Last year, after Duke took down North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, many people found themselves picking Duke to win the national championship. However, Duke ended up losing in the Sweet 16 to Arizona. That game ended the careers of seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, and freshman Kyrie Irving, who only played in 10 games due to injury. Those were three key pieces, but like usual, Duke still has a roster full of talent. This should be another good year for the Blue Devils.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski lost three guys but brought in another five in this year’s recruiting class. The freshman that sticks out is Austin Rivers, who was rated by many as the top prospect coming out of high school. Rivers, son of NBA head coach Doc Rivers, will be inserted to the starting lineup right away. Duke hopes to get a lot out of Rivers in what could be his only year with the Blue Devils. Quinn Cook, a point guard, will not be a start at the beginning of the season; he has the skill set and potential to not only be the starter in the next few years, but maybe later in the season. Alex Murphy and Michael Gbinije are two wing-players who could see some time as the season progresses. The last freshman of this class is Marshall Plumlee, brother to Miles and Mason. He is athletic, but will need some molding before he is ready to play.

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