The setting was perfect for Duke to get back on track after two losses. St John’s is a terrible team, and the Crazies were there to welcome back their Blue Devils after a tough road trip. However, the game started off like the last two. Duke looking passive in their offense and the other team being able to score at will. After a timeout by Coach K, and I am sure a violent exchange between him and his players Duke was off and running. Duke gained the lead and then never looked back. The only question was how much punishment would they inflict on the Red Storm. The final score 86-56 was proof that Duke was taking out some frustration on a bottom of the barrel team from the Big East.

Like most of the wins this year by the Blue Devils the scoring was spread all around the team. Five players were in double figures for Duke. Singler(16), Scheyer(12), Smith(13), Henderson(13), and Zoubek(11). With all the scoring going around one player stood above the rest. Brian Zoubek, who is the much maligned big man for Duke had the best game of his career posting a double-double. He had 13 rebounds to go along with 11 points. This is a big thing with Zoubek, and he could possibly be the missing link that Duke needs to get them over the hump. I am not saying that he can take over in the paint, but consistent numbers and smart play is all we need from him. This game is got to be huge for his confidence. I look forward to see how he follows up this performance.

Quick Thoughts
-Duke shoot 46.5%FG and 40%3pt. This is the numbers we need to see from Duke every night.
-Saint John’s shoot 33.3%FG and 23.1%3pt. The defense definitely picked up the pace this game.
-9 players played 14 minutes or more for Duke. 6 players played between 20-30 minutes.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Gerald Henderson
He might have not had the best game of all the players, but after having a rough stretch in recent games he looked very solid in this game. We all know that Gerald has been playing with a bad wrist, but his shot looked on key today. He was the main reason Duke got on a run in the first half. His mid range game is so key to Duke’s success.

It is nice to get that bad taste out of your mouth after two tough losses. Even though Duke was playing an inferior team, they played like they have for the majority of the year. Hopefully they will be able to have continued success in the ACC, and keep those losses off their minds.

Next up: Duke will get back into ACC play hosting Georgia Tech on Wednesday. This will be the first home game since the emotional Maryland a couple weeks ago. They got the win they needed, now they need to take care of Georgia Tech and continue their push for the #1 seed in the East. They still control their own destiny.

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It was bound to happen. Duke was on cruise control, and it seemed like no one could stop them. However, this is the ACC and not everyone gets out totally unscathed.

Wake Forest was able to take advantage of Duke’s inabilitiy to make any type of offensive push, and just out-played them to get the upset. Definite hats off to they entire Wake Forest staff and team. This was an emotional win for them, and they definitely played like winners tonight.

Duke on the underhand, looked totally out of sync. Not once in the game could you think that this team was going to run away with it. And as the second half started winding down, any fan could tell that Duke was beaten before the final whistle blew. Speaking of whistles, I don’t think that I have ever seen a game where the entire starting line up fouled out of a game. I don’t think for one minute that refs cost Duke the game. However, Duke had a lot of bullshit called on them that was hard to figure out. I think the game as a whole from the opening tip was called terribly, and the refs really made the game drag on.

Three players were in double-figures for Duke. Nelson(18), Singler(17), and Smith(21). With numbers like those you would think Duke would have one this game handily. However, Duke’s other players Paulus(7), Henderson(6), and Thomas(4). These numbers speak volume as to the play Duke had on offense. No flow because of turnovers, and terrible shooting. 28.6% from the 3PT and 52% from FT. Absolutely unacceptable from a team that has championship’s on their minds.

Duke will have to right their ship quickly as another ACC road game in on the horizon. Miami will be hosting the Blue Devils on Wednesday. And you can bet the Hurricanes are chomping at the bit after seeing what Wake Forest did against Duke.

A loss hurts but of course they are going to happen. The most important thing is to learn from the loss. I think after the Pitt game, Duke stepped up to another level, and I hope the same is learned from this game. The only thing they can do is work harder and go into Miami and make a statement that Duke is still the best team in the ACC.

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Besides a mid second half push by Maryland, led by Greivis Vasquez, Duke owned the Terps the entire night. The game was setting up to be exactly like the College Park version with the teams flip-flopped. Duke ran out to a big first half lead, only to get out-hustled in parts of the second. The last time the team that was down at the half, Duke, were the ones to leave with a victory. This time, the team that lead at the half managed to win the ballgame. It is great to beat Maryland in College Park, it is ten times better to sweep the season series, against a team that loves to hate Duke.

In the first half for Duke it was two players. Kyle Singler and Greg Paulus lite up the Terps, and made Gary sweat even more so then normal. In the second half, when Duke needed one little push to get over the hump, it was Kyle Singler. He took over the game for Duke doing everything he possibly could to sustain the lead that Duke had built up. Coming off his fourth ACC Freshmen of the Week, he made an early push to grab his fifth. He finished with a game high 26 points (10-17 FG, 6-9 3PT) and 7 rebounds.

The only Duke player who got close to Singler’s point production was Greg Paulus, and most of that came in the first half. He came out strong, and looked like he was going to have a big night. Second half, he went a little cold but still finished with a solid game, 20 points (5-11 FG, 4-8 3PT) and 4 assists.

Duke’s defense was a huge key to this game. Maryland who loves the three pointers, only shot 23% from the arc. They held one of their star players, James Gist, to 9 points (3-11 shooting). Maryland came into this game a much better team than when Duke beat them before, but Duke kept on them from the opening tip, and only Duke’s inability to score in the mid-second half was the reason the Terps got close.

Quick Thoughts
-Vasquez had 25 points, but shot the ball 22 times
-Osby and Gist were a combined 8-22
-Henderson and Thomas were quiet, but combined for 11 boards (Henderson 7, Thomas 4)
-Zoubek in 4 minutes of play didn’t look totally lost

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kyle Singler
In the words of a second grader, DUH!!!. Singler is playing his best basketball right now. His third straight game where he could do no wrong. He was so good tonight, I can forgive the 5 turnovers he had. I don’t think that was worth mentioning, but hey……Kyle’s Perfect……Kyle’s Perfect…..

Another great emotional victory for Duke. The teams keep coming, and Duke keeps knocking them down. They have now matched the last season’s win total. The only difference, 1 lose instead of 11. I love to watch this team compete, because that is exactly what they do. Compete every single minute of every single game. This team is special. The nation is now eye’s wide open.

Next up: I nice little break to enjoy another hard fought victory, as Duke will travel to little trip to Winston-Salem, to face Wake Forest on Sunday night. Another road test for this team that is still perfect in the ACC.

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It wasn’t the easiest win, but Duke took care of business against Boston College on Saturday at Cameron. This season Duke has looked uninspired on Saturday afternoon games. And after their biggest victory against North Carolina on Wednesday, there was a huge risk of a trap game for Duke. And for most of the game Duke was fighting to keep Boston College at bay, who for most of the game looked like they were going to pull a major upset. This isn’t the scary Boston College team of recent years, but Tyrese Rice is one of the best players in the ACC and was single handily beating Duke.

Unfortunately for BC, Duke can’t be beat by just one player. And Duke has the depth to keep throwing players at you. In the end Duke was able to capture the lead and keep it. One player stood out above all the rest for Duke. The continuing success of Kyle Singler has been well documented this season. But this game has to be his best overall performance since the Marquette game, when he put Duke on his back and carried them to victory. Singler finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. When Duke started their run that would put them over the top, Singler was at the lead and played like a season veteran in the victory. Perhaps just as impressive as Singler, DeMarcus Nelson finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. We have come so used to Nelson’s consistency that a game like this is just another day for the Duke captain. He continues to prove that he is deserving of post season awards and accolades.

Quick Thoughts
-Duke forced 21 turnovers and only had 6
-Duke had 16 offensive rebounds, 33 total
-When will Taylor King find consistency?
-Brian Zoubek looked rough in two minutes of play

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kyle Singler
If Singler hasn’t won the ACC freshmen of the year yet, I don’t know what else he has to do. Even with plenty of scouting reports on him, teams can still not figure out how to handle Singler. He is one of the biggest match up problems for teams in the entire country.

