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DWB Poised for Title Run
3/4/2020 1:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Jim Sumner, GoDuke.com
DURHAM, N.C.-- Joanne P. McCallie has won three ACC Tournaments, 2010, 2011 and 2013, while finishing in the runner-up spot in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2017.
Her ACC Tournament record is 20-9.
In other words, she knows her way around Greensboro.
Her keys to cutting down the nets?
Stay in the moment, stay focused, don't worry about seeds, defend and rebound and be prepared to get down in the muck and mire and win some sloppy games.
Can this year's Duke team end the six-year title drought?
Well, the Blue Devils are the third seed, 12-6 in the ACC, winners of seven of their last eight, nine of their last 11.
That's a contender's resume.
It's also a resume that seemed almost impossible two months ago. Faced with one of the nation's toughest schedules, Duke lost five non-conference games and opened ACC play with three losses in its first four games. As recently as January 9, Duke was 7-8.
It could have fallen apart.
But it didn't.
McCallie credits her players for trusting their work, trusting their teammates and staying focused.
"What's made it great is this team has been in the tunnel and totally focused," she said after a late win over Virginia. "They haven't been doing anything but focusing on the game in front of us, and everybody, they have come collectively together to play. That's part of our thing right now."
It also helped that Duke got healthy. The Blue Devils played all of last season without point guard Kyra Lambert and most of the season without combo guard Mikayla Boykin, both victims of knee injuries.
In fact, Lambert missed two entire seasons following an injury sustained in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Lambert returned to the court in the regular-season opener against High Point and celebrated by making a 60-footer in her return.
But it takes time to shake off the rust of a two-year absence and Lambert was shaking off the rust against a schedule that included such heavyweights as Texas A&M and South Carolina.
Boykin's most recent surgery was latter than Lambert's last surgery, so her return was later. She played nine minutes against Wake Forest on January 2, two minutes in the next game.
Again, rustiness to be shaken off.
All the while Duke was sinking into that sub-.500 hole.
McCallie says she had an almost clinical approach to the early season woes.
"We knew what our journey was. We knew the facts. You can't get overly emotional. You have to stay poised through difficult times. I was very aware of our strength of schedule, our RPI."
It's hard to say when it all turned around.
Perhaps it was the Louisville game, a game Duke lost 60-55, but only after leading the then seventh-ranked Cardinals for most of the game. Or perhaps it was an overtime win over
Virginia Tech or a tight win over Notre Dame that ended a 15-game Duke losing streak to the Irish. Or an 88-58 pummeling of Syracuse, on the road, nonetheless.
But as win followed win, the momentum built and suddenly Duke was back in the post-season conversation.
Lambert says the build-up was slow and methodical but built on the most solid foundation.
"I don't know if there was an exact moment, but I think it started on the defensive end. We picked up our defensive intensity and that fueled this progression we've had."
Haley Gorecki agrees.
"I don't think there was a specific moment. I think everyone started playing into their roles really well."
It should be noted that Lambert and Gorecki are graduate students, veterans but veterans who have missed sizeable chunks of their careers with injuries. Leaonna Odom is a senior.
March is important to seniors and graduate students.
NC State's Wes Moore noted that urgency when Duke upset his eighth-ranked Wolfpack last week in Reynolds Coliseum.
"Duke's got three seniors in that starting lineup that realize it's now or never. This time of year, everything is turned up a notch or two."
McCallie credits that trio and fellow senior Emily Schubert with their leadership as Duke turned around its season.
"They had to deal with so much negativity. But they stayed poised and focused."
All three veteran starters are playing at a high level. Odom was held to eight points in Duke's 73-54 season-ending win over North Carolina, ending a streak of 12 straight double-figure games, a streak that included national-player-of-the-week honors.
But even in that game Odom had seven rebounds, two assists and a block.
There's no question that Odom is playing the best ball of her career and no question that Duke needs her to continue at that level to maximize its March run.
"She has so much to offer," McCallie says. "She has had to battle consistency. Her defensive versatility, her ability to guard four positions gives us so many options."
Lambert is one of those players whose value exceeds her stat line. She's a connector, a player who sees what her team needs and provides it.
"She's so active on defense," McCallie says. "Her energy is contagious. She's mentally very tough. She understands the team and the team listens to her voice. She has a sixth sense, a sneaky ability to make the tough shot, make the big play."
Lambert has had 31 points in Duke's last three games, an indication that the rust is behind her.
Then there's Gorecki, Duke's leading scorer, rebounder and assist-generator.
Gorecki could have gone into hero-ball mode when Duke was slumping but McCallie says her star resisted the temptation.
