The Promised Land: Lance Thomas Makes The Cut

In this crazy messed up world we live in, we can only be sure of one thing—we can find out anything we need to know about anyone from their Twitter bio. So how does Lance Thomas describe himself on Twitter? Let’s take a look:

Lance Thomas aka @slangmagic: The most driven person you will ever meet. Pro ball player. Music junkie. Doberman Pinscher lover.

From watching Lance bang down on the blocks for four years in Cameron, none of us can question his drive, and who are we to say he doesn’t love music and who doesn’t love hanging with a Doberman? But today Lance Thomas made the last piece of that 140-character Twitter puzzle a reality—he is a pro ball player, and not just any pro ball player. He is on an NBA roster.

This picture says 1,000 words about Lance Thomas's drive and determination (photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet)

On the eve of this year’s strike-shortened NBA season, Lance Thomas received the greatest Christmas gift he ever could have asked for when he found out he had made the New Orleans Hornets. His journey to the NBA has been unconventional to say the least, but it perfectly personifies all that made Thomas a great member of the Duke Blue Devils: his grit, his determination, and his intensity. Let’s take a look at how he got here.

Thomas starred at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey throughout high school, leading his team to a state championship his senior season while earning McDonald’s All-American honors. He averaged 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds that year en route to winning his second state title in his time at St. Benedict’s. Thomas committed to Duke in the spring of his senior season, waiting much longer than most other top recruits to sign with a team. He chose to attend Duke instead of staying local and playing college basketball at Rutgers.

Lance Thomas practices the same way he plays- hard. (photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet)

Lance made an impact at Duke from the time he first stepped on the floor. Although it normally takes big men more time to adjust to the pace of the college game, Thomas impressed Coach K immensely during preseason workouts before his freshman year. His hard work paid off as Thomas was named a starter for the second game he ever played wearing a Duke uniform. He would go on to start games in all four seasons of his Duke career, including 39 of the 40 games in Duke’s 2009-2010 national title run during his senior season.

He was not a low post force during his time at Duke, that is no secret. In fact he never averaged more than 5.3 points per game during his time there, but Lance Thomas was the master of intangibles. While his teammates were scoring points, he was making sure he did the little things—grab rebounds, body up an opponent’s best big man, block shots, hustle, dive on the floor after loose balls and take charges. Those are the plays that would inevitably define Thomas’s career at Duke; that is the reason why when he calls himself “the most driven person you will ever meet,” we know he isn’t lying.

Becoming a national championship was a great accomplishment for Lance, but not where he envisioned the road ending (photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet)

Thomas strove to be an NBA basketball player. Playing for Duke is a great first step to take toward reaching that goal, but despite the quickly rising draft prospects of Thomas along with fellow seniors Jon Scheyer and Brian Zoubek during their 2010 championship run, none of them were drafted that season. When the NBA doesn’t come calling for some Blue Devils, they’re almost certain to receive offers to play in some of the top leagues in Europe. Lance could have jumped the pond like many of his teammates (Kyle Singler and Martynas Pocius in Spain, Jon Scheyer in Israel, DeMarcus Nelson and Daniel Ewing in Ukraine, or David McClure in Lithuania). But Lance Thomas didn’t want to play in Europe, he wanted to play in the NBA. So instead of taking a much larger contract to play for a European team, he gave the league a shot and tried to make a roster as an undrafted free agent. He played that summer in the Orlando league with the Nets, but did not make the preseason roster. Instead of taking his talents overseas to Europe, Thomas kept his dream alive when he was drafted by in the 2nd round the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League (aka the D-League).

Continuing to improve his offensive game in his only full season with the Toros, Lance Thomas averaged 12.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 46 games. This season did not pass without any additional adversity, however, as Thomas suffered a seizure on the court during a game against the Idaho Stampede on March 26, 2011, ending his season four games early. Luckily for Lance, he was able to make a full recovery and continue to improve his game. Lance’s stellar play in the D-League earned him a spot on the United States’ team for the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Thomas was a key contributor to the US team that eventually earned a bronze medal at the Pan-Am Games, averaging 8.2 points and leading the team with 7.6 rebounds over the tournament’s five games. Thomas also shot 90% from the free-throw line and was the team’s leading scorer in its 94-92 victory over the Dominican Republic in the bronze-medal game.

Thomas returned to the Toros directly following his great performance on the international stage with renewed confidence and the same passion and intensity. This translated well for both Thomas and the Toros, who posted a 3-1 record in its first four games of the 2011 season. Thomas continued to step up his game, posting 17.3 points and 10.5 rebounds over those four contests, including an impressive 24 and 16 in a victory over Tulsa. As the D-League season began the NBA lockout was finally drawing to a close. Training camps were set to open the day after the Toros’ fourth game of the year. This is when Lance received his second shot at the NBA, as his call finally came and he got invited to training camp with the New Orleans Hornets.

