| WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008
the chronicle
sportswrap Editor: Ben Cohen Managing Editor: Matthew Iles Photo Editor: Chase Olivieri Recruitment Chair: Gabe Starosta Associate Editors: Stephen Allan, Joe Drews, Will Flaherty, Laura Keeley, Sabreena Merchant, Madeline Perez, Archith Ramkumar, David Ungvary Senior Staff Writers: Tim Britton, Taylor Field, Adrienne Greenough, Sam Levy, Katie Riera, Meredith Shiner Special thanks to Editor Chelsea Allison, Managing Editor Eugene Wang, News Editor Shuchi Parikh, Photo Editor Maya Robinson, Online Photo Editor Lawson Kurtz, Assistant Online Editor Alex Klein, former Sports Editor Meredith Shiner and former Managing Editor Sean Moroney
sports editor’s note First-year head coach David Cutcliffe has already made sweeping changes to Duke’s program. Will the onfield results reflect the new culture? PAGE 8
Founded in 1983, sportswrap, is the weekly sports supplement published by The Chronicle. It can be read online at:
www.dukechronicle.com
Every two years, the Olympics capture a fan’s attention like no other sporting event, and every two years, I’m pleasantly surprised that my growing cynicism is curtailed for at least three weeks. What doesn’t surprise me anymore, though, is the reason we become enraptured by the biennial games. Almost everyone has a rooting interest. Now, you have a new team to root for in Duke. For some Olympians, the gold medal is more of an expectation than a fool’s ambition. While the medal is the tangible relic of success, I think the more rewarding prize for these athletes is the knowledge that for at least a four-year period, Ben they are considered the best in the world. The group of Dukies in Beijing this summer is expansive. Favorites and underdogs, heralded and obscure, American and not, they’re braided together by a common thread: they’re all Blue Devils. We all have our own metaphorically elusive but attainable gold medal. For some, it’s hearing a national anthem blare throughout the Olympic Village. For others, it’s producing a high-quality newspaper 146 times a year. Naturally, the Olympic spirit has infiltrated the back hall of 301 Flowers, the home of The Chronicle’s sports department. And in that manner, we have the same goal as the athletes and coaches we cover. We want to be the best. So enough of me, when you have enough stories to last you until August—the glorious time campus is abuzz with the promise of new beginnings and, of course, the Olympic torch is lit. I am proud to welcome you to the sports coverage of The Chronicle’s 104th Volume, to introduce the 26th installment of Sportswrap and to kick off a year in which we’ll all be going for gold.
Cohen
Founded in 2007, The Chronicle’s Sports Blog is the section’s daily presence on the web. It can be read online at:
www.dukechroniclesports.com
To reach the sports department at 301 Flowers building, call 919-684-6404 or e-mail bzc2@duke.edu.
chase olivieri/chronicle file photo
3 Veteran Chronicle columnists Alex Fan- 12 Mike Krzyzewski’s involvement with aroff, a medical student, and Meredith Shiner, former sports editor pass on the wisdom they have accrued to the Class of 2012
5 The Chronicle analyzes the games of Olek Czyz, Miles Plumlee and Elliot Williams, the three members of Duke’s incoming freshman class
Team USA might be the best thing that could have happened to Duke in its push for globalization. Plus, profiles of several Dukies at the Olympics
14
Chronicle columnists Tim Britton and Sam Levy debate the question of whether Coach K’s involvement with the Olympics will help the Blue Devils
was in the green room of the NBA Draft—that is, accompanying best friend Michael Beasley on his big day
16 Several women’s basketball players
Like what you’ve read? Join the sports staff!
11
23 Become familiar with Duke athletics
Please e-mail Ben at bzc2@duke.edu for more information.
5 Sophomore point guard Nolan Smith
A battle between junior Thaddeus Lewis, redshirt junior Zack Asack and freshman Sean Renfree has emerged at the quarterback slot
have ditched the hardcourts for internships in the real world this summer with the top five stories from 2007-2008 and the five athletes to watch in 20082009—you’ll thank us later
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008 |
OPINION LETTERS TO the CLASS OF 2012
Don’t wear face paint Ladies and gentlemen of the Class of 2012: Don’t wear blue face paint. If I could offer you only one piece of advice as you embark upon The Greatest Four Years of Your Life, not wearing blue face paint would have to be it. The fact that wearing blue face paint to any Duke sporting event just makes you look like a tool has been proven by scientists (trust me, I’ll be a doctor in three years), whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. Go to basketball games. Alex Oh, never mind, you’ll just say you’re busy—tests and girlfriends and whatnot. You won’t understand what four free years in Cameron Indoor Stadium means until you’ve graduated. When you’re watching games on TV the first year after you’ve graduated, you’ll realize how many insignificant things you used to do when you were in college. You’ll never be as busy as you imagine. But learn something about Duke Basketball before you go to your first game. If you’re standing in the front row but you don’t know Nate James from Nate Dogg, you’re not really a Cameron Crazie no matter how many coats of paint you put on your chest
Fanaroff
or how big your wig is. Just one time, stay until the end of a football game, preferably one in which Duke is losing by 35 at halftime. It builds character. Plus, there’s really nothing like spreading out in an empty student section and working on your tan. Two words: Fried Snickers.
Two more: Frozen lemonade. Set your DVR to record any Duke game on ESPN Classic. If you’re flipping through channels and the 1992 NCAA regional final comes on, stop whatever you’re doing and watch to the end. Remember: When Coach K says you’re the sixth man, he doesn’t really mean it. Jon Scheyer is the sixth man. You’re not even on the team, unless you’re Elliot Williams, Olek Czyz or Miles Plumlee. Heckle the other team’s manager during warmups. Especially if his suit pants are too short or he wears See fanaroff on page
True Life: I used to be a Duke hater I’m always amazed at how well Dukie stereotypes are represented by the MTV series True Life—from “I’m a Jersey Shore Girl” and “I’m a Southern Belle,” from “I’m Under Peer Pressure” to “I’m An Alcoholic” and “I’ll do Anything for Money.” But in the context of these pages, the True Life story I’m about to admit to could be considered even more shocking, dare I say heretical, than any of these. My name is Meredith Shiner, and I am a former Duke hater. I admit this dirty little secret knowing it likely will evoke the wrath of online commenters, and perhaps even a little jab from Coach K himself. (Heck, former athletic director Joe Alleva once called me out because he had personally seen me donning University-of-Illinois orange, so it’s not like I’ve done that great of a job of concealing my former identity anyway.) But I also want to disclose my true history because I know there are some of you out there in the Class of 2012 who might be going through similar mental
anguish, and others still who might not care two grade points about sports in the first place. To the second type of student, I hope I can share a bit of what those of us who love sports see. To the first, I think I can help you cope with that one thing I was always so accustomed to hating: Perennial winners. In short, I have always been that antagonistic sports fan. As a senior in high school, I proudly earned the superlative of “Most likely to start a brawl at a Meredith Cubs/Sox game,” posing for my north suburban high school’s yearbook in a Sox jersey and backwards cap like the badass I am not. For me, hating Duke was like hating the Yankees or Michigan Football or the Packers: easy. If you don’t believe me, you should ask one Duke senior who was in my high school class. I harassed him every time we passed each other in the hallway for a few fateful months in 2005. He had gotten into Duke early, and I was riding high on the hopes of an Illinois national title. Of course, I couldn’t help myself.I told him how much Duke sucked whenever we crossed paths. Needless to say, I was a bit embarrassed when he came up to me with a smile in April and
Shiner
See shiner on page
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fanaroff from page glasses. Cheer. No matter how cool you think you are, you’re not too cool. Do the “Go to Hell Carolina” chant when Duke is playing North Carolina. Don’t do it otherwise. Scream “You live in a houseboat,” before an opposing player shoots a free throw. You’re damned right it doesn’t make any sense. That’s the point. Maybe you’ll go to Tailgate, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll wear a stupid costume, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll make it to the game, maybe you’ll get hammered and head out to the Belmont pool where you and some Durham cops will re-enact one of the fight scenes from “West Side Story.” Whatever you do, don’t get in a drunken fight or do coke
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off the hood of a car. The cops are also at Tail- Hill, passing out at a UNC frat party with gate. And they’ll arrest you if you’re an idiot. your mouth open. Make it to as many non-revenue sportTry to cross swords with a Durhamite at ing events as you can. It doesn’t cost any- one of the Wally Wade pee troughs while the thing other than 1929 restrooms are your time, and some around. You just “Go to a Duke-Carolina game. still of the teams are might make a new pretty good. And if While you’re camping out, friend. you don’t know the Go to a Dukedon’t study econometrics. rules, they’re usuCarolina game, ally pretty easy to Study basketball. Think of even if you have to figure out. camp out. While Don’t try to fig- some damaging insults to yell you’re camping ure out the rules of out, don’t study at Tyler Hansbrough.” field hockey. It will econometrics. only frustrate you. Study basketball. Yell until you’re hoarse. Learn something about the team and think Buy a warm sleeping bag. of some damaging insults to yell at Tyler If you’re actually an athlete, avoid doing Hansbrough. the following things: hiring strippers, drivBecome familiar with the careers of ing drunk, drinking underage in Chapel the following Duke Basketball players:
J.J. Redick, Dick Groat, Bobby Hurley, Jason Williams, Shelden Williams, Johnny Dawkins, Art Heyman, Shane Battier, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Danny Ferry, Mike Gminski, Jeff Mullins. When a TV cameraman points at you at a basketball game, it’s not a Get Out Of Acting Civilized Free card. It’s great that your mom can see you on ESPN, but the rest of us are just embarrassed for you. Remember: All of this is nothing but the ravings of someone who was you five years ago and dearly wishes he could do it all over again. But trust me on the blue face paint. Seriously. Alex Fanaroff, Trinity ’07, is a second-year medical student, former sports managing editor and conductor of The Train. He will have a biweekly editorial column this Fall.
