Duke Confirms Josh Hairston will Start vs NC State in place of Ryan Kelly

Duke fans had been wondering who would replace Ryan Kelly in Duke's starting lineup this Saturday, and it appears that Junior Josh Hairston is going to get first crack at the job:

Was told last night Josh Hairston would get first crack at Kelly's minutes. Game notes for NC State have Hairston projected starter.

— Stephen Wiseman (@stevewisemanNC) January 11, 2013

Here's a link to those game notes just for those who are curious.

It appears by his choice that Coach K wants to set a more defensive tone by putting Hairston in to start, though I wouldn't be too surprised to see Amile Jefferson get the lion's share of the minutes. Most fans probably would have preferred Jefferson from the get-go, but this speaks to something we've discussed on this site a number of times: K's maniacal desire to win every single game. Rather than putting in a freshman and letting him play through his growing pains, it appears he would rather go with a slightly more seasoned guy who knows his (very limited) role.

It'll be interesting to see how the minutes shake out and if Alex Murphy (remember him?) can even break into the mix, as well. Stay tuned.