Duke Basketball Predictions 2010-2011
November 9, 2010
The Duke Blue Devils are coming off their fourth National Championship last season, and will look for their second repeat under head coach Mike Krzyewski. The expectations weren’t high for the Blue Devils last season, as the school hadn’t made it to the Elite 8 in the last five seasons, but a slowed down half court offense and a team that was better on defense and rebounding rolled through the postseason to beat Butler in the title game. This season the expectations are very high, as the Blue Devils return two of their best players in Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, and have a few talented young players ready to make a huge impact. To get a solid grasp of what the Blue Devils will be like this season, here is a short preview of who they will have on the floor, plus my prediction on where they will end the season in the conference.
Viewing the NCAA basketball odds, the Duke Blue Devils come in as the favorites to win the conference at -250, and are also the favorites to win another national title this season at +500. If you are looking for a solid place to do your college basketball betting this year, now is the perfect time to get an account and deposit at Sports Interaction. Simply take the time to sign up for a new account today, and receive a 100% bonus on your first deposit!
Backcourt: The Blue Devils only real loss is Jon Scheyer, who was the main ball handler last year, but his loss doesn’t figure to be that big of a deal, as the Blue Devils add one of the most talented young freshman in the country in Kyrie Irving, who can not only get others involved but he can score on his own if that’s what’s required. Krzyewksi has already been talking a lot about this kid’s talent, and he figures to be a great fit for returning senior guard Nolan Smith, who scored just over 17 points a game last year. Smith is a much better player off the ball, and should find a lot of open shots with Irving handling the rock. Also added to the mix will be sophomore Seth Curry, younger brother of Golden State Warriors guard Stephon Curry. Seth really impressed his teammates last season with how difficult he was to guard, as he was forced to sit out last season after transferring from Liberty. With Irving expected to start immediately, Krzyewski has already expressed the intent of going away from the half court offense and running a much more fast paced offense this season.
Frontcourt: Duke returns one of the best small forwards in the nation in Singler, who contributed almost 18 points and 7 rebounds a night last year. Singler has all the tools to become the National Player of the Year this season, but the team could benefit is he was more vocal. Singler will be joined in the front court with Miles and Mason Plumlee, as the Blue Devils must replace the inside presence of Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek. Mason has more potential, and will likely be a high draft pick next season, but both players should benefit from the new fast pace offense as they can really run the floor well. Adding depth will be sophomore Ryan Kelly and freshman Josh Hairston, both of which should play a big part this season off the bench.
Prediction – 1st ACC: It appears that it will once again be a two team race for the ACC championship this year between the Blue Devils and North Carolina. North Carolina also brought in a very highly talented freshman in Harrison Barnes, but I think Duke has the much better overall team. It will be tough for Duke to better their record from 2009-10, but I believe this is an even better team than they had a season ago. With the return of Singler and Smith, Duke is only one of four teams that has two players who averaged at least 17 points returning. Irving will be the difference maker for this team, and they have as good as chance of anybody of taking home the National Championship.
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