Top-ranked Duke takes break from ACC

The men's basketball team gets a break from Atlantic Coast Conference play tonight when it travels to Greensboro to take on North Carolina A&T (4-9) at 7:30 p.m. This game is one of the few Duke games this year that will not be televised.

In an inconspicuous setting, No. 1 Duke (16-1) will be looking to extend its winning streak to eight games and build momentum for Saturday's rematch with Virginia in Charlottesville. The Blue Devils will also be focusing on offensive and defensive consistency. Against Clemson, Duke looked brilliant at times but also struggled during key stretches on both ends of the floor.

"We don't want to overlook anybody, and we want to follow Coach K's game plan," Trajan Langdon said. "We want to play a lot better defense than we did in the second half against Clemson and rebound the ball and try to get back to playing as a team. "

Duke reclaimed the top spot in both national polls this week-and the pressure that comes with it. Rather than worry about being No. 1 in the rankings, the Blue Devils are more concerned with winning a national championship than where they are ranked in January.

"We've been No. 1 before, and I don't think No. 1 means anything to us," said Langdon. "We can't control that, and all that we can control is going out and using our game plan to try and get a win."

While Langdon and most of his teammates have stayed in control since Elton Brand went down to injury, freshman Chris Burgess has struggled since Brand was lost for the season. When Brand was playing, Burgess wasn't the main post-up player.

With teams keying on Brand, Burgess could roam the perimeter more and sneak in for loose balls and easy dunks. Opposing players would get worn down playing against so many big men. Now, with Taymon Domzalski and Burgess as the only true centers, Duke is not as deep and other teams' big men have been able to challenge the Blue Devil's inside game.

Against the Aggies, the Blue Devils should have plenty of opportunities to pound the ball inside and work on the aspects of their game in the frontcourt that need improving. The Aggies' tallest player is 6-foot-7, and Duke will be taking on an opponent that has only won four games all year.