shiner from page said, “So, I see you’re going to Duke?” Karma’s a bitch. Or maybe it’s not. I also remember standing in the Edward Jones Dome at the Final Four with my dad, just days before discovering where I would be spending the next four years of my life. I gazed around the stadium then looked at him and said, “You know, I’m really going to miss this.” I never thought I would go to a school where sports mattered. But then I got into Duke, and I realized that if I sucked up my pride, I could make like Hannah Montana and have the best of both worlds—the academics and the experience. (Plus, I already hated Sean May and UNC, so I was well on my way to Dukiedom before I even liked the place.) What really sealed the deal for me, though, was Cameron Indoor Stadium. Stepping into that gymnasium for the first time was like stepping into sports history. The only other time I’d felt that way was at Fenway, and for me, it was something truly special. But that was just one of many firsts of freshman year, and I envy all of you for being in the position of dewy-eyed Duke newness. You could hate sports from convocation to commencement, and I’d still be jealous of the time that you have. Because you don’t have to love sports to love Duke, and vice-versa. But I do hope that you go to a basketball game at least once in your time here, because, like the Chapel or late-night Cook Out runs, basketball is part of the Duke experience. The Truth about Duke, contrary to what the haters say, is so simple it’s cliche: Duke is what you make of it. I know a guy who waits in line for Duke basketball games like it’s his job (and to my surprise, has yet to come down with pneumonia). I know a girl who couldn’t tell you the difference between Brian Zoubek and Nolan Smith if you lined them up right in front of her, and she still cheers at the TV when the guys wearing the Blue jerseys score. I even know a girl who went from being a Duke hater to sports editor of The Chronicle in a mere three years. Just don’t think I’ll ever be a Yankees fan.
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theclassof2012 Five-star shooting guard Elliot Williams—the fourth best freshman at his position—headlines Duke’s incoming class with his offensive talent. Williams is “very explosive. He’s a scorer, he’s not just a pure shooter,” said Jeff Ruffin, Williams’ head coach at St. George’s in Collierville, Tenn. Scout.com’s National Recruiting Director Dave Telep touted the freshman’s athleticism and “ability to get to the rim and play above the rim.” He still needs to improve his 3-point shot to help space the floor for the Blue Devils, but nonetheless, Krzyzewski Elliot Williams loves his versatility and maturity, which should help Williams contribute right away. Perhaps better known as the older brother of 2009 commit Mason Plumlee, former Stanford signee Miles Plumlee has the ability to make his own name in a program that fits his skill set. The 6foot-10, 230-pound forward adds size to the Duke frontcourt, but has the speed and ball handling of a guard. “You keep reminding yourself this is a guy who is 6-10 and has all this offensive talent,” Christ School head coach David Gaines said. Scouts especially commend the freshman’s improvement from year to year. “Bottom line is he’s playing his Miles Plumlee best basketball right now,” Telep said. Olek Czyz, however, might be saving the best of his game for his arrival at Duke. “The thing that’s always been kind of odd about Olek is he’s always played better against better competition,” Reno High School head coach Kyle Schellin said. “Whenever we played a team with a big-time player, he’d get up for those games.... He’s always stepped up to the level of his competition.” And Czyz certainly possesses the athleticism to contribute. He has solid footwork for his size, and is capable at rebounding and blocking shots—not to mention his off-thecharts hops. “Olek is still learning the game, Olek Czyz but he’s a tremendous athlete,” Krzyzewski said June 17. “He’s just a really good athlete. Tough.” —by Sabreena Merchant
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008 |
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Smith trains with Beasley
Duke guard attends draft with high school teammate by Will Flaherty The chronicle
The green room at the NBA Draft has been a frequent stopover for former Blue Devils waiting to hear their name called and have their professional careers determined. So it wasn’t surprising that yet another Duke player spent an evening in the company of the league’s top draftees—except he wasn’t there to hear his own name called. Sophomore guard Nolan Smith attended the June 26 draft as a guest of childhood friend Michael Beasley, who was selected by the Heat as the second overall pick. The draft day visit to Madison Square Garden culminated the first half of Smith’s summer, which he spent working out with Beasley as he prepared for the NBA. Smith and Beasley have been teammates on the AAU circuit and in high school at Oak Hill Academy, but the bonds between the pair have transcended basketball since Beasley moved in to live with Smith’s family 11 years ago. “My friendship with him is, we’re like brothers,” Smith said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together working out and just really making each other better.” After the end of his freshman year, Smith returned to his home in the Washington, D.C. area for a mere two days before heading to Philadelphia to train with Beasley as he prepared for draft tryouts and the NBA’s combine in Orlando, Fla. Beasley, Smith and other prospects followed a grueling training regimen built around three-a-day sessions of drills, conditioning and weightlifting with minimal breaks between workouts. “We would wake up at 9 a.m., eat breakfast and go straight to the gym from 10 a.m. to about 1 p.m., getting about three hours in,” said Smith, who averaged 5.9
points per game in his rookie season. “We’d go back to the hotel, take a nap and then go straight to lifts. We’d usually lift for another hour an a half, then at night time, we’d go [back to the gym] and get more shots up.” Smith also joined junior forward Gerald Henderson in Philadelphia, Henderson’s home city. Smith saw his teammate a few times this summer, as Henderson used the same facility to recover from postseason wrist surgery. “Gerald thinks he’s left-handed now after having surgery on his shooting hand,” Smith said. “He’s worked real hard this summer as far as not getting out of shape and working on his off hand.” Smith said the constant workouts with NBAbound players have helped his skills, but the intimate exposure to the draft preparation process has also stimulated his mental approach to the game. “It motivates you, and that’s really what I’ve done this last season, [tried to] motivate myself even more,” he said. “Not that I wasn’t motivated, but that just makes you get the extra kick to work hard. Now that I’ve stepped back on Duke’s campus, I know that those guys have pushed me and that I’ve pushed them.” Smith said he plans to continue to work on all aspects of his game over the remainder of the summer as he trains with teammates and former Duke players on campus. Most of all, the soft-spoken point guard also hopes to develop more of an on-court attitude. “The main thing [for me] is just being cocky,” Smith said. “Not being cocky in a bad way, where I’m a jerk and stuff like that, but just being cocky on the court to where I feel like I can beat any person that steps in front of me.” And if he can beat Beasley, he might be able to beat anyone.
