The Chronicle's ACC Basketball Preview

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ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

NOVEMBER 6, 2008

MOTOWN MADNESS HOW THE KRZYZEWSKI FIVE COULD MAKE THE FINAL FOUR PLUS: MEET MCCALLIE & CO. IN ST. LOUIS

2 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

sportsstaff sports staff Editor: Ben Cohen Managing Editor: Matthew Iles Photo Editor: Chase Olivieri Recruitment Chair: Gabe Starosta Associate Editors: Stephen Allan, Joe Drews, Laura Keeley, Sabreena Merchant, Madeline Perez, David Ungvary Senior Staff Writers: Tim Britton, Taylor Field, Sam Levy, Sean Moroney, Katie Riera, Meredith Shiner First-Year Writers: Daniel Ahrens, Emily Bray, Ryan Claxton, Harrison Comfort, Taylor Doherty, Caroline Fairchild, Kevin Fishner, Ryan Genkin, Alex Keller, Kyle Lambrecht, Andy Moore, Nick Nelson, Lucas Nevola, Scott Rich, Jeff Scholl, Felicia Tan Photographers: Emily Bray, Courtney Douglas, Emily Eshman, Jianghai Ho, Lawson Kurtz, Max Masnick, Michael Naclerio Maya Robinson, Sam Sheft, Zachary Tracer Special thanks to: Chronicle Editor Chelsea Allison, Managing Editor Eugene Wang, Online Photo Editor Lawson Kurtz and former Sports Editor Meredith Shiner

DISCOGRAPHY 3 Point guards Nolan Smith and Greg Paulus are two of the best in the ACC—but only one can start.

4 Jon Scheyer returns to the starting lineup after coming off the bench—not that it matters.

5 The men’s 3-point line moves back this year.

Will it make a difference to the players?

6 Kyle Singler added 20 pounds in the offseason by eating. A lot.

7 Last April, Miles Plumlee was Stanfordbound. Now, he’s starting at Duke.

20 21 22 23 24

8 Elliot Williams has learned the differ-

ence between high school and college.

9

Don’t let Olek Czyz’ screen presence fool you. He’s still getting his bearings on the court.

10

Chante Black, Carrem Gay and Joy Cheek make up perhaps the best frontcourt in the country.

11 Why Joanne P. McCallie’s defenses are more crucial than ever this year.

13 Can Duke make the Final Four? Three columnists offer their takes.

14-15

What to expect in the men’s and women’s upcoming seasons.

16

19

25 26

ON THE COVER The Jacksons Story The Jackson Five Aug. 28, 2007 Feat.: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marion, Michael, Randy Chase Olivieri The Krzyzewski Five Oct. 29, 2008 Feat. (L to R): Paulus, Scheyer, Singler, Henderson, Smith

26 27 27

It’s true: The women’s team freshmen really are close.

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THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 3

MEN’S BASKETBALL THE POINT GUARDS

Game slows down for newly confident Smith

First-year starter says he and Greg Paulus could be the two best point guards in the ACC

by Stephen Allan THE CHRONICLE

Nolan Smith has always had the talent to be a top-tier ACC point guard.

But through it all, there was something missing—something that every team leader in every sport, whether the point guard or the quarterback or the head coach, needs not only to perform at the top level, but also to lead others to their maximum potential.

He needed confidence.

“Freshman year, you can lose some [confidence] as the year goes on, not knowing what’s going on, second-guessing yourself,” Smith said.

By the end of the season, when a great 221 start had started to unravel against the Blue Devils, Smith was hardly seeing the court. In two NCAA Tournament games, he played a combined 22 minutes and recorded just eight points on 2-of-6 field goals with zero assists.

It was a far cry from even the latter half of the season, when Smith erupted for a 21-point outburst in a 86-73 loss to Wake Forest Feb. 17. In that game, Smith showed glimmers of brilliance when he scored Duke’s final seven points.

To make those flashes more permanent, the sophomore guard went to Philadelphia and began a rigorous exercise schedule, working out several times a day and practicing with NBA draft picks Michael Beasley and DeAndre Jordan. Over the course of the sum-

mer workouts, he lost more than 10 pounds and managed to regain his confidence.

In the process, Smith, who was unanimously praised by the team as having improved the most since last season, improved his swagger—and he also likely leapfrogged senior captain Greg Paulus for the starting point guard job, essentially making this year’s squad his team to run.

“I can step on this court and be one of the best point guards in the ACC,” Smith said. “Having a year under my belt, knowing what the coaches expect—it’s just really helped me get ready to push this team to the next level.”

His words aren’t empty bravado, either.

His demeanor is calm when he answers questions and there is never a sense of hesitation when he’s asked about his belief in himself or the team.

Much of his newfound confidence comes Smith’s ability to slow the game down, a trait he lost at times last season.

Paulus described having a year under Smith’s belt as Smith understanding “the difference between high school and college” game speed.

But with head coach Mike Krzyzewski wanting his team to push the ball aggressively on offense, there will be times when Smith may have to speed the game up as SEE SMITH ON PAGE 12

CHASE OLIVIERI/THE CHRONICLE

After regaining his confidence, Nolan Smith will likely supplant Greg Paulus as Duke’s starting point guard, but Duke expects Paulus to play as large of a role off the bench as he would if he were the starter.

4 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

MEN’S BASKETBALL THE SUDDEN STARTER

Starting nod changes little about Scheyer

by Joe Drews THE CHRONICLE

Despite losing just one player from last year’s starting lineup, Duke could have a 60 percent turnover in its opening five this season.

But one of those new starters really isn’t new at all.

After all, junior guard Jon Scheyer will almost definitely return to the starting lineup after a one-year absence—not that it mattered for him.

“I’m probably going to start, but either way, I think my role won’t be different,” said Scheyer, one of Duke’s three captains.

“It’s not really an adjustment. You’re playing basketball and regardless of whether you’re coming off the bench or starting, it’s still the same thing for me.”

Scheyer started 32 of 33 games as a freshman, playing the second-most minutes on a young team that bowed out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

But Gerald Henderson replaced him in the starting lineup last year, and Scheyer made just one start in 34 games. The sixth man was still third on the team in minutes, trailing only DeMarcus Nelson and Kyle Singler. He averaged 11.7 points per game, down just half a point from the previous year, and all of his other notable statistics— including field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and assists—increased despite coming off the bench.

Now, Scheyer replaces Nelson in the starting lineup, joining Henderson and Singler along with first-year starters Nolan

Smith and Miles Plumlee.

“I’m not going to try to fill in for DeMarcus,” Scheyer said. “His shoes can’t be filled....

Our team has changed where we’ll have different roles this year. It’s not like we’re just going to substitute for DeMarcus.”

Scheyer is part of a deep backcourt that should be one of the Blue Devils’ biggest strengths. And in contrast to two years ago, when Scheyer was thrown into the fire as a freshman starter and forced to learn the point guard position at the same time after Greg Paulus injured his foot, many of Duke’s guards can run the offense. Smith and Paulus are natural point guards, freshman Elliot Williams ran his offense in high school and Scheyer has played the position at times during the exhibition season.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has said that Duke will use several different guard combinations this season. Paulus and Smith may play at the same time, and even when they are on the floor, they may not be running the offense.

“Jon will run it sometimes,” Krzyzewski said. “We’ve been working on that in practice, and he might do that even with Greg or Nolan in. He doesn’t necessarily have to be in for those guys, so we can use people in different spots. Then we’ll be more prepared for people running the team.”

And that’s perfectly OK with Scheyer.

The junior guard has played the point before, and he has no problem doing it again.

CHASE OLIVIERI/THE CHRONICLE

SEE SCHEYER ON PAGE 12

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Jon Scheyer came off the bench last year after starting as a freshman, but returns to the starting five this year.

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ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 5

MEN’S BASKETBALL THE RULE CHANGE

Duke not affected by change in 3-point line

by Felicia Tan THE CHRONICLE

RESTAURANT

When the NCAA first announced last year that the 3-point line would be moving back by a foot to 20 feet, 9 inches, plenty of eager speculation ensued about the new line’s effects on the college game.

But while the extra foot may require a short adjustment period, the Blue Devils are taking it all in stride.

“The first couple of times I worked out [with the new line], I noticed I was shooting with a toe on the line,” said senior Greg Paulus, Duke’s best outside shooter last year at 42.3 percent.

19-foot-9 “It didn’t take long to get used to it. I don’t think it makes a difference.”

The NCAA approved the change in the 3-point line—the first since 20-foot-9 the line was instituted in 1986—with the goal of increasing spacing on the court, especially in the paint. The move is also aimed at minimizing the importance of the 3-pointer in a game that has become increasingly dependent on the trifecta.

If this story sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Last season, the Blue Devils made 9.1 3-pointers per game, ranking them 18th nationally.

No. 1 on the list? Belmont, the team that fell just one Gerald Henderson coast-to-coast layup short of upsetting Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

While head coach Mike Krzyzewski conceded that the longer distance on the 3-point shot might have an impact nationally, he dismissed speculation that it would change Duke’s game plan of pushing the tempo, spreading the floor and shooting the three.

And the players agree with Krzyzewski.

“Most guys who can shoot the three can really shoot it,” junior guard Jon Scheyer said, maintaining that a little more distance won’t deter the shootPHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LAWSON KURTZ/THE CHRONICLE ers.

Paulus is one of those players, someone who has The NCAA decided to move the 3-point line from 19 feet, nine inches to 20 feet, nine inches. taken to regularly shooting long threes in the last Although Duke has thrived from behind the arc, it doesn’t expect to see any major changes.

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two seasons.

While Paulus is quick to wave away the effect of the extra distance, the impact on the other Blue Devils is less certain.

Junior Gerald Henderson and sophomore Kyle Singler both take the majority of their threes from relatively close to the line, and Singler attempted the second-most treys on the team last season, behind only Paulus.

“I’m as close to that [line] as possible. You just gotta shoot it a little bit harder, I guess.”

— Gerald Henderson “I’m as close to that [line] as possible,” Henderson said. “You just gotta shoot it a little bit harder, I guess.”

In the preseason, Duke’s shooters have not had trouble doing just that. Through the Blue-White Scrimmage and the exhibition game against Virginia Union, the Blue Devils have shot 39.3 percent from behind the arc, trumping the 37.7 percent they hit last year.

And though the line is being pushed back only a foot, it increases the area inside the arc by 11 percent.

“If you look at it that way, we can use it for spacing,” Paulus said. “With that whole extra foot on each side, we can keep the spacing that we’d like. It creates an extra foot or two in the lane. It gives our big guys an extra foot or two to post up.”

That’s a foot or two that center Brian Zoubek will gladly take.

“If it can give me a little more space to work inside, that would be great,” Zoubek said.

Then, Zoubek echoed the thoughts of seemingly every other Duke player, saying, “But I haven’t seen too much difference in terms of one foot on the 3-point line.”

