2019 Men's Basketball Recruiting

[jimsumner]

It's a little known fact that Jeff Capel is the reason Johnny Dawkins signed with Duke.

Capel was only six at the time. But he was very persuasive.

[BD80]

It's a little known fact that Jeff Capel is the reason Johnny Dawkins signed with Duke.

Capel was only six at the time. But he was very persuasive.

There's more to the story. Jeff really didn't have all that much contact with JD, although the few moments were extremely persuasive.


Jeff's major effect was in selecting Coach K and convincing him to come to Duke.

[arnie]

Definitely way too early to proclaim the sky is falling.

Losing to Nova on Antoine hurts, but we're still in good shape. Let's wait and see how everything plays out. We might get in with another wing who isn't even on the radar right now (maybe Scottie Lewis? I'm not as plugged in, but he was on the Duke radar at one point). Nobody believed Zion would be coming to Duke after all, so it's hard to rule out anything these days.

Plus, I would be totally ecstatic even if we "only" land Stewart, Moore, and 1 of James/Anthony. That would still be a GREAT class to add to the guys who we believe will be coming back.

The Capel factor is a slight ding, but I truly believe Scheyer and Smith are close to Capel's level on the recruiting trail. Scheyer already has a pretty impressive track record as a primary recruiter. Those guys are just cool, and are very in touch with the new generation of high schoolers.

There's a looooooooong way to go in the class of 2019. Not worried in the slightest . . . yet. I'll be worried if we miss out on both Carey and Stewart and/or Moore. I believe we will need to land one of those big men and Moore (or another talented wing) to stay in the Final 4 conversation.

Agree with above, we need to revisit this AFTER the Fall signing period. The BallDurham author is getting ahead of himself.

[NSDukeFan]

It's a little known fact that Jeff Capel is the reason Johnny Dawkins signed with Duke.

Capel was only six at the time. But he was very persuasive.

I thought Duke wouldn’t get the elite recruits anymore once Dawkins left the staff. Then Duke certainly wouldn’t get the best recruits after Collins and Wojo left. I expect most of the top recruits will look elsewhere now that Capel is gone. Though, there is one guy who has been around all along and he is pretty good at recruiting as well. He also hires good staff. If the early signing period comes and goes and things look bleak, there is plenty of time to worry then.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Like 18 months ago, Kevin Knox spurned Duke and picked Kentucky. Capel was on staff and I believe he was leading the recruitment for Knox at the time. Duke then got commitments from the top 3 players in the Class of 2018, the top point guard, and a top 25 player from the Class of 2019 that reclassified and is currently on the roster.

The sky isn't falling.

[UrinalCake]

Like 18 months ago, Kevin Knox spurned Duke and picked Kentucky. Capel was on staff and I believe he was leading the recruitment for Knox at the time. Duke then got commitments from the top 3 players in the Class of 2018, the top point guard, and a top 25 player from the Class of 2019 that reclassified and is currently on the roster.

The sky isn't falling.

We also "missed" on Mo Bamba last summer, which eventually led to us getting Bagley. And we missed on Matt Coleman but got Duval.

[Pghdukie]

Only 7 of the top 25 recruits have pledged so there's still a long way to go in this cycle.

FYI - Notre Dame and Pitt were at Oak Hill today to see Cole Anthony.

[rsvman]

Don't know Matt Giles, but this was his take on 2019 recruiting:

Three reasons why recruits are snubbing the Blue Devils/

Definitely the half-empty perspective. Curious what you all think of the three reasons he lists: loss of Capel, K's age, and the fear of following in Zion's footsteps.
Number three seems trivial: after all, Jabari did not stop Jahlil, who didn't stop Ingram...Tatum...Bagley...Zion/RJ/Cam. And K's health and energy seem better than in years.

So is Capel really that big a factor (assuming we do struggle at all this year)? Or should I just chill out and wait and see what actually transpires?

I read the article, and I thought it was weak. The third "reason" is definitely bogus. It remains to be seen whether Zion will even be the best recruit in this class. I don't believe that most top-level players even think like that. Losing Capel may have some adverse effect, but it's too soon to say how much. K's age is likely not a factor, given that he's still relevant and the players all know that. Finally, we haven't yet lost enough recruiting battles to proclaim the end is near. Not even close. High school journalism class-level article, IMO.

[flyingdutchdevil]

As long as Coach K is around, we'll get OADs.

Did Capel help? Absolutely. His greatest strength is recruiting.

Is Coach K old? Absolutely. If I had a kid who was a 4-star, 4 year player, I don't think I'd want him playing for Coach K (well, that's for a variety of reasons, Coach K's age included).

Do recruits not want to follow in Zion's footsteps. Abso...yeah...nooooo. That's a pretty ridiculous statement.

For the last 3 years, Duke was on another planet from a recruiting standpoint. From my perspective, this just isn't sustainable. Because no school has had this level of success.

So is Duke recruiting down? No, but it'll probably revert closer to the mean than what we've been doing for the last 3 years.

