WINSTON-SALEM — Seated on the dais inside the Gene Overby press room at Joel Coliseum, Duke coach Jon Scheyer turned to Cooper Flagg and asked him a question.
“Have you ever played zone?” Scheyer said after Duke basketball’s 63-56 win at Wake Forest.
“Nope,” Flagg said.
Well, Flagg and the second-ranked Blue Devils (17-2, 9-0 ACC) played zone against the Demon Deacons (15-5, 7-2).
Trailing by six points midway through the second half, Duke had to try something — anything — in an attempt to slow down the surging Demon Deacons and quiet a riled up sea of tie-dyed shirts.
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HOW DUKE BEAT WF:Cooper Flagg, Duke basketball avoid court-storming scenario with win at Wake Forest
So, Duke went to a 2-3 zone defense, and it worked.
“We haven’t played it. We’ve played it one possession all year,” Scheyer said. “We’ve kept it in our back pocket, just in case. It’s good to have a curveball, it just is.”
Wake Forest went 1-for-6 shooting when the Blue Devils were in their zone, with the lone make coming on a Juke Harris free-throw-line jumper that hit several parts of the rim before falling through the net.
In that stretch, Duke had a 12-2 run, with six of those points coming from Flagg.
“We’ll have it in our back pocket. But I give these guys credit, you still have to make it work,” Scheyer said. “We haven’t practiced it too much, but we’ve had it in our back pocket, just in case. The coaching staff said, ‘Let’s do it,’ and I thought it was great timing to go to the zone.”
Scheyer said going to a zone “was a feeling for this game,” something the Blue Devils practiced later in the week leading up to Saturday.
Like Flagg, fellow freshman Kon Knueppel “never played zone” in high school. Throughout this season at Duke, Knueppel said the Blue Devils have practiced it “sparingly, here and there, not crazy often. But we did this week.”
During those tense moments in the second half, Flagg and Knueppel said Purdue transfer Mason Gillis and junior guard Tyrese Proctor were the calming voices in Duke’s tight huddles.
Duke missed its first 13 shots of the second half, going 1 of 19 during a stretch as Wake Forest surged ahead with a 23-4 run to take a six-point lead.
Once Duke mixed in some zone, in the final seven minutes, the Blue Devils responded to their challenging stretch with a 17-4 run and Wake Forest made three shots the rest of the way. The Demon Deacons missed six shots in a row from just under the 7-minute mark until there were 41 seconds left in the game.
Duke had a season-low point total, more turnovers (16) than assists (14) and saw its primary centers — Khaman Maluach and Patrick Ngongba — on the bench in foul trouble.
The Blue Devils won anyway.
“Coach (Scheyer) even said in the locker room, we didn’t throw away the game, we didn’t put our heads down,” said Gillis, who had 11 points and six rebounds.
“We were able to look each other in the eye and say, ‘We got this, we’re gonna win the game.’ We went out there and executed.”
The zone, which Gillis called a “wrinkle,” is the type of tweak that’s often required in a grind-it-out game.
It’s a tool and trick that could help the Blue Devils in the NCAA Tournament.
“Everything we’re doing right now, we’re getting ready for March,” said Gillis, who has played more games (151) than anyone on Duke’s roster.
“That was a March-style game right there.”
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them torbaxley@fayobserver.com.
In a thrilling matchup against Wake Forest, Duke basketball relied on their zone defense to secure a crucial win and avoid an upset on the road. Despite facing a scrappy Demon Deacons team, the Blue Devils were able to hold their ground and come out on top thanks to their strong defensive effort.
The zone defense implemented by Duke proved to be effective in limiting Wake Forest’s scoring opportunities and forcing turnovers. The Blue Devils were able to disrupt the Demon Deacons’ offense and create fast break opportunities of their own, ultimately giving them the edge in a tight contest.
Key players like Paolo Banchero and Wendell Moore Jr. stepped up on both ends of the floor, contributing not only offensively but also making crucial defensive plays to help secure the victory. The Blue Devils’ ability to adapt and execute their defensive game plan was instrumental in avoiding a potential upset and coming out with a hard-fought win.
As Duke continues their journey through conference play, their strong showing on defense against Wake Forest serves as a reminder of their potential to compete at a high level and make a deep run in the postseason. With their zone defense proving to be a valuable asset, the Blue Devils will look to build on this win and continue their success as they aim for championship glory.
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