2009-2010 ACC Previews: Duke

LCB believes that while teams have been playing games since the start of November the real college basketball season does not begin until conference play is in full gear. Over the next couple of weeks, we will preview each ACC team by remembering some of the conference's past players that may have gone forgotten in some circles.

Season Outlook: Like the few drops of native blood running through his veins, Cherokee Parks was a wild a man plodding through the open plains of the ACC in the mid-1990's. He was big, brash, and sneaky athletic, and if all life in the world is indeed cyclical, as the Cherokee tribe believes, then Duke's cycle must be 15 years in length. Park's sneaky athleticism and pugnacious personality have some how seeped into the Durham water supply and are making a return with the 2009-10 squad. Viewed on paper, and seen walking around campus, this group of McD's All-Americans appears meek and unintimidating. But once the lights come on, and the the inner-Parks is released.....well it's a sight to behold. Thus far, this snails-paced and unimposing group has laid beatdowns on squads considered to be not only above the rim, but above Duke's scrappy gameplan. At the end of the day, this Duke team will not make the Sportcenter top ten, but they will make it to the happy hunting ground, finding smart and defensive oriented play can take you farther then a fade-away jumpshot and a backboard breaking dunk.


Key Players: G Jon Scheyer (Sr.) and G/F Kyle Singler (Jr.)
Top Newcomer: F Mason Plumlee (Fr.)


Record at Time of Posting: 9-1
Teach's Prediction: 1st in the regular season
Langston's Prediction: 2nd in the regular season
Iceman AD's Prediction: 1st in the regular season



Key Games:
W Arizona State 64-53
W Connecticut 68-59
L Wisconsin 73-69
W St. John's 80-71
W Gonzaga 76-41
Clemson 1/3
@ Iowa State 1/6
@ Georgia Tech 1/9
Boston College 1/13
Wake Forest 1/17
@ North Carolina State 1/20
Florida State 1/27
@ Georgetown 1/30
@ North Carolina 2/10
Maryland 2/13
@ Miami (FL) 2/17
Virginia Tech 2/21
@ Virginia 2/28
North Carolina 3/6