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what’sinside A true floor general
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 3
sportsstaff Editor: Hank Tucker
Trevon Duval is a natural to take over point guard duties | PAGE 5
Managing Editor: Mitchell Gladstone
Dueling columnists
Blog Editor: Ben Leonard
Our Ben Leonard and Mitchell Gladstone debate whether Duke will win the outright ACC regular-season title | PAGE 6
Future pro?
Javin DeLaurier is poised for a breakout season | PAGE 7
Refreshed leadership
Grayson Allen has navigated an up-and-down career to become a solo captain | PAGE 10
Late arrival
Marvin Bagley III changed the outlook on this season with his late August commitment | PAGE 11
Big man’s burden
Wendell Carter Jr. hopes for rare speedy adjustment | PAGE 14
Fast-breaking A Blue Devil team of athletic big men looks to beat opponents down the floor | PAGE 15
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 5
RUNNING THE POINT
‘HE’S AN ANIMAL’
Freshman Trevon Duval set to take charge of young Blue Devil backcourt as pass-first facilitator By Andrew Donohue Assistant Blue Zone Editor
Bobby Hurley, Jason Williams, Jon Scheyer, Tyus Jones. That is the list of point guards who have won national championships at Duke and also doubles as a list of some of the best point guards in school history. Typically for the Blue Devils to compete on a championship level, they need an elite point guard. The man tasked with that responsibility this year is freshman Trevon Duval. The New Castle, Del., native comes into the program as the top-ranked point guard recruit in the country and brings a combination of athleticism and vision to the court that few players can match. “He’s an animal,” fellow freshman Gary Trent Jr. said at Duke’s media day. “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with, and I’ve played with a lot of great players. He’s so dynamic in everything he can do. He can bring the ball up, he crashes, he bangs down low very hard, he can finish above the rim and he has a very nice midrange game.” This sort of talent will be prized by head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who had to go much of the last two seasons without a standout point guard following Jones’ jump to the NBA after his freshman season. Derryck Thornton reclassified to join the Blue Devils the following year, but struggled to adjust to the college game and wound up transferring to Southern
Sujal Manohar | Recess Photography Editor
Trevon Duval is Duke’s first true point guard likely to regularly start since Tyus Jones in the 2014-15 national championship season. California after the season. Last season, much of Duke’s offensive stagnation stemmed from its lack of a true point guard—natural shooting guards Grayson Allen and Matt Jones shared the responsibility along with freshman combo guard Frank Jackson. This led to issues initiating the offense and ultimately resulted in lots of isolations for
Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard instead of crisp ball movement. Duval aims to change that by focusing on distributing and making plays for those around him. “[I see myself as a] playmaker,” Duval said. “Especially on this team, a playmaker for everyone on this team, get everyone shots,
make everyone around me better. Hit the open shot, score when I can.” But on a team with almost no upperclassmen who have significant game experience, the freshman will be thrust into a significant role from day one. Point guard is a difficult position to master at the college level, especially in Duke’s motion heavy offense, and Duval will not have someone to show him the ropes firsthand like Jones had with Quinn Cook. This means that there may be some growing pains for the young guard, and the Blue Devil staff is trying to ease Duval into the minutiae of the offense so he is not overwhelmed and can let his physical gifts take over. “Trevon will help us a lot,” Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel said. “He’s talented and really gifted. At the same time, he has a lot to learn and I think he knows that. I think it’s one of the reasons he wanted to come here, is that he knows he has a lot to learn, but he’s been a great listener, he’s been a really good worker.” The hope for the Blue Devils is that Duval’s superior athletic ability and knowledge will allow him to hold his own on the defensive end, where Duke had trouble stopping opposing point guards last season. Most notably, Dennis Smith Jr. shredded the Blue Devil defense to the tune of 32 points and six assists. But the reason Duval came to Durham was because he wanted to lead one of the most potent See BACKCOURT on Page 17
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DUELING COLUMNS
Will the Blue Devils win the outright ACC title? Too much talent for conference to keep up Death, Cameron Indoor Stadium, and elite Mike Krzyzewski offenses. These things are always inevitable. Duke never fails to have one of the best offensive units in the county—it has had a top-10 offense in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency ratings every year since 2008, when they finished a relatively dismal No. 13. But the real way to tell if the Blue Devils will be the best in the ACC is by looking at their defense—and Duke’s going to be scary there this year, making it far and away the best team in the conference. In 2010, the Blue Devils finished first in offensive efficiency and fifth in defensive efficiency. We all know what happened that year. In 2015, they finished third on offense and 11th on defense. Ditto. In 2011 and 2013, the only other times Duke has won 30 games this decade—it averaged 5th on offense and 18th on defense. Now, loaded with a hyper-athletic and talented frontcourt that looks like that of an NBA playoff team, highlighted by Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr., the Blue Devils have the size and defensive chops to return to being the best in the ACC. It might take a little bit for such a young group to jell, but this team of top recruits is a cohesive team— unlike last year. “No one’s worried about what they’re doing next year,” senior guard Grayson Allen said after Countdown to Craziness. “It’s very important for our chemistry and success that we have everyone focused here.” Last season, Harry Giles and Marques Bolden, supposed centerpieces of Duke’s frontcourt, flopped miserably despite being projected lottery picks before the year. Although many of this year’s stars—especially Bagley and Carter—could also be NBA bound, they don’t act like it.
Ben Leonard
At 18 years old, Bagley plays with the humility of a grizzled 10-year NBA veteran, and though Carter might be a little flashier, he gives it his all on defense. With its starters, Duke will be nearly as talented as it was last year in the backcourt—sub in Gary Trent Jr. and Trevon Duval for Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard. But what separates this team from last year is the pure athleticism in the post. Last year, all the Blue Devils had was Amile Jefferson–who was more of a defensive player than a threat on offense—and woeful production from Giles and Bolden. Battling injuries, Bolden could hardly move, especially on defense, and Giles was never anything close to what he was touted as coming off his second ACL tear—and never showed his full athletic potential. Bagley and Carter, although not defensive wizards, will be vastly better than anything last year’s group could offer—especially when you factor in Javin DeLaurier with another year of experience. Instead of plodding, flatfooted bigs, Duke finally has the versatility and quickness in the frontcourt to shut down ACC teams—all while having a predictably prolific offense. No team in the ACC is bigger and more athletic than the Blue Devils. In the long run, they’ll wear opposing teams down with their lethal combination of quickness and size. They might have some slip-ups, especially early, but this team has too much talent and chemistry to fail. North Carolina, the team picked second in the ACC, doesn’t have the depth to keep up. Projected No. 3 Notre Dame doesn’t have the size. No. 4 Miami doesn’t have the defense. And No. 5 Louisville doesn’t have Donovan Mitchell—or Rick Pitino. And what does Duke finally have? A true point guard. Instead of having to run Allen or a variety of other more natural off-ball players at point, See POINT on Page 18
Bre Bradham | Staff Photographer
Marvin Bagley III is hyped as the most polished prospect to play in college since Anthony Davis led Kentucky to the 2012 national title.
