Category Archives: AskChron

AskChron: Ryan Kelly, Duke basketball vs. Miami

Posted on by
2 Replies

No. 3 Duke basketball has its chance for revenge against No. 5 Miami at 6 p.m. tonight at Cameron Indoor Stadium. When the two teams met in January, the Hurricanes beat then-No. 1 Duke 90-63, storming the court and dethroning the Blue Devils from atop the rankings.

We went to our Twitter account @dukebasketball to answer some questions before tonight’s top-five action.

Off we go:

First, the facts: Ryan Kelly hasn’t played since injuring his foot Jan. 8 against Clemson. He did, however, dress for the team’s loss to Virginia Thursday and warmed up with the team. He previously stated he would likely return for one of the Virginia Tech or North Carolina games, so returning today would be early.

Now, the speculation: Jeff Goodman reported yesterday that Kelly is “leaning toward” returning. And it makes sense, given that he dressed.

Either way, getting your hopes up, if you’re a Duke fan, isn’t a good idea. He has only had minimal practice time and won’t be in top-notch game shape… don’t expect 30 minutes of the White Raven, even if it spreads its wings and flies for a little bit.

Know this: Duke responded very well after its first three losses of the season. They haven’t dropped back-to-back games, and even covered the spread in each of the games after their first three losses, winning by an average of 22.7 points. This team will be fired up after getting bullied by Virginia.

Another point of reference could be looking at how Duke ran past N.C. State by 13 points when the two teams played at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Wolfpack gave the Blue Devils their first loss of the season and stormed the court. Duke came out much better the next time…. sound like it could be a storyline for this game?

At this point its so tough to say—after every loss, it feels like Duke should drop out of contention for a No. 1 seed, but the other top teams just keep losing too. If the Blue Devils beats Miami, they’re probably still a one seed. I’d say the same is probably true if they lose but then win every game the rest of the way through the ACC tournament, which would theoretically include a win against Miami in the championship game. But there is a lot of basketball to be played, even though it might not seem like it.

AskChron: Kelly’s injury and who steps up

Posted on by
Leave a reply

Ryan Kelly aggravated a right foot injury in Duke basketball’s 68-40 win against Clemson on Tuesday and the team announced he will be sidelined indefinitely.

We took to our twitter account @dukebasketball to ask fans for questions on Kelly’s injury as the No. 1 and undefeated Blue Devils prepare to play N.C. State on Saturday night. Off we go:

Andrew Beaton: There hasn’t been any official word on this, but the logical answer is Josh Hairston. The junior has been the first forward off the bench for Duke this season and has been really the only forward on the bench to receive regular minutes, playing 11.3 per game.

The question is, how much will his minutes really increase? Can he step up to replace Kelly’s 30 minutes per game? Unlikely. He’s a willing rebounder and can body up on defense, but he also doesn’t have a versatile offensive game, which could limit his time.

Hairston also deserves credit for his ability to draw charges—he seems to pick one up every time he’s on the floor.

AB: Now, that’s really the million dollar question and something we won’t know for sure until Saturday. But the options are: Hairston, Amile Jefferson, Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee. Hairston we addressed above and MP3 we address in the next question so let’s focus on Jefferson and Murphy.

Jefferson can be more of a traditional four compared to Murphy and has probably had more shining moments in his limited time this season. He made a couple great plays against Clemson, finishing with five points and three rebounds in just nine minutes. That included a beautiful steal and fastbreak layup, which he converted into a three-point play, and he has quickly become a favorite of the Cameron Crazies. That being said, his offensive game isn’t that developed in the half court offense—from the limited action we’ve seen—and can’t necessarily stretch a defense with his shot yet.

Murphy also had some bright spots against Clemson, including a three-point play of his own, collecting an offensive rebound and putting one home. And after people expected Murphy to be one of the team’s starters at the beginning of the year, his playing time has been extremely sparse. He does possess a versatile offensive game, however, and the ability to stretch a defense with his shot. That’s something that really separates him from Hairston, MP3 and Jefferson.

The question with Murphy is: Can he really body up on the boards and on defense against true post players if he’s playing the four? N.C. State features two strong post players in C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell. Guarding one of them is a tall task for anybody, and would be tough for Murphy, who is more naturally a small forward.

