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
"The glass is MORE than half full folks!"