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COACH AND PROGRAM
CHRIS CARRAWELL (6-6, 215 lbs., SR, SF, #23, 9.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 28.6 minutes, .454 FG, .345 3PT, .577 FT, Cardinal Ritter HS/St. Louis, Mo) Early last season, Carrawell became Duke's "go-to" guy. No, not on the court, where Elton Brand and Trajan Langdon continued to share that role. But in the locker room, where reporters found that the loquacious junior was an amazingly outspoken and perceptive interview. Perhaps the insight Carrawell showed in post-game situations helps explain his knack of coming up with just the right play at just the right time on the floor. "My role on the team is to be Mr. Versatility," Carrawell said. "If I was on another team, I'd be going for national player of the year a little bit. But I love playing with a great team, because it's not one of those things where you know you have to score 30 points every night." Carrawell can score when he has to, but he can also beat you with a drive and dish, a steal or a blocked shot. As a freshman, he played center against Wake Forest Tim Duncan (Duke won); as a sophomore, he shut down 5-9 Clemson guard Terrell McIntyre (Duke won); as a junior, he stifled Maryland's Steve Francis (Duke won twice). And, when Temple's matchup zone was bugging Duke in the East Regional finals, he took over the point and dished out seven assists without a turnover. "Unorthodox is a great word for him," teammate Shane Battier said. "He's got the heart of a lion. He'll be the first one to cut your heart out and show it to you." Carrawell developed his toughness on the playgrounds of St. Louis. "There was so much negativity there gangs, drugs," Carrawell said. "One summer I saw three drive-by shootings. It's so scary, because bullets don't have names on them. Being at a place like Duke, you've got to wake up every morning, knowing you're blessed." Duke is blessed to have Carrawell, who was rated one of the nation's top high school juniors, but lost a lot of ground the summer before his senior year when he dislocated both shoulders. Many coaches dropped off, but Krzyzewski stayed in the hunt. His persistence has paid off. Carrawell is a player whose contribution can't be measured by numbers. The ACC writers only voted him third-team All-ACC, but the coaches know better. He was a near unanimous choice for the coaches' All-Defensive team. One ACC coach called Carrawell the best on-the-ball defender in college basketball. The accolades went to Brand and Langdon and Avery, but Wake Forest coach Dave Odom noted, "He's the one that makes their motor run." Carrawell is now the only senior on a team depleted by graduation, transfer and a mass exodus to the NBA. Maybe it's just coincidence, but on the day late last spring when Corey Maggette was supposed to meet with the media to discuss his NBA plans, the talented freshman didn't show. More than two dozen reporters were hanging around Cameron, wondering what to do, when Carrawell walked in to shoot a few hoops. His interview saved the day. Krzyzewski is hoping he can do the same on the court this season. SHANE BATTIER (6-8, 230 lbs., JR, PF, #31, 9.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg., 1.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.2 bpg, 23.8 minutes, .545 FG, .415 3PT, .724 FT, Detroit Country Day School/ Birmingham, Mich.) The former national prep player of the year just keeps expanding his game. As a freshman, he was content to play defense and rebound. As a sophomore, he added a deadly three-point shot. Now, Krzyzewski is hoping his most cerebral player can manufacture a complete offensive game. "I've been pretty versatile in my first two seasons," Battier said. "I wanted to come in and establish myself as a hard worker, a hustler, as someone who would do anything to get playing time. That manifested itself into a defensive stopper role." Battier played that role so well that he tied teammate Chris Carrawell as the leading vote-getter on the ACC coaches' All-Defensive team. But he did more than play defense, as he showed Maryland when he hit 10 of 13 shots, including 4 of 4 three-pointers for a career high 27 points. While everybody else appeared surprised, a laconic Carrawell told reporters they should have expected it. "He didn't get to be national [high school] player of the year by taking charges," Carrawell said. Of course, Battier does that too maybe better than anyone who's ever played the game. He took 29 charges in 36 games as a freshman, then topped that by taking 37 in 37 games as a sophomore. He also blocks shots (with 96, he already ranks ninth on Duke's career list), grabs steals (116 in 73 games), rebounds (second on the team over the last two years) and now makes three-pointers. The surprising thing about his three-point prowess is how suddenly