Quote :

"also, find another team that lost a comparable number of talented players in the same time span. unc lost carter, wallace, and mcinnis around the same time, but that still didn't hurt them as much thanks to the number of players."

Also Stackhouse and Jamison (who was probably the best of the group). I don't know what you mean by "thanks to the number of players" but that list is just as talented as what Duke lost.

I have a hard time believing K recruited players like Maggette and Deng and didn't think they would leave after just one year. It's likely his own fault for not having a better contingency plan.

3/23/2008 10:52:01 PM

7' 2" John Riek is Duke's only hope........ he'll probably go to UConn though

[Edited on March 23, 2008 at 11:29 PM. Reason : .]

3/23/2008 11:27:26 PM

coach k = joe pa.

lawwwwwwl.

3/24/2008 12:17:07 AM

Wonder if there is any truth to the "Duke had the flu and that's why they lost" stuff....

3/24/2008 10:00:39 AM

Coach K = Steve Lavin

3/24/2008 10:08:18 AM

(from previous page)

i'm not saying that losing players early destroyed duke...i'm saying that changed coach k's recruiting style. he doesn't recruit one and done guys anymore and it's hurting duke's talent level. that's the point i was getting at if i didn't quite finish it off.

[Edited on March 24, 2008 at 10:09 AM. Reason : /]

3/24/2008 10:08:46 AM

Quote :

"coach k has been very outspoken about saying that he doesn't want to recruit players that don't have a four year plan and honestly, i can see why he says that. duke was destroyed by players leaving early in the late 90s. notable players include: elton brand mike dunleavy jason williams corey maggette william avery luol deng"

First, I think UNC has had just as many early and/or significant defections. And its happening all over the country.

Second....and most important in my opinion...those particular players gave Duke some pretty awesome seasons. If Coach K had recruited lesser players, then they might not have had the great years that they had with those players. He just doesn't need to focus solely on 4-year players. You've got to throw those awesome players in there every now and then...guys who can score at will when you need a bucket (which Duke hasn't had in the past couple years).

3/24/2008 10:28:47 AM

Quote :

"7' 2" John Riek is Duke's only hope........ he'll probably go to UConn though"

They aren't recruiting him at all even anymore. Atej Majok is the guy UConn is after, from Australia.

Riek probably won't play major college ball and then will go pro next year.

*** and I wasn't comparing Duke to WVU... just saying that calling WVU a "flash in the pan" with the past 4 years they have had and now with Huggins coaching is absurd...

[Edited on March 24, 2008 at 10:33 AM. Reason : x]

3/24/2008 10:32:53 AM

Quote :

"Wonder if there is any truth to the "Duke had the flu and that's why they lost" stuff.... "

FLUKE

3/24/2008 10:53:54 AM

Quote :

""Wonder if there is any truth to the "Duke had the flu and that's why they lost" stuff...."

c'mon, now. Over their last 20 games they went from banana split, to plain vanilla, to freezer burnt tofu pudding

3/24/2008 1:18:50 PM

Quote :

"coach k has been very outspoken about saying that he doesn't want to recruit players that don't have a four year plan and honestly, i can see why he says that. duke was destroyed by players leaving early in the late 90s. notable players include: elton brand mike dunleavy jason williams corey maggette william avery luol deng all of those guys left within a short period of time and there isn't ANY school in the country that has been hit that heavy. factor in the intense level of recruiting and investment of time and money (legal money albeit) to land these players and the fact that most players are recruited with the expectation of being there for multiple years...and that hurts."

sheesh I'd definetly take three year players that win national titles, I wouldn't say that totally decimates the program and it seems unc as been hit just as hard

joseph forte
brandon wright
marvin williams
sean may
raymond felton
rashad mccants

I'd definetly take any talented player for two years at least, not quite sure about one and dones although look how beasley has elevated kansas state's rep, I guess the main problem is just the uncertainty when coaches can't recruit any replacements cause they didn't know if they were leaving

3/24/2008 1:58:31 PM

^that's the point i'm making. coach k has CHANGED his recruiting style based on the players he's lost where most other top programs are accepting it as part of the game.

i found the article i referred to earlier.

