Another Milestone for Coach K...

Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski won his 800th game as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils with an impressive 82-68 win over the 4^th ranked team in the nation, Kansas State. More so, along with Dean Smith (879 - North Carolina), Adolph Rupp (876 - Kentucky), Jim Boeheim (832 - Syracuse), and Jim Phelan (830 - Mount St. Mary's), Coach K becomes just the fifth coach in NCAA history to win 800 or more games with one team. While the win was actually his 873rd overall, making him the fourth winningest coach for Men's Collegiate Basketball, if he were to continue at this pace, Coach K will no doubt move up the “all time win list” over the next two years to become the all time leader in wins for Men's Basketball; surpassing his mentor, “The General”, Bobby Knight (902 wins). GO Coach K! GO Duke!

The Blue Devils: A Lock for Back to Back National Championships?

As I sat and watched Duke’s victory over Michigan State earlier this week, two things became clear; number 1:  this year’s # 1 ranked Duke Blue Devils are for R-E-A-L, and number 2: Kyrie Irving is not only as good as advertised, but like Dick Vitale alluded to during the broadcast, he’s better! Irving led the Blue Devils to a victory notching 31 points, and outplayed Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas the same way he did Jacob Pullen of Kansas State in a prior game.  Every time I see Irving play, I can’t help but think that he is the best guard in the country right now and he’s only played 7 collegiate games. It is the same feeling that I used to get when I  watched Carmello Anthony play for Syracuse during the Orangemen’s National Championship Season. Irving is just a player that seems to be in 3rd gear when everyone else is in neutral. And when you mix in the talented players Kyrie has around him (Singler, the Plumlees, Dawkins, Nolan Smith, Seth Curry), with how disciplined they are, how they don’t turn the ball over much, and how they are excellent from the line making comebacks against them near impossible, I just don’t know how I could pick against them this coming March. As a Duke fan, I realize this post may be a little biased, and I realize that there are a lot of good teams in the country right now, but how can you bet against this Duke team that indeed appears to be locked and loaded to become the first team since Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators to win back to back National Championships.

All I can say is stay tuned, and buckle up! 

KYRIE IRVING NAMED ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

So far so good for Kyrie Irving and the Duke Blue Devils!  After Duke’s 97-60 impressive win over Princeton in the first game of the season, Irving was named as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Co-Rookie of the Week along with N.C State’s C.J Leslie.  Irving, in his debut as a Blue Devil, finished with 17 points, 9 assists, and just one turnover. His nine assists was a school record for a freshman, as was his 9 to 1 turnover ratio for a player having more than 8 assists in a game! In addition, he is only the 4^th true freshman to ever start at the point guard position in a season opener for Duke under Coach K’s helm. The others? Johnny Dawkins, Tommy Amaker, Bobby Hurley, and Jason Williams. Needless to say, Irving is in great company! Go Duke…

Want to Be a Duke Fan?

With the holidays fastly approaching and many a fan gearing up to grace the sidelines of their alma mater for some turkey day football, I thought it might be a good time to devote my blog this week to the fan; The Glorious Fan who doesn't care what anyone thinks.

To be a Duke Fan....ONE MUST ONLY APPLY IF...

THEY ARE...

Devoted:   Doesn't matter where you are or who you are... if you bleed the blue and white you can become a Duke fan

 

 Unquestionably Crazy:  If you are willing to let all your inhibitions go, releasing the "wild one" inside of you...then you can become a Duke fan...

 Kid at Heart:  Anyone can be a Duke fan... Young or old, the Duke fan does not discriminate!

AND LASTLY....

Enthusiastic:  Making a lot of noise during all Duke games is a must!

DUKE WINS IN FINAL TUNE UP of 2010-2011 PRE SEASON

While the Duke Blue Devil’s title defense will not officially start until Sunday, November 14th when they open up at home against Princeton (15-17)at 5pm , they are primed and ready for another National Championship run if their last exhibition contest against Division II National Champion Cal-Poly Pomona on November 4^th is any indication.



Miles Plumlee

An example of what a National Champion Division I team is capable of when faced with good competition.

