GAME NOTES: Gardner-Webb Travels To No. 7 Duke Monday Night (ESPNU)
December 15, 2013 | Men's Basketball
THE
GAME
Gardner-Webb will play its first nationally-ranked foe of the season Monday night, taking on #7/8 Duke at 7:00 pm in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPNU, with Tom Hart and former Blue Devils All-America point guard Jason Williams calling the action. WGWG-FM (88.3 / wgwg.org) will also air the game live, with Fabian Fuentes bringing the call from radio booth.
SERIES NOTES
Gardner-Webb is 0-1 in its lone meeting with Duke, falling 113-68, on December 15, 2009 in Durham ... Current Duke aide Jon Scheyer scored a career-high 36 points and dropped off nine assists in the meeting, which saw the Blue Devils shoot better than 65 percent and lead by 18 at the break.
THE COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft is in his first season with the program and is off to a 6-5 start. Duke head coach Mike Kryzewski is nearing 1,000 career wins and has gone 891-240 with four NCAA titles during his time in Durham.
AN IMPRESSIVE STREAK ... AGAIN
Gardner-Webb faces another daunting home win streak this season on Monday night. Duke has won 107 on its court against non-conference opponents, the second streak of 75 games or more GWU has faced this season. Missouri had a 75-game home win streak against non-conference foes when Gardner-Webb visited on November 23.
HIBBERT HAS HELPED
Transfer guard Naji Hibbert (6-5, 190, RSr.) has provided needed scoring punch in his first, and only, season with Gardner-Webb. A three-year performer at Texas A&M, Hibbert helped the Aggies to a pair of 24-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in College Station. Hibbert is averaging a team-high 12.7 ppg for Gardner-Webb, and has topped the 20-point mark twice - both GWU wins.
A FEW CONNECTIONS WITH THE BLUE DEVILS
Gardner-Webb's Naji Hibbert played alongside current Duke point guard Quinn Cook at DeMatha Catholic under Coach Mike Jones ... Hibbert tipped in the game winner in the closing seconds against Gonzaga to win a league title as a senior in 2009 ... That Gonzaga team featured current Duke guard Tyler Thornton ... Current Duke assistant Jeff Capel posted a 2-0 mark as a head coach against Gardner-Webb while at Oklahoma ... Capel's Sooners beat GWU 69-55 in Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2007 and held off the Runnin' Bulldogs 80-76 on November 8, 2008 in Norman.
DEFENDING THE ARC
Gardner-Webb ranks first in the Big South Conference in 3-point field goal defense, allowing just 41-of-151 shots through 11 games (27.2 percent). That defense will face a tremendous challenge on Monday night, with Duke hitting 75-of-158 shots through nine games - a very strong 42.1 percent rate.
HIGH RISER
All-Big South wing Donta Harper (6-7, 205, Jr.) has been solid again in 2013-14, averaging 12.1 points per game and showing increased consistency over the past three contests from the floor (54.1 percent). Harper had his first career double-double against Wofford (13 points, 10 rebounds) and had 20 points in the season opener at Xavier. Harper was the North Carolina Class 3A State Player of the Year in 2010-11 at South Central (N.C.) High near Greenville.
PRESEASON RESPECT
Gardner-Webb was picked second in the preseason South Division poll by the Big South Conference's head coaches and select media members, falling just behind defending division and overall regular season champion Charleston Southern. GWU finished a game behind the Bucs last season, but picked up a pair of overtime wins over Charleston Southern during the regular season. GWU lost just twice against South Division teams last season, falling on the road at Winthrop and Presbyterian and finishing with a 8-2 mark against Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, UNC Asheville, Winthrop and Presbyterian.
FACING A FUTURE STAR
Gardner-Webb will face one of the nation's premier freshmen on Monday night, with Jabari Parker suiting up for Duke. GWU has seen several freshmen over the past decade who wound up high lottery picks in the NBA Draft, including Chris Bosh (Georgia Tech, 2002-03), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina, 2005-06) and Blake Griffin (Oklahoma, 2007-08).
POWER CONFERENCE PARADE
Gardner-Webb will face two teams from power conferences this week, battling Duke (ACC) and Georgia (SEC) on Monday and Thursday. The Runnin' Bulldogs are 0-3 against power conference teams already this season, falling at Xavier (Big East) in the season opener and dropping road tilts at Missouri (SEC) and Northwestern (Big Ten) as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational.
THE ROOKIE
Freshman forward/center Tyrell Nelson (6-7, 235) has slowly emerged as a go-to option in the post, boosting his scoring average to 10.3 points per game over the past two weeks. The Charlotte, N.C., native (Metrolina Christian Academy) has posted a new career-high scoring total four times in the past six games - with his 14-point effort at Northwestern a breakout performance. Nelson has scored in double figures five times in the past six games, after doing so only once in the season's first five games.
