DURHAM
Duke's basketball team next season will probably bear only a slight resemblance to the one that won the NCAA championship last season.
Duke finished 35-5 and won its fourth national title, but Coach Mike Krzyzewski thinks his next team can do more because of the maturation of returning players and the addition of three recruits and a transfer who sat out last season.
"I think every one of our guys can contribute," Krzyzewski said yesterday during his annual summer media day. "We just have more depth, so we'll press more and we'll run more."
Krzyzewski adjusts and adapts every season, one of the main reasons he has 868 victories in his Hall of Fame career. Twelve wins will push him past Dean Smith, who had 879 at North Carolina, as the ACC coach with the most victories.
Last season, Duke attacked inside and played a half-court game, but Krzyzewski projects next season's team as more perimeter oriented because of its personnel.
Kyle Singler, a 6-8 senior forward, will lead a collection of players who can shoot from the outside and start the offense away from the basket. Nolan Smith and Andre Dawkins are outside shooting guards, and Seth Curry, Kyrie Irving and Tyler Thornton will join them in the backcourt.
Curry, a 6-1 sophomore guard and the younger brother of former Davidson star Stephen Curry, sat out last season after transferring from Liberty. Irving and Thornton will be freshmen.
"We have a lot more perimeter players," Krzyzewski said. "So we'll play a style that will use the fact we have more perimeter players as far as point of pickup (on defense), and how fast we play pushing the ball up.
"Last year we were, I think, as good a half-court defensive team as there was in the country. I thought we won because of our defense and rebounding. We had big guys, but we didn't spread our defense out very much."
Curry is expected to contribute immediately because of his shooting ability. Krzyzewski is confident that Irving, a 6-2 point guard, will also make a major impact, and he said Irving's playing style reminds him of Chris Paul's.
"Kyrie can really put pressure on the ball," Krzyzewski said. "We didn't have a guard that could make things happen for other people. Kyrie can do that."
The four big men on next season's team can go inside but are also suited for perimeter play. Brothers Miles and Mason Plumlee, both 6-10, can hit outside shots.
Krzyzewski is expecting significant improvement from Ryan Kelly, a 6-10 sophomore who saw spot action last season and has gained 13 pounds to reach 233. Josh Hairston, a 6-8 freshman forward, should also help.
"I think Ryan is going to be a big contributor for us," Krzyzewski said. "He didn't have the weight (last season). He's skilled. He can shoot the ball, and he's a smart player."
The changes will come at a cost, however. Missing will be guard Jon Scheyer, forward Lance Thomas and center Brian Zoubek, the senior mainstays of the title team. Their leadership was crucial to the title run and must be replaced. Krzyzewski said the leadership by the seniors was the best at Duke since 2001, when Shane Battier led the Blue Devils to the national title.
Defending the title will be slightly different for Krzyzewski than Duke's previous defenses, but he doesn't expect it to be a burden.
"You get on to the next thing; it's a different team," he said. "In '92, we weren't a different team. In (2002) we had a lot of the same guys back. I actually think this is maybe a little bit better.
"I'm not saying it will be easy to win again, but we have a really good mixture, about half and half. The Plumlees should be ready to step up to another level. Kyle and Nolan give us the stability. Seth gives us more maturity than you would expect, and Andre should be a different player."
bcole@wsjournal.com
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement