Other 'big 3' secures must-win over Wake

Reggie Love, Lee Melchionni and DeMarcus Nelson were responsible for doing the little things to help the Blue Devils topple the Demon Deacons Sunday night.

It was obvious from the beginning of Sunday night’s contest against Wake Forest that Duke was treating it like a win-at-all-costs situation.

First, Jay Williams and Chris Duhon came out to support the team. Then, pulling out even bigger guns, Coach K made the lineup change of the year by starting the Patricks—Davidson and Johnson.

What really made a key difference in the game, however, was the other “big three”—the trio of Reggie Love, Lee Melchionni and DeMarcus Nelson. This mix of a fifth-year senior, a junior and a freshman was responsible for doing the little things to help the Blue Devils topple a giant, namely the Demon Deacons.

Melchionni’s contribution was the most lauded of the three because he was the team’s second-leading scorer with 15 points, a career high. But more significant than Melchionni’s overall scoring output were his defensive intensity, his energy and, most of all, his timing.

“I thought Lee’s bucket when they got it down to 11 and he hit the three was the biggest bucket for us in the ballgame,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Melchionni’s shot with 4:14 to go. “For Lee to step up like that and knock it down was huge.”

As usual, Melchionni was the energy-maker, capitalizing on crucial moments to pump up the crowd by raising his arms or hugging a teammate. In addition to his clutch three, the junior made Cameron roar when he intercepted an Eric Williams pass, took it to the basket all alone on the fast break and slammed it home. His technique was not perfect—Melchionni nearly blew the dunk—but it did spark a critical 13-4 Duke run early in the second half.

“The guy I was most proud of was Lee,” guard J.J. Redick said. “I took him aside early in the second half, and I told him he shouldn’t limit himself.

Nelson, the final member of the other “big three,” was all over the court in his 19 minutes of play. Beside grabbing five rebounds, the freshman was able to come up with loose balls when Duke needed a boost.

Nelson especially made his mark during two distinct stages of the game, with his initial run occurring eight minutes in. First, Nelson made a three to give Duke a 19-17 lead, the team’s first advantage since the game’s opening moments. Then he grabbed two key defensive rebounds at a time when the Blue Devils were having trouble keeping Wake off the offensive glass.

His second splash came at the beginning of the second half. In a span of 26 seconds, Nelson grabbed an offensive rebound, missed a jumper, came up with the subsequent loose ball, assisted a Redick three, stole the ball from Vytas Danelius and dunked the ball on a fast break.

“I think we had a big impact,” Nelson said of Love, Melchionni and himself. “It was not only us, but it was a complete team effort.”

The trio’s performance helped answer a lot of lingering questions about Duke’s depth. Criticized all year for lacking the nine-man rotation enjoyed by undefeated Illinois, the Blue Devils are now on the verge of having the same luxury. With the impending return of David McClure and the availability of Shavlik Randolph, Duke will be capable of going nine-deep when the tournament rolls around.

The thicker bench will solve the foul-trouble predicament that Duke has faced now and then. Instead of feeling forced to leave in foul-troubled starters, as in last week’s Maryland debacle and last year’s crushing loss to Connecticut in the Final Four, Coach K will have the option of using a deeper bench and preserving his stars for the game’s waning moments.

“We’re a lot deeper than people give us credit for,” Nelson said. “Anyone on this team is capable of stepping up and having a big night when we need it, and that’s something that’s special about our team.”