Duke Basketball: Biggest Takeaways from Blue Devils' Season so Far

We can't fully write the story of the Duke Blue Devils' 2015-16 season, but a rough outline can be sketched out based on what has transpired to this point. So far it reads like a coming-of-age tale, one that's been full of trials and tribulations but with plenty of room to fit in a happy ending.

Whether that will be a second consecutive national title is hard to say, though based on the limitations of this Blue Devils team, just making a deep run in the NCAA tournament might qualify.

Check out some of the chapters that could be included in Duke's 2015-16 year in review.

Amile Jefferson Was the Player Duke Could Least Afford to Lose

Lance King/Getty Images

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski recognized early on that depth was going to be an issue, with only seven players likely to see heavy minutes unless something changed. That “something” ended up being a foot injury to senior forward Amile Jefferson, who at the time was averaging a double-double.

Since Jefferson went down in mid-December, Duke has been a different team and not just because it's essentially down to six players. Brandon Ingram was moved from the 3 to the 4 to work alongside senior center Marshall Plumlee, and those two rarely leave the court since there are no reliable backups to sub in.

Additionally, Duke has become more reliant on three-point shooting, with 10 games featuring at least 42 percent of its shots coming from outside. That only happened once with Jefferson in the rotation.

It's Easy to Hate Grayson Allen

Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Even before earning a flagrant foul for tripping a Louisville player on Feb. 8 and long before hitting his controversial game-winning shot to beat Virginia on Saturday, Grayson Allen was well on his way to joining the long list of Duke players that non-Blue Devils fans love to hate. Those just added to the fire that's been growing all season as the sophomore has emerged as a go-to scorer.

Allen's fiery demeanor on the court, which manifests itself in near-constant movement and energy, is beloved by the Duke faithful but understandably rubs opposing teams' fans the wrong way. It's much the way past players including (but certainly not limited to) Bobby Hurley, Christian Laettner and J.J. Redick routinely drew ire.

What do all those players have in common with Allen? They were integral to their teams' success, as has Allen in 2015-16 in leading the Blue Devils in scoring (20.6), assists (3.7) and three-point shooting (42.5 percent).

Brandon Ingram Is a Dynamic Force

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Grayson Allen will likely go down as Duke's team MVP, but when it comes to a player who has meant the most to this team, it's been freshman Brandon Ingram. Aside from the major improvements he's made in his game during the course of the season, his ability to take on a new role midway through (and without much of a learning curve) prevented things from falling apart.

The 6'9” forward is averaging 17.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, both second best on the team. In ACC play he's at 18.9 and 7.8, respectively, along with team highs in blocks (21) and three-pointers (33).

Ingram's ability to impact the game on both ends of the court has helped negate the loss of Amile Jefferson, and it's also helped lift his personal stock. The latest DraftExpress mock-up for the 2016 NBA draft has Ingram going second overall.

The Recruiting Class Was Overrated

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Ingram notwithstanding, the six-man recruiting class that Duke signed for 2015-16 was not worthy of being rated second best in the country by 247Sports. It was No. 1 for a while, but Kentucky took over the top spot after signing Jamal Murray and Isaac Humphries in the summer.

The group Duke brought in could end up being good, but only Ingram and guards Luke Kennard and Derryck Thornton have contributed in a meaningful way so far. That's a far cry from the 2014 class, which produced three starters who ended up leaving after one season and going in the first round of the NBA draft.

Part of the issues this class has had has been youth. Thornton should be a senior in high school, but he reclassified during the spring, and forward Chase Jeter didn't turn 18 until September. Thornton has come along as the season has progressed, while Jeter still looks like someone who is at least a year away from making an impact.

The last two members of the class, forwards Antonio Vrankovic and Justin Robinson, have been non-factors. Vrankovic has appeared in only five games (one in ACC play) while Robinson is being redshirted.

There Are No Easy Games

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Duke heads into Wednesday's game at rival North Carolina in a tie for fifth place in the ACC at 8-4, two games back of the first-place Tar Heels. It has achieved this mark despite having seven of its last nine games decided by single digits.

Last year, en route to the national title, seven of its 15 conference wins during the regular season were by double digits, as were five more in the postseason.

Several of Duke's wins over the last two months have seen sizable leads at times, but fatigue has caught up with the thin lineup down the stretch and has made so every contest is tense in the final moments. Don't expect that to change anytime soon.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.