July 1, 2011 Sportswrap

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the chronicle

july 1, 2011

CHRIS DALL/THE CHRONICLE

sportswrap

FOOTBALL: WHO’S READY TO GO BOWLING? PLUS: A LOOK AT THE MOST TALENTED FRESHMEN IN THE INCOMING CLASS

2 | FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011

THE CHRONICLE

SPORTSWRAP

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Editor: Chris Cusack Managing Editor: Tom Gieryn Online Editor: Scott Rich Photo Editor: Chris Dall Senior Associate Editors: Ryan Claxton, Harrison Comfort, Andy Moore, Vignesh Nathan, Jason Palmatary and Jeff Scholl Associate Editors: Alex Krinsky, Patricia Lee, Andy Margius, Matt Levenberg, Jacob Levitt, Stuart Price, Steven Slwyka, Danny Vinik and Tim Visutipol Staff Writers: Andrew Beaton, Maureen Dolan, Sarah Elsakr, Shiva Kothari, Dawei Liu and Danny Nolan

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Special thanks to Chronicle Editor Sanette Tanaka, Managing Editor Nicholas Schwartz, former sports managing editor Sabreena Merchant, photo editor Melissa Yeo, news photo editor Ted Knudsen and Towerview photo editor Nate Glencer.

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Founded in 1983, sportswrap is the weekly sports supplement published by The Chronicle. It can be read at:

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Email Chris at ctc9@duke.edu

from the editor Southern California is not a college basketball hotbed. John Wooden retired fifteen years before I was born, and by the time I reached grade school his legacy seemed to only manifest itself in the championship banners hanging from the rafters in Pauley Pavilion—not in the play on the court. College football was the primary weekChris end pastime, and despite the recent NCAA violations at USC, it still is. So needless to say, with a down ACC and the deepest Blue Devil team in the Cutcliffe era, I’m very much intrigued by the 2011-12 Duke football season and whether the Blue Devils can make a bowl for the first time 17 years. But first things first—men’s basketball season kicks off two months early this year with a tour of China and Dubai starting two weeks before football season. After losing Kyrie Irving, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, every minute of practice time is crucial for the young team. Finally, those interested in instant gratification will no doubt wonder who the “next” Irving will be. Inside these pages, you’ll get a chance to meet a few of the incoming freshmen we think might have an immediate impact, not only on the basketball court but also on the gridiron and the soccer field. On that note, welcome to the 29th installment of Sportswrap, part of Volume 107 of the Chronicle.

Cusack

Football beat writers Jason Palmatary and Ryan Claxton debate whether Duke football will reach its first bowl game since 1994. Duke track and field is coming off of its most successful season ever, highlighted by Juliet Bottorff’s NCAA championship in the 10,000-meters, the Blue Devils’ first-ever NCAA outdoor individual title. Last weekend, the team sent seven athletes to try out for the United States national team.

6 Associate head coach, special

teams coordinator and tight ends coach Ron Middleton cuts an intimidating figure, but his players assert that he is his coaching style is “hands-off.” Find out how Middleton made it from the SEC coaching ranks to Duke.

8-9 The Chronicle gets you ready for the men’s basketball team’s upcoming trip to China and Dubai. The Blue Devils will take on both the Chinese and United Arab Emirates’ national teams in a four-game exhibition series called the “Friendship Games.” 13, 17-18 Find out how this trip of freshmen, women’s basketball’s Elizabeth Williams, football’s David Helton and women’s soccer’s Kelly Cobb are poised to have a major impact in their first seasons on campus. 15

New York Mets pitcher Chris Capuano, Trinity ‘00, talks about how important his Duke education is in helping withstand the mental rigors of the 162-game Major League Baseball season.

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FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011 | 3

OPINION: DUELING COLUMNISTS

Bowl or bust for Duke football? The Chronicle’s Ryan Claxton and Jason Palmatary debate whether the Blue Devils will reach a bowl for the first time since 1994.

Defense spells doom for Blue Devils by Ryan Claxton THE CHRONICLE

With a clean slate and an offense that returns nearly every key contributor from the 2010 campaign, wouldn’t the 2011 season seem to be the perfect time for experience to catch-up to Duke’s raw skill and deliver the Blue Devils’ first bowl appearance since 1994? Don’t let the defense fool you. While Duke’s offense has shown consistency and improvement since head coach David Cutcliffe came to Durham before the 2008 season, the Blue Devil defense has steadily declined. And this year it will be that defense that keeps Duke from going bowling yet again. Last season, the Blue Devil offense kept the team’s hopes alive in nearly every game, save for blowout losses to Alabama and Virginia Tech at Wallace Wade Stadium. At the end of games, however, the defense couldn’t keep opponents off the scoreboard, and Duke lost four games by six points or less. In order to win those tight battles, the defense needs to figure out how to keep opponents out of the end zone late in the game. The Blue Devils allowed a fourth quarter touchdown in three of the four games that were decided by less than six points in 2010, and nearly blew a 31-7 lead against Navy when

the Midshipmen scored 24 points against Duke’s three in the final period. The trouble is centered around the defensive line, where the Blue Devils struggled with depth last season following the graduation of Vince Oghobaase and Ayanga Okopokuwuruk, and the dismissal of promising freshman John Drew in the spring of 2010. While the line has added numbers through recruiting the past two seasons, it remains to be seen if Duke will be able to field a line capable of stopping the run and disrupting the passing game. The Blue Devils were dead last in the ACC in 2010 with 2,499 rushing yards allowed and only 12 sacks. With a formidable slate of fall games ahead, those numbers will need to improve drastically for Duke to reach the sixwin threshold for bowl eligibility in 2011. In similar fashion from the dawn of the Cutcliffe Era, the Blue Devils open the season at home against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Richmond. Yet, even the annual FCS battle isn’t a lock for victory number one, as we learned when the Spiders came to Durham in 2009 and left Duke with a loss that all-but-ruled-out a bowl game that season. SEE CLAXTON ON PAGE 4

