Nolan Smith, twitter, and how building a brand helped build a charity

Nolan Smith's story is one that has been told over and over again.

Derek Smith, Nolan's father, was a great basketball player three decades ago. He won a national title in 1980 with Louisville, cutting down the nets in the same city that Nolan did thirty years later with Duke. But when Nolan was eight, his father tragically passed away at the age of 34 on a cruise with his family.

The younger Smith persevered. With the aid of a strong support system -- his family and father's teammates and friends -- Nolan persevered. Using a tattoo of his father on his right arm as motivation, Nolan managed to work his way from backing up Greg Paulus to becoming the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, ending up in Portland with the Trail Blazers.

But perhaps his greatest achievement will be his charity, the Sydney and Nolan Smith Foundation.


"Our foundation is for kids who lost a parent -- mother, father, guardian, any person who has been taking care of them their whole life," Smith said in a phone interview Monday night. "Its something that we can relate to, my sister and I. Its something that is very close to our hearts and its the reason why we started the foundation. We're very, very, very passionate about it, about changing kids lives who lost someone."

"We're going to be doing camps, dinners, all different things to just bring these kids together and let them get out their emotions. Let them see that there are other kids like them. And through myself and my sister, let them see that even without that loved one, you can still be successful and do positive things in your life."

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For quite possibly the first time since Renardo Sidney joined his program, I'm going to complement Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury.

In February of last season, Stansbury banned his his team from using twitter and suspended forward Ravern Johnson for a game after an outburst from Johnson on twitter. Following a loss in which he scored just 10 points in 40 minutes, Johnson referred to former teammates Twany Beckham and Elgin Bailey when he tweeted "Starting to see why people transfer you can play the minutes but not getting your talents shown because u watching someone else wit the ball the whole game shooters need to move not watch why other coaches get that do not make sense to me (sic)." Sidney retweeted what Johnson said, and it wasn't long before the blogosphere picked up on it and Johnson's tweets were all over every college hoops site on the internet.

Stansbury allowed his players back on twitter once the season ended, but that decision appears to have come back to bite him. Freshman guard DJ Gardner was kicked off the team after a string of profanity-laced tweets criticizing the Mississippi State coaching staff, in large part due to the fact that Gardner was upset for getting redshirted.

Stansbury, however, made the absolute correct decision in allowing his team back on twitter.

It wasn't the easy decision, mind you. If you are a coach of a college program, banning twitter is the simplest solution to what amounts to a complex problem. For a coach, the benefit received from allowing a group of college aged kids access to social media platforms is far outweighed by the risks involved. Whether its the Mississippi State players ripping their coaches, Scoop Jardine tweeting about basketball groupies, Tyshawn Taylor's facebook rant after fighting with the Kansas football team or Tyree Graham scooping the Rutgers Sports Information Department on his torn acl, its always going to be a point of concern for coaches when their players -- who are just as emotional and dramatic as you were in college -- have the ability to communicate with the world.

Living in the information age makes one slip-up -- one ill-advised moment of honesty, one tweet that was supposed to be a direct message, one frustrated tweet about playing time or number of shots or team success -- a topic on SportsCenter and a link on the front page of Yahoo!

Its so simple for a coaching staff to cut that issue off at the source, to restrict social media access for their players.

But banning an entire team because of the immaturity of a few is a mistake.


Following college athletes on twitter is fairly pointless. Generally speaking, they are tweeting about working out or playing ball, they are communicating with friends -- which is kind of what twitter was originally intended for -- and they are responding to fans, be it trash talk with rivals or retweets for their supporters. Every once in a while, to help support the notion that they truly are student-athletes, you'll see a tweet about a class that a player is enrolled in.

There are some truly terrific tweeters in the college basketball ranks, however, and they make being a fan of the program that much more fun.

Missouri senior Kim English is fairly well-known for his twitter prowess. Last summer, he made waves across the blogosphere when he translated the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling -- line by line and tweet by tweet -- into basketball terms. Just last week, English, who has been dribbling a tennis ball around campus to try and improve his handle, tweeted for students to try and steal the ball from him if they saw him.

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State's sophomore center and all-american, found a sign that a Minnesota student made to mock him funny. After failing to get the sign from the student after the game, Sullinger was able to connect with the kid over twitter. That sign is currently hanging in Sullinger's mother's house.

North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall has become the darling of the college hoops media in the last couple of days after tweeting out things like "Not a big fan of the expansion of the conferences in college sports. Feel like we're losing tradition." and "McDonalds tried to give me an extra BBQ sauce "on the house". I said no no, I wanna play this season."

Perhaps the best story of a college athlete on twitter comes from the Ivy League. Keith Wright is Harvard's center and currently the reigning Ivy Player of the Year. Throughout the season, he had been tweeting about a girl in his class that he had a crush on, the "section heroine". On the last day of classes, he live-tweeted the thought-process -- and nervousness -- of finally going up and asking her out. Unfortunately, she turned him down, but Wright survived. He's currently searching for "section heroine 2".

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Nolan Smith understands the pitfalls of social media. He knows the trouble that tweeting the wrong thing can get you into. Its something that Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski ingrained in his team from day one.

"Coach K trusted us to carry ourselves the right way," Smith said. "And if I was a college coach, that would be the first thing [I'd talk to my team about]. On the first day of team meetings, its something that you have to address. If you have facebook and twitter, be smart. Don't let people take pictures of you out at a party and put them on facebook. The same thing with twitter, don't go saying dumb stuff at three or four in the morning. They warned us about little stuff like that, and that one warning on the first day was all we needed."

College coaches should treat twitter as a privilege, because there are benefits to having their players accessible to fans. It allows the people outside the team -- the kids that wait in line for hours just to sit in the student section for a guarantee game or the boosters whose donations allow the coaches to travel in private jets to recruiting events -- a chance to really get to know the players they are cheering for. When used correctly, it helps build the program's brand.

"Twitter is who you are," Smith said. "If you don't want people to see you saying certain things, then leave it off of twitter."

"For college players, if they're on twitter and they're handling themselves the right way, they make [their school] look good. They make some fans say 'Duke has some really cool players, they connect with their fans.'"

That privilege can be taken away. There is nothing wrong with suspending a player's twitter usage or forcing them to open a new page, one that is private and only for use with friends and personal acquaintances. Anonymity is not difficult on the internet.

For the coaches that truly care about developing the kids in the program as people -- and not simply as basketball players -- than teaching the opportunities involved with building their own brand on twitter is just as important as engraining the principles of help-side defense in their heads.

Smith may never again reach the level of fame that he had as a national champion and player of the year candidate at Duke.

That's not a knock on him, either. When you're a star for the Blue Devils, you are one of the most recognizable faces in all of basketball. You play every game on national television, you have highlights on Sportscenter every morning and every 30 point outburst is going to get you talked about on by every college hoops scribe, be it on twitter or in an article. Even if he does becoming a starting point guard in the NBA -- which is certainly possible, assuming the NBA eventually ratifies a new CBA -- he'll never receive as much attention and publicity as he did the past two seasons at Duke.

