1 DUKE Blue Devils

A dazzling freshman makes the defending champs even better

Shortly after conducting a practice in late October, Mike Krzyzewski sat courtside in Cameron Indoor Stadium and unflinchingly answered a presumptive question: Is Kyrie Irving the best freshman point guard you have ever recruited to Duke? "Coming in, yeah," Krzyzewski said. "He has to play really well to end up being better than Bobby Hurley, and Jason Williams was more of a scorer when he got here. Maturitywise, I liken [Irving] to Tommy Amaker."

Coach K & Co. are expecting big things in Durham, and so is SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, which is why the Blue Devils are the magazine's choice to repeat as NCAA champions in 2011.

Though Duke lost three senior starters from last season's championship team, it still has arguably the preeminent tandem in the country in seniors Kyle Singler, a 6'8" forward, and 6'3" guard Nolan Smith. They'll be joined by Irving, who is the kind of dynamic point guard this program has not had since Williams left in 2002.

Though he may evoke comparisons from Duke's past, Irving's game more closely resembles that of another former ACC stud—Wake Forest's Chris Paul, who is currently an All-Star with the New Orleans Hornets. And as he showed with his 21-point, 10-rebound, five-assist performance in Team USA's gold medal win over Brazil at last summer's Under-18 championships, Irving knows how to excel on a grand stage. This season he has the added bonus of playing alongside a veteran cast to help him adjust.

"One thing I told him is to just have fun and relax," Smith says. "I told him he doesn't have any pressure. He has seniors on his left and his right in Kyle and myself. We're his big brothers, and we have his back."

As long as the Blue Devils stay healthy and keep their focus, it will be up to their freshman prodigy to do what point guards do best: deliver.

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Coach Mike Krzyzewski (31st season)

2009--10 record 35--5

ACC 13--3 (T-1st)

NCAA tournament National champions

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Returning starter

*High school stats

SCHEDULE

Nov. 14 Princeton

Nov. 16 Miami (Ohio)

Nov. 19 Colgate

Nov. 22 Marquette*

Nov. 23 Gonzaga or K-State*

Nov. 27 at Oregon

Dec. 1 Michigan State

Dec. 4 Butler†

Dec. 8 Bradley

Dec. 11 St. Louis

Dec. 20 Elon

Dec. 29 at UNC Greensboro

Jan. 2 Miami

Jan. 5 UAB

Jan. 9 Maryland

Jan. 12 at Florida State

Jan. 15 Virginia

Jan. 19 at N.C. State

Jan. 22 at Wake Forest

Jan. 27 Boston College

Jan. 30 at St. John's

Feb. 2 at Maryland

Feb. 5 N.C. State

Feb. 9 North Carolina

Feb. 13 at Miami

Feb. 16 at Virginia

Feb. 20 Georgia Tech

Feb. 23 Temple

Feb. 26 at Virginia Tech

March 2 Clemson

March 5 at North Carolina

*O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo.

†Carquest Auto Parts Classic in East Rutherford, N.J.

KEY GAME

The featured game of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge could be a preview of this year's national title game. Beating Duke in Cameron will be hard, especially if MSU senior point guard Kalin Lucas is not fully recovered from his Achilles injury.

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PHOTO

BOB ROSATO

KYRIE IRVING

The point guard, who's already shown he can excel on a big stage, will get support from the team's veterans.