I’d be shocked if Duke wins this one or doesn’t lose by 10. I don’t think fans realize just how much adjusting freshmen have to make, even very good freshmen. It’s easier when you have at least one vet that is very good like duke had last season with Grayson. The main thing is usually defense and knowing how hard you have to play when you get to the college level.
UK fans can tell you about the adjustment from this past season with relying on nothing but freshmen and a soph. It usually starts to click later in the year but early is when the lumps come and every team that have relied on a bunch of freshmen (UK twice) with no impact returners has stumbled early in the year.
Some Duke fans will be extremely frustrated and start hating the OAD thing and wanting upperclassmen and a change in recruiting. Some will curse out K for coaching, Zion and Cam for defense, Jones for defense and leadership etc. But the key will be patience since Cal has shown eventually you can get the talent to buy in and connect. Zone will likely be the main defense K plays this upcoming season since this new group is even less known for defense and doesn’t have close to the combination of length, size, athletic ability as Bagley, Carter.
Most of the impatient fans will think they will click from day one (that has never happened) and just run through college basketball, those are likely the ones that will be doing the cursing and doubting early in the year
