Archive for April, 2008

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4/20/08 Duke in the NBA

April 20, 2008

Posted by Dave McSwain under NBA Devils

NBA PLAYOFFS!
The grueling NBA regular season has come to a close, and five Blue Devils are now fighting for an NBA Title. Each of the past two seasons has seen members of the Duke family lead their teams on impressive runs through the tough Western Conference, with Elton Brand and Corey Maggette taking the Clippers to within one shot of the Conference Finals two years ago, and Carlos Boozer powering the Jazz one step further last season. This season, three of Duke’s former NCAA Champions are fighting to lead their teams to the top of the unbelievably competitive Western Conference, while two other former Blue Devils battle in the East.
*Carlos Boozer leads Utah against Shane Battier and the Houston Rockets in a matchup of the Jazz’s potent post offense against the Rockets’ vaunted defense, keyed by Battier.  In a game one Utah win, Carlos recorded a double-double with 20 points and 16 boards while Shane lit it up with 22 points (7-7 FG, 4-4 3pt).
*Grant Hill is fully healthy for a trip to the Playoffs for the first time in close to a decade, as he and the Phoenix Suns start out against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs took game one in a double OT thriller.
*The Orlando Magic, including the ACC’s all-time leading scorer J.J. Redick, match up against the Toronto Raptors in hopes of getting to out of the first round of the Playoffs for the first time since the departure of Shaq.
*Shavlik Randolph and the Philadelphia 76ers take on Eastern Conference power Detroit.
Line of the Week
Chris Duhon enjoyed a career game Monday night in an astounding victory over the Bucks. Duhon played 30 minutes and finished with 22 points on 8-of-9 (.889) from the floor and a perfect 4-of-4 from behind the arc, a career-high 15 assists against ZERO turnovers, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals to lead the Bulls to victory and an incredible offensive output of 151 points. Former Duke and current Bulls teammate Luol Deng more than did his part as well, adding 32 points to the cause.
After a string of DNP-CD’s in the box score prompted many observers to wonder if Duhon’s days as a Bull were over, Chris saw his minutes steadily increase as the season came to a close, playing 20+ minutes in his final four games and averaging 12 points and 7 assists per game in that stretch while shooting better than 50% from the field each time out. Entering free agency this summer, Duhon will likely explore other opportunities on the open market, but one thing is for sure… Chris has proven his value over and over during his NBA career, even against the odds.
Top Performer
The Indiana Pacers fell one game short of the playoffs this season after finishing the regular season winning 11 of their last 16 games. The driving force behind the playoff push was Mike Dunleavy, Jr., whose production this season improved as much as anyone in the league. Averaging 24.4 points per game in his last seven games as the Pacers fought for the final playoff spot, Dunleavy ended the year with yet another career-high-tying 36-point, 7-rebound, 6-assist outburst. That terrific game followed up games of 26 and 22 points earlier in the week as Mike played at an All-Star level down the stretch and for most of the regular season.  At 27 years old and just entering his NBA prime, the future looks bright for the former Blue Devil All-American.

J.J. Proving His Value
It has been a tough year for J.J. Redick with the Orlando Magic. After starring in the summer league, Redick anticipated playing big minutes for the Magic this season and providing an outside scoring punch to complement the power of Dwight Howard inside. However, with Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu both bombing away from outside and the team needing defense more than offense from its shooting guard position, J.J. has been forced to watch most of the season from the sideline while his coach and GM tell him his time is coming next year. Fortunately, heading into the playoffs Orlando decided to get a better look at Redick on the court, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. In his final regular season game, J.J. poured in 18 points shooting 50% from the field and long range to lead the Magic to a 20-point win over the Wizards. In his last two games, Redick averaged 14.5 points and shot 6-for-11 from long range. This article, appropriately titled “J.J. Redick Unleashed”, takes a closer look at what he’s been able to do when given good minutes during the regular season. Specifically, J.J. averaged 12.7 points and shot 52% from the field (50% from long range) when he played over 15 minutes.
Shelden Stepping Up in Sacramento
J.J. Redick isn’t the only player making the most of increased minutes late in the season. Shelden Williams has seen a steady increase in both his playing time and his production in April, and Tuesday night finished the season with a double-double.  The two-time National Defensive Player of the Year at Duke recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds to go along with 3 steals. That brought his April averages to 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds as he looks to establish his position with the Kings heading into the summer.
Change of Scenery Coming?
Elton Brand and Corey Maggette have been the faces of the Los Angeles Clippers franchise for most of this decade and have led the Clips to some of the most successful seasons in franchise history. Now it’s up to the front office to make sure they remain in Clippers uniforms next season. Both have the option to opt out of the final year of their contract, and both are exploring that possibility, according to this article from the L.A. Times. Brand returned for the final eight games of the season and averaged 17.6 points and 8.0 rebounds in that stretch, while experiencing no issues with the Achilles injury that kept him out all season. In his absence, Maggette stepped up big time for the team, averaging 22.1 points (11th in the NBA), 5.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists for the season.

