While the Duke basketball squad is not expected to dominate as they have in the last two seasons, forward Chris Carrawell has decided that not being the favorite has its advantages.
"It's great because nobody's expecting anything from us," Carrawell said. "That's fun. Last year, we were beating everybody by 30 points at halftime, and we kind of came to expect that. That's what it's all about - change."
And with seven freshmen coming into Durham this season, Blue Devil fans can expect a lot to change.
After running the table in the ACC and advancing to the NCAA Championship game, one might wonder why Duke required such an overhaul. But when the NBA snatched William Avery, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, and center Chris Burgess transferred to Utah, Devil Coach Mike Krzyzewski was forced to reload with a new cast of upcoming stars.
Enter Carlos Boozer, Casey Sanders, Jason Williams and Michael Dunleavy, four of the seven freshmen being groomed to fill the sneakers of the original Devils gone too soon.
Boozer, a 6-foot-9 forward from Juneau-Douglas, Alaska, signed with Duke last spring and already is predicted to be Brand's successor. Boozer averaged almost 28 points and 14 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 75 percent from the field last year to earn honors as Alaska's Player of the Year. Weighing in at 267 pounds, Boozer is slated to start at forward for the Devils.
Another hotshot predicted to start for Duke is 6-foot-11 Tampa, Fla., native Casey Sanders. At only 205 pounds, Sanders will need to spend the preseason bulking up, although he already has established himself as a formidable shot blocker.
Sanders, who tallied 20.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, led his Tampa Prep team to a 30-5 record.
Duke found an Avery-like guard in Jason Williams, a 6-foot-2 product of St. Joseph's High School in Plainfield, N.J. Averaging 26 points, seven assists and four steals per game last season, Williams helped lead his team to the state championship game.
Williams "has strengths that we want to accentuate," Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewksi said. "One is his ability to get the ball down the court quickly, and two, he can penetrate well."
Forward-guard Mike Dunleavy Jr. comes from a family that knows the ins and outs of the game. The 6-foot-7 son of Mike Dunleavy Sr., head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, averaged 20.2 points and 8.4 rebounds last season and has the height to work over many of the ACC's smaller guards.
"Dunleavy can really play," Carrawell said. "Coming in he wasn't one of the most talked about, but leaving he will be one of the most talked about. He's better than I expected."
Along with Carrawell, juniors Nate James, Shane Battier, J.D. Simpson and sophomore Matt Christensen comprise the team's only returning veterans. Of the five, only Carrawell and Battier are returning starters.
Carrawell and Battier are ready to accept their roles as captains and to help the freshmen adjust. Battier said the most important step on the road to cohesion is dedication.
"The most important thing is our commitment to each other, day in and day out," he said. "You have to come to work with resolve to be the best you can be."
The preseason started out on the wrong foot for the Devils when Boozer was forced to undergo surgery in August to repair a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot, which he injured in a pick-up game. Trainers predicted the injury would require up to 12 weeks of rehabilitation, but Boozer is expected to be ready to play by early November.
While many critics already have pegged this year as a "rebuilding season" for the Devils, Krzyzewski said the history of Duke basketball keeps the younger players striving for excellence.
"It's unique because you have more young guys than old guys," he said. "There seems to be a perception that this is a rebuilding season, but I don't believe that. The level of expectations in our players is still high based on the history of the players before them."
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