Duke Basketball: 3 reasons why 2019-20 team will be better than last year
By Cody Larson
Experience/Leadership
The last time head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his Blue Devils won a championship was the 2014-15 season, which is a somewhat surprising fact when considering the quality of recruits Duke has brought in over the years. Since then though, a common thread missing in Durham has been a solid collection of experience and leadership.
Duke’s 2014-15 championship squad featured a plethora of upperclassmen contributors from Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson, and Marshall Plumlee. Those three were terrific in their respective roles, but it was their “lead by example” mentality hanging over their young star freshmen (Jahlil Okafor, Justice Winslow, and Tyus Jones) that had the most unsung impact.
2014-15 Duke upperclassmen
- Quinn Cook (senior)
- Amile Jefferson (junior)
- Marshall Plumlee (junior)
2019-20 Duke upperclassmen
- Jack White (senior)
- Javin DeLaurier (senior)
- Alex O’Connell (junior)
- Jordan Goldwire (junior)
Luckily for Duke fans, next year’s squad shares a fairly strong resemblance in terms of veteran presence. Last year’s team captains return in the form of seniors Jack White and Javin DeLaurier, who are two players who have been in Duke’s title-chasing trenches for years now. Alex O’Connell and Jordan Goldwire also come back as juniors who have already played key roles in many significant games for the team.
Then there is the previously discussed Tre Jones, who may only a sophomore, but is someone who could also step up to a team leader role very early on in his career. His pristine – and reliable – point guard play is reminiscent of the formerly mentioned Quinn Cook. Just based off of Jone’s admirable on-court play, where he acts as the blueprint glue-guy, he is the perfect “lead by example” player.
Next. Biggest takeaways from 2019 ACC recruiting classes. dark
It is fair to suggest that next year will be Duke’s best since their 2014-15 season in terms of both experience and leadership. That was one of the most important reasons for the last banner raised in Durham, and one of the things last year’s team was slightly lacking. For that reason, alongside another year of Jones and a more coherent freshmen duo, this next year Duke Basketball could actually improve on what was an exuberant last season.