You are usually who you are during this wonderful time of year in March.
According to the record, you are who you are. For the three weeks that count for basketball programs, you are what the committee calls you. Every time you walk the court, it may be your last, so you be who you are at the last buzzer.
But in the odd instance of Duke, the top overall seed, it is everything but. Despite the abundance of skill on hand, it remains a ball of wet clay, far from a completely cooked product. After defeating No. 9 TCU 81–58 on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA men’s tournament, the Blue Devils advanced to the Sweet 16 because, unlike many of their peers in the tournament, they are still in the rare process of evolving—something that usually punishes you at this time of year.
“I feel there’s a lot of things to clean up. What’s happened with us the last two weeks is the fact that Pat [Ngongba II] and Caleb [Foster] have been out. We didn’t practice as much as I would have liked,” said coach Jon Scheyer, much happier than after the opening-round nail-biter over No. 16 Siena. “The habits we’ve developed all year, I think especially on the defensive end, the consistency we saw in the second half, I would like to see that all the time.”
However, despite dealing with injuries to its starting center and point guard, that hasn’t been the case for a team that is regarded as the favorite to win the national championship this season after two games at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The Saints pushed them to the limit before running out of steam late on Thursday, making them the first No. 1 seed to fall down by double digits to a No. 16 seed. Two days later, Duke was once again in a tight spot against the Horned Frogs and their small but strong defense, which resulted in 17 turnovers, despite the deceptive final score. That was the Blue Devils’ second-highest total of the season, and it was made worse by a nearly nine-minute period on both sides of halftime without a field goal.
This was the most vulnerable any of the top four seeds in the tournament have appeared thus far, even with Ngongba’s return to the floor for four points and 13 minutes of activity. Forget about appearing mortal.
“We said it’s time, we came out gentle, and we gave them confidence. Come on, let’s stop. Let’s go for a run. In the second half, forward Cameron Boozer said, “Let’s do what we do.” “We went on our run after coming out and doing that.”
The biggest wake-up call occurred when Scheyer called a timeout with 16 minutes remaining, right before the media break, to calm his players and reiterate the lesson he has always emphasized when things become tight. Even while Boozer’s addition to his highlight reel as the front-runner for national player of the year and Duke’s blowout of fellow ACC opponents shaped the team’s external image, the other end of the court has been crucial to almost every significant victory in 2026.
“We are aware of who we are and how to protect it. After a night of nine points and five assists, guard Cayden Boozer stated, “I think we’re going to evolve naturally just because we have a good team. We’re going to keep learning and understanding the type of basketball we have to play against the caliber of teams we’re playing moving forward.” “We will change. But ultimately, we are aware of who we are, and that is protection.
“We know who we are and how to keep it safe. Guard Cayden Boozer said, “I think we’re going to evolve naturally just because we have a good team,” following a night of nine points and five assists. Going forward, we’ll continue to study and comprehend the kind of basketball we need to play versus the kind of teams we play against.” “We’re going to change. In the end, though, we know who we are, and that is protection.
However, it can also be extremely damaging during those moments when the team does up the pressure and intensity on defense that comes with everything but the program’s well-known floor slap.
Ask the Horned Frogs, who at times appeared powerless as they dealt with everything thrown at them on both ends of the court in the closing minutes. Any improvement TCU made after the break was hindered by Duke’s early transition to a matchup zone, and the Big 12 team struggled even more as a result of foul trouble.
In the blink of an eye, a close game in hot weather in the foothills of South Carolina erupted into a 41–18 run.
Coach Jamie Dixon stated, “We forced the turnovers we wanted to force, but it just seemed like things weren’t going our way.” “I believe we just let it get away from us after fighting and persevering.”
“I felt that we were primarily focused on the perimeter during the first half. They have an excellent defense, so give them credit. They put pressure on you. Scheyer continued, “They have active hands.” “I thought we simply had more poise in the second half, understanding how we’re trying to fight for the rim and making more really simple plays.”
In total, four of Duke’s players scored in double figures before being benched early as the game turned into a rout in the closing minutes.
Maybe Scheyer and his staff will be able to focus on what worked in the second half with more rest and practice time before they travel to the East Regional in Washington, D.C., next week. They might even be able to play an entire game with this level of intensity on both sides of the court.
As the game developed into a rout in the last minutes, four of Duke’s players scored in double figures before being benched early.
With extra rest and practice time before heading to the East Regional in Washington, D.C., next week, perhaps Scheyer and his staff will be able to concentrate on what worked in the second half. On both sides of the court, they might even be able to maintain this level of energy for the entire game.
With their victory against Michigan just six weeks ago, this squad essentially established themselves as the team to beat this season, thus they won’t be unfamiliar with Capital One Arena. Since then, Duke’s appearance has changed significantly. Its ceiling is tantalizingly visible, but it hasn’t been fully displayed yet. Despite this, the team has survived and made progress in the competition.
They won’t be unfamiliar with Capital One Arena because they virtually established themselves as the team to beat this season with their triumph over Michigan just six weeks ago. Duke’s appearance has altered dramatically since then. Though it hasn’t been fully exhibited yet, its ceiling is tantalizingly visible. The team has persevered and advanced in the competition in spite of this.
As the tournament’s top seed concludes its first weekend of play in the extremely uncommon position of needing to adapt on the fly, only time will tell.