it appeared. In the first 56 games of his college career, Battier made just 15 of 65 attempts from distance (.230). Starting with that Maryland game, he hit 28 of his last 53 three-pointers (.523). "It kick-started me in the Maryland game," Battier said. "I've really been feeling the 'three' ever since. It's been just like a faucet. I've been able to turn it on and turn if off." Obviously, having Brand, Langdon and Avery around to draw the bulk of the defensive pressure made it easy for Battier to get good looks. This year, he'll be one of the primary focuses for opposing defenses. Will the faucet turn on as easily? It will need to if Duke is to have any great success. Battier no longer has the luxury of being a complementary player. It's time for him to step up and become a star. NATE JAMES (6-6, 205 lbs., JR, SG, #14, 5.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.9 apg, 14.7 minutes, .454 FG, .288 3PT, .662 FT, St. John's at Prospect Hall/Washington, D.C.) Few players have had more bad luck in their careers than James. Three years ago, he earned a starting job as a true freshman, only to rupture tendons in his thumb and miss the next 14 games. A year later, he was once again poised to move into the starting lineup when knee problems sidelined him for an entire season. "He's had more bad luck, injury-wise than any kid I've ever coached," Krzyzewski said. "Each time he got hurt, he was in the process of making a big move a move the public never saw." Before last season, James remade his body turning a stiff, almost over-muscled frame, into a sleek, flexible build. That made him quicker and far more agile on the wing, where he needs to play. Unfortunately, he picked a bad time to finally get healthy. Duke was overloaded on the wing last season and James had to fight for every minute of playing time. He had some really fine moments his 11 points in 27 minutes at St. John's were crucial in an overtime win, and his two strong performances against Maryland were sweet for a Washington, D.C., native who's still taunted for not signing with the Terps. But James, while thankful to be playing at last, is not content to end his career as a role player. "When you think about it, we're all role players," he said. "Satisfied? No, I'm not. I want to work harder and do more. Nobody here is ever satisfied." James' patience will be rewarded this season. Carrawell and Battier are the only teammates with more experience. Along with that duo, he'll serve as a tri-captain. His time finally has come to be a key player for the Blue Devils. JASON WILLIAMS (6-2, 190 lbs., FR, PG, #22, 23.8 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.2 rpg, 3.7 spg, .400 3PT, St. Joseph's HS/Plainfield, N.J.) When Williams committed to Duke in the fall of 1998, he expected to come in and play at least a year as Will Avery's backup at the point. Oh, there would be times when Avery and Williams played together just as the freshman Avery and senior Steve Wojciechowski did the year before but the idea was that Williams would have a season without pressure to learn the Duke system and adjust to college basketball. So much for Plan A. Avery's unexpected decision to turn pro after his sophomore year thrust Williams into the starting job before he even walked on campus. "If he didn't have the talent level, I'd be more concerned," Krzyzewski said. "He does have the talent. And we have to allow him the opportunity to grow and make mistakes like we did with Tommy and Bobby." Tommy and Bobby are Tommy Amaker and Bobby Hurley, the only two freshmen to start full-time at point guard for Krzyzewski. Both turned out pretty well, and there are indications that Williams can do the same. The smart, tough playmaker impressed everybody at Duke during his visit last fall when, during pickup games, he held his own against not only current Blue Devil players, but against several NBA players who were there working into shape. His senior year at St. Joseph's HS turned out so well that he was named the McDonald's national prep player of the year. "When he came in as a freshman, we knew he was special," Mark Taylor, his coach at St. Joseph's, said. "You never know how special until a kid matures. To see him develop into the best player in the country, well, I'd like to think coaching had something to do with it, but the truth is, most of it was due to Jason and his hard work. Whoever we played, he was the best player on the floor. In big games, he rises to the occasion and his game improves." Duke can only hope his game rises to the occasion this season. "I like pressure," Williams said. "There are going to be times, I know, where I'll make mistakes and people will look at me and say, 'What was he thinking? He should know better.' But I know I'm going to work at doing whatever it takes to improve." CARLOS BOOZER (6-9, 260 