His ribs are sore, bruised from a fall in a game two weeks ago. He could go around and avoid impact, but he’s not going to let up. He fights through the screen — wincing with the blow — and stays with the ballhandler.
All season, the dogged determination of senior guard Duhon has been the motor that powers Duke’s aggressive defense.
Now, after straying briefly from that shut-you-down mind-set late in the season, the Blue Devils are back to playing the defense that coach Mike Krzyzewski loves heading into Saturday’s national semifinal game against Connecticut.
“We’ve been a really good defensive team all year,” Krzyzewski said. “We were playing great defense during (the winning streak). Then, I think we let up because we started to score more. But in the NCAA Tournament we’ve played very well defensively.”
The Blue Devils (31-5) have held opponents to 40-percent shooting and 65 points per game. Duke has also averaged a school-record 6.6 blocked shots and forced 17.2 turnovers per game.
During an 18-game winning streak, Duke’s defense overwhelmed opponents and carried the Blue Devils to a midseason No. 1 ranking. But the Blue Devils wavered, losing four of 10 games heading into the NCAAs.
They sure seem back to form. In tournament wins against Alabama State, Seton Hall, Illinois and Xavier, they allowed 62 points per game and 39-percent shooting.
Duke’s staple all season has been pressure man-to-man defense. When it’s working well, the Blue Devils get hands in passing lanes to force turnovers, fueling a potent transition game.
