Bleacher Report - Raleigh

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.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

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.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

All-Time Carolina Hurricanes Roster: The Best of the Canes

Mark Jones — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:37:50 -0500

After 12 years of existance in North Carolina after the transfer from Hartford, Connecticut, the Hurricanes have seen it all. Superstars to draft pick surprises, trade jewels to trade busts, the Carolina Hurricanes have been filled with talented players and memorable moments. They've won Stanley Cups, Eastern Conference finals, and many division titles. They've sparked fantastic comebacks, but given up big leads, too. They've scored last-second goals, but also fallen in the closing minute. They've had winning runs and losing streaks. But that's happen to a lot of NHL teams. So what makes the 'Canes special? The players, of course. In this slideshow, I will go back through the years (1997 until today) and find the players that gave the most to the franchise; the scoring leaders, tough hitters, and goaltenders. It's time to declare the All-Time Roster (12 forwards, 6 defense, 2 goaltender) for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Begin Slideshow

"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+

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

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.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

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.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

On Fire: UNC Defense Ready For Rivalry Game With NC State

John Thomas — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:53:56 -0500

41-10.

The significance? This was last year's score between North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina.

It left a bitter taste in the mouth of the hometown Carolina fans.

In that game, the Tar Heels turned the ball over six times to the Wolfpack's zero turnovers. NC State quarterback Russell Wilson picked apart the usually stout UNC secondary for 279 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

However, this is a new year for the 8-3 Tar Heels. They come into the game with the nation's 5th-ranked defense. Not only is their defense excellent, they are also on fire, having forced 10 turnovers combined in games against Miami and Boston College. four of those turnovers were returned for touchdowns.

North Carolina State comes into the rivalry game against the Heels 4-7, with two wins coming over FCS opponents Gardner-Webb and Murray State. The Wolfpack still have Russell Wilson though, possibly the best quarterback in the ACC. This year, Wilson has thrown for 2,768 yards and 27 touchdowns.

However, the turnover bug has bitten the Wolfpack. Since they opened ACC play against Wake Forest in Week 5, they have turned the ball over 22 times, 4th most among FBS teams. The Tar Heels have forced 28 turnovers this year, t-9th in the FBS.

Advantage Tar Heels.

Even though Carolina's offense ranks 112th in total yards, they have been able to win games. Why? Their defense scores for them. I look for the Tar Heels to force some turnovers, get a short field, and score some points.

In the end, yards don't matter, but points do. NC State will turn the ball over at least three times and that will be enough for Carolina to get the redemption they have been longing for since these two teams matched up last year.

Final score: UNC 27, NCST 10

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

NFL's Woebegon Kickers: Houston, Carolina Originals No Longer Making The Cut

Zack Nally — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:03:40 -0500

John Kasay and Kris Brown, the last original members of their respective franchises, are having their worst years to date.

A kicker can be the life or death of a team, sending their projectiles towards the yellow bars for last-minute victories or heart-wrenching defeats. These gentleman have felt their share of ups and downs, some more important than others.

The Texans' Kris Brown has felt his woes of late, missing a game-winner against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts last week and doing the same on Monday against the Tennesse Titans.

John Kasay's great moment of shame is unforgettable for Carolina Panthers fans back in 2003. It was late in the fourth quarter in, arguably, one of the greatest Super Bowls ever. The Panthers were trying to add an exclamation point to a season primarily made up of games won by three points or less.

Delhomme and the boys had fought the odds and driven down the field against a stellar Patriots defense and were ready to make the stop to seal the deal. All that was needed was a decent kickoff by Kasay to put the Patriots in containable field position.

Instead, Kasay kicked the ball out of bounds, giving Tom Brady and his electric offense the ball at their 40 yard line.

That was all the leverage they needed and they took full advantage, allowing Adam Vinatieri the chance to vault the game-winning field goal as the clock ticked out its final seconds.

Every Panthers fan's heart broke that night. While the blame rests on the entire team, it's hard to ignore the last-minute mistake that cost us our ring.

All has been forgiven since then, for the most part. Kasay has since earned the reputation of being one of the most accurate kickers in the league even though his career make percentage sits four points behind the league average at 53 percent.

Brown has also enjoyed a career of great kicks with an overall make percentage of 60 percent. He kicked 25-plus field goals in the 2007 and 2008 season, finishing both years with a field goal percentage over 85 percent.

However glorifying their careers have been thus far, both kickers are having their least accurate year ever. Kasay is squeezing what he can out of the tube with eleven three-pointers and a field goal percentage of 73.3.

Brown is feeling his pain with an equal eleven field goals and a rating of 64.7 percent. To be fair, though, the 60 points he's contributed is 26 percent of his team's total points while Kasay's 53 is 23 percent of Carolina's total.

Kasay hasn't made a field goal over 50 yards this year but the Carolina coaching staff has put him in that situation on three seperate occasions. Kasay's lack of power isn't a news update, though. The Panthers picked up Rhys Lloyd to give a power boost to kickoffs but they haven't yet utilized him in the field goal package.

On the flip side, Kris Brown is perfect beyond the fifty-yard line but seems to struggle more when he is under pressure rather than from a specific spot on the field.

I don't think either franchise is ready to part ways with their original members. Kasay recently signed a contract extension that has him in Carolina until 2012 and Brown has also recently extended his own contract until 2013.

That being said, there are still holes that need to be filled. The first step is for the coaching staff to assess the strenghts and weaknesses of their players and adjust the situations they put them in accordingly.

The responsibility rests on the players themselves to take charge of their position, though, and I believe that both players have the sufficient skills and heart needed to do just that.

Brown has a chance to redeem himself this week when the Texans face off against the Colts again. Houston has struggled to punch it in when they get in the red zone so he will have his opportunities, let's just see if he capitalizes.

Kasay also has a chance to look good this week as the Panthers face off against the Jets in New York. Not only does Kasay do exceptionally well in other teams' stadiums, he has only missed one field goal in all of his career games against New York.

As a Panthers fan myself, I just hope the trend continues.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

UConn-Duke: A Matchup Worth Watching

Daniel Dinunzio — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:25:26 -0500

Tonight the Connecticut Huskies will take on the Duke Blue Devils in the final of the NIT Season Tip-Off championship game at Madison Square Garden. It will feature the first matchup in history of two coaches who both have 800 wins to their names.

There is no doubt Jim Calhoun and Mike Krzyzewski are two of the best coaches of all-time. Calhoun, who has two national titles, and Krzyzewski, who has three, are the only active coaches, alongside Florida's Billy Donovan, who have multiple national championships at their respective schools.

The Huskies started out the season sluggish, to say the least. The intensity and drive wasn't present for a full 40 minutes. They would go through spurts of offensive inefficiency and lackluster rebounding.

Their first three games versus William and Mary, Cornell, and Hofstra were far from stellar. It drew Calhoun's criticism, and his players responded Wednesday in the Garden.

That was LSU, and this is Duke. A totally different scene, and although UConn has won the last four matchups against Duke, they have not met since the National Semifinal in 2004.

UConn is going to have to be active in defending the perimeter. Duke loves to shoot the ball from the outside, and it is something they do extremely well. Freshman Andre Dawkins has made 14 threes this season off the bench.

Guard Jon Scheyer has made 12 three-pointers early on this season. His senior leadership is going to be needed for Duke to be victorious in this early season battle.

The two players on whom UConn is going to have to play lockdown defense are Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. Both juniors, these two have the experience and athleticism to take control of a close game. How UConn handles these two players could play a factor in the outcome.

What UConn must do to win this game is rebound. Early season struggles were how UConn played on the boards. Alex Oriakhi is going to have to remain playing strong down low. He is averaging 10.5 rebounds this season. The battle on the boards will be won only if Oriakhi can remain aggressive.

Also down low, Gavin Edwards is coming off one of his strongest games at UConn. Wednesday night he played a team-high 35 minutes, scored 15 points, and grabbed nine rebounds. He must play to another level against Miles Plumlee and Brian Zoubek.

UConn's biggest weapons are the players that have been in these big game situations. Stanley Robinson has continued to be a force on the glass, and in the lane. His leadership is imperative to how the Huskies play game after game.

The battle with the guards could be the difference maker. UConn will have Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson to lead the way for the Huskies.

Walker could be one of the quickest players from coast to coast in America. His speed is an asset in transition and on defense. He is from the Bronx, and always has an extra spark when he is playing in the Big Apple.

Jerome Dyson is back and better than ever. He has the skills to go off at any point during a game. He is leading the team in scoring with 20 points per game; look for him to make huge contributions as the season moves on.

Just remember that the Huskies are playing without a key player in Ater Majok, who is ineligible until Dec. 22. Once UConn gets him back, that will solidify the rotation as he is highly considered to be a playmaker.

This will certainly be a stiff test for the Huskies. Even though it is early, this should give an indication of what competition the Huskies and Blue Devils both face down the road.

There is nothing like a Big East versus ACC battle for bragging rights. This is one game you don't want to miss.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

What Did Duke Teach Us in Win Over Arizona State?

Mike Kline — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:23:11 -0500

The nation learned a lot about this year's version of the 2009-10 Duke men's basketball team on Wednesday night.

And for the most part it isn't a good thing if you are a Blue Devil fan.

Duke avoided an early exit from the NIT Tipoff Classic by defeating Arizona State 64-53. The win can only be described as ugly and if nothing else it revealed more about the Blue Devils whose previous four games were all blow out wins over inferior talent.

So what did we learn?

Duke is not very quick

Not sure this should come as much of a surprise but it bears repeating as ASU for most of the game showed its superior quickness in getting to lose balls, rebounds, and to the basket.

Unlike the experts like ESPN's Doug Gottlieb who pronounced Duke as an unathletic team, it is more that Duke lacks the vertical quickness and overall speed that some other schools possess in greater abundance.

Lack of quickness and speed in no way means Duke is unathletic as Gottlieb and others proclaimed, but it is a significant weakness and it showed against the Sun Devils.

Duke has plenty of good basketball players who are athletic in their own right but they won't be winning any foot races anytime soon. And in a close game or with the right mismatches it can be a fatal flaw for the Blue Devils.

Jon Scheyer is mortal

Scheyer had played nearly 140 minutes before Wednesday night's game without a turnover. He had two against ASU.

Still Scheyer was one of the main reasons that Duke won the game with his steady play even when Duke faced its largest deficit of the year.

He may not possess those typical point guard qualities, but he has held in own while running the offense for the Blue Devils.

More Zone Please

Mike Krzyzewski is a proud man who has built his best teams on the backs of intense man-to-man defense.

The problem is this year’s Blue Devils aren't really capable of playing the type of man-to-man defense they have in years past.

Arizona State really exploited that fact Wednesday and had little trouble taking the slower Duke defenders off the dribble and creating lay ups, fouls, or scoring opportunities for teammates.

It was especially painful to watch 7 foot 1 inch Brian Zoubek attempting to come out, as he is suppose to help defensively on high screens based on Duke's man defense.

The problem is it created more mismatches and fouls than it did help for the Blue Devils defense.

Yet Krzyzewski only showed the zone one time down court in the second half.

Why?

Better, faster teams than the Sun Devils will exploit Duke's lack of vertical quickness in the man defensive scheme.

The solution would be to play more zone and force those teams to out shoot you. And while there has been talk of seeing more zone this season we all saw on Wednesday, Krzyzewski still wants to live and die with man-to-man.

It may be fine against some teams but against the likes of Connecticut who plays Duke in the NIT Championship game Friday, it could get real ugly real quick.

But who am I to question a coaching legend?

Duke can win without Kyle Singler but...

The results are guaranteed to be ugly.

Singler was clearly off Wednesday and never seemed comfortable. This could have been attributed to several causes but only he knows what the problem was.

The positive Duke can take from this game is that they can win without their do-it-all star. He did hit some big shots at key moments, but his overall game seemed forced and that led to many uncharacteristic mistakes by the preseason All-American.

All in all a win is a win and Duke will certainly take it. However, the win was a wakeup call for the Blue Devil players and the fans.

