Krzyzewski compares Singler to Battier on defense

Ever thought of Kyle Singler as similar to Shane Battier? Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has.

In fact, on Monday Krzyzewski said Singler is similar to Battier as a defender, which is high praise considering the fact that Battier is considered one of the best defenders Duke has ever had.

“He’s as good a defender as there is in the country,” Krzyzewski said. “Kyle really can defend 1 through 5. …

“He’ll fight everybody. He gets through screens. A beautiful part of his game is how when he is the ball, how he orchestrates our defense. He is like Battier in that regard.

“Defensively he is very similar to Shane. I think he can guard more perimeter positions than Shane. Shane was one of the best talkers we’ve had as far as on defense.”

In case you didn’t know, talking on defense is critical to how Duke plays. If you are close to the floor, you can hear the Devils talking to each other, which is a big point of emphasis for Krzyzewski. So praising Singler in that vein is significant for Krzyzewski.

“Kyle is one of the great defenders who has played here,” Krzyzewski said.