ESPN Men's Basketball

Update: Despite what Perky Plumlee told the Durham Herald-Sun Monday, Mason Plumlee is indeed going to return to the Blue Devils for his senior season, according to a report from CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman Tuesday afternoon. An official announcement is expected later in the day.

I'm going to leave this post up, because the general stuff about the draft deadline is still relevant, I think, even if it doesn't directly apply to Plumlee. One wonders if Plumlee and his family realized there wasn't much to be gained by drawing the decision out until the April 29 NBA deadline, simply because there are few good pathways to knowledge about draft stock in the current configuration.

Below is the original post.

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Technically, today, April 10, is the NBA draft deadline. Put more accurately, April 10 is the NCAA's NBA draft deadline, the product of a proposal forwarded by ACC coaches in recent years, since approved and enacted by NCAA committee leadership, to move the draft decision date up to the last day before the start of the spring signing period. Why? So NBA hopefuls have to make up their mind in time to give coaches a heads up on whether or not they can sign that next big thing to a college scholarship.

It's an unfair rule ... and it didn't take long for pretty much everyone to find the loophole. Cue Mason Plumlee's father, Perky Plumlee, as told to the Durham Herald-Sun:

“That date is meaningless to us,” Perky Plumlee said. “Mason’s got a very difficult decision to make. The fact that the NBA and NCAA got their rules crossed up, that’s not our fault. It’s not our responsibility. As far as I’m concerned, he has until the 29th to make his decision. He has my blessing to take all the time he needs.”

How is this possible? Because the NBA's draft deadline date is actually April 29, and players who don't sign with an agent and don't submit paperwork to enter the draft before April 29 can indeed maintain their collegiate eligibility. Perky Plumlee has given Mason Plumlee -- who looks like a late first-round pick at this point -- his blessing to do exactly that, so that's what Mason is going to do.

But what about the blessing of Plumlee's coach, Mike Krzyzewski? Because even the April 29 deadline, like the rule itself, is a bit deceptive. As Draft Express's Jonathan Givony explained in an excellent primer on the new rule in March:

Since the NCAA bars third parties (even family members) of college players from reaching out to NBA teams to discuss their draft stock and the NBA itself has strict no-contact rules regarding the way teams can communicate with players who are not officially draft-eligible (before the early-entry list is released in early May), the only way an underclassman can gather information about his draft stock is through his college head coach. Furthermore, the head coach is only allowed to talk with the principal basketball operations executive from each team (ie: the general manager), according to NBA rules, and the underclassman may not participate in or be present during any such conversation.

Instead, the most a player can do is request an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee, a group of 20 representative executives chaired selected by the NBA League Office. A player can request an evaluation from the committee no later than April 3, and is supposed to receive that evaluation no later than April 6.

And so all the power of the draft deadline process was shifted to the collegiate head coach's hands. This is where trust comes in: A player and his family, particularly one in Plumlee's tenuous fringe-first-round neighborhood, have to trust that Coach K is accurately and impartially inveighing what he's hearing from NBA scouts and general managers about a player's draft status. The only other option is covert, private outreach on the part of the family, which runs a huge risk of ineligibility if any improper contact with NBA league officials is discovered by the NCAA.

Players were once allowed all the way up to the last few weeks before the draft to obtain information about their draft status, information that was far more accurate -- because the draft changes quickly, almost to the minute. And three months out, no one knows what's going to happen. Now, it's up to the undergraduate committee, a few real days of legitimate information gathering, and the player's college coach, who is not exactly a perfectly impartial party.

So you can forgive Plumlee and his family for wanting to take as much time as possible with the decision, even if that decision will come down to what they're hearing from Coach K and what's being written by draft gurus like Chad Ford and Givony. It's a mess, and there are no good routes forward. But for Plumlee and other prospects like him, this is probably the best.

ATLANTA -- There wasn't a dull moment when Duke and Florida State got together for a chance to meet North Carolina in the ACC tournament final. But with both teams down to their last breath, Florida State guard Luke Loucks drained a deep 2 with 11.9 seconds left, giving the Seminoles a 62-59 lead. Duke's Seth Curry's half-court launch rimmed out right at the buzzer, preserving the Seminoles' win.

Florida State took the season series against the Blue Devils, advancing to the ACC title game for the second time in school history. Both times have come in Atlanta.

Turning point: Having Mason Plumlee foul out with a minute left hurt Duke in the post. It also sent Loucks to the line, where he hit two free throws to make it 60-57. His winning shot took care of the rest.

Key player: While Loucks was clutch for the Noles late, guard Michael Snaer put on another show against the Blue Devils. He led FSU with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, grabbed four boards, dished six assists, blocked two shots and had two steals.

Key stat: Duke turned the ball over 16 times Saturday. In the two previous games against the Seminoles, Duke turned it over 11 and 10 times, respectively. FSU scored 19 points off those turnovers.

Miscellaneous: Loucks set the FSU school record for career games played with 132 when the Seminoles played Miami on Friday. He made it 133 against Duke. ... With Austin Rivers' 17 points, he recorded his team-leading 29th double-figure scoring game for Duke. ... The loss ended Duke's streak of three consecutive ACC tournament championships. ... FSU dominated the paint, outscoring Duke 34-24. ... FSU also won the bench battle 18-9. ... The game featured eight ties and 10 lead changes.

What’s next: Duke is headed home and will likely come out of this weekend as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Florida State will take on top-seeded North Carolina on Sunday for a shot at its first ACC tournament championship. A win for the Seminoles might propel them to a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, but it appears the Noles have secured at least a No. 4 seed.

DURHAM N.C. -- A quick look at sixth-ranked North Carolina's 88-70 victory over No. 3 Duke on Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium:

What it means: For the Tar Heels, their 29^th regular-season ACC title, the No. 1 seed in next week’s ACC tournament, and some vengeance after allowing the Blue Devils to rally from a double-digit deficit in the final minutes to win Feb. 8 in Chapel Hill.

Duke, which had its seven-game winning streak snapped, lost its third ACC game at Cameron this season.

How it happened: North Carolina led 48-24 at halftime (yes, you read that correctly) as the Tar Heels dominated from the outset. With the scored tied 4-4 about a minute into the game, they shot on an 18-1 run before the Devils made another field goal, a Seth Curry 3-pointer. But it was only one of two 3s for Duke in the first half -- a sharp departure from the teams' previous meeting. Duke managed an Austin Rivers-led 8-2 mini-run to cut the deficit to 24-13. But it didn’t last, as the Devils shot 26.5 percent in the first half and the Tar Heels dominated the boards 32-15.

