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Duke Basketball Outlook: Five Keys to a Fifth Championship in Durham – Tyler Lambert of Bleacher Report

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

The college football season is just a short time away, and many fans are anxious to see how their individual teams have developed over the offseason.

New recruits, well-known coaches, and even proven veterans are all prepared to show the country how much progress they’ve made when the season begins in September.

Although college basketball won’t officially begin until November, two months into the football season, Duke fans have a lot to be excited about before the season even tips off.

For starters, highly-touted recruit Kyrie Irving will become the new floor general for the Blue Devils next season, after last year’s point guard and second team All-American pick Jon Scheyer graduated from the university.

Duke fans will also get to see Liberty transfer Seth Curry in action for the first time. Seth, the brother of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, led all freshmen in scoring two years ago at 20.2 points per game, but had to sit-out last season per transfer rules.

The return of both Kyle Singler (17.7 points per game) and Nolan Smith (17.2 points per game) will also give the Cameron Crazies something to cheer about as the beginning of the season draws near.

Singler, the 2010 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, led Duke to victory in the National Championship game against Butler and decided to stay in school for his senior season, instead of jumping to the NBA.

Singler’s decision to stay helped make Smith’s that much easier. Nolan decided that playing at Duke for his senior year and trying to help the Blue Devil’s repeat was more important to him at the time than trying to make it in the NBA as a junior.

Mason and Miles Plumlee, Andre Dawkins, Ryan Kelly, as well as freshman Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston round out the remaining players on a loaded Blue Devil team, which will look to once again lift the national championship trophy in March.

The 2010-2011 Duke team seems destined to repeat, with the likes of Smith and Singler returning and newcomers Irving and Curry looking to contribute from day one. But what are the five keys to a fifth title for Coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils?

1. Kyrie Irving Must Be Dynamic and Effective in Filling the Void Left by Scheyer

Kyrie Irving, a 6′2″ point guard from Elizabeth, N.J., was one of the top rated players in the recruiting class of 2010. Last season, Irving played for St. Patrick and averaged 25.2 points per game on a team loaded with future Division I players.

Most of the hype surrounding Irving early on in his career has been positive and encouraging for Blue Devil fans, with some scouts even comparing his explosiveness and athleticism to that of former Duke great Jason Williams.

Many people believe that Irving could be one of the best basketball players to ever come out of the state of New Jersey, some even hailing that he could become one of the best to ever wear a Duke uniform.

One thing about Irving at the minute is clear, however, and that’s that he must be dynamic, yet effective, in filling the void left by Jon Scheyer at the point guard position.

Sure, you may say that Irving’s speed and athleticism will easily make him more dynamic than Scheyer, and that may be the case; however, being as effective as Scheyer by hitting shots and not committing turnovers may be tougher for Irving to harness.

Regardless, Irving will look to lead the Blue Devils as a great scorer and even better passer. If Duke has any hopes of repeating, the team will need to get production from their guards, and, most importantly, out of Irving.

2. With Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas Gone, the Plumlees Must Be Assertive in the Paint

Brian Zoubek was once known to the college basketball world as an injury-prone player who was unable to find his place on the court. He could rebound the ball because of his overwhelming size advantage over the competition, that’s for sure, but other than that, there just wasn’t another aspect of the big man’s game to fear.

That all changed last season when Zoubek was completely healthy.

After practicing and working on his offense over the summer, Zoubek became one of the top big men in the ACC last season. He began the year slowly, which is normal for centers in college, but as the season progressed, he continued to improve.

Lance Thomas, on the other hand, was never known for being a big presence in the paint at Duke. He could consistently rebound like Zoubek, but his expertise was defending the opposing team’s most versatile player and drawing charges down low.

Now that both players have graduated, two big men will have to fill their places on this year’s team. It’s a no-brainer to think that Mason and Miles Plumlee are the best two options, but they must become assertive leaders in the paint.

Last season, both of the Plumlees came off the bench to give Thomas and Zoubek some rest during games. This coming year, however, one of the brothers will likely start (Mason) and the other will be his second-hand big man of the bench (Miles).

The Blue Devils know that their guard play will be better than last year, but how well can their centers and power forwards adjust to larger roles on the team? It all starts with the Plumlee brothers becoming assertive in the paint, and becoming leaders on a team that is more guard-oriented than last season.

3. Seth Curry Will Need to Be a Scoring Threat on the Perimeter Alongside Smith and Irving.

Seth Curry’s older brother, Stephen, captured the hearts of many two years ago, when he led his Davidson team to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Stephen consistently put up big numbers the entire tournament and nearly led his team to the Final Four.

Seth, like Stephen, put up huge numbers as a freshman in college playing for Liberty University, averaging just over 20 points a contest. After just one season with the team, though, Seth decided to take his talents elsewhere and transferred to Duke.

Although he had to sit out last season, per NCAA transfer rules, Seth was allowed to practice with the team and get accustomed with his new teammates.

Now that Seth will finally be allowed to play a game in a Duke jersey this upcoming season, the Blue Devils will look for him to be an explosive scorer for their team just as he was at Liberty.

Every fan knows what they are going to get out of Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving on the perimeter, but what kind of player will Seth become on a team loaded with four legit scoring threats?

Duke will be stacked with talent during the upcoming year, but Seth Curry must make a name for himself by becoming a consistent scorer and giving Smith and Irving help on the perimeter. If he does, then the Blue Devils will have a great chance to repeat.

4. Andre Dawkins, Tyler Thornton, Ryan Kelly and Josh Hairston Need to Contribute Off the Bench.

Having Scheyer, Singler, and Smith anchor last year’s championship team gave many players little time off the bench. Sure, eight players averaged double-digit minutes per game, but it was mainly the Big Three plus two other players on the court at all times.

This upcoming year, the Blue Devils have the possibility of having a legitimate Big Four in Singler, Smith, Irving, and Curry.

Although it’s hard to imagine that each of the four will consistently score in double figures on a nightly basis, they will each likely end up with a double figure scoring average when the season comes to an end.

With that being said, bench players could see even less time on the court this year.

If Coach K feels the need to call for one of his reserves and asks them to check into the game, however, they must be prepared to immediately contribute once they walk on the court.

Dawkins, Thornton, Kelly, Hairston, and one of the Plumlee brothers will likely be the supporting cast for this year’s team. How they play once they enter each game for one of the starters will be crucial to the Blue Devils season.

5. Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler Must Become Leaders on a Young, Yet Experienced, Team.

Last, but certainly not least, is the importance of the leadership roles that Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler will each have to take. Scheyer, Zoubek, and Thomas are now gone for the Blue Devils, so it will be up to Duke’s top two scorers to lead the younger players.

Being named captains by Coach K earlier this year, Smith and Singler will each have to be prepared to lead their team in pressure situations.

They will have to demand the ball when the shot clock is running down, and they will be forced to make quick decisions when closing out games.

