X factor: Duke football vs. Virginia
(10/19/13 12:31am)
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____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Duke is ranked No. 4 in the country in the first USA Today Coaches Poll of the season, which was released Thursday afternoon. The Blue Devils received three of the 32 first-place votes.Kentucky was ranked first overall, receiving 16 first-place votes. Michigan State is ranked second and also received three first-place nods and defending national champion Louisville comes in at No. 3, but received 10 first-place votes. Arizona rounds out the top five.Duke's opponent in the Champions Classic Nov. 12, Kansas, came in at No. 6 in the rankings, with ACC newcomer Syracuse close behind at No. 7.Five ACC teams made the preseason top 25. In addition to the Blue Devils and Orange, North Carolina came in at No. 11, Notre Dame was ranked 22nd and Virginia 25th. Pittsburgh also received votes but sat eight slots out of the top 25.
OUT
This week, The Chronicle’s Daniel Carp spoke to The Cavalier Daily's Senior Associate Sports Editor Mike Eilbacher about this weekend’s contest between Duke and Virginia.
Jason Williams reflects on his Duke career and induction into the Hall of Fame.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For three years, Jason Williams was used to center court at Cameron Indoor Stadium being his stage. But as the national champion and two-time National Player of the Year stood on a literal stage at the center of college basketball's most hallowed ground to be inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame, he said that the chills never seem to stay away.Standing under his No. 22 hanging in the rafters, it was only fitting that one of the seven newest Duke Hall of Famers opened his speech by recounting how he made his decision to be a Blue Devil."The first time I set foot in here I was 16 years old, and unfortunately there was somebody who happened to win National Player of the Year who had worn my favorite number in high school. My favorite number was 32," said Williams, referring to Christian Laettner's No. 32 that hangs beside his. "My father and I were in the gym, and my father asked me a question, and this is by no means a disrespect to the other school. He asked me, 'Would you rather be a king among the poor, or would you rather be a king among kings?' And he looked up at the rafters, and he saw that 11, 33 and 44 were all retired, and he said 'You know what son? The missing link is No. 22.' And every time I come into this room and I see that number hanging from the rafters it lets me know that I did something great."For Williams, enshrinement in his school's Hall of Fame was less of a coronation, and more of an affirmation that the 32-year-old continues to be deeply woven into the fabric of one of college basketball's most storied programs. Williams received a similar honor 11 years ago when he had his number retired just before his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, capping off a career in which the Plainfield, N.J., native averaged 19.3 points per game in three seasons, twice being named a first team All-American.Just months later, Williams graduated with a sociology degree from Duke after three years of school. Six weeks after graduation, he was selected with the second overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. And one year after his NBA career began, it came to an abrupt and untimely end.A motorcycle accident June 19, 2003 nearly cost Williams the use of his left leg and required nearly a year of extensive rehabilitation. As Williams lay in a hospital bed, he considered—and later attempted—suicide. More than a decade later, the Duke Hall of Famer said it was the support from his parents that ultimately led him through his darkest days."Getting hurt said a lot about some of the people I had around me when it happened," Williams said. "Look, we all go through dark moments, right? My dark moment came when I was a 21-year old kid and I got hurt, spent months in a hospital, spent almost a year in bed in North Carolina. I thought about... suicide, and those were the two constants in my life who were always there to tell me to keep fighting."More than a decade later, Williams can reflect on the success of his Blue Devil teammates in the NBA. Most of Williams' fellow starters on Duke's 2001 national championship team have since become reliable NBA veterans, leaving the public to wonder what role the Blue Devils' star could have thrived in at the next level."Now seeing all of my teammates, Dunleavy, Boozer play for Chicago, seeing Shane accomplish what he's been able to accomplish down in Miami—we had a really special team, and there is no way I am in this position without those guys," Williams said. "They continue to prove that more and more each day."Since recovering from his injury, Williams has found a new role off the hardwood—working as a college basketball analyst for ESPN alongside many of the pundits who once touted him as the nation's top player. Among Williams' new colleagues is former Blue Devil Jay Bilas, who served as master of ceremonies for the Hall of Fame Induction and Williams refers to as one of his closest friends and mentors.Williams said there is not a day that goes by where he does not think about his time with Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who instilled in him the confidence to succeeded in a career off the basketball court."Each and every day of my life that I am removed away from this program, it continues to show me how impressive of a coach he is," Williams said. "A lot of the values that we learned on the court are life lessons that we continue to use every single day. And it continues to reflect and show you not only why he's successful on the court, but if you're able to take these values and actually install them in your everyday life you can be successful off the court."As Williams recounted the ups and downs of his career and his favorite Duke memories on the stage, it gave his friends and teammates a glimpse of the 21-year-old kid who stood in a similar spot 11 years ago—standing at center stage smiling, laughing and back on top of the world."A lot of people come up to me and they say 'I'm sorry you're not playing anymore.'" Williams said. "And I say, 'There's nothing to be sorry about. Basketball wasn't my default plan. What I did here—that's my main plan.'"
