Duke Basketball: 10 Scrappiest Players in Blue Devils History

According to the dictionary, scrappy means "full of fighting spirit."

So I thought of certain players over the years that have done all they could to ensure Duke remains the top basketball program they are today.

At the same time, I saw this as a great opportunity to honor some players that may not have left a huge stamp on Duke numbers wise, but will always have a place in the hearts of the fans.

Then I threw in certain big numbers players that demanded spots.

Here is my list of the scrappiest players at Duke.

Lee Melchionni: Small Forward, 2002-2005

Lee Melchionni is a second-generation Duke player. His father, Gary, was a former Duke team captain and All-ACC performer.

The younger Melchionni did not live up to his father's performance but he had some great games at Duke.

As a bench player, Melchionni brought energy and grit into the game, every time.  

Sean Dockery: Point Guard, 2002-2006

One of the best on-ball perimeter defenders at Duke was Sean Dockery. You can't measure that sort of thing; however, he does rank 10th all-time in steals for Duke.

Dockery just had an eye for the ball.

His greatest play was this three-point shot just inside half court to beat Virginia Tech.

Jay Bilas: Forward, 1983-1986

Jay Bilas came to Duke with Mike Krzyzewski's first great recruiting class of '83. This class would be the first coach K team to make it to a national finals in '86.

Bilas concetrated on defense while he left the scoring to Johny Dawkins, Mark Alarie and David Henderson.

Jeff Capel: Guard, 1994-1997

Jeff Capel may be known for that 40-foot buzzer beater that sent the North Carolina game of 1995 into double overtime.

North Carolina were highly ranked, whereas Duke was an abysmal 2-14 in the ACC that season as Coach K was injured.

Still, Capel (a fan favorite) and his teammates were able to make a stand on February 2, 1995 even though they lost that game, eventually.

Billy King: Forward, 1985-1988

Duke team captain in 1998 and National Defensive Player of the same year. They don't just hand that award out to anyone.

King may not be a top scorer or rebounder but he was one of the best defensive players to ever play at Duke.

Players like him (sacrificing scoring and traditional stardom) laid the foundation for what Duke is today by buying into the coach's vision.

DeMarcus Nelson: Shooting Guard, 2004-2008

If coach K needed a point guard, DeMarcus Nelson was it. If he was short on power forwards, he could count on this (barely) 6'4" player.

Nelson played anywhere coach K wanted him without fear. He has had some thunderous dunks in his time as well.

His best numbers at Duke came in 2008 when he averaged 14 points, 5.8 rebounds 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game as a team captain.

Steve Wojciechowski: Point Guard, 1995-1998

Steve Wojciechowski was a gamer. He came to play every game. At only 5'11", he knew where his bread was buttered.

He played man-to-man defense like no other player I had ever seen before. Wojo got so low and close he could probably tell what flavour of chewing gum his man had.

His floor slapping was phenomenal and always gets the Crazies going.

When he left Duke, he ranked second all-time in steals in a season (82), and currently he ranks eighth all-time in assists and steals.

Shane Battier: Small Forward, 1997-2001.

I thought long and hard about this pick. Shane Battier collected several accolades as a Duke player and was drafted sixth in 2001 by the Memphis Grizzlies. He was listed at 6'8", 220 lbs. while at Duke.

Not the average definition of a scrappy player, but consider this. he played power forward as a senior when he led Duke to a championship.

He is fourth all-time on Duke's blocked shots list.

Johny Dawkins: Guard, 1983-1986

John Dawkins was a big man on campus at a time when the game truly belonged to the big men. Only he was only big in stature. At 6'2", 165 lbs., he elevated Duke to high standards.

Standards that players like Danny Ferry, Robert Bricky and Christian Laettner were able to build on.

Dawkins was a fearless player with a reliable jump shot. When he left Duke he was the career leading scorer until JJ Redick took over in 2006. For 20 years, Dawkins held this record.

He is still currently second.

He is one of the greatest scorers to play at Duke, which is amazing considering his size.

Kyle Singler: Small Forward, 2007-2011

In the film Gunnin' for that #1 Spot, a documentary on the top high school players in 2006, the commentator said something along the lines of Kyle Singler being the type of player whom you would never notice in a game, but who at the end of it would have double figures in points.

Well, that could be said about Singler's career at Duke. I can't remember one great play (I can, but that's because I have watched the 2010 NCAA tournament a zillion times, but that's cheating, right?), but he is currently fourth all-time in scoring, sixth all-time in rebounds (had to see to believe), and ninth in blocked shots.

Kyle Singler quietly became one of Duke's all-time great players. He was not a great shooter, was not a great penetrator, wasn't a great athlete.

But if someone told you that he was the greatest ever Duke player, you would have to consider the argument, at least. Did I mention that he was a champion as well?