Duke, as was to be expected in this rivalry series, made a run early in the second half, outscoring UNC 11-4 to cut its deficit to 52-35. UNC weathered that one, but the Blue Devils put together another rally, cutting their deficit to 75-64 with about six minutes left on two Miles Plumlee free throws.

But unlike Feb. 8, when the Tar Heels squandered a 10-point lead in the final three minutes, point guard Kendall Marshall hit a jumper with about four minutes left. Freshman James Michael McAdoo then put back a Marshall miss to give the Tar Heels a 79-64 cushion with about three minutes left. And with about two minutes left, Harrison Barnes made a 3 to give the Tar Heels an 82-64 advantage.

Marshall led the Tar Heels with 20 points and 10 assists.

Mason Plumlee led Duke, which shot 58.6 percent in the second half, with 17 points.

Hubbub: The Cameron Crazies cheered for UNC forward Tyler Zeller -- the senior who missed two free throws, accidentally tipped in a Duke bucket, and was defending Rivers on the game-winning 3 during Duke’s double-digit comeback the previous time these two teams met – when the 7-footer was introduced. He fouled out with less than a minute left, but got the last laugh, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

What’s next: The ACC tournament at Philips Arena in Atlanta. Both team have Thursday byes, but top-seeded UNC will play at noon ET on Friday, and No. 2 seed Duke will play at 7.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Six … Five …

The seconds melted away. Austin Rivers kept dribbling.

Mason Plumlee was under the rim, another among the nearly 22,000 people crammed inside the Dean E. Smith Center, as helpless as each and every one. Later, he'd admit it: He was a little worried. He trusted Austin. It's just, well, those seconds were vanishing, and there Rivers was, dribbling them away. What if he missed? Would Plumlee have a chance to get a rebound?

"What is he doing?" Plumlee thought. "Is he going to shoot it?"

Four …

Seth Curry wasn't going to stand by and wait. He screamed at Rivers: "Shoot it! Shoot it!" It was futile. The crowd was too loud. No way Rivers could hear him. Would he get it off in time?

Three … Two …

That's when Doc Rivers knew. He'd seen it before. His son had set things up this way: He had forced UNC center Tyler Zeller into an uncomfortable switch, and now he had the big man right where he wanted. Doc's son was hesitating on purpose, waiting for the seven-foot Zeller to back up -- just enough to see the rim, just enough to give it a chance.

One ...

For Eamonn Brennan's full column, click here.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Well, well, well. Some quick, pertinent details from Duke's buzzer-beating 85-84 win over hated rival North Carolina after a 10-point rally in the final two minutes ...

Overview: Getting into a run-and-gun game with North Carolina is never a good idea, but because Duke's defense has struggled so often this season, especially recently, the Blue Devils didn't really have a choice. If they were going to win in the Dean Dome, they were going to have to outscore UNC. And for nearly 20 minutes, it worked. Duke came out hot, hitting 7-of-17 from 3 in the first half and leading Carolina the entire way. The Tar Heels couldn't stop Duke's screen action. They couldn't close out on shooters. They couldn't keep Austin Rivers out of the lane. There was the creeping suspicion that the early lead was built on a foundation of sand, but hey: This was Duke's chance. The Blue Devils deserved credit for taking it.

Alas, it didn't -- and maybe couldn't -- last long. If UNC picked up the pace late in the first half, it absolutely exploded in the second. Kendall Marshall began to push the pace, Harrison Barnes started to work his midrange game and, by the 16:34 mark, the Tar Heels rushed out to a 54-44 lead. Rivers remained hot from 3, but the rest of the Blue Devils cooled off.

However, they never went away. Every time it looked like North Carolina was going to snuff the life out of the game, Duke got a big bucket, or a key steal, or a big 3 from Rivers or Seth Curry. Slowly but surely -- almost quietly, if you can believe it -- Duke snuck back into the game. With a minute left to play, Mason Plumlee's steal led to a Curry 3, which cut a seven-point lead to four. Barnes was called for a charge on one end; Ryan Kelly made a big 2 on the other. Just like that, it was a two-point game, 82-80, and UNC's fans had no choice but to realize the sudden seriousness of the situation.

Strange events followed: At 83-80, Kelly's attempt at a 3 became a 2 when Tyler Zeller (somehow) tipped it in. After a missed free throw at 84-82, Rivers backed his hesitant defender (Zeller) away and, just milliseconds before the buzzer, launched a 3 that -- wouldn't you know -- went in. It was, well, pick your adjective. Miraculous? Ridiculous? Insane? It was all those things and more, and no rapid reaction could ever do it justice. Wow. Just ... wow.

Star of the game: Duke's Austin Rivers has been mercurial and inconsistent for much of the season -- have you seen this? have you heard about this? -- but wow, what a second half and what a finish. A star is born. Rivers finished with a career-high 29 points, made six of 10 shots from long range and even pulled down five rebounds.

Rivers was Duke's early spark, scoring 13 points in the first half, and his second-half shooting (including a pair of 3s in the midst of UNC's run) kept his team in the game when UNC looked ready to totally blow it open. When all else was failing, he kept his team's chances viable much deeper into the game than they had any right. And then, well, you saw the final shot. You're going to see it a million more times, too.

Stat of the game: Duke connected on 14 of its 3-pointers, the most the Blue Devils have hit against a North Carolina team since March 2001.

Meanwhile, UNC attempted just six 3s and hit just one of them. That’s a whopping 39-point difference from beyond the arc.

What it means: The Blue Devils just made the ACC a three-horse race after ending UNC's 31-game home winning streak. Carolina could have pulled away, but instead, Duke moves ahead to 7-2, UNC moves back to 7-2 and both are tied with 7-2 Florida State after the Seminoles' strange loss at Boston College. This thing is now wide open.

But forget the ACC standings. Honestly, who cares? This game was another insane chapter in one of the best rivalries in the world of sports, and Rivers' shot will join the all-time great players and plays in the pantheon. You'll see it replayed over and over and over, and it will be warranted, because it immediately becomes one of the greatest shots in a rivalry full of them. This was Jeff Capel-type stuff. It was nuts. And this writer won't soon forget it.

