Duke's Big Three log heavy minutes

Duke's fans - some of whom are concerned that the Blue Devils may be overworking Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith - aren't the only ones paying close attention to the minutes logged by the Big Three.

ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews said Clemson coach Oliver Purnell was urging the Tigers to keep pushing in an effort to tire the Blue Devils in Duke's 60-47 win on Saturday. Purnell admitted as much on Monday during the ACC's weekly teleconference call.

"We were monitoring minutes during the game and recognized that Scheyer and Singler had not been out of the game," Purnell said. "With our style and all of that, it was soemthing we were trying to do at the end. And quite honestly, they looked bushed. But I give them all the credit in the world. With tremendous mental toughness, those two, along with Smith and their other guys hung in there when they were tired."

But Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski sounded confident that superior conditioning is keeping his top players from wearing down. Scheyer and Singler played 40 minutes each Saturday, and Smith played 37.

"They're in great shape," Krzyzewski said Monday of Duke's three top players. "They finished the Clemson game, and all three of them, they could have played another 20 minutes."

Ken Tysiac