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Duke Trio Set for Final Game at Cameron Indoor Stadium
3/2/2011 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DURHAM, N.C. – Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith arrived at Duke together in the fall of 2007 and will finish their careers together later this spring. Both 2011 seniors will rank in the school's pantheon of great players, but the two friends and classmates followed very different paths to greatness.
The two senior stars – along with senior Casey Peters, an unrecruited prospect who worked his way from manager to scholarship player – will be honored Wednesday night when Clemson visits Cameron for the final home games in their careers.
“It's surprising how quickly it's come,” Singler said earlier this week. “Looking back on it, there have been times when I felt like I had all the time in the world. At the same time, it's gone by so fast.”
Of course, the Clemson game won't be the end for the 2011 seniors. Duke is about to enter postseason, hoping to match the ACC and NCAA championships the Blue Devils won a year ago. Still, Senior Day is a traditional time to reflect on the career of Duke's four-year players and to begin assessing their spot in the school's basketball history.
For Singler and Smith, that's a pretty impressive spot. They have played together on two ACC championship teams and a national champion – so far. They are going to finish as the third best scoring duo of any single recruiting class in school history (behind only Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie from the Class of 1986 and J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams from the Class of 2006). And depending on how March plays out, they'll finish as two of the top winners in Duke – and ACC – history.
Blue Devil coach Mike Krzyzewski, asked to compare the Singler/Smith era with his great teams, said the senior duo rank with his best.
“It's right up there with any of them because they won a national championship and we have a chance in this year's tournament to compete for another one,” he said. “Look at their total number of wins [119 going into the Clemson game]. That's a lot of wins. Not many programs in history have had that many. And they still could win a few more games
“They match up with any of the teams for what they've accomplished.”
What's remarkable about the pair is how different they are.
Singler is West Coast – a native of Medford, Oregon who grew up battling current NBA standout Kevin Love for dominance in the state. Smith is East Coast – the son of former Louisville star Derek Smith and a prep teammate of such celebrated pros as Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley and Brandon Jennings.
Yet, they became more than teammates in their four years together.
“Our relationship is something very, very special,” Smith said. “We're definitely brothers. When we stepped on campus, we were friends. That slowly progressed. We became good friends and really, really good friends. I think our junior year is when we became brothers. We were on the court all the time. We had to be very close to win a championship. Living together, doing everything together off the court. Our relationship has been great.”
And it's been great for Duke.
The Warrior
Singler, a powerful, yet agile 6-8 forward, was a standout from the moment he stepped on the court for Duke. He started his first game as a freshman and scored in double figures. He was the MVP of the Maui Classic in his first month as a Blue Devil. He was the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year and the 2010 Final Four MVP.
The Clemson game will be the 141st of his Duke career – and his 140th start. The only time he came off the bench was an early season victory over UNC-Asheville in December of 2008, when Coach K benched his normal starting five and went with five backups instead.
Singler will come into the Clemson game with 2,271 career points and 951 career rebounds. He currently ranks fifth in Duke history in scoring and ninth in school history in rebounding – and almost certainly will climb higher on both lists. In fact, he should wind up as the No. 7 or No. 8 scorer in ACC history. If he can get 49 rebounds in the remainder of his career, he'll join a select list of ACC players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds:
- Dickie Hemric, Wake Forest (1952-55)
- Mike Gminski, Duke (1977-80)
- Ralph Sampson, Virginia (1979-83)
- Sam Perkins, UNC (1981-84)
- Danny Ferry, Duke (1986-89)
- Christian Laettner, Duke (1989-92)
- Tim Duncan, Wake Forest (1994-97)
- Tyler Hansbrough, UNC (2006-09)
That's it – Singler would be the ninth player on that list.
But as impressive as those numbers are, they don't begin to describe Singler's impact on the program. For that you have to look at a different stat – games won.