On March 3, UNC travels 8 miles to Durham for a rematch at Cameron Indoor Stadium. "Big game" doesn't even begin to describe it.

What's next: Duke hopes to carry the momentum over to a Saturday afternoon home matchup with Maryland, while North Carolina better bounce back quick because No. 20 Virginia comes to Chapel Hill next, also Saturday afternoon.

DURHAM, N.C. -- A quick look at No. 6 Duke’s 61-58 victory over No. 17 Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday night:

What it means: Despite another superb effort by Virginia forward Mike Scott -- who followed his 23-point effort against Miami with a 23-point game against the Blue Devils -- Duke extended its home winning streak to 44 games (behind only Kentucky, nationally) while halting the Cavaliers’ s run of victories at 12.

How it happened: The score was knotted 38-38 early in the second half when Duke made its breakaway. First, Seth Curry buried a 3-pointer. Then he blocked Sammy Zeglinski’s 3-point attempt, which led to a Tyler Thornton layup -- Duke’s first true transition bucket of the game. Scott’s baseline jumper wiggled out, leading to another Duke transition bucket. An Austin Rivers 3-pointer eventually stretched the run to 10-2 and the Blue Devils’ lead to 48-40.

Duke’s defense -- ranked second-to-last in opponent scoring in the ACC entering the game, allowing 69.4 points per game, and dead last in the league field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot 44.3 percent -- was more active in the second half.

But Virginia still had two shots to send it to overtime.

After Duke’s Ryan Kelly missed two free throws in the final minute, Virginia’s Akil Mitchell dunked back a miss to cut Duke’s lead to 61-58. Curry missed on a well-defended drive with about 15 seconds left, but Scott and teammate Jontel Evans both missed 3-pointers for Virginia in the final 10 seconds as time ran out.

Mason Plumlee led Duke, which shot 52.2 percent, with 12 points. Virginia shot only 39.3 percent, including 29.4 percent in the second half.

Numbers to know: Duke has now beaten Virginia eight consecutive times in the series and 15 straight times in Durham. Over the past 10 seasons, the Blue Devils are 17-1 against the Cavs. ... Duke made only 8-of-19 free throws Thursday night. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it's just the second time since 1996 the Devils have shot less than 50 percent from the line in an ACC home game. The other time came in an 85-83 loss to North Carolina in 2001. Duke was also just 5-of-20 from long range, its worst 3-point shooting performance of the season. ... Mike Scott scored 23 points (10-19 FG) and grabbed nine rebounds. The rest of Virginia's starters combined for 20 points (7-27 FG) and 13 rebounds.

What’s next: The Blue Devils travel to Clemson for a Sunday meeting. The Cavaliers get the weekend off, and will play at Georgia Tech on Thursday.

Robbi Pickeral can be reached at bylinerp@gmail.com. Twtter: @bylinerp.

It’s an epidemic that’s plagued the national college basketball scene for far too long. Too often, this issue is overlooked or dismissed.

But it’s time to address the madness that’s rocking programs throughout the country. I’m referring to Starving Big Man Syndrome.

Perhaps your favorite team suffers from this silent season-killer. Well, it’s time to identify the victims in hopes of rectifying this growing challenge.

1. Meyers Leonard -- Why won’t the Illini feed the big man? He took four shots in Saturday’s loss to Purdue. Just eight in a Dec. 17 loss to UNLV. He’s capable of duplicating his 20-point effort against Minnesota last week and his 21-point performance in the Illini’s Dec. 3 win over Gonzaga. He should get the ball more often. He was 4-for-9 in a one-point win over Northwestern Wednesday, but his teammates failed to find him multiple times when the Wildcats weren’t doubling.
2. Patric Young -- Florida’s big man has a 63 effective field-goal percentage, according to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings. He took 20 shots combined in Florida’s past two games. But he’s only cracked double digits in field-goal attempts four times this year. And he’s only responsible for 12.7 percent of his squad’s shots this season. Sure Florida is stocked with perimeter talent. But the SEC is a hotbed for talented bigs. Anthony Davis, Arnett Moultrie, Festus Ezeli and JaMychal Green anchor the league in the post. So the Gators will need Young even more in league play. It’s time to toss the ball inside.
3. C.J. Aiken -- The 6-9 forward is ranked sixth in the Atlantic 10 in John Hollinger’s NCAA player efficiency ratings (23.59 PER). But prior to Wednesday’s 84-82 win over Duquesne (he was 5-for-10), Aiken had taken 11 shots combined in two previous games. The Hawks -- like Temple and St. Louis -- are going to make the Atlantic 10 race interesting, especially with Xavier’s recent struggles. Aiken is a key part of St. Joseph’s NCAA tourney hopes due to his defensive prowess (his 4.5 blocks per game lead the nation). But he’s more than a shot-blocker as his performance in the Duquesne victory proved.
4. Anthony Davis -- Finding the best use for Davis’ expansive skill set isn’t simple. He’s 6-10 but he’s certainly not a traditional big man. And Kentucky is stocked at every position. But it never hurts to have an additional offensive weapon, especially one who’s shooting 65 percent from the field. But Davis’ offensive game might become a significant factor in March and April, despite the talent around him. Prior to his 22-point performance (9-for-11) against Arkansas Little-Rock Tuesday, Davis had taken seven shots or less in seven games.
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David Butler II/US PRESSWIREPerhaps a loss to Seton Hall on Wednesday might have UConn emphasizing getting the ball to center Andre Drummond much more often.
5. Andre Drummond -- Every legit mock draft board I’ve read places the UConn forward in the top five of this summer’s draft. Why would a lottery pick take five shots and score four points … EVER? That was Drummond’s stat line in Wednesday’s upset loss to Seton Hall. It just doesn’t make any sense. It was his second five-shot outing in three games. He shot two free throws combined in those matchups.
6. Arsalan Kazemi -- He leads the nation in rebounding. And he’s on top of Conference USA in steals and field-goal percentage. But he’s averaging 7.7 field-goal attempts per game for Rice, despite boasting a 61.2 effective field-goal percentage, per Ken Pomeroy. But he’s been responsible for just 13 percent of Rice’s field-goal attempts so far this season.
7. Eli Holman -- Detroit has lost three of its past five games with Holman in the lineup. The 6-10 presence missed multiple games due to an indefinite leave at the start of the season. He’s shooting 62 percent from the floor and averaging 12 ppg. Ray McCallum Jr. and Chase Simon handle the scoring load for the Titans. But Holman can be an offensive difference-maker in conference play. Detroit nearly knocked off nationally ranked Mississippi State when Holman went 6-for-8 from the field.
8. Alex Len -- He’s only played three games after missing time because of an eligibility issue (he’d previously signed with a pro team overseas). But Len is living up to the hype for ACC sleeper Maryland. I know Terrell Stoglin (21.2 ppg, sixth in the nation) likes to eat. But Len is hungry, too. He’s taken 10 shots in his team’s past two games (he was 10-for-14 from the charity stripe in those contests). He’ll probably become a more viable part of Maryland’s offense in the ACC, where John Henson, Mike Scott and the Plumlee Clan lurk. He’s a dangerous addition for the rest of the league.
9. James Haarsma -- UW-Milwaukee’s 6-7 forward has hurt himself with foul trouble in multiple games. But the Panthers could use an offensive boost that Haarsma should be able to provide. He had three points in a Tuesday loss to Western Michigan. According to Hollinger’s ratings, he’s No. 22 in the Horizon League in player efficiency with a 15.76 PER. Milwaukee won a slice of the Horizon last year, but the Panthers have lost three of their past four games. In two of those matchups, Haarsma only took four shots, even though his team shot under 30 percent from beyond the arc in those games. Might be time for UWM to look inside.
10. Royce White -- He’s surrounded by shooters at Iowa State. And right now, there’s really nothing to complain about regarding his role because the Cyclones have won six in a row, including a solid victory over Texas Wednesday night. But the Big 12 is a big league. And White is capable of offensive fury. The league’s eighth-ranked player in Pomeroy’s offensive ratings has taken 16 shots in his team’s past four games. He still leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. So it’s not like Fred Hoiberg’s offense has ignored him. But White’s 22 points and 13 rebounds in a Dec. 3 loss to Michigan weren’t flukes. He’s that good. And he’ll get better with more scoring opportunities inside.

