DURHAM, N.C. - The Duke starting lineup may have a different look this season and no one will be smiling more than Kyle Singler.

Look for 6-foot-10, 230-pound freshman Miles Plumlee to start in the middle - and don't be shocked if Nolan Smith takes three-year starting point guard Greg Paulus' job.

Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski said that "no one can lose something they haven't got" when asked about Paulus losing his spot.

But it was apparent from watching practice yesterday that Smith has currently moved ahead on the depth chart.

Plumlee, a late addition when he was allowed out of his letter-of-intent from Stanford following Trent Johnson's departure to LSU, will limit Singler's minutes of having to battle opposing big men. A year ago, as a freshman, Singler was forced to play in the middle because of a lack of size on the team.

``When Kyle got beaten down by the end of the year, it hurt us," Krzyzewski said. ``He had to play more minutes than we had hoped in the low post."

Now Krzyzewski plans to utilize a three-man rotation of Plumlee, plodding 7-footer Brian Zoubek and undersized 6-foot-8 athlete Lance Thomas in the middle.

``Nothing is set in stone and I know I've still got to work for it," Plumlee said. "I was a little surprised I am playing with the first team being that I'm a freshman, but that's what I want. I've just got to keep working for it."

Plumlee gives the team a long and athletic big man who could be exactly what Duke needs to make a deep run in the postseason. He's not only capable of providing a shot-blocker defensively, but he is able to go get balls off the rim on the offensive end of the floor.

``He's going to be key for us, maybe the key," admitted Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski. ``And it was crazy how we got him."

Plumlee was a lightly regarded recruit when he committed to Stanford and weighed about 190 pounds. However, the Duke staff had watched Plumlee's game grow while recruiting his older brother, Mason, who committed to the Blue Devils back in February.

Paulus, arguably the team's top perimeter shooter, has started 95 games in his three seasons in Durham and led the Blue Devils in assists for the third straight season.

However, a knee injury over the summer set him back and allowed sophomore Nolan Smith, the team's top perimeter defender, to make a claim to the starting spot.

``I'm going to do whatever the team needs," Paulus said. ``I just want to help the team win."