DUKE WINS FOURTH NATIONAL TITLE IN EPIC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
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Turning Point
The largest lead in the game was six points by Duke and this one wasn’t decided until Butler’s last-second, half-court shot bounced off the rim.
Blue Devil Ballers
Kyle Singler scored 19 points and grabbed nine boards, earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. Jon Scheyer added 15 points, six boards and five assists, Nolan Smith scored 13 points, and Brian Zoubek contributed eight points and 10 boards.
Duke Data
15 — Lead changes in the game (Butler’s largest lead was two, Duke’s largest was six)
4 — All-time NCAA championships by Duke and Coach K
35-5 — Duke’s final record on the year
5 — Championships won by Duke in 2009-10, of a possible five (NIT Season Tip-Off, ACC regular season, ACC Tourney, NCAA South Region, NCAA champs)
142,228 — Attendance at the Final Four
Coach K’s Comments
“Well, I’ve been fortunate enough to be in eight national championship games, and this was a classic. This was the toughest and the best one. My congratulations and empathy are with the Butler team, who played winning basketball. To me it was a game that we won, but they didn’t lose. We were able to win, I think, because of our defense and rebounding in the second half. We were being out rebounded by seven in the first half. And then in the second half, we just played better defense and rebounded better. We brought our defense back a little bit more to bring our guys closer to the bucket to try to stop penetration after about five minutes in the second half, and also made our rebounders closer. I thought that was key. All these guys made big plays. I thought Zoubs on his out of bounds defense, then he adjusts, altered the shot, then got the rebound, was so fitting for Zoubek, for Brian to do that, because he really elevated our team over these last six weeks, seven weeks, to where we would have a chance to play and win a national championship. It’s still hard for me. It hasn’t sunk in that we’re national champs. I love these guys.”
Locker Room Reaction
Jon: “I don’t think many people can say they went out winning a national championship. It means a lot to us, I don’t think any of us could have predicted the four years we had here. To finish it like this means a lot, especially going through it with these guys every day.”
LT: “It means the world to us, especially our senior class. To come in and get knocked out of this tournament in our first game, and to have to live with that for the rest of our lives, for the extra years after our freshman, sophomore, and junior year, just not getting as much success as we want, to leave champions, have our last game, leaving a national championship. It’s tough to put words to. We maxed out our season. We maxed out all our practices. We played in every game that the season had to offer us. To seal the deal at the end, I’m really lost for words on it.”
Zoubs: “It’s been an absolute progression. You can see the difference every single year. To end it like this, as Lance said, it’s indescribable. I don’t think our seniors could have predicted this, anywhere near this kind of success through our career, just based on how our freshman year went. It just proves that if you keep with it, you keep your head down, keep working at it, good things will come if you put in the work.”
Sixth Man
With most of Indianapolis (and America) pulling for hometown school Butler, the Blue Devils essentially played a road game for the national title. A number of Crazies did make the journey from Durham and did their best to make their voices heard!
Around the Web
Box score — Stat recap
AP recap — National Champs!
Quotes — Postgame thoughts from Coach K, Jon, LT, Zoubs, Kyle and Nolan (PDF)
Notes — Facts/figures from the game
Duke/Butler sparks ratings jump — America tunes in for memorable title game
Duke has just enough — Blue Devils earn breathtaking victory for NCAA crown
All about the team — Singler earns MOP honors
Bonfire heats up — Crazies celebrate
Devils drive away doubters — Duke wins it all
Nolan wins for his dad — A very special title for the Smith family
Notes
*The Blue Devils returned home on Tuesday to a packed Cameron. Shortly after, Coach K received a call from President Obama, and the Blue Devils will be visiting the Commander-in-Chief in the coming weeks.
Fave Photo
Scheyer, Singler, Smith combine for 61 to push Devils to national title game
In Pictures — Game Gallery
Turning Point
After WVU hit a triple to trim Duke’s lead to 23-20 with 7:47 left in the first half, the Blue Devils responded with a 14-2 run to take control of the game. Duke connected on four of five three-point attempts during the spurt, three of which were made by Nolan Smith.
Blue Devil Ballers
The Devils put together perhaps their finest performance of the year, manhandling the Big East’s best and one of the toughest teams in America. “The Law Offices of Scheyer, Singler and Smith” combined to outscore WVU and Brian Zoubek added six points and 10 boards.
Duke Data
13 — 3’s made by Duke (13-25 3pt FG), matching the all-time national semifinal record for 3’s in a game
52.0% — Duke’s 3pt FG% in the game (13-25 3pt)
62 — Points scored by Scheyer, Singler and Smith (five more than the entire WVU team)
8 — National championship games reached by Coach K
64 — Wins by Duke over the last two seasons, most in the NCAA
12 — Combined assists for Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith (with zero turnovers)… Duke had only six TO’s as a team in the game.
11 — Offensive rebounds hauled in by Duke, which led to a 19-7 Blue Devil advantage in second-chance points (including a 12-0 difference in the first half)
Coach K’s Comments
“Well, our team played really well tonight. Thought our defense was outstanding. Our care for the ball was excellent, to get 20 assists and only six turnovers. These two guys (Jon and Nolan) had 12 assists and no turnovers. All three of our perimeter guys had outstanding shooting games. So I thought we were difficult to guard as a result of that. And we guarded well. Zoubek really asserted himself on the board. Some of his offensive rebounds really turned into big plays for us when he kicked it out. So, we beat a really good team, and I thought we played an outstanding game.”
Locker Room Reaction
Zoubs: “It’s everything. This is the culmination of four years for me. To have a shot at the championship my senior year, after everything we’ve been through, is a dream come true.”
Sixth Man
Duke is certainly not the most popular team in town but there are quite a few Blue Devil fans around Indy. Inside Lucas Oil Stadium, the student section of each team is placed behind their respective band so approximately 500 Crazies who made the road trip were able to do their thing. After the game, the team received a large welcome back at the hotel.
Around the Web
Box score — Stat recap
AP recap — Duke routs W. VA
Quotes — Postgame thoughts from Coach K, Nolan, Jon (PDF)
Notes — Facts/figures from the game
No softness in this Duke team — Blue Devils strong against Big East’s toughest team
Smart play fuels Duke — Devils are title-game bound
Duke’s big chance — Devils 40 minutes away
Coach K’s legend grows — Hall of Famer reaches 11th Final Four
Duke returns to final — With a different style
Devils back in familiar role — Ready to take shot at title
Notes
*Next up: Duke faces Butler in the national championship game on Monday (9:21, CBS).
*Among the former players in town for the Final Four: Mark Alarie, Billy King, Tommy Amaker, Johnny Dawkins. Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy, Dahntay Jones, Josh McRoberts, Jay Bilas, Jeff Capel, Greg Paulus, Kenny Dennard, Gerald Henderson, Roshown McLeod, JJ Redick, Phil Henderson, Lee Melchionni, Ryan Caldbeck, Justin Caldbeck, Andy Means, and Matt Christensen.
Fave Photo
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
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
