The Duke Blue Devils know the feeling.
About four weeks ago, Virginia women's lacrosse player Yeardley Love was found dead in her apartment, and murder charges soon were brought against men's lacrosse player George Huguely.
About four years ago, three members of Duke's lacrosse team were charged with the sexual assault of an exotic dancer, a case that dominated headlines for a year and threatened to decimate Duke's program.
Today, the rivals with more than a conference in common meet in the national semifinals (6:30 p.m., ESPN2) at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.
"We're simply trying to do the best we can," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "There aren't a lot of directives for what we've been through."
While it may not be fair to compare a murder case to a sexual assault case, especially in light of the eventual exoneration of those accused in the Duke case, Duke's players certainly can relate to dealing with the glare of the national spotlight.
In 2006, when a Duke team that appeared capable of reaching the Final Four had its season cancelled in light of the allegations, current Duke coach John Danowski was the parent of a Duke player. Danowski, head coach at Hofstra at the time, had a son, standout Matt Danowski, on the Blue Devils' roster.
"I wasn't here in 2006 when everything happened, but I know guys don't really want to talk about it," Danowski said. "Very quickly -- whether it's healthy or unhealthy -- they just want to move on with their lives. Other people can be angry, but they have so much going on with school, with their futures, internships, jobs, friends, that it doesn't really consume them.
"Kids are extremely resilient."
Danowski does know what it's like to compete in the Final Four with emotion at the forefront. In 2007, less than two months after Duke's charged players were cleared, the Blue Devils fell just short of the NCAA championship.
"The first year was so unique with everything that went on," Danowski said. "The whole year was not about lacrosse; it was about so many other things, and at the end it became way too emotional."
With the Virginia's men playing for themselves but also for the grieving women's team, Starsia understands that the same thing could happen to the top-ranked Cavaliers, but he also knows there's little he could or should do about it.
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