Without the 3-pointer, Blue Devils lean on defense

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The past few seasons, a 3-for-17 shooting performance from beyond the arc might have doomed Duke.

Sunday night, though, this year’s Blue Devils showed why they’re different from those previous editions that fizzled out early in the NCAA Tournament.

In defeating California 68-53 Sunday night in Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Duke showed that it need not rely solely on the 3-point shot as it has in the past, instead using rebounding and defense to slowly but surely defeat the Golden Bears.

That newfound balance propelled the Blue Devils into the Sweet 16 and likely increased fans’ optimism that this team can go further.

“In the past… they were limited teams, and they couldn’t play the defense that this team can play because we have big guys,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “That’s the difference. We’re a better team this year…. This is a better team because it can play total defense, and it doesn’t have to rely on that other stuff.”

Indeed, the Blue Devils’ defense was as stifling as the Jacksonville humidity all night, forcing California into 11 turnovers and limiting them to six assists.

A key factor in that defense was the play of Nolan Smith, who guarded 5-foot-10 guard Jerome Randle all night. Randle, who led the Golden Bears with 18.8 points and 4.4 assists per game this year and was called a “blur” by Krzyzewski Saturday afternoon, scored only 12 points while shooting 5-for-12 from the field against the Blue Devils.

And while Smith was in the senior guard’s face Sunday, it was surprisingly two of Duke’s slowest players, Brian Zoubek and Miles Plumlee, who had the biggest influence in containing Randle. California ran numerous screens in an attempt to free its leading scorer for 3-point shots or drives to the basket, but Zoubek and Plumlee were able to hedge off of the picks and slow down Randle long enough for Smith to recover.

When Duke found itself unable to score from long range, it was able to turn to the paint to stem the tide. Zoubek’s continued emergence on offense played a key role—the senior was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field on the night, finishing with 14 points to go along with 13 rebounds.

Zoubek was able to score in a variety of manners, utilizing his newfound turn-around hook shot to perfection early in the game and tipping in numerous errant shots later. He capped off the performance with a rare, thunderous two-handed dunk that provided the exclamation point on the Blue Devil victory.

“He doesn’t usually do that, so I’m happy for him,” Singler said of Zoubek’s dunk. “It was kind of fun.”

But Zoubek wasn’t Duke’s only offensive option in the paint, as sophomore Miles Plumlee also had one of his better performances of the year, scoring six points of his own, grabbing three rebounds and challenging countless Golde Bear shots. Plumlee provided a legitimate secondary post option for Duke, scoring on turn-around jump shots and athletic dunks in the paint.

Previous Duke teams might not have had the luxury of 11 offensive rebounds, or the ability to turn to Zoubek or Plumlee in the paint when shots weren’t falling. But combined with a brilliant defensive effort, these newfound weapons provided the Blue Devils with the boost they needed to earn a Sweet 16 birth.

“We’ve had bad shooting nights before... and we’ve been able to bounce back,” Singler said. “Brian was a big part of that rebounding the ball, and I think our defense was a big part of that, too.”