Duke Blue Planet BLOG

Coach K leads Duke to 30-win season for record 11th time

Every season, there are various benchmarks you hope to hit that are indicative of a great season of college basketball.  In addition to the obvious (NCAA title/Final Four), there are several other signs of a successful season, from conference championships, to top 10 ranking all year, to reaching No. 1 in the AP poll, to earning an NCAA Tournament top seed, to having players earn national and conference recognition (and more).

The Blue Devils have already checked a few of these benchmarks off the list and added another on Friday, as the win over UAPB was the 30th of the year for Duke.  The 30-win season is the second in a row for the Blue Devils and the NCAA-record 11th all-time for Coach K.

When asked about hitting the 30-win plateau after the game, Coach K remarked, “It’s nice to have.  I mean, but no, I don’t — I know we’ve done it a number of times.  I couldn’t tell you how many times we’ve done it.”  When told it was the 11th time, Coach K continued, “11?  But that’s a lot of wins, so that’s a good thing.  Actually the best thing is to have 31 and to move on.  But it’s a good thing for these kids to have two 30-win seasons in a row.”

2009-10 BLUE DEVIL BENCHMARKS
*Preseason NIT champs
*ACC regular-season champs
*ACC Tournament champs
*NCAA Tourney No. 1 seed
*Undefeated season at home (17-0)
*Top 10 ranking all season (AP)
*Undefeated month of February
*All-America honors for Jon Scheyer
*All-ACC for Jon, Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith

Most 30-Win Seasons All-Time
Coach K: 11
Roy Williams: 10
Jim Calhoun: 7
John Calipari: 5
Six coaches tied: 4

Most 30-Win Seasons by School Since 1985
Duke: 11
Kansas: 9
Connecticut: 7
Kentucky: 7
UNC: 7

Duke’s 30-Win seasons: 1986, 1991, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010

Kyle Singler nets 20 as Blue Devils roll past Arkansas-PB to advance in the Big Dance

In Pictures — Game Gallery

Turning Point

Duke never trailed in the game, rolling to a 22-7 lead midway through the first half.

Blue Devil Ballers

Kyle recorded a double-double with 22 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 3pt) and 10 boards.  Jon Scheyer added 13 points (4-7 FG, 3-5 3pt) and Lance Thomas scored 12.

Duke Data

44 — Points allowed by Duke, third-fewest by a Blue Devil team in NCAA Tourney history

41 — Rebounds in the game by Duke, compared to 24 for UAPB

72 — NCAA-record wins by Coach K all-time in the Big Dance

29 — Second-round NCAA Tourney appearances by Duke in the program’s 34 trips to the Dance

30 — Wins on the season by Duke, marking the NCAA-record 11th time under Coach K that the Blue Devils have hit the 30-win mark

Coach K’s Comments

“Well, I thought it was more of a workmanlike performance by our team.  George’s team is going to play hard for 40 minutes, and they played, for us, a little bit unconventional because they’re spreading you, they have different zones and stuff like that, trapping.  Overall I thought our guys handled it well, and our defense was excellent.  You know, we’re more talented than they are, but I thought we played as hard and we played very well.  So, I am happy with my team and happy to be moving on.”

Locker Room Reaction

The Blue Devils wanted to come out attacking with energy and excitement.  The team pressed early and pressured UABP defensively all game.  Said Kyle, “We just want to be aggressive throughout the whole game.  One of the keys to the game for us was just attack, attack their defense.  I thought we got to the line, and shot the ball from the free throw pretty well.”  Added Jon, “I thought that was the key in the first half to set a tone.  We really just wanted to keep them in front because they spread you a lot, and we wanted to play great team defense.  We didn’t want to leave someone out there just playing one-on-one against them because that’s how they can be successful.  So for us, I thought we did a good job of helping each other out and then getting the rebound.”

Sixth Man

The crowd featured a solid amount of Duke Blue, not only on tee-shirts but also on at least a couple of heads (as seen here and here).  Also, Duke/March legend Christian Laettner, a Florida resident these days, made the trip over to Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena to support his Blue Devils.

Around the Web

Box score — Stat recap

AP recap — Duke routs UAPB

Quotes — Postgame thoughts from Coach K, Jon, Kyle (PDF)

Duke gets easy win — Duke rolls to second round

Ready for second round — Blue Devils quickly shift focus to date with Cal

Duke cruises — A rout in Jacksonville

Notes

*Next up: Duke faces 8th-seeded Cal on Sunday at 5:20 PM (CBS).  The Golden Bears defeated Louisville after Duke knocked off UAPB.

Fave Photo

Duke fan Jennie Chan shows amazing support as Big Dance begins

If you are driving through Pennsylvania (around Chambersburg), keep an eye out for DukeBluePlanet’s all-time favorite billboard.  As you can see below, diehard Duke fan Jennie Chan is not hesitant to let the world know which squad she is backing in the Big Dance.  Lay on the horn if you see this one!  THANKS JENNIE.  What a bold and awesome move!

March 2010: Ideal Senior Night, ACC champs, undefeated in Cameron, more

The season’s sixth issue of Blue Planet Magazine is now live online.  Inside, we have coverage of the ACC champs, Duke’s undefeated season in Cameron, Senior Night, senior graphics designed by LT, Crazies photos, and more.  This edition’s cover features the 17-0 logo designed by Kyle Singler.  Issue 14.6 is free to view online with a valid email address.  If you would like to receive a hard copy of each issue in the mail, click HERE for details.  Thanks for reading!

Click to launch the full edition in a new window.

Online Publishing from YUDU

Fans invited to dine with the Devils at annual banquet in Cameron

Tickets are now on sale for our annual team banquet in Cameron.  The evening will celebrate a great season of Duke Basketball with an emphasis on our great senior class of LT, Jon, Zoubs and Jordan.  Highlights of the festive evening will include Coach K’s remarks on the season and his seniors, team awards, team and senior highlight videos, a nice meal on Coach K Court, and more.  Dinner spots are limited and open to all fans.  For tickets and more info, please check out the invitation below… We look forward to seeing you in Cameron.