6 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

MEN’S BASKETBALL THE POST PLAYERS

With knife and fork, frontcourt beefs up

by Laura Keeley

CHASE OLIVIERI/THE CHRONICLE

THE CHRONICLE

Junior Kyle Singler added 20 pounds of muscle this summer by eating whenever he could.

It was a familiar snapshot from last year: Kyle Singler looking battered and bruised after matching up with the biggest man on the court. Toward the end of the season, there was rarely a contest in which the ACC Rookie of the Year did not have facial wounds torn open and blood streaming down his face.

It was easy to spot the physical wear and tear—that was only the half of it, though. Singler was dealing with a lot of new elements— new school, new teammates, new expectations and a new role on the court—and it all combined to wear him down mentally, too. He described it as feeling like a “new fish in a new pond swimming alone,” so he made a decision he hoped would benefit both his mind and body: He went home for the first part of the summer.

After finding refuge in the familiar confines of Medford, Ore., he focused on the tools he would need to improve himself physically as a basketball player.

That is, he picked up a knife and a fork.

“It started pretty much right after the season,” Singler said of his eating training for this year’s campaign. “I made a commitment of eating a lot of food. I don’t want to put a number on it, but I ate as much as I could back home. I really didn’t work out as much, so I just packed on the pounds. And then I came back to school and started lifting really hard, and I put on about 20 pounds.

“I gained a lot of muscle over the summer. That will just help me with the length of the season. I felt like last year, I kind of wore out. There was nothing I could

do to prevent that, but I’m a lot stronger [this season]. I know what to expect now.”

Those additional 20 pounds will certainly help Singler when he finds himself under the rim battling for rebounding position against the best big men in the ACC, including National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough. What will help him—and Duke—even more, though, is the return of a healthy Brian Zoubek.

Zoubek admitted that his leg strength and conditioning may not be at 100 percent yet as he continues to recover from foot surgery performed in April. A fullstrength Zoubek, however, could be one of the keys to this year’s success.

“We potentially are a very good basketball team because we have great guys and really good talent,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We have to figure out how to complement one another, but we can play a lot of people. We’re healthy now— God forbid we have any injuries, but if we did, we probably wouldn’t take a dip like you might take otherwise.

“One of the things that hurt us last year was Zoubek being out. Whether he was going to be a star or a 12- or 18-minute starter, those were minutes that Lance [Thomas] and Kyle had to stay in there and guard another big guy. The guy it took its toll on was Kyle. That’s the one thing that had nothing to do with expectation. That shouldn’t happen this year.”

Zoubek, like Singler, came back with more muscle. And, like Singler, he did it by making sure his knife and fork were never out of arm’s reach.

“It was hard putting the weight on, but I feel good about it,” Zoubek said. “I have to

eat all day. Every chance you get, you’ve got to get a meal in. That’s the major thing— you eat after you lift. You can lift as much as you want, but if you don’t eat the right things [and] you don’t eat consistently, then you are not going to get bigger. I had to cut down on the Krispy Kremes for a little bit.”

Barring any serious injuries, Zoubek will almost certainly eat up more minutes per game than the 10.5 he averaged last year.

By doing this, he allows the Blue Devils the luxury of using Singler—their secondleading scorer from last year, primarily as a power forward and not as a center—leading to easier scoring opportunities.

“The great thing for Kyle is that there will be a couple of guys that can really take that five position and force him out to the perimeter more,” Zoubek said. “That will allow him to do what he likes to do a little bit more. That will open him up, and it will give our team a huge boost.”

Another boost for the frontcourt has come in the addition of freshman Miles Plumlee. The 6-foot-10 power forward’s biggest impact is felt daily on the practice court by Zoubek in particular.

“Not only can we sub in for each other during the games and help each other out, but playing against each other every day in practice is huge,” Zoubek said. “If you don’t have someone like that to play against every single day, then you are not going to be used to it when you actually have to play against someone like that.”

And the addition of another big man pays dividends off the court, too. After all, it gives Singler and Zoubek another eating buddy.

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THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 7

MEN’S BASKETBALL FRESHMAN PROFILE

Better LATE than NEVER

junior Brian Zoubek, averaged 3.8 points per game. Plumlee’s high school coach, David Gaines, describes Plumlee as “big, athletic and mobile” with a “7-foot-1 wingspan” and “the handle of a guard.”

Plumlee will be under a great deal of pressure to perform right away, particularly defensively and on the boards. With a guard-heavy rotation that can provide most of the Blue Devils’ scoring, though, even a minimal scoring output from Plumlee would be a boon for Duke’s frontcourt.

A gifted scorer and self-described “finisher,” Plumlee appears to be an obvious fit for the Blue Devils’ lineup.

Still, even he didn’t fully grasp the idea of being a starter until he found himself on the court in Duke’s first exhibition Oct. 25. When the team gathered before the game, Krzyzewski named four starters with a spot open at center.

Somewhat to his own surprise, Plumlee was chosen as that fifth starter.

“It didn’t really hit me until you come and they call your name, because I wasn’t really expecting that either,” he said. “[The announcer called out No.] 21. I was thrown back. I was the first one out of the huddle. It was pretty crazy.”

And crazy is a good way to describe Plumlee’s unlikely path from the West Coast to the Blue Devils’ starting lineup. It also might be the best way to describe his potential, his high school coach said.

“The biggest factor for him is believing he’s as good as the rest of us think he is,” Gaines said. “I wouldn’t say he lacks confidence, but I don’t think he knows how good he is.”

by Taylor Doherty THE CHRONICLE

GLEN GUTTERSON/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Center Miles Plumlee only committed to Duke after former Stanford head coach Trent Johnson was replaced

by Johnny Dawkins. The freshman who was headed to the West Coast is now projected to start for Duke.

Miles Plumlee wasn’t the most highly touted recruit in his class. Then again, he wasn’t even a member of Duke’s group of freshmen until May. But on a team lacking a dominant big man, he may just be the Blue Devils’ most important addition.

Plumlee committed to play at Stanford for head coach Trent Johnson during his junior year of high school. When Johnson left Stanford for LSU at the beginning of April, Plumlee was granted a release from his Letter of Intent.

Although former Duke associate head coach Johnny Dawkins tried to keep Plumlee at Stanford, Dawkins’ long-time mentor, head coach Mike Krzyzewski, ultimately outdid him.

Krzyzewski had a scholarship open after former Blue Devil Taylor King decided to transfer to Villanova. And once Duke extended the offer, everything besides Duke was “off the table,” Plumlee said—partly because his brother Mason, a five-star power forward in the Class of 2010, had already committed to Krzyzewski.

“Duke was an option I didn’t have before,” the 6-foot-10 power forward said. “When I found out I could come here and play with my brother, that was a big deal for me.... At the time [of my Stanford commitment], I wasn’t as highly recruited as I was when I got my release.

“I thought I was kind of underrated the whole time, but I think definitely my body caught up with me. I put on some weight and schools started looking at me differently.”

Plumlee is a welcome addition to a team whose only player over 6-foot-8 last season,

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8 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

MEN’S BASKETBALL FRESHMAN PROFILE

Williams greeted with changes

by Ryan Genkin THE CHRONICLE

LAWSON KURTZ/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

In just a few months, freshman Elliot Williams has already picked up nuances of college basketball by following Greg Paulus and Gerald Henderson.

When freshman Elliot Williams arrived at Duke, he knew life was going to be different.

He knew some of the time he normally enjoys playing video games and chess would have to be allocated toward schoolwork. He was aware that he was no longer going to be living at home, but instead, with his two fellow freshman teammates, Olek Czyz and Miles Plumlee, in a suite.

But he had no idea how different college basketball would be.

“I did not expect the intensity of every day,” Williams said. “Like, you have to bring it every day, because someone is coming at you every day.

Whether during practice, games, exhibition games, stretching, anything, you’ve got to bring it.”

The intensity hasn’t fazed Williams, though, as his two teammates said they spend a lot of time together in the gym, playing video games, and talking trivia. That lightheartedness off the court doesn’t surprise Williams’ high school coach, Jeff Ruffin.

“He was always the funny one, joking around in the locker room,” Ruffin said. “He loves sports—loves talking about it.”

But Ruffin also recalls how it wasn’t all fun and games with Williams—he knew when it was time to get serious.

“In the locker room as game time got near, he was quiet, because he generally was much more focused thinking about what he wanted to do in each game,” he said.

The classroom is important— Williams boasted a 3.7 GPA at St. George’s Independent School in Colliersville, Tenn.—but much of Williams’ focus is on his game.

Scout.com’s fourth-best shooting guard in the Class of 2008, Williams is hoping to make an immediate impact

on the court. He knew that college basketball, especially at Duke, was going to be a huge change from high school, which is why he packed on 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

The extra muscle will help Williams stay healthy, which became more of a priority after Williams spent time with senior captain Greg Paulus.

“In high school, you can go through practice and not have an injury or anything, but not in college,” Williams said. “Greg Paulus told me, ‘Well, first of all, you got to keep your body healthy.’ That’s one thing I learned.”

While Williams has received advice from Paulus, his fellow guard, most of his guidance has come from junior captain Gerald Henderson.

Henderson is the perfect adviser for Williams. At 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Williams and the freshman incarnation of Henderson have similar body types. On the court, the two share similar traits, as well.

Henderson’s athleticism and ability to drive to the hoop and finish has increased the energy on the court for the Blue Devils. His length and speed have made him a defensive force, both up top and down low. His unique size, strength and leaping ability allow him to play both guard and forward.

Williams has similar basketball DNA, and Henderson has taken the freshman under his wing.

“When Gerald sees I’m having a down day, he’ll talk to me about things he went through his freshman year,” Williams said. “I mean, he’s like a big brother right now.... Offensively, I can bring athleticism—attacking the rim, picking up fouls, knocking open jumpers down—I can bring a lot offensively. And defensively, I’m looking at pressuring the ball, on-ball defense, just playing passing lanes, using my athleticism to get out and get down, and bring a lot of energy.”

Henderson has had few opportuni-

LAWSON KURTZ/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Freshman Elliot Williams led Duke with 15 points against Virginia Union Oct. 25. ties to observe the younger version of himself in games this season. In Duke’s Oct. 25 exhibition against Virginia Union, Williams established himself, posting a team-leading 15 points. He also showed a few different looks, getting work at both shooting guard and point guard—and his mentor was impressed with what he saw.

“I would say he is more athletic than me because he has a little more spring than me, quick spring than me,” Henderson said. “He is going to be a heck of a player.... He really drove to the basket well, had some good passes, hit a couple threes and shot 10 free throws, which is unbelievable.”

It might be his defense, though, that earns Williams serious playing time as a freshman.

“I think he could be one of our better on-ball defenders,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He’s really wide and athletic and he has a good ego about it.”

And if Williams follows the lead of either Paulus or Henderson, his transition to college basketball might be easier than he ever imagined.

THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 9

MEN’S BASKETBALL FRESHMAN PROFILE

Czyz lets game talk for him

by Sabreena Merchant THE CHRONICLE

Ask Olek Czyz about the rigors of a Blue Devil practice, and he doesn’t say much, understandably humbled by the steep learning curve for a first-year player.

It’s not that he’s not talkative—just YouTube the video “Meet the Devils” for proof—but on the court, the Polish native is still adjusting to his new role at Duke.

And that means more work and less talk.

So while Czyz has begun to create a name for himself off the court—that’s Czyz, rhymes with fizz—it may take a little longer before he establishes himself on it.

“It’s been good so far,” Czyz said. “We go out there and the coaches are all over me, so it’s going well. But it’s not easy.”

The transition to the college game seems to be harder for Czyz than it is for his fellow freshmen, both of whom have spent more time playing organized basketball. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski said Czyz is still learning the game. The freshman noted that practice in itself has been difficult now that he has to match up against so many athletes at the same time.

Czyz, a four-star recruit, is also presented with the extra challenge of playing a new position. The coaching staff believes that at 6foot-7, the high school power forward is more

GLEN GUTTERSON/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Freshman Olek Czyz, a four-star recruit from Nevada, might be a ham in front of the video camera, but he prefers a more disciplined approach on the hardwood. suited as a small forward on the Blue Devils.

Kyle Schellin, Czyz’s high school coach, figured that the Reno High School graduate’s major obstacle would be understanding his role within Krzyzewski’s system, and Schellin’s statement has proven almost prophetic given the position switch. Czyz’s toughness and scoring touch around the basket were his greatest strengths in high school and a bulk of his offense comes from dunks, which will be harder to come by if he is playing on the wings.

But Czyz’s assignment will be to spread the floor, and that means expanding his shooting range, making him a 2008 version of transfer

Taylor King in more ways than one.

“Whenever I get in, I want to help out: shoot 3’s, play defense, be an energy guy off the bench,” Czyz said.

Czyz has proven to be capable of providing hustle. Krzyzewski commended his athleticism and toughness, and Schellin praised his willingness to make the little plays, such as taking charges and diving for loose balls.

Although he saw limited action in Duke’s Blue-White scrimmage and first exhibition game—just 18 minutes total—Czyz doesn’t regret selecting Duke over a school where he might have had a larger role.

He is patiently waiting for his number to be called so he can make his contribution to the storied Blue Devil legacy.

“I just want my team to succeed, and I want to bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the team because that’s something that gets everyone going,” he said. “That’s how we’re going to be successful and get ‘W’s.”

And while he waits for that opportunity, you might just find him in front of a camera.

He’ll do whatever it takes to make his name at Duke—and given his propensity for off-the-court chatter, you might know how to pronounce it, too.

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ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL THE FRONTCOURT

BREAD and BUTTER Chante Black, Carrem Gay and Joy Cheek pace one of the best frontcourts in the nation

by Andy Moore THE CHRONICLE

Diverse, deep, and decidedly experienced are three alliterative ways to describe the Blue Devils frontcourt this year.

After all, Duke features one of, if not the, best frontlines in the nation this season, led by seniors Chante Black and Carrem Gay, and juniors Joy Cheek and Keturah Jackson.

“Their strength is their offensive flexibility,” said assistant coach Al Brown, who handles the post players. “They can score both on the block as well as outside.”

Duke’s frontcourt is unique in today’s modern game, as no player can be pigeonholed to a specialty.

Cheek spends the majority of her time at power forward, yet had the team’s best 3point shooting percentage last year. Jackson can post up at small forward, but also has the ability to play either of the guard positions, allowing another big body to take her place.

And—get this—Black has been shooting the three more and more lately, drilling her first during her Blue Devil career in the Blue-White game and finishing one recent practice 7-for-7 from behind the arc. Her outside touch has become so proficient that head coach Joanne P. McCallie said she has free rein to shoot threes at will. “[Shooting three pointers] will definite-

ly wake some people up,” Black said.

Black is the team’s top returning scorer, rebounder and blocker—and McCallie said the preseason All-ACC selection is better than ever.

“Chante is stronger, quicker, faster, more agile,” she said. “She has a wider range, and her game has gone to another level in terms of her athleticism, in the low block, high post and when she steps out.”

“I could care less about missing the first shot if you’ve got the second shot. The inside game is your bread and butter.”

— Joanne P. McCallie In another example of Duke’s flexibility, Black will periodically line up at power forward as part of a “twin towers” line-up with 6foot-4 sophomore Krystal Thomas at center, reminiscent of Black’s role as a freshman and sophomore with 6-foot-7 center Alison Bales.

Joining Thomas and Black will be Gay, who averaged 5.1 rebounds per game last season. Black and Gay, along with shooting guard Abby Waner, will be called on to pro-

CHASE OLIVIERI/THE CHRONICLE

Senior forward Carrem Gay is part of Duke’s experienced frontcourt, which could be the best in the country. vide the bulk of Duke’s scoring, but they also have rebounding responsibilities.

“If Abby misses her shot, she knows that ‘Te and I’ve got her back,” Gay said.

That’s a far cry from last season, when Duke was consistently outrebounded down the stretch and against the elite teams on its schedule. In order for the Blue Devils to compete against the top-10 teams they’re used to beating, they will have to begin to control the battle of the boards.

“You’re going to miss some shots,” Mc-

Callie said. “I could care less about missing the first shot if you’ve got the second shot.

The inside game is your bread and butter.”

If the Blue Devils do manage to secure better rebounding numbers and improve on the defensive side of the ball, they might just be able to lay claim to the best frontcourt in the country. And, as McCallie noted, the victories will come.

“The game is won in the paint,” she said.

“Points in the paint determine the national champion just about every year.”

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 11

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL THE DEFENSE

Multiple approaches key to defensive philosophy

by Kevin Fishner THE CHRONICLE

In head coach Joanne P. McCallie’s first season, the Blue Devils stayed in games with defense. They won by outlasting and outhustling their opponent.

Indeed, Duke was 1-8 when it surrendered more than 70 points. When holding opponents to fewer than 50 points, however, the Blue Devils were 10-0.

Lesson learned: If Duke is able to lock down on defense and keep games low-scoring, it will be more competitive against top-10 teams.

Exhibit A: the Blue Devils’ 49-44 win against then-No. 4 Rutgers Dec. 6. The team recorded 10 blocks, including six from senior center Chante Black, and eight steals in perhaps its finest defensive performance of the season.

This year’s team needs to repeat and build upon such efforts if it hopes to beat elite opponents.

The Blue Devils are in luck, as the team is characterized by flexibility—the foundation to a stifling defense. Players like Joy Cheek, Keturah Jackson and Black will be able to offer different looks to the defense in order to keep opposing teams guessing, McCallie said.

“We have many different people playing different positions this year—much more versatility than we had a year ago,” the second-year head coach said.

Flexibility allows the defense to take on many new appearances, including McCallie’s trademark matchup zones. Last year, the Blue Devils featured one matchup, but

this year, McCallie has introduced another to further her philosophy that the best defense is a collection of multiple defenses.

Still, the Blue Devils will primarily play man-to-man, which they did last year.

Black and senior Abby Waner lead the defense both inside and out—Black was the team leader in blocks last year, while Waner led the team in steals. McCallie expects similar defensive production from two of her captains. “[Waner] looks great in all areas, whether you are talking about her 3-point shot in practice, or whether you are talking about playmaking and defending,” McCallie said. “She’s stronger, quicker, and I think I speak for [Waner] and all the seniors—they are a ready group.”

Alongside Black will be sophomore center Krystal Thomas, who teams with Black to form an imposing force in the post. At 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4, respectively, Black and Thomas will be able to anchor down Duke’s matchup zone, allowing the quick Blue Devil guards to force turnovers and create scoring opportunities.

In order to make the step to the next level, McCallie plans to build upon her consistent defense with a new half-court offense—that doesn’t mean, though, that McCallie has lost sight of defense, the part of the game she has built her career on.

“As coaches you will spend a lot of time on offense, but when you do that defense can lose an emphasis,” McCallie said. “I’m really interested in our transition defense, on-ball defense, off-ball defense, and how

CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Abby Waner led Duke in steals last year. This season, the Blue Devils will feature a wider array of defenses. we handle screens and what we look like.”

After all, by Oct. 31, McCallie said the offense was more developed than the defense. That would have surprised some last year given Duke’s relatively anemic

offensive production. McCallie and the players alike know that the defense has to come around for Duke to compete with the best—starting with the team’s opening game Nov. 14 against Oklahoma State.

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THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

SCHEYER from page 4 “It’s fine for me,” Scheyer said. “I have always felt that my ballhandling has been a strength for me, and certain times I will be in that position, and I feel comfortable doing it. I think it can give us some real athletic lineups.”

With multiple point guards on the floor at the same time, Duke may also have the additional advantage of surprise, Scheyer said. Whereas opponents in past years knew who would be initiating the offense, the Blue Devils’ versatility implies that an offensive set can start with any of a number of players this season.

SMITH from page 3 opposed to processing it slowly—and, conversely, Smith can shine when the game does slow down.

“With they way we play—that we would like to play—we’re going to force a certain amount of turnovers, which will produce numerically advantaged breaks and you don’t want to slow down for that,” Krzyzewski said. “The moment of decision for a good point guard is when the offense is a little scattered and so is the defense, but it’s congested. Do you go into congestion or do you pull it out?...

The speed you take it down with is cool, but how far do you take that speed?”

The results from Duke’s exhibition season seem promising. Smith has made 8-of-15 field goals and had an assist-toturnover ratio of more than 2-to-1.

Of course, the odd man out of the starting lineup because of Smith’s emergence figures to be Paulus. Krzyzewski, having worked with the Olympic team and realizing some players just simply cannot start, is tell-

WANT

Duke may not even see the biggest benefit of its backcourt depth until March.

The Blue Devils started to struggle from the field—particularly from beyond the arc—late last season, leading to their second straight first-weekend exit from the NCAA Tournament.

This year, they’re hoping their glut of guards leads to a different result.

“It’s going to keep our legs fresh and our bodies fresh,” Smith said. “It’s going to keep us rolling all year. That’s the main thing, to keep guys fresh. A lot of teams have one point guard they go to, or maybe two. We have possibly three, four who can play the one and run the team, so that’s going to be great for us.” ing his players to “speak our own language and not the language of everyone else.”

“I’d rather have everyone on our team have the ego of a starter,” Krzyzewski said.

“When Greg comes off the bench, he’s good enough to be a starter, because he is.”

So one year after losing his captaincy but being asked to lead the team on the court, the senior guard has the task of performing like a starter even though he begins the game sitting on the bench. But it’s not just the head coach that says having Paulus on the bench does not mean Paulus isn’t one of the top five players on the team—Smith himself said that he and Paulus could become the “two best point guards in the ACC.” In any case, however, before every game this season, Smith’s name will be called during starting lineups. And if the team believes in him as much as he believes in himself, Duke could be looking at its first Final Four trip since 2004. There’s just one hurdle to be cleared.

