Duke Blue Devils: Let's Not Crown Them Repeat Champions Just Yet

As much as I’d like to talk about how the 2010-11 edition of the Blue Devils is stacked and poised to repeat, I have to temper those expectations based on what I know that Duke lost from last year.

The differences between the team this season compared to last all only point to this season's team being better, but I understand how this season's team, while very talented, is largely untested and unproven.

The 2009-10 team was a rarity in so many ways, especially for a national champion in this era—largely upperclassmen, no true superstar, a slow, bang-it-out style of play—so it had to have certain intangibles that allowed it to succeed.

I can’t honestly write about how Duke will miss Brian Zoubek, as my hypocrisy only goes so far, and I truthfully spent three-and-a-half years saying awful things about him.

He was an unselfish player willing to do what he had to do—and maybe all that he could do—to help the team: rebound (and foul).

The absence that will be most felt is that of Lance Thomas.

He was definitely the vocal leader on the floor, but he also was the classic "glue" guy who did all the little things, and did them well.

He could guard, or at least slow down, any position from a 2 to a 5 when called upon to do so. He could hedge on screens almost to half court and then scramble back. He made the interior of the offense and the defense work.

Jon Scheyer’s additions have been well-documented.

Returning players of significance on this team are Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler.

Their scoring ability is not in question, but which one, if either, though, will run the team?

Neither has appeared to be all that vocal thus far in their careers. I would imagine that Nolan is probably the leading candidate to step up. He is probably already been leading in the background. Neither is a slam dunk to jump to the front as this team’s outspoken leader.

Outside of Smith and Singler, the team is mostly untested.

The Plumlees have plenty of run under their belts but never really have had to step up at all. Andre Dawkins had limited playing time and an admittedly rough freshman year both on and off the court. Seth Curry did quite well at Liberty, but the Big South is not the ACC. Ryan Kelly got almost no run last year and has what is supposed to be a brand new physique this year that could change his game anyway.

And then there are the freshmen.

As heralded as they may be, they are still freshmen and even with all the potential in the world, the freshmen season can be trying.

ESPN Classic re-played the 1991 semifinal recently, and it seemed timely, watching Bobby Hurley as a sophomore have a completely different game against UNLV than he had the year before.

His number hangs in the rafters (which means something at Duke); he won two championships and went to three Final Fours, but his Final Four performance in his freshman season was memorably bad, stomach issues notwithstanding.

Kyrie Irving by all accounts is The Truth, but so was John Wall last year.

Here’s to hoping the new-look Blue Devils will come up with different but equally good chemistry, as they found last year.

From The FanTake Blog: The Rathskeller 

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