Duke Blue Devils
2009-10 Record: 35-5
2009-10 ACC Record: 13-3
You couldn’t ask for a nicer season if you were a Duke fan.
They throttled short-handed North Carolina twice.
They had some questionable loses but overall they were able
to win the one’s that mattered.
At the end of the season, the Blue Devils were crowned
National Champions. Before the NCAA tournament started, the consensus National
Champions was either Kansas or Kentucky.
Nobody really mentioned Duke and they were able to prove
them wrong. Many blame it on the easier road they faced.
However, no tournament bracket is easy. They faced tough
teams especially in the Elite Eight on-to the National Championship.
A repeat is a huge possibility for Duke. They’re lock and
loaded, ready for next season.
Key Returnees:
If you weren't a senior,
you didn't leave. The Blue Devils returned eight of their players that won them
a national championship.
The success of the Blue
Devils hinged on whether Kyle Singler would return. He returned and that's why
Duke is the instant favorites.
Singler and Nolan Smith
will need to provide the same kind of success they did this season but more.
They also returned the two
Plumlee twins in the post. That will benefit well both in the starting five and
on the bench.
Key Departures:
The Blue Devils had a
lot of key returnees but they also had big departures.
Jon Scheyer, the point
guard and floor-general for Duke this past season. In the clutch, the ball was
in his hands and he hit the big shots. Not only that, but he created for others
around him.
He made sure the game
was played at the speed they wanted it at--not what the other team
preferred.
They will undoubtedly miss
his contributions.
In addition, Brian
Zoubek has to be the biggest lost for the Blue Devils.
He brought you
defensive, and offensive rebounding. Not to mention, the ability to lock down
on the opposing teams center.
Despite the 7.7
rebounds, and 5.6 points; Zoubek was a special player to this program.
Both will
be definitely missed.
Key Additions:
If you haven't heard of
Kyrie Irving then you're not a real college basketball fan. Irving has been on
Duke radar for a while. Once he decided that Duke was his destination in the
fall, they were no longer looking for a Scheyer replacement.
Irving is one of the
best point guards this 2010 recruiting class had to offer. Some go as far as
saying he is the best.
That is good news for
any Duke fan. This recruiting class featured players like Josh Selby and
Brandon Knight.
Joshua Hairston is a
great post addition. He will give 110 percent on every possession. He
works hard on offense but is better on defense.
He times blocks and
steals perfectly down on the low block. Not to mention, he is a high energy
type of player.
Fatigue isn't a problem
for him, he can go all day.
Tyler Thornton the
6-foot-2 point guard signed with Duke as well. Coach Krzyzewski not only added
depth to the position, but placed a leader on the second unit.
When the starters get
winded the offense won't skip a beat. With Thornton's understanding and
leadership, he should be able to run the second unit rather well.
Prediction:
Most people foresee a
repeat this upcoming year. The Blue Devils are loaded and the roster is going
to be 11-men deep.
That is great because
nobody in college basketball will be able to play with an 11-man rotation like
Duke will be able to. On top of that, they have the best point guard in the
business.
They can score, rebound
and defend well.
Nothing has changed but
the year for Duke. They will once be back in the National Championship and
repeat like the Gators did back in 2004.
They're main focus
should be improving their players. They're will be players that are looked upon
to produce consistently that haven’t played significant minutes over
the season.
If they are able to get
players to step up, in the post mainly, they will have a productive National
Championship season once again.
Written by DeAnte Mitchell
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