After years of shunning one-and-done culture, Duke has embraced starting three freshmen.
BROOKLYN -- It's been a long road since that somber day in March with the world watching.
Mercer's Kevin Canevari captivated a country after the Bears stunned the Duke Blue Devils in their first game of the NCAA Tournament. Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood departed for the NBA, but a gaggle of Dukies stayed around Durham.
There's still work to be done, but the sting of a round of 64 exit in the fabled tournament is starting to subside. There's four new kids on the court and they're looking for major change from last season: a deep run in the tournament and another shot at the national championship.
"We haven't done this many times," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski joked about his current class and starting three freshmen on Friday. "But, I'm really impressed with [the freshmen] because they have a maturity beyond a freshmen. But, I am also impressed with our upperclassmen...they've really helped these guys."
No. 4 Duke replaced Parker and Hood with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, right above a loaded Kentucky team. There's the obvious duo of Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones, both players that, by season's end, could be the best in the country at their respective positions.
But there are also some lesser publicized pieces on the Blue Devils, as well. Justise Winslow comes from a family of athletes, his dad, Rickie, a member of Phi Slamma Jama at the University of Houston where he paired with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Winslow was also a two-time Texas Gatorade Player of the Year.
Couple that with Grayson Allen, the No. 21 player in the class from Florida. Though he hasn't played much because the Blue Devils typically don't keep a deep bench, Allen has come in on occasion and added a deft touch from deep. He's been a sparkplug off the bench in Duke's first five games, averaging 8.3 points in nine minutes of action.
While the offense has been noticeably bolstered from the addition of four top-tier players, it's the seniors that have kept them up to Coach K's high standards. It's been Quinn Cook and Amille Jefferson that have carried the load off the court.
"Quinn's been a really good captain," Coach K said. "He's been a really good leader for [the freshmen]. And Amille...gives us a lot of energy. Those two guys, their personalities are so good to help the freshmen. They are really upbeat guys and they are all into winning."
The focus of the fantastic freshmen will shift depending on the night, the performance or, generally, who steps up the most. Against Temple, it was a collective effort. Okafor snatched an interior lob from the air and before a burgundy Owls jersey could stop him, he rocketed the ball across court to a wide open Jones.
Winslow ran the floor and shuffled between defenders all night for the easy deuce. Allen came from the bench and dropped two daggers in six minutes, his production matching his time on the hardwood. It's not going to be easy, but with a load of talent, scoring won't be as tedious for Duke as it will for most teams.
And though there are four faces for teams to study, Temple's Fran Dunphy lauded the skill of Okafor first. He said he saw enough film to know he would be facing a terrific college basketball player.
"His skill level is outstanding," Dunphy said. "I was hoping he wouldn't be as efficient as a passer that he was. You can't tell by the numbers, but he made some really good plays down there and I thought he was a terrific, terrific player. Plus he made some shots as well."
As the snow clears from the ground, and college basketball comes back to the forefront of entertainment by March, the Blue Devils will have another crack at their ultimate goal. This time, will the fresh faces make the difference?
Duke retains a needed level of experience throughout the team, and bring in a class as talented as any in the country. It might start with Okafor, the top prospect and potential future No. 1 overall pick in next year's NBA draft, but he'll have plenty of help.
The Blue Devils might be the most well put together team in America, but that won't be decided until 2015. For now, Coach K has made it clear, that in some time, his top recruit will be unstoppable. And for Duke, they couldn't ask for anything more.
"There really should not be anything 'Jah' shouldn't be able to do eventually," Coach K said. "Again, he's not there, he's a young kid still, so you will see plays where he does [extraordinary] things. You have to give him time. Well, you don't have to give him time. I have to give him time. Sometimes y'all don't. He needs time to develop. It's his fourth college game."
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