Final 4 Set!! Fat Lady Prepares to Sing...

For the first time in the history of the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament, all of the #1 seeds have survived to the final 4.

Congratulations to each deserving team for reaching this level of play, I wish the best of luck to each of you. I look forward to seeing UCLA and Kansas in the final game!

The combined record of Memphis, UCLA, North Carolina and Kansas is 143-9. Memphis is 37-1 (with a loss to Tennessee). UCLA is 35-3 (with losses to Texas, Southern California and Washington). North Carolina is 36-2 (with losses to Maryland and Duke). Kansas is 35-3 (with losses to Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas).

Kansas' Bill Self is the only first-time Final Four coach. UCLA's Ben Howland is making his third appearance, North Carolina's Roy Williams is making his sixth appearance and Memphis' John Calipari is making his second appearance.

And finally, Congratulations Davidson! Thanks for making this an exciting tourney, you guys played at an awesome level and finished with an outstanding 29-7 record with a perfect 20-0 record in conference play!!

Taylor King to Leave Duke

DURHAM, N.C. - Freshman Taylor King has decided to leave Duke University, school officials announced Monday. King saw action in all 34 games in 2007-08, averaging 5.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

The Huntington Beach, Calif., native finished the season with 43 three-point field goals to rank eighth in the Duke freshman record books. He also shot 38.7 percent (43-of-111) from three-point distance to rank seventh among freshman at Duke. King had a pair of 20-point games, including a 27-point outburst against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 25. The 6-6, 230-pound forward went 9-of-14 from the field, including 6-of-11 from three-point range, in the win over Eastern Kentucky.

“Taylor is a solid young man and has the ability to be a good player,” said Krzyzewski. “We support him in his decision to transfer and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

From this fan's perspective, one word comes to mind.. FUCK! I was looking forward to seeing him play more minutes next season, but I guess he didn't seem to fit into K's program.. The coming weeks will dish out the dirt, I am sure..

Davidson Pounds Wisconsin to Advance to Elite 8

On the red trim at the bottom of his shoes, Stephen Curry has written in black marker, “I can do all things.”

Yes, yes he can.

Instead of being intimidated by the big stage—not to mention the monstrous Ford Field venue—Curry and Davidson played with such ease and attitude they may as well have been in their cozy little gym back home. The Wildcats shot 49 percent from the floor, and were 12-of-24 from 3 ball range. Jason Richards had 11 pts and 13 assists, and Lovedale added 12 pts.

“Michael did a pretty good job of chasing Curry and trying to force some things,” Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. “He made some tough shots. But so did some of the other guys. I thought they got a lot of contributions when they needed them. And that’s how you get to keep playing in the NCAA tournament.”

Flowers led the Badgers with 12 and three others finished in doubles, but the Badgers never found their rhythm offensively. The defense that was so fearsome all year never materialized. Wisconsin prides itself on making opponents work the shot clock down in search of a decent shot. But time and again, Wisconsin would score only to have Davidson race down the court and make a basket of its own seconds later.

“I felt like we were always in it,” said Brian Butch said. “I felt like we needed to make some plays and we didn’t make any plays.”

Curry, on the other hand, did.

Marcus Landry’s jumper pulled the Badgers within 48-45 with 13:48 to play. That’s when Curry took over.

He made a 3, and Jason Richards stole the ball on the other end. Racing upcourt, Richards found Curry camped in the corner all by himself and dished off. Joe Krabbenhoft—a member of the Big Ten’s all-defensive team—sprinted toward Curry and jumped, hoping to block the shot.

But Curry calmly waited until Krabbenhoft flew by him and then, with that silky smooth shot that’s becoming a signature of this year’s tournament, made another 3 to put Davidson up 54-45 with 13:03 to play.

As his teammates cheered, Curry thumped his chest and pointed skyward. The basket gave him 23 points—twice as many as anybody else on the court and was his fifth 3 of the night.

