When you think of Duke basketball, a wealth of images probably spring to mind: an army of blue paint-covered co-eds yelling in the ears of opposing players, coach Mike Krzyzewski spitting fire as he roams the sidelines, and Dick Vitale ditching his headset to lead the Blue Devils’ cheers. But for the past decade, Duke basketball has included another mainstay — a stable of imposing post players.

Elton Brand begat Carlos Boozer. Boozer handed the reins to Shelden Williams. And Williams passed the torch to Josh McRoberts. Whether setting their offense or protecting their own hoop, those space eaters were a focal point of the Duke program.

That’s all changed this season. With no true big man in the lineup, the Devils have switched to a running-based attack. The results? It’s early, but this looks like the best Duke team in three years, and maybe more.

Through nine games, the Devils are undefeated. Like any elite team, they’ve beaten their share of early-season creampuffs. But in a 10-day span late last month and into early December, Duke knocked off two tough, ranked opponents in Marquette and Wisconsin, as well as Stephen Curry and a talented Davidson team.

Look at the top performers in those three games, and you gain some insight into Duke’s new identity. Against Marquette on November 21, freshman Kyle Singler led Duke in both scoring and rebounding, going for 25 and seven while converting 8-of-8 from the foul line. That line resembles a vintage effort by Brand or Boozer. But Singler is a completely different breed of Blue Devil. The Oregon native is one of the team’s best face-up shooters, rarely playing with his back to the basket. Yet at 6 feet, 8 inches, and 220 pounds, he also shares the distinction of being the biggest member of Duke’s regular rotation — along with fellow 6-foot-8-inch, 220-pounder Lance Thomas.

Against Wisconsin six days later, Greg Paulus set the tone. The junior point guard has been much maligned throughout his career in Durham, possessing many of the face-contorting, floor-slapping traits of the floor generals who came before him, but with only a fraction of the success of, say, Bobby Hurley. This season, he’s playing fewer minutes and averaging just 8.9 points a game, down from last year’s 11.8. He’s also done some growing up: Playing 26.3 minutes a game in this year’s faster-paced offense, compared to last year’s 32.4 (down 19%), Paulus is averaging 1.9 turnovers per game, compared to last year’s 3.1 (down 39%). Against Wisconsin, he drained four of seven from behind the arc, leading Duke in scoring and pacing the Devils’ blowout win.

But the biggest boon to this year’s Duke team might be Gerald Henderson. Against Davidson on December 1, Henderson poured in 21 points and snared eight rebounds, all in just 25 minutes. Best known for exploding Tyler Hansbrough’s nose late last season, Henderson failed to live up to high expectations in his freshman year. But the 6-foot-4-inch swingman has been the team’s most improved player by a country mile this season. Despite playing just 3 1/2 more minutes a game this season, Henderson has doubled his scoring average to 13.8 a game, while also dramatically raising his rebound and blocked shot totals. Henderson’s speed and leaping ability also make him a frequent recipient of passes on the break, as well as lobs in halfcourt sets. See if you can think of another 6-foot-4-inch Duke player who’s thrown down alley-oop dunks and swatted shots on a regular basis. Steve Wojciechowski on a ladder, maybe.

Duke’s increased quickness and athleticism has shown up on both ends of the floor. According to the indispensable stats site kenpom.com, Duke ranks fifth in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, and seventh in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Last season, the Devils were even better on defense at no. 5, but not as strong offensively, with a no. 40 rank. The biggest difference comes in the Tempo category, which uses the number of possessions to gauge the pace at which a team plays. Last season, Duke ranked just 203rd among 336 Division I teams in Adjusted Tempo; this year, they’re 24th.

So far, so good. Of course, we’re just 10 days into December, still a few weeks away from the start of ACC play. To better gauge the run-and-gun Devils compared to their bigger, more deliberate predecessors, we’ll need to see more games against seasoned teams such as Clemson, more scratch and claw road tilts in places such as Charlottesville and Raleigh, and above all, more blood feud match-ups with their next door neighbors in Chapel Hill. If Duke has its way, people won’t be talking about Henderson’s nose-punching skills. They’ll be talking about his emergence as the lead high-flyer on the most exciting Blue Devils team in recent memory.

Mr. Keri (jonahkeri@gmail.com) is a writer for ESPN.com’s Page 2.