COMMENTARY: Duhon's jersey should not be retired

Chris Duhon represents everything good about Duke basketball. He is a tough-nosed defender with an enthusiasm and intelligence for the game that is synonymous with Blue Devil hoops. He has won a national championship, been named first-team All-ACC, and been one of the select few of head coach Mike Krzyzewski's players to captain more than one squad. The being said, Duhon's jersey in no way deserves to hang from Cameron's rafters.

The simple reason is that though he represents Duke basketball, he does not transcend it, and that is the only factor that warrants permanent idolatry in Blue Devil basketball history. Just think of all the other players whose numbers glow above Coach K Court: Johnny Dawkins, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Shane Battier  and Jason Williams all did things that made them more than just basketball players. Duhon has not.

So what exactly has Duhon accomplished in his four years at Duke? He was a national champion his freshman year, but that was mainly because of the likes of Battier, Williams, Mike Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer.

Even Nate James and Casey Sanders arguably had bigger roles on that team than the current point guard. Duhon has even admitted this year that he was merely "star gazing" his first season. His sophomore year he was only the fourth option on an underachieving team and his junior year was a giant disappointment, as a preseason National Player of the Year candidate turned into only a third-team All-ACC performer. And for all that winning he has done, Duhon has never averaged more than 10 points per game in any season, including this year.

It was not until the 2003-04 season that Duhon even was the clear leader of a Final Four caliber team. And all he did was lead the team, which is infinitely different than carrying a team to victory. All the previous players with retired jerseys willed their squads to win by carrying their teammates on their backs. Duhon merely shouts out instructions to those that truly make the great scoring plays. Yes, Duhon has occasionally carried the team, such as against Maryland in the ACC tournament finale and on the road against Florida State, but he has been far too inconsistent in these instances to be considered in the same breath of the other retired jerseys.

Duhon's play will always be remembered at Duke because there always is someone like him playing for Krzyzewski. It is the likes of Laettner and Battier that need to be retired, because they truly will never be seen again. Players like Duhon will always torment opponents on Coack K Court, but it is only individuals like Hurley and  Hill that will be the ghosts of Cameron that create the true Duke mystique.