Thomas was never afraid to show emotion during his time at Duke (photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet)

Although he had received the call to training camp, Lance’s greatest hurdle was yet to come. His first preseason game was very promising, however. With much of the Hornet’s roster on a plane from Los Angeles following the Chris Paul trade, Thomas started for the Hornets in their first preseason game. He tallied eight points and seven rebounds in 37 quality minutes. This was the first sign that unlike his last stint with the Nets, Thomas might actually be here to stay. The Hornets’ second preseason game had me a bit more scared. As New Orleans tinkered around with its new pieces, Lance only played eight minutes and did not score. But when the final cuts were made on Saturday afternoon, Thomas was the one with the last laugh.

What will the Hornets gain from Lance Thomas? Let’s keep it realistic, he’s not going to start or even log significant minutes on this team this year. However, when he gets his chance, he is the type of player that always seizes an opportunity. Lance’s career in the NBA hinges on the same things that made his college career so special: the little things. He’s going to have to continue to be that guy that plays defense, rebounds, and fights for loose balls, but at least he won’t be struggling to adjust to a new role on an NBA team, that’s what he’s been doing since he started college.

Lance’s story doesn’t end here, in fact some might say that it is only just beginning. However, making an NBA roster does not guarantee that you are going to stick around. Thomas’s next task is going to be to fight for minutes and to keep a spot on the active roster. Hopefully Thomas’ hard work continues to pay off and he can make a career of it. In the end, it’s only fitting that the NBA’s season starts on Christmas day this year, because I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want to wake up on Christmas morning knowing they’ve realized a lifelong dream.

Best of luck to Lance and all of Duke’s NBA players this season from all of us here at Crazie-Talk, and happy holidays to all of our readers! Stay Crazie, my friends.

Looking Back To Move Forward

Good teams win games, but great teams can bounce back from a tough loss, and I’ll speak for the entire Crazies community by saying we can file last week’s game in Columbus under the “tough loss” category. Taking 20-point defeats is not something that the Duke Blue Devils are used to, but luckily for us, Colorado State is coming to town tonight.

We can take away many negatives and a few positives away from the Ohio State game, some of which I discussed in my post yesterday. But there is one thing I’m sure we can all agree on—in order to get back to form and elevate itself to the next level, this Duke team needs a change. Luckily for us, the guy calling the shots for this team knows just a few things about basketball. Although he has not found himself in this situation many times throughout his illustrious career, Coach K has a knack for responding to a blowout loss with an adjustment that alters the identity of the team, and when Coach K responds, the team responds as well. Let’s take a look back to some similar situations Duke teams have found itself in over the last few years to examine the adjustments we might see tonight against Colorado State.

Nolan Smith shot 1-for-7 against Clemson and was subsequently pulled from the starting lineup (photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet)

The Game: February 4, 2009—Clemson 74, Duke 47
What Went Wrong: In a word…everything. Duke couldn’t throw a shot into the ocean during this game, shooting a miserable 30.8% from the field. Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, and Jon Scheyer, who would eventually lead the Blue Devils to a national championship the next season, shot a combined 4-23. Meanwhile, Duke had no answer for Clemson’s Trevor Booker, who shot 8-for-10 from the floor en route to 21 points and eight rebounds.
How Coach K Adjusted: Finding themselves in a similar situation as this year’s Blue Devils, with no true point guard to speak of, Greg Paulus assumed the role in Duke’s next game, starting in favor of Nolan Smith. Krzyzewski also used a significantly smaller rotation in this game, with only six Blue Devils playing more than 7 minutes in the contest.
The Result: Despite going in down 32-19 at the half, Duke came back to win an overtime thriller at Cameron by a score of 78-75. Miami’s Jack McClinton scored a game-high 34 points in a herculean effort, while Paulus added 18 points in his first game at point guard. Duke’s shooting woes continued, however, as Kyle Singler scored 17 points but at the expense of a 5-for-23 shooting effort. Overall, Duke would go on to lose its next two games following Miami, but was able to finish 8-1 down the stretch en route to an ACC Tournament championship. The team would fall earn a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and fall in the Sweet 16 to #3 seed Villanova.

Kyle Singler's 18 points were not enough against the Hoyas (photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet)

The Game: January 30, 2010—Georgetown 89, Duke 77
What Went Wrong: Georgetown shot an obscene 71.7% from the field as Lance Thomas and Miles Plumlee’s shoddy interior defense allowed the Hoyas’ Greg Monroe, Chris Wright, and Austin Freeman to attack the rim and score at will. Duke once again relied too heavily on its outside shooting and was only able to muster 9-of-29 from three-point land. President Obama watched on at the Verizon Center as Georgetown pushed its lead to 23 late in the second half, before a mini Duke run allowed the final score to look slightly more respectable.
How Coach K Adjusted: Brian Zoubek, who played only two minutes against Georgetown, saw his playing time increase to 13 minutes in Duke’s next contest, an 86-67 victory over a ranked Georgia Tech squad. Zoubek continued to put in quality minutes in the team’s ensuing games and replaced Miles Plumlee in the starting lineup three games later, when he played the best game of his Duke career with 16 points and 17 rebounds in a 77-56 rout of Maryland.
The Result: We all know how this story ended, as Zoubek started for the rest of the season, playing a crucial role as Duke went on to win 18 of its final 19 games en route to its fourth national championship.

