Putting success in the rearview mirror.
It's one of the toughest things to do in sports, but it's what No. 4 Duke has to do quickly ahead of its Wednesday tilt at No. 8 Notre Dame at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Ind. The Blue Devils used a furious second-half rally to knock off St. John's and notch head coach Mike Krzyzewski's 1,000th win Sunday, but come 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, their recent success will mean very little.
More important will be Duke's current two-and-a-half game deficit in the ACC standings behind conference leader Virginia and the tall task of slowing down the Notre Dame offense—the most efficient in the nation at 1.25 points per possession.
"We had to really talk to our guys about moving on," Duke assistant coach Nate James said. "It felt like an NCAA tournament type of game [Sunday], with the emotion. We just wanted to make sure our guys understood, 'Look, what we did was terrific but we have to move on.' It can be a very dangerous thing with an unexperienced team."
The Fighting Irish (19-2, 7-1 in the ACC) have bounced back from last year's lackluster 15-17 campaign thanks to a team led by two seniors, Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton. Grant—Notre Dame's leading scorer last season before academic violations caused him to miss the team's ACC slate—leads the Fighting Irish in points and assists per contest, so staying in front of the explosive 6-foot-5 guard will be a top priority for Quinn Cook and company. Grant averages 17.1 points and 6.2 assists per game and facilitates an offense that shoots 52.1 percent from the field, the second-highest clip in the nation.
Connaughton is the heart and soul of head coach Mike Brey's squad, averaging 13.9 points and 8.9 boards per game. The versatile 6-foot-5 swingman has already made 53 3-pointers on the season and fires from long range at a 45.3 percent clip, which makes it especially tough for opponents to guard Notre Dame when he plays the four.
The Blue Devils (17-2, 4-2) have had recent success employing zone schemes defensively, but against a team that averages nine 3-pointers per game, frontcourt players Amile Jefferson and Jahlil Okafor might have to show more versatility playing away from the basket Wednesday night.
Along with Grant and Connaughton, forward V.J. Beachem and guards Demetrius Jackson and Steve Vasturia have all made 28 or more triples on the year and shoot 37 percent or better from distance. Duke gave up 10 triples apiece to N.C. State and Miami in losses earlier this season, so its third road win against a top-10 opponent likely won't happen unless it shows urgency with its close-outs.
"They penetrate and kick and they have five players who have made 25 3-pointers or more, which is unbelievable," James said. "It's very difficult for a defense because you can't over-help. Any one of them are capable of having huge games. [Our priority is] making them work for everything."
One of the best ways the Blue Devils can negate Notre Dame's offensive efficiency is by staying patient and playing through Okafor on the offensive end to control tempo. The dominant freshman center leads the ACC in scoring at 18.5 points per contest while shooting 67.1 percent from the field.
The Fighting Irish recently got their primary interior presence Zach Auguste back from suspension, but at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, the junior likely won't be able to contain Okafor by himself.
After Notre Dame helps on the Chicago native, the Blue Devils should be able to get the looks that have them ranked in the top 15 nationally in points per game and shooting percentage. But despite the recent efficiency of point guard Tyus Jones and Duke's offense in crunch time, the health of one of its four double-digit scorers has become a major question.
Swingman Justise Winslow is battling shoulder and rib injuries and has scored just 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting in his last four games. The 6-foot-6 Houston native played just 10 minutes Sunday, and if he is limited once again, the Blue Devils' depth will get a major test in what promises to be an up-tempo contest.
"With young guys, their experience at this level—it can sometimes knock everyone back to some degree," James said. "Guys go through slumps. With all players, if you aren't 100 percent, which most players aren't [at this point], you've got to figure out a way to best help your team."
Reserves Matt Jones and Marshall Plumlee stepped up against St. John's with Winslow ailing and Jefferson and Rasheed Sulaimon in foul trouble, and role players could make the difference for both teams once again Wednesday night. In conference play, Jackson, Grant and Connaughton are averaging more than 37 minutes per contest, with Brey's two seniors combining for 79.0 minutes on court per game.
With Winslow's status still a question mark and the importance of having Okafor and Cook—who averages 36.8 minutes per contest in league action—on the court for Duke, foul trouble or fatigue could cause the brief dips in play that usually determine the outcome of seemingly-even matchups like this one.
But despite the intricate game-planning that comes with prepping for a top-10 opponent and a raucous environment, the Blue Devils are trying to do what they did late in the game Sunday—keep it simple. Duke fell in South Bend last year in its conference opener after blowing a late lead because it got tight. Wednesday will show whether or not this year's squad is ready to make another statement about its growth on the heels of an emotional win.
"It's just all about being in the moment," James said. "Our biggest thing is we want them to play harder, play smarter and play together. If we do that, everything else will take care of itself."
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