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With Duke's offense, size doesn't matter
STEVE DESHAZO: Duke's offense a nightmare for opposing defenses
Date published: 3/6/2008 By Steve DeShazo CHARLOTTESVILLE-- Ninety-nine seconds into the second half of last night's game at John Paul Jones Arena, Duke's Gerald Henderson shredded Virginia's defense for a layup. The easy basket gave the fifth-ranked Blue Devils a 51-37 lead and made them four-for-four from the field since the break.Immediately came a whistle and a time-out. Certainly it had to be Virginia coach Dave Leitao asking for a chance to regroup his troops, right? Nope. It was Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who wasn't pleased with his team trading baskets with the tired Cavaliers. "That's why I called time-out," he said. "I told 'em, 'We've got to play defense.'" Actually, Duke's best defense is a good offense. It was in full effect in last night's 86-70 romp over the Cavaliers, and the nation will be watching Saturday night when the Blue Devils (26-3) host No. 1 North Carolina (28-2). The Tobacco Road showdown will decide the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship and may go a long way toward determining which team gets a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. "We're definitely excited," Duke senior DeMarcus Nelson said. "We're going to play a championship game Saturday, then we're going to Charlotte for the ACC tournament, and we're going for a championship there. Then we're going to try to win [NCAA] regional and national championships." The way they're playing, don't count out the undersized Blue Devils. They've already beaten UNC once, and since sophomore forward Gerald Henderson Jr. has overcome a wrist injury, their offense is hitting on all cylinders. Last night, Henderson's 19 points led five double-figure scorers. Who needs a post game when you've got five players who can drive and shoot the 3-pointer? "What they decided to do was to be the best offensive team in the country," Leitao said. "Their mind-set never changes. They could be down 18 points at Miami or up 20 against St. John's. and they play the same way mentally. "It's harder against them. Even if you make three or four stops in a row, the fifth is tough. That's why they're successful. They play that same aggressive offense."
Date published: 3/6/2008
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