Blue Devil Nation

We are moving

Mark Watson — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:26:59 -0400

Our premium section is still located here, but this will make a complete move and overhaul by the end of the month. This site will remain floating in cyber space for the foreseeable future. Go to the bottom for a link to the new site which is up and running. We will be making a lot of changes in the near future. Thanks for frequenting the Blue Devil Nation!

If you want to become a member of Blue Devil Nation Premium, the paypal logos on this site are the place to join. Come on in and see what kind of information you are missing. You will then be able to discuss recruiting and behind the scenes tidbits with other members. You will have access to the archives of past information and of course, the new stuff.

Coach K Academy Teaches Family, Relationships and More

Mark Watson — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:39:48 -0400

Once gain the Coach K Academy raised a substantial amount of money for charitable causes. The event took place this past week and was deemed a glowing success.

Some actually scoff at the notion that campers will pay $10,000 to attend the Coach K Academy, a fantasy camp which provides the ultimate Duke Basketball experience. What they fail to realize is that the money goes to the Emily K Center. In short the proceeds go back into the local community and it takes little research to see the tremendous benefits reaped during a special week.

Ask any attendee and they will be quick to tell you that they had a wonderful time and built relationships and learned lessons that will last a lifetime. Many of them have already made their mark on our culture. On one team is the head of ITunes. His opponent on a given day could be the gentleman who designed the new state of the art Duke Basketball Practice Facility adjacent to Cameron.

Do you think the attendees are pampered? Well, they are certainly treated with respect and are given full access to the Duke Family. However, when they hit the court it's all business. There you will see coaches like Chris Collins or Steve Wojciechowski get in their grills after a mistake. The reason? This camp is very realistic and the players are treated just as our scholarship players are in real life when the buzzer sounds for tip off.

You will often hear the aforementioned word, relationships in regards to Duke Basketball. It's an important component of K's philosophy and it's served Duke well. For some campers, relationships are built quickly in that it might be there first year. Others have attended multiple times, some actually having their names retired and hanging in Cameron during the event. Relationships are a Duke cornerstone and the players are taught to work as a cohesive unit both on and off the hardwood.

Another keyword when talking Duke Basketball is family. Each attendee is made to feel a part of that just as our players are. You will often see our alumni return, be it for a workout in the new practice facility or to rehab an injury. K always leaves the door open for ex players and I feel certain that he stays in touch with a lot of these men throughout the year.

A quick trip into Cameron Indoor Stadium during one of these games will attest even more to family. Every single member of the Duke Staff is committed to the experience, be it coaches, managers, SID workers, medical staff members and those in charge of the unique Legacy Fund . The mention of the Legacy Fund allows me the opportunity to bring up K's real family. His daughter works with Mike Cragg in this department and she shares in the duties of making all campers comfortable. It doesn't stop there! In the bleachers, flanking his eldest daughter Debbie will be her sisters, their husbands and a bushel of kids, some adoringly hanging off K's arm as he sits with his wife Mickie. In short, all of them are completely on the same page which is more a testament to love than the military precision of K's behemoth Duke Basketball machine.

Yep, these men get an experience that most call a bargain and others call a dream. On day one they play for all the coaches in order to be evaluated for an NBA style draft with no expense spared. The same trainers Duke has will attend to the ills from spills. Participants walk by a tent city and their sneakers create the same squeaks on Coach K Court as has any past player you can name in recent memory.

The lessons they learn help them in their businesses or perhaps their personal lives. The experience is both ways in that the former players take home lessons from campers and fellow alumni alike. There are lots of hugs and exchanges of pleasantries.

I was simply a fly on the wall at the event, but I came away having gained knowledge and perspective. Duke Basketball and Coach K ( Team USA Coach) reached participants from all across the Nation and they all came together and raised money for some great causes.

Sidebar - The event raised and additional 500 K during their annual auction. New Assistant Coach Nate James made a big splash in leading his team to the championship. His team had a key hard fought win in OT over Collins team and they rode the momentum to the title game. Matt Hancock was again the Academy's leading scorer. Other stat stuffers are as follows, Duke Football SID, Art Chase, Fred Perpell who designed the new practice facility, Scott Walker, Rick Schaull, Ted Virtue, Jeff Klein, Steve Cronin, Rich Grodin, Jeff Feinberg and others as well. In the end, James team showed balance with a roster consisting of Rick Schaull, Brian Grodin, Chuck Goldfarb, Tim Dunstan, Bob Porcelli, Eddy Cue, Clifton Knight, Tom Gardner and Ty Miller. The Blue Devil Nation captured the spirit of the event in our photo galleries which will be updated shortly. So, please check them out.