“You have to do it under game conditions,” Krzyzewski said.

Just don’t doubt Smith, because he has what it takes to do just that: confidence.

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THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 13

4 keys to the Blue Devils’ Final 4 hopes

I

was going to try to be funny with this column and present theme song alternatives for the 2008-2009 Blue Devils that weren’t Jennifer Hudson’s “I Am Changing” from the Academy Award winning “Dreamgirls.”

In case you missed it, that was the song Coach K announced as the anthem for last season’s team, which, ultimately, Meredith might explain a bit about how things went down at the end of last year.

(Check out these lyrics: “Look at me, Look at me/I am changing/Trying every way I can/I am changing/I’ll be better than I am.” How anyone could’ve believed that a red-blooded 20-year-old male athlete would get amped up in the locker room to that power ballad is beyond me.)

The biggest problem with writing that column, though, is that I’m not that funny. So not only would I fail to make you laugh, I would have given you 800 words of nothing.

Ergo, I’m going to nominate “Detroit Thang” by Kid Rock in honor of this year’s Final Four. And at the suggestion of my 17-year-old brother, who is much cooler than me—I demand that you

Shiner

CHRIS MCGUIRE/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Gerald Henderson averaged nearly 13 points per game last year, up from seven per game as a freshman.

YouTube it to appreciate its appropriateness (minus the profanity, of course, because Duke is classier than that) and move on with my thoughts for the season.

Let’s start with the good news: Duke actually can make the Final Four this year.

Now, for the bad news: It will be hard.

Here’s my list of four things that need to happen for Duke to make its first Final Four since 2004.

1. Gerald Henderson has to be an NBA lottery pick by year’s end.

This sounds terrible to say, but the best thing to happen to Duke would be if Henderson leaves for the big leagues

at season’s end because it means he will have developed into a stud and have showcased his talent on a big stage, like say, the Tournament’s second weekend (a place only this year’s senior class has been). Most championship-caliber teams have that one player who takes them to the next level.

Henderson has to become that guy for the Blue Devils, and I believe he can. Last season, he averaged nearly 13 points and five rebounds per game, up from seven and three, respectively, in his freshman season. If he is a 20-point player by March, the Blue Devils should make it to the Sweet 16, at least.

2. The big men have to step up.

I’m talking to you, Kyle Singler, Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek, Miles Plumlee and Olek Czyz. Anyone. Seriously. I was in Charlotte for last season’s ACC Tournament semifinal loss to Clemson when the Tigers’ starting frontcourt combined for 40 points and 16 rebounds while Duke’s starting post players were confined to two points and four boards. Of this year’s preseason All-American first team, three players are forwards, including North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough.

A stronger inside presence—both figuratively and literally, as Singler and Zoubek SEE SHINER ON PAGE 17

Will the Blue Devils exceed expectations?

Henderson can lead Duke to Final 4

Adversity will plague new Redeem Team

A

ith privileges, come responsibilities—that’s what my mother always said.

Of course, head coach Mike Krzyzewski could put his own spin on that: With success, come expectations.

That’s been the status quo at Duke ever since Krzyzewski propelled a small school in North Carolina to national prominence over the course of his 28-year career. Can you name any other university that would Matthew solicit the kind of whispers Duke did after failing to make the Sweet 16 two years in a row? I mean, the Blue Devils had advanced at least that far in the 14 previous seasons.

So after another disappointing finish last year, where do you think Duke finds itself now? Naturally, where everyone expects the Blue Devils to be. On top.

The No. 8 Blue Devils are faced with high expectations and will be shooting for a chance at redemption.

Oh, I know: We should call them The Redeem Team!

Someone already got that one, huh?

Well, of course, Krzyzewski was the front man for Team USA’s climb back to Olympic supremacy, so he should know what this feels like.

But there are no Dwyanes, Kobes or LeBrons suiting up for Krzyzewski anymore. Instead of Lithuania, Germany and Australia, Duke has to take down the likes of the Big Ten’s best in No. 11 Purdue, last year’s little engine that could in No. 20 Davidson, and arguably the best team on paper in No. 1 North Carolina.

Winning the gold was difficult. Winning a national championship, or at least living up to a top-10 ranking, might be

nother season kicks off next week, and again, Duke is a preseason top10 team. The formula isn’t too complex: The sport’s most prestigious program, the biggest coaching name in basketball and four returning starters, coupled with a strong recruiting class, usually merit that kind of respect. But is the Blue Devils’ No. 8 ranking inflated? Or, more to the point, can Duke possibly live up to expectations this year, unlike the last two seasons?

This team can Gabe and will earn the respect that comes with a top-10 ranking, and the biggest reason is the departure of last year’s captain, leading scorer and co-leading rebounder, DeMarcus Nelson. It sounds ridiculous to argue that losing the player head coach Mike Krzyzewski consistently called Duke’s “rock” could actually constitute an improvement, but the numbers tell a different story.

Nelson—now a starter for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors despite going undrafted in June—averaged 14.8 points per game, along with 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 turnovers per contest. But in the season’s last five games—home against North Carolina, two ACC Tournament games and two NCAA Tournament matchups—Duke might have been better off without Nelson.

Nelson averaged just nine points and turned the ball over almost four times a game in that span. Nobody in Cameron March 8 against the Tar Heels will soon forget Nelson’s disappearing act—his inability to come through when it mattered most doomed the Blue Devils in March.

Had Nelson simply carried his steady play into the postseason, maybe Duke cruises past Belmont, takes care of West Virginia and sneaks past Xavier into the Elite

Starosta

Eight. I would have no reason to write this column.

But the fact is, the Blue Devils did fall short of the Tournament’s second weekend for the second straight year, and there is reason to question whether they can live up to the hype and earn a spot among the nation’s elite. Much of the pressure to do so rests on junior captain Gerald Henderson’s more-than-capable shoulders.

Henderson played like an All-American at times last year, but a wrist injury slowed his progress. Still, Henderson should be the focal point of the Duke offense.Nelson’s responsibilities this year fall primarily to Henderson, who is a better shooter and dribbler than Nelson.

Moreover, Henderson proved himself a clutch performer against Pittsburgh and Belmont last season.

In addition, the squad’s freshmen and sophomores provide some much-needed size and flair, two areas the Blue Devils sorely lacked last year. Nolan Smith has already supplanted stalwart Greg Paulus as the starting point guard, and along with the wildly athletic Elliot Williams, brings an exciting new dimension to the attack. And while Duke is still inexperienced and somewhat undersized down low, a frontcourt of Henderson, Kyle Singler and 6-foot-11 Miles Plumlee doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

This year’s Blue Devils can only make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament if they get key contributions from young players and their stars become truly dominant when it matters. But after watching Henderson and Co. in person almost 40 times over two years, I have faith that this team has what its predecessors lacked: a guy to give the ball to when it desperately needs a bucket.

That guy is Gerald Henderson, and this team has what it takes to live up to its lofty pre-season rating.

W

Iles

even harder.

Look, I’m not saying the Blue Devils won’t be better this year, even with the loss of starting NBA guard DeMarcus Nelson (crazy, I know), but I just think they’re overrated. They still have big man issues, still rely too heavily on the 3-pointer and still lack somewhat of a concrete identity.

Therefore, this team will be defined by how it responds to adversity. Last season, Duke steamrolled into the second half of the ACC schedule, with a surprisingly convincing win on the road against the Tar Heels serving as an exclamation point up until then.

Then, collapse. Two ugly losses to Miami and Wake Forest, and suddenly, the Blue Devils were different. If they could just get back to where they were in that UNC game, fans pined. But they didn’t, exiting the ACC and NCAA Tournaments earlier than expected.

So, when Duke loses—and you can be sure, they will lose at least a few—pay attention to how the team responds. Who will step up? Who will lead the way? Right now, I’m not sure anybody, even within the program, can answer those questions with any certainty.

If preseason polls are meant to predict the rankings at the end of the season, then it stands to reason that the voters believe the Blue Devils will reach the Elite Eight this year. Again, you can’t find many schools that would complain with that. But even if Duke made it that far, it would still be the first time two consecutive graduating classes failed to reach the Final Four since 1985. Given the sheer length of his tenure, that is still an uncanny accomplishment for Krzyzewski. But it would also be a bit of a disappointment.

Alas, when you set the bar high, people expect you to maintain it.

14 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Forget about last year: Meet Duke in St. Louis T

he last time Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie spoke to a bevy of local reporters, she was behind a dais in the bowels of the Ford Center in Oklahoma City March 30, where Duke had just unceremoniously bowed out of the NCAA Tournament. Texas A&M didn’t need a 3-pointer at the buzzer and didn’t escape with two missed free throws with 0.1 seconds left, the ways the Blue Devils’ season had ended Ben in the previous two years.

The 77-63 Aggie win was a thorough dismantling.

Duke trailed by double digits in the last 10 minutes of its season—another year had passed, and Duke still hadn’t brought home its first national championship.

The difference in mood between the last press conference in Oklahoma City and this

Cohen

year’s first press conference in Cameron Indoor Stadium Oct. 31 was striking.

One was sullen, the other hopeful. One was melancholic, the other lighthearted.

Still, the second-year head coach and her team couldn’t escape the lingering presence of last year’s season, when the Blue Devils limped to a 25-10 record.

There is a reason McCallie used the phrases “night and day,” “no comparison,” and “enormous difference” in one two-minute span.

Seven months had passed between the media sessions, and even that wasn’t long enough to escape the hounding questions that McCallie faced at the beginning of the press conference.

McCallie and Duke can only do that in the next six months.

Because if the No. 8 Blue Devils want people to truly forget about last season, they must erase it from fans’ memories this year.

“I am very proud of what our team did last year under the circumstances and having to deal with change,” McCallie said. “With that said, there are many things we want to do better.”

And chief among those changes must be revitalizing an anemic offense, which plagued Duke against elite opponents last season. When North Carolina—which, it must be mentioned, routed Duke three times—ran, Duke couldn’t keep up.

A favorite myth of many coaches it that defense wins championships. In the ACC, that’s nonsense. Offense does.

That is, if the Blue Devils are able to regain their place atop the ACC standings—where they finished in 2007, with an unblemished mark, to boot— they’ll have to do it by outscoring North Carolina and Maryland, by pounding them in the paint and lighting it up from behind the arc, by running with them and slowing it down when necessary.

