Roundball Notebook: Devils Vying for NBA Rosters

Source: GoDuke.com NCAAB

Duke Roundball Notebook

OK’s Devastating Tornado: Help If You Can

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Oklahoma has never been an easy place to live. You can go down the list: the Trail of Tears, the land rush, the Dust Bowl, the Depression, the boom and bust cycle of the oil business and last but certainly not least, being right in the middle of Tornado Alley.

Monday’s storm was incredible and heartbreaking as it plowed straight through two elementary schools and a medical center, among other places.

Tornadoes around here are trivial by comparison to this thing: a mile wide, 200 mile per hour winds. Take a look the pictures in this story from the UK’s Daily Mail – it looks like a nuclear bomb went off.

The hardest thing to see though are the kids at the schools. You can see disbelief, terror and absolute

Irving Angst?

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Apparently Kyrie Irving has been around long enough to generate some sort of angst about his game. Seriously? We could buy the criticism of defense – that’s a pretty common criticism in the     NBA – but in general, the guy’s a thrill a minute. He and Stephen Curry are the really cool Young Guns right now.

Joy Cheek’s New Gig

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

This is nice to see: former Blue Devil Joy Cheek has been hired at Ohio State where she’ll be the recruiting coordinator for the women’s team.

ACC Network Has A Problem

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

The presumed ACC Network has a real issue to overcome: the syndication deal with Raycom which lasts until 2027.

That was perhaps shortsighted, but why in the world did they give Raycom digital rights?

We’re not smart enough to foresee exactly how the digital side will develop, but most people who have paid attention for the last 10 years or so understood that video was moving to the Web.

This has never been a strength for the ACC though. We can’t even remember what year it was now, but with Nando.net and Barry Jacobs, we helped put together a pioneering Web presence which was intended to be a

Lottery Time!

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

The NBA draft lottery, one of the more unusual and interesting events in sports, will take place Tuesday night.

The top five teams, one of whom will pick first, will be Orlando (25%), Charlotte (19.9%), Cleveland (15.6%), Phoenix (11.9%) and New Orleans (8.8%).

Nerlens Noel is generally seen as the likely top pick and it’d be really interesting if he ended up in either N.O. or Cleveland. With the Pelicans, he and Anthony Davis would form the basis of a dynamic young frontcourt.

Cleveland could provide him a young and superb backcourt with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. Young prospects Tristan Thompson and Tyler Zeller can provide the core of a superb running team. Zeller has taken heat for not defending the inside

UCLA AD Lashes Out At LA Times

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Looks like the Steve Alford program hasn’t gone quite as well as UCLA A.D. Dan Guerrero had hoped: the LA Times ran an article Guerrero found so negative that he felt obliged to respond with a statement:

“It is unfortunate that Chris Foster’s Los Angeles Times article on UCLA men’s basketball Coach Steve Alford focuses only on issues and opinions from long ago and ignores what he has accomplished since arriving at UCLA. In addition to assembling a phenomenal coaching staff, every student-athlete chose to remain a Bruin and play for Steve. I should also note that despite an exclusive interview with Chancellor Gene Block on the subject of Coach Alford, Foster failed to mention any part of the interview, including the chancellor’s repeated and unequivocal support for Coach Alford and his firm belief that Steve is committed to being a Bruin and embracing the values of Coach John Wooden. Finally, contrary to the impression left by the story, Steve has been warmly welcomed by the Bruin family and the Los Angeles community. We are all excited to have Steve as our coach and are looking forward to the new season. Go Bruins!”

Look, hiring a great staff is obviously key and keeping his inherited players a major plus, but that’s sort of what you expect, isn’t it? It’s not a lot to brag about – which might be part of the problem.

100-days checklist: ACC

Source: ACC Football Blog

As of today, there are 100 days until the start of the college football season. You bet we’re counting. If you’re Scot Loeffler, Virginia Tech's new offensive coordinator, 100 days must feel like a nanosecond. The Hokies aren’t the only ones, though, with plenty of work to do before the season begins. Here’s a checklist of five things the ACC and its teams must accomplish before the opening kickoff: 1. Name starting quarterbacks.

DeCourcy On Jeering K In The Olympics

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

One of the more interesting results of Coach K’s Olympic tenure has been variations on this: I hate Duke, but I’m glad he’s coaching the U.S. Mike DeCourcy says don’t jeer, but based on our experience, the jeering stops after the NCAAs.

