Bleacher Report - Charlotte

Championing Kindness: The Jimmy V Foundation

Alex Ferguson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:48:06 -0500

Aside from Championship Week and March Madness, we'd go as far as saying that this is the biggest season of the basketball season.

You know why? It's Jimmy V week.

For those of you who don't know who Jimmy V is, his name's Jimmy Valvano, and he's a basketball coach.

He died in 1993 of cancer, and he won the NCAA Championships with North Carolina State. But when as he found out he was dying of cancer, he didn't just roll up into a ball and cry: he battled. He talked about fighting the disease.

He started up a foundation—"The V Foundation"—which gives 100 percent of his money to cancer research, just eight weeks before he was enshrined in the Great Floor In The Sky.

We only hope we can find a cure to this horrible disease, which one out of three of us will suffer from at some point in our lives.

I hope that we—and a lot of people—can go by some of his speech at ESPN's awards which read: "I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality."

Amen, brother. Amen. See you in heaven.

Here's the full speech:

And the coaching highlight:

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East Carolina's All-Time Greatest Coaches

Allen Lopp — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:48:56 -0500

East Carolina University is located in the city of Greenville, North Carolina and the football team was founded in 1932 when the university was know as teacher training school. East Carolina plays at Dowdy-Fricklen Staduim and on Bagwell Field, but they didn't always play there from the years 1942 and before they played at College Staduim located on the main stadium. The coaches and administrative support is located in the Ward Sports Medicine Building, which is located adjacent to the stadium. Strength and conditioning for the players occurs in the Murphy Center, which is located in the west end zone of Dowdy-Ficklen. The Pirates scrimmages at adjoining practice facilities named the Cliff Moore Practice Facility. East Carolina's main rivials are NC State, UNC, and Southern Mississippi, some of the other notable rivials are West Virigina and Virigina Tech. Some of the the retired numbers are 29 and 36 which belongs to James Speight and Roger Thrift.

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ACC/Big Ten Challenge: Storylines Heading Into Wednesday Night's Games

Tyler Lambert — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:15:29 -0500

It is a time unlike any other in college basketball. Where each conference views another as an equal counterpart, the ACC certainly has had the Big Ten's number lately. And when I say lately, I mean for 10 straight years.

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge was designed for the purpose of giving each of the conferences a chance to see how they rank up against tougher competition early on in the season. However, this "challenge" has only proved to be difficult for the Big Ten, as the ACC has won this annual event the first 10 years it has been held.

Which then argues, why is this competition is still around?

Yes, the ACC has a perfect 10-0 record in the challenge versus the Big Ten. However, you can not overlook how close several of the competitions were when the event was first founded:

1999: ACC 5, Big Ten 4

2000: ACC 5, Big Ten 4

2001: ACC 5, Big Ten 3

2002: ACC 5, Big Ten 4

2005: ACC 6, Big Ten 5

The Challenge lived up to expectations the first few seasons, but since that time the ACC has crushed any hopes of a victory for the Big Ten. Will this season be any different, or will the ACC continue it's dominance?

Take a look inside at some of the storylines heading into tonight's games.

Penn State Escapes Virginia With a Win

The first game of the 2009-2010 event saw Penn State escape Virginia on the road, 69-66. Tony Bennett's Cavaliers never found their range, and reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, Sylven Landesberg, never found his shooting touch as the Nittany Lions became the first Big Ten team to have a three-game win streak in the challenge.

Led by Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Talor Battle, who averages 20 points a contest, the NIT champions from a year ago held off a late Virginia rally that saw a 10 point lead shrink down to three with only six seconds to go.

Virginia's late three-point attempt at the buzzer was off target, and Penn State was victorious. The win put the Big Ten in good position after the first night with a 1-0 lead overall in the event.

Wildcats Defeat the Wolf Pack, Help Big Ten Take 2-0 Lead

The Northwestern Wildcats lost their best player, Kevin Coble, for the season before it even began. Hampered by a foot injury sustained in a pre-season practice, Coble is out for the season. The foot injury that is said to be minor but will require surgery.

With Coble out, many speculated that the Wildcats' chances of contending for the Big Ten title were lost. Michael "Juice" Thompson and John Shurna, however, are trying their best to get Northwestern national attention and prove that the Wildcats are the real deal, even without their star player.

In their Big Ten/ACC Challenge game versus NC State, Thompson and Shurna did just that, winning on the road for the first time in the event with a 65-53 rout of the Wolf Pack. Tracy Smith scored 23 points and pulled down seven boards for Sidney Lowe and the Wolf Pack, but the tandem of Thompson and Shurna proved to be the difference makers.

The win for Northwestern gave them an all-time record in the challenge to 4-7, while the Wolf Pack dropped to 5-5. The win for the Big Ten gave them a 2-0 lead in the 2009 version of the event, drawing them ever closer to the six wins required to win their first ever Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Wake Forest Puts Up Fight, but Pudue, Big Ten Rack Up Victories

After Wake Forest lost to Williams & Mary at home, the team had to face their coach Dino Gaudio and explain where during the game that the team lost its imposing will, energy, and most importantly its historic values.

Not only would a loss at home against much lesser competition hurt this year's team, but it would hurt the history of the basketball program as a whole. Next up for the Demon Deacons: An ACC/Big Ten matchup at No. 6 Purdue.

As if things couldn't go any worse for the Deacons, an away game at a Top-10 team's arena would do the trick. However, Wake Forest came out looking for revenge against the Boilermakers and took a two-point halftime lead back into the locker room.

Wake Forest looked completely different: They were hustling down the floor, out-rebounding a taller Purdue team, and altogether out-playing the number six team in college basketball. The emotions of the moment took its toll on the Deacons, however, as Player of the Year candidate Robbie Hummel lead the Boilermakers to a 69-58 win.

The win improved Purdue's record in the event to 4-6 all-time, while the loss set Wake Forest back to 8-3. The Big Ten had come out firing on all cylinders, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the challenge that they have never before won.

Hoosiers Show Signs of Improvement, but Maryland Gives ACC First Win

Tom Crean arrived at Indiana with the mind-set to rebuild one of the most historic basketball programs in all of college basketball. With a young and inexperienced group, he had trouble last year at winning and closing out ball games. This year's team, however, is stacked with talent and potential freshman stars.

On the other side of the court, Gary Williams' Maryland team is one of the most experienced teams in the ACC, led by senior point guard and ACC Player of the Year candidate Greivis Vasquez.

After pursuing the possibility of leaving early for the NBA during the offseason, Vasquez decided to return to Maryland with one thing in mind: lead his team to the promised land, a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

That mind-set, along with the strong play on Landon Milbourne, led the Terrapins to a 80-68 win against the Hoosiers, leaving Crean with even more questions about his team's ability and commitment.

