Tag Archives: N.C. State

Duke basketball Mason Plumlee flashback: 30 points against Wolfpack

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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. 2: Plumlee scores 30 in complete game against Wolfpack

The date: February 7, 2013

Mason Plumlee's 30 points in 40 minutes of action helped avenge the Blue Devil's earlier loss to the Wolfpack

Mason Plumlee’s 30 points in 40 minutes of action helped avenge the Blue Devils’ earlier loss to the Wolfpack.

The game: Duke 98, North Carolina State 85

Plumlee statline: 30 points on 9-for-11 shooting, nine rebounds, four steals in 40 minutes of play.

The breakdown: After completing non-conference play without a loss, the then-No. 1 Blue Devils were subject to a shocking upset in PNC Arena, falling 84-76 to North Carolina State. But the loss did not go unavenged.

Less than one month after Wolfpack faithful had rushed the court in Raleigh, senior Mason Plumlee delivered a dynamic performance in Cameron Indoor Stadium, leading Duke to a 98-85 home win.

The 6-foot-11 captain gathered his teammates at center court just before the jump, and his words seemed to have just the desired effect. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s squad came out firing and opened up a 20-point lead. After firing his teammates up in the pregame warm-up, Plumlee showed that he could ‘walk the walk’ as well.

The Warsaw, Indiana native asserted himself early and often, leaving his counterpart—North Carolina State big man Richard Howell—frustrated and in foul trouble.

In a game where the Blue Devils were thin in the front court—Ryan Kelly was out indefinitely and Josh Hairston had an ‘infected arm’—Plumlee delivered yet again. The senior displayed impressive endurance by playing all 40 minutes, and he did not let fatigue affect his play on either end.

Plumlee missed only two shots from the field in his 30-point effort, and added four steals and two blocks on the defensive side of things. His rock-solid performance was key in securing a home win against North Carolina State, and also marked yet another resume item for Plumlee’s National Player of the Year candidacy.

The quote: “I think [Plumlee] is playing as well as anybody in the country,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “His moves inside are really beautiful because he is playing through contact. Instead of taking a hook, he is feeling the defense.”

Previous Plumlee performances:

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

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

No. 3: Plumlee scores 32 and pulls down 12 boards against Demon Deacons

Duke basketball Seth Curry flashback: Curry overcomes injury to topple N.C. State

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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.

No. 2: Curry scores 21 in the second half despite ankle injury to complete comeback over N.C. State.

The date: February 16, 2012

Curry overcame a left ankle injury to score 21 second half points and lead Duke's comeback over N.C. State.

Curry overcame a left ankle injury to score 21 second half points and lead Duke’s comeback over N.C. State.

The game: Duke 78, N.C. State 73

Curry statline: 26 points—21 in the second half—on 9-of-18 shooting to go along with four rebounds and two assists.

The breakdown: No. 4 Duke was in trouble at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils were lifeless on offense through the first half against the in-state rival Wolfpack. Duke went to the locker room at halftime trailing by 16 points with Josh Hairston the leading scorer at six points.

Seth Curry struggled to get into a rhythm offensively in the first half due to a left ankle injury he suffered just two minutes into the game. The injury cost Curry almost five minutes on the bench, but the junior guard shook off the discomfort to return to the court. With his ankle plaguing him, Curry shot just 2-for-7 from the field and scored five points in the first half.

Things didn’t get much better for the Blue Devils at the start of the second half. With 11:33 remaining in the game, Duke trailed by 20 points. Then Curry overcame his injury and checked back into the contest.

What happened next was an offensive clinic from the Blue Devil guard. Curry went off for 21 points in the second half on 7-of-11 shooting, including a timely 3-pointer after the final media timeout that brought his team within two points of the Wolfpack.

Curry’s fight combined with 16 Austin Rivers points were enough to help Duke overcome N.C. State and preserve their perfect home record.

