It has been a tough year personally for Duke point guard Greg Paulus. The senior who was a 3 year starter up until this year has seen his playing team decrease with the rise of quicker guards Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams.
It is rare to see a 3 year starter get to his senior year and be a role player who played only 10 total minutes in the 3 ACC Tournament games. It is even more uncommon to see a player like this remain a great teammate. From the New York Times:
When Duke won the tournament title, no player in the team picture had a bigger smile than Paulus. He had the championship trophy in front of him, a senior’s prerogative.
He does not sit at the end of the bench; he is usually the first player next to the coaches and the first one up to greet a player walking off the floor with a hand slap. He sits on the edge of his seat, absorbed in the game.
“It’s sincere,” said Steve Wojciechowski, a Duke assistant coach and former point guard for the Blue Devils. “Greg is one of the all-time best guys we have had in our program. He’s the guy you trust your kids with, and give the keys to your house, or keys to your car.”
Elliot Williams, the freshman guard, said he goes to Paulus after practice looking for tips and insights. Paulus shares three seasons of lessons.
“Elliot is doing a great job for us; he’s really helped out our team,” Paulus said. “He is so long and athletic, and he can really put ball pressure on. He’s a good athlete, and we need him to keep playing well.”
“I’m thinking about the game for 40 minutes,” he said. “We need everybody to win. It’s been different guys to step up and help us win games. I’m not the exception. I need to be ready.”