There has been a lot of talk about how good this Duke team is. But the fact remains that until they beat a team like Connecticut on Friday this team they still are unproven

So far the Blue Devils have only four convincing wins over mediocre opponents and one over a team predicted to finish in the middle of the road in a weak Pac 10 Conference.

It may be best to quell all of those talks of final fours and deep tournament runs until Duke can prove it can win a game against a team equally as good and who has superior speed.

They will get their chance very soon.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

Despite No Bowl, Duke Football Has Plenty to Celebrate

Mike Kline — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:17:08 -0500

The Duke Blue Devils won't be playing in a bowl game this season, so what is new, right?

Actually, there would be a lot that is new about this program going forward. Win or lose in their final game, the groundwork has been and is being set for a sustainable winning program.

Coach David Cutcliffe now has the framework for a program that will compete for future bowls.

In his second year Cutcliffe has shown he can take lesser talent and make it competitive, and in the very near future there will be less of a talent gap. Duke has been making strides in recruiting, and it is only a matter of time before it starts to show on the field.

Despite the amount of talent that is leaving following the graduation of this year's senior class, Duke will return a lot of experience and should once again be competing for a bowl next season.

Even without getting to a bowl, seniors like Thad Lewis, Vince Oghabasse, and Vincent Rey certainly will leave a positive legacy. These three, along with others, have seen the end to many a losing streak.

Lewis at times carried the Blue Devils on his back, and despite losing his best target from last year in Eron Riley, he made this year's corps group of receivers very good.

If only Lewis would have had a running game to fall back on, this Duke team could have made that final push.

But there is no use in worrying about the past. The only thing that matters now is the future for the Blue Devils.

When Duke takes the field against Wake Forest on Saturday, the seniors will have the opportunity to do something a Duke team hasn't done in 15 years—end the season without a losing record.

If the Blue Devils finish 6-6, 4-4, they will gladly take that .500 winning percentage into the offseason and work as hard as hell to improve on it.

I wouldn't expect anything less from Cutcliffe and his staff.

For anyone who thinks Cutcliffe has done all he can at Duke and will seek greener pastures elsewhere, think again.

Cutcliffe has proven he can take a doormat and turn it into a respectable team. Now it will be his challenge to turn a respectable team into a serious contender for a conference championship.

Laugh, but bet against him if you dare.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

Colorado-Nebraska: T.I.P.S. for Taking out the “Bugeaters”

Stuart Whitehair — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:34:09 -0500

Colorado has split the last eight games with Nebraska, one of the best runs by the Buffs in the history of the series (18-47-2). Still, the Cornhuskers have won three of the past four, and are coming to Boulder already having punched their ticket to the Big 12 championship game against Texas.

Arguably, Nebraska has nothing to play for Friday, except a ninth win (and a better bowl bid if the Cornhuskers do not earn the automatic BCS bid with an upset of the Longhorns). Still, the Cornhuskers will be looking to cement their status as the “Kings of the Big 12 North”, a title ceded to them by perhaps the weakest division in the BCS.

"Dominant" Nebraska is, in fact, 10 years removed from their 1999 Big 12 championship, and most Cornhusker fans are painfully aware that the program has not gone a calendar decade without a title since the 1950s.

The 2009 Cornhuskers have been far from over-powering, with an offense that has been mediocre for much of the season. Nebraska has utilized a suffocating defense to win its games, and will be looking to shut down a weak Colorado offense.

If the Buffs are to pull off an upset, they must take advantage of every scoring opportunity.

T.I.P.S.

T: Talent

Nebraska junior quarterback Zac Lee has played in every game this season, but has not played every offensive down. Freshman Cody Green has seen action in six games, including three Big 12 games.

After Lee threw three interceptions in a 9-7 home loss to Iowa State, Cody Green was given the start against Baylor, a 20-10 Nebraska victory.

Both quarterbacks played in the Cornhuskers’ next game, a 10-3 win over Oklahoma, with Green sitting out the last two games.

If not for their improving running game, the Cornhuskers would be in trouble offensively, as the passing game is not effective. Junior running back Roy Helu, Jr. has over 1,000 yards rushing, and has averaged over 100 yards per game the last three games—all wins. Shutting down Helu will be the first cause of business for Colorado on Friday.

One constant with the Nebraska offense, as you can see from above scores, is that the Cornhuskers have played a significant number of low-scoring games. The Cornhuskers are averaging 25 ppg over the course of the season, but that total has been inflated by high non-conference point totals against Sun Belt opponents Florida Atlantic (49 points), Arkansas State (38), and Louisiana-Lafayette (55).

In Big 12 play, Nebraska has gotten past three touchdowns on the scoreboard only twice (27 against Missouri; 31 against Kansas). In seven conference games, Nebraska is averaging only 17.4 ppg (the Buffs, with only two Big 12 wins, are averaging 20.5 ppg).

The unit keeping Nebraska from a disappointing season is the defense, ranked in the top 10 nationally in both total defense and scoring defense, led by its two defensive tackles. Senior Ndamukong Suh has gotten all of the publicity (remember when Suh was touted as a Heisman candidate back when Nebraska was 4-1?). Suh is a monster, and will be pitted against the Buffs’ Ryan Miller this weekend.

Despite the stories devoted to Suh, he may not even be the best player on the Cornhuskers’ defensive line. Sophomore defensive tackle Jared Crick has nine sacks, 18th best in the nation. Suh has 6.5 sacks, the same number as Colorado’s Marquez Herrod.

I: Intangibles

The ‘ol “win one for the Gipper” hasn’t worked for Colorado the past two games, so there is little reason to believe that it will work extra magic against Nebraska. The issue of Dan Hawkins’ future is the elephant in the room.

Hawkins this week indicated his regret that Cody had been recruited to Colorado. This is not the talk of a coach whose son will be a senior next fall, especially if the father planned on being around to coach him.

Also, despite this weekend being a potentially big game for hosting potential recruits for the 2010 class, no official visits are planned for this weekend. Read into that what you want about the future of the coaching staff…

This is not to say that the Buffs do not have a great deal to play for. There are a number of seniors (17) who will be putting on the black and gold for the final time. It’s the final game of the season and it’s a home game.

