Duke's first vibe in Jacksonville: prepare for a deep run

By Tim Hall
Apr 7, 2010

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - I wish I could go back and change my bracket. Sometimes when you're in a bracket pool you have to swing for the fences early and hope you cash in on a big upset. I had Louisville knocking off Duke in a couple of my brackets in the second round. After watching the Blue Devils practice the day before the tournament, I'm feeling less easy about that pick.

The Blue Devils may not always have the most talented team in the field. They may have dipped out of the tourney a little early lately. But Mike Krzyzewski had his guys preparing for Arkansas-Pine Bluff like they were getting ready for Syracuse in the finals.

Players were sprinting up and down the floor, guys were talking. Big guys were being physical with each other. The assistants coaches were shouting and barking orders at the top of their lungs. Andre Dawkins tried to dunk on top of 7-footer Brian Zoubek, attacking the rim with everything he had. The big guys even finished the practice with the loose ball drill - basically it's two 230 pounders diving for the ball.

Me and about 750 other fans got to see what an everyday Duke practice looks like. It was the most intense practice of the day.

Prior to Duke hitting the court Lance Thomas freaked me out. He looked as fierce as I've ever seen a player who was about to run out of the tunnel for a 45 minute practice. He looked like Hulk Hogan preparing to go body slam Macho Man Randy Savage in Wrestlemania. And this is for a practice.

Thomas was off in the corner of the room. He was standing up and he had both hands on either side of the locker, with his head hunched below his shoulders. I could tell he was in a deep focus, trying to envision what he wanted to do. When I asked him if he had time for a couple of questions it even took him a couple of seconds to get his composure.

"I gotta stay focused at all times. Really, potentially the only game I'm guaranteed in my senior season is tomorrow," Thomas said. "I have a very high level of focus and I want to spread that around the team. Even though it might not be their last time playing in this uniform, have that final sense of urgency just like they're seniors."

The will to carry on your career game-by-game can be a powerful thing. But Thomas did admit to me that he's nervous.

"A little bit, I'm not going to lie. It's just because I want to win this thing bad. Being nervous is okay. Being scared is another story. I'm a little nervous, but I know my teammates have my back and we'll be ready to make some noise."

Coach K on the other hand, I'm not believing that he's nervous. I think he's created a persona that is designed to intimidate and strike fear into every opponent he faces. Nerves? No way. But what about confidence?

He's been caught the past month saying some really positive things about his team, but still he's made it clear that Duke isn't a great team. It's a very good team. Someone asked him if a "very good" team, not a great team, can win the NCAA Tournament.

"A very good team will win the tournament because you have to be very good to win," Krzyzewski said. "You'd better be ready to play every ball game and try to be very good in every game, and hopefully in some games you play great.

"Our team has played great in some games, but we've been very good I think pretty much the whole year."

That's typical Coach K. What's the difference between "very good" and "great" anyway? He's trying to say that he thinks his team can win it all, but he's not going to give his guys the complete prize just yet. He's saying, "You want me to call you great? Go win it all."

I think he's confident. If you saw Duke practice today you'd know the players are. They're also focused and a little nervous, but not scared.

Who's Duke playing again on Friday? Good luck to them.

Most Recent Comments

RE: Duke's first vibe in Jacksonville: prepare for a deep run

Some of these comments sound like some have been drinking too many Mick lights. Duke is going to the 2nd round. They will win the 2nd round. After that, they need to have the 3 ball rocking. They have proved this in the ACC. For all of the naysayers; it isn't over until Roy kicks someone out.

RE: Duke's first vibe in Jacksonville: prepare for a deep run

Ok it's one thing to make a legitimate argument that you think Duke is overreated, and another thing entirely to merely talk about Duke based on nothing but jealousy just like 90% of the country. You really have nothing better to do than smash on Duke? Get a life, check the stats of this season........ Yeah reagular season and tournament champs, only lost 5 games, K is about to get yet another 30 win season, and with barely any sort of inside offensive production. So keep talking and enjoy watching Duke send people home.

RE: Duke's first vibe in Jacksonville: prepare for a deep run

These boards always prove who the real bandwagon fans are...NC State fans. They're always coming out of the Duke closet when it's NCAA tournament time because they're never there.
- Posted by exposure102

That makes no sense at all. That has nothing to do with being a bandwagon fan. Want to hear about bandwagon fans? It's fans like the Carolina fans I know that stopped watching Carolina games ON TV (you know, the games that are FREE to watch?) Carolina fans are the very definition of bandwagon fans!

RE: Duke's first vibe in Jacksonville: prepare for a deep run

These boards always prove who the real bandwagon fans are...NC State fans. They're always coming out of the Duke closet when it's NCAA tournament time because they're never there.

RE: Duke's first vibe in Jacksonville: prepare for a deep run

Duke can have a bad game against a very athletic team. But I don't think there is anyone in Duke's bracket that will beat them. I doubt Villanova survives much longer. And even if they did, I doubt they could beat Duke.

Duke will be in the Final Four. Mark my words now. Carolina fans, you may as will grit your teeth. Your worst nightmare is coming true. Duke in the Final Four and Carolina in the NIT. And if the other #1 seeds get knocked out, it's anybody's tournament (including Duke!)
- Posted by TruthBKnown Returns

And the truth shall set you free!!!!!

WRAL Sports Fan

Tim Hall