The loss dropped Indiana to 3-7 all-time in the event, with Maryland improving to 8-3. The win for Maryland put the ACC back into contention and on the board at 3-1, although the Big Ten still held the lead.

Delaney, Virginia Tech Cut Into Big Ten Lead, 3-2, Knock Off Iowa

The game that had the most question marks and uncertainty surrounding it lived up to its expectation as Virginia Tech took on Iowa in Iowa City. Tech, which has been one of the most talented teams in the ACC in recent years, is now left with voids to fill after several of their key players departed.

One strong player that has returned to Virginia Tech, however, is Malcolm Delaney. Racking up 18 against the Hawkeyes, to go along with a 13-point outburst from Terrell Bell, Virginia Tech defeated host Iowa, 70-64.

The Hokies committed just five turnovers in the game and won its third game on a four game road swing. Victor Davila and Jeff Allen each added 10 points for the Hokies, who are now 2-3 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Ironically, both of the Hokies wins in the event have come against Iowa. The Hawkeyes, however, fell to 2-7 overall in the challenge. The win cut into the Big Ten's lead, making the challenge now 3-2, in favor of the Big Ten.

North Carolina Wins Title Game Rematch Versus MSU, Challenge Tied At 3-3

The Michigan State Spartans have been the lone Big Ten team to have success in the challenge, boasting a 5-4 all-time record in games played in the event before their game versus North Carolina.

The No. 11 Tar Heels took control of the game against the No. 9 Spartans early in a rematch of last year's national championship game, although the Spartans didn't go down without a fight.

UNC ended up walking away victorious, 89-82, a game in which Sophomore Ed Davis scored a career-high 22 points to play a key part in the contest. The same could not have been said for Davis in the national title game last year, as he was a reserve on a very talented Roy Williams' team.

The loss dropped Michigan State to 5-5 overall in the annual event, which leaves the Big Ten with zero teams that have a winning record in its 11 year history. North Carolina, meanwhile, improves its all-time record in the challenge to 6-5.

This left the Big Ten/ACC Challenge tied at 3-3 heading into the final day of the event.

Wednesday Night Games:

Illinois at No. 19 Clemson

Miami at Minnesota

Boston College at Michigan

No. 5 Duke at Wisconsin

Florida State at No. 15 Ohio State

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Carolina Panthers Will Suffer Consequences for Disappointing Season

Austin Penny — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:58:26 -0500

I'll be taking the stairs today, as the elevator is out of order. I'm not sure when it will be fixed and nobody seems to be able to give me a timetable either.

Instead of taking the approach I've taken after (almost) every other Panthers game this season, highlighting the ups and downs of the team's performance, I'm going to take this time and space to start the discussions that will reign over the water coolers, message boards, chat rooms, newspapers, blogs, and conversations from February to August regarding this team and this franchise as a whole.

The time has come for change in Carolina. Actually, the time has been here for a while, but it has taken 12 weeks of the season for it to finally set in all the way that this team will have to experience a makeover unlike any seen before in this franchise's history in order to re-establish itself as an NFC contender.

It is unlikely that we will ever know the full story or the real reasons behind why Mark and Jon Richardson bolted from their front-office positions prior to the season kicking off in Carolina, but it is evident that they knew something we did not.

As it turns out, the exit of the owner's sons was last on a list of disturbing offseason developments that bridged the successful 2008 season (not counting the playoffs) to the nightmarish 2009 campaign.

It all began with the Julius Peppers saga. There is no need for me to get into detail about the ordeal—we all know it far too well. To sum it up, Peppers declared publicly that he had no desire to remain a Carolina Panther and wanted to play elsewhere to reach his "full potential."

The Panthers front office had no intentions of letting Peppers—a free agent—walk, so they slapped the franchise tag on him when they couldn't ink a long-term deal. That tied up roughly $16.7 million of cap space for the Panthers while they played the waiting game for Peppers to sign the franchise tender.

Now, this wouldn't have been as tragic as it turned out to be if the Panthers hadn't experienced the kind of turnover they did following their successful season.

A big reason why the Panthers did so well in 2008 was because they had a number of players on the roster who were backups in Carolina, but could very well start for other teams in the NFL. This became evident when the offseason came around, as much of the depth that aided the Panthers through various injuries and scenarios in 2008 was picked off by other NFL teams.

Suddenly, with the franchising of Peppers, the Panthers found themselves with handcuffs on during the free agency period, unable to improve at several key positions.

Then came the Jake Delhomme extension. Delhomme had just thrown five interceptions and lost a fumble during the Panthers 33-13 debacle of a loss to eventual NFC champions Arizona.

In his postgame news conference, Delhomme was fighting to hold back tears and was visibly shaken from head to toe for the first time in his tenure as a Panther. He looked like a man who had just had his confidence shattered into oblivion.

The Panthers, in an effort to re-establish Delhomme's confidence and assure him of their support while freeing up some cap space, chose to extend Delhomme's contract before he headed into its final year.

If only that were the worst part of the story. An extension was all but imminent for Delhomme, after all, the guy is on a first-name basis with the entire fanbase. The problem came when the front office decided to guarantee Delhomme $20 million.

That's a hell of a lot of cash to be throwing at a 34-year-old quarterback who was coming off of the worst game of his career, a game that was supposed to be the first step towards a possible Super Bowl run.

It pretty much guaranteed Delhomme that he would be the starter in 2009 and likely in 2010. Instead of bringing in somebody like Jeff Garcia, Michael Vick, or anyone for that matter, who could challenge him for the starting job and make him rise to the occasion, the Panthers chose to stand pat behind their shaken field general.

Still, optimism surrounded the Panthers heading into the preseason. The first couple of games were losses, but there wasn't a lot of flare in the offensive play-calling or the defensive packages, almost as if the Panthers didn't want to give too much up during the exhibitions.

It wasn't until the Panthers found themselves winless throughout the entire preseason that some of the once outrageous predictions of a major slump for Carolina in 2009 started to carry some potential truth to them.

And that is exactly what has happened. Delhomme was benched in the third quarter of the first game of the season, but hasn't tasted the pine for performance reasons since. That is the puzzling part to many Panthers fans. Why was Fox so willing to yank Delhomme on opening day but won't do it now when he puts up similar numbers?

It's almost as if Fox and general manager Marty Hurney have put their jobs directly in the hands of Delhomme, who is seemingly letting them down.

It's obvious that some things will change after the end of this painful season, but the final five games will go a long way toward determining just how high the buzz saw will reach. A strong finish against some of the league's better teams might be able to spare Fox his job due to his strong relationship with Jerry Richardson. With the way the Panthers have been playing lately, though, that scenario seems unlikely.