Going into the Clemson game, Singler has played in 119 wins in his career. He's on pace to finish as the No. 2 winner in Duke – and ACC history. Here's the leaderboard:
1. 131 – Shane Battier, Duke (1998-01)
2. 123 – Chris Duhon, Duke (2001-04)
(tie) 123 – Danny Green, UNC (2006-09)
4. 122 – Christian Laettner, Duke (1989-92)
5. 121 – Deon Thompson, UNC (2007-10)
6. 120 – Tyler Hansbrough, UNC (2006-09)
7. 119 – Kyle Singler, Duke (2008-11)
[Note: Nolan Smith missed three games, including two wins, in 2009 and the first two games of the 2010 season, so he has played in 115 wins, which currently ranks No. 16 in ACC history]
Considering that Battier's 131 wins are tied with Wayne Turner of Kentucky as the most in NCAA history, Singler's place on that list is impressive.
“He's averaged 30 wins a season,” Krzyzewski said. “That's a lot of winning basketball.”
Indeed, Singler's win total is even more impressive than the raw numbers. When you look at that list, you'll see that Green and Thompson were merely supporting players on great teams. Battier, Laettner and Hansbrough were – like Singler – stars. Duhon began his career as a supporting player, then grew into stardom.
Singler has been a major contributor for his entire four seasons. In fact, his accomplishment of starting in 118 wins (and counting) is significant. Most of the players at the top of the win list came off the bench for a significant portion of their careers. Only Hansbrough has STARTED as many wins as Singler … the UNC All-American started in 119 of his 120 career wins.
Singler could match him as a starter with a win on Senior Night. That is the one number he'd like to celebrate in his final home game.
“Stats and all that are great, but when you boil it all down, no one can take away your wins and your championships,” Singler said. “Those really stick to a player. For me, winning is more important than my stats. That's something I've always focused on.”
His classmate has seen it close up.
“He's one of the greatest competitors I've ever played with,” Smith said. “He competes on every play. He lays his body on the line for his team and obviously he's one of the most talented and most versatile players in the country.
“One word to describe him is, he's a warrior.”
Krzyzewski describes Singler as one of the greatest players in Duke history.
“He'll be one of the top four or five players to ever play here,” Coach K said earlier this week. “When you win a national championship during your four years, you already set yourself apart. Statistically, he's going to be fourth or fifth in scoring. He's going to come close to 1,000 rebounds. He's one of the best defenders we've had here. He's been amazing. In my 31 years, one of the great players we've had here.”
But so is Nolan Smith.
The Late Bloomer
Smith, a 6-2 combo guard, arrived at Duke with a great pedigree.
He was an AAU star, a McDonald's All-American and a two-year starter in the backcourt for powerful Oak Hill Academy, where he teamed one year with future UNC standout Ty Lawson and the next year with future pro Brandon Jennings.
Smith had a solid, if unspectacular freshman season at Duke. He started one game and averaged just under six points in just under 15 minutes a game as a reserve.
But Smith worked hard and started his sophomore season as Duke's starting point guard. He did a solid job through the first part of the season, scoring in double figures nine times in the team's first 10 games. But he struggled to combine the point guard duties with his own scoring responsibilities. His offensive struggles impacted his defense and after a disastrous defeat at Clemson, Smith lost his starting job.
It got worse from there. Coming off the bench at Maryland, Smith ran into a vicious pick from Dave Neal and suffered a concussion that knocked him out of three games. Surprisingly, when he came back from the injury in time to contribute to Duke's 2009 ACC Tournament triumph in Atlanta, Smith played the best basketball of his career.
It was merely a hint of what was to come.
Smith exploded as a great player in 2009-10, emerging as the third member of Duke's Big Three (along with Singler and senior Jon Scheyer). His scoring average more than doubled from 8.4 as a sophomore to 17.4 as a junior. His assist-turnover ratio improved dramatically and he became the team's best on-the-ball defender.
“To see him develop and see where he is now … I'm happy for him,” Singler said. “Everything he's achieved, he's definitely earned.”
Smith credits former Duke assistant coach Johnny Dawkins – the man who recruited him to Duke – as sparking his development.
“There were definitely times when I wondered,” Smith said. “Coach Dawkins told me to trust the coaches and everything would work out. I believed him when he said that and I knew it was just a matter of time when my abilities started to show up.”
