Yes, absolutely. I haven't commented on the recent situation with HWSNBN (He Who Shall Not Be Named - wow, that actually works really well on multiple levels if you actually try to pronounce the acronym... Ha-wuh-sss-N Buh-nn), but I would be content with the way things turned out if we got Roscoe.
Josh Hairston is the consensus #27 player in the high school class of 2010.
Roscoe Smith is the consensus #28 player in the high school class of 2010.
And they will play different positions.
http://rscihoops.com/
Actually Hairston is ranked 27th and Smith 28th in the RSCI but it appears that those on the board who have seen them both play feel Roscoe is slightly better and as you noted Roscoe is a wing forward which is the position we are trying to fill.
I hope he comes. You can never have too many 6'7/6'8 athletic forwards.
Could K have changed his mind and prefered Roscoe after all? I want to throw something a little crazy out here. Since K continued to go after Roscoe (visited last week), and now we saw how the HB thing played out with his self indulging presser, is it possible, just possible that towards the end Coach K saw something in HB that turned him off a little? Maybe, again just throwing out a discussion point, maybe he backed off a little and that allowed Roy to come in and win the battle?
Not suggesting that K quit recruiting him or that he didn't want HB badly, but is it possible that HB's head got a little big and caused Coach K to not want to feed his ego as much? I don't know why, but this thought came to me last night as I was falling asleep. What do you guys/gals think? Possibility or am I just rationalizing to make me feel better?
I agree, Coach K saw something in HB but it was not that he no longer wanted him but that he no longer thought we were the favorite. The problem with our recruiting in the past was how small our net was. If we wanted someone years ago we got them. That is obviously not the same these days. Coach K was playing the odds and wanted to stay close to Roscoe in case we did not get HB.
I think K did everything this year in recruiting we could possibly have asked and he again needs to be praised.
Going after Wall hard. Securing a top pg (Irving) and a backup in Thornton. Then being in the running for the top overall recruit all the way to the end but staying close with a second option in Smith. The future is bright as long as they continue this strategy.
Maryland and Michigan State win NC without having the top players in the class. I want so bad for Smith to join us and shut down HB and win us a NC and have HB realize his mistake.
The Terrapin Assassin
Really good point. I would be just as happy having an athletic, improving Roscoe Smith for 4 years than a flashy, 1 or 2 -and-done Harrison Barnes. BlueDevil114 made a really good point that a school like Michigan State has lots of success, but doesn't really get the top recruits. In many ways, it's about who has the potential to develop and then which of those players stay for 4 years.
Also, kudos to Coach K for a smart recruitment strategy, and having an excellent backup plan in going for Roscoe Smith.
Also, I thought that Ryan Kelly was our wing forward of the future? Not that I would mind have a more athletic one in Roscoe Smith - just wondering why this is a position of need for the Blue Devils.
Ryan could play the wing in the future, but his defense needs work along with his quickness. Ryan is 6'10, so he is more suited to play the four when he gets bigger and stronger. He is a European type PF, so I think he'll be used more for mis-matches. To play the wing full time? I don't know.
Roscoe has a front runner:
http://borgesblognhr.blogspot.com/20...ontrunner.html
http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/11/15/r...on/#more-24827
Last edited by AlaskanAssassin; 11-15-2009 at 12:07 PM.
Let me point this out. As of Friday, Roscoe Smith was going to wait until the Spring to make any kind of decision from my recollection. Despite Duke recruiting Barnes and making it clear that he was the priority (and not even offering Roscoe I believe), Roscoe Smith kept Duke in it until his final three. Coach K spoke with Roscoe on Friday. Saturday morning Roscoe had a leader and said he is ready to make a decision in the coming weeks.
..don't get you expectations up (because frankly it only leads to pain), but also don't be surprised if Roscoe makes a visit to Duke pretty soon.
The article above says that Roscoe couldn't meet with Coach K on his visit because K was "in Hawaii." What was he doing in Hawaii? I know he was there in September this year, but I don't remember what he was doing there.
I don't have access to this article, but I think it says something about him being in Hawaii:
http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=167&p=2&...%2f897342.html