Duke fell to a tough and resilient Clemson team Saturday, 78-74. Duke had chances to win this game, and could have still done so late into the game, but a few things worked against the Devils.

First, Clemson played a really solid game and defended Duke very well, forcing a lot of turnovers and limiting Duke’s opportunities for good shots.

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Secondly, and this is not a fault per se, but Kyle Singler is just worn down. You can’t blame the kid for being tired. He’s done everything he’s been asked to do and more. It’s a long season for anyone, but for a freshman who’s asked to do as much as he’s been asked to do, and then guarding the other team’s best big men, it’s just a lot.

And third, Clemson, finally, hit critical free throws in a big game. This has killed them for two seasons at least, and for Oliver Purnell, it must be a huge relief to see his team finally step up and hit some when they count.

The good news there is that in both tournament games, Duke competed really well despite Singler’s tired legs. In particular, Brian Zoubek did a really solid job both nights filling in.

Zoubek played 20 minutes against Clemson and scored eight points and grabbed six boards. We’re starting to see what attracted Duke to the big man: he’s fundamentally sound, he’s strong, and he handles himself well. He did a fine job against Clemson’s imposing frontline.

A few words about Clemson: this is a good team, an admirable team. They play hard, they’re not dirty and they’ve overcome problem after problem. James Mays has played through enough injuries to sideline almost anyone. Cliff Hammonds is playing with a broken wrist.

This is a smart, tough, talented and well-coached team. That, not the fact that they made the ACC Finals for the first time in 46 years, make them a legitimate threat in the NCAAs. Who should they be scared of? They’re just as mentally tough as anyone, and if they hit their free throws, they’re right there. This team is capable of beating Tennessee, UCLA, Memphis, Texas, UNC, pretty much anyone.

The question after losing is simple: where is Duke with regards to the NCAA Tournament?

Coach K thinks things are looking pretty good. He pointed to the bench play in particular – Nolan Smith, Dave McClure, Taylor King, Jon Scheyer and Zoubek combined for 34 points, almost matching the starters, who scored 40.

There are some dark clouds – Singler’s fatigue and Gerald Henderson’s wrist, which he banged up again, and which was to be x-rayed after the game, and Duke’s three point shooting, which has been erratic lately, although not against Georgia Tech.

But on the bright side, if the draws are favorable, assuming Duke is a solid 2 seed as everyone seems to think, the Devils face a 15 seed and then the winner of the 7/10 game. In a perfect world, Singler and Henderson would get some rest and Zoubek would get some more experience.

We’ll see how the brackets pan out. ESPN projects Duke to be a 2 seed in the Midwest, with an opening game against UMBC, and then a matchup with the winner of Kent State/West Virginia.

Odds are it won’t work out exactly like that, but it gives you an idea of what might happen.