Elton Brand soars for the swat on April 16th against Shane Battier’s Rockets
Coach K, Boozer Gearing Up for Olympics

As USA Basketball looks forward to fighting for the Gold this summer in China, Coach Mike Krzyzewski has some tough decisions to make. When you have a couple dozen All-Stars fighting for 12 roster spots, that tends to happen. This article takes a look at how Coach K and his USA team are approaching these games differently than past years. One player that is looking forward to the chance to play for his college coach again is Carlos Boozer. After missing last year’s games due to his son’s battle with sickle cell anemia, Boozer has a terrific shot at the final 12-man squad this summer due to his unique blend of power and touch around the basket as well as his impressive rebounding ability.

Duke Blue Planet NBA Fantasy League Final Results
After winning last year’s Fantasy League handily, the Blue Devils finished third this season. With Elton Brand’s return including only the final eight games of the regular season, it was too little, too late for the Duke squad.  However, the results of the last week would seem to indicate that next year’s competition is Duke’s to lose. To simplify matters, Duke finishes the competition 2776.6 points out of first place, after making up over 200 points in only the past two weeks. Last season, using the exact same scoring system, Elton Brand finished with 3578.4 points, a total which would’ve given Duke an easy victory this season.
1.    Connecticut Huskies:  20,319.2
2.    North Carolina Tar Heels:  20,063.7
3.     Duke Blue Devils:  17,542.6
4.    Arizona Wildcats:  14,404.9
5.    Florida Gators:  13,710.1
6.    Kentucky Wildcats:  11,734.1
7.    Kansas Jayhawks:  10,974.3
Quote of the Week
“I think any high school athlete playing the game of basketball should automatically make Duke one of their choices because of the history they have and Coach K speaks for himself.  You want to become a better player coming out of high school and I think Duke is one of those colleges that will help you become a better player and a better person at the end of the day.”

-Lebron James (April 6, 2008)

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USA Basketball Update and Olympic Media Summit

April 16, 2008

Posted by Dave Bradley under Center of the Universe

Coach K headed to the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago yesterday to join day two of the U.S. Olympic Media Summit.  Coach K and USA Basketball Managing Director Jerry Colangelo discussed Team USA’s plans for the months ahead with the 29th Olympic Games set to begin in August.  
 
USA Basketball will convene for a week-long training camp in late June in Las Vegas and then head overseas in July.  15 to 18 players will gather in Vegas and the team will play an exhibition game before deciding the 12-man roster for the Olympics (with three alternates).  Shortly after, the team will head to Asia for pre-Olympic exhibition games and training before arriving in Beijing on August 6th.  The U.S. squad will open Olympic play on August 10th as 12 nations officially begin the battle for Gold.   
 
Coach K Quote Board
“We feel we’re a team right now.  We’re not a selection of All-Stars.  This is the final step for this four-year period.  Our final goal is to win the gold medal, but also do it the right way and develop a program that other players will want to be part of the next four years.  Now we’ve got to close the deal by winning the gold medal.”
 
“We’ve asked them to be committed to playing for their country and not just to play.  These guys have done that over the last two years we’ve seen our program develop.  Whether it be LeBron, Kobe, Jason Kidd, they feel like they’re part of a team, they’re part of a movement, and they’re very, very proud to represent the U.S.”
 
“We have a unique opportunity here not only to represent our country but set a standard for how the game should be played.  Enthusiasm, camaraderie, attention to detail, those kind of things.  The team is showing that and hopefully will.  We don’t want just a sound bite, one highlight of a dunk but a better appreciation of how to play the game.  Our guys did that, especially this past summer.  They were very unselfish.”
 
“Where the program has gone now is these guys want to represent their country . . . and that’s a good problem to have.  You all would be amazed at just how cooperative all these guys have been.  I have not had one second of problems with the two teams I’ve coached the past two summers.  There’s a willingness to do what’s best for the group.”
 
