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CHARLOTTE — The truth is, Duke didn't need Kyrie Irving to win its NCAA tournament opener Friday.

The truth is, Duke was already ahead 13-4 when Irving and Andre Dawkins checked into the game with 15 minutes, 19 seconds left in the first half.

The truth is, Irving's return overshadowed what Duke does exceptionally well in the tournament: defend.

The top-seeded Blue Devils cruised to an 87-45 victory over 16th-seeded Hampton in an East Regional game at Time Warner Cable Arena. (Box score)

All 10 of Duke's scholarship players logged at least 13 minutes of playing time, and all 10 scored. All 10 played tough defense.

With almost every shot contested, no Hampton player scored in double-figures. The Pirates turned it over 17 times. Hampton scored 45 points; Duke had 44 in the paint.

"Every college team," Hampton coach Edward Joyner Jr. said, "sits at home and watches on TV and says, 'I want to play Duke. I want to see what it's like to play Duke.' We surely found out."

What did Hampton learn? Even the big guys are quick enough to play perimeter defense.

"I thought as a group we moved our feet really well on defense," said 6-foot-10 Mason Plumlee, who at times picked up his defensive assignment 18 feet from the basket.

Miles Plumlee, also 6-10, finished with 13 rebounds, 11 before halftime.

"The Plumlee guys, they move a lot better than I thought," Joyner said. "I don't think the video does them justice. They're able to switch and stay in front of our guys. We don't see that in our league."

The Pirates also don't see guards the quality of Nolan Smith and Seth Curry, Irving and Dawkins.

Irving's return could give Duke an offensive boost off the bench if the star freshman shakes off the rust of more than three months in street clothes.

But whether he scores or not, what he undoubtedly gives the Blue Devils is yet another quick on-the-ball defender.

"For man-to-man defense, it all starts with ball pressure," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Not just on the point, but at any part of the perimeter, even if a big guy is out there to pressure the ball. ... To have more guys able to do that, the better."

Smith, the ACC's player of the year, finished with nine points and seven assists. But he played just 24 minutes, his fewest since Dec. 20 against Elon.

Duke got reacquainted with a missing piece of itself Friday, but the Devils got better because of an old friend: postseason defense.

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com