Duke Chronicle ACC Basketball Preview (Published Nov. 5, 2009)

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2009-2010 ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

2 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

sportsstaff sports staff Editor: Gabe Starosta Managing Editor: Sabreena Merchant Photo Editor: Michael Naclerio Recruitment Chairs: Taylor Doherty and Andy Moore Associate Editors: Dan Ahrens, Ryan Claxton, Harrison Comfort, Caroline Fairchild, Kevin Fishner, Laura Keeley, Alex Keller, Kyle Lambrecht, Lucas Nevola, Jason Palmatary, Scott Rich, Jeff Scholl, Felicia Tan Senior Associate Editors: Stephen Allan, Ben Cohen, Joe Drews, Will Flaherty, Archith Ramkumar, David Ungvary First-Year Writers: Rachel Apostoles, Chris Cusack, Alex Krinsky, Patricia Lee, Matt Levenberg, Andy Margius, Vignesh Nathan, Nicholas Schwartz, Tim Visutipol Photographers: Addison Corriher, Courtney Douglas, Lawson Kurtz, Chase Olivieri, Larsa al-Omaishi, Caroline Rodriguez, Sam Sheft, Ian Soileau, Zachary Tracer, Xavier Watson Special thanks to: Chronicle Editor Will Robinson, Managing Editor Hon Lung Chu, Design Editor Charlie Lee and the NUJI Group

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Table of Contents THE MEN:

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Singler’s move from the paint to the perim3 Kyle eter could make him one of the best players in the country

7

Duke lost its two best interior players, and a trio of improving Blue Devils hope to replace them on both ends of the court

s three freshmen will have an opportu4 Duke’ nity to contribute right from the start

8

Chelsea Hopkins, Kathleen Scheer and Shay Selby are eager to impress after difficult, injury-laden first seasons

Blue Devil locker room has a new feel with its 2009-2010 captains, Lance Thomas 5 The and Jon Scheyer

11

Chronicle columnists Sabreena Merchant and Lucas Nevola argue whether Duke, ranked No. 6 in the preseason, is better than last year

three-man backcourt is relying heavily on guard Nolan Smith for production 6 Asophomore

9

Chronicle columnists Gabe Starosta and Archith Ramkumar debate Duke’s Final Four potential

new, Gerald Henderson-less offense relies on screens and off-ball cuts 10 Duke’s to create open spaces

12-13 SEASON PREVIEWS

Chase Olivieri Oct. 30, 2009 Feat. (L to R): Singler, Ma. Plumlee, Smith, Mi. Plumlee, Scheyer

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 3

MEN’S BASKETBALL THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR?

Move to perimeter gives Singler new dimension

by Taylor Doherty THE CHRONICLE

For the first time since arriving at Duke, Kyle Singler will spend the season playing exclusively where he is most comfortable: the perimeter.

As one of the most versatile players in the country, Singler found himself playing under the basket for the past two years as the Blue Devils had a particularly thin frontcourt. But now, with Duke ready to field its tallest team in recent memory, the Blue Devils hope Singler’s newfound assignment on offense will let his game shine.

The junior is already getting both regional and national attention: He was chosen as the Preseason ACC Player of the Year two weeks ago, and Monday, he was named to the AP Preseason All-America team.

“I’ll be able to play more freely,” Singler said. “We are a whole lot better [of a rebounding team]. I know we’re big, but we’re [also] athletic. It’s one thing just to be big, but we have guys that can jump and run the floor, and if you can do that, they create rebounding lanes. I think guys are hungry to rebound, and that’s a big part because you have to have an edge to rebound.”

Gone are the days of adding 20 pounds over the offseason and working tirelessly to devleop new post moves in order to be able to play down low. At a preseason press conference, head coach Mike Krzyzewski made the position switch official. Singler will play on the perimeter where his height and ability to shoot the ball will help the Blue Devils create matchup problems.

As a Duke recruit, Singler was ranked as the best small forward and the No. 5 overall player in the Class of 2007 by Rivals.com.

LARSA AL-OMAISHI (LEFT), IAN SOILEAU (RIGHT)/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTOS

Junior Kyle Singler spent most of his first two seasons in the post, but he will play exclusively on the perimeter this year because of Duke’s depth at forward.

He was noted for his shooting touch and ability to move well with the ball despite his size. But when Singler arrived on campus as a freshman for the 2007-2008 season, he was one of three big men and was forced to shoulder the burden in the post with just

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the help of then-sophomores Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek.

The Blue Devils were in desperate need of a post presence, and so Singler cooperated. Singler’s long range and ability to play on the perimeter didn’t disappear, but

it certainly wasn’t highlighted when he was playing just feet from the basket.

Two years later, the sacrifice is no longer necessary. Thomas, 6-foot-10 forward Mason SEE SINGLER ON PAGE 14

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THE CHRONICLE

MEN’S BASKETBALL THE NEW ARRIVALS

Freshmen bring unique skill set

by Alex Krinsky THE CHRONICLE

ADDISON CORRIHER/THE CHRONICLE

Freshman Ryan Kelly, a Raleigh native, is one of several Blue Devil big men with the ability to shoot and score from the perimeter.

They’re big, they’re athletic and they can shoot the rock, too. Meet the Class of 2013.

The Duke freshmen bring an impressive combination of size and shooting ability to the floor, and can make an immediate impact with their versatility. Andre Dawkins is a pure shooter who thrives from behind the arc, while forwards Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee are skillful big men who have the ability to shoot from the post or the perimeter.

Dawkins, a shooting guard from Chesapeake, Va., was a late arrival who decided in August to complete his remaining high school courses and commit to Duke as a member of the Class of 2013. Dawkins had intended to join the Duke roster the following year.

His late decision to forgo his last year of high school eligibility adds depth to a thin Blue Devil backcourt.

“Whenever he came into our program he was going to be a really good player,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He didn’t have the benefit of summer school like Mason and Ryan, so I’m really proud of his adjustment….

Andre was really thrown into it, but he’s such a good student and he’s such a good kid socially that he didn’t have to make those adjustments.”

Dawkins was one of the highest-rated high school shooting guards in the country, and will complement junior Nolan Smith and senior Jon Scheyer in the backcourt.

“I’ve always loved Duke—Coach K, Cameron, the tradition,” Dawkins said. “The guards are allowed to play freely so it just felt like the perfect place for me to be.”

Dawkins’s strengths lie in his vertical leap and fluid shot, and Krzyzewski expects him to thrive in Duke’s style of play.

With a plethora of big men able to set screens around the perimeter, Dawkins should have many opportunities as the first substitute in the backcourt to come off those screens and flaunt his scoring abilities.

Two of the big bodies setting screens for Dawkins are fellow freshmen Kelly and Plumlee, but those two have the versatility to score down low and from the outside.

There are many parallels to be made between Kelly and

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Plumlee. They both committed early to Duke and were touted as top students as well as top forwards in the country. Although Plumlee is actually from Warsaw, Ind., he played high school basketball in Asheville, N.C., and Kelly is a Raleigh native.

They are both listed at 6-foot-10, yet they have the unique ability to play the perimeter as well as the post. Both were McDonald’s All-Americans, and Kelly won the three-point contest against the top high school players in the country.

“Actually during the preseason we had [Kelly] playing exclusively on the perimeter in all the drills,” Krzyzewski said. “We felt that it would help his foot movement…. He’s actually progressed well and now we use him both places.

He can shoot and he can score.”

Kelly showcased his many talents during the Blue Devils’ exhibition game against Pfeiffer, scoring 18 points in front of his family, high school coach and several former teammates.

“I’m someone that’s going to work hard,” Kelly said. “I have some versatility for a guy my size and can shoot the ball pretty well. I’m going to do whatever Coach asks of me.”

Although Plumlee was introduced to the Cameron Crazies as older brother Miles’s “mini-me,” don’t let DUI fool you. Mason Plumlee is long, powerful and can shoot from the perimeter just after slamming down an intimidating dunk.

Krzyzewski is considering the younger Plumlee a starter, and alongside the 6-foot-10 Kelly and 6-foot-8 Kyle Singler, Duke has an unusually tall arsenal of forwards with shooting range. After a slow start in the exhibition game, Plumlee showcased his talents, finishing with a doubledouble. He scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds.

“That certainly adds another dimension… that versatility,” said Kelly. “There’s not many teams that have players who are 6-foot-9, 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-11 who can [score in so many different ways]. It’s something we are going to take advantage of, along with our size in general.”

It seems that the three freshman recruits will be instrumental in making Duke’s style of play successful this year. Kelly and Plumlee will use their athleticism and size to score from the perimeter as well as the post. Dawkins will use the size around him to showcase his explosive ability to score points with his stroke.

It’s the Class of 2013 at its best.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 5

MEN’S BASKETBALL IN THE LOCKER ROOM

Captains Scheyer, Thomas fill leadership gap

by Chris Cusack THE CHRONICLE

When the final buzzer sounded in Boston during last year’s Sweet 16 loss to Villanova, Duke was forced to face not only the reality of another early postseason exit, but also the loss of one of its most vocal leaders, Greg Paulus.

