Duke men’s basketball is my passion. The atmosphere in Cameron Indoor Stadium in every game can’t be matched in any other arena around the country. A few coaches may only precede the legacy of Coach Krzyzewski, but with the potential of his future, he may go down as the greatest coach in college basketball history. Last season’s national championship was one of the greatest moments that I had last year, through watching the team that I love, exceed their expectations to grab the biggest goal in college basketball.
Remember when Duke was in their drought? After they lost to VCU and were almost upset by Belmont. Duke went five seasons without a Final Four appearance, and struggled to advance through the Sweet 16. However, during their drought, Duke averaged 28 wins and always made the NCAA tournament.
Now, entering 2010, Duke is expected to be the best team in the country, and anything less than a Final Four appearance would be a failure. Coach K is starting to accumulate the best recruits in each class, the ones that eluded Duke during their drought. Here is my 2010 Duke men’s basketball season preview:
Point Guard: Kyrie Irving, FR, 6-2, 175 lbs (24.7 ppg, 6.5 apg at St. Patrick HS)
Kyrie Irving may be the most complete point guard at Duke since Jason Williams or Chris Duhon. At the USA U18 basketball tournament over the summer, he led the USA to a world championship by scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in the title game against Brazil. "Kyrie is really good," Krzyzewski said. "We'll see when I coach him on a day to day basis. He reminds me a little bit of Chris Paul with his toughness and his ability to change directions. He's a very, very good player." Irving will provide Duke with the run ‘n’ gun type game that they haven’t been able to use in recent years due to a lack of a playmaking point guard. Irving may only be at Duke for one season before departing for the NBA, but he should instantly become a Duke fan favorite, and show that he is the best point guard in the country.
Shooting Guard: Nolan Smith, SR, 6-2, 185 lbs (17.4 ppg, 2.8 rbg, 3.0 apg)
Nolan Smith enjoyed a breakout campaign last year. Smith was an inconsistent scorer as a sophomore, when it was hard to tell how he would project into Duke’s next great point guard. However, Duke changed their views on him going into his junior year to allow him to create his own space without being a point guard, which he excelled at driving the ball. "The main thing for Nolan is, he now has the confidence of an elite player," Duke assistant Chris Collins said. "He showed flashes his first couple of years, but there was inconsistency. I think [last season] necessity forced him to have to be there in a big way every single night. I think he will continue to build on that." Also, Smith is one of the best defenders for Duke, which will be important for them this season to be able to shut down the other team’s top guards. Expect Smith to improve upon last season, and become even more consistent this year as one of the top guards in the country.
Small Forward: Kyle Singler, SR, 6-8, 230 lbs (17.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.4 apg)
Singler’s stock during the NCAA tournament rose more than Kansas City Chiefs’ fans. It was a shock for me that Singler decided not to enter the NBA draft, as he was assured to be at least a first round draft pick. Singler emerged as Duke’s star last season, and his ability to do everything helped them to the championship. In previous years, it was thought that Singler didn’t have a position because he wasn’t athletic enough to cover small forwards’ and was too small to cover post players. However, Singler worked on his defensive skills, which led to him becoming one of the strongest defenders on the team, as he covered Baylor’s LaceDarious Dunn, West Virginia’s De’Sean Butler, and Butler’s Gordon Hayward. "I think Kyle's a great defender, not a good one," Krzyzewski said. "He can defend all types of players. He can defend one through five. We wouldn't put him on the one very often, but if he switched off, he could guard him. The thing that makes Kyle great [is that] Kyle wants to win very badly. Kyle plays very hard and smart. He's a warrior." Singler should continue to become one of the best players in college basketball and is a serious contender to be the national player of the year. If Duke is going to be national champions next year, Singler must have a great year.
Power Forward: Mason Plumlee, SO, 6-10, 230 lbs (3.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
The younger Plumlee brother, Mason, is the athletic one that holds tremendous potential for the future. Mason suffered a broken wrist before the season last year that held him back from having a major impact on the team, as he only averaged 14.1 minutes. "I think the one you want to see make the jump to becoming that elite guy is Mason," Collins said. "With his talent level ... his athleticism. He does have all the tools it takes. I always have believed that you normally see a big jump between freshmen and sophomore years. I think Mason, with his talent level and now his experience is poised to make a jump and become one of the elite front-line guys in our league." Plumlee is expected to make a major jump this year in the terms of statistics, as he will be the go-to-guy for the Blue Devils’ offense through the post. Plumlee has all of the tools to be one of the Duke greats, but it will be interesting to see how Duke utilizes him, and if he can support all the expectations for himself.
Center: Miles Plumlee, JR, 6-10, 240 lbs (5.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
The older Plumlee, Miles, was expected to receive a lot of playing time next year, but due to the presence of Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek, he only averaged 16.4 minutes per game. "Miles was playing very good basketball," Collins said. "It gets lost in light of how well Zoubek played, but Miles was a guy who as the season went along, you could see him getting more and more comfortable." Although Mason has more potential, Miles is still a superb player, as he had seven double-digit scoring outings, and four double-digit rebounding efforts. Miles is going to have to help become the factor that Zoubek became at the end of last season. It will be interesting how the Plumlee brothers play together, and see how they co-exist in the same frontcourt.
Bench:
SG – Seth Curry, SO, 6-1, 175 lbs (20.2 ppg, 4.4 rps, 2.3 apg at Liberty in 2008-09)
SG – Andre Dawkins, SO 6-4, 190 lbs (4.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg, .379 3PT)
PF – Ryan Kelly, SO, 6-10, 230 lbs (1.2 ppg, 1.1 rpg)
PF – Joshua Hairston, FR, 6-8, 210 lbs (17 ppg, 10 rpg at Montrose HS)
PG – Tyler Thornton, FR, 6-2, 180 lbs (14.4 ppg, 5.1 apg at Gonzaga HS)
I have heard from knowledgeable people that Seth Curry is just as talented as his brother Stephen Curry. Curry also possesses a deadly shot, and after waiting a year due to transferring, he should play a big role either coming off of the bench or starting in a three-guard offense. "He can shoot the lights out, and those guys are going to find a way to get on the court." Collins said. "He's got the brains. He's got the confidence. He's versatile. I think he can play both guard spots. I think he can play with Nolan. He can play with Kyrie. I think the three of them could play together at times. It gives us a lot of options." Curry should hold a key role on the team to come through for the Blue Devils’ when Irving goes through his freshman growing pains.
Andre Dawkins came to college early, and it should benefit him, as he was one of the best shooters on last year’s team. Dawkins was playing excellent basketball until a tragic car accident that injured his mother and took the life of his sister as they were on their way to see him play. Dawkins is a sharpshooter that already must go through a life tragedy. It will be interesting to see how Dawkins’ progressed over the summer, but I can see him playing a prominent role in the run ‘n’ gun offense next to Irving.
Ryan Kelly was sick last summer, which prevented him from playing at the level he wanted until it was too late for him to earn significant playing time. Kelly isn’t an extremely athletic athlete, but he can shoot well from three, and could become a mismatch for his defenders. Until he can bulk up and play strong defense in the post, I expect his playing time to be limited.
Joshua Hairston and Tyler Thornton are both glue type players but as freshmen, their playing time will be limited. Hairston has already played with Irving on the USA U18 team, and Thornton should be used to the run ‘n’ gun offense after growing up in Washington D.C., which is a notorious city for producing run ‘n’ gun star players.
Overall, I expect Duke to come out on top of the ACC again, and should easily be a Final Four contender. The Blue Devils will be the target of every other team they face (including Bradley on Dec. 8th), but with the senior leadership of Singler and Smith, Duke should be able to come out on top, and win another national championship.
Contributing: Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook 2010-11
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