Amazingly, Smith has taken his game to an even higher level this season. He's leading the ACC in scoring and is flirting with the ACC assist lead – if he beats out UNC freshman Kendall Marshall in that category, he'll become the first player in league history to lead the ACC in scoring and assists in the same season.
His senior accomplishment is even more remarkable considering that he had to change his role eight games into the season when freshman point guard Kyrie Irving was lost.
“When Kyrie went down, there was a lot more placed on him, a lot more attention focused on him,” Krzyzewski said. “So to me what he's done has been remarkable, because he prepared to be in the backcourt with one of the outstanding players in the country, and then practiced that way and played eight games that way and did really well. Then all of a sudden that player was injured and was out for the season. And now, in mid-December, you know, he has to assume much more responsibility and much more attention. And he's actually been better.
“I think he's had a remarkable year.”
Because of his late development, Smith won't finish as high on Duke's career statistical lists as Singler. His 1,765 career points rank 18th in school history – he'll probably crack the top 15 before he's through. He's likely to finish in the top 10 in ACC career wins.
But those career numbers won't reflect the player he's developed into late in his career.
Smith is the odds on favorite to win ACC player of the year honors and to be a first-team All-American. He's in the discussion with BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger for national player of the year honors.
Pretty impressive stuff for a guy who lost his starting job midway through his sophomore season.
“I think he's one of the most unusual great players we've had – maybe the most unusual,” Krzyzewski said. “He was a good player and a contributor for two years. But he was a national champion and one of our main contributors as a junior and he's just had a great, great year for us as a senior. I can't really think of anybody like that in our history. I mean, [Christian] Laettner was always good. Johnny [Dawkins] was always good. [J.J.] Redick was really good … Jason Williams. Maybe [he is] a little like [Shane] Battier … but Battier was a starter and a defensive player of the year, even in his first two years.
“So, Nolan's ascent to being one of the top players to play in a Duke uniform has been very unusual and really remarkable.”
Actually, there is a bit of a parallel between Smith's career and that of his classmate, Casey Peters.
The Manager
Peters, a 6-4 guard from Red Bank, N.J., was being looked at by some solid mid-major programs when he was a junior at Red Bank Regional High School in New Jersey. But an injury prevented him from playing AAU ball in the summer before his senior season and that hurt his opportunities for scholarships.
He was talking to a couple of Ivy League programs when his mother suggested that he apply to Duke and try to walk on for the Blue Devils.
“I had never thought of that,” Peters, a lifelong Duke fan who grew up thinking that Bobby Hurley was a synonym for basketball player, jumped at the chance.
But it didn't come easily. As a freshman, Peters failed to earn a spot on the roster and became a manager instead. But he didn't give up on his dream – constantly working to improve his game and his body.
Smith said that Peters' efforts made a deep impression on him.
“He's always worked so hard,” Smith said. “First, as a manager, but when we'd leave the gym, he'd be working hard, lifting weights, getting shots up and doing everything to be a better basketball player. It really inspired me to work hard.”
Peters became an underground legend for his play in the Duke-UNC manager games, played every year on the night before the two varsity teams meet. One night in Cameron, he thrilled a crowd of some 2,500 onlookers with a SportsCenter-like dunk. Later that season, in Chapel Hill, he scored 53 points to lead the Duke managers to victory.
Peters was working out in the Duke practice facility in the summer of 2009 when assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski told him that he would be allowed to suit up for the 2009-10 season. The former manager admits that he cried when he got the good news.
“I had to put in a lot of hard work before that happened,” he said. “No one was more happy for me than Nolan and Kyle.”
Unlike Singler and Smith, Peters has not been a game contributor. But that doesn't mean he hasn't made a significant contribution to the Duke program. He was so valuable as a practice player on Duke's national title team that Coach K rewarded Peters with a scholarship this season. And when Irving was sidelined in December, Peters' role expanded – he became the team's 10th man in practice.
So the former manager will join his two more famous senior classmates in the spotlight on Senior Night. It will be a time to pay homage to three young men who have made a major contribution to Duke basketball.