It’s Nebraska.

The Buffs have been pulling out all of the stops, motivation-wise. Former head coach Bill McCartney, and former Buff All-American linebacker Kanavis McGhee addressed the troops. From all indications, McCartney and McGhee made an impression.

“He told us (Nebraska) was a game we had to be ready for,” said running back Rodney Stewart of McCartney’s talk. “It’s our rival. It was one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard.”

Senior defensive tackle Taj Kaynor said, “[McGhee] was just talking about his passion for CU, and what it means to be a Buff, and how our priority is to beat Nebraska. I really connected with him on that, and I feel the same way.”

Passion and adrenaline, though, can only take you so far. Let me take you back to this past weekend:

It was rivalry week in Bozeman, MT. The hated Grizzlies from Missoula were coming in to face the Bobcats. Montana was 10-0, ranked third in the nation. Montana State was 7-3, ranked 23rd. The Grizzlies had already clinched the Big Sky’s automatic bid into the FCS playoffs, but the Bobcats needed a win to earn an at-large berth.

Early on, as is often true in rivalry games, it was a defensive struggle. The score at the end of the first quarter was—I kid you not—2-2. Both defenses forced safeties and neither offense could move the ball. At halftime, Montana lead Montana State 9-5, then opened up the third quarter with a touchdown drive. As good teams do, Montana slowly, methodically, but with a certain degree of inevitability, took control of the game.

The final score was Montana 33, Montana State 19. The Grizzlies are home this weekend for the first round of the FCS playoffs; the Bobcats are just home.

I would very much like to see the Buffs come out this weekend with passion and intensity, and I believe I will. How long the Buffs will be able to sustain that intensity, though, remains to be seen.

P: Preparation

As odd as it may sound, I actually give Colorado the edge in this category against Nebraska. True, Colorado’s 2009 season will come to an end around 5:00 PM on Friday, while Nebraska still has the Big 12 title game and a bowl to look forward to, but I believe that actually works—for this game only—in the Buffs’ favor.

Nebraska’s win over Kansas State last weekend ended the debate over the Big 12 North. The Cornhuskers will be traveling to Dallas next weekend to face Texas. The Longhorns have been dismantling Big 12 competition, averaging 38.3 ppg in conference. In the past four conference games, Texas has put up 41 vs. Missouri, 41 vs. Oklahoma State, 47 vs. Baylor, and 51 vs. Kansas.

Those numbers will get the attention of any defense.

The “Blackshirts,” if they have been given back their moniker, would be forgiven if they were not looking past Colorado to the nationally televised game against the Longhorns. Win the Big 12 North, and the Nebraska name will be restored; get routed, and the Big 12 North slinks home for another long winter.

Fans in Lincoln have been talking up the Texas game—this week.

Colorado and its fans can be hopeful that the Nebraska players are not as prepared for the Buffs as they might otherwise be…

Two other factors in terms of scheduling and preparation favor Colorado. The Buffs played on Thursday night last week, while the Cornhuskers played the de facto Big 12 North title game against Kansas State on Saturday night. The Buffs have had two extra days to prepare for their rival.

Also, with no game next week—or in the next nine months—there is no reason for the Buffs’ players (and coaching staff) to let it all hang out. Trick plays, new formations, motivated players—could be a good formula for the Buffs.

S: Statistics

The numbers that matter against Nebraska start and end with the Cornhuskers’ defense. The worst defensive number for Nebraska is 17—as in the Cornhuskers’ ranking for passing defense.

In the other significant defensive categories—rush defense, scoring defense, and total defense—Nebraska is ranked better than 17th.

For those worried about Tyler Hansen’s health, Nebraska is ranked 14th nationally in sacks, at almost three per game. Colorado, meanwhile, is ranked 117th in the country at giving up sacks.

Obviously the Colorado offense is going to have to produce some big plays against the Nebraska defense. The Buffs will not be able to count on 10-play drives if they hope to be successful.

Are there any positive numbers for Buff fans?

Well, as noted, the Nebraska offense has been far from imposing. The Cornhuskers are in the bottom half nationally in all of the major offensive categories, including passing offense (85th), total offense (82nd), and scoring offense (73rd).

Colorado cannot give up the big play, the cheap touchdown. The Buffs’ defense must keep Nebraska to field goals when the red zone is penetrated, or—better yet—force turnovers. The last team to beat Nebraska, Iowa State, forced eight turnovers (four in the red zone).

Give Colorado eight turnovers against Nebraska this Friday, and I like the Buffs’ chances.

Otherwise, it’s a tough sell.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

NIT Season Tip-Off: Will Duke Continue Its Dominance In November?

Tyler Lambert — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:10:21 -0500

On Wednesday night, November 25, the Duke Blue Devils (4-0) will meet the Arizona State Sun Devils (4-0) in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden, NYC.

This game pits ASU's Eric Boateng versus his former college basketball team, the Duke Blue Devils. The game also features the Blue Devils and Sun Devils playing each other for the first time in both of the schools' histories.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and ASU coach Herb Sendek will also be meeting each other once again, just as the two battled in the ACC when Sendek was coaching at NC State.

The last time the Blue Devils and Sun Devils each stepped onto the basketball court, they produced similar results. The Arizona State basketball team set a school record by hitting 18 three-pointers in a 104-65 rout of San Fransisco.

Rihards Kuksiks scored a career-high 27 points on a career-best seven three-pointers for the Sun Devils. The junior forward also recorded five rebounds and a career-high eight assists in a big offensive outburst for Sendek's team.

Duke was deadly from the perimeter, as well, in their 104-65 win over Radford College, knocking down a school record 13 three-pointers in the first half and matching a school record with 18 three-pointers in the game.

Duke was led by freshman Andre Dawkins, who was 6-8 from three-point territory and racked up 20 points. Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith each had big games as well, both shooting 4-7 behind the three-point arc.

Going into their semifinal matchup in New York City, it is hard to say which team has the advantage.

Duke has been firing on all cylinders since Nolan Smith returned to the team after being suspended for the first two games of the season by the NCAA for playing in an unsanctioned summer league.