[camion]

As long as Coach K is around, we'll get OADs.

Did Capel help? Absolutely. His greatest strength is recruiting.

Is Coach K old? Absolutely. If I had a kid who was a 4-star, 4 year player, I don't think I'd want him playing for Coach K (well, that's for a variety of reasons, Coach K's age included).

Do recruits not want to follow in Zion's footsteps. Abso...yeah...nooooo. That's a pretty ridiculous statement.

For the last 3 years, Duke was on another planet from a recruiting standpoint. From my perspective, this just isn't sustainable. Because no school has had this level of success.

So is Duke recruiting down? No, but it'll probably revert closer to the mean than what we've been doing for the last 3 years.

The problem is that the sky is higher than it was three years ago. Fans tend to view a peak as a norm.

I however, being a curmudgeon and a cynic am more realistic. I only expect us to get two top ten players per year plus a couple of top twenty-fives.



And Stay Off Of My Lawn!!

[Indoor66]

And Stay Off Of My Lawn!!

My lawn is dying and I don't have any fertilizer left...

[thedukelamere]

Don't know Matt Giles, but this was his take on 2019 recruiting:

Three reasons why recruits are snubbing the Blue Devils/

Definitely the half-empty perspective. Curious what you all think of the three reasons he lists: loss of Capel, K's age, and the fear of following in Zion's footsteps.
Number three seems trivial: after all, Jabari did not stop Jahlil, who didn't stop Ingram...Tatum...Bagley...Zion/RJ/Cam. And K's health and energy seem better than in years.

So is Capel really that big a factor (assuming we do struggle at all this year)? Or should I just chill out and wait and see what actually transpires?

I don't know Matt Giles, but I have to say I was a little shocked to see this coming from a Dukie... Looks a lot closer to the clickbait farms pining for our demise than actual journalism. As fun (and disgusting) as the (racial) media attention that Nico would have gotten in Durham, most people assumed he would be suiting up for Zona eventually. Still hope Wojo can work his magic, but that leaves us with one surprising recruiting loss to a program that has won 2 Nattys in 3 years. Fleshing out an article about that is sensationalism at its finest.

[budwom]

slow time of year, some people feel compelled to write stuff even if they have to make it up. I'm all for reading various takes on Duke (pro and con) but that article is just inane.

[devildeac]

My lawn is dying and I don't have any fertilizer left...

I beg to differ...

[UrinalCake]

FYI - Notre Dame and Pitt were at Oak Hill today to see Cole Anthony.

If Cole Anthony commits to Pitt, then it will officially be time to start worrying.

[flyingdutchdevil]

If Cole Anthony commits to Pitt, then it will officially be time to start worrying.

Disagree. It just shows that Capel is as good a recruiter, if not better, than many of us believe.

If we get less than 2 top 25 players, then I'll be worried.

[clinresga]

Don't know Matt Giles, but this was his take on 2019 recruiting:

Three reasons why recruits are snubbing the Blue Devils/

Definitely the half-empty perspective. Curious what you all think of the three reasons he lists: loss of Capel, K's age, and the fear of following in Zion's footsteps.
Number three seems trivial: after all, Jabari did not stop Jahlil, who didn't stop Ingram...Tatum...Bagley...Zion/RJ/Cam. And K's health and energy seem better than in years.

So is Capel really that big a factor (assuming we do struggle at all this year)? Or should I just chill out and wait and see what actually transpires?

That's why I love this board. Keeps the pessimistically-inclined like me from jumping off bridge prematurely. Will focus on waiting to see RJ, Cam, Zion, and Tre all playing together (as long as I successfully appease the injury gods).

[duke79]

slow time of year, some people feel compelled to write stuff even if they have to make it up. I'm all for reading various takes on Duke (pro and con) but that article is just inane.

Obviously, the author of that article is entitled to his opinions, but I think (as President Trump might say) this is an example of "fake news". If you're in the news business (either print or media) in today's over saturated media market, you need to constantly create "controversy" to get people to read your stories or watch your channel.

[Natty_B]

Obviously, the author of that article is entitled to his opinions, but I think this is an example of "fake news". If you're in the news business (either print or media) in today's over saturated media market, you need to constantly create "controversy" to get people to read your stories or watch your channel.

You can read more about FanSided (of which Ball Durham is a part of) here: https://deadspin.com/fansided-sports...-of-1828725739. Not great Bob.

Also even if (huge if) Duke were to miss on many of it's recruiting targets there will still be a boatload of grad transfers next spring. Panic about the 19-20 roster shouldn't commence until May 2019.

[fathippo]

Obviously, the author of that article is entitled to his opinions, but I think (as President Trump might say) this is an example of "fake news". If you're in the news business (either print or media) in today's over saturated media market, you need to constantly create "controversy" to get people to read your stories or watch your channel.

It is just an opinion article, not fake news. It's a catchy title but basically seems like a lot of speculation.