news archive

4-20-02: DOH AND THE HEELS JUST UPGRADING

ESPN has an article about Matt Doherty upgrading the Heels with All-Americans. Nice read.

4-20-02: GOODEN TO LEAVE, WILCOX GONE??

Drew Gooden has decided to skip his final year with Kansas to enter the NBA draft. He claims that he will "always be a Jahawk at heart." That is nice and hopefully he will do well. It seems that he thought quite a bit about his decision and hopefully he made the right one. We wish him luck.

Here is the latest on Chris Wilcox. It is kinda an old article, but I will update as soon as more news comes out.

4-19-02: SITE INFO

I apologize about how slow I have been lately in putting info up. I will try to be better about it. If you have any questions about this site please feel free to email me. Also, if you would like to contribute articles or information to this site, please email me!!! My email address is "John.Kells@elon.edu" I would love to have some help, and if you think you are right, just let me know. I will let you do as little or as much as you would like.

Also, just for your info, I will probably updat the site 2-3 times a week during the summer. I can't go to school and everything and still update daily. Thanks, and I will continue to strive to give you the best, honest, Duke Basketball info on the net.

4-19-02: VOTES IN!!!

Yall have finished your voting for whom you believe will be the top incoming player for Duke. In what has been the largest poll ever held here at Duke Refreshments, 69 votes were cast and the winner was JJ Redick with almost half, 34, of the votes.

Shelden Williams placed second with 24 votes and the rest went: Shavlik Randolf, Michael Thompson, Sead Dockery, and then Lee Melchionni. Thanks for voting and make sure to cast your votes for this weeks poll: "Which Duke player has had or will have the best pro career?"

4-19-02: IF GOODEN RETURNS- JAHAWKS #1

Its no suprise really, but they announced on the Herald sun that if Drew Gooden returns, then Kansas will likely take the top spot in the polls, followed by Arizona, with Duke at the #3 spot. That is a really good place to start out early, but one which means that Duke will have to produce early with a bundle of freshmen. Its a long way away though, and the real polls haven't even come out yet, so there is no reason to worry about it right now.

4-19-02: LINKS ON UNC

Here are some links that yall may have missed on the current UNC Situation. Dick Vitale gives his insight. He claims that UNC players should adopt Doh's Work Ethic. Andy Katz writes about how Doh has edured even as UNC has dipped to historic lows. Here is more aftershock from the ACC Today.

4-19-02: RIGHT AND WRONG REASONS TO LEAVE EARLY

Dick Vitale has listed his top five good and five bad reasons to leave for the NBA early. Not bad to skim through. He also has the results of feedback on his online polls. ESPN also has a list of all the early entries (yes including Dukies) and a quick blurb about how they will fare in the draft.

4-19-02: MCDONALDS REPORT CARDS

CNNSI gives Duke and UNC A+ on their McDonalds All-American Rerport Cards.

4-5-02: CLINT JACKSON ON MCDONALDS GAME

Clint Jackson has am alalysis up on the game, it is especially nice cause it focuses on all the Duke- er- UNC- er- I meant ACC recruits... A good read. Here is an article from the Herald Sun about how the ACC shined and is could be the best conference in the country next year. Another article from the H-S discusses Sean Dockery and his development over the past year. Check it out.

4-5-02: REDICK MVP OF MCDONALDS ALL-AMERICA GAME

Duke nound JJ Redick won the MVP honors of the McDonalds All-America game as he poured in 26 points. It was the most lopsided victory in the game's history, 138-107. The game, in case you didn't know, featured 7 players bound for Duke or UNC (4 to Duke) and it left an impression. Future UNC recruit Rashad McCants was second in MVP voting and the two players talked about how they knew "the rivalry will reume next year." It sounds fun!! Read up on the ESPN article!!

