Duke's Nolan Smith Is Prepared to Make Gerald Henderson-Like Junior Statement

Last season, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski let Gerald Henderson know that there were some high expectations for him during his junior year.

Instead of faltering under the pressure or just rejecting a leadership role altogether, Henderson made a statement during his third year under Coach K.

That role of leadership and the expectations that come with it will now be passed on to Nolan Smith for the 2009-2010 basketball season.

Although there will not be as much pressure on Smith, seeing as how Duke has both senior Jon Scheyer and junior Kyle Singler to help carry the load, there are still some high expectations for Nolan in his third season for the Blue Devils.  

One question that Smith has left Duke fans asking: "Will he be prepared to take over the point guard position this season, or will Jon Scheyer continue to lead the offense once the season begins?"

Yes, many Blue Devil fans are looking for an athletic point guard, someone like Chris Duhon from the 2001 National Championship squad or Ty Lawson from the North Carolina Championship team a year ago.

However, Scheyer has thrived in his role at point guard. He has consistently led the offense on fast breaks, directed last second offensive trips down the court, and has been a very capable defender.

Smith may not need to fill the role of point guard for Duke this season. He, being one of only three guards on scholarship this season for Coach K, may need to fill the void of shooting guard.

Henderson, along with Elliot Williams (who transferred to Memphis citing family illness), will be greatly missed on the perimeter for the Blue Devils. Not to say that the addition of incoming freshman Andre Dawkins won't help ease the pain a bit.

A 2010 commit to the Blue Devils, Dawkins found out that he had the opportunity to graduate early and enroll in the fall. This move will allow Duke to have three, instead of only two, scholarship guards on roster.

Although Dawkins will provide a spark for Duke this season and Scheyer will be one of the veterans and leaders for the team, Smith will no doubt need to step up his game. He showed glimpses of greatness during last season, but until his full potential has been reached, Smith will only be a key role player for a team on which he has the chance to become a leader.

Smith played a very small part in Duke's success during his freshman season, but during the summer between his freshman and sophomore years he spent a lot time working on every aspect of his game.

This hard work during the summer paid off for Smith, as he earned a starting spot during the beginning of his sophomore year. A few off games here and an injury there, and Smith found himself out of the starting rotation and back on the bench.

Yes, this was a major setback for Smith; however, he was given the opportunity to prove himself and his worth to the team whenever he entered each game. If Duke was going through a scoring drought, Coach K would enter Smith into the game and allow him to help Duke get back on track in that game. 

There came a time when many people considered Nolan Smith one of the best sixth men in the conference. This gave Smith the confidence he needed to improve his overall game and become a key contributor on the team.

Three incoming freshmen, two key players leaving, and a core of young players later, Smith finds himself in the possibility of a leadership role on the team. He has the athletic ability and defensive pressure to become a great player in the conference, but he will need to step up to the plate.

Gerald Henderson found himself in this position last year; he stepped up to the plate, and look at how well he succeeded in the role. Will Nolan Smith follow in Henderson's path? Will Smith step it up and prove how valuable he is to Duke's success this season?

Is Nolan Smith prepared to make a huge statement?