Nolan Smith Sets Career High In Win

The Duke Blue Devils stepped out of conference against UAB and came away with a 85-64 victory extending their win streak to 24 games.

Duke played as well in the first seven minutes of the game as they have all season. They made 10 of their first 14 shots and turned a 3-0 deficit into a 26-4 lead before the second TV timeout and essentially ended the game against UAB long before the final score was decided.

During the 26-1 stretch, Duke couldn’t miss from the outside (4-of-4, 3-pointers), UAB couldn’t make any of their shots (0-for-9) and they were swarmed on defense turning the ball over four times.

Nolan Smith led the way with a career high 33 points and Mason Plumlee played his best game since the loss of Kyrie Irving, scoring 14 points. All the Duke big men were more involved in the offense because of their size advantage over UAB and they made the most of their opportunities. They also played havoc with the Blazers defense setting screen after screen to open the floor for everyone else.

Right now Smith is making the game look simple, its like he is playing a video game on a level too easy for him. When he had space, he drove to the hoop and made lay up after lay up, occasionally rocking Cameron to its rafters. In the second half, he split four Blazers on his way to a spectacular dunk, breaking his career high. Is it possible that every team is taking him for granted? Has anyone not watched his game take off since Irving went down?

“I think Nolan’s probably playing as well as anyone in the country right now,” Coach K said. Smith is averaging over 26 points per game over his last five and is looking like the best player in for the Blue Devils, if not in the entire country.

Smith is quickly cementing his name among the Top 3 guards in Duke history since 2000. Trailing only Jason Williams and JJ Redick, he is entering the Player of the Year conversation and is looking to add his jersey to the rafters at Cameron Indoor. Before the year started it was Kyle Singler, not Smith, who was the talk of POY conversations. Smith was thought of as the ‘other senior’ on the team, just like last year when he was the third of the ‘Big Three’.

Everyone is a fan of Smith, even Blazers coach Mike Davis. “The thing I like about him is his endurance,” Davis said. “You can watch a game and you see a guy make eight points in a row and he’s got to come out of the game, or he’ll make a couple of hard plays and he’s tired and got to come out. This guy is unbelievable from that standpoint. He plays the same way the whole night.

“When he’s making shots, he’s almost impossible to guard.”

Even Mason came out of his recent slumber, starting with his drive to the hoop from the top of the key. Where has that move been all season? Has he been saving it? Only two of his baskets were on plays called for him, but it was nice to see him so involved. The rest came on put backs, fast break flushes and an inbounds play.

Duke heads back into ACC play on Sunday when nemesis number two, the Maryland Terrapins come calling at Cameron. Kyle Singler had 15 points and became the 11th Duke player with 2000 or more points.

How’s This For A Super Conference?

With all the talk about expanding conferences, one conference that’s largely been ignored has been the ACC. Which only makes sense. All the talk is about football schools, and of the Big 6 conferences, the ACC is the least of these.
In fact, its actually more of a basketball conference. So, with everyone trying to figure out exactly where Nebraska is going, why not create a super ACC basketball conference.

Nine teams was perfect for the ACC, everyone played each other twice and a weak team couldn’t hide. Now with the rotation schedule, games like Duke/NC State don’t happen twice a year, and Boston College’s primary partners are Miami & VaTech. What? How does that make sense?
Since the ACC is already ruined with 12 teams lets just bump it up to 16 teams.

First, dump BC, Miami and Florida State, that puts at back that 9. And keeps people from having to make the trip to Boston and Florida, it also keeps the ACC tournament from ever being held in one of those far away locations.
Now we have seven to add.

Lets start raiding the Big East first and take Georgetown and Louisville. The Hoyas make a perfect match for Maryland and it would quickly become an intense rivalry. Imagine the hell that the Maryland students would unleash on G’Town.
Louisville has already changed conferences once in the last five years, why not another change. Both G’Town and Louisville have rich basketball traditions (and National Championships) and big name coaches. Sounds like a perfect match for the ACC.

The SEC is next and lets hit them up for their big dog. The University of Kentucky. We already have two kinds of blue, why not add a third? Besides adding another of the top 5 all-time programs; twice a year Louisville and Kentucky would play each other. How’s this sound for a Sunday night double-header on ESPN, Lousiville/Kentucky followed by Duke/UNC?

Next, lets take Memphis from Conference USA. The conference is normally described during the season as Memphis and everyone else. They stand out in the small pond of C-USA, like a sunken galleon in a roadside ditch. Quick, name another coach of a Conference USA team. Yeah, I know, me either. Even though they are on probation, they would make another fine addition to the rich tradition of the new ACC. Don’t get all high and mighty about ACC teams on probation (see. Jim Valvano).

We are now at 13 teams and have some choices to make. Do we add more big name teams? Villanova, Pitt or Tennessee. Do we raid more mid-majors for their best teams? Temple, Xavier or Butler. Do we take the best of the smaller conferences? ODU, Murrey State, Davidson, Charlotte, Eastern and Western Kentucky, Richmond, Radford or Winthrop.

Villanova and Pitt from the Big East would add another pair of power teams, as well as in state rivalry. Something this conference is accustomed to. Tennessee is another good match, especially when you look at it from the Woman’s side of the ball.

Xavier and Butler are strong mid-majors and if they want to play with the big dogs, I say we let them. Temple is another good choice; a rich tradition (6th most wins ever) and another major market. Philly is close enough to NY to draw all the ACC fans that live there for away games.

That leaves a whole bunch of elite teams among the single-bid conferences. Why would they want to leave the relative safety of the small conferences? How about stacks and stacks of cash? Cash is normally a good motivator. Sure these teams would get pummeled for a while, but they most of them have local fan bases and traditions in winning (either recent or past). Plus every conference needs some one at the bottom.

I know its a pipe dream, but if you want to create Super Conferences, here’s one for you, the new ACC.

Northern
Georgetown
Kentucky
Louisville
Maryland
Temple
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Xavier

Southern
Clemson
Duke
Georgia Tech
Memphis
NC State
Tennesse
UNC
Wake Forest

As for the schedule, each team gets three home & away rivalries. And then play each of the other twelve teams once. That’s 18 conference games.
Then instead of the silly double-by the Big East currently has, only the top 12 teams go to the conference tournament and the four best teams get a single-by.
Going by last years tourney teams, you would have 11 teams in the NCAAs. Not including UNC (NIT), Memphis (probation) or VaTech (the eternally screwed).

You want to build a super conference, try creating one with a richer tradition, more championships or better rivalries than this one.