This season’s team may be considered a group of veterans, but there are several new faces that were added to the Duke Program.

Irving, Hairston, and Thornton were each members of the Class of 2010 recruiting class, and each will need help during the season to progress as players. That’s where Singler and Smith will need to come along and offer assistance to the young players.

The 2010-2011 team may have more talented players than in years past, but there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this team will be led by Smith and Singler. How they respond to their new leadership roles, however, may be the most crucial aspect in the Blue Devils’ hopes of repeating.

Only time will tell, but if each of the keys are followed out throughout the course of the season, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Duke Blue Devils will once again reign in March and claim the program’s fifth NCAA title under Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

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Three Reasons Duke is Austin Rivers’ Only Choice – Curtis Clontz of Bleacher Report

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Austin Rivers is quickly becoming one of the most hyped basketball players in recent memory.  The John Wall-like press and buckets of love coming his way is nothing short of remarkable.

In 2003 Carmelo Anthony proved to the world that a single recruit can elevate a team to championship fame.  Since that time, institutes have been throwing the farm at recruits hoping for the same success.

Last Halloween John Wall dressed up like the Calipari Kid, this year he will be a Wizard.  At Kentucky he was unable to put his wizardry to work and create the magic of a championship.  Austin Rivers is like John Wall in many ways, but in just as many ways the two are a world a part.

Throughout Rivers’ recruitment process he has been promised the world.  Currently the Austin sweepstakes have UNC, Kansas, Florida, and Duke remaining.

Many feel that Duke is the front runner by a mile.  He has been observed wearing Duke gear more than once.  If this is indeed the facility of higher education (okay facility of higher basketball) that he chooses, it could be a match made in Heaven.

Reason 1 – Attrition

The addition of Rivers to the Duke roster would be huge.  He would be the best player recruited to wear this color blue in a long time.  Duke has a very talented and deep team this season, some think that reason alone is one to make Rivers shy away.

That very reason will do the opposite.

At the completion of this season, Duke will lose Nolan Smith.  He is a senior and the NCAA would frown on him sticking around.

Another loss could be the early departure of point guard Kyrie Irving.  Irving is expected to not only start but push for ACC Freshman of the year honors.  Irving is more than likely a one and done.

If this does happen, then Duke will have a void in which Rivers would be perfect to fill!

Now let’s get back to the depth part.  If Rivers not only knows that he will start for a top contender with top talent and depth, why would he go elsewhere?

Reason 2 – FIBA

I can almost see you smirking through the computer right now.  How could the International Basketball Federation help a single American player chose where to go to college?  Competition and camaraderie, that’s how!

On the summer’s U18 team, Rivers was joined by two familiar faces; Jeff Capel (coach) and Kyrie Irving (fellow guard).

Throughout the U18 tenure, the two (Rivers and Irving) were seen together often.  So much so, that when Rivers openly wore Duke clothing after a win, media promptly asked Irving if he was doing his own recruiting.

Although it may be merely an assumption, you can’t help but believe that Capel (Oklahoma head coach), Irving, and Rivers had several Duke conversations.  After all, it was Capel who hit one of the most exciting shots in Duke history (40 foot runner against UNC forcing double OT).

Capel was a starting guard for Duke all four years he attended, and Irving more than likely will be a starter for as long as he attends Duke.

Irving may be a one and done.  If that is the case Rivers may be looking for the torch.  If said torch is passed from Irving to Rivers, then Duke is going to be happy for years to come.

Reason 3 – The K Factor

Duke’s Coach K is not just a basketball coach.  He is a life coach, mentor, and one of the greatest basketball minds in the history of the sport.

No one expects Rivers to plant roots at a school and stick around.  Although Duke is typically a team oriented system type of organization, their coach provides Rivers with something none of the others can; NBA caliber coaching.

Presently K is running through the World Championship tourney at ease.  Oh yea, he is doing it with what is being known as the “B” Team.  In other words, he is dominating the world’s best, with America’s second best.

They have bought into K’s system and its effectiveness is being displayed each time they play.

K can be credited with bringing USA back to gold medal standards, and that relationship  built with the NBA players is special.  A player like Rivers that is eyeing the league can only benefit from such coaching.

Coach K provides unique experiences that Donovan, Williams, and Self can’t.  He has coached Kobe, Lebron, D-Wade, and Durant.  In the eyes of a NBA-bound guard, this is money in the making.  If K can turn Kobe into one of the best defenders in the world, imagine what he can do with Rivers.

At this point Rivers more than likely has a sure front runner, but he is not sharing that information.  There are many great reasons to pick any of the top four teams left on his list.  All are incredible schools and will have a real shot at a title.

The sure thing is that wherever he goes, they will greatly be rewarded.  Austin Rivers is a future superstar.  He is everything that Wall and Irving are, and that much more.  Expect the recruiting race to be hot and heavy until he makes his pick, instantly lifting the hopes and dreams of the fans and faithful of that school.

Get ready for the circus, the Rivers story is just beginning.

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Seth Curry Ready to Leave His Mark at Duke – Justin McTeer of Bleacher Report

Monday, August 9th, 2010

After a somewhat unexpected championship run last season, the Duke Blue Devils are set to begin the 2010-11 season as the nation’s top team.

Blue Devil fans have a lot to look forward to as the season approaches.

Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler are back for their senior campaigns, Kyrie Irving has as much promise as any Duke freshman in recent memory, and Mason Plumlee should get more alley oops than ever.

But while those are all exciting things to anticipate, one of the most intriguing aspects of Duke’s upcoming season is, without doubt, the addition of Seth Curry to the active roster.

Curry transferred to Duke after his freshman season at Liberty College in 2008-09 and spent all of last season practicing with the team but unable to play due to transfer rules.

I had the chance to talk with Curry recently, and it’s clear that after redshirting during Duke’s championship season, he’s as ready as ever to get back on the court and show the nation what he can do.

“I’m so anxious,” Curry said.  ”It seems like I haven’t played in like five years or something like that.”

He may have missed being on the court, but the time on the bench is something Curry put to good use.

“It’s great to be around a championship team like this, working and practicing everyday,” Curry said.  ”It’s been great to see what this team can accomplish, and how fun it is, the journey of winning a championship.  I’ve just tried to take it all in and learn from the experience.”

From his spot at the end of the Blue Devils bench, Curry had the opportunity to watch his teammates come together and play with more unity than is typical in today’s college game.  Every Duke player on last year’s team knew and embraced their role, whether it involved putting points on the board or going after rebounds.

The result was spectacular as the Blue Devils won every tournament they played in from the beginning of the season to the end.

Curry will likely take on a role he isn’t used to as Duke tries to re-create last year’s success—bench player.

With Smith and Irving starting, Curry will probably be the first guard off Duke’s bench.

