Schedule helps Duke prepare for postseason
Duke struggled to find energy at times in defeating Virginia Tech 70-65 in overtime on Feb. 25 in a game played less than 40 hours after a road showdown at Virginia Tech.
But the Blue Devils hope the experience of playing games with quick turnarounds can be beneficial in the postseason.
In the NCAA Tournament, that's the type of schedule the Blue Devils might encounter, minus the travel in between games.
"For us to come here and fight fatigue and get a big win, (we're happy) to be able to pull it out," Duke guard Austin Rivers said. "I think that shows our maturity."
Rivers scored 14 of his 23 points after halftime as Duke (25-4 overall, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) maintained its spot atop the ACC standings.
The whole intensity issue is something that's always important to the Blue Devils. It's also an area that has received considerable attention from coach Mike Krzyzewski at times during the season. He said the Blue Devils can't automatically count on having spirited performances in home games.
The Blue Devils were in danger of suffering their third Atlantic Coast Conference home loss of the season until they dodged Virginia Tech's final two shots in regulation before winning in overtime.
"We're fighting human nature in a game like this," said Duke center Miles Plumlee, who scored four points in overtime. "We stuck it out and we had a great win. I don't think we had as much energy as we said we were going to have."
The Blue Devils have better spacing before their next games, with a late-night assignment Feb. 28 at Wake Forest before the regular-season finale against North Carolina on March 3.
Despite the recent back-to-back road games at Boston College and Florida State, those are the only times the Blue Devils will have left the state of North Carolina during the final month of the regular season.
NOTES, QUOTES
--The Blue Devils tend to rely on 3-point shooting, and when that element dwindles it can cause trouble for Duke. That's what happened when the Blue Devils shot 6-for-24 on 3-pointers against Virginia Tech for their lowest mark from beyond the arc this month. In the seven previous games, Duke made at least eight 3-pointers.
--Freshman G Austin Rivers sometimes takes shots that appear to perplex the coaching staff, but his ability to penetrate into the lane and create scoring opportunities is something the Blue Devils cherish. That resulted in 17 free-throw attempts against Virginia Tech as he accounted for half of the team's attempted foul shots. With eight games of at least 20 points, he's tied for the fifth-most for a freshman in school history.
--There was another lineup change for the Blue Devils for their game against Virginia Tech with junior F Mason Plumlee coming off the bench for the first time all season. He had been the only Blue Devil to start the first 28 games, with his streak of consecutive starts ending at 49 games (a string that began Jan. 12, 2011). F Ryan Kelly returned to the starting lineup after a three-game stint off the bench.
QUOTE TO NOTE
>"We won a heckuva game. There's no other way to put it." -- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski after the overtime victory against Virginia Tech. It's the first time Duke has played two overtime home games in the same season since 1995, when Krzyzewski took a medical leave.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
--at Wake Forest, Feb. 28
This is a rematch of a high-scoring game the first time the teams met. The Blue Devils should have enough offense, giving Wake Forest the challenge of containing the penetration of G Austin Rivers. Duke's interior strength should be an asset in this matchup as well, though Wake Forest's height with C Ty Walker could present some resistance.
--vs. North Carolina, March 3
This could be a winner-take-all matchup for the ACC regular-season title and the Blue Devils will want to limit North Carolina's transition opportunities with G Kendall Marshall directing the Tar Heels. G Austin Rivers of Duke had a strong start and memorable finish in the first matchup with North Carolina, but his performance could be offset by F Harrison Barnes of North Carolina if the Blue Devils don't find ways to avoid him taking off at the offensive end.
FUTURES MARKET
The Blue Devils will want to get junior F Mason Plumlee back in the groove after a couple of performances of low production. He scored a total of four points in two road games, putting him out of the starting line for the first time in more than a year for the next game. But the Blue Devils in no way have given up on his ability to be a main contributor. He was second on the team with nine rebounds in his bench stint against Virginia Tech and that should have served as a good sign. His 25 minutes of playing time marked the only reserve to play more than 10 minutes in that game for Duke.
PLAYER NOTES
--Sophomore G Tyler Thornton made his eighth consecutive start during the weekend. He's credited by coach Mike Krzyzewski for bringing constant energy that the Blue Devils need, though he has scored a total of 22 points during those eight games.
--Junior G Andre Dawkins was coming off a 22-point outing at Florida State, but he was scoreless in 10 minutes the next game against Virginia Tech. While Dawkins didn't build on his solid outing, coach Mike Krzyzewski said: "Andre has been the reason we've won some big ball games."
--Sophomore F Josh Hairston played only one minute against Virginia Tech on Feb. 25. He dealt with some blurry vision after he was hit in the eye. He didn't play in the second half.