Considering how easily Duke ran through the ACC on the way to the regular season and tournament titles, it might seem a bit hypocritical for any opposing ACC coach to talk about the Blue Devils' flaws.
But the truth of the matter is, there aren't any coaches in the country who would know Duke better than them, so they can provide valuable insight for Jon Scheyer and his team heading into the NCAA Tournament.
ESPN's Jeff Borzello interviewed some anonymous coaches from around the country to get a feel for the NCAA Tournament, from predicted winners to the fatal flaws of contenders that could keep them from cutting down the nets.
On Duke, the consensus is what you would expect: with injuries to both Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster, ACC coaches question whether the Blue Devils have enough depth to go on a deep run in March Madness.
"There's a lack of depth now," one ACC coach told Borzello. "Without Ngbongba, it puts them down at six plus Darren Harris. That could hurt, because it's a mix of not making enough shots to give Cam Boozer and (sic) space and then just purely from a numbers perspective. ... It's a bigger problem if Boozer ever gets into foul trouble. He's going to have to play 35 minutes a game after Siena.
"They were better than last year with Pat and Foster. I don't know if they are now."
ACC coaches question Duke's depth amid two critical injuries
Duke certainly didn't look as dominant during the ACC Tournament without Ngongba and Foster, but it's noteworthy that the Blue Devils still got it done against quality opponents.
It's also noteworthy that Ngongba should be back for the NCAA Tournament, even if Scheyer airs on the side of caution and chooses to hold him out for Thursday's matchup against 16-seeded Siena.
Borzello notes in the article that Duke's defense wasn't up to its regular-season standard without Ngongba in particular. Florida State found success and nearly pulled off a stunning upset in the ACC quarterfinals, and Virginia managed 1.10 points per possession in a four-point loss to the Blue Devils. Compare that to the 0.84 a full-strength Duke held the Cavaliers to in the regular season meeting, and you see the substantial difference.
Duke had the No. 1 defense in the country in terms of efficiency heading into Charlotte, but slipped to No. 2 off of those performances.
If Ngongba can get back close to 100% for the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, it not only increases Duke's ceiling but its floor as well.
And despite the injuries and depth concerns, one fact remains true about Scheyer's team:
They have Cameron Boozer, and you don't.