We really expected a much tougher game from Wisconsin than Duke got. Bo Ryan is an excellent coach, and his style is sort of off the beaten path. Plus they're huge. But as Nate James said a few years ago, winning is about heart. And Duke showed a lot of it in this game.
The most remarkable thing about this game was that Duke almost outrebounded Wisconsin, which is impressive not just because Duke is much smaller, but also because Wisconsin has been eating everyone alive on the boards. The leading rebounder for the game? Jon Scheyer, with nine.
But in this game, speed killed. Duke outran Wisconsin to loose balls, they dove on the floor faster, they swung the ball around for open jumpers faster than Wisconsin did. They pushed them out on defense and in fact Brian Butch ended up launching several three point shots. It's not to say that he shouldn't, but in a game where his team had a huge size advantage, ideally you'd press it inside. Wisconsin couldn't. So Butch shot threes.
The game was relatively close early, but two things happened to change it. Trevon Hughes got a couple of first-half fouls, and Duke had a nice run to break the game open.
It was 9-10 when Taylor King hit a three. Duke pushed it out to 14-19, and then DeMarcus Nelson got the ball to Greg Paulus twice for two three point shots. Kyle Singler hit a three a few minutes later and Duke had a 12 point lead. That was pretty much the end of it, really. Duke pushed it out to a 19-point halftime lead, but the course was set: Duke's energy and quickness trumped Wisconsin's size and methodical play.
Though they are big and rugged, this is not a team built for quick comebacks. They tend to grind it out. They remind one somewhat of Terry Holland's teams at Virginia, or in some ways of Herb Sendek's State teams, although their offense is better than that.
But they brought to life John Thompson's empty boast about the 1988 Olympic team - you can't hit what you can't catch (the corollary is that if you can't score it doesn't matter). They couldn't catch Duke, and Duke could definitely score.
Well, at least they couldn't catch Duke for awhile. As the game went on and their frustration grew, they began to play like a stereotypical Big Ten team - body slams and bone-rattling picks, an intentional foul on a breakaway layup by Singler, and then a technical for a nasty slam to the floor which ended up in an ugly wound (if you don't believe us look here to see blood coming off of Kyle Singler's swollen cheek in three different directions).
Duke's irritation became palpable at points. Nolan Smith was visibly upset at his Wisconsin opponent. DeMarcus Nelson came dangerously close to losing his cool. And then Singler got his face slammed.
The second half wasn't nearly as electrifying as the first, which was one of the best displays of passion Cameron has seen in awhile. But it was effective basketball, and Duke continued to take it right at Wisconsin, disregarding their big men, driving it right at them.
By the time it was over, Duke had not only savaged one of the Big Ten's better teams, it had, for anyone who watched, made a strong argument for Top Five status.
We're not surprised that they won; we are surprised at how easy it was. Wisconsin has some nice pieces. They play with discipline and togetherness, and they're bigger than anyone has a right to be. Duke just took them right out of what they wanted to do.
It's tempting to break down individual performances, but in a game like this, that's considerably less important, at least in the manner they are usually looked at, which is to say through offensive stats. It's a lot harder to measure boxing out or calling out switches or screens. This team is playing brilliantly. We'd like to bottle it and keep it. It's not that they're going to go undefeated; they won't. But what you can say is that they are likely to come as close to their potential as just about anyone. This bunch is a blast.
Notes - Marty Pocius didn't dress out due to his ankle injury...Dave McClure got some late action...five players got at least five boards... halftime saw the most amazing jump rope performance by local kids that you've ever seen...simply remarkable....