ATLANTA - It had happened before, but not in front of these fans, not in their house.
The last time senior Shane Battier had the "chi," as he called it, he made the all-important transition from defensive powerhouse to offensive weapon two years ago to best Maryland, 95-77, in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
This time, Battier lit up the Georgia Tech defense to tie his career-high of 34 points in the 98-77 win and show the Yellow Jacket fans at the Thrillerdome why he was named the ACC preseason player of the year.
Battier turned in a record afternoon, scoring 12 field goals on 19 attempts, including four threes, as well as seven rebounds, five blocked shots and two steals.
On Feb. 3, 1999, then-sophomore Battier went 10-for-13 from the field, including a perfect night from behind the arc for a then career-high 27 points.
When asked about his accomplishments on the offensive end of the court, the Birmingham, Mich., native spoke of a Discovery Channel special on Shaolin monks he had watched the night before.
"They were talking about having the 'chi,' and having an absolute calmness of mind," Battier said two years ago. "I took that to heart."
Battier felt the chi once again Saturday afternoon as he went on his own personal 14-3 run to overcome the Blue Devils' mental lapse that sparked a rash of second-half turnovers.
"It was a very similar feeling to [the Maryland game]," Battier said. "Especially in that game, I felt like I was outside looking in at myself and it was the same thing today. For a while there I didn't know what the score was and how many points I had, I was just playing ball."
Battier scored a paltry four points off of the Georgia Tech defense in the first half while teammates Carlos Boozer and Jason Williams turned in 16 and 18 points, respectively. But in the second half, Battier found the "chi" that had eluded him for the opening 20 minutes.
"I played the enforcer in the first half," Battier said. "I consider myself a warrior, but if you try too hard, you are unsuccessful. In the second half, I stopped trying so hard, so I was [more] successful."
In the fifth minute of the second half, Battier notched his fifth and final block of the night and then traded in his defensive spurs for the offensive reins. The senior forward knocked down a jumper from the foul line with 14:23 remaining in the game and then calmly stepped up to the arc to drain his first trey of the night.
In the next two minutes, the senior followed with two more threes, a field goal and a foul shot. Battier went on to score 30 points in the second half, 20 of them in the six-minute span following the senior's opening jumper.
"I really don't remember the second half very well," Battier said. "When I play like that, I'm very relaxed and a much better player."
Battier scored 34 points last year as well, setting a new career-high against Wake Forest at Cameron. Both the Maryland game two years ago and the Wake contest last season took place in Cameron, giving way to worries that Battier could not find the offensive chi on the road. Saturday's performance, though, put those fears to rest as the senior forward actually won the Yellow Jacket fans over.
Krzyzewski said Battier ranks as the most well-rounded player in recent Duke history.
"Battier is the most complete player I've ever coached," Krzyzewski said. "He plays every play-offense and defense. He makes sure the bus driver is there and even makes sure my tie matches. He's amazing."
The only worry about Battier's dominant play is that he accounted for over one-third of the Blue Devils' points Saturday. A lack of depth is a critique that has been made against the Blue Devils all season. With only three players scoring in double-digits Saturday afternoon, there is the concern that Duke does not have the bench to support a winning effort in March.
Krzyzewski may have sensed this same failing, which could explain his early bench substitutions of reserves Reggie Love, Andre Buckner and J.D. Simpson in the first half.
Yet, even with such woes, if Battier can find the chi and turn in an equally dominant performance in March, Duke may not have to worry about its bench.
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