The fact that he was one of the great stories in college basketball the last two years only magnified that fact.

Smith capitalized on his stardom in the collegiate ranks. He's friendly, funny and intelligent, on twitter and in person, and isn't shy about satiating the throng of fans he gets requesting retweets because its their birthday or because they love Duke or because their dogs have the same name, even if it comes at the cost of a clogged timeline or two. Its part of the reason that, as of this writing, he had over 51,000 twitter followers and a verified account.

That twitter presence allowed him a venue for announcing his foundation. With a couple of keystrokes and a click of his mouse, Smith instantly alerted his 51,000 followers to his newly established charity. That number only grows with you consider how many of those 51,000 followers retweeted his announcement.

"I think so," Smith said when I asked if his twitter following helped him launch his charity. "Ever since I've been on twitter, its helped me build my brand."

The Sydney and Nolan Smith Foundation is still in its infancy, and regardless of whether or not Nolan was on twitter, there is little doubt that the charity will be a successful one. But there is also little doubt that the exposure he received through social media at its launch will help to expedite that success.

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Twitter certainly is not for everyone.

As the saying goes, there are always a few bad apples that spoil the bunch. Whether its due to a lack of maturity on the player's part, a lack of understanding of the power of social media, or a lack of education on the downside of having a public profile, there are always going to be mistakes made on twitter.

Smith has some advice for college athletes that decide to get on twitter.

"Be smart. It shows the character and the class that you have, and if you don't have that, don't get on it. Twitter's not for you."
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Five second round picks that will hang around the league

The second round of the NBA Draft is, more or less, simply a chance for some lesser college stars to have their one, last chance at seeing their names on TV.

The NBA is not an easy league to make. There are a limited number of roster spots available and an even more limited number of spots in an NBA rotation. Making a team without getting a guaranteed contract through the draft is tough.

But it can be done. There are many stories of players that have carved out terrific careers despite falling out of the guaranteed money. Gilbert Arenas and Manu Ginobli were both picked in the second round. So were Michael Redd, Monta Ellis, Carlos Boozer, Stephen Jackson, and Rashard Lewis. Those are, or recently have been, stars in the NBA.


Finding a diamond in the rough like that is rare. But finding a solid starter in the second round does happen fairly often. Last year, it was Landry Fields out of Stanford going to the New York Knicks. The year before that, both Sam Young and DeJuan Blair fell to the second round after leaving Pitt. Before that, Paul Millsap, Trevor Ariza, and Mo Williams beat the odds to make it in the league.

It can be done.

Sometimes its simply the result of a fortunate pairing between franchise, player, and available roles. Other times, its the result of fears about a player's injury history that causes him to drop. There are times when a draft is loaded with border-line first round picks, causing players to go 45th that would usually be picked 25th. There are also times where a front office does their homework and finds a guy that has flown under-the-radar.

Landing in the second round shouldn't be seen as a disappointment to these players.

It should be seen as an opportunity to make the other 29 teams regret their draft day decisions.

Who in the 2011 NBA Draft Class will have an extended NBA career as a second round pick?

Jimmy Butler, Marquette: There is nothing about Butler's game that makes him appear to be an NBA prospect. He's a capable shooter, but not a significant three point threat from NBA range. He's a decent ball-handler, but he won't blow by you to get to the rim. He's a solid athlete with good size, but he won't be making Sportscenter's top ten. What makes Butler a promising prospect is the fact that he is a tough defender, a terrific teammate and leader in the locker room, a willing role player, and a guy that can do a little bit of everything. Throw in the success that former teammates Wes Matthews and Lazar Hayward have had landing a spot in the NBA and the rave reviews he received at the Portsmouth Invitational, and Butler appears headed for an NBA career. He certainly deserves it.

Charles Jenkins, Hofstra: Jenkins was a big-time scorer at the college level, thriving on his ability to shoot from beyond the arc and create space in the mid-range game. The problem is that those numbers came against CAA competition, which is a much improved league but still a far cry from the NBA. Regardless of who he is playing against, however, Jenkins is going to be able to shoot and score. He won't be a starter in the NBA, but the fact that he was able to score at the rate he did (22.6 ppg) while taking more than 20 shots just three times, creating for his teammates (4.8 apg), and protecting the ball (2.2 t/o's) makes him an ideal candidate as a scoring infusin


JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: Johnson's physical profile is terrific. He's a legit 6'10" with a 7'2" wingspan, he's exceptionally mobile for a player his height, and he has a 38" vertical. He also has a versatile skill-set. He can block a shot at one end and beat his defender down the floor for an open dunk. If that's not there, he can knock down 20 foot jumpers, use his dribble to get a better look should his defender close out long, and score in the post using his advanced repertoire of finesse moves. The knock on Johnson is that he has a slender upper body that will be difficult to add much mass or strength to. While that will limit his upside, his tools and skill-set should earn him a spot in the rotation of a team that likes to run the floor and pick-and-pop.

Josh Selby, Kansas: Selby is quite possibly the most unique prospect in this draft class. Coming out of high school, he was considered one of the top five recruits in the country. An explosive perimeter scorer, Selby's freshman season at Kansas was largely forgettable. He battled injuries (a broken hand in the preseason, a stress fracture late in the year), a suspension, and a role that didn't suit his skill set. As a result, he numbers were far from impressive this year. But that doesn't mean that the talent that garnered him so much attention in high school is gone, especially now that he is healthy.

Nolan Smith, Duke: I am a big fan of Nolan Smith's game. He proved this season just what he is capable at the collegiate level when he is the focal point offensively, winning ACC player of the year and finding himself in the conversation for national player of the year before a late slump. But until Kyrie Irving injured his foot, Smith also showed just how good of a role player he can be, ignoring his individual successes and exposure in exchange for winning games with the Blue Devils. Smith can do everything on a basketball court. He can shoot the three, he can beat a defender off the dribble, he can play on the ball or off, and he's a very good defender.

Bold Prediction: DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky: Liggins did not have a great career at Kentucky. As a freshman, he almost left the program due to his lacking relationship with former head coach Billy Gillispie. As a sophomore, in his first year under John Calipari, Liggins struggled to find a role on a team that was stacked with five future first round picks. But as a junior, Liggins really began to come into his own as a player. He embraced the idea that he was a defensive stopper. At 6'6" with length and lateral quickness, Liggins has the potential to guard all three perimeter positions. Throw in his ability to knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers, and I would be surprised if Liggins wasn't able to find a role on an NBA team somewhere.
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NBA Draft Profiles: Nolan Smith, Duke

Bjorn Zetterberg of SwishScout.com will be helping us out with all of our NBA Draft Profiles this year. You can follow him on twitter @swishscout.

To browse through the latest prospect profiles, click here. To see a complete list of the players we have profiled, click here.

