Duke Blue Devils Frontcourt Preview: Kyle SIngler Leads Duke's Bigs

Duke’s big men have almost always fit smoothly into the flow of the team’s high-pressure defense and motion offense

But when Brian Zoubek torched Maryland for 16 points and 17 rebounds in February, everything changed.

From that seismic-shifting performance, coach Mike Krzyzewski packed his defense closer to the goal, funneling everything toward the 7'1" center, allowing Lance Thomas to draw 16 charges.

On the offensive end, the bigs crashed the glass for 571 boards (Zoubek set a school record with 143 offensive rebounds), extra possessions that often led to soul-crushing three-pointers.

Coach K's frontcourt tandems of Zoubek and Thomas rotating with the athletic, high-energy Plumlee brothers were the perfect complement to the Big Three—Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler (more on him in a moment).

Style Changes: Running of the Bulls

But with Zoubek and Thomas graduated, how will the Blue Devil bigs function this season?

The first important aspect to understand is that the style of play will change.

Duke’s backcourt is so loaded with sharpshooters and playmakers that the team will press a great deal more and extend its defense all over the court—which fits the Plumlees to a tee.

Miles is a bull in the paint, and Mason led the team in blocks his freshman season. They both run the court exceptionally well, which should make the Blue Devils’ transition game particularly lethal.

Offensively, it would be nice if either or both of the brothers developed some moves in the half-court game to keep defenses honest.

Miles gave glimpses of a nice running hook last year. But keep in mind that with the penetration skills of Kyrie Irving, Nolan Smith and Seth Curry, the Plumlees will find themselves open in the paint quite often and both are solid finishers.

Ryan’s Hope

The biggest concern regarding the Plumlees is potential foul trouble, and that’s why I believe Ryan Kelly could be a key player this season.

Can Duke count on the sophomore who averaged just 6.5 minutes, 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per game last season?

Admittedly, like many freshmen, Kelly was a bit overwhelmed by the college game, but big men always take longer to develop (see Zoubek, Brian).

Kelly stayed in Durham this summer going to school, developing his game and adding 20 pounds of muscle to his frame. He’ll be able to bang more with the big boys.

Plus, he is a tough cover because of his shooting range. Reports are that he looked much-improved in winning a summer league on a team that included Andre Dawkins.

The latest in the line of versatile athletes who can play either forward position is freshman Josh Hairston. He may not have been on every All-American team, but many suggest that he should have been.

Hairston was the 2010 Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds his senior season.

The coaching staff sees him in the mold of Lance Thomas or Tony Lang, but if his offensive game develops, the comparisons may go in the direction of Roshown McLeod.

Everybody’s All-American

Of course the glue holding the front line together will be Kyle Singler, the most outstanding player of both the ACC Tournament and Final Four.

Following Duke’s unexpected title and Singler’s top-level play, many wondered if it wasn’t the perfect time for him to enter the NBA Draft.

Duke has a long history of All-Americans who returned for their senior seasons.

Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Shane Battier, Shelden Williams and J.J. Redick were all top 10 NBA Draft picks, except for Redick who went 11th overall.

Coach K calls Singler “one of the best defensive players in the country.”

The senior from Medford, Ore., will have the opportunity to develop his leadership skills as a Blue Devil co-captain this year.

Too much praise for Singler?

Consider this: he can become the first player in ACC history with 2,400 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 assists.

Singler possesses more versatility than a Swiss Army knife, and if the Plumlees stay out of foul trouble, with Kelly and Hairston contributing off the bench, Duke’s bigs could be a worthy complement to the college game’s best backcourt.

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