WRAL Sports Fan

Duke

Duke alters practice approach to stay fresh in 2009

By Dane Huffman

Jan 21, 2009

Raleigh, N.C. — Duke bolted to big records in men’s basketball the past two years, only to see the season unravel in the final stages.

The Devils started 18-3 in 2007 and finished 22-11, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Then Duke blew out to a 22-1 record last season and stumbled to a final mark of 28-6 that included a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament.

The Devils are now 17-1 after beating N.C. State Tuesday. But associate head coach Chris Collins said Duke is hoping a revamped approach to the season will pay off as the Devils head into the final weeks.

“The thing is not to peak at the wrong time,” Collins said Wednesday.

The past two years, Collins noted, Duke got off to tremendous starts.

“Then we petered out a little bit,” he said.

So Duke has re-thought its approach about how it handles the team. Coach Mike Krzyzewski prefers ultra-intense, but relatively short, practices, usually going no more than an hour and a half.

But this year, the Devils have cut back on practice at certain points in the season. For example, Duke had a tough game Saturday against Georgetown, and then had a much lighter day on Sunday. Collins said the players who had big minutes against the Hoyas only stretched and shot around, while those who didn’t play much had a full practice.

On Monday, Duke had an hour of film preparation for N.C. State followed by an intense hour of practice. Collins said the Sunday practice was lighter than in the past and the Monday practice about normal.

Collins said the Devils are trying to not “over-practice these guys.”

“It’s more managing around the game,” Collins said in a talk with the Raleigh Sports Club. “Like in practice, you don’t want to bang the heck out of players in September and October and by the middle of the season, they’ve had enough.”

Duke certainly appeared to tire at the end of last season, and Krzyzewski said that Kyle Singler, a rookie that season, was worn down by the end.

Duke has reached the Final Four only once since winning the national title in 2001, and has advanced past the Sweet 16 only once in the past seven seasons.

The Devils are looking to avoid that in 2009, in part by keeping the players – and coaches – feeling fresh.

Collins assisted Krzyzewski with the U.S. national team that won the gold medal in China. That made for a long summer for the Duke coaches, who were out recruiting, went to Las Vegas for the national team training camp and then were off to China for the Games.

The Duke coaches have shared those experiences with the Blue Devils team, remarking on how hard LeBron James practiced and how Kobe Bryant said from the first day he didn’t care about scoring and wanted to guard the toughest rival so he could “destroy him.”

But Collins insisted the Duke staff returned from China ready to immerse itself in the season and the current group of Duke players.

“We’re back to being about them,” Collins said. “Everybody expected us to be tired. We’re tried to show our guys that’s not the case.

“We’re even more excited. We haven’t won a championship since [the NCAA title in] 2001. To taste it this summer makes you want it even more.”

OOPS!: Collins said an “honest mistake” led to him being at the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational tournament in Raleigh on Dec. 26.

Collins, like many college coaches, has scouted the tournament in the past, but the first day fell on an NCAA recruiting dead period. Collins attended without realizing he was not supposed to be there.

“I was the first one to call our compliance and say, ‘Look, I screwed up,’” Collins said.

He drew a laugh from the crowd when he said, “I promise I won’t cheat any more.”

NOTING THE BLUE DEVILS: Collins said Gerald Henderson has a 41-inch vertical jump. …

One fan asked about Greg Paulus, a senior and former starter coming off the bench this season.

Collins said Paulus had knee problems over the summer and that Nolan Smith had a strong summer, which contributed to the decision to start Smith.

“With Greg, part of the move to go with Nolan Smith had to do with Greg’s health,” he said. We felt in order to be the team we wanted to be, we liked the dynamic of Greg off the bench.”

Collins said Paulus the move has been “adjustment for Greg. “We’ve tried to help him with that. I think he’ll play well the rest of the year, I really do.”

Paulus had nine points in 17 minutes against N.C. State and played a key role in the Devils’ rally in the second half.

“He’s getting his spunk back,” Collins said. “You’ll see his role continue to grow. He’s a senior. He wants to go to the Final Four. He believes in our staff. But that being said, it’s an adjustment.”