After Surprising Loss, Duke Faces an Uncertain Future Following Duke's shocking upset loss to Lehigh in the first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament, just one thing is clear: the Blue Devils were not dynamic enough to live up to expectations in 2012. What follows now for Duke fans and players is a summer of uncertainty. With just one senior graduating in May, Miles Plumlee, the Blue Devils could return an extremely talented and experienced team in the Fall that would likely be an early favorite to advance to the 2013 Final Four. That all could change if Austin Rivers and Mason Plumlee, two Duke players with pro potential, decide to enter the N.B.A. Draft in June. A perfect storm of foul trouble, a stagnant offense and cold outside shooting forced Duke out of the N.C.A.A. tournament Friday night. The Blue Devils were just 6-for-26 from behind the 3-point line, and three of those 3-pointers did not come until the final 1:36 of play. For a team designed to stretch the floor with 3-point jumpers and penetrate into the lane when possible, Duke could not compensate for the loss of Ryan Kelly, the 6-foot-11 scorer who missed the game nursing a sprained left ankle. Without Kelly, Duke's offense floundered. As all of the Blue Devils" shooters continually misfired, the perimeter defenders of Lehigh could afford to play tight defense and clog the lane, meaning Austin Rivers and Seth Curry could not exploit the defense with a drive to the rim. Curry exacerbated Duke's woes by racking up fouls early in the game, forcing him to play just 25 minutes. Duke's season ends in the first round for just the third time under Coach Mike Krzyzewski, but there is reason to believe the Blue Devils could make a strong run in 2013. Krzyzewski's recruiting class is small at one player, but Rasheed Sulaimon, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Houston, has the potential to be a star in the A.C.C. Sulaimon will provide the Blue Devils with another talented scorer at guard, and one that can create his own shot. Duke will also welcome two redshirt freshmen into the rotation, 6-foot-11 Marshall Plumlee, the younger brother of Mason and Miles, and 6-foot-8 Alex Murphy, a multifaceted swingman not unlike former Duke star Kyle Singler. Plumlee, who will have had a full year of practice under his belt and time to condition his body, should ease the Blue Devils" lack of depth at forward and provide Duke with much needed rebounding. Murphy could solve some of the matchup problems the Blue Devils encountered this year, being without a true small forward. At 6-foot-8, Murphy will be able to defend a wide range of players, and is an offensive threat in his own right with a shooting range that extends beyond the 3-point line. Duke cannot be considered a title contender, however, unless both Rivers and Mason Plumlee return to Durham for another season - and both players could improve their draft stock with another year of college. Rivers still lacks an N.B.A.-ready body and has trouble finishing at the rim through contact, evident in his 5-for-14 performance against an unheralded Lehigh front line. Rivers is not an elite shooter either, at just 43 percent from the field, and shoots an abysmal 65.8 percent from the free-throw line. Plumlee was the lone star for Duke in its first-round loss, with 19 points and 12 rebounds, but he still has an offensive limited game that has shown some signs of improvement over the course of the season. Plumlee at times can rely on a turnaround jump-hook, but his success around the basket is mostly a result of his unrivaled athleticism. If both Rivers and Plumlee return for another season, Duke would likely be regarded as the favorite in the A.C.C., returning four starters to a team that won 27 games and went undefeated on the road in conference play. Until both players announce their intentions, however, the future for the downtrodden Blue Devils is hazy.