Of course, being a Curry (in case you’re one of the only basketball fans that didn’t know, Seth is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry and the younger brother of current NBAer and recent college great Stephen Curry) means added expectations regardless of whether or not you start.

Curry doesn’t mind the added pressure that comes along with his family’s reputation though.  In fact, he embraces it.

“I definitely try to be my own person, but having that Curry name, you have to go out there and represent it well.  That just gives me extra motivation to go out there and live up to the billing.”

It isn’t just the family name that Curry is looking to live up to, however.  He’s also got the expectations brought on by his own accomplishments adding to the hype.

As a freshmen at Liberty, Curry led all NCAA freshmen in scoring at 20.2 points per game. He had big games against Virginia and Clemson that season, averaging 25 points per game against the ACC teams.

Last season, reports from Duke practices gushed with praise for Curry’s ability to shoot the ball.

Smith tweeted early in the season that when all was said and done, Curry might be remembered as the best shooter in Duke history instead of J.J. Redick.  Maybe Smith felt the expectations for Curry weren’t high enough.

Curry certainly appreciates the comparison, but he’s quick to assert his desire to leave his own mark on the college game.

“I’m not really trying to be better than [Redick],” Curry said.  ”I’m just going to go out there and be me.”

Comparisons are something that Curry will have to get used to.

If he’s not getting compared to great shooters like Redick, he’ll certainly be likened to his older brother frequently.

Neither comparison is entirely accurate—Seth certainly has his own style of play.  But that doesn’t mean the comparisons won’t come.

Though Curry may still be in his older brother’s shadow, he’ll have a chance to establish his own reputation as a great college player when the season begins.

Don’t be surprised if he does so sooner than later.

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Early, Early Picks for ACC Basketball–2010-11

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Here’s a simulcast with my daily ACC blog at On The B. Rink…

Last couple weeks, we looked at the early entrants and the grads–but how about the ACC players coming back and how the ACC dominoes fall next season?

The News & Observer puts together an early projected starting lineup yearly with early entrants/graduation/new recruits factored in and here’s my early picks based off how the ACC is looking at this point.

1. Duke Blue Devils

2009-10: 13-3, first
G Kyrie Irving, fr.
G Seth Curry, soph. (20.2 ppg @ Liberty)
G Nolan Smith, sr. (17.4 ppg)
F Kyle Singler, sr. (17.7 ppg)
F Mason Plumlee, soph. (3.7 ppg)
Bench: G Andre Dawkins, F Miles Plumlee, F Ryan Kelly, F Josh Hairston

Outlook: Loooooooooooooooaded. They will be a unanimous choice for the ACC and one of the top teams in the country.

2. Florida State Seminoles

2009-10: 10-6, third
G Derwin Kitchen, sr. (8.1 ppg)
G Deividas Dulkys, jr. (8.7 ppg)
G Michael Snaer, soph. (8.8 ppg)
F Chris Singleton, jr. (10.2 ppg)
F Xavier Gibson, jr. (5.5 ppg)
Bench: G Luke Loucks, F Terrance Shannon, PG Ian Miller, F Okaro White, F Jon Kreft

Outlook: No Alabi, no problem? That’s what I’m saying–the cupboard isn’t bare at FSU and if there’s a year that Hamilton’s Noles make a run–it has to be this season.

3. Virginia Tech Hokies

2009-10: 10-6, fourth
G Malcolm Delaney, sr. (20.2 ppg)
G Dorenzo Hudson, sr. (12.0 ppg)
F Terrell Bell, sr. (6.1 ppg)
F Victor Davila, jr. (5.3 ppg)
F Jeff Allen, sr. (15.2 ppg)
Bench: F J.T. Thompson, G Erick Green, F Jarell Eddie, F Allan Chaney, F Cadarian Raines, F Manny Atkins, G Ben Boggs

Outlook: The time is now in Blacksburg as they return everybody. Greenberg needs to advance past simply making the ever-elusive NCAA Tourney, but win some games in said tourney.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

2009-10: 5-11, 10th
G Larry Drew II, jr. (8.5 ppg)
G Reggie Bullock, fr.
F Harrison Barnes, fr.
F John Henson, soph. (5.7 ppg)
F Tyler Zeller, jr. (9.3 ppg)
Bench: F Will Graves, G Dexter Strickland, PG Kendall Marshall, G Leslie McDonald

Outlook: The Tar Heels are an interesting squad to watch this season because they had such a fall from grace last season. Heels are still young and Williams will have quite a coaching job to do to get UNC back to the top.

5. Maryland Terrapins

2009-10: 13-3, second
G Adrian Bowie, sr. (4.8 ppg)
G Sean Mosley, jr. (10.1 ppg)
G Cliff Tucker, sr. (5.7 ppg)
F Dino Gregory, sr. (4.2 ppg)
F Jordan Williams, soph. (9.6 ppg)
Bench: F James Padgett, G Terrell Stoglin, F Mychal Parker, PG Pe’Shon Howard

Outlook: Terps lose three of their biggest starters from last season with Vasquez, Hayes, and Milbourne, but they have a talented group coming back. Sean Mosley has to step into the go-to-guy role and Jordan Williams has to expand his role in the paint for the Terps to stay here.

6. Clemson Tigers

2009-10: 9-7, sixth
G Demontez Stitt, sr. (11.4 ppg)
G Tanner Smith, jr. (8.7 ppg)
F Milton Jennings, soph. (3.2 ppg)
F Devin Booker, soph. (4.5 ppg)
F Jerai Grant, sr. (7.2 ppg)
Bench: G Noel Johnson, G Andre Young, G Donte Hill, F Bryan Narcisse

Outlook: The Tigers are in transition between philosophies with a new coach in Brownell and lose star forward Trevor Booker, but this team still has the guns to compete in a wide-open(past Duke) ACC.

7. N.C. State Wolfpack

2009-10: 5-11, 11th
G Javier Gonzalez, sr. (9.5 ppg)
G Lorenzo Brown, fr.
F C.J. Leslie, fr.
F Richard Howell, soph. (4.9 ppg)
F Tracy Smith, sr. (16.5 ppg)
Bench: PG Ryan Harrow, G Scott Wood, G C.J. Williams, F DeShawn Painter, F Jordan Vandenberg

Outlook: Expectations should be high in Raleigh with a talented crew coming in and back. If Lowe can capture the magic of the ACC Tourney run to the semis, the Pack can go far, but I’m staying a bit skeptical on them.

8. Miami Hurricanes

2009-10: 4-12, 12th
G Durand Scott, soph. (10.3 ppg)
G Malcolm Grant, jr. (9.6 ppg)
G DeQuan Jones, jr. (5.7 ppg)
F Julian Gamble, jr. (3.5 ppg)
F Reggie Johnson, soph. (6.4 ppg)
Bench: G Rion Brown, G Garrius Adams, G Antoine Allen, F Donnavan Kirk

Outlook: Miami will be a trendy pick this season, but I’m on the fence with them. I  like Scott and Johnson, but Miami has a lot to prove right now.

