Tag Archives: Kyle Singler

Duke basketball alumnus Kyle Singler named to All-Rookie second team

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Duke had two former players drafted in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft, but neither Austin Rivers nor Miles Plumlee was honored Tuesday with All-Rookie team selections.

Kyle Singler was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team after averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds during his first season in the league.

Kyle Singler was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team after averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds during his first season in the league.

Instead, it was the 33rd overall selection in the 2011 draft who received hardware. Kyle Singler was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team after averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds during his first season with the Detroit Pistons. Singler played in all 82 games for the Pistons, starting 74 of them.

Duke associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski tweeted out his congratulations to Singler for his accomplishment.

Singler was a rookie this season after spending the lockout-shortened 2011 season playing in Spain first for Lucentum, then later for Real Madrid. Singler is under contract with Detroit for the next two seasons and is expected to be an important part of the Pistons’ rebuilding efforts.

Singler was joined on the All-Rookie second team by teammate Andre Drummond (UConn), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky) and Tyler Zeller (North Carolina).

Duke basketball Mason Plumlee flashback: Plumlee leads Duke past Marquette

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Over the past two weeks, The Blue Zone has been counting down the top five performances from each of Duke’s graduating seniors during their collegiate careers. This week, we conclude with forward Mason Plumlee.

No. 4: Plumlee sets career highs in points and blocks against Marquette

The first breakout performance of Mason Plumlee's career came on a night where Duke's stars struggled.

The first breakout performance of Mason Plumlee’s career came on a night where Duke’s stars struggled.

The date: November 22, 2010

The game: Duke 82, Marquette 77

Plumlee statline: 25 points on 12-for-16 shooting, 12 rebounds—including six on the offensive glass—and five blocks.

The breakdown: Duke’s shots from 3-point land were simply not falling. And for a team that often lives and dies by its long-range shooting, a 6-of-18 performance normally is a recipe for disaster.

But as the Blue Devils struggled, they looked inside to a sophomore Mason Plumlee to carry the load—he did more than just answer the call. Plumlee led the Blue Devils with 25 points, 12 boards and five blocks—setting career highs in scoring and swats—but more importantly, helped his team surge past the Golden Eagles after Duke had squandered a 12-point second-half lead.

Marquette had fought back to tie the game at 55-55 with 11 minutes remaining in the contest, but Plumlee made a layup in traffic to give the Blue Devils back the lead. Plumlee scored 14 of his 25 points in the final 11 minutes of the game.

After Jae Crowder scored to tie the game again, Plumlee helped spark Duke on a 9-0 run when he pulled down an offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to Nolan Smith for a 3-pointer, giving the Blue Devils a lead it would never relinquish.

Plumlee capped off the Duke run with a dunk in transition after a Kyrie Irving steal and an easy lay-in on his team’s next trip down the floor.

It was just the spark the Blue Devils needed to surge past the upset-minded Golden Eagles.

The quote: “Mason obviously was outstanding,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We got him the ball and he made some great moves down there, just simply great moves.”

Previous Plumlee performances:

No. 5: Plumlee records double-double in Maui win against Kansas

Duke basketball Seth Curry flashback: Curry leads comeback against North Carolina

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Over the next three weeks, The Blue Zone will be counting down the top five performances from each of Duke’s graduating seniors during their collegiate careers. This week, we continue with guard Seth Curry.

Seth Curry's second-half shooting helped to propel Duke past North Carolina in Curry's first game in the Tobacco Road Rivalry.

Seth Curry’s second-half shooting helped to propel Duke past North Carolina in Curry’s first game as a part of the Tobacco Road Rivalry.

No. 5: Curry leads comeback against North Carolina

The date: February 9, 2011

The game: Duke 79, North Carolina 73

Curry statline: Curry tallied 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, to help No. 5 Duke erase a 16-point deficit and come back to defeat No. 21 North Carolina at Cameron Indoor, 79-73. The sophomore also added six rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes of action.

The breakdown: While Nolan Smith, with 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting, will be remembered as the hero of this game, Curry put on a shooting clinic of his own in his first-career game against the Tar Heels.

Trailing by 14 at halftime, Duke came out with renewed vigor in the second half, and used an early scoring spree to get back in the game. Curry knocked down his first triple of the game to cut the Tar Heel lead to six.

North Carolina briefly stole back momentum, reclaiming a 10 point advantage with 15:50 remaining. But Curry asserted himself with a mini run of his own, scoring seven consecutive points in 66 seconds to tie the game at 54-54.

After Duke took its first lead of the second half on a Ryan Kelley 3-pointer, Curry helped hold off the Tar Heels and stretch the Blue Devil advantage, this time as a distributor. He grabbed a rebound, came down the floor, and fed Smith for a layup, then found Smith again for a jumper, putting Duke up 62-59.

In the game’s final minutes, Curry hit four of five free throws to ice the game for the Blue Devils in one of the all-time Duke-UNC classics.

The quote: “At times during the season I do stand around and watch Nolan and Kyle [Singler],” Curry said. “But coming into tonight, I knew I had to be another punch out there for us.”

Duke basketball Ryan Kelly flashback: 20 points against Wake Forest

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Over the next three weeks, The Blue Zone will be counting down the top five performances from each of Duke’s graduating seniors during their collegiate careers. This week, we start with forward Ryan Kelly.