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TURNING IT AROUND
David Cutcliffe has used the offseason to energize a downtrodden program. Now comes the true test.
P
BY MATTHEW ILES
lans are moving forward to improve Wallace Wade’s sound system, bathrooms and concession stands. New speakers, couches and televisions have been added in the Yoh Football Center. The coaches’ recruiting efforts have already landed them quality 2009 commitments. First-year head coach David Cutcliffe and his staff have certainly used the winter, spring and summer to move this program in the right direction for future success. But nothing is more important to them than this season. Despite inheriting a senior class that has won only two games in its career and practicing only 44 times before Duke’s first game against James Madison Aug. 30, Cutcliffe has told just about anybody who will listen what he expects from his squad. Thirty points per game. Bowl-eligible. Conference contender. And that’s how he’ll tell it to you. No conditionals, no if-clauses and no out strategies. Past coaches said similar things, but nobody believed them like people believe in Cutcliffe. And it starts with his players. “It’s a different atmosphere,” junior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis said. “The team has a swagger. People are feeling really good about themselves and glad they have made those accomplishments
THE CHRONICLE
that Coach Cutcliffe had presented.” One of those challenges was losing a collective 1,000 pounds. Cutcliffe was in no way quiet about Duke’s lack of conditioning, calling it the worst he had seen in his career. The players responded by changing their diets and enhancing their workout regimens. When the summer arrived, Cutcliffe made another change, another challenge. In the past, players had been given the option of staying for the first summer session. This year, it was mandatory to stay in Durham for the entire summer to prepare for the season as a team. Again, the players responded. “This is Division-I football. There’s no reason why everyone shouldn’t be here,” senior linebacker Michael Tauillili said. “The values and the intensity that [the coaching staff is] bringing, and mainly, in my eyes, the experience that they’re bringing to the program has been different. Changes like we just talked about... making the sacrifices we need to and the strides we need.” Recognition, expectations and ticket sales are up—the athletic department is estimating a 30-percent gain with 2,000 new season-ticket holders— but there still haven’t been any real results. Cutcliffe, who took his first vacation in the last week of June after he was hired in December, knows this better than anyone.
“As a new staff, you really don’t have a lot of time to get your football team as prepared as you’d like,” Cutcliffe said. “We have a practice plan that we’ve already got on paper. You try to take every phase, every situation that occurs and put your team in those situations, prepare them to be able to play in every situation they’ll face during the season. Other than that, you’re just working fundamentals, techniques and individual techniques at each position. “That’s kind of what football is all about. Then you bring that together in the greatest team game of all sports.” Aside from continuing to work with the strength and conditioning staff, the players have been running smaller practice sessions on their own, such as seven-on-seven passing skeletons. Many players have said that the hardest part so far has been learning all the new terminology, but as the summer has progressed, they have become more familiar with it. On offense, Cutcliffe said running back Re’quan Boyette could have a “special season,” as he not only takes the majority of the handoffs but also catches some balls out of the backfield. See football on page 18
“It’s a different atmosphere.The team has a swagger. People are feeling really good about themselves.”
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thecandidates
football
Veterans, rookie mix at QB role
>THADDEUS
LEWIS
JUNIOR 6-FOOT-2 190 LB. 21 TD/10 INT
Lewis is the incumbent and sits at the top of the depth chart, having started all 12 games last season and finishing in the top five of the ACC in all major passing categories.
by Stephen Allan The chronicle
The last time David Cutcliffe had three starting quarterbacks, he suffered his only losing season in his five-year tenure at Ole Miss and was fired after a 4-7 record in 2004. But this year, Cutcliffe isn’t looking for Eli Manning’s replacement, as he was then. Now, he has two veteran quarterbacks who have started numerous games and an incoming freshman who was ranked the 10th best signal-caller in the country by scout.com. With junior Thaddeus Lewis (23 starts), redshirt junior Zack Asack (six) and freshman Sean Renfree lining up behind center, Cutcliffe seems to have a difficult, if not fortunate, task in choosing a starting quarterback. The first-year head coach, however, has made it clear who the starter is—at least for the time being. “Thad Lewis is the number one guy and Zack Asack’s currently number two,” Cutcliffe said in June. It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility, though, for any of those three guys to be the starter by October—or by Aug. 30, Duke’s opening game against James Madison. Lewis has the most impressive credentials as the incumbent quarterback, averaging 202.5 passing yards per game, fourth-best in the ACC. He is far more advanced than his competitors in terms of on-field production,
>ZACK
ASACK lawson kurtz/Chronicle file photo
Junior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis is the incumbent and figures to start the season at the top of the depth chart. and the junior would have it no other way. “I’d hope my play could speak for itself,” Lewis said. “I’m more of a lead-by-example guy. I bring a different swagger to the team.” That swagger and strong play led to 21 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions, the best ratio of any Duke quarterback in the past several years. Lewis, however, hit a rough patch in spring training as he struggled to learn Cutcliffe’s new offense, Lewis’ third in three seasons. “Going into a new system, you can’t just go out there and play because you don’t know anything,” Lewis said. “But it boosts your morale and confidence learning it.” Lewis has since rebounded in “tremendous form,” Cutcliffe said. Asack is something of a wild card. Although he has never had tremendous success throw-
ing the ball, his mobility provides an unpredictable element for Cutcliffe’s offense. With Lewis as the established starter for now, Asack sees himself as a mentor for younger players. “I can help them through the process with the coaches and what to expect,” Asack said. “Any off-field issues they might have, they can come to me. I feel like the dad in the group.” He should know. After he was assumed to be Duke’s quarterback in 2006, he was suspended for plagiarism and was forced to miss an entire season. But just because he lost the starting job doesn’t mean he has given up fighting for it. “We’re still going to be competing in the fall,” Asack said. “It’s the coaches’ decision, but I think [Cutcliffe] wants to incorporate See quarterback on page 18
RED. JUNIOR 6-FOOT-4 205 LB. 0 TD/0 INT Asack, the oldest of the bunch, will likely start the season as the backup, but his versatility as a runner should earn him a sizable amount of snaps per game.
>SEAN
RENFREE FRESHMAN 6-FOOT-2 205 LB. 41 TD/6 INT (HS) Renfree is the wild card. An incoming freshman, the highly-touted recruit committed to quarterback guru David Cutcliffe and could move up the depth chart with a good preseason.
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MIKE KRZYZEWSKI IS MORE THAN JUST A COACH. THE OLYMPICS ARE MORE THAN JUST SPORT.
ILE F O R IAN P WKINS P M Y OL Y DA N N H JO
BOTH NOW AFFECT DUKE’S
GOLDENGAMEOF
BY JOE DREWS
BASKETBALL ASSISTANT COACH
GLOBALIZATION.
H
know. Brodhead is a Yale-trained academic with a scholarly interest in American literature and a life rooted in higher education. He traveled to Asia for two weeks in June 2006 in his first overseas trip as Duke’s president and while in Shanghai, he answered an hour and a half’s worth of questions about Duke in an online chatroom for about 10 million Chinese students. They asked him about education and worldwide reputation, but they also wanted to know more about the leader of the University’s most visible team. Kobe Bryant, too, might know. Bryant, who bypassed college life by jumping from high school to the pros, is perhaps the world’s best basketball player. The reigning NBA MVP flew to Asia in September to promote Nike and Team USA in preparation for this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing and traversed five cities—Beijing,
FUL E P O AN H ARD I P M Y OL ANA BE AL BY ARCHITH RAMKUMAR
BASKETBALL FORWARD
She was the first women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired at Duke and has already been named to three All-Star teams in just four WNBA seasons. But despite these accomplishments, Beard has her eye on a more satisfying prize. “I’ve always wanted to be an Olympian—it’s been an ultimate goal of mine,” Beard said. “It’s something while growing up that I’ve always wanted to be a part of and do. To be picked from hundreds of women means so much, you can’t even put it in words. It’s definitely an honor.” The honor could now be Beard’s, as Team USA announces its roster in early July. Beard already has some experience with Olympic competition, having played for the 2003 Under-
terwards that it really kind of sank in. It was like, ‘Wow, that goal was a pretty big one.’ More than anything, it was just a big sigh of relief.” In order to be eligible for the Olympics, an athlete must break the Olympic time standard over the season—the “A” standard is 4:10 for the 1,500—as well as place in the top three during the official trials July 3-6. Rowbury’s sole focus May 18 was to break the standard to position herself as a serious contender in the trials. Her record-setting performance was just an added bonus. And an especially impressive one
Being drafted by the San Antonio Spurs didn’t change that. Neither did later NBA stops in Philadelphia and Detroit. But now, Dawkins is gone. His house is on the market. The former Blue Devil point guard and nine-year associate head coach is 2,800 miles away, having taken the open head coaching position at Stanford April 26. For the first time in 26 years, Dawkins will make his permanent residence outside of North Carolina. “It’s a change,” Dawkins said. “I’ve definitely moved outside of my comfort zone. I’ve learned a great deal over the last month and a half.” And while Dawkins was learning, Duke’s coaching staff was undergoing its first major change since 2000. Assistant coaches Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins were promoted to associate head coaches, and Nate James was hired to fill the void left from Dawkins’ departure. Dawkins’ No. 24 hangs in Cameron’s rafters, and head coach Mike Krzyzewski said no one did more for Duke’s program in his 28 years at the helm. But after spurning previous overtures to leave his alma mater, Dawkins couldn’t pass up the Cardinal post. He felt it was the right time to leave, and the similar tenet of the schools’ athletic departments—the academic-athletic balance—made the job particularly appealing. “The [Duke] program is in great shape,” Dawkins said after running off a list of other reasons the Stanford job intrigued him. “Of course, I wouldn’t have departed if I didn’t think we were in terrific shape with where we were going and our future with what we were doing. “I’m always pulling for them, of course. I’m a Duke alum, and I’m excited when those guys have success.” Dawkins’ name is frequently brought up in connection with the Blue Devils’ future. Some consider him to be the leading candidate to replace Krzyzewski after the legendary coach retires, a topic that was sparked anew when Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby introduced his new coach as Krzyzewski’s likely heir. Krzyzewski will not name a successor, and he prefers that the job stays in the Duke family, he told The Chronicle in June. But Dawkins tends to ignore the suggestions that he may one day return to the sidelines of Coach K Court. “I try not to concentrate on that,” Dawkins said. “I can’t see anyone
See rowbury on page 21
See dawkins on page 17
by ben cohen
ow do you say “Coach K” in Chinese? President Richard Brodhead might
Alana Beard is no stranger to accolades.
Johnny Dawkins has lived in Durham since his freshman year at Duke.
Hong Kong, Manila, Taipei and Shanghai—in his five-day “Supernatural Tour.” When he returned, he talked to the national team’s coach. “It’s unbelievable,” he told Mike Krzyzewski. “Coach, they ask questions about you. They ask questions about Duke.” Krzyzewski certainly knows. He made his first trip to China in 2007, and some approached him using his nickname, even if they wanted to ask more questions about Bryant and LeBron James. Krzyzewski, who will begin his 29th year at Duke after he attempts to guide Team USA to its first gold medal since 2000, was struck with the Chinese adoration of basketball, their knowledge of Duke and, consequently, Duke Basketball. “I’m conscious of being a representative of Duke every second of my life, because I’m branded with Duke,” Krzyzewski said. “Whether I go out to eat, whether I go to the grocery store, getting gas... but I also know that if I’m on the road or somebody might not be able to pronounce my name, they’ll say, ‘Duke!’” I say, ‘No, it’s Mike Krzyzewski.’” Chinese is a tonal language; beautiful, it is not. But one name in Chinese is melodious to a school in the middle of a concerted effort to expand its international presence. “It is by happy chance that a famous Duke person will be leading probably the most watched sport in these Olympics,” Brodhead said. “Duke did not contrive the Olympics to be in Beijing. And Duke could not have gotten Mike Krzyzewski chosen as the coach.... Well, as it happens, you put these two coincidences together and you get a great drama played out on a great stage. It’s extraordinary—it’s absolutely extraordinary.” The answer to one question might define Duke’s great leap more than any other. So, again: How do you say “Coach K” in Chinese?
M
acau, baby, Macau. Like Vegas on the juice.
It is, with Hong Kong, one of two special administrative regions in China. It is almost autonomous. But Macau is most known for a byproduct of its relative independence: It is the top gambling destination in the world, having overtaken Las Vegas for most casino revenue in 2006. The Venetian Macau will host two of Team USA’s exhibition games July 31 and Aug. 1. The Venetian Macau will also be home to about 75 Duke represen-
21 World Championship team and the 2006 FIBA World Championship squad, which brought home a bronze medal. She knows that being part of the 2008 team would be even more demanding. “People don’t grasp how extreme the training is,” Beard said. “For you to be a part of the team, you have to undergo unbelievable preparation. From college to the WNBA it goes up one level, but from the WNBA to the Olympics, it goes up 10 levels.” Beard is not the only Duke graduate considered for the team. Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsey Harding, whose jersey hangs in the rafters next to Beard’s, is also on a short list to earn a spot on the roster, and Beard believes that the success of the two stars is a reflection of Duke. See beard on page 16
tatives that weekend. The University, the development office and the basketball program’s Legacy Fund have collaborated to create a two-day event to coincide with Krzyzewski and Team USA’s appearance. There will be gambling, golf, basketball and, the main attraction, a chance to mingle with Krzyzewski, who will meet with Duke donors, alumni and parents. “It’s once in a lifetime. It’s never happened before, and it may never happen again that the Duke University head coach is the head coach of our Olympic team,” said Mike Cragg, associate athletic director and director of the Legacy Fund. “That alone is a reason to celebrate.” Eric Savage graduated from Duke in 1992 and was on campus for four Final Fours and two national championships. He lives in Bangalore, India now, but manages to catch every Duke game through a SlingBox, which transmits the cable from his parents’ television in Toledo, Ohio. A fellow Duke graduate in Hong Kong tapes the games and sends them to him, as well, and he watches them again on his iPod at the gym. Savage postponed an annual vacation to the United States to attend the Macau gathering. “Many alumni have a much stronger affinity for this school than alumni from other schools, and I think a reasonable part is due to the basketball program,” said Savage, who has attended the K Academy since its inception in 2003. “I know that whenever Duke alumni gather, it’s relatively common to talk about basketball. “If they had a star professor out and doing a dinner in Macau or Hong Kong, you probably wouldn’t get as many people flying in from all over.” The University will also sponsor an event in the United States’ own sin city, Las Vegas, for the national team’s July 25 exhibition against Canada, but once Krzyzewski and his 12 players—including former Blue Devil Carlos Boozer—reach Beijing, he belongs completely to Team USA. Of course, given the free publicity Krzyzewski will afford Duke, he might as well be wearing the Blue Devil on his lapel. After all, Krzyzewski’s affiliation with Duke defines his career. For some, he is not Mike Krzyzewski. He is the leader of Duke Basketball. “If you know two things about Coach K, you know these things: 1. He is a person who lives and breathes basketball, and 2. He is a person who absolutely loves Duke,” Brodhead said. “The name Coach K evokes both of those facts. See krzyzewski on page 14
First came the crutches. Then, the pool and the stationary bike. Finally, the elliptical.