St. Johns had its way with the Blue Devils, but Duke got the last laugh come March (photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet)

The Game: January 30, 2011—St. John’s 93, Duke 78
What Went Wrong: Playing at Madison Square Garden, the Red Storm certainly had a home court advantage and didn’t waste any time, jumping on the Blue Devils early and often. As the lead ballooned to 21 points at the half, the Johnnies continued to coast, not allowing Duke to cut the lead to less than 13 for the rest of the game. The Blue Devils were too reliant on their three-point shooting early in the game, and fell behind as the shots were not falling. Faced with a large deficit, Duke had to rely on long range shooting in the second half in hopes of a comeback, but its struggles continued from beyond the arc, knocking down just 5-of-26 three-point attempts on the afternoon.
How Coach K Adjusted: Tyler Thornton replaced Seth Curry in Duke’s next game at Maryland as the Blue Devils sought to shift their focus from three-point shooting to defense and efficiency in their half-court sets.
The Result: Duke held firm control over an inexperienced Maryland team throughout the contest, coasting to an 80-62 win. Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith led the team with 22 and 21 points, respectively, while Mason Plumlee added an impressive 12 points and 11 rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting. Duke would go on to post an 11-2 record to close out the season with yet another ACC Tournament title before falling in the Sweet 16 to Arizona.

And here we are. Following a performance in Columbus that couldn’t even qualify as subpar, Duke faces yet another critical juncture in its season. If there is any time for new life to be breathed into this Blue Devils team, it is now. Despite minor tests against Temple, Florida State, and upstart Virginia over the ensuing weeks, Duke certainly won’t be considered an underdog in any game it plays before its February 8th matchup with “the-team-who-must-not-be-named” in Chapel Hill. Although following last week’s beatdown at the hands of the Buckeyes this year’s matchup at Carolina looks especially daunting, if this team can make the necessary adjustments and hit its stride, we could be looking at one of the games of the year in college basketball.

Michael Gbinije saw increased playing time against Ohio State, scoring these two points on a fast break (photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet)

The only question now is, what will be Krzyzewski’s adjustment this time around? It almost certainly will include some sort of a change in tomorrow night’s starting lineup, though it is not particularly clear as to who will be inserted. The most likely to be pulled from the starting lineup following last week’s debacle appear to be Ryan Kelly and Andre Dawkins, both of whom played quite poorly and sat nearly the entire second half. Although Kelly has not always been reliable defensively (which is where Duke clearly got burned against Ohio State), I think the clear choice is to pull Dawkins. If you’ve been keeping up with our statistical analyses using advanced metrics, you’ll see that despite his weak showing last week, Kelly has been the most consistent offensive weapon on this year’s Duke team. Who is inserted into the starting lineup is a bit more up in the air, however. What Duke is lacking right now is the presence of a big wing player who can defend on the perimeter. As of now the only person on the roster that fits that role is Michael Gbinije, who saw more minutes against Ohio State than he had all year and put forth a decent effort. But I still question whether at this point in the year Gbinije is ready to take on a starting role, so I would say the more likely option is to see Quinn Cook or Tyler Thornton tomorrow night. Putting a true point guard out there will provide more stability on offense, and Thornton’s defense would surely be appreciated to make sure nobody can ever replicate Aaron Craft’s performance from last week again. If I were a betting man, I would say Thornton starts in place of Dawkins, but I would not be surprised to see any of these three in the starting lineup tonight.

Luckily for the Blue Devils, Colorado State does not pose a particularly tough test, so it should have plenty of opportunities to try different combinations of players and work to improve on some of the weaknesses from last week. Let’s hope history repeats itself and the adjustments pay off. Stay Crazie, my friends.

Deviled Eggs: July 19th, 2010

Every Monday morning, Crazie Talk culls Duke basketball news, articles, and videos into a half dozen of the best “Deviled Eggs” on the interwebs.

Here are this week’s best.

Redick and Williams sign new NBA deals

The former teammate All-Americans JJ Redick and Shelden Williams signed new deals in the past few days—Redick staying with the Orlando Magic, and Shelden signing with the Denver Nuggets.

