Clank is a sound that most people don't like. But for Duke, it was a great sound last April. A last second heave clanked off the front of the rim, and Duke was the national champion. This year, a couple of key pieces from last year's team are gone, but there is some great talent back. Duke is ranked number one in most preseason polls, and the hope is that Duke won't clank what appears to be a pretty good chance to repeat as national champions.
Backcourt
With two new guards in the mix, and more backcourt depth, Duke may try and run a little more this season. While they lost Jon Scheyer, the two players who will take his place will be very capable of filling up the stat sheet. Kyrie Irving was regarded as one of the top recruits out of high school. He will see a lot of playing time early. Irving's on-court composure and his ability to change speeds and beat his defender will give this team a facet last year's team didn't have. The other newcomer, Seth Curry, transferred to Duke from Liberty, and sat out last year. Curry led all freshmen in scoring at Libery with 20.2 ppg and possesses the ability to stretch defenses, and should be a lethal option for Coach K off the bench. Although there will be a lot of talk about those two newcomers, Nolan Smith is still around. Smith was one of the three best players on last year's team. Smith improved greatly during his junior year and ended up averaging 17.4 points per game last season. As a senior Smith will handle more leadership responsibilty but can his game take a step forward too? Andre Dawkins is also back to provide some depth for the backcourt, and a sharpshooter from behind the arc. Dawkins averaged 4.4 points per game last season. Another newcomer to the team is Tyler Thornton, who is more of a defensive specialist, will probably see a little mop up duty, but will be another viable option in the backcourt.
Frontcourt
The best news Duke and its fans could have had was Kyle Singler returning. After being named the most outstanding performer of the Final Four, it was thought Singler would go to the NBA. But Kyle decided to give it one more go in college. He is among the best the ACC has to offer. Singler averaged nearly 18 points and seven rebounds, while shooting 42% from the field and 40% from three. The Blue Devils did lose Brian Zoubek, who was pivotal in the latter half of the season, especially when it came to rebounding and playing defense. But this gives both of the Plumlee brothers the opportunity to play on the court together more. The elder Plumlee, Miles, averaged 5.2 points and 4.9 rebounds, and shot 56% from the field. The other brother, Mason, averaged 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds. Also expected to see some playing time is sophomore Ryan Kelly. Kelly only averaged one point and one rebound last season, but will see a bigger opportunity to produce this season. Freshman, Josh Hairston also comes to Durham as a versatile frontcourt defender in the mold of outgoing Lance Thomas.
Schedule
The non-conference schedule will be a little tough. After a few cupcakes, Duke will face Marquette in a holiday tournament, then will face Oregon on the road. The Blue Devils also have a rematch vs Butler, as well as hosting Michigan State and Temple at home. Per usual, Duke will have the home and home matchup with North Carolina, but have to travel to Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech.
Prediction
This team is good. Really good. There's a reason they were voted number one in the polls. There's a lot of experience on this team, and the youth on this team will have a lot of experienced upperclassmen to learn from. The only way I can see Duke not winning the ACC is a plague of injuries, or if we somehow end up in a bizarro world where good teams are bad.
Fantasy Player to Watch
31 pts/9 rebs/5 asts: Sure it was an exhibition game, but those were Kyle Singler's numbers in just 22 minutes of action in Duke's first preseason exhibition. Singler has been one of the top fantasy options in the ACC throughout his career but this season may be the one that sees Singler become a true playmaker. If Singler can add the assist to his arsenal more consistently, then he'll fulfill his fantasy potential.
