Capturing the ACC tournament trophy and sharing the title of regular season champions, No. 4 Duke enters the NCAA Tournament confident in its place as the third No.1 seed with sights set on adding another championship to the three the school already has.
The Blue Devils (29-5) overcame Georgia Tech Sunday behind senior Jon Scheyer’s 3-pointer in the final seconds of the game. The 65-61 victory brought Duke its 18th ACC tournament championship and put it in a great position to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, particularly after Syracuse—formerly the best team in the nation—lost twice last week.
“It’s very rewarding, but at the same time, you just have to move on,” Scheyer said of winning the ACC tournament. “It’s definitely exciting, but [right now], we’re just looking forward to who we get to play now.”
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski highlighted the growth of the team’s players throughout the season as a strength going into March Madness, particularly noting senior Brian Zoubek’s persistence and senior Lance Thomas’s leadership.
“It is the best feeling… when you coach in college [because] you watch kids grow up to be men, players, and that has been the beauty for me,” Krzyzewski said. “Winning championships, that’s pretty beautiful, too, but you win by watching that growth.”
Playing three tough games en route to winning the conference tournament, the Blue Devils grew accustomed to quick turnarounds and back-to-back play, something that will come in handy during the NCAA Tournament.
Playing on neutral territory has also helped Duke prepare for the upcoming games, strengthening the players mentally and forcing them to perform consistently—even when they are far from Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Duke went 17-0 this season.
“We have had three tough games here, all the game situations that we have been in, especially late game situations, inbounding the ball, the free throw shooting.... Our free throw shooting during the tournament at the end was just spectacular,” Krzyzewski said of his team’s performance in Greensboro. “Beating them and being in these situations, it was a great tournament, a good basketball game.”
“This gives us momentum, and we learned a little bit about our team this week,” Zoubek said. “Three games right in a row are really hard. It’s like the NCAA Tournament, and we’ll learn from it and move on.”
Though the Blue Devils are facing 16th seed Arkansas-Pine Bluff in their first round matchup, they are treating every team equally and are working to come off strong both on rebounding and on making shots.
“Who you play or where you’re playing doesn’t matter. We need to win,” Scheyer said. “We need to be ready to go and take care of business the first game and get ready for a tough second game.”
The team’s potential second-round opponents are eighth-seeded California and ninth-seeded Louisville. The Blue Devils acknowledge both teams will be tough opponents, especially since they are from outside the ACC and play in a different style from what Duke is used to.
However, the seniors are confident in the team’s ability to compete against any style of play and look to guide their team with enthusiasm and motivation.
“We have a pretty tough bracket, but I think we’re capable of playing anybody as long as we play our game as far as defensive rebounding and just finishing it,” Thomas said. “I’m going to be just full of energy the full time and I want to spread that with my teammates. I don’t want to hold anything back.”
And showing up to the Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2006—this time in the South Region— could give the Blue Devils the momentum they need to advance to the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and possibly the Final Four.
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