Duke Blue Planet BLOG

Kyle and Nolan host episode two of DUKE HOOP

Wonder why Kyle transforms into an Incredible Hulk-like competitor on the court or how the Blue Devil dramatically improved his physique?  Then check out episode two of DUKE HOOP (the Duke Basketball Players Show)…

Blue Devils earn key road win in an ESPN Gameday showdown

In Pictures — Photo Gallery

Top Plays

Turning Point

Leading 29-28 early in the second half, we went on a 14-2 run started with three-pointers by Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.  Nolan scored nine of our 14 points during the spurt.

Blue Devil Ballers

Nolan keyed our game-changing run and was solid all game scoring 22 points (8-13 FG).  Lance Thomas added 13 points and did a great job handling the Clemson press.

Duke Data

47 – Points by Clemson, a season-low for a Duke opponent

2 – Duke turnovers in the second half (Blue Devils handled the aggressive Clemson press well in the closing 20 minutes)

24-2 – Duke record in the last 26 meetings with Clemson

Coach K’s Comments

“I am proud of our men.  They played like men tonight because we played men.  This was a game where points were difficult to come by and I thought both defenses were outstanding.  We just got a couple of breaks that made the difference.  In a game like this there is not much to separate the winner and the loser.  I think Clemson is a very good team and played their butts off tonight.  I thought Lance Thomas was very strong tonight.  He did a great job inbounding the ball and not making mistakes.  I am proud of our guys.”

Locker Room Reaction

The Blue Devils played their best in the second half after settling in and adjusting to the Clemson pressure (and hostile crowd).  Said Lance, “We wanted to make sure we got consecutive stops once the second half started, and when we did, we were able to score in transition.  We let them know we were going to be playing defense the whole game.  That was the message we were trying to get across.”  Added Nolan, “We were very poised.  When they made their runs in the second half and got it kind of close, we stayed poised and made the plays we had to make.”

Sixth Man

There wasn’t a whole lot of Duke Blue in the sea of Clemson orange but we did spot a pair of Blue Devil fans hiding in the front row of the Clemson student section near our bench.  Sporting orange shirts during the game (for their own safety!), they revealed their loyalties (and Duke shirts) as the seconds ticked down in the game.

Around the Web

Box Score — Stat recap

AP recap — Smith leads Duke past Clemson

Postgame Quotes — Coach K’s reaction

Duke’s D returns — …With a vengeance

Second wind — Strong second half leads Duke to the win

Clemson fans cut a rug with “Gameday” — ESPN generates big excitement, loudest crowd ever at Clemson

Duke cures road woes — Redemption earned at Clemson

Anemic offense dooms Tigers — Blue Devils play strong in tough atmosphere

Notes

*Next up: Duke faces Florida State Wednesday in Cameron (9 PM, ESPN).

Fave Photo

Duke Joins National Fundraising Effort Spearheaded by Duke Grads, Former Manager

Former team manager Nick Arison and fellow Duke grads Jenna Green and Doug Rosenberg have spearheaded “Save Haiti Saturday” and the Duke Athletics Department has joined the initiative.  We hope you will join us in supporting the cause and check out the “Save Haiti Saturday” website.  Here’s the official press release…

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Athletics has joined a national fundraising effort titled “Save Haiti Saturday” to aid in the nation’s earthquake recovery efforts. Beginning with Duke’s men’s basketball contest at Clemson on Saturday night (ESPN, 9:00 PM ET), the 15 Duke teams currently in competition will display “Save Haiti Saturday” patches in the upcoming weeks to maintain high awareness for the relief effort in Haiti. Duke teams currently in competition include men’s/women’s  basketball, men’s/women’s fencing, men’s/women’s golf, men’s/women’s lacrosse, men’s/women’s swimming & diving, men’s/women’s tennis, men’s/women’s indoor track & field, and wrestling.

Three Duke graduates, including former Duke men’s basketball manager and current Miami Heat Vice President of Basketball Operations Nick Arison (Duke ‘03), along with Jenna Green (Duke ‘08) and Doug Rosenberg (Duke ‘07) spearheaded the “Save Haiti Saturday” initiative.

“Save Haiti Saturday” is primarily an awareness campaign that benefits Project Medishare for Haiti, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 by Drs. Barth Green and Arthur Fournier from the University of Miami. That organization collaborates with Partners in Health (PIH), one of the organizations through which Duke is coordinating its Haitian fundraising relief efforts. Duke alumnus, Dr. Paul Farmer, founded PIH and currently serves as the United Nations Deputy Special Envoy to Haiti.

Recently, PIH referred a six-year-old girl with head trauma from falling debris to Project Medishare. She was flown back to Miami with Project Medishare doctors on Monday for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.

Several business, teams and individuals from the entertainment and sports industry have lent their names – and social networking and resource support — to the effort, including the Miami Heat, Mourning, Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Ryan Seacrest and Lenny Kravitz. Former Blue Devils Chris Duhon, Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy also are involved with the initiative.

“In addition to the significant acute medical needs resulting from the earthquake, the very dangerous medical challenges associated with such things as cholera, tetanus and a variety of infectious diseases, may soon emerge and could present an enormous threat to the people there,” said Victor J. Dzau, MD, Chancellor for Health Affairs and CEO, Duke University Health System. “With the challenges on the ground at this point, the best way to help is to provide generous donations to organizations like these that are in Haiti and are making an impact.”

For more information about or donate to “Save Haiti Saturday,” access the website at: www.savehaitisaturday.com.

Blue Devils fall on the road in Raleigh

In Pictures — Photo Gallery

Turning Point

After Nolan Smith scored a big three at the buzzer to close the first half to pull Duke within three, NC State responded by scoring on five of their first six second-half possessions.  The Blue Devils were playing catch-up the rest of the way and struggled to get the stops needed to make a scoring run.

Blue Devil Ballers

Kyle Singler scored 22 points, Jon Scheyer netted 21 and Nolan Smith scored 18 in the loss.

Duke Data

2004 – Last time Duke lost at NC State

19-2 – Duke’s record in our last 21 games against unranked foes after the loss

.386 – Duke’s FG% in the game, compared to .582 by NCSU

Coach K’s Comments

“They were terrific and we were not very good.  In order to beat them tonight, you had to be terrific just to have a chance.  They were really good.  They had great energy, a great game plan, and looked real fresh.  We didn’t look fresh at all, and we just couldn’t match their energy.  For me that’s the story.  They played better.  Obviously.”

Locker Room Reaction

Jon Scheyer: “We wanted to come out and not let them get any confidence, but they got so much confidence — and why shouldn’t they?  They hit everything.  Give them credit.  They punched us and we didn’t punch back.”

Around the Web

Box Score — Stat recap

AP recap — Devils fall at NC State

Postgame Quotes — Comments from the coaches

Notes

*Next up: Duke travels to Clemson for a Saturday showdown against the Tigers.  ESPN Gameday will air live Saturday from Clemson.

Fave Photo

The fan-friendly Blue Devil makes his rounds on campus

Hello Duke fans.  We have two additional videos today for my blog, THE TRIDENT.

First, as you will see here, a small misunderstanding on campus does not deter the Crazies and me from doing what we do best.

Next, I hope you will watch some great clips of me cruising around and connecting with fans all over campus.  We dished out some hugs and high fives, gave away some free tickets to games, posed for photos, and questioned anyone wearing clothes featuring our rival ACC schools.  Along with winning big and letting everyone know Duke is the best, my favorite pastime is interacting with Duke fans!  GO DUKE.    -BD