It got worse when Gerald Henderson announced he would be foregoing his senior season by declaring for June’s NBA Draft weeks later, leaving another gaping hole on and off the court.

Finding this team’s dynamic starts with

ZACHARY TRACER/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Senior Lance Thomas, Duke’s sixth man, described himself as the Blue Devils’ most vocal leader.

understanding its captains: seniors Lance Thomas and Jon Scheyer.

“I’m probably the most vocal leader,” Thomas said. “Jon, he’s a leader by example. We complement each other very well.”

Over the last four years, both men have earned respect from their peers and opponents—Thomas for his staunch defense and Scheyer for his shooting touch—but the two will be forced to emerge as on-court generals if they are to fill the hole left by Henderson and Paulus. Thus far, they’ve received rave reviews from their teammates.

“Jon and Lance have gone through a lot,” junior forward Kyle Singler said. “They’re seniors and they know what to expect. I think they say the right things at the right times.”

With such a large void to fill, the rest of the upperclassmen will have to step up into leadership roles. From the beginning, the seniors have done their best to help the rookies adjust to the rigor of high-level college basketball.

“We’ve got to start by doing it by example, showing them what to do every day by doing it yourself,” senior Brian Zoubek said. “We just have to encourage them.”

In fact, Zoubek is trying to assume a role that may not feel especially familiar to him.

When he arrived in 2006, peer advice was hard to come by—freshmen and sophomores occupied 12 of 14 roster spots. Now, he understands the importance of helping the rookies adjust.

“A little advice goes a long way,” Zoubek said. “Sometimes I didn’t get that as a freshman. We didn’t have any seniors, so I know how far something little can go.”

During a summer that saw the majority of the team in Durham for classes, the Blue Devils were able to bond effectively.

As a result, team chemistry does not figure to be an issue on this year’s squad. In fact, the veterans believe that the team is tighter than ever.

Scheyer said that despite losing Henderson, his and Thomas’s good friend, to the NBA, this Duke squad is still the most united one he has been a part of.

During the offesason, the team was pleasantly surprised upon hearing that Andre Dawkins was going to be joining the Class of 2013 after graduating high school a year earlier than expected. His inability to attend summer sessions made the transition even more difficult, but his new teammates have done all they can to help him out.

“From day one I took him under my wing so that he didn’t make the same mistakes I made as a freshman and sophomore,” junior guard Nolan Smith said. “Hopefully I’ve been there for him enough to where he won’t hit any walls.”

Smith was given lots of responsibility early in his Blue Devil career and dealt with it with mixed results, but he did warn Dawkins against one of his own early foibles.

“Getting satisfied,” Smith said. “As a freshman, you come in and play and get satisfied. I want him to take full advantage of the opportunity he has with only a couple guards on the team. He can really make his mark this year.”

The other new arrivals, big men Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee, have meshed equally well. Plumlee has family history on his side, aided by his brother Miles throughout the process. On the other hand, Kelly is close enough to his hometown of Raleigh that he is still well within his comfort zone.

Though the Plumlee family connection and Kelly’s short distance from home have played a part in their transition, Scheyer and Thomas have played a critical role as well.

“Our captains have been great. Jon and Lance are seniors, they’ve been here, and they’ve been through the battles and the wars. As players, everyone on this team knows that,” Smith said. “They demand respect and we give them the respect that they deserve.”

In the end, the fate of this team’s chemistry will rest squarely on the shoulders of Thomas and Scheyer. So far, they have done Henderson and Paulus proud.

LARSA AL-OMAISHI/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Jon Scheyer is tasked with replacing the leadership void left by Greg Paulus and Gerald Henderson.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL THE BACKCOURT

Guarded but confident Smith’s improvement key for three-man unit

by Jeff Scholl THE CHRONICLE

ZACHARY TRACER/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Junior Nolan Smith is being thrust into the role of starter and playmaker in the Duke backcourt.

When Nolan Smith returned to the Washington, D.C. area for offseason training this past summer, he took his game to the outdoor courts of Barry Farms. But the junior guard wasn’t playing pickup against the neighborhood kids.

He competed against some of the NBA’s brightest young stars in the Goodman League, widely regarded as the best summer basketball establishment in the nation’s capital.

“It’s an outdoor league, and Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Ty Lawson—all the area guys go down there and play,” Smith said. “It’s just somewhere that you go to get your toughness, get your—as people say these days—swag. You go out there and just play and have fun, and playing against guys of that caliber really boosts your confidence. In that game [against Durant and Beasley], I had 28 points.”

The league had its drawkbacks—head coach Mike Krzyzewski confirmed Tuesday that Smith will be suspended two games because the competition was not sanctioned by the NCAA. Smith said he forgot to get clearance to play and regretted the oversight.

But Smith brought his swagger back with him to Durham and looks to have a breakout season for the Blue Devils, strengthening a backcourt that lacks the depth Duke teams have possessed in recent years.

The Blue Devils have five scholarship guards on their roster, but sophomore transfer Seth Curry must sit out the season per NCAA rules. And graduate student Jordan Davidson, a former walk-on, has not seen game action

since the 2007 campaign, when he averaged less than two minutes of play in 13 contests.

That leaves a backcourt nucleus of Smith, senior co-captain Jon Scheyer and freshman Andre Dawkins. As the starting point guard, Scheyer will bring the ball up the floor and get Duke into its motion offense. Smith will start at shooting guard and share ball-handling responsibilities as well. Dawkins will be the first perimeter player off the bench.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski, however, doesn’t think much of those who say the Blue Devils are spread too thin on the perimeter.

“We don’t have as much depth, but we also have three guys who are going to play a lot of minutes,” Krzyzewski said. “You look at any one of our really good teams— Battier, Laettner, Hurley, Wojo, those guys—they played a lot of minutes and they were OK. Those guys want to play every minute, and we have to make sure we train them along the way and keep them fresh so they can do that.”

Smith and Scheyer both worked hard over the summer to prepare for the increased responsibility. Scheyer said he improved his ball-handling skills and ability to create shots against different types of players. In addition to playing in the Goodman League, Smith worked with a personal shooting coach. He said the individual workouts helped him to expand his range and quicken his release.

Smith unveiled his refined shooting stroke during the Blue-White scrimmage, going 10-of-14 from the field and making half of his six attempts from beyond the arc.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 7

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL THE DEFENSE

Replacing Black, Gay not a solo effort

by Kevin Fishner THE CHRONICLE

In the fast-paced, run-and-gun ACC, having an effective highpressure press defense is crucial.

To execute a successful full-court press, teams need to have quick guards and a center capable of anchoring down the defense.

But if the guards are bypassed, the center needs to step up to play physical defense in order to prevent easy baskets.

Last year for the Blue Devils, that player was All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Chante Black.

Standing at 6-foot-5, Black had the size and athleticism to rebound and block shots, which meant she was able to lead a Duke press that peaked at the end of the year. But with her departure to the WNBA, the Blue Devils will need to find a player—or a group of players—to fill the void that she left on defense.

“Defensively we need a more aggressive, physical approach,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “Defensive mishaps of not being physical cost us games. Dictating the tempo of the game defensively is very important to us.“ Along with Black’s departure, the Blue Devils lost forward Carrem Gay, who totaled the third-most blocks on the team last year. The tandem of Gay and Black accumulated 92

blocks in the 2008-09 season, making up nearly half the team’s total.

Despite the loss of these two defensive stalwarts, Duke is optimistic about its inside presence this season. When asked about replacing last year’s seniors, senior guard and captain Bridgette Mitchell said she has faith in her teammates.

“We have Allison [Vernerey] and Krystal [Thomas],” Mitchell said.

“They’re both very strong, dominant post players. They will both have their presence felt in there.”

Senior Joy Cheek is also expected to contribute inside and along the perimeter.

As a true freshman new to the country, some would assume that Vernerey would struggle to adjust to the ACC’s level of competition.

However, since the age of 16, she has accrued a plethora of international experience on the French national team.

In the U-16 European Championship in Latvia in 2007, Vernerey captained her team to the gold medal and averaged 15.9 points and 9.5 rebounds in nine games. Vernerey has the capability to become an elite center in the ACC and will only improve as the season continues.

Along with Vernerey’s potential in the paint this year comes Thomas’s experience and leadership.

In her third year as a Blue Devil, the 6-foot-4 Thomas will have to

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assume her biggest role yet. She has shown flashes of brilliance— a 16-point performance against Clemson and a 13-rebound showing versus Sienna—but will need to become consistent for the press to succeed this year.

Thomas always gave Duke a spark coming off the bench, but this season she will log her minutes as a starter.

The statistics from her first two years suggest she should be able to step into the starting role at center without difficulty. But Thomas is only one part of the larger defensive scheme that McCallie has implemented.

McCallie said the quickness of guards Jasmine Thomas and Keturah Jackson will dictate the tempo of the defense, while the size of Thomas and Vernerey will set the level of physicality that McCallie has emphasized this preseason.

