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| Duke basketball, down by its standards, enters Virginia game on uptick | Duke basketball, down by its standards, enters Virginia game on uptick |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski raised his eyebrows, shook his head and took a breath before speaking Monday as he sat down for his postgame news conference after the Blue Devils had taken down No. 13 Louisville, 72-65, for their first win over a ranked program this season. | |
| “We won a heck of a game,” Krzyzewski said. “Somehow our group just showed incredible toughness while they were tired and won. No X’s and O’s. Couple weeks ago I think there’s no way — I think we lose that game by 15 points. We wouldn’t be able to get there. They keep growing up, they keep playing hard, and they earned it. But we’re really banged up. | |
| “This was a great win for these kids. Not a good win, but a great win.” | |
| [ACC sees no issue playing in Maryland’s backyard without Terps] | [ACC sees no issue playing in Maryland’s backyard without Terps] |
| The subtext in Krzyzewski’s comments — that success for this Duke squad is judged differently than how most college basketball fans judge success at the perennial power — has become the log line for the Blue Devils this season, just 10 months after winning the national championship and having three players selected in the first round of the NBA draft. | |
| Their lone returning senior and best front-court player, Amile Jefferson, has been sidelined since suffering a broken right foot on Dec. 12. Without him, Duke lost four of five ACC games between Jan. 13 and Jan. 25. The Blue Devils fell out of the Associated Press top 25 on Feb. 1 for the first time since 2007, ending a streak of 167 weeks in the poll, the fifth-longest in history. (UCLA holds the record at 221 weeks between 1966 and 1980.) | Their lone returning senior and best front-court player, Amile Jefferson, has been sidelined since suffering a broken right foot on Dec. 12. Without him, Duke lost four of five ACC games between Jan. 13 and Jan. 25. The Blue Devils fell out of the Associated Press top 25 on Feb. 1 for the first time since 2007, ending a streak of 167 weeks in the poll, the fifth-longest in history. (UCLA holds the record at 221 weeks between 1966 and 1980.) |
| While Jefferson’s return remains uncertain, Duke enters its nationally televised game against No. 7 Virginia (20-4, 9-3 ACC) on Saturday with its season on the mend. The Blue Devils (18-6, 7-4) meet their second consecutive ranked foe with three straight conference wins behind them, including the encouraging result against Louisville. The Blue Devils lost a 15-point lead during the game and still pulled out a win, thanks in large part to better defense. | |
| [Sophomore Isaiah Wilkins comes to Virginia’s defense] | |
| The Blue Devils entered Friday’s games ranked No. 121 in defensive efficiency according to statistical website KenPom.com but held Louisville to 42.4 percent shooting from the field. It was the lowest an opponent had shot against Duke in five games. | The Blue Devils entered Friday’s games ranked No. 121 in defensive efficiency according to statistical website KenPom.com but held Louisville to 42.4 percent shooting from the field. It was the lowest an opponent had shot against Duke in five games. |
| To ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg, Duke’s defense against Louisville looked like the beginnings of a team getting its groove back. | To ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg, Duke’s defense against Louisville looked like the beginnings of a team getting its groove back. |
| “The reality is they have no depth in the front court,” Greenberg said. “And their inconsistency now is basically predicated on their inability to create any depth. Amile Jefferson had all the intangibles . . . when they first lost him they lost a little of their identity. Now, they’ve gotten it a little bit back.” | “The reality is they have no depth in the front court,” Greenberg said. “And their inconsistency now is basically predicated on their inability to create any depth. Amile Jefferson had all the intangibles . . . when they first lost him they lost a little of their identity. Now, they’ve gotten it a little bit back.” |
| The Blue Devils, for their lack of defensive prowess, are still a team built to outscore opponents. They sit sixth in the ACC standings but lead the league in scoring offense at 84.3 points and have the second-most efficient offense in the country according to KenPom.com. Sophomore guard Grayson Allen is second in the league with 20.8 points per game, including 24.7 over Duke’s last three games, all wins. | |
| Allen also was accused of dirty play by some observers when he tripped a Louisville player after tumbling to the floor on Monday. He was issued a flagrant-1 foul but no further punishment. | Allen also was accused of dirty play by some observers when he tripped a Louisville player after tumbling to the floor on Monday. He was issued a flagrant-1 foul but no further punishment. |
| “In years past, Duke would throw a line in the sand, they would get stops, they would be really, really tough,” Greenberg said. “And it was hard to run offense against them. Now, because of their depth, the lack of front court, because of all those things, they’ve got to outscore you.” | “In years past, Duke would throw a line in the sand, they would get stops, they would be really, really tough,” Greenberg said. “And it was hard to run offense against them. Now, because of their depth, the lack of front court, because of all those things, they’ve got to outscore you.” |
| A win against Virginia on Saturday would be good for Duke’s momentum and back-to-back wins over ranked opponents could vault it back into the rankings. | A win against Virginia on Saturday would be good for Duke’s momentum and back-to-back wins over ranked opponents could vault it back into the rankings. |
| Duke beat Virginia, 69-63, in the teams’ last meeting in Charlottesville on Jan. 31 of last season, and the Cavaliers haven’t won at Duke since 1995. Virginia, which has won seven in a row since overcoming its own mid-season struggles to move into second place in the ACC, is looking forward to trying to break its drought at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the 1,001st men’s basketball game held at the venue. | Duke beat Virginia, 69-63, in the teams’ last meeting in Charlottesville on Jan. 31 of last season, and the Cavaliers haven’t won at Duke since 1995. Virginia, which has won seven in a row since overcoming its own mid-season struggles to move into second place in the ACC, is looking forward to trying to break its drought at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the 1,001st men’s basketball game held at the venue. |
| “I’ve won at every arena in the ACC besides Cameron Indoor,” senior forward Anthony Gill said Tuesday after the Cavaliers beat Virginia Tech. “We’re looking forward to a good game.” | “I’ve won at every arena in the ACC besides Cameron Indoor,” senior forward Anthony Gill said Tuesday after the Cavaliers beat Virginia Tech. “We’re looking forward to a good game.” |
| Krzyzewski, in acknowledging his team’s limitations, also appeared set for a battle. | Krzyzewski, in acknowledging his team’s limitations, also appeared set for a battle. |
| “We hope we can get to March,” he told reporters on Monday. “Since Amile went out, we’re a very limited team that’s trying to get better and has to fight like crazy to make the tournament. We knew that in December, and that’s what we’re trying to do. “ | “We hope we can get to March,” he told reporters on Monday. “Since Amile went out, we’re a very limited team that’s trying to get better and has to fight like crazy to make the tournament. We knew that in December, and that’s what we’re trying to do. “ |