"She's so coachable. She didn't force things. She trusted her teammates."
The three veterans can't do it alone, of course. Post players Jade Williams and Onome Akinbode-James have improved their ability to play together, giving Duke a potent inside tandem, while enabling Odom to play on the perimeter, where she's a matchup nightmare.
Williams had a season-high 10 rebounds against North Carolina, while Akinbode-James has scored in double figures twice in the last three games. Reserve guard Miela Goodchild broke out of a shooting slump with a 12-point game against the Tar Heels.
And Boykin has stayed healthy and productive.
Boykin adds an element of toughness that any team covets. She's had two 15-point games this season, two games with six assists, a game with six rebounds, two games with four steals, all while coming off the bench, her minutes carefully managed to keep her healthy for the post-season.
"She's such a good passer," McCallie notes. "Our offense always improves when she goes in. She finds people."
North Carolina's Shayla Bennett was on the losing side last Sunday and she gives an opponent's perspective.
"They're tough. They can spread you out. They have posts who are like guards. They create mismatches, they're fast and athletic. They have a lot of weapons they can use."
Duke will open the ACC Tournament Friday evening, the last game of a long day. In fact, 10 of the league's 15 teams will already have lost by the time Duke sees the court for the
first time. The opponent will be either sixth-seed Boston College, 11th-seed Miami or 14th-seed Clemson.
Duke played all three teams once this season, losing to Clemson, beating the other two. But that Clemson game was two months ago, the Boston College game three months ago.
Duke played Miami when it was minus injured Beatrice Mompremier, the preseason ACC Player of the Year. She's back now.
In other words, throw out those earlier results. Duke will prepare detailed scouting reports on all three teams based on their entire season.
McCallie says the brutal schedule helped prepare her team for a deep run, as did the large number of close games. Duke has played 10 games decided by five or fewer points, losing six but winning the last two, over nationally-ranked Florida State and NC State.
McCallie says winning three games in three days with a seven-player rotation is possible. But she'd like to get contributions from one or more of her freshmen, most likely Azana Baines, a versatile 6-1 perimeter player who can defend and rebound.
Defend and rebound. Those are the basketball constants and that's where Duke's success this week will likely be determined. Duke is in a good place right now and they've positioned themselves for a special March.
"What you're seeing right now is how we are as a team," Gorecki says. "We know what our potential is. Everything is clicking, and everybody is doing their job and their role."
#GoDuke
DURHAM, N.C.-- Joanne P. McCallie has won three ACC Tournaments, 2010, 2011 and 2013, while finishing in the runner-up spot in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2017.
Her ACC Tournament record is 20-9.
In other words, she knows her way around Greensboro.
Her keys to cutting down the nets?
Stay in the moment, stay focused, don't worry about seeds, defend and rebound and be prepared to get down in the muck and mire and win some sloppy games.
Can this year's Duke team end the six-year title drought?
Well, the Blue Devils are the third seed, 12-6 in the ACC, winners of seven of their last eight, nine of their last 11.
That's a contender's resume.
It's also a resume that seemed almost impossible two months ago. Faced with one of the nation's toughest schedules, Duke lost five non-conference games and opened ACC play with three losses in its first four games. As recently as January 9, Duke was 7-8.
It could have fallen apart.
But it didn't.
McCallie credits her players for trusting their work, trusting their teammates and staying focused.
"What's made it great is this team has been in the tunnel and totally focused," she said after a late win over Virginia. "They haven't been doing anything but focusing on the game in front of us, and everybody, they have come collectively together to play. That's part of our thing right now."
It also helped that Duke got healthy. The Blue Devils played all of last season without point guard Kyra Lambert and most of the season without combo guard Mikayla Boykin, both victims of knee injuries.
In fact, Lambert missed two entire seasons following an injury sustained in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Lambert returned to the court in the regular-season opener against High Point and celebrated by making a 60-footer in her return.
But it takes time to shake off the rust of a two-year absence and Lambert was shaking off the rust against a schedule that included such heavyweights as Texas A&M and South Carolina.
Boykin's most recent surgery was latter than Lambert's last surgery, so her return was later. She played nine minutes against Wake Forest on January 2, two minutes in the next game.
Again, rustiness to be shaken off.
All the while Duke was sinking into that sub-.500 hole.
McCallie says she had an almost clinical approach to the early season woes.
"We knew what our journey was. We knew the facts. You can't get overly emotional. You have to stay poised through difficult times. I was very aware of our strength of schedule, our RPI."
It's hard to say when it all turned around.
