The reigning NCAA champion and national No. 1 Duke Blue Devils are at it again. With a dominating 82−68 win over No. 4 Kansas State on Nov. 23, the Blue Devils have forced the question upon NCAA basketball fans: Are they even better than last year's 35−5 team?
Though it is still early in the season, Duke's elite senior leadership and wealth of talent in the back−court tip the scales towards the affirmative. The team's most recent 98−71 win against Oregon on Saturday brings its undefeated record to 6−0.
Highly touted freshman Kyrie Irving, hailing from St. Patrick's H.S. in Elizabeth, N.J., has already proved his talent as starting point guard, replacing All−ACC guard Jon Scheyer, who graduated last year. Irving is averaging 14.5 points and 5.8 assists per game, while boasting an assist−to−turnover ratio of 2.5. He is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2011 NBA draft.
Any doubts about Irving's abilities were quickly discarded after his commanding performance against Kansas State, when he scored 17 points and 6 assists while holding All−American guard Jacob Pullen to a dismal 1−for−12 shooting from the field.
For all of Scheyer's talents, Irving brings to the court a different and more agile quality. A quick first step allows the explosive Irving to beat defenders off the dribble, a skill that Scheyer did not possess. As the season progresses, we will have to wait and see if Irving can step up and replace Scheyer's intangible leadership skills.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski acknowledged the adjustments the team has to make in the transition from Scheyer's slow, deliberate pace to Irving's speedy style when he spoke to NBA.com reporter Adam Zagoria in May 2010.
"We'll change our whole offense, the way we play because of Kyrie," he said. "We'll run a lot more; we'll press."
Critics spent the offseason wondering how the team would fare rebounding without last year's other two starting seniors, 7−foot−1 Brian Zoubeck and 6−foot−8 Lance Thomas. Thus far, though, a team effort and the emergence of sophomore Mason Plumlee has helped quell any fear of a rebounding void. Plumlee averages 8.5 rebounds per game and Duke has out−rebounded five of its six opponents, with Kansas State being the only exception.
Seth Curry, brother of Golden State Warrior star Stephen Curry, transferred to Duke after his freshman year at Liberty University, where he averaged 20.2 points per game — the highest points per game average for a freshman in the 2008−09 season. While not averaging such gaudy numbers — yet — this season, he has started off strong by averaging nine points per game as a sharp shooter off the bench.
Sophomores Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly, both of whom have increased their playing times by seven to eight minutes, show impressive improvements since last season. Although he was considered a deadly marksman from behind the arc last year, Dawkins' 3−point shooting percentage was only 38 percent. This year, though, he has started to live up to his reputation by increasing his average to 55 percent. Kelly has made small gains statistically, but has clearly shown his worth to Coach K, evidenced by his position as a starter.
And, of course, the Blue Devils return two superstars in seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. Singler, the NCAA preseason player of the year, and Smith, preseason All−ACC guard, look to lead Duke to back−to−back titles just as Christian Laettner did in the 1991−92 and 1992−93 seasons.
Duke's depth and talents will be challenged on Wednesday with a showdown against the former No. 2 Michigan State, who recently lost to UConn in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational. Irving will face the Spartans' senior point guard Kalin Lucas, considered one of the best point guards in the country. The game will be held at Cameron Stadium, giving Duke an important home−court advantage, where they will be surrounded by the infamous crowd of Cameron Crazies cheering them on. Unfortunately for all the Duke and Coach K haters out there, the Blue Devils' success is not likely to wane any time soon.
