points to go with a Justice Winslow type ESPN Highlight Block on a fast break. I never thought I would say this, but so far Rasheed Sulaimon has not been missed. Duke is playing better without him. Just maybe Coach K knows what he is doing. Matt has more than filled his sneakers, and Grayson is getting the opportunity to do the same. Just pray that no one gets hurt. When Winslow went down and grabbed his ankle, I saw the season flash before my eyes.

Winslow describing Duke’s ideal offensive performance: “We’re running, finishing, or getting in the lane, kicking and making threes. But at the same time, we can setup, feed Jahlil and play off him.”

One of the keys to the quick start and impressive win was Quinn Cook’s defense on his former DeMatha High School teammate Jerian Grant, holding him to shooting 3-10 for only 7 points. Quinn himself had 8 points and 5 assists.

The Blue Devils played a zone the second half and, understandably, didn’t shoot 80 % but still increased the winning margin. Coach K indicated in his press conference that his team would continue to play multiply defenses.

Other Comments:

Okafor has scored 10 or more points in 23 straight games, tying the Duke freshman record set by Johnny Dawkins in 1982-1983.
Brey spent eight years as a Duke assistant on Mike Krzyzewski’s staff on teams that won the 1991 and ’92 national titles. Brey, who also played at DeMatha for Coach Wooten, now is 2-3 against his former boss.
The Blue Devils earned their 18th straight 20-win season and their 30th in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 35 seasons at the school.
Morgan Wooten, the legendary DeMatha High School coach of Cook, Grant, and Brey was at the game as well as David Robinson and his son, who will be on the basketball team next year. Another son was a freshman star wide receiver at Notre Dame this year.
Isabella Alerie, former Duke star Mark’s daughter, is a standout 6-3 frontcourt player for National Cathedral School in Washington, DC. What’s up with this? She committed to Princeton.

Alan Adds:

After my wildly successful pre-game prediction, I feel like The Toad from Wind in the Willow (Toad puffed visibly). Maybe we’ll change Alan Adds to “Speech by Toad”.

Duke was dazzling. While the offensive display in the first half was the stuff of legends (it must be memorialized on YouTube by now), it was the Duke defense that that left me with jaw agape in admiration. Not since the first half of the Furman game (and a lot of the Wisconsin game) has Duke been so cohesive, intense and dominating. Coach K said that the key was talking and the concept was “together” — did not matter whether zone or man, though Duke was strictly man to man in the first half. The defense was talking, helping, rotating and was completely “together”. The coach added that the “together” on defense sparked the offense. When you are “together” on defense, you are relying upon, trusting, and working with your teammates. This led to the same “together” on offense. To make the point dramatically, Okafor played only 8 minutes in the first half — two quick fouls within seconds of each other had him on the bench. Duke was playing to well for K to put him back in. When Jah went out with 11:57 left in the first half, Duke had an 8 point lead. With 4:40 left in the first half, Duke’s lead was 30 (43-13). In a little over 7 minutes, Notre Dame could only muster four points, while Duke was otherworldly on offense. All that without Okafor.

I also thought the second half contained at least one defining moment. In the second half, the Irish began to mount a comeback. Down 24 at the half, ND fought back to 60-42 with 13:26 left in the game. K called time out. Winslow took over the game for a few minutes, and Duke’s lead was restored to 30. In 70 seconds, he scored a layup and a foul shot, assisted Cook on a layup, and made a layup on an assist from Cook. His onslaught of energy continued: 2 defensive rebounds, 2 free throws, and then missed a layup; got his own rebound; missed another layup; got his own rebound again in a sequence that ended up with a Jah dunk to restore the 30 point lead with a little more than 10 minutes remaining. Game unofficially over.

Jah had an amazing second half with 16 points and 8 rebounds (7-9 from the field and 2-2 from the line). It felt as if Notre Dame wasn’t even trying to stop him. Winslow logged 31 minutes with 19 points (6-11; 1-2 from 3land; and, importantly, 6-8 from the line) and 11 boards. Coach K said that Winslow is growing up. Part of that process, said the coach, is learning to play through injury. He said Justise is doing that and “becoming the player we always thought he would be”. The guards were terrific, especially on defense. Quinn played a game high 36 minutes and deserves the praise heaped upon him by his coach for the outstanding defensive job done on Grant. Cook had 8 points (3-8; 2-3 from 3land), but more importantly had 5 assists and 0 turnovers. Tyus is becoming charismatic, I think. A Duke fan feels comfortable when the ball is in his hands. In his 34 minutes he scored 12 points on an efficient 4 shots (3-4; 2-3 from deep; and 4-6 from the line — 2 misses for him is shocking) to go with 5 boards, 7 assists and a steal while committing only 1 foul without a turnover. Together Quinn and Tyus had 12 assists without a turnover.

Matt Jones played the fourth most minutes (27) and drew high praise from his coach. K called him “a consummate team player”, who brings a tougher character to our team. His emergence began with the St. Johns game, and “his time is here — right now; not sometime in the future because he brings a unique verve to the team. He can guard all five positions (though we really don’t want him guarding a center, he can do it), and his teammates love playing with him.” He scored 17 on 6-9 from the field; 3-5 from deep and a perfect 2-2 from the line. Amile also had a good game in his 20 minutes (2-3 from the field with 5 boards; but only 3-6 from the line.

Marshall was a force in his 11 minutes (I think all were in the first half when Jah was on the bench). Grayson is getting his first real chance (16 minutes) and scored 5 on a 3 and 2-2 from the line. Everyone was talking about the block and Grayson’s athleticism to make it. Coach said “we haven’t yet seen what he can do, but he is going to help us this year.”

Coach K praised the zone defense in the second half, and said that Duke would continue to play multiple defenses this year. He thought the Cameron crowd had been tepid in the Ga Tech game, but was at its best yesterday.

Bill’s “heart in throat” moment when Justise rolled his ankle is so accurate. An injury changes the season, especially on a team with only 8 scholarship players. I have said that I think UVA is the best team in the country (including Kentucky), but how much that will change because of Justin Anderson’s broken finger remains to be seen. Next play is tomorrow night at Fla. State.

Duke 73- Florida State 70

This was a predictable regression to the mean Trap Game. Play a nearly perfect twenty minute first half in an emotionally and physically draining must win game on Saturday, Monday fly to play the third game in six days– an away game in a hostile arena against a big, strong team and vocal student body which doesn’t like you or your school. The will was there but the bodies were wanting. This kind of situation is a test of mental toughness and grit–win when you aren’t playing well. The last few years, this is a game that Duke would probably have lost. A prime example of the difference is Matt Jones. In the words of Coach K: “He had a horrible game. But he made the play of the game.” The play Krzyzewski was referring to was a charge that Jones took in the final two minutes, as the Seminoles’ Montay Brandon came barreling down the lane at him. FSU was behind 68-64, and that play temporarily halted their momentum. “I saw a 4-on-1 coming at me,” Jones said. “I saw them coming full speed, so I was like, ‘I’m going to stand here and take it. We work on situations like that in practice, and coach always tells us to go to the middle of the arc, and then let them come to you and be wide. Practice makes perfect.”

Once again, the referees let Okafor get mugged down low, yet called him for two quick fouls and he spent the second ten minutes on the bench. Have you ever seen a Player of the Year candidate get less respect from the refs? And once again, Marshall Plumlee filled in admirably as the Blue Devils increased their lead while their star center was on the bench. And once again Cook (26 pts) and Ty Jones (16 pts, 12 assists, 6 rebs)) led the way. Krzyzewski said : “I think Cook has been our most valuable guy. He has not only been a really good player, but he’s been a great leader. And our guys follow him. He has been one of my better leaders that I have had at Duke. I didn’t know that that would happen this year. Of all the guys, I’m most proud of him. And Ty had twelve assists and one turnover. He’s had a great month. He’s had a terrific year, but he’s had a great month. Those two guards have been rock solid for us.”

Since January 17th, Duke has won at Louisville, beaten Pitt at home, beat St. John’s in the Garden, lost by four at Notre Dame, beaten undefeated #2 Virginia at Virginia, hung on against Georgia Tech, destroyed Notre Dame, and survived at Tallahassee. During this stretch, the team also dealt with the circus surrounding Coach K’s 1,000th win, the disruption of Rasheed Sulaimon’s dismissal from the team, and working Grayson Allen into the rotation. I cannot remember a schedule as tough—even unfair compared to other top teams in the league—as this one. Another grueling stretch of three games in six days. Television contracts pay the bills but demand these crazy schedules with little regard for the players as students.

Other Comments:

Dean Smith, one of the greatest coaches in the history of basketball, died at 83. Coach Smith attended the University of Kansas on an academic scholarship where he majored in mathematics, played varsity basketball, varsity baseball, and freshman football, and was a member of the Air Force ROTC. He became an assistant coach at North Carolina under Frank McGuire and head coach in 1958, when McGuire left for South Carolina. His creative innovations (the “Four Corners” was responsible for the introduction of the shot clock), his team’s dominant, classy performances (he only had one losing season), and the players he recruited were the gold standard for college basketball. He and his teams (plus television) are a primary reason the Duke-Carolina rivalry went from local to national. As good as a coach as he was, he was a better man. He recruited Charlie Scott, the ACC’s first great African-American player, and after he took Charlie to dinner at a popular local restaurant, the color barrier in Chapel Hill and other places in North Carolina was never the same.
Coach K on Dean Smith: “The thing that Dean did the best is that he made men of the boys that came to him. And all those men revere him. They don’t love him, they revere him. That’s his biggest accomplishment. And he has done that better than anybody. I’m proud to be able to say that I was his friend. And I love him, and I love what he built and how he did it. It’s second to none. It’s really second to none. That’s why I don’t like to compare wins, championships and all that. No one could do it any better than him. Linnea and the kids have been incredible while he fought this horrible disease. So God bless him, God bless him, God bless him. We lost a great, great man in him.”
Despite saying that Duke would incorporate various defenses, Coach K appeared to stay with his man to man tonight.

Alan Adds:

Duke did not play well against Florida State under truly difficult circumstances. Good teams win road games under truly difficult circumstances when not playing well. For that reason, I believe that this Blue Devil win was every bit as impressive as the blowout of Notre Dame at Cameron. Some of difficult circumstances were pre-arranged — tough schedule, played at what has sometimes been a house of horrors for Duke against the second tallest team in college basketball. Some of the circumstances occurred when the game began. There was a clear hangover from the Notre Dame game. Duke’s first four shots were from deep without much passing (0-4). In the early going, the play looked more like football than basketball. Michael Ojo, 7’1” with a sculpted body — Jahlil looked small standing next to him — was very aggressive on Jah (though it was Jah called for the fouls). To give an idea, at the first media timeout (after 4 minutes and 7 seconds of play), the Seminoles led 2-0. The announcer speculated on a 0-0 game at the timeout and could not recall that ever happening. He said, “take the children away from the TV set; this is too ugly for them to watch.”. Duke’s first basket came after the teams had played for 6 minutes and 40 seconds (making the score 8-4 — Jah having made 2 free throws just a bit earlier). With 11:32 left in the first half, Jah was called for his second foul confining him to the bench for the rest of the half. Plumlee came in, and Tyus took over. He sandwiched his own jumper in between 2 dimes to Plumlee (Marshall’s only 4 points in the game came in his first two minutes on the floor). In his eleven minutes, Marshall added 3 boards and 2 blocks. I do not think he played in the second half, but Duke went from down 3 when he came in to up 8 at the end of the half.

How bad was Duke offensively in the first half? Besides Cook and Tyus, who carried the team, Grayson Allen was tied for the third most field goal attempts (1-3 for his only 2 points in the game) with Justise (0-3). Jahlil, Amile, Matt (0-1) and Justise combined for 0 baskets and 4 points (Jah was 2-2 from the line and Justise 2-4) in the first half. Excellent defense and the guards kept Duke in front. Quinn had 13 in the first half and was the recipient of some of Tyus’s 5 assists. The freshman point guard scored 9 and also led Duke in rebounding (4); Jah had 3.

In the second half, Duke’s defense melted down dramatically. It was as bad as the first half defense against Notre Dame was good. The Seminoles were 15-23 from the floor (3-4 from 3land) and took it to Duke. Duke made some excellent plays (Winslow blocks, Matt’s taking the charge on a 4-1 fast break at a crucial time), but overall the defense was porous. The Seminoles got to the rim and made medium and long range shots. But Duke never lost the lead — though a 14 point lead with 15 left to play in the game evaporated to a single point lead.

So why do I think that this win was as impressive as the win over the Irish? In a word, because Duke showed a grit and toughness that was unprecedented for this team so far. The guards were simply superb. But before we get to those two fabulous performances, let us spread some more credit around. Jah was 5-5 from the floor in the second half (but 1-3 from the line), and Justise (32 minutes; 1-6 from the field) hit 5-6 from the line at crunch time. He had 5 tough rebounds. Amile made his 2 foul shots (2 points; 5 boards for the game in 21 minutes). Grayson played hard and you can see his confidence grow, but did not score in the second half). Matt failed to score in 19 minutes (4 boards).

Duke won because Tyus Jones is morphing into the best player on the Duke team. He has “an old soul”. He controlled the game for Duke. He led Duke in rebounding and had 12 of Duke’s 14 assists against 1 turnover, while scoring 16 points (6-13 from the field; 2-4 from deep and 2-2 from the line in 39 minutes. What is so amazing to me about Tyus is that he only turns it on when Duke needs him. He’s big in big games. He is big in big moments within the game. He is embodying toughness, and his teammates follow him. So far this season, Duke’s best player. And he teams with Cook so seamlessly, and finds Cook with great passes. Cook was also amazing, usually finishing when Tyus finds him. Cook played the entire game, scoring 26 on 8-15 shooting (4-9 from deep and 6-7 from the line). Those two put Duke on their collective backs.

Florida State came out so physically that it knocked Duke back. It reminded me of how LSU beat Duke in JJ and Sheldon’s senior year in the Sweet 16. LSU just beat Duke up and Duke could not respond. In what seemed to me a similar situation, this team did respond with grit and real toughness, handled the physicality and found a way to win. For me, a very good sign; a win that impressed me as much as Duke’s other worldly performance against Notre Dame.

From here on, we cannot complain about the schedule. It is Wednesday night; Saturday for the rest of the regular season. Saturday vs Syracuse. Next Wednesday, a familiar opponent.

Duke 80– Syracuse 72

This team is developing a chemistry and a maturity beyond their years. A large part of this is due to the pre-natural calm and performance of Tyus Jones combined with Quinn Cook’s new found maturity, which now matches his considerable offensive skills. The final piece is that really good teams have a coaching staff who have a great feel for the ebbs and flow of a game, the strengths and weaknesses of their players, and can make real time decisions. But most importantly, coaches who are skilled at making strategic halftime adjustments and convince their players that the changes are the key to winning the game.

In the first half, Syracuse was ahead 39-36, mainly due to 19 points by Michael Gbinije, who was a Duke player as a freshman before transferring to Syracuse. At halftime, Duke changed its lineup and defensive assignments: Quinn Cook switched to Gbinije, his freshman roommate and former practice partner, with instructions to go over not under the high ball screens; Matt Jones started in place of Amile Jefferson and guarded Trevor Cooney. Gbinije and Cooney were neutralized and Syracuse shot 38% rather than 48%, the Blue Devils shot 62% not 39% as Duke outscored Syracuse 44-33. (Another example of the inverse relationship between missed shots and an opponent’s offensive efficiency) Of course, the devil is in all the details of the win: Okafor outplayed Christmas with not only with his offensive prowess but also with his improving defense; Matt Jones played 32 very productive minutes (raise your hand if you thought Matt would be this good this soon); Grayson Allen had 5 points and 2 steals in eight minutes; and to seal the deal, Duke was 19-22 from the foul line as Cook and T. Jones were perfect in the last minutes.

Alan makes the interesting point that Duke is a perfect 5-0 since the dismissal of Rasheed Sulaimon, including wins at Virginia and Syracuse, plus a 30-point home victory over Notre Dame. Is that enough evidence to suggest that the team’s chemistry is better without the talented Sulaimon? Or is it simply evidence that the youngest Duke team in 32 years is growing up late in the season? We know this team is resilient, we know it is poised on the road and in the clutch, and we know that it has the best inside-outside balance of any Duke team in many, many years. And we know, so far so good with only eight scholarship players but the tram cannot afford an injury.

A reality check: This team will go as far as the defense takes it. While the Syracuse win was an impressive one, the defense was less so. Syracuse penetrated and/or got the ball down low far too easily and far too many times. Fortunately, however, about ten contested point blank shots failed to fall. Also, of note is that despite Coach K talking about varying defenses, Duke appeared to played man-to-man the entire game.

Nobody else in college basketball has three road victories to match Duke’s resume wins at Wisconsin (the almost certain Big Ten champ), Virginia (the likely ACC regular season champ) and Louisville. Duke currently has 10 top 50 RPI wins, which is more than anybody else in college basketball (Kansas has nine).

Additional comments:

Michael Gbinije, who demonstrated a very impressive and complete offensive repertoire, has scored 20 points in three consecutive games and double-digits in five straight. He’s shot better than 60 percent during that stretch, and better than 70 percent in the past two. If he continues to play at this level, he will be a POY candidate next year. Krzyzewski said: “Look, we recruited Mike because we thought he was good, so that doesn’t surprise me. I wish he had stayed. However, it’s the new normal, about 650 other players transferred last year.”
Ty Jones, among other attributes, is as good a rebounding guard for a player of his size as you will see. Tonight, he had 6 rebounds, one less than Winslow. There should be no surprise about Ty’s performance, he started as an eighth grader for his high school team.
Duke, once again, sold out the Carrier Dome—35,446 seats. This year, no team in the ACC has played as many tough road games as the Blue Devils.

Alan Adds:

It seems time to look at the season’s goals in relation to the remaining games on the schedule. The first goal is to secure one of the four byes into the third round of the ACC tournament. (Teams 5 –10 receive a bye into the second round), which begins on Tuesday , March 10, for the 4 lowest seeds. Winning the ACC tournament and going deep into the NCAA tournament are the other obvious goals. Gaining the double bye is an important step to increasing the odds of a successful run in the ACC tournament.

After Saturday’s games, UVA seems secure in the # 1 seed (11-1 with home games against Pittsburg, Florida State and Virginia Tech; road games against Wake — whom they nipped at home last night by a point — Syracuse and Louisville). The loss of Justin Anderson seems to have thrown them off a bit (three very close wins since he was hurt). He may or may not be back for the tournament.

Notre Dame is 10-3 with home games against Clemson, Syracuse and Wake Forest, and road games at BC and Louisville. Duke is 9-3 with 4 home games against UNC, Clemson, Syracuse and Wake; and 2 road games — at UNC and Virginia Tech. Duke holds a tie breaker against Notre Dame.

UNC and Louisville are 8-4. UNC is on the road against Duke, Georgia Tech and Miami; home against Duke, Georgia Tech and NC State. Louisville is home against Miami, (and in the last two games of the season) Notre Dame and UVA; on the road against Georgia Tech, Florida State and Syracuse.

The point is nothing is decided yet, which is why the win last night at Syracuse was far more than ceremonial. Coach K made the necessary adjustments, changing defensive assignments and going small. Amile logged only 14 minutes ( 2 points and 3 boards) compared to Matt Jones’s 32 minutes — 4th most on the team yesterday. Marshall and Grayson Allen played 8 minutes, with Allen contributing substantially in his time (5 points on a 3 and 2-2 from the line to go with 2 assists, a rebound and a steal). His contribution was substantial and even more astounding because, according to Coach K, he had injured himself shooting around after practice on Thursday, and was on crutches all day Friday. He is growing into his role. Jah earned high praise from his coach. Duke couldn’t help defensively on Christmas (whom K called one of the 10 best players in the country) because of the outside shooting of Silent G (Gbinije) and Cooney. Jah outplayed Christmas without much help on defense and was unstoppable on offense. In his 34 minutes, Jah was 10-15 from the floor; 3-4 from the line with 13 rebounds. He was the recipient of some tremendous passes on the break. He is such a great finisher. Duke had 19 assists on 27 field goals – Tyus (6), Quinn (5), Justise and Matt (3) and 2 for Grayson.

Coach K credited Quinn’s second half defense on Gbinije while Matt shut down Cooney. Quinn played 40 minutes, scoring 17 (clutch foul shooting — 7-8) while Tyus played 35 minutes (11 points; 4-4 from the line, including crunch time — not to mention 6 rebounds. Justise fouled out in his 29 minutes, scoring 12 (3-3 from the line) and pulling down 7 boards. Duke was 19-22 from the line, which contributed to the win. Syracuse was heroic, but got 0 points and only 15 total minutes from the bench. Very difficult to finish with only 5 players.

Duke seems secure unless one looks at what the situation would be if UNC wins at Cameron on Wednesday. Then, Duke is on the outside looking in. One of the season’s biggest games is this Wednesday in Cameron against UNC.

Duke 92 – Carolina 90

In many important ways, the two teams and coaches locking arms at center court before the game in a moving memory of Dean Smith said as much about the game, the rivalry, and what college sports should be about as anything else that happened in Cameron tonight. Wanting passionately to win is one thing, but to RESPECT like this made — or maybe set the stage for— a classic game in a great rivalry.

Alan & Bill

We live in a world rife with hype and hyperbole– but not when you talk about Duke-Carolina basketball games, because these games are the real deal. Remarkably, the combined score of the past 79 Duke-UNC games is 6,314-6,306 –advantage Duke. The memories of Dick Groat, Art Heyman & Larry Brown, Fred Lind, Michael Jordan, Walter Davis, Sam Perkins, Bobby Jones, Phil Ford, Gene Banks, Tate Armstrong, Johnny Dawkins, Jeff Capel, Chris Duhon, Joe Forte, Shane Battier, JJ Redick, and Austin Rivers (among others) have given us moments you had to see to believe, because people would think you are making all this stuff up. Before tonight’s game, the results of the last 88 games are 44 Duke and 44 Carolina—and at the end of forty minutes it was 44.5 to 44.5 because the score was tied—another instant classic. Wake up Tommy, this game is going to OVERTIME!

Coming into tonight’s game Duke seemingly had everything going for them: they had won five games in a row, were rank the #4 team in the country, and were playing on the uber friendly Coach K court in Cameron Indoor Stadium. On the other hand, Carolina had been inconsistent and struggling, having had lost four of their last five games. And Blue Devils started like they were going to run the Tar Heels out of the gym and all the way back to Chapel Hill. However, UNC hustled, rebounded, ran, and closed a double digit lead to seven points at the break. Oh well, every team makes runs.

However, in the second half Carolina kept their momentum and took charge as Duke appeared out-of-gas. UNC was up ten with 3:50 left and seven with 1:38 remaining. At this point, Duke looked as dead as road kill. Raise your hand if you believed the moribund Duke team could/would rally from these deficits. Well, the smallest man on the court personally put the Blue Devils on his back and scored nine points in an 11-2 run to tie the score at 81-81, forcing overtime in the greatest rivalry in college sports.

The next five minutes didn’t disappoint. Up three, down three, up three with five seconds on the clock and Carolina on the line. Made the first, missed left on the second shot on a set play as the Heels crash that way for the rebound. Body’s high flying, contact, Paige almost gets the ball but Winslow secures with two hands and taps to Ty Jones in the corner. Game over! As Roy said: “It was a great college basketball game– if you didn’t care who won.” There may be no moral victories but this North Carolina team proved that when they play as hard as they did tonight, they can beat any team. And these young Blue Devils proved once again that they are as good, maybe better, than their hype– and are as tough as they are talented.

As exciting as the game was, it was no masterpiece: too many missed foul shots, too many I-can’t-believe-he-did-that misplays. But a heavyweight fight that goes more than fifteen rounds takes its toll both physically and mentally. However, free throw shooting and defense are still the Achilles Heel of this team. As great a college player as he is, Okafor was 0-6 from the line and the team was an unacceptable 16-31. Fortunately, Duke shot better from beyond arc tonight (63%) than from free-throw line (47%). Cook was nearly automatic from downtown, draining five 3-pointers and locking down Tar Heel playmaker Marcus Paige (“My teammates got it done, I didn’t”). But Tokoto, an amazing athlete (15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), made up for Marcus’ subpar performance. He had more points in this game than in his previous three combined. He had been 3 of 15 for 14 points in his last three games.

Here is a very disturbing stat: 15-of-20, 36 points, 19 rebounds. That was the combined stat line of North Carolina’s starting frontcourt. Add in Joel James off the bench and it was 18-of-24 for 42 points and 24 rebounds. North Carolina finished with 62 points in the paint. However, when the game was on the line, Duke’s defense made stops.

Other comments:

In the first half, Okafor came down awkwardly and sprained his ankle. He was assisted to the locker room and returned to play the second half. After showering and dressing, he left Cameron a walking boot. Stay tuned.
With only an eight man rotation, Duke can go big or small. When they go big, Okafor usually is double teamed, because defenses do not respect Jefferson or Plumlee. If Duke goes small, Okafor usually is not doubled, because with Matt Jones, an opponent has to defend the perimeter. However, going small hurts defending a big front line. Choose your poison. Three beats two—if the threes are falling.
For the first time since the Alexander Graham Bell, Dick Vitale did not announce the game.
Tweet of the night from Anonymous: “Watched #DUKE vs UNC check, screamed all game check, flirted with cardiac arrest check, massive headache check. #DUKE gets W. = All worth it.

Alan Adds:

Duke’s rotation was very short last night, but the Devils did not falter in the last 8-9 minutes of the game (3:32 in regulation when down 10, and the 5 minute overtime).The big 3 logged prodigious minutes — Quinn never came out (45); Tyus (43) and Jah played 41 minutes — when he returned from the ankle sprain, he never again came out of the game. This game was hard fought and not always pretty. Tyus had 6 turnovers and Jahlil had 5. Quinn turned it over 3 times, making 14 for Duke’s big 3. Duke had long stretches where Carolina dominated the Devil defensive board, creating additional possessions and put backs.

Winslow continues to be the less heralded spark for this team. In the first 9 minutes of the game he and Duke were dominant. Duke led by 12 — controlling both ends of the floor — when Justise picked up his second foul and went to the bench. When he returned, Coach K observed that Justise wasn’t really mentally ready, and did not play that well. That is the stretch where things turned against Duke. Justice’s playing time was limited by his foul trouble (4 in his 29 minutes). However when he is in the zone that he can reach, Duke is a tremendous team, and he was there in the end of regulation and in the overtime. Duke got terrific minutes from Amile (29) and Matt (27) and that was virtually it. Marshall logged 7 minutes and Grayson only 4 — all in the first half.

Duke’s backcourt is earning praise as one of the country’s best. Quinn was dynamic from behind the arc and in his defensive play against UNC’s star (pre-season All American), Marcus Paige. He was 7-15 from the field (6-9 from behind the arc and 2-4 from the line) to go with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He is such a leader. Tyus was simply spectacular down the stretch. Coach K said that Tyus had not just special talent, but special qualities. He has been showing that all season in big games and at big moments. He and Quinn each scored 22 (Tyus was 7-16; 2-5 from 3land and a crucial 6-7 from the line) to go with 7 boards and 8 assists. K said that when Duke went small — without Amile, UNC could not double Okafor, who made Carolina pay when guarded straight up. He had 13 boards to go with 12 points (6-11 from the field) 3 assists, two steals and a block. The downside was 0-6 from the line and 5 turnovers. He is not simply a talent; he plays with passion and intensity, especially at crunch time. He is a great teammate. Amile had 13 points on 5-7 shooting and 5 rebounds. Justise scored 16 on 6-10 shooting (1-1 from deep) and grabbed 7 boards. Both Amile and Justise were 3-6 from the line, meaning Duke’s 3 major front court players were 6-16 from the foul line. Duke was only 3-9 from the line in the overtime. Someday that will bite, but not last night.

Matt played great defense and pulled down 5 boards. He was 2-4 (1-1 from deep) for 5 points. He had an assist and a steal with 0 turnovers. Marshall grabbed 2 boards in his 7 minutes and Grayson missed both shots, but was 2-2 from the line.

It was simply a classic Duke-Carolina game. As Coach K said, both teams played well enough to have won. He is so proud — as we should be — as this teams grows in character and grit. There is great talent for sure, and there is a lot of basketball left to be played before we can measure this team, but en route they are proving tough and resilient. They are respecting the game, the opponent, and Duke itself. It was a great night for Duke basketball and us, the fans.

It will be hard to get up for Clemson on Saturday after a superb effort like this one.

Duke 78– Clemson 56

With a dapper looking Jahlil Okafor on the bench with a protective boot/cast on his injured ankle, Coach K played Russian Roulette with his remaining seven scholarship players as he borrowed a page out of Dean Smith’s (and UConn’s) playbook implementing two different variations of three quarter court presses—a 2-2-1 and a 1-2-2 after free throws—and traps when the Tigers crossed half court. He dodged a bullet as none of the Magnificent Seven (sorry, couldn’t resist the allusion to that wonderful movie) fouled or flamed out as they forced 14 turnovers and 10 steals, many of which led to fast break points and forced the Tiger’s out of their methodical offensive comfort zone. It was the kind of creative move we have come to expect from Krzyzewski when faced with an unexpected loss of a key starter. And while Clemson has not won in Cameron in this century, it was a potential Trap Game following just 72 hours after the physically and mentally draining come-from-behind overtime win against arch rival North Carolina. But a surprise compensatory strategy like this is one of the reasons the maestro has won 1,007 college basketball games.

The trap/press attacked Clemson at their weakness and the players executed it surprisingly well. Actually, the turnovers and steals led to easy baskets for the Blue Devils, which in turn seemed to energize their defensive effort. Winslow more than rose to the occasion with his best game of the season with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 steals. And the indefatigable Quinn Cook had 27 points, 4 assists as well as continuing his newfound aptitude for and dedication to defense. Ty Jones had 11 points, 9 assists, and 4 steals, while the rapidly improving Grayson Allen scored 10 points in a variety of impressive ways. Much of Matt Jones’ contributions did not show up on the stat sheet as is true of Marshall Plumlee’s physicality and aggressiveness in the paint. When Duke had to execute a half-court offense, it usually went through Winslow, who ended the first half with 17 points as Duke led 42-27 at the break without hitting a single three pointer. The victory makes Duke107-30 against Clemson and 58-4 in Cameron. The Tigers haven’t won at Cameron since 1995.

An emotionally drained Coach K said that “This was one of the best wins we’ve had here in a long time” and that Okafor’s ankle had no structural damage and was getting stronger every day. But he made no promises about Wednesday night’s game at Virginia Tech.

Other comments:

Who are the Players of the Year? Easy, the Duke Freshman class.
Krzyzewski was asked what he had to teach his precocious his freshman point guard, Ty Jones: ”Talk more. Be more vocal. Be a mother. Tell everyone what to do and where to be. Mothers are the greatest point guards in the world. It’s eat this. Do that. Make your bed. If she has four kids, every one of them is nourished.”
Quinn Cook made 3 three pointers, the 37th consecutive game he has at least one made 3-pointer. He has 74 three pointers on the season. When Cook finally took a seat on the bench with 1:16 left, it was the first time he had been off the floor since the end of the Notre Dame game, a total of 164 minutes. Krzyzewski compared his durability to that of Johnny Dawkins, Chris Duhon, and Bobby Hurley, three never-get-tired legends.
Okafor may be a leading candidate for National Player of the Year but he may have a tough time beating Cook out for ACC Player of the Year.
If Okafor doesn’t fully recover from his ankle injury, the Carolina victory will be a Pyrrhic victory.
The rumors of his forced retirement are greatly exaggerated: Dickie V was back in the house and behind the ESPN microphone.

Did you know? The Duke Blue Devils were almost the Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears (yes, really), Royal Blazes, or Blue Warriors. All were options–and none had any more support than the other. The Blue Devil is a reference to the World War I soldiers from France known as the Blue Devils of France. Their uniform had a flowing cape and was known for their courage. They even toured the U.S. raising money for the war effort. However, no one really liked any of the options for the mascot, but student paper editors were in favor of the Blue Devil mascot and so The Trinity Chronicle started using “Blue Devils” in 1922.

Alan Adds:

Coach K called the win “spectacular” — “one of the best wins we have had”. His game plan was superb. Duke employed a soft press (3/4 court) in two variations — a 1-2-2 (after made free throws) and a 2-2-1 (that reminded me of the wonderful UCLA press created by Wooden back in the 60s). The press completely disrupted Clemson. The key to beating a press is to get easy baskets. Once an offensive team gets by the first wave, it enjoys a numbers advantage that should produce easy baskets. The effectiveness of the press is measured by the positive the press produces — steals, turnovers, 10 second violations — against the deficits — easy baskets. Clemson simply could not attack the press for easy baskets. Not one! When Clemson avoided the steal and turnover, the Tigers could do no more than get into its half court set. To make the point, Clemson tried to press Duke at the beginning of the second half. Tyus got the inbound and hit Matt with a long full court pass for an easy dunk. Duke beat the Clemson press in maybe 2 seconds for the easy score. Clemson never pressed again. Coach K said that it was natural to fall back from the press into a zone defense. The zone protected Duke from foul trouble and played against Clemson’s weakness. Coach K insightfully pointed out that it’s some of what you do (playing good zone defense), but also Clemson missed the open 3s that they did achieve against the zone. It was a great defense against a team whose strength is not shooting (remember the Louisville game).

Offensively, Duke was dominant. In the first half, when the 3s were not falling (1-7; Winslow’s only 3 of the game), Duke was 17-26 from inside the arc and 5-5 from the line. In the second half, Clemson made its only run of the game and with 14:02 left in the game had reduced a 14 point lead to 10 (51-41). Duke’s response was dramatic — 6-6 from the 3 point line, initiated by Grayson Allen’s only basket of the second half, followed by an offensive explosion that pushed the lead to 30 (76-46) with a little under 5 minutes to go. Clemson was simply gutted. For the game, Duke was 23-38 from inside the arc, which is amazing (7-20 from 3land). Duke had 19 fast break points off turnovers, 42 points in the paint and 15 assists on 30 field goals.

Quinn was jaw-droppingly good in his 39 minutes, defending superbly in the zone and scoring a career high (tied) 27 points on 11-18 shooting (3-7 from 3land and 2-2 from the line) to go with 4 rebounds; 4 assists and a steal. Coach K lavished praise — “I’m not sure there is anyone in the conference playing better.” “The relationship between Quinn and Tyus is better than I ever could have expected. I knew it would be good, but it has exceeded my expectations.” Tyus logged 39 minutes also, though he had a statistically quiet game — if you can call 9 assists, 4 steals and 11 points quiet.

Justise was all that I have said I thought he could be. He dominated the Clemson defense in the first half (17 points on 7-11; 1-1 and 2-2) and 6 tough rebounds. He logged 37 minutes making the zone defense effective with his energy, and keeping Duke’s small team from being dominated on the boards with his 13 rebounds. He is such a stud athlete. If he improves his medium range game he will become James Harden. He was simply amazing and was visibly the best athlete on the floor.

After the Big 3 against Clemson, Duke received contributions from all (almost all, as Amile had a bit of a subpar game). The bench — Grayson and Marshall — contributed 42 terrific minutes. Marshall played 24 minutes with 3 boards, 3 points and some real defensive contribution inside in the zone. Welcome Grayson Allen to the realm of valuable player. He scored 10 in his 18 minutes and demonstrated his hustle, defensive chops and athleticism. His first basket was a delicious lob-dunk from Tyus. He was 2-3 from the field and 3-3 from the line for 7 in the first half. He played the back line in the zone and you could see his confidence beginning to soar. Matt played a quiet (on offense) 25 minutes as a starter. He missed quite a few wide open 3s (1-6 from behind the arc), scored 5 points, but had 5 rebounds and played wonderful defense. On one play he knocked the ball loose while playing defense, dived on the floor to secure it and in the same motion flipped it to Tyus, who hit Justise for the open court slam. It was a beautiful play and demonstrated why Coach K loves Matt. Only Amile was a bit unproductive, logging only 16 minutes (2 fewer than Grayson, which tells us something) scoring 2 points (1-2; the one was the second basket of the game for Duke) with 0 boards; 0 assists; 0 free throw attempts, and 2 turnovers.

Coach K got the most out of Jah’s absence. First, Jah was a great teammate and really into the game (actually helping Quinn up after a great play). Second, any thoughts of a let down after the great Carolina win were eliminated by the need to emotionally replace Jah’s presence. When I heard that Jah was not playing, I actually felt that it worked to Duke’s advantage emotionally. Finally, the confidence the team has to have after playing so dominantly without Jah will help this team make the leap from very good with potential to the next level. Coach K is gushing over his team’s development. As each of the components of the team gains in confidence that is produced by achievement, you can see the team grow. This Duke team is beginning to remind me of the NY Knicks (circa 1970-73) in their ability to find the open man, trust and rely on teammates, and to collectively defend. This was a wow game!

Duke 91- Virginia Tech 86

For the second game in a row Coach K played Russian Roulette –but of a different kind. After an very impressive win playing a soft three quarter court zone press against Clemson without Jahlil Okafor, he went back to a man man-to- man defense when the second unit substitutions gave up three quick threes to cut deeply into an eleven point lead and jump started the Hokies.* Sound familiar to the Carolina game? He stayed with the man defense until Duke was down seven points with fifteen minutes left in the game. Then Coach K called a time out, reluctantly switched to what appeared to a straight defend the three 1-2-2 (or 3-2) zone. Four minutes later, Duke was up two. The game was a cliff hanger and went to overtime but Duke’s superior talent—particularly Okafor, Cook, and Winslow—and a regression to the mean finally caught up with Virginia Tech.

The Blue Devils really dodged my metaphorical bullet as they were lucky to survive when their two weaknesses were simultaneously in play: the inability to defend off the dribble which led to an insanely accurate three point shooting night by the Hokies (12 threes) combined with the Devils missing 11 free throws. However, thanks to Okafor’s 30 points and Cook’s 26 points (6 threes) the Blue Devils shot 59 %. Obviously, Jah’s “game time decision” was a game changer.

While Virginia Tech’s record places them at the bottom of the league, this is misleading. They are young, small and very well coached as tonight’s game plan demonstrated. They executed well, exploited Duke’s continuing inability to consistently keep opposing guards from penetrating and shot threes like they formerly had only dreamed about in front of a delirious home crowd. It was another arena full of amped up students looking to rush the floor at the end of the game after their team upset nationally ranked Duke, then go back to the dorm, call their parents and friends, and watch it replayed on ESPN SportsCenter–what else is new. This is the new normal version of five seconds of fame.

The bottom line is that this was an ugly but another impressive win precisely because it was an infinitely losable game that was so important. As a coach told me years ago: “Good teams consistently find ways to win close games.” Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Wisconsin all lost yesterday, so the door is now wide open for a two seed in the ACC Tournament and a possible one seed in the NCAA Championship Tournament. Duke just has to keep winning. Easier said than done; but that is why this is so much fun!

Every future opponent, especially an undersized mid-major that draws Duke in NCAA Tournament, will attempt to follow the Hokie’s game plan.

Krzyzewski said: “We have had to cut practice so short because of numbers, that’s why you’ve seen slippage on defense. We didn’t play well defensively. Everything we tried, they had a counter to, until the last play of regulation. It’s the second time in two weeks we’ve won an overtime game, and the other team had the ball on the last possession. I’m proud of my guys to be able to make a stop at that time.”

The other stop Krzyzewski was referring to was against North Carolina. Marcus Paige missed a contested jumper at the end of regulation, and J.P. Tokoto missed a jumper from the baseline in overtime. This one was a lot closer as the ball on the final drive in regulation was less than an inch from falling off the rim and into the basket at the buzzer. Instead, it bounced off.

Even more important than the win was the condition of Okafor’s injured ankle. Well, he had 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting , a new career-high (in 37 minutes) and Duke needed every one of them. After the game he said that his ankle felt fine, but he didn’t know he was going to play until he got into the locker room before the game. “My coaches had told me to let them know if I wanted to play or not,” he said. “Once I got in the locker room and saw my teammates get ready, there was no way I wasn’t playing today.”

“If he would have said, ‘I don’t think so,’ then we wouldn’t have played him,” Krzyzewski said. “And we would have lost.”

*Like most of you, I didn’t see the start of the game because the Richmond, VCU game went to overtime and I didn’t tap into the goduke.com video soon enough, so I don’t know what went on offensively or defensively when Duke started the game by going up 11 points. It is one reason why I don’t like ESPN not allowing more time between double headers.

Alan Adds:

It was a weird and interesting game, from which I believe Duke takes a lot of positives. The game was watchable before ESPN by going to goduke.com and clicking on watch live. So I did see the entire first half as Duke built an 11 point lead after a bit more than nine minutes had elapsed. I thought it was going to be a repeat of the Clemson blow out, but Duke got sloppy defensively in its 3/4 court press and left Hokie shooters open. The result was three consecutive threes for VT while Duke committed turnovers. Once VT was back in the game, all the emotional momentum swung toward the Hokies.

Va. Tech has lost a whole lot of close games; the team is small and young, but has played with admirable heart all year. Here was their moment! All the shots were falling (70% in the first half; 12-22 for the game from behind the arc and 12-15 from the line), and the crowd was rabid. The elements for a monumental upset were fully present. Frankly, if we weren’t dyed in the wool Duke fans, we would have been rooting for the courageous Hokies. While Duke was offensively good, Duke seemed lethargic — especially on the defensive end. It was, as Bill points out, a game that could easily have been lost, as other top 15 teams lost this week (Kansas, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and even UNC). But, Duke won, and in doing so, demonstrated the character of this team that has Coach K effusive in his praise for the team’s desire to win. “You can’t coach that, and these kids have it.”

Jah was amazing on offense, playing 37 minutes and scoring a career high 30 points (13-18 from the field and 4-9 from the line). Coach K singled out Justise for changing the game by his full court drives when Duke was down 8. He got tough rebounds and was an energetic defender. In 39 minutes, he scored 15 on 7-12 from the field (0-1 from both 3land and the line) to go with 7 boards, 2 steals and a block. When he fouled out with 1:21 to go in the overtime and Duke clinging to a one point lead, it seemed a bad moment for Duke’s chances. But Quinn came to the rescue. After a very quiet first half, scoring only 5 (2-5 from the field; 1-4 from 3land), he exploded in the second half to lead Duke to victory. Simply, he stepped up the way veteran leaders do, scoring 21 in the second half and overtime (5-7 from behind the arc and a layup; 4-6 from the line). He closed out on a potential three point shooter at crunch time. His three with a minute to go in the overtime, after Va. Tech had crawled back to within a point, gave Duke a two possession lead and a strangle hold on the game. He was quite special, earning K’s praise, “He’s a first team All Conference performer.” Both Quinn and Tyus played the entire 45 minutes, though Tyus had his worst shooting night (3-10 from the field; 1-5 from 3land without a single free throw attempt). However, he handed out nine assists and controlled Duke’s efficient offense. Matt Jones was efficient in his 32 minutes, scoring 7 (2-2 on clutch layups at crunch time and1-2 from behind the arc). He had key assists, 3 steals and played hard as a starter.

Duke played a very short rotation with Marshall playing only six minutes (0 points; 0 boards; a turnover and 2 fouls) and Grayson only 7 (scoring 4 on 1-2 from behind the arc and 1-2 from the line. Jefferson played sparingly — 14 minutes; 6 rebounds and 2-4 from the line. He replaced Jah on defense in the overtime. As great Jah was (is) offensively, he was a defensive liability. When he gives help, he was giving up the roll to the basket for easy layups. I am not sure how Duke wanted to play it (rotation from the weak side, or Jah not defending the ball so aggressively?), but Coach K played offense-defense with Amile through most of the overtime. The bench played only a total of 27 minutes collectively in an overtime game.

If Duke had lost, it would have been free throw shooting, which was terrible. Only Cook shot better than 50% (67% is far under his 90% average). Amile was 2-4 and Grayson 1-2; the only other Duke players to reach 50%. Justise was 0-1 (failed to convert a 3 point play) and Jah is becoming a Hack-a-Shaq candidate with only 4-9. Without Quinn, Duke shot 7-16 from the line (compared to VT’s 12-15). Sooner or later that will bite, if foul shooting by the bigs does not improve. But the headline was Coach K’s, “My team finally participated at the level worthy of winning.” And so they did! A feat worth savoring.

Duke 73- Syracuse 54

As the season progresses, you want your team to improve by developing chemistry, being resilient, and staying healthy. After a too-close-for-comfort win at Virginia Tech, I was anticipating a strong game in Cameron against Syracuse, which seems to have replaced Maryland as Duke’s second most intense rival. The Blue Devils did not disappoint. The key to beating a zone is ball movement, because crisp passing moves faster than any defender. And one key is to get the ball into the high or low post to a versatile player who can either score or want to pass to an open teammate on the perimeter. Jahlil Okafor is that man squared. Of course, then the perimeter players need to hit open threes. If they do, game over as it was tonight 73-54. The other key is to defend well so there are plenty of open court opportunities to score before the zone defense has time to set up. Altering man-to-man and zone defenses and applying occasional full-court pressure, Duke prevented ‘Cuse from getting into any offensive rhythm. Of course, it helps when an opponent does not have a true point guard. They only shot 31% from the field. Thanks primarily to Quinn Cook and Matt Jones, Gbinije, who scored a career-high 27 points in the team’s first meeting, finished with 12 points shooting just 5-of-20 from the floor. As a team, Syracuse shot only 31 % from the field.

In the month Sulaimon has been gone, the Blue Devils have gone 9-0, with three wins over top 15 teams – the same number of such wins they had in the first twenty games with Sulaimon. That is primarily because Matt Jones has taken advantage of his additional minutes and proven so productive as an ultimate, versatile team player that he has earned many of Amile Jefferson’s minutes and Justice Winslow has shot 53 percent from the floor and scored in double figures in the last ten games. Of course, Okafor has scored in double figures in every game and often has double doubles. Cook has been more productive than anyone not named Krzyzewski could have imagined, and Ty Jones plays like a seasoned veteran.

So, Duke has positioned themselves for a terrific stretch run if defense is not a game to game question mark, the Big Guys shoot foul shots like the Small Guy firm of Jones, Cook, Jones, and Allan. However, the biggest impediment may be injuries. Cook turned his ankle, went to the locker room, had it examined and re-taped, returned and immediately hit a three. Okafor, who missed one game with his sprained left ankle, had it tighten up tonight during warm-ups, so he had to go back inside for more physical therapy and a new tape job. How much better (except for free throws) could he have played? And Coach K casually mentioned in his press conference that what was advertised as the “bruised ribs and shoulder soreness” that Winslow was dealing with since January 19 was actually a fractured rib. (Coach is an old Army guy and unless you are missing a limb, you are only “sore” or “nicked”.) Since the Pittsburgh game, Justice has been playing with protective padding under his jersey, and, clearly, it is better and he has gotten used to the protective vest. And, oh yes, eighth man Grayson Allan has a sprained ankle.

So, going into postseason with a short bench, the need to get and stay healthy is even a more pressing concern than defense or free throw shooting.

Additional comments:

I take no delight in noting the team’s success since Sulaimon left as I admired his passion and contributions to the team and the school. It is also noteworthy that he is still in school, going to classes, and registered to go to summer school. This optimizing his options. In addition, in this world of rampant social media where there are apparently few secrets and many untruths in circulation, no one outside the tight Duke Basketball circle seems to know the real story surrounding his dismissal and as far as I know, no knowledgeable person–especially Sully– is tweeting or communicating anything. How tough must it be for Rasheed to stay in school, watch from a distance the success of the team, which was such a major part of his life for almost three years?
Joe Lunardi and his Brackatology talk during the game was even more annoying Dick Vitale! To quote Ms. Clinton: At this point, WHAT DIFFERENT DOES IT MAKE? The season isn’t over for another week! That talk is a time filler for ESPN when they have run all the highlights. And speaking of ESPN, will someone tell me how to access ESPN3 or wherever they direct you to see a game whose start has once again been preempted by a previous game lasting more than two hours.

Alan adds:

Wednesday night, Duke plays its last game of the season in Cameron against Wake, and will close the home career of the team’s only graduating scholarship senior, Quinn Cook. It has been a pleasure to watch Quinn sometimes struggle, but truly grow in his four year career into a superb clutch performer and team leader. We used to be able to do that with teams and players regularly before the “one and done” period. Duke hangs banners for regular season ACC championships, ACC tournament championships, and NCAA Final Four Appearances in the hallowed rafters of Cameron. Quinn stayed in Durham last summer and worked assiduously on his game and his conditioning. He said in pre-season interviews that in his three years, his teams had hung no banners in the rafters. The most success Duke had in those years was a Sweet Sixteen win in his sophomore year (sandwiched between two shocking losses in opening NCAA games). Quinn was very clear that he was motivated to hang a banner in Cameron in this, his senior season. Virginia has virtually clinched the regular season title. Duke will get a double bye in the ACC tournament, which is Quinn’s best chance to hang a banner. This is one reason that I believe Duke fans should ardently embrace the Blue Devils pursuit of the ACC tournament crown. It would be a fitting conclusion to Quinn’s career to win that title (which would, of course, insure a #1 seed in the NCAA). Of course, Duke has aspirations for a deep run in the NCAA, and certainly a Final Four appearance is a realistic goal. But it would be fitting for Duke and Quinn to win the title in Greensboro (The finals are on March 14).

Duke’s defense returned to excellent against the Orange, which was gratifying after the porous performance against Virginia Tech. While Coach K ran a man to man defense for virtually the whole game, it had an interesting zone-like tweak to it. Tyus was the on the ball defender against the Syracuse point guard, but when the ball moved from the point to other Orange players, Tyus moved down into the lane with two purposes: 1) to help against Christmas; and 2) to prevent or make difficult perimeter drives into the lane that had been so successful two weeks ago. It worked like a charm. Tyus was there to help Quinn when Silent G tried to penetrate into the lane (also allowing Quinn to close out aggressively); the result that Gbinije was 5-20 from the field (2-9 from 3land) and never made it to the foul line. Superb defense. Matt is a truly gifted defender, and Justise has demonstrated a wonderful energy, quickness, and strength on the defensive end. He steals on the perimeter, defends the rim (3 blocks against ‘Cuse), and comes up with the tough rebounds and 50-50 balls. Jah had an excellent defensive game against a player, who is an ACC player of the Year candidate, as well as dominant performance on the boards (14; 7 on offense). It was simply a grand defensive show, if you ignore Duke’s weak defensive rebounding in the first part of the first half.

Offensively, the two halves were completely different. The game started off beyond sloppy. Duke turned it over 7 times in the first eight minutes while Roberson scored on 3 straight offensive rebounds in the first 5 minutes. Then Justise and Jah turned it on, and dominated the Orange on the interior. Jah was 4-7 from the field for 8 points to go with 8 rebounds (he would have made it to double figures if he had not missed all 5 of his free throws). He held Christmas to 2 field goal attempts (5 points) while committing only 1 foul. Justise was even better scoring 15 points on 7-11 shooting (1-2 from 3land) to go with 6 boards. Two of his misses were wide open at the rim on great feeds from Tyus; so it was really an extraordinary first half for Justise. Jahlil and Justise scored 22 of Duke’s 34 first half points. The Duke backcourt was as ineffective in the first half as Jah and Justise were dominant. The rest of the team was 4-23 from the field. Tyus was off, (1-4; 0-2 0 free throws 1 bd, 2 assists against 3 turnovers). Cook was 1-5; 0-3; Matt 1-4 1-2; Grayson 0-1; Amile 1-2. The second half was completely different.

Quinn (34 minutes; out for ankle repairs) made only 1-5 from 3land, but kept his streak of 38 consecutive games with a 3 going. However, he was 4-5 from inside the arc on some great drives and a floater to go with 6-6 from the line for 17 points. He added a couple of rebounds, 4 assists and a steal while committing only one foul while playing tremendous defense. Matt logged 30 minutes and was 2-3 from behind the arc in the second half, scoring 9 overall and grabbing 3 boards. He is playing starter minutes (Amile, for example, played only 12 minutes). Tyus played 38 minutes and ran the team effectively, though he had 6 turnovers and 6 assists. He is quietly a really good rebounder (6 for the game). He scored six in the second half for 9 points, but his scoring was not needed. His rebounding was. Jah was 2-3 from the field in the second half (6 boards; 4 assists, a steal and a block) for 13 points in his 31 minutes. Justise was 3-5 from the field in the second half, including 2-3 from behind the arc. He finished with 9 boards, an assist, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Sometime, he camped in the low post with Jah and sometimes he was dynamite from the perimeter. He was a force of nature playing all 40 minutes. Clearly the Player of the Game.

Amile scored the only 2 points the bench contributed (27 minutes total) on 1-2 (a layup on a beautiful feed from Tyus in the opening minutes). He added 2 boards and a block for a creditable — though brief — appearance. Marshall played only 7 minutes, grabbing 2 boards and handing out an assist to go against 2 turnovers and a 2 fouls in his cameo. Grayson played 8 minutes, missing his only shot — a 3 pointer — while grabbing 2 boards and handing out an assist (1 turnover and a foul).

Senior night against Wake Forest on Wednesday. It is a good night to honor Quinn as the team makes ready for the post-season, which we all know will ultimately measure this season.

Duke 94- Wake Forest 51

It was Senior Night but it was defense and the young guns—Justise Winslow, Matt Jones, and Grayson Allen who were the stars. Justise was the first to explode at both ends of the floor. How many times do you see a line like this: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, & 6 steals from a 6’ 6” forward? We knew that Matt was a very good defensive player and a terrific teammate whose contributions often don’t show up on the stat sheet, but who thought he could dribble behind his back, drive the lane, and create off the dribble as well as drain threes? We have heard what a freakish athlete Grayson was and seen flashes of his potential but who thought in the first half, he would outscore Wake Forest 19-15 by himself and end up scoring 27 points in 24 minutes. Well, don’t think the Cameron Crazies didn’t notice and let Wake know it with the chant: “Grayson’s winning!”

How impressive a team win was it? You could win a lot of money by betting someone that if Jahlil Okafor only scored 6 points and got 4 rebounds and one team scored 94 points, who won the game? However, the good news is that after shooting an air ball on his first free throw attempt, Jah later hit two dead, solid, perfect free throws. One word of caution: Both Winslow and Jefferson turned an ankle that required examination on the sidelines. The Blue Devils have only eight scholarship players and about that many injured ankles. They cannot afford to lose anyone to something more serious.

Other Comments:

· Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Coach Jason Garrett, tight end Jason Witten and running back DeMarco Murray had seats behind the scorer’s table. And then the Crazies chanted, ”Tony Romo, sit with us” – and the QB obliged, heading into the Duke student section at the next-to-last TV timeout. It marked the second straight year Romo and Garrett caught Duke’s home finale – they also were here for last year’s victory over North Carolina.

Alan Adds:

The first half of last night’s Wake Forest game was Duke’s finest of the season, which includes amazing halves against Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Furman, and UVA. Speaking of the regular season ACC champion Cavaliers, take note that Duke’s defense was UVA-like in its effect. However instead of the UVA “pack line” (which includes very hard hedges by perimeter players), Duke unveiled a press that was simply devastating. Duke stole the ball, forced turnovers, pressured the passing lanes turning Wake ball screens into defensive traps. Credit everyone, but especially Justise Winslow, who can now be likened to Battier as a defensive presence. He is all over the court, helping against penetration, trapping Wake ball handlers, getting tough rebounds and diving for steals. How good was Duke’s defense? After 10 minutes of play, Duke led 31-5 (extrapolate that out to 124-20 for 40 minutes). Wake did not crack double figures until there was 6:21 left in the first half. Wake only scored 15 points in the first half. UVA like! Duke called off the press in the second half in favor of a lot of zone, allowing Wake to score 36 points for its total of 51 — a point less than Duke scored in the first half. Coach K pointed out that while Wake missed everything (“our defense had something to do with that, but they also missed open shots”).

Duke out rebounded Wake 38-22, with the entire team contributing to Duke’s domination on the boards. Justise, in 25 minutes, led Duke with 6 rebounds, followed by Amile (5 in 20 minutes) and Quinn (5 in 32 minutes); 5 players garnered 4 each — Marshall in 18 minutes; Jah in 19; Grayson in 24; Matt in 28 and Tyus in 32. Worth appreciating such an efficient team effort.

Offensively, Duke shot the lights out, but it started with great passing to find the open man. [Coach K says it actually starts with efficient defense. Duke had 22 assists on 34 field goals (21-34 from inside the arc; 13-25 from behind it; and 13-16 from the line). Of course, Grayson’s stats stand out like a beacon (9-11 from the field including 4-5 from behind the arc — the one he missed was clearly “a heat check”, after which Coach K pulled him — and 2-3 from the line). Matt Jones had 17 points (15 shots; the most on the team), even though he was 3-10 from behind the arc. He scored 10 points (and had an assist) in the first four minutes of the second half; scoring 14 in the first 10 minutes of the last stanza. His defense is truly outstanding, which is why the Duke defense is rounding into UVA like form (sometimes).

Quinn scored 13 on 12 shots. Matt (15), Grayson (11) and Quinn were the only players who took double digit number of shots. Marshall and Amile scored 4, each on 100% shooting (Amile 2-2; Marshall 1-1 and 2-2 from the line. Jah scored 6 on 2 shots (2-2; 2-3 from the line); Tyus and Justise each took 8 shots. Justise was 6-8 (1-1 from 3land) to go with a jaw dropping 7 assists, and 6 steals plus his 6 boards. Tyus was 3-8 (2-3 from behind the arc and the free throw line).

UNC in Chapel Hill on Saturday; ACC tournament opens for Duke on Thursday, March 12 (already in the quarter finals)

As is the custom, co-captain Quinn Cook, who has had a fine career and exceptional senior year, was honored along with former manager Sean Kelly. The Duke Chronicle had a terrific tribute to Quinn that we cannot improve upon (except to remind everyone that Alan touted him as an exceptional talent when he was still in high school):

IN THE AGE OF ONE-AND-DONE, YOU DON’T OFTEN SEE PLAYERS LIKE QUINN COOK ANYMORE.

by Daniel Carp The Duke Chronicle

When Quinn Cook came to Duke, he was an afterthought in a star-studded five-man freshman class that was expected to be one of the Blue Devils’ best in years.

Austin Rivers was the heralded superstar. Alex Murphy was regarded as the guy who could have the biggest NBA upside. Marshall Plumlee was the long-awaited end of his family’s Duke trilogy.

Cook came to Duke as a quiet point guard searching for his place within the program. Four years later, the wiry senior from Washington, D.C., is the last man standing. The Blue Devil captain will be the only member of his five-man recruiting class to be honored Wednesday night when the Blue Devils play their last home game of the season against Wake Forest at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Forward Michael Gbinije was the first member of Duke’s 2011 recruiting class to go, transferring to Syracuse before the end of his freshman year. Rivers followed later that spring, making the jump to the NBA, where he was drafted 10th overall by New Orleans. Cook’s two remaining freshman classmates, Murphy and Plumlee, both redshirted. Murphy played for just one-and-a-half seasons before transferring to Florida December 2013. Plumlee has one year of eligibility remaining and will play next year.

Graduation is sometimes viewed as a failure in today’s college basketball world. With more and more players leaving school after one, two or three years to optimize their draft stock, 22-year-old NBA draft picks are sometimes viewed by teams as too old. Cook is anything but a failure. In the one-and-done era, he is a college basketball success story.

During his four years in Durham, Cook’s game has undergone a complete transformation. His sophomore season was when he flourished as a distributor, averaging a career-high 5.3 assists per game. As a junior, Cook struggled to find a comfortable role with Jabari Parker dominating the ball on offense and Tyler Thornton competing for minutes at the point guard position.

Knowing that the Blue Devils were bringing in a talented floor general in freshman Tyus Jones, Cook brought a markedly improved 3-point shot back to Duke for his senior season and has learned to be just as dangerous—if not more—playing off the ball than on it. For the first time in his career, Cook is hitting more than 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and is the team’s second-leading scorer at 15.9 points per game.

But perhaps more striking than the ways Cook has grown on the court is the way he’s grown off of it. Once shy when surrounded by cameras and microphones, the veteran is an eloquent speaker and is one of the team’s go-to quotes for media members. As a junior, Cook was passed over for Duke’s vacant captaincy in favor of redshirt sophomore Rodney Hood—who had been with the team for just one year and had never suited up for a game with the Blue Devils. Taking it as a major wake-up call, Cook strove to become the leader his team needed and has since delivered.

Captaining the Duke team as a senior, Cook has been responsible for the mentorship of the Blue Devils’ four freshmen, which comprise half of the team’s rotation. As a result, this year’s Duke squad has a level of chemistry that the teams of Cook’s freshman and junior seasons—also led by high-profile freshmen—lacked. That the Blue Devils are poised to post their best regular-season record in Cook’s four seasons is no coincidence.

There’s no question that Jahlil Okafor is Duke’s best player. Justise Winslow is the team’s most talented player. But as a steadying force on the court and an emotional leader off of it, Cook is the Blue Devils’ most valuable player.

At Duke, even the most breathtaking talents come and go year after year. In the age of one-and-dones, they just don’t make players like Quinn Cook anymore.

THE SULAIMON STORY

The Duke Chronicle broke a story built entirely on hearsay quoting unnamed sources alleging that sexual assault allegations against Rasheed were ignored by the Coach K , the Duke coaching staff, and the Director of Athletics. Despite being burned by the Duke Lacrosse Hoax and the thoroughly discredited Rolling Stone / University of Virginia fraternity gang rape story, the national media is in full court Woodward-Bernstein-Watergate Smoking Gun investigative mode. Al Featherstone had a very balanced look at what has transpired:

by Al Featherstone, DBR

I’ve avoided writing about the Rasheed Sulaimon story because, frankly, I don’t have any inside information.

But I was a little disturbed by how so much of the media reacted to Monday’s story in the Duke Chronicle, alleging that Sulaimon was involved in two sexual assaults on campus. What bothered me was how many reporters seemed to connect Sulaimon’s dismissal on Jan. 29 with that news and the angry resignation of a student secretary six days earlier.

Now, such a linkage is possible, but from what we know now, seems unlikely to me.

Why?

Because there are two strands to the Sulaimon dismissal story. One is the long-whispered sexual assault allegations. The other strand is the long-running story of Sulaimon’s problems with team discipline and morale. We now understand that he was suspended for the Michigan game Dec. 3, 2013 (before any rape allegations were reported to the Duke administration). From everything I’ve been told, Sulaimon’s mercurial attitude presented a long-term problem for Coach K and the staff.

Like many of you, I’ve heard of the stormy meeting after the Notre Dame loss, when Sulaimon reportedly met with K to complain about his playing time (just 12 minutes in the loss to the Irish).

Now ask yourself, which is more likely to have precipitated Sulaimon’s dismissal from the team on Jan. 29:

— The resignation of the student office worker six days earlier (before both the St. John’s game on Jan. 25 and the Notre Dame game on Jan. 28) … or:

— The contentious meeting between Sulaimon and Coach K just hours before his dismissal?

It’s certainly possible that new information will change my perception, but it now looks to me as if Sulaimon was dismissed for his attitude issues, not any long dormant sexual assault accusations. I can’t see where anything involving the assault allegations changed since last March. It seems unlikely to me that the resignation of a student office worker would have suddenly (but not too suddenly …. six days and two games after the fact) have led K to suddenly reverse a year-long course and kick Sulaimon out of the program.

As for the assault allegations themselves, I have big problems with convicting a young man based on charges that have never been filed – not even with the student conduct office. I understand that often women won’t come forward in such cases, but I also remember the Duke Lacrosse hoax, when the university embarrassed itself by virtually convicting three young men before they were ever brought to trial (on what turned out to be bogus charges). I also remember the University of Virginia’s over-reaction to a story of sexual assault at a fraternity on campus – a story that has since been pretty thoroughly debunked.

University officials have to walk a fine line between protecting the accusers and the accused in such cases, especially in the current legal climate on campus. I want to get more information in this case before I either condemn or defend the administration for its actions (or inaction) in the Sulaimon case.

Final word. Excerpt from Sports Illustrated article by Michael McCann, a Massachusetts attorney and the founding director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire School of Law: “While Duke’s refusal to elaborate on allegations against Sulaimon may be unpopular, the university’s approach to media disclosure appears to be the correct one under the law.”

Duke -84 – North Carolina 77

This was a very impressive win, because the Blue Devils had a number of legitimate reasons/excuses to lose: The game was in the Dean Dome and the Carolina fans were in rare form; Duke does not match up well against Carolina’s big, physical, and talented front line–especially when Marcus Paige(23 points) plays as well as he did tonight; Duke again hit a cold spell and blew an early ten point lead; Justise Winslow, recently playing his best basketball, was limited to 22 minutes because of foul trouble including two I-can’t-believe-Justise-did-that unnecessary leg kick fouls, one of which resulted in a five point turn around; Okafor only had 14 points and 4 rebounds; and with Duke behind half way through the second half, Ty Jones injured his back on a drive and was unable to get up until assisted to the bench by a trainer and a teammate.

The reasons they won: Coach K started the second half with Jefferson replacing Matt Jones and had him lead an aggressive, full court press which slowed down the Carolina offense and, conversely, energized the Blue Devils to play more aggressively at both ends. As a result, Duke forced 16 turnovers and shot 26 free throws, twice as many as UNC; as in the first game, Ty Jones and Quinn Cook scored 44 points with Ty, after returning from his injury, again taking over the game; with UNC up 51-48 and the big three of Okafor, Winslow, and Jones on the bench for a variety of different reasons, the seldom-seen-in-prime-time lineup of Grayson Allen, Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones, Marshall Plumlee and Quinn (Lean on Me) Cook scored eight consecutive points to put Duke in front by five– Duke’s first lead of the second half. This was a sorely needed Duke run that provided an emotional lift and a potential turning point in the game that the young but poised Blue Devils did not squander.

The bottom line is that this game was won by a half time coaching adjustment and a real time feel for the flow of the game decision (Those guys, we’re winning because of those guys,” Krzyzewski told his staff when they wanted to put the starters back in. “Let’s keep them in.”), the mental and physical toughness of any combination of five of the eight man rotation, and the leadership of the youngest, smallest but coolest player on the floor—Ty Jones (24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals). In big game after big game, Ty has been the straw that stirs the drink for this team. But he could not do it without the complementary talent around him. His partner in crime (to opponents), senior Quinn Cook is having by far the best season of his career and deserves a lot of credit for encouraging and enabling the freshman to run the team (“Every big-time game, he takes it to another level. I’m just happy he’s on my team.”). Because of this chemistry, they are one of, if not the best, back court duos in the country. With the game on the line, you want the ball in the hands of one of these two players —they have shot 90% from the line. Tonight, they shot 100%.

An emotional but generous Roy Williams praised Duke as “a really good basketball team” then said: “I have been spoiled rotten. Ten years as an assistant coach, we always won on Senior Day. The first 24 years as a head coach, we won on every Senior Day, and now we’ve lost two of the last three. Whatever I was doing earlier, I need to get back to doing a better job.” He did not mention that Duke has now won three of the last four and five of the last six games against the Tar Heels—and that Coach K has more talented players.

Additional Comments:

In tight, tough games, what a difference a great point guard makes! And make no mistake, Tyus Jones is playing better in critical moments than any freshman guard in Duke’s history.
It is not always how many points you score, rather it is when you score them. Jah only had 14 points but a significant number of them were at critical times in the second half. Matt and Grayson only hit one three each but they were back to back and fueled the pivotal turnaround run midway in the second half. Talented but seldom used Grayson Allen, who is playing with more confidence with each game, was 1-6 from the floor not only hit a critical three but also in the last precarious minutes outfought two Tar Heels for a loose ball and was 4-4 from the foul line.
Before the game there was a nice moment when UNC honored Coach K with an acknowledgement of his passing 1,000 wins and an appreciation of how Dean Smith was honored in Cameron.
This win combined with Virginia’s loss to Louisville strengthens Duke’s chances of securing a first round seed in the NCAA Tournament. Unless they are upset by North Carolina State or Notre Dame, the Blue Devils road wins against top ranked teams should secure them a number one seed in the East or the South.
It’s worth noting that five of the eight scholarship players on the Duke roster made the Academic ACC team: juniors Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee and freshmen Tyus Jones, Justice Winslow and Grayson Allen.

Alan Adds:

The Blue Devils concluded a simply wonderful regular season by winning 11 straight ACC games after losing to Notre Dame and Rasheed was dismissed from the team. The growth of the team during this stretch has been palpable and visible. There are many variable parts to the team, which can adjust during the game to shore up a Duke weakness and/or exploit the opponents’ ones. This was evident against the Tarheels where Jefferson, who has seen his playing time diminish significantly in recent games, logged 31 crucial minutes and was instrumental to Duke turning the game around. It would be easy to dismiss Amile’s 3 points (1-3 from both the field and the foul line) but, as Coach K pointed out in his press conference, that would miss the fact that he was “the key guy in our turnaround.” When Duke went to the full court trapping press, it was Jefferson who effectively trapped and double-teamed in the backcourt. Duke got a 10 second call and routinely left the ‘heels with 25-6 seconds on the shot clock when their offense finally began. It changed the pace of the game at both ends of the court. Amile collected 6 rebounds, 5 on the offensive end. Coach K also pointed out that Matt Jones (only 22 minutes) and Grayson had the confidence to keep shooting even though they were 0-4 and 0-5 respectively. Each then nailed their only 3 pointer of the game at the crucial time. Matt’s 3 gave Duke its first second half lead, 53-51 with 11:54 left; and Grayson’s only basket from the field (4-4 from the foul line for 7 points in 11 minutes) came 30 seconds later to give Duke a 56-51 lead. Both shots were crucial.

Duke was lucky to be down only 2 at the half after going almost 10 minutes without a field goal between Quinn’s 2 three pointers at 12:52 and 2:59. Duke scored only 3 points in that stretch — Quinn’s 2 free throws and Amile going 1-2 from the line. Duke shot only 28% in the first half. Both teams were far more efficient offensively in the second half, with Duke scoring 53 points and bringing its shooting average up to 46%. Everyone contributed, but Tyus was extraordinary. He scored or assisted on 48% of Duke’s points. I’m not certain of Bill’s comparison to other Duke freshman point guards — Hurley (got to the final of the NCAA), Jason Williams, and Tommy Amaker were also special, but Tyus seems to be in the conversation for sure. Conclusions about this season will await the outcome of the tournaments. Duke held its own in the paint (each team had 32 rebounds) outscoring the Tar Heels 32-28 while holding UNC to six second-chance points. In their first meeting, the ‘heels scored 62 paint points including 21 second-chance points.

Okafor played 32 minutes and was 7-9 from the field for 14 points (0-1 from the line) with 4 boards, an assist and a block. He was effective toward the end of the game when it counted. Quinn played 38 minutes and Tyus logged 37 minutes. Most of Tyus’s time on the bench was spent nursing what looked terrifyingly like a serious back injury. Then, miraculously he was back in the game not only playing, but dominating all aspects. Quinn scored 20 points on 7-16 shooting (4-10 from 3land and 2-2 from the line) with 4 assists.

Two big second half spurts were the keys to Duke’s win. With 14:41 to go, UNC led 49-42. In just a few ticks over three minutes Duke seized a 56-51 lead. Jah scored; Tyus hit a layup and 2 free throws; Jefferson scored a tip in (his only basket); followed by the two previously mentioned 3 pointers by Matt and Grayson. In that period, UNC scored only 2 on Paige’s free throws. The second spurt came after UNC had pulled to within 1 at 60-59 with 8:15 to go. In a minute and 17 seconds, Jah hit a layup, followed by a long 3 from Tyus and a corner 3 by Quinn (on a great pass from Tyus). 68-59 and Duke held on from there.

Duke was 21 of 26 from the line, but Amile (1-3. His other miss was the front end of a 1 and 1, which is just like a turnover); Winslow (2-4) and Jah (0-1) were 3-8, accounting for all the misses. With Carolina pressing in the last minute, Jah received the inbound pass with 45 seconds left. UNC immediately fouled him, and he missed the front end of a 1 and 1. He was on the bench when Duke next took possession.

It has been a magical regular season, but as we know, the regular season is not as important as the post-season. The ACC tournament begins on Tuesday. Duke has a double bye into the quarterfinals on Thursday against the winner of NC State v Pittsburg (7 pm). The semi-finals are on Friday and the finals on Saturday night.

Duke 77– North Carolina State 53

One of the reasons Coach K has won more than 1,000 college games is that his teams rarely lose two times in a row to the same opponent. Trust me, look it up! After watching his previously undefeated team get absolutely torched 87-75 by State’s guards and big men earlier in the year and watching point guard Anthony ”Cat” Barber score 34 points against Pitt last night, Coach K devised a three quarter court zone trap/press, then quicker than you can say “Dean Smith”, dropped into a variety of defenses that even former players now analysts Jay Bilas and Jayson Williams couldn’t agree on. If they couldn’t figure it out sitting in the announcers booth with television monitors, what chance did the State players on the court have? What everyone agreed upon is that it took the ball out of Barbour’s hands, denied threes (only 5 for the night), and confused the State players so that it totally disrupted any offensive rhythm. Meanwhile, all of Duke’s eight scholarship players were on fire. Their lead went from 22-11 to 49-22 at the twenty minute break.