Bowl time for Cutcliffe’s deepest Duke team by Jason Palmatary THE CHRONICLE

For those that have followed my coverage of Duke football over the David Cutcliffe era, you have likely come to expect my annual proclamation that “This is it— make or break.” Or “bowl or bust.” Grouping the espousal of similar commentary with the flock of teary-eyed parents leaving East Campus on move-in day as annual fall events is understandable, but this year the product on the field is different. Reaching the postseason is something that Cutcliffe must do to take the next step towards establishing some degree of lasting credibility for his program. After three seasons where 12 total wins was one more than the combined number of victories by the previous 6 seasons, there has clearly been progress. But the team has failed to sustain any of its momentum over the course of a full season. Funny thing is, three years ago these results would have been considered a wild success. But, just like the trick-ortreater that gets a King Size bar and then will never be satisfied with less, improvement has been dangled in front of the Duke faithful for too long and now even more is expected.

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One major problem that the program has confronted in recent seasons was a lack of depth. Thanks to a renewed focus of the coaching staff on capturing in-state talent while still hitting the national recruiting trail, the depth chart is looking as strong as it has since Cutcliffe arrived in Durham. The increased competition, especially on the defensive side of the ball, will certainly pay dividends. Taking a look at the schedule, there are five games that leap out as ones in which the Blue Devils should be favored. These matchups include the season opener at home against Richmond, nonconference tilts with Tulane and Florida International, a home game against Wake Forest, and a road matchup with Virginia. Then, while they may not be expected to win road contest with Boston College and a home outing with rebuilding Georgia Tech, both of these games are very winnable. Winning the first five games and then splitting the last two would give Duke the six wins it needs to qualify for a bowl game. To really clear the proverbial hurdle and become competitive in the conference, SEE PALMATARY ON PAGE 7

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CLAXTON from page 3

The Chronicle will be in China and Dubai this August with the men’s basketball team! Check www.dukechronicle.com for daily updates on the trip.

The Emily K Center would like to thank our sponsoring partners for their generous support of the

2011 Inaugural Mother’s Day Ball ~ Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. ~ ~ Wachovia, A Wells Fargo Company ~ ~ The Krzyzewski Family ~ ~ Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club ~

Then for the second year in a row the defending Heisman Trophy winner will make an appearance in Wallace Wade Stadium. Last time it was Mark Ingram, who torched that porous defensive line for 154 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries. This year, quarterback Andrew Luck leads the Stanford Cardinal into the Gothic Wonderland to boost his NFL-ready resume. The non-conference slate includes a home match-up with Tulane and a trip to Florida International. While at first glance the Golden Panthers might not sound like much of a threat out of the Sun Belt Conference, they managed to get themselves to a bowl last season and are far from a sure victory. So through the non-conference slate, the Blue Devils’ best-case scenario is a 3-1 record. Worst-case? Let’s say 1-3. In the ACC, of the four games lost by six points or less last season, the Blue Devils will again face Boston College, Wake Forest and North Carolina in the fall. With an otherwise formidable schedule featuring Florida State and Virginia Tech, Duke will need to find a way to win at least two of those three contests to have a shot at a bowl game. Will it happen? Will the Blue Devils reach the magical pinnacle of six wins? Probably not. In those three critical games, Duke will have to travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to face the Eagles, who are very difficult to beat at home. Facing the Demon Deacons at Wallace Wade might be the most winnable of the three following last year’s shootout in Winston-Salem. So in this best-case scenario world, where the Blue Devils take care of business and get three wins outside of the ACC, and snag another conference win in addition to a victory over Wake Forest, the season hinges on a trip to Chapel Hill at the end of November. But UNC always seems to take advantage of Duke’s weaknesses, disrupting the Blue Devils’ aerial attack and pounding the ball into that weak defensive line through the running game. No matter the off-field issues the Tar Heels simply find a way to beat the Blue Devils, claiming the Victory Bell in 20 of the past 21 seasons. For most current students, a win over Carolina is literally once-in-a-lifetime. Duke won’t be able to do it without the ability to stop the run, and will see its bowl aspirations fade away in Chapel Hill once again.

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CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Senior safety Matt Daniel anchors a Blue Devil defense that ranked last in the ACC in yards allowed in 2010.

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FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011 | 5

TRACK AND FIELD

Beach takes seventh at USA Championships by Sarah Elsakr THE CHRONICLE

CHELSEA PIERONI/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Decathlete Curtis Beach finished seventh overall in the Senior Division, the second-best finish for a collegian.

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The word ‘competition’ took on a whole new meaning this past weekend when the Blue Devils sent six of their top athletes to contend with the nation’s best at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Sophomore Curtis Beach, along with teammates Devotia Moore and Cydney Ross, went up against professional athletes in the Senior Championship. At the same time, freshmen Hannah Goranson and Erica Brand met their rivals in the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships. “USATF is the highest level track meet in the United States,” director of track and field Norm Ogilvie said. “It was a good thing for these athletes to get the extra competition and compete in a big-time setting. This is the big-time… with sold out crowds.” As Ogilvie pointed out, competing at Hayward Field is a prestigious accomplishment for aspiring Blue Devil runners, especially taking into consideration that next year’s Olympic Trials will be held at the same location. “At the Olympic Trials, they’ll have seen the competition and will know what it’s like,” Ogilvie said. “And that’s certainly going to be a focus for some of our athletes.” Beach will almost certainly fight for a spot on the Olympic team. He is the current men’s junior American recordholder in the decathlon, though he now competes in the senior division. At the USATF Championships he was

