Episode 23: Irving's Return May Cause Duke's Demise

Kyrie Irving, one of the best guards in the nation, will return for Duke in its NCAA Tournament opener against Hampton on Friday. Coach K and the rest of his Blue Devils say his return will not ruin the chemistry the team has built in his 3-month absence. After all, Duke only lost four games without him, won the ACC Tournament and claimed a No. 1 seed in the tournament. But I explain two reasons how I think Irving's return could lead to Duke's downfall. 1) It's one thing to try to incorporate a role player, but Irving is not a role player. He's a star. He led the team in points and assists before he got injured 8 games into the season, and he was becoming more and more a part of Duke's offense. His last two games before his right toe injury were monster performances; 2) He's a freshman. You don't think Irving is licking his chops to make an impact for his team? Plus, he makes freshman mistakes. The only downside to Irving is his tendency to turn the ball over. With all the time he's missed and not being at 100% health, that trend is more likely to continue. The bottom line is, Coach K has a tough task converting a star player into a role player, especially during March Madness. I also talk about Bruce Pearl, NBA action from last night, and some NHL. Photo from masslive.com