A totally unexpected, breathtaking performance. If it was a fight it, it would have been called a TKO right then and there. Consider this: If Duke had only scored five points in the second half, they still would have won. Who woulda thunk it? Not me. After seeing the first Duke –State game, I was afraid that State was a very difficult matchup for the Blue Devils. However, this is a different Duke team than it was two months ago when they lost by double digits. We have seen this movie a few times recently—the first half in Cameron against Notre Dame, Wake Forest, and last Saturday in Chapel Hill against North Carolina.

It is hard to believe but Grayson Allen and Marshall Plumlee scored more combined points (23) than Winslow and Okafor (21). Grayson said after the game that he was “finally playing like player that they recruited me to be.” As they used to say in the music business: “Grayson is moving up the charts with a bullet.” I cannot remember a freshman coming off the bench in an important game and making such a variety of impressive plays: threes, drives, jump shots, tip ins, blocked shots, and assists—and he is one freshman who will be back next year. And while MP3 was the beneficiary of perfect assists from both Ty Jones and Grayson, he was in the right place at the right time with a strong physicality that the Blue Devils have been lacking in recent years.

Here is the defensive dilemma for Duke’s opponents: whether or not to double team Okafor. One-on-one he is a strong and creative load for any one player to defend. Double him and he is a willing and accurate distributor to an open man. Winslow, who had nine of Duke’s first eleven points, has honed his three point touch to go with his ability to attack the basket so that with Matt Jones and/or Grayson Allen, the Blue Devils have four forty percent three point shooters on the perimeter. This is a defensive nightmare.

In all fairness, which is not necessarily a feature of the expanded ACC Tournament, it should be noted that State played a tough late game last night which finished about midnight followed by the early game tonight, while Duke was well rested because the top four seeds receive a bye.

Other comments:

To add insult to injury, Barber who had a career game last night against Pitt, not only was held scoreless but left the game midway in the second half after he collided with Duke’s Amile Jefferson and never returned.
Quinn Cook: “It took me three years to finally realize I needed to play defense. I mean, it’s fun. It’s really fun.”
This is an interesting statistic courtesy of Al Featherstone. Duke has played five teams twice this season and has averaged a 24-point improvement in the second game: Wake Forest +8/+43, Notre Dame -4/+30, Syracuse +8/+19, UNC +2 (OT)/+7, N.C. State -12/+24.

Alan Adds:

Coach K echoed Bill (think about that line for a moment) when he said he was worried about this game because State has been playing so well, and Quinn had been sick for a few days. Neither of them, it turns out, had grounds to be concerned. Duke played another perfect half of basketball in the opening stanza (like the first half against Notre Dame in Cameron, Wake in Cameron). Duke scored on 26 of its first 30 possessions in the first 18 and a half minutes of the first half. Duke was 17-28 (5-10 from 3land and 10-11 from the free throw line) in the first half, and had assists on 10 of the 17 baskets; not to mention 5 steals on defense. Six Devils scored in the first half (Tyus and Amile failed to score; though Tyus had 6 assists without a turnover): Justise scored all of his 11 in the first half; Matt had 9, Quinn and Marshall had 8, Grayson had 7 and Jah 6. As good as the offense was (and that was more than just very good), the defense was even better.

Duke employed its zone 3/4 court press, which delayed the State offense and took the ball out of Cat Barber’s hands (Barber had destroyed Pitt on Thursday scoring 34; he failed to score last night). Duke played far more zone than man to man, with some changes from the usual zone. Duke used its four guards to defend State’s 3 high scoring perimeter players — Barber, Trevor Lacey (who scored 21 against Pitt; 2 last night) and Ralston Turner (“he got loose a few times” said Coach K to score 13), and let Jah or Marshall defend the paint alone. In the first half, State was 8-27 (30%) including 3-11 from 3land (27%) and only got to the foul line 5 times (3-5). Duke forced 6 turnovers while State could only create 4 assists. The Wolfpack scored only 22 points in 20 minutes. Marshall said that it was team defense that was sparked by lots of team talking to each other on the floor. Quinn allowed that it took him 3 years (with Coach K scolding him all the way), but he has finally learned to play defense and to love it. This team is taking real pride in its defense. Coach K was sort of agog: He shrugged and explained that he had put in changes in the game plan, and that his team picked them up so quickly that the defensive performance was “beyond expectation”.

I focus on the first half because with a 27 point lead, the game was effectively over at half time, and Duke’s priorities changed for the second half. The offense used clock; the defense was about stopping the 3 pointers (as Jay Bilas pointed out, it takes a lot of 2 pointers to reduce a 27 point lead). NC State actually outscored Duke 31-28 in the second half. All 8 Duke players contributed and Duke’s scoring was amazingly balanced with 6 double figure scorers. Who could have predicted that Marshall (21 minutes) would play more minutes than Jah (19) and out score Jah (Marshall 12; Jah 10)?

Only Amile failed to score in his 20 minutes, but that does not mean he was ineffective. He pulled down tough rebounds (4) and played stellar defense. Tyus scored only 7 (all in the second half) in 37 minutes with 8 assists and only a single turnover. Quinn (only 26 minutes) led the scoring with 15 points on an efficient 7 attempts (5-7; 3-3 from behind the arc and 2-2 from the line). The second leading Duke scorer was Marshall, who had a scintillating game with 12 points (6-6 on dunks) to go with 3 blocks, 2 boards, an assist and a steal without a turnover. Matt scored 11 in his 28 minutes (3-5 from the field; 1-1 from 3land and 4-5 from the line). Justise (25 minutes) scored all 11 in the first half; Grayson had 11 in his 21 minutes and played an energetic floor game. He took the most shots of any Duke player (5-10; 1-4 from 3land) to go with 3 assists, 3 boards and 2 blocks. His offensive rebound put back was spectacular; Coach K called it the play of the game. He is coming on. Jah had 10 points (5 Duke players scored more) on 5-8 shooting to go with 4 boards, an assist and a block.

It was simply a dominating performance. Notre Dame beat Miami and will face Duke in the late game (9 pm EDT or later) tonight. UVA vs UNC in the early semi-final. Hoopefully, this is Quinn’s banner.

Duke 64- Notre Dame 74

Who were those guys wearing Duke uniforms in the first half? They looked a lot like the guys who lost to N. C. State and Miami way back in the immature days. Playing the way they did last night in the rematch against State for their twelfth straight win, combined with Carolina upsetting Virginia, one would have thought the Blue Devils would be locked and loaded for a prime effort. But the Blue Devils came out casually lethargic against a fired up fired up Notre Dame team with the same game plan Coach Brey has employed in all three games—don’t double Okafor, give him 28 points but foul him at critical times, and guard the three point line.

For twenty-five minutes, only Okafor played well. Then the other players got into gear and played like they had the last twelve games. However, although Duke closed the gap to four points, you cannot expect to make up a fifteen point deficit in fifteen minutes against a good team like Notre Dame. 3-17, 7-14, 22-25. They are Duke’s three point and free throw totals, and the Irish free throw total. They pretty much tell the story of who was on and who was aggressive. While Notre Dame’s defense was good, Duke’s guards had plenty of open looks that just did not go down– and the Devil’s defense was lousy.

The bottom line is that inconsistent defense and poor foul shooting by Okafor and Jefferson have been the Achilles Heel of this team all season long but a potent offense and 90% free throw shooting by Jones and Cook covered for it. Not tonight.

I have a friend Larry, who grew up in Cabin Creek, West Virginia and reads our blog. His older brother was the center on Jerry West’s high school basketball team and his son played for Marshall, so has played and watched a lot of basketball. Here is what he wrote me yesterday:

“West Virginia has used the press all year and has led them to 23 wins. WV doesn’t have a player that could make Duke’s team but the pressure takes teams out of their comfort zone, makes them play faster, eats up the shot clock, causes turnovers and creates havoc. I’m positive that this plan has really helped Duke. They don’t have to play half-court defense for the full 35 seconds, teams speed up their offense and take quick shots and more importantly the players are in disarray and Duke can beat them down the floor for easier baskets. Yes, I’ve really enjoyed watching them play. Great basketball.”

So, I am not alone in thinking Duke employing a three quarter court trap/press and multiple half–court defenses has been the key to big wins because it requires activity, aggression, and confusion. It will be interesting to see if Duke returns to that strategy in the NCAA Tournament.

Well, next play. The only consolation is that the season is not over, there will be an extra day for physical healing and reflection, and another a chance for this talented team to fulfill their promise. Don’t forget:

In 1990 Duke lost to Georgia Tech in the ACC semifinals, then went to NCAA Finals.

in 1991 Duke lost to Carolina 96-74 in the finals of the ACC Tournament and still won the NCAA Tournament.

In 1994 Blue Devils lost to Virginia in the ACC semifinals, then went to the NCAA Finals.

Alan adds:

My daughter (Laramie) and I texted after the game. “L: On to the NCAA. A: Bad game, for sure; next play. L: The only bad game is one you learn nothing from!” Coach K picked up on the same thing in his post-game press conference: “We can still learn from this game. Next game no more learning.”

Coach K, while praising ND, said his team simply did not have “it” for the first 24 minutes of the game. Duke has had “it” most of the year and certainly since the last loss to ND (12 straight wins). Coach K was more insightful. “It” has to be earned; “it” isn’t given. He said Duke did not take “winning” for granted, but rather took “the preparation for winning” for granted. The preparation for winning includes getting to the right emotional state to perform as …well, as Duke did the previous night against NC State. If Duke “learns” about the need to prepare to win — especially necessary in the early rounds against much lower seeds (such as Lehigh and Mercer), this game will have contributed to a memorable NCAA run for this year’s Blue Devils.

“It” returned to the Duke effort after the first media time out with 15:24 left to play in the second half. Coach K said from then on the Blue Devils “played their butts off”, fighting back to a place where they could have actually won the game. Coach K admired the grit and toughness of the comeback, given how terribly Duke had played. “It was unbelievable” that we even created a chance to win. He thought the offense was fine in the second half: “We scored 38 points even though we missed every jump shot.” Quinn was 2-12 (1-8 from 3land) in 39 minutes, scoring only 7; Tyus played 40 minutes scoring 10 on 4-13 from the field (1-5 from behind the arc and 1-1 from the line. Matt was 1-4 in 28 minutes for 4 points, while Grayson was scoreless (0-3) in his 11 minutes (limited by his four fouls).

Duke’s defense was amazingly porous, which always leads to excessive fouling, and Duke did foul excessively (by game’s end, Grayson and Quinn had 4 each, while Jahlil, Tyus and Justise had 3 a piece). ND was in the bonus with almost 15 minutes to go in the second half. As Bill points out, Notre Dame won the game by going 22-25 from the foul line while Duke was only 7-14 (6 of the misses were by Jah). ND shredded Duke’s perimeter defense and drove into the paint effectively, going 23-42 from inside the arc for the game, but actually tailed off in the second half. ND scored 41 in the first half. Meanwhile, Duke couldn’t make a shot from the perimeter: Duke 3-17 from 3land (Quinn 1-8; 1-5 for Tyus; Grayson 0-2). Duke scored only 26 in the first 20 minutes.

The bench contributed just 4 points in only 28 minutes of play: 2 from Marshall in only 5 minutes of play and 2 from Amile (1-1) in his 12 minutes and 0 from Grayson in 11 minutes.

So, the scoring came from Jah (13-18) in 35 minutes. Of course the 2-8 from the line is a starkly negative statistic in the midst of an otherwise gaudy stat line: 8 boards, 2 blocks and a steal. He carried Duke by himself before finally getting help in the second half from Justise. It is hard to explain Winslow’s disastrous first half (“it” was seriously missing), but hard not to admire his last 16 minutes when he brought out the “it” in the team. In 30 minutes for the game (but his production was in the last 15 minutes) he scored 11 (5-8 and 1-1 from the line; no 3 point attempts), hauled in a game high 11 boards, to go with 3 assists, a steal and a block. He is an athletic marvel, but Duke missed his marvelousness in the first half.

Duke still had a chance to win at the end. With 1:48 to go in the game, and Duke trailing by 4, Jah was fouled and had the chance to make it a 2 point game. The game swung irrevocably when Jah missed them both and Connaughton made an off balance jumper with the shot clock winding down (shades of Grant’s miracle basket at the end in South Bend) at the 1:15 mark. Duke still had a chance, but Quinn turned it over with 1:08 to go, and missed a pretty open 3 with 28 seconds left that would have made it a 1 possession game.

NCAA Tournament, which always defines how the season is looked, at is next. But, when a reporter asked K about last season’s “failure to meet expectations”, Coach K defended his team last year — “disappointing loss in the tournament but not a failure to meet expectations.” He pointed out the team had won 26 games and played hard all year. Still the loss to Mercer is how the 2013-2014 team is defined by us (the fans). So on to the draw, and March Madness. Let’s see if Duke will capture “ it” for the rest of the season. Coach K promised, “We are ready to go to war in the NCAA tournament.”

Duke 85 – Robert Morris 56

Welcome to won or done. This is more like it—and, according to Ed Hardin of the Charlotte Observer, these guys are more likeable than some other Duke teams:

“Some people will never like Duke. Some schools will never like Duke. There are states that probably will never like Duke and there might be countries. But if you’re not aligned with another school and have nothing against alleged evil empires, you ought to like these Blue Devils. Duke freshmen Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow were accustomed to being the best player on whatever court they stepped. But they play as if they spent their time on the playground looking for an open man. The most selfless of the Blue Devils, of course, is senior Quinn Cook, who slides from point guard to shooting guard to accommodate Jones.” [Note to Ed: this is Duke basketball, the personalities are just less abrasive than say, Laettner, Hurley, and JJ Redick.]

Robert Morris is a smallish but not an untalented team because with good guards—every team in the tournament seems to have plenty–and with the three point line, on a given night, any every team can be a threat. However, this game showed Duke’s many strengths and exposed their two weaknesses. They are lethally diverse offensively but will only go as far as their defense and, perhaps, free throw shooting takes them. When they press, they are better defensively and offensively, because they are continually in motion, take teams out of their comfort zone, and create more get open court opportunities. When they defend inside the three point line or even when forced to run a half-court offense, they are less impressive. Kenny ‘The Jet” Smith, the ex-Tar Heel point guard, pointed out on CBS, this is the first Duke team in a long time that has eight interchangeable players—that is, all of whom can play more than one position, which makes them very versatile and difficult to defend.

The good news is that the Blue Devils started strong and pretty much kept the petal to the metal until they went on cruise control and Jahlil missed an ill-advised, open court reverse jam ( M. Jones:”I haven’t seen Coach that mad at Jah since practice. It was a little scary.”) that turned into a four point turn around and gave RMU the incentive and momentum to that cut a twenty-two points lead to ten. Coach called a timeout, substituted and Duke, led by Winslow, Cook, Jefferson, and the Jones boys, made a breathtaking, three minute run of dominating basketball to go back up by twenty-two. Marshall Plumlee played more minutes than usual and had a double- double. He brings an energy, enthusiasm, and aggressive athleticism that an adrenaline jolt to the action. If Duke happens to struggle, his talents come in very handy.

Coach K told the media Monday that he recently received a letter from a Duke fan, who claimed to be a member of the Duke Class of ’59.”He gave advice,” Krzyzewski said. “It was really good. He said, ‘What a great team! I love your team’. You know when they say that, the second paragraph is always going to be [critical].”It’s not a bad letter, but then the guy writes: ‘I hope you say three words to your team.’ I’m waiting for the next sentence, thinking what could these magical words be? “‘And they are Belmont, Lehigh and Mercer.” Krzyzewski wrote the fan back, acknowledging the letter and agreeing that he also loves this team. He thanked the fan for the advice, then added: “I’m not going to use the three words you said, but I am going to use four other words: Kansas, Michigan, Arizona and Butler.” Those are the four teams we beat to win the national championship. But I’m not going to use those words either because as much as our guys aren’t going to relate to the three that he suggested, they are not going to relate to the four I suggested.

“I am going to use one word: Duke. This is who you are. Let’s go for it. Let’s be excited. This is your time. Let me get you into your moment. You don’t get into the moments of Duke teams in the past.”

Other comments:

Grant Hill was one of the announcers for the CBS televised game. He is just as smooth off the court as he was on it. And he is no anomaly. Former Duke players seem to be on nearly every big college basketball game. Jay Bilas is on the top commentating team at ESPN. Grant Hill was picked to do the Final Four. Jay Williams joined Bilas on the hoops version of ESPN College GameDay, Shane Battier was hired for the “Big Monday” ACC slot, and Jim Spanarkel was promoted to announce the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. During the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend, three of the eight announcing teams for CBS and Turner Sports feature a former Duke player: Hill, Spanarkel and Mike Gminski. For the regional semifinals and finals, it will be two of the four crews. Studio analyst Seth Davis is also an alum.

Tar Heels fans who are not happy that they so often must hear the voices of Blue Devils can partly blame one of their own. ESPN President John Skipper is a proud North Carolina alum. In case there’s any doubt about his loyalties, Skipper had this to say in classic, tongue firmly-in-cheek ESPN fashion: “Every Duke graduate we hire is enjoying the benefit of working for a Carolina graduate. I am happy to assist in helping them overcome the handicap of their collegiate experience.”

Alan [who must have had a bad night, is in rare form this morning] Adds:

I am just up and have read DBR and most of the links posted there. Then I read Bill’s DBP draft. It was as if he attended UNC and was writing a cut and paste paper for a no show class. Oh well, why is it always left to me to rain on Bill’s parade when he gets so optimistic after a good Duke performance. We do know that he is top flight at criticism when the performance is sub-par (“why didn’t Coach K play more three-quarter court pressing zone?”). It’s tough duty, but someone has to do it.

So, I want to remind us all that Robert Morris (originally an accounting school, named after a famous revolutionary and colonial financial patriot) had no players who were not dwarfed by Jah, Marshall and Amile. While RMU has talented guards on offense, their preparation did not appear to embrace any effort on the defensive end. Combined, Jah, Marshall and Amile were 18-23 from the floor. Not many of those 23 shots were from more than two feet away from the basket. Amile played the most minutes of the three (29) and scored 10 on 4-6 from the field and 2-3 from the line (the miss was the front end of a 1 and 1) to with 6 boards and 3 assists. Marshall logged a double-double (first of his career) in his 19 minutes (5-6 from the front of the rim; 0-1 from the line for 10 points to go with 10 rebounds) and played stout defense. Should we mention again how small RMU is on the interior? Jah, in 21 minutes, was unstoppable except for the reverse dunk attempt that he missed when wide open. He was 9-11 (10 if we don’t count the move that lit Coach K’s fuse) to go with 2 blocks, an assist and a steal. An interesting stat is that he had only 3 rebounds.

We should think of Justise when discussing Duke’s interior — especially on the defensive end. Winslow led Duke in rebounding with 11 (all defensive) and is the glue to the interior defense. There were times that Winslow was on the wing when both Marshall and Amile were in the game. When Duke was blowing out RMU in the first half, neither Justise nor Tyus were scoring (as seems to be their custom when Duke doesn’t need it), but in the second half when RMU made its mini run, the two combined for eight lightening quick points to move the lead back to eighteen within just seconds. Winslow hit a three (probably the only crucial shot for Duke in the game), then grabbed a defensive rebound, scored on a layup. After another defensive board and dash up court, he hit Tyus for a corner 3. You just knew that one was going in when it left Tyus’s hand. In his 24 minutes, Justise scored only 6 (1-2 from the line) but handed out 7 assists, tying Tyus for team lead. He added a block, which was breathtaking. When he performs up to his potential, Duke is hard to beat.

The guard play was excellent — on the offensive end. Grayson had been too sick to practice all week. He did log twelve minutes, which Coach K saw as a sign he was returning to health, but he was unproductive, failing to record a positive stat from the field (0-3; 0-2 from 3land) and going 1-2 from the line. His return to health will be welcome. The backcourt produced some great shooting and passing. Quinn had a game that should make the All ACC team selectors (that omitted him) reconsider. In a game high 32 minutes, Quinn scored a team high 22 on 8-12 shooting (6-10 from behind the arc) and added 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals to complete a superb all-round game. Although he denied thinking about the opening game tournament losses to Lehigh and Mercer in his freshman and junior years, he made sure that a repeat of those two disasters was not a realistic possibility. The thought was clearly in the air. When RMU made its mini-run cutting the Duke lead to ten, the arena video showed the Mercer triumph. Apparently Justise was offended by that reminder. Tyus played 31 minutes, scoring 10 on 4-7 shooting (2-5 from 3land) to go with 7 assists, 3 boards and 2 steals. He is so solid and reliable. Matt scored only 5 points on 2-5 shooting (1-2 from 3land) but handed out 4 assists and had a board and a steal. He is unquestionably Duke’s best perimeter defender.

It was a great offensive performance, but against a team that was not a defensive presence. Tellingly, Duke had 28 assists on 34 field goals, which is amazing. Duke assists: Tyus 7; Justise 7; Quinn 5; Matt 4; and Amile 3. The big guys, Jah and Marshall had 1 each. The Blue Devils shot 64% from the field and were 24-31 inside the arc (10-21 from behind it). Duke turned it over only 11 times. Bill pointed to the 7-14 foul shooting, which is concerning. However, none of the 3 starting guards even got to the foul line. Amile’s (2-3) was the only Duke player over .500 from the line (Jah was 3-6; Winslow and Allen were 1-2; and Marshall 0-1). It is worth noting that Duke committed only eight fouls in the entire game. But it is also worth noting the game was against a wildly overmatched RMU.

San Diego State on Sunday presents a far greater challenge. They are coached by Steve Fischer (who coached the Fab Five) and have considerable size inside. Duke had a superb performance against NC State in the ACC tournament before coming out incredibly flat against Notre Dame. A challenge to avoid that against SDS after the rout of RMU.

Duke 68 – San Diego State 49

Two down…on the Houston!

Unlike the last few years, this young Duke team is on a season ending roll and playing their best basketball—especially on defense. Even the disappointing loss to Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament was a teachable moment, because they learned that in tournament play a team has to play forty intense minutes to win. Just look at the carnage among the high seeds: #1 Villanova, #2 Virginia, #2 Kansas, #3 Baylor all are finished playing for the season. In each of these first two games, Duke lead by double digits most of the time but when their opponent made second half runs and cut the margin to single digits, the Blue Devils responded by going into overdrive and a “turn-out-the-lights, the-party’s-over” run. Today, it was another exhibition of flawless efficiency on both offense and defense in holding the Aztecs without a basket for eight minutes while running the margin from seven to twenty-five points.

I think the most impressive characteristic of this team is that while they all are talented, their talents and temperaments complement one another—and they share the ball as well as the glory. While college freshmen, they have been buddies for a long time. Jahlil Okafor and Ty Jones have been playing together on AAU teams of some sort since they were in the third grade or whatever. Justise Winslow and Grayson Allen have been playing on AAU teams and in All Star games with them for years. So, playing Duke style basketball is not an alien concept for them like would be, or has been, for some other blue chip prodigies.

Okafor unleashed his full repertoire of post moves to dominate the first half by scoring eighteen points. However, as Kenny Smith pointed out, speeding up the pace of the game is a key to beating SDS and Winslow set the pace by rebounding and pushing the ball up the court like a runaway train of a point guard, either scoring on a drive or dishing to Cook or Jones for an open three. And then there was the ESPN Sports Center Special five point turnaround play when Justise flew in from trailing a fast break to spike a layup attempt that Ty recovered, took two dribbles, and hit Quinn in the corner for a three.

There is winning and then there is winning with style and panache. Sorry Alan, these guys are really good and fun the watch! And no one is having more fun than Mr. Okafor, who was practically dancing in his seat.

The ACC is having a terrific tournament. Although #2 Virginia lost, #3 Notre Dame, #4 UNC, #4 Louisville, and #8 N.C. State all joined Duke in the Sweet Sixteen.

Alan Adds:

Duke had a chance to put the game away before half time, but had a strangely ineffective last two minutes of the half, and saw its 18 point lead with 2:16 to go cut to 13 at the half. The Duke offensive doldrums of the last 2 minutes of the first half continued into the second half as SDS chipped away at the Duke lead. With 13;29 to go the lead was down to single digits, and with 11:16 left in the game, the lead had dwindled to 7. Then the Duke players stepped into a phone booth and shed their civilian clothes. Within two minutes, Duke scored 4 straight hoops (Quinn a 3 on an assist from Tyus; Justise made a dunk on an assist from Jah; Grayson made a driving layup; and Tyus made a layup) pushing the lead back to 16. Then, Jah hit 2 free throws (Duke was 2-2 from the stripe for the entire game), Matt hit a 3 assisted by Quinn before Quinn made a layup assisted by Justise giving Duke a 21 point lead and effectively ending the game, even though a little under 6 minutes remained.

Duke was efficient on both ends of the floor, shooting 55% including 6-14 from behind the arc while holding the Aztecs to 33% (2-13 from 3land, but acknowledging that SDS missed several wide open 3s). Duke played very effective man to man with some pressure. Offensively, Okafor demonstrated in the first half that he was unstoppable (at least by SDS) shooting 9-12 from the floor for 18 first half points. Duke notched 10 assists on 17 baskets in the first half, finishing the game with 16 assists.

The starters carried the load. The bench contributed only 25 minutes (9 for both Amile and Grayson; 7 for Marshall). Grayson was energetic, scoring 5 and grabbing a board while being charged with 4 fouls. Amile and Marshall, who were so devastating against Robert Morris, did not score or grabbed a rebound. Marshall had an assist. The starters needed little help against the Aztecs. Of the starters, Jahlil played the fewest minutes (33) while Quinn played 38. Matt and Justise played 34 minutes and Tyus 36.

Jahlil had a fabulous game totaling 26 points on 12-16 shooting (and his 2-2 from the line) to go with 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and a steal. He was dominant! However, he was no more dominant that Justise, who had a superb all around game. He is the glue to the Duke defense, including defensive rebounding. He notched another double double scoring 13 on 6-10 shooting (1-2 from deep) to go with 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals (one was a breathtaking snare of a full court pass that was worthy of an all-pro corner back) and 3 blocks. Two of the blocks were amazing, including the one where he kept control of the ball, pushed a great outlet pass to Quinn, who threw it cross court to a driving Tyus, who got the assist with a perfect pass to Jah for the dramatic finish. Beautiful basketball. Justise is reaching his potential as he gets healthier. Today he — not Jahlil or Quinn — was the CBS post game interview (with Coach K).

The backcourt played great defense and Duke only turned it over 9 times. Quinn had 18 on 6-13 shooting (3-8 from downtown) to go with 5 boards and 2 assists. His 3 that pushed the Duke lead from 7 to 10 was the clutch shot of the game. Tyus had a tough scoring day (3-9 for 6 points) but handed out 6 assists while grabbing 3 boards and making 2 steals. Of course, when the lead dwindled he had two crucial layups. Matt had only 1 basket (a 3) on 4 shots. He was struggling offensively. Coach K used Grayson for a bit more offensive punch. When Matt re-entered the game, he made his next 3. Competition.

Duke had a great sub-regional in Charlotte. In the 80 minutes of the two games, Duke had a double digit lead for 61 of those 80 minutes. On to Houston for the next four team tournament. Utah awaits on Friday night.

Duke 63 – Utah 57

Houston, we had a problem. Two of our primary engines were shut down. But Justise Winslow fixed the problem with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

I was talking to a Duke friend who was impressed by how invincible Kentucky looked demolishing West Virginia. I agreed that they looked terrific but the Mountaineers ran right into the Wildcat wheelhouse by playing an up tempo game and suggested that every team looks unbeatable when swimming with the tide and winning big. However, the real test of a team is finding a way to win when, for whatever reason, it is not hitting on all cylinders and swimming against the tide. Fortunately, it is easier to find a way to win when a team is as mentally tough, as versatile, and multi-talented as the Blue Devils. Utah, a very good defensive team, focused on stopping Okafor and Cook, Duke’s two leading scorers. So Winslow, who celebrated his nineteenth birthday in his hometown yesterday, played like a man among boys and, as usual, Ty Jones chipped by scoring some timely baskets, which are more important than how many.

It may be hard to believe but defense (Utah only shoot 35%) and free throw shooting (77%. Jones and Cook 16-18) provided the difference. This was the third straight game the Blue Devils have played outstanding defense.

Duke’s mid-season surge started when Coach K moved a now healed Justice Winslow to power forward and replaced co-captain Amile Jefferson with Matt Jones in the starting lineup. This gave Duke a smaller but more lethal offensive and better defensive team. Nevertheless, Jefferson has had his moments. Tonight he had the “Wow” play of the game when he set a pick, rolled to the low double post, received a pass from Ty, faked an overhead pass to Okafor across the lane, which completely turned his defender toward Jah, took a dribble, and flushed a wide open dunk! The entire bench erupted with joy for their co-captain.

History shows that Duke performs better coming off a tough, hard fought win than a blowout. However, with Okafor struggling against the Utah tall, wide bodied bigs, it makes one wonder how he will fare against Gonzaga’s Przemek Karnowski and the other “Zag big front line that weigh in at 288, 240, and 231. One of them is freshman Damantas Sabonis, the son of the 7’3”Lithuanian Arvydas Sabonis, who played for the Portland Trail Blazers, was one of the most skilled big men ever to play in the NBA. Unfortunately, his career was negatively impacted and ultimately cut short by Achilles tendon and other leg injuries that were not allowed to heal properly because of pressure from the Soviet Union to play international basketball.

Additional Comments:

Betting is a huge component to the popularity of the NCAA Tournament—as it is to pro football and the Super Bowl. When referees put seven-tenths of a second back on the clock, pulled the players back onto the floor and sent Quinn Cook to the foul line, bettors across the country mostly cheered. A lot of money was won because Cook sank one free throws to increase the Blue Devils’ final margin of victory to 63-57. Most sports books listed #1 Duke as either a five or 5.5-point favorite over Utah. A bet on the Utes to cover would have either won or pushed based on those lines until Cook’s otherwise innocuous free throw changed that. The decision to extend the game helped gamblers and hurt sports books. 83 % of those who wagered on the game bet that Duke would cover the 5.5-point spread. In the first two rounds the chalk players got killed. In this round, they got well as the favorites all covered the spread. Just to be clear, I do not bet on basketball or football games.
Krzyzewski has a record 85 NCAA Tournament wins, 20 more than Dean Smith and Roy Williams.
Tyus Jones named after Tyus Edney, the 5’8”UCLA point guard, who is semi-famous for going coast to coast in 4.8 seconds to beat Missouri in a 1995 NCAA Tournament game. Also, while in high school he often played on the scout team against the two-time WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx.
Coach K commented that, because of their attitude, this is one of his favorite groups. They are enthusiastic learners which make the coaching staff more enthusiastic coaches.

Alan Adds:

With the exception of Justise, Duke had a very inefficient offensive game. Consider only 5 assists against 14 turnovers. The four guards shot 6-22 from the field (0-5 from 3land, ending Quinn’s streak). Tyus was 3-9 (0-2); Quinn 2-5 (0-1); Matt 1-4 (0-2) and Grayson 1-4 without a 3 point attempt. Utah played superb defense and shut down not only Jah, but the entire Duke backcourt. Well almost. Duke gave up 18 offensive rebounds. Yet, I never thought Utah would win, although I did think at points in the game that the Utes could win. The Red Auerbach victory cigar was later in being lit than it should have been.

Why was Duke in such control when the offense was being held in check by the Utah defense? Because Duke’s defense was absolutely superb. As good as Justise was on offense (raves to follow), he was even better on the defensive end. Even though Shane, Billy King, and others jumped on Grant Hill for saying that Justise was Duke’s best defensive player ever, there is a real possibility that Grant is right (or will be if Justise doesn’t leave). He can guard the perimeter, the wing and even the post. He is a ferocious defensive rebounder, and a force in the open court. The pundits are disrespecting Jah for his far below normal offensive output (3-6 for 6 points and missing his only foul shot, a crucial front end of a 1 and 1), but not seeming to recognize the defensive force he was in his 32 minutes. His only 32 minutes is because he is on the bench at game’s end when Duke is ahead because of his terrible foul shooting. However, Jah defended the paint admirably. He’s not a great shot blocker (though he had 2 important ones), but last night he was a great positional defender, whether against the post or the drive. The entire Duke team completely scrambled the Utah offense and shut down what was previously a good 3 point shooting team. It was seamless team defense and it was played with excellence and passion, whether in man (mostly) or zone (situationally). In addition to wonderful defense, Duke was dynamite from the foul line — many of them in win or lose the game situations. Cook (7-8) and Tyus (9-10), who each played 38 minutes, kept Duke in front even though Duke’s last field goal game with just a bit less than 4 minutes to go in the game.

And then there was Justise! In his 37 minutes, the only mistake he made — similar I think to Jah blowing the reverse Dunk against Robert Morris — was when he celebrated his second three in a row, while the Ute he was guarding leaked out for an easy layup. I suspect that Coach K might have used that as a teaching moment, when they were in private. Justise was the only Duke player who had double digit shot attempts (8-13; 3-4 from behind the line for Duke’s only 3 pointers — the team was 3-9 from behind the arc) for his 21 points. Put that together with 10 boards, a steal and 2 blocks, while turning it over only twice and committing only 2 fouls, and you have one helluva game.

Matt played 21 energetic minutes, but was inefficient on offense (3 points on 1-4 shooting and 1-2 from the foul line), while Amile played 20 efficient minutes (4 points on 2-4 from the field to go with 4 boards and a steal. Grayson played only nine minutes, but managed to hoist up four shots (not shy; 1-4 from the field and 1-2 from the line for 3 points). He continues to give the feeling that before this tournament is over he will make a mark. He has the guts of a burglar in his offensive efforts and jaw dropping athleticism. He is still struggling to be efficient. Marshall was simply overmatched by the skill of the Utah bigs. He played only 5 minutes, garnering a single rebound, while turning it over once and committing 2 fouls.

Duke had two strange streaks that prevented the game from being a laugher. At the end of the first half, Duke had a 10 point lead and the ball with 2:50 to go. A real chance to put the game away in the first half. But then Duke missed 3 consecutive shots (Jones, Winslow and Cook) while turning it over once, and failing to score the rest of the half. On defense, Duke committed 4 fouls in that stretch (Okafor 2, Plumlee and Winslow) Bachynski scored 5 on 3-4 from the line and a field goal, cutting the lead to 5 at the half.

In the second half, Duke had a 49-34 lead with 7:33 to go in the game, and started to take the air out of the ball. It was the winning strategy, so this is not a quibble, but a report. Duke made only one field goal after that (Justise jumper w 3:44 to go after Utah had cut the lead to 6; he also made the free throw to push the lead back to 9), but stayed in control with clutch foul shooting. But the defense evaporated. In a little over a minute, Duke committed four un-strategic fouls (Quinn 2; Tyus 1 and Jah 1) and gave up 10 points to Brandon Taylor (2 long 3s and 4-4 from the line). Utah needed 3s; Cook honored the Taylor fake drive, leaving Brandon open to sink a three. It was as if Duke stopped thinking down the stretch.

Nevertheless, Duke won without ever being seriously threatened. Sunday against Gonzaga for Quinn’s first banner to hang in Cameron, and a trip to the Final Four. What a season!

Duke 66– Gonzaga 52

Houston, no problems. Everything is A-OK. We love you but are hitting the road to Indianapolis. And, thanks so much for sending us Justise, because without him we would be heading back to Durham.

The bottom line is these were two very, very impressive team victories. Let’s start with the fact that Jahlil Okafor, who was the ACC Player of the Year and the centerpiece for most of Duke’s pre-tournament wins, contributed just 15 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 assist, and had 5 turnovers in these two wins. So, if Duke got by a talented #5 Utah team and an even more talented #2 Gonzaga team without Okafor being Okafor on offense (but an improving force on defense), what does that tell you about the talent, adaptability, and maturity of this team and the adaptable strategy of the coaching staff? Quinn Cook: “Our coaches, they don’t sleep. They had us so prepared, it’s amazing.”

No matter how good the game plan, players still have to execute. Let’s start Duke’s evolving defense. Gonzaga, the highest scoring team in the country, was held to 14 points in the last 16 minutes. They had 13 turnovers, Duke 2; Gonzaga only shot 44% from the field but Duke only shot 38% themselves, yet won by 14 points. Is that a misprint? No, because Duke hit 6 more threes and 10 more free throws. All other stats were about even.

The final score is very deceiving. The Blue Devils started like they did in the first Carolina game in Cameron—like it was going to be a rout. But like the Carolina game, Gonzaga slowly fought back to cut a double digit lead to five at the break. Then they started the second half like they were the more determined team and took a quick four point lead. Timeout Duke and a patented Coach K attitude adjustment lecture. Duke regained their poise and took tenuous control of the game. From being up four with about four minutes to play, the Blue Devils just totally dominated their opponent by tight defense and hitting all but one free throw to win by a misleading fourteen points.

In close games, some baskets are more important than others, because they are momentum killers and/or separation points. Of course, Winslow, who wowed the fans and scouts with his driving, shooting, rebounding, defending, and toughness, had more than his share of both but it was defensive specialist and blue collar, jack-of-all-trades Matt Jones who had four big time threes as well as a backbreaking steal and layup to seal the win. There also were more than a few heady, hustle plays: Ty Jones saved a possession by diving out of bounds for a loose ball, and throwing it down on a supine Zag player who had fallen out of bounds. And Jefferson drew a third foul early in the second half by frustrating Sabonis, who had helped Gonzaga erase a five point half time lead. These are plays that excite and energize teammates to impose their will on an opponent. And there is no better practitioner of fighting harder to win than Coach K. Just look at how hard he is working on the sideline. It is a common belief that Guard play wins NCAA Tournament games. Well, Cook (10 points) and Jones (16 points) each played the entire 40 minutes against Gonzaga, had no turnovers, and hit the free throws down the stretch. Their counterparts, Gonzaga’s guards, Pangos combined for 9 points and 5 turnovers.

Additional Comments:

This will be Coach K’s twelfth (Duke’s sixteenth) Final Four appearance, matched only by Coach Wooden, whose teams only had to get there in a 32 team draw. Only 68 of the 350 eligible schools are invited to the NCAA Tournament. And Duke is in the Final Four with a late season run of 20-2 with eight scholarship players, four of whom are freshmen.
Let’s hear it for recruiting nationally. The two players from Texas, Justise Winslow and Matt Jones, scored almost half of Duke’s points.
During and just after the game, it was just about a paid commercial for Duke University. Ads for the next show “60 Minutes”, aired promoting their a segment on a possible cure for cancer at Duke University. Say what? A trip to the Final Four and a cure for cancer. You cannot buy that kind of publicity. BTW, the Chairman of CBS Sports happens to be Sean J. McManus, a Duke graduate. And, oh yes, Charlie Rose, an unabashed Duke grad and basketball junkie, made a halftime show appearance with Barkley, Smith and the gang straight from flying back from the Middle East where he had interviewed Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The Cowboys QB Tony Romo and Head Coach Jason Garrett were again courtside behind the Duke bench.

Alan Adds:

In the season preview of the DBP in November, prior to the first game, I wrote “In my opinion, last year was not just about the disappointing 3-3 down the stretch, including ACC tournament and the loss to Mercer in the NCAA tournament. The most important factor in Duke’s disappointing (for Duke and Coach K anyway) season was its porous defense throughout the entire season. So the question about the highly touted freshman class is: Can these kids make Duke the defensive force that it has usually been during the Coach K era?” In the first four games of the NCAA tournament, the freshmen (and the rest of the team) answered the question emphatically in the affirmative. Duke was superb defensively against the Zags, who were statistically the best or second best offensive team in the nation this season. The Zags, averaging close to 80 ppg were held to 26 points in each half. Critically, Duke committed only 6 fouls in each half; the Zags never got to the bonus. Considering how much excessive fouling Duke did as it evolved into the defensive juggernaut on view this weekend, that is a significant statistic.

In the first half, Wiltjer (13) and Sabonis (7) had 20 of the Zags’ 26 [Wesley 4 and Bell 2 completed the Gonzaga scoring]. Coach K deserves a share of praise for his in-game adjustments. Wiltjer had 5 and Sabonis just 2 in the second half. It was a superb team effort. Justise was all over the court providing help defense, whether at the rim or on the perimeter. While Jah was not a scoring force, he was at his defensive best in Houston, defending against size and skill. He doubled on drives and still defended the post well and was a force on the defensive board. Matt and Amile are both superb defenders when each is on the floor. Duke determined to shut down the high scoring, deep shooting duo of Zag guards — Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell. Pangos, like Cook is for the Devils, is the heart and soul of the Zag. He and Bell have started for four years and have won more than 120 games. Pangos played the full 40 minutes, guarded primarily by Cook (Duke’s switching was a ballet like thing of beauty, so many Duke defenders get credit for Pangos’s frustration). Pangos did not score in the first half and finished with just 4 points for the game. Bell finished with 5 (only 3 in the second half). Duke guards did not help (especially in the first half) when the ball went to the post. The Zag perimeter game was completely stifled. When the game was on the line, Duke held the Zags to 2 foul shots and 0 field goals in the last 6:40 of the game.

Duke played with essentially six players. Grayson made a 3 minute cameo in the first half (0-1) and Marshall played 8 minutes, snagging a rebound. The starters scored all of Duke’s 66 points, but the 20 minutes that Amile played were significant. He grabbed 4 boards (3 on offense that were crucial) while playing terrific defense and committing only a single foul.

Cook and Tyus each played 40 minutes of tenacious winning basketball. While Cook had a subpar shooting game (2-10; 1-5 from 3land), his defense stood out and he made clutch free throws (5-6) for 10 points. He also grabbed 5 crucial boards and had a steal and an assist. Most importantly, he now is part of a team that has hung a banner in Cameron. Tyus had a checkered performance. He carried Duke in the first half with 11 points on 4-8 shooting (1-2 from deep and 2-2 from the line). In the second half he was 1-5 from the floor (0-1 from deep; a forced shot) and 2-2 from the line for 15 points. He took the most shots of any Duke player (13; Justise took 12) and seemed to me to force things a bit. However, let us hail his defense and floor game. He had 3 boards, 2 steals and 6 assists without a turnover. Think about Cook and Quinn each playing the entire game without a turnover. Tyus’s great out of bounds save, when he stole the pass as he was flying out of bounds and delicately dropped the ball on the supine Karnowski for Duke to keep possession was, in a sense a play epitomizes what Tyus brings to the table. He is a winner in every respect.

Matt had his best game since coming to Duke. He was amazingly efficient in his 28 minutes, tying for the team lead in scoring with 16 points on only 10 shots (4-7 from downtown) to go with 3 boards, 3 steals and an assist. His defense was terrific. He and Justise cover so much ground in helping without abandoning the man being guarded.

Jah logged 29 minutes while being held to single digit scoring for the second straight game. He had an efficient first half scoring 7 points on 3-5 shooting (1-1 from the line), grabbing 6 boards with an assist, a steal and a block. His second half stats were less than gaudy — 1-5 from the field; 0-2 from the line (including an embarrassing air ball that was a foot short of the rim) and 2 boards. He did, however, play his best defense of the year against the size of the Zags. The MVP of the Regional (at least in my opinion) was Justise, who played 32 minutes (it would have been more, but he had his ankle attended to). In addition to his amazing defense, he eviscerated the Zags at “winning time”. After a first half that was pedestrian by the standards that he has set in the tournament (5 points on 1-7 shooting from the floor; 1-3 from the arc and 2-2 from the line with a block, a steal an assist and a rebound), he took over the second part of the second half, scoring 11 on 3-5 from the floor; 1-1 from deep and 4-4 from the foul line. He also grabbed 4 crucial rebounds.

With 4:51 to go in the game, Wiltjer missed a wide open layup at the rim. The score was 53-51 in Duke’s favor. Instead of tying the score, the Zags folded and Duke just took over. Justise made 2 foul shots before the TV time out (55-51). Coach K implored his team to get emotional and put the game away (according to the TV floor announcer). Justise did just that. He was fouled grabbing a rebound and made both foul shots. Then with 2:53 to go and Duke leading by 6, he dropped the guillotine (a better metaphor than the oft used dagger) on the Zags with a 3 pointer for a 9 point lead. From there, it was tenacious defense, Quinn making 4 straight foul shots before Matt’s highlight steal and layup.

Justise has become a reliable foul shooter (6-6). He, Quinn and Tyus were 15-16 (Jah’s 1-3 gave the team 16-19).

On to Indianapolis and Michigan State in the National Semi-Finals on Saturday; tip off at 6:09 EDT. Next Play

Duke 81 – Michigan State 61

It is common knowledge that the NCAA hierarchy doesn’t get much right– and to start this game at the odd time of 6:06pm (instead of say an even number 6:10pm) is just another example. During the first four minutes, Duke played defense like they did in the first half against Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament, falling behind 14-6. Then, after a timeout and wake-up call, the clock struck 6:10pm and the Blue Devils outscored the Spartans 75-50 in the final thirty-six minutes. The Devils might also have taken offense to the Michigan State’s players slapping the floor on defense — a long-time Duke trademark — as a challenge or worse. “That was like a slap in the face to us,” the Matt Jones said.

As in every other win in the tournament, this was a total team win—all eight scholarship players and the coaching staff were hitting on all cylinders. It was a text book example of Coach K’s formula for playing winning basketball—aggressive defense, shut down threes, attack the basket with strength, protect the ball, get to the foul line, and hit free throws. Despite the margin, Duke only had two threes! But they made 17 more free throws, and shot 12 % better from the field than the Spartans. While Duke is more talented and versatile, Michigan State is a very well-coached, gritty and dangerous team that is very accurate from beyond the arc. However, as Blue Devil fans know only too well, if you live by the three, you can die by the three.

This impressive tournament performance has been fueled by an evolving symbiotic meshing of unique, but atypically unselfish talents: A totally healthy Justice Winslow has helped propel this team to play at a higher level because Jahlil Okafor has not resented sharing the spotlight; Ty Jones is the generous pass first point guard (unless points are needed); Senior Quinn Cook just wants to hang a banner, so decided to love playing defense; Matt Jones is a versatile, blue collar teammate with whom everyone likes to play; co-captain Amile Jefferson, much like Nate James on the 2001 championship team, didn’t resent losing his starting position; Plumlee and Allen are just excited to get on the floor and contribute.

The Raleigh News Observer has a long article on the still-tight lipped mystery surrounding Krzyzewski’s dismissal of Sulaimon and pointing out that it was the turning point for the team. However, it sheds no light on the reason(s) and does nothing, except for repeating the rumors of two unreported sexual harassment incidents, but portrays Rasheed as a model student-athlete. The only thing that is clear about the whole episode is that Coach K knew something we didn’t. But that’s nothing new.

It’s Wisconsin, who did to Kentucky what Duke did to UNLV in 1992, and Duke for the title on Monday night at 9:18?pm. These are two of the best programs and best coached teams in college basketball. There will be a winner crowned but there will be no loser in this championship game. The Las Vegas line is “pick-em”.

Other Comments:
Announcer Bill Rafferty must watch my favorite TV show, the highly acclaimed Justified based on the Elmore Leonard novels about Deputy Raylan Givens, who sometimes bends the rules to achieve the right result, because after a sensational Winslow play he exclaims: “It’s not fair but it is Justise!”
Quinn Cook brought some of his point guard skills out of moths ball on a fast break when he faked a behind the back pass, took the ball back up for a layup, which brought the defender up off his feet, then dropped a bounce pass to a trailing Justise Winslow for a dunk—NBA stuff!
Grayson Allen demonstrated his extraordinary athleticism when he missed a three but got the rebound and dunked it much to the delight of his teammates on the bench.
Krzyzewski’s career record against Michigan State Coach Izzo stands at 9-1.
Some Kentucky stuff: Coach John Calipari’s teams have now appeared in six Final Fours: Umass, Memphis, and four with Kentucky, but with only one title win. However, only Kentucky’s appear the record book as his first two were vacated because of recruiting violations. When a reporter asked about Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky, Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison, also on the podium, muttered ”F— that n—-” into a live microphone. No wonder Andrew missed shots down the stretch. He missed the fact that Kaminsky is Polish-American. Alan will write more in more depth about the Kentucky player’s reaction to the loss.

Alan Adds:

Even in retrospect, it is hard to believe how dominant Duke was in the final 36 minutes of the game. Coach K was effusive in his assessment of his team’s play, and of his team’s growth. The growth is dramatically demonstrable on the defensive end. Coach K was searching for a word to describe the defensive effort of his team, but had to settle for “terrific”. He obviously wanted something more superlative, because it was warranted. Michigan State’s numbers edged toward respectability after Duke led by 20 with a little over 10 minutes to go, when Duke began to milk the clock and play more conservatively (winning strategy again). But before that, the Spartans were trussed and hogtied on its offensive end. Come to think about it, the Spartans were not any more efficient defensively against the smooth functioning Blue Devils. Coach K emphasized on hard Duke drove the ball to the basket “ with force”. The coach pointed out it got the Spartans into bad foul trouble (Duke was in the bonus with more than 10 minutes left in each session), and fueled the defense. It was, in short, a tour de force for what is rapidly becoming recognized as a special team. This makes the championship game so special, interesting, and unpredictable, because Wisconsin is also a special team.

I widely predicted that Wisconsin would beat Kentucky. Kentucky is a team of exceptional athletes who play good basketball. Wisconsin is a team of really good basketball players. Notre Dame exposed the Wildcats susceptibility to superior basketball players and an efficient basketball team, but didn’t have the size to finish the job. Wisconsin did. Kentucky, in Coach K idiom, did not respect the game. They were sore losers, disdaining the post game handshake (some players), whining that the season was a waste because they lost, and had Andrew disclosing (not realizing how sensitive the microphones were) his lack of sportsmanship to the world. On the other Blue Devil hand, this is such a tight team. When Justise was interviewed and asked about the prowess of the three freshmen in the starting lineup, he began his answer about the freshmen by referencing “the four of us”. He was not going to allow the interviewer to ignore Grayson. Team! Team ! Team!. Coach K sounded like a young boy gushing over his first crush when talking about this team and the absolute joy of coaching the group. A lot of lessons emerge from yesterday’s two games beyond winning and losing, if anyone desires to learn them.

Justise (29 minutes; only 12 in the first half because of foul trouble), Jah (30 minutes) and Quinn (35 minutes) were a combined 18 for 30 from the floor (including Quinn 1-3 from behind the arc; Justise did not attempt a three). Justise was 5-7 on drives, but also note the 9-11 from the line to go with 9 rebounds for a game high 19 points. His improved foul shooting is significant. He is growing by leaps and bounds on both ends of the court. Jah is playing defense at a higher level. Coach said his earlier deficits were the result of his ankle having been injured but he’s healthy now and having great practices. He was 7-11 from the field (4-7 from the line) for 18 points to go with 6 boards and 2 critical blocks. Quinn scored 17 on 5-9 from inside the arc and 4-4 from the line. He had 2 boards, 2 assists and 0 turnovers. They were the Big Three, but not at all alone.

Tyus played a game high 38 minutes and was, as he has been all year, the glue to offensive efficiency. He scored 9 on 3-8 (1-3 from 3land, but it was a key one) and 2-3 from the line. He had 4 assists, 2 boards and a block against a single turnover. He will have to shoot better for Duke to win on Monday. Matt (28 minutes) and Grayson (17 minutes) manned the wing for the most part. Both were hugely valuable on the defensive end and steady and efficient on offense. Matt scored 7 on 3-8 (0-2 from 3land) and 1-2 from the line. He had 2 tough rebounds and 2 assists. Grayson scored 9 and displayed amazing athleticism and energy. He was 2-6 from the field (0-2 from behind the arc) and 5-6 from the line. His energy was contagious and the 5 rebounds he retrieved (one led to the dramatic dunk that Bill alluded to) was valuable. The reserve bigs contributed big time in just a few minutes (each scored a point on 1-2 from the line). Amile grabbed 7 rebounds in only 11 minutes and played valuable defense. He also committed three fouls. Marshall had a block and 3 boards in his 10 minutes. He brings terrific defensive intensity and is so solid now. It was a great team effort.

Don’t listen to the pundits. Wisconsin did Duke no favor beating Kentucky. Kentucky is a flawed team; Wisconsin is not. This should be a classic. What a great season!

Duke 68- Wisconsin 63

Down nine deep into the second half with another championship dream quickly slipping away, the most inexperienced, most overlooked of the young freshmen, Grayson Allen, scored eight straight, difficult points (more points than he scored in all but one of the thirty-two games this season) to singlehandedly bring Duke back from what looked like certain defeat and put the Blue Devils in a position to win their fifth national title. Then with the game on the line, Coach K said: “Ty run the high ball screen and be you,” later to comment (with tongue firmly in his cheek) that he thought that had to be considered great coaching. Immediately, the smallest, calmest player with the least fear, Tyus Jones, personally took over and won the game with drives, free throws, and lastly two cold hearted threes, the last of which with 1:24 left on the clock buried Wisconsin. The Blue Devil freshmen scored all of the second half points: Jones 19, Allen 10, Okafor 4 and Winslow 4. Justise finished with 11 points & 9 rebounds and Jahlil Okafor, who had a rough game, scored four critical points that gave Duke the lead.

Of course, none of this could have happened without other less obvious contributions: Unsung hero Amile Jefferson played 21 minutes of terrific post defense on POY Frank Kaminsky. He had 7 rebounds, 2 assists & 3 blocks; Justise Winslow was again the key to the interior defense; Matt Jones, Quinn Cook, and Grayson Allen held Decker, the hero of the Kentucky game, to 6-15 and 0-6 threes. Late in the game, Coach K looked down the bench, saw Okafor, Winslow, and Plumlee and thought: “Boy, we sure have a small team on the floor but so what, they are doing just fine.”

Defense and free throw shooting, which were the primary deficiencies of this team for much of the year, were strengths in this very impressive championship run. In a halftime interview, Coach K telegraphed his second half strategy—drive hard, get to the free throw line and into the bonus situation. So, when Grayson came in, you knew what was coming but never imagined he alone would turn the game around. However, it should have not been a surprise that the most unimposing, innocent appearing player known as Ty Stones would finish off the Badgers again. He did it four months ago in the ten point win in Madison, then again in the upset of Virginia in Charlottesville, and on and on. Has been doing heroic stuff like this in close games all season.

In the same season when Krzyzewski won his 1,000th game, when he dismissed a player from his team for the first time in 35 years, he moved past Adolph Rupp with his fifth championship. Only John Wooden has more, but Krzyzewski has done it in a very different era of college basketball, spanning an entire generation, running a much longer race to get there in a tournament that has grown from 21 to 32 to 68 teams. It was only five years ago Duke won a national title in this same building with a team that couldn’t have been more different. That team was veteran, experienced, solid, unflashy. This team was young, with a lots of flashy parts—different is so many ways, but similarly well-grounded personally and in fundamentals.

In defense of Wisconsin, I have long thought that the most difficult aspect of tournament basketball is to play a tough, emotionally draining game and turn around two days later and play at that level again. Tonight was a good example. Wisconsin was clearly playing on fumes late in the game. However, after a tough loss some exhausted, disappointed players and coaches should stay away from microphones. Two nights ago it was Kentucky’s Aaron Harrison making an inappropriate racial oxymoron comment. Tonight it was Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan: ”It was a situation where you just have to be able to handle all the hands and the checking. There was more body contact in this game than any game we played all year, and I just feel sorry for my guys that all of the sudden a game was like that, and I think they’re struggling with that a little bit.” Coach Ryan had no problem with the referee’s calls in the scrum when his team closed out Kentucky. An inconvenient truth is that there were bad calls but they were pretty equally distributed and it was two key Duke players who were saddled with foul trouble for much of the game.

I would encourage everyone to watch the post- game press conference with Coach, Quinn, Amile, Tyus, and Grayson. Anyone who listens to what they say about each other, the coaches, and being at Duke has to be impressed. After that, if they still want to spout off about hating Duke like the talking heads on Morning Joe on MSNBC today, they need to think about what they are saying and why. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter, because the players love Duke and, win or lose, we love the players.

Alan adds:

Wisconsin was, in my opinion, heroic. Hats off to a team with heart and smarts. Duke had some luck (including some dicey calls), but also as much (or more) heart, smarts and, in the end, more talent.

As Bill pointed out, I believe the effort against Kentucky caught up with the Badgers in the last part of the fourth quarter. All of a sudden, Duke was playing harder, diving on the floor, and exuding more energy. In the end, the energy that Duke summoned with its very small defense in the last minutes (4 guards + Jefferson) proved the difference. Of course no matter how many stops and steals you get, you still have to score on offense to regain the lead and win. Again, I thought the Badgers were out of energy when Tyus exploded. [He has been so clutch all year that he has gained the nickname Tyus Stones]. Wisconsin could no longer guard the ball screens (Tyus was pretty open for both threes on very simple screen and rolls). Kaminsky didn’t get up to guard him, and his defender went under the screens. Tired. Who could have predicted the impact that Grayson Allen would have on the game? Again, he had more energy than the Badgers could muster. His was a coming out party for next year. K praised Amile and Matt Jones for their superb defense [Grayson should be added; he was guarding 6’10” guys down the stretch]. He has such hops, he can guard bigs on the interior. In spite of the lack of length, Duke played great post defense with its guards.

This was one of Coach K’s finest jobs if not his absolute best. Learning to play really good team defense has been the focus all season long. Dino Gaudio, on TV, said he had been to the Virginia Tech game and Duke simply could not stop the Hokie guards from penetrating at will. Three months later, one of the pundits was describing Duke as one of the all-time best defensive teams. No exaggeration. Duke’s defense in the tournament was simply awesome. The defense was constant no matter which of Duke’s 8 was in the game. The bench contributed especially on the defensive end. Even though Marshall did not score in his 9 minutes (0-2; what was that lefty hook shot in the first half?) nor Matt in his 23 minutes, they played such wonderful defense. Amile had one bucket (on his only shot) in his 21 minutes, he had such an outstanding floor game with steals, blocks and critical rebounds. K said that Amile was better equipped to guard Kaminski because The Tank is not really a center (‘He is like Laettner; he’s just a player.”) and Jah had trouble with him on the perimeter. The keynote for this team was its versatility. They could switch all the screens and swarmed to help on the interior. “8 is enough”.

In spite of the pundits trying to make this a match-up between the two POY candidates. The game deciding question wasn’t whether Kaminski was better than Okafor (only the Duke press officer could have thought that was a contest). The only question (since the game is about teams) is did Duke win? If so, did Okafor’s play help Duke win? A few nice hoops in the first half to hold even, and, in spite of having 4 fouls, two critical goals down the stretch to push the lead to five makes the answer a resounding yes. That was truly the only relevant question about Jah and the Tank.

It is hard to fathom what happened to Dekker. K suggested that Matt Jones and Grayson got up under him and limited his dribble. I didn’t see that so much. I saw him miss (by a mile) pretty open threes that he has been knocking down with regularity during the tournament (especially) and during the season. It was the law of averages plus I think he was drained from his heroic performance against Kentucky and its length.

It was a great Badger season (they had such a tough draw, while Duke was barely tested until the finals). What I loved about Wisconsin is how they played the game and the heart they showed. Duke up eight with over a minute to go; the Badgers were, in my opinion, clearly out of gas. Yet Kaminski nailed a crucial three, they get a stop on Tyus and Hayes scored a duece to make it a one possession game. You have to completely admire the Wisconsin heart.

But this is the Duke Basketball Playbook, and Duke just won the National Championship. So, back to Duke. The championship season and game was a consummate team effort. The Duke backcourt outplayed the Badgers, especially in the second half. Quinn scored 6 (all in the first half) on 3-8 shooting (0-3 from behind the arc) playing a game high 38 minutes (Kaminsky played 39 for the Badgers). His defense was superb and his hustle ignited the younger Devils. He was a great leader by example in the energy and defense department as the game wound down. Tyus played 37 minutes and fully deserved his award. He has, all year, scored when Duke needed him and not when the Devils did not. Tyus had four in the first half. Then in the second half Duke needed him, he delivered in heroic style (7-13; 2-3 from 3land and a crucial 7-7 from the line). Grayson logged 21 minutes (5-8; 1-2 from behind the arc and 5-5 from the line) for 16 points and 2 key rebounds. His energy and defense turned the game. A great story line. His game makes him a crucial piece for next year’s team.

Jah had well documented foul trouble and was only on the court for 22 minutes, scoring 10 on 5-9 shooting. He missed his only foul shot after an amazing hoop, and grabbed 3 boards. It was definitely not Jah’s best game, but as Tyus pointed out, he kept his head and heart in the game. When his number was called he made 2 critical hoops down the stretch.

Justise played 32 minutes, hampered by foul trouble also. His defense was wonderful even though his offense was not up to the standard he had set for himself in this tournament. The Wisconsin defense had something to do with that. He had 11 on 3-9 from the field (1-2 from 3land) and 4-7 from the line. The game was essentially over when he missed the last two foul shots. He has a fantastic upside and evolved into a special player as the season and tournament wore on.

I thought Coach K out coached Bo (who was not elected to the Hall of Fame yesterday). As Bill said, the half-time interview with K was illuminating. Duke committed seven fouls and had its two stars with a pair a piece at the half. Wisconsin had committed only two fouls even though Duke was driving hard. K was adamant that Duke had to draw fouls and not commit fouls. Duke had Wisconsin in the bonus around the ten minute mark. Wisconsin committed 13 fouls in the second half, while Duke committed only 6, keeping the Badgers out of the bonus. There were times that Ryan played into Duke’s hands by remaining in a slow down offense when Wisconsin needed points fast.

It is hard to envision a more satisfying college basketball season for Duke fans. It is to be savored for a long time.

In Conclusion:

After the endowment gift from the Duke family, President William Preston Few had the extraordinary foresight to take Trinity, a small college of the Methodist church, and conceive the vision of a great university then enlisting businessmen, academicians, students, and alumni to fulfill his vision. The foundations of his dream were: a strong academic institution with a religious underpinning , a stunning campus, an extraordinary teaching hospital, and outstanding athletic teams. The new West Campus was constructed in the form of a cross. At the apex of the cross was the magnificent chapel, to the right the library and classrooms leading to the hospital complex; to the left, the student union and dormitories leading to the football stadium. President Few recruited doctors from Johns Hopkins to be the nucleus of the hospital staff and, understanding the national marketing impact of winning teams, Wallace Wade from national champion Alabama to build a football program.

A case can be made that Duke has come further, faster than any Top Ten University. Athletic Director Eddie Cameron was a major catalyst. He had the foresight to see that excellence in athletics was quickest way to attract national attention to a young, ambitious university. In 1930, he hired football coach Wallace Wade away from Alabama following his third national championship with the Crimson Tide. By the mid 1930’s Duke had a powerful football team that attracted national attention and played in the 1938 and 1942 Rose Bowls. From $400,000 of the proceeds of the 1942 Rose Bowl (played at Duke because of concerns about Japanese attacks on the West Coast), Mr. Cameron built Duke Indoor Stadium (fittingly renamed Cameron Indoor Stadium), which was, at the time, the second largest basketball arena (next to the Palestra in Philadelphia) in the East. Fortunately, the legendary two sport star Dick Groat matriculated shortly thereafter and a great basketball tradition was launched.

Legend has it that James Buchannan Duke established the Duke Endowment with $40,000,000 (over $500,000,000 in today’s dollars) after Princeton University turned down his offer of the very generous bequest with the caveat to change the name of the school to Duke University. The gift to Trinity had two caveats: change the name to Duke University (after his father Washington Duke) and build it to look like Princeton.

Whatever the truth, building a campus as beautiful as Duke, establishing rigorous entrance and educational standards, then building nationally ranked football and basketball teams as well as baseball, golf, tennis, and lacrosse were the lynchpins of the meteoric rise of Duke University as an elite institution (Yale on steroids is how one of President Brodhead’s former students characterized the school). It could not have happened without all of these elements –and it would be difficult to maintain that status without preserving a dual excellence in both academics and athletics.

I join Bill in saying what a pleasure our writing has been for us. I have reveled in the effort and enjoyed the camaraderie with a treasured friend (and ex-intramural doubles partner). Thank you for allowing us to share our thoughts with you this season. Next Play.

Farewell Judge Russell

Walter Russell

Walter Russell, college professor, classically trained pianist, scion of the famous Russell family, at ease with people at any level of society, and friend to all who met him was truly a Renaissance Man. But to everyone in harness racing, he was simply “Judge Russell”.

Alabama, Vanderbilt, Peabody, Julliard, Oxford, North Carolina, Georgia College, Georgia Tech, American University, Emory University. It’s a toss-up whether Walter worked at more race tracks or attended and taught at more schools. That is because his love of harness racing was matched only by his intellectual curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Before the proliferation of racing dates, Walter spent the summers at race tracks and the other nine months first earning degrees at renowned colleges and universities, then teaching at them. As the job opportunities and salaries in racing proliferated, he spent more and more time as a racing official.

I met Walter at Rosecroft Raceway in the early 1960’s. He was the Presiding Judge and one of my responsibilities was in the judge’s stand as backup timer and placing judge. Almost immediately, Walter called me W.E., which no one else ever did but he knew that’s what my grandfather’s close friends had called him. That got my attention and as I observed him effortlessly and efficiently manage the judges stand with a firm but (unless challenged) gentile manner, I recognized that this man was someone special. One thing led to another and we quickly became lifelong friends, of whom he had legions. When the Maryland circuit expanded their race dates, Walter moved to Washington and lived across the street from my young family near Georgetown. He became the godfather to my daughter and has always affectionately been called Uncle Walter by my children.

The intervening fifty years have flown by. In 1969, I moved to Winchester, Virginia to start a manufacturing company. While our careers took us in different geographical directions, the dialogue never stopped. After the release of Hemingway’s posthumous biographical book “A Moveable Feast”, Walter referred to me as a Hemingway Man. He never totally explained his reasoning—only offering oblique references to a commonality of interest in sports, competition, rituals, and admiration of grace under pressure.

It has often occurred to me that Hemingway’s book was a very good description of our times together–whether it was a trip to Europe where he almost died in Spain of a misdiagnosed appendicitis or our annual pilgrimages to the Hambletonian or to Lexington or to visit the training centers in the South or just relaxing and telling stories. OK! Listening to Walter tell stories. Walter was Google before Google. He had virtually an encyclopedic memory and recall of every horse, every race, and every person he had encountered on his life’s journey. Wherever we went, Walter seemed to know everyone and their family’s back story.

His stories were classic sitting- on- the- front- porch- at- sundown southern narratives and he could subtly drop a name with the best of them. One evening he casually mentioned that some years ago, he was reading a review of a novel in the Sunday New York Times when he recognized it as a story a classmate at Alabama had told him. Further inquiry revealed the classmate was Harper Lee and the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”. When he taught at Georgia College in Milledgeville, he became good friends with Flannery O’Connor, the renown recluse writer and essayist, and always chuckled when quoting her comment “Anything that comes out of the South is going to be called grotesque by the northern reader, unless it is grotesque, in which case it is going to be called realistic”. A few years ago Walter started to tell a story to Tom Charter’s wife, then said: “Sue, stop me if you have heard this before… (pause)… Tom, I think you’ve heard all my stories. I no longer see any point in us remaining friends!”…followed by his mischievous smile featuring the raising of his eyebrows and warm chuckle. “

Walter was a pushover for my son. On a visit in the 1980’s, I had scored three tickets for Billy to a sold out Bruce Springsteen concert at RFK Stadium in Washington. One of his friends had gotten sick and couldn’t go, so Billy convinced Uncle Walter to go with them. The next day, I asked a bleary eyed Uncle Walter how it went. He said: “It was an interesting experience. It was very loud, couldn’t really hear much singing. Of course, there was a lot of drinking and drugs— not by us– but I got along fine until some boy threw up all over my shoes. I think it was my last rock concert.”

You can take the boy out of the south but you cannot take the south out of the boy. To understand the man Walter was, you have to understand where and by whom he was raised. Sanders, his Hall of Fame father, was the most admirable man I have ever known—he wasn’t called “The Preacher” for nothing. Evelyn, his mother, was a force of nature. After a conversation with her, you know where Walter got his laugh.

And then there is Stevenson, Alabama. Back in the days when President Andrew Jackson was signing over land grants to worthy settlers, Walter’s great, great grandfather had been given a large acreage of farm land just outside of Stevenson. Towering majestically to the rear of the Russell farm is Russell Mountain. Families don’t have whole mountains named after them for no reason. It is because generations of the Russell family had been very civic minded. Active in the church, charities, banking and in all community projects from housing transient TVA workers to adding wings on the hospital, the Russell family leaves much more than a farm and a mountain behind them as their legacy to Stevenson, Alabama.

While we frequently talked on the telephone, the last time I saw Walter was at his induction into the Hall of Fame in Goshen, NY. Since Tom Charters had a meeting to attend, he asked me if I would be sure Walter got to the taping of the Cracker Barrel interview in the library. To my surprise it was just Sam McKee, Kathy Parker, a video tape technician, and me. I was looking for an inconspicuous place to observe the interview when Kathy and Sam suggested I sit at the table next to Walter and be part of the proceedings. The interview went on for well over an hour and a good time was had by all. I have a DVD of the interview which I will always treasure as a wonderful reminder of my lifelong friend.

I am thankful I had the opportunity to meet and be friends with Walter Russell, a man who enriched the lives of me and my family more than I can express.

Duke Basketball Playbook: 2011-2012 Season

Introduction:

My interest and enthusiasm for Duke Basketball is based primarily on the fact that I have many fond memories of my time at The Gothic Wonderland. Following the team on television and seeing the campus somehow reconnects me with those formative years and keeps me connected with longtime friends like Alan. However, it is much more than that. I am a sports fan who enjoys watching games being played the “right way” (respect the game and your opponent, play smart, play hard, play fair, never give up). Duke and Carolina are the two basketball programs which have recruited and played and won more the “right way” for longer than any other Division I school.

Watching these teams over the years, has taught me a lot about the game, about how to compete, and about how to respond to adversity, success and failure. The other major components are the coach and the players. Year in and year out, I marvel at Coach K’s ability to get the most out of his players who are from all socio-economic backgrounds and geographical regions, look and act like other Duke students, and graduate at the same 90% rate. And each year, it is also interesting to watch Coach K manage game situations or fine tune his line-up. Then, there is the enjoyment of following the development not only of the stars like a J.J. Redick, a Jon Scheyer, a Kyle Singler or a Nolan Smith but also the progress and evolution of less gifted players like a Brian Zoubek or a Lance Thomas as they become major contributors– as well as the pride in following the careers of the players after graduation whether it is in the NBA, in coaching, announcing, or in real world jobs.

What to look for this year:

There is little doubt that Duke will be very good in 2011-12. Coach K will soon become the winningest coach in men’s basketball and barring injuries or bad luck, the Blue Devils are likely to extend their string of top national 10 finishes — now at 14 in the last 15 years. But will the Devils be good enough to challenge North Carolina for ACC honors? To make another NCAA Championship run? A lot will depend upon the continued maturation and development of the juniors and Austin Rivers learning there is not an “I” but a “D” in Duke Basketball.

While this team has more talented big men and better depth at guard, it does not have the senior leadership and dependable go-to player as in years past. With the three games played this summer in China and Dubai, we have had a glimpse of what to expect. Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry appear to have made significant improvement in their games– Ryan because he has added weight and muscle to his frame and Seth because he has worked diligently on his point guard skills. It speaks volumes that Seth was chosen as co-captain (along with the Miles and Ryan) as to what Coach K thinks of his attitude, skills, and leadership abilities. Outstanding point guards (Amaker, Hurley, Williams, Duhon, Scheyer) have always been the straw that stirs the drink for Duke’s best teams. The inconsistent Miles Plumlee (MP1), while an imposing physical presence at center, has always had an exuberant “bull in a china shop” quality to his play and Mason Plumlee (MP2) has yet to be the dominant player his athletic talent promises. While neither player threatens Zoubek’s first three year record of fouls per minute, they do seem to commit a foul or two before they ever leave the locker room. That must change. The coaches talk about the big men being more of a focal point of the offense but the blunt truth is that neither Plumlee can create their own shot so is not a threat away from the basket. Other than passing and rebounding, Mason’s scoring went south after Kyrie was injured as his clever passing set up MP2 for easy dunks. Ryan Kelly, who hit 17 shots in a row last year, is the most versatile big man who may be the key to a special year. Since he has gotten bigger, he can play inside/out and can be a very difficult match-up problem for any defender.

With Curry, Dawkins, Rivers, and, sometimes Kelly on the perimeter I don’t anticipate many looks into the post. We know what kind of shooters Curry, Dawkins and Ryan are. That leaves the highly touted Austin (son of Doc) Rivers. I don’t want to make an invidious comparison but from what I have seen he is not as polished or mature a player or as committed a teammate as Kyrie Irving was in his brief career. (Incidentally, Kyrie is at Duke taking classes this semester—at least until the NBA strike is resolved). While a combo guard, Rivers is undoubtedly physically gifted but not necessarily emotionally mature. In the summer games, he appeared petulant when he didn’t get the calls and often was not an enthusiastic defender. Time and coaching should solve those flaws—but a talented, egocentric freshman (ref. Vince Carter) does not endear himself to his teammates and is a tough coaching challenge. Tyler Thornton, who is an adrenalin fix for any lethargic team effort, and a bigger, more confident Josh Hairston will be instrumental role players who can give the starters well needed rests that will keep them fresh for the end of games and the season.

