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Duke future bright under Mike Krzyzewski, but Giles injury looms over upcoming season

By September 13, 2016No Comments

The future is bright for one of the biggest names in college basketball, as the Duke Blue Devils are favorites coming into the upcoming NCAA season.

Mike Krzyzewski won Gold with Team USA at the Olympics this year and will hope to take this winning mentality into the new campaign.

Duke has all the requisites to have a season comparable to the Kentucky Wildcats’ 38-1 run in 2014.

Krzyzewski’s roster boasts the likes of first-team All-American in Grayson Allen, an elite caliber Amile Jefferson and useful offensive player Luke Kennard.

This talented squad will be joined by arguably the greatest recruited class in school history, in the form of extremely highly rated Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, Frank Jackson and Marques Bolden. All of which have the makings of potential high picks in next year’s draft, after a fairly thin selection last term.

If the early signs are to be a sign of the future, the class could develop into a group above and beyond that of Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow and Allen.

A real cause for optimism was Allen postponing his declaration for the NBA draft last season, instead opting to continue at Duke to further his development before turning pro.

The only worrying aspect of the roster is Giles. Duke’s power forward is yet to play a competitive game since tearing his ACL and it is yet to be seen whether he can get back to his brilliant best.

A real ace Duke hold is in the form of Krzyzewski, the five time NCAA winner and triumphant coach of three consecutive Gold medals. He possesses the tactical nous to out-think anyone in the league. As a result, his team are favourites. Odds on the Blue Devils can be found by betting online at Betway, featuring a fantastic wide ranging array of markets on all college sports.

This is a man that changed the face of college basketball. Krzyzewski has taken Duke to 31 postseasons out of his 34 seasons, won 13 ACC Championships, been to 12 Final Fours, and lifted five NCAA tournament National Championships.

With Krzyzewski at the helm and Duke boasting a near unmatched roster, it could and should be the Blue Devils’ year.