Redick cashed in on a steady season (averaging about 10 ppg off the bench), earning a 3 year/$19 million deal. The Chicago Bulls had offered JJ that same amount, but the Magic exercised his free agent option and kept him. Good choice, Orlando. JJ was the most competent bench player for the Magic throughout the playoffs, upping his scoring to 11.2 points per game in the thrilling Boston series, and consistently making smart plays (even if he should’ve called that timeout in Game 2). With Vince Carter moving into his late innings, JJ could earn more playing time (and more money) after these three years are up. Whether he remains in Florida for the rest of his career or moves elsewhere, Redick has duped all of his critics (including this author) who thought he wouldn’t be able to hang in the league. Congrats, JJ—you can laugh at the haters all the way to BofA.

Shelden has been more of an enigma. Short stints in Atlanta and Sacramento and last year’s run to the Finals with Boston yielded little for Duke’s all-time record holder in rebounds and blocks. Thus far in the NBA, The Landlord’s only tenant has been himself, on the pine. Who knows, maybe that will change in Denver. The Nuggets’ two power forward options, Kenyon Martin and Chris “Birdman” Andersen, are both recovering from knee surgery in the offseason. I think with some more PT in the regular season (before Martin and Andersen are at full strength) will boost Shel’s confidence a lot. He looked lost when thrust into the lineup in the late games of the Finals, blowing a wide open dunk at one point. This is not the beast Duke fans knew during his time in college (or the man Candace Parker fell for). The former fifth draft pick (wow) needs to prove himself in Denver to stick in the league. Good luck, Shel.

ETA: Duke connections just abound, don’t they? Lee Melchionni is Shelden Williams’ agent. That’s what you call a family.

2012 wing prospects Alex Murphy and Shabazz Muhammad light up the summer stage

With the 2011 class adding another member last week, Duke recruitniks are looking toward 2012 to see what high school prospects we’d like to add to the roster (but will we even exist in 2012?). Murphy and Muhammad are two guys the coaching staff are really pursuing, and for good reason. Some thought Murphy (older brother Erik was a former Duke recruit and now plays for Florida) was a Duke lock after he and his family chatted up Coach K in his office during the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in the Triangle. But Murphy, a smooth and skilled 6’8” wing, is getting looks from all the top dogs, including the dreaded Calipari (don’t buy his shtick, Alex, or let him buy you a car or whatever he does). Muhammad will end up a top-5 prospect in my opinion—see the video linked above for a sample of his many skills. We have a legitimate shot with both players, but don’t be surprised if we get neither. Talented guys like Murphy and ‘Bazz have all kinds of options.

For more on these two players check out our highlight video and scouting report from the Tournament of Champions.

Jon Scheyer leaves Heat summer league team with injured eye

Bummer, man. After a promising start to the NBA summer league, Jon Scheyer was smacked (inadvertently) in the eye during a game against the Golden State Warriors. What’s worse is that Scheyer left the Las Vegas camp to see a specialist in Chicago, and will likely miss the rest of the summer league games. Jon’s chance to ride the Heat wave (see what I did there?) deep into the playoffs seems to be receding into nothingness like the Florida Everglades. It’d take a big effort by the Miami brass to get Scheyer onto the roster, and let’s face it, Pat Riley is a huge ass and head coach Erik Spoelstra is like, what—16 years old? Not happening.

Get well soon, Jon. Even if he has to sit out the NBA for a season (maybe a good thing, with a potential lockout pending anyway), I’m confident his talents are good enough to earn a roster spot in the future. And what NBA audience wouldn’t love the Scheyerface?

Michael Gbinije leads Team Takeover to Peach Jam crown (video)

The Nike Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. wrapped up over the weekend, and ’11 commit Michael Gbinije was the ostensible star, racking up 19 points in the final (His teammate, 2012 prospect James Robinson, is another player to keep and eye on). Congratulations to Mike G. and his D.C. team. In the video above (ESPNU recruiting ‘guru’ Paul Biancardi…I know, sorry), the Gbinije highlights start at 1:12. Kid’s got confidence going to the rim to go with his smooth jumper. Some Duke fans have compared him to what Ricky Price was supposed to be (without all of Ricky’s crazy athleticism).

ESPN loves Duke enough to give us an ESPY…

…for best Male Collegiate Athletic program. Pretty well-deserved, considering our triumphs in hoops and lacrosse, with a strong showing by the men’s tennis team (Henrique Cunha—remember the name). We even won five games in football. Congratulations to Duke A.D. Kevin White, who is awesome, and Kyle and Zoubs, who got the “TwESPY” for tallest collective at the awards show. Whatever that means.

Ten Great Moments from 2009-10

Our cohort in the Duke blogosphere DukeHoop is counting down ten great moments from the 2009-10 Title season. Check the above link for moment number ten, which is actually several moments of pure Duke toughness. Or, as my friend back in Asheville, N.C. used to say when I dove on the floor for a loose ball in a meaningless pickup game—”THAT’S DUKE HUSTLE!”