While Duke led most of the game despite their lackluster shooting of just 2-15 from beyond the arc, Cal-Poly Pomona put up a hard fight, as they trailed by only six points at the half, 39-33. Yet it became the second half of the game that told the story… Would we expect anything less of our Blue Devils? With a newfound adrenaline [can only imagine what Coach K’s halftime speech was like] and a ‘deny them type’ defense, Duke not only was able to force Cal Poly Pomona into 21 turnovers and hold them to just 35 percent shooting from the field, they were able to outscore CPP by twenty four with a 34-10 scoring spree in the first twelve minutes that was key in allowing them to cruise to a 81-60 victory. 

So there you have it; even on nights that Duke does not shoot the ball well, it will be their high pressure, hard-nosed defense that will still be there for them when they need it the most.

All five Duke starters finished in double figures, led by Kyle Singler and Miles Plumlee who had 14 points apiece.  Plumlee’s brother, Mason, added a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, while the backcourt of Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving combined for an impressive 25 points and 9 assists on the night.

Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski on the game;

“Well we played against a very good team tonight. Those kids are very well-coached. They play hard. I guess they could be a national championship team the way they play. That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to play, and why we scheduled the Division II national champion from the year before. So that early on in the season you’re going to be tested by a team that may not be as big as you. They have talent, they are unbelievably well-coached.”

Action Photos of the Duke vs. Cal-Poly Pomona game

With the official start of College Basketball last night, Blue Devil Fans are itching for their season to begin, with the high hopes of cutting down the nets once again this March! Until next time, GO DUKE!

TO BE THE BEST, YOU NEED TO BEAT THE BEST!

Marquette, Michigan State, and Butler, Headline 2010-2011 Non-Conference Schedule

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is one of the most competitive college men’s basketball leagues in the country. In fact, each year the Duke Blue Devils play a conference schedule that is rivaled by few in the nation, as they go head to head [twice] with the likes of the consistently ranked programs of Maryland, North Carolina, Clemson, and Wake Forest.

Yet, Duke’s grueling schedule doesn’t stop with the stout competition of the ACC.  In 2010-2011, their non-conference schedule will be as tough, if not tougher, in testing the Blue Devils mettle on a nightly basis.

In the 10^th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic [November 22^nd and 23^rd, Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO], the Blue Devils will matchup against Buzz Peterson’s Marquette squad. Marquette’s overall toughness and strong defense makes them a tough victory for any team who plays them. When they last met on November 22, 2007 Duke edged out the win 77-73, which allows them to lead the overall series 5-2. The winner of that game will face the winner of Gonzaga/Kansas State game. While Duke leads its overall series against Gonzaga 2-0 with a very lopsided win 76-41 in 2009, they have never faced Kansas State (29-8 ’10) who is picked #3in the AP and USA/ESPN preseason polls. Either way, it looks to me as though Duke will be in for two tough and challenging nights of basketball!

On December 1^st, Duke will play host to one of last year’s NCAA final four participants, the Spartans of Michigan State (28-9 ’10). Coach Tom Izzo’s team is always a tough matchup, as they consistently have a very talented bunch year in and year out. With a preseason #2 ranking in the AP and USA/ESPN polls, Duke will certainly have to be on top of their game during this stretch of competition. My prediction for key matchups for this game are Kalin Lucas [Big Ten preseason player of the year nominee] against Nolan Smith, and Darrell Summers [11.3ppg in 2010] against Kyle Singler.

Finally, without taking a breath, on December 4^th, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., Duke will play Butler University (33-5, ’10) in a game sponsored by CARQUEST Auto Parts. It will be a rematch of last year’s National Championship game.  Although Butler lost Gordon Heywood to the NBA, they do return a very talented group of veterans including Shelvin Mack (12pts) and Matt Howard (11 pts) who will try to avenge their agonizing loss 61-59 to Duke last season. 

FROM THE DUKE BENCH:

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “It should be an exciting game. Butler has outstanding personnel and coaching, and we will have our hands full on December 4."

FROM THE BUTLER BENCH:

Butler head coach Brad Stevens. “Obviously, playing the #1 team in the nation in Duke is very difficult, but I know our guys will be excited for the challenge.”

