Leslie McDonald to UNC?

[Methodistman]

Fayetteville Observer is reporting that Leslie McDonald has committed to UNC, but their source is InsideCarolina. Anyone have confirmation?

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=296316

[Bluedog]

Rivals and Scout.com also have McDonald giving a solid verbal to UNC...

So, UNC has FIVE players already committed from the Class of 2009. That has to be some kind of record. 2 guards and 3 PFs. And they have four coming in next year, right? If people don't go pro/drop-out/transfer, they're quickly going to run out of scholarships to give...Not that that should be their biggest concern, but 9 players in two years is a lot.

[TheDuke11]

NOT COOL!!!!!!!

we have no luck when the recruit visits both on the same day/weekend.

first bwright and now lmcdonald.

NOT COOL!!!!!!!!!!

[jv001]

First time poster. Have been on the sidelines for couple of years and decided to take part. Great board by the way. McDonalds verbal to unc(does not deserve caps) comes as no suprise to me. I know coach K has back up plans and we needed big men more than we needed swing men. NEXT PLAY! Thanks for letting me participate.

[Olympic Fan]

I suspect that K's backup plan is a 6-4 Texas combo guard named Nick Russell, who was pretty impressive when he was hear last week for the TOC.

As always, the key to this class for Duke is Kenny Boynton -- get him to go along with Mason Plumlee and we'll be fine ... miss him, and we'll be playing catchup (which means going hard for Brandon Knight in the 2010 class).

As for UNC's numbers crunch, they're only in trouble if Lawson and Ellington stay four years. If neither leaves early (and nobody else does), Roy will have 14 on scholarship for 2009-2010. But it's a pretty good bet that won't happen. Heck, if both leave either this month or after next season, he would still have another scholarship for the 2009 class.

No matter what they do, Roy's lined up to have 12 scholarship players in 2010-11 -- so technically he's got one more give (he's already got Bullock and Marshall lined up for that class). Of course, that's a long way off and a defection or early NBA entry can change that.

[watzone]

http://myblogdevils.eponym.com/blog

[sandinmyshoes]

The only sting to this really is rivalry pride. He seems a very good player and a great kid, but I do not think Duke or UNC saw him as a must-get.

Probably the biggest negative for us is that with that class wrapped up, Williams can get a jump on building a solid recruiting foundation for the two following classes.

[watzone]

The only sting to this really is rivalry pride. He seems a very good player and a great kid, but I do not think Duke or UNC saw him as a must-get.

Probably the biggest negative for us is that with that class wrapped up, Williams can get a jump on building a solid recruiting foundation for the two following classes.

You're pretty much on target here. Duke is in good shape with some 2010 kids.

[TheDuke11]

You're pretty much on target here. Duke is in good shape with some 2010 kids.

we were in good shape with lmac too, at least I had thought we were.

for the life of me I cant understand how we went from "the staff feels great, we are in it for him" to him committing to unc, in the span of like 4 hours.

[Devilsfan]

I HATE losing especially to that school. Not good news.

[Classof06]

While it would've been great to land the kid, I'm not losing any sleep over this. With the exceptional perimeter players we have, I personally feel Duke still needs to focus on the frontcourt and McDonald doesn't fall under that category.

Sucks to lose out to UNC on a kid but that's about it. We get Boynton and this isn't even an issue.

[Edouble]

I'm suprised that he visited us second and still committed to UNC so quickly. Was Coach K around last weekend? Is McDonald allowed to see the coaches on an unofficial visit?

[TheDuke11]

who knows if we are even in it for Boynton anymore?

Almost impossible to know for sure anymore. I almost think that whoever these "sources" are seem to be intentionally feeding false information lately, and thats not fair to the reporters or the fans who pay money to read it.

[RepoMan]

I thought Yates told us he was a lock for Tennessee

[watzone]

who knows if we are even in it for Boynton anymore?

Almost impossible to know for sure anymore. I almost think that whoever these "sources" are seem to be intentionally feeding false information lately, and thats not fair to the reporters or the fans who pay money to read it.

What site are you talking about? I haven't seen a lot of false information my way. It pretty ,uch came down to Duke and UNC. Don't overeact on KB. It'll all work out.

[watzone]

I'm suprised that he visited us second and still committed to UNC so quickly. Was Coach K around last weekend? Is McDonald allowed to see the coaches on an unofficial visit?

Nobody knows what got into the kids mind for sure. K had a lot of responsibilities going on. Roy put the full court press on, even having dinner at midcourt of the Dean Dome with his family.

[DUKIECB]

Can someone do a list of the four players unc has coming in this year and the five coming in 2009. What does it look like beside Ewill, the Plumlees and Czyz?

[Chicago 1995]

You're pretty much on target here. Duke is in good shape with some 2010 kids.

When we whiffed on Patrick Patterson, wasn't it the '08 Class that we were in good shape with?

And when we missed on Monroe, it was that '09 was much stronger, and we'd be in good shape with the '09 recruits. We've now missed on three of those '09 recruits -- McDonald, Murphy and Echinque (who has since been reclassified as an '08).

Now we're on to 2010. Forgive me if at this point, the we're "in good shape with some 2010 kids" refrain rings hollow.

[roywhite]

When we whiffed on Patrick Patterson, wasn't it the '08 Class that we were in good shape with?

And when we missed on Monroe, it was that '09 was much stronger, and we'd be in good shape with the '09 recruits. We've now missed on three of those '09 recruits -- McDonald, Murphy and Echinque (who has since been reclassified as an '08).

Now we're on to 2010. Forgive me if at this point, the we're "in good shamp with some 2010 kids" refrain rings hollow.

If you're suggesting that we're doing poorly in recruiting, I'd have to disagree:

The 2008 class of Miles Plumlee, Elliott Williams, and Olek Czyz fills needs; Czyz for one is a very intriguing prospect---way too early to call that class a miss

The 2009 class is off to an excellent start with Mason Plumlee---saw the other day that Brick Oettinger (one of the better gurus IMO) has Mason ranked #12 in that class. We're certainly in it with Kenny Boynton, who is a Top 10 type recruit, and apparently in it with Jamil Wilson also, and perhaps others.

2010? I really don't know; Watzone knows as much as any non-Duke staff person, and he seems pleased with our positioning.

Duke and Carolina are competing for the best prospects in the country, but that's nothing new. Seems to me the 2008-09 season looks very promising, and beyond that looks good too.

[formerdukeathlete]

Nobody knows what got into the kids mind for sure. K had a lot of responsibilities going on. Roy put the full court press on, even having dinner at midcourt of the Dean Dome with his family.

Roy kind of rubs it in our face, with recruits, on a same weekend visit. "You saw CIS, now lets have dinner center court at the Dean Dome." Kid wants to play in front of large crowds. Maybe he has not been to a game in Cameron to withness the heightened, special atmosphere. The differences in arenas is one thing that got into this recruit's mind, is my bet.