Hope Coach K puts on the full court press for Roscoe now. I'd like to see him lock down HB next year.
I know these things run in cycles, but how much longer can UNC's run of dominance last? Gees
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Hope Coach K puts on the full court press for Roscoe now. I'd like to see him lock down HB next year.
I know these things run in cycles, but how much longer can UNC's run of dominance last? Gees
Does anyone know about his academics? I am hoping that he is fully qualified (and not by the skim of his teeth) so an Eric Bledsoe situation can be avoided. All I know about Roscoe is that he attended Walbrook HS in Baltimore until this year, and he has switched to Oak Hill this year most likely to increase his profile as a high school basketball player.
Duke's taken a couple of guys from Oak Hill (Nolan and Will Avery) and Steve Smith is known for being fair and not leading kids to a specific school unlike some other coaches at basketball powers.
Before so many start following Chicken Little here, the sky is most definitely NOT falling! Yes, it's a bummer re. HB. But it isn't the end of the world. Having been a Dukie for 30+ years, I can tell you with certainty that there were other very prominent recruits that we missed on in the couple years preceeding K's various NC's. We recovered quite nicely from those too, thank-you-very-much. And boy do we have a great recruiting class regardless...
Let's paint a scenario for next year - not "out there" at all - that we get Roscoe and Kyle stays for his senior year (I hear that isn't a stretch). We have a terrific line-up capable of making a real run at the NC. Imagine starting Singler, Mason P., Irving and 2 of either Roscoe Smith/Curry/N. Smith/Dawkins, with front court depth including Miles P., Ryan, Hairston. That is absolutely a deep, NC caliber team! Obviously things have to break right, and chemistry will be key, and yes HB woulda helped, but we will absolutely be capable of a title run (and probably among the top-6 or so pre-season). That's all you can ask for -- a shot. (It isn't like the '90-91 season or '00-01 started off with Duke as a NC lock either!) We'll have a good shot. Really.
One last thing. While I would have loved to get HB like the rest of you, a case can ceretainly be made that a Roscoe Smith will have more college impact than HB -- especially if HB leaves after one year and Mr. Smith stays for four!! (There have certainnly been several cases where Duke has gone after the slightly-less heralded recruit rather than pursue the big "name" one who's likely to leave after just a year or two... (ask Kerlina how it worked out when the focused on Kenny Anderson while Duke "settled" on heretofor UNC fan Bobby Hurley...). Just saying, this COULD work out for the best...you just never know "until they play the games..."
-BDBD :cool:
"The glass is MORE than half full folks!"
Many people also bemoan the loss of Brandon Wright to UNC. How well did that work out? He was a solid player as a freshman that then landed in the nba lottery. No NC no F4. Also, we celebrated landing McRoberts and thought he would be the piece to get us back to the F4. Instead, he left after 2 years and Hansolo sticks around for unc and takes them to 2 F4s and a NC.
I think some of you guys are missing the point. Look, I know we'll be good. We could very well be a 30 win team next year with or without Kyle or Roscoe. The problem is deeper than that. I can speak for everyone when I say we are sick and tired of UNC having the upper hand on us. Sweet 16's are all well and good, but we all want to be in the Final Four right next to UNC. We haven't been to a Final Four since 2004 and in my eyes, Harrison was the ticket to get right back there. UNC has been to how many final fours since '04? And how many championships have they won? This is just a pattern that I don't like to see.
Are you sure it is everyone else that is missing the point? I think that a 30 win team is pretty good and gives us a chance to win the whole thing. I would guess that the Duke squad is not quite willing to concede the advantage to UNC for the future. Yes, they did better the last few years with TFH sticking around for 4 years, but I like our chances better than theirs this year, and if Kyle sticks around next year, it doesn't matter how good Barnes is, we should still be the better team. We have a great chance to make a FF or more the next few years. Keep your head up, things are looking good. I would actually like to be in the final four without UNC, if I had my preference.
i read in one of these threads that roscoe doesnt like barnes!!!
in that case, lets get roscoe on board and let him go at it against barnes.
Data can often be selected or manipulated as one desires, as we all know. Now if the time frame is after 2004, what is the result? UNC 3 and 2, Duke goose eggs. This is a much more relevant comparison since Ol' Roy arrived in 2004. I'll take K any day. Roy's country boy facade is soo disingenuous. But one cannot deny that it's working.
Duke is also the winningest program in this decade. We have a Top 10 team this year and a Top 10 recruiting class coming next year.
Sorry if I don't join people in saying that the sky is falling.
Actually, UNC has been to 4 and won 2 in that time frame. And has been noted, they've been to 3 and won 2 since we've last been to one. And that coincides with the arrival of Williams.
Things go in cycles, but right now it doesn't seem like UNC is anywhere near the downside of this cycle. That's why people are concerned.
Lets not pencil in anyone in this line up until they actually commit. I think R Smith will end up at UConn personally and we'll save the scholy for Rivers or some other person. After this I will not follow recruiting any more. I honestly find it to tiring to keep up with these kids and their decisions. So until they issue a verbal or sign an LOI, it doesn't matter who they are or what their names are to me.
Does anyone remember when this kid was a supposed unc lock? Kids got skills. He's no " Plan B" by far. Go get em Coach K.
Sorry, but you don't speak for me. Everyone wants to be in the Final Four. The problem is you expect to be there. It's not a birthright, it's a privilege when we're lucky enough to experience it. It's not entirely your fault. A lot of people who started rooting for Duke in 1986 or afterwards feel this way.
Another thing you don't seem to understand is these things go in cycles. When I was a senior at Duke, UNC won the national championship after making the title game the year before, while Duke went 10-17. During my four years we only went to the Sweet Sixteen once (actually got to the Final Eight), and we were thrilled to get that far. But just a few years later, Duke started a 7 Final Four in 9 year stretch, including two titles, while the Heels went to Final Four "only" twice. Even after that historic run of Duke Final Fours, we dominated UNC for most of the next 12 years, before the pendulum swung back to them five years ago. It's cyclical and there's little you can do except savor the up cycles and grit your teeth through the down ones.
Actually, I'm pretty sure UNC went to the Final Four in 2000, so it's 4 and 2 for them vs. 3 and 1 for us.
Still, you're point is a valid one. Five years is too short a timeframe to pin labels on programs. Getting to the Final Four is too much about luck (as well as skill) to use such a small sample size.
Also, I believe we won more total games than UNC in the ten year timespan, so it's not like they've entirely outclassed us.
UNC has had the upper hand in this rivalry lately.
But honestly, the person who I've always looked to to help reverse the trend was Irving, not Barnes.
Good PG play has been missing from Duke since 2004 and that's why we have no gone far in the tournament.
You can't win every recruiting battle, and if you asked me a month ago that I can only have one of KI or HB, I'd have taken KI and walked away a happy fan.
Duke recruits good students who are also excellent athletes. Those types of kids are few and far between. When we have a good shot at one it is a bigger loss than for UNC or UCONN who I believe are more willing to take good players without the good academic backgrounds.
I hope Roscoe is a real possibility as a good student with excellent athletic ability. Best wishes to coach K in landing an alternative to Harrison Barnes.