The versatility of this Duke team will allow McCallie to take multiple approaches to each game on the defensive side of the ball, making it difficult for opponents to set a strategy for approaching the Blue Devil defense.

“We are going to be a very dangerous team to scout,” McCallie said. “On any given night we can have a breakout game from anybody. But the challenge for our student-athletes is to repeat it.”

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Krystal Thomas, Joy Cheek and Allison Vernerey (left to right) are charged with anchoring the Duke defense in place of departed twosome Chante Black and Carrem Gay this season.

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SOPHOMORES

Injuries haunt hungry sophs

by Vignesh Nathan THE CHRONICLE

CHASE OLIVIERI/THE CHRONICLE

Chelsea Hopkins, Shay Selby and Kathleen Scheer (left to right) struggled with injuries as freshmen but hope to contribute more this season.

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Their freshman experience may not have lived up to their expectations on the court, but for sophomores Chelsea Hopkins, Kathleen Scheer and Shay Selby, the 2009-2010 season represents a whole array of opportunities to shine.

With the departures of seniors Chante Black, Abby Waner and Carrem Gay, these sophomores can expect to play more minutes than last season, when they were used only sparingly.

The injuries that plagued Hopkins and Selby midway through last season only seemed to further dampen their first year in Duke uniforms. That being said, they made the best of a bad situation and learned how to play against tough Division I competition. The sophomore trio watched the team play in several high-pressure games, and gained a better feel for the game from its older teammates.

This year, the three of them look forward to using their experience to help the team succeed and take home a national title.

“They learned a lot. I expect them to be very hungry [and] very ready,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “[They will] take advantage of every opportunity. I think you saw Kathleen Scheer do that last week at the BlueWhite scrimmage.”

Scheer did show signs of brilliance Oct. 25 against the Blue Devil practice squad. She scored 18 points, including 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. She seemed to improve her jump shot tremendously over the summer, and now looks forward to being a legitimate threat from anywhere on the court. “[Last year,] I learned that when things get tough, just keep going,” Scheer said. “This year, I just want the opportunity to see what I can do.”

Like Scheer, Hopkins also wants the opportunity to show off her skill this season. For her, last year was especially tumultuous. She lived up to all expectations early in the season. Backing up Waner, Hopkins was an excellent passer and defender; in her first game as a Blue Devil, she had nine points, four assists and four steals. However, an injury to her knee in November left her less than 100 percent for the rest of the season.

After having surgery on her knee over the summer, Hopkins has the boosted confidence to return to the court and be a leader.

“I’m trying to be a distributor and the person that is the playmaker on the team,” Hopkins said. “I have to provide more leadership in terms of being more vocal and getting things going on both ends of the court.”

Coincidentally, Selby also suffered a left knee injury in the middle of her freshman year. When she was healthy enough to play, however, she was an effective role player. She led the freshman with 9.0 minutes per game, and averaged 2.7 points per game, including a 14-point performance against Temple.

After two surgeries and a case of mononucleosis over the summer, Selby only returned to practice two weeks ago, and she continues to struggle with her infirmities.

“I am definitely a lot slower, so it’s going to be hard to get back in shape,” Selby said. “At the same time, it made me appreciate being able to play. It made me think that I need to practice harder to even get a chance to play this year.”

With one year of experience under their belts, Scheer, Hopkins and Selby can look forward to building on their difficult freshman campaigns.

LAWSON KURTZ/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Sophomore Kathleen Scheer is expected to provide Duke with an outside shooting threat in her second season with the program.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 9

Indianapolis or Bust

Gabe

Starosta

Chronicle columnists Gabe Starosta and Archith Ramkumar argue the Duke men’s chances of making it past the Sweet 16

Duke regressed much less than the rest Duke isn’t as talented as it was last year.

Ain’t no question about that.

And how could the Blue Devils be?

They lost Gerald Henderson, the best Duke player I’ve seen in person, as well as Elliot Williams, who transferred suddenly in the summer.

So let’s say Duke got worse. But the other top teams in the country—the Blue Devils’ competition to get past the Sweet 16—regressed much more than Duke did.

In the ACC, Carolina lost Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington and Green.

Yikes. Wake Forest returned to mediocrity when Jeff Teague left for the NBA, Tyrese Rice is gone at Boston College and Clemson lost its two scoring guards.

Those teams represent all five of Duke’s conference losses in 2009.

Nationally, the trend is the same, as Oklahoma and UConn got much worse.

Only Kansas and Kentucky significantly improved, and I must say, they did so without even pretending their players are student-athletes.

Duke won’t be as exciting as it was last year, but there’s no denying this team is good. Jon Scheyer might not be a natural point guard, yet with him at the helm, the Blue Devils went 10-2 last year. Those losses came against North Carolina and Villanova, maybe the teams with the best backcourts in the country. I’ll take Scheyer at the point, thank you very much.

Depth at guard is a separate issue that doesn’t seem likely to resolve itself, but Duke fans should thank their lucky stars Andre Dawkins got here a year early. We haven’t seen him play much yet, but the early indication is that he and Nolan Smith could be great together.

The frontcourt could be great or just OK, but it’s hard to ignore the depth at forward the Blue Devils finally have.

Duke’s got six players 6-foot-8 or taller, including Kyle Singler, quite possibly the best player in the country. Are Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek, Ryan Kelly and the Plumlee brothers good enough to carry Duke to a Final Four?

Well, that’s the wrong question to ask.

Those guys don’t have to carry Duke— Singler, Scheyer and Nolan Smith can handle that responsibility.

What the Blue Devils need from their post players is smart defense,, solid d quality finishing when rebounding and esent themselves, and easy layups present appen a lot with Singler that’s going to happen m or drawing defenders flying at the rim r. to the perimeter. ultimatelly A thin set of guards could ultimately itss fronthaunt Duke, butt I think n court is more than sturdy enough. Players like North Carois might lina’s Ed Davis put up 20 and 100 against the Blue h, but he won’t throw Devils in March, ts, 14 rebounds and down 40 points, ke Tim Duncan does eight blocks like ponents when it matagainst NBA opponents ege post players just ters most. College don’t have thatt in them yet, and round big games byy Duke can get around interior players. iding their (rela(relaaAnd so by hiding tive) weaknesses and emphasizing — great reboundtheir strengths— ing, mismatches galore and Kyle lue Devils can Singler—the Blue ete for a Final expect to compete Four berth in Indianapolis a hs from now. few short months

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Ramkumar

Blue Devils lack “real size” Before I came to Duke, whenever I heard that an athlete was versatile, I usually thought that was a good thing.

After three years of Duke Basketball, whenever I hear the word versatile, hybrid, or guard-forward combo, I cringe. The Blue Devils’ overreliance on European-style big men means that Duke has about as much of a chance to make it past the Sweet 16 as Darrius Heyward-Bey has of making it to the Pro Bowl this year.

Three glaring problems face the Blue Devils: a lack of a true point guard (still), a complete scarcity of backcourt depth and no real size inside.

The first fir of these thes is self-exp l a n a t o r y.

Duke still lacks a proven pr point guard who plays only o ly at that position. on position Jon Scheyer is a converted conv shooting guard who is adsom equate, but not someone cre who does a lot of creative passing for teammates. teamm Nolan Smith remains rema a question mark because bec of his inability to deal with ball pressure, pres o and the only other guard expected expecte to min get big minutes, Andre Dawkins, Dawkin is sho more of a shooting guard.

Which b brings us to the se second fundamental problem: The

Blue Devils have only three high-quality guards. In the NCAA Tournament, depth is essential because teams play grueling games separated by a day in the first two weekends. Duke’s three guards that play big minutes will wear down in the Tournament purely out of exhaustion.

The final point I brought up might cause most people to label me as crazy, though. After all, we’re so tall right? If we’re this tall, how can we not have real size?

The answer, unfortunately, is that tall and skinny does not add up to effective in the paint. And when you’re evaluating if this team has real size, ask yourself one question: Could any of our “post” players guard Ed Davis one-on-one?

The Plumlee brothers are skilled in a lot of ways, but there’s no way they can be expected to bang with real centers, especially in the Round of 16. The only true center on the Blue Devil roster is Brian Zoubek, who struggled mightily in the Blue-White scrimmage. It all adds up to the same thing. This team does not have actual size.

Some people will say Duke will get past the Sweet 16 because of experience.

While experience is usually necessary to get past the Sweet 16, it is not sufficient.

In other words, the experience must be supplemented with…well, a point guard and real size, for starters. Experience on its own will only get a team so far.

Don’t get me wrong: I think Duke will have a great regular season. The Blue Devils will probably only lose five or six games, and have that one game where they shoot 80 percent from three and seem unstoppable.

But in March, this team has a ceiling. And a squad with this many serious deficiencies will not make it past the Sweet 16.

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

10 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

THE CHRONICLE

MEN’S BASKETBALL THE NEW OFFENSE

Athletic big men create inside-outside attack

by Sabreena Merchant THE CHRONICLE

For the first time in recent memory, the Blue Devils are going to to be big. Really big.

