Originally Posted by
ChicagoHeel
I'm with those of you who argue that too much is being made of one recruit's decision. You never know how things will work out once the player is on the court and perceptions change faster than most of us appreciate. In the SI Vault Section, there was recently a long article that lauded Duke's 2005 recruiting class, I think it was called the "The Duke Way"; it made Duke sound frighteningly good. Reading it I was surprised by how logical and yet completely wrong it turned out to be- and by how it feels like the distant past, even though it was only four years ago. Things can change quickly.
As to why HB chose UNC, I t hink it's pretty easy. If you were forced to bet something really valuable to you , like your job or your house, on which of the teams on Barnes' list would make a Final Four in the 2-3 years Barnes could potentially play, which would you choose?
Playing in the Final Four is the best way for a college player to enhance NBA credentials, not that Barnes needs that, and assure a legacy in the college game, which he indicated in his press conference yesterday is of importance. He would get a good education and a chance to demonstrate his considerable skill at any of the schools on his list, but I would wager that he's guessing UNC will play the most NCAA tournament games. Someone with HB's talent and obvious love of the spotlight (a televised ceremony to sign a letter of intent involving a Skype call?!?) wants to play on the biggest stage and, at least based on records over the last 4-5 years, UNC appears the school most likely to give him that opportunity. Bottom line, I agree with those who say that this recruiting loss does not reflect poorly on Coach K's recruiting effort or any other aspect of the Duke University and that the best way to win off the court is to first win on it.