I will not make many guarantees about the 2009-10 basketball season, but one thing is clear: It’s going to get off to a more exciting start than any season in recent memory.
The Blue Devils have finally scrapped a standalone Blue-White game, moving their season-opening scrimmage to Friday night and packaging it with a host of other festivities to give Duke a much-desired midnight madness (except, of course, for the fact that it isn’t actually at midnight).
In honor of the Blue Devils’ seven decades in Cameron, here is a countdown of the seven things I want to see the most at Countdown to Craziness:
7. Everything except the scrimmage. Face painting. Inflatable games. Music. DUI. Contests. And to think that as of a year ago, all we had was a Saturday afternoon intrasquad scrimmage.
Sure, everybody in attendance will want to see the team in action for the first time this season. But if you have ever been to a Blue-White game, you’ve experienced that awkward who-do-I-root-for, should-I-jump-or-cheer-for-the-offense feeling. Do you applaud a thunderous block or groan that the ball didn’t go in? And arguably the best part of the game, heckling the opposition, is out of the question because there is no opposition. Now there are other activities to complement the game, and they will make Countdown to Craziness different from previous years.
6. The 2009 ACC Championship banner. Lost amid the disappointing finale that was the 2009 NCAA Tournament is the fact that Duke had a very good season. The Blue Devils looked like they were headed for a serious season-ending swoon before Elliot Williams joined the starting lineup Feb. 19 and gave Duke the jolt of energy it needed. The Blue Devils recovered to win 30 games, won the conference championship and advanced to the Sweet 16—a great year almost anywhere outside of Durham.
It may not be a Final Four banner, but it’s something. And no current Duke student has seen one raised during his or her time in Durham.
5. A five-forward lineup. Just to see what would happen. ESPN analyst Bob Knight gushed last season when the insertion of Williams into the starting lineup gave the Blue Devils five forwards on the floor at the same time. I don’t want to disagree with the winningest coach in Division I-A history, but even if you’re willing to count Williams and Gerald Henderson as forwards, Jon Scheyer is a guard. He may not be a true point guard, but he’s not a forward.
This season, though, Duke could actually put five forwards on the floor at the same time. Wouldn’t you like to see what happens with a lineup of Lance Thomas, Kyle Singler, the Plumlees and Ryan Kelly? It could be disastrous, but when else can you try it? And for a team that has been so height-challenged the past several years, I think it would be cathartic to trot out a squad where everyone is at least 6-foot-8.
4. A bad game from Andre Dawkins. You could throw the other freshmen in this category as well, but Dawkins is going to be especially critical for the Blue Devils. All that aforementioned height has its downside: Duke is low on guards, and Dawkins may be heavily relied upon this season.
Why does that mean he needs to have a bad game? Look at the statistics for other Blue Devils in their first Blue-White game: Shavlik Randolph (16 points), Brian Zoubek (27 points), Taylor King (19 points), Elliot Williams (5 points), Jon Scheyer (5 points), J.J. Redick (2 points). It’s counterintuitive, but I’m going with recent history on this one.
3. A commitment from a recruit. Kyrie Irving will be at Kentucky’s Midnight Madness this weekend, so it probably will not be him. But other recruits may be in attendance. Duke famously lost Greg Monroe when he committed to Georgetown at the Hoyas’ 2007 Midnight Madness before he had even taken his official visit to Durham. The Blue Devils probably won’t get anyone that high-profile this weekend, but it would be nice to see some immediate dividends from Countdown to Craziness. A couple of high-profile recruits might make guest appearances Friday...
2. Gerald Henderson and Marty Pocius as the guest coaches. For no other reason than to get them to participate in the dunk contest, which is debuting one year too late. If these two were to participate—and don’t count on it, considering the Charlotte Bobcats play in Los Angeles the following night—I’d pick Pocius in a narrow victory over Henderson. As it is, the dunk contest should still be one of the best parts of the night.
As you may have noticed, these wishes are becoming increasingly more unlikely, which brings us to…
1. A musical performance from Coach K. If Roy Williams is willing to rap, Bo Ryan agrees to dance and Tom Izzo dresses like a hippie, why not Coach K? Because he went to West Point, is in the Hall of Fame and would never agree to do it? Crazier things have happened.
Maybe.
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