Duke in the NBA Update: Battier Heating Up

Shane Battier
Miami Heat - Forward
Drafted: 1st Round (6th Pick) by the Memphis Grizzlies (2001)
2011-12 Stats: 30 games, 4.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Battier, who felt like he had been in a slump offensively, finally provided the Heat with some offensive support in helping them to a 4-1 week. Battier scored a season-high 15 points and tallied five rebounds in the 106-89 win over the Washington Wizards last Friday and shot 66.7 percent from the field this week. "I re-evaluated how I've been playing and I have not been happy. It comes down to effort and energy and I play better. Not that I wasn't playing hard, but I could've played with more energy. When you play with energy, good things happen," said Battier.

Carlos Boozer
Chicago Bulls - Forward/Center
Drafted: 2^nd Round (35^th pick) by the Cleveland Cavaliers (2002)
2011-12 Stats: 31 games, 15.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Boozer has continued to be a dominant offensive force for the Chicago Bulls who own an Eastern Conference-best 24-7 record, which is the fourth-best start in franchise history. Boozer, who averages 15.4 points per game, has scored double figures in eight of the Bull's last ten games. He scored a team high of 18 points, while tallying six rebounds and three assists in the 90-67 win over the New Orleans Hornets. The Bulls are currently ranked first in the NBA averaging 23.2 assists per game, second in the NBA with 44.9 rebounds per game and third in the NBA allowing on averaged 88 points per game. The Bulls have been perfect (12-0) this season when scoring 100-plus points, and Boozer has scored in double figures in 10 of those 12 games.

Elton Brand
Philadelphia 76ers - Forward/Center
Drafted: 1^st Round (1^st pick) by the Chicago Bulls (1999)
2011-12 Stats: 27 Games, 10.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Brand remains a consistent player for the Philadelphia 76ers who became the fourth team this season to reach 20 wins when they defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 98-89 on Monday. Brand recorded back-to-back double doubles this week as the 76ers improved to 20-9. Brand scored 11 points and tallied 13 rebounds in the 100-90 loss to the Sacramento Kings last Wednesday and he scored 12 points and recorded 10 rebounds in the 78-77 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last Friday. Brand now has six double-doubles this season.

Luol Deng
Chicago Bulls - Forward/Center
Drafted: 1^st Round (7^th pick) by the Phoenix Suns (2004)
2011-12 Stats: 24 games, 15.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Deng has continued to provide the Bulls with solid offensive and defensive efforts throughout the season to lead them to an Eastern-Conference best 24-7, and as a result, he became the seventh former Blue Devil named to the first NBA All-Star Team last Thursday. "I had a feeling. I don't know why. I was still surprised to see that I made it," said Deng. "This year kind of felt different, going into it. There have been a few years where I thought I might make it. This year, for some reason, I thought it was going to happen." Deng, who averages 15.9 points per game, scored a season high 23 points and lead the Bulls with 11 assists in the 121-115 win over the Sacramento Kings. The Bulls also became the first team in league history to win four games by more than 20 points on the road, when they defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 95-64.

Chris Duhon
Orland Magic - Guard
Drafted: 2^nd Round (38^th pick) by the Chicago Bulls (2004)
2011-12 Stats: 29 Games, 3.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Duhon who averages 21.1 minutes off the bench, remains a dominant force for the Magic who went 3-1 this past week, improving to 18-11 overall. He scored five points and tallied three assists in the 102-89 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Duhon tied his season high of six assists in the 99-94 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. In the past five games, he is shooting 50% from three-point range and averaging three assists per game.

Mike Dunleavy
Milwaukee Bucks - Guard/Forward
Drafted: 1^st Round (3^rd pick) by the Golden State Warriors (2002)
2011-12 Stats: 18 Games, 10.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Dunleavy continues to play an instrumental role in the Buck's offense, averaging 10.9 points per game. He scored 18 points - 16 of which came in the second quarter - while recording seven rebounds, two blocks, and an assist in the 105-99 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Bucks scored 58 points in the first half, which are the most points scored by an opponent against the Raptors this season. Dunleavy helped lead the Bucks to a 2-1 week. He is currently shooting 52.9 from three-point range in the last five games, hitting seven treys in the last two games.

Gerald Henderson
Charlotte Bobcats - Shooting Guard
Drafted: 1^st Round (12^th pick) by the Charlotte Bobcats (2009)
2011-12 Stats: 21 games, 15.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Henderson is still listed as day-to-day due to a hamstring injury suffered in the third quarter in the 112-68 loss to the Portland Trailblazers. It has been reported that he could return as early as the end of the week. "He means a lot to the team. He has a really good feel for the game. He works harder than any players I've ever been around on his shooting and every other aspect of the game," says head coach Paul Silas. The Bobcats continue to struggle as a result of injuries and have fallen to 3-25 overall.

Grant Hill
Phoenix Suns - Forward
Drafted: 1^st Round (3^rd pick) by the Detroit Pistons (1994)
2011-12 Stats: 27 Games, 9.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Hill remains a focal point of the Sun's offense, ranking fourth on the team with nine points per game. He scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds and one assist as the Suns defeated the Sacramento Kings 98-84. He scored 10 points and recorded five rebounds and five assists in the 102-96 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night. Hill, as well as point guard Steve Nash, did not play Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets. Suns Coach Alvin Gentry said he wanted to give his veterans the night off as the team plays its second of three straight nights.

