It's Final Four or bust for Duke women's basketball this season

There is little excuse for Joanne P. McCallie and the Blue Devils should they not make the Final Four of this season’s NCAA tournament. This team has all the pieces of a national championship contender—experience, talent at every position, a deep bench and the drive to succeed—and that is precisely why Duke will make the Final Four come April.

To give some perspective, last year the Blue Devils managed to earn an ACC tournament title and an Elite Eight appearance against a No. 1-seeded Notre Dame squad—all without the player who set the tone for the team every game, then-junior guard Chelsea Gray, who was sidelined with a knee injury.

Losing Gray may have been one of the best things to happen to this year’s Duke squad. Without Gray as a consistent presence on the court, then-freshman guard Alexis Jones began to take a leadership role for the team, performing above the expectations even McCallie had set for her. The injury gave the rookie a chance to grow as a player and distributor of the ball.

With both players healthy, this team looks to have one of the best guard combinations in the country. McCallie had remarked that Jones and Gray had just been getting used to playing together around the time of Gray’s injury. Even with Gray still not back to 100 percent, her finesse in dishing assists and her experience complement the quickness and defensive intensity of Jones well.

Under the basket, the Blue Devils will have an advantage in the paint with formidable center Elizabeth Williams, who has recorded a block in every game in her collegiate career patrolling the paint. Williams’ counterpart, Haley Peters, adds a versatile, aggressive element to Williams' finesse game. Peters' prolific shooting from the midrange will help stretch the defense and give Williams space in the paint. The pair can match up with any frontcourt in college basketball especially now that former Baylor center Brittney Griner no longer poses a threat to Duke’s success.

Williams and Peters will be joined by a pair of freshmen, Oderah Chidom and Kendall McCravey-Cooper, along with the now-healthy Amber Henson, who have each shown sparks of talent during preseason action. Williams’ lone backup last season was then-senior Allison Vernerey, forcing the Blue Devils to rely on Williams for the majority of games. With three highly-touted backups to Williams and Peters, this Blue Devil squad should have little issue managing playing time and containing opposing teams in the paint.

Duke has five seniors on this squad—Gray, Peters, guards Tricia Liston, Chloe Wells and forward Richa Jackson—and this is their last shot at a national championship. Not only is it the seniors' last chance to compete in the NCAA tournament, but also this is also the best chance the Blue Devils have had under McCallie. Consecutive years of securing top recruits has formed a Duke team that combines talent with the experience and urgency of a veteran lineup. The 2014 senior class will not take this opportunity lightly.

The talent has certainly been there for the Blue Devils in the past, but the biggest barrier to postseason success has been caused by a lack of consistent effort. This team looks hungry to be McCallie’s first Duke team to make the Final Four. The Blue Devils are done falling just short of a Final Four appearance and have the urgency that will take them far into the NCAA Tournament.