Virginia threw a blanket over Cameron Boozer and it didn't really matter.
We thought Virginia was better than that.
Whatever else we might have thought, we never thought that Duke would have a 28-point lead on a good Virginia team. And winning 77-51?
Not what we expected – not at all.
But that’s what happened as Duke wrapped up the #1 seed for the ACC Tournament. And what’s really impressive is that Duke did that despite Virginia doing a first-rate job defending Cameron Boozer.
Boozer’s stats were pretty typical for him: 18 points, 99 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block.
But Virginia held him to just 3-9 from the floor, two inside and one three-pointer.
Being Boozer, he adapted. He couldn’t get easy shots inside against Johanne Grunloh, Thijs DeRidder and Ugonna Onyenso, so he got his points at the line.
Boozer hit 11-12 from the line.
The focus on Boozer left options for the others, and Isaiah Evans took full advantage, hitting three threes early.
Duke never looked back. And the big difference was the defense.
We’ve noticed this several times lately, but especially in the last three games against Syracuse, Michigan, and Notre Dame, there are times when the opponent can’t really get into a decent offensive flow and just has to chunk the ball up as the shot clock expires.
It’s not exactly Bennett Ball, because for one, Duke tends to score more. It’s kind of wild to watch, though. There was one point in the first half where the interior really seemed wide open, but for whatever reason, Virginia just couldn’t exploit it. They passed around the perimeter for 33-34 seconds and then shot a bad three.
Duke kept the pressure up, and Virginia just never adjusted.
They actually played better in the second half, but Duke’s lead kept growing wider. One interesting aspect, to us anyway, was that various disruptive situations came up for individuals, but it didn’t particularly affect the group.
Boozer got poked in the eye and had to leave the game. Duke kept rolling. Nik Khamenia picked up two quick fouls in three minutes in the first half.
Didn’t really matter.
Dame Sarr got two quick fouls right into the second half and just like that, Duke’s pressure man was in a potentially sticky spot.
Didn’t really matter.
In the end, nothing really mattered. This team is coming together beautifully. The defense is as tough as anyone’s, and the offense has matured.
Boozer is a freshman, but he’s smart enough to adjust to pretty much anything anyone throws at him. Evans has gone from being a three-point ace to being a guy who can drive and dunk or dish.
Sarr has gone from a spotty presence to a dominant defender.
And all of them, along with everyone else, are gelling at exactly the right time.
Duke plays State next and Raleigh is never an easy trip. Over the last decade or so, Duke has taken some real beatings over there. With State losing to Notre Dame Saturday, the Pack will be feisty, and we’re sure Will Wade will point out to them that a win over the #1 team in the country will be a massive resumé boost. So everybody should be ready for that.
Notes – DeRidder is a lot like Cameron Boozer…he’s thick too and agile and fundamentally sound…speaking of Boozer, he was that kid who was told the right way to do things and actually practiced his basketball fundamentals…he’s a basketball nerd…it’s hard to explain just what Duke did to Virginia on defense, how thoroughly they dominated them…the ‘Hoos just couldn’t get anything to work…you can see why Odom wanted Chance Mallory…he’s definitely on the small side, but he’s quick and smart…he’s going to be a force there before he’s through…just before tip-off, DeRidder tapped Sarr on the back in a way that made us think those guys must know each other from playing in Europe…a bit of personal respect…
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Category: General Sports