Duke fans fretted over the team’s lack of guard depth this summer upon the departures of Gerald Henderson and Elliot Williams, but the team’s glut of players 6-foot-8 and taller gives the Blue Devils a size advantage that head coach Mike Krzyzewski says he has rarely had in his 30-year tenure.

Senior guard Jon Scheyer is looking forward to leading such a unique group.

“Our whole lineup, when you look at it, can really create mismatches,” senior guard Jon Scheyer said.

“Going into this year, that’s something we really need to exploit.”

The Blue Devils haven’t had a solid post presence since Shelden Williams, and have consequently run a perimeter-based offense with a lot of movement in the past three years.

Although conventional wisdom suggests that a team loaded with post players would pound the ball inside and run a lot set plays—and Duke displayed an inside-outside attack in its two exhbition games— Krzyzewski still plans on utilizing the team’s athleticism as well as its size in a revamped motion offense, similar to what his teams ran back when Danny Ferry donned blue and white in the late 1980s.

“We’re not going to run as many plays,” Krzyzewski said.

“We’ll advance the ball quicker than we did last year but do it more with the pass to try to get an early offense going. We’ll be a team that doesn’t break you down with the ball and create shots.”

Last year, particularly after Williams entered the starting lineup, the Blue Devils relied on wing playmakers to create scoring opportunities with the ball in their hands. Four players

lined up around the perimeter while one post player manned the paint. This system often devolved into an isolation for Henderson, who was called upon to make something happen late in the shot clock.

This season, Duke will still have motion on offense, but a lot more movement off the ball with no singular option to turn to with the clock winding down. The Blue Devils will have two big men inside— rotating seniors Lance Thomas and

Brian Zoubek, the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly—and three perimeter players, taking advantage of the team’s size in setting screens to create open looks.

Duke is also trying to establish a high-low game with one big man stationed near the top of the key and another fighting for position on the block.

Getting the ball up the court quickly is still a priority for Duke.

Despite featuring an oversized lineup, the Blue Devils believe that

their big men are more agile than most, allowing them to run the floor and maintain a quick pace.

“One thing that isn’t addressed a lot about the big guys is that even though we’re a bigger team, we can really run,” Scheyer said. “With Miles and Mason [Plumlee] inside, they can really run the floor. They can jump [and] they’re long. So even though we’re bigger, we’re just as athletic.”

The additional size on offense will finally give Duke a rebounding presence, something the team has been sorely lacking in recent years. The Blue Devils ranked ninth in the ACC last season with 36.4 rebounds per game—the bulk of those coming on the defensive end— resulting in several one-anddone possessions. But now, the presence of two or more post players will give Duke multiple chances on the offensive end.

“In practice, it’s a war in there, everybody going after boards,” Zoubek said. “Everybody’s just hitting the boards and it’s a battle.

I think were going to be able to pound guys into the court and on the glass all year long.”

For a team that has been criticized for being soft in the postseason of late, the Blue Devils could use more of that agressive mentality.

And a little size inside could be all that’s needed for that extra edge.

LAWSON KURTZ/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Freshman Mason Plumlee’s athleticism and passing ability, not to mention his 6-foot-10 frame, make him a dangerous scorer.

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THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 11

Are the Blue Devil women better than last year?

Yes: Younger players will emerge

E

ven though they lost leading scorer Chante Black, the No. 6 Blue Devils should enjoy more success this year than last.

Firstly, there is the way last season ended. Duke, as a No. 1 seed, went down in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to ninth-seeded Michigan State. The game took place in the Breslin Center, the Spartans’ home court.

Lucas That’s right, Duke, the No. 4 team in the nation, had to play its second-round tournament game on the road. It’s tough to blame the team for that loss, especially given the Spartans’ extra incentive of beating their former coach—Blue Devil head coach Joanne P. McCallie. Michigan State was the worst possible matchup for Duke. Without such bad circumstances, the Blue Devils could have advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond.

Nevola

No: There’s too much missing

A

second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament was a bitter end to an otherwise impressive season for Duke, overshadowing an undefeated home record and a second straight ACC title game appearance.

But even if the Blue Devils have wiped away the memories of last year’s loss to Michigan State, they still have to deal with this squad’s lessthan-stellar prospects.

Sabreena The greatest challenge facing Duke this year is filling the void left by a hugely productive senior class.

The Blue Devils lost three starters from last year’s squad, including ACC Defensive Player of the Year Chante Black. But perhaps more importantly, the Blue Devils will miss the offensive production of that trio. Black and Abby Waner were two of the Blue Devils’ three leading scorers, and Black and Carrem Gay were the team’s top rebounders. Jasmine Thomas is the only returning player who averaged 10 points per game.

Duke has run an inside-outside attack for the last two years, and without Black and Gay, the points will be hard to come by. Junior Krystal Thomas hasn’t yet demonstrated much offensive consistency—albeit in limited minutes— and senior Joy Cheek regressed after a successful sophomore season, losing her starting spot midway through the year. For a team that prides itself on rebounding and defense, the Blue Devils may not have the personnel to keep that identity.

Merchant

This year’s team is similar to last year’s, and in March the first two rounds of the tournament will be played in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke should be able to coast through the first weekend and have a legitimate chance to advance even further.

Additionally, the Blue Devils’ guard play should be improved this season. Jasmine Thomas showed against North Carolina last year that she is ready to take over this team. Her 19 points, eight in overtime, led the way for Duke’s come from behind victory over its rival, and this season Thomas returns as the Blue Devils’ leading scorer. Shay Selby and Karima Christmas remain the two most accurate 3-point shooters from last season.

Also, eight of Duke’s nine returning players hit at least one trey last year, and the firepower from long-range could make up for the loss of Black inside.

There is also addition by subtraction. Everyone loves Abby Waner, and she did a lot of good things for the program, but no one loved the 30-foot 3-pointers grazing the side of the backboard and the no-look passes out of bounds.

Last year, the Blue Devils got a midseason spark through the emergence of then-sophomores Jasmine Thomas and Karima Christmas, who provided solid scoring from the wings and alternated as second options behind Black. It remains to be seen who will step up for Duke this year. The current sophomore class had minimal impact a year ago, as the three rode the pine for the bulk of conference play and the postseason.

The Blue Devils are also suffering from a slew of injuries.

Guards Shay Selby and Keturah Jackson both sat out in the team’s Blue-White scrimmage, and without Waner, a primary ballhandler last year, Duke needs its guards healthy.

The team has struggled with turnovers each of the past two seasons, and that could continue. Jasmine Thomas split the point with Waner last year, but head coach Joanne P. McCallie said Thomas will be playing more off the ball. That leaves the responsibility of bringing the ball up on Christmas and Mitchell, neither of whom are natural floor leaders.

Duke will likely have a chip on its shoulder after being the earliest No. 1 seed to lose in the Tournament, but a tough schedule will do the Blue Devils no favors. Duke has to face the likes of Connecticut, Ohio State and Stanford—the Cardinal on the road— in addition to the usual ACC grind. The goal is always to peak in March, but early-season struggles could send the Blue Devils spiraling downward.

Duke is still one of the premier programs in the country. But with a collection of unproven players, don’t expect the Blue Devils to be as dominant as they were in 2008-2009.

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Without her 33 percent shooting (on 321 shots!) and her 3.32 turnovers a game, the Blue Devils should have better possessions and more productive looks at the hoop.

Krystal Thomas, who replaces Black down low, may not be able to duplicate Black’s scoring, but she should be able to replicate her rebounding and defensive numbers with additional playing time. Thomas played in every game last year, and had the second most blocks on the team in only 11.6 minutes a game.

It’s also important to note that, as always, Duke has one of the best home-court advantage in college basketball.

Duke went 14-0 at home last year, and this year the Blue Devils get to face the likes of Ohio State, USC and UConn in the friendly confines of Cameron, giving the Blue Devils a great chance to pick up a few signature wins. Duke’s schedule is tougher this year, but this should better prepare the team for the Tournament.

If a successful season is defined by advancing farther in the Tournament than last year, then this year’s team will almost certainly be a success.

XAVIER WATSON/THE CHRONICLE

Junior Jasmine Thomas is the Blue Devils’ leading returning scorer, and the only one to average double-digit points last season.

ACC BASKETB

12 | THE CHRONICLE

A new cast with

by Joe Drews THE CHRONICLE

Three years ago, Jon Scheyer and Lancee Thomas were freshmen on a young, undersized d Duke team that suffered a first-round NCAA A Tournament loss to Virginia Commonwealth.

Now, they’re captains of a squad that’s dif-ferent in almost every way.

The Blue Devils are experienced, havingg been through the highs of a No. 1 rankingg and ACC championship last season and thee lows of that 2007 loss to the Rams. They aree taller than just about any Duke team underr head coach Mike Krzyzewski, with a probablee starting lineup boasting three players who aree at least 6-foot-8. And perhaps most important-ly, they represent a program back on the rise.

In March, the Blue Devils reached thee Sweet 16, recovering from a February swoon n to win 30 games and capture the ACC Tourna-ment title before a season-ending loss to Vil-lanova. It was the first time Duke had reached d the second weekend of the NCAA Tourna-ment since 2006 after advancing at least thatt far in the previous nine seasons.

The key to the Blue Devils’ late-season surgee was the insertion of freshman Elliot Williamss into the starting lineup, which caused Scheyer,, a natural shooting guard, to move to the point..

Williams has transferred to Memphis, but Dukee learned how good it can be when the efficientt Scheyer is running the team, and it will stick with h that plan in 2009-2010.

“We played really well at the end of lastt year without having the benefit of practicing as much,” Krzyzewski said. “Then finally we had a horrible game in our last game, and that’s a game, with that lineup, you hope to have in mid-January, early February. So

you say, ‘OK, we can have a game like that, and here’s how we can improve.’ Now we get a chance to do this right from the beginning with Jon bringing the ball up.”

That means the Blue Devils will not play an up-tempo style, because aside from a rapidly emerging Nolan Smith, they do not have the personnel to break opponents down off the dribble. As a result, they will run a more deliberate motion offense in which the players without the ball will try to create shot opportunities based on screens and cuts.

Thanks to Duke’s greatly improved size, ACC Preseason Player of the Year Kyle Singler will play exclusively on the perimeter in that new offense.

After spending

much of his first two years in the paint, the junior seems to be looking forward to his new role, and he is glad that this Blue Devil team has a different makeup than previous squads.

“Now we have a complete team, even though we are kind of small on guards,” Singler said. “I’d much rather have more big men than more small guys. It’s something that we’ve struggled with in the past.

We’ve always had one or the other, so I think it’s good that we’re big now.”

Duke’s increased length will also force the team to employ less of its signature pressure defense, perhaps even going to a zone at times, Scheyer said.

But the Blue Devils hope all those changes, added to the most experience they have had in four years, will help them build on the steady progress they

have made since the 2006-2007 season.

“There have been points throughout our past couple years where if we get off to a good start—5-0, 10-0, whatever it might be—[we get comfortable],” Scheyer said. “We can’t relax.”

That holds for the postseason as well, where Duke looks to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2004.

“We’ve had excellence of our own,” Krzyzewski said. “When this decade’s done, we’ll end up being the winningest program in any decade in college basketball. People have things to hang their hats on. The thing you’d like to hang your hat on the most is a national championship because that’s the ultimate.”

In the final season of the 2000s, Duke would love to bring both honors back to Durham.

BALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 13

h a bright future

by Sabreena Merchant and Gabe Starosta THE CHRONICLE

The Blue Devils head into the 2009-2010 season with a lot to prove.

No. 6 Duke finally started to come together at the end of the year for the first time under head coach Joanne P. McCallie’s, recording wins over perennial powerhouses Tennessee and North Carolina in February and taking eventual Elite Eight participant Maryland into overtime before finally succumbing in the ACC Championship game. The offense was clicking, the patented press defense was flustering opponents and the Blue Devils were brimming with confidence.

In short, the pieces were seemingly in place for a deep run in March, which is exactly why McCallie was hired in the first place.

And then, the season came to a crashing halt.

One loss to No. 9-seeded Michigan State—on the Spartans’ home court, no less—and Duke’s season had ended in failure. The toughness that McCallie and the Blue Devils were supposed to embody had evaporated in front of a raucous road crowd, and No. 1-seeded Duke was on the wrong end of the record books.

Which means that this year’s Blue Devils are eager to show that they aren’t the same team as the one that preceded them.

“Everybody wants the same things and we want to accomplish the same things,” junior Karima Christmas said. “We have been to the ACC Tournament [final] twice and have come up short both times. So that is one thing we’re looking forward to improving on: getting past that hump and just being able to go further than we have in the past. We are all driven to do great things, but we want to do them, not just talk about them.”

First and foremost, Duke is quite literally stronger than its 200809 predecessor. McCallie said this is the first team she has coached in 17 years that has three players who can bench 180 pounds, giving the Blue Devils a formidable presence in the post.

Freshman Allison Vernerey joins junior Krystal Thomas and senior captain Joy Cheek to anchor a frontcourt that will be relied upon to lead the offense, even in the absence of graduated seniors Chante Black and Carrem Gay, who averaged 14.2 and 6.6 points per game, respectively.

“The emphasis on getting it inside is still there,” junior Jasmine Thomas said. “Our focus is still the same.”

Thomas, a preseason All-American, will also have to shoulder a great deal of the offensive burden for Duke. The junior emerged as a go-to scorer in the clutch— exemplified by her nearly flawless performance in an overtime victory over the Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium—but benefited from Black’s inside presence and the outside threat Abby Waner provided.

Without those two, defenses will zero in on Thomas, Duke’s leading returning scorer, unless other offensive options emerge early in the year.

One player expected to step up and help fill that void is senior Bridgette Mitchell, whom fellow senior Keturah Jackson called this year’s most improved player. Mitchell has yet to consistently score from the perimeter, but her hustle has never been questioned. With a better outside shot and a willingness to attack the basket, Mitchell could contribute more than ever before.

“She’s much more aggressive and more comfortable out

there,” Jackson said of Mitchell. “She’s always been vocal, but now more so, playing her game without hesitating, letting it come to her. She’s a great presence every time she’s on the court.”

Mitchell, Thomas and the rest of the Duke squad will have to grow comfortable with the new options on offense almost immediately. The Blue Devils face arguably the toughest schedule in the country, including games against the preseason Nos. 1, 2 and 3 teams in the country. Duke plays several challenging road games before Christmas, among them a trip to Maine to face McCallie’s old team, and takes on second-ranked Stanford and the No. 3 Buckeyes in early December.

As if the Blue Devils needed more good teams to prove themselves against, defending national champion Connecticut visits Cameron Jan. 18.

McCallie said the schedule is no accident, and expects it to help her team mature quickly.

“I just believe you have to play the best to become the best,” McCallie said.

She won’t have to worry about not being challenged—

this Duke team faces more tests than most do. The Blue Devils will know if they deserve their No. 6 ranking right away. If they do, McCallie’s third year might be the charm after all.

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

14 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

SINGLER from page 3 Plumlee and his brother, sophomore Miles Plumlee, will handle most of the rebounding and post responsibilities. And so at 6-foot-8, Singler will often be the third-tallest player on the court for Duke.

“It helps him out a lot,” Thomas said.

“The stuff that you guys have seen Kyle do since he’s been here just shows how good of a player Kyle is. [He’s 6-foot-8] and maybe 240 pounds and he played inside last year.... Him having that freedom to just stay out there, and we have guys that can do all that banging for him, I think it’s just going to be a great year for him.”

The team has more tall, athletic players than Krzyzewski can remember at any point during his coaching career at Duke.

“We’re a very tall team,” Krzyzewski said.

THE CHRONICLE

“I think it’s our biggest team since I’ve been here, and this is my 30th year so it’s [the biggest team] in a long time.”

Singler will be the focal point of Duke’s offense this season, and other ACC coaches and the media have taken notice. Singler was chosen on 19 of the 48 ballots for Preseason ACC Player of the Year honors at the ACC’s Operation Basketball event to narrowly edge out Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez.

If Singler is able to turn the preseason prediction into ACC Player of the Year honors at the end of the season, he will be the 13th Blue Devil to do so.

Despite playing out of position last season under the basket, Singler averaged more points, rebounds, steals and blocks than any other returning Blue Devil. Finally playing out on the 3-point arc, the junior will have the chance to dominate defenders where he is even more comfortable.

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MAYA ROBINSON/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski said Duke’s guards can expect to play big minutes this season.

BACKCOURT from page 6 The nature of Duke’s motion offense should also help the perimeter players stay fresh this season. The Blue Devils will look inside much more than last year because they possess so much size.

If Duke can establish a low-post scoring threat early in games, the guards will feel less pressure to create off the dribble.

“We’ll be a team that doesn’t break you down with the ball and create shots,” Krzyzewski said. “We should try to break you down off the ball to cre-

ate shots. We make reads when we don’t have the ball, and so when we get the ball we should react, instead of having the ball and then making plays.”

By using his big men to draw double teams and set screens outside the paint, Krzyzewski thinks the Blue Devils’ style of play will mesh perfectly with the strengths of Dawkins, Duke’s newest sharpshooter.

Dawkins arrived on campus a year earlier than originally planned and did not have the privilege of scrimmaging with his teammates over the summer. After a few weeks of feeling like “a deer in the headlights” during preseason, he said, the 6-foot-4 shooting guard thinks he’s finally adjusting to the speed, strength and intensity of the college game.

Smith helped make the transition smoother by reaching out to Dawkins as soon as he joined the team.

“He’s just there to tell me certain things that I need to work on,” Dawkins said of Smith. “He’s just kind of taken me under his wing since I’ve been here.”

Smith has encouraged Dawkins to look to score when the opportunity arises rather than defer to one of the veterans.

Dawkins certainly didn’t hold back in the Blue Devils’ first exhibition game against Pfeiffer, attempting 10 shots and connecting on 3-of-5 from downtown.