 

Ryan Kelly burst onto the scene as a sophomore with 20 points against Wake Forest (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

Ryan Kelly burst onto the scene as a sophomore with 20 points against Wake Forest (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

No. 5: Kelly scores 20 points against Wake Forest

The date: Jan. 22, 2011

The game: Duke 83, Wake Forest 59

Kelly statline: 20 points on 6-of-6 from the field, including 4-for-4 from 3-point range, 6 rebounds

The breakdown: Just two weeks after star point guard Kyrie Irving went down with a toe injury that would keep him sidelined for the remained of the regular season, Duke desperately needed a player to pick up the scoring load alongside seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.

It was a lanky and unproven Ryan Kelly who would answer the call during his sophomore season.

Kelly had the first breakout game of his young career, pouring in 20 points—then a career-high—on perfect shooting from the floor in a blowout victory against Wake Forest. Singler said after the contest that Kelly “played an almost perfect game.”

In addition to a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the floor, Kelly demonstrated his range and hit all four of his 3-point attempts and knocked down all four of his free throw attempts.

Kelly’s versatility was on display throughout the contest, a sign of things to come during the remainder of his career at Duke. His ability to stretch the floor at the power forward position was one of the keys for the Blue Devils to recover from the loss of Irving.

The Raleigh native’s performance was the spark Duke needed on a night where Smith and Singler both struggled from the floor and Mason Plumlee managed just one field goal attempt.

The quote: “I think he’s gotten better every game, and he’s a very reliable player,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He doesn’t get flustered, he knows where he’s supposed to be all the time and I think he’s become more aggressive and ready to take his shot.”

Duke basketball Andre Dawkins flashback: 28 points against Bradley

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Duke basketball guard Andre Dawkins announced last week that he will return for the 2013-14 season. After Dawkins spent this season redshirting, we’re counting down his top-five performances as a Blue Devil.

 

Andre Dawkins made up for Kyrie Irving's absence with 28 points against Bradley (Photo Credit: Faith Robertson/The Chronicle)

Andre Dawkins made up for Kyrie Irving’s absence with 28 points against Bradley (Photo Credit: Faith Robertson/The Chronicle)

No. 3: Dawkins drops career-high 28 points against Bradley

The date: Dec. 8, 2010

The game: Duke 83, Bradley 48

Dawkins statline: 28 points on 10-of-17 from the field, including eight 3-pointers.

The breakdown: Dawkins’ lights-out shooting performance was impressive, but came against a lowly Bradley squad in a blowout victory. Although 28 points is nothing to shake your fist at, this performance becomes truly impressive when you put the game into context.

Duke squared off with the Braves just two days after losing star point guard Kyrie Irving in a win against Butler. Irving would miss the remainder of the regular season, and his absence would be felt on both ends of the floor. Entering the starting lineup for Irving was a young Dawkins, who made a limited impact as a freshman but was looking to solidify his presence in the rotation during his sophomore season.

He did not disappoint.

Dawkins knocked down his first three of the game on the Blue Devils second possession. Although he drilled a total of four 3-pointers in the first half, Dawkins’ teammates struggled around him, combining for 1-for-10 from beyond the arc against Bradley’s zone defense. Duke went into halftime with a comfortable 32-18 halftime lead, but was not satisfied with its first-half performance.

But when the Blue Devils emerged from the locker room, it was Dawkins who led their shooting barrage. Duke hit nine of his first 11 attempts from 3-point land in the second half, and Dawkins’ continued to have the hot hand. As his teammates Kyle Singler and Seth Curry continued to heat up around him, the Blue Devils coasted to an easy victory.

The quote: “We were really unhappy with the fact that we became a jump shooting team in the first half,” Krzyzewski said. “We needed to hit the post more, and we did in the second half…. Therefore, our threes in the second half seemed a result of a bunch of guys playing together, instead of just one guy shooting.”

Previous Dawkins performances:

No. 5: Dawkins scores 16 off the bench against Miami

No. 4: Dawkins hits two threes to help send Duke to the Final Four

Duke basketball Andre Dawkins flashback: two 3-pointers vs. Baylor

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Duke basketball guard Andre Dawkins announced last week that he will return for the 2013-14 season. After Dawkins spent this season redshirting, we’re counting down his top-five performances as a Blue Devil. 

 

(Photo Credit: Sophia Palenberg/The Chronicle)

Dawkins’ 3-point shooting prowess propelled Duke to the Final 4 in 2010. (Photo Credit: Sophia Palenberg/The Chronicle)

No. 4: Dawkins hits two threes to help send Duke to the Final 4

The date: Mar. 28, 2010

The game: Duke 78, Baylor 71

Dawkins statline: Six points on 2-for-2 shooting from beyond the arc in 13 minutes of play.

The breakdown: Dawkins was a key contributor for the Blue Devils in the regular season, but had played very sparingly in the NCAA tournament. He played a total of seven minutes in the Round of 32 and Sweet 16, not attempting a single shot. In the Elite 8 however, Dawkins’ number was called when junior Kyle Singler was forced to the bench in foul trouble.

Towards the end of the first half Baylor was starting to take control of the game, running out to a six point lead thanks to a 10-0 run sparked by guards LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter.

Dawkins rose to the occasion to stop the Bears in their tracks, drilling his second 3-pointer of the game to cut the lead back to three and give momentum back to Duke. Dawkins’ shot helped keep it a one possession game heading to the locker room at halftime, allowing Duke to mount a comeback and advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2004.

The quote: “He gave us a big lift,” Scheyer said. “We were a little out of rhythm. So his two threes were huge, especially the second one when we were down six to cut [the lead] to three. That was a huge shot especially.”

Previous Dawkins performances:

No. 5: Dawkins scores 16 off the bench against Miami