03/11/2009 - Michael Tomko, GoDuke.com

DURHAM, N.C. – Before this season even began Kyle Singler said the Blue Devils were breaking this season down into thirds starting with the Coaches Versus Cancer Classic, ending with the NCAA Tournament and sandwiched in between the ACC Tournament.

The Blue Devils competed hard in New York earlier in the season and walked away with the Championship earning Duke its first title of the year with two more remaining in their sites.

They will now attempt to capture their second crown of the year, in Atlanta, Ga. during the ACC Tournament this weekend with their opening round matchup scheduled for Friday at 9:30 p.m. against the winner of Boston College versus Virginia, which is scheduled for Thursday.

“This is a very important step for us,” Gerald Henderson said. “When you set goals in the beginning of the season this is something that you want to win. It is kind of better than the regular season championship. You don’t play everyone, but it is a better setup in the tournament. It is something we look forward too.”

The No. 3 seeded Blue Devils finished the regular season 25-6 overall including an 11-5 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Blue Devils finished with the same conference record as Wake Forest, but lost the tie-breaker making them the third seed in the conference.

Duke ended the regular season winning five of their last six games with two wins coming against ranked opponents. The Blue Devils have been playing some of their best basketball late in the season against other talented and focused basketball teams.

“People talked about Kyle and Jon being run down,” Henderson said. “They even said that last year. But they are playing the best basketball that they have played all year at this time. There are no excuses for us at all.”

Jon Scheyer has lifted his game since being moved to the point guard position over the last six games. He is averaging 19.5 points per game and 3.0 three-point field goals made per game over that stretch growing more and more comfortable handling the point with each game.

He has also been to the free throw line an average of 8.7 times per game with the junior guard also recording 16 assists, 13 steals and just five turnovers during that stretch.

Singler has been one of the hardest working players in the country all season long. The sophomore forward seems to be as strong as ever for the end of the year push for a championship scoring 20 or more points in three straight games. He has scored 20 points 10 times this season with four coming against ranked opponents.

Henderson was recently named a first team All-ACC selection and has been the leader for this team for most of the season.

The Merion, Pa. native has scored in double figures in 23 straight games, which is the third-longest streak in the ACC. He is averaging 18.8 points per game and shooting 49.1 percent from the field during that span putting any lingering memories of last year’s wrist injury out of everyone's minds.

“I feel the best that I have been,” Henderson said. “Last year, I didn’t really feel run down. Different guys played more minutes than me last year, but I feel the best that I have been in terms of my conditioning, general health and my game also.[Last year] the wrist was definitely something, but now I am healthy.”

There will no excuses from this year’s team if they don’t leave with a championship. It is something they have set their minds to accomplishing all season long.

“It would do great things,” Henderson said. “Just knowing the teams we have in our league and being able to beat some of those teams in three straight days would be a great thing.”

“If you want to be a champion it’s what you’ve got to do,” he added.

Their first test will either be Boston College or Virginia. Duke played each team just once during the regular season knocking off the Cavaliers 79-54 on Feb. 1 in Cameron, but falling to Boston College on Feb. 15 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. 80-74.

Elliot Williams, who was inserted into the starting lineup the game after the B.C. loss and didn’t see any court time against the Eagles, remembers keeping a close eye on Tyrese Rice.

“Tyrese Rice is a great player,” Williams said. “I didn’t play in the Boston College game, but I was on the bench watching. He is kind of similar in [Ty] Lawson a little bit. When he attacks he is fast. He can also shoot. He is a great player like every player I’ve guarded in the ACC.”

Williams was crucial in the Blue Devils strong play down the stretch using his length and athleticism on the defensive end to frustrate some of the best guard in the country.

The freshman has chosen when to attack and basket and when to defer to one of his teammates on the offensive end. Williams is averaging 11.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 27-of-48 (.563) in the last six games.

And with classes not going on this week for spring break, the young guard has been able to put a little more work in the gym honing his skills for his first ever ACC Tournament.

“It has been good for me because I have been in the gym more working on my shooting, things like that,” Williams said.

“We have good players,” Henderson said. “We feel like guys can play well throughout a game. We are going to need everyone. We can’t rely on just a few guys to score 20 points. We are going to need it from everybody.”