Which Wake Forest team is going to show up this time?
At the beginning of this season, Wake Forest looked like it would certainly be in the thick of the ACC title hunt when it started off the season with 14 straight wins, including a 31-point demolition of then-No. 3 Kansas and a 23-point shallacking of No. 9 Virginia.
Then, as the ACC season reached full force, the Demon Deacons suffered a downturn, performing at a level where most would have predicted them to play at the start of the season-in the middle of the conference's pack.
But after an embarrassing 17-point loss to Maryland at home last weekend, Wake rebounded with authority Wednesday night, outscoring Clemson 43-9 in the first half and cruising to an impressive 92-60 victory over the Tigers in Littlejohn. Having pulverized a team that had just ended North Carolina's undefeated ACC streak days earlier, the Demon Deacons seem to be back.
"It's obvious that they're going to be ready for us," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of the Demon Deacons. "One of the things that happened when we played them here was that [Josh] Howard didn't play. They're going to be a hungry team playing for a position in the tournament."
Of course, the fourth-ranked Blue Devils are fighting for a position in the NCAA tournament as well. More specifically, Duke is attempting to garner its third straight No. 1 seed in the East region, which brings with it friendly venues like the Greensboro Coliseum, only 60 miles away from the Duke campus, and Philadelphia's First Union Center, where the Blue Devils walloped Temple by 25 points earlier this year.
However, Duke remains one game behind North Carolina in the hunt for the ACC title, putting the Blue Devils at a disadvantage in their quest for the top spot in the East. Therefore, a tough road win at Lawrence Joel Coliseum, the home of the Demon Deacons, would go a long way in improving Duke's chances.
Luckily, the Blue Devils enjoy this grueling time of year.
"This part of the year is really fun," sophomore point guard Jason Williams said. "I like going to class and everything, don't get me wrong, but we're on the road playing basketball.... It's like the summer and that's great."
Regardless of how much Duke thrives on the pressure of late February, the Demon Deacons present a formidable lineup with considerable depth that should give the Blue Devils a handful. Josh Howard leads Wake in scoring with 14.7 points per game, while Darius Songaila anchors the Deacon frontcourt with 13. 8 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Wake Forest bench is comprised of sharp-shooting junior Craig Dawson and former starters Rafael Vidauretta, a hulk in the interior, and Ervin Murray, a reliable ballhandler.
"It is going to be a tough game for us since it's at their home," Duke senior Nate James said. "We can't take any of these teams lightly."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.