In his season-opening press conference, Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski was a wealth of knowledge, but perhaps the most interesting nugget Krzyzewski provided was who the two captains are for this season: Tyler Thornton and Rodney Hood.
Thornton, a senior, was not a surprising selection. The 6-foot-3 guard has been a mainstay in the Blue Devil rotation for two years—he's topped 20 minutes per game in each of the past two seasons. Thornton also does the little things on the court that often earn the respect of teammates and coaches alike, such as playing gritty defense.
Hood's selection was not as obvious. The redshirt sophomore has never played a regular-season minute of Duke basketball. After transferring from Mississippi State a year ago, Hood earned the respect of his teammates and coaches on the practice court. Krzyzewski was in favor of Hood's nomination for captain, admitting to voting for Hood himself and calling Hood the best player on the team at times last season, even though he didn't play under the pressure his teammates dealt with.
There was speculation that junior Quinn Cook or senior Josh Hairston could be named captains this season. Both players are expected to play major roles for the Blue Devils this season.
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