Mistakes will prove costly in top-heavy league Seven seasons—that’s how long it has been since Duke last won the ACC regular-season crown. Following 2017-18, that number will stretch to eight. I have little doubt that the Blue Devils are the most talented team in the conference. Despite a roster that features seven scholarship freshmen, the leadership of Grayson Allen along with the raw ability of Marvin Bagley III and Gary Trent Jr., among others, are reasons why Duke is—and should be—the preseason favorite in the ACC. But at the end of the day, the Blue Devils will not finish as regular-season conference champions yet again. And more than anything, this is a testament to a top-heavy ACC that will test one of the youngest Duke teams in the Mike Krzyzewski era. It starts with North Carolina, the reigning national champion that brings back its point guard in Joel Berry II and a pair of veteran leaders in Theo Pinson and Luke Maye. Add in Cameron Johnson, arguably the top transfer of the offseason, and though the Tar Heels lack depth, they have winning experience, plenty of talent and as good a coach as in the ACC outside of Krzyzewski. Next is Notre Dame. Ever since the Fighting Irish joined the conference at the start of the 201314 season, no team has given the Blue Devils more trouble than Mike Brey’s squad—Duke is just 2-3 against Notre Dame in the regular season during that stretch in addition to two ACC tournament losses. The Fighting Irish have preseason conference player of the year Bonzie Colson and will likely start three seniors with a junior and a sophomore. Miami is another older team whose guards could give the Blue Devils fits. Ja’Quan Newton is the Hurricanes’ lone senior, but they also have Bruce Brown Jr., who torched Duke for 40 points in two games last season—including an 11-for-18 shooting performance in South Florida. And even with all the drama that’s surrounded Louisville the last six weeks, the Cardinals should get things settled come ACC play. They have a solid core
Mitchell Gladstone
with Deng Adel, Anas Mahmoud, Quentin Snider, Ray Spalding and V.J. King plus a new coach in David Padgett, who will throw a different wrinkle into the mix when the Blue Devils host Louisville in late February. With four other teams at the top plus Virginia Tech—and maybe Georgia Tech—it’s hard to feel confident that Duke will be atop the ACC standings come March 3. Beyond just the teams as a whole, consider the schedule the Blue Devils will have to play this season. Although Duke will host three of those four premier teams, it still has to play on the road against North Carolina, Miami, the Hokies and the Yellow Jackets. Also consider a pair of challenging four-game stretches on the Blue Devils’ schedule. In the span of 13 days, Duke hosts Notre Dame before racking up the air miles—the Blue Devils will visit New York to take on St. John’s, come back to a rivalry game in Chapel Hill and then three days later, travel to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech. Later on in February, Duke closes out its regular season by hosting Louisville and Syracuse before venturing up to Blacksburg, Va., to play Virginia Tech and returning home for the season finale against the Tar Heels—all in a matter of 10 days. Neither stretch is as treacherous as those of recent seasons past. The Blue Devils will avoid some of the ACC’s tougher venues, such as the Carrier Dome, the KFC Yum! Center and Purcell Pavilion. They also probably won’t play consecutive games against ranked opposition at any point in ACC play. But the conference is far from easy. Duke has lost at least three ACC games every year since the 2005-06 season, when it finished 14-2 and captured the conference tournament title to boot. And every year of the past decade, the ACC regular-season champion See COUNTERPOINT on Page 18
Neal Vaidya | Staff Photographer
Trevon Duval will be tasked with molding a young offense together as a freshman and may have some struggles against some of the ACC’s top veteran guards.
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 7
SOPHOMORE SURPRISE
Javin DeLaurier ready for key supporting role By Mitchell Gladstone Sports Managing Editor
When Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski stepped to the podium for Duke’s media day last month, there were plenty of strong candidates for the first player to be mentioned. An obvious name would have been Grayson Allen, the Blue Devils’ lone captain and the experienced star of a team as young as any in Krzyzewski’s tenure. Another option could have been Marvin Bagley III, the nation’s top recruit
Jeremy Chen | Staff Photographer
Javin DeLaurier scored two points in the NCAA tournament on a fortunate bounce.
who joined the Duke program only about two months prior. And if not one of those two, it may have easily been Trevon Duval, who has taken over as the team’s primary ball-handler. Instead, it was a sophomore who played just 85 minutes all of last season. “[Javin DeLaurier’s] been a big surprise,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s had a great spring, summer and doing well. The guys coming back have all played very, very well.” For the former four-star recruit, opportunities as a freshman were few and far between. DeLaurier began the 2016-17 campaign knocking down his first three shots for six points on opening night, but made just five more baskets the rest of the regular season. Outside of a few critical minutes when the Blue Devils were in foul trouble at Louisville, DeLaurier’s most memorable moment of the year came during the first round of the NCAA tournament when he patented the “Jav Bounce.” But it was far from a lost season from the Shipman, Va., native. At 6-foot-10 and 220 pounds, DeLaurier was a near-perfect matchup for Jayson Tatum—the No. 3 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft—and the pair went at it almost every day in practice last year. “Not playing was an adjustment but I never lost confidence in myself, especially when guarding guys like Jayson was only going to make me better,” DeLaurier said at the Blue Devils’ media day in October. “I would tell him all the time that he’d just frustrate the hell out of me because I’d think I’m playing great defense and he’d just hit a shot in my face.
Neal Vaidya | Staff Photographer
Javin DeLaurier dominated Northwest Missouri State in the post and averaged nearly 20 rebounds per 40 minutes in the Blue-White scrimmage and the exhibition. “With him, it taught me so much defensively not to gamble, not to cheat and sometimes, guys are going to hit shots. But it was just awesome practicing against him every day because at this point I’m like, ‘If I can guard him on occasion, there’s no one I can’t really guard.’” DeLaurier spent much of his summer in Durham working alongside assistant coaches Jon Scheyer and Nate James, improving a jump shot that fans saw very little of last season. There were also plenty of hours in the weight room with Will Stephens, the team’s head sports performance coach, as DeLaurier bulked up
from 220 to 231 pounds. Perhaps the most important step in his development will come as a leader, though. With just one senior and two juniors on one of the youngest rosters in the Krzyzewski era, DeLaurier needs to step in as a role model—and has done so already, at least in the minds of his coaches. “He’s a great leader. He’s very smart, he’s serious in his approach, so he’s a guy that even though he hasn’t been here long, we See DELAURIER on Page 17
8 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017
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1. DUKE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 9
2. NORTH CAROLINA
Four five-star freshman are likely to start for the preseason No. 1 The defending national champions feature two seniors in their team around Grayson Allen. backcourt and added a transfer to reload for another deep run.
2016-17 record: 28-9, 11-7 in the ACC Head coach: Mike Krzyzewski Tenure at Duke: 38th season Career coaching record: 1,071-330 Home court: Cameron Indoor Stadium Starters: G Trevon Duval, G Grayson Allen, G Gary Trent Jr., F Marvin Bagley III, F Wendell Carter Jr. Starting off the season with three key players injured last year, the Blue Devils had an adjustment period to begin the season. They eventually picked up the play later on in the season, winning the ACC tournament as the only team ever to win four games in four days to do so. Duke’s success did not carry into the NCAA tournament, though, as the Blue Devils were eliminated in the second round by South Carolina. Expectations are again in Durham, as they boast the top-ranked freshman class in the country headlined by No. 1 recruit Marvin Bagley III. This will be the youngest team Duke has had in more than 30 years with seven scholarship freshmen,
Gary Trent Jr.
but the Blue Devils balance it out with preseason All-American and team captain Grayson Allen. Allen averaged 14.5 points per game last season and is coming into this year more mature, both physically and mentally. Allen and Bagley should get plenty of good looks from five-star freshman point guard Trevon Duval. At Countdown to Craziness, Duke showed how many players on its roster can score with ease in huge bursts. And with returners Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden filling out the frontcourt alongside freshman Wendell Carter Jr., the Blue Devils have depth all over the floor. —Conner McLeod
2016-17 record: 33-7, 14-4 in the ACC Head coach: Roy Williams Tenure at North Carolina: 15th season Career coaching record: 816-216 Home court: Dean E. Smith Center Starters: G Joel Berry II, G Theo Pinson, G Cameron Johnson, F Luke Maye, F Garrison Brooks A year after winning their sixth national championship and weeks after avoiding any punishment following the NCAA’s lengthy investigation into academic fraud, the Tar Heels have the talent and experience to be playing in April for the third straight year—as long as they can stay away from video game controllers. Second-team All-ACC point guard Joel Berry II will miss the first couple weeks of the season after he broke a bone in his hand punching a wall when he lost a video game to teammate Theo Pinson, but he will return as the most proven ball handler in the ACC. With Berry flanked by Theo Pinson and Cameron
Joel Berry II Johnson—a graduate transfer from Pittsburgh who earned immediate eligibility after a highlypublicized battle with his former school during the summer—North Carolina’s backcourt will be as good as any in the nation. While Berry is sidelined, the Tar Heels will also get a chance to see five-star freshman Jalek Felton—the nephew of former North Carolina point guard Raymond Felton—in action for extended stretches. Berry and Felton could make this group a more prototypical Roy Williams team that runs up and down the court and beats teams with elite point guard play. —Hank Tucker
10 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017
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In with the old...
Grayson Allen uses emotion for productive purpose as lone captain By Hank Tucker Sports Editor
Casual observers snickered at Grayson Allen’s Countdown to Craziness entrance Oct. 20 to the tune of Cascada’s “Everytime We Touch.” The white star player clapping and dancing with his teammates to a dated pop song in front of his elitist peers at Duke was “low-hanging fruit” for the Twitter trolls of the world, as SBNation put it. Of course, most of these critics did not know the significance of the song at every Blue Devil home game and misunderstood the message beneath the dramatic entrance. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski—not usually one to put much thought into things as trivial as song choices—singled out the moment in his press conference immediately after Countdown and returned to it again at ACC media day almost a week later. “I was proud of Grayson that night,” Krzyzewski said. “I’m proud of him a lot, but even for his song, he used the students’ song to be introduced. He’s really in a great place.” In the middle of last season, Allen was not in such a great place. He was vilified on the national scene for the latest in a series of fateful mistakes when he stuck out his right leg to trip Elon’s Steven Santa Ana Dec. 21. In Durham, he was still a basketball player and a shy college student off the court. None of that has changed, but the core around him has, making him the lone senior and lone captain on a team with eight freshmen. Allen has played with 30 different college teammates and taken on a different role on all four of his teams. “This kid has a wealth of experience and should have an amazing degree of empathy for a guy that doesn’t play,” Krzyzewski said. “How many DNPs did he have as a freshman? A guy, then, who was a hero in a national championship game. He’s like Rudy, but he’s not the walk-on. “Then, he becomes an All-American, academic and regular. Then he has an unbelievably tough year injurywise and otherwise last year—public flogging and all that. And now you’ve got a chance to use it all. What a tremendous opportunity that’s so completely different from any kid playing today.” Krzyzewski is right that Allen has had one of the most unique careers in college basketball. The Jacksonville, Fla., native came out of nowhere to singlehandedly bring Duke back from a nine-point deficit in the 2015 national championship, then carried that success into a breakthrough sophomore season.
Allen surprised some by opting to come back to Duke for his junior year last season, hatching a plan to overload with coursework academically so that he could graduate early and jump to the NBA. “Last year, I think I was burning the candle a little too much on both ends,” Allen said at ACC media day, before grinning. “But I’m liking it now because now that I’m past it and through it, I get a very nice senior year.” He was named a team captain prior to his junior season. But that all unraveled when his production dropped steeply, as he battled toe and ankle injuries all year. He was suspended for a game, sitting out a loss at Virginia Tech, and his captaincy was revoked. When Allen decided to return for his senior year, Krzyzewski instructed him not to touch a basketball for three months to get healthy and rediscover his love for the game. Allen went to Chicago for a brief internship with a media sales company called Intersport, staying with walk-on teammate Brennan Besser’s family, and arrived at school with a renewed mindset. “I’m not the type of guy that has a lot of social self-confidence, so I put a little too much meaning into what people say,” Allen said. “Now, I’m to the point where I can’t do that at all. I’m at the point where I just don’t care.” At the start of practice, the team chose Allen as its lone captain because of all that he has experienced in his career, both the highs and the lows. He is Duke’s first solo captain in 10 seasons, and Krzyzewski said he leads more naturally by example than with his words, calling him the best player on the team at ACC media day last week. “He takes no plays off. It’s amazing to see how he works, and that’s something I’ve been learning from him—the work he puts in after practice, before practice,” freshman Marvin Bagley III said at Duke’s media day. “I try to do the same so I can make sure I’m ready when game time comes.” Allen’s success hinges on the defining characteristics of his game— emotion and reckless abandon, both of which can be double-edged swords. He certainly cannot afford to use emotion to lash out when he is playing alongside four freshmen who will need his veteran presence on the court. But without his emotional screams when he stole the ball from Wisconsin’s Traevon Jackson in the 2015 title game and drew a foul as he got knocked to the floor, the Blue Devils may not have rallied around him to win. “Emotion is a very, very important thing in basketball. It’s actually something I think a lot more guys need to play with,” Allen said. “But for me, it’s very important that I don’t let it get to that point and that I kind of focus my emotion to our See ALLEN on Page 17
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 11
...And in with the new
Unusual circumstances pique excitement around arrival of Marvin Bagley III By Sameer Pandhare Staff Reporter
As Marvin Bagley III anxiously sat in ESPN’s studio while the clock ticked past 11 p.m. on the East Coast, the Phoenix native prepared for one of the more unique college announcements in recent memory. After all, most highly-anticipated commitments come in front of a gym of screaming students or simply on the Internet. To make matters even more interesting, Bagley was not only choosing where he would be going to school, but also when he would take the college court. If those two idiosyncrasies weren’t enough, Bagley was just moments away from donning a Duke jersey that featured a number hanging in the rafters at Cameron Indoor Stadium. None of this was normal for a high schooler. “That was different. That was my first time doing something like that,” Bagley said at the team’s media day in October. “Just being in there on live TV, you don’t get to stop and go back and say it again or redo it again. You had to get it done on the first try. It was a blessing to first of all even be there and know that people were watching, and me being in there with my family was nerve-wracking.” But doing things differently has come to define the 6-foot-11 forward’s route to Duke. Unlike most of the top-ranked prospects preceding him, Bagley turned down an invitation to play for USA Basketball. After starring at Corona del Sol High School as a freshman, Bagley moved to Hillcrest Academy when his father accepted a job at the school an assistant coach. Bagley’s time at the school was short-lived after the NCAA raised concerns about coursework at the high school basketball powerhouse. The star and his family moved to Sierra Canyon High School just months later, only for him to be ruled ineligible for his sophomore season due to a rule banning out-of-state transfers. Once he took the court as a junior, Bagley returned to the dominant form that made him one of the most hyped recruits in high school basketball. But after being named California’s Gatorade Player of the Year, Bagley’s path veered again as the possibility of reclassifying up a year loomed. Instead of the normal summer of a high school junior, Bagley spent months reading books and writing essays. “I gave up hanging out with my friends and going out on the weekends, and it was pretty much just school work to get to here,” Bagley said. “I pretty much gave up my summer to get
here and be a part of this team and I’m glad I did.” For as many different turns Bagley’s journey has taken, the freshman has slowly felt a sense of normalcy since hitting Duke’s campus. The forward has embraced the challenge of playing catch-up as he adjusts to the style of his new teammates and coaching staff. “The main thing you’re worried about is how he gets along with the guys, and Marvin’s terrific,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He’s got a great motor and he’s as hard a worker as we have. He’s unlike any player we have, so he fits in great—on and off the court, it’s worked out.” But Bagley’s propensity for doing things differently does not just stop with his route to Duke. On the court, the freshman’s versatility makes him a wild card that even the best teams may not have an answer for. Despite towering over the majority of his teammates at 6-foot-11, Bagley possesses some of the ball-handling skills of a guard. In high school, he spent nearly as much time playing on the perimeter as he did near the basket. Although his jump shot is still a work in progress, the forward does have the mechanics to improve with more repetitions. Perhaps nothing illustrates the freshman’s immense athleticism more than his ability to get out in the open floor and make plays in transition. Even considering his size, Bagley has the strides of a gazelle as he runs the court mixed with a one-of-a-kind ability to elevate as if he was on a trampoline when needed. “When I first met him, I was surprised to see that like this guy is actually 6’11”, and yeah, his head is going to be above the rim on almost everything,” senior Grayson Allen said at ACC media day. “That’s something you learn to play with. I mean, in Countdown, when I saw him running down the middle, I threw the ball way too high, and he still went and got it.” The Blue Devils will use Bagley in a number of roles early in the season, and it could take all of nonconference play for Duke to really determine how it plans to use each one of its bigs. Even with the number of weapons the Blue Devils have on the perimeter, Bagley will likely see double teams throughout nonconference play and against smaller ACC opponents. In his first couple appearances, Bagley has shown an ability to take pressure from multiple defenders and use it to free up Duke’s guards. “I’m real comfortable working out the double teams, See BAGLEY on Page 17
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12 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017
3. NOTRE DAME
4. LOUISVILLE
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Armed with the preseason ACC Player of the Year, head coach Despite losing its Hall of Fame head coach right before the season Mike Brey’s Fighting Irish will be as dangerous as ever. amidst scandal, Louisville still has the talent to compete.
2016-17 record: 26-10, 12-6 in the ACC Head coach: Mike Brey Tenure at Notre Dame: 18th season Career coaching record: 481-239 Home court: Purcell Pavilion Starters: G Matt Farrell, G Temple Gibbs, G Rex Pflueger, F Bonzie Colson, F Martinas Geben With 11 straight wins to begin the year, the Fighting Irish didn’t hit many road bumps early last season. Notre Dame finished tied for second in the ACC and met Duke in the championship of the ACC tournament. Despite an impressive downto-the-wire effort helped by 29 points from Bonzie Colson, the Fighting Irish fell to the Blue Devils before getting bounced by West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA tournament. With a balanced group on the perimeter and strength down low, Notre Dame found success with high-low motion a year ago. But after losing two of their starting guards—V.J. Beacham and Steve Vasturia, who both shot better than 35
Bonzie Colson percent from beyond the arc—this balance will be a little more difficult to maintain. Colson enters the season pegged as the preseason ACC Player of the Year and should help carry the Fighting Irish back near the top of the conference. Notre Dame has a few wild cards that could determine where it ends up this season. Point guard Matt Farrell made major strides a year ago and could be a candidate to break out with added responsibility this year. Freshman D.J. Harvey enters as one of the most highly-touted recruits in Brey’s tenure and could also be a difference-maker. —Emily Davis
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A year ago, the Cardinals entered the season looking to move past NCAA sanctions that kept them out of the NCAA tournament in 2016. This time around, the program is in even more uncertainty in the midst of an FBI investigation that led to the firing of Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich. Former Director of Basketball Operations David Padgett will have the unenviable task of leading the scandal-ridden program as interim head coach. But on the court, the 32-year old has more than enough talent to help push the Cardinals near the top of the ACC. With senior leader Quentin Snider at the point, Louisville returns a
Deng Adel steadying presence that is capable of getting the team into its half-court offense. Guard V.J. King is the trendy pick among the team’s returners to break out—and the Cardinals will need him to do so to compensate for the loss of leading scorer Donovan Mitchell to the NBA Draft. The return of junior Deng Adel on the wing also provides Padgett with a forward capable of spacing the floor and taking tough assignments on defense. Even without Pitino, the Cardinals will look familiar on defense with their heavy ball pressure scheme that regularly forces opponents to turn the ball over. —Sameer Pandhare
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5. MIAMI
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 13
6. VIRGINIA TECH
Miami is ready to contend with a five-star freshman joining two The Hokies lost their two leading scorers, but bring back four veteran threats in the backcourt. starters and are primed for a return trip to the NCAA tournament.
2016-17 record: 21-12, 10-8 in the ACC Head coach: Jim Larrañaga Tenure at Miami: 7th season Career coaching record: 581-378 Home court: Watsco Center Starters: G Ja’Quan Newton, G Bruce Brown Jr., G Lonnie Walker IV, F Dewan Huell, C Ebuka Izundu After a strong start to the 2016-17 regular season, with the Hurricanes winning 10 of their first 12 games, the team quickly began to struggle against ACC opponents, losing to unranked Syracuse and Wake Forest early on. The Hurricanes went back and forth with ACC teams, ending the season with a 10-8 conference mark and winning 21 total games. However, they ultimately fell to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The 2017-18 season is looking bright for a young Hurricanes team that debuted at No. 13 in the preseason AP poll. Miami has many of its top players coming back, but will look to fill the void
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left by its two graduated seniors, Davon Reed and Kamari Murphy, whose absence could be felt on both offense and defense. Reed was the leading scorer, and Murphy led the team in rebounds and was the third-leading shot-blocker. Without their two leaders, the Hurricanes will need returning guards Ja’Quan Newton and Bruce Brown Jr. to step up and make shots on offense, with Huell providing a growing defensive presence. Newcomers such as Lonnie Walker IV will also make an impact on the team offensively— the Reading, Pa., native was a consensus top-15 player in last year’s recruiting class. —Liz Finny
2016-17 record: 22-11 10-8 in the ACC Head coach: Buzz Williams Tenure at Virginia Tech: 4th season Career coaching record: 206-134 Home court: Cassell Coliseum Starters: G Justin Robinson, G Ahmed Hill, F Justin Bibbs, F Chris Clarke, F Kerry Blackshear Jr. This is an exciting time for Virginia Tech basketball fans, who look to head coach Buzz Williams’ record at Marquette as a sign that his fourth season with the Hokies could be his best yet. Last year, Virginia Tech reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007 and only the second time since 1996. The 2017-18 Hokie squad—bolstered by junior Chris Clarke and a veteran core with NCAA tournament experience under their belts—seems capable of reaching a Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Virginia Tech faces a major task, however, in replacing leading scorers Zach LeDay and Seth Allen, who scored a combined
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29.8 points per game for the Hokies. Still, with neither of those two players starting for the Hokies last season, Virginia Tech finds itself in the unique position of returning four of its starters from an NCAA tournament team. Although the strong band of returners—plus a pair of freshmen four-star guards—should keep the mid-September transfer of Khadim Sy from devastating Virginia Tech, the Hokies will likely lack a big defensive presence to protect the rim. 6-foot-10 power forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. could help in that department after returning from a leg injury that sidelined him last season. —Meredith Cash
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14 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017
FRESHMAN UP FRONT
Carter Jr. hopes to buck recent big man trend By Ben Leonard Blue Zone Editor
In the past two seasons, Duke has been able to develop an abundance of riches in the backcourt—and quickly. Jayson Tatum and his smooth game, Brandon Ingram’s gangly but potent scoring stroke, Grayson Allen’s toughness in the 2015 NCAA tournament and Luke Kennard’s effortless shooting stroke have all sprouted quickly for the Blue Devils. But head coach Mike Krzyzewski hasn’t been able to get a young big man to stick.
Chase Jeter struggled and scampered for the desert, Harry Giles’ knees couldn’t cooperate and Marques Bolden looked lost for most of last season. Now, a team thin on backcourt depth will need a bigger and somehow, even younger—but uber-talented—team to develop in a hurry. “We’re a much different team than last year in that we’re big. We’re very big and athletic, and we normally have a plethora of perimeter guys, shooters and that. We don’t have that many,” Krzyzewski said at Duke’s media day a month ago. “That doesn’t mean we can’t shoot, but we’re not the outside shooting force that we’ve been
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Wendell Carter Jr. will try to overcome the steep learning curve that slowed Marques Bolden and Chase Jeter when they were freshmen.
2017-18 Duke University Women’s Basketball Schedule
in these previous years. Hopefully, we can be an outstanding rebounding team and defensive team and still play up and down the court.” Now, the combination of No. 5 overall recruit and 6-foot-10 power forward Wendell Carter Jr. and No. 1 overall recruit Marvin Bagley III will try to buck that trend for Duke, while Bolden will try to grow quickly after last year’s dud. Sophomore forward Javin DeLaurier could also work his way into a significant rotation role for the Blue Devils, who have the most post depth they have had in recent memory, especially taking into consideration junior center Antonio Vrankovic. But as Duke fans have seen in recent years, talent has been no guarantee of success for big men— Krzyzewski says frontcourt players have it much harder in adjusting to college basketball. “The learning curve for a big guy is much harder, basically because of the physicality and athleticism of the college game,” Krzyzewski said at ACC media day. “It’s not even close to high school, where a perimeter guy has a much easier transition. In high school, if Wendell did everything we asked him to do now, he’d foul out quickly in every game.” At a muscular 259 pounds, Carter has almost 20 pounds on Giles at the same listed height. At the Blue-White scrimmage, he was a physical presence inside with 11 points, going shotfor-shot with Bagley—one of the best recruits in a generation. He can also shoot from the perimeter—he scored the first points of the BlueWhite scrimmage on a 3-pointer. With his size and physicality, he can be a potent post scorer—if he develops quickly like the coaching staff hopes.
“I need to run. The game is a lot faster than high school,” Carter said at Duke’s media day. “You’ve just got to go out there and play. Don’t overthink the game, just play. The ball is going to find a way.... We’ve just got to learn how to make it work.” And somehow, a talent like Carter is flying under the radar in his own frontcourt, thanks to Bagley. The nation’s No. 1 overall recruit reclassified from the class of 2018 to 2017, giving up much of his summer doing schoolwork in order to graduate high school and become eligible to play college basketball. Bagley, who said he knew Duke was the place for him after receiving an offer in ninth grade, has some analysts saying he would have been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft if he was eligible. A 6-foot-11 forward, Bagley has a combination of athleticism, shooting range and size that makes scouts rave—if it can all come together. Since he committed to the Blue Devils in August and wasn’t officially ruled eligible until September, he missed some practice time with the team—something Krzyzewski isn’t worried about. Allen, back as the team’s captain, echoed Krzyzewski’s sentiments about Bagley and Carter. “They’re extremely easy to play with,” Allen said. “Marvin and Wendell can do so many things on the court.” But it won’t just be Carter and Bagley hogging all the post minutes—Krzyzewski hinted at a potential lineup that could include not twin, but triplet towers—Carter, Bagley and either Bolden or DeLaurier. See BIG MEN on Page 18
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 15
TRAINING WITH TECHNOLOGY
From summer of conditioning to season of running By Michael Model Assistant Blue Zone Editor
While teams across the nation strive for an advantage either in size or quickness down the court, the Blue Devils enter the 2017-18 season looking to utilize a dangerous combination of height and mobility. After relying largely on half-court offensive sets and isolation last year, Duke is ready to pick up the pace this season and increase its offensive production in transition. Although this might be surprising to hear from a team in which four of its top seven guys are at least 6-foot-9, the athleticism of this Blue Devil team certainly contributed to its preseason No. 1 ranking. Highly-touted 6-foot-11 freshman Marvin Bagley III and 6-foot-10 classmate Wendell Carter Jr., in addition to sophomore bigs Marques Bolden and Javin DeLaurier, have shown their ability to pick up the pace and finish down at the other end of the court. “I love how big and athletic we are,” freshman guard Trevon Duval said at the team’s media day in October. “We can get up and down the court and run and get a lot of highlight plays, but we also are big in the halfcourt set, and on defense, we’re going to cause a lot of problems for teams.” Teams that can get out in transition are often able to have a personnel advantage offensively, leading to higher percentage shot attempts. Since most teams do not have mobile big men, Duke’s ability to get down the court faster than its opponents would give the Blue Devils an edge. In order to make this dream a reality, they have spent their offseason focusing on conditioning
and training, with the goal of becoming the most athletic team in the nation. Senior captain Grayson Allen has taken this objective to heart and has made significant strides, losing almost 20 pounds from a year ago. “I’ve been running a lot and trying to get in really good shape,” Allen said at ACC media day. “I think I’m back down close to my freshman year weight. Stronger than I was my freshman year, but back down to that weight. It just feels better. Sophomore year, I was at 215, 220, and I was a little bit too big.” Allen also cited the team’s recent usage of technology as an aid for improved conditioning. One product, Whoop, has been a contributor to Allen’s ability to slim down. The Whoop band mainly tracks strain in recovery and sleep, allowing players to monitor their own health while teaching them what they need to improve on for recovery. Whoop is just one of many forms of conditioning technology used by the Blue Devils, who strive to use the most up-to-date devices in order to maintain a physical advantage over their opponents. “We use a lot of other technology during practice,” Allen said. “A lot of stuff that tracks our motion and movement, tracks the load that’s being put on our bodies during practice, and the coaches are using it to just measure our workload, make sure we’re not doing too much, and at the same time not doing too little. It’s been a really good tool for us, especially this summer when we’re doing conditioning and not really playing any games.” Conditioning is a key for success on the court, and arguably more important than shooting, defending or any other aspect of the game. A
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Grayson Allen said he has lost almost 20 pounds in the last year to prepare to play with a more fast-paced team with speedy point guard Trevon Duval and a core of athletic big men. player’s ability to shoot does not matter if he cannot find an open shot, and a large component of a player’s defensive skillset is the ability to keep up with his man for an entire game. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski feels that conditioning and off-ball skills are seldom practiced, although players are without the ball for the majority of the game. “If you play in a 40-minute game, even if you’re the point guard, if you have the ball more than 10 minutes, most guys have it less than two minutes,” Krzyzewski said. “When you have those individual workouts, you never work on the
things that you’re going to do most of the time, which is play without the ball.” Although the Blue Devils are trying to push the tempo more this season, they have had to proceed with caution. Duke was battered by injuries last season across the board, which derailed the team’s development early on. Jayson Tatum was able to recover from a foot injury to earn a spot on the ACC AllFreshman team, but Harry Giles and Marques Bolden’s respective knee and lower-leg injuries See CONDITIONING on Page 17
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7. GEORGIA TECH
8. VIRGINIA
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A year after surprising in Josh Pastner’s first season at the helm, Following a transfer exodus and London Perrantes’ graduation, the Yellow Jackets are poised to take another leap. Virginia may slide back to the middle of the pack in the ACC
2016-17 record: 21-16, 8-10 in the ACC Head coach: Josh Pastner Tenure at Georgia Tech: 2nd season Career coaching record: 188-89 Home court: McCamish Pavilion Starters: G Justin Moore, G Tadric Jackson, G Josh Okogue, F Abdoulaye Gueye, C Ben Lammers Although the Yellow Jackets did not impress many in the first few weeks under new head coach Josh Pastner—starting 4-3 with losses to Ohio, Penn State and Tennessee—Georgia Tech’s victories against top-15 sides Notre Dame, Florida State and North Carolina highlighted a surprising 8-10 conference slate and a 21-16 campaign overall. The Yellow Jackets should have optimism heading into the 2017-18 season with all three leading scorers from a year ago returning to Atlanta. Sophomore Josh Okogie will look to build off an outstanding freshman campaign during which he averaged a team-high 16.1
Josh Okogie
points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. Alongside him, senior Ben Lammers hopes to finish his collegiate career on a high note by building on a breakout 2016-17 season, when he averaged more than 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game. Georgia Tech will also get reinforcements in the backcourt from Lehigh graduate transfer Brandon Alston and four-star freshmen Curtis Haywood II and Jose Alvarado. Although the Yellow Jackets should be much improved from a season ago, they will surely have their work cut out for them playing in the daunting ACC. —Michael Model
MICHIGAN STATE
2016-17 record: 23-11, 11-7 in the ACC Head coach: Tony Bennett Tenure at Virginia: 9th season Career coaching record: 373-257 Home court: John Paul Jones Arena Starters: G Devon Hall, G Kyle Guy, G Ty Jerome, F Isaiah Wilkins, C Jack Salt After an impressive 16-3 start to the season, the Cavaliers fell victim to a brutal February and an early March exit when Florida held Virginia to only 39 points in the NCAA tournament’s Round of 32. Despite Tony Bennett’s pack-line defense, the Cavaliers struggled to consistently muster enough offense to compete against high-caliber opponents. Virginia finished the year first in the NCAA in points allowed at 56.4 per game, but posted a dreadful 66.1 scoring average itself. And it won’t get any easier this year following the departure of the Cavaliers’ top two scorers, London Perrantes and Marial Shayok. Like Shayok, Darius Thompson
Isaiah Wilkins
and Jarred Reuter also transferred out of the program after the season. Bennett will surely feel the loss of Perrantes, but sophomore sharpshooter Kyle Guy has the potential to fill the void. Guy finished his freshman season shooting 49.5 percent from deep and should be slated for a much larger role this year after averaging only 18.6 minutes per game as a freshman. In addition to the former McDonald’s All-American, the Cavaliers return guard Devon Hall and forward Isaiah Wilkins, who combined to average 15.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game last season. —Daniel Landa
REST OF THE WAY
Preseason All-American Miles Bridges turned down the first Previews for the final seven ACC teams and the rest of Duke’s round of the NBA Draft to return to East Lansing. nonconference opponents, including Indiana and St. John’s, can be found online at dukechronicle.com. Full nonconference schedule Nov. 10 vs. Elon Nov. 11 vs. Utah Valley Nov. 14 vs. No. 2 Michigan State (Chicago) 2016-17 record: 20-15, 10-8 in the Big Ten Head coach: Tom Izzo Tenure at Duke: 23th season Career coaching record: 544-220 Home court: Breslin Student Events Center Starters: G Cassius Winston, G Joshua Langford, G/F Miles Birdges, F Nick Ward, F Jaren Jackson Jr. After lofty expectations entering last season, the young Spartans struggled with a brutal nonconference schedule that included games against Arizona, Kentucky, Wichita State and Duke. Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo managed to rally his team to secure a NCAA tournament berth, though, despite playing without freshman phenom Miles Bridges for a month while he recovered from an ankle injury. Michigan State brings back a loaded roaster this season, as Bridges decided to return to school for his sophomore year. He will be joined by five-star freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. along with several steady sophomores as the
Nov. 17 vs. Southern Nov. 20 vs. Furman Nov. 23-26 at PK80 Invitational (Portland, Ore.) Miles Bridges Spartans are preseason favorites to win the Big Ten. A consensus top-five team in the country, Michigan State is on the short list of early national championship contenders. The Spartans will rely on their stifling defense combined with bruising inside play to win games. Ward and redshirt junior Kenny Goins are two accomplished low post scorers, and Bridges has the athleticism to make spectacular plays look routine. Michigan State will face an early test, though, as the Spartans match up with Duke in just their second game of the year at the Champions Classic. —Andrew Donohue
Nov. 29 at Indiana Dec. 2 vs. South Dakota Dec. 5 vs. Saint Francis Dec. 20 vs. Evansville Feb. 3 at St. John’s (New York) Robert Johnson
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DELAURIER FROM PAGE 7
believe in him,” associate head coach Jeff Capel said. “He understands, to the best of his ability as a sophomore, our culture and he believes in it. Those guys are important because we are so young, and the best way culture is taught is by players.” With talented but inexperienced freshman teammates, DeLaurier will have to be both the teacher and student this season. But as the oldest of four boys growing up, he knows the big brother mindset well. Living about 40 miles southwest of Charlottesville in central Virginia, DeLaurier spent many summers working in the fields of his family’s farm—something he still does on the occasional return to Shipman, as he explained on Scheyer’s The Offseason podcast in June. Although weed-wacking and fence repairs may be among the 19-year-old’s least favorite activities, the rural lifestyle has taught him humility. “It makes you appreciate things,” DeLaurier said. “It was a lot of hard work, but I wouldn’t trade any second of it because it teaches you the importance of appreciating the little things in life and working hard.” It has not taken long to see in game action where the now-sophomore has a chance to excel on the floor. Albeit a small sample size, DeLaurier is averaging 20.6 rebounds per 40 minutes—last year’s Division I leader averaged 17.4—with a trio of blocks through Duke’s Blue-White scrimmage and first exhibition contest. On a team that is expected to lean heavily on its unique combination of size and athleticism across the board, DeLaurier seems to fit right into the mix of guys that
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will make the Blue Devils tough for any opponent to handle. “He’s as good an athlete as we have,” Krzyzewski said at Duke’s media day. “I think Javin will eventually be a pro, it’s just the process of becoming that is longer.... He’s become a really good rebounder, a hungry rebounder, and he eats up the court when he runs, and he can defend multiple positions.” So whether DeLaurier makes it to the NBA or winds up abroad, it seems unlikely that he will give up basketball for the farm anytime soon. “I’d rather do anything than go back and work in the fields again,” DeLaurier laughed. “I’d run suicides, take a test, whatever. It was miserable, but I wouldn’t trade it.” Sameer Pandhare contributed reporting.