The answer to replacing Kelly might not be so simple, though. So far, the lineups this year have pretty consistently featured three guards and two post players. Maybe to replace Kelly’s size and offense, two of Jefferson, Murphy and Hairston will be on the court together, along with Mason, giving Duke a real small forward on the wing who will be able to help out on the boards.

AB: Marshall Plumlee has seen limited minutes since he returned from his own foot injury. The coaches were clearly thrilled with him in the preseason, often saying that he could have been the team’s sixth man if he weren’t injured. But it’s tough to break into a rotation midseason, especially when this year’s rotation has been so tight. Since he returned to action, he has played at most seven minutes—in Duke’s blowout win against Wake Forest—and has sat on the bench for two full games.

Now that Kelly is hurt, it seems as if MP3 is destined to get more playing time, but how much more is really up in the air. He should be the go-to sub when his older brother Mason Plumlee needs a breather, but Mason is also capable of playing 35 minutes per game if he doesn’t get in foul trouble. That said, we have no idea if Coach K is going to experiment with a lineup that has both Plumlees in at the same time. We haven’t seen that lineup yet, and if we don’t see that regularly it’ll be tough for MP3 to get more time.

#AskChron: Duke’s bench, Rodney Hood, and NC State

Posted on by
1 Reply

With only one game remaining before ACC play begins, Duke still stands at No. 1 in the rankings and sports a spotless 12-0 record. To celebrate the Blue Devils starting the new year atop the college basketball world, we took to Twitter from our account @dukebasketball to ask if people had any questions about Duke basketball. Chronicle basketball beat writer Bobby Colton answers your questions below.

@benspell1 asks, “@dukebasketball #AskChron So, when is Alex Murphy transferring?”

Bobby Colton: Murphy has been very clear about his future at Duke to date, and he has no intention of transferring. After Duke played Delaware December 1, a reporter asked Murphy point blank whether he was planning to transfer. Here’s his answer: “I’m not going anywhere. I love Duke, I love my team, I love my coaching staff. That’s not happening.” Not only did he give that very clear answer, he literally laughed at the reporter who asked the question. Murphy will be a Blue Devil for the foreseeable future.

@dylangraff21 asks, “Should Coach K play Amile Jefferson and Alex Murphy more to lower the work load on the starters?”

BC: I’m not going to question Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching methods. I will say however, that Jefferson and Murphy have shown this season that they can step up and fill the void left by regular rotation members should injury or fouls become a problem. Seth Curry may need extra rest as the season drags on due to his ankle and shin woes, but the rest of the starters seem no worse for wear right now. When Duke has big enough leads Jefferson and Murphy will get more burn to rest starters, but as far as competitive games go, don’t expect the rotation to look any different moving forward.

@C00NS asks, “What do you expect from Rodney Hood next year?”

BC: Hood looked good as a freshman last season at Mississippi State and impressed the onlookers during the blue/white scrimmage before the season started. Hood should pair with Jabari Parker as Duke’s starting forwards next season, giving the Blue Devils a combo of athletic 6-foot-8 wings to lead the team. Hood should be a focal point of Duke’s attack next season.

@Skeelow22 asks, “Is Marshall healthy to play major minutes if needed?”

BC: It’s hard to say at this point. Marshall was ready to go against Cornell over a week ago, but a problem with an insert in his shoe set him back after just two minutes of action. Marshall returned to action against Santa Clara on December 29, but played only one minute in a close game. Krzyzewski has said Marshall will be a sixth man once he’s back to full strength, so his one minute played seems to suggest he’s not ready to play major minutes. However, if something were to happen to Mason or Ryan Kelly, then Marshall may be pressed into extended action anyway.

@devildad12 asks, “Barring an unforeseen upset, looks like NCSt game will be next test. What are your thoughts on the matchups there?”

BC: January 12 against North Carolina State is a game circled on every college basketball fan’s calendar. It will be Duke’s first game on the road this season, and it comes against a top-25 ranked team. Wolfpack big man Richard Howell poses a problem for a Duke team that has struggled to rebound all year, as the 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 9.3 rebounds per game. A staple of Duke’s defense has been the ability to take away ball movement and limit the opponents’ assists. It will be difficult to do that against junior guard Lorenzo Brown, who’s averaging 6.1 assists per game. In addition to Howell and Brown, C.J. Leslie is the type of big man who can score in bunches and could get Duke’s bigs in foul trouble. All that being said, Duke is No. 1 for a reason, and have to be considered the favorites in this marquee match-up.

