Bad News For Duke, Re: Kentucky

[jagger]

"And I'm not saying where Donovan goes Patterson goes, but put the two together and that might make it more attractive.

As much as I want Patterson at Duke and I think Duke needs him, I'm not sure Donovan + Kentucky wouldn't be more attractive.
"

You assume that he loves Billy Donovan, but is unsure about Florida, and at the same time, loves Kentucky, but is unsure about Tubby Smith.

Is that assumption true? If not, then your conclusion makes no sense.

[adam]

1. Wait til Duke signs a player
2. trust K
3. cheer them on.

Amen to that. As long as Coach K is leading the way, Duke will always be Duke.

[ikiru36]

Apparently not many people have put it together yet but Kentucky's top pick to replace Tubby is Billy Donovan. With Kentucky and Florida on Patterson's list, if Billy goes to Kentucky, then so goes Patterson.

Some thought this was a good situation for Duke, i.e. Tubby out at Kentucky but it just might be the worst news.

I, honestly, just don't get the negativity. We're guessing at a lot of hypotheticals here which to me is a situation which provides a Rorschach as to people's underlying attitudes. If (huge "if") Donovan were to go to Kentucky, there is turmoil at both of the other main schools Patterson is likely considering (keeping in mind that he still has not officially narrowed down to three). How you can spin that (at this moment) as a clear negative is beyond me.

That's not to say that I can't imagine Donovan going to Kentucky and Patterson deciding to go there (and I appreciate people raising such possiblities, as they are valid and worthwhile to consider). I just don't get jumping to the worst possible interpretation of events as likely, especially when I can only imagine it serving to diminish our own joy and embolden our opposition.

And I'm not saying that those who are wired more to look for negatives aren't as true Duke fans as those who, all things being equal, prefer to emphasize the hopeful signs. I understand the human tendency, sometimes, to "expect the worst" as a defense against later potentially painful disappointment. I simply prefer to err on the side of hopeful realism, especially as regards things I care deeply about (like Duke and Duke Basketball). If I'm gonna risk self-fulfilling a prophecy in any way, I'd rather it be a positive one.

I hope this didn't sound condescending to anyone, cause it truly isn't intended that way. I dig all y'all (except trollers, of course) for caring about Duke Basketball, from whatever perspective works for you. Just sharing a piece of my own perspective. :0)

Go Lady Devils!!!!!! Go Duke!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!

[jimsumner]

RE: the Patterson-Lucas package deal.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over this. Every year we here about these package deals and very, very few pan out. Remember Lance Thomas was linked with several package deals that would have kept him away from Durham. Last fall UCLA fans were all ga-ga about how Kevin Love and Kyle Singler were an inseparable duo and since UCLA was the only school recruiting both, Singler was a lock for UCLA. Didn't seem to work out that way.

[dukeimac]

It is interesting how people can twist things.

I've NEVER said that Patterson LOVES Donovan, nor have I implied that. What I see is a guy who liked Donovan & the Gators and Tubby & Kentucky as well as Coach K & Duke. And that by putting Donovan in Kentucky might be a "more attractive" situation. Hence my caption "Donovan + Kentucky."

IMO, Donovan is a good coach (maybe one of the next best to Coach K) and Florida is a nice place but still a football school while Tubby was a so-so coach but Kentucky has a rich history in college basketball. Put a good coach together with a program that has a rich history in college basketball, it makes for an appealing story, i.e. Patino & Kentucky or Roy & Kansas.

Thus, if he is to come to Duke someone best put out the love for him or just play the wait and see game, that might work.

[ikiru36]

It is interesting how people can twist things.

I've NEVER said that Patterson LOVES Donovan, nor have I implied that. What I see is a guy who liked Donovan & the Gators and Tubby & Kentucky as well as Coach K & Duke. And that by putting Donovan in Kentucky might be a "more attractive" situation. Hence my caption "Donovan + Kentucky."

IMO, Donovan is a good coach (maybe one of the next best to Coach K) and Florida is a nice place but still a football school while Tubby was a so-so coach but Kentucky has a rich history in college basketball. Put a good coach together with a program that has a rich history in college basketball, it makes for an appealing story, i.e. Patino & Kentucky or Roy & Kansas.

Thus, if he is to come to Duke someone best put out the love for him or just play the wait and see game, that might work.

I have no idea if you were referring at all to my post but I would simply state that to me your original statement "if Billy goes to Kentucky, then so goes Patterson" is not equivalent to your more recent summation that "Donovan in Kentucky might be a 'more attractive' situation".

If you originally meant the latter, as I'd stated in my earlier post, "I appreciate people raising such possiblities, as they are valid and worthwhile to consider".

I agree that Donovan at Kentucky could woo Patterson as it mitigates the proximity advantage as well as the "Basketball school" issue. At the same time, Kentucky is the least successful, in recent years, of all three schools, its fans have been generally acknowledged as being overly harsh on players/coaches (the irony of some recent postings, here, notwithstanding), and it has the weakest academic reputation nationally of the three schools (not meaning to denigrate it as a quality University in general).

I am just saying that even this hypothetical scenario would still not be a clear-cut disadvantage to Duke, unless his #1 factor overall has been liking Donovan (which may be true, but I haven't yet seen the evidence).

I imagine Duke is sending him all the "love" and attention legally allowed, but in the end it is a wait and see game for us, as fans. And whether Patrick chooses us or not, I'll still be loving our team and anxiously awaiting Basketball season.

Go Lady Devils!!!!!! Go Duke!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!

[bhd28]

Has no one read any of the articles on how Tubby was a big reason for PP liking Kentucky? I heard so many things about how his family got along really well with Tubby's family and all that. Recently about how angry he was at Tubby leaving? Something like

'Patterson took the news hard, according to his mother, Tywanna, who used the words "hurt," "sad," "shocked" and "mad" to describe her son's reaction to the news.

"Like a family member had died," she said.'
and
"If I was to go to Kentucky, Coach Tubby Smith would be one of the main reasons because I want him to mentor me in the game of basketball and he is such a great coach," Patterson said. "He would be one of the main reasons I'd go to Kentucky other than the education and the basketball team."

*both from the DBR linked site on the main page.*


and an old one on
"After Kentucky's Tubby Smith watched a recent game, he greeted the Pattersons and offered to shake hands with Tywanna Patterson, Patrick's mother. She gave Smith a hug. An NCAA representative happened to be there, so Smith made sure to point out who initiated the contact -- almost like arguing ablock/charge call during a game."
from http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?s...=tsn&type=lgns

My question is what changed to where people think Patterson liked Kentucky but not Smith (that he is so so or whatever)? I had always thought Smith was one of the big reasons PP and his family liked Kentucky.

[JasonEvans]

My gut tells me that we're not going to land PP. Duke's recruiting doesn't usually play out this way...

Not sure what you mean by that but this feels no different from how the Boozer recruitment went. We rarely get this invovled in late commit recruits, but this is playing out like many late commit recruits do as far as I can tell.