ESPN.com - ncb - Battier is 10th Blue Devil to have jersey retired

DURHAM, N.C. – The player Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski calls the best all-around player he ever coached had his jersey retired by the school Wednesday night.

Shane Battier became the 10th player to have his jersey retired by Duke during a ceremony before the Blue Devils' game against Georgia Tech.

Battier's No. 31 jersey will join those of Dick Groat (10), Art Heyman (25), Jeff Mullins (44), Mike Gminski (43), Johnny Dawkins (24), Danny Ferry (35), Christian Laettner (32), Bobby Hurley (11) and Grant Hill (33) in the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"It's a tremendous honor to join such an elite group of players," Battier said. "I hope that every person that has helped me in the past four years can take pride in this banner."

Battier is a leading candidate for national and Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year honors, and was recently named a finalist for the Sullivan Award, given each year to the nation's top amateur athlete.

Battier has also been the national defensive player of the year the past two seasons and could become just the third player to win three straight. Stacey Augmon of UNLV and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan each won the award three years in a row.

Entering Wednesday's game, Battier was averaging 19.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.1 blocked shots per game. He ranks among the top 10 in seven ACC statistical categories, more than any other player.

Earlier this season, Battier became the first ACC player with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 200 blocks, 200 assists and 200 steals in his career. Only Danny Manning of Kansas, LaSalle's Lionel Simmons and George Evans of George Mason have accomplished the feat previously.

Besides his on-court accomplishments, Battier is on pace to earn Academic All-America honors for the second year in a row and will graduate with a degree in religion this spring. He's also the president of the Student Basketball Council, a committee of players concerned about the welfare of the game.

"He's a special person," Duke athletic director Joe Alleva said. "Not only is he a great basketball player, but he represents Duke about as well as you could."

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