lbs., FR, C, #4, 28.0 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 3.0 bpg, .710 FG, .750 FT, Juneau-Douglas HS/Juneau, Ak.) Let's see, the state of Alaska has produced two McDonald's All-Americas in its history. Both of them Trajan Langdon of Anchorage and now Boozer from Juneau elected to play their college basketball at Duke. That might not be the most prolific recruiting pipeline in history, but it's certainly the longest. Krzyzewski was impressed that Boozer committed before he knew that Elton Brand was turning pro or that Chris Burgess was leaving. "That's good," the Duke coach said. "[Boozer] came here to be brought along. Now that philosophy has to be hastened." Without Brand and Burgess, Duke is going to need Boozer's strength and physical presence inside. But even though he's very nearly the same size as Brand, the two-time Alaska player of the year isn't the same kind of low-post dominator. "I see myself as a [small forward] who can play [power forward]," Boozer said. That sounds more like the kind of inside-outside big man Krzyzewski used to turn out before Brand's arrival. He made a living developing big men such as Mark Alarie, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner and Cherokee Parks all first-round NBA picks who could step outside and hit from the perimeter or battle inside the paint. The trouble is, what this Duke team needs most is a center, not a small forward masquerading as a power forward. If Boozer can fill that role, he has the physical ability to find a place in the starting lineup. If he won't (or can't), Krzyzewski has hinted that redshirt Matt Christensen might start in this spot, especially given Boozer's August injury he suffered a broken bone in his left foot and was expected to miss up to a month of preseason practice. The choice of Christensen or Boozer won't matter in November. However, for the Blue Devils to emerge as a postseason contender, Boozer needs to establish himself as the heir to Brand. His high school coach, George Houston of Juneau-Douglas HS, thinks Boozer will fit in well. "He's not like some people who are out there thinking, me, me, me," he said. "Carlos has really embraced the team concept. To me that means he understands how to play the game."KEY RESERVES MATT CHRISTENSEN (6-10, 240 lbs., SO, C, #41, 1.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg, .500 FG, 5.4 minutes in 1995-96, Belmont HS/Belmont, Mass) If it seems like Christensen has been around forever, it's because he has. The burly big man arrived on the Duke campus in the fall of 1995, in the same freshman class with Domzalski. He saw a little bit of action that season, missing about a month of the season with a broken wrist. He demonstrated good strength and decent hands, but limited mobility. He was fourth on the team with nine blocked shots in just 70 minutes. Christensen, a cousin of former NBA veteran Greg Kite, spent the next two seasons on a Mormon mission in Germany. He returned to Duke last season and was redshirted. Those who saw the Blue Devils practice report that Christensen was a good match for Domzalski, displaying very similar skills. That might not have meant much if Brand and/or Burgess had returned this season, but in their absence it opens a window of opportunity for the 22-year-old sophomore. "I think Matt Christensen will be a good player for us and maybe a starter," Krzyzewski said. That depends on how long he can hold off Boozer and Casey Sanders two freshmen who appear to have more long-range potential. MICHAEL DUNLEAVY JR. (6-7, 200 lbs., FR, G-F, #34, 22.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.7 spg, .530 FG, .740 FT, Jesuit HS/Portland, Ore.) The son of Portland Trail Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy won over Krzyzewski with his versatile, unselfish play last summer. The Duke coach turned down a chance to sign high-scoring California wing guard Casey Jacobsen, who was rated higher than Dunleavy by many recruiting services. But Krzyzewski preferred the all-around game of a coach's son and may have been swayed by the likelihood that Dunleavy will stay in school four years. "I think Dunleavy, because of his versatility, will help us in a lot of ways," Krzyzewski said. The Duke coach has always preferred multi-position players. In Dunleavy, he has a player capable of playing both wing positions and some backup point guard. As the son of a coach the elder Dunleavy was a tough, hard-nosed New Yorker who played for Frank McGuire at South Carolina Dunleavy has an unusual feel for the game. Howard Avery, a Portland-area trainer who has worked with NBA guards Terrell Brandon and Damon Stoudamire, called Dunleavy, "the best player I've worked with. Ever. He's never going to be the athlete Stoudamire or Brandon is, but his mind for how the game is played, I've only seen it in some pretty celebrated veterans at the NBA level." Dunleavy showed off his game in the Oregon 4-A playoffs, leading Jesuit HS to a 26-2 record and a state title. He scored 30 points (on 6 of 11 three-point shooting) in the semifinals, then added 22 points and 12 rebounds in the title game. "His overall game is outstanding," Jesuit HS coach Gene Potter said. "He doesn't have a weakness. He does everything, that's what I like about him." Duke is probably deeper on the wing than any other position and that could limit Dunleavy's minutes as a freshman. Then again, Krzyzewski often uses three and even four wing-type players at a time, so that means there could be a major role for Dunleavy if he's prepared to grab it. CASEY SANDERS (6-11, 205 lbs., FR, C, #20, 21.8 ppg, 11.2 rpg, Tampa Prep/Tampa, Fla.) No one seems to question Sanders' potential. Recruiting gurus have compared the slender, athletic Florida native to Sam Perkins or Marcus Camby. The question is, how long can a 205-pounder survive in the ACC? And how long before Duke can do something about Sanders' frail frame? "He has to build his body, but with three square meals a day up there, he can do that," Joe Fenlon, the coach at Tampa Prep, said. "His best years are ahead of him." Krzyzewski can only hope those best years aren't too far in the future. Sanders brings a unique package of skills, including a shot-blocking prowess Duke has never had before. Sanders recorded 843 career blocked shots at Tampa Prep, the second-highest total in prep history. He once blocked 19 in a single game. Fenlon insists that's not the sum total of Sanders' game. "He can run, jump, block shots and has a very good jump shot a great touch from 17 feet," he said. "He's a decent scorer in the low post, has a jump hook and a very nice turn-around jumper." Sanders didn't get much chance to show off his range of skills in the postseason, where he appeared overmatched against more mature opponents in the McDonald's All-America game and the Hoop Summit. That doesn't mean he won't be able to contribute as a freshman at Duke, but it may be a sign that he'll have a hard time moving ahead of the older, stronger Christensen and the stronger, more versatile Boozer.OTHER RETURNEES J.D. SIMPSON (6-4, 200 lbs, JR., G, #30, 0.4 ppg, 3.1 minutes, Woodbridge HS/Irvine, Calif.) Krzyzewski has frequently referred to the non-scholarship performer as a Division I quality player, even though, in two seasons, he never used him in anything other than mop-up situations. Simpson, who was Chris Burgess' roommate and best friend, was first reported to have dropped off the team, too, but then changed his mind and decided to return. With Duke's lack of numbers, especially in the backcourt, Simpson will be a useful practice player. If he's ever going to be more than that, the opportunity should be there this season. OTHER NEWCOMERS NICK HORVATH (6-10, 215 lbs., FR, F-C, #3, 27.1 ppg, 11.8 rpg, .480 3PT, Mounds View HS/Arden, Minn.) When Duke offered Horvath a scholarship in the late summer of 1998, the unheralded recruit didn't wait a second to accept it. "He really wanted to play for Duke, it's all he talked about since the 8th grade," Ziggy Kauls, his coach at Mounds View HS, said. "He's a late bloomer. He's only going to get better." There are reasons to suspect that Horvath might be a better prospect than generally rated. He suffered a sprained ankle that hurt his stock in the 1997 summer camps, then a year later, he passed up the showcase camps to play with the USA Men's Youth team that won the gold medal in Moscow. "He hasn't had incredible exposure," Kauls said. "He has very soft hands and he's a very good shooter." Horvath proved that by leading Mounds View to the Minnesota 4-A championship. He scored 31 points in the title game and earned the state's Mr. Basketball honors. Later in the spring he blitzed a bevy of highly-rated guards in a three-point shooting contest at the ACC/SEC Challenge. Of course, it was evident during the all-star game itself that Horvath needs to develop a bit more strength before he'll be able to survive down low at the college level. Originally, Krzyzewski was hoping to redshirt Horvath this season. That might not be possible now in the wake of so many player defections. ANDRE BUCKNER (5-10, 180 lbs., FR, PG, #15, 13.0 ppg, 5.0 apg, University Heights HS/Hopkinsville, Ky.) His older brother, Greg, was one of the great sleepers in ACC history. Offered a scholarship by just one Division I coach, Greg Buckner went to Clemson, where he was ACC rookie of the year, a two-time second-team All-ACC pick and a second round NBA draft choice. Krzyzewski can only hope the younger Buckner has a similar upside, because the truth is, he's not a very heralded recruit. In fact, Andre did not receive a single Division I scholarship offer before Duke, scrambling for backcourt help after the unexpected departure of Will Avery, came calling. Until then, he was planning to attend Tennessee as a walk-on, where he was to be reunited with former prep teammate Isiah Victor. "Andre is going to be a good player," Jeff Jackson, his prep coach, said. "Andre's very athletic, very quick. He plays hard and he runs the show." Jackson understands that Buckner was recruited to be a practice player and an emergency backup at the point. "He'll go in and work hard every day to make Jason Williams a better player and make himself a better player," Jackson said.STARTERS NOT RETURNING WILLIAM AVERY (6-2, PG, 14.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.6 tpg, 1.5 spg, 31.0 minutes, .483 FG, .411 3PT, .810 FT) He started the year as Duke's great question mark and ended it as the one indispensable Blue Devil. Nobody ever doubted that Avery could play. The question was whether he could quarterback a team from the point. By the end, those doubts looked pretty silly he ended up starting every game, leading Duke in minutes played. His 2-to-1 assist turnover ratio was third best in the ACC and only one playmaker in the conference topped his 14.9 ppg. Avery was capable of explosive offensive games he poured in 30 points to help bring Duke back from a big deficit against Cincinnati; bombed Florida with a school-record 8 of 10 three-pointers; threw in 29 in the ACC Tournament title game against North Carolina. The latter effort prompted one of the great quotes of the season, when UNC point guard Ed Cota declared, "He's not that hard to guard." For the record, Avery averaged 24.7 ppg in three victories over Cota and the Tar Heels last season. But Avery did more than score. He passed out 11 assists in a win over Notre Dame, then matched that total as Duke routed Michigan. The night he hit the eight three-pointers against Florida, he added nine assists. He also keyed Duke's defensive pressure with his on-the-ball defense. Avery was just emerging as a great college player when he elected against Krzyzewski's advice to turn pro. The Duke coach thought another year would allow Avery to polish his game, especially to develop the ability to go to his left, and perhaps become a Top 5 pick next year. As it turned out, Avery was taken No. 14 by Minnesota and will make $2.4 million over the next three years. His absence will force Krzyzewski to rely on a freshman point guard. The Duke coach can only hope Jason Williams answers the questions about his play as well as Avery did. TRAJAN LANGDON (6-3, G, 17.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.8 tpg, 1.4 spg, 31.0 minutes, .462 FG, .441 3PT, .842 FT) In contrast to his younger teammates, all anxious to hurry to the NBA, Langdon stayed at Duke five years. In the process, he established himself as one of the great shooters the ACC has ever seen. His 342 three-pointers were the third-most in league history; his career .426 3PT percentage was sixth-best in league history (the best among the top 10 in three-pointers made); and his career .864 FT percentage was the second-best in ACC history. As a senior, Langdon garnered first-team All-ACC honors and was a consensus second-team All-America. More importantly, he erased the one stain on his record, a history of poor play in postseason. In his final go-round, the Alaskan Assassin was clearly Duke's postseason leader. His three-point barrage blew Temple's zone apart in the East Regional championship and his 25-point effort in the NCAA final against Connecticut represented more than a third of Duke's scoring. That's why Krzyzewski said he had no regrets about putting the ball in Langdon's hands for the key play in that game. With Duke down, 75-74, and less than 30 seconds left, he called for Langdon to try to beat UConn defensive ace Ricky Moore. Langdon had burned Moore for much of the game (including a memorable four-point play near the end of the first half), but with the game on the line, Moore stopped him, forcing a travel that cost Duke its last chance to win the title. But that failure hardly diminishes a long and brilliant college career. Langdon was a freshman in 1995, when Duke finished 13-18. More than any other player, he epitomized Duke's long climb back to the top. His shooting will be missed, but his leadership will be missed even more. ELTON BRAND (6-8, C, 17.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 1.3 spg, 29.3 minutes, .620 FG) The first Duke undergraduate to turn pro although he beat teammate Will Avery by just two days and Corey Maggette by two weeks. Brand was also Duke's first consensus national Player of the Year since Art Heyman in 1963. He swept all six of the recognized POY awards and threw in USA Basketball's Player of the Year honors after leading the USA to a gold medal in the 1998 Goodwill Games. Brand did all that in a season in which he actually lost his starting job for a time. The powerful big man turned in lackluster performances in a loss to Cincinnati and a narrow win over Michigan State, prompting Krzyzewski to bring his stud off the bench for two games in December. Brand responded by getting in better shape, then playing with the ferocity Krzyzewski was looking for. He returned to the starting lineup for a pre-Christmas matchup with Kentucky, tearing up the 'Cats with 22 points and eight rebounds. He finished with 19 double-doubles as Duke won a school-record 32 straight games before falling to Connecticut in the NCAA title game (despite Brand's 15 points and 13 rebounds). Although Krzyzewski had never before lost a young player to the NBA, he supported Brand's decision, suggesting his star could not do anything else in college to better his draft status. Indeed, Krzyzewski proved a prophet when the Chicago Bulls made Brand the No. 1 pick in the draft. His loss is a big one. Duke has never before had a player with Brand's unique combination of size, strength and agility, and it's unlikely the Devils will see his like again.OTHERS NOT RETURNING COREY MAGGETTE (6-6, G-F, 10.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 17.7 minutes, .525 FG, .345 3PT) Perhaps the finest athlete ever to put on a Duke uniform. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils were granted just a glimpse of Maggette's potential. In the end, Duke is left with just the memory of a few high-flying dunks from a player who decided he would learn to play in the NBA. Krzyzewski had enough talent last season to spot Maggette. The freshman emerged as Duke's sixth man, often providing an offensive spark off the bench. He was best in the transition game, but also had nights when he hit the three-pointer in the halfcourt set. He showed flashes of defensive prowess, although, like the rest of his game, it was on-again, off-again. Indeed, Maggette showed everything except consistency. He would alternate a 20-point game against Notre Dame (on 7 of 8 shooting) with a four-point effort 48 hours later against Cincinnati. He soared for 16 points and nine rebounds against Florida, then came down to earth and fouled out scoreless in 10 minutes against Kentucky. An injury to Trajan Langdon thrust Maggette into the starting lineup during the ACC Tournament. He responded with a 24-point performance against North Carolina State and earned a second-team All-Tournament spot. He turned in a dazzling 14-minute stint against Temple in the NCAA regional finals, but watched almost the entire second half of the national championship game from the bench. Krzyzewski expected Maggette to mature into a great player this season. Now. he'll have to do it in the NBA. CHRIS BURGESS (6-11, C, 5.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.9 bpg, 15.6 minutes, .614 FG) Not everybody Duke recruits succeeds. Burgess joins a list that includes such prominent disappointments as Joey Beard and Ricky Price. Once rated the No. 1 prep prospect in America, Burgess never could beat out classmates Elton Brand and Shane Battier to earn a defined role on the Blue Devils. Whether that was Krzyzewski's fault as Burgess' father, Ken, has been trying to tell the world or because of Burgess' own problems is anybody's guess. Burgess certainly had plenty of chances, both as a freshman after Brand missed 16 games with a broken foot, and as a sophomore, when Krzyzewski gave him 10 starts early in the season. There were moments when it looked as if the athletic and at times graceful big man would cash in on his opportunities. He had a 16-point, 15-rebound, 6-assist performance against Fresno State that was a thing of beauty. But the next night, he was manhandled by Cincinnati (0 points, 4 rebounds in 25 minutes). That's the way it went for Burgess, even within games, when he'd follow brilliant moments with long stretches of uninspired play. He suffered a setback in January when he was laid low with a virus. His role after that diminished from an average of more than 20 minutes per game to less than 15. Krzyzewski gave it one more try, giving Burgess three straight starts late in the season he averaged 6.3 ppg and 5.0 rpg. He was virtually invisible in the NCAA Tournament. After the season, Burgess talked about taking two years off to go on a Mormon mission. On the day Brand announced he was turning pro, Burgess told reporters that his only two options were returning to Duke or going on a mission. A week later he decided to transfer to Utah, where he'll sit out this season, then have two years left to recapture the magic he had in high school, but could never quite harness at Duke. TAYMON DOMZALSKI (6-10, C, 3.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 9.9 minutes) Domzalski's career at Duke peaked during his freshman season in 1995-96, when he started 18 games and averaged 6.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg. He appeared to be a pretty promising young big man. Instead, his career was derailed by a knee problem that sidelined him for most of the 1996-97 season (when he might have really helped an undersized team), then by the arrival in 1997-98 of more talented big men such as Elton Brand, Shane Battier and Chris Burgess. Domzalski's knees were better, but he couldn't crack the rotation. His presence at the end of the Duke bench prompted a hilarious complaint from Virginia coach Pete Gillen, who used the former McDonald's All-America to note Duke's depth: "Domzalski can't get in a game at Duke," Gillen cracked. "If we had him at Virginia, we'd build a statue to him, right beside Thomas Jefferson." Domzalski, always a tough, aggressive player in his brief appearances, ended up playing less than 300 minutes in each of his last three seasons. His timing awful as always, he leaves just as Duke has need of him again. D. BRYANT (6-2, G, 0.6 ppg, 13 appearances) A promising football recruit who was expected to contend for Duke's starting quarterback job, Bryant got into academic trouble and was suspended for the fall 1999 semester. Although he is expected to return to school for the spring semester, he is not planning to rejoin the basketball team. His absence comes at a bad time. Bryant, who was offered basketball scholarships by several mid-majors, might have been able to help the depth-shy Blue Devil backcourt. JUSTIN CALDBECK (6-3, G, 0.4 ppg, 20 appearances) A former manager who earned himself a spot as a practice player. He took his junior year off to study in London, where he led an English college league in scoring. Although popular with the Cameron Crazies, the elder Caldbeck was never a factor in a game. RYAN CALDBECK (6-3, G, 0.2 pp, 12 appearances) The younger brother of Justin also was able to make the transition from manager to practice player. Like his brother, his only game appearances were in garbage time. There's a chance Caldbeck will try to regain a roster spot during open tryouts before the season. JAY HEAPS (5-9, G, 0.0 ppg, four appearances) Duke actually had five first-round draft choices last year, not four as was widely reported. Heaps was the second player taken in the Major League Soccer draft. An All-America soccer player, he spent three years as a basketball walk-on and was rated by Krzyzewski as a valuable practice player. But he graduated at mid-season last year to begin his pro soccer career and thus appeared in just six games.QUESTIONS Youth, especially at point guard? Two freshmen may start, at least four first-year players will be in the rotation (and that doesn't count Christensen, who hasn't seen any action since playing just 70 minutes in 1996). For Duke to be good, Williams has to be very good, right away. That's a lot to ask of a freshman at his position. And his backup is another freshman who was not offered a scholarship by any other school. Strength in the post? Krzyzewski has plenty of options to replace the best post player in America, but none are good ones in the short-term. Sanders is the long-term answer, but, at 205 pounds, is he ready? The already-injured Boozer is more of an inside-outside type, while Christensen hasn't played in three years. Battier is versatile enough to play center, but that might take away from the rest of his game. Scoring punch? Duke led the nation in scoring a year ago, but lost all four of its double-figure scorers. Carrawell has been right around 10 points per game in his last two seasons; can he push it to 15 or more? Battier seems to have the most offensive potential, but he was in double figures just 14 times in 37 games last season. Can one of the freshmen deliver a double-figure scoring average?ANSWERS Defense! Krzyzewski starts with Carrawell and Battier, probably the nation's two best defensive forwards. Throw in James, another tough wing defender, and Sanders, who has more shot-blocking potential than any recruit Duke has ever had, and it seems likely that Krzyzewski can fashion that group into another fearsome defensive unit. Fab Six! This is Duke's biggest freshman class since Coach K brought in the Dawkins-Henderson-Alarie bunch in 1982 and, while experience will be lacking, talent will not. The group includes four McDonald's All-Americas, plus a fifth who was Mr. Basketball in Minnesota. If you have to play freshmen, these are the kind you want to play. Krzyzewski! The winningest active NCAA Tournament coach is healthy again after undergoing hip surgery at the end of last season. Those close to him suggest he's steaming after a rough spring and is determined to drive this young team back to the top. If anybody can lead such an inexperienced group to success, it's Coach K.
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