Despite the fact that the Duke men’s basketball season has been over for a few weeks, there has still been a lot going on with the team and its players.

*Here is the update on the injury front:

Three players had successful surgery, though only one will be back to play next season. Seth Curry will hopefully be playing in the NBA next season with two healthy legs (unlike his final season at Duke and he still had a successful season). That surgery took place last Monday. Ryan Kelly had surgery on his foot about two weeks ago. Apparently, he was never fully healthy, despite coming back to play late in the season. And who can forget his memorable return against Miami. He said that he shouldn’t have any more problems with the foot in the future. Kelly is once again back in a boot and on crutches.

The current Blue Devil to have surgery is Marshall Plumlee, who has been hampered over the past two seasons with a left foot injury. He will once again be out 12-16 weeks to recover. That means, not alot of offseason working out for the youngest Plumlee. He injured the foot at the end of the preseason and missed the team’s first nine games. It hampered him all season. Duke has yet to see a healthy Plumlee and see what he is truly capable of.

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Quite a few Duke players participated in the ACC Barnstorming Tour, which visiting Kelly‘s high school (Ravenscroft). Players from Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest participated in the event, with Kelly and Curry watching from the bench. The college stars played against the Ravenscroft High School alumni. Mason Plumlee started alongside UNC’s Dexter Strickland, NC State’s Scott Wood and Jay Lewis, and Wake Forest’s CJ Harris. Quinn Cook and Alex Murphy came off the bench, as did Duke alum Nolan Smith. TJ Warren of NC State and Tarheel alums Reggie Bullock and Phil Ford also came off the bench. The ACC stars won 128-86. Players like Wood and Mason were selling off some of their game worn stuff, now that they are no longer held back by NCAA amateurism rules.

On a side note, Kelly‘s younger brother Sean (who is a Duke manager) beat Wood in a halftime three-point contest.

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» Continue reading “Duke Men’s Basketball News and Notes”

The Duke men’s basketball team received a solid effort from everyone on Saturday afternoon as they opened their ACC schedule with a win over Wake Forest. The Blue Devils won 80-62 over a very young Demon Deacons squad. Duke improved to 83-2 at home as the number one team in the country and 14-0 overall this season.

Duke hit ALL three pointers for most of the first half. They didn’t pick up their first made two pointer until there was 8:27 to go when Mason Plumlee finally scored. The Blue Devils were led in the first half by 2/3 of their senior trio. Ryan Kelly was on FIRE from the outside, as he made 4-of-6 three pointers for 17 points. Seth Curry rebounded from a rough game against Davidson to score 14 first half points.

Wake Forest went over five minutes without a field goal in the first half until Travis McKie scored with 5:35 to go. That enable Duke to pull away from a close game.

Duke completely pulled away to open the second half, as they went on a 17-6 run by the time the first TV timeout rolled around. Even the subs played a good chunk early in the second half. The Cameron Crazies got to see Marshall Plumlee score for the first time in his career, though his free throw shot is just as bad as big brother Mason‘s. Alex Murphy scored less than 30 seconds after entering for the first time.

But it was all about the starting five on Saturday afternoon.

Despite fouling out with 7:20 to play, Kelly finished with 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting. That was a season-high in points for the suddenly hot senior. Curry also finished with 22 points. He is still struggling a bit from the line, as he went 3-of-5.

Despite a slow start (just 1-of-3 in the first half), Mason came on strong in the second half. He recorded yet another double-double: 13 points and 12 rebounds. Plus, he flustered the young big men for Wake. The big negative was his continued struggles at the free throw line. He went just 3-of-9 from the line and he seems to be getting worse instead of better.

Quinn Cook had a horrible shooting day (0-for-12) and did not score, but he was a huge part of the victory. He recorded a career-high 14 assists compared to just two turnovers. He also hauled in three rebounds and played solid defense.

» Continue reading “Duke Starts ACC Season With a Bang”

Via DukeBluePlanet

The Duke men’s basketball team officially opened the 2012-2013 season with Countdown to Craziness on Friday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Fans packed Cameron to get the first glimpse of the veterans and the new guys.

The Blue Devils played two ten-minute scrimmages, with the White taking the first, 26-15 guided by assistant Steve Wojciechwoski. Josh Hairston scored eight points, as the White squad went 11-of-20 from the field and committed just two turnovers. Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly teamed for 15 points (7-of-11 from the field), four rebounds, and four assists.

The Blue team took the second scrimmage, 29-18 behind the play of Quinn Cook. He went 4-of-5 from the field for nine points. Kelly suited up for the Blue squad in the second matchup and scored eight points.

Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood, who will redshirt this season, scored a total of 13 points in the two games.

The highlight of the night may have been Mason and Marshall Plumlee‘s rendition of The Bachelor:

The men open the exhibition season on October 27th against Division II champion Western Washington.

