ACC Basketball: 5 biggest takeaways from first month of 2019-2020

2. Duke Blue Devils

Duke is the bluest of the Blue Blood basketball programs, and not just because they wear blue. The Blue Devils are coached by the second greatest coach the sport has ever seen and they are the one school that holds an offer that is almost never refused. Coach K gets the players he wants, and he has also become one of the destinations for the top “one and done” prospects in college basketball over the last handful of years. This year Duke starts four true freshmen and almost all of them can be considered one and done players.

Vernon Carey Jr., Wendell Moore Jr., Cassius Stanley, and Matthew Hurt are the four freshman who start for the Blue Devils. These four players also make up one of the best and most dynamic starting five in the country. The Blue Devils are currently averaging over 84 points per game and rebound the ball like crazy. Why is this a story if this is how Duke is built every single year? This is a story because it didn’t appear it could get any better than the freshmen Duke had last year with Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish. The depth was going to be better but no way these freshmen would perform better than the super three they had last year.

As has been mentioned, the season is still young and there is a ton of basketball to be played, but it doesn’t look as if Duke is going to lose anything with this group of freshmen. Early in the season, many may argue this team may be more dominant than the one last year was at this time. After their dismantling of the preseason national championship favorite Michigan State, without second-leading scored Cassius Stanley due to injury, Duke appears deeper and ready to compete for a National Title. While most everyone had them as a National Title contender, as should be the case every year, the fact this team has not had many growing pains is the story.