Traveling from one Big Four opponent's den to another has been Duke's rigorous itinerary this week. Fresh off its first conference loss at the hands of Tobacco Road-foe N.C. State, the Blue Devils (21-2, 10-1 in the ACC) are facing a short trip down I-40 for a date with the rejuvenated No. 15 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (15-6, 5-5) at Lawrence-Joel Coliseum Wednesday night.
"[Wake Forest's] very deep," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They're very explosive offensively and they can really put points on the board. They're one of the best teams in the country."
Skip Prosser's Wake Forest squad has recently gelled as a unit while being fueled by fiery freshman Chris Paul at the point guard slot. In Sunday's 91-85 victory over then-No. 12 Cincinnati, Paul scorched the Bearcats for a career-high 30 points. Although Paul finished his first game against No. 3 Duke with only seven points in an 84-72 loss, his court savvy and confidence has grown to a level that will push the Blue Devils' backcourt to the limit Wednesday.
"This is a hard league to be a point guard in," Prosser said. "There are so many outstanding point guards in this league and if you don't have a strong constitution you can really get broken down."
Senior captain Chris Duhon's 10 points a game hardly begin to encapsulate his importance in Duke's offense, as he has served as both a leader and clutch player this year. As the point guard, Duhon will also take on the duty of disrupting Paul's offensive maneuvers. This matchup will dictate which team is able to control the tempo of the game, a significant aspect of the contest because both squad's depend on contrasting styles of play.
Wake Forest's backcourt is flanked with short guards, which the Blue Devils should be able utilize to their advantage. 6-foot-5 Daniel Ewing, whose 11 points per contest often come at pivotal moments, is the backbone of Duke's wing defense. His contribution on the defensive end against Demon Deacons Justin Gray and Taron Downey, who combine for 26 points a game, may shift Wake Forest's offensive strategy to the inside.
6-foot-4 J.J. Redick, who leads Duke at 17 points per game, may find himself guarded by the taller Jamaal Levy in order to disrupt his deadly shot. In that case, Blue Devil utility man Luol Deng will have the opportunity to beat the less agile Vytas Danelius off the dribble.
But if Prosser chooses to put 6-foot-2 guards Gray or Downey on Redick, the Blue Devil shooting guard should have the height advantage to shoot over both guards.
Underneath the basket is where Duke can excel in the half-court set. Blue Devil center Shelden Williams, who has had a pattern of bouncing back from subpar games with an excellent effort, will take on Demon Deacons Eric Williams and Levy. Duke's Williams finished the loss at N.C. State with just four points but in the earlier matchup between Wake Forest and Duke, he dropped 16 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and swatted eight shots. Demon Deacon Williams was plagued with foul trouble and managed just seven points in that contest. Wake Forest's strategy on the interior will mirror Duke's--play aggressive and draw early fouls.
"I think our team is hungry," Krzyzewski said. "I want our team to get motivated to get better... You have to be careful that you don't push the button that says we're going to give everything."
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