2014 Basketball Recruiting thread

[GGLC]

This situation reminds me of the year that we had no depth in the backcourt and as it got late in the recruiting cycle, people really panicked as Duke turned their noses up on transfers and lower ranked players who would "fill a need". Then Andre left hs early and the problem was solved, it became clear why Duke was making the decisions they did, and the year ended with a NC.
What if the Okafor, Jones, Winslow package shows up as predicted months ago? All of a sudden, we learn that Reid didnt see room, and Looney didnt like the potentially crowded frontcourt (Jabari). Or we miss on Okafor and Jones but Winslow comes and Turner shows that he was just waiting for the most room so he signs up. All better.
Maybe it's the royal blue colored glasses but i just dont believe that Duke is maxing out on each of these guys and they are just choosing to go elsewhere despite Duke's pleadings. I believe that K has a plan, honestly communicates the plan, and the kid/family decide if it works for them.

From everything I've read, you're flat wrong if you don't believe that Duke maxed out on Looney.

[flyingdutchdevil]

You're quite right that every top program misses, and misses often. But I think what he's saying is if the worst-case scenario comes to pass, meaning that if we miss on Looney, Okafor, Jones, and Winslow (and Travis) and instead of the five-man class the staff wanted, we end up with one shooting guard ranked in the mid-20's as our entire recruiting class, the class will be considered a failure. "Failure" is a harsh word, but it would be hard to argue the truth of it in that case.

GGLC's chicken little "the sky is falling" predicament is a little too early. We lost out on one player - potentially two - who play the 4. Next year, out deepest position will be the 4, with or without Jabari. We have Amile, Semi, and Murphy - three players whose natural position is in the college 4 (Semi is a tweener). I will be more worried if we strike out at the 1, 2, and 3 spots than the 4.

I've said it once (or eight times), and I'll say it again: Coach K's best quality is preparedness. Short term, medium term, and especially long term - it's why Team USA is what it is today and it's why Duke never missed the tournament. We may not always go deep, but we always make it. UNC, Kentucky, UCLA and hundreds of other schools cannot make the same claim.

Coach K may not get the five player class he wanted, but he didn't get Harrison Barnes either and still did pretty well. I don't always agree with Coach K's in-game decisions, but I've never questioned his ability to prepare his team, especially in the long run.

And lastly, Coach K frequently recruits players at the 11th hour: Boozer, LT, and Amile all committed to Duke post-McD AA game.

If OkaJones, Winslow, and Turner don't work out, then I'd start listening to the term failure. But I really don't think that's going to happen. Coach K is just too good at this.

[BD80]

If we don't get Travis and then don't get any of our remaining four targets, and we don't go after anyone at the last minute in the face of all that rejection, and if our two most hyped players go pro after one Duke year, then we're still left with 8 guys who are all worthy of being in an 8-man rotation that would be preseason top 10-15. Not bad, and very interesting to watch...

And an experienced squad to boot!

Oooh, we shouldn't say "boot" when discussing our players, should we?

Oh, Cleveland. Why do you have to make so many weird lottery picks? Kyrie deserves better. ...

Bennett was a clever pick. Anyone else might have kept the Cavs out of the Jabari / Wiggins lottery.

[GGLC]

You've got a lot of confidence in Marshall to be able to play 30 mpg next year, flyingdutchdevil.

[FerryFor50]

GGLC should review these threads if he wants to revisit the chicken littles of the past:

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ruiting-Thread
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ruiting-thread

Remember how bad it was to miss out on Shabazz Muhammad? JP Tokoto? Tyler Lewis? Tony Parker?

[GGLC]

If that was their thinking with Bennett, I'd have preferred Nerlens.

[FerryFor50]

And an experienced squad to boot!

Oooh, we shouldn't say "boot" when discussing our players, should we?



Bennett was a clever pick. Anyone else might have kept the Cavs out of the Jabari / Wiggins lottery.

Riggin for Wiggins!

[GGLC]

GGLC should review these threads if he wants to revisit the chicken littles of the past:

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ruiting-Thread
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ruiting-thread

Remember how bad it was to miss out on Shabazz Muhammad? JP Tokoto? Tyler Lewis? Tony Parker?

