RTC Weekly Primer: Duke’s Hell Week
Posted by Henry Bushnell on January 27th, 2015The hurdles just keep on coming. That’s what Mike Krzyzewski and Duke must be thinking right now. After a glorious Sunday and heartfelt celebrations, including a hero’s welcome back home in Durham, the Blue Devils have no time to bask in the glory of Coach K’s 1,000th win. Instead, they must hop aboard another plane, this time to the Midwest, and begin a murderous week. The ACC isn’t quite as relentless and unforgiving as the Big 12. But when it can deal a team a Wednesday-Saturday weekly slate that includes two games on the road at top-10 teams, it’s pretty darn strong. This past weekend on College Gameday, Jay Bilas even tried to argue that the ACC is the best conference in America. I’m not going to go that far (his logic was arbitrary and therefore a bit flawed), but it’s certainly up there. At the very least, the ACC will provide more marquee matchups than any other league. For evidence, look no further than this week.
After Sunday’s Celebration, No Rest This Week for the Blue Devils (USA Today Images)
Three for the Money
- Duke at Notre Dame | Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST, ESPN2. It’s an ACC trifecta this week because, as mentioned above, Duke’s mettle is going to be put to the test. And what’s more, that test, which begins Wednesday in South Bend, should be a whole lot of fun. Both Duke and Notre Dame are top-five offensive clubs nationally, and especially recently, neither is particularly stout defensively. The floor will be beautifully spread, three-pointers will be flying, and the Joyce Center should be rocking. If Notre Dame can match Duke blow for blow, and especially if it can win, it’ll be time to accept the Fighting Irish as a legitimate top-10 team.
- North Carolina at Louisville | Saturday, 4 p.m. EST, ESPN. Three hours before Saturday’s headliner, the Tar Heels and Cardinals meet in a rematch of their thriller just a few weekends ago. On that day, Marcus Paige’s kiss of the glass gave Carolina victory. But it was an enthralling and evenly contested two hours of basketball from wire to wire. The neutrals will certainly hope for a repeat this time around. Conveniently, Roy Williams’ team is playing its best ball of the season. Since losing to Iowa in early December, the Tar Heels have found an offensive groove. They’re getting to the rim at a more consistent rate, and are starting to play to their strengths. On the other side, this actually hasn’t been a major talking point around college basketball, but Louisville really doesn’t have any good wins. The best one is probably a weaker-by-the-day win over Ohio State at home in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Rick Pitino’s team was recently outclassed by Duke, and needs a statement win to remain in the ACC mix.
- Duke at Virginia | Saturday, 7 p.m. EST, ESPN. There’s really not much to say here. The names, the records, the rankings — they speak for themselves. This will be quite the spectacle, quite the occasion. Amazingly, KenPom gives Virginia an 87 percent chance to win the game. (For some perspective, if North Carolina (KenPom No. 10) were to play Georgia Tech (9-10, 0-7 ACC) on the road tomorrow, UNC would only be given a 77 percent chance. That’s astounding. Simply astounding. And more than anything, it reflects just how good the Cavaliers have been recently. Whereas many thought there would be a one-team tier atop college basketball this year, Virginia has quite clearly made it a two-team tier. But with all that being said, it’d be foolish to actually spot Duke those extraordinary odds. The Blue Devils will undoubtedly come to play, and we could be treated to a special game.
Showdown in the Missouri Valley
Wichita State is good. So is Northern Iowa. But for long stretches of January and February, both squads are ignored as they jaunt around the Missouri Valley playing the Bradleys and Drakes of the world. However, when the two MVC contenders meet Saturday, it’ll be worth paying attention. The Shockers haven’t even been tested in conference play, as they’ve been grinding out quality offensive possession after quality offensive possession, but Northern Iowa’s top-20 defense will present an entirely different challenge. So will UNI’s Seth Tuttle, a matchup nightmare. This could be a slow slugfest of a game, and it’s one the Panthers need if they want a shot at a regular season conference title.
Matching up: D’Angelo Russell vs. Melo Trimble
Newly-anointed Vine sensation D’Angelo Russell, whose passing has recently ascended to ‘God Level,’ can’t be stopped right now. You’ve probably seen the highlights, but check out his line from Thursday’s win at Northwestern: 33 points on 12-17 shooting, 6 assists, 7 rebounds, and the most impressive part, 0 turnovers. Russell is on fire, and his Big Ten Player of the Year campaign is gathering momentum. But Melo Trimble is no slouch, and the two will go head-to-head – though they might not actually guard each other – Thursday in Columbus. They may very well be the top two freshmen in the conference, and possibly two of the top five in America.
Crunch Time for…
- UCLA – The Bruins need a marquee win to get back in the NCAA Tournament conversation. A visit from Utah Thursday is a golden opportunity.
- George Washington – Two road games this week for the Colonials, who are 6-1 in the Atlantic 10 and are currently one of Joe Lunardi’s “Last Four In.” The first contest, at VCU on Tuesday, is an opportunity for a big win; the second, at Rhode Island on Saturday, is a sneaky-tough task.
- Florida – The Gators have lost three in a row, all to fellow members of that muddled SEC second tier. They’re now 10-9, and haven’t beaten anybody. Two wins this week – at Alabama and home against Arkansas – are all but a necessity. At least one absolutely is a necessity.
