Tag Archives: Tyler Thornton

Duke basketball Mason Plumlee flashback: Plumlee records double-double in Maui Invitational win over Kansas

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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. 5: Plumlee double-doubles as Duke defeats Kansas for Maui Invitational title

The date: November 23, 2011

Mason Plumlee's double-double was invaluable in Duke's Maui Invitational victory over Kansas.

Mason Plumlee’s double-double was invaluable in Duke’s Maui Invitational victory over Kansas.

The game: Duke 68, Kansas 61

Plumlee statline: 17 points, including 7-of-9 shooting from the free throw line, with 12 rebounds and two blocks.

The breakdown: This game will always be remembered for Tyler Thornton’s awkward, off-balanced 3-pointer that helped Duke seal the 2011 Maui Invitational tournament, but Mason Plumlee enjoyed a very impressive game in his own right.

Plumlee and the No. 6 Blue Devils were trailing by four at halftime against the No. 14 Jayhawks, in a place where Duke had never lost before. What’s more, behind the strength of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey, Kansas had a seven board advantage in the rebounding department.

Plumlee saved his best performance in the tournament for the second half of the championship game. The junior forward poured in 11 of his 17 points in that half, all while helping harass Robinson into 6-for-15 shooting from the floor. Behind Plumlee’s nine second half rebounds, Duke out-rebounded the Jayhawks by three in the second period.

The quote: “We got outrebounded heavily in the first half,” Plumlee said. “Whenever you play teams with good bigs, one of the biggest things is winning the boards.”

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.

The key three: Duke basketball vs. Maryland

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Second-seeded Duke basketball will take on seventh-seeded Maryland tonight at 7 p.m. in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

The two teams met twice already this season, each team defending its home court.

Here are your three keys to tonight’s action:

Alex Len scored 19 points in Maryland's 83-81 victory against Duke in College Park. Mason Plumlee scored just four points in the game. (Photo Credit: Melissa Yeo/The Chronicle).

Can Duke cool down Dez Wells?

Dez Wells has been a man on fire lately, averaging 17.8 PPG during his last five contests. The 6-foot-5 swingman owns a height advantage over all of Duke’s perimeter players and could spent a large portion of the game being defended by Tyler Thornton, who may get the starting nod again after starting the team’s regular season finale against North Carolina. When the two teams met at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Wells scored Maryland’s first seven points of the game while being guarded by Rasheed Sulaimon, who was subsequently subbed out of the game. How did ‘Sheed respond? Coming back in and scoring 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, holding Wells to just six more points the rest of the way as he ended the night 5-of-13 from the field. It will be intriguing to see how Coach K utilizes Sulaimon and Thornton against Wells, who has found his groove offensively.

Plumlee vs. Len

When Duke won 84-64 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Mason Plumlee won the battle against 7-foot-1 phenom Alex Len, scoring 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He limited Len to just eight points in that game. But the meeting in College Park, when the Terrapins won 83-81, was a completely different story as Len held Plumlee to a season-low four points on 2-of-7 shooting, fouling out by the game’s end. It’s important to note, though, that Ryan Kelly was absent for both of those meetings, still dealing with his foot injury. Kelly’s absence allowed the Terrapins to double-team Plumlee more as Josh Hairston and Amile Jefferson aren’t true offensive threats. Because Kelly is such a deft perimeter shooter—making 53.1% from beyond the arc this year—he creates space in the paint for Plumlee on the offensive end. On the defensive end, Kelly is a smart help defender who stands at 6-foot-11 and blocks 1.6 shots per game, which could be key in helping stop Len.

The fatigue factor

When Duke lost to Maryland in College Park, the Terrapins had three more days of rest than Duke did. This time around, the Blue Devils have a big advantage as they have been off since their regular-season finale against North Carolina, receiving a bye in the ACC Tournament’s first round. Maryland, by contrast, had to play a grueling game against Wake Forest yesterday. The Terrapins haven’t had to play on short rest all season—they’ve had at least two days of rest for every game.

 

Duke basketball 2012-2013 player review: Tyler Thornton

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With the regular season in the books and tournament season right around the corner, The Blue Zone will review the seasons of all the Blue Devils, beginning with the freshmen Tuesday and ending with the seniors Thursday.

Thornton has remained a consistent defensive stopper for Duke this season and even started the final game of the regular season against North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Dieckhaus/The Chronicle)

Tyler Thornton

Season breakdown: Thornton has held the same role he did last year: defensive stopper whose production doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. He began the year starting but was quickly overtaken by Quinn Cook, who quickly established himself as one of the premier point guards in the ACC. That was no discredit to Thornton, just a testament to Cook’s growth as a sophomore. Meanwhile, Thornton still regularly plays 20 minutes per game and started the regular season finale against North Carolina over Rasheed Sulaimon.

