If you've ever seen a man get a five-figure bill from the IRS while an elephant simultaneously steps on his foot, you might have a general frame of reference for the level of rancor Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski can raise when defeat comes his way.So, as he explained a 79-71 loss to North Carolina, the sixth Heel win in the last seven games and the second time in three seasons he's been swept by his rival, a funny thing happened.
Krzyzewski was calm, as though you had told him some trivial bit of bad news, like his rental car had been dented or dinner might be a little late.
""I thought both teams played really well, I know our team played well," Krzyzewski said. "We had an opportunity to win the game. You put yourself in this environment with the caliber of team that they are. They're a terrific team."
And like usual, the three-time national champion coach is exactly right.
Duke didn't win, but the Blue Devils have more to feel good about than just that they'll likely never see departing North Carolina senior Tyler Hansbrough again.
Call it glass half full with a slice of lime.
"We played better defense. I thought we had better shots. I thought we competed better. I just think we are a better basketball team than we were a month ago. But they're really good. Ya know, if they're not the top team, they have to be one of top two or three. I'm good with where my team is at.
"I mean that's a hell of a game, that's a real good basketball game."
Sure, Duke didn't stop Ty Lawson, but that just means the Blue Devils joined a club of about 340 other teams. Heck, the Hair Club for Men doesn't have this many members. Blaming Duke for not stopping Lawson is like blaming your pediatrician for not curing the common cold.
And sure, Duke gave up 17 to Hansbrough, but it seems like the longtime senior has been dropping double-digit games on opponents since uniforms still had belts. North Carolina gave Duke trouble on the boards too, but second chance points were an even nine to nine, and when you miss as many shots as the Blue Devils did in the second half, defensive rebounds are plentiful.
So, while there's no need to start TiVoing over your old Jason Williams highlights, Duke fans would probably be wise to take the lead from their leader.
Even with the loss, Duke should feel pretty good about itself. And when was the last time you could say that about a Blue Devil team heading into the postseason, a team that's crashed so badly in the postseason that even Sully Sullenberger himself couldn't have safely landed those teams.
The Blue Devils should feel good because Gerald Henderson is still a force on the court unlike last year's injury-induced slump, and, despite his best efforts has yet to crack the Earth's mantle with the force from a particularly angry dunk. Sure, he still struggles going to his left and finished with just 14 points, but he's still the biggest matchup problem this team has, unless the league lets the Devil play with pitchfork in hand.
"G can play better," Krzyzewski said, dismissing concerns about the only Duke player that could change the lights in the shot clock without a ladder. "We're fine with G."
The Blue Devils should feel good because Elliot Williams is still causing matchup problems and is slipping through defenses like he's wearing a jersey made of Crisco. The freshman had eight points, including a mix of whirls through the lane and played a solid defensive game in 38 minutes of work, ignoring his tendency to foul when the ball is so far away from the basket that the twine is barely visible over the curve of the Earth.
The Blue Devils should feel good because the Jon Scheyer experiment is working. In his six games at the point he's shooting 46 percent from the floor and 46 percent from 3-point range. Against North Carolina he scored 24 points on 7-for-7 shooting, with five assists, no turnovers and four steals. Scheyer could've handcuffed Tyler Hansbrough to a radiator in the second half and done only slight more to lead Duke to victory than he did.
"Jon had a great game," Krzyzewski said, "not a big game, a great game."
The Blue Devils should feel good because they simply missed a lot of shots and still kept North Carolina within seven points for all but the final 52 seconds of the game. Stars Kyle Singler and Henderson went 3-for-14 in the second half and yet the Blue Devils kept a tow-rope firmly attached to North Carolina's bumper.
The Blue Devils should feel good because Nolan Smith is on his way back, and, despite lacking their top perimeter defender, forced North Carolina to play at a pace of the Devils' choosing. And Smith should go a long way toward erasing that zero Duke put up in bench points.
And the Blue Devils should feel good because it's March and, instead of entering like a lamb and leaving like a sacrifice, these Blue Devils are actually starting to get better.
So to Duke, here's a toast. Mike Krzyzewski, please raise your half-full glass.
