BOSTON — There’s no disputing the fact that Duke’s 77-54 debacle at the hands of Villanova was an ugly way to finish the season.
It was the Blue Devils’ most lopsided NCAA Tournament loss since UNLV sent Duke home from the 1990 NCAA championship game with a 103-73 decision, and coach Mike Krzyzewski admitted afterward that he wished his team had played better.
Nonetheless, Duke did make strides this season. The team captured its first ACC title in three years and advanced to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2006, when J.J. Redick was a senior.
If the Blue Devils are going to continue improving, everybody in the program needs to make progress. Here are some things Duke’s guys can work on to get better during the offseason:
F Gerald Henderson: Make a good decision. Before the NCAA Tournament, first-team All-ACC selection Henderson seemed a good bet to forgo his senior season and leave for the NBA draft. By shooting a combined 11-for-44 in three NCAA Tournament games, he might have demonstrated he’s not ready for the NBA yet.
His father, former Boston Celtic Gerald Sr., should be able to help him make the right choice.
G Jon Scheyer: Get stronger. If Duke moves forward with Scheyer at point guard rather than on the wing next season, he will need to be able to muscle his way into the lane better. He makes great decisions with the basketball, but he needs more than guile to make plays against athletic opponents.
F Kyle Singler. Develop more of a post-up game. Singler is big and strong enough to score over other power forwards with his back to the basket now. If Duke can work inside-out and outside-in with him, he will be even more effective.
F Lance Thomas. Practice the mid-range jump shot. Most opposing centers are strong enough to push Thomas off the block. If he could pull them away from the basket a bit with 15-foot jump shots, it would open up rebounding opportunities for the Blue Devils.
G Nolan Smith and G Elliot Williams. Work on ball handling. Both players have the athletic ability to be more dangerous on the dribble. Their development in this aspect will be much more important if Henderson decides not to return.
C Brian Zoubek. Get quicker. Anything Zoubek can do to increase his ability to move his feet faster will make him more of an asset, although he already made huge strides defensively this season. Of course, it’s a tall task to be quick at 7-foot-1.
F Miles Plumlee and F Olek Czyz. Become skillful. Both rising sophomores have big bodies and are athletic enough to help the Blue Devils. But they need to make strides in all aspects of their basketball skills – passing, ball handling and shooting – to make an impact.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Recruit, recruit, recruit. Krzyzewski himself said Duke needs a big-time post scorer and a point guard. The Blue Devils made the best of a roster with essentially a bunch of extremely talented wing players this season, but it’s no secret that point guard and center are the two most important positions in college basketball.
Duke is a proud enough program to have excellent players at both positions.
Comments
Hold on,...Wait for it,...I got it
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 21:39 — echllcReal simple have Laettner come back in, and coach the big guys Dook never gets inside. rather than make those stupid vitamin water commericals. I saw Laettner more on TV last night then his whole time in the NBA. Dook lives and dies by the 3 ball, until Coach K gets a big guy inside other than Zoo-sux then he will not or never have a inside game. Heck all of is asst.'s are ex point guards what in the french do they know about playing inside down low? Dook staff wake up, quit dying your hair, quit having back spasms and get a big guy coach inside preferably with some big boy recruits. I thought I was watching Durham Academy last night when they panned down there bench with all of those little fragile white boys.
From a Philly Based Big East Fan
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 21:33 — jwitherspoon47Duke was bushwacked by Villanova for two primary reasons: 1. Lack of team speed. If Coach K played more out of conference games against good teams he would realize that with the exception of Henderson and Smith his team is SLOW! 2. Duke plays maybe 4 tough in conference games each year in the ACC. Every Big East team plays 10 to 14 games like that in conference every year. They face smothering, quick physical, defenses like Villanova's all the time. Solution: Play a much tougher out of conference schedule and recruit speed.
new coach
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 17:30 — desiDuke should get better next year. I would suggest whoever the new coach is that he schedule more away games, Scheduling 80% of your games at home gets you many cheap wins and a high seed but you get exposed against the good leagues at the tournament.
new coach
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 17:30 — desiDuke should get better next year. I would suggest whoever the new coach is that he schedule more away games, Scheduling 80% of your games at home gets you many cheap wins and a high seed but you get exposed against the good leagues at the tournament.
Duke should get better next year.
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 21:13 — gvillegatrdesi,
we have been hearing this for the last 4 years at minimum.
until he gets his head out of his ass and checks his ego at the door, you'll never be a legitamte scare to any of the top teams come dancin' time anymore.
dukie hurt n
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 15:46 — toddchrisscoach k has been in the same predicerment for a couple of years. either he can t get a recruit to come or he just is not interested in a real center or point guard, i dont think he know how play with a real center,yet unc has 4 legitamite centers on there team. he cant get a real point guard. no one will come here for some reason.plumlee sat on the bench all year. he does not work in the freshman anymore. when he was winning he always had a bigman who played the post and rebounded and scored. lance thomas is none of the above. and he wont let zubek or plumlee get the minutes it takes to get involved in the game,. when zobek played in th tournament , other teams were bothered by him.he doesnt evan work the other guys in when they are wining by 30 pts.i dont understand him anymore.
Well, seeming that Dook has
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 15:18 — GoHeels1984Well, seeming that Dook has been getting out recruited lately by UNC and many of the big least teams for that matter, Dook lacks good point guard presence and an effective big man. They can't rely on pure shooting talent alone.
K
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 14:30 — heelsno1Good decision by K to take the job coaching the Olympics.
It has been a long, long time since one of his teams was the last group standing.
You just made Coach K's back hurt
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 14:18 — festerOuch. You left out get new assistant coaches. Coach K is working with a bunch of scrub coaches.