Next up: Maryland will be looking for revenge when they take on Duke at Cameron. Last time these teams meet it was Duke with the great come from behind victory to ruin Maryland’s upset bid. You can bet that a determined Maryland team will show up to Cameron on Wednesday night, looking for their 5th win in a row.

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In the last three meetings against their hated rival, Duke came up short. Tonight, Duke used one of the best shooting performances of the season to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind who the best team was. Duke will leave Chapel Hill with more than a two game lead in the ACC. They will return to Durham with even more swagger than they have had all year.

The question will still be put in the minds of people who watched this game. What would have happened if Ty Lawson was in for North Carolina? No question that UNC is a great team with Lawson at the helm. But they will get another shot at Duke in March. For right now Duke is on a serious high, and winning games the way everyone expects them too.

Six players for Duke were in double-figures. Paulus(18) and Scheyer(17) lead the way for Duke. Even with all the foul trouble that Duke had to get past, there core guys, and there is a lot of them, helped keep UNC away at never let them get the lead back after about 11 minutes left in the first. Pretty impressive considering how good UNC is. Periodically throughout the game Duke would go on a run at get up by 10 or 11. But this rivalry wasn’t built on blowouts. Carolina would still fight their way back. With little time left and Duke trying to drain the clock, UNC got a little momentum with a big Danny Green three. But that was the last cheers you heard from the Dean Dome, and Duke played their game and finished off the Tar Heels.

Greg Paulus was absolutely deadly in the first half. Everything he threw up went in. He finished 6-8 from behind the arc, and was the reason that Duke owned the momentum throughout the game. He was an absolute stud tonight, and even his Tar Heel QB brother had to stand up and cheer. While Singler and Scheyer all played big minutes and put up big numbers (Scheyer-17 points, Singler-14 points 10 rebounds), a big hats off to one of the key players in this game…..Lance Thomas was huge tonight for Duke. The numbers won’t jump out at you (10 points, 5 boards), but he was 5-7 from the field and had some huge baskets in the second half that kept Carolina from ever finding rhythm. Like I said, the numbers weren’t amazing, but this was one of his best nights, being that he was so important in this win.

As a Duke fan, everything is better after beating Carolina. No matter how many excuses they might come up with, the entire nation saw Duke beat go to the Dean Dome and take down Carolina. I don’t really care about what the nation thinks about my team, but people definitely look at you different when you are wearing a Duke shirt, and they are winning. And of course this puts Duke two games ahead of Carolina for the ACC, and lets us control our destiny. And this year is huge because the number one seed in the East will be staying in Carolina till the Final Four. WOW, how great is in to talk about the Final Four after last year. Just saying, not being cocky, but damn I love this team.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Greg Paulus, Lance Thomas
Both these players were the two best for the winning team. Paulus was huge in the numbers, and like I said before kept Duke on top throughout the game. Lance looked great in the second half, and really played good defense down low against Hansborough as the game started to get into “closing” time. Great game from both of these players.

I think we should all take tomorrow and savor this win. However, after that it is back to business for Duke.

Next up: Duke will be back at Cameron and host Boston College, for a Saturday game at noon. The most important thing for Duke is not to have a let down after such a big win. The season is far from over, and they need to continue to play at a high level to reclaim the ACC championship.

Photo courtesy of ESPN(Picture Link)

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It is almost time for the regular season match up that ever college basketball fan waits to see. Even if you don’t like the these two storied programs, you know you are going to see one hell of a show.

This is the first time is a while that both teams come in being so highly ranked. Of course their is the “you have to throw the records and rankings out with this one”. I agree, no matter which team is better on paper these games are always a hard fought battle and whoever ends up with just a few more lucky bounces usually pulls it out in the end.

This years version of college basketballs greatest rivalry will take place with Duke ranked #2 and North Carolina ranked #3. You have to go back all the way to Duke’s 200-01 Championship season. The “Blue Bloods” played three times against each other. Those games were played with rankings of 2-4, 2-4, and 3-6. Duke holding the higher ranking in all of those, but losing the first match up at Cameron.