If your favorite team suffers from Starving Big Man Syndrome, please call 1-800-FEED-HIM. That’s 1-800-FEED-HIM. Or just call Bill Walton.

PHILADELPHIA -- Temple took the subway to its basketball game on Wednesday night, hopping a ride on the Broad Street Line from North Philly to South, home of the Wells Fargo Center.

The ride was more symbolic than playful to head coach Fran Dunphy, a throwback homage to the university’s roots as a commuter school built for people who spent their days on campus and their nights holding down part-time jobs to pay their tuition.

Dunphy didn’t take the next step, comparing Temple to its blue-blooded opponent, Duke. But as he spoke with genuine reverence about his good friend Mike Krzyzewski and appreciation for a program that he considers the gold standard in college basketball, it was hard not to make the simplistic leap for him.

Temple is the lunch-pail team once personified by its wily old coach, John Chaney, and now embodied in its no-nonsense new boss. The campus is plopped on the edges of a tough Philly neighborhood and the program long has had to succeed with scrappers.

Duke is Krzyzewski, the wildly respected head coach who rarely looks ruffled, a campus with old, storied buildings and a program that long has had its pick of the basketball litter.

But if college basketball is nothing else, it is the great class equalizer. Privilege has its place ... it’s just not on the basketball court.

Temple upset the third-ranked Blue Devils on Wednesday, calling on its deepest reserves of grit and toughness to outmuscle and outhustle Duke, 78-73.

“We just had to play tough and we did,’’ said leading scorer Khalif Wyatt, who finished with 22 points and 5 steals for the Owls.

The loss puts the skids on Duke’s modest five-game win streak, a streak in which the Devils appeared to have found their defensive rhythm after a debacle against Ohio State on Nov. 29.

Krzyzewski wasn’t quite sure what to make of this game. He didn’t want to undersell what Temple did to his team, but also had to acknowledge that the team on the court wasn’t the one he’d seen in recent weeks.

“Come on, if I saw it coming I would have faked an illness instead of getting ill during the game,’’ Krzyzewski joked. “Whenever that happens, to me, the other team has the most to do with it. But we obviously didn’t play very well.’’

Meantime, the win gives Temple a signature victory to hang its at-large hat on. Now 10-3, the Owls had a good win against Wichita State and another versus struggling rival Villanova, but headed into a muddled and muddied Atlantic 10 season -- across town, Xavier continued its slide by losing to La Salle -- Temple needed something to distinguish itself.

This does that, plus it gives a team that sorely needed it a huge confidence injection. TU has been playing much of the season without two starters. Guard Scootie Randall hasn’t played at all and is likely to take a redshirt; big man Micheal Eric has appeared in only four games, though he’s expected back soon.

So it’s been a hodgepodge lineup for Dunphy. He’s had to ask players to play out of position, but has offered them little in the way of condolences.

“We’ve talked about how tough we have to be,’’ said Dunphy, whose team was coming off three straight close wins against the likes of Rice, Buffalo and Delaware. “We’re not feeling sorry for ourselves. I know guys are playing against guys four inches bigger than them, but you know what? That’s the way it is.’’

And the way it was against Duke was simple to explain: Temple’s mix-and-match team played harder. Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson poured in a season-high 17 points, Anthony Lee chipped in 11 plus three blocks and the three guys asked to do it all -- Wyatt, Ramone Moore and Juan Fernandez -- did the rest.

The three guards controlled the tempo and the pace, using their advantage off the dribble to score at the rim or keep Duke off balanced on the perimeter.

Temple built a 55-45 lead midway through the second half when Wyatt drained a 3, but minutes later, the Blue Devils sliced that advantage to just three points, 60-57. The Owls had no answer for Miles and Mason Plumlee, who scored nine in that pivotal stretch and finished with 17 and 16 respectively.

“The Plumlee brothers were a handful,’’ Dunphy said. “They were terrific inside and they were just a little bit too much for us to handle on a 40-minute game basis.’’

But on the next possession, Miles missed a jump shot, allowing the Owls to push. Moore set up for a 3-pointer on the wing, but just before he could launch it, Wyatt called out to him. The off-balance Moore somehow found Wyatt in the corner and Wyatt’s swished 3 sealed the deal for the Owls.

“I was open,’’ Wyatt said of his willingness to interrupt Moore midshot.

It was vintage Wyatt, a player who may personify this Temple team as much as Chaney did back in the day.

“He’s got huge ...’’ Dunphy said, pausing to find the proper, family-friendly word, “courage.’’

