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Wednesday, April 4
If Williams is back, Duke will be too
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- Jason Williams reiterated Monday night that he would return to Duke for his junior season.
|  | | Jason Williams says he'll be back next season. Stay tuned. |
If he doesn't change his mind -- and saying he's returning is by no means binding -- then Duke does have a legitimate shot to repeat as champions, or at the very least contend for a Final Four berth in 2002.
"I'm living in this moment and when next year comes, I'll step back on the court with Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski)," Williams said. "Right now, I'm looking forward to just kicking it for a minute and enjoy it. But, yes I am (coming back)."
His teammates seem split as to whether or not that is a certainty. None of them would blame him if he bolted, considering he would likely be the first college player taken in the June draft (7-6 Chinese center Yao Ming could be the overall No. 1).
"We'll wait and see because people have a tendency to change their minds," Duke backcourt mate Chris Duhon said. "But he'll be a success in whatever he chooses."
Sophomore center Casey Sanders said most players would have to take a serious look at the opportunity in front of them if they were Williams. He can score on just about anyone and if he's not on from the perimeter -- like at the Final Four -- then he can penetrate and get to the basket for a layup or to the line for free throws.
No player this season was as automatic when a game was on the line as Williams. He did it to Maryland. He did it to Arizona. If he returns, he will be the clear favorite for player of the year. He probably would have won it this season if Shane Battier wasn't a senior on his team.
But the consensus is that Williams will stick by his public -- and apparently private -- word. He has said he promised Rutgers transfer and close friend Dahntay Jones that he would play with him next season. He also has been adamant about staying for two years to finish his degree.
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If (Jason) stays, then great things are going to happen. I think he values an education and he loves this program and he still has so much to learn. Every game, he's the best player out there on the floor and does the little things. When he does that, then nothing is going to stop him. ” |
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— Chris Duhon,
Duke guard |
"If Jason leaves then my role will be even bigger," Duhon said. "If he stays, then great things are going to happen. I think he values an education and he loves this program and he still has so much to learn. Every game, he's the best player out there on the floor and does the little things. When he does that, then nothing is going to stop him."
Krzyzewski made sure to point out that Williams said he's coming back, making the question in his mind a non-issue. But Krzyzewski might have to re-recruit Carlos Boozer.
The consensus was that Boozer wouldn't bolt to the NBA after he broke his foot, even though his pre-Duke summer basketball coaches and advisors were telling the media he would declare for the draft. But Boozer's play in the Final Four -- 19 points off the bench against Maryland and a double-double against Arizona -- might have rekindled the talk.
"I'm not thinking about that, I'm thinking about this moment right now and enjoying the victory," Boozer said.
Assuming Boozer and Williams return, then the Blue Devils will still find it hard to replace Battier, and to some extent, Nate James.
"We lose the best leader in the country," Duhon said of Battier. "We lose the best player. He does it all, defensively and offensively. He's like the second coach on the floor. We need someone to step up and fill those big shoes to fill. Jason will be the leader, but I'm going to have to be more aggressive on offense and keep the same intensity defensively."
The Blue Devils should be more athletic, which makes their pressure halfcourt defense even more imposing. Boozer and Sanders are the only two traditional inside players, but in typical Duke fashion both should be even better offensively. Boozer is getting more physical defensively and Sanders was already a presence as a shot blocker. The slender Nick Horvath, who sat out with a foot injury, gives the Blue Devils another shooting forward. Daniel Ewing could be a factor inside and out but he'll be green as a freshman.
"We'll have a lot of scorers with the addition of Jones in the lineup," Boozer said. "We'll be playing up tempo and great defense like this season. Hopefully, we'll be the team to beat next year."
The strength of next season's Duke team will be very similar to this one with the emphasis on the perimeter with Williams, Duhon, Jones and Mike Dunleavy.
"You'll see a more athletic team," Sanders said.
But it won't be a walk for Duke, even with Williams and Boozer back. Maryland and North Carolina will once again be the teams competing atop the ACC and the national picture will include a number of the same names like Florida, Arizona and Kentucky.
"I'm looking forward to coaching them," said Krzyzewski, the last to coach repeat champions. "We'll have to replace the leadership Shane and Nate gave us. That's something you can't figure out how that's going to be, but hopefully by being around those guys, we learned something about that."
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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Do the Blue Devils have what it takes to defend their national title? ESPN's Jay Bilas gives the verdict.
Mike Krzyzewski on the college career of Shane Battier.