bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671
GREENSBORO -- Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt has a simple strategy in mind for defending Duke's big three of Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith during today's ACC Tournament championship game (1 p.m., WRAL).
It's a strategy fitting for a Sunday.
"Pray," Hewitt said. "I'm not kidding either, because I saw something out of Kyle Singler last game. It's amazing how he shot the ball with a bad wrist."
In the previous game between the teams, on Feb. 4 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Singler scored a career-high 30 points while hitting 8 of 10 from 3-point range in Duke's 86-67 victory.
"I haven't ever seen a team play like that at their own gym," Georgia Tech guard Iman Shumpert said.
Singler, supposedly slowed by a wrist injury entering that game, has been almost as hot so far at the ACC Tournament, scoring 45 points through two games while hitting 7 of 12 from 3-point range.
Singler's scintillating performance at Cameron, however, only tells half the story. On Jan. 9, the Yellow Jackets downed Duke 71-67 in Atlanta, with Georgia Tech's big three -- post players Gani Lawal, Derrick Favors and Zach Peacock -- combining for 39 points and 20 rebounds.
It also marked the only game all season when two of Duke's big three failed to score in double digits.
"I feel like we are a trio down low," Peacock said, "with different guys that do different things."
While Georgia Tech will try to stop Duke's big three with proven perimeter defenders such as Shumpert and D'Andre Bell, the Blue Devils will try to limit the Jackets' big three with All-ACC defensive team selection Lance Thomas, surging 7-foot senior Brian Zoubek and brothers Miles and Mason Plumlee.
The Plumlees have been factors at both ends of the court in the tournament, combining for 11 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's victory over Miami and even combining on an alley-oop slam for Miles on a pass from Mason.
"It's two straight days that Mason and Miles have really played well," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They've been playing well, but I think their play has gone up a level. They've been very athletic. They're moving their feet better.
"They gave us, in both games, some real positive contributions. I'm really pleased with how they're coming along."
Georgia Tech entered the ACC Tournament unsure of its status for the NCAA Tournament but appears to have sealed its future in a positive way with its first three-game winning streak in ACC play.
Now the Yellow Jackets, who lost to Duke in the 2005 title game, will try to become the first team to win the tournament with four victories in four days.
"I don't see it as much of a problem," Shumpert said. "We've just got to make sure we've got a lot of energy mentally, getting ourselves emotionally involved.
"I don't think that's going to be difficult -- if you can't get up for Duke, you can't get up."
Duke entered the ACC Tournament assured of an NCAA Tournament bid and looking good for a No. 1 seed. That doesn't, however, mean that the Blue Devils aren't at least as determined.
"It's a great feeling to make it. These games aren't guaranteed," Thomas said. "We don't want to go back on the bus to Durham yet."