“It’s hard for a defense to sustain themselves for a whole 40 minutes. Eventually, you’ll find yourself open,” Curry said. “It’s just being patient and sticking to the system that we have at Davidson.”

He wasn’t done yet, either.

Davidson had run the shot clock almost all the way down, looking for something. Curry finally took an off-balance shot from NBA 3-point range, falling as he released the ball. No matter. It was good, just like almost everything else he did Friday night.

And a minute later, he scored on a sweet inside reverse, drawing a foul and the admiration of everybody in the arena, including James. The Cleveland Cavaliers star had praised Curry earlier this week and, on the eve of a game against the Detroit Pistons, decided to get a better look.

Curry didn’t disappoint him. Or anybody else.

“He continues to amaze me,” Lovedale said.

Duke Upset In 2nd Round By West Virginia, 73-67

#2 seeded Duke fell in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament to 7-seeded West Virginia, 73-67, to end its 2007-08 season. The Blue Devils finish with a 28-6 record while the Mountaineers improve to 26-10 and advance to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years.

Gerald Henderson led the way for the Blue Devils with 18 pts off of a 5-of-9 performance from the field. Jon Scheyer added 15 off the bench while Greg Paulus was the only other Duke player in double figures with 13 pts and three 3's.

The Mountaineers were led Joe Mazzulla off the bench with 13 pts, 11 rebs and 8 assists. Joe Alexander had 22 pts and 11 boards while Alex Rouff added 17 pts.

"The story of this game is Joe Mazzulla," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He looked like a mini Jason Kidd out there getting all those rebounds and assists. He played tremendously."

Duke controlled the majority of the first half and after falling behind 4-0 in the first two minutes, fueled by a pair of threes from Paulus, they were able to score 14 unanswered to take a 14-4 lead six minutes into the half. After Kyle Singler hit a pair of free throws to give Duke a 18-8 lead, West Virignia rattled off seven straight to cut the lead to three nine minutes into the half.

Paulus hit a jumper at the 9:13 mark to put Duke up 22-17 and despiste not hitting a field goal for over four minutes, Duke maintained the lead by hitting all 12 of its free throws in the opening stanza. The pace slowed but the Blue Devils held serve to hold a five point lead in the first half, 34-29.

"I felt that we played better than a five point advantage in the first half," Krzyzewski said. "That was one of the keys of the game."

Henderson opened up the second half with a dunk to put the Blue Devils up by seven but Duke wouldn't score another field goal for 6 1/2 minutes and when Scheyer hit a jumper with 13:29 remaining, it was to tie the game at 40. Scheyer would hit another jumper at the 9:23 mark to end a four minute scoring drought. At that point, West Virginia held a five point advantage, 47-42.

"Our effort was great, especially on defense," Krzyzewski said. "We just couldn't hit a shot and they really out played us on the boards."

West Virginia would push the lead to double figures first on a three by Rouff with 4:42 left to hold a 60-49 lead. The Mountaineers biggest lead came off a pair of Mazzulla free throws at the 2:01 mark to give the Mountaineers a 66-52 lead. Duke actually scored 15 points in the final two minutes and nine in the final minute but the late game charge wasn't enough as the Mountaineers held on for the six point victory.

The Blue Devils saw DeMarcus Nelson's career come to an end. The 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-ACC performer, Nelson finished his career with 1,334 points, 606 rebounds, 222 assists and 145 steals. He is just one of six players to score 1,300, grab 600-plus rebounds, dish out 200-plus assists and generate 125 or more steals in Duke history, joining the likes of Christian Laettner, Danny Ferry, Shane Battier, Grant Hill and Mike Dunleavy.

Nelson is the only player under 6-5 in Duke history listed as a guard to grab 600 or more rebounds.

"You know, 28-6 is a great season," Krzyzewski said. "And DeMarcus is a big reason we won 28 games. He's been fantastic all year."