Duke’s highest placing athlete, finishing seventh in his signature event with 7,573 points, 1,153 short of the top spot. Beach was dominant in the 1,500-meter race, finishing over 11 seconds ahead of the secondplace finisher. Unlike some of the other Blue Devils, however, Beach was already acquainted with a few of his professional competitors, most notably Bryan Clay, gold medal winner in the decathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and Ashton Eaton, world recordholder in the indoor heptathlon, both of which he had seen earlier this year at the Millrose Games. Although he finished behind several such athletes to earn his seventh-place spot, Beach’s score was good for second place among collegiate runners. “It was an extra fun track meet to do,” Beach said. “I’m not really focusing on [the Olympic Trials] right now. All I’m trying to do is take my abilities as far as they can go and see where I end up…I’m really happy I got to compete with those guys.” His teammates, senior Devotia Moore and junior Cydney Ross, shared the unique opportunity of competing in the Senior Championships, as both Blue Devil women raced in the preliminary round of the 800-meter run. Moore took 19th place to finish off her final season as a Blue Devil, and Ross finished eight spots behind in 27th place. In the Junior Championships, Goranson and Brand competed in the 100-meter hurdles and the discus, respectively. SEE USATF ON PAGE 18

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FOOTBALL

Middleton brings NFL experience to Duke by Scott Rich THE CHRONICLE

Sixteen years removed from his NFL career, Ron Middleton still cuts an imposing figure. Intimidation is second nature for a man who, for 10 years, made a living in the hard-fought trenches of the National Football League. As the Blue Devils’ associate head coach, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach, one could easily see this man simply frightening young players into working for him. But then he cracks a smile. He lets loose a laugh so deep and bellowing that it disintegrates any inhibitions his imposing presence might have created. And when he starts talking about vampires and the Blade trilogy, it’s clear that this man is more than meets the eye. That’s why, according to head coach David Cutcliffe, Middleton might be the closest to an NCAA head coaching job of any Duke assistant coach. Surprising, considering the relatively low stature special teams have in the eyes of the common football fan. But as Middleton once told a group of Alabama boosters who questioned him as the first former-Auburn player ever to coach for its bitter rival, he’s a special case. “’I’m Blade,’” Middleton would tell the chuckling Crimson Tide fans. “’I have all of the strengths and none of the weaknesses.’” Nevertheless, 30 years ago, it would have been difficult to see Middleton ever planning kickoffs. Middleton had a successful four-year career as a tight end at Auburn, a stretch that included an 11-1 record in 1983 and culminated in an SEC Championship and a Sugar Bowl victory over Michigan. Despite his collegiate success, however, Middleton had to fight his way into the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons before bouncing around the league, playing four seasons with three different teams. In 1990, he signed with the Washington Redskins, with whom he eventually played four seasons and

won Super Bowl XXVI. “Once you cross the lines, the amount of your check, the round you were drafted in, that’s all left in the locker room,” Middleton said of being undrafted. “Now once you get off the grass, then the mentality of the coach is, ‘I’m doing this guy a favor’.... I understood that, and I was fortunate and blessed to be able to take advantage of my shot.” Middleton’s ties to the gridiron didn’t end after his final professional season with the San Diego Chargers in 1995, though. Four years later, he joined the coaching staff at the University of Mississippi alongside Cutcliffe. He mentored the tight ends, predictably, and even spent two seasons working with the running backs. Somewhat unexpectedly, though, Middleton also became special teams coordinator. “I give all the credit to [assistant coach] Zac Roper,” Middleton said of his transition. “I started working with him at Ole Miss, and he’s really the hands-on guy with all those specialists.” That might not have even been the most jarring transition for Middleton, who, in 2007, took a job coaching for a school he said he was “indoctrinated” into hating—Alabama. Even though Middleton admitted he “really felt it” when the Crimson Tide faced Auburn, he used his unique perspective from the other side of the rivalry to try to make his current team better—even if his boss wasn’t too receptive. “In the spring I told [head coach Nick Saban], ‘Do you understand this Auburn-Alabama thing?’ And Coach Saban being Coach Saban, he was like, ‘I don’t want to hear that crap. I’ve been in big games before,’” Middleton said. “We lost to Auburn. That night, he’s addressing the team afterwards and he goes, ‘For the next 364 days everything we’re going to do is about this game.’ I threw my hands up and said, ‘That’s what I was saying this spring!’” Middleton spent only one season at Alabama though, as SEE MIDDLETON ON PAGE 14

COURTNEY DOUGLAS/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Ron Middleton, left, followed an NFL career with coaching jobs at Ole Miss and Alabama before reuniting with head coach David Cutcliffe.

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FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011 | 7

PALMATARY from page 3 Duke needs a signature win against a perennial conference power. Cutcliffe has yet to beat Florida State, Virginia Tech, Miami, or North Carolina, all teams on the slate in the upcoming season. While stealing a victory against those teams was unthinkable in years past, Duke has the offensive firepower to keep itself in a ballgame with those foes. Still, its bowl hopes aren’t contingent on pulling off one of those shockers. It all starts with Sean Renfree, who will be spending his second full season under center. According to Cutcliffe, who has tutored his fair share of talented signal callers, Renfree was very impressive throughout the spring as he worked to build on last season’s success and improve his ball security. Renfree threw for over 3,000 yards and 14 touchdowns while completing over 60 percent of his passes last season, clearly demonstrating that he has the skills to succeed in the spread system. With All-ACC wideouts Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner along with youngster Brandon Braxton split out wide, and rapidlyemerging tight end Cooper Helfet working the middle, opposing secondaries will not be looking forward to their matchup with the Blue Devils. The problem for Renfree last year was his 17 interceptions, which singlehandedly put Duke out of contention in some games. That turnover trend declined in the latter part of the season, though, and with four starters returning on the offensive line, all signs point towards Renfree cutting down on his turnovers. In addition to protecting Renfree’s blindside, the unit up front is going to be tasked with creating better running lanes for a full stable of running backs. Despite an anemic ground attack the last few seasons, heralded local product Desmond Scott has shown flashes of brilliance and speedster Josh Snead performed well in limited action as a freshman. With the current offensive personnel, pounding the ball in between the tackles will never be the focus. The emergence of these backs, though, would allow the ground game to develop as a nice change of pace. Not only would this lead to more balance, but it would help keep the defense fresh deep into the Fall. Fatigue has clearly been a problem for Duke in seasons past; the Blue Devils are 1-12 in November during Cutcliffe’s reign. After switching to a 3-4 defense this year, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is moving to a 4-2-5 scheme with the hope of getting his best athletes on the field for as many plays as possible. Innovating can’t be a bad thing for a team that gave up 35.4 points a game last year, good for 109th in the country. It’s hard to pinpoint the unit’s struggles on one group, though, since the Blue Devils ranked last in the ACC and 113th in the country with just 12 sacks. If some of the young defensive lineman can emerge as pass rushers, conditions can only improve for a defense that needs to be serviceable. Come December, I fully anticipate my fall proclamation proving to be true. So, hold up on booking your ski trip or making your reservations in the Caribbean, you may have a chance to celebrate the holiday season with the Duke football team for the first time since 1994. I know I plan on being in a press box somewhere in December.

