Coach Mike Krzyzewski nursed a 104-degree fever while Duke squeaked out a one-point victory over No. 15 Belmont on Thursday.

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WASHINGTON — After narrowly escaping what might have been one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history, Mike Krzyzewski returned to his hotel room.

He needed rest.

It wasn't just because of the heart-stopping finish to Thursday night's 71-70 win against No. 15 seed Belmont. Krzyzewski had a temperature of 104 degrees. He pounded medication — "Everything in the world," he said — and watched some film.

"Just to not be in a pressure cooker for three hours," he said. "The main thing is, just settle down and try to get your temperature down. I tried to do that, and just get a little sleep."

The sleeplessness might have just started. When Duke faces West Virginia today in the second round of the NCAA tournament at the Verizon Center, it will be doing more than playing for a berth in the Phoenix regional.

It will try to buck history.

Good teams that narrowly escape first-round losses often get their comeuppance in the second.

Since 2000, a dozen No. 2 seeds have escaped the first round with wins of 10 points or fewer.

Among those, half lost in the second round — astounding considering the second-round game was against the winner of a game played between the seventh and 10th seeds.

Welcome to the NCAA tournament, where even shaky wins can mess with a team's head — and fans' perceptions nationwide.

"Just getting to the next round is a confidence-booster," Krzyzewski said. "I've been in the tournament for over 20 years, a lot of games. And every one of these games is a tough game.

"One of the reasons is that the magic that is created about the tournament. People expect more positives than negatives, especially if you're a lower seed. You're kinda celebrated."

Forward Kyle Singler was more blunt: underestimate Duke at your own peril. He said he likes any notion that a team could overlook the Blue Devils.

"We've played top teams in the country," he said. "And we've beat them."

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, who knocked the Arizona Wildcats out of the tournament on Thursday, was asked what he thought about Duke's Belmont scare.

"I'm glad it was Mike rather than me," he said, cracking a wry smile. "Mike deserves it."

The Blue Devils were rescued by guard Gerald Henderson, who dribbled the length of the floor for a layup with 12 seconds left to take a one-point lead.

The Blue Devils — some on the team have also been hit by illness — struggled from the floor, making only 43 percent of their field goals and 29 percent of three-point attempts.

Compare that to the Mountaineers, who made 11 of 19 three-pointers Thursday and had four players score 14 points or more, and Duke seems ripe for another tight game.

Krzyzewski could barely speak Thursday night. At least three times, he said he tried to call a time-out, but the referee didn't hear him.

In a way, his illness is galvanizing his team.

"In a big part (the illness) has brought the team closer together," he said. "It just unifies us, because more people are being aware that Coach is not at his best right now."

Henderson said his teammates know what they need to do, even if there's no strong voice to tell them.

"This far in the season, we know what he would say in different situations and what he wants," Henderson said. "We have to communicate that to ourselves. It's just about us coming together and communicating within ourselves."

To find their voice, the Blue Devils need to stop waiting to hear their coach's.

"It's just about us being his voice," Henderson said.