But, as Singler was so quick to point out, “my season is not over yet.”
Duke's 2011 seniors still have a chance to add to their legacy.
The two senior stars – along with senior Casey Peters, an unrecruited prospect who worked his way from manager to scholarship player – will be honored Wednesday night when Clemson visits Cameron for the final home games in their careers.
“It's surprising how quickly it's come,” Singler said earlier this week. “Looking back on it, there have been times when I felt like I had all the time in the world. At the same time, it's gone by so fast.”
Of course, the Clemson game won't be the end for the 2011 seniors. Duke is about to enter postseason, hoping to match the ACC and NCAA championships the Blue Devils won a year ago. Still, Senior Day is a traditional time to reflect on the career of Duke's four-year players and to begin assessing their spot in the school's basketball history.
For Singler and Smith, that's a pretty impressive spot. They have played together on two ACC championship teams and a national champion – so far. They are going to finish as the third best scoring duo of any single recruiting class in school history (behind only Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie from the Class of 1986 and J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams from the Class of 2006). And depending on how March plays out, they'll finish as two of the top winners in Duke – and ACC – history.
Blue Devil coach Mike Krzyzewski, asked to compare the Singler/Smith era with his great teams, said the senior duo rank with his best.
“It's right up there with any of them because they won a national championship and we have a chance in this year's tournament to compete for another one,” he said. “Look at their total number of wins [119 going into the Clemson game]. That's a lot of wins. Not many programs in history have had that many. And they still could win a few more games
“They match up with any of the teams for what they've accomplished.”
What's remarkable about the pair is how different they are.
Singler is West Coast – a native of Medford, Oregon who grew up battling current NBA standout Kevin Love for dominance in the state. Smith is East Coast – the son of former Louisville star Derek Smith and a prep teammate of such celebrated pros as Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley and Brandon Jennings.
Yet, they became more than teammates in their four years together.
“Our relationship is something very, very special,” Smith said. “We're definitely brothers. When we stepped on campus, we were friends. That slowly progressed. We became good friends and really, really good friends. I think our junior year is when we became brothers. We were on the court all the time. We had to be very close to win a championship. Living together, doing everything together off the court. Our relationship has been great.”
And it's been great for Duke.
The Warrior
Singler, a powerful, yet agile 6-8 forward, was a standout from the moment he stepped on the court for Duke. He started his first game as a freshman and scored in double figures. He was the MVP of the Maui Classic in his first month as a Blue Devil. He was the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year and the 2010 Final Four MVP.
The Clemson game will be the 141st of his Duke career – and his 140th start. The only time he came off the bench was an early season victory over UNC-Asheville in December of 2008, when Coach K benched his normal starting five and went with five backups instead.
Singler will come into the Clemson game with 2,271 career points and 951 career rebounds. He currently ranks fifth in Duke history in scoring and ninth in school history in rebounding – and almost certainly will climb higher on both lists. In fact, he should wind up as the No. 7 or No. 8 scorer in ACC history. If he can get 49 rebounds in the remainder of his career, he'll join a select list of ACC players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds:
- Dickie Hemric, Wake Forest (1952-55)
- Mike Gminski, Duke (1977-80)
- Ralph Sampson, Virginia (1979-83)
- Sam Perkins, UNC (1981-84)
- Danny Ferry, Duke (1986-89)
- Christian Laettner, Duke (1989-92)
- Tim Duncan, Wake Forest (1994-97)
- Tyler Hansbrough, UNC (2006-09)
That's it – Singler would be the ninth player on that list.
But as impressive as those numbers are, they don't begin to describe Singler's impact on the program. For that you have to look at a different stat – games won.
