The best Duke basketball starting lineup without Jalen Johnson

The ideal Duke basketball starter at the five for now: Mark Williams

As of Wednesday, Mark Williams is 19 years old. But aside from the fact the 7-foot, 245-pound freshman out of Virginia Beach, Va., is the sentimental pick to start at the center position against Notre Dame since he will be celebrating a birthday, he offers the Blue Devils the type of interior weapon they need to set the tone in the opening minutes of games.

For starters, Williams, who started the last two times out but hasn’t played more than 15 minutes in any contest and is averaging only 7.5 minutes per game, is Duke’s best bet to win the tip, even though he didn’t do so against Illinois.

Furthermore, the long-limbed Williams should be able to protect the rim early on and maybe even force opposing bigs into early foul trouble.

Therefore, while Williams isn’t exactly a multifaceted superstar in the paint just yet, his presence gives the Blue Devils another dimension and has the potential to pose significant problems for certain foes, such as the Irish, who have limited depth down low.

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