Eleven games. That’s all sharpshooting 19-year-old point guard Kyrie Irving needed as a Duke University freshman last season to prove his worth – not only to the Blue Devils, but as the likely No. 1 overall pick in tonight’s 2011 NBA Draft.
Despite suffering a severe toe injury last December that essentially spelled the end of his first and only college season, Irving – a highly decorated high-school star who owns a gold medal from the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship – flashed a seldom-seen combination of athleticism and playmaking ability that thrust him rapidly to the top of most NBA draft boards.
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