CHARLOTTE -- If the Delaware State basketball players and coaches are looking for any sort of silver lining heading into today's game against top-seeded Duke, they can at least take comfort in this: J.J. Redick shot pretty well in his last game.
If Redick had shot poorly in Duke's previous contest, watch out.
The newly crowned ACC Player of the Year hasn't had many subpar games this season, but on those rare occasions when he has struggled, Redick usually has responded with a huge game.
Redick scored a season-low eight points during Duke's victory at N.C. State on Jan. 13. Three days later, he torched Virginia for 28 points, sinking 8-of-13 shots, including 6-for-10 shooting from 3-point range.
Seven-of-21 shooting and eight turnovers against Maryland was followed by 29 points against Virginia Tech and 33 against Wake Forest.
Thirteen points against St. John's? Redick followed that with 29 against Miami.
Most recently, after making just 4-of-17 shots in an ACC quarterfinal against Virginia, Redick poured in 35 points against N.C. State less than 24 hours later.
"The really good people in sport (do that)," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "A good hitter strikes out four times in a game, but he doesn't strike out three consecutive games."
Not if that hitter's self-confidence comes anywhere close to that of Redick. The same brashness that has made him Public Enemy No. 1 among opposing fans in the ACC has made him Option No. 1 in Duke's offense.
"I think he shoots his next shot like it's going to go in," Krzyzewski said. "He's mentally tough. He needs to be."
Redick has been cursed at during the national anthem before a game. Hecklers have covered a range of topics, from Redick's sexuality to his family. Opposing crowds roar whenever he misses a 3-pointer and get louder on those rare occasions when he misses a free throw.
But those cold stretches just don't seem to last long.
"Certainly last year, about this time, during the ACC Tournament and the first half of the NCAA, I was questioning a lot of things," Redick said. "This year I've never really lost confidence at all."
The confidence comes from having a jumper that has been honed by years of practice and is still fine-tuned by extra shooting sessions between games -- good or bad.
And the confidence comes from Redick's preseason conditioning, which has given his legs a level of endurance he lacked last season. Having that same spring on each jump shot has added to his consistency.
"I go into every game knowing that I'm prepared," Redick said. "The shots should fall."
And even when the shots don't fall, Redick has developed other ways in which he can contribute.
· He grabbed seven rebounds in the first N.C. State game and had two critical assists late in the game.
· He pulled down eight rebounds against Virginia in the ACC Tournament.
· He has even found value as a decoy, drawing defenders his way while teammates -- chiefly, Lee Melchionni -- benefit from open shots.
"I'm trying to find ways to help my team besides just when my shot's on," Redick said.
And Redick's teammates know that even if his shot isn't on, it soon will be.