While the other freshmen are a highly rated group none appear ready for Prime Time. Quinn Cook is a talented, pure point guard with an opportunity for major minutes but Curry embarrassed him in the recent Blue-White game and we all know that in Coach K’s universe poor defense is a ticket for a nice view of the game from the bench. Alex Murphy, who has been compared to Kyle Singler (such comparisons are often the kiss of death), Michael Gbinlie, and Marshall Plumlee (MP3) are all talented and promising but probably a year away from making major contributions.

Carolina is a runaway preseason #1 pick as they should be. However, Carolina was a very inconsistent team last year before Kendall Marshall became the starting point guard. Marshall distributes the ball so well (reminds me of Jason Kidd in college) that the other players do not have to create their shot, they just catch and shoot. If a team can neutralize Marshall (Thornton and Cook successfully played against him in high school), UNC is a very different team.

However the season unfolds, it should be another exciting year!

Alan adds:

As all the commentators and, indeed, even Coach K and Bill , have said, this is a team with much potential and much talent, but no one who has even approached fulfilling it…yet. That will be what this season is about. Who fulfills the as yet untapped potential. Most of the talk has been about the offense, but I believe that the litmus test for this team will be how it establishes and grows into its defensive identity. What wasn’t much discussed about the last games in the NCAA tournament, was the impact the insertion of Kyrie into the lineup had on the defense. Duke’s defense is a cohesive team concept, and it was the defense in the second half of both the Michigan and Arizona games that seemed to lose the intensity that had become a season long trade-mark. So, I think that how Coach K melds this group into a ferocious and effective defensive unit will tell the tale about the success of this season. Duke has shot blocking for sure. Given what the starting lineup seems to be, a serious question will be who can match up with the high scoring wings of the opponent? If Duke plays 3 guards, can Dawkins fill that role? Can the perimeter make penetration difficult? Intriguing questions. Both Bill and I think Duke will be better toward the end of the year because there is more need for development of play on both ends, and experimentation with lineups and differing combinations than in past years.

I read, as Bill did, that Seth Curry “embarrassed” the freshman point guard, Quinn Cook in the Blue-White game. I believe that Cook will be a major force at Duke (even if not this year). I saw him play four times in high school last year (on TV) – twice for Oak Hill and twice in All-Star games (both times with Rivers; they were amazing together,). I was very impressed with him on both ends of the court. He is a superb passer and excellent outside shooter. He displayed a great head for the game and for taking over in the clutch. Very impressively, he gets to the rim and is both a tremendous finisher and great on the dish. As optimistic as all are about Seth’s transition to the point, it is a sobering statistic from the August trip that Duke (and also Curry individually) had more turnovers than assists. Cook had (or has, a troubling thought) a knee that was rickety enough to keep him from playing on the August trip. He played only 13 minutes in the Blue-White game, which means it is possible that his defense is still adversely impacted by the injury (that’s the good and the bad news). We should all keep an eye on the point guard play.

I didn’t see last night’s streamed exhibition game, but some interesting observations from the box score are available. Duke won 87-62, but led by only 5 at the half:

1) Duke forced 21 turnovers, including 16 steals; but had only 1 block. Offensively, Duke had 19 turnovers (and 19 assist; Bellarmine had 10 steals. Duke was only 2-14 from behind the arc (Seth 1-6; Dawkins 0-3; Rivers 0-3; Thornton 1-2)

2) Point Guard: Seth took 17 shots in a game-high 31 minutes (Austin was second with 10). 7-17,. Tyler Thornton logged the second most minutes of any Duke player (24) and had 3 assists to one turnover. ; Tyler had 5 points, 2 boards (1 offensive) and 3 steal. Quinn Cook had an interesting line in only 11 minutes: 2-2 from the field (driving layup highlighted in the DBR report), 1-2 from the line, 5 assists against a turnover and 2 steals. I repeat in 11 minutes. Seth in 31 minutes had 18 points, 5 assists against 3 turnovers and 2 steals. He had 3 assists against 1 turnover.

3) Bigs and freshman wings: Bellarmine was very under sized, so no real conclusions (or even tentative conclusions) can really be drawn. Mason was 8-8 w 9 boards (3 offensive) in 23 minutes. But Mason has no assists and 3 turnovers, which are somewhat troubling stats. He had Duke’s only block. Brother Miles played 20 minutes, 4-6 from the floor with 8 boards (1 offense). Kelly, who did not start (Alex Murphy did, along with Rivers, Curry and the two elder Plumlees), was 3-6 from floor and 4-5 from the line in 23 minutes. Only 1 board is the troubling stat. Hairston and Murphy played 15 and 13 minutes respectively while Gbinije logged 7 minutes. (5 points among them; Gbinije had 3) (Marshall did not play, suggesting a red shirt may be coming, and that Bill is correct that these three freshman, (and I add Hairston) are at least a year away from contributing.

4) Dawkins and Austin: Dawkins played only 15 minutes and was 1-5 (0-3 from behind the arc). He also had 2 defensive boards to go with an assist and a steal. Underwhelming; I wonder if there is an underlying story. Austin is still the enigma that will be really important in how the team grows. He started and logged 19 minutes. He was 5-10 (including 0-3 from deep) and 3-4 from the line for 13 points on 10 shots. He had 3 offensive boards and 1 defensive rebound to go with 1 assist and 3 turnovers. DBR reports some immature antics.

I am really excited about the season for many of the reasons that Bill expressed so eloquently in his first paragraphs. There will be highs and lows (as always), and the schedule early on is as difficult as that of any team in the country. Duke’s normally fast start (has Duke ever lost in November?) might not happen this year, but don’t abandon ship. This will be a terrific hoops year.

DUKE – SHAW AND THE PRE-SEASON

The pre-season is over and Jim Sumner’s posting on DBR covers most of what I was going to write. However, I did see the game in 3-D on GoDuke.com, so I will add some observations:

Depending on the strengths and weaknesses of an opponent, there will be more fluid and flexible rotation of starters and players from game to game and situation to situation. Ryan Kelley is most versatile player with the highest basketball IQ. The question is whether he can maintain his strength and energy for thirty some games? Seth Curry is a close second and one of the keys to the season. I hope I’m wrong, but my feeling is that Austin Rivers is talented but overhyped (If he is thinking “one and done”, he better be prepared to play overseas). Austin does not have a fundamentally sound three point shot nor is he a dependable free throw shooter—but he has shown much more interest in playing defense; Andre “Microwave” Dawkins may be most effective coming off the bench firing threes (he had three in a row last night) against a zone; Quinn Cook is the most talented point guard but needs to be a better defender; Mason Plumlee, a terrific rebounder, has developed a nice
jump hook to go with his dunk and creative passing—otherwise his offense is limited; Miles is strong and enthusiastic but still inconsistent; Tyler Thornton is a high energy APP for short periods; the rest are spot players until a freshman develop more confidence. Marshall Plumlee (MP3) has not made an appearance in either exhibition game so it appears he has been given a Red Shirt.

The defense has to get better as Shaw pretty much shredded the pressing man-to-man last night. But the thing that worries me the most is free throw shooting. Over the decades, one key to Coach K’s almost 1,000 wins has been good free throw shooting– particularly at the end of games. This team has not demonstrated that trait. You don’t want MP1 or MP2 shooting when the game on the line but one of two needs to be in the game at the end, Kelly is reliable but only an average ball handler, you want the ball in Rivers hands because he can break down an opponent but has not indicated he can shoot any number close to 80%, Thornton is statistically the best but not a starter, Curry is solid, and Dawkins is good but not a natural ball handler. So, defense and free throw shooting will determine the degree of success for this season.

Sumner:

Exhibition games serve a lot of purposes. But the most important is finding out about your team in a non-competitive situation. Of course, few things about Duke Basketball are non-competitive, certainly not games with another bunch of guys wearing jerseys with different names on them.

But there was a lot of getting-to-know-you in Duke’s scrimmage wins over Bellarmine (87-62) and Shaw (80-66). There’s a lot being made in both the local and national media about the loss of Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and Kyrie Irving. These are not negligible losses. A Final Four Most Outstanding Player, an ACC Player of the Year and the first pick in an NBA draft. Not a lot of precedents for that.

But Mike Krzyzewski has been down this road before; 1987, following the loss of Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie and David Henderson; 2000, following the loss of Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon, William Avery and Corey Maggette, the Williams-Dunleavy-Boozer class, the Redick-Williams-Dockery class. Somehow Duke seems to reload rather than rebuild. Talent has a lot to do with it. Duke has recruited at least one prep All-American every class since Dawkins and Alarie came in the fall of 1982.

But there’s more to it than that. Clemson coach Brad Brownell was asked about this last month in Charlotte. His response was almost zen-like. When it’s someone’s time at Duke, they’re ready. When it’s Ryan Kelly’s time, he’s ready. When it’s Seth Curry’s time, he’s ready.” You get the drift.

So, whose time is it? What do we know about Duke that we didn’t know two weeks ago? Depends on whether you’ve been paying attention. There’s been lots of talk on the Duke boards about Duke’s starting lineup, emphasis on the singular. But I suspect we’ll see a much more fluid dynamic this season, with players moving in and out of the lineup, up and down in the rotation, depending on a lot of variables. Playing-time-is-earned-not-given is coaching-cliche 101. But in Duke’s case, it’s a cliche supported by three decades of meritocracy. It really does work that way at Duke. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Nine different players started during Duke’s 1991 season, as Krzyzewski replaced three senior starters from the season before. We all know how that turned out.

None of this is to suggest that we should expect a well-oiled machine at this point in the season and we certainly haven’t seen one. Freshman Alex Murphy started against Bellarmine and was the 11th player off the bench against Shaw. Andre Dawkins came off the bench against Shaw, made four-of-five three pointers in the first half, got the starting nod in the second half and promptly went scoreless. We’ve seen lineups with all three point guards, we’ve seen lineups with only one guard and pretty much everything in between. Think master chef tinkering in the kitchen.

Duke’s opponents didn’t exactly roll over. Bellarmine won the D-2 national championship last season, while Shaw captured the CIAA Tournament. Both are experienced, tournament-tested teams. Both made Duke look vulnerable at times, confused and tentative. At this point, Mike Krzyzewski seems more interested in process than results. He stated that he thought Duke played better than the
score against Shaw. “We got the ball inside and got to the line. We left a lot of points on the floor. We’ve got to complete plays. We played fine. We have to be more efficient.”

Getting to the foul line was an adventure. Duke shot an abysmal 11-24 from the line. Krzyzewski says he isn’t concerned. “I don’t make too much of it. First, you’ve got to get to the line. I have confidence we’ll shoot it well.” Note that Duke was a solid 17-23 from the line against Bellarmine.

There certainly were some positives in the two wins. Duke seems serious about using its size. Duke’s bigs scored 42 points against Bellarmine, 41 against Shaw, 83 of the 167 total points.

And that was with Miles Plumlee struggling against Shaw, shooting only 4-10. “I was pretty frustrated,” Plumlee said. “I had a few opportunities to make things go my way and I made weak plays instead of strong plays. You only get so many opportunities in a game to start a rhythm.”

But Brother Mason went 6-6 from the field, including a trio of sweet jump hooks. Krzyzewski says he expects more of the same. “Our guys are passing the ball to the bigs and we have good stuff called for the bigs. It’s got to be a strength of ours.”

Freshman Austin Rivers came in for special praise from Krzyzewski, but not just for his offense. “He did a good job on [Tony] Smith. He took what was there [on offense] and used his defense for energy.”

Krzyzewski acknowledged that it took Duke some time to figure out Shaw. Duke led only 34-29 with 7:30 left in the first half. “They have a pair of guards who are really good. They’re older and experienced and can really handle the ball. We started keeping people in front of us. We stepped in more aggressively. Our defense the last 24 minutes was very good.”

Krzyzewski has stated on numerous occasions that this Duke team can score the ball but needs to prove it can stop the other team. Tyler Thornton got a start against Shaw for just that reason. ‘Seth has to be our point guard. We started Tyler for defense not ball handling. Seth is going to have the ball in his hands.”

Curry had 30 points and ten assists in the two games.

Thornton and freshman Quinn Cook combined for zero points in 29 combined minutes, although they did contribute four assists, three by Cook. Cook had five assists against Bellarmine, eight total assists in 24 minutes. But his defense is nowhere near that of Thornton and Duke needs that defense right now.

Duke also struggled from long range. Excluding Dawkins’ first half against Shaw, Duke is 5-30 on three-pointers in the two exhibition games. Ryan Kelly didn’t start either game but played 23 effective
minutes off the bench in both, totaling 25 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block and 3 steals. Kelly says things are coming along. “We’re figuring out what we’re supposed to do. It’s getting better every day. It got better today from where we were in the exhibition game Saturday. It’s steps forward and that’s all we can ask.”

Notes.

•Mason Plumlee completed the exhibition season 14-14 from the field, with 30 points, 17 rebounds and a pair of blocks.

•Mike Krzyzewski said no decision had been made on Marshall Plumlee, indicating that the youngest Plumlee brother wouldn’t play much this season. He might not play unless there is a significant injury in the post rotation.

•Duke never trailed against Shaw and faced only a 2-0 deficit against Bellarmine.

DUKE – BELMONT

Belmont is a mid-major of lightly recruited players who stay for four years, listen to their coach, practice their threes, and play a very good game of team basketball. So, they fly under the radar dominating a minor conference and winning games by 17 points. Consequently, they are not a team you want to meet in the NCAA tournament as Duke learned in 2008 when Gerald Henderson went coast to coast in the last few seconds to avoid a second first round flame out.

Tonight Duke started slowly but led by nine at the half. They were up by 16 with only about ten minutes to go when the Blue Devils seemed less intense or over confident or just plain fatigued by the Belmont’s ten man rotation. Whatever the reason, Belmont started hitting threes, Duke started making bad, sloppy offensive decisions, playing less intensely on defense, and making too many turnovers. Suddenly, it was a one point game with less than a minute to go. Curry, who on the previous possession went to the basket too soon for a turnover, tried again, went up for a contested jump shot but at the last second dumped the ball back behind the three point line to Andre Dawkins ( who was 0-4 from there). He drained as pure a clutch three as you will ever see. Belmont got a quick score. Ryan Kelly sealed the win by making two foul shots, putting Duke up by four. Clark hit a meaningless 3-point prayer at the buzzer.

Curry (16 points, 4 assists) had a heady game until he appeared to tire from the Belmont pressure. Mason Plumlee (13 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists) was a monster on the boards and appears to have developed a go-to offensive move (a hook shot with either hand) to go with his dunk. I don’t know why more big men don’t utilize it. This is the shot that kept Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul- Jabber) playing in the NBA until he was about sixty. Ryan Kelly (12 points, 6 rebounds) was his usual efficient self. However, it was Tyler Thornton (10 points, 3 steals), who again was the catalyst for so many good things happening and just plays himself into more minutes and right into your heart. That leaves Austin Rivers (16 points). Maybe it is just my reaction to all the hype, maybe it is him saying he wants LeBron James one on one, but I just don’t see all the exceptionalism others do– he is not yet even the best or most valuable player on the Duke squad. Memo to Austin: You are not high school any more, that was last year. This is the ACC. Sure, you can shake and bake and break your man down but then what? Then, if you run into a forest on big men pull up for a floater, or if you don’t get a call, don’t just throw up a prayer, pass to an open man. To his credit, Austin’s body language and defense is much improved over that on the China trip so coaching appears to be having an impact.

Over the years, we have been spoiled because we have had a go-to player—most recently, JJ, Scheyer, Nolan Smith—who could be counted upon to protect a lead. But they did it with good ball handling and making free throws, not NBA threes. Threes are great but in the last seconds, free throws are a better bet.

Alan adds:

Midway through the second half with Duke up by 16, the lady I was with went to sleep. She must have been channeling Austin Rivers, who went to sleep at about the same time. Unlike Austin, my lady awoke at the right time. Gracias! (Editor: So, you thought Alan was just a basketball geek.)

Belmont looked like a terrific team for this early in the year. They played smart cohesive basketball against a Duke team that had greater size and more highly rated talent. It was a very even game. Duke had 33 boards (11 offensive); Belmont had 33 (10 offensive); Duke had 14 assists; Belmont 15; Duke had 8 steals; Belmont 9; Duke had 19 turnovers; Belmont 17; Duke had 2 blocks; Belmont 1; Duke shot 43% (47.4 from 3) and Belmont shot 47.4% (but only 31.6 from 3 because of their miserable first half). Duke won the game at the foul line 20-26 versus Belmont’s 16-22. If Belmont is not as good as they appeared last night, Duke is in for a long season, but I think Belmont is that good.

Mason, of course, had a monster game and really was the dominant player on the floor – especially in the second half. He is a rebounder. It will be interesting to see if he can do the same against quality bigs, like Henson and Zeller of UNC. Doris Burke was singing his praises and actually proving herself a very perceptive commentator. After that, it was a pretty mixed bag. Great plays and turnovers; good defensive stands and then sieve like defense–a paragon to inconsistency. Duke gave up a ton of open looks in the last part of the second half. Very un-Duke like. Seth was clutch at times but had 3 turnovers and does not give confidence when he has the ball. Duke’s point guard play was not that of an elite team. Quinn Cook looked awful on defense in his 8 minutes (missed both shots and committed a foul). Thornton looked the best, but even he seemed out of sync on defense at the end of the game, where his defense kept putting Belmont on the line (and eventually Thornton on the bench with 5 fouls). Duke played essentially a 7 man rotation (Thornton 24 minutes before fouling out and Miles 17 minutes); very thin for this time of the year, and Belmont made Duke pay, looking much fresher down the stretch. Dawkins was almost a no-show in 21 minutes, until he buried that clutch three from very deep. What a shot! But where was he before that?

Now, about Austin. He looked terrific in the first half. He was visibly the best player on the floor, and then it was as if he went to sleep in the last part of the game. He had 5 turnovers against 1 assist (which came in the first half). I thought his defense went very south toward the end, and his offense was exuberant, but horribly inefficient. Coach K is banking the season on Austin. I say that because he logged 38 minutes (Mason 35), but I fear he fatigued (and may not be in great shape after a summer of international ball). Whatever it was (is), his development will be the bell weather for this team. He was 3-9 from the floor (2-4 from 3 and 8-10 from the line – 7-8 in the first half), which means he was 1-5 from inside the arc. 5 turnovers is a significant figure for a team that has not jelled in the backcourt…yet.

A quick turnaround for this afternoon’s game. Unfortunately, I won’t see it live (driving to Boston for a family event), but will anxiously await Bill’s analysis. What an exciting first game.

DUKE – PRESBYTERIAN

As expected, Duke hammered Presbyterian for Coach K’s win number 902 tying him with Bobby Knight for the most wins by a men’s college basketball coach. It is rather incredible that two men so closely associated with each other hold that record. As sports fans, we are so very fortunate to have witnessed most of his victories and championships.

While the game was a blow out, I thought there were some interesting aspects:

Mason (MP2) continues to play with more offensive confidence around the basket demonstrating patience and fakes to create openings for his impressive, soft right and left handed jump hooks. However, his free throw percentage is a Wilt the Stilt or Shaq level embarrassment and might be costly in close games.
Curry and Kelly are the most efficient players on the team.MP1, the biggest and best athlete on the team, feasted on an undersized front line.
After hitting the crucial three last night against Belmont, Dawkins sort of became invisible as is his want from time to time.
Quinn Cook (10 points, 2 assists) is beginning to look more like the talented point guard he is expected to be.
Tyler Thornton (2 points & 2 assists) had an atypical quiet outing, but then nothing more was needed.
Marshall Plumlee (MP3) again did not make a playing appearance so he apparently is being red shirted but it has had no discernible effect on his interest in the action or enjoyment of his brothers’ performances.
As my buddy Pete in Durham points out, all the players are nice quiet kids and except for Tyler Thornton, who is a role player, there is no vocal leader or go-to player on the team.
The most interesting development was that for the most of the game, Austin Rivers’ body language was much improved and he was playing Duke basketball– and it had nothing to do with how many points he scored. Austin was his usual aggressive, slashing self, but he was picking his spots rather than forcing the issue and he was playing hard on defense all the time. The impression was that he looked like he enjoyed playing with his teammates as he has five assists (including passing up an uncontested layup to give a trailing MP2 a slam dunk) and no turnovers. However, what I thought most encouraging was his spontaneous, joyous towel waving celebration with all the other players on the bench when Mason drove the base line, went under the basket and made one of his patented no look, back to the basket, two handed reverse dunks, which just about blew the roof off Cameron.

Alan was travelling and did not see the game.

DUKE – MICHIGAN STATE

On the night that Coach K won his record breaking 903^rd game, it was fitting that Robert Montgomery Knight, his mentor, and Jay Bilas, one of his first high profile recruits at Duke, were the two commentators. If you were fortunate enough to watch the telecast, you learned not only a lot about how to coach and play the game of basketball but why Michael Krzyzewski has been so successful.

It is fitting that the opponent for this historic game was Michigan State and their fine coach, Tom Izzo, because his teams always play hard and tough and any win is well deserved. Consequently, the game itself was not a masterpiece but it was the kind of gritty victory that great coaches win when their offense is only hitting on two or three cylinders. In the first half, Dawkins and Curry kept the Blue Devils in the game by scoring 23 of the 31 points. In the second half, Kelly was a major matchup problem and the defense was a lot tougher down low. The much talked about low post scoring was virtually non-existent but Dawkins (26 pts), Curry (20 pts) and Kelly (14 pts) hit 10 of 16 three point shots and 19 of 22 free throws to carry the offense with 60 of the 74 points. This is not exactly a balanced attack.

The talented Mr. Dawkins had a Garden Party (one literary and one musical allusion in eight words) firing beautiful, accurate rainbows, demonstrating why two years ago, I referred to him as “My Man Andre” because I thought he had one of the best three point strokes I had ever seen and that he also had the athletic talent to be a real star. Unfortunately, we have only seen flashes of that talent but not on a consistent basis. Well, undoubtedly he read my blog on the Presbyterian game (“After hitting the crucial three point shoot last night against Belmont, Andre Dawkins sort of became invisible as is his want from time to time.”) but Rivers (1-7) didn’t ( “He was picking his spots rather than forcing the issue…. He looked like he enjoyed playing with his teammates.”)

Curry (20 pts) had a team high 7 rebounds to go with 4 steals, 4 assists, and 1 steal to prove once again that you don’t have to be flashy to be very effective.

Duke won despite a few too many knucklehead plays and by the Plumlees: Mason made three ticky-tack fouls including a technical and Miles an inexplicable technical at an inopportune time.

Austin (5 pts) had a “Freshman in the Garden” night with some ill-advised drives. In addition, with Duke up three and only seven seconds to go in the first half (a classic opportunity for a drive, kick and three at the buzzer– how many times have we seen it), Austin drove the lane, was stripped, giving Michigan State time for a quick two in transition to cut the Duke lead to one point. So, it was a potential 4 or 5 point turnaround. That kind of error often can be the difference in a game.

It may sound like piling on but the fact is Duke’s lead went on a 18-1 run in five minutes of the early part of the second half when Austin Rivers was on the bench and there was better ball movement. (There is a statistic on the +/- score differential when a player is in a game. In the pros, Shane Battier is at the top of that statistical pyramid.)
While who finishes a game is more important that who starts, Duke is just a lot more difficult to defend and plays a lot smarter and more sufficiently when Ryan Kelly is in the game for MP1. As Jay Bilas commented, he is a European type big
A score of interest: #10 Memphis beat Belmont 97-81 tonight.

Listening to interviews with Jay Bilas, Grant Hill, Shane Battier as well as seeing Bobby Hurley, Jayson Williams, Carlos Boozer, Chris Duhon, Elton Brand, and Mike Dunleavy at the game just reminds me why I have so much pride in Duke Basketball.

Alan adds:

It was a glorious night for Coach K and for Duke hoops. I, however, don’t think we should yet get too puffed up about this team (nor down on it). The ebbs and flows of the game were striking and showed a lot about where Duke is right now. Amazingly inconsistent. Michigan State was horrible offensively until the last five minutes (which began to remind me of the ’92 game against Indiana in the NCAA semi-finals). Michigan missed so many shots in close, and many in the early going were pretty open. Duke’s interior defense improved as the game went on. Mason especially got the hang of interior defense later in the game after being backed down and out toughed earlier.

It is worth talking about Mason a little, since his offensive game was not very efficient. [But, how about that fabulous pass to Kelly for a dunk; and the running right handed hook; ah potential!]. Defensively, he began to make it very hard for the Spartans to get open looks in close. Duke’s defense is still not up to Coach K standards, but Mason really anchored the back line last night, and should get large credit for that. He played 32 minutes and 5 big defensive boards. It was not a stellar night for him, but how he develops will have a lot to say about how this team develops.

Duke got hammered on the boards early, and stemmed the tide when the guards started rebounding and making life difficult for the State bigs after they had first grabbed the ball. Thornton is a master at that. Duke had only 4 offensive boards and I don’t remember a single put back point (for a team with 3 guys 6’10” or taller). Seth and Andre had 1 more rebound combined (10: 7 for Seth) than did the Plumlees (9; Miles 4). The lone senior on the team, and concededly an excellent athlete, is playing himself out of minutes on the court. He played only 14 minutes (3 fouls; 2 turnovers and 2 of the 4 offensive boards).

Duke had a new “Big Three” last night. As Bill points out, Seth, Andre and Ryan played hard and efficiently. Kelly had an even better game than his stat line. He is fun to watch because he knows and understands the game so well. He was 3-3 from the floor; 2-2 from 3; and 6-6 from the line. That’s 14 points on 3 field goal attempts. He had 4 boards, a block and an assist with only 2 fouls and 2 two turnovers. It seems to me he is the real deal as an all around player. He is improving on defense. He and Curry are the most consistent and efficient of the Duke players.

Bill has gushed about Dawkins, who had a superb night (not just shooting). He had 3 rebounds; 4 steals and 0 turnovers to go with 8-15 from the floor (6-10 from 3); 6-6 from the line and some very solid defense (in the second half, especially). He did that (or something like that) against Bradley last year for what turned out to be a flash in the pan. If he can play like he did last night, Duke will be really good. He won’t shoot like that every night, but if he remains a constant scorer and threat, and plays with that kind of intensity, he will have a star year. It is way too early to jump on that bandwagon, given his history. But, he has all the tools and seems to have matured into a K-type player. K must think so too, since Andre played 38 minutes last night. Stay tuned.

Seth was simply a star. He was the glue. I was completely comfortable with the ball in his hands as the game went on last night. He also logged 38 minutes and did some clutch foul shooting (10-12). He took only 7 shots (compared to 15 for Dawkins) and scored 20 points (4-7; 2-5 from 3; means 2-2 from inside the arc) to go with his 7 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals and a block. Three turnovers, but he played some overall floor game. 20 points on 7 shots is efficient. It seems to me that he will be the leader of this team.

Josh Hairston had a nice 5 minutes and it seemed to me that when he entered the game in the first half, Duke stopped being mauled on the boards. Bill has accurately assessed Austin’s frustration (think Harrison Barnes for the early part of last year). He obviously has the tools, and I do note that his offensive woes (huge) did not adversely affect his improving defense. He played 23 minutes to Tyler’s 18, but it seemed clear that Duke was a better team when Thornton was the third guard for all the reasons Bill pointed out.

Four players played 30 minutes or more. The rotation was 7 (not counting Cook’s 2 minutes nor Hairston’s 5), with Miles, Thornton and Rivers supporting the four. Maui will certainly be interesting, as will be the development of this team throughout the season. A real challenge for Coach K, but he has had some middling success before.

DUKE – DAVIDSON

Concern that this might be ‘Trap Game” because it came just two days after the physical, emotional 903 game with Michigan State (and the fourth game in eight days) against an experienced, well coached, and underrated opponent was confirmed when Davidson led 32-31 at the half. Fortunately, it has been all too familiar script these last few years of two distinctly different halves. One of the reasons Coach K has won 4 National Championships and 13 ACC Titles is to understand how and why he schedules his November and December games the way that he does. His strategy is to prepare his team for a long campaign and part of part of that concept involves his Army boot camp training. Namely, to prepare his teams mentally and physically for two single elimination tournaments in a row when you face a variety of opponents with only a day or two of rest, you need to be drilled to be ready for all kinds of fatigue and adversity. Belmont and Davidson are similar to Butler in that they are mid-level programs, which have recently surprised higher profile teams in the NCAA Championship. So, he wants to give his players the experience of playing against disciplined teams which rely on finesse rather than athleticism and physicality. And, with the three point line, these kinds of teams are very dangerous in close games. In addition, Davidson coach Bob McKillop is a very fine coach whom he respects. In these early contests, Coach K also wants to determine whom he can depend upon for his rotation once the serious ACC season starts.

As we anticipated, Ryan Kelly started for MP1 but pulled a Plumlee by getting two fouls in two minutes and was replaced by (surprise) Josh Hairston. That foreshadowed a slow start as the Blue Devils defense allowed Davidson not only to penetrate but also to have open threes, which kept the game too close for comfort for much too long. Predictably, Duke started the second half with much more defensive intensity and, as we know, good Duke defense usually leads to offensive momentum and patented Duke runs. The Plumlees fueled the run with MP2 (16 pts & 13 rebounds) rebounding and firing a Wes Unseld type two handed overhead pass far down court to a streaking MP1 for a rim shaking reverse jam, which made the Crazies et al shake Cameron.

Some observations:

While there is no one “go-to-guy” as in years past, this team appears to be more “Go-to-by- Committee”. Except for the Michigan State game, where Dawkins was sensational (tonight he was uninspired and unimpressive (5 points in 20 minutes), there has been no one dominate player but rather a number of players contributing in a variety of ways.
One of the reasons the game was closer for longer than necessary was that Duke missed 11 free throws and despite a decided size advantage, only outrebounded Davidson 32-31. However, they did force 17 turnovers and had 9 steals.
Austin Rivers (17 points & 4 turnovers) was more productive because he was much more judicious about and in control of his drives; however, Davidson does not have the size or athleticism of top twenty tier teams.
So far, Curry (17 points & 2 assists) is the steadiest and most reliable performer both on and off the ball.
Quinn Cook continues to improve and impress in all aspects of the game—and he is a solid at the line so I suspect we will see him on the floor (with Kelly as the lone big man) at the end of games. For sure, I don’t think we will see MP2 as he was 2-6 tonight and 40% for the season. MP1 (10 points, 4 rebounds) was 6-6.
Former Davidson All American Stephen Curry, now playing with the San Francisco Warriors, watched from behind the Wildcats’ bench wearing a customized basketball jersey with Davidson on the front and the back a Duke jersey with his brother’s name and number.
Mike Breen, a refugee from the Don Imus Morning Show and presently the New York Knicks announcer, and Doris Burke, a former player at Providence College who really does her homework, were again the announcers. They are a good team.

Alan adds:

For a variety of reasons, I was derelict in my blogging duties yesterday but I will schedule better for Maui.

Two or three items popped out from a review of the box score. First (and you mentioned it) is the 12 minutes that Cook played, scoring 9 points, including 4-5 from the foul line. How did he appear as an on the ball defender in those 12 minutes? [Bill: Much improved.] If he can defend, he will be a force, as I have previously written. Second, Miles played only 17 minutes (with an excellent stat line) because he collected 4 fouls in that short span. We need Zoubek as an assistant coach. Finally, you can see K’s reliance on the development of Austin. He played 38 minutes (Curry 34, his best player, played less).

On to Hawaii!

DUKE – TENNESSEE

Tennessee reminds me of the St. Johns teams that used to give Duke a lot of problems—athletic players all of whom could put the ball on the floor and get to the basket as well as rebound surprisingly well for their size. That is what the Vols did for most of the first half. As distressing as that was, Duke’s strategy was first to defend three, which they did with great success. For the first time in 461 games, Tennessee, a team that has been average 13 threes a game, had none; Duke had 7. Do the math. It’s very difficult to beat a good team without hitting threes.

Once Austin Rivers (18pts) gave up making drives to nowhere and the Blue Devils achieved more ball movement, offensive balance (and defensive pressure) carried the day. In the second half Rivers, whose first step is his calling card, pulled up on his drives rather than trying to get to the rim and hit several very pretty tear-drop floaters over interior defenders. Kelly (17 pts), Curry (17 pts), Dawkins (10pts), and Mason all did their part while MP1 had very productive muscular minutes (especially on defense) in relief of Kelly.

As in years past, this team is relentless in wearing other teams down with tough defense and winning by a war of attrition. The difference is that they have more size in the front court and more depth overall.

Playbook observations:

Austin Rivers is still a work in progress. He was 6-for-15 from the field and made too many novice turnovers but was much more efficient in the second half.
Mason Plumlee (13 rebs, 8 pts) is not only an elite rebounder and effective shot blocker, he also alters a lot of shots, a statistic that does not appear in the game summary. His offense is better but is it also a work in progress.
Ryan Kelly is a very versatile “Moneyball” player–one who quietly does a lot of things that makes his teammates much better. He worked on the block in a couple of isolating situations, crashed the glass, and even had a great alley-oop bucket.
Ever notice how after a timeout, Duke often scores off a set play
I disagree with Alan on Rivers. I believe that for this team to get to the next level, Austin must buy into the total team concept and realize that his teammates are just as talented—even more so in some ways (like three point shooting) as he is– and realize that he does not have to carry this team, just be part of it.

Alan adds:

Tennessee was a fun game to watch. It was really a tale of different halves even though Duke scored almost the same amount in each half (39 in the first half for 77 total). Duke played really well in the last 15 minutes of the game, I thought. In the first half, Duke hung in on 3 point shooting (6-10 with Austin 2-2 toward the end; Dawkins 2-2 and goals from Seth and Ryan). Tennessee got to the rim too easily both from the perimeter and the interior. Though Duke had only 2 blocks (Cook and Miles), the interior defense altered a lot of close-in shots, as it did against Michigan State. Austin saved an unimpressive first half with his two threes near the end. It gave him 3-9 in the first half, meaning that he was 1-7 from inside the arc, and was not only not finishing, but not really getting close on his drives. The Plumlees were 3-9 from the line (Duke 7-14).

In the second half, Duke was 1-8 from 3, but 12-19 inside the arc and 11-13 from the free throw line. Really efficient offensive basketball without the 3 point shot. I thought Austin completely turned his game around, and was an unstoppable force going to the basket. He made Tennessee change its defense and he kept them in foul trouble (they had 4 players with 4 fouls and committed 6 more fouls than Duke. I believe K understands that this team depends on Austin’s development. Look at the shots taken: Austin 15; Seth 10 (five makes including 2-4 from 3), Ryan 9 (2-6 from 3, meaning he was 3-3 inside the 3); Dawkins 7 (2-3 inside the line and 2-4 from 3). Only Austin is not shooting a terrific percentage. Seth, Dawkins and Kelly were 14-26 (5-14 from 3). Austin was 6-15. He missed 2 from behind the arc in the second half but was an efficient 3-4 on some splendid drives and pull ups from inside the arc. He is an amazing first step penetrator (reminding me of Grant Hill in that regard). When (not if) his outside shot comes, he will be a wonderful asset to this team. His upside is enormous. I think I am more of a fan of his than Bill is.

Mason is growing before our eyes. Even his blunders are wonderful efforts that ask too much of himself at this point in the year, but if he keeps at it (and I believe K will encourage him), he can develop into an offensive force near the basket. He’s not quite there, but again, because his upside appears to be so high, so is this team’s. Curry and Dawkins had wonderful floor games in addition to being offensively efficient. Seth is clearly team leader, glue, and is developing a smooth and reliable game with his shooting, passing, driving and above all defending.

Duke was much better defensively in the second half. They did a better job switching and closing off some of the perimeter penetration. The defense is still not there yet, but with these athletes, the defense is yet another work in progress with a high upside. Tyler is pure energy and gives a life when he comes in, but fouled out in 14 minutes. The bench is Tyler and Miles (17 effective minutes). If we could just give Miles a new set of hands; he has everything else. Cook played 8 energetic minutes and impresses me (I have admitted a bias in his favor before). He’s a pure point guard. In 8 minutes he was 1-3 from the floor; had 2 defensive rebounds, a block, an assist and a steal (also a turnover, which I think came on a drive). He is secure with the ball in his hands.

Michigan tonight will be interesting, given how Duke’s defense was shredded by Michigan in the last 10 minutes of their second round NCAA matchup last year. Beilein had Michigan looking impressive last night in knocking off #10 Memphis. This game will be a challenge for sure.

DUKE – MICHIGAN

Bill is absent (but with leave), and did not want the description of such a superb basketball game to wait until he and his computer reunited. We talked after the game and he asked me to file for both of us. So while it is “Alan Adds”, the analysis also includes (without separating) Bill’s analysis. We were talking as Coach K was being interviewed after the game. The first thing we agreed upon (and said it moments ahead of K) was that this wasn’t just a very good college basketball game, this was simply a great game, played with ferocious intensity, great skill, and basketball wisdom. It was two teams really slugging it out physically and intellectually. As Coach K said, Kansas outplayed Duke in the first half, and Duke turned it around in the second half, outplaying Kansas. The turnaround was the emotional maturing of Mason and Ryan Kelly in terms of toughness.

In the first half, Kansas outmuscled, outhustled, and out sped Duke. Duke was only down by four at the half, but both Bill and I (we also talked at half time) thought Duke was lucky to be so close, and that the difference in quality of play was not as close as the score indicated. Kelly’s shooting was a bit off; Kansas defense was outstanding. Duke could not crack the Kansas perimeter and was being tested and bested in the interior. Even more disquieting was the ease with which Duke’s perimeter defense was beaten off the ball. Yet, there was determined resistance. The Plumlees and Kelly didn’t give up inside, though they were losing the battle. Duke’s outside shooting kept the team in the game. Mason gave some inside offensive presence. But Kansas had clearly knocked Duke back with its intensity. Perhaps the telling point was in the first half, Kansas owned the foul line. Duke’s lack of on the ball defense allowed the penetration that gave Kansas an easy basket or put them on the line. Duke was shooting from deep, and not getting to the line.

All that changed in the second half, in a dramatic way. This is coaching. This is team character. This is heart. This was Mason stepping up to have a complete game; his best since coming to Duke. He didn’t do it on great feeds from Kyrie (as in his high scoring games last year); he did it with post moves and (are you ready for this) proficiency from the line. Mason’s 17 points came on 7-9 foul shooting as well as 5-10 shooting from the floor (including the full court lay-in that was athletically awesome for a 6’10 power guy). He turned the fouling and inside game around, commanding the boards and defending Robinson really well. He had 12 boards (5 offensive). While he had great help from Ryan Kelly (36 minutes), who was named the MVP of the tournament, it was Mason who transformed the Duke team in the second half. Kelly also scored 17 points and played a terrific floor game, handling the ball, making good passes, defending, and rebounding. He deserved the award for the tournament; Mason for the game. He was on the court for 37 minutes. He had four turnovers and committed 3 fouls, all offensive. You could see his determination to give Duke the inside offensive presence needed to give Duke an added dimension.

Though the bigs stole the Duke show from the guards last night, the guards deserve much praise, especially on the defensive end. Duke played its best defense of the season by far in the second half. The switching was smooth, and the Kansas penetration was met with fierce determination and partial success. Even though Curry was kept in check, his steadiness and defense demonstrated how valuable he is even when not scoring. He had 10 points (2-4 from 3) in 36 scintillating minutes. Dawkins defended stoutly and hit a key shot at the end. With Duke trailing 60-58, he hit a deep three to start the Duke 10-0 run, which finished the game. He played 34 minutes. Austin was productive and kept Duke in the game in the first half. He had four fouls, and was on the bench for the last 6 minutes of the game. He played only 27 minutes and took only 10 shots (he usually leads the team in shot attempts). What coaching genius led K to keep Tyler Thornton on the floor and Rivers on the bench at game’s end? Sort of seemed to work, didn’t it?

Bill makes the point (with which I agree) that Rivers attitude is improving by leaps and bounds. We both thought it significant that Rivers on the bench at crunch time was an enthusiastic cheerleader there without any “why-am-I-not-in-the-game” pouting. His defense continues to improve; his driving made the Kansas defense adjust, and his deep shooting attempts come when Duke needs a hoop. He’s getting better and I think Bill is reassessing as Austin shows more Duke/Coach K attitude. And what can we say about Thornton. How could I leave this for the end? He has heart and attitude. He was so cool when he took his first three from the corner without hesitation. The last shot was out of fantasy land. Tyler deserved it for his hustle and attitude. He played 21 minutes and had 7 points (and didn’t foul out).

Duke played a very thin bench. Other than Tyler’s 27 minutes, Miles played 8 minutes and Quinn Cook 1 (missing a 3 as the half ended). Yet Duke’s bench outscored Kansas’s by 9 (Miles had the other bucket; Kansas got 0 points from its bench).

It was a satisfying game for Duke, and a terrific tournament. They have played 7 games in 12 days and taken on major competition. I said earlier that Duke could have a rougher November than usual because this team would be playing top competition while establishing its identity. What a coaching job so far! This team is reminding me (wishful thinking?) of the ‘70-’73 Knicks, who had five guys playing together, defending and finding the open man. They were all really good, but anyone could be counted on to take the key shot, rather than relying on one star. This team has great balance, with all five starters having the ability to take over a game. Indeed each has done it this year. A fun team to watch grow.

Bill adds (some observations):

Consistent intensity on defense is the primary reason Coach K’s teams have won 900+ games. Other programs like Michigan are catching on; however, it takes a special coach to get Blue Chip players to buy into the concept. I watched some of the UNC – UNLV game last night and was struck by in comparison to Duke and Michigan how casual Carolina appeared on defense. A high powered offense alone cannot win every game anymore.
Two successive threes–a clutch potential game winner, then an improbable career shot to seal the win that Tyler Thornton made against Michigan couldn’t have happened to a more deserving player.
I don’t know who was voting or what game they were watching but from what I saw, for Mason Plumlee not to make the All Star team, if not MVP, was ludicrous. MP2 a gained another twenty five pounds of muscle and grit against Michigan.

I will be in Asheville on business for most of the week and Alan will be in Key West for a (alleged) legal conference, so we might be able to file anything right after the Ohio State game.

DUKE- – OHIO STATE

Some observations:

Ohio State played an exceptional game in front of a crowd of frenzied supporters energized, in part, by the hiring of Urban Meyers as their football coach and may well be a more talented team than Duke. However, the Buckeyes are not necessarily as good as they played and Duke is certainly not as bad. It is hard to remember a more listless defensive performance than this one—and we all know defense has been the bedrock for the success of Coach K’s teams.
Mason Plumlee essentially played Sullinger to a draw. He scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, most of them directly on Sullinger, to go with eight boards. Sullinger scored 21 on 8-of-14, and had eight boards of his own. And, to be fair, many of Sullinger’s made shots were not things of beauty. Many of them came against someone other than Plumlee, particularly after his undeserved second foul, and some of the other points came on foul shouts of dubious origin. Duke’s two-game stretch against Kansas and Ohio State have arguably featured the best performances of Plumlee’s career. After out-playing Thomas Robinson in Maui, he can now add a draw with Sullinger to his resume, and that can only bode well for the rest of the season..
We are used to the periodic disappearance of Andre Dawkins but to have Ryan Kelly in the same mode was a first.
While Austin Rivers was a sensational offensive virtuoso for most of the first half, I’m not convinced that auditioning for the NBA is good for the team. Dribbling and dribbling and breaking down his man, penetrating and shooting while ignoring passes to open men on the three point line may produce highlight film but it also produces a stagnant offense. And in the second half, the Buckeyes adjusted by funneling Rivers down the lane into an impenetrable picket fence defense of a center and two forwards. It reminded me of Kyrie Irving’s performance in last year’s Arizona game – lots of breathtaking moves, lots of points, and lots of teammates standing around getting cold.
The success of the 2010 championship team was by guards penetrating and kicking to an open man or Zoubek rebounding and redirecting to an open teammates rather than trying to score himself.
Ted Valentine, the referee, certainly didn’t do Duke any favors. A series of questionable calls, especially a phantom second foul on Mason Plumlee helped thwart a second and final, Duke run. Sullinger, in particular, was the beneficiary of several “star calls.”
As my buddy Tommy noted, there was an atypical lack of Duke player leadership when it was most needed. No player got the team together and attempted to rally them.
I suspect that there will be personnel changes and guarantee a much better defensive effort next week.

Bill and his computer are still estranged, so once again I’m the primary scrivener, but Bill’s input is here and begins with the opening sentence about the game. We talked at halftime and after the game. Neither conversation was as much fun as the ones we had during and after the Kansas game.

Bill: “Duke looked as if it had completed playing the three games in three days in Maui yesterday and took the court directly from the plane home.” Duke certainly looked tired and slow, and was never in the game after the first 10-12 minutes. Ohio State looked terrific. Bill and I (not quite grasping at straws) both remembered when Duke had looked just this bad previously. It was in January of 2010 when Duke traveled to DC and was annihilated by Georgetown in front of Obama and Biden. Duke did not look any better that afternoon than last night. Oh yes, said Bill and I consoling ourselves momentarily, Duke won the National Championship that year.

Duke’s defense in the first half was not quite up to the level of awful. Ohio State shot 60 % from the floor. That is not a misprint. Duke “held” Ohio State to 57% shooting in the second half, but the Buckeyes were 5-5 from behind the arc in the second half. Ouch! It seemed to me that Duke’s defense went south when Mason picked up his second foul at around the 11 minute mark of the first half. It took his extra aggression away and Ohio State just rolled. None of the Duke perimeter players could keep Ohio State in front of them. Austin might have played the best defense of the starting perimeter. Damned with faint praise.

Offensively, Duke (except for Austin and Mason) was horrible in the first half. Neither Dawkins nor Kelly scored (and Dawkins might have been better on offense than defense). K benched them both. Kelly played only 15 minutes (he wasn’t any better than Dawkins on the defensive end) and Dawkins 19. Only Austin (37 minutes) and Mason (36 minutes) played their normally allotted time on the floor. Seth played 26 minutes; no other Duke player played more than 19 minutes.

The stat that stands out for me is that Quinn Cook played 14 minutes, and had 4 assists. The entire Duke backcourt (not counting Cook) of Thornton (only 8 minutes), Curry, Dawkins and Rivers (total of 90 minutes on the floor) had only 3 assists – all by Austin. Seth, to give an idea of how much of a non-factor he was, had 0 assists against 3 turnovers (7 points) in his 26 minutes. Craft completely outplayed him on both ends of the floor.

Bright spots: Austin is developing into a superstar. He is not there yet, but he is clearly and by a wide margin, Duke’s most gifted player. He is learning; you can see his development game by game. He was heroic in the first half when Duke was in contact, and he never stopped his effort, though his decision making deteriorated as the game got out of hand. Mason is becoming a real offensive presence to go along with superb rebounding and excellent defense. He too is in the process of becoming a genuine inside force who will command a double team. Still, 2-5 from the free throw line doesn’t cut it. Miles had a good game as well in 17 minutes.

K used the second half to give his freshman and Hairston playing time. Gbinije played 13 credible minutes and demonstrated some real athleticism and defensive intensity. Cook is the only other Duke player who can beat the defense off the dribble and get into the lane. He was 0-3 from 3 and had a turnover, but he is defending well (finally) and seems over his injury. As I have been saying all season, he has the potential to become a force.

Coach K has a history of using losses as focal points for his team’s improvment. “Everyone knows what to do with a win; winners know what to do with a loss.” Next Play. Colorado State.

DUKE- COLORADO STATE

As anticipated, the Blue Devils rebounded from the embarrassing loss to Ohio State with a strong effort at both ends of the floor. Tyler Thornton replaced Andre Dawkins in the starting lineup. Thornton provided on the ball pressure and overall defensive enthusiasm that Coach K loves. The mysterious Dawkins came off the bench firing on all cylinders as he had 15 points and 2 assists in twelve minutes before he left the game with back spasms.

Unfortunately, the Rams were without the services of their seven foot center so they had no player over 6’6’’; however, they are one of the best three point shooting teams in the country. So, predictably Duke took away the three but the Rams hung around for most of the first half with good ball movement and athletic drives. Mason Plumlee continued his more mature, efficient production (except from the free throw line).

The most interesting development was Austin Rivers willingness to focus on something more than the rim on his drives and pass the ball to an open teammate rather than challenging a double team. Announcer Len Elmore, the former Terp center, essentially commented that for Duke to be a top team, Austin had to make the players around him better—and Duke has some terrific shooters but they can’t score without the ball. Consequently, there was less dribbling and much better ball movement than in previous games. Except for Rivers, all of Duke perimeter players (and that includes Kelly) are betterl catch and shoot scorers than creating their own shot—and Rivers can make that happen.

Some observations:

Seth Curry only had 5 points but 8 assists and played very effective, intense defense.
MP1 is playing with much more confidence and control. It is too bad this is his last year but maybe it will be a Zoubek finish.
Quinn Cook is demonstrating glimpses of unusual athleticism and, more importantly, natural point guard skills.
Mike Gbinije is another freshman making a case for more playing time as a defensive stopper.
Alex Murphy, the 6’8’’ forward, who was thought to be the second most talented freshman, is dressed and on the bench but has not had any minutes since he received a head injury a month or so ago. It makes you wonder if he as well as MP3 are being red shirted.
Except for Kelly, Curry, and Thornton, this team is not a good free throw shooting team—and that could be a problem.
Kyle Single chose to continue playing this year in Spain for about $1,000,000 rather than play for the Detroit Pistons.

In case you missed it, Pat Summitt and Mike Krzyzewski have been named SI’s 2010 Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year. The only other basketball coaches so honored are John Wooden and Dean Smith.

Alan adds:

What is the fun of watching a game where the team Duke is playing is so obviously physically overmatched? I find it illuminating to see what Coach K does in that situation. It’s almost like seeing what goes on in practice. Who is developing that might help this team in the future – this year, perhaps; next year for sure. So, Duke’s performance was frequently scintillating, but the level of athleticism of the opposition makes one cautious about reading too much into it.

What’s with Andre Dawkins? After two fairly dreadful games (0 points against Ohio State), Andre exploded off the bench in the first minutes of this game. He played only 12 minutes in the first half before being injured, but what a 12 minutes. Andre was 6-8, including 3-5 from 3 with 2 assists (0 against Ohio State). That means 3-3 from inside the arc; he passed, defended with high energy and was a force. Is it only against inferior athletes that he can do this? We will all spend the season rooting for Andre to develop consistency, especially against big time opponents. Let’s hope the back injury is not significant.

Mason had an almost perfect first half. He played 25 minutes overall, but missed the only shot he took in the second half. He was 6-6 from the floor in the first half, and played with poise and confidence (and some really impressive athleticism). In the second half, I thought he got a little block happy, and was leaving the floor (frequently without his lingerie – as Rafferty might say). His floor game was dominant and game-changing: 10 boards; 5 blocks; 4 steals and 2 assists. Only 1 turnover and 0 personal fouls. The only negative is his foul shooting, 2-6. We can talk about Miles in the same paragraph. He played 19 minutes and had 14 points (same as Mason; only Miles was 4-4 from the line) on 5-6 shooting. In addition, he had 5 boards, 3 blocks and an assist with 0 turnovers and only 2 fouls. But before we get too impressed, let’s remember how small Colorado State is as a team. They had some decent offense inside, but could not really compete with Duke’s bigs.

Kelly had a very sleep walking slow first half and a good (but not as good as either Plumlee) second half. He and Austin scored all of Duke’s points early in the second half to keep the lead large, even when the defense took some time off. In 21 minutes, he had 8 points, 3 boards, 3 turnovers and a block. He uncharacteristically missed 2 foul shots (2-4). He didn’t feel like the Kelly that was one of Duke’s best players up until the Ohio State game.

Austin continues to improve. He is pulling up after getting by the first defender to make a pass or do something else helpful. And, he is really beginning to come on as a defensive player. He played the most of any Duke player (30 minutes) and was pretty efficient. He scored 17 on 5-9 shooting (including 3-5 from deep; some from very deep). He had 2 boards; 2 assists and a steal against only 1 turnover. He did miss two foul shots (2-4) and committed only 2 fouls. His ability to get by his defender initially is breathtaking. He is a superstar in the making.

Seth had 8 assists, 3 boards, 2 steals and a very effective defensive game. He took 8 shots, but scored only 5 points (1-5 from 3). A telling negative stat was that Seth did not attempt a foul shot. Still, he was the glue and played the third most minutes (25). Tyler played the second most minutes (28) and was pretty efficient. He took only 2 shots (both missed 3s), but was 5-6 from the line and had 4 assists against 0 turnovers to go with 3 boards and some energetic defense. He started in place of Dawkins and even though playing more than usual, had only 3 fouls. Quinn Cook had some defensive lapses and I didn’t think played very well. He is clearly Duke’s best pure point guard (wasn’t his lob to Miles a pass of beauty?). He played 16 minutes and had 3 boards. Silent G (Gbinije) showed some quicks and hops in his 10 minutes. He may contribute this year before the season is over. He can defend.

I watched Washington a bit last night as they lost to Marquette. This is a very athletic team with excellent players and good coaching. They are better than their record. Duke does seem to like playing in The World’s Most Famous Arena. Saturday at noon, I think.

DUKE – WASHINGTON

For about thirty-five minutes, Duke played the most balanced game of this young year. Then, they got sloppy missing free throws, Curry and Rivers fouling out, the Huskies finally getting hot, and a seemingly easy high teen win became too close for comfort. Shooting in the low sixties and/or making 27 of 44 free throws is an invitation to lose. MP2 was the main culprit, missing 9 of 11. This (not lack of athleticism as Dickie V seems to think) is the real Achilles heel of the team, because attacking the basket, getting to the free throw line, then making the free throws, has always been a benchmark of Coach K’s winning strategy. Just think of how many games Redick and Scheyer (just to name two) salted away.

That said, Austin Rivers (18 pts) is playing under more control and seeing the whole floor better with each game– and that makes for a much more effective offense. The key to the first half run was Andre (aka Microwave) Dawkins, who appears to be more productive/motivated coming off the bench, as he had 14 points in about as many minutes as well as playing aggressive defense. Ryan Kelly had an atypically poor shooting first half, perhaps because Bill Cowher, the father of his girlfriend, was in the stands but recovered nicely to have 16 points and 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks.

Washington is a talented team whose salient characteristics are offensive rebounding and three point shooting. The three man rotation of MP2, Kelly, and MP1 (plus guards crashing the boards) took care of the rebounding end of the equation and the all the perimeter players choked off the threes (29%).

I recently mentioned that Miles might be having a Zoubek-like surge in him for his final year. Today he was 9 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes (plus 3-4 from the line) against big time competition. More minutes for Miles means the other two big men are fresher for the game and the season plus he is a big, wide athletic presence in the paint.

Some observations:

While the team as a whole is a subpar (68%) at the free throw line, obviously Miles Plumlee (30%) is a huge drag on that number. Individually, Curry, Kelly, and Thornton are very good at the line and Rivers (70%) is ok. The first two are the ones you expect/hope will be on the line at the end of a close game.
Duke had no defensive answer for Wroten (23 pts) down the stretch. He is a very impressive freshman.
Madison Square Garden is sort of a home away from home for the Blue Devils and next to Cameron it is the players favorite court—especially Dawkins—and there are a lot of Duke alums(including Alan) in the Apple.
While Curry has had a couple of subpar offensive performances, he was at the point and a catalyst for the early second half surge.
Out of necessity, Quinn Cook, the most naturally talented (but untested) point guard, was on the floor at the end of the game and continued to make a case for more playing time.
Boy, aren’t we glad Coach K apparently saw the handwriting on the wall released Kris Humphries (Mr. Kim Kardashian) from his commitment to play basketball at Duke (because of demands for guaranteed playing time).

Alan Adds:

Duke played an absolutely great first half, especially defensively. The announcers kept criticizing Washington’s shooting and claiming there were many open missed shots. I may have been watching a different game because I saw very few open Washington shots and I thought Duke (all 3 bigs) defended the rim brilliantly, challenging everything inside. For the game, Duke’s 3 big men had 7 blocked shots (3 for Kelly; 2 each for the Plumlees). Dawkins had another absolutely brilliant first half (12 of his 17 points). He is defending now at a high level and had 4 key defensive rebounds (he has bona fide hops). He was, however, 2-9 from behind the arc with most of those misses in the second half. Only Kelly repeatedly misfiring for the first 17 minutes of the half and 7 silly turnovers kept Duke from having a 20+ point lead.

The game and Duke’s defense changed dramatically when Mason was called for a foul (I thought it was his third, because I sensed he lost his aggressiveness after the foul, but it was actually his only foul in the game, so maybe it was something else — such as thinking about his foul shooting). In any event, Duke’s defense started allowing penetration and fouling. Fouling and foul shots decided the game. While Duke was only 27-44 (not good, but as Bill points out, without Mason’s numbers, Duke was 25-33, which is respectable), Washington was worse 13-23 (only 4-9 in the first half). So even with Mason, Duke made more free throws than Washington attempted and had a 14 point margin at the end. Duke made fewer field goals than Washington on fewer shots. Duke was 27 for 57 while Washington was 31 for 65. Each team was 5-17 from 3. How did Washington get 8 more shots? I’m not sure. Duke held a rebounding edge and each team had 14 turnovers.

Duke could not put Washington away, which is disturbing. Part of that was Washington started making some very difficult shots; and a lot was Duke’s porous perimeter defense, which resulted in both Curry and Rivers fouling out, while Thornton stayed on the floor at crunch time with 4 fouls. A note about Quinn Cook’s contribution with his floor leadership and ball handling in the last 3 minutes: When Seth fouled out, Cook ran the team, and with some ball handling aplomb. He showed a lot of poise for his first action in a tight situation. He missed two foul shots, but was 4-6 and made the last two when it really closed Washington out.

This was Seth’s third non-stellar game in a row. We need to see a post-Ohio State comeback for his shooting. Against Colorado State, he didn’t score, but had 8 assists. Last night his numbers were only a couple of ticks above dismal. He played 30 minutes before fouling out with 8 points (4-4 from the line keeps his stats above dismal). He took 5 shots (2-4 from the field and 0-1 from 3). I think the illuminating numbers are: 5 turnovers against only 3 assists with no steals or blocks. Seth with no steals! Very unusual. Duke needs Seth back after exams.

Austin also played 25 minutes before fouling out. His game is improving visibly and he is now very close to stardom. He’s defending better and I haven’t seen the on-the-court petulance that so disturbed Bill in the earliest part of the season. Five fouls is a result of his more aggressive effort on defense, which I predict will continue to improve. In those 25 minutes he had 18 points on 13 shots (2-5 from 3 and 4-4 from the line), 4 boards and 3 assists (3 turnovers). He is slowly turning into a de facto point guard. He is starting to pull up (even though he picked up a charge on a drive where he gave up the ball nicely, but still crushed the stationary defender). He is an improving passer.

Andre played the most minutes (32) followed by Mason, Curry and Thornton with 30. Kelly played 27, Austin 25 and Miles 20. This seems a very balanced team where anyone of 6-7 players can be the player of the game. What is encouraging is the across-the-board improvement from every contributing player (maybe except Seth, temporarily). A work in progress to be sure, and a rewarding season so far. Conference play is not far away.

DUKE – UNC-GREENSBORO

Because of end of semester term papers and exams, Duke played only one game in nearly three weeks against UNC-Greensboro and for most of the first half looked like they all had been pulling all-nighters for too much of that time. If that is true, the good news is that we must assume there will be no academic causalities. The bad news is that for the first fourteen minutes the Blue Devils looked like the 2-9 team. However, after more than a few choice words from Coach K, his team outscored UNC-G 20-10 over the last six minutes, with Tyler Thornton, Austin Rivers, Andre Dawkins, Rivers again, and Ryan Kelly making 3-pointers to go to the locker room leading 45-34.

The second half was an opportunity for some of the freshmen to play extended minutes. Quinn Cook showed why he is an Alan fav. He scored 14 points on a variety of shots and demonstrated a quickness and ball handling ability not seen since Jason Williams and Bobby Hurley. Michael Gbinije was also impressive in a less flashy manner on both ends of the floor, which might earn him more minutes as the season progresses. He had eight points and was 4-4 from the foul line, which was a welcome sight. Other than that MP2 had a monster night (15 pts, 13 rebs, 2 blks), MP1 had the unusual line of 13 rebs, 2 blks and 0 pts, and Rivers continued to play more with with more control and mature judgment.

Some observations:

Rivers approach to the game reminds me most of Art Heyman. While Art was taller, heavier, nastier, and a forward, he was always attacking. If Andre Dawkins had that mindset, he would be an All-American. As it is Andre can still light up the scoreboard with the sweetest stroke in the game and is pump faking and attacking the basket more often.
Because of shooting less than 40% from the free throw line, MP2 is leaving 5-10 points a game on the floor and off his scoring average—and that will cost Duke some close games. On the other hand, his ambidextrous baby hook shot is a welcome and necessary addition to low post production and more scoring balance.
Tyler Thornton continues to start because he provides defensive energy, solid ball handling, and the vocal leadership that Coach K stresses.
Ryan Kelly has recently not played his best basketball but still is the most versatile and reliable performer on the team.
Mike Gminski, who did the telecast last night, was a very smart, very efficient, and terrific –if athletically unspectacular–center at Duke. He brings the same qualities to the broadcast booth. He reminds of Ray Scott, the Green Bay Packers announcer during the Lombardi era. Both know the game and only give you pertinent information (Taylor off left tackle for six) without all the extraneous nonsense that interrupts what you can clearly see with your own eyes.

Alan adds:

I didn’t think the game was on television in NYC (and it wasn’t, live), but it was delayed on ESPNU; so, I watched most of the second half, when Duke was really rolling. I heard the announcers describing Duke’s horribly sloppy play in the first 15 minutes. Mercifully, I was spared that, and I appreciated the chance to watch the freshmen (besides Austin) get an opportunity to compete.

I finally saw the Quinn Cook that I had seen last year in high school. He looked awfully good at the offensive end, and pretty good at the defensive end (lost some concentration toward the end, but seems to have most of his mobility back). His handle is very good and he makes good decisions (especially for a freshman). He is without a doubt Duke’s best passer and playmaker. I saw him for extended periods in the backcourt with Austin last year in high school all-star games. They play together extremely well, and have the most ball skills on the team. They worked well together last night. Austin set Quinn up for an in rhythm 3. Quinn threw a couple of lobs that were exquisite. Of course, the level of competition makes it difficult to draw conclusions from the nice performance. Still a good sign.

Gbinije is very quick and athletic. I also saw him in high school; one AAU final game in the summer. He was by far the best player not only on his team, but in the game. He guarded the best player on the other team (I forget whom, but a very highly ranked guy), and was very effective. Silent G is defensively and team oriented; very versatile – a slasher with a good handle and fine rebounder for his size. Last night he played 14 minutes and was 2-2 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line for 8 points plus 3 boards. That’s 8 points on 2 shots. Very efficient. Add that to some serious defensive intensity. I hope Austin sticks around for a while; this is a hummer of a freshman class. We haven’t even seen Alex Murphy or MP3.

Bad stats: Seth ( 20 minutes) had 4 turnovers and 0 assists. But he had 4 steals; 9 points (4-4 from the line, but 1-4 from 3 pt land) in 20 minutes. Thornton picked up 4 fouls, (2 steals and a 3 pointer) in 16 minutes; Seth and Austin ( 26 minutes) 3 fouls each. Duke missed 10 foul shots in the first half; Mason missing 5 of them. Kelly missed 3, but made 7. Austin missed 2. [Duke was 8-8 in the second half]

Shots: Austin took the most shots (11; 5 from behind the arc). 3-6 from inside and 2-5 from outside. Hairston took the next most shots – 8 in only 11 minutes, but made only 2. Quinn was 6-7 (missing only 1 of his 3 3pt attempts). Pretty efficient: 14 points on 7 shots. He also had 2 assists in 18 minutes. Dawkins had 11 points on 6 shots (3-5 from behind the arc) in a game high 27 minutes. He also had 4 defensive rebounds. Mason was 6-8 with a terrific stat line (except for his 5 missed foul shots in the first half).

Duke is 7th in one poll (behind UNC) and 5th in the other (ahead).

DUKE – WESTERN MICHIGAN

Playing their first game in 11 days and only its second in the last 19, Duke started uncharacteristically fast and raced through an overmatched Western Michigan 110-70. Using ten players, the Blue Devils shots lights out—over 50% from the floor (and the three point line) as well as (gasp) 80% from the free throw line. Here is how hot eight of the ten players were—110 points with Dawkins and MP2 scoring a total of 5 points.

Some observations:

Duke plays at a different speed with Quinn Cook on the floor. Remember, he is recovering from knee surgery and did not play or practice on the summer trip to China, so was behind in conditioning and timing. Quinn is improving every game. Last night he has 8 assists, 0 turnovers, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. However, his best play was diving to the floor, wrestling control of the ball from three Mustangs, and flipping a prone, no look pass to MP2 for a dunk. That kind of hustle alone will get him more playing time. Just ask Thornton.
Seth Curry has played the last few games with an injured ankle. Apparently, the injury has healed because he had 22 points (3-4 from the arc).
Austin Rivers not only shot well from the floor and hit 6-7 from the line but also was looking for open teammates on his drives.
Tyler Thornton was 4-4 from three point land and is hitting 50% for the season.
MP1 had 15 rebounds and is said to be the best big man in practice. We can only hope that he has an late blooming “Zoubek” ending to his career.
Michael Gbinije looks like he is going to be a contributor this year and a starter sometime in the future. He is 6’6”, strong, athletic with a nice shooting touch. He was 2-3 on threes and has not missed a free throw all season.
And speaking of athletic, ex-Terp Len Elmore, whom I like as an announcer and has a law degree from Harvard (so should know better), has bought into the narrative that Duke is not a very athletic team. (Usually, that is announcer code for too many white players.) Let’s take a look: Mp1 & MP2? Dawkins & Rivers? Cook? Are you serious? Curry & Kelly don’t jump through the roof but do understand the game, are in the right place at the right time, and are athletic enough to be lethal three point shooters. In addition, Kelly can play the low post, so poses a matchup problem for any team.

John Feinstein, a Duke graduate and prolific author, has a new book “One on One” which is a must read for anyone who likes college basketball, professional tennis, baseball, or golf—all of which John covered for the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and The Sporting News. It is all the fascinating back stories of his thirty some years of covering sports. What I didn’t know is that his parents were consumed by the arts, not sports. His father was the first executive director of the Kennedy Center and later director of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Opera. His mother had a PhD in music history and taught at Columbia and George Washington Universities. Growing up, their New York city apartment was often filled with the likes of Isaac Stern (his father’s best friend), Rudolph Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Marian Anderson, Robert De Niro. John, however, was not impressed because his heroes were baseball and basketball players.

Alan adds:

I was only able to watch the first half last night, but really that was enough. It was an amazing offensive first half (kept in perspective by the fact that Duke was a far superior team both athletically and basketball wise). I thought Duke played some of its best defense of the year in the first 13/14 minutes of the first half. The switching and cohesiveness was magical. Then, the margin grew large enough that it was just natural to relax a bit and the level of defensive intensity diminished.

Bill’s analysis coincides with mine on each of his points. I, of course, am quite pleased by the performance of Quinn Cook. Coach K took time at his press conference to explain how serious Cook’s knee injury has been, and emphasized that he didn’t really even begin to practice until October. His on the ball defense is improving by leaps and bounds. He is intense. He is also a pure point guard, and has the best knack of anyone on the roster for running a team and handling the ball. Perspective is still important because as impressive as Cook’s stat line was last night, he still has to prove himself against elite competition. Western Michigan is not that. Barry Jacobs pointed out Duke’s most negative statistic this season — that through 11 games, Duke has more turnovers than assists. Not a good stat. Last night, Cook played 23 minutes and, as both Bill and Coach K emphasized, he had 8 assists and 0 turnovers. He also had 4 boards, a block and 2 steals to go with 16 points (on 12 shots; meaning that he was 3-3 inside the arc). He was 7-8 from the foul line with only negative stat — 1-4 from 3 land. As I have been writing consistently, this team needs major contributions from Cook to reach its potential.

The return of Seth to form was warming. Austin continues to improve and blend. It was a terrific offensive performance. Two more games (Penn and Temple) before conference play.

DUKE – PENNSYLVANIA

For years Alan and I have been exchanging phone calls and emails on Duke Basketball because we enjoyed comparing notes on talent and anticipating Coach K’s strategy. We have generally been on the same page—even the same verse. For example, he sent me his “Alan adds” comments on last night’s game before I wrote anything and since it is so comprehensive and parallels my thoughts, I will lead off with it.

Alan writes:

All assessments have to be made with the caveat that (as with Western Michigan), Duke faced a team with less talented (and shorter) athletes. Penn, however, knows how to play basketball, and many of the Quaker baskets were the result of ball movement, cutting and solid fundamentals. Duke’s dominance in rebounding, shot blocking, and scoring in close made it easy to watch the game with the eye of an analyst rather than a fan worried about the outcome. That was never in doubt after Duke built a 16 point lead in the game’s first 7 minutes. Ryan Kelly had 8 points before Penn even got their warm-ups off.

The post-game comments focused on Duke’s point guard play. The TV announcers focused on the negative Duke stat of more turnovers than assists, and the evolving point guard situation, which began with Seth as the starter. Thornton moved into the starting lineup for improved defensive intensity and better and more secure ball handling (but reduced firepower on the floor). In the last few games, Quinn Cook has been part of the evolution. The key stat for Quinn is (in the last two games): 17 assists without a turnover. Now everyone is talking. K has been positive (“Quinn is playing great”; “when he passes he sees you in places where other people have a hard time seeing you”), going out of his way to praise Cook’s defense (which I believe is still spotty; he loses concentration and then his man, but his on the ball defense has improved visibly as his lateral quickness returns). K pointed out that Tyler can play off the ball as well as point. Curry and Kelly both mentioned Cook’s contribution to team growth in the post game press conference.

And, why not. Cook played 22 minutes (5^th most for Duke in the game), with two spectacular finishing layups to go with his 9 assists. His outside shot isn’t yet where (I think) it will be, based on his high school shooting. Duke had 12 turnovers with 20 assists. But take away Cook’s numbers and Duke had 12 turnovers against 11 assists. Nothing in the numbers or what I have seen so far as changed my assessment that this Duke team needs Cook’s contributions to reach its full potential, and be a contender to beat UNC for the ACC titles (regular season and tournament), and possibly more. Think of the impact that the insertion of Kendall Marshall into the starting point guard role on last year’s UNC team had. Cook’s impact won’t be that dramatic, but has the potential to be quite substantial. It is an extra plus that he and Rivers play so well together.

Special kudos for the efficiency of both Kelly (18 points on 12 shots) and Curry (15 points on 12 shots). Austin had a quiet game, but should not be overlooked. First, he is aggressive when Duke needs points, not when Duke is comfortably ahead. Second, his defense is improving at a really rapid rate (he’s pretty quick and has length to defend guards). His attitude has improved, and so has his decision making. We are reminded of his special talents when you see a cross over, like the one he pulled off yesterday, when he faked right and crossed over to going left for a lovely layup, leaving the defense gasping (perhaps partly in admiration).

The minutes give an insight into K’s evaluation of his team: Austin led with 27 minutes, followed by Kelly with 26 minutes, Curry and Mason with 25 and Quinn with 22. Dawkins played 20 minutes while Miles and Thornton played 17 minutes. Dawkins’s shot is still inconsistent, but in 20 minutes he got 4 and had a steal and two assists. He also had two turnovers and failed to convert on a couple of nice forays to the rim. His development and achieving consistency is also required for Duke to reach its potential.

So far, a fun team to root for and a fun season to watch.

Bill’s observations:

With the earlier move of Thornton into the starting lineup and now the increased minutes for Quinn Cook, I believe we are witnessing the transformation of this team into one with multi-dimensional drive and overdrive capabilities. As Alan points out, if you project Quinn’s last two games assist (8 & 9 with limited minutes) into that of a full time starter, you have numbers that set an NCAA record. Even half of that number is a Duke record. That probably will not happen this year, but you get the idea. Thornton will continue to start and get his minutes because he sets the defensive intensity with his on-the-ball pressure and solid point guard skills (he can also play off the ball on offense). But Cook operates at warp speed and sees the floor like few guards. There are other personnel options (or “packages” as they say in the NFL) depending on the opponent and the game situation that may well make this a more formidable team than many anticipated.
No detail is too small. Did you notice Jeff Capel sitting among the players on the bench, not with the other coaches? Why? Coach K:“We’re taking a look at our chemistry. We evaluate everything, it’s what you should do. Just to make sure we’ve giving them feedback. You can get ingrained with a certain procedure and be a slave to that procedure and it may not be the right thing for this group. So again that was something we evaluated over the holidays is just how we sit on the bench. What are we doing when they come off the court? Who is talking to the guys? Where are guys sitting? That type of thing and we made a couple changes there. We did a lot of evaluation.”
Massage received: Kelly threw a behind the back pass on a fast break against W. Michigan that was intercepted. He came out of the game and hardly played in the second half. He had 18 points last night. MP2 did not rebound well in the opening minutes against W. Michigan and was replaced by MP1, who played well. Last night he has 15 rebounds
Duke has always been good at wearing teams down and the depth on this edition has the personnel to do that in spades.
Rivers only had 8 points but played more under control and much better defense.
Curry is not just a spot up jump shooter. Since the three point line was instituted, the pull up jump shot has become almost an obsolete skill as most player shoot the three or attack the basket. When Seth penetrates he pulls up for the short open jumper. In most ways, he is the most polished offensive player Duke has.
Hubert Davis, the ex- Tar Heel shooting guard, was the commentator last night (and apparently will be doing Duke’s Sunday night games on the ESPN family of channels). Hubert has done his homework and has an outstanding (and fair) assessment of this Duke team. A terrific jump shooter himself, Davis loves Andre Dawkins stroke (sound familiar), but wonders about his (and MP1) consistency. He notes that this and a positive assists to turnover ratio (take out Quinn Cook’s assists and it is an unacceptable 1:1) may be the keys for Duke to be a Final Four team.

