After a rude ACC welcome, the league newcomer that was expected to challenge Duke for conference supremacy finally gets its chance tonight.
The No. 2 Blue Devils (19-1, 7-0 in the ACC) travel to Boston College (16-4, 4-3) to take on the Eagles for the first time as conference opponents.
No. 15 Boston College has won four straight ACC contests after an 0-3 start in its new conference. But despite their recent success and the chance to knock off the only team still undefeated in conference play, the Eagles are approaching this game as any other.
"I understand how good they are-they are in first place-but in all honesty, a league game is a league game," head coach Al Skinner said. "I think the community up here is excited to have Duke come here, but for us, I'd like to believe it's just another league game."
The preseason pick to finish second in the league, Boston College dropped a pair of road games to Maryland and Georgia Tech-each by two points-to begin its ACC slate. In both of those games, the Eagles had a chance to tie or win the game on its last possession but could not convert.
Although they have rebounded from the tough start, the Eagles have been far from convincing in their conference wins. The four victories have come by a combined 16 points.
"We're still a work in progress," Skinner said. "We have won some games but we really are still trying to improve...our guys, especially our younger guys, are starting to realize how hard you need to play to have some success in this league."
Despite not starting a player shorter than 6-foot-4, Boston College has been one of the best ball-handling teams in the country. But Duke has had success disrupting its opponents' offenses with heavy defensive pressure. The Blue Devils average more than 10 steals per game, but the Eagles lead the ACC with a 1.37-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
"They don't turn it over very much," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "In whatever offense they are running, the thing that is consistent is that they value the ball. They are able to make passes under pressure."
Boston College's size could provide matchup problems for the smaller Blue Devils. Senior J.J. Redick, who stands at 6-foot-4, will likely be guarding 6-foot-7 Jared Dudley or 6-foot-6 Sean Marshall for much of the game. The return of DeMarcus Nelson, however, could help Duke defend the interior, since the sophomore guard often marked larger forwards last season.
"They have a lot of different guys who post," Krzyzewski said. "They're a veteran team that gets the most out of their offensive possessions."
Guarding Redick may present the Eagles with some difficulties of their own. The senior, who earned his fourth ACC Player of the Week honor of the season Monday, has scored 95 points in his last three games and is on pace to break the 1,000-point barrier in a season for the first time in Duke history, should the Blue Devils advance far into the NCAA Tournament.
"It's going to take every one of our guys," Skinner said of defending the All-American. "We talk about five guys defending the basketball because there are too many good players in this league that if they get you one-on-one, they are going to consistently beat you."
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