GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s the same story every year at the ACC Tournament. If Duke’s playing – and they’ve been playing a lot on this stage as winners of eight of the last 11 ACC Championships – the fans from the 11 other conference teams in the arena rabidly root against them.
In his team’s 77-74 win against Miami on Saturday, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski gave those people reason to erupt when he picked up a technical foul with 2:07 left in the first half for arguing a carrying call on guard Nolan Smith.
Miami was in the middle of a 17-2 run to close the half, and as the Hurricanes picked up their play, the intensity grew. Any remaining Terp fans in the upper deck behind Duke’s bench stood and applauded the whole situation, along with any other non-Duke supporters.
Krzyzewski tossed his suit jacket to the bench. Hurricanes’ coach Frank Haith did the same.
But while the technical wasn’t some intentional “motivational ploy,” as Krzyzewski called it, the sequence helped to energize the Blue Devils after a lethargic end to the first half.
The result: A 9-2 Duke run to start the second half. Forward Kyle Singler, a key part of that run who finished with 27 points, cited the fans as motivation.
Sunday, as much as the majority of people in the building won’t want to see it, the Blue Devils will play for another conference tournament title.
Aaron Kraut is The Diamondback’s sports editor. He can be reached at akrautdbk@gmail.com.