AskChron: Marshall Plumlee, Seth Curry, Mason the NPOY?

Posted on by
Leave a reply

With a week off since its last game, we turned to our Twitter account, @dukebasketball, to ask if people had any questions about Duke basketball before it faces Temple Saturday in N.J. Chronicle basketball beat writer Brady Buck answers some of the questions below.

@Bergy14085 asked, “#AskChron what is Marshall Plumlee’s status?”

Brady Buck: Marshall Plumlee has practiced with the team this week. He could dress out against Temple on Saturday, but there are no guarantees. If not, there are 11 days before the next game, when he should be suiting up unless there are any setbacks. Be sure and follow our @DukeBasketball account Saturday, and in the ensuing weeks, for all the latest information on Marshall’s status.

@HereComesDaBlum asked, “@dukebasketball who is dukes most important player this year?#askchron”

BB: As the best player on the team, Mason Plumlee—who is arguably the frontrunner for National Player of the Year right now—is the team’s most important player. He’s averaging 19.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per contest so far this season. In order to make a deep run in the tournament, Plumlee will have to keep playing at a high level. His services on the glass, however, might be the most crucial component of his game, given Duke’s rebounding deficiencies so far this year.

@melinz07 asked, “@dukebasketball is there a realistic chance that mason plumlee wins national player of the year? #AskChron”

BB: Going off the last question, yes, there is more than a realistic chance that Mason Plumlee wins the National Player of the Year. In fact, If it were decided today, Plumlee would likely win the award. Right now, Plumlee is No. 11 in the country in rebounding and N0. 34 in scoring, and he’s put up these numbers against three top-five teams already to help the Blue Devils get off to an 8-0 start.

@VmA_15 asked, “@dukebasketball do you believe duke will go undefeated? #askchron”

BB: I do not believe Duke will go undefeated. The last college basketball team to finish the year perfectly was Indiana in 1975-76 at 32-0. As good as the Blue Devils have looked so far, they do not have the dominating firepower needed to finish the year with an unblemished record. Duke will likely drop one or two conference games when Mason Plumlee gets in foul trouble and/or the team struggles find its groove from 3-point range. Given the light Dec. schedule, I do think Duke will enter its showdown at N.C. State on Jan. 12 with an undefeated record.

@dukebasketball Temple had our # last year, any chance the Owls give #Duke some trouble this year? #askchron

BB: I’d be surprised if the Owls are able to make this a close one. Temple only beat Delaware—who Duke beat by 38 last week—by a margin of five points this year. The Owls have not faced a ranked opponent yet either this year.

Senior guard Khalif Wyatt came up big for Owls with 22 points in last year’s upset win over Duke, so neutralizing him will be a priority for the Blue Devils.

@sosby14 asked, “@dukebasketball is Seth curry going top be in the lineup for the game?? #AskChron”

BB: After the Delaware game last week, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski indicated that he expects Curry to play against Temple. I think sitting him out last Saturday was more precautionary than anything. He looked tired, understandably after the Battle 4 Atlantis, and rest is key for his leg injury.

@kee_caldwell asked, “@dukebasketball #AskChron What big man is duke looking at for the 2013 and 2014 class”

BB: In 2013, Duke has reached out to Gavin Schilling a 6-foot-9 power forward from Findlay Prep (Nev.). Right now, the relationship is in the infant stages. We’ll monitor this recruitment closely as Duke could use another post player in 2013-14 since it will lose Plumlee and Kelly, and it missed 2013 recruit Austin Nichols, who signed with Memphis.

As for 2014, the Blue Devil coaching staff is all-in for Jahlil Okafor, who is widely considered a top-two player in the class. Okafor visited in October for Countdown to Craziness. At 6-foot-10 and 270 pounds, the Chicago native is a rarity in today’s game—a true big-bodied, back-to-the-basket post player with soft hands and excellent footwork.