In the 2004-05 season, which was Carolina’s championship year, there were two games played. The rankings were 2-6 and 2-7. North Carolina held the higher rankings, and the teams split the games that year.

All other games played since 2000 has had one team with a top five ranking, and the other on the outside looking in at the top ten.

Which brings us to this year, where both teams are considered championship caliber teams. All eyes will be on Chapel Hill as two of the best programs in the nation will throw down to see who is the king of Tobacco Road. Well, until March that is.

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It had all the makings of a trap game upset. Duke was just two days removed from a tough battle against NC State. The North Carolina game was coming up. However, Duke took care of business and sent the Miami Hurricanes back to tan in the sun.

Duke looked a little rough in the first half, but Miami’s inability to take advantage of a watered down Duke offense, kept Duke ahead by seven at the half. Typical of Duke’s past couple games they came out of the locker room firing, going on another huge second half surge. Miami was never able to recover, and Duke went on to win handily 88-73.

It was the usual suspects that scored big for the Blue Devils. Nelson(21) was the top scorer for Duke once again. Just another day at the office for the Duke captain. Most of those 21 points, Nelson put up in a big second half. He also finished with 4 assists and 0 turnovers. Paulus(16), and Singler(14) were the other double figure scorers for Duke.

Quick Thoughts
-Gerald Henderson was 1-10 from the field and had 4 turnovers. Possibly the worse game of the year for Henderson.
-Duke held Miami’s star player, McClinton, to 5-14 from the field.
-There were 54 fouls called in the game. Either team had a tough time finding a rhythm with all the whistles.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
DeMarcus Nelson
It might be tough for Nelson to get the ACC POTY, what with Hansborough having so much publicity, but DeMarcus is definitely making a hard push. Nelson has been Duke’s most consistently best player. Duke will need a big game from their captain to pull off a tough win in Chapel Hill.

Next up: The game that this team has been waiting for. Duke will take that nine minute drive to Chapel Hill to play their most hated rival. When that game happens it will most likely be Duke #2, UNC #3. The entire nation will be watching the greatest rivalry in college basketball, with once again both teams being two of the most elite teams in the nation. If Duke wins they will not only get braggin rights, but be in the drivers seat for the ACC championship.

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It was the same situation that Duke faced against Maryland in their last game. In an unfamiliar position, Duke was down at the half and forced to play catchup. The result was not only a win, but Duke was so good in the second half that you forgot how bad they looked in the first.

After a quick start to the game, Duke become complacent in their offense. NC State looked like the team they were supposed to be and dominated Duke on the inside and outside. Duke was barely able to keep from getting run out of their own building. But, as a fan I never felt like Duke looked beaten. They looked they wanted to get back into their game, and apparently a twenty minute pep talk in the locker room was all they needed. From the start of the second half till the very end of the game Duke was ripped apart a stunned NC State team. The score in the second half was 55-26.

The reason for the Duke surge was the play of Greg Paulus. He did everything but score for the opposite team. In Greg’s best game of the year, he scored 22 points and had 6 assists. His three pointers at the beginning of the second, were the shot in the arm that Duke needed. After Paulus and his fired up play Cameron and the entire Duke team erupted. There was a simple message sent out from Paulus and Duke tonight. You can not count out any player on this team. Paulus for the first time this year took over a game and almost single-handedly won the game for Duke.

So many games this year Duke needed a great performance from their bench to complete a great team effort. This game was all about the starters. Besides Paulus(22), Henderson(18), Nelson(18), and Singler(19) all finished with huge scoring performances.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Greg Paulus
Paulus has been consistently good, but has never had that one performance that you remember. This game and what he did shows how valuable he truly is to this team. Another great performance by one of the many stars of this team.

Duke shows once again that they never give up. I will say it is enjoyable to watch them be down then come back and totally humiliate a team, but I would like to see a full forty minutes like I saw in the last twenty of this game. Oh well, a wins a win.

Next up: Duke will welcome another ACC foe to Cameron. Miami will be in town for a Saturday afternoon showdown. The game is on ABC @ 2:30.

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