9. Virginia Cavaliers

2009-10: 5-11, ninth
G Jontel Evans, soph. (2.4 ppg)
G Sammy Zeglinski, jr. (8.9 ppg)
G K.T. Harrell, fr.
F Mike Scott, sr. (12.0 ppg)
F James Johnson, fr.
Bench: PG Billy Baron, F Will Regan, F Assane Sene, G Joe Harris, G Mustapha Farrakhan, F Will Sherrill

Outlook: I had the ‘Hoos at ninth in my early, early picks last season and that’s where they finished–completely new team coming to play next season with Bennett cleaning house, but they have some talent.

10. Boston College Eagles

2009-10: 6-10, eighth
G Reggie Jackson, jr. (12.9 ppg)
G Dallas Elmore, jr. (3.9 ppg)
F Corey Raji, sr. (11.4 ppg)
F Joe Trapani, sr. (14.1 ppg)
F Josh Southern, sr. (4.4 ppg)
Bench: PG Biko Paris, F Courtney Dunn

Outlook: New system, several transfers, and a squad of mostly unproven, consistently, players at this level–hard to get behind the Eagles at this point.

11. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

2009-10: 7-9, seventh
G Moe Miller, sr. (3.9 ppg)
G Iman Shumpert, jr. (10.0 ppg)
G Glen Rice Jr., soph. (5.4 ppg)
F Kammeon Holsey, r-fr.
F Brad Sheehan, sr. (1.2 ppg)
Bench: G Brian Oliver, PG Mfon Udofia, F Daniel Miller

Outlook: The Jackets return all of their primary guards, but the problem falls with losing the three best players off last year’s team with Favors, Lawal, and Peacock in the paint. I will stay cautious on Georgia Tech because I’m not sure the Jackets’ guards can carry them.

12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

2009-10: 9-7, fifth
G Tony Chennault, fr.
G C.J. Harris, soph. (9.9 ppg)
F Ari Stewart, soph. (7.3 ppg)
F Tony Woods, jr. (4.6 ppg)
F Carson Derosiers, fr.
Bench: F Travis McKie, F Melvin Tabb, G J.T. Terrell, F Ty Walker, G Gary Clark

Outlook: New coach Jeff Bzdelik has a project on his hands, but the cupboard isn’t totally bare. If he can get the Deacs back to the NCAA Tourney, Bzdelik did a great coaching job.

Who’s too high? Who’s underrated? Can anyone knock off Duke? Early NCAA Tourney bid predictions?

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Two Down, Four to Go! – Rob Murray of Big Duke Balls

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Wow, what a freaking four days of basketball. I’m exhausted. with Kansas going down and with so many lower seeds advancing to the Sweet 16, it certainly has been the best four days of basketball that I’ve seen in a long, long time. I was planning on doing a whole write up about the first two rounds, but I need a break. I’ll jump on it by Wednesday.

Did I forget to mention Duke? I did, didn’t I? What can I say, the Blue Devils continue to fly under the radar after an impressive win against the PAC-10 regular season champ, California.

With so many upsets, with so many big performances by players from small schools, with so many last seconds shots going in or just missing, with Kentucky and Syracuse blowing away the competition, the Devils just did their job this week and it barely registered.

They were never threatened, there was never any doubt, yet I’ll be willing to bet you’ll barely hear a word about your Devils.

And I think that’s exactly how we all want it.

SO WHAT DID I SEE TONIGHT?

NOLAN’S NIGHT
Two days after Nolan Smith struggled against Arkansas-Pine Buff, Duke’s junior guard dominated. He dominated on offense. He dominated on defense. Let’s start with the latter.

The Bears were known for their run-and-gun offense. A roster loaded with guys who were willing and able to shoot from almost anywhere past the mid-court line. For Duke, the man who needed to be stopped was diminutive point guard, Jerome Randle.

After hitting three of his first four shots tonight, Nolan Smith locked down on Randle, holding him to 2-8 the rest of the way. He was 2-6 from three and never sniffed the free throw line.

Of course none of this should be a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. Smith’s D has been a pleasant surprise all season and will be key to any deep run by Duke.

On the offensive end, the thing about Nolan is, you’ll know right away if he’s going to have a stud game or not. He just has a tendency to start burning hot or ice-cold and he doesn’t change throughout the game. Tonight, he scored 20, on 9-18 shooting. 

TAKE TWO
Shots get missed. That’s basketball. Any team would feel blessed if they hit 50% of their shots. The trick is to make sure to get a second chance. That’s how Duke is winning these games. And I’m not just talking about offensive rebounds. Duke only won that 11-8. It’s about producing with those rebounds.

The Blue Devils shot a decent 48% from the floor. That’s a good number, but it gets better when you dig deeper. They missed a total of 30 shots. Yet thanks to our big men, Zoubek, Thomas, Plumlees and even Singler, Duke got a second chance on 36% of their misses.

The Blue Devils pulled down 11 offensive rebounds against California and managed to score eight times for 15 total points. The Bears grabbed eight offensive rebounds, but only managed to score three times for six points.

GAME PLAN ZOUBEK
It’s what all future opponents will have to do. For almost the entire season, all opposing coaches had to do was focus on the big three. Don’t sweat the inside stuff. Zoubek though, who looks like a new man now that he’s healthy, has to be dealt with.

For most of the night, Zoubek was Duke’s second leading scorer. He finished with 14 tonight, including, dare I say it, a dunk. Think about it, when was the last time you saw Brian Zoubek dunk? I’m seriously asking, I have no clue. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him dunk.

Heading into the Sweet 16, Duke will have another size advantage, as Purdue will roll with four guards. However, they do have a big man in JaJuan Johnson. He’s tall and a bit skinny, and he does have the ability to score. The Devils will need to contain him, while Johnson will need to find a way to get on the boards against Duke.

DUKE WON DESPITE…

A) Jon Scheyer’s worst shooting performance of the season. It was bad. He was only 1-11 from the floor. Early on he missed some      w  i  d  e  open threes and later, he missed some bad shots. It was ugly. He can do this against Cal, but he can’t do this anymore or his college career will be over sooner than he hopes.

B) An ability to land a three. The Devils only shot 3-17 from three. No one was able to get anything going deep. It was a true team effort to not hit three-point shots.

C) Multiple stretches without hitting a shot. Twice in the second half, Duke had a four-minute stretch without scoring a basket. The first time, the Bears went on a 8-0 run. The second time Duke held them to a 3-2 run (Duke’s two points coming on free throws).

So how did they still win this thing?

A) Inside scoring. Zoubek and Thomas are both scoring more now than the have all season long. They’re finding the open spots on the floor for passes from the big three and they’re getting put backs off rebounds. Also, both Smith and Singler are driving to the lane and creating points. Smith is doing it with quickness, while Singler uses muscle.

