Favorite Duke player from the 2009-2010 season?

[_TheFakeJWill_]

Just a random (cause im bored question) This last year i lloovveedd this Duke team and obviously everyone has their favorite players they wanna see on the court. But every time i had the game on i was so looking forward to see Mason Plumlee on the court.

One of if not my favorite play this year was the reverse dunk against UNC. CLASSIC! another one of my favs was Dawkins 3's in the end of the Wisc game. Zoubs actually dunking the ball. and Masons head fake 3 steps emphatic dunk (forgot who that one was against)

just wondering who everyone elses favorite or most exciting Duke player this last year was?!

[4decadedukie]

Jon Scheyer -- on my iPad, with elaboration difficult; however, very little is required. Jon's leadership, clutch play, selflessness, assist-to-turnover ratio, and tenacity were simply indispensible -- and he such a fine man.

[Bluedevil114]

Jon Scheyer.

When he had dinner with the K family prior to senior night and him stating that his best moment at Duke has not happened. What he lacked in athleticism he made up with heart.

[Big Pappa]

Jon Scheyer -- on my iPad, with elaboration difficult; however, very little is required. Jon's leadership, clutch play, selflessness, assist-to-turnover ratio, and tenacity were simply indispensible -- and he such a fine man.

Totally agree, Scheyer and it's not close. In fact, he was my favorite on the last 4 Duke teams.

[moonpie23]

My man scheyer.....


sam's man, duh.......ZOUPERMAN!!!!

[Deb4Duke4Ever]

Totally agree, Scheyer and it's not close. In fact, he was my favorite on the last 4 Duke teams.

I agree with Big Pappa. Not only has Jon been my favorite of the last 4 teams, he has displaced Christian as my all-time favorite. I did not think anyone would come along and do that!

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

@ndotsmitty was my favorite going into the season and his improved play was amazing to watch. Yessir

[_TheFakeJWill_]

wow Scheyer gettin some love. Im rewatching the Duke Butler game right now and wow is it still nerve wracking even though i know who wins. Who would have thought going into Sheyers senior year there would even be talks about his jersey being retired. I know Curry will carry that #30 proud next year :D

[mgtr]

Jon Scheyer, particularly after he was maligned (ok, maybe not maligned, that is too strong -- maybe ignored is better). But, for long periods in prior years, Zoubs and Thomas were ignored or actually maligned (including by me, at least for Thomas). Smith and Singler were really the only two starters who weren't ignored in prior years.
So, favorite player, still Jon Scheyer. Second? Singler, I guess. Third? The other three starters. Their contributions were of different types, but all necessary.

[Dev11]

Class affiliation aside (graduating with Kyle and Nolan next year puts them in a different category for me), I'll take Lance Thomas. I talked to him a couple times on campus this year, and that attitude that he shows on the court and in interviews of being so dedicated to the team was no act. He was so emotionally invested in the program, I think that championship meant more to him than to anybody else (you can let that debate rage for a while). He was also the dirty work guy, with the three S's getting their air time for all the points they scored and Zoubs getting his with his monstrous play down the stretch, Lance's aggressive and versatile defensive ability won us a few games this year. Love the fire, love the dedication.

[weezie]

I'll take Lance Thomas....Love the fire, love the dedication.

Love LT's heart, I'm with you.

[ricks68]

All of them, but the starters I think must have priority.

I have followed all of them closely throughout their careers; talked to each of them, some; and most of their parents and some relatives a lot more---especially Jon's parents every year, Zoubs parents and sister a lot, Lance's cousins, etc.

How do you decide among such talented class acts? Every single one of the starters has tremendous character and charisma. They are all winners as individuals, but as a team-------they are a FIST!:D

ricks

[chadlee989]

To me it is Kyle. From the start of the season with all the talk about him moving to the outside. Is he going to be able to guard other SF will he be quick enough? Now look at us on the board nobody here has those questions any more. Plus watching Kyle this coming year as he is going to pass alot of really good players on the all time scoring list is going to be very fun. Kyle when he is finished with his career (hopefully with 2 rings) will prolly be my fav duke player ever. And lets not forget who was the final four MOP.

[hq2]

Hey, how could you not love 'em all? This was one of the most likable Duke teams of all time!
Every player out there was a great guy and a 100% competitor too!

[Azdukefan]

While Kyle is one of my top 5 favorite Dukies ever, I think the 2009-2010 season was all about @ndotsmitty. You could see the difference with him in game three and it only progressed. Who would have thought we would have been talking about the C/O 2011 as one of our greatest?