DUKE – TEMPLE

After beating Jimmy Connors at the January 1980 Masters (he had lost the previous 16 matches to Jimbo), the flamboyant Vitas Gerulaitis said: “Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row”. Well, Duke was going for ten in a row and was beaten in every phase of the game by Temple, so ….I guess nobody beats Temple ten times in a row.

Listening to announcer Jimmy Dyke, who isn’t a man of few words or opinions, which he repeats incessantly (Hey Jimmy, it’s TV not radio. We can see the game), you might think Duke’s perimeter defense was not good tonight and might be a weakness that keeps them from being a top tier team. We all know that Coach K’s defensive philosophy of on- the- ball pressure and over playing the wings, can make a game very easy or very difficult. Desire and hustle is the key. Tonight the defense did not get the job done. Time will tell if Duke has the tenacity and talent to execute this defense against top team with strong guards.

After reading John Feinstein’s “One on One”, I re-read “Forever’s Team”, the story of the players and coaches on the 1978-80 “America’s Team” as well as the next two years and interviews with everyone ten years later. It reminded me of the rhythms of the course of a long campaign and the inexplicable importance chemistry plays in a successful season. In 1978, it was a young team with nothing to lose. Even after losing a close game to Kentucky in the finals of the NCAA Tournament, they were convinced that they would win the next year. All the starters were back, but the assistant coach left, the players did not prepare the same way over the summer, egos and jealousies came into play, resentment over playing time surfaced, Bob Bender replaced John Harrell as the starting guard, and the next two seasons did not meet expectations. Coach Foster, a complex man to start with, felt unappreciated by Athletic Director Carl James and left immediately after the last game in 1980 for South Carolina. The point is that there are a various and complex reasons and factors beyond talent that determine winning or losing. It is how the coaches and the players deal with the both outcomes that determines the success or failure of a season– and we should understand that and each year enjoy the ride.

Some observations:

Wonder why Duke lost: Temple shot 57% from the field, 50% from three point land, the Blue Devils had more turnovers than assists, only MP1, MP2, & Rivers scored in double figures, and despite a decide height advantage Duke did not outrebound Temple. Inexplicably, Ryan Kelly pulled a Dawkins disappearing act. Was he sick or just overmatched?
MP1 (17 pts & 4 rebs, 2 blks) played, perhaps, his best game. MP2, however, did not. Although his stats were good (16 pts & 13 rebs, 2 blks), he failed to convert too many easy baskets at crucial times.
Austin Rivers wants to be the go-to player but he isn’t there yet—too many uncontrolled forays to the rim, often leading to turnovers. And the announcers and press hyping him as the best player on the team is not helpful.
The game was a reminder that it is a long season with ebbs and flows. Duke gets everyone’s best shot and the Blue Devils are not talented enough to impose their will anytime they need to. However, over the years, you would have made a lot of money betting that Coach K’s teams do not lose two in a row.

Alan adds:

First of all, a tip of the hat in respect for Temple’s well-conceived game plan, terrific coaching, and an all- out emotional effort. Temple came to play and outworked and outhustled Duke for the full 40 minutes. A team with no player over 6’6” handled Duke on the boards through sheer hustle and effort. I never thought, going in to the game, that Duke could lose. I believe Duke’s players embraced the same fallacy. And there is no way around it: this was a humbling loss.

Jimmy Dykes hit the nail on the head before the game even started. He said, “Duke has a final four offense and a second round defense.” He was prescient. As was Coach K, who understood that Duke would have to be able to guard the perimeter one on one (Temple had exemplary spacing). He challenged his team to do it; they failed that challenge in dramatic fashion. Duke’s heralded backcourt was completely outplayed on both ends of the court. But it was the defensive end that was Duke’s real Achilles heel last night. Temple got into the paint and shot over, around and through the Duke backcourt. Almost 60% in the first half. When Duke backed off in the second half, Temple made them pay with some very clutch (if Temple does not make those two clutch 3s at the end, Duke wins) outside shooting. Temple shot 57% against Duke overall. You could tell Coach K was flummoxed. He tried Gbinije; he tried Hairston (not for long; each played only 8 minutes, and they made the 3 shots that they took between them — Silent G took 2 including the luck 3 that went in off the backboard). Dawkins was truly awful. He was non-existent on offense in his 14 minutes (0-3; 1 board; 1 turnover; and 1 foul), but it was on defense that he really failed. He could not keep any Temple player in front of him, and he could not get up on the shooter. Whoever he guarded scored. Cook, whom I have championed, wasn’t any better last night. He took 4 3 point shots (the most of any Duke player) in his 12 minutes, making one (2-6 from the floor) with 2 assists and a turnover. But, he too failed dramatically on the defensive end (which explains why he played only 12 minutes). He looked lost and slow on defense (but he didn’t stand out amongst the Duke backcourt; they all looked that way). Seth had 5 turnovers (to go with his 6 points) in 30 minutes. To be fair, he also had 4 steals and 3 assists. Austin was 3-11, and looked as if he had reverted to the first few games of the year, driving into turnovers. He only had 2 in the box score, but it seemed to me he was responsible for more. He played with intensity on defense, but not effectively. He was thoroughly outplayed throughout. Thornton had 5 points in 25 minutes and 2 turnovers with 0 assists and 4 personal fouls. Duke seemed to foul a lot on the perimeter (when they were not beaten cleanly). Curry had 3 and so did Ryan Kelly.

Kelly was also exposed on the defensive end, which may explain why he only played 19 minutes (same amount of time as Miles played). He had 2 boards and 9 points. It was only the Plumlees that kept Duke in the game. We have good things to say here, but the caveat is how much shorter the Temple team was. Mason had 16 points on 13 shots (including 2-2 from the line) to go with 13 rebounds and 2 blocks in 32 minutes. He had 7 offensive boards, and Bill is right, that he failed to connect on a few shots right around the rim. Still he played tough defense, ran the floor, and had 4 assists (but 3 turnovers). Miles was very efficient scoring 17 points on 11 shots with 4 boards (3 offense), and 2 blocks. He does everything well, except rebound on the defensive end. Temple had 12 offensive rebounds (Duke 13). The game is slowing down for both Plumlees, but especially for Miles on the offensive end. He looked fully in control when he got the ball down low, and had 0 turnovers with a significant number of touches.

It will be a challenge to see if Coach K can forge this team into a defensive presence. I looked back to my pre-season comments. I wrote that Duke’s fortunes would be determined by how well the team grew at the defensive end. We’ll see if this game was merely a growing pain (“Everyone knows what to do with a win; winners know what to do with a loss.”), or the symptom of a fatal team weakness that will stop Duke from being a force on the National scene this year.

DUKE – GEORGIA TECH

Predictably, Coach K started a new lineup– MP1 and Cook for Kelly and Thornton—and substituted frequently in the first half. It worked like magic for about ten minutes with Cook running the offense like a latter day Bobby Hurley. Then, Duke got cold, casual, and Tech closed an eighteen point lead to five at intermission. In the second half, the Blue Devils could not impose their will on Tech at either end and with five minutes to go, the outcome was in doubt. Curry’s 15 second half points and timely assist to MP2 gave Duke some momentum, then free throws determined the winner as Ryan Kelly was flawless from the line.

Except for the first and last minutes, it was a pretty unimpressive performance, which reinforced the critique that this a young team lacking leadership, a go-to-guy, and an inability to handle bigger, stronger guards–Rice, Udofia, and Morris had all but 16 of Tech’s points.

Some observations:

I have mixed feelings about Austin Rivers. I’m glad he is at Duke but feel some of the hype surrounding him is over the top, in part, due to his being the son of Doc Rivers. Further, he has a Kobe Bryant-type aggressive attitude but he is not Kobe and that he is not yet as talented at this level as he thinks he is. I thought it was interesting that today he was scoreless when Duke opened up an 18 point lead; however, he contributed in other ways like playing good defense and letting others put up the points. Late in the game, he made one crucial steal and layup but other than that, Rice scorched him, he had a turnover, blew a layup on a beautiful feed from MP2, and, disconcerting of all, missed two free throws. I have contended that Curry and Kelly, while not spectacular athletes, are the two most solid, dependable, and intelligent players and you want the ball in their hands when the game is on the line. And until the roles are better understood and accepted –or Rivers cuts down the turnover and hits a higher percentage of free throws — this team can beaten by opponents with lesser talent. Close games can go any which way.
One trait I admire is mental toughness. Seth Curry was as cold as Alaska in the first half. In the last twenty minutes, he kept Duke in the game and put the Blue Devils in a position to win.
Cook is a creative playmaker who brings a whole new dimension to the offense. He encourages more motion and movement because he gives the ball up to an open player of easy shots. Plus, he is a good free throw shooter. So, if his knees and defense hold up, I think we will see on him be a catalyst for a more effective offense.
Duke was outrebounded by an unacceptable 35-23 but had more assists than turnovers.
Making free throws is a lot tougher when the game is on the line–the mouth gets dry and muscles tighten up. Udofia and Rice were 0-6 in the last two minutes when it was a two point game. On the other hand, Kelly was 10-10 and Curry 3-4 in the last minutes. For the game, MP2 was 3-3—that’s lifetime record of 5 straight.
Commentators stress that Duke’s guards lack size, physical strength, and mental toughness. Sounds like a case for Dr. Wojo!
Given the problems that Rice, Udofia, and Morris were causing, I was surprised that we see didn’t see Gbinije, hereafter referred to as G-Man2 (in deference to Mike Gminski).

Alan Adds:

Duke’s victory over Georgia Tech was cause of as much concern as was the loss to Temple on Wednesday. Given how much better a team Temple is than Tech, Duke’s performance against the Yellow Jackets seemed similar in its relativity to excellence – meaning a long way from it. Once again the Duke perimeter defense looked porous and suspect. Once again, a swing player was unguardable for Duke. Glen Rice had 28 points for Tech , coming off the bench after failing to score in Tech’s last game. He was unstoppable whether it was Dawkins or Austin trying to guard him. Georgia Tech, who had lost 7 times this season, including losses to Mercer, Fordham and Tulane, shot almost 50% and outrebounded Duke 35-23.

It was only Duke’s presence and competence at the foul line that was Duke’s winning advantage (29-36 for Duke against 12-19 for Tech). It seems clear that Coach K is still experimenting. Cook has moved ahead of Thornton in the rotation, starting and playing 27 minutes to Thornton’s 13. Cook’s only offensive weakness is that his 3 point shot so far is not falling (1-4) and his defense is still suspect. I think Coach K realizes that he needs better point guard play and turnover free ball handling. Cook is what he has in that department, and I believe Cook will be given the chance with starters minutes to develop. The wings are Austin (30 minutes) and Seth (29) with Dawkins coming off the bench to for each (21). Kelly did not start, but played 27 big minutes and was key at the end of the game. He scored 21 points on 4 (yes 4) shots from the field. He was 3-4 (1-2 from 3 land) from the field and 14-14 from the line. He had five boards. Mason played 29 minutes and was 3-6 from the field, with 8 boards 3 assists and 2 blocks. Miles picked up 4 fouls, which limited him to 17 minutes with 3 boards a block and a turnover. Hairston played 7 creditable minutes.

A big part of the Duke problem was being very cold from behind the arc; missing a myriad of wide open looks (Quinn missed two in a row on 2 great passes from Austin). Duke was 6-22 (Duke was 17 for 28 from inside the arc), with Seth (2-7); Austin (0-3) and Dawkins (1-5) to go with Cook’s (1-4) firing blanks. Quinn had 5 of Duke’s 13 assists; Mason had 3. Duke had only 9 turnovers with Seth and Austin having 3.

The Duke backcourt has looked dissimulated for almost two full games now. Seth, however, did provide some glue and energy down the stretch. However, if Duke doesn’t get better backcourt play, the Blue Devils will struggle down the road — especially in February when the ACC schedule toughens.

Virginia comes to Cameron on Thursday for an interesting game.

DUKE – VIRGINIA

During my talk about the upcoming season to the Duke Club of Hilton Head in October, I was asked other than Duke and Carolina what teams did I enjoy watching. I responded: “Only Virginia, because I think Tony Bennett is the best young coach in the ACC. I really like what he accomplished with the somewhat marginal talent(Scott was out for the season) he inherited”. If Scott, who so far is the best player in the ACC, had more support tonight UVA would probably have won. Playing Virginia is like playing Princeton or Georgetown—teams that are fundamentally very sound and very patient and usually make an opponent impatient.

Duke trailed 32-28 at the half as Scott had 18 points and the Blue Devils never got into any rhythm missing threes and MP@ going 1-8 from the line. It looked like the passive team that lost to Ohio State and Temple. The only difference was that UVA did not have the big guards that out muscled our guards. They were just being out finessed.

However, Duke played the second half with a great deal more mental toughness, energy, and conviction. MP1 and MP2 played like the athletes that they are; Thornton ignited the crowd with a terrific drive followed by a pin point pass to MP2 who had outrun everyone for a thunderous dunk; Seth Curry hit some timely shots; and Austin Rivers made a beautiful assist to MP2 as well as tough defense.

Holding a nine point lead with three minutes to go and Kelly on the line, the wheels almost came off. Kelly missed both free throws, MP1 fouled and suddenly the Cavaliers were back in the game. A well played second half almost was for naught as UVA, trailing by three, had two treys in the last four seconds that missed.

Some observations:

· At halftime, Coach K made some defensive adjustments to help neutralize Scott and the perimeter defenders continued to shut down the three (3-16). In general the team played with more intensity, resolve, and toughness in the second half, to build a nice lead. However, they did not close the game out like a good team should.

· Mental toughness is an overlooked trait of winning players and winning teams. A good example of a maturing player is MP2, who was once more embarrassed at the foul line in the first half. He came out in the second half and just took the ball to the basket in a manner that said volumes about how Duke was going to compete in the final twenty minutes. Likewise Seth Curry, who did the same against Georgia Tech, was a playmaker to help the Blue Devils make a run and a working margin.

· Quinn Cook fired some ill- advised three in the first minutes, had a quick turnover beginning the second half, and was rewarded with just twelve minutes playing time.

· Andre Dawkins woke up to hit two threes and two foul shots when they were sorely needed in the first half.

· MP1 played productive minutes but fouled out by being called for two moving screens within minutes of each other. He is old enough, big enough, and smart enough to understand how the game is being called.

· G-Man2 again had no minutes and one might think he was worth a try in the first half when Scott was torching all the big men. Is he injured, out of favor, or having academic problems?

· The fact that Duke won (at home) while being out rebounded 34-28, only hitting 8-19 free throws, can be attributed in part to holding UVA to shooting just 39% from the field and having 6 blocks.

· A win is a win but it leaves one wondering if this team has the versatility, strength, and mental toughness to beat top teams when the threes are not falling.

Alan adds:

Written at half time]

Duke has now played 5 very disappointing halves in a row — especially on the defensive end. Yuck! Every (ok, almost every) Duke double team resulted in Virginia moving the ball to find the open man for a wide open lay-up, short range jumper, or high percentage 3. It was embarrassing. I think Duke’s defense may have been even worse in the first half than in either Temple or Ga. Tech games. Dawkins was “embarrassed” on a back door cut. Mason couldn’t get close enough to Scott to bother him. Virginia played with poise and Duke did not provide its usual high intensity (force turnovers) defense. UVa had only 6 turnovers, and most of them were when they tried to do too much as opposed to crumbling to Duke’s pressure.

Duke’s offense looked stagnant. And the shooting — even when open; actually especially when open as they frequently were — was dreadful from long range (3-13). If it had not been for Dawkins’ two at the end…

[Written after game’s end]

With about 9 minutes left in the game Duke had a 10 point lead. Thornton had sparked the run that gave Duke separation. Duke held on so that with 4 minutes to go, Duke still led by 9. Then it became a complete breakdown on offense and defense. Duke scored only 4 points in the last 4 minutes (a jumper by Seth and 2 free throws by Kelly). Then Duke became very sloppy, turning the ball over carelessly (Virginia’s effort was intense, but their defense was not smothering) and became very porous on defense (after really tightening up in the second half). The Virginia lack of scoring was attributable to their missing easy open shots. Dawkins was cleanly beaten back door but Zieglinski missed the lay-up. And so it went. Virginia missed. Virginia got a myriad of offensive rebounds (scoring on 2nd and 3rd efforts). It was Duke’s third disappointing game in a row.

Duke had 11 assists and 11 turnovers; Virginia had 16 assists and 9 turnovers. Virginia outrebounded Duke by 7, had more blocks and held Duke to 5-20 from 3. Mason was superb, except from the foul line (2-10). Kelly had a terrible last few minutes with two turnovers and two missed free throws and failed to defend the defensive board. Miles looks good, but fouled out with four points and 3 boards, but looked better than his stats. Dawkins made 3 shots in a row that were critical and had 10 points in 29 minutes (2-6 from 3). Seth was the point guard for the end game, and had his best game in a while. He had 11 points in 34 minutes (1-5 from 3), adding four boards, 2 assists (only 1 turnover) and a block. Cook was very disappointing. Good point guards beat the defense off the dribble; Cook could not do that last night. Austin is playing under control and is clutch. His defense is improving and he is scoring from in close. He had 11 points in 29 minutes, and may be the starting point guard. Tyler is energy and a heady player, but has no firepower. He made his only shot and had a great pass to Miles for a flush.

This team was growing satisfyingly up until the Temple game last week. Let us hope it is just a slump.

DUKE – CLEMSON

After the game, my wife and I were discussing Andre Dawkins. She commented that Andre reminded her of Evonne Goolagong, the wonderfully talented and graceful Australian tennis player in the 1970s and early 1980s. While she won Grand Slam titles, there were times she played in an inexplicably mundane manner. She explained it as a “Walkabout”– an Aborigine journey during adolescence to wonder and live in the wilderness for a period of time. Well, tonight the enigmatic Andre emerged from his recent two month “walkabout” since the Michigan State game in November to remind us how wonderfully talented he is. And it is a good thing, because Duke spotted Clemson a nine point advantage on a weekend when New Orleans spotted San Francisco seventeen points and lost, Green bay spotted the Giants ten points and lost, and Carolina lost at Florida State by the largest margin in Coach Williams tenure.

The Blue Devils were so bad in the opening minutes that coach K replaced all five starters. When the starters returned, they went on a 15-2 run to more or less take control of the game until the last few minutes when they again failed to close out an opponent in an impressive manner.

Coach K commented: “I’ve been sending a message for two days that if we didn’t have guys playing like they wanted to win at the beginning of the game, we would find guys that wanted to win. After the first eight minutes, everyone decided they wanted to fight and play like they wanted to win. We always get everybody’s best shot. For 25 years we’ve gotten everybody’s best shot so we have to have guys that play like they want to win.”

For two games in a row, Duke has won but not convincingly. However, these are the kind of games that talented teams and the best coaches find a way to win. Fortunately, Coach K has the depth of talent to play multiple combinations as he did tonight.

Some observations:

· The stats tell an interesting story. Duke was out rebounded, had more turnovers, fewer assists, and fewer field goal attempts. How do you win a game like that? Duke made 5 more free throws 83% – 50% (MP@ was 4-4) & 4 more threes. That is a 17 point differential.

· The team is searching for a theme. As we have noted before, this team lacks senior leadership and a dependable go-to-guy. Rather, they have been winning by committee. Rivers wants to be that guy but, so far, lacks the game and judgment. Curry and Kelly are the most solid, dependable players. Last night at the end of the game, they were sharing the point. However, lately Ryan seems to be wearing down and Seth has been slowed by an ankle injury. Cook adds an exciting dimension but is an undependable freshman. Thornton is reliable, tenacious but unexciting. MP2 is gaining confidence with every game but is a liability at the line. MP1 is playing like a dominating presence in the paint. Last night, he had 14 rebounds in 23 minutes. That leaves Dawkins, who could be the key to the season.

· The referees called two questionable technical. Duke’s Miles Plumlee was called for a flagrant foul late in the second half when he was deemed to have thrown an elbow on a rebound but Clemson’s Tanner Smith, who was all over his back and did a great action job, said Plumlee didn’t catch him with an elbow. And Dawkins was called for a technical for hanging on the rim after a dunk at full speed. It appeared he was just protecting himself rather than showing off. Those two calls were four free throw and possession. Some games turn on less.

· Given the success of former basketball players Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham (former Miami center) as elite NFL tight ends, MP1 might consider football if the NBA work out. He has the size, speed, toughness, and doesn’t shy from contact.

Alan adds:

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

The Best of Times:

Duke did not go into the home of an inconsistent but excellent defensive ACC opponent and get blown out, as one highly ranked team did this weekend. (Florida State upending UNC by 33). Andre Dawkins showed up big time and essentially won the game for Duke with 5-9 three point shooting. He scored 24 points on 12 shots. He also had 2 blocks and 2 boards. He was why Duke won. Coach K showed why he’s Coach K with his ability to mix and match his 8 man rotation to meet the needs on the court. Duke has point guard by committee with Thornton playing 12 minutes (0 points; 0-3 from behind the arc) with two assists and a turnover and a steal. He plays a heady and intense floor game. Cook played 19 minutes and acquitted himself pretty well on the defensive end after being blown by for a layup, and being benched (with the entire starting unit) at the 4 minute mark. He was 4-6 (2-3 from 3land) with 2 assists and 2 turnovers. He still needs consistency, but he is a freshman with a large upside. That means that Seth ran the point for 9 minutes, mostly as the game was winding down (though Quinn went in for Mason when Coach K didn’t want Mason on the foul line in spite of his 4-4 from there tonight). Coach K trusts Seth at crunch time more than his “real” point guards. Seth played 31 minutes, Austin 28 and Dawkins 27. I believe that Coach K thinks these are his best 5. Duke was 15-18 from the foul line and 4-9 from 3 in the second half (4-14 in the first half). Miles had 14 boards (8 offensive) and I thought Duke defended the rim well. The depth up front among the two Plumlees and Kelly is impressive. Miles played 23 minutes; Kelly and Mason 26 each.

The Worst of Times

Duke had (once again) more turnovers than assists (9 assists; 17 turnovers).
Only Tyler had more assists than turnovers (2-1). Duke got hammered on its own defensive boards late in the game (reminding one of the UVa game and some others). Clemson pulled down 18 offensive rebounds.

Austin was shut out from the floor until late in the game when he made 2 nice drives. He isn’t finishing; he isn’t popping well from the outside, and his ball handling seems less skillful. He is, however, really starting to play good defense. He’s still a key (28 minutes) but it seems to me that his confidence is eroding. He needed some lessons, but now it is time to build him back up because he is potentially the most talented player on the roster. His regression has coincided with Duke’s slide in quality play (Temple, Ga. Tech, UVa and now Clemson). His resurgence (or lack) may be one of the real litmus tests for this team’s success.

Duke simply is not shooting well, especially from behind the arc. Aside from Andre, it was Seth (1-4); Austin (0-2), Ryan (0-2), and Tyler (0-3). Quinn was 2-3. He has not shot it well from there, but I know he can and anticipate that his shot will return as his confidence grows. Duke has to shoot better than it has recently.

DUKE 91 – WAKE FOREST 73

After two too-close-for- comfort games, the Maestro started MP1 and Dawkins for Kelly and Rivers. We know that starting is a pride thing with players but the more important metric is minutes played and who is on the floor at the end of close games. The starters and the players off the bench all responded very well but let’s remember, this is Wake who lost to N.C. State last Saturday by thirty-five points.

Holy JJ, Batman, who was that smiling kid who was doing a Redick impression in the first half hitting 7 of 12 threes for 21 points? That was “‘Dre all day” as the Crazies chant when Andre Dawkins gets hot. Three impressive games in a row is a good omen for a team searching for a dominant, dependable scorer. When Andre is hot, the defense must overplay him so it spreads the defense and makes it easier for his teammates. I also think it is worth noting that Thornton had 8 assists, most of which were to Dawkins. Kelly and Rivers ended up playing more minutes than the starters and had their best games in some time. Cook, on the other hand, did not and only played 14 minutes. The Plumlees and the defense were just so-so.

Some observations:

· The statistics bear out the fact that Duke is much better offensively than defensively. However, that is somewhat deceiving because they attempt a lot of threes, which like last night make the winning look easy. However, when they are not falling, the team struggles because the defense does not always bail them out.

· Ryan Kelly played with a lot of energy and had a very impressive, stat-stuffing game.

· Andre Dawkins has a natural smile as sweet as his jump shot– as opposed to say Redick, who had the focused demeanor of a “Hit Man”. Maybe it is not in Andre’s nature to be driven to excel all the time. If JJ had 7 threes and 21 points in the first half, do you think he would have taken one shot in the second half?

· Rivers, on the other hand, is driven. He found out that he wasn’t starting two days ago and was chastened and angered but mature about the demotion: “I’m bringing it every day for the rest of the year. I really want to do what I can to help the team. These guys have my back and I have their back. In the past, when I had a bad game, no one would talk to me. Here, it’s ‘Austin, we believe in you, you can do it,’ so much positive feedback, especially from the coaches. It’s something new for me. I was pissed off. I wasn’t mad at coach in any way. I respect what he says. I was so angry, I went home, didn’t talk to anybody. My teammates told me that’s not the way to handle it. Pointing fingers and being a coward isn’t going to help anything. Moving forward, whether I start or not doesn’t matter, I’m going to do my best and help the team.”

· Many of Dawkins threes came with Thornton at the point and Rivers not on the floor. Rivers game often precludes quick ball and player movement and, since Dawkins is basically a spot up shooter, he is disadvantaged. When Rivers recognizes defenses quicker and better and looks to create shots for others as well as himself, this will become an even more lethal offense. It is also my view that to excel on this level and succeed on the next level, Austin Rivers must develop more point guard skills and mentality. He is not big enough, strong enough, or talented enough to be just a scoring guard in the pros. And unless/until he recognizes that, he will not realize his dreams.

Alan adds:

I thought there were a number of story lines from Duke’s relatively easy victory over Wake. First (and perhaps foremost), welcome back, Austin. Second, welcome (if not back), Andre; third, hello, Ryan; and (for players), welcome back, Seth. All four had terrific games. All four story lines coalesce around Coach K’s familiar, but usually successful, motivational ploys. Neither Austin nor Ryan started (definite demotions), and both responded with stellar performances. Austin had his best game (in my opinion) hitting 3-4 from behind the arc and going 6-11 from the floor and 5-6 from the line for 20 points in a team high 32 minutes. His post game comments show maturity. I think it was significant that Doc came to watch his son; I think he knew how Austin reacted to not starting was sort of a cross-roads for him. It could turn out to be the move of the season. Austin played really hard (if a bit inconsistently) on defense, too.

Seth had a superb game, especially in the second half. Dawkins explosion in the first half led Wake to defend him intensely in the second half, which opened up the floor for Duke to drive to the basket. Seth had 4 beautiful drives and played an intense game. Though his minutes were limited by his 3 first half fouls (19 minutes), he was 7-9 from the floor (0-1 from 3 and missed his only 2 foul shots after the game was out of Wake’s reach), had two assists against a turnover and 3 steals. Duke is tough when shooting well and 7-8 inside the arc is nothing to sneeze at. And I will let Bill gush over Dawkins’s first half shooting performance. He also defended intensely. Kelly was 8-11 and Duke shot almost 55%, a nice trend.

It was very much a game of two halves. With the exception of Dawkins’ stunning outburst, I did not think Duke played all that well in the first half. It was again the defense on the perimeter. Wake got to the basket rather easily and scored on a raft of layups. Duke committed foul after foul on Wake’s drives, sending them to the line. Duke was only 1-2 from the line in the first half, and might have been in trouble if not for Dawkins (and Ryan Kelly, who had 10 of his 20 points in the first half. Wake seemed to get too many offensive rebounds as well.

Wake fatigued in the second half, and Duke simply had its way. Duke got to the line 19 times in the second half, controlled the boards, defended much better and spread the scoring around, with Austin leading the way (14 in the second half). It was nice to breath easily. Dawkins didn’t score but played hard on defense (though he still gets beat back door occasionally).

Point guard play continues a bit inconsistent. Thornton missed all 3 of his shots, but had 8 assists (mainly throwing the ball to Dawkins in the first half) and only 1 turnover in 21 minutes. Cook, tweaked his knee again in practice and only played 14 minutes (after starting). He hit a 3, a nice layup, but wasn’t as effective leading the team (or defending) as he has in other games. Coach K is giving Seth his turn at the point as well. It’s the lineup with the most firepower (Austin, Andre and Seth on the perimeter). Still very much a work in progress.

After a comfortable win, Fla. State comes to Cameron. It has the makings of a big game for Duke. Florida State is rested after its blowout of UNC; Duke has a very short turnaround. Florida State is very physical and has an outstanding defense. They are long. It will be a very good test on Saturday.

DUKE 73 – FLORIDA STATE 76

Alan’s wonderful opening paragraph (below) puts the game in proper, not partisan, perspective–it was a compelling college basketball game on a number of different levels and by a number of different standards.

Florida State hit a buzzer-beater prayer three at the end of the half to cut a Duke lead to six, then hit a pure buzzer beater three to win the game. Duke had no excuses. They led at home for most of the second half but in the end, a defense that held the Seminoles to just 26 first half points, gave up 50 in the second half while scoring just 41 themselves. It is somewhat ironic that a team which usually wins by the three was beaten by a team which only has one player shooting over 40% for the season. Just as the Seminoles got hot in the second half and won, last week Virginia, a much better three point shooting team, did not and lost. But in college basketball, you never know– especially during the twenty-five years of the three point shot.

In a sense, this was a game of men against boys. The Seminoles have three graduate students, a 27 year old Army veteran center, and a lot of seniors. The good news is that Duke played an older, bigger, stronger, terrific defensive team to a statistical draw and the Blue Devils will be a better team for a game like this in that they will be better prepared to win close games the next time. The bad news is that they were at home in a position to win like we are used to winning tight games and that the Plumlees scored only 13 points (to go with 13 rebounds) and were exposed defensively at crucial times.

Except for the fact that Duke just couldn’t knock down shots (Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly shot a combined 1-14, many of them good looks), the first half could hardly have gone better for Duke. The Blue Devils outrebounded FSU 22-14, committed only three turnovers, while forcing seven, and didn’t even send Florida State to the line.

In the second half, Duke had an eight-point lead with ten minutes remaining after a Ryan Kelly 3-pointer, but mostly the score was close with both teams topping the other with key plays.

There were a couple of times it looked like the Blue Devils might have the Seminoles in on the ropes, most notably with the Kelly 3-pointer or when Andre Dawkins hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give Duke a 67-63 edge with three minutes remaining. However, each time, Florida State found a way to get the ball into the paint to score. After the Dawkins 3-pointer, Xavier Gibson had a dunk and Bernard James scored on a layup on consecutive FSU possessions to tie the score at 67. The Seminoles shot an unacceptable 67% from the floor after halftime.

Austin Rivers, responding to his benching (followed by attitude adjustment talk from the coaches, the players, and his father), was a focused warrior playing his best game of his young career at Duke. Dawkins (14 pts & 4 rebs) picked his spots for critical plays and Tyler Thornton (5 pts & 4 assists ) was solid. I assume Quinn Cook is injured. If it is his knee, that is a blow. He could have been a help on the offensive end against the Seminoles.

Some observations:

· A win could have given the Blue Devils a clear path to the regular season title and a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. With two games against Carolina and a return match with Florida State in Tallahassee, the journey becomes much more difficult. But in the convoluted scheduling of the expanded ACC, UNC doesn’t play Florida State again but does get UVA twice. So, the clear path to the regular season is with Florida State.

· At the beginning of the season, the stated team goal was to have more balanced scoring. In the three losses, the front court did not produce the points to achieve that goal. Part of the problem is that other than Quinn Cook, the Duke point guards are not consistent penetrators. Another is than Kelly is better on the perimeter and not strong enough to muscle a big defender, MP2 plays with more finesse than muscle, and MP1 is more muscle than finesse. If Mason stays next year (and this is why he should), he will become a stronger, more complete player ,and more compelling option in the post.

· Dawkins had his fourth productive game in a row—a sign of a maturing, focused player. Don’t forget, he came to Duke a year early at 17.

Alan Adds:

If anyone would ask me why I love college basketball as much as I do, I would simply re-play for that person a tape of last night’s game. It was a great college basketball game. This was not a final four game; not a tournament game with elimination on the line; not a game for the conference championship; not a great rivalry game; not even a really critical game in any aspect. Yet, it was a special game in which the players dueled with each other, each team making the other rise to the heights. Duke did not lose the game; so much as Florida State won it. I thought Duke played better basketball last night than at any time since before the Temple loss.

Florida State is (obviously) a dramatically improved team. The Seminoles have lost 6 times including to Harvard, Princeton and Clemson (also to ranked teams – UConn, Michigan State and Florida). This was their fourth win in a row (Va. Tech, the blowout of UNC, and Maryland).

I believe that Duke will take much from this game. Duke held its own on the boards, giving up only 4 offensive rebounds, and had only 10 turnovers. Duke took 13 more shots from the field and for the first time in a while had more assists (13) than turnovers. There were some down aspects, though. Florida. State scored 50 points in the second half on 66% shooting (5-6 from behind the arc) and 10-14 from the line. Duke was fairly awful on defense in the second half after an excellent first half defensively. However, I thought that Florida State offense was really good. Dawkins got caught on the last play; he did not know if he was going to have to help on the drive (a foul would have also probably won the game as FSU was in the 2 shot bonus), and so left the three point shooter open from the wing for the win. The absence of Quinn Cook, who was said to have tweaked his knee in practice before the Wake game, hurt Duke’s offense, especially in the first half when Duke was stymied (31% shooting) by the smothering Florida State defense.

Coach K went with a seven player rotation – Kelly (24 minutes) and Miles (26) and Mason (30) up front, and Thornton (17 minutes) spelling Curry (36), Dawkins (28) and Rivers (38). Duke had major foul trouble (mostly caused by the Seminoles’ ability to penetrate and get shots close in to the basket). Mason, Kelly and Dawkins had 4 each while Seth had 3. The foul trouble for the bigs made the interior defense porous at the end.

I find it hard to be distraught by the loss. Paterno’s favorite teaching was “Everyone knows what to do with a win; winners know what to do with a loss”. Coach K has always been a winner. If Cook isn’t permanently damaged, I see Duke growing from the effort in this game. Circle February 23 on your calendar. Duke v Florida State in Tallahassee.

DUKE 74– MARYLAND 61

Maryland students and fans make the Comcast center a tough, often nasty, venue for Duke. Tonight was potentially more so because before tip-off, the court was named for just retired, scrappy Coach Gary Williams. The Terps started on fire as they jumped to an eight point lead and while their defense was geared to stop Duke’s threes. The strategy initially worked, but it left a lot of space down low and gradually Duke adjusted as MP2, Kelly, and MP1 took full advantage to kept the Blue Devils in the game. Maryland cooled off and Mason Plumlee heated up, scoring almost at will with pretty, soft ambidextrous hook shots and strong dunks.

Although Duke did not close out the half well, they were up three and, after a sloppy start of the final twenty minutes, finished the final ten minutes in workman like fashion. Mason Plumlee had by far his most impressive game as a Blue Devil—23 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 5-5 from the free throw line.

The final score is deceiving as several times this game could have gone the other way. Normally, when Duke is missing threes, it is difficult for them to win. While MP2 played like an All American, everyone else settled down, made heady plays (only 9 turnovers), and out fought the Terps for most of the loose balls. Another key was free throws. Duke was 17-18 and Maryland 11-21. Duke also outrebounded the Terps 33-28, and held them to 40% from the floor while shooting 49% but going 3-16 from beyond the arc.

Some observations:

Duke has not lost two games in a row since 2009.
Starter Andre Dawkins was a non-factor and did not play much the second half. On the other hand, non-starter Ryan Kelly, was very efficient with 14 points a two of Duke’s three treys.
Cook and GMan2 were left home alone as they are sick.
Bobby Knight was one of the commentators and listening to him you can understand why he is a Hall of Fame coach.
Austin Rivers most impressive attribute is his mental toughness. He was just plain awful in the first half but in the second, let the game come to him and scored several important baskets.
As I have commented, I have never understood why MP2 has been such an awful free throw shooter. He is not a brick layer, he has a nice soft touch but inconsistent north south direction, and not enough arc. The last few games, this seems to have changed and he appears more confident.
I hope I am wrong, but the last several games have left me with the uneasy feeling that this team may be less than the sum of their parts. No one, especially Rivers, is consistent enough to be the player to take over games. Curry and Kelly are very nice players but complementary players—except at the end of a game. Andre is a sometimes thing. Thornton is solid but not creative. Tonight, Mason was “The Man” but he had an obvious mismatch that doesn’t exist against Carolina, Florida State, etc. However, this game might give him the confidence to really give the Devils a more balanced offense. Defense is still a big question mark.

Alan Adds:

Concerns for the quality of Duke’s perimeter defense have been voiced throughout this season, but the first 10 minutes of the opening half raised the concerns through the roof. Maryland went through the Duke perimeter defense as if the Dookies were moving in slow motion. The Duke double teams were sliced and diced. Once the Maryland guard got past the on the ball defense, their interior passing made it seem as if the Terps scored on every early possession. Maryland scored 23 points in the first 10 minutes but (and here’s the key) only 38 for the next 30 minutes as Duke’s defense tightened (and Maryland’s hot shooting cooled off) (The Terps scored only 27 points in the second half).

The really good news was the efficient manner in which Duke closed out the game at “winning time”, which for me is the last 5 minutes of regulation. Duke was behind 47-45 with just under 5 to play, and took control. Duke got the loose balls, made the hustle plays, shot fouls almost perfectly (Miles had the only miss as the team went 17-18), and most of all controlled both back boards. Seth and Austin eschewed the outside shot (after a night of spectacular futility) and drove for easy layups. It was a bravura last 5 minutes.

Maryland’s game plan was to stop Duke’s 3 point shooting and they did (aside from Kelly’s 2-3; Duke was 1-13 for a whopping 7.6% from behind the arc). But to do it, Maryland elected not to provide any double teams when Duke sent the ball into the post. Mason handled the post like an All-American. He was not less than superb, and was the reason Duke won the game. His stat line was breath taking. 23 points on 13 shots, including 5-5 from the free throw line; 12 boards; 4 assists and a block. Only 1 turnover. Kelly had 14 points on 7 shots (5-7 including 2-3 from behind the arc and 2-2 from the line. The only other double scorer was Austin, who played a game high 38 minutes. He was 0-3 from behind the arc, but some clutch beautiful drives in the second half (5-9 from inside the arc. He also had 5 boards and 3 assists with the same number of turnovers). However, I thought Rivers was Duke’s best perimeter defender. Read that sentence again! It may not look like it from the box score, but he is improving. How Coach K perceives Austin’s play is reflected in the minutes he is on the court. Mason and Curry played 31 minutes. Both Thornton and Dawkins (22 minutes) were defensive toast and had no resistance to the Maryland penetration as P’shon Howard and Soglin beat the first defender with ease. Andre was not only toasted on the defensive end, he was virtually invisible on the offensive end. In 22 minutes, he made 1 of 6 shots; 5 of them 3s. His inconsistency is defining him. Coach K relied heavily on Tyler Thornton, who played 29 minutes and was 5-5 from the foul line down the stretch. He had 0 turnovers, but committed 4 fouls. Duke had 14 assists against only 9 turnovers.

Duke’s trademark in the Coach K era has been to make more foul shots than the other team takes. Not this season. While Duke made more foul shots than Maryland (17-11), Maryland shot 21 to Duke’s 18, but was dismal from the line (11-21), and missing the front end of 1 and 1s a couple of times.

Duke may not have a go-to guy, as all the commentators have noted, but they do have 8 starters, any one of which can be “the guy” for the night, as Mason was against the Terps. Dawkins has been “the guy” a couple of times. So has Curry. So has Rivers. So has Kelly. Cook, one of the 8 (and Gbinije) were ill and did not make the trip to College Park. Losing one of the 8 for a game is something this Duke team can withstand better than past ones.

Duke has been so inconsistent on defense, that I share Bill’s misgivings about this team. Offensively, Duke took advantage of Maryland’s lack of size and the inexperience of the Terp bigs. That is an advantage Duke didn’t have against Fla. State and won’t have against the premier teams. So much promise; so much inconsistency.

DUKE 83 – ST. JOHNS 76

This game may be the catalyst for the turning point of Duke’s season—or not—because Coach K was not happy: “We did enough to win, which almost makes me sick to say. I hate saying that. I hate saying that we did enough to win. That’s not who I am and that’s not what this program is. Why are we in this position right now?. “Well, I can tell you: by not playing defense, by not finishing. I think a big part of our team is, we just let up. These kids are more offensive players, and they won’t win big unless they become defensive players who can play offense. That’s bottom line. Up at Maryland, we held them to 60. We played really well defensively, and the first half against Florida State. So, we can do it. It’s just not in our nature. It’s just not in our nature to do it.” And when Coach K is not happy, change is sure to follow.

The Blue Devils ended the first half like they were going to blow out the Red Storm – which featured five freshman starters and no player taller than 6-foot-8 – and get some fine-tuning before ACC play fires back up next week.

Instead, a 20-point first-half lead dwindle to as few as four as a St. John’s comeback exposed faults in both the Blue Devils’ defense and, possible, its mental makeup. Duke shot 7 of 23 in the second half and hit just one of its eight attempts from 3-point range. St. John’s freshman Moe Harkless scored 18 of his 30 and D’Angelo Harrison had 15 of his 21 in the second half.

But Duke ended up hitting its final four free throws to preserve the win. It wasn’t the usual script but it was an ugly win–Duke plays poorly but does the little things late to hold on. Lessons learned—or not. The players have had the summer together on their world tour as well as 21 games of the season to learn their lesson. Maybe it is just that these players—good students and good kids but just too nice.

Alan has a very interesting analysis on the defensive problems. However, I will point out again that games are often determined by three point shooting (or defending them) and free throw shooting (where there is no defense, except not fouling). Duke hit 7 threes (vs. 5 for St. John’s) & 32 free throws (vs. 11). Dawkins hit four NBA range rainbows in the first half but was 0-4 in the second. All of those misses were off by a fraction of an inch, which reminds us—as the 2010 Butler game did—that the difference between success and failure is a very slim margin.

Some observations:

· Austin Rivers reminds me of a smaller Art Heyman in that he is a scorer not a pure shooter like Andre Dawkins. And like Art (and unlike Andre), he his mentally tough and wants to take over games in critical situations. He has cut down his blind drives into traffic and has much better court vision. Today, he made much better decisions and was rewarded with 5 assists and would have had that many more if Curry and Dawkins had hit open shots. He was at the point for significant portions of the second half. Very late in the game, Rivers got to the basket for two beautiful drives. Then, he reverted to high school form and drove into traffic and turned the ball over. Like the rest of the team, he is a work in process—but an encouraging one as is Mason Plumlee who had 17 rebounds and 15 points.

· Quinn Cook, on the other hand, is another story. The freshman point guard has had a tough few weeks, with his knee bothering him in addition to getting sick. The ailments have negated the momentum Cook had earlier in January, when his strong play earned him a spot in the Blue Devils’ starting lineup.

· After the Duke Chronicle published an article this week detailing how Duke’s students were not using all their tickets to games, the student section seemed full. Asked about the subject after the win, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was more concerned about the lethargy of his team than anything the crowd did or did not do. “I hate to say anything about the crowd,” Krzyzewski said. “It was us this afternoon. We can be better. Everything can be better.”

Alan adds:

I cannot add much beyond what Coach K had to say to the media after Duke gave up 31 points in the last 12 minutes, and turned a 22 point lead into almost a nail biter (it never got to a 1 possession game, but the outcome was definitely in doubt). Duke had a huge size advantage inside and took advantage, but Duke’s defense is now acknowledged as inferior for big time teams, and the quality that will keep Duke from being a national force this year. Here’s what Coach K said:

“We did enough to win, which almost makes me sick to say. I hate saying that. I hate saying we did enough to win. That’s not who I am and that’s not who this program is. We don’t do enough to win. We play really good basketball and hopefully we win. And that’s the story.

“We let up and they didn’t. I want to win by playing great basketball and to me today was a loss. I didn’t like today. If my team doesn’t like today, then we’ll get better. If my team is okay with today then we’re [my team and I] are going to fight. I’m not going to change on this.”

Coach K compared Duke’s defense to AAU ball, “You run, you score, I run, I score. Then suddenly, I don’t score and it’s a 9 point game and it’s not an AAU game today. That’s not the way it works.”

I do think there was a positive and defining moment for Duke in the late game going. The lead had shrunk to 7 when Austin gave Duke two tremendously clutch baskets with superb drives to the hole. He looked like Grant Hill or Jason Williams, just taking over the game with superb athleticism. A good moment for him to build on. He is hustling on defense, though still having lapses. He’s better as a defender than Dawkins, Cook and even Seth, and almost as good as Thornton (who is better than ok, but not up to past great Duke on the ball defenders).

On defense, the opposing guards do not seem to get much resistance to their penetration. The switches leave room for interior passing resulting in easy layups. The defense is getting good rim protection from the bigs. Note how many layups the opponents miss. The announcers say “missed”, but the bigs are altering shots and making layups difficult even when there is no block. But that is only some of the time; there seem to be many instances where the rotation is late and the layups clean. The trademark perimeter tactic of help and recover is not anywhere near the Duke defense we have come to expect. Duke has good defensive moments (Maryland; Fla State first half etc.), but there is NO consistency and Duke is giving up a high percentage of field goals. St John’s shot 46% (including 50%; 5-10 from 3) in the second half. Most of the St John’s three point attempts were wide open after Duke switches. And, as the score got closer and the time waned, St John’s began to get many offensive rebounds to score and tighten the lead even when they had missed the first or first two shots of the possession. Duke also began fouling excessively (losing Rivers ultimately, and limiting both Miles and Tyler’s time on the floor).

Coach K played his starting 5 most of the game, with only 10 minutes from Tyler, 9 from Miles, 8 from Quinn (who looked very rusty with his shooting; 0-3 and awful on defense) and 7 from Hairston. Miles had 8 points but only 1 board a block two steals, three fouls and a turnover in his short stint. Tyler was limited by 4 fouls in his 10 minutes, but hit a 3 and was 4-4 from the line with 2 boards, but 0 assists and a turnover. Dawkins had 14 points in 35 minutes, but 12 were in the first half. Austin again led in minutes played (37 minutes before fouling out) and was 4-11 (1-3 from behind the arc) with 5 assists (would have been more if some recipients of gorgeous passes had been able to finish) and 3 tough defensive rebounds. Four turnovers and fouling out are weaknesses he is working on. Seth played 29 minutes (the only starter under 30) with 9 points on 3-7 shooting, but was 1-4 from behind the arc. The backcourt was torched on defense and mediocre on offense. Duke once again had more turnovers than assists (15-14)

Duke’s bigs won the game. Kelly had 16 points in 31 minutes. His 10-12 from the free throw line was huge as were his 9 boards. Duke scored 32 from the line (out of 42 attempts; a huge discrepancy). St John’s was 11-21; so Duke scored 21 more points from the line. Mason continued his awesome performances (marred only by 5-9 from the free throw line, a slight regression). He had 15 points on 8 shots to go with his 17 rebounds. Both Kelly and Mason had 6 offensive boards each.

It’s too bad Feinstein has already used the title “A Season on the Brink”, because it would be apt for this Duke team. Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Thursday. I suspect practices will be intense.

Note: This filing meanders a bit but as most of you must realize, Alan and I write this for our own personal enjoyment and amusement. The fact that anyone else may enjoy it is serendipity.

DUKE 75– VIRGINIA TECH 60

We have seen this movie many times over the years, but it never gets old. Duke loses a game or plays poorly. The Maestro shakes up the line-up and the Blue Devils play well and win. Tonight, it was Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton for Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry. Ah, but there was a new wrinkle–a team ban on social media (no Twitter) and a bus ride not a charter flight to Blacksburg, which is isolated in the middle of (nowhere) Virginia, a state for which I have great deal of affection because I spent half my life up Rt. 81 in Winchester, a truly magical place.

Everyone contributed but Kelly, who has some of his best games coming off the bench, and Rivers were particularly impressive. Austin had his best and, coincidentally, most efficient game as a Blue Devil (7-11 for 18 pts, 5 rebs, 5 assists, 1 steal and much better defense) by taking less shots and enjoying it more. He also had one of the more ironic quotes of the season: “Everybody’s so unselfish now and it makes everything fun.”

Coach Seth (I was no math major but 3 is more than 2”) Greenberg played everyone straight up but overplayed the guards to cut down the threes, daring MP2 to beat the Hokies one-on-one. Mason had a subpar offensive night(4-10 for 10 pts, 6 rebs, 2 blks & 1 steal) but, more importantly, continued to be much more accurate (2-2) from the foul line. Quinn Cook, who played a solid 12 minutes, apparently had enough of MP2 missing baby hook shots, so just to show Mason how it is done, drove across the lane and tossed in a patented Magic Johnson sky hook.

Some observations:

· It could be that Coach K has decided that he needs a defensive stopper like Billy King and since G-Man2 has been sick, had Josh Hairston audition. Or, he may be looking for a match-up for Harrison Barnes when Duke plays Carolina next week. Whatever the case, Josh made a case for more minutes and Kelly was very effective at the right times.

· There were a couple of plays that demonstrated that the players got the “defensive effort” message: Rivers steal on a back door play; Hairston on the floor for loose balls; but the most impressive was Mason Plumlee’s spectacular block foiling a fast break. Plumlee sprinted from one end of the floor to another, outrunning just about everyone, including all the guards. It was a spectacular play, and an inspirational template for the rest of the team.

· Duke’s run early in the first half came after the usually placid Dawkins made a 3-pointer, then said something to Virginia Tech’s Dorenzo Hudson as he ran up the court and was called for a technical. Minutes before that, the Hokies were unhappy and chippy with Duke after a foul, so the referees gathered the players together and warned them about physical play and trash talk.

· Virginia Tech suffered its most lopsided defeat of the season.

· Max McCaffrey, the son of former Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, committed to play football for Duke. His mother Lisa, a daughter of Dave Sime, the great Duke world champion sprinter, baseball player, and post graduate football player as “lonesome end” (while in medical school), attended Stanford (where she met Ed), on a soccer scholarship. Dave, who was on a 1956 Sports Illustrated cover, was arguably the best athlete (certainly, along with Dick Groat ad Ace Parker, the most versatile) in Duke’s history. Of course, Ed’s brother was Billy McCaffrey who played an instrumental role on the 1991 NCAA Championship team before transferring to Vanderbilt.

Alan comments: Here’s a bit to follow up on your Dave Sime reference. Sime came to Duke on a baseball scholarship. In his freshman year, they took the baseball players to the track to work on speed. They ran test 100s (yards then; not meters). Sime ran 9.5 in sweats and baseball cleats (world record then was 9.3); when asked, he did it again. He was in the big time almost immediately, winning the DC indoor 60 in his first meet as a sophomore. He ran track at Duke in the spring all but one year. His sophomore year in one meet, he ran 9.3 for the 100 (tied world record); ran 20 flat for the 220 (yards again; run on a straightaway, not curve), and tied the world record in the 220 low hurdles.[Bill notes: I was there. It was a dual meet. A lot of people had come to see if Dave could break the world’s record in the 100. He didn’t and they left. Duke needed points to win the meet and Coach Al Buehler asked Dave to run the 220 low hurdles, which he never practiced. He did, clearing them by about almost a foot and a still breaking the record.] He also won the long jump. Finally, Duke needed points to win the dual meet (against Navy, I think). So he took a turn at the discus because Larry Spear, his roommate was Duke’s only discus thrower. He won the event the only time he threw in competition. His senior year, he was the ACC javelin champion. He was the fastest sprinter in the world, but tore a groin muscle just before the ’56 trials. He never hurdled or long jumped again, but he beat the 56 Olympic champion in several head to head races (Penn Relays was one) the next year. In 1960, he was in medical school. He made the US Olympic team in the 100 (meters) and ran on the 4 x 100 relay team. He won the silver, just being nipped by the lightening starter Armin Hary of Germany. He told me once (we had girlfriends in the same dorm, and occasionally chatted waiting for them) that he was in lane 1 and Hary in the far lane and he didn’t really see Hary. He said he would have won if he had been next to him. In the relay, Sime, anchoring, stormed from behind to catch the Germans and seemingly finally get his gold medal. Great run, but US was DQed for passing out of the zone on the second leg. The one year he played baseball for Duke, he was a switch hitting center fielder. He led the ACC in home runs, RBIs and was considered a real prospect. Years later, I was friends with Bill Lee (Spaceman, the Red Sox screwball leftie; actually a terrific guy – screwball was his public persona), who had to decide if the contract said what had been agreed to on the last night he could file for free agency. He asked me to meet with Larry McPhail, the GM of the Expos (Bill had been traded to Montreal), and review the contract. I ran my workout in central park first, and showed up at McPhail’s room in his hotel overlooking the park sweating in my running gear. McPhail wanted to make me welcome and so started talking about running. It seems he had been scouting this hot shot prospect who was also a sprinter, Dave Sime, who was a left fielder. “No sir. He was a centerfielder.” McPhail “I think he
was a left hand hitter.” “No sir. He was a switch hitter.” I got respect. I never said I went to Duke or knew Sime. McPhail treated me with respect. Good and true story. [Bill adds: As a freshman, I had a brief career running track. One of the first days of practice, Coach Buehler had the sprinters warm up by running striders with “Dave”, a tall, red headed sophomore. He said: “Jog, half sped, three quarter speed”. I was running as fast as I could, so I knew my days as a sprinter were numbered. Of course, the sophomore turned out to be The Dave Sime, so later I didn’t feel quite as bad.]

Alan adds:

Bill’s report is on target. He immediately focused correctly on the twitter ban. The team agreeing on the social media ban (Let’s do something this season that will give us a reason to tweet after it) is, I think more meaningful than superficial. It all starts with attitude and passion. Coach K said that if his team was as unhappy as he was with the St. John’s win, the team would be alright. They came out as if they heard their Hall of Fame coach loud and clear. It was easily Duke’s best defensive performance of the year. Not perfect. There were some late rotations and missed assignments, but on balance it was a hummer of a defense. Duke stopped, by and large, perimeter penetration better than the defense has all year. Credit Thornton and Hairston for sure, but Duke’s best defender last night was Austin Rivers. Austin is slowly (maybe not so slowly) morphing into a wonderfully solid all-around basketball player. His stat line last night, as Bill pointed out, was quite amazing, especially since it seems he wasn’t trying to do so much. In 35 minutes (by far the most of any Duke player) he was 7-11 (3-4 from downtown) with 5 boards, 5 assists and a steal. He turned it over only twice. Here’s an amazing stat for me, especially considering minutes played and superb defensive effort: 0 personal fouls. No mouth (Dawkins could learn); no pouting, no bitching at the refs. Just encouraging teammates. Watching Rivers develop, gives one the warm and fuzzies for great coaching (I suspect that includes great parenting) and a kid who said he came to Duke to be coached. He’s coachable.

I like to see who plays how many minutes and who is taking shots. I think those stats get you a bit inside of Coach K’s perceptions. I thought those facts were interesting last night. Shot attempts: Austin 11, Ryan and Mason 10 each. Hairston took 6 shots in only 15 minutes (he’s not shy), Miles took 5 in only 9 minutes; I think he had a bunch of missed offensive rebounds. Curry is still in his shooting slump (2-7; 1-4 from behind the arc), but he is driving the ball and getting to the foul line (6-6). Duke was money from the line, except for both Hairston and Cook missing the front end of 1 and 1s. Kelly (3-4) had the only other miss as Duke went 13-16. Tyler played 28 minutes and Quinn Cook 12. I think that means the experiment of Curry (23 minutes) at the point is at least on hold, if not over. After Rivers, Mason (his left hand jump hooks contributed to 4-10 shooting) played 29 minutes and Kelly (playing at the end with 4 fouls) played 28. He was efficient, scoring his 15 points on 10 shots and defending well.

Outside of Rivers, the backcourt is a pastiche of differing parts. Thornton took only 1 shot in 28 minutes and had only 1 assist and a turnover.

The good news is he didn’t foul unnecessarily (2). Dawkins continues to be a defensive liability. He played 23 minutes and took only 3 shots (making 2; one was a 3). What is the story with that? Maybe his 3 fouls (I think all in the first half). Duke put Va Tech in the bonus early in the first half, but was better in the closing stanza. Which brings me to Quinn Cook (who, as you know, I have been high on all year). Cook had his best game so far. He is a good outside shooter (or was last year in high school), but his shot is not falling. I predict it will and he will be a star at Duke (though maybe not this year). In his 12 minutes he had 3 assists (only Austin had more for Duke), and they were beautiful. As my insight about Zoubek last year, extrapolate Cook’s playing time and his assist statistic becomes impressive. The team is so much more fluid when he runs the point. He missed both of his 3 point attempts (Austin looks for him because they played together in all-star games last year when Cook was shooting well), but made a wonderful driving layup and the mini hook. [Btw. Len Elmore’s comments – the hook shot reminded me – are so anti-Duke as to be genuinely annoying]

Other good team notes: 12 assists and only 7 turnovers. Dawkins (1-1) Austin (4-6) and Kelly (2-4) gave Duke 7-11 from downtown. However, Curry, Cook and Tyler were 1-7. Still, I think all 3 are good shooter, though I have no idea why Curry’s outside shot has gone south.

All in all, it was a terrific performance and very much fun to watch. The question is: was this just a reaction to Coach K’s emotional post-St. John’s tirade, or has the team ramped up its intensity for the season. Time will tell, beginning with Miami on Super Bowl Sunday. And I think they also play some team that wears (as Bill likes to say) the pastels (aka washed out blues) next Wednesday.

DUKE 76 – MIAMI 78

Down 42-28 at the half, this game looked like the Miami varsity versus the Duke junior varsity. Miami ran past, over, under, around, and through Duke, making them appear to be a mediocre defensive team that can be out-quicked, out-muscle and a finesse, jump shooting team that must out score a strong opponent from beyond the arc and at the line. The second half didn’t start much better as Duke fell 16 points behind. Then, Duke pressed and trapped all over the floor as Curry and Cook re-ignited the defense and the offense to fuel a Duke a run that culminated in putting Rivers, who was about all the offense in the first half, on the line down one with 14 seconds to go. He only made one but Duke had an impressive defensive effort to deny Miami a shot as the game ended in a tie. All the momentum was with the Blue Devils so the game was there for the taking in the next five minutes. Duke had an opportunity to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

In the overtime, the Blue Devils inexplicably snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as Rivers, Cook, and even, Curry (89% for the year) went 0-6 from the charity stripe (which wasn’t so charitable). Still down only one with 20 seconds left in the overtime, Cook drove and threw up a freshman shot/pass that hit nothing. Coach Collins was seen asking the question for all of us “Why?” We can only think he thought he was fouled. My question is, why was the ball in the hands of the least experienced player with two timeouts and the game on the line?

In his press conference, Krzyzewski said you can’t cheat the game. “We had no energy and they did. For the last 16 minutes of the game, I thought we played really well and gave ourselves a chance to win. But we couldn’t close the deal. They’ve been told not to take anything for granted. Someday, they’ll pay attention. They should listen and they should do. They didn’t. (Do you get the feeling that Coach K is frustrated with his team?) Good teams should play with energy for 40 minutes.” A Duke team should play with energy for 40 minutes – or 45,” Krzyzewski continued. “Go outside and look at the banners. They’re quite a few of them up there. They were not won without energy, without hunger, with … complacency, with(out) people really wanting it.”

Some observations:

· For whatever reason, Cameron is not the same feared place this year. Starting with Belmont, every good team has played well. Maybe it’s the students, maybe it’s the players, maybe the opponents are more seasoned. Whatever the reason(s), Cameron and the Crazies are no longer worth 10 points. Coach K: “The place doesn’t have energy. We don’t, the place doesn’t. We had none, I’m not blaming anyone else. It’s us. We should have energy even if the place is empty. It’s that important.”

· The blunt truth is that this team is not playing as well as they did in Hawaii and other teams are. Anyone watch Kansas-Missouri last night? Plenty of energy there.

· Miami is, as usual, talented and physical but still an inconsistent team. However, with new Head Coach Jim Larranaga, (formerly of the NCAA Final Four Cinderella team George Mason) that will change. But, for sure, they are no Ohio State.

· Reggie Johnson, all 6’ 10” 290 pounds of him is a load with soft hands and plays his best against Duke. However, this season he has not scored 20 points in a game– until today. So, Mason Plumlee has to ask himself if he is ready to play in the NBA or does he need another year to get stronger and more polished?

· Duke’s offensive set for most of the first half was Rivers with the ball on the left wing and the center flashing to a high post establishing a 45 degree pick lane for Austin. Once in the lane, Austin drove to the basket or passed to an open man. It was very effective but the open man was not hitting his shot. I think we will see more of this set and was surprised we did not see it at the end of the game.

· Dawkins was MIA again and did not play in the seconds half.

· Until today, Miami had never won in Cameron.

· Duke has now lost two home games to ACC opponents.

· Eli, Peyton and Coach Cut. “I never stray too far from what Coach Cutcliffe taught me,” Eli said last week preparing for Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots. David Cutcliffe was the offensive coordinator when Peyton was at the University of Tennessee and then became the coach at Mississippi when Eli played there. Both Mannings have been known to visit Cutcliffe, now coaching at Duke, from time to time, even as pros. Eli went to North Carolina for three days last June during the N.F.L. lockout. Cutcliffe had been examining video of Manning’s fundamentals during his interception-plagued 2010 season. The visit focused on retooling Eli’s footwork, agility, body mechanics and field vision.

Alan adds:

I was on the road and didn’t pick up the game until the final four minutes of regulation with Duke trailing by 4 and then 5 points. Quinn Cook was the point guard for the entire period that I watched (Thornton, who only played 10 minutes, Dawkins 14 and Hairston 13 did not appear in the game while I watched). Duke played some excellent defense and up until Cook missed 2 free throws and took that hellacious shot late in the overtime, he looked very good and made the Duke offense seem smooth. He had 4 assists, but still can’t find his outside shot (0-3 from behind the arc). Take away the amazing (not too strong a word) string of missed free throws in the overtime, and this is a well-earned Duke win. Both Curry and Rivers missed from the field in overtime, but took good shots. Austin played 43 minutes, and Curry 39, which leads to a suspicion that the overtime misses could have been fatigue induced. Both put out much energy on the defensive end as well to fuel Duke’s comeback.

While Mason had 13 rebounds, he had only 6 points to go with 4 turnovers and 4 fouls. Defensively Duke simply had no answers for Reggie Johnson’s interior scoring and his and Katdji’s inside play (collectively 42 points and 20 rebounds. Austin was Duke’s second leading rebounder with 9. Miles had 2 points and 4 boards in 22 minutes. Kelly had only 8 points and 7 boards in 26 minutes. In short, Duke was manhandled inside, in a way that creates apprehension for dealing with Henson, Zeller and Barnes on Wednesday night.

Finally, Duke was 9-31 from behind the arc. There simply isn’t a lot good to say about Duke’s performance. It was a bit bitter after the optimism induced by the superior performance against an inferior Virginia Tech team. This Duke team will test Coach K’s genius.

DUKE 85 – CAROLINA 84

This game was yet another reminder why Duke – Carolina is the best rivalry in college basketball—maybe in all of sports. In your wildest dreams, you just can’t imagine some of the fantastic, incredible finishes. And this game will be remembered as one of the best in the 233 games played. At the end of the first half, Duke had played about as well as they could offensively and were still down 43-40. The Blue Devils were never ahead in the second half—even when the clock showed :00. But Austin Rivers long three pointer was already in the air and found nothing but net changing the final score to “Duke 85– Carolina 84”, turning the raucous, pastel colored crowd into one of stunned, disbelieving silence—until March 3^rd when these two teams play again in Cameron.

You would think that any team that hits 13 more threes than an opponent and holds them to under 50% from the floor would win. However, down double digits for most of the second half, outscored 42-12 in the paint, and getting killed on the boards the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill, there didn’t seem to be much hope for the Blue Devils. But with these two teams, history tells us “it’s never over until it’s over”. Zeller (23 pts. & 11 rebs.) is a wonderfully dependable player who played another stellar game until the last two minutes. Then, he inadvertently tipped in Kelly’s three point attempt at the rim (for some reason, it only counted 2 points), then missed the second of two free throws to give Duke the ball down two with 14 seconds to go. The rest will be burned into the memories of everyone who saw THE SHOT! And if you should forget it, you will see it played for years to come promoting an upcoming game.

I recently told my Carolina buddy Bucky that UNC was so talented that I didn’t think any Duke player could start for them (well, after tonight, Rivers). However, Duke has Coach K, who somehow instills a “never, ever give-up” attitude to his teams. Sure, this team has been an atypical, enigmatic puzzle, as the loss Saturday at home to Miami proved. Tonight, when the Blue Devils were down ten with 2:30 to go, raise your hand if you thought the Blue Devils would win. Even some of the sports writers, who should know better, had left courtside to go to the media room to file their stories. Well, tonight a 13-2 run snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Whatever Austin Rivers does the rest of his career at Duke, he will always be remembered for this game and this shot.

Some observations:

· Coach Williams was gracious in defeat: “This one hurts. The kids really played and competed and did some very good things. Duke is awfully good, and I think we are awfully good. Tonight, I think at the same point, it was two great basketball programs, two big-time teams, and they made more plays the last three minutes than we did.”

· We all know that Krzyzewski is the winningest college basketball coach in history with 919 wins. Williams is one win away from tying the legendary UCLA great John Wooden for 23rd place on the all-time Division I coaching victories list.

· Before tonight, the series between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils is so close that the combined scores of the last 75 games between them have been decided by just one point. Duke leads the Tar Heels over that span, 5,858-5,857. Krzyzewski is 36-36 all-time against UNC. Williams is 8-9 against Duke. The average halftime lead over the past four games has been a lopsided 16.8 points.

· UNC leads the all-time series against Duke 131-102, but has lost 5 of the last 6. The Tar Heels are just 15-12 at the Smith Center against the Blue Devils and have won only 5 of the last 14 meetings there. Amazingly, when the first meeting of the season is played in Chapel Hill – as it is Wednesday, UNC is 0-5 during the Roy Williams era. The last time it beat Duke at home in their first meeting of a season was on Feb. 5, 1998.

· Duke has not lost back-to-back games since February 2009. The Blue Devils are 14-0 following a loss during that span with an average margin of victory of 14.6 points. They have won 10 of those 14 games by double-digit margins. Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s team is 4-2 in its last five games against UNC in which it lost its previous game.

· Tonight’s game is the 132^nd consecutive game between UNC and Duke in which at least one team has been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Tar Heels are No. 5 this week. The Blue Devils dropped to No. 10 after Sunday’s loss to Miami. The last time the rivals met when neither was ranked was Feb. 27, 1960. The coaches at the time of that game were Frank McGuire for the Tar Heels and Vic Bubas for the Blue Devils.

· Between them, Duke and UNC have accounted for 36 of the ACC’s 58 tournament championships (19 by the Blue Devils, 17 by the Tar Heels) and rank No. 1 and 2 in ACC regular-season wins, ACC tournament wins and NCAA tournament wins among league teams. At least one of the teams has been to the Final Four in 22 of the last 31 seasons and have combined to win eight national championships (four by each school) during that span. Since the ACC expanded to its current 16-game schedule in 1991-92, either UNC and Duke have finished 1-2 in the standings 13 times

ANATOMY OF AN IMPROBABLE WIN

One of the reasons Alan and I take the time to write Duke Basketball Playbook is to attempt to analyze and understand the reasons Duke wins or losses. In the last few days, we have seen two very exciting finishes in professional football and college basketball. In both instances, plays leading up to the sensational finish are just as important as the long, sensational pass completion or the final winning shot. As Bob Knight said, ‘The object of a coaching is to put your team in a position to be in a position to win”.

In both games two admirable, dependable, productive players, Wes Welker and Tyler Zeller without whom their team would have not been in a position to win, are blamed a for causing for the loss. It is more complicated than that. Any number of plays at various times during the game can be just as important, if not as obvious, in contributing to the loss. Some things are inexplicable, some just are not meant to be. It is the unexpected, the improbable that keep us watching sporting events.

Let’s review the final 2:38 minutes of the Duke-Carolina game.

2:38 Harrison Barnes drives, dips left shoulder into Curry, who is in good defensive position, to create space (offensive foul?) then pulls up for a short jumper. UNC 82, Duke 72.

2:09 Three point shot attempt by Ryan Kelly. (Air ball? blocked shot? foul?) Despite Henson’s lobbying, referee rules John partially blocked shot, which went out of bounds under basket. In bound to Tyler Thornton at top a key, dribbles to the right wing, fakes a pass into Kelly, and drains a three (that starts the run). UNC 82, Duke 75

1:59 North Carolina Coach Williams calls a timeout to steady his team.

1:52 Mason Plumlee steals the ball from Marshall on right side line, races down the court, passes to Thornton, who redirects past Kelly (who nearly tips ball) to a sprinting Curry. Seth catches, takes extra step(s), and drains a three right in front of Coach K. The crowd howls in protest of a no call. UNC 82, Duke 78

1:23 Barnes attacks the basket into traffic, crashes into a well-positioned Kelly in the lane. Offensive charge. UNC 82, Duke 78

1:10 Kelly misses a three from the left corner, beats Bullock to the rebound, calmly pump fakes, hits a jumper from the baseline. UNC 82, Duke 80

:44 Marshall gives a pressing Thornton (whom he played against in high school) a forearm get-off- me swat (no call) to create room to receive the inbound pass. Half court set, pass into Zeller. Mason Plumlee is called for a touch foul as Zeller is backing him down into the paint. Zeller misses the first, makes the second. UNC 83, Duke 80

:20 Timeout Duke. (Krzyzewski didn’t call a timeout at the end of the game against Miami on Sunday when Duke had the ball down two. Freshman point guard Quinn Cook ended with the ball and forced a bad shot. Duke lost in overtime.)

:15 Kelly three point attempt. Zeller accidentally tips the ball near/on rim into the basket. Goal tending three? The referees confer, rule shot did not have a chance to go in. Two points. UNC 83, Duke 82

:14 Zeller immediately fouled by Thornton, makes the first and misses the second. UNC 84, Duke 82

:14 MP2 rebounds, Rivers demands ball, dribbles a couple of paces from the Duke bench with Bullock guarding him. Option one, Dawkins can’t get open, so Rivers dribbles to his right, gets high pick from Mason, forcing Zeller to switch.

:o2 Rivers dribbles to right, Zeller in good position with hands held wide to cut off lane and for good balance. Rivers patented forward jab step freezes Zeller, then steps back as Curry is yelling “Go, Go”, rises and shoots over Zeller. Game clock hits :00 just before the three pointer splashes through the net. Duke 85, UNC 84. An instant Classic.

What to make of this result? Luck, destiny, players in the “zone”, just a random result– or something else. After the game, Doc Rivers said: “This was a mental toughness game.” Most commentators opined that Carolina out-played Duke and should have won. Another perspective is that a close basketball game consists of forty minutes of runs, responding to runs, and changes in momentum. Duke won the first seventeen and a half minutes, Carolina the next twenty, and Duke the final two and a half minutes. So, a one point game was an appropriate outcome. Was it just the luck of the draw that Duke had the momentum in the final few minutes or is it that the Duke players may not be as talented as Carolina’s but may be mentally tougher.

You make the call. Next game. Next play.

Alan adds:

I actually think that Bill’s valuable insights apply as much to life as to sport. Duke’s win (and the Giants over the Pats) was about persevence and hanging in through adversity. Personelwise, UNC is better (in my opinion), but that is only one factor. Bill’s point that the first 17 minutes, which belonged to Duke, is underappreciated when the game is analyzed. Those were critical moments in tone and confidence, which can be, and were, drawn on when things deteriorated.

Today’s game is, in my opinion, a critical game for Duke. Inconsistency has been the hallmark of this team so far. It is the biggest challenge to Duke’s improvement and tournament success. A stinker against St John’s; an intense success against Virginia Tech; a stinker against Miami; and a gutty gratifying performance against Carolina. [I know that’s not a complete sentence, but if you know the rule, you can break it; I learned that at Duke.] Today’s game is another classic trap after the huge expenditure of emotion and success against Carolina. I hope Austin stays Austin and doesn’t think he has morphed into Jeremy Lin. Today’s game is an important opportunity for Duke to grow into a consistent team.