B) Defense. The Blue Devils are playing great D. Nolan is taking care of the point, while the big boys inside are clogging up the lane. The Plumlee brothers have also done a better job of defending when they’re in there. Speaking of…

MILES MAN’S UP
Prior to the tournament I had said that Duke won’t win this thing. Yet, I said they could win if a handful of things happened. One of those things was if a backup stepped up and started to play like a starter. So far, Miles Plumlee has done that.

In only 34 total minutes in the tournament, he has scored 12 points (6-10 shooting) and grabbed 11 rebounds (three offensive). He really has stepped up to the point where when he and his brother come in and Zoubek/Thomas come out, there is little drop off.

STAT OF THE GAME: Duke only turned the ball over five times. In fact, during a 30:29 stretch during the game, Duke turned the ball over only once.

LOOKING AHEAD
Anyhow, great game. So far, Duke remains the favorite in the south region. I’m actually disappointed that Villanova is gone. I would rather play them than Baylor. The reality was, I wanted to avoid the Texas two-step, i.e. playing both Texas A&M and Baylor deep in the heart of Houston, Texas (something I pointed out every time someone said Duke had the easiest road to the Final Four).

Luckily, Purdue took care of the Aggies. That doesn’t mean I think Purdue is not as good as A&M, in fact I think the opposite. I just didn’t want to face A&M in what would have been a true road game for the Blue Devils.

As for the other side of the bracket, don’t assume Baylor will beat St. Mary’s. That Sasquatch the Gaels have, Omar Samhan, is a beast in the middle. So big, so polished. He has owned this tournament. His numbers are so good, he could not play another game and still earn first-team All Tournament. He is 24-32 from the field, 13-21 from the line, grabbing 19 boards and blocking three shots. Oh and he did all that with foul trouble.

Of course if Duke and St. Mary’s end up in the Elight Eight, there would be times when you’ll see nine white players on the floor at any given time. Strange days indeed.

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Duke ready to go in Jacksonville – Mark Watson of Blue Devil Nation

Friday, March 19th, 2010

There is a sense of confidence surrounding this group of Blue Devils, unlike past seasons where you could see the worry.  While inside the Duke locker room before their open practice, you could not find a player other than Nolan that was willing to look ahead.

Be it Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer or Lance Thomas, every player realized that to reach their goal of going to Indianapolis, they had to take it one step at a time.  Duke will tip off against Arkansas Pine Bluff in just a few hours and I can tell you they are ready.

As for Smith, it’s hard not to look ahead when Louisville could be Duke’s opponent on Sunday.  Of course, Smith’s Dad Derrick, was a star for the Ville and Smith wears a tattoo in his honor.  In fact, Smith once told me in a rare serious moment that his Dad watches from heaven.

Louisville will have to get past California for that match up to happen, but Big East teams are going down like flies after day one of the tournament.

Smith is always smiling and he keeps his teammates lose, but when the whistle blows, he’s all business.  While Scheyer and Singler get the most press of the big three, Smith is as much of a part of the glue if this team as they are.

Duke shot around in the Jacksonville Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum around 3:30 yesterday afternoon as Krzyzewski and staff watched closely to see if adjustments needed to be made.  One of the drills they ran required sliding across the floor for a loose ball and we are talking two players knocking heads in the drill.

Krzyzewski was relaxed with the media and seems to relish the opportunity to make another run at a national title.  While he will not pressure his kids with confident comments of going far, there is that look in his eyes and that look has carried his Blue Devils far in the past.

Despite being in the heat of the NCAA Tournament, Duke is in the light with their recruiting efforts as well.  My site BDN broke news of Duke offering a 6-9 behemoth named Tyler Adams yesterday and we just had announced that Carrick Felix to Duke was official.  Add Michael Gbinije [2011] to the list and recruiting efforts are going very well in Durham.

Duke fans may also be interested in BDN’s weekend coverage from Jacksonville where we are bringing you tons of audio clips from players and coaches alike.

Only time will tell if Duke goes far in this tournament, but I feel confident that Duke will come out of this round a winner and head to Houston next week.

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ROUND ONE, ACC TOURNAMENT

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Hey, look who picked three out of the four games tonight. Not bad! I usually bat about .500 at best in this predicting thing. Of course this isn’t about me; this is about the brave young men who play basketball in the ACC. So what happened?

Some upsets, that’s what happened. Three of the four lower seeds advanced to the quarterfinals. Of course, we warned you yesterday that something like this would happen. Not that I need to remind you, but since the league switched to 11 and 12 seeds, the bottom seeds have performed better than the higher seeds in the opening day.

With seeds #9-12 going 3-1 tonight, the lower seeds are now 13-10 against seeds #5-12.

No 9 VIRGINIA OVER No 8 BOSTON COLLEGE, 68-62
This is the one I missed and I still don’t understand it. Seriously, who saw the Cavaliers ending their nine-game slide tonight, without their best player, Sylven Landesberg?

The fact is, the Cavs returned to slow-mo ball, frustrating Boston College, while running a perfectly balanced offense. Sammy Zegliniski led the way with 21, but five Cavaliers scored in double figures.

For the Eagles, Joe Trapani picked a nice night to go cold. Did I say cold? I meant frozen. The “Ice Man” was 0-7 from the floor. Of course the turning point in the game was late in the first half. Up six, B.C. scored a total of four points in the finals 10 minutes of the half, allowing TIna Fey’s alma mater to turn a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead.

That’s it for Boston College…season is over. Time to go watch some re-runs of Doug Flutie’s hail mary.

MIAMI OVER WAKE FOREST, 83-62
I bet you thought I was crazy picking Miami. They’ve done nothing over the last two months to prove they even belong in this tournament (you put USC-Upstate on your schedule? Really? Still can’t believe that), but I just had a feeling. Maybe it was just hunger cramps, but either way, I got this one right.

The fact is, outside of Virginia, Wake Forest has looked terrible. Once teams figured out that they had ZERO outside shot, there was nothing Wake could do about it. Tonight, they made Miami look like a Final Four team…and that’s not easy to do.

The Canes jumped on the Demon Deacons early, building an early double-digit lead, taking a 14-pt cushion into halftime. No shame for Wake at this point though; bad teams get hot, good teams have bad halves. You go into the locker room, give a speech, make an adjustment, own the first four minutes of the second half and save your season. Or…

Let the Hurricanes start the half on an 8-0 run, turning a manageable 14-point deficit into a 22-point, “Hey, who do we have coming in next year?” moment.

Hopefully for Dino’s sake (he’s still never won any post-season game at Wake), they have someone coming in who can shoot some three’s. Wake again failed to crack 25% from behind the arch (4-17) and had zero chance to rally. Can someone finally agree with me…Ishmael Smith, most overrated player in the ACC?