FACT: Last year’s NCAA Tournament final reeled in for CBS a 14.2 national viewers rating, which was the highest for an NCAA tournament championship since 2005… With Duke leading the all time series 2-0, I suspect this game will have all eyes on it as well!

There you have it… If the Duke Blue Devils are going to hold on to their #1 ranking, they are going to have to defeat some of the nation’s top programs to do it, long before the month of March ever rolls around…

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

1970 Blue Devil

Ever wonder how a school settles on the name for their athletic teams’ mascot?
 
When the officials of Trinity College [now Duke University] reinstituted football after WWI ended, they had NO mascot to initiate school spirit for its sport teams. The Trinity Eleven, the Blue and White, and even the Methodists, were subpar compared to the names of neighboring universities. So, the staff of the Trinity Chronicle began a campaign to solicit some new names for the mascot in order to give them an identity of their very own. Some suggestions were the Blue Titans, the Blue Eagles, the Polar Bears [don’t get this one!], the Blue Devils, the Royal Blazes, and the Blue Warriors; all [except one!] which seemed to fit nicely with the school colors of blue and white. Yet, the administration was hesitant on choosing the student body favorite, “blue devil”, for what they believed were “obvious reasons.”[I wonder if this meant that since the school was religiously founded, it should not have a mascot name be synonymous with a “Devil” of any kind?] Hmmm... Anyhow, as a result, the naming of the mascot was a task left unfinished for the time being!


A few years later, with the school now populated with a student body well versed on the war, the staffs of the newspapers The Archive, the Chanticleer, and the Trinity Chronicle decided it was in the best interest of the university to go with the crowd pleaser the “Blue Devil.” Through constant use of the name in the university’s newspapers, the name eventually stuck, and there you have it… Yours and mine... The Duke Blue Devils…

1995 Blue Devil

Yet, are you, like me, still baffled as to why the university became so enamored by the name Blue Devil? Besides the obvious relationship with the school colors; why a Blue Devil? Who ever heard of a Blue Devil? Not me! After doing a little digging, I found out that the name was the nickname for the Chasseurs Alpins, a group of French soldiers who were known for their patriotism and courage during the trench warfare in the French Alps. So now, since most of the student population at that time had been directly or indirectly involved with the wartime effort, and a group of Blue Devils had recently come to the United States to actually raise money, it almost seemed as though it was a ‘no brainer’. Oh yes, it also didn’t hurt that Irving Berlin, a popular composer of the twenties through the forties, had a song out at the time that personified the spirit of the Blue Devils as “strong and active”!

Today's Blue Devil



FUN FACT: according to Duke University Library Archives, the Duke Blue Devil is a very popular request.

 
For a complete rendition on the history of the Blue Devil please visit the Duke University Library Archives…

Duke vs. Cal-Poly Pomona...November 4, 2010...7 pm...Cameron Indoor Stadium...

DUKE ROUTS ST. AUGUSTINE IN FIRST SCRIMMAGE!

For the collegiate basketball team, a scrimmage can be played for a variety of reasons. For the rebuilding team, a scrimmage can be utilized to evaluate where the team is, and how far they need to go, in the maturation process. For a team of young players, it can initiate them to the fast pace game allowing them to garner some experience before entering a regular season game. However, for a team such as the defending National Champion Duke Blue Devils, a scrimmage is used as a tune up, to evaluate their players, and to sharpen all facets of their game in order to prepare them for when the real season begins.  

Duke’s first scrimmage, which marked the beginning of the 2010-2011 season was played on October 23, 2010 against St. Augustine in Duke University’s Cameron Stadium. With ten of the twelve players on the active breaking into the scoring column, Duke rolled to an impressive 141-68 win.

Senior standout Kyle Singler led all scorers and a balanced Duke attack with 31 points including 6 three pointers. He also added 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Freshman Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry contributed 17 (seven assists) and 15 points (5 assists) respectively, while Mason Plumlee chipped in 13 points and 8 rebounds with 6-6 shooting from the field. Nolan Smith poured in 15 points and dished out a game high 9 assists. Off the bench for Duke, sharp shooter Andre Dawkins connected on 4 three pointers en route to 20 points.

