Tag Archives: Rasheed Sulaimon

Breaking: Andre Dawkins to return next season, wear No. 34

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Andre Dawkins, who spent the 2012-13 season redshirting, announced via twitter that he will return to Cameron Indoor Stadium next season to play out his remaining college eligibility.

Dawkins took time away from the team this season for personal reasons. He is now ready to move forward with his basketball career.

Though ‘Dre will be back on the floor next season, he will not be wearing his familiar No. 20. Instead, Dawkins will be donning Ryan Kelly’s 34.

Dawkins will join a talented group of wings playing for the Blue Devils next season, including returnee Rasheed Sulaimon, Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood, and top recruit Jabari Parker.

Known for being a lethal 3-point shooter, Dawkins noted he’ll be a different player than he was in the past.

He will be one of four seniors on the 2013-14 roster, joining Josh Hairston, Tyler Thornton, and Todd Zafirovski.

Top five Duke basketball performances of the year: Seth Curry vs. Michigan State

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This week, The Blue Zone will be counting down the top five Duke basketball individual performances of the year. Following Mason Plumlee’s performance against Ohio State, Seth Curry’s 29 points in the Sweet 16 against Michigan State checks in third in our countdown.

The game: Duke 71, Michigan State 61 on March 29

The player: Seth Curry

(Photo by Chelsea Pieroni/The Chronicle)

(Photo by Chelsea Pieroni/The Chronicle)

The statline: 29 points on 8-of-17 shooting, 6-of-9 3-pointers, 7-of-7 free throws, 3
rebounds

The headline: Curry leads Duke basketball past Michigan State
and to the Elite Eight

The story: As he has all season, Seth Curry put up a tremendous game coming off an extended rest.

From the opening tip, the Blue Devils looked to Curry, who connected on momentum-shifting 3-pointers throughout the game en route to a 6-of-9 performance from beyond the arc.

Although defense was the story of the game—Duke held Michigan State to just seven field goals in the second half, including a 15-minute stretch during which the Spartans made just one shot from the floor—it was Curry who carried the Blue Devil offense.

During one 10-minute stretch covering halftime, Curry scored 15 of the Blue Devils’ 19 points, including Duke’s first nine points of the second half on three consecutive three pointers.

Those three shots were particularly important, because each of them gave the Blue Devils the lead. The last of those three kicked off a 9-0 run—which Curry finished with a two-point jumper—from which Michigan State would never recover.

Although Curry struggled against Louisville’s stingy perimeter defense on short rest in Duke’s final game, the Blue Devils only got a chance to compete against the Cardinals because of Curry’s heroics.

The quote: ”Seth was at a different level than anybody on the court offensively,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “To get 29 points in a game like this against an outstanding team is just an incredible performance.”

Previously:

No. 5: Rasheed Sulaimon vs. Creighton 

No. 4: Mason Plumlee vs. Ohio State

Top five Duke basketball performances of the year: Mason Plumlee vs. Ohio State

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This week, The Blue Zone will be counting down the top five Duke basketball individual performances of the year. Following Rasheed Sulaimon’s performance against Creighton, Mason Plumlee’s early-season double-double against Ohio State ranks fourth on our list. 

The game: Duke 73, Ohio State 68 on November 28

The player: Mason PlumleeScreen Shot 2013-04-09 at 10.47.28 AM

The statline: 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting, 9-of-12 free throws, 17 rebounds (including five offensive boards)

The headline: BUCK YOU RIGHT BACK

The story: Mason Plumlee’s determined performance was instrumental in Duke’s gritty early-season comeback against Ohio State and helped set the tone for this past year’s program.

Despite trailing for much of the game, Plumlee—a team captain and senior leader—refused to let his teammates give up. The Blue Devils rallied from an 8-point halftime deficit to overcome head coach Thad Matta’s Buckeyes, a feat that would have been highly improbable without Plumlee’s production, defense, and leadership.

The 6-foot-10 forward out of Warsaw, Indiana recorded a double-double just five minutes into the game, but no statistics can do justice to the remarkable athleticism Plumlee displayed in the second half. In transition, point guard Quinn Cook threw a 40-foot lob pass that seemed impossibly high. There were audible gasps in Cameron as the ball sailed, but Plumlee rose from beneath the rim and, with his right arm fully outstretched, slammed the ball home and turned the gasps into a fan frenzy.

Cook, Rasheed Sulaimon, and Ryan Kelly all contributed with double-figure scoring, but Plumlee was clearly the spearhead for Duke’s come-from-behind effort. Thanks in large part to Plumlee, the Blue Devils replaced what could have been a disheartening loss with their 97th straight home conference win.

The quote: “I was happy Quinn threw it. He trusted me and I upheld my end,” Plumlee said. “I told him, ‘We can’t be on Sportscenter, unless, you got to make it look like I can’t get it. If I get it, we’ll get on Top 10.’”

Previously:

No. 5: Rasheed Sulaimon vs. Creighton 

Top five Duke basketball performances of the year: Rasheed Sulaimon vs. Creighton

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This week, The Blue Zone will be counting down the top five Duke basketball individual performances of the year. Checking in at No. 5: Rasheed Sulaimon against Creighton in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32.

The Sportswrap after Duke's 66-50 win against Creighton was titled "THAT 'SHEED CREIGH, AIN'T IT JAYS?" after Rasheed Sulaimon scored 21 points to lead Duke basketball to the Sweet 16. (Photo Credit: Caroline Rodriguez/The Chronicle)

The Sportswrap after Duke’s 66-50 win against Creighton was titled “THAT ‘SHEED CREIGH, AIN’T IT JAYS?” after Rasheed Sulaimon scored 21 points to lead Duke basketball to the Sweet 16. (Photo Credit: Caroline Rodriguez/The Chronicle)

The game: Duke 66, Creighton 50 on March 24

The player: Rasheed Sulaimon

The statline: 21 points on 5-for-9 shooting, 3-of-5 3-pointers, 8-of-10 free throws, five rebounds

The headline: THAT ‘SHEED CREIGH, AIN’T IT JAYS?

The story: In an ugly game in which Duke and Creighton combined to shoot 34.3% and rack up 46 fouls, ‘Sheed stepped up to lead the Blue Devils to victory.

Sulaimon had demonstrated the abilities to be Duke’s best scorer at points this season, but was also inconsistent. In the Round of 64 against Albany, ‘Sheed took just two shots and scored seven points.

But he was the lone bright spot offensively in the first half for the Blue Devils, scoring 11 of his 21 points in the first 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Duke’s three seniors—Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee—combined for just 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting in the first period.

Curry helped out in the second half, adding 13 more points, and Tyler Thornton added a surprising eight points off the bench, but this game belonged to ‘Sheed.

Sulaimon followed up this memorable performance with another strong game in the Sweet 16, scoring 16 points against Michigan State.

The quote: “The coaches always tell me to stay aggressive,” Sulaimon said. “Look for my openings when they’re there, not to force anything but just to make reads, and if I have the shot to take it with confidence.”

Beyond the arc: Duke basketball vs. Creighton

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No. 2 seed Duke will take its talents to Indianapolis next weekend after outlasting No. 7 seed Creighton Sunday night 66-50 to win its 2000th game in program history. Foul trouble plagued the Blue Devils much of the game, but a strong defensive performance held the Bluejays in check and punched Duke’s ticket to the Sweet 16.

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

  • Slowing down Doug: The Blue Devils did a good job harassing McDermott and not letting the nation’s second leading scorer get comfortable from the field. McDermott shot just 4-of-16 from the floor, but was automatic at the charity stripe, making all 12 of his free throws. McDermott ended the night with 21 points.
  • Owning the glass: Though rebounding has been a problem for Duke this season, Sunday night the Blue Devils won the battle on the boards, out-rebounding the Bluejays 36-30. It was a balanced rebounding effort for Duke, as no player had more rebounds than Tyler Thornton, who had six.
  • Cook keeps cooking: Cook didn’t shoot the ball well Sunday, but distributed six assists. The sophomore floor general’s passing was on point in Philadelphia after his assist totals dipped through the end of the ACC season. His floor vision and passing ability will be very important for Duke if it wants to advance beyond the Sweet 16.

Three key plays:

  • 0:01, first half. With five seconds left in the half, Josh Hairston grabbed the rebound off of a Jahenns Manigat missed three pointer and threw the outlet pass to Tyler Thornton. The junior guard nearly lost his dribble, but found his handle, elevated, contorted his body, and knocked down the buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Thornton had six first half points and gave the Blue Devils a 29-23 lead heading into the locker room.
  • 17:48, second half. Foul trouble was a problem for Duke all night, but it reached a new level after Mason Plumlee picked up his fourth personal a little more than two minutes into the second half. Plumlee was playing well before his foul trouble, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds. Josh Hairston and Ryan Kelly both picked up their fourth fouls within five minutes of Plumlee’s foul.
  • 4:17, second half. Rasheed Sulaimon hit a three-pointer from well beyond the arc to push Duke’s lead to 12. Sulaimon was great for the Blue Devils Sunday, scoring 21 points and drilling three 3-pointers. The Duke lead never dipped below 10 after Sulaimon’s triple.

Three key stats:

  • Creighton shot 30.2 percent from the field. The Bluejays led the nation in field goal percentage this season, shooting 50.8 percent from the floor. Sunday night was a totally different story. Creighton also made just two of 19 3-point attempts. The inability to hit big threes played a huge role in the Blue Devils’ ability to retain the lead throughout the second half.
  • One point for Ryan Kelly. Kelly could not buy a field goal Sunday, missing all five of his attempts from the floor. The senior forward has now scored in single digits each of his previous four games. In fact, the 25 points he has combined in his past four games is 11 points fewer than he scored against Miami in his first game back from his 13-game layoff.
  • Zero field g0als for Doug McDermott after the 5:26 mark of the first half. McDermott could not get comfortable all night. The Bluejays’ leading scorer made just four of his 16 field goals, but was adept at getting to the line, hitting all 12 of his free throws. Ryan Kelly, Mason Plumlee, Amile Jefferson, and Tyler Thornton all had a hand in giving McDermott fits all night.

And the Duke game ball goes to…Rasheed Sulaimon. Sulaimon has been fantastic for the Blue Devils since the ACC tournament loss to Maryland. Sulaimon lead the Blue Devils with 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting—3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Sulaimon added eight free throws and five rebounds to his final stat line.

And the Creighton game ball goes to…Doug McDermott. The player who has become synonymous with Creighton basketball was an easy choice for the game ball. Even though he failed to make a single field goal in the second half, he was the only player to reach double figures for the Bluejays. He scored 21 of Creighton’s 50 points.

Duke Basketball vs. Creighton Live Updates

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Duke 66, Creighton 50 (FINAL): Curry and Sulaimon, combining for 38 points, finished off the Blue Jays, and Duke marches on to the Sweet Sixteen and a matchup against No. 3 seed Michigan State.

Duke 45, Creighton 34 (7:31 second half): The Blue Jays look sloppy on the offensive end, turning the ball over and failing to find McDermott, their only real threat thus far in the game. Duke, on the other hand, has started to find some rhythm. Curry converted a pair of free throws to join Sulaimon in double-digit scoring, and Jefferson scored from the block for his first points of the night.

Hairston fouled out with over nine minutes left to play, and now the Blue Devils might just have to hold onto their slim lead if their bigs all exit the game on fouls. But with Curry’s play on the offensive end—the senior now has 13 points—the Blue Devils might be able to survive even if all their interior players are gone.

Duke 39, Creighton 32 (11:54 second half): Duke came out of the timeout, and Kelly made a sweet dish in the lane to Cook for an easy bucket to restart the Blue Devil offense.

Hairston then proceeded to pick up his third and fourth fouls on the same defensive possession. Freshman Amile Jefferson came off the bench, and will likely see extended minutes the rest of the way.

Curry finally found his stroke from long range, benefitting from a loose ball situation that resulted in an open look from downtown and the senior guard’s first 3-pointer of the night. After an empty possession for the Blue Jays, Curry converted an easy layup off an inbounds play to put Duke up by nine. But Kelly quickly picked up his fourth personal foul, and now the Blue Devils could be facing a dire situation with their three bigs all close to fouling out.

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