Stats: 20.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.5 rpg, 3.2 t/o's, 1.2 spg, 35.0 3PT%

Age: 22, senior

Size:

• Listed: 6'2", 185 lb
• Official: 6'1.5" (no shoes), 6'3.5" (with shoes), 6'5.5" (wingspan), 8'3" (reach), 188 lb

Strengths: There isn't much that Nolan Smith doesn't do well on a basketball court. He's got good size for a point guard in the NBA. He's not the best athlete in this draft, but he compensates for it; he has a very high basketball IQ and understands his strengths and limitations. He has a crafty and effective handle, understanding how to use a change of pace and a change of direction to create space. He's able to finish in the paint using a variety of floaters and short jumpers, but can finish at the rim using his body to hold off a defender. Smith is also capable of dunking on an opponent upon occasion. As a shooter, Smith is still a bit inconsistent, but he's gotten better throughout his career. Perhaps the most important aspect of his game is that Smith has shown to be capable of running a team this season, taking over the point guard duties this year for Kyrie Irving this year. He's a better passer and creator that you think, and has improved in the pick and roll.

Weaknesses: Smith is not a prototypical NBA athlete. He's not overly quick, especially on the defensive end of the floor, but he makes up for it but playing hard on that end of the floor and understanding positioning and rotations. He still needs to improve his jump shot as well, but he's gotten consistently better throughout his career. He did turn the ball over more than you would like out of your point guard, but some of that can be attributed to the amount of time he had the ball in his hands. Smith is a very well-rounded, intelligent player, but his biggest weakness may be that he is not great at any one thing.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Kirk Hinrich is the name that immediately comes to mind. They have similar skill sets and are both very intelligent players, but Hinrich had a couple of seasons where he averaged 16 ppg and 6 apg as a starter in the league. I'm not sure Smith will be able to reach that plateau. Mario Chalmers is another comparison that I've seen that I like, although I think Smith is a more well-rounded offensive player than Chalmers.


• Worst Case Scenario: Anthony Carter. Carter has made a career out of being a serviceable back up point guard. He doesn't do a lot, but he can create, he can knock down a three, and he's willing to fit a role. I can see Smith having a long career similar to that of Carter.

Outlook: Smith's longevity in the NBA is going to be determined by his ability to run a team. He's naturally a combo-guard, and the majority of his career at Duke was spent as a score-first player. He's not going to have that kind of impact in the league. The best thing for Smith's career may have been Irving's injury, as he was able to slide over to the point and prove what he was capable of doing as a primary ball-handler. Suffice to say, he impressed. Smith had some big games on national television and made quite a few big shots in crucial moments. Along those same lines, it is probably also a good sign for his professional prospects that he was willing to play off-the-ball for much of his career as a Blue Devil. Its pretty obvious that Smith is not only talented, but he's willing to play a role for the betterment of his team.

Draft Range: Late 1st round to early 2nd round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Smith is a combo guard with solid athleticism and a knack for scoring. But for the last year and a half, the senior has gone a long way in shoring up his credentials as a legitimate point guard. He sees the floor better and better as the years have progressed and has shown he can have a big game even when his shot isn't dropping. The biggest term I've heard scouts use to describe him is "steady" and that's a major compliment in their book. Smith doesn't necessarily project as a NBA star (though scouts are hedging more on that than they were a year ago), but a number of teams covet him as a potential rotation player who could cover both backcourt positions coming off the bench."


• Draft Express: "Not a natural playmaker, Smith's ability to run an offense full time could be the key to whether or not he's seen as a legitimate starter down the line. Smith has a high basketball IQ and is a willing passer, and at the very least should be able to competently run an offense for stretches off the bench as a combo guard. The diversity of Smith's offensive game, even if he may not be dominant in any individual area, combined with his willingness and ability to defend the point should create a fairly limited floor and make Smith a reasonable bet to be a contributor at the next level, which will make him especially attractive to playoff teams picking in the second half of the first round."


• Swish Scout: "Dynamic combo guard who stepped up big time at Duke as a senior and became an elite NCAA player can do everything well, but nothing spectacular. Thrives as a compliment to a star player with his shooting, passing and creation skills, but will be questions in the NBA about his potential and size on the perimeter."

Highlights:




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Saying Goodbye: Nolan Smith

In this world of NBA Draft early entry and one-and-done freshman, it is difficult to become attached to a college star. They simply don't hang around long enough. But when they do, that player becomes the fan favorite. There is nothing like watching a kid develop from a overwhelmed freshman into star as a senior. Those are the players that the fans connect with.

We reached out to some of the blogosphere's best, and over the next couple of weeks we will be running a series of posts saying goodbye to some of the country's best seniors.

Our eighth installment of the 2011 series is being provided by Seth Curry Saves Duke. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, I highly recommend you do: it's insightful, entertaining, and well-written. You can hit them up on twitter at @SCurrySavesDuke

Eight points. 3-14 from the field. Two assists. Six turnovers.

That was Nolan Smith’s line in the last game of his college career. While the Arizona Wildcats celebrated their resounding Sweet-16 victory, Nolan stood on the sidelines with a shattered heart. In the two awful hours preceding the end, he could be seen staring ahead, unblinking, those huge, brown eyes held open in white alarm. It was the unmistakable expression of fear. His own baffling inability, along with the Wildcat barrage, left him shell-shocked.

It was a moment to make you question the cosmic justice of the world. As an ending, this was absurd, obscene, and existentially cruel.

Nolan was the humble kid with the ubiquitous smile who returned to Duke because he loved the school and coveted a second national championship. He was the player whose sheer resilience and willpower altered the course of his college career, transforming him from a timid freshman who nearly left his school into the ACC Player of the Year. He was the owner of a newfound swagger that somehow never strayed into arrogance. He was the guy with a rare but wonderful sense of humor, the oddball with the soft, almost delicate voice. He was the shooting guard forced to learn a new position when Kyrie Irving wounded his toe, and who played the point so well that Duke won the ACC championship and earned a 1-seed in the west region. He was the cool, powerful warrior who suffered the loss of his father at a young age and created a spectacular career in the wake of the tragedy.

Players like Nolan Smith deserve a storybook ending.

Instead, it all broke down. As Arizona relentlessly revealed every weakness of an imperfect team, Nolan displayed an odd passivity. An unlucky beginning snowballed into a nightmare—a final performance so meek, and so aimless, that empathetic Duke fans everywhere longed for the mercy of the buzzer. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving was back at the point, running a one-man offense and proving to the world that yes, his draft stock should remain sky high. Coach K watched stoically from the sideline as his team floundered under the new leadership of an admittedly wonderful prospect who had, when you thought about it, only cheered in street clothes during the formative days of February. It was almost like witnessing a coup; King Hamlet toppled, and Claudius the usurper leading Denmark to ruin.

But as quickly as the shock of Nolan’s failure set in, it wore off. The whistle blew, the loss was final, and the legacy was intact. Today, these descriptions of his saddest hour must be forcefully dredged from the murky regions of memory, and to those deep realms they shall now return.

