The No. 9 Blue Devils enter the postseason fresh off a first-place finish in the ACC.
And after securing a share of the regular season title in its win over Virginia Feb. 26, Duke’s next goal is simple: winning a conference tournament championship.
Today, Duke will take on ninth-seeded Maryland (19-11) in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals at 3 p.m. in Greensboro after receiving a first-round bye. Rather than make the short trip down to the Greensboro Coliseum Thursday to scout the Terrapins, the top-seeded Blue Devils (24-5) remained in Durham to focus on what they need to do to make a successful run in the tournament.
“In 18 years of coaching, I’ve never treated any tournament like that,” said head coach Joanne P. McCallie, who was named ACC Coach of the Year this week. “I know there’s a lot to be said about matchups, and I do understand that, but it’s about us and what we need to do. It’s a class issue at Duke. We’ve got to go to class, and we’ve got to practice. It doesn’t fit what we need to do.”
Today’s game will be the third time that McCallie’s team has played the Terrapins this season. The Blue Devils won the first matchup 58-57 on a game-winning shot by senior Bridgette Mitchell in College Park, Md.
Duke also defeated Maryland 71-59 at home Feb. 21 on a night where junior Karima Christmas posted a career-best 25 points. Facing the Terrapins only two weeks later will test the team’s mental and physical strength.
Luckily for the Blue Devils, they have demonstrated these characteristics all season.
“I think that we are definitely the strongest team I’ve ever coached in terms of actual weightlifting and bench press and that type of thing,” McCallie said. “It’s been an endurance contest through the season to be successful. The games have all been very physical. I think we’ve certainly taken on some great games, and the key is having that endurance and strength to carry on and be dominant.
Duke’s physical strength enables it to better play defense, set screens and rebound, especially late in games. The Blue Devils’ ability to execute in these categories will have a large influence on the their performance in the postseason.
This tournament also has huge implications for McCallie. In her third year in Durham, after winning her first regular season championship and Coach of the Year award, an ACC Tournament title would be another great addition to her resume—especially since the Blue Devils lost to the Terrapins in last year’s conference tournament final.
“I think our entire team is motivated and disturbed by not finishing work from the regular season, and certainly the experiences we’ve had in the ACC Tournament,” McCallie said. “I think the key is to make sure we channel it properly, defensively and with things that we need to do offensively as well. There’s no doubt we understand what it’s like to work through that tournament, how hard it is, how physically hard it is, how mentally hard it is. We’re just excited to get after it.”
If the Blue Devils get past Maryland tonight, they would earn a trip to the semifinals Saturday at 1 p.m. for the opportunity to play in the tournament final Sunday. Duke’s potential opponents in the semifinals are fourth seed Georgia Tech and fifth seed Wake Forest.
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