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Graphic by Shourya Kumar, Alexandra Davis and Ian Jaffe | The Chronicle
The Chronicle EMPHASIS ON FITNESS
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‘WE’RE NOT GOD’
Blue Devils doing what they can to avoid injuries by prioritizing conditioning Andrew Donohue The Chronicle Between the constant turnover from numerous transfers out of the program and inconsistent play on the court, there has been one constant for the Blue Devils in the past three seasons—injuries keeping teams from reaching their full potential. Three seasons ago, Duke lost two All-ACC point guards to season-ending setbacks, forcing the Blue Devils to play the rest of the year without a true floor general, and Rebecca Greenwell was forced to redshirt due to a knee injury. Two seasons ago, AllAmerican center Elizabeth Williams had to miss games with a foot injury and forward Oderah Chidom missed the last 11 games of the year. But the 2015-16 campaign—the first time the Blue Devils missed the NCAA tournament since 1994—was even worse. Star forward Azurá Stevens tore her plantar fascia, forcing her to miss seven games. Redshirt freshman forward Lyneé Belton tore her meniscus in Feburary— her second season-ending injury—and freshman guard Haley Gorecki had season-ending hip surgery. Gorecki had another setback in her recovery during the summer and head coach Joanne P. McCallie said she will not return until December at the earliest. Those setbacks combined with nagging injuries to Greenwell, Chidom and numerous other players meant Duke was often struggling to put enough healthy bodies on the court to
Chronicle File Photo Redshirt sophomore Lyneé Belton and the Blue Devils have been bitten by the injury bug in recent years and are hoping they can stay healthy this season.
navigate a brutal ACC schedule. In the offseason, McCallie—who said in February she had never in 24 years of coaching had to deal with that many injuries—and her staff decided to make a change to the team’s conditioning program. The Blue Devils brought in a new director of sports performance, Ashleigh Beaver, and hope that a renewed commitment to fitness can bring them better lucky this year.
“We’re not God,” McCallie said. “We can’t limit injuries, what we can do is prepare to the best of our ability and I think these players have really put in the time…. We’ve absolutely loved having Ashleigh come on board with us, so we’ve been fortunate there.” Beaver is a certified strength and conditioning specialist who is making a return home of sorts—she was a sports
performance coaching assistant in 201314 with all 15 Blue Devil Olympic sports programs. Beaver left Durham to become an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Army, where she designed training programs for men’s and women’s soccer, swimming and diving, rifle and cheer. “My biggest goal I had coming in here was just to make them stronger,” Beaver told GoDuke.com. “Not that anyone was weak by any means, but it’s a pretty young team.” Duke only has two seniors on its roster in Chidom and Kendall Cooper and will rely heavily on production from younger players like sophomore Kyra Lambert and freshman Leaonna Odom to help boost the team this season. That makes it imperative that the younger Blue Devils are up to the physical toll that ACC play requires and can stay on the court in critical moments. As a senior, Chidom has been through three years of preseason workouts and said that Beaver has helped the team in the offseason. The 6-foot-4 forward feels the best she ever has going into her final year. “[Ashleigh] is making sure everything’s tight and maintained through the season,” Chidom said. “[We’ve been] doing a lot of different conditioning drills. Overall, the goal is the same—to be the quickest, strongest, fastest team in the ACC.” The Blue Devils are also trying to install a more up-tempo offense this year, with even more of an emphasis on conditioning. Beaver said she was impressed by the team’s quickness when she arrived, and See FITNESS on Page 8
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The Splash Sisters
Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell could comprise one of the nation’s top tandems alongside PG Kyra Lambert Ben Leonard The Chronicle During Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry’s first few years in the NBA, it was clear he was a rising star in the league. But when fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson arrived in the Bay Area, Curry’s game went to another level with another deadly shooter for defenses to cover. All-American transfer Lexie Brown sees parallels between the 2015 NBA champions and this year’s Duke team. “I know it’s a longshot, but we’re comparing ourselves to the Golden State Warriors,” Brown said. “We’ve got [Rebecca Greenwell] and I as the Splash Sisters. Kyra [Lambert] is going to be our do-it all utility guard.” It might seem crazy for a team that just missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994 following an injury-plagued season, and lost two key pieces in the offseason, but Brown’s proclamation might not end up being that far-fetched. After two seasons, Greenwell is eighth in Duke history in 3-point field goals made and seventh in points per game—last year, the Owensboro, Ky., native shot better than 40 percent from long range as a redshirt sophomore. Brown is also dangerous from long range, canning 120 triples in her first two seasons at Maryland before sitting out as a transfer last year. The scary thing for opponents? The duo’s efficiency figures to improve playing alongside one another in the backcourt. “Teams are not going to be able to face-guard Becca or throw two people at her, because you’ve got me and Kyra right next to her,” Brown said. “They’re not going to be able to do it to me because I have these two next to me. I’m really excited to see what defenses teams try to throw at us.” Again, it might seem crazy to think Lambert— who averaged 6.2 points and 2.5 assists per game last year—could be the third piece in a dynamic backcourt. But after being forced into 23 starts as a rookie, the 5-foot-9 guard feels much more comfortable with Brown and Greenwell taking pressure off her has a ball-handler. Lambert worked on her outside shot throughout the summer, and a faster style of play should suit the Cibolo, Texas, native’s game very well. “As a freshman last year, I’m still so proud of what she did,” McCallie said. “She’s just greatly improved and benefitting from not always having to have the ball in her hands.” Lambert scored 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting in the annual Blue-White scrimmage Sunday, including an electric buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the third quarter. McCallie said she plans to have Brown and Lambert, both natural point
guards, on the floor at the same time, though Lambert will likely play more off the ball to start the year. Although Brown went 2-of-13 from the field Sunday, she too had plenty of open looks, and worked with Lambert and Greenwell in the first quarter to run an efficient offense that had just two turnovers in the period. “It’s very comfortable,” Brown said. “I know Kyra had her struggles last year, but she has been more calm, comfortable, and collected with me next to her on the floor. We balance each other out really well. She’s really great to the basket, and I’m really good at shooting. I don’t really know what teams are going to do with both of us on the floor at the same time.” Duke’s potentially lethal backcourt trio has been a long time coming—Brown had to sit out all of the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer rules. But the Suwanee, Ga., native used the year to her advantage, dominating at times in practice and getting to know her new teammates. Now Brown is a team captain along with Greenwell and Chidom and looks much different than the sometimes soft-spoken floor general who starred at Maryland from 2013-2015. “I struggled my freshman year when I was younger being confident and things like that,” Brown said. “But now I don’t really have a problem speaking. I’m fine.” An All-Big Ten Defensive team selection, Brown also boasts postseason pedigree that none of her teammates do—she played in the 2014 and 2015 Final Fours after the Blue Devils were eliminated from the postseason. Last year, Duke missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994, and is hoping to lean on its guards to make the team’s first Final Four run in McCallie’s 10 years as head coach. “We’re extremely motivated,” Greenwell said. “It was tough all the way around for everyone involved, but it’s definitely been a motivating factor for us. Right once we found out that we weren’t in the tournament, we’ve been working toward it…. It will definitely show this season.” Like Brown, Greenwell has had to sit out a year as she was sidelined as a freshman due to injury and was forced to redshirt. The Splash Sisters hope to guide Lambert as she continues her development and lead a faster, up-tempo offense with freshman Leaonna Odom as the team’s Kevin Durant and post players like Chidom holding down the paint. Other players will undoubtedly make their mark for the Blue Devils this year, but as is the case with the Warriors, all eyes will be on the guards for their next Splash Sisters moments. “We have the quickness, we have the talent, we have the knock down shooters, and the drivers,” Lambert said. “We have the best backcourt in the country.”
