Cheerleader Maren Hardin shares the inside scoop on our Cheerleading Team
1. White Squad and Blue Squad
There are two cheerleading teams, White squad and Blue squad. Both teams cheer at all home football games, and Blue squad travels to away football games. White squad cheers at women’s home basketball games, as well as all tournaments the women’s team plays in. Additionally, Blue squad cheers at all men’s basketball home matchups and tournament games. Blue squad will also be traveling this season to the Duke versus Gonzaga game played in New York City at Madison Square Garden!
2. Duke Cheerleading Requires a Tryout Every Year
The members of the squad are not recruited to cheer at Duke, and are not provided with academic scholarships. Each year, tryouts are held for both teams; Blue squad tryouts are in April, and White squad tryouts are in August in order to accommodate incoming freshman. At tryouts, judges with cheer, dance, and tumbling backgrounds evaluate each girl based on their skills in those three areas.
3. Our Season is Two in One
Cheerleading is a year-round commitment, and starts with our summer camp in mid-August. During camp, the Blue squad learns our routines and prepares for football season. Beginning in November, football and basketball seasons overlap, and we are responsible for being at both sports’ games. We have even cheered a football game and basketball game in one day!
4. Our Weeks are Busy!
As a team, we spend four hours per week practicing our routines in Wilson gym. We also have mandatory cardio and strength training workouts designed by our coach (who is also a strength coach for numerous other Duke sports teams.) Once a week, we go to a nearby gymnastics facility to work specifically on tumbling.
5. We Have Numerous Uniforms
Most teams have home and away jerseys, and sometimes a neutral jersey. Since Duke Cheerleading normally gets a different uniform every year, Blue squad has a grand total of 6 uniforms, and White squad has 3. Having so many different uniform pieces can get a little confusing, so we name each uniform we get. Names range from the conventional (Iron Duke D white and halter) to a little strange (marshmallow and tarzan.) The two necessary uniform items that remain consistent every game are the Blue Devil face tattoo and pearl earrings.
6. We are in the Know
Technically, the cheerleaders are the only people who know the true identity of the Blue Devil. We are sworn to secrecy, and if you ask one of us, we will not tell you who that talented person is. Also, how many Duke students and alumni know all of the words to the alma mater? The answer is at least 20, because both squads sing it after every single football and basketball game!
7. Routines
Since we are not a team that performs stunts, all of our routines are comprised of elements of dance, cheer, and tumbling. We perform routines based on what the band learns to play, mixing both traditional and contemporary music. The fight songs, “Hey Baby,” and “Rock Lobster” have been performed for quite a few years, while new songs like Cascada’s “Everytime” have quickly become crowd favorites (and even Coach K’s, as rumor has it.)
8. We Perform at Other Events, Too
One of our favorite things to do as promoters of Duke athletic support is to take pictures with Blue Devil fans. While fans of all ages are welcome to ask for photographs, one rule most people are unaware of is that cheerleaders are not allowed to physically hold children for pictures due to liability issues. Otherwise, Duke cheerleaders are kid-friendly! The cheerleading team and the Blue Devil can be hired to perform at various events. We regularly attend birthday parties and teach dance and cheer clinics.
Secret Bonus Fact – Ladies of Gamma-O
All members of Blue squad, past and present, have been initiated into a secret society called Gamma Omega. Though not a sanctioned sorority, Gamma-O is similar in that we have official colors (pink and black,) we have Gamma-O gear, and we adhere to traditional rituals. We pay dues in order to hold secret and non-secret events, and we even have our own theme songs. If you have ever been at a public, non-Duke affiliated event and heard Kanye West’s “Stronger” while members of Gamma-O are in attendance, you have probably seen one example of our theme song routines!
Blue Devils Show Great Toughness and Heart in Big Garden Win over UConn
ESPN was running the pre-game promos hyping up the game every 10 minutes.
Dick Vitale was in the building and the building happened to be the world’s most famous arena.
The two winningest active coaches in the game were set to face off, with the most combined wins between two opposing coaches in NCAA history.
The stage was set, with TV and Internet media frequently debating who would win. Could Duke contain UConn’s outstanding guards? Could UConn limit Duke’s great outside shooters? Both teams have lots of size inside — Who would win the battle in the paint?
By the time the game tipped off, just about every scenario had been discussed except the one that played out on Black Friday in NYC. Certainly, if you had told anyone, from the media to the Duke coaching staff, that the Blue Devils would shoot under 30 percent for the game and the trio of Singler, Scheyer and Smith would convert 13 of their 52 shots attempts (with Kyle in foul trouble early), the obvious prediction would not have been favorable. Duke hadn’t won a game shooting under 30 percent since a stamp was available for fewer cents (three) than the number of NIT Season Tip-Off titles won by Duke all-time (four).
After an initial offensive flurry with both teams coming out swinging and the ball clubs on pace to score over 100 points apiece around five minutes in, it became clear this one wasn’t going to be pretty with both teams locking in on D. The door was open to the tougher, hungrier team and the Blue Devils put the hardhats on and went to work.
Before the game, Jon Scheyer had said, “I just want to be known as a competitor and I want to be known as a winner and this year obviously we have a lot to do, but I want to go out winning and just be known for being a competitor.” Jon then went out and made winning plays all night, handling the ball with confidence, leading the team, and playing great defense. He showed consistent control and poise, even when shots weren’t falling and the game was becoming increasingly physical.
With Jon providing great leadership and stability in the backcourt, the Duke bigs were relentless in the paint. In a combined 71 minutes on the floor, Zoubs, LT and Miles combined for 27 boards (15 offensive) and six blocks.
“Myself, Zoubs, and Miles played really big against their guys and they have a huge team,” said Lance. “We knew that if we played our hearts out like that, the outcome was going to be a win.” Lance went out and delivered a double-double, asserting himself as arguably the most valuable player on the floor with three blocks, a steal and great hustle plays to go with his 11 points and 10 boards.
It was a man’s game and the Blue Devils earned the W because our guys were a step quicker to loose balls and rebounds, displaying a focused intensity all week long that culminated in a solid 40 minute-performance at the Garden. Veteran upperclassmen LT, Jon, Zoubs, Kyle, and Nolan have been through it all, and the group displayed an impressive desire to win combined with a savvy understanding of how to make it happen.
“Duke physically handled us,” said UConn coach Jim Calhoun after the game. “Quite frankly, they outwilled us and did the things you need to do to win a game.”
“They just wanted the offensive rebounds more than us and that killed us,” said standout UConn guard Jerome Dyson.
“We missed 53 shots and we had 56 rebounds,” said Coach K. “You know, that’s a very unusual game. But it’s a game where both teams played with a lot of heart and we feel very privileged to have won this game and the NIT Championship.”
After all the debate about shooting, transition offense, athleticism, and size, this one ultimately came down to heart and will. And the Blue Devils proved, most importantly to themselves, that this team’s identity should start with its competitive spirit, unwavering grit, hunger to win, and considerable toughness.
No. 7 Duke Fights Past No. 13 UConn 68-59
In Pictures - Click HERE for game photo gallery
Turning Point
The Blue Devils enjoyed a 12-0 run — during which five Duke players scored — to surge ahead 53-34 with around 13 minutes left. Overall, the game was won in the paint, with our bigs Lance, Zoubs, Miles and Ryan showing all kinds of fight on the boards. We outrebounded a tall, physical UConn team 52-48 and scored 15 second-chance points compared to eight by the Huskies.
Blue Devil Ballers
LT was everywhere, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 boards while hounding the Huskies on the defensive end and battling for every rebound and loose ball. Zoubs had a great game as well, pulling down 11 boards (eight offensive) including a pair of offensive rebounds that led directly to Blue Devil three-pointers. You certainly can’t leave out the tournament MVP. Jon scored 19 points, dished out give dimes, had four boards, recorded three steals, was very steady all night handling the rock and played great defense on dangerous UConn guard Jerome Dyson.
