When Mason Plumlee enrolled at Duke last year, many Blue Devil fans dreamed he would soon join his brother Miles in Duke’s starting frontcourt. The brothers, fans hoped, would become the athletic, high-flying and skilled big men sought after for years.

That didn’t become a reality last year. The dream of a national championship, however, did.

The Plumlee brothers won’t complain about a reduced role last season, even if a preseason wrist injury knocked Mason out of the starting lineup and a resurgent Brian Zoubek also relegated Miles to the bench.

“Whatever happened was the right thing, so that was the best team we could be last year,” Miles said of the Blue Devils’ national title run. “I have no regrets.”

But with Zoubek and Lance Thomas now graduated, the Plumlee brothers don’t have to look over their shoulders this season. They will, in all likelihood, enter the fall as Duke’s starting frontcourt. Only sophomore Ryan Kelly and freshman Josh Hairston—who currently plays for U.S.A. Basketball’s U-18 Team— provide backup in the paint.

Less depth may mean more pressure, but also a tantalizing opportunity to deliver the dream of ultra-athletic post players, albeit a year delayed.

“Just going into this year knowing that [I’ll start], it’s a big confidence booster and it’s also a big motivator,” Miles said.

The brothers know, though, that transitioning into the starting lineup will require them to alter their playing style. Last season, the Plumlees were asked to provide energy in quick bursts off the bench. Now, they’ll be called upon to play at least 20 minutes a game without the security provided by experienced big men like Zoubek and Thomas.

The added minutes will necessitate restraint on defense in a way that wasn’t required last year. Miles had more than four fouls 14 times last season, while Mason had more than three fouls 13 times despite averaging only 14 minutes per game.

“You definitely have to play a lot smarter when you’re playing longer minutes,” Miles said. “You can’t come in and get as many fouls. That is something I have to adjust to, playing smarter on defense.”

But while the Plumlees have big shoes to fill on the defensive side of the ball, they may make their greatest impact on offense. Last year’s defensive-minded tandem of Zoubek and Thomas led Duke to be a half-court oriented team, with a majority of the frontcourt’s scoring coming from offensive rebounds.

Miles and Mason, though, rely on athleticism and agility to get their points, along with a budding toolbox of post moves. That should allow this year’s Blue Devils to pick up the pace and challenge their opponents on the fast break.

“I think with the way we play [this year], we’ll get some easy baskets for them, because they can really run,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “I think we can spread the court more and have some runs to the offense, get some dunks and easy buckets.”

But the Plumlees won’t be fully responsible for Duke’s new identity, as freshman point guard Kyrie Irving’s ability to create on the break should fuel the new-look Blue Devils just as much as the new, athletic frontcourt.

“We all have high hopes for [Kyrie] and high expectations,” Miles said. “It’s different having a point guard like him who can create easy buckets for the big guys whereas last year we relied a lot on the motion offense for that.”

With a new point guard and a new offensive mentality, the brothers are itching to prove that Duke can win another title with them starting in the post.

And if that isn’t enough motivation for Miles and Mason to break out this season, well, there’s always the brotherly rivalry.

“It’s natural that you always want to do better than your brother,” Miles said. “So I think we keep it in perspective, but it definitely matters.”