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Carolyn Chang | The Chronicle
Sophomore guards ready to run, put 2015-16 behind them should be watching for Kyra. She has made big improvements and worked on her shot a lot this The Chronicle summer,” Gorecki said. “She’s been in the gym everyday. She’s one of the hardest working people When the Blue Devils’ 2015 recruiting class I know so definitely watch out for her.” arrived on campus, the group of five players was Defenses will not have to worry about Gorecki expected to help Duke get back to the Sweet 16 and until December at the earliest, with Blue maybe even compete for a Final Four berth. Devil head coach Joanne P. McCallie calling it Instead, injuries and a difficult adjustment “ridiculous” that her application for a medical to the college game caused the Blue Devils to redshirt was not approved by the NCAA. The miss the NCAA tournament for the first time 6-foot guard lost most of her freshman campaign since 1994. due to injury, and will have to get back in the Angela Salvadores left her classmates in swing of things quickly after shooting just 27.8 the offseason to pursue a professional career percent from the field in 14 games last season. in Spain, meaning Duke’s sophomore class is “She’s really critical because she’s the kind of down to four players entering the season. One guard that has that composure piece, and she has of those four, sharpshooter Haley Gorecki, the three-ball,” McCallie said. “If I need to have suffered a setback recovering from a season- Becca sit for a while so she can get some rest, ending hip injury and is now expected to return [Haley] is a great sub for Becca because she can in December. do a lot of the same things.” But even though they are starting the year The last two sophomores on McCallie’s roster without two of their original are in similar positions classmates, the Blue Devils heading into the season— he team chemistry has say they are much more Crystal Primm and Faith improved a ton. We’re comfortable entering their Suggs are hoping to carve second year and ready to reading off of each other more, out niches after playing make their mark in a guardsporadically last year. A knowing where people like it— oriented offense. slashing wing, Primm “The team chemistry people’s preferences. averaged 4.6 points in 18.8 — Sophomore minutes per contest, and has improved a ton. We’re reading off of each other point guard Kyra Lambert Suggs averaged less than more, knowing where people 10 minutes per game while like it—people’s preferences. All of us are being struggling to consistently break into the rotation. a lot more vocal and more physical,” sophomore With five-star freshman Leaonna Odom also point guard Kyra Lambert said. “We’ve grown in the mix for big minutes on the wing, it will immensely—especially in the weight room. We’ve be interesting to see how McCallie manages the busted our butts in the weight room all summer. group that could come off the bench and how Everybody’s coming back, different bodies, just often the Blue Devils play small this season. really prepared for the season.” If Duke plays more small ball without the true Lambert was forced into action last year, post presence it has had in recent years, Primm logging the second-most minutes on the team with and Suggs could have a major impact since they 27.3 per game and making 23 starts as a rookie. play multiple positions and have the tools to The 5-foot-9 guard handled the uncertainty well, stand out on defense. though, scoring a team-high 16 points when “The biggest difference for us right now is Duke nearly upset national title contender South confidence. We’re really comfortable on the Carolina and posting season averages of 6.2 court with what Coach P does and what to do,” points and 2.5 assists. Suggs said. “Being a freshman, you kind of need Alongside All-ACC guard Rebecca Greenwell help along the way, and now we can kind of help and All-American Maryland transfer Lexie others.” Brown, Lambert will be tasked with keeping the The Blue Devils expect Greenwell and Brown Blue Devil offense running smoothly after Duke to star in the backcourt and seniors Oderah ranked 306th nationally with 18.5 turnovers per Chidom and Kendall Cooper to hold their own game a season ago. When Lambert, Brown and down low. Greenwell led Duke’s White team during the But more unexpected contributions from first quarter of the team’s annual Blue-White Duke’s sophomore quartet could set the team scrimmage, their lineup won the quarter 22-13 apart this season—making the group’s production and committed no turnovers. a key stat to watch throughout the year. If Lambert can avoid giveaways and improve on “I’m not saying I wasn’t confident last year her 32.1-percent clip from last season, the Cibolo, but I just know I’ve been through it already, the Texas, native could be poised for a breakout other sophomores have been through it already,” sophomore campaign with defenses likely to key Primm said. “We know the opponents. We’ve on Greenwell and Brown. played them before. You know yourself a little “Out of all the sophomores, I think you better and who’s around you.”
