Duke-Cal Poly Pomona: Blue Devils Win Exhibition of Reigning Champs

National champions of 2010, 2009 NCAA finalist, and three recent Final Four appearances make a team reek of success.  

While many would think it sounds more like No. 1 Duke than any team in California, but in reality, those are just a few of the accolades eared from the Broncos of Cal Poly Pomona, the team hoping to continue their success in the unfriendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium. D2's best had their eyes on upsetting the No. 1 team in the nation and putting their team among the most storied hoops squads of 2010.

D1 vs. D2 is hardly a debate.  Division I is simply better, but anytime a champion takes on a champion fireworks are certain.  This one certainly would not disappoint.

The Duke Blue Devils have returned to the nation's forefront. 

Suddenly they are again the team to beat, and are no longer the unathletic team that can't recruit.  They are the currently ranked No. 1 and have one of the deepest teams around.  This season will be extremely special as they will pushing all year long to get Coach K his second back to back title run.

This game was a story of two halves. 

The first was very close ending with the Devils up by only six.  Cal Poly played tough vowing to not be out-hustled by the tenacious Devils.  Their experience showed as they remained surprisingly calm and never allowed Duke to make one of their signature runs.

Duke is going to run a lot this year, and that is exactly what they did in the second half. 

Coach K's motivation and leadership in the locker room could not have been more on display as Duke dominated the second half.  A different team came out of the Duke locker room to open the second half.  Coach K must have turned the light switch on. 

CPP forward Jahn Tobias was the leading scorer on the night with 15, but Duke's entire starting five scored in double digits.  

Player of the Year candidate Kyle Singler was held to only two points in the first half but was able to find his rhythm in the second, and ended the night with 14 points.  His experience was as vital to this win as his free thrown shooting.  He never got down and allowed himself to become a bystander.  He shot 6-6 from the charity stripe in his 28 minutes on the floor making himself useful even on an off night.

Freshman standout Kyrie Irving had a very solid night in only his second game for the Devils. 

He matched Singler with 28 minutes and had arguably the best night of any Blue Devil.  He scored 13 points, had five assists, and zero turnovers. 

So far this year he has shown glimpses of brilliance and will be a bright spot for the year to come.  Irving is for real!  He is everything Coach K promised and is looking to have a huge year.

The other argument for the best Blue Devil on the night has to go to Mason Plumlee. 

The leading stat-getter for Duke, he was able to accrue a double-double and lead everyone on the night in rebounding with 12.  As the only player to pull down double digit boards, he is doing his best to fill the void of Brian Zoubek.  Physical play is going to be important this year during the times that Duke is unable to run and the Plumlee brothers are just what the doctor ordered. 

Duke basically outclassed the Broncos in this matchup of champions. 

The largest lead of the game was 31, but Duke allowed CPP to close the gap and make it much closer than expected down the home stretch.  This is something Duke can not do throughout this year.  They have to be a strong Mariano Rivera type of team that can close!

In the end, the Duke Blue Devils were able to get the win over CPP, a team that had visions of upset all across their coast to coast trip. 

Duke is all out of freebies and will open the season against Princeton on Nov. 14th.  This year Duke will open in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic (a very winnable tournament and a great way to open the season), joining Gonzaga, Kansas State, and Marquette.