*You can check out interviews on the lower right-hand side with Josh Hairston and freshman Rasheed Sulaimon.

**Also, the women’s basketball team began the season with their first practice on Friday. Check out interviews to the right with Coach P and Elizabeth Williams. Click HERE to hear the women introduced at Countdown to Craziness. 

Quinn Cook being stretched out

This past week, Duke men’s basketball players Marshall Plumlee and Quinn Cook returned to Durham after spending six days in Estonia for the Four Nations Cup. The two were members of the East Coast All-Stars. They went 1-2.

In their lone victory against the Republic of Georgia, Cook hit a buzzer-beater to send the game into double overtime. They won 129-124 in double OT and he scored 29 points.

With his performance in Estonia, Cook was named to the All-Cup team. He averaged 22 points and four rebounds. He shot 51% from the field (23-of-45).

The redshirt freshman Plumlee was solid. He averaged 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 rebounds, and three blocks. In their opening game loss, he scored nine points while hauling in nine rebounds.

For video of Cook and Plumlee talking about their trip, click HERE.

Check out the top plays from last night’s Duke men’s basketball road victory over Clemson via Duke Blue Planet.

Hang on until the end for freshman Marshall Plumlee’s interviews with teammates Miles Plumlee and Andre Dawkins. The interview with Miles in the lockerroom begins at about the 1:26 mark.

The Duke men’s basketball team is FINALLY headed to China, with a few stops in between, for their Friendship Series. They were supposed to take off on Sunday, but rain and plane problems, led them to a take off at 1pm ET on Monday (on a smaller plane). The Blue Devils kept busy in the airport, many of them highlighting their time on Twitter.

Here are a few examples:

The Blue Devils have finally taken off from Raleigh, NC’s airport and are headed to their Around the World in 13 Days trip. It just may have taken a little longer to get off the ground.

Via Taylor Doherty

The SJG Greater NC Pro-Am was designed to bring professional athletes, college athletes, and high school all-stars under one roof to play the game of basketball. This year, the NCAA ruled that high school athletes could not participate. “The Mecca of Summer League Basketball” was started by Jerry Stackhouse, Donyell Bryant, and Chuck Jones. The 2011 University Host is North Carolina Central and games are held at McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium (with a capacity of 3,056). The league began on June 30th and heads into the first month of August. They also have creative team names.

New this year is the inclusion of a women’s league (their games are either at 5pm or 6pm).

Most of the Duke men’s basketball team is playing in the league, but will leave before their trip to China. With the NBA lockout, many NBA players are playing in summer leagues, and you will see some stars in the NC Pro-Am. From what I have heard, some of the games draw over-capacity crowds in which the fire marshall closes down the gym and doesn’t let anyone else in. So if you want to attend one of the nightly games (they usually play four games a night from 6pm-9pm), get there early as entrance to the games is free.

Below are the Duke players on NC Pro-Am rosters:

Team McGladrey: Mason Plumlee and Tyler Thornton

Hendrick of Durham: Ryan Kelly, Seth Curry, Austin Rivers, and Nolan Smith

751 South: Miles Plumlee, Marshall Plumlee, and Quinn Cook, along with former NC State star Julius Hodge and NBA All-Star David West

Sheraton Imperial: Kyrie Irving, Andre Dawkins, Michael Gbinije, and Josh Hairston, along with UNC players Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald

Here are some Duke highlights from the NC Pro-Am:

July 7th: The main attraction was the matchup between Sheraton Imperial and Team Hendrick (with the heavy Duke influence). Michael Gbinije made his presence known for Sheraton as he used his 6’7 size and athleticism to hit two 3-pointers and contribute a dunk in a three-minute spurt. Andre Dawkins added 16 points for Sheraton in the win.

Nolan Smith, a first round pick of the Portland Trailblazers, and incoming Duke freshman Austin Rivers (the old and new) countered Sheraton’s attack with some offense of their own for Hendrick. Smith scored 15 first half points and slashed to the rim with ease. He led all scorers with 33 points. Rivers chipped in 13 first half points.

Rivers drew large roars from the packed house on a pair of dunks, one of which was a spinning reverse dunk. He scored 15 points in the game (three 3-pointers) and Seth Curry added 17 points (five 3-pointers).

Marshall Plumlee made his 2011 debut in the NC Pro-Am as he scored 10 points and hauled in six rebounds in helping 751 South beat 20/20.

July 12th: Incoming freshman guard Quinn Cook and two of the Plumlee brothers (Miles and Marshall) suited up for 751 South against Triangle Gastroenterology. It was a close game as former NC State star Julius Hodge matched up against the NBA’s John Wall. Miles scored eight first half points and the Plumlee brothers finished with ten points each. With Hodge mainly running the point, Cook played off the ball and scored 14 points (including a six-point spurt to tie the game with 42 seconds left). Wall made a free throw to take the lead and Cook’s three-pointer fell short at the buzzer.

