Winter is here, and that means one thing: College basketball season is upon us.
After a year of lasts at Duke comes a season of firsts for new head coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils. As the preseason No. 7 team and reigning regular-season ACC champion, Duke boasts the talent to piece together another deep run in March—the team's road to the Final Four in Houston begins Monday at home against Jacksonville and continues with one of the nation's toughest schedules.
For the first time in 42 years, the Blue Devils will have a new skipper on the sidelines in Scheyer, who steps in after a year of waiting for his most difficult task yet. Alongside him is a new-look coaching staff prepared to lead Duke into the future.
Beyond the coaching changes, though, there is plenty of change within the walls of Cameron Indoor Stadium with 11 new players on the retooled roster. Four of those fresh faces are graduate transfers with a variety of experiences, while the remaining seven represent the nation's top-ranked freshman class. Old or young, both groups are ready to be a part of something new at Duke—and the whole team tried some new things together this summer.
Among those newcomers is Tyrese Proctor, the 18-year-old freshman guard from Australia who spent his summer honing his game in international play after reclassifying in June. Closer to the basket is the freshman big-man duo of Dereck Lively II and Kyle Filipowski, which seems poised to facilitate a smooth transition in the Blue Devil frontcourt.
There is one returning starter from a season ago, of course, and his name is Jeremy Roach. The junior captain takes on a new role and newfound expectations, and he seems to be finding his voice in the process.
With all that newness, there are plenty of potential outcomes for Scheyer and company. Our senior beat writers forecast all things Duke for the coming season, including record predictions and go-to lineups.
Before you go, make sure to follow @dukebasketball on Twitter and visit our website to stay caught up with all of our award-winning coverage: This is a season that you will not want to miss.
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