Expectations for the season
While Duke comes in as the favorite, there are still questions to be answered. Will Allen go back to his sophomore days, or was last season his true self? How much does Bolden have to contribute? The biggest unknown of this team will be how they play defense as a team. There are some good individual defenders but how they play “team defense” will be key. Last season that was a weakness of the team, despite the athleticism that surrounded them.
The losses of Jefferson and Jones are understated, as only Allen remains as the main upperclassmen of the team. His leadership will be absolutely key to this team, and while he’s said all the right things in the off-season, incorporating it in stressful situations is something completely different.
There’s right now six guaranteed rotation players on the team with Allen and the top freshmen. They’re versatile enough for a shorter rotation, but an injury could change things, especially if other reserves aren’t playing many minutes and ready to go.
The past several seasons have either ended in either tremendous highs, or dark lows. It’s either been national championships, or early round losses to Mercer and Lehigh. It’s not by accident either, as inexperienced teams are prone to bad losses, regardless of talent.
Duke should have an outstanding regular season, followed by a high seed in the NCAA tournament. Once they get there the expectations should be to reach the Final Four and beyond. But it’s no sure bet a deep run will actually happen, and Blue Devil fans should know that more than any fan base as of late.
Next: 10 Predictions for Duke basketball
Once again, Duke will be the main topic of the 2017-18 college basketball season, and Busting Brackets will cover the Blue Devils and the other 350 teams that make up this wonderful sport. Now after months of waiting, the season is finally upon us. Good luck to everyone involved and may the best team win.