If Fox goes, it's likely that Hurney will also bite the dust. Hurney has been the team's GM since Fox took over for George Seifert following the infamous 1-15 season in 2001. He is one of the top executives in the game according to Forbes.com , but his failed re-signing of Delhomme and the way the Peppers situation unfolded will likely lead to his fall from the team if, in fact, the avalanche starts at the top.

This season has been a rough one for the Panthers players, coaches, and fans alike, and it is drawing to a close. Unlike seasons past where the Panthers have failed to repeat playoff appearances, this time around the results will carry consequences. All we can do for now is weather the last few weeks of the storm and soak up some knowledge about some of the young players we have on our roster.

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Matt Moore's in for Jake Delhomme in Carolina, So Expect Good Things

Zack Nally — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:54:03 -0500

Jake Delhomme is out as QB this week with a hand injury, but this latest ailment is merely a formality for what was inevitably to come. Even without the injury, it's unclear whether or not his shoddy performance in New York was going to allow him to retain the starting position.

Coming in to replace Delhomme as the signal-caller is Matt Moore. The 25-year-old third year QB is getting another chance at the starting spot after finishing out the 2007 season as the first-stringer in place of the struggling David Carr and Vinny Testaverde.

Although undrafted and seemingly overlooked by nearly every scout ranking institution, Moore led a successful career in high school and college, competing with the likes of Matt Leinart and Trent Edwards in the PAC-10.

Moore attended high school at William S. Hart in Newhall, California. He was a two-year letterman on the football field, once as a QB and the other as a DB. He also excelled on the school's baseball team as a third baseman.

Moore proved to be a true athlete as a senior, leading his team to a 13-0 record playing both sides of the ball. He was named first team all-state, first team All-CIF Southern Section team, and FarWest Offensive Player of the Year by SuperPrep.

At the culmination of his senior year, he was a nationally top-rated QB, ranked No. 8 by Scout.com and No. 11 by Rivals.com, a site that also had current Buffalo Bill's QB Trent Edwards as the No. 2 QB entering college.

Moore opted to play football rather than baseball in college and eventually chose to play as a Bruin at UCLA. He was initially redshirted as a freshman, but injuries to the first-team QBs forced him to start in the season opener against Stanford. Moore led his team to a victory over the Cards against the sixth rated pass defense in the PAC-10.

Despite his exemplary performance during his debut, Moore only started four of the eight games he played in as a freshman. He struggled his sophomore year and left UCLA the following year to attend the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California.

Although he hadn't played baseball since high school, the Los Angeles Angels were impressed by the footage they saw and drafted him in the 22nd round of the 2004 MLB draft. Once again, Moore forewent his future in baseball and returned to school in order to play football.

The 2005 season found him at Oregon State University under the tutelage of coach Mike Riley. He flourished in the school's West Coast offense but in week 10, Moore fell to a knee injury.

In the ten games that he did play, Moore finished with 2,711 yards, the ninth highest in OSU history. His 271.1 yards per game finished second only to USC's Matt Leinart.

His senior year at Oregan State was, by far, his most successful. He finished with 3,022 yards, 18 TDs and 7 INTs. His four TDs in the Beaver's victory over Missori in the Sun Bowl set a passing record. His last touchdown came on a 55-yard drive with only 22 seconds left, wrapping up a victory that truly showcased Moore's leadership ability on the field.

As impressive as his final year in college was, experts again overlooked Moore. He went undrafted in the 2007 draft, one that featured JaMarcus Russel, Brady Quinn, and Trent Edwards, all players that have since been considered flops on the professional level.

Moore was eventually picked up by the Dallas Cowboys but despite a solid preformance in the preseason, he was waived and the Carolina Panthers snagged him instead.

He was placed third on the depth chart under the seemingly formidable QB team of Jake Delhomme and David Carr. However, early in the year, Jake was injured for the year, later undergoing Tommy John surgery, forcing Carr to take the role as the starter. In the fifth game of the season, Carr went down with a back injury in the first quarter and Moore was given his first chance to play in an NFL regular season game.

His first completion was a 43-yard strike to Keary Colbert but, once again, he was benched when Carr returned to the game at the end of the first half. Injuries continued to plague Carr so the Panthers looked to veteran Vinny Testaverde to revive their offense.

After successive unimpressive performances by both Carr and Testaverde, Carolina gave Moore another crack at the job in week 15 and he responded with a victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

He ended the season as the starter, finishing with 564 total passing yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs. His performance landed him the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month award for December.

This week, Matt Moore is going to get another chance to show his ability against Tampa Bay, ironically the last team he went up against in 2007. He'll be taking snaps behind a newly-adjusted offensive line but his quick feet and ability to throw "over" the line of scrimmage should allow him to escape the pressure from a slow Bucaneer's d-line.

While Carolina will most likely lean on their dependable rushing attack, minor injuries to both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart should give Moore the chance to exercise his passing attack. Fox will keep him on a tight leash, but I expect he will have success against a struggling Tampa Bay secondary.

Moore will undoubtedly look uncomfortable at first, but if he can overcome his nerves, I believe he will dominate in a game that Carolina needs to win. If he has a consistent performance in this week's game, I don't know how the Panthers can bench him again.

This is the chance he has been waiting for and, quite frankly, it's well-deserved. Moore has been underrated throughout his entire career and this is his opportunity to showcase his athleticism.

He has had three years to develop his technique and improve his decision-making. I'm not convinced he is ready to carry a struggling team on his shoulders, but the options in Carolina are running thin.

The end of his contract is approaching at the end of the year and I think it would be a terrible mistake for Carolina to let him go. The only mentionable QBs slated to become Free Agents next year are Kyle Orton (who is sure to be resigned by Denver), Jason Campbell, Daunte Culpepper, and Chad Pennington, who is expected to retire after undergoing a third shoulder surgery on his throwing arm.

Without a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, it's unclear as to whether or not the Panthers will be able to acquire a rookie QB who will be ready to start in the 2010 season. Moore is not only a viable option, he's the only one we have.

A.J. Feeley is a perennial backup, having played for a slew of teams and impressed none. An inevitable new coach next year may be the catalyst for a house cleaning party, but I hope for Panther fan's sake that Moore returns and as the starter, no less.

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Is North Carolina's Ed Davis NBA Material?

Sam Abrams — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:40:56 -0500

Six months ago, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Ed Davis. Would he ride his stellar performance in the Final Four all the way to the NBA? Or would he come back to Chapel Hill and try to improve on his top 10 draft status?

After he made his decision to stay, Tarheel fans were ecstatic (as they well should be). Davis had all of a sudden vaulted from a solid sixth man to near Tyler Hansbrough-status.

A few games into the season has some Tarheel fans asking "What happened?"