Because what we’ll remember about Nolan Smith is the greatness, and how different it was from other forms of greatness. We’ll remember the utter lack of machismo, a rare absence he replaced with joy. We’ll remember the way he attacked, the lethal crossover giving way to the slicing drive. We’ll remember the pure shot, devastating and beautiful. We’ll remember the wizened face, as though a mischievous old man had possessed the liquid body. We’ll remember the euphoria; the inspired genius of his better days.

And I’ll remember three specific games long after the sound of his name has faded in Durham.

1. Duke vs. Baylor, March 28, 2010, Elite Eight.

Nolan led the team with 29 points, including 17 in the second half, to save Duke from what had become its annual tournament fate—an early exit at the hands of a surging, athletic opponent. This game raised all kinds of red flags, in particular because it was being held in Houston before a hostile crowd. With four minutes left, Duke trailed by two and seemed to be wilting beneath the roars. History was repeating itself with horrible precision. Then Nolan scored seven straight points, Duke regained the lead, and fate was cheated. A week later, the journey he preserved in Texas ended in Indiana when Gordon Hayward missed a half-court shot.

2. Duke vs. North Carolina, March 5th, 2011.

On that night, Carolina triumphed at the Dean Dome by double digits. They were hungry for a victory, and their fans were admirably rabid. Duke would later beat the Heels in the ACC Tournament to secure the season series, but they had to endure a shellacking first. Still, standing amid a sea of powder blue in the upper decks, I did experience islands of pleasure in the swelling misery. These came courtesy of Nolan Smith, who scored 30 points and proved beyond a doubt that whatever the outcome, he was the best player on the floor. His quality prompted brief lulls in the Tar Heel noise machine, forcing the exultant fans to pause, momentarily, and consider how the hell someone could be that good.

3. Duke vs. North Carolina, February 9, 2011.

Carolina rode a series of strong victories into Cameron Indoor Stadium, and their excellence was on full display as they staggered the Devils and took a 43-29 halftime lead. In every sense, Duke had been outclassed. Then Nolan came out ablaze and scored 22 second half points, setting off a series of increasingly thunderous detonations that culminated in Duke’s best regular season victory in years. Along with Seth Curry, he shot the Tar Heels right out of the building.

We’ve all seen great players make it rain, but that’s for mere mortals. On February 10th, the morning after, a light dusting of white covered the ground in Durham. You can believe what you want—I say Nolan Smith made it snow.


More from "Saying Goodbye"

2011: Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
2011: Josh Harrellson, Kentucky
2011: DJ Kennedy, St. John's
2011: JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
2011: Matt Howard, Butler
2011: Keith Benson, Oakland
2011: Preston Knowles, Louisville Continue reading...

Much more at play in Duke's loss than just the Kyrie Irving effect

After watching Arziona's second half destruction of the Duke Blue Devils, one of the prevailing themes on my twitter feed was that Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski made a tactical error by bring back Kyrie Irving for the NCAA Tournament.

That Kyrie Irving's presence on the court was the reason that the Blue Devils were run out of the gym by Arizona tonight.

Now, for the sake of this post and due to the fact that you will be reading it over and over at the other websites you use for college basketball and NCAA Tournament material, I'm going to limit what I say in regards to what Arizona did tonight. The Arizona team that played in the second half of this game would have beaten Duke in early December, back when Kyrie Irving was healthy. I truly believe that. Good teams that play great beat great teams that play good. (And yes, I'm aware that is terrible english. Blame the saying, don't blame me.)

We're talking Duke here.


And frankly, Duke has been heading in the wrong direction for about the past month.

In his first 27 games, Nolan Smith averaged 21.7 ppg. He shot 48% from the floor and 38% from three. His assist-to-turnover ratio was 1.77. Over the past 10 games, Smith has averaged 17.9 ppg while shooting 38% from the floor, 27% from three, and notching 4.5 apg to 3.7 t/o's. Three of his four single digit scoring games this season came in the past two weeks.

Smith was sliding before Kyrie Irving came back.

The same with Kyle Singler. He was 2-3 from three today. It was the first time he had made multiple threes in a game since February 13th, and the first time he shot better than 50% from deep in a single game since December. Over the last seven games, Singler is averaging 14.7 ppg while shooting 17.9% from three and committing four fouls in five of those seven games.

Mike Krzyzewski didn't have a choice.

His team was trending the wrong direction. It was a risk bringing Irving back, and while it looks like a dumb play the way things turned out, it was a risk Coach K had to take.

And for what its worth, while Smith struggled tonight -- he was 3-14 from the floor with just eight points and six turnovers -- he also carried Duke in the second half against Michigan, when he scored 17 of his 24 points.

There was more to this loss than just Smith's performance, like the fact that Derrick Williams was single-handedly able to keep Arizona in the game in the first half. Or the Wildcat's 25-9 rebounding advantage in the second half. Or the 54% that Arizona shot from the floor and the 60% the shot from three. Or the fact that Momo Jones -- yes, Momo Jones -- was the best point guard on the floor tonight.

Duke lost because they couldn't handle the punch when Arizona landed a couple haymakers in the second half. They lost because they folded when the Wildcats built a lead.

And while Irving's inclusion may played a part in Smith's horrid night, it was just one of many factors that caused the upset.

Give Arizona the credit they are due.

Duke didn't lose tonight.

Arizona won.
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Toes are the talk of Greensboro

Duke has already lost one star point guard to a toe injury. Now, they may have lost their national player of the year candidate.

Nolan Smith suffered a toe when he landed awkwardly on a jump pass to Kyle Singler midway through the Blue Devils 87-71 ACC quarterfinal victory over Maryland.


"I'm not sure of Nolan's status for tomorrow," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We won't know that probably until tomorrow morning. But he wasn’t able to come back into the ballgame, so we're concerned about that."

Smith needed quite a bit of help to walk off the court after the injury, which puts his status for tomorrow's semifinal matchup with Virginia Tech in doubt. He's scheduled to get x-rays tomorrow morning. If he cannot go, Seth Curry -- the Liberty transfer -- will be running the point. Without Smith in the lineup, Curry did an admirable job leading the Blue Devils as they turned a five point lead into a 16 point victory.

Perhaps this was karma for Duke.

Prior to the game, Kyrie Irving -- who was Duke's original toe injury sufferer -- was on the court, in uniform, working out. It sent a buzz across the arena -- and twitter -- and the possibility that Irving could play. Turns out, he was just doing some rehab workouts:

Irving has done some dribbling drills with Potter holding a resistance band around his waist. Irving was also doing some side-to-side shuffling drills and has taken a handful of jump shots.

There is still no timetable for Irving's return.

We do know one thing, however.