The quote: “It was a heroic performance by Seth,” Krzyzewski said. “Seth said, ‘I don’t know if I can go’ [following the injury]…. We’ll see where he is tomorrow.”

Previous Curry performances:

No. 5: Curry leads comeback against North Carolina

No. 4: Curry leads the way as Krzyzewski wins No. 903

No. 3: Curry pours in career-high 31 to defeat Santa Clara

NBA Draft: ACC who’s in and who’s out

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The NFL Draft may be this weekend, but there is plenty of news surrounding June’s NBA Draft. With the early entrant eligibility deadline for the draft on April 28, here’s a look at who’s in and who’s out from the ACC.

Declared for the NBA draft

Lorenzo Brown, N.C. State: Brown is leaving for the NBA after a junior season in which he averaged 12.4 points and an ACC-best 7.2 assists per game. At 6-foot-5, Brown has very good size for a point guard, but he shot just 26.3 percent from beyond the arc last season and watched his scoring actually decrease from his sophomore season. He’s a potential second round pick.

Reggie Bullock, North Carolina: Bullock broke out during his junior season, raising his scoring

Reggie Bullock is taking his talents to the NBA after a standout junior season in Chapel Hill.

Reggie Bullock is taking his talents to the NBA after a standout junior season in Chapel Hill.

average from 8.8 to 13.9 while grabbing 6.5 rebounds. Bullock should intrigue NBA owners in need of a wing player thanks to his 43.6 percent shooting from 3-point range. He could hear his name called in the late-first round.

Alex Len, Maryland: Len is leaving Maryland after his sophomore season after scoring 11.9 points and grabbing 7.8 rebounds per game. Len is still somewhat raw, but he is almost assuredly going to be drafted in the lottery. Len could be a top-five pick this June.

C.J. Leslie, NC State: Leslie’s stock slipped after returning to school last season. The Wolfpack’s leading scorer put up 15.1 points and grabbed 7.4 rebounds per game, shooting more than 50 percent from the floor in 2012-13. Unfortunately for Leslie, he’s considered a bit of a ‘tweener in NBA circles. At 6-foot-9 he’s got the height to be an NBA power forward, but at 200 pounds he is underweight. He’ll be taken somewhere around the late-first or early-second round.

Returning to school

P.J. Hairston, North Carolina: Hairston burst on the scene mid-season when Tar Heel head coach Roy Williams made the change to a small-ball lineup, making Hairston his power forward. Hairston averaged 14.3 points per game and shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range last year. Hairston could be the focal point of the North Carolina offense next year with Reggie Bullock taking his talents to the NBA.

James Michael McAdoo, North Carolina: McAdoo went from being a potential lottery pick last season to being a fringe first round pick this year, which is part of the reason why he is returning to school this season. McAdoo averaged 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in his first season as a starter. He’ll look to improve those numbers next season and rebuild his sinking draft stock.

T.J. Warren, N.C. State: Warren started 14 games last season, averaging 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Warren could be the Wolfpack’s most important player in 2013-14 given that Brown, Leslie, Richard Howell, and Scott Wood are all going to the NBA and Rodney Purvis is transferring to UConn. Warren will look to play his way into the first round next season.

Still deciding

Shane Larkin is still debating whether or not to declare for the NBA Draft.

Shane Larkin is still debating whether or not to declare for the NBA Draft.

Shane Larkin, Miami: Larkin, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, is still undecided about his basketball future. Larkin made his presence felt in his sophomore season, scoring 14.5 points, doling out 4.6 assists, and playing 36.4 minutes per game. With Marcus Smart going back to Oklahoma State instead of entering the draft, Larkin could be a first-round target for teams looking for point guard help.

ACC announces men’s basketball opponents, matchups

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A full schedule won’t be out until September, but the ACC announced each team’s opponents for the 2012-13 season today.

The 18-game conference schedule will have Duke playing four teams twice during the regular season: Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Syracuse and Wake Forest.

