Duke Basketball: 5 Players That Deserve More Playing Time in 2012-13

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As the Duke Blue Devils turn the page on a disappointing 2012 NCAA tournament, coach Mike Krzyzewski looks forward to next year's group that will include a terrific core of veterans mixed with elite young talent.

Four key seniors return, a pair of redshirt freshmen will finally see game action and recruit Rasheed Sulaimon will be an instant impact player.

Last year's stars like Mason Plumlee will bear more responsibility next season, but young bench players who proved themselves will step up into greater roles.

Miles Plumlee's graduation, Austin Rivers' exit to the NBA and Michael Gbinije's transfer to Syracuse open up prime opportunities for several Blue Devils.

Here are five returning Duke players who deserve an increase in playing time in 2012-13.

Josh Hairston

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He isn't going to blow anyone away with his repertoire, but Josh Hairston is ready to handle a more substantial role with the Blue Devils.

The 6'7" forward didn't see much of a bump in playing time from his freshman to sophomore campaign, but he displayed a significant improvement in his shot selection and offensive game.

Hairston has also been an underrated offensive rebounder during his first two seasons, and that's an area that Duke needs to shore up with the departure of Miles Plumlee.

Hairston should get at least double-digit minutes per game this season.

Mason Plumlee

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Duke's best rebounder, shot-blocker and interior scorer nearly entered the NBA Draft, but power forward Mason Plumlee opted to return to Durham.

Coach K should be grateful, because Plumlee will bring a dynamic presence that no other Blue Devil could have offered next season.

He's not a completely polished post player, but his mix of size, athleticism and experience will bolster Duke's lineup and make them a tough team to handle in the paint.

Plumlee might not see more playing time than he did last year, but the point is that he deserves as much as Krzyzewski can give him.

Quinn Cook

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Austin Rivers' jump to the NBA leaves freshman Quinn Cook with a golden opportunity to establish himself as Duke's floor general.

He doesn't possess the combo-guard skills and athleticism of Rivers, but he'll be a better distributor.

During his stints off the bench last season, Cook had a terrific assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9 to 0.5) and showed that he can use his speed to put pressure on defenses.

The Blue Devils' level of dominance in the ACC will greatly depend on whether Cook can run an aggressive offense while remaining efficient.

Andre Dawkins

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The last couple weeks of Andre Dawkins' 2011-2012 season were disappointing, but Coach K needs to trust him to snap out of his junior slump once his senior year starts.

He's an athletic wing and a perimeter threat, but equally important is the fact that he'll be a veteran continuing to jell with his longtime teammates. Dawkins, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry have all been together since the fall of 2009.

Look for Dawkins to shoot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc and play the best defense of his career.

Ryan Kelly

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With 25 minutes per game last season, Ryan Kelly wasn't exactly shortchanged on playing time.

But he deserved every minute, and maybe more, because he led all Blue Devils in three-point shooting percentage.

Andre Dawkins, Seth Curry and Rasheed Sulaimon all provide long-distance production, but Kelly is the only one who can knock down threes and deliver assistance in the paint.

If he can stay healthy in March this time around, Duke will have a markedly better chance to regain its ACC swagger and go deep in the Big Dance.

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