Are the 2009-10 Duke Blue Devils Under-Hyped?

I'll be the first to admit that thinking about the Duke Blue Devils as an overlooked team sounds ridiculous.

As is the case most seasons, the Blue Devils will likely go into the season as a top 10 team. They will be on national television as much as any team in the nation, and they will be discussed endlessly by high-profile analysts, just like they are every year.

But don't expect to hear the Blue Devils make their way into many Final Four contender conversations early in the season, despite their high ranking.

The "they don't have the talent to contend but will do well in the regular season due to Coach K hence their high ranking" line of thinking will be used often, and it's understandable as to why—it certainly fits with the Blue Devils' performance over the last few years.

On the other hand, how many 30-win, conference tournament champion, Sweet 16 teams returning four starters, bringing in a top 10 recruiting class (possibly top five if Andre Dawkins' early addition could be quantitatively measured in the rankings), and featuring a legitimate first team All-American candidate (Kyle Singler) would be considered a non-contender?

Few.

Maybe none.

But that is the situation the Blue Devils will find themselves in once the season begins—respectfully ranked but written off by the experts before they play their first game.

While Duke has possibly earned such assumptions with its postseason performance in recent years (they have been upset by a lower-seeded team in every NCAA tournament since 2005), this Blue Devils squad simply isn't the same team from the past few years.

While many fans are looking straight past this season and on to 2010-11, when Duke hopes to add its most outstanding recruiting class in nearly 10 years, this season's Blue Devil squad shouldn't be overlooked as a potential Final Four contender.

Duke has upperclassman leadership in Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas, Nolan Smith, and Singler.

They bring in a fantastic recruiting class with Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, and Dawkins. The three five-star freshmen give Duke a big influx of size, athleticism, and offensive options. Expect all three to play significant minutes from the start of the season as opposed to last season's freshmen.

The Blue Devils will also field one of the biggest lineups in the nation, with seven scholarship players standing 6'7" or taller. They were a much-improved rebounding team last season, and they should be formidable on the glass this year with height advantages at most positions.

Are there still uncertainties surrounding the Blue Devils' potential this season?

Sure.

Questions regarding their point guard play, guard depth, over-reliance on the three-point shot, and offensive post presence will be at the forefront of analysts' skepticism.

Over the next two weeks, we'll take a look at those questions and how the Blue Devils hope to answer them.

But regardless of the questions, skepticism, and general lack of hype surrounding Duke this season, don't be surprised to see the Blue Devils make a strong case as a Final Four contender by the time March rolls around.