With the regular season in the books and tournament season right around the corner, The Blue Zone will review the seasons of all the Blue Devils, beginning with the freshmen Tuesday and ending with the seniors Thursday.
Josh Hairston
- Year: Junior
- Height: 6-foot-7
- Position: Forward
- This year's stat line: 2.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 13.2 MPG
- The Blue Zone's projected stat line: 5.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 15.0 MPG
Season breakdown: Hairston and freshman Amile Jefferson comprised the forward tandem tasked with filling the big shoes of Ryan Kelly after Kelly suffered a foot injury Jan. 8 against Clemson. Prior to Kelly's injury, Hairston had contributed admirably as a role player, and was rewarded with the first two starts after Kelly's injury. But the development and emergence of Jefferson as a viable option at the four for Duke ate into Hairston's minutes and opportunities as the season wore on—Jefferson temporarily replaced Hairston in the starting lineup, though Hairston regained his spot just before Kelly came back.
Although the minutes available have decreased due to Kelly's return, the competition for court action between Hairston and Jefferson has remained a fierce battle. In recent games, it appears Hairston has the inside track on the majority of that run-time, as he recorded 32 minutes in Duke's last three games (with Kelly back in the lineup) compared to Jefferson's seven. Hairston notched double-digits in scoring twice this season, with back-to-back 11-point performances against Maryland and Virginia Tech. He also battled through an arm infection resulting from a cut and stitches, and took to wearing a shooting sleeve to provide it extra protection.
Role for the rest of the season: Why does Hairston hold the edge over Jefferson? Defense and perimeter shooting. Hairston has proven himself a capable defender, with a knack for sliding over to draw charges on opponents attacking the basket. He leads the team in drawn charges. With a more solid frame than the lanky freshman, Hairston is better-suited to guard big, punishing bodies down low, and has the athletic ability to hang with quicker forwards as well. The only problem with Hairston as a defender in the NCAA Tournament is that he could be matched up with much taller forwards who could be hard for the 6-foot-7 Hairston to contest.
Hairston is known for his 15-foot jumper, even if he may not hit it all the time, but his willingness to take it has the potential to open up opposing defenses. Jefferson hasn't shown any aggression as a shooter this year. Come tournament time, look for Hairston to continue to get the bulk of the minutes that will be divided between him and Jefferson.
Results relative to expectations: While the numbers don't look significantly different from last year's stats, Hairston developed a lot this year. Jefferson's expanded role on the team took away from Hairston's opportunities, so his numbers are across-the-board less than we expected of him, but his defensive presence and energy provided a big boost for the team in ways that didn't make it into the box score. A productive postseason campaign could give Hairston the edge at becoming Duke's starting forward in 2013-14. The Blue Devils have no traditional post players in this recruiting class while Kelly and Plumlee will leave due to graduation.
In case you missed it, we’ve already reviewed: Rasheed Sulaimon, Amile Jefferson, Alex Murphy, Marshall Plumlee
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