GETTING INSIDE
Incoming recruits such as 6-9 Ryan Kelly and 6-10 Mason Plumlee look to bolster Duke's inside game next season, but Gerald Henderson's decision to pass on his senior season and enter the NBA draft leaves a major void in the lineup.
Henderson not only was Duke's leading scorer last season (edging Kyle Singler by one point), he possessed great leadership skills and had the ability to take over the game in crucial situations.
Even with his premature departure, however, the Blue Devils still return a veteran corps and will be a prime contender in the ACC race.
Jon Scheyer, who took over at point guard at midseason, and Singler combined to start all but three games while averaging in double figures. Both can be deadly from the perimeter.
Nolan Smith, Brian Zoubek, Lance Thomas and Elliot Williams all had at least 12 starts.
Smith, who missed several games because of a concussion, is the likely candidate to step in at Henderson's starting spot. Williams finished strong and was a key in Duke's resurgence.
Kelly and Plumlee both look to work their way onto the floor as the season progresses. Plumlee is the younger brother of Miles Plumlee, who played in 24 games with two starts as a freshman for Duke last season.
NOTES, QUOTES
--PG Seth Curry will sit out next season after transferring from Liberty, where he averaged better than 20 points a game as a freshman for a team that won 23 games, including a victory at Virginia. Curry is the younger brother of former Davidson All-American Stephen Curry.
FINAL RECORD: 30-7, 11-5, tied for second in the ACC.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Coach Mike Krzyzewski made a lineup change in February, starting freshman Elliot Williams at guard and letting junior Jon Scheyer take over most of the ball-handling responsibilities to go with his role as a 3-point shooter, and the result was 10 wins in the Blue Devils' last 12 games, including three in the ACC tournament.
The Blue Devils were one of the best defensive teams in the conference, limiting opponents to just under 66 points a game and holding them to 60 points or fewer in 14 games.
Junior Gerald Henderson developed into one of the top all-around players in the ACC, leading the Blue Devils in scoring and finishing second on the team in rebounds and assists.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The Blue Devils remained a perimeter-oriented team that loved to spread the court on offense and harass teams on defense to make it an open-court game. But when the 3-pointers weren't falling -- they were only 35-of-162 (23.5 percent) from behind the arc in their seven defeats -- they had little else to fall back on. After a promising start to the season, 7-1 Brian Zoubek reverted back to a journeyman's contributions.
A change in the starting lineup worked to the extent the Blue Devils were able to win the ACC tournament, but it wasn't enough to beat elite teams like North Carolina and Villanova.
The Blue Devils lost to the rival Tar Heels twice in the regular season and lost by margins of 27 points at Clemson in the regular season and 23 to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament. The latter was their worst loss in tourney play since losing by 30 points to UNLV in the 1990 national championship game.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "This team has been a great team for me to coach. I love these guys. I'm proud of them." -- Coach Mike Krzyzewski, speaking of his Blue Devils.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNELTHE GOOD NEWS: The Blue Devils return four starters, including two of their top three scorers in Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer. Elliot Williams became a major contributor when he moved into a starting role, and there is help on the horizon for the inside game with the signing of 6-10 Mason Plumlee (the younger brother of current Blue Devil Miles Plumlee) and 6-9 Ryan Kelly.
THE BAD NEWS: Gerald Henderson's decision to pass up his senior season to enter the NBA draft costs the Blue Devils their top scorer. Though they have the potential to be stronger inside, newcomers are going to have to come through for that to become a reality. They also still lack a true point guard.
KEY RETURNEES: Singler scored one fewer point than Henderson (609-610) and led the team with 7.7 rebounds a game while shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range. Scheyer was a third player in double figures at 14.9 points per game. Williams, G Nolan Smith, who missed three games with a concussion, F Lance Thomas, C Brian Zoubek and F Miles Plumlee all had starts throughout the season.
ROSTER REPORT:
--G Greg Paulus, who moved to a reserve role after starting most of the games in his first three seasons, made one 3-pointer in the loss to Villanova to finish his career with 210 treys. That's good for the No. 8 spot on the school's all-time list. Paulus played in 139 games with 101 starts in his career.
--Jon Scheyer has scored 1,349 points in his career, good for the 32nd spot behind Mike Dunleavy (1,371) entering his senior season. He could move up to the 15th spot if he matches the 550 points he scored this season.
Previous Report: 04/07/2009
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