King's Court: After Sizzling Start, Recent Slide Has Duke Searching for Answers

Shortly before they tipped off at Duke on Tuesday, guards Sheldon McClellan and Mike Fernandez placed a FaceTime call to former Blue Devils All-American Jay Williams.

Now an analyst with ESPN, Williams said he was struck by the demeanor of the two Hurricanes players as they stood on the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"They just seemed so relaxed and comfortable," said Williams, who has known both players since they were kids. "When I played at Duke and the other team came out for warm-ups, they looked nervous and scared. But these guys were smiling and relaxed.

"It was a shock to me."

Even more jarring was what occurred a few hours later, when Miami snapped the Blue Devils' 41-game home winning streak with a 90-74 shellacking in front of a stunned crowd.

The loss came two days after North Carolina State beat Duke 87-75 in Raleigh, marking the first time since the 2008-09 season that Mike Krzyzewski's squad had dropped back-to-back regular-season games.

As he prepared to take the ESPN set in Bristol after Tuesday's loss, Williams couldn't help but think back to the pregame call he took from McClellan and Fernandez.

"Duke's not intimidating anyone right now," Williams told Bleacher Report on Wednesday. "They still have a chance to be a very good team, an elite team. But for right now...it's like Coach K said after the game: Something is missing."

But what is it?

What's wrong with Duke, who less than two weeks ago boasted a 14-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking?

Some analysts believe the problems are technical, that they can be corrected with a few tweaks and alterations in Duke's rotation. Others worry that the issues are more about confidence and toughness and that they could snowball if mentalities don't change in a hurry.

Former NBA standout Greg Anthony called Duke's game against North Carolina State for CBS. Anthony said Duke's biggest problems are on defense. He pointed out that the Wolfpack and Miami each shot better than 50 percent from the field against the Blue Devils and were a combined 20-of-36 from three-point range.

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"You give up 90 points to anyone—especially at home—and it's obviously an issue," Anthony told Bleacher Report. "N.C. State is a good offensive team, but not a great one. They were getting whatever they wanted."

Williams agrees, noting that Duke's players are rarely in their proper defensive stance on back-to-back possessions.

"There were times against N.C. State when [Justise] Winslow was caught standing straight up," Williams said. "That leads to easy baskets. You've got to stay down the entire possession. That comes with experience. When you come into college you might think you understand how to play defense because you've always been superior athletically. But it's the smaller details that go a long way."

Longtime sportswriter Al Featherstone, who has covered Duke for decades for various media outlets, said some Blue Devils fans on Internet message boards are calling for Krzyzewski to abandon his man-to-man defense.

"That'll never happen," Featherstone said. "Maybe he'll alter some minor stuff, like when to switch and when not to switch or changing the pick-up point. But he's not going to make wholesale changes. It'll probably be something subtle he does that gets everything back on track. It's certainly happened before."

Featherstone noted that Krzyzewski briefly went to a platoon system last season to lift Duke out of its doldrums. In 2009 he moved Jon Scheyer to point guard at midseason to allow Elliot Williams to focus more of his efforts on playing strong defense.   

And Featherstone said Duke's 2010 NCAA title came largely because Krzyzewski recognized the need to slow the game down to allow center Brian Zoubek to log more minutes in the paint.

"I'll be interested to see what he does this time," Featherstone said.

Another issue has been the recent play of Duke's freshmen. While national player of the year candidate Jahlil Okafor continues to impress, Winslow and point guard Tyus Jones failed to make an impact in the last two games.

Winslow, a small forward, was averaging 12.7 points a week ago. But he combined for just 12 points on 4-of-19 shooting in the two losses. Jones was averaging 10 points a game before the two defeats. He scored only 10 points on a combined 3-of-15 shooting against N.C. State and Miami.

"Winslow and Jones slipping has killed them," Featherstone said. "Earlier in the season, when Duke was in trouble against teams like Michigan State and Wisconsin, Jones would step up and take over a game. He isn't doing that anymore.

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"This is a freshman-dominated team. You can't help but wonder if those guys have hit a wall."

As well as Duke played early in the season, Williams noted that the past week was the first time the Blue Devils have truly been tested. They shot better than 60 percent in a win at then-No. 2 Wisconsin, so they never had to fight through adversity in that game. And even though a Champions Classic showdown against Michigan State was close at times, there was never the feeling that Duke wouldn't win the game.

