NEW YORK -- Let's give a big-time salute to the super soph of the Dukies, Mr. Jason Williams!

He came up with three prime-time plays down the stretch in crunch time to help Duke to the winners' circle in the championship game of the Preseason NIT with a 63-61 win over Temple.

	Duke's Jason Williams is surrounded by Longhorns, but in the end the Duke guard corralled Texas in the Preseason NIT semifinals.

The guard helped raise the level of intensity on the defensive end when the Blue Devils trailed 60-54 with under four minutes left. He made a key 3-pointer to give Duke a 61-60 lead. Next Williams dove on the floor to get a jump ball call which gave his team possession late, a play I applauded on TV.

Then he made the key delivery to Carlos Boozer for a lay-up to give Duke a three-point lead. Temple's Lynn Greer made one free throw to cut it to two, which was the final margin of a contest that was simply awesome.

Give John Chaney's Owls lots of credit. They scrapped and clawed and gave the Blue Devils all they could handle. Just when it looked like Duke was in trouble, Mike Krzyzewski's team raised its game to another level, with the defensive pressure forcing mistakes and turnovers.

Boozer was a force inside while Williams was super, scintillating and sensational as a three-D man -- driving, dishing and delivering the rock!

Greer and Kevin Lyde inside gave Temple a chance, but at the end Duke found a way to get it done. What a great way to finish the Preseason NIT. The Garden was rocking and rolling with a classic ending.

It was Williams who came up big.

Nice turn of events
What a difference a year makes, baby!

Last season, the Dukies opened the season at Madison Square Garden and left with two losses. Mike Krzyzewski's team learned from those defeats and ran off 18 straight wins. Facing good competition early always helps.

This year, Duke came to the mecca of college basketball again and the results were far different in New York City. Coach K and his team left as Preseason NIT champions after the hard-fought win over Temple. More importantly, they built early-season momentum.

This Blue Devils are sound fundamentally and can beat you in so many ways. The Preseason NIT was a perfect example of how many weapons the Dukies have. Just look at the road to the title game.

First, it was Shane Battier drilling nine trifectas, finishing with 29 points in the win over Princeton. Boozer dominated inside with 22 points in the big W over Villanova, which got the Dukies to the Garden. Against Texas, Nate James had a career-high 26 points. He hit nine of 12 from the floor.

Diaper dandy Chris Duhon hit a couple of big 3s in the first half against Temple.

The story of the Blue Devils is balance, balance, balance. If you stop one player, someone else can hurt you. Williams and Duhon do a great job distributing the rock. Mike Dunleavy is another effective weapon.

This is a unique club. They can all pass. They can all dribble. They all shoot well. It is a rarity to have a team with all of these elements. I do feel they need to get a little stronger inside.

Depth key for Duke over long haul
Also important during the Preseason NIT was the play of Casey Sanders and Nick Horvath, providing productive minutes. Sanders is a shot-blocker and an inside presence who can develop into a force. Coach K needs support from his bench or his team will wear down during the long season.

The Preseason NIT was very special for Duke. Coach K got his 500th win at the school with the victory over Villanova. Then came the announcement that the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium will officially become Coach K Court.

Things don't get any easier for the Blue Devils.

Temple will get another shot at Duke, this time in the City of Brotherly Love on Dec. 2. The Blue Devils have a tough test against Illinois in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge later this week. The Illini rallied to give Arizona all it could handle out in the Maui final.

Coach K and company also have to face Stanford later in December before ACC play gets under way. For now, however, the Dukies are happy to post four solid Ws to start the season.