Ryan Kelly blocks a Treveon Graham shot in Duke's win over VCU. Credit: JOHN BAZEMORE/AP

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas—Due to the compressed nature of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament—each team plays three games in three days—Duke had less than 24 hours to prepare for Virginia Commonwealth’s havoc, pressure-heavy defense.

And the Blue Devils preparation was a little unorthodox. Instead of traveling across the large resort to the designated practice facility, Duke made its own court.

“We condensed the day,” said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “We were in a big ballroom, and our managers actually put up an entire full court in one of the ballrooms with tape. Between breakfast and lunch, when he had our scouting report, we just went through how we were going to defend without taking a physical toll on our team.”

Shaka Smart, who led VCU to the Final Four, will stay with the Rams, athletic director Norwood Teague said in an e-mail today.

“He is staying,’’ Teague wrote. “We agreed to terms this morning.”

Asked if N.C. State, which is trying to replace head coach Sidney Lowe, had shown interest in Smart, Teague wrote: "Yes, they talked to him and made an offer. We countered and he is staying!!!"

That ends any hope N.C. State may have had in luring the 33-year old Smart to their head basketball coaching position.