"One thing I give Kentucky credit for is that they've proven they can win ugly games when things aren't going their way," Williams said. "Duke hasn't reacted well in those situations. You can see it on their faces.

"Body language is everything in our sport. As a veteran, when I'd see someone with bad body language after a call, I'd automatically know that I have an edge against you mentally—you're allowing a play to consume you. If you're complaining to a ref, I know that's going to translate to the next play. It's a sign of weakness that they can't afford to show anymore."

Especially in the coming weeks.

Duke's upcoming stretch of games is as brutal a slate as any team will face this season. Beginning with Saturday's tilt at No. 6 Louisville, four of the Blue Devils' next five contests are on the road. And three of them are against Top 12 teams, as No. 2 Virginia and No. 12 Notre Dame are also on the docket.

"It will be interesting to see where they are at the end of January," Anthony said. "They're still a very good team. The regular season is crazy. You can't get too high or too low. Coach K and his staff know they have some areas to improve. There is still time for things to materialize."

Williams said there's no reason it can't begin this weekend against Louisville. But just like Miami and N.C. State, the Cardinals won't be intimidated.

"Teams are always going to be up for Duke," Williams said. "Especially now, because they believe they can win. The true test of your character comes after you've had it handed to you a few times. Now who are you going to be?

"This is their chance to respond."

Report Card

A's

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Jim Larranaga: The Miami coach doesn't receive nearly enough praise for what he's doing in Coral Gables, where he's led a squad filled with transfers and mid-level recruits to victories over Duke and Florida and an overtime loss to Virginia.

Saturday slate: Call a caterer. You won't want to leave the house on Jan. 17. Here's what's in store (with my projected winners in bold): Duke at Louisville; Utah at Arizona; Kansas at Iowa State; Miami at Notre Dame; Michigan State at Maryland; West Virginia at Texas; Oklahoma State at Oklahoma.

Cliff Alexander's dunk: The high-profile Kansas forward has had an underwhelming freshman season, at least based on expectations. But his dunk in Tuesday's win against Oklahoma State will go down as one of the best in Allen Fieldhouse history.

B's

North Carolina: Wednesday's win over N.C. State was the Tar Heels' seventh win in their last eight games. The lone loss was a one-point defeat against Notre Dame. Roy Williams' squad is definitely in the ACC title discussion.

Larry Shyatt: The Wyoming coach has his team in the Top 25 following a 15-3 start that includes wins over Colorado, UNLV, Boise State and Colorado State. Larry Nance Jr. leads the Cowboys in points (15.9) and rebounds (6.8).

West Virginia's bench: The Mountaineers' reserves combined for 55 points, 18 rebounds and 10 steals in Tuesday's 86-65 win over Oklahoma.

C's

SEC: I'm not ready to say it's one of the best in the country, but the league certainly appears to be better than we initially thought. There really isn't much difference between the second- and 10th-place teams.

Arizona's Final Four chances: It seemed like almost every analyst in the country predicted before the season that the Wildcats would reach the Final Four. But after losses to unranked UNLV and Oregon State, it's hard to imagine Sean Miller's squad advancing to college basketball's final weekend.

Nebraska: It may be too early to say that Tim Miles' squad has turned the corner, but back-to-back wins over Rutgers and Illinois should provide a much-needed dose of momentum for a team trying to reach the NCAA tournament for the second straight year.

D's

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National Player of the Year race: Duke's Jahlil Okafor is the favorite in what has been an anticlimactic race thus far. Who would you put behind Okafor? Willie Cauley-Stein? Delon Wright? Justin Anderson? Jerian Grant?

Kentucky's swagger: The Wildcats deserve credit for finding the inner toughness to pull out overtime wins against Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Still, the swagger, intimidation factor and overall presence that defined this team during nonconference play are gone. At least for now.

Wisconsin's injuries: Frank Kaminsky missed Sunday's loss at Rutgers with a concussion, and now point guard Traevon Jackson could be out as along as six weeks with a broken foot. Wisconsin should still be able to win the Big Ten without Jackson, but a second straight Final Four berth may not be as likely unless he returns.

F's

McDermott-less Creighton: Head coach Greg McDermott is still on the sidelines, but without his high-scoring son, Doug (who's now with the NBA's Chicago Bulls), in the lineup, the Bluejays have struggled. Creighton is now 0-5 in the Big East, with three of the losses coming by double digits.

Notre Dame's study habits: One season after Jerian Grant missed the second semester because of an academic suspension, the Fighting Irish have lost another standout. Forward Zach Auguste, who ranks second on the team in both scoring (14.3) and rebounds (6.4), has been suspended indefinitely due to poor grades. 

SMU: What's going on with the Mustangs? On Sunday the school announced that Xavier transfer Justin Martin, who was averaging 5.7 points, was leaving the team to turn pro. One night later it was revealed that assistant Ulric Maligi was taking a leave of absence from the program. Maligi is SMU's top recruiter.

A Dozen Words About My Top 12 Teams

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Kentucky: John Calipari sticking with freshman Tyler Ulis as the starting point guard.

Virginia: Cavaliers have yet to experience a dip. For that, credit Tony Bennett.

Gonzaga: You heard it here first. The Zags will make the Final Four.

Villanova: The Wildcats have lost four regular-season games the past two years.

Duke: Still the country's second-best team when it brings its A-game.

Louisville: The light has finally come on for senior point guard Chris Jones.

Wisconsin: Bronson Koenig should fill in nicely for injured point guard Traevon Jackson.

Kansas: Jayhawks will win an 11th straight Big 12 title. Count on it.


Utah: The "Other Coach K" (Larry Krystkowiak) has done wonders with this program.

Notre Dame: The length of junior forward Zach Auguste's academic suspension is still unknown.

North Carolina: Sophomore forward Kennedy Meeks is one of the country's most improved players.

Arizona: The Wildcats shot just 37.8 percent in a loss to Oregon State.

Starting Five

This week we take a look at former Top 25 mainstays that are mired in extended lulls.

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Purdue: The Boilermakers are just 10-7 and in danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year.

UCLA: Firing a coach (Ben Howland) that went to three straight Final Fours doesn't look all that smart anymore.

Pittsburgh: Jamie Dixon was once one of the hottest coaches in America. Now he's getting handled by North Carolina State and Clemson while squeaking by in overtime against Boston College.

Memphis: Tigers coach Josh Pastner has led his team to four straight NCAA tournaments, but he's feeling the heat after a 9-6 start that includes a home loss to Tulane.

Washington: Lorenzo Romar's squad won its first 11 games but has lost every contest since. Included in that streak are setbacks against Stony Brook and Washington State.

Welcome to My Radar

Danuel House, Texas A&M: A transfer from Houston, House had 25 points in Saturday's double-overtime loss to Kentucky and 19 in a victory over Mississippi State three nights later.

Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane are making tremendous strides under first-year coach Frank Haith. The team that lost to SE Oklahoma State just more than a month ago is now 4-0 in the American Athletic Conference with a win over defending national champion Connecticut.

Rico Gathers: The 280-pound Baylor forward averages 11.3 rebounds per game, including 5.8 on the offensive end. His 14 rebounds weren't quite enough to get the Bears past Kansas, but his 18 boards against TCU helped Baylor top TCU 66-59 in OT.

Providence: Saturday's win over Georgetown upped the Friars' record to 13-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big East. Despite a loss to St. John's Wednesday, Providence also boasts an impressive non-league win over Notre Dame.


Rapid Fire

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Rising: VCU

Falling: Seton Hall

Holding steady: Virginia

Underachieving: St. John's

Overachieving: Butler


Deserves a raise: Chris Jans, Bowling Green

Should donate his check to charity: Johnny Jones, LSU

Doing his best in a bad situation: Doc Sadler, Southern Miss

Ruining a good situation: Andy Enfield, USC

Get out of his way: Rico Gathers, Baylor

Small school, big game: D.J. Balentine, Evansville

Pit Stops

Jason King

N9NE Steakhouse, Las Vegas: The highlight of my birthday weekend in Sin City was eating dinner at one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Pretzel bread, rock shrimp with Sriracha sauce, iceberg wedge salad, hot potatoes au gratin, lobster mac and cheese, a 44-ounce prime ribeye tomahawk for two and tableside s'mores...yes, we did it right. Thanks, as always, to Marco Cicione for the great service. The man is at the top of his profession.