Quinn Cook Commits to Duke!!

[airowe]

It's about time we had one of these...

http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2010/08/19/in-depth-quinn-cook-interview/


Quinn says there are a few things that make Duke an attractive place to play. “The main thing is winning. When you think college basketball, you think Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Arizona, and UCLA. Duke just wins. Coach K being with USA Basketball and Duke you can see he knows how to win. Also, the way they get guys to the NBA and the fact that there are a lot of Duke guys in the NBA now.”


“Coach K told me that would be a perfect weekend to come up there. Marshall Plumlee told me he was going to be up there and so did “Little” Rodney Purvis and Quincy (Miller), so I just said why not? All my boys will be up there at one time, so…”

[Bob Green]

It's about time we had one of these...

I agree. The 2011 Recruiting Thread is a great discussion; however, Quinn Cook's recruitment has progressed to the point he deserves his own thread. Over the summer, Cook was a member of the USA U17 Team, which won the Gold Medal in Hamburg, Germany. Cook started all eight games and averaged 7.5 points and 7.4 assists in 21.1 minutes per game. Here are links to the Gold Medal Game recap and team stats for the tournament:

http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u17/

http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u17/2010_mens_mu17_wc_cum_2010_06_29.html

Quinn Cook is ranked #20 (http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=4&cfg=bb&pid=88&yr=2011) in the Class of 2011 by Scout and is a guy I definitely desire to see playing his college ball at Duke.

[G man]

A big part of playing PG at Duke is his ability to guard other PG's. We have all witnessed first hand what happens when we cannot keep opposing PG's out of the lane. So I am curious at Cook's ability to play D. Because I have heard about his limited athleticism. From someone who has seen him play how good is this guys D?

[amazinballer323]

Is it just me or does Quinn's game remind anyone else of like a Corey Fisher or maybe Scottie Reynolds even? I know two Villanova guys but still.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Is it just me or does Quinn's game remind anyone else of like a Corey Fisher or maybe Scottie Reynolds even? I know two Villanova guys but still.

Not sure if Scottie is the best example. I always though QC to be a pass-first point guard, which definitely isn't Scottie. I think of QC as a Duhon type player. Insiders - please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Duhon is the best Duke-PG example...

[airowe]

Not sure if Scottie is the best example. I always though QC to be a pass-first point guard, which definitely isn't Scottie. I think of QC as a Duhon type player. Insiders - please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Duhon is the best Duke-PG example...

I've heard Quinn's game compared to Duhon's before, but I don't think Quinn plays as big as Duhon did. Chris was very good at using his upper body strength to get position where Quinn uses more craftiness to create space for himself.

There were a few comparisons to players that Quinn sees in himself in the interview I posted, and I agree with all of them to an extent. He's been asked to be more of a distributor this Summer than a scorer like he was with Dematha, and he has responded well. I like Quinn's game a lot. He does a lot of things very well on the court and he's a very versatile point guard.

[Osiagledknarf]

I really like this kid. I think he could come in and take over for Kyrie in a year or so. If he commits here, I think he will be a very good asset to us. He is one of these guys who can do everything well and will be able to run a offense in a very affective way. My question is, when will there be an offer extend if there is one extended? I think the October 15th visit will be late to attend an offer in the recruiting process.

[airowe]

I think normally Oct. 15th would be too late, but I also think Quinn really wants to play for carolina or Duke and he knows he needs to wait for that offer to come from either school. He was really high on Arizona, but with their reduction in scholarships because of NCAA penalties, they seem to be focused in on Jahii Carson, which should give Duke more time to extend that offer.

We need to see how things shake out with Quincy Miller and the Myck Kabongo rumors before moving forward with Cook honestly, but I don't think you'll see the staff wait too long and miss out on all three.

[soccerstud2210]

We need to see how things shake out with Quincy Miller and the Myck Kabongo rumors before moving forward with Cook honestly, but I don't think you'll see the staff wait too long and miss out on all three.

so airowe, you think the Myck Kabongo rumors have legs? more so then the Brad Beal rumors? to decommitting?

[airowe]

I think both rumors have some legs, it remains to be seen how those situations play out...

[Class of '94]

I think normally Oct. 15th would be too late, but I also think Quinn really wants to play for carolina or Duke and he knows he needs to wait for that offer to come from either school. He was really high on Arizona, but with their reduction in scholarships because of NCAA penalties, they seem to be focused in on Jahii Carson, which should give Duke more time to extend that offer.

We need to see how things shake out with Quincy Miller and the Myck Kabongo rumors before moving forward with Cook honestly, but I don't think you'll see the staff wait too long and miss out on all three.

Airowe, It seems like Quinn is very high on Duke; but do you think Duke really has time to sit on Cook in order to wait for Quincy Miller's decision when Q will probably not make a decision until next spring? I would imagin Cook wanting to decide sooner then that; and might be hesistant to wait on Duke withoout a guarantee of a scholly and risk the opportunity to play for another favorite school like Carolina if they officially offer him. What are your (or anyone else's) thoughts on how long Duke could realistically holdout for Q Miller's decision and not lose Cook to another school?

[flyingdutchdevil]

...which I am clearly not, why make a decision in the fall if you want to play for Duke or UNC? Why not wait it out until the spring, when you have a better feel for the landscape. Currently, the two schools have the following options for PG in 2011-2012:

Duke:
-KI (if he stays) - Soph
-Thornton - Soph
-Curry (can play the point) - Jun
-AR (assuming he comes; he is a combo guard who can play the point) - Fresh

UNC
-LDII - Sen
-Marshall - Soph
-Strickland - Jun

By committing in the spring, you'd know whether KI would return for his senior year, whether AR is going to Duke and what position he would most likely to play, whether someone from UNC would transfer, whether UNC would get another PG, etc. etc.

I really, really like Cook and would love for him to come to Duke. But, if I'm a top 20 talent, I'd also like to know the full landscape to ensure that I will have a large opportunity for playing time.

[airowe]

Airowe, It seems like Quinn is very high on Duke; but do you think Duke really has time to sit on Cook in order to wait for Quincy Miller's decision when Q will probably not make a decision until next spring? I would imagin Cook wanting to decide sooner then that; and might be hesistant to wait on Duke withoout a guarantee of a scholly and risk the opportunity to play for another favorite school like Carolina if they officially offer him. What are your (or anyone else's) thoughts on how long Duke could realistically holdout for Q Miller's decision and not lose Cook to another school?

I don't think we'll need to wait that long. I'm sure everyone will know how Kyrie is playing by the time Cook makes the call. I don't really think Cook will be able to make a Fall decision like he wants.

First, the back court situation at the schools atop his list won't be settled enough to do so. Second, I don't think Cook will have a chance to officially visit either of the West Coast schools on his list until Oak Hill goes to Hawaii over Christmas. He may drop in on them while he's in LA for the Elite 24 game, but can't take an official until his senior year. Maybe he won't need to, I think he would.

[yancem]

It's about time we had one of these...

http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2010/08/19/in-depth-quinn-cook-interview/

Hold it just a minute! I thought that Duke didn't put players in the nba and the ones that did sneak in were busts!

[Class of '94]

I really, really like Cook and would love for him to come to Duke. But, if I'm a top 20 talent, I'd also like to know the full landscape to ensure that I will have a large opportunity for playing time.

I understand what you're saying and I think it's a reasonable approach; but I'm wondering that if he took that approach, he might miss out on going to a dream school and settle for lesser options (like having to go to a shady program like UK :)).

[DukeBlueNV]

Cook interview... talks about his top teams (Duke is in there) and some stuff about him being a UNC fan growing up (says it wont factor in his decision) some other tidbits...

http://www.highschoolhoop.com/hsh-1-on-1/2010/08/hsh-1-on-1-quinn-cook-is-high-on-unc-duke-ucla/

[enick66]

According to this article, Quinn's knee injury may knock him out for the season:

http://dc.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661117/quinn-cook-dematha-knee-injury

[MisterRoddy]

According to this article, Quinn's knee injury may knock him out for the season:

http://dc.sbnation.com/2010/8/31/1661117/quinn-cook-dematha-knee-injury

I certainly hope not. But, if true, terrible break for him. He seems like a tough kid though and I have no doubt that he will come back full force. I would absolutely love to have Quinn on board for 2011.

[Bob Green]

Quinn's knee injury may knock him out for the season:



MRI results are pending:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/31/AR2010083103640.html

Hopefully, the MRI will be negative, but even if his ligaments are torn, I want him in Durham.

[airowe]

MRI results are pending:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/31/AR2010083103640.html

Hopefully, the MRI will be negative, but even if his ligaments are torn, I want him in Durham.

Agreed. I really hope he doesn't have to sit out a year though. He really had a chance to do something special on this Oak Hill squad...

[airowe]

Looks like Quinn got his MRI results back and will only miss up to 120 days. He may miss Countdown to Crazieness, but that's the least of his worries at this time...

http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2010/08/31/duke-recruit-quinn-cook-injury-update-part-deux/

[Dukeface88]

Looks like Quinn got his MRI results back and will only miss up to 120 days. He may miss Countdown to Crazieness, but that's the least of his worries at this time...

http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2010/08/31/duke-recruit-quinn-cook-injury-update-part-deux/

Glad to hear it isn't worse, although any injury is unfortunate. Hopefully the surgery and recovery go well. My brother and my college roommate both had knee surgery; it definately isn't a fun thing for the person going through it. Except the painkillers; those are fun for you and anyone who might be in the room at the time.

[sdotbarbee]

Looks like Quinn got his MRI results back and will only miss up to 120 days. He may miss Countdown to Crazieness, but that's the least of his worries at this time...

http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2010/08/31/duke-recruit-quinn-cook-injury-update-part-deux/

I am not real sure why this injury would have him miss CTC, I tore my ACL and had reconstructive surgery and was walking and rehabbing the next week. He doesn't have to play ball or pass some kind of physical does he?

[BD80]

Glad to hear it isn't worse, although any injury is unfortunate. Hopefully the surgery and recovery go well. My brother and my college roommate both had knee surgery; it definately isn't a fun thing for the person going through it. Except the painkillers; those are fun for you and anyone who might be in the room at the time.

Not always. When I was in the hospital after having my quadracep tendon reattached to my knee, they had me on the best pain meds I have ever had, some sort or morphine derivative. Problem was, I would stop breathing every so often. Scared my son pretty badly the first time it happened. It was kind of strange for me for the next few hours: there were a bunch of people staring at me as I would drift in and out of consciousness. And they would keep waking me up as my sleep was becoming the most peaceful; I was almost resentful. Didn't feel the knee until the next day, and didn't sleep much for a while after that.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure everyone in the hospital room was there to make sure I kept breathing, I seem to remember some talk of bets being made.

[sagegrouse]

Not always. When I was in the hospital after having my quadracep tendon reattached to my knee, they had me on the best pain meds I have ever had, some sort or morphine derivative. Problem was, I would stop breathing every so often. Scared my son pretty badly the first time it happened. It was kind of strange for me for the next few hours: there were a bunch of people staring at me as I would drift in and out of consciousness. And they would keep waking me up as my sleep was becoming the most peaceful; I was almost resentful. Didn't feel the knee until the next day, and didn't sleep much for a while after that.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure everyone in the hospital room was there to make sure I kept breathing, I seem to remember some talk of bets being made.

I like the direction this thread is going. No, I really do.... time to tell some good stories.

When I had major surgery more than a few years ago, I was given morphine for some time following surgery. The next day (surgery was in the late afternoon) I was woozy but thought I was basically OK. Then, when I picked up the newspaper, while I could read and understand the headlines, I couldn't transform the words in the articles into any understandable sentence. I was kind of like a cognitive CuisineArt.

sagegrouse
"Of course, I had "major" surgery because "minor" surgery is surgery performed on someone else'

[Dukeface88]

I like the direction this thread is going. No, I really do.... time to tell some good stories.

When I had major surgery more than a few years ago, I was given morphine for some time following surgery. The next day (surgery was in the late afternoon) I was woozy but thought I was basically OK. Then, when I picked up the newspaper, while I could read and understand the headlines, I couldn't transform the words in the articles into any understandable sentence. I was kind of like a cognitive CuisineArt.

sagegrouse
"Of course, I had "major" surgery because "minor" surgery is surgery performed on someone else'

The roommate I mentioned earlier attempted to e-mail his professors to ask about his assignments. He didn't get past the first sentence before misspelling his own name ("there isn't an X in your name. Or a U. Or a G. You know, someone else should probably wirte this").

The other fun thing is that the meds also gave him some kind of temporary amnesia. He can't remember anything from the month after surgery, which means I can just make up stories about stuff he did, and he has no idea whether they're true. Turns out that effectively missing a month of class (even if he was physically present for most of it) is not a good thing once exams roll around.

[G man]

I like the direction this thread is going. No, I really do.... time to tell some good stories.

When I had major surgery more than a few years ago, I was given morphine for some time following surgery. The next day (surgery was in the late afternoon) I was woozy but thought I was basically OK. Then, when I picked up the newspaper, while I could read and understand the headlines, I couldn't transform the words in the articles into any understandable sentence. I was kind of like a cognitive CuisineArt.

sagegrouse
"Of course, I had "major" surgery because "minor" surgery is surgery performed on someone else'


My story sucked. I did in my ACL and Meniscus. Well when I was coming out of anesthesia I apparently was asking to see my ex. Well my current girlfriend was called over by the nurse using my ex's name to see me. Needless to say it didn't last to much longer when I sobered up.

[JohnGalt]

Glad to hear it isn't worse, although any injury is unfortunate. Hopefully the surgery and recovery go well. My brother and my college roommate both had knee surgery; it definately isn't a fun thing for the person going through it. Except the painkillers; those are fun for you and anyone who might be in the room at the time.


Looks like Quinn got his MRI results back and will only miss up to 120 days. He may miss Countdown to Crazieness, but that's the least of his worries at this time...

http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2010/08/31/duke-recruit-quinn-cook-injury-update-part-deux/


I was always under the impression partial tears were actually worse than complete tears. Not that I'm trying to argue against the professional opinion of USsoccer's physician, but the way the trainers used to explain it to me in college was that repairing a ligament leaves it much more susceptible to re-injury, whereas completely rupturing it, and having the ligament replaced with your own or someone else's tissue basically returned you to 110% (assuming the surgery was performed correctly). The big tradeoff is that a complete rupture is an 8-10, sometimes 12, monther and - as in Quinn's case - the partial tear surgery is 3-4 months.

Anyone with a background in medicine care to comment on how (in)accurate (probably 'in') that summary is?

[Bluedevil114]

Anyone know why Quinn just tweeted that Villanova is back on his list? Is he not feeling the love from Duke? Has he heard the rumors about Kabongo?

[BD80]

My story sucked. I did in my ACL and Meniscus. Well when I was coming out of anesthesia I apparently was asking to see my ex. Well my current girlfriend was called over by the nurse using my ex's name to see me. Needless to say it didn't last to much longer when I sobered up.

Hospitals can be bad for relationships:

I was in for a fractured jaw and a concussion (face to face collision in the outfield, I was the shortstop and the outfielder said he couldn't hearing me calling the ball). I was very pleased to awake to a young lady I had been trying to go out with. Turns out I had. To this day I can't remember having spent the prior two days with her. We supposedly even went horseback riding. She wasn't amused, or understanding.

[johnb]

If a complete were better than a partial, wouldn't they just cut out the ligament and start over? Of course, by that logic, since a sprained ankle can take longer to heal than a simple fracture, the doctors should treat ankle sprains with mallets.

