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How good are the Duke Blue Devils with Jahlil Okafor?

By DJoumbarey A. Moreau

Apr. 3, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Varsity basketball team member Jahlil Okafor poses at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago. Okafor, a 6 foot 10 inch junior who plays the center position, is poised to become one of the top basketball recruits for college teams in the country. Mandatory Credit: Guy Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Apr. 3, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Varsity basketball team member Jahlil Okafor poses at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago. Okafor, a 6 foot 10 inch junior who plays the center position, is poised to become one of the top basketball recruits for college teams in the country. Mandatory Credit: Guy Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /
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I began learning how to cook this year, and it is amazing the way that the foods, spices, and flavoring blends together to make a delicious dish.

The Duke Blue Devils basketball this season will be exciting to watch, and for good reason. With all the different ingredients that this roster has, they are going to cook their competition this year.

Because of Jahlil Okafor, it gives the Duke Blue Devils more than enough talent to win the NCAA Championship this year.

To make Duke-flavored NCAA Championship Jambalaya here are the instructions:

Mar 5, 2014; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Rasheed Sulaimon (14) drives the ball during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Wake defeated Duke 82-72. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2014; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Rasheed Sulaimon (14) drives the ball during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Wake defeated Duke 82-72. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
  • Add in a bit of seasoning with a veteran and battle-tested point guard in Quinn Cook.
  • Mix in a sprinkle of a galvanized spark plug in Rasheed Sulaimon.
  • Throw in 1/3 of a Plumlee. Marshall will be determined to outplay his brothers Mason and Miles.
  • Put in a perfect pinch of pizzazz with two five-star recruits in Tyus Jones (a pass first point guard) and Justise Winslow (a lockdown defender).
  • We couldn’t forget the meat and potatoes with the big man Jahlil Okafor.

There you have a recipe for a great chance to make an NCAA Championship run.

We didn’t forget about dessert either. How about a little Krzyzewski cake? Adding in a coach who won two Olympic Gold medals, and four NCAA Championships makes the dinner more sweeter.

Last season Duke was good. They were 9-6 against the Top 50 teams and finished with a 26-9 record.

With Jabari Parker remaining on the Duke roster, the Blue Devils would be the clear-cut favorites in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Since his departure many feel they wont be as good as last year, while I strongly disagree.

People be warned, this team is going to be a lot better than last year.

Similar to last season, Duke landed a top two ranked recruit from the state of Illinois.

Goodbye Parker and Hello Okafor

Okafor is a supremely fundamentally gifted center who knows how to score baskets within the paint.

Brian Zoubek, Miles Plumlee, and Mason Plumlee were all big men that played important roles for their respective Duke teams, but they were never looked upon to score the basketball. With Okafor, that changes.

I love players that take up space in the paint, set a target and wait for the guards to feed them the basketball. These players often catch the basketball, make a strong move and finish with contact. As they run back on defense they look at the scoreboard since they know every time they touch the ball two more points are on the board.

Okafor is that kind of player.

In high school, he didn’t use pure athleticism to take over games. That is what I love about his game. Though he can dunk ferociously and use his strength to move people, Okafor knows how to position his body to score.

The addition of a low post scorer is something that Duke has missed since Shelden Williams.

Recently the Blue Devils have been a model of inconsistency in the NCAA Tournament and it’s only because of their style of play.

Duke has transitioned into the strategy of using the three-point line to propel them to victories. When their players are hitting shots during NCAA tournament time, it pays off grandly. They make deep NCAA tournament runs that lead to success. When everyone is catching fire (No Hunger Games puns intended), the results have been a National Championship (2010) and an Elite Eight appearance (2013).

Their feast or famine style of play also opens the door for the Blue Devils to underachieve as well.

When players are missing shots it leaves Duke scrambling, playing “Helter Skelter” defense. Opponents get on fastbreaks more often because of long rebounds. This results in Duke’s players getting fatigued from playing an up-tempo game. The results of this is two opening game exits in 2012 and 2014.

With the addition of Okafor, people will see that during the NCAA Tournament his game will prove high yielding.

Instead of living and dying on jumpshots, Duke will have a talented big man on the block that they can throw the basketball to, and get a quality look at the rim.

Everyone grab a plate and get ready to feast this year, because when Duke plays in your city get ready to have a taste of Duke NCAA Championship Jambalaya. Get your bibs ready, and get ready to feast.

Come back for seconds if you want more.