How does a 7-foot-1, 280-pound player disappear?
Midway through this season, that seemed to be the exact question people asked about junior center Brian Zoubek.
And the answer could determine whether Duke emerges as a legitimate National Championship contender in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
In November, it looked like Zoubek was primed for a breakout year. He took over the starting center position in the second game of the season, and he averaged 15 minutes a game as a starter. In that time, Zoubek posted double-digit scoring outputs against Southern Illinois and UNC-Asheville, and he also notched a double-double against Loyola.
But as 2009 began, Zoubek's scoring, rebounding and playing time slowly diminished. After nearly earning another double-double against an undersized Maryland team Jan. 24, Zoubek faltered against Wake Forest four days later, grabbing only two rebounds and scoring no points in 13 minutes.
Then, as the calendar turned to February, Zoubek vanished.
Junior Lance Thomas replaced Zoubek in the starting lineup against Virginia, and the center did not play more than 15 minutes in a game for more than a month, including not seeing any action in the team's second matchup against Wake Forest.
But then suddenly, Zoubek reappeared. He played 19 minutes against a taller Florida State team on Senior Night, grabbing five rebounds in the process. He followed up that performance in the ACC Tournament final, once again against the Seminoles, by grabbing six rebounds and containing Florida State's 7-foot-1 center Solomon Alabi.
Despite the volatility of his minutes, though, Zoubek has remained ready for an opportunity to magically resurface.
"You can't let it bother you," Zoubek said of his inconsistent playing time. "You've just got to be ready for the opportunities that are given to you. You can't quit, because if you do, then it's going to be even worse, and when you get in you're not going to be ready.... It's never over, and so you've just got to have that in your mind."
That attitude could prove critical as the Blue Devils head into the NCAA Tournament, where that opportunity may await.
Lurking in the East Region are potent post players like Texas forward Dexter Pittman, who stands 6-foot-10, and Pittsburgh's dominating DeJuan Blair, who averaged more than 15 points and 12 rebounds a game during the regular season.
"It's a little harder for me to play against some of the smaller teams," Zoubek said. "Going against Florida State-it was a huge role for me, and I think there are going to be a lot of teams that if we advance are going to be like that."
While Zoubek may not be as much of a scoring threat against these bigger teams, his ability to defend the paint has proven vital for Duke at times this season. In the ACC Tournament final, Zoubek seemed to finally recognize his role as a defensive stopper more than a go-to post-man, not taking a shot in his nine minutes of action.
But the fact remains that for the past few seasons, the Blue Devils have lacking a true big man. Zoubek can change that perception with solid play in the NCAA Tournament, even if that play, especially on defense, does not show up in the scorebook.
"If I can just do what I did against Florida State and build off that, I think I can have a pretty important role [in the Tournament]," Zoubek said.
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