Perhaps Thornton’s best game of the year was the first game against North Carolina, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from downtown while also making a few key passes and hustle plays. But the junior isn’t counted on to score, rather play tough defense and frustrate opponents—he’s making just 37.2% of his field goals. But he’s a physical defender, averaging 2.7 fouls per game in just 21.9 minutes per game. He’s also picking up 1.3 steals per game in his limited minutes.

Role for the rest of the season: The first question for Thornton going forward is: Will he start? He started in the finale against North Carolina while Sulaimon logged just 15 minutes. There’s no questioning, however, that ‘Sheed brings far more to the table offensively than Thornton can. Was ‘Sheed’s benching a one game thing? Was it to get the freshman motivated for postseason play? Or was it a sign of permanent change for the rest of the season?

We don’t have the answers to these questions yet, but the important thing for Thornton is that he will regularly play regardless of whether or not he starts. He can be counted on for 20 minutes of action as a starter or as a reserve, though his offensive deficiencies get exposed more as he plays more. At the same time, his defensive aggression is unparalleled and can be key against opponents with strong perimeter play.

Results relative to expectations: The great thing about Thornton is you know what you’re going to get. Like last year—when he lifted Duke past Kansas in the Maui Invitational—Thornton had one clutch game this year, against UNC. And in every other game, he is a consistent defender and smart ball-handler, even if he can’t push the rock the way Cook can.

In case you missed it, we’ve already reviewed: Rasheed Sulaimon, Amile Jefferson, Alex Murphy, Marshall Plumlee

Duke basketball gears up for ACC Tournament

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Members of the Duke basketball team met with the media Wednesday afternoon, where they discussed the team’s preparation and mentality going into this weekend’s ACC Tournament, the recent lineup shuffle, and the tournament’s future. Here are the highlights of what they said:

One of the hot topics for the Blue Devils who addressed the media was the recent struggles of Rasheed Sulaimon. (Photo Credit: Ella Banka/The Chronicle).

Quinn Cook:

  • “We led 14-0, they kind of made a little run back, but we stayed poised, stuck to our game plan, stayed in charge the whole game. Some slip-ups in the second half, myself a couple turnovers, some miscues on their press—we’ve been doing a lot of press stuff—but it’s all about keeping that hunger that we have right now”—On what the team hopes to carry forward from the UNC win into postseason play
  • “Defense wins championships—at Duke, defense is the biggest thing…. The biggest thing with the guards: myself, Seth, Tyler, and Rasheed—we like to keep the guy we’re guarding below their average and get a lot of turnovers”—On how he measures defense
  • “Tyler does the little things that don’t show up in the box scores. [He's] a second point guard that helps me a lot, he communicates he echoes, he commands. [He] guards their best perimeter player, get in there with the big guys and rebound…. Our success doesn’t go anywhere without him”—On the contributions of Tyler Thornton
  • “Rasheed hasn’t had a normal freshman year. He came on so strong. Freshmen are usually going to go through a time period where they struggle a little bit, and he’s been struggling a bit the past three games. Coming off the bench, he’s accepted it thus far in practice, he’s been going hard with the other guys against us, making us better. His attitude has stayed great. He’ll still be the scorer, the driver that he is, just from a different position now, he’s okay with that”—On freshman Rasheed Sulaimon, who was replaced by Thornton in Saturday starting lineup against North Carolina
  • “If it’s at Madison Square Garden, that’d be fun”—On possible future sites of the ACC Tournament
  • “We’re getting the feel back. He was out two months, so it’s not  going to happen overnight…. These past two practices have been great, we’re getting back to where we were before he got hurt. Still got a long way to go, but we’re just taking baby steps to where we need to be” —On getting reacquainted with playing with Ryan Kelly

Tyler Thornton

  • “I’m glad my coaches have confidence in me to have me out there on the floor a lot, have me be able to make plays, and just do whatever I can to help the team out,”—On being reinserted into the starting lineup
  • “You’re never going to shut anybody down. I measure it by making someone work harder than they want to to get the ball and score the ball. And it’s not just the individual basis either, it’s all about the team…. Guys start taking plays off, and that’s how you know you’re sort of getting into their lid and frustrating them a little bit,”—On his defensive goals
  • “Tournament form is a different mindset—it’s one-and-done. Our  coaches do a great job of keeping us focused on the task at hand and not looking ahead past anybody. And they do a great job of scouting on the fly…. Last year we weren’t focused at this time of the year, and it showed in the way we played and how we handled the situation that we were in. This year it’s a totally different mentality. A lot of the guys that are on the team this year went through last year, and nobody wants that to happen again.”

