One just earned Academic All-America honors, becoming just the 10th Blue Devil to do so.

The other might just be on his way to obtaining ACC rookie of the year honors.

Neither player could have risen this high so quickly without the other. That's the beauty of teamwork.

On a Duke squad teeming with unselfish players, Greg Paulus and Kyle Singler embody that concept. The junior point guard and freshman power forward have used each other's talents all season to put together individual campaigns worthy of the awards mentioned above.

Paulus, 6-1, and Singler, 6-8, don't do anything complicated. They simply run the pick-and-roll, or — in their case — the "pick-and-pop." It has tormented opponents all season long.

Because Paulus has a feathery, quick release from 3-point range, and because Singler is just as potent from beyond the arc, negating both players' scoring ability on the pick-and-pop is nearly impossible. And when opponents overplay Singler on the perimeter, the precocious freshman slips the screen and rolls toward the basket, where the ball almost always meets him for an easy layup.

This is just the first season they've played together, but if you didn't know better, you'd think Paulus and Singler were two seniors finishing up their collegiate careers.

When asked how Singler compares with other forwards he's run the screen-and-roll with, Paulus responded, "He's up there. He's probably the best one.

"He's just so smart. He knows when to slip a screen, when to go post on a guard, which situations we want — it makes it a lot easier playing with him."

Singler said that he and Paulus have the play down pat.

"Greg and I have kind of a feel for the pick-and-roll," he said. "People can switch off you, and it creates other things and mismatches.

"So it's a play within a play, but it creates mismatches for the team."

Both players have had to overcome obstacles to become key contributors for the No. 7 Blue Devils.

With the team 24-3 overall and 11-2 in ACC play heading into Saturday's game at N.C. State, it's clear that those hurdles have been cleared. No longer is there any doubt as to either player's ability.

Paulus' comeback year

Two seasons ago, it was J.J. Redick. Now it's Greg Paulus.

With the exception of the game at North Carolina, where Gerald Henderson received the majority of boos and jeers from UNC fans, Paulus has been the favorite Duke player for opposing fans to heckle.

It got so bad during Duke's recent loss at Miami that a warning had to be given over the public-address system.

Paulus was also jeered last season, but he couldn't do as much about it because he was still recovering from breaking his left foot on the second day of practice. This year, he's as healthy as any ACC player can be, and he's making opponents — and their fans — pay.

"We get a lot of attention — positive and negative — and for a youngster who's developing as a player to receive that, especially last year when he was hurt (was tough)," coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

"We knew that, but it does have an impact on you and I'm proud of where's he's at right now, and I think he can still become a lot better."

Paulus has made the most 3-pointers of any Devil — 59-of-142 (41 percent) — but don't think for a second that he's a finesse player.

Rather, he's a football player in a basketball uniform.

As a quarterback at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, N.Y., Paulus set several state records, won a state title with an undefeated season, and was recruited heavily by big-time programs — check p. 16 of Duke's media guide for all the accomplishments.

Paulus believes his experience leading a winning football team continues to aid him to this day when he directs the Devils on the court.

"Yes, just the intangibles (help)," he said. "Playing competitively, understanding that in football you need 11 guys just to get the snap off for everything to click, otherwise there's a flag, it's dead.

"Here, (it's the) same exact thing. Five guys. Same page. Just toughness. You know, the experiences that you go through in close games, being with the team, camaraderie, you just learn a lot being in that type of atmosphere."

Freshman point guard Nolan Smith, who has watched Paulus closely all season, describes the former gridiron star in one word.

"Tough."

In Duke's first ACC road game at Florida State, Paulus played poorly for 35 minutes. But there he was at the end, getting a steal and a layup, and then fighting off a defender near midcourt before charging the lane for another huge basket. And finally, going after a rebound with Seminoles big man Ryan Reid — not giving in to the 6-9, 230-pound big man as they hit the floor.

Both players received technical fouls, which was fine for Duke — the Devils led by seven points with 30 seconds remaining.

"I try to be scrappy," Paulus said. "I know that I'm not going to be the biggest guy on the court, so I try to put myself in positions where I can make a play … just change a shot and be a pest down there."

So while on one end of the court, Paulus dribbles off a Singler screen and steps into a 25-foot swish, on the other end, he bends his knees, sticks his hands out and does whatever is necessary, style points be damned.

And the hecklers? Teammates say they're nothing but an afterthought for Paulus.

"I don't think he's worried about what people have said this year, and last year I think it was a little hurtful at first for him," Jon Scheyer said. "This year, I think he's been mature and hasn't worried about what people have said.

"He knows his game, and he's really become better for it."

No learning curve for Singler

Krzyzewski dropped a hint during Duke's media day in October.

Kyle Singler is the most complete player on this team, Duke's 28th-year coach said.

It was pretty strong praise for a player who had yet to play a minute of college basketball, but it's safe to say Krzyzewski doesn't regret his words.

While Singler has had a few poor games, such as Duke's 93-84 win at Maryland in late January, when he made just two of 10 shots and fouled out, he's been a staple of consistency for the Devils.

He's averaging 14.3 points — second best on the team — and six rebounds per game, and shooting 48 percent from the floor, which are all reasons why he's in a two-man race with N.C. State's J.J. Hickson for the conference rookie of the year.

After Singler scored a career-high 26 points in the rematch against Maryland two weeks ago, Krzyzewski had even higher praise for his starting forward.

"Forget about freshman of the week — he's one of the better players in the league now," Krzyzewski said. "He brings tremendous versatility, competitiveness and toughness.

"He can shoot, defend, pass and he's a winner. He's got it all and it's just a matter of physical maturity now. He's a young body, but he doesn't have a young heart."

Singler also doesn't have a young brain. As pure as his arcing outside jumper is, and as effective as that mini sky hook — a la Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — was that he hit against St. John's, teammates and coaches are just as impressed by Singler's smarts. When he's on the court, no upperclassman needs to tell him where to be. He's very aware of each situation.

"He's really a heck of a basketball player," assistant coach Chris Collins said. "He's never gonna be a guy that throws up 30 points or these monster stats, but you finish a game, you watch the game on tape, and he makes a lot of little plays."

Collins said the Duke coaching staff expected Singler to be an impact player right away, but you can never be sure how a player will handle the new level of physicality and quickness present in Division I basketball.

Singler quickly put to rest any doubts in Duke's Blue-White scrimmage in late October. On one offensive possession, he drove past his man on the baseline, and before the help defense arrived to take the charge, he cut back to the middle to draw the foul.

"That was a big-time move," senior DeMarcus Nelson said afterward. "During the move, I even thought that was a good move."

It was the first of many. Throughout the season, because of his ability to both shoot the 3-pointer and score down low, Singler has created mismatches for the Devils. While much has been made of Duke's lack of a post-up scorer, Singler creates just as many problems for opponents as a proverbial back-to-the-basket player.

"It's tough," Maryland coach Gary Williams said of guarding Singler. "You don't play guys like that (very often). We played (Kevin) Love from UCLA, and he's more of the traditional inside player.

"Singler's more of what you see today in college basketball. I mean, there's not many guys as good as he is, but that type of player who goes to the perimeter first rather than tries to establish an inside game. It's difficult."

It was especially troublesome for the Terrapins toward the end of their 77-65 loss at Duke, when Singler was guarded by Bambale Osby, who is also 6-8, but bigger and slower.

Duke, with the lead in hand, spread the floor and had Scheyer, who was also guarded by a bigger, slower player in 6-9 James Gist, run the pick-and-roll with Singler. The Terps were hapless. Twice they refused to leave Singler, allowing Scheyer to drive for a layup and a foul.

They'd already seen Singler make six of nine 3s, and they weren't about to allow another one to swish through the net.

"Usually, I have a big man on me," Singler said. "And they're so used to running back to the paint, guarding bigger people, not usually a perimeter (guy), and they just lose sight of a player like myself or Taylor (King)."

Opponents have quickly learned that losing track of the 37 percent 3-point shooter is not a good idea.

A tough combination

As the Devils prepare for postseason play, don't expect the hated one or the freshman to tighten up. Both have made big plays in difficult situations this season, and both have the complete confidence of their teammates.

There's that word again — tough.

"We knew he was a competitive kid and a winner, but I think his toughness has been something that's been even more impressive to us since he's been here," Collins said of Singler.

"You know, he's had to take on a roll where he's had to wrestle guys down in the post and play bigger guys, and he just fights and competes down there and tries to do the best that he can."

Paulus, meanwhile, has wiped away any bitter memories of a year ago, when the bad foot and the heckling were a poor combination.

"It just shows how tough of a kid he is," Smith said. "He's been through, 'Greg's not this, Greg's not that.' When you go through things like that, it just makes you tougher as a person and as a player."

And so this duo continues forward, with more individual accolades likely on the way. And while those would be nice, they'd settle for a few more pick-and-pop plays, so Paulus can make a few more of those quick-release 3s and Singler can slip a few more of those screens for layups. Whatever it takes to win.

"He can roll, he can hit the outside 3, so I love playing with him," Paulus said of Singler. "He makes it a lot easier on me."

Judging by Singler's unrelenting smile while on the court, Paulus' abilities make his life easier as well.