Duke vs. Ohio State: By The Numbers
Fresh off their 5th Maui Invitational Championship, the Duke Blue Devils will travel to Columbus, Ohio to meet Thad Matta’s Ohio State Buckeyes which will take place in the 2011 ACC/Big 10 Challenge.
Both teams will come into this meeting ranked inside the top 5 of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll (Ohio State #2, Duke #3). Duke has won four straight games when both teams have been ranked in the top 5 of the AP Poll. Duke comes in with an undefeated 7-0 record as the Buckeyes enter with a 6-0 record.
Ohio State is led by senior, William Buford, who is averaging 17.7 ppg while shooting 48% and 50% from 3. Also leading the Buckeyes are there two sensational sophomores, Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft. Sullinger, who is arguably the top big man in the country is averaging 18.8 ppg while grabbing 10.7 rpg. The point guard Craft has averages of 9.2 ppg, 5.0 apg, and 3.3 spg (Editor’s note: Best on ball defender in the country).
With this premier matchup set to tip Tuesday night at 9:30 PM ET on ESPN, let’s take a closer look at the numbers between Duke and Ohio State: Read more
Duke 2013 Recruiting: Julius Randle
Wondering about the prospects Duke is looking at in 2013? Julius Randle is one and a major one. Randle is ranked #3 in ESPNU’s Super 60 at 6’9 225. He’s a dynamic, powerful, and a relentless rim attacking power forward from Dallas, Texas. The 6’9 power forward has a variety of scoring moves, can finish through contact and likes to face up defenders and attack the basket. He owns his area rebounding wise, is a defensive presence and is one of the premiere athletes that the 2013 class has to offer.
Recently, Randle and his high school basketball team, Prestonwood Christian Academy, participated in the 3rd annual Thanksgiving Hoopfest. Prestonwood matched up against North Carolina State Wolfpack commit, Rodney Purvis, and Upper Room Christian Academy yesterday. Prestonwood went on to a victory, 81-58, as Randle scored 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Prestonwood moved to 2-0 on the season thus far this season, while Randle is averaging 21.0 ppg.
Below is video from the matchup at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest between Prestonwood and Upper Room. Read more
Duke Basketball — “We’re All Going Streaking”
Duke Basketball is currently holding some impressive wins streaks. On of their most dominant streaks is in the EA Sports Maui Invitational preseason tournament. Duke has never lost in Maui, and coming into this years tournament at the beginning of the week, held a 12-0 all time record there. With a win against Tennessee in the first round, 15th-ranked Michigan in the second round and 14th-ranked Kansas in the finals, Duke has pushed their current undefeated streak in Maui to a ridiculous 15-0. In five tries, Duke has won five Maui Invitational titles, which is the most all time.
Other notable streaks currently held by Duke:
- Duke has won at least 20 games for 15 consecutive season
- Duke has been ranked in the AP Poll an NCAA-best 79 straight weeks
- The Blue Devils have been ranked in the top 10 for the last 77 weeks, including 12 weeks at #1
- 15 consecutive years ranked in the Top 5
- Have won 30+ games in 3 straight seasons (Fifth program to do so)
- 16 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament (27 of the last 28)
- 3 straight ACC Tournament Championships
- 35 straight games in the month of November
- 12 straight season openers
- Only Division One team to start 6-0 in the last 5 seasons Read more
2013 Sharpshooter Matt Jones Commits To Duke
Hailing from DeSoto, Texas and an unbelievable long range shooter, 2013 shooting guard Matt Jones has given his verbal commitment to Duke. Matt went on an unofficial visit to Durham during the Countdown to Craziness festivities, accompanying Rasheed Sulaimon on his official visit. Just like the Duke coaching staff did with Rasheed, they made Jones a focus of the weekend and it had the same results. Check out some highlights from BallIsLife.com.
And PrepForce.com
Read more
Hawaii 5-0! Duke Defeats Kansas In Maui Championship Thriller
What. A. Game!
The 2011 Maui Invitational Championship was everything it was supposed to be. Two of the winningest programs in college basketball, going at it for 40 minutes, toe-to-toe. #6 Duke defeated the #14 Kansas Jayhawks, 68-61, as the Blue Devils remained perfect in Maui at 15-0 as they captured their fifth Maui Invitational Championship. Read more
Duke 82 Michigan 75 Highlights
The Duke Blue Devils moved to 6-0 on the season and remain undefeated at the Maui Invitational Tournament. Backed by 20 points from Austin Rivers, 17 from Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly, and 14 points out of Andre Dawkins Duke topped the Michigan Wolverines last night 82-75. The 14th ranked Kansas Jayhawks are Duke’s last roadblock to their 5th Maui Title.
