Teetering on the edge of an NCAA berth, Duke could see its bubble burst at Elon Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
The Blue Devils ended No. 1 Wake Forest's 18-game win streak Saturday in a scoreless draw. Regardless, Duke can ill afford another suspect loss following its Oct. 14 loss to Florida Atlantic.
Falling to the Phoenix on the road would negatively impact the Blue Devils' tournament resume, a fact that they have not overlooked.
"Getting into the tournament starts now," senior captain Darrius Barnes said.
The NCAA tournament only gives out 48 bids, with 22 guaranteed to conference tournament champions. Given the strength of the ACC this year, the best chance for the Blue Devils (6-5-2) to reach postseason play could be earning one of the 26 at-large invitations.
To do so, Duke has to impress the tournament selection committee-and losses against weak non-conference opponents like Florida Atlantic are not exactly eye-catching achievements.
Enter the Phoenix (6-7-1), who have only one win outside of the Southern Conference, but have strung together three consecutive victories. Any hangover from the Wake Forest game could prove lethal to the Blue Devils in their quest to avoid another mid-major slip-up.
The burden of focusing a team loaded with inexperienced talent falls on the shoulders of senior leadership. Barnes, the voice of the squad following a recent arm injury to fellow captain Graham Dugoni, is looking to fill that role.
"I'm trying to keep the guys' spirits high," he said.
Injuries have made that task difficult, as the young team lost one its most explosive offensive forces in Kyle Bethel and its most solid defensive presence in Dugoni, all in the first season under head coach John Kerr.
"We've had our low points this season, but I feel like we can pick it back up," Barnes said.
One of the biggest struggles the Blue Devils have had to face has been a recently lackluster offense. Duke's attack has only managed two goals in its last four matches, but showed signs of improvement with several near scores against Wake Forest.
Adjusting to life without the freshman striker Bethel, who had tallied four goals and two assists in nine games, has clearly strained the Duke forward line.
"We certainly miss Kyle a great deal. He's a very imposing player for us, he stretches the defense and always keeps them honest," Kerr said.
Looking for ways to replace his firepower has been a challenge. Sophomore Cole Grossman has been asked to step up and has begun to form chemistry with senior forward Mike Grella, the team's leading scorer. Grossman nearly connected with Grella on what would have been a game-winning goal against the Demon Deacons.
Duke's season now relies on building on the Wake Forest effort, perhaps the best it has put forth all season. Elon is the next step.
"It's crucial. We've got to go and win the game," Kerr said. "Hopefully we can come out against Elon the same way we did against Wake, and if that's the case we'll be in great shape."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.