Smith was just recently named the ACC Player of the Week, averaging 22.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, leading Duke to wins over Charlotte and Radford. The 24 points he scored against Charlotte is his current career-high.

On the other side of the spectrum, Arizona State has been playing great basketball, as well. They were nearly upset by TCU in their third game of the year, pulling out a tight 52-49 win, but have since shown improvements on the offensive ends.

Rihards Kuksiks has been the star player for Sendek's team, averaging 13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Former Duke player Eric Boateng has started off his season well, averaging 11.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

The semifinal match between the Sun Devils and the Blue Devils has the makings for a slugfest, both on the offensive and defensive end. Both teams showed that they can knock down the three-pointer, and with Boateng in the middle for the Sun Devils, the young Duke frontcourt players will be banging down low.

It should be a tough test for both teams, but the Duke Blue Devils should prevail in the end. The Sun Devils have the opportunity to knock Coach K's team off, however, but Duke should prove to be too much for ASU to handle.

That would leave either Duke/ASU versus the winner of the other semifinal match between Connecticut/LSU to determine the winner of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Connecticut has struggled without Hasheem Thabeet this year, and LSU has been thriving since the season began.

UCONN, under the leadership of Jim Calhoun, has struggled since the season's opening tip. William & Mary proved to be a tough first test for the Huskies, as UCONN escaped with a 75-66 win.

The following game didn't go so well, either, as Colgate battled UCONN for as long as they possibly could, eventually losing the game 77-63. The win left UCONN 2-0 and with many questions that needed to be answered.

The final tune-up before their upcoming match against LSU was a 76-67 win over Hofstra, a less-than-thrilling performance by the Huskies. If UCONN wants to get back into the national championship talks, they first need to get a win against a quality team such as LSU.

LSU, on the other hand, has started the season the way they left off last. With a 3-0 record, and a quality win versus an always dangerous Western Kentucky team, Trent Johnson has his Tigers prepared to face the Huskies on the grandest of stages, Madison Square Garden.

Led by junior guard Bo Spencer, who has averaged 20.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in his first three games this season, and sophomore forward Storm Warren, who has averaged 16.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists through three games, LSU is poised to battle for a place in the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship Game.

ASU vs. UCONN, Duke vs. LSU, ASU vs. LSU, or Duke vs. UCONN

How will the championship game play out? Who will earn their place into the championship final and battle for a preseason title? If you want my take, I'd say Duke Vs. LSU looks like an exciting game, and a meeting that could be imminent.

Duke would match up well with the Tigers, and with the Blue Devils' experienced guards and talented frontcourt players, it would seem that Duke would be the favorites if that scenario played out.

You also have the possibility of Duke being upset by ASU and playing either LSU or UCONN. I don't see that happening, but there is always the chance that an underdog will rise to the occasion on a big stage like that of MSG.

Duke versus LSU is my prediction for the championship game, with the Blue Devils taking the title. Nolan Smith has played too well and Kyle Singler is too talented for the Blue Devils to be denied the championship.

Trent Johnson will have his team prepared, that's a given; it's just tough to go out and defeat a Top-10 team at a neutral site. Duke gets the best of the Tigers, but they don't go down without clawing back into the match and giving the Blue Devils a fight.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

Duke Basketball Improves To 4-0 with Blowout Victory

Denton Ramsey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:09:38 -0500

Nothing tastes much sweeter than a UNC loss (other than a Duke victory, of course).

For the Cameron Crazies, they got a dose of both this past weekend.

Duke breezed past Radford in a 104-67 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday evening, Nov. 21 (while UNC got rocked by Syracuse the evening before at Madison Square Garden).

Andre Dawkins and Nolan Smith led the Duke scoring onslaught with 20 points apiece, while Miles Plumlee garnered a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

“I thought we beat a really good team today,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski told the media following the Blue Devils fourth win of the season. “We shared the ball so well. We had 35 buckets and 25 assists. For our veteran perimeter, each guy had seven assists [each] and only five turnovers [combined]. It was very good. That was one of the reasons we played so well. We connected on passes. We were connecting shots. There was rhythm, a really good rhythm. Andre [Dawkins] coming off and shooting the way he did...he got them all in rhythm. It says a lot for our veteran guys. They got him the ball. I love my team. They are very unselfish, a very unselfish basketball team.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Coach.

Heading into Wednesday’s NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinals against Arizona State, the Blue Devils are currently undefeated with a 4-0 record.

And they look to have a very deep and very talented team this season.

Look for the Blue Devils to continue lighting it up from both beyond the arc and in the paint as well.

Go ahead and pencil in Duke for Friday’s NIT title game on ESPN.

Coach K and the Dukies are on a mission to put the Blue Devils back at the top on the college basketball map.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

Carolina Hurricanes Improving, but Breaking Even May Still Be a Struggle

Mark Jones — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:13:35 -0500

After so many losses, so many disappointments, and so much frustration, the Carolina Hurricanes are finally managing to get back on track.

Following a 14-game losing skid, including a seven-game pointless streak, the Hurricanes had fallen to the bottom of the NHL in almost every category, including the most important one—the standings.

But, recently, Carolina has begun to right the ship.

The Canes have points in their last five games, going 3-0-2 during that span. That stretch has included several fantastic games, including two three-goal comebacks after falling behind 3-0 at the first intermission both times.

Carolina broke their pointless streak against the Islanders, but fell 4-3 in overtime. Then they broke their record-tying losing streak against Minnesota, where they won in a shootout after blowing leads of 3-0 and 4-1.

The Hurricanes later held a 2-1 lead in Montreal until the final few minutes, but gave up a late goal and fell in the sixth round of a shootout.

Against Toronto, Carolina went on a roller-coaster ride at home in the RBC Center.

The Hurricanes trailed 3-0 after the first period, and then recovered by scoring two goals but still trailing 3-2 after the second.

A power play goal by Toronto gave them a 4-2 advantage with 12 minutes remaining, but two goals by Tim Gleason (doubling his goal total from last year in one game; he now has four this season) tied it for Carolina.

