Heel of a Lesson: 3 Duke Players That Are Better After UNC Loss

"The sky is falling, the sky is falling."  Everywhere you look, the end is near. 

The Duke Blue Devils' latest loss has everyone scrambling.  While the Heels are streaking with their green hat, Duke is suddenly being pushed to the side.  Similar to last season, no one is picking this team to win it all, but don't sleep on this team, they are dangerous.

Yes, Duke lost to UNC.  Slow the hate parade.  UNC is now ranked seventh in the nation.  They are supposed to win at home.  Duke vs. UNC is always a tough one, but Duke had won three straight over their rival.  UNC was hungry and the Carolina Blue bleeding couldn’t last forever.

The season’s finale went exactly how Roy Williams would have drawn up.  UNC played great and Duke played terrible.  Let’s dive into Duke’s roster and see where they failed and how they can grow.

Kyle Singler

The senior had a rough night as he went 3-14 from the field.  Singler played from tip to buzzer and was one of two Devils that played the entire game.  His best stat was his rebounding, which he grabbed six.  Kyle does not make up this entire team, but he can't struggle like this going forward. 

He played solid defense, but going 0-5 from three and 3-14 from the floor will kill this team.  They need him to be a leader.  This team needs Singler to step up.

Singler is struggling from beyond the arc this season.  Sethcurrysavesduke has put together an impressive breakdown of his shooting. 

If his shot doesn't magically come back, he can't give up.  He can help this team, but it will be on the inside.  Duke has shooters, bring your game inside and play big.  Join the Plumlees and out work the opponents. 

Doing so will result in better shots, more free throws, and the hoop will begin to get larger.  As the inside shots start to fall so will the outside ones, resulting in a return to greatness.

Mason Plumlee

Mason has fouled out of five games this season.  In each of those he was unable to reach double-digit points and two of which he was scoreless. 

Now, it would be completely idiotic to ask Mason to be a prolific scorer on this team.  It would be great, but it’s just not realistic.  That being said, if he was able to step up his scoring it would be astronomical for this squad.

It hurt Duke that Mason wasn't able to finish the game against UNC.  They were dominated down low, and his presence was missed.

In the future he needs to be smarter.  Watch out for the "ticky tack" fouls that often haunt aggressive big men and rebounders.  If he is able to put together a double-digit rebounding game, then this team is winning.

Although a small piece of the puzzle, Mason's frontcourt play is a must if this team can make a push in March.  His early departure in the UNC game killed them, but may be a blessing in disguise if he plays smarter in the future.

Ryan Kelly

"Noonin...Weakest Link...Please shoot it, I dare ya..."  The comments had to be flowing from the UNC crowd.

In January, Kelly went 4-4 from the three-point line and showed he can shoot.  Against UNC he showed that he can miss.  He couldn't buy a bucket as he went 0-6 and only scored two points on the night.  No one is asking Ryan to do anything spectacular, but doing something positive could be key in the future. 

As we move forward in March, Kelly may be just as important as the Plumlees due to his defense.  Lance Thomas is not walking through the door and Duke will need a hustler.  His minutes are up, now its time to show the work you did in the off-season.  You got quicker and stronger, time to show your hard work.

It is funny how quick people forget how good this team is.  They have only lost four times this season.  Something only a hand full of teams can say.  Against UNC, Duke shot less than 36 percent.  No one is winning with that percentage.  Remember this for the ACC Tourney; they will not do that again.

Nolan Smith has grown into a beast of a player and true superstar.  If Kyle Singler kicks it in gear, then this team is suddenly back on top as a solid No. 1.

Last year's team was the last No. 1 seed.  They also had one more loss than this one.  Everywhere you look there are people sleeping on Duke.  Don't be fooled, this team is tough and still capable of making a run at a special season and a championship style repeat.