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NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Odom adds versatility to new-look Duke team Riley Pfaff The Chronicle Last year, the Blue Devils brought in five heralded freshman guards to address depth concerns in the backcourt. Many of those pieces remain, so Duke had a different focus for its 2016 recruiting class—adding versatility at the forward position. Enter Leaonna Odom, whose arrival in Durham perhaps could not have come at a better time following the departure of star forward Azurá Stevens in the offseason. Although she is the only top-100 prospect in her class—fellow rookie Emily Schubert was not highly recruited in high school and is out for the year with a torn ACL—Odom has drawn rave reviews from her teammates. With Golden State Warriors comparisons being used to describe the Blue Devils’ dynamic backcourt, Maryland transfer Lexie Brown and her teammates have not shied away from expanding the reference to comparing the freshman’s game to Warriors forward Kevin Durant’s. “She can jump out of the gym, she’s very athletic, so that will bring a lot to our team,” sophomore guard Haley Gorecki said. “She can play multiple positions, she’s a great shooter, she has a good pullup... and she can move very well off the ball to get herself open.” At 6-foot-2, Odom offers the Blue Devils the same versatility Stevens provided as a forward who can step out and shoot as well as run the floor. Although it might take time for Odom
to get strong enough to rebound as well as Stevens, the freshman was a deadly shooter last year as a high school senior, leading her team by shooting 44 percent from 3-point territory. In addition to pacing her team in 3-point percentage, Odom also led in points per game, averaging nearly a doubledouble, and was second in rebounds, assists and blocks. The No. 9 recruit in the country played at Chaminade High School in West Hills, Calif., where she spent her junior and senior years guiding one of the nation’s top women’s basketball teams. In her final season, Odom won a state championship. In a highlight from the CIF Southern California Regional Open Division title game shared by ESPNW, The Los Angeles Times and other media outlets, Odom calmly took a dribble to her left and let a shot from the top of the key fly with time winding down. The ball caught the front of the rim and gently settled against the backboard for a moment before falling neatly through the net at the buzzer, giving Chaminade a thrilling win. “She hits a lot of hard shots. We’ve done situations every practice, and she’s a competitor,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “She has that mentality, that competitive mentality.” Odom’s versatility makes her one of the most intriguing players on the Blue Devils’ roster given Duke’s talented trio of guards in Brown, All-ACC performer Rebecca Greenwell and sophomore Kyra Lambert. With the Blue Devils lacking a traditional post presence for the first
Alexandra Davis | The Chronicle At 6-foot-2, freshman Leaonna Odom can play multiple positions on the court and space the floor as a jump-shooter.
time in several years, Duke could use Odom at one of the forward spots to create matchup problems and speed the game up, much like the Warriors do with their forwards. That strategy can only work if Odom can defend and rebound at a high level alongside senior forwards Oderah Chidom and Kendall Cooper as well as redshirt sophomore Lyneé Belton. But so far, the Lompoc, Calif., native has shown the instincts necessary to learn multiple positions at the college level at
the same time. “She’s going to play the three and the four, when we go kind of super-fast, she’ll be at the four,” McCallie said. “She’s doing a remarkable thing. It’s very difficult to come into a program and learn those positions, the three and the four.” In Duke’s Blue-White scrimmage, Odom scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and added eight rebounds. As See ODOM on Page 8
CRITICAL SENIOR DUO
Chidom and Cooper lead Blue Devil frontcourt Cole Winton The Chronicle Since Duke’s 2009 seniors left Durham, every Blue Devil class since has won at least one ACC tournament championship. But after falling as freshmen to Notre Dame in the conference tournament title game, Duke’s two seniors—forwards Oderah Chidom and Kendall Cooper— could be in position to end that streak. The Blue Devils—who missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994 and have had four top-12 WNBA Draft picks since 2011—have not been back to the ACC title game since 2014, which is one of the many reasons Chidom and Cooper are approaching the start of their final season with a sense of urgency. The duo committed to Duke when the Blue Devils were dominating the ACC, having won three of four conference tournament titles from 2010 to 2013. Together, the two hope they can work with a strong backcourt to get Duke back in contention following an injury-plagued 2015-16 season. “Kendall and I are doing a good job to try to make it the best of what’s to come,” Chidom said. “We are using last year as motivation to get ready this year, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Although Cooper and Chidom share plenty of similarities as 6-foot-4 classmates from California, they have never shared much time on the court together given the Blue Devils’ depth up front—All-Americans like Elizabeth Williams and Azurá Stevens were always ahead of them on the depth chart. But with Williams in the WNBA
Khloe Kim | The Chronicle Seniors Oderah Chidom and Kendall Cooper played on the same high school travel team and now lead the Blue Devil frontcourt.