Ian White sapped all the life out of the Canes with his lucky goal with 29 seconds remaining, but Eric Cole's rebound stunner with two seconds to go revived Carolina, who won decisively, 2-0, in the shootout in a wild 6-5 victory.

The Hurricanes still had just one regulation win, which came in the fourth game of the season after a 7-2 walloping of the Panthers. However, Manny Legace finally came out with a solid effort Saturday night against Tampa Bay and stopped 20-of-21 shots for a 3-1 win.

The Hurricanes' players have also been starting to pick up their pace and get the stats rolling recently.

Brandon Sutter, the 21-year-old son of Calgary head coach Brent Sutter, has been on fire for Carolina after being called up earlier this year.

Sutter's top line companions, Eric Cole and Ray Whitney, have also been playing well recently. Whitney leads the team with 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) and had a beautiful tape-to-tape pass to set up the tying power play goal against Tampa on Saturday.

Cole has overcome a very slow start and scored the game-saving goal with two seconds remaining against Toronto last week.

Jussi Jokinen has 14 points on the year and is currently riding a four-game point streak. Jokinen had a goal against Tampa off a tip from Hurricanes' leading scoring Joe Corvo, who has 11 points and is now helping out on the back end after starting out the year near -15.

Corvo's defensive companions have been improving after struggling in the first one-and-a-half months.

Aaron Ward picked up several assists this past week and is finally starting to show the physicality we've been waiting for. Andrew Alberts has recovered somewhat from a pathetic October, as well.

Joni Pitkanen has become a star at both ends of the ice for Carolina and is becoming a key part of the defense, as well as on the rush.

Several players have also recently picked up their first goals of the season.

Stephane Yelle knocked the puck in on a great sliding effort against Toronto last week, and Chad LaRose, the perfect poster boy for Carolina's season, notched his first goal in 64 shot attempts to seal the deal against Tampa Bay.

However, many will say that the box score is not the only factor to consider, and they're right.

On the other hand, though, the Canes' chemistry is also improving. Sergei Samsanov is becoming a key passer and play-maker for the power play, which is on a 6-for-26 streak after failing to convert on 26 straight beforehand.

Tim Gleason is also becoming a leader for Carolina, and is expanding all areas of his play, from hits to the power play to defense.

The Hurricanes have also now their record in Raleigh to 5-5-2, and might have found stable ground once again at home. They had six points in four games in a 4-of-5 game homestand, which included several impressive moments.

However, the rest of the continent has been very ugly for Carolina, who still has not yet earned a road win this season at 0-7-3. They have picked up overtime points in Long Island (NY), Montreal, and Minnesota, but have just three points in 10 games away from the RBC Center.

The road record is just another reminder that despite all the improvement, the season is still not nearly under control.

Injuries have taken their toll on Carolina, putting them in tough spots at several positions.

Both listed goaltenders at the start of the season are out, with backup Michael Leighton gone for at least another week with a strained groin and team leader Cam Ward ailing with a sliced thigh.

Ward is hoping to return against Vancouver on Dec. 5, which will be a relief for Canes' fans, who have been feeling the pain of not having support in the net while aging Manny Legace does his best to keep the pucks out.

Veteran Scott Walker is also gone for several games, and, more importantly, so is Eric Staal, an annual All-Star and the team leader for Carolina since the Stanley Cup run of 2006. Staal has already missed eight games and should miss at least two more until his projected return later this week.

Carolina is struggling in several stat categories that are affecting the scoreboard. The Hurricanes have scored, on average, just 2.27 goals per game this year, while giving up over 3.5 goals.

If the Hurricanes score at least three goals, something that has occurred only seven times this year, they are 4-1-2. But when they score two or less (including three shutouts), they are a miserable 1-11-3.

Many individual players are also contributing to these struggles. Only two Hurricanes currently have positive +/- ratings (Ruutu and Walker), while 15 are at or below -3 (including five in double-digits).

Though Carolina has been much better in the past two weeks, they are still definitely in the cellar of the league. There is room for improvement and a chance to pull even with the middle of the pack.

An 11-5 record in their next month of games would get Carolina back to .500 in the standings by Christmas, which would definitely set up 2010 as a year of possibilities.

The tight upcoming schedule will give the Hurricanes plenty of opportunities to pick up an all important two points, with dates against Dallas, Anaheim, Atlanta, and Buffalo in the next six days.

It's been a bumpy roller-coaster ride through the first quarter of the 09-10 NHL season for the Carolina Hurricanes, and there's definitely going to be more speed bumps the rest of the way.

But, for now, we will just have to sit back and see down which path the unpredictable Carolina Hurricanes will take us.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

Duke Basketball Player Profile: Ryan Kelly

Mike Kline — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:28:34 -0500

This is the continuation of a series profiling Duke's basketball players and what they hope to contribute to this year's team.

It has been about a year since Duke freshman Ryan Kelly committed to the Blue Devils.

A year prior to that many in the Duke fan base likely had never heard of the 6-foot 10- inch forward from Ravenscroft High School in Raleigh.

During his junior and senior years in high school Kelly popped up on the recruiting radars of some of the nation's leading college basketball programs and eventually landed at Duke.

I'm sure there was no pressure from his high school coach Kevin Billerman, who played for the Blue Devils in the 1970s.

Many would think by just seeing how tall Kelly is that he would be a power forward or center.

They would be wrong.

Kelly has a wiry frame and is often compared to Mike Dunleavy in terms of size and skill set. He showed off his shooting ability recently by winning the three point shooting contest at the McDonald's All-American Game.

So far this year, Kelly has shown a nice feel for the game. However, he still has some work to do before he becomes the type of contributor Duke fans would like to see.

In four games Kelly has played off the bench and has shown he is a capable, if not very, good passer in the high post.

He has also shown a cerebral part to his game, not to mention the aforementioned shooting touch.

In Duke's last game, Kelly showed he wasn't afraid to go banging around down low against a much larger player in Radford's Artsiom Parakhouski. Kelly picked up four fouls but proved he has some toughness despite being significantly smaller and weaker than the Radford big man.

This year, you can probably expect more of the same from Kelly. He can certainly provide some instant offense and heady play off the bench. His size alone could create mismatches for opposing teams.

The maturation of his skill set in the long run will be interesting to watch. He obviously needs to pick up some weight, but he should focus on muscle rather than bulk.

I don't ever see Kelly being a bang down low type player, but more of a Kyle Singer, or Dunleavy-esque player who can do a lot of everything.

I would expect him to get his fair share of bumps and bruises. As with most freshman his defense may take a while to come along to where Mike Krzyzewski feel comfortable with him playing extended minutes.

Kelly can certainly be used to spell Singler, or play with him in what would be an interesting duel mismatch for an opposing teams forwards or guards.

For now, he is another cog in the interesting machine that is Duke Basketball '09-'10.

There is the possibility his playing time may decrease a bit once big man Mason Plumlee returns from his wrist injury. However, that return may affect the likes of Brian Zoubek and Olek Czyz more.

The fact that he can come off the bench with no pressure to have to do anything incredible this year should help Kelly, this once unknown quality, become more of a house-hold name later in his career.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

ACC Roll Call: Duke, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech

Justin McTeer — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:35:03 -0500

Granted, it's only November.

It's much too early to start making postseason projections, crowning conference champions, or filling out brackets.

Nevertheless, we've been able to watch enough games to, at the very least, form an idea of what some of the top ACC teams have to offer.

The conference is wide open this season, with several teams sound enough to make a run for the regular season and tournament championship. It wouldn't shock anyone to see teams like Clemson, Maryland, and Florida State at the top of the conference come March, a spot generally reserved for Duke and North Carolina.

But while the Terrapins, Tigers, and Seminoles will make headlines as the season progresses, it was the Blue Devils, Tar Heels, and Yellow Jackets getting all the attention in the weeks leading up to the start of the season.

The Blue Devils lost Gerald Henderson to the NBA and Elliot Williams to Memphis, but with preseason ACC Player of the Year Kyle Singler surrounded by a solid supporting cast, which features some much improved height, Duke looks poised to successfully defend their ACC championship.

The defending national champion Tar Heels lost just about everybody after last season, but they held onto Ed Davis and Marcus Ginyard (due to a medical redshirt). Roy Williams brought in a highly-touted recruiting class, and fans and analysts alike have been talking about the Tar Heels as Final Four contenders once again.

Georgia Tech only won two games in the ACC last year, but they brought in one of the best recruits in the nation with Derrick Favors and returned Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert. With a talent-laden starting lineup, many believe this team is ready to make a serious run in the ACC this season.

Each team has now played at least four official games.

What have we learned so far?

Duke—Finding the Missing Pieces

The Blue Devils started the season strong with four convincing wins, but with first-round exits in two of the last three NCAA tournaments, it's easy to see why many are skeptical of Duke's legitimacy.

The Blue Devils are a team that has been missing key pieces needed to be Final Four contenders in recent seasons, specifically at the point guard spot and in the paint.

This season could be the first year the Blue Devils have all of the pieces to the puzzle.

While they are still a year away from bringing in an elite, true point guard in Kyrie Irving, Jon Scheyer is doing a remarkable job leading the Blue Devils' offense so far. He's averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 assists, and he has yet to commit a single turnover in four games, despite averaging 32.8 minutes per game.

The maturation of Miles Plumlee has made a huge difference for Duke's post game thus far.

He's averaging a near double-double with 9.3 rebounds and 11.8 points per game so far this season, which is more than he, Lance Thomas, and Brian Zoubek combined to average last year.

When Mason Plumlee, the more offensively gifted of the two, gets healthy, the Blue Devils will have multiple offensive options in the paint for the first time since Shelden Williams and Josh McRoberts played together in 2005-06.

Singler is living up to his ACC Player of the Year hype so far, averaging 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds.

But despite solid play from several players, including freshmen Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly, Nolan Smith has been the icing on the cake for Duke. He's averaging 22 points per game and the Blue Devils per game scoring average has gone from 85 to 102.5 since he joined the lineup (he had to sit out the first two games for playing in an unsanctioned summer league).

Question marks still remain for the Blue Devils, specifically athleticism and the wear and tear of the minutes required by their thin backcourt. They certainly need a healthy Mason Plumlee to have the frontcourt depth needed to hold their own in the ACC.

But if they maintain their current level of play, it's hard to pick another team finishing on top of the ACC this season.

North Carolina—Unrealistic Expectations

After five games, the Tar Heels are 4-1 with victories against Florida International, North Carolina Central, Valparaiso, and Ohio State.

Their only loss came against No. 24 Syracuse in the finals of the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament, but it was a convincing loss.

Ranking the Tar Heels at No. 4 in the nation when only a few of their players have ever been a significant part of a college team seemed suspect a few weeks ago, and those suspicions look to be valid after their loss to Syracuse.

It's not that this young North Carolina team isn't living up to expectations, it's that the expectations were unrealistic. They are a good team, but at this point in the season, they are not No. 4 in the nation good.

Defensively, this Tar Heel team will cause a lot of problems for opponents.

In their victory over No. 15 Ohio State, they held the Buckeyes to under 30 percent from beyond the arc and well under 50 percent from the field. With their size and length, this could be one of the best defensive teams UNC has had in a while.

The offense is a different story though.

North Carolina doesn't have the shooters they had in Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, though Ginyard has shot very well so far, and it remains to be seen if they have a player capable of creating his own shot.

To put things in perspective, North Carolina is averaging 82.6 points per game after five games this season; they averaged 92 points per game in their first five games last season, four of which were played with Tyler Hansbrough.

While Ginyard, Davis, and Deon Thompson have played well, combining for 39.8 points per game, no one has shown the ability to take over a game the way that Hansbrough, Ellington, or Ty Lawson have done in recent years.

Many were expecting the Tar Heels highly-touted recruiting class (ranked No. 1 in the nation according to many scouting services) to have an immediate impact in terms of replacing the scoring output left by Hansbrough and company. So far, North Carolina's freshmen haven't stepped up.

John Henson and Dexter Strickland, the two highest ranked and most talked about recruits in North Carolina's class, are combining for just 5.6 points per game.

Larry Drew II has been better than most anticipated at the point, but turnovers have still been a big problem for North Carolina. In their transition from the Ty Lawson era of Tar Heels basketball, North Carolina is averaging close 19.4 turnovers per game.

It's hard to predict how good this team will be by the end of the season.

They will certainly develop and get better throughout the season, but they have a ways to go before people should start talking about their return to the Final Four.

Georgia Tech—A Tale of Two Teams

Currently 3-1 with a loss to Dayton, The Yellow Jackets are, as always, somewhat of an enigma.

They only won two conference games last year, but they took it to Clemson in the ACC tournament and nearly beat Florida State the next day.

With Favors joining Shumpert and Lawal in the starting lineup, and with a true point guard in Mfon Udofia, there has been a lot of talk about this being the year the Yellow Jackets finally put it together and hold their own at the top of the ACC, hence their Top 25 ranking to begin the season.

Favors certainly appears to be the real deal, but he hasn't dominated the way most expected him to. He's currently averaging 13 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

Shumpert and Lawal are also averaging double figures in scoring, at 10.3 and 15 points per game respectively (Lawal is also averaging 11.8 rebounds).

Those stats are nothing to criticize, but Georgia Tech will need a few players capable of scoring near 20 points per game if they are going to compete with the top teams in the ACC.

Consistency will be the key for Georgia Tech if they hope to contend for the ACC title, but it could also be the thorn in their side.

In their opening win against Florida A&M, four players scored in double figures for the Yellow Jackets. But in their loss to No. 21 Dayton the following week, only Favors and reserve Daniel Miller managed double figures in scoring, and just barely with 10 points apiece.

Against Boston University, Geogia Tech got 32 points from their bench (led by a team-high 22 point performance from Zachery Peacock), but in their previous win against George Mason, the bench only managed six points.

Shumpert, one of the Yellow Jackets three stars, has also struggled with consistency.

In his first game of the season, Shumpert scored a game-high 18 points. He managed only half that in the next game. Against George Mason, Shumpert scored 12 points, but followed that performance with a two-point outing against Boston University.

Simply put, Georgia Tech isn't good enough to win in the ACC if any of their big three disappear.

This Georgia Tech team will win more than two games in the ACC this season, but it is premature to put them in the upper echelon of the conference until someone shows that they can be an All-ACC caliber player.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com

Duke, Not UNC, Is the ACC Team To Beat This Young Season

Tyler Lambert — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:45:26 -0500

The Blue Devils of Durham and the Tar Heels of Chapel Hill were named co-favorites to win the ACC during the preseason. Never before had there been two schools tied for first in the voting, and never before had the rivals of Duke and UNC started the ACC season on equal terms.

Duke was elected as a contender because of their experience, big names like Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer, and Nolan Smith, and a talented core of inexperienced frontcourt players. UNC, on the other hand, was given the nod because of coach Roy Williams' star-studded recruiting class packed with five-star freshmen.

Four games into the season, it is easy to say that Duke has the edge.

The fourth-ranked Tar Heels knocked off an underachieving Ohio Buckeyes team ranked 15th in the preseason polls. The win showed how talented the freshmen at UNC are and how good they can be when all the pieces of the puzzle come together.

Then came the game versus 24th-ranked Syracuse: A game that reunited Coach Williams of UNC and coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange, a game that would decide the winner of the 2K Sports Classic, and a game that Tar Heel fans everywhere wish they could forget.

Shot after shot, rebound after rebound, up and down the court, UNC was outplayed from tip-off. The loss not only showed that this UNC team is vulnerable, but also how far the freshmen on the roster have to go in order to become an elite team.

While the UNC season has started with big voids to fill and questions that need to be answered, Duke's couldn't have started any better.

The first two games saw junior guard Nolan Smith sitting out after having been suspended for two games by the NCAA for playing in an unsanctioned summer league during the offseason. Although his presence was missed, ACC Player of the Year candidate Kyle Singler carried most of the load for Coach K and his staff.

Duke opened the season at home against UNC-Greensboro on Nov. 13. The Blue Devils started the game slowly, but Singler (20 points) and senior point guard Jon Scheyer (18 points) led Duke down the stretch for a huge 96-62 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke didn't play another game until that following Monday, Nov. 16, a first-round game in the NIT Season Tip-Off at home against Coastal Carolina. The Blue Devils, ranked ninth in the country, once again got off to a slow start before turning a low-scoring contest into a blow out of 74-49.

Kyle Singler once again led the scoring effort with 23 points, followed by freshman shooting guard Andre Dawkins (who started in place of the suspended Smith) with 13 points and Scheyer and Miles Plumlee with 10 apiece.

Going into their second-round contest versus Charlotte, Duke welcomed a familiar face back to the starting lineup: Nolan Smith. Smith was a spark to a team that had played the night before, scoring a career-high 24 points and leading the Blue Devils past a defenseless Charlotte, 101-59.

Nolan Smith commanded the team on the fast break and scored in a variety of different ways: driving to the basket, pull-up jumpers, and spotting up from the three-point line. His improved play, apparent from his scoring outburst, could be a main factor in seeing how far Duke can go in the tournament come March.

The final game in what was an eventful first week for Duke's season saw the Blue Devils easily defeat Radford College 104-67. During the game, Duke matched a school record with 13 three-pointers in the first half and 18 total.

Freshman Andre Dawkins led the way for Duke with 20 points (6-8 from three-point territory) followed by Nolan Smith (20 points), Jon Scheyer (18), Kyle Singler (13), and Miles Plumlee (12). The balanced Duke attack easily penetrated the Radford zone-defense.

Through four games this season, Duke has proven themselves to be a top 10 team in the country. With experienced players such as Singler, Smith, and Scheyer leading the way, and with young and talented big men prepared for the challenges that are ahead, Duke is primed to make a run for the National Championship come March.

UNC, however, is left with questions that need to be answered and shoes that need to be filled. Roy Williams' group has struggled early on adjusting to a team full of young players. They have proven they are not top 10 material just yet.

Although the Blue Devils and Tar Heels were early co-favorites to win the ACC this season, through the first four games it is easy to say that Duke will be the team to beat.

Read more Raleigh news on BleacherReport.com