Players That Will Take Duke Blue Devils to the Top

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

North Carolina State may be the team to beat entering the 2012-13 college basketball season in the ACC, but that does not mean that the Duke Blue Devils don't have a good team.

In fact, Duke will still have one of the best teams in the country, and there will be a few players that will really take this team to the top.

The Blue Devils have a bunch of quality players on their team, but there are only three in particular that will really take them to the top. Sure, the season hasn't even started yet, but these three players have so much talent.

Read on to see three players that will take Duke to the top. 

Rasheed Sulaimon

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Rasheed Sulaimon will likely start the season on the bench, but don't be surprised when he is a starter for the Blue Devils at some point in the year.

Duke did not get one of the best recruits in the 2012 class just to ride the bench. Sulaimon is going to make a huge impact for the Blue Devils this year.

Sulaimon is great from behind the arc, can knock down mid-range jumpers and can drive to the hoop when he chooses to. He is also a great transition player. 

Although Sulaimon will make his biggest impact on the offensive side of the ball, he can also play defense. 

Mason Plumlee

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Mason Plumlee passed up the NBA draft for a good reason. Not only will he finish up his four years at Duke, he will also be one of the best players on the team in the upcoming season. 

Plumlee will be one of the main players on offense this season, which means his 11.1 points per game will increase. He is already a freak on the boards, and averaged 9.2 rebounds per game last season.

Don't be surprised when Plumlee averages a double-double next season because he is that good. He will be very important for the Blue Devils this season because the team will rely on him to be a major force in the paint. 

Duke may be known as a three-point shooting team, but its big man this season is going to create some noise by scoring a lot of points in the paint. 

Seth Curry

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

If Duke is going to be one of the best teams in the nation in the 2012-13 college basketball season, it will be up to Seth Curry to take his game to the next level.

Austin Rivers was the go-to guy for Duke last year, but the reigns will be passed down to Curry this season. 

Curry is an amazing shooter and will do most of his damage from behind the arc. Having a bigger impact for Duke this season, you can bet that Curry will score more than 13.2 points per game, which was the second most on the team last season. 

Curry may not be running the point in 2012, but he will be doing work at his natural position all season long, which is, of course, at shooting guard.

 

If you’re a Tweeter, feel free to follow me @TheTrevorLowry.