Duke Basketball: Predictions for Blue Devils' 2015-16 Team Awards

Duke is the defending college basketball national champion, having beat Wisconsin for its fifth title back in April. Since then, the Blue Devils have said goodbye to four key pieces of that title team while bringing in six new players as well as a transfer who sat out last season.

Despite the major turnover, it should be a successful season for Duke based on the returning players and the talent of the newcomers. What remains to be seen is which specific players will step up more than others to lead the charge and in the process lay claim to the various awards a team can hand out at the end of the season.

We've made our predictions as to who will win five individual awards for play in the 2015-16 season. Check them out and give us your thoughts in the comments section.

Newcomer of the Year

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There are plenty of options for this award, as Duke's roster includes six freshmen who signed out of the 2015 recruiting class as well as sophomore Sean Obi, a transfer from Rice who was with the program last season but wasn't eligible.

We're going with Brandon Ingram for a few reasons. First, the 6'9" forward is likely to be Duke's top scorer this season as he splits time playing either the 3 or the 4. A skilled perimeter shooter who also has great athleticism, Ingram figures to get his points on jumpers as well as by slashing to the basket.

Ingram appears to have the most well-rounded game of all of the first-year players, and other than point guard Derryck Thornton, he is likely to log the most minutes. He's also the highest-rated of the freshmen, ranking third overall, according to 247Sports. Duke's best newcomer (and best overall player) last year was the No. 1 recruit from 2014, Jahlil Okafor, and history will repeat itself.

Most Improved Player

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Duke had four freshmen on the roster during the 2014-15 season, but one of the quartet wasn't nearly as well-known as the other three. Grayson Allen was the only member of that class not to be a starter for the Blue Devils, and for most of the year he didn't see much time on the court.

That changed in the Final Four, when Allen exploded with big baskets and all-out effort in both the semifinal win over Michigan State and against Wisconsin in the title game. That performance led to raised expectations for the 6'5" guard heading into his sophomore year, and Allen is going to do his best to live up to the hype.

Allen will battle with junior Matt Jones and freshman Luke Kennard for the starting shooting guard spot, and he figures to have the edge because of his combination of experience and motor. And with that should come a huge rise in scoring from his 4.4 points per game logged last season.

Top Defender

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Duke allowed 64.2 points per game and held opponents to 42.2 percent shooting last season. Those figures ranked 111th and 126th, respectively, in Division I.

Justise Winslow and Jahlil Okafor were the Blue Devils' top two defenders based on defensive rating (per Sports-Reference.com), while the returners with the best defensive ratings are senior frontcourt players Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee.

In order to make sure the entire team plays well defensively, though, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski plans to put in a new defensive system to "fit this team's strengths," according to Laura Keeley of the News & Observer.

Look for freshmen like Brandon Ingram and Chase Jeter, as well as sophomore Sean Obi, to show off strong defensive play this season. However, Jefferson gets our vote because his contributions may come entirely on defense like they did in 2014-15. In the NCAA title game, he was often tasked with disrupting Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky, and he contributed seven rebounds in the victory.

Sixth Man of the Year

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A bench wasn't something Duke had much of last season, as six players averaged at least 21 minutes per game and no one else logged more than 10 minutes per contest. Expect a far more balanced approach to minutes with such a large crop of newcomers, with as many as 10 players averaging double digits in minutes.

And of the reserves, the one who figures to have the greatest impact over the course of the year will be junior guard Matt Jones.

Jones split time between the bench and the starting lineup in 2014-15, replacing Amile Jefferson over the final 13 games of the season when Duke shifted Jefferson to the 4. For the year, he averaged 6.0 points per game while shooting 37.6 percent from three-point range, but in those last 13 games, he averaged 6.9 points and shot 42.5 percent from outside.

For his career, Jones has started 17 games and might get a few this year. But his main role will be off the bench, and that experience coming into the game at critical times will be valuable for such a young team.

Most Valuable Player

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Duke has multiple options for who to turn to for minutes and production at shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center, and though Mike Krzyzewski's tendency over the years has been to go with as small a rotation as possible, this season could be an exception.

He doesn't have much of a choice for what to do at the 1, though, as freshman Derryck Thornton is the only player on the roster who is a true point guard.

Last season, Duke started freshman Tyus Jones at the point in all 39 games, but senior Quinn Cook had previously started at that position and could be called upon to log minutes there and also help run the offense. This time around, the backup options are guards Grayson Allen, Matt Jones and Luke Kennard, all of whom are better suited as shooters than ball-handlers.

With Thornton having to take on almost the entire load on his own, he's likely to be the player whose performance will make or break the 2015-16 season. If Duke has another big year, as projected, it will be because of Thornton's play.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.