Corey: Nattering Nabobs Of Negativity

DURHAM, N.C. ? Perhaps that is a suitable title for them, those Duke fans predicting the downfall of the Duke basketball empire just four seasons removed from a Final Four, two seasons removed from an unconscionable seventh ACC Tournament title in eight years, its progeny enjoying more success in the NBA than any other program's alums. Last season's 22-11 record, a relatively modest success by Duke standards, has created a sense of nervous nostalgia among many of the Duke faithful, some of whom are decrying the direction of the basketball program ? before the 2007-08 edition of the Blue Devils has even played a regular season game, no less. And so, in an attempt to allay those fears, I humbly offer up this assessment of the program.

Before proceeding, however, I must qualify my thoughts. Firstly, I am not accusing anyone of abandoning ship. After all, dissent is not only the greatest form of patriotism, but of fandom as well. Secondly, I'm of the opinion that the negativity emanating from most Duke fans is a defense mechanism of sorts, intended to cushion their fall should Duke's typically lofty preseason expectations go unmet. These fans analyze what they see and what they know, and come to conclusions that tend to be anything but optimistic. And that's okay ? my late father was just such a fan, so I've learned these lessons first hand.

So what is it that is driving so much of the uneasiness heading into this season? In a nutshell: "The combination of missing out on some recruits the past few seasons and our lackluster season a year ago both indicate one thing: The Duke mystique is gone."

My former stomping grounds at Duke's student newspaper paraded that viewpoint in early October, well before a public unveiling of the 2007-08 Blue Devils. ESPN has wondered as much, as well. In a piece from May 2007 in which the 10 programs best positioned for future success were tabbed, Duke came in sixth, which begs the question: Why might Duke be ranked so low after sitting at the top of college basketball for so long?

That ESPN ranking noted that Duke had been trending "downward" since 2001. But the only trend that could be considered "downward" since winning the national championship has come in the postseason, since we've advanced to one Final Four in that timeframe. There was no mention of the six Sweet 16 appearances in the past seven years. And yet, Duke's regular season success has been as stellar as ever, as the Blue Devils finished in the top three in either the AP or Coaches' Poll in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Along the way, Duke has produced two national players of the year, a national defensive player of the year, won multiple ACC regular season and tournament championships, and seen many of its products picked up in the top rounds of the NBA Draft.

That's not exactly indicative of a program circling the drain.

Indeed, Duke basketball has been chugging along at a frenzied pace for quite a while, and the lack of a national championship since 2001 does not indicate that the program is slowing down one bit.

The past demonstrating no signs of a downturn, the state of recruiting must be considered next, at least by the skeptics. Coach K has certainly not landed some of the recruits he has sought in the past five years. But the same was true 10 and 20 years ago, as well. Despite that, the program has continued forging ahead because of the system Coach K employs.

"Instead of trying to fit people in certain spots, we try to form an offense that fits the personality of the team at this point," Krzyzewski recently explained to Sports Illustrated.

That offensive philosophy ? operate like a fist; utilize motion to create space and easy scoring opportunities ? allows the Duke machine to churn on. Of course, Coach K targets ideal parts for that machine, but a missed recruit here and there doesn't throw a wrench into the whole operation.

Concerned fans might beg to differ, of course, pointing to last year as justification for their trepidation. But the counter is simple: That was the youngest Duke team since World War II, and despite that fact, it was one of the strongest defensive units in all of college basketball. The team's offensive struggles ? Duke had its lowest-scoring average since Coach K inherited the program in 1980 ? were atypical. But the explosiveness demonstrated in the Blue-White game and the 134-55 victory over Shaw in the team's first exhibition both represent a good start, though we'll have a much better idea of how Duke's offense will be once the season gets underway. There's much reason for optimism, however, starting with that intrasquad performance. Consider that Duke has historically learned from its past mistakes and leaned into the future with much success. Why can't us fans do the same? After all, we have a lot to look forward to.

At the point guard spot, Duke is led by a guy who set records as a freshman, and who will be starting for the third consecutive season. Undoubtedly, Greg Paulus has not been as consistent as he would like, mainly because of injuries, but he has absorbed the Duke system, developed a remarkable shot ? "He was our best shooter and still is our best shooter," says Coach K ? and he has run the gamut in the ACC for two seasons, all of which is bound to reap benefits as a junior.