At least every four years.

Tarik Black To Kansas

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Tarik Black has made his choice and will be transferring to Kansas. Best of luck to him there.

Tarik Black commits to Kansas

Source: The Chronicle's Sports Blog by Michael Schreiner

Kansas head coach Bill Self announced today that Memphis transfer Tarik Black will join the Jayhawks next year. The 6-foot-9, 262-pound Black will join a Kansas team that just last week received a commitment from Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 recruit in the nation.

Black, who visited Duke last week, chose Kansas over Duke and Oregon, and has one year of eligibility left after graduating from Memphis earlier this month. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 32 games last season with Memphis, despite starting just five of

Kansas gets even stronger with the addition of coveted transfer Tarik Black (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAB

Bill Self already landed the nation's most coveted high school recruit last week. Now the Kansas coach has also received a commitment from one of the most prized transfers on the market. Tarik Black, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound big man who played at Memphis the past three years, has chosen Kansas over Duke, Oregon and Georgetown, among others, CBSSports.com reported Monday . The rising senior has graduated from Memphis and will be eligible immediately for the Jayhawks. It's a testament to the laws of supply and demand that Black had all these powerhouse programs pursuing him considering he lost his starting job at Memphis last season and averaged a modest 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds off the bench. One reason he was in such high demand is

Wanted: Rival for Syracuse

Source: ACC Football Blog

Pitt isn’t the only team in need of an ACC rival. The good news in the ACC is that six teams -- Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia and Virginia Tech already have rivalries in place should the ACC decide to reserve the final week of the regular season for rivalry games. North Carolina and NC State would also make sense, but there are still six teams in need of somebody to hate. My take is don’t force it, because that’s the only option with Syracuse right now.

Why Clemson will -- and won't -- win it all

Source: ACC Football Blog

From May 20-31, Insider's college football experts will be examining the national championship chances of the 10 teams with the best odds to win the BCS title this season, according to Brian Fremeau's post-spring projections. Today, KC Joyner takes a look at the path the Clemson Tigers could take to the national championship game, and the factors that could trip them up along the way. Joyner writes that, "while their national championship chances aren't as strong as the rest of the teams we'll be profiling in the next two weeks, a zero- or one-loss season would absolutely put them in the title discussion.

Wanted: ACC rival for Pitt

Source: ACC Football Blog

One of the topics discussed at last week’s ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla., was the idea of reserving the final week of the regular season for built-in rivalry games. There’s only one problem: Pitt-West Virginia doesn’t exist anymore. For half the ACC, this is a no-brainer. It’s already become an expected date on the schedule for many schools, like Virginia Tech-Virginia, Wake Forest-Vanderbilt, Clemson-South Carolina, Florida State-Florida and Georgia Tech-Georgia.

Duke in the NCAA Tournament: Week 2

Source: The Chronicle's Sports Blog by Daniel Carp

It was another busy weekend for the Blue Devils in postseason action. Five Duke teams began the weekend still vying for a national championship, but just one survived. Here’s a look at how it all happened:

David Lawson scored a career-high five goals to help Duke advance to the NCAA semifinals.

Men’s lacrosse: Another cardiac finish for the Blue Devils in NCAA Tournament action. Seventh-seeded Duke trailed 11-9 with 9:29 remaining in its quarterfinal contest against No. 2 seed Notre Dame, but

Duke Basketball: Setting Expectations for Each Projected Starter

Source: Bleacher Report NCAAB

Duke always has high expectations for the team. This year is no different.

Of course, to realize the expectations of the team, each individual player must meet his own expectations. Depending on their role, different Blue Devils will be required to meet a variety of different requirements.

For the starters, these expectations will be fairly lofty. And yet, if the starters are able to meet the following expectations then the Blue Devils will be genuine title contenders.

Begin Slideshow

Looking at the hoops committee model

Source: ACC Football Blog

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- One of the biggest takeaways from the ACC spring meetings was what the league coaches want to see done with the football selection committee for the future playoff. They prefer the committee to resemble the model used in basketball to select the NCAA tournament field, and also prefer that people currently affiliated with the sport serve on the committee. Could that work in football? There really is no better person to ask than Georgia Tech athletic director Mike Bobinski, who has served as chairman of the NCAA men's basketball tournament selection committee the past two years.

Can Clemson's top recruit withstand lure of SEC?

