Is Duke on verge of special run? Blue Devils no longer living on borrowed time
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Before Sunday, the story of Duke's season spoke of what could be: This roster was talented, yes, and capable of playing in spurts at a level matched by only a few teams, if anyone, but too young and too inexperienced to capture the consistency needed to win the national championship.
The final minutes of the 85-76 win in the second round of the West Region against No. 7 Michigan State rewrites that script.
Pushed to the edge by a veteran opponent, the No. 2 Blue Devils responded in championship style. Ahead by as many as nine points and in the lead for a huge chunk of time bridging the first and second halves, Duke fell behind by five points, 70-65, with five minutes left. But the Blue Devils closed on a 20-6 run, ripping to shreds the theory that this group does not have what it takes to last deep into the men's NCAA Tournament.
This is Sunday night's lesson: Duke isn't living on borrowed time, not by a long shot — in fact, coach Mike Krzyzewski's last team may be on the verge of a special run.
"We were young for a while there, and I was wondering if we were going to stay young," said Krzyzewski. "We were so good in the last part of the game. I mean, just ... I can't tell you how proud I am of them, because we had not been playing well."
Gathering during a timeout after a lay-up by guard Jeremy Roach cut the Spartans' lead to 70-69 with 4:17 left, Duke players "looked into each other's eyes, and we knew we weren't going to lose," forward Wendell Moore Jr. said.
After a pair of Michigan State free throws, guard Trevor Keels' 3-pointer tied the score at 72. Then star freshman Paolo Banchero hit a lay-up. Sophomore guard Jeremy Roach hit another 3-pointer. Moore hit a pair from the line. In the span of three minutes, the Blue Devils transformed a worrisome deficit into an 80-74 lead.
"Jeremy hit a huge 3 for us, and in his drives, he willed that ball. He willed that ball in," said Krzyzewski. "They were some of the best drives I've seen as a Duke coach, really, especially in a pressure situation."
The ability to regain that composure in this atmosphere, with the more battle-tested Spartans surging ahead and seemingly in control, speaks to the rapid maturing of a team that had almost zero tournament experience entering March.
"It's the NCAA Tournament. The season's on the line every single game," said Banchero, who scored a game-high 19 points. "We were like, 'Man, we got four minutes.' We can either lay down, or we can turn it up. That's really all it was, man. Just fighting, like you said, having heart. And just trusting each other, really."
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The flaws remain the same. Duke isn't deep, with only as many as seven contributors logging major minutes. That depth was tested by an apparent lower-leg injury suffered by freshman A.J. Griffin, one of the top 3-point shooters in the nation, who went down with nine minutes left and didn't return.
A defense that cratered down the stretch of the regular season but rebounded in Friday's win against No. 15 Cal State Fullerton reverted back to unpredictability. The Spartans went 11-of-22 from 3-point range and captured 12 offensive rebounds, leading to 15 second-chance points.
And up eight points, 57-49, eight minutes into the second half, Duke was unable to put the Spartans away. After not leading since nine minutes into the game, MSU chipped away at Duke's edge to leave the Blue Devils on the ropes.
But the win against Michigan State proves the flaws aren't insurmountable.
"Duke is the better team, and they proved it," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "If you're down late and you answer the bell, that says a lot about your team."
The Blue Devils will next turn to No. 3 Texas Tech, which beat No. 11 Notre Dame to advance to the program's third Sweet 16 in a row. A win against the Red Raiders would pit Duke against either No. 1 Gonzaga or No. 4 Arkansas for a chance to reach the program's 13th Final Four under Krzyzewski.
However far it goes from here, the win against Michigan State was a classic moment and highlight for the final tournament of Krzyzewski's career.
"Look, I'm 75 (years old)," he said. "To have moments like that, you've got to be kidding me. Really, how damn lucky can you be to be in that? And I want to share in it. I don't want to sit down and say, 'You guys enjoy it.' I want to be in the party a little bit. That's the enjoyment I've got, I've had for 47 years. Today was one of the really good days."
This 47-year career will last at least one more game. And after showing what they're made of in beating the Spartans, Duke's really good day may be the jumping-off point to something even greater.
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Duke on verge of special run as young team blossoms just in time