I haven't been following his recruitment closely (he's a top 20 talent and a smart, solid kid so I assume we'd want him regardless of who returns and that we have at least a 50:50 shot of getting him since that's roughly our track record with top flight, solid guys--a recruitment rate that seems to me easily the best in the country but isn't ever going to approach 100%--and I don't particularly need to know every nuance of 17 year olds who are as likely to suit up for a Kansas or Carolina--though when they sign for us, I become like a drooling adolescent), I hadn't realized he was good friends with Nolan, that the coach of his AAU team was Nolan's stepfather, and that his father died his sophomore year. The injury is rough, but now I really hope that he winds up in a Duke uniform...

[SilkyJ]

Hospitals can be bad for relationships:

I was in for a fractured jaw and a concussion (face to face collision in the outfield, I was the shortstop and the outfielder said he couldn't hearing me calling the ball). I was very pleased to awake to a young lady I had been trying to go out with. Turns out I had. To this day I can't remember having spent the prior two days with her. We supposedly even went horseback riding. She wasn't amused, or understanding.

Killer! Kinda ridiculous that she wasn't understanding. Did you beat your head against a well just so you'd forget that? Course not.

ps I want to know the end of the story!

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

I did not see how Cook actually injured his knee. But after hearing this and seeing Austin fall hard on his wrist at the same venue, I wonder if anyone starts to ask whether it is really good for these kids to be playing in so many summer games - especially the ones that seem to emphasize flashiness over substance. I hope it doesn't happen but just watching the way some guys played the other day (over-emphasis on attempt to make flashy plays, especially hard dunks/alleyoops) made me wonder when someone was going to get hurt badly. Would be a shame for some kid's career to be ruined while playing at a silly event driven by corporate marketing.

[PADukeMom]

I like the direction this thread is going. No, I really do.... time to tell some good stories.

When I had major surgery more than a few years ago, I was given morphine for some time following surgery. The next day (surgery was in the late afternoon) I was woozy but thought I was basically OK. Then, when I picked up the newspaper, while I could read and understand the headlines, I couldn't transform the words in the articles into any understandable sentence. I was kind of like a cognitive CuisineArt.

sagegrouse
"Of course, I had "major" surgery because "minor" surgery is surgery performed on someone else'

You should try a combination of Ambien & Vicoden. My son said I had a very intersting conversation with him comparing the speed of a cheeta & an Aston Martin DB9. I apparently offered to give up a kidney for an Aston. He makes me watch too many episodes of Top Gear.

[Jeff Frosh]

Hospitals can be bad for relationships:

I was in for a fractured jaw and a concussion (face to face collision in the outfield, I was the shortstop and the outfielder said he couldn't hearing me calling the ball). I was very pleased to awake to a young lady I had been trying to go out with. Turns out I had. To this day I can't remember having spent the prior two days with her. We supposedly even went horseback riding. She wasn't amused, or understanding.

The scary part of this story is that you were playing shortstop. LOL

[BD80]

Killer! Kinda ridiculous that she wasn't understanding. Did you beat your head against a well just so you'd forget that? Course not.

ps I want to know the end of the story!

It actually worked out well, just not with her.


The scary part of this story is that you were playing shortstop. LOL

It appears I thought I was playing left field!

Funny thing is, in 20+ years of playing softball, there was only one team on which I did NOT play shortstop. And Mirecourt had what, 39 guys in the entire house? We did OK we did.

[Starter]

Hospitals can be bad for relationships:

I was in for a fractured jaw and a concussion (face to face collision in the outfield, I was the shortstop and the outfielder said he couldn't hearing me calling the ball). I was very pleased to awake to a young lady I had been trying to go out with. Turns out I had. To this day I can't remember having spent the prior two days with her. We supposedly even went horseback riding. She wasn't amused, or understanding.

This reminded me of the Carlos Beltran-Mike Cameron collision for the Mets in 2005, which was horrific to watch live. It happens more often than it should, especially with outfielders coming in and infielders going out. Glad everything worked out for the best on all fronts.

With Kabongo, after I saw someone here mention it I did a search and read on a different thread about that possibility. I would be ecstatic if something worked out there, especially since I was pretty sure he was rock solid for Texas. He has SERIOUS game. I was at the game where he and Kyrie dueled down the stretch, and it was like a high school version of Chris Paul and Deron Williams going at it. Kabongo came out on top, but St. Pat's didn't have Gilchrist for that one.

[dchen09]

You should try a combination of Ambien & Vicoden. My son said I had a very intersting conversation with him comparing the speed of a cheeta & an Aston Martin DB9. I apparently offered to give up a kidney for an Aston. He makes me watch too many episodes of Top Gear.

Top Gear and Duke basketball are two of the best things on TV

[Dukeface88]

He makes me watch too many episodes of Top Gear.

There is no such thing as "too many episodes of Top Gear".

[Nrrrrvous]

I like the direction this thread is going. No, I really do.... time to tell some good stories.

When I had major surgery more than a few years ago, I was given morphine for some time following surgery. The next day (surgery was in the late afternoon) I was woozy but thought I was basically OK. Then, when I picked up the newspaper, while I could read and understand the headlines, I couldn't transform the words in the articles into any understandable sentence. I was kind of like a cognitive CuisineArt.

sagegrouse
"Of course, I had "major" surgery because "minor" surgery is surgery performed on someone else'

When I awoke the first time from a biopsy, my family was very upset to tell me I had Cancer, I fell back asleep and when I awoke they had to tell me again. By the 4th time, they were like "Yeah, you got cancer, now go back to sleep so we can watch tv."

[PADukeMom]

There is no such thing as "too many episodes of Top Gear".

That is very true especially when you start calling your trunk the boot.

The same can be said about every Duke needs to be on national TV at 9 PM. I can't believe we win the NC and are ESPN isn't going to be at Midnite Madness. I am trying to figure out hwo I can seek out of work early enough to make the 10 hour drive to Durham.

[airowe]

Quinn's injury not as serious as previously thought: http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2010/09/03/quinn-cook-injury-update-back-in-4-5-weeks/

[MisterRoddy]

Quinn's injury not as serious as previously thought: http://www.dukehoopblog.com/2010/09/03/quinn-cook-injury-update-back-in-4-5-weeks/

Looks like all of the prayers have worked. Fantastic news for the kid.

[sdotbarbee]

@JayJayDimeESPN, Quinn Cook (@QCook323) has received an official offer from Duke. He'll be at Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 15
15 minutes ago via TweetDeck
Retweeted by you and 1 other

[DeBlueDevil]

@JayJayDimeESPN, Quinn Cook (@QCook323) has received an official offer from Duke. He'll be at Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 15
15 minutes ago via TweetDeck
Retweeted by you and 1 other

Anyone thinks this helps/hurts our chances with Austin? Curious to hear what others think. Not sure if this is exactly sign that Kyrie is one and done and with our depth at guard I'm not sure how it affects any time that Austin would have running the show.

[CharlestonDevil]

@JayJayDimeESPN, Quinn Cook (@QCook323) has received an official offer from Duke. He'll be at Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 15
15 minutes ago via TweetDeck
Retweeted by you and 1 other

This speaks volumes about where the coaching staff thinks we stand between QM, and QC, assuming a forthcoming committment from AR. This offer either means that:

A) "We've been wanting a committment from QM, and that's not going to happen. So we need to capitalize on QC who seems very interested and is also a great talent. We can't miss on them both."

or

B) "We still have a chance with QM, we think that QC would commit given an offer, so let's put it out there and see which one we get first."

Yes, Duke could miss on all 3 prospects, nothing is ever certain till they step foot on campus, but given the probability of a Rivers committment, the interest shown by Cook, and the wishy-washy recruitment of Miller I think these are the most likely outcomes.

[Bob Green]

Anyone thinks this helps/hurts our chances with Austin?

IMO, it neither helps nor hurts. The two recruitments are totally independent.

[jimsumner]

Anyone thinks this helps/hurts our chances with Austin? Curious to hear what others think. Not sure if this is exactly sign that Kyrie is one and done and with our depth at guard I'm not sure how it affects any time that Austin would have running the show.

Cook's recruitment has more to do with the weakness of the 2012 PG class. Duke doesn't see any PGs in that class as good as Cook. Factor that in with the very real possibility that Irving will only be at Duke for one season and the possibility that Curry might struggle to make the transition to point for 2012, then offering Cook is a no-brainer. IMO.

Bob is correct. Rivers is a likely one-and-done wing. Cook is a three/four-year point. Their recruitments only intersect at the place where having competent point guards enhances the ability of its wings.

[DeBlueDevil]

Cook's recruitment has more to do with the weakness of the 2012 PG class. Duke doesn't see any PGs in that class as good as Cook. Factor that in with the very real possibility that Irving will only be at Duke for one season and the possibility that Curry might struggle to make the transition to point for 2012, then offering Cook is a no-brainer. IMO.

Bob is correct. Rivers is a likely one-and-done wing. Cook is a three/four-year point. Their recruitments only intersect at the place where having competent point guards enhances the ability of its wings.

But what about Ty Thornton? How do he and QC compare? Wouldn't you think by the time QC gets on campus that Ty should be a more than capable PG to step in and play next to whomever the wing is at the time? Gbinje? But I did overlook that QC is a junior so in that case I totally understand why we are recruiting him so heavily. I'm on board with this full throttle now...I originally thought he was in the same class as AR.

[DukeBlueNV]

But what about Ty Thornton? How do he and QC compare? Wouldn't you think by the time QC gets on campus that Ty should be a more than capable PG to step in and play next to whomever the wing is at the time? Gbinje? But I did overlook that QC is a junior so in that case I totally understand why we are recruiting him so heavily. I'm on board with this full throttle now...I originally thought he was in the same class as AR.

They are both c/o 2011

[SilkyJ]

But I did overlook that QC is a junior so in that case I totally understand why we are recruiting him so heavily. I'm on board with this full throttle now...I originally thought he was in the same class as AR.


They are both c/o 2011

As DBNV points out, both are seniors in HS right now and therefore class of 2011. (http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=4&cfg=bb&pid=88&yr=2011)

[jimsumner]

But what about Ty Thornton? How do he and QC compare? Wouldn't you think by the time QC gets on campus that Ty should be a more than capable PG to step in and play next to whomever the wing is at the time? Gbinje? But I did overlook that QC is a junior so in that case I totally understand why we are recruiting him so heavily. I'm on board with this full throttle now...I originally thought he was in the same class as AR.

Thornton certainly factors into the equation. But do you want him to be your only true point guard?

[DeBlueDevil]

Thornton certainly factors into the equation. But do you want him to be your only true point guard?

Well I don't think that I'd want Ty to be the only true ballhandler but again like you said before that is assuming that Curry encounters some problems transitioning to PG. Which IMO I think he'll be used more as a combo guard this year and next no matter what anyone says. He may play more mins at he point but I just think his ability to score will always overshadow his lead guard skills.

My apologies about the mixup of which class QC was in. I orignally thought he was class of 11' but when jimsumner responsded about the weakness of the PG position in the class of 2012 I got confused and thought I was mistaken and QC was a junior. So with that said...I still makes for some interesting situations with the backcourt next year. But it certainly doesn't hurt at all....just hope it helps if anything with AR..because in the end I'd rather have him then any of the class of 2011..although I am in love with ALL our recruits

[Greg_Newton]

Thornton certainly factors into the equation. But do you want him to be your only true point guard?

The way I understand their games, Thornton and Cook seem like they'd fill the same role - solid, 4-year guys who aren't blessed with exceptional physical gifts but are perfectly capable of running a team if need be. I'm not necessarily sure why we'd need two of that type of PG in consecutive classes, rather than going for a more explosive alternative (especially when Seth Curry will probably be our starting PG in 2010-11, regardless).

[Duvall]

The way I understand their games, Thornton and Cook seem like they'd fill the same role - solid, 4-year guys who aren't blessed with exceptional physical gifts but are perfectly capable of running a team if need be. I'm not necessarily sure why we'd need two of that type of PG in consecutive classes, rather than going for a more explosive alternative (especially when Seth Curry will probably be our starting PG in 2010-11, regardless).

2011-2012?

So who's the more explosive alternative in the HS classes of 2011 or 2012?

[jimsumner]

The way I understand their games, Thornton and Cook seem like they'd fill the same role - solid, 4-year guys who aren't blessed with exceptional physical gifts but are perfectly capable of running a team if need be. I'm not necessarily sure why we'd need two of that type of PG in consecutive classes, rather than going for a more explosive alternative (especially when Seth Curry will probably be our starting PG in 2010-11, regardless).

Many in the Duke program think Thornton is underrated but the reality is that he is absent from almost all of the class of 2010 prep top-100 lists.

Cook, by contrast, seems to consistently be in the 15-25 range in the '11 rankings. He also played quite well in the U-18 (?) championships, where he started ahead of Kentucky commit Marquis Teague, a consensus top-5 prospect.

So, Cook and Thornton may be similar but it may well be the case that Cook does those things better than Thornton.

Besides, what's wrong with two guys combining for 40 minutes of solid, capable point-guard play?

[Troublemaker]

The way I understand their games, Thornton and Cook seem like they'd fill the same role - solid, 4-year guys who aren't blessed with exceptional physical gifts but are perfectly capable of running a team if need be. I'm not necessarily sure why we'd need two of that type of PG in consecutive classes, rather than going for a more explosive alternative (especially when Seth Curry will probably be our starting PG in 2010-11, regardless).

I love Tyler Thornton but he's probably not on Cook's level. Cook was the starting PG on USA's under-17 team (stats at http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u17/2010_mens_mu17_wc_cum_2010_06_29.html ) ahead of Marquis Teague. In that role, Cook averaged 7.4 assists/gm for Team USA and was also the second-best 3-pt shooter on the team (behind Brad Beal). He would be a very nice get for Duke.

[Greg_Newton]

Duvall - I meant to type 2011-2012, my bad. Josiah Turner would be the first name that comes to mind. Kabongo, obviously, but that's not really up to the staff. If neither of those is a fit, maybe we save it for Rasheed Sulaimon, LJ Rose, or some other yet-to-emerge 2012 PG targets. I wouldn't even be opposed to taking a look at Durham's own Torian Graham if his PG skills come along.

I just think we're set up to where we can take a risk and go after a guy with more upside - maybe a combo guard in the Williams/Irving/Turner mold. There's nothing wrong with having role players at the point, but PG has traditionally been a very important position for K and Duke and it doesn't hurt to have a stud there... and I'm not sure we recruit over Cook and Thornton if they both end up on the squad.

I won't pout if we get Quinn though, he seems like a great kid.

(ETA: I'm just a little skeptical of how well he'll translate to the college level - I worry he may end up with a little of the Greg Paulus syndrome due to his relative lack of size and athleticism. But if he does live up to his ranking and HS credentials, he will in fact be a great get.)

[COYS]

Duvall - I meant to type 2011-2012, my bad. Josiah Turner would be the first name that comes to mind. Kabongo, obviously, but that's not really up to the staff. If neither of those is a fit, maybe we save it for Rasheed Sulaimon, LJ Rose, or some other yet-to-emerge 2012 PG targets. I wouldn't even be opposed to taking a look at Durham's own Torian Graham if his PG skills come along.

I just think we're set up to where we can take a risk and go after a guy with more upside - maybe a combo guard in the Williams/Irving/Turner mold. There's nothing wrong with having role players at the point, but PG has traditionally been a very important position for K and Duke and it doesn't hurt to have a stud there... and I'm not sure we recruit over Cook and Thornton if they both end up on the squad.

I won't pout if we get Quinn though, he seems like a great kid.