Ed Davis, despite his freakish athleticism and lottery pick projections, hasn't produced early in the season like some expected him to. He's come on as of late, posting three straight double-doubles against the likes of Syracuse, Gardner-Webb, and Nevada. But is this really the guy who turned down millions of dollars to come back for another year?

The answer: Yes. A resounding yes.

Despite his meager output in the first few games of the season, any basketball fan doesn't have to watch more than a few minutes of his game footage to realize that he is just a special player.

Whether he's gliding across the lane to block a shot, or dropping in another hook shot, or soaring to grab another rebound, you can tell he has something special.

It isn't 20-20 stat lines or highlight reel dunks. It's tenacity and hard work, traits which Roy Williams is famous for breeding in his players. Roy never bases his offenses around one player, which explains Davis' humble point totals.

That's the thing about being a product of the North Carolina basketball program. You aren't bred for the NBA. You're bred to become a better basketball player.

In Chapel Hill, the NBA is an afterthought. Like Williams told Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green when they withdrew from the draft: "You're representing the name on the front of the jersey, not the back."

So was it a mistake for Davis to come back if it wasn't simply to improve his draft stock? Not at all.

Case in point: Ty Lawson.

Lawson came back for one more year and put his heart and soul into that team. He represented "NORTH CAROLINA," not "LAWSON." By doing that, he went from a late first round or early second round pick to a lottery pick.

Can't argue with those results.

Davis is going to be a force. He has all the skills, can finish with either hand, block shots, and run the floor. He's everything you would want in a big man. He is a consistent double-double man.

He is NBA-ready. He will make a definite impact for Carolina this year.

Put Davis alongside Deon Thompson, and the North Carolina frontcourt will be a force to reckoned with all season long.

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Are the Charlotte Bobcats a Playoff Team?

Courtzide Seatz — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:20:09 -0500

The city of Charlotte hasn’t had an NBA team worth getting excited about since the departure of the Hornets following the 2000-01 season.

Throughout the first five years of their existence, the Bobcats have been one of the worst franchises in all of sports. They have failed to reach the playoffs in all five seasons and have won no more than 35 games. Frustration has been openly expressed about the some of the franchise’s decisions (exercising Adam Morrison’s option comes to mind), and there has clearly been a lack of confidence in ownership.

Though they have demonstrated consistent improvement, I’m sure the citizens of Charlotte are becoming anxious to once again experience a winning brand of basketball. In a state where basketball is considered king, patience has to be running low.

After starting the season 3-7, the state of affairs in Charlotte seemed to be getting no better and dissatisfaction was clearly mounting among teammates and fans alike. Then ownership made a shrewd deal, bringing in veteran Stephen Jackson and seldom-used Acie Law from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Raja Bell and Vladmir Radmanovich.

Since the arrival of Jackson, the Bobcats have been a vastly improved team and are currently in the midst of a four-game winning streak that includes an impressive victory over the vaunted Cleveland Cavaliers. Through their first 10 games, the Bobcats were averaging 83.3 points. In their last six, since Jackson joined the team, they have bumped up their average to 96.8 points per game on their way to a 4-2 record.

The Bobcats have been stout on the defensive side of the ball all season, holding their opponents under 100 points in all but two games. The Knicks scored 102 in an overtime win and the high-powered Hawks managed to get 103 points.

Now that they have added an additional weapon on offense and continue their intensity on the defensive side of the ball, this team is starting to gain some confidence and momentum.

In a top-heavy Eastern Conference, the Bobcats sit at 7-9, which currently puts them at the seventh seed if the playoffs were to start today. With seven of their next 14 games coming against teams well below the .500 mark, I would not be surprised to see the Bobcats begin gaining some ground on both Milwaukee and Miami, currently in the fifth and sixth spots, respectively.

As it stands now, their only realistic competition for the final two playoff spots are Chicago, Indiana, and Toronto. Washington might eventually start clicking and make a run at one of those spots, but that seems unlikely with the way they have been struggling.

The Cats have a solid core of players to build around in Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, and Raymond Felton. They have some good complimentary pieces in Boris Diaw, Flip Murray, and Nazr Mohammed.

D.J. Augustin has been struggling mightily this season, but his rookie campaign proved that he has the ability to compete at this level. If he can regain his confidence, he should be able to provide some much needed production off of the bench.

Rookie Gerald Henderson could see his minutes increase if Augustin continues to struggle. Henderson has shown flashes of why the Cats drafted him in the first round this year. Fellow rookie Derrick Brown has also been a key contributor off the bench and will continue to be an important factor with the Bobcats' lack of depth at the power forward.

Tyson Chandler has been dealing with some lingering injuries, but once he becomes fully healthy and acclimated to Larry Brown’s offense, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him begin resembling his 2007-08 form.

In a conference that is built for tough, ugly, grind-it-out types of teams, the Bobcats seem perfectly suited to remain a competitive force as the season progresses. The type of play in the Eastern Conference plays right into their strengths as a team and if they can learn how to win more of those close games than they lose, this team definitely has their first playoff berth in their sights.

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ACC Basketball: Duke Tops Power Rankings Heading Into December

Paul Seaver — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:33:54 -0500

The ACC is one of the nation’s tougher conferences each year. Through the first three weeks of the 2009-2010 season, there have been teams who have been off to fast starts, while others may have some issues to resolve.

1. Duke (6-0)

Duke and North Carolina were co-picked as the favorites heading into the season, but Duke has emerged as the front runner in the conference through the early stages.

The Blue Devils cruised through a number of weaker teams to start the year, but passed their test at Madison Square Garden, with wins over Arizona State and Connecticut.

2. North Carolina (6-1)

Sure, there have been speculations that UNC is overrated or that they have many issues with their roster, but I’m not ready to demote the Tar Heels out of the top two in the ACC.

They struggled against Syracuse at MSG and were never able to pull away from Nevada at home, but overall sit at 6-1 through the first seven games, with their only loss to another Top 10 team.

We’ll know more after they host Michigan State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

3. Clemson (6-1)

Not too sure about just how good the Tigers can be this season, but they deserve to remain among the top three simply because of Trevor Booker.

He is an absolute animal down low and the main reason Clemson was able to come back and beat Butler.

Their only loss was to Texas A&M, who may turn out to be quite underrated themselves.

4. Florida State (6-1)

The Seminoles won the Old Spice Classic, which included victories over a feisty Iona team and the likes of Alabama and Marquette.

Their lone loss on the year came at the hands of the Florida Gators, who, by the way, are undefeated and just recently knocked off Michigan State.

Florida State can also play the D, as they are only allowed 53.3 ppg through the front seven games.

5. Georgia Tech (4-1)

It hasn’t a highly convincing start for the team that is expected to make a big leap in the conference, but the Yellow Jackets have been solid enough.

Their only loss came to Top 25 ranked Dayton down in Puerto Rico, but victories over mid-majors Boston University and George Mason are solid.

