Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has had no trouble getting his players’ attention this week.
He questioned the Blue Devils’ attention to detail and energy at times this season, but he has made sure they know they’re playing at rival and fifth-ranked North Carolina (20-3, 7-1 ACC) at 9 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN).
“The main thing is to be prepared for playing the most talented team in our conference, and maybe the most talented team in the country,” Krzyzewski said. “They have great experience. I mean, they have four guys who were on the preseason Wooden Award list. They can be an offensive juggernaut, especially at home. I mean, we have to play really good defense in order to have an opportunity to beat them.”
No. 10 Duke (19-4, 6-2) faces added scrutiny because the Blue Devils are coming off an overtime loss to Miami and can’t afford to fall further behind North Carolina and Florida State (16-6, 7-1), who are tied for first in the ACC.
The Seminoles have defeated both the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils this season.
“Overall, our team has done a good job,” Krzyzewski said. “But we’re two possessions from being undefeated [in the ACC] and two possessions from being 4-4.”
North Carolina has won five consecutive games since its loss to FSU and leads the ACC in scoring (84.1), scoring margin (17.1), rebounding (46.3), assists (18.2) and blocks (6.3).
North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, the ACC’s third-leading scorer at 17.3 points per game, sprained his ankle twice in the past week, but played against Maryland on Saturday and has said he’ll be ready to go against Duke.
Hot shot
C.J. Harris, the ACC’s second-leading scorer at 17.5 points, reached double figures in 22 consecutive games and is the first Wake Forest player to do that since current Hawks guard Jeff Teague.
Have not
Duke’s free-throw shooting in overtime of Miami’s 78-74 overtime win Sunday. The Blue Devils were 13-of-16 in regulation, but went 0-for-6 from the line in overtime. Guards Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Quinn Cook each missed two.
“Sometimes it boils down to having to hit a free throw,” Krzyzewski said.
On a roll
- Virginia's Mike Scott, who averages 17 points and 8.5 rebounds, had his second consecutive double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a loss to Florida State. He leads current ACC players with 31 career double-doubles.
- Jarell Eddie scored 15 points to lead Virginia Tech to a victory over Clemson on Saturday. He reached double figures in scoring in three of his past four games.
- North Carolina's Tyler Zeller had five double-doubles in his past seven games and averaged 17.4 points and 11.4 rebounds in that span.
Local ties
Former Greater Atlanta Christian star Malcolm Brogdon, who was the AJC’s high school player of the year in 2010-11, has played in all 22 of Virginia’s games as a freshman and ranks fourth on the team with 6.5 points per game.
Around the conference
Duke players recently decided not to use Twitter for the rest of the season. “At this time of the year, they just decided instead of a Twitter family or whatever, it’s better to concentrate on our family,” Krzyzewski told the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press. ... Five of Boston College’s top six scorers are freshmen. ... FSU’s seven-game ACC winning streak is its longest since joining the conference in 1991-92. The Seminoles are 7-1 in ACC play for the first time. ... N.C. State’s Scott Wood has make 64 free throws in a row, tying the fourth-longest streak in Division I history. Butler’s Darnell Archey, who played from 2000-03, holds the mark at 85 games.
Must-see TV
- Miami at Florida State, 1 p.m. Saturday (WUPA)
Other than tonight’s clash in Chapel Hill, check out this game between Florida rivals that usually has more meaning when played on grass in the fall. Both Miami and FSU have defeated Duke, and the Seminoles are 4-0 in ACC home games. Two of the conference’s top big men — FSU’s Bernard James (Windsor Forest High) and Miami’s Reggie Johnson — will be on display.
Quotable
“Well, he’s a mountain masquerading as a man. He’s a massive mass of humanity. He’s got terrific hands. Again, it’s like a different time zone when you get from one side to the other side. ... A lot of times there is a direct correlation between the size of someone’s rear end and their ability to score. But he’s like SpongeBob SquarePants. The guy is square. It is impossible to get around the guy.” — Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg on Johnson, who is 6-foot-10, 284 pounds
By the numbers
226 Assists by North Carolina's Kendall Marshall this season. He averages 9.8 per game and has reached double figures an ACC-leading 10 times.
299 Career assists by Miami junior Durand Scott.