We also won a title with a scoring point guard (Williams) sharing duty with a pass-first point guard (Duhon). Considering that we already have Curry for as many as three more years and Rivers (hopefully) in there, as well, we look to be in great shape in terms of scoring combo guard types with good upside. A Cook, Curry backcourt in 2012-2013 would look really good. You' have a senior Curry who's had some time to play a little point (perhaps in a way similar to Nolan) and a sophomore Cook who may not average double figures in points, but can knock down open jumpers, create off the bounce, and get the rest of our team involved. Throw in Thornton, Dawkins, Hairston, Adams, MP3 and hopefully guys like Murphy and Shabazz and we've got a very balanced, versatile team.

[jimsumner]

Duvall - I meant to type 2011-2012, my bad. Josiah Turner would be the first name that comes to mind. Kabongo, obviously, but that's not really up to the staff. If neither of those is a fit, maybe we save it for Rasheed Sulaimon, LJ Rose, or some other yet-to-emerge 2012 PG targets. I wouldn't even be opposed to taking a look at Durham's own Torian Graham if his PG skills come along.
[/I])

Duke likes Cook more than Turner and more than 2012 PGs like Rose and Paige.

Duke is recruiting Sulaimon but as a 2. Like Ewing, Scheyer and some others, he could end up as a point.

[airowe]

You also have to add in Cook's off the court appeal as well. He is very well-liked on the circuit by a lot of guys Duke is recruiting. Players like to play with him because he distributes the ball very well. He would basically provide us with a seamless transition from Nolan in the DC area. Quinn transferred to Oak Hill in large part because he was too popular in the area. All the people in his circle and attempting to be in his circle were getting to be a distraction to his basketball career.

That should not be understated...

[Duke: A Dynasty]

supposedly the only 2 ppl with offers duke is waiting on now for next year is rivers and quinn cook. Austin has an in home visit wit Duke on tuesday. And Duke has reportedly "turned up the heat" on recruiting cook now that K is back. and nolan smith is trying to help more in the recruitment process by talking up duke and the staff.

[Kedsy]

supposedly the only 2 ppl with offers duke is waiting on now for next year is rivers and quinn cook. Austin has an in home visit wit Duke on tuesday. And Duke has reportedly "turned up the heat" on recruiting cook now that K is back. and nolan smith is trying to help more in the recruitment process by talking up duke and the staff.

What about Quincy Miller? He has an offer, right?

[Duke: A Dynasty]

the source said that the main targets now are only gonna be cook and rivers

[amazinballer323]

Does this mean Kabongo is no longer a remote possibility?

[chrisheery]

the source said that the main targets now are only gonna be cook and rivers

All of this information is nearly word for word from a pay site. I would use caution (or just don't do this at all).

[Duke: A Dynasty]

hey if it was i didnt know, my bad. i didnt get it off a site. i got friends who get info for me.

[SilkyJ]

hey if it was i didnt know, my bad. i didnt get it off a site. i got friends who get info for me.

you should probably offer some sort of info regarding a source when posting recruiting stuff around here.

there are lots of frequent posters here with inside knowledge who offer legit info and since no one has any idea who you are, you might want to give us something other than "I heard this" if you want to be taken seriously. Links are always preferable.

[sdotbarbee]

the source said that the main targets now are only gonna be cook and rivers

Hey man people on this site would rather not believe you unless you are one of the "regulars". I offered a little insight on MP3 becoming a Blue Devil, because I know someone who was to the close to the situation. I said he would commit soon, and a ton of posters jumped on me because I wouldn't give my source, but there is no way I would put this guys name on a message board. Two days later MP3 announced he would be going to Duke and instead of people saying thanks for the info, they chalked it up to I just got lucky.:rolleyes: I hope you keep us updated if you can.

[watzone]

Quinn is a tad short but he is a total gamer. The first time I saw him was three years ago and he erupted for 29 points to lead his team to a win at Boo Williams. He plays smart and with pride. He can break people down off the dribble and is a PG in the purest form. Underrated shot, decent on ball defense and great character best describe him IMO. He has been as consistent as any prospecct I have seen him and that is about 22 times over a three year period. Keep your ears to the ground on this kid for he may be closer to making a decision than some think.

[Class of '94]

Watzone,
I remember reading from this thread that Quinn is high on Duke; but I was wondering if this third team that his camp is hoping to get involved implies that his camp and Quinn really want to go to this third team; and if this third team were to get involved, Quinn would jump at that and go to that shool. Is that a plausible theory or is it just a case that he would ideally like to consider all three shools before making a decision?

[watzone]

Watzone,
I remember reading from this thread that Quinn is high on Duke; but I was wondering if this third team that his camp is hoping to get involved implies that his camp and Quinn really want to go to this third team; and if this third team were to get involved, Quinn would jump at that and go to that shool. Is that a plausible theory or is it just a case that he would ideally like to consider all three shools before making a decision?

It is not so much his camp but him. That third team has two guys at his position though. At one time I thought he would jump but I think he would think it out. If Duke gets Cook it will happen before November ends.

[watzone]

Hey man people on this site would rather not believe you unless you are one of the "regulars". I offered a little insight on MP3 becoming a Blue Devil, because I know someone who was to the close to the situation. I said he would commit soon, and a ton of posters jumped on me because I wouldn't give my source, but there is no way I would put this guys name on a message board. Two days later MP3 announced he would be going to Duke and instead of people saying thanks for the info, they chalked it up to I just got lucky.:rolleyes: I hope you keep us updated if you can.

I hear your frustration but the fact is that a lot of people knew Marshall was a Dukie to be long before he signed. I was able to so called break the news [due to knowing his family well on the AAU circuit] that he officially commited with Duke but it was no surprise to anyone once it went down. Out of respect to his families wishes, people sat on this one for a while so it was bound to get out there. Don't lose your enthusiasm, hit a couple of more right and people will listen.

[sdotbarbee]

I hear your frustration but the fact is that a lot of people knew Marshall was a Dukie to be long before he signed. I was able to so called break the news [due to knowing his family well on the AAU circuit] that he officially commited with Duke but it was no surprise to anyone once it went down. Out of respect to his families wishes, people sat on this one for a while so it was bound to get out there. Don't lose your enthusiasm, hit a couple of more right and people will listen.

Maybe not a lot of people on this board knew then since people wanted to try and say that it was baseless speculation on my part. The pessimism on here must cloud their better judgement since so many other people knew he was a Dukie.

[sdotbarbee]

It is not so much his camp but him. That third team has two guys at his position though. At one time I thought he would jump but I think he would think it out. If Duke gets Cook it will happen before November ends.

Is the third team unc?

[superdave]

Is the third team unc?

LDII and Kendall Marshall would make sense. I seem to recall UNC being mentioned in the same breath as Quinn Cook in the past as well. He'd be better off with Duke's backcourt situation in my opinion because Curry (and hopefully Rivers) are combo guards who can play the 2.

[Class of '94]

Is the third team unc?

That was what I was thinking; but it's just my opinion. After all, I also remembering reading in an earlier post that he was a fan of UNC growing up; but I believe he also said that he would not let that necessarily decide where he would go to school.

[chrisheery]

Watzone is definitely talking about UNC. Quinn grew up a UNC fan, always wanted to go to UNC. He is not as clearly fixed on UNC now as he was, but he still clearly wants them to at least look at him.

This information can be found simply by googling Quinn Cook and UNC.

[sdotbarbee]

Watzone is definitely talking about UNC. Quinn grew up a UNC fan, always wanted to go to UNC. He is not as clearly fixed on UNC now as he was, but he still clearly wants them to at least look at him.

This information can be found simply by googling Quinn Cook and UNC.

He might be a unc fan but he is BFF's with Nolan and is attending the Duke vs. Bama game with him and Michael Beasley. I would think with Smitty in his ear Duke is sitting pretty good with him.

[AlaskanAssassin]

zags caught up with cook briefly after the game: http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/09/18/cook-rivers-in-future-duke-backcourt/

[Duke: A Dynasty]

you should probably offer some sort of info regarding a source when posting recruiting stuff around here.

there are lots of frequent posters here with inside knowledge who offer legit info and since no one has any idea who you are, you might want to give us something other than "I heard this" if you want to be taken seriously. Links are always preferable.

kind if hard to post a link when i did not get it off the internet but from somebody in person who has people inside Duke and is a member of like every major Duke website.
and what classifies as a regular? cause im in here everyday and always read up in almost every thread on here i just dont always post because its not necessary to post everything i hear because they arnt always 100 percent true and i dont wanna be known as unreliable

[Spy]

I saw him visiting campus today, but I don't know if it was an official visit or not. (He was walking between Cameron and the K center with Wojo).

[AlaskanAssassin]

I saw him visiting campus today, but I don't know if it was an official visit or not. (He was walking between Cameron and the K center with Wojo).

His official will be on the 2nd of Oct. (as stated in zags blog).

[Class of '94]

Just read on espn's NCAA BB recruiting page that Turner verballed to Arizona. I would imagine that Arizona has been scratched off Quinn's list of possible schools with Turner's decision. Hopefully, this puts us in a better situation with Quinn; and I could be wrong but IMO I don't think UNC is going to make an offer to Quincy any time soon with 2 PGs on the roster, and I don't see either of those guyus going pro after this upcoming season. Drew II could have a monster season or a horrible one and decide to go Pro or transfer; but Quinn would have to wait to the end of the season to see, and I would hope that he wouldn't wait that long for a possible shot with UNC and possibly miss an opportunity with Duke or another good school.

[SilkyJ]

kind if hard to post a link when i did not get it off the internet but from somebody in person who has people inside Duke and is a member of like every major Duke website.
and what classifies as a regular? cause im in here everyday and always read up in almost every thread on here i just dont always post because its not necessary to post everything i hear because they arnt always 100 percent true and i dont wanna be known as unreliable

First, let me say that I was trying to offer some advice and let you know how things tend to work around here. I am not trying to rag on you, but here's the deal:

There are plenty of people who post by some handle/alias claiming to have some sort of inside connection and its impossible to know whether A) they truly do have said connection, and B) if its any good or not. Moreover, often the "inside info" these people tout, turns out to be false. So, the attitude of most people is "why should we believe you?" "You" are an anonymous person offering hearsay and claiming to have inside information. For all we know you're a UK or UNC fan pretending to be a Duke fan and are just pulling our leg! (this has happened before). So, typically, without established credentials or a track record, most folks are going to discount what you have to say unless you offer a specific source, link, etc. Call it pessimistic if you want, but my point was also that we have alternatives to folks like you, which brings me to this:

I didn't use the term "regular," someone else did. I used the term "frequent poster," which is pretty self-explanatory. There are folks here who offer info related to recruiting, etc. that is often based on them being well-connected to the program. As I mention above, they have been doing it for a while and thus have established a track-record. Additionally, many of them are not anonymous. Watzone (Marc Watson) and Airowe (Adam Rowe) and JimSumner (guess what his name is :) ) are prime examples of this. Marc and Adam have their own websites and are not anonymous figures. Jim is a published author who has forgotten more about Duke and ACC sports than most of us will ever know. So now we know who they are, what their interests/motivations are, and this lends extra credibility to their claims b/c now their names and reputations are at stake.

Lastly, let me say that is probably the 4,372nd time a newer and anonymous poster has posted some type of recruiting info and claimed to have some sort of inside knowledge. I have no idea what the stats are, but plenty of times these posters turn out to be wrong. Of course, they also turn out to be right some times. This has, obviously, jaded lots of folks here and thus we tend to turn to our established, trust, and reliable sources instead of taking a gamble on whatever JohnnyComeLately has to say. Not everyone thinks this way, but most do and that's b/c this is probably the 347th recruiting thread that's been started in the last 3 years so we get kind of tired of random people constantly chiming in with their supposed "inside info."

Hopefully that at least explains the sentiment around here towards newer, anonymous posters offering "inside info." I don't want to scare you away though. If you genuinely have some inside info to offer, we want to hear it! Its just helpful if you can give some context, like "My dad has an old golfing buddy who is in an Iron Duke, and he says...." If you don't feel comfortable even offering that much info, well then as Watzone said, time will basically be the test here and if you are right then you will gain credibility.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

First, let me say that I was trying to offer some advice and let you know how things tend to work around here. I am not trying to rag on you, but here's the deal:

There are plenty of people who post by some handle/alias claiming to have some sort of inside connection and its impossible to know whether A) they truly do have said connection, and B) if its any good or not. Moreover, often the "inside info" these people tout, turns out to be false. So, the attitude of most people is "why should we believe you?" "You" are an anonymous person offering hearsay and claiming to have inside information. For all we know you're a UK or UNC fan pretending to be a Duke fan and are just pulling our leg! (this has happened before). So, typically, without established credentials or a track record, most folks are going to discount what you have to say unless you offer a specific source, link, etc. Call it pessimistic if you want, but my point was also that we have alternatives to folks like you, which brings me to this:

I didn't use the term "regular," someone else did. I used the term "frequent poster," which is pretty self-explanatory. There are folks here who offer info related to recruiting, etc. that is often based on them being well-connected to the program. As I mention above, they have been doing it for a while and thus have established a track-record. Additionally, many of them are not anonymous. Watzone (Marc Watson) and Airowe (Adam Rowe) and JimSumner (guess what his name is :) ) are prime examples of this. Marc and Adam have their own websites and are not anonymous figures. Jim is a published author who has forgotten more about Duke and ACC sports than most of us will ever know. So now we know who they are, what their interests/motivations are, and this lends extra credibility to their claims b/c now their names and reputations are at stake.

Lastly, let me say that is probably the 4,372nd time a newer and anonymous poster has posted some type of recruiting info and claimed to have some sort of inside knowledge. I have no idea what the stats are, but plenty of times these posters turn out to be wrong. Of course, they also turn out to be right some times. This has, obviously, jaded lots of folks here and thus we tend to turn to our established, trust, and reliable sources instead of taking a gamble on whatever JohnnyComeLately has to say. Not everyone thinks this way, but most do and that's b/c this is probably the 347th recruiting thread that's been started in the last 3 years so we get kind of tired of random people constantly chiming in with their supposed "inside info."

Hopefully that at least explains the sentiment around here towards newer, anonymous posters offering "inside info." I don't want to scare you away though. If you genuinely have some inside info to offer, we want to hear it! Its just helpful if you can give some context, like "My dad has an old golfing buddy who is in an Iron Duke, and he says...." If you don't feel comfortable even offering that much info, well then as Watzone said, time will basically be the test here and if you are right then you will gain credibility.

Yes I know how things generally work on here. It says ive only been a member for a short time yes but I have been coming to this site for almost a year and a half. I dont post that often because most people get to it before me (idc). I dont care if new people post stuff in here or not. You should always take them serious until they prove they are not trustworthy. I can be a member on here for 12 years and still get somthing wrong so new or veteran on here doesnt matter, its your reliability and everyone should start out with people thinking they are reliable until they show otherwise. Besides this is recruiting which is NEVER 100 percent true information its all rumors so they should be taken lightly in the first place without people jumping on you for trying to help add to the disscusion.
And no I am not attacking you for your post I actually appreciated the manner in which you chose to respond, it was quite helpfull (never realized my name wasnt in my bio). O and as for the being right thing to gain credibility that you said (which i agree with to a point) its more like getting lucky cause these kids change their minds all the time as well as the parents involved.

[SilkyJ]

You should always take them serious until they prove they are not trustworthy.

Why? What have "they" done to earn our trust in a world full of rumors and incorrect information?

I'll stick with my reliable sources and not randos that I don't know and have no credibility.

Your signature is also terribly indicative of a poor attitude for this message board. We are a community of friends and are all on the same team. The "i'm right get used to it" crap has no place here. This isn't a contest.

[Turtleboy]

Your signature is also terribly indicative of a poor attitude for this message board. We are a community of friends and are all on the same team. The "i'm right get used to it" crap has no place here. This isn't a contest."I'm right your wrong ..." That's pure comedy gold right there.

[Greg_Newton]

You should always take them serious until they prove they are not trustworthy... ...everyone should start out with people thinking they are reliable until they show otherwise.

In other news, I am a Nigerian prince and I would like to deposit $40M into your bank account.

PM me with your account info and social for details.:D

[BD80]

In other news, I am a Nigerian prince and I would like to deposit $40M into your bank account.

PM me with your account info and social for details.:D

My name is John Calipari and I'm here to make sure you get an education

[DevilHorns]

In other news, I am a Nigerian prince and I would like to deposit $40M into your bank account.

PM me with your account info and social for details.:D


My name is John Calipari and I'm here to make sure you get an education

Thanks for the $40 million! This is the greatest day in UK history!

[Devilsfan]

Was that Cook on crutches at the Bama game?

[El_Diablo]

Was that Cook on crutches at the Bama game?

Yep.

[rotogod00]

Was that Cook on crutches at the Bama game?

Knee injury. See posts from the beginning of this month.

[BD80]

Was that Cook on crutches at the Bama game?


Knee injury. See posts from the beginning of this month.

No worries. Even on crutches he can beat Kendall Marshall up and down the floor, while handling the ball better than LDII.

[Devilsfan]

Thought it was interesting that a former Cal K State (now NBA star) player was at the game also. Cal probably would never think of sending one of his former players to watch out for his interests or anything else unethical. Probably just a coincidence. Just another conspiracy theorist. Sorry.

[airowe]

Thought it was interesting that a former Cal K State (now NBA star) player was at the game also. Cal probably would never think of sending one of his former players to watch out for his interests or anything else unethical. Probably just a coincidence. Just another conspiracy theorist. Sorry.

Are you talking about Beasley? He never played for Cal. He's basically Nolan's (and Quinn's) brother, for lack of a better term.

[sdotbarbee]

Why? What have "they" done to earn our trust in a world full of rumors and incorrect information?

I'll stick with my reliable sources and not randos that I don't know and have no credibility.

Your signature is also terribly indicative of a poor attitude for this message board. We are a community of friends and are all on the same team. The "i'm right get used to it" crap has no place here. This isn't a contest.

I wouldn't go that far, I think some of the "frequent posters" have a holier-than-thou mentality and try and bully people. I am not saying I trust what everybody says but there are times when "regular" people get a little inside scoop and can't reveal the source until after the story breaks. I am not sure why Cook would still be on crutches, didn't he have the surgery at the beginning of September? After ACL surgery you are off crutches in a matter of days, so I would think still being on crutches is not a good sign.

[superdave]

After ACL surgery you are off crutches in a matter of days, so I would think still being on crutches is not a good sign.

Old news, but relevant:

http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/09/03/quinn-cook-didnt-tear-acl-likely-to-return-in-five-weeks/

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=17241


Cook Receives Good News: One of the top prospects in the nation received good news on Friday afternoon. Quinn Cook, the highly coveted recruit from Oak Hill Academy, had surgery to repair what was believed to be partially torn ligaments in his knee. The MRI that was done shortly after the injury occurred at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 all-star game in California indicated that he had torn his ACL and he was expected to miss at least three months.

But after starting Cook's surgery early Friday morning, doctors discovered that his ACL was not torn. His head coach at Oak Hill, Steve Smith, tweeted the good news several hours later saying, "Good news (from) Quinn Cook. No ACL tear should be back in 4-5 weeks! Go Warriors!"

As late as Thursday evening, Cook was expecting to miss several months and had come to terms with his injury.

Cook has narrowed down his list of schools to Duke, Arizona, Georgetown, UCLA, North Carolina, Rutgers and St. John's, according to reports.

"It's a good feeling to know that the good programs are looking at me. It's very humbling, I know a lot of great players have been in this same position. It's cool to talk to guys like Roy Williams and do things like that. There was a time where I used to open every letter but I haven't opened a letter in about a year now. It's been kind of crazy," Cook told HOOPSWORLD in June.

Now he can go through this process without any hassles and he won't miss any precious time during his senior season.

[sdotbarbee]

Old news, but relevant:

http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/09/03/quinn-cook-didnt-tear-acl-likely-to-return-in-five-weeks/

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=17241


Cook Receives Good News: One of the top prospects in the nation received good news on Friday afternoon. Quinn Cook, the highly coveted recruit from Oak Hill Academy, had surgery to repair what was believed to be partially torn ligaments in his knee. The MRI that was done shortly after the injury occurred at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 all-star game in California indicated that he had torn his ACL and he was expected to miss at least three months.

But after starting Cook's surgery early Friday morning, doctors discovered that his ACL was not torn. His head coach at Oak Hill, Steve Smith, tweeted the good news several hours later saying, "Good news (from) Quinn Cook. No ACL tear should be back in 4-5 weeks! Go Warriors!"

As late as Thursday evening, Cook was expecting to miss several months and had come to terms with his injury.

Cook has narrowed down his list of schools to Duke, Arizona, Georgetown, UCLA, North Carolina, Rutgers and St. John's, according to reports.

"It's a good feeling to know that the good programs are looking at me. It's very humbling, I know a lot of great players have been in this same position. It's cool to talk to guys like Roy Williams and do things like that. There was a time where I used to open every letter but I haven't opened a letter in about a year now. It's been kind of crazy," Cook told HOOPSWORLD in June.

Now he can go through this process without any hassles and he won't miss any precious time during his senior season.

That is what I am saying is that tearing an ACL and having reconstructive surgery on it is a far more serious surgery than repairing a meniscus tear. I had my ACL reconstructive surgery on a Monday and by Thursday I was off crutches. We are talking about Cook 3 to 4 weeks after surgery on his meniscus still being on crutches, just seems a bit strange to me that he would still be on crutches.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Why? What have "they" done to earn our trust in a world full of rumors and incorrect information?

I'll stick with my reliable sources and not randos that I don't know and have no credibility.

Your signature is also terribly indicative of a poor attitude for this message board. We are a community of friends and are all on the same team. The "i'm right get used to it" crap has no place here. This isn't a contest.

Thats exactly what this whole recruitng process is about, rumors. That signature also has no reflection upon myself as a person what so ever. Its a quote which i will continue to put different ones in there but since that one seems to hurt your feelings then i will change it sooner than i anticipated. I dont know what your problem was because all i did was come in here and try to help contribute information i recieved about the recruitment of a future Duke player (hopefully). You then proceeded to attack me as a person and try to completly shoot down opinions after i had said i apreciated the crtisism. Now i am done with this little argument and would like to get back to the topic at hand in Mr. Cook.

[enick66]

Im right your wrong, just get used to it.

Just a suggestion, but you may want to change it to "I'm right, you're wrong, just get used to it." You are incorrectly using "your," instead of "you're."

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Just a suggestion, but you may want to change it to "I'm right, you're wrong, just get used to it." You are incorrectly using "your," instead of "you're."

Yes obviosly that is a reflection of my poor grammer skills as well. lol its ok I changed it anyway so wont offend anyone else i hope

[Dev11]

That is what I am saying is that tearing an ACL and having reconstructive surgery on it is a far more serious surgery than repairing a meniscus tear. I had my ACL reconstructive surgery on a Monday and by Thursday I was off crutches. We are talking about Cook 3 to 4 weeks after surgery on his meniscus still being on crutches, just seems a bit strange to me that he would still be on crutches.

I had my ACL/meniscus repair done by the same Duke Sports Medicine folks that operate on all the basketball players when they get hurt, and I was on crutches for 5 weeks after that. It all depends on the severity of the injury.

What's important is that no matter how long you have the crutches, you get the excellent scar forever!

[Lord Ash]

Thought it was interesting that a former Cal K State (now NBA star) player was at the game also. Cal probably would never think of sending one of his former players to watch out for his interests or anything else unethical. Probably just a coincidence. Just another conspiracy theorist. Sorry.

Beasley lived with Nolan Smith and his family, I believe for many years, starting in eighth grade, even called Nolan's Mom "Mom." They are like brothers.

A good story about Nolan, which includes the bit on Beasley... but nothing on Quinn Cook, sorry!:) (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=3196773)

[G man]

My name is John Calipari and I'm here to make sure you get an education

Easily the best joke of the summer. I almost fell over laughing!

[sdotbarbee]

I had my ACL/meniscus repair done by the same Duke Sports Medicine folks that operate on all the basketball players when they get hurt, and I was on crutches for 5 weeks after that. It all depends on the severity of the injury.

What's important is that no matter how long you have the crutches, you get the excellent scar forever!

He only had a meniscus tear so it is nowhere near the severity of my ACL reconstruction or yours and he was supposed to be back in 4 to 6 weeks. That doesn't look possible if he is still on crutches. My cousin just had surgery on his meniscus and he was back working at the fire department 2 weeks later. I guess I just don't understand how a meniscus tear still has a guy on crutches 3 weeks later.

[El_Diablo]

He only had a meniscus tear so it is nowhere near the severity of my ACL reconstruction or yours and he was supposed to be back in 4 to 6 weeks. That doesn't look possible if he is still on crutches. My cousin just had surgery on his meniscus and he was back working at the fire department 2 weeks later. I guess I just don't understand how a meniscus tear still has a guy on crutches 3 weeks later.

As of Saturday, it had only been 15 days since the "4-5 weeks" estimate was announced, so he might still be on track. I'm guessing his tear was more severe than your cousin's tear. As for the crutches, maybe it was primarily a precaution because he knew he'd be doing a decent amount of walking on Saturday. Or maybe the recovery estimate was simply off by a tad...it happens.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

He only had a meniscus tear so it is nowhere near the severity of my ACL reconstruction or yours and he was supposed to be back in 4 to 6 weeks. That doesn't look possible if he is still on crutches. My cousin just had surgery on his meniscus and he was back working at the fire department 2 weeks later. I guess I just don't understand how a meniscus tear still has a guy on crutches 3 weeks later.

my brother was living with us when he tore his and he had crutches for a month

[Lord Ash]

There is a LOT of internet doctoring going on here. We don't know a ton about the injury, really, and we are not there to hear what they say. Plenty of similar injuries have different recovery times. Let's not start assuming the worst, please, and rather assume we just don't know everything about every injury.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

There is a LOT of internet doctoring going on here. We don't know a ton about the injury, really, and we are not there to hear what they say. Plenty of similar injuries have different recovery times. Let's not start assuming the worst, please, and rather assume we just don't know everything about every injury.

yess very true. either way he will be back to balling in a couple months

[sdotbarbee]

There is a LOT of internet doctoring going on here. We don't know a ton about the injury, really, and we are not there to hear what they say. Plenty of similar injuries have different recovery times. Let's not start assuming the worst, please, and rather assume we just don't know everything about every injury.

I am telling you that ACL Reconstructive surgery is far more invasive and the recovery time is much longer, hence the relief when the doctor got in there and realized the ACL was not torn. Recovery from ACL reconstruction is 6-12 months and the meniscus is 4-6 weeks. I am not pretending to be a doctor but I just had the ACL surgery 1 1/2 years ago. As far as not knowing alot about the injury, we actually do, it is either not bad enough for surgery or it is and you go in and fix it. Recovery time depends on how hard you work at it in physical therapy. Cook being younger and in better shape should heal quicker then I did.

[COYS]

He only had a meniscus tear so it is nowhere near the severity of my ACL reconstruction or yours and he was supposed to be back in 4 to 6 weeks. That doesn't look possible if he is still on crutches. My cousin just had surgery on his meniscus and he was back working at the fire department 2 weeks later. I guess I just don't understand how a meniscus tear still has a guy on crutches 3 weeks later.

I've had two meniscus tears (one for each knee). The first time the meniscus was damaged so muh they had to remove 40% of it. However, because it was removed and not repaired I was walking in a few days. The second time the tear wasn't as extreme and the doctor was able to repair it. To make sure the repaired portion of the meniscus healed properly, I had to stay on crutches for 5 weeks. If this is the case with Cook, then being on crtches for longer is actually a good thing because it indicates a meniscus repair rather than a removal which is better for long term knee health.

[madscavenger]

I am telling you that ACL Reconstructive surgery is far more invasive and the recovery time is much longer, hence the relief when the doctor got in there and realized the ACL was not torn. Recovery from ACL reconstruction is 6-12 months and the meniscus is 4-6 weeks. I am not pretending to be a doctor but I just had the ACL surgery 1 1/2 years ago. As far as not knowing alot about the injury, we actually do, it is either not bad enough for surgery or it is and you go in and fix it. Recovery time depends on how hard you work at it in physical therapy. Cook being younger and in better shape should heal quicker then I did.

There's a little too much reverence for doctors here in the U.S. You go to a surgeon and guess what? He wants to cut.

i remember one time Patick Davidson tore an ACL two minutes into the game. He crawled to the locker room, asked for an awl, puched into the back of his knee, saw it wasn't a full tear, and tightened things up with a shoelace. They smeared it with a styptic pencil, wrapped it in a dewrag, and he was ready to go. He was back on the court to start the second half. Harrassed the heck out of Chris Paul. Now i know this is Patrick Davidson, but c'mon guys............stop the whining, man up.

[sdotbarbee]

I've had two meniscus tears (one for each knee). The first time the meniscus was damaged so muh they had to remove 40% of it. However, because it was removed and not repaired I was walking in a few days. The second time the tear wasn't as extreme and the doctor was able to repair it. To make sure the repaired portion of the meniscus healed properly, I had to stay on crutches for 5 weeks. If this is the case with Cook, then being on crtches for longer is actually a good thing because it indicates a meniscus repair rather than a removal which is better for long term knee health.

But if this was the case then the 4-5 weeks timetable was incorrect. He is in his 3rd week since surgery and still on crutches so the next step is walking w/o crutches not running around on the court. I am not saying that it is horrible news by any means, I was just a little surprised he was still on crutches. Even if it had been his ACL I would not have been worried, speaking as someone who has had the surgery my knee is stronger then ever. Getting "scoped" has really changed recovery time for knee injuries, like I said I was walking around 3 days after surgery and was back at work in 3 weeks. I have a friend who had ACL surgery about 10 years ago and he has a huge scar down his knee and was out of work for 3 months, medical advancements are amazing.:D

[jjh1080]

Responding to something one doesn't know about makes one look like a fool in the end!

When I had my meniscus repaired I was walking around the house without crutches within a couple of weeks. But the doc told me stepping off the curb wrong or hitting a crack in the side walk could set me back so I used crutches when I was out of the house for another two weeks just to be safe.

The point is, just like the talk about recruits, you don't know what is happening behind the scene so you run wild with speculation, seems logical. Did you hear Duke is in the running for the #1 football recruit, of 2015?

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Responding to something one doesn't know about makes one look like a fool in the end!

When I had my meniscus repaired I was walking around the house without crutches within a couple of weeks. But the doc told me stepping off the curb wrong or hitting a crack in the side walk could set me back so I used crutches when I was out of the house for another two weeks just to be safe.

The point is, just like the talk about recruits, you don't know what is happening behind the scene so you run wild with speculation, seems logical. Did you hear Duke is in the running for the #1 football recruit, of 2015?


That quite a long ways from now isnt it? That list will change so much from now till then. But even still glad to hear we are after a top notch recruit. Where did your get that from anyway?

[sdotbarbee]

Responding to something one doesn't know about makes one look like a fool in the end!
When I had my meniscus repaired I was walking around the house without crutches within a couple of weeks. But the doc told me stepping off the curb wrong or hitting a crack in the side walk could set me back so I used crutches when I was out of the house for another two weeks just to be safe.

The point is, just like the talk about recruits, you don't know what is happening behind the scene so you run wild with speculation, seems logical. Did you hear Duke is in the running for the #1 football recruit, of 2015?