#AskChron: Rotation confusion and keys to Kentucky

Posted on by
Leave a reply

With a big game against Kentucky on the docket tonight, we took to Twitter from our account @dukebasketball to ask if people had any questions about Duke basketball. Chronicle basketball beat writer Brady Buck answers four of the questions below.

@Taylorgaryalan asks, “#AskChron what’s the story with Murphy? Did K forget the redshirt is over?”

Brady Buck: This is the million-dollar question surrounding the team right now. I wish I had a more definitive answer for you, but nobody seems to have an explanation for why Alex Murphy did not play on Friday night. Many thought he would be in the starting lineup, especially considering that he is the only true small forward on the roster.

After Friday’s contest against Georgia State, Murphy indicated to the media that he was healthy. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski justified utilizing a 3-guard lineup much of the night—without Murphy—by vaguely talking about the nature of the game’s matchups.

For many, Krzyzewski’s reasoning seems quite odd as it implies that Duke—the vastly superior team at every position Friday night—would have to completely nix Murphy from the rotation to matchup with and defeat Georgia State. It’s definitely a strange situation, so something is likely going on behind the scenes. There has been rampant speculation about Murphy violating team rules, but those claims are completely unfounded and very unfair to Murphy.

@ATDav1s asks, “is Cook our PG or what??!!”

BB: In short, I believe Cook will be the team’s starting point guard on most nights, but there will be some growing pains along the way for the sophomore in his first full season playing healthy. With Krzyzewski strongly valuing Thornton’s consistency and defensive presence, it appears that Cook is on a tighter leash than some expected. Krzyzewski probably wanted to send a message too after Cook’s underwhelming performances in the team’s two exhibition games—nine turnovers versus four assists, collectively, against two Division II foes.

@HunterEddins asks, “#AskChron how will Duke handle Noel, goodwin, cauley stein when Plumlee isn’t in the game to hold down the paint?”

BB: Kentucky has a slight size advantage with Marshall Plumlee out of commission for the Blue Devils. Therefore, Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly will be forced to play most of the game. Staying out of foul trouble will be key for the Blue Devils’ frontcourt. Furthermore, Amile Jefferson, Alex Murphy—assuming he plays—and the rest of the Blue Devil frontcourt are going to have to box out and be physical on the boards as well, especially when Plumlee is out of the game. The guards, meanwhile, cannot afford to get beat off the dribble by Ryan Harrow and Archie Goodwin, which is even more critical without Plumlee—the team’s best shot blocker—on the floor.

@landonjones21, “who needs to have a big game against a team like Kentucky?”

BB: Duke needs production out of their seasoned veterans in this early-season showdown. Perhaps most important of all, Mason Plumlee—who is much more experienced, polished and stronger than Kentucky freshmen Nerlens Noel and Will Cauley-Stein—has deliver for the Blue Devils to move to 2-0.

After seeing Maryland center Alex Len dominate the Wildcats’ youthful frontcourt by scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 boards, Duke will probably employ the same strategy the Terrapins did—attack the Wildcats’ inexperienced big men in the paint. If Plumlee can put up numbers similar to what Len did, the Blue Devils have an excellent chance to knock off the defending champs.

The one-on-one battle between the shooting guards carries a lot of weight in this game. Already considered the best perimeter defender for Duke by most, Rasheed Sulaimon will likely have one of his toughest defensive assignments of the season Tuesday night—defending Goodwin, who netted 16 points in Kentucky’s opener. Goodwin looks to be one of the Wildcats’ most consistent offensive weapons due to his ability to shoot the ball from deep and attack the rim. Additionally, he is probably the most assertive player on the offensive end for Kentucky. Whether or not Sulaimon can slow him down and force him to take difficult shots will be a key for the Blue Devils.

Follow @BradyBuck on Twitter.

AskChron: Recruiting, signing and committing

Posted on by
Leave a reply

With the NBPA Top 100 Camp kicking off today in Charlottesville, Va., we took to Twitter from our account @dukebasketball to ask if people had any questions about Duke basketball recruiting. Chronicle recruiting beat writer Brady Buck and sports editor Andrew Beaton answer three of the questions below.

@spooner524 asked, “who is the next recruit closest to signing?”

Brady Buck: There’s a difference between signing and committing. The earliest time that the recruits of 2013 can sign is November during the early signing period. I am going to assume you meant to ask, which recruit is closest to committing?