To answer your question.....Nolan Smith.

[MisterRoddy]

I was pretty fond of The Firm.
Also loved seeing Andre and Mason play to see what they could do.

[BattierBattalion]

I'll have to go with Zoubek.

First, it's just an awesome story. Player with high expectations struggles with the first three and a half seasons due to injury. He gets routinely panned by opposing fans (he was a huge punchline among my UNC friends). The media writes him off as a complete bust. Then, he finally puts it together and becomes the missing piece that allows Duke to become a championship team. This particularly includes the satisfying drubbing of UNC, which completely silenced the aforementioned UNC friends.

Secondly, players who help their teams in ways that don't appear in box score have a special place in my heart ("No-Stats" All Stars/Anti-Tyler Hansbroughs). These include players such as the NBA version of Shane Battier, Joakim Noah, James Posey, and Derek Fisher. Zoubek fits this bill. I remember watching the Miami game earlier this year when Duke came into the 2nd half twelve down. Zoubek single-handedly willed Duke back into that game. He helped force like 4 steals and clamped down on the boards. His numbers weren't great, but he was the MVP of that game. It was amazing. To me that was the game where he arrived. Even though he had gaudy numbers in that first Maryland game, the Miami game was where he was the guy that said, "Eff this, I'm not allowing us to lose this game".

Third, I seriously believe that Zoubek revolutionized college b-ball. Before this tournament, the conventional thinking was that you needed a big guy who can score easily to win a championship. Zoubek wasn't this. Instead, Zoubek became the ultimate offensive rebounder who could kick out to guards for open, scramble three pointers. As a result, Duke had the best offensive efficiency of any team in the country. Will we see more teams try to mimic this strategy? I would not bet against it!

[Big Pappa]

@ndotsmitty was my favorite


I think the 2009-2010 season was all about @ndotsmitty.

His name is Nolan Smith. Can we refrain from referring to players by their twitter handle?

[slower]

Can we refrain from referring to players by their twitter handle?

Probably not. At least, not if we also have to suffer them being called every lame, contrived nickname in the world. Some of the proposed nicknames people come up with around here are embarrassingly pathetic.

Oh, my favorite player from last year? Well, Kyle's my easy answer. The greatest warrior that I've ever seen wearing Duke blue. But last year's team, probably because of the doubters and haters and the eventual culmination in a championship, is the most loveable and memorable for me in all my years of fandom. Jon (best bball IQ since, and possibly including, Spanarkel), Nolan (Mr. Personality - the guy is just astoundingly loveable), Lance (heart and soul) and Zoubs (for whom I had many harsh words and whose forgiveness I now beg) are sure to remain on many fans' all-time list of most beloved players.

Last year's team was one for the ages, precisely because they were NOT expected to win it all. JJ, Christian, Grant, J-Will, Johnny D were all GREAT players, but the guys listed above will be hard to displace as favorites in many, many hearts.

[magjayran]

His name is Nolan Smith. Can we refrain from referring to players by their twitter handle?


I call him Nolan Smith when I'm out and about in public but he lives in my heart and mind as @ndotsmitty.

He was my favorite player this year and will go down as one of my favorites ever. A big part of that is following him on Twitter and getting an idea of just how much he loves his life. Almost everyday he talks about going to the gym and getting better and almost every day he talks about having fun. Good for him.

[ThePublisher]

Zoubek. Without him we wouldn't have won the National Title, and maybe not even the ACC title. I'll just leave it at that.
Plus I think he is going to have a stellar NBA career if he can stay healthy.

[Cameron]

Jon's been my favorite since I first heard of his 21 points in 52 seconds in the spring of 2006. I remember telling my father, here comes another J.J. (and he telling me that I shouldn't make such comparisons before a kid sets foot on campus). That didn't turn out to be, but we got, I'd argue, something better. The greatest play-maker Duke's had since Chris Duhon. And a championship. Number four to be precise.

Andre is my new favorite. All Day Dre, baby. It is going to be a beautiful thing.

[Buckeye Devil]

I loved them all but I will have to go with Zoubek. He hung in there 4 tough injury plagued years and was finally rewarded for his perseverance. It was great to see him contribute, which makes one think of what might have been for him if he wouldn't have had all those injuries.

