Could a team’s chances for a conference crown be over in January if they have three losses on the season and are ranked in the top five in the nation?
Well, that is a question that will be revealed in one fashion or another Saturday as the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils (17-3, 4-3 ACC) travel to take on the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers (19-0, 7-0 ACC) at 7 p.m.
Duke even comes into the game with their own drama. Despite an incredible comeback to help Coach Mike Krzyzewski tally his 1,000th career win against the St. John’s Red Storm, the Blue Devils lost a heavy weight bout to the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Wednesday. To add to the issues in Durham, Coach K dismissed his first player ever in junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon on Thursday.
So in other words, Saturday will be a defining moment for this Duke team and quite possible the program as it prepares to face not only the toughest team on it’s schedule but in the nation.
The Cavaliers are just flat out nasty. They are a team in every aspect of the word and get up in your business like no one. Despite being the No. 2 ranked team in the nation and the top team in the ACC, not one person can name a single player. Heck, half the teams in the nation probably can’t even tell you who Virginia’s head coach is!
So with that being said, let’s take a few seconds to introduce you to the Cavaliers.
Virginia boasts the top-ranked defense in the nation, surrendering only 49 points per contest. They go about 11 deep on their bench, led by Justin Anderson and Malcom Brogdon. Both Anderson and Brogdon average 13 points a game. Anthony Gill is no slouch either, posting 11 points and seven rebounds per game. And to make things even better for the future, they are mostly juniors and sophomores with only three seniors on the team (Darion Atkins, Maleek Frazier and Rob Vozenilek).
Tony Bennett has coached up a near perfect team. In fact, Bennett pretty much has created what Duke trademarked over the course of the 1980’s and 1990’s.
This game screams a beat down coming for the Blue Devils, but if there is one thing this old crusty sports writer has learned watching Coach K over the past 30 years is to never count a team he coaches out.
Plus, when you have a guy like Jahlil Okafor on the inside and Tyus Jones who is growing more and more confident each game, you are never really an underdog.
This is going to be an ugly yet beautiful game. If you love defense and physical play then you need to set the DVR to record now.
Duke can win if they punch back early, smack the floor to play old school Duke D and hit their threes.
Virginia wins if the game is a ugly as an unmade bed in a bad hotel. The tougher they make it the better. However, they will need to take their incredible defense to the next level to accomplish this.
The Cavaliers hang on to win the brawl, maybe even one that goes an extra round or two, 52-50.
*Section Photo credit to Andy Lyons, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Charles LeClaire,USA Today Sports.
