K, Team USA, and Recruiting Advantage

[UrinalCake]

I agree with the earlier posters that producing NBA players is a more important selling point than winning Olympic gold. Kyrie's success, along with the development of Austin, Kyle, Nolan, Miles, etc., will have as much of an effect if not more on our recruiting than whatever visibility Coach K has gained. With that said, we hear so often recruits say they chose Duke because they respect Coach K as the best coach in the game, and his Olympic record only supports that.

As a side note, I thought his 2010 gig at the World Championships was a more impactful coaching performance than 2012. He took high-level NBA players and turned them into elite superstars (Durant, Westbrook, Chandler, Love). If I were trying to get a recruit's attention I'd talk about that first.

[sagegrouse]

I agree with the earlier posters that producing NBA players is a more important selling point than winning Olympic gold. Kyrie's success, along with the development of Austin, Kyle, Nolan, Miles, etc., will have as much of an effect if not more on our recruiting than whatever visibility Coach K has gained. With that said, we hear so often recruits say they chose Duke because they respect Coach K as the best coach in the game, and his Olympic record only supports that.

As a side note, I thought his 2010 gig at the World Championships was a more impactful coaching performance than 2012. He took high-level NBA players and turned them into elite superstars (Durant, Westbrook, Chandler, Love). If I were trying to get a recruit's attention I'd talk about that first.

There is the Coach K brand and then there are specific Duke and Coach K selling points. Being the highly successful USA team coach through two Olympics clearly enhances the Coach K brand. The specific selling points for K, I suppose, are that the best players in the world followed his coaching, respected his knowledge and leadership, and praised his abilities.

Cranking out a series of successful NBA players not only enhances the brand, but in a different way, but also provides powerful selling points to would-be NBA players. Having done both is the distinguishing feature. Until K, there had been no successful USA coach from the colleges since Dean Smith in 1984.

sagegrouse

[g-money]

I think comments like these from the world's best player might just give Coach K and Duke a bit of a recruiting edge.

(@ the 1:00 mark)

[flyingdutchdevil]

I don't doubt that Coach K's Team USA experience will help out with recruiting. With the added exposure and praise from virtually every US superstar (and most notably Kobe, LBJ, and CP3), how can Coach K not get a bump in recruiting?

The issue is that it just won't be measurable. I find it incredibly hard to believe that a recruit will say, "I choose Duke because the coach managed Lebron" or "I choose Duke because of his Team USA experience". Rather, recruits will say "I want a chance to develop under one of the greatest college coaches", "I want to be part of a winning tradition at Duke", or "I choose Duke for the coach, campus, and facilities." The Olympics may certainly be a reason why if a recruit reels off a bunch of reasons, but I personally believe that will be more of semantics than anything else.

IMO, Coach K recruits will undoubtedly come to Duke for a) Coach K and b) Duke. Everything else takes a far third, fourth, and so on. And, considering that Coach K isn't likely going to coach for another 10 years, the opportunity to play for him is winding down. Any bump in recruiting can be due to a hundred reasons, but I feel that Coach K's finite time left as Duke coach will be numero uno. And you know Coach K will use that as leverage as well (as he should): "I'll be retiring in the next 5 years, and we want to win our 7th championship*. You can be part of the end of my legacy at this university. Would you like to come aboard?"

*Obviously, we're going to win at least 2 more championships before Coach K uses that speech.

[Duke09]

I meant to say that while we've had some good players, the recruiting classes since 2008 haven't been the #1 classes of the past and they have been lackluster when on campus. We haven't landed anyone who Coach K couldn't have otherwise (I know, impossible to prove) and there are no seasons with multiple elite players in them. There is no Brand, Battier, Burgess, or Jay Will, Boozer, Dunleavy, or JJ/Shelden, or even the flop of the McRoberts/Paulus class that was the so heralded coming in. Since 2008 we've landed 2 #1s who promptly left. Kyrie excelled on a team that was mostly put together pre 2008 Olympics (Nolan and Singler)

here is the 2008 Class (ranked 13th in the nation)
Miles
Eliot Williams
Czyz

2009 Class (8)
Ryan Kelly
Andre Dawkins
Mason

2010 (8)
irving
Thornton
Hairston

2011 Class (ranked 2nd. And which I'll admit the jury is still out on due to 2 redshirts)
Murphy
MP3
Austin Rivers
Cook
Gbinje

2012 is ranked 11th. Jury still out.

