When I first started to write of the aftermath of Barnes recruitment, I realized that in order to get a better picture that it would take a little time. So, I let this sit on the cutting room floor for a few days. Of course, members wanted answers right away and nobody could give them what few involved in the situation wanted to talk about.
As time has gone on and I have yet to release what we'll term BDN's final word on Barnes, I realized that despite all of my efforts there was no real way to make sense of the disappointment. Still, I will give it a try in an effort to appease those with questions.
First off all, lets be real in that had Harrison Barnes chose Duke, we would have had no problem with his recruitment. Many of you are seeking answers but nobody can give you a complete scenario as to how things went down.
I have been saying for a year now that [private] I do not like it when Duke is considered the leader for a recruit, especially early on. Duke has missed on Barnes, Boynton and Monroe after being considered the leader and there are others as well.
I personally do not think prospects like being linked to a certain school for a long period of time, for all the questions and all the attacks surely come. Yes, we are talking negative recruiting and there is a lot of that going on. But that's a story for another day for it was far from the sole reason Duke lost Barnes to Carolina.
I say lost Barnes, for I really thought they had established themselves the leader and there was never any over the top bad vibes from Barnes throughout the process. You can also make a case in that Roy Williams closed hard and seemingly made all the right moves.
Roy camped out in Iowa towards the end and he had his team working behind the scenes at breakneck speed in a calculated effort to get Barnes. The official visit to UNC was a grand slam, but why?
Well, as it turns out Barnes mom, Shirley is a big UNC fan and she was completely blown away on the visit, meeting Michael Jordan and being schmoozed by players she grew up rooting for is tough to overcome Nobody realized just how deep this went until it was too late to do anything about it.
Barnes is a mommas boy, so he would naturally be swayed by his mom and sister's emotion. It is also known that the Barnes family felt more at home at UNC than they did Duke for whatever reason.
Yes, Barnes was urged to call certain ex Duke players and yes, kids on their team that were recruited by Duke [Leslie McDonald] and those who wanted to be for exposure [Kendall Marshall] played roles.
It's many kids dreams to take it down to the wire with the biggest names clamoring for them as they announce to a national audience. Duke was not about to fall prey to Marshall whose Dad wanted DU to offer for they knew where he would end up all along.
Still, there is no secret that prospects seemingly have no problem with slipping a nod and wink to one coach while stringing along others, recruiting budgets and emotions be damned.
Barnes did string Duke along and he made them feel as if there was a legitimate shot right up until his announcement. For Duke fans, it did seem like a slap in the face with Roy slipping in after Duke's in home and no sign of serious remorse for the jilted ones.
Once again, we all had to sit on pins and needles while Barnes gave what seemed like an acceptance speech at the Academy Awards before going over and pulling up Skype on his computer in a most clunky way.
When Roy's face popped up, the mystery was officially over but rest assured it had been over and this "different way of announcing," had been set up well before the day of the event.
But Duke has been here before. Patrick Patterson strung Duke along yet in the end it was clear Duke was not in the top two. Patterson's mom jumped to the mike and shouted, "We shocked the world, we shocked the world."
I suppose that is okay from the prospect's standpoint, but wasting the recruiting budgets of schools for your own needs is wrong in my book.
Yes, Mrs. Patterson and Patrick shocked the world, but why be so proud of that? Both the Barnes and the Patterson's had a need for the element of surprise, but whether or not they went too far is a matter of opinion.
I'm more than happy for them in that it was a big moment for their sons, but when will the madness end where prospects clamor for the ultimate spotlight?
Like the vast majority of prospects, Barnes changed by his senior season, just like Boynton and Monroe.
Barnes had nothing but good things to say about Krzyzewski up until about three months ago when his Mom took complete control of the media and decided Barnes would speak to who they felt were the best sound pieces for their goals.
The same kid that would come up to me after his AAU games to ask about his stats to send to his mom, dissed me in the end. Never mind, how good I made him look and that he once treated me as if I was a step above the rest of the media.
No sour grapes there, for I never bugged Barnes at home but one time. The last time I called, I was told he would return my call by his mom Shirley and that it would be that night, but the call never came.
Look, Barnes is a good kid as is his family, but they didn't do Duke any favors and something tells me there is already some of that UNC blue crawling up their spines that will in time bring out the intensity of the rivalry.
The thing is that Duke recruited Barnes hard and did just about everything they could which makes this a tough pill to swallow. But Roy worked some magic in the end and that's the bottom line.
I am not sure if Duke let up a bit in the end or anything else for that matter. Duke is not about to share details with anyone, especially those who will run with it on the Internet.
It should also be noted that the Duke staff just wants to move on and Barnes is now history in their book. But you can bet that the Duke family is distraught and there is a definite sense of betrayal.
My understanding is that Barnes decision caught many Duke players off guard, but there did seem to be a sense of trouble about a week ahead of his decision.
Incoming Duke freshman Kyrie Irving even made a veiled statement via twitter that in hindsight showed the writing on the wall.
Duke has clammed up of late and it should make sense to us all for there is a basketball game tonight as the season is underway. Duke and their fans can get over this and it will likely make the return to the top sweeter.
Still, I get it in that this was the most devastating loss yet for Barnes to the neighbors down the road.
A reality check is in order, for you will hear about Barnes a lot this season on telecasts and you will have him rammed down your throat in the off season and even more-so when he sets foot in the Dean Dome. It will not be fun but it is best to prepare for it, deal with it and accept what we can't control.
This is also a test of Duke fans mettle for many of you started pulling for Duke when they were on top of the world. Some of us went through two 10-16 seasons, a coach bringing us back to the final four and then leaving and watching Krzyzewski build Duke into what it is today.
A visit in history shows that Krzyzewski won with lesser talent via rankings in his first several years. And it took a while before he started to get marquee recruits.
Duke fans have been through a great cycle and now we are in a somewhat down cycle only with concerns to Carolina. Take them away and Duke is just a top ten team ... how disgusting we have to live with that, huh?
Give it time and this to will flip. Barnes would have flipped the balance of power had he chosen Duke, but he instead widened the gap only in that Duke needs athletic wings.
Duke will work out and remember that maybe, just maybe, the fans need to understand what it is like to be hungry again.
It's never been Duke's birthright to get a championship every year or a prospect they desire. But when you compare Duke to the rest of the country's programs, they are still elite in every way.
As for Barnes, facts are still being sifted through and by the time I get the whole picture none of us will care. Quite simply, it is time for all of us to move on and enjoy the season in the here and now.
Final word - The Duke staff worked their butts off recruiting Barnes and they gave it their best effort. That's all they could do.[/private]
K on Kyle Singler - K talked extensively of Singler changing his body and position. While Kyle has lost some weight to play more on the outside, he's is the best shape of his life. ""He's a pro - a lottery pick whenever he comes out. "He's a starter in the NBA," said K. Singler has arranged a class schedule which allows him to better dedicate himself to basketball. Singler called and went over to K's house one time and showed interest in leadership. In fact Singler joined Scheyer for a class at Duke where a Lt.Colonel teaches a class on leadership. Best quote - "Kyle has the ego to be a very good player, but he'll need even more of an ego to be a great player." Also said Kyle was a quiet kid when he came to Duke so he handled him differently. Mentioned that he had a speech impediment growing up.
Next play - K is looking forward to Tuesday's game with Findley and warned his team that they would be much tougher than Pfeiffer. Mentioned they were national champs in their division and that they we but he 38-0. Duke has today [Sunday] off and will return to court on Monday for their 16th practice of the season.
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