Nolan Smith scores career-high 29 points, Duke advances to 11th Final Four under Coach K
In Pictures — Game Gallery | Post-game Celebration
Turning Point
Trailing 61-60 after a Baylor bucket with 3:50 left, Duke pushed back with a 12-2 surge to take control of the game.
Blue Devil Ballers
Nolan enjoyed a performance that will be remembered for a long time, pouring in a career-high 29 points (9-17 FG, 4-6 3pt, 7-8 FT). Jon Scheyer also had a huge game, with 20 points (including 5-10 3pt) and four assists (with only one turnover). The Blue Devil bigs pushed Duke through at the end, with several huge offensive rebounds that led to kick-outs for 3’s. Lance Thomas (eight) and Brian Zoubek (four) hauled in 12 boards on the offensive end in the game.
Duke Data
11 — Number of lead changes in the game
23 — Second-chance points by Duke in the game (compared to 17 for Baylor)
47.8% — Duke’s 3pt FG% in the game (11-23 3pt)
15 — Final Fours all-time for Duke, including 11 under Coach K
11-1 — Coach K’s record all-time in the Elite Eight
2 — 3’s made by Andre Dawkins, on two attempts
Coach K’s Comments
“We won an outstanding basketball game. I thought it was a great college basketball game. It’s a great basketball game. Both teams played really well, and really hard. I think our offensive rebounding kept us in it and really was the key there to get some separation in the last four minutes. When we got those two offensive rebounds, one was kicked out to Nolan and he hit a three, and one was kicked out to Jon and he hit a three. At that point when you get six points, as a coach you think of two-point possessions. So you’re three two-point possessions up as a result of two shots and two rebounds. I thought it knocked them back for just a second and it gave us a little wiggle room where we just got that separation. These two kids played great basketball games. Nolan and Jon were fantastic in handling the zone, and then playing defense. Carter is a really good basketball player. He didn’t dominate, which he could in a ballgame. Nolan did a very nice job on him. So we’re ecstatic, proud, feel very honored and privileged to be going to the Final Four.”
Locker Room Reaction
Thoughts from seniors Jon, LT and Zoubs…
Jon: “I don’t know that it’s fully hit me. I’m sure after the year I’ll have a better appreciation. But right now, I’m just ecstatic.”
LT: “I can’t put it into words. It took us four years to get here and we’re not done yet.”
Zoubs: “We want to win it so bad for us, the senior class, but it feels just as good to win for Coach because we know how much stuff he’s taken the last couple of years, how much criticism he’s had and how hard he’s tried to help us. He’s been there every day, totally exhausted himself to make us better.”
Sixth Man
Baylor had the crowd on its side with the game being played in Texas. However, there were some Blue Devil fans mixed in among the sea of green and gold, including this supportive Crazie and this sign-making duo.
Around the Web
Box score — Stat recap
AP recap — Devils punch ticket to Final Four
Quotes — Postgame thoughts from Coach K, Nolan, Jon (PDF)
Devils did the dirty work — Duke enjoys Final Four moment
Smith honors father — Career game very meaningful to Nolan
No holding back Duke — Devils headed for Indy
Coach K’s legend grows — Hall of Famer reaches 11th Final Four
Reaching Final Four — Never going to be easy
Seniors get trip they’ve waited for — Four years of hard work will culminate in Indy
Notes
*Next up: Duke faces West Virginia on Saturday night in Indianapolis (8:57 PM EST).
Fave Photo
Kyle Singler pours in 24 points to push Duke past Purdue, into Elite Eight
In Pictures — Game Gallery
Turning Point
Nolan Smith hit a jumper at the first-half buzzer and the Devils closed the opening stanza on a 5-0 run to grab a one-point lead at the break. From there, Duke outscored Purdue 46-34 and shot 59% in the second half (improving the Duke FG% by 38 percentage points).
Blue Devil Ballers
Kyle scored 24 points and grabbed eight boards, Jon netted 18 and Nolan added 15. The center duo of Zoubs and Miles were huge on the boards, hauling in a combined 21 boards in 39 minutes.
Duke Data
48 — Rebounds in the game by Duke (compared to 27 by Purdue)
12 — Elite Eight appearances by Coach K, most among active coaches
40-8 — Duke’s record as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament
32 — Wins on the year by Duke, fifth-most by a Blue Devil team all-time
Coach K’s Comments
“Well, we beat a heck of a team tonight. My hat goes off to the Purdue Boilermakers, Matt and his team. Boy, they play so hard. I mean, really hard. I thought for the first 17 minutes of the game they were playing — even though we were playing hard, they were playing harder than we were. But then the rest of the game we either played as hard or harder than them. So I’m proud of my team. You saw two teams really competing out there tonight. Our execution in the second half was terrific. Overall, the rebounding was the key to the ballgame, especially the defensive boards. All three of my perimeter guys came up with big, big buckets and free throws. I thought this is an example of a game someone doesn’t lose. You know, we had to really win this game because Purdue’s effort was a winning effort.”
