WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

Blue Devils Having Fun During Successful Season

By Jake Lloyd

Jan 29, 2008

Taylor King has spent a few entire second halves of games this season on the bench.

Sometimes it simply isn't the freshman forward's night. Other times, he doesn't match up well against the opponent.

But regardless of whether King's on the court launching 3s from outer space or on the bench watching his teammates, he never sulks, never complains.

This was best exemplified after Duke defeated Marquette to win the Maui Invitational in early December. King played a season-low one minute in the game, but when the final horn sounded, he gave coach Mike Krzyzewski a big bear hug.

King's not the only hugging Blue Devil. After Duke gutted out its first of three ACC road wins over Florida State, Greg Paulus — whose gritty play in the final minutes secured the win —embraced Krzyzewski.

It's clear that the Blue Devils have no personal agendas. Everyone gets along together both on and off the court, and there is no bickering. Smiles and hugs that were often absent a year ago are commonplace this season.

Of course, a 17-1 start and No. 3 national ranking helps.

"Last year, I think our team really felt the burden of trying to uphold a Duke standard, if you may," assistant coach Chris Collins said. "They played with a lot on their shoulders for being such a young team, and we didn't have a senior last year.

"When we didn't have the early success, especially when we started the year 0-2 in the ACC, I sensed that the guys really played with that burden on their shoulders, and I think this year it's been really refreshing. We've got a good group of young guys. They love being around each other. They love playing and competing. And they're fun to coach."

The joy the Devils get from playing is best seen in their three freshmen: King, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. While King's a great cheerleader when sitting, Singler's on-court smile is relentless. Even after a negative play or a call he disagrees with, Singler maintains a bright countenance.

And Singler and Smith haven't let several bumps and bruises affect their moods. Before the Clemson game Jan. 19, the game notes listed the number of stitches Singler had received during the season — a lot — and in an earlier game, Smith tripped and smashed into the scorer's table, only to return a few minutes later.

As backward as this sounds, the rest of the team has fed off the exuberance and relentlessness of the trio of plebes.

"I think those three younger guys that we brought in have added so much enthusiasm and just an upbeat mentality," Collins said. "All three of those guys have always played with a lot of pressure on them since they were young players, and they seem to take everything in stride. They play with a great enthusiasm on the court; they're smiling a lot."

Added Paulus, "The freshmen are great guys. They've got great personalities, and they really fit well into our team. And when you put everybody together, we're all a very close-knit group. And it just kind of rubs off each other."

Off the court, the Devils don't separate. Whether it's playing video games, grabbing a bite to eat or just relaxing, they don't get tired of each other. Gerald Henderson said there was a similar relationship last season, but that the team simply hadn't played enough together to coalesce on the court.

That hasn't been an issue this season. Josh McRoberts was the only key player the Devils lost — albeit to the NBA draft — and it didn't take long during the summer for the precocious freshmen to become close with the returning players.

"You want to make that pass to your friends, know what I'm saying, and stuff like that," Henderson said. "And on the court, I like to say, we're just ballers. Guys that just like to play the game and like making plays (together)."

And making plays has been a trademark of the transition-oriented Devils. Players agree that the new style of play that focuses on getting up and down the court quickly and sharing the ball helped build trust in each other.

While senior DeMarcus Nelson is the de facto leader of the Devils, he doesn't walk like a superstar — like a J.J. Redick or Sheldon Williams of two years ago. Seven players average at least 6.9 points per game and 10 players — when everyone's healthy — play 9.9 minutes or more per contest.

The players know that they can't succeed without each other, without everybody contributing to the cause. No one player is going to carry the team.

"We understand that we need each other to do well, we understand that we need each other to score and play well defensively," Paulus said. "So understanding that we need each other, it is a plus. And just having the type of balance in scoring and rebounding and all the areas of the game, it makes it tough to defend and key in on one situational guy."

It also makes Duke an unpredictable team. You never know who's going to erupt for 20 points on a given night. Collins, like King, doesn't let his sideline seat prevent him from gleaning as much pleasure as possible from what's happening in front of him

"It's been fun to watch them grow," he said. "They play with a lot of joy out on the floor, and for us, I think it's refreshing to everybody."