He'll also be rested. The extraordinarily capable Nolan Smith will be backing him up, and perhaps at times, playing alongside him at the another guard spot. That position will typically be locked down by Duke's physical and intelligent senior captain, DeMarcus Nelson. "DeMarcus should be a player that affects every stat line," Coach K says. "He should score a certain amount of field goals, free throws, get offensive and defensive rebounds. He'll get some fouls. He should get some steals.... He still should be our best perimeter defender. He should have an impact on the game in every way."

Along with Nelson at guard is Jon Scheyer, one of the more fluid shooters in the country, a guy who put up 12.2 points per game last year as a freshman. He returns as Duke's second-highest returning scorer, and he may not even start.

That kind of depth will work wonders this season, and is indicative of a healthy program rather than one on life support. And that depth will permit Duke to play at an accelerated pace, something it couldn't do in its anomalous year of '06-'07.

"What we've tried to do as a staff is study the game and study how we want to play it for the last two summers," Coach K said after the victory over Shaw. "Some of the things we would like to have done last year we couldn't do because of injuries. But we started to put in this system last year, but then we weren't even sure if we were going to have a point guard. We just didn't have the depth to play like this, but now we have two point guards. We can keep up that tempo."

But that tempo will only be as successful as its big men take it. Duke can throw all sorts of combinations at teams, beginning with the uber-athletic Gerald Henderson, who from all accounts is having a stellar preseason. His stamina has improved from a year ago, as has his comfort within the offense. And it shows. He's already provided a highlight reel for the Cameron Crazies with plenty of spectacular plays in the two public games so far, including a blocked shot of an alley-oop attempt to Kyle Singler in the Blue-White game that brought the house down.

In addition, there is the hard-working and efficient Lance Thomas, the improving Brian Zoubek, and two more freshmen that will have an immediate impact.

First, there is Taylor King, whose range and accuracy has dazzled the coaching staff. And then there is the steady Kyle Singler, one of America's top recruits and a guy who has been described as being "Duke's best player" by people close to the program.

As Coach K puts it, "He doesn't have a weak area. Now, the key for us is to get him to be even stronger in all areas so he becomes a special player. But he's already a very good player."

He has shown it thus far, scoring 23 points in each of his first two contests wearing a Duke uniform. Against Shaw on Nov. 1, he was thoroughly efficient, going 10-for-11 from the floor, 3-for-4 from the free throw line with five rebounds, three blocks and two steals in just 19 minutes.

But this is not a team that will rise and fall with a single player.

This program has never been about that, and has only functioned at its highest capacity when it has worked as a cohesive unit. Thus far, the Blue Devils have demonstrated that very brand of camaraderie in practices and workouts, the elixir for which was experience and leadership.

"There [was] nobody in the locker room to teach culture.... We have that back," explains Coach K. "That was gone for a year."

But the mystique never was, despite what the negative nabobs might say.

Such negativity was hard to find in the wake of the annual Blue-White game or the 79-point win in the exhibition vs. Shaw, however. The Blue Devils are nothing if not motivated, perhaps because they're well aware that doubts persist about whether or not they can maintain the success their predecessors enjoyed.

So Duke will continue perfecting its fast-paced offense, which plays to the strengths that have always been the trademarks of the program: Perimeter and transition scoring interdependent on a high-pressure defense that ultimately produces waves of high-percentage shots ? or as the television commentators have dubbed it, "The patented Duke run."

That run has lasted for 20 years and counting, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The views expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of Duke University or the Duke University Department of Athletics.

Corey: Nattering Nabobs Of Negativity

Players Mentioned

Gerald Henderson

Taylor King

DeMarcus Nelson

Greg Paulus

Jon Scheyer

Kyle Singler

Nolan Smith

Lance Thomas

Brian Zoubek

Duke information

Corey: Nattering Nabobs Of Negativity

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Players Mentioned

Gerald Henderson

Taylor King

DeMarcus Nelson

Greg Paulus

Jon Scheyer

Kyle Singler

Nolan Smith

Lance Thomas

Brian Zoubek

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Duke information