Irving's absence having impact on Duke
CLEMSON -- The greatest mystery in the ACC this season is the status of Kyrie Irving's right toe, and there remains no timetable for the return of the sensational Duke freshman point guard.
Irving's toe might be the most important appendage in the ACC.
With Irving, Duke was ranked No. 1 and looked unbeatable at times earlier this season.
Without Irving, Duke has been vulnerable, losing to a second-tier Big East team in St. John's last week.
Though Irving was slated to have a cast removed from his foot last week, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Irving is a "a long way from playing."
Duke assistant Chris Collins shed some light on the mysterious, yet-to-be-named injury in an interview with the Fayetteville Observer.
"It's a combination of things," Collins said. "There's a ligament and some bone in there that have been damaged. And from what we've seen, it's a very unique injury. It's a form of turf toe but it's a little more severe than that. It's been hard to explain in layman's terms. But because it's in the ball of his foot, that's a really dicey area. That's where you do all your cutting and your jumping. And that's where you do all of your pushing off from. That's what's made this all the more delicate. I don't know that the injury has an exact label. If it has a name, I don't know what it is. But it's something that we need to make sure gets healed correctly before Kyrie even thinks about playing. Because otherwise he could have more problems down the road.
"If we can avoid surgery, that's the best-case scenario."
Thumbs up
Home-court advantage
It’s good to be on your home-court in college basketball, especially this season in the ACC. The league’s top seven teams were a combined 24-4 in ACC play on their home court entering the weekend. It is imperative for teams like Clemson, which are on the fringe of the NCAA picture, to strengthen their postseason resumes with a road win or two.
Double threat
Maryland’s Jordan Williams is going underappreciated, nationally. The Maryland star has a nation-leading 20 double-doubles this season, and is just two shy of the Maryland single-season record for double-doubles held by Len Elmore (1974). Williams is averaging 17.7 points, 12 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He’s also shooting 56 percent from the field.
Thumbs down
Early departures
Just when things were looking up for North Carolina, when its talented young players Harrison Barnes and Jon Henson were playing well, when the Tar Heels had surfaced in The Associated Press rankings, UNC received a stunner last week.
North Carolina point guard Larry Drew II announced he was transferring from the school Friday.
While Drew was recently benched and was averaging just 4.4 points and 3.9 assists per game, the move leaves UNC coach Roy Williams without one of his primary ball-handlers to run his desired up-tempo offense.
Drew was never a fan favorite in Chapel Hill. He was not the point guard Raymond Felton or Ty Lawson had been for the school, leading North Carolina to two national titles in the previous decade. While not a star, Drew's departure could slow down the Tar Heels, who run one of the 10 fastest-paced offenses in the country.
The Hewitt era
Alexander Memorial Coliseum had an air of apathy for the Clemson-Georgia Tech game Saturday. The arena was only half full, and seemed to provide as much energy for Clemson as for Tech. Though Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt's contract contains a substantial buyout clause, one has to wonder how much longer mediocrity (Georgia Tech is 10-12, 3-5 in the conference) can continue at a proud program in Atlanta.
Stat of the week
7-26
The ACC’s record against teams ranked in the top
He said it
"I'm disappointed in the fact he's leaving," Roy Williams said of Larry Drew's transfer. "That's the biggest disappointment. Everybody has different feelings and different ideas.
"That's probably best to leave it at that."
Trav's take
--If you've always wondered why it's so difficult to win on the road, pick up the new release "Scorecasting," which examines a number of sports topics and attempts to do some myth-busting regarding home-court advantage.
--With so few teams from the ACC appearing to be in contention for NCAA at-large berths, the ACC tournament should have some spirited play with teams desperate to improve their resumes and/or enter the national tournament.
--With Duke's win at Maryland last week, the Blue Devils recorded a 15th straight season of at least 20 wins. It's the gold standard of consistency from the author (Mike Krzyzewski) who brought you the Gold Standard.
STATS
Scoring
1 Nolan Smith, Duke 21.0
2 Malcolm Delaney, Va. Tech 18.3
3 Kyle Singler, Duke 18.0
4 Jordan Williams, Md. 17.7
5 Reggie Jackson, BC 17.6
Rebounding
1 Jordan Williams, Md. 12.0
2 Jeff Allen, Va. Tech 10.0
3 Reggie Johnson, Miami 9.9
4 Mason Plumlee, Duke 8.8
5 John Henson, UNC 8.5
Assists
1 Nolan Smith, Duke 5.6
2 Kendall Marshall, UNC 5.0
3 Reggie Jackson, BC 4.8
4 Malcolm Delaney, Va. Tech 4.3
5 C.J. Harris, Wake 3.7
3 pt. pct.
1t Andre Dawkins, Duke 43.9
1t Malcolm Grant, Miami 43.9
3 Scott Wood, N.C. State 42.5
4 Malcolm Delaney, Va. Tech 41.4
5 Biko Paris, BC 40.5