Gardner-Webb will play its first nationally-ranked foe of the season Monday night, taking on #7/8 Duke at 7:00 pm in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPNU, with Tom Hart and former Blue Devils All-America point guard Jason Williams calling the action. WGWG-FM (88.3 / wgwg.org) will also air the game live, with Fabian Fuentes bringing the call from radio booth.
SERIES NOTES
Gardner-Webb is 0-1 in its lone meeting with Duke, falling 113-68, on December 15, 2009 in Durham ... Current Duke aide Jon Scheyer scored a career-high 36 points and dropped off nine assists in the meeting, which saw the Blue Devils shoot better than 65 percent and lead by 18 at the break.
THE COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft is in his first season with the program and is off to a 6-5 start. Duke head coach Mike Kryzewski is nearing 1,000 career wins and has gone 891-240 with four NCAA titles during his time in Durham.
AN IMPRESSIVE STREAK ... AGAIN
Gardner-Webb faces another daunting home win streak this season on Monday night. Duke has won 107 on its court against non-conference opponents, the second streak of 75 games or more GWU has faced this season. Missouri had a 75-game home win streak against non-conference foes when Gardner-Webb visited on November 23.
HIBBERT HAS HELPED
Transfer guard Naji Hibbert (6-5, 190, RSr.) has provided needed scoring punch in his first, and only, season with Gardner-Webb. A three-year performer at Texas A&M, Hibbert helped the Aggies to a pair of 24-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in College Station. Hibbert is averaging a team-high 12.7 ppg for Gardner-Webb, and has topped the 20-point mark twice - both GWU wins.
A FEW CONNECTIONS WITH THE BLUE DEVILS
Gardner-Webb's Naji Hibbert played alongside current Duke point guard Quinn Cook at DeMatha Catholic under Coach Mike Jones ... Hibbert tipped in the game winner in the closing seconds against Gonzaga to win a league title as a senior in 2009 ... That Gonzaga team featured current Duke guard Tyler Thornton ... Current Duke assistant Jeff Capel posted a 2-0 mark as a head coach against Gardner-Webb while at Oklahoma ... Capel's Sooners beat GWU 69-55 in Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2007 and held off the Runnin' Bulldogs 80-76 on November 8, 2008 in Norman.
DEFENDING THE ARC
Gardner-Webb ranks first in the Big South Conference in 3-point field goal defense, allowing just 41-of-151 shots through 11 games (27.2 percent). That defense will face a tremendous challenge on Monday night, with Duke hitting 75-of-158 shots through nine games - a very strong 42.1 percent rate.
HIGH RISER
All-Big South wing Donta Harper (6-7, 205, Jr.) has been solid again in 2013-14, averaging 12.1 points per game and showing increased consistency over the past three contests from the floor (54.1 percent). Harper had his first career double-double against Wofford (13 points, 10 rebounds) and had 20 points in the season opener at Xavier. Harper was the North Carolina Class 3A State Player of the Year in 2010-11 at South Central (N.C.) High near Greenville.
PRESEASON RESPECT
Gardner-Webb was picked second in the preseason South Division poll by the Big South Conference's head coaches and select media members, falling just behind defending division and overall regular season champion Charleston Southern. GWU finished a game behind the Bucs last season, but picked up a pair of overtime wins over Charleston Southern during the regular season. GWU lost just twice against South Division teams last season, falling on the road at Winthrop and Presbyterian and finishing with a 8-2 mark against Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, UNC Asheville, Winthrop and Presbyterian.
FACING A FUTURE STAR
Gardner-Webb will face one of the nation's premier freshmen on Monday night, with Jabari Parker suiting up for Duke. GWU has seen several freshmen over the past decade who wound up high lottery picks in the NBA Draft, including Chris Bosh (Georgia Tech, 2002-03), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina, 2005-06) and Blake Griffin (Oklahoma, 2007-08).
POWER CONFERENCE PARADE
Gardner-Webb will face two teams from power conferences this week, battling Duke (ACC) and Georgia (SEC) on Monday and Thursday. The Runnin' Bulldogs are 0-3 against power conference teams already this season, falling at Xavier (Big East) in the season opener and dropping road tilts at Missouri (SEC) and Northwestern (Big Ten) as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational.
THE ROOKIE
Freshman forward/center Tyrell Nelson (6-7, 235) has slowly emerged as a go-to option in the post, boosting his scoring average to 10.3 points per game over the past two weeks. The Charlotte, N.C., native (Metrolina Christian Academy) has posted a new career-high scoring total four times in the past six games - with his 14-point effort at Northwestern a breakout performance. Nelson has scored in double figures five times in the past six games, after doing so only once in the season's first five games.
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