It’s an encouraging, if not surprising, sign that

McCallie said Duke’s offense was ahead of its defense. That sentiment last year would have been impossible. This year, it’s “We’ve come a long way with ou offense,” McCallie said. “It’s much and it’s got a long way to go. But it It’s no secret that Duke’s offense h than “not bad” for it to compete with its schedule. Tennessee is better than is Stanford. So are North Carolina an Then again, Duke’s probably be bad,” too, and it could be “pretty g best players end their careers on h In order for Duke to exorcise an seniors Chante Black and Abby Wa be All-ACC selections by the end o Black needs to be a bully in the pai

the roads to the MEN’S BASKETBALL

Duke in the Final Four • Duke has been to 14 Final Fours, trailing only UCLA and UNC in appearances • The Blue Devils last went to the 2004 Final Four, hosted in Atlanta • Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has taken Duke to 10 Final Fours in 29 years

PHOTOS BY CHASE OLIVIERI/THE CHRONICLE

• The last time Duke went to a Final Four, its three freshmen were in eighth grade • The Blue Devils have advanced to the national championship nine times

Redemption c I

t was a subtle change for the Blue-White game.

Each 15-minute half would start with the score tied at 45, simulating an end-of-game situation.

But it’s a lesson that should be applied to Duke’s entire season—one in which the Blue Devils will be judged almost exclusively by what happens in March.

It is a right and a burden earned by the four letters stitched across the players’ sternums that regular seasons mean little in Durham.

Coming off consecutive Tim seasons in which Duke did not advance past the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend, that magnification of March is only exacerbated this year.

Last season went a long way toward disproving the spurious and reactionary accusations that the program was in decline. A Maui Invitational title, a blowout victory over Big Ten Tournament champion Wisconsin and a win in Chapel Hill

Britton

had the Blue D But the good four months we Duke went 2-3 Head coach swoon to increa Fresh off his go in Beijing, Krzy that burden him “We should tain success bet especially durin it doesn’t becom a pre-season pr somewhat of an it’s my responsi happen this yea It’s undenia last March were seven years sinc Blue Devils hav six times.

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 15

Duke in the Final Four • The Blue Devils have been to four Final Fours in school history, all in the last 10 years

s vital. ur half-court improved, t’s not bad.” has to be better h the teams on n “not bad.” So nd Maryland. etter than “not good” if its two high notes. ny demons, aner need to of the season. int and not only

post gaudy numbers, but also draw double teams so Carrem Gay, Joy Cheek and Krystal Thomas can combine for 20 points and 15 rebounds per game, too.

It’s certainly no secret that Waner’s shooting touch drives this team. After all, with the graduation of Wanisha Smith, Waner is the team’s only guard who is a legitimate 3-point threat.

She acquired the reputation of a sharpshooter in her first two campaigns, and then went dull last season, visibly frustrated with too many long balls rimming in and out. Waner’s 3-point threat opens up the paint for Black and Gay and is the easiest way for Duke to consistently swing momentum.

After all, the worst part about stamping Duke on a basketball program is the expectations associated with such a name.

Fans don’t easily forget down seasons.

Unless, of course, they are quickly erased by runs to the Final Four.

• Former head coach Gail Goestenkors led Duke to its first national semifinal in 1999, followed by appearances in 2002, 2003 and 2006 • Duke has advanced to the national championship twice • Current seniors and redshirt juniors went to the Final Four in 2006 • Head coach Joanne P. McCallie took Michigan State to the Final Four in 2005

e final four can drive the Blue Devils to Detroit Devils ranked as high as No. 2. d vibrations of the season’s first ere wiped out in March, when in its last five games.

Mike Krzyzewski attributed the ased pressure on a young team. old medal with the Redeem Team yzewski hopes to assume some of mself this time around. be able to handle success and sustter than I’ve been able to teach it, ng last season, to our guys, so that me a burden,” Krzyzewski said in ress conference. “I think it had n effect on our team last year, and ibility to make sure that doesn’t ar.” able that the Blue Devils’ struggles e not an isolated incident. In the ce Duke’s last national title, the ve been upset in the Tournament

Fool me once, shame on you.

But fool me six times?

Krzyzewski has proven himself a master of the regular season, perhaps overachieving with flawed teams in a weakened ACC. Does anyone still think a squad starring J.J. Redick, Shelden Williams and little else should have been No. 1 in the country in 2006?

But that success only aggravates Duke’s lateseason struggles, when the other shoe inevitably drops and the Blue Devils’ deficiencies are brought to the fore on a national stage.

So, it’s time for Duke to flip the script in its approach to the regular season. The first four months of the campaign? Inconsequential. Be-

cause nobody remembers how you whipped Wisconsin when it’s the Badgers playing deeper in March.

The focus needs to be on progress, on peaking at the right time and on putting players in the right spot to prosper in the postseason.

It doesn’t mean wholesale changes; it means that maybe Brian Zoubek isn’t pulled after his first traveling violation so that Kyle Singler can get a longer breather in a January game against N.C. State.

Krzyzewski has already considered taking a new, Olympic-infused perspective this time around.

The Blue Devils need only look at Team USA to uncover how to shed the label—however undeserved—of big-game underachievers.

“Last year, we had a hell of a year.

And I need to make sure that we have a hell of a year the whole year,” Krzyzewski said. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to win

the NCAA or whatever, but we could.

“Last year, the way we were, we couldn’t.”

And that’s the thing: This year, Duke is built to compete for a national championship, more so than in the last two rebuilding seasons.

This might even be the Blue Devils’ best chance to cut down the nets since their repeat bid in 2002—the last time they boasted a roster that was both experienced and deep.

Krzyzewski successfully handled one of the deepest rosters in basketball history in Beijing; now it’s time for him to show off what he learned. Because this time, Duke’s ambitions stretch far beyond a 22-1 start and a No. 2 national ranking in February.

March, and dare we say April, beckon these Blue Devils, who will look beyond their program’s past and instead toward a future of fulfillment.

After all, what’s redemption when a championship is within reach?

16 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FRESHMEN PROFILE

Rookies hope to make stories of their own Hopkins, Scheer, Selby compete for playing time

by Caroline Fairchild THE CHRONICLE

It’s always the same old story.

It’s the story of a new freshman class coming into a powerhouse program, forging relationships from day one, bonding and calling each other family.

Every year, and with every freshman class, the players talk about adjusting to college, growing close to their teammates and creating a perfect new life on campus.

But despite all the silver linings, the drama, competition and rivalry have to find their way into the equation somewhere, right?

Maybe not. For Shay Selby, Kathleen Scheer and Chelsea Hopkins, the Blue Devils’ newest additions, the same old story might actually be true.

“We’re like sisters,” Shelby said. “I always say I’m like the sister they never had.

We’re close, we get in fights just like siblings would, and we love each other and we always have each other’s backs.”

“You can see us around campus because we are always together,” Hopkins said. “We have a few classes together and we all live in one big triple and it’s great. I love those girls.”

Talking with these freshmen about living, playing and going to school together makes it clear that they are not only friends, but genuinely consider themselves a family. The connection comes from a desire to get along with each other on and off the court and from the need to fill a void after leaving home.

Coming from Nevada, Missouri and Ohio, respectively, Hopkins, Scheer and Selby all have traveled thousands of miles to come and play at Duke. And despite the highlights CHASE OLIVIERI/THE CHRONICLE

SEE FRESHMEN ON PAGE 17

Kathleen Scheer, Shay Selby and Chelsea Hopkins (from left to right) comprise the first full recruiting class head coach Joanne P. McCallie has brought to Duke.

Does No. 8 Duke deserve its ranking?

Too much of the same will doom Duke again

Experienced veterans will thrive in last shot

A

he Blue Devils start this season’s campaign in a familiar spot—the top 10 in the preseason AP poll.

For the eighth consecutive year, Duke is ranked among the elite teams in the country, falling in at No. 8 this season.

Don’t think this ranking is based on name recognition and history alone—this year’s team deserves its preseason hype.

In a 2007-08 Laura season full of growing pains, the Blue Devils managed to advance to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. They did lose to Texas A&M, a team not traditionally thought of as a card-carrying member of the elite squads club, but many forget that the heralded Blue Devil team that went undefeated in the regular season two years ago ultimately lost in the same round. No one doubted that Gail Goestenkors’ last team was one of the best in the country. So if McCallie’s first squad finished in equal fashion, why is it so hard to fathom that this team, which returns four starters, is, in fact, the eighth-best in the country?

Last year’s team closed the season in the No. 9 spot. They had to overcome two huge hurdles—adjusting to a new coach and dealing with Abby Waner’s seasonlong shooting slump. McCallie is past the awkward break-in period all new coaches face, and Waner, despite her struggles, is

s the 2008-09 season tips off, the Blue Devils are fortunate to have the name “Duke” on their jerseys, because the preseason No. 8 ranking is more a reflection of Duke’s recent history than the current squad.

Two years ago, it would have been acceptable to rank the Blue Devils among the nation’s elite. But after a season Sabreena in which it only defeated two top-10 opponents and bowed out relatively easily to Texas A&M—not exactly a basketball powerhouse—in the NCAA Tournament, it is clear that Duke is riding on the coattails of its successful counterparts of years past.

The Blue Devils lost 10 games last season, more than they have in over a decade. On the whole, they were not competitive against the best teams in the country, especially on the road, and firmly established themselves as a secondtier program behind the likes of North Carolina, Tennessee and Connecticut.

Duke even failed to defeat some teams it was supposed to beat, losing to unranked Penn State and dropping a road game to a good but not great Vanderbilt team.

While it might be fair to chalk up some of their early-season struggles to a new coach, the Blue Devils’ worst defeat of the year came in March, a 31-point

Merchant

rout at the hands of the Tar Heels. And in the loss to the Aggies, Duke never really threatened in the second half and trailed by double-digits for the final 10 minutes.

Duke also returns a roster with the same holes as a year ago. The Blue Devils were a very poor outside-shooting team and relied too heavily on the inside presence of Chante Black. By the end of the season, with only Joy Cheek shooting over 30 percent from behind the arc, the offense became incredibly one-dimensional, allowing opposing defenses to key on Black.

With a similar inside-outside attack this season, a lot of pressure will fall on Duke’s shooters, which can’t be a good thing. In particular, senior guard Abby Waner never recovered her shooting touch from the undefeated campaign of 2006-07, so it stands to reason that she will once again struggle with the contested looks she will see this season. Head coach Joanne P. McCallie did bring in two highly touted backcourt recruits in Shay Selby and Chelsea Hopkins, but they remain unproven.

McCallie said Duke will try to run more this year so that its stagnant halfcourt offense would be less exposed, but the team already committed 18 turnovers per game in a slow-paced attack last year and struggled when its games became quicker, most notably against North Carolina. And the team does not have a natural point guard to lead a run-and-gun SEE MERCHANT ON PAGE 17

T

Keeley

still an elite player, as evidenced by the AP awarding her Honorable Mention AllAmerican status at the end of last season.

Even though her scoring struggled—her average dropped from 14.1 points per game her sophomore year to 10.3 last season—Waner improved other areas of her game and continued to be one of Duke’s main on-court leaders. There is no doubt that she, too, had to adjust to McCallie’s system, so expecting her to return to her scoring form of two years ago is not out of the question.