They’ll get another test against Siena on Dec. 2.

6. Miami (FL) (7-0)

They have the best record in the conference at 7-0, and Miami has benefited from it. They look pretty good, but have not really played anyone.

They won the Charleston Classic with a convincing victory over South Carolina. Minnesota will pay them a visit as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, we’ll see if they’re still undefeated after that.

7. Virginia Tech (4-1)

They lost by 11 to Temple and needed overtime to beat Delaware, but the Hokies should smooth things out in early December.

They have games with Big Ten opponents Iowa and Penn State, as well as, a matchup with Georgia, but Virginia Tech is capable of winning all three.

8. Maryland (4-2)

Maryland could probably be ranked higher than eighth, but after a very disappointing show in Maui, they are looking up at the ACC’s elite.

After being ranked No. 22 going into the tournament, the Terrapins only managed to beat the host Chaminade before losing to both Cincinnati and Wisconsin in a Maui tournament that lacked any of the nation’s top teams.

9. Boston College (4-2)

St. Joseph’s and Northern Iowa both beat BC through their front six games, but the Eagles continue to play without Rakim Sanders.

The Eagles have shown they might have enough offense to replace Tyrese Rice this season, but certainly need Sanders to return to the lineup.

It will be interesting to see what they can do on the road at Michigan as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

10. Wake Forest (4-1)

Wake Forest might end up higher than this because of the Al-Farouq Aminu but as of right now there are a lot of questions surrounding the Demon Deacons.

They haven’t played anyone good yet and are coming off a loss at the hands of William & Mary. They play away from home against the likes of Purdue and Gonzaga next.

11. North Carolina State (5-0)

Sidney Lowe needs to win this season and his Wolfpack have done just that to start the season at 5-0.

Although, they have not been tested yet, NC State did beat Auburn, an SEC opponent. They have Northwestern and Marquette coming up in their next two contests.

12. Virginia (4-3)

They blew out a Rider team who upset Mississippi State, but have suffered three losses already at the hands of South Florida, Stanford, and Penn State.

They opened up the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last night at home, but were unable to defeat the Nittany Lions.

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Devil's Advocate: Duke Is Athletic Enough

Justin McTeer — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:10:17 -0500

Welcome to Devil's Advocate, my weekly Duke Basketball column. Each week, I'll take on a common argument or criticism against Duke used by analysts and/or Duke haters. My opinion might not be correct, but I'm just playing Devil's Advocate.

At halftime during Duke's 64-53 win over Arizona State in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden, ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb described the Blue Devils as "alarmingly unathletic" at several positions.

When asked to comment on Gottlieb's analysis after Duke beat Connecticut for the NIT Season Tip-Off championship, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski took a jab at the former Oklahoma State point guard.

"[Gottlieb] should be an expert on 'alarmingly non-athletic'...an expert who actually knows what it feels like to be 'alarmingly non-athletic,'" said Krzyzewski after the game.

Apparently, Krzyzewski didn't appreciate Gottlieb's comments.

The non-athletic reputation will be something that Duke won't likely shake with Brian Zoubek seeing significant floor time and Jon Scheyer running the point, despite how well he performs (Scheyer has a 10.3/1 assist-to-turnover ratio while averaging 16.8 points per game).

But make no mistake, this is a Duke team that is more athletic than they look.

Guards Nolan Smith and Andre Dawkins are certainly athletes.

Mason Plumlee, currently injured, showed off his athleticism at the McDonald's All-American dunk contest a few months ago.

Miles Plumlee, Duke's starting big man, is 6'10" with a monstrous 36-inch standing vertical—he had to duck mid-air to keep from slamming his head on the rim on a block against Arizona State.

Before anyone gets carried away, let's be clear—no one is saying that Duke is one of the most athletic teams in the nation, or in the ACC for that matter.

But the Blue Devils, despite what anyone says, are athletic enough.

Athletic enough for what?

Well, they are athletic enough to post 45 rebounds, including 18 offensive boards, against an extremely athletic Connecticut team. The Huskies have struggled on the boards this season despite their size and athleticism, but give Duke credit—it's tough to grab nearly 20 offensive rebounds against anyone, let alone against a team with Connecticut's size.

Despite being widely regarded as one of the ACC's less athletic teams, the Blue Devils currently top the conference in rebounds with 44 per game, out-rebounding frontcourt-loaded teams like North Carolina and Florida State who have just as much size, if not more, than the Blue Devils.

Simply put, the Blue Devils can certainly hold their own against any team in the conference, especially once 6'10" Mason Plumlee suits up.

Duke may not be the most athletic team in the ACC, but they are athletic enough.

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Wake Forest Defeats Duke: A Look Back on a Disappointing Season

Scott McGrath — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:13:29 -0500

This season has certainly been a disappointment for the Demon Deacons, but at least Riley Skinner and the Deacs won their final game to end a season, career, and era on a positive note.

Faced with tough losses all year, Wake Forest could not catch a break anywhere. Five of their seven losses were by three points or less. They proved they could compete with anyone (except in a rough 38-3 loss to Clemson), they just couldn't hold on to the lead.

A Quick Week by Week Summary

Wake started shaky in week one against Baylor, and came within one final possession of winning, but just couldn't close it out.

They had solid wins against Stanford, a team who had not hit the national spotlight behind Toby Gerhart yet (and they kept Gerhart in check that game), and against Elon, admittedly not the toughest opponent.

They then suffered a tough loss in overtime to Boston College, where Riley Skinner was hit awkwardly causing a fumble on the three yard line as he was running for the end zone. A touchdown would have won the game as well.

The season looked like it was being turned around, after two nice wins against North Carolina State and Maryland, but then it all went downhill.

The Deacs were stomped by Clemson, losing by 35 points, where both the offense and defense seemed decimated. After this game, the losses just kept on coming, regardless of the circumstances.

In a rematch from their two games against the Midshipmen last season, where the Deacs lost in the regular season, but won the bowl game, once again Wake Forest lost by three points. Trailing the whole game, Wake could not stop the triple option as Navy attempted zero passes that game.

Wake then took on Miami, a game that looked like an automatic loss, given Miami's ranking and success this season. But the Deacons showed their skill, leading by 17 points at one time. But, they could not hold on to the lead, and lost by one point after a Miami touchdown with only a minute to go.

They then faced Georgia Tech, a team ranked higher, and most expected a worse loss. Exactly the opposite happened. The Deacs kept up with the Yellow Jackets the whole time in a tight game, and even led by seven at one point. But, they, again, could not hold on, losing by three in OT.

At this point, Wake needed to defeat both Florida State and Duke to become bowl eligible and it seemed possible given the struggles both teams have had.

