Tag: Blue Devils

Duke softball a consensus top-10 team after 3-1 start

Duke softball won three of its four games during a season-opening tournament and found itself inside the top 10 of four different rankings.

After winning three of its four games during a season-opening tournament, the Duke softball team is one of the consensus top-10 teams in the country.

As of Tuesday, the Blue Devils were within the top 10 in the eyes of the USA TODAY/NFCA Coaches Poll, Softball America, D1 Softball, and USA Softball.

Duke is ranked highest by Softball America, where they are currently considered the No. 5 team in the country. D1 Softball has the Blue Devils seventh, and the Coaches Poll and USA Softball both have them 10th.

The Blue Devils’ strong start can be partially traced back to ACC Pitcher of the Week Jala Wright, who struck out 13 batters and allowed one earned run over 10.2 innings of work in three appearances.

On the offensive side, senior Claire Davidson led the way with five hits (including two doubles and a home run) and a team-high seven RBIs in 12 plate appearances.

Duke looks to extend its win streak to four games in a home game against North Dakota State on Wednesday.

Duke basketball’s 2023 class powers up again with another 5-star commitment

Duke gets commitment from 4-star forward TJ Power, further bolstering the No. 1 ranked class in 2023.

As if they needed any more help, Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class of 2023 scored another big commitment today.

Five-star power forward TJ Power has joined Duke’s class of 2023. That makes him the fifth five-star recruit in this class for the Blue Devils.

Last season Power averaged 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game for Worcester Academy (Mass.). He shows exceptional ball handling, playmaking and outside shooting for his size.

Asked about his decision, Power admitted it was difficult but credited coach Jon Scheyer for his vision, per Joe Tipton at On3.

“Playing at a school like Duke has always been a dream of mine but I had to make sure I was choosing the school based on my relationship with the coaches and the feeling I had when I was on campus because that’s guided me the most throughout this whole process. I see the vision with Coach Scheyer and I’m all in.”

At 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, he’s the top recruit in the state, ranked No. 6 among power forwards and No. 22 overall. Power chose Duke over 22 other offers, including one from North Carolina.

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Six stats that explain how Virginia knocked off No. 7 Duke on the road

The numbers tell an interesting story in Monday night’s upset win for Virginia.

On paper, it was hard to see a way that the Virginia Cavaliers could pull off a massive road upset over No. 7 Duke. The Blue Devils were double-digit favorites, boast a litany of five-star players on the roster and were coming off of a huge road win over rival North Carolina.

Virginia, meanwhile, got off to a slow start with losses to Navy and JMU early in the season, and are trying to claw back onto the tournament bubble. The Cavaliers were double-digit underdogs in Monday night’s matchup, with Tony Bennett needing to maximize performances from his squad for a chance at the upset.

The Cavaliers delivered. Virginia came out swinging at Cameron Indoor, building as much as a 12-point lead before taking a five point advantage into halftime. Duke clawed back into the game, staying within reach before retaking the lead with four minutes left.

Things were close down the stretch, but a couple turnovers by the Blue Devils and a handful of clutch plays by the Hoos set up this moment:

Here are six stats that explain how the underdogs pulled off the upset.

College Basketball: The 10 all-time most annoying Dukies

Who belongs at the top of this list and why?

College basketball officially starts nationwide tonight which means it’s a chance for all of us in this divided nation and world come together in one cause:

Hating Duke basketball.

As a kid I ate it all up.  Mike Krzyzewski was a hero in my 15-year old eyes when Duke won it all in the spring of 2001, but 20 years later I’m grateful to have seen the light since and realized just how insufferable that entire program is.  How Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey developed into such a likable figure after spending eight years on Krzyzewski’s bench is beyond me, but I digress.

With Krzyzewski starting his final season as Duke’s head coach this year let’s honor him by naming the 10 Most Annoying Dukies of All-Time:

Watch: Williams scores again, extends Irish lead to 17-6 over Duke

Check out Kyren Williams score his second touchdown of the game.

