(photo courtesy of Bryan Horowitz)
Fall is here, and school is back in session, which means the good times are almost here – the start of college basketball season! To get you ready for this upcoming season, The Hoops Manifesto presents to you its preseason top 25 team rankings, based on the input from our esteemed voting panel. Next up #10 Duke Blue Devils.
Big thanks to our voting panel: Jeff Fox (@HoopsManifesto) from The Hoops Manifesto, Perry Missner (@PerryMissner) from RotoWire, Ray Bala (@CanBallReport) who writes The Can Ball Report on Raptors HQ, Adam Francis (@RaptorsHQ) from Raptors HQ, Ian (@SoxAndDawgs) from SOX & Dawgs, and Alex Gallant (@SeaTownSports) from SeaTown Sports.
#10 – Duke Blue Devils
2011/12: 27-7, lost NCAA Tournament Second Round
Key Returning Players:
Seth Curry – Point Guard – Senior
13.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.3 spg, 64-167 3Pts
Mason Plumlee – Power Forward – Senior
11.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.6 bpg
Ryan Kelly – Power Forward – Senior
11.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 bpg, 40-98 3Pts
Tyler Thornton – Point Guard – Junior
4.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.0 apg
Top Newcomers:
Rasheed Sulaimon – Shooting Guard – Freshman – #18 ranked recruit (Rivals.com)
Amile Jefferson – Power Forward – Freshman – #36 ranked recruit (Rivals.com)
Alex Murphy – Small Forward – Freshman (redshirt last year) – #45 ranked recruit in 2011 (Rivals.com)
Marshall Plumlee – Power Forward/Center – Freshman (redshirt last year) – #79 ranked recruit in 2011 (Rivals.com)
Top NBA Prospect:
Mason Plumlee – projected lottery pick in 2013
Outlook:
Last season ended in nightmare fashion for Duke, as Lehigh bounced them out of the NCAA Tournament in the Second Round. However this year offers plenty of hope that it won’t be déjà vu all over again this season. Duke is loaded with talent, experience and size, led by a couple of All-ACC honorees – Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee. On top of their experienced returning players, the Blue Devils have a terrific group of newcomers, including a couple of redshirt freshman from last year, Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee. If Mike Krzyzewski can find a reliable point guard on this roster, the Blue Devils could be quite formidable next March.
Preseason Top 25
#11 – Missouri Tigers
#12 – Gonzaga Bulldogs
#13 – Syracuse Orange
#14 – UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
#15 – Arizona Wildcats
#16 – Wisconsin Badgers
#17 – Baylor Bears
#18 – Creighton Bluejays
#19 – Florida Gators
#20 – Kansas State Wildcats
#21 – San Diego State Aztecs
#22 – Saint Louis Billikens
#23 – Memphis Tigers
#24 – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
#25 – Texas Wildcats
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