Actually, that’s a little harsh. I’m just still a tad bit touchy about when ESPN’s Mark Jackson said Smith would be a great NBA player (or something to that effect).

Of course, the big question for Wake Forest is, now what? N.C.A.A. or N.I.T? Overall, they’re 19-10, 9-7 in the ACC. They have a RPI of 42 according to Ken Pom and an SOS of 10. Not bad. Yet, they’ve dropped five of six games now.

I still believe Wake Forest is in. However, they were once looking like a 4-5 seed, but now they’ll be lucky to be an 8-9 seed. Of course, does it really matter? They won’t win a game in the tournament.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE OVER CLEMSON, 59-57
I think everyone saw this one coming from a mile away. Not just because the Wolfpack under Sidney Lowe have a knack for winning a game or two in this tournament, it’s just that Clemson under Purnell have never won any meaningful game away from Littlejohn.

As for NC State, it was finally nice to see them put in a winning strategy, stick to it, and then actually win with it. Of course, I’m talking about getting the ball down-low to Tracy Smith, the conference’s most underrated player.

Tonight, Smith took 15 of State’s 44 shots (34%), making 39% of their made baskets. As a team, they hit 52%. Of course, what’s most shocking was the fact that the Wolfpack actually struggled with Clemson’s infamous press. They turned it over 19 times and point guard, Javier Gonzalez, was awful (which is actually pretty normal for him). He turned the ball over four times (to only one assist), hitting just 1-6 shots.

For Clemson, they’ll still get into the tournament. You don’t leave out the ACC’s fifth best team, no matter how quickly it stumbles in the conference tournament. The problem is, they’ll probably be a seven seed and will more than likely face a middle-of-the-pack Big East Team. Advantage: Not Clemson.

GEORGIA TECH OVER NORTH CAROLINA, 62-58
Clearly, this was my favorite game of the night. Heading into the 7PM showcase, I actually thought I would feel sorry for the Tar Heels when they lost this one (and yes, I knew they wouldn’t win this one), but I was wrong. I was full of glee until the end.

The best part though had to be the way they lost. Down four with a buck thirty on the clock, Larry Drew II, threw yet another lazy pass, D’Andre Bell picked it off and the game was over, no matter how hard Georgia Tech tried to lose it at the end by missing free throws.

There was just something fitting about watching Carolina’s dim NCAA hopes fade away with yet another turnover by a guard.

Of course there were other enjoyable moments. I wouldn’t be a Duke fan if I didn’t mention that in a do-or-die situation, Carolina’s starters shot only 13-48 from the floor tonight (1-13 from three). I’m no Will Hunting, but that’s wicked bad.

I could go on, but that would be disrespecting the Yellow Jackets. Ga Tech’s big boys, Lawal and Favors went off inside, combining to score 30 tonight (on 12-16 shooting). Favors in particular had maybe his strongest game of the year. He was 7-8 tonight, 4-5 from the line. He grabbed nine boards, blocking five shots along the way. Those were the kind of numbers I expected from the freshman this season.

LOOKING AHEAD – QUARTERFINALS

Okay lower seeds, I hope you had your fun. I hoped you celebrated your victories because it’s over. Like I said yesterday, while the lower seeds love to shock the world on Thursday, come Friday, reality steps in and bitch slaps them across the face. The big boys take care of business…at least 75% of them do.

From yesterday:

Since 1998, three of the top four seeds have advanced to the semis 10 times in 12 years.

So what do we got to look forward to?

No 9 VIRGINIA VS. No 1 DUKE
No chance. I’m saying it. There’s no denying it. Sorry Cavaliers, you’re not taking this one. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb here. If Virginia beats Duke tomorrow, I’ll change my blog’s name to “Big Virginia Balls” for the remainder of the season (including NCAA Tournament).

No 12 MIAMI VS No 5 VIRGINIA TECH
If the Canes want to play in the NCAA Tournament, they’re going to need to sweep the ACC tournament. Too bad they won’t beat Virginia Tech. How about a stat prediction? I bet Delaney hits more free throws by himself than the entire Miami team. Ballsy.

No 7 GEORGIA TECH VS No 2 MARYLAND
I picked the Yellow Jackets to upset Maryland in my predictions last night, and I saw nothing from Tech tonight to change my mind. The fact is, the conference tournaments are where underachieving teams come to shine.

No 11 NORTH CAROLINA STATE VS No 3 FLORIDA STATE
The first one to 5o wins this one. That will be the Seminoles.

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Devils will take on the Wahoo’s and are a prohibitive favorite

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

The Duke Blue Devils may have caught a bit of a break with Virginia’s 68-62 win over Boston College.  The reason is that the Eagles matched up a little better with Duke.  The Cav’s broke a nine game losing streak with today’s win and showed a lot of heart by playing together with a depleted roster.

Look for Duke to pound the ball down low against Virginia and play a lot of players.  There is no doubt that the Cav’s will play with emotion but that shouldn’t be a major factor as the game wears on.  Unlike most teams, Duke elected not to have a practice in Greensboro, electing instead to train in Durham.

The Blue Devils will have an extended shoot around in the morning , but the Duke assistants are scouting the Wake Forest game which is about to tip off.  You can bet that the Duke coaching staff is already hard at work prepping the team for their first round game.

Not to look ahead, but it is highly likely Duke will face the winner of the Wake Forest-Virginia Tech game.  What does that mean for Duke?  Well, while Duke is 2-0 against the aforementioned, it was the two most physical ACC games they played all season.  One other thing, Duke will not have the Cameron Crazies to pull them through and we all know Duke set a team record by going 17-0 at home.  So, one thing to watch for is how Duke fares on a neutral court with most fans pulling against them.

The afternoon session of the tournament was not well attended, but that is somewhat tradition.  First off, a lot of people are still working and the night session is always the one where people will show up and that is especially true with local favorite North Carolina playing.  One must also consider that four teams had byes and many of those fans sit out the first day even if they have tickets.  FWIW, Wake fans are now helping fill the Coliseum.

Depending on the outcome of the rest of the days games, tickets could become available at good prices.  Should the Tar Heels lose, a lot of their fans will likely want to leave the pain of a disappointing season behind.  If Miami topples Wake in the next game, several tickets should loosen up.  FWIW, Miami has very few fans here and they would likely not come with a win over Wake.

Stay tuned for more updates here and I will be tweeting live from Blue Devil Nation during the Duke games and we will of course bring you all the happenings behind the scenes.

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Ballsy ACC Tournament Predictions – Rob Murray of Big Duke Balls

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

One thing I hate to do on this site is make predictions. Yet that has never stopped me from doing them. God bless America.So here I am again, ready to give you my thoughts on some upcoming game/tournament.

Of course I could sit here and tell you all about each team in detail, explain to you why so-and-so will suddenly get hot, why that guy will lose his jumper, how that coach will screw that up and guarantee you some mind blowing upset…but I’m not.

