Web special: Thursday, Jan. 12
DURHAM, N.C. – Two days ago, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had his entire team individually autograph the big “D” painted on center court at Cameron Indoor Stadium. He said he wanted a way to unify his team for the stretch of home conference games coming up.
Last night, Krzyzewski watched as his team picked apart the Terrapin men’s basketball team in every which way of a unifying manner.
The top-ranked Blue Devils and No. 23-ranked Terps played on completely opposite ends of the spectrum during Duke’s 76-52 win. Duke had fewer turnovers, more assists and more chemistry. The Terps, for the first time in two years, looked like they couldn’t handle the mystique of playing Duke.
“They just did everything right today and we did everything wrong,” junior guard D.J. Strawberry said.
Strawberry struggled to handle the point guard duties throughout the game and the reserve point guards did not pick up the slack. Combined, Strawberry, junior Parrish Brown and senior Sterling Ledbetter had 11 turnovers and just three assists. As a team, the Terps had six assists – by far the fewest of the season.
“I don’t know if we were just so emotionally hyped or weren’t taking our time,” Ledbetter said. “I had trouble myself handling the ball. I just really don’t know. I wish I knew.”
Added Brown, “For me, it was a different atmosphere. I was kind of nervous when I got out there but after a while I got used to it and played better then I did when I first got in.”
Overlooked because of the play by Shelden Williams and J.J. Redick was Duke’s freshman point guard, Greg Paulus. Paulus was able to control the game’s tempo as well as smoothly maneuver through the Terps’ press. His vision on the court helped the rest of the Duke players to make an extra pass leading to an open shot.
Of the Blue Devils 26 made field goals, 18 were assisted on.
“A lot of it had to do because they were pressing and so there was more openings,” Krzyzewski said. “Our kids are very unselfish; we have a fairly good amount of assists usually all the time, but tonight because it was spread out there were a few more.”
The Terps, on the other hand, seemed lost offensively. Contrary to how easy Duke was putting the ball in the net, the Terps were forced to work for each shot.
Every possession seemed like a struggle.
Their season-high 29 turnovers featured sloppy passes, poor decision-making, uncontrollable drives to the hoop and quite a few snickers from the Duke fans.
“I’m very critical of our ball handling,” Terp coach Gary Williams said. “It’s not just the point guard situation, it’s the fact that we drop a lot of balls in traffic and Duke, to their credit, came up with quite a few of them.”
And after last night’s blowout, it seems the Terps’ trio of point guards have nowhere to go but up.
Contact reporter Andrew Zuckerman at zuckermandbk@gmail.com