after graduating two years ago and Stevens transferring to Connecticut this offseason, the close friends should play big minutes together down low as seniors. The former five-star recruits played on the same travel team in high school before deciding to come to Durham together in 2013. “She is my best friend, my sister,” Cooper said when the two were freshmen. “A lot of people say that, but she is really something special to me.” They might be best friends who play the same position, but Chidom and Cooper
have very different playing styles. Chidom—who averaged more than 14 points and eight rebounds in her final eight games last season—is more of an athletic forward, who uses her quickness and finishing ability around the hoop to do damage. Cooper, on the other hand, has a much more physical approach, protecting the rim as a shot blocker and crashing the offensive glass hard. With depth questions behind the duo, given redshirt sophomore Lyneé Belton’s injury history and the inexperience of junior Erin Mathias and freshman
Leaonna Odom, the Blue Devils will need consistent production from their only two seniors. “Those two really play well together,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “Kendall is just going to be tough in there and beat everyone up, and Oderah is going to run around everyone, so they’re a wonderful combination.” Duke could have used Cooper’s toughness last semester when the Blue Devils were dealing with a rash of injuries, but the Carson, Calif., native was not enrolled after getting behind in the classroom. But McCallie said that the senior is back on track academically, and Cooper showed how valuable she could be this year in the team’s annual Blue-White scrimmage. Cooper had 14 points on 6-of9 shooting and added six rebounds to go along with two blocks. However, foul trouble will likely be a factor to watch with her all season— Cooper’s physical style of play has typically prevented her from staying on the court for long stretches at a time. In Sunday’s scrimmage, she committed six fouls. “It’s a joy to have Kendall back. she did something spectacular,” McCallie said of Cooper’s semester off. “She had difficulty, yet stayed around, lived in Durham, stayed with what she was doing, and got herself back academically where she needs to be.” With Duke transitioning to a guardoriented, fast-paced offense, it will be interesting to see how Chidom and Cooper adjust to sprinting up and down the court. The duo’s versatility—Chidom has looked See SENIORS on Page 8
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DUELING COLUMNISTS
Can the Blue Devils get back into the top 15?
Guards will make Duke an ACC contender The Blue Devils were tied for 306th in the country last year with 18.5 turnovers per game and lost two of their top scorers in the offseason with Azurá Stevens transferring to Connecticut and Angela Salvadores electing to play professionally overseas. Duke missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994 with those two coveted players, so how could anyone argue that the Blue Devils will get back to being a top-15 team and contender in the ACC? I’ll show you. A lot has to go right for Duke to get back to the place it was in during head coach Joanne P. McCallie’s first several years as a head coach. But adding an AllAmerican point guard in Maryland transfer Lexie Brown and versatile wing in five-star recruit Leaonna Odom gives the Blue Devils the consistent guard play they have been missing for so long. Averaging more than 17 turnovers per game cripples an offense, as has been the case for Duke each of the last three years. With dominant post players like Stevens and Elizabeth Williams setting up shop down low, the Blue Devil offense too often would involve guards trying to feed the post, cutting off ball movement and hurting Duke’s floor spacing. It is no coincidence that in all three seasons, with injuries decimating the Blue Devils, they struggled to keep pace with the top teams in the ACC after winning three conference titles in four years between 2010 and 2013. With the dynamic backcourt trio of Brown, redshirt junior All-ACC guard Rebecca Greenwell and sophomore Kyra Lambert leading this year’s team, Duke should finally be able to play faster and catch up to the rest of the league. Perimeter shooting and playing at a quicker pace have become the name
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of the game in basketball—shown by last year’s rule changes to institute four quarters instead of two halves and reduce dead-ball stoppages—and the Blue Devils should have one of their best shooting teams in recent memory. After ranking 7th in the nation in 3-point percentage in 2012-13 and leading in 2013-14 with eye-popping clips better than 40 percent from long range, Duke shot less than 35 percent each of the past two seasons. 201516’s 34.3 percent mark was certainly respectable, ranking 45th in the nation, but Greenwell was largely responsible for that number with her individual 41.7 percent rate and 73 3-pointers made on the season. This year, the Owensboro, Ky., native should get some help beyond the arc from her new partner in crime. Brown is a dangerous 3-point shooter in her own right after making 69 3-pointers as a sophomore at Maryland in 2014-15 before sitting out last season. Defenses will have a tough time keeping both Brown and Greenwell covered from long range without opening up driving lanes for the duo and the speedy Lambert. That’s not even taking into account any unexpected contributions from the Blue Devil sophomores. Many forget that Lambert, Faith Suggs, Crystal Primm and Haley Gorecki comprised the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2015. Lambert was the only one who made a consistent impact last season, but Gorecki was touted as a deadly shooter entering college and Suggs showed the ability to make some outside shots in her limited minutes last year. That quartet will likely determine Duke’s success this season against top competition, but if it can stay healthy— Gorecki missed most of last season due to injury and is out until December— the group’s talent should come through in a more free-flowing offense. Primm is not a threat to make perimeter shots, but at 5-foot-11 is See POINT on Page 8
Chris Teufel | The Chronicle Sophomore point guard Kyra Lambert has worked on her shooting in the offseason to complement fellow guards Rebecca Greenwell and Lexie Brown.