Source: ACC Football Blog

Deshaun Watson, ESPN's No. 1-rated dual-threat quarterback prospect in the Class of 2014, is committed to Clemson. He has been for about two years. The question is whether or not he will continue to be. And so continues the recruiting ritual, where a commitment means about as much as a second date. The SEC will continue to recruit Watson, who lives in Georgia, and Mitch Sherman of ESPN RecruitingNation went to Gainesville, Ga., to document just how firm this pledge of loyalty is right now.

ACC's lunchtime links

Source: ACC Football Blog

Don't worry, the season will be here before you know it. Sammy Watkins is flying under the radar after a quiet season, but his stats tell a different story. Pitt is entering the ACC without a natural football rival. The ACC is considering a permanent rivalry week on the last weekend of the regular season, beginning in 2014, according to Jeremy Fowler. The legend of FSU quarterback Jameis Winston continues to grow. Former Virginia Tech receiver Danny Coale has been hurting in the NFL.

Duke hoopsters Liston, Jones to represent USA

Source: The News & Observer by News Services

Following three days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Duke senior Tricia Liston was named to the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games team on Sunday.

• More Duke news in our Duke Now blog

Lawson powers Duke past Notre Dame for return to men's lacrosse final four

Source: The News & Observer by By Patrick Stevens

Duke midfielder David Lawson scored five goals, including the game-winner, as seventh-seeded Duke edged second-seeded Notre Dame 12-11 to secure a spot in the men’s lacrosse final four.

• More Duke news in our Duke Now blog

Pinson to announce Wednesday, Okafor notes

Source: The Chronicle's Sports Blog by Andrew Beaton

Class of 2014 commitments are heating up with Theo Pinson expected to announce his decision Wednesday at 12:15 p.m.

Pinson, the No. 13 player in the class according to ESPN, is considering Duke, Georgetown, Indiana, Louisville and North Carolina. Pinson attends Wesleyan Christian Academy in North Carolina, so Duke and North Carolina were thought to be the early frontrunners for his services. But Indiana appears to be the consensus favorite going into the announcement.

Pinson has visited Duke unofficially many times throughout his high school career. Pinson and high school

Ryan Day makes his return to Boston

Source: ACC Football Blog

Offensive coordinator Ryan Day has spent more time at Boston College than any other program, so it is easy to see why he settled in so easily when he made his return in January. Day spent five seasons at BC as an offensive assistant between 2007-11. His only year away in the last seven was his first job as an offensive coordinator, under Steve Addazio at Temple. When Addazio took the BC job, he brought Day along with him. And with Day came some familiarity with the upperclassmen already on the roster.

Video: Spring MVP -- Georgia Tech

Source: ACC Football Blog

Andrea Adelson talks about the spring MVP at Georgia Tech -- cornerback Jemea Thomas.

The Revised Tournament Format?

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Periodically we get tips from readers, and while we can’t be positive this is accurate, our tipster says that he talked to someone who went to the ACC meetings and that the 15-team tournament is going to five days with the following format:

•  Day 1: 10 vs 15, 11 vs 14, 12 vs 13
• Day 2: 8 vs 9, 7 vs 10/15, 6 vs 11/14, 5 vs 12/13
• Day 3: 1 vs 8/9, 2 vs 7/10/15, 3 vs 6/11/14, 4 vs 5/12/13
• Day 4: Semifinals
• Day 5: Finals

5,6,7,8, and 9 get 1st round bye

1,2,3 and 4 get 1st and 2nd round byes

An Amazing Bench Shot

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

A reader sent us a link to this rather amazing bench pictureof Coach K, Chris Collins and Wojo doing simultaneous face palms, all gloriously photobombed by former student trainer (we think we’re right but please tell us if not) Sarah Helfer.

Help Tyler Thornton Win SI College Athlete Of The Year!

We’d love to know what happened to cause this reaction.

Ojeleye Named Parade Player Of The Year

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

We haven’t seen Semi Ojeleye play a full game yet, only video clips. Still, we know a player when we see one: he’s strong, sound, athletic and smart.

Help Tyler Thornton Win SI College Athlete Of The Year!

Even so, we were surprised to see that he was named Parade’s 2012-13 Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year ahead of soon-to-be-teammate Jabari Parker and KU’s Andrew Wiggins.

Then again, 38 points ppg, an undefeated championship season and a 4.0 GPA don’t hurt.