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Duke returns 17 starters from last season’s 3-9 campaign, during which the Blue Devils lost four games by six points or less.

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EXPANDING THE BRAND by Chris Cusack THE CHRONICLE

For the third consecutive summer, Mike Krzyzewski will lead a basketball team in competition abroad—but for the first time, it won’t be the United States national team. The Duke basketball program will travel to China and Dubai from Aug. 14-27, playing four exhibition games in a series dubbed the “Friendship Games.” The Blue Devils will play a three-game exhibition showcase with the Chinese Olympic team, starting Aug. 17 in Kunshan, China, where Duke is completing construction on a new 200-acre campus. The Blue Devils will make the short trip to Shanghai the next day to play in the Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena. On Aug. 22, Duke will conclude its time in China with a game at Beijing’s MasterCard Center, home of the 2008 Olympic basketball tournament. The Blue Devils will help open another Fuqua campus in Dubai just three days later by playing the United Arab Emirates national team. The University is currently in talks with ESPN International to broadcast three of the four games on the ESPN family of networks, according to senior associate director of athletics and director of the basketball legacy fund Mike Cragg. Duke will host a pair of open practices with the Chinese national team in Shanghai and Beijing. The practice in Shanghai will take place outdoors on Aug. 19. Krzyzewski and his team will also conduct a basketball clinic for members of the Chinese athletics community. “It’s really a coaches clinic,” Cragg said. “It will be run similarly to how Coach K does things here at the [Coach K Leadership Conference].” The Blue Devils will have responsibilities beyond those on the court, though, as the primary goal of the trip is to bring attention to Duke’s new campuses abroad. Along with visiting the construction site of the Kunshan campus, the team will attend pregame VIP banquets with government officials, sponsors and University administrators from both China and Durham. “It’s much more than a basketball trip,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s a big trip for our school.” Duke basketball has not played abroad since 2002, even though NCAA bylaws permit one international trip every four years. Part of the reason, according to Cragg, is that until last year incoming freshmen were not allowed to take part in summer travel. The timing of the Blue Devils’ two-week trip is fit closely between the end of summer session classes and the beginning of the fall semester. Despite the focus on promoting Duke’s new campuses abroad, though, the trip will also give Duke a significant edge in the coming season. The NCAA allows any team traveling abroad to practice ten times before they leave for international competition, over two months before the normal mid-October start date, a huge advantage for a team adding five freshmen to its roster. More than anything, Krzyzewski will use the extra practice time to see which of his players step up into leadership roles. “Going on the tour that we are gives these guys an opportunity to step forward and establish themselves with their team first and the public after,” Krzyzewski said. The trip to China and Dubai is the brainchild of Fuqua School of Business Dean Blair Sheppard and former vice president and vice provost for global strategy and programs Greg Jones, who first presented the idea to Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski just over one year ago. Although Krzyzewski was receptive to the proposal, he was initially concerned that his ongoing commitment to the United States national team would conflict with any potential summer travel. “I thought I’d be in Argentina trying to qualify for the Olympics,” Krzyzewski said. “Last summer if we didn’t win the [FIBA World Championships], this would have been a heck of a summer with USA Basketball.” The FIBA victory not only secured a berth in the 2012 Olympics for the United States, but a summer away from national team duties for Krzyzewski. With the time conflict resolved, Cragg called Sheppard and Jones to start making concrete plans. “I called and said, ‘If everyone’s serious about this, let’s start talking,’” Cragg said. And after months of “collective effort” between Duke basketball, Fuqua and the Office of Global Strategy and Programs, those plans are finally ready to be set in motion.

MELISSA YEO (LEFT) AND NATE GLENCER (RIGHT)/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

“THE FRIENDSHIP GAMES”

August 14-27 • Kunshan, Shanghai and Beijing, China; Dubai, UAE Chinese National Team

The Chinese team has traditionally been a force to be reckoned with in Asia, winning 14 of 18 FIBA Asia Championships. In the 2008 Olympic Games, China played the USA team coached by Krzyzewski, losing 101-70. Two of the current players—Sun Yue and Wang Zhizhi—have made it to the NBA.

TEAM ANALYSIS

The major strength of the Chinese team is its size on the interior. Zhang stands at 7-foot-3, Peng is 6-foot-11 and Li comes in at 6-foot-9, and three more players off the bench are at least 6-foot-8. All 12 of the Chinese nationals play for Chinese club teams.

