Duke Blue Planet BLOG

Kyrie Irving stars in an entertaining new commercial for ESPN’s NBA coverage.  Glad they found the young phenom so he can continue his impressive rookie campaign…

After the team’s shoot-around at Maryland, Duke players were excited to see the new Hyper Elite Platinum jerseys for the first time.  Nike had just unveiled new uniform sets for seven men’s teams including the Blue Devils’ new blue and grey warmups, jerseys, shorts and shoes.  The team will wear the uniforms one time, on February 11th, when Maryland visits Cameron.

Here’s more info:

“Specially designed for Duke men’s basketball and eight other NCAA Championship teams, Nike unveiled its new Nike Hyper Elite Platinum uniforms that the Blue Devils will wear during their Feb. 11 showdown against Maryland in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke will be one of seven men’s teams in the nation to wear the high-performance, low-environmental impact gear. As the latest and most innovative fit system, the Nike Hyper Elite Platinum uniform is designed at the intersection of sustainability and performance. The uniforms are specially designed for nine NCAA Championship teams that won their national titles wearing Nike footwear and apparel.

The fabric of the Nike Hyper Elite Platinum shorts is made from 100 percent recycled polyester while the jersey’s fabric is made from at least 96 percent recycled polyester. Both short and jersey are tailored for the optimal efficiency of movement and are five percent lighter than the previous Nike Hyper Elite uniform. Featuring laser-cut bonded logos, a sharp platinum design as well as prominent accent colors, the Nike Hyper Elite Platinum uniforms are sure to shine on the court.

“Nike is committed to producing top-of-the-line performance attire with reduced sacrifice to the environment,” said Phil Cook, Nike’s Brand Manager for Basketball. “With our Nike Hyper Elite Platinum design, Nike is maintaining its long-standing obligations to our fans to not only produce the best on-court looks but also a design that makes use of the resources we already have.”

Other teams scheduled to wear the uniforms include The University of Arizona, Baylor University (women’s), University of Florida, University of Kentucky, Syracuse University, The University of Connecticut (men’s and women’s) and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In 2011, Nike affirmed its commitment to increasing its use of more sustainable materials by doubling its use of recycled polyester, using approximately 440 million PET plastic bottles, enough to cover over 12,000 basketball courts, and 2012 will build off of those successes.

The short includes laser perforations in side panels for increased breathability while featuring a lightweight 4-way stretch woven design. The bonded hem detailing found on the short and the bonded back seam near the neckline on the jersey enhances both comfort and style. Additionally, the front of the jersey features a lightweight Nike Sphere fabric, while the back includes a full Nike Aerographics back panel.

The uniforms will hit the hardwood beginning late-January for some of oldest and strongest rivalries in college basketball.”

Coach K shared thoughtful remarks on the late Coach Joe Paterno in an ESPN interview yesterday, discussing Coach Paterno’s life, legacy and time they shared this summer during their TV special.

The Blue Devils remain on top in the NBA Fantasy League, leading UCLA by 464.8 points.  UNC, Kentucky and Texas rank third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Duke’s top producers so far this season have been Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Kyrie Irving.  The Blue Devil trio actually met in Cleveland last night, when the Bulls cruised past the Cavs 114-75.  Luol had 21 points and eight boards, Carlos went for 19 and 14 and Kyrie scored 13 points.

Mike Dunleavy and Corey Maggette remain sidelined due to injury and hope to return in the next few weeks.

About the Fantasy League: The Fantasy League awards points to former college players in the NBA, with each team consisting of a school’s college alums in the league.  Points are awarded for FGM, 3′s, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks.  Players lose points for FGA and turnovers.

NBA Fantasy League Leaders
1. Duke: 4113.10
2. UCLA: 3648.30
3. UNC: 3368.10
4. Kentucky: 3359.2
5. Texas: 2708.20

NBA Fantasy League – Top Duke Performers
L. Deng: 581.90
C. Boozer: 549.70
K. Irving: 454.60
E. Brand: 434.30
G. Henderson: 415.50
J. Redick: 335.90

*Deng ranks sixth overall, trailing Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Monroe and Russell Westbrook.

Recap | Box Score

The Blue Devils fell to 16-3 and 4-1 in the ACC after FSU connected on a pair of 3′s at the buzzer to close the first and second halves.  Duke returns to action Wednesday at Maryland (9 PM, ESPN).