'They've responded': Duke men's basketball rounding into form at the right time
As seasons evolve, narratives change. In the case of Duke, that is exactly what's happening.
The No. 8 Blue Devils kept it rolling in a big way on Wednesday evening, storming into the Watsco Center and drubbing struggling Miami 84-55. Duke is now 16-2 in its last 18 games and is tied with No. 10 North Carolina for first place in the conference.
Funny how things change when a team gets time to grow and develop chemistry.
"In general, people can draw early conclusions on who people are, who teams are," head coach Jon Scheyer told reporters postgame. "Just as with teams, all along we've talked about getting better."
Of course, it should be noted that the Hurricanes were far from 100 percent on Wednesday. Guards Matthew Cleveland and Nigel Pak, two of four Miami players averaging double figures in the scoring column this season, missed the contest due to illness and a lower-body injury, respectively.
But this banged-up Miami bunch still trotted out experienced talent in Omier, Poplar and guard Bensley Joseph, and head coach Jim Larranaga remains one of the top coaches in the country. The Blue Devils avoiding a potential trap is still worthy of praise.
It also requires a reevaluation of where Duke stands, because for much of the season, this team has been the subject of quite a bit of critique.
That started in November, with a 78-73 home loss to now-No. 4 Arizona in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Right away, the focus was on sophomores Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell, who shot a combined 7 of 19 from the field that night.
Then, it was consecutive road losses to Arkansas and Georgia Tech, defeats that, while deflating, require a bit of context. Arkansas was buoyed by a raucous crowd at Bud Walton Arena, and the Blue Devils were without Proctor (ankle) for the final 39 minutes against the Yellow Jackets.
Yet in the moment, that context did not matter. Duke, at 5-3, was on its way from preseason No. 2 to status as the most disappointing team in the country, a slide eerily similar to the one North Carolina experienced last season.
Then, however, the Blue Devils picked themselves up off the mat and turned their season around. Their only losses since Dec. 2 have come at home against Pittsburgh on Jan. 20 (when Mitchell was out due to a sprained knee) and at the Tar Heels on Feb. 3.
But even in the midst of this hot streak, Duke's toughness (due to its lack of pure dominance in ACC play and having no traditional bigs in the starting unit) has been debated.
Scheyer felt the need to defend his team’s grit during Monday's ACC coaches teleconference, saying "that talk is kind of funny to me because how many teams in the country right now have 20 wins and people are talking about, 'How tough are they?'"
He may have a point. Per WarrenNolan.com, Duke is 38th nationally in rebound percentage (53.3) and sports the third-best adjusted defensive efficiency in the ACC, per KenPom, behind only Virginia and North Carolina. Since the loss to the Tar Heels, the Blue Devils have held their last five opponents under 70 points.
All that put together, and it may be time to buy what Scheyer is selling.
"I think we've continued to get better," the 36-year-old said. "I think these guys have shown incredible toughness.
"With things not going their way, you find out about people with the way they respond. And all these guys man, they've responded."
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