C F G G G

HISTORY

HISTORY

TEAM ANALYSIS

C ZHANG ZHAOXU 7.1 ppg. 6.1 rpg for the Shanghai Sharks F/C SU WEI 9.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg for the Guangdong Southern Tigers F YI LI 16.3 ppg for the Jiangsu Dragons G PENG DUO 10.3 ppg for Dongguan Leopards G YU SHULONG 11.3 ppg, 2.4 apg for the Jilin Northeast Tigers

UAE National Team JASIM MOHAMED 7.3 ppg in 2009 FIBA Asia Championships RASHED NASER leading scorer in 2009 FIBA Asia Champ. YOUNIS KHAMIS played in ‘07 and ‘09 FIBA Asia Champ. TALAL SALEM 10.8 ppg in 2009 FIBA Asia Championships SALEH SULTAN 7.4 ppg in 2009 FIBA Asia Championships

Six members of the current national squad play for professional club teams in the UAE, including Al-Wasl, Al-Ahli and Al-Nasr. The present team is relatively young, including eight players under the age of 23. The average height of the players is 6-foot-2.

The UAE joined the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in 1976 and is currently ranked in a tie for 65th in the world. The national team’s best finish in the FIBA Asia Championships came in 1997 when the UAE finished fifth. The team finished 12th in the same tournament in 2009 thanks to an overtime victory over Indonesia in the first round.

CHRONICLE GRAPHIC BY CHRIS DALL

August 18 in Shanghai at the Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena August 22 in Beijing at the Beijing MasterCard Center

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE

August 17 in Kunshan at the Kunshan Arena August 25 in Dubai at the Al Wasl Club

CHRONICLE GRAPHIC BY SABREENA MERCHANT AND SCOTT RICH

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THE CHRONICLE

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011 | 13

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Williams fills low post void for Blue Devils by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE

At the annual preseason Blue-White game, students eagerly anticipate the upcoming year by watching an intrasquad scrimmage to kick off the year. But at last year’s event, fans looked further to the future, catching a glimpse of the 2011-12 season when they saw a top recruit making her official visit that day. “Elizabeth Williams, come-to-Duke!” they chanted. The Cameron Crazies helped their cause that day and soon after got their wish when the 6-foot-3 center signed a letter of intent to play at Duke in November, choosing the Blue Devils over Pat Summitt’s Tennessee program. The Virginia Beach, Va. native, who is ranked No. 2 in her class by ESPN.com’s HoopGurlz, was immediately attracted to the atmosphere in Cameron Indoor Stadium. “There’s no school like Duke when it comes to that [atmosphere],” Williams said. “The fans there are amazing and I’m looking forward to having them in the stands.” For the Blue Devils, Williams will be asked to step in immediately and fill the void left by graduated center Krystal Thomas, who was one of the two players on last year’s team to start all 35 games. Thomas leaves a lasting legacy with the program as a strong rebounder and defender, but Williams will be expected to build on that with her offensive skills that have her rated as the No. 1 post player in the class. “Every year, you’re looking for powerful players who dominate the paint,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “You can’t find special players every year because they don’t come out that often.” McCallie set her eyes on Williams a long time ago, so her recruitment has been a three-and-a-half year process. For the coach entering her fifth season coaching Duke—and first year coaching a team comprised of completely her own recruits—Williams’ recruitment wasn’t just a matter of skill-set. Although Williams certainly fills a void in the post, she also fits the profile of what McCallie looks for in recruits with the potential to be successful both on the court and in the classroom. Williams has always been interested in medicine

and plans on exploring the College Athlete Pre-medical Experience (CAPE) program run by Dr. Henry Friedman and Dr. Allan Friedman. “We believed she was an incredible match with Duke,” McCallie said. “She has carried herself remarkably academically as well as athletically.” On the court, Williams seemingly thrives when surrounded with other top talent, something she has shown off throughout her career. She represented the United States in the FIBA U16 and U17 World Championships in 2009 and 2010, earning MVP in the ’09 tournament. At this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game, a showcase of the top high school talents in the country, Williams was MVP of the game with a recordsetting 23 point, 11 rebound performance that led the East to a 78-66 victory. She is looking forward to the opportunity to continue that trend, joining Duke’s top-rated recruiting class of a year ago that, although stocked with elite guards and wing players, lacks a true post presence. Last year’s group was headlined by guard Chelsea Gray and forward Haley Peters, both of whom played significant roles in their freshman seasons. “I’ve played with them before at a camp and they’re just great solid players,” Williams said of Gray and Peters. “They’re easy to play with and great people, so I think we’ll have a good time on and off the court. I’m really excited.” While the hype around Williams’s talent is apparent, both she and McCallie acknowledge that there are necessary adjustments for the increased competitiveness between high school and college. One thing they both emphasized was the need for improved conditioning and physical strength, with McCallie adding that upper body strength is a specific focus. This summer, she has been trying to improve all aspects of her game, from hitting the gym to working at a basketball camp. But she can’t work off her anticipation for starting school in the fall. “It’s great to finally go to college and this is just another big step in my career,” Williams said. “I think Coach P and this team can lead us to a national championship.”

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Elizabeth Williams will provide a dominating post presence to fill the hole left by the graduation of Karima Christmas.