He’s also got a nonblinking green light from his coach, and that unwavering faith allows Wyatt the freedom to shoot fearlessly.

“A lot of coaches don’t let you play that way,’’ Wyatt said. “But he’s real generous and that lets you have that mindset to keep playing. As long as you're tough on defense, he lets you do what you want. Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean.’’

Temple fans stormed the court after the game, enjoying their fourth win against a top-10 team in as many seasons.

That’s what happens, Dunphy explained, when you’re Duke. You exist in such rarefied air that other schools celebrate wildly when they beat you.

And then they grab their lunch pails, hop the subway and go back to work.

“Coach came into the locker room after the game and said, ‘Good win, but I’m worrying about Dayton now.' That’s the way it is,’’ Wyatt said.

It’s possible that Tuesday night’s duel between No. 2 Ohio State (6-0) and No. 4 Duke (7-0) in Columbus will determine the nation’s top team.

If one-loss North Carolina knocks off Wisconsin and Kentucky this week, voters may choose the winner of this matchup to occupy the No. 1 slot when the next polls are released (assuming the victor remains unblemished). But even if the Tar Heels or Wildcats own the top post in the coming days, this should be the week that Duke and Ohio State acquire the necessary street cred to warrant consideration as the nation’s best team.

We’ve been so busy buzzing about the Wildcats and Tar Heels that we’ve overlooked -- relatively speaking -- teams such as Duke and Ohio State in discussions about the national championship.

The Buckeyes brought back Jared Sullinger, arguably the best returning player in the country. And despite losing two key seniors -- David Lighty and Jon Diebler -- Ohio State is a more talented team this season. Aaron Craft has blossomed on both ends of the floor (5.5 assists per game, 3.5 steals per game) and, in his second season, Deshaun Thomas is averaging 12.3 points per game and making 81 percent of his free throws.

Big Sullinger was very good. Slimmer Sullinger (18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game) is even better. And William Buford (17.7 ppg) continues to carve out one of the best four-year careers in school history.
But outside of an 81-74 win over an imbalanced Florida team, the Buckeyes haven’t faced any major tests this season.

That hasn’t been the case for the Blue Devils, who beat Tennessee, Michigan and Kansas to capture the Maui Invitational title.

Their start is impressive because of the dramatic transition of their nucleus compared to last season. Mike Krzyzewski relied on veterans Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith last season. Kyrie Irving, in limited time, was the best freshman and arguably America’s best player when he was healthy.

But all three are gone, so Duke has had to rely on a young crew that’s gradually gaining the mojo that will be necessary to fight for the ACC and national titles.

Seth Curry is shooting 57.1 percent on 3-pointers and is leading the Blue Devils with 15.1 points per game. Mason Plumlee is a double-double man (11.4 points, 10.0 rebounds), and he’s a tougher player than he was last season. Ryan Kelly can hurt teams inside and outside (41 percent from beyond the arc), and Andre Dawkins is dangerous from the perimeter, too, connecting on 45 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Austin Rivers has been criticized, mostly because of his early struggles and the way they contrast the hype that preceded the start of his collegiate career. But he’s playing in a system without a true point guard. That’s an adjustment for that entire backcourt. And yet, Rivers is averaging 14.4 points per game. Most coaches would accept that first-year production.

Ohio State’s numbers
Good: Buckeyes are shooting 52 percent from the field (ninth in the nation).
Bad: 31 percent from beyond the arc.
Ugly: Four of five starters are averaging at least 1.5 turnovers per game.

Duke’s numbers
Good: 46 percent from the beyond the arc.
Bad: Plumlee has made 18 of 41 free throws.
Ugly: Curry and Rivers are averaging a combined 4.4 turnovers per game.

Duke needs: Plumlee to get physical with Sullinger inside. Entering last week’s matchup against Kansas, many figured that Thomas Robinson would push Plumlee around for 40 minutes, and that didn’t happen. Plumlee was just as tough, and down the stretch he made key defensive stops because he matched Robinson’s aggression. And he’ll have to put up a similar fight against Sullinger, who’s a far more polished player than Robinson. Plumlee will obviously get help on defense, but Duke won’t win unless he pressures Sullinger on each possession.

Ohio State needs: Buford to be the X-factor. He’ll cause the biggest matchup issues for the Blue Devils. The 6-foot-6 guard can hit shots from the outside, work off screens and slash if necessary. His versatility and size might be the key to Tuesday’s game.

Prediction: Duke 69, Ohio State 68. I think Duke’s backcourt versatility will be the deciding factor in a tight game. My ESPN.com colleagues apparently disagree.

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Fans from both sides had warring chants that echoed throughout the crowd. Mike Krzyzewski was leaping up and down and spilling out on the floor with emotion. Bill Self twisted and recoiled with every turn of the game.

Duke players leapt into each other’s arms when it was over as the faces on their Kansas counterparts had the far-off look of a team that had just dropped an elimination game of some sort.

Was this game played in November or in March?

The Maui Invitational is often a great event. But it’s played so early in the season and is such a departure from the typical mood of big-time college basketball that usually it can’t help to have at least some exhibition feel to it.

And then a night like Wednesday happens, when two legacy programs played a high-intensity game that could have just as easily been taking place in a dome and not a tiny band-box gym in the middle of the ocean.

In a way, it is a shame that the final score will be recorded as "Duke 68, Kansas 61," because it doesn’t imply the sort of struggle it was. Or how badly both sides clearly valued the game.

They hadn’t played against each other since 2003, so there was a gravity to the game. The key players in both jerseys had been a part of matchups like this before, but not in the roles they were going to play. All of this added to the tension, and it was tangible.

The game was ultimately decided on a wild and freakish shot, the unheralded Tyler Thornton heaving in a 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock with 20 seconds left that made it a two-possession game. Krzyzewski later called it a “dream shot” as he sat next to Thornton, who was clearly still floating and not yet realizing that he might’ve made one of the shots of his life. While that was the obvious final highlight, it was only a bit of what took place.

During the second half, as the lead repeatedly changed hands, Krzyzewski sprang off the bench to fire his team up. Playing their seventh game in 12 days, fatigue was a factor for Duke. But it was so clear that their coach wanted them to fight through it because he understood the magnitude of the game.

“I want to win and I wanted them to see I haven’t retired yet,” he said. “It was important for me and important for them.”

The game was loaded with moments like that.