The 2012 should of been when we saw Bejing pay off, as the 2009 and 2010 classes mature. Blame it on the pros or blame it on transfers, but so far, it hasn't been great. Good sure, but thornton, hairston, kelly, dawkins, mason isn't the core of a title team, maybe not even an ACC title team. Only Mason would see rotation time on the 2010 team, possibly Kelly, and very few of the 2010 team could crack the rotation of the 2004 team.

Last year, I think clearly Rivers was overrated and we had a team that wasn't great and frankly not fun to watch. It was the worse defense in a decade because we didn't have athletes to guard the ball. It came down to a lack of talent.

Basically I'm going to ask you to prove it. if 2013 becomes a Kentucky like class, I'll eat crow. But post Beijing hasn't been 1998, 2000, 2002, or even 2006 when it comes to recruiting. The best players, especially the best players who play multiple years, which is when Duke thrives, have gone elsewhere. And frankly, they've gone to UNC.

[NSDukeFan]

I meant to say that while we've had some good players, the recruiting classes since 2008 haven't been the #1 classes of the past and they have been lackluster when on campus. We haven't landed anyone who Coach K couldn't have otherwise (I know, impossible to prove) and there are no seasons with multiple elite players in them. There is no Brand, Battier, Burgess, or Jay Will, Boozer, Dunleavy, or JJ/Shelden, or even the flop of the McRoberts/Paulus class that was the so heralded coming in. Since 2008 we've landed 2 #1s who promptly left. Kyrie excelled on a team that was mostly put together pre 2008 Olympics (Nolan and Singler)

here is the 2008 Class (ranked 13th in the nation)
Miles
Eliot Williams
Czyz

2009 Class (8)
Ryan Kelly
Andre Dawkins
Mason

2010 (8)
irving
Thornton
Hairston

2011 Class (ranked 2nd. And which I'll admit the jury is still out on due to 2 redshirts)
Murphy
MP3
Austin Rivers
Cook
Gbinje

2012 is ranked 11th. Jury still out.

The 2012 should of been when we saw Bejing pay off, as the 2009 and 2010 classes mature. Blame it on the pros or blame it on transfers, but so far, it hasn't been great. Good sure, but thornton, hairston, kelly, dawkins, mason isn't the core of a title team, maybe not even an ACC title team. Only Mason would see rotation time on the 2010 team, possibly Kelly, and very few of the 2010 team could crack the rotation of the 2004 team.

Last year, I think clearly Rivers was overrated and we had a team that wasn't great and frankly not fun to watch. It was the worse defense in a decade because we didn't have athletes to guard the ball. It came down to a lack of talent.

Basically I'm going to ask you to prove it. if 2013 becomes a Kentucky like class, I'll eat crow. But post Beijing hasn't been 1998, 2000, 2002, or even 2006 when it comes to recruiting. The best players, especially the best players who play multiple years, which is when Duke thrives, have gone elsewhere. And frankly, they've gone to UNC.

I thought I would add a couple of clarifications, according to RSCI. The 2009 class was rated the #8 class by RSCI, but did not include Andre, who was added later. It also did not include Seth Curry. The 2009 class was rated #9. The 2011 class was rated #2, though Gbinijie has now departed and that does not include Rodney Hood. The 2012 class is ranked tied for #10.

During that same time, UNC has had classes ranked #2, #3, #8 and #4, though I don't believe they have added any transfers in that time. The only other school to be in the top 10 all four years is, of course, UK, who were #1 according to RSCI data all four years. Frankly, I wouldn't say that all the best players went to UNC, though they are on a better four year stretch. If you decide to include Andre Dawkins, Seth Curry and Rodney Hood, however, things look a lot closer, which is another reason that, for this coming year, few around here are fearing that place where you believe all the good players go.