OT - Duke recruiting machine

[billybud]

It is difficult to compete against the blue bloods...

FSU, as an example, doesn't have a player who made the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd team All ACC Team.

They have a natural ceiling....Will never be a Duke or UNC or Gonzaga, or Michigan State.

But...with a scheme and a recruiting strategy to complement that scheme, the team can compete as a two game tournament team.

UConn, with their blue blood roots, should be able to do better....recruit better players, win more games.

 

[billybud]

While you might be right in a vacuum. Duke is by far and away most watched this year because of Zion. Might as well say Zion is the most watched team.

Even when Zion wasn't playing, people watched Duke to see them look mortal without him.

Games featuring either Duke or UNC were #1, #2, #8, #10 of the Top Ten most watched basketball matches of the season...when Zion was still in high school.

 

[jibsey]

Everyone knows the script every year, year after year. What I mean is that the teams are the same. Duke, Kentucky, Carolina. 10 years from now, the same as they get all the top 10 players. Yes there are good and even great players elsewhere. Yes, UCONN and Nova will get in there for periods like Florida under Donovan and win but it’s the same teams always, and now those teams top talent is one and done. There’s no reason not to tweak the system in some way. How? I have no idea but even though you can’t have parity the field can be evened I hope. I’d like to hear some suggestions on what could be done.

 

[Engineer90]

What Geno has more talent on the floor any duke ever does v. their competition. No it wouldn’t draw questions in his system the players would get blamed. Cam do you watch basketball

I'm guessing he watches more of the women's games than you do because UConn isn't even close to the most talented team in the field this year. Nor were they last year or the year before that. And, this year, he is adding one recruit that isn't even top 10. Geno hasn't had the most talent since Stewie left and rarely does. It just looks like he always does because he is that good. That's the point.

 

[billybud]

UConn women are much like the Dukes of the men...I would not under sell their talent. Most teams dream of such.


Olivia Nelson-Ododa
....Ranked #5 recruit, McDonald's All American

Napheesa Collier
....McDonald's All American, USA Today ALL USA

Megan Walker
...#1 ESPN 2017 recruit, USA Today All USA, McDonald's All American

Mikayla Coombs
....2017 McDonald's All American

Crystal Dangerfield
....2016 USA Today All American, McDonald's All American

Christyn Williams
....#1 recruit in 2018 ESPN, McDonald's All American

Katie Lou Samuelson
....National Player of the Year...by Naismith, Gatorade, USA Today, McDonald's

 

[CTBasketball]

People want to see Zion. It makes sense for ESPN.

 

[billybud]

Last year, I tuned in to Duke to see what kind of churlish stunt Grayson Allen would pull.

 

[Scrutineer]

I had ESPN on at work a couple weeks ago. They broke into SportsCenter to show Duke's pregame warmups LIVE.

ESPN has been working overtime the past 6 months or more hyping the ACC because they debut the new network in August.

So, all these roundtables with three coaches at a time, those suckup interviews by Bilas with Boeheim, Williams and Krzyzewski, and the cut-ins to show warmups. It's just how it is today.

 

[Bonk]

I am having trouble thinking of many recent duke players that have developed into NBA caliber players while at Duke. Maybe Luke Kennard or Tyus Jones, but other than that most players who go to the NBA from Duke could've gone to community college and been NBA studs (Tatum, Kyrie, Carter, Bagley, Ingram, Okafor, etc). Others who struggle hurt their stock a lot (Giles, Duval, Frank Jackson, ). Others get pushed out (Jordan Tucker, Jeter, Thornton)
Kentucky has had their fair share of misses but guys like Shai Alexander, Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, and now looking like Ashton Hagans and PJ Washington have developed while at Kentucky into NBA caliber talent

 

[billybud]

Duke's recent guys are not NBA stars...but they have had five first rounder millionaires in the last three drafts. $$$ catches recruits eyes.

2018....

