The Freshman: Why It Worked For Duke And Not Kentucky
Some of today’s basketball players treat college basketball a lot like a stop at a gas station in the middle of a road trip. College basketball to them is just a mere pit stop on the way to the bright lights of the NBA. I think the consensus is that the majority of the players that think this way go to the University of Kentucky. At Kentucky, these players can compete for a championship right away, and then high tail it out of college to go get paid. Some Kentucky fans might not agree, but it is true. Despite this, can they actually win a championship?

Well, in the last three years, Kentucky has been a team composed mostly of Freshman, and almost entirely of underclassman. And have they won? The short answer is no. In 2013 we saw the one and done idea completely crumble, as Kentucky didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament, but drew the one seed in the NIT. What happened next? They were upset by 8-seeded Robert Morris in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the NIT tournament. However, the last two years have been a different story.
In the 2013-14 season, the team was starting to look a lot like the previous year’s Kentucky team until March. Kentucky drew the 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and preceded to tear through the likes of 9-seeded Kansas State, 1-seeded Wichita State, 4-seeded Louisville, 2-seeded Michigan and 2-seeded Wisconsin, only to fall short to the 7-seeded UConn Huskies in the Championship game. This year, Kentucky absolutely dominated, going 38-0, until they lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four falling short once again, and losing their “Perfect Season”.
This begs the question, how did Duke win the title? Duke recruited a trio of one and done’s for the 2014-15 season, but it was a little bit of a different story.
Team Chemistry

Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor chose Duke together, as they have been best friends since 3rd grade and have dreamed of playing in College together since then. These two players have had the best chemistry on the court of any duo all year. Quinn Cook, the only senior, gave up his point guard position so that Tyus Jones, the incoming freshman, could play his true position. This sacrifice by Cook, and the graciousness with which he took the move definitely improved this team. Talk about putting your team first.
Senior Leadership

Cook’s leadership was huge for the Blue Devils. Freshman guards Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen were able to learn from him, while quickly developing on their own. Having lost his Dad at a young age, Quinn Cook was building up to this basketball moment since he was young, and it became the team’s goal to win for Quinn.
Justise Winslow
Winslow is a drive in wing scorer that Duke hadn’t seen in a while. He was the Defensive anchor that the Blue Devils desperately needed midway through the season, and he sparked the defensive resurgence on this team that drove them to a title.
…Coach K
Are you kidding me? What a year for Coach K. Having to dismiss Rasheed Sulaimon, the first player he ever had to let go, and therefore shrinking his team to only 8 scholarship players. He won his 1000th game. And then he preceded to win his 5th Championship with the thinnest and youngest team that he has had in his 35-year tenure at Duke. He has won it in all in very different eras of the game, and in many different ways.
Big Shots in Big Games

Tyus Jones literally hit every big shot in every big game for Duke this year. He hit the dagger against Wisconsin (Both Times), Louisville, Virginia and UNC (Both times). Cook had his fair share of big shots as well. Justise Winslow was the one who hit every timely shot for Duke in the NCAA Tournament, especially against Utah and Gonzaga in his hometown. In the Championship game, Jahlil Okafor’s and-one late in the second half after Kaminsky bear hugged him opened up the game for the Blue Devils. Grayson Allen? He singlehandedly led Duke back from a nine point deficit at the most desperate of times. Kentucky’s guards showed their ability to put a team away with a big three, but Duke’s guards took it to a whole new level. These Freshman proved that they were better than Kentucky’s group, and defined the phrase “Quality over Quantity” in college basketball terms.
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Great perspective, great game.
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LOL….wow, after reading that I understand why I have never heard of International Sports Hub or of Mark Shutley.
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Funny how you start at the 2012-2013 season.
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I started there because the 2012 Championship team wasn’t made up of mostly freshman…
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Anthony Davis
Marquis Teague
Kyle Wiltcher
Michael kidd-gilchrest
Yeah there wasn’t many freshman on that team. Duke had 3 ky had 4 that year. Quit being a troll.
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How can you write this article and not include the 2012 season, when…wait for it….Kentucky started 3 freshman on a team that won the national championship. You my friend, are an idiot.
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Despite Kidd-Gilchrist and Davis, the other three players that were in the top 5 in scoring on this 2012 UK Team were not Freshman (Darius Miller, Doron Lamb, Terrence Jones). You’ll notice how I didn’t mention the 2014 Duke team because it was similar to the 2012 UK team in that they had 2 Really good freshman, but an otherwise well-rounded team. I could have included the Championship team of 2012, as they had the best freshman in the nation, but I wouldn’t consider this team BUILT on Freshman.
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With the talent Kentucky had they should have won several titles… Anyone should have been able to coach John Wall’s Kentucky squad to a championship… Last season they were an eight seed in the tournament, and the year before that they missed the tournament and lost in the first round of the NIT to Robert Morris. They won when they had Davis, but a lot of that is because it was a week season for talent in the NCAA.
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Wow. Garbage. The worst fucking article I have ever read in my life. Who the fuck is Mark Shutley? I want to strangle him after reading this. What a dumbass.
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