Even if Waner does put up similar numbers to 2007-08, though, Duke has found another consistent scoring threat in center Chante Black. Black was the pleasant surprise of last year’s campaign, coming off a redshirt year to take the conference by storm. She finished the year with second-team All-ACC accolades and starts this year on the preseason AllACC team. With her knee injury a distant memory, Black will be able to start the season right where she left off, and with another year of experience under her belt, will likely improve on her team-leading line of 14.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Black is complemented in the frontcourt by fellow senior and sole new starter Carrem Gay, giving the Blue Devils one of the most experienced and most deadly combinations down low in the NCAA. SEE KEELEY ON PAGE 17

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

FRESHMEN from page 16 of summer school, preseason and the BlueWhite scrimmage, the trio also has faced its fair share of obstacles and challenges.

“It’s a full-time job playing here,” Selby said. “You have to practice, do your homework and also sleep so that you’re ready to go the next day. There is a lot of reading that I didn’t expect school-wise, and then as for basketball, it’s just quicker-paced and more physical.”

“You come to this school, which is a highintensity academic school, and you don’t really know what to expect,” Scheer said. “You work out non-stop and play a lot, which is good because you get a feel for how it’s going to be different than high school.”

But despite all the adjustments that the players find themselves making, senior Carrem Gay said the freshmen are doing more than just a good job keeping up in practice.

Constantly coming to the upperclassmen with questions about plays, defenses and basketball in general, Selby, Scheer and Hopkins have shown a level of interest and commitment to the team that Gay enjoys seeing on a day-to-day basis.

“Right now they are just trying to take care of the ball and understand their roles on the team, which is exactly what they need to be doing right now,” Gay said.

Although it is still early, it is apparent that head coach Joanne P. McCallie has asked each of the players to seriously reflect on her role on the team. While Hopkins considers her position as point guard a vehicle for her to be a future leader of the team, Scheer hopes to use her experiences as a point guard, shoot-

ing guard and post player to create a unique role that will benefit the squad. Selby, also a guard, spoke enthusiastically about gaining her teammates’ respect and eventually becoming one of Duke’s leaders.

McCallie believes all three recruits could play key roles this year and in the future. “[I see] different roles for different [girls],” she said. “I was impressed by the speed and quickness that [Hopkins] exhibited in Blue-White that allowed her to go coast-to-coast on her very first play of the game. [Selby] is very creative and confident offensively and she is very good off the bounce, as well as her three ball. And then [Scheer] picked up rebounds in BlueWhite without even trying, just by being in the right place and getting there.”

With the return of the powerhouse trio of seniors Chante Black, Abby Waner and Gay, it would be easy to cast the potential of the freshmen aside, at least for the time being. But McCallie said she is more than willing to give the players the time she thinks they deserve.

“I love playing the freshmen, because the more strength they get early, the better it is for them, and thinking in the long term it makes sense,” McCallie said. “They certainly will have to work hard to get into that rotation, but it certainly doesn’t matter what year they are.

Playing time is up for grabs for everybody.”

So while they sleep in an East Campus triple, write papers for their Writing 20 class and work hard in Cameron Indoor Stadium to master that one shot, play or defense, the three freshmen are doing so together—with no sense of competition, drama or hostility.

It’s the same old story, with a little bit of a twist: It’s true.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 17

MERCHANT from page 16

No. 8 ranking presumes improvement from last year, which is far from a given.

This group’s only accomplishment is a Sweet 16 birth, which isn’t a tall order when very little parity exists in women’s basketball. It’s going to take more than that to justify Duke’s continued status as an upper-echelon team.

offense.

This is the second summer that the Blue Devils have trained under McCallie, so the team chemistry should be better than it was a year ago. But a

KEELEY from page 16 In addition to the projected starters— Black, Waner, Gay, junior Joy Cheek and sophomore Jasmine Thomas—Duke also

SHINER from page 13 have put on a combined 35 pounds—is key to advancing in March. It also will be interesting to see who ends up being the odd man out in the frontcourt rotation, as Plumlee has started in Duke’s exhibition games and Thomas and Zoubek have seen limited minutes.

3. Greg Paulus needs to be healthy.

Some think this doesn’t matter because Nolan Smith seems to have earned the starting nod at point guard, but Paulus is a senior and arguably one of the team’s best shooters. Whether or not Paulus comes off the bench is beside the point (last season, for example, Jon Scheyer didn’t start but was still one of the team’s top scorers and third in minutes clocked). The senior can contribute just as much, if not more, than

returns four other letterwinners. This squad is clearly not lacking in experience. Add in the fifth-best freshman class in the country for icing on the cake, and the only question really left is: Why isn’t Duke ranked higher? he did last year, when he led Duke in assists and 3-point field goals.

4. Amnesia.

Let’s face it: after Duke dropped back-to-back games at Wake Forest and Miami last season the team never looked the same. I don’t know what happened, but it’s as if the Blue Devils didn’t think they were a good team anymore because they lost two games. But they were a good team. And good teams lose all the time and still make it to the Final Four.

Just remember, thanks to Matt Sylvester and then Sean May, it has been more than 30 years since a team has gone undefeated to win a national championship.

So, friends, download your copies of “Detroit Thang” now, and keep your minds and first weekends in April open.

It’s game time.

For season-long coverage of ACC basketball, check out The Chronicle’s Sports Blog:

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 19

Hansbrough, UNC favored to cut down nets

by Harrison Comfort THE CHRONICLE

#1

2007-2008 RECORD

north carolina TAR HEELS

OVERALL: 36-3 Expectations are high for North Carolina, and jusACC: 14-2 tifiably so.

The Tar Heels, who return all five starters from last PRESEASON year’s Final Four team, have already been unanimously AP: 1 tabbed the best team in the country, let alone the ACC. USA TODAY: 1 And most of the hype is because of some guy named Tyler Hansbrough.

OFFENSE DEFENSE Hansbrough, the reigning National Player of the Year and three-time first-team All-American, is looking to become the first player since Purdue’s Paul Hoffman COACH OVERALL in the 1940s to earn the national honor four times.

He will also likely be the first player to win first-team All-ACC honors for four straight years, and, in the process, could break the ACC’s all-time scoring record. With 2,168 points, the senior is just 602 points away from surTHE PLAYERS passing former Blue Devil J.J. Redick’s mark of 2,769.

SF DANNY GREEN Top sixth man should fill in while Marcus Ginyard is out Leading the ACC in scoring and rebounding last seaPF DEON THOMPSON With Stepheson gone, PF load falls on junior son with 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds, Hansbrough’s C TYLER HANSBROUGH NPOY looking to break ACC scoring record dominance has almost become expected by his team. “It’s not something that you’re worried about, him not SG WAYNE ELLINGTON Provides outside complement to Hansbrough coming out and performing or giving that effort,� senior PG TY LAWSON Speedy junior back at full strength after ankle problems Marcus Ginyard said. “I don’t necessarily know that that’s BENCH Freshmen Zeller, Davis and Drew make the Tar Heels deeper than ever taking him for granted. I’m just confident in his ability.�

Complementing Hansbrough’s strong interior presence are two of the country’s most talented perimeter players, juniors Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson.

Running the point will be Lawson, who averaged 5.3 assists last season and is considered one of the fastest ball handlers in the nation. Lawson’s ability to get out in transition and run the fast break will serve as a nice contrast to Hansbrough’s post play.

Ellington, a second-team All-ACC selection, averaged 16.4 points per game last season and shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc. His explosiveness around the basket and ability to score from the outside should make Ellington a solid second option to Hansbrough on the inside.

With a team as talented as the Tar Heels, it seems as if anything less than a national championship would CHRONICLE FILE PHOTOS be a disappointment—that is, unless any of the teams behind them dispute a claim of unanimity.

North Carolina is a unanimous No. 1 thanks in large part to the return of National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough (left) and point guard Ty Lawson (right).

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20 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

wake forest demon deacons

#3 #1

Freshmen create buzz at Wake

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 17-13 ACC: 7-9 PRESEASON AP: 21 USA TODAY: 24

by Charlie Ogburn THE CHRONICLE

OFFENSE DEFENSE

COACH

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS JAMES JOHNSON 14.6 ppg ranked second among ACC freshmen

SF

CHAS McFARLAND Led ACC in per-game scoring improvement L.D. WILLIAMS Has started all but four games of college career SG JEFF TEAGUE Averaged 13.9 ppg and 2.5 apg as All-ACC freshman PG ISHMAEL SMITH Junior’s 327 assists rank fifth among active players BENCH Dynamic freshman class will likely supplant some of the starters PF C

It’s an age-old piece of basketball wisdom: The team that makes its free throws will, more often than not, win the game. It was these uncontested shots, however, that doomed Wake Forest in several key conference games last year, as the team ranked 11th in the ACC in free-throw shooting percentage.

Wake Forest guard Ishmael Smith, who shot an abysmal 29.1 percent from the stripe last season, understands that better than anyone.

“I told [head coach Dino Gaudio] that if I had made some of my free throws, we [Smith and Jeff Teague] probably could have been the best backcourt in the country,” Smith said.

With every key player returning from last season’s squad, Smith, Teague and the No. 24 Demon Deacons could not only have one of the best guard rotations,

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but one of the best teams in the conference. At the very least, they expect to significantly improve on last season’s 17-13 record.

Most of the preseason buzz in Winston-Salem this year has centered not on returning players, but on the program’s most-heralded incoming freshman class in recent memory. Al-Farouq Aminu, Ty Walker and Tony Woods all entered school ranked among the top 20 freshmen in the country, but Gaudio is quick to dismiss notions that the trio is more talented than his upperclassmen.

“This is not a disparaging word on those kids, but I think there is too much publicity surrounding them,” Gaudio said. “The experts picked the kids that were freshmen for us last year, and they weren’t a top recruiting class. One year later, if we re-evaluated them,

TENDER

SEE WAKE ON PAGE 21

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miami hurricanes

#4 #1

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 23-11 ACC: 8-8

THE CHRONICLE

OFFENSE DEFENSE

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS JAMES DEWS Strong perimeter shooter provides a complement to McClinton

SF

DWAYNE COLLINS Team’s best returning rebounder causes havoc inside BRIAN ASBURY Big man who can step outside hit 38 per. of 3-pointers SG LANCE HURDLE Late bloomer brings speed and quickness to backcourt PG JACK McCLINTON First-team All-ACC, averaged 17.7 points last year BENCH DeQuan Jones and NC products Gamble, Johnson strengthen front line PF C

WAKE from page 20 that recruiting class would have been top five. Maybe this class is or it isn’t, but I don’t think we will know until a year later.”