I know a great deal about the knee because of what I had done, my doctor thought my meniscus was damaged along with my ACL so we went over everything. Luckily only my ACL was shredded.:rolleyes: Like I said a MENISCUS TEAR is not nearly as bad a ligament tear and patients return to their normal activities on average after a few weeks (2 or 3). I know each case is different and some might take longer or shorter but I was under the impression that Cook would be back on the court in 4-5 weeks. If he is still on crutches I don't see him being back on the court in 4-5 weeks since he was already into his 3rd week.

[sdotbarbee]

I mean what is so hard to understand? Airowe reported Cook would be out for only 4-5 weeks and the kid is still on crutches in the 3rd week, is he going straight from crutches to the court? I don't understand all the back and forth. I am not worried and I don't think anyone else should be, either that wasn't Cook on crutches or the timeline is wrong, not a big deal. Let's move on people.

[airowe]

I sprained my ankle playing ball in high school and told everyone I did it chasing a purse snatcher. I was on crutches about a week or two after I needed them because people were giving me a ton of sympathy love.

And I didn't have to climb up and down the stairs of Wally Wade with a bunch of wild football fans running around and possibly falling into me. Nor was I protecting a future multi-million dollar body from further injury.

[El_Diablo]

I mean what is so hard to understand? Airowe reported Cook would be out for only 4-5 weeks and the kid is still on crutches in the 3rd week, is he going straight from crutches to the court? I don't understand all the back and forth. I am not worried and I don't think anyone else should be, either that wasn't Cook on crutches or the timeline is wrong, not a big deal. Let's move on people.

I agree...I'm not sure what is so hard to understand. Yeah, it's possible that the initial estimate was off, and that he may not be on the court until Day 40 or Day 45. But you have to admit that even if he was still experiencing some pain last Saturday, it's possible to be on crutches on Day 15 and still be able to return to the court on Day 35. It's also possible that he was experiencing no pain, but was told to use the crutches as a precaution. So the initial estimate is not necessarily "wrong."

The back-and-forth is partially the result of your blanket assertion that "it's wrong" when in fact it could be entirely correct. The other reason for the back-and-forth is that your own experience with knee injuries, or your cousin's, really has no bearing on Cook's injury, and people are trying to point that out. In other words, you are asserting something, and people are refuting it, or trying to refute it, or at least pointing out the fallacies underlying your assertion. Hence the back-and-forth. :)

But I saw him up close on the concourse and can attest that it was definitely Cook. Crutches or no crutches, I was happy to see him on campus and am looking forward to his next visit.

[sdotbarbee]

I agree...I'm not sure what is so hard to understand. Yeah, it's possible that the initial estimate was off, and that he may not be on the court until Day 40 or Day 45. But you have to admit that even if he was still experiencing some pain last Saturday, it's possible to be on crutches on Day 15 and still be able to return to the court on Day 35. It's also possible that he was experiencing no pain, but was told to use the crutches as a precaution. So the initial estimate is not necessarily "wrong."

The back-and-forth is partially the result of your blanket assertion that "it's wrong" when in fact it could be entirely correct. The other reason for the back-and-forth is that your own experience with knee injuries, or your cousin's, really has no bearing on Cook's injury, and people are trying to point that out. In other words, you are asserting something, and people are refuting it, or trying to refute it, or at least pointing out the fallacies underlying your assertion. Hence the back-and-forth. :)

But I saw him up close on the concourse and can attest that it was definitely Cook. Crutches or no crutches, I was happy to see him on campus and am looking forward to his next visit.

I would like to know how you go from crutches on day 15 to playing basketball on day 35? So in 20 days you go from having to use crutches, to walking, to running, to running and cutting, to playing basketball. But maybe you know better then me since maybe you are an orthopedic surgeon or have had the surgery yourself. I understand he might be doing it for precautionary reasons but I still don't see him back on the court for about a month or so. I just think if he is being this cautious with it no reason to rush back.

[BD80]

If a dead horse is on crutches, how many days would it take to recover from the beating it would get on this board?

[Duke: A Dynasty]

If a dead horse is on crutches, how many days would it take to recover from the beating it would get on this board?

WTF? I dont even know what to say to that. But first why is a dead horse on crutches if its dead....

[camion]

It's more more satisfying to beat a dead horse if it appears to be not dead (as opposed to undead). Thus the need for crutches to keep it from falling over.

[JohnGalt]

WTF? I dont even know what to say to that. But first why is a dead horse on crutches if its dead....

Look up. That one went flying right over your head...

[SilkyJ]

JESUS. "20 days," "30 days or so," "4-5 weeks." Enough already! You guys are literally arguing over a matter of days.

Its still preseason. So whether its 20 days or 45 days, he'll be playing ball right around the time the season starts. Maybe he'll miss some early season time, maybe he won't. Either way he'll be back for most of the season and that's what matters.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

http://arizona.scout.com/2/1004555.html
Not really anything about him and Duke just an update in his recruitment. Although they say in there that he wants to be a Blue Devil. I havnt heard anything that definitive yet and not sure where they got it.

[sdotbarbee]

JESUS. "20 days," "30 days or so," "4-5 weeks." Enough already! You guys are literally arguing over a matter of days.

Its still preseason. So whether its 20 days or 45 days, he'll be playing ball right around the time the season starts. Maybe he'll miss some early season time, maybe he won't. Either way he'll be back for most of the season and that's what matters.

That is what I was saying JESUS, I mean J. I was just a little taken aback by him being on crutches still. FWIW Singler had his meniscus repaired on September 3rd and he took part in non contact drills with the team yesterday. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said last week that Singler would be available to play if the Devils were in season, and Singler concurred with that assessment. He said his left knee recently tested out as strong as his right knee.

Read more: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2010-09-22/dukes-kyle-singler-hopes-to-beat-timetable-for-return#ixzz10M4EEozN

[BD80]

That is what I was saying JESUS, I mean J. I was just a little taken aback by him being on crutches still. FWIW Singler had his meniscus repaired on September 3rd and he took part in non contact drills with the team yesterday. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said last week that Singler would be available to play if the Devils were in season, and Singler concurred with that assessment. He said his left knee recently tested out as strong as his right knee.

Read more: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2010-09-22/dukes-kyle-singler-hopes-to-beat-timetable-for-return#ixzz10M4EEozN

It looks like the dead horse's recovery time has been set back another week

[El_Diablo]

For the love of all that is holy....UNCLE.

[sdotbarbee]

Sorry I will stop, I just thought it was funny that I get up this morning and the first tweet I see is about Singler's meniscus and how quickly he is back.

[enick66]

Zag's Blog on Quinn Cook - http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/09/24/quinn-cook-hosting-home-visits/

Duke visit on Monday. Article says he will take his official visit for CTC on 10/15 with AR and the rest. UCLA has in home tonight and trying to get an official next weekend with him. KU and UNC recruiting him as well.

[Kedsy]

Zag's Blog on Quinn Cook - http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/09/24/quinn-cook-hosting-home-visits/

Duke visit on Monday. Article says he will take his official visit for CTC on 10/15 with AR and the rest. UCLA has in home tonight and trying to get an official next weekend with him. KU and UNC recruiting him as well.

UNC is recruiting him? Didn't Roy tell Austin Rivers that he was the only guard he was recruiting in that class?

[Duvall]

UNC is recruiting him? Didn't Roy tell Austin Rivers that he was the only guard he was recruiting in that class?

That was last week. Old news.

Besides, it's not a lie if *you* believe it.

[Class of '94]

UNC is recruiting him? Didn't Roy tell Austin Rivers that he was the only guard he was recruiting in that class?

And why would a coach like Roy recruit another PG for a team that already has 2 PGs at this point? And unless something happens with either Drew II or Marshall, UNC will have 2 PGs next year when Cook will be a freshman.

[COYS]

And why would a coach like Roy recruit another PG for a team that who already has 2 PGs at this pont? And unless something happens with either Drew II or Marshall, UNC will have 2 PGs next year when Cook will be a freshman.

I don't think UNC recruiting Cook is all that surprising. If Cook is willing to wait two years to become "the man," then playing back-up for a spell might not be such a bad thing. Plus, LDII hasn't exactly solidified himself as a surefire starter. Cook may think he can unseat LDII or Marshall. (If Cook ends up at Duke, I certainly hope he is that good).

[rotogod00]

Zag's Blog on Quinn Cook - http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/09/24/quinn-cook-hosting-home-visits/

Duke visit on Monday. Article says he will take his official visit for CTC on 10/15 with AR and the rest. UCLA has in home tonight and trying to get an official next weekend with him. KU and UNC recruiting him as well.

“I think Carolina’s supposed to come Monday,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll be in next week. I don’t know how serious they are about recruiting him. They don’t seem to be. They have a freshman point guard [Kyrie Irving, who may jump after one season]. I don’t know that they’ve offered.”

Seems Zags needs to get his PGs straight

[sdotbarbee]

And why would a coach like Roy recruit another PG for a team that already has 2 PGs at this point? And unless something happens with either Drew II or Marshall, UNC will have 2 PGs next year when Cook will be a freshman.

It's because Roy knows that LD2 and Marshall are not the answer for his offense to work. Marshall was a steady drop in the rankings from a 5-star, top 12 guy at the start of his senior year to a 4-star barely cracking the top 30 now. I would assume some of that is Marshall getting owned by Ty Thornton all of last year. Kendall Marshall=Quinton Thomas, he should be a 4 year backup.

[COYS]

“I think Carolina’s supposed to come Monday,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll be in next week. I don’t know how serious they are about recruiting him. They don’t seem to be. They have a freshman point guard [Kyrie Irving, who may jump after one season]. I don’t know that they’ve offered.”

Seems Zags needs to get his PGs straight

This seems to be a common issue with Zagoria's reporting. In his attempt to be the first to report everything, he often makes some small but significant errors in his tweets and even some of his articles.

[MChambers]

And why would a coach like Roy recruit another PG for a team that already has 2 PGs at this point? And unless something happens with either Drew II or Marshall, UNC will have 2 PGs next year when Cook will be a freshman.
Ol' Roy was quoted last spring as saying Strickland should be playing point. They've got at least three point guards on the roster.

[JohnGalt]

It's because Roy knows that LD2 and Marshall are not the answer for his offense to work. Marshall was a steady drop in the rankings from a 5-star, top 12 guy at the start of his senior year to a 4-star barely cracking the top 30 now. I would assume some of that is Marshall getting owned by Ty Thornton all of last year. Kendall Marshall=Quinton Thomas, he should be a 4 year backup.

Final RSCI Thomas = 55
Final RSCI Marshall = 25

That's a significant difference.

[Azdukefan]

Ol' Roy was quoted last spring as saying Strickland should be playing point. They've got at least three point guards on the roster.

Very true! I can even remember hearing that Roy was upset with K1 because he played PG on their HS team when he thought Strickland would. You stay classy Roy! Being upset with a 17 year old for being better than your boy is a real class act.

[sdotbarbee]

Final RSCI Thomas = 55
Final RSCI Marshall = 25

That's a significant difference.

I am not talking about ratings, I am talking about talent. I went and watched Marshall play some this year and the kid is slow and not a very good shooter. I am telling you Marshall is no better then Thomas. Tyler Thornton is more talented then Marshall, and Thornton was the Gatorade player of the year in DC.

[airowe]

I am not talking about ratings, I am talking about talent. I went and watched Marshall play some this year and the kid is slow and not a very good shooter. I am telling you Marshall is no better then Thomas. Tyler Thornton is more talented then Marshall, and Thornton was the Gatorade player of the year in DC.

Kendall Marshall was not eligible for DC POY because he played HS Ball in VA. Regardless, Cook won All-Met POY over both of them and he's a year younger.

I doubt roy is seriously recruiting Cook to be honest.

[sdotbarbee]

Kendall Marshall was not eligible for DC POY because he played HS Ball in VA. Regardless, Cook won All-Met POY over both of them and he's a year younger.

I doubt roy is seriously recruiting Cook to be honest.

I know that Marshall plays in VA but they still play in the same conference, McAdoo won the Gatorade player of the year in VA. Thornton outplayed Marshall 2 out of the 3 games they played against each other this past year with Ty's team winning 2 of 3. No doubt Cook was player of the year MET player of the year though, he averaged 20ppg, 6assists, and 3rebs as a junior.

[MisterRoddy]

Ol' Roy was quoted last spring as saying Strickland should be playing point. They've got at least three point guards on the roster.

Hate to defend Roy here but if anything, that was a joke.

[oldnavy]

Hate to defend Roy here but if anything, that was a joke.

With Roy it is hard to tell when he is kidding and when he is serious. That is the problem when you say so many stupid things. For instance most people would have been kidding if they said that the disater in Haiti was comparable to a bad run of losses or other similar misfortune (even that would be in poor taste) but Roy was dead serious. So who knows if he was kidding or not!

[Duke: A Dynasty]

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/09/24/quinn-cook-hosting-home-visits/

News on Cook. Lates on visits and list of schools

[duke blue brewcrew]

Very true! I can even remember hearing that Roy was upset with K1 because he played PG on their HS team when he thought Strickland would. You stay classy Roy! Being upset with a 17 year old for being better than your boy is a real class act.

I saw that sound bite, and as much as I look for any opportunity to heckle Ole Roy, he said that in jest. Don't get me wrong, he was blue Strickland didn't play the point his Sr. year. Roy wanted him to come in more prepared to help the Heels at the 1. KI was too good, so Strickland was forced to play the 2. Roy also joked that he was "sore" at KI for committing to (in his eyes) the wrong shade of blue.

LET'S GO DUKE!

[ChicagoCrazy84]

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/09/24/quinn-cook-hosting-home-visits/

News on Cook. Lates on visits and list of schools

I think it is funny that with Josiah Turner commiting to AZ, they are immediately out, but AR being a supposed Duke lean hasn't affected Cook much at all. Not to mention we have KI on board. Obviously KI is more than likely a 1 and done, but still its interesting. Tough not to say KU could be a leader since they will be in such a need for a PG, but I still think were in a good position.

[MisterRoddy]

I think it is funny that with Josiah Turner commiting to AZ, they are immediately out, but AR being a supposed Duke lean hasn't affected Cook much at all. Not to mention we have KI on board. Obviously KI is more than likely a 1 and done, but still its interesting. Tough not to say KU could be a leader since they will be in such a need for a PG, but I still think were in a good position.

Turner and Cook play the exact same position whereas Rivers plays the 2. Also, KI is a big candidate for one-and-done, so he shouldn't get in the way of Cook's recruitment.

I would say we are the leader for Cook at this point.

[Azdukefan]

Quinn tweeted that Nova was coming for an in home today. Wonder how it went? If I were a youngster being recruited I would want to play for K #1 and Wright #2. I think Nova will end up being our biggest competition for his services.

[sdotbarbee]

QCook323
Coach K, Coach James and Coach Wojo all came in today for an in home visit! RiP DAD!
about 10 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Reply

[sdotbarbee]

QCook323
@kyrieirving @NdotSmitty @tythornton1 @sdotcurry @jhairston15 @dre_day20 two more weeks until ctc bro's! RiP DAD!
about 10 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Reply :D

[Class of '94]

Just thought I'd check to see if anyone had any further news on how well the Duke in-home visit with Quinn went. From the last tweet of Quinn's that was posted, it sounded like the visit didn't hurt our chances since he seems excited about going to CTC. It would be nice if both Quinn and Austin announced at CTC that they were going to Duke.....Doubt it would happen but still it would be nice.........

