Love them or hate them, for the vast majority of the nearly thirty years that Coach Krzyzewski (pronounced Shuh-shef-ski) - or simply Coach K -- has been head coach of the Duke University basketball program, Duke basketball has been one of the premier programs in college basketball.
The team took its knocks last season, however, while they struggled to find their groove, but being a Coach K team, you just couldn't count them out completely. Ultimately, To the glee of Duke haters the world over, they were upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Virginia Commonwealth University. If you're not familiar with VCU, then that should give you some indication of the level of the upset.
Well, it seems that they did a little work over the summer to make sure that history does not repeat itself.
Saturday night, Duke hosted its annual Blue-White scrimmage at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the first chance for the fan(atics) to see the team play each other. Blue topped the White, 69-64, and the youngsters stole the show. Freshmen Kyle Singler, one of the top five prospects in the nation, Nolan Smith, and Taylor King, looked very good on the offensive end as they combined for 61 points during their debut.
Also quite impressive during this outing was sophomore Gerald Henderson, who put up 21 points (including 3 for 3 from the three-point line), 7 boards, and 4 assists for the winning Blue team. Said the DukeBasketballReport.com:
Perhaps the most improved player from last year is Gerald Henderson, who moved like a big cat, moving along like everyone else, then suddenly accelerating or elevating, then striking. He had one stunning blocked shot, quite a few aerial maneuvers, but, unlike last season, he was always, always, under control. There was concern last year that he wasn’t grasping the system as quickly as he might have and that he tended to improvise when it wasn’t such a great idea. That’s over. Henderson was superb in every aspect.
Sounds like it's going to be a very interesting year for the Duke squad. Talented freshmen, and experienced upperclassmen who still have a bitter taste in their mouths from that loss at VCU. Never underestimate a team that expects to win.
I may be headed to Duke on Saturday for an exhibition game, and my first ever Duke game, so I will keep you posted!
Next preview: UNC
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