With the addition of Lindsey Harding into the starting lineup, Duke has perfected what is now arguably the strongest backcourt in the nation.
"We're much quicker than we were before," head coach Gail Goestenkors said of her unique three-guard offense amidst a trend of offenses that utilize two guards, two forwards and a center.
Undoubtedly, Harding's energy and explosiveness has established her worthy of her starting position, running the backcourt with fellow starters Alana Beard and Vicki Krapohl, and the first player off the bench, Sheana Mosch--each of whom has years more experience.
"At the beginning it was hard," Harding said in the face of grandeur and, especially, seniority. "I thought it would be hard to tell Alana Beard what to do. But we've grown a respect for each other. [Showing leadership] is something that is expected of me from the coaches so I do it."
Over the second half of the ACC season, Harding has made an aggressive move into national basketball standings. In the last seven consecutive games in which she has started, Harding has held some of the most talented guards in the ACC--including UNC All-American Coretta Brown--to just 28.9 percent from the field and pushed them to a combined total of 14 turnovers. Averaging 1.7 steals per game, the highest freshman average in the ACC, Harding's defensive agility and dominance has helped to give Duke the defensive nod against each opponent they have contested with since UConn.
"[Having Harding in the backcourt] gives us a real defensive presence," Beard said of her perimeter partner. "She can turn the game around with her defense."
The Blue Devils have come as close to perfection on the offensive end as the league has seen. Goestenkors has been keeping most players in the backcourt, leaving driving lanes open for Alana Beard and Harding who have the ability to penetrate aggressively against any defender in the conference.
In her second meeting with Maryland, this time as a starter, Harding scored a career high of 19 points, all of which were accumulated from inside the three-point line. The same penetration offense held for Beard who finished with 18 for the night.
"Adding Lindsey has added a great defensive player [to the starting lineup]," Goestenkors said. "She sets the tone for us. She's a great defensive player and a great hustler.... She's also done a really good job getting out on the break and pushing the ball up the court which really helps us with our transition game."
The new backcourt has been so successful in the second half of the ACC season that it will be hard to disrupt by the mere heightened play of tournament competition.
In fact, the backcourt has offered a stable backbone for a team whose abundant talent is well-spread out from the guards to the frontcourt.
"Anyone from our team can come off the bench and start in any position," Beard said, unflinching in the challenges of tomorrow's opening game. "That's how much confidence I have in our team."
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