If you believe the hype, No. 9 Duke is simply fine-tuning its game against, at best, marginal opponents in the bottom-dwelling ACC as the juggernaut prepares for a deep run in the men’s NCAA tournament.
The reality, though, is that Duke has struggled to get back into Final Four-favorite form following a two-week COVID-19 pause just before Christmas.
Since then, the Blue Devils have dropped two games—to Miami and Florida State—and have yet to look the part of the big, bad hardcourt bully.
The road gets even more difficult on Saturday, when Mike Krzyzewski makes his final appearance across town at the Dean Smith Center to face sworn rivals North Carolina.