[AlaskanAssassin]

I just hope that if Quinn were to commit before Austin, it wouldn't effect him. Austin is top priority. (yes, I know that they play different positions, but Austin can play point)

[DukeBlueNV]

Quinn narrows focus on four schools- Duke, Villanova, Kansas, UCLA (no UNC). He also talks about meeting with the staff yesterday and playing with Rivers.

http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/09/28/quinn-cook-focusing-on-4-schools/

[AlaskanAssassin]

Kyrie seems to be favoring Quinn to come. Is that a sign that he really is one-and-done? Im really hoping for a Kyrie/Austin duo

[El_Diablo]

Kyrie seems to be favoring Quinn to come. Is that a sign that he really is one-and-done?

Not necessarily. I'd say it's a safe assumption that he wants talented players at Duke, whether he is going to be here or not.

[Turtleboy]

QCook323
@kyrieirving @NdotSmitty @tythornton1 @sdotcurry @jhairston15 @dre_day20 two more weeks until ctc bro's! RiP DAD!
about 10 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Reply :DWhat does RiP DAD mean?

[CameronConvert]

What does RiP DAD mean?

It means Rest In Peace, Father. He lost his dad a few years ago.

[sdotbarbee]

What does RiP DAD mean?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/04/AR2010030404491.html

[Turtleboy]

It means Rest In Peace, Father. He lost his dad a few years ago.That's what I thought, but it seemed kind of an odd thing to exclaim at the end of a tweet about visiting Duke.


In this video (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/articles/?p=35627), Kyrie says "R I P to the competition." Is that more or less the same thing? Is it a catch phrase nowadays?

[sdotbarbee]

That's what I thought, but it seemed kind of an odd thing to exclaim at the end of a tweet about visiting Duke.


In this video (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/articles/?p=35627), Kyrie says "R I P to the competition." Is that more or less the same thing? Is it a catch phrase nowadays?

He says it after every tweet to show respect for his father.

[superdave]

Cook's recruitment has more to do with the weakness of the 2012 PG class. Duke doesn't see any PGs in that class as good as Cook. Factor that in with the very real possibility that Irving will only be at Duke for one season and the possibility that Curry might struggle to make the transition to point for 2012, then offering Cook is a no-brainer. IMO.

Bob is correct. Rivers is a likely one-and-done wing. Cook is a three/four-year point. Their recruitments only intersect at the place where having competent point guards enhances the ability of its wings.


Quinn is a tad short but he is a total gamer. The first time I saw him was three years ago and he erupted for 29 points to lead his team to a win at Boo Williams. He plays smart and with pride. He can break people down off the dribble and is a PG in the purest form. Underrated shot, decent on ball defense and great character best describe him IMO. He has been as consistent as any prospecct I have seen him and that is about 22 times over a three year period. Keep your ears to the ground on this kid for he may be closer to making a decision than some think.


It is not so much his camp but him. That third team has two guys at his position though. At one time I thought he would jump but I think he would think it out. If Duke gets Cook it will happen before November ends.

...Seems appropriate to revisit these comments in light of Austin's commitment and discussion about Quincy Miller and Quinn Cook.

[sdotbarbee]

Is it too greedy to want Quincy and Quinn?:D

[Bluedog]

Is it too greedy to want Quincy and Quinn?:D

Yes, because I believe that would put us over the scholarship limit unless somebody leaves (which is certainly possible).

[CLW]

Yes, because I believe that would put us over the scholarship limit unless somebody leaves (which is certainly possible).

IMHO, it seems more probable than not (barring a Lock Out) that at least MP2 and/or KI leave after this season.

However, it would be poor form to offer a scholarship and then not have the space for a kid on the roster should the unforeseen occur.

My understanding is that Miller already has an offer. If that indeed is the case I think K probably goes after Miller and tells Cook that if another spot opens up he has a scholarship offer but that he cannot guarantee it until #1 Miller decides to go elsewhere or #2 Someone leaves early for the NBA.

[Turtleboy]

Yes, because I believe that would put us over the scholarship limit unless somebody leaves (which is certainly possible).Isn't one of the guys on scholarship a former walk-on? Does he have a reasonable expectation of a yearly renewal?

[Bluedevil114]

IMHO, it seems more probable than not (barring a Lock Out) that at least MP2 and/or KI leave after this season.

However, it would be poor form to offer a scholarship and then not have the space for a kid on the roster should the unforeseen occur.

My understanding is that Miller already has an offer. If that indeed is the case I think K probably goes after Miller and tells Cook that if another spot opens up he has a scholarship offer but that he cannot guarantee it until #1 Miller decides to go elsewhere or #2 Someone leaves early for the NBA.

I had the understanding that Quincy and Quinn both had a scholarship offer from Duke so it really comes to who jumps on it first.

[MChambers]

Isn't one of the guys on scholarship a former walk-on? Does he have a reasonable expectation of a yearly renewal?

On scholarship next year, MP1, MP2, Dawkins, Kelly, Currie, Hairston, Irving, Thornton, Adams, Gbinije, MP3, Rivers. That's 12.

[CLW]

I had the understanding that Quincy and Quinn both had a scholarship offer from Duke so it really comes to who jumps on it first.

You may be right. I'm certainly not an insider in the recruiting process.

For what it is worth, Scout indicates that Cook does NOT currently have an offer from Duke.

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3559926

I'm not sure how accurate/reliable of a source they are but take it for what it is worth. (they don't even list Duke as a school Miller is considering)

My understanding was we currently haven't/can't offer Cook a scholarship b/c we don't have any if noone leaves early and Miller signs.

[Bluedevil114]

You may be right. I'm certainly not an insider in the recruiting process.

For what it is worth, Scout indicates that Cook does NOT currently have an offer from Duke.

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3559926

I'm not sure how accurate/reliable of a source they are but take it for what it is worth. (they don't even list Duke as a school Miller is considering)

My understanding was we currently haven't/can't offer Cook a scholarship b/c we don't have any if noone leaves early and Miller signs.

@JayJayDimeESPN, Quinn Cook (@QCook323) has received an official offer from Duke. He'll be at Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 15
15 minutes ago via TweetDeck
Retweeted by you and 1 other

You can offer recruits even if you are over your limit. Schollys are only guaranteed for one year. Remember what Calipari did his last year with Kentucky by kicking those kids off the team.

[Greg_Newton]

I'll be very curious to hear airowe/watzone/jimsumner have to say about this when the dust from the Rivers commitment settles. Is one Quinn in hand worth more than a Quincy in the bush?

Furthermore, it seems extremely likely that either a) Kyrie will bolt, b) Mason will bolt, or c) Tyler Adams won't qualify. However, the only one we'll know about by next spring is C... it's a lot to ask of a recruit to wait until a couple months before school starts without a guarantee, especially when he's not a top-10 type recruit... some other suitors may move on in the meantime.

My hunch is that we'll go after both players, and take whoever commits first... which will probably be Quinn. Quincy seems like a wildcard that you pursue if you can, but given how stacked we are right now, I don't think he's worth taking a big risk for. Plus, where exactly does he fit in in his one year? Does he start over a junior Mason at the 4? A junior Andre at the 3? I'm not sure any of those three guys would be happy coming off the bench at that point...

(Sorry to bring up Quincy issues here, but it seems the two threads will become hopelessly entangled now. May be worth combining them into one "Last scholarship for 2011-2012" thread...)

[El_Diablo]

@JayJayDimeESPN, Quinn Cook (@QCook323) has received an official offer from Duke. He'll be at Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 15
15 minutes ago via TweetDeck
Retweeted by you and 1 other

You can offer recruits even if you are over your limit. Schollys are only guaranteed for one year. Remember what Calipari did his last year with Kentucky by kicking those kids off the team.

Okay, but Coach K will not be kicking someone out to make room for a freshman. But he can make a couple offers and let the players know that whoever accepts first is in.

It makes total sense to take Cook now if we can get him. He's a great player, and he will fulfill a position of need (if not as a freshman, then definitely by the time he's a sophomore) who can be a big part of this team for several years. Then, if Miller is really on the Spring decision timeline, we can try to bring him in if we lose someone to the draft. If we get Cook and no one leaves, then we couldn't bring in Miller, but I don't think anyone will be too upset in the end...because we'd be absolutely stacked.

[Gthoma2a]

It is best for us to get Quinn after thinking about it. Quinn will be a necessity and QM wants to play with Bello. That would be nice for him to get to do (I am a fan of his regardless, but I don't think he would be completely needed positionally). Quinn is very good and I like that he is so close with Nolan (that adds a lot of cred for his personality to me). I think Nolan was trying to let Quincy know that he was putting the press on Quinn to commit now with his "I know who next" reply.

[_TheFakeJWill_]

And Austin needs a scholarship why again??? His did is a millionaire lol. Give it to Miller IMO

[Gthoma2a]

That'd be nice IMO, but realistically, he isn't likely to do that.

[SuperTurkey]

And Austin needs a scholarship why again??? His did is a millionaire lol. Give it to Miller IMO

Wow, a day ago we were all praying Austin would pick Duke, and today we want him to give up his scholarship because he can afford it? :D

[BD80]

I think we definitely offer Quinn and honor the offer (and all through the night it was on her and off her) if we are lucky enough for him to accept.

QMiller is such a talent that he doesn't need to select until it is time to enroll nest summer. He can wait and see who goes, who stays, and what situation is best for him. With his personality, he can handle the attention with no problem. I think he will wait.

If everybody stays, QM might not want to come because there will be a logjam at the "4" (MPs and Ryan, all upperclassmen) and at the "3" (mostly pressure from a 3-guard line-up featuring Kyrie, Austin and upperclassmen Seth/Andre). If he still were to choose Duke, I am certain Coach K could turn to Doc Rivers and say: "We have a 5* recruit that wants to play with your son, but no scholarship for him. Can you think of a solution?" And Doc's family and friends will have every seat behind the Duke bench for any game he wants, watching his son, the best walk-on to ever play basketball.

Long and the short of it - don't worry about the schollies, if we are lucky enough to get a winner like Quinn - we take him and run like bandits.

[Cockabeau]

Don't sleep on Myck Kabongo.

[jimsumner]

Don't sleep on Myck Kabongo.

Quinn Cook has an unconditional scholarship offer.

Kabongo should be a very good player for Texas.

[CLW]

Quinn Cook has an unconditional scholarship offer.

Kabongo should be a very good player for Texas.

Does Miller still have an unconditional scholarship offer?

If so, what happens if both Cook and Miller want to come and then an NBA lockout or some other circumstance causes KI and MP2 to stay on the team?

[Bob Green]

And Austin needs a scholarship why again??? His did is a millionaire lol. Give it to Miller IMO


Wow, a day ago we were all praying Austin would pick Duke, and today we want him to give up his scholarship because he can afford it? :D

It is called gluttony, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

[El_Diablo]

Does Miller still have an unconditional scholarship offer?

If so, what happens if both Cook and Miller want to come and then an NBA lockout or some other circumstance causes KI and MP2 to stay on the team?

If so, then I'm guessing here...but once one of them accepts, then the other's offer will have some new conditions attached.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Bigs: MP1, MP2, MP3, TA

Combo Guys (probly be SF): Josh Hairston, Michael Gbinije

Guards: KI, Seth, Dre, AR

Who would we need more? QM or Cook? I would rather have cook becasue he should stay longer than QM who is deff a one and done and the fact we have 4 bigs (2 of which are gonna be 5's in TA and MP3) and Hairston who can come in at the 4 behind MP1 and MP2. Since we will have a fast paced team id rather have the extra guard. This all is if nobody leaves of course.

[ice-9]

Don't forget Tyler!

It seems to me like both are luxury recruits -- nice to have, but not much impact in the immediate future. Actually, from that sense, Quinn might be a better choice as he'll likely stick around for more than a year and can develop when the team really needs him.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Don't forget Tyler!

It seems to me like both are luxury recruits -- nice to have, but not much impact in the immediate future. Actually, from that sense, Quinn might be a better choice as he'll likely stick around for more than a year and can develop when the team really needs him.

Yea I remembered him right after I posted but it wont let me edit it for some reason... I also forgot Ryan Kelly!!!

[MarkD83]

Yea I remembered him right after I posted but it wont let me edit it for some reason...

You also left off Ryan Kelly

[Duke: A Dynasty]

You also left off Ryan Kelly

yea i think we posted at the same time because i corrected before you said this

[NYC Duke Fan]

I am not sure how highly rated Quinn Cook is but if he wants playing time why would he want to come to Duke?

If by chance, the prognosticators are wrong and Irving is not a one and done player Cook would get virtually zero playting time in his freshman year and if Rivers stays for 2, very little in his sophmore year.

[Bluedevil114]

I am not sure how highly rated Quinn Cook is but if he wants playing time why would he want to come to Duke?

If by chance, the prognosticators are wrong and Irving is not a one and done player Cook would get virtually zero playting time in his freshman year and if Rivers stays for 2, very little in his sophmore year.

Because Duke is the only school that has Coach K!!

[Faison1]

I am not sure how highly rated Quinn Cook is but if he wants playing time why would he want to come to Duke?

If by chance, the prognosticators are wrong and Irving is not a one and done player Cook would get virtually zero playting time in his freshman year and if Rivers stays for 2, very little in his sophmore year.

Quinn seems to be a pretty smart kid. I'm sure the staff and his support system can help him see all the possibilities as well. Bottomline is, if you can play and not make mistakes, Coach will get you on the floor.

[COYS]

I am not sure how highly rated Quinn Cook is but if he wants playing time why would he want to come to Duke?

If by chance, the prognosticators are wrong and Irving is not a one and done player Cook would get virtually zero playting time in his freshman year and if Rivers stays for 2, very little in his sophmore year.

Yet, even if the scenario with Rivers staying two years were to come true, he'd still be the man his junior year, he'd still be getting an education from Duke, he'd still be learning from Coach K and the staff, he'd still be playing under the brightest spotlight in college basketball, and he'd still be competing for championships every year with other top tier players. Cook isn't really projected to be a one and done or two and done, anyway, so if he plays a supporting role for a bit and then stars his junior year, he's still going to be in great shape. Every kid wants to play, but not every kid thinks the promise of playing right away is necessary.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

I am not sure how highly rated Quinn Cook is but if he wants playing time why would he want to come to Duke?

If by chance, the prognosticators are wrong and Irving is not a one and done player Cook would get virtually zero playting time in his freshman year and if Rivers stays for 2, very little in his sophmore year.

Most places have him in the 20's so he should be a 3 or 4 yr player

[Bob Green]

I am not sure how highly rated Quinn Cook is but if he wants playing time why would he want to come to Duke?

Quinn Cook is a quality prospect. He was the Metro Player of the Year in D.C. as a junior. He is currently ranked #20 by Scout, #28 by Rivals, and #34 by ESPN. With Kyrie Irving a probable one-and-done, Cook will compete, as a freshman, with Tyler Thornton for point guard minutes; Seth Curry will also be in the mix.

Yes, we are projected to be guard heavy the next two or three years, but Coach Krzyzewski has traditional employed a guard rich line-up at Duke. Quality players such as Quinn Cook do not back down from competition they use competition as motivation to excel.

Finally, Quinn has the opportunity to compete beside some absolutely top-notch players including going head-to-head against them everyday in practice to groom himself into a position to be a star as a junior.

I'd rephrase your question, why wouldn't Cook want to come to Duke?

[ACCBBallFan]

Quinn Cook is a quality prospect. He was the Metro Player of the Year in D.C. as a junior. He is currently ranked #20 by Scout, #28 by Rivals, and #34 by ESPN. With Kyrie Irving a probable one-and-done, Cook will compete, as a freshman, with Tyler Thornton for point guard minutes; Seth Curry will also be in the mix.

Yes, we are projected to be guard heavy the next two or three years, but Coach Krzyzewski has traditional employed a guard rich line-up at Duke. Quality players such as Quinn Cook do not back down from competition they use competition as motivation to excel.

