Duke came into Blacksburg...on Thursday night ready for another tough night on the road in the ACC. VT has given Duke all kinds of problems over the past few years and this young crop of Hokies were determined to give the Blue Devils all they could handle. Tech is young but they are also quick and athletic and have at least one team member who is obviously a drama major.
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Deron Washington...WTF??!! You would think a senior leader of a young squad would bring stability and a good head game on the court...maybe he's been around Greenburg too long? Washington decided to bring his stage make-up kit, instead. If he wasn't flailing his arms and swinging his neck back after a non-existent push then he was sticking that same neck in the Duke huddle and getting it rudely (and appropriately) shoved right back out. Blue here definitely gives this jerk off kid the nod for an Emmy.
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When it came to actually playing the game...Washington was a pathetic 2-9 from the field with six turnovers. All his hustle plays were canceled out by his lame attempts to get the refs attention....which it did in a way since he ended up fouling out on a touch foul in the final minutes. I have to say it...I really fucking loathe this kid. Really, really. Maybe as much as I ::HEART:: Jon Scheyer. (What? You didn't think I'd find a way to slip that in somewhere? You underestimate my (in)capabilities).
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You know it is bad...when you are playing Duke and the commentary is provided by the lovely Len "I Know Every NBA Player, EVER" Elmore and Mike "Still Bitter After All These Years" Patrick duo and they are picking on you. A lot. Almost enough for me to forgive Elmore's mentioning Henderson's Dad and how he knew him, too, at least three times per Duke game. Almost.
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Anyway...enough about Deron "Sideshow Bob" Washington and on to the actual game and what it meant to Duke...um, finally. My apologies.
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The first half...was back and forth with Duke holding as much as a 10 point advantage at one point before Tech was able to cut the lead to one at the break. What a shock!
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Enter Kyle Singler...His 3 straight out of the half put Duke up by 4 and his rebounding, passing and scoring allowed Duke to stretch the lead and start to cruise right into...{drum roll, please}...stall ball (YAY! My favorite)! around the 10 minute mark. Paulus, Henderson and Nelson were all in double figures as well but it was Singler who provided the spark and energy the entire second half. We all heard coming in to this season just how high Singler's basketball IQ...another term I just adore...right up there with the term upset...was. We saw it last night. The kid is necessarily great at any one part of the game....his outside shot is still iffy and he still has lots to learn on the defensive end....but his ability to make plays and big shots when they count are undeniable. The behind the back pass to Nelson was a thing of beauty that may come to define the type of player Singler is and will be. He makes people around him look better, which in my eyes, is the true barometer of how special a player is.
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Again, Singler certainly didn't do this alone. The defense forced 22 turnovers and only committed 12. The Devils were decent behind the arc going 8-22 while holding the Hokies to a meager 2-13. Vassallo and Thompson were bright spots in the lineup for Tech and they proved they can hang with a team like Duke, at least for a half. This team will surprise a team or two before the season is out and could make even more noise if Sideshow Bob decides to give up on his acting career and start playing basketball. The middle of the conference standings are wide open and for the taking at this point.
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All in all, it was good to get out of Blacksburg with a win and no major injuries. Tech won't be coming to Cameron this year which is a shame considering Washington could have been a really fun target. Oh well...maybe we'll see them again come ACC tourny time.
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Bring on the Twerps!!!
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Blue Devilyn is a regular NBX contributor and aspiring Amish nun. Check out the archives for some of her other puritanical rants and raves.
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