For two teams who rarely share anything but a home state, Duke and Davidson have a surprising amount in common this season.
When the No. 1 Blue Devils (2-0) take on the Wildcats (0-0) Saturday at 5 p.m., both teams will be led by senior classes adamant about completing their unfinished business-though at slightly different levels. While Duke's seniors are on a final quest for their first National Championship, Davidson's elders are still searching for their first invitation to the Big Dance.
Last year, the Wildcats tore through the Southern Conference at a 16-0 clip and took the nation's third-longest winning streak into the conference tournament. Davidson, however, suffered a heartbreaking 73-68 loss to UNC-Greensboro in the semifinals and was left out of the NCAA Tournament.
"When you don't reach your expectations and goals, you can do one of two things-you can have a pity party, or you can respond and work even harder toward those goals and expectations," said Davidson head coach Bob McKillop, who is looking to take his team to the Tournament for the first time since 2002. "Our mindset is we really want an NCAA bid, and we are going to put in the work necessary to achieve that goal."
Duke and Davidson also share a common opponent, despite the fact that Saturday's matchup will be the Wildcats' first regular season game. Davidson defeated Concordia 93-67 in its only exhibition contest, one night after the Blue Devils rolled over the Stingers 123-66 in their first of two preseason warm-ups.
The Wildcats even have their own version of Blue Devil star J.J. Redick. Senior guard Brendan Winters is the Southern Conference's returning player of the year, after scoring 16.7 points per game and averaging 2.8 three-pointers per contest last season.
"[He is] a kid that really should get some national attention," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He is a big-time shooter."
Winters outplayed Duke's All-American in last year's matchup, Nov. 22 in Charlotte, scoring 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting. The Blue Devils went on to win the game, 74-61-their 18th-straight win over Davidson-but had trouble putting the game out of reach, as the Wildcats trailed by just four points with less than six minutes remaining.
Davidson will not likely be intimidated when they face off with the top-ranked Blue Devils since the Wildcats have made a habit of scheduling top-tier non-conference opponents. Aside from playing Duke each year, Davidson has traveled to take on Missouri, Texas Tech, St. Joseph's, Georgetown and North Carolina the past two seasons.
"To be your best, you have to play great teams," McKillop said. "When you play great teams, you really learn what are your strengths and weakness, and you get better because you are pushed to the limit. We can't simulate anything like playing at Duke, we can only see how we respond."
The Davidson game will be a break for the Blue Devils from the NIT Season Tip-Off after they advanced to the semifinals with a 93-40 win over Seton Hall Nov. 16. Duke will resume tournament play Nov. 23 in Madison Square Garden where it will take on Drexel.
The Blue Devils, however, will not be looking ahead, and despite the team's impressive play against Seton Hall, Krzyzewski said he expects a tough game against the Wildcats.
"They play a high-powered, fast break system," Krzyzewski said. "They know how to play. They will be very similar to Boston U. in that they will have a well-conceived game plan."
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