Duke basketball almost is synonymous to victory. Despite a surprising loss to Indiana in the NCAA tournament last year, Duke was one of the premier squads in the country. College success, however, often translates into early exits to the NBA. Starters Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer have all departed. Now Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski must find a way to fill the holes. Luckily he has strong leadership and the number one recruiting class in the nation to help.
In order to maintain their level of success, Krzyzewski will rely on junior Chris Duhon for essential court leadership. He is the only team captain this season.
"Chris is doing a good job," Krzyzewski said. "He's getting more and more vocal as a leader. There's a learning curve, I think; he's picking it up really fast."
Duhon played a strong part in the 2001 national championship, starting the final 10 games of that season. Last year, he led the team in assists, steals, and minutes per game. He averages 8.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.1 steals in his career.
"I'm going to be more aggressive on the offensive end, but, as a [point guard] you're job is to win games," Duhon said. "The best point guards are the ones who win games and that's my concern."
Aiding Duhon will be senior swingman Dahntay Jones. The 2000 Rutgers transfer plays tenacious defense and is not afraid to play above the rim. He averages 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists for his career (including two years at Rutgers).
"Offensively I have to score more and be more aggressive and do a lot more to be more of a presence on the floor," Jones said. "I can't let up on defense because defense is what gets our offense going. Offense is a translation of what we do on defense."
Also looking to make an immediate impact is sophomore guard Daniel Ewing. He was the top performer off the bench last year and demonstrated an ability to hit clutch three-point shots. Ewing has the skills to be a force offensively and defensively. Senior big men Casey Saunders and Nick Horvath also hope to contribute.
Arguably the number one recruiting class in the nation, the six-pack of freshmen includes the 6-foot-10 Shavlik Randolph, 6-foot-10 Michael Thompson and 6-foot-9 Shelden Williams to fortify the Blue Devils' inside game, along with perimeter threats J.J. Redick Sean Dockery and Lee Melchionni.
"All six of these kids can contribute right away," Krzyzewski said.
The freshman "are going to have to grow up quick because we are going to depend on those guys," Duhon added. "They're going to have learn quick and take some bumps and bruises. They're going to have to play big roles for us to be successful."
Even with the loss of three premier college players, Duke remains one of the top squads in the ACC and the nation. With a hall-of-fame coach, solid leadership, versatility and a strong freshman class, Duke should continue its trend of annual basketball superiority.
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