SI.com - Writers - Stewart Mandel: Business as usual for dominant Duke

ATLANTA -- The outcome was never really in doubt, even if the score often suggested otherwise. Sure, Illinois kept pushing and pushing, but like a recycled Hollywood script, Duke would hit the big shot here, make the key steal there. It's the NCAA tournament version of Groundhog Day.

Except that the last couple years, Groundhog Day ended early for the Blue Devils. Friday's 72-62 victory over Illinois was their first Sweet 16 victory in three years, a drought hardly worth mentioning if this were any other program, but a colossal one for a team that's reached the Final Four an average of every other year the past two decades.

Two years ago, it was unheralded Indiana stealing the Devils' mojo, the image of Jason Williams' free-throw woes tarnishing an otherwise dominant season. Last year saw them get overpowered by Kansas' Nick Collison.

But the trademark Duke swagger, absent those two fateful nights, has returned with abandon this tournament, and in just the right amount.

"That team my sophomore year, we thought we were too good," said senior Chris Duhon. "Last year, we didn't think we were good enough. This team knows it's good, but it's not overconfident."

It showed the first two rounds when they ran Alabama State and Seton Hall off the floor, and it showed Friday every time Illinois threatened to take control. Like when Luol Deng answered a potentially momentum-turning Dee Brown 3-pointer early in the second half by calmly feeding Shavlik Randolph for an easy lay-up. Or when, with Illinois making one last desperate run, J.J. Redick, his outside shot failing him most of the night, stepped up and hit one of his patented fadeaway dagger treys to ice the game.

Or when, during a crucial stretch of the second-half, big man Shelden Williams simply started imposing his will inside.

"They ran the same play [to Williams] seven times in a row," lamented Illinois coach Bruce Weber. "We did not have an answer."

These are the kind of moments we've come to expect from Duke, which makes it hard to believe that, other than Duhon and Nick Horvath, Sunday's game against Xavier will be the first Elite Eight experience for these Blue Devils.

"We took a big step tonight," said junior Daniel Ewing. "The past couple years this has been the end point of our season. Today, we got over that hump."

One reason they got over that hump is that Williams is a much more powerful player than this time a year ago. Another is the arrival of Deng, who, as the one neutralizer against Illinois' speed, scored a game-high 18 points.

But the biggest reason is the calming leadership of Duhon, who drew his coach and teammates' admiration after notching 10 rebounds and eight assists despite a lingering rib injury that had him cringing with nearly every breath. That the ACC player of the year could attempt one shot and his team still win says something about his and the Devils' maturity.

"Duhon's performance was simply amazing," said Mike Krzyzewski. "In the condition he's in, for him to get 10 defensive rebounds -- I'm in awe."

"What Chris did tonight, and has done all season, has raised the level of all of our play," said Redick.

Duhon, for his part, shrugged off the acclaim. In fact neither he nor his teammates expressed any particular jubilation about their accomplishment.

"Some of your toughest games come in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight," said Duhon. "Usually, this is where we feel national championships are won."

In other words, business as usual for Duke in its annual quest for national supremacy. It's the last two years that were unusual.

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.


	SI Media Kits \| About Us \| Subscribe \| Customer Service Copyright © 2005 CNN/Sports Illustrated. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.

Business as usual

Duke regains swagger by overpowering Illinois