Kyrie Irving
Cleveland Cavaliers - Point Guard
Drafted: 1^st Round (1^st pick) by the Cleveland Cavaliers (2011)
2011-12 Stats: 24 games, 18.2 PPG, 3.5 RGP, 5.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Irving missed three games after hitting the back of his head on Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade's knee on Feb. 7, when the Cavs lost 107-91. Irving did some non-contact work during Cleveland's practice on Monday, but under the NBA's new and stricter concussion guidelines, he will not be able to return until he passes a series of physical tests. "It was a process I had to go through and it made me appreciate what I was doing at the beginning of the season and when I was out and not being able to be with my teammates," Irving said. "It was a process I had to go through and I'm glad it's done." He rejoined the Cavs lineup last night against the Indiana Pacers where he led them to a 98-87 win, scoring 22 points and recording three rebounds, five assists and one block. Irving leads Cleveland in scoring averaging 18.2 points per game.

Dahntay Jones
Indiana Pacers - Guard/Forward (2003)
Drafted: 1^st Round (20^th pick) by the Boston Celtics
2011-12 Stats: 28 Games, 5.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Despite a four-game losing streak, Jones continues to provide the Pacers with solid minutes off the bench, averaging 16.1 minutes per game. He scored 10 points in two of his four games this past week - in the 98-92 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies last Friday and in the 105-90 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. Jones is shooting 40.2 percent from the field this season as the Pacers improve to 17-11 overall.

Corey Maggette
Charlotte Bobcats - Forward
Drafted: 1^st Round (13^th pick) by the Seattle SuperSonics (1999)
2011-12 Stats: 9 Games, 12.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Maggette returned this week from a 19-game absence to a brutal three-game home stand against three division leaders: Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Philadelphia 76ers. Maggette scored only four points while recording four rebounds in 13 minutes in his first game back against the Chicago Bulls. He scored a season-high 22 points while tallying two rebounds and three steals in the 98-89 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers three days later.

Josh McRoberts
Los Angeles Lakers - Forward/Center
Drafted: 2^nd Round (37^th pick) by the Portland Trail Blazers (2007)
2011-12 Stats: 18 Games, 2.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG
McRoberts did not see time in three of the Laker's four games this week as they went 3-1. He played a total of four minutes and recorded a rebound in the 92-85 loss to the New York Knicks last Friday.

J.J. Redick
Orlando Magic - Shooting Guard
Drafted: 1^st Round (11^th pick) by the Orlando Magic (2006)
2011-12 Stats: 29 Games, 11.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Redick had an explosive week offensively off the bench for the Magic who went 3-1 this week. Redick, who averages 11 points per game, scored in double figures in three of the Magic's four games. He scored 14 points off the bench on Monday against the Wolves, hitting two three-pointers while also adding four rebounds and an assist. The Magic are currently 18-11 overall and second in the Northeast Conference.

Nolan Smith
Portland Trail Blazers - Point Guard
Drafted: 1^st Round (21^st pick) by the Portland Trail Blazers (2011)
2011-12 Stats: 17 Games, 1.5 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Smith did not see time in the three of the Trail Blazers' four games this past week as they went 1-3. Smith did, however, see five minutes in the 124-109 loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night where he recorded two steals. The Trail Blazers are 15-14 overall and third in the Northwest Conference.

Lance Thomas
New Orleans Hornets - Forward
Drafted: Undrafted out of Duke in 2012
2011-12 Stats: 6 Games, 2.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.2 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Thomas, who recently signed a ten-game contract with the New Orleans Hornets, saw time in both games this week. He scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds and an assist off the bench in the 94-86 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last Friday.

Shelden Williams
New Jersey Nets - Forward/Center
Drafted: 1^st Round (5^th pick) by the Atlanta Hawks (2006)
2011-12 Stats: 29 Games, 4.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Despite a six-game losing streak, Williams continues to provide the Nets with solid efforts averaging 19.8 minutes per game. Williams scored a season-high 11 points while grabbing six rebounds in the 99-92 loss the Detroit Pistons. He is currently shooting 42.2 percent from the floor. The Nets are 8-25 overall and fifth in the Atlantic Conference.

Other Blue Devils in Professional Basketball

Daniel Ewing
Azovmash (Ukraine) - Guard
2011-12 Stats (Eurocup): 8 Games, 13.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Ukraine): 26 Games, 13.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
2011-12 Stats (VTB United): 13 Games, 13.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

David McClure
Kedainiai (Lithuania) - Forward
2011-12 Stats (Baltic): 13 Games, 9.3 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Lithuania): 15 Games, 10.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG

DeMarcus Nelson
Cholet (France) - Guard
2011-12 Stats (France): 12 Games, 15.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Marty Pocius
Real Madrid (Spain) - Guard
2011-12 Stats (Euroleague): 12 Games, 6.9 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Spain): 17 Games, 6.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Shavlik Randolph
Donnguan Leopards (China) - Center
2011-12 Stats (China): 31 Games, 24.9 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG

Jon Scheyer
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) - Guard
2011-12 Stats (Adriatic): 17 Games, 3.2 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Euroleague): 5 Games, 1.2 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.0 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Israel): 13 Games, 2.8 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.0 BPG

Kyle Singler
Real Madrid (Spain) - Forward
2011-12 Stats (Euroleague): 6 Games, 8.8 PPG, 4.5RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
2011-12 Stats (Spain): 10 Games, 6.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Duke in the NBA Update: Battier Heating Up

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Kyrie Irving

Kyle Singler

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Duke in the NBA Update: Battier Heating Up

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Kyrie Irving

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