Post depth will hold the Blue Devils back The Blue Devils missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994 and lost two of their top offensive threats in the offseason. And although Duke added AllAmerican guard Lexie Brown, the Blue Devils still have to replace too many pieces to contend in the ACC and get back into the top 15 nationally. Duke has reasons for hope entering the year, but the departures of Azurá Stevens and Angela Salvadores and another grueling schedule will keep Duke from faring much better than its predicted sixth-place finish in the conference. Optimists will point to the fact that the Blue Devils have capable ball handlers in Brown, junior Rebecca Greenwell and sophomore point guard Kyra Lambert to lead a dynamic offense. But as we have seen in recent years, simply having talented guards doesn’t always translate to efficient offense. Each of the past few years, the Blue Devils had five-star talents in their backcourts yet were among the nation’s worst teams in turnovers. Regardless of the team’s overall skill level, it will take time for Duke’s other players to develop chemistry with Brown and freshman Leaonna Odom on the court against new opponents. But that’s not even the biggest reason the Blue Devils will struggle to push the conference’s top teams this year—their lack of post depth is. Following Stevens’ transfer to Connecticut, Duke is in a situation it has rarely faced since 1999. During that time period, more than half of the 20 Blue Devils who have made it to the WNBA have been forwards or post players. But head coach Joanne P. McCallie arguably has the least frontcourt depth that she has had to work with since she arrived in Durham in 2007. Senior Oderah Chidom is the only post player who logged significant time last season, as forward Kendall Cooper
Ben Leonard
was academically ineligible to play during the spring semester and Lyneé Belton has suffered season-ending injuries the past two seasons. At 6-foot-2, Odom is more of a threat on the perimeter than a presence down low, like fellow wing Faith Suggs, and forward Erin Mathias has struggled to find her footing in her first two seasons. That means the Blue Devils will likely be relying on Chidom—who played well down the stretch last season but has a limited back-to-the-basket game—and Cooper, who is a strong defensive presence when she is on the court but has traditionally struggled to stay out of foul trouble. Duke could try to implement smaller lineups with only one true post player, but the Blue Devils have traditionally not used that formula and could struggle to keep pace with more dynamic teams given their lack of proven perimeter shooting outside of Greenwell and Brown. Even if everything goes right for Duke and Chidom and Cooper hold their own up front while Greenwell and Brown become one of the best backcourts in the country, the Blue Devils would need to stay healthy to have a legitimate chance against the ACC’s and nation’s top teams like Notre Dame and Louisville. Duke has not been able to avoid major injuries in the past several years, and with physical nonconference contests against SEC foes on tap before the Blue Devils even get into the heart of their schedule, McCallie’s team could see its depth tested early and often. That leads into the last major reason Duke won’t get back to national prominence this year—its road is too difficult. The Blue Devils will face national title contenders in Notre Dame, South Carolina and Louisville throughout the year, not to mention contests against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. In the ACC, Duke will have to prove itself against the likes of Syracuse— fresh off a historic national title game appearance—Florida State and Miami. See COUNTERPOINT on Page 8
Jack White | The Chronicle Head coach Joanne P. McCallie’s team was picked to finish sixth in the ACC after missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994.
