Indicative of "The Problem?"

[Kewlswim]

I'll agree with that, but we love hashing and rehashing tons of quotes, articles, etc., especially a peak recruiting time.

Hi,

Given that we hash and re-hash everything, do you happen to know how (or if) John Wall chews on a mouth guard?

GO DUKE!

[Reddevil]

Duke is a cougar? Duke is Stifler's mom? Duke has never been for everybody, but it is the right fit for a few blue chips per year. Give the kids a break. They are not so dense that they are making their choices based on "coolness". Great school - check. Great coach - check. Coolness factor - 99% of games on TV, great conference, great rivalry, Olympic coach, best fans, NBA caliber program - yeah, pretty darn cool. Life is a sorting out process. Duke will attract great kids every year BECAUSE of its perception.

[JimBD]

Duke is a cougar? Duke is Stifler's mom? Duke has never been for everybody, but it is the right fit for a few blue chips per year. Give the kids a break. They are not so dense that they are making their choices based on "coolness". Great school - check. Great coach - check. Coolness factor - 99% of games on TV, great conference, great rivalry, Olympic coach, best fans, NBA caliber program - yeah, pretty darn cool. Life is a sorting out process. Duke will attract great kids every year BECAUSE of its perception.

I like this post. Some kids don't want to be bothered by academics, and Duke is probably not the right fit for them. But over the years Coach K has done a pretty good job of identifying kids that are a good fit and getting them to Duke.

[Scorp4me]

K coaching in the Olympics will show up years in the future. Much like many of our recent recruits pointing back to our first two Championships as the reason they became Duke fans.

We'll be just fine. I only hope K knows that and isn't panicing like some of you are.

[Classof06]

I like this post. Some kids don't want to be bothered by academics, and Duke is probably not the right fit for them. But over the years Coach K has done a pretty good job of identifying kids that are a good fit and getting them to Duke.

Can't say I agree with that lately. Let's first look at the amount of transfers, kids who didn't even end up coming after initially committing and kids who left because they didn't believe it was a good fit: Michael Thompson, Eric Boateng, Shavlik Randolph, Jamal Boykin, Shaun Livingston, Kris Humphries, Josh McRoberts, Taylor King and Marty Pocius (who is leaving despite one more year of eligibility). Overall, this list is nine kids...since 2004. I say McRoberts and Randolph because because 1) I knew both kids personally and 2) they couldn't have been happy leaving when they had no business doing so; McRoberts and Krzyzewski knew he was leaving after his sophomore year when he was still a freshman! When you look at this list, you can't refute the fact that Coach K has had some trouble identifying kids that are a good fit basketball-wise. Every program has transfers, decommits and unhappy players but one cannot deny that Duke's had more than its fair share since 2004.

Then you look at players like Randolph, McRoberts, Sean Dockery, Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek and Greg Paulus that, in my opinion, haven't/didn't come close to expectations or just never looked comfortable in Duke's system. Three years into his career, I still don't understand what Lance Thomas' position is or what exactly he's meant to provide; he's not a power forward or center but doesn't have the skill set to be a wing player. Greg Paulus was a 2 that started at the 1 for three straight years til Krzyzewski realized he wasn't a true PG. By the time he realized this, he hadn't recruited a true PG behind Paulus for three years; a mistake he's trying to recitfy this summer.

As much as it pains me to say, I personally do not believe Duke carries the same weight with HS recruits that it once did. None of this is made easier when you consider that UNC has been past the Sweet 16 four of the past five years and Duke simply hasn't since 2004. Jon Brockman (UW's big man who Duke chased very hard), Brandan Wright, Patrick Patterson, Greg Monroe and Kenny Boynton are the types of kids Duke used to get 10 years ago with no problem. Obviously, this is no longer the case. Furthermore, I would consider everyone of these kids "Duke kids," and they still didn't come. And you cannot tell me Duke's '08-'09 roster had anywhere near the talent of Duke's past rosters. Not even close. Shelden Williams graduated in 2006 and Duke has yet to find a solid post player to replace him; if that doesn't imply recruiting problems, I don't know what does.

On the other hand, John Wall is a kid Duke would have had no part of in the past. The fact that Krzyzewski is going after him so hard tells me the staff is feeling both the heat and the need to hit the recruiting trail with a real sense of urgency. And they should; that Villanova game painfully illustrated that Duke just does not have the horses it once did.