Finally, Quinn has the opportunity to compete beside some absolutely top-notch players including going head-to-head against them everyday in practice to groom himself into a position to be a star as a junior.

I'd rephrase your question, why wouldn't Cook want to come to Duke?

Agreed Bob.

If a kid wants to improve his skills to ultimatley be in the NBA, better to do that every day in practice versus top 5 guys than in about 1/3 of their 30 games. Not counting summer pickup ball, from October 15 to April there is 10 times as much competition in terms of # of days in that scenario than when being the man with a lower level skilled guy to practice against every day and to play against 2/3 of the time.

Plus when you do get in a game your assists rack up with so many good teammates, and ther is no pressure to immediately make an impact or else team fails.

[-bdbd]

I am not sure how highly rated Quinn Cook is but if he wants playing time why would he want to come to Duke?

If by chance, the prognosticators are wrong and Irving is not a one and done player Cook would get virtually zero playting time in his freshman year and if Rivers stays for 2, very little in his sophmore year.

Have to concur with some of the other respondants, such as Bob.
1. Given that KI is more than likely 1-and-done, that would make him the likely starting PG (and only PURE PG other than TT, who was rated a bit lower coming out of HS) starting with his frosh year.
2. Even if KI stays - not likely, but always possible - then he gets to back up KI, learning the system and gaining experience with some other very talented G's for a year. Then could start by his soph year.
3. PG's are much better showcased when surrounded by other great talent - many targets to pass to who'll actually do something with it.
4. Coach K. And while he's arguably the best coach of his era, K is also pretty well know as a GREAT PG-developer.
5. He really likes some of the other players reportedly.
6. Great education, beautiful campus, great fans, top-notch facillities and the tradition.
7. Nowhere else can he get the kind of exposure that he can at Duke, assuming he wants to play in the Association.
8. He gets the chance to play on a team trying for the first 3-peat NC in four decades!

As Bob said, why WOULDN'T he want to play here???
:D

[Gthoma2a]

Let's remember how close he is with Nolan. Nolan had a rough first two years and broke out last year. This could be something that Quinn loves. He could learn from the best and he knows that at some point he will get a chance to shine and when he gets it, he will be ready with the best coach in the business guiding his career.

[Dukeface88]

that would make him the likely starting PG


How likely do you think it is, given that he'd need to beat out junior Seth? Seth's more of a combo guard, but the reports are that he ran point in practice last season and he'll probably get some time there this year. With Cook, we'd be starting 2 freshman guards, and possibly a freshman wing (on the off chance Miller commits).

[NSDukeFan]

Have to concur with some of the other respondants, such as Bob.
1. Given that KI is more than likely 1-and-done, that would make him the likely starting PG (and only PURE PG other than TT, who was rated a bit lower coming out of HS) starting with his frosh year.
2. Even if KI stays - not likely, but always possible - then he gets to back up KI, learning the system and gaining experience with some other very talented G's for a year. Then could start by his soph year.
3. PG's are much better showcased when surrounded by other great talent - many targets to pass to who'll actually do something with it.
4. Coach K. And while he's arguably the best coach of his era, K is also pretty well know as a GREAT PG-developer.
5. He really likes some of the other players reportedly.
6. Great education, beautiful campus, great fans, top-notch facillities and the tradition.
7. Nowhere else can he get the kind of exposure that he can at Duke, assuming he wants to play in the Association.
8. He gets the chance to play on a team trying for the first 3-peat NC in four decades!

As Bob said, why WOULDN'T he want to play here???
:D

I also agree with your main point and some other posters that Duke would be a great place for Cook to go, but have to disagree with the bolded part. If Kyrie leaves, who out of the top-rated freshman in the country (Rivers), or a Junior Curry who was the leading scorer in the country as a freshman, or even a Junior Dawkins, do you see Cook beating out for a starting spot. I hope he comes and hope he is a great player, but I just can't see him starting as a freshman, even if Kyrie and Mason both left. I think it is much more likely that Curry and/or Rivers would start as a PG even if both are probably combo guards.

[jimsumner]

If Kyrie leaves, who out of the top-rated freshman in the country (Rivers), or a Junior Curry who was the leading scorer in the country as a freshman, or even a Junior Dawkins, .

Just for clarification, Curry was the leading freshman scorer in the NCAA during his season at Liberty. He was not the leading scorer in the country.

[NSDukeFan]

Just for clarification, Curry was the leading freshman scorer in the NCAA during his season at Liberty. He was not the leading scorer in the country.

Ooops. Thanks for the clarification.

[-bdbd]

I also agree with your main point and some other posters that Duke would be a great place for Cook to go, but have to disagree with the bolded part. If Kyrie leaves, who out of the top-rated freshman in the country (Rivers), or a Junior Curry who was the leading scorer in the country as a freshman, or even a Junior Dawkins, do you see Cook beating out for a starting spot. I hope he comes and hope he is a great player, but I just can't see him starting as a freshman, even if Kyrie and Mason both left. I think it is much more likely that Curry and/or Rivers would start as a PG even if both are probably combo guards.

Yeah, I knew that "Cook as likely starting PG his frosh year if KI gone" point was going to be contentious. Maybe could have said "a primary PG option." B/c I DO see him getting a LOT of minutes at the point in that event, as a frosh, with it growing as the season (and he) progresses. Even though I am a big Curry fan, I based that prediction on him being pretty obviosly the highest-rated PURE PG option in that scenario. You would probably start and give more minutes to Curry if you (A) need more scoring from the Point [but how much more scoring is needed with Rivers, Gbinje (or Hairston or MP2), Dre (?) and MP1], and/or (B) Want to see more experience starting. I just think K places a lot of emphasis on the importance of the man who is the main ball handler/distributor. You could make the argument that the TEAM might function more effectively with a pure PG getting most of those minutes at the 1. That said, I think we'd be just fine with Curry too.

[Dukeface88]

Yeah, I knew that "Cook as likely starting PG his frosh year if KI gone" point was going to be contentious. Maybe could have said "a primary PG option." B/c I DO see him getting a LOT of minutes at the point in that event, as a frosh, with it growing as the season (and he) progresses. Even though I am a big Curry fan, I based that prediction on him being pretty obviosly the highest-rated PURE PG option in that scenario. You would probably start and give more minutes to Curry if you (A) need more scoring from the Point [but how much more scoring is needed with Rivers, Gbinje (or Hairston or MP2), Dre (?) and MP1], and/or (B) Want to see more experience starting. I just think K places a lot of emphasis on the importance of the man who is the main ball handler/distributor. You could make the argument that the TEAM might function more effectively with a pure PG getting most of those minutes at the 1. That said, I think we'd be just fine with Curry too.

I certainly agree that Cook would get decent minutes his freshman year (assuming Kyrie leaves); I just don't think that he'd be a lock to start. I'd also agree with the overall point that it shouldn't really affect his decision. Cook seems to be a 4 year type of player, so he should have plenty of time to make his mark either way.

IMHO there's an interesting parallel beween Cook and 'Binj. They're both top-25 freshmen who would be competing at their natural slot with somewhat out of position juniors. I expect a lot of discussion about who gets the nod.

[Indoor66]

It amazes me how Tyler Thornton is completely ignored in this thread.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

It amazes me how Tyler Thornton is completely ignored in this thread.

it's sad that this thread can't acknowledge the importance of a top 25 PG who is already on campus. c'mon folks, we're not this callous or, dare I say, spoiled are we? :confused:

[Bob Green]

It amazes me how Tyler Thornton is completely ignored in this thread.

Everyone isn't completely ignoring Tyler Thornton.


With Kyrie Irving a probable one-and-done, Cook will compete, as a freshman, with Tyler Thornton for point guard minutes; Seth Curry will also be in the mix.

However, I acknowledge your point, as a sophomore with a years experience in the system, Thornton would have an advantage over Cook in the competition for point guard minutes. My desire to see Cook commit to Duke is driven by my desire to have two pure point guards on the roster: Thornton and Cook.

[1991 duke law]

Interesting that you raise Tyler Thornton because I have been wondering where he fits in. Most people ignore him and he was obviously not as highly regarded as a recruit as most Duke players (I am not sure if he was top 100). Currently Duke is so deep at the guard position it is difficult to see him getting any minutes this year. But I assume that he was not recruited as a practise player. With Duke recruiting Cook, is it reasonable to assume that Tyler will ever be viewed as a first option at the point? What was the history of his recruitment - was he an insurance policy in the event that KI did not elect to come to Duke?

He seems like a great kid so he is thus an asset to Duke...but will he be another Andre Buckner?

[_TheFakeJWill_]

id much rather have Miller. Seth Curry and Thorthon can more than carry the PG position. We really wont have a legit SF we have more MB and AD at the 2 spot.

[Duvall]

id much rather have Miller. Seth Curry and Thorthon can more than carry the PG position.

How do you know that? They've played a combined zero games for Duke.

[dukejim1]

A little excerpt(compliments of google) from an old Clark Francis update. Tyler Thornton is a much more accomplished prep basketball player than Andre. It's possible he doesn't start in his career but he should be a valuable contributor as he career moves along. But also don't forget Buckners contribution, his confrontation with Matt Doherty.


"Speaking of Duke's recruiting, we continue to get reports that Duke has offered 5'10 Andre Buckner from Hopkinsville (University Heights) KY, who averaged 13 ppg and five assists per game. Unfortunately, he's not the sleeper that his brother, Greg Buckner, was when he signed with Clemson. Instead, the younger brother ranks no higher than #81 in the state by our Kentucky Editor Larry Kihnley. He's a great athlete, but he's more of a wing forward than a point guard, which is what the Duke needs. Apparently the Blue Devils were caught off guard when Avery announced that he's going pro and there simply aren't any point guards left available. Duke wanted to get involved with 6'1 Rick Jones from Georgetown (Scott County) KY and 6'2 Sean Harrington from Elgin (H.S.) IL, but they were too late. Remember, Avery announced his decision about the same time that Jones committed to Vanderbilt and Harrington committed to Illinois. The word we're getting is that Duke wants somebody who can at least bring the ball up the court if something happens to 6'2 Jason Williams from Metuchen (St. Joseph) NJ, because he'll be only guy who can do that in the program next year. However, Kihnley tells us that Buckner is not even close to being the answer. As a matter of fact, to our knowledge, Buckner has no other Division I offers. He wasn't all state and he wasn't one of the 35 players invited to play in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game tryout."






Interesting that you raise Tyler Thornton because I have been wondering where he fits in. Most people ignore him and he was obviously not as highly regarded as a recruit as most Duke players (I am not sure if he was top 100). Currently Duke is so deep at the guard position it is difficult to see him getting any minutes this year. But I assume that he was not recruited as a practise player. With Duke recruiting Cook, is it reasonable to assume that Tyler will ever be viewed as a first option at the point? What was the history of his recruitment - was he an insurance policy in the event that KI did not elect to come to Duke?

He seems like a great kid so he is thus an asset to Duke...but will he be another Andre Buckner?

[Skitzle]

In my eyes I believe that Thornton will at worst be to Duke as Frasor was to UNC (minus freshman year when he started).

Freshman year he may not play much but Soph - Snr year I believe he will start when necessary. He will be an always reliable. As he grows to be a veteran he will provide leadership and balance. If he gets recruited over from a talent perspective it will be hard to recruit over him from a heart perspective. He will play excellent defense.

At best, he'll make it to the NBA, and will add a number of offensive skills to his already solid defensive set.

He will always have a place on Dukes team

[_TheFakeJWill_]

How do you know that? They've played a combined zero games for Duke.

Seth Curry runs point at practice this last year, has already been in the duke system for a year and by next year he will have 2 under his belt. How do we know Kyrie will be a beast? He has logged in zero mins a Duke as well.

[Jderf]

Seth Curry runs point at practice this last year, has already been in the duke system for a year and by next year he will have 2 under his belt. How do we know Kyrie will be a beast? He has logged in zero mins a Duke as well.

Well, Kyrie is widely regarded as a sure-fire superstar point guard by almost anybody whose opinion on the subject is considered valuable. While I think Thornton might surprise most, he is not regarded anywhere nearly as high. And while Seth is considered a superb shooting talent, his point guard abilities have not been lauded by the press (yet). So it's not as safe a position if you're arguing that Curry and Thornton will be able to handle the point by committee (though you may turn out to be right).

[Cockabeau]

It amazes me how Tyler Thornton is completely ignored in this thread.


If TT is as good as you think he is, then why is K going after Quinn Cook in the first place?? Hmmmm?

[Jderf]

If TT is as good as you think he is, then why is K going after Quinn Cook in the first place?? Hmmmm?

Because Quinn is closely linked to the Duke family (through Nolan)? Because Quinn is a great point guard prospect? Because sometimes coaches have more than one player per position since players need rest occasionally?

[Lord Ash]

From all accounts, Tyler Thornton is an excellent ball player. He has won in almost every tournament and season he has played in over the last three or four years... he has GREAT vision, is an excellent passer, tenacious defender, can really run a team... AND a great leader. The guy has started on every team he has played on, and he has won a BUNCH of MVP awards over some much more heralded players, including Kendall Marshall and Quinn Cook.

I wouldn't get TOO too caught up in stars and rankings and all of that. Tyler will be a huge asset to Duke, both in practice, in games, and in the locker room over the next four years.

[sagegrouse]

If TT is as good as you think he is, then why is K going after Quinn Cook in the first place?? Hmmmm?

Lessee... If KI and Austin are one-and-done, then the only non-freshman guards in 2013 are Andre (senior and potentially a wing player), Seth Curry (senior) and Tyler (junior). Seems like there would be room for Quinn Cook (sophomore), doesn't it? And not to mention 2014....

sagegrouse

[mkline09]

Not sure if this was posted but in his diary on him picking Duke, Austin Rivers talked a little about what he would to do help recruiting at Duke. He mentioned several players including Quinn Cook of who he said:

"Then Quinn Cook is my man too. He’s a real good guy and I love playing with him, but I don’t even think that I need to recruit him. I think there’s a good chance of him coming with us."

Here is the link: http://www.highschoolhoop.com/hsh-diary/2010/10/austin-rivers-diary-the-duke-decision/

[BD80]

If TT is as good as you think he is, then why is K going after Quinn Cook in the first place?? Hmmmm?

Because Coach K LIKES TO HAVE TWO STARTING QUALITY POINT GUARDS ON THE ROSTER. Cook and Thorton can play together.

Tyler is a winner, not a stat-stuffer, and has consistently out-played unc's more highly ranked point guard recruit. He will get playing time.

Quin will also get playing time. It kind of drives me batty that supposed fans question Duke's recruiting strategy. I am certain that Coach K is openly discussing with Quin how he will fit into future teams.

Please stop wondering whether we have schollies for Quincy and Quinn. QM won't commit untill the spring at the earliest, when everything shakes out. The scholly issue will work itself out. I think we can trust that Coach K and his staff have it figured out.

[Azdukefan]

If TT is as good as you think he is, then why is K going after Quinn Cook in the first place?? Hmmmm?

It's a legitimate question. People sometimes become too defensive when a question is asked of our players or staff. My take is that TT will never be more than a backup PG at Duke. I hope that I am proven wrong and everyone can say, "I told you so." Making this statement doesn't make me any less of a fan or supporter, it merely means I can form some of my own objective beliefs that may be proven right or wrong. He is entitled to his own opinion assuming he addresses them correctly.