Most of Duke’s targets still have long school lists and have not indicated when they plan on making a college decision, so it’s tough to answer this question. If anyone is close to committing to Duke, I would guess Austin Nichols. The big man from Memphis has spoken very, very highly of Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke program in interviews throughout the spring. Bear in mind that Nichols committing Duke is far from a sure thing. The 6-foot-9 center has not visited Duke yet and is being heavily pursued by Ohio State, Kansas, North Carolina and Memphis, among many others.

Andrew Beaton: I agree that Nichols is a good bet, though you have to think Memphis has a great shot at him as well, chasing a local guy. But what increasingly amazes me is how difficult it is getting to predict these things–high schoolers have longer and longer lists of offers and seemingly wait longer and longer to commit. And they’re able to keep their preferences extremely private. So it can be very difficult to tell what schools on their list they’re actually considering or when they’re just posturing.

@TylerNotch asked, “@dukebasketball Who would you say Coach K and staff are targeting the hardest right now and who is rising up on the board?‪#AskChron‬.”

Andrew Beaton: I’d say Jabari Parker and Julius Randle are Duke’s top two targets but let’s be honest–that’s not unique to Duke, these are the No. 1 and No. 2 recruits in the class of 2012. And Duke isn’t the only team that’s in on both of them. They both have long lists and the same teams pop on both. Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio State and Kentucky are all in on both of these prospects. That’s not to say all these teams are still in contention, but they’ve all extended offers.

In fact, I’d say one of the most dissapointing things about this week’s NBPA Top 100 Camp is that Randle will not be in attendance. It would’ve been great to see them on the court at the same time.

Brady Buck: Definitely Andrew, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle are Duke’s top two targets, as well as every elite program’s, since they are the top two players in the class of 2013. I think it’s fair to say that the staff has recruited these two longer and harder than anyone else in the class, however, they’re also aggressively pursuing several other 2013 prospects. And even though he’s just a rising junior, Tyus Jones, the top point guard in the class of 2014, seems to be one of Krzyzewski’s biggest priorities too.

I believe that Semi Ojeyele, who just visited Duke recently, has quickly become a guy that the Duke staff really covets. I think in getting to know Ojeyele over the past several weeks and watching him play very well in the Nike EYBL the staff has quickly come to the realization that he would be a perfect fit in Durham. First and foremost, Ojeyele is an outstanding kid, who highly values education, hence his serious interest in Stanford. On the court, he’s a powerful 6-foot-6 wing that can get to the rim, shoot proficiently from three-point range and defend multiple positions. Duke could really use his size, strength, athleticism and versatility on the wing.

@KyleFaust asked, “@dukebasketball How many recruits do u guys predict Duke will sign from the ’13 class? And which specifically u think will sign? ‪#AskChron‬”

Brady Buck: I expect Duke to sign 4-5 guys in the class of 2013. College basketball teams are allotted 13 scholarships per year. Duke has 12 recruited scholarship players heading into this season, possibly 13 if Hood commits to the Blue Devils. After the 2012-13 season, Duke will lose Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, Seth Curry and possibly Andre Dawkins. So there could be as many as five scholarships available for the class of 2013.

Matt Jones is already committed to Duke in 2013. At this point, it’s very difficult to predict how the class will finish up. Parker and Randle have not given any clues as to where they are leaning and will likely keep everything very close to the vest until they announce, which could be as late as next spring. But if I had to make a prediction today, I think Duke will land Ojeyele, Nichols, and Parker, in addition to Jones for 2013, but this is purely just a guess at this point.

Andrew Beaton: Brady, I think Duke fans would be thrilled if they could land that crew, but I don’t think its unrealistic. Even landing two of Parker, Nichols and Ojeyele in addition to Jones would be an extremely strong class. And as you noted in the response to your previous questions Duke has really pushed itself into the forefront of the chase for Ojeyele while Nichols seems like a logical fit as well. Parker is tougher to get a read on but I personally have a strong feeling about him coming here. I think they have a much better shot at him than Randle–I could really see him fitting in as a Blue Devil and making a decision to come here, maybe even in the early signing period, who knows.

Follow @BradyBuck and @andrewlbeaton on Twitter.