Coach K: Blue Devils Can Be 'Very Good'

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Hall of Fame coaches usually don&#39;t resort to playing walk-ons at key minutes or luring former two-sport players back for a leftover year of eligibility.<br> <br> Then again, Duke&#39;s Mike Krzyzewski had few options last season with just eight recruited scholarship players.<br> <br> That&#39;s why Coach K looks ready to start the 2005-06 season right now. He has a pair of returning All-Americans, several tested veterans and a top-ranked recruiting class, which could add up to another championship season for the Blue Devils.<br> <br> &#34;I do think we&#39;re going to be a really good basketball team,&#34; Krzyzewski said Monday. &#34;I don&#39;t know where we&#39;ll be ranked. If we stay healthy, we should be competitive. We have a chance to be very good.&#34; <br> <br> By anyone&#39;s standards, Duke&#39;s 27-6 record last season was a remarkable success, a year in which the Blue Devils won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament for the sixth time in seven seasons despite having a roster as thin as tissue paper.<br> <br> Sharp-shooting guard J.J. Redick became a first-team All-American and league player of the year, while rugged Shelden Williams was a third-team All-American. The tandem averaged nearly 38 points per game, and will have more help this season.<br> <br> In addition to the return of DeMarcus Nelson, Sean Dockery and Lee Melchionni, the Blue Devils add a freshman class featuring McDonald&#39;s All-Americans Josh McRoberts, Greg Paulus and Eric Boateng.<br> <br> It&#39;s quite a change from last season, when Krzyzewski convinced forward Reggie Love - a four-year letter winner in football and a part of two ACC title teams under the coach - to return for a final year after averaging 1.1 points in 37 career games. In addition, walk-ons Patrick Johnson and Patrick Davidson played a combined 40 games last year to help the Blue Devils overcome injuries to Love, Shavlik Randolph and David McClure. <br> <br> The only hiccups in the offseason have been the health of McClure - Krzyzewski said he might redshirt him after going through knee surgery in May - and Randolph&#39;s surprise declaration for the NBA draft.<br> <br> &#34;Would I like him to be back? Absolutely,&#34; Krzyzewski said of the 6-foot-10 Randolph, who averaged six points in his injury-plagued career. &#34;I&#39;d like for him to have an uninterrupted senior year and then go for it. But his dream is to do it right now so he&#39;s committed to it. ... I can&#39;t fault him for that.&#34;<br> <br> For now, Krzyzewski can&#39;t help but think ahead to intense practices and the chance to play pressure defense again without worrying of wearing down his players. If the Blue Devils meet expectations, they will reach the Final Four in Indianapolis - the site of Krzyzewski&#39;s first NCAA title win 14 years ago.<br> <br> &#34;I&#39;ve got seniors who can be real leaders and mentors for us ... guys who&#39;ve been in it a long time and can help the younger guys,&#34; he said. &#34;I like whatever that dynamic will do.&#34;<br> <br> © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.