Locker Room Reaction
The game was a tale of two halves for Duke, scoring 24 points in the first half followed by 46 in the second. Jon said after the game, “I thought they did a good job at first really rushing us. And they stood us up at first. We didn’t catch the ball strong. They set us back a little bit. I think in the second half we did a better job of just attacking. We moved the ball a little bit better, and set screens and set up our screens better. That was the big key.” Added Kyle, “I think we just took care of the ball better in the second half. We didn’t turn it over as much. I thought Nolan did a great job of really attacking the basket and coming up with big buckets.”
The Blue Devils were excited to win but quickly turned attention to the Elite Eight. “It feels good, but we really can’t relax at all,” stated Jon. “It’s really important to refocus. We can’t enjoy wins right now. After the season, we can look back and enjoy them. But for us, we want to keep moving forward.”
Around the Web
Box score — Stat recap
AP recap — Singler leads Duke past Purdue
Quotes — Postgame thoughts from Coach K, Nolan, Zoubs (PDF)
Strong second half propels Duke — Blue Devils finish game strong
No question about it — Duke is back
Devils advance — Strong halftime response from Blue Devils
Devils Ready for Elite Eight Moment — Big Dance provides big stage
Notes
*Next up: Duke battles Baylor Sunday in Reliant Stadium (5:05 EST on CBS).
Fave Photo
Jon Scheyer becomes NCAA-record 10th Duke player to join 2,000-Point Club
In addition to reaching the Sweet 16 on Sunday for the record 19th time under Coach K, Duke reached another milestone when Jon Scheyer became the 10th player in school history to join the 2,000-Point Club. Scheyer joins an impressive group of former Devils that includes Jim Spanarkel, Mike Gminski, Mark Alarie, Johnny Dawkins, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Jason Williams, and all-time Duke scoring leader J.J. Redick. With Jon hitting the 2,000-point mark, Coach K alone has produced more 2,000-point scorers (eight) than any other program in history.
Congrats are definitely in order for Jon… Scoring 2,000 in college basketball’s toughest conference on the sport’s biggest stage involves incredible determination, skill, and hard work. Jon definitely earned all those buckets giving it his all every day he has been at Duke.
Most All-Time 2,000-Point Scorers
Duke: 10
Boston College: 7
Georgia Tech: 6
La Salle: 6
UNC: 6
Notre Dame: 6
Tennessee: 6
Villanova: 6
Travel the world with our Hall of Fame coach on your iPhone
Coach K’s new iPhone app was officially launched today (first level is free) in Apple’s App Store (and online at www.coachkapp.com). Here is the official press release with the details…
COACH MIKE KRZYZEWSKI LAUNCHES NEW IPHONE MULTI-LEVEL GAME APPLICATION OFFERING EXCLUSIVE PRIZES
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, MARCH 23, 2010– An iPhone App featuring legendary basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski was launched today in the App Store and www.coachkapp.com . The Coach K App utilizes innovative multi-touch controls that immerse the player into an exciting series of races against multiple artificial intelligence opponents. The game includes three levels of competition with stops in New York City, China and Durham, North Carolina, home to Coach K’s Duke Blue Devils.
Coach K provides personalized “coaching tips” to maneuver players through a series of dynamic obstacles which come to life through trend-setting graphics. Players also have the ability to customize their avatars. Players will be challenged to dodge taxicabs and street vendors, while racing through the streets of New York; avoid dragons and panda bears while speeding along the Great Wall of China; and sprint around campus while avoiding the notorious Cameron Crazies and other obstacles. The game climaxes in an intense head-to-head shooting competition against another player over Bluetooth.
Each site on the virtual journey has played a significant role in Coach K’s career. “Beyond the sheer fun and challenge of the game,” Coach K encourages players to “explore and learn about the unique geography and cultures of some of the most interesting cities in the world.” Future downloads will provide advanced enhancements to the Avatar system and additional races through the streets of Chicago (Coach K’s hometown) and a secret location in Spain. New game elements will be introduced to take advantage of these new environments.
The first level of competition can be downloaded free-of-charge from the App Store. The remaining levels will be available for $2.99. Players who download all three levels, will be eligible to win exclusive prizes. Facebook integration enables players to get a picture with Coach K and have it posted to their wall.
Follow us on facebook and twitter for game news, updates and surprise giveaways.
Twitter: @coach_k_app
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coach-K-app/303096458800
Registration for the contest only occurs through the paid and full version of the app, but no purchase is necessary. Registration can be completed through the mail as well. URL with contest rules and details to follow.