DUKE 73– MARYLAND 55

When a sluggish Duke fell behind 10-3 in the early minutes, this indeed appeared to be a “Hangover Game”- that’s the game after an emotionally draining effort and, hopefully, not also the product of what many students felt the morning after the incredible win at Chapel Hill. In any event, when you are on a roll good things happen. In this case, Ryan Kelly, a key in the win against Carolina was in foul trouble early and often. His minutes went to Miles Plumlee, who had the game we all have been waiting for– 22 rebounds, 13 points, 2 steals, 1 block. The game was tighter than the final score; however, the Blue Devils got stronger and more efficient as the game progressed and closed out the Terps in impressive fashion with a 13-2 run.

In a post-game interview, Miles Plumlee channeled Coach K: “We played with energy, we played hard and when we do that, we’re going to play hard on offense and defense. It showed up in the little things. We got loose balls, offensive boards and we just put the game away.” Brother Mason Plumlee finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. It was the first time both Plumlee brothers had double-doubles in the same game during their three seasons together at Duke. Their 32 combined rebounds were one fewer than the entire Maryland team. Duke’s aggressive, trapping defense held Maryland to 37% from the floor and Terrell Stoglin, the ACC’s leading scorer to 13 points, 9 below his average.

An insight the thoroughness of the Duke approach to game prep, consider this: To help Duke orient itself after its euphoric win Wednesday against No. 5 North Carolina, the Blue Devils’ coaches showed the team two videos before practice Thursday. The first were highlights from the 1991 Final Four, when Duke stunned the college basketball world by upsetting number one seed, undefeated UNLV in the NCAA semifinals. Two days later, the Blue Devils were focused enough to beat Kansas and win the national championship. The second video was Duke’s 2010 home matchup against Maryland, which also followed winning at Chapel Hill. It was a career changer for Brian Zoubek, who punished Maryland with a 16-point, 17-rebound effort. Over the next six weeks, Zoubek, a senior, went from being something of an afterthought to an integral part of a Blue Devils team that went on to win the NCAA title. Hmmm, interesting. Can lightning strike twice?

The most interesting development was that Austin Rivers was the only player to player 40 minutes but only took 9 shots for 11 points, 4 assists, and played very effective defense. At the end of the game, he was content let Seth Curry, who had a hot hand run the delayed offense. That is a sign of maturity. Krzyzewski told Rivers he had contributed outstanding defense and rebounding.

Some observations:

· Duke wore a specially designed Nike Elite Platinum uniforms—jerseys (made from recycled polyester and are the lightest in the country, weighing five percent less than the standard Nike Hyper Elite jerseys), shorts, and shoes designed for the nine teams that have won NCAA Championships while wearing Nike gear. While not as bad as the Maryland’s Under Armour football uniforms, I thought I was watching a Georgetown game—same washed out grey but indecipherable lettering. Hopefully, it is a one and done Nike promotional event.

· Mason and Miles combined for 32 of Duke’s season-high 48 rebounds, nearly outrebounding Maryland by themselves. Miles set a career high with 22 boards which is the second highest single-game total in the NCAA this season, the ninth most rebounds in Duke history and the most in the Coach K era.

· While Duke’s defense has been suspect, consider these stats: Duke held Maryland to 1-of-14 shooting from the three-point line. The Blue Devils have held their last two opponents to one three-pointer apiece and five teams to two three-pointers or less. ACC opponents are shooting just .271 against Duke from three-point range which is the ACC’s lowest percentage in conference play.

· Duke improved its all-time record against Maryland to 112-61 in a series that dates back to 1926. The Blue Devils have won 5 straight in the series and 11 of the last 12. Duke is 53-21 against the Terrapins under Coach K.

Alan adds:

After what seemed like a continuation of this season’s Cameron Blues (Duke’s only win in the last 3 home games was the St. John’s game, which produced Coach K’s post game emotional outburst – “I count it as a loss”), against an inferior team devestated by the season ending loss of its gifted point guard, Duke morphed back into a team with the will and skill to close out the game efficiently. The 13-2 closing run was impressive, and padded Duke’s stat line.

The Plumlees simply dominated the inside. Maryland coach Trugeon said “Their big guys kicked our big guys’ butts.” It was a premier performance and the first time Miles and Mason had double doubles. Miles had what is surely his best game ever at Duke (in 28 minutes he had 13 points — 6-10 from the floor — 22 rebounds including 9 offensive, 2 steals, a block against only 1 turnover and committing only 1 foul. Wow! Mason and Kelly were both good, though Kelly was limited by foul trouble (4).

I thought the big Duke story and positive was the return to early season form of Seth Curry. He played 11 minutes of point guard and had a gaudy stat line all around. In 34 minutes he was 7-15 (3-6 from downtown) with 3 assists and only 1 turnover. He also had 2 steals, played good defense and committed only 2 fouls. Welcome back, Seth.

Austin played a steady game. You can tell he’s valued by Coach K because he played all 40 minutes, was 3-6 from downtown with 4 assists against only 2 turnovers. He was however 2-6 from the foul line and 0-3 inside the arc. Still he is the glue and, perhaps, the leader.

The Duke rotation was six , with short help from Andre (4 fouls in his 15 minutes tells you about his defense; 1-4 from the field) and only 8 minutes from Quinn, who missed all 3 shots, but had 2 boards and an assist. Tyler played an efficient 21 minutes (though limited by foul trouble; he had 4) with no turnovers and 2 assists. Duke had 11 assists against only 9 turnovers.

All in all, a good performance. The next game against NC State (7-3 in the ACC; only a game behind the 3 leaders tied for first) will be illuminating.

DUKE 78 – NORTH CAROLINA STATE 73

Are you kidding me! For the second time in a week, Duke, down 20 points with 11:33 to play, makes another improbable–no, miraculous– comeback to defeat historic rival North Carolina State by 5. As my friend Gary said after the Carolina win, “You Duke guys must have strong hearts.” Yes Gary, in more ways than one. I’m at a loss to explain this win. I’ll just say that this is Duke Basketball, sometimes it is inexplicable, and this is why we love it! What an opponent said about Bear Bryant holds true for Coach K: “He can take can take his’n’ and beat you’rn’, and he can take you’rn’ and beat his’n’.”

For the third time this year, a bigger, stronger, more athletic, more intimidating team came into Cameron and literally and figuratively punched Duke in the nose and knocked them all over the floor. It got so bad that Coach K was holding his head in his hands as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. Unlike the other games, it sure looked like this one wouldn’t even be close–and it wasn’t for almost thirty minutes. In some ways, this was more impressive than the Carolina win in that it was a marathon rally rather than a sprint. The Cameron Crazies, who have been criticized this year, deserve a game ball for never giving up on their team.

How at times can Duke look so bad? The Blue Devils are a guard oriented, three point shooting team. When the shots are not falling, as they weren’t in the first half (2-14), there are often long rebounds and easy transition points– State had 15 in the first half, Duke 0. That was almost the margin. When this happens, the game seems easy and the Blue Devils appear over rated. State just killed Duke on the boards. It looked like boys versus men. However, the three point shot is a lethal, heart breaking, game changing weapon. In the second half, Curry (26 pts) and Rivers (16 pts) started attacking the basket and key Wolfpack players got in foul trouble. Also, when Duke got down by 20, like the Carolina game, they pressed and trapped all over the floor, the Crazies jumped up and down on the bleacher seats, the noise was deafening, and State had trouble handling the pressure.

Coach K said: “That was an amazing win. It was really one of the more amazing games that I’ve been a part of. I thought our fans were terrific…they never let us die… it was one of those games in Cameron where the fans and the players were one, and a huge part of the basketball game. We’re not a perfect team, but we’re a good team. And we’re a team that has always fought and not obsessed about inconsistencies and struggles and all of that. We are 22-4 and we’ve been in the top five of the RPI all year. We have some kids that really fight off and have given us some incredible wins so far this year.”

Some observations:

· While this was N.C. State’s 14th straight loss at Cameron, first-year coach Mark Gottfried has made a terrific difference with essentially the same players as last year. This team can play with anyone. I hope we don’t get them again this year, because they are very good and will be mad as hell. I was impressed with Coach Gottfried’s strategy of defending the three. State’s forwards “show,” or double, on the high-ball screens Duke likes to use to free its 3-point shooters. At Chapel Hill last week, the Tar Heel defenders typically went under the screen, leaving the shooters more open and Duke made 14 three pointers. Tonight, Duke missed its first nine threes, which contributed to the large first half deficit.

· Curry injured his ankle the early minutes of the first half, but came back to lead the rally with 21 second half points. Give a game ball to Seth and the trainers.

· Dawkins provided an emotional lift, grabbing four rebounds in traffic, going on the floor for loose balls and playing a physical defense that hasn’t always come naturally to him. Krzyzewski added “hopefully that shows him he can do more than just be a shooter.”

· Austin Rivers called Duke’s 78-73 win over North Carolina State a “weird win, a bad win but it’s a great win at the same time.”

· We occasionally receive comments about DBP. A recent one from a good friend and former business associate reads: “I read your Duke Basketball Playbook with pleasure and amazement at the depth of analysis, which teeters brilliantly on the edge of mental illness. You might consider a Harvard shout-out to your readers now that Tommy Amaker has put them on the map and his protégé Jeremy Lin is lighting up Madison Square Garden and the NBA. Old hat for a Blue Devil, maybe, but big news for a Crimson (whatever that is – I still don’t know and I was the sports editor).

For an Ivy Leaguer, Tom makes a cogent sports point. The Jeremy Lin story is one that if you made it up, no one would believe. Star at Harvard, undrafted, cut from two teams (once on Christmas Eve), bounced around the NBA Development League, sleeping on his brother’s sofa, about to be cut from the Knicks until Carmelo Anthony is injured and Amar’e Stoudemire’s brother dies in a car crash. Then, because the team is short of players, Coach Mike D’Antoni’ is forced to play him and he makes more winning plays in a week than most NBA player make in their career. Consider this: In a first five starts, Lin, only the second Harvard graduate ever to play in the NBA, has produced more points (136) than anyone since the ABA-NBA merger. However, Linsanity (aka Lin Mania) is about more than that, because it not only is a sports story, it is a political story, and a religious story of a player with an anti-NBA attitude. The obvious comparison is with Tim Tebow but unlike Tim, Jeremy, who is a devout Christian, does not wear it on his sleeve– or more accurately, on his eye black. However this story plays out, it is a welcome relief from the discouraging 24/7 political mendacity dominating the news.

Alan adds:

I followed the game on ESPN game cast, but the game was on in New York on tape delay, by an hour. So, I knew early in the second half that Duke had won, which made watching the game a completely different (quite pleasant, but without the fingernail biting that makes the experience so riveting and emotional). Hindsight gives a boost to analysis.

The game changed when Leslie picked up his fourth foul with a shade under 15 minutes left and Duke trailing by 16. It didn’t seem so at the time., but it changed State’s defensive dominance inside and on the boards. Howell picked up his fourth with 10:23 to go and the wheels came off for State. No more shot blocking, and Duke began to drive to the bucket and shred State’s defense.

The Duke backcourt was Curry, Austin and a rejuvenated Andre Dawkins. Dawkins defended and rebounded, playing 27 minutes– about the same as Cook (9) and Thornton (18) combined. Coach K said maybe this performance will teach him he is more than a shooter. He was tough. Curry was the point guard for 13 minutes, and he was phenomenal (maybe not Jeremy Lin; but just as inspirational). He played 31 minutes without a turnover. Duke only had 5 turnovers in the game (11 assists: Curry 2, Austin 2, Tyler 3). Curry had some terrific stat line: 9-18 (3-8 from behind the arc) and 5-5 from the line. All in all, it was a wonderful win. Austin said it was a bad game, great win, and we have to stop doing this.

Duke has 5 games left in the regular season: BC (next in Chestnut Hill), Va Tech and Wake — all at the bottom of the ACC — and two huge games against Florida State in Tallahassee (February 23; might be worth watching) and a rematch against the Washed Out Blues in Cameron (Senior night for Miles). It is still a season on the brink, but Coach K made the point: 22-4, top 5 RPI all year; not a great team, but a very good one. Let’s see, when was the last time he said that about his team at this point in the season? (Hint: Heywood’s shot missed and they cut down the nets in Indianapolis.)

MORE JEREMY LIN ( Hint, Alan lives in New York): Linsanity is beyond the ability to describe. On February 3, nobody had really heard of him. Two weeks later, the NY Times today tells the story. The Knicks didn’t play last night; so nothing newsworthy. David Brooks has a Jeremy piece on the Op Ed page about sports and religion (Lin is the centerpiece). A second op-ed piece is about Lin as breaking the stereotype of Asian athletes (by Grace Jen). The sports page is all Lin. Landry Fields and Lin (friends since Lin was in high school, who has flourished recently); Lin’s impact on Harlem (by Harvey Araton); Lin’s impact on MSG (they carry the Knick games) — ratings up 109%; Lin’s impact on labor talks between MSG and Time Warner (coverage suspended; sort of a strike); Lin named to play in the All-Star game for first and second year players; Lin’s podcast on the Michael Kay show (I listened; he’s eloquent, funny, honest and insightful, got 800 on Math Sat…for starters) most listened to with clips on radio and Sports Center; and he’s going to be Shumpert’s supporter in the slam dunk contest. Two weeks! Seven games. I caught Wednesday’s game, and he was even better than Seth Curry — 9 assists in the first half. The game before, when the Knicks came back against Toronto, he drove the lane, got fouled, made a circus shot, hit the free throw to tie, and then calmly sunk a 3 with 0.5 seconds left. Today is only February 17. It really is nothing like anything I’ve ever seen. Oh, and by the way, the Knicks, who were the most boring ineffective team in the league (with sports talk radio calling for the coach’s head) are playing beautiful basketball. Just a joy to watch. Lin makes everyone around him better.

DUKE 75 – BOSTON COLLEGE 50

Fortunately, this game lacked none of the excitement and drama of the N.C. State and North Carolina games. It was more like a pre-season exhibition game. The Blue Devils exploited their size advantage and, after a sluggish start, went ahead for good midway through the first half, led 30-21 at intermission, and cruised the rest of the way. While the Duke players seemed a bit fatigued and on auto-pilot, they played very good defense holding the Eagles without a basket for more than 14 minutes early on and their season low point total of the season. Keep in mind, this could have been a dangerous game, B.C. upset Florida State.

Duke has the regular season championship on its racket. All they have to do is hold serve against Florida State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and North Carolina, which is no easy task. However the rest of the season unfolds, this is one of Coach K’s best coaching jobs. Prior to the start of the season, the talk was that this team would focus on its experienced post players. But neither Miles or Mason Plumlee have consistently produced the offense, so Coach K shifted gears and reverted to Three-Ball, which produced a 23-4 record– but is like playing basketball Russian Roulette.

Some observations:

· Austin Rivers is growing up before our eyes. He is playing more minutes than any other player, is seemingly (like Hurley) indefatigable, and most importantly, making much better decisions. The question is when will the refs give him the same respect on his drives that they give other stars? Hopefully, before he is injured.

· Those who contend that Duke has only one player who can create off the dribble obviously haven’t been watching Seth Curry play lately.

· Hubert Davis, a terrific Carolina shooting guard two decades ago (and Michael Jordan’s nephew), was an announcer for the game. He, like Jay Bilas, is pleasant and comfortable before the microphone, very fair, and very knowledgeable in his assessment of both Duke and UNC. Jimmy Dykes, on the other hand, just can’t keep from auditioning for a coaching job.

· Prior to today, I had only seen video highlights of Jeremy Lin. He did not develop his unusual court vision, anticipatory instincts, and feel for the game two weeks ago. How could a player with these rare gifts go undrafted and waived so many times? It reminded me of the scene in Moneyball when all the scouts were talking about what a great physical specimen a prospect was and Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) asks: “Yeah, but he play the game.”

· [Alan]: Yesterday was, I thought, a true test of the phenomenon. The phenomenon was perfectly defined by a local sports TV station showing one of his D League games yesterday morning (He was quite ordinary). Yesterday was National TV against the defending NBA champions, renowned for team defense and on a six game winning streak. Dallas had obviously done some scouting and determined to defend Lin with hard double teams that did not abate until he got rid of the ball. These were big mobile talented defenders. The Lin stat line speaks for itself: his 28 points were actually dwarfed by his 14 assists. What I thought was special was his defending, especially off the ball. He seemed to anticipate cuts and disrupt the Dallas offense (sometimes leaving his man, but rightly believing he could do more damage even if he left Jason open for some 3s). He was shrewd against the hard double, having patience and making Dallas pay when he got through the double team. He just seemed quicker than everyone else. Certainly tough enough. He made believers out of the skeptics, brought the stars back to the Garden (Spike Lee wearing Lin’s Harvard jersey; have you ever seen anything like that?). But most importantly, he willed his team to the victory. His post-game statements were terrific. This game shows us we (not I) can get to where we want to go. He talks only about the team, yet is candid about himself. It is one of the best sports stories of the year, and maybe ever. Let’s hope it is Johnny Unitas all over again.

Alan Adds:

Defense and rebounding were Duke’s keys to a blowout win over BC. BC is not very good, but Duke held them to their lowest point total of the year on 34% shooting (even though BC connected on 6-18 from 3), and out rebounded BC 42-20 (BC was limited to 2, yes 2 offensive rebounds). Coach K was enthusiastic about the defense and the rebounding. Following up on Bill’s Austin take, he (Austin; not Bill) had 7 boards, all defensive. Only Miles had more (10-4 of them offensive). Kelly had 8 (2 offensive), meaning Austin had the most defensive rebounds on the team. It was a nice win for sure, but Duke did not look smooth, sharp or in sync on the offensive end, though when Duke got the outside shot finally falling (10-22) that was all she wrote.

For the first 15 minutes of the first half, Duke was agonizing to watch on offense, scoring only about 20 points. Duke took the lead at the 10 minute mark of the first half for the first time, but had scored only 15 points. The Devils rolled from the 15 minute mark of the first half. Duke never really took care of the ball yesterday with 18 turnovers (only 14 assists). Curry, who played another splendid game, was responsible for 6 of them. Very Linlike. Mason had his least productive game of the year (perhaps due to a painful blow to the groin and foul trouble), collecting four fouls (3 in the first half, two of those on offense) in his 17 minutes of play, in which he grabbed 3 boards (2 on offense) scored 3 points on 1-5 shooting. He had 3 of the turnovers in his abbreviated playing time. I predict he will have a big game against Fla. State. Kelly had only 5 points in his 30 minutes, the most minutes of Duke’s big guys. But the backcourt shot well and eventually began dissecting the BC defense. Austin scored 16 in 32 minutes, was 7-13 from the floor (2-5 from behind the arc) with 2 assists against the same number of turnovers. He has become an excellent defender, and committed only 1 foul. Curry was terrific in spite of the turnovers, with 18 points on only 8 shots in 27 minutes. He was getting into the lane and was money from the free throw line (7-7) and 4-8 from the field including 3-4 from downtown.

Let us acknowledge the vastly improved play of Andre Dawkins. He has bought into defending and rebounding, and is demonstrating some toughness. He played 26 minutes (a telling stat) going 5-11 (3-7 from 3) and collecting 5 boards. He committed only 2 fouls and had only 1 turnover. Nice game. Curry played point for the 12 minutes that neither Cook (13 minutes) nor Thornton (15 minutes) were in the game. Thornton gives toughness and on the ball defense, but scored only 2 points (took only 2 shots) and was blanked on assists. However, he committed 0 turnovers and only 2 fouls. Cook’s minutes were mostly garbage time, but he compiled a nice stat line in his 13 minutes: 4 points, 3 assists and a turnover. He finally hit a 3 (1-2) and made both foul shots. He has been an hard to evaluate. He seems to play better against lesser opponents.

This weekend has NCAA like scheduling: Florida State away on Thursday night (yes, it’s a big game) and Virginia Tech at home on Saturday afternoon. Tough turnaround. Of the 3 contenders, tied at the top of the ACC with 10-2 records, only Duke plays the other two, and thus has the toughest schedule. Florida State will be a fair litmus test for this team in Tallahassee. This is the next to last week of the regular season, and it is still really exciting.

DUKE 74 – FLORIDA STATE 66

There are the Jimmy Dykes types who like to talk about what this Duke team can’t do, what they aren’t — but I’ll tell you what they are. They are smart, tough, resilient, competitive basketball players who have been inoculated by Coach K’s fire and desire to win and find different ways to do it. No one personifies this attitude more than Austin Rivers, who has grown into a mature, big time playmaker. He’s not just a scorer anymore.

In the first half, the enigmatic Andre Dawkins had five threes and 18 points in eleven minutes to propel the Blue Devils to a 39-33 lead. However, all three big men were in foul trouble, Curry had 0 points, and you had to think the second half couldn’t be over fast enough. It was a physical war of attrition as Rivers, who had taken over the offense, appeared to have seriously injured his ankle with 11 minutes left. Mason was having a frustrating night, having, among other things, missed another point blank dunk and, due to foul trouble, played limited minutes– and this was the hostile venue in which Carolina had lost by 40. And, oh yes, this was billed as the basketball “Game of the Century” for the Seminoles. So, there were a lot of legitimate reasons why the Blue Devils should lose.

But Miles (10 pts. & 8 rebs) and Ryan (13 pts. & 6 rebs.) picked up the big man slack. Rivers came back into the game and, after throwing up a disconcerting air ball, made several winning plays, none of which was more important than intercepting a long inbounds pass at half court that would make an NFL corner back proud. Down the stretch with the game on the line, Duke ran the more disciplined, precise offense, hit open threes and foul shots, and was the better defensive team (held Florida State to 39.7% overall and just 3-15 threes) as they pulled away from the Seminoles in Tallahassee in front of a frantic, sold out crowd. During the last few weeks, the boys have become men.

One down, three to go.

Coach K: “It was tough to get shots; our three-point shooting was probably the difference in the game. The two biggest shots in the second half, when they got it down to three twice, were Seth and Ryan hitting threes– huge shots.”

Coach Leonard Hamilton: “I thought Duke’s defensive pressure tonight kept us out of any type of offensive rhythm. We fought back several times, but couldn’t get it done. Whenever they had opportunities to get a good look from the perimeter they did (get it done). That’s what good teams do and you have to give them credit for that. I thought we took care of the ball well but we had too many empty possessions. You have to give them credit for that. They defended our system better than we defended their system.”

Some observations:

· The Virginia Tech game is like a NCAA Tournament game in that there is such a short turnaround time for the game Saturday at noon. The only difference is that the exhausted Blue Devils probably didn’t get home until well after midnight. Get some sleep, go to class, practice, get some rest, play at noon Saturday. The recipe for an upset.

· Kelly and Curry both were offensively unproductive in the first half but, nevertheless, had the confidence to hit key shots to preserve the lead and secure the win.

· Mason Plumlee has been named a Capital One Academic All-America first team selection. Mason has a 3.44 grade point average as a double major in Psychology and Cultural Anthropology. The last Duke basketball player to be so honored was Shane Battier, who earned that distinction in back-to-back years (as has Tyler Zeller) in 2000 and 2001. Ten Duke players have earned Academic All-America recognition. MP2 picked up his second academic major of Cultural Anthropology this year after being inspired during Duke’s preseason trip to China and Dubai over the summer.

Alan adds:

Leonard Hamilton’s pithy observation after the game was right on: “They defended our system better than we defended their system.” This was Duke’ best defensive performance of the season — real team defense. Consider that even with Duke’s bigs in serious foul trouble all night (at half time both Plumlees had 3 and Kelly had 2), Duke limited Florida State’s big guys to a total of 21 points. Fla. State made only 3-15 from behind the arc (ok, some of it was just bad shooting; but a lot was really intense defense). Florida State shot under 40% (39.7) for the game. The announcers attributed the Seminole’s inability to finish at the rim to ineptness, but I disagree; Duke’s bigs contested and altered shots. The perimeter defense was the best it has been all year. Seth, Tyler and (yes, this is really true) Andre were absolutely outstanding. But the Duke anchor on the defensive end is now Austin Rivers. He anticipates, communicates and moves with grace. Once again, he had as many defensive rebounds as anyone on the team (4; Miles and Mason also had 4). It did seem that Florida State got every rebound from their own missed foul shots, and indeed they grabbed 16 of the 41 rebounds off the Duke backboard. Duke’s defense won the game. I went back and read some of my own pre-season comments. I said Duke’s season would depend on its defensive development. This game was real development. Now for Duke to display consistency from game to game. Outside of a devastating 3 point barrage (13-28), Duke got hammered on the offensive end, and indeed lost every other statistical battle. Florida State out rebounded Duke (41-36), forced more turnovers (11-8) had more blocks (5-1) and shot 21-48 from inside the arc while Duke was 9-24) .

It was a performance of will, as Bill has so accurately described. Duke used only 7 players really. Cook (6 minutes); Hairston (4) and Gbinije (less than 1) almost did not count, and did not score. Only 4 contributed to Duke’s scoring. Thornton and Mason each scored only one point. Mason was limited to 17 minutes in a genuinely subpar performance. He had 3 turnovers in that short span, but contributed 5 rebounds. Thornton was a defensive whiz and had 3 boards on the defensive end. In 24 minutes, he was 0-2 from the floor with 2 assists and 2 turnovers. Seth has so much heart and even though his shot was missing, still contributed in wondrous ways. He played 33 minutes (second only to Austin’s 37; Coach K might never have taken Austin out if he hadn’t rolled his ankle), and was a disappointing 2-8 (1-4), but both hoops were huge (a crucial 3 and a drive when Duke really needed to stop Florida State runs). He only turned it over once (2 assists) and played lock down defense. Miles opened with a scoring burst — 6 points in the opening minutes, and finished 5-6 for 10 points in 28 minutes before fouling out with a bit over a minute to play. He had 8 boards and was a presence. Kelly played 30 minutes, and was critical to Duke’s win, especially in the second half. He is so efficient with 13 points on 6 shots (2-5 from behind the arc, with one critical 3 that brought Coach K’s praise post-game) and 5-5 from the line. He had 6 boards, 2 assists and a block against only 1 turnover. He and Miles had heart and competed with Florida State’s tough front line. Dawkins was awesome on offense (6-9 from behind the arc, but 0-3 from 2 point land and 4-6 from the line for 22 points in 21 minutes. He kept Duke in the lead in the first half with his 3 ball and played very well throughout. To me, he
has been a revelation on defense, though still fouls too often. He had 3, which limited his playing time.

Which brings me to Austin. I’m not sure I have ever seen a freshman develop the way he has — on both ends of the floor. If you are a Duke fan, you feel secure when the ball is in his hands. He scores — 20 points on 6-16 (4-8 from 3) shooting. While only 4-7 from the foul line, he gets to the line. He had 4 assists (to lead the team, which had only 12 altogether) and a steal against only 1 turnover (Duke had 11). And what a steal it was. Florida State kept getting offensive rebounds when Austin picked off the long pass (he had just missed on two earlier) and that sealed the game. He has become the star and the leader. He will surely be ACC first team and may earn other major post-season honors. But for now, it is enough that he is Duke’s leader in every way.

The Virginia Tech game on Saturday afternoon is a classic trap game. The turnaround time is very short. Duke played with real heart and emotion. Bringing the same intensity will be difficult, and Virginia Tech always gives Duke trouble. Don’t take this one for granted at all.

Duke 70 – Virginia Tech 65

Whew!! Don’t let the score fool you. This game could very easily have been lost. As I pointed out after the Duke–Butler Championship game, “In sports, you never know. Just like this game, who wins and who loses often turns on fractions of inch or so which is affected by pressure and/or degree of difficulty.” Well, it certainly held true today as Virginia Tech was several times within fraction of an inch of upsetting Duke. Hudson’s foot barely on the line on a step back three which was changed to a two; a missed Green shot (identical to the one he hit on the prior possession) and put-back at the buzzer which hit the backboard and bounded off the rim much like Butler’s Haywood’s last shot. The game and maybe regular season championship was that close to vaporizing. But, as often the case with Virginia Tech, it was not meant to be. Seth Greenberg’s Hokies have always been a tough out for Duke but usually an out nevertheless. Seth is a good coach who makes the most out of players Blue Chip programs often, for a variety of reason, pass on. He hates losing —especially all the heartbreaking ones to the Blue Devils. The blunt truth he is rarely playing with a full deck (of players). For instance, why would Cadarian Raines, after a clean mid-court pick on Tyler Thornton, taunt him while Tyler lies stunned on the floor? It was a boneheaded act and should have been a technical–and Tech was only down three.

Duke played like a fatigued team with tired legs. You saw it most in missed three point shots and drives not getting over the rim. However, in the end, it was defense that tied, then won the game. Thornton was, as usual, very effective, (holding point guard Erick Green to shooting 7-19 and forcing him to travel near center court with 40 seconds left with Duke down 57-58), and for most of the game Rivers and Curry carried what little offense there was—the score was 26-24 at the half and 58-58 at the end of regulation. Because Duke was in the Bonus+ (two shots), the obvious strategy in OT was to attack the basket and get to the foul line, which the guards did. However, it was Miles (15 rebs & 5 pts) and Mason (9 rebs & 7 pts), playing in tandem (Kelly had fouled out and Hairston was injured), who altered shots, rebounded, and even scored like really good Big Men should that sealed the deal. On Tech’s final possession, Mason challenged Green’s drive, altered the shot (much like Zoubek did on Heywood) and Miles consumed the missed shot like a bear grabbing his prey. In addition, it was a pleasure to see Mason hit one and Miles two pressure free throws to ice the win.

Krzyzewski made some interesting points in his press conference: He dislikes short turnaround games like this one (36 hours), especially after a physically and mentally exhausting away game; likewise he dislikes Sunday night games –especially away games, because of how it disrupts the life of players; Tyler Thornton, who is like Wojo in that their value does not appear on the stat sheet, epitomizes the grit this team has–and that all his really good teams had players like them– the more the better the team; Miles Plumlee is a naturally good, athletic rebounder. In the last month, he’s become an exceptional rebounder playing to his natural talent; and Seth Curry is not just a shooter anymore, but a scorer who can create his own shot.

Winning all these close games is exhilarating but sooner or later the Law of Averages catches up with everyone.

Two down two to go (in the regular season).

Some observations:

· The only skill that Austin Rivers has not totally mastered is free throw shooting (65%). He was 1-2 in the last thirty seconds in regulation (which would have put Duke up by one) and 3-6 in overtime ( which, fortunately, this time did not matter).

· Miles Plumlee started instead of Mason, the only Duke player to have started every game. As a tandem, they were the dominant difference in the overtime.

· The Hokies were an awful 7-16 from the foul line in regulation. You don’t have to be a math major to realize that is where they let a big, upset win escape them.

· The Blue Devils are 16-1 against Virginia Tech in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

· The baffling Andre Dawkins was missing in action, going 0-3 and 3 turnovers in ten frustrating minutes.

· Actor Rob Lowe, who played Duke graduate Sam Seaborn on the hit television series “West Wing”, and his son were in the house with front row seats behind the scorer’s table. It probably was a recruiting trip–for the drama department.

Alan adds:

The defensive resurgence, or perhaps development is the better term, was in evidence against the Hokies, and was the chief reason Duke prevailed. Let us say wonderful words about Tyler Thornton’s 38 minutes of defensive intensity and leadership, not to mention 5 boards and a steal. The quick turnaround from Florida State in Tallahassee at night (landing in Durham at 2:a.m. on Friday to a noon game on Saturday) was a real hardship that I believe really affected Duke’s shooting (from outside; 6-24 from 3; as well as in the lane — coming up short on effective drives). But Thornton, Rivers (41 minutes) and Curry (40+) played the defense that enabled Duke to hold on in difficult circumstances. Coach K’s post-game remarks lauded the team’s will to win (taking a page from Bill, for sure) and the rebounding of Miles. But he saved his most effusive comments for Tyler’s defense and leadership; the stuff that does not show up in the statistics. Those comments were warranted. He noted that Duke has become a good defensive team (I add: finally). Va. Tech shot less than 41% for the game and only 33% in the overtime. Va. Tech was 4-13 from 3 (and one of them was a lucky bank shot — at a crucial time). Miles played 33 minutes and pulled down 11 defensive boards and 4 on the offensive end. He also was 3-4 from the foul line, and a couple were when they really counted. Only one field goal in 3 attempts. Mason reacted well to his removal from the starting lineup, playing 25 minutes, pulling down 9 rebounds —4 offensive and shooting 3-5 from the field and 1-2 from the foul line.

The key to Duke’s offense was the drive. With the outside shots contested and not falling, Duke determined to have Seth and Austin get to the rim. I thought the key statistic was Duke made more free throws (24) than the Hokies attempted (17). The statistic would have been even more impressive if Duke hadn’t missed 10 — count ’em; 10. I attribute that more to fatigue, but if Duke does that in the post season, it will bite the team hard. The Plumlees were 4-6. The chief culprit was Austin. The good news is he attempted 17 free throws (that is 1 more than the entire Virginia Tech team), which means his drives are very effective even when he doesn’t score or get an assist. But 11-17 is a weakness (as Bill has pointed out; perhaps his only remaining weakness). Va. Tech was even worse and it cost them the game — 7-16. Austin scored 23 points on only 12 shots (2-6 from 3; 3-6 on drives] with only 1 assist and two turnovers. But once again, he has become a defensive presence; and let’s not forget his 4 defensive rebounds. Seth scored 19 points on 15 shots. He was off from behind the arc (1-6) even when wide open, but was 6-9 on his drives and pull ups. Btw, wait until Austin adds a pull up and a tear drop to his driving repertoire (come back next season to do that, Austin).

Duke travels to Wake next Tuesday for a late game (9:00 p.m. on ESPN U) before the rematch at home on Saturday at 7 pm on CBS. 25 wins with two regular season games to go. This has been a very successful season (So far) by any measure. This team has grown and as it really defends has become a potential force for the post-season. The Carolina game will tell a lot about that defensive growth.

DUKE 79 – WAKE FOREST 71

I started to fall asleep midway through the second half with Duke up 23 points. I woke up when the announcer said that there was a 19-2 run and thought “what a blowout”. Then, I saw it was a 6 point game and thought I was either having a bad dream or the players had changed jerseys. Both thoughts were wrong, because it was just another disconcerting case of this team not closing out an opponent—a malady I thought had been cured by the overtime loss to Miami in Cameron.

Kelly, Curry, and Miles Plumlee finally woke up, got serious, and closed out the Demon Deacons in workman-like, if unimpressive, fashion. Kelly (23 pts) stopped the bleeding with a timely drive and free throws– as did Curry. MP1 (aka mini-Zoubs) rebounded and chased down errant shots in the last minute to make sure Wake did not break Duke’s record for biggest comeback in the last ten minutes in ACC history.

Three down, one to go.

Some observations:

· The Blue Devils have played a grueling schedule the last three weeks and are showing the physical –especially Rivers’ and Curry’s recent knee and ankle injuries– and emotional effects of that grind. This is the time of year that separates the men from the boys.

· The 2011-12 Blue Devils are only the 11th team in ACC history to go undefeated in ACC road play and the fourth Duke team to accomplish that feat. Duke last went undefeated in ACC road games in 1999-2000.

· Duke shot 47.6 percent from three-point range, marking the 12th time this season that the Blue Devils have shot over 45.0 percent from beyond the arc. Duke hit 10-of-21 three-pointers, improving its season three-point percentage to .389.

· K has really coached the hell out of this team. Possibly, his post-game tirade after the St. John’s win was a turning point.

· Ying – Yang: Mason (8-9 tonight) is much better from the charity stripe lately but now has a hard time finishing plays at the rim.

· It was a pleasure to listen to and see a healthy, happy Jay Williams, who is transitioning nicely into a second career in television, doing the game tonight.

Alan adds:

Last night encapsulated Duke’s season (they won; so not bad, right?). For the first three quarters of the game, Duke’s defense looked sooo good that it was almost breathtaking. The offense was humming, and Duke fans everywhere relaxed to enjoy the performance. Bill went to sleep. In some senses that says it all, and the Wake rally was all his fault. But, I have to ‘fess up. Maybe my transgression was worse. I ride the exercise bike during the games, and so get a pretty intense two hour workout while I watch. Last night I was tired (late game) and with about 10 minutes to go when Duke’s lead appeared to be commanding, I turned from riding the bike to dinner in front of the last 10 minutes. As you can imagine, dinner simply did not go down well. I think that the players’ psyches mirrored Bill’s and mine. In any event, after Austin’s last foray to the hoop, Duke (and especially Austin) came to a screeching halt. Austin picked up 3 fouls (uncharacteristic for him; he has become an intense defender who avoids fouling), had 2 turnovers and did not score again. Worse, the defense became porous. Chennault began to shred the perimeter and score and/or get to the foul line. (He was 8-10). McKie came alive and Duke’s schedule caught up with the Devils a bit (3 games in 6 days). Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry restored order, and while Wake made us all start breathing hard, the admirable comeback never quite got us into the panic pant.

I thought there were some interesting developments, especially at the point guard. Thornton played 30 minutes, with 7 points on only 3 shots ( a 3 and 4-4 from the line) to go with 2 assists and only a single turnover. Quinn Cook looked very good to me in his 17 minutes. He played some terrific defense (looks completely healthy), made both his shots, including a 3 while racking up 3 assists and 2 boards. He did commit 2 turnovers. Duke, btw, again had more turnovers than assists (13-12). Cook and Thornton were on the court together for some 7 minutes. Interesting. In spite of the Wake comeback, Duke showed a clear statistical superiority. Duke made more free throws (21-27) than Wake shot (13-16); out rebounded the Deacs by 11, blocked 3 more shots, had 2 more steals and critically was 10-20 from behind the arc. Wake wasn’t bad from the bonusphere (6-17). Curry (26) played fewer minutes than Thornton. Still, he is part of the heart of the Duke team (Rivers is the other part). Seth scored 15 on 12 shots (3-5 from 3) with 3 boards and 2 assists; no turnovers. Dawkins appears to be out of favor with Coach K, logging only 11 minutes, committing 3 fouls and two turnovers in his brief stint. He launched a trio of threes, hitting 1. He is the very definition of enigma.

The big guys all played well, but Ryan Kelly was special. In 31 minutes, he had 23 points on 13 shots (Curry and Austin took 12 each), including 4-5 from behind the arc and 5-6 from the free throw line. Throw in 8 boards, 2 blocks , and a steal against only 1 turnover, and you have a hummer of a stat line and game. He played excellent defense and committed only a single foul. MVP last night. Miles had some big rebounds in a total of 11, and was a presence — especially on the defensive end — in his 26 minutes. Mason got to the line and was 8-9 (really!) for 12 points on 4 shots to go with his 7 boards in 22 minutes.

At the start of the season who could have predicted that going into the regular season finale, Duke would be 26-4 (13-2 in the ACC) and 3rd in the polls, with impressive wins over Kansas , Michigan State, UNC, and Michigan?. Of course all of this is prelude (but, not really, if one is truly a fan). It is true, if not wholly desirable, that we will remember this season for the Carolina game (ACC regular season championship game), the ACC tournament, and, of course, the Big Dance. This has been yet another coaching gem by our Hall of Fame Coach.

Duke 70– North Carolina 88

Congratulations to North Carolina. The Tar Heels came into Cameron with the regular season title on the line and played twenty minutes of their best basketball. Duke didn’t. When the threes aren’t falling, this Blue Devil team can be very vulnerable—even against mediocre teams. However, Duke is still 26-5, has beaten Kansas, Michigan State, Michigan, Washington—and North Carolina. All teams are 0-0 as March (One and Done) Madness tournaments start.

Next game.

Alan adds:

The score is the score is the score, as Gertrude Stein might have written. But there are some interesting aspects to take heart from, but some to leave us all on the verge of despair. Despair for a sport, as opposed to economic or health, is a different kind of despair. Duke can take some offensive positives from the second half (Duke won 46-40), and got great interior production from the Plumlees. Duke had a real offensive run in the second half. With a little under 6 minutes to go, Duke was down 11 and Seth had a wide open 3 point attempt out of an efficient offensive set. He missed. Austin followed by missing the front end of a one and one, and that was essentially the end of any suspense as to the game’s outcome. Duke did stop the bleeding on the interior; Carolina had only 3 offensive rebounds in the second half; Duke shot 15 –29 from the field; 4-10 from 3 in the second half. The game never got close because Duke’s defense might have been even worse in the last half than it was in the first one.

Duke dug a hole for itself in the first half because the ball just wouldn’t go in the basket for prolonged periods . Consider 9-34 from the field; 2-11 from 3; 4-9 from the free throw line; of the 19 rebounds off Duke’s defensive boards in the first half, Carolina corralled 10 of them. Duke had wide open looks from the perimeter that just wouldn’t go down. Carolina’s interior defense foiled Duke (except for Miles in the early going) by contesting and altering shots in the paint. Carolina hit everything — some because of Duke’s inferior defense, but some were well defended that just went in (think Cook’s defense on Marshall’s last shot in the half) and some were lucky uncalled bank shots that just went in. And, let’s not detract from the fact that Carolina played a fantastic first half. That occasionally happens.

But the defense! Duke’s defense, which had improved greatly in recent games, was wholly absent. In the second half, when Duke’s offense began to function, its defense — except for one stretch from about 9 minutes to go to 5 minutes to go — was dramatically awful. Consider, Carolina was 10-13 to start the second half. UNC was 32-53 from inside the arc (4-13 from 3) in the second half. Carolina scored on an extremely high percentage of possessions — especially when you consider how many successful possessions were second and third shots. It is hard to remember a worse defensive performance by any team in a major game that seemed as though it should have been competitive. How does one square that with recent defensive improvement? The depressing thought is that Duke can defend against mediocre teams without high level offensive weaponry, but not against elite offensive teams.

Final thoughts on perspective. It would have been satisfying to have won the ACC regular season championship. Still, the most meaningful part of the season is yet to be played. Duke could and should be a # 1 seed if it wins the ACC tournament, especially if Duke beats Carolina in the final. By finishing second, Duke will have to play Florida State in the semi-finals. However, the lesson from the women’s ACC tournament is anything can happen. Duke and Miami (#5 and #6 in the country and first and second in the ACC) each lost their first game in the tournament. I believe that even if it had beaten Carolina, Duke would not have earned a # 1 seed without winning the ACC (unless someone else besides Carolina wins it). No chance Duke falls to a # 3 seed; so the ACC tournament is critical for Duke’s NCAA chances. Let us see how Coach K prepares for the ACC tournament, and how Duke performs next week. That tournament is now more important than ever and is, in fact, “the next play”.

DUKE – LEHIGH

A promising season that started with wins over Michigan State, Tennessee, Michigan, and Kansas, that produced 27 wins, including thrilling come-from-behind wins over North Carolina and North Carolina State, ended with a disappointing loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to #15 Lehigh. Duke had no defensive answer for star guard C. J. McCollum and was uncharacteristically out-hustled and out played by the Mountain Hawks.

How do you explain the loss?

First of all, there are there are more good players and better coached teams than ever– #15 Norfolk State also upset #2 Missouri. In retrospect, Duke was a team that was more than the sum of their parts until Ryan Kelly, an irreplaceable part, was missing. Ryan is a subtle, not spectacular, player but his intelligent, efficient, and versatile talents are easily underestimated and underappreciated. More to the point, he is a 6’10” inside/outside player who is a matchup nightmare. On the perimeter he can hit the three and open both the perimeter and the lanes for Rivers and Curry to drive and score, can take a smaller player into the post, and also give a the Plumlees a rest t center. His absence changed the chemistry of the team at both ends of the floor. Neither Rivers or Curry were nearly effective since Ryan was injured and, consequently, Duke’s offense was not nearly as efficient. And Andre Dawkins contributed virtually nothing in Kelly’s absence. That’s a loss of about twenty points and eight rebounds a game—even half those numbers would have changed the outcome of the two last losses. However, the trend line was established before the injury to Kelly. After an impressive win at Florida State, Duke barely survived Virginia Tech, was sloppy at the end of the Wake Forest game, was blown out by Carolina at Cameron, and finished the season with three unimpressive tournament games. It was not the finish we are accustomed to, but then Duke Basketball has spoiled us. Coach K’s teams have usually found ways to win games like this. But tonight, it was not to be. That’s one of the beauties of sports– you never really know. Consider the fate of last year’s hot tournament teams: Arizona is playing in the NIT and UCONN is one and done.

While we regret the loss, we should keep it in perspective by remembering what a great tournament this is and that over the years, as Sports Illustrated said: “Duke is as much a part of March as the tournament itself. The Blue Devils have reached the Sweet 16 in 11 of the past 13 years, advancing to four Final Fours in that time, and won two national titles. So, we can take pride in our accomplishments and appreciate that Lehigh alumni and fans will remember forever the year that their team beat Duke in the NCAA Tournament.

“We’re not a juggernaut or anything like that,” Krzyzewski said. “We have known that throughout the whole season. You have to do it pretty precise, and we just didn’t play well offensively the last few weeks of the season. Actually we got better defensively, but offensively we just weren’t there. I’ve been in it for 37 years and it takes you to incredible highs. And it also takes you to incredible lows. Tonight’s one of those lows. But it wasn’t just our doing, they played that well. They played that well. And again my hat’s off to them.”

“In that this is March madness, upsets happen,” Lehigh Coach Brett Reed said. “It’s why the general public and the nation really appreciate this tournament because anything can happen.”

Alan adds:

The first half of the UNC game on senior night appears to have been a major turning point; I think Duke’s dramatic failure and incompetence on both ends of the court completely eroded Duke’s confidence. This team was never the same again. From 26-4 on March 2, Duke fell to 27-7, losing 3 of the last 4. I described my pessimism after the opening round ACC game against Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, I was prescient. Last night’s game put a spotlight on Duke’s season long problem — perimeter defense. McCollum played 39 minutes and took 16 foul shots (by himself). Lehigh, which did not shoot fouls particularly well made more than Duke took. Duke took 23 free throws (made 16); while Lehigh made 25 of 37. Lehigh attempted 37 free throws! That was the game, and the cause was the porous perimeter. And, of course, it is impossible not to notice that Duke’s shooting, a season long strength, evaporated after the win against Florida State in February. Every game after that was a shooting nightmare. Mason was 9-9 from the field last night. The rest of Duke was 15-49 (6-26 from 3). Seth fouled out in 25 minutes, going 1-9 from the floor (1-7 from 3). In a sense, Seth’s frustration on both ends of the court told the tale. I agree with Bill that Kelly is glue and so valuable to this team; his absence might have made the difference…in this game. Another season long trend; Duke had the same number of turnovers as assists last night (12).

This team didn’t quite get there, but provided a season of pleasure and above all effort. There was no quit in the team. It will be interesting to see how Coach K tinkers with basically the same squad (if Austin returns) next season. Quinn Cook has to be next season’s answer (Duke’s Jeremy Lin?). I also believe that Silent G and Alex Murphy will infuse the team with more athleticism and defensive excellence. As Coach K said, the sport produces some unbelievable highs and of necessity some bottom out lows. Last night was one of the lows. It was a promising season, that didn’t culminate in championship success. The last four games denied Duke the regular season ACC, the ACC tournament and last night’s first round (I don’t care what round the NCAA calls it) exit. But 27-7 is nothing to be ashamed of. Even if the end was a bit galling, Duke has had more than its share of success. It’s been fun writing this with Bill and sharing it.

A case can be made that Duke has come further, faster than any Top Ten University. Athletic Director Eddie Cameron was a major catalyst. He had the foresight to see that excellence in athletics was quickest way to attract national attention to a young, ambitious university. In 1930, he hired football coach Wallace Wade away from Alabama following his third national championship with the Crimson Tide. By the mid 1930’s Duke had a powerful football team that attracted national attention and played in the 1938 and 1942 Rose Bowls. From $400,000 of the proceeds of the 1942 Rose Bowl (played at Duke because of concerns about Japanese attacks on the West Coast), Mr. Cameron built Duke Indoor Stadium (fittingly renamed Cameron Indoor Stadium), which was, at the time, the second largest basketball arena (next to the Palestra in Philadelphia) in the East. Fortunately, the legendary two sport star Dick Groat matriculated shortly thereafter and a great basketball tradition was launched.

Whatever the truth, building a campus as beautiful as Duke, establishing rigorous entrance and educational standards, then building nationally ranked football and basketball teams as well as baseball, golf, tennis, and lacrosse were the lynchpins of the meteoric rise of Duke University as an elite institution (Yale on steroids is how one of President Brodhead’s former students characterized the school). It could not have happened without all of these elements –and it would be difficult to maintain that status without preserving a dual excellence in both academics and athletics.

Alan adds: Duke has always had athletic teams that presented the university in the light that we all admire. There have been no academic short cuts to success. I wasn’t around for the Wallace Wade days, but no person in college athletics has had a more profound impact on his university, college basketball, and the national sports scene than Coach K. I think it puts the point perfectly that Coach K runs a leadership course at the Fuqua Business school. He is, in fact, a leader who happens to coach basketball. He makes us proud because he seems to be able to do everything the right way. Even his involvement with our Olympic team and USA Basketball brings great prestige to Duke.

I do think his program epitomizes the ideal of college athletics. His players grow under his tutelage, not just as basketball players, but from boys to men (like Grant Hill; what a wonderful article he wrote on the Fab Five). There is no coach now active that has his resume as a teacher, leader and icon. There are other coaches who may be his basketball equal, I believe (Ole Roy comes to mind), but none of them is in the same league for accomplishments as a human being and as, what he really is– an educator. I’m not sure this could happen at a different institution (Stanford, maybe). Duke is a perfect blend of the old Greek philosophy of keen mind and strong body. The basketball program is seamlessly a profound and important part of the university, and enhances all that Duke does and promotes.

I join Bill in saying what a pleasure our writing has been for us. I have reveled in the effort and enjoyed the camaraderie with a treasured friend (and ex-intramural doubles partner). Thank you for allowing us to share our thoughts with you this season. Next Play.

Duke Basketball Playbook: 2010-2011 Season

This should be an especially exciting season for Duke Basketball fans. I believe this team is as talented, as athletic, and as deep as any Coach K or Coach Bubas has had. They will probably start the season ranked number 1 or 1A (along with Michigan State).

As most of you know, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are returning to provide maturity, experience, and the all important component of senior leadership. The other intriguing component is freshman Kyrie Irving, a point guard in the mold of Cris Paul and John Wall. The other projected starters are the Plumlee brothers, Miles and Mason. Coming off the bench will be Seth Curry, Stephan’s brother who transferred from Liberty where he led all Division I freshman in scoring; Andre Dawkins, who displayed flashes of exceptional ability last year; Ryan Kelly, who has added 35 pounds over the summer; Josh Hairston, a power forward who played on the 18 and under National Championship Team with Kyrie this summer; and Tyler Thornton, a defensive oriented point guard.

What to look for: With the quicksilver Kyrie running the point and with the athleticism and fire power of the other players, this team should run and gun and press most opponents into the ground. How many big men have the speed and endurance to run baseline to baseline with Plumlees and Kyle Singler for forty minutes?

The most interesting question is how Coach K manages his substitution pattern/mix and the minutes of Curry, Dawkins, Kelly, and Hairston. The best case scenario is that the starters will not have to play thirty-seven or forty minutes every game and, therefore, will be fresher for tournament time.

Traditionally, Coach K takes the first ten or so games to give the new players an opportunity for extended minutes, then shortens his rotation for the start of the ACC season. However, this year there are fewer cupcakes games. There are two exhibition games, then only three real games before Duke plays Marquette, Kansas State or Gonzaga, Oregon, Michigan State, and Butler (all except Michigan State are road games)—and that is just before December 5^th. After that, things get less challenging until January.

It is apparent that the strength and depth of this team is the back court and that the front court is talented but relatively unproven. The question marks will be whether or not the Plumlees (as athletically gifted as they are) have put in the off season work to take their games to the next level and, if so, have they matured to the point that they can stay out of foul trouble; has Brian Kelly developed a toughness and mindset to go with his additional bulk; and can Josh Hairston be counted upon to be a dependable, productive freshman?

Of course, the fall back front court option is that Singler (who has also added upper body strength) can move down low to the one or two spot as he was forced to do his first two years and play three guards. However, as he proved in the NCAA Tournament, Kyle has the size and skill to be a number three wing player from hell– and that is where he will have to play in the pros. In college, a big man cannot cover him on the wing where the oxygen is thin and the real estate is large and he can take a smaller guard down low and score over him. Whatever develops, we can count on Coach K to make the whole more than the sum of the parts—and there are a bench full of parts with which to work.

As Duke proved last year, staying healthy, having team chemistry, and having good luck trumps talent. A case in point: Kentucky had six players drafted in the NBA first round and they didn’t make the Final Four while Duke had none of their three seniors even drafted– and that if either of Haywood’s last two shots had been a quarter of an inch shorter, Butler would have won the title.

In any event, I will let Coach K sort it all out as he has won four more NCAA Tournaments and one more Gold Medal than I have. I’m just going to relax and enjoy watching the season unfold on my 60” HD television. That strategy worked pretty well last season.

Here are some additional comments by my hoops buddy Alan:

I predict that K will end up using Singler at power forward and Dawkins in the starting 3 guard lineup with Seth Curry as 6th man (ala Scheyer in his sophomore year). The point of concern is no proven big guy. Lots of potential, but look at the difference between the past accomplishments of the perimeter (putting Singler there for a moment) by contrast. I suspect K will like the firepower of a 3 guard offense with Singler up front. But like you, I am four NCAA championships and a gold medal behind the maestro. And, of course, the key is staying healthy (ask Purdue).

It is ironic to note how much higher expectations are at the start of this season than they were at the start of last season (which worked out in a satisfactory way). This should be an enjoyable ride. We should not get ourselves into the state that if Duke doesn’t repeat it was not a good season. We should enjoy the efforts of a bunch of young men that seem to be standouts in many arenas in life and are a proud contrast to many of the top tier teams in college hoops.

Pretty cool tonight that the kids who played on the 19 and under team (Irving and Hairston) and those who played on the select team to help get the FIBA gold medal team ready (Singler and Smith) are being honored along w K. It’s nice to link Duke and USA BBall.

DUKE – PRINCETON

The methodical, fundamentally sound Princeton offense was designed by the basketball purist Coach Pete Carril to frustrate and beat more talented but less disciplined teams. They play a patient, time consuming good-shot-only offense and a match up zone with the goal of keeping an opponent’s score in the 70 point range. However, it has only worked against the school that copied their architecture but not their playing style when they had a player named Bill Bradley, who broke his commitment to Vic Bubas to go to Princeton. This defection probably cost Coach Bubas a well deserved NCAA Championship—although it was a good career move for the former senator.

On the other hand, Coach K molds each team to fit the talent with one exception—each features a strong man-to-man defense geared to producing turnovers and transition baskets. Last year’s Championship team was a methodical half court offense and defense with limited minutes for a few bench players. This year’s team is a high octane offense and defense with potentially a much deeper and versatile bench rotation that is geared to wearing down opponents mentally and physically. It worked pretty well last night against a team coming off an upset win over Rutgers and the favorite to win the Ivy League.

Princeton more or less hung with the Devils for most of the first half when a patented Duke run increased a six point lead to fourteen in the last ninety seconds. The second half was target practice as the Blue Devils wore down the over matched Tigers and cruised to a 97-60 win with everyone getting into the act.

Kyle and Nolan picked up where they left off last year and are again the back bone of the team. But the lynch pin of the new look is freshman point guard Kyrie Irving, who adds a whole other dynamic dimension at both ends of the court demonstrating why he is so highly rated with 9 assists, 1 turnover, and 17 points. On the first two Princeton possessions he had a steal, then a block/steal that led to two fast break scores. Andre Dawkins (13 pts) is a much more mature player this year and with his athleticism can play small forward as well as guard. Seth Curry (14 pts) is not as versatile and athletic as Stephen but like his brother and father is a terrific spot up shooter.

The question mark of this team is the consistent contribution of the big men. Mason is very athletic and a very good passer in the high post but still does not appear to have a confident shooters touch from beyond a few feet and Miles is athletic and powerful but still is not a polished post player. Both were susceptible to foul trouble last year and that was again the case last night. Their defensive lapses also put Singler, who covered for them, in foul trouble. This cannot happen against top teams. Eventually, I hope the Plumlees will follow the Brian Zoubek model of rebounding and kicking to an open perimeter player for a three—the math is better. Ryan Kelly has added weight and has a fine shooting range but still is unproven as a low post presence. Thornton and Hairston, the other freshman, appear athletic and eager defenders. Each had steals that they converted to dunks.

Some interesting stats: Duke was 14/26 from the 3pt. arc; forced 27 turnovers (vs. giving up 14); and shot 92% from the free throw line. Numbers like these almost guarantee a win. If you watched Training Days: Duke on ESPNU, you saw how execution and repetition at full speed teaches the type of optimum performance for forty minutes we have come to expect from Coach K’s teams. As he emphasizes, most games are usually determined by one or two plays but you never know when they will occur so you have to play every minute like it is the crucial one. Kyle Singler is the personification of this work ethic.

We will know a lot more in a week when Duke plays Marquette, the winner of Kansas State/Gonzaga, then Michigan State. Kansas State and Michigan State are pre-season picks for Final Four teams.

DUKE – MIAMI (OHIO)

In the initial games at the beginning of each season, which essentially are exhibition games played on the home field, Alan Silber, my long time hoops buddy, and I are most interested in evaluating the new talent, trying to anticipate whom Coach K thinks is ready for prime time and what his substitution pattern will be in once the real season starts. Last night he started Ryan Kelly for Miles Plumlees and because Kyrie Irving got two quick fouls, he had an opportunity to see how Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry could perform with the other starters. Here is how Coach K explained his approach:

“We’ll try some different things to see where our chemistry might be with different units. It’s not like a demotion or a promotion. We look at how do Ryan and Mason play together, bring Miles in. Friday we might do something else to see how that would work. Whereas the perimeter is going to be those three guys. And I don’t want to look at yet where you would start Kyle [Singler] at the four and have Andre [Dawkins] or Seth [Curry] start. We have a bunch of possibilities there, and we just wanted to take a look at that one today and then we’ll see about Friday night. But Ryan did a really good job. He played about 16 minutes which is probably what he played against Princeton. But it did mean that Mason was closer to the bucket because Ryan is more of the shooter, and that’s one of the things we wanted to look at.” The subtext: If Miles only gets four rebounds against a team as small as Princeton we need to find another starting center. Let’s see if Mason is more productive as a center than a forward, (He got 14 rebounds, but, in all fairness, Miami dropped four men off the offensive board to prevent Duke fast breaks). The blunt truth is that both Mason and Miles are shooting challenged and we need more offensive production from our two big men. In addition, we can’t afford to have two players on the floor at the end of the game who shoot 50% or less from the foul line and Ryan Kelly is clearly superior shooter. Let’s see if he can also contribute on defense. The 79-54 win proved that when Kyrie was off the floor with two quick fouls Nolan Smith is much more confident running the point than he was the last few years; that no matter who is on the floor this is a terrific defensive team: that Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins can light it up; that even when Singler has an off night offensively, there are plenty of other options. However, when I started playing tennis the pro told me:” There are three levels of performance in this game. You have to be able to hit the shot in practice, hit it in a match, and hit it on a big point.” The same holds true in any sport. Hitting shots in a blowout in the friendly confines of Cameron is a lot easier than hitting them on the road on an opponent’s home court with the game on the line. There are many reasons for Coach K’s extraordinary success. Miami Coach Charlie Coles explains one not often mentioned: “Do you know why I respect him so much, and I think he’s such a great coach? I can’t remember a Duke player that was an underachiever. Has there ever been one? I’m not talking about a guy that’s playing bad, but I’m talking about the guy that gets up off the bench and looks around and he’s mad. I don’t ever remember a guy at Duke that didn’t at least pretend like he’s going out on that floor to overachieve…… It seems like those kids just “Hey, let’s all agree on everything.’’

DUKE- COLGATE

Apparently, ESPN3 is a 3-D channel. Whatever the case, I could not locate the Duke game on any one of my 800 or so DirecTV channels. I also have a new computer loaded with Windows 7 and its vast galaxy of unfamiliar options ( most of which I probably will never use), so I am struggling to master enough moves to send this email in decent form. Here (hopefully) is the DBR take on the game:

“Against Colgate for the first time we saw a glimpse of what this team could become: an aggressive defense joined with an explosive fast break, deadly outside shooting, and a powerful inside game.

For the first part of the game, Colgate, a better team than we expected actually, stayed relatively close, but it was an unachievable task. Duke simply has too many ways to attack.

Obviously the Big Three from last year is no more, but Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving are a great building block. We’ve talked before about how the backcourt, with Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry coming off the bench behind Smith and Irving, is a devastating weapon.

Tonight, for the first time, we saw glimpses from all three big men: Miles Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, and most of all Mason Plumlee. Kelly showed some flashes throughout. He’s willing to fight for rebounds, stand and take charges, take the occasional three pointer and really just give the team whatever it needs.

Miles Plumlee, who has come off the bench the last two games, came alive in the second half. He defended, ran the floor, rebounded and played a much more solid game than he has so far this season. He finished with nine points, eight rebounds three steals and a block and an argument for more minutes. We didn’t realize how badly he jammed his finger last game, but he seems to have put it behind him.

Mason Plumlee had some tremendous plays, mostly in the second half. His stat line wasn’t as impressive as his brother’s (nine points, four boards, an assist, a block and a steal. Plus he only played 13 minutes after fouling out.

Doesn’t sound so great, right? But here’s what was great: he was ferocious. When he blocked the shot, he went after it. When he had an alley-oop, he slammed hard. He played with a lot of emotion, aggression and passion. It was great to see him with a mean look on his face.

If all three guys can build on the high levels they reached during parts of this game, Duke will really benefit — and soon.

After the game, we learned that Singler was getting over a case of food poisoning and didn’t eat on Thursday at all. Given that little nugget, his game looks pretty solid: 18 points, nine boards, and two steals.

At the beginning of the game, Irving looked like he was going to completely dominate — and one of those games is not too far away. He is figuring things out pretty quickly and we’re going to start seeing things in the play-by-play like: Irving for three. Irving steals. Irving fouled. Irving assist to Ma. Plumlee.

As it was, he had 13 points, nine assists and no turnovers and was 3-5 from behind the line.

We’re just saying, it’s coming. That ain’t bad, but more is on the way. Did you know, by the way, that Irving on the season has 20 assists to three turnovers? Wow!

This should also be said: Dawkins is dramatically — dramatically — better than last year. It’s not just his confidence on offense. He’s become not just a good defender but a better-than-average defender. He’ll be picking up a lot of mid-size opponents on the defensive end.

Curry had a bit of an off game offensively, but big whoop. The kid plays his butt off. Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton both got in and showed toughness and intensity. They’re most likely understudies right now, but you have to like the apparent trajectory.
As we said after the Miami game, things are about to get a lot tougher. The next five games are Marquette and then either Kansas State or Gonzaga, Oregon out there, Michigan State at home, and then Butler in the Meadowlands. This will require a higher level of play and we’re excited to see what comes out of it.”
My comments: The good news is that the big men showed up and played well but the bad news is the both Plumlees fouled out, which is something that cannot happen against top teams; Kyrie’s assist to turnover ratio (9:0) continues to be amazing; Andre Dawkins continues to play up to his talent; and despite the fact that Kyle and Nolan have yet to shot well, others have.

Coach K had these observations aboutthe fact that while two of these freshmenare mature abd “shovel ready”, there are limittions as to how deep the regular rotation will be:

“If there are emergency situations where guys can come in you know Tyler [Thornton] and Josh [Hairston] can come in for a few minutes and give us some minutes. You can’t get a ten-man rotation, but you can have ten guys ready to play. I mean you can, but then you’re not using your key guys well, Nolan [Smith] and Kyle have to get major minutes for us to be really good.”

DUKE – MARQUETTE

The serious season started last night and Duke, led by a very impressive performance by an up-to-now intriguing but inconsistent role player, performed well enough in spurts to win 82-77. There are certain truisms in today’s college basketball: While every year basketball players are more and more athletic, they are not necessarily more fundamentally sound; with the three point line, virtually every team can make several runs in a game; if you don’t answer an opponent’s run with one of your own and regain the momentum, you probably will lose; most mid major teams are undersized but compensate by playing a pressing, up tempo enervating game; most competitive games come down to defense, protecting the ball, and making free throws; the basket is smaller on the road; and Duke gets every team’s best shot but in every game the Blue Devils have the best coach on their bench. The bottom line is that after totally dominating three overmatched teams at Cameron, Duke played a bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic, more talented opponent away from home. The result was a reality check for the younger players—and some fans.

The good news is that last night we saw something for which we have been waiting almost a year—a dominating, sometimes dazzling, thirty-two minute performance by Mason Plumlee. The explanation—other than maturity– is that he is much more effective on both ends in the low post than playing strong forward. We also learned that Kyrie is the real deal but needs more games at this level to adjust to the speed, strength, and size of top teams; that Duke is versatile enough to win when Kyle and Nolan are not carrying the team; that in close games there will be a tight 7-8 man rotation; and Coach K still has fire in the belly.

Well into the second half, Duke was cruising with a 14 point lead, when Marquette made a run to tie the game with eleven minutes left. Coach K called a time out and gave one of his patented, politically incorrect assessments—Chicago style– of the player’s effort. In the next six minutes, the Blue Devils went up by 13. However, they did not really finish off the game with authority or gusto like a top team should as Curry, Irving, and Smith all missed the front end of one-and-ones throwing away six potential points. For those who think that just because this team has more talent that it is better than last year’s edition, reflect on how many games Jon “Money” Scheyer iced by hitting his free throws? That team knew how to finish off a game!

Aside from Mason Plumlee (and to a lesser degree Andre Dawkins, who each game is playing himself into more minutes) having a break out performance ( 25 pts; 12 rebs; 5 blocks, 4 assists), there are some interesting stats that identify why this game was as close as it was and those areas that this team must improve upon: 19 turnovers (Smith 6, Irving 5) vs. 20 assists; 6-12 free throws (Mason1-4); only hitting 6-18 threes; only going to the free throw line twelve times means that there were too many jump shots and not enough attacking the basket. (In most victories, Duke hits more free throws than their opponent take). These are not the statistics of a Final Four team but then March Madness is four months away.

DUKE – KANSAS STATE

Anytime a team is able to force an opponent or a key player out of the comfort zone of what they do best, the mental game-within-the game is usually won. You can see the frustration in the body language of players who are faced with the challenge of performing blue collar chores they really don’t enjoy—like playing tough defense possession after possession or grinding their way back into contention on offense. That is what has always been the lynchpin of Coach K’s teams. No matter the talent pool, they always play as hard—or harder—on defense than on offense. And when he has the diversity and depth of talent that he has this year, well, you saw the possibilities tonight.

Kansas State, like a lot of big, athletic teams, wants to run and gun on- on-one, but do not yet have the patience or versatility to run a disciplined half-court offense against a team that is swarming your every possession.. Of course, it doesn’t help to have a head coach impersonating a mental patient off his medication for most of the game. Tonight Duke just cut the heart out of Kansas State by doing all the little things (plus the big things) that define a dominant team. In fact, Alan thinks that this game ranks right up there with any of Duke’s defensive gems. If you doubt that, consider these statistics: Duke held Pullen, State’s preseason All-American, to 4 points on 1-for-12 shooting, including 1 of 8 from 3-point range; forced 12 turnovers; made 11 steals; hit 6 of 12 threes (vs. 3-17); and 24 of 31 free throws (vs., 11-23). While Kyrie got most of the headlines, just as impressive was the fact that all eight players contributed in ways large and small.

Duke only trailed once at 11-9. After failing to extend their eight point half time lead for the first eight minutes, the Blue Devils went on a patented 18-6 run. Then they finished the game in more impressive fashion than last night. Kansas State had no answer for either Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith running the point or in the open court. We know what Nolan can do but we weren’t quite sure how Kyrie would fare this early in the season in a hostile environment against a Final Four level team. Well, he was the MVP.

Here is Seth Davis (Full disclosure: He is a Duke grad and the son of political talking head Lanny Davis) of Sports Illustrated and CBS somewhat breathless take: “ Given how gifted Irving is, it’s almost unfair to surround him with so much veteran talent. Krzyzewski’s motion offense is tailor made for Irving’s skill set. He has an explosive first step and is highly adept with both hands, not only at dribbling but also finishing at the rim. If he gets by his defender, Irving has a bevy of options to choose from, including the team’s two snipers off the bench, Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry, who were a combined 4 for 5 from three-point range against Kansas State. Sophomore center Mason Plumlee was also impressive in Kansas City. He followed up his 25-point, 12-rebound performance in Monday’s semifinal win over Marquette by going for 10 points and five rebounds against the Wildcats.

It all starts with Irving, but it can end anywhere.

“They run an NBA-spaced offense. Coach K has this down to a science,” Pullen said. “With that ball screen action, there’s nowhere you can help from. You have to pick your poison. Either you live with [Irving] dribble driving, or you help and they lob up to the bigs, or you help from the corner and they shoot the ball. They’ve got a lot of upperclassmen, and Kyrie is a poised young freshman. Right now they’re No. 1 in the country for a reason.”

As much hype as Irving got coming out of high school, it turns out he is actually better than advertised. Through his first five games as a collegian, he has 33 assists and only 11 turnovers. He has made 48 percent on field goals, 42 percent on three-pointers, and 91 percent on free throws. The most pleasant surprise is his prowess as a defender, which was on full display Tuesday night. Even Krzyzewski said during a practice last month that he didn’t realize how committed Irving was to that part of the game.

“He can say he’s surprised, but when you come in here as a freshman point guard, you’re expected to play defense,” Irving said. “That’s what Duke is built on. That’s our foundation. I have confidence in myself, and I believe I can guard great players.

Irving is a great player himself, and he’s only 18 years old.

“This was really fun,” he said Tuesday night. “This is what I came to Duke for, playing in a big game on a big-time stage.”

Kansas State and its fans threw everything they had at Irving, but in the end they could only stand there shaking their hands. Give the young fella his due. He handled it, man.”

A word of warning to the irrationally exuberant: Too much early freshman hype can be hazardous to your game. Harrison Barnes of UNC was named to the pre-season All-American Team and has, to be charitable, had a rocky start to his season. The bottom line is that this was one impressive game in a long season. There are a lot of speed bumps between now and another NCAA Championship—among them, injuries, illness, fatigue, cockiness, and petty jealousies.

DUKE – OREGON

One of the reasons Coach K is able to recruit nationally is that he showcases his team live and in person all over the country– especially in the backyard of stars from faraway places. For instance, when he had Trajan Langdon and Carlos Boozer, he scheduled a game in their home state of Alaska. Last year, he scheduled a game against Iowa State in Chicago for Illinois native Jon Scheyer, who had a career night. As I noted at the time:

“For me, one of the joys of following Duke Basketball each year is watching a player’s development. A case in point is Jon Scheyer. He came in with the reputation of being a big time scorer–maybe the next JJ Reddick. Obviously, Coach K loved his game, because he was a starter from day one. The reality is that he has been Mr. Consistency–a versatile, very good, very dependable player (especially at the foul line)– but not a flashy, superstar. Surprisingly, Jon has been a somewhat reluctant shooter but rather a more subtle, efficient and complete talent who seemed more interested in being a good teammate than putting up a lot of points.

Perhaps as a two guard, he was a little physically disadvantaged. However, moving to the point has allowed the full range of Jon’s skills to flourish to the degree that it occurs to me that he is right there with Grant Hill as the most complete Duke basketball player I can recall. A 30 minute stat line tonight at the United Center of 36 pts. (on only 13 shots), 9 assists, 8 rebs, 1 blk, 1 steal speaks volumes about his efficient talent. Play on, Jon!” ( And play on he did, right to a NCAA Championship.)

Well, after Kyle Singler decided to pass on the NBA draft and return to Duke for his senior season, Coach K found a way to schedule a “thank you” game for Kyle in Oregon, which just happened to have his brother E. J. as a starter. It is hard to pick out a “career game” for Kyle as he has had so many over the last three plus years. As for consistency, Singler has scored in double figures one hundred times in his Duke career–that’s out of 117 games. Johnny Dawkins is Duke’s career leader with 129. Kyle showcased his skills with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. I cannot recall any player who has led by example by willingly and effectively played whatever position asked of him and played every play harder and received more skin burns, bruises, and stitches than Kyle. Surely, at the end of the season his jersey will be hanging from the Cameron rafters with all of the other great Duke players.

How can a team win 98-71 against a decent team like Oregon and play such a sloppy game, committing 19 turnovers (vs. 11) and allowing 15 steals? Granted , it was their third road game in a row and they haven’t been home in a week, but they aren’t in high school anymore. Well, the answer is that the team is so talented that even with all the sloppiness, it can still go on a 19-1 run. However, just when you think that Nolan Smith can play the point, he turns the ball over six times. The good news is that Kyrie Irving consistently makes sensational plays seem almost routine plus Mason and Miles Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, and Andre Dawkins continue to play at much higher and effective level than last year. Unfortunately, Curry is in a two game shooting slump and the two other freshmen are not yet ready for prime time.

Alan adds:

The Plumlees are making a significant difference on this team, especially Mason, who has made dramatic and gigantic strides on both ends of the floor. He’s become a real force at protecting the basket (as has Miles, but not quite as dramatically and Miles is still fouling excessively) while only committing two fouls in 30+ minutes. Mason is becoming quite a talented shot blocker and he had 12 boards (not shabby). The thing that is impressive to me is that he’s getting better each game; more confident and efficient with the ball. He doesn’t have any real range yet, but other than that, he’s ahead of where Laettner was at the early stages of his sophomore year. I am also being impressed with Kelly. He’s not the athlete that the Plumlees are, but he’s a basketball player. He got called for a couple of fouls that weren’t, I thought. He plays intelligent defense, he’s a competent rebounder and he is becoming a reliable ball handler. We know he can shoot and it’s just a matter of time before he (and the coaches) have the confidence to let him do it more. In short, the Duke question marks pre-season (how does Duke replace the size, rebounding, and defensive intensity that Zoubs and Thomas brought to the team last year?) are in the process of being answered positively. But, even Kansas State (tough as nails, but not as long) wasn’t the test of the front line that Michigan State will be.

The Blue Devils better bring their “A” Game against #2 Michigan State Wednesday night.

DUKE – MICHIGAN STATE

Going into this game, Duke appeared to have a number of advantages over Michigan State: they were playing in the friendly confines of Cameron, where the Blue Devils have not lost a non-conference game in fourteen years; they were undefeated and coming off an impressive road trip where they beat Marquette, number two Kansas State, and Oregon; they were just unanimously voted the number one team in the country; and Michigan State, a potential Final Four team, was coming off a long trip from Hawaii where they were upset by UConn. Despite these advantages, it took an sensational, mature performance by freshman Kyrie Irving for Duke, who lead virtually the entire way but could never totally put the Spartans away, to win 84-79. Kyrie, who had 11 points in the first eleven minutes when everyone else was cold, finished with 31 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, & 2 blocks. Fortunately, in the second half Smith, who overcame a series of four sloppy turnovers, and Singler finally heated up at opportune times. Mason Plumlee continued to be an impressive, vital force down low with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals. Andree Dawkins played 28 minutes when Curry struggled defensively contributing good defense and two timely baskets. Ryan Kelly also played more minutes than usual because Miles Plumlee just can’t seem to stop committing foolish fouls.

Michigan State is a talented, well coached team but have been prone to turning the ball over (which they did tonight with 20) and missing free throws (which they did tonight going 8-15). The Blue Devils were not exactly stellar in those departments either as they had 15 turnovers and missed too many free throws–especially in the last few minutes. The defense was not consistently up to Coach K standards but then this Michigan State offense will score a lot of points on any team. However, top tier teams find ways to win when not everyone has their “A’ game and a Tom Izzo coached team will test you in ways that most others won’t.

Coach K made some interesting observations: “I didn’t think Kyle [Singler] had a great game but he made great plays for us, those two threes in a row, that stick back with one second to go on the shot clock and then he in-bounded the ball without any mistakes the last four minutes when they were pressing. So did he have a bad game? He didn’t have a bad game, but he didn’t have a great game. That’s what a good player does you know. When he hit those two threes he was 2-11, so it’s not like you’re hot and you still have to have the courage to take the shot and hit it. Nolan [Smith] was struggling with fouls, he only played 12 minutes in the first half and we had a couple of exchanges were he got five points for us right away. I thought, the two kids were obvious but Mason was right up there and if we don’t have him playing tonight the way he did, we don’t win.”

Tonight also demonstrated the thin line between winning (making or missing threes and free throws) and losing and that a bad fall like Kyrie, Mason, and Nolan took can cause an injury and diminishes a team’s chances for a championship. So far, so good. Everyone appears to be nicked not injured and I do not think Duke has yet to play their best forty minutes of basketball. Hopefully, that will be in the NCAA Tournament.

Alan, who missed some of the game because he was delayed travelling to Key West (on business, he says), adds: “Michigan State is really good. They worked for good shots against Duke’s energetic defense. More really good Michigan State offense than lackadaisical Duke defense. Kyrie put on quite a show. He is better than advertised (and his hype was considerable. Harrison Barnes will inevitably be compared, and is certainly coming up short in the very early going; UNC is another story). He couldn’t or didn’t keep Luscious in front of him in the late going, but he sure did everything else. His cross over drives are out of this world. I was thinking of who he reminded me of as a freshman- Isaiah Thomas as a freshman at Indiana.”

DUKE – BUTLER

Coach Brad Stevens of Butler ranks right there with Coach K and Tom Izzo as coaches to respect and admire. Today, he devised a clever hybrid man/triangle zone defense to inhibit the slashing drives of Kyrie and Nolan that make Duke’s offense so very lethal. In the first half, the Blue Devils took the easy path and settled for taking half of their shots from beyond the arc—but hitting only 25%. In addition, they were out hustled by the smaller, less talented, but very tenacious Bulldogs motivated, undoubtedly, by payback for their heartbreaking loss in last year’s championship game.

After a one sided discussion with Coach K at half time, the players went to the tried and true Plan B: amp up the defense and attack the basket. That combined with Butler’s injuries, foul trouble, and fatigue eventually took its toll as Nolan Smith fueled a 12-0 Duke run to increase Duke’s lead to double digits. However, Butler countered with a run of their own to cut the lead to three. Then Kyrie calmly drained successive treys from the top of the key, Duke took the air out of the ball and hit their free throws to secure the win that was much closer and more difficult than the final 82-70 score indicated.

Like the Marquette game, this was a good lesson for the players—get used to it, the Duke jersey brings out the best in every opponent and they get every team’s best shot. While talented and deep, the Blue Devils potential Achilles heel is that they do not have a dominant low post scorer to bail out a night of poor perimeter shooting. The Plumlees are big and athletic, but anything other than a dunk is problematical, so they do not have to be double teamed—and fouling them usually turns 2 points into 1 point. Of course, keeping Kyrie and Nolan out of the lane is defensive objective number one; priority number two is praying for an poor shooting night. For instance, Duke shot 30% vs. Butler’s 50% from three point land. Counter intuitively, Duke hit 83% of their free throws vs. Butler’s 50%. All the rest of the stats were about equal, so you can see that by switching any combination of the shooting stats could produce anything from a Butler upset to a Duke blowout.

Coach K scheduled these tough, early games because he thought he potentially had a very good team and a stretch of tough games replicates the ACC and NCAA Tournament challenges. If you recall, in 1991 UNLV was the 1990 NCAA Champion returning with all their starters. They had beaten Duke by 29 points for the championship the previous year and was undefeated until Duke beat them in the semi-final round. Krzyzewski felt that UNLV lost, in part, because they had not been challenged all season and had forgotten how to respond to a close game.

Just about a year ago, I wrote enthusiastically about Andre Dawkins talent. [“Andre Dawkins may be the most intriguing talent on the team. Athletically and skill wise, there are times he shows flashes of Johnny Dawkins, Jayson Williams, JJ Reddick, and Gerald Henderson. While he has a very smooth, quick release jump shot and can drive and finish with authority, what I like the most is that he seems to be fearless and has the look and demeanor of a confident junior or senior. The fact that Andre pulls the trigger like JJ did tells me that Coach has given him the green light to shoot. But he is a freshman and he will be inconsistent.”] Then, I couldn’t totally understand why—except for flashes like the two big threes against Baylor– he appeared to mentally and physically regress. I wondered how he would respond this year to Irving and Curry being added to the rotation. Well, it is apparent that he is playing himself into a key sixth man who plays more minutes than the fifth starter and, more importantly, is on the floor at the end of a game. Today, he and Mason both had eight rebounds apiece—and he leads the team with 19 threes while hitting 50% of his attempts. The player he most reminds me of is a bigger version of Thomas Hill, a key player on the 1991-1992 championship teams.

A note of concern: Kyrie injured his toe(s) or foot, went to the bench and returned for a few minutes but was noticeable limping. A sprained big toe, commonly referred to as “turf toe” can dramatically effect a players performance for an entire season or longer. A case in point is Antonio Gates, the all pro tight end for the San Diego Chargers, who has a chronic problem. Let’s hope that this is a minor injury, because it is doubtful Duke would be 8-0 if Kyrie had not been playing.

Incidentally, this was Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 876th win, which ties him with Adolph Rupp for third place in all-time career coaching wins..

The reason I referred to this game being played in Cameron North is that there are a lot of alumni and parents of students and players in the New York area and Coach K’s teams are 19-1 at the Meadowlands arena.

DUKE – BRADLEY

With Kyrie Irving out “indefinitely”, there is an opportunity for this team to demonstrate that they can continue to win until/if he returns. This is not unprecedented situation for a Duke team. Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Elton Brand, and Carlos Boozer all had injuries that forced them miss a significant number of games yet their teams still made it to the Final Four and even won championships. Most memorable was the 2001 championship run. In the next to last game of the regular season against Maryland, Carlos Boozer broke his foot and was not available until the Sweet Sixteen game of the NCAA Tournament. Nevertheless, Coach K, in his most impressive coaching performance, rotated the improbable trio 0f bench warmers Casey Sanders, Matt Christianson, and Reggie Love at center and ran the table against Carolina, in the ACC Tournament and in the NCAA Championship.

Coach K on how the team changes without Kyrie:

“Everybody’s game changes, including mine. Your game changes. That’s what good players do. When a great player gets hurt, can’t play, it changes everything. It doesn’t mean a whole sale change on what you’re doing, it just changes everything, including the habits of having played with that great player for the entire preseason and eight games. So there is just a period of adjustment that our team has to go through and hopefully we’ll get him back but we don’t know when. We have to go on and make these adjustments. We tried to make a few tonight. But again, it was a limited practice time and it’s a really tough week for every student here because it’s the week before exams when so many things are due for these guys.” The classic example of a player being prepared to take advantage of his opportunity due to an injury to a starter is Johnny Unitas. Unitas, hardly a classic figure in his high top cleats, was cut by the Steelers, played semi-pro ball, and signed as a backup to George Shaw, the Colts number one draft pick from Oregon. Shaw broke his leg in 1956 and never regained his starting role as Johnny U stepped in and redefined the position of quarter back. Well, whenever Kyrie returns, he will have his starting position but my point is that this is an opportunity for Dawkins, Curry, Kelly, Miles Plumlee, and the two freshmen to gain more experience and, hopefully, more confidence for themselves and prove to the coaching staff that, if needed, they can be counted upon in pressure situations.”

As for the game, it was a shooting game of two halves as the new lineup took twenty minutes to adjust to a different point guard. The Blue Devils settled for being a jump shooting team in the first half but only hit 5-17 threes (four of which were by Andre Dawkins ). The second half they were 10-16 (four of which were by Andre Dawkins). I won’t again remind you at length how early on I was in the tank for Dawkins, but my man Andre’s eight treys were one short of the record held by Shane Battier and J.J. Redick—not bad company. Miles Plumlee started in place of Brian Kelly and had an impressive performance going 7-7 from the field. Nolan Smith struggled scoring from the top of the key but had 10 assists and only 2 turn overs. Kyle Singler, who so far has not been shooting particularly well, otherwise had a typically strong game. Mason Plumlee just seems to play with more confidence and maturity with each game. The longer Kyrie is out, there is an opportunity to see if Seth Curry can fill in at point guard. If he can, there are more minutes available because Nolan is more lethal on the wing.

Alan adds:

Yikes! I’m sorry I wrote what I did about injuries and an unbeaten season. Let’s hope Kyrie’s injury isn’t season ending. That would be a shame…especially for Singler and Nolan. But for the near term, it will work to Duke’s advantage, meaning players who need the minute to improve will get them now. Cases in point: Dawkins and Curry. It was fun to watch Dawkins realize how hot he was; because he didn’t slack off a bit on the defensive end or doing the little things. 28 points on 17 shots is pretty efficient. Plus, I predict that the reputation that will go with this shooting performance will open up driving lanes for him. He can penetrate and when he makes that a more prominent part of his game, the sky is really the limit. He can play all aspects of this game. Curry really looked energized, especially on the defensive end. When those two threes went down late in the game, you could see him sigh with relief that his shooting slump was over. But I thought he played intense defense (he’s really quick) and handled the backup point pretty well. He played 26 efficient minutes.

Before extolling the mobility and intensity of our big guys, I should say a word about the defense. It’s true Bradley was undermanned and outclassed. But Duke played really intense defense, especially in the early going when the offense looked so ragged. [NB: the difference between the ragged offense and the second half was the difference in whether the ball went in or not on jumpers. They were the same open looks.] Duke’s switching was ballet-like. The talking heads at half were saying Duke missed Kyrie’s on the ball defense. Bradley was scoring less than a point a minute (18 in the first half). All of those points (except a couple) came on well defended shots. Both Plumlees were fierce around the basket and Bradley’s inability to finish at the rim was more about Duke’s interior defense than Bradley’s offense. Miles looked really athletic and coordinated. Huge improvement. Kelly does a lot of little things and you can see he’s a confident shooter, even when he misses. He can’t run the court like the Plumlees (who are really fast and in shape), but I like his game.

The other thing that made Duke’s offense look ragged was Nolan’s shot was really off as he ran the team (efficiently: 10 assists to 2 turnovers and some great passes to Miles). He was 0-8 from the floor and 2-4 from the line. If he’s hitting in the first half, no one would be describing Duke’s offense as ragged. Still, weak competition, virtually no penetration except the lob over the zone, and no post offense could be signs that Duke will struggle when the competition returns to a high level. PS: Mich State’s poor performance against Syracuse takes a little gloss off that win. This is a very good team even without Kyrie, but…

DUKE – ST. LOUIS

With the prognosis for Kyrie’s return from his toe injury uncertain at best and not-at-all a distinct possibility, the Duke coaching staff met with each player individually and discussed what was expected from them. The only good news is that this injury happened early in the year giving Kyrie plenty of time to recover and the opportunity for the younger players to gain invaluable playing experience. Today, it appeared that Seth Curry (11 pts. & 6 assists), Miles Plumlee (9 pts & 9 rebs), Josh Hairston (12 pts & 4 rebs), and Tyler Thornton (4 asts & 0 to’s) made the most of their increased playing time.

Miles, who started in place of Kelly for the second game in a row, played consistently with more poise and maturity than in previous games. The St. Louis defense focuses on taking away the three point shot as Andre Dawkins ( 2 shots & 2 points) coming off a 28 point, 8 trey performance, learned so well. He is no longer an unknown quantity and his going to be defended differently, so he is going to have to work harder for his points. The upside is that it will open up the floor and space the lane for the rest of the players as well as himself. Andre has the ability to pump fake, put the ball on the floor, drive, and finish strong. In is worth noting that the defense, which must carry the team during the transition period and beyond, was terrific in the first half limiting St. Louis to only 16 points.

It has occurred to me that often seniors seem to start their last year of eligibility slowly, as if pacing themselves to finish with a flourish. That seemed the case this year with both Singler and Smith. However, today they got the message that they have to pick up the slack and lead they team in ways they didn’t when Kyrie was healthy. Nolan’s role changes the most because he is a instinctively a hybrid score first/ pass second guard. But as quick as he is and as well as he penetrates, he should be more than adequate at the top of the key. I’m sure we will at times see Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton, a Tommy Amaker clone, running point with Nolan on the wing, where he plays more instinctively. The move to the point worked pretty well for Seth’s brother Stephen in his last year at Davidson and in the pros.

Seeing a very animated Kyrie Irving on the bench tells us that in addition to being a terrific basketball player, he is also a terrific person who loves his teammates and, playing or not, has a lot of emotional investment in this team.

It’s final exam time so we won’t see the Blue Devils for nine days. In the meantime, I’m sure the coaching staff will be working overtime.

Alan adds:

One can’t take too much from the St. Louis game because of how depleted their team was, resulting in a dramatic difference in talent and experience (not unlike Bradley). What we can say is that none of the negative things that could befall a team in that situation, befell Duke. Duke played defense in both games very impressively. This team now (and even with Kyrie) will go as far as its defense takes it. Similar in that respect to last year. It was defensively that Lance and Zoubs contributed so meaningfully in the last two plus months of last season. Kelly, Miles (yesterday) and Mason (in previous games) are stepping up defensively. Only the caliber of the competition leaves room for doubt. Both Bradley and St. Louis had some trouble finishing close to the rim because of the mobility and potential shot blocking of the big guys. Singler is fun to watch defensively. He is such a good player in every aspect of the game.

Mason and Dawkins, who played so outstandingly recently, did not light it up at all yesterday. Mason had two quick fouls and then played only 11 minutes in the game (4 minutes less than Hairston). There must be a story behind that fact somewhere. Injury? Discipline? Attitude? Something. Miles played 30 minutes and looked terrific with growing confidence (a left handed jump hook off a smooth move was jaw dropping; again can he do it against high level competition?). So did Ryan Kelly. He played 20 minutes and is also growing in confidence. Hairston played 15 minutes and looked for the first time like a shooter. (Level of competition question again).

I am liking Seth’s energy and ball handling skills. He could become the starting point guard if Kyrie is lost with Dawkins coming off the bench as 6th man. I predict that K will look at that option if the Irving story tilts to bad or very bad. Mentally, it is hard for the team not to be wondering about what Kyrie’s role will be this season. K will make them mentally tough enough to ignore that issue and keep developing as a team. Two softies before ACC season opens with Miami on Jan. 2.

DUKE- ELON

Not much to say about this scrimmage except that Duke played at times as though they had just finished exam week, but here are some observations:

As versatile and valuable as Kyle Singler is, the truth is that he still is not shooting as well as he did the last half of last year…..Nolan Smith is getting the hang of playing the point, which for him is score first and distribute second….Ryan Kelly appears to be getting better and better right before our eyes… Seth Curry, who started ( but don’t read too much into that) for Andre Dawkins, is trying very, very hard. However, Andre Dawkins is a much more complete and confident player this year and the more versatile and lethal of the two……As Miles progresses, Mason seems to regress. And finally, Mike Gminski is a very good and knowledgeable announcer.

This win tied Coach K with Dean Smith for second in most wins (879) in NCAA history. It is appropriate that the top three coaches—Bob Knight, Dean Smith, and Mike Krzyzewski achieved their wins without cheating, without bogus SAT scores, without hundred-dollar-handshakes, while coaching young men who are/were successful in their post-college careers.

Alan adds:

The game was not on here (and I went to an amazing Roche sisters concert) and so I am limited to the DBR 2 reports and looking at the box score. K’s rotation was interesting in a non-challenging post exam game. You will remember that I predicted K would think about starting Curry and bringing Dawkins off the bench. Curry played 30 minutes and Dawkins 32. Only Singler played more (37). Nolan was obviously limited by foul trouble, though he still scored efficient 22 points on 11 shots in 21 minutes (2-2 from behind the arc and 2-3 from the foul line). 4 turnovers though – against Elon – in that amount of time is not a good sign. Also no assists for Curry (or Thornton in 7 minutes). Finally, is Mason in K’s doghouse? He played only 16 minutes. He had 7 boards, took a 3 pointer (hmmmm) and 2 points. Miles played 28 minutes and Kelly (the upfront scorer with 13) 21 minutes. Interesting. I’m anxious for your take. UNCG and then the season starts in earnest with ACC comp.

Coach K’s post game comments were right on the mark:

“Look I love Dean and we competed really hard against one another. But I think the ultimate thing a competitor can say about another competitor is that he respects him 100 percent. I really value our friendship. And when two teams that are coached by two guys who are as competitive go after one another, you’ve got to make each other better. And in that respect, it made the ACC one hell of a conference. I mean no one’s done a better job in the ACC, by far, than Dean. We’ve done our share, but what he did was set a standard that the league then had to adopt or else you drop by the wayside. He’s one of the great pioneers. He built a program when no one else knew what the hell a program is. He built one hell of a program at a great school by recruiting unbelievably good kids, developing great relationships with them and then they played a brand of basketball where they showed up every night. And we’ve, I think, done a lot like that in our own way. And that’s produced some unbelievably good basketball.”

DUKE – UNC GREENSBORO

The biggest surprise tonight in this milestone game was that Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly started instead of Andre Dawkins and Mason Plumlee as Coach K won his 880^th game. Other than that this scrimmage was just another warm-up game bracketing exams before the real season starts.

Some observations: Nolan Smith appears to be more comfortable playing the point, which he will have to play at times even if Kyrie returns, and Miles Plumlee appears to be playing with more and more confidence in the low post– both of which are keys to a championship season. I wish I knew what is going on in practice and in the coach’s conversations. I like Seth Curry’s game but Andre is the better and more versatile talent. I assume it has to do with energy and defense. Seth is the better perimeter defender but Andre is the better, more versatile athlete, interior defender, and rebounder. Mason is clearly more talented than Ryan Kelly—except that he cannot shoot nearly as well. Maybe this is all a motivational ploy but I have to believe that when a game is on the line, the two current subs will be on the floor. The good news is that with these mix of players and depending on the opposition, there are a lot of combinations to deployed. I guess I’ll let Coach K figure it all out.

Jay Williams was one of the commentators and, incidentally, very good and informative. He pointed out that it is very difficult to win the six game NCAA Championship without low post scoring because there will be night(s)– especially in a dome arena– that the jump shots aren’t falling. To that point, just remember Sean May carrying Carolina to the 2005 NCAA Championship.

I never was in favor of comparing players from different eras. The same goes for coaches. While Coach Smith and Coach K careers overlapped, the game and schedules have changes a lot since Dean retired. Dean Smith was a great, very innovative coach who developed the concept of a “program” before there were “programs.” In addition, he might have been even a better man than a coach. He personally and quietly integrated Chapel Hill by example –taking Charlie Scott, his first black recruit to dinner in a restaurant on the strip. We as fans are the beneficiary of what these two great coaches have brought to their respective schools—the best rivalry in college basketball. Alumni and fans of both schools have every right to be proud.

Coach K: “You have to have good players and a strong commitment from the university to succeed so often. So, I don’t know if that’s so much an achievement as the result of having all those things. I want to thank the players from Army, from Duke and I want to thank my coaches. A coach wins because he has good people, and I’ve had great people.”

Jay Bilas: “Congratulations on becoming the winningest basketball coach in ACC history! You’re a giant figure in the game, but more importantly, you have been a transformative figure in the lives of your players. You have been coach, leader, mentor and friend to all of us, and it has not just been a four-year relationship. It has been a lifelong relationship. It has been 25 years since I played for you, but there is not a day that goes by that I don’t rely upon what you taught me. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am for you and how proud I am of you. Congratulations. You are the best”.

Alan adds:

I’m not sure what to say about last night’s game. Most important: nothing bad happened (which is not something even good teams, like Tenn. can say so far this year when they have gone up against overmatched teams). There is nothing negative to say about this game except that it came against inferior opposition, so one can’t take huge significance from the nice performance. If one got picky, (and you know I do sometimes), one could note that Duke was not as intense defensively as usual (though certainly not bad) and the support for Kyle and Nolan didn’t appear until the second half when Dawkins, Miles and Seth contributed big time. Duke had 6 double figure scorers – starters + Dawkins. Nolan had a stat game that astounds: 26 points on 12 shots; 9 assists, five rebounds, 3 steals and NO TURNOVERS! Singler is rounding into shooting form and is such a sound player. You are never nervous when the ball is in his hands. Something good is likely to happen.

I have previously said that Seth might be the best replacement for Kyrie with Andre coming in as a micro-wave 6th man. That is still playing out. Both looked much better in the second half. They are very different type of defenders, but both good. Even without Kyrie, this can be a very good team. It will all depend on how the bigs match up with top-of-the-line competition. It’s impossible to judge when Duke is playing competition at the UNCG level. Still, Miles is looking athletic and intense. 23 minutes, 5-6 for 11 points and five boards. He’s still a half-step late defensively, but getting better. Best part was only 2 fouls. Kelly and Mason are more enigmatic; each played 18 minutes. Kelly was 4-10 (0-3 from behind the arc) with 4 blocks, 2 steals and an assist. He doesn’t run well, but he has skills and is improving. Will he be able to defend effectively against the good big guys? Why has Mason’s offense gone south without Kyrie? He played well (2-3 from the floor, 5 defensive boards and 4 assists, but something seems missing. I don’t think Thornton and Hairston will help this year, but they are each going to be very good college players, I think. If fouls or injury compels them to play at crunch time, I predict that they will do ok.

Season really starts Sunday.

DUKE – MIAMI

The real season without Kyrie Irving started tonight against Miami and Nolan Smith played point guard about as well as any college player can. He scored 28 points on the ball, off the ball, and played pressure defense against the ever dangerous Durand Scott (3-14), who had such a good game against us last year. I have always thought Nolan had the skills to play the point, he just lacked the confidence and/or experience that he could. Well, if tonight (and the last several games) are any indication, he is gaining the confidence. When Nolan is in an aggressive and attacking mode, he is a handful. Kevin Durant, the sensational young pro who averages 28 points a game for Oklahoma City Thunder, was his best teenage friend in the Washington area, they played AAU ball together, and still work out together in the summer. So, Nolan knows big time competition. He just has to accept the fact that until/if (ever) Kyrie returns, he has to play Batman not Robin.

Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly started again but as we all know, minutes played and who is on the floor in close games are what matter more. If tonight is any indication, Kelly has worked himself into major minutes (rotating with either Mason or Miles) with his defense and heady play. Seth, on the other hand, just is not physically the player that Andre Dawkins is—as was demonstrated when he stole the ball and was caught stuffed from behind by a Miami player (Memo: you’re not at Liberty anymore). Andre, on the other hand, with 16 points (plus four steals) at crucial times on a variety of shots, was a much needed scorer because Kyle was 5-15. Two lethal scorers normally do not consistently win tough games—most good teams can shut down one of two but not two of three. Also, 14-15 from the foul line helps a lot.

It is apparent that the best way to beat Duke is to zone them on defense, penetrate and dish on offense, and pray they are not hitting threes, because the big men are not a treat to score many points. As long as no one else gets hurt and the defense plays like they did tonight (holding an opponent to 37% from the field and 18% from three point land), the Blue Devils put themselves in a position to win—but there is not much room for error when they only shoot 43% and commit 13 turnovers. Without Kyrie, Duke is a very good but no longer a dominating team. And, shades of JJ Redick, Smith and Singler played the entire game in a seven man rotation.

Alan adds:

No way to have any complaints about Duke tonight. You have to be impressed with the consistency of the Duke defense. Miami had maybe 3 uncontested shots the whole game (and missed those). Our big guys are very active and Miami’s shots near the hoop were always contested and caused a lot of misses. Miami is a good team. Their big guy, (42) Reggie Johnson played very well, and scored whenever he had the ball near the basket regardless of what Duke defenders did. He was 9-10 from the field and 4-6 from the foul line with 9 boards (5 offensive), 2 blocks and a steal in 23 minutes. Duke is glad he picked up 2 quick fouls, and should worry about the return game in Miami on 2/13. He looked like a beast for whom Duke had no answer. Other than that, Duke looked very good (slightly off excellent) on defense. They switch like a ballet troupe and are intense. Fun to watch.

Offensively, Duke fans keep seeing the vision of what the team looked like with Kyrie. They no longer look like that, but still…not bad. Nolan was wonderful and his run late in the first half was basically the difference in this game (13 straight points, including 3 3s). Even more than Singler, he’s the example of the benefit of staying all 4 years in college. His game has taken a wonderful jump each of the last two years. Singler didn’t shoot well, but Nolan and Dawkins picked up the slack. I share you admiration of Dawkins’s maturation process. He is already a good player (better say than Smith was in his sophomore year), but his skills make you think he can get much better – be an All-American type player by his senior year. There is nothing he doesn’t do well on the court. Nolan and Singler played the entire game (40 minutes); Andre was third in most minutes played with 29. His last 3 was an absolute dagger. Curry is still my starter, but his foul trouble really curtailed his value in this game. He played 18 minutes without scoring, Even having a bad shooting night, Singler is the consistent reliable glue. That takes us to the big guys.

The Plumlees are athletic, graceful and can run and jump (like I said, athletic), but nothing that either shot had even a prayer of going in. Miles shows amazing moments, but he is still not a really good basketball player (by a smidgeon in several different types of plays), but he is close; I have to think he’ll get there …eventually. 23 minutes; 6 points; 6 boards (4 offensive) and a block. Mason similarly, but actually more effective. In 25 minutes, he had 4 blocks, and 10 boards (4 offensive), but only 2 points. Neither Plumlee could stop Johnson, but they really became efficient guarding the rim after the first 6 minutes or so. Neither Plumlee made you feel, as a Duke fan, that you wanted either of them to shoot. Kelly is earning his minutes. He’s not as athletic as either Plumlee, but he knows more about basketball, hustles, and makes surprisingly good plays and exercises pretty good judgment. He, too, played 25 minutes (both he and Mason played a couple of minutes more than Miles), was 4-5 from the field (his only miss was his only 3 point attempt) and 6 boards (2 offensive) and 3 blocks. How these three guys develop during the year will tell the Duke tale this year, I think. All pretty optimistic (I think Miami is pretty good), and if Kyrie comes back and is the same player…Right now, the rotation is only 7 players.

DUKE – UAB

For the opening minutes of tonight’s game, Duke’s defense, offense, and the Cameron Crazies were in near perfect sync. After the seven minute tsunami passed, Duke was leading 26-4. Except for the continued excellence of Nolan Smith, who had 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, the rest of the game was fairly mundane. Nevertheless, individually there were some interesting developments. Andre Dawkins started for Seth Curry, played 32 minutes, and proved that with 6 rebounds and 3 steals, to go with 8 points (on only 4 shots), he is not a one trick pony in that he does not have to score a lot of points to be contribute. Ryan Kelly continues to improve as a savvy defender and efficient rebounder (8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 23 minutes). Surprisingly, he does not yet appear to be a confident shooter, which was supposed to be his calling card. Mason Plumlee had his best, most assertive game since Kyrie was injured. No matter which of the big men start, clearly the minutes will depend on who is playing the best defense and individual foul situation. Tonight, Miles started but got a few fouls and made a few awkward plays so Mason came in, was energetic and effective, so got the most minutes.

After Kyrie’s injury, I wrote that for this team to continue to win, Nolan Smith had to step up and play a pro-active Batman rather than a reactive, side kick Robin. There were times last year when he just took a game over and looked unstoppable. However, for whatever reason, he didn’t do it on a regular basis as he has in the last several games. I think he understands that as long as Kyrie is out, this is his team and he has the skills to run the show—and run it he did tonight with 33 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Actually, on his drives, he looks more like Spiderman than Batman as his long arms, quickness, and leaping ability allow him to play much longer and taller than 6’ 2”.

Nolan is not going to be able to score like this every game. UAB has no real center and played a perimeter defense with no inside presence, allowing Smith, once he broke past his defender, a relatively clear path to the basket. Other teams (like Maryland Sunday night) with different personal will not be so accommodating. While Kyle is consistently playing his usual all-round terrific game, he has been a streaky shooter all year. After a fast start, he was 1-11 in the second half. That is why Dawkins, Curry and the committee of three Big Men (2 Plumlees & Kelly) have to be viable scoring options—and nobody else can get hurt—for the Blue Devils to continue their winning streak.

Coach K’s post game comments provide some insight into his mind set: “I’d like to have those top seven guys think of themselves as all starters and the two freshmen coming in when they need to so that you have a starter’s mentality. We can rotate the bigs in that third perimeter position– we might, we might not. I want those seven guys to feel like when they are in the ballgame that is a starting unit in the ballgame. Like the way Mason played tonight. He was talking, he played with a presence, getting 14 points and nine rebounds and four blocks. He didn’t play tired either. We kept him in there a long time. Ryan Kelly is playing well. He just keeps improving. Andre didn’t shoot the ball much but he played well and that’s a sign of maturity…. The number of minutes with older players like Nolan, if you don’t over-practice them, it’s inconsequential. I mean, trust me I do this for a living and then we make sure we don’t wear them out in practice. I think what they do as far as weight training, conditioning and eating, is also important. He is a guy who after this year is going to be a pro basketball player and that’s what we try to do, to teach them how to do that. So playing this number of minutes is what he wants to do. I thought there wasn’t a phase of the game that he didn’t play at the highest level, including management which leads to team stats.”

DUKE – MARYLAND

Everyone knew this would be a tought game because Gary Williams is a very good coach whose players personify his tenacity and aggressiveness. For about twenry-two minutes the Terps played with more intensity than the Blue Devils and gave them all they could handle–and more. As I mentioned after the UAB game, Coach Williams would not let Nolan Smith drive the lane at will and let the Blue Devils the freedom to make easy baskets. These two factors changed the entire offensive dynamic for Duke and contributed to a poor shooting night (40%). Uncharacteristically, it was Maryland, not Duke, who ran off seven straight points to start the seconf half to go up by 6 points as the game was on the verge of getting out of hand.

Then, Coach K demonstrated why he has won more basketball games than any coach not named Knight. He called a timeout and had animated, Chicago style “discussion” with is starters, and inserted Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton into the lineup. These two players turned the game around as they sparked a 14-2 run. To no one’s surprise, Seth hit some jumpers but to everyone’s surprise, it was Tyler, the freshman, who was the energizer bunny catalyst for th on-the-ball intensity that disrupted the Terps offfense. In twelve minutes, Tyler had 4 steals, to 2 charges (even scored 2 ponts) and allowed Nolan the comfort to provide offense from his old position on the wing. After that shot of adrenalin, Duke was a different team.

This was an important test because it answered the questions as to what happens when Nolan Smith goes 5 for 18 from the floor and a very good center outplays our Bigs, and going for 23 points, 13 rebounds and fouling out Mason Plumlee with 5:20 to go. Fortunately, Nolan was 8 for 8 at the foul line and Singler had his best game of the season with 25 points & 10 rebounds. After all the poor shooting and sloppy play, Nolan and Kyle executed a perfect exhibition of a high pick and roll as the shot clock expired to help protect the lead. Singler set the pick, slid left, took the pass from a driving Smith, and drained the three. However, the key to the season is how Coach K and his staff mentally and physically coach up the supporting cast to fill in the missing blanks. I suspect that on any given night, it will be a different combination of players. Unless they are in foul trouble, you know Smith and Singler will each play 40 minutes, score 40 or 50 points, and play great defense. So there are 120 minutes to divide up among the others, who are like a box of chocolates– you never know exactly what you’re going to get from these younger players. Coach K says that he wants his top seven players all to feel like starters. After tonight, make that eight.

A win is a win but a note of caution: Duke only won by seven points. As tough and gritty as they played tonight, other than Williams, the Terps are not a very good shooting team—39% from the floor, 53% from the line, & 21% of threes are not atypical numbers for this team. These numbers will not win most games.

Coach K on calling the quick timeout after halftime and substitution patterns:
“We couldn’t score. I thought whatever we told them at halftime was not working. In fact I was sure it wasn’t working. We gave up seven points in a minute and two seconds and we shot two air balls I think and we didn’t run what we were supposed to run. In this league you can get knocked back because you play good people. We got knocked back and I thought at halftime we could collect ourselves a little bit but we didn’t. Then we did at the timeout, got a little bit more emotion and then we started to score. Our defense picked up immensely after that first timeout and then our offense kind of caught up to it.”

“I don’t go into a game expecting anybody to play a certain amount of minutes except Nolan and Kyle, I expect them to play most of the game. Really I am more instinctive about subbing and reactionary to how a kid is playing or what they are doing against us and things like that. You know at that moment I just felt that we needed a spark and Tyler Thornton was ready to provide that spark.”

Alan adds:

There was a huge TV snafu; and I couldn’t find the game on the tube until the second half. [it was on a “sports extra” channel]. Duke was down 38-32. I doubt that Duke would have won if we hadn’t found the game and watched the rest.

Tyler Thornton and Seth immediately pulled Duke out of the hole with energy and a couple of shots. Duke never got clearance, but Maryland never put Duke in real jeopardy – i.e. like Ohio St and Kansas were yesterday — after that (but no comfort for Duke either). Duke plays the end game as well as any team.

Big guys continue to plague Duke. Jordan Williams was a beast (not unlike Reggie Johnson) that Duke had real trouble handling. Mason fouled out. Ryan did not play very much in the second half. I see he was 0-4 from behind the arc. Duke went smaller in the second half and got good play from the three supporting guards (the aforementioned Tyler and Seth + Dawkins). Dawkins hit a big shot in the second half. This was Kyle’s game. As much as he has been slightly overshadowed by Nolan in the last few games, he really showed why this team needs him (and he delivers). I note that he is better than Harrison Barnes (as in way better that Singler came back than if Barnes had enrolled at Duke instead of down the highway). Kyle and Nolan played 40 minutes. Nolan had a tough time offensively, but played like the player he is in the last few minutes. His drive from the left side with the shot clock running down was the 1 in the 1-2 punch (Kyle’s 3 at the end was the haymaker).

With 5 road games in the next 7, we will see if Duke continues this improbable run. The road in the ACC is difficult even in a down year. It will tell a lot.

DUKE – FLORIDA STATE

Playing Florida State in Tallahassee has recently been difficult for Duke. They have lost there three times in ten years as the number one ranked team in the country. Tonight, the Seminoles, who usually play very tough defense, also played very good offense as they pressed on the perimeter and dared Duke to beat them inside. Smith and Singler had just 39 (on their low range) of 61 points but, more significantly, no one else broke into double digits. That kind of production will not beat many teams.

Live by the three, die by the three. The numbers tell the story: Duke shot 31% with 35 of 61 shots being threes. Florida State shot 46% with 13 of 54 being threes. Even with these numbers, Duke was in a position to win the game but the Seminoles, not Duke, finished the game off. Florida State played a very smart, intense game and certainly deserved to win. Singleton and Kitchens were the offensive lynchpins as they outscored Nolan and Kyle and the entire Florida State team outmuscled and out played Duke on both ends. Duke’s late run demonstrated how much difference hitting the three point shot can make—or not.

Gary Williams had the right game plan to attack Duke offensively and defensively but did not have all the players and the venue to pull off a win. So, it’s no secret what Duke will face from here on out. Deny the three, keep Nolan out of the paint, get back on defense, and attack the lane on offense. Now it is up to the three Big’s to man up and Andre, Seth, or Ryan to provide consistent double digit scoring to take the pressure off Nolan and Kyle. Otherwise, there will be more nights like tonight.

This game had some similarities to the Georgetown game last year in that the loss was a wakeup call and motivational lynchpin to the championship drive to the conference and national titles. However, that was a more mature, experienced team where everyone knew their roll and could execute under pressure.

Alan adds:

Here was a game that went badly from the opening tip. There isn’t much good to say about Duke’s performance other than there was no quit and both Kyle and Nolan were semi-heroic (the semi derives from their collective shooting percentage). The rest of the team was in collapse. K’s rotation selection was an interesting response to the absence of any offense close to the basket. There was a clear main five, and a supporting bench that was almost non-existent. Kelly played 15 minutes. The rest of the bench totaled 14 minutes [Miles played 6 minutes; Hairston 5 and Thornton 3]. Dawkins and Seth shot a combined 2-17 and Mason, who fouled out after playing 32 minutes, took only 3 shots to go with his 14 rebounds. It was a disappointing offensive effort. Fla. St defense is good and deserves credit, but Duke’s offense was stagnant, without penetration, and with pretty awful shot selection. Duke hoisted up 35 3 pointers (making 11: 33 points on 35 shots), many of them forced under defensive pressure. It is so obvious to say that Duke missed Irving’s unstoppable (in 8 games anyway) penetration.

Duke has to fix its interior somehow. Whether it is Mason regaining his offense and playing with the smaller team (Dawkins and Curry are unlikely to have similar bad shooting games on the same night), which I think (and have said) is Duke’s best team, or having either Miles or Kelly (or both) step up and become reasonable offensive forces, this is (as I have also previously written) the key to the season Duke will have. This game was a wind of reality, but doesn’t diminish the potential for the season.

DUKE – VIRGINIA

Duke started the game playing at the same inefficient level than they did against Florida State, except that the opposition today looked like they never found the weight room. You had to wonder who were these imposters wearing Duke jerseys as they only scored 25 points on 35% shooting(1-12 threes) in the first half and trailed by 6. Then, the Blue Devils, down by nine with fifteen minutes to go, went on a 16-2 run and scored 51 points in the second half (4-8 threes) to win by 16. How can this can this disparity be explained?

Virginia’s the seven foot center Assane Sene went to the bench with his fourth foul just three minutes into the second half. Coach K went to a smaller lineup by moving Singler to the four position and inserting Curry to go with Smith, Dawkins, and Mason Plumlee at center. Duke’s defensive intensity amped which created open court opportunities that led to a momentum shift.

Andre Dawkins finally tapped into his ability to be a crucial, big time playmaker both offensively and defensively—yes, you heard right, defensively! Once Andre drained two successive threes, stole the ball and fed Nolan for a jam, the team began to play like a contender rather than a pretender.

Mason started and had another good defensive game with 16 rebounds. Curry and Kelly also contributed at both ends. Coach K had Thornton and Curry play some point guard, allowing Smith to operate from the wing where he is more comfortable. However, Nolan appears to be seeing the floor better as he had several very nice assists. On offense the ball went into the post more often, which, while not producing a lot of inside points, achieved better spacing and more challenges for the defenders. But make no mistake, long periods of inept offense are not the trademark of a Final Four team. Duke cannot afford to play like they did at Florida State and the first half against Virginia and be a contender—or beat State at State on Wednesday.

It is obvious is that Tony Bennett is a terrific young coach, who is just needs a few more quality players.

Kyrie was an animated presence on the bench as usual. For whatever it means, his crutches have been replaced by a walking cast with his toes exposed so, I am told, that he can exercise them. Coach K has told the team not to plan on him returning. However, there has been no definitive statement and, apparently, as long as there is no surgery, there remains a possibility of his returning. Even if he does return, it would take some time for him to regain his early season form.

Alan adds:

Very right on. Interesting questions: 1) What is the Miles story? Tyler Thornton logs 2 and ½ times as many minutes as Miles (4 for Miles and 9 for Thornton). Is he hurt? Is it the turnovers? (2 boards and 2 turnovers in 4 minutes). Few have fallen from so high so far so fast. [Note: he may have a touch of the flu] Dawkins was indeed the catalyst on the positive side and Sene’s 4th foul was an equally important catalyst. And let’s not forget Nolan’s quite amazing scoring burst as well as Kyle’s solid all-around game (even though he only took 9 shots (1-6 from 3) and scored only 13.

While Mason had a good rebounding game (16 may be better than good), he is missing badly from point blank range. He simply does not go up strong. Also all the Duke postmen catch the ball and come out rather than be than force inside.

It was a good bounce back and got some of the bad taste of those 3 uncharacteristic halves out of Duke’s mouth. But you can see how on the brink this season is going to be.

DUKE – NORTH CAROLINA STATE

What a difference a year makes! What a difference a week makes! Last year State led by Tracy Smith overpowered the Blue Devils inside to win at home 88-74. A week ago Florida State overpowered the Blue Devils at home 66-61. Tonight the brothers Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, and others did not let Duke get overpowered or out played inside or out. Duke had both their “A” defensive(+10 rebs; +4 blks) and “A” offense (51% shooting) in gear for about thirty-three of the forty minutes. Uncharacteristically, the beginning of the second half was the only extended let down as a fourteen point lead shrunk to six.

During the course of most games, an opponent, depending how talented they are, will make a run or two or three. The key is how a team responds to that challenge. An undermanned UVA, for instance, folded when Duke finally made their run Saturday. Tonight, Duke responded to every run by tough interior defense (37%) and timely offense (92 pts). The most encouraging development was that every player contributed—even Tyler Thornton (5 pts; 2 charges; and tough defense). The little guy has no fear—as Coach K is obviously trying to give the underclassmen the playing time to develop confidence and play to their potential. No one demonstrated more improvement than Miles Plumlee, who put up Zoubek type numbers (11pts; 8 rebs in 21 minutes), and who got a well-deserved bear hug from Coach K as he came off the floor at the end of the game. Mason was again a tower of strength rebounding (10) and blocking shots (6) to go with 7 points.

Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler are so consistently dependable and good, it is easy to take them for granted. Again playing nearly the entire game, who stemmed all State’s runs with drives or long three’s in the final seven minutes? “Spiderman” (how does he make all those stretching, twisting drives?) Smith attacking and Singler popping. Jay Bilas, who is the most incisive college basketball analyst this side of Bobby Knight, defined Nolan accurately as not a pure point guard but as an “attack” guard. This was the best team effort of the year. When they play like this with everyone contributing, Duke is capable of beating any college team.

As Coach K said: “Those seven guys outside of Nolan and Kyle, they just need experience,” Krzyzewski said. “They need to do things like they did tonight and they need to do it a few more times so they say, ‘That’s what I do. It’s not what I did on Jan. 19 against State. That’s what I do.’ That’s how roles are developed for us.”

Alan adds:

First and foremost, it was just a fun game to watch. NC State appeared to be a very talented team with a genuine inside game and the best rebounding margin in the conference. It does not take insight to say that Duke’s big guys had (collectively) their best game of the year and it made the difference. One could say something nice about each of Duke’s 9 roster players. The Plumlees, of course, get star billing – especially Miles (for whom this game was like Redemption). There were a few defensive lapses, especially in the early and middle of the second half when State went to its huge lineup (Howell, Leslie and Smith in the front line and Wood and Harrow being very effective scoring in the backcourt). But, when it mattered, Duke ratcheted up the defensive intensity again, and made the winning runs.

Nolan continues to be brilliant. Coach K continues to be brilliant in his development of this team. Kelly played more than Dawkins and contributed everywhere (though Leslie beat him badly on one drive – you could hear Rafferty intoning in his head “lingerie on the floor”. Both he and Miles had 11 points and exuded something that has been missing from the bigs – confidence! Everyone also showed that there is much room for improvement. Seth got scorched and torched defensively, fouling out in 16 minutes with one turnover and no assists (but 8 points in those 16 minutes on 2-4 shooting, including 1-2 from 3 and 3-3 from the line when he was fouled on his missed 3 pointer; not bad). Thornton really contributed, but still fouled out in 11 minutes and did create fouls at a time when fouling wasn’t smart. Both Plumlees had rebounds in their hands that they lost and are not finishing from point blank range (especially Mason). Kelly, too, sometimes doesn’t hold onto balls that he seems to have the best shot at corralling. Sometime their defensive rotations exposed the weak side to offensive rebounding. Even though Duke won the battle of the boards, State impressed with its inside play. Hairston contributed on offense, but still doesn’t have a clue defensively and isn’t strong enough yet to hold his own on the boards. Dawkins was wonderful (especially in the first half) but seemed to sink into a funk after his (not smart) foul on Woods’s 3 point attempt (he made all 3 foul shots). Of course, Nolan was astounding in the open court, even as he had a bit of trouble from the perimeter. Kyle is so reliable even after a desultory first half. They are such a pleasure to watch (and watch play together).

All in all, a very satisfying win and even more important and encouraging building block.

DUKE – WAKE FOREST

When Duke plays an ACC team at home after they have been blown out on the road, it is often a dangerous situation. While Wake Forest is at the bottom of the standing, they are a young team with talent that has not meshed or adjusted to the talent and intensity of college basketball. Nevertheless, they played Duke even for about ten minutes, five of which I missed because I do not have a Time-Warner cable password to access espn3.com. Spiderman Smith, who may have lingering effects from physical contact in the State game Wednesday, was not shooting well and as a result the Duke offense was struggling.

Coach K apparently has decided that in order to cover the weaknesses of this team without Kyrie Irving to mix and match complementary players on the floor with Smith and Singler. Today the starters were struggling, so he substituted Miles Plumlee and Tyler Thornton. Tyler has proven that he is a smallish (for basketball) but relentless defensive player whose on the ball pressure takes teams out of their offensive comfort zone and is not afraid to hassle big men or take charges. He also is a solid point guard who gives Nolan a rest from ball handling duties. From the point of this substitution, the Blue Devils defense was more effective and they started to take charge of the game and the crowd out of it. And, for the second game in a row, Miles played with confidence and intelligence to go with his athleticism and strength—and he can shot free throws.

The most important development is that Ryan Kelly is growing up right before our eyes to be the solid third starter. Among other things Ryan, presents real matchup problems and has earned his playing time by understanding how to play Duke Basketball and doing all the little things that do not necessarily show up on the stat sheet. For instance, today Singler got a rebound on the left baseline and Ryan screened two Deacons in the paint so Singler had an easy, uncontested, driving layup. Now that he bulked up over the summer, the only thing Ryan has lacked is confidence in his shot, which was supposed to be his strong suite. Well, he has been working overtime on that after practice and today his line was 20 points on 6 shots from the floor (6-6; 4-4 from 3; 4-4 from the line), 6 rebounds, 2 steals, no personal fouls, and no turnovers in 31 minutes. Play like this is another piece of the puzzle.

Speaking of puzzling, just when you think Andre Dawkins is maturing, he just sort of disappears during some games. And when that happens so do his minutes. Today he was 1-3 from the floor, 0 rebounds and 2 turnovers in 13 ineffective minutes as Thornton played 22 effective minutes. Curry is becoming a better on ball defender as demonstrated when he dove on the floor and passed it up court to Smith for a transition basket. Mason had 10 rebounds and is channeling Zoubek by passing offensive rebounds out of the paint for open three point shots rather than shooting himself.

The bottom line is that without Kyrie this is a different team with everyone (except Singler) having different roles. Uncharacteristically, Coach K is utilizing playing more players, trying to put the younger plays in a position to succeed in small increments to add to their confidence (while covering their weaknesses) and waiting to see who deserves more minutes.

Alan adds:

Jim Summers’ article on DBR makes almost all the points that I wanted to make. So, I deviate a bit. What is the Dawkins story? He only played 13 minutes and picked up two fouls and had two turnovers and made a three pointer. I missed the first few minutes of the game and when I saw him, he really had that whiney bad body language and then he didn’t play much. Sick? Another interesting time stat is that Hairston played only 3 minutes while Tyler T played 22 and looked very capable. Tyler played more than Curry (21 minutes) or Dawkins.

The game was so satisfying because Duke got really competent play from all 3 big guys. Thornton’s minutes bode well for Duke’s depth and K’s plan for Duke to be a bit different depending on the opponent. You can see the team’s role players developing. Duke needed a third scorer when Irving went down. They don’t have one consistent third scorer, but different guys are stepping up in different games. So that third scorer was Ryan yesterday with an amazing stat line. Other games it has been Dawkins or either of the Plumlees. Mason didn’t finish well yesterday but he has obviously been a rebounding machine in the ACC games.

Duke hosts BC on Thursday and then comes to my neck of the woods to play St. John’s in the World’s Most Famous Arena.

DUKE –BOSTON COLLEGE

Boston College is an undersized but dangerous team that has undergone an offense transplant by new head coach Steve Donahue. Gone is the grind-it-out inside muscle game; instead, it spreads the floor, attacks, and kicks to the open man. Playing no real post player takes Mason or Miles to the perimeter, leaving the lane open for back door cuts and one-on-one action. It is a dangerous but vulnerable approach.

The makeup of this Duke team enables Coach K to be creative in whom he puts on the floor with Smith and Singler. Tonight, he started Seth Curry in place of a struggling Andre Dawkins to better defend the perimeter. The strategy worked because Seth not only defended the perimeter well but also scored (20 pts. 5-7 threes) like his father and brother. Mason’s rebound and a patented Wes Unseld two handed seventy foot pass to Seth for an NBA three was the highlight play of the night.

Spiderman Smith (28pts, 8 assist, 1 to) fed on the Eagles lack of inside defenders. Ryan Kelly finally missed a shot but still had his usually efficient game of 14 pts, 4 rebs and 4 blks. Mason, the rebounding machine, had 14 rebounds in 23 minutes.

The key to the season is the maturation and development of the younger players—and watching that process is interesting and exciting. Second and third scoring options are there for the taking as Smith and Singler are unselfish players who welcome sharing the load. The journey gets more difficult as the Blue Devils have conference road trips coming up.

Mike Gminski, is a terrific analyst. In response to a comment about the fatigue factor of all the minutes Smith and Singler are playing, he made the cogent point that when a team is on television, the commercial timeouts dictate that the game is essentially played in four minute increments. The result is that when you combine those with the normal team allotment, Smith and Singler have time to recover without sitting out the action. Of course, Duke is in television more than CSI reruns.

Alan adds:

The game was not on in the NY area and I find ESPN.360 a pain. So I followed the score on the bottom line and got details from time to time from the ESPN website. Of course, I scoured DBR this morning. So it seems from the comments and the box score that Duke’s big guys continue to improve, which makes the team grow. One does wonder what the Dawkins story is. He’s only played 23 minutes in the last two games and has one field goal. The good news from the 3 post-Fla St games is that different guys are stepping up in scoring roles. Curry was efficient last night (20 points on 9 shots; 5-7 from 3 and 3-4 from the foul line); Kelly too and especially against NC State. Mason is rebounding well (2-6 from the foul line has to improve because he gets there so often. He can’t be in the game at the end if Duke is nursing a lead) and Miles had 4 steals in 14 minutes. All in all, good signs. Not to forget that NC State, UVa and BC are not nationally ranked teams and are not in contention for the ACC title. So, there is the potential of the progress being misleading. Four of the next 6 are on the road (St Johns, Maryland are the next two; then home against NC State and UNC (a real test); and then on the road again to face Miami and UVa. It will be interesting to see how Duke’s big guys play against Reggie Johnson and Miami, and, of course, against Zeller, Henson and Knox. Once again hats off to Coach K, who is doing some job with this team.

DUKE – ST. JOHN’S

Just when it appeared the Blue Devils had found a reliable third and possibly fourth scoring option, the team played about thirty-three minutes of their worst basketball of the year without any scorers. Smith(32) and Singler (20) final numbers are misleading because they came long after the game was decided and St. John’s had gone into their “prevent” offense. St. John’s outplayed Duke in every phase of the game. Behind 46-25 at the end of the first half, the Devils shot an pathetic 1-13 threes and 29% from the floor.

Previously, when the Blue Devils were not shooting well, their defense kept the game close until the offense returned from vacation. Not today. Long rebounds from missed threes turned into open court baskets for St. John’s and the half-court defense was shredded by the quicker Red Storm.

A loss is a loss and this one was a wake-up call much like the Georgetown game was last year. You can count on teams attacking Duke like St. John’s did. A full court press on defense, spread the floor and a patient, attacking half-court offense.

We will learn a great deal by Wednesday night’s game Against Maryland. If Duke responds to this loss with an impressive win in College Park and a few games later against UNC at home this game, like the Georgetown loss, will be seen as an anomaly. If not…….

Anything more would just be redundant, because Alan’s comments are so comprehensive.

Alan adds:

Well that wasn’t very much fun at all. I’m not sure what to say after that blitzkrieg by St John’s, who played virtually a perfect game. Duke started out defending well, but when Duke couldn’t get its offense going against the St John’s press, the defense fell apart. The offense was very ineffective against the press. Part of that is because to beat the press, you have to make the pressing team give up easy baskets as a result of the gambling pressure. Duke got the ball up court (most of the time), but took time doing it and then did no more damage to the press than to begin to run the set offense 10 seconds later than normal. Some of the bad set offense was just bad shooting. The shots were there and most were not forced, but Duke just couldn’t shoot from long range. (Kyle, Seth, Nolan and Dawkins were 4-26 and 1-13 for the first half. Nolan had a wonderful stat line at the end and was all Duke had in the second half, but he had his four turnovers all in the first 10 minutes when the game got away from Duke. Duke had only 9 assists against 17 turnovers! Wow!

It did feel as if Duke wasn’t at all ready to be challenged in this non-conference game. The Duke focus seemed as if it was on Maryland. Now it surely will be.

It was a year to the day after Georgetown beat Duke like a drum in D.C. This certainly brought back memories of that collapse. The rest of that season turned out pretty good.

Some more thoughts. First, Duke really was complacent and not ready to play. I know how they felt. I just didn’t take this game seriously. Second, Duke’s complacency was less deserved than met the eye. After the Fla State game, Duke had four wins where one of the role players (sometimes two) had games that made Duke fans feel good. I’ve alluded to this before. The four wins were against really inferior teams and Duke was not that dominant throughout the games, except maybe BC, which I did not see. Duke beat UVa, NC State, Wake and BC. You can’t name the starting point guard for any of those four teams. Each one is a bottom team (except BC, which was picked pre-season at the bottom and which seems to have descended in recent games to its predicted level. I also point out that the Duke “killer schedule” (played with Kyrie) early in the year has not panned out to be a killer schedule in retrospect: Michigan State (has been hammered and has the look of Team Dissension from the outside), Marquette (a little better than St John’s but not much and maybe not at all), Kansas State (makes the Mich St season look successful by contrast), Oregon and Butler (playing better now that the competition has receded, but handled early by mediocre teams) all look inferior to what they appeared pre-season. So, there is a real possibility that the early season success has been accomplished by K’s genius and the undeniable talent of Smith and Singler, and that the team really is overrated. There is very little chance to prove otherwise in this down ACC year. Duke’s games are all low reward, but high risk. Beating Maryland or NC State won’t be considered a big accomplishment by those who vote in the polls, but a loss (real possibility as the St John’s game makes clear) will be critical to how Duke is perceived on the National scene.

UNC looks as if it has emerged as a power. UNC just cremated NC State and looked dominant (far more dominant than Duke; though to be fair, Duke played State in Raleigh while UNC was home) in doing it. So, if Duke can squeeze out two games (at Maryland and home against State), the UNC game will be quite large.

Last year Duke was 4-3 in January and we were all pretty down after the Georgetown drubbing. This year Duke was 7-2 in January, but both losses were big downers and put a bit of a pin in the Duke balloon. Wednesday night will be an illuminating litmus test.

DUKE – MARYLAND

While I was out of town and did not have access to my email address book, I did see the game and did talk to Alan. His comments are both prescient and comprehensive, so I will leave it to him to cover the details and just make a few observations.

Coming off a horrible loss to unranked St. John’s, I thought this game at College Park, with their crowd’s obstreperous hatred for Duke, might be the most important test of the of the season. Lose it and the possibility of an ACC Championship and number one seeding in the NCAA Tournament is severely diminished. Win it, and the possibility to beat Carolina at home and run the table on the rest of the regular season is a distinct possibility. The key is how the younger players respond to such a crushing loss on national television. We know that historically Coach K’s teams rarely lose two games in a row and he has a long memory of tough losses like the one last year at College Park–and Gary Williams teams have long dry periods between wins against Duke. On the other hand, Gary Williams gets the most out of his players.

St. John’s shredded Duke defense to get into the lane for easy baskets. Maryland is a similar type of team but with a dominant center, so Coach started Tyler Thornton for two reasons: he is the best on- the- ball defender and very proficient at running the point. This keeps Nolan Smith fresher for the end of the game when he is so effective at spreading the floor and protecting a lead and it also allows him to operate from the wing where he has more angles from which to attack the basket. Then, shockingly, he ran the first few plays for the offensively challenged Mason Plumlee to attack Jordan Williams to let him know that he would have to play both ends of the floor. It also had the effect of energizing Mason to have perhaps his best game at Duke. And, just as importantly, Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry also responded with terrific games because Ryan Kelly was in foul trouble and only played six minutes and because both Nolan and Kyle also were flagged with multiple fouls early.

Coach K also devised a clever ploy for Kyle to stack down low with the center and forward, sort of like three wide receivers stacked to one side of the line of scrimmage so he could pick off his man on a curl into the paint for a fall away jump shot. It worked like a charm as Singler hit a few and was on all night. Then, with five minutes to go Smith took over and did his Spiderman impression, driving the lane and scoring or getting fouled. The bottom line is that this Blue Devil team that was humiliated Sunday on the road on national television played their third game in a row on the road against a tough, relentless team with three straight wins with twenty thousand frenzied student waiting for an excuse to burn down College Park and they more than met the challenge as Singler and Smith played like All Americans and the younger players played like veterans. Now comes the do-it–every- game part.

Alan pre game comments:

Good Morning, Bill (possibly worth including, depending on what happens tonight)

I went back into your fabulous tract on last year’s team to see how Duke fared after the Georgetown debacle last year. It reminded me that Duke wasn’t playing that well. They were 4-3 in January, culminating in the Georgetown blow-out, but they had been blown out by lowly NC State just a couple of games before that and were struggling even in the wins. Things did not turn around right after Georgetown. Duke eked out some tough wins before the season turned when Duke played Maryland at College Park (Lance returned even though it appeared that an injury in the previous game might have been season ending; and Zoubek emerged with the first of game of what became a tremendous season – 16 points and 17 boards). That’s when the season turned into something special. My instinct is the way this season could turn special is Mason has that transformation. You can see all the pieces are there. He’s got the right attitude and is trying. He’s just a micro-click away from morphing into a consistent force as Zoubek did last year. Tonight will be a great test because of the skill and talent of Jordan Williams. Lightening may not strike twice, but then again it might.

After game comments:

Mason made me proud and a prophet. It is time for him to be consistent now. K called it his best game at Duke. He had a double double – 12 points (6-7 from the field) and 11 boards; a big negative is 0-3 from the line. Foul him on a layup attempt and it is (so far) like creating a Duke turnover. It’s time for this to be the kind of game that Duke counts on him having. He’s got the potential to morph into this year’s Zoubek.

There were many excellent aspects to the game: 1) Duke pulled to a big lead with Nolan and Kyle on the bench with foul trouble; 2) Duke’s last 17 points of the first half were scored by players other than the two All-Americans; 3) Both All-Americans played like All-Americans when it really counted. Nolan was astounding in the last 5 minutes (the only negative was his 2-7 from 3land). Kyle made all the plays (including taking down some key defensive rebounds at the end); 4) Tyler Thornton joined the rotation, which shored up the defense that was so shaky against St. John’s. He did get pressured (4 of Duke’s only 8 turnovers in 28 minutes), but the team looked confident with him running the point. He has terrific upside. So maybe Duke does have a freshman point guard; 5) the re-emergence of Curry and Dawkins. K sent them a message by starting Tyler and having Tyler play more minutes than either of them. Dawkins had 11 points in 20 minutes and Curry 8 in 23. Curry played intense and came up with one huge rebound in traffic; 6) Miles made a left hand hook shot. He gave 22 good minutes even though not dazzling in the stat sheet (3 points; 5 boards – 3 offense – an assist and a turnover; and 7) The Mason offensive breakout.

Here’s an interesting stat that may have hidden meaning: Duke had 0 blocked shots last night. My take is that the shot blocking mania for Mason & co has Duke’s bigs leaving their feet too soon, resulting in openings for good interior passing and easy opponent layups (against St. John’s for sure). That did not happen last night, and I infer that might be one of K’s post St. John’s defensive adjustments.

NC State has all the makings of yet another “trap” game. They looked terrible against Va. Tech last night and against UNC over the weekend. Tracy Smith is an effective inside presence – very athletic scorer around the basket even if a bit undersized. They have the talent to be a better team. Duke is back home and gearing up for its biggest game of the year (so far) – UNC in Cameron next Wednesday. It will be easy for Duke to look past NC State (though maybe not so easy after being ambushed in the Garden).

What could be more enticing than two home games against NC State and UNC (bring back Everett Case, Jimmy Valvano, Frank McGuire and Dean). Bring back the Big Four Xmas tournament. It is amazing how much more interesting Duke Basketball is this morning than last Monday.

DUKE – NORTH CAROLINA STATE

Any concern that this might be a “trap” game for the Blue Devils as they look forward to the Carolina game quickly dissipated as they played the first half with great energy and intensity. The efficiency of the

on-the-ball pressure and off-the-ball overplays created turnovers, steals, and general offensive ineffectiveness by N.C. State, a team in which the whole is less than the sum of the parts. One of the keys was Kyle Singler’s limiting Scott Wood, a lethal three point shooter, to a bagel in 36 minutes. Another was the play of Mason Plumlee, who has added stronger offensive moves to the basket (if not a free throw touch) to his defensive repertoire.

Coach K on Mason Plumlee’s performance: “Mason has led with his strengths during this last month, being a rebounder and a runner and a shot-blocker. He’s helped us tremendously with that. We just felt that, along the way if you keep playing to your strengths, your scoring will come. That hasn’t been a strength for him, but it’ll come just like his free throw shooting will come at some time. Hopefully sooner than later, but the fact is he’s getting to the line. It’s just a process, but when you’re going through that process, [he can’t] forget about [his] strengths because he’s been one of the really outstanding rebounders in the country and he’s doing a heckuva job.”

Seth Curry also appears to be more comfortable playing at this level now that he has become a more effective defensive player to go along with his sweet stroke.

I went to dinner after the 53 point first half confident that unless someone was injured, Duke had put the St. John’s game behind them. When I returned home and saw that Duke had only scored 23 points in the second half, I thought it was a misprint. Watching my recording of the second half reminded me how much basketball is a game of a fraction of an inch as shots that went through the basket in the first half, rolled around and out in the second. That of course does not explain shooting about the same percentage from the free throw line (53%) as from beyond the three point arc (50%). But that was an anomaly as Duke, even with Mason shooting 43%, is shooting in the mid 70’s for the season.

Since the unfortunate injury to Kyrie Irving, Coach K has retooled the team very nicely as Smith and Singler have stepped into the breach and the younger players have matured into their roles. With the inexplicable and selfish departure of Drew II, look for Nolan Smith against Marshall and McDonald to be the key to a Wednesday night victory against Carolina.

Coach K onKyrie Irving’s injury:
“The main thing that we’re optimistic about is that there’s more healing. You can only get so much healing in a cast. Now for the next couple weeks, he goes through therapy. He’ll have a CAT scan and an MRI in a couple weeks to see if that therapy has helped with the healing also, [and] it should. We still fell he’s not going to play and we have to go forward with that. He’s a long way from playing. Just because you’re out of a cast, you have to be 100 percent before you come back and he’s a ways from that. It’s progressing well for his career. It’s being done the right way and he’s got to be honest with us about how he’s doing.”

Alan adds:

Duke scored enough in the first half to win the game. Duke scored 53; NC State scored 52 for the game. Even though Duke only scored 23 points in a horrible shooting second half (19%), State never got closer than 21. It was some first half explosion. Only Ryan (1 board; 1 assist; 1 block 1 foul and 1 turnover) and Hairston (5 points, 2 fouls and a turnover) were not really integral to it and their respective stat lines were not bad for playing only 12 and 10 minutes respectively. Curry had 13 points in 23 minutes and played well on defense. One of his best games, I thought (3-5 from behind the arc). Dawkins and Thornton were solid in 26 minutes and 23 minutes respectively even though they each made only one hoop (Dawkins’ was a three pointer in the first half that started Duke’s separation from State). Miles played 18 minutes with only a field goal (on 4 shots) and 1-2 from the line, but had 6 boards (4 offensive). Duke’s offensive rebounding was stellar – they got 19 of the 45 caroms off the NC State backboard.

Duke had a trio of stars in the two All-Americans and Mason. Mason had a monster game with 7-8 from the floor for 16 points (yes, 2-7 from the foul line; ouch!), 12 boards (4 offensive), 3 blocks, 2 steals and no turnovers. Not a bad stat line. Nolan had an amazing first half, and even his futile shooting (from outside and finishing) couldn’t detract from how impressive his stat line is. However, take out his 2-2 from 3 and his 6-6 from the foul line and he was just 4 for 13 from the floor. Still, 20 points, 7 assists, 6 boards, a block and 2 steals against one turnover. A second amazing stat line. Kyle was his steady self-playing amazingly good defense and getting 9 boards (3 offense), but was slowed by foul trouble and uncharacteristic inaccurate shooting (5-13; 1-2 from 3; 3-6 from the foul line to go with an assist, a block, a steal and a turnover.

All in all, it was an excellent tune-up to face the resurgent Tar Heels. They play Fla. State today; we’ll see if Drew’s shocking departure harms them or is addition by subtraction. After today, all ACC teams will have played 9 games except Wake and Carolina (8). I think Carolina will have a difficult game today, but I hope they win to set up what could be a classic Duke-UNC game and a viable rivalry for this season.

K is trying to keep all of us from fantasizing about Kyrie returning and being Kyrie in time for the tournament(s). But…

DUKE – NORTH CAROLINA

In one of the most improbable and memorable turnarounds in college basketball’s best rivalry, Carolina won the first half by 14 points but Duke won the second half by 20 to win the game by 6. It was almost as if the teams switched uniforms at half time.

How could there be such a role reversal?

In the first twenty minutes, the Tar Heels, led by Tyler Zeller and John Henson, totally dominated Duke on the boards, in the paint, and in the open court. Against Carolina, if you impatiently jack up threes that miss, there is often a long rebound that plays right in the strength of Coach William’s patented primary and secondary fast break– and Kendall Marshall orchestrated it to perfection as Carolina just about ran the Blue Devils out of the Cameron. The defense was so ineffective that Coach K went to a zone late in the half. Duke was lucky to not be down by twenty some points as they took three offensive charges on fast breaks that negated six points.

I don’t know what Coach K said at halftime but it sure worked wonders. Contrary to rumors that there is no paint left on the walls of the locker room, Coach said that he merely told the team to calm down and play their game in four minute segments. Whatever the truth (a legend has many authors), the result was that Duke played with a lot more intensity and energy on defense and more patience and precision offense.

Such a dominant comeback was a total team effort but someone other than Smith had to put the ball in the basket. The lynchpin was Seth Curry, who was all over the floor and gave Smith’s right arm and legs a rest by getting hot and personally shooting the Blue Devils back into the game. Then Smith, in another All-American performance, took over as he scored 22 of his 34 points in the second half. The other crucial factor was that the Cameron Crazies, Duke’s invaluable sixth man, never gave up in their vocal and foot stomping support of their team—probably causing Carolina a couple of turnovers and traveling violations. While Kyle Singler, who continues to get little respect from the refs, had only 10 points (8 rebounds, & 2 assists) but held Harrison Barnes to 9 points and hit three free throws to help seal the deal. Kyle, a high school quarterback, was also the lynchpin for an crucial inbounds play in the last seventeen seconds. Carolina had caused one pressing/trapping turnover and scored to cut their deficit to four points, then made Duke call a time out when they couldn’t inbound the ball. After the time out, Nolan faked coming to the ball, broke long and Kyle hit him in stride with a perfect sixty foot pass for a dunk–game, set, match!

Savor this win because Carolina is a talented, much improved team and Duke will probably play them two more times. I don’t know what Coach Larry Drew I had on Coach Williams but Drew II is not nearly as talented a point guard as Kendall Marshall, who reminds me of a young Jason Kidd at Cal (fundamentally sound, great passer, mediocre shooter). Drew II, as he modestly referred to himself, did Coach Smith and the Carolina team a huge favor by taking his game and ego back to LA. If, as rumored, he had left after last year, this team would be even further along.

Similarly, Tyler Thornton’s injury gave Seth Curry an opportunity to star. As I noted when Kyrie was injured, Seth could be the player to spell Nolan Smith at the point (he had 5 assists to go with his 22 points). That’s not a knock on Tyler Thornton but I think that he is role player not a starter. Seth has an instinct to be at the right place at the right time and, now that his defense and confidence have improved, he just brings a lot to the floor. His comments after the game are interesting: “It was more than what I thought it would be. The atmosphere was crazy, just seeing all the people come back for Duke-Carolina that in previous games I watched them play. I was looking around before the game, and I thinking that this is what I dreamed about growing up. So just coming out, playing well, and getting that win just adds to that classic rivalry.”

On a lighter note: a recently departed North Carolina basketball coach was quoted as telling his players Duke had ugly cheerleaders. That is debatable as some of his other judgments but I don’t think it is debatable that Duke has really attractive mothers and Seth Curry’s mom is right there with Josh McRobert’s, Jon Scheyer’s, and Kyle Singler’s as ladies who could pass for co-eds—and the camera loves them.

Alan adds:

Well, our conversation after the second half was just a tad more upbeat than that at half-time. I am in Norfolk for court tomorrow. I went to the gym to ride the exercise bike while I watched the desultory performance. As I told you, Duke in the first half reminded me of the Jim Carroll story from “The Basketball Diaries”. The high schoolers always went to Central Park before the game to score drugs — uppers (for before the game) and downers (for after the game). They mixed them up before one game and were down 20 in the first five minutes. Duke looked like that. Beaten to every loose ball and rebound, humiliated by the UNC bigs, stuffed inside whether on drives or post-ups. Barnes looked superior to Singler (unthinkable). So, I left the gym and went to the bar (I know Dean Cox would have approved).

It was a good move. A great sports bar by the hotel (Black and Tans to go with a good steak sandwich). The sauce was Nolan’s amazing second half. But wait. We need to look at Seth Curry’s contribution as he played Robin (as you like to analogize) to Nolan’s Batman. Seth played 35 minutes (K does go with who is playing well) and scored 22 points on 12 shots (6-7 inside the arc); 4-5 from the line; 5 assists; 6 rebounds (4 offensive) and a steal. He and Nolan had 54 points between them. Nolan was simply awesome. Kyle shot so poorly you wondered (3-17). The final, and in truth, probably the most important aspect of the Duke second half was their defense. Carolina was held to 30 points in the second half while Duke scored 50. Quite amazing.