Pinson Announces Wednesday

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Duke target Theo Pinson (2014) is set to announce on Wednesday. He’s down to Georgetown, North Carolina, Duke, Louisville and Indiana.

Help Tyler Thornton Win SI College Athlete Of The Year!

Duke is in it, but he might look past the Devils since they landed similarly sized Grayson Allen. However, in 2014, Duke may have more opportunity: Rasheed Sulaimon may still be around, Matt Jones should be and of course Allen.  Semi Ojeleye should spend more time at forward but is

Liston, Jones Named To U-19 Team

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

This is pretty cool: Blue Devils Tricia Liston and Alexis Jones have been named to the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s U19 team.

Help Tyler Thornton Win SI College Athlete Of The Year!

They’ll be off to Russia and Lithuania in July. And their coach? None other than former Devil Katie Meier, currently making Miami into a solid ACC program.

Bobcats To Hornets? Cooooool

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

It’s oddly exciting to think of the Charlotte Hornets returning(if you haven’t heard, Charlotte is going to reclaim the nickname as it’s been given up by the newly named New Orleans Pelicans).

Help Tyler Thornton Win SI College Athlete Of The Year!

Let’s face it – the Bobcats never really fully took hold here. It wasn’t their fault entirely. The reason the Hornets left town was because, frankly, George Shinn had run out of people to irritate. The city turned its back on him, much more than it did on the team.

There was a love affair with the Hornets though, and hard though it is to remember, Shinn was a hero. There were murals, if you can believe it. The Hornets were huge.

We hope that the new Hornets can recapture some of the magic. It was a great time in North Carolina sports.

The Full Syracuse.com Series

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

In case you missed any of the ACC previews Syracuse.com just finished up, here they all are.

Help Tyler Thornton Win SI College Athlete Of The Year! ACC Basketball Breakdown: Predictions for the ACC in 2013-14 ACC Basketball Breakdown: Wake Forest hopes a young team matures quickly

Duke’s Liston, Jones to represent USA

Source: The News & Observer by News Services

– Following three days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Duke senior Tricia Liston was named to the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games team on Sunday.

• More Duke news in our Duke Now blog

Duke tops Notre Dame to return to men's lacrosse final four

Source: The News & Observer by By Patrick Stevens

Duke midfielder David Lawson scored five goals, including the game-winner, as seventh-seeded Duke edged second-seeded Notre Dame 12-11 to secure a spot in the men’s lacrosse final four.

• More Duke news in our Duke Now blog

N.C. State, Duke, UNC end golf seasons at NCAA regionals

Source: The News & Observer by News releases

The N.C. State men’s golf team’s season ended on Saturday after a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.

Duke’s Plumlee says he’s ‘proven’ he’s a top-10 NBA Draft pick

Source: The News & Observer by By Rick Bonnell

Duke center Mason Plumlee said it repeatedly at the NBA Draft Combine: The next 30 days might be more important to his career than the last four years.

Giglio: In 2013-14 basketball, it's Duke, then everybody else

Source: The News & Observer by By Joe Giglio

The expanded ACC will have a new look with new teams in 2013-14, but a familiar team will tower above the rest: Duke and Mike Krzyzewski.

• Get all the latest news and insight at ACC Now

Denver, Duke Advance To Championship Weekend

Source: ESPN YouTube

Kevin Cassese and Mark Dixon recap Denver and Duke's wins to advance to championship weekend.

Cornell-Duke Preview

Source: ESPN YouTube

Kevin Cassese and Mark Dixon preview Cornell's matchup with Duke on championship weekend.

Lacrosse Back Back Back Back Back Back Back In Final Four

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Duke lacrosse is back in the Final Four for the seventh straight time - that’s an amazing accomplishment. Men’s basketball made the Final Four five straight years. It’ll be interesting to see if lacrosse keeps growing and Duke keeps this up. Most impressive.

A Look At 2016

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

If Coach K does return to the Olympic team in 2016, what will he have to work with? We wouldn’t expect to see Kobe Bryant back – he will likely be retired – and Tyson Chandler and Deron Williams may be replaced.