Thanks DeMarcus for an exciting season, I look forward to following your progress in the NBA, good luck man!

Duke Avoids Upset by Belmont, Advances to Dance on Saturday

Gerald Henderson put up 21 pts, including the go-ahead basket with 11.9 seconds left, that coupled with one key steal by DeMarcus Nelson and Duke barely avoided what would have been a monumental upset, edging Belmont 71-70 in the first round of the West Regional.

"The last two or three minutes, I was sitting there thinking, 'We're really in this game.' We were so close to winning," Belmont's Henry Harris said. "There's a bit of amazement in your brain, just sitting there: 'Wow!'"

Yes, it occurred to the Blue Devils, too, that the seemingly impossible might somehow suddenly be possible.

"We wouldn't be human if it didn't," Duke guard Jon Scheyer said. "We knew the situation. There was so much pressure on us. Pressure to win. Ninety percent of the building wanted us to lose."

Instead, Duke (28-5) snapped a two-game tournament losing streak and advanced to face West Virginia on Saturday.

It was much tougher than anyone could have expected beforehand, considering the pedigrees of the participants and this little tidbit: Only four times has a No. 15 defeated a No. 2 in the tournament.

But Belmont used a mix of backdoor cuts and headiness down the stretch to keep things close.

"Watching them on tape, they looked really good," said Duke's Coach K, who extended his record to 69 career tournament victories. "Watching them in person, they're even better."

And so the Bruins (25-9) stayed in the game, repeatedly clawing back from deficits as large as 10 points.

Duke led 42-35 at halftime, an edge built at the foul line, where the Blue Devils were 11-for-15, and the Bruins were 2-for-4. Otherwise, in nearly every regard, Belmont played Duke even for those first 20 minutes. The field-goal stats were exactly the same: 14-for-29.

Duke pulled ahead 51-41 in the second half, but Belmont came back with a 9-0 run. Duke padded the margin again, but Belmont responded with an 8-0 spurt. Duke led 69-65 with 2:40 left, but Andy Wicke made a 3 to cut it to one.

And after a Duke miss, Justin Hare grabbed the rebound, was fouled, and made both free throws to give Belmont the lead — the lead! — with 2:02 left in the game. It was 70-69, Belmont, right there for everyone to see, and the crowd was roaring.

Alas, on this night, on the verge of beating one of the sport's most storied programs, Belmont would not score again.

It would be Henderson's driving basket with 11.9 seconds left that erased Belmont's final lead.

Then, with Belmont inbounding the ball under its own basket, Alex Renfroe tried to throw a lob pass that was intercepted by ACC defensive player of the year Nelson. He missed at the line, Belmont got the rebound, and had one final chance to make history. The Bruins got the ball in safely this time, with 2.2 seconds left, and their leading scorer, Hare, got a good look at the basket from about 35 feet away.

"It felt good," Hare said later.

But the shot was a tad long. The ball bounced off the iron. Hare winced.

Mr. Henderson and Duke said NO, we will not go home today....

Duke Drops to Clemson in ACC Semi, 78-74

Greg Paulus scored 17 pts and DeMarcus Nelson added 14 pts and nine reb's but it wasn't enough as the #7 Blue Devils were upset by Clemson, 78-74, Saturday in the semifinals of the 2008 ACC Tournament.

Paulus scored 14 of his 17 in the first half to give the Blue Devils a 31-30 advantage at the break. Neither team led by more than 6 in the opening half. Paulus scored 5 pts in 11 seconds to give Duke its big lead at the half of 25-19 with just over five to go. Clemson then went on an 11-4 run to take a 30-27 lead before Paulus scored the final 4 pts of the half.

Clemson came out gate strong in the second, opening up a quick eight point lead with a 9-0 run in the first 3.5 minutes. Gerald Henderson and Brian Zoubek then scored the next 9 pts for Duke as they pulled back within five at 45-40 with 14:20 left. After a Clemson bucket, Duke used a 9-2 run to tie the game at 49-49 with 11:43 left when Jon Scheyer was fouled on a 3 and hit all three freebies.

