Duke Basketball: Blue Devils’ comeback versus Louisville is one for the ages

The Duke Basketball squad found itself down by 23 points in the second half against Louisville. It didn’t matter, as the Blue Devils prevailed.

I’ve watched a lot of college hoops over the past 30-plus years, and what transpired on Tuesday night at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., is unlike anything that I’ve ever seen. No. 2 Duke, totally dead in the water at No. 16 Louisville, mounted a furious rally after intermission to stun the home crowd and the Cardinals, 71-69.

A few days ago, following the Blue Devils’ throttling of then-No. 3 Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., I wrote a column saying that the 2019 NCAA title is Duke’s to lose if it connects from downtown at a stellar clip similar to its performance versus the Cavaliers.

Well, in their clash with the Cardinals (17-8, 8-4), the Blue Devils (22-2, 10-1) shot a paltry 25 percent from beyond the arc, trailed Louisville by 23 points with 10 minutes remaining, and looked undeniably out of sync.

No worries. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, the best in the business, made a genius, albeit risky, move to employ a zone defense. The Cardinals, subsequently, forced up a handful of poor attempts from the field, which seemed to give the Blue Devils roster a small boost.

Then, in a span of several minutes, Duke’s tenacious defense totally unraveled Louisville. Steal after steal. Layups galore. Numerous clutch 3-pointers. Successful trips to the free-throw line.

Game. Set. Match. It’s one thing if the Blue Devils achieved this comeback at, say, Cameron Indoor Stadium, against a pedestrian foe. But Duke got the job done versus an extremely talented and well-coached Cardinals crew on its own turf.

Detractors will argue that Louisville collapsed – and perhaps there’s some truth to that. However, the Blue Devils also went out and collected this conquest. Its four freshmen stars, and the supporting cast, competed with fabulous poise in a hostile environment with their backs against the wall.

One of those freshmen, sensational forward Zion Williamson, possessed four fouls for much of the second half, yet he managed to stay in the contest and finished with 27 points. That, my friends, is not the mark of a young player. It’s the sign of a maturing, confident one.

Duke, which leads the Atlantic Coast Conference by one affair, has numerous challenges left before the post-season commences. It won’t surprise me if the Blue Devils fall once or twice more. But this Cardinals result will resonate for a long, long time.

People who aren’t Duke fans love to hate on the Blue Devils. It’s human nature. For me, though, while I passionately root for Syracuse, my alma mater, I absolutely respect Duke and Coach K. His current group of guys is determined, enthusiastic and selfless.

From Saturday to Tuesday, the Blue Devils defeated two top-16 teams on the road. In one instance, they shot lights out. On the second occasion, Duke did not, but it still willed its way to a win. If the Blue Devils can secure triumphs like this pair, then there’s no reason that they can’t capture six in a row during the Big Dance.