Nolan Smith News

Okay. That one word really can sum up what I saw and what I'm feeling after watching Duke beat St.

Associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski's scouting report suggested Duke's post players could hurt St.

In what promises to be a competitive non- conference clash between two teams firmly entrenched in the annals of major college basketball history, the undefeated St.

Duke freshman center Mason Plumlee, who missed the No. 6 Blue Devils' first six basketball games with a broken wrist, may return to make his regular-season debut at Wisconsin on Wednesday, team spokesman Matt Plizga said Monday.

It took 11 years, but Duke's long run of success in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge ended Wednesday night at the hands of a disciplined Wisconsin team that solved the Blue Devils' no-longer impregnable defense.

Duke made up for its worst shooting performances in a victory in nearly 60 years with another exemplary night on defense.

UConn -Duke. If you're a college basketball fan, that probably has a pretty nice ring to it.

The most undeniable evidence of the athleticism gap between UConn and Duke came seven minutes and 11 seconds into Friday's NIT Season Tip-Off final at Madison Square Garden.

It's much too early to start making postseason projections, crowning conference champions, or filling out brackets.

Setting The corner of 7th Avenue and 32nd Street will be hopping this evening when the Duke Blue Devils take on the University of Connecticut Huskies in the finals of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Plot For the first time in NCAA history, coaches with 800 or more victories do battle when Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Calhoun square off.

The UConn -Duke rivalry resumes tonight at Madison Square Garden , nearly six years since its last act, which was yet another classic matchup that has helped make this a unique rivalry since UConn came to national prominence during the Dream Season of 1989-90. The Huskies and Blue Devils have met eight times.

FACTS & STATS: Site: Madison Square Garden -- New York, New York. Television: ESPN2.

23 5:34 pm Tweet This! http://mync.com/site/44898/ GREENSBORO, N.C. Nolan Smith of Duke and Derrick Favors of Georgia Tech captured the weekly honors in Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball, while North Carolina's Cetera DeGraffenreid and Virginia's Simone Egwu earned the women's honor.

DURHAM, N.C. a ' Duke guard Nolan Smith was named ACC Player of the Week on Monday as announced by the conference office.

The Blue Devils of Durham and the Tar Heels of Chapel Hill were named co-favorites to win the ACC during the preseason.

The basketball season opened for Duke and UNCG on Friday night, and both teams got what they wanted out of a 34-point blowout.

Duke showed that it is a considerably more dangerous team with Nolan Smith on the floor.

18 5:19 pm Tweet This! http://mync.com/site/44663/ Nolan Smith made his delayed debut for Duke last night and helped ignite a blowout of UNC Charlotte in a second-round game of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Nolan Smith scored 24 points in his return to Duke 's lineup, and ninth-ranked Duke routed Charlotte, 101-59, last night in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off in Durham, N.C. Jon Scheyer added 20 points and Kyle Singler had 17 for the Blue Devils, who never trailed, hit 12 three-pointers and shot 52.9 percent.

Duke's Nolan Smith grabs a rebound between Charlotte's Phil Jones, left, and Derrio Green, right, during the second half of the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, November 17, 2009, in Durham, North Carolina.