Jon/Kyle (1st team), Nolan (2nd team), LT (All-Defense) Make All-ACC Teams
Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were named All-ACC First Team selections, while Nolan Smith grabbed second team honors as voted by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Lance Thomas was also tabbed as a member of the media’s ACC All-Defensive Team.
Jon leads the Blue Devils in scoring (18.9 PPG), assists (162), three-point field goals (89), steals (51) and free throw percentage (.889). He is the league’s only player to rank in the top five in seven statistical categories: scoring, assists, free throw percentage, three-point field goals, three-point field goal percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio and minutes. The Illinois native is tied for second in the ACC with 15 games with 20 or more points scored and has reached double figures in 30 of 31 games this season.
Kyle, a second team selection a year ago, joins Scheyer on the first team, giving Duke two members on the squad for the 10th time under Coach K. He ranks among the league leaders in scoring (17.2 PPG), rebounds (6.8 RPG), three-point field goals (64), three-point field goal percentage (.386) and minutes (35.7). The versatile wing has a team-high five double-doubles on the year to go along with 12 games with 20 or more points scored. He is six points and seven rebounds shy of becoming just the fourth player in Blue Devil history to top 1,600 points and 700 rebounds as a junior.
Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Malcolm Delaney (Virginia Tech) and Trevor Booker (Clemson) were also named first team All-ACC.
Nolan is fourth in the ACC in scoring at 17.6 PPG and has 20+ points 14 times this season. The Maryland native is shooting a team-high 40.4 percent (46-of-114) from three-point range and ranks second on the team in free throw percentage (.789), assists (89) and steals (36). He has surpassed his scoring total from his first two seasons in 2009-10 and is just two points shy of becoming the 60th player in Duke history to score 1,000-points in a career.
Al-Farouq Aminu and Ishmael Smith of Wake Forest along Tracy Smith (N.C. State) and Sylvan Landesburg (Virginia) join Smith on the second team, while Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech), Dorenzo Hudson (Virginia Tech), Chris Singleton (Florida State), Joe Trapani (Boston College) and Soloman Alabi (Florida State) make up the third team.
LT has anchored the Duke defense throughout the year and was rewarded with all-defensive team honors. The New Jersey native leads the team with 12 charges taken and is one of the hardest working defensive players in the country. Lance’s versatility and toughness has helped give the Blue Devils one of their best defensive clubs since the 1949-50 season. Duke has held 16 opponents to under 60 points in a game, including nine times in league play. The Blue Devils’ 61.8 points per game scoring defense is the lowest since the 1949-50 season and ranks second in the ACC, while their 27.2 percent three-point percentage defense is among the best in the NCAA.
LT was joined on the all-defensive team by Florida State’s Chris Singleton and Soloman Alabi as well as Booker and Wake Forest’s L.D. Williams.
All-ACC Selections Since 1998
Duke: 39
UNC: 31
Maryland: 26
Wake Forest: 20
Virginia: 16
All-ACC First Team Selections Since 1985
Duke: 32
UNC: 24
Maryland: 15
GA Tech: 13
Wake Forest: 11
NCSU: 11
ACC All-Defense Team Selections
Duke: 13
Maryland: 8
FSU: 7
VA Tech: 5
Wake Forest: 5
UNC: 5
*First awarded in 2000.
DID YOU KNOW? Coach K has produced 35 first-team All-ACC selections. All other active ACC coaches have combined to coach 32 such honorees.
Duke wins 8th ACC regular-season title in past 14 years
Duke’s 82-50 win over UNC gave the Blue Devils a share of the 2009-10 ACC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the 2010 ACC Tournament. Both Duke and Maryland concluded regular-season conference play with 13-3 ACC records.
“It means a lot not only to me but to our season class and our whole team,” stated Jon Scheyer about winning the ACC regular-season crown. “It was something we were close to doing the last couple years so winning it this year means a lot. We worked really hard for four years to get in this position.”
Added Jon’s fellow senior captain Lance Thomas, “The ACC title is important because it’s not easy to attain. We have a lot of competitive teams in this conference, especially this year. Earlier in the year everyone’s record was pretty much the same so if you won you might have one game separation but if you lost you were back in a pile with four or five teams. It wasn’t easy for us to create that separation. We struggled a little bit early on the road but we regrouped, got back in the gym. We found a way to make it work and we fought to get where we are. It means a lot because we worked for it and it sets the tone for the younger guys for next year so they understand what it takes to get there in this league. But, we are not done yet.”
This Duke team earned wins against each of the ACC’s top six teams with first place in the conference on the line at some during the year. Brian Zoubek credits experience as the reason for the squad’s toughness in big conference games. Said Zoubs, “The difference this year is we have been through it. We know what we need to do and we’ve tried to impart that on the younger guys and bring them along. We’ve had a sense of urgency as a senior group. We don’t want this to end but since it has to we want it to end on a happy note.”