Duke Data
4 – NIT Season Tip-Off titles won by Duke (all-time leader)
22-2 – Duke’s all-time record in the NIT Season Tip-Off
1,648 – Combined wins by Coach K and Jim Calhoun (NCAA record for most career wins between opposing coaches)
1950 – Last time Duke won when shooting under 30%
Coach K’s Comments
“It’s a big‑time game. Shots were so hard to come by. Open shots. Both teams are very, very good defensively. And you know, you get by one guy and it’s hard to get to the bucket. And we’ve not experienced a team like that this year. But we rebounded very well. We played outstanding defense. And I thought Thomas and Zoubek were the difference‑makers for us. They both had 11 rebounds. And Zoubek I thought had the biggest play in the first half where he got the offensive rebound and kicked it out to Singler for a 3 because points were tough to come by. In the second half he got one, and I don’t know how he got it out to Scheyer in the corner. He got it through about four guys and Scheyer hit that 3. And so on two of his offensive rebounds we got six points. We didn’t give up a 3 today. So when you get two possessions in this game, where you get six points, that’s a lot. We missed 53 shots and we had 56 rebounds. You know, that’s a very unusual game. But it’s a game where both teams played with a lot of heart and we feel very privileged to have won this game and the NIT Championship.”
Locker Room Reaction
Any of the guys on the team would tell you one of the reasons they chose Duke was to play in the biggest games on the biggest stages. It doesn’t get much bigger in the regular season than Duke/UConn at Madison Square Garden with a championship at stake. You could sense all week the guys were excited but also extremely focused. Lance’s summary of the game says it all:
“We wanted to win. We wanted to win big. It was a championship-level game. We didn’t shoot the ball well at all but we gutted it out. That game was not easy to win. We came out here on a business trip and we wanted to win. Everything we did was geared towards winning. Even at the Thanksgiving dinner we were talking about the game — How we were going to play, what we were going to do. It was something we really couldn’t get off our minds. To come out there and execute like that, there’s no better feeling. We knew what type of game it was going to be from the jump. We knew they were going to try to come out at our guys, try to go at Kyle, Jon and Nolan. There was an opportunity on the floor for the other guys to step up. Myself, Zoubs, and Miles played really big against their guys and they have a huge team. We knew that if we played our hearts out like that, the outcome was going to be a win. No better feeling. It was a great week.”
Sixth Man
It was an energetic crowd split about 60-40 between Duke and UConn fans. And of course the Blue Devil fans were louder! Thanks to all the Devil fans who came out to the Garden to support us, including this awesome guy and these diehard fans with a great sign.
Around the Web
Box Score – Stat recap
Coach K’s Quotes – Post-game reaction from the Duke Head Coach
“Unathletic” Duke Finds a Away — Blue Devils showed strength and speed against one of USA’s most athletic teams
LT’s Inspiration — One of the secret’s behind Lance’s outstanding performance
AP Recap — Duke wins it on the boards
Notes
*Jon was named NIT MVP with Nolan named to the All-Tourney team along with UConn’s Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker and Arizona State’s Derek Glasser.
*Next Up: Devils travel to Wisconsin for an ACC/Big Ten Challenge showdown in Madison. The game tips at 9:15 PM on ESPN in front of what will be a rowdy Badgers crowd!
Fave Photo - Captains LT and Jon with the hardware that we came to NYC to get!
A fun and memorable Thanksgiving week in NYC culminated in a NIT championship (and entertaining footage from Nolan Smith and Lance Thomas).
Blue Devil Thanksgiving Week Culminates with a Championship
Saturday – 12:30 AM – Champs Return Home
On one of basketball’s biggest stages against a strong and athletic Connecticut team, the Blue Devils showed up ready to battle. The shots weren’t falling but the effort was consistent and the rebounding was impressive all night. By the time the buzzer sounded, the team had somehow managed to lead by as many as 20 and win the NIT trophy despite shooting less than 30 percent.