4-5-02: ESPN RANKS DUKE #4

ESPN has already given out the power rankings for next season. Duke has started out at #4, while Arizona resumes its place at #1 for the season. In my opinion, this is a good place to start for the Devils, considering the youth they will display inside. I think that starting out on top is kind of anti-climatic as well as the fact that everyone marks down the matchup on their calender. Duke will need to prove themselves early, and hopefully the experienced players will help with the early development of the youth of the freshmen. It will not be like 1999 when Booze, JWill and Dunleavy had no one to look up to (except a certain Mr. Battier, James, C-Well and Krzyzewski). These aren't the official rankings but they give a pretty good indication of where teams will be. They also place the defending champs, Maryland, at #13...

4-5-02: DICKIE V PUTS DUKE AT #5

Along with the ESPN rankings, Vitale has Duke at #5, woth a look if you have the time. Here is the link. Everyone is picking the Wildcats to win it all, and it looks like they just might. Watch out for Kansas though, claims Vitale.

3-31-02: NEW DUKE WEBSITE!!

Hey all you fans, there is a new Duke website out there that has been up for about a month, you might want to check it out It is called Premium Duke...

3-31-02: NEWS UPDATES...

I have been gone for a couple of days and some information has gone unmentioned on the site that should have been put up. First and foremost, Coach K got through his second hip replacement surgery fine and he is resting well in the hospital. He should be out soon and we wish him well going into recovery. Also important, Jason has comtinued to pile up the hardware and won almost every Player of the Year trophy known to man. He is now being rewarded for a remarkable three years at Duke and I look forward to seeing him back next year when he gets his jersey retired.

Tonight was the national semifinals and it was pretty fun to watch. If you haven't heard, Indiana knocked off Oklahoma in the first game. It was quite entertianing and it was close for most of the game. Back and forth, Indiana fell behind early, but through a perfect 6-6 from behind the arc in the second half they came back and were able to pull it out. They were only 2-7 in the first half from three point range but ended up 7-13 to continue their hot shooting for the tourney. They were really focused and determined and reached the finals for the sixth time in school history, having won the previous five times they have reached the championship game.

Maryland beat an upbeat Kansas team in the second match of the night and moved to the finals for the first time in Gary Williams tenure at UM. The Terps really handed it to Roy Williams team, and they never looked as if they were going to really lose it. Though Maryland went up by 20 late in the game, Kansas came back and made it look intersting for the final two minutes. It never truly seemed to be in doubt, however, and the Jayhawks never came closer than 5 points in the final minutes.

It should be an interesting final, and one that I never thought I would see. No #5 seed has ever won the trophy, and it will be tough to steal it away from a talented and eager Maryland team.

3-31-02: LINKS, MORE TO COME

Maryland-Kansas Recaps: | ACCToday | N&O |

Indiana- Oklahoma Recaps: | ACCToday | N&O |

Women Recaps: | DBR Links | DBR Recap |

3-25-02: DUKE TO THE FINAL FOUR!!

| GoDuke | ESPN | FansOnly.com |

The womens team beat a tough South Carolina squad tonight to advance to the Final Four in San Antonio. The Devils were led by Alana Beard, who had twenty-four points in the victory. The commentators announced that she is only about 15 points away from breaking the Duke single season scoring record. The is remarkable considering that she is only a sophomore, and as she announced earlier in the year, she will be around for two more years. She is so smooth on her moves and really knows how to put the ball in the basket.

Tonights game was defense oriented for most of the game. Both sides had trouble scoring due to defensive intensity and both had some turnover problems at some point in the game. Duke took care of the ball early on, but in the second half turned it over more than they should. Tillis had a tough game, and really took some poor shots. It is ok though, because great teams pick up other players when they are having a tough day. Down the stretch the Blue Devils made several big time plays, along with hitting their free throws (as they always do). USC was able to pull several threes out of their pocket- some from very long range- but Duke had an answer for every one of them, and it led them to the final four. Krista Gingrich hit several threes to propel the team over one of the three teams that had beaten Duke this year. It was fun to watch, and it quickly became apparent that down the final few minutes it would be the team that hit the most threes what would advance to the next round. Duke hit more threes, and used a big free throw advantage to make the final score, 77-68, look like a bigger margin than it actually was. I will have more later, as more links come out, I will post them. For now, congrats to the Blue Devils!!