There was KU's Thomas Robinson showing off his all-around game in front of nearly a dozen NBA general managers, displaying a multi-faceted offensive game from jumpers to post moves to sheer power. He demanded the ball, playing with such a purpose that he often seemed to be moving at a different speed. His 16 points and 15 rebounds spoke to that. So did the fire with which he played and the long face that he left the floor with, totally spent.

“This is what we came to Kansas for, for games like this,” Robinson said. “I haven’t been around that long, but I do think it’ll go down as one of the top games [ever] in the tournament.”

But all Robinson’s play did was end up setting up a series of mighty one-on-one battles with Duke’s Mason Plumlee in the final minutes, with Plumlee’s longer arms and strength able to shut down Robinson’s effectiveness. With his 17 points and 12 rebounds, Plumlee ended up getting the edge in that matchup.

The Blue Devils’ Ryan Kelly, who had 17 points and was named the event’s MVP, had a game-long struggle with Kansas bigs Jeff Withey and Justin Wesley. There was Kansas guards Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson and their back-and-forth with Duke’s Seth Curry and Austin Rivers.

Taylor’s speed and aggressiveness stymied his counterparts as Curry and Rivers, who were a force during the tournament, were rendered mostly ineffective. Curry was just 2-of-8 and had trouble staying with Taylor on defense. Rivers got in foul trouble and wasn’t a factor in the second half, something not foreseen. Taylor finished with 17 points and Johnson had 10.

But Taylor’s excitement at times was too much and Duke’s pressure only increased as the game wore on and he ended up turning the ball over an ugly 11 times, 7 of them in the second half.

All of it together created something more than a game in Maui. It was instantly a candidate for one of the best regular season games of the year.

“I can’t imagine there being a better atmosphere than that game with two historic programs,” Self said. “I know our guys had a blast playing in it. I had a blast coaching in it.”

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Coming into the season, the buzz around Duke centered on two sons of the NBA -- Seth Curry and Austin Rivers. And for the first six games of the season, Rivers and Curry led the team in scoring and set the tempo for the team.

But on Wednesday night, with the Maui Invitational title on the line against a feisty Kansas team, it was the trio of Ryan Kelly, Mason Plumlee and Tyler Thornton who stole the show.

Kelly led all Duke scorers with 17 points. Plumlee grabbed 12 boards and played stifling defense on Thomas Robinson. And Thornton hit two improbable 3s in the final few minutes of the game to give the Blue Devils the 68-61 victory over KU, giving the school its fifth Maui championship and maintaining its perfect record (15-0) in the event.

Kelly, who was named MVP of the tournament, kept the Blue Devils in the game in the first half with his perimeter shooting. In addition, he constantly pulled Robinson away from the basket and showed off his ability to create off the dribble. Whether he was hitting his shots or missing them, he spread the floor for the Blue Devils and kept Robinson out of the paint on the defensive end.

Kelly, who averaged just 6.6 points per game as a sophomore while shooting 32 percent from 3, looks like a completely different player as a junior. Last season, he was a bit of a shrinking wallflower that lacked confidence. This season, Kelly is on the hunt for his offense and is giving the Blue Devils a huge boost.

"I'm happy for Ryan," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I really think Ryan's going to be one of the best players when he finishes up. He's going to be a pro ... Ryan, I think was deserving for three straight days in what he did, but he wouldn't be MVP if Mason didn't play well tonight."

Indeed, Plumlee was also crucial for the Devils. His length and athleticism gave Robinson a number of problems in the second half. On the offensive end, he got deep position on the KU bigs on multiple possessions and worked his way to the line. Plumlee's 17 points were the second-highest output of his career and he was even more impressive from the line. Coming into the game, Plumlee was shooting 34 percent from the charity stripe this season. On Wednesday night, he was 7-for-9 from the line.

"I thought the key guy to the game was Mason," Krzyzewski said. "You know, Mason really played like such a man with physicality and size. When you're playing with a guy that's playing that hard and that demonstrative, it gives you confidence.

"It's tough to single out anybody else, but I'm telling you just effort-wise, I've done this a long time, that was the key to the game. I know he didn't make the all-tournament team or whatever, but he made my team. We don't win this championship without him."

But the star of the night was Thornton, the scrappy backup guard for the Blue Devils. In the first two games of the tournament, Thornton scored a total of 4 points. For the season, he had taken a total of nine shots in six games. But with Rivers struggling down the stretch, Coach K decided to bench his star freshman in favor of Thornton.

And that's why he's Coach K.

Thornton played tenacious defense on Elijah Johnson and Tyshawn Taylor and hit his first bucket of the ball game, a huge 3, with 1:12 left to go in the game. The shot gave the Blue Devils a 63-61 lead. A minute later, with the shot clock winding down to zero and with just 20 seconds left in the game, Thornton hit a high-arching, double-clutch 3 at the shot-clock buzzer to extend the lead to 5. It was a dagger to the Jayhawks.

"Give him credit. I don't even know if he saw the rim when he shot it," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "But it was a heck of a shot. It was a great shot. It was the ballgame."

"I saw the rim," Thornton said. "But it was a tough shot. When Seth kicked me the ball, I looked at the shot clock, it was 3 seconds, and I just tried to get up a good shot. Once it left my hands, I kind of thought it was going to be in and luckily it was."

Added Krzyzewski: "It's a dream shot. People say it was a lucky shot, but I will tell you I'm lucky to have him on my team to shoot that shot. Sometimes you're just on a bus with a guy who deserves to win, and for that moment we were on his bus. Thank goodness he knew how to drive it."

A few more notes from the Duke-KU game:

-- Just as improbable as Thornton hitting those shots was the fact that Thornton was in the game at all. Rivers picked up his fourth foul with 6:39 left in the game. Thornton replaced him and Coach K never subbed Rivers back in for him. It was a pretty bold move considering that Rivers, up until that moment, was the Blue Devils' leading scorer and later would be named to the all-tournament team. Rivers was struggling in the second half and took a couple of wild shots, but Krzyzewski said the benching wasn't a punishment.

"Just defensively we needed it. Austin had four, and he got banged up on his shoulder a little bit. It wasn't that we were ... he didn't do anything wrong. It was just that team out on the court was so good defensively that you didn't want to mess up with it. He's fine with it. He'll win a lot of games for us, and he has. That's why he made all-tournament team. He's played well here."