Dawkins said he feels no pressure to produce right away despite the loss of Gerald Henderson, Duke’s leading scorer last season and one of its best jump shooters, who departed a year early for the NBA. On the other hand, Smith seems ready to put the team on his back. He even received a blessing from Lawson, last year’s ACC Player of the Year. “[Lawson] said it’s my turn to take over, so I told him ‘Alright,’” Smith said. “He’s going to be watching—I don’t think he’s going to be a Duke fan yet—but he’s definitely going to be watching me play.”

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ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 15

Despite departures, Tar Heels favored again

by Lucas Nevola THE CHRONICLE

No. 50 is gone, and so are a host of other starters, but the Tar Heels remain one of the favorites in the ACC thanks in part to an incoming class of five freshmen, many of whom can expect significant playing time.

“It’s hard to practice without Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green and Bobby Frasor,” head coach Roy Williams said. “We lost some great guys who were bigtime basketball players, wonderful kids, wonderful leaders and very successful.”

Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are the two other significant departures for North Carolina. Even with these losses, the Tar

Heels go into the season ranked No. 6.

Seven-foot sophomore Tyler Zeller is one of North Carolina’s remaining frontcourt players who will have increased minutes, while forward Ed Davis is on the preseason Naismith watch list.

The Tar Heels look to their new seniors to replace the leadership lost from last year.

“Not only is Marcus [Ginyard] going to be a great leader,” Williams said, “but Deon Thompson is going to do a nice job with that as well.”

In the backcourt, North Carolina has a plethora of options to substitute in for Lawson, but it won’t be easy for any player to step in and replace the production of the

newest Denver Nuggets point guard.

“You can’t replace a Ty Lawson,” Thompson said. “But when you’ve got a Marcus Ginyard and a Larry Drew and a Dexter Strickland and Lezzy McDonald—you put all those guys together—that’s a pretty

good core group to replace one guy.”

The Tar Heels should find out quickly how well their young team gelled in the offseason with matchups against preseason No. 2 Michigan State and No. 5 Kentucky in December.

T#1

NORTH CAROLINA POWER RATINGS OFFENSE

DEFENSE

COACHING OVERALL

KEY STATS 2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 34-4 ACC: 13-3 PRESEASON RANKING AP: 6 USA TODAY: 4 RETURNING STARTERS: 1

THE PLAYERS STARTERS PF ED DAVIS Double-double threat and excellent shot blocker PF DEON THOMPSON Experienced big man will provide senior leadership SF WILL GRAVES North Carolina’s best perimeter shooter SG MARCUS GINYARD Lockdown defender returns from a foot injury PG LARRY DREW II Played in every game last year as a freshman BENCH No. 4 overall prospect John Henson headlines a stellar recruiting class

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

16 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Tigers look to big man Booker

THE CHRONICLE

#3

CLEMSON POWER RATINGS OFFENSE

KEY STATS 2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 23-9 ACC: 9-7

DEFENSE

by Jeff Scholl After Clemson dealt Duke its worst conference loss since 1984 last season, the Blue Devils will certainly be marking their calendars for Jan. 3, when the Tigers come to Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Clemson was picked to finish third in the conference this year, but this will be no easy task, as the Tigers lost three starters from a squad that won 23 games and reached the NCAA Tournament last season.

Second-leading scorer K.C. Rivers has graduated and long-range specialist Terrence Oglesby left school early to pursue a professional career in Europe.

But Clemson returns its best player, senior Trevor Booker, who averaged 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds last season.

“I feel he is a legitimate All-America candidate and is one of the top players in a great league,” head coach Oliver Purnell said of Booker. “He does more than just score points and pull in rebounds. He is an outstanding passer and defender, as well. He is a hard worker and an emotional leader on the court.”

For the Tigers to improve upon their winning percentage for the sixth straight season, they will need Booker to have another dominant campaign. Although the 6-foot-7, 240-pound post player may be undersized compared to other big men, he certainly won’t let them outmuscle him.

by Matt Levenberg

PRESEASON RANKING AP: 24 USA TODAY: 24

THE CHRONICLE

COACHING OVERALL

THE CHRONICLE

RETURNING STARTERS: 2

THE PLAYERS STARTERS PF TREVOR BOOKER Has more boards and blocks than any active ACC player PF JERAI GRANT High flyer may be one of the ACC’s most improved big men SF DAVID POTTER Glue guy was top scorer off the bench last season SG TANNER SMITH Will be called upon to make more 3-pointers PG DEMONTEZ STITT Ranked sixth in the league in assists per game last year BENCH Freshmen including Booker’s younger brother will see major minutes Booker will also have help from two other veterans—junior point guard Demontez Stitt and senior forward David Potter. Purnell has confidence in the abilities of this core of players, but he knows his incoming freshmen must make an impact as well if Clemson wants to make another run to the Big Dance. “[Our freshmen] will get their feet wet early,” Purnell said.

Fortunately, the Tigers reeled in their first McDonald’s High School All-American since

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With the departure of its best outside shooters, Rivers and Oglesby, Clemson will not be the same team that led the ACC in 3-point field goals per game last season.

But Purnell’s squad will play an up-tempo style that could be just as explosive as the perimeter-oriented offense the Tigers showcased last year.

After a disappointing 2008-2009 season, the No. 22 Yellow Jackets will be looking to bounce back in a big way. Last year, Georgia Tech finished with just two conference wins, but there is reason to believe that this year will be a substantial improvement.

Despite losing two of its top three scorers, Georgia Tech looks to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. Much of this task will fall on the shoulders of its freshman class, the fourth-best class in the nation according to Rivals.com.

The spotlight will be on 6-foot-10 center Derrick Favors.

Favors, the No. 3 prospect in the country, chose Georgia Tech over Georgia and N.C. State. But the Yellow Jackets would not boast the best recruiting class in the ACC without point guard Mfon Udofia. Udofia looks to be the starting point guard, replacing Lewis Clinch, Georgia Tech’s leading scorer last season.

The freshmen will join a talented young core that remains from last season. In the post, Favors will be joined by two returning starters, Gani Lawal and Zachery Peacock.

Lawal earned third-team All-ACC honors last season while averaging 15.1 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game.

And though Udofia might handle much SEE GEORGIA TECH ON PAGE 17

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THE CHRONICLE

GEORGIA TECH from page 16 of the ball-handling responsibilities, Iman Shumpert will take some of the pressure off of his freshman teammate.

Shumpert is a dynamic ball handler who can play either guard position. He also can pass and defend very well, as shown by his 5.0 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game last season. Both of those numbers were the

best in the country among freshmen.

The pressure is on Hewitt this season. His team is coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in his career, and the last time Georgia Tech won a game in the NCAA Tournament was 2005. The only obstacles standing between the Yellow Jackets and the NCAA Tournament are inexperience and perhaps a lack of chemistry, but the talent is there and this could be a dangerous team come March.

#4

GEORGIA TECH POWER RATINGS OFFENSE

DEFENSE

COACHING OVERALL

KEY STATS 2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 12-19 ACC: 2-14 PRESEASON RANKING AP: 22 USA TODAY: 20

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 17

Vasquez-Williams combo gives Terps confidence

by Patricia Lee THE CHRONICLE

After a brief scare of nearly losing its top player to the NBA, Maryland is looking to start off the season on a much stronger note with four returning starters, a plethora of guards and tall forwards. “I think our team is different from last year in that we have a lot of experience, so hopefully we’re starting off from a different point than we did last year,� head coach Gary Williams said. “We’re very veteran in the backcourt, and overall, I think our team is a pretty tight team working hard together.�

Senior guard Greivis Vasquez, a Ven-

ezuelan native, was considering leaving Maryland to play professional basketball but decided against it last June after talking with Williams and seeing the abundance of guards wishing to entering the NBA Draft.

With Vasquez returning and bringing a great deal of enthusiasm and leadership to the team, Williams believes the Terrapins will rally to a strong finish and thinks being voted No. 4 in the ACC preseason poll is a good indication of what the season will bring.

But that doesn’t mean Williams is fine with being ranked just fourth in the ACC. SEE MARYLAND ON PAGE 18

#5

MARYLAND

RETURNING STARTERS: 3

KEY STATS

THE PLAYERS

THE PLAYERS STARTERS DERRICK FAVORS Stud freshman will immediately provide offensive lift PF GANI LAWAL 15-point scorer will combine nicely with Favors SF ZACHERY PEACOCK Senior provides guidance to green teammates SG IMAN SHUMPERT Explosive guard is only a sophomore PG MFON UDOFIA Freshman given difficult task of handling ball right away BENCH Highly-touted recruits like Daniel Miller will see lots of playing time

PF JAMES PADGETT PF LANDON MILBOURNE

2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 21-14 ACC: 7-9

SG ADRIAN BOWIE

PRESEASON RANKING AP: NR USA TODAY: NR

PG GREIVIS VASQUEZ

RETURNING STARTERS: 4

SF SEAN MOSLEY

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ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

18 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

MARYLAND from page 17

Deacons decimated by NBA Draft

“I’d rather be ranked No. 1 in the country going into the season because you walk out with a certain swagger, and you have that going for you, but it’s difficult to crack that top 25,” Williams said.