MAKE THE WORLD YOUR CLASSROOM. In 2011-2012, Duke will offer the following global programs for academic credit: x 15 semester and 18-20 summer programs abroad in 18 countries x 4 semester and 1 summer program in the U.S. Duke credits, grades, and financial aid will apply to all. Don’t be left behind.

global.duke.edu/geo

14 | FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011

THE CHRONICLE

MIDDLETON from page 6 he joined Cutcliffe in the transition to Duke the next year. As a Blue Devil, Middleton once again took over the dual duties of special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. Luckily, though, he found a balance between those roles at Duke that he lacked at Alabama. “As I’m in here studying the opponent’s special teams‌ [the offensive staff is] game-planning their defense,â€? Middleton said. “It’s a nice little system, and my trust in those guys to get that done, their trust in me to get the special teams done, it’s worked really well. “Otherwise I would be in with them all day doing offense, and then all night I’d be in here doing special teams. And then I’d get burnt out, which is basically what happened at Alabama.â€? The system certainly has worked, as in three years Middleton has turned a unit, once the laughing stock of the ACC, into a respectable one—redshirt-senior kicker Will

Snyderwine was named preseason All-America, and incoming freshman Will Monday was rated as one of the top kickers in the Class of 2011. And though Middleton takes a relatively “hands-off� approach to his specialists, his skills as a tactician give the unit an edge that Snyderwine says other schools can’t match. “He puts us as kickers in great opportunities,� Snyderwine said. “He’s always open to new ideas and how things should work.� One of those new ideas was Snyderwine’s high-hop onside kick, which Middleton turned into a play that resulted in four successful onside kicks last season. “I brought that to him and said, ‘Look what I can do.’ [Middleton] turned around and said, ‘OK, here’s what we’re going to do,’� Snyderwine said. While his football mind has pushed the special teams forward, Middleton’s football experience has pushed the tight ends to new heights, typified by the meteoric rise of Cooper Helfet. Helfet entered last season as a junior college transfer

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admittedly “raw,� but he was expected to have time to develop with veteran tight ends above him on the depth chart. After both Brett Huffman and Brandon King fell victim to injuries, though, Helfet was thrust into the role as primary receiving tight end. The team never missed a beat, as Helfet finished fourth on the team with 34 receptions, accumulating 380 yards and two touchdowns. “He gave me support when I needed it and he got on my a— when he said I wasn’t working hard enough. I learned everything I need to know because of the things he taught me,� Helfet said. “He’s the best coach I’ve had at my position.� Despite his success, Middleton still has to overcome the stigma of being a special teams coordinator if he plans to someday earn the head coaching job Cutcliffe thinks is all but a formality. However, Middleton thinks that his role actually gives him more of the skills necessary of a head coach. “I think a special teams coordinator is more equipped than an offensive or defensive coordinator to take on that head coaching responsibility, because our influence is on all the kids,� Middleton said. “You can tell it’s slow to change because they keep preaching you’ve got to be an offensive or defensive coordinator. I present my argument to them, and it’s like, ‘Hmm, you’re making some sense.’� Helfet certainly thinks his mentor has everything it takes to run his own team. “More than any other coach I’ve been around, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t respect him and love being around him and want to play hard for him. He’s such a good guy and he’s so fair to us that we just want to work hard for him,� Helfet said. “I can see him having a strong career as a head coach.� Still, Middleton follows Cutcliffe’s lead in staying focused on the task at hand—getting Duke over the proverbial hump and back to a bowl game. It’s a goal he thinks is feasible, especially considering he “wouldn’t be surprised if we ran the table.� And when Middleton’s time finally comes, it’s his unique perspective—not only as a special teams coordinator but from his long and varied playing and coaching experiences—that could make Cutcliffe’s confidence in his associate head coach prophetic. Just call him the Blade of collegiate coaches—all of the strengths, none of the weaknesses.

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Ron Middleton’s “hands-off� approach to coaching specialists has been highly effective with the Blue Devils.

THE CHRONICLE

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011 | 15

BASEBALL

Baseball is all business for Chris Capuano by Andrew Beaton THE CHRONICLE

In New York City, it’s not hard to find a Duke graduate with an economics degree. But one such alumnus is rather unique— he wears cleats to work instead of polished shoes, buttons a jersey each day rather than a collared shirt, and doesn’t work anywhere near Wall Street. His name is Chris Capuano, and he reports to the office every day as a right-handed pitcher for Major League Baseball’s New York Mets. Capuano is far from the first Duke baseball player in history to play in the big leagues. But, though several other alumni of the program are now playing at the minor league level, Capuano is the only Blue Devil currently playing in MLB. His professional baseball journey began in 1999 when he was drafted in the eighth round of the MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. His road to the big leagues was a long one, but he credits his alma mater for the ease of his transition from the amateur ranks to the professional ones. “The competition that you face in the ACC, it’s one of the best sports conferences around,� Capuano said. “When you first sign out of college, typically your first stop is the single-A level. I didn’t find that jump very difficult after the competition I faced at Duke. It was a pretty smooth transition.� If the transition had not gone so well, he always had his Duke degree in mind and banking as a backup plan. When he graduated in 2000, he did so Phi Beta Kappa with a 3.86 G.P.A.

Ever since that first season in the minors, though, it was clear he could compete in professional baseball. Playing for the Single-A South Bend Silver Hawks as a 21-year-old, he posted a 10-4 record and 2.21 ERA. But it wasn’t long before he hit bumps in the road, and again his Duke experience proved beneficial—the same mental toughness that made him successful a Duke student-athlete helped him persevere in the pros. “The game at this level, everybody has the talent,� he said. “It then becomes a mental game—the mental preparation that goes into getting through a 162-game big league season is the difference between having a good year and a bad year.� He hit his first major snag in 2002 when he undergwent surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Colloquially known as “Tommy John surgery,� the operation has become commonplace for pitchers, and though the recovery rate is high, the procedure requires a full year of rehabilitation. He recovered quickly, however, to make his Major League debut in 2003. Following that season, he was part of a nine-player trade that sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers, where his hard work began to bear fruit. His breakout year came in 2005, winning 18 games for the Brewers and recording 176 strikeouts. In 2006, his star continued to rise as he was selected to his first All-Star team. But just as wildly successful New York investment bankers can be undone by stock

