Duke Basketball: Statistical Predictions for the Blue Devils in 2011-12

The 2011 NBA Draft will claim much of Duke's talent. The Blue Devils will lose their top three players, but the remaining roster should be talented enough to recover and put together a strong season.

What exactly are the Blue Devils losing?

- Nolan Smith and his 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game

- Kyle Singler and his 16.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game

- Kyrie Irving and his 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game

Those numbers are gaudy, but Coach K should be able to work with the returning talent and shape them into an ACC contender.

Who will carry the scoring load in 2011-12? Who's going to clean up on the glass? Which guard will be the main distributor?

Continue reading to find out!

Point Guard: Tyler Thornton

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NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 30: Tyler Thornton #3 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball against Dwayne Polee II #0 of the St. John's Red Storm at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

With the departures of Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving, point guard duties will fall on the shoulders of Tyler Thornton.

Thornton saw limited action in his first year as a Blue Devil, but played well when he got decent playing time. He isn't nearly as explosive on offense as the two departing guards, but he can score when called upon.

Defense is Thornton's speciality and he could find himself amongst the ACC's leaders in steals.

Projected Stats: 7.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.7 SPG

Backup Point Guards

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CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: Seth Curry #30 of the Duke Blue Devils moves the ball while taking on the Michigan Wolverines during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2011 in Charlotte, North C

Thornton will not be the only point guard for Duke next season; his starter status will be challenged all year by Seth Curry—who can play both guard spots—and incoming freshman Quinn Cook.

Curry is known for his sweet shooting, but he can also distribute the ball effectively. He'll see plenty of action in the backcourt.

Projected Stats: 8.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG

Cook, the seventh-ranked point guard in the ESPNU 100, can create his own shot or create for others. He averaged 19.1 points and 10.9 assists per game as a senior at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy.

Projected Stats: 5.4 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG

Shooting Guard: Austin Rivers

Austin Rivers is good enough to make an impact immediately. He is a flat out scorer and possesses step-in-the-gym range.

He is not a great passer but can rebound the ball well for a guard. Duke fans won't care particularly for either of these skills; they want to see him score the rock.

Indeed, Rivers can score. He'll make Florida fans jealous, wishing he had played for the Gators whom he had originally committed to.

Projected Stats: 16.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 43 percent three-point shooting

Backup Shooting Guards

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CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: Andre Dawkins #20 of the Duke Blue Devils shoots the ball in front of Kwame Morgan II #32 of the Hampton Pirates in the first half during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena o

Behind Rivers will be the aforementioned Curry, along with Andre Dawkins.

In his sophomore campaign Dawkins improved vastly over his freshman performance, playing over 20 minutes per game. He will be used in the backcourt and perhaps as a wing if Coach K opts to play a three-guard lineup.

Projected Stats: 7.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 70 three-point field goals

Small Forward: Ryan Kelly

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ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 24: Ryan Kelly #34 of the Duke Blue Devils looses control against Kevin Parrom #3 of the Arizona Wildcats during the west regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Honda Center on March 24, 2011 in Anaheim

Duke has a ton of talent in the backcourt, but Ryan Kelly—at 6'11"—will be the biggest small forward in the nation. His height is a bit deceiving, as he likes to hang out on the perimeter where he attempted nearly two three-point field goals per game last season.

Kelly is not an elite rebounder and will face some matchup problems against smaller, quicker teams. The small forward spot for the Blue Devils next season will vary greatly due to this.

Dawkins will probably see time at the 3 spot against such fast teams, but Kelly is very capable offensively.

Projected Stats: 8.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1.6 BPG

Backup Small Forwards

Aside from Dawkins, freshman Michael Gbinije will play on the wing for Duke in 2011-12.

Gbinije is a mature player who won't force shots in his first season. He is solid on both ends of the floor and will work hard in practice to improve. His impact will be felt as a freshman, but down the road he could be a truly elite player for Coach K.

Projected Stats: 3.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.7 APG

Power Forward: Miles Plumlee

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ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 24: Miles Plumlee #21 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Arizona Wildcats during the west regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Honda Center on March 24, 2011 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by

Miles Plumlee will be a senior in 2011-12. He will be called upon in his final year to start for the Blue Devils.

Plumlee has put in solid work throughout his Duke career, though he has never done so for sustained stretches. He will be expected to put up career numbers in the coming season.

He should be ready to do so.

Projected Stats: 7.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.1 BPG, 53 percent field goal shooting

Backup Power Forwards

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CORAL GABLES, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Josh Hairston #15 of the Duke Blue Devils warms up prior to a game against the Miami Hurricanes on February 13, 2011 at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

Behind the oldest Plumlee brother (more on the other two in a moment) will be Josh Hairston and Todd Zafirovski.

Hairston was a highly anticipated recruit for the Blue Devils last season but saw little playing time, buried on a deep bench. He won't be a starter in 2011-12 but should expect an increased role.

Projected Stats: 4.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.4 APG

Zafirovski saw 11 minutes of playing time last season, and it's pretty safe to say that he won't be an integral part of the Duke roster next season. Just a few appearances would be nice.

Center: Mason Plumlee

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CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: Mason Plumlee #5 of the Duke Blue Devils dunks the ball in the first half while taking on the Michigan Wolverines during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2011 i

Mason Plumlee will be a junior next season. He improved vastly during his sophomore season, averaging 7.2 points and a team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game. At 6'10" he is an intimidator on the defensive end, swatting away 1.7 shots per contest last season.

Plumlee will be a double-double threat next season. He could average double-digits in both scoring and rebounding, both of which will be key to Duke.

With much of the focus on the backcourt, Plumlee could take advantage of smaller teams and have monster games. He could end up on the All-ACC First Team if things unfold ideally.

Projected Stats: 13.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 2.1 BPG, 1.1 SPG

Backup Centers

Backing up the second-oldest Plumlee will be the youngest of the three, Marshall.

The freshman will not have an immediate impact on the offensive end, as he averaged just 11.5 points per game as a senior in high school. On defense, however, he can be a force and play soundly. He should look to add weight to his 215 pound frame if he plans on becoming an impact player down the road.

Projected Stats: 1.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.2 APG, 0.7 BPG

Team Stats

Duke's projected stats for the 2011-12 season:

84.7 PPG, 38.5 RPG, 16.5 APG

These numbers are higher than those of last year (81.1 PPG, 38.3 RPG, 14.4 APG), which makes sense. The Blue Devils will be deeper next year and play a more team-oriented game.

The roster will be different and the scoring will come from new places, but the results will be the same for Duke: Coach K will lead this new squad to another phenomenal season.