Originally Posted by
gumbomoop
Having excised the overenthusiastic comparison of Hood to Muhammad, I agree with all the rest of NSDukeFan's points here. I, too, presume that we'll be almost as pleased with Marshall by 2013-'14 as K will be, and possibly Marshall himself. [Unless, that is, Marshall needles Mason so mercilessly that Mason loses it, punches out Marshall severely, leading to Marshall missing the 2013-'14 season.]
Jefferson is commonly thought to be [1] a 4-who-only-looks-like-a-3, [2] only temporarily, because necessarily, a backup 3 for 2012-'13, and [3] a major-minute guy at the 4 by 2013-'14. Murphy is big and versatile enough to play some 4. Hairston is pretty clearly a 4, and will be an experienced senior by 2013-'14.
The obvious concern would be the 5. I'm perhaps the only person [although one might parse NSDukeFan's "solid" as including Hairston for some minutes at the 5] who would be perfectly comfortable with Marshall and an undersized Hairston manning the 5 in 2013-'14; obviously another frontcourt frosh would help. But absent a highly rated such frontcourt frosh, it strikes me that Hairston might simply be the logical backup 5 anyway, based on experience and strength.
Even taking the worst-case, if highly, highly unlikely, scenario -- absolutely no more recruits from the HS class of 2013 -- Duke would have enough talent in 2013-'14 to be preseason top 10.
PG - Cook, Thornton, Sulaimon in a pinch
Wing SG - Dawkins, Hood, Sulaimon, Jones
Wing SF - Murphy, Hood, Jones, in a pinch
PF - Jefferson, Hairston, Murphy in a pinch
C - Plumlee, Hairston, Jefferson in a pinch
We're in high cotton, pretty much every season. Otherwise, we wouldn't be the Entitled. But we are the Entitled. We don't deserve it, but then neither do UNC and UK, curses upon them.