The ability to “win ugly” is a trait that great teams develop over time and this squad took great strides towards understanding what that takes in a marquee game. The whole team was obviously very pleased and excited to return home (around midnight) with the championship hardware (team trophy and watches for each coach and player).
This wraps up the NYC blog — Thanks for following us during our memorable championship Thanksgiving week in the Big Apple! Let’s Go Duke.
p.s. Check back later this weekend for a couple of videos from today’s game and the aftermath of the championship victory.
Friday – 1:55 PM – 3 Hours to Tip
After a pregame meal, the team is resting up and packing. At 5 PM, a pair of college basketball powerhouses led by the top two winningest active head coaches will battle it out at the Garden with the NIT championship on the line. As you probably know by now given the frequent promos, the game will be aired on ESPN.
Thursday – 10:00 PM – Turkey Day in NYC
The setup for breakfast this morning was similar to the previous two days except today huge balloons, festive floats and inflatable characters roamed outside the windows. Just outside the meal room are huge windows overlooking Times Square so the team was able to catch some of the famous Macy’s parade in action. Later in the day, the team had practice at Madison Square Garden and then got together for a Thanksgiving meal at a nearby restaurant that is only a couple of blocks from the hotel. On the menu was of course turkey along with an array of pastas, ham, veal, salad and an assortment of desserts. The day is wrapping up right now with a team meeting.
Thursday – 9:00 AM – HAPPY THANKSGIVING
A Turkey day message from the Devils…
Thursday – 12:30 AM – Duke 64, Arizona State 53 (Click HERE for Game Photos)
After earning a birth in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship game, the players returned back to the hotel for a brief meeting and snack (burgers, fries, grilled cheese and of course the sundae bar!). After the snack, the players hit the sack while the coaching staff went to work watching the game tape and planning for Friday’s matchup. It will definitely be a late night for the staff that won’t end until the scouting report is set.
The players will be able to sleep in after the late-night game, with breakfast not scheduled until 11 AM. Thanksgiving for the Blue Devils in NYC will also include practice at the Garden and a nice dinner in town.
Wednesday – 6:17 PM – Gameday at the Garden (Click HERE for MSG Shoot-Around Photos)
Wednesday started with a late team breakfast in the hotel at 10:30. French toast, pancakes, bagels, yogurt, fresh fruit, bacon, scrambled eggs and sausage were among the tasty options. After breakfast, the team had some downtime before driving over to the Garden at 1:15 for the shoot-around.
At the shoot-around, the players took some shots to adjust to the larger arena and darker shooting backdrop. The coaches also talked about the game tonight and went through some of our strategies again on the court. It is always cool to have Madison Square Garden pretty much all to yourself with all the banners and history there.
After the shoot-around, we headed back to the bus via the huge freight elevator. The locker room and arena entrance is not on the ground level at MSG so you have to travel each time via an immense, slow-moving, rickety freight elevator. At a previous trip, a Garden official told us the elevator had to be so large in order to accommodate elephants for when the circus is in town!
Upon arriving at the hotel, we had a snack and the coaches and players headed back to their rooms. With such a late start time tonight and what will be a particularly late night for the coaches with scouting after our game, pre-game naps were in order. The bus leaves at around 7:45 for our 9:30 game — Check us out on ESPN2 in the battle of the Devils!
Tuesday – 5:10 PM – Practice and a Visit with a Legend (Click HERE for Photos)
We headed over to practice at the Nets facility near the Meadowlands with a special guest aboard the bus… Coach Knight. College basketball’s all-time winningest coach is calling the action for ESPN tomorrow and was kind enough to spend his afternoon with the Blue Devils. After arriving, the guys stretched out and the coaches went through additional scouting to continue to prepare the team for the game tomorrow. At that point, Coach K called the team together and the highlight of the practice ensued with Coach Knight speaking to the team for about five minutes.
