When asked to explain how the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament trailed No. 16 seed Siena by 11 points at halftime, Malik Brown was candid with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson.
The Duke forward said he was “nervous” as the Blue Devils played on the NCAA tournament stage for the first time. Brown later acknowledged that Duke may also be entering Thursday’s game by overlooking a lesser-known opponent.
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“We thought it was going to be a piece of cake,” Brown told Wolfson.
After Duke’s 71-65 comeback win in the first round, a lingering question was whether this was all Therein lies the problem for the Blue Devils. Did this loss expose flaws that Duke may face against stronger opponents? Or is this just an early warning bell?
As is often the case, the answer is somewhere in between. While Duke’s apathy may have played a role in its struggles, it wasn’t the only reason the Blue Devils had to put up a spirited rally to get away from their inferior opponent.
As Duke showed in the ACC Tournament, they can still win without two starters, but the Blue Devils’ turnover rate isn’t as high without Patrick Ngomba and Caleb Foster. They are vulnerable against opponents who can surround the paint and tempt them into shooting. Their defense is less suffocating when the rim protector lurking in the paint isn’t Ngomba.
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The Blue Devils’ biggest concern should have been how disorganized they looked in the first half, when Siena crowded the paint and attacked future National Team Player of the Year Cameron Boozer with multiple bodies every time he touched the ball within 15 feet of the basket. Duke’s usually interior-heavy offense became uncharacteristically content with rushing three-pointers.
Duke trailed for much of its NCAA Tournament first-round win over Siena. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
(Associated Press)
More than half of Duke’s first-half shots came from beyond the arc, although the Blue Devils made just two of them. Duke shot 5 of 26 from beyond the arc in the game, which was the Blue Devils’ worst three-point shooting percentage all season.
“They did a great job protecting the paint,” Cameron Boozer said. “They let you settle for three points. We just took advantage of that.”
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Duke’s famed defense didn’t look much better as Siena built a first-half lead. The Saints, who entered Thursday with the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the country, were suddenly unable to miss from beyond the arc and impressed the Blue Devils in the paint.
Some of that was deft passing and fiery finishing from Siena. Some of that was due to Duke’s slow rotations and Ngomba’s lack of opportunities to change shots at the rim.
The game turned around early in the second half, with Duke trailing by 13 points, its largest deficit of the season. Siena’s Francis Folefac completed a controversial dunk at the back rim. Isaiah Evans chased down a long rebound and finished with a dunk at the other end, sparking an 11-0 Duke run that put the Blue Devils within striking distance.
Rather than putting Cameron Boozer up front and letting Siena double-team, Duke adjusted by using the superstar freshman as a driving force and letting him run the offense. Caiden Boozer made just one start due to Foster’s broken foot, but he also performed well as the Blue Devils’ primary perimeter creator, finishing with a career-high 19 points and five assists.
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Thirteen of Evans’ 16 points also came after halftime. His spectacular breakaway layup with 4:25 left gave Duke its first lead since early in the first half. Minutes later, Ms. Sarr swooped in to stop Siena’s dunk attempt, helping ensure the Blue Devils stayed ahead for good.
Duke coach Jon Schell called falling behind Siena by double digits at halftime “the toughest position I’ve ever been in in the tournament, hands down.” Scheyer said he was proud of the resiliency Duke showed, but acknowledged that Siena coach Gerry McNamara “had his players better prepared than I was.”
“He out-coached me, he out-coached us,” Scheyer said. “It was one of the toughest moments in sports for me because I didn’t have the best stuff.”
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The big question facing Duke heading into Saturday’s second-round game against TCU is whether Nnongba will be able to return healthy. His interior defense will be crucial for the Blue Devils to survive the heavy pressure in the East Region, let alone make a championship run.
A first-round win doesn’t mean Duke is destined for an early exit from the NCAA tournament. There are many examples of national championship teams surviving early scares.
But the illusion of invincibility that Duke once had is now gone.
The No. 1 seed surprisingly looked very beatable in Thursday’s opening night of the NCAA tournament.
