Duke is Great, But Could They be More Than That?

R.J. Barrett. Zion Williamson. Cam Reddish. Oh yeah, don’t forget about Tre Jones either. Those are the names of the top three men’s college basketball recruits, and Jones is at #17 according to ESPN, which is by no means anything to forget about. We all knew they would be special on the court together, but if you told me you were expecting Wednesday’s rout of Kentucky, I would have a hard time believing you. It is a bit early to tell and we could be overreacting, but this Duke team could force its way into the discussion of the greatest college basketball team of all time.

When you have the top three recruits in the same year, another top twenty recruit, and one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, it doesn’t seem crazy to say this Duke team would be the best of all time. However, fans of all sports are hesitant to consider a modern day player or team the greatest. This Duke team could make its case this year.

Starting off, let’s just take a look at the box score from their astonishing performance on Wednesday night-

(Cred: aseaofblue.com)

As you can see, the 3-Headed monster of Barrett, Reddish, and Williamson all out up 20+, while Jones was the facilitator for them. Jones is no slack when it comes to scoring, however, and he will get his buckets soon enough. What makes this even more impressive is that it came against a legit team, not some much smaller school. This was a 24-point blowout one of the top teams in the nation, in their first game of the season.

Comparing this team to some of the other great teams in college basketball, such as the ’66-’67 UCLA Bruins and the ’75-’76 Indiana Hoosiers, is it crazy to think they will soon be up there?

’66-’67 UCLA Bruins

The great dynasty of the UCLA Bruins during the 1960s and early 1970s had several great teams, but this one stands out the most. Featuring the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and good scorers Lucius Allen and Mike Warren, the team was great inside and out. Defensively, they held their opponents to 63 points per game and 39% shooting. Now there was no 3-Point line then, but holding them 39% is a testament to the greatness of the defense. The sheer dominance of that defense will be hard to recreate, but Duke can. They did give up 94 points and allow 44% shooting, and while the shooting percentage is respectable, the 94 points is going to have to change. On offense, there was nothing to complain about last night. 118 points and 54% shooting is unbelievable, and while that pace may be hard to keep, it certainly shows us what they are capable of.

’75-’76 Indiana Hoosiers

The undefeated 40-win Hoosiers were simply amazing, on both sides of the floor. Offensively, they were led by Kent Benson and Scott May and played solid as a whole defensively. They held opponents to 64 points per game on a more-than-respectable 43% shooting. Coach Bob Knight was not one to mess with either. Duke certainly has a better offense, and the defense will be something to keep an eye on for the rest of the season.

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Duke has the coach- the great Coach K.

Duke has the talent- Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish, Tre Jones.

Duke has the determination and will to win.

So who- or what- is going to stop them? Every team has hiccups, but the great ones still find a way to win, even on a bad night. Even if one or two of the four immensely talented freshmen struggle, the other two and the rest of the team should be able to pick them up. Their schedule is the 30th hardest in the nation, so there will be challenges. But after their slaughter of Kentucky, a top 10, maybe 5, team in the nation, does any team really look that scary?

This Duke team showed the world how talented they are and they can only get better from here. This could be the start of one of the best college basketball seasons in history. Just be glad you’re here to witness it.