Syracuse, along with Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, will be playing for the first time in ACC next year after coming from the Big East. The Blue Devils will play the Panthers and Fighting Irish on the road. Notre Dame is coached by Mike Brey, a former Blue Devil assistant under Coach K.

Duke’s home opponents: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, N.C. State, North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest

Duke’s road opponents: Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Wake Forest

Here are some fun nuggets on the schedule from the team’s official Twitter account:

Around the Triangle: Week 18

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Duke finished second in the ACC, a single game behind Miami in the regular season standings after completing the sweep of North Carolina this weekend. Were N.C. State and North Carolina able to solidify their position in the standings? Lets have a look.

NC State (22-9, 11-7), 5th seed in the ACC

March 6: Wake Forest 66, NC State 81

Unranked NC State enhanced their chances of a better seeding in the ACC tournament with a comprehensive win over Wake Forest. C.J. Leslie led the Wolfpack with 19 points and 10 rebounds but three other Pack players also had double-digit scoring. Lorenzo Brown had 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a great all-round performance, with freshmen T.J. Warren and Rodney Purvis chipping in with 15 and 14 points, respectively. N.C. State was strong on the boards, underlining one of the strengths it has had all season and also had 10 steals a marked improvement from their season average.

March 9: NC State 67, Florida State 71

In a testy, physical game the Wolfpack fell to Florida State in both teams’ final game of the regular season. Scott Wood had 18 points in a losing effort as N.C. State wrapped up its regular season and secured the fifth seed in the ACC tournament. Richard Howell had a significant milestone as he grabbed his 1000th career rebound in the game. Lorenzo Brown also impressed with 14 points and eight assists but the Wolfpack’s poor rebounding, a surprise to many, as they grabbed only 27, came back to hurt them as they let a lead slip away and lose another close game.

Analysis: N.C. State finished up their ACC play with an 11-7 record, which could have been so much different had they closed out certain close games in the middle of the season. But the team is well stocked for a run in the ACC tournament. The team is very strong at rebounding and plays a strong offense that features stand out players. Freshman TJ Warren leads the ACC with a 61.3 field goal percentage and Richard Howell has been putting up double-doubles all season long. They should be a team to fear—its a matter of it all coming together at the right time.

Upcoming: Mar 14 vs. 12th-seeded Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament first round

UNC (22-9, 12-6), 3rd seed in the ACC

March 6: North Carolina 79, Maryland 68

Unranked North Carolina posted a comfortable win over Maryland to solidify its standing in the ACC. Reggie Bullock had 19 points and 12 rebounds while P.J. Hairston added 22 points. The Tar Heels were helped by the Terrapins terrible shooting from beyond the arc as they missed 20 of their 23 attempts.

March 9: Duke 69, North Carolina 53

Duke completed the double over North Carolina with a dominating win over the Tar Heels. Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee were no match for an undersized North Carolina line-up as they were out-played by a confident Duke team. With this game, both teams completed their regular season commitments and will now turn their attentions to bigger things.

Analysis: This team has hung around in the ACC and locked up the number three seed. They looked like a legitimate contender with six wins in a row, but do people still feel that way after getting routed by Duke at the Dean Dome? The Tar Heels lack consistency and experience—two factors that will affect their tournament chances.

Upcoming: Mar 15 vs. the winner of 6th-seeded Florida State and 11th-seeded Clemson

Race for the ACC: Women’s Basketball

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First round action at the 2013 ACC Tournament got underway Thursday at the Greensboro Coliseum, with a full slate of four games. Results were as follows:

No. 5 Miami 45, No. 12 Virginia Tech 39

No. 8 NC State 56, No. 9 Clemson 45

No. 10 Wake Forest 86, No. 7 Georgia Tech 67

No. 11 Boston College 66, No. 6 Virginia 57

Another complete day of action in Greensboro begins at 11 a.m. Friday. By virtue of their win Thursday, the Hurricanes meet No. 4 Florida State. No. 1 Duke will then face off against the Wolfpack, followed by No. 2 Maryland against the Demon Deacons. In the nightcap, No. 3 North Carolina meets the Eagles. Semifinals will be Saturday, with the championship game at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Duke aiming to keep dreams of No. 1 seed alive