“We have had an arrogance to say it’s our game.  It’s the world’s game.  It originated here.  We’ve tried to educate people.  It’s actually the fastest growing game in the world.  Let’s get on that page instead of saying, ‘We’re American.  We should win.’”
 
“The international game is much more disciplined.  It’s more like the old NBA where you could use your forearm, use your strength.  We got hurt like that at the 2006 World Championships.  We were hit right at halfcourt, not fouled.  That’s the way the game is called.”
 
“I felt that we didn’t give enough credit to the fact this game is being played at a very high level worldwide.  Obviously the NBA has given credit to it since almost 30 percent of its players are from there.  I could list a lot of different players.”
 
“If all our players are in the playoffs, that’s better.  They will be in the best shape.  We evaluate everything.  We want to see what a guy does in his environment.  That’s the highest level.”
 
“I don’t think we should be shocked at how good our opponents are.  Defeat can hasten the learning process.  You can’t be shocked when you lose to these teams.”
 
“(Jerry Colangelo and I) are like two guys at a dance.  We fall in love with everybody.  All these guys want to play for the United States.  They want to represent their country.  If that’s a problem, it’s a good problem to have.”
 
“Hopefully we will show a higher level.  The guys who played for us last year had pretty good seasons.  We would hope not only to produce gold medals but produce higher quality of play at all levels.”
 
“They have a right to say anything they want.  None of these athletes has a responsibility to be political.  They have a responsibility to represent their country in the best possible manner.  That’s what we’ll focus on.  Sometimes through a performance you show more than what you say.”
 
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Being There Matters

April 10, 2008

Posted by Jamie Spatola under Jamie Spatola

When you walk through the front door of the Emily Krzyzewski Center, the very first thing you see is a photograph of Coach K with his mother: the woman whose lessons serve as the inspiration for the Center and whose name it bears.  Anyone who knows Coach K or has heard him speak has heard him talk about his mom, how she was “the best person in his life” and how her simple lessons laid the foundation for everything that he has stood for throughout his life and career.  But Emily K’s lessons are not only important to Coach K; they have served as an example of the kind of involvement the Emily K Center staff seeks from the parents and families of the Center’s Pioneer Scholars.  Through the programs offered at the Emily K and consistent personal interaction with Emily K staff, parents of Center scholars are laying the foundations for their own children to pursue dreams.
 
When one looks at the success that the Emily K Center has achieved thus far, there is no doubt that this is the result of some outstanding educational programs and the hard, daily work of a gifted staff and committed tutors.  But this work directly with the young scholars is not the only reason for success.  The Emily K Center staff does not simply admit an individual student into the Pioneer Scholars program, they admit that student and a family dedicated to his or her success.  From the beginning, the staff at the Center partners with the child’s support system at home in a mutual commitment to that child’s educational and character development.  New families to the Center go through a Family Orientation as well as a Parent/Student conference with Center staff members.  The sign-out process at the end of an Emily K Center weekday also encourages regular interaction and updates from the Center to home and vice versa; a parent must sign their child out directly with his or her lead tutor each afternoon.
 
There are also opportunities for the parents to learn more about how to navigate the school system and advocate for their children with optional parent empowerment workshops.  Over two years, 50 percent of the Emily K Center families have participated in six-week Parent and Family Advocacy Support Training (PFAST) workshops dedicated to such goals as improving contact with the child’s school, understanding the school system and its structure, and learning what other community resources are available.  Parents want to learn; they want to be the best advocates for their kids that they can.  The Emily K Center is committed to creating opportunities for parents to be more effectively involved.
 
The mutual commitment of the student, parent, and Emily K Center staff is reaffirmed yearly at the fall Student-Tutor-Parent conferences that take place after the student receives their first report card.  At these meetings, students, parents and tutors work together to develop and put in writing the child’s academic and character development goals for the year.  The form makes clear that these goals are not up to the child alone and that the parent and tutor must do their part as well.  When all three put their signatures at the bottom of the page, they have made a pact to hold one another accountable.
 
The Center finds time to develop social ties among families as well at such events as the Dream-Do-Achieve Team Celebration Dinner in December and the Recognition Ceremony in May.  Most recently, the staff has deemed the last Friday of every month, “Family Night,” opening the gym to the Pioneer Scholars and their families.  Each month, about half of the families show up to enjoy the time with their children. 
 
