Kenny Blakeney, you just beat Georgia Tech for your first Atlantic Coast Conference victory of the season. What's the next thing you're going to do?
"I'm going to bed," Blakeney said.
Although the men's basketball team is no longer winless in the ACC after its 77-70 win over the Yellow Jackets, it realizes that this is not the time for a letdown. Perennial nemesis Wake Forest (14-5, 5-4 in the conference) will visit Cameron Indoor Stadium at 4 p.m. on Saturday. And the Blue Devils know that they cannot go into that game tired or unprepared.
"I think what we really need to do now is get some rest," senior center Erik Meek said after the win over Tech. "This win feels great, and we can enjoy it tonight. But we've got to get some rest tomorrow and try to focus on Wake."
But to continue to be successful, Duke will need to contend with a Wake Forest team which has had a standout year from sophomore center Tim Duncan. And the 11th-ranked Demon Deacons need a victory to preserve their winning conference record.
The real challenge for Duke on Saturday will be stopping Randolph Childress. Wake's senior point guard, who is second in the ACC with 20.1 points per game, has traditionally given Duke problems. Last year, he nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer in Cameron to hand the then-top-ranked Blue Devils their first loss of the season.
This will mark the second straight game that the Blue Devils have had to contend with a talented point guard. Tech's Travis Best scored 25 points on Thursday night.
"That's the ACC," sophomore guard Jeff Capel said. "You play tough players every day. We have to come in with the idea of not stopping him, but just trying to contain him."
Duke used Blakeney to contain Best. They will probably try to use Blakeney extensively again on Saturday to guard Childress.
The Blue Devils feel that the win over Georgia Tech will give them confidence, which could be helpful in the team's upcoming ACC games, including Saturday's contest.
"We're going to be more confident because we know we can win in this league," Capel said. "It's going to be a great game."
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