I disagree with the fact that the Duke offense is the problem anymore than UCLA's issues are a problem with their recruiting. Duke doesn't have to get a McD's all-american big man in order to be successful. They just need a big man who can rebound and defend the post. I watch most of these teams play in the tournament and very few run an offense through the post. Louisville and UF certainly didn't do it yesterday. You run your offense based on personnel. If Duke gets a Shelden Williams or Carlos Boozer type player then the player in the post will get more touches. If the best players on the team are guards then they will dominate the offense. This is exactly what other coaches do. I don't expect Baylor to dump the ball inside against UK consistently. They will run pick and roll as well as try to slash to the basket off the dribble. That is what their personnel dictates.
Those teams had guards who could get by their defender and into the paint and who could actually pass the ball. Even next year, the guards have to be willing and make concerted efforts to get the ball into the post. That should be TP's biggest concern, not that the offense doesn't go through him, but that the offense is generally unable to get the ball down there, even when the point is made to get the bigs the rock. These guards aren't even good passers, let alone great passers. I think that the best passer on this year's team was probably Ryan, but he was way more interested in picking and popping and doing what he does, which is shoot. Maybe Tony will be more able to seal off a defender and get and maintain post position, because that was certainly not one of Mason's strengths.
Bigs are dependent on the rest of the team when it comes to being the focal point of the offense or being effective offensively (other than boards). Parker isn't going to bring the ball up and back his way into the post.
We have recruited one of the best foundations for success with a roster full of role players. We are just a dynamic point guard, a true power big and perhaps an athletic wing away from being great. We may have the wing already, next year someone already on our roster either new or red-shirted can step up and fill this spot. That just leaves a dynamic guard and a big and we're back. I wish everyone would stop blaming our late season demise on Ryan's injury. He's not the next Dirk. He's a very good player though and his playing would have helped us win another game or two at the most, IMO.
My prediction is Parker will not go to Duke. He will go to one of the Final 4 teams, Kansas, Ohio State or Kentucky.They all have very dependable inside outside play.Duke has not shown it does that style very effectively since the days of Shelden Williams and Shavlik Randolph.
So you've suggested that it's more likely that he'll go one of three other teams rather than Duke. Gutsy call, indeed.
You know, his recruiting has been discussed extensively here, and your post doesn't really add anything, except for the suggestion that he might go to Kentucky. Kentucky hasn't been on his radar recently, as far as I know. Do you have a reason for naming Kentucky or are you just shooting from the hip?
Not to make this a philosophical argument, but here are my impressions of Duke basketball recruiting:
1. We sign players early in the recruiting process, whom at the time I have never heard of and who turn to be really good. Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, for example.
2. We compete for other players who have extended recruitments, and we almost always lose out. Austin Rivers was an exception but a special case. Lance Thomas and Carlos Boozer were other exceptions, but Carlos was just waiting -- I think -- to make sure that Elton went to the NBA and/or we didn't recruit anyone else at his position.
3. Over a period of five years or so our cumulative recruiting usually ranks in the top three of the country. Our recruiting system works, I guess, because there are a number of good players who really want to come to Duke.
sagegrouse
I hope I am wrong.Don't mind eating crow. Parker has mentioned Kentucky in his look at me, I am Tony Parker recruiting process.Sullinger is gone after this year. Jones and Davis are gone. Robinson and Withey are gone.Duke has a history of not being strong in the post because we can't close on our targets.Greg Monroe & Tyler Adams both went elsewhere.
Duke is deficient in the paint and has been more times than I care to remember.
IIRC, Singler was always top-5. So much so that it was rumored that Kevin Love had a man-crush on him and wanted to play at the same school.
Nolan was a highly ranked recruit that Louisville wanted badly. If not for his relationship with J. Dawkins, we would not have landed him.
I'm beginning to wonder if Johnny Dawkins' absence is affecting our recruiting. Or maybe Tommy Amaker, or even Quin Snyder.
Regardless what happens, I'll be glad when the decisions are made.
I am one who tends to see the Duke recruiting glass as (atleast!( half full. We certainly do get a high percentage of stellart targets, which is part of what plays into the "Duke hate" out there. But, to be fair, we have had our struggles in the last few years along the front line, especially at the 4/5 positions - Patrick Patterson (KY), Greg Monroe (Georgetown), Adams (GT), McGeary (Mich), TP? Adams, regardless of how he's turned out so far, is fair game simply b/c he was a (fairly) highly sought after big who we wanted, but did not get.
BTW, I really detest it when I hear NC players/fans , among others, alluding to "If it weren't for just one family, Duke would be virtually devoid of any big-man recruiting success in the last 5 years." I prefer to turn the argument around, pointing out that when Duke gets big time (big-man) recruits, and they have fellow big-time younger siblings, how does the elder's experience at Duke impact the younger's recruitment? Well, they come to Duke - ergo MP1, MP2, MP3. However... When other schools, like NC@ch have players who have younger (highly recruited) siblings, then how does the elder's experience at NC impact the younger sibling's recruitment? Well, the go to Duke (Ms. Henson) and Indiana (Mr. Zeller), etc.
Amen to that brother!!!
(But we seem to have several lines in the water now, to the extent that it may be several more weeks before we see final resolution on all of these kids' destinations.)
Last edited by -bdbd; 03-25-2012 at 11:04 PM.
Adams was the 80th ranked recruit, according to RSCI. We obviously recruited him, but if he was "highly sought after" than that term loses some of its luster.
Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly (#18 and #14) were highly sought after big men who we did land, and while they're not really back-to-the-basket big men, neither were Patterson or Monroe.