I think this was as good a comeback as I can remember. It was thrilling and fun. I believe this will be a serious jump in how this team thinks of itself. It could be a season changer. We will see. For one night the second half had us all giddy.

DUKE – MIAMI

Coming off a thrilling victory against North Carolina, this was a challenging game for Duke—as UNC’s two point win at Clemson demonstrated. In addition to being a never easy road game, Nolan Smith committed two early fouls and received a poke in the eye that sent him to the locker room for treatment. Visions of a Jon Scheyer type eye injury flashed through my mind. However, Seth, Mason, Miles, Ryan, and Tyler filled the breach with a variety of impressive contributions and Nolan returned to score to score 16 second half points.

Seth had 16 points, 5 steals and 4 rebounds; Mason had 12 points, 5 rebounds, & 3 pretty assists; Miles played a strong, physical defense against 6’ 10” 300 lb. Reggie Johnson; Ryan, playing on a recently sprained ankle was an efficient and timely 4-5 from the floor; and Tyler hit 6 straight free throws in the last minute. The only mystery was Andre Dawkins, who continues his inexplicable disappearing act. Fortunately, Seth Curry, a physically less gifted player (but, as most of us know a good work ethic and high basketball IQ trumps athleticism) is maturing right before our eyes into a very complete playmaker in all aspects of the game (a team high 35 steals) as well as a third reliable, lethal shooter who now is able create his own shot from anywhere on the floor. Kyle Singler appears to be assuming the Shane Battier role of doing whatever is needed to balance the team and produce a victory. Against Miami, it was 14 points, defense, rebounding, and committing no turnovers while inbounding the ball against the Hurricane’s press.

Tonight, the most impressive development was that the points and assists came from anyone and anywhere. Holy Wilt the Stilt, Mason even hit two free throws—in a row! The bottom line is that, after the loss of Kyrie Irving, this team is retooling and developing into more than just a two trick pony.

Mike Gminski, the anti-Dick Vitale, was one of the announcers. He reminds me of Ray Scott, the announcer for the Green Bay Packers during the Lombardi era—a Detective Joe Friday “Just the facts, Ma’am” type. He adds calm, informative, knowledgeable commentary at the appropriate time and allows the action on the floor speak for itself, which is a welcome relief to a traditionalist like me.

Alan adds:

What a joy to watch! My adrenalin never ran. Even when Duke was behind in the early going, I felt confident. Duke played well; Miami just shot amazingly well and Duke needed to tighten up the defense. I enjoyed watching this excellent performance. The defense against Reggie Johnson was very effective, even though his numbers were not paltry. In Durham, he was a man among boys and only foul trouble, which limited him to 22 minutes, kept him from dismantling Duke’s interior. Last night, he was handled by Duke’s bigs effectively. Not perfectly; but Miles (especially), Mason, and the exquisitely inventive double teams — sometimes Mason; sometimes Curry – kept Johnson from impacting the game more than slightly. The big guys all exuded confidence with the ball and are improving visibly. I am gaining confidence that our big guys can compete at a high level. I believe the second half against UNC may have been a turning point for them. They were so embarrassed in that first half.

Kelly regained his shooting touch, which was a nice complement to the zone attack. He hit 3 nice shots from just below the foul line – the open spot in the Miami zone. Thornton made real contributions. You can see K respects and trusts him. He’s in at the end hitting 6-6 on crucial foul shots at crunch time. I think Thornton reminds K of K as a player (Sean Dockery a bit also). Duke’s rotation is a strong 8 (only Josh Hairston is not in it of the 9 scholarship players Duke has).

Now the fun of discussing the three stars. Yes, three. Curry’s game yesterday was as good as what Irving did in the first 8. He played 39 minutes with panache, energy, calm and clutch scoring. Four boards were impressive. 16 points on 10 shots. The defense and 5 steals were impressive. Truthfully, his performance was Irvingesq yesterday. I agree with Bill that Singler is morphing into Shane. That is as high a compliment as can be given (After all, Shane was Player of the Year and MVP on a National Championship Team). He is so steady; can score when needed making difficult shots, he is a tough rebounder, reliable ball handler and great defender. Nolan’s stats are dwarfing Kyle’s, but no one should underestimate how valuable Kyle is to this team. Nolan in the second half was…well. Nolan. He gets to the rim as well as anyone. He has just turned into a great college basketball player. He has no weakness in his game on either end of the court. He’s an amazing rebounder and collector of loose balls. He’s offensive magic and defensive perseverance.

So, it was a very good game for Duke. Here’s a sobering thought, though. The only team that Duke has beaten this year that is currently ranked in the top 25 is UNC. Those seemingly great early season (w Kyrie) wins against Marquette; Michigan St; Kansas State, Butler and Oregon turn out to be against overrated mediocre teams that are now unranked and not really contenders in their own conference (except Butler). [Yes, Alan, but some teams are more formidable at the beginning of the season and, because of injuries and a variety of other reasons, fade while others become stronger. UNC is an example of the latter.] Virginia in C’ville, Ga. Tech and Temple (ranked for now) at home before the sort of brutal last three regular season games: at Va. Tech; home against Clemson and UNC at Chapel Hill.

DUKE – VIRGINIA

The only good things to be said about this game is that, hopefully, Duke got this offensive offense play out of their system – 56 points, 18 turnovers, Singler with only 2 points, only two players in double figures, and that it is a relief to get a win on the road in this part of the season. Part of lowest point total of the year was the result of the strategy of Coach Tony Bennett’s depleted Cavaliers; part of it was sloppy execution on the part of the Blue Devils.

The good news is that Nolan Smith continued to play like an All American, Player of the Year candidate and Duke’s defense was very good and/or Virginia’s offense was very bad (they shot 29% from the floor); Ryan Kelly continued his fundamentally sound and subtle but impressively efficient play ( 5-7, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1 steal) as he consistently displays a very high basketball IQ; the Plumlees made the most impressive assists of the night: Mason on a steal and behind the back pass to Kelly for a dunk and Miles on a half court pass off a rebound to Nolan for a breakaway three point play just before the half to send Duke into the locker room up by eight.

While Seth Curry and the three big men are performing on a much higher level, it is difficult to imagine the Blue Devils running the table in the regular season much less being a Final Four team with Kyle Singler shooting like he has recently (15-47 the last four games) and Andre Dawkins appearing clueless on offense.

Alan adds:

Neither team ever thought the outcome of the game was in doubt. That about sums it up. UVa was simply awful at the offensive end. It is a whole different game if UVa simply makes its wide open shots. But they did not, and Duke’s defense did not let up much (except for those open shots; adjustments would have been made if any had actually gone in). It was an odd game to be sure. Duke looked very ragged on the offensive end. The box score reveals the oddities of the game. Minutes played always gives an insight into Coach K’s mindset. Only 3 players played less than 23 minutes: Hairston (2); Thornton (5) and Miles (13). It wasn’t that Miles was playing badly at all (6 boards in 13 minutes); it was that Ryan Kelly and Mason were playing very efficiently. Kelly was superlative. Only Nolan (36) and Curry (39) played more minutes than Ryan (33). Ryan made the most of his minutes: 5-7 for 11 points; 5 boards; 4 blocks and a steal against 1 turnover and 3 fouls. No wonder Miles was on the bench so much. Mason also had an efficient game and his athleticism is being harnessed. In 23 minutes he was 4-5 for 9 points and 9 boards; 3 assists (one had real panache) a block and a steal (3 turnovers). Duke was dominant close to the basket.

The other stat that gives insight into K’s assessment of the team is Curry’s minutes. Curry was not hot and his shot selection occasionally left something to be desired. He played almost the entire game; most minutes of any Duke player and now seems to be the point guard (sort of). He’s becoming a really good defender. He had a block and 3 steals for an efficient floor game even though his shooting was off (2-8; 1-5 from 3land).

Nolan impresses every time these days. 22 out of Duke’s 56 points. He is so athletic. Watch his rebounding. Also his quickness to loose balls and in the open court. He has become a complete player, leader, and should have his jersey in the rafters. He and Singler are wonderful to watch. I have no concern about Singler. If he was going to have an off-game, you knew it would be when Duke didn’t need him. No matter his shooting; he is such a hard-nosed defender and tough rebounder. His ball handling is a big part of Duke’s game. He is security; though last night Security’s shot was really missing. Which brings me to Duke’s enigma that has to be solved if Duke is going to have a successful post-season: Andre Dawkins. What is up with his disappearance? He played 26 minutes and took only 3 shots (all 3s; making 1). I thought he looked a step late on defense. No blocks, assists or steals. 3 boards. No turnovers either, but 3 fouls. He is not playing up to his considerable potential (He’s been a Bill favorite for 2 years) It is time for Andre to become a significant contributor.

Home for 3 of the next five, but it is a tough schedule. Temple is ranked and is sort of a trap game. Va. Tech and UNC on the road will be very difficult games for Duke. Ga. Tech on Sunday and Clemson at home in between Hokies and Heels. The season is heading toward the REAL STUFF.

DUKE – GEORGIA TCH

Duke got off to another slow start, falling behind by five against Georgia Tech. For about ten minutes, it looked as though all of the top five teams might lose this weekend. However, I felt like I had seen this movie before and know that a slow start is the M.O. of this team. We also know that Coach K stresses finishing the first half strong, starting the second half strong and, of course, finishing strong. So, I wasn’t surprised when the Blue Devils finally got in gear and pulled away by nine at the half. However, it was surprising that it happened with Nolan Smith on the bench for an extended period with two early fouls and that Mason Plumlee and Tyler Thornton were the catalysts.

Duke’s most talented teams have had the ability to dominate from start to finish. However, like last year’s team, the 2011 version is not yet a team capable of dominating for forty minutes. But, it does have its own personality, rhythm, and formula for winning games. One characteristic this team does have in common with other top Blue Devil teams is that they are mentally tough, are able to take a punch, and are in better conditioned than their opponent (think Carolina).

Duke’s pressing, overplaying defense can be broken down for easy baskets—especially early in a game when an opponent is fresh and filled with adrenalin. However, as the game progresses, the pressure usually wears an opponent down mentally and physically so that they make mistakes that lead to patented Duke offensive runs. An added feature was that tonight, Coach K finally had enough of the referees letting Tech play rugby style defense on Smith and Singler while calling eight touch fouls in eight minutes on the Blue Devils. On the ninth, Thornton, who was his usual annoying self in defending Shumpert, was called for a foul after the Tech guard hit Tyler with a forearm and knocked him to the ground right in front of Coach K, who was then awarded a Technical Foul for his unique body of work in commenting on the calls. That apparently helped jump start the Blue Devils to begin taking charge of the game.

Other than Singler shooting better and Smith getting his usual twenty or thirty points, the continued improvement of Mason Plumlee, who almost had a double- double and whose offensive rebounding and redirection of the ball to an open Seth Curry was reminiscent of Brian Zoubek, Ryan Kelly, and Tyler Thornton, who even added some offense (6 pts) to his defense, was an encouraging development.

Home against Temple, at Virginia Tech, home against Clemson, UNC at Chapel Hill, then on to tournament time and March Madness!

Note: I have established a website: wemillerii.wordpress.com that has all the Duke Basketball Playbook postings from both last year and this year plus “Remembering Rosecroft”, an article recently published in the Horseman Magazine about my family’s involvement in harness racing and the race track they built in suburban Washington, DC.

Alan adds:

I confess that I voluntarily missed the game …in order to participate in a belated Valentine’s Day celebration. No only warranted; but I’d do it again.

I turned the game on once as Tech took a 24-23 lead. I was still confident. So, my comments are brief: Andre Dawkins and Miles played 9 minutes only each. It was a rotation of 6 (Josh had 4 and is pretty much an afterthought for the competitive remainder of the season) with Tyler getting 24 minutes. The bench contributed only 8 points (Tyler had 6 of them; Miles the other deuce). Dawkins was scoreless. The five starters all had good stat lines. The final four games should/could be difficult. Temple is a top 25 team and both Va Tech (now desperate for a tourney bid that might only come if they beat Duke) and Carolina away. Only Clemson at home looks on the surface to be less formidable – the classic trap scenario.

Watching Kelly, Mason, Seth and Tyler reach for consistency in supporting roles is our work for the next couple of weeks.

DUKE – TEMPLE

Last night I found a more enjoyable way to watch this Duke team play. I recorded the game, ate dinner at the normal time, tuned in live with five minutes to go in the half, and caught the surge and the momentum changing, buzzer beater by Curry to put Duke up by seven. Then, I went back and watched the game commercial free from the beginning without the anxiety of wondering when the Blue Devils would get in gear and take control of the game.

The second half went as scripted as Singler powered the Devils to a twelve point lead in the first few minutes and they cruised home against a well- coached but under manned Temple team. Speaking of Singler, offensively he played more like he did at Maryland by not settling for long jumpers but rather attacking his defender and the basket with strength not finesse. Duke is a lot more lethal when he, like Nolan and Mason, is aggressive, attack, and finish strong—or go to the line. Fortunately, tonight the referees remembered to bring their whistles. This approach also tends to create foul trouble for an opponent and puts Duke on the foul line. [Historically, the best Duke teams have made more free throw than their opponents attempt. That is what an aggressive offense does for a team. More about that later from Knight.]

Other than Singler having a big scoring night, this was an impressive team win against a top 25 team where everyone contributed. Once again, Tyler Thornton was the catalyst for a struggling offense in the first half; Seth Curry hit timely threes and demonstrated that he sees the whole floor with four nice assists; Mason had 12 rebounds; Ryan Kelly played his usual heady game; Nolan was quieter than usual on offense but I felt part of that was because he sensed Kyle was hot and he needed a night like this; and Andre Dawkins hit two threes, one of which, was about from the scorer’s table as the shot clock ran down. All in all, this was the kind of resilient, versatile performance you like to see from your team late in the season.

Notes: Listening Bobby Knight do the commentary on any game is a seminar on the game of basketball. Last night, he commented that the were too many unnecessary fouls and that a foul is “at least as important as a turnover”….A comforting thought is that Coach K has the choice of six players (Smith, Singler, Kelly, Curry, Dawkins, and Thornton) who shoot 80% or better from the free throw line to have on the floor at the end of a game…This summer Duke is going to play in China (where a 200 acre satellite campus is being built in Kunshan and Dubai (if it doesn’t go bye-bye and implode with the rest of the Middle Eastern tyrannical quisi-monarchies/dictatorships) as Duke Basketball does their part to expand the Duke brand worldwide.

Alan adds:

When is the last time that Duke shot well in the first half. Duke is ahead by 7, but Temple has played better. They have worked hard for really good shots and missed them. Duke has 11 field goals and Temple 10. However Duke missed more shots than Temple has taken (26-25). So Duke is 11-37. Thank God for Tyler Thornton. He’s Duke’s second leading scorer (6 points on 2 shots). Nolan is 2-8 and Kyle is 3-8. The four big guys (including Hairston) have a single bucket (Kelly, who is also 0-3 from behind the arc) for two points among the four of them. Although Temple only scored 27, they moved the ball well and, as Coach Knight has been eloquent at demonstrating, Temple really exploited the double team on the ball screen. They should have had another 10 points on lay ups (and they are 1-5 from the foul line compared to Duke 8-9). Games have two halves, but this growing Duke tradition of turnovers, sloppy defense and bad shooting in the first half does not make for confidence. More later.

The motto of the Duke season is becoming, “Thank God the game has two halves.”

Obviously, the offense awakened and looked efficient in the second half. Duke shot lights out in the second half (55% from the field; even better from 3; and perfect 8-8 from the line). Curry, Smith and Dawkins were 8-13 from behind the arc. In the second half, Duke had 11 assists (only 4 turnovers). A complete reversal from the first half. I do think Temple wore down and was not nearly as energetic on defense or on the boards as the game progressed. But they never stopped passing the ball and getting good shots out of their offense. I thought Duke’s defense really lagged in the second half. Temple scored on a bunch of consecutive possessions, but gained no ground because of Duke’s efficient second half offense. Welcome back Kyle, who still gets enormous credit for his defensive effort last night. He is some wonderful player. He is quietly becoming Battier-like in his overall ability and persona.

The big guys played better in the second half, and Tyler gave Duke a nice lift. But to pick up on Knight’s erudition about fouls (good and bad), Tyler committed 4 in 11 minutes. Duke’s bench is contracting. Together, the entire bench played only 25 minutes – that’s four players. Of the 25, Tyler got 11. Dawkins played only 7 minutes (2-2 from 3) and Hairston 3. Most puzzling is the quiet demise of Miles. His facial expression on the bench was revealing. He played only 4 horribly unproductive minutes (0-1; 2 fouls and a turnover) without scoring. Hope he bounces back because we will need his power as the tournament opponents increase in quality. Right now he looks miserable. On to Saturday night’s important game against Va. Tech.

[Bill comments: Although the starting lineup appears established, the depth of this team gives Coach K the flexibility (unlike last year) to adjust the players to the facts on the floor. Making adjustments during the heat of competition separates the great coaches from the good coaches. And these adjustments might be a partial explanation for the Blue Devils slow starts and fast finishes. The last few games, Duke’s opponents have played one center and four guards and/or small forwards. Coach matched that by mostly alternating Mason and Ryan at center. In this small man matchup, Miles the odd man out because Mason and Ryan are more flexible and are playing better. However, against bigger, more physical teams I suspect we will see more minutes for Miles as he is an antidote for physical, power players.]

DUKE – VIRGINIA TECH

Coach Seth Greenberg sold this game to his Tech team and fans as their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, which had been denied them recently. The team responded by outplaying Duke in every facet except free throw shooting and blocked shots. If you heard that star guard Malcolm Delaney only scored 11 points, would you thought that Va. Tech won? Conversely, if you heard that Duke only scored 60 points, would you thought that Duke won? Well, that is a good indication of how well the entire Hokie team played offensively (they had five players in double figures) and defensively. Switching from man-to-man to zone coverage and back again was effective in keeping Nolan Smith out of the paint as other players settled for jumpers, most of which missed ( the Blue Devils only shot 39% from the floor). A team cannot consistently win by the three alone.

Nevertheless, somehow Duke was only down 33-31 at the half and thanks mainly to Kyle Singler’s hustle plays was up by five with five minutes to play. Usually, at this stage of a game, Duke executes well and wins. However, tonight the Blue Devils didn’t because Virginia Tech made plays and they didn’t. Duke scored only five points in the final six minutes. Singler misfired on three successive open threes, Tech thwarted Smith’s drives, no one else stepped up while Bell and Delaney did. The bottom line is that Virginia Tech deserved the win and the margin would have been more if they had not missed nine free throws.

Seth Curry, whose parents were star athletes at Virginia Tech (basketball & volleyball) and who has emerged as the third essential playmaker since Kyrie was injured, had a miserable night. He only played 15 minutes because he was in foul trouble from the first few minutes and scored no points. While Andre Dawkins (2) and Tyler Thornton(1) hit threes, Ryan Kelly was 1-6 for 2 points so there was no third player in double digits as Smith and Singler scored 40 of Duke’s 60 points. Sixty points will not win many games.

The only positive aspect of this game is that no one was injured and it was not a tournament game. Next play.

Alan comments:

Context is everything sometimes. Va. Tech came off the annual bubble with what has to be their most satisfying win in a long time. Just 5 guys (they got 7 minutes and no points off their bench) who all scored in double figures and all made clutch plays when it really counted. Hats off to them! On the other hand, this was the last game that Duke could lose without considerable damage. Next up is senior night against Clemson and a game that sort of has some meaning against Carolina (now it’s for the ACC regular season championship). Duke played well at the end of the first half and for the first 9 minutes of the second half. Duke had 51 points and a 6 point lead with 11:11 to go. Kyle had made a 3 (after missing one) on an offensive rebound and kick out and pass. From there on, he took a lot of shots, but made only a lay-up and 2 free throws. In the last minutes it was only Mason (steal and dunk + a foul shot) who scored. It was so not Duke basketball in the last 4 + minutes of the game.

Once again the Duke bigs failed to deliver in tough situations. Mason had good numbers, but all 3 were out-toughed inside in the first half. Miles missed the dunk in a tie game with 4 minutes to go. I actually think that was one of the major turning points. As you pointed out, Kelly scored only a deuce and Miles not at all. Dawkins and Thornton were 3-5 from 3land. The rest of the team was 1-15. Kyle and Nolan combined for 1-10. Hopefully, this will be analogous to the Maryland game at the end of last year.

This has been a great season so far, and yet, it hangs completely in the balance. ACC regular season title (UNC game); ACC tournament; NCAA. We could look back at the end at a spectacular year, a disappointing year, or anything in between. And the wild card is….”being op(toe)mistic” [Kyrie’s tweet from 2 days ago].

DUKE – CLEMSON

On Senior Night at Cameron in a must win game for both teams, Kyle Singler (18 points. 11 rebounds and innumerable heady, hustle plays of winning plays that do not appear on the stat sheet) and Nolan Smith (21 pts. 7 assists and two emphatic late game finishes) demonstrated why they will be remembered as two of the great tandems in Duke basketball history.

Kyle was a starter and key contributor from his first game while playing out of position in the post and gradually moving to his present position on the wing. In all the four years, he never complained, he just did whatever job was needed and played every minute of every game as though it was for the NCAA Championship. When asked what position Singler played, Coach K responded: “He plays winner!”

It wasn’t always that way for Nolan. He started out as a project—a role player ticketed as a point guard. He struggled for playing time in his first year, continued to struggle (compounded by the lingering effects of a concussion at Maryland) in his second, considered transferring that summer when his mentor Johnny Dawkins left for Stanford before finally finding his confidence and his game last year in the Championship Season. This year when Kyrie went down, Nolan was forced from his comfort zone on the wing to the less comfortable point position at the top of the key. He responded by having a Player of the Year Season. It difficult to remember any player who has improved more than Nolan Smith has in his four years at Duke nor anyone who has enjoyed the his last two more. While Nolan has evolved into the flashier player and a great ankle breaking finisher, Kyle has been a constant four year leader- by-example. They came in together, won a National Championship and multiple ACC Championships together, will graduate together, and their jerseys should hang together in the rafters over Coach K Court as these two players are the personification of Duke Basketball.

However, they did not win this game alone. Had it not been for the efficient scoring (18 pts.) and defense of Seth Curry, whose presence was sorely missed in the loss to Virginia Tech, and the interior defense of Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly, and Kyle Singler, this sometimes ugly contest, aided and abetted by 20 Duke turnovers, against a tenacious Clemson team, could have been a second disappointing loss. And speaking of Mason, last night we saw glimpses of a player tapping into a deep talent pool that goes beyond mere athleticism: a jump hook, recognition of defensive breakdown for a drive and a jam, 4-5 from the line, and passing skills rarely seen in a player so big.

There were a lack of calls and inconsistent calls that make you wonder what players the refs were watching or that maybe they suffered from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Historically, All American players in the ACC have been given the benefit of the doubt—especially on offense. That has not been the case all year with Singler and was not that way tonight with both he and Smith.

Notes: In their four years, Singler and Smith, Blue Devils have an overall record of 120-21 (.851) and a 50-13 (.794) record in ACC play and 65-2 in Cameron. Duke has now won 36 consecutive home games, the longest current streak in the NCAA. It is also tied for the third longest streak in school history.

Alan adds:

Senior night turned out to be a tense, but satisfying game. Duke’s defense was as good as it has been all year. The interior was way above even Duke par, and the perimeter defense was tough and fun to watch. Tyler is a gadfly; other point guards must hate it when he comes into the game. That said, all we can say is the first half – yes, or part – of the season has been successfully completed. Now the real season starts: Carolina for the ACC regular season championship and then the two tournaments. Here are some thoughts as the real (in one sense only) season arrives:

I am concerned that Nolan is wearing down ala JJ. He is no longer shooting well, especially around the basket. He has been – maybe more than anything else – an incredible finisher when he gets anywhere near the rim. He has displayed the full arsenal: getting to the rim, acrobatic lay-ups; pull ups; short floaters – the whole show. It is only in the last couple of games that he has started missing. Yes he scored 21 last night and a couple were really clutch, but he took 20 shots. 2-6 from 3 and 5-14 from 2. He missed close to the rim a lot and he got blocked a lot. And he is fouling on his drives. He has been fabulous; I am just concerned about the recent trend.

Dawkins and Miles have just gone south as far as being effective. Each played 6 minutes and each had 0 points. Miles was 0-1 with a two boards and a foul. Andre had a board and a turnover. This leaves Duke with a rotation of 6 only. Thornton played 18 minutes and Kelly 23; otherwise the four starters are playing big minutes.

Curry played a fantastic game. A wonderful bounce back from his Va. Tech nightmare. Duke needs a third scorer. Last night he was wonderfully efficient, playing good defense, fighting for loose balls and handling it well. He shot 3-6 from downtown and 4-7 from 2 plus 3-3 from the line. If he can be consistent during the second half, Duke will be formidable. Kelly too has been inconsistent. I thought he looked very good last night, playing defense, and getting tough rebounds. He was 2-2 from the field for 5 points and had 2 blocks to go with his 6 boards in 23 minutes (one turnover). If he could do that consistently, that would be a big plus. The concern is these two guys are good enough to play well against the teams that are a shade below elite, but not against the really elite teams. I think Carolina is a good litmus, because they are playing like an elite team. They are improving by leaps and bounds. Both Marshall and Barnes have emerged and Carolina goes as its freshmen go.

We are watching the maturing and blossoming of Mason. You can see everyone getting more comfortable with him handling the ball. His pass to Singler was awesome. He is getting tough rebounds and had 5 blocks last night, anchoring the interior defense. His growth has been key and fun to watch.

Singler has been everything Bill said for four years. He is such a wonderful defender. He can guard any sized player effectively. He is as accomplished on the perimeter as he is around the rim. He understands the system so well. Last night – as he has been throughout – he was an amazing rebounder. He is a reliable foul shooter and ball handler (though he did get a bit exuberant last night). He is just a great college player. Reminds me a whole lot of Battier.

Saturday will be fun as will the next few weeks be.

DUKE – UNC

What’s to make of a Duke team that is outplayed and outhustled in a game on national nighttime television against arch rival North Carolina for the regular season ACC Title ?

There is no way to sugarcoat it. Except for a brief run at the beginning of the second half, Duke shot and defended poorly—and the Tar Heels didn’t. An sign of how the game would unfold was that the Blue Devils couldn’t even score a point in the opening minutes against essentially the Carolina Blue team of seldom seen seniors, who started in an old Dean Smith tradition of honoring the graduating players.

Since the last five minutes of the Virginia Tech game, maybe longer, the Blue Devils have not played like a fresh, improving, confident team and this game just puts an exclamation point on that fact. Since Kyrie Irving went down, inconsistent interior scoring has been the Achilles heel of this team, but good defense and Nolan Smith’s POY performances have masked this deficiency. Tonight, the defense and others, except for Curry, were missing in action. Recently, when Kyle Singler is turned into a three point shooter, he is just another offensive player. Duke was a step slow to loose balls, rebounds, rotation into weak side help, and, except for Curry’s six threes, a pathetic 0-22 from beyond the arc. As had been pointed out: win by the three and die by the three—and they usually become tougher to hit as the season and the tournaments grind on. Smith (30 pts) and Curry (20 pts) were the only players in double figures. The rest of the stats, except for free throw shooting, are too one sided to dwell upon.

All indications lead to the inescapable conclusion that this was the performance of a team physically and emotionally exhausted from the overachieving efforts to meet high expectations after the loss of a franchise point guard.

On the other hand, Carolina has been rejuvenated by Larry Drew II’s fortunate defection as it gave freshman Kendall Marshall the opportunity to showcase his skills as the best freshman college assist guard since Jason Kidd was at California and being the catalyst for unleashing skills of a talented and well balanced offense that is playing vintage Carolina Basketball, which is a wonderful thing to watch—unless you are their opponent.

While this was an disappointing performance, we will learn a lot more about the resiliency of this Duke team next week during the ACC Tournament. Seth Curry rebounded from a horrible experience against Virginia Tech to play his best basketball in these next two games against Clemson and UNC. If any combination of Singler, Kelly, the Plumlees, and/or Dawkins, whose demeanor and shooting touch have gone south, can catch fire to compliment Smith and Curry, this team can become a contender–and if anyone can make that happen, it is Coach K.

Alan adds:

It would be a mistake to think last night’s first half was just a replay of the first half of the first game at Cameron. At Cameron, Duke played terribly in the first half. Last night Duke played very well in the first half; but, Carolina would have led the Celtics at half time. [Bill disagrees: How could Duke have played well defensively and given up 51 first half points, many of which was due to slow rotating weak side help down low, not threes?] They played an almost perfect first half and Duke played well, but was missing from long range. I strongly suspected that the shooting percentages of the first half would reverse and the season long assets and weaknesses of the two teams would be visible. It all turned to dust when Carolina withstood the first push of the second half when Duke reduced the margin to five.

The second half was all bad news. Carolina really might be that good and just plain the better team. Or maybe it was just a cold shooting night for a good team. But here are some depressing facts: 1) Harrison Barnes completely outplayed Singler (and Singler still played great defense) all over the court; 2) Barnes isn’t even the best freshman on his own team; 3) Duke was wholly outplayed on the interior at both end, not only by Zeller and Henson, but by Knox and Ward; 4) Mason was scoreless 5) Kelly had a disappointing game at both ends; 6) Duke has no post-up game – when the ball goes inside a turnover is as likely as a bucket; and, finally Kyle had 8 points.

It was a dreadful performance by all except Nolan (not less than heroic, but he couldn’t keep Kendall out of the paint) and Curry (neither could he) – and Miles (a pleasant surprise). Kendall is amazing. What a treat it would be to see him go against Kyrie. In the tournament.

The season is now on the brink. Duke could still earn a #1 by winning the ACC tournament. Winning it will be this team’s signature achievement; losing it will tarnish the season somewhat.

ACC TOURNAMENT

DUKE – MARYLAND

Coming off an unimpressive performance against North Carolina and with Nolan Smith having his worst game of the year before getting hurt with seven minutes to play, the Blue Devils were in a position to lose to a gritty Maryland team that always plays them Gary Williams tough. Not only did Kyle Singler (29 pts, 9 rebs, the flawless trigger man against the press & many hustle plays) take up the challenge but also it was the best offensive team performance of the year. Only up five when Nolan went down with a toe injury (have we seen this movie before?), Seth Curry took over at the point with a flawless closing night performance worthy of Nolan or Kyrie at their best.

Seth commented: “Once Kyrie went down I have been working on all aspects of my game, not just spacing the floor and shooting. And when Nolan went down today it kind of went back to last year in practice when I was running the Blue Team and handling the ball a lot and getting us into our sets so I was definitely comfortable out there and I didn’t feel any pressure at all.”

Tommy Amaker, Johnny Dawkins, Bobby Hurley, Jason Williams, Chris Duhon, Jon Scheyer, Kyrie, Nolan, Seth—Duke and North Carolina always seem to have a playmaker guard who know how win tight games.

Miles Plumlee, who started, almost had a double-double; Ryan Kelly (11 pts), had about a point a minute off the bench; Andre Dawkins finally emerged from his funk and played with confidence and purpose at both ends of the floor; and Mason Plumlee did have a double-double, 5 assists and demonstrated a heady maturity in ball possession management (calling a time out in a floor burn scrum with Singler in momentary possession of the ball) and player management (pulling Seth away from a confrontation with a Terp player).

The true test of the character of a team or a player is how they respond to a disappointing loss, a poor performance, or the loss of a key teammate. Tonight’s win was a lot closer than the final score indicates even as the Terps contributed to their own demise by only hitting 15 of 28 free throws (Duke was 22-27). Despite spotty defense, Duke finished the first half off with a flourish, then after losing a nine point lead and Nolan Smith, finished the game off with lock down defense and a 24-9 run.

Nolan Smith has a sprained second toe, the severity of which is undetermined. Whatever the case, this is not a good development.

Alan adds:

Before getting to the Duke-Maryland game and the prognosis for today and what comes after, I take a moment to say the Fla. St. – Va. Tech game was the closest game I can remember. Tech was heroic. There was one amazing end of the game play after another. The winning shot was ruled late – the TV coverage was precise in its ability to see it perfectly in slow motion – by the narrowest margin imaginable. With both Pitt and Notre Dame losing in the Big East semis, the door is open for a number 1 seed for either Duke or UNC if they can both win today.

I agree that this was Duke’s best offensive performance maybe of the season (certainly since Kyrie went down), but the defense was AWOL until the latter part of the second half. Duke didn’t stop anyone in the first half (except by fouling Jordan W and having him miss the foul shots); and fouled very consistently in the first part of the second half while trying to ratchet up the defense. Then everything kicked in. Curry was outstanding and Dawkins looked and was determined. The big guys closed down the lane, and (I think) Williams was little gassed and didn’t play with the same energy in the latter part of the second half. Williams is not the defender around the interior that he should be.

I agree that everyone played well (I’m not sure we can include Tyler, who accumulated four fouls in 5 minutes). The fouling spree in the second half put Duke players in foul trouble, but they played with the extra burden nicely. Singler and Mason finished the game with 4 fouls each and Curry and Nolan had 3 each. Ryan Kelly looked awesome on offense in the first half, but the Plumlees taking charge of the interior as the second half wore on, kept Kelly on the bench for most of the second half.

Today’s game is key. Maybe (probably) without Nolan. Curry and Dawkins would be a starting backcourt on most college teams and they have the talent to help Duke beat the Hokies. Tyler will have to play better and more under control today if Nolan can’t go. Duke should have an advantage inside and late in the game because the Hokies have a short bench and this will be their third game in three days. Being swept by Va Tech this year would be a real downer. Duke needs a rubber match with UNC.

DUKE – VIRGINIA TECH

When Nolan Smith was introduced with the starting lineup started, there was a sigh of relief from Duke fans. However, when he missed his first two shots then two foul shots, the same fans had to wonder how much his injured toe would hinder his performance. After that, Nolan was his old POY self, scoring 16 first half points on the way to a 27 point, 7 assist night and harassing Malcolm Delany out of his gourd.

The Blue Devils, who played much better team defense, were up eleven at the half and never were really threatened in a rough, often sloppy game. The Hokies apparently are a team that thinks the way to beat Duke is to rough them up. There were flying elbows, and flapping—even split– lips. Part of this was due to the refs, who were very inconsistent with their calls and almost let the game between two teams who clearly do not like each other get away from them. Let me get this straight: It is not a technical foul for a Tech player to intentionally throw the ball as hard as he can at point blank range and hit Andre Dawkins flush in the face (rather than any other part of his body) but it is a technical for Andre to go up for a jump shot and inadvertently strike a Tech player in the chin because he was bodying him up so closely that there was no room for the natural motion of a shot? And Jeff Allan, who has a history of anger management and consistent effort issues, took his frustration of a two point performance out on Kyle Singler with a flying elbow to the head on the way to fouling out.

And while I am at it, can someone explain why ESPN cut to the Princeton-Harvard game for an interminable amount of time while the Duke-Va. Tech game was still live? I like a great ending to an Ivy League Championship game as much as the next policy wonk, but why linger for minutes on the small but enthusiastic crowd at Yale storming the court like Florida State, then interviewing the player who hit the buzzer beater with incisive questions like “How do you feel?” and “What does this mean to you?” I guess the television producer must have been a Princeton grad channeling the Bradley era.

The keys for tomorrow: Is Nolan Smith’s toe really OK after playing 39 minutes? Can Singler neutralize Barnes, who so far has had an unbelievable tournament? Can the Plumlees neutralize Zeller and Henson without fouling out? Can Smith stop Marshall from being an assist machine? Can Duke hit threes, keep Carolina from its patented fast break, and make Carolina play a half-court game?

Alan adds:

Preliminarily, I want to sing a hymn of praise for Kyle Singler. He had “only” 13 points, but the rest of his game was so outstanding that he gets, in my opinion, equal billing with Nolan’s incredible performance. Both Duke All-American candidates play so hard on the defensive end. Kyle’s 11 boards (10 protecting the defensive end) was the key to keeping Va. Tech in check. He was the primary defender on Allen (though the bigs did cover Allen at times) and switched off to stifle the perimeter players. He handles the ball well. In short, there is nothing that he doesn’t do superbly on the basketball court. As Casey Stengel once said of Joe DiMaggio, “In his line of work, he’s rather splendid.”

Nolan was equally as wonderful. Defenses are getting better at stopping him after he humiliates his defender on the way to the rim. He has to make a slight adjustment, but yesterday his heart was on full display. He defended Delaney with a gutty effort; got loose balls and rebounds, and broke Va. Tech with his scoring. His passes to Mason (2) and Miles for dunks at game’s end were daggers in the Hokies heart. He inspired and led his team.

Let us not forget the transformation of Seth Curry from his nightmare in Blacksburg. Curry played 36 minutes, scored 10 points on 5 shots and solidified Duke’s backcourt and ball handling. He played excellent defense with only 2 turnovers (4 boards — a couple of them were difficult and crucial – to go along with a critical steal. He is becoming a solid and important component of this team.

Duke’s inside play was really good. Kelly played more minutes (26) than either Plumlee (22 each). Collectively, they had only 10 boards among them, but played solid defense and provided an inside scoring presence that Duke so desperately needs. A key stat: Va. Tech had only 3 assists the entire game.

Duke was methodical in dismantling Va. Tech in an intensely played game. I wish Duke would start playing defense earlier. Once again the opponent started on fire. Duke scored bunches in a row, but could not get a stop. But one knew the law of averages would eventually kick in and Va. Tech would not shoot 85% for a really long stretch.

I (almost) never get into a referee controversy, but it really seemed to me as if Duke got the short end of the rough house calls. [Duke was the beneficiary of some bad calls, too]. Although Allen fouled out eventually, he fouls on almost every post up move – rarely called yesterday. Duke defended really well in the second half as they pulled away. Some of that was Va. Tech’s fatigue. They missed open shots that they made early in the game.

Dawkins fouled out in 13 minutes on some of the oddest calls of the year. The last technical was so wrong: he had both hands on the ball and the defender leaned into him and fouled him. (The defender did it partially with his chin; so it looked bad, but it was a terrible call) and there were others.

Duke is in as good shape for today’s title game as possible. They have played well against both Maryland and Va. Tech. It should be a great match up. Bill put the issues for Duke perfectly. How will the freshman Barnes, just really hitting his stride, defend and be defended by Singler. How will Duke defend Marshall, who Bill and I both think is the key to UNC’s offense. [Larry Drew was starting???]. The Plumlees and Kelly have a lot to atone for in their past performances against UNC’s two big guys this year. It seems to me that they have grown over the past two games and have a good chance to prove up to the challenge. But in the first two games, they were destroyed in 3 of the 4 halves. Henson and Zeller are really good and give Marshall the inside target to feed. They each finish well. Zeller is an effective shooter from the post.

Nolan put it perfectly in an interview at the end of the Va. Tech game. “We have to play really good defense. We can’t give up 51 points in a half again.” It should be a great game. In my opinion, the winner deserves a # 1 seed since Pitt and Notre Dame both lost to UConn. Btw, UConn’s winning 5 games in 5 days the way they did is some wonderful feat. I have disdain for Calhoun and his program, but the Huskie gets his due. Kimba W is some clutch player.

DUKE – NORTH CAROLINA

Eight days ago North Carolina scored 51 points in the first half against Duke at Chapel Hill and won by 14. Today, they scored 58 points for the entire game and lost to Duke by 17. How do you explain such an inexplicable turnaround?

First, nobody motivates his players or consistently gets more out of them than Coach K. He would expect his team to win if he coached the Washington Generals against the Globetrotters. K points his teams toward championships—and he hates to lose two times in a row to any team, especially to Carolina. Secondly, he values winning ACC Championships as indicated by the fact that his teams have won it an amazing ten of the last thirteen years. Thirdly, and foremost, he coaches defense and intensity. For whatever reason, these traits were missing at Chapel Hill but apparent in spades today as Duke totally dominated the Tar Heels from the opening tip.

Let’s go to the video tape and review yesterday’s DBP keys for the UNC game:

Is Nolan Smith’s toe really OK after playing 39 minutes?

Can Singler neutralize Barnes, who so far has had an unbelievable tournament?

Can the Plumlees neutralize Zeller and Henson without fouling out?

Can Smith stop Marshall from being an assist machine?

Can Duke hit threes, keep Carolina from its patented fast break, and make Carolina play a half-court game?

The answers please: Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. Game, set and a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament!

Nolan Smith (20 pts, 10 assists, & 2 steals) was the obvious MVP. However, as against Va. Tech, his defensive on-the-ball pressure on the opponent’s point guard was the lynch pin for the rest of the defense being so effective. He forced Marshall (4 assists & 5 turnovers) to start the offense further out than he is accustomed and pressured him to turn his back to the basket which slowed the flow and inhibited Marshall from penetrating into the paint. The other piece of the puzzle was that Kyle Singler and Company didn’t give freshman phenom Harrison Barnes (6-15 & only 1 three) all the easy open, target practice looks Clemson did. On the other hand, Marshall and the other Carolina defenders could not keep Nolan from penetrating and scoring or passing to Curry, Dawkins or Kelly, who hit 7 of 11 threes. Boy, the game sure is a lot easier when the threes are dropping!

Duke had the confidence and poise to answer every UNC mini-run. Mike Krzyzewski says Duke gets much of that poise from its senior stars. “We told them before the game that our team will go like they go. When you study leadership, you never see a leader who’s down. You never see a good leader that’s not enthusiastic, that’s not brave, that’s not outgoing. I just reminded them to remember that’s who they are, and the other guys will follow no matter what their stats are.”

Actually, the maturing productivity of the supporting cast was the most encouraging development of the tournament. Just a week at Chapel Hill, all but Curry were missing in action; today in Greensboro, they played like veterans all three games of the tournament and made Duke a much more dangerous team going forward. Smith had a poor game against Maryland and Singler did not shoot well against Virginia Tech or North Carolina, so their consistent production was critical to the wins. Inserting Miles Plumlee into the starting lineup made Duke a more physical team and Ryan Kelly, rather than sulking, embraced the sixth man role to play his best basketball of the year. Curry just gets better in all phases the game and Dawkins has rediscovered his enthusiasm and sweet stroke.

And then there is Kyrie Irving. Nike has provided him with a specially designed basketball shoe to protect his injured toe and he is doing light basketball drills. This leads to speculation (which was sort of shot down by Coach K) that he will be available for the NCAA Tournament. All that is problematical and unknowable but what we do know is that through all his travails, he has been an exceptionally involved, supportive, and enthusiastic teammate for those who are playing—even acting as personal coach for Nolan Smith on the nuances of point guard play.

Duke was obviously not as bad as they appeared in the loss against at Chapel Hill and Carolina is not as bad as they appeared today. Both are talented, formidable teams. However, the Tar Heels were flirting with disaster in their last few games and I’m sure some of their faithful thought they could rally any time against anybody. Well, Duke isn’t Florida State, Miami or Clemson. So, against top teams, the Tar Heels need to be prepared to play hard for forty minutes.

As disappointing as this loss was for Carolina, Coach Williams couldn’t have been more gracious in defeat as he applauded Smith and Singler when they left the game. In addition, he said: “Those are two marvelous seniors and you don’t see seniors hang around that much. . . .What they did was fantastic.” That mutual respect is one of the things what makes the Duke –North Carolina rivalry so compelling.
Alan adds:

Great analysis, Bill. I actually don’t have much to add. I want to add to your praise of Duke’s Hall of Fame coach. I don’t know if he has ever done a better job than he has with this team, especially after Kyrie went down. He has brought along all of his players to the point that the five Duke players in the rotation who are not Kyle or Nolan were strong support for the two stars. The stats for the supporting five are amazing: 18 for 26 from the floor; 7-11 from 3. 43 points on 26 shots. Wow! And K has brought Nolan and Kyle to achieving the maximum of their potential, including their leadership skills. This really is K’s season. And he has had many great seasons.

The key to Duke’s win today was, without a doubt, the defense that Duke played to start the game. It was not less than ferocious. Defense is about emotion. Nolan had said that the key to the game would be Duke’s defense, and that Duke couldn’t give up 51 points in a half. Duke really bought into that thought. Result: 58 points for Carolina in the entire game! Carolina had only 8 points at the 11 minute mark of the first half. Zeller’s hoop with 8:56 to go in the first half gave the Washed Out Blues their 10^th point. By then Duke had a 15 point lead, and Duke never let Carolina back into the game. In the first half Duke doubled the post so effectively that neither Henson nor Zeller got a decent look. Singler hounded Barnes and got superb help; Barnes was absolutely mesmerized by the intensity of the defense (3 points in the first half). You could almost see him thinking, “Hmmm. This isn’t Miami or Clemson.” Smith actually (here’s a tough word, but I maintain accurate) “intimidated” Kendall, and knocked him so far back off his game that Carolina was leaderless and confused for the entire first half. It was not less than an astounding emotional reversal from what was extant only 8 days ago. I don’t think that Ole’ Roy ever though UNC could win after the first 12 minutes. Coach K gets kudos (not to mention Coach of the Year; Decade etc.)

Nolan is amazing, and had a yet another great game. This one was better than his impressive statistics because of his iron willed leadership. His 10 assists were even more impressive than his 20 points. I give Coach K credit again. He began whispering in Nolan’s ear early that he had always been Robin because he always had a Batman to back up (Jennings and Lawson at Oak Hill; Scheyer, Henderson, and Singler at Duke), and told him it was time for him to realize his full potential and be Batman this year. What a wise move. How wonderfully has Nolan responded in a way that has much more to do with life than just basketball. Coach K is so subtly astute that we may tend to look past the astounding achievements that he creates on his way to hoops success. As great as Nolan’s physical game is, he is a superb from the neck up, which at this level of sport is most important.

This team is validated by its ACC tournament win, regardless of what happens at the Dance. Duke has a good draw in the NCAA, in my opinion. Friday and Sunday against Michigan-Tennessee winner. As Hubert Davis said, after the first round, you are playing a team that could beat you, so it really doesn’t matter who you are playing. If Duke can get to the second weekend (I think they can), the game against (if form holds) Texas will be tough. All the fourth seeds are really good teams who, I think should have been seeded higher: Kentucky, Wisconsin and Louisville. They are all better than say Florida and BYU (2 and 3 seeds in SE). Anyway, that’s for next week. Let’s savor a very satisfying win and yet another ACC tournament title.

NCAA TOURNAMENT

DUKE – HAMPTON

The only thing in doubt about this game was the health of Kyrie Irving’s toe and how much rust he had accumulated over the last three months he was inactive. Initially, it appeared Kyrie was favoring his toe and/or the special Nike orthotic in his shoe was hindering his movement.

Then in the second half, he took an outlet pass in the open court and blew the rust and defenders off for a warp speed layup. After that, he appeared to be the old Kyrie. Next, he intercepted a long out of bounds pass like a NFL corner back and made a spectacular, driving in-the-air right hand fake, left hand lay-up. Then, he finished the day off with two threes for 14 points in twenty minutes.

However, even more importantly, Duke picked up where they left off in Greensboro as every player continued to play their best basketball of the season—especially, Miles Plumlee. Miles and Mason (a combined 20 pts. & 18 rebs in 44 minutes) enjoy a rare chemistry and Miles gives Duke a more physical presence near the basket. If he can become a mini-Zoubek, this is a different team. Duke was 9-19 from beyond the arc. Inside / outside firepower is a lethal combination.

Hampton finished the game with 17 turnovers and only four assists. Krzyzewski again pointed out that defensive dominance like that starts with ball pressure: “Take away some vision, force an offense outside its normal area of deployment, and good things happen.”

Comment of the day: “Every college team (watches) TV and says, ‘I want to play Duke, I want to see what it’s like to play Duke,”‘ Hampton Coach Joyner said. “We sure found out.”

Note: Duke has participated in 9 of the 25 most watched college basketball games.

Alan adds:

It was good talking with you after the game. Our euphoria over Kyrie’s return was genuine and appropriate. Before the game, the expectation (and concern) was high. What would Kyrie look like more than three months after he had, for 8 games, been everything that we had been told Harrison Barnes would be? In the first half, the concern was central. Kyrie looked tentative, without speed or explosion and none of his attempted moves looked smooth or confident. It was, of course to be expected. In the second half, coach K put Kyrie in again. He still looked tentative. He was playing longer with the other four non-starting scholarship players. Then, in one play, it was as if Clark Kent had found the phone booth, or some secret announcer whispered, “Shazam”; and Captain Marvel appeared. It was, I believe, an electric moment for every Duke fan.

For me, the experience of the game changed with 5 minutes and 22 seconds left in the game. Kyrie made his first Kyrie-like play when he blazed to a long rebound on the floor, used pure speed to get clear and then exploded to the basket for an uncontested lay-up. From there on, you could see the rust evaporating before our very eyes. When he hit the lay up where he switched hands in mid-air, he was back. Two for two from behind the arc added to the good feeling. Duke’s leading scorer today was Kyrie Irving w 14; most of it in garbage time. I loved K leaving Irving in to play with the bench (Dawkins and Ryan + Thornton and Hairston) because that was when he blossomed and the rust came off. The key fact is that, from his performance, the inescapable conclusion is: “he’s back!”. Duke’s chances for success in the tournament took a great upward leap yesterday. And it wasn’t all just Kyrie.

Duke’s scoring was evenly spread with everyone looking good and playing well: 13 for Dawkins; 12 for Mason; 11 for Kyle; 9 each for Seth and Nolan; 8 for Miles and 6 for Kelly. [Tyler and Josh each also scored]. The level of competition could be misleading, but the three big guys continue to exude (what for me is a new) confidence, calmness and intensity. Michigan will be a test and like all NCAA teams cannot be overlooked or taken for granted (Is Jalen playing?), but the real test will come in the Sweet 16 . Both Texas and Arizona have talented big guys – especially Texas.

But, the coach would never allow his players to be ahead of themselves. Michigan on Sunday to continue the season (with Kyrie, now)

DUKE – MICHIGAN

When Duke’s defenders keep the offensive players in front of them as they did against North Carolina in the ACC Championship, the game is a lot easier. When they don’t as they didn’t against St. John’s and today against Michigan, the game is a lot more difficult.

Michigan’s game is sort of a hybrid Princeton offense: spreading the floor, making the extra pass, attacking the lane, and kicking to open shooters for high percentage threes. In the second half, Duke’s perimeter defenders stayed home to defend the three, making it easier to drive to the basket. On the other end, Michigan went to a 1-3-1 zone, which Duke does not see very often and didn’t not respond to well.

After a rather unfocused first three minutes of the second half, Coach K had seen enough. He called timeout, took his jacket off, and explained in graphic terms and gestures what kind of effort and energy he wanted. Nolan Smith (24 pts) obviously got the message and responded with a two minute, ten point explosion without which the Blue Devils could easily have lost this game. As it was, they were up by 15 with eleven minutes to go and needed every point as they only won by two.

In an interesting move, because of the smaller, quicker Michigan line-up, down the stretch Coach K went with Kelly at center rather than either of the Plumlees. Ryan responded with a key rebound and put back and forced Morris’ last shot to be a pull- up jumper in the lane over his outstretched arms instead of a lay-up.

A win but a rather uneven, sloppy performance by a team which appeared to be hitting their stride. Arizona will provide different challenges as they are a bigger, faster, and more conventional team. The Blue Devils better bring their “A” game to Anaheim.

Some observations:

This is often a game of less than an inch. Morris’s last shot missed by about the same amount as Gordon Hayward’s last two shots for Butler in last year’s NCAA Championship game.
I have long thought that playing a zone against this Duke team is the best way to keep Smith out of the paint and to beat them.
While Duke had a rebounding margin of 31-18, they only forced 7 turnovers, a good barometer that the defense was not all that effective.
Florida State holding Notre Dame to 31% shooting and winning 71-57 (without their best player Chris Singleton) makes the Duke and ACC record more impressive as it has more teams in the Sweet Sixteen than the Big East or any other conference.
Kyrie was on the floor at the end of the game and hit two drives. The first one was waved off on a close call as an offensive charge but he pulled up on the second one and banked it off the glass. He also hit 9-10 free throws. However, he still appears to be feeling his way back and not wanting to step on anyone’s toes (sorry, couldn’t resist) or upset the chemistry of the team.
As great as Kyrie is, it is hard to imagine him playing any better or making more big shots than Nolan, who had been the high scorer in twenty games this year.

After the game Coach Krzyzewski put his 900^th win in perspective: “I feel like it’s amazing that a coach and his point guard can be the first two coaches in the history of our game to win 900 and that it says something about the guy who has 902 and it also says something about the United States Military Academy. There will be a lot of guys who will win 900 games eventually, but to be the first two and it be the coach and his player to do it, is something very unique and that’s the type of relationship and friendship I’ve had with Coach Knight. I’m glad I can share a moment, that moment with him. I’ve shared very really good ones with him.”

Alan adds:

I was driving back from Boston and couldn’t watch it until last 16 minutes. It was a rollercoaster of a 16 minutes. So, my remarks are necessarily limited by the truncated time I was able to watch. In some ways it was traditional Duke basketball, winning a shockingly close game with some timely plays. But, in the end, Michigan just shredded the Duke defense. I think that may be a credit to Beilin. Michigan played wonderful basketball and got good open shots. Statistics tell an interesting story because in many ways it was not traditional Duke basketball at all. Michigan shot amazingly well — 20-32 from inside the arc (51% when you add the 7-21 from 3land). Duke forced Michigan to turn it over only 7 times; making only 1 steal. That’s not traditional Duke defense.

The offense stagnated with the substantial lead. Duke was only 5-20 from 3; Kyle still in a 3 slump (1-5), and was uncharacteristically only 2-5 from the stripe. Still, he’s the glue for this team. Miles played only 13 minutes, and Mason played only18 (but had 7 boards in 18 minutes; and he was 2-2 from the floor and 0-2 from the foul line). Neither played in the 16 minutes that I watched, and I admit I kept thinking that their interior defense might have stopped Michigan from scoring side so easily. Kelly played excellent 23 minutes; was 5-6 from the field with 3 boards for 11 points. One other point of interest. Seth did not score, and I think he’s being affected by Kyrie’s return. Kyrie is not yet taking his shots – he took only 4 (0-2 from 3land and 1-2, including the game winner from inside the arc. 9-10 from the line). This is an important week of practice for Duke, trying to re-integrate Kyrie with the first unit. If anyone can do this, it is Coach K. This game was very close, and the stats show where Duke was uncharacteristically weak.

Duke took 4 fewer shots than Michigan over all (in spite of a substantial rebounding edge), and made 2 fewer. Duke took 1 shot less than Michigan from 3land (making 2 fewer); Michigan had one more assist and 6 more steals (Duke having only 1 steal is an amazing – very disappointing — stat to anyone who has watched the Duke defense perform at its customarily high level). Duke won game at the foul line (making 18 of 25 while Michigan was 10-11).

Arizona will be difficult, but I think Texas had more potential. Nice to see the ACC have more teams in the Sweet 16 than the Big East (or any other conference for that matter.)

DUKE – ARIZONA

Last year’s Championship Season wasn’t meant to be but was; this year’s Championship Season was meant to be but wasn’t. In sports, you never really know.

In the first half, Duke was in control even as Derrick Williams was a phenom with 25 powerful points (but no one else had more than four). Perhaps it was a bad omen that Williams hit an incredible three over the outstretched hands of Ryan Kelly to cut the Duke lead from nine to six just as the horn sounded. In the second half, the rest of the Wildcats also caught fire as Arizona just dominated Duke physically and emotionally on both offense and defense in a manner I cannot ever remember happening to a Blue Devil team. It was as if Duke was playing the Dream Team—one hell of an impressive half of basketball for Arizona, not so much for the Blue Devils.

Duke recovered from the injury to Kyrie Irving to play some terrific basketball and win the ACC Tournament but apparently the team chemistry was affected by his return. The blunt truth is that neither Nolan Smith nor Seth Curry were the same players and the team performance was not as efficient as evidenced by both the Michigan and Arizona games. And that is not a criticism of Kyrie or Coach K. He’s a great player and you had to play him. One bad half in one game should not obscure the fact that this was another exciting thirty plus win season nor the body of work of Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith—125 career wins, multiple ACC titles, and a National Championship .

The larger truth is that no one wins—or can expect to win– all of the time. After all, these are college students barely out of their teens. However, you hope your team plays the right way with players who belong in the school and still wins more than their share of games. And that is what Duke Basketball has done for over some sixty years and is one of the reasons we take pleasure in chronicling the efforts of a group of coaches and players who excel at what they do and represent the school so well.

Alan adds:

The Game

Arizona scored 55 points in the second half; they shot 60% from 3 land and 54% overall. I’d really like to see the shooting percentage for just the second half, but DBR didn’t put up the box score and ESPN doesn’t break it down by halves. Duke got so few rebounds in the second half because Arizona simply did not miss – and when they did, they got the offensive board. Visions of 3 halves against Carolina (especially 51 points in the first half at Chapel Hill), the St. John’s game inescapably filtered into mind. Eric Williams not only had a brilliant scoring first half (“only” 7 points in the second half), but his presence and Coach K’s adjustment to his first half opened the floor for Arizona to get pretty wide open looks, which they knocked down at an incredible rate. I think Bill hit it: when the going got tense (Duke led 53-47 when the wheels came off), Duke’s chemistry was gone. Nolan was 3-14 with only 8 points. Singler blazed in the early moments, but wasn’t efficient at all in the second half. Seth got hurt. Duke was astoundingly ineffective in protecting its own rim after the Arizona shot went up. I believe that was the Williams effect. The help that Duke sent at Williams left Duke out of rebounding position. But when it was all said and done, Arizona played a perfect game. They shredded the Duke defense (as Michigan did in the waning moments of that game). I don’t know what that story is or was. Duke’s defense is so team oriented, it may be (this is speculation) that Kyrie wasn’t as efficiently re-integrated into the defensive schemes as he was into the offense. In one sense, there was far less pain than if it had been a close game. There is disappointment for sure. Duke is now 3-7 in Sweet 16 games since 2000, six of those losses coming against lower seeds (think W. Va and LSU).

The Season

I fully enjoyed this wonderful season. No single loss can dilute the pleasure and pride from the 2010-11 season. Thirty wins, ACC tournament champions, K’s 900^th win, wonderful players and a team one could admire, have affection for and appreciate. Nolan had a season for the ages (though I think he wore down some as the season went on; still maybe his best game was against Va Tech in the ACC Semis). Singler did not have the season he had hoped for, but he proved a versatile player with a perfect attitude. Even when his offense went South, the rest of his game remained constant. Both of their jerseys should hang from the rafters.

In some ways, as I have previously written, this was one of Coach K’s finest jobs. He re-structured the team when Kyrie went down, and he came close to re-integrating him for the Dance. You had to admire Kyrie’s attitude on the bench and his commitment to rehab. He was astounding in the first half against Arizona. I think his lack of game shape showed in the second half, though he was still terrific. Ryan Kelly emerged and will be part of the foundation next year. The Plumlee enigma will be solved next year (I certainly hope Mason is sufficiently self-aware to know he needs to develop other parts of his game at the college level to have the foundation for an NBA career). They will be heavily relied upon and I believe will grow into their respective potentials. Seth and Andre were not quite as consistent as they will be next year, but they had excellent seasons. I think that Bill is correct that neither Seth nor Nolan were the same players when Kyrie came back. Duke will be a good team next year; a very good team (with the possibility to be great) if Kyrie returns.

All in all, it was a season to fully appreciate. I’ve had a blast.

We close the season with a short historical narrative that may give some insight into why we have such affection for Duke Basketball at a great university which has contributed so much to our lives in so many ways:

After the endowment gift from the Duke family, President William Preston Few had the extraordinary foresight to take Trinity, a small college of the Methodist church, and conceive the vision of a great university then enlisting businessmen, academicians, students, and alumni to fulfill his vision. The foundations of his dream were: a strong academic institution with a religious underpinning , a stunning campus, an extraordinary teaching hospital, and outstanding athletic teams. The new West Campus was constructed in the form of a cross. At the apex of the cross was the magnificent chapel, to the right the library and classrooms leading to the hospital complex, to the left, the student union and dormitories leading to the football stadium. President Few recruited doctors from Johns Hopkins to be the nucleus of the hospital staff and, understanding the national marketing impact of winning teams, Wallace Wade from national champion Alabama to build a football program.

Whatever the truth, building a campus as beautiful as Duke, establishing rigorous entrance and educational standards, then building nationally ranked football and basketball teams as well as baseball, golf, tennis, and lacrosse were the lynchpins of the meteoric rise of Duke University as an elite institution (Yale on steroids is how one of President Brodhead’s former students characterized the school). It could not have happened without all of these elements –and it would be difficult to maintain that status without preserving a dual excellence in both academics and athletics.

I join Bill in saying what a pleasure our writing has been for us. I have reveled in the effort and enjoyed the camaraderie with a treasured friend (and ex-intramural doubles partner). Thank you for allowing us to share our thoughts with you this season. Next Play.

Remembering Rosecroft

INTRODUCTION

When I read about the bankruptcy and termination of racing of Rosecroft Raceway this past summer, I thought that its passing deserved a better eulogy but, more importantly, that my children and grandchildren should know more about its rich history and the contributions of my grandfather and my father to the sport of harness racing. So, I decided to organize my thoughts into a narrative for them. The more I researched and wrote, the more I thought the story might be of interest to others outside of my family, especially those in the harness racing community.

Undoubtedly, most of you will be surprised by my sudden capacity for recall and detail. So, I must confess that the story would not have been nearly as complete without the scrap book of my grandfather’s racing career that my grandmother had given me and vetting by friends from my former life in racing. These cues unlocked memories of family lore, long forgotten events and conversations, all of which added considerable texture and historical detail to the narrative.

I submitted the final draft to Hoof Beats Magazine, the monthly publication of the United States Trotting Association. The new, young editor liked it but wanted me to cut the 2,800 word article to 1,500 words. I thanked him but told him I couldn’t do that and tell the story I wanted to tell. Then, I offered it to Kathy Parker, a long-time friend from back in the day when she was a reporter for the Horseman Magazine, where she is now the editor. Kathy was very enthusiastic and said she would like to run the entire piece in January when there was less racing to report and she could give it more space. Between the magazine’s archives and my scrap book, we came up with a number of old photographs, which added considerable style and eye appeal to the presentation.

Remembering Rosecroft (Click to access)

Duke Basketball 2009 – 2010 Championship Season

During the season, Bonnie suggested that I save, organize, and archive my Duke Basketball emails. I didn’t consider doing it until after Duke won the NCAA Championship as I was curious as to what I thought as the season progressed. Reviewing them was interesting—sort of like watching a replay of the season when you know the final outcome but still get caught up in recalling the emotional ebbs and flow.

While my January prediction of Duke potentially being a Final Four team was accurate– as was my assessment of Singler, Scheyer, and Smith– my opinion of Zoubek wasn’t. But who knew, except maybe the coaching staff? Alan was ahead of the curve by pointing out early on that if you project Zoubek’s stats from twelve or so minutes to thirty, he would lead the country in rebounding.

My initial enthusiasm for the impact of the brothers Plumlee was not fully realized but was replaced by acknowledging the amazing transformation of Brian Zoubek into the missing link and catalyst for a NCAA Championship run. Likewise, my assessment of Andre Dawkins talent appeared like fool’s gold until he played well in the tournaments, culminating in hitting two crucial three pointers against Baylor.

Unfortunately, I was prescient in anticipating the Georgia Tech and Georgetown losses by pointing out how the schedule and travel can have a negative impact on a team’s performance. Also, unfortunately I don’t bet on games because I also stressed the axiom that not only do Coach K’s teams rarely lose two games in a row but also that he has a long memory for disappointing defeats and teams like West Virginia which have disrespected his players.

I tried to remind everyone that there is a good bit of luck involved in a championship season but that better coached teams that play smart and hard generally have more luck than those that don’t.

Many people have expressed the opinion that this was Coach K’s best coaching job. Well, maybe. But what about the 2001 Championship year when Carlos Boozer was out with a broken foot from the final Carolina game until the last few NCAA games and Coach K creatively utilized Sanders, Christensen, and Love as the three headed center or the 2010 Olympic Gold Medal team, where he had all the professional All Stars playing as a team?

Only after he retires (which I hope is many years in the future) will we fully appreciate the body of work of Coach Krzyzewski and what he has meant to Duke University. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the ride.

It was an amazing season and anytime my memory of it fades, I will have this log to remind me of how special it was and how fortunate we were to watch it unfold.

Duke – N.C Greensboro, Coastal Carolina, Charlotte, & Radford

I’m not sure how accurate an assessment can be made about this year’s Duke team from the first few games against basically mid-major competition and playing without the benefit of two starters: Nolan Smith, serving a two game suspension for playing in non-sanctioned NCAA summer games (whatever that means) and Mason Plumlee, who broke his left wrist but who should return after the first of the year. However, we all know that Nov/Dec is the time Coach K experiments and tinkers with various personnel mixes to determine who and how to play the rest of the season. Scheme and strategy wise it appears we will see less full court pressure and more matchup zone defense; more of a hybrid motion offense featuring a three man weave because he has three go-to guys including a breakdown-you-down, speedy guard with another gear in Nolan Smith; and more high-low posting especially with Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly in the game.

This team will go as far as Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer, and Nolan Smith, players of very different but complementary skills, carry them—and how well the supporting cast supports them. While Singler has from day one been a very admirable and very productive player who has done whatever the team needed, he really was an undersized #1 post up player. With the maturation of Miles Plumlee and the addition of his 6’10” brother Mason, Kyle Singler 3.0 has been released from low post purgatory and is free to play all over the court as a small forward mismatch from hell in a modified motion offense. Always a tireless competitor in the John Havlicek mold, Kyle has dramatically improved his three point and mid range jumper while losing none of his willingness to mix it up in the paint. If he remains healthy and fresh and Duke wins big games, Singler should be a national POY candidate.

You know what you are going to get from Scheyer—forty minutes of steady, heady but not breathtaking basketball and the man you want on the foul line with the game on the line.

All reports are that Nolan Smith is practicing like the confident Nolan Smith after his head injury last year rather than the tentative, inconsistent Nolan Smith at the beginning of last year. If tonight’s game against Charlotte is any indication, that report is not an exaggeration. When Nolan is in a confident, attacking, scoring mode, he can be a breathtaking, lethal, game changing player at both ends of the court.

Miles Plumlee may possibly be the difference between Duke being a very good team and a terrific team. He is a 6’ 10” strong, wide body 250 pound real athlete who high jumped seven feet in high school—something Duke has not has since Sheldon Williams graduated. Wide bodies take up more space (think Charles Barkley) which gives them a rebounding and defensive advantage. In addition to the weight gain and adding four more inches to his vertical jump, Miles is playing with a great deal more confidence. Whether or not this carries over to ACC competition remains to be seen; but, we all know that as hard as he tries and as skilled as he is in some ways, Brian Zoubek’s lack of lower body athleticism limits him from being a consistent contributor against top tier competition.

Andre Dawkins may be the most intriguing talent on the team. Athletically and skill wise, there are times he shows flashes of Johnny Dawkins, Jayson Williams, JJ Reddick, and Gerald Henderson. While he has a very smooth, quick release jump shot and can drive and finish with authority, what I like the most is that he seems to be fearless and has the look and demeanor of a confident junior or senior. In fact, he seemed quite comfortable playing the point for a short time against Coastal Carolina. The fact that Andre pulls the trigger like JJ did tells me that Coach has given him the green light to shoot. But he is a freshman and he will be inconsistent.

Lance Thomas is slated to be the sixth man/defensive specialist who can play the high post or guard any of five positions.

Olek Czyz is a European basketball anomaly in that he is very athletic but not a finished product. As Coach K said, he should have been red shirted last year because he has a lot to learn. I don’t doubt that in time, he will become an interesting role player.

Ryan Kelly is 6’ 10” but not a wide body or a post up player. However, he was a late bloomer in high school who won the McDonald’s three point shooting contest and appears to have more complete and diverse skills than most players his size. He has shown that he can be effective in the high post because he can accurately shot a jumper and/or look over small defenders to make passes into the low post. He also is a tougher defender and stronger rebounder than my friend Alan initially thought.

Losing top target Harrison Barnes to Carolina was disappointing. However, despite the fact that speculation about Duke’s recruiting misses focusing on Coach K’s Olympic commitments will be grist for the media over the next months or even years, no one should think that Duke hasn’t been able to bring in top shelf talent—just not one and done talent, which is not necessarily a fatal flaw. After the announcement, Harrison’s mother said basically that her son had known he was going to UNC for a long time and that he just played the other schools for the publicity to “brand’ himself. The somewhat over-the-top staged press conference Barnes held for himself announcing his decision pretty much confirmed that he has an inflated sense of his place in the universe but that is what ESPN, the Internet, Texting, Twitter, the early draft, and shoe contracts have done to many blue chip high school basketball prospects.

This year Duke has more size, depth, and diverse talent than in recent years—and except for possibly Singler no one should be going early to the NBA. Next season, Duke will bring in Tyler Thornton, Josh Hairston, and Kyrie Irving—all four star players with Irving being considered one of the two top point guards in his class–and Seth Curry, Stephan’s brother and the nation’s top scoring freshman last season at Liberty, who transferred to Duke will also be available next year. This is talent most college coaches and fans would pay a lot of money for—and, indeed, some do (read Kentucky. Memphis or any school coached by John Calapari.)

That being said, Barnes joins Brandan Wright, Patrick Patterson, Greg Monroe, and Kenny Boynton who have been top targets that considered Duke, but ultimately committed elsewhere. I read an article that expressed the thought that Duke is perceived by recruits to be an elite private school that has a majority of white players, which is highly unusual in an elite college basketball program. In fact, this year’s projected starters are—to use a moniker hung on the Boston Celtics in the 70’s—a “Busted Flush” (four whites and a black). Further, the article suggested that the top players Coach K has been unable to sign are all Afro-Americans who might not have felt as comfortable in the Duke environment as they would at another school with a team where they were not in the minority. Another explanation is the televised NCAA Championship effect. JJ Reddick, Elton Brand, Shane Battier, and others became enamored of Duke watching the 1991 & 1992 championship teams. Carolina’s recent championships impress and sell the program to future players. It goes in cycles.

Whatever the case, Duke has won more games than any basketball program in this decade. Let the play begin!

Duke – University of Connecticut

I don’t like Big East Basketball. I don’t like the way the players play, I don’t like the way the refs referee, I don’t like the compromises most Big East schools make in admitting players and, in some cases, thieves, and felons, and I don’t like many of the coaches. It started in 1959 seeing John Thompson, the center on the great, undefeated Bishop John Carroll High School team, attempting to jump on a fallen opponents head with both feet. It seems to me he took that attitude to Georgetown and his success there set the template for the “Big East Style” of physical intimidation.

Recently, UConn holds the Gold Standard (formerly held by whatever school “Tark the Shark” Tarkanian, then John Calipari have coached) for playing fast and loose with admissions and ethics. Then, there is UConn’s play on the court. Let’s go to the TiVo (I was out of town for Thanksgiving) and review Friday night’s game with Duke. Jon Scheyer should have received combat pay for the physical abuse he took because the refs “let them play” (until they decided things were getting out of hand and started calling touch fouls)—punk, cheap shots out of bounds and after the whistle, elbows to the head, intentional fouls, you name it. Well, enough about rugby, let’s talk hoops.

After a less than scintillating performance against Herb Sendek’s Arizona State (what team looks good playing a Herb Sendek team and, in case you missed it, ‘Zona State beat LSU handily for third place in the tournament), one writer called Duke the most overrated team in the country and Doug Gottlieb on ESPN called Duke “alarmingly unathletic” (a word that does not pass the Word spell check test), which is usually code for “too many soft, white boys”. Coach K responded by saying that “actually, we’re pretty athletic; we’re just not as athletic as Connecticut and that Doug (who played at Notre Dame and Oklahoma State) should be an expert on alarmingly non‑athletic. So I’ll have to take a look at that a little bit closer because it comes from an expert who actually knows what it feels like to be alarmingly non‑athletic”. On other occasions, Coach has said that he recruits basketball players not track team prospects. Nolan Smith added succinctly: “When Mason Plumlee returns to the rotation, Duke will be “even more athletic than people don’t think we are.”

Well, bless their shortcomings, just how did the athletically challenged, soft Duke team win by nine when they only shot 29% from the floor and lost the ever popular slam dunk contest (but did win the acrobatic shot contest with Scheyer’s flip over the shoulder bank shot while being knock upside down without a foul being called contest)? Well, somehow they managed to stumble into 4 more rebounds, 2 more steals, 6 more threes, 8 blocked shots– as well as shooting 80% (vs. Huskie’s 54%) from the line, proving once again that there are a lot of different ways to win a game.

After the game, UConn’s Stanley Robinson was quote as saying that Duke played “smarter”. Well, as one reporter wrote: “One out of three usually won’t get a student a C. The correct answer is smarter, and harder, and better.”

Duke – Wisconsin

Coming off two close, draining games in the NIT, you knew that this away game at Wisconsin was going to be difficult. The Badgers had their A game– a forward bomber in the first half and a gutsy guard in the second—and Duke didn’t. Zoubek and Thomas, who were the heroes of the UConn game, came up empty. Singler kept Duke close in the first half and Andre Dawkins almost shot Duke to tie in the second half with 4 straight threes. However, Duke could never sustain a run and Wisconsin’s disciplined offense, accurate perimeter shooting big man Leuer and quick guard Hughes were the difference.