EFUL P O H PIAN OWBURY M Y L O ON R N N A SH BY KATIE RIERA
TRACK AND FIELD 1,500-METER
This was how Shannon Rowbury rehabilitated from a stress fracture in her hip. She ran last September for the first time since April. On Thanksgiving, the 2007 Duke graduate placed second at the Seagate Elite 5K in her professional debut. And then, just six months later, she shattered her personal best and left the global competition in the dust to become the odds-on favorite to represent the United States in the 1,500-meter at the Olympics. Her time of 4 minutes, 1.61 seconds
louie traub/ap (top), isaac brekken/ap (bottom)
NBA MVP Kobe Bryant (below) SAID he has waited his entire life to play for Mike Krzyzewski, who will coach Team USA at the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer.
at the adidas Track Classic May 18 clocked in as not only the fifth-best in U.S. history and the fastest American time in the last six years, but the fastest 1,500-meter time in the world in 2008. Romania’s Liliana Popescu ran a 4:00.35 May 24 to subsequently nab the top global time, but the title of “fastest female 1,500 runner in the world” was, at that point, not yet Rowbury’s goal. After all, she was forced to overcome a crippling injury and wasn’t supposed to be in this position. “I didn’t think of the bigger picture when I went into the race, I just focused on what I had to accomplish,” said Rowbury, who shaved six seconds off her previous best to attain her time that day. “It was af-
14 | WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008 | 15
opinion
Kevin Cullen picked up his
Will the Olympics help Duke Basketball?
Publicity will eventually benefit Blue Devils
Only 1 team warrants Krzyzewski’s attention
Picture this: it’s August 24 in Beijing, the final day of the 2008 Olympics and the championship game in men’s baskeball. There, at the top of the widest podium in sports, stands Mike Krzyzewski, a gold medal around his neck, his hand over his heart and eyes toward the American flag as the national anthem plays. Surrounding Krzyzewski are NBA luminaries, all of whom will tout the Tim coach’s meticulous strategy and liberal rotation that pleased everyone as the keys to the team’s success. They will casually mention him as one of the best coaches they’ve ever had. It might as well be a commercial for Duke Basketball. It certainly speaks louder and clearer to the Blue Devils’ target demographic than any ad for American Express or State Farm ever could. For better or worse (OK, it’s for better), Krzyzewski is the face of Duke Basketball in a way unlike any other coach in the United States. And Coach K’s inextricable connection to his “other” gig will be evident throughout the Olympics, whether it’s broadcasters introducing him as a college basketball institution at Duke or feature stories highlighting his close relationship with Kobe Bryant. You see, Coach K is at the head of USA Basketball at the best possible mo-
When the best high school basketball players in the nation compete in national tournaments and camps this July, the most high-profile coaches in the country will be visible in the crowd. One familiar face, however, might be absent from the bleachers—Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. No face-to-face contact with recruits is allowed in July, but the mere visibility of coaches is essential in the later stages of recruiting. Of course, Coach K won’t be missing most of the action without good reason, as he will be preparing Team USA for the Olympics later in August. But with all the hoopla surrounding Krzyzewski’s new squad and its quest for the gold medal in Beijing, the fact remains that the months of July and August are a crucial time for Coach K’s other team, the Blue Devils. Perhaps you’ve heard of them. “He’s a face that won’t be there,” said Dave Telep, scout. com’s national recruiting director. “Whether it makes a difference—that’s another story.” And although Krzyzewski might be visible to recruits during the first
Britton
ment. It is almost certain that he has the best team, but the United States isn’t the slam-dunk favorite it used to be, not after failing to win the last three international tournaments. These Olympics, then, will be the first time since Barcelona and the Christian Laettner-led Dream Team in 1992 that winning gold would be an accomplishment, and not a fait accompli. And if Team USA loses? Well, then the story is the continued growth of international basketball, and Krzyzewski would have failed no more than Larry Brown did in 2004, when the Americans lost three games en route to the bronze. Aside from increasing Duke’s already-astronomical exposure in the basketball world, Krzyzewski’s work with Team USA should benefit the coach on the court. We’ve already seen the positive impact working with Team USA assistants Mike D’Antoni and Jim Boeheim had for Duke last season, and another summer on the sidelines should only deepen those relationships. And maybe while Boeheim is teaching him the See britton on page 17
half of July, there is no denying that he has other things and other teams on his mind this summer. Duke’s past two early exits in the NCAA Tournament certainly don’t help the argument that Krzyzewski’s Team USA duties have taken nothing away from his commitment to his primary job. The uproar was a little softer, you may re- Sam member, when Coach K took over the national team in 2005. At that time, Duke had two returning All-Americans in J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams and was the consensus preseason No. 1. Now that the Blue Devils haven’t reached the Sweet 16 the past two seasons, the question of whether Coach K’s committment to Duke has shown its effects in recent recruiting and on-court success is valid, if unpopular. But since Redick and Williams graduated in 2006, Duke has not maintained a strong presence in the paint to balance its depth on the perimeter. Josh McRoberts was the highest-rated big man in the Class of 2005, but his two-year career at Duke was underwhelming at best. (For the record, Duke fans were then ecstatic they landed McRoberts over Tyler Hansbrough.) Eric Boateng, Jamal Boykin and
Levy
See levy on page 17
krzyzewski from page 14
FILE O R P IAN WARD P M Y OL ECCA REB BY SEAN MORONEY FENCING SABER Please excuse Rebecca Ward
if she seems tired during orientation. She will be less than a week removed from fencing in the Olympics. Ward, an incoming freshman fencer, has a chance to win two gold medals in the individual saber and team fencing competitions in Beijing. In 2006, Ward won gold in the individual saber competition and a silver medal in the team event at the World Fencing Championships. Now, Ward is No. 1, having won almost every international competition. The only hardware missing from her thing case is an Olympic medal. Although the Olympics will be the biggest competition of her young career, Ward said she is preparing for it like it’s any other event. “I haven’t changed my training all that much,” said Ward, who hails from Beaverton, Ore. “I’ve just kept training the way I always have, with a bit more cross-training.” Ward won’t have much time to dwell on the results. The team competition ends Aug. 14. Freshman move-in is just five days later.
“There are ways in which we wouldn’t seek to exploit [the attention]. Coach K won’t wear Duke paraphernalia during the game. But to some extent, we don’t need that. Let me put it this way... it’s the kind of thing the University doesn’t need to do much to capitalize on.” The men’s basketball gold medal game is anticipated to be one of the most watched sporting events in the history of the world. ESPN’s broadcast of North Carolina’s win over Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium March 8 took in 5.6 million. It set a record for a men’s college basketball game. The 2008 Super Bowl drew 97.5 million viewers. A 2007 NBA game between Chinese basketball heroes Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian attracted about 200 million viewers on 19 television stations in China. The Olympic final? It could eclipse the 2006 World Cup final, which drew an average of 260 million viewers. “What does that mean? Well, it means a lot, especially if you win,” Krzyzewski said. “That will bring something to Duke. That’s the thing about whether you’re a history professor here or a doctor or whatever— when you do something that gets national or international recognition, it helps Duke. Well, the fact is, Duke always helps you. It’s a neat thing.”
D
uke already has a brand inEurope— just ask John Burness.
Burness, the University’s outgoing senior vice president for public affairs and government relations, traveled to Italy about 10 years ago and noticed a Duke hat. Then he spotted another one. He soon began counting college’s caps and, by the end of his trip, Burness had tallied 27 Duke hats—nine more than Georgetown, its closest competitor. The reason behind the abundance of Duke hats rather than, say, Harvard, was clear to Burness. “I have to believe that some of that has to do with the sports programs at these institutions,” he said. “There is this wonderful loyalty that exists at American universities, but that loyalty is so much stronger at a place like Duke. If you have a foreign student at a place like Duke and he goes back, you can bet he’s going back with a basketball cap.” The University has made a conscious push to expand its global presence in the last decade, evident in the list of recent international See krzyzewski on page 15
KIN CHEUNG/AP (TOP), DAVID GUTTENFELDER/AP (BOTTOM)
Duke will host an event at The Venetian in Macau, China (above) to coincide with a Team USA exhibition.