Mason Plumlee

  • “This season we have a new group, new roles. It’s not fair to keep bringing up last year to players like Rasheed and Quinn who didn’t play much last year. Obviously it’s in the back of a lot of our heads, but if we go the NCAAs and win our first-round game, that’s not a successful season.”—On whether last year’s loss to Lehigh is a source of motivation
  • “He’s had a really two good days of practice after the Carolina game. I think he’s in a good position because he knows that we need him and he knows that whenever he’s ready to go…. He’s done a great job this year but we just have to make sure he’s at his best at this point in the season. And he’s capable of that, he’s not tired, it’s not like he’s hitting a freshman wall or anything like that,”—On the recent struggles of Rasheed Sulaimon
  • “It’s really impressive because whether [Thornton] comes off the bench or starts—for a lot of players, mentally they can’t handle being in and out of the lineup—and with him it doesn’t matter. Just look at some of the plays he’s made over his career. Coach was showing on film the play where he dives against Carolina, throws the ball off the other guy, falls into the bench – to me that’s symbolic of his career. He’s just going to do whatever it takes….I think that’s why shots like in Maui, I think that’s why it happens, because he’s so deserving of making those shots, because he’s really a selfless player and all about the team,”—On Tyler Thornton’s impact

Seth Curry

  • “[The leg] feels a lot better. Having a few days off makes a big difference. I [played consecutive days] earlier in the season in the Bahamas. You’ve just got to manage pain. The day after games it’s been hurting less and less, so that’s improvement,”—On managing his injured leg while playing in a grinding tournament format
  • “We’re clicking right now. We ended the regular season on a horrible note last year, and we had to fix a lot of things going into the tournament, and that’s when Ryan got hurt. This year we know who we are as a team, we don’t have to fix anything, we just need to fine-tune some things. We have a lot of confidence.”—On a relaxed team this year entering the postseason

 

Duke opens play in the ACC Tournament Friday night with a quarterfinal match-up against either Maryland or Wake Forest, who play tomorrow.

The key three: Duke basketball vs. North Carolina

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Duke may be the No. 2 ranked team in the country and an 11-point favorite, but that never changes the hype entering a matchup with Tobacco Road rival North Carolina.

Read: Get everything you need for tonight’s Duke-North Carolina basketball game.

Here are the three keys to tonight’s Duke-UNC action:

How fast will it get?

North Carolina plays at one of the fastest paces in the country, hurrying the ball up the court and always looking to score in transition. The Tar Heels average 78.3 points per game, ninth in Div. I, and 18.0 assists per game, second in Div. I. Duke has the athleticism to run with any team, but sometimes it’s difficult to run the floor for an entire game and always remember to get back quickly on defense, something that plagued the Blue Devils in their road loss to N.C. State. And it’s not just the guards either—UNC forward James Michael McAdoo is athletic as they come and is the beneficiary of Dexter Strickland and Marcus Paige’s up-tempo style of play. Mason Plumlee and Amile Jefferson are as naturally athletic as any forwards out there, but one of them always has to have a hand on McAdoo making sure he can’t get any easy buckets in transition. Offensive rebounders sometimes seem like a priority, but the more Duke crashes the boards tonight, the more room the Tar Heels have to work in transition when the collect defensive boards. It will be a delicate balance.

Duke PG Quinn Cook is just as good at pushing the pace as the UNC guards, but the bigger task for him will be getting in the passing lanes and trying to prevent Paige and Strickland from getting the ball up the court too quickly. He should be looking to harass them in the backcourt and prevent them from breaking the median too quickly—the North Carolina offense is talented but less functional in halfcourt sets.

Can Mason play tough D and avoid foul trouble?

Plumlee has all the tools to be a top-notch defender, but as Duke’s frontcourt has thinned due to the injury of Ryan Kelly, Plumlee has backed off opposing players at times, resulting in easy buckets. This is something Plumlee has talked openly about: Needing to use his fouls more wisely and play good defense even when he can’t risk picking up another foul. McAdoo is UNC’s top scorer and will look to attack Plumlee and Jefferson all night, and it could be dangerous if Plumlee is too lax. Plumlee has renentered the conversation for National Player of the Year with two 30-point efforts in his last four games, but he could do a lot for both his case and the Blue Devils’ chances at victory if he turns in a lockdown defensive performance against one of the nation’s premier big men. He did just that against Alex Len of Maryland, but McAdoo is a different animal with the ability to knock down jump shots and play a little farther from the hoop.

The size differential on the perimeter

Averaging 5.6 rebounds per game, Reggie Bullock is as good of a wing rebounder as there is in college basketball. And given that none of Duke’s perimeter starters stand taller than 6-foot-4, he could be in for a field day, using his size to bully players around. The onus of guarding Bullock will likely fall on freshman Rasheed Sulaimon, who has the athleticism and length to guard most guys, but is still only a first-year and has room to develop. It will be interesting to see how Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski deals with that matchup. Last year against UNC, Coach K placed defensive specialist Tyler Thornton on the much taller Harrison Barnes, a strategy that was only marginally effective at best. Will Thornton get more time to try and frustrate Bullock? Will 6-foot-8 wingman Alex Murphy see more time at the three to try and match up with Bullock? That will be interesting to see as things heat up at Cameron Indoor Stadium.