It's senior day for Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY
Before we get to this preview, the above picture goes with < ahref="http://bit.ly/YpoHVh">this story I wrote on the bond between Mike Krzyzewski and Mason Plumlee. Enjoy.
Duke vs. Virginia Tech
When: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham
TV/Radio: ESPNU/WKIX-102.9 FM
Projected starting lineups:
No. 3 Duke (25-4, 12-4 in the ACC)
G Quinn Cook, So., 12.5 ppg, 5.4 apg
G Seth Curry, Sr., 16.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg
G Rasheed Sulaimon, Fr., 12.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F Ryan Kelly, Sr., 14.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg
F Mason Plumlee, Sr., 17.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg
Virginia Tech (13-16, 4-12)
G Erick Green, Sr., 25.0 ppg, 4.0 apg
G Jarell Eddie, Jr., 11.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg
G Robert Brown, So., 8.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg
F C.J. Barksdale, So., 5.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg
F Cadarian Raines, Jr., 6.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg
Player to watch:
Seth Curry, Duke
Curry didn’t have his best game against Miami, shooting 2-of-8 from the floor and 1-of-5 from 3-point range for seven points (he did grab five rebounds, tied with Mason Plumlee for second-most on the team). Curry should benefit greatly from Ryan Kelly’s return, as defensives will focus less attention on him, freeing up more open looks and drives to the hoop.
Observations:
***Ryan Kelly didn’t have any problems with his right foot after the Miami game, Mike Krzyzewski said. Duke watched film Sunday and did a light workout Monday to prepare for the Hokies.
***When the Blue Devils reviewed the film from the Miami game, Krzyzewski tried to show his team how much more space they had on the floor with Kelly and his outside shooting abilities stretching the defense laterally.
You have to be ready to make some moves, some looks, some reads that you had on Saturday you didn't see because it was the first time in a couple months that they were there, just as a result of having Ryan run our sets and where he is on the court,” Krzyzewski said. “So that's the type of thing, to instinctively react to the things presented which are different. It's different. So we have habits with the last 13 games that we have to adjust to now that we're doing this.”
***When the Blue Devils last played Virginia Tech, they guarded Erick Green, the nation’s leading scorer, from baseline to baseline. The plan was to make someone other than him bring the ball up the floor, disrupting the Hokies’ rhythm. It worked well, as Duke won 88-56 (Green did still score 22 points, but the nation’s leading scorer is going to get his buckets). Look for Duke to do the same in Cameron, with Rasheed Sulaimon, Tyler Thronton and Quinn Cook rotating on Green.
***A win against the Hokies would make Duke undefeated at home for the third time in the past four seasons, a first during the Krzyzewski era. The Blue Devils accomplished that feat one other time, from 1961-1964 under Vic Bubas (undefeated in 1961, 1963 and 1964).
***Virginia Tech is 1-16 all-time in Cameron, with the Hokies’ one win coming Jan. 6, 2007, as Duke lost 69-67 in overtime. The Hokies’ nearly scored their first win two years earlier, but a Sean Dockery buzzer-beating heave gave No. 1 Duke a 77-75 win on Dec. 4, 2005. That’s also the last time fans have rushed the court in Cameron.
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