Duke Basketball: 20 Reasons the Blue Devils Are Still the Team To Beat
In the last 50 years, only a small handful of teams have won back-to-back NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships:
1961-62: Cincinnati
1964-65: UCLA
1967-73: UCLA
1991-92: Duke
2007-08: Florida
The defending national-champion Duke Blue Devils will not only be playing for it all at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on April 4, but they will again cut down the nets.
The following reasons are why they are definitely the team to beat.
Coach K
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Before discussing any of the other factors that will contribute to the Blue Devils' ultimate success in the 2010-11 season, any conversation begins with the man in charge—Coach K.
Michael William Krzyzewski has led Duke to four NCAA Championships, 11 Final Fours (tied for second most in history), 12 ACC regular season titles and 12 ACC championships over 30 seasons in Durham.
He has collected an NCAA-record 77 NCAA tournament victories, while averaging more than 25 wins per season.
With that kind of resume, you have to like Coach K and the Blue Devils’ chances going into the tournament any year. When the bright lights are on and the ball goes up, Krzyzewski can draw from more postseason experience and accomplishments than anyone in the game.
Duke Coaching Staff
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The current Blue Devil staff has said “Yes” to Coach K two different times: first, to come to play for him and then to come coach with him.
Three former players (Steve Wojciechowski, Chris Collins and Nate James) currently work as assistants at Duke. Rather than having to be indoctrinated into Duke basketball, they have each lived it for several years.
Wojo had a standout playing career at Duke that included National Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1998. He has carried the same intensity that he brought to the court as a player to the sidelines as a coach. He began his career as an assistant coach in 1999 and he was promoted to associate coach in 2008.
Collins, son of NBA head coach Doug Collins, was named to the All-ACC rookie team as a freshman in 1993. During his senior year, he was team captain. He joined the staff a year later in 2000.
James, a two-time team captain, played on a pair of Final Four teams, including Duke’s 2001 National Championship squad. As a player who was known mostly for defense and rebounding, James brings “a warrior mentality” to the sidelines. He is the most recent addition to the staff, coming on board in 2008.
This may be one of if not the best, young coaching staffs in the country.
Kyle Singler
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Kyle Singler was a big reason Duke won its fourth national championship last year and he will be a big reason why Duke will make another run this year.
He was named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after averaging 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in wins over West Virginia and Butler.
He won First-Team All-ACC honors in 2009-10.
Singler led the NCAA champion Blue Devils in three-point shooting percentage and was second in both scoring and rebounding.
Many consider him to be the favorite to win the Wooden Award this upcoming season.
Simply, if Singler makes his senior year his best season, Duke has a good chance of cutting down the nets again.
Nolan Smith
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Most teams need good senior leadership to have a legitimate shot at the NCAA championship.
Nolan Smith, a team captain along with fellow senior Kyle Singler, is a key returning player from last year’s championship squad.
Smith was named to last year’s All-Final Four team after averaging 16.0 points and 5.0 assists per game in wins over West Virginia and Butler.
During the 2009-10 season, Smith, a complete player who possesses an exceptional mid-range game, averaged 17.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
In many games, Smith was successful at defensively shutting down the opposing team’s point guard.
Through Duke’s first games of the 2010-11 season, Smith leads the Blue Devils in scoring and assists.
Not only will Coach K lean heavily on Smith’s physical talents, but he will also depend on Smith’s influence in the locker room and on the court.
Seth Curry
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Playing for Liberty University in the 2008-09 season, the 6’1” Curry (son of Dell Curry; brother of Stephen) topped all freshmen in the country in scoring (20.2), leading the Flames to a 23-12 record.
While he is just starting his Blue Devil career after transferring to Duke, Curry will bring experience and offensive punch to the Blue Devil lineup.
Coach K looks to replace the backcourt scoring of NBA draftee, Jon Scheyer.
Seth Curry may be the answer.
Kyrie Irving
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With all of the versatile backcourt talent that Duke has, it wouldn’t really need a true point guard to run the show. But it has one of the nation’s best in Kyrie Irving.
Irving is the first freshman to start a season as Duke's point guard since Jason Williams in 1999.
And start he did, scoring 17 points and handing out nine assists in his opening game against Princeton.
ESPN.com says that Irving is "the best point guard prospect heading to Duke since Jason Williams laced them up for the Blue Devils.” That’s no small tribute.
Many consider Irving an immediate NBA prospect, possibly entering the draft after his freshman year.
Whether or not Irving becomes a “one-and-done-er,” the Blue Devils have an outstanding floor leader to spearhead the Duke attack this year.
Andre Dawkins
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With the many gifted backcourt players that Duke has on its roster, it might be easy to overlook Andre Dawkins, one of the top young shooters in the ACC.
As a freshman last season, Dawkins was the team’s leading off-the-bench scorer with 169 points.
While Dawkins may be limited to being a sharpshooting role player, he will have more than a small opportunity to spark the team throughout the season.
Mason and Miles Plumlee
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Duke doesn’t need much scoring help from the post players. They need to be able to defend their position, grab their share of rebounds and block an occasional shot.
Going into the 2010-11 season, the Blue Devils need someone to fill the interior void left by the graduation of Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas, who collectively scored 10.4 ppg and grabbed 12.6 rpg.
The Brothers Plumlee may be the ones to step in to clog the lane and crash the boards.
Mason, a sophomore (the younger brother), was particularly impressive against Miami of Ohio, scoring 10 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
Miles, a junior, led the Blue Devils last season in dunks with 33 and finished fourth with 26 blocks. Through offseason work, Miles may be the strongest center in the ACC this year.
Both are energetic big men who can use their size and athleticism to give Duke a strong inside presence this year.
Top-Ranked Team
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Since 1990, six teams that have been the AP Preseason No. 1 have won the national title.
The preseason No. 1 has made it to the title game 10 times in the last 20 years. (http://kenpom.com/blog/)
Duke opens the 2010-11 season as the top-ranked team for the seventh time in school history.
While I don’t foresee a “wire-to-wire” season for the Blue Devils, I am predicting that they will end up the same way they started the season—on top!
Non-Conference Winning Streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium
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The Blue Devils pushed their decade-long nonconference winning streak at Cameron to 80 games after defeating Princeton, Miami (Ohio) and Colgate to open the season.
In these non-conference games, Duke has the chance to assess talent and build momentum in early season games.
Substitution patterns and rotation can be developed in these pre-ACC contests so that once the conference season begins, the team knows who plays best in what positions and with which players.
Challenging Pre-ACC opponents
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Duke’s pre-ACC schedule always includes a selection of challenging games that let Coach K and the team know where they are and what still needs to be addressed.
In the coming weeks, the Blue Devils will play either No. 11 Gonzaga or No. 3 Kansas State in the next stage of the CBE tournament, face Tom Izzo's No. 2 Michigan State Spartans and also take on No. 16 Butler (neutral site meeting) in a rematch of last season's title game.
Stingy, Uptempo Defense
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You know the old saying: "Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships."
Last year, on their way to the national championship, Duke had one of the most stingy defenses in the country, holding opponents to a mere 61.0 points per game.
Defense isn’t supposed to be Duke’s greatest strength this season, but the Blue Devils are at it again.
They held Miami of Ohio to 45 points, the third fewest points scored against a Mike Krzyzewski-coached Duke team. Two previous teams—UNC Greensboro in 1997 and Winthrop in 2002—managed only 37 points against the Blue Devils.
With the team’s overall athleticism, especially on the perimeter, Duke will drive its opponents mad with defensive pressure.
Shot Selection
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Over the years, Coach K’s Blue Devils have been known for their high-quality shot selection.
Instead of throwing up all kinds of low-percentage bricks, Duke usually is as good as anyone when it comes to working for and taking good shots.
Duke looks to penetrate as much as possible and then either take the ball all the way to the rim or kick it out to someone spotting up for a three.