However, the Deacs suffered an 11 point loss to the Seminoles, their second worst loss of the season. Yes, that's right. A team that finished with seven losses only had two losses of eleven or more points. The other five were all by three points or less.

Wake's "bowl" game came against the Duke Blue Devils with the final game of the season. The Deacons won the game convincingly by 11 points, but were leading the game from the second quarter.

Riley Skinner had a career day in his last game as a Demon Deacon, finishing with 372 passing yards and five touchdowns. The defense got back to their old ways by scoring off turnovers as Alex Frye had a "pick six" that sealed the 45-34 victory.

The season was certainly a disappointment for the Deacons and their fans. The defense was not as dominant as it had been in the past, showing how truly important players like Stanley Arnoux, Chip Vaughn, Alphonso Smith, and Aaron Curry were to the defense.

The Deacons can only wait for next season, but it will be the first time in four years that the offense is not led by quarterback Riley Skinner. It will be a rough change, but the Deacons will persist with talented backs Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass still around.

Grobe's defensive minded team should improve next year as the young defense will have more experience from this season. The defense was shaky this season, as they had good performances and some pretty terrible showings. They certainly developed as the season went on, but an offseason could be just what this team needs to get better.

For now, Deacon fans can only thank Riley Skinner for the great four years, enjoy this year's bowl season, and hope to get back to the winning ways next season.

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You Can't Replace Chemistry

Sam Abrams — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:36:19 -0500

Through six games and two ranked opponents, there are a few basic story lines that have developed so far.

One, turnovers MUST be cut down.

Two, the freshman need more time to fully adjust to the pace and strength of the college game.

Three, role players from last year need more time to step into the spotlight.

The common thread in all of these problems? Chemistry.

Flashback to the 2008-09 team. Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, and Bobby Frasor had been living and playing together for four years (Marcus Ginyard too, but is left off of this list due to his medical redshirt). Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Deon Thompson had been around for three of those years. Larry Drew and Ed Davis were new, but didn’t carry a significant role except to spell the bigger name players.

Come back to the current day Tar Heels, and Drew and Davis ARE the bigger name players. Although Davis didn’t come out and dominate from the start, he has come on as of late, producing big numbers against Gardner Webb and Ohio State.

Adjusting to that spotlight has been tough on Drew, who is doing a sufficient job of running Roy’s complicated offense, but the flaws are shown in the form of turnovers. A lot of turnovers. Way more turnovers than Roy is happy with.

A game total of more than 20 turnovers was unheard of with last year’s team, who was more accustomed to forcing that many than committing them themselves.

Look at the Valparaiso game. The only reason that Valpo was able to stay in the gym with Carolina is turnovers.

Roy was furious with the amount of turnovers committed. Even Homer Drew, the senior coach of the Valparaiso program, acknowledged that his team was able to hang around because of the Tar Heels carelessness with ball.

It’s a given there will be off nights, but when the conference schedule rolls around, an ACC team cannot afford an off night.

Perhaps more shocking than the turnover story is how uncomfortable the freshman seem to be stepping into the ranks of college basketball. John Henson was more touted than any player of this class, yet seems to struggle on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court. His length has helped him hang on and stay with more talented opponents (Evan Turner of Ohio State, in particular).

The Wear twins show the same level of discomfort on the court. It will be interesting to see how the freshmen react to the tough schedule coming up as the Tar Heels face three teams ranked in the Top 5 in the nation.

Another player who seems to struggle in adjusting to his new role as a scorer is Will Graves. A very capable scorer with a silky smooth shooting stroke, Graves reminds Tar Heel fans of Reyshawn Terry with his ability to slash and create.

The problem? Graves has never had to create before, despite his ability to do so. He has always been the guy that slashers (Lawson, Ellington) have kicked the ball out to. The new role as a scorer is a tough one to adjust to, not just for Graves, but for any player.

Marcus Ginyard has stepped into a new role as a team leader too, and with a passion. Drawing comparisons to David Noel and his role on the 2005-06 team, Ginyard has relished in the opportunity to help the younger members of the team, and has enjoyed the comparisons to Noel, citing Noel as a “true leader.”

Leadership alone though is not enough to create a championship-caliber team. A common thread among past champions is chemistry, something that this team lacks in the early stages of the season.

But who can blame them? Thompson and Ginyard have been playing together the longest of any players on the team (David and Travis Wear excluded), but saw very little time together last year due to Ginyard’s injury. Thompson and Ed Davis played together last season, but their interaction was limited due to Hansbrough’s presence. Throw in six freshman expected to log major minutes, and it’s basically a brand new team.

A team chemistry like that of last year’s team will not be seen in this group, which should go unsaid. But there is still a lot of time for them to pull it together.

Through six games, there have definitely been flashes where they have looked like a team poised to make a deep run into the tournament. The game now is to cut down on the lapses between those flashes.

As their baptism by fire comes up in the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see how our young Tar Heels adjust to a raised level of competition. It didn’t go so well against Syracuse, but that was a culture shock for many of these young players who were previously unaccustomed to playing in hostile environments.

Besides, high school kids and hostile New Yorkers are two very different things.

Right now, Tar Heel fans can only sit back and see what happens. Obviously, there won’t be a complete meltdown after the Syracuse debacle. Roy won’t allow it. His teams are resilient.

And that resiliency may just be enough to push these young players to become much, much better.

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Players To Watch: Atlantic Coast Conference

Scott McGrath — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:50:33 -0500

This is the third volume of the "Players to Watch" segment, featuring players from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The ACC this season has so many promising young and talented players this season that it's extremely difficult to make a short list, but I will do the best I can. If you have a player you feel should get some credit (really, for any of the conferences), feel free to comment and get your voice heard.

But, now, the players to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference:

Joe Trapani—Boston College

Trapani transferred to BC from Vermont two years ago, and saw his first year of action with the Eagles last season. He had a stellar shooting season and was the perfect scoring complement to Tyrese Rice. With Rice graduated, BC is reeling on the offensive end, and will rely on Trapani to pick up the slack.

Trapani still has a lot of room for improvement, but his scoring this season is already up from last season, as well as his rebounding. He has yet to really have a break out game, but has put up more than 20 points on two occasions this season.

If the BC Eagles hope to have any success this season, Trapani will lead them to that success with his scoring and rebounding, as they will certainly feel the ill effects of being without versatile scorer Tyrese Rice.

Nolan Smith—Duke

Smith certainly had a successful season last year, but with the transfer of Elliot Williams and departure of Gerald Henderson and Greg Paulus, he will be relied on heavily at the guard position. He certainly has responded so far this season, as he leads all Blue Devils in scoring even Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer.

Smith has scored 20 or more points twice in just four games, and has been the "marathon man" for Duke so far, playing 40 minutes against Arizona State and against UConn.