ESPN's Katz on K's program, Team USA and more

Mark Watson — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:24:46 -0400

Andy Katz has an excellent article up on Coach K. It's a good read, so don't miss it!

Multitasking for Coach K

Cameron Goldberg is back

Mark Watson — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:16:32 -0400

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe announced on Thursday that offensive tackle Cameron Goldberg has been reinstated to the program. Goldberg was suspended from the program on April 15 for violation of team rules.

"Cameron has done everything I asked him to do in a timely manner," Cutcliffe said. "I appreciate his sincerity and attention to detail while handling this situation. We have fully reinstated him to the program and he will resume off-season conditioning with his teammates immediately."

Goldberg, a 6-6, 280-pound senior from Lutherville, Md., started all 12 games last season at left tackle. He has played in 32 career contests with 23 starting assignments.

Nate James is the newest assistant coach - Wojo, Colllins promoted

Mark Watson — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:10:18 -0400

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced the addition of Nate James to the coaching staff on Tuesday, May 6. The Washington, D.C., native fills the opening created when associate head coach Johnny Dawkins took the head coaching job at Stanford in late April. James joins the staff as an assistant coach after serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coach last season.

“Nate is a great addition to our staff,” said Krzyzewski. “He was a valuable member of our program as a player and will be an asset as an assistant coach. His maturity, toughness and dedication to Duke will blend well with the current staff we have in place. I look forward to watching Nate develop and prosper in this role.”

James, a 2001 Duke graduate, scored 1,116 career points as a member of the program from 1996-2001. He helped the Blue Devils to a 71-9 ACC regular season record and is the only player in ACC history with five straight regular season conference titles (he redshirted in 1998 after playing in six games). James, a two-time team captain, played on a pair of Final Four teams, including Duke’s 2001 National Championship squad. As a senior, James averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while helping the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record.

James, an All-ACC and ACC All-Defensive team selection in 2001, played professionally in the United States and overseas from 2002-2007. After being named the Carolinas Basketball League Most Valuable Player in 2003, James spent various parts of the next five seasons playing in the Bosnia, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Philippines, Poland and Russia. He was also with the Philadelphia 76ers during their training camp in 2004.

Nate battles for a board in the ACC Championship Game. His signature graces the copy of this Sports Illustrated

Wojo, Collins Named Associate Head Coaches

Krzyzewski also announced assistant coaches Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins will be promoted to associate head coaches.

“I am excited about the staff we have put together,“ said Krzyzewski. “Steve [Wojciechowski] and Chris [Collins] are outstanding coaches. They are both well deserving and prepared for their new roles.”

Wojciechowski joined the staff for the 1999-2000 season and has helped Duke to six league titles, the 2001 National Championship and a 261-53 record. Collins has been a member of the staff for the past eight seasons with the Blue Devils compiling a 232-48 record, five ACC Tournament championships, four in-season tournament titles and the 2001 National Championship.

Associate Head Coaches, Wojo and Collins

Sunday Morning Links

Bob Green — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:22:15 -0400

The Johnny Dawkins to Stanford story continues to receive major press interest this morning. Over at the Herald Sun, Frank Dascenzo and Bryan Strickland offer up their take on the move. While at the News & Observer, Luciana Chavez and Caulton Tudor opine. Out west, the San Francisco Chronicle has another article posted.

On the baseball front, Luciana Chavez has written a nice article on left-handed pitcher Christopher Manno who received national recognition this week. Duke is pushing hard to qualify for the ACC Tournament. Meanwhile, the Duke Lacrosse team defeated UNC in the ACC tournament semi-finals and is set to take on Virginia in the championship game today. Down in the bayou, Joe Alleva's contract has been approved.

Saturday Evening Links

Bob Green — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:42:20 -0400

The big news this evening is Stanford hiring Johnny Dawkins as their basketball coach. Ray Ratto, of the San Francisco Chronicle, seems to be willing to give Dawkins a chance, while Tim Kawakami, at the San Jose Mercury, isn't impressed with the hire. Those of us who follow Duke basketball understand that Stanford is bringing in a class act in Johnny Dawkins and I'm sure JD will prove Kawakami-san wrong.

In AAU basketball action, here is an update on Friday night action at the King James Shooting Stars Classic in Akron, Ohio. One team competing in Akron is the Indiana Elite with Mason Plumlee, Stephan Van Treese, and Jordan Hulls. According to Jody Demling, of the Louisville Courier-Journal, Duke is showing interest in Hulls who is a 6'0" point guard from Bloomington South High School.

The Asheville Citizen-Times has an update on Miles Plumlee and his request to be released from the National LOI he signed to play at Stanford.

Finally, USA Basketball has an article up on the Olympic Games including the men's and women's schedule.