Following last week’s road loss at Miami, its first conference defeat of the season, Duke dropped one spot in the national polls to No. 6, switching places with California. Heading into Friday’s game against N.C. State, the Blue Devils (27-2, 17-1 in the ACC) find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes time for the NCAA selection committee to announce the tournament’s No. 1 seeds. The committee is almost assured to tab Baylor, Notre Dame, and Connecticut as top seeds­. The final number one seed, in the Spokane regional, will likely go to either Stanford or California, depending on who performs better in the Pac-12 Tournament.

To have any sort of shot at a No. 1 seed, Duke must win the ACC Tournament title. Doubts are still fresh in everyone’s mind about what caliber team the Devils are without co-ACC Player of the Year Chelsea Gray, who is sidelined by a knee injury for the rest of the year. To win the title, Duke will likely have to defeat two ranked opponents, which would send a strong message to the committee. Anything less than a title would relegate the Blue Devils to a No. 2 seed, and an early-round exit could push their stock down even further.

It’s worth noting that Friday’s matchup against N.C. State is a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal game, in which the ninth-seeded Wolfpack stunned top-seeded Duke, 75-73. In their only matchup of the 2012-13 season, Duke went to Raleigh and earned a 67-57 victory on Jan. 3.

Can a darkhorse team snatch the tournament crown?

Currently, the ACC is expected to send five teams to the NCAA tournament: Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida State, and Miami. But if none of those teams wins the tournament title, the conference’s automatic bid will go to the surprise winner, changing tournament calculus for the tournament committee and creating ramifications that could burst bubbles across the country. An unforeseen run by an N.C. State or Wake Forest to capture the title could push Miami out of the NCAA tournament if the ‘Canes go down to Florida State on Friday. A more likely scenario would be that the ACC would unexpectedly send six teams dancing, taking away an at-large berth for a bubble team in another conference. Of the three, N.C. State has the best chance of getting to the finals. The Wolfpack lost by just 10 to Duke earlier this year, and that was a Duke team fully equipped with the talents of Chelsea Gray. If N.C. State can get past the Blue Devils, they would face either Miami or Florida State, two good but beatable teams. Boston College has a chance to beat third-seeded North Carolina, but could have difficulties topping a very potent Maryland squad, which won twice this season against the last remaining darkhorse, its quarterfinal opponent Wake Forest, by a combined 37 points.

Virginia sees tournament hopes dashed by BC

After a strong start to conference play, the Cavaliers hit a rough patch, at one point dropping seven out of eight games, including losses to two of the ACC’s three worst teams. But with a win over Florida State in their regular season finale, Virginia had a chance at salvaging the season, if they could make a deep run in the ACC Tournament. Those dreams came to a halt Thursday night, as the sixth-seeded Cavaliers fell by nine at the hands of No. 11 Boston College. The Eagles had four players score in double figures, led by guard Kerri Shields’s 16 and Kristen Doherty’s 15. Boston College will go for its second straight upset at 8 p.m. Friday when it takes on No. 3 North Carolina.

Upset Special: Miami over Florida State

Florida State, losers of three of its past four contests, will benefit from the much-needed rest provided by a first-round bye, but the Hurricanes have come on strong near the end of the season. Despite an ugly six-point victory over No. 12 Virginia Tech, Miami has won five of its past six, including a critical home win over top-seeded Duke. The Hurricanes will also be looking to avenge two relatively lopsided losses to the Seminoles this season–they fell 86-65 in Tallahassee and 93-78 in Coral Gables. Look for big games from Miami guard Stefanie Yderstrom, forward Morgan Stroman and center Shawnice Wilson, who at six-foot-six has a three-inch height advantage over the tallest Seminole defender. With a victory, Miami could land inside the AP Top 25, and drastically improve its NCAA seed.