Duke will be a new-look team this year -- in more ways than one.

The Blue Devils have revamped the color scheme of the seats at Cameron Indoor Stadium and added floor-level video boards along Press Row; but it's the players themselves that will likely be the biggest difference to Duke fans in 2009.

With six players listed at 6'8" or taller, this is one of the biggest, tallest teams that Coach Mike Krzyzewski has hit the hardwood with in 30 years at Duke, and the entire team is already looking forward to seeing improvement in the paint.

"Since I've been here, we've always been an undersized team. And that's the way we've played," said Senior Guard Jon Scheyer. "This year we'll be bigger than mostly every team we go up against, so for me as a guard it's really exciting to know you've got big guys behind you on defense blocking shots, defending the basket."

Coach K admits this team is built a little differently than what he usually shoots for, but he is optimistic it's going to work out well.

Krzyzewski said the offseason has been great, because the Blue Devils have been able to work, rather than recuperate like they've had to do in recent years.

Instead, Duke players have used the time off to bulk up.

Lance Thomas is up to 228 pounds, from 215; Miles Plumlee has gained 18 pounds of muscle to sit at 240.  Brian Zoubek tops out at 270.

"We can be the best rebounding team I've had here," said Krzyzewski.  "The basketball gods during the summer were saying, when you hear summer storms and the thunder, 'Rebound my son. Rebounding. You haven't done that in 30 years.'"

Duke's first game is an exhibition game against Pfeiffer College; that game is scheduled for Saturday, October 24.

Duke's "Countdown to Craziness" starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.

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Keep up with the stories Chris Cowperthwaite is working on every day: http://twitter.com/CCowperthwaite.

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