A Nolan Smith 3 at the 9:45 mark gave Duke its first lead since the break at 52-51 and the teams traded buckets, neither team holing more than a two-point lead until Jarvis Mayes was fouled by Paulus after making a lay-up and then hit his free throw to put the Tigers up 64-58. After Nelson hit a lay-up, Terrence Ogelsby nailed a three to give Clemson a 67-60 lead with 3:13 left.

The Blue Devils went on a 9-4 run to pull within two on Paulus' only second half points, a 3 with :45 left, making the score 71-69 in favor of Clemson. The Tigers then hit 5-of-6 from the line and got a lay-up in the game's final minute. Scheyer hit a 3 with :08 left before Hammonds, a 43% free throw shooter on the season, knocked down his third and fourth freebie in as many tries in the final moments. Taylor King had a put back before the buzzer on a Paulus heave for the final score.

Hammonds finished with 17 while Trevor Booker added 18 for the Tigers.

Duke did have good production off its bench with Scheyer scoring 13 points and getting a pair of steals while Brian Zoubek scored 8 and had 6 boards while tying his career high with 20 minutes. David McClure had four points and three steals while Nolan Smith had seven points in 19 minutes.

Duke will now wait to find out its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday.

Great win for Clemson, which advance to the ACC Championship Game for the first time since 1962. I wish you all the best in going up against the tarholes, just remember, your team will be playing 7 guys in the finale. Whichever 5 guys the tarholes throw at you, and the two refs, as they are always in roy's back pocket...

Go DUKE!!!

Duke Rolls GT, Faces Clemson in ACC Semis

No one can make faces like Jon Scheyer.
No one on Duke's team will argue that DeMarcus Nelson is the most vocal leader.

The senior captain isn't exactly a rah-rah type of guy.

But late in the second half of Friday's ACC Tournament quarterfinal against Georgia Tech, Nelson was at his best, recapturing his teammates' attention after the Yellow Jackets trimmed a 20-point Duke lead to two.

Nelson's words and actions resulted in an 82-70 Duke victory that vaulted the Blue Devils into Saturday's second semifinal against either Clemson or Boston College.

The game is scheduled to tip at approximately 4 p.m.

When Georgia Tech cut the Devils' lead to 52-50 with 13:37 remaining on a Lewis Clinch jumper, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called timeout.

In the huddle, Nelson took over.

"He just said, like, 'It's time to man up, you know, you either win or you go home,'" Lance Thomas said. "And the feeling we had last year at this tournament, losing in the first round to N.C. State, we vow that we're not going to feel that again and we're not going to allow ourselves to be put in that position.

"So, you know, bringing that back up and basically asserting himself in that huddle was very big for us."

Nelson finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven assists.

Jon Scheyer led the Devils with 18 points off the bench, including a 10-for-11 performance from the free-throw line.

Greg Paulus scored 13 points, Gerald Henderson added 12 and Thomas chipped in with 10.

After the timeout, Duke scored six consecutive points to make the score 58-50. The big play was a steal by freshman Kyle Singler, who passed to Nelson for a 3-pointer that made it 58-50. GT never threatened again.

End of Regular Season.. Thanks for the Great Team Effort Duke!!

What a difference a year makes!! Duke rebounds from a dismal '06-'07 season where they went 8-8 in ACC play and were 22-10 overall.

This year, it was new leadership under Nelson, a new focus and a new determination as Duke finished off the regular season ranked 7th in the nation at 26-4 overall, and 2nd in the ACC at 13-3.

The Blue Devil dominance this year was fueled not only by its stingy defense, but also by the balanced scoring, with 5 Duke players averaging double digit scoring.