ACC Regular-Season Titles by Active Coaches
Coach K: 12
Roy Williams: 4
Gary Williams: 3
All other ACC coaches: 0
ACC Regular-Season Titles Since 1985
Duke: 12
UNC: 10
Maryland: 3
GA Tech/NCSU/UVA/Wake Forest: 2
Clemson: 1
ACC Regular-Season Wins Since 1997
Duke: 178
UNC: 143
Maryland: 139
Wake Forest: 119
NC State: 92
FSU: 88
UVA: 87
GA Tech: 87
Clemson: 86
VA Tech: 48
Boston College: 40
Miami: 37
*VA Tech, BC and Miami joined the league after 1997 when the league expanded from nine to 12 teams.
Fans invited/encouraged to attend Saturday in Cameron before UNC game
UPDATE: ESPN GameDay Photo Gallery
Duke fans – Mark your calendars and plan to be in Cameron for the live filming of ESPN’s GameDay on Saturday, March 6th. Doors open at 9:30 AM and filming starts around 10 AM. Our own Jay Bilas will be on the mic for ESPN and there will be several other special guests in the building to add to ESPN’s popular pre-game show. Here’s the press release… We hope to see you in Cameron.
Duke Blue Devil fans can be a part of the Duke-North Carolina series and appear live on ESPN when College GameDay presented by State Farm comes to Cameron Indoor Stadium next weekend. ESPN College GameDay will be on the campus of Duke University on Saturday, March 6 and will air two live one-hour segments in a day-long preview to the greatest rivalry in college athletics.
Join ESPN’s GameDay crew of Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps, Hubert Davis and legendary coach Bob Knight live in Cameron Indoor Stadium from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and again from 8-9 p.m. in the Krzyzewskiville courtyard. ESPN College GameDay is open to the general public with the doors to Cameron Indoor Stadium opening at 9:30 a.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as SportsCenter will be producing live cut-ins to Cameron Indoor Stadium from 10-11 a.m.
Don’t miss the chance to be part of a live TV broadcast, see how it all happens behind the scenes on the set and show the nation why the Duke-North Carolina rivalry is the best in college athletics. Duke hosted the first College GameDay for basketball and the shows have always been full of fun and surprises.
Special guests and former players along with Duke Basketball prizes and giveaways will add to the show, so don’t miss your chance to be part of this special day in Cameron.
The public entrance into the event will be from the South Hall of Honor, while undergraduate and graduate students will enter from the North Lobby (Krzyzewskiville). General public parking will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. in all lots around campus with the exception of the Public Policy Lot. All cars must be removed by 2:00 p.m. from the respective lots or they will be towed.
Saturday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium, fifth-ranked Duke takes on unranked North Carolina at 9 p.m. on ESPN with Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Erin Andrews calling the action.
Blue Devils run off eight-game win streak in February
For the fourth time in the Coach K era, Duke ran through the month of February without a loss. The Blue Devils bounced back in impressive fashion following the setback against Georgetown in Washington, DC to win eight in a row (seven of which were conference games). The winning streak has left Duke atop the ACC with only two regular-season games remaining and in good position to receive a high seed at the NCAA Tournament.
The keys for the Blue Devils in most of the team’s wins this year, including the eight straight in February, have been great defense, rebounding, and togetherness. Said Coach K after the UVA win, “People know who we are – we are not a great team, we are a very good team that has won a lot of games… We are not going to just go out on the court and [have the other team say], ‘wow, they are going to kill us.’ We have to work together to make it happen, and that is why I like my team so much, because they have done that all year long.”
Duke in February
*In addition to 2010, Duke’s undefeated runs in February in the Coach K era came in 1986, 1999 and 2006.
*Duke was one of only four Top 25 teams to run the table in February, along with Kansas State, New Mexico, and Butler.
*During the February surge, Duke climbed from No. 10 in the nation on February 1st to No. 4 in the poll released on March 1st.
*Duke allowed just 58.8 PPG in February, with half of the eight February opponents scoring 55 points or fewer.
*During the month of February, Kyle Singler averaged 19.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG while connecting on half his three-point attempts (25-50 3pt FG).
*Brian Zoubek played some of his best basketball of the season during February, averaging 5.9 PPG and 8.6 RPG. The senior hauled in 31 offensive boards during the month.
*Jon Scheyer averaged 19.1 PPG during the month and scored 20 or more in five of the eight games.
*Nolan Smith averaged 15.8 PPG in February with three 20+ point outings.
*Duke dominated the boards in February, grabbing 320 rebounds compared to 277 by our opponents. The Blue Devils also snatched 134 offensive rebounds compared to 105 by Duke foes during the month. Miami and Virginia were the only squads to outrebound Duke in a February game.
