Jacory Harris finds a target during the first quarter against Duke. Al Diaz / Miami Herald Enlarge Photo UM's Graig Cooper gets tackled by Duke linebacker Austin Gamble during the fourth quarter.

This is the continuation of a series profiling Duke's basketball players and what they hope to contribute to this year's team.

Much attention has been paid to Miami quarterback Jacory Harris' soft cast this week, but Duke could face a scary situation on Saturday at Miami if anything happens to keep starting quarterback Thaddeus Lewis out of the game, even just momentarily.

The most discussed body part leading up to Saturday's game was a thumb. In the end, all the Miami Hurricanes could talk about were a pair of legs.

Friday afternoon was a bit of a downer for Duke basketball fans, to say the least.

The last time Duke went to a bowl game, Blue Devils quarterback Thaddeus Lewis was a first-grader in Miami.

Duke showed that it is a considerably more dangerous team with Nolan Smith on the floor.

It's a good day to be a Duke fan. Duke defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre has been named the National Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association , and quarterback Thaddeus Lewis has been named one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Growing up on the same football fields in South Florida, Thaddeus Lewis was the mentor, Jacory Harris the pupil.

The 44th annual Texas - Texas A&M Luncheon, sponsored by the Touchdown Club of Houston, will be at noon Tuesday at the House of Blues, 1204 Caroline St.. The speakers will be Aggie Yell's Brian Perroni, Orangeblood's Jason Howell and VYPE magazine/Rivals.com recruiting guru Matt Malatesta.

Charlotte never had a chance as Smith celebrated his season debut with a career-high 24 points in a 101-59 rout at the hands of the ninth-ranked Blue Devils in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

No. 8 Duke rode Nolan Smith's 24 points and Jon Scheyer's 20-point performance Tuesday to a 101-59 shellacking of Charlotte.

Monday, November 16, 2009 at 11:48 p.m. Read more: College , NCAA Basketball CCU Sports Release DURHAM, N.C. a ' The Coastal Carolina University mena TMs basketball team started out strong in both halves, but the Chanticleers shot just 28.6 percent from the field and had an over-seven minute scoring drought in the first half in a 74-49 loss to #9/8 ...

Oklahoma State senior Zac Robinson is among five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is presented to college football's top senior quarterback.

The best Miami can hope for now is its first 10-win season since 2003. The No. 21 Hurricanes look to bounce back from their third loss as they play their home finale Saturday against surprising Duke.

Clemson - Surprise, surprise: North Carolina and Duke are projected to battle each other for the another Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball title.

The second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off pits the Charlotte 49ers against the ninth-ranked Duke Blue Devils, one of the host teams of this event.

Kyle Singler had 23 points and 11 rebounds as No. 9 Duke beat Coastal Carolina, 74-49, last night in Durham, N.C., in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Freshman Andre Dawkins had 13 points, and Jon Scheyer and Miles Plumlee added 10 apiece for the Blue Devils .

DURHAM a ' Duke guard Mitchell Lederman and backup quarterback Sean Renfree willA miss the rest of the season because of injuries, the team announced this afternoon.

The basketball season opened for Duke and UNCG on Friday night, and both teams got what they wanted out of a 34-point blowout.