Smith is critically important to Duke, as he can take a lot of the pressure off of Singler and Scheyer to score. He also has the team's best free throw percentage (which seems odd given how much Scheyer is praised for his free throws), making him a valuable asset at the end of games.

Deon Thompson—North Carolina

Thompson had a decent season last season, but he was not necessarily needed to be great much of the time. Overshadowed by Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, and Wayne Ellington, Thompson was not as crucial to their offense as he is this year, but still added 10 points per game.

This year, with those four players gone, Thompson is being relied on as the offensive cornerstone for the Tar Heels and he has certainly risen to the challenge. Thompson has almost doubled his scoring from last season, has already scored 20 or more points three times this season, and has had two double doubles (including one against Ohio State).

UNC has a fairly young squad this season, and one could even call this year a rebuilding year (but a rebuilding year for UNC still carries extremely high expectations with it).

Thompson and Marcus Ginyard are clearly the leaders of this team, and Thompson will be forced to step up as the leader of the team.

Al-Farouq Aminu—Wake Forest

Aminu had a stellar freshman season, but his game was held steady by the prolific scoring of sophomores Jeff Teague and James Johnson, both of whom declared for the NBA Draft at the end of the season.

Without Teague and Johnson around, the Deacons have a significant offensive gap that needs to be closed up, and with that space, Aminu's game has blossomed in his sophomore season. He is averaging more than 20 points per game through four games, and has only scored less than 20 in one game against Winston-Salem State where he was in foul trouble for much of the contest.

Aminu has also been a hound on the glass, averaging nine rebounds per game, and doing much of it on the offensive end as well. Stunningly, this season Aminu has 20 defensive rebounds and 16 offensive rebounds.

Aminu is the young leader of a rather experienced Demon Deacon team (the first one in a few years), who will be starting or at least giving significant minutes to four seniors. Given his inexperience, Aminu will certainly have some bumps in the road this season, but expect some surprising numbers from the "super sophomore."

This article is featured on www.thebracketbusters.com

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Duke Can't Avoid Another Disappointing Loss On Senior Day

Mike Kline — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:25:23 -0500

It wasn't meant to be for Thad Lewis and the rest of his senior cohorts.

The Duke quarterback who has started all but two games since arriving in Durham four years ago just wasn't able to put the Blue Devils on his back one last time.

So for the likes of Lewis, Leon Wright, Vincent Rey, and Vince Oghobaase as well as others, they end their careers with another losing season and no bowl appearances.

But to their credit they helped lead the Blue Devils to their best season since 1994.

In the end though this Duke team was plagued by the same things all year—namely no running game, and the inability to come up with big stops on the defensive side off the ball.

Saturday's loss to Wake Forest was no different as Riley Skinner picked apart Duke from the beginning to the end. Duke's secondary was burnt with regularity and Lewis didn't appear to be clicking after the first quarter.

After another good start Duke could do little to get back into the game after falling behind 15 points late in the third quarter. It was unfortunate to see the season that at one point showed so much promise comes to yet another disappointing end, especially for this senior class.

A group that came into a program and was arguably the worst in the country was able to finish with some since of respectability.

There are some signs that Duke is making progress toward becoming at the very least a middle of the road program.

In the next few days I will write a preview of the things to come for the Duke Football program, but for now the Blue Devils have to deal with not only another loss, but the loss of some of its best players to graduation.

How the remaining group of players grow and improve will ultimately determine the future for the program that at least for a one season no longer was a team anyone could overlook.

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"Crazies" For Our Team: Duke Tops List of Fan Bases in North Carolina

Tyler Lambert — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:57:22 -0500

Basketball, Football, Baseball and Men’s and Women’s Soccer are just a few of the sports that any university in the country would take great pride. With each of these sports, however, come rivals that show up again and again on the yearly sport schedules. The rivalry of Tobacco Road, which consists of the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels, is one of the most noted throughout the country.

Year in and year out, the Blue Devils and Tar Heels face off in every imaginable sport known to man.

The battle on the hardwood, the struggle between Hall-of-Fame coaches Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Roy Williams of North Carolina, is one of the most note-worthy matchups in the country throughout the year.

But I’m not here to discuss this epic battle due to take place later on in the year. I’m not even here to discuss the universities as a whole. No, I’m here to discuss the fans of both the Blue Devils and Tar Heels. I might even throw in the fans of the Wolf Pack at NC State as well.

Located in the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, the three universities are separated by less than 30 minutes round-trip. This makes for great rivalries, short away games, and a large fan base throughout the great state of North Carolina.

Let’s start off with the Wolf Pack of NC State.

Found in the center of Raleigh, North Carolina, is North Carolina State University. Home to the beloved Wolf Pack, NC State is home to one of the largest, if not largest, fan bases in the entire state. What makes NC State such a desirable team to root for?

NC State is noted for their hustle and rough play.

On the football field, the Wolf Pack are guaranteed to put up a fight and challenge the ball handlers of the opposing team by hustling up and down the turf. That hustle may not always translate into wins, but it does guarantee a fan base full of proud supporters who will cheer on the Pack even through difficult times.

Hustle and tenacity can also describe the NC State Basketball Program.

On the hardwood, the Pack has struggled through the years. Having difficulty finding their way once ACC play begins has played a large part in their downfall, although injuries and players departing early for the NBA can also contribute to their inability to win.

The Pack, led by coach Sidney Lowe, are an always dangerous team to upset some of the heavy-weights in the ACC, although even winning against lesser competition is now coming at a premium.

Athletics at NC State are now dramatically on a rise. With younger, more talented recruits finding their way to Raleigh, the teams are now beginning to find success off and on the court. Winning may not always come easy, but one thing is for sure: NC State will always supply one of the largest and loudest fan bases in the country.

Fan Base Grade: B+

When hasn’t the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill be considered one of the top athletic universities in the country? Throughout the years, UNC has been a trademark of consistency and winning. The fan base of the Tar Heels has also been consistent as well, showing up to every athletic competition in massive groups.

The football program, led by coach Butch Davis, has slowly taken off in the past few seasons. Led by NFL-talent galore and an upstart coach, the Tar Heels have excelled in every aspect of the game since Davis arrived in Chapel Hill.

They have also owned the in-state rivals as well. Although NC State provided a bump in the road last season when they went into Chapel Hill and upset the Tar Heels, 41-10, UNC has been the most consistent football team in the Triangle area over the last five years.

When it comes to the basketball program, however, there is no need in comparing the Tar Heels to the Wolf Pack. UNC has one of the most historic and successful programs in the country, and that success has kept rolling the past few seasons under coach Williams.

When Williams arrived in Chapel Hill after leaving Kansas, many Tar Heel fans were prepared to see where he would lead the program. Needless to say, after winning the 2005 and 2009 NCAA Championships at UNC, Tar Heel fans have their answer.

