Duke veterans talk about freshman, but it’s a new year

For the second straight year, Duke’s veterans found themselves answering questions about the incoming freshman class at ACC media day. They were quick to note there’s no comparison between the two.

Last year’s group of Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen was truly special, from the way they came in as a cohesive group to their overall talent level. This year’s group has similar quantity, but Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee hastened to forestall any comparisons in terms of quality.

“There’s definitely a learning curve, as it is with any freshman,” Plumlee said. “I will say what’s been unique about this freshman class in my time is the effort level they put in. They work extremely hard during practice and outside of practice. You have to love a work ethic like that.”

Veterans at parsing the words of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski heard the same thing. When Krzyzewski knows he has a freshman who’s going to make an immediate impact, everyone else knows, too. He spoke extensively of the impact Kyrie Irving and Jahlil Okafor would have on their teams long before anyone saw them play, especially at media day.

And this year?

“I’d rather not make predictions about my freshmen,” Krzyzewski said.

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Duke veterans talk about freshman, but it’s a new year."