ALLEN
BAGLEY
FROM PAGE 10
FROM PAGE 11
guys and our team.” It’s a precarious balancing act that Krzyzewski thinks held Allen back last year when it was constantly on Allen’s mind, wondering what people would think if he committed a hard foul or so much as laid a toe on an opponent. This year, Krzyzewski hopes those doubts are behind him. “I don’t want him to play the game with rules of engagement. When you’re that publicly scrutinized for a crazy, stupid thing which you shouldn’t be that closely scrutinized for, that can have an impact,” Krzyzewski said. “I said, ‘Look, just play with all of your heart, and I’m good with what you do. I’ll be fine with the result.’”
especially the way I look outside,” Bagley said. “I’m really comfortable making that outside pass to spread the floor out a little more. Once they start knocking those threes down, the double teams start backing off a little bit. I’m just trying to make the right basketball plays and the right reads.” After moving from school to school for much of his high school career, Bagley will likely find himself on the move once again following this season. But this time, he won’t be doing something so different from others. If Bagley can meet even some of the mountain of expectations laid before him, he will be just one more Blue Devil freshman making the leap to the NBA.
CONDITIONING
Sameer Pandhare contributed reporting.
FROM PAGE 15 took them out of the equation for much of the season, as the two served merely as role players down the stretch rather than dominant post players as expected. These injuries prompted a change in the process, as this young Blue Devil team with seven scholarship freshmen will need its share of healthy contests before finding its cohesiveness and chemistry. “We did some things very differently than what we did the previous summer, and it’s paid dividends so far,” Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel said. “Hopefully, it continues to and we can stay away from injuries.”
BACKCOURT
Ben Leonard, Hank Tucker and Andrew Donohue contributed reporting.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 17
FROM PAGE 5 offenses in college basketball with weapons like Allen as well as freshmen Wendell Carter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III. “Marvin has impressed me the most,” Duval said. “He’s very athletic, he runs hard, plays hard all the time. Grayson has been shooting the cover off the ball these last few days [as well].” All of the pieces are there for a devastating fast-break offense, with Duval being one of the best players in the country in the open floor as evidenced by his spectacular self alley-oop during Countdown to Craziness. Coupled with the athleticism of Bagley, Carter, Allen and Trent, Duval’s awareness
Ben Leonard, Hank Tucker and Mitchell Gladstone contributed reporting. could spell trouble for Duke’s opponents in the open court. Ultimately, Duke’s lack of a point guard was part of the preseason No. 1 team’s undoing last year. That problem has been addressed during the offseason, with the staff bringing the top floor general in the nation to Duke. The ceiling of this Blue Devil team, also ranked No. 1 overall entering the season, will hinge on Duval and how quickly he can adapt to the college game. “As time goes on, I’m going to get better,” Duval said. “I’m learning a lot from Grayson, Coach and a lot of the older guys, so a couple of weeks from now, I’m going to be a lot better and smarter with the ball.” Ben Leonard contributed reporting.
BIG MEN FROM PAGE 14
Bre Bradham | Staff Photographer
Marques Bolden will have to take a big leap forward this year to win playing time in a crowded frontcourt.
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Allen said Bolden, who struggled through injuries last year, has honed his shooting touch. The early results on that aren’t promising—he made just 2-of-6 field goals in the Blue-White scrimmage, including an ugly missed 3-point attempt—but again, it’s early. The big lineup could lend itself well to a zone defense, something Krzyzewski hasn’t been able use much in recent years. But they aren’t just big—especially when factoring in DeLaurier, who possesses lightning speed, even at 6-foot-10. “It’s amazing to play with big guys that run the way we do, up and down,” Bagley said. “We’re going to shock some people. We have a good chance of winning it all. We have to play together and play as one.” DeLaurier played sparingly last season, but didn’t fail to make an impact when he got a chance, shooting 9-of-11 from the field and pulling down 23 rebounds in 85 minutes on the floor. He was a beast on the boards in the Blue-White Scrimmage, pulling down nine
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rebounds in just 15 minutes. But the sophomore forward figures to earn his first meaningful minutes this year, even amidst a crowded frontcourt. At Duke’s media day Oct. 3, Krzyzewski said DeLaurier was in a small group of players that could start, and would earn significant minutes if a game were played at that time. With the help of Vrankovic in the post and a leader like Allen, Duke will certainly have the most talent in the frontcourt that it has in a long time. But whether that talent develops remains to be seen. “You have a big team but an athletic team. I think this is going to be a neat process—hopefully it’s a neat process—in figuring out what we can do. I think this is very much going to be a developing team,” Krzyzewski said. “When I say that, it’s not a cop-out. We’re supposed to win right away and so be it. But we’ll be better in November, December. I think we’re a team that can get good if we stay healthy by midseason.” Mitchell Gladstone, Andrew Donohue and Hank Tucker contributed reporting.
POINT FROM PAGE 6 Duval will take over the reins on offense and find a way to get the ball to the right players. With only one basketball and so many mouths to feed on offense, it could get messy without someone like him to dish it out. His lack of an elite jump shot might even be a boon for the team—he’ll lean on his explosiveness and drive more often, leaving room for him to kick it around to one of his open bigs. As a secondary scoring option on this team, Duval will take a backseat on the scoring end and help what could otherwise be a selfish offense. The pieces just fit together too well for Duke to flop like it did last year in the NCAA tournament. It has the athletic bigs to hold together the defense, the veteran leadership in Allen and the true point guard to make it all fit together. After 12 years, the outright ACC regular-season crown is coming back to Durham.
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Bre Bradham | Staff Photographer
Alex O’Connell could provide spot-up shooting off the bench when the Blue Devils need a spark.
COUNTERPOINT FROM PAGE 6 has dropped four or fewer contests. For all the advantages that Cameron Indoor provides, the Blue Devils have lost at least once at home in each of the last three seasons. It’s reasonable to imagine Duke then losing at least twice on the road at some combination of North Carolina, the Hurricanes and Hokies. If the Blue Devils were to lose even one more game to someone else along the line, their chances of a conference title would be quite slim. At the end of the day, Allen and four five-star freshmen make this Duke team capable of anything. It is not far-fetched to think the Blue Devils could win the ACC regular-season or tournament crowns this year, as well as a national title. But Duke will make plenty of mistakes, and in as talented a conference as the ACC, even the smallest slip-up can be the difference between a win and a loss. Talent should carry the Blue Devils far—just not to first place this season.
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