Quote :

"Coach K isn’t trying to sign any players who intend to go to college for just one year, but there are likely to be more Dengs in the future. And while Duke will continue to recruit high school stars who insist they will be around for four years, that is becoming more and more difficult. The Blue Devils did benefit from the retention of All-Americas J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams for their senior season in 2006. But there also was the case of Mike Dunleavy Jr., son of a millionaire coach who always insisted he would stay the course. When it became apparent that he would be drafted very high — he went third, behind teammate Jason Williams — Dunleavy listened to his dad, who said he would leave $15 million on the table if he didn’t come out after his junior year."

from http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=619538 sept. 2006.

coach k HAS to change his ways imo.

3/24/2008 2:23:10 PM

Well, it's pretty obvious that whatever he's doing now hasn't worked for the past 7 seasons come Tourney Time. Again, Coach K = Steve Lavin, at least since 2001....

3/24/2008 2:27:54 PM

Quote :

"they do have a lot of interest from Greg Echenique, who is a pretty good big guy"

lol, Echenique just committed to Rutgers. He rather play for a team that finished last in the big east than dook. I told you guys the big men recruits are getting smart nowaday.
http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/2008/03/echenique-to-ru.html

3/24/2008 6:13:01 PM

A little dirty from both players (dirtier by the wvu guy but what was henderson doing?) but funny...

^ that is pretty .... it's not like it was just Duke he spurned. There were some pretty big names. Anyone who reads the Scout.com boards for practically any team has come across RutgersAl I bet... I bet that guy is going nuts right about now.

[Edited on March 24, 2008 at 7:21 PM. Reason : x]

3/24/2008 7:19:24 PM

wow, Echenique not going to duke is a huge miss for k. not that the guy is amazing, but he was what Duke is missing: a banger inside.

no championships for Duke for the next few years, i guess

plz fire Wojo immediately

3/24/2008 7:41:41 PM

^^ I missed that play in the game, what was the refs call on the situation?

3/24/2008 7:47:17 PM

this is jim calhoun's output since winning the national championship in 2004:

2005- lost in the second round to state
2006- lost in the elite eight to friggin george mason
2007- NIT
2008- lost in the first round to friggin san diego

Look at Gary Williams since 2004:
2005-NIT
2006-NIT (lost to MANHATTAN at HOME)
2007-One ncaa win over Davidson, lost to Butler in 2nd round)
2008-NIT

if the game's passed K by, then it's dialing internationally to taunt Calhoun/Williams. That's not even a dig at uconn/maryland, it just shows how hard it is to stay at the top once you get there. How many NCAA wins did Bobby Knight have at Texas Tech? Also, what we feared would happen has happened. Roy has come to UNC and stolen recruits other schools may have gotten otherwise. (Brendan Wright was pretty close to coming to duke) Also, he got a player of Hansborough's capability to stay all 4 years. Hansborough has almost single-handily swung the ACC pendulum back in unc's favor. It's not as if K isn't trying to get big men, he's just whiffed on Greg Monroe and Patrick Patterson, probably someone else I'm forgetting. Still, If Patterson comes to Duke instead of Kentucky, they're probably headed to Phoenix right now.

3/24/2008 8:06:10 PM

don't you mean Charlotte?

3/24/2008 10:12:30 PM

well the last guy to decide btwn Rutgers and Duke was Lance Thomas, so maybe it is a blessing for Duke not to get another guy looking at Rutgers.

3/25/2008 12:12:15 PM

jay williams and dahntay jones chose duke over rutgers as well...

3/25/2008 12:48:52 PM

i think this article is pretty good
http://tinyurl.com/2o5sc8

3/25/2008 12:53:31 PM

Dahntay Jones played 2 years at Rutgers I think... then JayWil got him to transfer...

3/25/2008 1:32:43 PM

LOL, there's a thread on Arizona State's scout message board in which the poster thinks Herb should try and grab Taylor King. that would be hilarious if Herb took two McD's AAs from Duke

(albeit, neither are all that impressive)

3/25/2008 2:01:49 PM