One parent that takes advantage of every opportunity to participate and learn is Ana.  Ana and her husband have four of their own children and have taken over parenting responsibilities for their nephew, Angel, as well.  Ana’s oldest son, Jonathan, and Angel have both been in the Pioneer Scholars program for two years.  Ana is one of those parents that just always seems to be there.  She has participated in all of the programs offered to parents at the Emily K Center and she even volunteered herself as a translator for Center events.  It is difficult to see how Ana makes time for this because her co-workers insist that she is always at work.  But Ana is a parent who has the time because she makes the time.  It seems a simplistic concept: being there.  But it is a difficult reality to ensure when you are also working a full-time job in support of your family.  Ana is quick to point out the vital role that her husband plays, as well.   “He works a lot and so he cannot always be there himself,” she says, “but he supports the children by supporting me.”  
 
Ana and her husband are the type of parents with whom the staff at the Center loves to work and they have been thrilled to come in contact with Ana and many others like her.  “Ana is representative, in many ways, of the Pioneer Scholars parents as a whole,” says Educational Director Adam Eigenrauch.  “She made a commitment to support her children at a high level and has followed through on that.  She works hard to support them both in and out of school, and she cares dearly about their success and development.”
 
When asked what she believes is the best advice she could give another parent, she responded emphatically and without hesitation, “Oh, just love your children.  Be there.  Always support them.”  Some of Coach K’s favorite memories of his mother are the times when he would come home late after one of his high school games and his mom would be waiting up for him.  She would ask him how his game was, how he was.  For him, it was never the words that were important but the simple fact that she was there and that time was for him.  Today, he draws great parallels between being unafraid to fail and being successful.  “Anything I felt good about, my mom and dad felt better about.  Everything that I did was supported.  I think this type of sustenance had a lot to do with my being confident as an adult.  For some reason, I’m not afraid to lose.  I wasn’t back then, and I’m not now,” Coach K says.  It was his mother’s consistent support in his youth that allowed for this kind of confidence.  What a bright future is ahead of Jonathan, Angel, and the rest of the kids at the Emily K whose familial support will allow for them to dream, do, and achieve without ever having to be afraid.              

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Danny Ferry Reflects on Duke

April 8, 2008

Posted by Dave Bradley under Courtside Q&A

 
Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager and Duke jersey retiree Danny Ferry chatted about his Duke experience from a luxury box overlooking the court at Quicken Loans Arena before the recent Cavs/Bulls game.  At Duke, Ferry was the 1989 National Player of the Year and was a key player on three Final Four teams.  After graduating, Ferry was the second pick of the 1989 NBA Draft and enjoyed a successful 13-year NBA career with the Cavs and Spurs.  From there, he accepted a position in the Spurs front office and was appointed Cavs GM in 2005.
 
Why do you think Coach K had so much success developing his players?
Coach K has had success developing all of his players because of his ability to communicate, his passion, his integrity with his players.  He is honest with them – he tells them how they can get better.

You see the serious side of Coach K and any coach on the sideline during games.  Talk about his sense of humor…
He’s got an unbelievable sense of humor.  You always saw such a calm toughness and great intensity when you looked at him on the sideline.  Then, when he recruited me, I found a great sense of humor and really enjoyed getting to know him.  That was a big reason why I went to Duke — There is a kindness and humor about him that was very engaging and I enjoyed being around him quite a bit.

As one of the all-time great Duke forwards, start and finish this sentence…  “Big men at Duke…”
Big men at Duke have freedom — You play inside, outside, you have the flexibility to be the best you can be whether you are a straight post-up guy or a guy that plays all over the court and handles the ball. Coach K gives you the freedom and confidence to do the things you are best at.

As Cavs GM, you are responsible for evaluating talent and character of players.  What stands out about Duke players when arrive in the NBA?
Well, there are good players from other programs.  When you look at the Duke program in particular, you see guys that are passionate, you see guys that are playing for something bigger than themselves, winning matters to them quite a bit.  They all know how to work very hard and compete in big games because that is the atmosphere they have been in at Duke.  

If you had to name one thing you learned at Duke that helped you the most when you advanced to the NBA, what would it be?
The one thing that helped me most when I got to the NBA was I knew how to work — I learned what hard work was.  I had a great mentor, some of the guys that came before me, Johnny Dawkins especially.  It really sets the tone for the entire program – One of excellence and what it took to get there.  All the work before practice, all the work after practice, all the work in the off-season…  There was a culture instilled in us where you work hard on improving and get better.  That was something I learned while I was there.  A lot of it came from Coach obviously and Johnny.