market fluctuations, even elite athletes can struggle to maintain their success. Seven starts into the 2007 season, Capuano’s career trajectory still looked like that of Google stock just after its IPO—a sparkling 2.31 ERA through seven starts, all of which ended with his team in the win column. But seemingly overnight, Capuano’s career turned from Google to Enron. In the next 22 games Capuano started for the Brewers that season, his team came away with a stunning zero wins. His ERA ballooned to 5.10, and he would eventually go on to set a major-league record for most consecutive losses in games he pitched, with 27. Events snowballed when he had to undergo a second Tommy John surgery, which forced him out of the majors for both 2008 and 2009. “That pit in your stomach when you get the news that you’re going to be out—it definitely puts all of your mental skills, passion for the game, everything to the test,� he said. After seeing limited time in the majors in 2010, he completed his sixth season on a major-league roster, earning him the right to test the waters of free agency. As a free agent, he made one of his more calculated decisions by signing with the New York Mets on a one-year contract. Contrary to other clubs, the Mets offered Capuano a spot in the starting rotation in a new pitcher-friendly ballpark. In signing with the Mets, he helped form what many dubbed the smartest rota-

tion in baseball. Chris Young, a Princeton graduate who played baseball and basketball for the Tigers, also signed with the Mets in the offseason. Capuano and Young had almost been college rivals in the Ivy League; Capuano had signed a letter of intent to go to attend Yale before changing his mind and coming to Duke. Young, like Capuano, is intellectual and talented but has struggled with injuries throughout his career. Given their similar stories, it hit close to home for “Cap� when Young had season-ending shoulder surgery in May. “It’s tough, because I know exactly what he’s feeling and exactly what he’s going through,� Capuano said. “I think there’s no question you can get back if you work hard enough, but it’s a question of how much you want to go through before you hit a wall.� Back at his locker in Citi Field, Capuano spoke wistfully about his experience in Durham, back before the daily grind of a 162-game season. At Duke, he met his wife, who graduated two years after him. He maintained the discipline to keep his high grades while being on the baseball team. But what does he miss most about his Duke days? He chuckled at suggestions of Shooters or Cosmic Cantina. “Actually, the thing I miss most was my walk home at night after a late night of studying—my walk home from the stacks when I’d walk by the chapel,� he said. “It’s just a great feeling being there. You just wanted to learn, to experience it.�

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16 | FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011

Interested in writing about Duke sports? Email Chris at ctc9@duke.edu

THE CHRONICLE

2011 DUKE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 9/3 VS. RICHMOND 9/10 VS. STANFORD 9/17 AT BC 9/24 VS. TULANE 10/1 AT FIU 10/15 VS. FSU 10/22 VS. WAKE FOREST 10/29 VS. VA TECH 11/5 AT MIAMI 11/12 AT VIRGINIA 11/19 VS. GEORGIA TECH 11/26 AT NORTH CAROLINA

THE CHRONICLE

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011 | 17

FOOTBALL

Helton follows Cutcliffe from Tennessee Highly-rated Tennessee linebacker recruit hopes to make immediate impact on defense by Danny Nolan THE CHRONICLE

Prior to his hiring as head football coach in 2007, David Cutcliffe had no ties to Duke. But perhaps that’s a good thing. In the distant past, Duke possessed a proud football tradition, but Cutcliffe first made his name at a school with a much more recent record of success. He was very highly regarded during his tenure at the University of Tennessee, and that has given him access to players in the football hotbed that neighbors North Carolina. One such player is David Helton, a highly-rated linebacker from the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Helton was ranked the third-best linebacker in Tennessee by Rivals.com, and it was Cutcliffe’s success in Knoxville that swayed Helton to Duke. “That was definitely one of the largest factors for me [coming to Duke] personally,” Helton said. “Living in Tennessee, one of the biggest and most well known coaches is Coach Cutcliffe. When Tennessee people think about Coach Cutcliffe, they think about the years when Tennessee was doing fantastic.” Helton, a Chattanooga native, has been surrounded by athletes his whole life. Two of his uncles, James and John

Hennen, lettered in football at Army and in baseball at Auburn, respectively. Helton’s athletic path would follow James’s towards football. He was one of the best players in the Volunteer State throughout his high-school career. He amassed 317 tackles in his final three prep seasons, earning allstate honors at the linebacker position his junior and senior year. His final season was his best as he recorded 121 tackles, including 12 for a loss, and forced three fumbles as a captain of the team. Those statistics were enough to make him the 2010 Chattanooga Times Free Press Defensive Player of the Year. However, Helton’s athletic endeavors did not stop on the football field. His ability to take someone down translated to another sport: wrestling. Helton was part of four state championship wrestling teams in high school, and as a junior he captured the individual title in the 215-pound weight class. According to Helton, all of the physical and mental effort put into wrestling contributed to added success on the gridiron. “When you’re wrestling the objective is to get the guy down as fast as you can…and that’s kind of like tackling,” Helton said. “Wrestling definitely got me in that mentality of I’m going to beat the guy in front of me.”

Despite his numerous accomplishments in the sport, Helton is not afraid to make clear why he won’t pursue future wrestling opportunities. “I really just did not like wrestling at all,” said Helton. “I’ve always felt like I needed to wrestle, but I’m not the biggest fan. I don’t love it like I do football.” With his focus centered on football, Helton must now join his teammates in trying to deliver a winning season to the Blue Devil faithful. Duke gave up the second-most points in the ACC and ranked 113th in rushing defense a season ago. It wouldn’t be his first experience with rebuilding a football program. When he was a freshman in high school, his Baylor team won just two games. Just three years later he led the Red Raiders to a 12-2 record and a berth in the state championship game, so he feels like he has the experience and intangibles to help turn around the team. “That’s the most exciting thing about Duke, the feeling of complete change within a program and to be a part of something like that,” said Helton. “Just to see how much the school came behind us [at Baylor], it was just a huge ordeal. I can sense that change at Duke. To see a school come behind a sport so quickly really intrigued me.”

