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The Chronicle
DUKE
FRIDAY
November 13, 2009 www.dukechroniclesports.com
UNC-G
FRIDAY • 7 p.m. • CAMERON INDOOR STADIUM • FSS MEN’S BASKETBALL
Depleted Duke tips off season by Danny Vinik The chronicle
Basketball season has finally arrived. No. 9 Duke opens the 2009-2010 season Friday night at 7 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium against UNC-Greensboro. After reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time in three years last season, the Blue Devils look to begin this campaign with a victory. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski is in his 30th year at the helm for the Blue Devils as Duke kicks off its 105th season, ready to make a run deep into March. The Cameron Crazies will be out in full force after waiting months for their beloved Blue Devils to take the floor. “It’s a fresh start for us and we’re very excited. It’s a lot of fun for us,” junior Kyle Singler said. UNC-Greensboro struggled last year, going 4-16 in the Southern Conference and 5-25 overall. The Spartans return four of their five starters—including leading scorers Mikko Koivisto and Ben Stywall—but the team lacks depth, as only one player other than Koivisto and Stywall averaged more than six points per game last season. Duke will be without two of its starters. Junior guard Nolan Smith will serve the first of a two-game suspension for playing in an unsanctioned basketball league this summer, and freshman Mason Plumlee is out with a fractured wrist. Without Smith, the Blue Devils will have to rely on senior michael naclerio/Chronicle file photo
See m. Basketball on page 11
The Blue Devils head on their last road trip of the year to take on Virginia and Virginia Tech, needing two wins to stay alive in the race for the ACC regular season crown
Junior Kyle Singler will lead the Blue Devil scoring attack in Duke’s regular season opener Friday night.
Barnes to announce decision Harrison Barnes, the 6-foot-6, 190-lb. swingman considered by many to be one of the top high school players in the country, will announce where he will play college basketball today at 3 p.m. on ESPNU. Barnes is listed as the best small forward in the country according to scout. com, and the third-best player in the senior class. Duke is one of several finalists to snag Barnes, along with Kansas, Iowa State, Oklahoma, UCLA and North Carolina. The Iowa native made his official visit to Duke’s campus the weekend of Oct. 23, when he met with the basketball team as well as Christoph Guttentag, Dean of Admissions. The Cameron Crazies came out in full force for Barnes’ arrival, even creating a life-size cutout of the recruit in a No. 40 Duke jersey. Barnes, who will announce his decision in the Ames High School gymnasium, is prized for his ability to score both from the permieter and near the basket. He can play a variety of different positions. As a junior, Barnes averaged 19.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, leading his high school to an undefeated season and a state title. Duke already has three verbal commits for the Class of 2010. Point guard Kyrie Irving—the No. 2 point guard in his class— currently highlights a group that includes guard Tyler Thornton and forward Josh Hairston. Sophomore transfer Seth Curry will also be available for the Blue Devils next season after sitting out this year as per NCAA regulations. -from staff reports
women’s soccer
Duke hopes to extend NCAA tourney success by Nicholas Schwartz The chronicle
DIANNA LIU/Chronicle file photo
Freshman Nicole Lipp and the Blue Devils will have their work cut out for them against a stingy Rutgers defense.
Come NCAA tournament time, Duke student-athletes live by a collective creed: survive and advance. This particular set No. 12 Rutgers of Blue Devils has been repeating the vs. line since September, when a rocky Duke start to the schedule combined with the FRIDAY, 4:30 p.m. losses of key players Columbia, S.C. to injury left even head coach Robbie Church questioning whether his team would advance to postseason play. “We were a bit of a mess in August, losing players, and we hit a tough stretch of games in September,” Church said. “But once we started making some personnel
changes, we really turned it around.” Thanks to strong senior leadership, and outstanding play from five freshman starters, Duke (8-8-4) now has a fresh start in the NCAA tournament, and a first-round matchup with No. 12 Rutgers (13-3-4) Friday at 4:30 p.m. in Columbia, S.C. After battling through the regular season gauntlet of powerful ACC squads, Duke will look to continue the recent success it has had in the NCAA tournament. The Blue Devils have been selected to play the last seven years, and have advanced to the elite eight the past two seasons. To advance, Duke must find a way to break down a stalwart Scarlet Knight defense, which was one of the best in the Big East. Rutgers has only allowed 10 goals all year, and is ranked seventh nationally in See w. soccer on page 11