July 13th: Team Hendrick, featuring four Blue Devils, faced off against Team Gladrey. The star for Hendrick was Ryan Kelly, who scored 19 points and hauled in seven rebounds. Kelly scored in a variety of ways: outside jumpers, put-back dunks, and interior post moves. Rivers scored 15 points as he knocked down two contested three-pointers from way beyond the arc and continues to impress with drives to the basket. Curry added nine points as he hit two deep threes. Gbinije also scored nine points with slashing layups and thunderous dunks. He also tallied a highlight-reel blocked shot.

The Duke Men’s Basketball Team will begin practice next week (and most have already arrived on campus) for their August trip to China. NCAA rules only allow for ten practices before a trip, so Duke will spread out the practices over the month of July. Duke leaves for China on August 14th and heads to Dubai later in the month.

It will be a BIG trip for Duke, especially when they play the Chinese Junior National Team. Why you ask? Well the Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith era is over. Freshman stud point guard Kyrie Irving was just selected number one overall in the recent NBA Draft.

The big deal is who will be included in the starting rotation. It’s a big trip to try and sure up spots where there will be battles. The main battle will be between the guards. The Blue Devils could have two ball holders on the court with sophomore Tyler Thornton and incoming freshman Quinn Cook. They could also go with Seth Curry and incoming freshman Austin Rivers, who are both sharp shooters. They are both wing players who can handle the ball. This would be a similar rotation to when Duke won the National Championship with Smith and Jon Scheyer. Rivers is expected to dominate with the ball in his hands, but if Cook and Thornton can command attention, it allows Coach K to play a variety of lineups.

There will also be some battles in the front court, as Duke welcomes yet another Plumlee to campus. Marshall Plumlee joins older brothers Miles and Mason. Ryan Kelly is another returning big man with newcomers Michael Gbinije and Alex Murphy.

Duke associate head coach Chris Collins told ESPN’s Andy Katz:

“It’s going to be great to get over there with live competition,” Collins said. “We’ll get guys going to start to carve out spots. We’re starting a whole new era. We’re starting anew with Andre Dawkins, Seth, the Plumlees and Ryan Kelly and a good freshman class. Now we’ll find out who will emerge, and this trip will allow us to put in things in advance of the fall.”

Duke will be very young for the 2011-2012 season and this trip to China will be a good building block for the young players to gel together. It should also be a boost for the incoming freshman to get some games under their belt prior to the actual season starting.

Yes Duke’s basketball seasons are over, but there are still happenings going on.

Alumni weekend at Duke brings out all of the great alumni. Check out the video of former Duke men’s basketball players discussing Duke basketball across the decades.

First former Duke player and assistant coach Tommy Amaker, who guided Harvard to one win from the NCAA Tournament this season, decided to stay at Harvard, thus spurning Miami.

No Miami for Tommy Amaker espn.com

Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler may be headed to the NBA Draft, but are still playing basketball together. They will team up with the ACC All-Stars to face the Crossfire team on Saturday night. This year’s game has the most ACC players to commit (14 total). And if you’re interested in knowing what Nolan Smith is up to, you can check out his site.

Crossfire faces uphill climb against ACC All-Stars Citizen-Times.com

Duke’s Smith, Singler to play in annual Crossfire game Citizen-Times.com

The last of the big All-Star high school games kick off this week. The Jordan Brand All-Star Classic Game will be held in Charlotte, NC, with Duke recruits Austin Rivers and Michael Gbinije suiting up for the East teams (along with a few UNC recruits).

Austin Rivers, Michael Gbinije, Plum3 ready to rock Charlotte Blue Devil Nation

On Wednesday, the McDonald’s All-American Game was played at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls. The game set the all-time attendance record, as close to 20,000 showed up to honor the future of both men’s and women’s basketball.

Duke’s men’s team had three players on the McDonald’s All-American team (53 total under Coach K). It is the eighth time Duke has had three or more future players in the game (and four out of the last seven years).

Quinn Cook, a guard, and Marshall Plumlee, a forward, joined together on the East squad. (Yes Duke should have three Plumlee brothers on their roster next season.) Cook actually came in second place in the three-point shooting contest earlier in the week (he scored 16 points). Cook scored 14 points in the game on 6-of-13 shooting. Plumlee had five points (2-of-3), eight rebounds, a blocked shot, and a steal.

Austin Rivers, a guard, led the West squad in scoring with 14 points (5-of-14 shooting) and added five rebounds and four assists. Rivers, the High School Basketball Player of the Year, made three of the West’s four three-pointers in the game.

The East won the game 111-96.