Archive for November, 2007

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Duke in Maui–Day 5

November 20, 2007

Posted by Dave Bradley under Center of the Universe

A Chance for a Championship
Tuesday saw a spirited Duke team defeat Illinois 79-66, setting up a meeting with No. 11 Marquette in the championship game of the Maui Invitational.  The victory made Duke the winningest team in Maui Invitational history (11-0 all-time).  The championship matchup vs. the Golden Eagles will tip off Wednesday at 10:00 PM EST (5:00 PM Hawaiian time) on ESPN.
 
Tuesday Photo Gallery
Click HERE to view photos from Tuesday in Maui.  Choose the gallery labeled “Duke in Maui – 11/20/07.”
 
Henderson Slam Showcased on ESPN
Gerald Henderson’s thunderous dunk in today’s victory over Illinois earned the top spot on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays.  The slam accounted for two of Gerald’s game-high 23 points in the game. 
 
Ferry in the House
Former Blue Devil and Duke jersey retiree Danny Ferry, now the GM of the Cleveland Cavaliers, attended our victory over Illinois.  Ferry graduated from Duke in 1989 and earned National Player of the Year honors in his senior year.
 
Quotes of the Day
“It was a big-time game and I thought both teams played their hearts out.  It was really a hard-fought game and I thought our perimeter people did an outstanding job.  With eight minutes to go we had three players with four fouls but we were able to weather the storm.”
-Coach K, on Duke’s win over Illinois
 
“We battled but we got too far behind and used too much energy.  They have a lot of offensive weapons.  You shut down the lane and they kick out for 3s.  You defend that and go right at the hoop.”
-Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber
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11/19/07 Duke in the NBA

November 19, 2007

Posted by Dave McSwain under NBA Devils

All-Star Balloting Opens!
The ballot for the 2008 NBA All-Star game was released onwww.NBA.com this week, and there are a lot of familiar faces for Duke fans.  Even without Elton Brand on the list sidelined due to injury, Duke claims an amazing six All-Star nominees!  Competing for a spot on the Western Conference squad are last year’s All-Star Carlos Boozer, the Clippers’ Corey Maggette, seven-time All-Star Grant Hill, and the Rockets’ Shane Battier.  In the East, Luol Deng and Mike Dunleavy, Jr. are looking to make their first All-Star appearance.

For years, the unbelievable abundance of talent among Western Conference forwards has made making the All-Star team from that position a truly remarkable feat.  This season, with some of those talented forwards moving to the Eastern Conference, Carlos Boozer becomes one of the favorites to be voted an All-Star starter.  However, the movement of stars to the East stiffens the competition significantly for Luol Deng, looking to follow up his terrific playoff performance last season with an encore that brings him an All-Star nod.  The Bulls struggles to start the season make the task even harder, but after 23 points and 9 rebounds Thursday night against Phoenix, Luol may be starting his All-Star push.  So remember Blue Devils fans… go to NBA.com and vote!

Top Performer
It’s a close call this week, as Carlos Boozer has continued to dominate the paint for Utah, averaging 25.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game while recording double-doubles in all but one of his team’s first nine games.  But this week Grant Hill stole the headlines in Phoenix, averaging 21.0 points per game in three Suns victories.  One of the NBA’s most likeable players, Hill has quickly grasped the intricacies of the Suns offense and continues to amaze with his dedication and perseverance.

Battier shoulders the load in Houston
With Tracy McGrady expected to miss at least a week with a sprained right elbow, the Rockets were looking for an offensive spark from another source Friday against the Spurs.  Through four years at Duke, Shane Battier made a habit of stepping up when his team needed him, and Friday was no exception.  Shane delivered 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals against San Antonio while providing his usual stellar defense.  Unfortunately, Houston couldn’t pull out the victory against the defending champs, but look for Battier to continue his increased production while McGrady sits out.

Injury Update
First, the good news… at least two Duke alums are expecting to get back into action this week.  J.J. Redick has once again battled injuries to start the NBA season, dealing with a thumb injury in training camp, then suffering painful back spasms that sidelined him for most of Orlando’s first nine games.  He’s reportedly feeling fine and looking to get into the Magic rotation soon.  Josh McRoberts has seen the start of his NBA career postponed due to a severely sprained ankle suffered early in training camp in Portland, but he has been practicing with the team recently and is reportedly fully healthy.

The not-so-good news is that both Corey Maggette and Luol Deng could miss some upcoming games.  Maggette strained his hamstring Friday night against Golden State and missed Saturday’s game against Chicago.  In that game, Deng injured his back in the first half after helping Chicago out to an early lead in the Bulls’ win.  While Corey is expected back in time for the Clippers’ next game Wednesday, Luol is expected to miss about a week while he recovers.