Mason Plumlee played about ten minutes but clearly not yet up to speed. The rotation is in flux. I suspect that Zoubek will be the odd man out as Miles, Lance, and Mason bring more to the court. And my man Andre deserves more minutes. Let me remind y’all what I wrote after the first two games:

“Andre Dawkins may be the most intriguing talent on the team. Athletically and skill wise, there are times he is shows flashes of Johnny Dawkins, Jayson Williams, JJ Reddick, and Gerald Henderson. While he has a very smooth, quick release jump shot and can drive and finish with authority, what I like the most is that he seems to be fearless and has the look and demeanor of a confident junior or senior. In fact, he seemed quite comfortable playing the point for a short time against Coastal Carolina. The fact that Andre pulls the trigger like JJ did tells me that Coach has given him the green light to shoot. But he is a freshman and he will be inconsistent.”

It’s still early in the season but he is not longer a secret and teams will defend him more aggressively; however, I have seen enough to think that he is a more versatile, and talented shooting guard than JJ Reddick. That is not to say that he will have as good a career because there is still a lot to learn about his mental makeup and ability to overcome diversity. Time will tell.

This team needs to smooth out the rotation and the wrinkles because Carolina sure has. The win over Michigan State was impressive as their two point guards are improving and their big men, of whom there are many, are a handful. The rest of the ACC teams have been unimpressive.

Duke – St. John’s

I imagine that I was one of the few people in the southeast watching Duke play St. John’s rather than the Alabama-Florida game.

What I took away from the game is that the Blue Devils are still an inconsistent team on both ends of the floor but a work in progress. They are still not shooting well–43%) from the floor but, paradoxically, about 80% from the foul line. My (DID) Defensive Index Differential (rebounds, turnovers , steals, blocks) was a +23 for Duke, which masked the fact that unlike last year this team is not defending the three point shot very well—or they would have won by twenty.

Again although Nolan Smith is not a true point guard, Duke is a different team when he is aggressive offensively. When he attacks, he distorts the defense and creates a multiplicity of options. Otherwise, their half court offense is pretty static– and a lot less effective.

I am at a loss as to why both Plumlees started but only played 19 minutes between them. Lance Thomas, a much more effective and balanced contributor this year–thanks to adding muscle and a nice mid range jump shot–, deserves major minutes but, while Zoubek has his moments, he still lacks the lower body athleticism to be anything more than a brief change of pace presence against top tier teams ( which St. John’s is not). Only the Plumlees and Lance can provide the inside firepower offensively and defensively to compete against athletic top ten teams as you could see if you watched the Carolina-Kentucky game. By the way, John Wall is the real deal! Kentucky is not the same team without.

Duke – Gonzaga

One of the most difficult challenges in any rhythm sport is under the pressure of competing to somehow find your shot or stroke or free throw when it is missing in action. And in basketball, the additional challenge is to not let poor shooting affect your defensive effort (Duke was +25 on my Defensive Index). This has always been one of the keys to Coach K’s team’s success, which today was exemplified by Kyle Singler, who had only 9 points but shut down Gonzaga’s star Matt Bouldin and gathered 11 rebounds.

Neither Duke nor Gonzaga started the game in any sort of offensive rhythm as their shooting was just cold as the weather outside of Madison Square Garden. The score was something from the 1930’s—10 to 10 after ten minutes. Then Scheyer and Smith heated up and the Committee of Big men dominated the paint and the glass as Duke controlled Gonzaga at both ends for the rest of the game for a stunningly easy win.

What does it mean when Duke is 9- 1 and beats #15 Gonzaga by 35 points while Kyle Singer, who is in an extended shooting slump, only scores 11 points?

It means that this is not your recent Duke Basketball team. It is deeper, more diverse, more resourceful, and coached differently. To borrow a military quote: “You go to war with the army you have, not the army you wished you had”. In recent years, Duke has had to rely on few super stars like Reddick and Williams and role players in a limited rotation. If JJ had an off night or Sheldon got in foul trouble, Duke was at a severe disadvantage. And at the end of a long season, the grinding pressure on these star players took its toll.

Well, this year everyone thought that Singler was going to be the super star but so far it has been Scheyer and Smith who have been carrying the offensive burden and Coach K is developing a situational four man bench rotation—especially at the center and power forward position. I think it is pretty clear that Coach K has much more confidence in the depth of his bench this year and is coaching accordingly–so that would seem to bode well for fresher players at tournament time.

I think there is significance in Coach K’s after the game comment: “This is the first team in eight years that really understands our defense so well, not individually, but together”. Let’s see, that would be 2001, the NCAA Championship year.

PS. Vern Lindquist has had some signature moments s as a commentator (He called the famous Duke-Kentucky-Laettner miracle shot NCAA game and the Tiger dramatic birdie chip-in on #16 at the 2005 Masters yelling “Oh my goodness! Oh WOW!! IN YOUR LIFE, have you seen anything like that?”). However, today was not one of them. He was annoyingly casual and disengaged in his announcing, miscalling several plays and totally missing Miles Plumlee leaving the floor holding his arm after a nasty fall, which was of some concern to Duke fans.

Duke – Pennsylvania & January 1, 2010 Prediction

My take is that potentially this is the best team Coach K has had since 2001 for the following reasons:

1) There is more depth and more talent in the front court than in recent years. No longer will Duke be forced into an exhausting (seven man rotation) press all over the floor to force turnovers, and cover for a weak inside size and defense. There now is a five 6’ 10” man rotation inside. Miles Plumlee, while having a “bull in a china shop” quality, is a developing into a true enforcer; Mason, as he demonstrated last night against Penn, is the most talented big man Duke has ever had. Apparently, playing harder is the key to more minutes—and Lance Thomas, who has added offense to his defense, is the coaches stalking horse. Zoubek is exceeding all expectations. And while Kelly may be a year away, he is much better defensively than some knowledgeable observers thought. These guys can block shots and, except for Zoubek, run the floor.

2) More fire power. No longer is Duke’s offense dependent upon one or two scorers because there are four legitimate, unselfish perimeter players—Scheyer, Smith, Singler, and Dawkins.

3) Jon Scheyer has morphed into the best point guard since Jason Williams. Moving him to the point has unleashed the full range of his talents. Guarded by a smaller, quicker defender, he can look, pass and shoot over them. When Smith has the point, Jon can rotate to the wing, and post them up. I’ve been trying to think of who Jon plays like and it finally occurred to me that he reminds me of John Stockton—smart, sees the floor, can pass and shoot, and continually exceeds expectations.

There has to be a lot of luck—no serious injuries, hit end of game free throws, find ways to win close games, and, above all, play hard especially when the offense is on vacation —to be a Final Four team. All I am saying is that I think this team has the complementary players, the chemistry, and the coach to be one of those teams.

And speaking of coaches, Duke won more games during the last decade than any other college basketball team. Did any other coach get more out his talent than Coach K?

Duke – Clemson

The key to a winning season is an athletic version the early Clint Eastwood film: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”—you have to find a way to win them “Any which Way But (don’t) Loose”. (Sorry for the pun. I’m an Eastwood fan.)

The Penn game was winning “Good”; the Clemson game was winning “Ugly”; and my fear is that the Georgia Tech game in Atlanta Saturday, just three days after flying to Chicago to play Iowa State, will be “Bad”, especially if Coach K stays with the seven man rotation he used against Clemson. As my long time hoops buddy Alan pointed out, because of the fatigue of short rotations, the recent Duke teams have been more impressive in November-January than they have in March. With a double digit lead at home for most of the game, you would assume that Dawkins and Kelly would get more minutes so that they would become acclimated to the intensity of ACC play. For sure, Coach K had not forgotten the embarrassing defeat last year at Littlejohn Coliseum and probably wanted to keep the pedal to the metal. Ironically, that humiliating loss was the catalyst for inserting Elliott Williams into the starting lineup and moving Jon Scheyer to the point, which led to a strong finish and winning the ACC Tournament.

However, this year the Blue Devils were in control all the way and closed the game out in an impressive manner. It was classic Duke Basketball- play good defense, get the other team in foul trouble and hit a high percentage of free throws. The good news is that Singler has his stroke back and Scheyer and Nolan have great chemistry at sharing the ball with each other.

Duke – Iowa State

For me, one of the joys of following Duke Basketball each year is watching a player’s development. A case in point is Jon Scheyer. He came in with the reputation of being a big time scorer–maybe the next JJ Reddick. Obviously, Coach K loved his game, because he was a starter from day one. The reality is that he has been Mr. Consistency–a versatile, very good, very dependable player (especially at the foul line)– but not a flashy, superstar. Surprisingly, Jon has been a somewhat reluctant shooter but rather a more subtle, efficient and complete talent who seemed more interested in being a good teammate than putting up a lot of points.

Perhaps as a two guard, he was a little physically disadvantaged. However, moving to the point has allowed the full range of Jon’s skills to flourish to the degree that it occurs to me that he is right there with Grant Hill as the most complete Duke basketball player I can recall. A 30 minute stat line of 36 pts (on only 13 shots), 9 assists, 8 rebs, 1 blk, 1 steal speaks volumes about his efficient talent—and his show-the-ball-blind-left hand-behind–the-back pass to Singler for a layup was a Sports Center high light moment. Play on, Jon!

On the other hand, I don’t know what to make of Zoubek. At the beginning of each season, he looks like he will be a real contributor but when he plays against top teams, he appeared to be one of the few seven footers to play below the rim–and to add insult to injury, refs seemed intent on calling a couple of fouls on him before he even leaves the bench. In all fairness, the Zee Man did have the most impressive game of his career against UConn, so maybe this year will be different. However, Miles Plumlee, who is much stronger and more athletic, definitely plays above the rim and is much more polished than last year.

I’ve made no secret from day one of my assessment that Andre “instant offense” Dawkins is a wonderful talent who will be a huge asset to the rotation. Nothing he has done this year has changed my mind…… Can’t figure why Mason Plumlee, who has shown flashes confirming his reputation as an exceptional talent, is behind Ryan Kelly, who needs to get stronger and more confident, in the substitution rotation– unless Coach is sending Mason a message. I believe that he will be getting serious minutes when the games get more serious. Lance Thomas is stronger, has an improved mid range jump shot, and is a very good athlete who accepts whatever role the coaches assign him.

Let’s hope Singler’s ankle and Smith’s knee are minor ailments.

Duke – Georgia Tech

As I noted last week: “The key to a winning season is an athletic version the early Clint Eastwood film: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”—you have to find a way to win them “Any which Way But (don’t) Loose”. (Sorry for the puns. I’m an Eastwood fan.) The Penn game was winning “Good”; the Clemson game was winning “Ugly”; and my fear is that the Georgia Tech game in Atlanta Saturday, just three days after flying to Chicago to play Iowa State, will be “Bad”— especially if Coach K stays with the seven man rotation he used against Clemson.”

When Singler goes 2-13 and Smith 4-10 for nine points each, Duke is not going to beat many of the more talented ACC teams. Let’s consider other numbers: a team that commits 24 fouls is giving an opponent a huge opportunity for easy, uncontested points; and only getting to the line 14 times (vs. 28 for Tech) and hitting 64% (instead of 75%) is just not taking advantage of a gift—and a sign that you are not playing the attacking basketball that is one of the benchmarks of Duke Basketball. These are the signs of a tired, sluggish team—Singler, in particular, appeared not himself.

Despite all that went wrong, this was a winnable game. Duke was up 6 at half time and came out flat to begin the second half and just let the momentum slip away. That is a cardinal sin on the road where the crowd is so important. Nevertheless, Scheyer and the Plumlees kept Duke right in the game until the very end when Georgia Tech converted a couple of air balls (forced by good defense) for buckets– that was tipping point—and hitting six straight free throws to seal the deal. Tech deserved the win.

Regrettable, against big, stronger, more athletic competition, Zoubek has reverted to his immobile, a beat late, former self—and Lawal (8-9) 21 points and 9 rebounds is a real load for most any college player to defend. The good news is that Mason Plumlee had his best game and adds a multiplicity of skills on both ends when he is on the floor. It is obvious that he and his brother have very good chemistry and in close games it is a real advantage to have the two brothers and Lance Thomas rotating in the power positions. That plus Singler and/or Smith just scoring a normal amount of points and this team is much less vulnerable to being beaten. However, the cold truth is that on offense Singler has only shown flashes of the All American player most commentators expected this year. Fortunately, Scheyer is having that kind of year but until Kyle’s shots start falling, there will be a lot of games like this against UNC, Florida State, Georgetown, Wake, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Maryland.

Duke – Wake Forest

Tonight’s game against Wake Forest was much closer than the final score but the more disciplined, better conditioned, better defensive team won. My Defensive Index (differential of rebounds, turnovers, steals, and blocks) was +13 for the Blue Devils who also got to the line 32 times and shot 81% vs. 25 times & 60% for Wake. Those stats pretty much tell the story and anyone who thinks that Duke is a finesse team that is not physically tough needs to watch a tape of this game. While the refs tried to get control of the physical play early on, they never really did and probably never will until someone deals with instigator of dirty play, Chas McFarland—or he graduates. The guy makes Big East games look like a ballet. And if Kyle Singler’s wrist is injured (think Gerald Henderson), it probably will never truly heal until after the season which would be a devastating blow to this team.

I thought two plays were the tipping point that broke the game open: a conventional three by Singler quickly followed by an old fashion three by Scheyer which turned a three point lead into nine. Singler (21 pts. 14 rebs.), incidentally, seemed more comfortable tonight as he played more of an outside/inside game by taking his smaller defender into the paint more often than he has in other games.

This win against another big, strong, athletic team gave us occasional glimpses of how good this Duke team can be if Miles (19 pts.-14 rebs. 1 blk.) and Mason (11 pts.-7 rebs. 2 blks.) Plumlee continue to improve, stay healthy, and stay out of foul trouble. The team is much more athletic and more formidable offensively and defensively when both Plumlees are on the floor together. Thomas and Zoubek have their strengths and roles but clearly are not as talented. And it really doesn’t matter who starts, what matters is who gets the major minutes and is on the floor at crucial times.

Duke – North Carolina State

In a game all too reminiscent of the Clemson game last year, N. C. State played with the purpose and efficiency of the #7 team in the country and Duke played like an out-of-synch, unranked team. After playing so well against Wake Forest, Miles and Mason Plumlee were missing in action (2 points & 4 rebounds in only 23 minutes vs. 30 points & 25 rebounds). Miles Plumlee was undressed by Tracy Smith early and often, setting the template for the rest of the game.

To make matters even worse, Duke’s early turnovers and fouls gave State and their home crowd an advantage and confidence they never relinquished. Nolan Smith made a sensational buzzer beater three (catching a loose ball in mid air at the top of the key and in one motion draining a long three) to bring Duke to within three points to end the half. However, Duke started the second half like they did against the loss to Georgia Tech and were quickly down double digits. As we all know, Coach K’s teams over the years have lived and died with tough man to man defense. Tonight, they died as State scored virtually at will. Five minutes into the second half, he finally went to a 1-2-2 zone for a few minutes but nothing worked very well tonight.

My Defensive Index was a minus 18 against Duke as the team was outshot 58% vs. 38%. To defend and shoot like this in the middle of the season with a tough stretch of games coming up is not encouraging. The blunt truth is that Scheyer has been the catalyst for the team winning ways (and covering for some other weaknesses) by playing like an All-American point guard but has not for the last four games; Singler has never consistently been the offensive force envisioned at the beginning of the year; the Plumlees have had their moments but either get into foul trouble or K’s doghouse and their play is like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates–“You never know what you’re gonna get.” Z Man and Thomas work hard but are complementary role players who will not take their team deep into the NCAA Tournament; Dawkins and Kelly have all but disappeared from any meaningful minutes; and, at the present time, only Nolan Smith has consistently played championship caliber basketball. However, if any one can affect a turnaround, it is Coach K—as he did last year.

I’m “Old School” on many levels and really dislike what expansion has done to ACC Basketball. Not to play emotional, intense games like tonight’s against natural, historic rivals like State, Wake, Maryland, Clemson, UVA twice a season while substituting Miami, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Florida State) is just so shortsighted (not to mention unfair in determining the regular season champion) on so many levels, it defies explanation and comprehension.

Duke – Clemson

After the lackluster performance against N.C. State (lost to Maryland tonight by 24), psychologically and statistically this was a very challenging and critical game for Duke. Next to Cameron, Littlejohn Coliseum is the most difficult ACC venue for an opponent. Nevertheless, if I were a betting man I would have doubled down on Duke and given points just because I have seen this movie before and know what Coach K demands from his teams after a loss. And this was a motivational Trifecta: the listless loss to State compounded by conventional wisdom that, unlike most Duke teams, the 2.010 version cannot win on the road compounded by the embarrassing loss last year to the Tigers in which K called a timeout with seconds to go just so his players would never forget the humiliating score and the derisive roar of the home crowd.

Clemson’s defense is baseline to baseline hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to physically and emotionally wear opponents down and take break their will. After twelve minutes neither team was giving an inch and the score was 13-13 (23-23 at the half) as the Blue Devils were strong and quick in their half court defense but terrible offensively. Games like this when a team’s shots are not falling are a test of confidence, perseverance, and tenacity. After the State game, Coach K commented that the first three defensive stands to start the second half usually determine how the rest of the game unfolds. Well, tonight after less than two minutes into the last twenty minutes, Duke was suddenly up six points (forcing Coach Purnell to call a time out) as they forced five turnovers and continued on to a patented 14-2 run. Unlike most teams facing the Clemson press, Duke did not play race horse basketball. Instead, they attacked it patiently which, among other things, took the jacked up ESPN Game Day crowd out of their look-at-me-I’m-on-TV hysteria. After a sloppy eleven turnover first half, the Blue Devils only had one turnover in the second half to calmly protect their lead. My Duke Defensive Index was +15 as the Blue Devils harassed the Tigers into shooting only 37.5% from the field with only two threes.

Offensively, Nolan Smith (22) just took the game over with an assist from Singler (12), who was successful flashing down low and the steady but still searching for his suddenly on vacation jump shot Scheyer (11). However, the unsung hero was Lance Thomas, who not only played tough defense against Booker but also scored 13 points to go with 7 rebounds and a steal. Miles Plumlee had a game high 8 boards but Zoubek again struggled to finish shots at the rim and latch onto loose balls. It remains a mystery to me why the Z-Man usually plays more minutes than Miles and Mason Plumlee, who only played eight tonight. A further mystery is that Andre Dawkins did not play at all. Are they injured or in the dog house? If anyone knows the answer to these questions, please let me know.

It was reported that Coach Oliver Purnell kept telling his players that Duke would wilt and tire and fade at the end of the game. Didn’t happen tonight. There is a brutal stretch of tough games coming up. Fortunately, all the conference games are at Cameron except BC, UNC, Miami, and UVA, & Md. So, it will be interesting to see if this team rediscovers their offense and stays fresh into the NCAA Tournament because 60 points is not going to win every game. There are times when it appears that if you just give the ball to Nolan Smith and clear out a side and let him operate a la Michael Jordan, he could get 60 points himself. The cat quick guard has a clever repertoire of moves and shots you rarely see in college basketball.

Duke – Florida State

Florida State has one of the tallest, most intimidating defensive front courts in college basketball and leads the nation in field goal percentage defense, holding its opponents to 35.5%. However, unlike Wake, Georgia Tech, and Clemson, they do not have a true point guard and are bricklayers from the free throw line. If Tony Douglas was still playing, they would be one of the elite teams in the country. Since he isn’t, the Seminoles are a formidable but erratic, one dimensional opponent. The obvious strategy to beat them is to press them full court, which is not the primary strength of this Duke team, so that they have difficulty getting into their half court, low post offense. When the Blue Devils force 22 turnovers and 10 steals, they should win most games. And when they run their offense like they did for all but six minutes in the second half (when they appeared to run out of gas but seemed energized but briefly going to a 1-2-2 zone), they are hitting on all cylinders. My Duke Defensive Index was just +2 as the Devils were out rebounded by 9. But Duke made 12-17 (71%) free throws while FSU made only 6-14 (43%).

The three S-Men had 53 of the 70 points. However, Lance Thomas made contributions that did not show up on the stat sheet and Zoubek was unusually effective against players as big but more athletic. In many ways, this was as impressive an all round performance as the team has had all season.

17-3 and Looking Ahead: Clemson coach Oliver Purnell on his strategy against Duke: “We were monitoring minutes during the game and recognized that Scheyer and Singler had not been out of the game. With our style and all of that, it was something we were trying to do at the end. And quite honestly, they looked bushed. But I give them all the credit in the world. With tremendous mental toughness, those two, along with Smith and their other guys hung in there when they were tired.” Coach Krzyzewski expressed confidence that superior conditioning is keeping his top players from wearing down. Scheyer and Singler played 40 minutes each Saturday, and Smith played 37. “They’re in great shape. They finished the game, and all three of them, they could have played another 20 minutes.” Well maybe, but the question is: Can they keep doing it game after tough game deep into the season in a league that is very well balanced?

Coach K has forgotten more basketball than I will ever know. However, the facts are that since 2001 Duke’s teams have had disappointing results (for them) in the NCAA Tournament. Conventional wisdom is that Coach K has relied on too short a rotation that left his players drained by a long, tough regular season and ACC Tournament. There’s an old saying that fatigue makes cowards of us all. In basketball, the first signs of fatigue are missed three point shoots, defensive lapses, and being beaten to loose balls. Then the coward–mental fatigue—kicks in. And all these factors are exacerbated by a long, draining season of tough physical games in which most ACC teams play pressing defenses. J J Redick’s post season play is a case in point.

In some years, because of the disparity of talent between the starters and the reserves, there has been little choice in the extended playing time of the stars like Redick, Williams, and Singler. That did not seem to be a problem earlier this year with Brian Zoubek, Mason Plumlee, Andre Dawkins, and Brian Kelly coming off the bench, but lately there is a reversion to the mean of a seven man rotation. However, an outsider has no way of knowing who is injured or what goes on in practice, the locker room, or the class room that may affect Coach K’s decisions about playing time.

Here’s the issue and challenge for the three Iron Duke S-Men strategy: Since the first Clemson game on January 3rd, Duke has played or will play thirteen games with only three days rest. Duke had another physical game tonight against Florida State after just returning from at Littlejohn Coliseum late Sunday. Meanwhile, Georgetown blew a double digit lead against Syracuse Monday and will have until Saturday to reflect on that embarrassment loss and recover and be fresh for a home game against the Blue Devils who have to study, go to class, and fly to DC. Clemson, on two days rest, travelled to bottom feeder Boston College and predictably played sluggishly and lost. Since this is a good but not great Duke team, it has achieved a lot when a lock down defense covers for its sometimes inconsistent offense. They can miss jump shots and still win—but not if the defense is half a step slow (ref. N.C. State game). So let’s hope Coach is right and Smith, Scheyer, and Singler are in great shape and do not need more than a day or two to recover, because there is no time off from here to the end of the season—whenever or wherever that may be.

Duke – Georgetown

This afternoon Georgetown put on a clinic of fundamentally sound and efficient basketball to totally dominate Duke on national television. I cannot remember the last time Duke played so poorly in a game of national importance as it may well have cost them the possibility of a number 1, 2, or even 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. (However, there are still ten games and the ACC Tournament left before the seedings are made.) The Blue Devils followed one of their best games of the season against Florida State by playing their worst game of the year. The score was no indication of the how badly they were out played on both ends of the floor (outshot an incredible 72% to 37%).

While disappointing in its nature, the loss itself is not all that surprising. As I noted after the FSU game: “Here’s the issue and challenge for the three Iron Duke S-Men strategy. Since the first Clemson game on January 3rd, Duke has played or will play thirteen games with only three days rest. Duke had another very physical game tonight against Florida State after just returning from at Littlejohn Coliseum late Sunday. Meanwhile, Georgetown blew a double digit lead against Syracuse Monday and will have until Saturday to reflect on that embarrassing loss and recover to be fresh for a home game against the Blue Devils, who have to study, go to class, and fly to DC. Clemson, on two days rest, travelled to bottom feeder Boston College and predictably played sluggishly and lost.” But that’s an explanation not an excuse. Quick turn arounds are what tournament basketball is all about. Fortunately, this was not a one and done game.

What is of more concern is that at this stage of the season the team does not appear to be improving. The interior defense is better this year but the Committee of Big Men has yet to prove that they can score consistently as they should have today when they had a size advantage. And they make far too many silly fouls. Today, all of them got into early foul trouble disrupting the rotation and putting the Hoyas on the foul line. It is getting too late in the season for this to be happening. Players have to understand how the game is being called and this refereeing team was calling it like an ACC game from the sixties not a Big East game from the John Thompson Era. Zoubek is a senior and Academic All American and he had two fouls in two minutes. It was that kind of game for everyone. Duke played as though they had pulled all nighters for exam week and Georgetown played as though they just came off spring break.

There is not much margin of error for this team. When the Iron Duke S-Men settle for jump shots and miss and don’t attack the basket and there is not much low post offensive production, the team has to play lock down defense or it is virtually impossible for them to win. For whatever reason, Kyle Singler playing on the wing is not shooting and scoring as scripted. Nolan Smith is enigmatic in that there are times like the first half today when he is missing in action and does not assert himself as he did against Clemson. And I can’t figure out what’s going on with Mason Plumlee. He has gone from being a projected starter to playing eight to ten minutes as game and often looking lost out there. Today, when Lance Thomas fouled out Ryan Kelly, who just is not ready for prime time, not Mason was the substitute. What’s that all about? Miles is still green and somewhat of a bull in a china shop and fouls too much but is strong, athletic, and energetic. Lance is more productive that anyone thought he would be but gives up a lot of size and weight. Andre Dawkins has apparently hit the wall and, when he gets minutes, is playing like a freshman. Only Jon Scheyer is playing better than anticipated but, as good as he has been, he cannot carry this team alone. It will be interesting what changes, if any, Coach K makes for the tough home stretch of the season.

I’m not a fan of celebrities in the broadcast booth because it is a distraction from the event. The ubiquitous President Obama made a an appearance with announcers Verne Lindquist and Clark Kellogg, who spent about five minutes chatting with the president about such fascinating subjects as many points Obama’s brother-in-law scored on Kellogg in a Princeton-Ohio State game thirty years ago, while mostly ignoring the action on the floor. In was bad enough to have the game relegated to a small window on the screen and be subjected to tape of Obama scrimmaging with Carolina last year, but to hear Obama refer to the pedestrian Kellogg as the best college basketball analyst makes you realize that he is just another politician–or he hasn’t listened to Jay Bilas. Fortunately, Obama did not bring his seatmate, Vice President Joe Biden; otherwise, the interruption would have been much longer and much less knowledgeable.

Duke – Georgia Tech

Since I just returned from being out of town and am pressed for time, I am including my buddy Alan’s assessment of the G-Tech game– an outstanding team effort featuring Singler’s Larry Bird impression. Needless to say, if Kyle can consistently hit just 40% from three point land for the rest of the season, there will be more and easier wins.

Note: I met Alan playing pickup basketball one afternoon in 1956 in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Love of basketball (augmented by an off-the-chart intelligence and infectious sense of humor) have been the common denominators that has kept our friendship alive and well all these years. After Duke, Alan went to Columbia Law, then to Venice Beach where he “decompressed” as a public defender, played in tennis tournaments, and met Wilt Chamberlain, who invited him to live in his infamous house with a retractable roof.

But I digress, that’s a whole other story. Since then Alan, has been a criminal defense attorney as well as a life long competitive distance runner. Our post game comments are something Alan and I have been exchanging for years.

Alan comments:

The box score is revealing about this game, which was very even – with the exception of Singler going 8-10 from 3 point land. All else discloses no advantage. Of course, the score dictates how teams play and affects statistics, but still:

Shooting from the field: Tech 24-49; Duke 25-56

Fouls committed: Tech 27 Duke 25

Steals by: Tech 7 Duke 6

Blocks: Tech 2 Duke 1

Assists by: Tech 12 Duke 15

Turnovers by Tech 15 Duke 12

Duke’s advantages were rebounding 40-32 with a 17-12 lead in offensive rebounds (can you say Zoubek – 4 offensive rebounds in 13 minutes. Total of 7), foul shooting (Tech was a miserable 16-28 while Duke was only 67% at 24-36) and DRUM ROLL PLEASE, 3 point shooting. Tech was 3- 12 (9 points on 12 shots) while Duke was 12 -18 (36 points on 18 shots) Even without Singler, Duke was 4-8 (2 for Scheyer and 1 each for the big guy freshmen, Kelly and Mason. Nolan missed his only attempt; Davidson missed one and Scheyer and Singler each missed 2. That, of course was the huge difference in the ball game. This is especially true because Duke’s rebounding edge is not a measure of the rebounding talents of the two teams. Georgia Tech was gutted by the sub-par performances of their two foul plagued stars, Favor and Lawal. Lawal played just 16 minutes (4 fouls) with 6 boards and 9 points (3-8 from the foul line). Favor played the majority of the second half totally 8 points, 7 boards and a block. If Tech has those two for the whole game without foul trouble, it is a very different game.

Saturday is a big game (aren’t they all in this crazy ACC season) because Duke needs to demonstrate that the team can shoot well on the road. All the road losses have had the component of bad Duke shooting. The “wet dream” is that Singler’s performance is his “coming out party” and he will be the player (shooter) for the rest of the year that he was anticipated to be coming into the season. Scheyer is returning to form. He played really well. He is turning the ball over now quite a bit more than earlier in the season (3 last night), but still is very efficient with the ball (7 assists and a couple of other gorgeous passes). The big guys are still an enigma – inconsistent play. Miles was disappointing. 10 minutes; 3 fouls, 1-4 from the field and 0-2 from the line with one board. Ryan Kelly played a valuable 7 minutes. He hit a 3, grabbed 4 boards. He also rotated well on defense, which does not show up in the stat sheet. His best game; he looked comfortable with the ball against Tech’s press. Mason looked terrible in the beginning (bull in a china shop), and then made some spectacular plays. In one short sequence, he secured a fabulous rebound, hit a long open 3 and drove the lane for a stuff. And let’s not forget he is an excellent passer (though still trying to do too much). He made one long cross court pass to Scheyer in the far corner, who hit one of his 3s, that was extraordinary. But he fouled out in 18 minutes with just those 5 points, one rebound, and one assist. He was a liability for the rest of the time he was on the court. Lance was – once again – an unsung hero. He played 33 minutes and garnered 11 boards (5 on offense; and he passes out for full extra possessions) and played solid or better defense. But he is no scoring threat (1-2 from the field and 4-4 from the line). However, one feels comfortable when he has the ball. He does lots of little things.

We will see down the road about the rotation. Scheyer and Smith each played 39 minutes with Davidson – not Dawkins – replacing each briefly. The Dawkins story is not public and I don’t know what it is, but I do know he has more potential for Duke than Davidson does. Hopefully, this will be another K coaching genius motivating move. On to BC.

Duke – Boston College

Duke played well for about a game and a half this week. Up by ten today at the half, they started the final twenty minutes lethargically and ineffectively and were inconsistent after that (especially after Thomas fouled out) to barely hold on by three as Smith and Scheyer free throws probably saved the day against a team at the bottom of the league standings. My Defensive Index was +9; however, Duke played, shot, and defended like a tired team in the second half. The three Iron Duke S Men, who are the highest scoring trio in college basketball this year, scored all but twelve of the points—not a script for tournament longevity. But, Coach K put the two games in “season body of work” perspective: “We got better this week. To add something to our offense, win two games, and to win them in 43 hours, I like that about our team.” Zoubek had the best game of the big men– especially, his last second defensive play of the game as he hustled his big frame from under the basket to force Trapani to dribble and hoist an off-balance line drive three point shot which missed badly. With the Virginia loss to Wake, the ACC Regular Season Championship is on Duke’s racquet—all they have to do is hold serve.

Once again, the game looked like a typical Big East cage fight. I believe that all Duke’s opponents (except Carolina) are convinced that Duke is soft and the way to beat them is to be overly physical with them. It makes for ugly basketball and someone is going to get hurt. The refs are calling a lot of fouls but the calls are inconsistent and a lot of rough stuff is overlooked.

Duke – North Carolina

It’s February, the homestretch of the regular basketball season when the college contenders are separated from the pretenders. Seniors have an extra sense of urgency as they realize this is their last time around and young players either step up or falter under the pressure. The only thing Carolina, which has been in an inexplicable free fall, had going for them was home court advantage and a bench full of McDonald All Americans but no point guard majoring in Chemistry. In addition, the Heels were away from Chapel Hill for four days as they had to travel straight from losing in Charlottesville to College Park (to beat the snow storm) and then get blown out by Maryland. But this is Duke and Carolina, so anything can happen—and almost did.

As mentioned before, a successful basketball season is an athletic version the early Clint Eastwood film: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly—you have to find a way to win games any which way you can. Well, this game was all three for the Blue Devils. It was good the first four minutes with Duke going up by six but both bad and ugly offensive basketball for the middle thirty minutes before a good last six minutes as Duke won by a deceptive score of 65-54.

The turning point of the game was deep into the second half when the Tar Heels had somehow clawed their way to a rare four point lead and the Smith Center was (for it) in full frenzy. Coach K went small with Andre Dawkins and Mason Plumlee to go with the Three S Men. Mason Plumlee broke a tie with a sensational, athletic rebound and reverse dunk with four minutes to go; senior Zoubek made a terrific handoff pass to Singler for a layup; senior Scheyer was in his Player of the Year mode (24-5-4-2-1) as he iced the game with two back breaking threes, a drive, and a nice fast break assist to Smith; and Duke played lock down defense on UNC (which is a lot easier this year than in years past). Duke’s offense was mostly awful as they shot 32% from the floor and 61% from the line. The big men rebounded well but got stuffed at the rim (12 UNC blocks). Scheyer and Singler carried the Blue Devils the first half as Smith had no points. Fortunately, Nolan heated up in the second with ten points.

The bad news is that Lance Thomas, a much improved player who has been a vital but underrated component of this team, appeared to have seriously injured his knee.

Bottom line: I still can’t decide whether Duke is a contender or a pretender. They looked more like a pretender (except for their relentless defense against the taller Tar Heels and were +12 on my Defensive Index) on offense for much of the game until they closed out Carolina like a contender. So, I guess my take is still that with the Three Iron Duke S Men (40, 40, 39 minutes tonight) and Coach K, you can never count this team out– as some may have tonight. However, it sure would be easier to be a contender if the Committee of Big Men would chip in with more points.

Duke – Maryland

What a tough scenario for Coach Gary Williams and his Maryland team: A big game for first place in the conference, Coach K’s 63^rd birthday and 1,000^th game at Duke, 100 former players and staff in the house, and at Cameron. Call a Medic. It was another TKO (remember last year’s 41 point loss) for the Terps, who were never ahead and down double digits after the first few minutes.

The best birthday present was that Lance Thomas is not out for the season able to play. The next best present was Brian Zoubek playing above the rim and having a career game of 16 points and 17 rebounds and only 3 fouls in 22 minutes as the Committee of Big Men scored 29 points and gathered 27 rebounds. Boy, winning is a lot easier when the Big Men produce like this!

The way to neutralize this Maryland offense is to force Vasquez into double teams so that he has to give up the ball and can neither drive nor shoot off the dribble. If a team can keep him out of the lane where he is very creative and most lethal, Maryland’s offense becomes a lot less formidable. Duke’s defense completely forced Maryland out of its half court offense as Nolan Smith and Singler did a terrific job limiting Greivis to only two points in the first half.

It is not how many points a player scores so much as when they score them. In most games, Jon Scheyer is a good model of this axiom. Today, he helped shoot Duke to their lead then orchestrated the offense until Maryland made a mini-run in the second half before he asserted himself again by making several key baskets and free throws to ice the game with his 22 points. It was nothing as dramatic as what he did at Carolina, but it was typical of Scheyer’s approach to the game. By contrast, it wasn’t until the Terps were down twenty or so in the second half that Vasquez scored his most of his 17 points and by that time the game was essentially over. Vasquez is a mercurial talent, who can be very exciting; Scheyer is less exciting but the more valuable team player.

After the game, Coach Williams was analytical and accurate in his assessment of Coach K’s tenure: “Mike Krzyzewski is Duke Basketball. He’s created a thing that very few schools have and so that when you think of Duke Basketball, you think of Coach K. The way his players play, the effort they give every game; I’ve seen Duke a few times not play well, but I’ve always seen the effort there. That would characterize the way Mike’s teams play, whatever players they have, and they have good players, they’re usually out there playing hard, working hard and playing for each other. I think that to be able to do that for 30 years is an accomplishment, given the fact that it wasn’t that way when he got here. He had to turn that around and he did a great job in doing that and then sustained it, which just might be just as tough.”

This approach is what we saw from Duke today executing at their best and what we saw, in particular, from Brian Zoubek, not the most talented player but one who is relentless nevertheless.

Undefeated in Cameron, Duke has played like contenders at home; but only 7-4 away from home, they have played more like pretenders on the road. This was a very important game in that it separated Duke from the rest of the field in the loss column and set the stage for them to win the regular season–if they can silence the critics and play like contenders on the road.

Duke – Miami

This game was a Tale of Two Halves. When was the last time Duke only scored 25 points in the first half? We all know that Coach K stresses finishing the first half strong, starting the second half strong, and finishing the game strong. Well, Duke did not finish the first half strong as they let Miami extend their lead to twelve in the last minutes. To add insult to injury, Scheyer shot a three too quickly and Scott went the length of the floor for a two at the buzzer. At half time, Alan emailed me: “State, Georgetown Redux? (Don’t you hate a showoff—and he isn’t even Catholic). I’m so glad basketball games have two halves.”

Raise your hand if you saw the season passing in front of your eyes and all the critics jumping on the narrative of Duke not being able to win on the road and another late season fade. Apparently, Coach K said something like that because Singler’s nine straight points led a surge that had the Blue Devils pulling even after four minutes and going on a 22-5 run to a comfortable lead they never relinquished. After scoring just 9 points in the first twenty minutes the Iron Duke S Men scored 49 of the 56 second half points. That plus Nolan Smith’s second half defense on Scott put the game away. Despite those impressive numbers, Zoubek might have been the most valuable player. Without his scoring, passing, and steals, Duke might not have scored 15 points in the first half. As Alan points out, the Z-Man is playing far better than anyone expected.

One disconcerting note is that Scheyer has been hindered the last three weeks with a sore back. However, even when he was Oh-for-the half, he had 5 steals at Miami’s end and with four fouls successfully defended a three-on-one break—and he had 15 crucial points in the second half.

The VT and Maryland games are critical because they also play each other.

Duke – Virginia Tech

Playing thirty-four minutes of tough defense when your shots are not falling is the characteristic of a tough, tenacious, resourceful team that hates to lose. And that is what Duke did against Va. Tech until their shots started falling in the last six minutes. No one was more tenacious than Singler (10 rebs) and Zoubek (16 rebs). We have come to expect that kind of production from Kyle but, until recently, not Brian. After a 17 rebound game against Maryland, and a terrific all round game against Miami, Brian is playing like the real deal. Who would have thunk it? Not me.

Early in the season, I wrote that if Duke had to rely on Zoubek as a starter, they were in trouble. Well, what center in the ACC is playing better? The Z Man has always had good hands and is an exceptionally savvy passer in the post. Unlike most big men, after getting an offensive rebound, he looks to pass not shoot and usually finds one of the S Men for an open three. It may have been that in the last two years his development was handicapped by broken or injured feet, because now he is all over the court making plays, not a statue under the basket. For three years, it seemed that the refs called Zoubek two fouls on him before he even got off the bench just because, well, just because he was 7’ 1’’ and an easy target. But as he has started playing better, the same refs seem to be giving him more respect. And, of course, unlike the Plumlee brothers, he is playing smarter, staying out of cheap foul trouble, and available for many more minutes.

How does a team shoot 29% and still win? They hit 10 threes, 21 free throws, hold an opponent to 33% from the field, 2 threes, out rebound the them by 9—and make plays in the down the stretch. It is not so much how many but rather when you make plays.

Teams usually reflect the personality of their coach. Seth Greenburg rarely gets a McDonald’s All American player so he signs talented but flawed players and late bloomers. He coaches with a New York playground attitude and his players play with a chip on their shoulder, a lot of woofing, and an intimidating physicality better suited for the Big East than the ACC. But that is more and more the case with the league since expansion. As I have pointed out, the referees need to take better control of games early in the contest before they get out of hand.

After road trips to UVA, Maryland, and a home date with Carolina, we will have a better idea of how well the Iron Duke S Men are holding up. Fortunately, the load has gotten a lot lighter since Brian Zoubek has emerged as another essential piece of the puzzle that has changed the character and chemistry of this team.

Duke – Tulsa

It is becoming more and more apparent that the emergence of Brian Zoubek, who is now playing up to his size, has changed the character and tournament prospects of this Duke team. No longer is the center position manned by a Committee of Big Men. Zoubek is playing like a committee all by himself. His defense, offensive rebounding (consider the math of consistently getting more field goal attempts than an opponent) and passing has allowed the team to shoot in the thirty percentile and still win. Of course, three point shots, which this team prefers, are worth fifty per cent more than the duce, so this seemingly low shooting percentage is somewhat deceiving. But as long as Nolan Smith plays lock down defense on an opposing point guard and the rest of the defense does their job, this is now a less vulnerable team– especially when their shots are not falling. And when the shots are falling, they can beat anyone.

Another interesting dynamic is that Thomas and Zoubek are mentoring the Plumlees brothers on the nuances of playing Duke Basketball. At the beginning of the season I thought the Plumlees should be starters because the combination of their size and athleticism was an upgrade over the seniors. It has turned out that the seniors are bringing mature, subtle talents to the floor that do not always appear on the stat sheet and that the talented but raw Plumlees are finally showing signs of “getting it” by watching more accomplished teammates playing the majority of minutes of winning basketball, then making the most of their diminished minutes.

Tonight’s game also was yet another example of what we have come to expect from the Coach K winning basketball model: recruit solid citizens who are fundamentally sound players; seniors mentor the young players on the Duke Basketball culture; play tough, relentless defense; never give up on a play (say hello to Kyle Singler and Lance Thomas); get to the foul line and hit the free throws; start the second half strong (a 10-0 run last night); and finish strong.

I always admired Len Elmore as a player for Lefty at Maryland and like him just as much as a commentator. Tonight, his comments demonstrated once again that he knows the game, does his homework, and is not in love with his own voice.

Duke – Virginia

Tonight was basically a scrimmage because UVA was on a seven game losing streak and Sylven Landesberg, their best player, was unable to play due to an injured thigh. Coach K substituted liberally (for him) as he undoubtedly wanted to have his players as fresh as possible for next week’s two critical, final games. The path to an ACC Regular Season Championship and quite possibly a number one seed in the NCAA Championship is clear: beat Maryland and Carolina. Duke was ranked number five in last week’s polls and number four Purdue first lost Robbie Hummel, their best player, for the season with a torn ACL, then Saturday lost to Michigan State. A number one seed is a huge advantage in both the ACC and the NCAA Tournaments, so the Blue Devils have the opportunity to determine the degree of difficulty in each venue.

Clearly, Kyle Singler has become more comfortable playing on the wing, has more developed more rhythm and confidence in his jump shot, and is now the complete package we all expected at the beginning of the season; Jon Scheyer has played like an All American in all aspects of the game all year; despite the fact that Nolan Smith often starts games slow offensively, he finishes them fast and his lock down pressure on opposing point guards is the starting point for the Duke defense; Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek are playing at a higher level than I ever imagined; and the Plumlees have been consistently inconsistent but lately seem to be getting the idea of how to play Duke Basketball; Dawkins and Kelly are not quite ready for prime time.

It is not quite one and done time but still maintaining the momentum of playing well and winning is very important to post season success.

Duke – Maryland

Tonight, Maryland started fast and finished fast and Duke didn’t. Maryland has played very impressive basketball since they lost to Duke by 21 three weeks ago in Cameron– especially the recent miracle win over Georgia Teach and a triple overtime win against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. So, it is not surprising that the Terps were at their best at home on senior night in front of Maryland fans who have never forgotten Duke scoring ten points in the last minute to tie, then win in overtime against the Juan Dixon-Lonnie Baxter-Steve Blake team or the twenty some point comeback in the 2001 NCAA semi-final game. The Terrapins are 8-12 against Duke in the last nine years, but were 7-6 during one stretch. The Blue Devils, however, had won six straight coming into Wednesday’s game. If Duke – North Carolina is the number 1 rivalry in college basketball, Duke- Maryland is 1A in student and fan intensity. Gary Williams deserves a lot of credit with what he has accomplished with this team. Virtually every year he is competitive, usually without the benefit of top tier talent. He works hard for every win—and his teams reflect that mind set.

After being thoroughly outplayed for most of the first half, the Blue Devils went to a 1-2-2 zone that handcuffed the Terps and made a 19-7 run to cut a 14 point deficit to 2 at the half. Duke started the final 20 minutes strong—usually a good omen– but let a 5 point lead slip away to a 5 point deficit. Yet the score was still tied with two minutes to go. Then, Scheyer and Smith couldn’t get their shots to fall and Vasquez did with two off balance circus shots to seal the win. Sometimes the ball just does not want to fall for you but does for your opponent.

Missed open threes (live by the three; die by the three), drives that wouldn’t fall, and two consecutive bad calls—one back court that was highly questionable and the other travelling on Scheyer that clearly wasn’t—at a crucial juncture late in the second half didn’t help. Nevertheless, no excuses. This was an important, winnable game-–one that a championship team should win. However, that is difficult when you are outshot 50%-40% from the floor; 90%-63% from the line; 46%-37% from beyond the arc; have no rebounding edge; and no easy transition points. So, from the stats it is obvious that Maryland executed better, was more efficient, and deserved the win. It is a credit to the Blue Devils tenacity that a game played in the second most difficult venue in the ACC was not decided until the last minute.

As disappointing as this important game was, Duke still has the opportunity to be the ACC Co-Champion and be the number one seed in the ACC Tournament.

Duke – North Carolina

Senior night is an emotional event in Cameron so it is often difficult for the seniors not to press but rather to control their emotions, relax, and let the game come to them. The Duke seniors (and juniors) did just that tonight as they saved some of their best basketball for the last game of the regular season. The first three times down the court the Three Iron Duke S-Men all hit threes, the defense shut UNC down, and the Blue Devils never looked back or let up. They led 29-9 after ten minutes and 53-26 at the half. If it was a prize fight, the ref would have called a TKO and stopped it. The final score was 82-50 as the Blue Devils went17-0 at home for the first time in their history to tie Maryland for their 19th regular season ACC Championship– and 12^th under Coach K.

Guess what, pundits? These are not the numbers of a basketball program in decline.

On the other hand, it is hard to believe that the opponent is the same proud program and coach that won the NCAA Championship last year. Their top six players graduated, but still, Roy has been one of the very best recruiters in the country for decades, so his cupboard has rarely been bare and they are still loaded with McDonald’s All Americans—even if not the right mix. In all fairness, Carolina has been plagued by mediocre, inconsistent point guard play and the lack of three point scoring all season and, more recently, by a rash of injuries.

These issues plus the fact that the Blue Devils were coming off a difficult, disappointing loss at Maryland and the seniors had never beaten Carolina at Cameron made for a potentially bad night for the Tar Heels—and was it ever. It was the largest winning margin against Carolina in Cameron in the history of the storied rivalry. And it might have been worse if Duke had not taken the air out of the ball in the last six minutes.

Despite his most disappointing and (self proclaimed) depressing season, Coach Williams demonstrated another reason–respect (at least by the coaches)–why this is the greatest, longest running basketball rivalry in the country as he was most gracious and complementary toward his opponent in his post game comments: “I do want to congratulate their seniors particularly Jon Scheyer. He is a young man that I’ve really enjoyed watching play– except against us. To go from a quote shooting guard to one of the primary ball handlers and have seven assist and zero turnovers, that’s sensational. I’ve really enjoyed him as a college basketball player and think he stands for so many great things. Lance Thomasdoesn’t shoot it very much, but he does all the dirty work and really helps their team. Brian Zoubek, especially down the stretch, tonight he had 13 rebounds, that’s three of the last four games that he’s had double-figure rebound totals. Their senior night was so emotional. It was a very positive experience for them and a very negative experience for us. A great senior night for them; their crowd was sensational. This is the best Duke team I’ve seen in the seven seasons since I returned to North Carolina. They have no holes.”

Tonight was another confirmation that the emergence of Zoubek during February and March as a solid, efficient presence (and even force) in the paint has filed a void (since Sheldon Williams graduated) that makes Duke a much more formidable team and has fueled the 9-1 run to finish the regular season. It is not only his protection of the basket, his offensive and defensive rebounding (he had 13 tonight) but also his calm passing out of the post and massive picks on the perimeter that make the team much more versatile and a lot less vulnerable.

The games are much easier when (unlike the Maryland game) the balls on the rim roll in not out; you shoot 46% from the floor while holding an opponent to 33%; shoot 96% from the line; have 7 more threes; 12 more rebounds; 5 fewer turnovers; and 2 more steals.

Some random thoughts: There are times like when Nolan Smith left Drew II looking like a statue as he froze him and drove past him for a transition basket that Nolan looks virtually unstoppable….For the last half of the season Kyle Singler has been playing offensively like we all thought he would at the beginning of the season but he is no more ready for the pros than Gerald Henderson, who rarely gets playing for an “also ran” Charlotte team…Did Coach K actually hug Miles Plumlee in front of the bench as the clock was still running after he deflected a ball, went on the floor at half court and passed it for a transition basket?..…The ESPN outside half time repartee between Digger Phelps, Bobby Knight, and Jay Bilas was more entertaining than the second half….Want to know why Jon Scheyer’s parents don’t miss any of his games? They bought a condo and moved part time to Durham from Chicago to watch their youngest child play– saving about 200K on tuition, room, and board sure must have helped ease the pain of the purchase….Andre Dawkins appears to be coming out of his playing funk, which might have been caused by Seth Curry, Stephan Curry’s brother, who is sitting out a year but on the practice squad and basically plays the same position….The best Cameron Crazie sign: “Eight miles isn’t far unless you’re crying.”…. With UNC having virtually no shot to win, it will be interesting to see what the effect is on attendance at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. To put the relative numbers in perspective, there are more UNC graduates living in North Carolina than there are Duke graduates in the world.

ACC TOURNAMENT

Duke – Virginia

Just when you think Duke’s season is gathering momentum, they start the game against Virginia very casually, without much sense of urgency, and shooting like Carolina. But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Tied at the half, Kyle Singler personally took over offensively to gain a working margin, and then Scheyer finally got untracked and scored seven straight points to put the game away. It was another prime example how important good defense is to a successful team, because without it, Duke could well have lost today.

Virginia’s performance was confirmation of my initial impression that Coach Tony Bennett is the third best coach in the ACC. Two weeks ago, playing for the first time without Sylven Landesberg, their best player (who has been suspended for neglecting to attend classes, which, unlike some schools, is taken seriously at UVA) the Hoos were blown out. Today, the Cavaliers were a different team as final score was not indicative of how tight the game was for

thirty- five of the forty minutes.

Some observations: Vasquez is a player I enjoy watching. It is like giving your teenage son the keys to your car. You don’t know whether he will wash it or wreck it. Scheyer is not nearly as exciting but you know he will wash not wreck your car. Today demonstrated the difference in style and substance between Jon and Greivis, both of whom had poor shooting stats. Down the stretch Scheyer scored seven straight points on good percentage shots while Vasquez was, well, Vasquez.

Mike Wise, a former college basketball player and now writer for the Washington Post, profiles Greivis this way:

“Greivis Vasquez, who never met a bad shot he didn’t like — or, for that matter, couldn’t make — finally lost a game of H-O-R-S-E to himself.

His step-back, unorthodox, shot put of a runner rimmed out. That “No, no, no, yes!” fallaway from the baseline wouldn’t fall. The three-point bomb that made the bench cringe until it swished through from 24 feet on the right wing? It went 23. And it did make the bench cringe.

Right away you think Kobe [Bryant] or something like that,” he said. “You see Evan Turner hit a game-winning shot for Ohio State. Or [Da’Sean] Butler [from West Virginia] making one, and you think, ‘That’s going to be me.’ And then you shoot and — Doh.”

Nothing was more telling from Greivis’s game than his errant, off-balance throw from behind the arc in the final minute. Trailing by only two, all Maryland needed was a field goal — or a drive toward the rack, where he could have drawn a foul and gotten to the free throw line.

In that instant, the allure of “Sports Center,” which he led off last week with his one-handed, no-angle runner that dumped Duke, became too much of a temptation.

It is moments such as these when young bucks need to heed some old-school wisdom: “A hero ain’t nothin’ but a sandwich.”

It’s never over until it’s over: How about North Carolina State!

The table is set with low seeds for the Blue Devils to run the table and win another ACC Championship. No excuses.

Duke – Miami

So far Duke’s play has been inconsistent but effective enough to win their games. For the second straight day, Kyle Singler (27 pts-8 rebs-6 assts-1 blk) played Batman and came to the rescue of his struggling, erratic shooting teammates who blew a double digit lead to fall behind 35-32 at the half on a Miami NBA three and a premature leaving-the-floor-like-they-won-the-game celebration for which losing teams are well known. If Singler was Batman, hitting two quick threes to start the second half, Scheyer (16 pts-6 rebs-4 assts-3 steals-1 blk) was Robin as he had the assists and threw in eight points of his own they —and good defense—personally shot Duke to a 15-0 run.

It was classic Duke Basketball: start the second half fast, get the other team in foul trouble, play good defense, and hit free throws. With Miami making a late charge and the game on the line, Zoubek, Scheyer, and Singler made 11 of 12 free throws. That’s how winning teams close out games.

In a combined 28 minutes, the Mason & Miles Plumlee (11 pts-7 rebs-2blks-1 steal) made several impressive plays as they appear to be getting more comfortable in their roles—and they seem to play better together….Andre Dawkins is playing better defense but his jump shot is still on vacation… Yesterday, when Scheyer was not shooting well, Coach K told him that if he wasn’t interested in playing, he should go sit in the stands with his parents and watch….After the game, Coach K was more generous. He said that Scheyer is like a batter who goes 0 for 4, then drives in the winning run…..During the 17-2 Miami run in the first half, Coach K got his first technical foul in years. It didn’t slow Miami down but in the second half the calls seemed more even as Miami was the team in foul trouble….The good news is that Kyle Singler is playing his best basketball. The bad news is that he probably is improving NBA draft status—but, hey, so did Henderson and all he has this year is a good courtside seat at Charlotte Bobcat games—and a large bank account.

Duke – Georgia Tech

Duke split the regular season games with Georgia Tech but the most recent was basically a blowout win at Cameron. While the Yellow Jackets are talented and big, they lack an accomplished play making guard, turn the ball over far too much, and are not proficient at the free throw line. Those deficiencies plus this was their fourth game in a row would seem to be a huge advantage for the Blue Devils. Anyway, that’s the way the game began as Duke started with a lot of energy, forcing Tech into five turnovers and no shots in the first five possessions while jumping to a 15-5 lead as Nolan Smith showed the full range of his offensive game. Unfortunately, Nolan was called for two early fouls and replaced by Andre Dawkins, who, fortunately, suddenly found his confidence as he hit a three, a pull up jumper, and a dunk down the lane.

Duke was up seven at the half but started the final twenty minutes with sloppy play—but so did Tech. However, the Blue Devils got into the bonus situation early and, while not making many field goals, hit most of their free throws. With five minutes to go, the Devils were up by nine. Then, against all the odds and to their credit, Tech cut into the lead until they were down only one with a minute to go.

I had noticed at the beginning of the game Nolan Smith was bringing the ball up court a lot and thought Coach K was giving Scheyer some on court breathers as he appeared to be wearing down and had not been shooting consistently well—even at the foul line. But Jon still wasn’t shooting well, even missing two free throws. So, with the game on the line, I thought Smith, who held the ball held the ball at the top of the key as the shot clock ran down, or Singler would take it to the rim looking for a basket and/or a foul. Well, with the defense packed in the lane, Scheyer suddenly came off a solid screen by Zoubek, Nolan hit him with in rhythm with a perfect pass, and Jon drained a three with just twenty seconds left on the clock—an appropriate exclamation point for a stellar four year career. Singler hit two free throws to seal the deal.

As Coach says, Jon is like a baseball player who goes 0-4 then drives in the winning run. Coach Hewitt saw the play this way. “At the end, Jon Scheyer made an unbelievable shot. If he was to take the shot, we wanted to force him to shoot from the right side so he had receive the pass and have to turn to face the basket to shoot a more difficult shot rather than shooting from the left side where he would flow more naturally into the shot. If he misses, we’re getting the rebound because it’s coming out long and we’re going to score and probably win the basketball game.”

Nolan Smith deserves a lot of credit. He is more comfortable as a slashing, scoring guard than as a point guard and everyone wants to be the hero and hit the winning shot. But selflessness and trusting your team mates is a characteristic of winning basketball—and no Duke player exemplifies that attitude more than Jon Scheyer. Another characteristic of Duke players is that they play hard and no one plays with more abandon and less concern for his personal well being than Kyle Singler. Kyle chased a loose ball to the sidelines, dove for it, and with one hand tossed it between his legs onto the court as he hurtled over the press row table just missing Dickie V but taking out ESPN announcer Dan Shulman with a cross body block. Monitors and drinks tumbled but, fortunately, no one was hurt. Only Shulman’s headset, chair, and dignity didn’t survive the crash.

This was Duke’s 9^th ACC Tournament title in the last12 years and ACC league record 18^th overall. That’s not good enough for The New York Times, which has never apologized for their inaccurate, slanderous coverage of the Duke Lacrosse case. As my buddy Alan emailed me this morning:

“The Times is full of derision. Headline on the sports page sidebar: “Duke’s Seed Says Contender, But the Record Begs to Differ”. “…don’t be surprised if the Blue Devils continue their six year streak of losing to lower seeds….This team has all the makings of an upset victim. Duke fattened its record on a down ACC and its biggest victory was arguably against No. 8 seed Gonzaga…Furthermore, they do not have much beyond their big 3…It is hard to believe that the Blue Devils have not made it [to the Final Four] since 2004. They last won a national championship in 2001. Expect both droughts to remain intact.”

Well, all I can say is that no matter what happens in the NCAA Tournament, Duke Basketball had a better decade than the New York Times. Go to the video tape or just look it up.

NCAA TOURNAMENT

Duke – California

I didn’t write anything about the first round game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff because it was blacked out in my area. Instead, it was the Georgia Tech game. I called DirecTV to buy their NCAA Tournament package so I could watch all of the Duke games uninterrupted, but it was not available this year. Belatedly, I worked my way through the confusing ncaa.com website and figured out how to access future games on my computer, so I could avoid those annoying interruptions of “look in’s” of other games.

Duke matched up well against Cal, because the Bears do not have much size on the front line so, obviously, getting the ball in the paint and attacking the rim was the game plan. One theory of breaking the will of an opponent is to attack their strength which in this case is Cal’s quick back court and shut down their leading scorer Jerome Randle, the Pac-10 player of the year. All this played right into Smith’s wheel house and he had his “A” game dialed up. No tired legs here nor with the big men as Zoubek (14 pts & 13 rebs), Thomas, and the Plumlees, both of whom have serious hops, dominated the lane at both ends. The bottom line is that Duke’s defense was suffocating and the offense diverse and efficient.

Duke was up 37-24 at the half and more or less cruised even though Scheyer and Singler were only 2-14 from beyond the arc. Nevertheless, Singler, his usual hustling self, was 5-6 inside the arc and Scheyer keyed a four point play with a steal and feed to Smith. On one hand, it was good to see the big men be able to take advantage of mismatches but to continue to win at higher altitudes, more threes have to fall. However, the major difference between this team and those of the last several years is that it is much better defensively because of the Committee of Big Men. Now they can still win even when the threes are not padding the score board.

It was interesting to see Jamal Boykin, who transferred from Duke during his sophomore year. His persona (but not necessarily all of his game) reminds me somewhat Shane Battier. His game has matured and if he had stayed at Duke he would have had to fight Lance Thomas for minutes. While Boykin’s numbers (13 pts & 11 rebs) were impressive, I don’t think he would have been as valuable to this team as Lance Thomas, whose value does not show up on the stat sheet.

For the record: Duke advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the 25th time in the 34 appearances. The Blue Devils are making their 15th straight NCAA Tournament under Coach Mike Krzyzewskiand 26th in his 30 overall seasons. Krzyzewski extended his NCAA record for tournament wins to 73. He is now 73-22 (.768) all-time in the NCAA Tournament, the second highest winning percentage among coaches all-time. The Blue Devils improved to 31-5 on the season.

What exciting finishes! Bracket busters Northern Iowa, Cornell, who would have thunk it? What a tournament!

Duke – Purdue

Purdue gave Duke a dose of its own medicine with “in your face and in your jock defense” and “I will out hustle you and play harder than you on every possession” attitude. It was a give no quarter, grind it out, bang it out first half in which two tough, defensive teams made each other look inept offensively. Until the last few minutes of the first half, I wondered if the Blue Devils would ever make one of the patented runs we have come to expect over the years. While Singler (24 pts) almost single handedly carried the offense with 11 points, the score was only 24-23 at the break as Purdue forced Duke into an uncharacteristic 11 turnovers (their average for an entire game).

Fortunately, the game was a tale of two halves. Scheyer (18 pts) finally hit a three (from the same spot that he did against Georgia Tech) in what has seemed like forever and seeing the ball go to the bottom of the net apparently exorcised his shooting demons as he went for 16 second half points and managed the pace of the offense flawlessly. Then, Nolan Smith (15 pts) heated up with a critical 7 straight points to give the Blue Devils a working margin that they never relinquished.

Meanwhile, Purdue, after hitting a few threes, got seduced (reminiscent of Duke the last few years) into jacking up and missing treys as Duke cleaned up rebounds on both ends and hit 20 of 24 free throws to protect and even increase their lead. The net result was 70-57 victory which was no indication of how close the game really was. Without injured star Robbie Hummel, the Boilermakers were just outmanned and this year Duke has the right combination of players who have the talent, the maturity, and mental toughness to overcome a disappointing first eighteen minutes in a pressure filled atmosphere.

Some stats: Duke out rebounded Purdue by an amazing 44-22 margin with the center position of Brian Zoubek& Miles Plumlee getting 21; scored 46 points (with only 3 turnovers) on 58% shooting in the second half after shooting just 24% in the first half.

A note of concern: Kyle Singler took a nasty fall on his previously injured right wrist on a drive late in the game and appeared he might have reinjured it. It is hard to imagine that Duke can go further if Kyle is not 100% as he is playing the best basketball of his career.

Duke – Baylor

There are some wins that are inexplicable. Duke has had more than their share just in the NCAA Tournament—Kentucky, UNLV, Maryland, UConn. This one didn’t come down to one shot. Rather, it was sort of like the UNLV game–a nip and tuck affair against a talented, physically imposing opponent that turned to a series plays and shots in the last minutes. If you had offered to bet that Singler would go oh-for-the game from the floor and Duke would still beat Baylor, you would have won a lot of money. As Coach K has said many times: “This is a good but not a great team.” However, what this team has is great chemistry, toughness, and tenacity combined with a savvy understanding of their individual roles that allows them to prevail in games like this.

This win was also a product of a team being more than the sum of its parts as eight players all made major contributions in many different areas that do not always appear on the stat sheet. Well, what about Singler? First, it appeared the Kyle had his right wrist taped and braced, so as I feared, he apparently did injure it against Purdue. Actually, other than shooting from the floor, Singler, as usual, played very well. He hit 5 of 6 free throws, cooled Darius Dunn down in the second half, and made a crucial steal at the end of the game.

Each time Lance Thomas attempted to take an offensive rebound back up and was stuffed, I pleaded with him to take a page from Zoubek’s book and kick the ball to Scheyer or Smith for a three. He must have heard me (well, the coaches might have had some input) because his rebound of a free throw and pass to Smith for a three was one of the biggest plays late in the game as it gave Duke a three point lead with only minutes to go. Shortly thereafter, Lance made an uncharacteristically stylish one hand, hanging dunk off a miss (plus a free throw) to put the Blue Devils up eight. Another important shot was Dawkins second three just before the half that cut Baylor’s lead from six to three.

While the hustle of the Committee of Big Men, led by a fierce Brian Zoubek (he even improbably stole an inbound pass), out rebounded the taller Bears by six on the offensive end and allowed Scheyer (5) and Smith (4) second shot opportunities, the two guards were the ones who made the pressure shots. At various times during the season, first Scheyer then Singler appeared to be the catalyst that made all the other players better.

Nolan Smith has always played Robin to one Batman or another: first to Ty Lawson in prep school, then to Henderson, Scheyer, and Singler at Duke. What we saw during the season were flashes of a very athletic, creative, talented player who appeared deferential—sort of a junior member of the Duke Basketball Firm of Scheyer, Singler, and Smith. Finally, out of necessity, he took the cape and played Batman for an entire game, displaying an assortment of quicksilver moves and gap attacking, creative shots that were the badly needed and, in fact, absolutely necessary—a memorable MVP performance.

Duke – West Virginia

Duke played their most impressive forty minutes of the season as they went wire to wire to win going away against West Virginia, a team which beat them two years ago in the NCAA Tournament. The players didn’t comment much about it but clearly this 78-57 win was part payback for the memory of the Mountaineer’s attitude in and after that loss: guard Joe Mazzulla mocking WoJo’s floor slapping in the waning minutes after the game was decided and (since departed) Joe Alexander’s pre and post game comments disparaging the player’s basketball abilities.

The key to the game was Kyle Singler, who went oh-for-the-game from the floor against Baylor to a Dick Enberg “Oh My!” game against the Mountaineers. Not only did he hold Da’Sean Butler to just two field goals and ten points in the 32 minutes before he unfortunately injured his knee charging into Zoubek, but he also jump started the offense with 14 first half points to end up with 21 pts, 9 rebs, and 5 assts. [Charley Rose interviewed Coach K this week and asked him what he said to Kyle Singler after he went 0-10 from the floor in the Baylor game. Coach said that he sat down with Kyle one on one and watched a tape of the game, stopping it on every Singler shot and asking him what he was thinking and was the expression on his face one that he recognized? The point he drove home to Kyle was that he was thinking, not playing in the moment and letting the game come to him; therefore, Kyle couldn’t get into any shooting rhythm and while it didn’t affect his defense, the team needed his usual offensive production to win the next two games.]

The half court offense was precise with the three Iron Duke S-Men hitting 13 of 25 threes and outscoring West Virginia 63-59 just by them selves. Clearly, as the tournament has progressed, the Blue Devils keep playing better and better and when all three perimeter players are hitting, they are very difficult to beat. However, the catalyst for the improvement has been Brian Zoubek’s (10 rebs) emergence as a determined, tough, even ornery, presence in the paint. So, defense is still the Blue Devils calling card. They were the more physical team, outhustling the Mountaineers to loose balls and rebounds. Duke outscored West Virginia, 18-0, on second-chance points.

As usual, the numbers tell the story. Duke shot 53% from the field; 52% from beyond the arc; 78% from the line; had 20 assists and only 5 turnovers.

The media narrative is that the final game is a “Hoosiers” scenario. It didn’t take long into his postgame press conference for Coach K to begin debunking the David vs. Goliath storyline. “They’re one of the best teams in the country,” he said of the 33-4 Bulldogs. “I think Cinderella would be if somebody had eight, nine losses and pulled some upsets, stuff like that. They’ve beaten Syracuse and Kansas State and Michigan State.”

Duke is still taking more than its fair share of shots from the press. Duke graduates in the media are even chiming in. John Feinstein, who apparently is still carrying a grudge against Duke for not promoting his classmate and friend as athletic director, opined that Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is the best coach in college basketball (did he look like the best coach in the last minutes of tonight’s game as Draymond Green had to restrain him from running onto the floor or in his tearful post game comments that implied that if not for the injuries Michigan State would be in the final game?) and that Coach K was becoming more and more like Dean Smith in more ways than one ( his imperial attitude); and Seth Davis, Lannie’s son, agreeing with UNC alum Hubert Davis on CBS that West Virginia would beat Duke because they were tougher defensively.

“This is a really good team that can do something great on Monday night,” Krzyzewski said. Let’s hope there is one more game left in the tank.

Duke – Butler

This has been another incredibly exciting college basketball season and NCAA Tournament. Fittingly, it culminated in a heart pounding championship game between two well coached, fundamentally sound, tough teams that was not decided until Butler’s last desperation half court shot nearly went in.

In the first half when Duke missed four free throws, was beaten on the boards, and the backup center who averages 3 points a game goes for 10 points, I thought that the Basketball Gods might be Hoosiers. Duke made defensive adjustments at halftime that eliminated Butler’s offensive rebounding but they still could not get much separation. Singler was doing a terrific defensive job on Gordon Hayward (2-11 from the field) but other Bulldogs were scoring. The Blue Devils ground out five point lead with three minutes to go. However, the Three S-Men failed to make another offensive play to seal the deal: Singler travelled, Smith was short on a point blank floater at the rim, and Singler missed an open ten footer. Zoubek appeared to have the rebound but it was wrestled away and went out of bounds off his foot. Butler was down just one point with the ball and thirty-five seconds to go. This Duke team has been resilient throughout the season and the next thirty-one seconds proved no exception and why they are no fluke.

Duke pressed, Butler probed and feinted but could not get an opening. Zoubek deflected a pass out bounds in the corner. Inbounding with 14 seconds to go, Zoubek, pressed the passer (who could not move), forced Butler to take its last timeout. That forced Butler to quickly toss the ball long to Hayward so there would be no chance of a five second call and loss of possession.

The ball ended up with Haywood near half court. He tried to drive left but was cut off by Singler and Scheyer, so went right across the foul line toward the baseline where Zoubek double teamed him, forcing a fall away ten foot jumper (I had visions of Sean Singletary’s shot that beat Duke at UVA a few years ago) that looked good but was just an inch too long. The ball bounced back toward Hayward but Zoubek recovered to get the rebound and was fouled with 3.6 seconds left. Brian hit the first free throw and missed the second on purpose because Butler was out of time outs and had to dribble at least half the floor in less than three seconds to get a shot. Haywood got the rebound, and as he started up the floor Singler was picked off by a wicked illegal arms at shoulder height blind side clip by Howard (which was not called) and got off a heart stopping shot just beyond half court which was on line but too far. It hit the back board hard, then the bounced off the front of the rim. What a finish!

In sports, you never know. Just like this game, who wins and who loses often turn on fractions of inch or so which is often affected by pressure and/or degree of difficulty. The fact is that Coach K and Dean Smith teams have won a disproportionate number of these type games. I don’t think it needs any explanation other than coaching counts.

Who envisioned a season like this–especially after the Georgetown loss– or that Brian Zoubek would be the catalyst who transformed a very good team into a National Championship Team or that he would make the winning plays with the championship on the line?

Even though all the players have Duke on their uniforms, each team has its own character and personality. While this team may not have had any great players, they have three very, very good clutch playmakers, more supporting cast talent than normal, and, most importantly, the chemistry that allowed them to accomplish something great that eluded other Blue Devil teams considered more talented. They remind me of the 1957 North Carolina team which went 32-0 and beat Kansas with Wilt Chamberlain in the NCAA Final, in that the whole is more than the sum of the parts. One reason for their achievements is that the three seniors and two juniors did not go to the NBA so they played and grew together in the system—as opposed to Kentucky who rented five first round NBA choices and played like a pick up team against West Virginia.

When comparing this team with other Duke teams, consider where they started, where they finished, and their body of work: thirty-five wins, an ACC Regular Season Championship, an ACC Tournament Championship, and an NCAA Championship. All these accomplishments are in addition to how well the players represented their school.

Having said all that, one can only marvel at Coach K’s accomplishments over the last thirty years, not to mention just this year—an Olympic Gold Medal and an NCAA Championship.

In conclusion, I think this is an appropriate time to comment on an issue which occasionally surfaces, most recently raised by some of the Duke faculty during the Lacrosse hoax fiasco. Namely, the relationship of athletics in general and the basketball team in particular to the university.

The mission of pursuing excellence in both academics and athletics has been the goal of the university virtually since its inception–certainly since Eddie Cameron was athletic director. It has been a significant reason why Duke University has been and is such an exceptional institution. The truth of the matter is that while Coach K and his basketball program is the latest and most successful in a long, proud history of Duke Athletics, it is also a major reason Duke is viewed as an elite university. It is not just that his and other teams have won, it was the way they have won and the kind of players with whom they have won– and graduated. Not to accept this legacy and not to celebrate and nurture it would be a terrible mistake.

Whatever the truth, building a campus as beautiful as Duke, establishing rigorous entrance and educational standards, then building nationally ranked football and basketball teams as well as baseball, golf, tennis, and lacrosse were the lynchpins of the meteoric rise of Duke University as an elite institution (Yale on steroids is how one of President Brodhead’s former students characterized the school). It could not have happened without all of these elements –and it would be difficult to maintain that status without preserving a dual excellence in both academics and athletics.

Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you this season.