Duke’s win over UNC Saturday was big just because it’s Duke and UNC, but there was a lot more than just that.
First, it was an important milestone for a young team. Duke has become a solid defensive team, at times verging on elite.
We saw this in several ways Saturday. First, Dereck Lively had a monster game with 14 rebounds and eight blocks. But more than that, he really challenged Armando Bacot, and we weren’t sure that he could because Bacot is a load inside. He’s tremendously strong and is a superb rebounder and banger. We got to see him much closer than we usually do and he’s really physical.