3-25-02: HUGGINS TO STAY AT UC

Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins announced that he will remain put at UC for the upcoming season. There were wide reports that he was going to take over the coaching job at West Virginia, where he graduated.

3-23-02: THANKS FOR A WONDERFUL SEASON....

Its tough for all of us. I know, we lost. It was completely shocking to me and I don' think that I am completely over it yet. What kind of a true Duke fan could be. But dome on, it was an amazing season, with amazing players. We will never see a team like this one again. No one ever does, every year is different, and, as Coach K often says, every team runs its own race. This years team ran a beautiful race, but they just didn't finish on top. Its ok. At the end of the year only one can be crowned champion, and it is rarely your favorite team. Duke fans have been lucky enough to be crowned champion at the end of the year three times in the past 11 years. That is really unbelievable, and we won't know exaclty how special it is until far after these glory days are finished. They will end. Great runs always do. We don't know exaclty when it will happen, and we certainly hope it won't be now. It probably won't be, because we have a few special players left- namely some men by the name of Duhon, Dunleavy, Jones, Ewing and some new ones like Reddick, Randolph, and more... It will be ok, even though it stings now.

Maybethe worst feeling thay I have is that Williams and Boozer had to go out like that. It is so rough to see players who have had special careers like them leave on a sour note like that. They have huge things for them in the future, probably lucrative, successful NBA careers. They will also have a degree with the words "Duke University" in their pocket. Elton Brand doesn't have that. Maybe more important, we should look at William Avery, who is struggling to survive in the league and doesn't have a degree. Jason and Carlos only spent one more year in college but they did so much. They matured, sharpened their game, and got a degree. They also put a positive spin on leaving early and formed a new way for the modern basketball player. They resisted the urge to jump to the NBA early and they are definately better because of it. The University owes them so much and we wish them well. They brought Duke back when everyone thought they would finally fall.

Remember those first two games when Booze, JWill, and Dunleavy were freshmen? And do you remember the next 20? They have done amazing things for Duke, and I can't thank them enough for the special moments they provided me with. They have always conducted themselves in professional manner and will always have a special place in my heart. Thanks Jason, thanks Carlos, and thanks Matt. You will always be remembered as great players for Duke University, but more importantly, great people.

For the rest of the team, it is something to hold in their hearts until the ball is tossed up next year. It will no doubt make them stronger and more ready for the next time they are in the situation. Hopefully they will find success too, but for now, lets not look to next year. Lets look at the beautiful careers of Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Matt Christensen and be thankful. Also look to this season as a success, with an ACC Championship, a #1 ranking for the end of the year, and an appearance in the sweet 16 of the NCAA tourney. Good luck to all, and until next time... thanks.

3-14-02: MORE LINKS

Here are some more links for you. I thought the one on espn.com about Duke losing was a good read, especially because it continues the trend of Duke bashing that has become ever so common as of late. Here are the new links:

3-14-02: CAVS SEASON OVER

Another year ended for the Virginia Cavs yesterday. It was a season filled with promise, but ended in agony, with the high expectations undercut by a series of injuries and other happenings. The team literally fell apart in every sense of the word, and went from a team that was undefeated and ranked #4 in the nation to one that lost in the first round of the NIT. Here is the story.

3-13-02: PICTURE GALLERY STARTED

I started a picture gallery. It is really quite small right now, but it will grow with time. Feel free to send me your pictures, and here is the link. You can also click on the "Picutre Gallery" tab on the left side of your screen near the team picture. I also updated the player stats page, so check it out!

3-13-02: MORE LINKS

There, that should keep you busy for a little while... There is a little bit of everything in there, some on Carolina, some on the ACC Tourney, some on NCSU, and of course quite a bit on Duke.. Make sure (if you miss everything else) that you check out the Curry Kirkpatrick article- its funny, and good... I will have more later.

3-13-02: BEARD NAMED ALL-AMERICAN

Congrats to Duke Super-Soph Alana Beard, who was named to the AP Womens All-America team. She is such a terrific player and the program already owes so much to her. She has already ststed that she knows she can make more with a Duke degree than in the WNBA, and that is why she went to Duke, so she will be around for her whole 4 years....