Breaking down the X factors on both sides of the ball for Duke's matchup with Navy.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With NFL draft pick Sean Renfree at the helm and three wide receivers who combined to catch a whopping 227 passes last season, Duke was carried to a bowl game for the first time in 18 years by its aerial attack.Returning its top four rushers from the 2012 season and turning to new starter Anthony Boone under center, the Blue Devils promised to be a more balanced team in 2013.Through five games Duke has lived up to that promise. Averaging 193.0 yards per game on the ground this season, the Blue Devils are on pace for their highest rushing total since all the way back in 1977."Being a former player and a former running back, it means a lot to me for this to be the best rushing year we've had in 36 years," said Re'quan Boyette, Duke's first-year running backs coach. "Our offense really helps us in the run game trying to get us in space, trying to use our strengths to the best of our abilities to provide that production that we've gotten from those guys in the backfield."After averaging just 3.7 yards per carry last season, Duke made the running game a priority during its spring and summer workouts. With five contests under their belt this season, the Blue Devils are now averaging 4.8 yards per rushing attempt.Not only is Duke more effective running the football this season, it is doing so by utilizing a bevy of weapons. Boyette's fully stocked stable of running backs includes senior Juwan Thompson, redshirt junior Josh Snead and sophomores Jela Duncan and Shaquille Powell, all of whom have played a role in the Blue Devils' ground game this season.Duncan leads the team with 247 yards and has scored two touchdowns through five games. Snead is just behind at 245 yards and is averaging 6.3 yards per carry on the year. Thompson, Snead and Duncan have all been listed as first string on the depth chart at different points this season."It really doesn't matter who is the starter, essentially. They are going to go out and play and they are going to go out and be productive," Boyette said. "And once their number is called, they're ready to ball."With four capable rushers in the backfield, carries have been distributed by committee in the early going. Thompson, Snead, Duncan and Powell each have different strengths and weaknesses, which Boyette said allows the Blue Devils to utilize whichever one could be the most effective in different matchups.Snead did not receive a single touch against Georgia Tech, but carried the ball 25 times in Duke's past two games against Pittsburgh and Troy to lead the four running backs. Although inconsistent amounts of carries are something that Blue Devil backs have come to expect this season, it helps to keep opposing defenses in the dark until gameday."We're all great teammates and great friends," Snead said. "We feel as a unit we have to just go out there when your name is called and take advantage of your opportunities."With all four backs returning from last season, the biggest difference in Duke's rushing attack is the use of the quarterback in the ground game. The Blue Devils' zone-read scheme featured mobile signal-callers like Boone and redshirt junior Brandon Connette, who has since taken over as the team's full-time starter after Boone broke his collarbone in Duke's second game. Connette ranks third on the team with 224 rushing yards on a team-high 61 attempts and has found paydirt six times on the ground."With a guy like Brandon Connette that is able to run the ball as productively as he has, that's a huge weapon," Boyette said. "Having that 11th man is very crucial, because that adds to what the defense has to prepare for."Although the Blue Devils lack the star power of Renfree and wide receiver Conner Vernon this season, the Duke offense is actually producing at its most efficient clip in program history. After averaging 31.5 points per game last year, the Blue Devils are scoring 36.0 points per game this year and are on pace to eclipse the single-season scoring record they set last season."I think [running] is something that the coaching staff put a huge emphasis on in the offseason last year and then this offseason, so it's good to kind of see the fruit of that," redshirt senior guard Dave Harding said. "We know we've got a lot of improving to do, but the run game is something Duke football takes pride in."