For random “Deviled Eggs” throughout the week, be sure to follow C-T on our totally awesome Twitter, bro.

Deviled Eggs: July 12th, 2010

Every Monday morning, Crazie Talk culls Duke basketball news, articles, and videos into a half dozen of the best “Deviled Eggs” on the interwebs.

Here are this week’s best.

Coach K, Kyle, and the rest of us can't wait until next year. (Photo courtesy of DukeBluePlanet.com.)

Kyle, Nolan Hungry For More

Duke fans, we are incredibly lucky two have not one, but two very, very special kids representing Duke basketball and Duke University. Also – both Nolan and Kyle were selected to play on the USA Select Team, which practices against the Men’s National Team as they prepare for World Championships in July.

J.J. Redick is a Hot Commodity

Da Bulls offered him a three-year, $19 million offer sheet on Friday night. But the Magic want to keep him in Orlando. Either way, J.J. is getting paid.

Scheyer Eyes Miami Roster

With three superstars on board, Miami may be the perfect place for Jon to get a shot at success in the NBA. We wish him the best.

Austin Rivers Loves the Duke Store…

…just like the rest of us. Even though he won’t be announcing in August, we’re pretty sure he’ll be a Blue Devil when it’s all said and done.

ACC, ESPN Agree to 12-Year Deal

Which means more local games will be syndicated to Raycom. At least the second UNC game will be on CBS in Primetime.

Kings of the Dance

For any of you who may have forgotten: exactly thirteen weeks ago, Duke won the 2010 National Championship. Another excellent video from DukeBluePlanet, as usual.

PS. This video will be the best nine minutes and twenty-two seconds you spend on the internet today.

Deviled Eggs: June 28th, 2010

Every Monday morning, Crazie Talk culls Duke basketball news, articles, and videos into a half dozen of the best “Deviled Eggs” on the interwebs.

Here are this week’s best.

Scheyer and Zoubek will get their chances at NBA rosters. (Courtesy of DukeBluePlanet.com)

1.  Hairston, Miller, and Rivers Interview at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship

Duke Hoop caught up with Josh Hairston, Quincy Miller, and Austin Rivers following their 131-63 victory over the US Virgin Islands Saturday night to talk Duke, team chemistry, and their futures.

2.  Now that the 2010 NBA Draft is over…

Andy Katz gets a head start on who to watch for in the 2011 draft.  4 Blue Devils made the list:  Kyrie, Mason, Kyle, and Nolan.  While we love the praise being given to Kyrie and Mason, we’re certainly hoping they stay at Duke a little longer than Katz thinks.

3.  New-Look ACC

A quick rundown of some of the changes you’ll see in the ACC this year.  In the article, here’s what Ole Roy had to say about last year:

“It didn’t bother them that we weren’t any good when they were beating the dickens out of us at Cameron. But if we’re both really good, I think it helps us.”

I suppose Roy may actually have a point.  While 32 point beatdowns are enjoyable, good competition might be nice every once in a while.

4.  Speaking from Experience

Interesting read on JJ Redick as he looks back on his transition from college to the NBA, reflecting on where he is now and giving some advice to the new draftees.

5.  Scheyer and Zoubs to get their shots

Though both went undrafted, Jon Scheyer and Brian Zoubek have been named to summer league rosters and will get their chances to make it to the NBA.  Best of luck to both of them, as well as to Elliot Williams, drafted 22nd by the Portland Trailblazers!

6.  Duke gets ESPY Nominations

Coach K’s in the running for Best Coach as well as the national championship for Best Game.  Be sure to log on and vote!  (Link included in article.)

Finally, just wanted to give a special thanks to all our readers on Crazie Talk’s 1 year anniversary!  We can’t believe how many followers we’ve gained over the past 12 months.  As always, we encourage you to send us feedback at email@crazie-talk.com!

The Absolute Champions

Coach K, the seniors and Nolan Smith look on as "One Shining Moment" plays on the big screens in Lucas Oil Stadium (courtesy DukeBluePlanet.com)

Before we discuss Duke’s incredible run to the National Championship this past weekend, let’s rewind a month to March 6th. Moments after defeating rival UNC 82-50, seniors Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek and fifth year player Jordan Davidson held court in front of a rabid audience of Cameron Crazies. Donning the fresh ’17-0′ t-shirts designed by Kyle Singler, our seniors recounted favorite memories from their illustrious Duke careers. Lance and Zoubek highlighted the ACC championship last season, and Davidson spoke of how fortunate he was to be on this team at all.

Jon Scheyer, however, took a different approach in his brief speech—he said his best moment was still to come. Would it be the 2010 ACC Tournament? Beating a fantastic Baylor team to reach the Final Four? Making it to the National Title game?