3-13-02: GAME TIMES

Here are the game times for the ACC teams in the NCAA tourney

3-13-02: DIXON ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Juan Dixon was announced as the AP ACC Player of the Year yesterday. He received 41 votes to Jason Williams 38 votes. I know that people aren't supposed to look at individual accomplishments, but Jason has to be a little dissapointed to not win POY or the tournament MVP. Certainly Boozer deserved the tourney mvp, and Dixon had an awesome regular season, as the Terps won the regular season title with a 15-1 record, but Jason must be a little upset. People have talked about how Jason's production has dropped off some from last year, especially pointing at assists. But there are a few things tha they aren't mentioning here. First, Jason hasn't played point guard for the second half of the season, so rightfully his assists have dropped off, and Chris Duhon's have picked up. Secondly, it is hard to average over 21 ppg for your sophomore year, and then average many more than that for your junior year. There is a peak, or wall you hit and it is tough (and not team oriented) to go out and average like 25 points a game.

The fact is, in my opinion, that I would rather have Jason on my side when the game is on the line than Juan Dixon. He has accomplished a lot, and is a great player, but i still fear Jason more, and he is more explosive. He has had off shooting nights, but no one has been able to shut him down yet under their own power. Duke (mainly Dahntay), however, was able to shut down Dixon for 9 points in their game against him, and NCSU was able to do the same. So, congrats to Juan, but I still think that you have to ask yourself when you are making the votes- who would you rather play against- and I think that the majority of people would argue that Jason is mroe deadly than Juan when it comes down to it. And JWill was the only unanimous pick for the AP All-America team, so congrats for that.

3-11-02: DUKE FINISHES #1 IN AP POLL

For an unbelievable fourth straight year, Duke finished #1 in the country in the final AP poll. It took some work, as both Maryland and Kansas lost in the last weekend of action, but it happened. It is truly and unbelievable run, and it is too many times taken for granted.

3-11-02: MY TOURNEY RUNDOWN WITH LINKS

I am sorry that I didn't end up writing up any more on the NCSU game. It was really a blowout in every aspect. Boozer was absolutely sensational, and if he plays like that for the next six games, Duke will have a good chance of being crowned NCAA Champs for a second straight year. Ok, here are the links for all of the region picks and some of the reactions.

Of course we all know by now that the West is by far the toughest bracket. It is really a hard one to pick, and even the teams like Arizona, who were supposed to have a tough year, finished strong and are in a good situation to make a run at it, I think. UCLA is another team that has had its troubles, but I think will make a pretty good run also. I picked Arizona and UCLA to play for the regional final, and for Arizona to win it and take on Duke in Atlanta. Missouri will also hopefully get at least a game to their credit. I think a pretty big upset is going to occur pretty early on as Cinci is going to drop out to UCLA. Tey are tough, and I think the Bearcats are just not the team everone thinks they are. Conference USA is weak by most standards, and they just aren't tournament tested. Watch for their dismissal by the sweet sixteen as the earliest #1 seed to drop out.

In the East, Maryland is of course the #1 seed. They are tough, and they have been there before. They probably have no awe in the tournament, and as a veteran team, I think they will go deep- title game deep. They have everyhting they need and it is really theirs to lose. Kentucky might win a game but they have been too out of sunc during the last month to put any sort of major run together. Maybe I am gonna be wrong, and I really could be. They have a heck of a coach, and a heck of a player in Prince, but I just don't think this is a year for them to go too far. I don't know how much the NCSU loss will affect them, but I think they will be ok. The real question is who will be playing them when they get to the elite eight. I have Texas Tech. Never underestimate the prowess and beautiful coaching style of the General. (Yes HE is the General, NOT Archie Miller). I think that NC State is going to turn some heads and make it to the sweet sixteen, but thats about all they have. They of course need to shoot well, and Anthony Grundy has helped the team know that they have someone who will do everything possible not to let them lose. They have momentum, and will probably pull at least one upset, if not two. Maryland, however, will probalby come out of this region in flying colors.