Pointless.

I’m an old-school gambler and one thing us old-timers love is history. So I’m going to look in the past to tell you the future. And yes, I’m going to deliver the same line I do every time I do this…these “predictions” should be completely ignored.

So What do we know about the ACC Tournament?

We know that Duke and North Carolina have won it a lot (17 times each), but that doesn’t really help us. They’re two original league members, of course they’re going to have a stack of conference titles.

Hell, if you just based it on team’s history, then you would have to argue that South Carolina, who won the ACC crown back in 1971, has a better shot than Florida State, Clemson, Miami and Virginia Tech.Of course this would be difficult since the Cocks play in the SEC (traitors!).

While I can certainly judge teams by their recent performances, the fact is, I believe in seeding and the history seeding results can tell us. And when I say history, I mean recent history. Sorry, I don’t care about who won what in 1962. They didn’t even let blacks in the league then. Nothing counts.

I am going to look back at the tournament dating back to 1985. This was the year the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams, thus losing in the tournament no longer meant the end of the season (excluding the N.I.T.).

SO WHAT DO THE NUMBERS TELL ME?

- It’s good to be No 1. The top seed has made it to the finals in 16 of the last 25 tournaments, although, they’ve only won half of those games. Recently, the No 1 seed has won three-straight (2006-2008).

- Being the No 2 used to mean something. Over an 18-year period, the No 2 seed made it to the finals half of the time. Of those nine, the No 2 seed won seven championships.

- Lately though, the No 2 seed has been a curse. Since 2003, no No 2 seed has advanced to the ACC finals. The two seed is only 3-7 in the tournament since 2003, losing in the quarterfinals four times.

- Of course, the No 2 seed is not the norm, as the higher seeds tend to dominate in the finals. In fact, the high seed in the championship game has won seven out of the last eight (No 6 Maryland over No 1 Duke in 2004 was the lone upset).

- In the past though, upsets in the finals were more common. In fact, the high seed (prior to 2002) was just 9-8 in the champion game.

- Of course, all because the No 2 seed has been getting into the finals, that doesn’t mean that any of the little guy’s are stepping up to shock the league. In fact, the title game has featured No 4 seeds or higher in all title games, except seven. That’s 50 teams and only seven have been a five seed or lower.

- The most common title game match up has been a #3 seed vs. a #1 seed (seven times, compared to six #2 vs. #1).

- Of course, No 3 seeds may get to the title game, but that doesn’t mean they do much once they get there. In fact, the No 3 has lost in five of the last six title games they appeared in.

- One last note on title games. Of the 25 winners since 1985, 22 were three seeds or higher. The three times it didn’t happen? Each time the winning team was a No 6 seed (Maryland in 2004, Georgia Tech in 1993 and N.C. State in 1987). That basically means if you’re a 4/5 seed or seeds #7-12, you’re not winning this baby.

- Now I’ve spent a lot of time on the top seeds, but what about the bottom feeders? Since 2005, the ACC has had 12 seeds (technically in 2005 there were 11, followed by 12 in 2006) and they’re not terrible. In fact, Seeds #9-12 are 13-19 in the tournament overall since 2005.

- In round one, the bottom seeds are actually better. Seeds #9-12 are 10-9 since 2005 in the first round. The No 12 seed is an impressive 3-1 in round one.

- Of course after round one, the lower seeds usually fall by the wayside. They’re 10-9 in round one, but only 3-10 after that. Only three have advanced past the quarterfinals.

Okay, I’ve hit on the top seeds and I’ve walked you through the lower seeds, but I’ve focused mostly on the title game and the first-round games. Everyone knows all the action in a Oreo is in the middle, so what happens in the middle rounds?

- First, if you’re the top seed, you can punch your ticket to the semis. Over the last 25 years, only two No 1 seeds have lost in the quarterfinals. The last time it happened was in 1997, when Duke lost to N.C. State. Prior to that, it was N.C. State losing to Maryland in 1989.

- Like I said before, the No 12 seed and No 11 seeds have found some round one success, but joy joy, that’s about it for bragging rights. These two are just 1-5 in the semis, with Wake Forest (in 2006) being the only #12 seed to advance to the semis.

- In fact, the quarterfinals have been pretty damn uneventful over the years. Since 1998, three of the top four seeds have advanced to the semis 10 times in 12 years (twice all four top seeds made it), but never has only just one made it. What I’m saying is, if you’re a betting man, take the top seed in all games and you’ll win three of four…most likely.

- Heading into the semifinals, there’s only one important stat to know. It’s splitsville, baby. In the ACC semis, one higher seed and one lower seed has won the past eight years. The last time both higher seeds advanced to the finals was in 2001 (#2 Duke & #1 North Carolina). For the record, the higher seed winner and lower seed winner has split the past eight seasons. The highest of the seeds has gone 4-4, the lowest seed in the semis has gone 4-4.

Okay, I’ve talked all about seeds, but what about teams. There’s got to be some helpful info, right?

- First, what about Duke as the top seed? At one point, it used to be a bad thing. In fact, prior to 1998, Duke had earned the top seed five times (since 1985), but only managed to win the conference tournament once. Now though, things have changed. Duke has won the title as the top seed four times in five tries since 1998.

- Maryland has the No 2 spot, but there isn’t too much history to look at. They’re not typically this high. What I can tell you is this, when the expectations are high, the Terps fall down. Since 2001, Maryland is a decent 5-2 as the lower seed (winning the ACC title in 2004), but when they are the higher seed, they are just 3-6.

- Florida State has never been a No 3 seed. They were a No 4 seed last season and advanced to the title game. Overall, they have won their first tournament game the last three years. Prior to that, they had lost three straight.

- Virginia Tech took a couple years getting use to the ACC, but for three straight seasons, they have won the first and lost their second. The last two seasons, they won as the higher seed, but lost as the lower seed. Overall, they are 3-1 as the higher seed.

- Poor Wake Forest, the ACC tournament has been unkind when they’re a good team. Since 2004, the Demon Deacons are 0-4 as the higher seed.

- Clemson has lost six of their last seven in the first round, including their last three. The one year they didn’t have to play in the opening round, they actually won two games and made it to the finals.This year, they’re playing in round one.

- Georgia Tech is hard to predict. They’re 6-9 since 2001. They’ve won in round one the past two season and have a habit of losing to Duke. The Blue Devils have eliminated Ga Tech three times over the last six years.

- Since joining the ACC, Boston College has never lost in their first game in the ACC Tournament. They’re 4-0. The past two seasons, they were the lower seed in the first round.

- For Virginia, I have an interesting stat. Since 1995, the Cavaliers are 3-4 in the ACC Tournament with Sean Singletary on the team, winning at least one game in three of his four seasons. Without him though, Virginia is 0-13.

