Pirate Galaxy » dddddddddDuke was never the sa

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Austin Nichols is one of several new players that figures prominently in the rotation for No. 8 Virginia, and while he arrived as a transfer from Memphis with a reputation as a gifted offensive player, hes adapted quickly to Tony Bennetts defensive philosophy.I think we can be a pretty good team, Nichols said after leading Virginia with 11 points in a 72-32 rout of St. Francis Brooklyn on Tuesday night. Weve just to continue focusing on defense.The Cavaliers (2-0) looked in midseason form at the other end of the floor, holding the Terriers of the Northeast Conference scoreless for a stretch of more than 10 minutes in the first half. Virginia scored 20 consecutive points in that stretch to open a 35-11 lead.The Cavaliers dont have a go-to scoring option so far, and even if one surfaces, Bennett said their focus will always be the same.I think this team understands that were going to have to be so good defensively, he said. Thats going to be our ticket.The Terriers (0-2) ended the drought on two free throws by Yunus Hopkinson with 7.8 seconds left in the half.These games do one of two things for you. They either make you stronger or break you, Terriers coach Glenn Braica said.Glenn Sanabria led St. Francis with 10 points and Gunnar Olafsson had seven.Nichols, who missed Virginias two preseason scrimmages and season-opener at UNC Greensboro while serving a suspension for violating a team rule, scored on an array and shots around the basket. Jarred Reuter added nine points and London Perrantes, Marial Shayok and Mamadi Diakite each had eight for Virginia. All 11 scholarship players for the Cavaliers scored and grabbed at least one rebound.The Terriers finished 11 for 48 from the field, 22.9 percent.BIG PICTURESt. Francis: The Terriers attempted 16 3-pointers in the first half and made just one, which is not the recipe for a team from the Northeast Conference to challenge a ranked or Power Five-level school. Having already lost at North Carolina State, they continue an early season gauntlet at Providence next Monday.Virginia: The early-season indoctrination of youth into coach Tony Bennetts lineup continued as freshmen Kyle Guy (21 minutes) and Ty Jerome (10) each got significant playing time and Diakite, a redshirt freshman, played 14.THE DOWN LOWNichols has plenty of company up front in 6-11 Jack Salt, 6-9 Diakite and 6-7 Reuter, and all made contributions.Jack started and had six points and two rebounds, Reuter and Diakite each grabbed four rebounds and Diakite had a block.Me and Manadi are more like finesse players, Nichols said, and the Bruise Brothers, Jarred and Jack, theyre the bangers inside.BULLSEYEVirginia walk-on Justice Bartley was one of three walk-ons who entered the game for Virginia with about 2 minutes to play, and Bennett was thrilled to see the sophomore score his first collegiate basket on a layup with 30 seconds remaining.HE SAID ITI think its $60,000, or $80,000. -- St. Francis Brooklyn coach Glenn Braica when asked what his team gets from facing Virginia.UP NEXTSt. Francis travels north to play at Providence next Monday night.Virginia continues a three-game home-stand with a visit from Yale on Sunday. 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Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke packed its roster full of star freshmen. The Blue Devils already will be without one of them for a while.The presumptive Atlantic Coast Conference favorites wont have Harry Giles for a few weeks after he had his left knee scoped.Better to take care of cleaning up the scar tissue and loose bodies inside Giles knee now, coach Mike Krzyzewski said Tuesday, rather than allow it to linger through what could be a special season.Will we have all the talent available at the time you have the opportunity to win the championship? Krzyzewski said. Thats why were making sure that Harry is good right now. The championship is not going to be won in October and November. The championship we want to win is the national championship. ... I dont know how many programs have that (as a legitimate) goal. We do, so were going to try to conduct our season appropriately.The Blue Devils enter the season as one of the favorites to win their sixth national championship, and third since 2010, and Giles is a big -- though certainly not the only -- reason why.A centerpiece of whats considered one of the nations top recruiting classes, the 6-foot-10 Giles had an arthroscopy on his left knee earlier this week, his third procedure on one of his knees. He tore several ligaments in that knee three years ago, then tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the other knee last November and wound up missing his senior season in high school.This procedure was nowhere near as severe as the previous two -- team officials say the typical recovery time is six weeks, putting it close to the Nov. 11 season opener against Marist -- but it does create an early test of adversity for a team coming off a season defined by its struggles to replace a key player lost to injury.ddddddddddddDuke was never the same team last season after high-energy forward Amile Jefferson broke his foot in December and eventually was lost for the season. Those Blue Devils essentially went with a six-man rotation, and their lack of depth helped lead to losses to Louisville, Notre Dame and, ultimately, Oregon in the West Regional semifinals.Depth doesnt seem like an issue on this team, which is full of five-star freshmen -- Jayson Tatum, Javin DeLaurier, Marques Bolden and Frank Jackson, in addition to Giles -- and talented returnees including third-team AP All-American Grayson Allen and Jefferson, who received a medical hardship waiver that allows him to play an extra season.Really talented -- maybe one of the most talented Duke teams here, Jefferson said.Indeed, these Blue Devils have options, and an abundance of them.They can use the 6-11 Bolden and the 6-10 DeLaurier inside. Or, they could go small with some combination of Jefferson, Allen, Tatum, Jackson, sophomore Luke Kennard or senior co-captain Matt Jones.We have to be careful that we dont try to do too many combinations and options, Krzyzewski said, so that, what are the best things we can do with the group? ... Id rather have it, instead of doing too many things, doing a number of things with people doing them from different positions. ... Itll take on different looks. ' ' '