All three players stand 6foot-8 or taller, adding valuable depth to Wake Forest’s alreadysolid frontcourt. Leading the returning big men is versatile forward James Johnson, the team’s top scorer and last season’s runner-up for ACC freshman of the year. Lanky 7-footer Chas McFarland, who ranked fifth in the conference in blocks last year, and David

McClinton captures attention

by Daniel Ahrens

PRESEASON AP: 17 USA TODAY: 16

COACH

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 21

Weaver, an explosive dunker, round out the Demon Deacons’ arsenal in the post.

The combination of a feisty backcourt, a deep frontcourt and an influx of fresh talent gives the Demon Deacons an excellent shot at returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. And with the season’s start looming, Gaudio likes his young squad’s chances.

“We will be better than we were last year,” Gaudio said. “We are going to go about our business the same way. You better get ready for each and every game, or else it’s a long bus ride home.”

Led by four talented seniors back from a 23-11 squad, No. 17 Miami seems poised to challenge the ACC’s bluebloods for the conference title and, in another season of football mediocrity, could keep Coral Gables crazy about hoops well into March.

But in order to do so, the Hurricanes will be heavily reliant on fourth-year head coach Frank Haith’s first senior class. Haith has managed to shift attention from the gridiron to the hardwood thanks in large part to guards Jack McClinton and Lance Hurdle and forwards Brian Asbury and Jimmy Graham.

“It is very satisfying to see those guys get from where they were four years ago to where they are today—to see their improvement in their game and as people, as men,” Haith said.

And it will be McClinton, the preseason All-ACC guard, who will lead the offensive attack. Projected to be one of the top performers in the conference again this year, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound combo guard averaged nearly 18 points and three assists per game last season. His best effort was a 38-point explosion in Miami’s first-round NCAA Tournament win over St. Mary’s.

In the past, Miami has ridden the coattails of high-scoring guards like Robert Hite and Guillermo Diaz to only limited success. This team, however, has depth.

Each of its top five point producers from last season will be donning the green and orange again this year. They will be joined by top recruit DeQuan Jones, a five-star prospect who spurned offers from traditional basketball powerhouses. The 6foot-6 forward is an elite-level talent that has the future looking bright in South Florida.

For the first time in Haith’s tenure, though, the team has lofty expectations to uphold. The Hurricanes are slated to finish fourth in the ACC and their No. 16 preseason ranking signifies an uncharacteristic respect. If Miami is able to match the hopes for the program, the burden has to fall squarely on McClinton and the rest of the seniors.

“I thought that this season would be our first special season because we have our first senior class,” Haith said.

He may be right.

CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

All-ACC guard Jack McClinton averaged nearly 18 points last season, including a 38-point outburst against St. Mary’s.

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#5

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 24-10 ACC: 10-6

THE CHRONICLE

clemson tigers

OFFENSE DEFENSE

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS K.C. RIVERS All-ACC senior scored 28 points in ACC championship

SF

RAYMOND SYKES Reserve will have to make the jump to starter C TREVOR BOOKER Physical force inside will need to replace Mays SG DEMONTEZ STITT Scored in double figures of four of final six games PG TERRENCE OGLESBY Sharpshooter in line to get more shots now BENCH Tigers will rely heavily on starting five for majority of production PF

Follow ACC basketball all year long on The Chronicle’s Sports Blog www.dukechroniclesports.com

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THE CHRONICLE

Clemson tries to build on past

by Jeff Scholl

PRESEASON AP: NR USA TODAY: NR

COACH

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Clemson was one of the ACC’s biggest surprises last year, finishing third in the regular season and advancing to the conference tournament championship game for the first time since 1962.

Despite shooting an ACC-worst 62.3 percent from the foul line last season, Clemson posted an overall record of 24-10 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years, only to be upset by No. 12-seed Villanova in the first round.

For the Tigers to improve upon their winning percentage for the fifth consecutive year, they will need to find a way to fill the void left by the departure of Cliff Hammonds. The dynamic guard led the team in assists and steals per game last season and was second in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per contest. The four-year starter was also known as a lock-down defender who would usually guard the opposing team’s best player.

Clemson will call upon senior guard K.C. Rivers, who earned second-team All-ACC honors last season, to pick up Hammonds’ scoring and improve upon the team-high 14.7 points per game he posted last season.

The Tigers’ captain has the ability to take over a game, evidenced by his 32-point performance in a win over

Virginia last year.

Sophomore Demontez Stitt will join Rivers in the backcourt at point guard. Another returning starter, Stitt averaged 8.8 points per game as a freshman and was a major contributor in Clemson’s first-round NCAA Tournament loss, going 4-for-4 from 3-point range.

Sophomore guard Terrence Oglesby, the Tigers’ 3point specialist, may take on a starting role this year after a freshman campaign in which he established himself as one of the ACC’s best coming off the bench. He averaged 10.5 points per game and shot 40.8 percent from beyond the arc as the team’s sixth man.

In the frontcourt, Clemson will miss forward James Mays, an integral part of the squad’s full court press.

The Tigers’ primary threat down low will be senior Trevor Booker, a returning starter who, at 6-foot-7, is the shortest center in the conference. Despite his lack of size, Booker leads all returning ACC players with 142 career blocked shots and posted seven double-doubles last season.

But it’s not all Booker or Rivers. The Tigers have had five players average double figures over the past two seasons—and in order for them to continue their rise to the top tier of the ACC, they might need five legitimate scorers for a third year.

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ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Va. Tech’s success fuels rivalry

#6

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 21-14 ACC: 9-7 PRESEASON AP: NR USA TODAY: NR OFFENSE DEFENSE

COACH

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS JEFF ALLEN Led team with 10 double-doubles, 7.6 rpg as freshman

F

LEWIS WITCHER Big man averaged just 12.7 mpg despite starting F A.D. VASSALLO Long-range threat made All-ACC second team G DORENZO HUDSON Only new starter on a team that lost one player G MALCOLM DELANEY Sophomore PG improved late in year BENCH Terrell Bell and Hank Thorns spearhead an experienced bench F

CHRONICLE FILE PHOTOS

Duke and Virginia Tech have established a rivalry, starting with Sean Dockery’s shot in 2005 and continuing two seasons ago, when the Hokies won in Cameron.

•

Over the last three years, the Blue Devils have added another team to their list of ACC rivals—not because Duke and Virginia Tech are separated by eight miles, but because their games have been so competitive.

In December 2005, Sean Dockery made a half-court heave at the buzzer to lift Duke to a 77-75 win. In January 2006, Deron Washington jumped over Greg Paulus and the Hokies beat the Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Last year, Duke avenged the loss with an 81-64 beatdown in Blacksburg, Va. And this year, for the first time since 2004-2005, the teams will have two shots at one another.

The Hokies, who visit Durham Jan. 4 and host Duke Feb. 28, start this season rated sixth in the ACC under the leadership of sixth-year head coach Seth Greenberg, the 2008 ACC coach of the year.

If the Hokies hope to continue their newfound rivalry with Duke, they will have to do so with a young lineup. A.D. Vassallo, who averaged around 17 points per game last season, is one of only two seniors on the team. The four other projected starters are sophomores Malcolm Delaney, J.T. Thompson, Jeff Allen and Hank Thorns.

What the team lacks in seniority, however, it makes up for in size. Thompson measures in at 6-foot-6, Allen is 6-foot-7 and freshman Victor Davila, a member of the Puerto Rican national team, is 6-foot-9. In addition, Allen and Davila both weigh in at over 240 pounds.

The squad’s sophomores played a monumental role in securing Virginia Tech’s 21-14 record last season. Allen, one of the strongest players in the conference as a freshman—he averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game—is reported to have lost 28 pounds over the summer in an effort to become even more of a threat on the court. Delaney is more of a perimeter player, and showed consistency behind the three-point line by making more than 40 percent of his shots.

Over the past few years, as Duke can affirm, the

Hokies have continued to improve. In the ACC tournament last year, Virginia Tech lost to No. 1 North Carolina by just two points.

And if Vassallo, Allen and the rest of the youthful Hokies can handle the pressure of ACC play, their games with the Blue Devils could be as competitive as ever.

•

THE CHRONICLE

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24 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Williams pledges improvement

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 19-15 ACC: 8-8

#7

by Ryan Claxton

maryland terrapins

PRESEASON AP: NR USA TODAY: NR

THE CHRONICLE

OFFENSE DEFENSE

COACH

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS LANDON MILBOURNE Led team in 3-point shooting at 39.3 percent

sf

CLIFF TUCKER Streaky sophomore has big shoes to fill in frontcourt C BRAXTON DUPREE 6-foot-8 sophomore is biggest rotation player sg ERIC HAYES A/T ratio of 1.89 was fourth-best in the ACC last year pg GREIVIS VASQUEZ Terps will have to lean on triple-double threat BENCH Thin bench needs a lot of production out of guard Adrian Bowie pf

CHASE OLIVIERI/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Maryland head coach Gary Williams, who won a national championship in 2002, assured his fans at Maryland Madness that the Terrapins would play as hard as possible.

Maryland head coach Gary Williams enters his third decade at the helm of the Terrapins program this year—and he has already assured fans that this season will be just as intense as any other.

“This is my 20th year,” he told the crowd at Maryland Madness Oct. 17. “It’s been a great 20 years personally for me, but the only thing that matters is this season. Our pledge to you is to come out every night and play as hard as we can.”

Intensity has been a key characteristic of Williams’ squads over the years, as his tight defensive style has led to a 397-215 record over 19 seasons at his alma mater. Williams’ reign has produced ACC regular season championships in 1995 and 2002, as well as an ACC Tournament championship in 2004 and the 2002 National Championship. Including his pre-Maryland years at American, Boston College and Ohio State, Williams has amassed 604 wins in his coaching career, which ranks him eighth among active coaches.

Despite Williams’ success as a coach and his reputation for beating top-ranked teams during the regular season, his 20th season is not shaping up to be one of his finest.

The Terrapins have made the NCAA Tournament only once in the past four years, and return an inexperienced squad—especially inside the paint.

Maryland will rely on junior guards Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez to lead the team, with help from junior forward Landon Milbourne. Milbourne has big shoes to fill in the paint for the Terrapins following the departures of James Gist and Bambale Osby, who led Maryland in rebounding last season.

The 6-foot-7 Milbourne averaged 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season.

Freshman Sean Mosley figures to see significant time for Maryland, as well. The 6-foot-5 guard was the country’s ninth-ranked shooting guard and No. 40 player overall, according to scout.com.

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Greivis Vasquez and the Cameron Crazies have an adversarial relationship, and Vasquez could be the key to Maryland’s success this year.

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 25

#1 #8

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 15-17 ACC: 7-9

georgia tech yellow jackets

Injury to Bell could hinder Yellow Jackets PRESEASON AP: NR USA TODAY: NR OFFENSE DEFENSE

COACH

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS LEWIS CLINCH Off the bench, he was 33 percent from behind the arc

SF

ZACK PEACOCK At 6-foot-8, he will prove to be a force down low C GANI LAWAL An inside presence who swatted a team-high 32 shots SG IMAN SHUMPERT Highly touted freshman replaces D’Andre Bell PG MAURICE MILLER Able sophomore who can score and dish BENCH Big men Brad Sheehan and Alade Aminu provide depth in the paint PF

KEVIN HWANG/CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Senior guard D’Andre Bell will be sidelined for the season with spinal stenosis, forcing Georgia Tech to scramble to replace the captain.

by Taylor Doherty THE CHRONICLE

Hoping to improve upon last year’s 15-17 record, Georgia Tech has already suffered a potentially devastating blow.