Perhaps it was the Louisville game, a game Duke lost 60-55, but only after leading the then seventh-ranked Cardinals for most of the game. Or perhaps it was an overtime win over
Virginia Tech or a tight win over Notre Dame that ended a 15-game Duke losing streak to the Irish. Or an 88-58 pummeling of Syracuse, on the road, nonetheless.
But as win followed win, the momentum built and suddenly Duke was back in the post-season conversation.
Lambert says the build-up was slow and methodical but built on the most solid foundation.
"I don't know if there was an exact moment, but I think it started on the defensive end. We picked up our defensive intensity and that fueled this progression we've had."
Haley Gorecki agrees.
"I don't think there was a specific moment. I think everyone started playing into their roles really well."
It should be noted that Lambert and Gorecki are graduate students, veterans but veterans who have missed sizeable chunks of their careers with injuries. Leaonna Odom is a senior.
March is important to seniors and graduate students.
NC State's Wes Moore noted that urgency when Duke upset his eighth-ranked Wolfpack last week in Reynolds Coliseum.
"Duke's got three seniors in that starting lineup that realize it's now or never. This time of year, everything is turned up a notch or two."
McCallie credits that trio and fellow senior Emily Schubert with their leadership as Duke turned around its season.
"They had to deal with so much negativity. But they stayed poised and focused."
All three veteran starters are playing at a high level. Odom was held to eight points in Duke's 73-54 season-ending win over North Carolina, ending a streak of 12 straight double-figure games, a streak that included national-player-of-the-week honors.
But even in that game Odom had seven rebounds, two assists and a block.
There's no question that Odom is playing the best ball of her career and no question that Duke needs her to continue at that level to maximize its March run.
"She has so much to offer," McCallie says. "She has had to battle consistency. Her defensive versatility, her ability to guard four positions gives us so many options."
Lambert is one of those players whose value exceeds her stat line. She's a connector, a player who sees what her team needs and provides it.
"She's so active on defense," McCallie says. "Her energy is contagious. She's mentally very tough. She understands the team and the team listens to her voice. She has a sixth sense, a sneaky ability to make the tough shot, make the big play."
Lambert has had 31 points in Duke's last three games, an indication that the rust is behind her.
Then there's Gorecki, Duke's leading scorer, rebounder and assist-generator.
Gorecki could have gone into hero-ball mode when Duke was slumping but McCallie says her star resisted the temptation.
"She's so coachable. She didn't force things. She trusted her teammates."
The three veterans can't do it alone, of course. Post players Jade Williams and Onome Akinbode-James have improved their ability to play together, giving Duke a potent inside tandem, while enabling Odom to play on the perimeter, where she's a matchup nightmare.
Williams had a season-high 10 rebounds against North Carolina, while Akinbode-James has scored in double figures twice in the last three games. Reserve guard Miela Goodchild broke out of a shooting slump with a 12-point game against the Tar Heels.
And Boykin has stayed healthy and productive.
Boykin adds an element of toughness that any team covets. She's had two 15-point games this season, two games with six assists, a game with six rebounds, two games with four steals, all while coming off the bench, her minutes carefully managed to keep her healthy for the post-season.
"She's such a good passer," McCallie notes. "Our offense always improves when she goes in. She finds people."
North Carolina's Shayla Bennett was on the losing side last Sunday and she gives an opponent's perspective.
"They're tough. They can spread you out. They have posts who are like guards. They create mismatches, they're fast and athletic. They have a lot of weapons they can use."
Duke will open the ACC Tournament Friday evening, the last game of a long day. In fact, 10 of the league's 15 teams will already have lost by the time Duke sees the court for the
first time. The opponent will be either sixth-seed Boston College, 11th-seed Miami or 14th-seed Clemson.
Duke played all three teams once this season, losing to Clemson, beating the other two. But that Clemson game was two months ago, the Boston College game three months ago.
Duke played Miami when it was minus injured Beatrice Mompremier, the preseason ACC Player of the Year. She's back now.
In other words, throw out those earlier results. Duke will prepare detailed scouting reports on all three teams based on their entire season.
McCallie says the brutal schedule helped prepare her team for a deep run, as did the large number of close games. Duke has played 10 games decided by five or fewer points, losing six but winning the last two, over nationally-ranked Florida State and NC State.
McCallie says winning three games in three days with a seven-player rotation is possible. But she'd like to get contributions from one or more of her freshmen, most likely Azana Baines, a versatile 6-1 perimeter player who can defend and rebound.
Defend and rebound. Those are the basketball constants and that's where Duke's success this week will likely be determined. Duke is in a good place right now and they've positioned themselves for a special March.
"What you're seeing right now is how we are as a team," Gorecki says. "We know what our potential is. Everything is clicking, and everybody is doing their job and their role."
#GoDuke
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