In the Midwest Kansas is the toughie. I don't care if they lost in the title game, they are so strong and they will be able to put that loss behind them. This could be the best team ever out of Kansas, and Roy Williams is certainly ready to put his critics away and prove that he can win the big one. I don't know if I just love the ACC, but I have picked Wake over Peperdine. I just think that Skip Prosser has the team too ready for them to repeat the disaster that occured a year ago. The team has some veteran players and I think that, though many are picking Peperdine here, Wake will prevail. However a strong Oregon Ducks team will end their run and will advance beyond them into the sweet sixteen. Other teams here that could give Kansas a run for their money are teams like Florida. Who knows what could happen. They have some great players and could definately make a trip back to the final four, but I just don't see it happening this year. Kansas to the final four from the midwest.

That leaves the South. It has been labeled the easiest bracket and righfully so. I don't really know what the people think when they pick teams like Gonzaga to have a #6 seed in the toughest region and then leave the South with littel talent. The Zags could have been a #3 or #4 seed in this region and I think everyone would have been fine. Alabama is a good team but really, unless Dke has an off night, they can't touch us with a long stick (i really hope that doesn't come back to bite me). Other teams that could push Duke are Notre Dame (don't underestimate the powers of former Duke players/coaches-- they know the system, and the coach). I do get scared seeing USC in the South, and they could definately play with Duke and pull an upset. They were tough last year, and hopefully the Devils will play them hard this year too. All in all, it is a fairly weak bracket when you compare it to some of the others, and hopefully, if my picks are correct, they Devils will prevail out of the South Regional.

So, i n the final four I have Duke, Maryland, Kansas, and Arizona. I believe if these teams make it then it is gonna be a heck of a weekend in Atlanta. It is gonna be one of the greatest final fours in recent memory. I think the teams that will remain standing after it is all done, however, will be Maryland and Duke. They will play it tough, but in the end I still believe that Duke has the personel and the will to get it done. They will be able to avenge their loss to the Terps in the regular season, and will be able to pull away for a national title...

I am probably quite biased and I am sure that many (if not most) of my picks will fall. Things change, injuries happen, unbelievable upsets, and of course beautiful coaching, and new stars will be made. It is gonna be awesome, and I can't wait for it to get started... Lets get ready to go!!!

3-7-02: DUKE ON COVER OF 'ESPN THE MAGAZINE'

ESPN.com has a picture of the upcoming ESPN The Magazine and it looks as if Duke will be on the cover. The title is: "Is Duke Tough Enough? Kansas and Maryland Say No." It appears that for Duke fans this is a good issue to buy for a couple of reasons. First it will give Duke fans some intensity builder before the tournament (not that the FANS really need it, maybe cause we don't play??), and the articles look pretty interesting. There is a piece on Juan Dixon that looks interesting and there is an article on former Dukie Elton Brand and how he is carrying the Chippers in the NBA. Check it out, here is the link.

3-5-02: COACH K RESPONDS TO ESPN

Mike Krzyzewski has reponded to the ESPN special, outside the lines, that practically ripped Duke for its high graduation rates. It sounds like it was an interesting special, I wish I had seen it but I was out of town. In any case, here are the comments from Coach K, and some notes are at the bottom about Reggie Love.

3-5-02: CAPEL NEW VCU COACH

No, not the old one. Jeff Capel III, the former Blue Devil standout and starter on the runner up team in 1994 will become the youngest Division I coach as he took over the job at Virginia Commonwealth University today. Mike Krzyzewski called in and spoke about how proud he was during the conference. Jeff, 27, helped his dad out at ODU for a year and was an assistant for another year at VCU. I wish him the best of luck, and would like it if ESPN would be more careful about calling Duke the "1994 National Champions." If they don't watch out the former Arkansas Head Coach Nolan Richardson might decide to make a spectacle about it....