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A week ago, Navy was not sure it would be making the trip to Duke this weekend.When the government shutdown forced the Department of Defense to briefly suspend the intercollegiate athletics programs at Army, Navy and Air Force, the showdown between the Midshipmen and Blue Devils was immediately thrown into a state of disarray."It's obviously just gridlock in D.C.," said Dave Harding, Duke guard and resident political guru. "The far right, the Tea Party is not willing to budge, so it makes any kind of compromise difficult.... I didn't realize it would have such a direct impact to football."After 48 hours of chaos, Navy (3-1) was able to come to a resolution and play its regularly scheduled game against Air Force last week—a 27-10 victory for the Midshipmen—and will make the trip to Durham this weekend to face the Blue Devils (3-2).Navy's success this season has been driven by the play of sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who is the lifeblood of the Midshipmen's triple-option offense. But the team's success does not rest on Reynolds' arm, but rather his legs. Reynolds has carried the football 81 times this season for 385 yards and seven touchdowns—no other Navy player has more than 45 carries, 140 yards or two touchdowns this season.Reynolds has thrown the ball just 31 times this season, completing 20 passes for 378 yards and two scores and averaging 18.9 yards per completion."He's a winner, and it all does go through him," Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. "What you have is an athlete touching the ball in that offense every play. He can run it, he can throw it, he's smart, he can read you."Duke has struggled against the triple-option this season, allowing Georgia Tech to rack up 344 yards on the ground in a 38-14 loss four weeks ago.Although it lacks playmakers outside of Reynolds, the Midshipmen offense actually displays more offensive ripples than the Yellow Jackets did. Navy is not afraid to deviate from the basic option formations and will actually take snaps out of the shotgun.The way the Midshipmen throw the ball could also be problematic for the Duke defense. Most triple-option teams will use their rare passing attempts to take deep shots down the field, but Navy mixes a fair amount of short and intermediate passing into its aerial attack. This could make life difficult for the Duke secondary. In addition to providing support against the run, Blue Devil cornerbacks and safeties won't just have to turn and run every time Reynolds drops back to throw—they will have to watch for underneath routes as well."It does make it difficult. Most of the times when you think about triple-option teams you're taking those deep shots, so when you see the pass you just turn and run as fast as you can and try to beat them to the spot," redshirt senior cornerback Ross Cockrell said. "With this team, they actually run routes. They have route concepts, and you have to defend against that as well as defend against the option."Despite the intricacies in Navy's passing game, it is not something the Midshipmen do often—they are tied for dead last in the FBS by attempting just 11.7 passes per game.On the defensive side of the football, outside linebacker Chris Johnson is Navy's primary playmaker. Of Johnson's 26 stops this season, 20 of them have been solo tackles. He also leads the Midshipmen with three interceptions on the season. The Navy defense has allowed just 17.8 points per game this season, which is good for 22nd in the FBS.Navy has lost its last two matchups against Duke. A victory for the Midshipmen Saturday would be their first against the Blue Devils since Sept. 27, 2007.
DE Michael Mann (upper body)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When the U.S. government shut down Oct. 1, football games that were scheduled to be played by Army, Navy and Air Force were put into jeopardy when the Department of Defense suspended all three schools' intercollegiate athletics programs. With a matchup with the Midshipmen just 11 days away, Duke did not know whether or not Navy would be able to play the game. At Tuesday's weekly media availability, Duke players and coaches sounded off on how the government shutdown has affected the college football world."I never thought we'd have any kinds of conversation like this before," redshirt senior cornerback Ross Cockrell said. "But hey, some things are out of your control, and the government shutdown is out of our control."Redshirt senior captain and starting left guard Dave Harding quickly separated himself as the team's resident political scholar. Currently taking a class on the Republican party taught by a former Duke football player, Harding was quick to assess the problems facing the U.S. government in the midst of this shutdown."It's obviously just gridlock in D.C.," Harding said. "The far right, the Tea Party is not willing to budge, so it makes any kind of compromise difficult... I didn't realize it would have such a direct impact to football."Despite rumors that the Blue Devils would try to replace that contest with Fresno State, the Midshipmen will be making the trip to Durham this weekend, and all three service academics played their regularly-scheduled games last week.Although head coach David Cutcliffe quickly dispelled the rumors that Duke would face another opponent, defensive end Kenny Anunike said the possibility of playing Fresno State was not lost on his team."They played this weekend... when I flipped by I kind of paused and thought 'maybe I should watch a few plays,'" Anunike said. "I don't know what's going on up there. It's crazy. I've never experienced a government shutdown in my life, and I think that's the one thing you don't want to be shut down."As Duke continued preparing for Navy in the midst of its bye week, Cutcliffe said his focus continued to be on his own team, regardless of who the next opponent was going to be."You stay so busy, I didn't really follow that much of that closely what was going on in Washington, D.C., to be honest with you," Cutcliffe said. "I took care of my end of things, and it worked well that way."Shutdown or no shutdown, Cockrell remained certain of one thing—his team wants to go win a football game Saturday."The government shutdown is not affecting our play on the field," Cockrell said.