Following Ayton is No. 2 pick Marvin Bagley III of Duke, who should make a maximum of $36,910,323 over four years with the Sacramento Kings. (Forbes)

Wendell Carter was 7th pick...$22,482,007 for four years.

Grayson Allen (21st pick..1st round) $4,500,000 for two years

 

[the Q]

I'm guessing he watches more of the women's games than you do because UConn isn't even close to the most talented team in the field this year. Nor were they last year or the year before that. And, this year, he is adding one recruit that isn't even top 10. Geno hasn't had the most talent since Stewie left and rarely does. It just looks like he always does because he is that good. That's the point.

Last year they were easily. They probably had 6 future WNBA first rounders on the floor.

 

[the Q]

I am having trouble thinking of many recent duke players that have developed into NBA caliber players while at Duke. Maybe Luke Kennard or Tyus Jones, but other than that most players who go to the NBA from Duke could've gone to community college and been NBA studs (Tatum, Kyrie, Carter, Bagley, Ingram, Okafor, etc). Others who struggle hurt their stock a lot (Giles, Duval, Frank Jackson, ). Others get pushed out (Jordan Tucker, Jeter, Thornton)
Kentucky has had their fair share of misses but guys like Shai Alexander, Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, and now looking like Ashton Hagans and PJ Washington have developed while at Kentucky into NBA caliber talent

The narrative for both programs is false.

But you are right that Kentucky has done better actual development than duke.

 

[billybud]

Heck guys...you are a tough room...K had three 1st rounders in the last draft...

....and CBS"s mock draft for 2019 has Zion and Barrett as #1 and #2, Reddish #5, and Tre Jones as #26....

 

[intlzncster]

I'm guessing he watches more of the women's games than you do because UConn isn't even close to the most talented team in the field this year. Nor were they last year or the year before that. And, this year, he is adding one recruit that isn't even top 10. Geno hasn't had the most talent since Stewie left and rarely does. It just looks like he always does because he is that good. That's the point.

They've got three #1/2 overall recruits on the floor right now.

 

[intlzncster]

Games featuring either Duke or UNC were #1, #2, #8, #10 of the Top Ten most watched basketball matches of the season...when Zion was still in high school.

Sure. People watch the best programs year in year out, not a shocker. I'm just saying, Duke received a ridiculous bump this year because of Zion. Which is why I said in a vacuum, as it pertains to this year.

 

[intlzncster]

Everyone knows the script every year, year after year. What I mean is that the teams are the same. Duke, Kentucky, Carolina. 10 years from now, the same as they get all the top 10 players. Yes there are good and even great players elsewhere. Yes, UCONN and Nova will get in there for periods like Florida under Donovan and win but it’s the same teams always, and now those teams top talent is one and done. There’s no reason not to tweak the system in some way. How? I have no idea but even though you can’t have parity the field can be evened I hope. I’d like to hear some suggestions on what could be done.

People are conflating coaches with programs. Do big names carry weight? Yes. But national audience tunes in to the best basketball, which is delivered by the best (read HOF) coaches.

• Duke has been great in our lifetime because of K.
• MSU because of Izzo.
• UNC because of Roy. People watched less when they had Dougherty.
• UK because of Cal. Nobody cared as much when Tubby coached them.

Teams like Villanova is getting it now because of the great Jay Wright.

But nobody cares about UCLA because they don't have Wooden. And can't seem to find one.

Now when one of the traditional powers grabs a great coach, that's the secret sauce.

And the real advantage these programs have is they are the most attractive to the best coaches, and can pay big money.

 

[Engineer90]

They've got three #1/2 overall recruits on the floor right now.

You guys realize that the claim was that they always have the most, not just that they have a lot, right? To argue a relative, you need to evaluate multiple teams, not just one. Also, teams go more than three deep.

 

[billybud]

Duke is making a title run relying on four freshman....pure talent going up against more experienced teams.

 

[jibsey]

They don’t shoot the 3 well at times and can be taken by a good defensive team. The physical size for rebounding and putbacks is what it is and the inexperience is a factor.