bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — If there is a such a thing as an odd man out in Duke’s so-called big three, it has to be Nolan Smith.
Jon Scheyer is the senior, an established name entering the season whose hot start made him a candidate for national player of the year.
Kyle Singler was a step ahead of even Scheyer to start the season, a versatile junior named preseason player of the year in the ACC.
Then there’s Smith, quickly cast as the third member of the big three after an up-and-down sophomore season, a step behind the others in terms of national recognition.
Sunday night, Smith caught the attention of fans from coast-to-coast, especially the West coast, playing a leading role in ending California’s season while leading Duke into the Sweet 16.
"He has been probably the unsung hero, he and [Brian Zoubek], because you knew that Kyle and Jon coming in were going to be, and they have been, really good," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "And he can still get a lot better.
"He can get a lot better, but he’s been playing great basketball for us all year."
Smith scored a game-high 20 points in the Blue Devils’ 68-53 victory over Cal and,
just as important, didn’t allow his primary defensive assignment to come close to 20.
Lightning-quick point guard Jerome Randle, a threat to drive all the way to the basket or pull up from 25 feet, managed just 12 points against Smith, a premier on-the-ball defender even if he’s not universally regarded as such.
"Playing against a player like him, it’s kind of a statement game," Smith said. "People don’t really have my name out there as one of the top defenders in the country, but I think of myself as one of the top defenders in the country. In a game like this, to play against a top scorer like that, I feel like I did a great job — with the help of my big guys.
"It’s definitely a personal matchup. All year long, the coaches have taught, ‘Win your matchup.’ That was my matchup. If I win my matchup and Jon and Kyle win their matchups, we have a great chance to win."
Smith won his in a landslide, dominating on both sides of the floor. Smith scored 11 of Duke’s first 26 points, getting to the rim the way Randle had hoped he’d be able.
It’s yet another sign of growth for Smith, who struggled offensively in the first half of several midseason games as he concentrated on his defensive assignment at the expense of his scoring.
"I looked to attack early," Smith said. "The coaches told me before the game that they were going to put me in positions to attack, and I did that.
"I attacked the hole with aggression."
With Duke trailing for a total of 18 seconds in its first two NCAA Tournament games, the Blue Devils didn’t need Smith to assert himself on offense down the stretch. That could well change in Houston, starting with the top-seeded Blue Devils’ matchup with No. 4 seed Purdue in the South Regional semifinals Friday (9:57 p.m., WRAL).
Smith still might sneak up on opposing fans, but it’s safe to say at this point that the opposition won’t be caught off-guard.
"Nolan, especially at the end of a clock, is our go-to guy," Krzyzewski said. "He’s been our on-the-ball defender the whole year. So he’s scoring and defending on the ball.
"That’s a great combination. You have to be a very, very good player to be able to do that."