Keep up on Duke football news all summer long on The Chronicle’s sports blog, the Blue Zone. www.bluezone.dukechronicle.com

Computer Repair is Duke’s authorized service center for warranty repair on Apple, Dell, Lenovo and HP printers. Out of warranty services are also provided for most makes and models of computer systems and printers. A complete line of system upgrades including memory, system boards, processors and hard drives are also offered. Computer Repair also provides convenient pick up and delivery at the Duke Computer Store.

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THE CHRONICLE

WOMEN’S SOCCER

USATF from page 5

Alaskan ready for Durham sun Cobb plays on U-20 national team with Mollie Pathman by Steven Slywka THE CHRONICLE

Chugiak, Alaska isn’t typically regarded as a soccer hotspot, or a hotspot of any kind for that matter. In fact, it’s quite a cold spot—the temperature dropped to 38 degrees below zero one day in 1999, and the mean temperature rises above 40 degrees just five months out of the year. Kelly Cobb hasn’t let that slow her down, however, as she’s overcome subzero temperatures, a lack of local competition, and just a five-month long outdoor season to earn a coveted spot on the Duke soccer team. Cobb’s youth soccer experience is rather unique compared to her new Blue Devil teammates. Hailing from a place where the average high temperature is often below freezing, Cobb grew up playing soccer indoors. “When I was younger we played a lot in indoor gyms, but recently they built a huge dome complex. It has a turf field and allows us to play during the winter time which is really nice.” She excelled at Chugiak High School outside of Anchorage, tallying 98 goals in three seasons, including 22 in her senior year despite appearing in only 15 games. She was an All-American selection twice by Parade, and earned the 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year award as the best player in Alaska. Thanks to the Alaska Dome, finding a place to practice wasn’t the hard part; the real challenge was finding suitable competition to be noticed by college scouts and coaches. Cobb traveled with her club team to various tournaments around the lower 48 states where the talented striker quickly caught the eye of numerous college programs. “I was looking at UNC, Notre Dame, and Duke,” Cobb said. “But when I visited Duke, I really loved [head

coach Robbie] Church. Also, of course, Duke has an outstanding, beautiful campus and high academics so it’s a good challenge.” For Duke, she’ll fill a niche on the front line that’s currently unoccupied. “She’s a little different than the forwards we have,” Church told GoDuke.com. “She’s a little taller, she’s a little stronger. She’s a target player.” This summer, Cobb has been preparing for her role at Duke with one of her future teammates, current Blue Devil forward Mollie Pathman. They play together under-20 U.S. national team, and Pathman has already begun readying Cobb for her transition to Duke. “Mollie’s been a great role model and she’s been really good telling me what to expect when I come in,” Cobb said. The challenge Pathman can’t help her with is getting used to life outside Alaska, but while Cobb understands the difficulty of moving 3,500 miles away from home, she isn’t too worried about adjusting. “I’m sure I’ll get homesick,” she said. “I’ve heard the stories, but I think I’ll be pretty busy between school and soccer. And honestly it doesn’t matter, if I went anywhere else it’d still be really far away from Alaska.” Cobb is not so confident about dealing with North Carolina weather, though. “I think I’m a little worried because I’ve never had to deal with heat or humidity before,” she said with a laugh. “I’m pretty white so I’m just bringing lots of sunscreen and I’ll just hydrate all the time.” Up until now, though, Cobb hasn’t let the weather stop her from making it this far, and certainly won’t let it keep her from achieving her ultimate goal. “To win a NCAA championship is what I really want,” she said. “And I think we’ve got the players to do it.”

Goranson finished third in her preliminary heat, but faster subsequent heats left her .04 seconds short of eighth place overall. Her time of 14.02 seconds gave her a tenth-place finish. Brand’s final throw flew 45.18 meters, 5.25 meters short of the championship mark but good for eighth place. And though their classmate, Tanner Anderson, was injured, he still found motivation from attending. The freshman, whose personal record for the high jump was good enough to qualify for both the Senior and Junior Championships, used the opportunity to watch former NCAA outdoor champion and 2008 Olympian Jesse Williams compete in the high jump. Although Williams and Anderson have indirectly been in competition with each other since April of 2010 when Anderson eclipsed Williams’ North Carolina high school high jump record, this past weekend was the first time they had ever met in person. “He introduced himself and said, ‘Oh, you’re the one that’s breaking all my records,’” Anderson said. “He was really nice about that…and just told me to keep my head up and keep working really hard and that all my success would just fall into place. “I hope to follow in his footsteps. Seeing him jump, and his success, and the recognition he gave to God and his family, really inspired me….It really motivated me.” The current Duke athletes also got a look at where a career as a Blue Devil might lead them after graduation, as they watched alumna Shannon Rowbury qualify for the IAAF World Championships with her top-three finish in the 1500-meter race. When those six Duke athletes walked off the track and left Hayward Field behind, they left with the experience they had earned from competing with the best in the nation, and a vision of the type of success that hard work and a passion for their sport could create. As Anderson put it, in an understatement, “it was definitely worth the trip.”

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FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011 | 19

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20 | FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011

THE CHRONICLE

One call does it all! We make packing and moving easy 1) All you do is pack our FREE boxes* 2) Call and we’ll pick up at your doorstep 3) We store it however long you need (or ship it home for you) 4) Call when you get back and we’ll bring it to you any day you’re ready

Need help moving in this fall?

Two Stores to serve you East Campus

Call us to get info on how you can ship your student’s luggage amd boxes to campus ahead of time and we’ll deliver to the dorm or apartment any day!

811 Ninth Street (next to One World Market)

919.286.3322

West Campus 2608 Erwin Road

www.DukeShipping.com

(next to Chipotle & Dunkin’ Donuts)

919.383.1400

DUKE Shipping & Storage from The UPS Stores®® at Duke

• Faxes • Notary Services • Passport Photos • 35¢ Color Copies

The UPS Store

®

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