Going into the Clemson game, Singler has played in 119 wins in his career. He's on pace to finish as the No. 2 winner in Duke – and ACC history. Here's the leaderboard:
1. 131 – Shane Battier, Duke (1998-01)
2. 123 – Chris Duhon, Duke (2001-04)
(tie) 123 – Danny Green, UNC (2006-09)
4. 122 – Christian Laettner, Duke (1989-92)
5. 121 – Deon Thompson, UNC (2007-10)
6. 120 – Tyler Hansbrough, UNC (2006-09)
7. 119 – Kyle Singler, Duke (2008-11)
[Note: Nolan Smith missed three games, including two wins, in 2009 and the first two games of the 2010 season, so he has played in 115 wins, which currently ranks No. 16 in ACC history]
Considering that Battier's 131 wins are tied with Wayne Turner of Kentucky as the most in NCAA history, Singler's place on that list is impressive.
“He's averaged 30 wins a season,” Krzyzewski said. “That's a lot of winning basketball.”
Indeed, Singler's win total is even more impressive than the raw numbers. When you look at that list, you'll see that Green and Thompson were merely supporting players on great teams. Battier, Laettner and Hansbrough were – like Singler – stars. Duhon began his career as a supporting player, then grew into stardom.
Singler has been a major contributor for his entire four seasons. In fact, his accomplishment of starting in 118 wins (and counting) is significant. Most of the players at the top of the win list came off the bench for a significant portion of their careers. Only Hansbrough has STARTED as many wins as Singler … the UNC All-American started in 119 of his 120 career wins.
Singler could match him as a starter with a win on Senior Night. That is the one number he'd like to celebrate in his final home game.
“Stats and all that are great, but when you boil it all down, no one can take away your wins and your championships,” Singler said. “Those really stick to a player. For me, winning is more important than my stats. That's something I've always focused on.”
His classmate has seen it close up.
“He's one of the greatest competitors I've ever played with,” Smith said. “He competes on every play. He lays his body on the line for his team and obviously he's one of the most talented and most versatile players in the country.
“One word to describe him is, he's a warrior.”
Krzyzewski describes Singler as one of the greatest players in Duke history.
“He'll be one of the top four or five players to ever play here,” Coach K said earlier this week. “When you win a national championship during your four years, you already set yourself apart. Statistically, he's going to be fourth or fifth in scoring. He's going to come close to 1,000 rebounds. He's one of the best defenders we've had here. He's been amazing. In my 31 years, one of the great players we've had here.”
But so is Nolan Smith.
The Late Bloomer
Smith, a 6-2 combo guard, arrived at Duke with a great pedigree.
He was an AAU star, a McDonald's All-American and a two-year starter in the backcourt for powerful Oak Hill Academy, where he teamed one year with future UNC standout Ty Lawson and the next year with future pro Brandon Jennings.
Smith had a solid, if unspectacular freshman season at Duke. He started one game and averaged just under six points in just under 15 minutes a game as a reserve.
But Smith worked hard and started his sophomore season as Duke's starting point guard. He did a solid job through the first part of the season, scoring in double figures nine times in the team's first 10 games. But he struggled to combine the point guard duties with his own scoring responsibilities. His offensive struggles impacted his defense and after a disastrous defeat at Clemson, Smith lost his starting job.
It got worse from there. Coming off the bench at Maryland, Smith ran into a vicious pick from Dave Neal and suffered a concussion that knocked him out of three games. Surprisingly, when he came back from the injury in time to contribute to Duke's 2009 ACC Tournament triumph in Atlanta, Smith played the best basketball of his career.
It was merely a hint of what was to come.
Smith exploded as a great player in 2009-10, emerging as the third member of Duke's Big Three (along with Singler and senior Jon Scheyer). His scoring average more than doubled from 8.4 as a sophomore to 17.4 as a junior. His assist-turnover ratio improved dramatically and he became the team's best on-the-ball defender.
“To see him develop and see where he is now … I'm happy for him,” Singler said. “Everything he's achieved, he's definitely earned.”
Smith credits former Duke assistant coach Johnny Dawkins – the man who recruited him to Duke – as sparking his development.
“There were definitely times when I wondered,” Smith said. “Coach Dawkins told me to trust the coaches and everything would work out. I believed him when he said that and I knew it was just a matter of time when my abilities started to show up.”
Amazingly, Smith has taken his game to an even higher level this season. He's leading the ACC in scoring and is flirting with the ACC assist lead – if he beats out UNC freshman Kendall Marshall in that category, he'll become the first player in league history to lead the ACC in scoring and assists in the same season.
