Duke basketball: The most lethal defensive lineup next season

Duke basketball’s lethal defensive lineup: Mark Williams at center

Yes, perhaps sharpshooting foes would find a way to exploit this towering Duke basketball lineup from 3-point land. On the other hand, one thing is for certain: a scarcity of buckets allowed by these massive Blue Devils around the rim.

Indeed, Mark Williams alone should ensure that is the case.

After regularly — and inexplicably — riding the pine throughout the first half of the 2020-21 season, Williams finally began to receive double-digit minutes per game from Mike Krzyzewski. And the 7-foot freshman responded to the dramatic increase in playing time by playing like an ACC Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

Across the final 13 outings of the 2020-21 team’s 13-11 campaign, Williams averaged 2.2 blocks to go along with 6.1 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game. Naturally, his 23 points, 19 boards, one steal, and one block in the last outing — a 70-56 win over Louisville at the ACC Tournament — left Duke basketball fans salivating over the idea of the big man returning as a sophomore.

Well, in late April, he finally announced his intention to do exactly that. Hallelujah.

Now, it’s conceivable to think Mark Williams might become the best post defender in Durham since Shelden “The Landlord” Williams (2002-06), who averaged three blocks or more in each of his last three seasons as a Blue Devil.