As a busy year in sports winds to a close, The Blue Zone will count down the top 10 Duke stories of 2013. Check back throughout the week as we review the most memorable moments of the year.
8. The Return, part I
Sidelined with a foot injury, Ryan Kelly sat on the bench in Coral Gables, Fla. watching his top-ranked Blue Devils fall to then-No. 25 Miami in a 90-63 blowout that culminating in a hurricane of green and orange storming the court.
Six weeks later, the White Raven would have his shot at revenge. Just as the month of March rolled in, Kelly was finally cleared to return to the court—just in time for the Hurricanes to travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium for a matchup between two top-10 teams.
Thirty-six points later, Kelly permanently wrote himself into Duke basketball lore.
“We were all privileged to see one of the performances of the ages, I think, by Ryan Kelly,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “[It was] probably as good of a performance as any Duke player has had at Cameron.”
After knocking down his first shot, Kelly went on to score 19 points in his first half back in action, but the Blue Devils trailed 36-34 at the intermission. The senior had some unfinished business.
“When something special to you is taken away, you want it even more,” Kelly said. “I wanted it more.”
Kelly returned at just the right time, just as Duke was entering the postseason. His play helped the Blue Devils to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and an appearance Elite Eight. The health of his foot would continue to deteriorate throughout Duke's postseason run, forcing him into offseason surgery that would keep him sidelined for during his NBA draft workouts.
Even college basketball's winningest coach was left virtually speechless by the senior's gritty performance.
“That’s one of those things that just doesn’t happen,” Krzyzewski said of Kelly’s 36 points in just 32 minutes of play. “How did that happen? I don’t know how that happened. But it did, and we won, and… God bless America.”
Check out the rest of The Blue Zone's top 10 stories of 2013:
3. The Comeback—Duke lacrosse rallies from 2-4 start, five-goal deficit to win national championship
4. The Commitments—Building Duke's monster 2014 recruiting class on the hardwood
5. The Expansion—ACC grows to 15 teams
6. The Return, part III—Andre Dawkins makes his long-awaited return to the Blue Devils
7. The Return, part II—Coach K commits to Team USA and Duke through 2016
8. The Return, part I—Ryan Kelly goes for 36 against Miami in his first game back from injury
9. The Leg—Kevin Ware sparks Louisville to Elite Eight victory against Blue Devils
10. The Pick—Sean Renfree becomes Duke's first NFL draft selection since 2004
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