The bell of the Blue Zone stock exchange has just rung again, meaning it's time to take another look at who is rising and falling with their performances for Blue Devil sports teams. Each week The Blue Zone will look at whose stock is on the rise and whose stock has taken a hit from the week in the world of Duke athletics.
Bull Market—Trending Up
Quinn Cook: For a young team to be successful, there needs to be a stabilizing force and along with freshman point guard Tyus Jones—who was trending up last week and had another strong stretch—Cook has made the lead guard position that force. The Blue Devils had their backs against the wall Sunday against St. John's with less than 10 minutes remaining, but Cook hit multiple timely 3-pointers throughout the contest and had a timely old-fashioned three-point play to ignite the game-defining 21-4 run.
The Washington native finished with 17 points, made his 50th 3-pointer of the season and showed why he is playing 36.8 minutes per game in conference action in Duke's final nonconference test of the season. Cook is often overlooked on a freshman-laden top-five team, but the Blue Devil captain's continued leadership will be vital with road tests against No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 2 Virginia looming this week.
Marshall Plumlee: Most athletes become known in this day and age for the mistakes they make off the court—Cleveland Browns star receiver Josh Gordon's most recent failed drug test comes to mind. But Plumlee's completion of his Army ROTC contracting ceremony Friday should make him stand out in a positive way regardless of how most fans perceive his on-court presence.
The 7-footer capped off his memorable weekend by playing alongside star center Jahlil Okafor in the last eight minutes of Coach K's 1,000th win Sunday and providing some much-needed energy off the bench with regular contributors either battling injuries or foul trouble. Duke's depth will be a question mark with starting swingman Justise Winslow banged up, so if Plumlee can keep playing well with Okafor, his role could only increase.
Miami basketball: The 23rd-ranked Hurricanes climbed back into the AP Poll this week and, at 4-2 in the ACC, could be this year's league sleeper. Miami already won at Duke and played conference frontrunner Virginia, and with the league's top five teams facing difficult stretches the next few weeks, the Hurricanes could make a move. Miami knocked off Syracuse at the Carrier Dome this weekend and faces just three ranked teams the rest of the way, with two of those contests against No. 10 Louisville.
Led by guards Angel Rodriguez, Sheldon McClellan and Manu Lecomte, head coach Jim Larranaga could have another potential contender on his hands entering the ACC tournament and beyond. But Miami lost to Eastern Kentucky by 28 points earlier in the year, so the Hurricanes could quickly waste their opportunity if their intensity slips.
Bear Market—Trending Down
ACC rookies in the NBA: Last year, Duke's Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood looked like they were destined for success early in their NBA careers. They were joined by Syracuse's Tyler Ennis and N.C. State's T.J. Warren to give the league four players projected to be lottery picks and have strong rookie campaigns across the league. But things haven't quite panned out for the quartet, as Hood and Parker have seen their initial campaigns derailed by injuries and Ennis and Warren have been sent to the D-League after being drafted by the Phoenix Suns.
Former Clemson star K.J. McDaniels and Syracuse standout Jerami Grant are solid contributors for the Philadelphia 76ers, but the results have not been good for a conference that is used to churning out top NBA talent.
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