You might not see a more suffocating defensive performance this season across college basketball than what Duke did to Virginia on Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor to clinch at least a share of the ACC regular season crown.
The Cavaliers were supposed to be the biggest test for the Blue Devils, the team that was nipping at its heels in the ACC race. Duke turned what was supposed to be a competitive game into a laugher, building a 15-point halftime lead and never looking back on the way to a 77-51 win.
The game was never really in doubt, and while Duke got an offensive lift thanks to excellent three-point shooting (12-of-24), it was, as usual, a dominant defensive effort that led the way.
Duke held Virginia to a season-low in points (51) and a season-low in field-goal percentage (29%). No team had held the Hoos to under 60 points this season until Saturday in Durham.
Jon Scheyer wasn't going to let a moment pass in the postgame before mentioning how proud he was of that effort.
“I’m really proud of our team, we’ve just had such a mature approach with our defense," Scheyer said. "It’s our calling card, and I don’t want to take that for granted. The effort, the togetherness, the discipline, I’m just really proud.”
Jon Scheyer 'really proud' of Duke's defensive effort in win over Virginia
It probably looked to Virginia head coach Ryan Odom and his team as if Duke was playing defense with an extra guy or two. The Blue Devils just so rarely make mistakes on that end of the floor, and when they do, they have the discipline and athleticism to recover and contest a shot anyway.
Duke's ability to switch one-through-five gave Virginia fits, and good looks were nearly impossible to come by. Virginia ranks in the top-third of the country in three-point shooting (35.6%), but made just 7-of-35 (20%).
Maliq Brown is the defensive engine off the bench, and he finished with a game-high three steals. But it was a team-wide effort on that end of the floor that sparked the 26-point win.
The identity of this Duke team is clear. It's defense first, with an offense capable of getting hot from three and bludgeoning you in the paint with Cameron Boozer.
The Blue Devils appear to be rounding into their final form as March Madness approaches.