[ricks68]

Tyler Thornton is both an excellent defender and passer. Just what Coach K likes to have in his system. He can also score, both from outside and in the paint. What is there not to like? He's just not as polished a scorer as the new guys we have coming in. When we first recruited him, I checked out a number of videos of him competing. May I suggest that the doubters do the same. This kid is very, very good.

ricks

[Greg_Newton]

Tyler Thornton is both an excellent defender and passer. Just what Coach K likes to have in his system. He can also score, both from outside and in the paint. What is there not to like? He's just not as polished a scorer as the new guys we have coming in. When we first recruited him, I checked out a number of videos of him competing. May I suggest that the doubters do the same. This kid is very, very good.

ricks

Apologies for continuing the tangent, but I'm actually very interested to see how Thornton pans out during his time here. Despite his very low ranking, K clearly saw something in him early on. if I'm not mistaken, he was the first player K recruited and offered in that class, it wasn't like he was a "Plan D" we went after at the last minute to fill out a class and fulfill a need.

Given his attitude and toughness, I wouldn't be surprised to see him emerge as one of those players K develops a special fondness for. I predict an emotional senior night in 2014 for TT...

[jimsumner]

I'm reasonably certain that neither Thornton nor Cook projects to play 40 minutes per game for 40 games at any time in their college careers.

Hence, the need for both of them.

[MarkD83]

I think part of the thought process in recruiting is to think 2-3 years out.

I hate doing this because we haven't even enjoyed Kyrie playing a game for Duke or Austin, but here is the roster that might exist in 2012-2013

BC: Andre, Seth, Tyler T.
Wings: Josh, Michael
FC: Ryan, Tyler A., Marshall

This assumes that Seth stays around for his senior year and Mason, Kyrie and Austin have all left.

So for your last recruit in the class of 2011 another top 20 guard looks pretty good.

Mark

[ricks68]

Realitywise, I just enjoy seeing how it all pans out year after year. Watching which players fit in the best, resulting in great winning play is all that I expect from our great coach. If we already knew the results, it kind of seriously dilutes the fun of watching them all develop and come together as a winning team. We really don't know how it will work out, really, do we?

ricks

[roywhite]

Realitywise, I just enjoy seeing how it all pans out year after year. Watching which players fit in the best, resulting in great winning play is all that I expect from our great coach. If we already knew the results, it kind of seriously dilutes the fun of watching them all develop and come together as a winning team. We really don't know how it will work out, really, do we?

ricks

Yep; genius at work.

Don't know exactly what the next masterpiece will look like, or the one after that.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

It's a legitimate question. People sometimes become too defensive when a question is asked of our players or staff. My take is that TT will never be more than a backup PG at Duke. I hope that I am proven wrong and everyone can say, "I told you so." Making this statement doesn't make me any less of a fan or supporter, it merely means I can form some of my own objective beliefs that may be proven right or wrong. He is entitled to his own opinion assuming he addresses them correctly.

Same exact thing I was thinking. Also the fact that if he becomes a starter at some point in his career he wont play 40, 35, or 30 mins a game. It would be more likely him playing 20 to 29 mins per game.

[ACCBBallFan]

I'm reasonably certain that neither Thornton nor Cook projects to play 40 minutes per game for 40 games at any time in their college careers.

Hence, the need for both of them.

Yep, and nice to have somebody to practice against every day too.

[Dukeface88]

It's a legitimate question. People sometimes become too defensive when a question is asked of our players or staff. My take is that TT will never be more than a backup PG at Duke. I hope that I am proven wrong and everyone can say, "I told you so." Making this statement doesn't make me any less of a fan or supporter, it merely means I can form some of my own objective beliefs that may be proven right or wrong. He is entitled to his own opinion assuming he addresses them correctly.

This is my take on it as well. It's certainly possible that the rankers have made an enormous mistake - it's happened before and will no doubt happen again (the Brothers Curry, Burtler's entire team). Realistically though, even guys in the top 20-30 of the class usually take a year or two to make the starting line-up, and players outside that have generally been career backups (McClure, Melchionni, Horvath) or eventual transfers (Boateng, Boykin, Olek, Marty sorta). Miles is the only real exception in the last decade that I'm aware of; Seth might be another, depending on how things shake out. That's not to say their contributions haven't been important, just that they haven't typically been starter material (well, not here anyway).

[JasonEvans]

Yep, and nice to have somebody to practice against every day too.

Injury insurance is nice too.

-Jason

[Kedsy]

This is my take on it as well. It's certainly possible that the rankers have made an enormous mistake - it's happened before and will no doubt happen again (the Brothers Curry, Burtler's entire team). Realistically though, even guys in the top 20-30 of the class usually take a year or two to make the starting line-up, and players outside that have generally been career backups (McClure, Melchionni, Horvath) or eventual transfers (Boateng, Boykin, Olek, Marty sorta). Miles is the only real exception in the last decade that I'm aware of; Seth might be another, depending on how things shake out. That's not to say their contributions haven't been important, just that they haven't typically been starter material (well, not here anyway).

Well, I'm not sure it's as clear cut as you seem to make it. While it's true that freshmen outside the top 10 may not start immediately, it's also true that it's not "enormous" surprise when they do (you missed Jon Scheyer (#28 RSCI) and Lance Thomas (#20), by the way). It usually depends on the rest of the team as much as it does the player in question.

One thing I wonder about Tyler is his strengths seem to be things like defense, leadership, clutch performance, running the game, and helping his team win -- none of which are measured very well by statistics. Is it possible that's why his ranking was so low?

I'm not suggesting he'll start this year, or even next, but based on reports I'll be surprised if he's a "career backup."

[gumbomoop]

One thing I wonder about Tyler is his strengths seem to be things like defense, leadership, clutch performance, running the game, and helping his team win -- none of which are measured very well by statistics. Is it possible that's why his ranking was so low?

I wonder, too, and think Tyler's low ranking is an intriguing little mystery. I assume [but only assume, as I've seen only a rare, short clip of him in action] his outside shot isn't great, that he's not quite as fast as the higher rated PGs, and maybe isn't a wow-passer. Just solid all-around, I again assume. His rep seems D-oriented, and even there, unless he'd been nearly astounding on D, it wouldn't have pushed him way-high in the rankings.

As a Dave McClure fanatic, I'm fond of solid [nearly-]all-around, and look forward to becoming a Tyler Thornton fanatic.

[jv001]

Tyler Thornton is both an excellent defender and passer. Just what Coach K likes to have in his system. He can also score, both from outside and in the paint. What is there not to like? He's just not as polished a scorer as the new guys we have coming in. When we first recruited him, I checked out a number of videos of him competing. May I suggest that the doubters do the same. This kid is very, very good.

ricks

That Tyler might turn out to be another Wo-Jo. I believe Steve had many doubters but Coach K loved his defense, leadership, intensity and heart. It's going to be interesting to watch Tyler's career. Go Duke!

[Kedsy]

That Tyler might turn out to be another Wo-Jo. I believe Steve had many doubters but Coach K loved his defense, leadership, intensity and heart. It's going to be interesting to watch Tyler's career. Go Duke!

I've said this on other threads, but I'm hoping Tyler eventually shows us a Tommy Amaker-like game. He seems to have a lot of similar characteristics.

[jv001]

I've said this on other threads, but I'm hoping Tyler eventually shows us a Tommy Amaker-like game. He seems to have a lot of similar characteristics.

Tommy Amaker was one of my all-time Duke players. Good defender, pretty good shooter and could pass the basketball. Yeh, I'll take that. Go Duke!

[jimsumner]

Amaker and Wojo both were McDonald's All-Americas, so I think the expectation level is a bit different.

Then again, the 2010 ACC Player of the Year was ranked in the 90s as a senior.

[airowe]

Amaker and Wojo both were McDonald's All-Americas, so I think the expectation level is a bit different.

Then again, the 2010 ACC Player of the Year was ranked in the 90s as a senior.

The ACC's leading scorer last year was unranked by two scouting services and was 77th according to RSCI...

[gam7]

I like the optimism but my expectation is that thornton's impact will be somewhat limited - like maybe an Andre buckner type. I expect cook to be better but still not an enormous impact - something along the lines of a Sean dockery.

[Lord Ash]

I like the optimism but my expectation is that thornton's impact will be somewhat limited - like maybe an Andre buckner type. I expect cook to be better but still not an enormous impact - something along the lines of a Sean dockery.

I think your expectations for Tyler are too low. Comparing Thornton, who started at point for one of the top AAU teams in the country, won player of the year in DC over a host of very highly ranked recruits including guys deemed "the future" at PG for some BIG programs, and was being looked at by Georgetown, Texas, and State, to Andre Buckner, whose only offer other than Duke was from a junior college, seems just incongruous.

(BTW, can you use incongruous like that, at the end of the sentence? I never have, but I think grammatically it is fine, no?)

As for Dock and Quinn... it is not so bad to be compared to Sean Dockery. They are ranked around the same spot, coming out of high school. Dock finished with averages of 7 pts, 3 rebounds, 3 assists a game and a decent 2-1 A:TO ratio and 2 steals a game, while sharing point duties with Greg Paulus and having to share scoring with guys like JJ and Shel and Josh and Nelson. I do hope we get a little more out of Quinn earlier on in his career, but I think to be as good as Sean is not necessarily a bad thing (even though the team, overall, did not perform like we would have hoped while Dock was on it.)

[Gthoma2a]

I think your expectations for Tyler are too low. Comparing Thornton, who started at point for one of the top AAU teams in the country, won player of the year in DC over a host of very highly ranked recruits including guys deemed "the future" at PG for some BIG programs, and was being looked at by Georgetown, Texas, and State, to Andre Buckner, whose only offer other than Duke was from a junior college, seems just incongruous.

(BTW, can you use incongruous like that, at the end of the sentence? I never have, but I think grammatically it is fine, no?)

As for Dock and Quinn... it is not so bad to be compared to Sean Dockery. They are ranked around the same spot, coming out of high school. Dock finished with averages of 7 pts, 3 rebounds, 3 assists a game and a decent 2-1 A:TO ratio and 2 steals a game. I do hope we get a little more out of Quinn earlier on in his career.
Did Dock get MVPs in games with top prospects while he was in HS? Quinn did (and I will admit, I loved Dockery's game). Thornton is great, but he seems meat and potatos right now. He has the build of a Ty Lawson. I would like to see him explode later in his career with an offensive game that matches his defense. I don't know how fast he is, but if he has jets, simple will do the job. Quinn is better than projected by these posts, though (just my thoughts).

[roywhite]

I think your expectations for Tyler are too low. Comparing Thornton, who started at point for one of the top AAU teams in the country, won player of the year in DC over a host of very highly ranked recruits including guys deemed "the future" at PG for some BIG programs, and was being looked at by Georgetown, Texas, and State, to Andre Buckner, whose only offer other than Duke was from a junior college, seems just incongruous.


If Tyler Thornton has some ability and is willing to work hard (both of which are likely true based on what I've read and heard) it's hard to imagine him not improving in his new environment. He'll be playing for a great coach and going against players like Kyrie, Seth, Nolan, and (soon) Austin Rivers in practice.

As usual, the way to playing time for a potential bench player is through learning the Duke team defense and excelling in that area. I expect Tyler to do that.

[FireOgilvie]

The ACC's leading scorer last year was unranked by two scouting services and was 77th according to RSCI...

Yeah... ranked higher than Thornton and he still would have come off the bench at Duke last year. He also shot 39% from the field.

Don't get me wrong, I expect Thornton to be very solid (especially on defense). Duke is just a level above almost everyone else (maybe everyone...) when it comes to quality guard depth for the next few years. Minutes will be hard to come by.

[BD80]

Amaker and Wojo both were McDonald's All-Americas, so I think the expectation level is a bit different. ...

Well, Kendell Marshall was a McD's AA and Tyler seems to have out-played him in most of their head-to-head meetings. Tyler doesn't always generate big numbers, so the AA metric may not be a good measure of his ability to play at Duke.

For example, Wojo was a controversial choice as a McD AA, he was not a top 25 player and was barely a top 50. He was selected primarily because there weren't many top point guards in his class. Despite his offensive limitations, Wojo turned out OK for Duke.

[sagegrouse]

I think your expectations for Tyler are too low. Comparing Thornton, who started at point for one of the top AAU teams in the country, won player of the year in DC over a host of very highly ranked recruits including guys deemed "the future" at PG for some BIG programs, and was being looked at by Georgetown, Texas, and State, to Andre Buckner, whose only offer other than Duke was from a junior college, seems just incongruous.



I agree, Lord Ash.

So, a single ordinal number is supposed to sum up every top recruit in the country? Yet, over the years, we have had thread after thread denounce the recruiting rankings and point out their systematic biases. Now we learn on this thread that players ranked 20-25 nationally won't start for Duke for at least a couple of years and those 50 are below are condemned to being role players for their entire careers.

What nonsense!!!

Thornton may not be a prodigy like Kyrie or Austin, destined for an early departure for the NBA, but who knows what he can accomplish at Duke? Or how soon?

sagegrouse

[Dukeface88]

Well, I'm not sure it's as clear cut as you seem to make it. While it's true that freshmen outside the top 10 may not start immediately, it's also true that it's not "enormous" surprise when they do (you missed Jon Scheyer (#28 RSCI) and Lance Thomas (#20), by the way). It usually depends on the rest of the team as much as it does the player in question.

One thing I wonder about Tyler is his strengths seem to be things like defense, leadership, clutch performance, running the game, and helping his team win -- none of which are measured very well by statistics. Is it possible that's why his ranking was so low?

I'm not suggesting he'll start this year, or even next, but based on reports I'll be surprised if he's a "career backup."

I did not explain well; I meant that players ranked between 20th and 30th have not usually started during their first two years (the range that Quinn Cook and Mike Gbinije are in). Within that range, Lance started more than half his freshman season (although he only played about 15mpg) and Dunleavy (26) started full time as a Soph. You could also make the argument that Scheyer was playing starter minutes even if he wasn't actually starting.




I agree, Lord Ash.

So, a single ordinal number is supposed to sum up every top recruit in the country? Yet, over the years, we have had thread after thread denounce the recruiting rankings and point out their systematic biases. Now we learn on this thread that players ranked 20-25 nationally won't start for Duke for at least a couple of years and those 50 are below are condemned to being role players for their entire careers.

What nonsense!!!

Thornton may not be a prodigy like Kyrie or Austin, destined for an early departure for the NBA, but who knows what he can accomplish at Duke? Or how soon?

sagegrouse

I did not intend to suggest that rankings are the deciding factor of what someone's role or contributions will be. If you took it that way, then I must have communicated my point poorly. I was only using them as (loose and imperfect) predictors. Obviously there have been highly ranked players who underperformed and low ranked players who overperformed. Thornton is hopefully one of the latter. The coaching staff apparently thinks he is, and they've forgotten far more about basketball than I've ever known. I'm sure that they'll give him a fair shot to prove it. I certainly hope that he succeeds, and given his reputation for playing good defense and the record of his teams, there's good reason to think he will. But I don't believe that observing a general trend is either ridiculous or somehow insulting. All trends have their exceptions. If Thornton is one, then recognizing that makes his accomplishments that much more impressive. IMHO, anyway.

[Bob Green]

You could also make the argument that Scheyer was playing starter minutes even if he wasn't actually starting.

Your statement is true for Scheyer's sophomore season when he averaged 28 mpg with one start, but do not forget Jon started 32 games and played 33 mpg as a freshman.

[sdotbarbee]

I am going to disagree, and say that I feel like Tyler's game is more like Dockery's. Dock wasn't a big scorer at Duke but played great defense and did the little things and I feel the same way about Tyler. I think he will be good defensively from the start and great defensively by his senior year. He will not have to be a scorer, just good defensively and managing the game. I feel differently about Cook, I think he can really lead a team and do what needs to be done, whether it is scoring, passing, or defense. This is in no way downplaying what Tyler can accomplish at Duke because I love this kid, I just don't feel he is as polished offensively as Cook. I would love to see Cook and Thornton at Duke for all 4 years.