-- Had the Jayhawks won the game, Robinson would have garnered the MVP of the tournament. He had another excellent game with 16 points, 15 rebounds and a block. However, Robinson also showed that he can be bothered by long, athletic, physical players like Plumlee. Robinson shot just 6-for-15 from the field and especially struggled down the stretch against Plumlee's stiff defense.

-- There's a downside to tweeting during a live game. Early in the first half, I tweeted "Best I've seen Tyshawn Taylor in years. Been good all 3 games for KU." At the time, he was slicing through the defense, hitting big shots and collecting dimes. But in the second half, Taylor regressed badly and ended the game with a whopping 11 turnovers. "Tyshawn had an unbelievable first half," Self said. "So even though he got careless there late, it may have been because he was a little fatigued and lost focus. So I've got to do a better job with that."

Overview: Wow. What a game. There were 16 lead changes during Duke’s 68-61 victory over Kansas in Wednesday's Maui Invitational championship game. That says it all. Tyler Thornton, known for his defensive prowess, knocked down a go-ahead 3 with 1:12 to play, then another one from long distance with 20 seconds remaining on the game clock to seal it. Those shots were just the fifth and sixth 3-pointers of his college career.

Turning point: With his team down 61-60, Thornton nailed a 3 from the corner with 1:12 to go. That shot came seconds after Kansas’ Elijah Johnson hit a go-ahead 3 from the top of the key. Thornton’s first 3 immediately swung the momentum of the frantic final minutes toward the Blue Devils. On the subsequent possession, Tyshawn Taylor committed his 11th turnover of the night and Thornton followed up with a no-way-that's-going-in 3 as the shot clock expired on the next possession.

Why Duke won: Forawards Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly roamed the interior on both ends of the floor. They were aggressive and effective. Both players recorded 17 points and were responsible for 3 blocks between them. The game was tight, so every play truly counted. With just under 5 minutes to play, Plumlee swatted Thomas Robinson’s layups on back-to-back plays. The duo’s aggression put Jeff Withey in foul trouble. He was on the bench with four fouls during that stretch. With Robinson as the only true inside threat, Kelly helped Plumlee force Robinson to take difficult shots. Thornton’s late 3s wouldn’t have mattered without Kelly and Plumlee’s consistent intensity throughout the contest.

Why Kansas lost: The Jayhawks had their chances. And that’s what’s going to bother them when they reflect on their loss to Duke. The Jayhawks rushed shots after defensive stops. On multiple occasions, Robinson took jump shots as if to respond to something Duke has done on the other end of the floor. Taylor’s 11 turnovers speak to the inconsistent offense. The Jayhawks missed a key opportunity to pull away from the Blue Devils because they didn’t have the patience to take better shots at crucial junctures. In the end, KU's impatience cost it the Maui Invitational title.

Star of the game: Plumlee recorded 17 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. Plus, he was matched up against Robinson, who had a double-double but missed out on crucial late scoring opportunities because of his defense.

What it means for Duke: The Blue Devils are leaving Maui as a more complete squad. Beginning with an exhibition trip to China and Dubai this summer, the Devils faced a series of question marks leading up to the 2011-12 season. Who would play point guard? Would they be tough enough inside? How will they compete without Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith? Well, they answered those questions by winning the Maui Invitational for the fifth time. Plumlee and Kelly held their own against more athletic and talented post players in Maui. Austin Rivers struggled in some areas, but he didn’t try to escape the moment. He moved on after his mistakes, a sign of his maturation process. And this crew has the balance that the 2009-10 squad used to win a national title.

What it means for Kansas: KU has to watch this film. It will be a frustrating experience, but the Jayhawks need to know that this was their game. They made crucial judgment errors against the Blue Devils. There were turnovers, bad shots and rushed scoring opportunities. Kansas played tough until the final minute. But it shouldn’t have come down to that. The Jayhawks had their chances to pull away; they just didn’t make the necessary plays. So Kansas will leave Maui with a more positive outlook about its potential, while kicking itself for some of its blunders Wednesday.

More observations: Withey, Kelly and Plumlee have all faced the “soft” tag during their careers. But they were tenacious and aggressive in this one and set the tones for their respective programs. … Plumlee employed a nice left hook that no defender will be able to block. Wonder why more big men don’t use it. … Taylor committed 11 turnovers because he tried to force so many plays. Duke swarmed the senior guard, particularly in transition. Instead of waiting for help or resetting, he forced passes and overdribbled. Seemed like Taylor had his own pace.

What’s next: Duke faces third-ranked Ohio State on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Kansas will host the Buckeyes on Dec. 10 after playing Florida Atlantic, South Florida and Long Beach State in its next three games.

As we get set for a hoops-filled weekend, here's a linky look back on the week that was at the College Basketball Nation blog:

• The ACC/Big Ten Challenge played out as most predicted -- a 6-5 win for the Big Ten -- but there were plenty of surprises along the way. Virginia toppled No. 13-ranked Minnesota in Minneapolis Monday night, temporarily throwing the ACC/Big Ten picture into question, before the Big Ten righted the ship, gaining a 4-2 lead on Tuesday night and finished it off Wednesday with a Purdue win at Virginia Tech and a 6-5 overall victory.
• We chatted throughout the action, and if you're the kind of person that reads live chats a few days after the fact, enjoy.
• Duke beat a turnover-prone Michigan State squad Wednesday night. Kyrie Irving looks like the best freshman -- and one of the best guards -- in the country. And both teams looked like they could very well meet again in Houston in April.
• Amid the ACC/Big Ten fun, Missouri got its first big test of the season Tuesday night, and even though an impressively flexible Georgetown team pulled out a win in the best game of the season thus far, the Tigers looked like a quality bunch with plenty of Mike Anderson up-tempo goodness to take them deep in the NCAA tourney.
• Kansas received what appeared to be an early Christmas gift, a questionable late foul call that handed the Jayhawks a one-point win against UCLA Thursday night.
• John Adams, head of NCAA officiating, contended that the referees made the right call on the play.
• Yours truly looked back on the first month of college hoops and handed out a few awards for early season performances. As you might expect, Connecticut's Kemba Walker and Arizona's Derrick Williams were prominently featured.
• Mark Few shared dystopic visions of his son as a chain-smoking couch potato.
• We mulled over New York basketball's apparent talent decline.
• Indiana discovered its one hope for adding legitimate size this season, junior college transfer Guy-Marc Michel, would be ineligible this season.
• Marcus Jordan became a star.
• Montana State unveiled its very own "Cat plane."
• Mark Adams discussed the rebounding prowess -- and still-untapped potential -- of Morehead State's Kenneth Faried.
• Old Dominion beat Richmond and continued to look as impressive as any mid-major team in the country.
• Mason Plumlee dunked three basketballs at one time.
• UNLV unveiled some sweet new jerseys.
• And Andy Katz prepared us for the weekend to come, which promises to be one of those great college hoops Saturdays that make college basketball season really feel like college basketball season. We're all the way in now. Doesn't it feel good?

First it was Kyle Singler's impressive trick shot video, which you may have seen during ESPN's broadcast of the Duke-Michigan State game Wednesday night. The latest Dukie to create an incredibly cheesy viral video? One Mason Plumlee, who demonstrates his "three-ball dunk drill" to the dulcet sounds of "Danger Zone" in this week's Duke Blue Planet release.

Yes, the "three-ball dunk drill" is exactly what it sounds like. Though I'm not sure it's technically a "drill." Observe:

Plumlee has another impressive dunk about halfway through the video: He catches a Nolan Smith pass off the back of the backboard and finishes for a reverse slam, the kind of thing you usually only see in dunk contests. And, of course, Seth Curry's brief cameo -- "Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Mason Plumlee!" -- should not go without mention.

More than anything, though, it's another reason to be impressed with Duke so far this season. The Blue Devils are the best team in the country despite the fact that they seem to spend all their practice time creating YouTube clips.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas State fans came for a classic.

What they got was classic Duke.

Tuesday night's CBE final promised big things: The fourth-ranked Kansas State Wildcats -- a team that had just routed a solid Gonzaga squad -- would get a shot at the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils, college hoops' defending national champions. They would do so in front of a packed, purple-clad Kansas City crowd.

OK, so maybe Kansas State wouldn't win, but how could this be anything but a great game?

Forty minutes and a 14-point margin of victory later, here's how: Duke is the best team in the country.

Actually, let's be more specific: Duke is the best team in the country by a lot.

Asked if he agreed, Kansas State coach Frank Martin didn't hesitate.

"They knocked the living piss out of us," Martin said. "If there's a team better than they are, I don't want to play them."

Fortunately for Martin, and unfortunately for that segment of the college hoops world that just can't help but hate the Dukies, there isn't a team better than Duke in college hoops this season. Not now. Not in April. And not anytime in between.

It's only a matter of time until someone makes the bold leap and predicts Duke to have an undefeated season. I won't go that far; college hoops is too upset-oriented, with road wins too hard to come by, to be sure the Blue Devils will make it to April without losing a single game. Eventually, they'll lose. It's bound to happen. (Lest we forget, Marquette wasn't far off.)

But after Tuesday's performance -- which basically amounts to a nonconference road win over the No. 4 team in the nation, Duke's biggest challenge of the nonconference schedule by far -- well, let's just say you can't confidently predict a Duke loss happening anytime soon.

There are plenty of reasons. For one, the Devils' next big test, a home date with No. 2 Michigan State next Wednesday, got a little less intriguing after the Spartans' disappointing performance in the Maui Invitational. MSU limped to an uninspired win over Division II Chaminade on Monday and then lost at the hands of a good-but-not-great Connecticut team Tuesday. By the time Tom Izzo's team arrives in Durham, it won't be ranked No. 2 in the nation anymore. And while Michigan State will no doubt improve over the course of the season, it certainly doesn't look capable of challenging the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor.

Still, most of the reasons for predicting Duke dominance lie within Duke itself. The Blue Devils entered the season with tons of hype, but they've managed to exceed it by their fifth game. Freshman point guard Kyrie Irving might be the nation's best pure point guard, and he happens to be playing alongside another guard who can play a little, team leading scorer Nolan Smith.

Kyle Singler is still a player-of-the-year-level talent, the most technically refined player in college hoops. Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry are knockdown shooters, perfect for Duke's spacing-oriented style. Even the team's bigs have looked impressive thus far, especially potential lottery pick Mason Plumlee, who followed up a dominating effort against Marquette with a quality game (10 points, five rebounds, one block) against one of the deepest frontcourts in the country.

"You have to pick your poison," Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen said. "You can't help. No matter where you help on them, they're going to pick you apart."

This season, that picking-apart process starts with Irving, who was named the CBE Classic tournament MVP after his 17-point, five-assist, five-rebound, three-steal title game. Irving is as fast as any guard in the country -- he beat Pullen, no slouch himself, off the dribble repeatedly in the title game -- and his ability to beat the defense down the floor and finish at the rim with either hand is uncanny.

Irving is also an intuitive passer, and he has plenty of eager finishers around him.

"We have so many weapons on this team," Irving said. "It's a lot easier to become confident."

And then, of course, there's Coach K. It's practically pointless to list Mike Krzyzewski's accomplishments, because there's nothing about the coach's success in college basketball that you haven't already heard a thousand times. But Tuesday night was special in its own right for Coach K: The win was his 800th as head coach at Duke.

For all of the institutional advantages now available to him at that school -- among them, as Krzyzewski mentioned, the ability to recruit on a national level -- you don't get to 800 wins at a single school without a truckload of pure coaching know-how, and that was on display as vividly as ever at the Sprint Center.

"Mike did a lot more to get his players ready to guard Jacob than I did to get our players ready to guard Kyrie," Martin said. "That's why he's won 800 games at Duke and a gazillion national championships. Because he's good. He took me to school today."

"Coach K has this down to a science, people," Pullen said. "And it's a great science, man."

Science or not, Duke is almost certain to stumble at some point along the way. All great teams do. Over the long haul, there may be teams you'd pick to challenge Duke in the postseason -- Kansas with an eligible Josh Selby, Ohio State with a dominant Jared Sullinger -- and, hey, you never know what can happen in March, right?

But what Duke has, as of Nov. 24, 2010, is this: a team led by a legendary coach coming off a national title (not to mention a FIBA World Championship), buoyed by two All-American candidates, captained by a brilliant freshman point guard, and filled out with deadly accurate shooters and athletic big men that just ran the No. 4 team in the country off the floor in a home-court setting.

And if that doesn't scare the rest of the country, remember this: It's only Nov. 24. The Duke Blue Devils could still get better.

Undefeated? Settle down. Rarely tested? Entirely possible. Classic Duke?

All signs point to yes.