Duke Basketball: 10 Things the Blue Devils Must Do to Repeat As NCAA Champions
One of the hardest things to do in any competitive sport is to repeat as champion/s. Inevitably other teams will step up to the challenge of dethroning whoever is on top.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski was able to successfully defend the NCAA Championship he won in 1991 with a repeat performance in 1992, but his team fell short in 2002 in an effort to defend their 2001 title.
Between losing Kyrie Irving to a toe injury in early December and a surprising 93-78 loss at the hands of St. Johns, the team has seen it's share of adversity this season.
Still the Blue Devils have managed to remain strong and find a way to bounce back from each setback.
If the team is able to keep it up and follow the principles that got them this far, they'll have a great shot at cutting down the nets in Houston this spring.
Get Healthy
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Freshman guard Kyrie Irving was an extremely important part to the early season success of the Blue Devils, providing 17.4 points and 5.1 assists per game.
Having been without his services since early December, the Blue Devils have looked in the direction of their other leaders such as Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and Seth Curry to pick up the slack.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski has stated that the team is operating as if Irving won't return.
Even with that admission, the team still has to be holding out hope that Irving will return to the court before the Big Dance, as his presence would make the Blue Devils that much more dangerous of a team.
Finish Strong
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With six games remaining in the Blue Devils' regular season, only two games remain against Top-25 talent.
The team will face No. 25 Temple on February 23, and close out the conference regular season at Chapel Hill in against No. 19 North Carolina.
With games against unranked opponents Virgina, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Clemson, the Blue Devils should have a great opportunity to win the remainder of their games and head into the ACC Tournament on a hot streak.
Live on The Boards
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Rebounding hasn't been the biggest strong suit for the Blue Devils this season. The team has only out-rebounded opponents by an average of four per game.
It does seem to be hit or miss for the team, as they have out-rebounded opponents by more than six boards seven times, but have also been out-rebounded by at least the same margain four times.
If the team can gain some agressiveness in the paint for the duration of the season, they should be able to minimize second chance points for opponents while giving themselves more opportunities to get the ball in the hands of their scorers.
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Get Cooking With Curry
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He may not get the same attention that Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler get, but sophomore guard Seth Curry is definitely an X-factor for the Blue Devils' success.
Curry is averaging 9.1 points per game this season, but has averaged 14 per game in the last six games, including a better than 50 percent field goal percentage in that span.
He has proven that he can be relied upon when needed, and could be a big part of the Blue Devils' game plan as the season winds down.
Win The ACC Tournament
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The Duke Blue Devils can (and probably will) still make a long run in the NCAA Tournament even if they aren't able to win the ACC Tournament.
But solidifying the conference crown would definitely go a long way towards building the confidence needed to make a run as tournament time arrives.
The ACC is somewhat down this season, but still has plenty of competition with four teams having earned at least 17 wins thus far.
With Ohio State's loss at the hands of Wisconsin this past weekend, there is no clear cut No. 1 team in the country, and the Blue Devils could be in line for another No. 1 seed in the tournament with a solid finish.
Improvement From Singler
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Blue Devils forward Kyle Singler has had a very solid senior campaign thus far, averaging better than 17 points and six rebounds per game. His contributions have no doubt led the Blue Devils to the 23-2 record that they currently hold.
As the team enters the home stretch of the regular season, Singler's game has been off at times. Singler is still getting consistent points, averaging over 17 points per game in the last six contests.
You can only imagine what his numbers would have been had he been able to shoot the ball more effectively. Singler has shot below 40 percent in five of his last nine games, including a poor 3 for 17 performance last week against North Carolina.
If Singler is able to convert more opportunities down the stretch it will give the Blue Devils an added advantage that opposing teams will find hard to overcome.
Dish The Rock
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Thankfully for the Blue Devils, the team has done a better job of holding onto the ball.
Since their loss at St. John’s in late January, the team has managed to notch 54 assists and only turned the ball over 38 times, a vast improvement from early in conference play when the Blue Devils' did a poor job of taking care of the ball.
If the team is able to continue this trend, they'll open up more and more scoring opportunities for their playmakers down the stretch and should be streaking as tournament time rolls around.
Perimeter Effectiveness
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Luckily for the Blue Devils, the perimeter shooting has improved since the team's January 30 loss at the hands of St. Johns when the team shot a miserable 5 for 26 from beyond the arc.
Since the loss to the Red Storm Duke has connected on 42.7 percent of their three-point attempts.
The team will need to keep up the pace from the perimeter in order to maintain their 84.3 points per game average and win down the stretch.
Maintain Balance
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A great deal of the Blue Devils' success this season can be attributed to their balanced attack. Most teams have one or possibly two players that can score at will, leaving the team at a disadvantage should they need to play without them for a period of time.
The Blue Devils however don't have that problem. The team is averaging 84.3 points per game largely in part to their balance.
With three players averaging over 15 points per game (Nolan Smith; 21.4, Kyle Singler; 17.5, Kyrie Irving; 17.4) the team has scorers coming from all fronts.
Secondary scorers such as Seth Curry (9.1 ppg) have come up big of lately, with Curry entering double figures in four of the last six games.
Listen to Coach K
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Simply put, Mike Krzyzewski wins basketball games. Having compiled an impressive 818-222 record at Duke, Coach K has the track record of one of the best coaches in NCAA history.
Having appeared in eight national championship games (and winning four of them), Coach K has also helped the Blue Devils win 12 ACC Championships.
With only four upperclassmen on the team, trusting the leadership of such an elite coach down the stretch will help the Blue Devils reach the Final Four once again in 2011.
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