bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671
DURHAM -- Since early February, when Duke avenged a loss to Georgia Tech to pass Virginia atop the ACC standings, the Blue Devils have controlled their own destiny in the regular season race.
Tonight, when the Blue Devils visit the Cavaliers, they also find themselves in the best position they've been in all season to control their fate in terms of grabbing a coveted No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Such a scenario didn't seem likely at the beginning of the month, when Duke wasn't even in first place in the ACC and nearly fell out of the top 10 with a lopsided loss at Georgetown.
But the Blue Devils (24-4, 11-2 ACC) have won seven straight games since to ascend to No. 5 in the rankings, and that streak combined with the devastating news of a season-ending knee injury for Purdue star Robbie Hummel means Duke might well be in the driver's seat for the fourth and final No. 1 seed.
"What happened to Hummel, that's horrible, just horrible, and that can happen to any team," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "That's the worst thing that can happen. You hate to see any kid get hurt. You don't replace a kid like that."
Kansas and Kentucky, despite unexpected losses Saturday, are considered virutal locks for top seeds, and Syracuse seems to be in a strong position to join them. The fourth spot now seems wide open, with Purdue still hoping to stay in the mix if it can continue to win without Hummel, but with Duke in prime position and the likes of Villanova, West Virginia and Kansas State trying to position themselves.
Duke ranks second in the latest RPI rankings released by the NCAA -- an important seeding tool for the selection committee -- but must overcome the perceived downturn of the ACC and upturn of the Big Ten to stave off Purdue.
The Blue Devils admit they are focused on securing a No. 1 seed -- in the ACC Tournament. Despite being in first place for nearly a month and having won eight consecutive conference games, they've often been one loss away from giving up first place.
That's the case again tonight (7:45 p.m., Fox Sports), as a victory by Virginia (14-12, 5-8) would move Maryland into a first-place tie with the Blue Devils heading into their showdown Wednesday.
Duke seniors are yet to claim an ACC regular-season crown.
"We can't go up there lax. We have to go up there ready to win," senior Lance Thomas said. "We've got to take care of this game."
Virginia was a surprising pacesetter early in the conference race, starting out 3-0 under first-year coach Tony Bennett, one year after finishing 4-12 in the ACC. The Cavaliers were 5-2 in the league when Duke passed them for good, and since then they've dropped six consecutive ACC games to fall to the bottom half of the standings.
"I know they're discouraged, but they fought hard in practice (Friday)," Bennett said. "I don't know exactly what goes on in their minds, but I see in their eyes that they want to do it right."
Super sophomore Sylven Landesberg, who suffered a leg injury at Miami on Tuesday but is expected to play, is capable of taking over a game. With the threat of Landesberg and the threat that the road always presents _ Duke is just .500 in road games -- the Blue Devils know they can't afford to look ahead and to Maryland and can't get caught up in seeding speculation.
"It's not an easy place to play," Thomas said. "It's a game we have to win."
