Mike Krzyzewski wasn't even upset. Miami had just handed Duke its fourth loss in the last five games, a defeat that officially put the Blue Devils off to their worst start in ACC play since 1995-96. But as Coach K met the media after the game, there was no hint of dejection in his voice. There was only resignation.
"We lost, but our kids weren't out-competed," Krzyzewski said. "I always tell my guys, you play your butts off, compete, and I'm good. So I'm good. I'm good."
In other words: Duke's effort was there, it just didn't have the talent.
This isn't a scenario Coach K is accustomed to, especially during a time when Duke is challenging Kentucky as the sport's preeminent one-and-done factory. This is a program that has finished in the top three of 247 Sports' recruiting rankings each of the last three years. Miami is at the other end of the spectrum. Since 2012, the Hurricanes have finished No. 81, No. 24, No. 41 and No. 85 in the same rankings.
Yet, here's Duke, 4-4 in the ACC and on the verge of dropping out of the top 25 for the first time since 2007. All this in a year when Coach K brought in either the No. 1 or No. 2 recruiting class in the country, depending on who you ask.
Yes, Amile Jefferson's injury is the elephant in the room. Duke is 7-5 since Jefferson went out with a fractured foot on Dec. 14. With Jefferson, Duke was a respectable No. 40 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Today, Duke's defense sits at No. 150.
That raises just one question: shouldn't Duke be past the point where an injury to a senior role player is making or breaking the season? Perhaps that's part of the problem. Duke may still go on a deep NCAA Tournament run this year, but at the moment the Blue Devils are learning a hard lesson about the unpredictability of depending on five-star, possible one-and-done recruits.
1. Not all one-and-dones are created equal
Brandon Ingram might end up being the first pick in June's NBA Draft ahead of Ben Simmons. At this point, it would register as a outright shock if he slips below No. 2. Ingram has been on a tear lately, blossoming into Coach K's newest devastating freshman forward, but his current shortcomings are also a reason Duke is struggling.
The Blue Devils took off last season when they made a switch at the four, sliding Justise Winslow in for Jefferson and getting Matt Jones' shooting on the floor. That lineup thrived and led Duke to the national championship for more than one reason, but don't discount Winslow's ability to effectively defend fours. Duke's defense was shaky before the move and ended up finishing No. 12 in defensive efficiency.
It's hard to blame Ingram for an inability to defend and rebound out of the four when he's a natural small forward, when he's killing it offensively and when he's one of the youngest freshmen in the class. But it is another reminder that just because you land a superstar recruit like Ingram doesn't mean he's going to immediately solve all of a team's problems.
2. Not every five-star recruit can help right away
Duke has major depth issues right now, often playing a paper-thin six-man rotation since Jefferson's injury. Part of that is because Coach K just doesn't trust big man Chase Jeter right now, one of the three McDonald's All-Americans he brought in this season.
Jeter, who didn't turn 18 until Sept. 19, is even younger than Ingram. He should still be an effective big man down the line. But if anyone in Durham really thought Jeter would be able to replace the departed Jahlil Okafor this season, they are quickly learning that was an unrealistic expectation.
Point guard has been another problem area for Duke. It's likely Coach K didn't think Tyus Jones would be a one-and-done before he powered the Blue Devils' run to the national title last April. When Jones decided to turn pro, Duke was stuck without a point guard on the roster. Krzyzewski went out and convinced Derryck Thornton to reclassify and become immediately eligible, but Thornton has been a mixed bag so far. That's not a big surprise for a player who thought he would be a high school senior this season, not a college freshman.
Duke's 2014 recruiting class of Jones, Winslow, Okafor and Grayson Allen might go down as college basketball's greatest ever. They were the exception, not the rule. Which brings us to ....
3. This might be a holdover season for Duke
Duke ended last season with confetti falling from the sky because its four freshmen combined to score 60 of the team's 68 points in the national championship game. Duke used that triumph to lay the groundwork for its next great recruiting class, the one headlined by superfriends Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum, that arrives for the 2016-17 season.
The thing about relying on one-and-dones is you can't ever take a year off. Krzyzewski did everything he could to keep it rolling, but the problem is that the talent level in the national recruiting class of 2015 just wasn't as good as it is most years. Ingram is amazing. Luke Kennard is a keeper. Jeter will get there eventually. But even when you nail recruiting, you're not going to get Jones-Winslow-Okafor or Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Frank Jackson every year.
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No one is counting out Duke yet. Jefferson is out of a walking boot and could return before the ACC Tournament. If that happens, Ingram can slide back to the three, Duke's depth will suddenly improve and the defense may finally get its act together.
Duke currently has the No. 2 offense in the country, so it's not like they're totally broken. It's worth pointing out some bozo wrote the exact same column about Duke's shaky defense each of the last two years around this point in the season. The first time the Blue Devils lost to Mercer in the round of 64; the next year they won the national championship. Given the variance of a single-elimination playoff, it's anyone's guess as to what will happen this time around.
After losing four starters from a national title team, Duke tried to reload, not rebuild. Even for arguably the best recruiter in the country, it just isn't always feasible.