If Smith's injury turns out to be serious, two toes will be what did in their season.
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2/14 - College Hoops Week in Review: I hope you didn't forget Valentine's Day

Game of the Week: Wisconsin 71, Ohio State 67

Jordan Taylor provided us with the most exciting 13 minutes of basketball this season on Saturday. With Wisconsin down 47-32 after Ohio State went on a 21-6 run, the no-longer-underrated Taylor caught fire. He scored on a tough drive. Two possessions later, he knocked down a three to get the lead to ten. On Wisconsin’s next possession, he buried another three to cut Ohio State’s lead to seven. After two Mike Bruesewitz free throws and another jumper from Taylor, the Badger’s point guard found freshman John Gasser for a three that tied the game with 9:46 left.



All told, the nation's slowest team had erased a 15 point deficit on the nation's No. 1 team in 3:30. Aaron Craft did his best to keep Ohio State in the lead, scoring six of the Buckeye's next eight points as they opened up a four point lead, but Taylor had the answer. He hit a three, found Mike Bruesewitz for a three, and found Keaton Nankivil for a jumper to put Wisconsin ahead, then he capped the run with a three pointer of his own with 5:34 left in the game as the Badgers went up 60-55.

Taylor finished with 27 points and seven assists, accounting for all but six points and three assists in the final 13 minutes of the game. The court was stormed, Ohio State suffered their first loss of the season, and Taylor was Rudy'd.

Florida 61, Tennessee 60: It seems like every game played in the SEC East is a close game with an exciting finish. Florida, however, has proven to be the best in the conference at winning those close games, which is why they are currently sitting at 9-2 in the league with a two game lead. In this one, the Gators overcame a 35-29 half time deficit, winning on a tough, driving layup by Erving Walker with 14 seconds left.



Duke 79, UNC 73: Like the Wisconsin-Ohio State game, Duke-UNC didn't have a great finish, but it was quite entertaining nonetheless. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 43-27 lead in the first half, but Duke led an entertaining rally in the second half, as Seth Curry and Nolan Smith combined for 40 points after the break.

Wild finishes:

• Colorado 58, Kansas State 56: Down by two with 1.1 seconds left, Rodney McGruder hit what appeared to be a game-winning three at the buzzer. But after the refs reviewed the shot, it was obvious it came after the buzzer:

• Pitt 57, Villanova 54: Villanova had the same thing happen. The Wildcats managed to force a couple of turnovers to get back into the game, finally cutting the lead to just three on an Antonio Pena three. After another Pitt turnover, Dominic Cheek missed a three, but the rebound was kicked out to Maalik Wayns, who hit a three one second after the buzzer expired and about thirty seconds after McGruder's three was waved off.


• Rutgers 77, Villanova 76: That wasn't the only tough loss that Villanova suffered this week. Against Rutgers, the Wildcats blew a 13 points lead with five minutes left and an eight point lead with 1:50 of the block. But thanks to some hot shooting by the Scarlet Knights, they were able to get back into it. Down three, Jonathon Mitchell hit a three and was fouled with 0.8 seconds left.
  

• Rhode Island 71, Charlotte 70 OT: The Rams overcame a 40-23 second half deficit to force overtime, and in the extra frame Jamal Wilson, who had 11 points on the season coming in, scored on a put back at the buzzer to win the game.
  

• Green Bay 63, Illinois-Chicago 61 OT: Robo Kreps hit a floater at the buzzer to win a Horizon League game back on Thursday, but wait for the 1:10 mark and listen to the announcer's reaction. You'll laugh.

Players of the Week: I don't generally like giving out ties with the Weekly Awards, but four players this week gave such impressive performances, I really had no choice:

Norris Cole, Cleveland State: Cole had the line of the year so far this season, going for 41 points, 20 boards, nine assists, and three steal in a win over Youngstown State. The only other player in the last 15 years to have a 40-20 games was Blake Griffin, who had 40 points and 23 boards against Texas Tech. In a loss on Monday, Cole added 27 points, six assists, and seven boards.

John Jenkins, Vanderbilt: Jenkins was terrific in Vandy's two big wins over Alabama and Kentucky. On Tuesday against the Crimson Tide, he finished with 20 points on 5-11 shooting, but his better performance came on Saturday. With Jeff Taylor struggling, Jenkins picked up the slack, going for a career-high 32 points on 11-17 shooting while hitting six threes, many of them closely contested.

Nolan Smith, Duke: Smith has been a catalyst for the Blue Devils all season long, but never was that more evident than this week. He sparked Duke in the second half of their 81-71 road win over Miami on Sunday, finishing with 18 points and five assists despite sitting out a long stretch of the first half after being poked in the eye. On Wednesday, he scored 22 of his 34 points in the second half as Duke rallied from 16 down to knock off North Carolina.


Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin: We've already talked plenty about Taylor's play against Ohio State, both in this post and from the write-ups on Saturday. Taylor averaged 21.5 ppg and 7.5 apg in two wins this week, including 21 points and four assists during Wisconsin's comeback from 15 points down in the last 13 minutes against Ohio State.

The all-they-were-good-too team:

• G: Dwight Hardy, St. John's: Hardy has been on fire of late, and it continued this week. The senior guard has scored at least 25 points in three of his last five games, including a 33 point outburst in the Johnnie's win over UConn. He followed that up with 18 points in a win at Cincinnati. Hardy was 9-15 from three on the week.
  
• G: Ramone Moore, Temple: Moore has become Temple's start, averaging 15.0 ppg on the season. This week, he led the Owls to two wins, including a 12 point win at Dayton, by averaging 24.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 3.5 apg.
  
• F: Draymond Green, Michigan State: Have the Spartans finally turned a corner this season? The optimists say yes, and Green is a big reason why, as he notched a 15 point, 14 rebound, 10 assist triple-double in an 18 point rout of Penn State.
  
• F: Justin Harper, Richmond: In wins over GW and St. Louis this week, Harper averaged 21.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg, while shooting 14-21 from the floor and 6-10 from three.
  
• C: JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: Johnson averaged 19.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg in two wins this week for the Boilermakers.
  
• Bench: Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota (20.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg in two games this week); Reggie Jackson, Boston College (29.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 22-36 FG, 8-16 3PT); Kyle Kuric, Louisville (25.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 18-29 FG, 9-14 3PT); Malcolm Lee, UCLA (22.0 ppg in a 2-0 week); Erving Walker, Florida (20.5 ppg, game-winner versus Tennessee)
  

Team of the Week: Xavier Musketeers

The Muskies did a lot this week. They took over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10. They put themselves into prime position for an at-large berth. And they did it by winning on the road despite not getting great performances out of Tu Holloway.

On Tuesday, X went into Athens and knocked off Georgia 65-57. Holloway led four players in double figures with 18 points, but he didn't score until there were five minutes gone in the second half. Instead, it was the play of Mark Lyons and Dante Jackson that kept Xavier in it until Holloway was able to take the game over. On Sunday, Xavier got 20 from Holloway, 19 out of Dante Jackson, and 12 points and 12 boards from Kenny Frease as they went into Pittsburgh and knocked off Duquesne, who they were tied for first place in the conference with.


