After an intense game against a talented Virginia Tech team, and with a daunting finish to the ACC schedule that features rivalry games at Maryland and against North Carolina at home, less disciplined teams might be inclined to overlook a nonconference game against Tulsa (19-8), which has lost three straight and four of its last five.
No. 5 Duke (23-4) is determined not to let that happen.
“These guys are a veteran team, so they understand the importance of each and every game and we feel we still have a lot to play for,” associate head coach Chris Collins said. “We’re still playing for our seed in the NCAA tournament. For us, every time we play is a chance to get better and to continue to build our resumé.”
Duke knows not to overlook the Golden Hurricane, in spite of the the squad’s recent struggles, because Tulsa remains a talented team,. Led by a formidable inside-outside combination in senior point guard Ben Uzoh and senior center Jerome Jordan, the team was predicted by some as the best team in Conference USA during the preseason.
In order to combat the inside presence of the 7-foot Jordan, the Blue Devils will likely turn once again to the resurgent Brian Zoubek, who has averaged 9.7 points and 12.7 rebounds—half on the offensive end—since joining the starting lineup three games ago.
“[Starting] has allowed me to get into the flow of the game a little sooner and it gives me a little more confidence,” Zoubek said.
Like Zoubek, senior forward Lance Thomas has also been integral to this year’s team because of his defense and leadership rather than dazzling offensive numbers. Thomas did not score Sunday against the Hokies, but he did contribute six boards and play lockdown defense in the paint.
Fortunately, Thomas and Zoubek’s lack of offensive production has not been a problem lately. Duke has been able to rely on its big three of Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler, who combined for 63 of Duke’s 67 points against Virginia Tech Sunday and form the highest scoring threesome in the NCAA at 53.7 points per game. Such reliance on the team’s three perimeter players, while potentially risky, doesn’t bother Zoubek.
“People are going to have to step up if they [Scheyer, Smith, and Singler] aren’t having a great game, but I think people will do that,” Zoubek said. “I don’t have any problem with my role and I know Lance and some other guys don’t, so if I don’t score a lot it’s not a problem with me because I know I have an impact on the game.”
Even in between games, Zoubek and Thomas have made significant contributions to the team.
“[The younger players] have picked up some things in terms of how we work and how we play,” Zoubek said. “Me and LT didn’t have players like us to look up to or to learn from as freshmen and I think that’s something really valuable they should take advantage of while they have it.”
On the stat sheet it can be easy to overlook the contributions of players like Thomas and Zoubek, but on senior night the Blue Devils hope the Crazies take the opportunity to appreciate their play and the legacy they leave.
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