Limited size
Mike Krzyzewski has just two scholarship players on his roster taller than 6-foot-9, incoming freshman Mark Williams and grad transfer Patrick Tape. Either Duke basketball big man could potentially start, but both are more likely to come off the bench.
Although Williams is ranked No. 29 nationally by 247Sports, he may need to add some bulk to his 225-pound frame. And while Tape has NCAA experience and size, he averaged less than 18 minutes per game during his career in Columbia. It is reasonably safe to assert that neither big man will contribute significant minutes next season.
If the Blue Devils’ frontcourt size is worrisome, their backcourt size might be even more concerning. Goldwire and freshmen Jeremy Roach and DJ Steward, while uber-talented, are all 6-foot-3 or shorter. And Steward, a combo guard from Chicago, is just 165 pounds.
That undersized backcourt may have trouble with bigger, stronger guards in the ACC like NC State senior Devon Daniels (6-5, 205), Miami senior Kameron McGusty (6-5, 192), Georgia Tech junior Michael Devoe (6-5, 193), and Virginia Tech freshman Joe Bamisile (6-5, 175).
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If the Blue Devils can overcome their lack of size and experience, they may still face one more obstacle en route to avoiding 10-plus defeats…