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Duke made a short trip west to Charlotte for its first two games in the NCAA tournament's West Regional last week.

There, in the friendly Cable Box home of the Charlotte Bobcats, the Blue Devils got reacquainted with freshman phenom Kyrie Irving.

Now top-seeded Duke heads more than 2,200 miles west to Anaheim, Calif., for a Sweet Sixteen date with fifth seed Arizona tonight at the Honda Center.

Three things we learned in Charlotte that need adjusting in Anaheim:

1. IRVING NEEDS A ROLE: He was gone more than three months with a big toe injury, and he came off the bench in Charlotte.

But Irving played a lot. At times, Duke looked disjointed when he was in the game. At other times, the Devils looked better than ever, especially when Irving banked in the floater that ended Michigan's comeback hopes.

"We now know that Kyrie can play extended minutes, which we didn't know coming in," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Sunday. "We knew he could play. We didn't know how rusty he would be. He played pretty well and he kept getting better, hit the big shot, and we know that he wants to be there with pressure. That's a big thing going forward."

Irving's increased role means less playing time for Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins, fewer touches for Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.

Krzyzewski admitted he winged it a little bit in Charlotte. His guys will need more defined roles moving forward.

2. SMITH IS STILL THE GO-TO GUY: How is it possible to forget about the ACC player of the year?

Down the stretch against Michigan, with a big lead evaporating, Nolan Smith needed to get the ball more.

Earlier, he had torched the Wolverines, scoring all the points in a 10-0 Duke scoring run. And yet there he was, sharing the ball with Irving, Curry and Dawkins in an unusual four-guard lineup.

Don't look for that lineup against Arizona. Look for Smith to be the key. When Duke is at it's best, it starts with Smith's on-the-ball defensive pressure.

3. THE BIG GUYS MUST BE BIG: 6-foot-10 brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee watched the closing minutes of the Michigan game from the bench. They were non-factors in the guard-oriented game.

That must change against Arizona.

"Our big guys were out of the game a little bit," Krzyzewski said Sunday. "We have to get them back where, hey, we're not going past this next game without you guys."

Arizona is built around 6-foot-8 Derrick Williams, who averages 19.1 points — the only Wildcat in double-figures this season.

It's likely the most important matchup of the entire tournament for the Plumlees, 6-11 Ryan Kelly and 6-8 Singler.

"We know more," Krzyzewski said. "And it's a little bit unusual in the NCAA tournament to be (changing). It's a good problem to have."

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