Season tips off one month from today/Your expectations for 2012-2013
With starting practice just a few days away and the Georgia Southern game tipping off one month from today, what are your expectations for the 2012-2013 Blue Devils?
Take into account:
This is a team that won 27 games last year but was embarrassed in the NCAA Tournament's first round losing to #15 seed Lehigh.
They lose their leading scorer in A. Rivers and center Miles Plumlee, both first ropund draft picks in the NBA.
The ACC has been down lately, allowing Duke and UNC to build impressive win totals in conference. I think that stops this year with the improvement in NC State, Florida St and Miami.
Duke will have 4 players expected to be important parts of the team that have never played in a college basketball game.
A tough, tough non-conference schedule that could include playing 3 or the top 10 teams in the country in the first 3 weeks of the season.
What do you think this team can achieve in win totals, ACC, seeding in the dance, and where they finish (1st round, 2nd round, Sweet 16, Final Four).
A season for TEAM accomplishments
We will win the ACC, the ACC Tournament, and move to the Elite 8. I can't call it from there.
None of this will be easy and we will have play some close games. Not a lot of blow-outs. Our defense will improve as the year progresses - just how much will determine how far we go.
This is a veteran team. Three key seniors. Two hard-working, blue-collar juniors. A talented sophomore point guard now at full strength. Four newcomers (two of whom practiced with the team all last year) - all of whom bring specific skills that will shore up specific weaknesses that we had.
We lost the superstar, lottery pick element, no doubt about it. And I really liked having Austin last year. We don't replace Austin (and Miles) with one player, though. We replace them with four.
So ...Keys will be:
- the defensive development of our newcomers.
- The emergence of an early first round NBA-type draft pick player from our seniors (Mason?, Ryan?, Seth?). I'm not talking potential - they all have it - I'm talking production.
- The re-integration of the so-called "small forward" back into the Duke system. We just didn't have that player last year. I think it is a key part of K's system and we were missing it.
I think ...
The point guard argument will continue all season.
Alex or Amile will emerge as a force in terms of minutes and being a key part of the team. I just don't know which.
Marshall will be a bigger factor off the bench than most people give him credit for.
Josh will bring us energy off the bench, but will have games where he doesn't get to play as much.
Rasheed will dazzle us and frustrate us as times - but will hit some keys shots in the post-season.
Mason and Ryan will be stars - Seth will lead the team in scoring, though.
A national championship is not out of the question.