2010 Recruiting

[dukefan47]

I know this is way too early but who do you think we will offer (over the summer maybe) for class of '10

My guesses would be Brandon Knight, DeShaun Thomas, Andre Dawkins, and a big that we dont know about yet.

Thoughts.....

[Indoor66]

I know this is way too early but who do you think we will offer (over the summer maybe) for class of '10

My guesses would be Brandon Knight, DeShaun Thomas, Andre Dawkins, and a big that we dont know about yet.

Thoughts.....

My Lord, I think you might need a hobby or a girl friend! :) ;)

[camion]

Okay, I gotta ask. Any word on offers to the potential offspring of Shelden Williams and Candace Parker? It goes without saying that we should get in the running early there. Oh darn, I just said it so it didn't go without saying. ;)

[yancem]

Okay, I gotta ask. Any word on offers to the potential offspring of Shelden Williams and Candace Parker? It goes without saying that we should get in the running early there. Oh darn, I just said it so it didn't go without saying. ;)

Actually, I think that Shelden and Candace have a pre-nup that states that any/all male offspring are to attend Duke and any/all female offspring are to attend Tenn. I think that Pat Summit negotiated that part of the pre-nup herself.

[bhd28]

Actually, I think that Shelden and Candace have a pre-nup that states that any/all male offspring are to attend Duke and any/all female offspring are to attend Tenn. I think that Pat Summit negotiated that part of the pre-nup herself.

That guy is one heck of a coach. For any who don't follow women's b-ball, he just won another national title at Tennessee (the 8th, I think).

[shadowfax336]

yeah and he looked really good in that cheerleader outfit too...
I think you might be a bit confused...

[jimbonelson]

Actually, I think that Shelden and Candace have a pre-nup that states that any/all male offspring are to attend Duke and any/all female offspring are to attend Tenn. I think that Pat Summit negotiated that part of the pre-nup herself.
that seems fair:)

[yancem]

That guy is one heck of a coach. For any who don't follow women's b-ball, he just won another national title at Tennessee (the 8th, I think).

You do realize that Pat Summitt is a woman don't you?

[JasonEvans]

You do realize that Pat Summitt is a woman don't you?

http://www.boomerangshop.com/dvdcover/ImageWeb/ItsPatTheMovie199416856_f.jpg

[ugadevil]

You do realize that Pat Summitt is a woman don't you?

I need sources on that. Otherwise, this post qualifies as terrible rumor mongering:)

[Troublemaker]

Let me throw a name out there to keep in mind. Will Regan. He plays center for Laettner's high school, Nichols School, in Western NY. He's an excellent center prospect with a traditional back-to-the-basket game. Right now, I see that neither Scout nor Rivals has him ranked, but that will change. He's going to be a top-50, 5-star prospect, and since Nichols is an academically elite, private school, I would expect Duke to become heavily involved in his recruitment.

[Blueequalslife23]

Deshaun Thomas a 6-7 SF from Indiana is one of the top 3 best players for the 2010 class. Does anybody know the deal with his status? with Duke and if he if he still has a solid commitment to Ohio State?

[duketaylor]

Best that I know is that Duke's not even on his radar and vice-versa. Watzone? I haven't seen his name mentioned before.

[Double DD]

Both Rivals and Scout have Duke listed as a team of interest in his profile. The profile lists aren't always accurate but the fact that both sites have Duke listed would indicate that there is some interest.

[dukeballer2294]

ive heard he is taking his visits to duke and other schools on his list but he has a soft verbal to ohio st.

[dukeballer2294]

There are 3 players scout.com says we have a chancce of getting Deshaun Thomas, Josh Smith, and Brandon Kinght does anyone know more in-depth info about how close we are to getting each of them

[dukefan47]

deshaun thomas has a soft verbal to ohio state i think but is looking at duke and other schools
josh smith is getting really good and ucla unfortunately is high on his list
and brandon knight is def a good chance, he plays with kenny boynton and many think that if boynton commits to duke, so will knight
that all ive heard....

[dukeballer2294]

ok ya thats pretty much wat i heard
thank you

[ugadevil]

ok ya thats pretty much wat i heard
thank you

Dukeballer,

What does your sig mean? 9 national championships for Duke athletics? 9 for Duke basketball? If so, I need someone to send me game tape of the 6 other national championships!

[dukeballer2294]

duke athletics

[SupaDave]

Speculation is somewhat pointless right now. You wont hear much more until the fall.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Dukeballer,

What does your sig mean? 9 national championships for Duke athletics? 9 for Duke basketball? If so, I need someone to send me game tape of the 6 other national championships!

I think he's talking 3 for bball (and certainly should be more), 1 for men's soccer and 5 for women's golf, totaling 9.

It is almost strange to type the 9 and not put an F behind it! :rolleyes:
9F 9F 9F 9F 9F. There, I feel better now!

[dukeballer2294]

I think he's talking 3 for bball (and certainly should be more), 1 for men's soccer and 5 for women's golf, totaling 9.

It is almost strange to type the 9 and not put an F behind it! :rolleyes:
9F 9F 9F 9F 9F. There, I feel better now!

gracias for clarifiying that and actually it should be about 16 mens lacrosse 3 womens golf 1 more and mens basketball at least 1 more then womens basketball 2 more

[Blueequalslife23]

Is Josh Smith the 6foot 9 center out of Washington scheduled for a visit soon? Watzone any word on this kid?

[Lord Ash]

Does that national championship thing only count for team sports? Or for individual sports too?

[dukemomLA]

So glad to welcome you to the best BB family on the planet! You've made the best decision of your life! We can't to embrace you into Cameron and beyond.

[dukeballer2294]

Does that national championship thing only count for team sports? Or for individual sports too?

Just team sports.

[west_coast_devil]

saw headline on Rivals........ Duke going hard after 2010 Center, Josh Smith. Does anybody know if the interest is mutual at this point. JS is listed at 6-9, 265... that is incredible size for a sophomore in high school. With the little I know, it appears 2010 is shaping up to be a very talented and highly rated class.

[watzone]

With all due respect, they are evaluating him for sure. I think "hard" was the authors term. Unless of course one might consider that they are going after six or seven guys hard in the class of 2010 with just one standing out for sure having an offer in hand. The picture will become clearer in the next two weeks with K, CC and Wojo out on the road all this week. K's taking in the Reebok event today.


Smith is indeed a paint eater and could rise to the top.

[Blueequalslife23]

So Watzone do you see an offer coming for Josh Smith anytime soon?

[watzone]

So Watzone do you see an offer coming for Josh Smith anytime soon?

I don't feel comfortable answering that question in a public forum. Duke has offered Hairston and has Dawkins in the fold. Smith is one of six, maybe seven 2010 guys being seriously considered. I do expect a new offer in the coming week but must refer back to my first sentence with concerns to who it will likely be.

[Bob Green]

Rivals has an article posted, which contains this quote on Josh Smith:


Josh Smith simply had a block party during his two games with Seattle Rotary Select. Easily in double figures for blocks over the course of the two games, Smith was quick off his feet to go along with impeccable timing. Best of all is that he corrals most of his blocks in his big time hands.

And in Kevin Love fashion, Smith hooked up a number of streaking guards with length of the court outlet passes. Whereas Love typically utilizes a monster chest pass, Smith's specialty is a one handed baseball pass.


Read the whole article here (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=824489). Jody Demling has a picture and some impressive words (http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/blog.html) about Smith on his blog. Scroll down to the second article.

[kramerbr]

Rivals has an article posted, which contains this quote on Josh Smith:




Read the whole article here (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=824489). Jody Demling has a picture and some impressive words (http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/blog.html) about Smith on his blog. Scroll down to the second article.

I see Jody talks about Mason Plumlee's Indiana Elite team quite a bit, but does not mention Mason. Is he not with the team due to his Team USA obligations?

[JasonEvans]

I see Jody talks about Mason Plumlee's Indiana Elite team quite a bit, but does not mention Mason. Is he not with the team due to his Team USA obligations?

Yup- he is not with Indiana Elite right now because he is with Team USA. I've seen reference to this a couple places.

--Jason "Mason is gonna be a stud in the 2010 class" Evans

[jimsumner]

Actually, I suspect he'll be a stud in the h.s. class of 2009.

[Bsim412]

Thank you all for reading the Ryan Kelly article early. My school out of Charlotte plays both Christ School (Mason Plumlee) and Ravenscroft (Ryan Kelly) in basketball each year. Let's go a year ahead and talk about the 2010 class. We already have one commitment (Andre Dawkins) under our belt but what about the other five recruits Brandon Knight (PG), Harrison Barnes (SF), Josh Smith (C), Joshua Hairston (PF) and Tyler Thornton (PG). Starting out with Brandon Knight, Duke will land him if only if Kenny Boynton commits to Duke but his two leaders are Florida and UConn. Next, Harrison Barnes is a emerging prospect who is one of the best in the country for his position. His leaders are Duke, Iowa State, and Kansas. Josh Smith, the huge center from Seattle favorite is UCLA then Duke. If UCLA gets Jeremy Tyler then he will be a Dukie Probably:) Next is Joshua Hairston. Joshua is a very talented forward from Virginia and is very good friends with Andre Dawkins and sources say he will commit to Duke in last August hopefully! And last but not least is Tyler Thornton. Tyler was surprised by the Blue Devils offer but he is very skilled. Tyler just got offered six more offers yesterday. Again, what are you opinions on where these players will go!:)

[skitelz]

I think that Brandon likes Duke as a school and would consider us no matter the circumstances, but adding Kenny for 2009 would definitely sweeten the deal. I also think that his interest has wained on Connecticut, but I have no insider info and am just following my instinct.

Harrison would be perfect for the Duke system. It will be difficult getting him away from the midwest, but he is open to playing far from home. It will be difficult to pry him away from Iowa State as his mother works there and it is a comfortable, stable enviroment for him. But he is also very concerned about getting a great education and Duke would fit the bill in that regard. I think he would rather play for a National Title contender than be the man, and Duke and Kansas are much closer to the first option than Iowa State is. This could also play a role in his decision.

As you said, Josh S. is a huge UCLA fan and at this point, I think that LA is where he will end up. I don't think that Howland is stupid enough to mess too much with Tyler when he already has a great player like Josh almost in the bag. If UCLA does make a push for Tyler though, Josh and his parents like Duke and would certainly consider playing for the Blue Devils. But as I said before, I think he will ulitmately choose UCLA.

Josh H. on the other hand, I feel is our's to lose. His final five are Duke, Georgetown, Ohio State, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Of those five, Ohio State is our main competition, but as Josh wants his parents to be able to watch his games, Ohio State is probably out as it is too far away. I think that Virginia and VT are only on the list as the courtesy "state" bump. Georgetown is the dark horse in the race in my opinion as he is very comfortable with what the team has to offer. But they have been bringing in a lot of good forwards and there could be a traffic jam at the position for the Hoyas. This might affect Josh's decision. But I truly feel, especially with his friendship with Andre that Josh will end up a Blue Devil.

Tyler is a great prospect, and I feel that he is our's to lose. He loves Duke and what the program has to offer. If Josh H. chooses Duke, I think our chances double. He is a teammate and good friend of Josh's. Tyler is perfect for the Duke system. I truly hope he becomes a Blue Devil. I think that his commitment is even more important than Brandon's at this point as Tyler would be our point for three to four years as opposed to just one to two.

None of this is insider info. It is mostly my personal opinions on each situation with a few facts (such as teammates) thrown in.

[CameronCrazy'11]

With regards to KB and BK playing together: they have both said repeatedly that it would be cool, but not a determining factor.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Barnes wanted to go to a school where he would be in the national spotlight. Bodes well for Duke.

Josh Smith is a long shot, but you can be sure we have a backup plan (Lubick?).

Tyler likes Duke, but won't decide for a year or so.

Rumor is Hairston will commit any day now. But that's been the rumor for about a month, so take it for what it's worth. Probably a Duke lean though.

If we did pull of a miracle and land all six of these guys that would be the best recruiting class since.....JWil's year?....Battier's year?.....ever?

[SilkyJ]

Starting out with Brandon Knight, Duke will land him if only if Kenny Boynton commits to Duke but his two leaders are Florida and UConn.

Please dont come on here stating fact if you have nothing to back it up with. If you have an opinion state it as your opinion. The way you stated it above is as if its fact.

Additionally, see below. and note the word REPEATEDLY.


With regards to KB and BK playing together: they have both said repeatedly that it would be cool, but not a determining factor.

[watzone]

Please dont come on here stating fact if you have nothing to back it up with. If you have an opinion state it as your opinion. The way you stated it above is as if its fact.

Additionally, see below. and note the word REPEATEDLY.

Knowing what I know and reading the posts, I agree with Silky J. I see nothing but speculation.

[SilkyJ]

surprised to not have seen this bumped given the hairston article on front page:

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/082008/08072008/400869

not hugely significant, but for those who have been penciling in hairston for Duke, certainly has to make you rethink...

[Faison1]

Yes, I read that article today, and I've got to say, my heart sinks everytime I read something along those lines.....Boynton (09), Knight, etc.

As I've gone through life, there have been many times when I have felt I should have lived in the '50's, when things must have been less hectic, less stressful, more optimistic, and above all else, much, much less access to information.

So, to prevent more heartbreak, I might consider following Duke Basketball recruiting less and less. I can't keep getting excited about a player who says (or we infer) that he wants to go to Duke, then ends up someplace else.

Maybe I'm just having a bad day, but I could use some good news on the recruiting front.

[SilkyJ]

Yes, I read that article today, and I've got to say, my heart sinks everytime I read something along those lines.....Boynton (09), Knight, etc.

As I've gone through life, there have been many times when I have felt I should have lived in the '50's, when things must have been less hectic, less stressful, more optimistic, and above all else, much, much less access to information.

So, to prevent more heartbreak, I might consider following Duke Basketball recruiting less and less. I can't keep getting excited about a player who says (or we infer) that he wants to go to Duke, then ends up someplace else.

Maybe I'm just having a bad day, but I could use some good news on the recruiting front.

I can relate, but you just have to take a more "se la vi" (sp?) attitude and realize we are going to get our fair share of top recruits and we are going to miss on some (or at least thats what I do). I certainly dont feel that I need to be privy to every little tidbit that is said b/c all that ends up happening is that people over analyze and think that "this guy is for sure headed to BLANK" and then he signs elsewhere and everyone is "shocked." What shocks me is that people are still "shocked" by stuff like that. Teenagers change their mind. A lot.

[sagegrouse]

I can relate, but you just have to take a more "se la vi" (sp?) attitude.

I agree with you that French would be more tolerable if it were spelled phonetically (like Spanish), instead of trying to making us guess what "c'est la vie" is supposed to sound like.

sagegrouse

[SilkyJ]

I agree with you that French would be more tolerable if it were spelled phonetically (like Spanish), instead of trying to making us guess what "c'est la vie" is supposed to sound like.

sagegrouse

you've captured the true essence of my 1,300+ posts in one sentence. I'm glad someone understands me.

[Diddy]

I can relate, but you just have to take a more "se la vi" (sp?) attitude and realize we are going to get our fair share of top recruits and we are going to miss on some (or at least thats what I do). I certainly dont feel that I need to be privy to every little tidbit that is said b/c all that ends up happening is that people over analyze and think that "this guy is for sure headed to BLANK" and then he signs elsewhere and everyone is "shocked." What shocks me is that people are still "shocked" by stuff like that. Teenagers change their mind. A lot.

I agree that teens change their minds. A lot. When that happens, it can be painful for us as fans, but I can get over it.

I do not like it when the flip flop is malicious, or even calculated. Duke is a prestigious Basketball program. For a recruit to be courted by Duke, (and UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky, UNC) it is a real feather in the cap. Duke's academic requirements restrict us from some recruits, unlike the other Kings of the sport (to varyiyng degrees). I accept that some kids will tout being recruited by Duke even if they have ZERO interest in actually coming here.

What I hate is when a kid expresses a keen desire to attend Duke while knowing that there is no such chance of him accepting said scholarship.

Monroe, and very probably Patterson, are prime examples of this. Monroe stated repeatedly that Duke was his dream school. Virtually all of the recruiting world, and this board, had him penciled in. Almost overnight that changed from him being a strong lien to Duke merely being one of his favorites. Then he accepts Georgetown without even a visit to Cameron. To me that says he had no intention of attending Duke. He zeroed in on GU early his senior year and went there. It reaked of bad faith.

Patterson was similiar. He used Duke's interest, and status as a superpower, to fuel interest in his recruiting battle. Many of this boards well connected insiders hinted that an official announcement was imminent. I have no doubt these statements were made based on very solid info from within the program. When the decision comes down, it turns out that Duke is a distant third for Patterson.

I do not like it when a kid changes his mind and Duke gets hosed. But I accept it. Even when it is like Humphries, and the kid changes his mind for all the wrong reasons. But it burns me up when a kid yanks us arround for selfish reasons. At Duke, we cannot move on to the next elite recruit like a lot of schools. We have to ID smart players and recruit the heck out of them. K and the staff are great at this. But it does not leave a lot of time for backup options.

Last year, Monroe really screwed us, hard. I felt that there were some viable backups that Duke could have made a run at if Monroe had been honest.

I have no inside knowledge. This is just my opinion of what these Kids did.

[ArnieMc]

The one that frosted my butt was Ndudi Ebi. He asked K to fly down to Texas for his announcement and then proceeded to announce for Arizona. Of course, he reneged on that, went into the draft, stunk, was released, and is now in Europe somewhere.

[DDB4208]

I agree with Diddy. Hopefully though more recruits will be attracted to Duke and less keen on blowing us off if they get to see Coach K on the Gold Medal Stand with Kobe, Melo, Lebron, Wade and other stars.

[CameronCrazy'11]

I agree with Diddy. Hopefully though more recruits will be attracted to Duke and less keen on blowing us off if they get to see Coach K on the Gold Medal Stand with Kobe, Melo, Lebron, Wade and other stars.

Coach's don't get medals, but your point is well-taken.

[Faison1]

I can relate, but you just have to take a more "se la vi" (sp?) attitude and realize we are going to get our fair share of top recruits and we are going to miss on some (or at least thats what I do). I certainly dont feel that I need to be privy to every little tidbit that is said b/c all that ends up happening is that people over analyze and think that "this guy is for sure headed to BLANK" and then he signs elsewhere and everyone is "shocked." What shocks me is that people are still "shocked" by stuff like that. Teenagers change their mind. A lot.

Well, Silky, sorry for the slow reply. Productivity is up these days, I hear. I appreciate your thoughts and encouragement. I know I will get hammered for saying this, but I just don't understand what's going on with our recruiting. I know I should be more rational, and have more faith in the powers that be, but something is definitely off.

I remember thinking K's monster class with Elton Brand, et al, was one of the reasons El Deano was going to hang it up. And sure enough, K followed with incredible recruits that were quite a departure from the standard players he had in the 80's and early 90's.....more power, and less finesse....more nastiness, less...whatever.

Maybe we got spoiled; maybe there is more competition for the same recruits; maybe those handling the bulk of recruiting are not as good as Amaker and Snyder; maybe it's all about playing time. Who knows?

I guess I just wish we were keeping up with Joneses. By the way, you're in SF, right? I just moved from there back to the East Coast, and am now surrounded by many Carowhina fans, which pleases my wife to no end (she's an alum). Anyway, you make me think of the Bay Area everytime you post, so thanks for the memories.

[DDB4208]

Tyler Thorton and Josh Hairston will take unofficial visits to Duke at the same time as Mason Plumlee (committed) and Andre Dawkins (committed). Josh Hairston and Tyler Thorton are friends and it has been suggested that they will commit in the coming month before the start of the high school season. Andre Dawkins is also friends with Hairston and has apparently been trying to convince Josh Hairston to commit to Duke. Although this could mean nothing, if Josh and Tyler like their visit I have a good feeling that they will both commit in October or maybe even before.

[Skitzle]

Seems like its about that time when recruits start popping up on the radar. Can anyone give a summary of the 2010 outlook. How many scholarships can we offer, who's committed, who are we looking at? (2009 info bonus)

Thanks for the rundown!

-Skitz

[bozz03]

If we can land early in the '10 class a trio of Tyler, Josh and Andre that would be a perfect start.

I'd love to see us get Josh Smith as he would be a dominant post big man but it'll be a tall order getting him off the west coast even though i know we've had pretty decent success lately in doing so.

I think everyone is in love with Harrison Barnes and what he could bring to the table b/c the kid is a flat out stud at 6'6 and would be a phenominal 3 in the Duke system. Kansas is going to be a major player against us for his services so another alternative could be Mychal Parker from charlottesville. He's the #4 ranked SF in the '10 class.

We already have 6 ships offered in the '10 class of what i expect will be at least a 5 man class.

[dukeballer2294]

All I have to say is that with the offers we have out and the other players having intrest in us I am excited for hooever we land in 2010. :)

[dukeballer2294]

With our recent loss in the Kenny Boyton sweepstakes is there any chance we start recruiting him? With it seeming less likely we will land Brandon Knight everyday I say we grab him. I know he is an Andre Dawkinsesque player but I think this will only add to a stellar 2010 class. Whats your thoughts?

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3226320

[RainingThrees]

Whoa, Dorons list is massive!! If he did come to Duke him and Andre would battle for minutes and they both seem like potential star players at the same position.

[Traveldude50]

Im a duke fan and just want 2 keep u updated. I currently attend the same school and Brandon Knight. Tonite we had a game and Brandon of course outplayed everyone. Billy Donovan was at the game along with Kenny Boynton. Hope 2 c Coach K down here soon.

[DukeBlood]

Whoa, Dorons list is massive!! If he did come to Duke him and Andre would battle for minutes and they both seem like potential star players at the same position.

I don't see it happening, but maybe. Duke will have 4 Guards by the time the 2010 class are Freshman.

PG: Tyler Thorton- Freshman
PG/SG: Nolan Smith- Senior
SG: Elliot Williams- Junior
SG: Andre Dawkins- Freshman

Duke is also recruiting a SF/SG type player in Harrison Barnes. Coach K is a genius and would find a way to make it work. I just wouldn't get my hopes up.

[ice-9]

But if Smith and Williams turn out to be studs, what are the chances they stay in school that long? I think it's safer if we recruit another star PG/SG by the 2010 season.

[gotham devil]

Im a duke fan and just want 2 keep u updated. I currently attend the same school and Brandon Knight. Tonite we had a game and Brandon of course outplayed everyone. Billy Donovan was at the game along with Kenny Boynton. Hope 2 c Coach K down here soon.

I hate to ask this, but have you heard any scuttlebutt in school as to where he may be leaning.

Considering he allegedly has a high GPA at a quality private high school, one would think that he and, perhaps, both of his parents value education. Hopefully, that's a feather in our cap.

[miramar]

Im a duke fan and just want 2 keep u updated. I currently attend the same school and Brandon Knight. Tonite we had a game and Brandon of course outplayed everyone. Billy Donovan was at the game along with Kenny Boynton. Hope 2 c Coach K down here soon.

There's no question that Donovan has a geographic advantage when it comes to recruiting Brandon Knight, not to mention the possible advantage of the Boynton factor. Don't be surprised if Donovan starts waving to Brandon from across the parking lot, as he did with Shavlik Randolph.

[gotham devil]

Don't be surprised if Donovan starts waving to Brandon from across the parking lot, as he did with Shavlik Randolph.
There is a significant difference between now and then.
Now when the New Yorker waves at a top recruit, the recruit can see a pair of national championship rings on his hand. Brandon Knight was in the third grade when we last won a NCAA title.

[RainingThrees]

Watch out for J.T. Terrell, he is Wake Forest commit who is a big time scorer. He played against Cedar Ridge where one of my friends goes and dropped about 40.

[Hancock 4 Duke]

Here are the links for the people that might possibly play for duke in a year or 2 and tell me what you think about them. Hopefully we will get most of them since we have good recruiters.

http://duke.scout.com/a.z?s=167&p=9&c=4&cfg=bb&yr=2010

[jv001]

The recruiting picture for Duke University looks very good. Especially the 2010 class. If we could land Knight, that would be huge even though we have Thornton already committed. Barnes would be another great recruit for us. But for now I'm just going to enjoy this years team and hope we keep improving. Go Duke!

[ryan]

I'll get a chance to see Dawkins and Hairston in Richmond on January 31 at Slamfest. It's pretty exciting to see Dawkins coming to Duke as that is my alma mater. I'll let you know what I see.

[ddsdevil]

I really, really, really hope that we can get Harrison Barnes though it looks like Kansas is going hard after him.

http://www.phog.tv/images/barnesself.jpg

[Smitty1911]

Is that picture from Midnight Madness or a more recent visit?

[juise]

Is that picture from Midnight Madness or a more recent visit?

I'm not sure where the photo is from, but there was a recent visit (http://www2.kusports.com/news/2009/jan/04/kansas-basketball-notebook/).


Edit: Judging from the orange shirts in the photo, I would say that this was taken at Saturday's UT/KU game.

[ddsdevil]

I'm not sure where the photo is from, but there was a recent visit (http://www2.kusports.com/news/2009/jan/04/kansas-basketball-notebook/).


Edit: Judging from the orange shirts in the photo, I would say that this was taken at Saturday's UT/KU game.

Yes, he was at that game.

[gofurman]

You guys keep up with this more than me.

Next year is Wall and Plumlee? Or am I confusing years - I know Plumlee is next year.
Is Wall even for sure?
Who is 2010?

Thank you

[Oriole Way]

Next year: Kelly and Mason Plumlee.

We are still recruiting Wall. He would be part of next year's class as well.

[Huh?]

I'm thinking Wall to Memphis....any thoughts?

[Cell-R]

Next year we have a PF by the name of Ryan Kelly coming.
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3073045

We also have a PF by the name of Mason Plumlee.
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=2856191

John Wall is still undecided. He has Baylor, Kansas, Memphis, Miami, State, Duke, and Oregon still on his list. #1 PG in the class of '09.
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3060204


In 2010 we have...

Andre Dawkins, SG.
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3223503

Josh Hairston, PF.
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3279414

And Tyler Thornton, PG.
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=2905705

We are also on Harrison Barnes' list (#1 SF) and Brandon Knight (#1 PG).

[Cell-R]

I'm thinking Wall to Memphis....any thoughts?

From what i've heard on this board as well as from my friends that played with him at 5-star, I am inclined to believe he will play at Baylor. Besides the fact that he would get a lot of PT and be the star of the team, his AAU coaches have serious connections with the school. A few of them might even work there.

I think Wall's list would go Baylor, Memphis, Duke.

[studdlee10]

His AAU coach, Dwon Clifton just got hired as an assistant coach at Baylor.

That said, Wall hasn't even had an official visit or chat with Coach K yet. I think our chances are slim, but I wouldn't count out Coach K just yet. Anything can happen in the world of recruiting.

Memphis has a few studs going in. Xavier Henry, Nolan Dennis, and possibly Demarcus Cousins. It's also looking more and more like Tyreke Evans isn't going to be good enough to be a high pick in this upcoming draft. With Henry, Dennis, Cousins, Evans, and Witherspoon, I see a lot of shot takers and not enough shots.

If G goes pro, which is entirely possible given his recent explosion, Wall could come to Duke, fit in right at G's old spot and would have the chance to be option 1 or 1a to Singler almost immediately. He would be surrounded by solid, team players such as Nolan, Scheyer, Zoubs, etc on what is possibly the biggest stage in college hoops. Plus, the kid gets a year of Coach K's tutelage, which will help him develop as a PG and a person. That is the only red flag I see with Wall, his attitude could be an issue somewhere down the line. Playing for K, if even for only a year, would help him significantly in the maturation process. If he went to Baylor, he'd basically be given free reign and would be more powerful than his coach.

I think Duke is a good choice for him. He will only be in school for 1 year, so why not stay close to home, be on TV every night, play for a NC contender, and take advantage of what Coach K has to offer.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

I am pretty sure Evans will enter regardless

[wolfpackdevil]

From what i've heard on this board as well as from my friends that played with him at 5-star, I am inclined to believe he will play at Baylor. Besides the fact that he would get a lot of PT and be the star of the team, his AAU coaches have serious connections with the school. A few of them might even work there.

I think Wall's list would go Baylor, Memphis, Duke.

I don't know how Duke is still recruiting him. They haven't offered him a scholarship yet, and it says that Wall has low interest in Duke.

It would not be a good choice for him with Smith here at Duke already. Wall is just looking to be a star for a year and then head to the NBA.


I think he will go to Baylor or NC State. He will go to State if he wants to stay at home for his last year before going pro.

He will go to Baylor if he just wants to tear up the big 12 like Durant.

But he will not go to Duke, guarenteed

[quickgtp]

I don't know how Duke is still recruiting him. They haven't offered him a scholarship yet, and it says that Wall has low interest in Duke.

It would not be a good choice for him with Smith here at Duke already. Wall is just looking to be a star for a year and then head to the NBA.


I think he will go to Baylor or NC State. He will go to State if he wants to stay at home for his last year before going pro.

He will go to Baylor if he just wants to tear up the big 12 like Durant.

But he will not go to Duke, guarenteed

How can you GUARANTEE that he will not go to Duke? Actually if G leaves it would be even more enticing for Wall to come to Duke IMO. Duke is still in the hunt and has a shot at landing this kid.

[kramerbr]

I don't know how Duke is still recruiting him. They haven't offered him a scholarship yet, and it says that Wall has low interest in Duke.

It would not be a good choice for him with Smith here at Duke already. Wall is just looking to be a star for a year and then head to the NBA.


I think he will go to Baylor or NC State. He will go to State if he wants to stay at home for his last year before going pro.

He will go to Baylor if he just wants to tear up the big 12 like Durant.

But he will not go to Duke, guarenteed


It appears that if he chooses to stay home then Duke is sitting pretty good. NC State looked like the home option because they were the only NC team in the hunt until Duke got involved. Baylor is still a pretty likely destination but don't sleep on Duke.

[geraldsneighbor]

Baylor seems like a pick that'd be similar to Beasley choosing K-State. The chance to run the show and not have to worry about anything else.

[wolfpackdevil]

How can you GUARANTEE that he will not go to Duke? Actually if G leaves it would be even more enticing for Wall to come to Duke IMO. Duke is still in the hunt and has a shot at landing this kid.

I just want to know why Duke fans want this kid to come to Duke?

He does not want to help a team win a national championship, or win for that matter. He is just like a Michael Beasley or Kevin Durant. He just wants to come somewhere and average as many points as possible to raise his draft stock.

Duke will not gain anything from him. I think it might actually hurt Duke, because I think they would be less of a team.

With Smith at PG next year, Duke will be great.

[quickgtp]

I just want to know why Duke fans want this kid to come to Duke?

He does not want to help a team win a national championship, or win for that matter. He is just like a Michael Beasley or Kevin Durant. He just wants to come somewhere and average as many points as possible to raise his draft stock.

Duke will not gain anything from him. I think it might actually hurt Duke, because I think they would be less of a team.

With Smith at PG next year, Duke will be great.

Have you spoken to John directly regarding this? Please don't say things like this because you act as if it is factual without verifying it. John seems to have had a tough life and is now getting his act together. He will likely be a one and done player, but Coach K and this staff could get the most out of him in one year I am sure.

[COYS]

I just want to know why Duke fans want this kid to come to Duke?

He does not want to help a team win a national championship, or win for that matter. He is just like a Michael Beasley or Kevin Durant. He just wants to come somewhere and average as many points as possible to raise his draft stock.

Duke will not gain anything from him. I think it might actually hurt Duke, because I think they would be less of a team.

With Smith at PG next year, Duke will be great.

I have to say, posts like this make no sense to me for many reasons. First of all, I don't understand why many people assume that a probable one and done player will automatically be a selfish, big-headed showboat who will hurt team chemistry. Our last final four team featured a particularly talented and team-oriented one and done by the name of Luol Deng. Our '99 team featured Corey Maggette. Those guys certainly didn't hurt our team. Derrick Rose, Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Marvin Williams . . . these guys certainly didn't hurt their respective teams. Durant and Beasley didn't hurt their teams, either. I just don't understand your point.

Secondly, I don't understand what's so wrong about a kid going to college for one year knowing that he will most likely be selected high enough in the following year's draft to make leaving school after one year the right career move. That doesn't make the guy a bad teammate or a selfish player . . . it just means he's probably really, really good. In Wall's case, it appears from many of the evaluations available on the various recruiting sites that he is more of a pure point guard who gets his team involved than Boynton, but no one complained that Boynton was too selfish to play for Duke. A point guard with Wall's ability surrounded by the talented scorers already on our roster could not possibly be a bad thing. If he's good enough to be selected in the top 10 of the 2010 draft . . . even better! That's one heck of a player.

Also, you don't have to be a starter on a team to be a high draft pick. Maggette and Marvin Williams both were high draft picks while playing complementary roles. Luol Deng was only one of many talented scorers on Duke's '04 team, and he still went high in the draft. Tourney success only helps a one and done player's draft stock. Would there have been any debate as to whether Beasley would be the number one pick if Memphis had crashed out in the second round last year? Possibly, but probably not. If Wall came to Duke and averaged 12 ppg, 6 apg in 28 minutes of action and led Duke to a title, an NBA team would snatch him up no problem as he would have demonstrated that he can run an offense, share the ball, and win high-stakes games. Even if Wall only cares about making it to the NBA after one year, it's in his best interests to make it deep into the tourney.

Finally, do you really think coach K would recruit somebody that would really be detrimental to the program? It's ridiculous to me that sometimes people determine the character of a particular player based on the school they attend and a few internet write-ups that say the kid is of questionable character . . . as if we can tell better than coach K (and for that matter, Bill Self and virtually every other major coach in college basketball) what kind of person Wall is. If I were wall and I read a post like this, I would be terribly offended and think Duke is an elitist institution full of snobs. This is truly absurd speculation. I trust the staff to determine if Wall is a good fit both as a basketball player and as a person.

[Cell-R]

As much fun as it is to speculate and argue about John Wall's recruitment and future, I am fairly certain that we already have a thread devoted ENTIRELY to this discussion. See link below:

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12233

[CameronCrazy'11]

No one has any clue where John Wall is going, and anyone who says otherwise is just guessing randomly.

[jv001]

Don't forget Josh Smith in 2010. We are still in it for him. Barnes is the key to 2010 and we have a good shot at him. Go Duke!

[AtlDuke72]

I have to say, posts like this make no sense to me for many reasons. First of all, I don't understand why many people assume that a probable one and done player will automatically be a selfish, big-headed showboat who will hurt team chemistry. Our last final four team featured a particularly talented and team-oriented one and done by the name of Luol Deng. Our '99 team featured Corey Maggette. Those guys certainly didn't hurt our team. Derrick Rose, Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Marvin Williams . . . these guys certainly didn't hurt their respective teams. Durant and Beasley didn't hurt their teams, either. I just don't understand your point.

Secondly, I don't understand what's so wrong about a kid going to college for one year knowing that he will most likely be selected high enough in the following year's draft to make leaving school after one year the right career move. That doesn't make the guy a bad teammate or a selfish player . . . it just means he's probably really, really good. In Wall's case, it appears from many of the evaluations available on the various recruiting sites that he is more of a pure point guard who gets his team involved than Boynton, but no one complained that Boynton was too selfish to play for Duke. A point guard with Wall's ability surrounded by the talented scorers already on our roster could not possibly be a bad thing. If he's good enough to be selected in the top 10 of the 2010 draft . . . even better! That's one heck of a player.

Also, you don't have to be a starter on a team to be a high draft pick. Maggette and Marvin Williams both were high draft picks while playing complementary roles. Luol Deng was only one of many talented scorers on Duke's '04 team, and he still went high in the draft. Tourney success only helps a one and done player's draft stock. Would there have been any debate as to whether Beasley would be the number one pick if Memphis had crashed out in the second round last year? Possibly, but probably not. If Wall came to Duke and averaged 12 ppg, 6 apg in 28 minutes of action and led Duke to a title, an NBA team would snatch him up no problem as he would have demonstrated that he can run an offense, share the ball, and win high-stakes games. Even if Wall only cares about making it to the NBA after one year, it's in his best interests to make it deep into the tourney.

Finally, do you really think coach K would recruit somebody that would really be detrimental to the program? It's ridiculous to me that sometimes people determine the character of a particular player based on the school they attend and a few internet write-ups that say the kid is of questionable character . . . as if we can tell better than coach K (and for that matter, Bill Self and virtually every other major coach in college basketball) what kind of person Wall is. If I were wall and I read a post like this, I would be terribly offended and think Duke is an elitist institution full of snobs. This is truly absurd speculation. I trust the staff to determine if Wall is a good fit both as a basketball player and as a person.

This is one of the best posts in a long, long time. Well said!

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I don't know why the staff didn't look into this kid earlier. I watched a couple YouTube videos on John Wall, and I just have to say, MY GOD!! He is right up there with Maggette and Henderson in terms of pure athleticism to come through Duke. It looks like his skills are beyond those of Henderson when he was younger too. I don't care of he would be a one and done player, I would LOVE, absolutely LOVE having John Wall on my favorite team. I would be so giddy if I was Coach K knowing I have a backcourt of Scheyer, Smith, Wall, and Williams (assuming Henderson declares for the NBA). They need to offer a scholly and soon to this guy!
One question to anyone who might know the answer, why does it seem that Memphis throws themselves at every top prospect available? For the 2009 class, they already have 4 commitments and are in the mix for guys like DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Lance Stephenson, and Latavious Williams. What is it with the love affair all of a sudden for Memphis? Not only that, how many scholarships do they have available for '09?

[COYS]

Just thought I might suggest that the posts about Wall be moved to the Wall thread as I think they may have been mistakenly moved to the 2010 Recruiting thread . . . especially since Wall is a 2009 recruit.

[Bob Green]

Josh Smith posted an extraordinary stat line on Friday night: 43 points, 20 boards, and seven blocked shots. Here is a full game recap from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/preps/398271_kwood31.html

[Devilsfan]

After being in Joel last Weds. and watching our guard play, I really hope Wall comes to Duke!

[should_be_working]

Please forgive me for my lack of recruiting knowledge, but I visit this site often and also look at rivals and scout.com, but I have know idea when to expect or look for when guys commit. Are there certain periods when a recruit is more likely to give a verbal than other times, or is it just based solely on the individual recruit to decide when he chooses a school? And when are "hot" recruiting periods for college coaches - as in when can they recruit - i'm assuming there are dead periods when they can't contact recruits or go to their games (ie the collins incident). I'm new to all this, I would usually just not wonder about recruiting until the season began and i would see what freshman coach K would brought in. But now I'm very interested in the future and who we are going after, unfortunetly I just don't understand how it all works as far as when to expect news and such.

On a related note, when might we expect our recruits in furture classes to choose a school, like Wall, Smith, Barnes, Knight, etc...

Thanks for the help.

[Hancock 4 Duke]

I am a little tired of hearing about Wall. I mean, he is considering 5-6 other schools, and for Duke he only has a low interest. We haven't even offered him yet. Can someone tell me the chances we'll actually get this guy.

[SupaDave]

I am a little tired of hearing about Wall. I mean, he is considering 5-6 other schools, and for Duke he only has a low interest. We haven't even offered him yet. Can someone tell me the chances we'll actually get this guy.

No - noone can actually tell you our chances but HIM. Which is the same for all recruits. Even when we have STRONG interest there's been plenty of recruits who have gone elsewhere.

[SupaDave]

I just want to know why Duke fans want this kid to come to Duke?

He does not want to help a team win a national championship, or win for that matter. He is just like a Michael Beasley or Kevin Durant. He just wants to come somewhere and average as many points as possible to raise his draft stock.

Duke will not gain anything from him. I think it might actually hurt Duke, because I think they would be less of a team.

With Smith at PG next year, Duke will be great.

Texas retired Durant's jersey. Something tells me that they don't feel too screwed.

Beasley helped to revive a dormant school. K. State has to do whatever they can to compete with KANSAS. There was plenty of happiness surrounding Beasley last year.

And just WHY would you be mad at Wall for wanting to get a lot of minutes to get a chance to prove himself on a number of levels. I'm sure you do everything possible on your own job to enhance your resume - why can't he?

And lastly - have you SEEN this guy play? EVERYBODY wants him on their team...

[Indoor66]

And lastly - have you SEEN this guy play? EVERYBODY wants him on their team...

I am curious how many have actually seen him play. Have you?

Many seem to evaluate players on the basis of writeups and highlight videos and these are hardly a real basis to evaluate players.

I will trust the coaching staff to evaluate players and offer schollys.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I am curious how many have actually seen him play. Have you?

Many seem to evaluate players on the basis of writeups and highlight videos and these are hardly a real basis to evaluate players.

I will trust the coaching staff to evaluate players and offer schollys.


Well, even if they are just highlights, you can get a sense of their skill set. For example, highlight clips of Brian Zoubek when he was in high school showed nothing in terms of skill set. They (his teammates) would just throw passes over the defender and he would lay it up. You could watch it and get the sense that his skill set was not that polished. This is not the case with Wall as most highlights are coming from camps where he is playing against great competition. The stuff you see is truly amazing. It at the very least shows he has incredible potential as a professional.

[SupaDave]

I am curious how many have actually seen him play. Have you?

Many seem to evaluate players on the basis of writeups and highlight videos and these are hardly a real basis to evaluate players.

I will trust the coaching staff to evaluate players and offer schollys.

He's no fluke buddy. There's a reason coaches are trying to make eye contact with this kid...

[Indoor66]

He's no fluke buddy. There's a reason coaches are trying to make eye contact with this kid...

No doubt and I also remember when E Williams was to be the second coming. How did that work out?

[jv001]

No doubt and I also remember when E Williams was to be the second coming. How did that work out?

McRoberts also. A good player but not a difference maker. Go Duke!

[SMO]

McRoberts also. A good player but not a difference maker. Go Duke!

McBobs? How much better would Duke have been with him last year? How much worse would they have been without him the prior year? The differences in both seasons would have been significant. Attitude aside, the dude had game.

[Newton_14]

No doubt and I also remember when E Williams was to be the second coming. How did that work out?

Well, since E Williams is only halfway thru his Freshman season, we don't yet know how it will work out. Good thing we did not kick Thomas Hill, Nate James, Shane Battier, Gerald Henderon, and many many others out the door halfway thru their Freshman seasons. Otherwise those 3 banners might not be hanging in CIS.

[SupaDave]

Well, since E Williams is only halfway thru his Freshman season, we don't yet know how it will work out. Good thing we did not kick Thomas Hill, Nate James, Shane Battier, Gerald Henderon, and many many others out the door halfway thru their Freshman seasons. Otherwise those 3 banners might not be hanging in CIS.

Precisely, and considering E. WIll is getting minutes on a team ranked in the top 5 in the nation, well, I think he's doing ok. :)

[FireOgilvie]

No doubt and I also remember when E Williams was to be the second coming. How did that work out?

E-Will was a top 20 recruit in the weakest class in memory. He plays at Duke's deepest position.

John Wall is the number 1 or 2 player in a pretty good class. He plays a position where Duke will have 1 returning player (who has an A/TO ratio of 1).

I don't see understand why people are being so negative about Wall. Is it because he's projected number 1 in the 2010 NBA Draft?

[Ian]

It's probably because most don't expect to land him, so it's pre-mature sour grapes.

I'm sure had Wall committed to Duke, the fans here would be talking about how great he's going to be, like we talk about Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly.

It's completely understandable, every fanbase will do the same.

[WojoSay?]

It's probably because most don't expect to land him, so it's pre-mature sour grapes.

I'm sure had Wall committed to Duke, the fans here would be talking about how great he's going to be, like we talk about Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly.

It's completely understandable, every fanbase will do the same.

I couldn't have said this better myself.

[RainingThrees]

I don't usually like ESPN for this kind of stuff, but there isn't much going on in respect to recruiting and the writer seems to give good evaluations of Duke commits in Hairston and Dawkins, and a couple possible targets in McAdoo, and Mychal Parker.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=3876918

[COYS]

I don't usually like ESPN for this kind of stuff, but there isn't much going on in respect to recruiting and the writer seems to give good evaluations of Duke commits in Hairston and Dawkins, and a couple possible targets in McAdoo, and Mychal Parker.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=3876918

That's an exciting evaluation of Dawkins. Deep range on his jumper, an effective midrange game, strong shot blocking instincts, good hops . . . It sounds like he's a special player. Throw in his obvious love for Duke and he seems like the perfect player for K and the guys. I can't wait to see him in Duke Blue.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Two recruits were at the Virginia game Sunday. One was Mason Plumlee. Who was the other one?

[SilkyJ]

Two recruits were at the Virginia game Sunday. One was Mason Plumlee. Who was the other one?

I heard it was his younger brother, Marshall. Better known as MP3 :)

[pbc2]

Two recruits were at the Virginia game Sunday. One was Mason Plumlee. Who was the other one?

http://sports.chronicleblogs.com/2009/02/02/hairston-plumlee-kelly-take-in-virginia-win/

There were actually three - Mason, Kelly, and Hairston.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I heard it was his younger brother, Marshall. Better known as MP3 :)
I wasn't referring to Marshall though he and the rest of the family were there. I'm referring to two recruits who were standing near the basket and near the band during the pregame warm ups. Nate was talking to Mason who was wearing his Greenie jacket. Chris Carrawell was talking to the other recruit, a nice looking kid wearing black, not as tall as Mason and little more slender like a guard or forward might be.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

http://sports.chronicleblogs.com/2009/02/02/hairston-plumlee-kelly-take-in-virginia-win/

There were actually three - Mason, Kelly, and Hairston.
It was Hairston who was standing with Chris Carrawell during the arm ups.

[flyingdutchdevil]

That's an exciting evaluation of Dawkins. Deep range on his jumper, an effective midrange game, strong shot blocking instincts, good hops . . . It sounds like he's a special player. Throw in his obvious love for Duke and he seems like the perfect player for K and the guys. I can't wait to see him in Duke Blue.

Wow - an uber athletic JJ. Or should I say G with a better 3-point shot (I mean when G was recruited, who wasn't known to have range on his three. Now, G has one of the most reliable 3s on our team). Of all the recruits in 09 and 10, I am looking most forward to Dawkins. He seems like a really smart and classy player who has already helped with recruiting (he helped with both Hairston and Thorton, I believe). What I really like about the player is his patience and class. Even though he was recruited by Duke, he didn't complain when his coach used him as a sixth man on Boo Williams. That's really good to know. He will be great coming off the bench his freshman year. All in all, he has the chance to be really special at Duke.

[Devilsfan]

If Kyle and/or G stay (highly unlikely IMO) we'll be fine in '09. Otherwise 2010 may be the year. First potentially great recruiting class in several years.

[Rich]

With all of the recruiting articles I've become confused about who we've recruited for 2009 vs. 2010 and, of those kids, who has committed and whom we're still recruiting. Information, size, stats and position are greatly appreciated.

[SilkyJ]

Rich,

When looking for a rundown like you are asking for, I typically go to scout.com's Top 100 list and hit 'control+F' which opens a search window and I just type "Duke" it runs through each instance where Duke is mentioned on a kid's list.

In terms of just recruits, and not commits, for 2009 we are recruiting John Wall, and according to Watzone have a backup plan of sorts waiting in the wings should we not offer or should he commit elsewhere.

For 2010 we are still recruiting Harrison Barnes and Brandon Knight pretty actively and were pretty interested in Josh Smith, though most expect Smith to remain on the west coast. Haven't heard much out of the Knight camp in a while. There are others we are looking at including Kyrie Irving, Roscoe Smith, and Mychal Parker, but you can run through the list and see what's what.

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=4&cfg=bb&pid=88&yr=2009

[JDev]

With all of the recruiting articles I've become confused about who we've recruited for 2009 vs. 2010 and, of those kids, who has committed and whom we're still recruiting. Information, size, stats and position are greatly appreciated.

I am by no means a recuiting expert, but I do follow it. For 2009 Duke has commitments from 6'10 205lb PF Ryan Kelly, ranked #11 by Scout, and 6'11 210lb PF Mason Plumlee, ranked #19 by Scout. They are still in the mix for 6'4 175lb PG John Wall, but I believe they haven't actually offered him yet. I think that all depends on who stays and who goes from the current roster (if G or Kyle go pro).
For 2010 Duke has commitments from 6'4 190lb SG Andre Dawkins, ranked #23, 6'8 195lb PF Josh Hairston, #26, and 6'2 180lb PG Tyler Thornton, ranked #49. They are still listed for a number of undecided recruits, the most noteable being #3 Harrison Barnes, a 6'6 190lb small forward.
Someone else probably knows more than me, like where Duke stands with Brandon Knight or Josh Smith.

[SilkyJ]

I am by no means a recuiting expert, but I do follow it. For 2009 Duke has commitments from 6'10 205lb PF Ryan Kelly, ranked #11 by Scout, and 6'11 210lb PF Mason Plumlee, ranked #19 by Scout. They are still in the mix for 6'4 175lb PG John Wall, but I believe they haven't actually offered him yet. I think that all depends on who stays and who goes from the current roster (if G or Kyle go pro).
For 2010 Duke has commitments from 6'4 190lb SG Andre Dawkins, ranked #23, 6'8 195lb PF Josh Hairston, #26, and 6'2 180lb PG Tyler Thornton, ranked #49. They are still listed for a number of undecided recruits, the most noteable being #3 Harrison Barnes, a 6'6 190lb small forward.
Someone else probably knows more than me, like where Duke stands with Brandon Knight or Josh Smith.

Teach a man to fish.

Let him figure out where or show him how to get information on his own, don't just feed him info he could find in any number of places on the Internet if he bothered looking. This is a part, albeit a very small one, of what Julio et al. are asking for, and it will certainly cut down on the level of noise.



4. Look it up yourself! WRT to Duke men's hoops, the archives at Goduke.com are awesome: every player, every game, every stat. Go to "Statistics" under men's basketball, and you can search player or year. for any game I have checked, when you double-click on the result, you get the boxscore. (This is how Sagegrouse knew Heyman had 28 and Mullins 27 in a 40 point beatdown of #6 WVa he attended in 1962 or so). The alternative, which I have relied on more than once, is to post my guess at the answer and let walking encyclopedia Jim Sumner correct the record.
sagegrouse

[Rich]

I've heard all of the rumors regarding John Wall being excellent, but that he's a one-and-done type of kid. Do any of the others fall into the penetrating point guard variety such as Jason Williams (strength) or Ty Lawson (speed)?

[Indoor66]

Teach a man to fish.

Let him figure out where or show him how to get information on his own, don't just feed him info he could find in any number of places on the Internet if he bothered looking. This is a part, albeit a small one, of what Julio et al. are asking for.

I absolutely have know idea what this post means in the context of this thread. Will you please enlighten me?:confused:

[SilkyJ]

I absolutely have know idea what this post means in the context of this thread. Will you please enlighten me?:confused:

Certainly. First, Rich posted the below asking for info on recruits.


With all of the recruiting articles I've become confused about who we've recruited for 2009 vs. 2010 and, of those kids, who has committed and whom we're still recruiting. Information, size, stats and position are greatly appreciated.

I find posts like this to be a bit annoying considering this type of information can be found in the very thread he is posting as well as in a half dozen other places on the Internet.

Nonetheless, I responded with my below post giving him SOME of the information he sought, as well as a link to another source of information so that he could use up his own time looking for information instead of having others do it for him. Moreover, the link I gave basically gives him exactly what he is looking for: which players' lists we are on/looking at, as well as their "size, stats and position"


Rich,

When looking for a rundown like you are asking for, I typically go to scout.com's Top 100 list and hit 'control+F' which opens a search window and I just type "Duke" it runs through each instance where Duke is mentioned on a kid's list.
......

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=4&cfg=bb&pid=88&yr=2009

Following my post, JDev posted the below, which did all the work Rich was looking for, and would only serve to reinforce the notion that he (Rich) need not do any work on his own, he can just come to DBR, throw up a post and someone will answer.


I am by no means a recuiting expert, but I do follow it. For 2009 Duke has commitments from 6'10 205lb PF Ryan Kelly, ranked #11 by Scout, and 6'11 210lb PF Mason Plumlee, ranked #19 by Scout. They are still in the mix for 6'4 175lb PG John Wall, but I believe they haven't actually offered him yet. I think that all depends on who stays and who goes from the current roster (if G or Kyle go pro).
For 2010 Duke has commitments from 6'4 190lb SG Andre Dawkins, ranked #23, 6'8 195lb PF Josh Hairston, #26, and 6'2 180lb PG Tyler Thornton, ranked #49. They are still listed for a number of undecided recruits, the most noteable being #3 Harrison Barnes, a 6'6 190lb small forward.
Someone else probably knows more than me, like where Duke stands with Brandon Knight or Josh Smith.

I then made the post that you quoted. I thought by making my opening line a slimmed down version of an old proverb, that the meaning of the post would be obvious. The proverb goes like this: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Which is to say, if I show Rich where to find recruiting information, then I am "teaching him to fish" so he can go seek out that information on his own, whereas if I did what JDev did and just give him the info he is looking for at this particular moment, then I am "giving him a fish" and therefore satiating his appetite momentarily until he has another recruiting question. With my method, he would have a source that he could turn to on his own each time he had a question (hence "feed him for a lifetime") whereas in JDev's method he would just come back here and ask again, hoping that someone would do the work for him.

Hope that helps.

[JDev]

Certainly. First, Rich posted the below asking for info on recruits.



I find posts like this to be a bit annoying considering this type of information can be found in the very thread he is posting as well as in a half dozen other places on the Internet.

Nonetheless, I responded with my below post giving him SOME of the information he sought, as well as a link to another source of information so that he could use up his own time looking for information instead of having others do it for him. Moreover, the link I gave basically gives him exactly what he is looking for: which players' lists we are on/looking at, as well as their "size, stats and position"



Following my post, JDev posted the below, which did all the work Rich was looking for, and would only serve to reinforce the notion that he (Rich) need not do any work on his own, he can just come to DBR, throw up a post and someone will answer.



I then made the post that you quoted. I thought by making my opening line a slimmed down version of an old proverb, that the meaning of the post would be obvious. The proverb goes like this: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Which is to say, if I show Rich where to find recruiting information, then I am "teaching him to fish" so he can go seek out that information on his own, whereas if I did what JDev did and just give him the info he is looking for at this particular moment, then I am "giving him a fish" and therefore satiating his appetite momentarily until he has another recruiting question. With my method, he would have a source that he could turn to on his own each time he had a question (hence "feed him for a lifetime") whereas in JDev's method he would just come back here and ask again, hoping that someone would do the work for him.

Hope that helps.

Haha, wow. I simply thought that I was partcially answering a question asked. I had no idea there were so many philosophical undertones and deep life lessons to be taught. I guess I still can't get that pebble out of that hand!
I say this in jest of course, I know there have been issues on the board recently. Just keeping it fun.
On the original topic, I am very excited to see how the 09 and 10 classes seem to fit together nicely as an overall unit. Throw Barnes (and maybe even a Knight or Wall) in there and this absolutely looks like a outstanding two-year haul that will put Duke back on top. Aside from a power, back-to-the-basket big, this group seems to have just about everything. And, though there isn't a Brand/Boozer/Williams, there is plenty of size and potential post presence. This group is looking great.

[slower]

Haha, wow. I simply thought that I was partcially answering a question asked. I had no idea there were so many philosophical undertones and deep life lessons to be taught. I guess I still can't get that grasshopper out of that hand!

that you cannot snatch the PEBBLE from the master's hand. "Grasshopper" is what he called Caine.

[SilkyJ]

Haha, wow. I simply thought that I was partcially answering a question asked. I had no idea there were so many philosophical undertones and deep life lessons to be taught. I guess I still can't get that grasshopper out of that hand!
I say this in jest of course, I know there have been issues on the board recently. Just keeping it fun.


Apologies, and I wasn't trying to rip you or anything. I thought my first post with the slimmed down proverb was pretty self-explanatory, but Indoor66 asked for more and I gave it.

2010 looks good already with just Hairston, Dawkins and Thornton, and we are far from done and could look very good to excellent by the time we are done. WRT to the lack of a "banger," I'm keeping my fingers crossed on Josh Smith, but I'm certainly not holding my breath.

[JDev]

that you cannot snatch the PEBBLE from the master's hand. "Grasshopper" is what he called Caine.

Right on, thanks I made the appropriate edits. My mistake and I will pay my penance for misquoting Kung Fu.

[JDev]

Apologies, and I wasn't trying to rip you or anything. I thought my first post with the slimmed down proverb was pretty self-explanatory, but Indoor66 asked for more and I gave it.

2010 looks good already with just Hairston, Dawkins and Thornton, and we are far from done and could look very good to excellent by the time we are done. WRT to the lack of a "banger," I'm keeping my fingers crossed on Josh Smith, but I'm certainly not holding my breath.

I know you weren't, no worries whatsoever (is that one word?). In regards to that, if we have Thornton in the fold as an 2010 PG, why do you think Duke has offered Kyrie Irving, the PG rated just in front of Thorton in that class? Thorton, from what I have read, is a four-year guy, and we are actively pursuing a couple of PG's that are widely considered one-and-done types, which makes sense (Wall or Knight in the short term, Thorton as an upperclassman). Where does Irving fit in that mix? I apologize if this has been addressed before and I did not see it. Just curious about other people's thoughts!

[FireOgilvie]

I know you weren't, no worries whatsoever (is that one word?). In regards to that, if we have Thornton in the fold as an 2010 PG, why do you think Duke has offered Kyrie Irving, the PG rated just in front of Thorton in that class? Thorton, from what I have read, is a four-year guy, and we are actively pursuing a couple of PG's that are widely considered one-and-done types, which makes sense (Wall or Knight in the short term, Thorton as an upperclassman). Where does Irving fit in that mix? I apologize if this has been addressed before and I did not see it. Just curious about other people's thoughts!

Irving is described as a point guard with great scoring ability... Thornton is described as more of a "tweener" and I don't think he looks for his shot as much as Irving. I could see both of these guys playing on the floor together. Irving would add a major punch in both scoring and playmaking. I think Thornton will add a lot of toughness and leadership.

[JDev]

Irving is described as a point guard with great scoring ability... Thornton is described as more of a "tweener" and I don't think he looks for his shot as much as Irving. I could see both of these guys playing on the floor together. Irving would add a major punch in both scoring and playmaking. I think Thornton will add a lot of toughness and leadership.

Interesting, thanks. From various reports and things I have read, we are looking pretty good with Barnes, though obviously things are still open. Where do we seem to be with Irving?
I have read and others on this thread have said that Smith seems to be a West Coast-lean. How about Knight? Does an offer to Irving potentially indicate that the coaches may not be optimistic about Knight? I do like the strategy though. Pinpoint guys you like and could see on your team, and make the offers. Sure, you might prefer one over the other, but the first to commit gets the scholarship. Getting one, even if he is not "the" one, is substantially better than none at all. Some have talked about frustration over lack of "back-up" plans when recruiting (not me FWIW). That is certainly not an issue here, which is good.

[SilkyJ]

In regards to that, if we have Thornton in the fold as an 2010 PG, why do you think Duke has offered Kyrie Irving, the PG rated just in front of Thorton in that class? Thorton, from what I have read, is a four-year guy, and we are actively pursuing a couple of PG's that are widely considered one-and-done types, which makes sense (Wall or Knight in the short term, Thorton as an upperclassman). Where does Irving fit in that mix? I apologize if this has been addressed before and I did not see it. Just curious about other people's thoughts!

Well Knight could go anywhere, and we certainly hope to land him. According to watzone we have NOT offered Irving, despite what Scout might say, and with regards to "why recruit two guys who are ranked them same" question, remember that these guys are still young and the rankings havent changed much since August before they had started their Junior year of HS. I wouldn't be surprised to see Irving jump up the rankings after another summer on the AAU circuit, much like Mason Plumlee did last year. Our guys have a knack for identifying talent and the word on him so far this HS season has been that he is becoming a potential elite prospect...


Irving is described as a point guard with great scoring ability... Thornton is described as more of a "tweener" and I don't think he looks for his shot as much as Irving. I could see both of these guys playing on the floor together. Irving would add a major punch in both scoring and playmaking. I think Thornton will add a lot of toughness and leadership.

not to mention it doesnt hurt to have more than one PG on your roster. Right now everyone is clamoring about how nolan could be the only PG we have next year. There's little things like injuries and foul trouble that often necessitate it, and as you point out its not like we cant play two PGs at once. We play paulus and nolan together sometimes when we need ball handling on the floor and K did it this summer with CP3 and Deron Williams quite often.

[BD80]

Teach a man to fish.
...

You should give him a link to Wat's site as well. If he'll be eating all the fish he could want, he'll need a fine white wine.


... I guess I still can't get that grasshopper out of that hand!
...

This could be a more modern (this century) reference to "Balls of Fury" - which had a scene parodying "Kung Fu". It ended poorly for the cricket.

[Newton_14]

Thought I would bump this back to top of the board since we are now in the off season and recruiting is all the buzz...

2010 is shaping up nicely and could possibly end up being one of those killer classes like those in the past...

Even though he technically is a 2009 recruit, Seth Curry will start playing with the kids coming in 2010. So we now have

Tyler Thornton- PG
Andre Dawkins- SG
Josh Hairston- F
Seth Curry- G


Other 2010 "possibles":
Harrison Barnes- Wing
Brandon Knight- PG
Josh Smith- C
Kyrie Irving- PG

There may be other possibles in 2010 as well, not sure..

If we land a couple of guys from the "possibles" list it will get really interesting. Still holding out hope that we add one more to the 09 class as well with either Wall or Bledsoe..

[dukeballer2294]

Thought I would bump this back to top of the board since we are now in the off season and recruiting is all the buzz...

2010 is shaping up nicely and could possibly end up being one of those killer classes like those in the past...

Even though he technically is a 2009 recruit, Seth Curry will start playing with the kids coming in 2010. So we now have

Tyler Thornton- PG
Andre Dawkins- SG
Josh Hairston- F
Seth Curry- G


Other 2010 "possibles":
Harrison Barnes- Wing
Brandon Knight- PG
Josh Smith- C
Kyrie Irving- PG

There may be other possibles in 2010 as well, not sure..

If we land a couple of guys from the "possibles" list it will get really interesting. Still holding out hope that we add one more to the 09 class as well with either Wall or Bledsoe..

I trust K as much as anyone and feel he is doing all he can with these upcoming recruiting classes. Being optimistic think about getting Wall and keeping Hedo this year. and getting Barnes,Knight, and maybe 1 other. I would be in heaven

[dgoore97]

http://dukeblueforever.com/2009/04/15/duke-vs-unc-head-to-head-recruiting-battles-harrison-barnes/

[SupaDave]

I'm really loving the aggressive recruiting. People can say what they want but it appears that we're back on the trail in a major way. Not to bring in the Olympics into it but it's obvious that they have a lot more time to devote to recruits. It's good to be back...

[Duke #33]

Kyrie Irving says that he will make his decision in the fall. http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/2009/05/indiana-visit-great-for-irving.html Right now he has 12 schools in the mix, but he says he could add more schools.

[Newton_14]

I'm really loving the aggressive recruiting. People can say what they want but it appears that we're back on the trail in a major way. Not to bring in the Olympics into it but it's obvious that they have a lot more time to devote to recruits. It's good to be back...

I agree with you 100%. However, what we need now is to close the deal with 2 or 3 of the "large fish" we are casting the net at. Doing so will give the program a serious jolt. And I really feel like we are going to see just that. Maybe we get Wall and Barnes, or Barnes and Knight, or heck, all 3. I just have the feeling that things are turning our way. The last 2 seasons were really good and the future is only a couple of key pieces to the puzzle away from being even better...

[Duke #33]

what we need now is to close the deal with 2 or 3 of the "large fish" we are casting the net at. Doing so will give the program a serious jolt.

Totally agree. Duke seems to be in good posistion with a few top recruits(Wall, Barnes, Irving, Knight, etc.) and a commitment by a couple of those players would definitely give the program a big boost/momentum.

[Bob Green]

Totally agree. Duke seems to be in good posistion with a few top recruits(Wall, Barnes, Irving, Knight, etc.) and a commitment by a couple of those players would definitely give the program a big boost/momentum.

You should not forget about Josh Smith (6'9" 280) out of Covington, Washington. Many reports talk about him being a West Coast guy leaning toward UCLA, but he still list Duke, and if we were to score with Barnes and a top point guard, such as Knight, there would be a lot of incentive for Smith to pick Duke and compete for a National Championship. We are in the running for all these guys alongside some tough competition.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I think we have just as much a chance of landing Josh Smith as Davidson does. You have to remember that a lot of those "lists" are preliminary and are updated once or twice a year, especially with 2010 and 2011 guys. I don't think we are actively recruiting him and yes, you are correct, he is a west coast guy that is probably going to end up at UCLA or Washington or something. I think that we have a solid froncourt with the Plumlees, Josh Hairston, and Kelly (when he bulks up). The staff should be worrying about Kyrie Irving, Ray McCallum, and Harrison Barnes right now.

[DDB4208]

I think we have just as much a chance of landing Josh Smith as Davidson does. You have to remember that a lot of those "lists" are preliminary and are updated once or twice a year, especially with 2010 and 2011 guys. I don't think we are actively recruiting him and yes, you are correct, he is a west coast guy that is probably going to end up at UCLA or Washington or something. I think that we have a solid froncourt with the Plumlees, Josh Hairston, and Kelly (when he bulks up). The staff should be worrying about Kyrie Irving, Ray McCallum, and Harrison Barnes right now.

I don't think that we will get Josh Smith either but he hasn't really started seriously looking at schools yet. Same with Brandon Knight. I wouldn't count us out just yet when he hasn't even narrowed down his list at all.

[Duke #33]

This should go in the 2011 thread, but I don't see one. Early on, Marshall Plumlee already has offers from Indiana, Notre Dame, and Purdue. The two other schools he is currently listing are Duke and UNC. I know this is early, but any ways he it is.http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3508599

[Kedsy]

This should go in the 2011 thread, but I don't see one. Early on, Marshall Plumlee already has offers from Indiana, Notre Dame, and Purdue. The two other schools he is currently listing are Duke and UNC. I know this is early, but any ways he it is.http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3508599

I'm pretty sure I just read he has an offer from NC State as well.

[ice-9]

Now that Wall is out, our top focus should be Brandon Knight or another PG in the 2010 class. Here's to hoping we get Knight or Irving.

[BlueinBlo]

Coach K better hit some slam dunks in this class after only getting 2 players total this year. With so many guys leaving next year, Coach K needs to get at least 2 more guys within the top 15 for this team to stay competitive especially in the ACC.

[roywhite]

Coach K better hit some slam dunks in this class after only getting 2 players total this year. With so many guys leaving next year, Coach K needs to get at least 2 more guys within the top 15 for this team to stay competitive especially in the ACC.

Don't forget about Seth Curry, who will join Kelly and Mason P. in that class after his red-shirt year. Could be an excellent class for future contributions.

The 2010 class is off to a good start. Our 09/10 team is thin at the guard position, but the future looks promising (depending somewhat on some continued success in the 2010 class recruiting...some big fish still out there).

[SupaDave]

Coach K better hit some slam dunks in this class after only getting 2 players total this year. With so many guys leaving next year, Coach K needs to get at least 2 more guys within the top 15 for this team to stay competitive especially in the ACC.

Funny but I believe we'll be fine...

[flyingdutchdevil]

Coach K better hit some slam dunks in this class after only getting 2 players total this year. With so many guys leaving next year, Coach K needs to get at least 2 more guys within the top 15 for this team to stay competitive especially in the ACC.

Coach K is already ahead of so many coaches for 2010: Dawkins, Hairston, Thorton and, don't forget, Curry.

If he two more (or three more), in either Knight, Irving, Barnes, or Josh Smith, that would be incredible. That would make us uber competitive in the ACC and have a contender in 2011. K is already ahead of everyone in terms of recruiting for 2010 - here's to hoping he continues.

[BlueinBlo]

Coach K is already ahead of so many coaches for 2010: Dawkins, Hairston, Thorton and, don't forget, Curry.

If he two more (or three more), in either Knight, Irving, Barnes, or Josh Smith, that would be incredible. That would make us uber competitive in the ACC and have a contender in 2011. K is already ahead of everyone in terms of recruiting for 2010 - here's to hoping he continues.

He may be ahead of coaches right now but the more and more I look at those lists, the more these players are dropping in the rankings. Do you think Coach K is getting these guys to sign too early?? Look at Thorton who is now looking like he won't even make the 2nd team and he is under scholarship. That's not smart if you ask me. I really like Curry and Dawkins but those are the only two that could start their first year at Duke. Duke on the other hand will have Thomas, Zoubek, Scheyer, Singler (95% sure he is leaving next year) and maybe Nolan Smith leaving. That's almost the whole starting unit that you need to replace and I thought it would have been better to get more guys this year to be ready to start next year. I want a national championship and for that to happen Duke needs to get at least two more guys in the top 15, its that simple.

[roywhite]

He may be ahead of coaches right now but the more and more I look at those lists, the more these players are dropping in the rankings. Do you think Coach K is getting these guys to sign too early?? Look at Thorton who is now looking like he won't even make the 2nd team and he is under scholarship. That's not smart if you ask me. I really like Curry and Dawkins but those are the only two that could start their first year at Duke. Duke on the other hand will have Thomas, Zoubek, Scheyer, Singler (95% sure he is leaving next year) and maybe Nolan Smith leaving. That's almost the whole starting unit that you need to replace and I thought it would have been better to get more guys this year to be ready to start next year. I want a national championship and for that to happen Duke needs to get at least two more guys in the top 15, its that simple.

You're calling a recruit a bust when he won't even get to Duke until the fall of 2010?

Let's give the coaches some credit for the recruits already in the pipeline and some patience to add some more.

[COYS]

You're calling a recruit a bust when he won't even get to Duke until the fall of 2010?

Let's give the coaches some credit for the recruits already in the pipeline and some patience to add some more.

I second this. It is absolutely absurd to throw in the towel for our '10 class when a)The staff is not even close to finished with the class and b) The players that have dropped in the rankings have yet to play a college game. Starting in '10, we'll have Dawkins who has the potential to be a pro (6'5'', elite athleticism, deep range on his jumper, etc . . . ), Mason and Ryan (two five tar recruits) will be one year older and better, Curry will join the team and add an assassin's mentality to our perimeter game plus the staff is in a great position with Harrison Barnes, a top five recruit by all accounts. I agree that it is not a monumental class by any accounts as of right now, but it is a solid class and will get even better. Oh, I might add that the staff has already targeted two top point guards. They are certainly not content to put all the eggs in one basket.

[NYDukie]

You're calling a recruit a bust when he won't even get to Duke until the fall of 2010?

Let's give the coaches some credit for the recruits already in the pipeline and some patience to add some more.

And another thing that many have to take into account is that the time frame for which recruits actually commit has moved up for many. Because of the recruiting competiveness, many are commiting late soph years or earlier in some cases to beat other recruits to their school of choice. This isn't to say a player like Thornton will be all ACC or a role player, just that this is the recruiting life of the players, coaches, etc. which they live in now. Players aren't commiting during the normal time periods that many did 10 years ago. As a result, coaches for better or for worse accept commitments knowing kids might stop growing, developing or not want to go to said school any longer. Recruiting has always been a crapshoot and it's more so because of this.

With that said, I will try reserve judgment on the recruiting hall of 2010 until at least I see where they stand after 2 years in the program at which time you have some basis on where it stands or is headed. For all we know Thornton might be the next great Duke PG a la JWill or be a Duhon to a Knight or Irving's JWill.

[kramerbr]

He may be ahead of coaches right now but the more and more I look at those lists, the more these players are dropping in the rankings. Do you think Coach K is getting these guys to sign too early?? Look at Thorton who is now looking like he won't even make the 2nd team and he is under scholarship. That's not smart if you ask me. I really like Curry and Dawkins but those are the only two that could start their first year at Duke. Duke on the other hand will have Thomas, Zoubek, Scheyer, Singler (95% sure he is leaving next year) and maybe Nolan Smith leaving. That's almost the whole starting unit that you need to replace and I thought it would have been better to get more guys this year to be ready to start next year. I want a national championship and for that to happen Duke needs to get at least two more guys in the top 15, its that simple.

Debby Downer. Don't knock Thornton when he still has a summer of AAU ball, and his senior season of high school ball. The kid is a great talent and will fit in nicely.

Where do you come up with Nolan Smith leaving?????

Some people need to get some facts and think before they post instead of just ranting to rant.

[GarrickB28]

Follow Kyrie Irving on Twitter. Seems like a really down to Earth and great kid.

http://twitter.com/kyrieirving

[BoozerWasFouled]

The question for 2010 is not whether we will be competitive in the ACC. It's whether we will have a team competing for a title. We are a Harrison Barnes commitment away from having the top overall class of 2010. We will be really, really good.

[Kedsy]

I want a national championship and for that to happen Duke needs to get at least two more guys in the top 15, its that simple.

Well, if you want it then I guess Coach K better get cracking.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I don't mid getting recruits early. We have gotten some good recruits early in the past with DeMarcus Nelson, Daniel Ewing, and I am sure some others. There are some quality kids out there in 2010 with a whole lot of talent so I would hope that Coach K and his staff would stay open to some kids such as Mychal Parker, Ray McCallum, Jason Morris, Doron Lamb, Dominique Ferguson, and some others. You always hear that Coach K does not throw out a big net in recruiting, and I think that ended up biting them in the behind this year. He wanted a PG and put all of his eggs in one basket with Boynton, then Wall and he came away with nothing. If you want to go after Harrison Barnes, great, go after him, but don't throw all of your resources to him in the hopes of getting him because there are a lot of other schools that are in just as good of position as we are. Same with Kyrie Irving and Brandan Knight. I am not saying that the coaching staff makes this mistake, but I know that I do when I think that a 17 y.o. kid can not pass up Duke when Coach K comes knocking at your door. I would like to think that is the case and it might have been in 1998-2002, but not anymore. That is the reason why they need to keep their eyes open for other good, talented kids. Reach out to more of them and with 2010, they have the luxury of doing so because they will have a good amount of scholarships available. And for the love of God, get some athletes!!! I would love for Duke to have a Paul Millsap, Chuck Hayes, Ron Artest, or Shane Battier type of player. Who have we become, Wisconsin?

[Kedsy]

And for the love of God, get some athletes!!! I would love for Duke to have a Paul Millsap, Chuck Hayes, Ron Artest, or Shane Battier type of player. Who have we become, Wisconsin?

You're suggesting the current roster has no athletes? Hmm, let me think. Nope, I'd say 6 of our 10 scholarship players have outstanding athleticism, and that's not counting Kyle, who frankly I think is also an excellent athlete.

Also, if there's a "knock" on Shane Battier in the NBA, it's that he's not the most athletic player around, so perhaps that wasn't the best example?

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I think you know what I mean though. Lance Thomas may be an athlete, but we're certainly not going to give him the ball 20 ft. from the hoop and let him create. One of the biggest knocks on Duke last year was that Gerald Henderson was the only guy that could create offense himself and now we don't have him. It's a concern, that's all. I don't want our offense to become stagnant and predictable like it did in '06-'07 all year. It was painful to watch.

[FireOgilvie]

I think you know what I mean though. Lance Thomas may be an athlete, but we're certainly not going to give him the ball 20 ft. from the hoop and let him create. One of the biggest knocks on Duke last year was that Gerald Henderson was the only guy that could create offense himself and now we don't have him. It's a concern, that's all. I don't want our offense to become stagnant and predictable like it did in '06-'07 all year. It was painful to watch.

Lance is a PF. I don't know any PFs that create for themselves 20 feet from the basket. Andre Dawkins should be able to do some of what Gerald was able to do. Elliot can definitely create for himself, and I wouldn't be surprised if in 2 years he was similar to Gerald in that regard. He just needs the mid-range jumpshot. It took G 2.5 years to figure it out. Nolan has the potential to create for himself as well.

[Kedsy]

I think you know what I mean though. Lance Thomas may be an athlete, but we're certainly not going to give him the ball 20 ft. from the hoop and let him create. One of the biggest knocks on Duke last year was that Gerald Henderson was the only guy that could create offense himself and now we don't have him. It's a concern, that's all. I don't want our offense to become stagnant and predictable like it did in '06-'07 all year. It was painful to watch.

OK, although in the NBA none of Millsap, Battier, or Hayes are even close to capable of making their own offense, and the only time you ever hear of Artest creating anything is when he's creating trouble for himself. In fact, all four of these guys are known for their defense, rather than their ability to score, so perhaps it was just your examples that threw me off.

However, just because Duke may not have a one-on-one superstar (although I'd argue that we have 2 or 3 with that kind of potential), doesn't mean we have to play a Wisconsin-style offense. Except for Zoubek, every single player on our team is excellent at running the floor (well, I don't really know about MP2 or Kelly, since I've only seen them once or twice in high school all-star games, but the couple times I saw them it looked like they could run). It would obviously help if one of our guards showed he was capable of running the break, but to me our personnel is better suited to a running game than to a Big 10 halfcourt game.

You could even argue that having a one-on-one superstar slows the offense down, because the other players tend to stand around and watch -- something that definitely happened to the 2008-09 Devils from time to time. I live in Philadelphia, and when Iverson was here the offense got so slow it was painful.

[Bob Green]

Except for Zoubek, every single player on our team is excellent at running the floor.

This is a misconception. Zoubek runs the floor quite well. He isn't the most mobile guy in the half court set, but think back and try to remember the last time you saw Zoubek getting beat down the court during the offense to defense or defense to offense transition.

[Kedsy]

This is a misconception. Zoubek runs the floor quite well. He isn't the most mobile guy in the half court set, but think back and try to remember the last time you saw Zoubek getting beat down the court during the offense to defense or defense to offense transition.

OK, I'll grant you Zoubek is not bad at running the floor. It only reinforces my point that people who suggest the Duke team will be slow and lumbering next year are way off base. Because I can't think of anyone on the team who'll be slower getting up and down the floor than Z, can you?

[COYS]

OK, I'll grant you Zoubek is not bad at running the floor. It only reinforces my point that people who suggest the Duke team will be slow and lumbering next year are way off base. Because I can't think of anyone on the team who'll be slower getting up and down the floor than Z, can you?

This is an important point. The people who are clamoring for athletes really just want a quick PG to lead the break. We've got plenty of guys who can finish in transition, and, the Clemson game this past year notwithstanding, we always get back on defense. I definitely think that we could have pushed the ball a little bit more at times this past season as I think we were often a few easy buckets away from turning some of our losses into wins. I certainly think a quick pg would help in that regard, but it's not like our current roster is full of offensive tackles. We're not devoid of athletic talent by any means.

[devildownunder]

This is an important point. The people who are clamoring for athletes really just want a quick PG to lead the break. We've got plenty of guys who can finish in transition, and, the Clemson game this past year notwithstanding, we always get back on defense. I definitely think that we could have pushed the ball a little bit more at times this past season as I think we were often a few easy buckets away from turning some of our losses into wins. I certainly think a quick pg would help in that regard, but it's not like our current roster is full of offensive tackles. We're not devoid of athletic talent by any means.

I think you are confusing speed with all-around athletic ability.

And on another note, hey look at me, I'm Chris Duhon!

[FireOgilvie]

OK, I'll grant you Zoubek is not bad at running the floor. It only reinforces my point that people who suggest the Duke team will be slow and lumbering next year are way off base. Because I can't think of anyone on the team who'll be slower getting up and down the floor than Z, can you?

Zoubek can run the floor well enough once he gets going (long legs), but he doesn't exactly "spring into action." Every single other big man on our team is actually fast for their size (the Plumlees, Lance, Kelly) and also fairly light on their feet, which makes Zoubek seem slower in comparison. We're not going to be slow and lumbering next year, but we will definitely be slower and more lumbering due to the fact that we will have to play big. We're going to be replacing Henderson in our starting lineup with Zoubek/Plumlee (if not in the starting lineup, then for roughly 25 minutes/gm - check out my minutes breakdown post in the starting lineup thread).

Compare last year with this year:

Scheyer
Elliot
Henderson
Thomas
Singler

vs.

Scheyer
Elliot
Singler <--- slower than Henderson
Thomas
Plumlee/Zoubek <--- slower than Singler

Even when we used Zoubek in the starting lineup at the beginning of the year, we still had Henderson at the 3, who is quicker than Singler.

[whereinthehellami]

What are the choices for a player running the floor? Just good? I don't see how Zoubek can be called good at running the floor. He is what he is. A giant with some bad feet who gives it 100%. He gives great effort but he isn't good at running the floor. Good at running the floor is John Henson. That kid moves like a guard and is going to be a LOAD in the Heel system.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Did Nolan play PG at Oak Hill or was he more of a combo guard? Also, did Duke recruit him to be a PG or did we recruit him as one of our token combo guards that we never stop recruiting? Not saying that is a bad thing, but just saying, if we did not expect him to be running point alongside Paulus, why didn't we get a PG to come in with EWill's class?

[Kedsy]

Did Nolan play PG at Oak Hill or was he more of a combo guard? Also, did Duke recruit him to be a PG or did we recruit him as one of our token combo guards that we never stop recruiting? Not saying that is a bad thing, but just saying, if we did not expect him to be running point alongside Paulus, why didn't we get a PG to come in with EWill's class?

Nolan Smith was a year behind Ty Lawson at Oak Hill, so he didn't play a whole lot of point guard before his senior year. My vague recollection is he ran the point his last year there, though.

[roywhite]

Nolan Smith was a year behind Ty Lawson at Oak Hill, so he didn't play a whole lot of point guard before his senior year. My vague recollection is he ran the point his last year there, though.

He had Ty Lawson a year ahead of him, and then Brandon Jennings a year behind him. Nolan was a shooting guard, or perhaps a combo guard. Pretty darn good player at Oak Hill, though.

[vango]

I moderately keep up with recruiting. I know this is the 2010 recruiting thread and perhaps this belongs in the 2009 starting lineup thread (or some other I was hesitant to resurrect), but I had a question about 2009.

I am assuming, based on what I've read here and the recuriting boards, that with the Wall saga now over, our 2009-2010 roster is now set. Is that correct? I haven't seen it definitively said we're done recruiting and this class is comprised of MP2 and Kelly.

So, are we done for 2009?

[-bdbd]

Yep. We're done for the 09 class. Most recruiting services had our final two potential targets in 09 as Wall and Bledsoe, but Mr. Calipari took care of all of that. Look for lots of attention being spent on the 2010 class in the coming months, especially targeting Mr. Barnes. BTW, haven't heard much recently about the Center big man we were chasing out of Washington state - Smith? Hopefully we're still engaged there... And PG is clearly, now, a position of need.

-BDBD

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Yep. We're done for the 09 class. Most recruiting services had our final two potential targets in 09 as Wall and Bledsoe, but Mr. Calipari took care of all of that. Look for lots of attention being spent on the 2010 class in the coming months, especially targeting Mr. Barnes. BTW, haven't heard much recently about the Center big man we were chasing out of Washington state - Smith? Hopefully we're still engaged there... And PG is clearly, now, a position of need.


You know I was thinking that if PG is the main position of need right now, and I do believe it is, we are going to have quite a logjam in 2010-2011. If we land Kyrie Irving or Ray McCallum or something, what are the chances we ask Tyler Thornton to redshirt a year? If not, he is buried behind one of those guys, Nolan Smith, and Seth Curry who I assume would play some point. Not sure who the last redshirt was for Duke, but I think a move like that would make sense.

[Kedsy]

You know I was thinking that if PG is the main position of need right now, and I do believe it is, we are going to have quite a logjam in 2010-2011. If we land Kyrie Irving or Ray McCallum or something, what are the chances we ask Tyler Thornton to redshirt a year? If not, he is buried behind one of those guys, Nolan Smith, and Seth Curry who I assume would play some point. Not sure who the last redshirt was for Duke, but I think a move like that would make sense.

I think that's very unlikely, unless he gets injured.

[COYS]

I think you are confusing speed with all-around athletic ability.

And on another note, hey look at me, I'm Chris Duhon!

I don't think so. What I was trying to say is that people have been confusing speed with overall athletic ability. I'm saying that our team has athletic talent, but we don't have as much speed pushing the ball on the break as some of our teams in the past.

[SilkyJ]

Did Nolan play PG at Oak Hill or was he more of a combo guard? Also, did Duke recruit him to be a PG or did we recruit him as one of our token combo guards that we never stop recruiting? Not saying that is a bad thing, but just saying, if we did not expect him to be running point alongside Paulus, why didn't we get a PG to come in with EWill's class?

We recruited him as a combo, but I believe with the idea that he would develop into a PG. At 6'2, he would clearly be a PG at the next level so I think that's probably what he wanted and people like JD and Coach K would probably have advised him that he would need to develop PG skills to play at the next level.


Yep. We're done for the 09 class. Most recruiting services had our final two potential targets in 09 as Wall and Bledsoe, but Mr. Calipari took care of all of that. Look for lots of attention being spent on the 2010 class in the coming months, especially targeting Mr. Barnes. BTW, haven't heard much recently about the Center big man we were chasing out of Washington state - Smith? Hopefully we're still engaged there... And PG is clearly, now, a position of need.

-BDBD

Josh Smith is the big man on the west coast. I believe Bob Green posted somewhere recently that we are still engaged and in the hunt, despite the fact that he wants to remain out west. By all accounts he is a beast.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Josh Smith is the big man on the west coast. I believe Bob Green posted somewhere recently that we are still engaged and in the hunt, despite the fact that he wants to remain out west. By all accounts he is a beast.

And all accounts are correct. My high school friend is an assistant coach at Bremerton where Marvin Williams went and he said he is the most dominant big man he has ever seen. Moves better than Oden and Love and he said when he saw him throughout the year, he swears he was getting more and more toned. Needless to say, the guy will be special, wherever he ends up going. It would be nice to find a guy like him.

[devildownunder]

I don't think so. What I was trying to say is that people have been confusing speed with overall athletic ability. I'm saying that our team has athletic talent, but we don't have as much speed pushing the ball on the break as some of our teams in the past.

OK, what I'm saying is that I disagree with your assessment. I think the majority of the guys we have now can get up and down the floor OK but that -- relative to many other top-20 teams -- we are lacking in other types of athletic ability, such as lateral quickness, jumping ability etc. We aren't a bunch of plodding clods by any means but when you match us up against the rest of college basketball's elite, I don't think we stack up in this area.

Witness the last two games of the season, against Texas and Villanova, and even witness Coach K's comments after the loss to the Wildcats.

I do think you are correct, however, to say that most people want that elite pg more than anything else. It's the biggest issue, IMO, too.

[COYS]

OK, what I'm saying is that I disagree with your assessment. I think the majority of the guys we have now can get up and down the floor OK but that -- relative to many other top-20 teams -- we are lacking in other types of athletic ability, such as lateral quickness, jumping ability etc. We aren't a bunch of plodding clods by any means but when you match us up against the rest of college basketball's elite, I don't think we stack up in this area.

Witness the last two games of the season, against Texas and Villanova, and even witness Coach K's comments after the loss to the Wildcats.

I do think you are correct, however, to say that most people want that elite pg more than anything else. It's the biggest issue, IMO, too.

I agree with you to a certain extent. However, I think a lot of the talent of which you speak (lateral quickness, leaping ability, etc.) is already on the team, but the players that possess those talents need to develop in the offseason. Elliot has game-changing athleticism in terms of vertical, lateral quickness and even straight line speed, but he will have to develop as players in order to utilize his physical tools. Mason certainly seems to possess the raw athletic ability, as well. The same is true to a lesser extent for Miles and Smith. I know that many people may disagree with me, but I'm actually less concerned about getting beaten off the dribble on the defensive end than I am with us putting points on the board on the offensive end. Quick guards are hard to guard no matter how quick you are, especially in K's patented aggressive man-to-man system. The past two seasons, there have been games where we simply needed guys to take over the game, make plays, and put points on the board. Sometimes this worked (Wake Forest at Cameron this year), sometimes it didn't (the first UNC game and the NCAAT loss to Villanova), but for us to make a run, we will need Elliot, Mason, Miles (or someone) to use their physical tools to make plays and get some buckets for us that we would not otherwise get. Perhaps no one will consider us a physically intimidating team (either size-wise or athleticism-wise), but I think we have enough guys who can run fast, jump high, and move side to side. It just remains to be seen how much development those guys undergo during the offseason. While the lack of guard depth, the absence of a true point guard, and the lack of a proven force in the post are certainly significant obstacles this team will need to overcome (hence my agreement with previous posters who say this team has a small margin for error), I still think this team possesses enough talent (athletic talent and otherwise) to move into elite status, even if there are more question marks than I would prefer.

[roywhite]

http://obsrecruiting.blogspot.com/2009/05/duke-commit-thornton-ready-for-toc.html

Nice piece on 2010 commitment Tyler Thornton. He and Josh Hairston will be playing at the Bob Gibbons tournament this weekend.

There's some question whether Thornton is "the answer" at PG for Duke, but he certainly sounds like a good overall player and a good defender.

[Kedsy]

http://obsrecruiting.blogspot.com/2009/05/duke-commit-thornton-ready-for-toc.html

Nice piece on 2010 commitment Tyler Thornton. He and Josh Hairston will be playing at the Bob Gibbons tournament this weekend.

There's some question whether Thornton is "the answer" at PG for Duke, but he certainly sounds like a good overall player and a good defender.

Despite the naysayers, he may indeed be the answer. I've never seen him play, but from the article he sounds a bit like Tommy Amaker. Which wouldn't be bad at all.

[dgoore97]

Despite the naysayers, he may indeed be the answer. I've never seen him play, but from the article he sounds a bit like Tommy Amaker. Which wouldn't be bad at all.

from what i saw he is more of a combo guard, without the athleticism of a jason williams chris duhon, hurley or avery. i only saw one game, but he played most of it at the 2.

[Bob Green]

from what i saw he is more of a combo guard, without the athleticism of a jason williams chris duhon, hurley or avery. i only saw one game, but he played most of it at the 2.

I've never seen Thornton play however, I've read about him extensively. Thornton plays off the ball on his high school team at Gonzaga in D.C. but runs the point for DC Assault during AAU action.

The Washington Post (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/hss/schools/washington/gonzaga/boys-basketball/176/) provides quality coverage of high school action so that would be an excellent source for anyone looking to read up on Thornton.

[El_Diablo]

ESPN article on the recruiting class of 2010:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=4198973

No major news that I could find, but it's a decent overview of the top of the class for those who haven't been following too closely.

[rotogod00]

ESPN article on the recruiting class of 2010:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=4198973

No major news that I could find, but it's a decent overview of the top of the class for those who haven't been following too closely.

Can I ask what may be a stupid question. We have Dawkins coming in, the #2 SG. Now I know we're hot and heavy on Barnes and rightfully so as he's the #1 overall prospect in the class. However, he plays the same position as Dawkins. Any concern that Barnes may look elsewhere because of this. Or do you guys think that Barnes is likely to play the 3 in college

[Bob Green]

Can I ask what may be a stupid question. We have Dawkins coming in, the #2 SG. Now I know we're hot and heavy on Barnes and rightfully so as he's the #1 overall prospect in the class. However, he plays the same position as Dawkins. Any concern that Barnes may look elsewhere because of this. Or do you guys think that Barnes is likely to play the 3 in college

There really isn't much, if any, difference between the 2 and the 3 in Coach K's motion offense so Barnes and Dawkins can play alonside each other. Looking at the last two seasons, between Henderson and Scheyer who was the 2 and who the 3?

Barnes will not look elsewhere because of Dawkins.

[G man]

There really isn't much, if any, difference between the 2 and the 3 in Coach K's motion offense so Barnes and Dawkins can play alonside each other. Looking at the last two seasons, between Henderson and Scheyer who was the 2 and who the 3?

Barnes will not look elsewhere because of Dawkins.


I agree with the comment above. As we learned with Wall if you are the top player at your position you go where you want to go. Lets hope we land this guy!

[Bsim412]

Who do you think Duke has the best shot at besides Andre Dawkins, Josh Hairston, and Tyler Thornton. Duke has also offered Harrison Barnes, Joshua Smith, Brandon Knight, and Kyrie Irving. Duke has also been talking to Dominique Ferguson and Ray McCallum but have not offered them. Roscoe Smith also has Duke on his list but I don't think Duke will go after him since they are recruiting Barnes. Please list your thoughts of who else the Devils can secure with their 2010 recruiting class. :)

[DDB4208]

I think we already have a thread for this, but this is my answer.

Duke has offered Roscoe Smith, but I do not think we will get him.

IMO this class will end up being a class of 5. Barnes, MacCallum/Irving, Dawkins, Hairston, Thornton.

[johaad]

I think we already have a thread for this, but this is my answer.

Duke has offered Roscoe Smith, but I do not think we will get him.

IMO this class will end up being a class of 5. Barnes, MacCallum/Irving, Dawkins, Hairston, Thornton.

My understanding is that Roscoe said he has an offer, but it is debatable as to whether or not that is true.

[jimsumner]

I do not believe that Roscoe Smith has an offer.

Dawkins is a 6'4 shooting guard. Barnes is a 6'7" wing forward. No way they negatively impact each other.

[Lightz]

I think we already have a thread for this, but this is my answer.

Duke has offered Roscoe Smith, but I do not think we will get him.

IMO this class will end up being a class of 5. Barnes, MacCallum/Irving, Dawkins, Hairston, Thornton.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be able to give out more than 5 scholarships, pending Singler going pro or something along those lines (any player leaving before they play 4 years for whatever reason) so I'm pretty sure we're just gonna go after a top PG (Knight, Irving, McCallum) and Barnes to hopefully fill those last two roster spots.

A 5 Star big man would be great but it looks less than likely we'll get Josh Smith and we seem more focused on the top recreuit in the nation, and a PG which is understandable.

[DDB4208]

My understanding is that Roscoe said he has an offer, but it is debatable as to whether or not that is true.

I don't think he would lie about having an offer. But you could be right and he just got mixed up.


Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be able to give out more than 5 scholarships, pending Singler going pro or something along those lines (any player leaving before they play 4 years for whatever reason) so I'm pretty sure we're just gonna go after a top PG (Knight, Irving, McCallum) and Barnes to hopefully fill those last two roster spots.

When I said "Barnes, MacCallum/Irving, Dawkins, Hairston, Thornton." I meant that we would get either MacCallum or Irving, not both. So I agree that we will only get 5 players.

[-bdbd]

Who do you think Duke has the best shot at besides Andre Dawkins, Josh Hairston, and Tyler Thornton. Duke has also offered Harrison Barnes, Joshua Smith, Brandon Knight, and Kyrie Irving. Duke has also been talking to Dominique Ferguson and Ray McCallum but have not offered them. Roscoe Smith also has Duke on his list but I don't think Duke will go after him since they are recruiting Barnes. Please list your thoughts of who else the Devils can secure with their 2010 recruiting class. :)


This is a BIG class for K & Duke, in more ways than one. Also, don't forget that at times in the past almost everyone was thinking that K was over-recruiting a position or quantity of scholarships available, only to later learn what he probably knew all along... re either someone intending to leave early or willing to go "off scholarship" for a year, go on a mission, etc. Mostly I just see this as yet another adaption to the changing times, where other coaches, some within a stone's throw of Durham, in the recent past offering out more scholarships than were available on a first-come-first-served basis. In this case, if we are, in fact, limited to just two more schollys - something none of us really knows for sure - then we'd be pretty happy to take almost any two of that offered group ... though I strongly doubt we take a third PG of course.

I think the two we are probably the most focused on would be Barnes and a PG (Irving, Knight, McCallum in that order), though would be thrilled (and maybe a little surprised?) to sign Smith. To have this many offers outstanding, I am suspecting that this might wind up being a terrific 6-man class. We don't know what we don't know. 'just gotta wait and see... In K we trust.

-BDBD :cool:

[SilkyJ]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be able to give out more than 5 scholarships, pending Singler going pro or something along those lines (any player leaving before they play 4 years for whatever reason) so I'm pretty sure we're just gonna go after a top PG (Knight, Irving, McCallum) and Barnes to hopefully fill those last two roster spots.

A 5 Star big man would be great but it looks less than likely we'll get Josh Smith and we seem more focused on the top recreuit in the nation, and a PG which is understandable.

In recent years the program has seen many departures due to transfers (jamal, boateng, Taylor king) early departures to the league (luol, gerald, mcbob) and some guys who never show up (livingston, humphries) so coach K has adjusting his thinking and I believe almost anticipates losing one guy or so a year that prior to the season he would not have expected to lose. I think Kyle may very well turn pro, and don't be surprised if one of our bigs transfers b/c we have about 6 guys that are 6'8" and taller and simply won't find minutes for all of them.

[Saratoga2]

In recent years the program has seen many departures due to transfers (jamal, boateng, Taylor king) early departures to the league (luol, gerald, mcbob) and some guys who never show up (livingston, humphries) so coach K has adjusting his thinking and I believe almost anticipates losing one guy or so a year that prior to the season he would not have expected to lose. I think Kyle may very well turn pro, and don't be surprised if one of our bigs transfers b/c we have about 6 guys that are 6'8" and taller and simply won't find minutes for all of them.

It is true that there are many complications to putting together a competitive team, since you have to identify and get talented recruits and then keep enough of them to make a winning team year after year. You point out that Duke has had its share of issues with getting people to come once they commit, losing them to transfer and to the early NBA draft. All that is true.

In addition, for the past few years there have been a lot of misses in recruiting big men and also now at the point guard position. Starting next season with only three guards is definitely not the optimum approach but that is where we are.

It is not easy getting recruits to come to Duke even with the great coach the television exposure and the tradition of excellence in basketball. Duke academic standards are high and an unknown percentage of the really good players probably don't quality academically and therefore don't fit.

I see the last few years of good but not outstanding teams as being a reflection of how difficult it is to get and keep top players. Perhaps Coach K will find a way to improve this situation in the future and bring the team back to prominence.

[SupaDave]

I see the last few years of good but not outstanding teams as being a reflection of how difficult it is to get and keep top players. Perhaps Coach K will find a way to improve this situation in the future and bring the team back to prominence.

Yep - b/c noone talks about us now. :)

[Devilsfan]

On a slightly different recruiting senario at Duke, the front page had a good article on how well Coach Cut is doing in such a short period of time. I also have stated before that I think Coach K seems to be recruiting with a renewed zeal apparent with the class of 2010 and beyond plus Curry.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be able to give out more than 5 scholarships, pending Singler going pro or something along those lines (any player leaving before they play 4 years for whatever reason) so I'm pretty sure we're just gonna go after a top PG (Knight, Irving, McCallum) and Barnes to hopefully fill those last two roster spots.

A 5 Star big man would be great but it looks less than likely we'll get Josh Smith and we seem more focused on the top recreuit in the nation, and a PG which is understandable.

I completely agree with you. IMO, I don't think we need a big man for the 2010. If we got one, it would be gravy, but I think the real targets are a PG (good chance to get one) and Barnes (great chance, as I've heard that we are his favorite from articles).

Regarding the big men, we have the two Plumlees, Singler, Kelly, Czyz and Hairston to cover the 4 and 5 (assuming Kyle stays) for 2010. That ain't bad.

I wouldn't be surprised if Coach K picked up some 4 star big man to really fill out the class, but it isn't a neccessity.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

i done with recruiting for a while due to you know who

[NYDukie]

I remember some of the timelines being mentioned in the past few weeks but does anyone know whether Barnes, Knight and Irving have set any target dates, and I stress "target dates" as these dates aren't written in stone, with regard to potentially deciding on a school or trimming lists? I know Duke is in the running for some other recruits but these 3 seem to be top priority.

[yancem]

I remember some of the timelines being mentioned in the past few weeks but does anyone know whether Barnes, Knight and Irving have set any target dates, and I stress "target dates" as these dates aren't written in stone, with regard to potentially deciding on a school or trimming lists? I know Duke is in the running for some other recruits but these 3 seem to be top priority.

The only one I have heard comment on a time line is Irving would has said he would probably make a decision in the fall. I have also read speculation that Knight might hold off until the spring. I don't know how accurate that speculation is however.

[Indoor66]

The only one I have heard comment on a time line is Irving would has said he would probably make a decision in the fall. I have also read speculation that Knight might hold off until the spring. I don't know how accurate that speculation is however.

If those times are accurate, it might behoove us to stop talking about them for a while - so we don't step in it as happened to Wiscy fans!

[BD80]

If those times are accurate, it might behoove us to stop talking about them for a while - so we don't step in it as happened to Wiscy fans!

What? And have them think we don't care?


Strange game. The only winning move is not to play.

[Faison1]

What? And have them think we don't care?


Strange game. The only winning move is not to play.

Well, to stay "positive" like the other thread says, I think we would be extremely lucky if any or all of those kids came to Duke. From what I have read, Barnes, Irving, Knight, McCallum (sp), etc, sound like they were meant to be at Duke. All of them seem to be good students, have community focus, and in general have glowing reviews from their coaches. Duke would greatly benefit from their attendance.

Especially you, Harrison! I've heard you speak, and I've already commented in another thread that any parent would be proud of you. I can see great things in your future if you go to Duke. You seem like the type that would want to be a decision-maker in the future, and there's no better place to start that than Duke.

[Greg_Newton]

Does anyone know why we are not pursuing CJ Leslie? I can see him becoming a very good college player, and I don't think it would hurt to add an extremely athletic combo forward to our 2010-2011 roster (from what I've seen, Kelly and Hairston are more finesse guys).

Don't get me wrong - I'm glad Barnes/Irving/Knight are the top priorities, but given how much Clifton seems to love K, I wonder why we not looking at this particular local talent?

[Franzez]

Does anyone know why we are not pursuing CJ Leslie? I can see him becoming a very good college player, and I don't think it would hurt to add an extremely athletic combo forward to our 2010-2011 roster (from what I've seen, Kelly and Hairston are more finesse guys).

Don't get me wrong - I'm glad Barnes/Irving/Knight are the top priorities, but given how much Clifton seems to love K, I wonder why we not looking at this particular local talent?

Hes not cutting it in the class room, Coach K only takes academic risks on elite talent like Wall.

[DDB4208]

Does anyone know why we are not pursuing CJ Leslie?

Some have said he is selfish and that he has a bad attitude. Word of God staff aren't Duke fans. Coach K would rather spend his 2-3 scholarships on a combination of Barnes, Irving, MacCallum, J. Smith, Knight, R. Smith and D. Ferguson. If Barnes is a guy who screams out Duke then Leslie screams out whatever is the opposite. No offense to Leslie, I don't know him, he could be a great guy.

[yancem]

Some have said he is selfish and that he has a bad attitude. Word of God staff aren't Duke fans. Coach K would rather spend his 2-3 scholarships on a combination of Barnes, Irving, MacCallum, J. Smith, Knight, R. Smith and D. Ferguson. If Barnes is a guy who screams out Duke then Leslie screams out whatever is the opposite. No offense to Leslie, I don't know him, he could be a great guy.

I wish you would be a little less brutal in your remarks of a teenage kid who has nothing to deserve being slammed on message boards. If you have heard negative things about a recruit simply say that he might not be a good fit and leave it at that. Have you met him, seen him, interacted with him in any way? If not then you have no idea of whether or not he is selfish or if his attitude is bad.

[DDB4208]

I wish you would be a little less brutal in your remarks of a teenage kid who has nothing to deserve being slammed on message boards. If you have heard negative things about a recruit simply say that he might not be a good fit and leave it at that. Have you met him, seen him, interacted with him in any way? If not then you have no idea of whether or not he is selfish or if his attitude is bad.

I apologize if I came off that way. I'll clarify what I meant.

I did say in my post "Some have said he is selfish and that he has a bad attitude.". That is not me saying it that is other people that have said that. I also said at the end of my post "No offense to Leslie, I don't know him, he could be a great guy." You're right I don't know him personally. But I would appreciate if you re-read my post and see if you still think I bashed him.

But just to show I wasn't basing my comment on nothing, this is what one scout said of Leslie:

"I've been watching high school basketball for a long time, and one thing you get used to is seeing kids be selfish sometimes. AAU ball sometimes is not the place to try and see kids commit themselves to playing team basketball, but I would have to say that CJ Leslie, hands down is THE MOST SELFISH player I have EVER seen in a high school game. I watched two of his games and I can promise you that NOT ONCE did he run back hard on defense after missing an open layup or turning the ball over. When the ball went to him, whether it be on the perimeter or down low, he was the proverbial black hole, and he would overdribble and he would take countless contested shots, even when he had teammates who were WIDE OPEN on the perimeter. What's worse, he exhibited one of the WORST attitudes I have EVER seen towards his teammates, his coaches and the referees. He acted, played and sounded like a thug in every sense of the word, and as a person, to the other guys on the court, he was downright disrespectful, rude, condescending, and arrogant. Watching this kid act like a punk, there is NO WAY Duke will ever take a look at that kid, he's nothing more than a selfish kid who is going to tear a team apart, unless of course there's a group of guys on the team who are just like him. I hope you guys see how strongly my words are on this kid, he's a team cancer in every sense of the word and if I were a coach, I would NEVER want this kid on my team."

He also was suspended this year (for damaging property of another school, I believe it was Dudley's Locker-room. Although there is no article that I could find to link to it). Again though, I don't know the specifics but, I imagine if this information is true, that is most likely the reason Coach K is not recruiting him.

[DDB4208]

My understanding is that Roscoe said he has an offer, but it is debatable as to whether or not that is true.

You are correct. I was wrong.

Here (http://bluedevilnation.net/?p=2276) is a really good free interview courtesy of BDN.

[SupaDave]

I apologize if I came off that way. I'll clarify what I meant.

I did say in my post "Some have said he is selfish and that he has a bad attitude.". That is not me saying it that is other people that have said that. I also said at the end of my post "No offense to Leslie, I don't know him, he could be a great guy." You're right I don't know him personally. But I would appreciate if you re-read my post and see if you still think I bashed him.

But just to show I wasn't basing my comment on nothing, this is what one scout said of Leslie:

"I've been watching high school basketball for a long time, and one thing you get used to is seeing kids be selfish sometimes. AAU ball sometimes is not the place to try and see kids commit themselves to playing team basketball, but I would have to say that CJ Leslie, hands down is THE MOST SELFISH player I have EVER seen in a high school game. I watched two of his games and I can promise you that NOT ONCE did he run back hard on defense after missing an open layup or turning the ball over. When the ball went to him, whether it be on the perimeter or down low, he was the proverbial black hole, and he would overdribble and he would take countless contested shots, even when he had teammates who were WIDE OPEN on the perimeter. What's worse, he exhibited one of the WORST attitudes I have EVER seen towards his teammates, his coaches and the referees. He acted, played and sounded like a thug in every sense of the word, and as a person, to the other guys on the court, he was downright disrespectful, rude, condescending, and arrogant. Watching this kid act like a punk, there is NO WAY Duke will ever take a look at that kid, he's nothing more than a selfish kid who is going to tear a team apart, unless of course there's a group of guys on the team who are just like him. I hope you guys see how strongly my words are on this kid, he's a team cancer in every sense of the word and if I were a coach, I would NEVER want this kid on my team."

He also was suspended this year (for damaging property of another school, I believe it was Dudley's Locker-room. Although there is no article that I could find to link to it). Again though, I don't know the specifics but, I imagine if this information is true, that is most likely the reason Coach K is not recruiting him.

I'm not sure it's possible to be a thug and a punk at the same time while on the court. Sounds a little biased to me. WHO is this scout?

[yancem]

I apologize if I came off that way. I'll clarify what I meant.

I did say in my post "Some have said he is selfish and that he has a bad attitude.". That is not me saying it that is other people that have said that. I also said at the end of my post "No offense to Leslie, I don't know him, he could be a great guy." You're right I don't know him personally. But I would appreciate if you re-read my post and see if you still think I bashed him.

But just to show I wasn't basing my comment on nothing, this is what one scout said of Leslie:

"I've been watching high school basketball for a long time, and one thing you get used to is seeing kids be selfish sometimes. AAU ball sometimes is not the place to try and see kids commit themselves to playing team basketball, but I would have to say that CJ Leslie, hands down is THE MOST SELFISH player I have EVER seen in a high school game. I watched two of his games and I can promise you that NOT ONCE did he run back hard on defense after missing an open layup or turning the ball over. When the ball went to him, whether it be on the perimeter or down low, he was the proverbial black hole, and he would overdribble and he would take countless contested shots, even when he had teammates who were WIDE OPEN on the perimeter. What's worse, he exhibited one of the WORST attitudes I have EVER seen towards his teammates, his coaches and the referees. He acted, played and sounded like a thug in every sense of the word, and as a person, to the other guys on the court, he was downright disrespectful, rude, condescending, and arrogant. Watching this kid act like a punk, there is NO WAY Duke will ever take a look at that kid, he's nothing more than a selfish kid who is going to tear a team apart, unless of course there's a group of guys on the team who are just like him. I hope you guys see how strongly my words are on this kid, he's a team cancer in every sense of the word and if I were a coach, I would NEVER want this kid on my team."

He also was suspended this year (for damaging property of another school, I believe it was Dudley's Locker-room. Although there is no article that I could find to link to it). Again though, I don't know the specifics but, I imagine if this information is true, that is most likely the reason Coach K is not recruiting him.

Thanks for your clarification and I admit that I didn't read the end of your post; I was already put off by the first couple of lines and didn't want to read further. Even still, I think that we need to be careful about how we characterize high school kids even when we are simply passing on what we hear. In my mind the quote from who ever the scout is, is way out of bounds. People forget that theses are just kids and even if everything he says is true, there is no justification for posting such a mean spirited scouting report of a high school basketball player. It's not like we're talking about Dennis Rodman or Ron Artest, two players that are/were paid tons of money to be in the spot light.

I don't mean to single you out (you certainly are not the only or worst offender) but I get tired of random fans dumping on kids with little concern for their feelings or with any real knowledge that what they are saying is accurate. It's like the saying everyone's mom told them at one point or another "if you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all". If people have information of the negative variety on potential recruit, a simple he probably not a good fit for Duke, should get the message across just fine.

[DDB4208]

I think that we need to be careful about how we characterize high school kids even when we are simply passing on what we hear..."if you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all".

You are exactly right and I am sorry. Maybe the mods can delete my post.

[johaad]

Thanks for your clarification and I admit that I didn't read the end of your post; I was already put off by the first couple of lines and didn't want to read further. Even still, I think that we need to be careful about how we characterize high school kids even when we are simply passing on what we hear. In my mind the quote from who ever the scout is, is way out of bounds. People forget that theses are just kids and even if everything he says is true, there is no justification for posting such a mean spirited scouting report of a high school basketball player. It's not like we're talking about Dennis Rodman or Ron Artest, two players that are/were paid tons of money to be in the spot light.

I don't mean to single you out (you certainly are not the only or worst offender) but I get tired of random fans dumping on kids with little concern for their feelings or with any real knowledge that what they are saying is accurate. It's like the saying everyone's mom told them at one point or another "if you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all". If people have information of the negative variety on potential recruit, a simple he probably not a good fit for Duke, should get the message across just fine.

That's a really good post. And you're right, it's not just DDB. There are alot of posters (many on another board) who don't remember that these people we are talking about are kids. By the way, DDB basically retracted his statements, so that's good.

[mgtr]

Wow! This is all political correctness gone wild. I doubt that there are many on this forum who know much at all about any of these kids, so presumably there should be virtually no discussion. And yet there is.

[SilkyJ]

You are exactly right and I am sorry. Maybe the mods can delete my post.

personally I thought your post was fine. you were being honest and basically relaying what you had heard about the kid elsewhere. making stuff up or bashing a kid is bad, but Duke absolutely does not go after kids with selfish attitudes, so your post was relevant. Moreover, you backed it up with a quote from a scout (though you still havent provided a link, which you should).

[speedevil2001]

read that they recent played in a tournament together.

seem like great kids and a welcome addition to duke. with their recent slide in college rankings, not that it matters but with the recent interest in kyle irvine and domince fergueson, and their rise in rankings, is coach k looking for more talent and recruiting over them?

[rotogod00]

read that they recent played in a tournament together.

seem like great kids and a welcome addition to duke. with their recent slide in college rankings, not that it matters but with the recent interest in kyle irvine and domince fergueson, and their rise in rankings, is coach k looking for more talent and recruiting over them?

appears that way, esp. thornton as we're going hard after knight and irving

[Devilsfan]

It would be great to have depth at the point if we are fortunate enough to land an elite point guard.

[speedevil2001]

It would be great to have depth at the point if we are fortunate enough to land an elite point guard.

i dont mind either...i think bringing in 2 pg is always a plus...esp. with the lack of depth this coming season..wish they were comin in this year though.

[COYS]

read that they recent played in a tournament together.

seem like great kids and a welcome addition to duke. with their recent slide in college rankings, not that it matters but with the recent interest in kyle irvine and domince fergueson, and their rise in rankings, is coach k looking for more talent and recruiting over them?

I wouldn't characterize it as recruiting over someone exactly. Some guys are ready to step in right away and some guys might need a little seasoning. Knight, Irving and the other top PG's could very easily be gone after one or two years, at which point a sophomore or junior Thornton taking over as the full time point would be perfect.

[roywhite]

http://blog.northstarbball.com/2009/06/09/who-is-kyrie-irving.aspx

Recent article with plenty of info. about 2010 PG target Kyrie Irving.

Sounds like he would be a great fit for Duke, but there is plenty of competition for his services.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

http://duke.scout.com/2/870413.html


Interesting read here. I am not sure who the guy is that wrote it, but it seems like he did his due research and makes some good, valid points. I am also not sure where this belongs thread wise, but it kind of points to the future of Duke recruiting, so I thought this would be a nice place for it. Enjoy!

[yancem]

http://duke.scout.com/2/870413.html


Interesting read here. I am not sure who the guy is that wrote it, but it seems like he did his due research and makes some good, valid points. I am also not sure where this belongs thread wise, but it kind of points to the future of Duke recruiting, so I thought this would be a nice place for it. Enjoy!

That's a great article, well thought out and puts a lot of things into perspective.

Thanks for kinking it!

[Maxwell1977]

That's a great article, well thought out and puts a lot of things into perspective.

Thanks for kinking it!

No kinking allowed!

[yancem]

No kinking allowed!

OOOOOOOOOooooooooooopppppppppppsssssssss!

[Lightz]

NBA top 100 camp has games starting tomorrow, and every single 2010 player we're targeting save for Josh Smith (getting tonsils removed) will be there. Should be interesting to hear how Barnes, Knight, Irving, Ferguson, McCallum, Roscoe Smith, plus all of our current commits do.


Plus although technically this is off topic but apparently we've already started recruiting 2011 top 25 prospect Quincy Miller who will be playing as well. EDIT: nvm Miller will not be at the NBA top 100 camp, but we have been keeping tabs on him. Should be interesting.

[gotham devil]

NB

Plus although technically this is off topic but apparently we've already started recruiting 2011 top 25 prospect Quincy Miller who will be playing as well. EDIT: nvm Miller will not be at the NBA top 100 camp, but we have been keeping tabs on him. Should be interesting.

http://dukebasketballjournal.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/update-on-2011-target-laquinton-ross/

Another 2011-LaQuinton Ross

[SupaDave]

Andre Dawkins update...

http://dukebasketballjournal.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/andre-dawkins-impressing-nbapa-camp-observers/

[Lightz]

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=957518

Here's the impressions I've got from the various reports from the NBPA camp (naturally I can't copy and paste the scout articles nor post any insider stuff, plus some of this can be found elsewhere on the web) about some of our players and recruits for those who don't follow recruiting on other sites as closely (some of this also coming from the free rivals article up top):

Andre Dawkins: Literally seems to have his name mentioned in every article as one of the top performers, almost always for stroking it from deep as well as getting some nice dunks every game.

Josh Hairston: Not too much info but he's apparently been playing well and one person said they expected his stock to rise up a bit after it fell in the last set of rankings.

Tyler Thornton: Haven't heard anything so far

Harrison Barnes: Naturally playing well although apparently he's a little under the weather, notably is visiting duke and unc next week.

Brandon Knight/Kyrie Irving: Played against each other yesterday and Knight apparently did much better than Irving who apparently had an off day. Knight is getting lots of praised, hopefully Irving should play a bit better the next few days.

Dominique Ferguson/Roscoe Smith: Both seemingly a bit underperformed day 1 despite looking very talented, not much else there

Tyler Thornton: Havn't heard a single thing so far, hopefully we'll hear some more about him the next few days, haven't heard anything about Ray MaCallum either so far.


The reports that I've found more interesting though is a bunch of new and high profile players in the 2010 class are claiming some form of duke interests, so it appears as though maybe K may actually be casting out a larger recruiting net than before.

Hope that was informative, and now for some videos to get excited from:

Dawkins mix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFSBQaskzA0&feature=channel_page

Barnes mix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjWK035jbgc&feature=channel

[mgtr]

Is Marshall Plumlee class of 2011?

[FireOgilvie]

Is Marshall Plumlee class of 2011?

Yes.

[miramar]

As Lightz noted, one of the articles on the camp (I forget which) indicated that Hairston's rankings had dropped, but that they should pop back up. Does anyone know why his stock supposedly dropped?

[Lightz]

As Lightz noted, one of the articles on the camp (I forget which) indicated that Hairston's rankings had dropped, but that they should pop back up. Does anyone know why his stock supposedly dropped?

I'm pretty sure it was mostly due to other people who were behind him improving a good deal as opposed to poor play on his part. Seems like he's had some good developments though recently which should mean a rise in rankings whenever scout updates them next.

[Bob Green]

Does anyone know why his stock supposedly dropped?

One theory is Josh Hairston's rep was hurt due to him attending a small AA high school so he didn't compete against top level competition. Now that AAU summer action is in full swing, Hairston is competing against all the top players.

[heyman25]

The word on Hairston is hanging out on the perimeter too much and not being aggressive enough. He is transferring to Montrose with Stu Vetter and he will be playing in France with a US team this summer.

[FireOgilvie]

The word on Hairston is hanging out on the perimeter too much and not being aggressive enough. He is transferring to Montrose with Stu Vetter and he will be playing in France with a US team this summer.

Where did you hear that? It would probably be a good move basketball-wise.

[SupaDave]

Where did you hear that? It would probably be a good move basketball-wise.

Right here on the DBR...

[DUKIE V(A)]

I wouldn't worry too much about Hairston's rating dropping or improving. Those things are subjective. He can flat out ball and will be a great asset for Duke not matter his rating.

[roywhite]

The word on Hairston is hanging out on the perimeter too much and not being aggressive enough. He is transferring to Montrose with Stu Vetter and he will be playing in France with a US team this summer.

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/062009/06112009/472572

There was an article posted on Hairston playing in France, and that happened already.

As to a possible transfer to Montrose, I have not seen a report to that effect.

As indicated in the article, Josh is having a busy basketball summer, and playing against top competition. Look forward to his arrival at Duke next fall.

[mcdukie]

The word on Hairston is hanging out on the perimeter too much and not being aggressive enough. He is transferring to Montrose with Stu Vetter and he will be playing in France with a US team this summer.

I live in the DC area and I have not heard of Hairston transferring to Montrose. Is this a fact or rumor?

[watzone]

Barnes hit a buzzer beater last evening and Kyrie Irving went off for 26 points at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp. Frequent updates from the event can be found here - http://bluedevilnation.net/

A thirteen hour day of covering the best of the best yesterday was tough but worth it. The play offs begin today and there will be some updates along the way.

Brandon Knight is having a nice camp and was the top vote getter in the All Star Game.

[Franzez]

What about this kid C.J. Leslie?

I hope hes not another player from Duke's backyard they allow to go to Kentucky because they didnt offer or recruit early enough.

[MChambers]

What about this kid C.J. Leslie?

I hope hes not another player from Duke's backyard they allow to go to Kentucky because they didnt offer or recruit early enough.

From all reports, Duke is not likely to pursue Leslie. If you do a little research here, you'll see there is a thread on him:

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?p=298980#post298980

[Lightz]

According to scout we're now pursuing Tarik Black

http://duke.scout.com/2/873757.html

This kid sounds great, a real aggressive, heavy, and athletic down low player who loves to throw it down and play with a chip on his shoulder. Could be a real asset if we manage to get him.

[rotogod00]

According to scout we're now pursuing Tarik Black

http://duke.scout.com/2/873757.html

This kid sounds great, a real aggressive, heavy, and athletic down low player who loves to throw it down and play with a chip on his shoulder. Could be a real asset if we manage to get him.

according to scout, he's a "Beastly inside player" and one of his strengths is "Traffic Rebounding". he sounds exactly like what we need.

[jimsumner]

"I hope hes not another player from Duke's backyard they allow to go to Kentucky because they didnt offer or recruit early enough. "

Right, this being an on-going problem and all.

[miramar]

"I hope hes not another player from Duke's backyard they allow to go to Kentucky because they didnt offer or recruit early enough. "

Right, this being an on-going problem and all.

Next season Duke is going to have three guys who played HS ball in NC, which I'm sure is not a record, but it's the most I can remember. And just in case it is a record, Seth Curry will break it in 2010.