The Blue Devils have made a habit of cutting down nets this season.
Their first opportunity was after embarrassing rival North Carolina at home in March, the Cameron Crazies screaming the entire time. They had an encore performance soon after, when Jon Scheyer’s late 3-pointer helped them secure the ACC tournament championship. But it was the last net the Blue Devils cut down that was most unexpected—the one they earned after booking a trip to the Final Four for the first time since 2004.
But they aren’t satisfied yet. There’s one net they have left to cut down, and it is located in Indianapolis. For this Duke squad, the season will not be a success unless the Blue Devils can don shiny championship rings and watch as the school’s fourth championship banner ascends into Cameron’s rafters.
“It’s definitely exciting, making it [to the Final Four],” senior guard Jon Scheyer said. “But, for us, the goal’s not complete.”
That determination is befitting of a team that has overcome disappointment over the past few years. The oldest scholarship players on the team were merely juniors in high school, just beginning to think about college basketball, when Duke made their last trip to the “promised land.”
Five years passed, including three losses in the Sweet 16 and one surprising upset in the first round.
This seemed odd for a team that boasted 10 Final Four appearances between 1986 and 2004. A program once thought to be the epitome of college basketball success was crumbling in the public’s perception.
“It’s difficult and tough, and it puts a lot of pressure on all of the kids to advance,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in reference to the criticism of Duke’s early elimination over the past few years.
Thus, when the Blue Devils tip off tomorrow night at 8:47 p.m., they will be playing for more than a great end to a good season. Rather, the Blue Devils will be fighting for the pride of a program that many basketball analysts have criticized in recent years.
But success won’t come easy for Duke, especially with the talent that characterizes this year’s Final Four. The Blue Devils’ first test will be against a West Virginia team that effectively shut down No. 1 Kentucky, a team ripe with NBA lottery picks. And while Duke doesn’t have the one-and-done superstar talent of Kentucky, Duke’s strength is diversification of talent. If nothing else, this will separate Krzyzewski’s team from any other in the Final Four.
On the most basic level, Duke has three prolific scorers, commonly refereed to as the “Big Three” trio of Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and Scheyer. These three are all effective scorers, and will be tested against West Virginia’s 1-3-1 zone defense that forces its opponents to take long-range, low-percentage shots. However, Smith, Scheyer and Singler are all adept perimeter shooters, averaging 39.6, 38.1 and 39.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc, respectively. Andre Dawkins provides depth off the bench, shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range himself.
In addition to these scorers, it’s the presence of Duke’s height down low that has transformed the Blue Devils’ frontcourt into one of the country’s finest. 7-foot-1 Brian Zoubek has been nothing short of dominant on the glass, pulling down 10 rebounds per game throughout the NCAA Tournament. And the Plumlee brothers, Miles and Mason, have provided more than enough support off the bench. While Zoubek & Co. may not be putting up double-digit points, the group’s rebounding advantage could be pivotal to Duke’s success, especially considering the Mountaineers’ tallest player stands 6-foot-9.
“Brian knows that, even if he scores four points, it could be because of him that we win the game,” Krzyzewski said.
And that’s precisely Duke’s biggest advantage going into the Final Four—every player can be the difference-maker. Unlike other teams, the Blue Devils lack a superstar. They do not rely on any one player. Rather, they have something better—a complete team.
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