01/02/2009 - Michael Tomko, GoDuke.com

DURHAM, N.C. – Over the course of 25 days in December the Duke Blue Devils took the basketball court only three times, all wins and all decisive, as they look to carry that momentum into the New Year.

But playing such a few number of competitive contests can slow team continuity as head coach Mike Krzyzewski and staff prepare their team for the start of conference play.

“The way our school is right now and the fact that Christmas always comes in December, I don’t know how it keeps working that way, at least for my life it has always come in December,” Krzyzewski joked. “We are just going to have screwy Decembers. Those two weeks, the week before exams and the week of exams are intense. I am okay with it, you just adjust.”

Duke had two 10 day stretches of no games during December, the second coming over Christmas break with Krzyzewski’s players having six days off for the holidays before getting a few competitive practices under their belts prior to knocking off Loyola of Maryland on New Year’s Eve 92-51.

The win showed that the lack of games played hasn’t impacted the team’s confidence and performance on the basketball court.

Gerald Henderson has put together three consecutive strong performances by using his athleticism to score around the basket. Over the last three games the junior scored 14 in 21 minutes against UNC Asheville, 19 in 33 minutes against Xavier and 19 in 28 minutes against Loyola of Maryland.

“I think G [Henderson] now has put three really good games together,” Krzyzewski said. “Right after exams, the Asheville game, even though we won big, he played very well. Xavier he really played well and today [Dec. 31] I thought he did another really good job.”

“He and Jon [Scheyer] and Kyle [Singler] really are the three guys that have to be there every day for us at a high level,” Krzyzewski added.

Scheyer has been shooting the ball well for the entire month of December, averaging 16.8 points shooting 26-of-46 (.565.) from the field, 12-of-25 (.480) from three and 20-of-23 from the free throw line (.869).

Singler posted 14 points against UNC Asheville, nine against Xavier and exploded for 20 against Loyola for his second 20 point game in the month of December. He also pulled down eight rebounds in each of the last three games.

Riding this momentum the fifth ranked Blue Devils (11-1) will play their fourth game in 28 days on Sunday at 7:45 p.m. as they welcome Virginia Tech (9-4) into Cameron Indoor Stadium to tip off ACC play.

“We are excited obviously to get going,” Krzyzewski said. “[I] hope some of the students are back by Sunday night so we create a really good atmosphere in here for Virginia Tech. [They] have played a very difficult schedule.”

All four of Virginia Tech’s losses this year have come by four points or less including a one point overtime loss to Xavier on Nov. 21.

The Hokies feature 6’6” guard A.D. Vassallo, a player Krzyzewski calls, “one of the top three or four scores in the league [ACC].”

Vassallo is averaging 19 points per game for the season including six games in which the senior has scored over 20 points that includes a 30 point performance in a two point loss to Wisconsin.

“They are just a veteran team,” Krzyzewski said. “I think they are a really good basketball team.”

Hokie head coach Seth Greenberg is in his sixth season at the helm and has already earned ACC Coach of the Year honors twice (2008 and 2005) coaching the Hokies to a birth in the NCAA Tournament in 2007.

Entering into ACC play brings new challenges; most notably the familiarity coaches and players develop competing against one another on a yearly basis.
Once you start ACC play everything is kind of even,” Krzyzewski said. “That’s why you start 0-0 again.”

“The way the league is now certain teams will have tougher schedules than other teams,” Krzyzewski added. “We will see how that all plays out. It used to be everyone had the same schedule.”

The Blue Devils ended 2008 11-1 and enter the New Year with a three game winning streak, but Krzyzewski isn’t going to settle until Duke raises a new banner into the rafters.

“As a coach I don’t think you are ever where you want to be,” Krzyzewski said. “If you are then someone is getting ahead of you.”