ANAHEIM, Calif. — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski isn’t crazy enough to supply bulletin board material to opponents, or admit publicly that the NCAA Tournament outlook may have changed dramatically in the matter of a week.
But with the return of freshman point guard Kyrie Irving, the defending champion Blue Devils could well be regarded as the favorites to hoist the trophy again — ahead of insane-shooting Ohio State, ahead of everybody.
A fearless penetrator and wonderful passer, the 6-foot-2 Irving was regarded as one of the nation’s top three freshmen, along with North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes and Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, going into the season. But Irving suffered a torn ligament in his right big toe in the eighth game and missed the rest of the regular season.
He finally got back on the court last weekend, just in time for NCAA play, and will come off the bench again tonight as No. 1-seeded Duke faces No. 5 seed Arizona at the Honda Center.
“You get better if you add talent, as long as it doesn’t hurt chemistry,” Krzyzewski said Wednesday. “So, in not starting him . . . we’ve pretty much kept our chemistry. The other thing is, he’s really good. He’s not going to be at the level he was when he got hurt, but (teammates) know he’s that good, so they want him to be a part of what we’re doing. And he’s a great kid.”
In Duke’s NCAA Tournament opener, Irving played 20 minutes in a 42-point blowout of 16th-seeded Hampton and led the Blue Devils in scoring with 14 points. While his performance Sunday against eighth-seeded Michigan wasn’t as statistically impressive, it was more significant. After missing his first three shots from the field, Irving connected on what proved to be the pivotal basket in a 73-71 victory over Michigan, hitting on a courageous runner with 33 seconds left.
The joyous reaction of Krzyzewski and everybody else on the Blue Devils’ bench told the world that Duke really has a shiny new part.
“That (shot) definitely gave me a boost going into to the game against Arizona,” Irving said. “I didn’t shoot that well (Sunday), but winning definitely gave me confidence.”
Said Duke All-America guard Nolan Smith, “Having Kyrie back is a huge benefit because he’s so talented.”
Irving is humble, polite and respectful. He had no choice. Drederick Irving coached his son from the fifth grade through the eighth before Kyrie went on to earn high school All-America honors at powerhouse St. Patrick’s in Elizabeth, N.J.
Drederick was Boston University’s all-time leading scorer when he completed his eligibility in 1988 — coincidentally in a first-round loss to Duke in the NCAA Tournament. Kyrie was born in Australia while his father was playing pro basketball there.
Kyrie wasn’t always the best player on his dad’s teams. But he sure tried to measure up.
“Playing for your father is one of the most difficult things an athlete can go through; you learn how to handle a lot of different stuff,” Kyrie said, with a grin. “My dad taught me how to compete. My skill set came from him, just watching him play all the time.”
And it should come as no surprise that Kyrie, who turned 19 two days ago, is mature beyond his years. He’s also extremely close to his father. At age 4, Kyrie lost his mother to a sudden illness. His father was always there for him. So was basketball.
Irving, projected as a high NBA lottery pick if he declares for the 2011 draft, played 20 minutes against Hampton and logged 21 against Michigan. Krzyzewski said Irving will play “significant” minutes today against Arizona.
“I always feel I can be a spark, whether I’m starting or coming off the bench,” Irving said.
Let Duke’s NCAA Tournament opponents beware.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
