Scheduling Alabama-Birmingham and coach Mike Davis was an interesting move for Duke. Davis, remember, was coaching Indiana in 2002 when the Hoosiers ruined Duke's chances of a second straight NCAA title with a 74-73 win in the regional semifinals in the NCAA tournament. After the game, Davis credited Dave Dickerson, then a Maryland assistant coach, for advising him on the game plan. Helping Indiana defeat a fellow ACC member was a questionable move for Dickerson in terms of etiquette. But scheduling Wednesday's game shows that Duke's staff probably doesn't harbor ill will toward Davis.
For the second straight game, a charging call against guard Nolan Smith upset Duke. Smith acknowledged that his anger over a charge against Miami on Sunday night is what sent him on a personal, 13-point tear in the final 5 minutes, 2 seconds of the first half against the Canes. On Wednesday night, Smith was called for a charge early. Coach Mike Krzyzewski leaped from the bench in protest. "No way," he shouted repeatedly at referee Ray Styons.
Sophomore guard Andre Dawkins replaced Seth Curry in the starting lineup Wednesday night after three straight games of 11 points or more. Dawkins clearly was Duke's third-best performer in Sunday's win over Miami. If he continues to develop a mid-range game, he could become a third scoring option behind Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler as long as Kyrie Irving is out with his injury.