FILE O R P IAN LLEN P M Y OL N CU I V E K
BY BEN COHEN
BASKETBALL
VIDEOCOORDINATOR
phone one day after he had accepted a new position on Duke’s basketball staff and associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski was on the other end. “By the way,” Wojciechowski said, “we’re going to have to take you to China with us.” “Well, if you have to,” Cullen responded. And so began the 2007 graduate’s Olympic journey. Cullen never scored a point at Duke and the lanky computer science major worked at a firm that builds and manages video editing software in the year after graduation—that is, he’s not your average Olympian. Five years ago, he didn’t even think he would be a manager at Duke and two
krzyzewski from page 14 initiatives, from the advent of DukeEngage to the development of a partnership with a Singapore hospital. In his annual speech to faculty in October 2007, Brodhead described Duke’s international ambitions and laid out a plan to increase its dimensions. “Duke’s international efforts to date have been somewhat opportunistic in character, and almost exclusively unit-based,” he said to the faculty. “So far, so good. But we are nearing a time when the University’s internationalization will need to become more concerted and more strategic.” The impact of Krzyzewski’s Olympic appearance, then, goes against both tenets of Duke’s globalization philosophy. The potential of the athletics sector has been untapped—almost all of the University’s international efforts have come in the academic and service fields—and Krzyzewski’s selection as Team USA head coach was a stroke of luck for Duke. The ways in which Duke seeks to use Krzyzewski’s introduction to the rest of the world are far from concerted or strategic. They are purely opportunistic. “Duke University has an enormous brand in higher education,” said Director of Athletics Kevin White, who has a scholarly interest in globalization and has taught a class about the business of sport for the last 26 years at various institutions. “Duke Basketball is kind of in a position all by itself within college basketball. I don’t know that people would argue with that. Coach K has a brand, and that’s perhaps why he’s been invited to coach that team and do so many darn things. “Now you take all of those things and you put into that mix the opportunity to coach the Olympic team and all of that, if it’s possible, will go to another level.” Still, using sport as a talking point is less of a priority for a University distinct in its commitment to rigorous academics and highly competitive athletics. That combination would likely be lost in translation. “It’s unique in colleges and universities around the world that you have these big-time sports programs,” Burness said. “They’re not tacked onto or part of the university. It would not then be the natural interplay.” Basketball reigns supreme in China, though, and its popularity will only surge as the growing superpower continues to export NBA All-Stars like Yao, who is something of a transcendent celebrity. Add the inherent internationalization of basketball as a sport, and it’s no surprise that so many will sit down to watch the gold medal game Aug. 24 if Team USA’s band of superstars is involved. It also makes sense that Duke administrators’ rooting interests are not simply fueled by patriotism or friendship with Krzyzewski. The further Team USA advances, the more attention Duke receives. Play-by-play announcers and analysts don’t even have to mention Krzyzewski’s day job; whenever the camera flashes to Krzyzewski’s face, “DUKE” is essentially emblazoned on the screen. So Brodhead understands that he must pull hard for a Team USA gold medal. “You bet I will! I’m not a fool,” he said. “It’s a fantastic event. It’s completely phenomenal. Sometimes you hit it lucky.... A Duke coach being chosen just at this moment, when the media make more things available to more billions of people than we’ve ever seen? That’s just good fortune.” In other words, the University’s fortune cookie reads: K jiào liàn. That’s how you say “Coach K” in Chinese.
months ago, he was sitting in his apartment in Charlotte watching the Final Four. In fact, the former four-year manager considered traveling to Beijing for the Olympics as a fan. He was willing to take two weeks of vacation and burn all of his frequent flyer miles, but the price tag on hotels and flights was too much for the 23-year old. But through his job at Sportstec, Cullen worked closely with the athletic department and traveled back to campus about once a month. When Duke was interested in establishing a video coordinator position to compensate for the program’s growing dependence on film study and after former director of basketball operations Mike Schrage left for Stanford, Cullen was the man for the job—and backtracked his way
into the position with USA Basketball. None of Cullen’s experience will rival what looms in China, what he calls a “logistical nightmare.” The power system and video format are different, and there is no equipment. “It’s not like being here at Duke, where you can run down to the closet and get something else,” said Cullen, who anticipates several all-nighters. “There’s no closet over there.” So instead of having a month and a half of downtime in Durham to adorn a new video room, Cullen will be living a goal that has never been his, but he’s nonetheless happy to adopt. “It’s certainly one of the best things I could have ever imagined,” he said. “It wasn’t a dream of mine, but now to think that I’ve been able to do it, it’s a phenomenal dream come true.”
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BRITTON from page 14
women’s basketball
Blue Devils engage in summer internships by Laura Keeley The chronicle
Next time you see the Ultimate Highlight Reel on “SportsCenter” or the Web Gems on “Baseball Tonight,” think of Abby Waner. These plays of the day are coming your way because of her work as a studio production intern for ESPN. In addition to her behind-the-scenes work at the Worldwide Leader’s studio in Bristol, Conn., Waner had the opportunity to go to New York City and work the NBA Draft with former Blue Devil and current ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. So perhaps you could thank the senior guard for bringing O.J. Mayo, complete with librarian-style glasses and bowling shoes, into your house, too. If you thought basketball was the only thing the Blue Devils cared about, you would be mistaken. In fact, the players’ summer plans are as varied as, well, any other Duke student. “You gotta stay busy,” senior center Chante Black said with a laugh. Busy might be an understatement to describe Black and Waner’s summer work schedules. Black puts in six days a week for two different departments at Saint Francis Care in Hartford, Conn. Black’s first responsibility is to the grant and aid foundation, in which she solicits money from former donors to support the hospital and all of its causes. She also wears several hats in the emergency department, from checking in
patients and escorting them to rooms to keeping family members informed of their relatives’ status. Black has been working so much that she has had trouble finding time to meet up with Waner, who is working about 30 minutes away. “Abby called [June 20] at midnight to let me know she was playing,” Black said. “With both of us working so much, it has been tough to get together, but we are going to try.” While Black and Waner work in the Northeast, their other tri-captain, Carrem Gay opted to engage in work closer to campus. Gay is proof that DukeEngage does more than fling Dukies to places all over the globe. Not all volunteers leave the country. Or, for that matter, North Carolina. The senior forward is working in Durham, so she can still workout at Duke, she said. Gay is working in the Office of Community Affairs, helping out however she can. Some of her major summer projects have been with Quality of Life, a group that focuses on community organizing, and helping the department with a major archiving project. Gay also attends meetings with prominent community members to ensure Durham’s well-being. Gay, Joy Cheek, Keturah Jackson and Bridgette Mitchell have stayed in Durham over the summer to workout together. With the exceptions of Black and Waner, the whole team will be back at Duke in July
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2-3 zone, Krzyzewski can try to learn how to beat it in case Miami ever employs it again. It’s also energized Krzyzewski. While Coach K will never admit it, it’s tough to consistently be the best at your position and not grow complacent. Finding a new challenge was the primary motivation for Krzyzewski’s flirtation with the Lakers in 2004, and the Olympics provide him a similar opportunity without depriving him of his day job. (And this job is infinitely better than his second option: playing minor league baseball for the Birmingham Barons.) “There’s been a tremendous amount of positive energy and learning coming from that—Coach K’s more energized now than I’ve ever seen him,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said. “And a big part of that has to do with his involvement with USA Basketball. I
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know he’s learned a great deal. He looks at the game a bit differently.” And a renewed perspective is exactly the medicine for the inevitable complacency of being the best at what you do. Some will argue that Krzyzewski’s absence will hurt the Blue Devils’ recruiting in critical summer months. But communication is international now, and the Duke coaching staff should have no problem calling or texting recruits while overseas (yes, Kelvin, it’s legal in July). At the same time, he can lay the groundwork for a China-to-Durham pipeline that may one day bring Duke a big man that plays outside-in—something Duke has sorely lacked in recent seasons. And at the very least, the Olympics will provide Krzyzewski a bit more practice in a tournament setting—that is, after all, where Duke has struggled recently.
