After playing a long and emotional game against a new rival, the Blue Devils are ready to defend their home court against a familiar foe.
Coming off two days rest, No. 11 Duke faces a rebound-game against Wake Forest at Cameron Indoor Stadium Tuesday night at 9 p.m.
Despite the temptation to dwell on one of the most exciting college basketball games this season, the team is focusing its attention on what lies ahead.
“To be in two settings like [Pittsburgh and Syracuse] and play in two games like that are things that most teams don’t go through,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “This is the first time this team has gone through something like that, and we have to make sure it does not hurt our progress going forward.”
The Blue Devils (17-5, 6-3 in the ACC) will look to continue a 28-game home win streak—tied for the longest active run in the nation—against a young but talented Demon Deacon squad. Despite being tabbed 13th in the ACC preseason poll, Jeff Bzdelik’s team sits tied for eighth place in the conference.
But after a 4-3 start in the ACC and an undefeated record on its home court, Wake Forest (14-8, 4-5) has dropped two straight games in Winston-Salem, including a 67-57 loss to then-No. 2 Syracuse on Jan. 29.
It could be an uphill battle for the Demon Deacons if Wake Forest’s leading scorer, guard Codi Miller-McIntyre does not suit up Tuesday night. The sophomore was described by Bzdelik as day-to-day with an ankle injury he sustained in a Feb. 1 loss to Georgia Tech.
Even though the Demon Deacons fell 75-70 in their last outing against Duke, Bzdelik said his team will be better prepared this time around.
“Last year we were extremely young, and we have played Duke now,” Bzdelik said. “We played Kansas and Syracuse this year. We have been through enough games that we are beyond [rankings]."
Forwards Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood have been consistent weapons for the Blue Devils throughout the season, but it was the breakout play of guard Rasheed Sulaimon and forward Amile Jefferson that had Duke playing at a high level during their two-game road trip last week.
Jefferson provided Duke with a healthy presence in the paint, averaging 14 points and 8.5 rebounds during his last two games. The sophomore has put up near double-double numbers in his last six games and is not showing signs of ceding the paint to opposing teams.
“[Amile is] a very versatile performer and a good competitor,” Krzyzewski said. “I’m really very pleased about how he has played, and we watch him continue to get better.”
Sulaimon saw action at the point guard position Saturday night and scored 16 points in the loss, including a heroic last-second trey to send the game into overtime.
He has come a long way since being benched in the midst of a slump earlier this season.
“Rasheed is a combo,” Krzyzewski said. “He actually puts the best pressure on the ball of anybody we have on the team, because he is taller and a really good athlete. He played like a combo in high school. We will keep looking at that.”
With additional offensive weapons beginning to mature, Duke will look to take advantage of a defense that is ranked 119th in the nation, giving up 68.3 points per contest—in stark contrast to the ninth-ranked defense they faced this past weekend against Syracuse.
But no matter who Duke is facing, the team has a common goal of improving in one of the season’s toughest months, no matter who is on the other side of the court. And that's a sentiment the Demon Deacons feel as well despite their two game slide.
"It is two basketball teams playing," Bzdelik said. "We should be able to play with everybody if we are playing well.”
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