For most of this season, one of the biggest knocks against the men's basketball team was that it didn't have the veteran leadership that past Duke teams had. During the Blue Devils' incredible streak of seven Final Fours in nine years, they were led by the likes of Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill. Now, there was no one. In the past, when it came down to crunch time, one of these superstars would step up and assume the responsibility of leading the team. This year, continuing from last season, this leadership appeared to be missing, as the Blue Devils lost a number of close games at the buzzer.
In Saturday's 79-76 overtime win against North Carolina State, junior Jeff Capel and senior Chris Collins took big steps toward proving that this tradition of veteran leadership is not dead. The two captains came forward when called upon to carry the team to victory.
"I've felt all along that this has been my basketball team as far as leadership," Collins said. "We've got a lot of young guys. Having the most experience and being out there in clutch times, I feel like my most important role on this team is to be the leader and to keep our poise out there, to show emotion and enthusiasm, to make sure everybody is ready to play and does the things that they need to do out there.
"I think the way I play sometimes carries over to some of the other younger guys. I think it makes me play better also."
For the first 40 minutes, Capel led the team, scoring 22 points during regulation time. He was the catalyst for the team's play in the second half, scoring 10 points in the opening four minutes of the stanza. In addition to his scoring prowess, Capel also added seven rebounds and five assists, as well as playing solid defense against the Wolfpack.
"Jeff had an outstanding game," Collins said. "That's the way we expect him to play all the time. He's really growing up this year as a player. He's learned how to pick his spots. He's taking better shots. I think we're helping him out as far as getting into his rhythm where he needs to take his shots.
"He was definitely our star tonight. We got on his back and he carried us in that overtime and made some big plays."
In overtime, Collins teamed with Capel to will the team to victory. The two captains scored all nine of Duke's points in the extra period. Capel hit Duke's first two shots, each after grabbing a rebound off a Ricky Price miss. Capel hit one-of-two free throws, while Collins hit four-of-four-including two with 13 seconds left-to ice the victory.
"When we're stalling, trying to play keep away, Chris came back all the time," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We wanted him to have the ball. We felt confident that he would hit his free throws, and he did."
In addition to scoring all of the team's points, the captains also were key intangible contributors to the team's overtime success. They constantly egged their teammates on to put in the extra effort, and after Curtis Marshall missed State's last-ditch shot, Collins was the first player to dive on the ball in the lane, sealing the Duke victory.
"I think it's very indicative of the way we fought at the end that four or five of our defenders were in the paint diving on the floor," Collins said. "The clock ran out. What a great way to finish a game."
These supreme efforts by the captains came in what was potentially a make-or-break game for the Blue Devils. Because Duke had 14 wins coming into the game, a loss to the last-place Wolfpack could have doomed Duke's chances for an NCAA bid. With the season on the line, the Blue Devils knew what had to be done.
"This game meant our season," Collins said. "We lose a game like this, it really kills our hopes. To be able to scratch and claw-both these games this week, coming back from double-digit deficits-shows a lot about our character."
With this win under their belts, the captains now have to keep the team's morale high in order to keep the Blue Devils' run towards the NCAA Tournament going strong. Having been to the tournament earlier in their careers, the two captains are ready to do this.
"Chris and I have played together for three years," Capel said. "We've been to the very top in the NCAA championship game and to the very bottom last year when we finished last. We're just trying to use our experience and our leadership to translate that to the rest of the team. Hopefully, they can feed off our emotion and our play."
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