This week the Blue Devils were rewarded for their school-best 26-0 start with a unanimous No. 1 ranking in the polls. To that, head coach Gail Goestenkors had only one thing to say.
"It's irrelevant, it's very irrelevant," she said.
With that mentality, Duke has decided to put on the blinders as it heads into its home contest against Boston College (12-12, 2-8 in the ACC) tonight at 7 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
This game, like many games the Blue Devils (26-0, 11-0) have played this season, seems like a preliminary bout before long awaited matches at No. 6 Maryland and home against No. 2 North Carolina.
After all, this contest, statistically speaking, seems completely lopsided. The Eagles' offense, which ranks 225th in the NCAA, posts a mere 61.2 points per game and will no doubt face a number of challenges against Duke's defense, ranked second in the nation.
It's no secret that Duke has dominated the competition and has risen to the occasion in every big game it has played this year. But, especially in the lesser-hyped contests, Duke has looked sloppy as if it were playing down to the competition.
"I think it's just the emotional level," senior captain Lindsey Harding said, comparing play against lesser competition to the bigger games. "Sometimes it's hard to get as pumped."
The team's inability to keep intensity high and game play crisp throughout the season, though, has not come back to bite it with a loss yet. But Goestenkors is very wary of that concerning the upcoming game against Boston College.
"Their team can very easily sneak up on you because they work hard-they've got a chip on their shoulder," she said. "They're talented and their record is not indicative of how good they are."
In fact, Boston College does have a prominent post presence in senior forward Kathrin Ress, who will matchup well against Alison Bales down low.
The 6-foot-4 Ress leads her team in scoring and rebounds this season, averaging 16.8 points and 8.7 boards per game.
"She's tough as nails," Goestenkors said. "Not only can she score, but she is one of their leading assist people too. She does a good job when she gets the double team finding the open person."
Despite any offensive success the Eagles have had on the low block this season, it is safe to say that Duke will offer the biggest defensive challenge yet. The Blue Devils have looked to that stingy defense to salvage their sometimes sputtering offense and intensity.
"When those things happen, then you need to be able to rely on [defense]," Goestenkors said. "That's something you always have control over, playing good defense."
Showing up tonight with the defensive ferocity that has come to demarcate Duke all season will no doubt decide the game against the Eagles and the rest of the Blue Devils' season.
Still, Duke knows that no team is going to give in from the start and no team is worth overlooking.
"We just know that they are not afraid," Harding said.
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