Diving for a loose ball in practice Oct. 10, senior guard D’Andre Bell collided with a teammate’s leg. While lying on the ground, Bell’s extremities felt numb, eventually leading to the discovery that Bell suffers from a condition known as spinal stenosis.

Head coach Paul Hewitt announced Oct. 22 that Bell would be out for the season because of imminent surgery.

“It hurts not to be able to play,” Bell said. “But I know God has a plan for me, and I need to do what is best for

my future.”

The injury is an early setback for a team that hopes to return to the NCAA Tournament after missing out last year. Georgia Tech will be forced to look for defense and leadership without its would-be captain, who played in all 32 games last season.

Not everyone is convinced that replacing Bell will be an easy task, and the Yellow Jackets were picked to finish eighth in the ACC this year.

Still, Georgia Tech has reason to hold onto some hope.

The team returns four players with starter experience and Iman Shumpert was named to the preseason All-ACC freshman team.

“I think we will overachieve,” senior guard Lewis Clinch said. “People doubt us because we have lost players, but we

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have been working very hard and are close as a team. This is the closest we have ever been as a team, and I think it will help us down the road.”

Hewitt went even further, claiming that his team’s strengths will be enough to keep the team playing into March.

“I think we have a very talented team,” Hewitt said. “If we have to point to two areas that are really strong, I would have to say the point guard position, because of Moe [Miller] and [Shumpert], and our big guys. We have five big guys that can really run and contribute.

“Now in terms of depth at the perimeter, with the loss of D’Andre Bell, it certainly is not where we would like it to be. But I think it’s a talented group that should be capable of getting back to the NCAA Tournament.”

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26 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

Lowe, Wolfpack aim to move on

n.c. state wolfpack

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 15-16 ACC: 4-12

by Andy Moore THE CHRONICLE

PRESEASON AP: NR USA TODAY: NR OFFENSE DEFENSE

COACH

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS COURTNEY FELLS Led the team in scoring with 10.6 ppg

SF

PF C SG PG

BRANDON COSTNER Aims to correct last year’s sophomore slump BEN MCCAULEY For a big man, he can shoot with the best of them JAVIER GONZALEZ Proved last season that he can run the point FARNOLD DEGAN Hot 3-point shooter returns from injury

N.C. State looks to erase the memory of last year’s embarrassing season, which the Wolfpack entered with high expectations and finished with a 15-16 record, losing their last nine games en route to a lastplace finish in the ACC. “Last year is done, and we have to move on,” head coach Sidney Lowe said. “We don’t want to totally forget what happened last season, because we don’t ever want to go through that again.”

Lowe leads a team that lost its two leading scorers, as well as its entire frontcourt, over the offseason. Freshman J.J. Hickson jumped to the NBA after averaging 14.8 points and grabbing 8.5 rebounds per game, while senior Gavin Grant graduated after dropping 13.1 points per game.

Junior Brandon Costner and senior Ben McCauley will be asked to take over responsibilities from the departed

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leaders. They’ve put up good numbers before—two years ago, McCauley and Costner combined to average 31.2 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. Last year, though, they went for 14.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

They will need to pick up the scoring for the Wolfpack to escape the ACC cellar.

There are also questions about the backcourt. While junior Farnold Degand ran the offense well last year, he tore his ACL with 10 games left in the season. It’s hard to know if he will bring his same speed and quickness.

Sophomore Javier Gonzalez will run the team if Degand can’t, but N.C. State lost nine of 10 games last year with Gonzalez running the point. Senior Courtney Fells can play at either the two or three spot and is the team’s leading returning scorer.

Lowe will undoubtedly bring back his now-famous red jacket, but the team he coaches might not bring any of that same swagger.

FSU seeks to replace stars

by Nick Nelson THE CHRONICLE

Certain intangibles usually separate the good teams from the great ones. Qualities like veteran leadership, crunch-time shooting and great guard play make or break a basketball team. But Florida State graduated most of those qualities last year.

After an underwhelming season in which the Seminoles finished 19-15 and lost in the first round of the NIT to Akron, the numbers don’t look promising for Florida State.

Most of the team’s proven commodities—namely guards Ralph Mims, Isaiah Swann and Jason Rich—are gone, and they took a combined 37.9 points points per game with them.

Now, Florida State is at a crossroads. The Seminoles were a mediocre team last year, but at least they knew what they had. They must lean heavily on a bevy of young talent and hope that the potential of a stellar recruiting class can overcome some big losses.

The focal point of the frontcourt, and the source of the greatest optimism around Tallahassee, is redshirt freshman Solomon Alabi, a 7-foot-1 center who missed all but 10 games last season with a stress fracture in his tibia.

Alabi showed tremendous defensive ability in his few starts last year—his 7-foot-3 wingspan and 9-foot-1 standing height make him an intimidating presence in the middle.

The backcourt is a compelling mix of veteran leadership and newcomers, led by last season’s leading scorer, point guard Toney Douglas. Along with providing key defense on the perimeter, he will be expected to mentor and bring along some newcomers.

Florida State surprised few last season, winning its winnable games and losing the contests it was expected to lose. But the Seminoles were still within shouting distance of being an NCAA bubble team. Now, with the loss of its proven players, the squad is going to have to embrace its youth and swagger, with the chance at an NCAA Tournament berth hanging in the balance.

#10

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

#9

THE CHRONICLE

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 19-15 ACC: 7-9 PRESEASON AP: NR USA TODAY: NR OFFENSE DEFENSE

COACH

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS JORDAN DEMERCY Sophomore has shined in preseason

SF

RYAN REID 6-foot-8 forward adds to an already huge lineup SOLOMON ALABI An unknown who redshirted with leg injury SG CHRIS SINGLETON Freshman will shoot, and shoot well PG TONEY DOUGLAS Led the ACC with 2.7 steals per game BENCH Big incoming class means six freshmen in reserve roles PF C

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008 | 27

Rice makes Eagles soar Youth key to rebuilding Last season, Boston College’s Tyrese Rice scored more than 20 points 15 times, including a 28-point performance at Cameron Indoor Stadium Feb. 9 and a careerhigh 46-point outburst March 1 against North Carolina.

The Eagles lost 10 of those 15 games.

This season, Rice, a unanimous preseason All-ACC selection, will need more help from his teammates if the Eagles are to improve on their 14-17 mark of a year ago.

And head coach Al Skinner expects that production from 6-foot-5 sophomore Rakim Sanders, who averaged more than 11 points per game as a freshman.

“Rakim needs to learn to take full advantage of his physical ability,” Skinner said. “I don’t think there’s another guard in this league who has the tools he has physically.”

If Sanders can emerge as a solid second option behind Rice, the Eagles will undoubtedly show improvement and could challenge for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

But if Sanders and fellow sophomores Corey Raji and Josh Southern cannot fill the void left by transfer Shamari Spears and graduated senior Tyrelle Blair, then it could be another long season for the Conte Forum faithful.

“We’re still a fairly young team, except for Tyrese,” Skinner said. “You’d like to think we’re going to grow and mature and really compete in this league.”

While support from younger role players will certainly make a difference, this team will only go as far as Rice can take it.

Still, Skinner isn’t necessarily counting on

increased scoring from his star guard.

“As I told him, if his scoring goes down, his assists go up and his shooting percentage goes up, then we’re a better basketball team,” Skinner said. “Because what that means is that the people around him are doing the jobs they’re supposed to be doing.”

This year, the Eagles were picked to finish second-to-last in the ACC by the coaches. That ranking, though, may not hold in the end—with Rice in the lineup, after all, Boston College could go off at any time.

by Kevin Fishner THE CHRONICLE

After being picked to finish last in the ACC, the Cavaliers’ only hope is to rebuild.

And after losing star Sean Singletary to the NBA, Virginia doesn’t have much of a base.

The major attraction on the roster is highly touted freshman guard-forward Sylven Landesberg. As the nation’s 39thranked prospect, Landesberg brings great court vision and adaptive scoring ability to the young Virginia team.

During the squad’s August trip to Canada, Landesberg averaged 12 points and eight re-

#1 #11

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 14-17 ACC: 4-12 PRESEASON AP: NR USA TODAY: NR

PRESEASON AP: NR USA TODAY: NR

OFFENSE DEFENSE

OFFENSE DEFENSE

COACH

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS RAKIM SANDERS Started every game

#12

virginia cavaliers

THE CHRONICLE

boston college eagles

by Lucas Nevola

2007-2008 RECORD OVERALL: 17-16 ACC: 5-11

COACH

OVERALL

THE PLAYERS MAMADI DIANE Averaged double figures

SF

SF

PF

TYLER ROCHE Averaged 3.8 ppg last year JOSH SOUTHERN Played 14.9 mpg off bench SG BIKO PARIS Shot 66.2 percent from floor PG TYRESE RICE All-ACC guard is best player BENCH Young scoring threats are abundant

PF

C

C

MIKE SCOTT Team’s best returning rebounder JOHN BRANDENBURG No.15 center prospect SG JEFF JONES Scored 26 points in season finale PG CALVIN BAKER Cavs need junior to score BENCH Strong freshman class gives Cavs depth

bounds per game, showing head coach Dave Leitao that he is ready for the college game.

“He’s very cerebral—he really understands the game,” assistant coach Bill Courtney said of Landesberg. “We saw immediately that he could handle the ball and make good decisions.”

Joining Landesberg in this year’s freshman class are center Assane Sene, center John Brandenburg and redshirt freshman Sammy Zeglinski.

Although the freshman class brings in some talent, the foundation of the team will be a core of upperclassmen. Junior guard Mamadi Diane should lead the team in scoring with a good majority of his points coming from behind the 3-point stripe. Diane was second on the team in scoring last year, averaging 11.8 points per game.

Accompanying Diane will be junior Calvin Baker and sophomores Jeff Jones and Mike Scott, all of whom bring muchneeded experience to this young team.

Jones, Scott and Diane all started last year.

“We’ve got so many questions to get answered with this particular team,” Leitao said. “You have to prove yourself—certain people need to see if they’re ready to take on a new role.”

Virginia’s strength will certainly be its backcourt. A relatively small group in terms of height, it will excel in mid-range shooting and a fast-paced offense.

The Cavaliers’ weak frontcourt, meanwhile, will be a common point of exploitation.

After all, while Leitao’s squad might put up points, it could give up a whole lot more.

28 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

ACC BASKETBALL PREVIEW

THE CHRONICLE

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