The semifinal match-ups are all set with the top four seeds advancing. North Carolina takes on Virginia Tech at 1:30 PM with Duke facing Clemson at 4:00 PM.

Carolina opened up quarterfinal action with an 82-70 victory over Florida State. ACC Player-of-the-Year Tyler Hansbrough scored 22 points and Wayne Ellington chipped in 19. Point guard Ty Lawson started for the first time in six games after spraining an ankle. With Lawson running the offense, Carolina pushed the tempo especially in the second half.

In the day's second game, Virginia Tech ousted Miami 63-49. The Hokies outrebounded the Canes 51-25 and sealed the victory by going on a 18-2 run in the second half. Virginia Tech is playing for their NCAA tournament life, but they most likely need to beat Carolina to earn a berth. A win over the Number One team in the country would erase Tech's "zero quality wins" stigma. The victory over Miami was Virginia Tech's first of the season over a Top 50 RPI team.

Duke opened up the evening session with an 82-70 victory over Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils looked fantastic at times and led by as many as 20 points in the first half, but allowed the Yellow Jackets to go on a 19-2 run and get back into the game. Kyle Singler was sadled with foul trouble the entire first half and finished the game with only five points. However, Duke relied on their balanced scoring offense as five players finished with double digit points. Jon Scheyer led the way with 18, DeMarcus Nelson added 17, Greg Paulus 13, Gerald Henderson 12, and Lance Thomas 10.

In the nightcap, Clemson ran away from Boston College 82-48. The Tigers utilized pressure defense to force 22 turnovers and controlled the game throughout. A 19-0 run in the first half produced a 17 point halftime lead for the Tigers. The victory places Clemson into the semifinals for the first time in a decade. In 1998, Clemson fell to Duke 66-64 when William Avery knocked down a buzzer-beater.

Georgia Tech drained 13 3-pointers in their 94-76 victory over Virginia. The Yellow Jackets have won four of their last five games and will face Duke in the second round. Mark Bradley, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says, "I can see Georgia Tech beating Duke tonight." Matt Winklejohn points out that to beat Duke Georgia Tech will need to shoot some free throws. In Tech's earlier loss to the Blue Devils they didn't shoot a free throw for the first 30 minutes. Bryan Strickland points out that Georgia Tech has the potential to win against any team in the league.

Maryland led big early but Boston College rallied to win 71-68. Rick Maese, of the Baltimore Sun, points out that the Terps can go from inspired to insipid without warning. Maryland needed an impressive run in the ACC tournament in order to secure an invitation to the Big Dance. The Terps impressed a lot of people but it was the wrong kind of impression. Maryland blew an early 22-7 lead and allowed Boston College back into the game. Boston College trailed 31-25 at the half. Here is a photo gallery.

Wake Forest dropped their fifth game out of their last six, 70-60, to Florida State. The Demon Deacons shot poorly and fell behind early to the Seminoles. Florida State advances to face No. 1 Carolina in the quarterfinals. The Seminoles have never won two straight games in the ACC tournament. Well there is always a first time.

Miami defeated N.C. State, 63-50, to advance to a quarterfinal showdown against fellow bubble team Virginia Tech. With Miami and Virginia Tech both sitting solidly on-the-bubble, this game should be an exciting affair. N.C. State lost its ninth consecutive game and finishes the season at 15-16. The Wolfpack started the season with high expectations, but News & Observer writer Chip Alexander described the end result as "baffling and bewildering."

It is ACC Tournament time and newspapers throughout the region are reporting on their team's prospects to bring home the crown. North Carolina, Duke, and Clemson are locks to receive an invitation to the NCAA tournament, while three other teams: Maryland, Miami, and Virginia Tech need to pad their resume with an impressive performance this weekend. The remaining six teams must win it all to earn an invitation.

The Bubble Teams:

The Baltimore Sun has an article up comparing Greivis Vasquez with John Gilchrist who led the Terps to ACC tourney crown in 2004. There are two things consistent about the Terps in that they are inconsistent but dangerous. It wouldn't suprise me if they won it all or if they lost in the first round. If Maryland is going dancing, they need to win the tournament and secure the automatic bid.

This Miami Herald article discusses star guard Jack McClinton and his fierce work ethic. McClinton has a strong all aound game and is the leader of the Canes. Miami needs to be very impressive this weekend to earn an invitation. They should take care of N.C. State in the opening round, but then the going gets tougher against fellow bubble team Virginia Tech.  I expect Miami to receive a bid.

Virginia Tech finished in fourth place in the ACC with a 9-7 record. However, they have zero marquee wins and are solidly on the bubble. In my opinion, they are at the bottom of the bubble and anything short of advancing to the ACC Championship game will leave them in the NIT. A win over Carolina in the semi-finals would erase the "zero quality wins" stigma. Virginia Tech better hope the Tar Heels don't fall flat on their face in the quarter-finals because a win over Wake Forest or Florida State doesn't carry enough weight.