“We’ve been picked anywhere from 17 to 25, which is not bad because we still have to earn our way in, but it’s good because in the players’ minds they’ve been getting some respect.”

Maryland ended last season with a 21-14 overall record and tied for seventh place in the ACC with a 7-9 mark. The Terrapins reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Memphis 89-70.

This year could be more fruitful as younger players are eager to prove themselves on the court and vie with the veterans for playing time, pressuring both groups to work harder this season to become a more formidable team capable of challenging for a conference title.

Williams also stressed getting the team’s big men to grab rebounds, especially the freshmen and sophomores.

“There will be days where you’re not shooting well even if you have been all season, and you have to be able to rebound and defend,” he said. “You have to shut down for a couple minutes... and maybe get a second shot, and all of a sudden you win the game because of those two minutes you put together.”

by Matt Levenberg THE CHRONICLE

MICHAEL NACLERIO/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Al-Farouq Aminu will have less help this year with Jeff Teague and James Johnson gone to the NBA.

#6

WAKE FOREST THE PLAYERS CHAS MCFARLAND

PF AL-FAROUQ AMINU

KEY STATS 2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 24-7 ACC: 11-5

SG L.D. WILLIAMS

PRESEASON RANKING AP: NR USA TODAY: NR

PG ISHMAEL SMITH

RETURNING STARTERS: 3

SF ARI STEWART

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Last season was quite the roller coaster for the Demon Deacons. After getting off to a sizzling 16-0 start and reaching No. 1 in the country, they stumbled down the stretch and still have a bitter taste in their mouth after suffering a shocking openinground upset to No. 13 seed Cleveland State in the NCAA Tournament.

“The last game was disappointing, but the season as a whole was pretty good,” head coach Dino Gaudio said.

After losing two underclassmen to the NBA, Gaudio and Wake Forest hope they do not experience another disappointing year. Sharpshooting guard Jeff Teague and bruising forward James Johnson averaged 18.8 and 15.0 points per game, respectively, last season. Both were picked in the top-20 of the NBA draft, and their absence will likely be felt by the Demon Deacons.

Despite losing the 6-foot-9 Johnson, the Demon Deacons still have a formidable front line that can compete with the best in the ACC. With four players on their roster listed 6-foot-11 or taller, Wake Forest will look to outrebound opponents and score points in the paint.

“When you start the last game of the season with two freshmen and two sophomores, that is impressive,” Gaudio said about the development of his young players.

Sophomore power forward Al-Farouq Aminu, a returning starter, has the potential to be the most dominant low-post player in the conference. Aminu was one of the most coveted recruits in the country in the Class of 2008, and he showed flashes of brilliance last season. Aminu racked up 10 double-doubles last season while averaging 12.9 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game.

But unless freshman Ari Stewart, or senior guards Ishmael Smith and L.D. Williams greatly exceed expectations, it is hard to envision Wake Forest can finish in the top-five in the conference, and even harder to see it traveling deep in March.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 19

With go-to scorer gone, ’Noles hope to keep pace

by Tim Visutipol THE CHRONICLE

After a highly successful season in which they reached the NCAA Tournament and lost in the ACC Tournament finals, the Seminoles aim to prove that they are not one-season wonders.

This season however, Florida State will not have departed point guard Toney Douglas, taken 29th in the 2009 NBA Draft. Douglas leaves a huge scoring hole, having averaged 21.5 points per game last season. Douglas was also the only Seminole to average more than nine points per game last year.

Head coach Leonard Hamilton is not expecting any one player to step up.

“I want to have a lot of different guys averaging double figures,” Hamilton said. “The go-to guy might just be the open guy.”

Sophomore center Solomon Alabi, who led the team in rebounding last season with

5.6 rebounds per game, also feels the team is ready to deal with Douglas’ departure.

Alabi led the ACC in blocked shots last year, just the seventh freshman in conference history to do so, and was was named to the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List.

And with five freshmen having played last year, the Seminoles feel the experience the current sophomores gained will mean they will avoid a drop in performance this year.

“We now have experience under our belt,” sophomore Chris Singleton said.

“Watching Toney… motivated us to be able to do the same things.”

The strong showing by the Seminoles last season surprised many fans and raised expectations, but the players believe this team is prepared to deal with the added pressure.

“Ever since we were little kids, we just wanted to play on the big stages, and here we are,” Singleton said.

T#7

FLORIDA STATE THE PLAYERS

KEY STATS

C SOLOMON ALABI PF XAVIER GIBSON SF CHRIS SINGLETON SG DERWIN KITCHEN PG DEIVIDAS DULKYS

2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 25-10 ACC: 10-6 PRESEASON RANKING AP: NR USA TODAY: NR RETURNING STARTERS: 3 EMILY ESHMAN/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

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ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

20 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

THE CHRONICLE

Hokies not satisfied with NIT Deep Eagles

by Jason Palmatary THE CHRONICLE

With the last two seasons coming to the same disappointing end—NCAA bubble team to NIT participant—Virginia Tech is hoping to leave no doubt in the selection committee’s mind as to its Big Dance readiness this year.

In order to get to the NCAA Tournament this March, the first order of business is finding a way to replace the scoring of graduated swingman A.D. Vassallo. The forward averaged 19.1 points per game as a senior last year and was always the player that the Hokies turned to when they needed a big basket down the stretch.

The team does return several proven scorers, however, namely junior guard Malcolm Delaney and junior forward Jeff Allen.

Delaney was named to the preseason All-ACC first team after pouring in 18.1 points a night last season. Delaney, who has played point guard the last two years, will likely start there again in 2009-2010, although head coach Seth Greenberg would also like to get him some time at shooting guard.

To free Delaney up to use his playmaking ability at the two-guard spot, incoming

could struggle without Rice

T#7

VIRGINIA TECH THE PLAYERS PF VICTOR DAVILA PF JEFF ALLEN SG

DORENZO HUDSON

SG

MALCOLM DELANEY

PG ERICK GREEN

KEY STATS

by Patricia Lee

2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 19-15 ACC: 7-9

THE CHRONICLE

PRESEASON RANKING AP: NR USA TODAY: NR RETURNING STARTERS: 3

freshman Erick Green will have to step up and prove he can handle the duties of primary ball handler for 15 to 20 minutes a night.

“He’s tough,” Greenberg said of Green.

“He’s just got to be more aggressive and understand that you can’t let down.”

Another player expected to increase his production is sophomore Victor Davila, who has shown flashes of potential to this point in his Virginia Tech career. Davila, a bruising 6-foot-8 forward, contributed primarily as a rebounder and defender as a freshman, but his ability to complement Allen as an interior scorer will be crucial to the Hokies’ success this year.

Allen provided Virginia Tech with a strong post presence in 2008-2009, but

often lacked the help to push the Hokies over the top against the conference’s best teams.

In addition to creating more balance on offense, Greenberg is stressing the importance of improving upon his team’s middle-of-the-road defensive statistics this year.

“We’re not playing with McDonald’s All-Americans yet,” Greenberg said. “We’re not a team that should rely on outscoring people. We’re a team that needs to rely on getting stops.”

If the Hokies are able to pick it up on the defensive end, they return enough pieces to surpass their projected finish in the ACC and possibly secure a Tournament berth. If not, they could be looking at the NIT—again.

One thing Boston College head coach Al Skinner seems to keep emphasizing is the idea of success—a successful basketball team, a successful season and successful players.

And with one senior, seven juniors and three sophomores returning this year, the Eagles should have no problem building momentum and having that success in the ACC. “The nice thing about it is that we have so many guys coming back, so I think we’re in a good place,” Skinner said. “We’re hoping we can accelerate things a little bit and that we can be better earlier on than we would have been last year.”

Though the Eagles lost their star player, Tyrese Rice, to graduation, Skinner said the team is prepared for the change, especially from an attitude standpoint.

“The guys are really prepared to take on the responsibilities that are necessary for us to be successful,” he said. “It was great for us last season because [Rice] gave the young guys a good idea of how to be successful, and I hope we can continue to build on that this year.”

Breaking away from tradition, Boston College did not sign any new recruits to the team.

Rather than bringing in someone new who might not have the opportunity to play, the Eagles wanted to focus on working more as a unit SEE BOSTON COLLEGE ON PAGE 22

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 21

#9

BOSTON COLLEGE

RETURNING STARTERS: 4 MAYA ROBINSON/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Joe Trapani and the Boston College offense lacks a playmaker like the graduated Tyrese Rice this year.

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ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

22 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

#10 MIAMI KEY STATS

THE PLAYERS DWAYNE COLLINS

2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 19-13 ACC: 7-9

PF

CYRUS MCGOWAN

SF

DEQUAN JONES

SG

JAMES DEWS

PRESEASON RANKING AP: NR USA TODAY: NR

PG

MALCOLM GRANT

RETURNING STARTERS: 2

THE CHRONICLE

Down year looms for ’Canes

by Andy Margius THE CHRONICLE

The 2008-09 season was a relatively successful one for Miami as it was able to hang tough with some of the top teams in the ACC, including during its trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium. With an overall record of 19-13, the Hurricanes earned a bid to the NIT before losing in the second round.