Recapping Duke head coach David Cutcliffe's weekly press conference.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sitting at the edge of Duke's East Campus, Southgate Dormitory is one of the University's oldest and most imposing residence halls. Constructed in 1921, Southgate was originally designed as a women's residence. The building's entire first floor is common space, and the stillness of its antiquated parlors give off a creepy vibe, serving as a reminder of the nearly century's worth of students who have walked the halls of Southgate. Unlike the majority of older living spaces on East Campus, Southgate has a nearly-symmetrical layout in terms of room size, providing every corner with an eerie uniformity. Aside from the long, wide hallways and blind corners, the building's pasty white walls give the building a stunning emptiness and often drive students to liken the 92-year-old space to an insane asylum. The bars on the windows and doors in the stairwell only add to the effect. But one of Southgate's creepiest features has to be the machine shop that adjoins the building. Accessible from a door in the back, the machine shop sits idly in the nighttime, with nothing but the red light of an exit sign piercing the darkness. Combine this with the abundance of heavy machinery, hammers and saws lying around, and you have the perfect backdrop for any slasher movie. What could easily serve as a productive academic space for ambitious Duke engineers during the day could become a lair of shadowy terror when the sun sets.Southgate may be many things, but it is certainly versatile in its potential horror movie settings.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd will miss his team's first two games of the 2013-14 season. The first-year coach was suspended by the NBA friday morning after pleading guilty in July to driving while ability impaired.Kidd addressed the media Friday morning as his team held its fourth day of training camp at Duke."I think we all knew that was going to come at some point," Kidd said. "You have to be responsible, and the league came down with the suspension and I accept that. If a player is out, guys have to step up. My coaching staff is well capable of stepping up for the two games."A two-game suspension for a DWI charge is consistent with the precedent the league has set in recent years. Kidd will miss the Nets' Oct. 30 season-opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers and a Nov. 1 tilt with the defending NBA champions, the Miami Heat.Kidd will make his coaching debut Nov. 3 when his Nets take on the Magic in Orlando. Assistant coach Lawrence Frank will likely coach the team in Kidd's absence, but Kidd said he is yet to make a decision regarding who will take the lead in his brief absence."It's good to have Coach Frank," point guard Deron Williams said. "He is out there teaching every day. He is a head coach, and so we're definitely going to be comfortable with him until Jason gets back."Kidd has already performed his court-mandated community services and spoke to multiple Long Island schools about drinking and driving and responsible decision-making.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Brooklyn Nets held their second day of training camp at Duke's Michael W. Krzyzewski Center Wednesday morning. Here are some thoughts from players and coaches on the Nets' second set of practices:Forward Kevin Garnett on his first few days practicing with his new team:
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After one of the NBA's busiest offseasons, the Brooklyn Nets opened training camp Tuesday morning at Duke's Michael W. Krzyzewski Center. It was a day of debuts for the Nets, including recently-acquired superstars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry as well as former Blue Devil and first-round draft choice Mason Plumlee. It was also the first day of camp for first-year head coach Jason Kidd.Veteran voices filled the room as Brooklyn conducted practice, and even on his first official day on the job, Garnett was not shy to take charge as a leader of his new team. Toward the end of practice, the team focused on transition drills, but center Brook Lopez said that the team's primary emphasis of the day was its play on the defensive end.Point guard Deron Williams was limited in practice Tuesday, nursing a right ankle injury. Terry was also limited as he continues to rehab from offseason ankle surgery, and forward Tornike Shengalia was also limited due to an injury to his right knee.Here are some thoughts from members of the Brooklyn Nets directly following their first day of practice:Center Brook Lopez on the first practice led by new head coach Jason Kidd:
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The impacts of Tuesday's government shutdown in the United States have trickled into the realm of collegiate athletics.With the shutdown at 12:01 Tuesday morning, intercollegiate athletics at Army, Navy and Air Force have been suspended by the U.S. Department of Defense. Duke is slated to face Navy Oct. 12 in its next home contest.Duke has yet to release a statement regarding the status of its game against Navy or potential alternatives that could be scheduled in its place.Should the Midshipmen be unable to make the trip to Durham, the game would not count as a forfeit victory for the Blue Devils, but rather be dubbed as no contest, which would not count as a victory for Duke or a win toward the six required for bowl eligibility.The Blue Devils are 2-0 against nonconference opponents this season. Without a game against Navy, Duke's road to a second consecutive bowl appearance for the first time in program history only gets tougher.The Midshipmen cancelled their men's soccer match against Howard Tuesday night. An official statement regarding the status of this weekend's scheduled football game against Air Force is set to be made Thursday at noon, per the team's press release.A local NBC affiliate in Denver reported Tuesday afternoon that Air Force had suspended its travel plans to play Navy Saturday. According to an Air Force press release, Saturday's game will be cancelled.No plans have yet been release to schedule another opponent for Oct. 12 should Navy be unable to make the trip. Army is slated to play Eastern Michigan the same weekend, and Air Force will take on San Diego State.When the U.S. government last shut down, beginning with a five-day period in November 1995, all three service academies played their games the day before the shutdown ended. The difference that year was that Army, Navy and Air Force all played at home on that weekend. Road travel is considered nonessential by the Defense Department and could not be funded by a government-run institution during the shutdown. Army and Air Force were both originally slated to play on the road this weekend.This post was last updated at 5:57 p.m.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Most of the prevailing storylines surrounding the 2013-14 Blue Devils will be centered around Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker, but head coach Mike Krzyzewski said the most important player on this year's team could be sophomore Amile Jefferson.After starting just seven games during his freshman campaign, Krzyzewski listed Jefferson alongside Parker and Hood as three of Duke's tentative starters for the upcoming season at the head coach's season-opening press conference."To me one of the key guys on this team is Amile Jefferson. I think he's been fantastic in our preseason," Krzyzewski said. "He may complement [Hood and Parker] better than any guy on our team.... I don't know the five guys we would start if we had a game today, but three of them would be Jabari, Rodney and Amile."Krzyzewski mentioned point guard Quinn Cook will likely start as well. At the Blue Devils' open practice Saturday morning, Cook, Hood, Jefferson and Parker all suited up for the same team in a scrimmage. Sophomore guard Rasheed Sulaimon rounded out the starting lineup, with redshirt senior Andre Dawkins serving as the unit's sixth man.Jefferson appeared in 32 of Duke's 36 games last season, averaging 4.0 points and 2.9 points per contest and ranking second on the team by shooting 54.3 percent from the field.When senior Ryan Kelly went down with a foot injury in the team's second ACC contest, it was Jefferson alongside current senior Josh Hairston who stepped up to fill the void. Jefferson made all seven of his starts during the 13-game span in which Duke played without Kelly, and averaged 19.6 minutes per game during that stretch.Jefferson averaged 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game with Kelly out of the lineup, and the playing time he saw during ACC play was crucial to his development."Because of Ryan's injury, he had the opportunity to play a little bit more and start some games for us and did well," Krzyzewski said. "He's got an unbelievable personality to play the game. He's such an easy guy to play with, not bothered on the court, he's such a good teammate."Now expected to take over as a starter, Jefferson will be forced to adjust to a new role and provide support for the Blue Devils on the glass and the defensive end. The forward's 7-foot-2 wingspan should help, especially as Duke shifts its philosophy to include more ball pressure and full-court defense."Last year I was called on when somebody went down or to step in when somebody in foul trouble," Jefferson said. "Now this year I have a chance to play a really key role, to be that man in the middle for us and maybe not have a position, but be that guy who can do some of the little things."In addition to honing his skills during the offseason, the Philadelphia native made it a priority to put on weight to become more of a presence in the post. After starting his freshman season with just 185 pounds to support his 6-foot-9 frame, Jefferson returned to school in May tipping the scale at 214 pounds.Jefferson said Friday that he now weighs in at 218 pounds, just two pounds away from his goal of 220 to start the season."I knew we might be short with some size this year, so just being able to come in, help the team and put on some good weight so I can battle down low was definitely a goal this summer," Jefferson said.With the start of a new season still weeks away, it is impossible to know whether or not Jefferson will be in the starting lineup for Duke's season-opener against Davidson. But regardless of the outcome, it appears Jefferson will be a player to watch as he heads into his sophomore campaign."Just knowing my role on this team, being able to compliment the guys Rodney and Jabari, being able to play off Quinn and Rasheed, it's fun," Jefferson said. "So to see that Coach sees what I'm seeing, it's really good for me."
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rodney Hood has never played a regular-season game for Duke, but that did not stop his teammates from selecting the redshirt sophomore as team captain for the 2013-14 season.Head coach Mike Krzyzewski revealed in his first press conference of the season Friday that Hood would serve as the Blue Devils' captain alongside senior Tyler Thornton."It means a lot, especially since I haven't played here yet," Hood said. "My teammates have a great respect for me and my coaching staff as well, so it's just an honor to be named team captain, and I'm going to try my best to do the best I can."Hood sat out the entire 2012-13 season after transferring to Duke from Mississippi State, where the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 10.3 points and 4.8 rebounds as a freshman.In addition to the captaincy, Hood also received the greatest indication of approval from his team—a vote from his head coach."I voted for him, so I won," Krzyzewski said. "We get a feel for what the team wants, and we as a staff then look at it and we decide. I'm not surprised about Rodney. Rodney, every day last year... he handled that situation unbelievably well."During his redshirt season, Hood's limitations extended off the basketball court. The Meridian, Miss. native was unable to travel with his team for away games. As a result, when the Blue Devils make their sweep through the ACC this season, their new captain will be seeing a number of opposing arenas for the very first time.Hood is the first sophomore to hold the title of captain since Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts led a young Duke team with junior DeMarcus Nelson for the 2006-07 season.Although Hood was unable to play for the Blue Devils last season, he served a vital role in practice as two of Duke's three senior captains battled injuries throughout the season. With Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry often watching from the sidelines, Hood's presence allowed the Blue Devils to run 5-on-5 drills in practice.Krzyzewski added that aside from making the players around him better, Hood may have also been the most explosive player on last year's team."Many times [Hood] was our best player," Krzyzewski said. "Now being the best player with a blue shirt and no pressure on you, we'll see now with a white shirt and pressure on you what happens. But I think good things will happen."Hood's versatility was on full display Saturday as the Blue Devils took the floor for an open practice. He and freshman forward Jabari Parker showcased their court sense as Duke gave the world a first look at a scheme that utilizes a transition offense and full-court defense.Showcasing his skills for the first time since last year's Countdown to Craziness, Hood looked incredibly comfortable within the flow of the Blue Devil offense, showcasing his slashing ability and lefty jumper throughout the two-hour practice.Parker said that Hood was one of the players who surprised him the most since first stepping on campus late in the summer. Although he is regarded as one of the top freshmen in the country, Parker added that he continues to learn from his new captain every day. "You have to have your best player a captain and the leader of the team," Parker said. "You have to have him anticipate that role, just like every other team that you see. Kobe [Bryant] is the captain of the Lakers, you see LeBron [James] and [Dwyane] Wade at the Heat, so I think Rodney needs to take that role so we can climb on his back."
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the official start of the season bumped up two weeks by the NCAA this year, college basketball got underway last Friday as teams were allowed to begin practicing.In anticipation of the 2013-14 campaign, Sporting News released its preseason rankings and All-America teams for the upcoming year. The Blue Devils came in tabbed at No. 4 in Sporting News' preseason top 25. Freshman forward Jabari Parker was tabbed as a preseason first-team All-American with redshirt sophomore forward Rodney Hood earning third-team honors as well.But perhaps the most interesting of Sporting News' preseason accolades was the All-Name All-America teams, a compilation of the most interesting names across the college basketball landscape. Absent from the list of 209 players was Duke's Semi Ojeleye, but there were still entertaining names aplenty. N.C. State's Staats Battle was named to the All-Name All-America first team, Clemson's Jarron Blossomgame made the All-Botany team and the powerful St. John's duo of God'sgift Achiuwa and Sir'Dominic Pointer made the list as well.Have thoughts on Duke's preseason ranking? Think Semi should have made the list? What is your favorite name in college basketball? Let us know in the comments section below.