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Sunday, January 01, 2006
Bucknell-Duke tops busy Monday slate
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BUCKNELL at No. 1 Duke (ESPN) 4:30 p.m.: The Bison have slain some giants, but they have never even played one the size of Duke, the first No. 1 team Bucknell has faced in 111 years of hoops.

The scounting report on the Blue Devils in Bucknell's game notes goes something like this:
Duke comes in with a perfect 12-0 mark after Saturday's 102-69 rout of UNC Greensboro. Reigning national player of the year J.J. Redick scored 35 points in that victory, and he leads the team in scoring at 25.6 ppg. Redick is averaging just under four 3-pointers made per game and shoots 47.4% from beyond the arc. While Redick is the outside threat, 6'9" senior Shelden Williams is the inside force. Williams nearly averages a double-double at 18.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg.
The Williams-Chris McNaughton matchup should be interesting. Both big guys played in the World University games last summer, Williams for gold medalist USA and McNaughton for Germany. The two met in pool play, a 10-point win for the US. Williams started for the US and had a 20 points-9 rebounds game. McNaughton had 8 points and 8 rebounds off the bench for the Germans.

How tough a challenge do the Bison face? Consider:
  • Since 1997-98, the Blue Devils are 98-2 at home vs. unranked. Under Mike Krzyzewski, Duke is 515-84 vs. unranked competition, including a 202-14 record since the 1997-98 season.
  • During the past nine seasons, Duke is 105-5 vs. unranked non-conference opponents.
  • Duke is an impressive 369-57 vs. nonconference opponents under Mike
    Krzyzewski, including a 186-8 mark in home games.
  • Duke has sold out 229 consecutive games at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke did not have a home was on Nov. 16, 1990, against Boston College.
  • Duke has posted a 684-141 (.829) in the 66-year-old Cameron.
  • Krzyzewski-led teams are (.872) at Cameron.
  • Duke has won 169 of its last nonconference games at home.

    Note: Hoop Time will live blog the game if possible.
    Bucknell notes | Duke Web site | USA Today matchup | Live stats | Bucknell Radio

    AMERICAN at St. Francis (Pa.) 7 p.m.: The Red Flash are 2-8, riding a six-game losing streak. But at home, where they are 32-8 since the start of the 2002-2003 season, they are 2-1 so far.

    Redshirt junior center J.R. Enright is a 6-10, 250-pounder who averages 12.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Rahsaan Benton, a 5-10 senior guard, leads St. Francis in scoring, coming off the bench to average 16.2 ppg. Neither is particularly accurate, though. Both are shooting under 40 percent from the field. As a team, SF is barely shooting 40 percent.
    AU notes | St. Francis notes | USA Today matchup | Live Stats | UVM radio | AU radio

    COLGATE at Stony Brook 7 p.m.: The Sea Wolves are shooting 35 percent from the field as a team, allowing opponents to shoot better than 45 percent against them. They have been outrebounded by an average of better than 10 boards per game. Stony Brook averages less than 10 assists per game and over 15 turnovers. With those stats in mind, it is probably little surprise they have not won a game all season (0-9).
    Colgate notes (pdf) | MVS Web site | USA Today matchup | Gametracker | 'Gate radio

    LEHIGH at Columbia 7 p.m.: Columbia opened the season 5-0. Then the Lions lost to Army, starting a skid that has seen them lose five of the last six. The lone win in that stretch came over Lafayette. Columbia has lost three in a row since then

    Columbia turned the ball over 27 times in its last game, a 63-54 loss to St. Peter's in the consolation game of the Panasonic Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. That does not bode well for the Lions against a defensive minded club like Lehigh.
    Lehigh notes | Columbia notes | USA Today matchup | Gametracker

    Boston U. at HOLY CROSS (NESN) 7 p.m.: The 5-7 Terriers come in off a win over UC-Riverside in the consolation game of the Cable Car Classic. BU was dropped into the consi game by a first round loss to Bucknell.

    So far this season, Boston U. has pretty much won the games it should have and lost the ones it would probably be expected to. Among the losses: Michigan, UMass, Duke, George Washington, Rhode Island and Bucknell. The only win over a .500 or better team came against Harvard.
    HC notes | Boston U. Web site | USA Today matchup | HC radio
    • Published at 4:36 PM by Hoop Time.
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