However, with the loss of team leader Jack McClinton, Miami could face a down year. All eyes now turn to senior forward Dwayne Collins, who led the team last year in rebounds, steals and field goal percentage. Collins’s presence inside will have to fill McClinton’s scoring void, as no clear perimeter scorer exists.

Head coach Frank Haith said that the team will face offensive troubles. “We’ve always had a guy that could put up 20-25,� Haith said. “I don’t know if we have that on this team—though Dwayne

went for 28 against Duke last year.�

Any hope of improving the offense outside of Collins will come from the young backcourt. Predominantly made up of freshmen and unproven sophomores, the inexperienced players will need to quickly contribute. With his natural size and athleticism, sophomore DeQuan Jones could rise to his potential as an outside scoring option.

Overall, Miami is a team with raw potential, but lacking senior leadership. The loss of McClinton will completely change the team dynamic, as the Hurricanes will need a more team-orientated offense, rather than a one-dimensional approach to scoring. However, Miami’s top-20 recruiting class and sophomore starters may lead the team to a more successful season than their predicted 10th-place finish. “We’ve been picked to finish last four out of five years,�

Haith said. “But we’ve gone to the post season four out of five years, so if we paid attention to that I don’t think we would have had that success.�

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Senior and NBA prospect Dwayne Collins has to develop into a consistent post scorer for the Hurricanes to compete against the ACCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top teams.

BOSTON COLLEGE from page 20 and moving ahead with a relatively unproven team.

Last season, Boston College finished 22-12 overall and tied for seventh place in the ACC with a 9-7 record.

The Eagles reached the first round of NCAA Tournament but fell to USC 72-55. This year, they were picked to finish ninth in the ACC. Skinner said he tries to avoid the rankings, however, and aims to encourage his team from within rather than from outside sources. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I rarely use outside influences to help my [team] because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always the negative stuff, and even the positive stuff sometimes inflates their [egos],â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just going to continue to do what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing but hopefully just do it better. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our motto this year: do what we do, just better.â&#x20AC;?

With great depth and experience, the Eagles are prepared to bring their best game to the conference slate and hopefully the NCAA Tournament.

But without Rice, Boston College could have trouble in high-scoring games that are unavoidable in ACC play. Rice averaged almost 17 points per game in 2008-2009, and scored over 20 against both Duke and North Carolina last season for the Eagles. Boston College has some weapons, but replacing Rice is the priority for the new year.

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

Wolfpack desperate for scoring

by Nicholas Schwartz THE CHRONICLE

For fans watching an N.C. State game this year, head coach Sidney Lowe’s trademark red blazer may be the only thing they recognize.

This year’s Wolfpack squad will look to quickly establish an identity of its own, as N.C. State needs to fill gaping holes left by departed seniors. With three starters gone, N.C. State has to replace 60 percent of its scoring and the two best rebounders on last year’s team, Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner.

Scoring points will be the biggest struggle for the Wolfpack, who managed only 73 per game last year. Lowe

has high expectations for 6-foot-8 junior forward Tracy Smith, who averaged 10 points per contest as a sophomore. Smith will have to carry a heavy load, though, on the offensive end and in captaining the defense.

Australian recruit Jordan Vandenberg and fellow freshman DeShawn Painter will give the Wolfpack some much-needed size in the post. Vandenberg and Painter, at 7-foot-1 and 6-foot-9 respectively, could prove to be important role players for N.C. State, which was second to last in the ACC in rebounding.

The Wolfpack will also have to deal with a tough nonconference schedule in which N.C. State plays three 2009

NCAA Tournament teams—Akron, Auburn and Austin Peay—and has road trips to Arizona and Marquette.

With five incoming freshmen, a young team will have to mature quickly.

“With all the freshmen, it’s going to take a while for them to get up to speed,” senior guard Farnold Degand said.

“There are certain things you can’t teach them in practice, and it’s going to take some game time to get things straight.”

Degand said the low expectations for the Wolfpack will benefit the young team.

“It’s fine what people say, we’re just going to go out there and surprise a lot of people,” he said.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 | 23

#12 N.C. STATE KEY STATS

THE PLAYERS PF

TRACY SMITH

PF

DESHAWN PAINTER

SF

RICHARD HOWELL

SG JULIUS MAYS PG JAVIER GONZALEZ

2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 16-14 ACC: 6-10 PRESEASON RANKING AP: NR USA TODAY: NR RETURNING STARTERS: 2

#11 VIRGINIA KEY STATS

THE PLAYERS PF ASSANE SENE PF MIKE SCOTT SG

SYLVEN LANDESBERG

SG

SAMMY ZEGLINSKI

PG CALVIN BAKER

2008-2009 RECORD OVERALL: 10-18 ACC: 4-12 PRESEASON RANKING AP: NR USA TODAY: NR RETURNING STARTERS: 5

Landesberg leads thin Cavs

by Tim Visutipol THE CHRONICLE

Virginia’s floor general actually has more experience than the one on the bench this season.

As new Cavalier head coach Tony Bennett begins to take over a team that won just 10 games last year, he will rely heavily on reigning ACC Rookie of the Year Sylven Landesberg.

Bennett also has the luxury of having all but two of last season’s players returning to Virginia.

But Landesberg, who averaged 16.6 points per game last year as a freshman to lead the team, will be expected to not only improve his own game, but also to excel in his new role as a team leader.

“He’ll be a marked man this year,” Bennett said. “Even though he is young, my challenge for Sylven is to make his teammates better.”

Landesberg does not seem fazed by the challenge nor the added pressure placed on him, but has confidence in his ability and his teammates.

“We’re all excited for the season to start,” he said. “Last year was definitely a learning curve…. We’ve all matured from then. We won’t be surprised [if we play well], even though other people might be.”

Landesberg feels his work during the offseason will pay off as he seeks to improve on his ACC Rookie of the Year season.

“I don’t like people saying I had a big season last year.

There are a couple of things I could have done,” he said.

“This season, it’ll be a lot harder to guard me.”

Bennett, who previously had taken Washington State to the Sweet 16 in 2008, looks to shore up the defensive end, while stressing a solid halfcourt set on offense.

“We will give them no wiggle room on defense,” Bennett said. “We will do whatever gives us the chance to be competitive.”

Above all, however, Bennett hopes his team will come together as one.

“We talk about unity all the time,” he said. “We can’t let our house be divided.”

Shamir Autograph® Designed Perfection, One Lens At A Time™.

Did you know that not all progressive lenses are custom-made just for you?

Previously, most lenses were designed to meet the needs of the average patient.

Just like “off-the-rack” clothing, these lenses provide a visual solution for the average individual. Because “off-the-rack” lenses don’t provide a personalized, tailor-made solution for patients, Shamir created the Autograph.® This premium progressive lens incorporates patented Freeform Technology® giving you a personalized visual solution unlike any other.

Since Autograph® lenses are customized, they are never made until an order is placed; this enables us to incorporate your personal Rx variables and needs to the production of the lens.

Shamir Autograph®. ReCreating Perfect Vision® Just For You. •

Shamir Autograph® is designed to provide you with unsurpassed visual acuity up-close, at a distance and everything in-between.

•

Shamir Autograph® incorporates your personal preferences to provide a lens exclusively designed for you.

Payroll Deduction Available for Duke Faculty and Staff Duke Eye Center Location Only

Accepting Spectera Vision Plan Treat yourself to the most advanced lenses.

Ask your eye care professional for Shamir Autograph® lenses.

S

EYE CARE

SUPEROPTICS

Duke Eye Center

14 Consultant Place

Northgate Mall

Main Lobby • 684-4012 M-Th 8:30-4:30, F 8:30-4

493-3668 M-Th 9-7, F 9-6, Sat 9-3

286-7732 M-Th 8-7, F 8-6, Sat 9-6

24 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

Welcome home to

THE

BELMONT Live where you learn & love where you live.

The Belmont is more than just a place to store your stuff; it’s a community designed with you in mind. Close to campus and comfortable, The Belmont is the perfect place to live where you learn and love where you live.

YOUR COMMUNITY: • 10 minute walk to campus • Private lake with walking trail • Shimmering swimming pool with sun deck • 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center • 24-hour wi-fi lounge with big screen TV • 24-hour racquetball court • Controlled access security gate • On-site courtesy officer • Car care center • Garage parking available* YOUR APARTMENT: • Private balcony or patio • Full size washer & dryer • Microwave & dishwasher • Spacious walk-in closet • Online rent payments • Spectacular views available*

NOW LEASING !

Space S till Availab le!

*For a fee

THE

BELMONT 1000 McQueen Drive Durham, NC 27705 Phone: 888.362.8961 Fax: 919.383.1283 www.LiveBelmont.com