With the game also marking the first opportunity for the Blue Devil fan  to view the team favored to repeat as National Champions against an opponent other than themselves [Duke held their annual inter squad Blue/White game just 8 days prior],  they were not disappointed, as Duke looked as dominant as ever in their first preseason contest.

Duke will face Cal-Poly Pomona on November 4, 2010, 7 pm, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in their final tune up before beginning the regular season.

BLUE DEVILS EXCITED ABOUT FORMER NEW JERSEY GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR KYRIE IRVING’S IMPACT IN 2010-2011.

Year in and year out, the Duke Blue Devils have established themselves as a national power house with one of the country’s best collegiate men’s basketball programs. As is the case in any collegiate sport regardless of the division (I, II, III), a huge part of a team’s success is how well they recruit. Naturally, once you establish yourself as a top program, as Duke has, it becomes easier to sign the best of the best each year. With that said, Duke has done it again with its signing of New Jersey’s Gatorade Player of the Year, Kyrie Irving.

After losing one of the nation’s best guards in Jon Scheyer to graduation, Duke knew that they would need to bring in an elite scorer that could contribute right away. Irving seems to be the guy to do just that. The former St. Patrick’s and Montclair Kimberly Academy star shooting guard comes to Duke having posted some impressive numbers; 24.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, per contest in his senior season. He was also named a 2010 McDonald’s All American, a 1^st Team Parade Magazine All American, as well as a 2000 point scorer in his four year prep school career.

Kyrie has also had the honor of representing our country on the United States U-18 basketball team whereby he led the U.S. contingent to a 5-0 record and a gold medal in the 2010 FIBA Americas U-18 Championship in San Antonio by posting an impressive stat line of 13.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line for the tournament.

Kyrie comes from quite a basketball pedigree. He is the son of Drederick Irving, the former Boston University star who is the second all time leading scorer at BU with 1,931 points. His father went on to play professional in Australia where Kyrie was born and is a dual citizen.  

The Blue Devils are certainly hoping that this impressive basketball resume that Kyrie Irving brings to Duke will translate to another great 4 years of Duke Basketball!

DUKE TOPS PRESEASON NCAA 'TOP 25’ AND ‘ACC’ POLLS!

After the Duke Blue Devils won their 4th championship of the ‘Coach K’ Era in 2009-2010, the Blue Devils did what they do best and that is, RELOAD and prepare to win yet another title.

The Preseason polls seem to be convinced that the 2009-2010 National Champions have done just that. With Duke sitting pretty at number one in both the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the NCAA Top 25 polls, it appears to have everyone thinking that they will have as good a shot as any to repeat in 2010-2011. Duke will be returning key players; senior guard Nolan Smith (10.8-ppg); sophomore guard Andre Dawkins (37.9% three-point range); and of course, senior forward Kyle Singler (15.9-ppg). And although they lost their starting center in Brian Zoubek to graduation, Duke will be returning the Plumlee brothers, Mason (Soph) and Myles (Jr) to pick up the slack inside. As far as filling the shoes of Jon Scheyer (18.2-ppg over 4 yrs and a 2010 Second Team All-American), Duke has brought in some key newcomers with the likes of Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, and Joshua Hairston.

All the pieces seem to be in place in Cameron; time will tell if this will lead to ‘Coach K’ and company hoisting the National Championship trophy once again this coming March!
    

Coach K is an Effective Leader…

 Coach Mike Krzyzewki (Coach K) has the ability to challenge his coaches and his team. He possesses the courage, determination, and creative ideas to ‘think outside the box’. His tireless commitment, enthusiasm, and passion for the game of basketball, enables him to be a leader that can indeed inspire his players with his vision of them  becoming, in every sense of the word, a true team. Yet, what truly sets Coach K apart from other great coaches is his ability to recognize, encourage, and praise, those around him in feeling important, thus instilling in them a sense of pride for the entire Duke basketball family.

Coach K and his Duke Basketball teams’ achievements are extraordinary: 11 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships; 10 Final Four tournament appearances; 4 National Championships...

WE CAN...WE WILL...TOGETHER

“In leadership, there are no words more important than trust. In any organization, trust must be developed among every member of the team if success is going to be achieved.” Coach K