None of these. The Duke Blue Devils won the 2010 National Championship in a thrilling game over Butler—the best final game since Kansas-Memphis ’08 and perhaps one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking championship games of all time. Jon Scheyer’s best moment—and indeed, the best moment for each player on this special team—came on the latest possible date of his career: April 5th, 2010. Almost precisely a month after the victory over UNC.

It was indeed a banner year for Duke. Some of the statistics don’t appear on paper, but they are staggering: 31-0 in our home white jerseys, 35 victories overall and the trophy from every tournament we entered. We took home the Preseason NIT (UNC almost won the actual thing! Almost.), the ACC regular season and tournament crown, the South Regional championship, and the hardwood plank of the National Championship.

Here are some things to think about in remembering this tournament, this team and the young men who made it happen:

• Jon Scheyer is one of the greatest Blue Devils of all time. Scheyer finished his career in the only appropriate manner—with a national title. His 15 points against Butler gave him 2,077 for his career, putting him at ninth all-time at Duke behind Jason Williams and Gene Banks, who each scored 2,079 points. We have lauded Jon all year on this website. He is the consummate leader by example, doing everything the coaching staff asks of him and quietly exuding the Duke way. In his career, he has been magnificent against UNC in both winning and losing efforts. Jon’s 2009 transition from shooting guard to point guard was so seamless and successful that he was a finalist for the prestigious Bob Cousy Award this season, which honors the nation’s best floor general. Somehow Greivis Vasquez took home that honor over Scheyer (and John Wall and Sherron Collins…). Nonetheless, Jon got the ultimate prize: the National Title, and in his senior season to boot. It’s been quite a ride for Scheyer, who has factored in K’s strategy from the first. Four years after taking a shot to the face from VCU’s Eric Maynor in the NCAA first round, Jonny gets the last laugh over all his detractors. We wish him luck moving forward from this pinnacle of basketball accomplishment. If his nearly flawless leadership, perfect jumper and proclivity to protect the pill doesn’t earn him a bench position on an NBA team, there is something wrong with American pro basketball.
• Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek developed so much this year. It’s obvious at this point—we could not have won

  this championship without these two senior big men. LT and Z bore the brunt of extreme criticism from Duke fans over their first four years, and many predicted that Miles and Mason would bump them from the starting rotation this season. For the first few weeks of the season, these two still looked lost on the offensive end. But in the past semester, something clicked. We won this championship with rebounding and defense, and Lance and Brian were key in making those statistics the fundamentals of Duke’s success. Zoubek particularly has emerged and become the nation’s best offensive rebounder. His final rebound of Gordon Hayward’s miss was fitting—how else could his career have concluded? Thomas’ contributions this season have also been invaluable. As our best on-ball defender, LT has guarded future pros like Stanley Robinson, Craig Brackins, Ekpe Udoh and Devin Ebanks this season. A few of his plays have been absolutely crucial: his tip dunk and-one against Baylor (pictured at right) was particularly memorable. Unlike Scheyer, Lance and Brian haven’t always been a crucial part of Duke’s gameplan. But this year, when our frontcourt had to step up to support the 3 S’s, these two men answered the call. Without the toughness, selflessness and desire of Brian and Lance, Duke would have stopped dancing long before Indianapolis.

• Coach K is the G.O.A.T. (of the modern era). Alright, so this is Duke’s fourth national title, all of which have been won by the architect Michael William Krzyzewski. It is presumptuous to call him the greatest basketball coach ever, but I think it’s fair to say that K is the greatest postseason coach since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Coach has led to Duke to 11 of our 15 overall Final Fours, taking the crown in four of them and falling just short numerous times (1999 and 1986 come to mind most clearly). Moreover, K just doesn’t lose when he reaches that critical juncture: he is 11-1 in regional finals, with the Baylor win sealing Duke’s trip to Indianapolis. Although John Wooden is the rightful pharaoh of the college game (and one of the most amazing people in sports history), the Wizard of Westwood only had to win three games to win most of his championships in the 1960s and 70s. It’s safe to say that winning six games over a month is a tougher feat. The New Jersey Nets are right to offer Coach all of their riches. K’s resuscitation of the Duke program in the early 80s, the amazing run in the early 90s and his astounding consistency since is something to hold in awe. Fittingly, the best veteran and the best young coach faced off in the title game—will Brad Stevens be the next Coach K? Steep comparison, of course. Regardless, K has set the standard of coaching success in college basketball. Even if ridiculous publications like the Indy Star denigrate him, all he has to do is open up the Duke trophy case and say “kiss the rings.”