I have no recollection of Tyler Lewis, no. And we didn't give a damn about Tokoto after his sophomore season or thereabouts; I'd find it strange for anyone to have considered that a crushing miss at the time.

Anyway, we can revisit this if and when Okafor, Jones, and Winslow go elsewhere and we're down to hoping that Turner picks us. I'm sure you folks will have rationalizations at the ready. If I'm Chicken Little, you're Pollyanna.

Hint: it's okay to be disappointed and reflective when we miss on someone we pushed hard to get. No need to paper over everything with rosy-viewed prognostications and inapt comparisons.

[NashvilleDevil]

GGLC should review these threads if he wants to revisit the chicken littles of the past:

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ruiting-Thread
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ruiting-thread

Remember how bad it was to miss out on Shabazz Muhammad? JP Tokoto? Tyler Lewis? Tony Parker?

I always come back to this when these recruiting threads start taking on a chicken little tone.

[FerryFor50]

I have no recollection of Tyler Lewis, no. And we didn't give a damn about Tokoto after his sophomore season or thereabouts; I'd find it strange for anyone to have considered that a crushing miss at the time.

Anyway, we can revisit this if and when Okafor, Jones, and Winslow go elsewhere and we're down to hoping that Turner picks us. I'm sure you folks will have rationalizations at the ready. If I'm Chicken Little, you're Pollyanna.

Hint: it's okay to be disappointed and reflective when we miss on someone we pushed hard to get. No need to paper over everything with rosy-viewed prognostications and inapt comparisons.

There's nothing inept about the comparisons. People were genuinely upset we missed out on Tokoto. And Muhammad. And Parker.

Flash forward to the future... and everyone's glad we missed on those guys.

Who knows if Turner is a bust? Or Winslow?

Duke still managed to eke out 30ish wins each season and went to the elite 8 last year without Tony Parker.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I have no recollection of Tyler Lewis, no. And we didn't give a damn about Tokoto after his sophomore season or thereabouts; I'd find it strange for anyone to have considered that a crushing miss at the time.

Anyway, we can revisit this if and when Okafor, Jones, and Winslow go elsewhere and we're down to hoping that Turner picks us. I'm sure you folks will have rationalizations at the ready. If I'm Chicken Little, you're Pollyanna.

Hint: it's okay to be disappointed and reflective when we miss on someone we pushed hard to get. No need to paper over everything with rosy-viewed prognostications and inapt comparisons.

Hint: it's okay to have a little faith as well. We're still in good standing with a number of blue chip recruits. No need to think that Duke basketball is coming to an end next year.

[GGLC]

Seriously, when did we ever go hard after Tyler Lewis? I literally have no recollection of that, and I've followed Duke recruiting pretty darn closely for -- yipes -- twenty years now.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Seriously, when did we ever go hard after Tyler Lewis? I literally have no recollection of that, and I've followed Duke recruiting pretty darn closely for -- yipes -- twenty years now.

I think Ferryfor50 was referring to Tyler Adams. I too get confused with last-name-first-name recruits.

[FerryFor50]

Seriously, when did we ever go hard after Tyler Lewis? I literally have no recollection of that, and I've followed Duke recruiting pretty darn closely for -- yipes -- twenty years now.

From the 2012 thread, Airowe posted this on May 10, 2010:

Mark and crew don't typically interview random kids, so I'm sure there is some interest either from Smith-Rivera's camp, from Duke's or from both. The list of 201e prospects is long right now and will more likely grow than shrink.

Shabazz Muhammad
Alex Murphy
Justin Anderson
Amile Jefferson
Tyler Lewis
TJ Warren
LJ Rose

And some others are all being recruited by Duke in one way, shape, or form.

[GGLC]

There's nothing inept about the comparisons. People were genuinely upset we missed out on Tokoto. And Muhammad. And Parker.

Flash forward to the future... and everyone's glad we missed on those guys.

Who knows if Turner is a bust? Or Winslow?

Duke still managed to eke out 30ish wins each season and went to the elite 8 last year without Tony Parker.

