2018 ACC preview: Notre Dame, Louisville battle for top
Duke Blue Devils
Projected finish: 4th
Last year’s record: 24-9, 11-5 ACC
Key returners (last season’s stats):
G/F-Faith Suggs, 6’1, (Flossmoor, IL), SR- 2.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 11.3 MPG.
G- Haley Gorecki, 6’0, (Palatine, IL), R-JR- 11.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 25 MPG; 42.3% three-point shooter.
F- Leaonna Odom, 6’2, (Lompoc, CA), JR- 9.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 29.9 MPG; shot .529 from the field.
Biggest losses (last season’s stats):
G- Rebecca Greenwell, 6’1, (Owensboro, KY)- 13.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 31.9 MPG.
G- Lexie Brown, 5’9, (Suwanee, GA) – Drafted to Connecticut Sun, first round, ninth pick; 19.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 35.3 MPG.
Newcomers:
G- Miela Goodchild, 5’10, (Queensland, AUS), FR- Three-time Basketball Queensland Player of the Year; will compete in U18 Asia Championship from October 28-November 3, representing Australia; Gold medalist for Australia (5-0) in the U17 Oceania Championship in Guam, averaging 23.0 PPG.
C- Uchenna Nwoke, 6’6, (Grand Prairie, TX), FR- 7.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.6 BPG senior season.
G- Rayah Craig, 5’10, (Scottsdale, AZ), FR– 2017 All Player of the Year; 2017 Desert Mountain MVP; 17.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.0 APG senior season.
F/C- Onome Akinbode-James, 6’3, (Blairstown, NJ), FR- two-time All-MAPL First Team; NJSIAA All0State First Team; 13.0 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 2.2 BPG senior season.
Head Coach
Joanne P. McCallie, 12th season
- 302-80 record
- Has continued Duke’s elite presence by staying in top 25 nationally, year after year
- 613 career victories
Key games:
Dec. 9– South Carolina: 2pm ET (ACCN)
Mar. 3– North Carolina: 12 pm ET (ESPN2)
Outlook:
Duke’s 2018-19 team is not only the tallest team in school history, but the tallest team in the ACC, averaging 6’1. Their height seems great on paper, but Coach McCallie will have to find a way to manage the speed, making sure Duke can remain competitive in a highly athletic, quick conference. As discussed at ACC Tip-off (media day), because of the new team’s size, Coach McCallie might be forced to run a zone defense more than she’s accustomed.
Much like Notre Dame in 2017-18, Duke has undergone a series of injuries. Haley Gorecki is returning, expected for the start of the season—she is one of Duke’s anticipated All-Americans. After losing two of its best scorers in program history, the Splash Sisters (Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell), Gorecki will be a heavy factor in offensive success. When Gorecki was active, she shot .423 from range.
Mikayla Boykin will also return from an ACL injury and has begun practicing. Duke is still waiting on the likes of Kyra Lambert, who tore her ACL in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Her clearance is scheduled around November.
Faith Suggs will add player versatility, and is known to play the two, three and four position as well.
Best case scenario:
Full clearance of the team will come just before the season begins and Duke will have a fully stacked roster, living up to its legacy. Because of their height, the Blue Devils are able to play through the inside, utilizing the paint and even capitalizing on defensive strategies of the bigs (think back to the Elizabeth Williams days of Duke). Being so tall and skilled, they will be able to face other conferences, such as the Big Ten, with ease. They will climb the rankings and go on to have a decent-length post-season.
Worst case scenario:
The loss of the Splash Sisters and the reconfiguration of style based on the new height additions will cause the Blue Devils to do more adjusting than they’re accustomed. This has been a fairly shaky few years for Duke, as they have teetered from top 10 to top 25 multiple times. Duke will remain in the top 25 nationally, but a question of where they will fall in conference will be fully dependent on the players coning back from injury and the poise amidst adjustment.