What Now For Duke?

The most highly-rated unsigned recruit in the nation has finally made his decision – Patrick Patterson is headed to Kentucky. The Huntington, WV native chose the Wildcats over two-time defending national champion Florida, and perennial powerhouse Duke, in a move that amounts to a feather in the cap of newly anointed Kentucky head coach Billy Gillespie.

Patterson’s choice to enroll in the blue-grass state leaves Duke hurting for big men. Sophomore Brian Zoubek will need to take an enormous step forward if the Blue Devils are to have any chance to win the ACC this year. As anyone who watched a decent amount of Duke basketball last year can attest, the seven-footer traveled almost every time he touched the ball, and while he played admirable defense, especially against Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough in the team’s contest at Cameron Indoor, he will need to establish himself as an offensive threat if teams are going to have any respect for Duke’s low-post game.

Lance Thomas also becomes a critical player, as he figures to start for the Devils at the four spot with Patterson out of the equation. Thomas was last year’s Patterson, the late signee that went down to the wire before committing to school. Last year it was Duke and Rutgers vying for Thomas’ services, with the Devils prevailing in the end. If Thomas can consistently hit the 17-foot jumper he showcased, albeit very briefly, last year, Duke will be ok. However, much of the season, Thomas looked out of place. At times, it seemed like he was starting games with two fouls. The all-to-frequently-seen deer in the headlights look on his face when he got the ball in a shooting position provided fodder for the Coach K haters out there that he’s bad for big men. Either way, Thomas needs to find a way to play man-to-man defense without fouling, and to make his presence felt on the offensive end in a manner other than simply finishing lay-ups after offensive rebounds.

There is no question that Coach K and his staff were dealt a body blow when Patterson took his powerful low block game to the SEC. He was exactly the kind of player Duke had been missing since Sheldon Williams left – a strong, athletic, big man that isn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint. For as good an athlete as Josh McRoberts was, you were more likely to find him roaming around the top of the three point arc than establishing position under the basket for an entry pass or a rebound. Patterson would have provided that missing piece, and now that McRoberts is destined for the NBA (where he will quickly learn that fancy open court dribbling and the occasional baseline behind-the-back pass isn’t enough to mask a below-average jump shot and non-existant post-game), the need is even more glaring.

Mike Krzyzewski is a Hall of Fame coach, an honor you don’t receive by accident. He will find a way for Duke to remain competitive in the ACC once again, but for the Duke fans out there that were looking for a renaissance of sorts after last year’s “off” (read: most teams in the country would take 20 wins and an NCAA berth every time out of the block, but unfortunately Duke isn’t one of them) season, they may have to wait for the class of ’08 – don't worry, the countdown for Greg Monroe has already started.

Projected starting lineup:

G – Greg Paulus

G – Jon Scheyer

F – Gerald Henderson

F – Lance Thomas