Leading by example

It’s been a while since head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has had a young team.

During the past five seasons, players like Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Miles Plumlee, Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly all were captains as upperclassmen and also carried a significant scoring load.

This year's two senior captains—Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton—average a combined 5.4 points per game for their Duke careers, but that figure is not indicative of what their impact on the court will be this season.

“Coach K has had guys as seniors who weren’t the star players,” Hairston said. “We’ve talked to him about it, and we know that our role on this team is just as important as everybody else’s.”

The dynamic of this year's Duke team is drastically different than it was a year ago. Flashing back to 2012-13, the Blue Devils' top three players were its senior captains, accounting for 60 percent of the team's scoring. This season, with the exception of Rodney Hood, the captains are not expected to light up the scoreboard. Where their influence will be most felt will be behind the scenes.

“We’ve always done it,” Hairston said. “It’s something we've done throughout our careers together playing basketball. Even back in AAU, we were never really the superstars in our class but we always won, and that’s what attracted people to us.”

Hairston, only recently named as the team's third captain, leads with his energy. He’s the player that pumps up the Cameron Crazies before tipoff; the man that jumps up and down after every major play; the guy who constantly seeks to encourage his teammates to play better. All of these roles come naturally to someone who exudes confidence.

“I’ve always let my emotions—especially on the basketball court—show,” Hairston said. “I’ve had numerous meetings with [associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski] to talk about it, and that’s what I bring to the team that a lot of guys don’t bring. That’s why every day I have to be that emotional leader that gets players fired up and ready to play.”

Thornton’s role on the team is a little different. While Hairston is by far the most veteran member of the Duke frontcourt, Thornton is a part of one of the most experienced backcourts in the ACC. In addition to Thornton, junior Quinn Cook, graduate student Andre Dawkins and sophomore Rasheed Sulaimon combine to create a battle-tested core. As a veteran, Thornton understands that there are plenty of ways that he can help the team.

“I just try to make plays when I can on either side of the floor,” Thornton said. “Whether I play five minutes or 40 minutes, they know I’ll leave it all out on the floor and they can count on me for the big plays.”

Thornton has become well known for his trash talking on the court. Cook has said for years that Thornton’s toughness and tenacity can not only be found in how he plays basketball, but also how he approaches getting into the heads of opponents. On the court, no player is safe from his verbal jabs—not even highly-touted freshman Jabari Parker.

“I probably get in Jabari’s face more than anybody, because I want him to be great,” Thornton said. “It probably shocked him [the first time], but coming to Duke, that’s what you get. That’s the culture and I owe him that as an older guy… as a senior, as a captain that’s my job.”

Hairston and Thornton are not the most talented players on the floor, but their leadership goes far beyond on the court production.

"It’s not about letting [the most talented players] do everything they want to do," Hairston said. "You have to have balance around them to help complement them and surround them, and that’s what me and Tyler are.”