• It’s nice to win the right way, isn’t it? How cathartic, as true basketball fans, was it to watch two honorable programs play for the national title? In a year where powerful but troubled programs like Kansas and Kentucky were favored to take the championship, it seems like a dose of karma that Duke and Butler—two squeaky clean programs led by no nonsense coaches—were on the game’s biggest stage in April. I don’t want to delve into the nitty gritty details about why those other programs are corrupt (although The Onion did a nice job with Kentucky). But Duke and Butler represented the Platonic ideal of college basketball: two programs that develop players over four years, play team basketball within a system, and think of their teammates as much as they think of themselves. We cannot say enough about the grit and fortitude of the Butler Bulldogs, particularly the unflappable Gordon Hayward. We won the game, but Butler proved that hard work and persistence are just as important as flashy dunks and 5-star recruits.

• Next year? It might be too early to start buttering ourselves up about next season, but at Duke we like to believe that

  championships come in twos. Although ‘predictions’ about next season are largely unimportant, the Blue Devils will absolutely factor in the title hunt next year. Returning Nolan Smith is a definite, and we await Final Four M.O.P. Kyle Singler’s verdict on his future. The Plumlees will be back, as will Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly. Seth Curry sheds the redshirt next season and he may be the most surprising player of all. Nolan said that one major factor in his incredible improvement this season has been playing against Seth in practice. With a year of practice under his belt, I think that he will be ready to contribute right away, and earn starter’s minutes after Christmas. There’s also no need to belabor our excitement for next season’s incoming recruits: Kyrie Irving, Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton were an excellent class even before Carrick Felix committed several weeks ago. Smith, Irving, Curry, Dawkins and Thornton on paper look like Duke’s best backcourt in a decade; it will be up to the Plumtrees, Kelly and Hairston to provide enough bulk down low to keep the Duke train rolling full steam ahead.

But lest we get too excited about next year…here’s Duke’s One Shining Moment. We will never forget this team, this season and the incredible run to a fourth National Title.

GO DUKE.

Appetite for Destruction

Shortly following Duke’s 82-50 decimation of North Carolina on Saturday, injured Tar Heel big man Ed Davis tweeted a single word: “Unreal.” Unfortunately for Ed, Roy Williams and the silenced legions of sissy blue, the game was very real. And it was beautiful.

Dan Shulman noted in the ESPN broadcast that the game was a 2 hour party for the Cameron Crazies. We had a lot to celebrate: senior night for Jon, Brian and Lance, a share of the ACC Championship, recruits watching in the stands, and so much more. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get started.

A Fond Farewell on Senior Night

I think a lot of people teared up as Jon Scheyer was introduced before the game. For four years, Jon has been a consummate leader at Duke. An uncommonly intelligent player, Jon always has his game under control and is able to make the right decision. The fact that he was recruited as a shooting guard and is now a finalist for the Cousy Award, which honors the nation’s best point guard, speaks for itself. Jon is an extension of the coaching staff, a true team captain, and should be an All-American this season. I love the guy and wish Duke could keep him forever.

On Saturday night, Jon made his statement for ACC Player of the Year, finishing with 20 points and 7 assists (all of the helpers came in the first half). When he came out in the final minutes, his parents were emotional, particularly his mother. They are fan favorites and come to nearly every game. After three years of home losses to UNC, I’m glad the team gave Jim and Laury something to cheer for.

Lance and Brian played fewer minutes than Jon—with 16 and 20 respectively—but each made his presence felt. Zoubek is making me so sad; his play in the second half of the season has been such an improvement over the rest of his career. He had 8 points and 13 boards, and even had a little Dream Shake and jump hook on the baseline. Lance contributed two points and six rebounds before fouling out with about six minutes left to a rousing “LT! LT!” chant from the student section. His tough D, which earned him a spot on the All-ACC defensive squad, was once again stellar (although, what UNC player did he really have to shut down?) Lance may have the regal tattoo, but both he and Zoubs were Kings of New Jersey Saturday night.

ACC Champs!

In our ACC preview of the Tar Heels, we figured that it would be a race between UNC and Duke for the regular season title. Well, we were right about Duke at least. The victory put us at 13-3 and tied with Maryland for another regular season championship, our 12th. Although it’s tough to share anything—especially with the insane Turtle nation—it’s always good to hang a deserved banner.

Once again, the three (All-ACC) S’s led Duke to victory; Nolan, Kyle and Jon scored 65 combined points. So essentially, K could have thrown them out there with two mannequins and they would’ve beat the defenseless Holes by 15. (Also, Duke could have gone scoreless in the second half and still won 53-50.) Nolan crossed so many people that I lost count. In the first half, he left Larry Drew cemented to the floor and drove for a thunderous dunk. Kyle had 19 in the first half alone and was beating UNC by himself for several minutes. The Big Three came to play, and UNC was left cowering on the bench.

Having three legitimate 20 point scorers is a luxury that could translate to more postseason success. And as Coach K has repeatedly stated, even at the expense of a certain Chronicle sportswriter, our stars are not tiring out—and their continued dominance proves it. Earth, Wind and Scheyer (copyright!) will lead us deep into March.

