2018 Basketball Recruiting Thread

[DavidBenAkiva]

I would hope to see Swider commit to the Cameron Crazies, sooner the better ! Just my gut feeling.

Funny you should say that, as Cole Swider is set to announce his college decision on Friday, according to Adam Zagoria and others. Swider recently visited Xavier, Syracuse, and Duke within the last couple of weeks and is also considering Villanova.

[mattman91]

Funny you should say that, as Cole Swider is set to announce his college decision on Friday, according to Adam Zagoria and others. Swider recently visited Xavier, Syracuse, and Duke within the last couple of weeks and is also considering Villanova.

Interesting.

From what limited material I have read, he and Jordan Tucker seem to have some of the same strengths and weaknesses, and are the same size.

[JasonEvans]

So, in the past 18 hours, 9 recruiting gurus have posted predictions on 24/7 (many of them changing from an earlier prediction). Every one of them now says Cole Swider is headed to Villanova. Seems the kid's decision has leaked.

Good luck to him at a fine program with an excellent coach. As other have stated, he may have been somewhat redundant with other 4-year guys already coming to Duke but if he wanted to be here and K wanted him, I'm bummed we missed.

-Jason "he was hardly a key recruit for us... if Tre Jones picks someone else, I'll be really upset" Evans

[mr. synellinden]

So, in the past 18 hours, 9 recruiting gurus have posted predictions on 24/7 (many of them changing from an earlier prediction). Every one of them now says Cole Swider is headed to Villanova. Seems the kid's decision has leaked.

Good luck to him at a fine program with an excellent coach. As other have stated, he may have been somewhat redundant with other 4-year guys already coming to Duke but if he wanted to be here and K wanted him, I'm bummed we missed.

-Jason "he was hardly a key recruit for us... if Tre Jones picks someone else, I'll be really upset" Evans

Very interesting because there was a post on the Villanova basketball blog essentially saying they had no shot at Swider and that he was likely headed to Duke or Xavier. And I think there were other recruiting "experts" who agreed it was down to Duke and Xavier. And on Crystal Ball he was 91% Duke yesterday. Obviously you never know in the recruiting game.

This isn't the post I saw - but it's the same sentiment: https://www.vuhoops.com/2017/6/28/15...ment-date-time

[mr. synellinden]

Well, it's official now. Swider to Villanova.

Good luck to him.

[Pghdukie]

He would have looked good in Duke Blue. I wish him well. Rats. I thought he was headed to Cameron.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Good luck to Swider at Villanova! If Duke wanted him, he must have been a good one. Nova is no slouch of a program, either, obviously.

As far as fit with Duke, it was an interesting one at best. Jack White will be a junior next while Jordan Tucker and Alex O'Connell will be sophomores. All three have the same basic profile as Swider, about 6'7" and good outside shooter. Here's hoping at least one of the Duke wing trio develops into a rotation player by 2018-19.

[budwom]

Good luck to Swider at Villanova! If Duke wanted him, he must have been a good one. Nova is no slouch of a program, either, obviously.

As far as fit with Duke, it was an interesting one at best. Jack White will be a junior next while Jordan Tucker and Alex O'Connell will be sophomores. All three have the same basic profile as Swider, about 6'7" and good outside shooter. Here's hoping at least one of the Duke wing trio develops into a rotation player by 2018-19.

Perhaps you're right about Jack White, but since he's taken all of nine shots at Duke, I don't have much of a feel for how good a shooter he is or will be.

[GGLC]

The Crystal Ball is once again a post hoc junkpile.

[Olympic Fan]

A disappointing outcome ... disappointing, but not crushing.

Swider was a guy we wanted, but he was basically a secondary recruit -- a non one-and-done player who could stay and provide continuity in his second and third (and fourth?) year. I agree with DavidBenAkiva that his skillset was similar to Jordan Tucker and Alex O'Connell, so his loss is not all that upsetting.

I wish the kid luck at Nova. Hope he has a solid career.

As for Duke, next play.

The success or failure of this class depends on the three-some of Tre Jones, Cameron Reddish and Darius Garland -- plus one of the big men, Marvin Bagley or Zion Williamson.

Get four of those five and it's a GREAT recruiting class. Get shut out and the 2018-19 season could be a disaster (and Cole Swider wouldn't have changed that).

Right now, I'm optimistic -- Duke is in great shape with Jones, Garland and Reddish (although Cal is making a big push for Reddish) ... Duke has a reasonable chance for Bagley or Williamson.

I'm sure there will be other secondary recruits -- non one-and-dones -- on the radar. There are also guys like Langford and Moses Brown (both longshots IMHO). But basically, I think the success or failure of the 2018 recruiting class depends on Jones, Reddish, Garland, Bagley and/or Williamson.

[budwom]

The Crystal Ball is once again a post hoc junkpile.

I really enjoy that site and pay for a premium membership (there's a lot of good info there) but I agree (and always have) about the uselessness of the Crystal Bowel...about as good as taking the outdoor temperature at midnight to predict the next day's weather.

[ChillinDuke]

I really enjoy that site and pay for a premium membership (there's a lot of good info there) but I agree (and always have) about the uselessness of the Crystal Bowel...about as good as taking the outdoor temperature at midnight to predict the next day's weather.