Xavier still has some work to do this season. A couple of ugly early losses on their resume hurt, and the Muskies have shown they are plenty capable of losing to a team like Charlotte in league play. But it seems as if Xavier is, once again, peaking at the right time. Give credit where credit is due -- this coaching job by Chris Mack, overcoming the injuries and ineligibilities that he has had to deal with, is as good as any in the country.

Also impressive this week:

• Wisconsin and Purdue: As we mentioned earlier, the Badgers handed Ohio State their first loss of the season. They also knocked off Iowa on the road earlier in the week. The Boilermakers had an impressive win of their own on Sunday, going into Champaign and beating Illinois. They also knocked off Indiana on Tuesday in a rivalry game. It sets up a battle for second place in the conference on Wednesday, as these two teams are tied for second place, two games behind Ohio State.


• St. John's: On Thursday, the Johnnies once again proved their home court dominance with a 17 point win over UConn, their fourth impressive home win in the last five week. Then on Sunday, they went into Cincinnati and knocked off the Bearcats, landing a huge bubble victory and proving themselves capable of winning on the road.

• Vanderbilt: The Commodores went a long way towards asserting themselves as the second best team in the SEC East. Not only did they hand Alabama their first loss against the SEC East on Tuesday, they outlasted Kentucky 81-77 at home on Saturday afternoon.
  


• Pitt: Playing without the injured Ashton Gibbs, the Panthers notched two very tough road wins, knocking off West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl and then beating in state rival Villanova. The Panthers are looking more and more like the best "team" in the country.


• Georgetown: If you didn't know yet, the Hoyas are the hottest team in the country and officially back from the slump they had to start Big East play. On Wednesday, they went into the Carrier Dome and beat hated-rival Syracuse before coming home to knock off a scrappy Marquette team. The Hoyas are doing it with defense, as they have now won eight in a row.


• Duke: The Blue Devils are well on their way to erasing all memories of the humiliating defeat they suffered at the hands of St. John's. Since that loss, Duke has won four straight, including road wins at Miami and Maryland and Wednesday's rivalry matchup with North Carolina.


• Kansas: There is not a team in the country playing better basketball on the offensive end then Kansas. On Monday, they beat Missouri by 17 despite the Tigers scoring 86 on points on 51.7% shooting, putting all five starters in double figures, and turning the ball over eight times. Then on Saturday, the Jayhawks beat Iowa State by 23 despite allowing the Cyclones to knock down 14 threes.

• Old Dominion: The Monarchs won two road games this week to remain two games behind George Mason in the CAA standings, beating William & Mary and VCU, who was tied for first with the Patriots.


• Murray State: The Racers claimed sole possession of first place in the OVC with wins over Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State this week.
  


• Valpo: The Crusaders can now claim a one game lead in the loss column of the Horizon League thanks to wins over Wright State and Detroit and a loss by Cleveland State to Detroit.
  


• Montana: After losing to Weber State and Northern Arizona last week on the road, the Grizzlies came home to knock off Sacramento State and then pull into a tie for first with Northern Colorado thanks to a win on Saturday.
  

Matchups of the Week:

• 2/14 - 7:00 pm: West Virginia @ Syracuse
• 2/14 - 9:00 pm: Kansas @ Kansas State
• 2/15 - 7:00 pm: GMU @ VCU
• 2/15 - 9:00 pm: Michigan State @ Ohio State
• 2/16 - 6:30 pm: Wisconsin @ Purdue
  
• 2/16 - 7:00 pm: Georgetown @ UConn
• 2/17 - 7:00 pm: Richmond @ Temple
• 2/18 - 9:00 pm: UConn @ Louisville
• 2/19 - 12:00 pm: Pitt @ St. John's
• 2/19 - 1:00 pm: Notre Dame @ West Virginia
• 2/19 - 6:00 pm: Washington @ Arizona
• 2/19 - 9:00 pm: Utah State @ St. Mary's
• 2/20 - 1:00 pm: Ohio State @ Purdue
  
• 2/18-2/20: Bracket Busters

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National Player of the Year: Don't forget about Nolan

The player of the year race has been a fun one to follow.

Kemba Walker sprinted to the early lead, but defenses began focusing on him and his numbers started to come back to earth just as Jimmer Fredette was coming out of the phone booth as The Jimmer. Fredette is the country's most entertaining player and would likely win the popularity contest -- which, like it or not, matters -- but Jared Sullinger is the best and most important player on the nation's No. 1 team and last remaining undefeated. Sullinger is probably the favorite to win for those that don't get swayed by 30 foot threes and legions of angry mormons.

So where does Nolan Smith fit into this equation?


Because, like it or not Duke-haters, Smith is having a player of the year kind of season.

After the 34 points he had in Wednesday night's win over North Carolina -- 22 of which came in the second half, mind you -- Smith is averaging 21.5 ppg and 5.5 apg. Both of those numbers lead the ACC. Only two other players can make the claim that they lead their league in scoring and assists -- Charles Jenkins of Hofstra, who plays in the CAA, and Norris Cole of Cleveland State, playing in the Horizon. Throw Xavier's Tu Holloway into the mix, and Smith is one of just four players to average more than 20 points and five assists.

What's more, Smith is a darling for the tempo-free lovers as well. Kenpom currently has his situated directly behind Fredette and Sullinger in the kPOY standings. Smith is right up there with Fredette in terms of offensive efficiency as well, and he is worlds better as a defender.

Where Smith is lacking is in what I like to call Sportscenterability. He's not crossing up defenders and pulling up from 30 feet like The Jimmer. He's not hitting impossible game-winners night-in and night-out like Kemba was early on in the season.

But Smith doesn't need to take 30 footers for Duke to win. He has enough talent around him that it is more important for him to execute Duke's offensive game plan than it is for him to try and win the national scoring title.

Anyone that has watched Duke play this season will tell you that Smith may be just as good at getting crunch time buckets as Kemba is. Its different with Smith, though, because he gets the buckets that keep the game from getting to the point that Duke needs a buzzer-beater. On Wednesday, it was Smith's play in the first half, scoring 12 of Duke's 29 points, that kept the Blue Devils within striking distance. It was Smith that sparked the 33-12 second half run that game Duke the lead. And it was his play after UNC got within 60-59 that allowed Duke to push their lead up to seven and take firm control late.

Like Sullinger, Smith is the focal of what Duke wants to do in a half court setting. Ohio State likes to go four around one, feeding Sullinger in the post and allowing his instincts and ability to take over. Coach K does the exact same thing with Smith. Only, instead of posting Smith on the block, he allows him to go 1-on-1, trusting his senior to be able to a) get into the paint and b) make the correct decision on whether to shoot or to kick the ball out once he gets there.

With Kyrie Irving out, Smith is the centerpiece of this Duke attack. At the end of the game, he is the guy with the ball in his hands, making the decisions the will determine the outcome.

And with all due respect to Kemba, Jimmer, and Jared, there isn't a player in the country I would want with the ball in his hands late in a must-win game than Smith.

He may not be the player of the year -- right now, I'd probably say that Jimmer and Jared are in the lead -- but he may very well be the nation's best basketball player.