special to the chronicle
Senior guard Abby Waner has an internship in studio production at ESPN in Bristol, Conn. this summer. and August to prepare for the upcoming season. Back up in Connecticut, Black and Waner have developed their own workout routines to stay fresh. Black joined Bally’s Fitness Club, and Waner has found no shortages of workout partners around her. “It’s great,” said Waner, who held a miniinternship with the network at the end of last summer. “ESPN has its own fitness center, and there is an outdoor court. Also, there are a couple of YMCAs around the area. And it’s awesome because it’s either athletes, ex-athletes or people who played in high school who all play in these pickup games. They are just great runs. We played for three-and-a-half hours the other day. There is never a loss of games or places to work out at ESPN.”
beard from page 12 “The fact that it’s produced two Olympians in one school in similar years shows you what Duke Basketball is all about,” Beard said. “It is a tribute to what [former head coach] Gail Goestenkors has done.” And although a labral tear in her left shoulder leaves Beard on the bubble to make the team, she has since recovered after surgery and is ready to show the world what she can do. “It’s always an unbelievable experience playing with the best in the world,” she said. “The fact that we are the U.S., we go in with a target on our backs. People are always out to get the U.S. Team. Our goal is to get a gold medal and nothing less.”
ap file photo
Former associate head coach Johnny Dawkins was Mike Krzyzewski’s right-hand man before he became head coach at Stanford.
DAWKINS from page 13 there other than [Krzyzewski]. I never could see past that. So many people have visions of what happens when he goes or this and they’re looking at all kinds of strategies behind Coach’s departure, and I’m one that can’t ever see anything other than him always in the picture. And it’s because not only did I work for him, but also played for him. So I take a different perspective than, I guess, most people.” Before he coaches his first game in Palo Alto, Calif., though, Dawkins will get one more opportunity to work with his mentor. Despite the rigors of taking charge of the Cardinal program, Dawkins will still travel to Beijing as the director of player personnel for Team USA. He never seriously considered opting out of his commitment to Krzyzewski and USA Basketball because he believed that working for the national team was the “highest honor” possible, he said. When Dawkins interviewed for the Stanford job, he was asked whether he would go to Beijing this summer. He replied that he wanted to stay involved with the national team either way. Dawkins’ role on the Olympic team is to work with the players before, during and after practice, as well as to oversee their training regimens off the court—a position he’s comfortable with, having spearheaded player development at Duke. As for working with Krzyzewski one last time? Dawkins’ whirlwind departure to the West Coast will make the trip to China that much more meaningful. “Everything changed so quickly that really I didn’t have a chance to catch my breath,” Dawkins said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with him.” But even though he will be nearly 3,000 miles from Krzyzewski’s office this fall, he won’t be forgotten anytime soon at Duke. Dawkins was in town as recently as Father’s Day, and he has kept in touch with the Blue Devil players this summer. And after all, he still has that house to sell.
LEVY from page 14 Taylor King have all transferred, and junior Brian Zoubek has battled chronic injury problems. There is no doubt that the Blue Devils have missed out on some big name posts in recent years—Greg Monroe, Brandan Wright and Patrick Patterson, to name a few—but are Coach K’s responsibilities with Team USA really to blame for it? “I don’t think Duke has any worries in the world when it comes to recruiting,” ESPN analyst Dick Vitale said. “The fact that Coach K is coaching Team USA with guys like LeBron and Kobe—kids see that and say, ‘If he can coach them, he can coach me.’” Vitale and former Blue Devil Jay Bilas argue that Krzyzewski’s Olympic tie brings positive energy to the program and that
his associations with the best players in the world certainly can’t and won’t hurt the Blue Devils. They could be right. There are plenty of potential benefits for Duke, and it’s foolish to believe that the coaching staff hasn’t formulated a plan to compensate for its Team USA responsibilities. If Coach K stands on the podium with the NBA’s best players, the Duke program will become more attractive to potential recruits. That’s undeniable. But it’s also possible that a high school stud could enroll at North Carolina because Coach K didn’t show him enough love this summer and in that case, we might reflect and say Krzyzewski should have put his full focus on his Blue Devil squad. After all, it’s certain that almost every other college coach is focused on one team, not two.
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football from page Eron Riley, who had 40 catches last year and is ranked the No. 13 receiver in the country by Lindy’s magazine, will likely be called upon to haul in as many as 70 or 80 throws in Cutcliffe’s system. Lewis said he has had to learn the different situations for when he’s given the green light to change the call at the line, as well as the plays with choice routes and a host of other new wrinkles. Not to mention, it’s a no-huddle offense. And while former athletic director Joe Alleva said one of the reasons he hired Cutcliffe was for his offensive prowess, the head coach has no qualms with slowing it down if the situation calls for it. “The big issue is trying to win games, and that changes from week to week,” Cutcliffe said. “We believe we can score 30 points a game, and we will always have that as a minimum goal. But if it takes playing slow-ball or takes playing something different, we’re going to do it. We’re going to be a very versatile team in all areas. I think one of the
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things you’ll see is aggressiveness and versatility, because that’s what I think it takes to win in this day and time.” Nobody has placed more emphasis on winning the cliched one game at a time as much as Cutcliffe. In Duke’s first three opponents—James Madison, Northwestern and Navy, all at home—the Blue Devils play a Division I-AA school, a squad the Blue Devils beat on the road and a team that beat Duke 46-43 last season. But you won’t hear a single player look that far ahead. Tauillili said there is no reason why this team shouldn’t start out on a roll. Lewis said it would be like a snowball effect, each win helping to build on the next one. Each, though, first mentioned the caveat their coach has so determinately pounded into their heads. “What I hope people remember about this team is how well they played one game at a time,” Cutcliffe said. “We can’t waste a second on the field, so we have to be the best we can be when we go out. “The biggest tradition we’d like to reinstate is winning some football games and defending our home field really well.”
2008 DUKE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Aug. 30
JMU
Oct. 25
@Vandy
Sept. 6
Navy
Nov. 1
@Wake
Sept. 13
N’western
Nov. 8
NCST
Sept. 27
Virginia
Nov. 15
@Clemson
Oct. 4
@GT
Nov. 22
@VT
Oct. 18
Miami
Nov. 29
UNC
chase olivieri/Chronicle file photo
Redshirt junior Zack Asack said he feels like the father of Duke’s other quarterbacks, junior Thaddeus Lewis and freshman Sean Renfree.
quarterback from page 11 both of us in various schemes.” And then there’s Renfree, who has developed a buzz even before standing on the sideline. In one highlight video, Renfree shows off his 4.5-second 40-yard dash speed by taking the snap directly under center and sprinting straight ahead, splitting the safeties for an easy touchdown. Renfree, who also displayed his toughness by playing the last seven games of his senior season with a broken foot, participated in the Elite 11 quarterback camp, which has featured current NFL starters Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Vince Young. Renfree will likely begin the season third on the depth chart behind Lewis and Asack, Cutcliffe said. Cutcliffe does not expect to redshirt the four-star recruit, saying he has about a month of training camp to show the coaching staff what he can do. So what’s a coach to do with three talented players and one spot on the field? If you’re Cutcliffe, you think beyond the normal setup. “We might have a wrinkle or two,” Cutcliffe said. “One of the things you might see at quarterback is [Lewis and Asack] in the game at the same time.” Not even the quarterbacks know how such a scenario would work. “I really have no idea what Coach Cutcliffe has up his sleeve, but I’m sure it’ll be interesting,” Asack said. “My guess is as good as yours,” Lewis said. “No one really knows what to anticipate.” One thing should be certain: Cutcliffe will not get the axe again for having three capable quarterbacks on the roster. “When one [of the Ole Miss quarterbacks] was finally good, we settled in,” Cutcliffe said. “I don’t anticipate that being the case here. We’re good at quarterback.”
