Duke Basketball Preview

It’s been a crazy last two years for the Duke men’s basketball team. Two years ago, Duke was upset in the first round against Mercer and it had fans like myself wondering if we are nearing the end of Coach K. Well, that changed when freshmen Jahlil Okafor, Justice Winslow and Tyus Jones joined the team last year and went on to help win the National Championship over Wisconsin. Those three guys and four-year starter Quinn Cook have moved onto the NBA and now it’s time to see what a new freshman class brings. Let’s start here with the returning impact players.

The only seniors on the team are forwards Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee. Jefferson is an underrated PF who brings a lot to this team. He doesn’t score much or have a really polished offensive game but makes up for it defensively. He can guard any 4 or 5 in the country and is an above average rebounder. His leadership will be key for this team. Plumlee is the teams “energy guy” who really can’t score but is a key interior defender. Junior guard Matt Jones is the team’s best three point shooter and has turned into an overall strong offensive player. The question with him is: now that he’s not playing around three first-round NBA draft picks, can he continue to be a good scorer with defenses keying more on him? Sophomore guard Grayson Allen showed signs of greatness last year and it really showed in the National Championship game when he scored eight straight second half points when Duke badly needed a spark. This kid has elite level college athleticism and looks to be a huge factor for the Blue Devils this year. He is the typical Duke player that opposing fans will grow to absolutely hate. Once again Duke has a great incoming freshman class and it starts with Forward Brandon Ingram who is fully expected to be one-and-done. Incoming SG Luke Kennard averaged 40 PPG in high school. F/C Chase Jeter comes from high school basketball powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. PG Derryck Thornton will have the task of replacing Tyus Jones in the starting lineup. Duke has a great early-season test playing against Kentucky on Tuesday, November 17th at the United Center in Chicago. With all this being said, while I am very excited to see this team, my expectations are not sky high. Replacing four starters which included three first-round draft picks is no easy task. I believe Duke finishes 2nd in the ACC behind North Carolina. Look for my game to game summaries here on goodifitgoes.com.

Twitter: @sugashayne3