To look into Carlos Boozer's eyes as the sun rises on this new season is to catch a glimpse of true self-confidence.
"I just want to dominate," the 6-foot-9 Alaskan declared, with complete assurance that his on-court supremacy this year is a foregone conclusion. "I think last year I had a good year, but it really was not a breakout year. I think this year will be that for me. I think I will dominate all season. I had some times last year where I had good games and good numbers, but I want to be consistent this year."
In that one statement, Boozer did not explicitly say, but merely hinted at, the two competing factors in his life this year.
Number one: Boozer has an obligation to help the program that has propelled him to national prominence. Having spent the off-season leading Team USA in both scoring and rebounding with 15.9 points and eight rebounds per game at the FIBA World Championship for Young Men, he seems more determined than ever to assert his position on the team.
"He's in better shape, he's shooting the ball better, he's catching the ball better," said Chris Duhon, who was also his point guard with the US team this summer. "Everything is going positively for him right now."
Without question, in order for Duke to recapture its championship, Boozer needs to play a more pivotal role on this year's squad. When he suffered an injury late last season and missed most of the Blue Devils' tournament run, some thought that his absence created the opportunity for the team to play its best basketball.
However, minus Shane Battier, Duke will probably not possess the ability to adapt to life without its main force inside the key. His scoring ability and large physical presence underneath cannot be separated from the Blue Devils' overall success.
Boozer will also take on another role this season as a team leader.
With "leadership by committee" as the terminology that all the hoopsters have used to characterize the delegation of responsibility at Duke this year, Boozer intends to be an influential member of the board.
"Last year, the leadership mostly came from Shane, and even Nate [James] a little bit," he admitted. "This year, it needs to come from different people.... I think that my job of leadership [revolves around] my being down low on defense, giving me the ability to see everything and help people out when they are in trouble."
Known for his constant banter around his teammates, he should slide into this new position easily.
"He will be one of our vocal leaders, all right," Duhon said. "He's always talking, and he knows the game pretty well. He's just not going to say nonsense; he's going to talk about stuff we can learn from."
Number two: Boozer also has the NBA tugging at him. Having already announced this season to be his last as a Blue Devil, Boozer, along with Jason Williams, will approach every game as an opportunity to climb up NBA teams' draft boards. His prediction of dominance this season is as much for the success of Duke basketball as it is for his personal advancement.
"[My going to the NBA] is going to take care of itself," Boozer expressed bluntly. "It is something that I'm not going to worry about because it's just going to happen."
Nevertheless, before matching up against Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett with the red-hot pressure of professional sports beating upon him, Boozer remains loyal to his program and his university.
"I just want to end the year really big and win a championship," he said. Then, shifting his thoughts toward next year, Boozer, just like any other student who realizes that his time on campus is rapidly dwindling, began to reminisce:
"This is one of the great institutions in the country, and I am blessed that I got to come here. The great thing about this situation is that I will be in position to get my degree. I will only be four credits short by the end of next semester. I think I'm in a great position right now because I have a chance to fulfill both my dreams and my academic goals."
Opposing centers should not read too much into the sensitive side of this big man, though. He has a national championship to win and a future to secure, after all.
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