From the field to the court, the Blue Devils provided fans and media members alike with plenty of memorable moments. With 2014 coming to a close, The Chronicle is taking look back on the year's biggest stories. We continue our countdown with No. 5 and the rise of Duke basketball's heralded freshman class.
People knew Duke's freshman quartet would be good. But this good?
The top-ranked recruiting class of Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow and Grayson Allen is off to a flying start this season, a major reason why head coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils have won all 10 games by double-figures.
The group came to Durham faced with lofty expectations from every corner of the basketball universe—including their own. And the rookies have not disappointed. Okafor, Jones and Winslow—who committed to Duke within a six-day window in November 2013—have started all 10 games for Krzyzewski, the first time a freshman trio has started for the Blue Devils in seven years.
Duke fans are used to pro prospects coming into Cameron Indoor Stadium and dazzling, within the system of a veteran-laden squad. This year's class has flipped the script—the offense runs through the freshmen, with leaders Quinn Cook and Amile Jefferson enjoying impressive seasons as a result.
The 6-foot-11 Okafor has made his case as the nation's top center, putting together the first 20-20 game by a Duke player in 16 years and holding his own against Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky in a Dec. 3 showdown. His 17.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game are both team-highs, and his ability to pass out of the post has helped create open looks for his teammates.
Jones has saved his best performances for the brightest stages, turning in his three-highest scoring games in wins against Michigan State, Wisconsin and Connecticut. The Apple Valley, Minn., native also has 53 assists against 15 turnovers, eye-popping numbers for a rookie floor general.
How good have these rookies been? Krzyzewski has likened Jones to Tommy Amaker, the first great Blue Devil point guard in the Krzyzewski era, and compared Okafor to former Duke center and No. 1 overall pick Elton Brand. At the beginning of the season, Winslow was the standout performer in the group, scoring 14 or more points in his first five games and recording some highlight-reel blocks and dunks. Allen has seen his minutes shrink in the latter part of the nonconference slate, but has provided instant offense in spurts off the bench at times.
With ACC play looming in 2015, the play of Duke's freshmen will go a long way toward determining whether or not the Blue Devils make a run to Indianapolis and the Final Four.
READ on the freshmen:
Previously in The Chronicle's Top 10:
10. Shaun Wilson runs past Kansas, into record books
9. Ka'lia Johnson notches seventh triple-double in program history
8. Duke men's soccer upsets No. 1 North Carolina
7. Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood declare for 2014 NBA Draft
6. Duke basketball takes down then-No. 2 Wisconsin
Check back in with us on The Blue Zone tomorrow to see what moment we have at No. 4 on our list
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