Blue Planet NBA Fantasy League Update
Duke continues to stick around the top of the standings this season despite the injury problems, but the Devils lost the top spot this week.  North Carolina currently holds a slim lead in the standings, but with guys like Grant Hill and Luol Deng coming on strong, this race should stay tight.

1.    North Carolina Tar Heels:  2229.2
2.    Duke Blue Devils:  2115.8
3.    Connecticut Huskies:  2055.1
4.    Arizona Wildcats:  1858.2
5.    Florida Gators:  1704.3
6.    Kentucky Wildcats:  1394.5
7.    Kansas Jayhawks:  1240.4

Check out the November 12th blog for an explanation of the scoring.


Quote of the Week
“One thing about Carlos — he can be a sponge, listen and grasp ideas.  He’s an absolutely terrific teammate who cares about the other guys on the team — both on and off the court.”
-Utah Jazz VP Kevin O’Connor
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Duke in Maui–Day 3

November 18, 2007

Posted by Dave Bradley under Center of the Universe

Sunday Recap
Sunday started with breakfast and a team meeting at our hotel.  Shortly after practice, we headed over to the Lahaina Civic Center.  The venue is every bit as small as it looks on TV and it has incredible ocean views.  Former UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian attended practice and spoke briefly to our players.  Members of ESPN’s TV crew, including Jay Bilas, were also in the gym watching practice. 
 
After the workout, our players headed back to the hotel to shower, enjoy some down time, and get ready for the Maui Invitational team photo and Tip-Off Banquet.  Guests were entertained by Hawaiian dancing, received dinner, and each of the head coaches spoke to the crowd.  Coach K capped off the evening by introducing legendary coach Pete Newell and welcoming him on stage.  He noted that Newell, Henry Iba and Bob Knight are the coaches that have had the most influenced on his coaching career.
 
First-Round Game
We play our first game tomorrow night against Princeton at 9:00 PM EST on ESPN2.  The winner will advance to take on either Illinois or Arizona State.
 
Duke in Maui Photos
Click HERE to view our three photo gallieries from Maui so far.
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Duke in Maui–Day 2

November 17, 2007

Posted by Dave Bradley under Center of the Universe

Saturday in Paradise
Saturday for Duke included 85-degree weather with clear blue skies, a productive practice at a nearby high school featuring athletic facilities with ocean views, and a championship.  The day started with jet-lag recovery, time-zone acclimation and sun soaking relaxation before we headed to practice at nearby Lahainaluna High School (home of the Lunas).  Following practice and a quick return to the hotel, the team enjoyed a tasty dinner in Lahaina at Kimo’s with the restaurant featuring a second-story outdoor patio overlooking the ocean.  After the meal, it was off to the Maui Invitational EA Sports Players Meet & Greet.
 
Scheyer Wins a Championship
The player meet and greet was centered around the annual EA Sports Video Game Tournament.  Each Maui Invitational Tournament team enters two players into the video-game tourney and then plays as their respective team.  DeMarcus Nelson and Jon Scheyer represented Duke, opening the tournament by playing two players from Princeton.  DeMarcus bowed out in the first round while Jon breezed past Princeton’s Lincoln Gunn, then survived overtime wins over Illinois’ Mike Davis and LSU’s Chris Johnson.  The final pitted Jon against Marquette’s Maurice Acker.  With players from both squads looking on and cheering wildly, Jon pulled out an easy win to claim the title!
 
Saturday Photos
For Saturday photos of Duke in Maui, click HERE and view the album labeled “Duke in Maui – 11/17/07.”  Check back tomorrow for Sunday news and photos…
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Duke in Maui– Day 1

November 16, 2007

Posted by Dave Bradley under Center of the Universe

Friday Travel
Friday is a travel day for the team.  We will depart from RDU, touch down once to refuel along the way on the West Coast, and arrive in Maui in the evening.  Early weather reports appear very promising — Around 80-85 each day and at worst mostly sunny!
 
Photo Preview
Check out our photo preview and early look at the Lahaina Civic Center.  Blue Planet photographer Mike Bradley was able to get over yesterday to sneak a peak.  Click HERE and select the first album that appears in the photo player.
 
On Tap for Saturday 
Saturday night will include the Players Meet & Greet which is scheduled to include among other things a video games tournament between student-athletes from the actual Maui Invitational teams.  We will be on hand taking photos so check back!  Note that Hawaiian Time is five hours behind Eastern Standard Time.
 
Duke Hoops in Maui
2007 marks Duke’s fourth appearance in the Maui Invitational.  In our three previous appearances (1992, 1997, 2001), we left the island with the championship.  Duke is the only three-time champion of the event and Syracuse (6-0) is the only other all-time unbeaten program in Maui.  Duke Assistant Coach Steve Wojciechowski has enjoyed particular success in Maui, earning MVP honors in 1997 and winning the tournament as a coach in 2001.
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