Smith now has MSU offer
- Thread starter spartcat
- Start date
Chris has to win one of these recruitment battles. We have to develop a legit NBA player to draw future NBA talent. To get a chance to develop one, we need to get one on campus and sign him.
Meaning whom? I don't mean a marginal NBA player; I'm talking about an NBA starter or a lottery pick. I should have stated this more clearly. My fault.
There are not really many of those and many are of the one or two and done category. Better for us are the guys that are solid that will develop and be here. KY has been able to deal with the one and dones somewhat successfully but many others have trouble with the lake of cohesiveness of the program. Look at Duke this year and compare them to Gonzaga. We need guys like Happ, Hayes, Linsey, Law that continue to develop and are with the program for 4 years. Solid guys with upside that are good enough for a solid career in NBA but likely not going to be the superstar.
100% agree with this. However, I'd also welcome grad transfers that have developed in other solid programs.
Duke did win just a couple of years ago with three one and dones (Okafor, Tyus Jones, Winslow) leading the team. I do however agree that it's unrealistic to expect us to suddenly start landing these recruits.
And a bunch of times recently Duke has gone out in round one or two including 3 first round exits. It is almost an all or nothing
This may be a dumb question, but I wonder, as a fan, if its fun to have your team built that way - the one and dones. You get the best players in the county for sure, but likely you won't see them at their best because by the time they start to figure it out, they leave. Each year is basically starting over. The fact that you consistently win most of your games is probably fun, but Duke fans were used to that before anyway.
I'm purely guessing here but I guess it makes the off-season all the more exciting as you get invested in recruiting hype. You also get to see the star freshman develop throughout the year. Also you're winning so that's awesome. I guess you just don't get the amazing senior days like lumpkin and taphorn reflecting back on their careers and how much they developed and meant to the program.
I'm not saying this because it is unlikely that NU gets any one-and-dones, but I prefer to see the kids stay for 4 or 5 years and develop. I like seeing the improvement year to year. I also like the antiquated idea of kids getting an education and a degree while playing ball at the top level.
Every blue blood program has early exits once in a while. MSU, a comparable program that hasn't (probably tried) recruited one and dones, has more first round exits than Duke in the last 10 years and has won less. Individual examples don't mean anything.
I'm not sure this clarifies much of anything, but this is the only date I've seen associated with Smith. It's a 3/22 quote from the Sun Times.
"'My family and I hope to make a decision by the April signing period,' says Smith of the April 12 date that begins the spring period. 'I just need to get out and visit some schools.'"
This. (Draymond Green, while maybe not a superstar, is pivotal to the success of the Warriors.)
It's basically been UK and Dook winning it all once each with a team led by 1-and-dones (still had some key older players).
Pretty much all the other champs have had a good mix of youth and upperclassmen.
And ironically, the looming possibility of sanctions and rivals using that against UNC in recruiting played a part in the Tar Heels going to the national championship game in back-to-back seasons where they didn't have 1-and-dones, but instead had players who stayed in school for a few years.
Same goes for the other Final Four teams this season - Oregon, USC and Gonzaga.