In the NCAA Tournament, the teams that rebound and play solid defense are the ones that advance to the later rounds.
This year will prove no different.
Luckily for the Blue Devils, they have a high-energy player who brings these skills every time he steps onto the floor.
His name is Lance Thomas.
Earlier this season, the 6-foot-8 junior forward saw fluctuations in his playing time and usually came of the bench. Recently, he earned a spot in the starting line-up, and held that place for all three games in the ACC Tournament.
While not one of the flashiest players on the team, Thomas makes immense contributions to the Blue Devils with his tremendous abilities on defense and under the boards.
And as Duke enters the Big Dance for the 15th straight season, Thomas needs to continue to add to these intangibles to help his squad advance deep in the tournament.
"Lance has been huge for us," said fellow big man Brian Zoubek. "He is literally our best stopper from position one to five. That's a huge key for us because it allows our defensive game plan to be strong when we switch off and not have any downside.... Lance can guard anybody."
Thomas has demonstrated that he is a resourceful defender, having guarded players on the wing and under the basket. His versatility on defense will prove key in the NCAA Tournament, especially since the Blue Devils do not have another player who can effectively guard as many positions as Thomas.
When he takes on opposing teams' centers down low, the junior forward can hold on his own in the paint. This will allow Duke's perimeter players to stay on the outside and defend against perimeter shots.
In Duke's two regular season games against North Carolina, Thomas matched up at times with reigning NCAA Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough and was able to contain the three-time All-American from imposing his will. The junior allowed just four points in the paint in each contest.
The New Jersey native showcased his defensive skills in the ACC Tournament, particularly in the final against Florida State, where he and Zoubek held opposing center Solomon Alabi to only three baskets in the game.
Duke hopes that Thomas continues his strong play in the Big Dance against the skilled big men that the Blue Devils might face in the East region, including Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair and Texas's Dexter Pittman.
In addition to guarding opposing teams' centers, Thomas also makes his presence felt on the boards, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
In the ACC Tournament final, the junior grabbed eight total rebounds-six on the offensive end-which provided Duke crucial second chance opportunities to score, including putting the ball in the basket himself.
Thomas has also shown glimpses of his scoring ability this year, as he leads the Blue Devils in field goal percentage at .607. Earlier this season, he netted a career-high 21 points against Duquesne Nov. 28 and shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor.
"[Lance] has been great the whole year," junior guard Jon Scheyer said. "He has all these offensive rebounds and if he gets a few of those to drop it will be big.... Lance is right there for having a breakout game."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.