Photo by Eric Mansfield/The Chronicle
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With exams over and Winter Break underway, Duke suddenly had the chance to cross top priorities off its holiday wish list in Saturday's game against No. 7 Xavier--namely, that some players elevate themselves to their potential, and that the team rebound from its lackluster loss against Michigan more than two weeks ago.
Just minutes into the Blue Devils' highly anticipated test, though, it was apparent a Musketeers' comeback would be nothing short of a Christmas miracle.
Alas, No. 6 Duke barely let up on its initial 22-3 tear, burying Xavier in such a way that head coach Sean Miller was forced to abandon his game plan almost immediately. Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson combined for 42 points, and Kyle Singler and Brian Zoubek frustrated virtually every Musketeer attempt to penetrate the lane. When the Blue Devils headed into the locker room up 31, there was hardly a negative thing to say about them.
"If we could bottle that first half, we'd be pretty damn good," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Too true. But without any magical mechanism capable of just that, where does Duke go from here? After its other top-10 victory over then-No. 9 Purdue earlier this season -- a sound, but decidely less impressive win than Saturday's -- experts sang the team's praises and even posited No. 1 North Carolina's presumed dominance over the ACC might not come so easily. Then, in a span of 14 days, Duke played its worst and best game of the season in Michigan and Xavier.
It begs the question: Was the loss an aberration, or will inconsistency lurk beneath the surface all season only to rear its ugly head again somewhere down the line?
The answer lies in how Duke won Saturday.
Looking at the box score, some numbers jump out, such as the 52.5 field-goal percentage and a season-best 9-for-19 clip from behind the arc. But in reality, the offensive onslaught stemmed from the relentless defensive effort. On more than one occasion, Xavier guards drove for the basket only to come face-to-face with a bevy of Blue Devils, who registered seven blocks and changed countless more shots. Throw in the team's nine steals, and the picture becomes clearer: Duke scored 21 points off turnovers to Xavier's six, and won the category 16-2 in the first half.
Duke could have shot poorly from the field and still would have won big. The significance here is you can count on an aggressive defensive effort night in and night out with a far greater degree of certainty than a couple hot hands on offense.
It's naive to think Duke can maintain Saturday's offensive firepower over the course of a season. In fact, when the season is done, Saturday's win could still easily be one of the team's best games. But the Blue Devils took a big step forward. Obviously, Scheyer and Henderson need to make more of a habit out of performances like Saturday's if Duke is going to challenge the Tar Heels and make a Final Four run. And Singler, Greg Paulus and Nolan Smith, all three of whom only combined for 18 points, undoubtedly have some breakout nights left in them, too.
As long as the Blue Devils exhibit stifling team defense, though, the offense will come.
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