DeMarcus Nelson 15.2
Kyle Singler 14.2
Gerald Henderson 12.5
Jon Scheyer 11.3
Greg Paulus 11.0

Senior guard DeMarcus Nelson was named to the All-ACC first team and the ACC All-Defensive team, while junior Greg Paulus was named to the All-ACC third team along with freshman Kyle Singler, who was also named to the ACC All-Freshman team in an announcement by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday.

Nelson is Duke’s 56th All-ACC first team selection since the first team came out in 1954. It is the first All-ACC team selection for the senior from Elk Grove, Calif. Prior to this season he was an ACC All-Freshman team member in 2004-05 and was honorable mention All-ACC last season. This year he heads into the ACC Tournament leading the Blue Devils in scoring (15.2 ppg.), field goals made (156), free throws made (105), free throws attempted (173) and steals (49). He also led the team in conference play with 16.8 points per game, 92 made field goals, 63-of-104 from the free throw line and 31 steals.

He was also named to the ACC All-Defensive team on Monday. His 49 steals leads the team and he ranks 10th in the ACC with 1.63 steals per game. In conference only play he ranked fourth with 1.94 steals per game and consistently guarded the opposing team’s top offensive player.

Paulus, a guard from Syracuse, N.Y., also receives his first All-ACC team selection. He was named to the third team after averaging 11.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He was the point guard of the offense that finished the regular season third nationally with 84.6 points per game. He finished the season with more steals (48) than turnovers (46), joining Sean Dockery, Steve Wojiechowski and Chris Duhon as the only point guards in Duke history to have more steals than turnovers in a season.

Singler was named to the All-ACC third team and the ACC All-Freshman team. He has put together one of the top freshman seasons in school history. He leads the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg.) and is second in scoring (14.2 ppg.), field goals made (150), three-point field goals (49) and blocks (22). His 427 points currently rank ninth all-time by a freshman at Duke while his 14.2 points per game is seventh best. His 49 three-point field goals is the fifth most while his .780 free throw percentage is ninth. He ranked third among ACC freshmen in scoring (14.2 ppg.), fourth in rebounding (6.1 rpg.) and third in minutes played (28.8 mpg.).

This season marks the 21st time Duke has had three or more players make All-ACC squads. The individual ACC season awards will be released on Tuesday.

Again Team, Thanks for a great season, and we look forward to the same gritty, determined and passionate effort in both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.. Shine on DUKE!!!!

Duke Rally Falls Short by 8, Splits Season With UNC

#5 Duke's comeback effort in the second half fell short as the Blue Devils lost to North Carolina, 76-68, in the regular season finale at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The defeat spoiled Senior Night for the Blue Devils as DeMarcus Nelson was honored prior to the contest.

The Tar Heels improve to 29-2 overall and 14-2 in league play while the Blue Devils fall to 26-4 overall and 13-3 in the conference. Duke earns the number two seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., and will play at 7 p.m. against the winner of Georgia Tech-Virginia, who meet on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Duke rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to claim a 68-66 lead when Jon Scheyer scored on a layup with 5:42 left in the contest. North Carolina responded by scoring the game's final 10 points to secure the victory.

The Blue Devils were led by Greg Paulus' 15 points while Scheyer came off the bench for 14 point and four assists.

North Carolina received 18 points from Danny Green and 16 points and 15 rebounds from Tyler Hansbrough.

Duke Cruises Past Cavs, 86-70

Gerald Henderson scored 19 pts and #5 Duke beat Virginia 86-70, setting up this weekend's showdown between the Blue Devils and North Carolina for the ACC regular-season championship.

The Blue Devils (26-3, 13-2 ACC), who got coach K his 800th career victory last Saturday at NC State, can get his 17th ACC title by completing a sweep of the Tar Holes on Saturday night at Duke.

Virginia (14-14, 4-11), closed within 12 with 7:42 to play, but was no match for the Blue Devils' depth.