Watch the highlights from Duke’s win over Michigan below.
Duke vs. Kansas: By The Numbers
It’s the matchup that many have wanted to see since the beginning of the Maui Invitational, Duke vs. Kansas. The two “Blue Bloods” will meet tonight for the 2011 Maui Invitational Championship in the Lahaina Civic Center.
Duke has earned the right to play for the championship with wins over a game Tennessee team and the always tough, well coached, Michigan Wolverines. Kansas defeated Georgetown in their opener on Monday and then UCLA on Tuesday.
These two storied programs have faced each other 8 different times with Duke holding a 6-2 advantage over the Jayhawks. The most notable victory of the 8 games came in the 1991 National Championship where Duke won it’s first NCAA Championship.
With the tip set for around 10:00 PM ET on ESPN, let’s take a closer look at the numbers entering tonight’s championship game:
Duke in Maui
• The Blue Devils are 15-0 all-time in the Maui Invitational, including a 14-0 mark at the Lahaina Civic Center. Duke has won Maui Invitational titles in 1992, 1997, 2001 and 2007.
Duke-Kansas Series Read more
The Duck Shop Football Pick ‘Em Contest — Last Week
Well, the Duke Football season certainly hasn’t gone like anyone had planned when the year began. The gridiron Blue Devils have one game left to prove something and leave 2011 in the rearview mirror with a god taste in their mouths.
Sadly, it will be seniors Donovan Varner, Kyle Hill, Matt Daniels and others’ last games in a Duke uniform so hopefully they can get the Victory Bell back from the Tar Heels and finish their last moments in Duke Blue on a high note.
As Duke’s season winds to a close, I’d like to thank The Duck Shop for sponsoring the first ever Pick ‘Em contest here at Duke Hoop Blog. It’s been fun watching as you all pick games to win some really cool Duke prizes provided by Darren, Kelly, and the rest of the crew over on 9th Street. Congrats to all of our weekly winners so far (Wander won three times and Quizzy won twice, Darren and Silky J both won and the others I’m forgetting.) Read more
Duke Will Take On Kansas For 5th Title in 5 Tries
Duke has knocked off Belmont, Tennessee, and Michigan en route to a perfect 15-0 record in the Maui Invitational Tournament. The Blue Devils have won four titles in four tries and have the Kansas Jayhawks standing in the way of their fifth straight in five tries.
The Jayhawks have a number of athletic players who could give Duke problems on the defensive end. Thomas Robinson will be the toughest matchup for Mike Krzyzewski’s 32nd team in Durham as Duke doesn’t really have a guy who can guard him both inside and out. My best guess is that Mason Plumlee will draw the assignment at first and hopefully we won’t see a repeat of Duke’s last loss when Derrick Williams’ inside-out game proved to be too much for the athletic power forward. When Duke played Michigan State, Coach K inserted Josh Hairston into the lineup to slow down Draymond Green and we may see more minutes from the sophomore big man in this game if Mason can’t hang with Robinson. Read more
The Steadying Hand of Seth Curry
Duke Basketball had a lot to replace coming into this year but most of all they needed an on-court leader. With Miles Plumlee as the lone senior and four juniors right behind him, the 2012 version of the Duke Blue Devils started off the season with a lot of indians but no chiefs.
Last year Duke was a predominantly underclassmen team and all those guys looked up to senior captains Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler. Those two were responsible for 46% of Duke’s points, 33% of the rebounds, and 47% of the team’s assists. Off the court and in the locker room though was where the two made their biggest impact. Often hosting their teammates for team meals and chauffeuring the youngsters around Duke’s spreadout campus.
While Smith was more of a vocal leader, as evidenced by his many stints in @dukeblueplanet videos, Kyle Singler assumed more of a lead by example role.
When Duke announced their two captains for this season on September 20th, I immediately thought “Seth Curry and who else?” I was surprised to learn that he had not been included but realize now that it was likely a motivational tactic by Coach K as a little over a month later, Seth would join them as third captain.
Krzyzewski has had high hopes for Seth for some time now, stating two months ago that
“Seth’s good,” Krzyzewski said Wednesday while meeting with reporters at Cameron Indoor Stadium. “He’s just really good. I think he’ll be one of the better point guards in the country, especially if he learns to be a leader and not just a scorer. I think he can do that.”
As usual, the man with 906 wins on his record was right. Read more
