Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski thought Seth Curry was the difference-maker for Duke in its win over Kentucky. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

ATLANTA—It was a matchup with March Madness-level intensity. And here's a fittingly in-depth analysis from yours truly: 

First: the game story from No. 9 Duke's 75-68 win over No. 3 Kentucky and the full story behind John Calipari's comments on Duke flopping at halftime.

***Duke needs all three of its seniors to be successful.

The trio of Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry is greater than the sum of its individual parts. That’s not to say that, as individuals, they’re not good, but the three of them clicking on the court will be necessary for future Duke success.

The ACC announced on Monday its annual men’s basketball all-conference, all-defensive and all-freshmen teams. The honors are as follows, with voting point totals in parentheses:

DURHAM -- About five minutes after North Carolina put the finishing touches on its 88-70 win over Duke on Saturday night, the Blue Devils players made their way back onto the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Miles Plumlee addressed the remaining crowd, thanking the Duke students for their support during his career. He then said the Blue Devils would make amends for its disappointing performance against the Tar Heels by reaching the Final Four.

Such a promise required a bit of a leap of faith after Duke’s miserable effort in the first half against UNC. But if the fourth-ranked Blue Devils (26-5, 13-3) have shown nothing else this season, it’s that they have the ability to defy expectations in both directions.

DURHAM -- One of the more important moments in Duke’s comeback against N.C. State on Thursday night came in the first half, just as the Wolfpack was building a commanding early lead. 

Seth Curry went up for a loose ball and came down awkwardly. When he got up, he put weight on his ankle to see if he could continue.The grimace on his face suggested Curry’s return was far from certain.

“When he went out, I thought he was gone,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Jose (Fonseca), our trainer, was just telling me that Seth said, ‘Man, I don’t know if I can go,’ and Jose said, ‘You have to go.’ Seth said, ‘It hurts,’ and Jose said, ‘I’ll give you a shot.’”

Three Points from N.C. State's 78-73 loss at Duke on Thursday night:

1) Comeback or collapse?

Any time you lose a 20-point lead, especially in the second half, there are elements of a collapse. And after N.C. State's lead over Duke grew to 61-41 with 11:33 left in the game, the Wolfpack certainly contributed to its own demise.

State made 22 of its first 43 shots (51 percent) in the first 28 minutes and 27 seconds of the game and then went 4 of 16 (25 percent), without making a 3-pointer, the rest of the way.

Give a team enough 3-point shooters —  Duke has several — and there can be games when traditional basketball logic doesn’t count for much.

DURHAM – During team meetings and off-the-court conversations, Duke basketball players have stressed improving defensively.

After watching a few opponents blow by them off the dribble or lose them on screens, the No. 8 Blue Devils (13-2, 1-0 ACC) say they’ve had enough. A solid defensive performance in their 81-74 conference-opener over Georgia Tech has bolstered the team’s confidence as they welcome No. 16 Virginia (14-1, 1-0) to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday (ESPN, 9 p.m.).

GREENSBORO -- Duke's 87-71 win over Maryland in an ACC quarterfinal Friday night was impressive, especially considering Duke lost point guard Nolan Smith due to a toe injury (his second toe, to be exact) with a 65-60 lead and 6:48 to go.

DURHAM – On Wednesday night, Duke sophomore guard Seth Curry did what good players do after they have a poor performance.

Curry didn’t have a crisis of confidence.

He didn’t need what coach Mike Krzyzewski sometimes refers to as “couch time” – counseling to rebuild a shattered ego.

Instead, Curry treated his humbling effort Saturday at Virginia Tech as an aberration.

DURHAM - Even a 16-point, first-half deficit wasn’t enough to keep Nolan Smith, Seth Curry and a determined Duke team from staking its claim to first place in the ACC on Wednesday night in front of a Cameron Indoor Stadium crowd that was sheer bedlam in the second half.

Smith scored a career-high 34 points and Curry poured in 18 of his season-high 22 points in the second half as the No. 5-ranked Blue Devils bounced back to win 79-73 over No. 20 North Carolina. Curry scored seven straight points in the second half to spark a 13-1 burst that turned a seven-point deficit into a 60-55 lead for Duke.