As the college basketball regular season winds down, Duke finds itself in a very familiar position -- near the top.
To be precise, the Blue Devils are currently ranked second in both the Associated Press poll and the Coaches' poll, behind only Stanford. Since losing to Stanford and Connecticut on the opening weekend of the season, Duke has won 21 of 22 games, the only loss coming at the hands of 19th-ranked Maryland. At this point in the season, only a major collapse would prevent the Blue Devils, who have already claimed at least a share of their record-tying fourth straight ACC regular season championship, from being a number one seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
This is hardly unfamiliar territory for the Blue Devils, who have reached the Final Four an astounding eight times since 1986. In the 1990s alone, Duke won two national championships and lost in the title game three other times.
Although the Blue Devils' level of success this year is more or less normal, it was not entirely anticipated. After last year's shocking loss to Connecticut in the NCAA title game, Duke lost four players -- Trajan Langdon, Elton Brand, William Avery and Corey Maggette -- to the first round of the NBA draft, as well as Chris Burgess, who transferred to the University of Utah.
Such heavy losses had many proclaiming that this would be a rebuilding year for the Blue Devils. The players, however, apparently wanted this to be more than a rebuilding year.
How have the Blue Devils been able to maintain such a high level of play despite losses that would incapacitate any other team?
The primary reason is great recruiting. Only six players see extended playing time in most games for the Blue Devils, and three of these players -- Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy, Jr. -- are freshmen. Sure, they were all McDonalds' High School All-Americans, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee immediate success in college.
Duke, being a respectable academic institution, tends to attract players who, in addition to being excellent basketball players, are mature and capable of handling immediate responsibility. Rather than spending time wondering which players are academically eligible, the coaching staff can focus all of its energy on basketball and recruiting. Until last season Duke had never had a player leave school early for the NBA draft, another reason for their sustained success.
The man responsible for bringing these talented, mature athletes to Duke is head coach Mike Krzyzewski. In addition to being widely considered the best recruiter in the country, Krzyzewski seemingly has the ability to get the most out of all of his players.
In his time at Duke, forward Chris Carrawell, the only senior on the roster, has been developed by Krzyzewski from a role player to a leader on and off the court.
Despite the success of Carrawell, the player most responsible for the Blue Devils' success this year is freshman point guard Jason Williams. Williams has done more than fill the shoes of the departed William Avery, as he leads the team in assists and steals, and is third in scoring. More importantly, he has exhibited the poise and maturity that the point guard of championship-caliber team needs to lead his team to success.
Will the Blue Devils continue to be successful down the stretch?
The answer to that question depends a lot on the health of sixth man Dunleavy, Jr., who was diagnosed with mononucleosis on Monday and is out of the lineup indefinitely. If Dunleavy is unable to return, Duke's thin and youthful roster may be its ultimate downfall.
In Dunleavy's absence, freshmen Nick Horvath and Casey Sanders, as well as sophomore Matt Christensen, will likely see an increased role on the court. If they are able to step up to the challenge, Duke should continue on with its winning ways.
If the Blue Devils can effectively weather the loss of Dunleavy, and if he is able to return in time for the NCAA tournament, which is just more than three weeks away, they should be able to make a run at their third national title in ten years. If the Blue Devils have trouble dealing with the loss of Dunleavy and he is unable to return, look for possible early exit from this year's tournament by the Blue Devils.
