By Caulton Tudor
Raleigh News & Observer
WINSTON-SALEM ó For Dukeís basketball team, Wednesday nightís loss to Wake Forest may have been as much about learning a lesson as reading the scoreboard. That lesson: Go for it on offense.
The Blue Devils, who were ranked No. 1 nationally entering the game at Joel Coliseum, didnít have enough talent and court presence to overcome the plenty-juiced Demon Deacons. But the Blue Devils ó in the words of that now long-forgotten movie ó did have game on a night they were forced far outside their comfort zone of long-range shooting and points off turnovers.
The record book long will note that No. 6 Wake (17-1 overall, 4-1 ACC) escaped with a 70-68 win on a last-possession layup by James Johnson off an inbounds pass from L.D. Williams on a night Pittsburgh lost to Villanova in the Big East Conference and may have opened the door for the Deacons to argue with Connecticut about the new No. 1 slot.
But Duke (18-2, 5-1) lost this one as much during the first 20 minutes as on Johnsonís decisive bucket.
It was during the opening half, when the Deacons wound up with a 33-28 lead, that Duke really failed to take control of the game. By missing nine 3-point attempts and getting to the free-throw line only four times, the Devils let a possible win go the other way by failing to be aggressive enough with the ball inside.
And unlike some cases in the past, Duke had its chances close to the basket. While Wake was shooting almost 50 percent on field-goal chances in the first half, Duke missed 28 of 39 shots, some of which were fired at close range by Brian Zoubek, Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson.
The lesson hidden in those stats is that Duke simply has to get more aggressive in its half-court sets.
ěSometimes, getting hurt is good,î Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Translation: Duke will get better at avoiding the hurt thatís always a possibility on last plays.
For the game, the Devils got to the free-throw line 24 times, three less than Wake. But at halftime, Wake had taken 12 free throws to Dukeís four.
It wasnít a direct function of officiating, either. Though the Devils were left to argue about the calls near the end, they could only look in the mirror to find the problems during the first half. That was when they seemed tentative, maybe even scared at times against a much younger team.
Long term, Duke will be fine. The Devils may not be a national championship team, but they are good enough to reach the Final Four and still win the ACC regular season. They lost by two points at the wire on the road to another Final Four candidate.
Duke doesnít have North Carolinaís experience or Wake Forestís potential, but donít bury the Devils just yet. They are tough ó plenty tough enough to last a long time in March.
But thereís a difference between being tough on defense and being aggressive with the ball. That is Dukeís challenge leaving Wake.
Itís rare that Krzyzewski has to preach scoring as much as stopping to his players. That rare occasion is here.