Coach Knight, Coach K’s coach at West Point, began by talking about the leadership at Duke and how fortunate the guys were to have Coach K and the staff helping them. He cited several examples from West Point about how coachable Coach K was and commented how well the Duke Hall of Famer made the adjustment that our guys are making from high school to college ball. Coach Knight also spoke to the guys about appreciating what the Duke uniform means and that “Duke is different.” He told the team they are in a unique position representing Duke made possible by the hard work and great talent of many who have come before them, from Coach K to our current assistants who were players to all the outstanding Duke players over the years. Coach Knight added that teams will be gunning for Duke because of that history and told the guys they should respond with toughness and pride. The three-time NCAA champion coach then emphasized the importance of the educational process on the court and in the classroom, and praised our guys for their academic efforts, work ethic and overall priorities. He told the team that they are gaining an advantage every day by going to class, having an attention detail in every aspect, and respecting the process at Duke. He concluded by telling everyone he always enjoys watching the team play and that the first box score he checks in the AM is Duke’s. The guys then shook hands with the legendary coach and practice continued.
After running through a variety of drills and some five-on-five work, the guys packed up and headed to the bus. We arrived back around 5:30 and the guys showered and changed before heading to the NIT Welcome Reception/dinner at Tavern on the Green with the three other teams.
Tuesday – 1:40 PM – NIT Press Conference (Click HERE for Photos)
After breakfast and scouting this morning, Coach K joined Kyle and Jon at the NIT press conference. The presser was held right at our hotel in Times Square where all four teams are staying. Individual media members had time to talk with players from each of the teams and then the four head coaches spoke.
Coach K talked about how much of an honor it was to have the team in New York playing in the NIT Tournament. He praised the tournament committee and commented how well the NIT has adjusted with the changing landscape of college basketball over the years.
The press conference setup was impressive with a delicious lunch spread available and views of Times Square right behind the stage. After the conference wrapped up, the team headed to practice at the Nets practice center.
Tuesday – 1:00 PM – Devils in the City
After breakfast, the team had some downtime before heading off to practice. Some of the guys chose to take naps and relax around the hotel, and a few team members took advantage of the perfect November weather to walk around the city. While taking some photos of the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, I ran into Nolan and Casey in Times Square (see photo below). Click HERE for a few NYC scenes.
Monday – 1:00 PM – Off to NY
The first road trip of the season is the longest of the year as the Blue Devils head to NYC for Thanksgiving week. The team is practicing at 1:30 today and then heading to the airport with a stop
Monday – 1:00 PM
The first road trip of the season is the longest of the year as the Blue Devils head to NYC for Thanksgiving week. The team is practicing at 1:30 today and then heading to the airport with a stop for dinner along the way. “Duke Airlines” leaves RDU at around 7 PM and we will arrive in NYC a few hours after that.
Road trips are always fun and the guys are especially excited to head to the Big Apple for a couple of games against great teams under the bright lights of the Garden. “There’s certain arenas where you walk in, it just feels special,” said Jon Scheyer. “Madison Square Garden is one of those places.” Nolan Smith added after our win on Saturday, “New York City-bound — I am very excited. I love going to New York, I love going to the Garden. The lights are on when you go into the Garden. I am very excited about the opportunity to win this championship.”
The NIT Season Tip-Off will feature Arizona State, UConn and LSU in addition to your Blue Devils competing for the NIT trophy. “It’s this team’s first chance to bring a trophy back to Cameron,” said Nolan. “Everyone is excited. We went up there last year and did the same thing. The guys that have done it we want to show the young guys that it’s a lot of fun and we can do it.”
In between competing for the trophy, the team will share some meals together (including Thanksgiving dinner Thursday night) and get in some practices at the NJ Nets Practice Facility and The Garden. Stay tuned for blog updates throughout the trip and also be sure to follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/dukeblueplanet) for all the latest updates and behind-the-scenes photos.
Having played 12 games in the Garden since the 2000 season, the “world’s most famous arena” is a home-away-from-home for Duke and we always appreciate the support from the Blue Devil faithful in NYC. Before we hopefully create some new great memories in the Big Apple, here’s a look back at some recent highlights of Duke feeling right at home in the big city.
