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Quote:DUKE

GETTING INSIDE

It sure was an exciting few days for coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Cameron Crazies, the Los Angeles Lakers ... and the whole of college basketball.

While the college game's signature coach mulled an offer from the NBA powerhouse to become its head coach in early July, the basketball world almost seemed to stand still. If he said yes, it would have been a huge transaction, potentially giving the college coaching carousel a big whirl and making a statement about the state of the college game.

Ahhh ... but Coach K decided to stay and build on his Hall of Fame career in Durham.

Some near the veteran coach believe his "courtship" was partly to send a message to the Duke administration, that despite the recent ACC emphasis on football, roundball is still king on his campus.

Whatever the case, Duke breathed a huge sigh of relief. And now almost all is right in the Blue Devils' world.

There is still the matter of being shorthanded next season.

The pros plucked Luol Deng, one of the most polished freshmen in the country last year, and 6-7 Shaun Livingston, the top high school point guard prospect in the nation, never made it to campus at all.

The Blue Devils retain five of the top seven players in their rotation from a group that reached last season's Final Four. Their depth won't be great in the frontcourt, but Duke's top-line players still compare favorably to most teams in the country.

NOTES, QUOTES

PROGRAM OVERVIEW: Duke goes 31-6 ... and the season kind of leaves a bitter taste for a lot of Blue Devils. Welcome to Mike Krzyzewski's world. The Devils squandered a late 12-point lead to just miss their sixth consecutive ACC title, and they just ran out of big men against Emeka Okafor and UConn in the Final Four.

So now gutty Chris Duhon is gone and Deng departed early, too, with the NBA also taking Shaun Livingston, one of the most anticipated signees anywhere.

But Coach K still has a load of talented players, particularly on the front line where Williams and Shavlik Randolph could be one of the ACC's top one-two punches in the paint.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Your heart has to be in whatever you do. You have to lead with your heart and Duke has always taken up my whole heart." -- Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, on his decision to rebuff the Lakers and stay with the Blue Devils.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

KEY RECRUITS AND TRANSFERS: Forward David McClure -- The 6-7 Connecticut product is a Top 50 prospect. The Blue Devils hope he can have the same kind of impact as their last Connecticut signee, Mike Gminski, an All-ACC fixture in the late 1970s.

DeMarcus Nelson -- Maybe the earliest commitment ever at Duke, the 6-3 Nelson announced for Coach K in May of 2002. A consensus top 20 prospect, Nelson can help right away if he can play defense. He's a proven commodity at the other end of the floor.

INJURY IMPACT: No significant injuries.