GREENSBORO, N.C. — Kyle Singler saw the ball in the air and dove straight at it: right over press row, right into the lap of ESPN commentator Dan Shulman and nearly into the second row. With momentum and no way to slow himself down, Singler knew that he was headed for a crash.
While up in the air, out of control, he was still thinking about the ball. His team couldn’t afford to lose possession.
“The main thing was, ‘I hope I saved the ball and that guys got it,’” Singler said. “Once I left the ground, I knew I was going into the stands. I know I broke some things, and I kind of got some scratches. I’m fine, and I hope I didn’t hurt anyone.”
“I think he forgets it’s basketball, not football, but he’s as tough as it gets,” senior Jon Scheyer said. “He’s done that since he’s been here. He’s the toughest player I’ve ever played with.”
During three games between Friday and Sunday, Singler played arguably his best basketball of the season and earned Most Valuable Player honors for the Tournament. He shot 41 percent from the field on 18-for-44 shooting, including 7-for-14 from long range, and pulled down 25 boards.
Against Miami Saturday, the Blue Devils trailed by three at halftime. Immediately after the break, though, Singler came out and scored eight straight points. It wasn’t just that he had 27 points in the contest—it was the timeliness of those points, which gave Duke confidence when it needed it most.
And in the final when the junior’s shooting touch seemed to suddenly disappear, he still found a way to make an impact. Singler shot just 3-of-15 from the field but found his way to the charity stripe for 16 free throws. To put that in context, Georgia Tech’s entire team combined for 16 free throws.
Duke needed Singler in a path to an ACC championship that proved difficult. Teams on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament were eager to pad their resumes, and teams whose chances of postseason play were all but lost had a final opportunity to secure a bid.
After defeating Virginia by 11 points Friday, the Blue Devils won in the semifinals and finals of the ACC Tournament by a combined seven points. A focus on the defensive end paid off—in two of Duke’s wins, their opponents didn’t score more than 61 points.
As the team’s leading scorer—but certainly the quietest out of the trio that includes Nolan Smith and Scheyer—Singler leads his team by example. Things like diving into the stands—it actually happened twice in the final—set the tone for the entire roster. But as Singler acknowledged after the game, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that his team builds upon its current 12-1 streak.
“Whatever I have to say, I usually say,” Singler said. “I think guys respond to what I say because I usually don’t say a lot. When I do speak, it usually means something, so the guys listen.”
Earlier in the season, Singler struggled at times to meet high expectations that outsiders of the program had for him. Since this year’s Blue Devils are the program’s tallest squad in recent memory, head coach Mike Krzyzewski decided to move Singler to the perimeter because it best fits his skill set. Initially, though, Singler struggled making the transition and fell into a shooting slump.
On Feb. 4 against Georgia Tech—finally—it seemed that Singler broke out of the slump. The junior had 30 points, hitting eight of his 10 3-point attempts, and led his team to a 86-67 victory over the Yellow Jackets at home.
Duke is set to begin its NCAA Tournament play Friday in the South region with its best offensive option playing his best basketball of the entire season. But if Singler continues these diving antics, Smith is a bit worried for his teammate’s safety.
“He’s gotta be careful,” Smith said with a laugh. “I’m going to get him a helmet to wear during games.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.