Johnny Dawkins to take over Stanford

Mark Watson — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:00:17 -0400

I met Johnny Dawkins for the first time as a wide eyed freshman and have known him to be a true Blue man ever since. Being able to watch Johnny break the all time Duke scoring record and seeing his team bring Duke back to the top of the basketball world will always be special to me. I remember watching him go down to an untimely injury while playing for the Sixers and my heart went out to him then. Well, it does again.

Dawkins to Stanford

He will be missed in many ways, but he has taken an opportunity which was at hand. He has a wonderful family both at Duke and at home and has served the Blue Devils in a most dignified manner. The Blue Devil Nation wished Johnny all the best and will follow him throughout his career.

Nelson rakes in awards

Mark Watson — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:29:40 -0400

DURHAM, N.C. – Senior DeMarcus Nelson received the Swett-Baylin Award for Most Valuable Player to headline the list of honors handed out at the Annual Duke Men’s Basketball banquet on Friday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Nelson, a third team All-America selection by the NABC and Basketball Times, also received the Iron Dukes Award for most minutes played (1,051), the Bill Krzyzewski Captains’ Award, the Best Field Goal Percentage Award (.490) and the Best Defensive Player Award. Nelson closed his Blue Devil career with 109 victories, including 58 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. He is also one of just six Duke players to record over 1,300 points, 600 rebounds, 200 assists and 125 steals in a career.

Junior Greg Paulus, who became the 10th Academic All-America in Duke basketball history, received the Dr. Deryl Hart Award as the top scholar-athlete. The third team All-ACC selection also received the Most Assists Award after recording 109 assists on the season.

The Glenn E. “Ted” Mann, Jr., Award, which is given to a reserve who contributes the most to team morale, was delivered to sophomore Jon Scheyer. He was also the recipient of the Best Free Throw Percentage Award after shooting .889 (120-of-135) from the line, the fifth-best single season free throw percentage in school history.

Sophomore Gerald Henderson received the Coach’s Award for the player exemplifying the commitment and values of Duke basketball while freshman Kyle Singler earned the Best Rebounding Average Award after recording 5.8 rebounds per game.

Three other awards were handed out Friday night. Chris Lauten received the Gopal Varadhan Senior Manager Award, Cameron Williams was given the Harry Rainey Spirit Award and Jessie Eisenmenger was the recipient of the Charles Hogan Memorial Band Award.

2007-08 Duke Men's Basketball Award Winners
Swett-Baylin Award (Most Valuable Player): DeMarcus Nelson
Dr. Deryl Hart Award (Top Scholar-Athlete): Greg Paulus
Glenn E. "Ted" Mann, Jr., Award (Reserve Contributing Most to Team Morale): Jon Scheyer
Coach's Award (Player Exemplifying the Commitment and Values of Duke Basketball): Gerald Henderson
Iron Dukes Award (Most Minutes Played): DeMarcus Nelson
Bill Krzyzewski Captains' Awards: DeMarcus Nelson
Best Field Goal Percentage Award: DeMarcus Nelson
Best Rebounding Average Award: Kyle Singler
Best Free Throw Percentage Award: Jon Scheyer
Most Assists Award: Greg Paulus
Best Defensive Player Award: DeMarcus Nelson
Gopal Varadhan Senior Manager Award: Chris Lauten
Harry Rainey Spirit Award: Cameron Williams
Charles Hogan Memorial Band Award: Jessie Eisenmenger

Friday's tidbits and links

Mark Watson — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:26:00 -0400

Here is a great piece on Duke's ACC Rookie of the Year Kyle Singler. The article discusses his adjustments to the college game and more.

The Phoenix Suns welcome Grant Hill back to the lineup after injury. The former two time national champion and co-Rookie of the Year will be on the floor for tonight's game against the Timberwolves. Speaking of Grant, you may have missed that he was recently involved with some cutting edge technology with Cisco. He was also a close runner up to Antonio McDyess for this seasons NBA Sportsmanship Award.

I've been keeping an eye on Elton Brand in that I can relate to his Achilles tendon rupture. I can tell you first hand that it is a devastating injury to an active person and especially a big time athlete like Brand. He has returned to the court for the Los Angeles Clippers and seems ready to go. Many saw this as an unexpected return. His wife and Mom, Elsie had just headed out of town and seemed unaware. Knowing what the injury does to the psych, it was probably best that they didn't know. It's a long road back and I am so happy he made it. Meanwhile another former Dukie and Brand teammate, Corey Maggette may not return to the Clippers. They are currently in contract negotiations, his being up.

Be sure to check out the Duke Men's LAX teams games this Saturday in Durham, as they seek to avenge last seasons loss to John's Hopkins where they fell one game short of the National Championship.