Sean Singletary led Virginia with 18 points, while Calvin Baker had 15 and Mamadi Diane 12.

Kyle Singler scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half for Duke, while DeMarcus Nelson had 16, Greg Paulus 14 and Jon Scheyer 10. The Blue Devils hit 12 3-pointers and shot almost 51 percent from the field.

The game was largely decided in the first half, which ended with Duke leading 43-31 lead. The Blue Devils salted it away in the second half by pounding the ball inside.

Singler had four of Duke's first five field goals in the second half, all from within a few feet, and the Blue Devils used a 10-2 run to open a 61-43 lead.

Virginia went on a 10-0 run to get within 66-57, but Singler had a putback and Nelson hit a 3-pointer and a putback to rebuild the lead to 73-59 and Virginia was out of comebacks.

The Blue Devils, who beat North Carolina 89-78 in their first meeting on Feb. 6 at Chapel Hill, did it then with Tar Heels point guard Ty Lawson sidelined with a sprained left ankle. Lawson has returned and will play in the rematch at Cameron Indoor Stadium. If Virginia had Ty Lawson tonight, they still would've lost.

Duke trailed 26-22 with 8½ minutes left in the first half before switching to a zone defense that baffled the Cavaliers and sparked a 19-5 run into halftime.

Four Blue Devils hit 3's during the burst, which gave them a 43-31 lead, while Virginia was just 1-for-8 from the field with eight turnovers.

Duke finishes Strong, Downs Wolfpack 87-86

DeMarcus Nelson capped a remarkable late rally by making two free throws with 1:01 remaining to lift #6 Duke past NC State 87-86 and give Coach K his 800th career win.

"He kind of let us decide what we were going to do with the game," guard Jon Scheyer said, "because for a lot of it, we weren't doing the things that (the coaches) told us to do."

Nelson and Scheyer both scored 19 for the Blue Devils (25-3, 12-2 ACC), who used a game-closing 14-5 run to take their only lead of the half, win their third straight.

"For a couple of late timeouts, I let anyone who would actually want to talk — and say something that somebody would listen to - run the huddle," Coach K said. "Teams become really good when they talk to each other. What happens is, they take ownership. We never took ownership of this game until late in the second half."

Ben McCauley scored 19 points for N.C. State (15-14, 4-11), and he made one of two free throws with 1:11 remaining to put the Wolfpack up 86-85. He fouled Nelson 10 seconds later, and the Duke captain — a 45 percent free throw shooter in his previous six games — knocked down both.

"If I would have made that, we're in overtime right now," McCauley said.

Instead, he turned it over on N.C. State's next possession with 40 seconds remaining, and Duke ran down the clock, with Scheyer missing a 3 with 4 seconds left. Courtney Fells got the rebound and pushed the ball to McCauley, whose 3 from 30 feet bounced off the glass as time expired.

"I tried getting as close as I could, and it really wasn't even a shot — I just threw it up and hoped and prayed that it went in. Unfortunately, it didn't," said McCauley, who as the buzzer sounded collapsed to the court with his jersey pulled over his head.

Greg Paulus scored 15 points and hit two 3's during Duke's frenetic comeback, sparking the burst by connecting from the top of the key with 3:52 remaining to make it 81-76. The Blue Devils hit five 3-pointers in the final 7½ minutes.

"N.C. State really outplayed us the whole game except for the last 8 minutes," Nelson said. "Everything was going for them, but the thing about it is, we pulled together as a team. ... It just clicked for us — in the last 8 minutes, we started making the plays that we needed to win."

Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson had 12 points apiece for the Blue Devils, who made Krzyzewski the sixth Division I men's coach to reach the 800 win milestone. Coach K did it in his 1,064th game — only Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith did it in fewer games - and is 800-264 in his 33rd season.

"It is hard to put it in perspective because ... you're coaching this team, and it's more important what this team is doing than what you've done with other teams," Krzyzewski said.