CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—After heading to Miami Monday night and getting clobbered by the 19th-ranked Hurricanes, no one knew quite what to expect from the Blue Devils heading into Saturday afternoon. They had only won two road games this season, at Boston College and Georgia Tech, both of which currently reside in the bottom half of the ACC standings. No. 8 Virginia, which stood tied atop the conference entering Saturday, presented a similar challenge as the Hurricanes—and the two games were vastly different yet blatantly similar.
In Duke’s two 20-point conference losses, to N.C. State and Miami, it trailed nearly from the start. Its halftime deficit in Raleigh, N.C., was 22 points, just two less than the final margin. In the Watsco Center, the Blue Devils were down 14 after the first period, a number they couldn’t overcome.
Against Virginia, though, it was different. Against a top-10 team, Duke was playing well. Not lights-out well, but well enough to lead the Cavaliers for more than 21 minutes. The Blue Devil defense had returned to its dominant ways, keeping Kihei Clark and company without a made three through 23 minutes of play. Virginia didn’t make a single second-half free throw. Duke outrebounded and outshot its opponent, but it wasn’t enough. After the fact, the 24 fouls and 22 turnovers are the stats that stick out, not the 30 defensive boards and nine threes.
What is truly going to stick with the Blue Devils and their fans, however, was one call—or lack thereof—in the final second of regulation.
On the final play of the second period, a foul was called against Virginia on 7-foot Duke freshman Kyle Filipowski’s time-expiring dunk attempt. The foul call was then overturned, sending the game to overtime at 58-58 instead of putting Filipowski on the line. While John Paul Jones Arena erupted in relief, confusion was abundant and Duke fans were furious. The Blue Devil faithful, and their opposition, battled on social media about the nature of the foul call and the decision to overturn it. In a statement released late Saturday night, the ACC clarified that the foul call should have stood, but alas—nothing they can do after the game is over.
No matter which side of that aisle you stood on, one thing was clear: The game was headed to overtime. Both teams would have another chance. And in that overtime period, Duke crumbled, ultimately falling 69-62.
The Blue Devils scored four points over those five minutes on two Tyrese Proctor field goals, a number the freshman matched with turnovers. Junior captain Jeremy Roach fouled out with more than three minutes to play, rendering Duke without one of its most consistent scorers and arguably its best playmaker. Filipowski, who ended with zero points, didn’t attempt a shot from the floor and missed his lone free throw attempt.
No matter the rightfully frustrating end to regulation, the Blue Devils had another opportunity. They just didn’t, or couldn’t, capitalize.
Head coach Jon Scheyer’s squad was so close. One less turnover, one more made layup, one correct call by ACC officials and the Blue Devils would have downed a top-10 team. But they didn’t. And if that doesn’t make them angry, I don’t know what will.
Scheyer’s reputation as calm, cool and collected is relatively true. His steady tone rarely wavers when talking to the media, no matter the content of his words. Saturday was a whole different ballpark. The first-year head coach was visibly angry, and rightfully so.
“It’s hard for me to take lessons right now,” said Scheyer after the game. “I’m pissed for our guys. I'm pissed that we were right there and we weren't able to come away with a win.”
When the word “pissed” came out of Scheyer’s mouth, the media room froze.
Why did it? It’s a justified, even expected thing to be pissed about. Many coaches have much stronger words, but Scheyer? Pissed? That carries more weight.
Duke has had its fair share of tough losses. Granted, all of them could have been avoided by the usual culprits—fewer turnovers, more efficient offense, cleaner defense—but some have been harder-hitting than others. Its 19-point loss to now-No. 1 Purdue? Humbling. That blowout loss to the Wolfpack was more of a harrowing experience for the Blue Devil faithful. Its destruction at the hands of the Hurricanes, directly following such a monumental win against North Carolina, was perhaps humiliating. But this loss in Charlottesville? This one was heartbreaking.
For the Blue Devils to truly be competitors, not just in the ACC but for a national title, they need to learn how to respond, how to get angry and channel that anger. Not just a single-game rebound, as they had been able to pull out after each loss prior to Saturday. Duke needs real change, to light a fire beneath it so hot that it has no choice but to take a good, hard look at itself and do better. It needs its stoic head coach to be “pissed,” and for him to make that known. It needs its players to take that personally. Without a little bit of anger—or maybe more than a little bit—without that moment that changes how the Blue Devils view their season, their program and themselves, they are bound to continue that cycle of mediocrity.
Is a “pissed” Scheyer enough to enact that change?
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Rachael Kaplan is a Trinity senior and a senior editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.