2012 Team Age Height Chandler, Tyson 29 7-1 Durant, Kevin 23 6-9 James, LeBron 27 6-8 Westbrook, Russell 23 6-3 Williams, Deron 28 6-3 Iguodala, Andre 28 6-6 Bryant, Kobe 33 6-6 Love, Kevin 23 6-10 Harden, James 22 6-5 Paul, Chris 27 6-0 Davis, Anthony 19 6-10 Anthony, Carmelo 28 6-8

So might several others whether due to age or injury or personal desire.

Assuming he’s healthy (a definite if considering his career to date), we’d fully expect to see Kyrie Irving on the team. And if Nerlens Noel can

Mason: I’m Ready

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

After a tremendous senior year, Mason Plumlee says he’s ready for the NBA. And he’s right, he is. He may never be a great scorer in the league, but not that many are anyway.

He’ll continue to improve as a scorer but the rest of his game is ready to go.

Giglio Rates The ACC

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Joe Giglio looks at the upcoming ACC – the new ACC race we should say - and sees Duke way ahead of everyone else. He’s picking Notre Dame to finish ahead of UNC, then Syracuse, Virginia and Maryland. Here’s his full list.

Duke Notre Dame UNC Syracuse Virginia Maryland Pittsburgh Boston College N.C. State Georgia Tech Wake Forest Florida State Miami Clemson Virginia Tech

The thing is, all the teams are intriguing in one way or another. How will James Johnson build his Virginia Tech program? Can Wake’s young core save Jeff Bzdelik’s job? Can Jim Larranaga pull a surprise with transfers and Jucos? Will Florida State return to form? Will Tech have a point guard?

It’s always fun. We can’t wait.

Moeser Blames Media For UNC Mess

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

This is interesting – former UNC chancellor James Moeser says the media was out to get the Heels. Unfortunately for this theory, UNC did the damage without help.

Notre Dame-Duke Preview

Source: ESPN YouTube

Mark Dixon and Kevin Cassese preview the Men's Division I Lacrosse Championship quarterfinal matchup between Notre Dame and Duke.

One More Time For Coach K, Olympics?

Source: Duke Basketball Report by DBR

Apparently after a good break Coach K is reconsidering and may go back to coach the U.S. team one more time. Huzzah! The man’s been brilliant. We hope he does it. Plus he’ll have Kyrie Irving this time around and that will be fun to watch indeed.

Report: Mike Krzyzewski could return to USA Basketball

Source: The Chronicle's Sports Blog by Bobby Colton

Mike Krzyzewski was adamant about leaving the USA Basketball program following the 2012 Olympics in London which produced yet another gold medal for the men’s basketball program. Now the Duke basketball head coach could be changing his mind.

Mike Krzyzewski is pondering a return to USA Basketball. (File Photo).

In a phone interview with Sports Illustrated, Krzyzewski admitted there is a chance that he’ll return to USA Basketball. Krzyzewski revealed that he and USA Basketball

Mike Krzyzewski could return to USA Basketball

Source: The Chronicle's Sports Blog by Bobby Colton

Mike Krzyzewski was adamant about leaving the USA Basketball program following the 2012 Olympics in London which produced yet another gold medal for the men’s basketball program. Now the Duke basketball head coach could be changing his mind.

Mike Krzyzewski is pondering a return to USA Basketball. (File Photo).

In a phone interview with Sports Illustrated, Krzyzewski admitted there is a chance that he’ll return to USA Basketball. Krzyzewski revealed that he and USA Basketball

Duke commit Semi Ojeleye named Parade Magazine’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year

Source: The Chronicle's Sports Blog by Bobby Colton

Semi Ojeleye is bringing in accolades even before starting his freshman season with the Blue Devils.

Semi Ojeleye was named Parade Magazine’s Boy Basketball Player of the Year. (Andrew Beaton/Chronicle File Photo)

Parade Magazine gave out its 57th annual Boys Basketball Player of the Year award this week, and Ojeleye was its choice. The Ottawa, Kan. native beat out Kansas commits Andrew Wiggins and Conner Frankamp, Oklahoma State commit Stevie Clark and Arizona signee Andrew

Ryan Kelly sits down with Seth Davis at the NBA Draft Combine

Source: The Chronicle's Sports Blog by Andrew Beaton

Ryan Kelly isn’t working out at the NBA Draft Combine as he recovers from foot surgery, but the now-Duke graduate sat down with Seth Davis for Campus Insiders in Chicago to talk about his decision to postpone the operation.

At the combine Kelly measured up at just under 7-feet tall at the combine.

Here’s the Q&A, worth the watch: