Duke Basketball: Grading the Regular-Season Performance by Blue Devils Starters

The No. 6 Duke Blue Devils head into the ACC Tournament fresh off a blowout loss at the hands of the rival No. 4 UNC Tar Heels.

It was a strange season for Duke, who dropped games to Temple and Miami, while also falling to Ohio State, FSU and UNC.

Duke still has the potential to make a run in the NCAA Tournament based on the coaching skills and experience of Mike Krzyzewski.

Before we get swallowed by full-blown March Madness, let's take a look at the performance of the Blue Devils' starters this season.

Ryan Kelly

Junior Ryan Kelly really upped the ante this season for the Duke Blue Devils.

He nearly doubled his scoring from last season (6.6 PPG to 11.8), and immensely improved his three-point shooting percentage, as it was 41 percent this season as opposed to 32 last year.

He also averaged the most rebounds and assists of his three-year career.  

However, Kelly's field-goal percentage dropped seven percent from last year (51 to 44), and his turnovers spiked from 0.8 to 1.4 in '11-'12.

All in all, Kelly improved in most statistical categories while logging more minutes than ever before.

Grade: B-

Mason Plumlee

As the younger Plumlee brother currently playing for Duke, Mason nearly averaged a double-double this season, averaging 11 PPG and 9.2 RPG.

Plumlee's field-goal percentage sunk four percent in '11-'12, but he improved his free-throw percentage by seven percent and also improved his rebounding and assist numbers this season.

Both his rebounding and scoring numbers have tripled since his freshman year, but he continues to be soft in the paint defensively, which was evident in the most recent blowout at the hands of UNC.

But as the Blue Devils' leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer, it's hard not to give Plumlee credit where it's due. 

Grade: B-

Seth Curry

Junior guard Seth Curry was the second-leading scorer for the Blue Devils this season, but he could definitely work on his defense (that could be said for the entire Duke squad).

Curry averaged 13.5 points for the Blue Devils in '11-'12 and nearly improved in every statistical category from his first season with Duke.

While his three-point percentage fell roughly 3.5 points from his sophomore campaign, Curry improved his field-goal percentage and, more importantly, his free-throw percentage by eight percent from last season. 

In an increased role this season—without the support of likely NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving—Curry has come up big for Duke, scoring 15 points or more in 15 games. 

Grade: B+

Tyler Thornton

Sophomore Tyler Thornton was easily the weakest aspect of Duke's starting lineup when he was in.

For the season, Thornton averaged a mere 3.7 PPG and 2.0 APG in 20.1 minutes a game as a member of the Blue Devil backcourt.

He failed to shoot at least 40 percent from both the field and beyond the arc while struggling at the free-throw line, shooting 74 percent.

For a guard, he adds just two assists per game and had just two games this season where he scored in double digits.

He impressed in the Maui Invitational, displaying his clutch shooting, but he's still a far way off from being a solid contributor on this team.

Grade: C+

Austin Rivers

Austin Rivers was one of the most anticipated freshman heading into the '11-'12 season.

The high expectations placed upon him may be what make most people believe he had an average first season.

Rivers led Duke in scoring at 15.3 PPG and led fellow guards Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins and and Tyler Thornton in rebounds with 3.2 RPG.

But as a guard, his turnovers (2.4) outweighed his assists (2.2). Also, he's just a 64 percent free-throw shooter.

Leading one of the best teams in the nation in scoring as a freshman is always impressive, but there's enormous room for improvement with Rivers, especially in the character and teammate department.

Grade: B+