RISING TO THE OCCASION

In 2002-03, the men's basketball team had an anomaly of a season, according to basketball pundits. It dropped seven games; lost in the Sweet 16; failed to win the ACC regular season title; and placed just one player on the All-ACC First Team.

The Blue Devils had five blemishes in league play--each coming on the road--and at the conclusion of every contest, the opposing fans rushed the court in jubilation.

Such is the pedestal Duke has been placed upon. Indeed, 2002-03 was not the most successful year in the history of the program, but the Blue Devils did garner a No. 7 ranking in the final Associated Press poll, win an unprecedented fifth consecutive ACC tournament championship, advance the second-longest home winning-streak in the nation to 28, and eclipse the 1,700-win plateau, something only Kentucky (1,849), North Carolina (1,808) and Kansas (1,801) have accomplished.

"I was really proud of our team last year for the year they had, to do as well as we did based on really not having a stable foundation, you're constantly trying to build a foundation," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I think we have that foundation starting out this year. They've all done good jobs in the preseason, and they're more young men than boys, and hopefully that will mean that we play like men."

After the nation's No. 2 preseason squad showed off its overwhelming arsenal of offensive weapons during the annual Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage, optimism has soared in Durham, as the Blue Devils boast one of the nation's best backcourts and perhaps the most versatile and improved frontcourt in America.

"I think we'll be more of a balanced team, where we can score...from anywhere on the court," Krzyzewski said.

Such is in contrast to last year's version of the Blue Devils, as Duke often struggled to establish a consistent scoring threat in the paint. The preseason offensive success of Randolph, Williams, Thompson and Nick Horvath has assuaged similar concerns for 2003-04. But it is Duke's mentality that Krzyzewski is most focused upon in constructing a team to win his fourth national championship.

"The main ingredient that you need for your foundation--and that's hunger, not just individual but collective hunger--to do as well as you can."

A blessing in disguise, then, for Krzyzewski is the team's extraordinary depth, which could potentially foster a hearty yet healthy competitiveness among the Blue Devils. This trait has always been a selling point for Duke basketball, as higher levels of play in practice inevitably lead to better and more expedient development in games, as well.

But such depth will also pose challenges for the coaching staff in selecting a starting lineup, which promises to be adjusted throughout the year to best match opponents' strengths and weaknesses.

"We've got guys who can score, and that helps that guy who's bringing the ball up [the court] to know that," Krzyzewski said. "Whoever will start, we'll have guys coming off the bench who can score. Lee Melchionni's had a great spring and fall--he's going to be a good player for us.... And we may do a little more of that with starting lineups, where we vary them because of how we want to start a game and that type of stuff. We might have three guys or four guys who are constantly starting, but maybe fool around with different looks, especially early on while we're learning about our team. It also gives guys a chance to see how they're developing because where they are starting tomorrow and where they will be six weeks from now will be different, so you want to give everybody an opportunity."

As far as the guards are concerned, four-year starter Chris Duhon will serve as the impetus of the Blue Devils at point guard. After a junior year that saw his productivity diminished by poor shooting decisions and uncharacteristic turnovers, Duhon has re-dedicated himself to leading his team, a trait that has made him a preseason contender for the Naismith Award.

"He's shooting the ball with a lot more confidence," J.J. Redick said of the Slidell, La., native. "He's been one of the two best shooters in pick-up...he's attacking more on offense."

Sean Dockery, an athletic ball-handling wiz from Chicago, will provide sound minutes in Duhon's stead.

Daniel Ewing, last year's ACC tournament MVP, and Redick will handle the bulk of the small and shooting guard duties. Ewing is one of the best penetrators in the conference, while Redick--who had one of the best freshman seasons in Duke history--is on a short list of America's best shooters and a preseason All-ACC selection.

In the post, the Blue Devils have bulked up considerably, which has allowed Williams, Thompson, Randolph and Horvath to up their scoring opportunities, something that will allow Duke's offense to take on yet another potent dimension.

"They deserve to get the ball, and they did a great job of putting the ball in the basket," said Duhon after the Blue-White game, which was dominated offensively by its frontcourt--Randolph scored 23 points, Melchionni racked up 21 and Horvath, Williams and Thompson put in 17, 16 and 15, respectively. "They did an amazing job this summer getting in shape and working on their fundamental skills."

And in addition, the Blue Devils brought in America's best freshman, 6-foot-8 Luol Deng, who Horvath recently said was the most talented basketball player he'd ever competed with. Deng had 18 points in the Blue-White game, from beyond the arc and inside the paint, much to the delight of those that expect Deng and the Blue Devils to contend for a national title this spring--Krzyzewski included.

But no Duke team would be complete without suffocating defense.

"I think we have the chance to be a very good defensive team. One [reason] is that we have depth, so we should never play poor defensively because of foul trouple or shape...secondly, because we're tall, if we can teach them to be wide we should take up a lot of the court. And if we can teach them to communicate with one another so we're in concert with one another's movements, than we have a chance to be very good."