Duke Basketball

Not to feel slighted, here is fodder about Duke from ESPN Insider:
2010-11: 32-5 (NCAA tournament -- Sweet 16)

Mike Krzyzewski doesn't know what to do with the Blue Devils this season.

Wait, what?

It's true. That's what Coach K -- a man who's won 827 college basketball games at Duke and Olympic gold as a head coach -- told the Raleigh News & Observer in early June. With grizzled four-year veterans Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith gone, and game-changing freshman Kyrie Irving landing as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, there's little doubt that the Hall of Fame coach has some adjustments to make in the upcoming season.



Jay Bilas
Duke's trip to China and Dubai this month will be a big factor in determining the Blue Devils' style of play this season and what kind of team Mike Krzyzewski will ultimately have. During the trip, Krzyzewski will have the chance to see combinations, gauge relationships and determine how the pieces at his disposal will best fit together.
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Doug Gottlieb
The Devils may have as much or more talent than they have had in the last five seasons, but that does not mean it is a cinch they will get to the Final Four, much less win another national title. Chemistry, point-guard play, low-post scoring and perimeter defense are the biggest questions, while coaching, effort and perimeter scoring should provide a lot of answers.
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Joe Lunardi
I'm not sure which is the greater accomplishment, seven Final Fours in nine years (1986-94) or seven No. 1 seeds in nine other seasons (1998-2006). Either way, we're talking about dominance in an incredibly balanced sport and a dynasty in many ways even more remarkable than that of John Wooden and UCLA in the 1960s and '70s.
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Fran Fraschilla
The key question for the Blue Devils is this: Who will be Mike Krzyzewski's point guard in 2011-12? Last year, Coach K had the luxury of having two NBA first-round picks at the position, including freshman Kyrie Irving, the No. 1 overall pick.
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Rust never sleeps. Nor, apparently, does a brilliant head coach who wants to stay on top.


"During the summertime, I've noticed he looks at all kinds of film -- NBA teams, old teams he's had," said junior forward Mason Plumlee. "What he likes to do is look at the personnel he has and adjust accordingly, which I think is awesome. Not a lot of coaches or programs do that. He has experience with just about every system."

The narrowing of the gap between the old guard and young lions has been highlighted over the past two seasons. Krzyzewski (64 years of age) and the Blue Devils narrowly defeated Brad Stevens (34) and his Butler Bulldogs for the 2010 title, and Jim Calhoun (69) faced an even bigger age gap to win it all over the same opponent in 2011. Four months ago, Duke was eliminated in the Sweet 16 by an Arizona team led by Sean Miller (42). A certain tactical flexibility would seem to be de rigeur these days, and laurel-resting is out of the question.

"We try to go into the season without any preconceived notions and just kind of let it happen on the court and in competition," said long-time Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski. "One of the things that [Coach K] has done throughout his career here is really schedule well to prepare us for the tough ACC season. You can have ideas about what you think is going to happen, but that can completely change once you get on the court and you're playing against other really good people and really good coaches."

The Blue Devils will be unpredictable and different this season. Will they be great, or merely very good?

Welcome to campus
Austin Rivers, 6-foot-4, SG
No. 2 overall ESPNU 100
Quinn Cook, 6-1, PG
No. 37 overall ESPNU 100

Doc Rivers' son made some semi-convincing noises about considering Florida during his hot-and-heavy recruitment, but one thing quickly became evident: only blue-bloods need apply. In the final showdown between Duke, Carolina and Kansas, the Blue Devils came out on top. Austin is an NBA-level talent who can shoot a floater over big men in the paint or loft the pill over the entire defense from the perimeter with equal alacrity. Lest we over-inflate his high school prowess, Rivers also starred alongside his predecessor Irving in winning FIBA U-18 gold in 2010.

Cook is a speedy but inexperienced point. Despite his newbie status, Cook may see some quality time in a backcourt full of combo guards.

Marshall Plumlee, 6-11, C
No. 34 overall ESPNU 100

Michael Gbinije, 6-6, SF
No. 28 overall ESPNU 100

Alex Murphy, 6-8, SF
No. 40 overall ESPNU 100

Marshall is the third Plumlee brother to journey from Warsaw, Ind., to Durham, N.C. Since he'll be challenging older brothers Miles and Mason for playing time, as he likely has been his entire life, we'll heed family counsel on this one.

"He's a lot different player than us, especially coming in as a freshman," said junior-to-be Mason. "He's worked hard in the weight room and stuff, but he's still very skinny. He's more of a traditional big man, he has a great motor and he can really rebound it. I think if he just sticks to his game, he'll have some opportunities this year to operate."

Gbinije and Murphy may hold Singler's position on the floor, but both have a long way to go before they can fill the departed senior's shoes. Gbinije has been praised for his mature game, which could give him a leg up. Murphy is tall and wiry, which could allow him to play the 3 or the 4 if he is able to fill out his frame a bit more. Seldom-used sophomore Josh Hairston is also in the mix at the 3.

Hole to fill: floor general

Duke has the option of letting freshman combo guard Austin Rivers run its offense this season.
We know already that Krzyzewski is not afraid to start a freshman point guard. Will he do it again this season? Or will he entrust the ball to a skilled combo guard a la Nolan Smith?

"We feel like we have a number of guys on our team who have the potential to handle that position," said Wojciechowski. "Tyler Thornton had a number of really good moments for us last year as a freshman. Quinn Cook, who's an incoming freshman, is an outstanding point guard. You could go with a guy who's not a traditional point guard. Nolan had a great year and no one would say he's a traditional point guard. You could go with Seth Curry or Austin Rivers. It will work itself out over the course of the year, but we feel we have outstanding perimeter players and the staff is anxious to see who steps up and establishes himself as the key guy on our team."

New role: Mason Plumlee
Miles is the oldest, but more of the frontcourt load falls on Mason, probably because he's shown more of an ability to handle it. Last season, Mason scored just 8.85 percent of the team's points but showed equal skill at rebounding the ball on either end of the floor. He also led the team in block percentage (38.2 percent, just ahead of Ryan Kelly) and showed a knack for passing the ball out of the post.

What Plumlee must do for the Blue Devils, night in and night out, is prove he can score when he receives the ball in the paint. His passing ability will mean so much more if he is a greater threat to score, and Mason knows it.

"When the first game comes, I've got to be the dependable low post scorer, where they can expect that from me every game," Plumlee said. "I have been getting better and I've got to continue to develop."

Summer school
If you've read this far, you know the buzzwords for the 2011-12 season are "uncertainty" and "change." When it comes to sorting things out, however, the Blue Devils have a leg up.

"We're going on a foreign tour to China in August and we'll know a lot more about our team after having spent some time together," said Wojciechowski, who will also help coach the team in Dubai this summer. "All of our freshmen are in second-session summer school, and if they complete that, then we'll go to China for two weeks and be able to learn a lot more about who we think we can be."

NCAA teams are allowed to make overseas trips once every four years, and the Blue Devils haven't done so since 2002. They'll use the trip, and the extra practice time the NCAA allows beforehand, to find themselves.