in NCAA B Articles

Defense must step up

Who does No. 2 work for? For this week, at least, the second spot in the NCAA college basketball rankings works for the Duke Blue Devils. They fell from grace last Saturday at the MCI Center, courtesy of an 87-84 loss at the hands of the Georgetown Hoyas. The Blue Devils were 8-point favorites to run their overall record to 18-0 for the first time in the program’s illustrious history. Instead, they’ll take a 17-1 record (8-8 against the spread) into Blacksburg on Thursday night to face the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Duke supporters aren’t too concerned about the non-conference road loss to the Hoyas. But there was plenty of room for navel-gazing after Georgetown was allowed to shoot 61.5 percent from the floor – the first Duke opponent to top 60 percent in almost three years. Shelden Williams, the 2005 National Defensive Player of the Year, couldn’t prevent the slashing Hoyas from getting into the paint. He also had his worst offensive game of the season, with just four points on 2-for-8 shooting.

Is Duke’s defense the weak link? Certainly not at the perimeter, where Blue Devils’ opponents are connecting on just 26.8 percent of their trey attempts. Only the NC-Wilmington Seahawks are as tough to beat outside. Instead, the best game plan against Duke appears to be dribble penetration. Clemson Tigers coach Oliver Purnell had his players attack the basket on Jan. 14, coming up on the short end of a respectable 87-77 final and covering as 10 ½-point home underdogs. North Carolina State (an 81-68 loser) and Georgetown both spread the floor against Duke and drove inside at will. All three games went over the posted total.

Virginia Tech also has enjoyed recent success inside against the Blue Devils. It took a miracle buzzer-beater from Sean Dockery for Duke to beat the Hokies 77-75 at Cameron back in December. Tech was a 21-point puppy. The Hokies also upset the Dukies last February in Blacksburg by a 67-65 margin. They’re just 0-5 in ACC action this year, but the Hokies have a tremendous backcourt duo in juniors Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon. The question for Tech is whether Gordon will be able to play after injuring his ankle Saturday against the Maryland Terrapins.

The Blue Devils are not expected to have defensive stopper DeMarcus Nelson in the lineup Thursday. He has bone bruise in his right foot that caused him to miss the past three games. Nelson was absent from the Hokies’ matchup in December with a broken bone, also in the right foot. Lee Melchionni, on the other hand, may be able to suit up despite suffering a sprained left ankle versus the Hoyas. The senior forward is noted for his hustle, a quality that coach Mike Krzyzewski believes his team was lacking in the Georgetown game.

ESPN will broadcast this matchup starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. Comments or Questions? Email FaceOff@BetUS.com.