The Favorites:

The biggest concern of the fan's of Number 1 seed North Carolina is the health of point guard Ty Lawson. Lawson will be back in the starting line-up on Friday but Coach Williams will be keeping a close watch on his star. In their win over Duke, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green had very strong performances. The Durham Herald-Sun says these two hold the keys to Carolina's success.

Duke has had great success in the ACC Tournament under Coach Mike Krzyzewski, but last year's opening day loss to N.C. State has the team motivated to win the championship this year. Frank Dascenzo credits team captain DeMarcus Nelson with Duke's success this season. Nelson is the only player in the ACC averaging over 15 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals per game. Dascenzo says Nelson has led the Blue Devils with dignity and a gentleman's touch of class.

The Clemson Tigers won close games this year. They were 6-4 in games decided in the final minutes compared with 4-6 last year. That difference means the Tigers are a lock for the NCAA Tournament instead of in need of a couple of victories to secure an invitation. The Tigers are in the top echelon of the ACC along with North Carolina and Duke, and that position gives them confidence. With a first round bye, Clemson will face the winner of the Maryland - Boston College game on Friday.

Teams Hoping for a Miracle:

Georgia Tech has a lot of talent on their basketball team. Too much talent to be 14-16 on the year so the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says you can't rule them out in this weekend's tournament. The Yellow Jackets won three of their last four games and enter the tournament on an upswing. They start off against Virginia, which is the team who beat them down the stretch.

Virginia sufferred a seven game losing streak in the middle of the season, but have won four of their last six games. Defense has been Virginia's Achilles Heel all season and their opening game opponent, Georgia Tech, is one of the ACC's highest scoring teams. The good news for Virginia is that Georgia Tech is the ACC's worst team in terms of scoring defense. Sean Singletary is optimistic and focused on keeping his college career alive.

Florida State is playing its best basketball of the year. They won four of their final five ACC games with the only loss coming at North Carolina. Do they have an outside shot at an at-large berth? Will two wins in the ACC tournament impress the selection committee? I believe they need to win it all to avoid the NIT.

Wake Forest is a young team and according to the Winston-Salem Journal they are going to need their veteran players to show leadership in order to succeed in the ACC Tournament. Those veterans are sophomores Ish Smith, L.D. Williams, and Chas McFarland.

N.C. State has been the most disappointing team in the ACC this year. Twelve months ago they set the ACC Tournament on fire before falling to Carolina in the championship game. They were picked to finish third in the ACC in preseason polls but finished in last place. They need to rekindle some magic this weekend or it is going to be a long off-season.

copyright BDN

Duke prospect Mason Plumlee led his team to a win today in Raleigh, North Carolina in the NCISAA tournament.  The Blue Devil Nation was on hand for his 14 point 10 rebound performance.   By joining BDN Premium you will get a complete breakdown of Mason's game and know all about his weekend plans which include a visit to Duke University with his parents.  So come on inside and see what you've been missing.  Discuss current happenings with other members and get the latest detailed information on all things Duke recruiting.  Paypal links are in the menu to your left for 3, 6 or 12 month memberships.

Happy Birthday to Coach K from the Blue Devil Nation!

It's kind of odd when it seems like you are the one giving the gift Coach.  I speak for the entire Blue Devil Nation in wishing you a very Happy Birthday!  We applaud you and appreciate what you have done for Duke University and basketball in general.  Thanks for the memories and may we spend many more special days with you as our coach.

Picture Tour Gallery Part I

For the best viewing experience, press one picture.  Below the picture, you will then see the opition "slidshow."  In other words, there are more than one page of pictures which the lick directs you to.

We will have much more on the facility in the coming week.  It is one of the finest facilities in college or the NBA and offers Duke student athletes to experience their years at Duke on the cutting edge.  Former Duke or current NBA athletes will use the faclity too.

Take a look at these pictures of the K Center for Athletic Excellence.  Be sure to look around the Blue Planet while you are there.  This facility should impress recruits and current athletes in a big way.

Duke 81 Virginia Tech 64

The Blue Devil defense shut down the Hokies in the second half

BDN's Player of the Game - Kyle Singler

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Kyle Singler scored 10 of his 16 points during an 18-9 run that gave Duke (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 4 AP) some breathing room early in the second half and the Blue Devils beat Virginia Tech 81-64 on Thursday night.

The Blue Devils (16-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their sixth straight game and for the third time in the past five drama-filled meetings with the Hokies.

Virginia Tech (11-8, 2-3), which has beaten No. 7 Duke in Blacksburg and No. 5 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium since joining the ACC, also lost on the Blue Devils' famous court on a 40-foot heave by Sean Dockery to beat the buzzer in 2005.

