“I’m a big fan of everything that [Hall of Fame college basketball coach] John Wooden has ever done in that while you prepare for your opponent, a lot of this is now is about what you do and how you do things,” Danowski said Tuesday morning during an NCAA-organized conference call involving the four Division I coaches, two Division II coaches and two Division III coaches. “So how we approach the ball on defense, our team defensive position, playing a pick is playing a pick – if you’re playing Delaware or if you’re playing Notre Dame or if you’re playing Maryland. They like to pick for the ball. You’ve got to be aware of the hidden-ball trick. Their middies, if they get their hands free, can sling the ball when they get down the alley. There’s really not a lot new that you’re going to see, I don’t think, at this time of the year.”

Danowski isn’t speaking out of turn. Duke met Virginia three times last season, edging the Cavaliers in overtime in the Final Four en route to the school’s first NCAA title.

Danowski said the team will review film of the first two meetings with the Terps to get an idea of their tendencies. But he emphasized that his focus is on the Blue Devils themselves.

“It’s about how consistent can you be, how alert you are defensively, and offensively, it’s certainly going to be about, can you finish well?” Danowski said. “Is your team shooting well? Are we moving the ball, making the right pass? Are they going to slide from the crease? Are they going to slide adjacent or fake-slide or not slide at all so that you have to beat your man? All those lessons that your kids have learned all year, are they going to be able to translate that Saturday night? … Whatever happened in the past, you take a little from it, but it’s going to be about fundamentals, execution and enthusiasm.”