In mid-October, college basketball coaches across the nation are all asked the same question: How do you think your team is going to do this year? And the answer always has the same word-potential. We have the potential to achieve this, we are capable of doing that.
The Duke women's basketball began the 1995-96 season filled with the p-word. The Blue Devils were coming off of their best season ever, had four of its starters back and had one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. Senior Alison Day said in the July 26, 1995, edition of The Chronicle, "If we get some breaks and everyone stays healthy, then we can definitely be in Charlotte for the Final Four."
Realistically, every top-25 team in the nation can say the same thing. What matters is another magic word-execution. The top teams execute their plans and back up their talk with actions.
Fast forward to today, just two days away from the final regular-season game against arch-rival North Carolina in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The No. 12 Blue Devils are 22-5, and are second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 11-4 league mark. The 11 wins are the most conference victories in school history. Win No. 23 will break the school record for most wins in a year. To many, the Blue Devils have fulfilled their potential. Is the team surprised?
"I really did expect us to do this well this season," Day said. "I thought we would be able to win the ACC."
While the Blue Devils most likely won't do that, they can clinch sole possession of second with a win Friday, the highest Duke has finished in league play. In just four years, the team has climbed from the league's laughing stock to a national powerhouse. Day and fellow senior Jennifer Scanlon were with that last-place team, so the trials of the first years make the past two years' success even sweeter. Day said when she signed with the Blue Devils, she never expected she would be on the ground floor of Duke basketball. Now, she's near the penthouse.
Last year's Duke team was special for capturing 22 wins-the most in school history. But the team couldn't beat the upper-echelon teams of the ACC, as it lost to Virginia twice, Clemson twice and North Carolina twice.
Even as Duke blitzed through its non-conference schedule early this season, Day sensed something was missing. The Blue Devils were ranked in the top 15, but the senior center wasn't satisfied. Midway through the ACC schedule, Duke was getting wins, but the Blue Devils were making things harder than they actually were. Day was still fearful something would go wrong.
Day's fears were fulfilled when Duke traveled to Maryland. Not only did the Blue Devils lose the game, but Duke suffered three key injuries. Remember what Day said-the team had to be healthy in order to have a chance at Charlotte. After Maryland, Duke was was without its starting small forward, Windsor Coggeshall, with a chronic back injury. Two key reserves-freshman Hilary Howard and Nazrawit Medhanie-were suffering from a broken toe and finger, respectively. And just five days later, Duke was facing the top team in the conference-Virginia-in Charlottesville.
The game against the Cavaliers showed how the 1995-96 team was different from last year's squad. Day, the team's second leading scorer,didn't make a mark in the scoring column. And Duke still won.
"For us to win that game says a lot about the character of this team," Day said.
The ability to win on the road has been the biggest difference this season. Last year, Duke lost four conference games on the road. This year, the Blue Devils have lost only once on the road-the loss at Maryland They won in Charlottesville for the first time in Duke history. Then two days ago, the Blue Devils downed Clemson at Clemson, the first ACC team to do that this year.
The biggest thing about this year's team is everyone contributes. On Monday night, freshman Payton Black came off the bench and scored 22 points in 19 minutes. Day said playing as a team has enabled the Blue Devils to peak at the right time.
"This is the time of the season where you want to be confident," she said.
When asked about her July prediction, Day said she doesn't think she's put her foot in her mouth just yet. She said the Final Four is not out of reach.
The Blue Devils have often held their own destiny in their hands. And this season, they have responded. About the only thing they can't control is the support and respect the team deserves. The latter Day says will come after Duke has more than just two good seasons. She compared the respect factor to the men's basketball team and its ability to gain respect over the years.
Day also mentioned the men's team when discussing attendance. Duke is near the bottom in attendance among top-25 teams. Some schools, like Vanderbilt and Virginia, regularly attract 3,000 fans to their games. Even North Carolina often has more fans than Duke, and it charges non-students admission.
"You think that this is a basketball school, and the men's team gets great support," Day said. "We'd love to get that type of support."
Day admits attendance has improved since her freshman year. Then, only the ballpeople, family and friends of the players and a few Durham residents attended the game. Now, the Blue Devils can draw up to 1,000 fans a night.
"People are starting to realize there is a women's basketball team at Duke," she said.
This Friday marks the final regular-season game for Day and Scanlon. It may be the last chance for fans to catch the Blue Devils in action. With success in the ACC Tournament, Duke should capture two home NCAA games. But those will begin over the last part of spring break. At the beginning of the year, only 600 fans showed up for the first game of the year, a Preseason NIT game. Maybe the fans were skeptical of the word potential.
Well, the players have done their part in turning their potential into success. Now it's time for the fans to do the same.
John Seelke is a Trinity senior and associate sports editor of The Chronicle.
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