3-5-02: FINAL 4 PICKS

I saw this on DBR earlier today, but in case you didn't check there, there is an article up about Jay Bilas' final 4-picks. It is so nice to read or hear anything he says. He is incredibly smart and I respect his opinion on the highest level for college sports so I would definately check out the article if you haven't read it. It gives some good insight.

3-5-02: ALL AMERICANS SELECTED

DBR has reproted that they have learned that Jason Williams and Mike Dunleavy were selected to be NABC First team All-Americans. They also report that Carlos Boozer was selected as a third team AA pick. Congrats to all three for the new hardware that they will soon recieve to put in their trophy cases. In similar news, Dick Vitale has put J-Will and Dunleavy on HIS first team AA pick, along with selecting Jason as National and ACC Player of the year. Here is the article from GoDuke.com.

3-5-02: ACC AWARDS ANNOUNCED

In case you didn't hear the ACC awards were announced yesterday. Duke set a record by being the first team to place three players on the first team All-ACC. Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy, and Carlos Boozer were all distinguished with the honor. Chris Duhon and Mike Dunleavy made the All-ACC defensive team, as well. Daniel Ewing missed the all freshman team but it doesn't matter cause I would rather have him than most other players for his intelegence and skill. He is gonna be great even if he doesn't get to shine this year or bring in all the hardware- he has plenty of time for that. Here are GoDuke.com's thoughts.

3-5-02: WOMEN PERFECT

I generally don't write anyhting about the womens basketball team merely becuase I don't have enough time to keep up with them properly or write a thorough, comprehensive analysis. But it had to be mentioned that the Duke Womens team finished a perfect 19-0 in the ACC this season. That is an incredible accomplishment, and one that has, to my knowledge, nevre been done before. After the Duke 1999 mens team it is known how incredibly great you have to be to do something like that, and it is a real tribute to the program that Coach G has put together. Hopefully, behind the leadership of star Alana Beard, the team will be able to make a run at the National Title.

3-4-02: SORRY!!!

Hey all, I am really sorry for the lack of updates. I have been out of town for a few days and wasn't able to write up any game summaries. Feel free to send them to John.Kells@elon.edu and I will be glad to post them up! I will definately start updating now... so check back soon!

2-25-02: COACH K FROM HERALD SUN

This is a MUST SEE for any Duke fan. There is an entire site up about Mike Krzyzewski from the Herald Sun. It is an interactive site filled with media images and audio clips. Do not miss this!!! Thanks, Chaya, for the link.

2-23-02: DUNLEAVY ACADEMIC ALL-STAR

GoDuke.com has reported the Mike Dunleavy has been named to the Verizon All-Academic Distric III team.Congrats Mike, it is always nice when a player's work in the classroom gets appreciated.

2-23-02: DUKE "CLEANS" THE SLATE

J-Will had some graphic descriptions of what has been going on for the team after the Maryland loss, check out the article from the Herald Sun for yourself.

2-21-02: ESPN ON ALL-AMERICA

ESPN has an article up on who should be the fifth first team All-America selection behind the big four.. There is a poll and you can vote for our boy MikeD (already in first). Pretty comprehensive, and a good read...

2-20-02: NO SUPRISE, DUKE DROPS

No suprise to the college basketball world- Duke fell from its top spot in all polls to third, behind Kansas and Maryland respectively. Here is the AP, Coaches, and RPI.

2-20-02: UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY?

Decide for yourself... The Herald Sun has an article up on Duke's fight for the ACC regular season title with Maryland.

2-20-02: COACH K AND COACH G FINALISTS

Both the mens and womens team coaches were selected as finalists for Naismith Coach of the Year honors. Congratulations, coaches!

2-20-02: HOW TO BEAT DUKE...

Chris Baydson from ACC Today has an article up on how he thinks you could beat Duke. Not a bad read, though, nothing you haven't heard before.

2-14-02: MOMENTUM BUILDING FOR GRUNDY

Their seems to be momentum building and a large amout of talk about considering Anthony Grundy of NC State for the ACC Most Valuable Player Award. This would obviously put Jason Williams on first team ACC but he wouldn't win. I have a few thoughts on this opinion.

