Associated Press
DURHAM ó Greg Paulus is back in Duke’s starting lineup ó and just in time to face the Blue Devils’ biggest rival.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday that Paulus would hold on to his starting job for No. 6 Duke’s game Wednesday night against No. 3 North Carolina.
The senior point guard made just the second start this season in Duke’s overtime win against Miami. He scored a season-high 18 points in 40 minutes of a game the Blue Devils trailed by 16.
Krzyzewski praised Paulus for his performance “with us, as a group, going through a very adverse time.”
Sophomore Nolan Smith has started for most of the season. He had four turnovers and no assists in 23 minutes of a 27-point loss at Clemson.
AP POLL
Connecticut held the top spot in The Associated Press poll for a second straight week after a run that saw a different team atop for four straight weeks.
Third-ranked North Carolina (21-2) was No. 1 on two ballots. Duke dropped from fourth to sixth, and Wake Forest held onto seventh place.
Florida State (18-5) is ranked 25th. It’s moved in for the first time in 11 years.
ACC HONORS
GREENSBORO ó Miami’s Jack McClinton (top player) and Florida State’s Solomon Alabi (top rookie) have received weekly honors from the ACC.SEC HONOR
JACKSON, Miss. ó Point guard Dee Bost (Concord) has been named the SEC’s freshman of the week for the second time after leading Mississippi State to wins over Kentucky and Arkansas.
Bost set career highs with 25 points and six 3-pointers against Arkansas. He also had seven assists. He added 10 points, four assists and three steals in a win at Kentucky.
INDIANA
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ó Indiana guard Devan Dumes again apologized for throwing the flagrant elbows Saturday in a loss to Michigan State that drew an indefinite suspension from his coach.
Tom Crean said Dumes will definitely sit out tonight’s game at Minnesota. He is the top scorer at 13.8 points a game.
“It was a mistake on my behalf and I’m taking responsibility,” he said. “I’ve seen the tape once, and I felt like it was not a smart move.”