*Duke’s 3pt shooting and 3pt defense also played a key role in the February run. Duke was 65-for-157 (.414) from downtown, while limiting opponents to 21-for-107 (.196) from 3pt range. Duke made at least five 3’s against every February opponent except Tulsa, while UNC was the lone squad to make five against Duke (but shot just .263 from three-point range).
*Coach K improved to 178-66 during the month of February.
Jon and the Blue Devils had a lot to smile about in February.
Duke legend to be enshrined in 2010 College Basketball Hall of Fame class
Christian Laettner headlines a list of eight individuals set to be enshrined in the College Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2010 class as announced this week. The 1992 Duke graduate becomes the fifth person with Duke ties to enter the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, joining Vic Bubas, Lefty Driesell, Dick Groat and Coach K. The 2010 induction ceremony will be held on Nov. 21 at the College Basketball Experience and the Midland Theatre in Kansas City, MO. Laettner is joined in the 2010 class by Wayne Duke (contributor), Tom Jernstedt (contributor), David Thompson (N.C. State), Jerry West (West Virginia), Davey Whitney (coach), Sidney Wicks (UCLA) and Tex Winter (coach).
Arguably the greatest NCAA Tournament performer in history, Laettner led Duke to the Final Four all four years of his Duke career, including NCAA titles in 1991 and 1992. The Duke jersey retiree was named 1992 National Player of the Year and his 2,460 points and 1,149 rebounds rank third in school history. His many other accolades include three All-America selections, and the New York native was also a Final Four MVP, two-time ACC Athlete of the Year, three-time All-ACC, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, and NCAA Tournament Regional MVP.
The third pick of the 1992 draft played 13 seasons in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. He was also a member of the Dream Team that went on to win the gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Around four months before winning gold, Laettner capped off an epic NCAA Tournament career with an NCAA title his senior year. He remains the NCAA Tournament’s all-time leader in points and games played, and no has ever played better on college basketball’s biggest stage.
Christian’s Top NCAA Tournament Games
1. 1992 Regional Final: Duke vs. Kentucky (31 pts, 7 rebs, 10-10 FG, 10-10 FT)… In the greatest college game ever, Christian never missed a shot and hit THE SHOT to propel Duke to the Final Four his senior year, 104-103 in overtime.
2. 1991 National Semifinal: Duke vs. UNLV (28 points, 7 rebs, 9-14 FG, 9-11 FT)… No one gave Duke a chance against defending champion and undefeated UNLV, but the Blue Devils showed up ready to play. Christian led the way for Duke with 28 points as the Blue Devils won 79-77, advancing to the NCAA title game (where they eventually won the first national title in school history).
3. 1990 Regional Final: Duke vs. Connecticut (23 pts, 5 rebs, 7-8 FG, 9-11 FG)… Christian pushed Duke past UConn and capped a 23-point outing with a buzzer-beater that gave the Devils a 79-78 victory in OT.
4. 1989 Regional Final: Duke vs. Georgetown (24 pts, 9 rebs, 9-10 FG, 6-7 FT)… Undaunted by Georgetown star Alonzo Mourning, Christian announced his presence on the Big Dance scene by scoring 24 points and hauling in nine boards as a freshman. Duke won 85-77 to advance to the Final Four.
5. 1991 Regional Final: Duke vs. St. John’s (19 points, 5 rebs, 5-6 FG, 9-9 FT)… Christian owned the Elite Eight, leading Duke to a 4-0 record while averaging 24.3 PPG. During his junior year, Laettner scored 19 points and grabbed five boards as Duke rumbled past St. John’s, 78-61.
Five More to Remember…
6. 1990 Sweet 16: Duke vs. UCLA (24 pts, 14 rebs, 8-12 FG, 8-8 FT)… Duke wins 90-81.
7. 1990 National Semifinal: Duke vs. Arkansas (19 points, 14 rebs, 5-7 FG, 9-12 FT)… Duke wins 97-83.
8. 1991 National Championship Game: Duke vs. Kansas (18 pts, 10 rebs, 3-8 FG, 12-12 FT)… Duke wins 72-65.
9. 1992 National Championship Game: Duke vs. Michigan (19 pts, 7 rebs, 6-13 FG, 5-6 FT)… Duke wins 71-51.
10. 1991 Sweet 16: Duke vs. Connecticut (19 pts, 4 rebs, 7-13 FG, 5-7 FT)… Duke wins 81-67.
DID YOU KNOW? In his four Elite Eight games, Christian was 31-for-34 (.912) from the floor and 34-for-37 from the foul line (.918). Two of his 34 field goals were buzzer-beaters where Duke trailed and the season was on the line. You probably remember this one and will be reminded of it again in a few weeks…