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FITNESS from page 3
ODOM from page 6
has been focusing on improving the Blue Devils’ explosiveness. “What I would like to see is us being able to be more multi-dimensional, so that’s been a big focus.” Beaver said. “It’s been all about being low, being athletic. I don’t need to work on their top-end speed—they already have it.” Some Blue Devils have gone above and beyond to prepare themselves for the season. Junior guard Lexie Brown ran a half marathon in the spring and stayed in Durham all summer to train, sparking some friendly competition between herself and backcourt mates Lambert and Greenwell for the Iron Blue Devil Belt, given to the player who excels the most in summer workouts as well as preseason conditioning. McCallie complimented her guards’ offseason work, noting that Brown frequently does 100 push-ups and that Lambert benches 160 pounds as a 150-pound point guard. “I was here all summer long working with Ashleigh and the girls,” Brown said. “Getting in the weight room and working on my conditioning…. Since Becca won [the Iron Blue Devil Belt] last year, I tried to get it this year. I knew it was between Becca, Kyra and I. If [any] of us had won it, it would have been great. It’s special to me now.” When the regular season starts, offseason conditioning accomplishments will be in the rearview mirror as Duke looks to avoid the crippling injuries that have torpedoed recent promise. “We’re really tough, we’ve showed that throughout the preseason,” Greenwell said. “It’s definitely been a grind, but we’re all just really motivated.”
is the case with most freshmen, though, the forward made some rookie mistakes, committing five turnovers throughout the scrimmage and finishing the afternoon with seven fouls—two more than would be allowed in an official game. “Coming into a new program and just being confident with everyone who’s so talented and being strong enough to play with people at this level [will be an adjustment],” Odom said. With the Blue Devil guards likely driving the bus for Duke this year, Odom’s natural athleticism could make her the perfect forward in an up-tempo offense. So when the Blue Devils open the regular season next week, do not be surprised if Duke’s “Splash Sisters” are not the only ones making highlight-reel plays. “[First-year players] don’t always know the pace,” McCallie said. “Once we can get her locked in to the pace she’s going to be terrific.”
Ben Leonard and Emily Davis contributed reporting.
POINT from page 7
a capable slasher and defender. The Blue Devils now have another player with a similar skill set in their latest five-star freshman, Odom, which adds versatility to this year’s squad. Odom is three inches taller than Primm and also has the tools to defend a number of positions and attack bigger players off the dribble. With Greenwell and Brown as options from long range, opposing defenses will not be able to help on drives to the bucket and clog the paint, another reason the Blue Devils should be able to avoid the sloppiness that has characterized many of their recent losses. The final reason Duke will get back to being a top-15 team this year? Senior forward Kendall Cooper returns to the Blue Devils after not being enrolled last semester, and should bring toughness and physicality to Duke’s frontcourt. The Carson, Calif., native blocked 13 shots in 11 games last season, and should from page 6 complement fellow senior Oderah Chidom, who averaged 14.0 points and more and more comfortable attacking off 7.6 rebounds in her last eight games in the dribble and Cooper has occasionally 2015-16. Although the Blue Devils don’t have shown off a 3-point shot—could make the Blue Devils that much more dangerous. the dominant forwards they have had Duke’s guards will have plenty of chances in the past, Chidom and Cooper should to penetrate, then it will be up to their twin be able to protect the paint, rebound towers inside to finish plays from there. and finish when Duke’s guards force “It relieves a lot of pressure on the opposing forwards to help against inside,” Chidom said. “They’re extremely dribble penetration. great, they’re quick and we’re going to be Combine that formula with the Blue super athletic this year running the ball up Devils’ perimeter shooting, and Duke and down the court.” should easily fare better than sixth in the ACC—where it was predicted Ben Leonard and Emily Davis contributed to finish in this year’s conference reporting. preseason poll.
The Chronicle
COUNTERPOINT from page 7 All three teams are in the top 20 of the preseason rankings along with Kentucky, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Louisville—and the Blue Devils struggled mightily against that group last season, going 0-7 against those teams. Duke lost all eight of its games against ranked opponents in 2015-16 despite coming close in many of them, and this year’s Blue Devils simply has too many question marks to win the big games needed to contend for a league title. McCallie’s team will likely show improvement this season, but its limited post depth, injury history and tough competition make it hard to see a huge jump into the top 15.
SENIORS
Alexandra Davis | The Chronicle Sophomore Crystal Primm and her classmates could make or break this year’s guard-oriented Blue Devils.
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