It's tourney time.
While nowhere near the equal of the big dance, the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in Greensboro this weekend will separate out the best team in the nation's best conference. After a season of ups and downs, bumps and bruises and heartache and triumph, the Duke men's basketball hopes to escape this promised land with a crown that has evaded it since the 1992 season.
When the Blue Devils take the Coliseum court at high noon on Friday, they will come face to face with a Maryland Terrapin team that has twice been witness to the Duke snakebite this season. Back on Jan. 28 in Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils raced out to a huge lead, thwarted a late Terp comeback and ended up winning by 10 points, 83-73. The teams' matchup at Maryland two weekends ago was much closer, but sophomore Ricky Price saved the day for Duke with his last-second heroics.
So what should be expected this time when the fourth and fifth seeds go after each other? This time around, it will be do or die for both teams. The loser watches the rest of the tournament on television. Duke can take some solace in knowing that an NCAA Tournament bid is almost a certainty. For Maryland, a bid isn't a sure bet, but a strong non-conference schedule has them looking good.
"We both have a lot on the line," sophomore guard Steve Wojciechowski said. "Maryland's an outstanding team. We came up with a big shot last time we played them, so they're going to be even more hungry. They're ready to go, and they're playing pretty well right now. We just have to go in there and look to turn them back."
Changes in personnel will make this difficult, however, as injuries to senior co-captain Chris Collins and junior forward Carmen Wallace have left the Blue Devils questioning exactly who will suit up. If Collins and Wallace do play, neither will be at full strength, which could mean match-up difficulties with the athletic Terps. If they can't go, then the already short bench will become virtually no bench. It could quickly become prime-time for the quartet of walk-ons.
Collins' injury is extremely crucial, considering the leadership qualities that the second-team all-ACC guard possesses. Aside from his 16.4 scoring average and team leading 128 assists, Collins has proven in the ACC regular season that he is the leader for Duke. His three consecutive 27 point games down the stretch and ability to handle the ball at the end of the game are indications of what he means to this Duke team.
"I have mixed feelings," sophomore guard Ricky Price said. "Part of me wants to say be a gladiator and a warrior and say we can go on without him. A big part of me is saying he has been a big part of our team, and he has been for the whole year. Leadership-wise, scoring, assists, whatever it takes. He's been a big part of our success."
"He's been a great leader for us," Wojciechowski said. "He's been in these situations before. You look around him, and the guys he has around really haven't been in that big a situation before. We've really looked at him for guidance."
With Collins' probable absence, the roles which he has filled this season will have to be filled by the likes of Price, junior guard Jeff Capel and Wojciechowski. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has already said that Wojciechowski will fill in for Collins in the starting lineup. In the first matchup against Maryland, Wojciechowski had his career high of 13 points. His 22 minutes a game average will almost certainly increase on Friday.
"I think if Chris is going to be out, I definitely have to step up my game," Wojciechowski said. "I really want to step up and help my teammates out. I think we're as prepared as we can be. We're the only team in the ACC that has won a three-day tournament. We know what that's like. We're just going in there with focus."
Capel averaged 17.5 points against the Terps this season, but he only shot a combined 12-for-29 from the floor. He and Price, along with junior forward Greg Newton, will most likely become Duke's main offensive threats if Collins is out. Newton averaged a double-double in points and rebounds for both Maryland games, and his strong inside game will be needed to exploit the Terrapins' lack of height inside.
Coming into this season, Maryland was picked by many to contend for the conference title. The Terrapins did lose Joe Smith, the first player taken in last year's NBA draft, but they still had a strong nucleus returning. Fingers could be pointed at seniors Exree Hipp and Duane Simpkins for the Terps' retreat, but Maryland's record is more a reflection of the toughness of the ACC schedule. At only 6-foot-5, junior Keith Booth is still a load inside, and forward Mario Lucas can get hot in a hurry from outside. Senior Johnny Rhodes has been Maryland's most consistent player all year, and his season averages of 16.7 points and 5.7 rebounds show that he is one of the toughest guards in the conference to match up with.
Maryland should have the advantage with a deeper bench, as it has 10 players who have logged considerable playing time. Duke will pose a greater inside threat, as Newton, freshman Taymon Domzalski and even senior Stan Brunson offer inside power that the Terrapins just don't have. Regardless, it will be a battle of two teams struggling just to advance to a probable match-up on Saturday against regular season champ Georgia Tech.
"They have a good team," Price said. "They're going to be hungry. We beat them twice this year, and they're looking for revenge on us, so we have to hold them off somehow.
"This is a prime opportunity. If this Duke team the way it is now can win the ACC tournament, we can really make a statement. It's going to be a tough struggle to be able to play the amount of people that we are playing, but adversity sometimes builds character. I think that is what this will do for the team."
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