At Duke, in the NBA and now with the Cavs, you have constantly been around big games in big-time environments.  How did having Coach K on the sideline help you in those situations at Duke?
As a player in big games in crazy environments against other great players, you look over on the sidelines and see ultimate poise.  Now you see a guy who has won national championships but even when he hadn’t done that, he always had incredible poise that was a calming influence for the whole team in big games.

What do you remember about playing in Cameron?
The whole environment – a couple days before a game and they are all camping – there is just an incredible intensity.  Everyone talks about how funny they are and the chants, but what stood out for me is just the intensity they have for the game and the team.  You really feel that.  It is incredibly empowering playing in that environment.

 


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Dean of Admissions Christoph Guttentag on Duke Basketball and Athletics

April 7, 2008

Posted by Dave Bradley under Courtside Q&A

Christoph Guttentag served as Duke’s Director of Undergraduate Admissions for 13 years before his promotion to Dean of Admissions in 2005.  Since his arrival at Duke in 1992, the admissions office has enjoyed a steady improvement in the quality of matriculating undergrads and quantity of interested prospective students.
 
Certainly Duke stands out to potential applicants for its academic excellence.  What role do you see Duke’s overall athletics tradition playing in high school students’ decision to apply to Duke?   
What stands out for Duke is the particular combination of exceptional academics and a sense of school spirit that is very much tied into athletics.  So, it’s really the manifestation of that spirit in all of the students that don’t participate in intercollegiate athletics.  That is something that students notice, that they respond to, and is something that is very positive for Duke.  We talk about that when we speak with prospective students.  One of the four or five things that we talk about is that sense of school spirit, and I think at Duke it arises to a large degree from the success of athletics.
 
During your tenure guiding our admissions office, have you noticed a surge in applications following a particularly successful basketball season, such as after the 2001 national championship or 2004 Final Four, or is it fairly level at Duke? 
Every time the team does well, somebody will ask that question.  It appears that we saw the big increase in the mid-1980s, when the team rose to prominence and stayed there. Since then, I’ve actually tried to track it when we went to the Final Four or the national championship, and there has been a general gradual increasing trend in application.  We haven’t been able to tie either the general number of applicants or number of students accepting our offer of admission to how the team does, but clearly, it is only a positive. 
 
Our basketball team played on national TV 25 times in the regular season alone this past season.  What type of value do you place on that kind of exposure?
 Like they say in the MasterCard ads: it’s priceless.  The value is not just in being on national TV that often, that’s obviously good under any circumstances.  The value lies not simply in the quality of the team, the success of the coach or the spirit of the fans, but that we are successful doing things the right way any time we are on national TV.  Also, the students are among the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic fans that there are, but everyone knows that they are also destined for success as adults.  It’s that great combination of what’s right in front of you plus the larger context that this is happening in.  It’s the students who aren’t just great fans, but they are also great students.
 
One of the great things about all of the exposure that we receive is that we can go into any town, almost any high school, and even if people don’t know much about Duke, because of how often we have been on TV over the years, we are already entering a situation in which there is a positive impression.  And that’s great.  We start at the very minimum with some knowledge that is incredibly positive, and for the places that know us better, it’s that and all of the things they know about Duke’s academic possibilities.
 
What impact has Coach K had on Duke’s national profile over his almost three decades at our university?  
There are a good number of coaches who have been at their colleges for a long time, maybe not as many as there used to be, but there still are a good number.  The value is that everybody knows that Coach K stands for doing things the right way and doing things with integrity.  That’s so positive and you can’t get that any other way other than doing the right things for an extended period of time.  Coach K’s longevity is part of that effect.
 
How has the admissions office utilized Coach K over the years to help attract interested students? 
It’s interesting.  We’ve used him differently over the years.  When I first arrived and he had more time on his hands, we asked him to speak to large groups of students.  Now, we use him in particular situations.  Last year, for example, we had about 100 of our absolute top academic recruits on campus, and he chatted with them for at least a half an hour.  Just recently, he signed some basketballs for my Associate Director to take over to China to give as gifts.  We’re careful not to ask for too much of his time, but every time we have asked, he has responded and helped us.
 