His senior accomplishment is even more remarkable considering that he had to change his role eight games into the season when freshman point guard Kyrie Irving was lost.
“When Kyrie went down, there was a lot more placed on him, a lot more attention focused on him,” Krzyzewski said. “So to me what he's done has been remarkable, because he prepared to be in the backcourt with one of the outstanding players in the country, and then practiced that way and played eight games that way and did really well. Then all of a sudden that player was injured and was out for the season. And now, in mid-December, you know, he has to assume much more responsibility and much more attention. And he's actually been better.
“I think he's had a remarkable year.”
Because of his late development, Smith won't finish as high on Duke's career statistical lists as Singler. His 1,765 career points rank 18th in school history – he'll probably crack the top 15 before he's through. He's likely to finish in the top 10 in ACC career wins.
But those career numbers won't reflect the player he's developed into late in his career.
Smith is the odds on favorite to win ACC player of the year honors and to be a first-team All-American. He's in the discussion with BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger for national player of the year honors.
Pretty impressive stuff for a guy who lost his starting job midway through his sophomore season.
“I think he's one of the most unusual great players we've had – maybe the most unusual,” Krzyzewski said. “He was a good player and a contributor for two years. But he was a national champion and one of our main contributors as a junior and he's just had a great, great year for us as a senior. I can't really think of anybody like that in our history. I mean, [Christian] Laettner was always good. Johnny [Dawkins] was always good. [J.J.] Redick was really good … Jason Williams. Maybe [he is] a little like [Shane] Battier … but Battier was a starter and a defensive player of the year, even in his first two years.
“So, Nolan's ascent to being one of the top players to play in a Duke uniform has been very unusual and really remarkable.”
Actually, there is a bit of a parallel between Smith's career and that of his classmate, Casey Peters.
The Manager
Peters, a 6-4 guard from Red Bank, N.J., was being looked at by some solid mid-major programs when he was a junior at Red Bank Regional High School in New Jersey. But an injury prevented him from playing AAU ball in the summer before his senior season and that hurt his opportunities for scholarships.
He was talking to a couple of Ivy League programs when his mother suggested that he apply to Duke and try to walk on for the Blue Devils.
“I had never thought of that,” Peters, a lifelong Duke fan who grew up thinking that Bobby Hurley was a synonym for basketball player, jumped at the chance.
But it didn't come easily. As a freshman, Peters failed to earn a spot on the roster and became a manager instead. But he didn't give up on his dream – constantly working to improve his game and his body.
Smith said that Peters' efforts made a deep impression on him.
“He's always worked so hard,” Smith said. “First, as a manager, but when we'd leave the gym, he'd be working hard, lifting weights, getting shots up and doing everything to be a better basketball player. It really inspired me to work hard.”
Peters became an underground legend for his play in the Duke-UNC manager games, played every year on the night before the two varsity teams meet. One night in Cameron, he thrilled a crowd of some 2,500 onlookers with a SportsCenter-like dunk. Later that season, in Chapel Hill, he scored 53 points to lead the Duke managers to victory.
Peters was working out in the Duke practice facility in the summer of 2009 when assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski told him that he would be allowed to suit up for the 2009-10 season. The former manager admits that he cried when he got the good news.
“I had to put in a lot of hard work before that happened,” he said. “No one was more happy for me than Nolan and Kyle.”
Unlike Singler and Smith, Peters has not been a game contributor. But that doesn't mean he hasn't made a significant contribution to the Duke program. He was so valuable as a practice player on Duke's national title team that Coach K rewarded Peters with a scholarship this season. And when Irving was sidelined in December, Peters' role expanded – he became the team's 10th man in practice.
So the former manager will join his two more famous senior classmates in the spotlight on Senior Night. It will be a time to pay homage to three young men who have made a major contribution to Duke basketball.
But, as Singler was so quick to point out, “my season is not over yet.”
Duke's 2011 seniors still have a chance to add to their legacy.
Players Mentioned
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