Post by TheGoodMan19 on Oct 18, 2021 21:51:37 GMT
Duke is going to be real fascinating. Missed the NCAA but they were looking good in the ACC tourney before COVID derailed them. 7 foot Mark Williams came on really good down the stretch. This isn't going to be the parade of one and dones that were Duke basketball. Williams, Wendell Moore, Joey Baker, three key upper classmen. The normal ridiculous recruiting class, three 5 star including probable #1 overall draft pick Paulo Banchero. But how will Duke respond to the pressure of the Krzyzewski Retirement Tour? It fires up some teams. John Wooden's last UCLA team wasn't his best but they weren't going to send the legend off on a losing note. Bear Bryant's last Alabama team was a pedestrian 8-4.
EDIT and Duke will be really fascinating next year. Jon Scheyer already has maybe the top recruiting class for his first year. But you never follow the legend. Gene Bartow was 51-10 in his two seasons following Wooden, a Final Four and an Elite 8. and he didn't have a Goodrich, an Alcindor, A Walton. But no title. Bill Guthridge had two final fours following Dean Smith but everyone knew he was a caretaker. Smith's real replacement, Matt Doherty, was a disaster. Joe B. Hall won a title at Kentucky but could never get out of Adolph Rupp's shadow. If Scheyer doesn't get a title in two or three years, his seat will get real warm
I'm actually old enough to remember the pre-K days and Bill Foster. Duke was 2nd tier ACC despite a Final Four trip in 1978. The ACC was ruled by North Carolina, NC State, Maryland and Virginia. foster left Duke for the greener pastures of South Carolina. Only Jim Boeheim is eternal.