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About Coach K
Winning seasons, superb graduation rates for his players and a basketball team that is as close as family are all attributes that reflect on the man who is in his 30th year as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, Hall of Famer and U.S. National Team Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Coach K’s record as college basketball’s fourth leading all-time winningest coach offers evidence of his success: 864 total wins; 93 weeks ranked No. 1; 10 Final Four berths in the last 24 years, including five straight appearances from 1988-92; 25 seasons with at least 20 wins; 11 seasons with 30 or more (most by any coach all-time); 12 regular season ACC crowns and 12 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament titles, including a league record five in succession from 1999-2003 and the two most recent (2009 and 2010). But most impressive are the three National Championships (1991, 1992 and 2001) that make Coach K one of only four coaches in NCAA history to earn three or more NCAA titles.
Krzyzewski added to his already impressive list of accomplishments on Sept. 26, 2005 when he was named head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program for 2006-2008. With Coach K at the helm, Team USA won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with a 118-107 victory over Spain. This coming summer he’ll begin the road to 2012 and the London Games when the USA plays in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey.
About the Developer – i2theFuture
I2theFuture, LLC designs, develops, and markets the highest quality cutting edge applications for the iPhone, Blackberry, Android and other Smartphones. I2theFuture strongly believes that mobile device technology is in its infancy. These devices and applications will dominate the way content is delivered and disseminated. I2theFuture relies on its strong internet and technology experience to deliver superior products. Their ability to incorporate graphic design, illustration and one of a kind claymation figures clearly and distinctively separates their applications and smart phone technology from the competition. I2theFuture has perfected the use of audio, voice over technology, and visual interfacing throughout all its applications and technologies. Their mission is to stay ahead of the competition and to create new and ongoing generations of applications that are unique and not easily duplicated. I2theFuture is the second “App Space” company created by co-founder Mike Kratzer. His main objective is to always stay ahead of the curve in the technology space. For nearly a decade Mike has been recognized as an entrepreneurial leader in the development of innovative internet /software applications. Prior to launching in the application space, he developed and sold a proprietary software company to a NASDAQ traded firm in 2008.
Nolan Smith scores 20, Brian Zoubek adds 14/13 and Duke earns Sweet 16 spot
In Pictures — Game Gallery
Top Plays – Duke in Jacksonville
Turning Point
Duke used an 11-2 run beginning with 8:10 left in the first half to enter halftime up by 11. The Golden Bears closed within seven in the second half before back-to-back buckets by Brian Zoubek ignited an 8-0 Blue Devil run beginning with 12:33 remaining. Duke led by a comfortable double-digit margin the rest of the way.
Blue Devil Ballers
Nolan scored 20 points, Kyle netted 17 points and Zoubs contributed a strong double-double with 14 points and 13 boards.
Duke Data
19 — Sweet 16s reached by Coach K, the most all-time by a coach
11 — Sweet 16s reached by Duke in the past 13 years (two more than any program in that time period)
5 — Turnovers by Duke in the game
.500 — Combined shooting percentage of Nolan and Kyle (15-for-30 FG for 37 points)
3 — 3’s made by Cal (on 12 3pt FGA’s), after the sharp-shooting Bears hit eight on Friday against Louisville
Coach K’s Comments
“We played an outstanding defensive game tonight against a championship team. Cal with Mike Montgomery right away did something that no one has done for 50 years at Cal and their conference; they won the regular season. And we knew that they would have that pedigree, that air of a champion about them. And we had unbelievable respect for them, and especially their perimeter. Those three kids are such good shooters, and I thought the discipline that we had defensively was the difference in the ballgame. Also we could match up a little bit better with them with Lance being on Robertson instead of a bigger guy, and so we — the kids played really hard, and Brian and Miles on the highball screen with Randle stayed up there long enough so Randle couldn’t measure Nolan until Nolan got back. Just the kids played a beautiful defensive game. I’m really proud of them. And when it got down to seven points, then there’s a lot of game pressure on you. We went to run motion and Brian got two big buckets. Zoubs was huge for us throughout the game, especially at that time. We know we beat a really good team, and we’re happy to be moving on obviously.”
Locker Room Reaction
A big focus going into the game for Duke was to limit Cal’s three-point shooting, especially from Randle, Christopher and Robertson. The Blue Devils answered the call, as that Cal trio combined for only three 3’s. Nolan said about Duke’s defensive effort, “We stuck with their shooters. We couldn’t give them any breathing room, and we just really stuck with them. We really gave them no open looks on ball screens. Our big guys really helped us, and Jon and Kyle, their perimeter three-point shooters, they just stayed with them the whole game.”
Around the Web
Box score — Stat recap
AP recap — Duke rolls past Cal
Quotes — Postgame thoughts from Coach K, Nolan, Zoubs (PDF)
Zoubek looms large — Senior center dominating the interior
Smith’s D lifts Duke — Nolan leads great Blue Devil defensive effort
Blue means stop — Duke does it with D
Duke gets defensive — And moves on to Sweet 16
Notes
*Next up: Duke travels to Houston for a Sweet 16 matchup against Purdue on Friday (9:57 EST on CBS).
Fave Photo