- What about North Carolina? There’s not a lot to go on. They’ve been a top seed so often, it hurts. Well how’s this, between 2002-2004, Carolina was the lower seed and they only went 1-3.

- North Carolina State has been known to be sneaky. They’ve reached the finals three times in the last eight years. Only Duke and North Carolina have more appearances in that time. Over the last nine years, they’ve won their first game six times. What I’m saying is, beware of the Wolfpack.

- The Miami Hurricanes are a surprising 3-1 in opening games in the ACC tournament. Yes, I’m actually surprised by this stat. I can barely remember the last time I actually watched a Miami win.

So knowing all those numbers, what have I learned and what will I predict? Let’s get started.

ROUND ONE:

We learned that the lower seed has a 50/50 shot, so they’ll probably win two of these four games. We also learned that the No 12 seed knows how to win in round one. We know Boston College has a 4-game round one winning streak going, while Wake has a four-game slide as favorites. Miami has pulled off some upsets, State’s been known to go on a run, but Clemson hasn’t and Carolina never will. I’m still trying to figure out Ga Tech, but Virginia I know…sorry, no Singletary.

No 8 BOSTON COLLEGE OVER No 9 VIRGINIA
The Cavaliers have dropped nine-straight, while BC has pulled out three wins in their last five, one of which was against Virginia.

No 12 MIAMI OVER No 5 WAKE FOREST
The Canes struggle to stop the three. Luckily for them, Wake Forest couldn’t hit a three if you spotted them two.

#7 GEORGIA TECH OVER #10 NORTH CAROLINA
I know, the Yellow Jackets have struggled lately, losing six of eight. Yet, they’ve still beaten Carolina twice this season. Besides, the Tar Heels gave up on this season a long time ago.

No 11 NORTH CAROLINA STATE OVER #6 CLEMSON
Don’t look now, but State has won three of four. Of course Clemson has more to play for, which usually means disaster for the Tigers. Sorry, no No 6 seed shocker this season.

QUARTERFINALS

We know the lower seeds like to crash the party, but they almost never make it to the V.I.P. room. While teams like Boston College and Miami know how to escape the first round, two games in a row is asking too much. Of course both NC State and Georgia Tech could make a splash, but since the Wolfpack are the 11th seed, we know this is as far as they go because the 11th seed never goes to the semis. The fact is, The big boys are in town and three of four will win those quarterfinals. This leaves one team to lose and only one has a known track record of screwing things up when the expectations are high.

#1 DUKE OVER #8 BOSTON COLLEGE
The Blue Devils have had a six-day rest heading into the noon game against Boston College. Sorry, Eagles.

#4 VIRGINIA TECH OVER #12 MIAMI
Do you think Delaney is a little tired of hearing about Scheyer and Vasquez? It’s a Hokie with a chip on his shoulder, watch out!

#7 GEORGIA TECH OVER #2 MARYLAND
The Terps have had a full week of everyone telling them how great they are. They got the ACC player of the year and the coach of the year. Tech has spent the whole week being told how bad they are, about how they underachieved, all while their coach plays the silent treatment. This one should be Maryland, right? Wrong. Something just doesn’t smell right here.

#3 FLORIDA STATE OVER #11 NORTH CAROLINA STATE
The Seminoles know how to move along (they were in the ACC finals last year), while the Wolfpack are just grateful to be playing one more game.

SEMIFINALS

The semis are a bit harder to figure out. What we do know is, one higher seed is advancing, the other one isn’t. But which one? In this case, go with the team with a loooong track record.

#1 DUKE OVER #4 VIRGINIA TECH
With Maryland gone, Duke should cruise to the championship, but reality says, this will be their toughest remaining challenge. One day, the Hokies will reach the finals, but it won’t be against the No 4 team in the nation fighting for a No 1 seed in the NCAA.

#7 GEORGIA TECH OVER #3 FLORIDA STATE
The Noles are the higher seed and have beaten the Yellow Jackets twice this season, but we’re going to roll the dice here and go with the theory of, unless you’re a superior team, it’s tough to beat a decent team three times in one season.

TITLE GAME

We’ve already pointed it out, the lower seeds just don’t win these. The higher seed has won five straight and the number one seed has won three of four in this tournament.

#1 DUKE OVER #7 GEORGIA TECH
By this point, Ga Tech has saved their season and are no longer sitting on the bubble. They’re in and this isn’t Atlanta. Duke rolls.

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It’s time to put a perfect weekend behind for Duke is now 0-0

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Let’s face it, Duke is coming off weekend Nirvana where they pummeled their arch rival North Carolina by a score of 83-50.  I mean, everything went right and all was good throughout the Blue Devil Nation.  The Blue Devils had their way in every way which satisfied thirsty Duke fans.  In short, it was take no prisoners until Kryzyzewski went to a slow down late in the game.

The Blue Devils were consistent through out their dominating win and that was demanded by Krzyzewski in that it was his way of preparing them for what is to come.   Duke knows it must put the fab weekend behind them and that all started in yesterday’s afternoon practice.  It a new start and everybody is 0-0, one loss and you’re done.

There will be no fabulous Cameron Crazies, who by the way were at their best this season in the Carolina game and I covered every game with them just behind me this season.  So, Duke will have to make their own way in predominately neutral environments.

By the time Duke takes to the court in this weeks ACC Tournament, a good amount of the boo birds could be gone.  A stumbling UNC squad must take on Georgia Tech on opening night and the Yellow Jackets are in need of a resume building win.  But Duke is still a marked team and if anyone thinks they wouldn’t covet a rematch with Maryland, you’ve got a bit too much spring fever.

Before Duke can think of Maryland, they will take on the Boston College-Virginia winner and while the Eagles seem the safe pick, the staff is preparing for either team in earnest.  In fact, they have all the teams scouted and covered by long time assistants.

Oddly, every time the ACC Tournament rolls around, good weather accompanies the event.  Over the years, I’ve attended many and it always seems to be in nearing the 70’s.  Okay, back on track …

You can almost pencil Duke into the semi’s where they will likely meet Wake Forest or Virginia Tech and FWIW, I feel Boston College would give Duke the most trouble, but looking ahead is dangerous in a tournament full of hungry teams in need of again, resume building wins.

Duke will likely have to win out to get a number one seed, but there are scenarios where if other mighties stumble, they could get it falling just short in the final should they reach that game.

A lot has been made of how easy it is to get reasonable ticket prices to this years tournament and that is due to two things.  First off the economy is still not flourishing and when North Carolina stumbles, a lot of faithful fans leave, but if Duke faces Maryland in the finals it could salvage the event.  It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.

Well, I’m headed over to Cameron to interview selected Duke players and I will indeed be at the tournament and look forward to offering a few thoughts as the event goes on.  Check out my web site Blue Devil Nation later today and we’ll have audio interviews posted with players and be sure to check out Raycom Sports Blogs as the tournament progresses.

Let the games begin.

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