Duke basketball 2014-15 player preview: Marshall Plumlee

Leading up to Duke basketball’s first game of the season Nov. 14 against Presbyterian, The Blue Zone will preview an expected contributor on this 2014-2015 squad each day, continuing today with redshirt junior Marshall Plumlee.

Marshall Plumlee

• Year: Redshirt junior
• Height: 7-feet
• Position: Center

Game Breakdown: Known more for his name than his statistics in his time at Duke, Plumlee’s fourth year with the team is not expected to be much different than the years before. As in years past, the 7-footer will be expected to come off the bench and provide a physical presence in the paint and crash the glass. Plumlee improved his free throw shooting and ability to play within himself toward the end of last season, something that he will need to continue if he wants to stay on the floor this season.

After ranking 104th in the country by surrendering 67.4 points per game last year, the Blue Devils will still need a fresh big body to come in and protect the rim with Jahlil Okafor out of the game. The Warsaw, Ind., native is expected to fill that void and finish plays around the rim on the offensive end. Plumlee has been going against Okafor in practice every day for several months, so fans should expect to see improvement when No. 40 checks into games this year.

Role on the Team: Plumlee is different from his brothers in that he is dedicated to his position of being a center and guarding the basket. In addition to doing the things that come with being a 7-footer—defending, protecting the rim and rebounding—Plumlee's role will be defined by how much his hustle plays and leadership impact Duke's inexperienced squad. Plumlee should be a spark plug off the bench in addition to banging with Okafor down low every day in practice to help the freshman phenom adjust to the physicality of the college game.

NBA Comparison: Plumlee’s game can be compared to that of Lakers center Robert Sacre, who doesn't dazzle with his contributions in the box score but provides energy, effort and physicality in the paint. The main difference in the two is that Sacre is a much better free throw shooter than Plumlee, but the two both make their mark more with the screens they set than the touches they get in the post. Throughout his career, Sacre has also averaged one foul for every eight minutes played because of his approach to the game.

Projected Stats: 2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.8 bpg