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rowbury from page 13 given where she was this time last year: sidelined with a stress fracture in her hip that made Rowbury dependent on crutches and unable to run at all. Rowbury had redshirted the entire 2006 season—her senior year at Duke—to prepare and train for 2007. Continuing her Duke education with a master’s in humanities, she placed first and second in the NCAA indoor championships to start 2007. But a nagging pain in her hip was diagnosed as a stress fracture in April. It ended her fifth year and final outdoor season. “Of course I was devastated at first, but having that diagnosis, I finally knew what I was dealing with,” said Rowbury, who won All-American honors and broke Duke and national records in her Blue Devil career. “I made it my goal to do everything I could to get healthy, to fix whatever problems caused my injury in the first place and come back
stronger than I was before. I never looked back.” Rowbury combined her own motivation with the support of coach John Cook and her teammates to stage an improbable comeback. Cook mentors athletes for Nike and trains the close-knit trio of Rowbury and former North Carolina runners Shalane Flanagan and Erin Donohue. So began Rowbury’s comprehensive rehabilitation process. Months of training later—at high altitudes in Mexico, with Cook in Sarasota, Fla. and at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.—Rowbury was back. “Some of my biggest successes have been after my biggest failures or most upsetting moments,” Rowbury said. “The stress fracture I had in the spring of ’07 was heartbreaking for me, but at the same time, it made me much tougher and taught me what I was made with. I think it’s important with something like that to find the silver lining in it and make a promise to yourself that you’ll be better.” And Rowbury is a woman of her word.
summer briefs McRoberts dealt, Nelson goes undrafted A former Blue Devil found a new team on the night of the 2008 NBA Draft, but for the first time since 1997, a Duke player was not selected in the two-round ordeal. Josh McRoberts, a Duke forward who declared for the draft after two seasons in 2007, was traded to Indianapolis from Portland. McRoberts was an All-American at Carmel High School in nearby Carmel, Ind. He was dropped to the D-League in January and was recalled to the Trail Blazers in February. He played in eight games in his rookie season, averaging 1.5 points per game in 30 total minutes. DeMarcus Nelson, a First-Team All-ACC selection in 2008, went undrafted despite impressing scouts in NBA workouts and showcases. Only one ACC player, N.C. State’s J.J. Hickson, was taken in the first round of the draft. Virginia’s Sean Singletary, Maryland’s James Gist and Virginia Tech’s Deron Washington were all selected in the second round. Duke Tennis shakes up coaching staff After 18 years at the helm, Jay Lapidus resigned as the men’s tennis head coach and will oversee operations in both tennis programs as the school’s new director of tennis. Ramsey Smith, an assistant and associate head coach for the last three seasons, will be the team’s new head coach. Lapidus ends his coaching career as the winningest coach in the program’s history. He was named ACC Coach of the Year six times and has guided Duke to 17 consecutive NCAA tournaments. “Ultimately my decision came down to what is best for Duke tennis,” Lapidus said in a statement. “The goal of both the men’s and women’s tennis programs is to win a national championship. This reorganization is a positive move in that direction and reflects Duke’s commitment to tennis.” Blumenherst takes 38th at U.S. Open Three-time defending National Player of the Year Amanda Blumenherst made the cut and finished 38th in the U.S. Open at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn. last weekend. The amateur fired under-par rounds Thursday and Saturday, but her Friday and Sunday performances dropped her to 6-over for the tournament. Former Blue Devil Brittany Lang also qualified for the weekend and her score of 5-over was good for 31st. Seven golfers with Duke ties—including Blumenherst, senior Jennie Lee, sophomore Kim Donovan and incoming freshman Mina Harigae—competed in the national championship, the second-most in program history. Duke places 19th in Directors’ Cup For the fifth straight year, Duke finished in the top 20 of the Directors’ Cup, which measures department-wise success in college athletics. Duke’s score was good for 19th. Stanford won the prize for the 14th straight year. Duke dropped in the standings for the third straight year. It finished fifth in 2005, eighth in 2006 and 11th in 2007. The women’s golf team contributed the most points with 85, followed by men’s and women’s lacrosse (83) and women’s soccer (73). Men’s basketball added 50 points, and women’s basketball tallied 64.
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FIVE TO REMEMBER... 5. NOT AGAIN (May 28)
Duke loses to Johns Hopkins in what some people call the biggest upset in college lacrosse history. After defeating the Blue Jays 17-6 two months earlier, the top-seeded Blue Devils end their season at the hands of Johns Hopkins for the third time in four years.
first year at the helm and the program’s worst season since 1997, as it finished 21-10 with no titles to its name.
3. BEST IN THE BUSINESS (May 31)
Former athletic director Joe Alleva might have made the hire of his career in David Cutcliffe. It might have been so good that it boosted him to another job, as Alleva took the same position at Louisiana State in April. After a month-long search, Duke hires Kevin White, the highly respected athletic director from Notre Dame.
BY MATTHEW ILES
an otherwise lifeless football program. The tutor of the last two Super Bowl MVPs helps increase ticket sales, enhance recruiting and promises a bowl-bound Duke team.
1. ONE AND DONE... AGAIN (March 22)
A hot start had people hoping for a perfect ACC record, especially after a dismantling of North Carolina on the road Feb. 6. But Duke 4. NOT SO SWEET (March tumbles hard—failing to reach the ACC tourna30) ment final, barely escaping embarrassment with The Blue Devils lose in the Sweet a one-point win over No. 15 Belmont in the first 16 for the second consecutive season, 2. CUT TO THE CHASE (Dec. 15) round of the NCAAs only to fall to West Virginia this time to Texas A&M in Oklahoma Billed as a quarterback guru and offensive master- in the second round. It’s the second straight year City. The loss ends Joanne P. McCallie’s mind, David Cutcliffe immediately breathes air into Duke fails to advance past the first weekend.
...AND FIVE TOWATCH BY BEN COHEN 5. NATE FREIMAN The postseason chances of Duke’s baseball team may well rest on Freiman’s bat. The now-senior slugger led the team in every major hitting category last season and, with his draft stock on the line, could finish off a memorable career with an end-of-season reward: an NCAA tournament berth. 4. NED CROTTY No Matt Danowski? No problem—if Crotty fills the void left by the 2007 Tewaaraton Trophy winner and perhaps the best player in program history. Danowski broke the NCAA’s all-time scoring record, but Crotty could be just as useful in the midfield next year, as the Blue Devils begin another quest to bring home the school’s first national championship. 3. ERON RILEY Riley caught 40 passes last year for 830 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns. He and quarterback Thaddeus Lewis were, at times, unstoppable. And now, get this: the senior may have to grab 70 or 80 passes this year in new head coach David Cutcliffe’s pass-heavy system. Riley might be Duke’s most explosive weapon on offense—and could be the key to the Blue Devils reaching their goal of 30 points per game. 2. ABBY WANER In her first two seasons, Waner garnered the reputation as a sharpshooter—an assassin-of-sorts who waited in the corner for a penetration-andkick from All-American point guard Lindsey Harding and swished whatever she hoisted. But the rising senior didn’t have that luxury last year, and she won’t have it this year. Her scoring numbers and 3-point percentage were down, but her floor game was better than ever. Still, if Duke is to improve on its 21-10 record, it will have to develop a legitimate inside-out threat. And to do that, Waner must reestablish her touch.
1. GERALD HENDERSON Just watch Henderson save Duke from a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to No. 15 Belmont, and you’ll understand why he might be able to get the Blue Devils back to their first Final Four since 2004. He grabs a rebound, dribbles down the length of the court, cuts through four defenders and effortlessly lays the ball into the hoop—all in about seven seconds, with less than 20 ticks remaining. The junior forward will throw down some of the most athletic dunks Cameron has ever experienced (see: YouTube). He’ll have to do much more than that now.
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