This time, Singler and the Blue Devils didn't let it get that close, taking charge with an impressive burst to open the second half and keeping the raucous crowd at Cassell Coliseum waiting to see if the overmatched Hokies could get back in it.

Playing without second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Jeff Allen, who is serving a two-game suspension for making contact with a referee at Georgia Tech on Saturday, the Hokies couldn't, even after getting within 42-41 early in the second half.

Singler answered A.D. Vassallo's 3-pointer to begin the half with one of his own, then had three of the Blue Devils' next four baskets as they built a 53-45 lead.

When a dunk by J.T. Thompson pulled the Hokies to 53-47, the Blue Devils answered by scoring the next seven points, one on a free throw by Singler after Deron Washington was called for an intentional foul for pushing Singler after a defensive rebound by Duke.

The Hokies never challenged again.

Gerald Henderson added 12 points and DeMarcus Nelson and Greg Paulus both had 10 for Duke.

Vassallo led Virginia Tech with 16 points, while Thompson had 13 and Washington 12.

The game was rough throughout, and Nelson, Washington and Malcolm Delaney of the Hokies all fouled out.

The Blue Devils built a 27-16 lead by outscoring the Hokies 21-10 over a 9-minute stretch when the Hokies committed five turnovers. Virginia Tech closed within 39-38 with 55 seconds to go in the half. Duke's Taylor King made it 42-38 at the half with a 27-footer, his third 3-pointer to that point, with 37 seconds left.

Official Box Score Here          Season Stats

Duke hosts Virginia on Sunday evening as ACC play kicks off for both teams. Team health is a topic of concern and Bryan Strickland has an article posted at the Herald-Sun that discusses Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek's roles and current status. Coach K is quoted as saying he wishes the team was healthier.  The article contains some nice remarks from Jon Scheyer and DeMarcus Nelson.

Lucy Chavez, at the News & Observer ACC Blog, says we should get used to seeing Paulus and Smith on the court together as long as Thomas and Zoubek are unavailable.

In this analysis of Virginia's readiness for ACC competition, the Wahoos defense is graded as deficient. Virginia has struggled defending the 3-point shot and with the transition game. Unfortunately for Virginia, or fortunately from our perspective, those areas are Duke's offensive strengths.

Virginia was thrashed by Xavier in their last game and Coach Dave Leitao was not happy. He responded by locking the locker room and taking away practice jerseys.

Finally, Virginia has struggled with team health themselves. Reserve point guard Sammy Zeglinski is out for the season and 6'8" 255 pound forward Lars Mikalauskas is out for the Duke game with a shoulder injury. Mikalauskas averaged 5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game prior to being injured. He has not played in Virginia's last four games.

The Cutcliffe Clan

You hear the word family mentioned a lot when Duke Athletics comes up in conversations.  Be it Coach K and company or the Women's Golf  team's togetherness, Duke has always promoted family.  The new football coach David Cutcliffe, staff and family fits in quite well.  In a recent press conference almost all his assistants used the word "family."  The BDN would like to welcome the staff and their families to the Blue Devil Nation.

Courtesy: David Bradley

Al Featherston on Duke's visit to the Childrens Hospital.

LINK

Collision Course: Panthers vs. Blue Devils at the Garden

Freshmen give Duke new look, big boost

Zoubek, McClure Finding Their Roles at Duke

Duke adopts Suns' style

Duke needs Nelson's shot vs. Pitt

So, does everybody love Taylor King so far this season?  There is no doubt that Duke got a special player in TK.  Here is a must read from the LA Times where it infers the obvious in that our gain is UCLA's loss.

The Blue Devil Nation has been covering the exploits of Taylor King for a long time.  TK accepts the MVP of the Hoophall Classic in this picture I took in Cameron during the event.

Dan Wiederer has written a great article on Taylor King and the NCAA's plans to move the 3-point line back to 20 feet, 9 inches.

"It doesn’t matter to me," the Blue Devils freshman said. "Not even a little. Put the line down. I’ll shoot wherever that is and way out beyond. It does not matter."

Wiederer discusses King's struggles away from home. "King is far from Duke’s top offensive weapon, the team’s fifth-leading scorer overall. In games away from Durham, he has made just four of 15 shots and is averaging 2.5 points per game. But inside Cameron, his range has made him an immediate cult hero where chants of "T-K-Oh!" frequently reverberate from the Crazies."

Duke's coaches have given King a three question checklist: "Is it a quick shot? Is it off the first pass? Is it contested?" said assistant coach Chris Collins. "Anytime Taylor’s open and he’s got his feet set, we’ve let him know that he can shoot the ball from well past the NBA 3-point line. But he has to make sure it’s within our offense."