The best for the Blue Devils has yet to come

Right now, Duke is struggling. The team just suffered its worst loss in 15 years-against archrival UNC, no less-and is quite clearly the third-best team in the ACC. The Blue Devils have only one true quality win, against then-No. 4 Rutgers before Christmas. The person expected to carry the offense, junior preseason All-American guard Abby Waner, has not been able to hit her shooting stride all season.

So, once the NCAA Tournament comes along in March, this team is destined for a second-round exit, right?

Not necessarily.

The Blue Devils don't boast two All-Americans and a near-flawless record like they did last year, but considering how many changes have gone on at Duke since then-see: new coach, new point guard, and star center-the team looks primed to peak later this month. Think about the following:

1. Sunday's debacle against the Tar Heels has to be addressed here. Yes, the Blue Devils looked dreadful, and yes, they lost by a stunning 31 points. But Duke also went 0-for-12 from 3-point range, while UNC shot close to 50 percent from beyond the arc. In addition, the Blue Devils played an uncharacteristically sloppy game that included 27 turnovers, and they were unable to capitalize on the Tar Heels' 26. Duke isn't nearly as bad as it looked Sunday.

2. Speaking of the ACC, Duke has been unable to get over the hump against rivals Maryland and North Carolina, who are both ranked in the top five nationally. But the team has not blown games against the rest of the conference. Maybe this speaks to the lack of quality competition in women's basketball, but it also shows a certain maturity: taking care of teams you are supposed to beat could make a big difference in March.

3. This team is young. Freshman Jasmine Thomas had a tough time adjusting to the point guard position at this level but has grown into the role. Sophomore Joy Cheek and redshirt sophomore Keturah Jackson have become occasional starters and key members of the rotation after being role players last season. Forward Chante Black missed all of last season, but has become the team's go-to performer. Game experience becomes particularly key in the postseason, and this team certainly has that.

4. This is more of a technicality, but because Maryland and North Carolina are both in Duke's conference, the Blue Devils can't play them until the Sweet 16 at the earliest. That means that Duke will still have to face tough competition at that stage of the Tournament, but it likely won't have to deal with an opponent it has already lost to twice (or three times, depending on the ACC Tournament).

Although this season hasn't been quite as much fun for Duke fans, don't count out the Blue Devils just yet. Remember, last year's team might have gone 29-0 in the regular season, but they lost in the Sweet 16 to a Rutgers it beat by 40 earlier in the year. That Scarlet Knights squad also got crushed by the conference's best (UConn) in the regular season, and finished with four Big East losses. Sound familiar? It should.

It might feel strange for Duke to enter the NCAA Tournament as a sleeper instead of a top seed. But if Rutgers can turn an upset over Duke into an appearance in the national title game, so can these Blue Devils.