Duke Basketball: Past Embarrassments at Miami Served as Warning

Entering Wednesday night's 84-55 win by the No. 8 Blue Devils (21-5, 12-3 ACC) at unranked Miami (15-12, 6-10 ACC), the Duke basketball program had left with a loss in five of its past eight trips to Coral Gables, including two in a row. The most recent defeat there came last season, 81-59, in Jon Scheyer's first year at helm.

The decimation of the Hurricanes this go-round was a testament to this Duke team's blossoming versatility and togetherness. Five Blue Devils, including four who were starters last year in that squad's humbling loss at Miami in Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor, Mark Mitchell, and Kyle Filipowski, reached double-digit points.

In Scheyer's presser following the Blue Devils' fifth straight win to pull even with No. 10 UNC (20-6, 12-3) atop the ACC standings, the 36-year-old broke down what it means to emerge victorious as visitors versus the Hurricanes and noted that last year's setback, along with others to past Duke teams at Miami, served as a warning:

"Obviously, that was a great win for us. Look, Miami clearly is not 100 percent. They're far from it. They're banged up. You still have to come ready to play. You still have to play for 40 minutes. I thought our guys did that. I loved the sharing on offense...

the dime + hockey assist on this play went crazy 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/6RLBAjpAeJ
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 22, 2024

"Really, I could go down the line. It was a great team effort. It was a great team win. I have ton of respect for Miami. I don't care who's playing for them. They have a talented team, and they're more than dangerous at home, especially. So, proud of this win...

"Playing here is one of the hardest places to get a win in the league, no question. But this sport humbles you. And if you handle it right, you can be better than you were if those things didn't happen to you. And I think that's what this group has done.

"Last year, we talked about [the program's past losses in Coral Gables] a little bit. It was mostly about 'here and now.' But there's no question that plays a factor when you know that can happen to you. And I think our guys have just shown great maturity, just continuing to learn and then carry that over."

NEXT DUKE BASKETBALL GAME: at unranked Wake Forest (17-9, 9-6 ACC), 2 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN)

STREAM: fuboTV (start your free trial)

Five-Star Prep Deciding Between Duke Visit or Trip to UConn

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball news.