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Does Duke really need Kyrie Irving back?

Kyrie Irving's toe injury has no doubt been a frustration for both Irving and the Duke program.

Irving has had to spend the last month sitting on the bench, while the Duke coaching staff gets the honor of seeing him in street clothes every time they go to make a substitution. I'm sure that is anything but pleasant.

Its also been frustrating for Duke fans. Not because it has hurt their team -- Duke is winning every game by 30 without Irving, they are doing just fine -- but because there is no timetable. There are no answers. It sucks as a fan if a player suffers a season-ending injury, but you know that player is done. You hope for a full recovery and proceed to cheer on the team that's still on the floor. If he's out for a month, you can circle that date on your calender and figure out who you will be shorthanded against.


With Irving, there have been no dates or timetables. Just speculation.

Thanks to Dan Wiederer of the Fayetteville Observer, at least we now know why we have no answers -- because there aren't any (get ready for a massive blockquote):

"It's a combination of things," Collins said. "There's a ligament and some bone in there that have been damaged. And from what we’ve seen, it’s a very unique injury. It’s a form of turf toe but it’s a little more severe than that. It’s been hard to explain in layman's terms. But because it’s in the ball of his foot, that’s a really dicey area. That’s where you do all your cutting and your jumping. And that’s where you do all of your pushing off from. That’s what’s made this all the more delicate. I don’t know that the injury has an exact label. If it has a name, I don’t know what it is. But it’s something that we need to make sure gets healed correctly before Kyrie even thinks about playing. Because otherwise he could have more problems down the road.”

As for the timetable for Irving’s return? If surgery were ever deemed necessary, the freshman point guard’s season would be over. No ifs, ands or buts about it. But since Irving has shown progress with his healing without surgery and has been doing well with his right foot in a cast for the past four weeks, the Duke coaches feel good about continuing treatment as is.

So what’s the best-case scenario for Irving?

“If we can avoid surgery, that’s the best-case scenario,” Collins said. “But what that means as far as a timetable for his return is hard to say. It’s such a delicate thing and it’s not an injury that’s very common and that we’ve seen before. It’s not like where if you break your foot, you can say ‘OK, we know in six-to-eight weeks, he’ll be back.’ This is truly a unique case where you have to go by feel. And that’s made it hard to say, ‘Hey, if all goes perfectly, he’s back in a month or six weeks.’ We just don’t know. That’s why we’re always talking about having the toe reevaluated. Every week we’re checking it out, seeing what the progress is. And the main thing right now is that we’re on a course that’s non-surgical. And as long as we see good progression, we’ll stay with that.”

So it looks like Irving won't need surgery, but it also doesn't look like he will be back anytime soon.

If I'm a Duke fan, I write him off. If I'm Coach K, I strongly consider ending Irving's season right now. Even without surgery, it doesn't sound like Irving will be coming back any time soon. And even if he is able to return for, say the last four ACC regular season games (which seems like a longshot), the ACC Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament, are you really expecting him to be in game shape? And do you really want to risk the chemistry that this group will surely develop for a player that has been on the shelf for three months?

Duke's issue isn't in the back court.

Nolan Smith has shot up Player of the Year rankings since Irving's injury. Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry have both lived up to their hype. Throw Kyle Singler into the perimeter mix, and the Blue Devils are in good shape on their perimeter.

Duke's issue is that they don't have Brian Zoubek anymore. They don't have a bruiser in the paint. That likely won't be a problem in ACC play (with or without Irving, I think Duke has a very good shot of going undefeated in the ACC), but if Duke runs into a team with a quality big man and good supporting cast (i.e. an Ohio State), they will run into trouble.

To be completely honest, I think that Josh Harrellson would be more valuable to this Duke team than Kyrie Irving.

I can't believe I said it, either. But I think its true.
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Thursday's Shootaround: Fredette responds to Willis while two Smiths stay hot

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

No. 14 BYU 89, UNLV 77: See here.

One other note on this game: in that post for Beyond the Arc, I talked a bit about Tre'Von Willis and his comments from Monday regarding Fredette. After the game, Fredette was asked about them and said "I did see it. It’s something you take in stride. I definitely saw it and was reminded of it." When Willis was asked about Fredette staring him down after a couple of big plays, he responded "He was looking at me? For what?"

I said this on twitter last night, but it bears repeating -- Jimmer Fredette has reached unprecedented levels of swaggy for a white kid.

Tennessee 104, Memphis 84: See here.

No. 1 Duke 85, UAB 64: Duke opened the game on an 26-4, threw it into cruise control, and then watched has Nolan Smith further thrust his name into national player of the year discussions. Simply put, the kid is playing out of his mind right now. He had 33 points, seven boards, five assists, and two steals last night. In his last five games -- since he had two points and ten assists in Duke's non-Kyrie Irving opener -- Smith is averaging 26.2 ppg. In his last three, that number jumps to 29.0 ppg. He's shooting 61.6% from the field, 63.2% from three, and averaging 5.8 rpg and 5.6 apg over those five games.

Also of note, Kyle Singler reached 2,000 career points last night. Impressive.

No. 6 SDSU 66, TCU 53: As they have all season long, the Aztecs turned a close game into a rout in the second half as Malcolm Thomas and Kawhi Leonard combined for 32 points and 25 boards.

No. 10 Purdue 83, Penn State 68: I see you, Ryne! Purdue's 6'3" junior shooter Ryne Smith had 20 last night as the Boilermakers moved to 3-0 in the Big Ten. He has been unconscious in Big Ten play, averaging 16.7 ppg and hitting 12-18 from three. The weirdest part? In those three games, he has taken just one shot inside the arc, but is 12-14 from the charity stripe.

No. 18 UCF 65, Marshall 58: The Golden Knights came back against Marshall, the team Donnie Jones left for UCF back in April, and held on down the stretch thanks to 26 points, six boards, and five assists from Marcus Jordan. I'm not convinced that UCF is the best team in Conference USA just yet, but they are certainly making that case extremely difficult to argue against. Check out these two finishes by Jordan:



No. 23 Louisville 73, Seton Hall 54: They may not have Raheem Buckles or Jared Swopshire, but Louisville embarrassed the Pirates last night as Kevin Willard took on his mentor (Rick Pitino) and his father (Ralph Willard). The Cards never looked back after racing out to a 24-2 quicker than a Rick Pi- ... yeah, you're right, that's a cheap shot.

Harvard 78, Boston College 69: Ok, so can we all get off the "BC is a top 25 team" train now? The Eagles have lost to two Ivy League teams. At home. He may not be Jeremy Lin (yet), but Laurent Rivard is a name you should learn quickly. The irony in this? Steve Donahue left Cornell for BC after last season. I think Yale and Harvard just wanted some revenge for the past two years.

Wisconsin 66, Michigan 50: The Badgers outscored the Wolverines by 18 in the second half to improve to 2-1 in Big Ten play.

Richmond 71, Charlotte 59: Justin Harper scored 27 points as the Spiders landed a nice bounce back win to open A-10 play.

C-USA kicks off: Randy Culpepper had 29 points as UTEP rolled over Tulsa 69-59, while Gary Flowers went for 27 points and 10 boards in an 85-73 win over Houston. The Golden Eagle crowd was ... not in attendance?:


Hofstra 87, George Mason 74: Charles Jenkins had 32 points and 8 assists as the Pride moved to 3-0 in the Colonial.

VCU 52, Drexel 48: VCU hung on to beat the Dragons late and move to 2-1 in the CAA thanks in part to an epic meltdown by Bruiser Flint, who was tossed and had to be restrained by two assistants.

Wake Forest 79, High Point 63: Was this an upset?

Other Notable Games:

• No. 3 Kansas 99, UMKC 52
• No. 8 Missouri 98, North Alabama 58
• Old Dominion 49, Northeastern 34
• NC State 87, Elon 72
• Temple 70, Fordham 51
• Marquette 73, Rutgers 65
• Dayton 60, St. Louis 50
• Ole Miss 75, SMU 57
• New Mexico 102, CS Bakersfield 62
  

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Duke's Nolan Smith suspended two games

Duke's already thin back court suffered a minor blow on Tuesday as Nolan Smith told reporters after an exhibition game against Findlay that he would be missing the season's first two games.

Over the summer, Smith played in a non-sanctioned game near his home town of Washington DC.

"He shouldn't have done it," Krzyzewski told the Charlotte News & Observer after the game. "The guys know. And this is what every basketball player has to know, don't play in a game that has time and score, unless it's a sanctioned game."

Nolan Smith will sit the first two games after playing in a non-sanctioned game over the summer.
(photo credit: Sports Universe)

Smith will miss the Nov. 13th contest against UNC-Greensboro and the Nov. 16th game against Coastal Carolina.

It was apparent during the scrimmage what the loss will mean to the Blue Devils. Smith sat the entire first half, which saw Duke take a 36-23 lead while committing ten turnovers. The Blue Devils pulled away in the second half, winning 84-48. Smith played 12 minutes in the second half.

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No. 11: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Duke Blue Devils

2008-2009 Record: 30-7, 11-5 ACC (t-2nd)

Key Losses: Gerald Henderson (16.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Elliot Williams (4.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg), Greg Paulus (4.9 ppg)

Key Returners: Kyle Singler (16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg), Jon Scheyer (14.9 ppg, 2.8 apg), Miles Plumlee (1.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg), Nolan Smith (8.4 ppg)

Newcomers: Andre Dawkins, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly

Kyle Singler may end up being the ACC player of the year.
(photo credit: Duke Basketball Forever)

The last few seasons, Duke has been notorious for two things - relying on the three-ball to score and their pressuring, over-playing, man-to-man defense. But as the Blue Devils lose so much from their perimeter - Gerald Henderson, Elliot Williams, and Greg Paulus - we are going to be seeing a much different Duke team.

The biggest reason is that the Devils are going to be loaded on the interior this season. It starts with seniors Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas. Zoubek had some fairly high expectations coming out of high school, but has never really found the consistency to be a real factor in ACC play. He isn't strong enough to battle down low and he isn't quick enough to really be a threat on the offensive end. Thomas has been a solid role player in this three years. An excellent athlete with a great motor, Thomas, who may end up coming off the bench, will provide Duke with defense and hustle.

The fact that two seniors may be relegated to the bench should tell you about the potential of this Duke front line. The crown jewels are the Plumlee brothers. Miles, a sophomore, had trouble earning a spot in the rotation last season. He struggled a bit offensively and seemed to get lost at times on the defensive end, but there is no denying his potential. At 6'10", 240 lb, Miles has the build to be an excellent shot blocker but he also has the skills and the athleticism to be a dangerous player on the offensive end. The question is will he put it all together?

Mason, a freshman, might have even more potential. He is a better athlete and more skilled offensively, and while Miles will be stronger in the paint this season after a summer in the weight room, Mason seems to be more of a face-up player. Mason will wreak havoc on the defensive end with his length and should be very dangerous in the open floor.

The other freshman big man is Ryan Kelly. Kelly should be able to fit in at Duke immediately. A lot of scouting reports you read about him are going to say that he plays a "European style". What that means is that the 6'10" Kelly has an offensive game based on the perimeter. He is an excellent shooter with range out to the college three, but he is also a decent ball handler and an excellent passer. Kelly may need a year to become an ACC caliber player on the defensive end, but he definitely will be contributing to the Devils right away.

And then there is Kyle Singler. What can I say about Singler that hasn't already been said? He is one of the best forwards in the country, and will get a chance to prove his ability playing almost exclusively as a three this season. He can shoot, he can get to the rim, he will defend, he can pass, he can rebound. The kid is simply a basketball player, and one of the best in the country. ACC player of the year and first team all-american? Its very possible.

As I said, the back court is where the issues will be this year. Duke only has three guards on the roster - Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer, and Andre Dawkins. Smith is the guy a lot of people are saying will be the x-factor of this team. He is going to be starting at the point, and Duke is going to need to him to live up to the hype he had coming out of high school. An excellent defender and athlete for the point guard spot, Smith's offensive ability has been a bit inconsistent in his first two seasons. While he has shown flashes, he hasn't been the all-around scorer and playmaker he was expected to be.

You know what you are going to get out of Jon Scheyer. He's a heady scorer with a knack for hitting tough shots in the mid-range. An under-appreciated defender, Scheyer is a kid who was looked over a bit from a national perspective. The biggest issue for Scheyer is that he struggles when he has to play off the ball. Not because he doesn't have the ability, but because he is unable to take advantage of his size and strength against bigger defenders. Scheyer played his best basketball last season when Elliot Williams was moved into the starting line-up. All of a sudden, the big, strong, and athletic ACC two-guards were defending Williams, and Scheyer was able to go against the smaller point guards, taking advantage of his superior size and strength.

Which is why the signing and development of Andre Dawkins will be so important. Dawkins, who decided to enroll at Duke early instead of attend a fifth year of high school, is an extremely athletic 6'4" wing. He can score, he can defend, and he can get to the rim and finish. But will he be able to compete in the ACC as an 18 year old? If yes, than that will allow Scheyer to play a lot of minutes on the ball. If not, than Dawkins is still going to be playing a lot of minutes. Duke has no one else.

Outlook: The Blue Devils have a lot of potential on this team, and it is too early to peg them right now. I can see this team putting it all together and winning the ACC en route to a Final Four trip. But I can also see their bigs struggling inside, Nolan Smith unable to carry the torch, and the Dukies ending up outside the top 25 most of the year. With their size, length, and athleticism across the front line, and thanks to Coach K's time spent this summer with Jim Boeheim, Duke will be playing more zone than in years past. Will these guys learn to be effective in it? My prediction: 11-12 ACC wins, 24 or 25 wins on the year, and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen as a 4 or 5 seed.
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