The Crazies respond to Roy's equation (UNC's Season=Haiti Earthquake) with a little humor. (Courtesy DukeBluePlanet.com)

Coach K>Roy

With UNC’s season becoming more disastrous every game—even more so than Haiti, per Roy—attentive basketball fans have started to doubt Williams’ ability as a strategist. The guy can definitely recruit and is a great salesman of the powder blue program. And he has one great system predicated upon speedy point guards and forwards who can get up and down the floor. But this year, UNC has neither of these things. And Roy simply hasn’t adjusted.

Nor he has been particularly supportive of his players in this difficult season, a point this blog has made several times. Coach K, on the other hand, is still one of the game’s best in-game coaches and motivators. Early in the first half against UNC, he ripped into the Plumlee brothers for a poor defensive effort. After replacing them with Z and Lance, Coach K turned and told Miles and Mason—’that’s how you get a rebound!’ When Miles returned to the floor, he made a fantastic defensive play, stealing the ball and advancing it to Scheyer in transition. K rewarded him with more playing time. Miles came through again late in the game, when he flushed Duke’s final two points off a perfect alley-oop pass from Nolan. He nearly tore the rim off on that one—see the pictures for evidence.

The thing to take away from this exchange—no matter how ordinary it seems—is the way K uses anger and frustration to motivate his players. Instead of throwing them under the bus as Roy does, Coach K rewards his players for improvement and celebrates it with them when they perform better. Miles had a lot to say on this point after the game: see the video from WRAL here.

The Future Meets the Present

Several recruits and committed players witnessed our embarrassment of UNC. In addition to 2010 commits Kyrie Irving and Josh Hairston, several players visited to get a better look at Duke’s program. ’10 forward Michael Haynes, ’11 wing Michael Gbinjie and ’12 shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad took in the action from behind Duke’s bench. The latter two are both top 10 players in their classes, and Michael Haynes may be another option for next year along with JuCo recruit Carrick Felix. It’s too early to offer any judgments on our chances with Gbinjie or Muhammad, but Duke’s dominance surely made an impression.

Kyrie Irving, along with his St. Patrick’s classmate and Twitter stalwart blank908, had a great time in the first row. Irving and Hairston jumped up several times during exciting plays and cheered like mad. You can tell that these guys are itching to get to Duke next year and join this team. Kyrie had this to say after the game: “Hard to say goodbye…but I’ll be back in the summer…” We can’t wait to see what Irving, Hairston and Thornton bring to next year’s team, which has an opportunity to be one of Duke’s best in several years.

Tough Weekend for John Henson

John Henson was easily the best player on the floor for Carolina on Saturday night, finishing with 14 points on 5-10 shooting, including some improbable buckets in the post. However, Henson was the Crazies’ primary object of scorn, drawing catcalls like “Eat A Hamburger” and “Gumby! Gumby!” Nor did John improve his lot with his attitude; after dunking in the general vicinity of Miles Plumlee, Henson got a little too pumped up and talked trash while running back up the court. Perhaps he didn’t realize his team was still down by 30 points. Roy quickly pulled him out of the game and Henson was left looking like a sad version of Lil’ Twist from Young Money. (thanks to “bmorecity_bear” for the spot-on comparison).

But the weekend got worse for Henson, in a way. His sister Amber, a top-5 recruit in the class of 2011, committed to Joanne P. McCallie and the Duke Women’s basketball program on Sunday. Amber had considered joining her brother in Chapel Hill, but Duke’s medical program was too attractive. (Yes! Academic superiority is paying off!) Henson conceded his ‘defeat’ in having Amber choose Duke on his already legendary Twitter. I don’t mind him coming to “dook” to watch his sister, but I hope Cameron is always hostile to him when he suits up.

John Henson promises to be one of North Carolina’s better players for the years that he stays in Chapel Hill. Hopefully his sister is just as talented and can lead Duke Women’s basketball to its elusive first national championship to go with the conference tourney title they won on Sunday. What a great few days for Duke fans, and what an awful stretch for Gumby.

Nearly every bench on West Campus was burned in celebration of Duke's first home victory over UNC in five years. (property of Crazie-Talk)

Onward!

With all the joy following this weekend, it might seem alluring to curl up and watch the game replay over and over again on ESPN360. But as the seniors vehemently said in post-game speeches, this season is far from over. Duke has the tools to accomplish a lot more this year—an ACC tournament title, a number one seed, and a run at the Final Four.

And for once, I am more optimistic in March than in January. I can’t wait to see how high this team can fly.

Crazie-Talk was present for some serious pyromaniacs on Saturday night as benches burned on West Campus. One guy even tried to climb up on one of them! We do not suggest that, even if it was hilarious to see his buddies pull him off (“No, man, that’s a huge fire, not a jungle gym.”)

Check C-T later this week for our review of the ACC Tournament! Go Duke, and may UNC always lose by 30+.

Here’s a little video from the end of the game. Enjoy.