Most Improved Player

[Saratoga2]

The season has now gotten to the point where players have had enough time to develop and become consistent in many phases of the game. It makes sense to be to include freshmen and also Curry, who have only one year od Duke play.

Nolan has had an incredible year and has improved more than most players going from junior to senior (remembering Zoubec) but we have others who have made excellent progress so I have left Nolan out.

The few that I think have the potential to be called most improved player are Mason, Ryan and Seth. Mason has become an excellent rebounder, recently a decent scorer inside and has improved his foul shooting. He blocks shots and alters others, but sometimes finds himself out of position and doesn't box out all that well. He passes well now and is a force on this team.

Ryan is stronger this year and has a knack for blocking shots and recently has been rebounding with more authority. His offensive game has picked up but has been inconsistent. He is a good passes and plays position defense well.

Seth came in without previous Duke PT but with a history at Liberty of being a decent scorer. His defense early on was really suspect and he was having difficulty getting off his shot. As the season has worn on, his defense has become better, primarily by him being able to stay in front of his man more consistently and use his quick hands to create turnovers. His role of bringing the ball up under pressure to help Nolan has been improving as well and his offensive efficiency has been getting to a point where he is probably the third scoring option for the team. The VT game unfortunately indicates that he has more work to do, but he still has shown a great deal.

Of the three, I would vote for Mason at this time. To me his improvement in so many areas and his improved value to the team is tops on the list.

[wgl1228]

I would have to say Nolan. I just never expected even a NPOY type year from him even after last year. Who knew he could just take over a game? If I had to choose someone else I'd pick Kelly. I know his shot has been off but he looked lost his freshman year and this year for the most part he has done well and looked like the smartest player on the court at times.

[wilson]

If I had to choose someone else I'd pick Kelly. I know his shot has been off but he looked lost his freshman year and this year for the most part he has done well and looked like the smartest player on the court at times.I'm not sure "lost" is quite fair. Not ready, maybe, but it's not as if he was expected to make huge contributions in his freshman year.
I think RK and Mason have been the most improved players. Both of them, even within this season, have displayed marked progression in the way they think situations, possessions, and games. Each of them has had multiple games in which they were the difference-makers in propelling us to victory. If pressed to choose one, I would choose Ryan as most improved, because his improvement to me has been a case of figuring out a new way to fit into his team, playing cerebrally and always being prepared, as opposed to getting by on talent, the way he mostly could in high school. Mason's progression has looked more like a player growing into the considerable raw physical gifts we already knew he possessed (with a healthy dose of mental improvement, just like Ryan).
Nolan and Seth have also both improved noticeably, but as with Mason, I think their base levels of performance were already quite high, so again, I'm more inclined to give the nod to Ryan, whose improvement seems to have been the result mostly of diligence and hard work. By the time he's a senior, I think we're really going to love him (not that we don't already).

[DukieInBrasil]

Nolan has had an incredible year and has improved more than most players going from junior to senior (remembering Zoubec) but we have others who have made excellent progress so I have left Nolan out.


The Man Who Masqueraded as a Mountain was an absolutely essential component of the National Championship team last year, and deserves to have his name spelled correctly. Zoubek. Brian Zoubek. Not Bryan. Not Zoubeck. Not Zoubec. Brian Zoubek, National Champion, Duke alum and absolutely enormous man.

[AsiaMinor]

I have to go with Mason.

[DMV2434]

Ryan, Mason, and Nolan have all really stepped their games up from last year. Tyler has also shown great improvement during the year.

[MCFinARL]

To me, it makes a difference whether you are talking about year-to-year or during the course of this year. Year-to-year, I have to go with Nolan, Ryan probably second choice.

During the course of this year, I'd probably pick Mason, followed by Seth.

[PADukeMom]

I almost said Seth but this is his first year playing on court with the team. Ryan Kelly gets an honorable mention but the most improved player is my soon to be adopted son Nolan Smith.

[magjayran]

R Kelly for sure. Last year he seemed a little lost and perhaps a bit too nervous to get Down Low and Bump n Grind in ACC player. This year he's put the key in the Ignition. He's able to hit shots Any Time, Any Place on the court and I know the Duke coaching staff are Happy People as a result. Also his defense has improved at a ton. I'd like to see him continue to do some exercises that focus on his vertical leap because with the right training I Believe He Could Fly. If he continues to improve at this rate, he just might be the World's Greatest by the end of his career.