It's hard to criticize a team with a perfect record. It's even harder when that team's greatest weakness might actually be its greatest strength.
For Duke, the tendency to play to the level of its competition-whether good or bad-has been a hallmark of the team's campaign toward perfection during the regular season.
Even though the Blue Devils have outscored their opponents by an average of 26.1 points per game so far this season, they showed a propensity throughout the year to play down to weaker opponents.
Against teams like Florida State, Virginia Tech and N.C. State, the Duke squad seemed to be playing sloppy or flat at times-allowing those lesser foes into the game.
Head coach Gail Goestenkors called that sort of analysis nitpicking.
"I don't think we've always done that-I think we've had a couple of games where we have not played well," she said. "It's not something I'm really worried about."
When the team looked lackadaisical in its play, it was usually after games against top-notch, ranked opponents like then-No. 1 Maryland, No. 22 Texas and No. 4 Tennessee. In all of those games, the Blue Devils took the necessary steps to play up to their competition.
Duke played over one-third of its games this season against ranked teams, so playing with composure and poise in the biggest games is something that the Blue Devils have been able to pride themselves on.
"When you've been to the championship game in the NCAA Tournament, you have great experiences," Goestenkors said. "You know what it's all about to go into hostile environments and play in front of big crowds and on TV."
One of the most memorable moments for the Duke team this year was when it jumped out to a 19-0 lead at Tennessee in front of more than 21,000 people.
Yet, when Virginia Tech came within 10 points of beating a much stronger Blue Devil team in Cameron Indoor Stadium, there was a noticeable lack of intensity, prompting Goestenkors to say she was "disappointed" in the effort.
"We were not focused; we were not disciplined," Goestenkors said after the game. "I just have higher expectations for this team than what we displayed tonight."
Waffling between crisp execution and unemotional effort is not something the Blue Devils are proud of. But again and again the team has stressed that it is not something to worry about.
"If we lived in a perfect world, we'd play the same no matter who we're playing," sophomore guard Abby Waner said. "But especially after you have a big game, you can almost always expect a drop because it's so emotionally draining."
Waner's statement holds an obvious bit of irony since Duke has lived in its own perfect world during the regular season-a world that has not prevented the team from playing a weaker game against weaker teams. Now that every game left is in a single-game elimination tournament, the team cannot help but be wary of its inconsistent tendencies.
"I think that something this team needs to work on is consistency," Waner said. "Who knows what that other team is going to show up with."
Nevertheless, it's safe to say that the team is confident in its ability to win each and every game.
"This whole year we've been the same team, and to go through it without a loss is really an amazing feat," senior captain Alison Bales said. "I think this team is fine."
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