On a foul line approximately 4,500 miles from Durham, with 13 seconds remaining and the excited but apprehensive Blue Devil faithful on its feet, Kyle Singler was calmer than the patrons back at the Hyatt Regency Maui lounging in the comforts of ocean-side cabanas. The 6′9″ forward had just secured a critical loose ball and was fouled by a Marquette player. Now he needed to convert a pair of free throws to make it a two-possession game.
After Singler drilled the first free throw, Marquette Head Coach Tom Crean called timeout to prepare his team for its next possession, inviting the freshman to think a little bit harder about the magnitude of his upcoming foul shot.
“I knew I was going to make it. There was no doubt in my mind,” Singler said. “There was no doubt I was going to make it a two-possession game.”
Indeed, Singler’s second free throw found nothing but net, capping his perfect 8-of-8 night from the foul line. The Oregon native finished his first championship game in a Duke uniform with 25 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 3pt) and seven rebounds, leading Duke to its fourth all-time championship in the Maui Invitational with a 77-73 win over the No. 11 Golden Eagles.
After the game, as the team celebrated its victory and championship, it was time to name the tournament MVP. Standing in the shadows behind his teammates as his name was called, the humble Singler mouthed two mostly inaudible words that were fitting given his thoughtfulness and the total team effort that led to the championship: “Why me?”
Singler certainly earned the MVP award, leading the tournament in scoring and offensive rebounding while converting 61 percent of his field-goal attempts, but it was Duke’s team cohesion, attitude and collective will that got it done for the Blue Devils.
Said freshman Nolan Smith, “Winning Maui was one of our goals and I knew we were going to win it before we even played our first game just with the confidence and relationships our team has. We went out there and took care of business.”
Setting the tone all tournament was team captain DeMarcus Nelson. The senior has embraced the honor of being Duke’s lone captain, leading by example, looking out for his teammates, and playing to his strengths. In Maui, Nelson drove relentlessly to the bucket and at times seemed unstoppable. He also had more rebounds than any guard in the tournament (19), while playing intense defense on some of the opposition’s top perimeter threats.
“I’ve matured a lot,” Nelson said. “Really taking that responsibility of the captaincy with open arms, trying to make the most of an opportunity, making sure guys are ready to play, making sure that guys are in the right spots — the end result is that it makes me better because I have to be there for my teammates at all times.”
Nelson was Duke’s top player in a backcourt quietly emerging as one of the nation’s best. Gerald Henderson had perhaps the best game of his Duke career against a terrific Illinois squad in the Maui Final Four, pouring in a career-high 23 points and pulling down five boards. Like Singler, he also made a pair of clutch free throws with under 45 seconds to go against Marquette. Meanwhile, Greg Paulus provided steady play at point guard, compiling an assist-to-turnover ratio just shy of 2-to-1, knocking down a team-high six 3’s including a pair of huge triples in the second half vs. Marquette, and leading the team in steals. Teaming with Paulus at point guard was Nolan Smith, a freshman who offered solid ball-handling, additional perimeter quickness, and a great hunger to attack and defend. Rounding out Duke’s perimeter in Maui were Jon Scheyer, who gave his usual consistent play and intangibles that do not always show up in box scores, and Martynas Pocius, capable of delivering instant offense.
It was this perimeter group that proved to be the tournament’s best, with Singler, Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek and Taylor King giving Duke a versatile and formidable frontcourt as well. When combined with a commitment to Duke’s standards, you had a team worthy of the championship earned in Maui.
The trip started on the afternoon of November 16th, when the team journeyed to Hawaii. The first two days in the Rainbow State were devoted to time-zone acclimation, rest, and a pair of practices. We opened with an 83-61 win over Princeton on Monday and then defeated Illinois 79-66 on Tuesday, before meeting up with Marquette in Wednesday’s final.
During the tournament, a reporter asked Coach K what Duke’s secret was to winning in Maui. The Hall of Famer replied, “Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Jason Williams, Steve Wojciechowski. You have to have good players and we have had great players and veteran teams and we’ve been lucky, a kid hit a big shot or whatever. It’s the same scenario whoever wins. Good players make good plays and get a little bit lucky and all of a sudden you win.”
To that list of players, you could now add Singler and Nelson, among other Blue Devils past and present. Consequently, fantastic weather, unforgettable vistas, and Duke Basketball remain unbeatable in Maui.