Remind me what Parker and Tokoto's RSCI ratings were their senior year? I assume they're directly comparable to those of Turner and Winslow, right? (My recollection, also, is that Duke got in very late with Parker after missing with a number of other big men, and that Duke was never seriously recruiting Tokoto after his stock cratered his sophomore/junior year. Maybe I'm misremembering and they were both viewed as longtime top priority Duke recruits, though.)

Hint: it's okay to have a little faith as well. We're still in good standing with a number of blue chip recruits. No need to think that Duke basketball is coming to an end next year.

Yes, that number is four.

And nowhere have I ever said that I think Duke basketball is coming to an end next year.

[FerryFor50]

And these gems about Tokoto:

Quote Originally Posted by Class of '94 View Post
At this point, is Tokoto supposed to be the best of the '12 wings?

Quote Originally Posted by HardwoodElite View Post
Tokoto is a special player and I would be surprised if he doesn't end up being the best wing player in his class.

I'd say he's the most well-rounded. Each of them have something different to offer. Luckily, we're involved with many of them early so we can monitor their progress.

[GGLC]

From the 2012 thread, Airowe posted this on May 10, 2010:

...And? Why single him out over Warren, Rose, Anderson, or any number of others that we had passing interest in but never ended up seriously pursuing? Did we even have an offer extended to Lewis? Were we in his top three schools when he made his choice?

These are non-rhetorical questions. Never in a million years would I have listed Tyler Lewis as someone that we lost a recruiting battle for.

[GGLC]

And these gems about Tokoto:

By "these gems" you mean one person's question and another person's response, correct? My recollection is that Tokoto was a wunderkind whose performance cratered later in high school, and that Duke had serious interest in him very early but did not make a real play for him once his recruitment developed, possibly because he indicated that he wasn't interested. Again, were we in his finalists when he made his decision? Were we thought to be a genuine possible destination for him at the point that he selected his college?

Tokoto was a bust even in high school.

[GGLC]

I think Ferryfor50 was referring to Tyler Adams. I too get confused with last-name-first-name recruits.

Tyler Adams actually committed to Duke, iirc.

[FerryFor50]

Remind me what Parker and Tokoto's RSCI ratings were their senior year? I assume they're directly comparable to those of Turner and Winslow, right? (My recollection, also, is that Duke got in very late with Parker after missing with a number of other big men, and that Duke was never seriously recruiting Tokoto after his stock cratered his sophomore/junior year. Maybe I'm misremembering and they were both viewed as longtime top priority Duke recruits, though.)



Yes, that number is four.

And nowhere have I ever said that I think Duke basketball is coming to an end next year.

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75...pid=88&yr=2012

Tokoto ended up 73rd (but started pretty high)
Parker ended up 20th
Muhammad was 2nd

Looney is currently 14th
Winslow is currently 10th
Turner is currently #2

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75...pid=88&yr=2014

My point wasn't that Duke missed; my point was that Duke misses on guys that may be highly ranked but don't always end up great. Look at those lists... out of the top 10 in 2012, how many stayed longer than a year? How many helped their team win a national championship? How many haven't really done much at all?

C 1 Nerlens Noel
(Tilton School)
Tilton, NH 6-10/205 Committed to Kentucky
SF 2 Shabazz Muhammad
(Bishop Gorman HS)
Las Vegas, NV 6-5/207 Committed to UCLA
C 3 Isaiah Austin
(Grace Preparatory Academy, Inc)
Arlington, TX 7-0/200 Committed to Baylor
SF 4 Kyle Anderson
(St. Anthony HS)
Jersey City, NJ 6-8/215 Committed to UCLA
C 5 Steven Adams
(Notre Dame Preparatory School)
Fitchburg, MA 6-11/230 Committed to Pittsburgh
C 6 Kaleb Tarczewski
(St. Mark's School)
Southborough, MA 7-0/220 Committed to Arizona
SF 7 Alex Poythress
(Northeast HS)
Clarksville, TN 6-8/200 Committed to Kentucky
PF 8 Anthony Bennett
(Findlay Prep)
Henderson, NV 6-7/230 Committed to UNLV
C 9 Grant Jerrett
(Lutheran HS)
La Verne, CA 6-9/220 Committed to Arizona
PF 10 Brandon Ashley
(Findlay Prep)
Henderson, NV 6-8/190 Committed to Arizona