Seth Curry put on a scoring clinic in the first half. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

BLACKSBURG, Va.—Seth Curry hasn’t had an abundance of success playing against Virginia Tech, his father’s alma mater. Two years ago, when Curry fouled out after registering zero points in 15 minutes, the students chanted, “Who’s your Daddy?” as Dell Curry sat in the stands.

So before Duke’s Thursday night game in Blacksburg—Curry’s last game in the Hokies’ home arena—Mike Krzyzewski had a talk with his senior sharpshooter.

“It’s not about making up for anything,” Krzyzewski said to Curry. “Just play.”

And that’s what Curry did, as he let the game come to him. He dominated the floor just like his Daddy did as Duke rolled to a 88-56 win.

Seth Curry has one last chance to shine at his father's alma mater. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

Duke at Virginia Tech
When: 9:00 p.m.
Where: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Va..
TV/Radio: ESPN/WKIX-102.9 FM
Name to Know: Eric Green, the nation's leading scorer

Projected starting lineups:

No. 6 Duke (22-3, 9-3 in the ACC)

G Quinn Cook, So., 12.3 ppg, 5.8 apg
G Seth Curry, Sr., 16.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg
G Rasheed Sulaimon, Fr., 11.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg
F Josh Hairston, Jr., 2.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg
F Mason Plumlee, Sr., 17.6 ppg, 10.4 rpg

Virginia Tech (11-14, 2-10)

G Erick Green, Sr., 25.3 ppg, 4.1 apg
G Will Johnston, So., 1.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg
G Robert Brown, So., 8.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg
F C.J. Barksdale, So., 4.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
F Cadarian Raines, Jr., 7.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Player to watch:

Mason Plumlee, Duke

Seth Curry, with his one good leg, has played a key role in Duke's success without Ryan Kelly. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

With three weeks (and six games) left in the ACC regular season, Duke stands at 22-3 and 9-3 in the ACC, good for second place.

How do the coaches feel about that? Pretty darn good.

Assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski said yesterday on his radio show that, internally, Duke is proud of what they've accomplished in the 42 days since Ryan Kelly's Jan. 8 right foot injury. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski also said roughly the same thing on the coaches' teleconference.

3:30 p.m. update

It was the summer of 1986 when Robert Brickey first met Phil Henderson, and the highly touted incoming freshmen were at a six-week precollege program at Duke.

Then they played pickup against David Henderson and Johnny Dawkins.

“That was an eye-opener,” Brickey said.

Over the next four years, Brickey and Henderson went to three Final Fours and laid the foundation for Duke to become the powerhouse program it is today.

Brickey, along with the rest of the Duke basketball family, was shocked to learn that Henderson died Sunday in the Philippines of cardiac arrest. He was 44.

Henderson is survived by five children—Genesis (21), Harrison (15), Adonia (6), Athalia (5), and Azriel (4).

“Please tell me you’ve got the name wrong, or you went to the wrong apartment, tell me you made a mistake,” Brickey said of his reaction to the news. “It’s tough. It’s tough for everybody.

“He was just a fun-loving guy. Loved life. Loved basketball.”

Josh Hairston played his best game of the season despite tearing a ligament in his riht thumb Saturday. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

College Park, Md.—In the coming days, there will be plenty of time to digest exactly what went wrong for Duke at Maryland. But for now, here are a few thoughts that didn't make the game story from the 83-81 loss:

***Maryland fans have long had a reputation for being less-than-hospitable to opponents. There was, for example, a two-word, expletive-laced cheer ending in “You” aimed at Mason Plumlee by one of the student sections.

But the Terrapins’ fans make more than just the students uncomfortable. After the game, Mark Turgeon said his family left the arena last week at the Virginia game because the cheers were too painful to hear.

Maryland's Seth Allen got by Duke's Quinn Cook on the Terrapins final play of the game. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

COLLEGE PARK, Md.—The Blue Devils were exhausted, Mike Krzyzewski said, from their “murderers' row” of a schedule in the past week. Uneven performances against Boston College and UNC, though, didn’t result in losses. And, after a particularly uneven performance at Maryland, Duke still had a chance to win in the final minute.

But one final defensive lapse did Duke in, as Maryland’s Seth Allen sealed the 83-81 win with two free throws.

Mason Plumlee shrugged off his struggles from the line to sink the game-winning free throw at Boston College. Credit: MARY SCHWALM/AP

Every Saturday, the News & Observer takes a look around the ACC. That also provides an opportunity to check in with the Blue Devils and look for any emerging trends.

Regardless of the lineup, there has been one constant for the Blue Devils this season: They finish well.

With Sunday’s 62-61 win at Boston College, Duke improved to 5-0 in games that are within one possession with under three minutes remaining. Against the Eagles, Duke actually trailed by five with 2:30 left in the game, but a 6-0 run, with three free throws by Mason Plumlee were enough for the comeback win.

James Michael McAdoo got up close and personal with the Cameron Crazies as he threw an inbounds pass. Credit: ROBERT WILLETT

Over the past 48 hours, lots of ink has been spilled and cyberspace filled with coverage and analysis of Duke's 73-68 win over UNC. In case you missed any of it, here's a rundown...

James Michael McAdoo was able to limit Mason Plumlee offensively. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

There’s no sugarcoating it: Mason Plumlee played awful—a-w-f-u-l—in the first half of Duke's 73-68 win over UNC. To his credit, though, he was much more efficient down the stretch in the second as he stopped turning the ball over and made four key free throws in the final 2:30 of the game. By the end of the game, he had recorded a double-double, with 18 points (tied for the team-high) and 11 rebounds. But let’s take a closer look:

There’s no sugarcoating it: Mason Plumlee played awful—a-w-f-u-l—in the first half. To his credit, though, he was much more efficient down the stretch in the second as he stopped turning the ball over and made four key free throws in the final 2:30 of the game. Let’s take a closer look: