New Recruiting Rankings - Rivals and Gibbons

[airowe]

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?SID=910&Year=2010&ra_key=1909

Kyrie Irving is now #9.

[Quo Vadis]

More Importantly,

Hairston is down to 49, and Tyler is at 129, which may be unchanged from earlier.

Hairston's drop surprised me. I thought he played better at the end of the summer, but he was a little disappointing in the spring and early summer. That is not my opinion, but seemed to be the prevailing thoughts accross the interwebb.

I am sure those guys will be solid Devils, and I know that Dawkins is now part of the 2009 class, but barring commitments from the top of the class this recruiting class has lost a lot of its shine from a year ago (approx).

[roywhite]

More Importantly,

Hairston is down to 49, and Tyler is at 129, which may be unchanged from earlier.

Hairston's drop surprised me. I thought he played better at the end of the summer, but he was a little disappointing in the spring and early summer. That is not my opinion, but seemed to be the prevailing thoughts accross the interwebb.

I am sure those guys will be solid Devils, and I know that Dawkins is now part of the 2009 class, but barring commitments from the top of the class this recruiting class has lost a lot of its shine from a year ago (approx).

It's interesting to see some of these ratings, but I wouldn't put too much stock in any single recruiting service, and particularly rivals.com for basketball.

Much of what I read about Hairston is quite positive. Some of what I read about Thornton is positive. We'll see how they develop.

[Quo Vadis]

It's interesting to see some of these ratings, but I wouldn't put too much stock in any single recruiting service, and particularly rivals.com for basketball.

Much of what I read about Hairston is quite positive. Some of what I read about Thornton is positive. We'll see how they develop.

I really like the rest of what Rivals offers, with regards to their coverage of events, weekly mailbag, and their predictions of where players will end up, but their rankings DO have to be taken with a grain of salt.

Their rankings seem to be based almost entirely on pro-ability, and have very little to do with projected impact at college.

But, overall, Rivals is a good site that takes an objective view. The sites I don't like are homer sites that only look at recruiting from the perspective of a single school or conf.

This board can poo poo Rivals, but they are a professional, and successful, recruiting web site. They may not be dead on, but their opinons do mean something.

I also heard good things about Hairston, but that was in latter weeks. He was all but missing from event writeups early in the summer, and that is not a good thing.

[houstondukie]

More Importantly,

Hairston is down to 49, and Tyler is at 129, which may be unchanged from earlier.

Hairston's drop surprised me. I thought he played better at the end of the summer, but he was a little disappointing in the spring and early summer. That is not my opinion, but seemed to be the prevailing thoughts accross the interwebb.

I am sure those guys will be solid Devils, and I know that Dawkins is now part of the 2009 class, but barring commitments from the top of the class this recruiting class has lost a lot of its shine from a year ago (approx).

For those wanting to keep track of the changes to the rankings:

(#) = previous rivals ranking

1. Brandon Knight (1)
2. Harrison Barnes (2)
9. Kyrie Irving (14)
12. Joe Jackson (18)
13. Terrance Jones (15)
19. Josh Smith (6)
31. Roscoe Smith (24)
40. Dominique Ferguson (23)
47. Tariq Black (43)
49. Joshua Haiston (55)
60. Ray McCallum (46)
129. Tyler Thornton (103)

N/A Andre Dawkins (16)

[COYS]

I also heard good things about Hairston, but that was in latter weeks. He was all but missing from event writeups early in the summer, and that is not a good thing.

But also not something to get too worried about. ESPN had a glowing piece on Hairston not too long ago. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=4046792

I know this is a "latter weeks" article, but I guess my point is that I don't think there is really any reason to worry about this too much. He's a hard worker with solid fundamentals who has the drive to get better. He may not set the world afire the second he steps onto Duke's campus, but it also seems like he is more than capable of being a key player for us down the road.

[Quo Vadis]

But also not something to get too worried about. ESPN had a glowing piece on Hairston not too long ago. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=4046792

I know this is a "latter weeks" article, but I guess my point is that I don't think there is really any reason to worry about this too much. He's a hard worker with solid fundamentals who has the drive to get better. He may not set the world afire the second he steps onto Duke's campus, but it also seems like he is more than capable of being a key player for us down the road.

I am not worried, I am just pointing out that the 2010 class is not the panacea that heralded by this board low these many months. Even with Dawkins and Curry factored it, it only boasted 1 player who figured to start immediately, either Curry or Dawkins at the SG. Thornton projects as a stud defender off the bench for a large part of his career, and if the Plums and Kelly play to even near their capabilities, Hairston will be in a dogfight for minutes for a couple of years, and possibly his first 3.

I guess my main point is that this board needs to back off pointing to the 2010 class as a return to greatness, barring more additions, which are no sure thing.

And I goofed about Hairston going down, but 55 back up to 49 isn't gangbusters (and may be statistically insignificant). I am confident that a year at prepschool will shore up his ranking, his body, and his game. But he has an uphill climb for any MPG, much less a key role as a frosh. And Thornton has a hard row to hoe backing up Dawkins, Curry, and Smith.

[speedevil2001]

For those wanting to keep track of the changes to the rankings:

(#) = previous rivals ranking

1. Brandon Knight (1)
2. Harrison Barnes (2)
9. Kyrie Irving (14)
12. Joe Jackson (18)
13. Terrance Jones (15)
19. Josh Smith (6)
31. Roscoe Smith (24)
40. Dominique Ferguson (23)
47. Tariq Black (43)
49. Joshua Haiston (55)
60. Ray McCallum (46)
129. Tyler Thornton (103)

N/A Andre Dawkins (16)

im not worried about thornton's ranking, this guy is a winner. he will find minutes once he comes to duke and he will make winning plays.

im am worried about hairston's ranking, i hope he spends the next year getting stronger with finishing in the paint. i seen some of his clips, all the does is layups. i want my bigs to dunk the ball.

[rotogod00]

More Importantly,

Hairston is down to 49, and Tyler is at 129, which may be unchanged from earlier.

Hairston's drop surprised me. I thought he played better at the end of the summer, but he was a little disappointing in the spring and early summer. That is not my opinion, but seemed to be the prevailing thoughts accross the interwebb.

I am sure those guys will be solid Devils, and I know that Dawkins is now part of the 2009 class, but barring commitments from the top of the class this recruiting class has lost a lot of its shine from a year ago (approx).

Hairston and Thornton were never 5-star recruits, so not sure this class ever had real shine, but esp. now without Dawkins. Of course that would change if we can land Barnes and/or Irving.

[airowe]

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/2009/08/gibbons-new-top-175-for-10.html

Gibbons, who I trust more than Rivals, has Harrison Barnes #2 and Kyrie Irving #3. Kyrie is his #1 PG.

Mods, maybe we could combine this and the Rivals Rankings thread?

[Duke79UNLV77]

Much higher than others rate them. I sure hope Gibbons is right (except for when it comes to the highly rated UNC recruits) and isn't just giving them a "Duke Bump."

http://www.bobgibbons.net/index.php?/weblog/article/class_of_2010_post_summer_top_175_player_ratings/

[Quo Vadis]

Gibby has a somewhat notorious rep for giving the Triangle schools recruits a notorious bump. But he does have a solid rep for talent evaluation. I hope he's right and others are wrong.

[Quo Vadis]

Hairston and Thornton were never 5-star recruits, so not sure this class ever had real shine, but esp. now without Dawkins. Of course that would change if we can land Barnes and/or Irving.

Last year, prior to the HS season, Hairston was a 5-star according to many services, or near five star with a ranking in the late teens early 20s. Gibbons has him higher, so let's hope he is more accurate.

[jimsumner]

"I am not worried, I am just pointing out that the 2010 class is not the panacea that heralded by this board low these many months"

In the absence of decisions by Duke's top two targets, this assessment stikes me as premature at best.

[Rudy]

I looked in at Scouts to see if it had adjusted its team rankings for 2009 based on Dawkins reporting this year. They had not, still putting Duke at #9 based on 2 five stars, Kelly and Plumlee the younger.

[miramar]

"I am not worried, I am just pointing out that the 2010 class is not the panacea that heralded by this board low these many months."

Yes, but if we consider that the class of 2009 unexpectedly includes MP2, Kelly, Dawkins, and (in one year) Curry, it seems that the panacea might have come a year early. Of course, if we get Barnes and Irving in 2010, then we would have two really strong classes back to back, and that would be really fun to watch.