The fan base showed up to the Final Four and Championship games along the way, giving UNC the home-court feeling it needed to advance and conquer. Although the fans of UNC may sometimes seem to brag about their success, they have reason to as UNC is one of the top athletic universities in the entire country.

Fan Base Grade: A-

Duke University, nestled in historic Durham, is home to one of the most successful athletic programs in the history of the NCAA. The fans have consistently followed the Blue Devils around the country, whether that be for Final Four basketball games or long road trips.

Is there an any more active and loyal fan base in the country?

Rebuilding. That is the word that describes the Duke Football program under second-year head coach David Cutcliffe. After arriving in Durham two years ago, Cutcliffe promised the Blue Devil fans that he would turn the once lowly Duke football team into a well-respected program once again.

That promise was met the first year as the Blue Devils finished the 2008 season at 4-8. The previous two years under former coach Ted Roof, Duke racked up a combined 1-23 record in rout to becoming one of the biggest laughing stocks in all of college football.

This season, expectations grew larger as Duke has a current record of 5-6 heading into their final game of the season versus Wake Forest. Although the Blue Devils will not be bowl-eligible this season, they have a chance to finish the season above .500 for the first time since 1994.

When it comes to the Duke Basketball program, history is on the side as coach Krzyzewski has shaped Duke into a national powerhouse. Playing their home games in the historic Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils are always primed to be one of the top teams in the country and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

The fan turn-out at basketball games is unlike any other. The student section, known as the “Cameron Crazies”, is one of the most well-known fan bases in college basketball today. Whether it be providing the Blue Devils a spark or distracting the opposing teams’ top player, the “Crazies” are guaranteed to play a major part in any home contest.

Coach Krzyzewski, or Coach K, challenges the Duke fan base to come out to games and provide energy for his team. Coach Cutcliffe challenges the Duke fan base to buy tickets to football games and watch the Blue Devils develop into a respected program. The Duke fans have lived up to the billing, and have excelled any expectation that the coaches could ever have imagined.

Fan Base Grade: A+

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Duke Fans Should Temper Celebration After Big Win Over UConn

Mike Kline — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:54:09 -0500

Another early season tournament victory for Duke, and another victory over a big-time opponent are in the books.

But we've all seen that before.

Duke isn't new to winning preseason tournaments, and they are familiar enough with beating the big dogs, or Huskies in this case, early on in a season. So Friday night's win over UConn would be best dealt with in a tempered manner by all.

It is a big victory, as big as any over a program the caliber of UConn, but if the Blue Devils are hoping to forget about their recent history of late season collapses, or early exits from the NCAA tournament it starts now.

In seasons past some Duke fans have gotten inflated expectations based on early season performances just to see their hopes come crashing down.

That isn't to say that this year's Blue Devils will follow that trend, but it may behoove them to keep their expectations in check.

It may be that mentality that has kept Duke from being ranked higher so far this season despite playing as well at times as any team above them in the polls.

This is a much different Duke team after all, and right now no one really can say what to expect out of this group of Blue Devils.

In the last two games alone, Duke has looked outmatched by a methodical matchup zone scheme of Arizona State and at times dominated a clearly more athletic UConn team.

In both games arguably the best player on the team, Kyle Singler, was virtually nonexistent at least on the offensive end.

Yet the poor big, slow, goofy, guys from Duke still managed to win the game.

And while the first inclination for Blue Devils fans might be to gloat, I would suggest a more subdued approach. Wait and see how the rest of the year pans out first. Savor each victory.

It is still early in the season and who knows what will happen so there is no need to get too excited.

That being said, I'm sure it was still a good feeling getting a big time win even if it is early.

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NIT Season Tip-Off: Duke's Defeat of UConn Proves Devils Are Back on Top

Tyler Lambert — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:04:41 -0500

After the final buzzer sounded at Madison Square Garden, the Blue Devils had won a hard-fought 68-59 game against the UConn Huskies and had reclaimed the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship.

Duke was back on top.

Back on top of another preseason tournament, back on top at Madison Square Garden where the Devils have been so tough to defeat, and back on top of the college basketball landscape.

The Blue Devils, who improved to 6-0 after their win over the Huskies, started the season off with four straight blowout wins. UNC-Greensboro, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, and Radford had all fallen to the high-flying Devils at the start of the season.

On their arrival to MSG in New York City, Duke was heavily favored in their semifinal game versus Arizona State. Struggling throughout the first half and to close out the match, Duke was greatly tested by the Sun Devils who were led by former NC State coach Herb Sendek.

Duke won that game by 11 points, although the Sun Devils played efficient against a much larger and more talented Blue Devils team.

The UConn Huskies, on the other hand, could not have had a more different start to the season.

The 13th-ranked Huskies opened the season with tight contests against Williams & Mary, Colgate, and Hofstra, winning the three games against much lesser competition by an average of 10.7 points.

Their semifinal of the NIT Season Tip-off could also not have been any more opposite of Duke either, as UConn destroyed an undersized and out-manned LSU squad, 81-55. Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson each played at a high intensity for coach Jim Calhoun.

Going into their Championship matchup, UConn was the favorite amongst most of the sportswriters and fans in the country. UConn would be too athletic for Duke to handle, too physical down low, and would outwork the Blue Devils on the boards.

Well, the Duke Blue Devils proved everyone wrong.

Duke out-hustled, out-rebounded, and out-shot a UConn team that was supposed to give the Blue Devils fits. UConn would alter too many interior shots for Duke to have any chance of winning the game, many said.

Led by senior point guard Jon Scheyer and junior shooting guard Nolan Smith, Duke consistently outworked UConn, collecting more rebounds and possessing more energy than the Huskies.

On more than one occasion, a Duke player willingly gave up his body in order to jump into the crowd and save the possession on offense or defense. On more than one occasion, a UConn player was left standing, not supplying his team with that same kind of energy.

Another key stat that was eye-popping was the fact that UConn didn’t make one three-pointer the entire game.

Was it the fact that Duke played great perimeter defense, or did UConn just have a horrible night at shooting from behind the arc? That answer is yet to be seen, although the Huskies entered the game shooting 38% from three-point territory on the season.

Duke is now back on top in terms of success. Not only was the win against UConn their 22nd consecutive win in November, but it also marks one of the few times in the past few seasons at Duke that the Blue Devils have defeated a quality opponent in an NCAA-type atmosphere.

This win should propel Duke into greater expectations for the season. The Devils will now be looked upon as a very dangerous team in the country and will be overlooked by few.

This win should prove to the rest of the country that Duke can beat anyone, whether that be a physical team like the Huskies or a team that throws out a different type of offense like that of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The win against UConn on one of the grandest stages in the world, Madison Square Garden, means that Duke is back on top.

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