My first thought is that J-Will should win and their isn't much more to be said. He is the best player, period. But you have to think aobut your wording of the statement, and see for yourself what it truly means. Lets look: Jason Williams is the best player in the ACC (and probably the country). I said best, not most valuable. I don't know quite what to think... I mean, sure, he is the best player in the ACC, no question, and he has certainly paid his dues and played second fiddle while others (Shane) have won the award. Isn't it his turn? Shouldn't he be the default winner, no questions asked? Well, no, not necessarily.

For retrospect, and to find another angle, I like to switch the situation around. I am a huge Atlanta Braves fan, and I can find a perfect fit to the similar situation for the Braves a couple of years ago. It was 1999 and the Braves were in a very tight pennant race with the Mets, and the winner of the NL East was going to come down to the last six head to head games the teams played agianst each other in the final two weeks of the regular season. As it ended up, the Braves took most of the games and won the pennant. Chipper Jones ended up hitting about .450 for the series and hit several key, late inning homeruns. He ended up with a spectacular year, hitting around .330 and had (I think) close to 40 homeruns. He was the catalyst for the struggling offensive team and he always got the big hit. He may not have been the best player in the NL that year but he WAS the most valuable. This is probably waht most NCSU fans are thinking right now.... This is their perspective.

That analogy really helps me to take away my prejudice for who should win the award. Yes, maybe the award should go to Jason. Heck that would suit me just fine. He will almost certainly win the Naismith and numerous other Player of the Year awards... and as much as i hate to count my eggs before they hatch he will be (unless maybe injury) the #1 pick in the draft next year... So why not give it to Grundy?

Well, my friends, I have one simple answer that I cannot get past. J-Will is not only the best but he is also a gamer. When a game comes down to the line, I would rather have him in the game with the ball than anyone else in the nation. He, as we all know, goes to another level in big game situations (like Kentucky). Just because he has an amazing supporting cast doesn't mean you should strip him of a trophy. He drives the team, he pushes them to a higher level and takes it on his shoulders when Duke loses or plays poor. He doesn't complain and on top of that his work ethic and the example he gives to the rest of the world are second to none.

Folks, the award is Jason's to lose. Cut the pie any way you want- as much as I like Grundy- Jason deserves and has earned the award.

2-13-02: WILLIAMS ON CLASSIC SPORTS!!

GoDuke.com has reported that Jason Williams will be featured in a 30 minute special on Classic Sports Network this weekend. The show will air Firday at 7:30 PM. So make sure to check it out or set your VCR...

2-11-02: BOOZE, J-WILL, MIKE D. NAISMITH FINALISTS

Carlos Boozer, Jason Williams, and Mike Dunleavy were all selected as finalists for the Naismith award. Also, on the Womens side, Alana Beard is a finalist.. congrats... GoDuke.com has the story

2-11-02: DUKE #1 AGAIN

Duke is #1 again in all the polls. Here is the AP, RPI (actually Duke is #2 in this), USA Today-ESPN

2-11-02: CHRONICLE ARTICLES

The Chronicle has a couple of articles on the Duke-GT game on Saturday.. Sorry this is a bit late but here they are... Review.... Analysis

2-11-02: BIG NEWS FROM CHAPEL HILL

It seems to be a huuuge deal in Chapel Hill about the recent Coaching controversy that has come about. If you missed the story (here it is) everyone is in an uproar because Dean Smith chose Rick Majerus as his Gut's sucessor but the AD at UNC hired Doh instead. People seem to be quite upset because they probably would have wanted the Utah head coach, and for good reason- he is a proven winner and is a great coach. I would have no problem with him being given the coaching job (he may be better suited than Doh for the UNC job) and I think he woud have represented the University well. BUT there is a problem. Dean Smith doesn't coach at UNC. He is no longer the man in charge and he has no right to try to defy the decisions made my the Carolina AD or his staff. They made the choice because it was theirs to make- NOT Smiths. His day is over, and the sooner he realizes that, the sooner Chapel Hill will be able to move on and start to love a new coach and new players: they will be able to move beyond the Dean Smith era and start living in the present... now that would be refreshing, wouldn't it?

