The impact of Rasheed Sulaimon

By Taylor Ostrick – In this day and age of college basketball, it is not rare for freshman to play important roles on a team. There was a time when freshman were not even allowed to play varsity sports. It is easy to see how the game has changed when you witness how many teams now depend heavily on freshman production. That is why it is far from surprising to see the success that Duke freshman Rasheed Sulaimon has had on the court this year and the positive impact he has made on the team. This year’s Duke team is one that on paper, looks pretty similar to the squad from last year that was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round. Right now, Duke is gutting it out without starting senior Ryan Kelly who has been out with a foot injury, but it is easy to see the weaknesses they have without him on the court. With a healthy Kelly, the Blue Devils undoubtedly were up there with the best squads in the nation. The main differences from last years team are the growth and maturi...