[ElSid]

I guess I have to go with Jon. He and his family are class acts. Have had the pleasure of talking with his dad and he was great. I also like that Jon's a crafty, smart player...something old school about him.
Close second is Nolan Smith. I actually think the combo of Jon and Nolan might be my favorite guard tandem ever. They played so well together and the personalities and friendship they displayed were really entertaining and added a lot of depth. Nolan seems like he's hilarious.
But, this is really impossible. I hate picking favorites. The '09-'10 team was truly a classic. I liked every player a lot. There were stories of redemption, hard work, patience, persistence, poise...thankfully no injuries to overcome. I just watched the championship game again tonight on vault. Looking forward so much to the new season.

[muzikfrk75]

It's Kyle for me, although Scheyer is a close second. My best friend was a Scheyer fan from the very beginning.

[CampbellBlueDevil]

Zoubek... he brought the inside presence that Duke had been missing for years.

[sagegrouse]

This is like asking me which grandchild is my favorite. No way I can answer that question. They are all nearly perfect.

sagegrouse

[COYS]

This is like asking me which grandchild is my favorite. No way I can answer that question. They are all nearly perfect.

sagegrouse

Completely agree. That being said, I will miss watching Jon play. Jumbo and the Pomeroy Ratings got me paying particular attention to Jon way back when he was a freshman. Everyone is justifiably excited about Kyrie and I can't wait to see what he can do. I loved watching Williams and Hurley tear it up as well (though I was too young to fully appreciate Hurley). However, Jon is perhaps the most unique player we will ever see suit up for Duke. The way we structured the offense for Jon and the rest of our personnel was ruthlessly effective. It didn't have the transition dunks or the fast break ally-oops that most people believe are necessary to have a good offense, but the offense that Jon ran was a thing of beauty. I will definitely miss watching him play next season.

[smittendevil]

Scheyer for me, too. More of a Robin on previous squads, I thought he came through in the clutch this year as Batman, meeting and exceeding expectations, and, of course, leading us to a NT. Not to diminish everyone else's contributions, but for my money, Jon was the man, no doubt.

[Big Pappa]

Zoubek. Without him we wouldn't have won the National Title, and maybe not even the ACC title. I'll just leave it at that.
Plus I think he is going to have a stellar NBA career if he can stay healthy.

It really bothers me when people say we wouldn't have won the title without player x. We wouldn't have won the title without any of the guys, all the way from Jon, Kyle, and Nolan to the Plumlees.

I won't touch the "stellar" career for Brian in the League statement except to share the dictionary definition of the word:

"Indicating the most important performer or role; of or relating to a star performer; exceptionally good."

[CampbellBlueDevil]

It really bothers me when people say we wouldn't have won the title without player x. We wouldn't have won the title without any of the guys, all the way from Jon, Kyle, and Nolan to the Plumlees.

no LT?

[elvis14]

Knolon Schmingler :D:D

[NSDukeFan]

This is like asking me which grandchild is my favorite. No way I can answer that question. They are all nearly perfect.

sagegrouse

I agree with you here. I would add that the longer I get to follow a player playing for Duke, the more I tend to like them, so the seniors may have been the ones I wanted to succeed most last year, and am looking forward to great senior years from Nolan and Kyle this year (and great years from everyone else on the roster as well).

[oldnavy]

It is almost like picking your favorite child, which is impossible (at least in my case!)

If forced, I would have to say Nolan. Simply because of his personality. That kid cracks me up. He has an almost infectious smile, and seems so laid back and has a tremendous sense of humor. BUT, I could also say similar things about each and every player.

Singler because he is a BEAST. I love the way he gest up after a hard foul. Dude is TOUGH, and I would love for all the kids to pattern his toughness.

Jon because, well because he was just awesome and probably was the player that made the most of his talent since Wojo.

Zoubs because of how he transformed himself and without him, we don't win the Natty (sorry Big Papa, but Zoubs deserves a special shout out IMO).

Andre Dawkins because he overcame so much, and just looked like he loved being on the court.

LT because he did what he had to do to be an impact player. Loved the leadership!

[AZLA]

After some pause between the 2010 National Championship and now ... wow ... so nice to think about it ... I assumed answering this question I would say Nolan. Which, he's more than worthy. But, then my mind goes back to that big tall, affable, Paul-Bunyan-bearded pillar of a young man, who, every time he stepped on the floor in the tourney, he looked like he could take on the entire world with one arm tied behind his back. This despite a few early career injuries and flying a little below the press' radar then going on to dominate both the offensive and defensive glass and lead Duke to an astonishing title run...

The one, the only -- BRIAN ZOUBEK.

Here's to Zoubs and to him doing his magical board work at the Nets.