Taking inventory

"I love the formation of teams," Mike Krzyzewski said. And molding a men's basketball team that gels is exactly what Coach K will have to do this season.

Krzyzewski decided to stay put, but last year's freshman standout Luol Deng and top recruit Shaun Livingston opted to play in the NBA this season. The coach's flirtation with the NBA aside, the Blue Devils still lost a pair of potential starters and are left with only eight legitimate scholarship players entering the 2004-05 season.

To compensate, Krzyzewski plans to exploit the versatility of his team by using players at multiple positions. And instead of letting raw talent run its course, the Duke coach will have to scheme to optimize his players' effectiveness.

"I think it is going to be exciting," Krzyzewski said in a sit-down interview with The Chronicle, embracing the challenge. "I think if those two guys were here, we would probably be picked one [in the preseason polls] and, in this day in college basketball, have a very, very talented basketball team and have more room in case a guy gets hurt. It is not scary [with fewer players]. I just think we have to stay in incredible shape."

  As Krzyzewski has often professed, a team starts with its point guard--especially in the ACC, especially with the point guards in this year's ACC. Ballhandling, however, remains one of the paramount questions.

"I don't want to go into it with preconceived notions that this guy's the point," Krzyzewski said. "I'd rather put out a team of five players. I know Daniel Ewing can handle the ball, I know Sean [Dockery] can handle it, I think [incoming freshman DeMarcus Nelson] can handle it."

After acting for two years as Chris Duhon's apprentice, Dockery would seem to be next in line, but he is unproven in leading the offense, as he played only 15 minutes per game and dished out just an assist per contest as a sophomore. Ewing and Nelson are natural off guards but will be viable options at the point, especially teamed together.

The combinations at the point guard slot will likely be indicative of how Krzyzewski organizes the entire team.

Juniors Shelden Williams and Shavlik Randolph will continue to serve as the two primary post players, but both have been plagued by foul trouble in their first two seasons. Developing defensive strategies to keep the pair in the game will be just one way Krzyzewski compensates for his lack of depth.

"They need to be on the court, they have to develop more discipline, we have to keep them out of the occasion to foul," Krzyzewski said. "Do we press as much? Is there any zone we use? How do we play the post? Do we double it? Those are questions we have to answer."

Two versatile players, junior Lee Melchionni and freshman David McClure, will also contribute in the post, filling in when Williams and Randolph have to sit. Both players' ability to contribute at numerous positions gives Krzyzewski significant leeway in altering the size of his lineup.

"Dave will be able to play sometimes [as] a second big [man]," Krzyzewski said. "And he can play a couple of the perimeter positions. So that is good. If we had eight guys and four of them were big guys, that would be worse."

Krzyzewski said that the ninth man, Patrick Johnson, will be thrust into a more significant role after seeing limited action during his first two seasons, especially if fouls continue to be a problem for Williams and Randolph. Johnson will be on scholarship, a customary reward for walk-ons during their senior seasons.

Williams proved he could be a consistent scorer in the post last year, scoring 12.6 points per game, and Randolph has shown flashes of offensive fortitude, controlling the paint for stretches of the National Semifinal in 2004. This year, however, the scoring will likely come largely from the perimeter, as has been typical of recent Duke teams.

Unless Nelson establishes a consistent offensive presence, Ewing and J.J. Redick will remain the team's primary outside weapons. Both can shoot the three, and Ewing has slashing ability. Redick's well-advertised outside shooting should continue to help Duke spread the floor and free up chances for teammates.

But Nelson, a top-30 recruit, could make the Blue Devils' perimeter dangerous, even compared with their high-octane conference counterparts.

"[Nelson] can be an explosive scorer because he is strong and he is very athletic," Krzyzewski said. "He could be a really good scorer."

Another quality Krzyzewski has often emphasized with his teams is leadership. This year's squad is relatively experienced, including five players who saw regular action during last season's Final Four run, but it seems to lack a vocal leader to replace Chris Duhon.

Ewing, the team's lone starting senior, will have to assume this role.

"Daniel has to be one of our leaders, and I think Daniel will be terrific because we'll see him do more," Krzyzewski said. "We need it, and that is one of the things that upperclassmen of the years have done; we need them more."

DEVIL TAILS
The 2004-05 season marks the 100th year of basketball at Duke. The team will celebrate the event throughout the season, which includes a commemorative anniversary matchup with Princeton at Cameron Indoor Stadium Jan. 6.

Also on the scheduling front, Duke will use Madison Square Garden as its home court once again in December 2004. After selling out their game against Texas last winter, the Blue Devils will face Oklahoma State Dec. 18. The game will be a 5 p.m. start on CBS.

During the 2005-06 season, the team will once again play a home game in the New York metropolitan area against a yet-to-be-named opponent at the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Mike Cragg, who handles scheduling for Duke, said it is "more than likely" that the 2-and-4 rule preventing schools from playing in NCAA-exempt tournaments more than twice every four years will remain in place, preventing Duke from playing in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

Junior J.J. Redick was asked to tryout for the USA Basketball Young Men Team, but the shooting guard will not participate because of several nagging injuries.