Either way, the Blue Devils consistently get good looks at the basket most of the time.
In the inevitable close games that they play in during the season, the types of shots that Duke takes may be the difference between a win and a loss.
Quick-Hitting Offense
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While Coach K's Duke squads may never be labeled "run and gun" teams, they do look to push the ball and take advantage of quick scoring opportunities.
Whether on a fast break or in capitalizing on a drowsy defense, the Blue Devils are ready to put the ball up when the time is right.
Last year, Duke put 1,996 shots in the air, 11th-most in the country. This comes from playing aggressively, even when in half-court sets.
A few summers ago, Coach K spent time with Mike D’Antoni, coach of the New York Knicks, during the Olympics. Out of that, Krzyzewski has incorporated some of the NBA coach’s innovative offensive techniques to allow Duke to spread the floor and maximize the talent of its wing players.
With all of the offensive weapons that can be on the floor for the Blue Devils, teams will be hard pressed to hold this high-octane unit down.
3-Point Shooting
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The Blue Devils always have great three-point shooters, players who can score from downtown and beyond.
It doesn't take watching Duke play for very long to see that shooting from beyond the arc is a primary part to Coach K's offensive philosophy.
Last year, Duke made 301 three-point field goals, seventh-most in the country.
This year, the Blue Devils are attempting over 25 three-pointers per game and connecting on a sizzling 44.7 percent.
Even if they cool down to last year's percentage (38.5 percent), Duke will punish teams if they don't defend the three.
Free Throw Shooting
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Duke gets to the line and makes its free throws on a very regular basis.
Last year, the Blue Devils attempted 899 free throws (11th most in the nation) and made 682 (third) of them.
The other side to this is that, by being aggressive with the ball, Duke draws fouls and gets its opponents in foul trouble
Interesting note: Duke actually shot 1.1 percent better from the line on the road in ACC play (74.8 percent) than in the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium. Sorry Crazies!
Bottom line: Don't put the Blue Devils on the line. Duke makes teams pay.
Takes Care of the Ball: Assists
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Duke takes care of the ball in the open court or in its set offense by making good passes and finding the open man.
While every team runs isolation plays for players who can take someone off the dribble, Duke players primarily play within a team concept.
By playing within a team concept, Duke forces the other teams to play more defense most of the time.
This season, the Blue Devils already have 65 assists on 95 made field-goal attempts. Translated: They are setting up two-thirds of their baskets so far.
Takes Care of the Ball: Low Turnovers
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Beyond looking for and getting the ball to the open man, the Blue Devils don't turn the ball over much.
Last year Duke turned the ball over a mere 10.9 times per game, one of the lowest amounts in the country.
The Blue Devils are continuing to make good decisions with the ball as they start this season, having committed only 35 turnovers in the first three games.
Defensive Rebounding
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Defensive rebounding is a must.
If you don't do a good job on the defensive glass, your opponent gets second chances and is more likely to get fouled.
Duke is good (not great) when it comes to defensive rebounding.
One of the biggest question marks for this year's team is to find out who is going to fill the role that Zoubek and Thomas did last year.
Mason and Miles Plumlee, as well as Ryan Kelly and Singler, will do most of the work here.
Offensive Rebounding
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If defensive rebounding is a must, then offensive rebounding is a bonus.
Duke consistently helped itself by crashing the offensive boards last year, pulling down 14.4 offensive rebounds per game, one of the highest amounts in the country.
The Blue Devils are aggressive and good at anticipating where the shot may be going.
Singler is a deceptively good offensive rebounder. Miles Plumlee also works hard and keeps lots of possessions alive.
Even the Duke guards do a good job of going to the offensive glass.
Defending National Champs
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Sometimes success is harder to repeat than to achieve in the first place
Coach K has been there before.
He knows what it takes to win a championship.
He knows what it takes to repeat and go back-to-back.
He has the coaching staff and the players in place
The Blue Devils are not only the team to beat. They will win it all again.
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