When I thought of Duke as a prospective student, academic excellence, a beautiful campus, and a unique location came to mind.  I also thought of basketball, and I am sure I am not alone in this regard.  What are the positives and negatives of this mentality for prospective students?   
The positives are that it is yet another reason to think about Duke.  It is a factor that distinguishes us.  You can count the number of schools on one hand that really excel in both athletics and academics.  There are just so few places that do that.  It is also emblematic.  This is one of the things that I think about when I watch a game.  It’s not very often in your life that you get to see something done at the highest level possible.  It’s like watching Tiger Woods play golf or Henry Friedman doing surgery.  It’s that ability to watch something being done at the best level that it can.  When you watch Duke Basketball, you are watching Division I basketball being done as well as it can be done.   The opportunity to see that is a positive in and of itself.  That is what is great about Duke.   You get to have those kinds of experiences in many different areas, whether it is talking to a faculty member or spending time with a classmate.  Those are all positives.
           
The negative is that there are some students out there who think that the only reason to come here is because of basketball and that basketball defines us.  That’s unfortunate because we are so much more than that.  There are times where your identity is so bound with one particular aspect of it that students don’t see all of the other wonderful qualities. But the positives clearly outweigh whatever small negatives there may be.
 
Is it possible to quantify roughly how many of our applicants cite Duke Basketball as a reason for their interest in the university? 
You know, we have really never checked.  Staff members will typically read between 1,000 and 1,500 applications a year, and basketball shows up in one of the smaller essays where we ask, “Why are you interested in Duke?”  But we have never bothered to count.  It almost never shows up as the first thing, but when they talk about the things that appeal to them at Duke, they will list about six to eight things and somewhere in there is basketball or, more commonly, school spirit.  So yes, it shows up and even though we’ve never counted, we are familiar with it.
 
What do you believe are Duke University’s three most attractive and unique characteristics for potential applicants that differentiate us from our peer schools?  
I’ve thought about that and there are actually four.  One of the differentiators is the combination of just exceptional academic opportunities and the unique Duke spirit.  The second is the attention that Duke pays to its undergraduates.  For basketball fans, it manifests itself in the seating for the Cameron Crazies, but that’s just one out of a thousand ways that the institution pays attention to the undergraduates.  I was listening to President Brodhead welcome admitted students last week at Blue Devil Days and he was talking about the students he met during his office hours and the things that they were planning.  Time after time after time, whether it is something academic, social, cultural, or community-service oriented, the institution gets some of its best ideas from students.  That responsiveness to undergraduates is something you don’t find at a lot of places.  The third thing is something that surprises people about Duke sometimes — That Duke is very willing to change.  If you compare us to some of the other older colleges in the United States, they have a lot of tradition but sometimes it makes change a little more difficult.  One of the things I love about Duke is that it is willing to question itself, ask how can it do things better, and try things out.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t, but it’s the spirit of “Hey let’s try it and let’s see if it works.”  If it works reasonably well, maybe we can work to improve it but if it’s not a good idea then that’s fine.  That willingness to think about change and improvement and quick implementation is special.  The final thing is something I had to grow to understand because it happens a little bit under the radar, but the community engagement at Duke is incredible.  That takes the form of community service and also the notion that education is something to be put to use.  That sense of engagement with the community, with the world, with practical life is really part of the texture of the place.
 
At a university with stringent admission standards, how do you balance maintaining high academic requirements with attracting athletically-gifted student-athletes? 
We have a lot of conversations with the coaches.  I would say more so than at most colleges and certainly more so than more Division I scholarship-granting universities. There is a lot of back and forth between our office and the coaches.  There are some students that are easy choices and some that are tough decisions.  I know all of the coaches don’t recruit players that they would like to recruit because they would not be good Duke students.  There is a lot of conversation and a double acknowledgment.  For one, there is an acknowledgment on our part that one of the decisions the University has made is to be a competitive Division I program in a lot of sports, and student-athletes bring something special to the institution beyond how well they do on the field, or in the pool, or on the links, or on the mats.  The experience of being an athlete at an academically challenging institution has multiple values to the community.  We understand that.  At the same time, the coaches understand that in the end, students still need to be successful Duke students.  Most of the time we work it out well.  It is a good relationship and we don’t always agree on everything, but that’s fine too.
 

The “Cameron Crazies” might be the most well-known fans in all of sports.  What goes through your mind when you hear that term?
I love the Cameron Crazies. They have a great reputation, and it’s a reputation that reflects well upon the University. A couple of opposing coaches don’t agree and I’ve read some of their comments, but for the most part it just reflects so well upon Duke. One of the things that I always find interesting is teams that play us a lot truly appreciate the atmosphere in Cameron. Everybody is bringing their A-game. They know we will, they know they have to, and they know our fans will. That’s one of the things that athletes love. They love good competition and love to win, but they know that good competition brings out the best in everyone.

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