College basketball

Don't hate Duke star; hate his game

J.J. Redick takes flak outside Durham, N.C., but not necessarily for averaging 22.1 points.

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published March 22, 2005

WASHINGTON - Every time and any time Duke star J.J. Redick touched the ball, the non-Blue Devil fans in the MCI Center for the ACC tournament - and there were lots of them - vociferously booed.

"It's a neutral venue," his mother, Jeanie, said in a surprised and disappointed tone.

Sorry, Mrs. Redick, but when it comes to your son, there's no such place.

Redick, a junior guard renowned for his long-range marksmanship, is a walking target for jeers, obscenities and personal attacks whenever he ventures out of Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"I think it motivates me," he said. "I'm able to internalize things and use them out on the court. Does it ever get a little annoying? Yeah, because mostly I hear the same stuff over and over again. If there's something original, I kind of enjoy that."

But the ones he doesn't get a kick out of, he does kick back.

Actually, it's more of a flick ... of the wrist.

Redick, the ACC player of the year and one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy as the nation's top player, averages 22.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists for Duke, the top seed in the Austin Region, which meets Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

He's fitter than ever, which explains his effectiveness even while playing 37.2 minutes a game. He also has gotten better at driving by defenders, which complements his long-range touch (40.5 percent on 3-pointers).

"J.J.'s gone to the level of being one of the truly fine players nationally, not just in our league. He's just a complete player right now," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We really needed him to do that because we're not as strong as we have been in the past. I'm glad he's on our side because we still have a chance as long as we have him."

Fans, on either side of the aisle, are well aware of that.

* * *

Redick's ability to internalize the good, the bad and the ugly sights and sounds around him betrayed him after last year's 79-78 loss to Connecticut in the national semifinal in which he made only 4 of 12 shots (3 of 9 3-pointers).

"He's a thoughtful person," his father, Ken, said. "He was thinking the wrong things; that he blew the game. He was beating himself up. He was in a bad place."

It lasted for about six weeks, and he got out of shape. At one point, he was about 25 pounds heavier than his current 190.

"With all the guys leaving, I knew I'd have to play a lot (this year)," said the 6-foot-4 Redick, referring to the loss of freshman star Luol Deng and heralded signee Shaun Livingston to the NBA. "My mentality all summer and preseason was to get in the best possible shape, and I did that."

Extra trips to the weight room and fewer trips to old haunts such as Bojangles for fried chicken have paid off.

"I think he's very underrated as a defensive player," Miami coach Frank Haith said. "You can tell he's worked on his body. He's quicker."

That also is evident when he wheels around the countless screens the Blue Devils set for him for 3-point shots.

"Guarding a player with J.J.'s talent, you have to do it not with just one guy. It has to be a team effort," said North Carolina State star Julius Hodge, who saw Redick hit 11 of 16 shots (7 of 12 3-pointers) in Duke's ACC semifinal win.

But what sets him apart is his attitude.

"When you shoot the ball with the range he shoots the ball with and play the style of basketball he plays, you need to have a tremendous amount of confidence, almost an arrogance," Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "I have no problem with that. That's what makes him a good player."

* * *

Redick has been writing poetry since junior high school. He's a churchgoer with a wry sense of humor. In the words of Mickie Krzyzewski, Redick is the boy next door.

"He's everything you could put together in a package and never think people would hate," the coach's wife said. "I'm astonished that of all people in the ACC, J.J. has been the one vilified. I don't get it."

Is it that he's too good for his own good?

"We have guys just as good as me, if not better, who don't get heckled," he said. "I think it's my persona, my character, on the court."

He does have his supporters, however. At the ACC tournament, a young woman sported a "Marry Me J.J." shirt. He also has received a lot of mail since ESPN did a segment on the abuse he endures on the road, which made him feel better.

It's tougher for mom and dad.

"It's shown me just how wrong the masses can be," Jeanie Redick said, pausing and smiling as she recalled a different reaction. "But I have to tell you. We were at a restaurant here the other night, and a man came up to me and said, "Mrs. Redick, I want you to know we all don't hate your son.' He was a North Carolina fan."

He must have been drowned out come game time. Or maybe he was that rare neutral observer.

[Last modified March 22, 2005, 01:22:12]