The second-ranked Duke Blue Devils found themselves in unfamiliar territory Saturday at Wake Forest, trailing by six points midway through the second half. Facing their first true road test in ACC play, the young Duke squad turned to a surprising defensive adjustment, switching to a 2-3 zone for the first time all season.
The move completely stifled Wake Forest’s offense, which had found success running pick-and-rolls to build their second half lead. Duke closed the game on a 24-11 run over the final 9:58 after making the switch, holding the Demon Deacons to just 2-of-10 shooting and forcing eight straight misses at one point.
Scheyer’s “Curveball” Pays Off
First-year head coach Jon Scheyer said the Blue Devils had only played one possession of zone defense all season before Saturday. But sensing his team needed a spark, Scheyer went to what he called his “curveball” defense.
“We’ve kept it in our back pocket just in case. It’s good to have a curveball, and even if it’s maybe not the best zone in the world, we were just trying to stand them up a little bit, and sometimes late in a game, that’s what it can do.”
Jon Scheyer, Duke head coach
Scheyer credited his players for quickly adapting to the change in strategy and making it effective, especially considering the team’s limited practice time spent on zone concepts. The Blue Devils’ length and athleticism clearly bothered Wake Forest, taking them out of the rhythm they had found against Duke’s typical man-to-man looks.
Flagg Fuels Duke Once Again
While the defensive switch keyed the comeback, Duke still needed production from its star freshman to secure the hard-fought road win. And once again, Cooper Flagg delivered in a big way, pouring in 24 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists.
Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes had high praise for the 6-foot-8 wing after the game, putting him in the same category as some all-time greats he’s faced in his coaching career:
“Generational. He’s at that level. He’s going to play in the NBA for a long time.”
Steve Forbes, Wake Forest head coach on Cooper Flagg
Flagg’s poise and production in crunch time proved pivotal. He said afterward the close game provided a perfect chance for this Duke team, which has mostly cruised to double-digit wins, to show its resolve.
“We haven’t been in a ton of those positions. It was a big opportunity for us to show we can stay composed even when [the opponent] makes a run, and stay level-headed.”
Cooper Flagg, Duke freshman
Timely Learning Experience
Though Duke’s 63 points marked a season-low, Scheyer focused on the silver lining of finding a way to win when not at their best. He sees it as a crucial learning opportunity with the NCAA Tournament looming.
“You have to win one of these games in the tournament, in ACC play — it’s part of it. We’ve earned it with how we’ve clicked on offense, but it’s only a matter of time [before there’s a close game.] It’s huge we could get a win and find a way without having our best stuff.”
Jon Scheyer
The second-ranked Blue Devils (19-1, 9-0 ACC) will look to carry the lessons from this test into another road matchup Tuesday at Boston College. With the first real cracks in their armor showing Saturday, the pressure only increases for this young Duke squad to prove they can handle the rigors and adversity of a deep March Madness run.