Kyren Williams earned the start at running back, and it is paying off today. Through a little over 2 quarters of football, Williams has run for 91 yards on 17 carries. Take a look at his second touchdown, this one going for 26 yards on 4th-and-1.

The running back has a chance to have a very solid opening game. Expect Williams continue to add on to his current rushing total.

Weather watch: What to expect in South Bend today

Find out what kind of weather to expect during Notre Dame’s season opener against Duke in South Bend.

It’s finally game day and while we would all love a perfect 65 degrees with sun shining down on Notre Dame Stadium, that’s not what we’re going to get. Yet again 2020 rains down, this time literally.

While the game against Duke will get started off cloudy and a nice 70 degrees, the humidity is high and expect rain soon after kickoff if it hasn’t started by then. According to weather.com, at 1pm the precipitation expected is just 25% but at 2pm it rises to 35% then at 3pm, it’s at 60%. It gets pretty grim after 4pm with 85% chance of rain. Once it begins to shower, don’t expect it to stop for the remainder of the game.

There was this report from Pete Sampson however, that there are protocols set that could put a halt to the game after it has started.

A rainy opener shouldn’t put a damper on Notre Dame’s first game in ACC competition. It’s not ideal football weather but Irish Football is back and we’re all excited it’s finally here.

Duke at Clemson odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Duke Blue Devils vs. Clemson Tigers sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks and tips.

The Duke Blue Devils (15-1, 5-0 ACC) – the No. 3 team in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll – travel to Clemson, S.C., to square off against the Clemson Tigers (8-7, 2-3) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Littlejohn Coliseum. We analyze the Duke-Clemson odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

Duke at Clemson: Three things you need to know

1. Clemson has played just three games over the last 15 days. The Tigers aren’t a good shooting team to begin with, ranking 255th in the country with a 42.4% field-goal percentage. Any rust and their 253rd-ranked offense (68.7 points per game) will be game-controlled into submission in a double-digit boat race. … Clemson lost by 19 at Duke (Jan. 5, 2019) in the last meeting between the two schools as the Blue Devils covered a 15-point spread.

2. Clemson figures as a second-50 squad in most advanced-analytics computer rankings. The Blue Devils have played five such foes this year. In those comps, Duke is 5-0 with a victory margin of 11 points. While this applies to a straight-up loss more than an against-the-spread defeat, the Devils’ Nov. 26 upset at the hands of Stephen F. Austin could well have a galvanizing effect against any subsequent similar failings. Duke has game-controlled nine wins since (6-3 ATS). Figure the Blue Devils’ next loss – whenever that may be – coming to a top-15.

3. Duke’s best defensive efforts are up close in the rear-view mirror. The Devils have excelled in creating more turnovers of late, all while taking care of the basketball on their own possessions. That’s a solid formula for avoiding close games.

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Duke at Clemson: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Duke 76, Clemson 63

Moneyline (ML)

AVOID. Duke (-589) is too chalky. Every $5.89 wagered will only profit $1 if the Blue Devils win. Clemson (+425) will profit $4.25 on every $1 bet if it prevails, but that isn’t happening.

Against the Spread (ATS)

The Blue Devils are 3-1 ATS over four road games, and they are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games. Clemson is 4-5 ATS over its last nine.

How much energy can the home crowd bring tonight at Littlejohn Coliseum? Bleary-eyed Tiger fans – slumping after Monday’s College Football Championship game – may not have much to cheer about in the second half. Take DUKE -10.5 (+100).

Over/Under (O/U)

The O/U is 2-2 in Duke’s road games and 5-5 in Clemson’s home games. Duke wants to play a faster pace in this one. A major offensive rebounding advantage for the Devils and a low rate of getting to the foul line for the Tigers should work against Clemson in its efforts to slow things down. Take the OVER 134.5 (-115).

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