2-7-02: RUMOR CENTRAL- ELTON IN?

I have recieved word that Elton Brand is replacing Shaq (injured big toe) in the All-Star game. I read it on ESPN.com so it is probably true. It is well deserved, but he should have gotten in in the first place. But at least he is there now... way to go Elton!!

2-6-02: VITALE: "DAHNTAY BECOMING BIG-TIME"

Dick Vitale has an article up on how Dahntay Jones has started to emerge as a Big-Time player. Short, but interesting read nonetheless.

2-6-02: CAPTAIN BOOZER

Carlos Boozer was nated a tri-captain for the squad yesterday to join Jason Williams and Mike Dunleavy. These players, collectively known as the "Big Three" are really the core of the team and Booz has really shown that he deserves the appointment. This follows last season, when JD Simson was named a tri-captain late in the year. Hopefully Carlos will continue to thrive in the Blue Devil uniform and push the team to its highest level, starting tomorrow night against Florida State.

2-6-02: DUKE WOMEN BEAT TERPS

The Devils played a very sloppy game, but were able to beat Maryland 66-55 the other night at Cole Field House. Here is what the Herald Sun had to say, as well as the Chronicle. Ok, while I am at it, here is another game commentary from the Chronicle. By the way, I read it on DBR first, but in case you missed it, Alana Beard will be featured on ESPN Classic this weekend. The Herald Sun has the times it will be showing.... Enjoy!

2-6-02: ARTICLE ON UP COMING FSU GAME

Here is an article on the FSU game from the Herald Sun. It lets you know how much the season has really changes since the last game, and how different things are now.

2-2-02: WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

Congratulations Christian!!! She was the 1000th viewer of this website and by being lucky number 1000, she was the winner of a FREE Duke Basketball Report hat!! Now on to #10,000--- that viewer wins a free DBR t-shirt... Keep coming!

2-2-02: DURHAM ARTICLE

Here is a pretty good article from the Herald Sun about the struggling Tar Heels. It is pretty realistic, and actually somewhat witty. It stated that they will be back, sometime before too long. Its probably true, and it also points to the fact that Duke had little fun beating the Tar Heels so bad the other night... More links to be up later.

2-2-02: SOME MORE ACC LINKS

Here are some good links from GoHeels.com about the game: Krzyzewski Post game thoughts and the admittence of utter defeat at the Dome....This is a Fayetteville article about ACC awards.... another about the "big" game from Fayetteville....Dick Vitale has put Jason Williams and Mike Dunleavy on his "All-Rolls-Royce team"! He also has Dunleavy leading the "All-Versatility Team" and K is on the "All-Guliani Team." --Thanks Dick, we appreciate it!

2-2-02: WORTH ANOTHER LOOK

The Dahntay dunk (Picture on top of page) against UNC was sensational! If you want another look, espn.com has a video clip of it, but it is kinda far down the page. Hopefully you all got a chance to see it live but its better late than never. Check out espn.com later on because they will probably put it up as a dunk of the week candidate!!

1-30-02: MORE ON UNC'S WOES

Boy am I starting to get the feeling that this is becoming an old subject really fast. But I will link it up anyway. I am trying to make it a policy of mine to link as little information that DBR links. I feel like I am repeating something that most people have probably seen since this is a second stop (behind dbr and others) that most people visit. Hopefully they haven't put this up yet. Its a Barry Jacobs article from ACCToday and pretty interesting. Sadly, some of this happened during Duke's troubles in 1994-95. Blue Devil fans hate to remember it, but I went to the Duke-FSU game that year and if I remember correctly, there were some empty seats in Cameron. Just a thought.

1-30-02: NO FAITH AT UNC!

Come on Tar Heels! In the latest poll on GoHeels.com Carolina fans voted 68% that Duke would win the game in a romp... Fans certainly have taken a turn for the worse over at Chapel Hill, because I don't care how bad Duke is doing, I still support them in polls and vote them to win... I guess UNC fans forgot that anything can happen in this rivalry.