If you took a quick glance through the want ads recently, you may have stumbled across an interesting ad:
Help wanted. Looking for point guard and forward to play supporting role with All-American candidate on Division I basketball team.
In the men's basketball team's 84-54 win over Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium, freshman Jeff Capel and senior Tony Lang applied for that job in person, and the interview was a rousing success. Capel and Lang each scored 20 points while Lang added three rebounds and Capel also contributed six assists.
Their performances could not have come at a better time. The Blue Devils have been accused of letting senior All-American candidate Grant Hill bear the burden of the Duke offense. In Duke's previous game, a 78-69 loss to Wake Forest on Feb. 13, Hill scored 24 points and took 24 shots. Hill had begun to worry about whether or not his offensive fireworks were a jinx.
"Every time I've scored a lot of points before, we lose," Hill said. "I'm happy to win with me scoring a lot. I'd like to continue with all of us scoring."
The need for more balanced scoring was heightened by the absence of senior Marty Clark Wednesday night due to tendonitis. Lang and Capel seemed to have no problem in providing a solution as the duo was nearly flawless from the floor. Lang made 7-of-9 shots while Capel shot 8-of-10 including 2-for-2 from behind the three-point arc.
After scoring only two points in each of the Blue Devils' last two games, Capel was wondering where his jump shot had gone. Instead of trying to find a new good luck charm or just waiting it out, Capel put in some extra time to help him on his way.
"It's just something I've been concentrating on," Capel said. "I think I hadn't been shooting the ball confidently the past couple of games. That's one thing I've worked on with the coaching staff."
With Capel not being able to use his jump shot consistently, teams had been playing off of him. With his drive taken away and no confidence in his shot Capel was quickly rendered ineffective. Virginia's gamble that Capel's lack of experience would keep him in a drought, led instead to hard times for the Cavaliers.
"Jeff Capel, I thought, was phenomenal," Virginia head coach Jeff Jones said. "He certainly didn't play like a freshman. So basically it added up to a tough loss for us."
While Capel was putting away everything from the outside, Lang worked his way inside to mix things up. Only the first few minutes of the game were needed to see that Lang was back to good health after recent spell of injuries. On every rebound or loose ball Lang could be seen diving into the pile. It was this type of effort that led to the revival of both Lang and Duke.
"Tony Lang is feeling a lot better," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "When he's playing like that, we're just a better basketball team."
Jones was quick to agree with him.
"Antonio Lang came out looking to be very, very aggressive," Jones said. "It wasn't just a matter of him making shots. He was looking to be aggressive. I guess with Marty Clark being out they challenged him, and he met the challenge."
Though Lang does not mind being placed in a starring offensive role, his defense is what he values the most. In the midst of all his scoring against UVa, Lang found time to make two key blocks and establish himself as a cornerstone of Duke's tenacious defense.
"I feel that I take pride in defense and I think everyone on our team really takes pride in defense," Lang said. "I feel that if I can get it started defensively, hopefully the rest of the team can pick up on it. I really try to go out there and be active and have some fun, bring some enthusiasm to the team."
As with Capel, Lang's performance against Virginia means so much to him because of his recent slump. After starting off the season averaging over 12 points a game, Lang had cooled off and was averaging 7.25 points in his last four games. Although Lang was not sure whether or not he could get back on track, his teammates always believed that he would come around eventually.
"I think he's great," Hill said. "Tony was a little hurt, he's 100 percent now and he's playing better. He's a lot more confident and it shows."
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