I still LOL at the seemingly utter hatred of the Crystal Ball by some around here. Why on earth it's so incredibly polarizing will remain a mystery to me. Meanwhile, your analogy proves the point that the Crystal Ball is better than certain other metrics. For example, taking the temperature at midnight of 60 degrees means it's a heck of a lot more likely to be 80 tomorrow than if you measured the temperature at 40 degrees. That seems to me exactly the sort of analogy that proves the value of the Crystal Ball; it is better than just randomly guessing.

But whatever, no one is going to get convinced on this matter. So to each their own.

- Chillin

[Pghdukie]

If I check the temperature at 1am, I have a 50/50 chance that the weatherman at 7am is going to be half right !

[devildeac]

If I check the temperature at 1am, I have a 50/50 chance that the weatherman at 7am is going to be half right !

Unless the temperature is 9F, then you're right 100% of the time, no matter what time of the day/season it is!

[Class of '94]

A disappointing outcome ... disappointing, but not crushing.

Swider was a guy we wanted, but he was basically a secondary recruit -- a non one-and-done player who could stay and provide continuity in his second and third (and fourth?) year. I agree with DavidBenAkiva that his skillset was similar to Jordan Tucker and Alex O'Connell, so his loss is not all that upsetting.

I wish the kid luck at Nova. Hope he has a solid career.

As for Duke, next play.

The success or failure of this class depends on the three-some of Tre Jones, Cameron Reddish and Darius Garland -- plus one of the big men, Marvin Bagley or Zion Williamson.

Get four of those five and it's a GREAT recruiting class. Get shut out and the 2018-19 season could be a disaster (and Cole Swider wouldn't have changed that).

Right now, I'm optimistic -- Duke is in great shape with Jones, Garland and Reddish (although Cal is making a big push for Reddish) ... Duke has a reasonable chance for Bagley or Williamson.

I'm sure there will be other secondary recruits -- non one-and-dones -- on the radar. There are also guys like Langford and Moses Brown (both longshots IMHO). But basically, I think the success or failure of the 2018 recruiting class depends on Jones, Reddish, Garland, Bagley and/or Williamson.

After reading the article on the front page about Cam Reddish, I have to admit I am beginning to worry about Duke's chances of getting him with Cal being his USA basketball coach and Cam saying that he loves playing for Cal. it's amazing to me how so many other fan bases and coaches (especially KY fans and Coach Cal) were complaining that K had an unfair advantage being the HC of the Senior men's USAB team; but turn the other way when it comes to college coaches working directly with HS players while also recruiting them. I believe Mo Bamba said that his time playing for Shaka in USAB was a deciding factor in him choosing Texas. I am not complaining; but it should would be nice for people to be consistent in pointing out unfair recruiting advantages; but i guess that can be too much to ask. As far as Cam goes, I wish him the best no matter where he goes. I wasn't one of those people complaining about K having an unfair advantage and I am not going to complain about Cal having one now. Hopefully this experience with USAB will give Cal a better appreciation for what K has done for USAB as a whole.

[MCFinARL]

After reading the article on the front page about Cam Reddish, I have to admit I am beginning to worry about Duke's chances of getting him with Cal being his USA basketball coach and Cam saying that he loves playing for Cal. it's amazing to me how so many other fan bases and coaches (especially KY fans and Coach Cal) were complaining that K had an unfair advantage being the HC of the Senior men's USAB team; but turn the other way when it comes to college coaches working directly with HS players while also recruiting them. I believe Mo Bamba said that his time playing for Shaka in USAB was a deciding factor in him choosing Texas. I am not complaining; but it should would be nice for people to be consistent in pointing out unfair recruiting advantages; but i guess that can be too much to ask. As far as Cam goes, I wish him the best no matter where he goes. I wasn't one of those people complaining about K having an unfair advantage and I am not going to complain about Cal having one now. Hopefully this experience with USAB will give Cal a better appreciation for what K has done for USAB as a whole.

Yes--the US basketball program needs coaches, and realistically, college coaches are the most likely candidates for the various high-school age teams. If it gives them an advantage in recruiting, so be it--in at least some cases it might also give them a disadvantage, if a player discovered he didn't like a particular coach's style or didn't get the playing time he wanted.

Agree it would be nice if people could be consistent in recognizing when they themselves do, or benefit from, what they have criticized others for doing or benefiting from, but, really, that would make them far superior to the average human being--we all occasionally (or more often) criticize other's actions while justifying our own very similar actions.

[Henderson]

Unless the temperature is 9F, then you're right 100% of the time, no matter what time of the day/season it is!

devildeac wins the internet for this week.

[devildeac]

devildeac wins the internet for this week.

An entire week? Thank you, thank you very much (posted with my best elvis14 internet voice).

[elvis14]

An entire week? Thank you, thank you very much (posted with my best elvis14 internet voice).

Nice. At one point during my wedding reception after the DJ played one of those songs where everyone sings along I did grab the mic and belt out a "Thank you, thank you, very much" in my best Elvis voice (which is a really bad version of an Elvis voice).

[Pghdukie]

devildeac wins the internet for this week.

I would hope that my contribution entitles me to a 6-pack of my favorite beverage !