Duke Does Well With Other Four

In preparation for the Final Four of the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament this weekend in Seattle, here’s a Duke Aptitude Test:

1. Which effusive Blue Devil decided he wanted to attend Duke while watching a news conference of he 1986 Final Four team because he liked the way the players interacted? Hint: He’s a 6-10 freshman who can score from 15 feet.

2. Who is Duke’s first Academic All-American since Mike Gminski, leads the team in steals (73) and ranks second on the university’s all-time assist list?

3. Who jumps like a human pogo stick but has the free-throw percentage (55.8) to go with his last name? Hint: He scored a team-high 21 points in Duke’s win over Minnesota in the East Regional, yet lacks consistency.

4. Which 6-4 Blue Devil considers himself “just a slightly above-average athlete” despite his spectacular dunk over 6-10 Alonzo Mourning and his emergence as a consistent scorer?

If you couldn’t answer at least three, you’ve been paying too much attention to two-time All-America Danny Ferry and not enough to his supporting crew. Give yourself an A if you answered, in order: center Christian Laettner, point guard Quin Snyder, forward Robert Brickey and off guard Phil Henderson.

Duke isn’t just Ferry. If it were, the Blue Devils wouldn’t be going to their third Final Four in his four seasons. “I think we’ve done a really good job of working together,” Coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “The whole team has learned how to play better with Danny and Phil, who has emerged as a consistently high scorer. We look at collective responsibility more than individual.”

Their next collective duty is trying to beat Seton Hall Saturday afternoon in Seattle in the semifinals. “They’re hot,” Snyder said, listing the Pirates’ starters. “We watch enough ESPN to respect them.”

As the Pirates go over the tape of Duke’s 85-77 East Regional win over Georgetown, they will come to appreciate the other Blue Devils.

Laettner plays with the enthusiasm one expects from a freshman, minus the mistakes. “It helps us because it’s genuine; it’s not anything hot-dog,” Krzyzewski said. “He wants to fit in; he’s doing more than that right now.”

Laettner was on fire against the Hoyas, making 9 of 10 shots from the field and scoring a career-high 24 points. “Christian has had a great year,” Ferry said. “He has a fire in his eye and that can be contagious. He can play, too.”

Snyder’s contributions to Duke (28-7) can’t be appreciated by examining numbers alone. Aside from his 219 assists, his stats aren’t impressive: 28 percent three-point shooting, 7.0 points per game.

But watch him. Early against Georgetown, he spied a quiet Duke bench. He glared. The players jumped. “Quin has unusual leadership qualitities even he probably didn’t know he had. He’s a very selfless player,” his coach said. When Snyder fouled out with 3:22 remaining, Krzyzewski was worried. “We don’t have an awful lot of ballhandlers. It made me very nervous.”

For a time this season, Krzyzewski was rather annoyed with Brickey and he took the starting job away from his small forward for nine of the final 10 regular-season games. Turnovers and silly fouls were the problem. “Robert Brickey is an excellent basketball player who is trying to be a consistently excellent player,” Krzyzewski said. “You don’t know when he’s going to come around.”

He has a 40-inch vertical jump. “Did you ever fantasize about going at an eight-foot basket?” Krzyzewski said. “It’s like that for him.”

Snyder calls him The Weather Man. Others opt for Air Brickey. The junior has said that his goal was to be known as a “smart player.”