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Duke is doing it again

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Posted: Monday January 24, 2000 05:20 PM

By Albert Lin, CNNSI.com

	• Our New Favorite Player • High Five/Riding the Pine • Storylines • Don't Miss It • Brendan Haywood Watch

We admit it: We were wrong about the Duke Blue Devils. We knew they'd be good, but we thought top-15 or top-20 good. Not top five. And certainly not Final Four material.

Well, Mike Krzyzewski has made us look stupid once again (granted, not a terribly difficult thing to do) and has proven why he is the best coach in America. Yes, he has the luxury of being able to import high school All-Americas without missing a beat, but the way he's been able to blend them in with three returning seniors is amazing.

Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy Jr. have stepped right in and averaged double figures, making you forget that a year ago they were playing ball in New Jersey, Alaska and Oregon, respectively (the latter two not exactly basketball hotbeds). But the biggest reason for Duke's success is the leadership of Chris Carrawell and Shane Battier. It's a cliché, yes, but both of them do whatever it takes to help the team win, whether that means making a big shot, breaking fullcourt pressure, stopping the opponent's best scorer or drawing a charge (enjoy it while you can because you won't get those calls in the NBA, Shane).

The Blue Devils have ripped off 15 straight wins since their opening debacle at Madison Square Garden, when the players understandably were still trying to identify their roles; their last W, over Wake Forest, was the program's 1,600th and set a new ACC record for consecutive conference victories (28).

With no one else in the ACC performing with any sort of predictability, it wouldn't be surprising if Duke completes another undefeated league season.

A.J. Guyton, sr., G, Indiana

We've been a fan since he arrived as a freshman in Bloomington, but for some reason Guyton's never gotten his rightful props. Perhaps that's because of the fade the Hoosiers have done during the second half of the season the past few years. This year looks to be different, and this guy is a big reason why. Guyton is hitting his jumper at a more consistent rate (47.2% FG, 42.5% 3-pt. FG), and still has the quicks to blow by defenders and the strength to go strong to the hoop. Guyton is also a superb on-the-ball defender who should have enough point-guard skills to make it at the next level. Think of him as a more athletic Lindsay Hunter.

HIGH FIVE Henry Bibby: Go figure -- has Southern Cal perched atop Pac-10 after knocking off Arizona. We smell a Cinderella.

HIGH FIVE Clarence Gilbert: The other half of Missouri's Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dillard High School backcourt duo (with Keyon Dooling) keys upset of Kansas.

HIGH FIVE Ohio State: Shows signs of living up to preseason hype by beating Michigan State and St. John's.

HIGH FIVE Marshall Williams: Helps N.C. State force Duke into overtime with two baskets in the last 3.3 seconds of regulation.

RIDING THE PINE Auburn: The riding-by-the-seat-of-their-pants Tigers finally get nipped, by Mississippi.

RIDING THE PINE Dan Gadzuric: How can someone with his physical skills be so unproductive?

RIDING THE PINE DePaul: Boy, do the Blue Demons need Lance Williams back ASAP.

RIDING THE PINE Northwestern: Outrebounded by the incredible margin of 44-11 in loss to Michigan State. Time to go back to a real Big Ten?

Tarred and feathered

North Carolina's improbable four-game losing streak has dropped the Tar Heels out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1990 (and a streak of 172 consecutive weeks). Bill Guthridge will prove his coaching mettle over the next month if he can guide this so-so (by UNC standards) club to a top-three ACC finish. Otherwise, he may be guided to the door.

Missing the middle

With big man Marcus Griffin out for four-to-six weeks with torn cartilage in his left knee, Illinois will have to develop an entirely new chemistry. Just when the Illini appeared to be getting comfortable with their current cast.

Long live the Bearcats

Cincinnati looks even more invincible with the way the rest of the top five has shuffled the past several weeks. Kenyon Martin is the runaway favorite for player of the year, Pete Mickeal appears to have found his game; the key will be the continued development of freshman guards DerMarr Johnson and Kenny Satterfield.

Connecticut at Syracuse, Monday, 7 p.m. ET

This is the big test for undefeated Syracuse; everything points to UConn, but the Huskies have only played once since losing to St. John's last Sunday -- and we like to think the Orange will be playing with a certain amount of pride.

Auburn at Tennessee, Tuesday, 9 p.m.

We still don't know what to make of either of these teams, which means that no matter who wins we'll still be uncertain. We think the Vols have more overall talent, but Auburn has more experience playing with a bull's-eye.

Vanderbilt at Florida, Saturday, 3 p.m.

The Commodores' win over the Gators on Jan. 5 began Vandy's run into the Top 25, but now comes the hard part: staying there without being able to sneak up on opponents any longer. We think Saturday's loss to Kentucky was the beginning of Vanderbilt's slide back into basketball mediocrity.

In the tradition of last season's William Avery Watch, we return to Tobacco Road to follow the trials and tribulations of another underachieving player whose improvement is crucial to his team's success. This 7-footer grabbed one rebound in the final two games of last season (losses to Duke in the ACC Tournament and Weber State in the NCAA Tournament), covering 57 minutes of playing time.

1999-00 stats: 12.8 pts., 6.4 rebs., 2.5 blks. in 27.7 minutes per game

Perhaps his best effort of the year (20 points, 12 rebounds) against Virginia. But there's the matter of the L. And then a solid game (15, 9 but on 5-11 shooting) in another loss to Florida State. Hmm, now it seems no matter how well he plays the Heels still can't win. And with Maryland (Lonny Baxter, Mike Mardesich) and Georgia Tech (Alvin Jones, Jason Collier) on tap this week, and Duke (Carlos Boozer) on the horizon, things won't be getting any easier for Mr. Haywood.

Come back every Monday afternoon for a new College Basketball Week at a Glance.

 

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