Projecting the 2012-13 Duke Blue Devils Rotation Without Andre Dawkins

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It is great to be a Duke Blue Devil, unless, of course, your name is Andre Dawkins. Dawkins is officially going to be redshirted for his senior season with Duke. So what will the rotation look like without him?

Although Dawkins won't really be a part of the Blue Devils this year, Duke still has plenty of talent on the court to compete for a national championship, which is the case every year for Duke. 

Read on to see what the 2012-2013 Duke Blue Devils rotation will look like without Dawkins. 

Guards

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Just like previous years, this Blue Devils team will be filled with valuable guards.

Quinn Cook—Cook will get a lot more playing time than his 11.7 minutes per game last season. He will be one of the premier point guards on this team. 

Tyler Thornton—Tyler Thornton will share minutes at point guard with Cook. These two players will be huge for Duke, since they really did not have a true point guard last season.

Rasheed Sulaimon—Sulaimon is good enough to be the first option for Duke this year, but he will most likely be the second behind Seth Curry. The kid can shoot lights out from anywhere on the court, but he can also drive to the rim and create his own shot. Sounds kind of like Austin Rivers if you ask me.

Seth Curry—Curry will be the man for the Blue Devils this coming season. Now that Curry won't have to play at the point guard position, he should shine at his natural shooting guard position. 

Forwards

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With the addition of Amile Jefferson, the Blue Devils will have a very skilled frontcourt, unlike most years.

Amile Jefferson—Jefferson is capable of playing both forward positions, but he is better suited as a power forward. Jefferson rebounds really well and can be a threat as a shot-blocker.

Alex Murphy—Alex Murphy decided to redshirt his freshman season with Duke, so the college basketball world has not seen a whole lot of him. Murphy has great basketball I.Q. and can play ball on both sides of the court.

Ryan Kelly—Kelly really throws off the opposing defenders by being able to knock down shots all day from behind the arc. If he can develop his post game and drive every now and then, he could be a very dangerous player this season.

Josh Hairston—Hairston only averaged 8.5 minutes per game last season, but with Andre Dawkins redshirting his senior season, Hairston should get some more playing time. However, if Hairston wants to be a contributor for this team, his 2.6 points per game and 1.4 rebounds per game must improve. 

Centers

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The Plumlee brothers will be the two forces in the post for Duke this season. Other than these two players, the Blue Devils don't really have any other big men.

Mason Plumlee—Mason Plumlee is very physical and plays the game like a true big man. His 11.1 points per game will only increase in the upcoming season. Mason is a beast on the boards and his 9.2 rebounds per game really showed it last season. 

Marshall Plumlee—Marshall Plumlee will be replacing his older brother Miles. Marshall may have redshirted last season, but he has a lot of upside to him and should be better than Miles and possibly better than Mason.  

 

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