RALEIGH -- Are Chris Duhon's ribs okay? Can J.J. still hit a jumpshot?
These were just a few of the questions lingering in Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski's head this past week after the Blue Devils (28-5) squandered a late-game 12-point lead to Maryland before losing 95-87 in the ACC Championship game. Krzyzewski's squad responded to its' loss with a 96-61 throttling of No. 16 seed Alabama State at the RBC Center with Duhon resting for most of the game and J.J. Redick finding his shooting touch in the second half.
"We really prepare for it [Alabama State] like any other game because if we didn't, then our players would get the message that they can be less than any other game," Krzyzewski said. "I thought our kids were ready to play and not looking beyond."
After the first four minutes of Thursday night's contest, the Blue Devils held a narrow 9-7 advantage over the Hornets (16-15) and Redick had not even attempted a shot. Krzyzewski energized his squad during the 15:54 media timeout, and Duke came out of the huddle nailing a barrage of shots en route to a 19-7 run and 33-14 lead. Daniel Ewing fueled the run with two three-pointers and a spectacular layup on his way to a team-high 18 first-half points.
"I took what was given to me, had open looks, took my shot and just tried to make plays," Ewing said.
After Duke's initial onslaught, it looked as though Alabama State was incapable of penetrating on the Blue Devils stingy man-to-man defense. Nearly every Hornet was flustered on offense, except the wily 5-foot-10 guard Malcolm Campbell. The Alabama State senior was the only player on his team to break double-digits, and played with a passion that kept the Blue Devils' guards bay. But, by the end of the opening 20 minutes it was apparent that even Campbell's offensive production was not going to solve Alabama State's 48-27 deficit.
The Blue Devils had another pleasant surprise in the form of sophomore Shavlik Randolph. The Raleigh native hopped off the bench with rubber bands for legs and scored a team-high 20 points, including 13 in the opening half. Randolph's greatest asset to the ball club was his aggressive offensive rebounding, earning him 12 free throws attempts. Shelden Williams also contributed in the paint, throwing down a dunk over a Hornet in the early going en route to 16 points.
"Today he [Randolph] played well the whole time he was out there," Williams said. "He was aggressive the whole time. It was the Shav we need to do well in the tournament."
Duke opened the second half on a 10-0 scoring binge which included consecutive shots by Redick. After going 0-for-4 in the first half, the sharpshooter finished the game with 14 points, including four bombs from behind the arc.
Aside from routing Alabama State, Duke answered some of its' own questions heading into Saturday's matchup with Seton Hall, which bested Arizona 80-76 later Thursday evening in Raleigh. Senior captain Duhon played only 12 minutes in the contest, but his absence proved other Blue Devils could rise to the occasion.
"I think J.J. definitely got his shot back," Randolph said. "I think everyone played solid, and we didn't have to exert too much effort as far as a close game is concerned. For now, we can put this behind us and concentrate on the next game we're going to play."
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